On Sunday February 7th, 2016 we checked out just one of the many animal cafes in Seoul, South Korea! Blind Alley is a Raccoon Cafe near Sookmyung Women’s University. We had a great time seeing these creatures grab things with their long fingers, burrow into pockets, play with their plush toys, and climb on nearly…
New Year’s Eve in Korea
I had planned on ringing in the New Year in some exotic destination. First it was Boracay (where my bestie McBesterson is currently hangin’ – jealous, what?), then it was Hong Kong (flights were about $200 Canadian, but hotels were another story), and finally I had dreams of Tokyo. By the time mid-December rolled around…
66100 #IAmBeautiful
“Regardless of size or appearance, you are beautiful.” These words have resonated with me ever since I heard about Vivien Geeyang Kim (김지양, the first Korean plus-sized model to debut in the United States) back when I was living in Canada. She has made waves and gone viral around the world as the model “too…
Renewing my Canadian Passport in Busan
Renewing your passport while abroad isn’t exactly the smartest course of action. I had a year and a half left on my passport when I left Canada to teach English in South Korea, but with all the expenses of applying for my visa, getting my fingerprints and background check done, having my degree notarized,…
Dear Brunei Darussalam
A stunning image (and article) about the iconic Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque c/o Nai69 “ClickWithMyLens” “A Kingdom of Unexpected Treasures” is the tagline of the tourism board of Brunei. I have noticed over the past 6-8 months that I have a steady group of readers in Brunei. I do not…
Christmas comes to Korea – 24 Hr. Whirlwind
Christmas Eve melted right into Christmas Day. On the 24th, we all wore red and brought any North Pole-style accessories we had (those reindeer antlers sure came in handy…again!). The kids were SO excited to spend their coupons they had been collecting all year. The afternoon classes get two “Carrot Days” (think of the “carrot…
Christmas comes to Korea: Part 2
It feels a little bizarre to be reflecting on various expat holiday events in Korea now that it’s January 3rd, but that’s what happens from Christmas through the New Year. My gym trips have become less frequent (thank goodness my weight has not increased!), I’ve slept in later, spent much more time with friends, and…
Christmas comes to Korea: Part 1
Christmas came and went suddenly. Leading up to the 25th there were lots of opportunities for me to miss my parents, miss my friends back home, and miss the traditions we had together, but the actual day went by in the blink of an eye (we’ll get to that later!). The holiday is celebrated in…
Hagwon Hell to Heaven
So, you didn’t read up on living and working in Korea quite enough, you didn’t research your school enough, etc. and now you’re in a new country without a job or a place to live. Great. First things first: PANIC. You’re going to panic whether Dr. Kate tells you to or not. If you have…
Weekend Warriors: Haeundae Smokehouse
Most people who know me would tell you I value a lazy Saturday or Sunday Funday full of sparkling conversation over a fantastic brunch, bubbles included (of course!). In Busan, a traditional Eggs Benedict isn’t exactly tough to find, but one that’s done well certainly can be. My first eggsperience was at an establishment in…
Bubbles Shinsegae: Champagne taste. Beer Budget.
After a marvelous day perusing Pale de CZ in Haeundae for brunch (we’ll get there – Haeundae Smokehouse needs it’s own post), followed by the Andy Warhol Live Exhibit at the Busan Museum of Art, we were ready for an early night in, but weren’t quite ready to call it a day. With the help…
Gamcheon Cultural Village – Different perspectives
Gamcheon Cultural Village is the kind of place you can visit again, and again, and again and still never have the same experience twice. As you might remember, we visited Gamcheon with G’s Mum a little while ago. Having missed the “Stairway to the Stars” last round, but discovering it this time made staying in…