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Our search for K-pop and Kimchi in the Land of Morning Calm Read more
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  • TravelerChocolateChips and Chopsticks
    Day 1

    Zero o’clock

    June 20, 2022 in South Korea ⋅ 🌙 72 °F

    We’re here. 6000+ miles, 15+ hours in flight and a snaffu in finding our driver — but we made it to the GLAD hotel in Seoul, South Korea!

    South. Korea!

    It’s been a long time coming and the planning stage was a beast but now we get to enjoy two weeks here in the Land of Morning Calm. A seemingly homogeneous land where VERY few look like either one of us two! This is going to be interesting. So far, even though we know we’re different it feels like it’s the cultural things that are singling us out and not necessarily the color of our skin. Nia keeps laughing at me this evening at the airport— we were going through all the protocols, showing papers when an officer asked if I had a printed Q -code (which I did) There were two lines for the ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’ and the officer appeared to shoo me away with two hands to the ‘have not’ line. So off I went…except he was looking at me as he had no idea where I was going. So now I attempt to go back to him and he starts to shoo me away again! Dude, which is it?!! Nia’s telling me, “mama — he’s telling to to come!” Turns out, the way in which we might beckon someone to come forward, with palm up and gesturing with fingers is used to animals in Korea and not people! His way of beckoning, two hands with palms down is the way to go…even if it looks like you want someone to leave! So now I know.

    But regardless, so far, so good. We’re loving the immaculate airport with it’s fancy hotel-like restrooms, the 3D billboards of Gangnam, the apparent safety outside at night, the vibrancy all around us and the snacks! There’s so much more I could write, but after being awake for so long, I need to finally sleep the night in a real bed. It’s almost 0:00 o’clock and after leaving yesterday morning, it’s what’s needed for an early start tomorrow!    Read more

  • TravelerChocolateChips and Chopsticks
    1
    Day 2

    The Best Is Yet To Come

    June 21, 2022 in South Korea ⋅ ☀️ 84 °F

    The girl was awake before 3.am. Worse than that, she actually expected me to be awake too. When I finally got up, she was ready to get this shown on the road for our first full day in Seoul.

    We took off in search of breakfast and found a Starbucks among the hustle and bustle of the morning commute, which, with the benefit of hindsight wasn’t the best entry into Korean interaction. With much anxiety, we made it through and Nia actually ended up with the drink she wanted.

    Even at 9am you can feel the heat creeping up and it leads you to wonder why so many people wear black clothes here. We found our way to the Co-ex mall with a stop at McDonald’s on the way. A friend had told Nia that if she were to see one in Korea, she was to take a photo of the menu! We went in and immediately realized our first roadblock was that there was no English in the menu. Yes, I realize we’re in a foreign country but …McDonald’s! Papago for the win though— the language app I had downloaded for the trip came through for us and the counter assistant responded to “I’m sorry, I don’t speak Korean!” with, “okay?”

    The Co-ex mall was a grand place filled with fancy stores and refreshing cool air. We wandered to the Starfield Library, a central spot with shelves a story high filled with books, books and more books! It’s a beautiful place to sit, to read, or to simply people watch — and of course, the obligatory photo op!

    After a quick walk over to Samseong station we bought T-cards. Or at least attempted to, but it took a helpful stranger who instinctively came to our aid as we fumbled with the machine. Minutes later we were on our first immaculate and very quiet subway ride. We reached Jamsil station and, by trial and error the Lotte Tower where we were to meet Nia’s friend from school who lives close by. When Stephanie arrived with her father, they were excited to have us experience the best Korean beef and took us to a wonderful restaurant inside the tower.

    The food was quick to arrive. At the head of the table, the beef was cooked in front of us on what looked like an installed hot plate and the side dishes took the rest of the table space. There’s Kimchi in front of me! We found it already!!! The server brought a huge bowl of Cold Noodles and gestures to cut them with the scissors she’d also brought. I smiled at her but she was having none of that and continued to instruct, pointing to the vinegar. I was about to pour it all into my small bowl of noodles when she yelped and stopped me — then took my noodles and vinegar and dumped it back into the large bowl, stirring everything before serving me a small bowl again. I guess I got that wrong, and when I looked up, I saw she’d gotten a giggle out of it so the laugh was on me and all was well.

    After lunch, we conquered the Lotte Sky Tower, traveling by elevator at what seemed like the speed of light, to the top. The highest building in Seoul at 1,821 feet and with 23 floors it has a spectacular view of the entire city and surrounds. The glass floor is not for the faint hearted, for sure and you can guarantee Nia went out of her way to make a TikTok at the highest point.

    By the time we needed to leave, we were ready — the day had been long. And hot. And busy. We crashed pretty much as soon as we got back and at about 11.30pm, I was awake again (thanks Jet-lag) to the sounds of BTS on tv singing “The Best is Yet to Come.” I don’t know if it was a sign or not because today was really pretty great.    Read more

  • TravelerChocolateChips and Chopsticks
    Day 3

    Gangnam Style

    June 22, 2022 in South Korea ⋅ ⛅ 86 °F

    When Nia was five and in kindergarten, she’d come home from school every day, singing “heeeeeeey, sexy lady….” She’d break into song anywhere and everywhere and I had zero clue what she was talking about. Little did I know this was actually her introduction to K-pop, through Psy’s anthem, ‘Gangnam Style!’ It’s only fitting while we are here to check out Gangnam, y’know— where it all began 😁

    Nia’s Korean teacher, Stella arranged to pick us up and drive us around her district, or ‘gu’ and the first stop was to Bongeunsa temple. It’s a serene spot, set in what was once mountainous land, right behind the city mall — I guess once you’ve shopped ‘til you drop you can go to the temple and pray for more money. Stella did an awesome job of guiding us through the temple and explaining everything we ever wondered and even in the hot, soupy climate her patience never once wained. The amplified sound of the monks’ rhythmic chanting soothed our souls and followed us from building to building.

    We went next to lunch, which was an eye opening spread fit for queens — and just happened to be owned by a friend of Stella’s mother. Once the food arrives, it keeps arriving for quite some time! Plates upon plates of side dishes, each one expertly prepared by it’s own chef; fresh fried fish, eggplant, bean sprouts, eggs, kimchi, rice — just a handful of the sides I can remember off the top of my head, surrounding the crown jewel…bulgogi beef. And here we were, a couple of Chocolate Chips with Chopsticks, trying desperately to complete the whole meal. If it wasn’t the amount of food that would kill us, it was the cramped hands using those deadly food pincers!!! Thanks to Stella, I can now find my way around a lunch buffet.

    We drove around town — saw K-pop street and the Korean “Rodeo Drive,” before heading to view it some ancient royal tombs. With time still to spare, we crept in rush hour traffic to the Han River, where friends and families gathered for the evening. People in tents, people on bikes, old and young alike converge along the waterfront to watch the sun set as we did, eating Korean fried chicken and drinking beer, (or banana milk) in our case! Stella kept urging Nia to speak Korean and asked a young guy to practice with her — he promptly obliged but Nia was suddenly very shy and appeared to have no knowledge of such a language 🤣 I got to play ‘gawi bawi bo’ which is the Korean rock, paper, scissors and the crew were surprised and amused that I knew what it was…thank you, BTS, I knew it would come in handy some day! I received a balloon for the efforts. When we left, a young boy of maybe four years old broke away from his mother and made a beeline for me. He had the biggest smile and as he approached, he reached up his hand and I believed he was reaching for the balloon. I leaned in closer, ready to hand it to him and instead, his little hand reached for a loc of my hair, which he touched and continued on his escape! His poor mother was mortified and had no reason to be — I thought it was the sweetest thing in the world.

    When we finally got back to the hotel, we were dog tired. But on our last evening in Gangnam, I realized I hadn’t done one certain thing. So at around 11pm, I wandered down the street to find the ode to Psy — the Gangnam Style statue. I felt oddly at ease there, at past eleven pm, alone and 6,000+ miles away from home. There was a safety to be felt unlike being in my own neighborhood and it was quite a startling comparison; people walking dogs, small groups of friends chatting, a skateboarder here or a tourist there. I found the statue, lit up for the night and knew that in one day, we’d experienced the old and new, fast and slow, natural and man made, traditional and contemporary, all that is wonderful Gangnam.    Read more

  • TravelerChocolateChips and Chopsticks
    Day 4

    Not Today

    June 23, 2022 in South Korea ⋅ ☁️ 70 °F

    Last morning in Gangnam before we move onto our next spot in Namdaemun. We packed up early and I ate a lemon cream donut for breakfast. Nutritious? But delicious, yes. Besides, I didn’t want to drag donuts across town, so…

    Apparently monsoon season is set to start today and with that in mind I feared for the outdoor plans I’d wistfully made weeks ago. Looking out the hotel window, I had just one thought: “Not Today.” Today is gray, today is cloudy and today, the sky looks about ready to open up.

    We took off to the Co-ex Mall in search of a pair of sneakers Nia had had her eyes on the day after we arrived. She found herself unable to live without them but we’d made futile efforts to find the store in the maze of the mall. There was a single pair. In Cinderella-like fashion, she tried them on and the Korean-Cashier-Prince and I smiled at the perfect fit.

    We made our way to Samseong Station and stood gazing at the entangled map of colors that is the subway system. Okay, then. We can do this! And then, there he was — a kind young knight in shining glasses who simply asked, “do you need help?!” There was a brief nanosecond where, for some reason, I actually considered saying no but soon came to my senses and instead said, “I would SO appreciate your help!” I explained where we needed to go and he showed us the route before whipping out his phone and pulling up an interactive subway map to determine how long it should take us. Moments later we were on our way.

    The train came quick enough and we boarded. I reminded Nia we shouldn’t sit in the empty yellow seats designated for the elders, infirm and/or pregnant and we marveled over the fact that no one else sits there either — except said elders, infirm or pregnant! As we crossed the Han River, the rain finally started as a slow drizzle but by the time we appeared from City Hall station, it had progressed to a raging faucet. We ended up buying umbrellas for 5,000 won on our way to eat.

    We found a random spot and it turned into a great random spot! We chose snow crab and wasabi gimbap, Bipimbap and Mandu by pointing to the photos on the menu and in what seemed like no time at all, the food was ready for us. The kitchen staff were all elder women, one came and gestured to put “small, small” sauce into the Bipimbap and she giggled a few times as she helped us get our chopsticks and set up the table. The food, of course was delicious and the dumplings were likely the very best we’ve ever had. We ploughed through the entire meal and I had a quick lesson in how to compliment the chefs. My big moment came as we returned our trays— one of the elder women looked to her colleague when she realized I was about to speak to her. I assume she didn’t speak English but I told her, in faltering Korean, “aju madissoyo” and her face lit up with a smile as big as the moon, knowing now we thought the food was delicious! The rest of the women laughed with us and there were ‘gamsahamnida’s’ galore before we left. It was a moment of connection that I will long remember.

    We went underground shopping in Myeongdong, weaving in and out of small trinket stores and buying what we don’t really need. Like the pair of pants I left with because the elder woman had been so sweet to me. I didn’t feel like I could walk out the store empty handed, so…

    The level of rain we walked back to the hotel in was like no other. Even with umbrellas, everything was wet, down to the bone; looks like monsoon season really is officially here in Seoul. We got to relax in the hotel and have an early night for the first time since our arrival. I’m still hoping to be able to try on Hanbok, but unfortunately no, not today.    Read more

  • TravelerChocolateChips and Chopsticks
    11
    Day 5

    No More Dream

    June 24, 2022 in South Korea ⋅ ⛅ 73 °F

    There were two things I dreamed of doing while in Seoul and today was the day to do them! After the torrential rain yesterday, we were forecast a dry day so we set out early to Deoksugung Palace for the Changing of the Guard ceremony. Every day, multiple times the ceremony is held outside the palace and represents the shift change of the palace guards, or the "Wanggung Sumunjang.” Back in the Joseon Dynasty, eons ago the guards were in place to patrol the premises and protect the King — the original CCTV, if you will. There’s heavy drumming, marching and yelling in the display and the only problem was that we couldn’t understand what was being said. Not *really* a problem though because the visuals are grand enough to make up for it. After a twenty minute performance, the guards changed clothes and returned as civilians, while Nia and I finished an on the go breakfast.

    As close as it is, Gyeongbokgung Palace was not a straightforward venture for us and we somehow lost our way. Thankfully, more kind strangers rescued us and we emerged from the station to an ancient palace set in a mountain vista. It’s every bit as grand as my mind had imagined. Even though it looked threatening, the rain was holding back as if it knew we had longed to be here. We found our way to a Hanbok rental and honestly, it was the first one we came across. It didn’t matter that it was likely overpriced at 40,000 won for the two of us — we picked the premium Hanbok anyway and stepped into the dressing area to have it put on. And I mean ‘have it put on,’ because it’s definitely a process! I’m actually surprised by how excited I was just to see it in person and seriously, it was way more beautiful than imagined! Today was the day, no more dreaming about it!

    We left the store and floated back to the palace, rimmed skirts swaying as we walked, sleeves itching as we moved. I kept worrying about how naked my bottom half felt under the huge skirt and marveling at the same time how airy and free it felt! There were hundreds of visitors dressed up; tourists, families, locals — each stopping to immortalize themselves on film with selfie sticks, and video on tow. Almost as soon as we arrived two Korean elder women found us (we were easy to spot 😊) and it happened; one of them reached out and yanked a loc of my hair. They were WAY more intrigued by Nia’s though and we heard the words “ohhhhhhh, beautiful!” She touched, she admired and she also spoke with Nia in her own language. I learned that the woman was curious as to whether Nia had gotten her hair braided like that in Korea and of course, Nia told her, no. The second woman was more reserved about the interaction and even though she smiled through it, she didn’t touch — rather just made braiding gestures with her fingers. There were wide beaming smiles from both though.

    We found a quiet and pretty spot and set the camera down to try to take a picture when a man came, out of nowhere and gestured he’d take the picture for us. We didn’t realize it would be quite the photo shoot until we looked back at his work after he’d disappeared!

    A bunch of school children on a field trip bustled by, chatting and stopping to take group shots so I offered my hand to take their whole groups’ photo too. The little photographer girl, about eleven didn’t want to hand over her camera but al the other kids urged her to. She wasn’t budging so, seeing a boy with a cell phone I gestured to hand it to me. He couldn’t give it quick enough, saying “Photo! Photo!” And as if by magic, photographer guy appeared again to take the picture and I handed him the cell phone. No sooner did I do so, one of the girls in the group started beckoning me to join their photo shoot and all the kids followed. So Nia and I had photo shoot number two, with the kids telling Nia how to pose with her hands in true young-people fashion! When we were done, there was a chorus of “thank you’s” and “see you tomorrow’s!” And then one boy exclaimed, “see you in America! Have a nice day!” He was thrilled when I returned the sentiment and looked like he’d just hit the jackpot! I’m sure his teachers would be equally thrilled by him testing out his English skills on a native speaker!

    We crashed super early back at the hotel and slept for hours. Guard ceremony, check. Wear Hanbok, double check. Life is good.    Read more

  • TravelerChocolateChips and Chopsticks
    1
    Day 6

    Serendipity

    June 25, 2022 in South Korea ⋅ ⛅ 84 °F

    The forecasted rain disappeared so we were lucky to fit in the N. Seoul Tower earlier in the day. The meandering mountaintop street leading to the cable car was a brutal climb in the heat and humidity, even though we thought we’d set out earlyish. We rode the cable car to the top, but there’s something about being suspended in the air in a steel and glass capsule that makes my stomach lurch and my head spin now — the brief views I dared to have were of a city dressed in haze for miles. The observation tower itself was much of the same, a fun experience but not nearly as exciting as our Lotte tower experience.

    Our feet safely on the ground, we ambled through a maze of Myeongdong streets packed with weekend visitors in search of bargains. Lined with local vendors, there were indeed many bargains to be had and Nia was delighted to have the sweatshirt she wanted haggled down to a price that made her smile.

    Since the weather was unexpectedly on our side, we decided to leave and find our way to Jamsil Stadium for a baseball game. The local Doosan Bears were playing this weekend and since my resident baller is also in town, it seemed like fate. We met a friendly Korean-New Zealander on the subway who chatted freely and helped us navigate our destination. We had no idea just how packed it would be, with families and friends alike gathering for the game. We were able to get two seats together for 18,000 won which seemed like a bargain and in we went. The stadium was filled with loud, dedicated fans singing and waving team and country flags, each side with their own team chants and ‘fight songs.’ It took asking two people along the way before we found our seats and Nia said, “yeah but I’m scared that a ball is gonna come right to me if we sit here!!!” Two empty seats away from her was a man with a blue and red baseball glove. I nodded over towards him, “at least he can save you if a ball comes your way!” I joked. An array of food and drinks were available, including the Korean ballpark staples of Fried chicken and beer, which is happily and freely chugged while watching. We opted for ballpark dumplings instead, so we were a couple of Chocolate Chips with Chopsticks…at Jamsil Stadium!

    With the crowd cheering him on, Kim Jae-Hwan, the Bears’ lefty power hitter pounded the ball into the stands — to right field…and headed our way! We could see it coming, the leather projectile aiming right. for. us. This is not a drill, people! Instinctively, Nia and I darted to the side, phones dropping to the floor and our neighbor with the blue and red glove reached across those two empty seats with one calm and unbothered motion — to snag the ball!!! The crowd erupted and #32 made it back to home base amid chants, claps and silver streamers exploding and celebrating a Doosan home run!

    Thank you, random stranger, for saving my daughter from being drilled in the head with a baseball 😊    Read more

  • TravelerChocolateChips and Chopsticks
    11
    Day 7

    Serendipity, part 2

    June 26, 2022 in South Korea ⋅ ☁️ 84 °F

    We packed up early and went to find breakfast before leaving for Hongdae. As luck would have it, the same place we had our first meal was open early. When we walked up to the counter one of the women smiled to her colleague and said, “mashisoyo!” remembering us from our previous visit. Our dumplings were equally delicious the second time around and the perfect start to our day.

    There was a mist in the air, the threat of rain for the day and to pass time, we strolled stopping here and there to look at city art work or to stop in the store for an early morning pistachio and cherry ice cream. There are some things you get away with while on vacation and this was one of them.

    We arrived in Hongdae to immediate hustle and bustle. An immediate influx of young people. Immediate confusion. We walked from one end of the street to the other in search of the “close by” hotel and, frustration bubbling, wanted to give up. Even with a map, even with directions, the Mercure hotel remained elusive. We were standing, right in the middle of the sidewalk just about feeling ready to cry when he appeared; “you need help?” “I’m trying to find this hotel!” I told him as I showed him the map. He looked down at it, then “okay! Let’s go!” We trotted after him, chatting as we went and I thought he would simply point us in the direction of the hotel — he did, but continued with us until we got there! The entrance was not easily accessible and definitely not obvious so our new friend whipped out his phone and called *someone* to find out how we can enter. He beckoned us to a storefront door which then led to the hotel whose lobby was on the fourth floor. We were escorted by him upstairs to the lobby where we breathed a sigh of absolute relief. I couldn’t thank this stranger enough because my thank you’s just didn’t feel sufficient… but I guess they were to him. I honestly don’t remember seeing him get back into the elevator, maybe I was just distracted — but as if by magic, he was gone. Nia says that the guy was a guardian angel, much like the man yesterday, two empty seats down; an angel whose job it is to keep you safe. I’m inclined to agree with her because they sure showed up when we needed them!

    We literally dropped off our bags and ran over to the HYBE Insight building to look at the BTS exhibit which we thoroughly enjoyed, before returning to the sensory overload that is Hongdae!    Read more

  • TravelerChocolateChips and Chopsticks
    Day 8

    That That, I like it!

    June 27, 2022 in South Korea ⋅ 🌧 77 °F

    Mondays appear to be slow days, so it seemed like a great choice for a cooking class! We met up with our teacher for the morning at a subway stop nearby and she charmed us immediately with her mix of California-Korean-English. As a group of eight, we strolled through Mangwon market with ‘Sarah’ as our guide. Every few stalls, she’d stop and explain whatever it was we needed to know along with some things we didn’t. The market was a mix of sounds and smells, food and fish and every now and then Sarah would invite us to sample one dish or another, most of us obliging happily.

    Within about an hour, we had left the market and arrived at Sarah’s home to cook, where everything was laid out for us and waiting for action. Over the next couple of hours, we chopped, pounded, fried and tossed, finally producing the most gorgeous spread which included Bipimbap, Pajeon (seafood pancakes) and Dakgalbi which’s are like bite sized tacos made with leaves instead of the actual taco! Sarah added a few sides she’d already prepared along with makgeli, rice wine. We ate literally until we were full, enjoying each delicious flavor and marveling at the apparent simplicity of all we’d made. It was a great experience!    Read more

  • TravelerChocolateChips and Chopsticks
    1
    Day 9

    So What?

    June 28, 2022 in South Korea ⋅ 🌧 77 °F

    Rainy day tour of Nami Island and the Garden of Morning Calm.

    Rain, mist, rain, mist. But, so what? It was still beautiful and Nia got to zip line her way over to Nami! We saw filming locations for k-dramas, lamp lined paths…and ostriches?! Pine nut ice cream to send us on our way 😊Read more

  • TravelerChocolateChips and Chopsticks
    Day 11

    Moving On (Train to Busan)

    June 30, 2022 in South Korea ⋅ ⛅ 73 °F

    It was touch and go as to whether we would move on from Hongdae, because Nia wasn’t feeling well, but we were able to cancel our tickets and rebook for a time later in the day.

    Seoul station was a sprawling hotpot of locals and foreigners alike, trotting along to and from their destinations. After a while we were able to secure our excess luggage in lockers and move much freer. Lunch at a train station food court has never been more delicious; all the menus are posted in one location and your order whichever delicacy and pay for it. Take your receipt to the corresponding restaurant counter and pick up your freshly made to order meal. I made my way to my counter and handed the server my receipt, which he handed back as he pointed to the numbers on it. “2-4-8! 2-4-8! Ding, ding!!!” I understood I was to wait for my number and a bell when the food was ready, so I ‘kamsahabnida’d’ both servers as I backed away. The female server smiled…actually she laughed at me. It was in an emphatic and kind way, but she laughed at me and I could tell what she was thinking; “ah, bless her — the foreigner who only knows one word in Korean!”

    The cross country train to Busan took two and a half hours; a bullet that raced at around 190 miles per hour through cityscapes, mountains and rice fields. We arrived at Busan station and even though Busan is the second largest city, I didn’t think the station would look as futuristic for some reason. We got lost a couple of times trying to find the hotel and were standing in the rain trying to pull up navigation on a phone that didn’t want to cooperate. The realization that ‘Toto, we’re not in Kansas anymore,” hit hard. Then once again, he appeared — our most valuable asset in Korea…the helpful stranger! Grocery store guy helped point us in the right direction and we were soon on our way, blood pressure lowered.

    We still couldn’t find the hotel, even when we knew where it was supposed to be. We wandered up and down street, finally asking again in a convenience store. We went from excitement to hesitation when we finally arrived. We pushed open the door and walked up a couple of creaky stairs to the musty lobby. A man was sitting behind a wooden ‘reception desk’ and looked at us, before grabbing a piece of paper. “Phillips?” “Yes! Yes, that’s us.” He handed me a worn room key card, “this your room, 205.” And waited for us to go. “Um, so….where?” “Elevator, elevator!” He said and gestured towards the wooden box that was to transport us upwards.

    The door opened outwards and we went in. It seemed dark, maybe because of the poor lighting or maybe because of the teeny tiny window that likely opened to a wall. There was an ancient desktop computer on a table and a double bed to the side. We sat down on it and felt sure that Fred Flintstone would’ve been quite happy sleeping on it. “Is there a sheet on the bed?!!” Nia shrugged, and on closer inspection we realized there didn’t appear to be and that it was a mattress liner or pad. I looked for the Wi-Fi password and thankfully was able to connect and went right to Booking.com. We picked up our belongings and walked right back out into the Busan evening and didn’t look back.    Read more

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