Tag Archives: Subway

Last Weekend

You must excuse me for the lack of post from last weekend. The majority of our July has been spent staying outside until the last very last second possible, or until the rain moves in. We are in monsoon season here in S.Korea so getting out and about when the sun is shining is imperative if you are trying to squeeze every ounce of “clear” sky out of the dwindling summer.

We trekked slowly up the base of Soyosan to marvel at the lush green trees. Soyosan is prime people watching too! During the hot season’s Korean’s often lounge and cool themselves in the trickling streams that come off the base of the mountain. You never know what you might see or get invited to join.

Don’t worry we’ve been properly hydrating with lemon water and practically turning into rabbits nibbling on all of our vegetable greens. (Beats turning on the oven in the humidity and heat).

I have a new Korean friendship blossoming and we enjoyed a really nice dinner together at a unique little restaurant near both of our homes. We dined on duck and a soup made of perilla leaves.

Not familiar with perilla leaves? Don’t worry it is most likely because it grows in Korea, China, Nepal and India. It’s a flavor I really cannot explain. The taste is quite pungent and has a nutty peppery taste to it. It is a herb that is often referred to a wild sesame. I was told that this heart-shaped leaf is a Korean staple and you can find it almost year round served in Korean homes. Plus it gets better! Of course it has healing components to it as well. If you are feeling tired, suffer from frequent headaches, need some anti-inflammatory relief, detoxify fish poisoning, combats morning sickness. WHOA! Talk about a marvelous little leaf!

and here is where I let you all down…. can you believe I ate the soup before I took a photo to share with all of you? Oops… trust me.. it would have just been a photo of a bowl of soup.

Kelsey stayed over too! She came sharing her newest sweets with us. What a sweetie!

We hopped on an AM train into Seoul and ran about in the on again off again rain to a vegan bakery called PLANT owned and operated by the sweetest girl, Mipa. Enjoyed a peanut Thai bowl and grilled chickpea sandwich. Both incredibly sumptuous and we shared one anther’s lunch family style. We are family after all! We then went to Maybell Bakery where I introduced Kelsey to a fabulous European bakery with freshly baked focaccia, baguette, croissants. I think it’s safe to say she’s in heaven.

We got home and felt like “grilling” hot dogs. I whipped up a vegan macaroni salad and she grilled the dogs. We were quite the little team in the kitchen if I do say so myself.

Howbeit it wasn’t as exciting of an update, it’s summer folks! Get off the Internet and GET OUTSIDE!

Backpackbees

Places to go:

Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory (Candy Apples)
Addresses in Korea here

PLANT (Vegan Bakery)
Check out Facebook site here.

Maybell Bakery (European bakery-But hey make me a deal and don’t buy up all the bread before I get there)
737-2 Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
South Korea
02-792-5561

Soyosan (Local Mountain / park)
Check out more here.

Jeepers Peepers

So after three years of Mr. B talking me into getting LASIK we finally took the plunge! I cannot express the felling I have being able to wake up each morning post surgery and instantly be able to focus of things around our bedroom and not straining to see very fuzzy objects. The sun light pouring in is just amazing! Buh-bye twenty some years of wearing corrective lenses!

South Korea is known for medical tourism as well as having state of the art medical technology. The icing on the cake is, for the most part is that, procedures in Korea are also significantly inexpensive when comparing to that of the states. For example, in the states LASIK can cost anywhere from $2,500-$3,000 per eye. Also if you have poor vision, you could be subject to paying additional costs. In Korea the average cost for both eyes regardless of your prescription, ranges from 1.2-1.5 million won ($1,200-$1,500 USD).

So now you have a bit of the background. What happens next? Well mr. B and I wore our glasses for two weeks. Reality, you only need to wear glasses for a week, however we wanted to give our eyes a break from the contacts we constantly wear.

We made our appointment with Seoul Eye Clinic, Glory eyes in Gangnam. That was quite the experience in itself. When I called I was told that someone would call me right back to set up an appointment. Just as the secretary said, I received a call back 5-10 minutes later. I spoke with a gentleman, he spoke very well and was clearly understood. The only thing was that after speaking for a few moments he proceeded to tell me he was drunk. I was a bit shocked but in the same breath I thought to myself, well this is Korea the land of one-off. He eventually told me he was going to need to call me back tomorrow and apologized because his mother was very ill.

The next morning I waited until mid-afternoon for a call back. It didn’t happen, so I took matters into my own hands and called back. This time I spoke with a more coherent voice on the other end of the line. I was able to set up an appointment and hotel. Get this, the hotel was free! Score! We thought even if it was basic Korean rooms we were up for whatever because we were both getting the surgery done the same day.

Two weeks flew by and the next thing you know it was the morning of our appointment. We hopped on the train and sought out for Gangnam. The building was very easy to locate and is conveniently right near the subway line / exit.

We were immediately greeted by the receptionist. We only sat for about 10-15 minutes (we were early). Then we were individually taken for a standard series of vision tests and examinations. Seoul Eye Clinic is pretty busy, but is fairly large enough to accommodate the constant flow of foot traffic. Korean style, the entire process is set up like an assembly line and waiting queue. We each finished different portions of our test at various set up stations, then take an eye examination with the standard cover this eye read that letter, etc. then sit back down and wait to be seen by the doctor.

We were called into our doctors office and he is the one to tell you whether or not you’re a good fit for LASEK or LASIK and then proceeds to explain how the procedures is done for each. Thankfully we both were candidates for both procedures because of the decent amount of eye cornea thickness. We both decided on LASIK because of a shorter recovery time and significantly less discomfort post-surgery recovery. The doctor said excellent, let’s get prepped. Just like that we were on our way up the elevator to another floor in the building for surgery.

We waited about 10 minutes, there were three others in front of us. We could hear the laser machine buzzing as we waited and you could also watch the procedures as there were going on. At this point my stomach was in knots. The anticipation leading up to this crazy decision was eating me alive. Could I really do this?!

Just then, Mr. B was then called and taken into the surgery room. The staff cheerfully said you can join him to me. I don’t know what I was thinking, I followed along behind him. The automatic doors closed behind us and Mr. B was directed to lay down and they assisted him with putting on a silly medical cap on. Then they proceeded to scrubbing his face and placing a very sticky mask over your entire face (later to rip out some of my eyelashes and hair on my head), letting your eyes still peep through for the surgery. They then numb/dilate his eyes. Next was the most awkward feeling for the both of us, they suction cup your eyes open so you’re not able to close them during the procedure. Honestly the suction cups were about the only part that feels the worst…but you really cannot feel it, if that makes sense?

After his eyes were suctioned open, the doctor tells him to look at a flashing green dot and then proceeds to peel back a thin membrane off of his eye (Mind you I only know this from the random squeamish peeks and the doctor talking while doing the procedure). The intense part was that You can actually see your membrane being peeled off. Eek! Then the craziest and indescribable feeling follows when they wash out your eye with cold water after peeling back the eye membrane. Don’t worry, none of this experience was painful or hurt, it’s more psychological. The other part that messes with you is that you can smell the eye burning in the air during the procedure.

Bamb 10-15 minutes later Mr. B was done and I was next. A protective contact was put into each eye to protect the recent surgery for the day/night. Mr. B held my hand during the entire procedure and next thing you know I was done. I found it was easier to focus on the opposite eye each time they were working on the one. I also wiggled my thumb to try to take the focus off of my eyes too. Whatever gets you through it.

The doctor then said let’s get a photo! Of course, only in Korea ha ha! We were escorted up to the pharmacy to pick up three sets of drops (Antibiotic, anti-inflammatory and re-wetting drops) . Then back down to the waiting room again, where we sat with hazy vision for the next twenty minutes, putting in eyes drops every ten minutes.

Luckily Kelsey met us at the doctor’s office before hand and volunteered to escort us afterwards. We left the office and the sun was shining so brightly outside, we were instructed to bring sunglasses before the appointment so we thought we were prepared. Then as we walked, in between drops here and there, I just couldn’t shake that feeling of wanting to just close my eyes? We grabbed a very quick-lunch at a Twosome Cafe, then my eyes started to feel slightly better, however Mr. B’s eyes started to feel very irritated. We both decided it was best to just get to the hotel, get checked in and rest our eyes.

The Provista hotel wasn’t that far away from Seoul Eye Clinic. At that point I had some dryness but it wasn’t too bad. We both experienced a soft halo glow. We checked in and immediately went to sleep. We slept for four hours with our super awesome protective goggles on (check out Instagram). We woke up and decided to grab dinner at Outback Steakhouse, conveniently located in the lower level of the hotel. We then even felt good enough to venture out for a walk around Gangnam.

The next morning, Sunday, we checked out and headed to our post-op appointment. Our eyes felt much better. Still slightly sensitive to light but absolutely bearable. The doctor examined our eyes and removed the protective lens from our eyes. He said everything looked great. Hugh sigh of relief!

What an experience! After everything, I’d still recommend getting LASIK done at Seoul Eye Group in Korea! The care was excellent, very foreigner friendly and at an excellent price too! What is stopping you from going?

Now I’m researching where we can donate all of the miscellaneous glasses, contacts and contact solutions to.

Backpackbees

Directions:

Glory Seoul Eye Group / Seoul Eye Clinic

822-4 Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul

Or subway: Exit 12 from Gangnam Station (Line 2/Sinbundang Line) and walk straight about 30 ~50 meters. Artbox and Daiso will be on your left. Seoul Eye Group clinic is located in the building right next to the Daiso on the left. Take the stairs up to the second floor, you’ve made it!

Tel: 010-7191-9769

http://www.seouleyegroup.co.kr/event/event_175.php

Provista Hotel

1677-8 Seocho-1dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul

Tel : +82-2-597-1140,1141
Fax : +82-2-597-1170

Or subway: line 2 or 3 Exit 1 Seoul nat’l univ. of education 3 minute walk to hotel.

Seoul Favorites

I’ve written about Insadong (인사동) before but I can’t help but continue to go back to the area again and again. It never gets old. I find the most random treasures and eats and treats that instantly become new favorites. I told Kelsey about the area when we first got to meet up with her the other weekend in Seoul. She instantly was intrigued and sent me a text message Friday evening asking if I minded meeting up with her and playing tourist around the area. Of course I couldn’t resist! Plus I jumped at the opportunity for a girls day.

We met at the top of Jonggak Station (Exit 3) staircase. My train arrived about 10 minutes before her’s so I snapped a few photos. Again, I couldn’t help myself! After all, Seoul obliged with the most perfect weather. The sun was out in full force and it felt like it was recharging my own soul and reminding me why I loved this city so much. Pure pre-spring perfection!

Kelsey’s brunette hair finally appeared among the sea of jet black hair climbing the staircase and we set off to Insadong. It had been quite sometime since I last visited the area, I had to re-gather my bearings… it all came back once we walked forward a few blocks. She was such a trooper putting all of her trust in me like that. Thanks Kels!

One of the fun parts about Insadong, or Seoul in general is all of the fun strange street food vendors. The vendors food smells immediately wafted into our noses as we entered the area. It was exactly noon so it was perfect timing to make our way around the area.

I’m sure you are wondering what the above photos are of? They do look quite different don’t they? Well, they are a crispy tube. Think ice cream cone texture, filled with ice-cream. Quite a comical scene to see crowds of all ages carrying these things around. We decided to save ourselves possibly for the end of the trip, or for a tad bit warmer weather.

I took Kelsey to explore my favorite rice cake cafe in the area, Bizeun. This place serves as many as 250 different types of Korean traditional rice cake. The best part was that she loved my favorite rice cake as much as I do! I find that most people sort of turn their noses up at rice cakes because its something so foreign to them at first… especially the squishy one that I love that Kelsey immediately took to. Is this girl my kindred spirit or what?

After leaving Bizeun, we headed up the street towards more of the shops and vendors. On my list I specifically wanted to share the little outdoor vendor that sits on the corner of the center street running through Insadong. It’s all mismatched pottery. Beautiful teapots, tea cups, vases, etc. Each time that I stop at this stand I end up picking something up. Shhhhhh don’t tell Mr. B. Kelsey instantly fell in love with the stand and found an awesome little trinket. She said that she wanted to come back for some future gifts for family members. I was smitten that she loved the place as much as I do.

We jetted down some alleyways and I showed her one of the best steamed dumpling stands that I’ve had since living in Korea. Anytime of the day I have found myself around this alleyway, there’s a line. Always! This place was is so simple but oh so delicious. Good stuff folks!

We shared some poop bread. Yes, you read that correctly. It’s Poop bread ( 똥빵 ). Okay, I’ll digress and let you all in on the joke. Korean youth are obsessed with poop. It’s odd.. you and I know that…but it’s their thing. This bread is filled with delicious Red beans and walnuts inside. It’s actually really delicious and if you’ve had bung’eo (붕어) the fish pastry filled with red bean paste. MMMM… thinking about the warm tasty red bean filling this very second makes me so hungry! I have to stop while I am ahead before I go out and mull a poor street vendor.

When in Insadong you must drink tea! Find a tea shop, visit the tea museum, or  Korea’s famous O’sulloc Tea House. We stopped into O’sulloc, I shared with Kelsey that Jeju Island off the coast of Korea has the tea-plant and tea fields that you can stroll through. Another must do while living or visiting Korea.

After O’sulloc we found ourselves wanting to sit down and enjoy some tea and some sort of sweet. Of course because the sun was shining and I was instantly transitioning into a Springy mood, naturally, I had my mind set on Patbingsu. Once I found out that Kelsey loved red bean paste I knew I had to share Korea’s iconic dessert. Ohhhh sweet summer is near and I cannot wait to slurp this stuff up for dinner. No shame, no shame. We indulged in our patbingsu, sipped our hot citron tea and talked and giggled for hours.

 

Address:

130-4, Insa-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul-si 
서울 종로구 인사동 130-4일대

www.insainfo.or.kr (Korean only)

www.visitseoul.net (English, Korean, Japanese).

By Train:

Anguk Station (Seoul Subway Line 3), Exit 6.
Go 100m straight, then turn left.
-OR-
Jonggak Station (Seoul Subway Line 1), Exit 3.
Go straight 300m, and turn left at the 4-way Intersection.
Go straight 100m, and take the left road towards Insadong-gil Road.

Backpackbees

Our Seoul

Besides getting to watch the sunset and paint the most beautiful glowing sky over Seoul this weekend… some highlights included but were not limited to:

-Watching 100,000 fireworks (not even exaggerating) set off from Japan, Canada, France and South Korea, lighting up the Seoul city skyline. Breathtaking!

-Traipsing all over Seoul

-Eating so many yummy Korean dishes…perhaps too many

-Spending time with some great girlfriends being “tourist” taking cabs, the subway, and the Seoul city bus tour

-Visiting N Seoul Tower taking in all the views without any haze

-Getting to see our dear friends again for the first time in two months!!!!

-Picking up a freshly baked baguette and veggies from a nearby bakery and vegetable stand to make veggie panini’s

-Getting to hear my dad’s voice over the phone while we wished him a happy birthday

Needless to say, counting down till next weekend. Cheers!

Backpackbees

공씨네주먹밥 Kong’s Riceball

I often find that little hole in the wall places are the best kind of places. They typically serve some of the most unusual and delicious little finds. Take our secret restaurant for instance. It’s so off the beaten path and it has some of the best food we’ve eaten since living in Korea. I guess that’s why we really can’t let the week go by without grabbing dinner there at a minimum once.

Last night I got a text from my girlfriend Mary asking if I wanted to meet up for lunch at a little hole in the wall near both of our homes, Kong’s Riceball. It’s been on my list of places to check out because every time we pass it on walks we chuckle to ourselves. Humorous name, right? Plus the slogan reads, “Get some FUN – Fast Unique Nutritious.” Obviously it was hook, line, and sinker.

I’m sure you can guess what Kong’s serves up…if you guessed rice balls, you are wrong. Just kidding, of course its riceballs silly!

You get a choice of filling like tuna, spicy grilled chicken, spicy anchovy, flying fish and cheese, marinated beef, roasted pork, crab meat and broccoli, salmon, spam and even kimchi. These little guys remind me of the Korean kimbap triangles that are sold in convenience stores here, only BETTER.

Kong’s forms a ball with the seasoned rice, sticks the filling in the center, and then roll it in roasted sea laver or seaweed. It’s really tasty, I promise! Plus, it’s really convenient and would be a great snack for when you are on the go. We got the flying fish row, the crab meat and broccoli, and pumpkin porridge. I completely forgot to post the cost! Super cheap! Mine was only 6,000W!

Check it out and let me know what you think!

718-1 Jihaeng-dong
Dongducheon-si, Gyeonggi-do
031-859-5383
http://kongsriceball.co.kr/

Then for a little sweet treat pop on over to Cafe 7 Gram across the street, just like we may or may not have…

Backpackbees

Sashimi House 횟집

Hoejip (횟집), means “sashimi house” in Korean. This weekend I was invited out to dinner to enjoy fresh raw fish, or sashimi as we mostly call it in America.  In Korea, the fish is sliced a bit thicker than that of the Japanese style, and the fish is known as hoe. Like almost all meals in Korea, the sashimi is served with complementary side dishes.

It was a lot of fun to see and compare the differences in ones dining experience when it comes to enjoying sashimi. We have eaten at a few restaurants in Korea that serve sushi rolls and sashimi, but nothing where it was the full-blown Korean Hoejip.

The restaurant was located very close to the Ganeung subway station. Very small, only housing roughly five tables. Two of the tables were tables with chairs, the rest were dining on a raised platform where the floor was heated for your bum. Thought the space may be small, the restaurant is very plain and very clean. I was told that this particular restaurant was well-known for its freshness and quality of fish. Also, if you didn’t have a reservation for dining chances are that you may not be able to get in most nights.

Koreans often serve raw fish in a different manner. They usually take a very large fish (mostly whitefish) straight from a tank that is displayed out front of the restaurant. A lot of times they let you pick the fish that you would like to eat. They will then prepare it and slice it  into  translucent slivers, and carefully arrange it on a very big platter of shredded cabbage, which is then placed in the center of the table for everyone to share family style.

Another difference in eating sashimi in South Korea was the way it should be enjoyed. Yes, even a simple dish of sashimi has it’s own traditional way. You take the  raw fish wrapped in ggaenip (similar to shiso leaf) and a slice of jalapeño, raw garlic, wasabi, and some rice, roll it up and shove it in your mouth. Of course one does this as gracefully as she can…haha! Yeahhhh…still feels like I’m breaking all the rules every time I do this, and goes against everything I was taught growing up.

Tonight I got to experience a true Korean treat, hoedeopbap. Hoedeopbap is a raw fish mixed with veggies and rice. It’s like bibimbop but without the rice! What’s not to love? It was delicious!

At the end of the meal, the last course served was a spicy soup called meuntang (매운탕). The soup was all of the bony parts that could not be served with the raw fish, (are you ready for this?) to include the fish head. Eek! Keeping my promise to myself, knowing that I’m only going to live once, I ate it too. It was spicy and pretty tasty!

Traditionally you should enjoy soju or some type of Korean alcohol with your meal too. You will look around towards the end of your meal and see all of the red faces, hear the bottles of soju clinking, hear the loud laughter and stories in Korean. In that moment you will know they are completely unwound from the everyday stressors in their life, and are now able to enjoy the deliciously fun moments of their dinner with their friends and family.

Cheers!

Backpackbees

All Things New On Saturday

Saturday I invited a good girlfriend to tag along to Seoul with me. The main purpose of the trip was to check out a newly established farmers market located right in the downtown area of Seoul. I was particularly excited because a few other bloggers mentioned the freshness, the organic quality, and how everything was sold direct by the farmer themselves. How awesome is that?

Per the directions we were following, we got off at the Palace. We arrived just at the change of Guards. We watched for a few minutes, snapped a few pictures and were off.

Well…we made it to the Farmers Market location at around 10:30AM, the market should have been open for at least 30 minutes already. I was so delighted that we had found the location. Easy! However, there were no vendors insight, the park was completely empty. I was disappointed, I think my girlfriend was too. Was there a Korean holiday today? Was the weather to hot? Did the market take a break? Eek! All these things were left unanswered and unknown. Perhaps next time? I have at least until October to check things out.

Fear not! The great thing about Seoul is there are just so many other things to let yourself get into. We were only a short walk away from Insadong. Insadong if you recall from past posts is such a fun, lively, little area. Always something new to see or experience too. To Insadong we decided!

We arrived with a mission in mind. FOOD! Oh, and postcards too. We walked a bit, Korean, Italian, street vendors stands, Indian. Indian! That really sounded like the best choice in the moment. WE were both so eager to check the place out, we almost forgot that we’d have to lift baby G and his stroller up the narrow staircase. Almost.

WHEW! We ladies worked up quite the appetite. First I’ve just have to mention how unfriendly South Korea is for handicap people as well as mothers of small children. Okay, okay.. Enough about that. We chalked the entire experience up to getting our workout on, cardio and step climbing!

Once we made our way to the top of the steps with baby in tow, we were greeted by a young Korean girl and made our way into the Cafe Little India.

The ambiance was really eclectic. We both decided on Marsala dishes with sides of rice and yoghurt sauce to top it all off. I went with Chicken and Mrs. p, shrimp.

Oh! Baby G playfully enjoyed his Indian chicken fried rice too.

So, ratings on the entire restaurant. Out of five stars we both agreed a three wold be most suitable. The dishes were good, however nothing to write home about. The service was good too, not over the top, but also not bad in the same breath. The price was a bit steep..but…this is Insadong, a very touristy section of Seoul. We know, we know.

After lunch we enjoyed making our way through the rest of Insadong.

Of course I had to make a special stop along the way for Patbingsu! MMMmm..I seriously cannot get enough of this stuff! Plus I wanted to let Mrs. P taste it for the first time too. I was so proud of her, lord knows she was defiantly unsure of this crazy mixture of things.

We came across more new things as we walked. These crazy looking things, almost the shape of a candy cane, they tasted like a cross between a churro and a sugar cookie, and they were filled with a vanilla ice cream. What a special we three were. Then we caught a glimpse of the other brave shoppers that decided they had to give iterate vet this was a shot too. What fun, we giggled like little school girls forever!

Speaking of new and crazy… I’ve seen these little pastry chocolate filled guys before when in Insadong. I was told they represent piles of landmines(use your imagination here folks). Korean friends, is that true?

We finished with Insadong, hopped back on the train, switched lines, got off at Myeongdong. Mrs. P had never seen Myeongdong yet. I was thrilled to at least get to show her around a bit and share something new too. I think she was blown away at all the people pushing their way through the mass crowds while shopping.

Whew! The heat, the lifting, the steps, the walking, and the train. These things just drain you. We were both ready for naps, it was after 4:00PM. We knew we needed to mosey our way back North towards home.

A little after 5PM we arrived home. Hugged Mrs. p, blew kisses back to baby G, the elevator doors closed I thought to myself at last…time to relax.

Wrong! Mr. B promptly reminded me that we were going to dinner since our Friday night plans fell apart. Ahhh…I completely forgot, not to mention just assumed we were staying in tonight.

7:30PM back walking down to catch the train South for the second time today. No biggie! I enjoy the train, plus I adore my thoughtful hubby. Oh and by the way sushi was involved too. He he he…

Mr. B wanted to celebrate my birthday ahead because it falls on a work weekday. Yes, yes, I know, Wicked and Sushi was my early birthday gift. Trust me when I say I reminded this man about 50 times this entire weekend. How did I ever get so lucky? Really folks?! Goodness.

We arrived in Uijeongbu, just in time too! Most restaurants don’t start getting crowded until later in the night for the dinner rush. This typically works well to our advantage because we are early eaters. Tonight was just an exception to the rule.

We never ate at Hanabi Sushi house. All we knew is we walked past it various times on the way to some other restaurant or plan and kept saying, I want to try that sometime. Plus it had a sushi track, looked clean, and usually looked busy.

I have to admit, not only was this sushi restaurant new to us, the concept of the sushi track was new to me as well. I was delighted once I quickly learned the concept. Each plate has a color, the menu tells you exactly what the plate could be, and how much the price of the plate is. Simple, right? Gah! All this time…intimidation, and for what? Who knows. The sushi was awesome! The rolls were delish! The service was right up there too. Oh yes! We Bees will be back.

Eeek! Check out the damaged we did! I think I’m growing gills as we speak!

After sushi we decided on dessert. Mr. B said my birthday, my pick. Typically I’m so go with the flow not caring where we go. Today I threw that right out the window. I was milking this! Ann House. Decided.

The very much willing and open to checking out Ann House, Mr. B, let me lead the way.

Oh boy… Where to begin?

Dear Ann House,

Thank you for completely throwing we Bees for a loop tonight. We really thought your cutesy, girly, pink, purple, flowery, and lace ambiance was going to be so sweet and innocent. However, you have shown us a completely different side. Open until 2AM, playing tunes with the lyrics “F*%$ that S!$&” and let’s not forget the song S^% on the beach followed up by Whitney Huston’s, “Will always love you”, heart spoons that look like a persons behind, a massive Patbingsu that included everything but the kitchen sink, i.e.- tomatoes, whipped cream, ice cream, corn flakes, chocolate covered pretzel sticks AKA: peppero sticks, red bean, shaved ice, chopped nuts, vanilla wafers, all topped off with a Ritz cracker and tiny drink umbrella. We really thought we were on an episode of the Jersey Shore at moments, LOL!

Thanks for the memories!

Sincerely, The Bees

Ps. Don’t you think I look like Alice in wonderland in that oversized chair? How about Mr. B showcasing his princess palace pride in our plush private booth? Too funny!

What’d a Saturday! What did you think of the Ann House’s Patbingsu? Would you try it?

Express Bus Terminal

I had an appointment in Seoul today.

Yes, the long train ride, the heat….meh…

But, there was a silver lining to this day…

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The Express Bus Terminal!

After my appointment, I knew I had a long trip back to D-town. I decided why not explore! Check out a place I’ve never been before.

I wandered around, the time completely got away from me.

It wasn’t until 3:00, that I realized just how big this place really was.

Hallway after hallway…

Vendor after vendor…

Truly a shoppers delight!

Plus…

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Treated myself you vanilla fro-yo with berry topping, and two heavenly divine vanilla and earl grey macaroons!

What? You know I’ve got quite the sweet tooth 😉

Happy middle of the week!

Head In The Flowers

2012_04_28 Wondering around Seoul

2012_04_28 Wondering around SeoulApr 27, 2012Photos: 39
 

Saturday morning I was out the door before the sun peaked the horizon behind our apartment. I had a train to catch for a hair appointment in Seoul. I could already tell today was going to be a good day. The air was much warmer than most mornings in April.

I couldn’t get over how green everything was from the rain we had over the week. I literally walked around with my head in the flowers. Snapping pictures every few feet. I would have drove Mr. B completely batty. To say I took full advantage of my day alone is an understatement. Days like this are what I live for, why I fell in love with living abroad. I can’t really explain the feeling that comes over me, it’s just a strange comfort. Whatever it is, I hope to always hold on to the feeling within me.

After my appointment I sought out to find the kimchi pot lady and her little shop located near the US Army Yongsan base. I was so proud of myself finding the location on my own, however, the shop was closed! No dice on this plan. You have to know by now that I typically always try to have a plan B in the event of such luck.

Ajoshi, to Insadong! I caught a cab and went to Insadong. Stumbled upon homemade vanilla bean soft serve ice-cream. Found the little somethings that I was looking for and a summer scarf! Mission accomplished.

On my way to locate subway line 1, I found a vegetarian restaurant. I saved the menu you to share with you all. Again, totally taking full advantage of my alone with me time, of course I ate there.

maoz menu

As you can see the restaurant is called Maoz, and I must tell you this was my very first experience with trying a falafel. what’s the verdict? Pretty tasty! For those of you unfamiliar with what a falafel, it’s a deep-fried ball made from ground chickpeas, fava beans, or both. Usually served in a pita bread, which acts as a pocket, or wrapped in a flatbread known as lafa. Maoz served their falafel balls in a nice fresh pita. The best part is after they fry and stuff your pita with the falafel, you head to to the topping bar and create the rest your way. You top with salads, pickled vegetables, hot sauce, and drizzled with tahini-based sauces. MMmmmm!

The only disappointing and confusing part to me is that the menu serves kimchi and bulgogi. I’m not certain but the last time I checked these two foods were not vegetarian friendly? Also, the toppings bar didn’t include a typical eggplant or tahini option. Otherwise, loved it!

After my late lunch I decided it was time to catch the subway back home.

When I got home I decided to check on our patio garden I believe we mentioned it few postings back. It had taken me a little time to find a long window box to grow all our veggies. Finally, after endless searching I gave up, did some improvising, used Mr. b’s handy work, and atlas I had something to work with. I was delighted to see that We now how little sprots poking up. I’ll keep you all posted as our garden continues to grow.

Happy weekending!