For a while I've been considering writing about specific places in Hwamyeong-dong - the neighbourhood in Buk-gu in which I live. I wasn't entirely sure if anyone would be interested because Hwamyeong is really far out of the way. That said, I've noticed that there are a number of new spots opening up (mostly because I can't help but stop when I see an iced Americano being advertised for the equivalent of a loonie [that's a buck for you non-Canadians]).
Cherry blossom viewing is a big deal every year in Korea. Rightfully so, considering the country is full of cherry blossom lined streets, and they are all amazingly beautiful. Every year droves of people visit famous places like Yeouido in Seoul, Jinhae, and Gyeongju to catch a glimpse at just the right time. People battle crowds, inclement weather, and time at the cherry blossom festivals. While it can still be a great time, they haven’t been my favorite Spring experiences.
Sneak Peek Korea is a video series in which I made videos into all the extra footage I get that doesn’t make it into a proper video, and is largely unedited! I film a lot of my life and want to share as much as I can with you, because you seem to like it! Before I would just scrap extra footage I didn’t think was good enough for it’s own video, but I hope to instead provide little sneak peeks of my life in Korea, unscripted. Let me know in the comments if you enjoy these kinds of videos!
I have always enjoyed cooking, but boy did I take for granted my kitchen and oven in the States! Since moving to Korea I’ve had to adapt the way I cook completely. From having no counter space, to replacing ingredients with things available here, to trying to make delicious cakes in a small toaster oven, I’ve done it all! There have been a lot of failed experiments and total disasters in my tiny kitchen(stories I may have to share soon!), but along the way I’ve learned a lot about how to make your tiny kitchen as efficient as possible and still make delicious food!
This is the 2nd part of our Aunt Kathy’s trip to Korea! You can read about the first part of the trip in Seoul here. Now on to Busan! I was really excited about the train ride from Seoul to Yangsan, because after years I’m still not tired of Korea’s beautiful mountains and countryside. It ended up not being as clear as it could have been but it was still a nice ride! As Seoul faded from our minds, we started focusing on the next couple days in Busan.
One of the things I really wanted to do this year was to create more teaching related content on our blog and youtube channel. In the beginning of the year I did a 5 part series about How to Make Your EPIK Job Awesome, which I hope you check out if you haven’t already! Since then I’ve done a few other teaching tips and videos about my summer camp. A lot of you have requested materials from my camp, so I am going to be working hard to start sharing materials with you all, starting with this post!
I can’t believe I’m saying this, but July 13th marked 4 years in Korea for us! We’re a little bit late on celebrating this, but with our Youtube milestones and summer vacation, we didn’t want to overwhelm you guys with too much of the same thing (that thing being awesomeness hehe)!
I first saw this place posted on the Busan Lightstalkers page and I was interested. Where else can you find a temple next to a flowing waterfall near Ulsan or Busan? I had to investigate further. I searched Dale’s Korean Temple Adventures site, which is my go-to site for temples. It has the most comprehensive listing and detailed descriptions of Korean Temples and it always has what I am looking for.
Few places get to me as much as Tongdosa. I have always been a big fan of this place even before I came to Korea. I remember reading about it in a Lonely Planet although I can’t find it on their site. At any rate, I have been visiting here for over 10 years. When my parents came here they really wanted to see this place too and it is a great memory that I have of their trip here.
Before I would just scrap extra footage I didn’t think was good enough for it’s own video, but I hope to instead provide little sneak peeks of my life in Korea, unscripted. Let me know in the comments if you enjoy these kinds of videos!
