Week 19: Becca & Korea

Becca and I at Gyeonbokung Palace

 

Last weekend I took my first excursion outside of Japan and visited one of my favorite AEPhi sisters Becca! Becca is teaching English in the outskirts of the fantastic city of Seoul. True to her big heart, she pulled out all the stops and catered this trip to my interests. We dined like queens, and I fell in love with Korean food. It was a fantastic trip, and I'm already anxious to see if I can return to Korea at another point this year. 

Delicious Market Place

I arrived late Friday night, and we both having had a long week of teaching slept in on Saturday. We finally left the house and grabbed a late lunch at this fantastic street market near Gyeonbokgung Palace. One of Becca's teachers recommended this gem to us, and it was well worth it! This traditional market asks visitors to buy gold coins for the equivalent of about 10 U.S. dollars. We walked up and down the aisles probably five times before we each decided on our perspective spread. We were both surprisingly stuffed. It was all delicious! I particularly enjoyed my Kimchi Pajeon, which is a delicious egg pancake (lower right of my tray). 

After we stuffed our bellies full, we headed to the palace. Becca, not only a food connoiseur, but also a big fan of taking photos (thank goodness!) urged us to stop by the gorgeous fall leaves. Both of us being from California continually "oh-ah-ed," at the real fall foliage and of course, took photos.

Obligatory Jumping Photo and Selfies at Gyonbokgung Palace

We showed off our AEPhi Love in Korea

We played around at Gyeonbokgung Palace, equipped with Becca's selfie stick which are all the rage in Korea. We couldn't go inside the palace due to the hours, but the outside was gorgeous. I loved looking at the architecture. Although somewhat similar to the Japanese temples, this place utilized a lot more color and geometric designs. 

Foodie Adventures in Seoul

Only a few hours later, we ventured over to another part of the city where I met Becca's crew of friends. We dined on legit burgers and really nice brew. I got overly excited when I saw Sculpin, a Ballast Point classic, on the menu and ordered it. I paid way too much for it but it was worth every penny of my nostalgia. The burgers were also really good and I got my fix of burgers and brew. This place was very hipster and had Butterbeers on the menu. Usually, I do not like sweet beverages but this was such a unique concoction (and from Harry Potter!) that I couldn't resist ordering one myself. Of course, good friends help each other finish their drinks.

I don't have any photographic evidence, but we  all ventured over to Karaoke. Me, usually anti-Karaoke (not a big fan of singing, sorry folks!) had a blast. It was wonderful meeting Becca's friends and putting faces to names of her group in Korea. 

N. Seoul Tower Fun

The next day we went to N. Seoul Tower, a hit destination in Seoul. Becca came prepared with our "love lock," to put on one of the many fences at the foot of the tower. We spent a good chunk of time in this area enjoying the view from the top of the tower, taking lots of pictures (of course!), and of course being corralled by a group of Asian tourists to take a group photo with them (one woman had a death grip on me, probably to make sure I wouldn't run out of her picture). 

O'ngo Korean Food Tour

After adventuring around the tower, we went off to a big shopping area where another one of our fooding restaurants awaited us. We got Dak-Kalguksu at an amazing restaurant recommended by one of Becca's teachers. This restaurant was amazingly efficient. We ordered immediately, and after stepping away to use the restroom I returned and our food was waiting.

Afterwards, we did some window-shopping and we relaxed in a cafe. Later, we met up with Becca's good friend, Michelle who is also in her program. Becca's parents got her this amazing food tour experience for her birthday present. The three of us went on the night food tour with O'ngo. This three and a half experience was amazing! We took all the back streets, and ate at hole in the wall restaurants that only the true locals would know about. We dined at four restaurants. My favorite was the first Korean BBQ place. We sat outside at intimate tables and had a blast enjoying really good meat that came with tons of spices, sauces and condiments to enjoy our grilled food with. Our dessert restaurant showed off Korea's version of shaved ice. Another treat I am usually not a fan of in the States, but was pleasantly surprised by this version. Our guide ordered two flavors. My favorite was the matcha-flavor shaved ice. It had red bean and condensed milk hidden in the center. The true tea flavor shined through this dish and it was a great end to the entire meal.

Overall, my trip to Korea was amazing. I absolutely loved the country, the people, and of course, it was amazing to see a friend, more importantly a sister, Becca. She was one of the most generous and hospitable hosts I have ever had and I am ever grateful for the organized and fun weekend she planned for us. If I have time, I hope to make my way over there again. In the meantime, I will do my best to post again before the holidays hit. I'll be in Taiwan visiting Patrick for Christmas and New Year's, and am anxious to escape this cold weather (surprisingly, it hasn't snowed yet!).