I like things. These are ones I've been loving recently.
Although time consuming, I find dramas to be a good way to practice my Korean and absorb the culture. Yes, this is how I justify TV binges. I recently became addicted to and finished watching "괜찮아, 사랑이야"/"It's Okay, It's Love". The plot centres around mental health which is frequently overlooked in Korean society and is certainly absent in mainstream media. The problems that the characters face are so much deeper than the typical "I love you but I hate you" problems and the theme of mental health was, in my opinion, approached quite reasonably. It is simultaneously a laugh-inducing and tear-jerking drama. Watch it with English subtitles here.
I had needed a facial scrub and heard good things about Tony Moly's Gold Black Sugar Mask. It's cheap (~5,000 won) and pretty abrasive/strong/effective with full sugar crystals. On top of that, it also seems like a pretty non-chemical product (in that it tastes like pure sugar). That being said, this is probably something that can be made at home with honey and brown sugar, but who has time for that?
You won't know joy until you have walked along a wintery road in Korea, trying to maintain what little heat you have left (because, let's face it, you just came from a building with poor insulation and expensive heating which is seldom used), and you come across a tiny, warm food vendor. One of my favourites is fire-roasted sweet potatoes (군고구마) which you can find by looking for the black, barrel-turned-oven contraptions they're cooked in. Another one of my favourites is fish-shaped, red bean paste-filled bread (붕어빵) which is usually sold out of little, red tents.
Christmas season is in full swing. This album, Snowed In, has been my holiday go-to since I was in the 5th grade. So much holiday goodness. So much #90s. Find it on iTunes here.
There is something illuminating about discovering new places in your own backyard. I had known about Gangjin (강진) previously, but only knew of it as a small town famous for some sort of pottery. Despite being down the road from my school, I had never considered visiting until my school took a trip there last week. We headed to an island in Gangjin called Ga-woo (가우도). To get to the island, we took a pedestrian-only bridge called "Rocking Bridge" (출렁다리; an illusive name for a solid structure). Being only ~2 kilometers around, we walked the perimeter in about an hour before returning to mainland for duck soup (오리탕). This soup was different from what I had tried before; duck soup broth is usually red-ish and spicy, but this time it was cooked with sesame leaves and rice flour which gave it a creamy, white-ish broth. The fresh air and amazing food definitely beat sitting in my office on a sunny afternoon.
TV Things
Although time consuming, I find dramas to be a good way to practice my Korean and absorb the culture. Yes, this is how I justify TV binges. I recently became addicted to and finished watching "괜찮아, 사랑이야"/"It's Okay, It's Love". The plot centres around mental health which is frequently overlooked in Korean society and is certainly absent in mainstream media. The problems that the characters face are so much deeper than the typical "I love you but I hate you" problems and the theme of mental health was, in my opinion, approached quite reasonably. It is simultaneously a laugh-inducing and tear-jerking drama. Watch it with English subtitles here.
Beauty Things
I had needed a facial scrub and heard good things about Tony Moly's Gold Black Sugar Mask. It's cheap (~5,000 won) and pretty abrasive/strong/effective with full sugar crystals. On top of that, it also seems like a pretty non-chemical product (in that it tastes like pure sugar). That being said, this is probably something that can be made at home with honey and brown sugar, but who has time for that?
Food Things
You won't know joy until you have walked along a wintery road in Korea, trying to maintain what little heat you have left (because, let's face it, you just came from a building with poor insulation and expensive heating which is seldom used), and you come across a tiny, warm food vendor. One of my favourites is fire-roasted sweet potatoes (군고구마) which you can find by looking for the black, barrel-turned-oven contraptions they're cooked in. Another one of my favourites is fish-shaped, red bean paste-filled bread (붕어빵) which is usually sold out of little, red tents.
Music Things
Christmas season is in full swing. This album, Snowed In, has been my holiday go-to since I was in the 5th grade. So much holiday goodness. So much #90s. Find it on iTunes here.
Places
There is something illuminating about discovering new places in your own backyard. I had known about Gangjin (강진) previously, but only knew of it as a small town famous for some sort of pottery. Despite being down the road from my school, I had never considered visiting until my school took a trip there last week. We headed to an island in Gangjin called Ga-woo (가우도). To get to the island, we took a pedestrian-only bridge called "Rocking Bridge" (출렁다리; an illusive name for a solid structure). Being only ~2 kilometers around, we walked the perimeter in about an hour before returning to mainland for duck soup (오리탕). This soup was different from what I had tried before; duck soup broth is usually red-ish and spicy, but this time it was cooked with sesame leaves and rice flour which gave it a creamy, white-ish broth. The fresh air and amazing food definitely beat sitting in my office on a sunny afternoon.
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