Finally went to the Gyeongbokgung palace light up which started October 24th and ends November 1st. It takes places from 7 pm to 10 pm. This is an occasional event throughout the year where parts of the palace are lit up, luring floods of tourists, couples, and of course, photographers. Continue reading “Gyeongbokgung Palace Lighting 2014 (경복궁)”
Month: October 2014
How to Apply for an Alien Registration Card (외국인등록증)
After a month of living in Seoul, I decided to finally get my alien registration card. This is mandatory for any foreigner planning to live in Korea for longer than 90 days. I looked on the internet for resources, but felt most of the resources were very incomplete and I thought I would make a more comprehensive resource for anyone in my position. This write-up pertains specifically to my own experience as an H1 visa holder, but most of the requirements are the same. Continue reading “How to Apply for an Alien Registration Card (외국인등록증)”
Volunteering for a Welfare Center in Korea
Today, I had the opportunity to volunteer my time to help paint a mural for a welfare center through a Korean activity group called Meari which was Korean for “echo”. The group consists of college students and workers alike, who have a common interest in going out and doing activities such as hiking, swimming and skiing. Continue reading “Volunteering for a Welfare Center in Korea”
Restaurants in Seoul: Ho Chicken (호치킨)
It’s no exaggeration that Koreans are in love with fried chicken (후라이드 치킨) with a ton of different restaurants to match. With the wave of food trends in Korea, you’ll see specialty foods come and go, but friend chicken is one of those foods Koreans can’t seem to live without. Pretty much every fried chicken joint in Korea is above and beyond delicious and Ho Chicken (호치킨) was no exception. Continue reading “Restaurants in Seoul: Ho Chicken (호치킨)”
Seoul Photos: Giant Rubber Duck in Seoul
Went to take photos of the giant rubber duck the other day. For those who don’t know, there’s a giant rubber duck floating in Seokchon Lake, which is the brainchild of Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman. The exhibit started on October 14th and will end on November 14th. Continue reading “Seoul Photos: Giant Rubber Duck in Seoul”
Seoul Photos: Shindaebang Station (신대방역)
I decided to check this station out since it would be my home for the time being. Shindaebang Station is a mix of markets, street stalls, and a somewhat antiquated attempt in making a modern train station. Built on top of the Dorim Creek (도림천), it expresses a huge amount of depth and is a great subject for any urban type photographer. Time hasn’t been too kind on this place over the years, but that adds to its character. Continue reading “Seoul Photos: Shindaebang Station (신대방역)”
Seoul Photos: Sogang University (서강대학교)
Was walking to Sinchon University (신촌역) after stuffing my face with the most delicious dumplings from Mapo Mandu (마포 만두), when we came across Sogang University (성강대학교). Usually the gates close at night, but perhaps they left them open because of midterms. I was actually interested in going to this university because of their highly regarded Korean language program, so decided to take the opportunity to explore and shoot a little bit there. It was a very interesting campus, a lot of really old buildings juxtaposed with a couple of really new buildings. Continue reading “Seoul Photos: Sogang University (서강대학교)”
Seoul Cheap Eats: Mapo Mandu (마포만두)
Whenever I come across a dumpling shop with open windows and steam blowing everywhere, i just have to check it out. Mapo Mandu fit that bill and the prices were pretty cheap as well. They have multiple locations, but the one my friend and I went to was in front of the 2nd exit of the Daeheung Station (대흥역) Line 6. You can also find other locations through Seoul by typing (마포만두). Continue reading “Seoul Cheap Eats: Mapo Mandu (마포만두)”
Restaurants in Seoul: Papa’s Recipe (파파스 레시피)
Went to Gangnam to visit my friend Jaime who I studied abroad with in Seoul 4 years ago. And of course one of the things that you have to do when you visit an old friend is eat. We went to Papa’s Recipe which is a non-chain restaurant specializing in octopus (쭈꾸미) and meat grilled in a skillet. The restaurant is on the second floor of a building near Gangnam Station (강남역) exit 11. Continue reading “Restaurants in Seoul: Papa’s Recipe (파파스 레시피)”
Living in Seoul: The Dismal Selection of Cereal in Korea and My Rather Upsetting Experience
If you’re from the US, or somewhere accustomed to a variety of cereal you may be in for a huge culture shock. It seems Koreans aren’t too accustomed to eating cereal for breakfast as the selection at my local Emart is pretty dismal. I actually believe it serves more as a snack which doesn’t really make a good excuse, but I will put it out there. The selection is so bad that you can pretty easily divide cereal into roughly 3 categories. Continue reading “Living in Seoul: The Dismal Selection of Cereal in Korea and My Rather Upsetting Experience”
Finding the Seoul 