Learning Korean through sketches
My newest article titled, “Learning to read Korean through sketches” was published today on Matador Abroad! I’m a visual learner, and when I began taking Korean classes a year and a half ago, I wanted to incorporate my language learning into a creative project. I began sketching, which is time consuming, but a fun, alternative...
The Seoul Subway Challenge: LINE 4
I’m thrilled to be participating in The Seoul Subway Challenge, an idea by Tom from Waegook Tom. This project requires nine Korea-based bloggers to document unique, off-the-beaten-path places on at least five stops of one specific subway line. I was assigned LINE 4, the light blue line running from Northeastern Seoul all the way to...
Unfolding my fate in the Saju cafe
THIS WAS NOT MISS CLEO. There were no middle-aged females wearing robes, sitting in small curtained rooms and chanting with heavily mascara-ed eyes. No, the place did not smell of incense. It was an ordinary looking café, located in downtown Seoul, with a few tables, accompanying chairs and a counter where you order your drinks....
Namhae Island: sea kayaking, fishing and coasteering
The warm summer days are dwindling in Korea, so this past weekend I ventured to Namhae, a rural island located five hours south of Seoul, in South Gyeongsang province. Again, I traveled with Adventure Korea, an established budget travel company who generously sponsored my trip. Due to little development on the island, Namhae is purely a fishing and...
Observations on a Korean Buddhist Templestay
It’s 4:15 AM. I enter a building within the temple complex for morning chanting, carefully removing my shoes and leaving them at the foot of the entryway. The entire room is silent and illuminated with a warm golden glow cast by the adorned Buddha and Bodhisattvas in the front. Monks with shaved heads in flowing...
Where to see art in Portland, ME
Photo: Swoon, a well-known contemporary street artist, adhered wheatpaste prints to the exterior of Space Gallery located on Congress St. My newest service article titled, Where to see art in Portland, ME, was published on Matador Trips today. The Portland art scene is rather small, but there’s some innovative, inspiring work to be seen in...
Fall 2012 Glimpse Correspondents Program: the beginning
I was recently chosen as a Fall 2012 Glimpse Correspondent and admitted to the new Glimpse-Matador U Graduate Program to further study the art of travel journalism. I couldn’t be more thrilled to take part in this amazing program, enabling me to work one-on-one with an editor and take my writing in a new direction. ...
Dining in the dark
Have you ever dined in the dark? I’m not talking about a romantic, candle-lit dinner; I’m talking about eating in a pitch black room where you can’t distinguish your knife from your spoon, where you can’t see the outline of the person sitting across from you. My friend Mary chose to host her birthday party...
Rafting and Bungee Jumping: a day of extreme sports in Korea
Extreme sports are gaining popularity in Korea, especially in Gangwon province, an area known for its untarnished mountains and rivers. In the spring, summer and fall, there are ample opportunities to go rafting, bungee jumping, rock climbing and paragliding, among other adventurous, outdoor activities. Last weekend, I chose to spend the day rafting on the...
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