Long Lost Lomo | 2008

Last week, I was going through my computer deleting photos and I came across a random folder from 2008 titled "Lomo". I looked in the folder and was shocked but happy at what I saw. For a random person, these photos don't seem like much but for me, they are really special. In most of the photos, you'll see our dearest friend, Ryan. We've known him since he was 16 and our friendship has continued til this day. Ryan is definitely one of my favorite people and someone that I can always count on. He's always there when you need him and he never fails to show up.

When Ryan was still living in SoFlo he came over to our house every Wednesday night and Saturday afternoon. It was a tradition and he never missed a day. On Wednesday nights, we would grab dinner and watch Lost and Project Runway. On Saturdays, we would always get boba and just hang out. Markus would be working on whatever creative project he had. I would watch TV or cook and Ryan would end up falling asleep on the couch. We even spent some holidays together. We were as thick as thieves.

Even though, we didn't do anything special or outrageous, it was our thing. We always had fun and we formed friendships that would last a lifetime. Now that he's married and much older, I look on those Wednesday nights and Saturday afternoons fondly. Despite being far away from each other, we've still kept a few traditions. Ryan and his wife, Lauren, always call us on Christmas and New Years. It never fails and I'm thankful that Markus and I can call them our friends.

Jagalchi Market | Busan, South Korea

                                             The creepiest bits of the ocean.

In November of 2011, my mom came to visit us in Busan. For the two years that Markus and I have been in Korea, she is the only person that came to visit us. I'm sad that no one else was able to make it out here, but I'm really happy that she still came! I don't know why I've never posted the photos but it's better late than never! In the short five days that she was here, we tried to fit in as much of Busan as possible. It was very important that we showed her the best places! 

The first place that I took her was Jagalchi Market. It's one of the most popular spots in Busan. If you visit, you must go to Jagalchi. It's a huge seafood market that is both indoors and outdoors. There are heaps of booths and stations full of live seafood. Every time I've gone, it's been overflowing with people and it's really busy. It's amazing seeing some of the things that are popular in Korea. There were so many different things that I never saw before.

산낙지 Sannakji or Squirming Octopus

While we walked around Jagalchi, it's very easy to get a craving for seafood. My mom wasn't any different and she insisted on going to the 2nd floor to eat. At this time, my Korean wasn't that good, so I ended up using a lot of hand gestures. It was a bit confusing and when we finally got our food, it ended up being all the scary bits of the ocean. Somehow, we ordered sea squirt, sea cucumber and Sannakji. Sannakji is known as the octopus that moves while you eat it. I have to admit it was a bit strange at first, but after a while it tasted really good. They mix it with sesame oil and it's really delicious. The only difference from other octopus is that it was moving. Personally, all the other seafood wasn't to my liking. It was either really fishy or the texture was strange.
 

I'm really glad that I was able to share this experience with my mom. I don't know how we ended up ordering the strange foods we did, but it was great being able to go on that sort of adventure with her! I love that she's like me and is really up for anything. Now I know where I get my adventurous spirit!

Gyeongbokgung Palace | Seoul, South Korea

Back in 2011 when we first arrived to Korea, we traveled to Seoul for a long weekend. Many of our friends from other cities decided to go and we wanted to see them.  We spent a good part of our first day exploring Gyeongbokgung Palace in northern Seoul. The palace was first built in 1395, during the Joseon Dynasty. The complex itself is absolutely massive. When you think it's finished, it just keeps going. We didn't even see everything because it was just too big! Nevertheless, it's quite amazing that there is a huge palace in the middle of the city. It was a great way to begin our exploration of Seoul!

Fair Mouth | Busan, South Korea

A few nights ago, Markus and I went to Fair Mouth, a Tex-Mex restaurant, in Busan. We've been very busy lately and haven't had a chance to go out on a date. Usually, we have a date night once a week, no matter what. The last few weeks we were sick or tired and just ended up staying home. So, a night out was something that we really needed. I heard about Fair Mouth from a co-worker. He said the food was pretty good and a nice fusion of Korean and Mexican food. Once I told Markus, he was sold. His dad owned a Mexican restaurant when he was a kid, so he loves Mexican food.

Fair Mouth is in the trendy part of Seomyeon and actually only a few feet north of my favorite restaurants. It's funny that I never saw it because we always go to the same places. I was impressed with the feel of the space. It looked a bit like an abandoned warehouse and was decorated with the strangest things, like a dentist's chair. I guess they're focusing on the mouth part of their name. Either way, I liked it because it felt a bit like America, despite the strange decorations.

The food itself was quite good. We both ordered tacos and they were really delicious. The Fair Mouth Tacos tasted close to traditional tacos. There was a bit of the spicy red sauce Koreans put in everything, but it really added to the flavors of the cheese and sour cream. The Nori Tacos were my favorite. It incorporated so many flavors I enjoy, seaweed, wasabi and teriyaki. I was surprised at how good it was and must admit that I wanted to order more. It was a nice meal and even though it satisfied my craving for Tex-Mex food, it also made me miss real Mexican food. Once we get back to America, I'm going to throw down on some real tacos!

Oh Korea Quote #2

Most of the time in Korea, I can understand or figure out what people say to me. It's like I have a sort of sixth sense in translating Konglish. What can I say? It's a gift. Although, there are still moments where I just can't figure out what the other person means. No matter how much Korean I use or English the other person uses, the meaning is just lost.

One shining example would be this quote, "Nothing is beautiful, unless you are beautiful." I'm not really sure what this person meant. Did they mean that since I am not beautiful, nothing is beautiful? Could he have meant that I am beautiful and because of that, everything is beautiful? Before I could ask, he ran off.  When I saw him again, the moment had passed and so I will never know what he meant. Either way this is definitely an "Oh Korea" moment that left me confused.

Charlie Brown Cafe | Busan, South Korea

For Mark's birthday weekend, we spent an afternoon wandering around the PNU area and ended up at the Charlie Brown Cafe. We've been wanting to go for ages, but lets be real, Markus and I are hobbits that never leave the house. After finally making it to the cafe, we both felt a bit sheepish for not going sooner. I really loved this cafe. The atmosphere is great. There is so much space and all the rooms felt really sleek and clean. Charlie and his friends are decorated everywhere and it's pretty cute. I will admit that I didn't watch a lot of Charlie Brown growing up, but I still have a connection to it. Everyone knows Charlie Brown and it was pretty awesome being surrounded that reminds me of home.