Anything & Everything

Korea 2016 Day 3 Train to Busan Gamcheon Village BIFF Square Hotteok "Live" eel and catfish Train to Busan Seoul Station has a layout not dissimilar to an airport, making for easy navigation in searching for ticket checks and train boarding. Having purchased tickets online, these were retained at the Korail ticket booths, which makes for saved time and less stress during busier travelling seasons. Plenty of eateries line the waiting areas to appease the tourist-dense crowds suspected to gather in such places, offering sit-down restaurants, fast food franchises, and quick takeaway meals like dosirak  lunchboxes to take onboard the train. The train to Busan, without zombies Boarding is mainly unsupervised and fairly unceremonious, with ample signage contributing to a simple boarding process. As always, ask if in doubt, but following the signs and ticket information is a self-explanatory process. The trains are reminiscent of aeroplanes in terms of the seats, an...

Korea 2016 Day 2 Breakfast at Tosokchon Gyeongbokgung Palace Lunch at Tongin Insadong and Ssamziegil A gorgeous day in late-autumn Korea Breakfast at Tosokchon Nothing starts off a tourist day in Korea better than a late breakfast of speciality cuisine. Tosokchon , a famous restaurant with a seating capacity of over 400, offers samgyetang , a dish consisting of a whole young chicken stuffed with rice and spices and served in a warm ginseng soup. The ginseng used is thought to prevent illness, but also provides a unique herbal flavour that is considered an acquired taste. Nonetheless, a foodie family means that (almost) no food is off-limits, and the convenient opening hour of 10am meant a nice sleep-in and a guaranteed hearty breakfast. Rather a shoddy picture of an unassuming entrance We got a table immediately, seated in one of many small dining halls at low tables with cushions. Modern chair-seated tables are also available, but we were not being ch...

I am, undoubtedly, a chocolate snob. I am the sort of person to inhale the fumes of a chocolate bar, snap it between my teeth, and comment in a haughty tone as I eat, "Mmm, it has undertones of coffee and biscuits," or maybe, "The melt is divine , but it's nowhere near as good as [obscure gourmet chocolate brand]." Nonetheless, not even the cheapest bars of chocolate with vaguely plastic textures will deter me from devouring some. My current and long-standing favourite brand of chocolate is the famous New Zealand Whittaker's, producing extremely high-quality products for very reasonable prices to suit various ranges. No doubt they've had some flops (the L&P bar was, at least for me, a monstrosity in the name of two of New Zealand's best products), but otherwise, a majority of their products are definite go-tos when out shopping for a gift, souvenir, or more often than not, personal consumption. No doubt that strong pride for New Zealand herit...

Having a pen pal to learn a new language is a convenient way of practising it in use, as well as a means to make friends. Diligent Sis#2, endeavouring to master the Korean language, took this to heart, and, through a mutual friend, got in touch with a student in Korea online, and began to exchange texts and emails - and, after some months of correspondence and gradually learning not only the language but also the culture, came to an agreement to mail each other local treats and snacks from their country. Any food exchange, in my opinion, is fantastic. I consider food and meals to be the best way to learn of other cultures and how they live, perhaps less so in the way of snacks, but even cheap, processed food can give insight to pop culture and ideals of convenience. So following a gathering of various Kiwi snackfoods, she shipped the box over, and in return, received a box larger than anticipated. I was excited. Asian snacks have always appealed to me as they are often not too ...