Yeosu Expo 2012 Food Porn

Yeosu Expo 2012 was not all fun and games. There was eating to be done! Below are some of the delicious cuisines that I had while at the expo this past weekend. They can be found outside of said country's pavilion and are relatively inexpensive! If you have the time (and stomach room), make sure to check out Spain's tapas bar and let me know how it is! A good chunk of the choices there were between 5,500-8,500 won, but I really could not fit more food into my belly. 

Not pictured: Turkish kebab - Can be found outside of the Turkey Pavilion or at a number of stands throughout the Expo. 5,000 for chicken and 6,000 for lamb. Personally, I'd skip these and eat other countries' foods that we cannot readily find outside of the bigger cities. The Turkish kebab places in Daegu have bigger portions and taste better.

Japan - Being that Japan is so close, it's no surprise that there was a whole bottom level of Japanese restaurants that featured the usual sushi and noodle dishes. However, this restaurant was also selling Japanese street food - takoyaki - and cooking it so that everyone could see! Takoyaki is a fried street food (quite similar to Korea's panjeon in that it has pancake qualities) that generally has some sort of seafood, green onions and whatever else they feel like throwing in there. 6,500 won

Japanese Takoyaki

Belgium - In California, we have this pretty amazing place to get a solid burger and fries. I'm not sure if you've heard of it, but it is ridiculously good. Oh In N Out, you've spoiled me. So much, in fact, that I refuse to eat McDonald's while in Korea regardless of my cravings for fries, but after going through the Belgium Pavilion, these smelled too good to pass up. Let me tell you, they did not disappoint. Made to order and perfectly crunchy. Huge portion. 4,000 won well spent.

Note: If you make it to the Belgium pavilion, they have a restaurant and a take out stand (I opted for the take out). Try something. A group next to me was literally fighting over their mini waffles (4,500 won or 5,000 won with sausage) and the couple in front of me were head over heels about their coffee.

Belgian Fries

Italy - I might never order gelato from a Korean coffee shop again. It will never, ever compare to Italian gelato, and Giuso certainly provided the best. While the other flavors looked delicious, I opted for their berry option. Doesn't it look like absolute perfection?! It was the ideal treat to sit outside of the Italian pavilion and people watch. 3,000 won for a single scoop cone and 5,000 for a double scoop cup. Clearly you know which one I went for.

Note: The Italian Pavilion had both a restaurant and gelato stand, with restaurant prices for salads and pastas being about 10,000 won. The Italian Pavilion is diagonally across from the Joint Pacific Ocean Pavilion, where they consistently have performances, so you're also treated to a concert!

Italian Gelato

Singapore - There was no way that I could pass up this fried rice. I was on my way to catch my bus, thinking what kind of Korean food I would get for dinner on the way (that would, undoubtedly, include rice), when I passed by the Singapore Pavilion and restaurant. I had just talked with my sister about fried rice and decided to check it out. It definitely doesn't compare to hers (which includes more flavors...yum), but it satisfied my craving for her homemade fried rice. Personally, I could have used some kind of meat and a bit more pepper, but it was the right amount of spicy, packaged for take out, and I could eat eggs for the rest of my life. 7,000 won

Note: The restaurant has about 10 dishes, with prices ranging from 5,000 to 15,000 won. Everyone around seemed to be enjoying their food and the staff was really friendly. In the afternoons, their "special meals of the day" (generally the ones priced between 12,000 and 15,000) are discounted by 20%. Get on it.

Singapore Fried Rice 

Moral of the story is that I need to find some way to travel around the world to eat each countries' delicious blend of flavors. And not gain 20 lbs in the process. Suggestions?


xo

KTO Mission: Yeosu Expo 2012 International Pavilions

Expo 2012 Yeosu, Korea

As I mentioned, I was chosen to join the Korean Tourism Organization as a K-Supporter at this year's Expo in Yeosu, an international event that focuses on the international community's responsibility to the marine sector. There were so many things to do that the weekend was not enough time to explore the entire expo, but below is the list of international pavilions that we were able to journey into and my favorites:

Peru                         Argentina

Thailand                   Korea

Singapore                 Denmark

USA                          Israel

Philippines               Turkmenistan

Italy                         Spain

Belgium                   Pacific Ocean Joint Pavilion

France                     Russia

Singapore - They had multiple rooms, each teaching visitors something unique. The tour began with a brief introduction to Singapore (below left). They had an entire room showing ocean pollution (below right). Fun fact: Singapore has a floating landfill island that will last the country until 2050!

Singapore also focused on how important one droplet of water can be with an exhibit that visitors created by writing a wish and placing a drop of water onto their paper. Truly a thing of beauty.

Philippines - This was an interesting one for me because I got to learn more about a country that I will be visiting in August! It was beautifully designed and shared knowledge with the visitors about the Philippine marine life. They also had different colored sand to be admired: black, white, pink and brown; the kids loved it. Below are ceiling shots.

France - This was a smart pavilion. They had eye-catching rooms (below left), as well as just downright interesting concepts that were portrayed in fun ways. France is currently working with robots in their marine sector, but showed them off in an audience-friendly way by having them play guitars and swing on swings (below right). They certainly have a sense of humor!

Korea - It's not surprising that Korea had their pavilion in the largest building, and it did not disappoint. It highlighted how the oceans have helped shape Korea's history, in both good and bad ways. They also had traditional Korean dancers come out, and guess who they chose to dance with them?! That's right, ME - the foreigner in the front row. Overall, there were 5 traditional dancers and 5-10 audience members dancing around the entire group. It was so much fun to dance around a group of people where the mood was so positive (and this is coming from someone with zero dancing ability). If you get a chance, get up there! No skill required :)

Denmark - If there was ever a country to get their viewpoint across, it was Denmark. They put their money where there mouth is by promoting green energy at the Expo this year. They were voted as 2011's happiest country and I can see why: because they get to play with legos! Okay, that may not be the only reason, but seeing as how legos were invented here, I'm glad that they showed off their skills with some fun exhibits (below).


Highlighted on one of the walls (and one of my new life quotes): "Systematic Creativity: A particular form of creativity that combines logic and reasoning with playfulness and imagination." 

Spain - I'm not going to lie, I was really excited about visiting the Spain Pavilion. It's my next destination after my year in Korea, so I was thrilled about being able to ask questions about my soon-to-be home country. Hence the photo of me!

Russia - The Russian Pavilion was really well executed. And their mascot was adorable (below)! The tour began with a brief introduction video and a walk through an 'ice cave' that also had displays about Russia's history with the Arctic. We then moved onto their movie, which was shown in a boat-like atmosphere. After the movie concluded, we walked around to the other side, and they've completed the vision - it's a boat on the outside too. Just great execution (and that's the advertiser in me talking, apologies).

Overall, it was an eye-opening experience and I'm glad that I was able to partake in it (particularly because I was provided with everything except transportation and food). However, I'm not quite sure that it was worth the 5+ hour journey for a day trip from Gyeongju; this would definitely have to be a full weekend adventure! It made me want to travel to these countries more than anything, which may have been the countries' goals! Here's to international cooperation and exploration!

xo

KTO Mission: Yeosu Expo 2012 K-Pop Concert & Odong-do Island

Making friends with the Yeosu Expo Mascots!

Yeosu was basically my life last weekend. Even with the 5+ hour journey there from Gyeongju, I was really excited to arrive Saturday afternoon at the Yeosu Expo 2012 with the KTO and my fellow K-Supporters, including my K-Supporter partner, Ruth! The Expo was full of a variety of activities, including an aquarium, international pavilions, themed pavilions, international food (!!!) and, on the weekend that we went, the Yeosu Korean Music Wave Concert, which featured top k-pop acts Jay Park, BtoB, 4Minute and B2ST!

Environment preservation has always been an important part of my life. Ever since I wrote a letter to President Clinton in grade school about pollution and litter in my community (true story and his reply is somewhere in my closet back home), I've always recognized how important it is that we protect our marine sector, so I am particularly thankful to the KTO for giving me this opportunity to learn what other countries are doing to protect our oceans.

With KTO CEO, Lee Charm

My partner and I with our KTO coordinator, Harim

 Yeosu Korean Music Wave Concert - I'd say that the highlight of my Expo adventure was definitely the k-pop concert. Not only were we ushered in (like the VIP that we are), but they saved us seats in the front rows! That's right, even in front of the press. Get it, girl. Hosted by the KTO and the Arirang crew, the concert opened with Jay Park and he killed it. I'll admit, I was a bit skeptical of the Seattle-born star, but he proved me wrong. I'm a newly converted fan and I'm not afraid to admit it. Plus, he's clearly easy on the eyes. 

Jay Park

There were four acts total, with BtoB (a fairly new boy group) and 4Minute (a girl group who, oddly enough, was missing one of their members), but the group that really got the crowd going was B2ST. It was clear that they were the crowd favorite, especially among their Beauties, the B2ST fan group. They were also the only group to do an encore. Seeing them with so much energy and enthusiasm has made me want to go to more k-pop events!

B2ST

Interesting facts that I learned about k-pop concerts: 

• Each act only performs 2-4 songs. This basically means that they're actually singing instead of lip syncing their hearts out, which is actually an oddity in the states.
• The crowd doesn't stand up. As excited as those teenagers were to see these fantastic groups, everyone stayed in their seats for the entire concert. Out of politeness maybe?

Accommodation - We booked our room about two weeks before our Yeosu trip via BnB Hero, a really convenient website if you're looking for a room to stay in throughout Korea. Positive - IT'S IN ENGLISH! While KTO allocated a specific lodging to us, it was a really nice place that was actually pretty close to the Expo (2,300 won taxi ride)...as long as you don't get lost...ahem. Side note: My partner and I ended up walking around for 45 minutes because we thought that we could be badasses and just walk home. Hmmm no. My advice? Walk a few minutes out of the Expo and then grab a taxi. Remember to bring your address in both Korean and English, as well as the host's phone number! Needless to say, we ended up getting back pretty late, so we didn't actually try out any of the amenities, but our room was quite large and the view from the balcony was gorgeous (both photos below)! Plus, at a price of 48,000 won per room, it was convenient to have a place to crash for the night. From talking with other K-Supporters, it sounds like the room prices ranged from 25,000 - 55,000 won, so keep that in mind while you're looking!

Odong-do Island - We concluded our Yeosu trip by taking a tour on Odong-do Island, which is right outside of the Expo. There's a tram that goes from the mainland to the island, but it's only a 15 minute walk and it was nice to breathe in the sea air. Our tour was about 30 minutes, where we were able to check out the Seashore Rocks, the Penis Tree, the Lighthouse and the Windy Area. As you can see from the signs below, we missed a few things because of other time commitments (hello, Cave of Dragon?!), but Odong-do Island is a pleasant place to relax. Next time I'm in Yeosu, I'm definitely making my way here again to spend more time in nature.

Gorgeous view

Penis Tree (and yes, it is labeled like that)

 The island trail also had the coolest walking path that I've ever seen! The path is on the right side of the main path and is supposed to be walked on with bare feet, as it made with various materials to massage the foot. It felt good with boots, so I can only imagine how good your feet would feel after walking on this trail with no shoes!

So if you end up making it out to the Yeosu Expo, and I definitely recommend doing so, be sure to check out as many pavilions as you can! And if you can, let me know how the themed pavilions are as well! I'd save the island for another visit down to Yeosu in order to get as much time in at the expo as possible because I was there for two days and couldn't pack as much as I wanted to into that time! Keep a look out for my additional Yeosu Expo posts as well!


xo

Bulguksa Temple

Welcome to Bulguksa Temple
Gyeongju, Korea

After taking more than three months to get our act together, some of the Gyeongju crew decided that it was the perfect time to go explore the national treasure that is Bulguksa Temple this weekend. I, personally, had no excuse for my procrastination; my elementary school is about a ten minute bus ride from the temple (it does, after all, bare the same name). Luckily for us, the temple was decorated for Buddha's birthday for a full month, so we didn't miss out from last weekend. We were beyond thrilled when we walked up the hill and there were colorful decorations everywhere!


Bulguksa Temple was originally founded in 535 to be used by royalty. Legend has it that it wasn't until 751 that reincarnated Prime Minister Kim Daeseong emphasized his Buddhist loyalty by dedicating Bulguksa to his ancestors. There have been several reconstructions, with the latest restoration being completed in 1979. Bulguksa Temple was added to the World Heritage List by UNESCO in 1995, and it certainly deserves that title.

Conor, Ariel and I finally exploring the temple
that is in our backyard

Colorful decorations to continue
Buddha's month-long birthday celebration

Drawings from local schoolchildren

One of my favorites from a talented fourth grader!

Golden Pig to rub for luck

xo

One of My Favorite CA Foods, Now in Seoul

FOOD PORN. One of my favorite types of food was introduced to me in high school by some of my favorite people in the wonderful city of Puente Hills, CA. Thai food opened my eyes to a completely different world of Asian food, particularly pad see ew and it's delicious mix of flavors, noodles, meats and vegetables. Complete YUM. This is one of the many, many reasons why I'm going to make my way to Thailand before my Korea journey is over!

Charming Utensils

Pad See Ew

Full Package!

xo

Seoul is Replacing Vegas for 3 Day Weekends

Cheers for three day weekends! This past weekend was Buddha's birthday (instead of the US Memorial Day) and, needless to say, we fully took advantage and made our way to Itaewon, Seoul! Not only did we spend a couple late, laaaaate nights exploring Itaewon and all that it has to offer (including a rooftop bar, all 10+ of us sleeping in one apartment and homo hill), but we made our way to World DJ Festival 2012 to see the likes of ATB, Dash Berlin and The Weeknd! 

World DJ Fest 2012

World DJ Fest (similar to Coachella) was beyond amazing! We got a day pass and while it was a bit of a hassle herding us together, we ended up STARTING OUR OWN DANCE PARTY. Hopefully I can upload the video of a few of us dancing because it's not working right now (and that's such a pity for you readers). It's a shame that I missed out on the silent DJs though...next time! This was definitely one of the highlights of my Korea life and included the legit notion that we definitely do NOT wait in lines and (of course) BUCKETS of alcohol. Another great time with fantastic people.

xo