little green field book

Korean Life | That Other Time I Was in a Korean Video

Posted on February 8, 2017

me having a Mary Tyler Moore moment, rumpled shirt and all ❤️️

A couple of months after appearing in KTX magazine, I was asked to be in a short promotional video highlighting some of the most notable tourist spots in Daegu. The production team wanted the video to be filmed, completed, and distributed within a really tight time frame, so once again I wasn’t given much advance notice. On top of that, the timing of the video fell right before the holidays, and right before we planned on leaving the country for a trip.

And once again, I said no.

At the time, Sly’s parents were in Korea visiting for just over a month and my MIL really wanted me to do it (and watch in the background, haha). With Sly and my MIL’s convincing, I eventually changed my mind. As mentioned previously, I’m just not an in-front-of-camera person, and the thought of being recorded on video made me feel that much more anxious.

What’s worse: me “modeling” for a Korean magazine or me “acting” in a promo movie? I’ll let you decide.

Korean Life | That Time I Was in a Korean Magazine

Posted on February 4, 2017

Photographer: 장은주 // Editor: 안미리

In early September of last year, I was asked to be photographed for a feature in KTX Magazine, the travel magazine of the Korean high speed rail line. I wasn’t given much information prior to the shoot except that it would be shot locally in Daegu, and that the concept for the feature would be two foreign tourists exploring the city together. I’m definitely not an in front of camera person (which is why I’m the one usually taking all the photos) and I’m certainly no model, even in a non-fashion sense.

I said no.

ETC

Notes | January in 10 Photos

Posted on February 3, 2017

I actually posted somewhat steadily this month, so consider this post to be “January in 10 more photos.”

It’s hard to believe that the first couple of weeks of January were spent back in the States, while the latter half were spent here in Korea. It almost seems as if months have passed since we were in the US, not just weeks. Besides the going out, eating, dancing, drinking, that occurred during the first half of January, the remainder of the month has been rather quiet. We escaped from DC just before the inauguration and have more or less holed ourselves up in our cozy little apartment, reading, and making up for lost time with our kitties.

BOOKS

Books of the Month | January

Posted on January 31, 2017

As mentioned in a previous post, I thought I would take a stab at posting a monthly book round up of books I read, books I’m currently reading, and books I’m looking forward to reading. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to keep this up on a monthly basis, but I figured I’d at least give it a try.

This month was a reading whirlwind for me, in part because I forgot to monitor my library holds list and as a result, all my books became available at the same time, and in part because when I was still in DC, I read through the books in my sister’s Lucy Knisley collection that I haven’t been able to find at my library. Also, a few of these books were short novellas. I always seem to read a lot in January, probably because I don’t really plan much or travel during the month. By the time I hit December, I’ll probably be down to reading one book a month (and a book club book at that), so I figure I should ride the wave while I can.

DAEGU FOOD

Daegu Eats | Bake Cheese Tart

Posted on January 30, 2017

Bake Cheese Tart, a bakery that originated in Hokkaido, Japan, recently opened with much anticipation (by me, anyway) at the new Shinsegae Mall in Daegu. Bake, like many Japanese specialty food shops, is the type of place that focuses on perfecting and making only one thing: cheese tarts. That’s it. One type of baked good. One flavor. With a line that snaked all around the basement food court to get a taste of this delicious treat.

FOOD HOLIDAYS

Happy Lunar New Year!

Posted on January 28, 2017

Vietnamese New Year (Tết) has always been one of my favorite times of the year. Here in Korea, Lunar New Year (Seollal) is celebrated over the course of three days and is a mostly quiet affair that involves gifts of food, visiting family, and honoring ancestors.

In contrast, Vietnamese New Year is a raucous party with firecrackers, dragon dances, gambling, and lots of food, most of which are specialties that are only prepared and eaten once a year. My mom made some of these special Vietnamese treats and sent them to us for Lunar New Year: chewy peanut and sesame candy (kẹo đậu phộng), coconut candy (mứt dừa), tamarind pods, and dried pineapple “flowers.” It’s nice to have a taste of home, especially at this time of the year, but I still long for the energy and excitement that is missing from Korean New Year celebrations.

Missing family is especially hard over the holidays, but I’ve learned the only way to combat the homesickness is by creating new memories. This year, we celebrated with Japanese cheese tarts from Bake, two bottles of inexpensive chilled white wine, and a splurge dinner of Taco Bell. I’m not sure we would normally eat these things together under normal circumstances, yet somehow, in the mishmash of Lunar New Year culture, it seemed to make sense: Something old, something new, and something to get us drunk. 😊

Happy year of the fire rooster, everyone!

Chúc Mừng Năm Mới!

One More Time, We’re Gonna Celebrate

Posted on January 27, 2017

We got it in our heads that we wanted to go dancing one night while in DC. I presented the idea somewhat jokingly, and as soon as it came out of my mouth I half regretted it and half looked forward to it. The idea built momentum and became set in stone the moment our friend DDA mentioned he was planning on attending the same Daft Punk DJ night. At that point it felt so indelibly fated that even lack of sleep, a snowstorm, and the general laziness that comes when good food and pjs are involved, couldn’t prevent us from going out.

On a Cold Night in The District

Posted on January 25, 2017

On a cold night in DC we met up with our childhood friend for dinner at The Bird. We ordered a “flight of egg” which included an odd, lemon-y (?), eggy, disturbingly sweet bite, topped with caviar, and a cold, strange, gelatinous egg disc doused in soy sauce.

Our night was not off to a good start.

HOLIDAYS HOME

Notes | The Holidays in Photos

Posted on January 21, 2017

We spent the holidays back in DC with our families who either currently live there or drove up/flew in to spend time with us. It was the first time since our wedding (!) that we have all been in the same place at the same time. Last year we stayed in Korea over the holidays, and at the time, it wasn’t a huge deal for us. We still ate our “feast of seven fishes” dinner on Christmas Eve. I still decorated a (very tiny) tree and hung up lights. I baked trays and trays of cookies and we watched It’s a Wonderful Life. It didn’t quite feel like Christmas, but then again, it was somewhat expected that our first Christmas in Korea would be different. In essence, isn’t that why we chose to live abroad? For new experiences?

What we didn’t factor into the equation was how much we would miss our families, and how being away from family over the holidays intensified those feelings at least tenfold. Obviously we have kept in touch, and there have been a few visits and meet-ups in the past two years, but what became abundantly clear the moment we stepped off the plane from Korea (technically, Beijing) was that no amount of video calls, social media, and emails could substitute for actually, physically, being with family over the holidays.

Below are a few photos taken over the holidays, accompanied by (mostly) short, descriptive snippets. I didn’t take a ton of pictures (relatively speaking), and what photos I took were mostly centered around what we seem to always do as a family whenever we are together: eating and being goofy.

Older Posts

Newer Posts

PyeongChang 2018 | We Went to the Olympics!

Snapshots of January

Khao Lak | Thai Street Food

Khao Lak | MaMa’s Greeting Bar & Restaurant

Khao Lak | Bang Niang, Outdoor Market, & Tropical Fruit

Khao Lak | Hiking Trail to Ton Chong Fa Waterfall

Khao Lak | Ao Thong Beach Bungalows

Phuket | Weekend Night Market (Naka Market)

Phuket | Monkey Cave Temple | Wat Tham Suwan Khuha

Phuket | Phang Nga Bay & James Bond Island