MOVING TO SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA

To be honest I have no excuses why I haven't posted a blog at all this year, but I do have great news (evidently spoiled in the title of this post) and that is.. I AM MOVING TO SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA!! 드디오 한국에 이사갈거에용~~

I have been self studying Korean for quite some time, and I've always wanted to live in Korea for a longer duration than 1 week; I have finally fulfilled my dreams! I will be attending LEI Seoul National University studying Korean at the end of this month. Words cannot describe how excited, and at the same time, nervous I am for the biggest move of my life yet. This will be a new learning curve for me, I will grow even more as an adult (I may be 24 years old but I know sh*t).
With this move to Seoul, I hope to post on this blog on a regular basis - at least once a week (I promise this time). I want to share my experience in SNU, as well as my life in Seoul. I did think of doing vlogs and uploading them onto YouTube, but realistically I want to work hard and focus more on my studies because MATE I am not wasting the money I saved.. literally 피 blood 땀 sweat 눈물 tears.

많이 기대해주세요.

Seoul, South Korea 2016 - What I Ate (Korean Street Food Edition)

In the year 2016, I have been to Seoul, South Korea 3 times. Yes, you may think I am crazy but honestly there is so much to do over there. Moreover, my trips while I was there never lasted more than 1 week so they're pretty much short stays. And guys let me tell you something, if you thought New York was the city that never sleeps then believe me.. you are totally mistaken. Seoul is the city that never sleeps !! I have been to New York before, so I can confirm this statement is true. 

Anyways, other than it is the city that never sleeps, it is also the city where you can EAT. Eat for cheap super super cheap! Everyone who knows me can all say that I LOVE FOOD and I am a food whore. 

Here I have compiled all the Korean food I devoured in South Korea this year - I would recommend everything that is listed in this blog.

Korean Street Food

1) Spicy Rice Cake 떡볶이 

This is one of my favourite street food to have (to be honest I pretty much like all Korean street food) but this snack is essentially rice cake and fish cake in a thick sweet chilli consistency sauce called gochujang. 

2) Kimbap 김밥

Personally to me, it is the Korean version of sushi. Instead of raw fish, you have like pickles, carrots, spinach etc. sprinkled with sesame on top. I normally have kimbap with ddeokbokki because it tastes so good when you dip it into the ddeokbokki sauce.

Left: Kimbap & Right: Spicy Rice Cake

3) Egg Bread 계란빵

This is probably my least favourite street food only because it is very dry to eat. I'd definitely recommend you have a drink with you because you'll need it. You can thank me later.

4) Fish Cake 어묵

There are two ways to say it 어묵 "eomuk" or 오뎅 "odeng". I usually go by the way "odeng" because it is what you will see written more however, "eomuk" is the correct way to say it. As "odeng" is derived by the Japanese term of fish cake "oden". Anyways moving swiftly on, Korean fish cake is hands down the best street food to have during the winter period as the fish cake is steaming hot, and you also get a cup of soup with it. 

5) Korean Pancake 호떡

Whether you're a savoury, or sweet person; hotteok is definitely a must try street food! You can get various kind of filling but the most popular, and original hotteok would be the brown sugar syrup filling which is to die for!! I've tried the original flavour, but I have also tried "green tea hotteok"녹차호떡 which has the same filling (brown sugar syrup) but has a green tea flavoured pancake. 

Shameless selfie with my mum. Vegetable Hotteok & Honey Hotteok

These are just a handful types of Korean Street Food you can eat whilst in South Korea - there are so many more to list to be honest (and in fact I didn't manage to capture all the food eaten.. I was too excited and hungry). 

Also, instead of having a proper meal in a restaurant, you can easily be full and content from just solely eating Korean Street Food. Stall hopping sounds more like my thing rather than bar hopping hahaa

NEW OBSESSION: WEBTOON

Wow.. long time no post. 

I currently have a new obsession, and it is Webtoon - more specifically, "Zero Game". Webtoon is a South Korean term for manhwa (comic books) which are published online. I personally love reading manga, so manhwa isn't much difference. What triggered me to read webtoon is to practice my Hangul reading as I am currently self learning Korean. And I am quite happy to say I can understand more than 50% of the webtoon I am currently reading which is very satisfying. 

Zero Game 제로게임

Zero Game is the first webtoon I started reading, and what made me interested in this webtoon is
1) the animation style is very similar to anime/manga (I am quite the otaku)
2) the plot of the story-line is quite interesting (a story line you'd typically see in anime/manga)
3) the main male lead is yums (I tend to fall in love with cartoon characters - NO SHAME)

This webtoon is a fantasy webtoon where this girl participates in a survival game with a chance to change her life if she wins. And what I like the most is that for once (!!) the main female lead is not useless and annoying like in other animes I have watched (i.e Orihime from Bleach, Elizabeth from Nanatsu no Taizai and the list goes on). Anyways I am only 5 chapters in and there is still a lot I need to know - may keep you guys posted on an update. 

Can we just all appreciate the beauty of this character - Baek Shin Woo, he has the looks and the charismatic personality like damnn everything I want in a cartoon character. HELL YES.

I do want to read more Webtoons, so if anyone knows any good ones... recommend for your girl here! I am open to anything.

Also, I may have mentioned previously that I will be having "future travel posts" for my recent visit to Seoul, South Korea and Tokyo, Japan but.. I have failed to do so. However, I will compile my visit in 2 months time as I am going back to those two countries again in the next 2 weeks !! (please forgive me)

"믿어. 앞으로 너는 더 나아질 수 있어." - Believe me. The future will be better.

Korean Skincare Routine (7-Steps)

Ever wonder why majority of Asians have such nice skin, and age well? It is because they invest a lot in skincare.. and when I mean a lot I am not exaggerating. There are some skincare products I never knew even existed until I discovered Korean skincare - 5 years ago skincare to me was just washing your face with water and then ending it with a moisturiser. However, clearly there's way more to it. Korea is well known for their 7-10 steps skincare regime and skincare product; the steps vary depending on the individual and their skin. My life has changed (my face in particular) ever since I started using the Korean skincare routine.

Currently, my skincare routine consists of 7-steps (on a bad day it goes to 8-steps) and above is a photo of the products I use at the moment. The order I use starts from top left to right, below left to right. Let me breakdown the steps.

Before even lathering your skin with all the nutritional goodness, you have to ensure your skin is squeeky clean - remove any impurity that your skin may have consumed during the day i.e makeup. Koreans usually call this the "3 Step Cleansing Routine".
1) Eye Makeup Remover
For some individuals, this step is actually combined with step 2 but I prefer having the eye makeup removal done separately to the actual face. If you are heavy on waterproof mascara, and eyeliner you should really gravitate towards products that have an oil base. Believe me, it will make your eye makeup removal life so much easier. You'd essentially only need to apply some product on a cotton pad and then gently wipe off eye makeup.
(product in photo: Skinfood - Milk Shake Point Makeup Remover)
2) (Oil) Cleanser
As mentioned, step 1 can be combined with this step as you are removing the makeup on your face. Also, again, it is more ideal to use an oil cleanser as it will smoothly melt away all your makeup. Apply product on the palm of your hand and massage all over your face and neck for about a minute or two. Once done wash it away with lukewarm water.
(product in photo: IOPE - Moisture Skin Cleansing Lotion)
3) Water Based Cleanser
Even though you have taken off all makeup, there still might be some impurities left on your skin, and of course the residue of the oil cleanser you just used. I am telling you.. Koreans take skincare pretty damn serious. So this step is essentially to double cleanse, and it is water based because you should wet your face before applying the cleanser. You should also massage all over your face for about 1-2 minutes.
(product in photo: Etude House - Baking Powder Pore Powder Cleanser)
4) Toner
This is personally my favourite step out of the whole routine. Toner helps you balance your pH level gives your skin some hydration before you go ahead with the rest of the routine. You can either directly put the toner on your hands and apply to your face; or apply on cotton pad and gently swipe all over your face. I put the toner on a cotton pad because once I swiped it on my face, I still saw some leftover makeup on the cotton pad. I consider the toner as the final step of cleansing.
(product in photo: Etude House - White Moistfull Toner)
5) Essence
Probably the most favourable step to most people who uses the korean skincare regime. This is where cleansing has ended, and it is now time to actually look after and repair your skin with all the nutritional goodness. I would usually advice people to apply the essence directly onto your hand and then patting it on your face gently and slowly - this way the essence can be absorbed into the skin more easily.
(product in photo: Laneige - Perfect Renew Regenerator) 
6) Serum
Very similar to essence.. and to be honest I am still not entirely sure what the difference between essence and serum is. However, I understand that essence has a slight toner factor in them, whereas serum does not. Serum addresses the problems your skins have i.e pores, brightening, anti-wrinkles etc. Ideally you would like to use the same motion as the essence and apply on hands, then gently pat all over your face to let it nicely absorb the product.
(product in photo: The Face Shop - Green Tea Waterfull Serum)
7) Moisturiser 
Lastly, I end the routine by ensuring my skin is hydrated, dewy, and soft like a baby's bum!! Unlike essence and serum, moisturiser is more a thick consistency. This step goes without saying, and I am sure everyone has this step regardless if they use the Korean skincare regime or not so I don't necessarily need to go into too much detail?
(product in photo: IOPE - Moistgen Cream Skin Hydration)
*8) Facemasks
I do not do this on a daily basis; only on the days my skin is feeling more rough than normal and needs more nourishing treatment. I opt in to either sheet masks, or overnight masks (laneige water sleeping pack in particular).

I know. That is one heck of a lot of steps for a skincare routine, however, I do not consider it as a chore or hassle - I think more of it as a pampering session and "me time", and I thoroughly enjoy it. Moreover, it is good to start taking care of your skin before it is too late.
I only briefly mentioned the skincare products used, but if you want a thorough review on the products I use let me know :)
Hope you guys thought this was helpful, and also let me know what are your steps and if you thought I should have added anything into my routine!
p.s I already know I should throw in exfoliation and eye cream but I have yet found the perfect product to include
안녕 till next time~

HelloTalk App Review

                                 

Are you currently learning a language? Interested in learning a new language? Want to find native speakers in the language you are studying/interested in? Then behold of this app > HelloTalk (available on both ios and android)

Depending where you live, sometimes it is difficult to find an individual who can speak the language you are studying. However, this particular can help vastly as it connects you to native speakers (in the language you are interested in) from all over the world. The beauty of this app is you choose the language you are interested learning in and it will connect you to an individual who wants to learn the language you fluently speak. It is a language exchange app where you both help each other out.

So for me, I input Korean as the language I want to learn, and it connected me to Korean people who would like to learn English. I have been self learning Korean. I have not actually put my Korean into practice to see my progress.. and it turns out that I am still lacking. I can read, and listen very well but when it comes to actually making sentences then it is game over for me. 

At first I was quite skeptical about using this app as I personally think speaking to someone online who you don't know of, or have never met is weird (and dangerous lel). However, my friend has been using an app similar to HelloTalk (Tandem - if you would like to know an insight on this app, my friend has also made a post on it http://www.itstanda.com/lets-talk-tandem) and has said that she has made loads of friends and it has helped her Chinese studies. Thus, I forced myself to try be open about it and just give it a shot and see what happens.. and I do not regret it at all.

Once you have successfully installed the app, the first thing to do is fill in your profile - a profile picture (don't worry does not allow users to enlarge it), and a quick self introduction. It does not need to be super detailed, can be very basic. It is just so users can get to know you a bit before starting a conversation. The picture below is an example how the profile would look like (yes it is my own personal profile)

The learning points seen above in the picture can be very useful during the times you are having some difficulty in a conversation on HelloTalk. Some of the options include literal translations from (in my situation) Korean > English. This is great if you do not understand what the person has said to you; or if you want to make it slightly more challenging, you can get the sentence to be spoken out loud. As an individual may be good at listening and not too strong in their reading.

WHO CAN FIND ME?
I only just realised this couple days ago, but you can filter who can actually find you. You have the capability to choose the age range, and option of same gender. Which is potentially great because you may not want someone who is too young/old speaking to you. It is essential you feel comfortable with who speaks to you - from personal experience I have had rather awkward conversations which brings me to the following section...

CONS
As a female user on this app.. you may experience users starting a conversation with you intending to basically get into your pants. It is as if they think HelloTalk is another version of Tinder.
The app is a language exchange app which is a platform to help one and another HOWEVER you get the odd people who will only seek for language help in your native language and does not return the favour in helping you. This defeats the purpose of the app.

I do believe HelloTalk is a great app as you are able to find great language study buddy(s) and can potentially build that relationship to good friends. If you are ever visiting their country, or they are visiting your country you can meet up.. I am actually travelling to Seoul, South Korea in over a months time so I will be meeting a few of the users I have talked on HelloTalk - look out for future travel posts.

I hope this has given you a nice overview of the app, and if you are currently using it.. let me know how you think of the app :)
안녕!

LINE FRIENDS CAFE & STORE

I am a hardcore LINE user so it is without a doubt that I HAD to visit the Line Friends Cafe and Store in Seoul. If you are not familiar with the word "LINE" - it is basically an all rounded app (for both android and apple). It is an Asian version of whatsapp but better, as LINE also include games and photo editing app.

The Line Friends Cafe and Store is located in Garosu-gil, Sinsa-Dong. Word of advice (from experience) - if you ever enter Line Friends Cafe and Store into Google Map whilst in Korea.. DO NOT TRUST IT. The so called Line Friends Cafe and Store registered in Google Map is located further into Gangnam (10 minutes away from Sinsa), and believe me.. it is not there. I was a babo to even believe Google Map. The real location is " 535-15, Sinsa-Dong, Gangnam-Gu, Seoul "
After that horrendous situation, we did manage to go back to Sinsa and found the store!!

The store is about a 5 minute walk from Sinsa Station (Line 3) but you cannot miss it because it has the hugest sign outside showing the infamous LINE characters including Brown, Cony etc.

Even before entering the store itself, from afar you can see a huge Brown teddy and my goodness it is the CUTEST thing ever. So big and cuddly, although, it is a bit off-putting to hug Brown that much because I am aware hundreds and thousands of people have touched him. Regardless of that, it is a MUST to take at least one photo with Brown... and I did!!

This was just the beginning of the excitement within the store. The store is filled with so many variations of merchandises which was so overwhelming to take in one go. This flagship store is 3 story tall and I can confirm it is not a mere 15 minute browse. On the ground floor you have the merchandise, first floor is the fashion/clothing, and lastly the basement floor is the cafe plus more merchandises. Personally, I enjoyed the basement floor the most as you get the best of both worlds - food and shopping. All the food and drinks was LINE inspired (of course) and everything was just cute!! (noticed how I have been repeating the word cute..) and look FLYING LINE FRIENDS (!!)

                           

During that time, I was not that hungry and it was way too cold to have an ice-cream and as daring as I wanted to be I didn't bring myself to do so. However, I could not leave the store without trying at least one thing from the menu. I ended up opting in for a green tea latte costing around £3.50, funnily it is a cold beverage so I should've just went for the ice-cream because it is cute as **** (p.s I see it everywhere on instagram)

Usually themed cafes tend to not be great with their food and beverages from experiences but LINE's green tea latte was surprisingly really good. It had a very rich and strong taste of matcha and I am a huge huge huge fan of anything matcha flavoured. Also, can we just look at the bottle they put my green tea latte in? 

Not only is there a huge Brown teddy, there is also SALLY !! Let's all be honest.. I thought Sally was a duck but apparently Sally is a chick... mm okay sure. And of course, you just got to take a picture with Sally. It'd just be totally wrong to not take a photo with her. Confession.. I do like Brown more than Sally though heheh
Overall, I highly recommend anyone visiting Korea to go to the Line Friends Store and Cafe located in Sinsa !! Or alternatively you can go to Myeongdong branch, however, there is no cafe in that store. This is the perfect place to get small miscellaneous gifts for friends and family for a reasonable price.

Until next time, 안녕

[FOOD] Sake no Hana Review

If you haven't noticed from my previous posts, I am quite the big fan of Japanese food and..well Japan in general. So there would be no surprise why there will be yet another foodie Japanese cuisine post ^^" 

Sake no Hana - quite the fine dining Japanese restaurant located in Green Park. One of my main reason in visiting this restaurant was purely because of their limited sakura menu promotion. Sakura is cherry blossom in Japanese and it is well often celebrated every year for the blooming of the cherry blossom and enjoying the beauty of the flower. The cherry blossom season typically starts at the beginning of April. And based on this celebration, Sake no Hana had a limited menu prior to that occasion. Including sakura flavoured drinks and dessert (sakura flavoured macarons!!). They even made their interior design to a sakura garden. The pictures I saw online was gorgeous and magnificent. 

My reason in going to Sake no Hana has been well justified I believe HOWEVER fate was cruel to me!! When I finally managed to squeeze time in to visit the restaurant, the promotion for the limited menu and the beautiful cherry blossom interior design in the restaurant had already ended. My heart sadly sunk in. But it is okay, as I am certain that they will bring this promotion again for the next sakura season. Without a doubt I vow I will definitely make it for next year!

Nonetheless here's to a great dinner at Sake no Hana! The food presentation was presented really well, and I was not surprised - I expected it to be so as I already knew this was a fine Japanese dining restaurant. I did not expect nothing less.
I am a hardcore sashimi lover, so for starters I just had to have raw fish.

                           SUZUKI USUZUKURI 鱸薄造り

The seabass sashimi was thinly sliced, and the chilli ponzu dressing gave it a nice extra kick to the taste. However, I did not enjoy it as much as I thought I would - maybe because they were so thinly sliced. I guess that is the beauty of a starter, it is there to give you a tease.

MAGURO SASHIMI GOSHU 鮪刺身五種 

Now this is my kinda platter. Normally I am not a tuna sashimi, however, if we are talking about o-toro (fatty) and chu-toro (medium fatty) I AM ALL FOR IT!! Regular tuna sashimi CANNOT even compare to fatty tuna because...that is the real deal! I still remember how soft the fatty tuna was, the sensation was unreal. I did not want this dish to end at all.

Following after sashimi, it has gotta be sushi !! Think it would be totally wrong to NOT have sushi in a Japanese restaurant. Although, decided to try "special" ones which you would not usually see in any other Japanese restaurants.

WAGYU BEEF MAKI 群馬牛巻き 

Holy. This did not disappoint. Wagyu beef is typically more expensive and prestige than your normal beef as it is a higher quality beef. This sushi roll includes asparagus, fried onion, and kizami wasabi topped with a slice of wagyu beef. All the ingredients complimented each other, furthermore the wagyu beef was so soft and tender. Just like how normal tuna sashimi cannot compare to fatty tuna; your standard beef cannot compare to wagyu beef.

ABURI SALMON CRAB MAKI 炙りサーモンクラブ巻

Surprisingly it was really refreshing, and this is because it had nashi pear in it. Now with sushi, I would not have imagined fruits to be in it; however these things do exists. They unexpectedly go quite well together (my other half thought otherwise).

And here comes the main meal ....DRUM ROLLS....

SUKIYAKI すき焼き

Sukiyaki is one of my favourite favourite hot dishes in Japanese cuisine - sliced meat (in this case rib eye beef) with loads of vegetables (all hail the mighty tofu) all simmered in a sweet broth. It was such a shame that this sukiyaki did not have any udon or soba. As the sauce is quite sweet, it would have been better to have had plain rice to sort of cleanse your "pallet". However, nonetheless I thoroughly enjoyed this pot. I would give an advice if you do order this, get a side dish of plain rice with it.

ZUWAI TEMPURA ズワイ蟹天ぷら - japanese snow crab tempura

I was not exactly that amazed with this tempura. Don't get me wrong, it was delicious but I guess all tempuras are somewhat similar if you use the correct batter. I feel the price of this tempura could have been cheaper elsewhere which will taste identical to this one.


Now. You cannot leave a restaurant without trying their dessert. Especially if they have matcha flavoured desserts (!!)

YUZU MATCHA CRÈME 

I love matcha, and I love yuzu - a dessert which has both... TAKE MY MONEY!! I cannot even explain how to describe the dessert. The white round shaped marshmallows had yuzu filling - it was like a ball of yuzu fluff melting in your mouth without the yuzu being too tangy.

MOCHI ICE CREAM

Just like how tempura is quite standard in any Japanese restaurants - so was the mochi ice-cream. I feel like you can get the exact same type in your local Japanese convenient store for a much much cheaper price.

Overral
Food: 8/10
Price: £££
Would I visit again?: Yes