"Picnic Like a Pro" - Published on The Korea Blog

I'm very excited to say that my piece, "Picnic Like a Pro: Korean Outdoor Dining Culture" has been published on the Korea Blog! Covering everything from picnics to snack tents, this blog talks about Koreans and their far-out outdoor dining.

Check it out, share, like, or comment, and help me to celebrate this great success!
http://blog.korea.net/?p=13865

Love, 
Jessica

WKB Tour 2012 - Scenic Seonyou-do, Days 2 & 3

L to R: Asif, Dorothea, Gisela, Ema, Anabel, and Maria,
and our guide Grace and me in the front, smiling on Seonyou Island

If you've read my previous posts, you'll know that a few weeks ago my blogging for the second round of the Korea Blog was rewarded with a special trip. The six other bloggers Annabel and Ema, Gisela, Maria, Dorothea, and I met in Seoul for a welcome dinner, and Asif caught up with us in beautiful Jeonju. 

We spent the first day and night of the tour in Jeonju, but just before lunch we set off for Seonyou Island or Seonyou-do, a tiny island set in an archipelago of 65 islets off Korea's west coast. Seonyou Island, alternately spelled 'Sunyou', 'Seonyu', or 'Sunyu,' is known for its tranquility and relaxed island lifestyle. It is a popular destination for cyclists and for those simply looking to "get away from it all." We were excited to get there, but not before a lunch break, of course.

Seafood specialties in Gunsan

We stopped for a seafood lunch in Gunsan's Raw Fish Town, a building housing a series of seafood restaurants and their vendors near the ferry terminal. We took an elevator up to the top floor and were led into a private room. We had drop-down seating on the floor, meaning that our legs could hang below us in a hollow space underneath the table. It is like sitting on a chair, but with no back, and it is very comfortable. 

We had a great view, but most of the time we spent looking at the variety of strange seafood covering the table. The long, low tables were filled with side dishes and various delicacies from the sea, some of which we'd never seen before. We ate thinly sliced raw fish, mussels, clams, crab, and scallops. There were a few other specialties I couldn't identify, but I tasted them all because I wasn't sure I'd ever have the courage to order them on my own again! We even tried some sannakji, or live octopus. The octopus is chopped up and served in sesame oil, its tentacles still wriggling as they slide down your throat and it is certainly one of Korea's more adventurous delicacies. Needless to say, some of the bloggers stuck to soup.

We went straight to the ferry terminal after lunch. The ferry ride was an hour long, and we were followed by a pack of ambitious, snack-seeking seagulls for the majority of the trip. Once we arrived at the island we just had to take a short drive - on the back of a truck!

Loaded onto the the truck bed, tiny chairs and all!

A bumpy, giggle-filled five minutes passed before we arrived at our pension, a series of small single-room houses set atop a hill overlooking a rock beach. We tumbled out, unpacked, and set off again for a tour of the island before dinner. 

Gisela and Yeon relax on our way to Janga Island

Fishermen playing jokgu

We took a winding walk, crossing a bridge to the tiny Janga Island. We stopped to admire the sunset, scenery, and antics of the local fishermen, who were either busy casting reels, playing jokgu, or simply taking a rest on the rocks. We drove back to eat a delicious barbecued dinner, sampling the local treat of small, crunchy seasoned crabs eaten still in their shell. We tossed the whole meal back with some jokes, stories from our home countries, and of course a beer or two. As the sun set, our little island family crawled down to the rocky beach where we took turns shooting off hand-held fireworks and being silly with sparklers. Still the night ended too quickly and soon we tottered off to bed.

Resting on the rocks

The next morning was a blur, as we rushed out to the waiting golf-style cart that was to show us around the island, while a few of the braver bloggers took bicycles instead (not me, in case you were wondering!). The pension owner was an able tour guide, navigating the bumpy and narrow roads with ease. We passed couples strolling along Seonyou-do's aptly-named "16-Kilometre Beach" and stopped for some photos with mural art. We drove to the "Praying Lighthouse," a quaint red, hand-shaped building peeking out on the sea, taking our last looks before we headed back to the pension for a Korean-style breakfast of soup, rice, and kimchi. 

I told you I was an angel! This mural art was made for me ^^

We then bid the pension-owners farewell and took one last bumpy truck-bed ride back to the ferry terminal.Just two hours later we arrived in Gunsan, ready for next adventure, but still not quite ready to tell the peace and quiet of Seonyou-do goodbye. 

So long, Seonyou-do!

WKB Tour 2012 - Historic Jeonju, Days 1 & 2

Front to back, left to right: Me, Dorothea, Annabel, Ema;
Maria, Gisela and Yeon enjoy dinner in Jeonju

In January I was selected to contribute to the second round of the Korea Blog, and in September my blog was chosen for a special reward trip! I joined six other Korea enthusiasts known as the WKBs or "Worldwide Korea Bloggers" on a wonderful trip through Seoul, Jeonju, Seonyoudo, and Gunsan. Today, I'd like to tell you about our trip through the historic Jeonju city in North Jeolla province.

After our welcoming dinner in Seoul on Thursday evening, our WKB Team assembled on Friday morning at the Nambu Bus Terminal. Along with our Korean tour guide Grace, Annabel and Ema, Gisela, Maria, Dorothea and I quickly our photographer Han and two-man camera before boarding our bus to Jeonju.

We arrived in Jeonju just in time to lunch on the region's famous bibimbap, or mixed vegetables with rice. We were joined there by a local bibimbap expert - the art of Korean food is serious stuff! He told us that Jeonju is famous for its traditional foods due to their perfect blend of colours, taste, aroma, and texture. Of course after he told us that, we couldn't wait to start eating. We happily sampled the hanjeongsik, a spread of up to 30 side dishes that cover the table!

Eating until we could eat no more, we pried ourselves from the chairs to waddle off for a guided tour of Jeonju's famous hanok village. Our guide explained that a hanok is a Korean traditional home, known for its beautiful sloping tiled roof and airy architecture. The Jeonju hanok village is comprised of over 700 hanok homes that sit on picturesque cobblestone streets.

Overlooking Jeonju's hanok village, made up of of over 700 traditional-style homes

Our guide led us to National Jeonju Museum and palace and the elegant Jeondong Cathedral.  We also snacked on some patbingsu or red-bean shaved ice from a trendy local spot before saying goodbye to our guide. 

Jeondong Cathedral, one only three cathedrals in Korea

Enjoying your patbingsu, ladies?  :)

We then had the chance to try some experience programs. We hand-dyed some handkerchiefs and then we learned about the traditional tea-pouring ceremony, one of my personal highlights from the trip. 

We hand-dyed handkerchiefs in the traditional way, using natural materials 

All that creativity worked up an appetite, so we enjoyed a bimibap and galbi dinner, and we toasted to our health with makkeolli or rice wine, and moju, a local drink known for its smooth, sweet taste. 




We finished off our day by watching some pansori. Pansori is an evocative musical performance that has been named both a Korean National Treasure and a UNESCO World Heritage art. We listened as the pansori singer lilted, bellowed, and whispered her way through a melodic story to the beat of a single drum. After that, Asif finally arrived and our group was complete. A few of us went for a Jeonju-style nightcap, enjoying more makkeolli and yet another round of hanjeongsik. How do Koreans stay so thin with all this delicious food around??? 

The pansori singer uses her emotions to tell a story

Bellies full again, we walked to our accommodation. We spent the night in our very own hanok home, Hakindang. We slept on the cozy heated ondol floor, surrounded by darkness and silence in the center of the city. In the morning, Hakindang's owners gave us a tour and showed us into their own home,  which was built with the same wood and by the same designers who built Gyeongbukgung in Seoul! The wood came from Baekdusan, the most famous mountain on the Korean peninsula. Their home was a treasure trove and their attic neatly filled with various curiosities and Koreana. The antiquities were a delight to behold before bidding our hosts farewell.

Our homestay, Hakindang

Our home-stay offered serenity in the city

We set off next for the Jeonju Film Studio. Led by the studio manager, we learned how movie sets are built and how special scenes such as raining scenes are shot. We got to see sets being built and even play with some of the props and costumes from famous Korean movies! We posed with catapults, thumbed through original scripts, and tried on some costume pieces. 

Out and about at the Jeonju Film Studio complex

Dorothea tries on some costume pieces

We stopped for one last coffee break before continuing on to our next destination, Gunsan city and Seonyou Island. As we left Jeonju, I quietly began plotting my return. I know now that this beautiful city has so much more for me to explore, and that one weekend simply wasn't enough.

WKB Tour 2012, from Seoul to Gunsan

WKB Tour 2012 (L to R): Asif, Dorothea, Gisela, Ema, Annabel, and Maria,
and our guide Grace and me in the front

Last January I was selected to contribute to the second round of the Korea Blog. After nine months promoting Korean culture and tourism through my blog, I was chosen for a special reward trip! I joined six other Korea enthusiasts on a wonderful tour through Seoul, Jeonju, Seonyoudo, and Gunsan.

WKB Tour 2012!

WKB Tour 2012 (L to R): Asif, Dorothea, Gisela, Ema, Anabel, and Maria,
and our guide Grace and me in the front

Last January I was selected as one of fifty worldwide bloggers to contribute to the second round of the Korea Blog. After nine months promoting Korean culture and tourism through my blog, I was chosen for a special reward trip! I joined six other Korea enthusiasts on a wonderful trip through Seoul, Jeonju, Seonyoudo, and Gunsan.

Gochang's Bokbunja Festival is Berry Nice!

On June 22, Korea's only Bokbunja Festival or Black Raspberry Festival kicks off in Gochang County, North Jeolla province. An annual event that sees some 100,000 visitors, the festival is a culinary and sensory delight with many activities to entertain and impress.

Patbingsu, a Summer Treat for Me and You!

Summer is coming, and so is that hot, hot heat. Sweeten the transition with this tasty summer treat.

Well, it's getting a bit warm here on the Korean peninsula. Spring's heating up and soon it'll be summer - hot, humid, and oh-so-sticky Korean summer. Soon you'll be spending days dreaming of lounging on the beach and of central air-conditioning, but what about all those  land-locked, city-dwellers without central air? What are they to do? As the weather warms up why not cool down the Korean way with some tasty patbingsu?