Seoul part 2: Soju is cheap, soju-rink on!

I took that picture because it was like 9:23 am. Yep, no doubt, that's Korean bbq time. The only thing they were missing was the Chamisul Fresh, what's up with that?!

sikhye like a polaroid picture!

We, however, opted for juk - Korean porridge. I don't remember which one Jeff got, but I got the pumpkin flavor. Then we got a cup of the delicious rice dessert that I hadn't had in a long while. SIKHYE! 

When you drink beer, you wear excessively long neckties

Korea is not afraid of putting funny images on their businesses, like Taiwan!  Then we met up with D&G and what do you think we did? Let me give you a clue. Starts with an "f" and rhymes with "ood." We went to get some budae jjigae, which made me think of my good friend, Dennis, who although isn't Korean, is a huge proponent of the stew originally used to feed military soldiers. 

Gettin' jigae with it 

And then it was the street eats. Very very cool because the street eats here are completely different than the street eats you'll find in Taiwan, and I'm all about trying new things. We walked around Myeongdong for a bit to explore the area. One of the important words we learned in Korea is "mashita!" Yummy. Tasty. Delectable.

Egg on top of a buttery, custardy bread-like vessel. Mashita!

Left: Forgot what they were, tempura perhaps?; Right: blood shnausages. Mashita!

French fry embedded corn dog?! Mashita!

 Let's follow Grace following this giant cat to the cat cafe!

NOPE! WE DOG PEOPLE, YA HEARD?!?! #DOGCAFE>CATCAFE

But let's be real. #beercafe>dogcafe.

Walking around Myeongdong, Jeff happened upon one of the things I wanted to try the most in Korea: LIVE OCTOPUS. I think at that point I'd forgotten that I was so eager in trying it so when he got my attention, he REALLY got my attention. SURPRISE! And it... was... 

AWESOME!! You can feel the suctions inside your mouth as it, as Jason Derulo says, "wiggle wiggle wiggle"s around. The texture is chewy, very QQ as Taiwanese would describe, and it's eaten with sesame seeds/oil. I would definitely run it back if the opportunity arises. Or maybe I should upgrade to fermented skate...?!

Here's a longer, more detailed - but not necessarily more entertaining - video chronicling our octopus experience.

In the afternoon Daniel had already left to meet up with family so this was all Grace gracing us with her company and took us around. She took us for a riverwalk in Cheonggyecheon, a stroll in Seoul.

Kool and the Gang 

Hustle bustle weeknights

This wonderful man made hotteok, a Korean pancake that has a syrupy filling. Maybe you think he's cheating with the cast iron hotteok maker, but maybe you are dumb. His hotteok was sweet but not overwhelmingly so, not heavy and rich, hot on a cool night warming the soul, and now my mouth is watering thinking about it. On another night, we attempted to recreate our amazing hotteok experience with a vendor who used a flat grill, but it just wasn't the same - too thick, too oily, too not-like-the-first-one-that-we-had. Oh well.

Blurry because I was too excited to eat this bad boy. MAAASHHHIIITTTAAA!!!!! ^^

Beyonce ain't got nothin' on Grace! #lusciouslocks

Teeth.

Seoul part 1: I miss KTown, so I went to KLand

Before I left LA, I would get asked "why are you going to Taiwan?" Here, people ask "why did you come?" I always tell them I wanted to switch it up, change the scenery, experience a different culture, see how other people live. These factors, I am convinced, can help me grow, appreciate, be more in tune with the human condition, and become a better person in the long run.

On top of that, I wanted to travel to other, various proximal Asian countries. And on top of that list was Korea. Incidentally, to our advantage, Daniel and Grace were already planning on going to celebrate his birthday there! I heart Korean food and there was a resurgence of KPop in my life; it had been awhile since the days of S.E.S., 1TYM, Finkl, H.O.T. My reconciliation with KPop can be attributed to the Wonder Girls, 2NE1, Taeyang, Kara, 4Minute, Sistar, Hyuna, etc. With the combo of food, Kpop, Kdramas, and my own physical features that make me appear Korean, grew in me a desire to travel there. Bless you, D&G, for the invite because you allowed me to scratch this one off the list right off the bat. We saw our chance to visit Korea with Koreans. So we did.

Lezzgo!!!

Shoutout to the Skyscanner app, which really helps in finding the cheapest flights. This flight was quite economical; so cheap that Jeff and I thought it wasn't a real plane. 'Cause for serious, what airline has a 'postrophe in it?! 

t'way is the only way

But it's all good, we made it!

Thank you :)

                                       

With a D&G suggestion, we AirBnB'd the same building they were staying at! It was even cooler because we were next door neighbors!! It felt soothing to hear Daniel knock on the wall every so often, putting my heart at ease. Everyday we were welcomed into Gangnam Wonderland with wall art. 

After a couple days, the Yamasakis joined us, forming TEAM OHBOYKOREAISGOINGTOBEFUN!

Top: sign at the Metro station; Bottom: area around the corner from where we stayed; tons of food!

Oppa Gangnam style! 10Q so much Grace and Daniel for showing us around, cahmsamnida! We didn't need to worry about spots to go to or the language barrier! Such a better and more time-efficient experience than what it would've been without y'all (which we did have a day and a half of - post to follow). Anyway, we get in the first day, and this happened.

I gotsta get my squid fix, so I started off strong, getting it street food style with Korean marinade, which I assumed was some kind of gochujang base. D&G then took us to a pork belly joint that reminded us of Palsaik/Eight back in LA. Well, of course, that's not enough so we marched on. The next stop was really cool - people writing on notes leaving their marks, taking off shoes, homey indoor decor, reminiscent of Nodaji in Rowland Heights! I'm usually not a fan of makgeolli, but it tastes differently in Korea, I actually didn't think it tasted like feet! Pair that with some seafood pajeon, a Korean-style pancake, and it's bound to be a satisfying meal slash after dinner snack. Even moreso because of the company you're with! LA --> Korea. I may have started to tap out early, whoops. Oh well, we haven't even started to scratch the surface yet.

Ethanolics: if it doesn't get you buZed, don't drink it.

Beveraging, aside from a liter of tea everyday, has consisted mostly of beer and whiskey (wine is pricy here). So why ethanolics? Because "alcoholics" has a negative connotation. Some time ago last week we counted how many drinking spots we've been to in the 2 months and we counted about 35+. Any time we talk to anyone about drinking, they make us feel like we may be heavy-handed on the imbibing. One night, we decided to get one beer at a place called Chicken & Beer [EDIT: it's actually called TKK the BAR: Chicken and Beer], which is located in an alley behind the world-renowned club (the world of AmericanBornChinese kids), Luxy.

Not all Asians can take pictures. Why would you cut off the head?!

One beer tower, that is. When the waitress brought it over she looked at me, looked at Jeff, looked around our table, looked at nearby customers, back to me, and said, "Just you two?" Uh, durr. Meanwhile, the adjacent tables would have 6+ people sharing a tower. Whatever. I feel like Jeff and I just get happy with dranks and also...

Even though the drinking age is 18, it's not a drinking culture. Most bars that we've been to don't open until 5 pm (what's wrong with daydrinking?!). Moreover, a lot of those bars/pubs we're finding are very Western. It also seems like when Taiwanese people go hard, they don't know when to quit. I hear many a story where a dude/dudette is KTFO and his/her friends have to carry his/her limp body. For example:

p.s. this 24 hour dim sum was the worst dim sum I've had in my life. AND the priciest. Sometimes you lose sum, you dim sum. But not here. Here, you lose some and you lose some more.

As predicted, we've been drinking lighter beers like hefes, whites, and those similar flavors since they are most common. 

Taiwan Beer reigns as cheapest and most prevalent, we'll roll with it

These were taken at the 346 Taiwan Brewery on Jianguo. They have a cozy little beer garden right in front that we'll have to check out again sometime.

European beers flow through a lot of taps also; Carlsberg, Erdinger, Kronenberg 1664, Guinness. Sometimes cheap, sometimes not. Stouts/porters/IPAs are harder to come by, but are available. Beer & Cheese Social House (No. 169, Section 2, Jianguo South Road, Daan District, Taipei City, 106) provides a pretty good selection of beers, including a local IPA! This is one of those spots you'll find mostly Westerners; maybe 5 Asians at any given point. Jeff+Me+Asian employees=5. In terms of prices, it's comparable to LA. Craft beers run about $6+. 

台is pronounced tai(2nd tone). Clever them!

The owners are geniuses. Genii? They have a food menu that's all grilled cheese sandwiches (save a few other bar snacks) that they make with a panini-press-like appliance. Without a full kitchen, they've cut down on major maintenance/overhead costs whilst having the ability to serve food.

If you go to the Observation Deck at Taipei 101, you'll have a cool spot to drink a beer!

Beer with a view

But it's not always about the beer. We did this one time.

AQ Cava: Zhongxiao East Road, Section 4, Lane 223, 2nd Floor, Taipei City

They look disgusting right? They taste worse. Thankfully, we had a special guest as a third person to help us finish that monstrosity. #royfactor

One thing I'm not used to seeing is how many pubs have darts available for play. Route 66, the gastropub pictured below, is one of them. 

Gastropub, shmastropub, we just thirsty.

Address: Zhongxiao East Road Lane 216 Alley 27 No. 11, Daan District, Taipei City

Usually at the end of the night, Jeff enjoys strolling leisurely in a snake-like pattern (intentional, no doubt) a good half mile behind me.

If you're out there and need someone to have a drink with, keep us in mind, we're probably on our fourth. 乾杯!

China part 2: Shanghai

Continuing back to that post from ages ago.............. from Beijing we took a flight to Shanghai. The last time I was in Shanghai we attended the 2010 World Expo. I thought the Expo itself was pretty neat; each country has its own specially designed pavilion showcasing its food, culture, style, and/or randomness.

For example, the Spain pavilion had a giant animatronic baby.

Don't remember which country this was, but yeah, some of the pavilions looked dope.

....some not so much. My cousin will still show the love, however.

Colors + Lights = Walking around the Expo at night is purdy.

If you ever get the chance to check out a World Expo I'd recommend it. But here's the catch. It might be a wee bit crowded. Some pavilions had 3+ hour waits in line and some needed a reservation ticket to then wait in the actual line. It's like a newly opened Krispy Kreme or Din Tai Fung. People gettin' cray cray up in that biz. That coupled with it being in China that year... oh boy. From what I remember, there are people cutting in line, no personal space, a lot of skin-to-skin contact I did not sign up for, a lot of smoking, spitting, and cramming subways. If you stood waiting in line at a stop, you might not get on if you didn't power your way through. Or, if you stood at the front, you might just get shoved in without trying. And Shanghai is considered a step above the rest of the country. It's simply a culture clash. Manners and behaviors they/we conflict upon. Definitely different in Taiwan (and US, obvees). In Taiwan, riders wait patiently at the Metro stops for people to actually exit the train first before stepping in. And they honor the idea of a queue.

Anyway, so there's that part of China/Shanghai that I remember, but I do also remember it being a city with plenty to see. Plus, if there's a chance to travel somewhere, I'm doing it.

So, hello again, Shanghai! 我回來了!

 I did check out new areas this trip like 田子坊. It's a touristy chunk of area that is littered with Western bars/restaurants, souvenir shops - about 40% of them Chinesey scarf shops, and foreigners.

 Got dat squid doe.

It was aiiiiites, definitely doesn't compare to the giant grilled whole squid you can get in Taiwan :)

At this neat boutique store, you write a postcard/letter to someone and the store posts it on their walls. The interior had a lot of character, but they didn't allow picture-taking. This was outside. Where they also didn't allow picture-taking.

Up and down the alleys you can find Instagrammable photos

My buddy then took me to a Hong Kong-style restaurant called 翠華. The chef is from Hong Kong and this restaurant has a few branches open in various cities.

The milk tea was creamy, not too sweet, and best of all, came in its own ice bath. Perhaps bars should entertain that idea for beers...?! GENIUS?! Yes! Oh, there's Malaysian curry, fishball soup, and fried pork sandwich. 

After eating, we ate more. I mean... gotsta have 上海生煎包 in 上海. They're soup-filled pan fried dumplings with a meat filling (we had the shrimp and beef). Compared to 小籠包 (xiao long bao/XLB), they're larger and have thicker skin; i.e. they can take more criticism. Womp womp. Side note: I'll eat meat when I'm vacationing because I feel like it's part of experiencing another region's culture to eat their foods. And real talk, it was juicylicious.

The original store (now closed) had lines of people for these bad boys. This is in the food court of a mall adjacent to 田子坊。

Here's another dish that was completely new to me: sweet potato glazed in simple syrup that crusts up after a little dip in water. If memory hasn't failed, it's a dish from the 東北 (Dongbei) region of China.

I've always wondered why (in LA, at least) bars don't serve peanuts and pretzels like they used to. I personally think it's good business strategy to dry out a customer with bar snacks and force by sheer thirst to order more beer. Point is, I got nuts. Then, more beer.

For the few days I was there I did a lot of walking, figuring I should get some sort of workout in. Moreover, walking around gave me a general sense of the city, the local shops, the people, random finds. To me, creating footprints is the best way to explore a new area, even if it is an area that means higher risk of injury. Because here, cars > people.

Wilfred here just ate a big bowl of...

Building on the left is the Shanghai Museum containing galleries of calligraphy, seals, paintings, ceramics, and some others. It's worth checkin' out if you're in the area. 'Cause it's free. Cha ching!

Many tall skyscrapers in Shanghai reminded me of how Chicago made me feel so small

Coworker introduced me to this brown-sugar-ume-ish-filling candy, so I had to nab some when it resurfaced in my life. Behind it you'll find Nanjing Road, another touristy destination.

This is a queue for 月餅, moon cake, but it's not like the mid-autumn moon cakes one might initially think. These moon cakes are more similar to the dumplings from above, but with a flaky, pastry dough and meat inside.

Saw a lot of dried meat markets, I guess they good at jerkin' 

Happened upon 台灣 (Taiwan) road so I had to check it out

Turned out to be alleys with a farmer's market vibe that had seafood... 

grains...

...some dude wokin' it out

...a deluxe apartment.

And then I did more walking. Like these folks recreating Abbey Road.

Felt like I should get little soup dumplings in Shanghai. In retrospect, we have Din Tai Fung everywhere in Taiwan.

Sucker for dragonfruit sago

Appreciative of the new friends I made, I was able to enjoy a Shanghainese nightlife. Hopped over to 新天地 (Xintiandi) to check out a club a friend works at and had a dinner night there as well. Walking around at night at the Bund is a comfortable stroll accompanied with spectacular views; a MUST if you are visiting. I feel like I'm pretty good with exploring things out on my own, but nightlife is a little harder for me. Definitely enjoy it more with people, so 10Q! 

Alley in Xintiandi

CA Club. I wish it stood for California. It was Christian Audigier. Yuck.

On the last day I was in Shanghai, I stayed on the other side of the Bund, in Pudong. I had some extra time in the morning, I quite fancy observation decks, so I came to this guy.

The Pearl Tower. Full of tourists, mainly Chinese.

Got a picture of the Bund and the Pearl, whilst being inside the Pearl.

I dug this observation deck 'cause they have a section that is what I like to call float-view! Chicago's is cool, but it's just a little box. This one has a full circle.

Don't know how else to put it, but I felt blessed. Everyone close to me always treats me so well (not really sure why!). I'm always being taken care of, given life experiences most people don't have the opportunity of having. And the whole thing seemed so serendipitous. Originally, I was going to be in Shanghai just one night until my cousin came up with the idea that I should stay in Shanghai until they return, and we'd head back to Taipei together. With an extra 4 days, it was kind of a perfect Shanghai trip trying some foods, seeing some landmarks, walking around, and playing with new friends. I felt emotions I hadn't felt in awhile. I ate meat. I missed my LA friends. I missed Taiwan. I was happy. I was 舒服. I am thankful. I don't know how to repay you, but I hope I can in the future. Again, 3Q friends for making my Shanghai trip spectacular!