taiwanese chicken pattie

my life is now complete. i have held in my hands a crispy, deep fried chicken pattie (imagine chicken fried steak) the size of my FACE. and let me remind you, i'm korean so the face is pretty large.

i can't believe i'm finally on my last leg of the trip. taiwan has been a whirlwind of two days. from bangkok we almost couldn't fly out due to the biggest typhoon taiwan has seen this year. after many hours of sitting idle at the airport, we finally land in deserted city streets, just to head off for an all night clubbing and ktv...

i've always loved taiwanese foods, so i'm sad we have to leave tomorrow. but not before i head back to the night market and eat another chicken pattie... and maybe bring one on my flight tomorrow?

a much needed summary of the past 10 days

it's a lot harder to blog on the road than i originally imagined. i do have a netbook, but i can't carry it around with me all day (just carrying around my daily essentials (sunblock, cleaning wipes, sanitizers, tp, eyedrops, a hat, a fan, moleskin, water, umbrella, wallet, camera, chapstick) is heavy enough in this scorching heat. most of the time when i'm out on a tour or trekking around town, i leave my netbook locked up with my luggage. and most of the fine hostels i'm shelling out $7-15 a night to sleep in, don't have the greatest (if at all) wi-fi connection...

currently, i'm waiting for a cab in our latest hotel lobby in hanoi- probably the cleanest/nicest place we've stayed for $15/night. and they just fixed the wi-fi today so i've gotta make this quick, before it's back to cyberspace black hole again.

in chronological order since my last entry:

1) singapore: as most of ya'll probably saw the food pr0n on fb, i'll keep it short. we hung out with a family, which was nice. staying in a home, as opposed to a hotel, felt really comforting. food was unbelievable. i am coming back to eat the rest of singaporean cuisine, since 3 days clearly wasn't enough time.



2) flew into ho chi minh city. veronica, a friend from houston, had met some local vietnamese girls on her last trip. so we hung out with them. they were so sweet and seemed eager to hang out and practice their english with us. riding on the back of their motorbike was a trippy experience, i was almost hyperventilating. i also took jo to visit the lunch lady again. it was so good that we went two days in a row. for 13,000 dong (80cents) a bowl, it is by far the best meal i've had in vietnam, hands down.

locals who were baffled when i wanted to eat 2 dinners.


lunch lady!!! so cute

3) took a bus to siem reap, cambodia. the bus ride was long and painful. we left at 6am and arrived at 6pm, exhausted. woke up at 4:30am two days in a row to watch the beautiful sunset over angkor wat and other great cambodia temples. it's incredible how people built such magnificent monuments using nothing else but manpower over a thousand years ago. the grandness of angkor wat silences you the minute you see its majestic silhouette. randomly found our diving class buddies on the steps of angkor wat and hung out. even though we're pretty much just strangers, it was still nice to see a familiar face in another country. at that moment, i realized how much i missed everyone back home.

fobby hat is back in action


look at the tree roots!!!! it was tearing down the temples. madness.

ridiculous, right?

4) made a dash to the airport and luckily found a plane that was leaving for hanoi. paid for the ticket on the spot at the airport (my first time!) and felt instantly spontaneous. after arriving in hanoi, immediately booked a trip to ha long bay. it was still just as beautiful the second time around.

ha long bay

5) this brings me back to now. flying to laos today. we're going trekking and biking in the jungle in luang prabang, which is supposed to be another jewel. i think we're gonna skip sleeping in the "primitive" native hmong houses, though. people in asia advertise their crummy hostels as top rated, so imagine how prehistoric the accommodations in the native villages would be...


i've been on the road for exactly 4 weeks today. overall, it's been an amazing trip. in a way, i actually can't wait to go home (i think the whole trip peaked at angkor wat, so after the climax i feel it's just all downhill from here), but i know a part of me will regret the decision to head back home early.

i'm shortening my trip and skipping china (mainland) entirely. as much as i enjoy being on the road, i actually kind of miss using my brain and working... I KNOW I KNOW it's ludacris. but trust me. having to worry about your finances and the economy and the state of job market on the road isn't exactly the most comforting travel situation. uncle sam's been gracious enough, but i don't want to ring in the new year unemployed. so on that note, if ya'll know any good job leads, send it my way por favor!

i'm on a boat

and i so wish i could get OFF the boat. forreals.

i think i spent a total of 6hrs on a boat yesterday. and i'm not talkin' nice, stable cruiseships. the boats we were on completely rocked sideways, which gave me motion sickness that lasted over a whole day. when i got in the shower, i was literally swaying side to side while shampooing my hair, just so i didn't have to resist the residual motion sickness.

it was a great day yesterday, though. we are nearing our stay in thailand (thank god). at first, we didn't expect to be in one country for this long- today marks our 16th day here. we just sort of started island hopping, going from one place to another, following dive sites and in search for The Perfect Beach. honestly, most of the beaches in thailand are pretty nice, but it's not all i've imagined it to be.

so imagine our excitement when we finally trekked (and boy, did we trek, i'll get to that in a min) to find The Beach (as leo did in the movie, The Beach) that met and exceeded our expectations...

we were getting our advanced diving certification in koh phi phi (pee pee, not fee fee) island. after going through multiple brochures, we decided on booking a sunset cruise tour around the island, which included a stop at the famed maya bay (The Beach location). our new friends kim and ali have told us something about jumping off a boat to walk over to the beach, since boats weren't allowed there. but i dismissed their story to the fact they were taking a small longtail boat, which is cheaper/crummier. i thought, we're paying a lot more to go on a real double decker boat. it must be different for us.

well, it wasn't. it was exactly that they told us. we had to jump off our boat to swim to the shore. then we had to climb up this ladder, then climb back down on the other side of the mountain wall. after a short trail in the jungle (with SANDSTORMS in our faces- it had been quite stormy both on land and at sea that day), we finally reached maya bay. talk about having to work for your prize!

and the prize, it really was breathtakingly gorgeous. i can see why hundreds of people swim against violent current and go through bootcamp-like trails to get to this bay. i only wish the weather would have been nicer :(

i'm in phuket right now, waiting for our flight to singapore tomorrow. as much as i've thoroughly enjoyed our time in thailand, i'm so ready to peace out.

i should also admit my ultra-antsiness is partially related to the fact i need to go watch harry potter the moment i land in singapore. and finally eating some REAL FOOD to blog about.

laa korn ( ลาก่อน ), thailand!

i drove on the left side of the road

and this time, it was on purpose!

in order to explore the island a bit more, we rented a scooter to get us around the island. none of ya'll need to hear again that i'm not the best driver, and last time we rented scooters in seattle i ran into a van at the stoplight. however, somehow i ended up being the driver with jo sitting behind me (talk about pressure!).

i must say, i was quite successful on all those curvy, unpaved roads. maybe if i drove on the left side of the road all the time, i'd be a better driver??

so happy to be scootering

we tried to check out a waterfall nearby, which had dried up completely due to lack of rain this year =/ so instead, we just hiked up to a viewing point to enjoy the view- in our crocs!! we were completely drenched in sweat by the time we made our way to top, but the stunning view was totally worth it. we could see all the way to koh samui!

starting off our hike

dried up waterfall :(

much of thailand reminds me of LOST islands

this may be off topic but i have to say, i LURVE my crocs. say what you may, but my crocs (it's the sandal kind, so it's way cuter than the regular version) completely kick ass. they're super comfy, they have much more grip than reefs or rainbows, and they're totally hygienic! two enthusiastic thumbs up from the world travelers :)

full moon

koh phagnan island

after finishing up our diving course, we got on yet another boat and made our way down to koh phangan. It's a much larger island than koh tao, and we're booked at a “resort” that has a tv, a mini fridge, flushable toilets, soap, and... drum roll please... AIR CONDITIONING! Hallelujah!!!

I don't want to sound like a total princess, but staying in the tropics with nothing but a dingy fan was pretty miserable. It didn't help that we'd be all dirty and sweaty from our lessons. I think the only time I stayed clean and sweat-free were about ten minutes after my cold, cold shower, which I wanted to stay in forever just to escape the mugginess of our room.

sunset over haad yao bay, koh phagnan

We're in koh phagnan to check out more beaches, relax and rest a little, and attend the full moon party. It's supposed to be pretty nuts, since january and july have the fullest moons, which equals biggest parties. There's been a lot of forewarning about the parties- i.e. don't take any valuables, don't get mugged, don't get drugged- so obviously even before we headed out, I was a bit apprehensive on if we would even enjoy the night.

The full moon party was completely out of control. It's hard for me to describe the scene.. imagine miles of soft, sandy beach, filled with thousands of backpackers, completely trashed... it actually scared me a little to see how wasted some people can get. Some people came on this island purely for this party, so I guess it only makes sense to go all out. And had I been ten years younger, I'm sure I would have been equally wasted? I drank one beer at a bar, and watched people consume buckets of cheap liquor, dance on stage, sleep on the sand, pee in the ocean, jump rope through fire, draw figure 8's with glowsticks... the whole works. It was definitely something we wanted to see for ourselves, but I'm pretty sure I wouldn't ever come back. It was a bit too much debauchery for me. Seeing thousands of wasted people packed in one place totally turned me off- do I look that horrific when I'm drunk?! :(

We also spotted numerous ladyboys working the drunk euro crowd- many of them ended up making out... now THAT's scary!

people were waiting to jump over the fire rope!!! needless to say, so many people got burnt and had to get treated at one of many clinics on site.

more than 10 of these huge dance areas blared techno, top40, trance...

Fortunately, we still made most of it as we've done so far on our trip with our new friends, watching the moon glisten the ocean... I never knew moon could shine so brightly.

koh tao

haad mae bay, koh tao

after a looooong overnight bus and boat ride, we arrive in koh tao. it's a small island off eastern coast of thailand, famous for diving and snorkeling.

first off, we were trying to be financially responsible- thus we opted to stay in a room that only had a fan. we thought, how bad could it be? it's a beach. beaches are breezy. it can't be that bad. right?

WRONG. so completely wrong.

this is the worst single room i have ever stayed in, even my dinky hostel room in paris back when i was a po' college student was nicer than this. we have to physically pour water to flush the toilet, the fan is dirty, room itself is pretty gross. but whaddaya gonna do, right? i'm just looking forward to our next island, where we're booked at a much nicer RESORT.

we arrived 7am and our first day was spent in a classroom. we have a textbook and everything! we watched videos and took quizzes- which reminded me that it's been so long since i've "studied" anything... hence my brain was working a bit too slow. i need to go back to my room and study for our final exam tomorrow. obviously, i'm slackin' and bloggin' =)

today we actually put on our scuba gear and practiced in the swimming pool. pretty cool stuff. breathing underwater is a strange feeling... and being weightless is a good thing!

tomorrow, we get on a boat and go on our first real open water dive. not sure if i'll be able to take my camera since it's only waterproof upto 10 meters, but if i can, i'll try to snap lots of fish pics :)

i also forgot to put on sunblock on my arms (sorry cindy!) and have THE WORST farmer's tan. here's a pic to prove it:



wish us luck on our dive tomorrow.. maybe when no one is looking, i'll cut open a sea urchin and eat it underwater!

breathing underwater

koh tao sunset :) KILLERRR.

on a totally unrelated note- clara is ENGAGED!!!! freakin A. but in a good way. so happy for you and ahah. <3<3>

so it finally begins!

t-3hrs till i leave for the airport.

of course i'm not packed yet. but at least i have all my things laid out, all over the house. i just need to somehow gather them, roll them up, and put it inside the suitcase. now is probably a good time, but it's been really hot and humid so i'm just chillin in front of the a/c.

when i first decided to spend 40days in se asia, i KNEW that it was gonna be hot. but i don't think i actually knew HOW HOT. living in seattle for the past 3.5yrs, i've forgotten what humidity felt like. isn't that strange? i grew up in houston, for goodness sakes. houston is like the capital of humidity in all of america, yet i completely forgot how miserable heat + humidity - lack of air-conditioned car everywhere makes one feel :(

anyways. i'm gonna try and find refuge at lots of coffee shops with a/c and free wireless internet. thank you in advance, starbucks!

ok time to really get going. message me your addresses and i'll send you a postcard :) toodles!

and then she said "neh".......

the days before and after YH/JH's wedding were perfectly clear, crisp, hot summer seoul days. on the actual day of their wedding? HI, IT'S MONSOON TIME. it poured, poured some more, then started drizzling to toy with everyone's wishes, only to pour down harder.

the kicker? the church they got married in rested atop a curvy hill, about half a mile further than any cars could get to.

the result? lots of drenched guests, plus many stolen umbrellas, including mine.

fortunately for the newlyweds, there's always been a saying in korea that if it rains or snows on your wedding day, you will live a long and prosperous life together. many congrats to both- see you in houston this fall!

i'm not sure why korean weddings require you to wear gloves, btw. perhaps you can notice the quintessential fobby "V" pose better in pictures??

seoul foods: part 3

does anyone else around here eat raw spam?

i'm talkin' scooped straight out of the can with a spoon. i used to eat that when i was a kid, with a bowl of rice and a fried egg (sunny side up, of course). i'm totally craving that right now, as i write this entry about "gross" animal parts i've been eating lately...

talk about hardcore carnivorism, xxx style!

do-gah-nee-tahng. sullungtahng soup broth minus regular brisket. this costs three times more than regular bowl of sullungtahng, but it's SO worth it! the broth here was killer also... made gameeok in nyc taste like instant ramen.

gelatinous stuff from cow's knees (melt-in-your-mouth soft) and other tendons (so chewy, so savory)

soondae. pig's blood sausages with steamed pig liver. one of my favorite street foods. i think i've eaten this like six times in the past month.

yang-git-muh-ri gui. grilled lamb intestines (the white, scallop looking meat) and lamb liver. the flavor is very mild, not gamey at all. there's almost a sweetness to it.

gohp-chahng. the word gohp-chahng basically means small intestines. a lot of korean restaurants in the states serve this in spicy hotpot, but this was my first time eating it grilled. i was too busy stuffing my face after my first bite to take a close-up picture of gohp, which is the soft, puree like spread that lines the wall of the instestines. OHMYGAWD. why have i not eaten this before?! i want to spread this gohp thing on everything i eat.

i can just imagine it in my head right now- raw spam, fried eggs, and a small bowl of gohp. I DIE.

seoul foods: part 2

my parents came to korea for 8 hectic days, which explains my absence from the net. it's been three years since my parents and i were in korea together, so we took advantage of their short trip here and attacked what we do best- EAT!! :)

it's like a little tradition we have, me and my mom, to go eat 갈치조림 (braised spicy silverfish) at the namdaemoon market. this year was no exception.

tiny alleyway, always jam packed with the lunch crowd

mom and grandma waiting in line

the restaurant is so small, there's no kitchen inside. there's only two menu items and both gets cooked outside in the alleyway!

i realize this may not look appetizing... but you gotta trust me, the taste is unbelievable. on the bottom they put radish which gets braised soft like tofu, then on top is layers of silverfish, moist and buttery. and the spicy sauce... i take scoops of the sauce and mix it in my rice. total yumfest!

since the fish is extra spicy, a bubbling pot of steamed eggs and veggies balances out the flavor and the heat. this is also what i was eating almost every day (minus the veggies) when i got my wisdom teeth pulled.

the guy is cooking on the street... with more lunch crowd waiting for their seat as we walk out in 20 minutes flat. basically they have everything cooking already, so you just tell them how many portions, and it comes out in minutes. talk about a literal eat and run!

when i have a daughter, i'm gonna make sure to bring her here as well. she better not become a vegetarian...

we're not groupies, we're band aids

due to my previous job at the slave factory, i've met my share of celebrities. it's fascinating to meet singers or actors who you've been listening to or watching. call it curiosity, inkling, straight up obsession (oh george, where art thou) but majority of the time when i meet the so-called celebs, i'm always reminded that we're just all the same human beings, trying to live it through another day.

yoonie is getting married tomorrow in seoul, so this past wednesday the girls got together for a little bachelorette party that turned interesting, so to say.

our friend susie has a cousin, who surfs with the drummer from a popular korean rock band. 4 degrees of separation right there, minus marky mark... anyway, we ended up going to their studio space to hang out, listen to them practice for a korean tv show, then ended up going out to drink with the band. i've only heard of a couple of their songs, but they sounded amazing.

it ended up being a pretty fun night, going to dimly lit, small restaurants and bars you'd expect hipsters and music insiders to be regulars. i especially loved when a music show host/actress sang at a tiny jazz lounge. a total whiskey on the rocks and slow drags of cigs type of night.

seattlites and other west coasters, if you get a chance, check out vans warped tour, esp YB (aka yoon do hyun band) - and tell them seo sent you :)

band practice

that wall of flyers is made up of sxsw stuff! :)

DH's killer solo

sunny mars, a tiny underground jazz bar in hongdae

music connects people of all languages

DH singing radiohead

hello, kitty!

let me preface this post by apologizing for the lack of updates. ken specifically said that it was to be understood that i update this daily... blame it on the janky (& stolen) wifi connection, please. i promise to backlog soon!

so i finally did something fobby/touristy, besides taking pics of all my meals (i know, i know, flickr needs a massive upload too). jo and i went to check out the hello kitty art festival! yes, i paid $10 to see a sanrio character exhibit. and it was worth every dollar!

contrary to the picture above, the average age for the festival goer was at least 20yo.

seo, kitty & jo

a little history about our beloved kitty. she was born in 1974, which makes her 34yrs old (36 in korean age! HAH). she has a twin sister name mimmy. she enjoys playing the piano and painting. friendship is most important to her. she doesn't have a mouth, so that she can express her feelings through her body language. this next fact, i never knew- kitty has a freakin boyfriend! his name is daniel and he lives next door.

"dancing is so much better- when your hearts beat to the same tune" HAHA!!

we were both surprised at how adult the exhibit was. some of the art displayed was clearly meant for those who graduated from the sandbox decades ago. the art hall displayed interactive exhibits, themed rooms, sculptures, paintings, and other cleverly designed hk items. i especially loved the remake of classic paintings that featured hk, shown below:

van gough

monet

hwa-to pieces (korean card came 'go stop')

ridiculously clever and funny! how would any 6 year old understand this?

i was also very very tempted to take home one of these kitty boxes. i don't know what i would have done with it, but just look at it! so adorable. this kitty box > doggy bag any day.


all in all, a pretty fun afternoon at the museum. the only disappointing part was the sad little giftshop at the exit. after looking at hello kitty art for hours, i'm sure everyone was in the mood to buy anything and everything hello kitty (or is that just me?)... but the makeshift giftshop barely sold anything worth purchasing. maybe it's the evil corporate marketer in me, but if i was sanrio, i would have brought every merch to sell, not only hello kitty but the whole sanrio gang! oh well.

they did, however, have a hello kitty doll that was definitely asian. it was YELLOW. racist much???