Bing bong, could you bring me some napkins please?

One of the greatest inventions, or more like an adaptation of an existing invention is the table doorbell in restaurants. I've only ever seen this in Korea or in some Korean restaurants found overseas. In restaurants that offer this fabulous feature, you will find a doorbell fitted to the side of your table. When you're ready to order or need something, you simply press the doorbell and a waiter or waitress will come immediately to your table. This eliminates the need to track down a waiter or to yell "excuse me" or the Korean equivalent "yogiyo" across the restaurant.

Gotta love the packaging

Tonight I was treated to my partner not only cooking dinner but also picking up a few things for dessert. This included a honeydew melon. Most of my North American and Australian readers will wonder "what's the big deal?" Well, it is a big deal when your melon comes wrapped completely in cellophane, tissue paper and a big pink bow on top. Even the stem was wrapped in green tape (see pic above, no words can possibly do it justice).

I have also experienced takeout being delivered in a gift bag, individually wrapped bananas and brownies boxed in tissue and ribbon. Don't get me started on what jewellery comes in or what they do when you actually ask for something to be gift wrapped!

After reading this post, you may conclude that Korea is a wasteful society with over packaging, however I try to look at it in another way. Koreans are always putting a lot of care into their packaging, as well as making everything special and beautiful. I seem to have a constant struggle between feeling guilty about all the plastic being used and the warm fuzzy feeling I get when an everyday item is wrapped up like a present.

On-Style Channel, self explanatory

Sex & the City

Devil Wears Prada

Originally from Canada, Korea is the second country I've moved to. From past experience I've found a few ways to ensure a smooth transition. Such as familiarising yourself with your new neighbourhood, mastering public transportation and learning a bit of the local lingo (before I hear shouts of protest because I lived in Australia, believe me, there were times when it felt like I had to learn a new language!) More than anything though, making your new pad as homey as possible and surrounding yourself with creature comforts will give you the confidence to face any new challenge or experience.

For me that includes my E.T doll (mentioned in my first post). I've had him since I was 4 and he's travelled to at least 6 countries and is now living in his third. I'm surprised Canada hasn't given him a passport yet. I also tend to pack a few photos, a favourite piece of clothing, my favourite chocolate (just in case) and my entertainment devices (which have evolved since my first move, I think I only had a walkman then, lol). Modern technology has made moving overseas so easy! This time I was able to bring my PSP, laptop, mp3 player, DVDs, etc. Nothing is more comforting than to watch my favourite movie or TV show.

Luckily Korea was prepared for my arrival. When I first discovered On-Style Channel, my heart skipped a beat. It's a girly girls' best friend. Non-stop, in one place you will find programs about fashion, as well as chick flicks and programs that often appeal to women. I first noticed this channel after flicking through and seeing a flash of Carrie Bradshaw. Yup, Sex & the City is showed daily and when they've made it through every season, it begins from the start. Same with Friends and Ghost Whisperer.

Seoul Palaces - amazing architecture, landscaping and best of all....fab interior decorating!

Changdeokgung Palace - one of the main buildings

Changdeokgung Palace

Changdeokgung Palace - interior of one of the buildings

Changdeokgung Palace - Secret Garden

Gyeongbokgung Palace - main entrance

Gyeonbokgung Palace - ceiling

Gyeonbokgung Palace - Gyeonghoeru Pavilion

I've had the opportunity to visit many of the Royal palaces around Seoul. I would have to say that Changdeokgung and Gyeongbokgung were the best. Both palaces are only a block or two away from where I'm living which is handy for visitors and gives me a daily reminder that I'm definitely living in Korea.

Changdeokgung is one of the Five Grand Palaces of Seoul and is located in Jongno-Gu and was built during the Joseon Dynasty. The grounds are massive and have 30 plus buildings located within. It is also home of the famous secret garden, a lush and leafy space featuring a large pond and a beautiful pavilion. When standing in the secret garden, it's hard to believe that you are in the middle of a large and busy city. Due to increasing erosion, Changdeokbung can only be visited by guided tour. English tours are available from Tuesday-Sunday, 11:30am, 1:30pm and 3:30pm. If I remember correctly the entry fee is around 3,000 won (approx $3AUD). Changdeokgung is a 5 minute walk from Anguk Station, exit 3.

Gyeongbokgung is the largest of the Five Grand Palaces. It is more spacious than Changdeokgung and you are able to wander around without a guided tour. Gyeonbokgung was also built by the Joseon Dynasty. Sadly the palace is still undergoing reconstruction due to major destruction by the Japanese government during the 20th century. In my opinion the most impressive building is Gyeonghoeru, a large pavilion situated on a man made island surrounded by a rectangular lake. Gyeongbokgung palace is open every day except Tuesday and has English tours available at 11:00am, 1:30pm and 3:30pm. Entry fee is 3,000 won (approx $3AUD). Gyeongbokgung station is located right outside the palace, there are signs throughout the station pointing you in the right direction.

In line with the traditional style of Korean palaces, Changdeokgung and Gyeongbokgung have many buildings with beautiful architecture, statues and markings of great significance and stunning landscaping. The most eye catching of them all has to be the painting. All royal buildings are painted with brightly coloured, intricate designs. Only buildings of high importance are allowed to be painted with these colours and designs.

If you'd like a uniquely Korean experience, I highly recommend a visit to one of Seoul's impressive palaces.

My first pair of Korean shoes

Today I met up with one of my very good Korean friends. It was a fun filled Korean day with traditional food for lunch and a belated Christmas gift. A fab pair of traditional Korean shoes!!! These shoes are called Hwahye or Flower Shoes and are most often seen in bright colours such as red with intricate embroidery. They are absolutely stunning and were usually worn for special occasions.

On a more modern note. For those of you who have a slightly larger foot size, you may be interested to know that with the upturned toe, traditional Korean shoes will make your feet look tiny!

Underground Shopping Centres - WARNING!

One of the greatest things about Seoul is that every available space seems to be transformed into something. This includes all sorts of great discoveries underground. The majority of subway stations are naturally underground and often have shops available for your browsing pleasure while waiting for a train. One great invention is underground shopping centres. They often stretch across numerous blocks connected by subway stops. There's a massive one in one of my favourite shopping ares, Myeongdong (see picture of entrance above).

Myeongdong underground shopping centre has many interesting stores. It's a great place to buy cheap bags and clothing. But it should also come with a warning! Keep track of where you're going or possibly pack a compass. I'm serious! The other day I decided to cut underground between subway stations to get out of the wet and cold only to discover that I was terribly lost once I resurfaced. I could have sworn I was moving in the right direction but every turn takes you into an identical row of shops and if you don't keep track, you'll end up in a situation similar to mine.

Luckily after a few blocks I rounded a corner and found my bearings, however I was unlucky in the fact that I had overshot my destination by 4-5 blocks and ended up having to walk an extra 10 minutes in the wet and cold which totally negated the attempt to escape the elements by going underground in the first place!

Insadong Tea Shop - a paradise for birds

I thought it was about time to combine my love of food and shopping with some culture. On my first visit to Seoul, my cousin who's been here teaching English for years took me to a great spot in one of the more traditional parts of Seoul....Insadong. Luckily for me Insadong is only a stone's throw away from where I'm living. It's a fabulous network of streets and alleys that are full of interesting little shops, museums and restaurants. This is the place to go for all things Korean and the best place to purchase authentic souvenirs.

In a very ordinary building, I was taken up a flight of stairs which opened into a unique place. I've had trouble finding this place since because there aren't any defining markers. The tea shop is located on the top floor and includes one very large room stuffed full of furniture, knick knacks and live birds. We sat at a table which consisted of glass covering a large stone basin with fish swimming around inside. We were given a menu with hot and cold tea choices which all sounded delicious. I had a mulberry tea served with little rice sweets. It was very delicious. To add to our experience, there were very small birds flying around, swooping around our heads. It was a magic experience and one that shouldn't be missed.

Mr Pizza, Love for Women

One of my favourite places to eat in Seoul is Mr Pizza. Sounds a bit like Pizza Hut but believe me, it has a very different marketing strategy. The sole aim of Mr Pizza is to provide quality food and a comfortable atmosphere for women. You're probably wondering, are men allowed? The answer is yes, however they should probably think twice about going in. Mr Pizza restaurants are usually decorated in very bright, red, pink and white colours with hearts EVERYWHERE! The portions are "small" and "ladylike" and there's a massive salad bar because apparently "women love salad" (I have a feeling that's a nice way of saying, women are always on diets). It has a great atmosphere because the booths are big and comfy, there are groups of women (friends, mothers/daughters, etc) having a great time chatting and laughing and the only looks you're going to get are from other women wondering where you got your shoes or is that a fake Louis Vuitton slung over your shoulder.

Mr Pizza restaurants are everywhere! The food is yummy, reasonably priced and a great place to go for lunch. You can even order takeaway and instead of a greasy pizza box, you're pizza is delivered with a red bow wrapped around it.

What naturally goes with a pedicure? A manicure of course!

I realize this may seem a bit boring to some but I just have to write a little something about my first manicure in Korea. Which is also the most memorable and awesome manicure I've ever had (and believe me, I've had a lot!) It is commonly known that Korea is exceptionally adept at nail maintenance so it was only a matter of time before I tried it out for myself. The minute I stepped into a nail salon, I was given a pink velvety couch to sit on, a cup of tea and a very large book of nail art samples. I decided to go for the works, so I settled on a very fancy design with lots of bling! After pointing out my chosen design to one of the nail artists and after a brief consultation with her colleagues, she came over to me with a calculator and a very grave expression on her face. I started to worry, how much is this going to cost and have I been that naive in assuming it will be cheap because it's in Korea? Luckily my assumption was right, 50,000 won was punched into the calculator. For something that usually costs well over $100 in Canada or Australia, it ended up being around $50. This included an hour of hand massaging, the usual cuticle work and shaping with various oils. Once she started on the actual painting, I was impressed. I've only ever seen such precise work from an air brush but my fabulous manicure was all done free hand. I had unlimited beverages and at the end I had 3 women on hand to help me with my coat, handbag and the door so I wouldn't ruin my nails. I have a feeling this will become a frequent event in my life!

Dr Fish - an extreme pedicure

Ok, I know this technically happened during one of my earlier trips to Seoul and might not qualify for this post-move blog but it still happened to me, in Korea and is a beauty treatment.....of sorts.

It took 3 attempts for me to finally find a Dr Fish cafe because even though they are common throughout Seoul, they are hard to find unless you are fluent in Korean. Even though some directions can be found online, they are unreliable because they will undoubtedly use other establishments as points of reference instead of actual street names and numbers. This is common in Korea. You can probably understand how frustrating this can be when your original directions which read "walk 20 steps from Subway exit 6, right at the Burger King and down the alley until you find the red door" are quickly changed if the Burger King moves premises or the red door is suddenly painted yellow. Luckily for me I have a Korean friend who is naturally fluent in Korean but also doesn't mind the odd extreme beauty treatment.

So one day we ventured to Gangnam for a Dr Fish pedicure. This involves a cafe with a couple of tubs built into the floor with fish swimming around. For the cost of a cup of coffee (this includes free freshly baked bread, jam and cream) you also get a Dr Fish pedicure. So after we had our drinks and ate some lovely warm bread, we ventured over to the "tub" area. After a quick wash of the feet, we proceeded to stick our feet into one of the tubs. A timer was set for 15 minutes and from there I experienced one of the weirdest experiences of my life. These lovely fish started eating my feet. At first it was so ticklish that my friend and I were giggling non stop. After about 5 minutes your feet get used to it and it feels like a hundred tiny fingers are pinching your feet at once. It wasn't until after our pedicure was over that we realized we were given the big fish! At 2 inches long, our fish had very big mouths compared to the little half inchers that our neighbours were lucky enough to get. The result??? The smoothest feet I have ever had. The best bit??? My feet tingled for a good 30 minutes afterwards. Not bad considering it cost me only a couple of won and I didn't have to worry about how my feet looked. The fish really don't care!

I wouldn't recommend this for the squeamish or people with strong vegetarian beliefs (after all these fish are carnivores). But if you are ever in Seoul and looking for a unique experience, I would definitely recommend it. Directions to the Gangnam Dr Fish: exit 6 Gangnam subway station, cross street and it's on the second floor of one of the first buildings you come to. You'll know which one because the sign on the front of the building has a picture of a tree on it. The same one that's on the Dr Fish website.

The eagle has landed (or in my case a pair of green suede mary janes)

Finally after 8 months travelling back and forth from Australia to Korea.........I have moved!!! It hasn't been easy giving up a very good job in Sydney, frantically packing many years worth of stuff for storage, relocating the cat into her holiday home and trying to figure out which handbag has to stay behind because unfortunately my laptop needed that final space in my suitcase. With my battered E.T. doll (27 years old, pictured above) in tow we've moved onto yet another adventure.

Before I officially begin my ramblings, I'd hate to sound like an Oscar's speech but I need to thank everyone who has made this possible. The wait is finally over and from here on in I can settle into a new life of living in luxury, working a little bit and taking advantage of one of the best shopping cities in the world!!! If you're lucky I may even throw in some cultural experiences as well. ;o)