The Reality

(1) Morning drink of choice / (2) I love living on metro line #2
(3) The Ewha Campus Complex (ECC) / (4) Traditional Korean food is the best
(5) View from our balcony / (6) The infamous 호밀팥 patbingsoo is actually that good
(7) Eating out because cafeteria food sucks / (8) Baozi because sometimes I miss the taste of home
(9) My latest addiction to this milk tea / (10) Cafeteria food that actually wasn't too bad
(11) Banchan for dinner lol / (12) Pillowcase

Life isn't like the dramas here in Seoul. I love Korean food but somehow once you're actually living here, eating three decent (and decently priced) meals a day becomes the day's biggest challenge. There's no separate stall for the shower in the bathroom so everything gets wet when you shower. Transfers on the metro can take what seems like miles of walking (unlike in Hong Kong where transfers just require you to cross the platform). Apples and oranges can go up to $4 each. There's no wifi on campus. The office of global affairs forever stresses you out by making you register for classes on the first day of classes (wtf?) and throwing you confusing deadlines with ambiguous instructions and refusing to reply to any of your emails asking for clarifications. Everyone thinks you're Korean just because you're East Asian. 8AM Korean classes. Song Joongki visits the cafe you were next to just two hours after you leave.

But despite all that, I love living here. 

Really.

Cats Cats Cats!

Welcome to Cats Living, a cat cafe in Hongdae.

Pay the entrance fee, order your drink (about 8,000won altogether), and get ready to spend an afternoon in cat heaven (there are 15+ cats)!

 

There are lazy cats.

There are pretty cats.

There are hungry cats.

There are scary cats.

There are pudgy cats.

And then there's our favorite clueless cat.

And yes, you may pet them to your cat-loving heart's content.

If you should find that you have a cat allergy in the middle of petting all these glorious cats (*cough* VIVI *cough*), then head to the nearest pharmacy (the sign will say "약"), point to your rash, and the pharmacist will give you some kind of miracle cream that will soothe your symptoms within half an hour.



Cats Living
서울 마포구 서교동 358-111 2층
Hongik Station Exit #9
(Basically right next to the Hello Kitty Cafe.)

Goodbye, Hong Kong

(1) Best macarons in Hong Kong
(2) "Beware of brainwashing" sign on the MTR
(3) Vivi's tutee who reminds me of Despereaux
(4) SEOULCHICKENS at Central

Leaving Hong Kong and arriving in Seoul last night and writing this from my dorm room at Ewha is all still a blur to me.

Bing Sutt

A Starbucks reminiscent of old Hong Kong in Central. This is definitely a popular tourist destination and apparently a popular wedding photoshoot location as well (we saw four going on at the same time), but the coffee egg tarts are worth coming here for.

13 Duddell Street
Central, Hong Kong

Evenings

From an evening last week with one of Vivi's friends. Young people here are so much more independent and entrepreneurial and creative, but I guess you have to be in a city as big as Hong Kong.

The first three photos are from Wired Cafe at the new Hysan Place in Causeway Bay (https://www.facebook.com/WiredCafeHysanPlaceHK), and the the last three photos are from Brunch Club & Supper, also in Causeway Bay (http://www.brunch-club.org/).

Apparently Causeway Bay is our location of choice for every situation.