This Time in Seoul

and for dessert…Kannom Krok. This is a breakfast dish made of ground rice, coconut milk, sugar, a pinch of salt, then garnished with your choice of pumpkin, spring onion leaves or sweet corn.

I just want to say that I love women, um, women who cook! Do not get it twisted! Ha!
Of course I had to visit The Damnoen Saduk Floating Market.

I had no idea that I’d see this angel cooking, gracefully floating in her paddle boat, sharing her expert cooking skills with all who could not resist the aromas floating from her direction. I’m hungrier now for her food, all Thai food. I can’t believe the difference between Thailand and Korea. I woke up this morning to another cold and gray day here in Seoul, stomach growling, knowing that I couldn’t go down to the corner and pick and choose any dish for less than 5 dollars and make each and every one of my senses happy. 

That’s it, I’m moving to Thailand. 

After having visited the floating market (pictures coming soon) I wandered around and passed some homes on the riverbanks. I noticed a lush garden and discovered not only plants, and an aviary filled with colorful parakeets, but the fragrance of jasmine. An older woman, moving slowly, gently looked at me and I asked if this was her garden, it was, and if I could visit. She nodded gently smiled at me. After walking past her husband who was busy feeding the birds, I decided to get closer to her flowers. Flowers I had never seen before were as bright as the sun and almost as beautiful as she was. She drew me closer to her and she plucked a lovely jasmine flower in bloom and motioned for me to smell. The heat of the day, mixed with the scent of jasmine held in the hands of a kind and wise woman was divine. The woman offered the flower to me as well as another one. I wore it in my hair for the rest of the journey and I do believe that I still have it in my jacket.

Thank you Great Spirit! I have witnessed so many wonders: wonderful people, wonderful heat and please, WONDERFUL FOOD! 

I’m back in Seoul (still cold) but the heat and joy of Bangkok, Chiang Mai, etc. is still within and on me! I am workin’ my tan to death! Had the scrumptious brown-skinned Thai men oohing and ahhing! Oh, yes honey! Real chocolate comin’ through! Ha!

I will supply the next couple of days, weeks with photos and insights about all that I saw and experienced.
What’s coming? Great shots of hotels, food, temples, COLOR! COLOR! COLOR! Will get on it as soon as I unpack!
I missed you guys and gals! 

Double Kisses (French ones, of course) 

Felicia 

Hello everyone! 

Yes, it’s time to get away and I going to spend 16 lovely days and night in the Land of Smiles! That’s right, Thailand! I’m so excited. I know that I will meet warm, creative, hospitable people everywhere that I go and I hope that I am as wonderful to them as they will be to me.
I can hardly wait to float in blue/green water, watch children frolicking on the beach and of course, EAT WELL!

I leave you this amulet taken from Gahoe Musuem in Bukchon.
Have a great day and I’ll write again when I get back to Seoul. Ciao! 

As I was fearlessly and fiercely walking down the street, hair swaying in the wind, listening to Prince on the pod’ I thought to myself, “as much as I love Korea, I cannot stay another year here, not alone.” Yeah, I have a funny feeling that something greater is going to happen and soon. I can feel it down in my soul and it feels so good.

Do you know what I mean? 

Seriously, there should be an izakaya on my street. I’m that obsessed. I first discovered these lovely Japanese pubs the night I was taken under the wing of my incredibly flexible and beautiful yoga classmate, June. We tried to get into one but the waiting list was too long. I did love how incredibly small and narrow the sliding doors were, the luminous paper lantern shaking in the breeze. Dammit! I wanted to go inside! Alas, months later I got the chance to enter and taste my new dish of pure love:Okonomiyaki! Okonnomiyaki is shaped like a crepe. It’s made up of shredded cabbage, shrimp, squid, pork, beef, eggs and vegetables. It’s just good for you and is a perfect mate to several cups of sake. It’s the first dish that I’ve ever eaten that when placed in front of me, looks as if its moving. Huh? There’s paper thin, as thin as tissue paper, dried fish sprinkled on top of the oko’ (my name for it). You should see the way it moves! It moves like seaweed underwater. Oddly beautiful.

Here are just some photos taken while a friend and I were hanging out. Sorry, I’ll get you a picture of Okonomiyaki later, I inhaled it along with my sake as soon as it arrived. I live to eat well.

This is an artspace, cafe, gallery, etc.  Whatever else it is, it certainly isn’t boring. 

and the world’s your oyster! Ok, for those who get the cultural reference, I’ve just come in from a night in Hongdae with two lovely people: Min and her hubby and I’m smilin’ from ear to ear about the thought of traveling to Bangkok in a few days. I’ll be in Bkk for two days reviewing an oh so chic boutique hotel then I’ll fly or bus it to Chiang Mai to review a sweet (BnB) and take cooking lessons on an organic farm (thanks to Bordeaux!) Two weeks of writing and discovering beautiful Thailand!

Do you guys no of some great spots in Thailand? Keep in mind, I’m not going to be there partying like a drunk, obnoxious foreigner. I’m the quiet traveler looking for great design, lovely people and always good food. 

Anyhoo, here are two pics, the first one is a typical scene when trying to enter or exit, exit no. 5 at Hongdae metro stop and the other is just the biggest damn drawing of a Converse sneaker I’ve ever seen. The two young ladies wait patiently for their snacks filled with red bean paste or cinnamon and walnuts, hmm hmm, good.

Walking around Dongdaemun, I saw this vision, so determined, so quiet, she made everyone’s head turn, even her own as she wafted through the crowd with a takeout order sitting on her head. Clearly the dish had already been eaten, but to witness how swiftly and effortlessly she moved on a corner of hundreds of people (it’s that crowded!) made me stop and stare. When I came to, I snapped away then smiled as she walked away, oblivious to us all.

On our way to Dongdaemun market, buildings become more and more intimidating, so much so that I tend to look straight ahead, choosing only the sound of my heels and the strength of my legs as a wonderful distraction from the shadows that they cast, wishing that the buildings would share the sky, not block it out. I looked up and saw this green sign, a shade of green that leads me to think that it was possibly constructed in the 50’s or 70’s. The tower which I call flowertower,  is located at Yangjae Flower Market. I don’t know why, but I love them both.

They remind me of something.