Jeju Delight ~ Black SamGyupSal 흑 삼겹살

Judging by appearance this may seem like a regular chunk of pig belly that you get from a local Korean butcher or BBQ restaurant, however this type of Samgyupsal called 흑 삼겹살 (heuk samgyupsal) a.k.a black pork belly is very different in terms of taste and quality. The infamous black pig, which can only be found and eaten in Jeju-do is currently one of the main and most valuable delicacies of the island. The pig is small and has black fur, and due to its unique farming practices it is much tastier.

Before grilling the black samgyupsal, it is smoked over burning hay allowing the smoke to penetrate the meat juices resulting in a unique taste and flavour unlike regular pork. When eating it is noticeably chewier and tender. Of course no black samgyupsal is complete without Halla Soju 한라 소주 (which to be honest taste like wallpaper paste…Euack).

Crap I’m hungry….

Royal Ambience

During my last visit in GyeongBuk Palace I left unimpressed despite its grand architecture. There was no particular reason…even if there was I couldn’t really put my finger on it. Perhaps it just lacked the ‘wow’ factor somehow~

It just so happened my friends called me out on weekend to meet them at GyeongBuk Station. My first thought was: Uh oh…please not the palace again…., but hello! what a surprise! I was literally stunned as to what stood before me.

Apparently twice a year the palace opens up to the public at night time until 9pm. Flattered by colored lights, the public got to witness the majestic beauty of the palace after sunset. This time there was no blinding sun to squint your vision nor was it boiling to the point you wanted to scramble into the shade every time a flicker of light touches your skin. Each building illuminated so brightly they looked like they were royal treasures themselves. The fact that it was only opened for a week made the experience extra valuable.

Despite the immense crowd and intense competition between brick heavy cameras and tripods, the atmosphere was pretty much filled with OOOOhs and AAAAHs

If you want to see the the night mode of Gyeongbuk Palace, I’m afraid you have to wait until Fall….sorry~

Colors of Korea ~ Yellow ~

Yellow has always played a vital role in Korea’s rich history and culture.  Usually, yellow symbolizes nature, safety, and accomplishment.  However the meaning can vary depending where you are or who you talk to.  In Korean shamanism there is a yellow amulet called Pujok in which the color symbolizes good luck.  This was hung as a banner on top people’s houses or hand held as a lucky charm. The yellow is important for this amulet as it was believed that evil spirits hated this color and made them stay away.  In traditional Buddhist temples walls, roofs, and pillars are decorated in the form of Dancheong which is based on 5 basic colors, and yellow being one of them symbolizes the element, Earth. In Hanboks (Korean traditional clothing) women wear a yellow blouse called Chogori to show that they are still single.  In regional flags, the color yellow is used which have various meanings.  Jeollabuk province’s flag has yellow markings which symbolizes peace.  The flag for the city of Chongju has a yellow symbol which means glory, and Changwon’s flag has a yellow square which symbolizes the citizens ~ Thanks Google~ haha

However since this is a personal blog I have my own interpretations as to what ‘yellow’ means in Korea.  To me, yellow is one of the first signs of Spring and the coming of Summer.  Apart from the Cherry blossoms plaguing the whole country, patches or even fields of Canola (pictured) can be seen throughout Korea providing stunning beauty and picturesque lanscapes.  The withering of Canola (thanks to the unbearable scorching heat) is like a natural alarm signaling the arrival of summer ~_~

OK, I’m making it sound like I’m comparing summer weather in Korea to the flames of Hell, it’s not…it’s actually my favorite part of the year!  Despite overheating underneath my jeans and sweating gallons of water, it’s the time of year where people can finally turn off their heaters and venture out to discover new places.

The pictures above are taken near my home in the metropolitan city of Gwangju.  I always pass this area on the way to and back from work and have always wanted to snap some photos yet I didn’t want to do a simple landscape shot either.  The moment came just right when top blogger Mimsie Ladner of Seoul Searching asked me to participate in the ‘Colors of Korea’ project.  Of course it sounded like an interesting project and also an opportunity to stretch my limits as a photographer *crack knuckles*.  As soon as I read the e-mail, images of the Canola fields ran through my mind, hence I knew for sure I wanted to do yellow~

The intense heat seems to have come earlier this year for some reason.  Not so good in terms of it was so sudden that I didn’t even get a chance to wear my newly bought, ultra slick spring jacket.  Oh well, back it goes into the closet.  On the bright side, most cafes began to introduce new varieties of BingSu (빙수), which is a popular shaved ice dessert.  I’m not kidding as to how vital this dessert is to my survival of Korean summer.  Hot weather usually makes me lose my appetite and so I usually have a big bowl of salad or BingSu instead.  One of my favorites is the mango flavored BingSu (pictured). It is one of those flavors which once it hits your mouth, you are in a zone of exotic paradise ~ 맛있게 먹어라~

Traditional markets are also bustling with a variety of food, but the most popular choice of fruit nowadays is the ChamOue (참외) a.k.a the Golden Korean melon (pictured).  The Korean melon is refreshing, juicy, and a delicious treat.  However take care serving these fruits by peeling the skin and removing seeds before eating as the seeds are natural laxatives ~hence you will be making several rounds to the bathroom~

I’m sure there are many more things in Korea which are ‘yellow’….yellow panties, yellow pipelines, yellow dust….but the things above are what I think best describes my current state of mind and most importantly, spring.

Anyways, check out these other blogs and their colors!

RED at Lost in the ROK
BLUE at Kimchi Bytes
PINK at Head High Heart Strong
ORANGE at Seoul Searching
PURPLE at Mapping Words
GREEN at Johanne Miller

WHITE at Pandamiwoo

[Travel Diary] Olle Olle~

Thanks to the generosity of the Buddha, everyone in Korea was blessed with a 3-day weekend! This means hotels, bus and flight tickets are competitively being booked by Korean citizens in order to fully enjoy and savour the rare break without being pressured to down Soju shots by your boss. Of course I wasn’t going to miss out on this rare opportunity. Hence I decided to book myself flight tickets to Jeju Island!

This was actually my second visit and trying to be not distracted by the soft white sand and crystal blue beaches, I decided to head south of the Island to visit the infamous Olle Trails. The Olle trails are one of the major draws of Jeju-do offering unrivalled and breathtaking views of landscapes, coasts and beaches, which cannot be accessed by cars. In total there are 21 different trails around the island, each offering their own unique charms and characteristics. It just depends what type of person you are? Me being particularly in favour of water, I decided to head south to Olle trail number 6. Each trail will take about 4-5 hours to complete…well, it depends who you are travelling with! If you are trailing with your grandmother….be prepared for a good 6+ hours =D

My first impression of the trails was a little intimidating as I started off hiking up a small mountain in a humid weather. However the hard work was always repaid with jaw dropping views of the sea and city. The trails were very easy to follow. In order to know you are going at the right direction…you only need to spot the orange and blue ribbons which are tied onto trees, gates, lamp posts etc. and it can always be easily spotted. For some reason, the trails made me feel like I’m in an adventure game. The trails are amazing in the way that it always leads you to interesting landscapes and structures and cleverly makes sure you do not miss out on a single thing. Some parts of the trails were particularly difficult to climb, but there are always cafes available nearby so that you can recharge your batteries. Once you have charged up and quenched your thirst with a cookie shake, you can set off again!

Upon completing the trail, it really gives you a sense of achievement. You can hear the victory song from the Super Mario game ringing in your ears *jumps and touches the flag*. On a serious note, I felt a sense of healing from all the stress I get from living in a city…every mental strain and pressures just seem to have drifted and poured into the sea. I’m officially Tarzan.

For more information on the 21 trails click here!