Down town Daegu 대고 in pictures

Gyeongsan

Gyeongsan is a small town located near Daegu. It's a town famously known for the National University of medicine so you will see many students in a hurry trying to get to class on time.

Independently wandering around this small town it felt so refreshing to be out of the busy city of Busan.

One thing I liked about this town was to see the local family run business's it's great if u want to experience local home made foods and drink in cafe's which sell homemade cakes and sweet treats.

One thing I love to do in Korea is visit the supermarkets! They always seem to be bursting with colour and offer a variety of  fresh fruits and vegetables. 

And of course let's not forget about the great choice of soju and beer! 

I always try my best to learn a new recipe whenever I can when I visit Korea. Korean foods are full of nutrition and are known to be very good for your health. 

One recipe I enjoy making is korean curry! Simular to that of the famous Japanese style curry it's easy to make and enjoyable with a beer. Just simply chop few potatoes carrot and onions boil them for 10 minutes and then add the sauce mix. 

Where I left off...

Due to a busy work schedule this summer I've not updated my blog for a while but
there is still so much I want to share with you about my travel experiences in South Korea....

Most of my time spent was during my winter vacation last year so I hope to continue where I left off before I embark on my next journey for my summer vacation in just 9 days time!

I promise to keep a more up to date blog as I know some of you keep emailing me and asking me questions and curious to see what's next?

I want to thank you all for your kind messages I recieve every day and for your support and concious effort to keep following me and wanting to learn from my blog.

I'm very grateful to each and everyone of you who visit my blog and for voting me blogger favourite published in Seoul travel magazine earlier this year.

                            Keep smiling
                             Love kelz xxx

Anju

Anju is a term for a Korean food consumed with alcohol basically like tapas.

Anju can be a variety of foods in Korea, including both main dishes and side dishes.

Consuming food with alcohol is a widespread practice in Korea,

especially when the alcoholic beverage soju is involved.

Since the introduction of beer and Western foods into Korea bars and 

pubs have enjoyed a new found popularity and many types of western 

food is eaten as anju.

Some foods are considered to be best complimented by certain types of 

alcohol for example : 

Samgyeopsal barbecued pork belly is considered to go

best with Soju.

Fried chicken or Korean seasoned chicken goes better with Beer.

and Pan-jun and Mokkoli (or dongdongju) is a popular combination for rainy days.

.I really love eating anju and drinking with my friends when I'm in Korea!

If your new to anju then I recommend Korean Chicken and Beer!

Its my favourite! Korean fried chicken is the best and has many varieties.

Busan Tower 부산타워 (Yongdusan Park)

Busan Tower in Yongdusan Park is a very famous tourist attraction in Busan. 

At the top of Busan Tower there is an observatory where the entire city of Busan can be seen.

I would advise you to go at night where the whole city is brightly lit giving you some amazing views.

On the first floor of the tower there is a souvenir shop where you can find handcrafts to take home with gifts such as keys, chains, wallets, dolls,  pearl fans and alot more. The shop is very interesting and its definitely worth a look you can see all the traditional hand crafts on display.

You can also find several rest places in the tower as well as a musical instrument museum and a cultural exhibit hall.

Turning 21 ~The Korean age system

In Korea theres something called Korean age, which basically adds one or two

more years to your age.

 Many people don't know how to calculate their Korean

age, but it's pretty simple. 

So what's your Korean age???
Below ill show you how it works:

(This year - Your Birth year) + 1 = Your Korean age

Example:

(2014 - 1990) + 1 = 25

(2014 - 1983) + 1 = 32

On the day that you are born, you are experiencing the 1st year of

your life, therefore in Korea, you are 1 (year of age).

So, everybody is 1 year of age on the day that they are born.

1. If you were born this year, you are experiencing your 1st year in

life, so you are 1.

2. If you were born last year, you are experiencing your 2nd year in

life, so you are 2.

I celebrated my 31st Birthday yesturday so according to the

Korean age system I just turned 32

One year older than my international age.

" Personally age doesnt bother me as long as you stay young at heart you will forever be 21"

Nampo-dong

One of my favorite places in Busan has to be Nampo-dong .

Its known as one of the famous tourists attractions because of Busan

Tower, PIFF square and its also near by Jagalchi fish Market.

I particually loved wandering around PIFF square which stands for the

Pusan International Film Festival - one of the most significant Asian

film festivals in existence (imagine Cannes in Asia, and that's how

big a deal it is to Busan).

Even when there is no film festival happening, the area is active -

street vendors, movie theaters, bars, arcades, movie theaters, 

restaurants.

Gwanghak Street displays some beautiful holiday lights over the

Christmas and New Year period and it has a beautiful christmas

atomsophere.

You will also see a alot of market stalls selling everything from

socks to underwear to snacks to jewellery.

Cosmetic Surgery

Often I read about the increasingly high number of women undergoing plastic surgery in South Korea. For me I can never fully understand why so many women go to such lengths to change their appearance because personally I think Koreans have the most beautiful features with amazing bone structure and jaw lines.

I touched upon this subject many times with my friends so I just wanted to share a few things about what I have learnt in trying to understand why Korean women want to change their facial appearance. My friends often reply in the same way when I ask them this question and say....

 "In Korea, beauty means looking Western! Korean women want white skin and bigger eyes!!"  

My best friend often tells me she envy's me because she wants my big eyes and high nose and always states my skin is so beautifully white while referring to herself as being yellow?!?! Its so weird but even my male Korean friends say they are more attracted to women who have big eyes and white skin because it makes a woman look much more beautiful almost to the extent where a woman looks like a doll.

 Alot of Korean women undergo the "Double Eyelid" surgery in South Korea to make their eyes look rounder or bigger seeking a more western look. Some women spend endless amounts of money on skin whitening products and there is even a special eye glue you can buy to give yourself a double eyelid if you can't afford to go under the knife.

Recently I have also learnt of a new cosmetic procedure known as v-line surgery. It involves breaking and shaving the jawline to create a v-shaped face.

Standards in Korea are Extremely high when it comes to the way you look and there are even strict rules about how you should look in the workplace, it is said to be far harsher than western countries. I read that Job applicants are commonly required to submit head shots with their resume and employers scrutinise the looks of the applicants in search of their physical attractiveness in addition to their personal qualifications.

 I know that beauty if prized almost everywhere in the world but South Korea is a very competitive society and the pressure to conform to this western ideal beauty is becoming obsessive and common in people of all ages.

A Korean magazine I read last year advised their readers to spend 30% of their income on looking good stating the reason....

"You will end up with a better and richer husband"

.....apparently this is seen as a sensible investment!

Women of a marriageable age are also said to be under intense pressure to look their best at all times in order to find a good husband and highly consider plastic surgery.

Male cosmetic surgery is also on the rise and with this I can see equality both sexes are placed under similar beauty pressures. It goes to show that an increasing number of men are also prepared to take the risk and undergo cosmetic surgery in order to look their upmost best.

As Koreans embrace this possibility of transformation I guess it can also be seen as a natural progression for those raised in a culture with enormous pressure on citizens.