A Trip to the National Folk Museum of Korea

This is one of the cute exhibits at the National Folk Museum of Korea. Here. you'll see how cooking (and consequently, eating) is part of Korea's delicious way of life.

The National Folk Museum of Korea is a tourist spot which me and my friend happily stumbled upon while walking around Gyongbokgong Palace. Here, we learned about how Korean people lived in the olden times, from how they dressed to what work they did, and of course, the variety of food they ate! Who knew that there are a gazillion types of kimchi (okay, I exaggerate) in every region in Korea?

I also enjoyed walking around the outdoor museum which gave me an almost true-to-life peek into Korean folk life. Sometimes, I felt like I was in a sageuk.

At any rate, our trip to the National Folk Museum of Korea was one of my favorites. It made me a lot more curious about Korea’s history and culture.

More of my pics are in this slideshow.

Patbingsu!

This is a sweet ending to every Korean summer meal. Or as a snack. Or as a…whatever food whim one may have. It’s quite similar to my own culture’s “halo-halo”, actually, which is also a combination of preserved fruits plus shaved ice. I personally wanted to try this in Seoul after watching Siwon of Super Junior gush and get overly excited about it in one of his old shows. The trip was worth it. =)

Bibimbap!

Bibimbap, of course, is one of the healthiest foods around. And if I could, I’d eat this everyday. It has carbohydrates because of the rice, it has protein because of the egg and it has veggies, lots and lots of veggies, for clear and glowing skin!

I heard that in some parts of the U.S., variations of bibimbap has sprung up in various restaurants. But I like this simple Korean version of it, still.

 

Korean side dishes — deeelish! =)

It’s a bit odd to focus on side dishes but these are really what I enjoyed during my trip to Korea last July.  When I dug around the photos I took of my trip, I realized that a substantial chunk of it was about food. Let me share with you some pics.

I’m not sure what this is called, exactly. But it quickly became my favorite. Proof of this is how me and my friend Xarra went twice (or was it thrice?) in this hole-in-the-wall in Seoul just to get our “apricot” fix. Xarra said it could be pickled apricots. If you know what this is, please leave a comment below. =)

My second favorite is this — something like a scrambled egg side dish with some mashed peas mixed in. But I’m not so sure. What I’m sure of is how it tasted so damn good with my bowl of bibimbap. =)

And then there’s this little platter of black beans which also went well with my bibimbap. I’ve seen these mixed with rice in Korean dramas. City Hunter particularly comes to mind because in this drama, Lee Min HoTTT picks black beans out of his rice because he hates it. But me, I love it! “It” as in the black beans. But yeah, Lee Min HoTTT is good to look at, too. =P

And here’s the all-too-familiar kimchi. I’m glad to report that the Jewel in the Palace kimchi I buy from the supermarket (Uh, nope, I’m not kidding about the name) here in the Philippines tastes almost the same as the kimchi I tasted in Seoul. This makes me feel relieved because this means that the kimchi I buy here tastes authentic and Korean enough. =)

This is kimchi from a different hole-in-the-wall food place. It’s redder but not necessarily hotter. I still like it, though. =)

This is some kind of spicy soup which I slurped to the last drop, hehehe! I love spice! =)

I don’t know what this is, but among the side dishes I tried, this was the one I hated the most. I thought it was diced tuna, but it tasted like pickled ginger. Yuck. Again, if you know what this is, kindly leave a comment below so I can avoid this side dish in the future. =)

This is how a meal with a galaxy of side dishes looks like.  And this is why eating Korean food is always gooood!  

Correa in Korea…Soon!

Clipart from: http://geovisions.web4.hubspot.com/Portals/40978/images/backpacker.png

My friend “Tari” and I are flying to the land of kimchi-spiced pop some time soon and we gotta tell you that we’re quite excited!  It’s our first time to spend some vacation time there. Thank you, thank you, thank you for granting our wish, Korean Embassy in Manila! Kekeke!

Our itinerary is basically the same, albeit with one tweak that “Tari” was nice enough to grant, as it has something to do with my future.

So we’ll have our K-pop Day, our Seoul Summer Sale Day, our Out-of-Town Day, and our Typical Seoul Tourist Spots Day.

As for our hostel, our plan of booking a room at Bebop Guesthouse didn’t pan out. We wrote to two different hostels and it was the other hostel (which shall remain nameless for now, kekeke) which replied faster. So there.

And that other hostel was much cheaper, too, and which the same amenities and freebies as Bebop. That other hostel, for example, still offers a fresh supply of drinking water which we can re-fill our reusable tumblers with. So I suppose it was a blessing in disguise.

As I write this, I’m playing SNSD’s “Gee” just to annoy the hell out of my little sister who’s not anymore into K-pop. Kekeke. I’m alternating it with Kylie Minogue’s “Love At First Sight” as it kind of describes how I feel about my upcoming Korea trip. Aaaaand here’s the video! Enjoy!

 

 

I (Heart) SG

Photo from: http://organicgeek.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/iheartsingapore.png?w=300

Someone traveled to Singapore recently (that would be me!) and she really loved her stay there. It was amazing how this nation is a tiny concrete jungle that has clean fresh air, spotless streets and refreshing pockets of greenery.

Proof that the air is clean: Whenever I clean my nose in Manila, my tissue paper is as black as my hair–real evidence of dirty air! But when I clean my nose in Singapore, I realize that there’s no need to, since my tissue paper stays as white as it was pre-use.

More proof that the air is clean: When I sweat in Manila, I become stinky. When I sweat in Singapore, my back just becomes wet.

I (heart) SG!

But I wish that Manila will be as clean as SG in the future. It’s my home!

Spicy Ginger Ice Cream at Bohol Bee Farm! Yum!

Clip art borrowed from http://www.icecreamclubonline.com/images/ice-cream%20coloring.gif

Total number of times I’ve been to Bohol in my lifetime: 4

Total number of places I look forward to visiting whenever I’m there: 5

• Loboc River Cruise
• Chocolate Hills
• That tarsier place
• Alona Beach
• Bohol Bee Farm

Most favorite place in Bohol: Bohol Bee Farm

Why?

• Organic products such as honey, corn coffee, and herbal tea
• Organic food such as salads and yummy muffins
• Beautiful seaside house that has been my benchmark for beach living since the first time I saw it
• Spicy ginger ice cream!

As soon as we set foot at Bohol Bee Farm a few days ago, I made a beeline for the ice cream store that sells the yummiest spicy ginger ice cream in the planet. I haven’t tasted the other flavors yet (malunggay, ube, etc) but I’ve already decided that the spicy ginger ice cream is my favorite. The cone, too, made from cassava, is the yummiest ice cream cone around. It’s way better than the usual wafer cone for its semi-softness and just-right sweetness. For Php50, you’ll get the ultimate summer bliss.

Also try their halo-halo. For just Php90, you’ll get a big cup of this summer favorite. Bohol Bee Farm’s version is generously packed with fresh fruits and a scoop of their yummy ice cream on top! No wonder this place tops my list of Bohol tourist spots to troop to!

Bebop Guesthouse

What’s playing in my head: “Tell Me Your Wish (Genie)” by Girl’s Generation.

What’s running through my mind: My wish

And what’s my wish? To get my butt to South Korea!

South Korea has been hard at work, waving their magic wand marked “Soft Power” around the Southeast Asian region. And I must say it’s working on me. I’m hooked on K-pop and K-dramas. I’m always craving for kimchi, kimbap and bulgogi. I’m contemplating enrolling for a Korean language class. I got worried and upset when North Korea bombed one of the islands in South Korea. One of the topics I’m exploring for independent study for graduate school is about South Korea. AND (and I mean AND!), I’m planning to go there soon!

Except for some visa issues (I’ll only be able to get my butt to Korea IF the Korean Embassy grants me a visa), everything’s been set: tentative travel dates, things to see and do, budget, and (ta-daaan!) possible lodging.

Here’s the hostel me and my friend are eying:

Photo of Bebop Guesthouse 2 taken from http://bebop-guesthouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/IMGP6895.jpg

It’s called Bebop Guesthouse 2, also known as Tango Guesthouse. It’s said to be a homey hostel at the heart of the artsy Hongdae area–totally my kind of place! What’s more, it’s very environment friendly. Use of canvas bags instead of plastic bags for shopping is highly encouraged. You can fill up your water bottle with water from the hostel so you won’t have to buy tons of bottled water. Trash is segregated so biodegradables are separated from non-biodegradables.

And to top it all off, the owners are 20-something Korean backpackers who love to read and who appreciate art!

So I really hope the Korean Embassy grants me a visa. Wield your soft power on me all you want. It’s okay, it’s totally okay!

Cebu Sojourn: Ta-boan Market

It’s stinky but it’s oh-so-yummy! Tabo-an Market in Cebu is the place to go to for dried fish. This market houses a variety of dried fishes that are preserved naturally. No harmful chemicals, just the good, salty taste of danggit and dilis  which goes so damn well with steamed rice, fresh sliced tomatoes and salted duck egg. Ah, it’s the perfect Filipino breakfast, I tell you!

A closer look at Tabo-an Market's dried fish offerings.

I bought danggit, dilis and longganisa (sausage) to bring home as pasalubong. As with any other market in the Philippines, haggling is key. And it’s way more effective if you’re with other salted fish-hungry colleagues who are ready to buy in bulk. Buying a lot = more chances of getting discounts and freebies! Yipeee!

P.S. Remember to bring an extra shirt. The smell is divine when eating, but not so much when touring Cebu City’s hot spots.

Cebu Sojourn: Tambuli Beach Resort

Too bad no local can give us precise directions to Camotes Islands. And too bad that colleagues can’t seem to trust the wisdom of travel bloggers who’ve been there and done that island-hopping adventure we so craved. Good thing there was Tambuli Beach Resort, which luckily was just a cab ride away from the city.

So it’s not as spectacular as the other beaches I’ve been to, and I might as well have just taken a bus to Batangas (which is lovelier, actually), but this beach did its job of appeasing my inner sun-worshiper. Also, I was able to write, which is a rare gift, given my busy work and school schedule.

This trip made me realize that for someone like me who’s been blessed to be able to travel here and abroad, I have a tendency to be a travel snob. What others consider as scenic may be for me just an ordinary thing. And what others consider as great food may for me taste just like lutong bahay.  So perhaps my standards and expectations have been heightened by my frequent travels. And maybe what I’m trying to say is, I wish I can get my P500 back.

*P500 is the entrance fee to Tambuli Beach Resort, consumable through a buffet lunch which costs P550. So yeah, you add P50 to be able to eat.