Here we have a random assortment of stellar trip moments. This thing will only let me upload 5 photos at a time, which breaks my heart. First is Tokyo Tower, followed by maxin' and relaxin' in our ryokan. Third is a cute little tapas bar close to our ryokan where we drank the blood of the bull alongside some seriously decadent cheeses.
After that, you can see our tiny hostess at Kawase Hotel and her TINY DOOR! After asking us to sit down for tea (and subsequently coffee and tissues, which she specifically went out to buy for us, as some adorably strange little gift), she shocked us by opening what we thought was a decorative door below the counter and stepping through.
One final shot of the the best traveling team ever.
With a mid-afternoon flight, we had to make a slap-dash trip up to Fuji. Our plan: drag ourselves out of our luxurious ryokan at 5:00 AM to hop aboard an express bus bound for Hakone. Surprisingly, we pulled it off without a hitch. I'm sure we could've spent several days in Fuji/Yoshida, which is famous for hot springs, a The Little Prince museum, pirate boats, and a surely ridiculous theme park. But we were in such a happy-go-lucky Japan haze that none of us minded the quick trip at all. Especially considering we brought snacks from the Tokyo Food Show to share on the bus. We bid farewell to our dear traveling partner, Ben, and hope that he comes back to Asia real soon.
Tokyo has stolen my heart. The adorable uniforms (with white gloves!), the sincere friendliness, and an attention to detail that even finds a way to mask unwelcome bathroom sounds (how about installing a bubble machine in the wall? And while you’re at it, make the seat self-warming!). The biggest city in the world, yet it felt nowhere near as cramped as Seoul. The Japanese know what they’re doing. From street food and bunk beds to private dining and ryokan luxury. Laughter and awe for four days straight with the best traveling companions I could ever imagine.
Today Korea would have you believe I'm 29 or 30, but that is a terrible, vicious lie. I will firmly dig my heels at 28 until someone proffers two more birthday cakes for those lost years. Here is the cake with which I set my hair on fire today. I was trying to capture the cuteness that delivered it and leaned in a little too close. My camera didn't even save the photo, so the joke is doubly on me. Here is one half of the cuteness (William), mid sugar-coma.
Boy am I glad my naughty friends harassed me into getting out of my sick bed and making it to the latest Green Drinks event. Over 600 people turned out and we bought Haiti a new pair of shoes or two. Two very important discoveries: a stand-alone Vince Camuto store in Hongdae (I actually paused in front of oncoming traffic at the glorious, glorious sight) and Rock Tigers. I found a music video but believe me, it doesn't do them justice. They're all sporting much sassier 'dos (even the stand-up bass got a leopard print makeover) these days and their onstage presence is a lot grittier. With that, I give you my new favorite band in Seoul:
January is Korea’s coldest month and my lack of blogging is a testament to brutal winds and mental exhaustion. They say the 4th month abroad is the hardest and despite my best efforts, I’d have to agree. To top it off, a huge percentage of my friends have a long vacation at this time, so my facebook has been a continual stream of bragging from exotic, balmy beaches. Meanwhile, my workload has gotten heavier and my shoebox officetel is hardly a place I can unwind from manic managers and unruly toddlers. I’ve picked up a conversation partner, so my Korean is steadily improving and I’ve begun the profitable side business of private lessons. Good things, both, but weekends are feeling more and more insufficient…especially considering I work the next 3 Saturdays. In order to save my sanity, I’ve booked a brief trip to Japan around my birthday next month and I’m staring at this picture from now until then.
Solar New Year's in Korea means the entire country gets a birthday. Thousands of kids turn the legal drinking age at the stroke of midnight. A gong is rung a corresponding number of times with the amount of years Korea has been a country. Traditionally, people prefer to remain sober (even though they just turned 21??) on December 31st in order to start the new year off right. Often, this wholesome outlook is accompanied by a mountain climb or a drive to the sea to watch the sunrise. We had a gorgeous moon (a "blue" one, actually...the 13th full moon of the year), some seriously brisk weather, and snowy Naksan mountain. Oh, and some fireworks and some super fancy Middle Eastern food. Mr. Little Jackson performed his usual dance routine, sappy hugs were exchanged between great friends in the coziest bar in Hyewha.
My sassy colleague Ellie invited me skiing, which I was a little freaked by after my painful boarding experience a few years ago in Colorado. Turns out we were going skiing at NIGHT...driving (what luxury) and arriving at the resort around midnight, skiing for a few hours, and heading back in the early morning. I think everyone in our crew smiled for 3 hours straight...I'm never going skiing during daylight again! The rental shop guy was particularly excited that I was an American and as he roasted sweet potatoes for us we two discussed all that is glittery and wonderful about the U S of A (namely, Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp). As we piled into the car to go home, he shouted, "See you tomorrow!" and I calculated the logistics of this incredibly convincing suggestion.
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Here we have a random assortment of stellar trip moments. This thing will only let me upload 5 photos at a time, which breaks my heart. First is Tokyo Tower, followed by maxin' and relaxin' in our ryokan. Third is a cute little tapas bar close to our ryokan where we drank the blood of the bull alongside some seriously decadent cheeses. 
