Korean Picnic

The Last Post

I haven’t posted on WordPress for over a year. I’ve had battles with subscription refunds, customer service bots and file storage limits during that time. Sadly, I don’t feel like WordPress and I have been able to make our relationship work since around 2019. WordPress hasn’t been able to grow with my needs as a…

Object – Adorable Stationery Store in Anguk, Seoul

My favourite stationery store in Seoul Yesterday we spent a sunny autumn afternoon in Anguk-dong. The purpose of our adventure was to visit the traditional streets at Bukchon Hanok Village, but can you blame me for ending up on a hunt for adorable Korean stationery instead? I first went to Object back in 2017 when…

Yeah, this isn’t going well — Working remotely in South Korea

I’m calling it. Remote working just doesn’t work in South Korea. I’m a month into my remote working journey. I’m surprised, confused, proud and exhausted that I’ve made it this far. Throughout the course of the pandemic, I have largely avoided working from home. I have had an odd couple of days at home here…

A morning at the Namdaemun flower market

Last Saturday was a perfect morning to get out of bed early and head to the Namdaemun Flower Market. We got there by 7:30 am and most of the flowers had been picked through by the florists and business owners who had come before us.

This is What Summer Looks Like in South Korea

Walking through my neighbourhood this week, I captured the essence of what summer looks like in South Korea. Empty coffee cups everywhere. Empty packets of cigarettes. This area has a lot of office buildings and it is not uncommon to see office workers standing around smoking and drinking a LOT of ice coffee. Yes, even…

I started a weekly newsletter called ‘Picnic in Your Pocket’

I finally started a weekly newsletter! And I am loving it so far. Because I do so many things on the internet that nobody ever reads, I thought I’d make another thing for nobody to read. It is called ‘Picnic in Your Pocket’. This is more of an internet journal entry for things that I…

What I’m wearing in Seoul this Summer – Minimal Korean Style

I read that this summer has one of the hottest heat waves in 111 years! This week, I decided to film myself in my bedroom styling clothes that I love. It’s one of the secret things that I do that nobody knows about but it brings me a lot of joy. I have been doing…

How to Make Korean Bibim Cold Noodles

How to Make Korean ‘Bibim’ Cold Noodles This week I was asked to evaluate some delicious Korean foods that are being exported to the Australian market. One of the items in the package was ‘Bibim Noodles’, aka Korean cold instant noodles that are perfect for summer. I thought it would be a good idea to…

Hola Aloe – Korean Heat Wave Drink Idea

🍋 Hola Hola! 🥭 This week I got to sample a bunch of yummy Korean products that are entering the Australian market. It is part of the KFoodies program! I am not usually a fan of Aloe drinks but these Hola Aloe flavoured drinks are delish! The whole household has been enjoying them this week…

Fortune Telling Dispenser in Ikseong-dong, Seoul, South Korea

A few weeks ago, my friend Miranda and I ventured to Ikseongdong and Insadong for an afternoon of exploring. These areas of Seoul are full of Korean Hanok homes and traditional art, clothing and tea houses. You must visit this part of Seoul on your next visit to South Korea.

Bonte Museum, Jeju Island [본태박물관, 제주조]

If you’re like me and you have a penchant for Japanese architecture, art and serene water features, then I have found the museum for you. Jeju Island is full of art and design if you know where to find it. Luckily for you, I have written this post to give you a hint. So, all…

Listen to AI ‘Blobs’ Sing Korean Folk Songs – Blob Opera by David Li

Blob Opera is a gem I discovered on Google Arts and Culture this morning when I should have been working. It was created by David Li in collaboration with Google Arts and Culture and is an AI Experiment. Li enlisted the help of real opera singers to teach a machine learning model how to be…

Aussie Brunch at Summer Lane, Hannam

Have you been wanting to explore new parts of Seoul? No? Oh, that’s cool! Oh, you don’t live in Seoul and this post is irrelevant to you? But you want to know anyway for when you inevitably travel here in a post-pandemic world where life is free and maskless? Okay, cool. Let’s see Hannam! Hannam…

Where to buy furniture in Seoul

Nobody likes furniture shopping, especially not when you are an ex-pat in a new foreign country. Unless you have a lot of money and boatloads of spare time. After this blog post blows up the internet, maybe I’ll have some of that. When I first came to Seoul, I had no idea how to buy…

A Sunny Evening at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza

It is almost mind-boggling to think that almost 4 years ago I came to Seoul for the first time. During that time, I had a view from my AirBnb overlooking the Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP). Shortly after my arrival, I fell immediately in love with Seoul. It is around that same time that I started…

Samsung rejected my first Galaxy Theme Submission, but here’s how to apply

With my company working from home, I have been given the gift of time. The two hours per day that I would have been spent shuffling on and off crowded buses are now being put to better use. I have been drawing more, cooking more, doing more home workouts, and I finally watched The Queen’s Gambit…

Moving Offices in Seoul, South Korea

This morning, I went into my office for the first time in a few weeks. We have been working from home for the most part due to the recent wave of covid cases here in South Korea. This week, we are moving to a new office on the other side of Seoul. Tomorrow is our…

Korean word of the week: ‘방콕’

Korean word of the week ‘방콕’ or ‘집콕’ ~ it means to stay in your house/room and do nothing. It is also spelled the same way as ‘Bangkok’, so if someone asks you where will go on holiday, you can either say ‘나는 방콕 갈거에요 = I’m going to Bangkok’, or ‘나는 방콕 할거에요 =…

The gift of giving… phone wallpapers

Merry Christmas, loyal followers. Because 2020 has been such a brain explosion to us all, I gave up on presents and gifts and general good-human-ing. I’ve been so tied up in my own little world that the festive season and the looming new year have come around without me noticing. If months were refundable, I’d…

How to get a non-teaching job in South Korea

The type of visa you have is the key ingredient employers are looking for in Korea. If a job description explicitly states the visa requirements you must fulfill, make sure you fulfill them! Wow, what great advice!

First snow in Korea and staying inside away from covid

This morning in Gyeonggi-do, we woke up to a magical snow-covered view from our window. It felt like Christmas morning, and the excitement was enough to get me out of bed on a Sunday. I threw on my warmest clothes and the rain boots I purchased during this year’s monsoon season and raced outside to…

First snow and staying inside away from covid

This morning in Gyeonggi-do, we woke up to a magical snow-covered view from our window. It felt like Christmas morning, and the excitement was enough to get me out of bed on a Sunday. I threw on my warmest clothes and the rain boots I purchased during this year’s monsoon season, and raced outside to…

What a polluted day in Seoul looks like

The arrival of winter weather in Seoul means dusty air and chilling winds. A few weeks ago, I braved both the air and the wind to visit the Seoul Animation Center. Despite the smog-covered city, I managed to take some photos along the way. When pollution levels are high in Seoul, not only can you…

Glamping in South Korea at ‘On the Rock’

Hello Jo So Ko readers, old and new! It has been a while since I have sat down to type the words in my brain onto my blog. I am currently uploading a video I made last week of our glamping anniversary trip. Recently, I have become excited about YouTube and blogging again. I have…

Writing my first magazine article – Visiting 5 cafes in Seoul, South Korea

I am so excited to finally be putting this all out into the world. About 2 months ago, I was asked by Coffee t&i Magazine if I could write about some speciality coffee cafes here in Seoul, South Korea. I of course jumped at the opportunity and got to work straight away… without realising just…

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