Nail in the Wall

I have now lived in my apartment for 6 months and I love it. I have already written about the initial anxiety I felt when all the stuff I own in life (well the fairly small amount of stuff) got here. However, that anxiety seems to have passed and I have even been able to purchase a few more things to make my apartment cozy. Because it sure is cozy. I love that it is situated on the top floor. I also like that it’s very airy and together with my light hardwood floor, large windows and high ceilings it makes the apartment very bright. So yes, I am very happy with my place of residence.

However, recently, a phenomenon has presented itself which does not surprise me, but what does surprise me is how big of an impact it has on me. I seem to be completely unable to commit to putting up paintings, shelves etc. I cannot for the life of me commit to putting a nail in the wall. Is this only me or does any of my other vagabond friends feel the same way?

I generally have no problem with commitment, in let’s say relationships. When I have been in a relationship I am a very loyal and devoted girlfriend. And with friends I am there 100 percent. Now it's more with Skype calls, WhatsApp etc. but I am there. My straight A’s speak for themselves when it comes to commitment to my school work. And I have never been fired from any job, but always done my best and that has definitely paid off.

Okay, but you who know me well, we all know where this notion of not committing to putting a nail in the wall comes from. My vagabond lifestyle - my commitment to traveling. My non-commitment to things. I have had 12 homes outside of living with my parents. And as a small child, I was allowed to decorate my rooms how I wished and so I did. And no, I was not raised in a mansion where I had a bedroom, a playroom etc. What I mean with the plural form of the word “room” is that sometimes my parents, my sister and I switched rooms, all to accommodate different stages of life. And of course I didn’t want to make tons of holes in my parents’ walls! But I guess I reckoned that even though I knew I wouldn't live there forever in my naïve childish thinking I thought my parents were. (I guess part of me still thinks they will – don’t ever move mom and dad!). Anyway, putting up stuff was not daunting.

But living in different countries on borrowed time makes you constantly question the future. I have always lived in the US and in Australia on various visas. This means I am a guest of the nation who has granted me said visa. Although, I also gave something back to those countries, money for my studies and later my skills when I held various jobs there. But you always feel you may have to leave. You may run out of money even if you budget for a year abroad, fluctuations in currency is sometimes a bitch. You may have your visa revoked if you behave inappropriately. Don’t worry; neither things have happened to me. I rock at living on a budget and have never been arrested for dancing naked in the middle of Downtown St. Louis. Point is, you may have to leave fairly rapidly and having a big house full with stuff is just not appealing for a vagabond.

But even more so as a vagabond, you probably WANT to move. I am fine anywhere and everywhere so maybe I haven't allowed roots to settle. I didn’t really know where I would end up, and I guess I still really don’t. I loved the US and I did see myself stay there for a long, long time. Both in St. Louis, my American hometown, as well as in Las Vegas where I was heading to set up camp at one point. And I was fine with that existence, thinking I probably would stay in the US. But I never wanted to invest in nice things as I had to give them away upon departure, and I just wasn’t sure IF I would stay.

I like to have few things around me of good quality. At times, recently, I have caught myself with settling with less nicer things, just like back in the days, when in reality I am now living in a country where I am allowed to live for the rest of my life (if I choose to do so). I am finally living in a country where I hold a citizenship; Sweden can’t kick me out, even though I am pretty bad at being Swedish. So I am changing my ways and have invested in things for my apartment. This may just be the very final step. Putting a nail in the wall.

I started out by buying self-adhesive hooks at Clas Ohlson (kind of like a mix of Wal-Mart /Lowes for my American readers). The people I told about this laughed at me and said I need to get over it. But it's hard. It's been like this for the past 12-14 years! My adult years. My formative years. I have basically not put anything up on any walls during those years. Maybe one or two paintings…I know that’s a bit crazy and I know some people decorate their dorm rooms /apartments right away upon arrival and can’t feel it’s theirs until they have done so. But I have been able to breathe because I have lacked “stuff”. Maybe it’s a Buddhist thing, non-permanence and that things always change. And if all things change then we should make it easier for change to happen, right? To be able to pack up fast?  No, I really need to stop this. I am not planning to leave my apartment anytime soon. And I also hold a firsthand contract to my apartment which means my landlord can’t kick me out for no reason. I should not get any noise complaints against me more than the occasional loud mixer sound while making smoothies in the middle of the night and feather light jumping noises from my yoga practice. Why would anyone ever make smoothies and practice yoga in the middle of the night you say? Well, that happens when you have a job where you work different shifts and you are up at all kinds of hours of the day. Point is I am not leaving anytime soon. I have a job I love and I am finally close to my family again! Sure I won’t live in my beautiful, newly renovated, but small apartment in the heart of the city forever. I can’t really see raising a kid here. Where the heck would a crib go? Where I keep my yoga mat and bolster?! Maybe. But again, I am light-years away from kids. And I guess the the holes in the walls will just have to be patched up then.

 Because I have to live, I have to enjoy the moment. I am trying to be more mindful…And here you were thinking that I was only speaking about the act of putting a nail in the wall, its clearly much deeper :)…If I act like I have always acted and do not put anything up because I am thinking I need to pack up a few suitcases and get the hell out of Dodge on a sort notice, then obviously I am living in the past. If I am not putting anything up because I am thinking it’s no point anyway because I won’t live here forever, well then it means I am living in the future. So maybe if I dare to put up the painting I just bought (yes I bought art!) then maybe this means I am practicing mindfulness?

Perhaps I will put a nail in a wall tonight? Or maybe just a self-adhesive hook....no, it’s time to make a commitment to the wall!

MADRID - Spain

Bear and the Strawberry Tree

I have realized that, recently, my blog posts related to traveling has had a strong focus on food. And honestly, this blog post could be titled “Eating My Way Through Madrid.” I seem to have been eating my way through many cities in the world over the years, but I must say, Madrid was definitely a real treat speaking of food. I am so happy I now enjoy good food and wine. This used to not be the case. When I was 10 my family took me to the Spanish island of Mallorca. I decided to personally compare all the Spaghetti Bolognese in the city we stayed in. Meaning, I basically only ate Spaghetti Bolognese for two weeks straight. I am not kidding! I am sure my parents tried to sway me into trying something different in order to get some other nutrients in my little body, but no. I have always been extremely stubborn. On another trip through Europe, 2 years later, I decided that McDonalds was the bomb and only wanted to eat that for the duration of our road trip. My poor parents were desperate to get their tiny Viking Princess to eat anything and obliged. THANK GOODNESS that I got my act together and now eat anything and everything! I am notorious for having tried the most weird and insane dishes. My recent trip to Spain was a heaven for a foodie like me. And yes I proudly accepted the title “foodie”, which was given to me by one of my travel companions Ken, a fellow food enthusiast. This blog post will be devoted completely to reviewing some of the places we ate at.

I flew down to Madrid in order to meet up with my dear American friends Ken and Cyndi (well they are more like family) as they were visiting Europe. Upon arrival I was welcomed by thousands of Greenpeace activists there to make a stance with regards to the climate conference held in Paris. Met up with Ken and Cyndi at their hotel and later in the afternoon we had an early dinner (for us early, but everyone thought we had a late lunch) at Los Galayos located at La Plaza Mayor. We enjoyed some seafood and pig – all washed down with a very fine red wine. Good start to the days in Madrid!  

Ramón

The next day, after enjoying some sightseeing, we returned to La Plaza Mayor and ventured into a restaurant called Hegar. It was by pure chance we walked into this restaurant and we were so happy we did. This is where we met Ramón. Ramón was a great waiter and even though he really did not speak much English and we really don’t speak much Spanish we manage to communicate with each other. We enjoyed some jamon (the famous ham) and chorizo (sausages) but the real highlight came when the fish arrived. Imagine placing a whole fish underneath a large pile of salt and hence cooking it that way. I am realizing I am missing a lot of steps in the process, but all I can say it spellbound us. Ramón was the person who expertly dug out the fish from underneath the salt, filéd the fish and served it. We only got a few cornels each of salt and the fish, my friends, was nothing short of a masterpiece.

Later that day, in the evening in fact, we had a reservation at the world’s oldest restaurant called Botin, founded in 1725. What a place! We were welcomed by waiters dressed in gentleman attire, white jackets etc. When walking up the staircase I caught a glimpse of the room where the roasting of the suckling pigs, their specialty, took place. This is definitely not a view a vegetarian would stomach. But I have made it a rule for myself that when I travel, I basically eat anything. Call me a hypocrite, but yeah, that’s my deal. And yes, that rule was implemented many years after the Spaghetti Bolognese/MacDonald’s silliness. Vegetarians, I would suggest skipping the next few sentences. When you bit into the meat, the skin of the pig which had

Botin

been roasted made a crackling sound and you knew the process of getting it like that had been perfected since, well 1725. The meal was wonderful and we enjoyed it with a very bold red wine. It felt like such a true Spanish experience. When we exited the upstairs region of the restaurant, and walked down the same staircase, we walked passed the room where they prepared the pigs one more time. Inside there was a man working away. I asked if I could take a picture and he proudly displayed a roasted pig. Again, this is not for vegetarians, but it was nice to see him take such pride in his craft. We walked home full and happy through the narrow alleyways all decked out for Christmas.

The following day it was time to visit Mercado de San Miguel, an indoor marketplace one of my tenants had recommended to me. I thought we, the three foodies, would enjoy it and so we did! You could purchase a

Mercado de San Miguel

glass of wine, walk around and buy various small snack-size meals. We had churros with chocolate and ham and olives. The quality of the food there was excellent and so was the presentation. This place is a must for visitors to Madrid. We walked around and did a bit of shopping. Had to stop at a sandwich place to hold us over until dinner time. Ken, Cyndi and I were happy to take part in various culture phenomena as we are well traveled individuals. However, eating late, as you do in Spain was not quite our cup of tea. 8 o’clock rolled around (I know that’s very early for some countries standards) and we were happy to finally be able to sit down at a table at a restaurant called Marina Ventura. We ordered the seafood paella, which I had wanted since I arrived. Not so say that the other dishes were not as

Paella

important to try (as they were amazing!) but leaving Spain without having paella seemed unthinkable. Ken made sure we ordered seafood paella which also included some pieces of chicken and pork. Having those additions to the dish made sure the paella had some added fat to it and made the whole meal better. And it was indeed heavenly. Again we had a great red wine to enjoy and seriously, it was a wonderful last meal in the Spanish capital.

So there, this post ended up, just like I predicted it to be, a kind of homage to the food culture of Madrid. And I am sure you, dear reader, ask yourself: Did she do more than eat? Yes I did, I reconnected with two people extremely important to me. But we truly enjoyed the culinary experience: food, wine and coffee and to experience it together was priceless. Madrid was a great city to relax in. We stayed in the city center, by Plaza de Santa Ana, and it was a real delight to walk the streets in-between meals. Seeing more of the city by bus exposed us to grand boulevards and lavish buildings. I would totally recommend going to Madrid for a long weekend. Just make sure you bring a large appetite.

Unknowingly Crossing the North Korean Border

Joint Security Area

I have over the years found myself in various sticky situations while traveling. Like having to bail out my sister from Mexico in order for her to be able to reenter the US, being lost in the slums of Santo Domingo, and in the rougher parts of the south side of Chicago. All these experiences were accidental and had happy endings. I have also managed to keep very calm in these situations; the reaction sometimes came much later when it was all over. This adventure was planned and entailed a border between two nations, North and South Korea, still at war with each other. Having a Master’s degree in International Relations, I have studied North Korea on multiple levels. A visit to the famous DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) where the JSA (Joint Security Area) is located was something I wished to do during my time in Korea. The DMZ functions as a buffer zone between the two countries, using the 38 parallel, and includes the demarcation line, the actual border. I had expected for a visit there to be an interesting experience, but that my body would react so violently, I would never have guessed. Many times when I write a travel account I don’t do a play by play of my trip. But since so many people have asked me how it really was I will do so here. So here is the tale of when I unknowingly found myself on North Korean territory:

The trip began one could say when I managed to secure a spot with a tour which took people to the JSA (Joint Security Area located in what’s called Panmunjom) and not just to the DMZ. I did not want to see North Korea using binoculars; I wanted access to the famous split conference room. My Korean friend Dohee, who I was staying with, helped me to make some phone calls and we were asked to send over a copy of the biographical page of my passport. The strange thing was that I was allowed to go the following week, but Dohee was not. If she wanted to visit, she would have to apply way in advance and maybe be allowed to go after 3 months and on a day not chosen by herself, but assigned to her. We found it quite odd and wished to go together, but we decided I would go by myself. Going to just the DMZ was rather cheap, JSA was a lot more expensive. But as an International Relations nerd, I was willing to pay the price.

On the day of the tour, we had to get up at 6 am and left the apartment at 7. Dohee helped me to get to where the tour bus picked up from. The first stop was at the beginning of a tunnel. It’s the 3^rd Infiltration Tunnel, one of the many tunnels the South Koreans have found. This one was discovered in1978. North Korea is believed to have dug multiple tunnels to be able to attack Seoul. They deny it and claim the tunnels are connected to coal mines and points to coal dust on the wall as evidence. However, the walls have been painted with coal dust; it’s not natural. We first got to go into an exhibition hall and later watched a movie in the DMZ Theater. The movie explained the various forms the North Korean aggression has taken. We exited the theater and were asked to put on a hard hat and were allowed into the tunnel. At first I thought wearing a hat was a bit excessive, but the hat was actually necessary. The shorter, mostly Asian tourists, laughed many times when we Amazonian Europeans constantly hit our head on the tunnel ceiling. When you reach the end

At the gift shop

of the tunnel you are located 170 meters away from the North Korean border. Outside the tunnel there is a monument of unification and also a gift shop. Felt very weird that this is a tourist attraction. In the shop you could buy key chains that looked like various weapons, a piece of barbed wire from the border, figurines looking like North and South Korean soldiers and rice grown in the area, among many things. There were tons of tourist buses parked in the parking lot and there was actually an amusement park close by. I found it all very, very weird and a bit morbid that the atmosphere was so lively. The reason we were all there was because of a division of one country – which, to me, is a sad occurrence! We climbed onto the bus again and drove to Dora Observatory. The Ministry of Defense built this view point in 1986 and you can see for example the Kaesong Industrial Region (jointly run economic development – South Koreans get cheap labor and North Koreans earn an income). Visible is also a very tall flagpole with the North Korean flag. The South also has a flagpole by the border, but they stopped building it when it reached 100 meters. North Korea continued until the flag pole was 300 meters to prove

North Korean flagpole

they could do it better than the South. You can also see an impressive village with lots of grand buildings. This is all fake and everyone knows it. It’s built by the North Koreans to show just how rich the country is. Surreal. I got a picture with a South Korean solider who was patrolling the premises. The next stop was supposed to be the Dorasan train station where trains use to go to Pyongyang. We were not allowed inside the station because the military was there and I misunderstood it as we could not go into the conference room. I was so bummed!!! It was communicated very clearly that even though we paid a good amount of money for access to the conference room, if there were negotiations of any sort or military activity, this could be canceled and no money would be refunded. Completely understandable, but I was happy to learn that it was only the train station that was off limits.

The group split up and some had finished their tour then, totally crappy for them. The first part of the tour was a joke. We who were going into the JSA went with another bus to a lunch restaurant and were served bipimbap (rice, veggies, eggs etc) with side dishes. As Dohee had been such a great host and had explained to me what it all was, I enjoyed every piece of the meal. My travel companions, from France, Sweden, US, Hong Kong and Switzerland, did not enjoy the spicy flavors. I considered eating their meals too, but stopped myself, I really did not know them and I kind of wanted them to like me as we were going to enter into a potentially sticky situation together.

Now the real deal started. The security got strict! Earlier in the day we had to show our passport twice, but it was merely to show you had a passport in your possession. Now they checked your name and photo very closely many times. We were allowed inside Camp Bonifas which is the base camp for the United Nations Command Security Force. We signed a “Visitors Declaration” which started out saying: “the visit to the Joint Security Area at Panmunjom will entail the entrance into a hostile area and the possibility of injury or death as a direct result of enemy action.”  We had a briefing on how to act and watched many, many slides on a screen in a theater. There are many places in the JSA you are prohibited taking pictures of. We had an additional ID check and clothes check. If you were wearing torn jeans and they let you enter with that you may have your picture taken by the North and they will use it for propaganda saying the South is poor. So anyone wearing ripped jeans would be asked to change into clothes the bus carried for events like that. You were not allowed to wear slippers as you may have to run fast and need to wear closed-toe shoes. This was all communicated in an email sent out ahead of our trip, but checked upon arrival to Camp Bonifas. You had to have a badge on you at all times as you stand under UN command and protection. We switched buses and were now on an official UN bus and drove to the Freedom House. During this tour I learned there are farms and people living in the DMZ. They don't pay taxes, their houses are kept up by the South Korean government, their crops are sold at a high price and don't have to do military service. However, there are strict rules of who gets to live there. For example, you can’t have relatives in the North and you need to be inside your home a certain hour of the night. And oh, you can be attacked by the North at anytime as the two countries are technically still at war with each other. Anyway, we drove to Freedom House where families from the North and the South were planned to be reunited. This has never happened as the North worries people would defect.

The atmosphere got very tense and we were asked to line up and walked up a few stairs and out onto a platform. We were escorted by American soldiers the whole time. And there we were, facing the famous blue buildings and North Korea was merely meters away. It was such a surreal feeling. I felt the seriousness

The split conference table

in the air. We were allowed into the conference room and we had a group picture taken there. This was a bit weird to me and in the picture I look very serious. As it was rather crowded a few of us naturally took a few steps back. There was no shouting or such, but one of the American soldiers sternly said “You who are in the far corner of this room, you are right now on the territory of “the other side” (They never said North Korea).” The soldier continued: “You can be on that side, but be aware you are submitting yourself to increasing levels of danger the further you go. If “the other side” tries to pull you in, we will attempt to rescue you, but again, you are now on the territory of “the other side.” I didn't really understand first that I had entered the part of the room which was on North Korean soil. After years of reading about North Korea and this split conference room, I really thought we who entered the room from the South Korean side, would only be allowed in the South Korea part of the room. I should have understood that I was on the "other side" of the room, but the situation was tense so my brain functions slowed down. Hence, I was approximately 5 meters inside of North Korea! One would think that maybe it is just for show, all this talk about it being dangerous, but I am telling you, in that moment, you felt the seriousness.

A girl asked: “Can we take a picture with the North Korean soldier?” I seriously thought that was the dumbest thing I had ever heard. But it was actually allowed – after the American solider once again informed us about the danger about getting dragged into “the other side” and told us to never, ever touch or brush up against the solider. And really, the American solider misheard her and never corrected us, it was actually a South Korean solider standing there. In the midst of a very, very charged situation, our brains seemed to

By the door

malfunction. No amusement park feeling here. I handed my camera to a girl next to me and stepped up. Half of a meter to one meter between me and the solider. A meter to two meters to the infamous door where the North Korean army have access to the room. My brain told me they would never allow civilians to do this if it was dangerous. But suddenly my body decided to react. My heart started racing, pounding so hard that I heard my own heartbeats in my ears. I honestly don’t think that North Korea would ever plan to drag tourists across the border. However, if anything happens within the DMZ that day, if one would be so unlucky to be there that day, I am not too sure the tourists wouldn’t become pawns in this very weird and twisted game of “chicken.” Which side will blink first? For a second, I thought I may faint, something I have never done before.

As morbid as it sounds, I am very thankful for the experience. We exited the conference room and drove to “the Bridge of No Return” (where soldiers were brought to in 1953 and were given the choice to remain in the country of their captivity or go home. Once the decision was made, they were not allowed to change their minds). We also saw where the “Ax Murder Incident” took place where North Korean soldiers killed two Americans in 1976. The American soldiers were close to the Bridge of No Return to cut down a tree obstructing the view and North Korean soldiers attacked them. The North has another version of the incident. We were brought back to the location of the gift shop. It was less tacky than the other, but still carried some weird souvenirs. I bought some old North Korean money. After being counted again to make sure none of us defected into North Korea we were allowed back on the bus and drove back to Seoul. It only took about an hour and a half to drive from the most militarized zone in the world, located next to the most closed society on earth and back to one of the most advanced cities existing today. I have used the word “surreal” before in this blog post, but that is the most fitting word indeed. Next time I won’t be only 5 meters inside of North Korea. Next time I will enter via China and spend a few days inside the country. That’s my plan.

JEJU ISLAND - Korea

Tea museum/plantation

While in Korea, my friend Dohee and I took a side trip to the beautiful island of Jeju. It’s very popular among Koreans to go there for vacation and I felt kind of cool doing what locals do. Generally when I write travel related blog posts I try to refrain from a play by play account of my trip, but try to find themes and topics within my travels. However, when the trip is shorter I sometimes write a summary. So here is the account of our mini vacay in Jeju:

When I arrived in Seoul I landed at Incheon Airport, a grand international airport which has won multiple awards for being such a kickass airport. This time we used the older airport called Gimpo. We arrived a bit early and decided to eat something before our flight. I opted for bibimbap (bowl with rice, egg, veggies etc. which you blend with spicy pepper sauce). No pre-flight MacDonald’s here…just up my alley. Landed in Jeju and right away the island feel was prevalent. But as we journeyed inwards on the island with a bus it also felt like a fairly rural place. We got off the bus and walked to our hostel, or guesthouse as they say here. I was interested in seeing how a Korean hostel would look like after roughing it in various hostels mostly in Australia. Dohee and I got lucky and had a 6-bed room to ourselves. The hostel looked like it could belong anywhere in the world. Well maybe the communal slippers in the bathrooms were a bit different. 

We met up with a new friend, Hyngro from Coachsurfing (community where travelers can stay in each other’s homes around the world or just meet up to hang out) and the three of us hit it off. We shared a meal and great conversation. Later we went to the hot springs/public bath where the admission was included in Dohee’s and my fee for the hostel. In my previous blog post about Seoul (which was my last post, so check it out if you haven’t) I mentioned that people in Seoul did not look at me in the streets as much as in other Asian nations. But here at the public bath I received many curious stares from the ladies there. I guess we look a bit…different…well I am not shy so if it made them happy to learn how a Swedish woman looks like, be my guest :)

Boat to Udo

We returned to the public bath the next day and I treated myself to a back scrub, a scrub conducted by a nice Korean lady with salt and ended with flower water. Very nice experience indeed! Together with our new friend  Hyngro we then drove to a tea museum/plantation. I have visited one in Guilin in China before and it’s always an interesting experience. I bought Orchid Green Tea there and it was delicious. We drove across Jeju, being treated to many visions of tangerine groves along the way. The groves were everywhere on the island. We took the car with us on a ferry to Udo, a smaller island. On the ferry many people were feeding the seagulls by hand and it was so much fun watching the birds catch the shrimp flavored snacks from the passengers. It’s the small things in life, right? Udo was an interesting

Udo

place and had many nice beaches and small communities. I guess we came in the off season because it was a bit chilly, but it was a beautiful island indeed. The twists and turns were small and narrow alleyways were prevalent on the island and we ended up having a bit of a car accident. I must say I have never before seen two parties to a car accident be more polite to each other. Information was exchanged, cigarettes were smoked together and it all ended with hugs. Seriously this will stay with me forever. The world would be better off if everyone handled unfortunate situations like that.

Back on the main island we were on the hunt for a good fish restaurant. I mean it would not be so hard to find a restaurant offering that here on Jeju, but we wanted a good one. And boy did we strike gold.We had a feast consisting of the most beautiful silver and multicolored fishes I have ever seen. The taste was so delicate and we made wraps using sesame leaves (as you do a lot in Korean BBQ). The aromatic leaves created an explosion of flavors. The staff was very kind and thoroughly explained what we ate and gave suggestions on how to eat it. Often they made a little bundle with the leaves, fish and sauces and offered the first one to me, the clueless but appreciative foreigner. Sweet indeed. 

Full and happy we said our goodbyes to Hyngro and took a bus to another hostel which felt as if it was located in the middle of nowhere. We shared a cabin with two other girls and our spot to sleep was under a loft on a heated floor. Floor heating is common in Korea and holy cow, Dohee and I had to turn it down

Hostel

several time during the night because it was very effective. We were basically being fried like eggs right there! In the morning after we showered, we could dry our towels right on the heated floor. Bus time again and we ventured back to Jeju city where we met up with another couchsurfer called Solomon. We were going to spend the last night on the island sleeping at his apartment.  He showed us his place and gave us advice on where to go. We went to a beach called Iho Tewoo and watched surfers ride small waves there. Yes the waves were small, but very even and gave the surfers a great base. I was dying to join them but I have (as some of you know) not been able to surf in years due to my fear of sharks. We sat at a café and chilled for hours. It was so nice. Sitting watching the surfers, enjoying great coffee and talking with my best friend. Yeah it was heavenly. 

Back to the city and we visited a market. Later we met up with Solomon who brought us to a place to have “hangover soup”, a spicy soup which you put raw eggs in. We did not have a hangover, had in fact had no alcohol that day, but it was so yummy! A beer later and back to Solomon’s where we sat and talked the

Hangover soup

whole night. It’s very special when strangers connect like that. It truly felt as if we had known Solomon, and his roommate Colin, for years. When sunrise came and it was time for us to leave for the airport, it was strangely sad to say goodbye. Thank goodness for the internet and Facebook! 

At the airport I had to go in a special “foreigner’s” line. Totally okay by me, but different that it actually stated “foreigner”.  I mean passport queues often distinguish between US residents and EU citizens etc but it was just the sign and usage of the term “foreigner’s line” that made me giggle a bit. We took off and an hour later landed in the bustling city of Seoul after a great island adventure. 

The next day it was time for me to head north, to the North Korean border. More on that in the next blog post. Many thanks to Dohee again of course, and to Hyngro, Solomon and Colin, who made our time on Jeju so very memorable. 

SEOUL - Korea

View from Seoul Tower

As many of you know, when I travel, I love to hang with locals. My favorite thing, or one of my favorite things I should say, is to go for a stroll at the local supermarket. And yet again I was a very lucky vagabond and was allowed to really enjoy local life when I visited one of my best friends Dohee who lives in Seoul, South Korea. I departed Copenhagen and via Doha and Hong Kong, I made my way to the megacity that is Seoul. 

Before coming to Seoul I started, as I always do, to read up on the city and country. I must say I didn’t know that much. Seoul proved to be a fascinating place – a mixture of old traditions and forward thinking. I imagine the first thing people think about when they hear “South Korea” is high tech. And yes, wifi was prevalent in so many places. Most restaurants and bars gave out passwords for their internet. And speaking of restaurants, I think we shall start off with a discussion about food. I have had Korean food in the US, but that was before I met Dohee and nobody really explained to me what anything was. So I wrongly thought I didn’t really like Korean food. But after this trip, I LOVE it. I had made a list of things I wanted to try and Dohee was a great guide and eating companion. Overall, I feel Koreans have a very varied way of eating and therefore they get lots of different nutrients with each meal. I think they have cracked the code to healthy eating. I thoroughly enjoyed eating dinner at restaurants, but also the street food. My stomach is made of iron and I have yet (touch wood) to ever get sick while traveling. My immune system must be rather strong as I have eaten my fair share of suspicious looking meats and veggies. Korea delivered in a big way: I had

BBQ

bibimbap, kimchi, kimbap, etc…these names won’t really tell you anything unless you are familiar with Korean food, but I can say those dishes are delicious and well worth trying. Fermented foods, rice, meat, pickled radishes, cold noodles, black noodles, pork chops…Dohee’s mom was pleased to see I ate everything  that was offered and was also happy to see I could maneuver chopsticks. Although it’s a bit trickier to eat with chopsticks in Korea than in China as Korean chop sticks are made of metal and therefore more slippery than wooden ones. Dohee’s dad took us to a very local place and we had spine soup. Dohee was pretty sure no tourist had ever had that. I am so happy that Dohee and her family made sure I had all these different experiences. And what about those famous Korean BBQ places? Yes they were very cool to visit. Each tables had their little grill and you cooked various meats like pork, beef, chicken, prawns etc. on them. I asked Dohee and her friends if it ever happened that people got sick because of someone accidentally undercooking the meat. “No” seemed to be the collective answer, people just know how to do it in Korea as they frequent BBQ places so often. At the market there was an abundance of fruit and veggies and I ate persimmons (Sharon) fruit every day. Large and juicy, they were amazing!! Some things I ate brought me back to the days I worked for the Chinese government and used to frequent Asian stores a lot. Like buns filled with red bean paste. Those are my favorite and I kept buying them over and over while in Seoul. 

Makkoli tasting

So after all this talk about food, maybe it’s time to include a paragraph about drinks. Koreans are known to work hard and play hard. My second night in Seoul, Dohee and I did a makkoli tasting. Makkoli is rice wine and has a milky consistency. We decided that sesame flavor was the best, at least for that evening. We enjoyed the makkoli with pajeon, Korean-style pancakes, which became one of my favorite dishes while in Korea. And yes, during my time in Seoul I also had soju, a drink also containing rice. But for me it looked more like straight vodka and you consume it as such, doing shots. I brought back to Sweden the original kind and the most recent flavor on the market, pineapple. 

So did I do more than eat and drink in while Korea? Yes, but judging from my credit card statement, food was without a doubt the biggest expense I had while there. As it should be. Being with Dohee awarded me with many unique experiences and for that I am forever grateful. I was invited to attend a wedding along with her family. It was a beautiful ceremony with music (both in English and Korean), and the couple were dressed in Western wedding clothes. It was a very happy occasion and the groom walked down the aisle accompanied by enthusiastic clapping from the audience. Interesting fact is that the music in the background while he was walking was the graduation song we play in the US.  I did not know much to say so I bowed a lot and smiled, all to be respectful to Dohee’s relatives, many who were older. 

 

Dohee and I also took a drive out to the countryside (well Dohee said it’s more of suburb of Seoul) with two of her friends. It was absolutely beautiful to see the autumn colors and we had such a nice time hanging out. We walked around a park, and it was so nice to see Seoulians (residents of Seoul must be called this) escaping the city and enjoying the day. Dohee, her friends and I discussed many topics concerning similarities and differences between Koreans, Swedes and Americans. And speaking of Americans, seeing young American men with shaved heads at the bars makes you realize that there is definitely an American military presence in Korea. Or the young lads could just be English teachers, also in abundance in the capital.

Bukchon Hanok Village

Dohee took me to an old fashion village within the city walls, Bukchon Hanok Village. Here the visitors could see houses built in a traditional style. It was so nice to just stroll around the area and there were many art galleries present. When looking for a point to take photos of the surroundings from we found ourselves above a rooftop bar/café. The mission at hand immediately became to find how we could get to that very place. We located the place rather easily and then chilled there for hours. This is exactly what I like to do – do some tourist stuff, explore and then sit with a nice beverage (mine was an iced matcha green tea) and just BE. 

My favorite part of the city was probably the area called Hongdae. Many young people, restaurants and bars were there. If I would settled in Seoul, Hongdae would probably be the place I would live. Most foreigners stay in Itaewon, also pretty cool, but did not feel very Korean and I was there to experience Korea, right? However, when I was in Itaewon, it was one of the few times I was not the only Western looking person in the crowd. Every day I was the only one riding the bus or subway etc. I felt Koreans did

Hongdae

not look at me as intensely (or at all) as in some other Asian nations I have been to. Except when I went to the public spas. That generated quite a few stares. We went to a public bath place in Jeju island (a side trip wish will be covered in another blog post) and I also went with Dohee’s family my last night in Korea. The one in Seoul had various saunas with different temperature and atmospheres (some were designed to look like you sat inside a beehive and some had small pink rocks and sheets where you could lay down). 

My last weekend was spent doing the touristic things such as visiting the impressive Gyeongbokgung Palace and Seoul Tower. I am an idiot when it comes to public transport, but Seoul subway rocks and with Dohee’s explanations it was easy to get around on my own.  I made sure to get to the Palace when the changing of the guards took place. It was a fantastic show with bright colors, flags and men with impressive facial hair. I also went up the Seoul Tower. Dohee and I went to the

Gyeongbokgung Palace

tower my second day in Seoul, but it was very foggy (or smoggy) that day. But we did see that people put locks on the fences here, just like on the bridge in Paris. When I came the second time the sky was bright

blue and I paid to get to the top. I think this was the moment when it finally hit me: Seoul is a MEGA city! Skyscrapers sprawling out for miles and miles (or kilometers and kilometers for you non-American). But as I have hinted at before, I like to do some tourist stuff and then just BE. I took the bus back to the Palace and spend the next hour so watching a Taekwondo show that just happened to take place. And here we are…ending on not a tourist’s thing, but an event I kind of fell into. And that’s how I like to roll. Plan a few things, but I am happiest, as I said, when I get to hang with locals, walking the aisles of the local supermarkets and eating lots and lots of local food. 

Massive THANK YOU to my Dohee who graciously hosted me. Also thank you to her family and friends who made me feel so very welcomed. The highlight of the trip was obviously being able to spend time with my best friend. 

The next two blog posts will cover the side trip Dohee and I took to Jeju Island and also the trip I made up to the infamous DMZ - Demilitarized Zone, and the border to North Korea. 

Hippie at Heart

At work I wear a dark suit everyday and I absolutely LOVE it. I love how it looks and how wearing it makes me feel. I am however realizing that I am a hippie. And I always have been. And I am okay with that. I can be a smart hippie businesswoman. And honestly, I am saying “hippie” in a cheeky way. What I really should say is that I am a “seeker.” And I don’t mean that Harry Potter and I are playing the same position in Quidditch teams. Oh man, another pop culture reference?! Usually I get a bit of Disney in my posts, but Harry Potter? Oh well. What I mean is that I am very open to new experiences of life. I crave learning so that I can better myself.  I feel it’s beneficial to be multifaceted, I mean to have many sides to oneself. But I have often referred to myself as a hippie so I will go with that term here. And my hippie-ness has definitely increased with my exposure to many different cultures via my world travels, even though I was always raised to be open-minded. Signs that tipped me off that I am a bona fide hippie:

Incense, I LOVE the smell of incense. I love going into yoga studios around the world and be welcomed by this, to me, exotic smell. In a previous blog post I wrote about one of the first times I went into a Buddhist temple, it was in Hong Kong, and the air was thick with incense.This experience was amazing to me and I felt so incredibly alive.

I use coconut oil for lotion and cooking (separate jars obviously), and in coffee. Yeah in coffee. Put a spoon of coconut oil in a blender and mix it with your coffee. It makes the coffee taste sweet without using sugar and it’s so good for your insides. It’s like a healthy version of a latte because the coffee comes out nice and frothy. I am always keen on figuring out natural beauty tips and tricks and have over the years put stuff like spirulina powder, raw honey and oatmeal on my face. I try to eat clean, but its also important to be careful with what you put on your body as it goes into your bloodstream. Ever read the backside of face creams etc? It’s terrifying how many unpronounceable ingredients they are crammed with.

Friends have at times asked me for “potions” to use when they have been feeling ill, thinking I had picked up on a few tips and tricks out in the world. I mean I am not a witch, but they are not wrong. Being exposed to different cultures has made me incorporating more seaweed into my diet and bee pollen to mention some stuff and these practices have helped my immune system I think.

I love essential oils and use them when I can. Sometimes I rub a bit of lavender oil on some pressure points for relaxation. Other times, when I want to create a nice scented atmosphere, I put a few drops of citrus oil in a container over a tea candle. This scent sends me back to a spa in the Dominican Republic as it was there I purchased the oil knowing I wanted to trigger that memory years later. I also love tea tree oil which is good for cuts and scrapes.

I love wearing malas (prayer beads) as jewelry. But I prefer the real kind and not some plastic crap you can buy in a cheap store. That kind of jewelry basically has no soul. (Can jewelry have a soul? Oh this got deep!) My favorite is made of real rudraksha beads (which are seeds) and created in Bali, a place where I am destined to travel to one of these days. I also have some malas from Wat Arun, a temple in Bangkok.

And speaking of Wat Arun, I still proudly wear the white bracelet a monk gave to me there around my left wrist. 12 months and counting! Yes it’s looking a bit tattered (make that VERY tattered) as I never take it off, but I will wear it until it falls off, as one should.

I love yoga and regard my yoga mats (yes plural) as some of my most prized possessions. And if one should feel this deep connection to possessions as a yogi, well that's a whole other discussion. All different kinds of yoga classes, such as classes incorporating singing mantras etc., intrigue me. I feel perfectly fine walking into a yoga class or meditation session anywhere in the world and not understand everything. It does not intimidate me one bit. Like taking a yoga class in Spanish with friends in Argentina. I find that people in these kinds of settings usually are friendly and will gently guide you to the correct action if you are lost. No need to have a common spoken language.

I have always been interested in the world’s many religions. Once representatives from Hare Krishna visited my High School. I came home raving about the experience. Pretty sure this made my parents a bit concerned that I would run off and not finish High School but hey, I am very glad my school gave me and my fellow students the opportunity. Years later I went with a friend, all dressed up in her Indian clothes, to a Hindu temple in St. Louis. It was an incredibly special moment for me and I am so thankful to my friend who treated me to this experience. The religion which always seems to be present in my life, and I have always been interested in, is Buddhism. I see it as a way of life, a philosophy, and not a religion per se. I have meditated alongside Buddhist monks on more than one occasion, both in St. Louis, USA and Bangkok, Thailand. While living in Sydney, Australia, I had the great privilege of attending a lecture by the Dalai Lama. This is one of the most important events in my whole life! I remember taking the day off from work, getting down to the venue (in Darling Harbour where I also lived) very early. The anticipation rose with each moment that brought me and the other participants closer to the time of the lecture. And we were not disappointed. He delivered some really profound teachings. And for the record, the Dalai Lama is a really, really funny dude!

I have recently started to dabble with meditation. Well I have for years, but I am more determined now than ever to practice it. I figured I got the whole “exercising my physical body” down, and has even served as a personal trainer for many friends, so why not cultivate a strong mind? Still at times I am planning what I shall eat after the session whilst I should be focusing on my breath, but hey, baby steps. I have had yoga teachers come up to me after class, put their arm around me and gently say: “So sweetheart, will it be pasta or salad?” And all along I thought I looked like a serene little angel meditating away. They just knew me too well. But I am willing to keep practicing. The keyword is practicing.

I have had a strong urge to burn sage whenever I have moved houses to clean out…eh…spirits?!...but I have never done it. Last year I wanted to in my apartment, well my sister’s apartment. Sister said no. I am not sure I pitched the practice to her the right way. When I moved into my own apartment I had planned to burn some sage before I put the first furniture in. Sadly to say, I kind of forgot. Realism won over utopianism. Had to be practical and actually focus on getting the furniture in order on the day I was off from work. Ideally I would have gone and located some sage, but no time for that. Needed to be practical.

On another practical note, I was vegan for 6 months when I was fifteen. Had no clue about food and where to get the nutrients from so it was a bad idea. Or I executed it badly I should say. I like meat, but I do believe my body and mind thrives on a plant based diet. I am a carnivore though, but I am consciously eating less and less meat. The other week I consumed large amounts of red meat during 4 days after basically only eating vegetarian for 2 weeks and my body went into full-blown yuck mode. So for me, personally, a little red meat is fine, but only now and then. And not to get preachy, but the world would benefit greatly from more people eating less meat. Just throwing it out there…

So there, I am and have probably always been a hippie. But I don't think that's a bad thing. Life is suppose to be yin and yang and balanced. So I will be a hippie at heart, dressed in a sharp black suit, wearing red-hot lipstick.