abbypblog

[abbypblog]

Thank you, and good night.

I suppose this will be my last post on here...

All good things must come to an end after all, but that doesn’t mean I’ll forget. Looking back, I first signed up on this site well before 2009. That’s ten years ago now... Bro. It’s been fun and Tumblr was a place I spent a lot of my time on (hello, Avatar fandom), especially during my years of depression and discovering who I was and what I wanted to do in life. So I am thankful for that.

My blogging days had started even earlier on with Xanga and other blogging sites, as I’m sure is the case for quite a number of you. Writing has always been a big part of how I express myself, how I comfort myself, and I will always be thankful for it. What I struggled articulating verbally, I could easily make flow with a pen or a keyboard.

In the last few years I’ve found myself engulfed with other endeavors: full-time work as an English teacher in South Korea, creating video content on Youtube, traveling, studying languages, playing competitive volleyball, attempting to increase gainz at the gym, cosplaying (still) here and there, dabbling back into music, and being a mother to my two lovely cats. And this is when I’m not taking my four hour naps, or just lounging around trying to catch up on reading, gaming on my new Nintendo Switch, or trying to spend some quality time with loved ones. Yes, I know what you’re thinking: “Ooookay, Abby. You try-hard.”

Yeah, you’re right though. I am a try-hard, and I’ve always been. I’m that person who has to complete every single side quest and explore underneath every single rock when playing The Legend of Zelda, or any other video game. I’m that little girl in P.E. class who wanted to have the fastest mile times, highest amount of pull-ups and sit-ups, and felt a sense of pride every time I was picked first by a team leader to be on their side. And if you were on my team, the one thing I’d say to you would be, “We’re gonna be the team that wins”. I honestly found satisfaction in being “the best”, being “talented”, being something “special”, and the thing I wanted to avoid the most was being “normal”. Growing up, I knew what I liked and I knew what I was good at, so I passionately swam through the vast ocean of those hobbies and interests. 

But here is my problem: I want to do. Every. Thing. And be good at that thing, so I exhaust myself and thus, the frequent four hour naps and weekends-after-weekends spent at home become necessary to recharge and function. It’s a constant struggle to cut things out of my life to maintain some sanity and give myself more time. And this is why I’ve decided to leave my blogging days behind. I feel that I do enough sharing nowadays on my Youtube channel and social media, and I honestly don’t want more pressure to share my travel photos or cosplays on here.

Moving forward, will I continue to be try-hard Abby? Will I keep my time occupied with all the other activities I’ve listed above? The straight answer is: Yes. After many years and years of desperately trying to understand myself, forgive myself, and love myself, I can indubitably express to you now that this is the life I’ve decided to live so far. This is how I keep myself feeling fulfilled. This is me: ambitious, idealistic, enthusiastic (AY don’t get me wrong though...I know that when it’s time to chill, bruh I can chillllll).

It was so crucial and transformative to get to this point of understanding and love towards myself because it was only then that I could, ironically, start to move outside of myself and the dark thoughts in my head, and instead turn my attention outwards to face the world. It is vital for one’s well-being to do what gives them fulfillment. In addition and ultimately, however, the world we live in isn’t “my world”, but “our world”. Anything we do can possibly have some impact on others. Are some of the things we choose to do in some way helping someone else out, or contributing to some cause? I try to be mindful that even through some of my activities, such as creating video content, performing music, or cosplay, I’m contributing some of my talents to affect others even if it’s something as small as making them laugh or smile, or as big as providing them with inspiration or helping them learn something new (the latter can definitely be attributed to me be being a teacher, ha.. ha).

So this is my last blog that I leave you with, and my last message on here: love yourself and love others. You each have your own interests, talents, ideas, thoughts, brains, and hearts that you can be proud of and share with the world. So stand up for that, and don’t ever stop being your damn beautiful self, darling.

Thank you, and good night.

-Abby

#loveyourself #speakyourself #yeahididthat #BTS #lololol #cheese

[abbypblog]

NAGOYA, JAPAN - OCTOBER 2017

From one trip to another, my next destination was Nagoya, Japan with my friend, Angela. I took advantage of the long Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving) holiday we had this year, and went immediately from my Singapore trip, back to Korea at Incheon Airport to meet with Angela, and flew to Japan in the same day.

I was glad we chose to arrive in the evening so we could witness the beautiful Nagoya Castle lit up from our hotel window, The Westin Nagoya Castle. It was a bit of a travel from the airport - we had to take the train to Nagoya Station and taxi from there to the hotel since we missed the last shuttle bus.

And the castle view in the morning.

Of course, the first thing on our itinerary was to see the castle!

Such beautiful interior.

Me looking like some kind of ghost with my long black hair. >_>

Nagoya Castle is a samurai castle, so I was stoked seeing this samurai armor.

And katana!

You must get a shot with a golden Shachihoko, a mythical creature of Japanese folklore and a well-known symbol of Nagoya!

To and from the castle, there was a serene lake and picturesque streets.

I had to channel the Totoro vibes when I saw this bus stop.

And more Japan street shots!

Taking public transit to our next location!

It’s always a task figuring out Japanese lines, but I think we did better our second time around! (Mainly by Angela’s doing because she’s a smart girl, and my phone was being useless)

Next location, Osu Kannon Temple!

Going up.

After traditional sites, we went back to urban city life with the JR Central Towers.

And the Mode Gakuen Spiral Tower. Rainy day, as you can see.

Inside Oasis 21, where there were lots of stores, restaurants, and youths.

And a view of Nagoya TV Tower and Oasis 21 from the outside.

Just a couple things I bought from a Shonen Jump store in Oasis 21!

And this last and special section is dedicated to food:

Dinner during our first night, monjayaki!

Added okonomiyaki.

Didn’t realize this photo was blurry on my GoPro, oops. But Japanese vending machines are the best! Both of these drinks were bomb.

Green tea ice cream at Nagoya Castle.

Unagi Hitsumabushi, a famous specialty dish in Nagoya.

Melon bread with green tea ice cream.

Miso Katsu, another specialty dish in Nagoya.

And of course, had to bring these back with me.

At the airport I got super lucky with a Sailor Moon gashapon, hehe.

Thanks for looking! Check out my Nagoya vlog as well ^^

#japan #nagoya #nagoya japan #japan travel #travel #traveling japan #일본 #나고야 #things to do in nagoya #traveling nagoya

[abbypblog]

SINGAPORE - OCTOBER 2017

I went on my first solo trip EVER, and couldn’t have chosen a more safer, cleaner, and lovelier place than the Lion City.

This first photo I took is of the famed Marina Bay Sands, best known for its infinity pool. I didn’t stay here but I was able to see it during my visit to Gardens By The Bay (shown later). I feel this represents what a lot of Singapore looked like - a futuristic alien city filled with fantastic architecture and lush greens.

Whenever I travel, I usually book through Airbnb to find cheap, comfortable places with good reviews. But since this was my first solo trip, I wanted to make sure I was really comfortable, so for the first time, I booked a nice high-end (but not too high-end) hotel for myself. After some research and comparing different hotels, I decided to go with The Quincy Hotel. I felt it was fine to treat myself just this once, and I didn’t regret it. My room was the best room I’ve ever stayed in, and the service was wonderful.

This was the first time I’ve ever slept in a King bed. >_>

Beautiful bathroom and most importantly, super clean and comfortable.

Buffet breakfast at the hotel.

I met up with my Singaporean friend later in the day to have lunch at yes, a hawker center! Have to do it like the natives, right? 

This one had the longest line, so I went for it.

Had some Indonesian BBQ for dinner at a mall food court. Was delicious!

At night, I checked out Gardens By The Bay. A friend of mine who had traveled to Singapore before had recommended I see this attraction at night (thanks Sandy!). Though it was still super humid, the lights made for a spectacular sight.

The super trees were so surreal!

Unfortunately the Flower Dome was already closed so I’m making sure to check that out the next time I visit!

The next day, I visited Chinatown!

The Mid-Autumn Festival was going on at this time.

Checked out the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple.

Be careful when you enter! No shorts, skirts, hats, or bare shoulders - they have shawls outside to cover up beforehand.

It was nice that they allowed tourists to still enter even during the prayers. I felt it would’ve been a bit disturbing for them though, so I quickly took in the sights, snapped a few photos and left. The tooth relic was in the upper floor, however photo-taking was not allowed. Sorry!

Had a passion fruit juice to cool off.

Next temple was the Sri Mariamman Temple, a Hindu temple.

Before entering this temple, you must remove your shoes!

Isn’t it just so stunning?

Next location - the National Museum of Singapore.

This caught my eye in one of the exhibits. Love it! Culturally diverse Singapore.

I thought this was a really fun installation - a drive-in theater! Through the exhibits, I could really get an understanding of the rich history and culture of Singapore.

Took a dance class (which I haven’t done in literally YEARS) at STEP dance studio with my friend, Natalie. <3 Was a real treat to end the night.

Thank you for the fun class! Even danced with my injured wrist, lol.

The next morning, and my last full day in Singapore, I had Toast Box for breakfast! I wish I tried more things on their menu. T_T This was "Homemade Nasi Lemak" and Kaya Toast. SO good.

The last thing I did was go to the famous Singapore Zoo!

The zoo really felt like a rain forest. Plus it was raining this day too.

The zoo also had lots of animals I’ve never seen before, like this tree kangaroo!

And this pygmy hippo!

And tapirs!

Overall, Singapore has become one of my favorite places to travel. The efficient public transportation makes it easy to get around (LOVED the MRT) and its food, people, art, buildings, and culture make me want to visit again soon!

Lastly, check out my Singpaore vlog!

#singapore #travel #traveling #travels #traveling singapore #싱가포르

[abbypblog]

SEOUL COMIC CON / 코믹콘 서울

This was Seoul’s first Comic Con! My last con was two years ago at Seoul Comic World, and my last Comic Con was probably four years ago now (geez, time flies...). Was so good to be back with fellow nerds.

I purchased tickets online beforehand, and I guess since it was only its first year, it was SO much more convenient and cheaper than Comic Con tickets back home which have gotten so expensive and difficult to obtain due to the convention’s increasing popularity through the years.

The convention took place from August 4-6, 2017 at Coex. It was still quite a hot and humid summer day so I took a mental note that when I cosplay next year, I would just bring all of my stuff and change into cosplay on-site, in the air-conditioned building lol.

Upon walking into the exhibit hall, attendees were greeted with this adorable Baymax in a Spiderman suit!

Another favorite display - a giant Pharah!

Next up, all of the figurine photos I snapped:

Bet you can’t tell which fandoms I’m a part of...

Absolutely beautiful Card Captor Sakura figure!

D.Va!

Of course, the con was loaded with Overwatch goodies.

Super adorable chibi figures!

My favorite chibi figures - these Haikyuu bear mascots were too cute for words.

And of course, cosplay:

And one of the con highlights for me, meeting the Spiral Cats!

Lmao at the fangirly things I said to them: “저는 완전 팬입니다! 사랑합니다!” (I’m a total fan! I love you!). I won’t forget how nice and sweet they were, taking their time to sign, take photos, and speak with every person (they said my Korean was good T___T).

And that’s a wrap! Thanks for joining me for the first Seoul Comic Con, and see you next year! I’m planning to cosplay then too. Super excited!

If you know the cosplayers in the photos, please let me know so I can credit them!

Check out my Seoul Comic Con vlog too:

#seoul comic con #comic-con #comic con #seoul comic con cosplay #overwatch #overwatch cosplay #overwatch figures #spiral cats #spiral cats cosplay #코믹콘 #코믹콘서울 #코믹콘서울2017 #코스프레 #오버워치 #오버워치 코스프레 #스파이럴캣츠 #conventions #cons #south korea #korea

[abbypblog]

COSPLAY LIVE MAGAZINE FEATURE!

So honored to be interviewed and featured for Cosplay Live Magazine’s April issue! Thank you for the opportunity, Cosplay Live!

#cosplay #cosplay live #cosplay live magazine #avatar #league of legends #mirror's edge #korra #akali #faith connors

[abbypblog]

HAIKYUU COSPLAY - SHIMIZU KIYOKO & TANAKA SAEKO

Everyone’s favorite senpai and nee-san. I know a posted a couple photos of these cosplays before, but finally got ‘round to getting the rest of them up. Enjoy! (And anyone else just dying waiting for Season 4...? I MISS MY KARASUNOOOO)

#cosplay #haikyu #haikyuu #haikyuu! #Haikyū!! #haikyu cosplay #haikyuu cosplay #shimizu kiyoko #kiyoko san #kiyoko-san #shimizu kiyoko cosplay #tanaka saeko cosplay #saeko cosplay #kiyoko cosplay #Ryūnosuke Tanaka #karasuno #하이큐 #타나카사에코 #시미즈키요코 #코스프레 #카라스노 #田中冴子 #清水潔子 #コスプレ

[abbypblog]

VIETNAM - JANUARY 2017

It was my first time visiting this magical country. It was not only a nice vacation from work, but also from the harshly cold winter of South Korea. Thank you Vietnam, for letting me know what it feels like to be warm again.

My friend Sandy and I stayed in four different cities in Vietnam, starting off in the south and moving our way up north: Ho Chi Minh, Hoi An, Hue, and Hanoi.

Ho Chi Minh

We needed to exchange our money first, of course. I loved the colors of the Vietnamese Dong. $1 USD = 22,770 VND

Our first accommodation in Ho Chi Minh, the capital city of Vietnam, was this charming bookstore (Kafka Bookstore) that we booked through Airbnb. This was the first floor, and what you would see upon immediately entering. The rooms were up on the second and third floors.

The bookstore even had a little cafe.

Ordered myself a cinnamon milk tea!

There was a nice balcony area on the second floor as well.

Highly recommend this accommodation for anyone visiting Ho Chi Minh - clean, spacious rooms, great location, very helpful hosts, and it’s just so darn charming, I can’t even mention that enough. I may have even been in love with this place before I actually arrived (from seeing all the photos and reviews beforehand), and my love for it only grew more during our stay.

Vinh Trang Temple in My Tho.

Thought these lily pads looked so neat!

One of the coolest things we got to do was ride a boat along the Mekong Delta.

And, pose...

Hoi An

Our next stop was Hoi An, and I loved our accommodation here as well - very spacious and clean with stellar hosts. Highly recommended too!

Riding our bikes through the rice fields was another one of my favorite things to do here. So peaceful!

The roads and alleyways of Hoi An Ancient Town were like something from a storybook.

There were so many beautiful lanterns everywhere here.

The lanterns lit up at night were just as magical, perhaps even more as they were during the day.

We lit up our own water lanterns and made a wish as we let them float away.

Motorbikes eeeeverywhere here!

We ended our exploring with some delicious Vietnamese coffee after our dinner.

We also toured My Son Sanctuary, abandoned ruins of Hindu temples.

A mesmerizing dance performance.

It was time to make our way to the next city. We took the train!

Hue

Welcome to Hue, the old imperial capital city of Vietnam.

The Imperial City

Tomb of Tự Đức

This secluded resting place of the Nguyễn Emperor Tự Đức was another one of my favorite sites. There were barely any people when we went so I pleasantly enjoyed taking my time just admiring the architecture and beauty of this tranquil ground.

Hanoi

Hoàn Kiếm Lake

Some cute little Vietnamese babies.

Children happily playing.

Balloon sellers everywhere! Super hit with the kiddos.

These cards are also everywhere. So pretty!

I could literally sit and watch them do calligraphy for hours.

Temple of Literature, which was extremely crowded.

Caught a performance!

Ho Chi Minh Museum

Ho Chi Minh lookin’ like a god.

This next floor of the museum was really artsy fartsy and showcased a lot of abstract displays. This is just one of the many installations that was created as a representation of Ho Chi Minh’s life, thoughts, and dreams. I really appreciated the idea of this - an important historical figure’s life and mind being expressed through large, immersive, and impeccably crafted art installations. I would have easily spent another hour looking closely at all of it!

Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum

The next day, we set off on our tour of the famous Ha Long Bay!

The picturesque beauty of Ha Long Bay - I can see why it’s so famous.

Sandy and I! Thanks to our tour guide for snapping this shot of us!

The last thing we did was check out the performance at the Water Puppet Theater, which was surprisingly really popular. We came a little after 2pm hoping to buy tickets for a 3pm show, I think it was. However, there weren’t any seats left and we were barely able to get tickets for the very last show of the day which was at 8pm.

This water puppet show was so enchanting and mysterious that immediately after the show, many audience members just stood in front of the water stage staring for a good while, attempting to figure out how the puppets were able to perform everything they did.

And finally, this last section is dedicated to the food of Vietnam, because really, that deserves its own section:

Banh Mi in Ho Chi Minh.

Special banh mi from Madam Khanh - "Banh Mi Queen" in Hoi An. We actually were able to briefly witness the queen ourselves as she descended from the stairs looking absolutely regal.

Meat and veggies mixed with broken rice in Ho Chi Minh.

Bánh Khọt (I believe it’s called) in Ho Chi Minh

Bún Bò Huế in Hue

A delicious, authentic home cooked meal with our homestay mama!

Dragonfruit

Milk Apple (or Apple Milk?)

Riding motorbikes in the busy city of Ho Chi Minh.

A temple Sandy I found while roaming around Ancient Town!

Sandy got a cool shot of me taking my own shots, hehe.

I also wanted to mention that we traveled during Tet, or the Lunar New Year. Since the whole country is moving to go to their hometowns and be with their families, public transportation can be really full or completely booked, and the roads can be quite congested. So it’s best to plan and book everything ahead if you ever travel here during this time. We found it to be a very festive experience because of how energetic and cheerful the country seemed in celebration of their new year. I’d recommend it!

More of my travel photos are on my Flickr.

And my Vietnam video is finally finished!

#vietnam #travel #travel in vietnam #vietnam travel #ho chi minh #saigon #hoi an #hue #hanoi #ha long bay #my son sanctuary #water puppet theater #vietnamese food

[abbypblog]

BUSAN, KOREA (부산)

My friend and I spent our 2016 Chuseok (추석) holiday in Busan, the second largest city in South Korea known for its beaches and delicious food. This was actually my first time traveling here, and I quite enjoyed it!

My friend Angela and I spent most of our time here, at Gwangalli Beach (광안리해수욕장). Our accommodation was also close-by here.

The beautiful Gwangan Bridge (광안대교) at night when all the lights are on!

Of course, the famous Haeundae Beach (해운대해수욕장), probably the most touristy spot of Busan. To me, it was just alright. I honestly enjoyed the Gwangalli Beach area more because it was less crowded and in my opinion, more beautiful than Haeundae Beach.

Awkwardly striking poses from up here where you can see the beach down below.

We also checked out the department store, Shinsegae Centum City (신세계 센텀시티). Loved the interior design here. And apparently, this shopping complex is listed as the biggest in the world, according to the Guinness Book of World Records.

Striking more awkward poses...

This is a trend nowadays - fruit soda in a lightbulb container (don’t worry, it’s plastic)! I liked calling it simply “lightbulb drink”, lol.

Thank you for the memories! #Busan2016

Thanks for looking! More of my travel photos are on my Flickr.

Check out my Busan video for more:

#busan #gwangalli #haeundae #beach #south korea #korea #부산 #광안리 #해운대 #부산 여행 #korea travel #south korea travel

[abbypblog]

HAIKYUU!!

Wanted to celebrate the release of season 3 of Haikyuu with my Shimizu Kiyoko and Tanaka Saeko cosplays! How’d you all like the new episode?!

#cosplay #haikyu #haikyuu #haikyuu! #haikyū!! #haikyu cosplay #haikyuu cosplay #shimizu kiyoko #kiyoko san #kiyoko-san #shimizu kiyoko cosplay #tanaka saeko #tanaka saeko cosplay #saeko cosplay #kiyoko cosplay #haikyuu season 3 #haikyuu season three #清水潔子 #田中冴子 #ハイキュー!! #ハイキュー #하이큐 #타나카사에코 #시미즈키요코 #코스프레 #コスプレ

[abbypblog]

COSPLAY AMBASSADOR FOR KPOP COLLEGE!

I have been given the honor of being Kpop College’s “Cosplay Ambassador”!

Kpop College is an online virtual university that operates like a social networking site, providing resources for those interested in K-pop and Korean culture and language. They were also looking to expand in the cosplay department as well and I am grateful to have this opportunity. Thank you so much for this honor, Kpop College!!

#cosplay #kpop college #k-pop #kpop #cosplay in korea

[abbypblog]

K-POP CONCERTS

So far, I’ve been able to see Big Bang, Shinhwa, Girls’ Generation, and f(x)!

I’m going to apologize first off for the quality of my images, which were all taken on my camera phone. Security is usually very strict and they don’t allow photo-taking during the concerts so most of the time, I even had to sneak the shots...

Big Bang (빅뱅), MADE Tour - April 2015

There’s ma’ boys!

Again, apologies for crappy camera phone close-up pics but HI TOP!

Daesung! It was his birthday that day. ^^

Naked Taeyang for you, as usual.

Leader man, GD, and Seungri on the screen behind him!

Ever charming Seungri.

Post-concert. This is one for the books!

Shinhwa (신화), 17th Anniversary - August 2015

Didn’t take many shots at this concert, but I accompanied my friend Angela who is a big concert goer and loves her Shinhwa, hehe.

Hanging out at a cafe before the concert.

Yay!

Girls’ Generation (소녀시대), Phantasia  - November 2015

Can you see the girls? :)

f(x) (에프엑스), Dimension 4 Docking Station -  January 2016

You can see that each group has their own color.

My favorite moments were when the group members went out into the audience. My friend and I had some great seats up top that were directly in the aisle (you can see the railing bar in the photos above), so Victoria, Amber, Luna, and Krystal walked right in front of our eyes. It was surreal!

The next concerts on my must list are BTS (방탄소년단) and BoA (보아). I wasn’t able to get tickets for their most recently past concerts. T~T One day!

#korea #south korea #kpop #k-pop #big bang #shinhwa #girls generation #snsd #f(x) #빅뱅 #소녀시대 #신화 #에프엑스 #케이팝 #events

[abbypblog]

ULLEUNGDO & DOKDO, KOREA (울릉도 & 독도)

I had the fortunate opportunity to tour these stunningly picturesque islands over the summer, along with some other lucky teachers from the EPIK program.

Ulleungdo (울릉도)

We all met at the Pohang Ferry Terminal first, then took a ferry to the island of Ulleungdo. Made sure to take my seasickness medicine for the trip...

Arrived in Ulleungdo!

Many of the island’s residents work in the fishing industry. Seafood, especially squid, is famous here on Ulleungdo.

A little 할모니 (grandma) fishing for crabs, I think!

Our cute and lovely staff.

The amazing view from the balcony of our accommodation.

Snapping photo after photo. The island was just so beautiful! (Thank you to my friend Lauren who secretly took these photos of me taking photos, lol)

Just look at how clear that water is!

Just two seagulls having a little chat.

We also took a cable car for more sightseeing.

Dokdo (독도)

To get here, we had to take a ferry from Ulleungdo. Apparently we were lucky to have set foot on the small island because it’s supposed to be quite difficult to even dock the ferry due to the highly erratic weather conditions.

Nice (but very hot, sunny) weather. Lucky day for us!

I wish we had more time to comfortably roam the island, but the ferry schedule was quite tight. It felt like we were only there for about twenty minutes. 

My ever moving phone case slightly came in the shot to make for a weird filter, lol.

For those in the EPIK program that are ever approached by your co-teacher to sign up for this several day tour, I highly recommend you go through with it. As I mentioned, not even many native Koreans have the opportunity to visit these islands. It will be one of your most memorable experiences in Korea.

Thanks for looking! More of my travel photos are on my Flickr.

Be sure to check out my Ulleungdo/Dokdo video for more:

#korea #south korea #dokdo #ulleungdo #epik #독도 #울릉도

[abbypblog]

KUKKIWON & TAEKWONDO (국기원 세계태권도본부)

I started Taekwondo with my little brother when I was eight, and as we trained for years up until receiving my black belt, I would have never even thought I'd be at the home of the martial art I studied. This trip to the Kukkiwon meant a lot to me and was mainly dedicated to my instructor back home in the states, who told me to visit this place!

After taking the subway Line 2 to Gangnam station (exit 8) and walking for a bit (full directions here), you’ll be welcomed by this. Keep walking and you’ll eventually see the main Kukkiwon building.

Obligatory dorky shot!

The halls were lined with framed photos and historical information.

For all you martial artists, sure to check out the Mooto store near the Kukkiwon as well. I got myself a cool shirt and a few other small goodies!

A special thanks to my friend Andrew who showed me around. We even got to do some training together!

Check out my video for more:

#korea #south korea #taekwondo #kukkiwon #martial arts #국기원 #태권도

[abbypblog]

JEJU, KOREA (제주)

In June of this year, I had the opportunity to visit Korea’s largest and most popular island for travel. Fortunately my good friend Wish, who is originally from Jeju, graciously let me stay at her family’s beautiful home and took me around to see her favorite spots.

Woljeongri Beach (월정리해변)

Woljeongri Beach is lined with cafes. Some of you probably already know, but Korea has a huge cafe culture. When you’re here, feel free to visit whichever cafe tickles your fancy. We chose this one! (Though I give you my apologies for forgetting its name -_-) 

The next stop was the Swiss Village! (제주 조천 스위스마을)

Isn’t this place so charming? I just loved the design of the buildings and bursts of color everywhere. It was like something out of a storybook.

My friend, Wish!

Next stop was Camellia Hil (카멜리아힐), which was basically a huge garden with all kinds of beautiful plants and flowers. Just follow the path and let your senses take over.

It was raining quite a lot this day, but it did make for some fun shots!

Found a little hareubang (하르방)! These rock statues are very famous and exclusive figures to the island of Jeju. You’ll spot them everywhere here!

Dongmun Traditional Market (동문재래시장)

Found another hareubang!

Osulloc (오설록)

The green tea field at Osulloc.

I would definitely love to come back to Jeju again and explore more of what this beautiful island has to offer. Let me know if you’ve been and what your favorite spots were!

Thanks for looking! More of my travel photos are on my Flickr.

Be sure to also check out my Jeju trip video:

#korea #south korea #jeju #jejudo #jeju-do #jeju island

[abbypblog]

ULTRA KOREA 2016 (울트라코리아)

This was my first music festival in Korea and my first UMF event. Been wanting to attend even before I was in Korea! I was supposed to go last year but my work gave me a hard time because of the whole MERS scare. So this was the magical year, and I went hard, ya’ll.

The event was held at the Jamsil Sports Complex. You can get there by taking the subway Line 2. Get off at the Sports Complex (종합운동장).

G-Park, who is Park Myung Soo (박명수)! Hahahaha

Zion. T (자이언티)!

Really thankful for this group for letting me join. Initially, I actually went alone because I didn’t know a lot of people who were attending and I didn’t want to waste my upgraded 3-day ticket, especially after waiting for a whole ‘nother year to finally go. Thanks to my friend Michael Choe for reaching out last minute and linking me up with this fantastic squad. Good vibes all around! Had an amazing time dancing my pants off with all of you. <3

Unfortunately had to leave early on the third day so I missed Armin and Avicii, who I was looking forward to seeing the most... I did enjoy Axwell Λ Ingrosso, Florian Picasso, and Raiden’s sets the most, and found a love for Devarra and Dualist Inquiry. Always good to go around to different stages and discover new artists.

Ultra Korea, overall a great event - no crazy lines as I’ve experienced at other events, quick and simple security checks, quite organized, no issues with safety, had lockers to store your things, allowed my GoPro (woot!), and a good time all around. There were quite a lot of foreigners as well, which made the atmosphere feel like any other festival I attended back home in the states - hype as f*ck, haha. Oh, but, no drugs in Korea. Sorry, kids! Also, the subway may be closed if you don’t leave early enough, and finding a taxi afterwards might be a little difficult... So you could leave early before the event ends, or if you stay for the entirety of a final set, you could just chill until everything dies down, I suppose.

Finally, here’s my video so you can get more of a feel of the event:

See ya next year at Ultra Korea 2017!

#ultra #ultra korea #umf #umf korea #ultra music festival #korea #south korea #울트라코리아 #울트라뮤직페스티벌 #events

[abbypblog]

THE PHILIPPINES - JANUARY 2016

My last visit was in 2010. Six years go by quick! After my mom and sister’s Korea tour, the three of us left the very cold winter (wonder)land of the Morning Calm, to my tropical motherland of the Philippines where trips are always about getting in touch with my roots, spending time with loved ones, and devouring all of the best Filipino food one can handle.

I did mention food, right?

Of course, one must feast on the lechon (crispy fried pork).

Mang Inasal - I love this place!

A bagoong shop. Bagoong = fermented fish paste (or shrimp, krill, etc.)

Fort Ilocadia Private Beach (Laoag City, Ilocos Norte)

Going to Baguio to visit relatives!

Beautiful photo of my grandparents when they married.

Shopping with the sis, hehe.

Traditional female dresses.

Despite feeling feverish, I fought through so I could experience ziplining for the first time! We even made my mom do it! And she never wants to do it again, lol.

Thanks for looking! More of my travel photos are on my Flickr.

And check out more of my Philippines vlogs on my Youtube.

#philippines #travel

[abbypblog]

THEMED EXHIBITS & CAFES IN KOREA

If you’re a nerd like me or just looking for a pleasant time, Korea hosts a plethora of themed exhibits and cafes. I had the opportunity to attend a few of them so far.

Studio Ghibli Exhibit, Seoul *Ended*

I went with my friends during my first trip to Seoul!

The Spirited Away section was one of my favorite parts of the exhibit.

Totoro was my other favorite section!

When I looked in the hole, I saw a giant Totoro sleeping inside. So adorable!

Leaving our mark!

One Piece Exhibit, Seoul *Ended*

This exhibit was CRAZY amazing. There was so much to see and interact with that my fangirly heart had difficulty containing its excitement going from one thing to the next.

Harry Potter Cafe, “Hogsmeade”, Gyeongsan *Ongoing*

By far, one of my most favorite cafes I’ve visited in Korea (also because I just love Harry Potter so much). We went early in the day when it was pretty much empty, so I was able to comfortably take photo after photo and take my time exploring every nook and cranny of this cafe. I just loved all of the small details put into everything, from the cafe decor, to their adorable little “Hogsmeade” napkins. 

Don’t forget to try their butterbeer! We also got some desserts: tiramisu and a sort of apple tart with chocolate syrup and bananas on the side.

Doraemon Exhibit, Jeju (제주 미니랜드 특별전시장) *Ended*

I can’t say I’m a huge fan of Doraemon or anything (my younger students love him though!), but this exhibit was just as fun as any of the other exhibits I’ve attended.

This Doraemon army was incredible!

Check out my vlog channel for videos on these places!

#korea #south korea #studio ghibli #studio ghibli exhibit #one piece #one piece exhibit #harry potter cafe #harry potter cafe korea #harry potter #doraemon #doraemon exhibit