Bustling Bordeaux: There's Not Just Wine

Hello lovely people!

I'm here to make my first post on Bordeaux! I say first because I will be going back and it's the closest metropolitan city to me, so it's the only place I can go shopping properly without going TOO far.

I have technically been to Bordeaux three times now: when I first arrived in France, when I went for an interview, and then recently just to shop and walk around. I must say... I quite like the place.

Bordeaux is a great city in the South-western area of France and some of you may know about it because that region is absolutely famous for it's wine. However, Bordeaux it's not all vineyards and wineries. It is a large area that has many towns and the sprawling metropolitan city for which the region is aptly named.

The first time I went to Bordeaux I was just passing through the Gare St. Jean (train station) on my way to Biscarrosse so I have no pictures and did nothing particularly interesting. I will note that the train station is currently being redone though, and has been since before I arrived. The second time I went to Bordeaux was for an interview. I arrived at a local engineering department at one of Bordeaux's many universities before taking the metro to the centre ville (city center). Once I got to the city center, I thought "ahhhh... now this is a French city." Bordeaux is an old city. The entire city center is build in the classic French style that you see in movies about people who go to France (Paris) but it has it's own unique energy.

Bordeaux sees significantly less tourists than Paris, which makes it all the more attractive. On top of that, it's in the middle of autumn right now so there are not too many tourists at all these days, so I had the leisure to wander around the city. Before my interview I stopped by a local shop and bought some macarons because I had been craving some. When in France, right? I went to a cute cafe to have a bite to eat; crepes and some tea. After the interview, my friend Anna met me and we walked around Bordeaux to take pictures and see what was there. We ended up seeing a parking lot that did not look like a parking lot. It looked like a small park with lots of small trees. It was a parking lot. Wtf? Anyway, after that we came across an actual park and went there to sit in the sun and eat our macarons and chat. It was a lovely visit.

The most recent trip was made so that I can see more of the city. I traveled with two friends, Anna and Jessica. We ended up near a shopping district as well, which was great because I was looking for an orange shirt for work reasons and it was impossible to find in Biscarrosse. But before that, we ate lunch at an Indian restaurant not far from where we parked. It was legitimate and authentic. Thank you France. I also happened to walk right into the glass door as we left. Never happened before. I think there's a small bump on my head to be honest.

After leaving the restaurant, we took a street right in front of it and it was basically a straight shot to the shopping area, where we walked around. First we headed to the direction of a beautiful arch that ended up being at a plaza where two very different, but very interesting things were happening. First, there was a bazaar for used books. Can you imagine how hard I had to control myself not buy those books? It was painful. The second thing was there was a protest about the Turkish government. I love that people in France actively protest for their rights, even if it's not for France proper, but from a country they're affiliated with. Go France, keep on keeping on.

After we browsed some books, we went back into the shopping area and checked out some shops. We came across one shoe shop and went in because I wanted to buy a pair of tennis shoes (or trainers for the British people who might read this). I found a pair of black tennis shoes for 15 euros and went ahead and got them. It was a decent price and the shoes are comfortable enough. If they break I won't be heartbroken because you get what you pay for.

I also managed to find a super cute orange sweater! All I need is an orange t-shirt for the summer and then I'll be set. We walked around some more and went into a couple of thrift shops to check out what they had before getting some drinks at an Irish pub. We chilled with our drinks (I chose cider) before heading back up the street to the car and getting ready to leave Bordeaux. Anna and I both were ready to go on another adventure and Jessica had to head home for a dinner with her co-workers. But it was still a very good time.

If you want to see proof shots of my adventures, please check out my instagram, which is linked to the left in the column, as is my twitter. Follow both and you'll get sneak peaks of what I'll post next! Please follow by email if you don't want me on your feeds, and you can do so by signing up at the column to the left as well

instagram: @mochaventure
twitter: @mochaventure
e-mail: alydanchung@gmail.com (will make a separate account for mochaventure in the near future)

Exploring Bisca Waters

Hello darlings, I am back with another blog post!

Not long after I arrived in Biscarrosse, my roommate - Karen - also arrived, and we were invited to go check out the lake to the south of us with one of the teachers we work with at the Bisca Plage elementary school. Seeing as I don't go to lakes very often, I was pretty hyped about it. I mean, I don't swim but I'm all for fun in the sun. This lake was the smaller one, but it was still pretty big and stretched out pretty far.

The day was beautiful too, it was warm with a light cool breeze. At the lake, there's a boat club that people could join if they want to go sailing. I'm not a big fan of boats, but I thought that was cool. Also, in the summer, people can just sit on the lake beach (yes, this lake has a proper beach) and chill or have a picnic. I'm writing this in the middle of fall now so I can't go enjoy the full splendor of the lake, but it was soooo prettyyyyyy.

For those of you who didn't read my earlier posts about my journey to France, Biscarrosse is not only a lake town, it's a beach town. Yes. With rolling waves and bipolar currents. Biscarrosse Beach (Bisca Plage) is a 15-minute drive from where I live and it's quite a site to see. I came at the tail-end of the tourist season, so the beach was also clean as well. The thing about the beach is that it's really long. The sands expand out along the coast for a heft stretch, so it's possible to hike the beach if you so choose. Furthermore, Bisca Plage has so much to offer, particularly in the summer.

In the summer there are lots of events, the shops and restaurants are all open, and it's a sprawling vacation spot for the French. feel privileged, the average foreigner wouldn't think that a small town like this is actually famous within the borders of metropolitan France.

Like I said, it's autumn now so the scene is dead, but the location itself is very pretty. Just yesterday I went back to Bisca Plage to handle some bank stuff (that will be a different post, maybe a different page?) and I ended up exploring with my friend Anna. We also got great lunch at a decent price and discovered a great used book store. The book store is useless to people who don't read in French, but I just thought used book store lovers would appreciate the fact that there is one there. There are also cafes and restaurants that are open year-round rather than just in the summer, as is the post office and movie theater.

For more pictures of Bisca Lac and Bisca Plage, please check out the photo gallery tab.

Please check out my instagram (@mochaventure) and twitter (@mochaventure) for updates on my travels! They can give you a sneak peak of what I'll post next!

P.S.

I am currently raising money to go to graduate school. I was accepted in to Temple University, Japan Campus, but graduate school is expensive and even if I wasn't travelling (which is on a budget mind you) it would mean a bunch of loans. If you would like to help me go to graduate school to become an awesome English language teacher, please click on this link and contribute to my gofundme. I promise any donation will go to school fees first, then school books.

https://www.gofundme.com/alyssa-for-school 

Beginning Anew in Biscarrosse

After I arrived in Biscarrosse, the first thing I did the next morning was explore the town center. I live close to a car dealership, Cityhall, the local movie theater, the post office, the cellphone store, and pretty much close to everything I need to live. I walked around to look at local banks because I would need to open one myself. It occurred to me that I was very spoiled in Korea, where they walked us through opening a bank account, turned in the papers, and gave us each our cards individually. But my banking adventure will have to wait for another day. Biscarrosse is a small town, but it has all the basic necessities for living a fulfilled life.

In the morning, after I explored, I stopped by a local shop to pick up lunch before heading home and thinking of what to do next. I was in a new place where I didn't really know anyone. After eating lunch, I explored the town center more so that I knew where everything was. There was a retailer for Orange, the phone carrier that I used during my last stay in France, but they didn't have any options for service that I wanted. I'm only here for 7 months (6 now that it's November) so I need a service that's not locked into a plan. The phone store was only a minute's walk away from the Post Office, which is good because that means I don't have to go very far to send letters back home. I'm thinking of sending postcards to my loved ones, to be honest. I didn't do that previously and I think it'll be a good thing to do. But I digress.

I also discovered several fruit vendor stores nearby as well. France is a big supporter of local agriculture. And there's even a butcher shop, a rare sight in the US. It is, of course, cheaper to buy meat at the supermarket, but having a butcher shop nearby is a nice option if I want to have a fancy dinner (Thanksgiving is coming up...). Across the street from where I live is a store dedicated to school and office supplies and I recently just got to know the owner. It's a pretty nifty store to buy notebooks and other supplies and since France is big on things being handwritten, it's a big store. Also close by are several restaurants.

I managed to find a Chinese food place, a Vietnamese food place, and a Mexican food place. I haven't eaten at the Mexican place, but the others were alright. It's hard to get ethnic food outside if the US, and even in the US you have to look hard for the legitimate places (Panda Express is NOT legit, guys). Or have friends who come from different ethnicities. That works too.

After walking around the town center, I decided it would be a good idea to go grocery shopping. Eating out is expensive wherever you go, and I decided I want to get back into cooking more now that I actually have a kitchen. There are 2 supermarkets near where I live: Lidl and E.Leclerc. The one I went to that day was Lidl because it's less expensive, but I usually go to E.Leclerc because it has a larger selection. Both stores are about the same distance away from me, but Lidl is more of a straight shot from my apartment. I walked there, of course (about 16 minutes) and since i walked I was able to get a good look at the buildings and things around me.

There was a diner, which I found amusing (I'll definitely check it out with the other local language assistants soon) and there were a lot of private construction stores. In the US, a given neighborhood has houses that all look more or less the same, depending on how many rooms they are. In France, each house is unique. People looking to by a new home often look to build or remodel the home to fit their own tastes, and that's why I saw so many of this small construction stores. It's easier to customize if you have a limited number of clients. I also noticed that the small town of Biscarrosse has a branch of just about every bank France has to offer, which is great because I can think carefully about my choices.

I finally arrived at the Lidl, a decent sized supermarket, and saw it held the essentials, but not the full range of materials that I usually cook with. I promptly decided that the larger store, E.Leclerc, would be my main destination. However, I did find some nice decorative stickers that i used to make my home look a little less plain. After buying some materials I headed home to make myself some food and relax.

Each day after that for about 4 days I just explored Biscarrosse. I wanted to know what the layout was like. For more pictures, please go to the photo gallery.

Biscarrosse: Getting There

Hello everybody! I'm back with another post about my arrival in Biscarrosse! Unfortunately, I did not take any pictures because I was tired from all that travelling, but the next few posts after this will more than make up for it!

After my various incidents in Istanbul, I finally landed at Charles De Gaule's Terminal 1 on the outskirts of Paris. Now Terminal 1, the international terminal, is a giant round building and the center are escalators taking you to where you need to be. Everything is in a huge circle. If you walk around the circle it's easy to get around, but if you go through the center things can get pretty hairy.

The first thing I did was follow the signs and go through the TSA security checkpoint. For prople visiting France on holiday from America, U.S. citizens can actually enter France without a physical visa, just your passport, and stay for up to 90 days. This is because of a passport agreement among a large group of countries, including the U.S. and France. However, if you're like me and plan to stay longer, you need a specific visa. If you plan to laze around for 4+ months, you need a special travel visa. If you plan to work, you need a work visa. If you plan to go to school, you need a student visa. I have a work visa specifically for teaching part-time, and that is what I presented to the person at TSA. You show them your visa and the first page of your passport, they give you a stamp, and then you can collect your luggage.

Remember that I said that Terminal 1 is very confusing. Follow the direction signs as best as you can. Otherwise you WILL get confused. Anyway, I went to collect my luggage and then proceeded to get a taxi. Taxis in France are expensive, so I wouldn't recommend it unless you were in a hurry, like me. I knew that public transit wouldn't take me to where I needed to be on time so I opted for a taxi. Especially since my plane left late. If my plane were on time, I would have taken public transit. Anyway, as of now Parisian taxis have set fares from the airports depending on which side of the river you want to be on. For Charles de Gaulle, know that you will never pay over 55 euros. For Orly, know that you will never pay over 35 euros.

I took the taxi to Gare Montparnasse, which ended up being 55 euros, and then I proceeded to get my ticket. At la Gare Montparnasse, you buy your tickets on the second floor. I suggest you go to the left and go to the window if you are not confident you can handle a kiosk yourself. I went to a window because I also decided to buy a carte jeune, which is a discount card for young adults for trains in France and apparently it works in other countries like Italy too. Cool right?

After buying my ticket to Bordeaux (trains don't stop in my town), I only had about 15 minutes to find my platform and get on the train. But guess what? The train ended up being delayed too, but about 45 minutes. I was a bit upset when i realized I could have taken public transit to the train station, but it definitely is better safe than sorry. After the train finally arrived, it took me a while to find my car and seat. I was a bit confused because you are assigned a car and a seat, but it's not immediately obvious which car is which. Be sure to check near the doors, it'll tell you where you need to be.

The ride to Bordeaux was nice, I got to see the great French countryside. France is an advanced country but it still favors the countryside and old-world feel in general. About 3 hours later I arrived in Bordeaux, where I had to transfer to a local train that took me to a town relatively close to where I needed to be. The wait time was about half an hour. The ride itself was about 20 minutes. When I arrived, I was dismayed to find I had to lug my luggage down some stairs, under the tracks, and back up some stairs. I had been dealing with it all day and I was pretty wiped out. I had got to the second set of stairs when Florent Dubois, my contact person and the person who helped with my lodging, came and greeted me. He helped me get my luggage up the stairs, out of the station and into his car so we could drive to Biscarrosse. Thank you, Florent, you are a gem.

The ride into Biscarrosse took my by 2 of the schools I would be teaching at, and Florent was sure to point them out to me. The entire conversation was in French too. I didn't know I remembered so much French, but I guess it really is true that I'm fluent. I can hold my own in conversations and if I don't know a word, an explanation in French definitely works well. Anyway, Florent asked me if I had eaten (which I hadn't) and took me to the local Micky D's so I could get some food in my stomach before finally arriving at my humble abode from which I am writing this post. He handed me the keys and showed me how everything works, and then left me to my devices.

I unpacked at that moment and then showered after a long journey, and got ready for bed. If you want to see pictures of my apartment interior, please check out the photo gallery. I won't take pictures of the outside because I don't want creepers showing up on my door.

Cheers~~~

Instagram: @mochaventure

Incidents in Istanbul

Hello all! I'm back with another post about my journey to France. I left San Francisco on September 20th via Turkish Airlines and I landed in Istanbul on September 21st. Now, I was only in Istanbul for a hot minute (one night) but I'll tell you my impression so far. Istanbul can be charming, but I didn't really see it, to be quite honest.

WARNING: This post is rather critical in a negative sense and in no way reflects the entire culture and city. I intend to go back and get a better sense of what being there is like, so don't take my words to be 100% fact.

First off, I had a 16 hour layover, which is why I ended up booking a hotel there via Airbnb (my go-to for these short stays). Furthermore, because my layover was over 10 hours, the airport wouldn't hold my luggage. I had to either put it in a locker or take it with me. According to the airport map there are 4 places I could leave my luggage. Don't be fooled, there are only two: there's a luggage locker in the arrivals area of the International terminal and there's one in the arrivals of the domestic terminal. I searched up and down for the lockers in the departures terminal because it would make my life easier if I can just go get them and then check in, but nope. Furthermore, it's on the far end of the international terminal.

Ataturk airport isn't really that confusing, thank goodness, so I was able to find my way easily enough. Before I could get my stuff from the turnstile, I had to pass through customs. i was mentally freaking out because I was only staying for one night, but I didn't have a visa and Turkey isn't a country where Americans can just go to like France or Japan (I'll make a post about visas later). It completely slipped my mind that I may actually need a visa to get out of there. However, there is a solution. Inside the airport you can buy a visa sticker for about $25. Really. I'm not lying. It's near the customs line. They have kiosks and a desk. I would suggest going to the desk if it's open, it's easier.

The interesting thing though, I was already in line for customs before that and it hit me that I probably had to get that visa. First I tried to ask one of the airport staff who spoke English, but he just said I was in the right line. Obviously he was wrong. I asked an American who had visited Turkey before and she said I needed to get that visa and she told me where to go. So nice of her.

So after I got my visa and got my stamp and passed through customs, I went to go get my luggage and then I went to lock it up. Then I went down below to catch the subway to my hotel. The hotel was only 2 stops away from the airport, a stop called Yenibosna, and the hotel was only about 200 meters away from that stop. Not far at all. I could walk. However, my contact at the hotel told me to take a taxi and call him to give the address to the taxi driver. WTF? Why would I do that when it's only about 15 minutes walking? Anyway, I did what he said, but the guy didn't pick up the phone so I ended up wasting 10 lira.

I tried calling him again and he told me to put a Turkish person on the phone so they can tell me how to get there. WHY NOT JUST GIVE ME THE ADDRESS? I asked him for it but it took a while to send it. He insisted that people there speak English and I'm sure they do, but people are terrified of speaking English to a native speaker out of the blue. And I didn't want to give my phone to some random person. I was about ready to return to the airport, to be honest. I was annoyed and it was getting late. I told him so. Finally, when I got the airport, I just walked to the hotel because it wasn't far. That would have been a lot easier then trying to convince me to take a taxi.

The hotel itself was alright. It was better than I expected for the $40 I paid for it. It also came with free wifi. I'm glad I ended up there because I could take a shower and be all fresh for the next flight. The next morning the person at the counter asked if I needed a taxi and I said no, I can walk (cuz I can) and I did. I made it to the airport with no further problems.

However, when I arrived, I couldn't find my flight. I when to the help counter for Turkish airlines only to find that my flight had been cancelled. And they didn't notify me. What? How can you not tell someone who bought a ticket that their flight was cancelled? I didn't really mind that my flight was cancelled. Shit happens. They would've put me on another flight anyway. My issue was that they didn't notify me AT ALL that it was cancelled. That just isn't professional in my opinion. I know that our cultures are different, but it would be common sense to notify a paying customer that their product can't be delivered. I know that my ticket was really cheap, but there are some things that should be a given.

I had to options: wait 2 days for another flight to Bordeaux, or fly to Paris and take a train to where I needed to be. I ended up choosing the flight to Paris because after calculating things, both options would cost me the same amount of money. It was either spend 100 on 2 more nights in a hotel, or spend 100 on transportation. It didn't really change much of anything. Besides, I'd rather be stuck in a country where I spoke the language

After changing my flight I got my bags checked in. My flight was going to be 4 hours later, so they didn't have my gate ready yet. All I could do was wait in the airport. I got a bite to eat and when my gate was announced, I headed to my waiting area. After waiting and boarding at last, one more thing happened that wasn't the fault of the airline. They had nothing to do with it. Anyway, a passenger ended up having a medical emergency just after the plane was fully boarded and she had to be evacuated, and then the crew had to go and find her family members (2 people) and escort them off the plane, and then they had to grab their luggage from the cabin and from the luggage compartment down below. It took quite some time to sort everything out and so we ended up leaving about an hour late.

After we finally took off I relaxed because I was finally on my way. All in all, I think my usually zero luck decided to take a turn for bad luck for a brief 24 hours. I don't know what happened, but my experience wasn't positive. I sincerely hope it's an isolated incident. However, this makes me wary of flying Turkish Airlines, even if it is extremely cheap. But hey, you get what you pay for.

Under the Seattle Skyline

Today's post is about a one-day adventure in Seattle when I had time before a previously planned engagement.

Today we will talk about one of the most iconic landmarks in Seattle, the Space Needle! It's right in the heart of Seattle and actually quite easy to get to by car and by public transit. But if you go by car you'll have to deal with big city parking (meaning you can't find a place to park).  Anyway, the Space Needle is cool because you can get a great look at Seattle's skyline. I didn't go up this time around (wasn't my first trip to the place) because the line to the top was actually pretty long for a Sunday. We didn't want to deal with the line and the price, especially me because I had already done it before.

 (sorry, can't rotate it atm..)

However the space needle has a lovely gift shop with stuff that isn't ridiculously overpriced. It's still overpriced, but reasonably if you're not on a tight budget as well. The space needle also has a cafe to check out after looking at the skyline and especially after you spend a while waiting in that line. I suggest you go in a group so someone can go get refreshments and food from the cafe if you want to go up to the top.

Speaking of, the entrance to the elevator that will take you up to the top of the space needle is on the second level. Just follow the line of people. Do not enter through the ground floor, that takes people to the exit elevator, the cafe, and the gift shop.

Also, for you pokemon GO players, the place is a great to catch a bunch of pokemon. I was upset that I didn't get to catch that starme, but I got a lot of pokemon before I got worried about my phone battery.

All in all, I'd say the Space Needle is a great place to visit if you're in Seattle. Just get there early to avoid that line!

For more pictures please check out the photo gallery and my instagram @mochaventure

A Sunbathing Sundial: The Bridge at Turtle Bay

Hello! And I'm back at it again with another post! I didn't advertise it, but check out my post about SacAnime. If you're into anime conventions. Moving on.

This post will be about a special place called Redding, CA. What? Another city... in California? THERE ARE MORE? Yes, lovelies, California is a big place and it has a lot of interesting things to see. This time, I will be introducing the Sundial Bridge at Redding's Turtle Bay Exploration Park. Now, why would I introduce the bridge and not Turtle Bay? As cute as turtles are, Sundial Bridge is unique in that it is actually a sundial. That's right. The bridge itself is a sundial!

For those who don't know, a sundial is a simple device used to tell time and one of the earliest clocks known to man. It can be used in the dirt or you can have a fancy one made. It involves a stick in the ground, a flat surface, and the shadow that the sun makes. From there you can calculate the time it takes for the shadow to move and mark time increments, and there you have a sundial. If you're ever lost in the wild and need to know what time it is, a sundial is a good way to know. It also tells you what direction is which as the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. Nifty, right?

The look of the bridge itself is unique. Construction first started around 1999 and opened in 2004 because construction is time-consuming and in many places in the US things take forever to get built. No, really, some things can take a really long time to get built.

The Sundial Bridge is a walking bride. No cars. Bikes and skateboards are okay. But it's a pretty nice bridge with white paint and the flooring seems to be made of an extremely strong glass and metal. But it's not see-through and even if it was, the bridge isn't high, so no need to fear!

When you see the bridge, you see a single tall, pointed tower that sits on the far end of the park entrance. This tower supports the suspension cables but also serves as the tower needed to tell time, the tower of the sundial. Once you cross the bridge, there's grass, and across the grass is a low cemented fence between the grass the grass and the dirt. This is the part used to tell what time it is.

The bridge itself is amazing to see, but watching the shadow move and knowing the accuracy of the time is amazing. In a world of technology where people rely on cell phones and watched to survive, knowing what a sundial is and how to use one is a neat thing. It blows my mind how people think of these things.

Please check out my instagram @mochaventure for the proof I was there and please check out the photo gallery for more pictures of this breath-taking bridge and it's views.

Cheers~!

SacAnime: A Weekend in Another World

Hello readers! I am back for another post about Sacramento, CA.

Sacramento happens to be home to an up and rising convention called SacAnime. If you didn't know or couldn't guess (but I bet you're all bright cookies), SacAnime is an anime convention that happens in Sacramento every year. Recently, it's gotten pretty big. Let's start with some history.

SacAnime started over 10 years ago and it was originally at a tiny little venue at the Scottish Rights Center in the downtown area. It was really small, but quickly garnered a group of loyal convention-goers. It moved from the Scottish-rights center to the Radisson for a short time because the convention had gotten bigger and more popular. All sorts of characters (literally and figuratively) started showing up decked out in their cosplays. Finally, it moved to the Sacramento Convention center, where originally it was in just one hall before expanding to take up most a good chunk of the convention center like it did the weekend of September 3rd 2016. When I attended an anime convention for the first time.

That's right, my first anime convention! But I didn't attend as a simple cosplayer checking out all the panels and buying goodies. I was actually a staff member this time! A friend of mine named Allison messaged me and asked if I had any plans and then offered the position so that we can hang out (it had been a really long time since we last saw each other) when we weren't working. Of course, I took her up on the offer and decided to stay at her place for the weekend. It was really nice seeing her family again, too.

But this post isn't about working SacAnime, it's about what you can see. SacAnime is great because it's a relatively cheap convention, but it has all the nice bells and whistles. You can pay for a weekend pass, a daily pass, or a VIP pass. All the passes get you into all the rooms, but the daily ones only get you in for the specified day (and trust me, we DO check if it's the right pass). At SacAnime, you get to sit in on panels from voice actors, animators, artists, actual actors, and so much more. You can also ask questions at these panels and interact with the guests.

The Vendor's hall is overrun with art, memorabilia, and collectibles that you can buy. Some of it can be authentic, some of it is fan-made, but none of it is sub-par. You can look around and most definitely find something you want. So remember to bring a lot of cash, because it's hard not to by anything there. Be it art, clothes, or that cute little Pokemon plush. I have a friend who does amazing artwork who I met again at the vendor's hall as she was selling her wares there! Tuyet is an amazing artist and if you're interested, here's her website: http://www.snowgemart.com/

Then there are the people. It's no secret that conventions are home to cosplayers, people who dress up as their favorite characters. When people dress for SacAnime, they dress to kill (I'm talking about that Johnny Cage I met). People pull out all the stops when they dress up because they can. It's a place where you can be yourself whether you are dressed up or whether you are dressed in your daily wear. It's all groovy. It's a good place to meet like-minded people. Here's a link to Allison's instagram to see the most imaginative cosplay we've seen: https://www.instagram.com/p/BJ8v_IkjvrO/

However, all havens have certain rules. In anime conventions, they strongly discourage any real weapons and any objectification based on cosplay choice. Also, it's best to avoid conflict wherever possible. Furthermore, do not take pictures of cosplayers or people at the panels without their permission. Some of them (definitely the panelists) may be professionals who get paid for what they do. Lastly, do not post anything without the permission f the picture's subject. Basically, don't violate anyone's human rights. We are all people and we are all equal, spread love and respect.

Anyway, SacAnime happend twice a year, once in the summer and once in the summer, usually during summer or winter break. It's easy to look up when it is online. If you are in the area when it happens, definitely stop by. You won't regret it.

For requests on places to visit and more info, please subscribe to this blog and you'll get all the updates.

For more pictures of my adventures please check out the photo gallery. Also, for proof that I was there please check out the instagrams below (I suck at photoshop, okay?)

My instagram: Mochaventure
Allison's instagram: dareu2walk
Tuyet's instagram: snowgem.art
SacAnime's instagram: sacanimeofficial

The Old West: Old Sacramento

When you think of California, most people really only think of two cities: San Francisco and Los Angeles. Unless, of course, you're from California. Of course, we all (should) be aware that California is WAY too big to have just two cities, however large they may be. And if we all paid attention in 7th grade history, you'd definitely know about Sacramento, California.

Sacramento is the Capitol city of California and is where the governor and our state's legislature is, handling all of our business and things. But it's no just a town for politics. Not far from the State Capitol building is a nifty little area called Old Sacramento. And Old Sacramento is the remnants of the old western town that Sacramento used to be.

Old Sacramento is right by the brand new stadium that was recently completed and you can walk right into it via the underpass under the freeway. The underpass itself is one long mural project showcasing pivotal points in Sacramento's history. Walking along the underpass you can see the vibrant town and history that Sacramento has. At least, the American history. Perhaps in the future it can present the history if the indigenous peoples as well.

When you come out from under the underpass you see the sign and the off-white wood buildings that make up old Sacramento. To the left you'll find Super Silver, a place to buy silver jewelry and trinkets. I have more than a few rings from there. Keep going along the main street and you find Evangeline's. This is a cool place. Evangeline's has a lot of things for multiple purposes like masks for masquerades and neat little trinkets to decorate your room or (wo)man cave. And it's Halloween costume store is amazing, you can find entire costumes or you can piece things together.

Another neat place to visit is Ology, which is also on the main street, and Ology is a great place to find unrefined stones and gems as well as minerals that most people wouldn't think about. The minerals there have a calming effect and can be used for multiple purposes, all outlined on the displays. They can be decorative, therapeutic, or if you want you can throw them at people (but that would be a waste of your money). Ology tends to spend pretty nice, too.

A place the sweet-tooth bearer HAS to visit is Candy Heaven. The name says it all. You can get practically any kind of U.S. made candy there including a 5lb slab of chocolate. It's a dangerous taste for those who love sweets. There are literal buckets upon buckets of different kinds of candies that are begging you to spend your money. Be careful, young traveler.

Old Sacramento sits right on the Sacramento river, and behind Candy heaven you can see the old dock and the river. If you walk along the river, you can find places to go down and sit by the water, the best thing to do on a warm summer's day. I also recommend taking photos because the waters , trees and reflected sunlight make a beautiful background for selfies and profile shots.

For more pictures of Old Sacramento, please refer to the photo gallery. I promise you'll find something you like.

Cheers~~

Preparing for France: Pack Your Bags!

I've made several packing posts already, mostly for going to South Korea. However, I realize packing for my job in France and for Korea are both different. I also wanted to tell you all that you should pack differently according to your region and your school. So this post will have 2 main parts: packing for your region, and packing for your school. This post is focused on minimalist packing mostly because I had a back-breaking experience with 2 large luggage pieces, my back-pack, and a carry-on when I left Korea. It's hard to move all of that by myself, so I'm sticking to 1 large luggage, a carry-on, and my backpack. If you want to pack more, feel free. More power to you.

Schools are all different and they all have their own culture. Basically, you should always ask your school what is appropriate to wear before you go, and if you don't I'd go with business casual clothes to be on the safe side. Also, one needs to take into account the general weather where they are staying as well. For TAPIF, we will be there for about 7 months: fall, winter, and the beginning of spring. Now that we are prepared, let's get into the meat of how to pack for your stay in France.

Let's start with the basics: bring underwear, whatever that may entail. If you don't wear underwear... ignore that. I'm not judging you. You do you. Anyway, it may seem obvious to pack underwear, but if you pack last-minute things like underwear come last in your mind most of the time. You don't want to spend extra money buying that when you have potentially have an apartment to rent and furnish. Also, pack socks. Same principle as the underwear. Also, it's better for your feet to wear socks with shoes. If you don't I'm not gonna judge. We all live our own lifestyles.

We're gonna break this down for people who wear dresses and skirts and those who don't. Hey, guys can wear them too. And some girls don't wear skirts. It's just their aesthetic.

For non-skirt wearers:

You can bring about 4-6 pairs of bottoms. I'd say 2 pairs of jeans and 4 pairs of slacks or versatile bottoms that aren't jeans. These are things you can wear in an office on Casual Friday. But beware, bottoms tend to take up more room than you think, so be careful about the material thickness and how you fold them. You can also bring 2-3 pairs of shorts if you so choose, but make sure they're long and made from a nice-looking material so you can wear them at work if they say it's okay. Like I said, we're going for versatile looks.

Bring 5 summer shirts and 3 long-sleeved shirts. And bring 3-5 under-shirts as well. You can mix and match these items according to the season and your fashion sense. Great right? I suggest your undershirts be basic colors so you can mix them with any shirt you have.

For skirt-wearers:

You can bring 2 bottoms. That's it. 2. One can be a pair of jeans and another can be slacks or similar. You can bring 2-3 skirts and 2-3 leggings to mix and match as well. Skirts should be decently long. Imagine the school dress code when we were kids. If the skirt matches the dress code (unless you have really long arms) you can bring it. Same for dresses. 

Bring up to 6 dresses because you need 1 or 2 nice dresses in case you wanna look extra nice for a date with a hot French person. Don't take my word for it though , I've never dated a French person. Tee hee. Anyway, the reason you can take so much is that if your dresses aren't made of thick material, you can pack a lot. If you want to bring shorts, substitute them in for other items. Bring 3-5 shirts, 3-5 long sleeved shirts, and 3 under-shirts. Remember, you're bringing a lot already. 

For ladies:

Bring enough feminine products for your first cycle in France. You don't wanna have to worry about buying new products in your first month especially since you won't be paid until the end of the month and you have to spend money on a place to stay and all of that.

For everyone:

Bring a few light cardigans for spring and early fall, and heavier sweaters for the winter. I'd say 2-3 light and 2-3 heavy. You want to be prepared. Northern France definitely sees snow and all of France feels some sort of cold in the winter, so definitely bring a heavy winter jacket or two. I am personally packing 2 jackets, one snowboarding jacket my mumzy got me and another warm jacket that's 50% wool. One is nicer than another for nice occasions in France. Or just to wear. Whatever.

You should bring 2-3 pairs of shoes. Winter shoes, sneakers/nice shoes, and/or sandals. If you so choose, you can bring a pair of dressier shoes, but you can buy that in France if you need it.

I'd also recommend bringing a travel-sized assortment of shower/grooming supplies for your first few days in France while you explore your neighborhood and find places to buy what you need. Also bring 2-3 sticks of deodorant because I don't know if you can get your favorite brands there. If you want, you can also bring one large body towel, but you can also buy towels there.

If you wear make-up go ahead and bring that, but please be aware you can probably get your favorite brands in France as well, so you don't need to bring the whole kit.

Aaaaaannnnd that's it. That's all that you need to bring, the rest you can get while you're in France. It's really not that different from the US or Canada. If you don't have it, you can get it. Don't stress out over packing and over choosing some items over others. You're definitely gonna go shopping in France. How can you not?

Cheers!

French Consulate in Korea: My experience

So, I said in a previous post that I would tell you all about my experience getting a visa in a country that is not your own. Let me tell you: IT IS POSSIBLE! However, you have to be a LEGAL RESIDENT in the country in which you are applying for that visa.



For the 18 months of my life, I was a legal resident of South Korea. You know what that means? I was legally able to apply for a French visa in South Korea for TAPIF (Teaching Assistant Program In France). Yes. I did it. And this is what happened.

The first thing was I gathered the proper documents mentioned earlier in my blog here. I also made sure to have my ARC (Alien Registration Card) but that's really because I always walk around with ID. I brought a utilities bill with my name on it so that they knew I was a legal resident. I was not going to give them any excuse to deny me a visa. I looked online to double check that this was indeed possible and booked my appointment.

Now, it takes 2-3 weeks to process a visa at French embassies. I was shocked because it only took 3 days for my Korean visa. But I had to take a step back and remember that France is a popular country, way more popular than Korea in general. Of course they would need a longer time to screen out applicants. However, my appointment was set 1.5 weeks before I left Korea indefinitely. The reason I did this is because I had a hard time getting an appointment in the San Francisco French consulate, which is the regional office for my permanent US address (ironically enough, I got an appointment in SF the next day, but I now I should cancel that).

Naturally, I was worried about whether my visa will be processed in time. I had another appointment in SF, but the sooner the better, right? I wanted to get my flight ticket to France early and I didn't want the prices to go up (I found a ticket for $550). I should have booked an appointment much sooner to save myself he hassle, but I didn't know I could get my visa in Korea, so I kept hesitating.

Anyway, I went from Seoul to Gwangju the night before my July 20th appointment and stayed at a hostel with some very nice people. I made sure I had all my papers and my passport. The next morning, I went to my 9AM appointment. I was lucky enough to get a French guy who spoke perfect English (even though I speak enough French to do the whole process) and I asked him if it was possible to begin the process for a visa in Korea, but pick up my actual visa sticker in San Francisco (mom asked me to ask them that, she so smart~). You know what homeboy said?

YES.



THANK GAWD. I was so relieved I actually put my head on the counter. So I gave him my documents (the copies of my work contract rather than the original) and he got things started for me. But then he asked for for my flight ticket. I was confused and asked why. He already knew I was leaving on the second. This guy proceeded to tell me that he would try to see if he can finish my visa before I leave, so he needed a copy of my flight ticket. I SAW THE ANGELS. I was lucky enough to have a copy of my e-ticket with me. So I gave him all of my original documents and my e-ticket.

He took them and told me that he would try to get my visa done before I leave. However , if it's not done I could come by the consulate the day before my flight and pick up my visa so I could go home and then he would send my visa sticker to San Francisco where I could pick it up.



I called deal and left my beloved passport at the embassy. Homeboy also had me fill out a postage label just in case they finish early enough to mail it to me. Of course, he'd call me to ask which option I preferred. Full. Service. I left the Embassy that morning feeling quite relieved and satisfied.

I spent the next few days taking care of final things in Korea and waiting for a call from the French consulate. Then, on Friday, July 29th, I got the call. Homeboy from the French consulate called me and told me that my visa was fully process and I can pick up my passport on Monday. I was so happy I lept out of my bed and danced and I thanked him a million times. I was able to pick up my completed passport and French visa the following Monday. He managed to rush the visa for me. The consulate doesn't do rush visas.

The following Monday, since I already planned to be in Seoul, I went to the French consulate at 11:30 to pick up my visa. Of course, no matter how excited I was, I did not forget to check my visa to be sure it was the right kind because sometimes when things are rushed, there are mistakes. THERE WERE NO MISTAKES. AWESOME!

I was so excited I showed it to my friends who were with me in Seoul and the got me even more psyched. When I got back to our Hongdae hostel I booked my flight to France too.



Ain't no stoppin' us now~~~ We on the move!

Everything seemed to be falling together.

Anyway, that was my experience with the French consulate in South Korea. Word to the wise: DO NOT FOLLOW MY EXAMPLE. I was extremely lucky. If you're going to apply for a visa in a country where you have legal residency, do so WELL BEFORE you have to leave. Then you wouldn't have to go through the stress I went through.

Cheers~!

Wrapping it up in Korea

I'm finally back in the US, so this post will be dedicated to tying up all the loose ends in Korea and my final days with my squad.

When preparing to leave, it's important to pay attention to these things in no particular order:

1. end your phone contract
2. pay your final heating and electric bills
3. get letters of recommendation
4. close your bank account
5. apply for your pension refund
6. clean your house
7. give up your Alien Registration Card (ARC)

The first thing I did was apply for my pension refund. In korea, you pay into the national pension, but when you leave you can get up to 2 years' worth of that money. I was here for 18 months, but I was bad and didn't pay for 6 months, so I got 12 month's worth of pension back. If you are going to Korea: Don't be like me, pay your pension and think of it like a private savings account. You have to apply for your pension about 1 month before you leave to ensure you'll get it on time. Remember to bring a Korean you trust, like a mentor teacher, co-teacher, or trusted colleague.

You have to bring several things to the NPS (National Pension Service) office, including your plane ticket and the account number for your AMERICAN bank. This is so they can send the money directly to your account. You can priovide a billing statement to meet this requirement. Of course, you can also choose airport pick-up, (which I did, but failed...) but be sure to make sure you have the option to have direct deposit too. Ask about it, it is possible. When you are close to the end of your stay, the NPS will send you a list of things you need to get your pension back. 

After that, ask your mentor teacher(s) for a letter of recommendation. This is just in case you want a similar job in the future. I asked for 6 copies. 3 of the copies are in case I want to apply for JET within the next 2 years, but the others were for EPIK and other places. You NEVER know. Give your MT plenty of time to do the letter. Tell them that the letter has to be sealed and they have to write their name over the flap to prove it. They don't do that in Korea, so be sure to explain it thoroughly.

The next thing I did was pay for my final heating and electric bills. This is important because In korea, you pay for your usage at the end of the billing cycle. You pay for march usage in april. April usage in May, and so on. You have to contact your providers to see what you owe and pay it when you leave. I just paid it directly to my landlord to make my life easier, but you can also pay directly at the bank.

Next is ending your phone contract. Ending your contract can get pretty expensive depending on the phone and when you end the contract. You also have to pay your final bill (also based on usage). If you haven't paid off your phone, the rest immediately becomes due so if you got an expensive phone, be sure to pay a pretty penny for your phone. You can deactivate your contract at any store that belongs to your carrier. I used Olleh, and thus I had to go to an Olleh store to deactivate the phone. Altogether I payed about 250,000 won to deactivate my phone because of the final phone bill, the amount left to pay for the phone, and the severance fee. It could have been MUCH more expensive. The good thing is once you end your contract, your phone is then unlocked and you are free to use it in the US if you so choose (I did, for the next few weeks ^^).

Remember to pack and clean your apartment. If you start doing this early, you won't get swanped in the end. I packed everything about a month before I had to leave and basically lived out of my carry-on suitcase. This made it easy for me to clean my aparment, expecially since I'm already a pretty neat person to begin with. If you try to clean bit by bit, you'll get it all done.

After you pay all your dues, it comes the time to close your bank account. I did this on my last full day in Korea, the day before I left. It's just easier that way. You have to go to your bank and ask a teller to do this. Be sure that a Korean is with you or that there is a teller who speaks English. I closed my account in Seoul, so I didn't need my mentor teacher, there is always at least one English speaking teller in Seoul banks. You will need your identification, your bankbook, and your bank card. The teller will close out the account for you and take out what was in there, and give it to you cash. It's an easy process, so don't be too nervous.

Lastly, you will have to give up your ARC at the airport. This means that your visa is officially expired and the next time you go to Korea it will have to be with a different program and you'll have to get a new ARC, or as a tourist. I didn't want to give mine up, but unfortunately that wasn't an option. It was then that I realized I wasn't going to be coming back. It was a bitter-sweet thing.

Welp. That's all for now. My next post will be about my personal experience getting my French visa in Seoul. This post will be relevant to anyone applying for a visa abroad.

Cheers~~

Preparing for France: The Visa

Aloha my friends!

I'm back again with news on the process of going to France to teach for 7 months. I am still in Korea, but I decided that I can at least start my visa process here.

WARNING! I did not check the spelling for ANYTHING and I don't think I will. I'm too lazy for that.



To let you guys know, it is entirely possible to get a visa in a country you are not native, too. However, you have to be a legal resident of that country. As I am a legal resident of South Korea, I make the cut.

If you are with TAPIF and trying to apply for your visa out of country, please be reminded that the process is different at every consulate, but here are the basic things you'll need:

1. your passport (no shit, right?)
2. Long Stay Visa application (again, no shit)
3. OFII form: (This form is to help you register as a legal resident)
4. 2 passport photos 
5. your arrete de nomination (your certificate of appointment)
6. *Proof of residence: alien registration card or a utilities bill (if you live in a foreign country as a legal resident)

And make sure you have copies of everything as well. It makes life easier.

Before you do ANYTHING make sure you have a valid passport that will last you the entire duration of your stay.

Step 1: Make an appointment

Unfortunately, with French consulates, you can't walk in and expect them to give you the time of day. You can't call and ask to make an appointment either. You have to go online and use their rendez-vous system to make an appointment at your local embassy. Each embassy has it's own website, and as such each embassy has it's own rendez-vous designation. In my case, my visa is about to end, so I made an appointment in Korea and an appointment in San Francisco.

Making an appointment online is actually really easy, and you can do it in English, French, or the language of whatever country you're in. Once you get to the rendez-vous page via your consulate's website (all sites are different), you will look to the left of the page and select "book an appointment." This will take you to a page with a calendar. if the date is black, then you can select it. If it's grey, you're S.O.L. and have to try again. Click on a specific date and then to the right of the calendar a list of available times will show up. Click on the pencil to choose your time, then click next. 

This will take you to a page that asks you to fill out your personal information. Fill it all out and click submit. You will get a notice telling you that your appointment was made. Be sure to take note of your reference number and print out your notice. If you don't have your reference number, the embassy will NOT see you.

Make your appointment well in advance: I made the mistake of waiting until I got my arrete and had a heart-attack when I couldn't get an appointment in SF (which is why i'm doing it in South Korea). Things worked out for me in the end, but don't be like me. I should have been more responsible about it.

Step 2: Preparing your documents

You can find the long-stay visa application and the OFII form on your consulate's website. If you joined TAPIF, there is also a document with the links to these documents as well. Print these forms out and complete them. You can do this in French, or in your native language. To avoid any confusion, I'm doing it in English. I'm confident in my french, but I don't want to make any careless mistakes.

You can get your passport photos at your local post office, but also at a local FedEx that provides the service. Most photo shops should provide passport photo services as well. The cheapest option is probably FedEx. the post office is $15. In Korea, I just got them from my school for separate reasons, but they qualify so I'm using them. (Hooray for multi-purpose uses, eh?)

You will get your arrete de nomination in the mail. Keep it hidden, keep it safe. Bring it to light only when you need it.

Fill out the top portion of your OFII form and fill out your visa application to the best of your abilities. If you don't know your address, it's okay. I got away with it, you can too. But then again I'm kinda cute so... just kidding. Other people were like that at the embassy too.

If you have an ARC just bring that and a copy. Your utilities bill is easy to get, but easy to forget about. Just keep a copy with your documents all in a folder.

Step 3: Go to your appointment

DO NOT BE LATE DO NOT BE LATE DO NOT BE LATE DO NOT BE LATE !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Remember, the embassy can take their sweet time, but if you're late, you lose your spot and then you have to go online and book another appointment which may not be for weeks. remember, France is an extremely popular destination. Arrive early. Be presentable. Have all your documents filled out and your questions ready to go.

If the person at the window tells you that you need to pay for a visa as a Assistant de langage they're lying and they don't know how to do their job. You do not have to pay for a TAPIF visa. It's completely free.

Tell them specifically that you are going to be a language assistant. DO NOT forget that important detail.

You can choose to pick up your passport personally or you can choose to mail it. Me being the paranoid girl that I am, chose to pick it up. That and I had extenuating circumstances, but that's for another post.

Step 4: Wait

Yes. Wait for them to finish. Can take 2-3 weeks. Mine was faster, but I'll make another post about that later. Be patient. DO NOT try to apply 2 weeks before you leave like I did. DON'T DO IT!

Step 5: Pick-up

All French Consulates are the same when it comes to pick-up time. Monday - Friday 11:30am -12:00pm. Yes. You have half an hour to pick up your visa. However, you don't have to make an appointment. You can just walk in and go to an open window (or a designated pick-up window if there is one). You will need ID or your receipt from your first appointment. Present it to the person at the window and they will fetch your international travel treasure (passport). Check your visa, make sure it has everything properly. For TAPIF members, it should look something like this



Of course this isn't my actual visa. I'm typing this in an airport and I don't have time to block out important information. Nor the strength. Nor the will. I had a tough day. I need a nap and food.

Anyway, after you check your visa and everything  is all gravy (all good), then you are set! I was so excited I bought my ticket to France right after I got my visa (and it was helllllllaaaaaaaa cheap).

This was another very technical post. Next time will be my complete personal experience getting my French visa in South Korea and how homeboy at the French embassy was MVP and got it done for me in literally half the time it usually takes. That should be coming next week. Maybe. I don't really know.

Cheers and best wishes!
Mocha

Why I Don't Have a Korean Boyfriend

Aloha Everybody! Yes, it's me again with a question on the minds of a few people (mostly my family). This post has been a long time coming, and I decided to post it now that I'm leaving (although I MAY come back).

Let me just say, this is probably going to be the most savage post I will make for a while. It's not that I meant it that way and I really tried to make it light-hearted and fun like the rest of my stuff, but when it comes to dating Korean guys there are really only two extremes: super happy and super pissed. I know it's bad-mouthing people and I know that this will upset many others, but this is not representative of all Korean men. This is just MY experience and what I've encountered.

If you guys want reasons you SHOULD date a Korean guy, please google it or use your favorite search engine, because this article is NOT For that.



When I announced I was going to teach English in Korea everyone close to me (aka my family, besties, and college buddies) all said I was going to find a man in Korea and get married and have beautiful blasian babies and never come back to the states apart from the yearly Thanksgiving meal. I kinda thought so too, but I wasn't too sure about it.  By then I had already owned up to #ForeverAlone, but I thought it would be nice.

I arrived in Korea. First things first, DO NOT EXPECT KOREAN MEN TO LOOK LIKE THEIR CELEBRITIES. If you do, you will be sorely disappointed. Korean guys aren't ugly. They're not. But they're not as hawt as Rain. Rain is an anomaly. On top of that, most kpop stars have some type of surgery, too. So keep in mind that man-hunting is the same in Korea as it is everywhere else in the world: most guys are normal, there are some above and below normal, and then there are the guys on the extreme ends of the spectrum.

Before I begin, let me emphasize something very important:

NOT ALL KOREAN BOYS ARE LIKE THIS. this is just from my experience and what people have told me.

Now that that's over with, time to move on to the reasons I don't have a Korean boyfriend, nor do I really want one (sorry guys, if it's not Bang Yongguk, it's not probably not gonna happen).

1: The push and pull dating game

The Korean dating game is annoying as fuck. There. I said it. Now, I'm not a fan of the american way like waiting at least 3 days to call, but I actually prefer it to the Korean way.

Here's how it works: when you first meet someone and exchange info. you spend like a month constantly messaging each other to show your interest. That's annoying to me because I don't even message my mom every day, why the hell would I wanna message someone I just met? I tried it, and it was exhausting, but I had hope, so yeah... Anyway, you have to message A LOT in the beginning. This is crucial otherwise the other party will think they will only be friends.

After that month or two of constant messaging, there's another month or two of radio silence. Absolutely no contact. I forgot about it. Homeboy who i was messaging suddenly started ignoring my messages. It wasn't until a week later that I realized it was step 2 to push and pull. anyway, after the radio silence you slowly ease into texting constantly again, and from there you can be sure that a relationship is definitely on the table. Continue this until someone makes it official.

Now, I told you I don't message people very often. I read messages, and I reply when i feel like it or when i need to, but for the most part I don't communicate with people I don't see face-to-face.  What annoyed me was the radio silence. I have no patience for it. If I take my time to message someone, they better not just stop, because that means that they're basically dead to me. I'm an adult. if I have their info they're an adult too. I may be young, but those kinds of games are no fun and they're a waste of time. I know that cultures are all different, but you would think that in a country where people want to get married early they'd leave the games to teenagers.

NOT ALL KOREAN BOYS ARE LIKE THIS. this is just from my experience and what people have told me.

2: Korean guys don't want a girl who's better off than them

Now, this one is a little confusing. IF she's a rich girl, i think they'd generally be okay with it, if she doesn't have a job. But I am a part-time teacher and my pay is pretty good. If I was interested in a guy whose pay was lower than mine, he would most likely not reciprocate even if eh did like me. Korean guys want to be the breadwinners. They want the girl to rely on them, not the other way around. Personally, I don't mind so long as homeboy has a job and supports himself. We can work on getting him a better job. Just don't take me for granted because I refuse to be a sugar momma. I don't have money like that.

This mostly has to do with the fragile Korean ego. People here have extremely low self esteem and as such, they constantly search for ways to look better. Taking care of their girl or having a girl on the same level is one of those things. We all know that a man's ego can be pretty fragile (shout out to the confident males in stable relationships!). A Korean man's ego is, generally, at least twice as fragile. They lose confidence very quickly and try not to show it.

And I ain't got no patience to be babysitting a grown man's ego when they don't put in the effort first. The strong independent woman is sexy here, but in general it's not what Korean men want in a stable, long-lasting relationship.

NOT ALL KOREAN BOYS ARE LIKE THIS. this is just from my experience and what people have told me.

3: Korean guys who approach you usually aren't the kind you wanna be with

Guys here are shy, if you wanna be nice about it. The good ones, anyway. Most of them won't approach a foreign girl without being under the influence of alcohol and even then it's pretty rare. The ones that do approach you are usually the player types. All they want is to play with a foreign girl and brag to their friends. This type can be really shady and I've heard more than one story about it.

The shady guys will make you feel special and lull you into a sense of security with promises and words without ever directly saying your dating. Then when they get what they want, they say you were never in a relationship to begin with. Sometimes not even that, they'll actually date you for a while and make you feel special, but dump you when you get too serious. For them, it's all for show.

NOT ALL KOREAN BOYS ARE LIKE THIS. this is just from my experience and what people have told me.

4: Korean guys are too damned picky when they have no right to be

There are plenty of average Joes here. Really. But these average Joes want the best woman. Calm down, bruh, it's not that serious and you are not that cute. Let me explain.

Korean guys like their girls young. When you hit 25, it starts getting harder for girls here. Even men 30 or over prefer younger girls. I mean, it's normal, but the difference is astonishing. You can be labelled Christmas Cake much earlier here than in the US. When a guy isn't particularly cute, he shouldn't go for a younger girl when there may be a cute girl his age who likes him.

Korean guys don't like girls who weigh too much. By Korean standards. This problem doesn't affect me, but it's something to consider seeing as Koreans are generally thinner than Americans. I don't quite get this one, it's delicate. I think it mostly has to do with the fact that they themselves are skinny, and they think they can't handle that. Yes, like that. Like I said, their egos are fragile. If they can't top their woman they'd be devastated. Once again, if you're average or not cute you can't really be too picky because the ideal girl will be snatched up by someone else.

Korean guys don't like girls who talk back too much. A little is cute, but the level of an American can be bad, especially for me. I usually go with the flow, but the minute someone gives me a direct order, I push back (unless it's my mom). I take kindly to suggestions, but not if they are too forceful, and that's where Korean guys lose me completely. They tend to give "advice" for everything for their girlfriend or potential girlfriend. Sometimes it's good, but if I'm sure I know what I'm doing better than he does I will tell him so. This behavior makes them very uncomfortable.

Korean girls are masters at hiding their dominant side until homeboy is too deep in. They'll let it show gradually. When they get married, that's when they get more assertive, because divorce is so frowned on here. Husbands won't leave their wives if they start showing they have backbone.

NOT ALL KOREAN BOYS ARE LIKE THIS. this is just from my experience and what people have told me.

5. Korean guys have no self-esteem

I've already mentioned this many times, but this is worth having it's own category. Many times by many different Korean people, I've been told that Koreans have no self-esteem. This is primarily true: people here really aren't feeling themselves because the focus is usually only given to the best of the best. If you're anything short of extraordinary in any one category, it's as if the world doesn't recognize you. The school system is a good example: it's so competitive, and it's because special attention is only given to the top students so that they can stay on top.

It's much like that in dating too. The worthwhile guys who don't do anything in categories 1-4 don't think they're worthwhile. They won't approach you (or me) because they simply don't think they'll have a chance. Many times I've been told I should ask guys out instead. Truthfully, I have no problem doing just that, but to me this seems to much like an excuse. I personally would like to see a guy gather his courage and ask me out rather than sit on his ass and whine about how they'd never get my attention. The only one who knows that is me. If a guy thinks he's not good enough he could ask me what he needs to do to be good enough. And... usually... asking me is half the battle.

I should probably mention by now that I have a resting bitch face (RBF). If I'm zoned out, I look upset. It's just how my face is. But most people who know me will say I'm a fairly nice person. Definitely not the best, but I try to be a good person. However, that RBF would stop most guys in Korea from approaching me. (It stops most people in Korea period...) They think I'm gonna turn up on them so they get even more scared.

NOT ALL KOREAN BOYS ARE LIKE THIS. this is just from my experience and what people have told me.

6: I'M NOT SOCIAL

This is the biggest reason I'm single and will most likely always be in the #ForeverAlone club. I don't leave my house very often. It's basically work, Korean class, home. I know people who are in wonderful relationships with Koreans, but those people went out and looked hard. That sounds like hard work to me and I'm literally getting tired thinking about it. Some people met through dating apps too, but I don't like the idea of meeting someone over the internet because information can be fabricated really easily and it can be really dangerous.

So 90% of the reason I'm not with anyone is that I'm a recluse. There's nothing wrong with that, either. It's because I'm a recluse that I haven't had enough good encounters with quality Korean guys who definitely exist and who definitely make up for the shitty Korean guys. Everyone's experiences will be different. Like I said, their are plenty of great Korean guys out there and I'm sure that the good will outweigh the bad. Take everything posted here with a grain of salt because Korea has about 50 million people and I'm just one person. Don't be afraid to jump in. I just don't want to because stuff that has to do with dating usually annoys me.

Now, If you made it this far, even if you're angry, thank you. I know the savagery was off the charts for this. I'm sorry I offended you with my opinions (yes, I know this was offensive) and I hope you can remember that it's not impossible to find love here. I just suck at dating in general.

Can I Pay My Bills?

Aloha! 안녕하세요!



Welcome back, in this segment we will discuss the sacred art of paying bills in Korea. Korean bills will come on pieces of yellow paper and it will have Hangul (Korean writing system) and numbers which will frighten the unprepared soul. But fret not, paying your bills in Korea is actually surprisingly easy!

First, check that it's your bill. I've heard horror stories about friends almost having heart attacks when getting super high bills, but it turned out that the bill was for a neighbor. So, CHECK IT'S YOUR BILL.

Now, the easiest thing to do is take your bills to a bank and have the teller do it. These are what your bills should look like:




None of those are my actual bills. But that's what they look like. Anyway, show them to the teller and give her your bankbook, and your teller will handle the rest. Make sure you have your card, passport, and ARC (Alien Registration Card) just in case. The teller will know immediately what you want, and they are more than happy to do it for foreigners if the bank isn't particularly busy. They will even update your bankbook while they're at it.

IF you're more of an independent sort, if the bank has a lot of customers, or if you jsut want to handle it quickly, you can pay your bills at your bank's ATM. Yes. you ehard right. You can pay your bills at the ATM. Why is this not a thing in the US? This needs to be a thing in the US. it would make my life SO Much easier. The catch is that you should at least know how to read your bank's name in Korean.

What you do is, you go to the ATM and select the option for foreign languages. Then you select ENGLISH DOMESTIC if you're paying using your Korean card, or ENGLISH FOREIGN if you're using a card from home. I suggest you use your Korean card to avoid ridiculous charges. Anyway, it will take you to a menu screen with a bunch of options in English (or another language if you so choose). Choose TRANSFER. The ATM will ask you to insert your bankbook or your bank card (debit/credit card).

After that you enter your PIN and it will then ask you how much you want to transfer. Put in the EXACT amount. It won't let you over-pay. It will then take you to a screen that asks for a Bank code so that the ATM knows what bank you're sending money to. The nice thing is that bill collectors have bank accounts with the major banks of Korea. This means you can send money within your bank at no extra charge. So, enter the bank code, then on the next page it will ask you to enter the bank account number to transfer the funds to. The bills will have a list of bank account numbers as follows:

See that circled number? That matches my bank, Nonghyup, which is literally EVERYWHERE in Korea. If you come to Korea using EPIK or TaLK, you will most likely be opening a Nonghyup account during orientation.

Enter the account number that matches your bank. It will take you to a screen confirming everything. Double check that everything is right. Who you are sending it to, and how much you are sending. If everything is kosher, just go ahead and confirm and send your money away to be guzzled by the illusion we call bills and an economy.

This is bill-paying in Korea. you can also use this to transfer money to other people if you owe them or something. But yeah, it seems complicated, but once you do it a few times it becomes natural.

If I got anything wrong, let me know and I will fix it, and credit you for the info. But like I said, the best and easiest way is to have a teller do it for you.

Getting Around Korea

Okay, so one day after my last post (this is a record, really) I'm posting about how to get around Korea.

In reality, there are three ways to get around Korea, bus, train and airplane. Unless you are going to Jeju, I don't recommend taking an airplane. Korea is small, so you'd be wasting your money. So let's focus on the bus and train system.

I'm only familiar with the bus system, so they will definitely have more detail, so let's save that for last. Let's start with trains. The fastest way to get around Korea without flying is the train, but you have to think about which train. There are actually 3 systems for trains in Korea, but the most popular one is the KTX system, which is supposed to be on par with Japan's shinkansen (bullet train) . I've ridden the shinkansen but I haven't ridden the KTX (I might when i get ready to leave though) so I can't compare the two, but I can give you an idea about ow fast it is. By car or bus, it takes about 3.5 hours to get from Gwangju, where I live, to Seoul. If there's traffic, it could easily be 4.5 hours. By KTX, it takes 2-3 hours. MUCH shorter. It's also much more comfortable. You can take the KTX to any major city on Korea. The fast from Gwangju to Seoul costs about 45,000\. The slow KTX is about 33,000\. I asked a friend. Like I said, I've never taken the KTX before.

Now if you're on a budget but you still wanna travel, you can use the Bus system. Korea has a bus system that can get you to most places in Korea unless it's really remote. I usually bus to Seoul and I've also taken the Bus to and from Busan as well. The interesting thing about the bus system is that there are two types of buses, regular and Express. please remember is the only difference between these buses is comfort. Express buses have less passengers and more leg room. You can choose between getting an express bus (goseok) or a regular bus by telling the ticket vendor what bus you want. Every city has a bus terminal and for the smaller areas, the provinces and local areas should have their own bus terminals as well. The terminals and larger cities can get you anywhere, while the buses in smaller areas usually only take you to large cities.

The price for the bus depends on where you going and how far it it. It's about 27,000\ from Gwangju to Seoul on the express bus and a little more than that from Gwangju to Busan because it takes longer. But to places close by it will be much cheaper. Remember, South Korea is a really small country. If you're wise about your money, you can travel.

If you want to get around locally,, you may have options depending on where you are. First off, taxis in Korea are pretty cheap. The most I ever had to pay was 20,000\ but it was a group of people and we split it. For that particular Journey the ride from point A to point B was really long. It was in Busan, don't ask. What happens in Busan stays in Busan. But usually, it's not expensive to take a taxi if you want to get places, but only if you do so sparingly. the base rate is around 3,000\. In Gwangju it's 2,800\ but it may change from place to place and it definitely changes after midnight, where it starts higher and goes up faster, but still, whenever I go out to have fun and return around 3am, I've never paid more than 8,000\ for a taxi.

Of course, there's also the local bus system in Korea, which is pretty convenient if you live in a city. In Korea, they have bus cards that you put money on. You can even get a special debit card that doubles as a bus card if you open a bank account. Be sure to ask for that, i didn't but it's quite useful and I was jealous of my co-teachers for a while. There are 3 kinds of bus cards: T-Money, Cashbee, and Hanpay. Hanpay is basically for Jeonnam. It won't work in many other places. T-Money works in most places too, but for some odd reason it doesn't work in Gwangju. Therefore, if you want to ride the bus EVERYWHERE I suggest getting a Cashbee card. There are bus apps that you can use in urban areas that predict when your next bus will come too. I personally your daum maps (다움 지도).

As for re-filling your bus card, you can do that at any chain convenience store, like 7/Eleven, C+U and Ministop. Just show them your card, give them the amount of cash you want to put on your card, and let them do their thing. There will be a display that shows you how much money is on your card. Easy, right? Why don't we have this in America? I want a real card for buses that's normalized all over the country. Lemme send a letter to Bernie and Obama.



Last but not least, if you're lucky, you might get a city with a fantastic subway system like Seoul or Busan. You can use your bus card for the subway, so never fear! Also, there are kiosks to buy tickets and these kiosks have English (and chinese and Japanese). There are apps you can use to help you get places using the subway, but in general, if you're used to a subway system you can use Korea's. There are displays that tell you when the next train is coming and which direction the train is going, and on the train, they will announce the stop in English for you.

If you have any questions please leave a comment below or shoot me a message on twitter (@thatlilady).

My next post will be about finding a place to stay for a temporary visit or a transition before you start your life as a TaLK scholar or EPIK teacher.

Cheers!