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Continue reading β: School Lunch, Part TwoThis is an update to one of my very first entries about Korean school life, School Lunch. To get it out of the way first, I’ll state here that I do not believe kindergarten teachers should have to give lunch to kindergarten students. They’re with them all day and they…
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Continue reading β: Cafe Review: Fritz Coffee WonseoFritz Coffee is one of the big chain coffeehouses in Korea that also roast their own coffee and offer pour-overs in addition to espresso-based drinks. Their flagship is located in Dohwa but the location in Wonseo just outside Anguk is not to be missed, as there is one museum and…
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Continue reading β: Cafe Review: Blue Bottle JejuThe following entry was taken from my review of my summer vacation 2021 to Jeju. I decided to upload it as its own entry to keep my Blue Bottle cafe reviews consistent. After visiting the Manjanggul cave, we went to visit the recently opened Blue Bottle, located in the middle…
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Continue reading β: First Trip to Kwangya, κ΄μΌKwangya Club was a short-lived (2022-2023) mobile app for getting information about SM Entertainment artists. κ΄μΌ translates into something like “wilderness” and has been mentioned by several SM artists in their songs, like Aespa in “Black Mamba” and NCT U in “90’s Love.” It’s really confusing, even for a kpop…
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Continue reading β: Cafe Review: Danil SeoulIf you’re not looking for it, you’ll miss this pared down cafe located next to Seoul Forest. The cafe features light wood walls with no decorations and a long center table. The espresso machine sits in a little nook in another area, away from customer view. The pour-over station is…
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Continue reading β: Baekseok (λ°±μ) Station AreaThis is a fairly typical area in the suburbs of Seoul, near Baekseok Station on line 3, the orange line. I met a very friendly ginger tabby cat with a snipped ear, a sign that it’s TNR (trap-neuter-rescue) cat that won’t produce offspring. There are a lot of cats in…
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Continue reading β: My Sleep Clinic ExperienceI’ve always been a snorer. In kindergarten, my loud snoring saved me from spending a night in the bus barn. The girl who was supposed to be the bus checker, to check for left backpacks, didn’t tell the bus driver that I was quietly curled up in my seat, possibly…
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Continue reading β: Itaewon Memorial AltarI was on my way to the Seoul Metropolitan Library with my book club back in February when I passed the memorial altar for the victims of the 10-29 Itaewon crowd crush. After our meeting, I stopped and paid my respects. Bowing my head in front of the photos, I…
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Continue reading β: Cafe Review: Imjongho Cafe, Paju BranchOn our last trip before they returned to their home countries, my friends and I took a trip into Paju. First up was a cafe that had been recommended, Imjongho Cafe, Paju Branch. From the outside, it looks like an ordinary building set in the countryside, but once you enter,…
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Continue reading β: 2024 Kim Jonghyun’s Birthday CafesThis year, there were only four birthday cafes for Kim Jonghyun, and the three my friends and I went to were rather subdued. This year will mark the 7th anniversary of his death, and what would have been his 34th birthday. I was surprised there were so few birthday cafes,…
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Continue reading β: Manhole Collection November 2023 – April 2024Back in November, I joined a facebook group dedicated to manhole covers. I posted one of my entries below: I thought I’d share my collection thus far on this website as well! Three honorable mentions: Manhole cover in μΈμ¬λ (Insa-dong, Seoul) featuring 맀λ (maedup), traditional Korean knots that have been…
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Continue reading β: Vacation in Boracay, Philippines, January 2023After spending a day and a half in Manila, we were off to the beautiful island of Boracay. (Yes, this was a year ago. Yes, I am just now getting around to finishing writing about it.) I didn’t keep a journal while in Boracay and seeing as it was my…
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Continue reading β: Be a TouristSorry I’ve been MIA. I’ve been sick and kindy is kicking my butt, plus I recently moved so I’ve been cleaning in any spare time I manage to get. For now, enjoy some video clips I took around 6pm headed into Seoul. They were filmed from the front seat of…
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Continue reading β: Cafe Review: FoluiteI discovered this cafe accidentally while trying to find an Indian restaurant where my friends and I were meeting near the Jonggak Avenue of Youth. Afterwards when the coffee bug hit, I was able to confidently say, “Hey, I know a cute looking cafe just around the corner” and prayed…
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Continue reading β: Cafe Review: Modular Coffee BarA short bus ride down from Namsan Tower is a little cafe named Modular Coffee Bar. I don’t remember how I discovered this cafe–maybe one of my endless instagram ads. My friend and I had already been to one cafe when I suggested that we go to another one, and…
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Continue reading β: Cafe Review: Coffee Nearby (컀νΌλμ΄λ°μ΄)I’m known for ordering two drinks at every cafe I go to, but the cafe I visited prior to discovering this one wasn’t that great and Naver showed me a ton of cafes in the area, so I decided to pop in for a pour-over. I was so happy to…
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Continue reading β: A Day in Manila, January 2023It’s going to be below zero Celsius early next week so mentally I’m going to be on a beach on the Philippines like I was this time last year. We spent a day and a half in Manila before boarding a flight and then boat to the island of Boracay,…
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Continue reading β: We Still Have Names to Remember: Itaewon, 2023The following was written for a Manhole Covers internet group. I felt moved to share the story of the tragedy in Itaewon with people who, perhaps, had not been aware of it. You can watch a subtitled video entitled “Seoul Halloween Crowd Crush, the stories of survivors” by Undercover Korea…
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Continue reading β: Books I Read in 2023Featured image: “Armchair Traveler” by Henn Kim. 2023 was the first year that I can recall “reading” an audiobook. I’ve tried listening to a few but was never able to get into them. Spotify Premium included Jennette McCurdy’s book, “I’m Glad My Mom Died” so I listened to that while…
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Continue reading β: Cafe Hyehwamun Arae & European Christmas MarketOn December 9th, my book club had a “non-book book club meeting” at a cafe, followed by a visit to a European Christmas market nearby. Cafe Hyehwamun Arae is located in Seongbuk-gu. It’s a cute little cafe that offers basic espresso drinks as well as yummy pour-overs and bakes its…
Welcome to Koffee & Kpop, adventures of an errant American barista living in South Korea.
Koffee & Kpop 