A Korean Bucket List

Before I created this little blog with the lovely Lee I had a small blogspot site called Doodlezilla. I’m an animator by trade and Doodlezilla is a character I created before I left home. This week , since i’m desk warming up a storm, I went back to review the site when I stumbled upon my old Korean bucket list.
With just 50 days left in this lovely country it seems quite fitting to review and see what it is I need to cram into these 50 days before we head off on our travels. I’m quite proud to see how many things I’ve check off my list since arriving two years ago. It feels like forever since I was sat at my new desk and making this list. It’s been a good two years.
So here is my Korean Bucket List:

• Order a meal without knowing what you are asking for.
• Drink Makgoli
• Try Soju
• Go to a Cat Café.
• Have lunch on a beach in Busan
• Go dancing in Seoul
• See the Busan Aquarium
•  Go to an Orphanage
• Try Shaba Shaba

•  Nora Bang with Jess (my uk friend) in Korea
• Use the photo booths
• See Asias biggest Budda (luckily located in Daegu)
• Climb Apsan
• Volenteer at a childrens charity
•  Spend Christmas day with my friends
• Spend a summer weekend in the park
•  Visit Jeju island
• See Sokjoe in the Autum
• Eat Dak Galbi in the home of Dak Galbi
• Try K-pole (Korean pole dancing class)
• Go to a charitable dog walk.
• Kick leaves in the park in Autum
• See the Cherry blossoms.
• Watch Christmas films in a DVD Bang with friends.
• Cook a meal for friends.
• Have cocktail in a bag
• Make crafts for my class
• Take my camera out into Daegu (This is a year long achievment!)
• Stay in a Buddist temple
• Put my feet in the Ocean
• Join a Kpop dance class
• Try Taekwondo
• Norabang!
• Make Kimbap at home.
• Eat in Kim Pasa
• Learn to like beer
• Travel to a random place on the subway and explore
•  Jump from Duryu tower (not something they do anymore but I did climb it)
  
• Participate in a tea drinking ceremony
• Sit on the floor in a restaurant
• Visit a Korean families home.

• Go to Holi Hai
• Go to Mudfest
• Dance all night in Pacha
• Have a phone conversation in Korean.
• Find a Korean Mentor.
• Learn Hangul.
• Learn enough Korean to order food, use transportation and buy things.
• Have a Korean Haircut.
• Go to a Korean beauty salon.
• Have a summer Korean BBQ.
• Eat Dak Galbi.
• Get a phone.
• Learn my address.
• Order McDonalds to be delivered.
• Dance to Gangnam style in Seoul (Gangnam preferred).
• Buy a Konglish t-shirt.
• Make a Korean friend.
• Visit a random place in Korea on the train.
• Sleep on the floor.
• Stay in a love motel.(recommeded , it was really comfy and so funny)
  
•  learn to like Chap Sal Duk. (as long as I have coffee with it) *edit….I learnt to like it only with coffee about a year ago, now I just like it 
  
• See Japan during vacation.
• See Thailand. 
  
• See China.
• See Taiwan 
• Watch Lee swim with sharks in Busan.
• Get eyelashes fitted (?)
• Learn at least 7 student’s names.
• Draw every day. (doing well so far)
• Put a lock at the top of Seoul Tower.
• Do yoga (even though its not a Korean thing)
• Cook a Christmas dinner for friends.
• Have a film/games night at the flat. 
• Try writing for a magazine
• Try getting paid for my photography work
• Ride a roller coaster.
• Go to a Korean wedding
• Start Roller Derby
• Feel I’ve really helped at least one student.
• Go Skiing
• See the DMZ
• Travel on the KTX
• Stay up until the first subway
• Make Welsh cakes
• Try an out door gym.
• Eworld
• Ride the duck boats in Susung Lake
• Drink a cocktail from a coconut.
• See the sunrise on the beach.
• See a 4d movie
• See a big korean fireworks display
• See live music in korea.
• Go to a dog café

• Teach elementary school 
• Fly to an exotic location for holidays
• Do fancy dress in Korea 
• See the Tripataka Koreana

So that is the list. It feels great to have done so many things on it. We still have a few to do. Some such as go to Jeju I unfortunately don’t think will happen but we’ve been to many lovely Korean islands such as Namhae and Geoje so  I don’t feel like we’ve missed out too much, it’s such a popular destination that it can be an expensive and a busy holiday. The other thing we unfortunately may not do is get to watch Lee swim with sharks…but that’s just in Korea. He’s upgrading from an aquarium to a cage in Australia….mental boy, you couldn’t pay me to do it…jumping out of a plane on the other hand.
In the next two months we have some days off so we are planning on taking a random train up to the home of Dak Galbi and trying that for ourselves, climbing Apsan and maybe putting a lock in Susung lake instead of Seoul since Daegu is our home.  This post has also given me a boot and i’ll buy kimbap ingredients this weekend and give making it at home a go.
I also have my own little personal ‘one more time before I leave list’ but that mainly consists of seeing friends and eating my weight in Korean food.  I can’t believe it’s coming to an end.
If you are reading this and thinking about traveling to Korea…do it…DO IT NOW!
What would be on your bucket list? Have you tried any of the things we’ve listed? Did we miss any huge important Korean ‘things to do’? We can’t wait to hear from you.