So long 27!

Today I am 28. It seems crazy to me that it's been a year since I wrote a post on my 27th birthday. I had just arrived here in Korea and it was all new and crazy. Its been a whirlwind of a year that some how has become normal. I've traveled lots and met many people that I now call my closest friends.
I am not scared of 28. I find there are certain ages that don't scare you. You are just in them as if you are prepared. 22 and 24 were like this and they were some good years so hopefully 28 will be the same. I like being in my late twenties. You aren't old enough to be expected to have responsibilities but you aren't young enough to feel lost. Obviously its scary as 30 is fast approaching but I am happy and surrounded by fantastic people so I am just enjoying the moments as they come.
I do have to slap 27th year old Tania on the wrists as the normality of life has let me become lazy with the blog so I will get back into writing.
But here are some of the things I got up to as a Travelling 27 year old:

.Experienced one of the hottest Summers I've ever known
.Met even more fantastic people that I previously knew
.Made lasting friendships
. Visited Busan
. Wrote for 3 different magazines
. Had Photo's published
. Went to a rave
.Visited Pohang
. Went to a mud festival
. Lost all our money in Bangkok
. Washed and played with Elephants
. Trekked through the jungle.
. Visited Koh Samui
. Ate the worlds best Pad Thai
. Tried PatBingSu (Korean Dessert)
. Visted three of the best temples in Korea
. Visted Tokyo
. Ate the worlds best Mando
.Stood on the busieset traffic crossing in the world
. Visted Tokyo Disney
. Tried Sake for the first time
. Ate Ox Tail for the first time
. Got to use my camera A LOT
. Learnt a lot more Korean
. Went on 14 planes
. Met the worlds smartest robot
. Went to a Sumo tournament.
. Visited Scotland.
. My brother got Engaged.
. My sister passed her music exam and wrote some incredible music
. Had my first Wendy's
. Went to my first baseball match
. Had a lot of girls nights
. Ate bugs
. Ate arsehole (?)
. Had a food weekend in Seoul
. Taught elementary students
. Had my best friend visit me in Korea
. Made Clamato Juice and tried a Ceaser
. Learnt some of the best recipes I've ever tasted.
. Climbed 30 feet off the ground in the tree tops
. Had my first Christmas with Lee
. Had my first Christmas with friends
. Had a house party.
. Tried Yoga for the first time.
. Ran a 10k
.Spent a weekend in London with my girls
.Visited Wales
.Tried Snowboarding
. Walked on a frozen lake
. Went to the DMZ
. Made a human pyramid.
. Said a lot of hard goodbyes
. Went Blonde
. Moved house
. Owned 4 mac lipsticks
. Started teaching Art
.Celebrated my first Saint Paddy's day
.Celebrated Holi Hai
. Shot a gun
. Watched my best friend get married.

These lists can sound indulgent and feel silly when you write them but when you write it down like this you realise how many first you can still have , even at 28 , it does make me smile. It inspires me to make the next year even better. The world has been kind to me this year and I have made friends I will treasure for a lifetime, I miss my family every minute of the day but I've also found my own little family and my own home.
I can't imagine what the next year will bring.

The DMZ : A trip to North Korea

One of the first things you get asked when you mention you live in Korea is ‘North or South?’.
Luckily and like 99.9999% of the people who head to Korea I do live in the South but the North is a beautiful and scary mystery. The rest of the world is terrified by this small unpredictable land and Korea ignores it like an annoying younger sibling that wants to play in their room.
I knew at some point during my stay in Korea I would have to pay a visit to the scary area that is named the DMZ (De Militarised Zone) so when a few of my friends (who are sadly leaving Korea) wanted to go I jumped on board.
We headed up to Seoul on the KTX after school, Soju and Beer in hand. We arrived at our pleasant enough hostel and decided to get a ‘quiet’ dinner.

 Eight hours later, two bars, 6 buckets and a night club later we were running around the hotel desperately trying to wake ourselves up enough to catch our bus to the DMZ.

We rallied and caught our bus that took us up North.

as you can see...still a bit tipsy

When we arrived at Panmunjom (the area of the demilitarised zone that brings the guards face to face with each other 24 hours a day) the snow was falling and the area seemed as grim as its past.
The American army guards gave us a fantastic tour and it was eerie. I have never been in an area with so much tension. This was a tour but at the same time we were warned that North Korea was taking out pictures to use as propaganda that if they were to give us the finger or try to spit on us that there was nothing we could do. If you approached a guard to closely they would punch you. Even the South Korean ones.
To be stood in a room that has seen so many conversations deciding the fate of millions of lives left me with a really sense of proportion and humbled me to the fact I live in a country with such a delicate and painful past.

As well as the Panmunjom we also the location of the 1976 axe murder. This was an incident cause by cutting down a tree. The tree was cutting off all visibility for the Only South Korean viewing station. The cutting down was delayed from the confirmed time because of rain. A small team of unarmed guards went to cut the tree down. The N.Koreans watched for 15 minutes without incident but suddenly the North Koreans attacked with over 20 men all carrying crossbows and clubs. The North Koreans got hold of the axes held by the two South Korean and American guard and attacked them. There is also a photo of another guard Capt. Bonifas who was bludgeoned to death by 5 North Korean guards.
I realise this isn’t a nice story but it shocked me to the core to see the photos and realise that the area we were in was so volatile.
There are many other stories I could tell you but it was all pointing to the forgiveness shown by the South Koreans. Tunnels built for miles into areas they weren’t allowed purely to blow them up and endless rants from guards and these men have let it go and if anything provide more aid to their neighbours. I would like to think that the UK or America could be as forgiving in the same situations but it’s hard to believe.
There is break throughs, such as the completely deserted and fully built train station to North Korea that is fully functional but full of nothing.

There was also a shop that let us stock up on North Korean memorabilia. We left with some North Korean Brandy that we aren’t planning on drinking.
It was a fantastic and haunting trip but I’m really glad I did it.

The one piece of advice I would give to anyone heading on this trip is:
If you are tall then be wary of the tunnels. These tunnels were created by dynamite and were created to attack the South Koreans so they are quite serious but watching two extremely tall men crawl their way through it while short Koreans laughed at them made my day. The 362km walk up the steep hill to get out of the tunnel….not so much.
The rest of the weekend included us all having good food and good drinks and preparing for the next few weeks when they all head home. I’m not going to go into it too much for this post but it’s very sad.
Anyway I am sorry for the morbid nature of this post but it feels nice to share with people the real side we see here in Korea. North Korea is definitely seen as the spoilt younger brother who cries when he wants more food brought to him. Hopefully there can be some peace between the two some day but it does seem a very long way away when you are stood at Panmunjom and being glared at by a Guard carrying all forms of weapons.

Jess in Seoul

This Saturday was the big day. I had to teach a class early in the morning but then it was a run (literally a very quick taxi and a run) to my KTX.

I was on my way to Seoul international airport to pick up my oldest girile friend, Jess and her lovely housemate, Amy. 

At the airport I was bursting with nerves and excitement. It suddenly occurred to me that I had never been at airport arrivals. I could see people’s feet walking towards the glass and it was an agonizing wait but when I finally did see my friends smiling face while I was waving my overly big sign all the nervous disappeared and I had to keep reminding myself we were in Korea and not our home town.

Jess and I have always had to travel to see each other. She lived in Bournemouth and I was in Manchester or London while our other friend was in Plymouth.

If you don’t know the British Isles very well this is basically as far away from each other as you can imagine. I once traveled for 7 hours to see them….but it’s safe to say that Jess traveling to Korea takes the biscuit.

That night we explored the streets and the hours disappeared while we were in a small Korean restaurant. I kindly introduced them to Makgeolli, soju, mickju (a combination of Makgeolli and soju of course) and some Korean foods. It was a great night but so weird to be celebrating in such an odd place.

The next day we were lucky enough to see King Segung’s palace, Gyeongbokgung in autumn. I came in spring and the transformation was incredible. It will always be the image that sums up Korea for me.

The rest of our time was spent wandering pretty Korean streets, seeing beautiful flowers and catching up over coffee, especially this delicious Maple latte in a Insadong coffee shop called ‘K-pot’. Mmm

It wasn’t a long stop over but I only have to wait a few short days until my friends Daegu visit.

I have lots of shenanigans planned and I’m excited to just have a catch up over a glass (or five) of Koreas finest Makegolli….strawberry flavour preferred!

My favourite lady!