2014 Our Favourite Bits

Some how when we weren’t looking, the year dissapeared. We have almost been in Korea for two years and sometimes if feels like meer hours. As 2014 gets ready to hang up it’s hat it’s the perfect time to reflect on what a fantastic year it’s been.
There have been many things that I’d love to include but we’ve narrowed it down to some of the top moments from the past year.

1. Dumplings in Shanghai

In August this year we went to China. Our first stop was Beijing where we ate our weight in duck and noodles. We thought it couldn’t get better than Beijing, but then we went to Shanghai. If Beijing is the traditional brother then Shanghai is the kooky nephew. In Shanghai the first things we noticed before we checked in was the fantastic smell coming from a small hut next to our hotel. This little booth contained a very hard working woman. She made dough in the morning and filling in the night. She was our dumpling supplier for the rest of the holiday and by jove were they delicious. At 30p a pop we easily lived on them for the entire holiday. You will notice a theme with this list…food will be featured heavily.

2. Being in North Korea

When we decided to move to Korea we knew that we wanted to visit this almost mythical mysterious place. The DMZ is the dividing line between North and South Korea and you can visit it on a tour, run by the American Army. I don’t know what I was expecting before I got there but this place utterly shocked me. It was a very jaring and humbling experience and I think there is definitley something to be said for understanding the country you are living in and the hardships it has and is facing. The day we went it was cold, grey and snowy which only added to the somber atmosphere. There isn’t anything I’ve experience as terrifying as coming face to face with a North Korean soilder. Stepping over that dividing line, even for 5 minutes isn’t something I ever thought I’d do but I’m very glad I did.

3. Visiting my brother in Scotland

I’ve only ever been to Scotland twice in my life and both have occurred over the last two years. This seems shocking to me now that I live in Asia and travel far and wide. Our home of Wales and Scotland are stupidly close. What’s even more shocking is that up until January this year Lee hadn’t been at all. Luckily My brother is living in Edinburgh so when we traveled home in January we decided to pop up there and celebrate his recent engagement to his beautiful fiance. Edinburgh is one of those cities that just blows me away. The history, architecture, people and food are the best around. Sitting in a resturant eating haggis, drinking hot toddys and laughing with my brother has been one of the best parts of this year.

4. The Nightmarkets of Taipei

Taiwan just blew us away. It you sit still for two seconds any where near me I will tell you how Taiwan is just the best place I’ve ever been. One of the lovely things about Taipei was the amazing night markets. The crazy amounts of delicious food, fresh fruit juices, fun games and lovely people are what makes Taipei feel like the perfect mix between traditional China and kooky Japan. I still dream about the cheese sticks and lime juice there. This overlooked city is waiting to be discovered by the masses so get there quick.

5. Taroko Gorge , Hualian Taiwan

There are some places you visit that even photos can do justice. This is one of those places. The towering pillars of marble, the clay filled rivers and the bluest seas I’ve ever seen. We were in awe the entire time. We even managed to see a wild monkey which is a first, although I hear when we visit Indonesia next year we will be sick of the little blighters. Everyone should go and you should go now.

6. Conquering the Great Wall of China

We did it! It was tough, it was the hottest day of the year and we went to the wrong part of the wall so had to do it twice. It was a big thing to cross off the bucket list and I was so happy to share this moment with Lee since we’ve talked about it for a long time. If you are going to visit, take about twenty bottles of water and a camera to take a million photos.

7. Holi Hai in Busan

Hoil Hai is the Indian festival of colour but it is also a big deal in Busan , Korea. When I first heard about it last year we had just missed it so I was stupidly excited to experience it this year. It also happened to fall on the same weekend as Saint Patrick’s day which meant it would have been rude to not celebrate with our Irish friends. We spent the weekend covered in green shamrocks and powder paint. It’s made us move a trip to India up the bucket list because if Busan was fantastic I can only imagine how great the real thing is.

8. My Best Friends Wedding

In April this year I had the privilage of being part of my best friends wedding. She has been my friend since I was fifteen and it was an honor to be her bridesmaid. It was the first international flight I’ve taken on my own and it was so bizzare to travel the world on my own. I was only in the UK for four days but it was completely worth it. It also helped that the wedding was on my mum’s birthday so she, my sister and my brother were all there. Traveling the world for a dance party like no other was very worth it. Plus Wales is just beautiful. Any excuse to see these sunsets is worth a twelve hour flight.

9. Dancing the night away in Shanghai

When we heard that there was an all you can drink nightclub in Shanghai, situated in a building that is a cross between a Victorian manor house and a eighties music video. To set the scene for you there was a see through grand piano in the bathroom and a stone statue of king Arthur wearing an afro. We danced and laughed all night, that combined with being chatted up by some very beautiful escorts made it a crazy night. Thank you China for the ego boost and good time. There isn’t many things in life I love as much as dancing but dancing with my Lee is one of them.

10. Lee’s family learn to Noreabang

I’ve known Lee’s family for as long as I can remember. When they decided to come and visit us in Korea we were over the moon. We took them for Korean bbq, we laughed over Makgolli and showed them the beautiful temples but the memory of us all ina norebang singing our hearts out at three a.m not because we were drunk but just because we were having so much fun we didn’t want to go home. They are my heros and there is nothing better than sharing Korea with people when they come to visit since it makes us fall in love with the place all over again.

Well that is just some of the great moments from our year. 2015 is shaping up to be a BIG year. My new diary is embarresingly already filled with flight details and hotel names as we get ready to leave Korea for good. We are reved up and ready to set off on our four month trip around Asia before finding a new home in Australia. There are terrifying yet exciting times ahead.
I hope you have all had a fantastic year and we thank you for also joining us on the new adventrue of starting this blog. It’s only been up and running for a few months but the response has been incredible. I hope we can get to know you all a bit better as well as share more of our adventures.
Happy New Year everybody.