What is Holi Hai?

The first time Holi Hai was brought to my attention was when photos of my friends covered in paint started surfacing on Facebook. The sight of my friends looking like fools covered in blue, green and pink powder made me instantly want to get involved. I was told it was for Holly day? What was this magical event, I soon realised I was pronouncing it wrong and it wasn’t a day celebrating the spiky British Christmas plant but was in fact an Indian celebration of colour called Holi Hai.
Although Holi Hai is primarily an Indian and Nepalese event it is now being celebrated more and more around the world. Busan, in Korea holds an annual Holi Hai event on the beach in March (or during the first full moon of spring) which is exactly where I headed this year.
We were advised to wear white and that we would be getting messy but I wanted to know a little more so I started to research. Holi Hai is a day dedicated to colour. It celebrates many things such as the arrival of spring, victory of good over evil, laughter and joy. What’s not to love about a festival like that?
The tradition is to have a bonfire the night before named the Holika bonfire and the next morning is a free-for-all carnival of colour and sound. No one is safe in Holi Hai. Strangers will throw colour at you, spray paint and douse you in water balloons.
If you approach this event with the fun spirit you are meant to (and perhaps a few sneaky bottles of Soju) then it is a fantastic day
The Sunday we celebrated started off with lots of dancing on the beach. People showed us the traditional Indian dance moves and we tried our best to perform them. We threw paint, swam in the sea and ate delicious Indian food.
The paint is mostly in powder form so be wary of getting it in your eyes and don’t expect your white clothes to ever be white again.
We didn’t have to deal with this problem in Korea but be advised if you go to an authentic Holi Hai festival in India that most drinks that are given out will contain Bhang, an ingredient similar to cannabis that is meant to enhance the day. Many unsuspecting foreigners have fallen into the trap of taking a sip without knowing what they are agreeing to.
For Hindus (or just people of Indian decent) this is an important time of year to forgive your foes and celebrate life. I will definitely be making sure that any travels I take to India or Nepal will be linking up with this festival.
Have you celebrated at the real Holi Hai? What was it like? Would you recommend it? Have you any funny stories to share from your Korean Holi Hai experience or been slipped some Bhang by accident? Let us know your thoughts and stories. We look forward to hearing from you.

5 Things to See in London

Originally we are both from Wales but London has always had a special place in our hearts. It was our first trip away together when we were 15. For some reason our families were brave enough to let us catch the bus on our own. We were so excited and spent all of one pound to ride the ‘Mega bus’. London seemed so big and daunting and we didn’t have a clue what we were doing. We did however stand on the south bank and pinky swear that one day we’d live there. Ten years later at 25 we were both making those plans a reality and moved to the big smoke.

The years we spent in London were mixed since we lived in very different areas. I lived in Finchley which was the set for Shaun of the Dead and where they filmed Spaced. Lee lived in the butt hole of London and had riots in his street. Luckily for the traveler coming to London for the day, you will see neither of these places as they are both a good hour away from anything worth seeing . (Yes, London is that big).

What we both agreed on though was that we loved London’s heart and its center. We both spent many hours exploring all kinds of things there and we wanted to share with you five of the things that maybe not every ‘Things to see’ list would share with you. Really it’s just an excuse for us to relieve our London day’s since I’m a little home sick and jealous of all my friends about to leave for home in the summer vacation

Things to see:

• The Gilbert Scott and Kings Cross Station –

These are two very different things but they are attached to each other so it’s easy to list them together. Kings Cross station was one of my favourite places in London. This station with its high vaulted glass roof, well thought out design, beautiful art and delicious restaurants of every variation makes it feel like you are getting a glimpse into a fictional world, reserved for Celia Ahern novels and Audrey Hepburn movies. It feels like everyone is heading somewhere important and everyone is happy about it. Obviously there is always the Harry Potter fandom reasons to head here since this is the location of ‘platform 9 & 3/4′  but the Euro star is also here which allows you to watch tearful reunions and excited tourists arrive from Paris. Or if you are really lucky,maybe even travel there yourself. The Starbucks opposite the Eurostar arrivals gate may be the best people watching spot in London.

If you leave the station then you will see the massive St. Pancras hotel that is attached to the building. This magnificent red bricked building dates back to 1873. It was used as the Railway offices for the whole of the UK. If you are facing this building and you head to the far left you will find the entrance to a hidden gem in London. The Gilbert Scott. Gilbert Scott was the original architect of this building in 1873 (after winning a competition to design it.) The bar and restaurant has taken on his name. This was an accidental find for Lee and I. We had met up one day when it started to pour down. We dashed inside only to come face to face with the most incredible bar we’d ever seen. The high ceilings are painted expertly and the original bells that once hung in the tower of this building are now hung from the roof. This bar makes you feel you have just entered the set of the Great Gatsby. The art deco glasses, jazz music, low candle lights and waiters in their three piece suits will throw you back to a bygone era. I must warn you that the drinks are scarily expensive, even for London but when you order a cocktail here you get a real cocktail. Hand made with precision and some interesting techniques. My friends drink arrived in a portable smoker to allow for the smoky taste of her whiskey. The 1873 is my personal favourite cocktail. Featuring Bombay Sapphire gin, Apple juice, Cranberry, Rhubarb and filled CO2 from an antique spritzer bottle right in front of you.

The drinks are normally accompanied with free BBQ popcorn which sounds suspect but this secret recipe from a Michelin star chef makes it highly addictive.

The bar is attached to a restaurant and we never ate here but it’s on our to-do list. I would also love to try their afternoon tea. It comes on the silver tower with all kinds of delicious goodies, cakes and cucumber sandwiches (with no crusts obviously) and even some champagne. This is definitely our bar and any special occasion, if we are in London, you will find us there.

How to find it:

Take the underground to Kings Cross Saint Pancras on the Northern line , Hammersmith and City or the Piccadilly line.

No photo’s of Waterloo i’m afraid but this is Lee and I on a speed boat on the Thames. A great thing to do if you have time.

• Waterloo –

If you leave Waterloo station from the back entrance instead of the large front entrances (head towards the McDonlads in the station) you will find yourself by one of London’s oldest theaters, The Old Vic. It has housed many a star and is a great spot for celebrity spotting. Kevin Spacy lives nearby and is quite a common sight. This area isn’t really a tourist area so you find great bars such as ‘The Fire Station’ or the Cuban themed ‘Cubana’ that does a fantastic margarita and great live music. There are also a range of vintage shops such as my old go to clothes shop ‘Radio Days’ as well as the best bakery in London called ‘Konditor and Cook’. If you like cakes then I’d say it’s worth the effort to head to this area but it is quite a maze of streets so if you particularly like the sound of any of this it’s worth researching a little more. If like me you like wandering and don’t mind what you find then this is a great place to head. It also is a very short distance to the south bank so not really a loss if you decide to head back to waterloo station.

How to get there:

Take the underground to Waterloo on the Bakerloo line, Jubillee line, Northern line or Waterloo & City line.

Portobello Road –

For the avid Disney fans among you , you make recognize the name of this street from the classic Bed knobs and Broomsticks. Portobello Road is basically Notting Hill. I love its tiny streets, vintage shops, antique market and coffee shops. Lee loves the crazy variations of food and the fact that at any second he thinks people will spring into song like in the movie.

It’s a great place to have a wander, buy some trinkets, eat pie and mash and find great ice cream.

How to get there –

Take the tube to Ladbroke Grove (Hammersmith & City Lines) or Notting Hill Gate, which is on the Central, Circle and District lines.

The National Portrait Gallery, The Crypt and Trafalgar Square –

It may be cheesy to list this and I realise that every London list in the world will tell you to go there but I just love Trafalgar Square. From a certain spot on the balcony you can stand and see Big Ben while the fountains flow around you and happy tourists climb the impressive Lion statues. Everyone is normally so happy to be here since they are mostly tourists but it’s a great atmosphere and there always seems to be something going on. There are street artists, singers and bands’ always playing here to entertain the crowds and it’s a great spot to bring a sandwich and have lunch in the sunshine.

The other benefit of this area is that right behind you is the National Portrait Gallery, a free and lovely way to spend an afternoon. I love photography and find portraits so interesting. There are paintings here ranging from actual paintings made of Henry the eighth all the way to the new Photos of Princess Kate. There is a fantastic modern art section with many famous paintings and sculptures as well as interesting exhibitions always arriving. I love seeing the wildlife photography exhibition as well as the photographer of the year.

Once you’ve taken in some art and culture you can head across the street to St. Martins on the Field, which is a church. Down below the church is not only old graves hidden in the stone but a café that’s been built into the catacombs called The Crypt. The foods not great and the drinks are expensive but if you happen to be here on certain days of the week there is live Jazz, Dixieland music and swing bands. People dance everywhere and it’s a fantastic spot.

How to get here:

Trafalgar Square is a short walk from Charring Cross underground station and can be reached on the Northern and Bakerloo lines.

The Players Piano Bar –

This is another of Lee and my favourite spots. Hidden away under the arches of the Charring Cross train bridge is this tiny bar. It doesn’t seat a lot of people and it only seems to be known by the directors, theater goer’s and actors from the theaters around it. On any given night you take a seat, by a relatively cheap drink for London and listen to the piano man or the cabaret star of that night sing all the classic . There is almost always a sing along and a fantastic buzz in the air. It is definitely where the cast of all the shows come to let their hair down. Fridays are especially great.  At 11pm (when most of London starts to shut down due to the mass exodus for the last train home) the place is full of singing and laughter as every one joins in for a cheesy classic. You know a bar is good when even Londoners are willing to take the night bus home.

I don’t have photos of the piano bar but here is Lee enjoying a cheeky wine in the bar.

How to get there:

The Players Bar is hidden under the bridge below Charring Cross train station and can be reached on the Northern and Bakerloo lines.

So that is my 5 random favourite things to do in London…but there are of course more than 5. In fact food places alone can take up the entire list so here is a sneaky few places to try.

Great food places in London

• Bodean’s – Soho

A fantastic BBQ restaurant that specializes in messy pulled pork and delicious ribs. – Bodean’s Soho, 10 Poland Street, London, W1F 8PZ.

• Humming Bird Bakery – Soho- Notting Hill – South Kennsington.

Fantastic American style cupcakes in a variety of flavours.

www.humingbirdbakery.com

• The Blues Kitchen – Camden

My favourite casual restaurant and night out in London with friends. This live music venue delivers delicious New Orleans food such as gumbo and pulled pork sandwiches as well as delicious cocktails. Try the salt beef ruben sandwich.

www.theblueskitchen.com

• Proud Cabaret – Camden – Bank

This is another one of those places that guarantee’s a great night out. My personal favourite is the Bank City branch and is based around a 1930’s speak easy. The waitresses dress in stunning corsets and the entertainment is funny if not a little tongue in cheek. With singers, comedians and burlesque dancers to entertain you throughout your meal. Their 5 course meal is often offered for a discount so it’s worth checking the internet to see if you can find any deals. www.proudcabaretcity.com

• Konditor and Cook – Waterloo

a delicious and unique bakery. Try their curly wurly brownies and their passion cake. http://www.konditorandcook.com/

• Borough Market – London Bridge

A huge variety of foods can be found here. Fresh fruit and veg, the best meat, cheese, cakes, wine, olives, bread…well anything you can imagine. The vendors also make a great variety of food to eat on the spot such as chorizo paella, chow mein’s and hog roasts. Bring an empty belly when you come for a visit.

http://boroughmarket.org.uk/market-map

Where do you love in London or where have you always dreamed of going? What’s your favourite restaurant and bar? Where should we avoid? Let us know what you think about the Big Smoke . We look forward to hearing from you.

Our To - Do list in China and Taiwan

Only 8 days now and we will be winging our way to China! I have all of the Bruce Lee classics as well as Mulan and Kung Pow ready to be watched over the next week just to get me a little bit more excited. Yes, those cultural classics.

We will only be in each location for a few days so I’ve gone into crazy planning mode to make sure we get the most out of our trip. We aren’t ones for packed schedules but we do like to have a few things we know we will see.

So here is our rough list:

China – Beijing

• The Great Wall – obviously this is on the list and we’ve decided to visit the Mutianyu section of the wall as it promises to be less crowded (there is also a sled ride down the mountain which swayed us slightly) . It’s almost a little daunting to imagine standing on a wall I’ve seen so many times in pictures and movies. I think until we are stood on it and taking silly touristy photos it won’t feel real.

• The Forbidden City – Again this was always going to be on the list. It’s such an iconic place and it will feel like we’ve stepped into every image of China we’ve seen our whole lives once we are there.

• Eat Peking duck – Obviously food is a huge part of our holidays and China will definitely not be any different. I have had a soft place in my heart for Chinese food since I can remember and I plan on eating dumplings until I resemble one but this tasty duck is going to be a treat. Get in our bellies.

• Mongolian Lamb – Although we won’t be in Mongolia we are excited to see the influences from this mysterious country. In Korea you can’t get lamb unless you really hunt it down so we plan on filling up on the stuff while we can.

China – Shanghai

• The Maglev train – this is something Lee introduced me to. It’s a train that signals the future has arrived. It runs on magnets and is suspended above the air so it doesn’t need a conventional. It displays a technique that could stop air travel all together. If you put a maglev train in a vacuumed tunnel there would be no friction and there for no limit to its speed. Theoretically you could travel around the world in two hours. If we could find a way for our fragile bodies to handle those speeds that is. At the moment it’s just a train between Shanghai airport and the city but it’s a start.

• Antique markets – I can’t wait to find some interesting objects here from old China and the surrounding countries. Hopefully I may find some vintage clothes shops dotted around too.

• The Bund – This is the waterfront area that surrounds the Huangpu River. It is meant to be beautiful and provides great views on a lazy day. We are hoping to find a nice spot to sit and sip a lychee martini; after all, we are in China.

Taiwan – Taipei

• Taipei 101 – I love the views from the tops of high buildings in cities, it always puts the city into perspective. Lee isn’t a huge fan of heights, ironically for a tall man. But he loves the views (if he’s not looking down). It will really feel we have arrived in Taiwan once we are up here.

• Ounce – A weird edition to the list but this speakeasy bar is right up our street. A small coffee shop with a secret button leading to a 1930’s themed cocktail bar. We will be running there to spend many hours drinking unique cocktails and to dance the night away.

• Modern Toilet – Part of what excites me about Taiwan is its kookiness. There are many themed restaurants in Taipei and this seems like this is the most bizarre end of the scale. Chocolate poop shaped ice cream served in toilet bowls anyone?

• Breakfast food – When I’ve been reading about Taiwan, especially on Tom’s fantastic blog found here , the food items that excites me more than most is the Taiwanese breakfast food. I love breakfast. Bacon, pancakes, pastry, eggs…all of it. Taiwan promises lots of different exciting things to try.

• STREET FOOD! – This goes for the entire trip. We want to eat Szechwan chicken, lamb curries, bacon pancakes, red pork, beggars chicken…all of it. Come on week. Go quicker!

Five Things You Wouldn't Think of Trying in Korea

The first thing we did when we were thinking of moving to the lovely Korean shores was investigate the food. As any researcher would we headed for the source of all knowledge, Google. We promptly typed in ‘what is Korean Cuisine?’. Our small town of Bridgend hadn’t quite reached the sophistication of a Korean restaurant. In fact we barely have a Thai restaurant.
We spent hours researching the unknown and fancy things we could consume. Unfortunately our research would produce the same results ever time. Every site told us to try the same things. We knew we were going to live on 비빔밥 – Bibimbap (vegetables and egg mixed into rice with a red pepper sauce) and we  knew we’d be trying 김치 찌개 – kimchi jjigae (a spicy red broth with tofu, kimchi and onions). We also knew to expect to snack on 김밥 – Kimbap (rice, veg and meat wrapped in seaweed, similar to a Californian roll). Be warned – never accidentally call kimbap ‘sushi’ or you will have some offended Koreans on your hands. Lastly we were quite confident that fish bones would make an appearance.
Please note that these are exactly the kinds of search results we should have found since they are exactly what we eat each day and I have a soft spot in my heart for them. What no one talks about is the random items that you can find here that are a) better than most other countries and b) completely random and very Korean.
1. 수박 or Watermelon – Fruit and vegetables are extremely seasonal here. You can buy them out of season but they will cost you a pretty penny. When we arrived in Korea we were advised to bring fruit to work as a gift. In the UK if you took some bananas into the office instead of biscuits you’d be shunned by your fellow co-workers but here fruit is so expensive that it’s a delicacy. This doesn’t mean you can’t find it, it’s in most stores but it is expensive and you have to buy in extreme bulk in most cases. It may be the fact you can only get items at certain times, but the fruit just tastes better here. During the watermelon season in June and July I just can’t eat enough of the stuff. It may be in my mind (or my aging taste buds) but the Korean watermelon is the best thing I’ve ever tasted. I will miss it so much when I’m gone. A watermelon will set you back about $11 or 8 pounds but it will feed you for a week. It is also great for parties since you can stick a soju bottle in the top of one and let it absorb the alcohol throughout the night for a tasty alternative to a cocktail.
2. 빙그레 or Binggrae Fish Ice Creams – These may look ominous with their less than appealing design but once you try these delicious treats you will be hooked. It is a simple item, wafer shaped like a fish on the outside with soft scoop ice cream and a layer of red bean on the inside. Red bean is something you either love or hate but when it’s made into a jam and put with ice cream its heaven. Many of these will be keeping us going during this hot Korean summer.
3. 땅콩 버터 오징어 or Peanut butter dried Squid – Yes you read that right. I realise that your instinct is to think I’ve made a spelling mistake or that I’ve lost my mind but this is Lee’s favorite discovery in Korea and he has demanded it be listed. I quite like it but he lives on the stuff. This is something you can find in most convenience stores such as 7-11’s and Gs-25’s. It is strips of squid similar to jerky that’s has a distinct peanut buttery flavor. It has a strong smell but once you get over that it is fantastically chewy and delicious. It is the perfect bar snack. In fact some bars serve it in a red sticky sauce that will also tickle your taste buds. If you are in Korea its worth giving it a taste and if you don’t like it, it still makes a fantastically weird present to take home to the family.
4. 만두 or Mandu – This shouldn’t really be on the list since I’m sure most websites will tell you to try mandu at some point but mandu is so good it deserves to be reiterated here. TRY IT! Don’t’ just settle for trying one type, either, try them all. From the small fried pork mandu to the dessert red bean breaded mandu. It is all delicious and addictive. If you aren’t familiar with mandu it is a Korean dumpling. It comes in a few different varieties such as 왕만두 or wanmandu (translated as king dumpling) which is more of a steamed breaded bun with a chive and pork filling, 물만두 or mulmandu (translated as water dumping) which has a thin almost pasta like exterior that’s steamed or 군만두 or Junmandu which is a fried variety. If you are lucky enough to be in the city of Daegu I’d also recommend you try the cities specialty which is 납작만두 or Nabjang mandu. This is very different to normal mandu since it is a very thin sliver of batter fried with chives and dipped into soy sauce. It is perfect to wrap rice in and is a great fried treat. If you see a shop with steam billowing out of tall metal cans you have stumbled on a rare and beautiful mandu house. Try everything!
5. 가나 초콜릿 or Ghana chocolate – Lotte is a huge company in Korea. It owns buildings, theme parks, toilets and chocolate companies. It would be impressive if you came to Korea and didn’t find their name somewhere. You’d expect that a company that has its finger in so many industrial pies would not be a good fit for a chocolate making company but you’d be surprised. For the first few months we lived in Korea Lee refused to eat any chocolate because he was in mourning for Cadburys. Eventually the cravings became too much to handle (he is a complete and utter chocoholic) He ventured into the American market and bought a Hersey’s bar. They sell them readily here in Korea. He was not a happy bunny. If you have grown up on very sweet chocolate Heresy’s can be a bit of a shock to the system. I am a fan, especially of their cookie and cream bars but even I didn’t think it was a good enough substitute so like any normal expats we begged our families to send supplies. This kept us going for a while but the crazy price tag did taint the flavor. Luckily for us a friend of ours came to the rescue. He offered us a Lotte Ghana bar. The bar was red in colour so our British chocolate brains had always just assumed it was dark chocolate but what it was in fact was delicious creamy chocolate. This once again may just be our mirage mechanisms cutting in after a Cadbury’s fast but it tastes really good and it is very satisfying. If you are in Korea and in need of a British chocolate boost this is the closest thing to home and definitely worth a try. It is also great when you melt it down and combine it with peanut butter. Once it sets you have your very own peanut butter chocolate.
So there you have it, five random Korean foods you have to try when you arrive. Obviously there are a stupid amount of things that will make your mouth happy in Korea but these are the surprising finds that make my days (and hung over mornings) happy ones.
What surprisingly good items have you found on your travels? Is there anything you are looking forward to trying in Korea that I haven’t listed or do you miss a particular things from your trips to this lovely country? Let us know your opinions and surprising finds from all around the world.

One Night in Bangkok

I recently read a story talking about the mistakes people make when they travel.

It was a fascinating read and it mentioned the weird phenomenon that is taking over the travel blog world. This phenomenon is ‘the perfect traveller’. Everything looks shiny, new and perfect on a lot of blogs. Each story is filled with wonder and beauty that far surpasses daily life. There are of course many that don’t do this (I would recommend the beautifully written blog by a teacher who recently left Korea www.couldIlivethere.wordpress.com) . If like me you actually enjoy hearing the bad along with the good then this can sometimes be annoying.

So I thought I would share with you one of our travel disasters and as far as disasters go it was quite monumental.

This story takes place on the mysterious and lively streets of Bangkok, Thailand. As so many disaster stories seem to do. ‘=

Bangkok was somewhere I had always wanted to go ,mainly for the food. Lee had visited Thailand as a child and only had vague memories of the city so he was willing to give it another go. He was also in it for the food.

We set off from Korea and left behind us an oppressive summer heat. Daegu , the city we live in in Korea is known for being the hottest city in Korea and boy does it live up to its reputation. The mixture of five months teaching and the unforgiving humidity meant we were craving travel, airports and the possibility of exploring other lands.

Our first impressions of Bangkok was created by the scenery. It was so different to Korea. I had expected quite similar backdrops but instead I was faced with palm trees and tiny stilted houses in marsh land. It was the escape from Korea we’d hoped for. This was the outskirts of Bangkok and as the train took us closer and closer to Bangkok’s bustling center the world rose around us. Sky scraper after sky scraper passed us. Housing blocks and worn billboards were everywhere.

I have always been a fan of the dirt and grit of cities. I remember sitting down with my mum trying to explain to her why we wanted to travel instead of staying in our tiny Welsh town.

She kept reiterating that “It’s not going to be like you imagine. It’s not going to be perfect and clean, it’s going to be dirty hostels and busy streets.”

Every part of me hoped she was right.

Lee and I always talk about travel in these terms. We want realness; we want to see the packed streets, the down right dangerous driving and the rip off markets where you have to haggle for a price. I realise that sometimes this isn’t fun when it’s happening but it’s an experience and a real one at that. This doesn’t mean that we don’t love going to a beautiful resort or a 5 star hotel, but as long as it’s a real glimpse of that country, even a glimpse of the tourist part of that country, then I’m happy.

So Bangkok was not disappointing.

The trainline directly at the bottom of the stairs leading to our hotel

After throwing our bags down in our extremely minimal hotel we headed into the center of the city. Everywhere you looked there was colour and people. The streets are so busy that walk ways have been built above every road in the city to allow the pedestrians to keep moving. It’s a three tier system with cars (and crazy tuk tuks) on the bottom, people in the middle and trains above them.

The noise, smells and sheer amount of lights  blew our senses. The streets were paved with food stalls where we could grab a delicious snack and sit among the throng whilst being a few inches from traffic. It was chaotic. It was incredible.

Sometimes it’s hard to describe a place and sometimes there is a perfect explanation that sums an area up to a tee. Bangkok is easy to explain. Visiting Bangkok is exactly like walking into the movie ‘Blade Runner’.

We were downtown, we explored, we devoured every single thing we could in the biggest and best food court we’ve ever seen (as Yankaphiles we lose our minds when we can eat new American foods), then we decided to treat ourselves to some cocktails at the top of Bangkok’s famous sky bar ‘Red Sky’.

The popular sky bar ‘Red Sky’ can be found at the top of the Siam building in downtown Bangkok on the 55th floor. It provides breath taking 360 degree views of the city. If you want to go you must try to go earlier rather than later or on a week day. We happened to arrive on a Tuesday so we were in luck. There is also a rule that no backpacks, flip flops or sports tops are allowed in. We had a backpack and Lee had sandals  but we thought, why not try our luck. Even if you are turned away its worth travelling to the bar because you can still take in the amazing views in the restaurant lobby.

We drank expensive cocktails as a holiday treat, listened to the live jazz band, looked at the city laid out in front of us (and I wrestled with my camera settings for an hour to get a good photo. Lee is a patient man). The bill was more than we would normally pay since the drinks are London prices here. But you only live once and we weren’t too worried.

Unfortunately we were unaware of the impending doom that was about to befall us. We soon realised that we had no way of paying for these lovely drinks. When Lee had been at the ATM it hadn’t given him back his card. This sounds like something you would find hard to miss but Thailand’s ATM’s are built differently and the card slot is a different place. Also the card comes out after the money and after the receipt. In the hectic pushing and shoving of the Bangkok streets he hadn’t realised he didn’t get it back.

Panic set in, what the hell do we do? !

Lee’s card with all of our travel money on it was now gone, but not to panic. We both spent money at our banks in Korea to have cards that work internationally. Oh no wait, they don’t work either. Unfortunately (and I’ll cover this in a different more terrifying story) Korean banks are a bit of a nightmare. Even though we had two cards with our Korean money on them neither of them were working . The last option was our credit cards which luckily we had prepared to use abroad too, we had told them we would be in Thailand on these dates but , and I’m sure you can guess what’s coming, the banks blocked them…both of them.

We had 3 cards, two back up cards and none of them were working.

In the end I had to drag out a card from my wallet that I hadn’t used for about 10 years and pray I remembered the pin. Luckily due to the height of the building and the storm that was rolling in, both metaphorically and literally, the internet system would only let me sign.

Luckily we could pay for the drinks . We escaped sheepishly and as quickly as possible.

We had just enough money to get back to our hotel and put our thinking caps on.

Once we were back in our hotel room that hadn’t yet been paid for with a flight to a deserted Thai island looming in one days time the fear really set in. We rang everyone. The phone bill came close to 200 pound by the time we were done. We rang the Korean banks who told us they didn’t know why it wasn’t working and hung up, repeatedly. We rang the British credit card companies who said it was too late to reactivate them since they’d canceled them thinking it was fraud who then apologised when they noticed the note on the account saying we were in Thailand. And of course we didn’t have our card with the money on it.

We were up all of the night trying to ring everyone possible. Jumping from time zone to time zone in an attempt to grab anyone we could. No joy. No one could do anything. We got a few hours’ sleep and hoped that in the morning the banks could help us or we could retrieve our card from the machine.

The next day was sunny but we weren’t. The only option, as is the way for many travellers was our families.

Lee’s brother does night shifts so his time difference luckily linked up with ours. He tried to send us money. Unfortunately since he has never done this before his bank blocked the transfer and refused to send it until he came to the bank. Since it was 4am this wasn’t an option. Time was running out and our two days in Bangkok was quickly coming to an end. The next day we would be on a plane to Surat Thani with no way to pay the hotel we were currently in and no way to live.

The next option was Lee’s parents. Lee’s mum and dad are British but his dad works for a company in Saudi Arabia where they both live. As soon as the time difference caught up with us we rang them and begged for help. We could access our money online from the card that was now sitting in a Bangkok ATM and give it straight back to them but there was no way to take it out in Bangkok. They sent a Western Union transfer and like Charlie with his golden ticket we ran to the nearest western union …it closed two minutes before we got there.

If we didn’t get this money now (which by this time was 5pm) we’d miss our early morning flight and have to do a midnight dash from our hotel. It wasn’t looking good. We couldn’t wait for it to open the next day. Dejected and upset we counted our pennies and found a tiny market that was selling pho for 50p. We hadn’t eaten for about 27 hours and were in need of an energy boost.

Sad Pho

So we sat , with our pho and tried to think of what to do. The only viable option that kept rearing its head was to head to the embassy. This sounds extreme but Lee’s dad was still having trouble sending us money even if the Western Union had been open and my family wouldn’t be able to help. All our fellow teachers with funds were also on holiday and not contactable. Then by pure luck I happened to look at the photo I’d taken of the ATM that had our card. I am not in the habit of taking photos of ATM’s but I took one just in case we could get the card back out of it. In the background of the photo, like a shining beckon of hope I noticed a Western Union symbol , with some CSI style zooming and enhancing of the photo we could make out the words …..open until 7pm

We could do this! If Lee’s dad could keep battling with the bank to send the transfer, we could use our last pennies to grab a train to the center of town and get to the Western Union. WE COULD DO THIS. It was 5:30 already and 6pm by the time we arrived, we ran like bats out of hell through the crowds to get to this ATM. Just as we arrived at 6:30 we had a confirmation message from Lee’s dad saying that the money would be there waiting. I’m not lying when I say we danced in the street.

The man at Western Union was a little taken aback when two westerners ran at his shop smiling and crying with happiness. We started the paper work and crossed our fingers. The only glitch in the road was when the confused man quoted back the transfer path…

“So this money is from someone in Saudi Arabia, to their British bank which has then been sent to Bangkok for two people who live in South Korea?”

“Yes”. We nodded enthusiastically.

With a raised eyebrow and the doubt that we were two international drug smugglers with a very shady bank transfer, he gave us our money, along with a very stylish Western Union towel. We could eat, we could travel and we could fly. The holiday was saved.

The rest of the evening was spent eating  and making the most of our one night in Bangkok. All the shrines were of course closed but we did manage to see the flower market, night markets and sit by the river. It was a fantastic evening. I swear every drink tasted a little bit sweeter after that.

Two Happy Foreigners

The downside of course to this story is that we had to carry all of our holiday money with us for three weeks . This involved it being hid in shoes, sketch books and hotel rooms but it was worth it.

Our two days in Bangkok weren’t quite what we expected but they were definitely eventful. We ate delicious 50p pho we never would have tried, really got to appreciate the night markets and had a fantastic time the rest of the holiday because it all felt like a gift.  Murray Head was definitely right. One night in  Bangkok  makes the hard man humble.

It’s not the perfect travel story but it definitely something we will remember forever.

We will be heading back to Bangkok to experience it fully next year, but maybe this time we will take a lot of cash with us.

What we learnt:

• Take a back up for your back up for your back up.

• Cheap pho is good pho

• A city is more than just its tourist attractions

• Tuk Tuks are at exactly bus exhaust level.

• Take cash

• Hide said cash well

• Don’t blame each other no matter how much you want to. They know what they did and don’t need you to angry at them. They are already angry at themselves and you will do something as equally stupid soon.

• Carry snacks.

How We Met

Since we are talking about our future plans and current locations I thought it only fitting to provide you with an almost ancient tale now of how I met my tall companion.

I remember the first time I met Lee. I was 7 years old. I was the geekiest, most awkward 7 year old in class which is summed up by the fact that I was coming home late from choir practice. I was terrified. I had met my mum’s new friend and her youngest son a few times over the last week but not her son who was almost the same age as me. Both our families had bonded over the fact that our fathers were living in Saudi Arabia. Our brothers were in the same class at school and the infant’s teacher had introduced our mums when she realised both families had so much in common.

Our mums hit it off instantly. In a tiny Welsh town like ours it’s very hard for a lot of people to relate to such a unique situation so they were each others rock from the moment they met. Our brothers, who are the same age, were thick as thieves. They clicked instantly and got up to as much mischief as they could create. We went through a 3 year period where they were both convinced they were vampires. They were/are strange boys and we love them for it.

My nerdy self with my mental brother in Saudi Arabia a few years later

This was the first time I was meeting the oldest son, only a year older than me. I had never spoken to him but we were apparently in the same school. These days a year age difference is tantamount to nothing (mainly due to us being so bloody old that years drift into each other). Back then it was as if there was 20 years between us. Year 4 students should never even attempt to speak to year 5 students! Even looking them in the eye seemed like a crime. (This is grade 4 and grade 5 to any Americans out there).

With all the geeky extracurricular activities I was doing such as choir, piano and gymnastics I had avoided this moment for a week but now as I came into my house I knew that on the other side of that door was this new person. My mum opened the living room door and greeted me warmly and ushered me into the living room to introduce me “and this is Tania”. I stared at my feet as this is the painfully shy 7 year old’s response to a situation you can’t handle and Lee’s mum greeted me warmly with a “Hiya love”.

I took a gulp of breath and looked up, ready to pretend to be as old and cool as my nerdy brain would allow and there he was, this boy in his Manchester United away jersey (that he lived in) looking as uncomfortable as I felt. “Wanna play football?” I said, desperately trying to think what nonchalant actually looked like.

“Yeah” he shrugged…and I was in love.

I realise at 7 people don’t call it love, people call it school yard crushes or fancies. But I knew like I know now that it really was love at first sight for me. Unfortunately, of course, it was not reciprocated when we were 7 but we became great friends and for a 8 year old boy to be friends with a girl at that age it was as close to love as you can get (or at least that’s what my Disney influenced mind wants to pretend).

Proof that I taught him his computer skills

We’d play football every day in the garden. Him in goal and me taking penalties, I’d teach him how and what a computer was, yes we are that old that a computer was a rarity, and we would argue and talk for hours while I would beat him at board games (that’s right Lee , I’ve put it on the internet, at one point in our lives I could beat you at board games). Our mums used to call us ‘the two old men’ because we would chat from the moment he came into my house until he left at 10pm.

Us with our brothers (Lee still in his jersey)

Those were fantastic days, two families with only each other. Lee’s mum couldn’t drive so my mum would pile us all in the car, being small enough that all four kids could sit in the back seat (again it was the early 90’s and this didn’t seem as strange or unsafe as it is now). We’d go to the cinema and watch Disney movies, go to the park and play for hours on the swings and go swimming until we resembled prunes.

Fast forward to many years later and Lee’s family meeting my sister for the first time.

It was a real childhood and I am very lucky to say I spent it with the man I now, twenty years later, travel the world with.

Year’s later things got more complicated when his family moved to Saudi Arabia but a few months after that, so did mine…but that’s a whole other story.

I guess the important thing to take away from this story is that for me love at first sight exists , at one point I could beat Lee at board games and that it was some of the best years of my life.

5 Tips – When Eating in Korea

1. They use spoons –
One of the problems westerners face when arriving in Korea is the prospect of using chopsticks. With Asian cuisine being popular abroad most people have had a few attempts at these intriguing utensils but knowing it will be the only way you will eat when you arrive can scare a few. The main thing to understand is they don’t just use chopsticks here. In Korea a spoon will always come with your meal. This is mainly for soups and you will happy to hear, rice.
During university I lived with a friend who was originally from Hong Kong, he use to find it hilarious that we all tried to pick up rice with chopsticks. ‘We always use the spoon; we think you are crazy when you don’t’. This filled me with relief but I wondered if Korea would be the same. Luckily it is, in fact Koreans use their spoons for most things, and they even use it as a knife when the job calls for it. It is however important to note that chopsticks still crop up in the weirdest places. The most challenging things I’ve had to use them for would probably be birthday cake and chicken wings. If you fear the chopsticks and want a fork then you may be out of luck as they are as rare as a French man’s steak. The only time I’ve seen forks is in western restaurants or when you order a DongKassa which is a bread crumbed steak of meat that comes in a curry sauce similar to the Japanese dish Dong Katsu which is also a bread crumbed meat with a curry sauce. I’ve asked a few Koreans if one dish is based on the other but no one seems to be sure.
It’s also important to note, Korean chopsticks are a little different from the Chinese chopsticks. They are normally flat and made of metal instead of round and made of wood. This doesn’t sound like a big difference but if you’ve been using one type at home for most of your life it will be an odd adjustment, or at the very least an embarrassing one.
2.  Nobody really drinks with their meals –
In almost all restaurants water is provided   but it is usually in a very small metal cup. People apparently, aren’t meant to drink with their food as it slows down digestion but if like me it is something you are use to it will be a hard adjustment. In school the only drink people have is a very small glass of barley tea at the end of the meal and this is meant to be to swill your teeth.
The exception to this is of course alcohol. Drinking alcohol and eating is a very popular past time in Korea. Instead of going to a pub for a drink you meet friends and do both eating and drinking at the same time. This is a very good thing since the alcohol is very potent in Korea. Your stomach will be grateful.

Some of the food we bought to get some Makgolli

3. You need to buy food to drink –

This is leading on from our last tip and is important to know when you sit down in a bar. If it is western themed then you may be ok but if the establishment calls itself a soju room (a type of sweet potato liquor similar to vodka but a fraction of the price) a Hof (a German word that has somehow become the Korean reference to a bar) or a Korean makgolli bar (a rice wine ) you will almost certainly be asked to buy food. Normally it is well priced and perfect snack food so it’s still definitely worth it but very good to know when the waiter stands patiently waiting at your table.

4. You will eat KimChi (and Radish) –

When you order food in a restaurant you will normally be showered in tiny plates. Normally the amount of food that accompanies your meal for free will fill you up before your order even arrives. These normally include, egg in a hot pot, seaweed, a sweet potato dish, a salad with kiwi/ pineapple dressing and of course kimchi, bugs and radish.

If you are coming to Korea then it is inevitable that you will have heard of this fermented cabbage. KimChi isn’t just a food in this country but a national symbol. The food itself can only be made in winter during kimChi season and consists of a cabbage fermented with a mixture of garlic, red pepper paste and a whole host of ingredients. These ingredients are kept underground in in a think vase like pot for one to two years before being consumed. It is red in colour and will come to your table at every opportunity. Trying to explain the importance of this food to someone who hasn’t visited this country is hard because I’ve never experienced an association like it. In Korea, when you take a photo people shout ‘KimChi’ instead of cheese, in fact the peace symbol that is famously seen in most Korean photos actually stands for kimchi, not peace. You will be given kimchi when you order pizza, BBQ and even just a beer.
As for radish. Before arriving here I thought radish was a small red vegetable that went in salads. Here it is a serious business. If its not cabbage kimchi it will be radish kimchi and if its not radish kimchi on the table then a plate of radish will be bought anyway. The radishes grown here are as long as your arm, white in colour and not my cup of tea but I’ve met many westerners that love it so its worth a shot.
The question everyone will want to know when you arrive is ‘do you like KimChi’. Whether you hate it or love it, it is wise to answer yes because the real question they are asking you is ‘Do you like Korea’. Hopefully if you are lying then they won’t put a huge pile of the stuff in front of you but I’ve learnt during my time in this lovely country that it will probably happen anyway.

You also will be faced with these critters.

5. They have different tastes –

Now I understand how reading that may seem like the most obvious tip in the world, in fact it is just an agreed upon inevitability when you travel to a new country since we all have our own cuisines but I’m not referring to national dishes, I’m referring to western food. When you travel and you decide to give in and try the western delights (don’t judge me, I’ve been here a year and a half and sometimes you miss home) you expect the familiar items to taste, well familiar. In Korea this may not be the case. Take for example a trip to a bakery. The bakeries here are my downfall. Hundreds of choices all beautifully displayed and every item looking tempting but sometimes you will be tricked. It may look like delicious garlic bread that you’d eat with some pasta but in fact it has a sugar glaze over the entire thing. It may look like a delicious fruit tart with strawberries on it but its actually tomatoes in strawberry jam and of course it is never custard, its always sweet potato mash. These are difference you come to love and I know I will miss some of them (not the garlic sugar bread, you can keep that.) but when you expect the taste of home it is sometimes shocking.

Paris Baguette – yum!

These are just five small glances into the world of Korean food. During our time here we have discovered many nuances to the food culture. Sometimes lee and I agree full heatedly about whether these nuances are a good thing and other times we will disagree vastly ( The tall one loves garlic sugar bread….ukkkk) . Like the country itself the food is interesting and culturally revealing. I would recommend everyone try it. After all even if you come and hate the food there is always McDonalds that delivers to your door.*
*if you are ordering a Mc D’s in Korea then get the Korean double bulgogi with cheese burger. It is fantastic. See, you can’t escape Korean food even in McDonalds.