There are a few iconic dishes that one shouldn’t leave Korea without trying…one of them is the beloved dumpling called mandu. Steamed mandu (찐만두), fried mandu(튀김만두), meat mandu (고기 만두), kimchi mandu (김치만두), wang mandu(왕만두), or jjinppang mandu (찐빵만두)… Continue reading
Chiang Mai, founded in 1296, and the one time capital of the Kingdom of Lanna (currently the capital of Chiang Mai Province) is home to a mind boggling number of Buddhist temples. Over 300, to be vaguely exact. Each wat is unique, and many are easily accessible by foot, located within the moated confines of Old Town, while others are tucked away off winding roads (or on mountaintops) on the outskirts of the city. Continue reading
what mysterious wonders do the side streets of Bangkok hold?
The plan was simple: to eat. More specifically, to eat our way across Bangkok right up until the moment we were scheduled to hop the night train north to Chiang Mai. In a city known for its amazing and abundant street food, I imagined that the task at hand would unfold deliciously: dish by dish, street by street. Of course, my true intentions were not that pure. Continue reading
The music was hypnotic. The haunting sounds of a double reed instrument (called a Pi Java) twisted its way through the shuffle of the crowd steadily assembling for the evening’s fights. Small cymbals chimed. There was the rhythmic thump of a drum. It was like snake charming music. The Katha Mahaniyou was working its magic… Continue reading
We left the cool oasis of our beautiful room at The Muse Hotel, and decided to make our way across town to Wat Pho. It seemed as good a place as any to begin our exploration of Bangkok. Not only is Wat Pho the city’s oldest temple, home to 91 chedis, and a massive reclining Buddha; it is also in close proximity to a couple other noteworthy attractions- namely Wat Arun and the Royal Palace. Maximum sightseeing with the least amount of walking possible. Sounded good to me! Continue reading
As a kid growing up in a small northern NY town where chicken wings and burgers reigned supreme, I distinctly remember the first time I tasted Thai food. My parents took us on a 30 minute drive to the next (significantly larger) town over, to a hole-in-the-wall restaurant tucked into one of those strip mall shopping centre areas. It was an unassuming place that left an indelible mark on my palette. The exotic flavours of Continue reading
Food always has a story to tell. Like magic, certain smells, flavours, and meals have the power to transport us through time and space. Whether it is a fleeting snapshot from personal memory that is evoked; or a larger, more encompassing tale that describes a culture, or colours a country and its people. Food is transcendent. Continue reading
Winter isn’t going away anytime soon, so why not try to embrace it? This is the question that I have been asking myself repeatedly as of late. In general I am a huge fan of winter, and all of the stuff associated with it: ice skating, snowshoeing, skiing, snowmen, (hot chocolate with lotsa marshmallows)…But winter in South Korea thus far has been Continue reading
(a mostly visual exploration of the Mullae Art Village)
I couldn’t stop taking pictures. Everywhere I looked there was something wonderful and mysterious. The line between art, accident, and naturally occurring residue was completely blurred. One of my most favourite combinations. Continue reading
After an Indian summer that seemed to stretch on forever, winter has come to settle in South Korea. There is no disputing this as I gaze from the window of our house, high up on a hill overlooking the northern edge of Dongducheon. Trees, naked and skeletal against the stark blue sky decorate the tops of nearby hills and columns of smoke rise from the valley below. There is wind. There is ice. There is winter. Continue reading