the misty city: May 2014

Saturday, May 31, 2014

Saturday

May 31, 2014

My 8-year-old nephew is sleeping over tonight, and he brought a large box of his toys.

The figures are all over my place now.

@Seoul

Friday, May 30, 2014

Friday

May 30, 2014

This is patbingsu(팥빙수 in Korean), or ice flakes with sweet red beans on top.

I usually eat this once a week on summer days.

The ice flakes are so cool!

@Seoul

Cornelian cherry(산수유 in Korean) trees are one of the first to let people know spring has come. Festivals to enjoy their yellow blooms are held in some cities including Gurye and Icheon late March. These spots are crowded with people on weekends who want to see, smell, feel, and touch spring.

I chose to enjoy the blooms in my neighborhood, mostly in Asian Park and Hangang River Park. The trees just began to blossom, but I could feel spring is close to me.

@Seoul

Thursday, May 29, 2014

Charming peony

Spring 2014

Peonies are one of my favorites of all flowers. They evoke so many different emotions: elegant but voluptuous, secretive but showy, shy but bold. They hide themselves in round, tight buds. Once they begin to open, the layers of petals expose their hidden stories. How charming!

They are also one of the most expensive flowers at a flower market! I am pleased to watch some of them growing in nature. The peonies here are different kinds.

@Seoul

↓ April 22~25, 2014

↓ April 26, 2014

↓ May 16, 2014

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Wednesday

May 28, 2014

My mom took this picture of peonies.

So lovely!

@PyeongChang

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Tuesday

May 27, 2014

A close colleague of mine brought me a pack of exotic tea from her business trip to Kazakhstan.

The language on the package is something I do not recognize, but the name of the tea, Simba, and the image of a lion are pretty clear.

It tastes great!

@Seoul

Asian fried noodle at Noodle Box

March 31, 2014

When I have appetite for fried rice noodles, Noodle Box is one of the places I go to. This casual eatery offers Asian fried rice noodles and fried rice. As the name indicates, the food is served in a square box, which customers can open on the spot or take away.

Noodle Box runs dozens of stores in Seoul and other cities in Korea. I usually go to the store located in Samcheong-dong in Seoul, a popular neighborhood of cafes, galleries, and handicraft shops.

The last time I visited this place, my friend and I had Mi goreng(a kind of fried noodles, popular in Indonesia and Malaysia), Thai fried rice, Thai chicken wings and two bottles of beer to cool down. The stir-fried noodles and rice are a little spicy and sweet and totally delicious. I usually go for spicy cuisine when I order main dishes in a restaurant.

This set of dishes including beer come at a reasonable price of 21,500 won. The single dish of noodles and rice is usually priced at around 7,000 won.

@Noodle Box, Seoul