Vegetarian in Seoul: Garobee, well-being buffet

Garobee (가로비), located in Gangnam, used to be Javin's and my haven for vegan food and was one of the places we absolutely had to eat at during the last few days in Seoul. I remember promising that we would return to this place again for a good meal when we returned to Seoul in the next few years. Unfortunately, much to our dismay, the place has closed down as of 11 March 2014. I guess I really should have posted this post (overdue for a year goodness) earlier so maybe you guys who headed to Seoul and are interested in trying a vegan meal could have visited this place.

I'm trying my best to upload as much as possible about my exchange and experience in Seoul because I know this information will be very useful for many, evident from comments as well as emails I have received. Please email or comment if there is anything in particular that you would like to know about (e.g. budget-eating in Seoul, useful apps, how to find good places to eat) and I will address it asap. Just for you ;)

Although you guys can no longer visit the best vegan buffet I have ever had, here are some photos just for the sake of sharing my experience. I really miss this place! My favourites are the bean cutlet (supposed to be a replacement for pork cutlet) and bean bulgogi (replacing beef bulgogi). Divine.

Ending off this post with a photo of Javin looking all 'Garobee spokesperson'.

By the way, I just finished watching You Who Came From The Stars and it is officially my favourite Korean rom-com drama. Facing drama withdrawal symptoms now :'(

Katie Ermilio: FALL 2014 READY-TO-WEAR

So prettyy

March 2013 in Seoul: Edae / Sunnies / The Cup

Edae, pronounced "e-hwa" not "ew-ha", is short for Ewha Women's University and is the dream school of guys who want to be surrounded by Korean girls everyday. Or just girls in general. I've heard of friends' male friends who went there for university hahaha... Having an all-female university in the area, it goes without saying that there is a lot of shopping for clothes and cosmetics here. It is also the place to look for more affordable hair services. After my first perm, I coloured my hair and had my second perm in Edae, because I spent quite a bit of money after all that traveling. If not I would have returned to Lee Chul Hairkerker.

However, what intrigued me most was the beautiful campus. My friends and I took a walk around while some of our female friends did their hair. I wish my campus was this pretty. I actually loved going to school (Korea University) back then because school was beautiful and filled with beautiful people. I loved that every faculty is within reasonable walking distance and I don't have to wait for buses that are crowded and sometimes take forever to come. Weather was amazing too, which made walking from one building to another very bearable, with my sunnies of course.

It was perfectly normal to be walking in campus with sunglasses on in Korea; it's actually a good habit that they practise to protect their eyes. Besides that, I found that in Seoul it was okay to wear them anywhere, even if there is no sun. When I first came back I wore sunglasses often due to habit, but realised I was getting strange stares so I tried not to wear them in "strange" places or people were going to ask me where the sun was, as if it's important. On days when I have a good comeback for such absurd questions, I leave them on. Yes, in the train. I highly recommend that people start investing in good sunglasses (by that I mean those with proper sufficient UV protection) and actually wear them out.

The last few photos are taken in The Cup, a place in Edae that we took refuge in after the girls had their hair done. The lady there (not sure if she was the owner or not) was really nice because it seemed like she was getting ready to close the shop but she happily opened up the kitchen just for us. They serve carb-heavy meals in paper cups such as rice, noodles and pasta. If you're on those no-carb diets that I don't understand or just looking for something light, you can choose from their salad menu. If you noticed, Javin wore his sunglasses (1) indoors and (2) in the evening. Bam! Point proven.

Something Old Something New

Last year, my senior asked if Javin and I would be willing to help out for her Honours Year project and of course we accepted, which is the reason why I am talking about it today. It is always good to give back (sorry I had to use this cliche phrase, can't think of variations past 2 am) and although we are not the main organisers for this event, we feel glad that we are able to help her out in our small way, and also do our part for the society.

For all bargain-hunters and thrift-shoppers, Something Old Something New (SOSN) will be holding their annual flea on 29th March, Saturday, from 9 am to 5 pm. Here is what you can expect at the event, which my senior and her team have enthusiastically and carefully planned:

• SOSN goods sold at lower-than-low prices
• A line-up of exciting performances, including hip-hop dance, K-pop dance, the NUS KR Hall house band, Ocarina, a former Campus Superstar contestant (I think you might be able to guess who), balloon sculpting and a Zumba performance which attendees can join in
• A runway segment showcasing clothing from SOSN

The clothes from SOSN are either new or pre-loved and if you are worried about the quality, not to worry, because they are of good condition. They are all very affordable (I was told as cheap as $2 okay what are you waiting for) and of various styles and sizes so there will definitely something suitable for everyone. The clothes are also actually fashionable. Other than clothes, they have shoes, bags, accessories etc.

About SOSN:

SOSN is a social enterprise under the umbrella of Singapore Anglican Community Services (SACS). They have a business concept of a thrift shop, whereby SOSN receives donated items, whether new or used, from the public, which is then sold to raise funds. The social cause of SOSN is to provide employment opportunities for members with psychiatric disabilities which assists them in their journey towards long-term recovery. SOSN, started in 2000, is now run by full-time staff, volunteers and psychiatric members of Simei Care Centre. The sale proceeds will be channeled back to Simei Care Centre to support the psychiatric rehabilitation services and workshops that are beneficial to our clients.

You can visit their site, Facebook page or Instagram account for more information.

Hope to see you there to support a good cause and maybe me if you are Val's Pal (no pressure). If you can't make it for their flea, which comes only once a year, you can visit their stores at Simei, Bedok and Pasir Ris. I have included details below,

SOSN Simei
Simei Care Centre
10 Simei St 3
Singapore 529897
Tel: 6781 8113 (Augustine Tham ext 1306)
Opening hours: 10am – 4.30pm
Closed on Sunday and Public Holiday
(Behind Changi General Hospital)

SOSN Bedok
Blk 89, Bedok North St 4, #01-91
Singapore 460089
Tel: 6242 9248 (Steven Foo)
Opening hours: 8am – 8pm
Closed on Sunday and Public Holiday

SOSN Pasir Ris
Blk 534 Pasir Ris Drive 1 #01-266
Singapore 510534
Tel: 6582 2335 (Mei Jia) 6781 8113 (Ruth Loke ext 1305)
Opening hours: 9am – 4pm
Closed on Sunday and Public Holiday

If you managed to read everything up to this point, thank you very much (:

March 2013 in Seoul: Namdaemun Market

Namdaemun market was the place Javin and I went to for peanut butter, because it was where foreign imports are sold. It is really crowded, especially on weekends and weekday mornings.

There are always long queues for the hotteok, a type of pancake with various fillings, particularly those filled with japchae (sweet potato noodles mixed with vegetables and sesame oil). I don't really fancy the japchae hotteok, because it is deep fried and way too greasy, but I really like the other version, called bubble hotteok. These are filled with brown sugar and cinnamon and baked, so the end result is a light and crispy exterior. It's my second favourite street snack in Seoul. There are lots of other street snacks too in this part of the market, but Namdaemun is apparently known for hotteok.

Namdaemun market is good for people who want to experience the crowdedness of a Korean market, but the sights/food aren't that interesting or mind-blowing enough for me. I don't like deep fried hotteok and I can find my beloved bubble hotteok in other places. I dislike crowds very much and there isn't much to buy if you're looking for clothes. I would recommend Dongdaemun for fashion-related shopping. If you like, you can refer to this Shopping in Seoul post for more information. For souvenirs, I think Insadong has just as many, or more, interesting stuff, along with better-looking tourist attractions and richer culture.

Namdaemun Market
49, Namchang-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Hoehyeon Station (Line 4), Exit 5
Closed on Sundays

Beautiful babies

Phillip Lim you make me want things I cannot afford

Self

I've been driving a lot recently, to meet-ups with friends, to school, to pick people, to run errands... And I have to say that I have cultivated a liking for driving. I never thought I would see the day that I start to enjoy driving because I used to find it unnecessarily stressful, especially when there are many cars and when the roads are complicated. However, it has become a way for me to relax while listening/singing to songs on the radio. I particularly like long smooth drives on expressways when I can see a lot of the sky. It's somehow very therapeutic. Anything that has to do with music and scenery is generally therapeutic to me. This song, Magic by Coldplay, is a new track I managed to catch during the drive home today. I really like it and it has a little of that "The XX" vibe to it. Helped me to relax and collect my thoughts after a heavy morning.

I guess we should never be too quick to define who we are as people. Humans are prone to judging, including ourselves, and we tend to think of ourselves as certain people, sometimes underestimating ourselves, sometimes overestimating ourselves. When we cannot figure out who we are, we say that we are facing an identity crisis because we absolutely need to know who we are. I wonder how important this is and whether it would be better for us to let go of our attachment to the notion of self. We define our ideal selves in so many ways that some people struggle when their beliefs change. People change with experience; that's common. People resist change; that's common too. If we open ourselves up to changing, there will be so many more ways to live this life.

Get, Snap, Blingo!

Bunny, selfie, Soyato, lucky draw loot, beautiful Thea with her box of Benefit

Last Wednesday night, I attended Vanity Trove's project launch party because a representative kindly invited me to join in the fun and generously let me bring my friends too. True enough, I really enjoyed my time at Zouk that night with Anthea, and Rach, who came with her friend Euge. No pics with Rach because she disappeared after telling me that she would see me at the Soyato counter when she was done with something. When I called her to ask where she went, she told me she was having dinner outside before coming back for the lucky draw lol we said she abandoned us for food but I secretly wished I did so too because I was so hungry hahaha

There was a Hippie/Boho Chic theme, Benefit Cosmetics make-up counter, DIY Pink Room nail corners, hair-styling stations where we could get hairstylists, including Gary Chew from Salon Vim, who used Loreal Professionnel's steampod (which is amazing) to style our hair, good hosts, a game for the entire event to keep people occupied, delicious food and many gorgeous girls. I went for a casting which ended so late, so I inevitably arrived later than expected. Thus, I only got to try eggless cakes from Emicakes and soy ice cream Soyato - but no complains because these are more vegetarian-friendly. I've been eating really little meat these days so all's good. I was really craving some savoury snacks though, maybe fries? I didn't go for the make-up or hairstyling services either because I was focused on carrying out my missions for the game.

The biggest surprise came when Anthea, Rachel, Denise and I all won something from the lucky draw! When they announced that the next prize was going to be a box of Benefit products, Anthea casually commented that she wanted it and next thing we knew, the host announced her name. I was so excited I screamed lol. I managed to gather all my lucky stars and got myself some real sweet stuff from Kwerkee, including a real sturdy stool made out of floral-patterned cardboard (now serving as an extremely useful bedside table), a beautiful asymmetrical black clutch with wooden details and some quirky house decor items, which hopefully can last a few years until Javin and I get our own crib.

Thank you Vanity Trove for inviting me, it was a very fun event that I will remember.