thirty-fives

a photo diary, of sorts.

[thirty-fives]

summer in Paris, 2018 on 35mm

my parents went to Paris for their honeymoon, and and it was a dream to visit this city together 33 years later together as a family.

Paris really was as beautiful as all the films and novels make it out to be.

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Wat Phra Yai Temple -  Pattaya, Thailand

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Wat Phra Yai Temple - Pattaya, Thailand

I’ve been blessed to have visited many gorgeous Wats (temples) in America, Cambodia, and Thailand. This was a new one that me and my family have never been to, and it was breathtaking. There were many statues of Buddha in different forms and stages of his life, and there were statues of each animal from the zodiac (I’m the Goat/Sheep) and areas where you could go inside and get blessings from monks. My mom, sister, and I opted to go near the edge and enjoy the amazing view of Pattaya. We admired the skyline and blue skies and refreshingly cool breeze on a hot and humid, sunny day in Thailand.

The man in the red shirt is my dad; he was the first one up the stairs. My parents raised us in a Buddhist household, but I wouldn’t... say? I’m very religious? I don’t know. I’ve always prayed every night since I was a kid, I believe there is a higher power, and I feel a connection and at peace whenever we go to a Wat. I believe what the monks tell me, and we put out offerings every Khmer New Year and pray. But I wouldn’t say I’m a devout Buddhist or anything at all. I think I want to educate myself more on Buddhism and the different sects and maybe have some talks with my dad about it all. He’s so brilliant and knows everything about everything and it really fascinates me sometimes, listening to him speak.

My dad even created a prayer room in our home in Cambodia. It’s beautiful.

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Cafe MOGA (카페 모가) 

This is the outside area of a cafe in my neighborhood that was incredibly beautiful. I was seriously so lucky about where I was placed to live when I came to work in Daegu.

This place is very dreamy. The whole cafe was a reconstructed hanok (which is a Korean traditonal house) so there’s a very vintage vibe going on with old cameras inside and a record player. The owner and staff were all handsome and kind, the interior was beautiful and rustic, and their desserts (especially the carrot cake) was really great...and I don’t even eat dessert much at all.

The mini hanok room photographed here is actually a private room, separate from the rest of the cafe. It would usually be taken by a couple or a small group of friends (seated maximum of 4) and people would usually wait on a list and take turns having a more private and quiet time away from the bustling cafe.

I got to sit in here once, and I actually prefer sitting inside of the cafe. I felt burdened having the staff bring our drinks and dessert all the way outside, and it felt as if everyone was waiting for us to finish so it could be their turn. Also, it felt eerily quiet in there, even with some music on. No thanks!

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88식당 - 매운크림돈까스

My favorite meal from one of my top 2 favorite restaurants on Kim Gwang Seok street (scroll down a little to see my post about this iconic, one-of-a-kind street dedicated to a late musician that happened to be right next to my apartment!)

I’d come here often (like...sometimes two days in a row) to eat this dish. Spicy cream donkatsu. All of that on the tray -- even with side dishes and rice, was around $6.50. Insane. I came here so often, sometimes the cook would even give me a Coke for free! Anyone else I’ve brought here to try this dish (co-workers, friends, my sister) all LOVED it so much. It’s so damn good, and I’m craving it right now.

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Cafe EGO - 카페 이지오

This is one of the cafes that I mentioned in my last post. Covered in beautiful plants, owned and ran by the sweetest and cutest mom and daughter team, and the entire place is beautifully decorated (especially on the other side...that...you can’t see in these photos lol) with art and trinkets they’ve collected during their travels.

I’m not a coffee drinker, so my favorite thing here was their iced tea with kiwi and lime, and their earl grey tea pudding. The presentation of everything they served was always so beautiful. The attention to detail was really impressive.

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김과석길, 대구.

Kim Gwang-Seok street is a tourist destination in Daegu, South Korea. It’s an entire street dedicated to a late musician named Kim Gwang Seok, who was originally from Daegu. I guess to compare, he was kind of like the Paul McCartney of Korea back in the day. He was an amazing musician that was wildly popular throughout the country. Suddenly, in the height of his career, it’s believed that he tragically took his own life (although, in recent years, people have suspected that he was actually murdered...) His music is so painfully beautiful, and I really loved it the moment I first heard it blasting throughout the cafes and restaurants on this street. His voice is unforgettable, and his music will always have a soft spot in my heart.

My favorite song by him that can easily make me cry:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4KZ0u46pTg

This street was filled with beautiful cafes, galleries, studios, shops, and restaurants serving delicious food and drinks. Artists from all over the country came to this street to paint murals to remember the late musician. All of the artwork is so creative and fun and touching. So many shops line this street where couples, families, and friends buy each other souvenirs and trinkets and pose for photos. They also have some really tasty fried squid on a stick. My favorite restaurants that I always frequented (like, at least once a week if not more) was 88식당 and 또바기키친바. Cafe EGO is one of the best cafes I’ve ever been to with the loveliest and kindest staff. Actually every person working in this area that I got familiar with over time was always so kind and gracious and friendly to me, even despite having a language barrier. I loved walking home after work, especially when it was raining, and hearing his music playing all along the street. On those rainy nights, there weren’t many people around. Just me, my umbrella, and this hauntingly beautiful voice. It was so cinematic. It was really magical. I’ll remember these moments forever.

Why do I know so much about this street, and why did I frequent this area so much? Because it was my home. I lived right behind this amazing street!

Before coming to Korea, all I knew was that I’d be working in Daegu. I didn’t even get a photo of my apartment before I arrived. I had no idea that I’d be placed in such an amazing neighborhood, and for that, I feel so lucky. I know for a fact that I wouldn’t have loved my time in Daegu nearly as much had I not lived in one of the best areas in the city.

As tourists and locals flocked here to take photos with Kim Gwang Seok’s statues and murals, or to listen to live performances of people covering his songs, or to check out all of the amazing cafes... I was simply at home.

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Beach day in Pattaya, Bangkok.

I love summer vacations with my family. This was our second time traveling to Pattaya, which is a perfect place to relax when we want to get away from the busy and chaotic city life of Bangkok.

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Waiting for the BTS (Bangkok Mass Transit System)

To me, Thailand and South Korea have the best form of public transportation. They’re both fast, cheap, easy, and clean!

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수성못 • sunset on Suseong Lake

I took these while I rode on one of those swan boats. A lot of couples, families, and friends could be seen smiling and taking selfies from their boats. It was really cold and it got quite tiring after a while. I think riding them in the warm springtime would’ve been a much better idea. I also wrote my initials — SBS — with a sharpie on the footrest. I wonder if it’s still there.

Being from the Ocean state, I really missed the water sometimes. Suseong Lake was a beautiful place that always made me feel refreshed after visiting.

Pro tip: there’s a really great all-you-can-eat Chinese hotpot joint in the back of the cafes.

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Shadows, plants, and good food 🌿

I forgot the name of this restaurant because I only went twice, despite it being right near my apartment (as so many restaurants were, because I lived in a tourist destination neighborhood). I remember the food being cheap and they gave a free appetizer of some takoyaki. This place wasn’t very popular because it had a lot of amazing surrounding competition, and they closed down shortly after I took these photos. The restaurant business is so difficult.

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앞산 (Apsan Mountain) Daegu, South Korea.

This city will always have a deep place in my heart. A lot of pain and happiness was found here. I met so many great people. I ate such amazing food and visited such beautiful places. I felt like I really did a lot of growing up here. A lot of learning and mistakes and heartaches and healing. A lot of triumphs and great days. I met my precious students here. The students whose voices and faces I still remember and miss fondly. The students who made me feel like I had a real purpose in life by teaching them and being there for them. The students who would always make me smile, laugh, and feel so warm. The students who’d hug me soooo right and tell me they wished America didn’t exist so I wouldn’t have to go home. The students who made me realize that teaching is something I truly, genuinely love.

This city is filled with so much good. Many people who want to work or live in Korea kind of treat Seoul as the end-all be-all. Seoul IS an amazing city — a city that I’ve also lived in as well, in 2014. Maybe it’s because I’m getting older and couldn’t keep up with the bustling, crowded, busy city life that Seoul is so well-known (and loved) for. But every time I went back to visit Seoul, I enjoyed it, but always kinda had a sigh of relief upon entering back in Daegu. I love the calm and the lakes and having the mountains nearby. I loved how it felt quaint, yet big enough that I wished I had more time, because there is still so much more to explore. I loved having a choice of being in that city life and heading down to 동성로 and staying out until the wee hours of the morning, if I wanted to. I loved how nice people were, always giving me ‘service’, when I frequented their workplace. I loved the friends I made, and the people I worked with. I loved the trip I had when my sister came to visit me, and feeling like I was a true Daegu girl by showing her the best places. We had the most amazing time together, and I felt happy that she could see clearly WHY I loved it there so much. I loved my incredible neighborhood of 김광석거리. He was an incredible musician, and walking home hearing his songs blast on the street and in every cafe and restaurant was so special. His voice will always touch my heart forever.

Life wasn’t perfect, though. I had some really hard times here. There were instances where cultural differences really angered and confused me. Not every person I met was good. One person in particular, I regret ever associating with. I had a bug infestation in my apartment. I got so sick and lost my voice for days. Having a language barrier was very frustrating. I often missed the taste of Cambodian (and authentic Mexican and Thai) food so badly. Sometimes, my students made me want to pull my hair out. I hated how hagwons don’t give their employees sick days. I had to pay $80 for not properly throwing out my food trash in the right bin (by accident). I always missed my family dearly and had many moments in which I cried on FaceTime, over the phone, or alone in my bed.

But all of that — the highs and lows, they all taught me so much. They helped me grow. They all happened in Daegu. And that is why this city will always mean so much to me.

[thirty-fives]

December 30th, 2017.