Caffeine fix worth your dollars - Korea

Thanks to more exposure to good coffee and expertise sharing during my working holiday in Hualien, I have come to realize what is bad or mediocre. However, I am far from being a connoisseur. Below is just a sharing of my observations and experiences. :) 

The coffee culture is extremely popular in Korea, especially with the working crowd. Holding a takeaway coffee cup seems to be part of the Korean fashion these days. Being a coffee lover myself, I am glad to get my caffeine fix easily in K land. Other than franchises like Starbucks Coffee, Paris Baguette Cafe, Holly's Coffee, BeansBins, A Twosome Place etc, many other independent cafes are sprouting up all over Korea. Some sell everything from pastries to shaved ice to smoothies and finally coffee, others are dedicated to serving just coffee. The prices at the franchise cafes are not cheap. Considering having a cup of caffe latte over a week, one would probably be spending about 350000 won (about SGD42). 

Often, the best coffee places are hidden in the alleys or smacked between shops selling random items like household ware or traditional rice cakes in the traditional markets. I was surprised to find caffe latte at affordable prices ranging from 2500-3000won a cup, almost half the price of franchise cafés. Some shops only offer take-out coffee which explains the lower price. 

Here's a list of noteworthy cafes I visited during my recent Korea trip:

Busan
Bupyeong Market is an interesting market which sells virtually everything. Immerse yourself in the local culture as you check out the little coffee shops. There was no English name for this take-out cafe. All I have is pictures. ;p

 

Drinking it the Korean way - not quite the way I like it

 Other interesting coffee shops I spotted along the way in Busan: 

Seoul
There are plenty of coffee shops in the alleys of Hongdae area. I chanced upon Table-A Branch 2. It is a cozy little cafe with only 12 seats and a bar counter. The young lady preparing coffee is fastidious and probably experienced in coffee preparation. The two Persian cats in the shop are nice companions to customers on a lazy afternoon. :)

This place offers one of the best cafe lattes I had in Korea thus far. Over a span of half an hour, there were about 7 customers who came in, mostly regulars. The lady was also busy refilling her coffee beans, a sign that business is good. Besides the usual espresso coffee, this shop also offers single origins like Kenya AA, Ethiopia Yirgacheffe and Colombia.

There are just too many recommended cafes in the Hongdae and Seogyo-dong area. A pity there is a limit to my caffeine intake and the dollars in my purse. 

The other noteworthy coffee shop is Belief Coffee. I like the spacious seating area and welcoming service by the staff. There is a roastery in the shop where they roast their own beans. Like Table-A, they too serve single origin hand drip coffee. Coffee beans are freshly grinded upon order. Oh, how I love the sound of beans being grinded. Haha. 

Thumbs up for smooth milk foam

Address	마포구 서교동 339-5 1층 Seoul, Korea
Phone	+82 2-332-6700

Gyeongju
If you are in Gyeongju, do take a relaxing stroll along Lake Bomun. The cherry blossoms were really lovely during the time I visited. If you are tired from the stroll, take a pitstop and have a cup of coffee at Cafe Mattina along the lake. The caffe latte was pretty good. My friend ordered grape juice which also received a thumbs up.

If you are looking for a caffeine fix worth your dollars, give the big names a miss and you might be pleasantly surprised. :) 

慢城花莲换工旅游之沉淀、充电后 Afterthoughts on my working holiday experience

慢城花莲换工旅游之沉淀、充电后

当初毅然放弃了稳定的工作，在步入人生的下一个阶段给自己一个挑战，只身到异地换工旅游，并学习独立生活。很多人对我的决定感到讶异，不明白我为何选择放弃安逸、舒适的生活，不好好当个老师，而去异地当「免费劳工」。我相信也有些人认为我到国外换工和旅游两个月，简直是挥霍光阴，也是奢侈的行为。

我想这就是大家对理想生活与旅游的定义不同吧。

在离开工作岗位之前，我发现自己的生活品质已渐渐远离理想中的标准，与其不断埋怨，不如做出改变。对我而言，生活品质并不是物质可以衡量的，虽然其中也有一定的关系。我想要的是能够平衡身心的生活。虽然接下来的收入不比以往稳定，但在时间方面更有弹性，让我能更好地安排自己的生活。

这趟换工旅游其实让我学习到了如何生活。看似简单枯燥的打扫工作其实也是一门学问。在打扫房间的过程，我学习到了很多小贴士、也学习到如何更好地规划生活空间。民宿一楼的咖啡厅有很多优质书籍，在打扫工作完毕后，庆幸自己也有很多时间阅读，渐渐培养了我的专注力。回想起来，换工的一个多月，我没扭开过电视机或看连续剧。

在台湾生活了超过一个月也提供了一场文化大交流的经验。无论是文化或生活习惯，台湾人和新加坡人多少也有些差异。起初对垃圾分类的做方法不太熟悉，后来渐渐习惯将垃圾分类，自己也开始注重环保。

另一个较大的改变是自己的物欲大大减低，并不会想要买任何的衣服、包包。在花莲的一个月，甚至现在到了韩国，除了交通和餐饮费用，也没任何无谓的消费。

不知回到新加坡后，生活作息会有多大的改变。希望我能尽量坚持！

这趟两个月的旅游更让我坚持自己的旅游理念。旅游并不一定需要将行李箱装满，更重要的是，将心灵填满。回想以前旅游时买了很多无谓的纪念品，回国后还要烦恼存放空间。数年后，那些纪念品一般都会沦落到垃圾桶里。或许照片与记录旅程的点滴就是最好的纪念品吧。愿你我都能珍惜旅游遇见的每一刻感动...

Afterthoughts on my working holiday experience

Now that my working holiday has come to an end, I thought it will be helpful to pen down my thoughts, as a reflection for myself and for my readers who are interested to find out more.

Many people were taken aback when I chose to leave the Education Service, giving up a secure and stable job and forsaking my performance bonus. What shocked most people was I left without a new job and chose to go on a working holiday doing housekeeping tasks in a Bed & Breakfast without being paid. It really sounds like a crazy idea. 

Now that I have been through that, I must say it was a learning journey for myself. You may wonder, what is there to learn from cleaning up rooms and washing coffee cups? I believe in everything we do, we can seek improvements, be it working attitude or interpersonal skills. The biggest lesson I have learnt is learning how to live. The quality of life cannot be defined simply by the quality of things one possess , though I do not deny it is relational to a certain extent. I will most likely be having a pay cut in the future, but I believe work life balance will probably be something more within my control and I can define the lifestyle I wish to have.

Living overseas in Hualien county for more than a month changed my lifestyle. Surrounded by many good books in the Bed & Breakfast / cafe I worked at, I spent time reading and learnt to focus more in the process. Now that I recall, I did not watch any TV programmes or dramas for more than a month. Life was simple yet fulfilling. 

During my one month working holiday, it was a great cultural exchange for myself and others. One striking difference between Singapore and Taiwan is the method of sorting trash. I had to get used to sorting out recyclable products and food waste separately. Food waste are used as animal feed. I think we have much to catch up on our recycling efforts. 

The biggest change I see in myself is the diminishing material desire. Over the last two months, I have learnt to live simply. Other than spending on transport, food and beverages, I have not spent unnecessarily. 

I am not sure of the effects of the changes when I return home. We shall see! :)

After traveling for almost two months, I am even more certain there is no need to fill up my luggage with souvenirs, rather to fill my heart with gratitude for the blessings and lessons learnt. The greatest gifts are the memory and experiences recorded with a camera or thoughts penned down, treasuring the moments that touched my heart. 

花莲换工旅游～人情味。花莲

这趟换工旅游虽然结束了，但我的思绪仍在沉淀当中。

花莲除了有好山、好水，也有一群有人情味的好人，至少有几位确实如此。

回顾这个月的换工旅游经验，我最大的收获就是认识了两位新朋友—热爱分享的导师冠羽与温柔的巨人阿仰。在异乡能够认识生活理念接近, 而且真诚的朋友，是非常难得的。

与冠羽和阿仰一起工作和生活了一个月，他们就像是我的家人。就在大家已开始培养了默契、了解彼此的喜与恶时，却是道别的时刻。天下沒有不散的筵席，在人生的不同階段免不了离別的时候。其实，说再见不为就是期待下次的重逢吗？尽管如此，难舍之情仍悄悄地住进了我心里。在离开法采时光的前几天，陪着朋友和先生在花莲吃喝玩乐之际，虽然很快乐，但同时也在收拾心情，准备说再见。

在法采时光的一个月，我听了很多精彩的故事，其中包括冠羽和阿仰在花莲创业的酸甜苦辣，他们在没有任何专业的训练下经营民宿、餐厅和咖啡馆，这让我非常敬佩。尽管餐厅的生意旺盛，他们却因为要有更多时间休息而结束了餐厅生意。很多人对于他们的决定感到不解，但我很佩服他们坚持自己所要的生活品质，而不因为社会的压力而妥协。我知道他们是很快乐的。

至多才多艺、热爱分享的导师冠羽-

如果你是一位老师，你会是一位非常棒的老师。你的知识渊博，而且热爱分享。除了忙民宿、咖啡馆的事情，你总会腾出时间辅导他人，而且每个跟你见面的人在离开时都会重拾信心、对接下来的方向更清楚。这应该是你有生惧来的能量。很欣赏你为社会公益付出的精力，愿意在能力范围内帮助别人。谢谢你总是无私地跟我分享好咖啡，让我的味蕾得到新的刺激。

至温柔的巨人阿仰--

感谢你总是如此大方、贴心。你的外表和个性其实是强烈的对比。初次见面，觉得你好严肃。但后来知道那是你对待人的方式。在你还没确定一个人的为人，你总是有防备之心。很欣赏你坚守自己待人处事的原则、真诚对待他人的方式。你的贴心从不张扬，因为这就是你。感谢你跟我分享了一些烹饪技巧，重新认识食物的原味。我会怀念你煮的家常菜。每次看到芋头就会想到我吧？呵呵^^ 希望有天能看到你发表花莲私房美食地图或分享烹饪心得的书籍。:) 

至Y铭、瑞文-

能跟你们做朋友是一种缘份。谢谢你们为我在花莲生活的日子注入更多欢笑，也与我分享回归简单的生活可以是很幸福的。愿你们夫妻俩永远都如此恩爱。

期待下次见面！:)

花莲换工旅游 Hualien Working Holiday Day 21-33

Day 21-33: 说再见之前...Before it is time to bid farewell...

Since English is the preferred language for most of my friends, I decided to write this post in English for a change. :) 

The last two weeks of my working holiday went by quickly in a blink of the eye. Before I knew it, it was time to bid farewell to my family in Hualien. 

Here's two weeks in a glance:

Yuping and I took the train to Guangfu Township for a day trip. It is such a laid back place that even the town area was quite deserted. The highlight of the day trip was a visit to the Mataian Wetlands. Wearing shorts to the wetlands was a big mistake, causing me to suffer multiple mosquito bites. I would have worn jeans if not for...(more on the reason in my next post). The mosquitoes are not the usual types, rather they are the vicious 小黑蚊 about the size of a black sesame seed. The bites appear smaller but cause more itch than the usual mosquito bites. :(

  

While exploring Guangfu, we walked past a grandfather and his grandson working in the fields while the rest of the family were sorting out their harvest. This is my favorite shot for the day :) He is such a cutie!

Fast forward...

The last few days of my working holiday were activity-packed. Other than completing my tasks at Facai, I was out with my friends who came over for a holiday. It was really great seeing them and we had so much fun exploring the Taroko Gorge with my tour guide friend Y Ming. We also went on food trails within Hualien city. 

These are some memorable shots with my friends:

Enroute to Taroko Gorge - re-enactment of Eternal Summer poster shoot. 

Cingshui Cliff - One of the 10 most scenic views in Taiwan:

Re-visit of Taroko Gorge - Still in awe:

Slabs of marble: 

Getting ready to be drenched in the Water Curtains of Baiyang Trail in Taroko Gorge:

Despite being a blurred shot, it could not mask our enthusiasm:

One of the pitstops of our food trails - 公正包子 vs 周家

My friends stayed over at Facai so that we could spend some time together. :) It was interesting to be the one preparing their rooms and breakfast. Thanks to Golda and Keng Yi for removing the bed sheets before they checked out. It was a really sweet gesture! Glad the ladies also managed to meet Ian and A Young and savoured the much talked about desserts and coffee served at Facai. 

Just when I bid farewell to the ladies, it was finally time to meet my hubby! Ray spent two days at Facai and met my family in Hualien. :) Thanks to Ray for bringing over the laksa paste, my friends were able to try laksa for the first time. Though we did not managed to get some of the ingredients, we made do with some similar ones and it turned out fine. :)

A Young's first successful attempt at making laksa: 

Big bowls for our Taiwan friends! 

花莲换工旅游 Hualien Working Holiday Day 14-20

Day 14-20: 工作。学习。旅游  Work. Learning. Travel

回顾上一周的生活，想想或许可以用三个主题总结这一周的生活点滴跟大家分享。

工作～

这几天在准备早餐蔬果沙拉时，老板说我的动作明显变得利落，这对我来说是一种鼓励。突然觉得自己像是一个小学生，听到老师的称赞后心情愉悦。^^

只要有客人入住，每天的第一份工作便是准备早餐。自从法采时光以蔬果沙拉取代水果拼盘，我们也会为自己准备一份。早餐的蔬果沙拉包括约八种蔬果，口感上层次分明、颜色鲜艳，营养丰富。

来到花莲后，我最享受吃早餐的时光了。以前总是快速解决早餐，甚至早午餐一起吃。不知有多久都没好好地为自己和家人准备一顿营养丰富的早餐了。 除了蔬果沙拉，早餐也包括吐司或当地的中式早餐。例如：高丽菜饼、蛋饼，萝卜糕或烧饼夹葱蛋。饮料方面总少不了一杯手冲黑咖啡，有时还配上一杯豆浆。大家一边吃早餐，一边聊天，总能让我们更认识彼此国家的风土民情。我想，在法采吃早餐的日子会是我非常怀念的一段时光。:)

我们偶尔也会和客人一起吃早餐。每个入住的客人都有各自精彩的故事与我们分享。这周来了一对很有礼貌的香港夫妻，是我来法采后比较有机会深入交谈的客人。来自三个不同国家的人一起交谈是个非常有趣的经验，而且所聊的话题也比较深入。交谈之后，我更珍惜在新加坡的生活，也更肯定新加坡的下一代需走出国家，才不会把安逸的生活当作是理所当然的。

用过早餐，洗好餐具后，我们会休息片刻。试客人退房的时间而定，我们再分工打扫房间。我负责洗浴室，有时也帮忙拆洗床被单。阿仰则负责吸地、拖地。冠羽也会从旁协助我们。团结就是力量，一般在午餐前，我们都能完成打扫工作。用过午餐后，咖啡馆下午两点开始营业。我会在吧台帮忙洗餐具或端饮料、甜点。

除了准备早餐和协助打扫工作，我也帮忙做些部落格的翻译工作。虽然工作看起来有些枯燥乏味，但从中渐渐磨练我的工作态度、也让我更坚持我的生活理念。

学习～

上周难得上了一堂手冲咖啡课，学了很多新知识。手冲咖啡看似简单，但所要求的精准度不是一朝一夕就能掌握的。感谢冠羽与大家分享心得。

相较之前忙碌的生活，来到花莲换工旅游的日子轻松多了。每天腾出时间阅读已成为生活的一部分。希望回到新加坡后，我能持续这个好习惯。不断地阅读才能让自己进步，也能扩大跟别人交谈的话题。

旅游～

难得好天气，我和玉萍到美仑山公园健行，享受一场森林浴。

用过午餐后，我们前往鲤鱼潭。我们各租了一台脚踏车，绕鲤鱼潭骑了一圈。之前在新加坡刚学会骑脚踏车，也只在一条直路来回骑着。没想到还没来得及练习就在鲤鱼潭骑了一圈。刚开始骑得不太稳，路过的一名先生还问我是不是第一次骑。*羞* 不过，最后还是顺利骑了一圈，算是个人的突破吧！:)

消耗体力后，是补充精力的时候了。周日的自强夜市相当热闹，不过并不会太拥挤。

我们吃了蛮多的。:p 还不错的烤玉米。

麻将牌的另一个作用：

等了近半小时的烤玉米：

肉质滑嫩的皮蛋瘦肉粥：

眼看在花莲的好日子快要结束了，心里开始有些不舍。还是好好把握时光，在这趟特别的旅程留下更美好的回忆吧! :)