CURRENT MISSION

to visit at least one new place each year

ABOUT ME

i was born in korea but adopted to the united states when i was very young. growing up in a small town, i never traveled until i decided to leave the u.s. and come and live in korea for awhile. by living here, i've been able to travel to five continents, with south america being the last to conquer! it's been over 10 years, and korea is my home indefinitely, so i wish to inform others about this interesting, fun, passionate, wacky, and beautiful but still relatively-unknown place.

PHILOSOPHY

i guess my philosophy is to try to live life as honestly as possible. living in a part of the world that values politeness and keeping face, i often struggle with balancing the idea of being culturally sensitive but not losing my sense of self. i've never been good at hiding my emotions or at being "nice" when the occasion really calls for something otherwise. i'd rather people think of me as real and genuine than someone who was congenial.

lately, my personal philosophy has been to live my life as a person who does things, not merely be someone who talks about or watches others doing them. the goal i've had for several years now is to visit at least one new place (be it a country or a city in a country i've already traveled to) every year.

Por qué estoy en Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

somehow this information got deleted! anyway, I mostly participate by hosting female travelers, but I'm up for meeting anyone who wants to know about Korea and Seoul. CS has been a wonderful experience for me to meet great people from all over the world.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

HOST

april/may, 2007 -- erin from japan

november, 2007 -- melissa from the u.s.

march, 2008 -- virginie from france

april, 2008 -- carissa from the u.s.

april/may, 2008 -- mel from thailand

may, 2008 -- carrie from the u.s.

may, 2008 -- cherise from france

july, 2008 -- jean francois from spain

october, 2008 -- laura from the u.s.

april, 2009 -- miranda from germany

may, 2009 -- laurence from france

may, 2009 -- melissa from the u.s. (second time)

december, 2009 -- hannah from the u.s.

december, 2009/january, 2010 -- rona from england

april, 2010 -- laurence from france (second time)

may, 2010 -- adele from singapore

may, 2010 -- sophia from austria

september, 2010 -- johanna from france

march/april, 2011 -- kathryn from the philippines

april, 2011 -- charlotte from new zealand

may, 2011 -- kelly from japan/canada

may, 2011 -- susan from england

may, 2011 -- anna from korea (jeonju)

may/june, 2011 -- amy from the u.s.

june, 2011 -- gwen from singapore

june, 2011 -- candace from the u.s.

july, 2011 -- laura from australia

july, 2011 -- julie from the u.s.

july, 2011 -- leta (and nick) from canada

february, 2012 -- lucie from france

april, 2012 -- megan from hong kong

april, 2012 -- orange from hong kong

april, 2012 -- ann/vilma from sweden

april, 2012 -- davita from the netherlands

april/may, 2012 -- macha from france

may, 2012 -- korinne from the u.s.

june, 2012 -- stella from singapore

september, 2012 -- sahra and alex from france

october, 2012 -- meredith from australia

october/november, 2012 -- sibel from turkey

november, 2012 -- sonia from colombia

december, 2012 -- tasmin from england

january, 2013 -- agnes from france

september, 2013 -- johanna from france (second time)

september/october, 2013 -- qin from the u.s.

december, 2013 -- joanne from taiwan

february, 2014 -- meghan from the u.s.

may, 2014 -- celine from france

may, 2014 -- lana from vietnam

may/june, 2014 -- lisa and alva from hong kong

june, 2014 -- sobia from the u.s.

december, 2014 -- farah from malaysia

january, 2015 -- christina from south africa

february, 2015 -- geraldine from the u.s.

february, 2015 -- dymon from the u.s.

february, 2015 -- neelam from great britain

march, 2015 -- jessica from singapore

march, 2015 -- kristina from denmark

april, 2015 -- ashline from the u.s.

april, 2015 -- houda and majida from morocco

april, 2015 -- prenel from south africa (not cs)

october, 2015 -- megan from hong kong

october, 2016 -- ash from new zealand

october, 2016 -- celia from france

october, 2016 -- sally from china

november, 2016 -- diana from mexico

december, 2016 -- laura from sweden

GUEST

december, 2007 -- erwan in france

december, 2007 -- aurelie in france

january, 2008 -- simone in switzerland

may, 2008 -- erin in japan

may, 2008 -- mochan in japan

august, 2008 -- olivier in korea

august, 2008 -- mel in thailand

august, 2008 -- vivi in malaysia

august, 2008 -- stephen in hong kong (not cs)

july, 2009 -- simone in switzerland (second time)

july, 2009 -- susanne in austria

july, 2009 -- mira in germany

july, 2009 -- megan in the netherlands

august, 2009 -- prestina in belgium

august, 2009 -- laurence in england

july, 2010 -- melissa in the u.s. (nyc)

july, 2010 -- sooji in the u.s. (nyc)

february, 2011 -- la tisha in the u.s. (l.a.)

january, 2012 -- laurence in france (paris - 2nd time)

january, 2012 -- johanna in france (paris)

january/february, 2012 -- tiffany and chrisp in south africa

february, 2012 -- sharmila in south africa (not cs)

february, 2012 -- raina and matt in south africa (not cs)

july, 2013 -- jean in the u.s. (salt lake city)

october, 2013 -- mameo and uchiko in japan (hiroshima, not cs)

january, 2014 -- adam and becca in australia (melbourne, not cs)

january, 2014 -- susanna and sugan in australia (melbourne, not cs)

january, 2014 -- jennifer in new zealand (christchurch)

january, 2014 -- marshall and stephanie in new zealand (christchurch)

january, 2014 -- charles and kristine in new zealand (wellington, not cs)

august, 2014 -- qin in the u.s. (chicago)

august, 2014 -- tiffany in canada (amherstburg)

august, 2014 -- jessica in the u.s. (detroit, not cs)

january, 2015 -- pavi and devang in vietnam (ho chi minh city)

january, 2015 -- stephen in hong kong (not cs)

august, 2015 -- allison in canada (windsor, not cs)

august, 2015 -- jessica in the u.s. (detroit, not cs)

january/february 2016 -- laurence in france (paris)

january/february 2016 -- lianne and bas in the netherlands (amsterdam)

february 2016 -- macha in the uk (london)

august, 2016 -- jessica in the u.s. (detroit, not cs)

my experiences of being both a host and a guest have been great so far. i've also met soooo many people on this site through coffee/drinks, meals, and social gatherings. though i haven't stayed with most of them, we've had long, interesting talks and shared a lot of experiences and exchanged useful information.

Intereses

Travel: i guess that's the main reason i've joined this site. when i was young, i never had the chance to go anywhere, even in the u.s. now that i'm living abroad, i never pass up an opportunity to visit a new place!

Language: with traveling comes languages. i really don't want to be someone who can speak only english, so i've made an attempt to learn some other languages (slowly working away at korean and french). though i'm not yet fluent, i'll keep working at it.

Movies: i guess i should've gone to film school because i love watching movies anytime, anywhere. korean cinema is really on the rise, so i try to watch a korean film as often as possible, as well as other countries' films. dvds are great for that, but i'm a bit old school as i think nothing replaces the movie theater experience.

Food: i love it as much as life itself! it's one of my biggest passions and biggest pleasures in life, and i don't eat just because i'm hungry. my favorites are indian, korean, thai, and italian although i'll eat any kind of cuisine.

• theater
• acting
• festivals
• dining
• coffee
• running
• sauna
• nightlife
• drinking
• flying
• movies
• reading
• traveling
• survival
• surfing
• scuba diving
• olympics
• history
• languages
• tourism
• solo travel
• tours

Música, películas y libros

movies: star trek (2009), the station agent, do the right thing, the color purple, to kill a mockingbird, big, edward scissorhands, swing kids, pleasantville, magnolia, miracle on 34th street (the original), back to the future, spellbound, slumdog millionaire, the usual suspects; korean films -- my heart, sympathy for mr. vengeance, welcome to dongmakgol, marathon, memories of murder, save the green planet, i'm a cyborg, but it's OK, the good, the bad, the weird; castaway on the moon, someone special

music: eminem, prince, sarah mclachlan, gotan project, no doubt, seal, shakira, linkin park, fleetwood mac, adele, alicia keys, cyndi lauper, daft punk, sam cooke, motown, anything 80s, big bang, norazo, ali, dynamic duo

books: anything written by david sedaris and michael connelly, made in america (bill bryson), america the book by jon stewart, to kill a mockingbird, 1984, the alchemist, the bluest eye by toni morrison, black boy and native son by richard wright, various shakespeare plays

Algo increíble que he hecho

saw the temples of angkor up close; climbed the great wall; visited the beautiful ruins in one of sri lanka's ancient cities, polonnaruwa; took a water taxi around a water village in bandar seri begawan (brunei); watched a pair of spotted eagle rays glide by while scuba diving in indonesia; the entire city of hiroshima

Enseña, aprende, comparte

places to go in ASIA: BALI, INDONESIA -- hop on a bus and travel 35km north to a charming town called UBUD. you won't regret it! LUANG PRABANG, LAOS -- a charming town, much like ubud, and for its size, feels a bit overrun by tourists (but not in the oppressive way as in other places). the town itself is walkable or bikeable, with great restaurants and cafes. it is truly a town where time stands still, and don't expect any hopping nightlife, but a nice place to chill and reflect. RANTEPAO, INDONESIA -- located on the island of SULAWESI, go to the hill country and visit the local people (tana toraja); they've got gorgeous rice fields and tasty coffee. also, the locals pretty much make their living on tourism, so many of them can speak other languages as well (french, german, italian, etc.). BORNEO, MALAYSIA -- for me, borneo is more interesting than the peninsula so consider flying to kota kinabalu instead of kuala lumpur. take a one-day trip to BRUNEI while you're at it. CHINA -- SHANGHAI is the place to go if you want sophistication with a european flair and easy mobility around the city sans a tour guide (or local). BEIJING is the place to be if you want to experience old china, but hurry since they're tearing everything down to prepare for the olympics in 2008. SIEM REAP, CAMBODIA -- the closest location to the many beautiful temples of angkor, there's actually a lot to do in this relatively small, but rapidly growing, town. to see the angkor temples, they give you a choice between a 1/3/7 day pass; opt for NO LESS than three days! while in siem reap, visit the blue pumpkin (2nd floor and try the amok ravioli) and also go to one of the great khmer restaurants. HONG KONG -- my favorite city in asia, with its great blend of east and west cultures. don't leave the place without having dim sum!

PARIS and NEW YORK - i really think no explanation is necessary. it's really a toss-up as to which is my favorite in the world.

SOUTH AFRICA: new to the world tourism scene, a vibrant country filled with diverse groups of people. don't be put off by its sad history. cape town and joburg are definitely worth visiting!

KYOTO: I've been to Japan three times, and this is my favorite place! I don't necessarily recommend surfing there as the small guesthouses provide wonderful and cozy accommodation (admittedly for a price). Still, there's so much to see in the city, and it's extremely easy to get around. It's really a solo traveler's paradise!

HIROSHIMA: Just...go.

in KOREA: SEOUL is the largest and perhaps most vibrant city in korea, but while visiting, you really need to get out and explore! other places worth seeing/visiting: BUSAN, SUNCHEON, JEONJU, MOKPO (port city for hong and heuksan islands), ULLEUNG island, MT. JIRI, YEOSU, MT. SEORAK, GYEONGJU

interesting/useful english websites in/about korea:

http://korean.sogang.ac.kr/ -- site offered by sogang university that allows people to learn basic koreans skills, ranging from reading the alphabet to survival phrases and more

http://www.korea4expats.com/ -- great site written for the expat community by other expats, providing valuable information about general life in korea

http://www.visitkorea.or.kr/intro.html - official site for the korea national tourism organization. tons of information about korea in several languages

http://english.visitseoul.net/visit2007en/index.jsp - useful site for things to do just in the city of seoul and the areas surrounding it.

http://www.kobus.co.kr/web/eng/index.jsp -- site for checking bus routes all over korea that shows timetables, fares, etc.

http://www.silloamsauna.com/site_en/main/main.asp - one of my favorite places in seoul! it's a combination public bath house and sauna, located in the center of the city, just behind seoul station.

http://bus.congnamul.com/SeoulRouteWebApp/view_english/map.jsp -- interactive map that shows the bus routes in seoul and allows people to find the shortest bus route to get to their destinations (Internet Explorer browser only)

http://www.smrt.co.kr/Train/Subwaymap/Eng/Subwaymap.jsp-- wonderful site that shows the fastest routes for subway lines running in and around seoul

http://www.korail.com/en/pr/pr21100/w_pr21110.jsp - site to check the schedule for all of the trains in korea, including the ktx

http://www.nanum.org/eng/ -- site for the house of sharing, the living quarters and museum, dedicated to korea's comfort women

http://www.airport.kr/eng/ - the main international airport for korea, located about an hour out of central seoul in incheon. english site offers airport info, such as departure and arrival time, facilities, etc.

http://www.koreanfilm.org/ - comprehensive english site about korean films (with the titles in BOTH korean and english), including reviews, interviews, and actor bios

http://www.adventurekorea.com/ - offers foreigners living/staying in korea a chance to visit many parts of the country through various tours and activities (including trips to north korea!)

http://www.beewonguesthouse.com/en/company/company.php for those who can't seem to find a couch while in seoul, this lovely guesthouse seems to offer comfortable rooms and great service. i've never stayed here but recommend it just by the hospitality i received from the staff while visiting. i get no commission for recommending them :).

http://www.biff.kr/structure/eng/default.asp - official website for the busan international film festival, the largest in asia, that's held every october (this year, it's oct. 6-15!)

http://www.goal.or.kr/ - site in english, korean, and french that provides information for adopted koreans wishing to visit/live in korea

Qué puedo ofrecer a los anfitriones

Since I moved to Korea more than 10 years ago, I have traveled quite a lot. I joined CS back 2006 and have been hosting since 2007. I'm actually more comfortable being a host and have a lot more experience with it. However, because I have had so many people in my home over the past several years, I know what it means to be a good guest as well. I love exchanging travel stories with people, and because I'm bi-cultural having lived in America for the first half of my life and Korea for the second, I think I can understand the value of seeing the world, its people and not being tied to one country or nationality.

Países que he visitado

Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Laos, Macao, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, United Kingdom, Viet Nam

Países en los que he vivido

South Korea, United States

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