Author: Jessica Moy

TAEJONGDAE TEMPLE’S HYDRANGEA FESTIVAL

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I’m currently sitting on my unmade bed with a Nature Republic Aqua sheet mask on my face and listening to blink-182’s new tune California. It must be Sunday. Last weekend was eventful! My friend Dev and I were on our way to Taejongdae Temple for the Hydrangea Festival and ran into some drama on a bus. We were conversing with each other when suddenly, an older lady turned to me and put her finger over her mouth and went, “shhhh.” We were shocked since we weren’t even talking loudly! Dev and I slowly made our way to the back of the bus and started conversing again. I felt another tap on my shoulder. A younger Korean lady asked if I could, “please be quiet.” Dev’s New York City roots immediately surfaced and confronted the lady asking why we need to shush on a public bus. The lady responded by turning away from him. We didn’t want to cause a commotion so Dev and I were silent for the rest of the 45 minute bus ride giving evil glares to the screaming kids, people talking …

PAINTING ON THE BEACH

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Hello friends! A couple weeks ago I saw one of my students drawing a picture during class.  She was moving a pencil around her paper so quickly and effortlessly, it was mesmerizing to watch her draw this portrait that would take me a decade to learn how to do. I am constantly amazed at my students and learn more about their quirks and talents every single day. They make losing my voice at the end of the day ALMOST worth it. Haha! But seriously, teenage girls never stop chatting. I am constantly talking over them but, that does not stop me from continually being their biggest fan. Anyway, the student I saw drawing inspired me to be artistic myself. On the weekend, I went to the art store down the street from my house and bought water colours, a notebook and a few brushes. It was a sunny day so I went to Songdo Beach, sat on a swing bench, and painted. I felt at peace to be on my own. To get lost in …

APPS EVERY EPIK TEACHER SHOULD DOWNLOAD

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When living abroad, your phone is your safety blanket. It’s how you stay connected, keep organized, and it can help you look busy in awkward social situations you don’t want to be a part of (just me?). There are thousands of apps to help with your transition to South Korea (a translating app for starters) and as an EPIK teacher myself, I’ve narrowed down my favourite (FREE!) apps I use religiously and hopefully they will help make life easier for you too. 1. Kakao Talk When I first arrived to Korea I thought, “I don’t need Kakao, I have WhatsApp and it’s basically the same thing.” I was wrong, so wrong. EVERYONE IN KOREA USES KAKAO! When you meet someone they won’t say, “what’s your phone number?” They’ll say, “What’s your Kakao?” Kakao is an app where you can make free calls and texts as long as you have data or wifi. I personally love the animated Kakao emoticons and use them in my teaching materials because my students get a kick out of it and anything that makes …

MY THOUGHTS (ORLANDO)

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I rarely make posts like this. I don’t ever want to get used to writing posts like this. It’s been a few days since the tragedy that struck Orlando and I want to publicly post my thoughts because I know there are people (perhaps yourself) who want to be reminded they’re not alone if you feel confused or upset. For the past few days I’ve been deeply saddened. On the weekend I heard about musician/YouTuber Christina Grimmie, whom I watched for years, be killed while signing autographs for fans. This news struck a cord. When you watch someone on YouTube you get to know them, their favourite foods, their family, what they do on a day to day basis, etc.. they become your friend that you check in with daily or weekly. When I read on Twitter that Christina has been tragically shot, I honestly didn’t know what “shot” meant. My mind could not process a beautiful, 22-year-old girl who was living her dreams have her life taken away for no reason. All we’re looking for is love and a little …

HAEUNDAE SAND FESTIVAL

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Hello friends! I went to the Haeundae Sand Festival last weekend, a magical place where you can go tobogganing down a giant sand hill, get lost in a sand maze and awe at the countless number of sand sculptures. You get the point. See all the sandy festivities and witness non-sand related moments, such as when I get locked out of my house and where I had the BEST chicken soup, in the vlog below!

3 SUMMER OUTFIT IDEAS

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My brother and I created a fashion lookbook together on my Get Up & Go Girl channel titled: 3 SUMMER OUTFIT IDEAS! He edited the video and added original music (what a talented guy right..). I absolutely loved how it turned out. Let me know what you think. 🙂 Product descriptions below!   Outfit #1: Top: Uniqlo Shorts: Gap Shoes: Nike Sunglasses: Street vendor in Seoul Bracelet: Chinese jade bracelet, a gift from my aunt Outfit #2 Shirt: Thrift Skirt: Thrift Shoes: Gap Hair tie: Sephora Necklace: A gift from my cousin Earrings: Red Eye Pretzel heart ring: Street vendor in Austria Diamond ring: Swarovski Outfit #3 Shirt: Thrift Jeans: Zara Belt: Ann Taylor Sandals: Francesca’s

KOREAN THEATRE IS PRETTY RAD

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Hello friends! Last weekend the sun was shining and I attended my first Farmer’s Dance, or Nongak as it’s officially called. It’s one of the oldest dance forms in Korea and traditionally performed during harvesting time so farmers can have a beat to work to. It was believed the dance will also purify the villages from thieves and fires. As someone who lives in the area, I appreciate this very much. 😉 My friend and I went to a dog cafe in Nampo! I immediately fell in love with a puppy named Dookie because his ears and feet were too big for his body and he awkwardly flopped as he walked. He had no interest in me but I got my puppy cuddle fix and, it was fantastic. Speaking of animals, there is an abundance or stray cats in my area. I named this one Lucy. She likes to climb walls, judge you as you walk past and eats garbage. #spiritanimal My co-teacher gave me tickets to see The Queen’s Banquet in Haeundae Grand Hotel …

TUCK EVERLASTING – NATALIE BABBITT

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Last week I had two hours to spare as I was waiting for my friend to finish work. I stumbled upon a bookstore in Seomyeon and figured I’d read a book to pass the time. English sections are hard to find in Korea so I knew I had to walk up and down each row, graze hundreds of books in hopes to find an English title, ANY English title (even an instructions manual would do the trick). It wasn’t until I got to the back corner of the store. English books were crammed together, as if they were only allowed to share that one section of the shelf. They were mostly children and youth books but it was no matter, I picked up Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbit, sat on a staggered steps in the bookstore and read. Two hours passed quickly as I finished the book and looked up for the first time since opening the cover. I sat there on the steps feeling melancholy, drifting from Winnie’s world into my own. I couldn’t think of …

KOREAN FOOD COMA

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It’s getting pretty toasty in Busan (summer is coming!) so consuming ice cream as much as I breathe is getting to be pretty common. My go-tos are the honeydew melon popsicle and vanilla milkshake (you can get both at any convenience store in Busan and cost ₩1,000). Or if I’m feelin’ fancy, I get a green tea chocolate almond ice cream from Natuur Pop. This double scoop cone was around ₩4,500. I advise if you go, get the HUGE container that you can share with 4-5 people and fill up with ice cream for ₩10,000. I found that out a little too late.. I discovered one of my favourite places in Busan! If you ever visit this beautiful city, you need to head toward the Oryukdo Skywalk (the skywalk is a glass floor that looks over the sea). Beside the skywalk there is a coastal hiking trail that goes on for 3.5 kilometers. The views are breathtaking (see photo below.. it basically looks like this for the entire hike). Next time I’m going to bring a backpack full …

MY FAVOURITE THINGS TO DO IN BUSAN, SOUTH KOREA

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Ever wondered what Busan is like? What is there to do? What is worth seeing? Where should I go? I remember being in that spot. Googling and searching on YouTube this foreign city that wasn’t Seoul. While Seoul is incredible, Busan certainly has so much for you to see, eat, and experience. In my video below I tell you some of my favourite places to explore in Busan including where to go for breathtaking hikes, non-touristy beach recommendations, temples to trek to, the insanity that is watching live soccer and baseball games, where to shop, my favourite spot in the city to see the skyline (nope, it’s not from the Busan tower), and a dog cafe because well, why not! Be sure to follow me on Instagram to keep up with my adventures: CLICK HERE  This post was created for EPIK e-Press.

I SURVIVED SPORTS DAY

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Busan has a handful of beautiful beaches. There are the two main ones, Haeundae (where all the tourists go) and Gwangalli (where all the foreigners who live in Busan go). Both are great options but if you were to ask me, the best beach in Busan is Dadaepo. Dadaepo may not have a bar scene or food options galore, but if you’re looking to escape the city, soak in the sun, go on a mini hike, rent a surf board or a jet-ski.. Dadaepo is for you. I went last weekend and fell in love. The beach is MASSIVE, and it’s a lot less busy than the others since it’s on the outskirts of the city. It is also home to one of the BIGGEST in-ground fountains in the world (it’s pretty epic). The other day I attended a Busan Lotte Giant’s baseball game, which feels like an obnoxious party, with a bit of baseball on the side. Korean baseball games are not like baseball games back home in Toronto, for five solid reasons: Busan: Tickets are generally ₩10,000-₩30,000 ($10-$30). …

WE ARE THE SUM TOTAL OF OUR EXPERIENCES

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“You can really like your material stuff. You can even think that part of your identity is connected to those things, but nonetheless they remain separate from you. In contrast, your experiences really are part of you. We are the sum total of our experiences.” – Dr. Thomas Gilovich Ya need to read this post: The science of why you should spend your money on experiences, not things

YES PLEASE – AMY PORHLER

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I picked up Yes Please by Amy Poehler while in the airport back in February. I thought a light, funny read would boast well with my 14 hour non-stop flight to South Korea. I’m a huge Poehler fan! Loved her on SNL, Parks & Recreation, and am a fan of her side-project, “Smart Girls.” Poehler is a natural writer. I could hear her own voice as I read her quirky stories, opinions on the general happenstance of life, and the trials and tribulations of working her butt off to get to where she is today. Here are some of my favourite quotes from her book: “I like hard work and I don’t like pretending things are perfect.” “Saying ‘yes’ doesn’t mean I don’t know how to say no and saying ‘please’ doesn’t mean I am waiting for permission.” “Stop whining about getting old. It’s a privilege. A lot of people who are dead wish they were still alive.” Talking about what she has learned from her mother: – Make sure he’s grateful to be with you. – …