Author: Jessica Moy

FASHION MAGAZINE INTERNSHIP ADVICE

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Hello all! I hope the first month of 2018 has been treating you kindly and that you’re smashing all of your bad ass new years resolutions. If not, that’s ok, you’ve got a whole new month coming up to try again. RESILIENCE IS KEY! If one of your goals this year is to get more involved in the fashion and/or editorial world, you’ve likely played around with the idea of internships. Internships are a way to kick-start your career, build relationships, and gain experience working in the field you’re interested in. I created a video almost 5 years ago (yup.. 5.. years.. ago..) titled: My Fashion Magazine Internship Advice. I get questions in the comments section of this video all of the time and thought it was time for an update. If you want to watch baby Jessica, a recent graduate who went through a plethora of internships and had sweet side bangs, you can watch THAT video below. Now for the updated version. I created a video on Get Up & Go Girl (have you subscribed? You should …

NEW YEAR, NEW ME?

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HAPPY 2018 MY LOVES! Typically around the holiday season I get a little somber, especially since it’s my third year in a row away from my family. But, if I learned anything from the past few years is that you make your own happiness. I repeat: YOU MAKE YOUR OWN HAPPINESS! Instead of curling into a ball and hiding away, on Christmas Eve I headed to Seoul to be with my friend Annie and celebrate December 25th with red bean donuts, ice skating, and treating myself with skincare related prezzies. And of course, I vlogged it all for ya. My New Years Eve was way less eventful. I bundled up at home in my thickest blanket, gathered my favorite junk food (chicken burgers, french fries, popcorn, and chocolate ice cream), and had a solo Harry Potter movie marathon. It. Was. Ah-mazing. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone is by far the best movie of them all. I fell asleep around 11PM (lol, living the dream!) and woke up at 1:30AM with texts from my family …

THE HOLIDAYS ARE HERE

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Christmas isn’t a big deal on this side of the world, it’s another Valentine’s Day for couples to hold hands, take pictures with pretty lights, and have a quarrel by 8PM. You’re not in an official relationship in Korea until one of you storms off in rage in public. Sighhh, I love witnessing real life K-dramas. It also doesn’t snow in Busan so it hardly feels like the festive season. But even when the weather does get below zero, I still order vanilla milkshakes (I can’t be the only one!) because how could you say no when it comes with a topping of caramel corn! There have been a couple frigid days in the city, but that’s just a valid excuse to eat a copious amount of hot noodle soups. Whether it’s ramen, pho, or a kimchi jjigae, noodles are my ultimate comfort food. My favourite kind of noods are the ones sold in the alley ways of Nampo. You just pop a squat with an ajumma and eat what they serve ya. This isn’t the …

THE HATE U GIVE – ANGIE THOMAS

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The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas follows Starr, a teenage girl who witnesses a fatal shooting of her best friend, Khalil, by a police officer. The title actually derives from the rapper Tupac’s philosophy of THUG LIFE (The Hate U Give Little Infants Fucks Everybody). True. Very, very true. From the moment I opened the cover I breeeeeeeezed through this novel. I couldn’t put it down! I admired the mention of African-American history and culture. Some references I knew such as the acknowledgement of  Emmett Till, a 14-year-old African American from Chicago who was murdered for flirting with a white woman. But there were others I had to Google search (my history teachers would be so disappointed..) such as the Ten-Point Program, which was a set of guidelines written by The Panther Party, and Nat Turner, an African American who led the most effective slave rebellion in America. These references were essential to the novel because it gave Starr’s character (and myself) further of understanding of race and police brutality in America. What I loved most, however, was the resilience of Starr’s …

SEXUAL ASSAULT: SHE’S NEVER “ASKING FOR IT”

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Sexual assault must never be tolerated. Period. Any form of inappropriate touching without consent is not ok, even if it’s a person you know or consider a friend. Saying “no” doesn’t have to turn into a fight, it’s not a debate or up for discussion. No means no. Unfortunately, the word no is sometimes not taken seriously and because of this I (and millions of other men/women) have been grabbed, groped, pushed, forced, pressured, hurt.. the list goes on. The way I dealt with sexual assault was I suppressed. If I didn’t talk about it, it never happened. But it did. It has happened to me and it wasn’t until my most recent encounter that I went over the edge. Enough is enough. I came home from work, pressed record, and made the below video. Nervous to hit the publish button, I didn’t know how it would be received. Will I be judged? Not understood? Am I revealing too much information? Then I thought of the millions of men and women who are also victims of sexual assault and …

THE WORLD HAS ALWAYS BEEN RUN BY MEN

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“The world has always been run by men, and it still is today. Only thirteen countries and 6 percent of Fortune 500 companies are run by women. Just 13 percent of police officers are women, and only a few hundred are police chiefs. And less than 20 percent of the U.S. Congress is female. These numbers reveal a power structure that has marginalized women and others for far too long. We need to see more women in these roles – and more people of color, LGBT individuals, and members of religious minorities and underrepresented groups of all kinds. We are seeing what happens when power is held nearly exclusively by men. It gives rise to an environment in which, at its worst, women are treated as bodies to be leered at or grabbed, rather than peers entitled to equal respect. It wouldn’t solve all the problems we face if more women were in power – although I believe we could get quite a lot of good done. But one thing’s for certain: many fewer people …

GIRL POWER IN GAPYEONG, SOUTH KOREA

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Hello lovelies! Quick blog post for ya! I wanted to fill you in on my latest trip to Gapyeong, South Korea for a pleasant Woman’s Empowerment Retreat organized by The Seoul Chic. Myself and 20 other ladies met up at Garang Pension (an hour or so away from Seoul) which was S-T-U-N-N-I-N-G, especially since it was in the middle of autumn and leaves were changing on the surrounding mountains. We had a jam-packed weekend filled with fun activities such as pear picking, cooking/eating homemade meals, face masks, and personal chats about life, dating, and sharing stories about the pros/cons of being a foreigner in South Korea (we had A LOT to say..). It felt nice to unplug for a weekend and fill the soul with lessons/life advice from supportive, ambitious women. Check out my video for mooore!  

IT’S OK

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It’s ok to be on your own. Take time for self-care. It’s ok to not understand. Not everything needs to have an explanation. We are currently living on a planet that no one knows the exact age of, spiraling hurndreds of miles per hour in vast darkness, in a universe filled with matter we can’t truly identify. Yet, here we are. It’s ok to stand up for yourself. Don’t let people walk all over you just because they’re louder. Let them know your truth. It’s ok to be sad. Ugly cry it out. Scream at the top of your lungs. Let yourself feel your way through. It’s ok to miss him. He misses you too. It’s ok to give into a moment of weakness. Be honest with your feelings and remind yourself how far you’ve come. You will make mistakes but you’re also capable of making radical changes. It’s ok to fall asleep early. Put your phone on airplane mode, slather a thick layer of lavender scented lotion on your chest, and go to bed …

WEEKEND TRIP TO CHUNCHEON, SOUTH KOREA

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Before I get to Chuncheon, I want to rewind a bit and chat about last month when I went to Seoul for Hera Seoul Fashion Week. My last one, ever. WAH! I am incredibly lucky to have attended four wonderful seasons of SFW, and each time I am amazed by the creatives in this city. I only had time to attend one show and invited my friend Dev to sit front row with me at NOHANT. The mix of prints and textures made me miss spring/summer already, not to mention the designer chose the best looking models in the game. One model from the show stood out the most, Han Hyun-Min. Born and raised in Korea, Han Hyun-Min is ethnically half Nigerian, half Korean. Stunning look kid, eh? I couldn’t imagine the struggle this 16-year-old (YES! 16!) had to/probably still goes through growing up in a homogeneous country. I have no doubt that he is going to make international waves in the fashion industry. This season at SFW I stopped every human who either had glitter on their face …

BEARTOWN – FREDRIK BACKMAN

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Finally! After many months, I have finished reading Beartown by Fredrik Backman. This novel was a pretty intense read and covers topics relevant to society today – peer pressure, homophobia, rape, integrity, etc. To sum it up, Beartown is a small community who lives, eats, and breathes their junior hockey team. The team could potentially give this town recognition, sponsorship money, and opportunities for players to get into the NHL. As an important game approaches, one of the star players comes under fire when he is accused of leaving a young girl traumatized. People of the town become divided and readers witness how society can quickly brush disturbing events under a rug when it comes to protecting the reputation of a town rather than a value of a single person. The ending left me confused as hell (I won’t give away any spoilers), but it’s a good confusion. I’m constantly reflecting back on EVERYTHING that has happened and if you are a super sleuth you can probably figure it all out, but I haven’t, yet. All of this won’t make …

TAKE A RIDE AT THE NAKDONGGANG RIVER RAIL PARK

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For the first time in a long time, I’ve been published in print! PRINT IS NOT DEAD! Kidding, print is definitely dying.. ever.. so.. slowly.. *sigh* But! Let’s keep things positive and hopeful! You can physically touch and smell my latest article in the November 2017 issue of The Daegu Compass and read about my time at the Nakdonggang River Rail Park. If you live in the city of Daegu, pick up a copy and flip to page 32. If you’re not a reader and more of the visual-type (you’re the reason why print is becoming extinct..), I made a vlog about my time at the rail park, which you can watch by clicking HERE.

THE BEST BEAUTY STREET STYLE LOOKS DURING SEOUL FASHION WEEK

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Fashion may have been the focus, but beauty reigned supreme as Korean trendsetters strutted the grounds of Dongdaemun Design Plaza with chic, puffy eye make-up, eyebrow slits and dramatic, striking lenses. Looks were bold, carefree statements that opposed tradition. Coloured hair of sunburst reds, icy blondes, and pastel pinks were a signature look amongst the stylish youth as well as cheekbones bedazzled with gemstones. In the ever-growing wave of male beauty, men rocked flesh-toned foundation with edgy eyes and bold lips inspired by the latest K-pop music videos of EXO and BTS. See the best beauty looks outside Hera Seoul Fashion Week this season. Article and photos for FASHION Magazine.

I WENT BACK HOME TO CANADA

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I haven’t wrote a regular catch-up-with-me blog post in awhile.. eek. Well, I guess it’s time for you to grab a cup of tea and take a seat because I’m feeling chatty! Also, I need to fill you in quickly about my life in Korea so the first half of this post is dedicated to that, and I apologize in advance as I know my thoughts will be all over the place. READY? LET’S GO! I am only in Busan for another 4-ish months and then I’m hitting the ground running toward my next adventure. People have been asking me what I’ll miss about South Korea and honestly, I couldn’t tell you because I haven’t been away long enough to know. Perhaps the kind people? Convenience stores at every corner? Cheap public transportation? The food? Well, maybe not so much the food, Korean BBQ.. MAYBE..I know I’ll miss are the picture perfect parks. I recently went for a 5km run at Samnak Riverside, the place with the best running trails in the city. My 10km marathon in Chuncheon is …