Seoul, South Korea

Over Christmas break, Hao and I were able to visit a few cities, and Seoul was one of them! This was actually our last city before we went home. It's been a little while, but here are the few pictures that I remembered to take. 

 Touring Seoul day 1 outfit

Blazer: Gap

Sweater: Target

Button-down & corduroy pants: Forever 21

Boots: Ralph Lauren

Purse: Louis Vuitton 

 Bukchon Hanok Village (aka: ancient village) 

There were small restaurants on the walk. This is also a residential area, so there were also signs to be quiet. 

I love the small details that are shown on these streets and homes. 

Hao & I. It was quite a bit chilly, so Starbucks was definitely in hand! 

Myself on one of the streets.

Trying some street food meatballs. They were really good! We loved this market area so much, we came bak multiple times. The subway system was so easy to use, we only had to get a taxi to and from the airport! 

Second day of touring outfit... it was cold, so layers were necessary! 

Sweater: Target

Button-down: J. Crew (thrifted)

Shirt: Forever 21

Jeans: H&M

Shoes: Converse (purchased at Journey's)

red bean bun

tang=sugar ;) 

shabu shabu... so delicious!! 

Shabu shabu is similar to fondue here in the states, but better in my opinion.   

My traveling home outfit.

Sweater: Francesca's 

Top: Kohl's

Boots: Ralph Lauren

Scarf: purchased at local market

Overall, Seoul was amazing. Asia is amazing! We didn't get a whole lots of photos (we were just exhausted at this point in our trip), but the markets here are fabulous! You can get all kinds of street food and there are all kinds of interesting things to look at and purchase. If you're ever in Asia, I'd definitely stop by Seoul! 

Out trip to Paris coming on the 26th (the Wednesday after next)! 

Tokyo, Japan: Sensoji Temple

During Christmas break, Hao and I were able to go visit a few cities. Tokyo was our third stop! It was actually one of my favorite cities. I love how it's a huge city, but the streets have cozy feel about them. Also, the people are nice to tourists and were very helpful & respectful when we asked questions or needed directions. 

Blazer: Gap

Sweater: Old Navy

Button-up shirt: Target

White pants: H&M

Boots: Ralph Lauren

Necklace: Wal-Mart (I was surprised to find this!) 

The jacket & boots were definitely worn on repeat on this trip! 

Kaminarimon (Thunder Gate):

so. many. people.

We went to the temple on New Year's Eve, which is a very important holiday for them, so there were a ton of people visiting and worshiping at the temple.

Look at the detail! 

Right after going through the gate, there are some a lot of shops:

Now, into the temple:

There are many different areas for people to worship, each having their own ritual.

Hao standing by the burning pit with his mask on. Gotta keep those germs out! 

The temple with the Tokyo Sky Tree in the background.

One of the New Year cleansing rituals. I don't quite understand what this one is. It looked like people were putting things in boxes and there was some shaking going on. I couldn't read any of the directions since they were all in Japanese. 

The main temple area.

This is another one of the cleansing rituals. They must have thought I was nuts (or just another nosey tourist) because I just stood and watched trying to figure out what was going on. I must have a stumped expression on my face. They didn't pay any mind to me, though. In the pit in front of them, there is something burning and the people try to blow the smoke on themselves. You can see this boy's dad pushing his head toward the smoke.

The entrance to the main temple.

Here is where you write a wish down and tie it on the wire. They are burned on New Year's Day and I think the tradition is that your wish will come true.

 The main temple area. People will throw coins, then raise their hands to their heads and bow. You can see a few people doing this in the photo below. 

Some of the other smaller shrines:

Worshipers dressed in traditional attire:

Another burning pit at the entrance of a smaller temple

There were also people cleansing themselves by washing their hands. They scooped water, washed their hands, and then dumped it near their feet. Some people also sipped it and spit it out.

We bought masks to wear so that we'd fit in, but I was never brave enough to wear mine. 

I died when I saw this golden . The gold part reminds me of something that I don't feel like it should remind me of. And it's not a sweet potato. I just couldn't help it. Sorry Tokyo!! 

On that note, hope ya enjoyed a few laughs and learned a little bit about the Buddhist New Years traditions from this post! If you ever travel to Tokyo, the temple is a must-see!  

Our last stop- Seoul, Korea- coming on Wednesday!! 

Tokyo, Japan: Walking Around the City

Over Christmas break, Hao and I were able to go to Tokyo. One morning we just walked around and saw the city. Here are a bunch of shots of the buildings and other random things we encountered as we walked around, which may give you a feel of the city. 

Love the translations! Believe it or not, it was actually pretty tasty! 

This was a cold Starbucks coffee from the local 7-11. For some reason, I was so excited to find it! 

The flowers! 

The storefronts are so simple and clean, yet pretty.  

We were out rather early in the morning, so the streets were basically bare! 

A boy band, perhaps? 

I love the Japanese style- so sleek & clean.

We bought some masks. You will see them featured in the a future Tokyo post. 

 This is a Michelin star restaurant where Hao wanted to eat. Unfortunately, it was closed for the holidays. It took us a while to find it because there are no signs outside or on the street. We are headed back to Tokyo next summer (not around the holidays!) and plan to eat there! So excited! 

I'm assuming this is for the new year. Either way, the details are gorgeous! 

We ate some Ramen Noodles. It was perfect for the cold day! I couldn't even come close to finishing it. 

 One of the stores off the street. 

 Some snacks. Nope, I didn't try it.

One thing I loved about Tokyo is that you're in this huge city, but there are plenty of cozy alleyways that aren't sketchy. I felt very comfortable walking around, even when the streets were busier. 

 Video Game Arcade 

 There was a quiet, beautiful park near our hotel. 

A gorgeous sunset from our hotel room to end the day!  

The rest of Tokyo coming Saturday!