"Can you make a left on RED?"

To this day, my mother still mocks me for asking if you can make a left turn at a red light in the middle of the night. I saw it as, if it's 3 a.m. and no cars are in sight, that it would not be a big deal. Now that I'm not on the road, I finally found a country of like-minded people.


In Korea, a red light is merely a suggestion. If you ever find yourself in a taxi in Korea, don't be alarmed when the car doesn't slow down. But hey, on the bright side they do notify oncoming traffic that they are coming through by honking their horn - at least they are polite. 


Oh, and in case you didn't know, all the cool kids are pimpin' out their mopeds. I'm talkin' base speakers, neon lights, and ringtone horns. I'm sure the seats are heated too.  If you are one of the cool kids with a moped like this, not only can you ignore red lights, but you don't have to wait in traffic either. The sidewalks welcome you. It is common for bikes and mopeds to hop up on the sidewalk and take off down the street. Pedestrians, you thought the sidewalk was for you?


So mom, if you are ever in Korea, I would be happy to get a car to show you that you can make a left turn on a red light!  Stay tuned...

Peace & Love,
Elissa Rae

Itaewon Goes Irish, Sort Of

As you all know, this past week was St. Patrick's Day, the one time a year everyone is Irish and pretends to like ruby.  This year, we decided to try our luck in Gangnam and Itaewon, both hot spots for foreigners. We thought we would begin our Celtic quest in Gangnam at Dublin Tavern. Only to find out the cover was W50,000 a person and with a 1 p.m. start time, you can imagine the scene we saw.  On that note, we headed to Miller's Pub for some lady drink time with our festive attire and offensively bad Irish accents. 

On to Itaewon to find slightly less "Irish" drunkards. Who would've ever thought you'd hear those words in the same sentence! We went to Gecko's first and made some interesting friends, but decided on a pitt stop to Taco Bell.  After 2 crunchwrap supremes, nachos, and a taco, we followed the sound of English and Irish brawling down an alley to Wolfhounds. A few green beers, flying wigs, and witnessed table dancing later, we were Irished-out for the night. 


 On our way home we met the most interesting people of all. I now know the story behind St. Patrick thanks to a self-proclaimed rapper who also educated us on the "daddy sack". After parting ways with this particular gentleman, we continued to hear about the "daddy sack" the entire ride home thanks to an entertaining co-passenger. 


Oh the things you see on St. Patrick's Day! Don't forget to guard your "daddy sack". Stay tuned...

Peace & Love,
Elissa Rae

Lend a Hand to Japan

If you were shocked when you saw what happened in Japan last week, you were not the only one. Japan needs our help now more than ever. After this past week's devastating earthquake and tsunami, thousands of people have lost their homes, their lives, and many more still remain missing. This is a country that means a lot to me and has a lot of people has a lot of people that I care about. They are in a crisis and depending on what happens next at Fukushima nuclear plant, things may only get worse. Making a donation is the best way to be a friend and help those affected if you don't want to fly to Japan. My workplace is going to order these Salvation Army shirts to wear at work. There are other ways to support whether it's done financially, through prayer, buying sponsored t-shirts, etc.. I have listed a few sites below where you can go and make a contribution to the relief efforts.

1. Red Cross - People in the United States can text "REDCROSS" to 90999 to make a $10 donation. Also, people in Canada can text "REDCROSS" to 30333 to make a donation. 


2. International Medical Corps - Text "MED" to 80888 from any moblie phone to give a $10 donation or go to Internationalmedicalcorps.org to learn about other ways you can contribute. 


3. Operation USA - Along with an appeal for monetary donations, Operations USA has also announced efforts to collect bulk corporation donations of health care supplies. If you are interested in donating bulk medical items, visit OpUSA.org.


4. Global Giving - The Japan Earthquake ad Tsunami Relief Fund at GlobalGiving.org collects funds that will be given to a variety of relief organizations helping victims of the earthquake. It has already raised over $100,000.


5. Doctors Without Borders - Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) is sending 2 three-person teams to Iwate and Miyagi prefectures in Japan. To learn more or to make a donation, visit Doctorswithoutborders.org. 


6. The Salvation Army -Text "JAPAN" or "QUAKE" to 80888 to make a $10 donation or visit SalvationArmyUSA.org. By phone: 1-800-SAL-ARMY -designate gift "Japan Earthquake/Tsunami" 


7. iTunes - Apple has created a simple donation page in iTunes that makes it simple to donate anywhere from $5 to $200 to the Red Cross with just a few clicks. 


8. Mercy Corps - is gathering donations for its overseas partner, Peace Winds Japan, which currently has personnel on the ground distributing emergency relief in Japan. 


9. Save The Children - The organization is currently organizing efforts and donations to it's Children's Emergency Fund will support outreach.

10. Twitter - Twitter has published a blog post asking people of the world to help with relief efforts. Here are some key hashtags to remember:
#Jishin: focuses around general earthquake information
#Anpi: a hashtag for the conformation of the safety of individuals or places
#Hinan: Evacuation information 
#311care: a hashtag regarding medical information for the victim
# PrayforJapan: a general hashtag for support and best wishes for the victims of the crisis.


Hopefully you're going to make a donation right now! Stay tuned...

Peace & Love,
Elissa Rae

Yoger Presso & a Poodle

Since moving to Korea, I've become an addict. What kind of addict you ask, a mint mocha latte drinking one. And where does a mint mocha latte addict in Pyeongchon get their fix? At Yoger Presso! 


I have not been much of a coffee drinker pre-Korea ( except for the occasional Starbucks run), but I've always liked the idea of a quaint coffee shop where you can just hangout; The perfect serenity spot to have 'you' time.  Now I feel like I live at Yoger Presso,a small cafe just across the street that is the perfect hangout spot to relax. Sad to say, I even go several times a day sometimes. I'll stop by to grab a cup to go on my way to the park with Louie in the early afternoon and go back to spend an evening there. 


You know it's bad when the proprietor knows your coffee order the instant you walk in. Not only does he know my order, (a hot mint mocha latte with lots of whipped cream on top) but he is well acquainted with my poodle. My poodle, King Louie I, has also become a regular at this spot. Louie has started taking the 'king' in his name literally as he bounds, without hesitation, up the narrow, wooden stairs to his usual spot overlooking the street below. If the spot is occupied, he unabashedly approaches, making it clear that he expects the lowly commoners to move. Like myself, King Louie has made a home out of quaint cafe.


 Well time to get some more caffeine in me, Yoger Presso and King Louie await! Stay tuned...


Peace & Love,
Elissa Rae

Hello Kitty in Hongdae

Everyone knows, but not necessarily understands my odd obsession with Hello Kitty. Yes, I know I am too old to be in love with a cartoon character, but that is beside the point. The fact of the matter is, I think Hello Kitty is adorable and she somewhat reminds me of when I was in Japan.


So this past weekend, a few of us decided to go coffee shop hopping and have a girls day out. That's right, coffee shop hopping, not bar hopping- I think that means I'm getting old... But anyway, I was obviously the most excited one in the group and my reaction as we walked down a small side street in the shopping district of Hongdae only made that clearer. After making the turn, you could immediately spot the cafe. You could spot it like a fluorescent hole in a wall. Everything else on the street was neutral toned and graffitied. Then you see this building that looks like an explosion of pink ribbons and bows. It is possibly the most adorable cafe I've ever seen. Even though it was a pink overdose, it seems like something you could picture in a fantasy world. It's the type of place I would imagine would exist if Hello Kitty was real and had her own city. It looks like a larger version of a doll house, with the addition of hundreds of stuffed cats.


However, after a short period of time spent there it does get a little obnoxious; Even I will admit that. We indulged in all kinds of sweets such as waffles, coffees, and cakes. It was quite a delight, but after an hour and a half we were definitely ready to be on our way and do some serious shopping. That's all the Hello Kitty I can handle for now! Stay tuned...


Peace & Love,
Elissa Rae