Sometimes it just takes a little rearranging for a place to feel completely new again.
It was a really random idea I had one day while feeling a little trapped by my old setup. What if...my table faced that direction instead?
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After
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My room has been in the same configuration for the last 3 (almost 4) years since we moved in. Bed and side drawers on one side, table and bookcase on the other. Even though the Ikea desk that I chose has a handy extension, the space left over between the bed and table is just enough for my swivel chair. Both the extension and chair in that particular spot created a "no-man's area" on one side of the bedroom. Plus, I have also been accumulating some MUJI Acrylic drawers that have been taking up a little too much desk space.
After some careful measurements and getting my dad to help with the lifting, the ignored space was finally getting some love. The extension can't fully extend but it is enough to still act as a small side table. My swivel chair couldn't fit in the new space but I think the new chair will help with my poor sitting posture.
The chair may be even more stuck in this spot than before, but I still have the option to shimmy myself backwards to sit on my bed. This is especially beneficial whenever I am watching a long video at fullscreen. My eyes don't feel as strained by sitting so close to the monitor and my butt can get some cushioning.
One of the most favorite things to come out of this room rearranging kick was cleaning up this window area and getting a place to display my camera items. I used to have them stuffed into my camera bag and it would be such a hassle whenever I needed to use different lenses. I always toyed with the idea of getting one of those floating shelves to do essentially the same task but not anymore. Win-win, yay!
I couldn't believe how nicely my MUJI drawers fit along the short edge of my desk. This means more workspace for me (that is when my table isn't full of papers, receipts, and other knick-knacks). My notes and inspiration wall also found a new home on the opposite side of my bedroom. While some people have cork boards to tack their important papers and ideas onto, I just use good old Scotch tape to stick things to my wall. Cheap and effective!
These fake flowers have been with me since we moved into the house. Purple flowers that will last forever? Perfect! (I don't have a very green thumb...even succulents and cactus plants have died in my house.) Over the last few years this floral arrangement has become an after thought, getting lost amongst the many other things in my room. Now that it is sitting in front of me, it is always peeking through the corner of my eye.
Hats have been on my mind lately. But with what I think is a big head, finding any that I like is difficult. Since taking these photos a few weeks ago, my hat collection has grown a little. This has become my hat display wall with 3 already hung up. I am not sure what I would do if I add more to the collection because room on this wall is very limited.
What is your room organization like? When's the last time you've done a major rearranging in your house?
Myeongdong is one of those places that I think everyone should visit if in Korea. For shoppers, it's a dream...rows and rows of stores in all directions. Plus there is usually some sort of sale to be found in the area. For non-shoppers, don't worry! Food is very abundant here, whether it is found on street carts or in restaurants.
This was the first time I visited Myeongdong during our trip and it was truly an overwhelming experience. So many shops to go to, so many foods to try, and so many people shuffling from one place to another.
Luckily our group went with a destination in mind: mandu/mandoo 만두 (dumplings) from Myeongdong Gyoza. The restaurant could be difficult to find in the maze-like streets of Myeongdong. I would recommend asking around since it seems to be a pretty popular spot. The line was pretty long when we got there but don't fret because I remember it moving pretty quickly. Even if it isn't, I think it would be worth the wait.
Myeongdong Gyoja
29, Myeongdong 10-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul (Myeong-dong 2-ga)
서울특별시 중구 명동10길 29 (명동2가)
One of the many (maybe even the most) memorable meal I had in Korea was here. The kalguksoo 칼국수 (handmade noodles) was the best. So much flavor in one bowl of noodles! We also shared an order of the mandoo but for me it wasn't as memorable as the kalguksoo. It was probably pretty delicious too but the noodles...no words from me can do it justice.
Our friend from Los Angeles said Myeongdong Gyoja has a restaurant there as well but the taste wasn't the same. Think she said she preferred Korea's version more. I regret not going again before I left Korea but it is definitely on the list for my next visit.
After some browsing around in many beauty stores, we finally found one of the many popular ice creams in Korea. Behold 32cm of icy swirls! (That's about 12 inches/1 foot.) There are a few different flavor combinations available. Each cone is ₩2,000 while a cup is ₩3,000. I think the novelty of this particular cone is just the sheer size and prettiness of the swirls. Although they call it ice cream, the texture was more similar to frozen yogurt. The froyo itself wasn't anything spectacular.
Even after a couple hours of walking we were still full from our meal. I didn't have any room in my tummy to try the savory street foods in Myeongdong but when I saw this sweet treat I had to try it out. I first saw this on a Korean variety show and was amazed by how simple it looked to make. Melted sugar and baking soda is all this bbopki 뽑기 calls for, but I have yet to try to make it myself. The idea is to try to break off bits and pieces to enjoy without cracking the design. It was fun to play with my snack but a little too sweet of a treat for me.
After a much needed break from the afternoon shopping, we headed from our dorms to Sinchon for dinner. There are so many restaurants to choose from in the area.
Somehow we ended up at Jadamhwaro 자담화로 for grilled meat. I think we decided on Korean BBQ since we were going for drinks afterwards. Need to fill that tummy with food to help with the alcohol!
Before going to Korea I only had KBBQ and Japanese BBQ a handful of times in New York City. I was really intrigued by the grilling setup this place used. It was made up of a cast iron plate with wells that held a variety of wrapping ingredients and a stainless steal plate that sat on top of coals for cooking the meat. So fancy~
The "highlight" of our night: Bar Pro in Sinchon. Unlimited cocktails in a pretty small and intimidate atmosphere. This was our friends' suggestion. I am not a drinker but ya know~ Korea has a drinking culture and I wanted to try drinking at least once whilst there. Good thing our group of friends weren't heavy drinkers either so we all went out of curiosity.
I think I only had 2 cocktails that night and 1 shot. The fruity cocktails we had here weren't particularly strong but it is unlimited. Get some, lose some~ The lemon drop shot was pretty bad to me, tasted too much like strong cough medicine. Since I had no idea what my limit was I took things very slowly and ended the night feeling quite alright. No accidents from me and drank responsibly! Needless to say I was wiped out by the end of the night. A lot of walking and shopping + alcohol makes for a very sound sleep.
If I am ever asked to say what comes to mind for "Fort Greene" the namesake park is the first thought. The second would be the high school I attended. After that...maybe the brownstone houses. Otherwise I would say that I am pretty unfamiliar with the neighborhood despite having visited regularly for 4 years.
It took graduating high school and college before going back to Fort Greene to do some exploring. Then again I wasn't that adventurous in high school. Whilst in college, being away from your old school and moving on was the idea. Now is the time to feel sentimental.
Walter's @ Fort Greene
166 DeKalb Ave Brooklyn, NY 11217
When we heard about the Ice Cream Bonanza at the Brooklyn Flea, Bestie C and I were signed up (figuratively speaking of course). Before filling out tummies with sugar, sugar, and more sugar, brunch in Fort Greene was our top priority in the morning.
We found Walter's via trusty Yelp the night before. Luckily we got there before it got really busy and were seated right away. Their brunch selection is small but I arrived knowing exactly what I wanted: the classic eggs benedict with grilled ham steak. It was definitely delicious, but between you and me I've had better (but that was all the way in Bellevue, WA). The other good part was trying a mimosa for the first time. I quite like this kind of bubbly fruity cocktail.
The Ice Cream Bonanza awaited us a few blocks away at the Fort Greene Flea. Our first choice wasn't a difficult one to make since not all the vendors were set up. MilkMade got the upper-hand and their ice cream flight caught us right away. I was happy since it meant not having to pick any one flavor. Everyone around us who saw our wooden rack filled with melting ice cream cones were intrigued. Especially the little kiddies who looked and pointed with jealous. Sorry parents!
L to R: Shooting the Pear, Amagansett Sea Salted Caramel, Rumble in Brighton, Rock Rock Rockaway Road, The Orchard
MilkMade - Ice Cream Flight $12
My flavor preference was:
1. Rock Rock Rockaway Road
2. Shooting the Pear or Rumble in Brighton
4. The Orchard
5. Amagansett Sea Salted Caramel
I am partial to ice cream flavors with a crunch texture, hence why Rock Rock Rockaway Road won number 1. The two tied came about because the last two just weren't my favorites. If you like lavender, floral-y flavored sweets The Orchard might be a really great choice. Compared to other lavender flavored sweets I have had I found this one the most tolerable and not overpowering (i.e. not like a candle). While salted caramel or anything caramel-y is one of my "go to" ice cream flavors, this one was just way too salty for my liking.
Bamboo Bites - Chicken Satay Sticky Rice $9
I don't know why but I think the both of us were half expecting the flea market to be part knick-knack vendors and part ice cream vendors only. When we were tempting everyone with our ice cream flight, everyone else's bamboo boats of sticky rice caught my eye. Good thing there were things other than food being sold at the flea market because I definitely wanted and needed the chance to walk off brunch & ice cream.
Maybe it is the Asian in me but I loveeeeeeeeee me some sticky rice! The flavors of this chicken satay sticky rice was really good. It is a little spicy but the (optional) hot sauce I think made it that much better. Bamboo Bites also sells this with other proteins (like pulled pork and tofu) and sweet varieties (mango and coconut) as well. Just hits all the right spots for me, definitely on my favorite food vendor list!
Monsieur Singh - Mango Lassi Push Pop $5
Monsieur Singh was the other item on Bestie C's "To Try" list for the day. I knew they were sold in Whole Foods so I was initially going to hold out on trying them. When I realized the brownie ice cream sandwich I really wanted from Luca & Bosco wasn't available, a mango push pop sounded suddenly so appealing. A mango lover is a mango lover. I am not one for things with mint or ginger so forget about having both in one food. But both of those ingredients were not too distinguishable for my palette. That's a plus in my books.
They also had a Passionfruit and Chia Seeds Push Pop which made deciding really difficult since I also like passionfruit flavored things. Bestie C opted for this one and said it was yummy. Maybe next time?
Fort Grace - Guava Mango Melon Sorbet $3
This was the dark horse of the day. We spotted their stand during one of our many strolls around the flea market and the bright personalities of the two ladies there got us intrigued. We had a sample of a couple of their flavors and were set to cleanse our palettes with Fort Grace's light sorbet. The other ice creams we had were great and all but after all that heaviness the refreshing sorbet just hit the spot.
Since this Ice Cream Bonanza thing was a special yearly event at the Brooklyn Flea, I am not sure if all the ice cream vendors will be attending the Fort Greene flea market regularly. But there are a bunch of other places where they may be: various Smorgasburgs throughout the city, Hester Street Fair, and other flea/food markets. Otherwise some vendors could be found at their physical shops or tracked down via social media.
If anything looked good, the hunt for ice cream is on!
Anywho...who knew Fort Greene had so much to offer?
