Tiny Snippets

Since my first video montage of my stay in Korea was such a success (46 views, you guys!!!) I made another one. Here's some things I saw in Japan and then some things I continued to see in Korea.

Glimpses of Japan & Last Month in Korea from Milla Meikäläinen on Vimeo.

Sometimes We Just Go To The Park

..Or something else equally unexciting. I wish my life was an endless stream of Seoul adventures and twee coffee shops, but more often it's just hanging out with my #1, going out to dinner and watching a lot of films. Or going to the park.

Seoul (No Pun Intended)

Last weekend me and my lil toy boy headed to Seoul. It was my first time, and it was magical but also hot as shit out there. That's why the photography tally is so minuscule  it was too hot to lift one's arm, let alone push a shutter button.

Anyway, getting to Seoul from Gyeongju took four hours on the coach, and 30 000W (20€). We left on a Friday after George's work so we didn't arrive until late in the evening. We've already agreed that the weekend we'd stay at love motels. These are abundance around the whole of Korea, because people generally live with their parents until they're married, so if they want to get their oral sex freak game on, they have to check into a motel. So, to meet these demands, thousands of rainbow LED-light covered havens have popped up with genius names like the "Let's Motel", "Why Not Motel" and "Luxuly Motel". I didn't make any of those up, nor did I make any typos on my behalf. Yes, Luxuly, I'm looking at you. Despite being able to rent out a room for only three hours for "a rest", the motels are generally insanely non sleazy. They're cleaner, better decorated and a billion times cheaper than normal hotels. To get away from the sex freak image, they've started rebranding themselves as "boutique hotels" with special party rooms for big groups of people who again, can't party at home, with private pools and karaoke machines, and kitchens to all cook together! Cosy! If you're thinking about staying in one whilst visiting Korea, general rule of thumb is that the more blinky LED lights there are on the building, the fancier they are on the inside.

Anyway, on Friday we took a metro to one of the most central epicentres of love motels in Seoul, the area of Sinchon, and after a short wandering around period ended up just randomly choosing one as it was late, we were hungry and tired. The room we got was randomly themed around rabbits (...). The room was like any nice hotel room, except with a massive tv, and we were given a bag with condoms, facemasks and shaving creme. And there were plywood cutouts of rabbits on the wall. Clean and big, but nothing to write to home about, so I didn't take any photos. SORRY.

The next morning, we started exploring the neighbourhood. I believe the "part I" are currently in rehab.

Korean cosmetics man, I'm so addicted to them. Doesn't help that they always have a sale going on or another incentive like this store where I got a free surprise product with my purchase. Bought a BB creme (when in Rome..) and a lipstick, and got a really useful neon orange lipgloss with it!!! Brb, trying to pull off neon orange lipgloss. 

Squint for the name of this shop. SQUINT!

It wasn't until tens of photos later that I realised I had left the camera on the dubious ART setting which is why all the photos so far have been saturated as fuck.

Ahh, more like it. 

We wondered to Hongdae which is just one metro stop from Sinchon. It's where the Hongdae University is, so by default it's "hip" and "cool". We were lucky enough to catch the Saturday free art market, where the Arts University students sell their souls and other misc cute items. We got portraits done for 5000W (4ish €) by the girl in the photo. I'd like all the Finns to note that the Kånken hipster backsack has reached all the way here. 

As I previously said, we look like a rent boy from Pokemon, and Jennifer Aniston. 

By fate we found a small independent cinema that was just about to screen Love Before Midnight. I couldn't believe my luck, I had given up on all hope of seeing the film at a cinema. We have two cinemas in Gyeongju and both always show the same three films, which is idiotic if you ask me. 

After the cinema we had Mexican food. NOM NOM NOM. Then the best thing happened, we went to another cat cafe. If you've read my blog previously, you know the last experience with a cat cafe left much to be desired. It was too crowded, and the cats were all ADD ridden snack sluts. 

Well, turns out going on a Saturday night when everyone else is partying pays off, BECAUSE WE WERE THE ONLY CUSTOMERS IN THERE!!

The one on the right is clearly an only child, "Look at me! Look what I can do!!"

Employees brushing the cats.

Baddest Kitty on the block.

We were dressed to match.

A cat with dwarfism, aka. a dachshund cat!! I called her Stumpy. 

You have to leave your shoes outside so the cats don't try them on. 

"Hello? Yes this is Cat speaking!"

George once again proving to be irresistible to cats. 

Made some friends that will last me a life time. 

We were approaching 10PM, which is when love hotels start allowing check-ins. Back to Sinchon we went, and this time we went to a one I had already checked online (and that CNN Travel recommended). Woof did it pay off! We got a deluxe suite for 90 000W (60€, so 30€ per person because we're modern like that). It was Willy Wonka themed. Luckily this was only apparent from the mood lighting above our ROUND BED. Hahahaha. Included was: free minibar, 3D tv, Nintendo Wii with games, two computers, wifi, previously mentioned round bed and what else.. oh yeah, a mother fucking jacuzzi in the room. 

These are the only photos I took. SOZ. 

Next day we checked out after playing some One Direction loudly on the surround sound speakers, had a waffle breakfast and headed out to do our favourite activity: take purikura pictures.

Sexy squint man. 

Purikura are these photo machines where you take glamour shots with your girlfriends, then decorate them on a computer and then get little stickers of them. 

If you think there's something a bit off with this one, you're correct. The machine automatically enlarges your eyes and whitens your skin to the extent that a pale newt like me almost lost her nose in the process. 

The day was stiflingly hot. Still waiting for rainy season to start properly, but in the mean time the air is incredibly sticky and oppressive. This leaflet handing Garfield man sums it up pretty well. 

In fashion at the moment: Clear lens glasses, Mikko Alatalo.  

Visited Ewha women's university and the surrounding area. My demeanour hopefully conveys adequately just how knackering just breathing in this weather is. 

And that's all the photos! Apologies! Here's a bonus of us the next day, back at home, in our favourite glass noodles and chicken stew place, practicing our conniving Game Of Thrones faces. 

My First Month in a Video

First Month In Korea from Milla Meikäläinen on Vimeo.

Cats. Dogs. Kitties.

Another weekend, another day trip to Daegu. We had a mission that needed to be put to action, a hole to be filled, a hole shaped like a certain 16lb cat left back home. It was time to visit a motherfucking cat cafe.

After wondering around looking at a map I had on my phone, having a burrito, and being stopped by a group of young banking students to get a photo with us, we found the CATDOG Cafe. Actually the name in Korean was Dogs VS. Cats Cafe, but I think that's a bit misleading because no battling occurred. At least not when we were there. 

Entrance fee was 8000W (5.5€/4.7£), and included a drink. Most of the drinks on the menu were coffee based (BLEUGHR) so I had a "peperment" tea (snicker snicker). After that, it was shoes off, slippers on, hand sanitizer, and if you wanted you could get a hideous maxi skirt from the front desk to wear over your jeans so you don't get covered in fur. To that I say pfffft, do I look like an amateur to you? One floor was cats, one floor was dogs. We decided to start with cats because god damn it, I just love cats so much.

We sat down with out teas, and waited for the cats to flock to me like I was Snow White. After a few minutes of no cat action, George said out loud what we were both thinking: "These cats are like strippers". Damn right, little furry whores. Customers could purchase little bags of cat treats from the front desk, and the cats knew this. God damn hustlers, they would only flock to the people with abundance of snacks, and let them touch their tummies. I was very upset, I had wanted to build a meaningful feline connection, not a cheap one night stand where I would shove dollas in the form of cat treats to their hairy cat knickers. Distraught. 

"I can has a treat, you can has a lapdance?"

"Nvm, this Korean couple next to you has some."

"Hiya guys, you looking to buy tonight?"

Barely able to hide the disgust on her face, "Fucking time wasters.."

This little one is strung out to hide the ugly reality of what her life has become. 

"Treats?"

"No treats."

And just then, a cat appeared from the mist. A real old fashioned gentleman cat. 

He's a Scottish Foldear, that's why he looks grumpy. But he was very lovely. 

I then made friends with the Korean girl pictured in one of the first photos, and she gave me some cat treats. I felt bad because I had cursed them previously. So I went and gave majority of them to this cat who loved me even when I was broke. The rest I made rain on the sluts. 

Last goodbyes with our own cat, it was time to go upstairs to have a go at the dogs. 

Upstairs the vibe was the same: money or animal treats makes the world go round, and unfortunately here we couldn't find that one old, wise soul who could see past all of that and accept our tummy touches. 

George can read hangul (I know, BACK OFF LADIES or I'll bite you in the face) so he was able to translate some of the dogs names. The sausage dog was called Limousine, the pug was called Mandu. Mandu is a Chinese dumpling, with a really wrinkly and fold-y surface, and it does really look like a pug's face. The big white lab was called Banana. I don't know why. Maybe he likes bananas or it's a reference to penis size. 

Notes from fans. 

All joking aside, the place was very clean and well run. The animals had a "back stage" room where they could go if they didn't felt like being with a ton of people, and the one's that did enjoy the hubbub but didn't feel like being touched, has special ribbons which meant they be cranky. 

Before heading home, we ticked one more thing from my list of things I wanted to do here, as it fit with the cat theme well. 

Plastic food. Note the official Hello Kitty hotdog. 

Mint chochip frappuchino and a tiramisu. The tiramisu was just a cheesecake. 

"Nom nom, give kitty all your tampons and sanitary pads!!"

I asked George if the men's room had a Hello Kitty urinal of her with her eyes closed and mouth open but he denied it. Maybe he was just embarrassed.