Fukuoka, Japan

A few shots from my recent trip to Fukuoka. My first experience with the city was during a layover last year. The airport is in the middle of downtown, which means you get a fantastic view of the coastal city cradled by mountains when landing. Unfortunately, this trip the weather was too hazy for good views of the surrounding landscape. It sounds shallow, but weather can really affect my opinion of a place. I definitely wouldn't have enjoyed Beijing as much if it had been hazy the whole time. Still, there was a lot worth seeing.

A swanky hotel called With the Style. We didn't have enough money to stay there, but we did enjoy a couple of drinks at the bar.

We are SO FUCKING SORRY!

I'm starting to see this road-cone orange everywhere. It's definitely the in color for spring, and I couldn't be happier. I may do a post devoted solely to it soon. (Update: I actually did. Yay follow through!)

Hakata ramen from a sidewalk stand, which made my vegetarian stomach a little ill, but the boyfriend loved it.

The impressive exterior and interior of the Kyushu Museum. Unfortunately, you were not allowed to take photos in the Van Gogh exhibit.

ACROS

Fox-made stew anyone?

Lids

I have a longstanding debate with a Korean friend about eyelid surgery. (The debate being that she thinks it's a good idea and I think she's just nuts.) Here's my latest argument: if you could rock a look like these first two girls, why would you ever want to look like anything else?

I should insert a disclaimer here: I am not ethnically Asian, so really, my opinions don't matter. Also, I'm not necessary anti-plastic surgery, just the idea of eliminating a feature that is so distinctive of your race is an idea I find worrying. And it doesn't just stop at at eyelid surgery. Many of my friends tell me white skin, narrow faces, and "high" noses are also considered the standard of beauty here, all things that are distinctly not-naturally-attainable by most Asians.

Before I manage to inflame too many of my friends, I'll sign off with this final thought: I do understand the pressure to perfect your face. As image-conscious as we Americans complain that our society is, I never had to include a photo with my resume until I tried to get a job here.

Valentine Snow Day

No matter what you do, falling snow looks like bad film grain, sigh.

My lotus, ginko leaf, and roses from my Valentine.

We woke up to a ton of unexpected snow. I got ready before my boss called and said no work today, which is just as well. This way I get to enjoy the views, drink hot beverages, hang out with the boyfriend and watch my neighbor nuns make a snowman and not have to show the world my uninspiring outfit today. My only regret, my hair turned out to be kind of messy-perfect today, in that only-a-just-wet-enough-snowy-winter-morning kind of way, like this. I love Into the Gloss. It has great ideas for hair and makeup.

We actually chose this part of Korea because it doesn't get a lot of snow. I think of winter weather as something that should be an occasional treat, not something to be sick of for months. So far, our plan has worked out nicely.

BTW, we just booked tickets to this show. I can't properly express my feelings in text, so please see here. The only thing that could make it more perfect would be if cherry blossom season came two weeks early...

Beijing, the Unexpected City

Beijing was quite a trip. The city is contradictory: exciting, historic, modern and most surprisingly, kind of romantic. From the incredible Forbidden City to the not-so-forbidden and very crowded subway, I was not bored once!

Haeundae Beach, Busan, South Korea

I don't bring my good camera to the beach, but the light was so amazing that day it didn't even matter. Fall is fast approaching here. By the time we got to the beach the swimming season was long past, but still, with a view like this you can't complain.

Also, next week is the Korean holiday Chuseok, so since we've got some time off, we're headed to BEIJING! Of everywhere I've been so far in my life, this is the first I can say that has held a place in my imagination since I was a child. The Forbidden City, the Great Wall, I literally cannot wait!

Korean Sunset

The view from our apartment window in Masan:

As a coastal girl, I usually don't like how mountains interfere with a nice, pretty, horizony sunset, but sometimes Korea just gets it right.

Also, I just saw Little Ashes, which is not a very good movie. Why would three Spanish guys at a college in Madrid be speaking English? But it did make me homesick for Cadaques and Port Lligat. And the thought that I was playing on the exact same pebble beaches that Robert Pattionson had been filming on a few months earlier (and didn't even know it) is interesting to say the least! The movie is worth checking out, if for no other reason, to see everyone's favorite boy toy Dalí-ing it up.