Vlog 045: From Saigon, With Love
8/21/17
From Australia and on to Vietnam where Shana met up with me for just over a week!
Music: Bon Iver (Stems Project)
Longform
The best alternatives to SoundCloud (2017)
8/12/17
With rumours of SoundCloud’s upcoming demise, online creators are about to feel a big loss. The platform is notorious for its rap scenes and artists, as well as a place of choice to host podcasts and DJ Mixes. Thankfully, they managed to secure a last-minute deal and more VC money (about $170M), which should give them another 12 months of runway to hopefully turn things around.
As someone who’s played on the sideline of podcasting, beatmaking, and DJ-ing as a hobby over the past years — I’ve had the chance to test out a few platforms, and figured out some alternatives for online creatives. Read on!
Podcasters
For podcasters, the appeal of SoundCloud is clear: you can get started for free, with free hosting, and you already have a built-in community to help you grow.
However, SoundCloud is not predominantly a Podcast Hosting platform, and anyone serious enough about Podcasting, or willing to spend a little money, should consider other alternatives.
My first piece of advices is simple: in 2017 you need to own your own content and the platform on which you broadcast it. You can no longer lock your episodes on one single platform and hope for the best, especially if you’re not paying.
What I would suggest is that you create a dedicated blog or micro site where your followers can find all your episodes, in case whatever service or platforms shuts down. Hosting on a blog will give you an RSS feed to, which is how podcasting works anyways.
If you don’t have a lot of technical knowledge, you can even add an account with Feedpress to make managing anything RSS-related in a much simpler way.
Now, when it comes to the nitty-gritty of podcast-hosting, your best alternative is Simplecast.fm. I’ve been using them for about two years now — and even interviewed the original founder (since then the company has been acquired but remains independent of outside funding, as far as I know).
Simplecast is a fantastic platform that’s easy to setup, manage and broadcast, available for about $100/year. It has all the features you might want: support for artwork, show notes (in Markdown format, HTML, and Rich or Plain Text.)
Once you’ve taken care of the initial setup, uploading episodes is as easy as picking the audio file from your computer, adding your title, description and artwork, and you’re good to go.
What more, you can even tie it to your own domain, and even generate a dedicated micro-site to redirect web users and followers.
DJs
Online DJs and Radio Hosts are a different breed and require specific tools, however in this case there is already a solid platform available for everyone: Mixcloud.
Mixcloud came around the same time of SoundCloud but focuses on DJ sets and longer (it can also be used to host podcasts, but the core audience is DJs and online mixes.)
Mixcloud is available online via your Web Browser, and has different apps for your mobile devices or your Apple TV. They also have integrations in a couple of DJ mixing software so that you can easily upload to the platform.
The company is also solid as the executive team has bootstrapped it (meaning there is no outside funding or investors to answer to.) There’s no offline mode (you can thank the Major Music Labels for that), but aside from that it’s a really good platform and a solid product. These days I find myself listening to it more and more as I work or require focus without changing songs or albums every 10 minutes.
I’ve personally met the CEO a few years ago and I truly believe in their mission to allow anyone to upload their music, from existing worldstar DJs down to bedroom DJs and hobbyists like myself, and give them an opportunity to share their work, and even participate in competition to get to the next level.
Musicians, Artists, Rappers, Beatmakers
Unfortunately, I’m not the best person in the know about hosting platforms if you’re an artist/rapper.
Over the years, many platforms have come and gone, whether to host Mixtapes (), to allow artists to offer music downloads if you share your email address and follow them on SoundCloud and Spotify, or as a way to host remixes from the Hip-Hop scene. But none of them have ever had the traction and the cultural impact that SoundCloud has.
You have to keep in mind that Grammy Winner Chance The Rapper came up offering his mixtape so for free, on SoundCloud. To this day, his latest album/mixtape —the one he won a Grammy for— can be heard for free on the platform.
If you’re an artist with a small label, or an independent artist, you can rely on Bandcamp to offer music downloads. It’s a great company, with a philosophy and a sets of values that work in conjunction to the Indie Music scene.
Bandcamp is great if you want to sell/distribute your music, but from a listening experience, and from a community standpoint, it feels like it’s a different product, targeting a different niche than SoundCloud.
About my SoundCloud experience.
Before I wrap this up, I wanted to share a couple of thoughts about SoundCloud itself. Given that they’ve secured some additional investment and have a bit more runway, I want to be optimistic.
I’ve been a user of the platform for many years now, since around 2009-2010, first as a listener back when you could only find unknown producers, mashups and remixes. I continued listening regularly, starting to like and repost, up to now, with a community of almost 600 followers.
Since then I’ve been mixing things up, uploading my own beats, DJ sets, as a hobbyist, but also sharing my podcast, and engaging with the community. I loved the majority of the changes that the company brought over the years, the different redesigns, the modern look and feel of the current version of the app, and while there’s always something that can be improved, I’ve been mostly satisfied about it.
My grudges with SoundCloud aren’t with the platform itself, but with the major music labels who have always acted like a mafia, asking for money to be paid. This goes against the artists on so many levels, and against the current online climate of open-source, Creative Commons, and overall “open and free” mentality that make the web what it is today.
All in all — it’s sad because SoundCloud had a lot of impact on our modern internet culture. It will be hard to get same level of discovery from another platform, and no matter what happens to them next year, they clearly have shaped our modern internet culture and are directly responsible for putting on a lot of different artists from Chance to Lorde, to producers like Lido, Cashmere Cat, Kygo, Mura Masa, and many others.
Don’t blame Soundcloud for trying, they were essentially suffocated from the Majors! And I can personally feel that when some of my remixes or DJ sets get takedown, with my account being flagged and threatened to be taken down. #BlameTheLabels
Conclusion
SoundCloud isn’t dead yet, even if there are many concerns about how it’ll survive. I think Casey Newton of The Verge absolutely nailed it: the biggest challenge comes a majority of users who refuse to pay for content and access, plain and simple.
These are the same users who make music playlists on Youtube (a video platform that is arguably the most popular music streaming service around). I feel strongly about this, because we have seen time and time again the death of platforms like these due to a lack of financial from the community.
As I’m writing this down in Vietnam, I asked my Airbnb host and his friends what service they used to listen to music. Keep in mind that the LTE service here is cheaper than in the west, and, in my experience, almost faster than Wi-Fi. When I asked them, they replied that they didn’t see the point in paying for stuff, and they’d rather:
- manually download tracks and transfer them to their mobile devices,
- or use Youtube or SoundCloud.
This obviously made me a bit sad, because my hunch tells me this is the case for a lot of developing countries where access to the internet is cheap, but you can’t or won’t reward creators with a few bucks.
After securing the new funding, SoundCloud’s co-founder and CEO, Alexander Ljung, was pushed out of the company and, as I understand it, has agreed to step down, it’s not the same type of ruthless business and predator mentality that can be seen in pop-culture movies rendition of The Social Network or any movie about Steve Jobs an Apple.
I saw Alex Ljung speak on stage at LeWeb 2011, in Paris, and his vision for the future of not just music, but also sound and voice, was incredibly appealing to me. Listening to his keynote made me reconsider how I listen but also how I use sound in my day-to-day life. It’s when I started using voice dictation or voice messages in messenging app regularly.
And now, it sounds like the new SoundCloud CEO, Kerry Trainor has his job cut out for him.
He was the former CEO of Vimeo between 2012 and 2016, and was responsible for the platform’s change of positioning from yet-another-Youtube-competitor to a platform with focus on paid content, indie movies, documentaries, and a smart and simple VOD offering. It was a smart move, in retrospect, and one that paid off big time for them.
My hope(s) for SoundCloud is that through the guidance of the new CEO they can focus on what made the community special: a place where remixes, indie artists, and odd internet creators can thrive. But this won’t happen without more revenue, which can only go so far in terms of being ad-supported. I really hope the customers start realizing this as the company has bought itself some more life for another year.
“The Misfit Breakfast of Vietnam” (R&K)
8/9/17
Taking some time during my Vietnamese trip to share a little something I’ve read on Roads & Kingdoms, about visiting Saigon and experiencing a spicy beef stew (known as bò kho).
Like a lot of Vietnamese soups, the magic is in the broth. Star anise, curry paste, pepper, cumin, chopped onion, chive, and the national condiment, fish sauce, are just a part of what makes up a criminally under-celebrated dish.Lighten the brawn with chili, hoisin, lemongrass, hefty squeezes of lime, and a bunch of cilantro, basil, and ngo om (rice paddy herb) and you’ve got yourself a most complex flavor. Order a baguette on the side to dunk and mop up, and you’re onto a winner.
It really hits home, as I’m walking around in the saigonese heat every day, having Phó and all types of different soups even on days when the sun is blazing hot. And the bread-dipping action towards the end is literally my life!
Also, yeah it is not only a popular breakfast, but also a bigger afternoon snack: Vietnamese people tend to have about 5-7 meals a day, albeit smaller than the full meals we have in the West, but all day long, often hearty soups to keep you going through the day!
So here’s to my Vietnamese heritage and its incredible food(s) of all kinds!
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[Book Review] "See You In The Cosmos" (Jack Cheng)
8/6/17
Earlier this week, I’ve finally finished this book from one of my favorite authors Jack Cheng!
This was an incredibly touching story, with a very original way of introducing its plot. A short fiction read at about 300+ pages – I highly recommend it for fans of fiction, moving stories, drama, and space/NASA nerds!
An astonishingly moving middle-grade debut about a space-obsessed boy's quest for family and home. All eleven-year old Alex wants is to launch his iPod into space. With a series of audio recordings, he will show other lifeforms out in the cosmos what life on Earth, his Earth, is really like.But for a boy with a long-dead dad, a troubled mum, and a mostly-not-around brother, Alex struggles with the big questions.
Where do I come from? Who’s out there? And, above all, How can I be brave?
Determined to find the answers, Alex sets out on a remarkable road trip that will turn his whole world upside down . . .
For fans of Wonder and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Jack Cheng’s debut is full of joy, optimism, determination, and unbelievable heart. To read the first page is to fall in love with Alex and his view of our big, beautiful, complicated world. To read the last is to know he and his story will stay with you a long, long time.
[via Goodreads]
Vlog 044: Brisbane, Toowoomba, Sydney
8/3/17
I’ve met my cousin for the first time…EVER!
Music: https://www.mixcloud.com/tibz/amazing-chill-volume-02-take-a-breather/.
My Essential Travel Gear
8/1/17
Having been on the road since April, I thought it’d be a good time to finally take some time to share my favorite travel gear. I’ve been wanting to write this one down for a while because I’ve come to realize how much I rely on some of this stuff in my day to day.
Here’s a selection of the travel gear I can’t leave without — you can find more of my essential kit on my Kit.com page.
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A picture I took at home, before leaving for 9 months on the road[/caption]
Travel Gear
Tortuga Backpack
Preparing a trip of 9 months across the world, I needed to ensure that the very basic backpack would be solid, and allow me to cross borders, airport security, but still fit on the cabin of the many aircrafts to come. After a quick search for a good-looking, sturdy travel backpack, I decided to purchase the 35L Outbreaker, from Tortuga. It’s been the best decision I’ve ever taken in terms of gear to choose. I absolutely love this backpack, from the design, to the splash-proof material, and how sturdy it feels on my back.
Packing cubes
This is a more recent addition, but after realising I was unpacking/re-packing every month, I been looking for a more efficient way to travel. This is partially solved by these packing cubes which allow me to put everything together in my bag, saving up a bit more space, and the hassle of wondering how I managed to pack so much in two bags in the past few months.
Travel mug
I picked up this travel mug during a recent trip to Amsterdam earlier this year. I stumbled upon it in the Design Museum’s store, and couldn’t resist the nice design and simple click mechanism.
Anti-pollution mask
I knew that I’d be visiting some countries with dust and/or a fair amount of pollution (Dubai, Shanghai, Vietnam, …) so I knew that a face mask would be a good investment. This one is meant to last longer than the usual paper masks you can find in convenience stores all over Asia, and you can even change the filters once you’ve used them for a while.
Day bag/tote
What happens once you’ve reached your accommodation? You go out and EXPLORE. My day-bag is a simple tote I’ve got as a gift from my subscription to Monocle Magazine. Simple, but essential, as I tend to put my wallet, my external battery, my laptop or iPad if I’m walking around, and any other accessory I might need on the day.
Accessories
Noise-cancelling Headphones (preferably wireless)
My go-to pair of noise-cancelling, wireless headphones. I simply can’t live, and especially can’t travel without these: noise cancellation is really on point, even when a toddler is sitting behind you and crying on a plane.
The battery life is huge for me (20h+) so I can keep them on my head from the moment I leave my Airbnb, go to the airport, fly for 10+ hours, land, and travel to my next accommodation —and I’ll still have some juice left!
Wired earphones
I need a dirt cheap basic pair of earphones, for when I want to listen to podcasts or music, or have a facetime call, whenever I’m outside and walking around… at least until I decide to get myself a pair of Airpods…
Sleeping Mask
Similarly to the noise-cancelling headphones, this is something I absolutely need in order to get some rest on a plane. On average, in an 8-10h flight, I hardly get more than 2 hours of sleep, generally 30-40 minutes at a time. So investing in a better sleeping mask than the basic ones given on a plane is also a small but crucial improvement. I bought my current one in Vietnam for about 3€ ($4).
Cable organizer
Something so simple, and yet so incredibly vital to anyone traveling on the road with a few gadgets: this travel organizer is possibly the wisest 10€ I have EVER spent.
There’s a small zipped compartment which is perfect for small adapters, SIM cards, and memory cards too!
Cables
Obviously, something to fill the travel organizer with. If, like me, you travel with a few electronic gadgets, I’d recommend having a few spare ones.
For example, if you have an iPad AND an iPhone, have at least 2 charging cables. Or, if you travel with an android phone and another gadget like a Kindle e-reader, make sure you pack 2 USB to Micro-USB cables, etc.
Apple’s World Travel Adapter Kit
Overpriced? Definitely… But you can’t beat the quality, comfort and ease of use of Apple’s chargers and their related kits!
Multiple Port USB charger
This one, from Anker, has become my go-to charger for the gadgets I have whenever traveling, but also at home when I’m staying in my own place!
External Battery Charger
Mine comes from the good folks at Xiaomi, who are trying to sell Westerners on good quality accessories prior to launching their Android phones in the West. I love this sleek-looking external battery, but if I had to pick another one, I would probably invest in a solid one from Anker.
External Hard Drive
For backing up my laptop regularly, and storing tons of movies, tv shows, comics and more, while traveling around the world! I love how sexy this thing looks!
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Ready to hit the road, with 2 bags for 9 months![/caption]
I think it’s fair to say that some of these are pretty straightforward. However, when I was planning on my own, it was easy to forget about certain things. For example, when I arrived in Australia, I realized that I needed to buy an extra adapter. Or, more recently, a sleeping mask. These are just small things that are essential the more I travel, to make sure I can optimize my experience abroad with the least amount of friction.
Now, do I need every single item on this list? Probably not. However, having it available at hand with me when I travel makes my experience of going around the world a much easier one.
Think I forgot something? Want to add something that I should check out before I hit the road again? Let me know what are YOUR travel essentials!
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Vlog 043: Old Friends in Melbourne
7/27/17
After an awesome road trip, it was time to catch up with some really good friends down in Melbourne…
vimeo.com/tibz/vlog… Music: https://www.mixcloud.com/tibz/love-beats-volume-03-what-i-wish-the-dj-played-last-time-i-went-to-a-club/
[Movie Review] Dunkirk
7/26/17
I'm not a fan of War movies. I think I've overdosed on too many movies and tv shows (anyone remembers Band of Brothers?) at an early age.But with such high acclaim from critics and audiences alike, it was hard to resist Christopher Nolan’s latest offering.
I’ll say this about Dunkirk: it definitely has the Nolan touch. The gorgeous cinematography, the music, the intensity and thrill of being unsure which way the storylines are going and how the different paths are intertwined with one another.
It’s not a movie or a story that necessary appeals to me, from the start. But it executed and directed so beautifully that I let myself be captured by those characters and their journeys as they try to get out of Dunkirk (“Dunkerque” in my native language.)
I would add that I was lucky enough to watch this movie for an empty mid-week afternoon screening, in IMAX 4DX. However, unlike my screening experience, while the extra sensory experience was intact, I felt even more immersed because the film itself was in beautiful 2D, with no motion play onscreen. The image was crisp as could be, and worked incredibly well with this motion picture.
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Related Update:
Vlog 042: An Australian Roadtrip
7/9/17
After 10 days in Sydney, it was time to drive down to Melbourne over the course of an unbelievable road trip, spread over 4 days...
[Tibz Mix] Love & Beats | Volume 05: Traveling through Asia
7/8/17
Following up on my Shanghai mix, I’ve published a new mix last week, a little bit more dynamic and definitely on a sexier vibe. All this inspiration came from traveling around Shanghai, Seoul, Jeju Island, Busan, and lately Sydney & Melbourne too!
[mixcloud www.mixcloud.com/tibz/love… width=100% height=400 light=1]
Enjoy!
Vlog 041: Exploring Sydney, Australia
7/6/17
I finally landed in Sydney, and I invite you to watch my adventures in the following Vlog — as I’ve mentioned, I’ve been busy.
Sydney was very interesting, it was my first time back surrounded by westernised white people, after Dubai, Shanghai, and Seoul. But I quickly found my marks: it’s a big enough city that there are distinct interesting neighbourhoods and activities all year round, but it’s still small enough that you can easily walk everywhere. In my case, that meant long walks at different times of days and night.
I was lucky enough to catch up with two different friends from Brighton: Charlotte, back from University, and then James and his girlfriend Lauren. I used to work with James for about two years, back when I was at Realmac Software. It was really great to catch up with these great humans!
And in addition, spending 10 days in Sydney gave me some good time to get back to being productive and work for my clients a bit more than when I was in Korea. Glad to be back on tracks!
I’m going to keep it at that for now, and I hope that you’ve enjoyed these new vlogs. I’ve got loads more to share, but I’ll save this for next time!
See you soon!
—Tibz
[Tibz Mix] Amazing Chill | Volume 04: Shanghai
7/1/17
This mix was way overdue. I had a lot of time on my hands back in Shanghai and I had started working on a new mix. However, time caught up with me, and by the time I got to South Korea, and later Australia, finally mixing this together had slipped off my mind.
So without further adue, here’s a quick mix of songs that accompanied me during my trip to the Chinese Metropolis.
[mixcloud www.mixcloud.com/tibz/amaz… width=100% height=400]
Vlog 040: Exploring Busan
6/30/17
After our holidays in Korea, Shana left to go back to the US. On my end, I had an extra week in the country, so I decided to visit Busan for the weekend. You can watch the latest vlog below:
Busan is a charming city located as far down south as you can get. It’s famous for its fish market, its harbour, and its film festival. Oh, and let’s not forget Gamcheon, a small colourful village that will bring back to mind the Cinque Terre in Italy.
Overall, it’s been a great trip, albeit a short one. But just a few days later, I would fly to Australia, for a month!
Vlog 039: Discovering Jeju Island with my Girlfriend
6/13/17
My girlfriend came to visit me!
Part 2 of our holiday in Jeju Island, including hikes, lava caves, food, sunsets and so much more!
One last time, from Korea!
6/11/17
Hi everybody!
Before I get started, I just wanted to remind you that I’m doing a digital catch-up and Q&A on Periscope on Monday (tomorrow).
I’ll be online at http://periscope.tv/itibz – all you have to do is come on there to watch, or signup/login to be a part of the Chat, say hi, or ask any question about my work or this trip around the world!
As I’m writing this update, I am in the train back from Busan, in the south-eastern coast of South Korea, all the way down.
Traveling to/from Seoul is easy thanks to a really convenient and fast train system. Taking this trip all the way to the other side of the country takes only two and a half hours.
Busan is the second biggest city in the country, and know for being a big fishing town as well as hosting a popular international film festival.
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Jeanne Moreau, in 2001[/caption]
I’ve tried the local fish cakes, traditional delicacies that the city is known for, and I’ve also gone to a street food market located around the BIFF Square (Busan International Film Festival).
I also visited the gorgeous Gamcheon Culture Village, a small village overlooking the sea, on a hill, with very colorful little houses. You’d almost junk you were visiting the Cinque Terre in Italy.
Finally, Shana happened to have a friend visiting the Busan area too, and we ended up spending one evening together, having dinner and discovering the boardwalk and beachside by night.
All in all, it was a short-but-sweet trip to Busan!
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Vlog 038: Romantic Holiday in Seoul
6/11/17
My girlfriend came to visit me!
Part 1 of our holiday in Seoul, including animal cafes, a street art village, street food, and much more!
About the 4DX cinema experience...
6/8/17
Earlier this week, I went to watch the brand new Wonder Woman movie. Except rather than go to the nearest theatre I could find, I saw that Seoul hosts one of the best and biggest screens in the world —apparently it was also manufactured in France, but I digress.
In addition, something else triggered my curiosity : a showing of the film in “4DX” — something I had vaguely heard about before.
So what is 4DX? The future of blockbuster movie entertainment.
The 4DX experience starts with bigger, larger seats, and a 3D movie. Where it goes beyond however, is that the seat tilts, depending on the action of the movie. When the camera hovers above a big landscape, your seats kind of rocks along, looking down. Or if someone jumps off a cliff, your seat gets inclined, just as if you were jumping with them.
There is also wind blowing in your face at certain specific moments (in my case, the camera was facing the barrel of a gun, and when the protagonist fired, air was blown straight in my face, I could almost feel that bullet being fired), or gentle breeze on my legs, when the camera goes around a more natural landscape.
And when a big explosion occurs on-screen, additional strobe lights on the side of the screen start flashing in your face.
Apparently, some cheaters & movies combination can also splash water in your face, something that could be great when watching Johnny Depp’s latest attempt to pay off his debts with yet-another-lazy-sequel.
The point I’m trying to make, of course, is that 4DX is hugely immersive, and is not an experience that you can replicate at home.
Coming out of that screening, it feels to me that the future of blockbuster entertainment lies in real experiences, whether a movie theatre that lets you order food & drinks, or that offers a new level of immersion in the story and its action.
As noted by Todd VanDerWerff for Vox:
It jostles your seat, which is larger and more like something you might buy at Brookstone than your typical movie theater seat, and sends you bumping along as Vin Diesel and his Furious co-stars race through the streets of various global metropolises. When the camera tilts, the seats often tilt with it, and an early set of shots of the blue ocean waves is accompanied by a gentle rocking motion that made me a little sleepy.Every so often, little puffs of air burst by your face to accentuate, say, gunfire or a big explosion. On your 4DX armrest, there’s an option to “turn water off,” but Fate of the Furious is not an especially wet movie, so I did not get sprayed once. But other effects are also possible: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 director James Gunn has promised “snow and bubbles” for his film when screened in 4DX.
All of this is meant to draw viewers into the movie, by making them feel like part of the action. The Fate of the Furious is a junky enough film that I didn’t mind bouncing around like I was on a Tilt-a-Whirl, but for my first viewing of the movie, I found the whole experience a little distracting. If it had been a better movie — like many of its predecessors — I might have been actively annoyed at having the experience interrupted by my seat suddenly trying to make an escape (or maybe if it were better, I would have been even more drawn in). But I also can’t deny that the whole experience is fun. I just don’t know if I’d want to do it more than a couple of times.
My only gripe with the 4DX experience, is that it’s meant for Blockbusters, but having to grip your seat during big action set pieces was a bit distracting. During Wonder Woman’s last act, there were a few times when I wished they could have toned down the movements a little. If only so that I could focus on the movie, and not on the prospect of seeing my popcorn fall out of its box.
But I really do hope to treat myself to more 4DX movie screenings in the future!
Oh, and Wonder Woman, the movie itself? It’s great! Go see it!
[via How can movie theaters compete with your living room? By building a better living room. - Vox]
1Password introduces Travel Mode
6/7/17
Stoked to hear about this: 1Password introduces a Travel Mode in its apps.
If you’ve been using this as your password manager (and you really should), you know that it can be scary to travel and think about what would happen if your device got lost or stolen. Now, you can choose a specific vault, for example your Work Vault, and activate Travel Mode, and the passwords will be removed (temporarily) from your device(s) until you deactivate Travel Mode.
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M.G. Siegler on getting rid of iTunes, once and for all
6/7/17
Here’s what Apple obviously — obviously — should do:(…)
In other words, this should all work as it does on iOS. The Apple Music app on macOS would be the same as the “Music” app on iOS (which is also confusing given it has the same logo/branding as iTunes on macOS).
Along with my former colleagues, we’ve been saying this for years:
Apple really needs to find a way to unbundle iTunes into more manageable pieces of software. There is no reason why our Macs still come bundled with that huge, sluggish and clunky piece of software.
Vlog 037: Hanging Out With A Thai Buddhist Monk at the Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul
6/6/17
Visiting the Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul, South Korea — and making a pretty incredible encounter in the process!
Beats by Esta.
🇰🇷😻🍲☕️ So much S(e)oul!
5/25/17
Hello everybody!
It’s been 10 days in Seoul, South Korea, and I’ve got a big ol’ crush on this city, this country, and this culture.
Over the past ten days, I’ve gotten to discover multiple facets of Korean life, its food, its lifestyle, and its culture – both old and modern sides. And I’ve been loving every moment and every day.
I do not actually know a lot of close friends who have been to Seoul before – I know that a former friend studied there, and that the lovely Ashley & Jon, two good friends from Brighton, met here in SeoulI believe. They still look fondly on this time!
So, for what it’s worth, I just want to point out that South Korea is criminally underrated.
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Similarly to Shanghai, people here say that “they don’t speak English very well” – except that here,they do know the basics:in Shanghai, I had some trouble getting understood when asking for water. So as a foreigner, it gets much easier to chat, ask for directions, or order at a restaurant.
In addition, I’ve tried to correct my earlier mistake of not learning basic phrases – so I now know how to say Hello, Chiken, Beer, Thank You, Sorry, and a few other useful phrases.
But let’s get back to Seoul itself. The city is more spread out than Paris, as a point of reference, but holds a population of similar size: about 10 million people.
So far, I’ve had a lot of different food – but being solo most of the time, I haven’t had the chance to try a real Korean BBQ – a wrong that will be corrected next weekend, when I get some company, and a very special visitor for a few days.
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In addition to the food, I’ve been lucky enough to meet up with a contact who’s here as a foreign student, and he introduced me to his group of friends: a mixture of Koreans, mixed Asians, and westerners. These folks actually took me out last Sunday, for ChiMek (The contraction of the words Chicken & Mekju – the latter which stands for beer).
It was essentially a picnic by the river Han, which flows through the city. You sit down on the grass, and order from one of the many vendors and takeaway places who offer different variety of fried chicken. From there, they took me out drinking, eating some more, and later, to my very first karaoke! That evening finished at 5:30am, and we waited for the very first metro: I got back to my Airbnb at 6am, on a Monday morning, haha!
Besides that, I was incredibly surprised and excited to discover he local coffee scene: see South Korea is actually a bigger coffee drinker than the USA, and there are coffee houses everywhere. Starbucks and other chains are here, of course, but you can also easily find indie coffee houses that roast their own beans —something else that’s right along my alley.
So I’ve been working from coffee houses from times to times, to get a breath of fresh air. The rest of the time, I’ve been in my Airbnb, living with a family of four, who have been very kind and helpful to me. The children are very cute, if turbulent at times, and it’s definitely a unique experience to live with them and witness Korean life first hand!
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This past week, I’ve focused on my work, of course, but I also went around the dynamic Hongdae neighborhood, just two metro stops away from my neighborhood of Gongdeok – this is a small student town where you can find a ton of shops, coffee houses, bars, restaurants, but also ANIMAL CAFES!
That’s right: in Wednesday, I’ve actually hit a Raccoon cafe, a Sheep cafe, and a Meerkat cafe! This was an incredible and amazingly cute experience, and you’ll be able to watch all of this in the latest vlog (see the first link at the top of this email!)
That’s already a handful, and I’ve got many more Korean adventures planned before leaving this country, so stay tuned for another post in a few days/weeks.
I’m in love with this country and city!
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Vlog 036: The Meerkat Fell Asleep On My Lap
5/24/17
Moar adventures in Seoul:
- exploring the Common Grounds container park,
- going out all night for food & drinks and karaoke, a true Korean experience,
- and discovering the incredibly cute Animal Cafes here in the Hongdae area!
Sticker Obsession
5/21/17
I’m developing an obsession towards stickers and cute things from here in Korea!
Vlog 035: Goodbye Shanghai ; Hello Seoul
5/10/17
For my next destination, I am now in Seoul, until mid-June! I’m already loving it!
Looking back on one month in Shanghai
5/7/17
Hello everybody !
First of all, I wanted to thank those of you who’ve shared some good vibes, of friendly messages and support. As I’m writing this, I’m in my Airbnb, in Shanghai, for a few more days, before hitting my next destination.
Over here, on the blog, you can find the Dubai Vlog, as well as THREE vlogs from my time here in China.
- But first, let's talk about this past month in Shanghai.
It’s definitely fascinating to be in this city, so far out of my comfort zone, and learning to “be comfortable with being uncomfortable” as I tried to explain it to some of my friends, recently.
This past (almost-) month has been very interesting. I’ve definitely felt outside of my comfort zone, in a different culture, but especially more so when it comes to being unable to rely on my English, or speaking with the locals here — in Shanghai, people will only speak English in the touristy and expats area. And even then, it remained a fairly basic exchange, for the most part — not quite a conversation.
It’s also a city where, strangely enough, expats and locals rarely mix. There’s no animosity or conflict, but each enclave seems to live separately from the other.
It’s been hard to keep my vegetarian diet here. First of all, because I do not speak the language. Thankfully, my friend Lincha wrote a line of text, in Mandarin, that I can show when I go to restaurants to look for someplace that will accommodate my diet.
But the biggest challenge has been because I couldn’t get myself to tell my Airbnb hosts. See, they’ve welcomed me into their homes and offered me so much food during this entire month. They cooked breakfast for me every morning, and took me with them on a road trip with their friends and family. And the last thing I wanted was to offend them or put them in a bad spot, feeling like an asshole of a tourist, and refusing their food.
In any case, this has been a great experience, and I think that my blog posts and vlogs reflect that properly.
Thanks again for reading all the way to the end! I’m gonna start packing for my next destination — it starts with an S.
—T
OneMan: "Boris created EU “fake news” 20 years ago"
5/6/17
"Another reason to be uneasy about the revolving door between national-level journalism and politics."
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Vlog 034: Roadtrip, Exhibitions, Food Comas
5/5/17
This past weekend was a bank holiday — and my Airbnb hosts graciously offered to take me on a road trip with them!
Why Obama is supporting France's Emmanuel Macron for President — and why that's so unusual
5/5/17
Great concise piece by Zach Beauchamp for Vox:
The point, then, is that European elections are increasingly no longer about principally European concerns like the size of welfare states.They are about issues that affect the broader stability of Europe and the global order — which America has a huge stake in. As a result, center-left politicians like Obama feel entitled, maybe even obligated, to involve themselves.
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Vlog 033: An Opera Singer
5/3/17
It’s taken me some time to find a decent enough internet connection to upload this new vlog. After a busy week catching up on work, I spent the weekend exploring other areas of Shanghai!
Shanghainese Outings
4/20/17
After a busy beginning of the week, I’ve finally gone out this tonight, for drinks with friends.
Last week, I caught up with my friend Lincha whom I’d met 6 years ago in San Francisco. She’s now in Shanghai and I got to meet up with her and her boyfriend Matt. We also met some other people, local Shanghainese as well as expats.
Then, after a busy week for everyone, We went out for dinner in a Dim Sum place, and then to a local expat bar held by Louis, a New Yorker who’s been in SGH for 16 years.
