Category: Culture

Korean Cafe Culture

Published on by stefaniepaikLeave a comment

Korea is well known for its cafes; from cute to extraordinary. In Seoul, every major neighborhood has its own neighborhood cafe vibe. For example, Myeongdong is a very popular tourist spot so the cafes are meant to be unique and eye-catching, while also being advertised as a place to rest from shopping. Gangnam is a very wealthy neighborhood in Seoul, therefore the Cafes are more expensive and upscale; blurring the line between bar and cafe. Hongdae is a neighborhood popular among young adults. The cafes here are trendy with a splash of unusual.

Harry Potter Cafe

Hongdae is home to various pop culture cafes like Hello Kitty, Kakao, and anime. In Hongdae, the cafe that is on every tourist bucket list is the Harry Potter cafe called 943 King’s Cross. This building has 5 floors; each with its own Harry Potter theme such as the banquet hall and wizards dorm. The first floor is the cafe, where you can order the popular Butter Beer; with or without alcohol. The non-alcoholic Butter Beer is a butterscotch iced coffee.

While I see why this place is popular, the drinks were pretty expensive. So for me, it is a cool one-time experience.

Cat Cafe

As I mentioned, Myeongdong is a popular tourist destination. So how is a cafe able to attract the attention of travelers? Easy; the answer is cats. To enter the cat cafe, you must change your shoes into cafe-provided slippers. Then you must put all your belongings in a plastic bag. Don’t worry if you have shopping items, the plastic bag is huge. Lastly, you purchase a drink that acts as an admission fee. Now you can be in Cat Wonderland. All of the cats have certain colored collars on them. This corresponds to what sort of cat it is. yellow represents the cats that love people; so they love to be petted. The blue-collar is for cats that are on the feisty side. While it isn’t safe to thoughtlessly pet them, you can interact with them. Lastly, the red collar is for cats that you should only look at. These cats tend to not like people as much or have certain reasons as to why they should not be touched.

Overall the experience was pretty nice. I wish I didn’t have a cat allergy, but that’s ok. I just took some medicine and looked at the cats, which was still pretty fun. The only true warning about this cafe is that the cats might pee where they shouldn’t. While I was at the cafe, the table across from me got their plastic bag peed on. So that is why the plastic bag is VERY important.

Record Cafe

Insa-dong is famous for its old Korean Architecture called Hanok. In the Hanok village area of Insa-dong, there are countless, beautiful cafes. The cafe that stuck out to me the most is the Record Cafe. The entrance fee is the purchase of a drink, which is pretty expensive because it is basically the price of an entrance fee plus the drink. I got a milk tea and it cost 18,000 won, which is about 14 dollars. The experience was super cool. If you are alone or in a group of 4, you can sit and relax while listening to the record player through the connected headphones. The cafe has so many records from both Korea and other countries, mainly American artists. The time period of the music is pretty diverse. I was able to listen to Dolly Parton, Troy Sivan, BTS, and Whitney Houston.

If you were to travel to Korea, I would highly recommend this cafe. It was such a nice way to relax and just sit and listen to the music. While the price was expensive, I believe that it was worth it.

24-Hour Study Cafe near KU

I’m not sure if it is smart or evil that KU has the dorms at the top of the campus, which is also the top of what feels like a mountain. So many KU students, they find it easier to just stay at the bottom of campus until they have to sleep, which is practically the only time they are in their dorm. Since many students don’t study in their rooms, they go to cafes or the library. Honestly, I tried to study at one of the various libraries. It felt super depressing to me, so I see why people prefer cafes.

While the cafe itself is nothing special, what it represents is exceptional. As long as you buy a drink, you can stay at the cafe as long as you need. My favorite item from the cafe is the waffle; it is so delicious.

Itaewon Cafe

One day, when I had class canceled, I decided to take a little trip to Itaewon for fun. My plan was to get lunch, and then find a random cafe to do homework. The plan was a big success because I stumbled upon the cutest cafe. This cafe is special because it sells drinks in bear or dog cups. It was such a fun experience to just walk around and find a cafe to study in. Definitely will do this again.

Are French People Mean?

Published on by sarahblaiserLeave a comment

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cya1DfHM-7T/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

One of the stereotypes that I heard a lot before coming to France was to be wary that the French are mean. Almost everyone I talked with warned me to be careful. I have found that this stereotype can be true in some instances, but can an entire country of people really be mean?

I have noticed that in Europe as a whole, people are a lot more blunt and honest. Many people may appear unfriendly, but they are just on a mission doing their own thing. Most outward emotions are saved for friends and family.

There have been many run-ins with strangers that I would consider a lot less friendly than any run-in in the US, but the culture here is very different. In my experience, many people do not make conversation with random strangers. I found this a bit off-putting at first, but it makes a lot of sense. It all goes back to culture. We are marked as overly friendly Americans because some of our habits are odd to them as well. For example, in the US I always hug my friends when I see them, in France, hugging is a bit too close and they enjoy “les bisous,” which is quick kisses on the cheeks.

In my opinion, all of this leads back to the question of if French people are mean. I don’t think they are mean in any way, they are just a different kind of friendly than Americans. If you enter a store and chat with a storekeeper, they will love you for days. They give you what you give them. If you are friendly, they will likely be friendly back. The only time I have had a negative experience it likely falls back to a miscommunication, especially in language.

I think labeling all the French as mean is an overstep. In order to understand the French you must understand the differences between our cultures. Many of the differences I have yet to encounter, but each day I find something new. Finding out the quirks of this culture and noticing the quirks of my own has been really fun. There have been many moments where I miss the US, but there are so many amazing aspects of the culture here. When looking for a place to study abroad, do not rule out any countries based on the stereotypes, you may miss out on an amazing group of people.