City Guide Review: Npub
Review by Tim DiFazio, ETA 2019-2020 City: Iksan (익산) Type of Business: Bar Address: 763-17 Sin-dong, Iksan, Jeollabuk-do (전라북도 익산시 신동 763-17) Cost: 4000 to 6000 won for beer; 8000 to 10,000 for cocktails The first few months as an ETA run the risk of feeling deeply lonely, especially in a smaller city like Iksan where one might not encounter a single English speaker on a night out. Many ETAs start the year speaking little Korean and knowing almost nobody in their placements. This is why Iksan ETAs need to make at least one stop at Npub. Npub is tucked away in the area surrounding Wonkwang University, and people mainly learn about it through word of mouth. Its entrance is marked by a modest red and white sign, and the bar itself sits on the basement floor of the building. The decor inside is charmingly random, with dressed-up mannequins sitting next to sports memorabilia and Christmas lights. A large projector screen lights up the back of the bar with customer-requested music videos, and a small curtained room with traditional Korean-style floor cushions provides a nice change in atmosphere for those who want it. While the decor is charming, what truly makes Npub special is the people. Even on a slow night, it’s a blast. Koreans and foreigners alike gather to play darts and pool while they chat with strangers and sip on reasonably-priced cocktails. The owner, Yohan, is both incredibly friendly and a fluent English speaker. He makes the bar a comfortable place to go alone, as shown by the vibrant community has formed around him. The bar has parties on Halloween, Christmas Eve, and New Year’s, which go a long way towards staving off the homesickness that comes with spending the holidays abroad. Thanks to the comforting atmosphere, great drinks, and lovely people, Npub has become a home away from home for expats all over Iksan and even Jeonju. Thanks to Npub, no Iksan ETA needs to worry about spending the weekends alone. Just pull up to the bar, grab a cocktail, and watch the hours melt away. [FinalTilesGallery id=’7′]
City Guide Review: Buseoksa Temple
Review by Arista Ngodinh, ETA 2019-2020 City: Yeongju Type of Business: Temple (UNESCO Historical Site) Address: 345 Buseoksa-ro, Buseok-myeon, Yeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do Cost: Adults: 1,200 won / Group: 1,000 won Youths: 1,000 won / Group: 800 won Children: 800 won / Group: 500 won Nestled in the mountains of Gyeongsangbukdo lies one of Korea’s most unique UNESCO heritage sites, Buseoksa Temple, otherwise known as the “Floating Stone” temple. Visitors come to the temple mainly because it is one of the few places in Korea where you can see five of Korea’s national treasures at once, including the stone lantern in front of Muryangsujeon Hall, Muryangsujeon Hall, Josadang Hall, wall painting in Josadang Hall, and seated clay statue of Amitabha Buddha. People love visiting not only for the national treasures and beautiful temple grounds, but also for the magnificent mountainside scenery. While the temple and scenery are stunning throughout the year, many visitors prefer to visit during late October to early November to enjoy the extraordinary reds, oranges, and yellows of fall foliage. The temple is built on terraced hills, and the layout of the grounds is modeled after the chinese character ‘華’ (hua) as a tribute to the beliefs of the Hwaeom buddhist sect. Walking through the temple is meant to symbolize walking towards the heavens, and this is reflected in the architecture. There are 108 steps up to the top to represent the ascension to Nirvana (don’t worry, it’s not as daunting as it sounds). The main hall itself is constructed to draw attention towards the sky. The columns are arranged in ascending height order. The outer columns of the hall tilt inward, and the ends of its roof curve upwards to draw the eye upward towards the heavens. Visitors will first follow a tree-covered path up to the entrance of the temple. Once reaching the entrance, visitors will go up the steps to the first terrace, where they will be met with beautiful temple grounds. Walking further up into the courtyard, visitors will see two pagodas from the Late Silla period. To the right is the first national treasure, Josadang Hall of Buseoksa, and within it the second treasure, the wall painting. Continuing up more stairs, visitors can find the magnificent Beomjonggak pavilion leading up to the main hall. At the top, visitors will finally come upon the main hall, Muryangsu-jeon, another of the five national treasures at Buseoksa. The main hall contains another treasure, the statue of Amitabha in shining gold as well as a beautiful wall painting next to it. Outside of the hall is a final national treasure, the stone lantern. To the left of the main hall, visitors can find the “floating” stone for which the temple is also known. In all honesty, it is not as exciting as the name seems. The stone is only said to be floating by a few centimeters. However, the rest of the temple is incredibly beautiful, and the national treasures allow visitors a firsthand look at the long-lasting and majestic nature of Korean history. For those looking for a unique place to visit that is rich with Korean culture and history but not overwhelmed by crowds of tourists, consider going off the beaten path to Buseoksa in Yeongju. [FinalTilesGallery id=’6′]
Monopot (Cheongju)
Photos and review by Lisa Chang, ETA ’16-’17 City: Cheongju (청주) Restaurant Name: Monopot (모노팟) Restaurant address: 충북 청주시 청원구 주성동 248-1 248-1 Juseong-dong, Cheongwon-gu, Cheongju-si, Chungcheongbuk-do View Map Food Served: Coffee, teas, smoothies, dessert Price: On the pricer side. Approximately 4,500-5,500 won for lattes and cappuccinos, and over 6,000 for specialty drinks. Monopot is a beautiful and aesthetically pleasing cafe to spend hours in. It has two stories–the first of which houses a flower shop and seems like you can also take floral arrangement classes there. The second story is where the cafe is located. In addition to your regular Americanos and lattes, you can also order their seasonal signature drinks, including a Shrek Latte, a Summer Latte, and Vanilla Pompuccino. When I went, I ordered their Toffeeccino, which turned out to be a sweet, caramel-flavored drink with a frothy top layer with crushed toffee bits sprinkled over. The drink was pleasant, though a bit on the sweeter side. The atmosphere of the cafe was great, with plenty of seating. It’s the perfect Instagram-worthy place where you can sit and chat with friends, or get some work done. Since I went on a week-day, the cafe was not filled but I have a feeling that it is probably packed on the weekends, and often chosen as a hot spot for a date. I personally did not attempt to speak English to the staff, so I’m not sure about their English abilities. I enjoyed my experience here and would come back here. The only downside is that it is quite far from the center of Cheongju so it might take a while for you to get there, but it is certainly possible to get there via public transportation.