Hi! My name Elle and I have lived in Seoul, Korea since 2011! I am originally from San Fransisco, CA where I worked as an Illustrator and gallery painter since 2006~ feel free to check out my site ♥ HERE ♥ for more info, show dates, and publishing lists. I work mainly with the girls/youth market, so my crazy love for colors and sparkles carries over into my work. Its so much fun and I hope to work with some Korean clients eventually, maybe after my language skills improve a bit more haha.
I met my Korean boyfriend (now Fiance!) Nara 9 years ago in college at Ringling College of Art and Design, I was majoring in Illustration (shock!) and he was an Animation major. After we finished school we both got industry jobs out in CA and everything was great and going wonderful, but Nara is a Korean citizen so when he hit 27 we knew it was time to pause that part of our life and come here to get his mandatory military service for the ROK done… All Korean men must do this. We packed everything in a storage unit and came to Korea with plans to live here while he does his service and I would continue my artwork from home (the beauty of being a freelancer, I just need a laptop) plus study Korean.
Since we have been together forever, I have been to Korea several times for extended visits over these 9 years. Before moving I had a grasp of the culture, food, etc already… but living here long-term is a different experience of course!
♥ I want to bring a new tone to my Korean blog ♥
things I want to read about here just are not being blogged about enough, so since I am looking anyway I might as well share my findings! Maybe someone who is coming here on vacation or moving here will find it useful or entertaining! Japan has so many blogs with fun things to do, see or drool over in English~ but so many of the blogs on Korea in English feel so serious and touristy or just about teaching here…. yeaaah kimchi is spicy, I want to know about the Hello Kitty Cafe! I want to know where I can get my nails done RIGHT here, what the best face pack is so I have a clue, what treatments are girls doing to make their skin so nice!
You will notice on this blog that I tend to compare Japan and Korea a lot, lots of the stuff I hunt for are Japanese-style, just here in Korea…. they are neighbors, so it happens, but it can be tricky!! I love this stuff because I actually studied in Nagoya, Japan my Junior year of High School~ A very treasured experience. My two experiences with culture outside my own are Korean and Japanese, so I tend to find things I can relate between the both a lot~ perhaps a better name for this blog would be “Finding Kawaii In Korea”? haha. ♥ Korea is its own place though, it is not Japan~ But I am here now and the cute is here, so I am out to find it!
I hope you will enjoy my blog, and please~ If you have anything you would ever like to share or add… be it information, tips, photos, etc please mail me. I would like to make this blog as much of a resource for people like myself as possible! Most blogs by foreigners here tend to just END when they go home, but even after I move home I will still be visiting Korea yearly since it is a part of my life now~ I hope that this blog is something I can add too even after my stay here is complete!
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