The K-Touch: Beauty, Food & Drama from Seoul

 I’ve lived in Korea most of my life, but every now and then, I still notice small cultural habits that make me smile. Whether it’s a friendly gesture from a stranger or a quirky convenience you won’t find elsewhere, Korea always finds a way to surprise me in the most ordinary moments. Let me share 5 of those little things with you today. 1️⃣ No-Tip Culture (And It Feels Great) source: pexels Tipping just isn’t a thing in Korea — not at restaurants, not for delivery, not even at hair salons. The price you see is the price you pay. Coming from a global perspective, this still feels refreshingly straightforward. 2️⃣ Heated Floors Are Life (Ondol 💡)                                                            source: unsplash A traditional Korean room with ondol flooring — the ultimate winter comfort. I don’t think I’ll ever stop app...

When mornings get busy (which is almost every day!), I try to keep our family’s breakfast both simple and balanced. Here’s a look at what we had for breakfast today — a very typical Korean home-style meal that we enjoy regularly. What’s on today’s table? Steamed rice 🍚 Korean-style steamed egg ( gyeran-jjim ) Korean seasoned bean sprouts ( kongnamul-muchim ) Stir-fried king oyster mushrooms (a simple Korean-style veggie side) Kimchi Roasted seaweed ( gim ) How I prepare ahead In Korean home cooking, we often serve seasoned vegetables , known as namul , as part of our daily meals. They’re usually lightly blanched or stir-fried, then seasoned with sesame oil, garlic, and a bit of salt. I usually prepare side dishes like these ahead of time and store them in the fridge for up to a week. It’s such a time-saver on busy mornings — I can quickly pull out a few small portions and serve them alongside freshly steamed rice. And when it’s time to use up the last of those sid...

 Spring in Korea means warm weather, blooming flowers… and lots of pollen. 🌸 While I love seeing cherry blossoms, this season can be rough for sensitive little ones. My 6-year-old recently had a hard time with nasal congestion and green mucus. Here’s a little story about how we managed the situation — just sharing my personal mom experience! It Started With a Stuffy Nose & Green Mucus At first, I thought it was just a common cold. But after a few days, the symptoms got worse: Heavy nasal congestion, especially at night Loud snoring during sleep Thick green mucus Our little one couldn’t sleep well and got very cranky. That’s when I decided to visit our local clinic. Clinic Visit & Prescription We went to a nearby pediatric clinic. After checking my child, the doctor said the nasal passages were very swollen and blocked, and the green mucus indicated a bacterial infection — so an antibiotic prescription was needed. We got: Powdered medicine Ant...

 I don’t send my kids to after-school programs (they’re called hagwons here in Korea 🎓). Instead, I teach them at home — just 1 to 2 hours a day. And weekends? We just chill. No worksheets. No pressure 🛋️📱. Honestly, I’m not big on academic pressure. What I do care about is raising kind, respectful kids 🧠❤️ So that’s where I put my energy — teaching manners, empathy, and how to be decent little humans. This is my younger son — always full of ideas and energy In Korea, most kids start daycare around their first birthday 🎂 But with my second son, I kept him home with me until he was five. He only went to daycare for one year before jumping into elementary school 🎒. Sure, he didn’t have as much social time m I’ve been a stay-at-home mom for 17 years. Raising two kids on one income in an expensive country like Korea? It’s no joke 💸 But even with all the hard days, I wouldn’t trade it. There’s something grounding about raising your kids slowly — not rushing them through childhood...