The year life became everything that wasn't

I could be a complete pessimistic and state right away that 2014 was a bad year for me, due to the many lows, and struggles and hardships I went through here and there throughout the whole year; but I'm not gonna do that because right after I thought that, it only took me a minute to realize that would not be true. Yes, there were very hard times, like, really hard times, times where I didn't think I was going to make it...generally speaking but, somehow, for some reason, things turned around and I pulled through.

I can say 2014 was actually a pretty good year for me, it was a year where so many things happened, so many changes, so many big things went on. I put up with a lot and endured it mostly well, I worked really hard, I struggled a lot but also, I learned a lot, and I changed so much and -at the same time- I reconnected with my old self. But, above all, the most important and amazing thing happened: I was happy again. After my Mom passed away, I honestly never thought I would be able to feel happiness again and this year was so great in so many ways, I was actually able to feel happy again, genuinely happy.

So, more than anything, I am thankful and I feel very blessed to be able to live the life that I live, because it is the life that I want to live; and to have my sister with me because she's my strength and whom none of this be possible without. I feel blessed not only today but everyday, and everyday I am thankful for it as I am quite aware things can't always be good, life can't always be perfect...far from it, actually.

This 2014 life slapped me after almost every good thing it gave me, so it was confusing...but it kept me on my tip-toes -that's for sure!- and now I know I am not to let my guard down...ever, 'cause the minute I do...there it is, another slap. But I am getting the hang of it...kinda, anyway. Life, right?

Little by little, in a very smooth process and almost without realizing it...life became everything that wasn't. I never imagined I would be where I am at this point in my life, doing the things I am doing; but the truth is, when my past-self looked into the future, the vision of my future self was a bit square, to be honest -I blame it on society. My life just a couple of years ago was completely different from what it is now, not better, not worse, just totally different. So this year, is the year that life became everything that wasn't. And I love it.

I don't know what 2015 is holding for me, but I know it'll be a great year even if it's just half as good as 2014. Here's to a brighter and happier future filled with love, amazing experience and happiness! 

Love you all and wish you the best year of your lives!

- D

Mexican in Korea P.II

So, I did the "Mexican in Korea P.I." but hadn't quite been able to get to the "Mexican in Korea P.II", well, today I was just going to write about it but then I realized I can so much better than that...I can show you what it is like for Mexicans to live in Korea.

You probably have SO many questions about it, well, today I introduce to you my YouTube Channel: Double Trouble en Corea which I created a few months ago along with my sister, and together, we live, film and share our life and experiences in Seoul, South Korea; all with a Mexican point of view f course as..well, we are Mexicans! :)

Anyway, without further due, here's our channel, please check it out, give us thumbs up if you like it and subscribe if you'd like to see more videos from us!

Double Trouble en Corea

The channel's main language is Spanish, but we also make some videos i English and we will continue to make more in English and, who knows, maybe some day we'll even make some in Korean! ^^

On the channel page you will be able to find all of our Social Networking Sites to stay connected with us and contact information, in case you wanna shoot us an email and say hi or something.

Please, show some love and share it with your friends and family. Enjoy watching!!

It was a day in August...

It was a day in August...

It was a day in August when everything turned upside down, when the world the way I knew it changed in the blink of an eye, when my life, and everything in it, crumbled down into a million pieces that I thought I'd never again put together...it was a day in August when the doctor told me my Mom was going to die.

The cancer was too advanced and there was not much left to do for her but to provide her with as much quality of life as possible, but that was it. Hope, positivism and strength died all together, right there, in a second. I froze.

I thought life was playing a cruel joke on me, it was not possible, not my Mom, no, not her. She's the strongest person I've ever met, she's the most ruthless fighter cancer could have confronted, she had the most beautiful smile and all the will to live up to a 100 years, until all her hair was grey and she was able to play with her grandchildren.

It was a day in August when the old me died and the new me was born.
It was a day in August when I knew what real life was.
It was a day in August I will never forget.

En el País de No Pasa Nada (In the Country where Nothing Happens)

Este post no es en respuesta al programa "Parts Unknown: Under the Volcano" sobre México que  Anthony Bourdain presentó recientemente en CNN, ni en su defensa, y mucho menos en respuesta a una "Carta Abierta" publicada por un "Gringo" y que anda rondando por las redes; es, simple y sencillamente, mi opinión personal.

Bien reza el título de una película “En el País de No Pasa Nada (In the Country where Nothing Happens)”; aunque antes, eso era lo que nos querían hacer creer a los Mexicanos; ahora, es lo que los gringos (que no quieren ver) que aman comer y vacacionar en México, creen.

Si, México es un pais INCREIBLE y lleno de gente maravillosa y la mejor comida del mundo; pero, lamentablemente, está en un muy mal momento y esa, es la realidad. Y, claro, eso no le quita lo increíble, pero que no me vengan a decir (sobre todo un gringo ignorante) que la violencia ha disminuido cuando, más que nunca, México vive en terror y con un gran descontento. Cuando el Pueblo mismo tiene que recurrir a crear grupos de Autodefensa porque no cree a su Gobierno capaz de procurarlo y protegerlo, cuando los periodistas tienen miedo de cumplir con su labor y morir en el intento, cuando ciudades tan tranquilas como Jalapa se han visto invadidas por Zetas y demás grupos de violencia, cuando -prácticamente- la única percepción sobre México en el mundo (más allá de EU) es que los cárteles de drogas dominan a la nación.

Por supuesto, es muy entendible que la opinión y percepción de un “gringo” sea poco acertada, pero entonces, no debería estar escribiendo “cartas abiertas” a nadie afirmando cosas de las que no tiene ni idea; porque una cosa es VISITAR México y vivirlo como un simple turista y otra, muy distinta, es vivirlo como ciudadano Mexicano (aclaro lo de Mexicano porque México suele ser muy benevolente con sus residentes extranjeros).

Claro, si van de turistas -muy probablemente- no los van a matar, así que no hay razón para dejar de visitar el país, pero tampoco pueden ponerse una venda en los ojos y hacer como que no pasa, porque pasa, y mucho. Y una cosa no le quita nada a la otra; es decir, el admitir que el país tiene graves problemas sociales y políticos, no significa que se menosprecie su -impresionante- historia y cultura, su gente, sus creencias y demás cosas que hacen de México un país único y maravilloso.

“I’m not arguing that the violence should not have been addressed, but did it need to consume nearly two-thirds of the airing(…)?”. Entriendo que en su “Parts Unknown”, Bourdain (me refiero a él por su apellido, por respeto, no por igualada) tocó un nervio sensible de la población Estadounidense, pues están acostumbrados a vacacionar en México por ser un destino “bueno, bonito y barato”; al parecer, les incomodó que les abrieran un poco los ojos a lo que los Mexicanos vemos. Y, claro, hablo del Mexicano promedio, no del Mexicano pudiente que se pasa los fines de semana en sus Yates y bebiendo champaña; claro, ellos también son Mexicanos, pero son Mexicanos que viven en una burbuja y no les gusta ver más allá porque, por supuesto, también les incomoda. A grandes rasgos, lo que “El Gringo” (así se hace llamar este individuo) dice, es que “sí saben de la violencia, pero no quieren verlo en su televisión”, porque mientras ellos sólo vayan a los lugares donde no hay violencia (“I will continue to visit often(…) I will take my wife and son down to Baja and other parts of Mexico unaffected by drug violence with “No Reservations”.”), no quieren o les interesa saber de lugares donde sí la hay.

Después de todo, pienso que Bourdain trataba de hacerle un favor a México y no lo contrario, trataba de mostrar al mundo lo que ahí pasa pues sabe que un problema sólo puede resolverse una vez que se admite, y no se puede admitir algo que no se quiere ni ver. Y no soy la única que opina esto: 

“Bourdain is at his most livid when faced with the ruin of places closest to his home and heart, in parts of the world where remedy is within reach. It is not contempt but fear for Mexico that seems to drive this episode, the unjust feeling that a place of such beauty and brilliance doesn’t have the system it deserves, but also that a good neighbor needs a good turn.” [eso lo dijo acá otro "gringo"]

Y esto es lo que dijo Bourdain al respecto del programa, tal vez para que les quedara un poco mas clara su intencion, aunque parece no haberle funcionado muy bien pues ha sido muy mal interpretado.

Y, por favor, no me mal entiendan, tampoco estoy diciendo que México sólo es drogas y violencia, pero tampoco estoy de acuerdo con cerrar los ojos y sólo ver lo bueno que tiene; simplemente hay que ser realistas y señalar lo malo, así como destacar lo bueno. Cuando se quiere genuinamente a alguien o algo, hay que aceptarle y quererle con sus defectos y virtudes. Es lo justo para México. 

 

Mexican Food in Seoul, Korea

Even thou 80% of the Koreans I've met claim to "LOVE" Mexican Food, a few have actually tried the real deal, or at least, the closest thing to it that you can find in Korea. Most of the times it's not because they don't want to but because they just don't know where to find it, so they end up going to lousy "gringo" places claiming to sell "authentic" Mexican food. But please, worry no more...'cause that's what I'm here for, today, I will tell you where to get your "Mexican fix" and where NOT TO!

I'm gonna start with the DON'Ts:

Vatos Urban Tacos. This is definitely one of the most popular restaurants for Mexican food in Seoul. However, we all know "popular" doesn't always mean "good" and I'm afraid this is Vatos' case. I'd heard a lot about their Kimchi Carnitas Fries and their Tacos looked good on their website but when the time to try it all finally came, it felt -really- short. I went with friends and we ordered several things to try out different stuff. 

These are actually "tostadas", not "chips"

We started with the Kimchi Carnitas Fries and the taste of the carnitas not of the kimchi was nowhere to be found, it was just simple fries with some kind of bland meat and also a bland kimchi. You could neither feel the flavor of one or the other, which -in my opinion- kills the fusion attempt completely. We also ordered Galbi Shot Rib tacos and Classic Carne Asada tacos. The most important thing of a Taco is the Tortilla and this one was a bad one, it was like a flour tortilla (far from the tasty corn one) not even properly cooked, the tacos were cold and the filling was, again, bland. The salsas, the second most important thing in a Taco, were just bleh, not spicy AT ALL! So, they didn't help much either. We also had the "Fresh Chips and Salsa", which wasn't really chips but deep-fried tortillas, actually called Tostadas. If you're gonna have that as an entry, that's fine, but at least make the salsas tasty so the entryy is worth it. Regardless the "authenticity" of their food, I found it to be not only bad but overpriced. If I wanted to get ripped-off for bad Tacos, I'd go straight to California, thank you. Which is actually where most of the founders grew up in, and that's what THEY think makes them "close" to Mexican cuisine -if only! Drinks were good though, they had these things called Makgeolli-tas (makgeolli+margaritas) and they're the only thing I would ever go back to Vatos for.

I can see how bad is the tortilla even in the pic! Can't you?

Kimchi Fries

Taco Bell. I feel like I don't need to say much about why this is a NO-NO, but just in case...it's all FAKE! Hard "tortilla" tacos are not real tacos, chalupas are not even remotely what they look like in this place. I've said this before but I'll say it again: there's a reason why there's no Taco Bell in Mexico. So, really, just don't.

Rule: If your Taco can stand on it's own, then it's NOT a Taco!

Tomatillo. This is actually another chain, I know the one in Itaewon only though. It's like Taco Bell's baby. All Faek-o McFake, hard "tortillas", flour tortillas...nothing I'd call real Mexican food.

Remember the Taco rule earlier?

What on earth is this gringo thing?!

 Now, the DOs

Cirilo's. This is, for sure, the most expensive Mexican restaurant I've ever been to, however, it's not all THAT bad. They have a couple of things worth trying. Like their Asada Tacos, which are grilled beef tacos; their tortilla is not flour but corn and even though it's kind of small, it's actually pretty decent. Even though they're more like a fusion dish, their Al Pastor Fries are awesome (Pastor marinated pork with dried chilies and axiote, and makes the most popular tacos in Mexico) and even their burritos (which aren't Mexican) are very decent. Their Guacamole was a bit disappointing due to the lack of taste. You'd think guacamole is the one Mexican thing anybody can make properly, right? Well, truth be told...it's not, I mean, anyone can crash avocados with tomato and onion but only some can make the real deal; everybody always forgets about salt, lemon and chillies -THE key to a good guacamole! Anyway, one of their best things are their Churros, they serve them with a nice sort of gravy made outta chocolate and peanut -delish!

Cirilo

Coronarita + Al Pastor Fries

Delicious Churros

Taco Amigo. It is a small place and it's not even pretty, it has a couple of "Mexican" things decorating the walls and the tables are kinda cramped, but well, the important thing here is the food, so...let's get to that. It is actually very authentic, I would say. I had Mexican Tacos Meal (2), that is beef tacos, basically, the highlight of this dish is that it is served with rice, beans, chips and salsa so that leaves you more than satisfied; not the best tacos ever, but it does the trick well enough; the salsas helped a lot as they're really spicy and tasty (hot stuff!). I had Agua de Horchata (horchata is a drink made outta rice) with that, and it was delish. My sis had chocolate (drink) from Oaxaca, which is supposed to be the best but I tried it and it was quite average, really. My friend had some Fish Tacos Meal, which is the sea version of what I had. A weird thing is the fact that they have Chimichangas (a sort of Argentinian empanadas) and some stuff that's not Mexican at all, I don't understand why.

Sorry for the lousy quality pic, tha tacos were good though!

Don Charly. Last, but not least, the most truly authentic place I've tried in all of Seoul. CNN said "While the quest for Mexican food often stops with Korean-American takes on Mexican food, or pale interpretations of Mexican food, Don Charly is the real thing -- no frills, no kimchi.", which made me want to go see by myself how truthful they were being, turns out, completely. In Korea, Don Charly is called a Mexican Restaurant, but in Mexico is just what we would call a "Taqueria/Torteria" (a place where all they sell are Tacos and Tortas -mexican sandwiches), but it's okay coz it really does have the best Tacos in Town. The first time we has Choriqueso Tacos, according to Charly (a cool dude from Mexico City) the chorizo is homemade, it was flour tortilla but it's okay because that's the way it's supposed to be on choriquesos and he also gives you Lime (better known in Mexico as LEMON) and the salsas are on the table: green and red, the way God and Quetzalcoatl intended. The red one is the winner, but beware, it is like a real spicy Mexican sauce so if you're no up for spicy stuff, you might wanna be careful with it, and if you're Mexican: Bienvenido a casa, paisano! haha

Don Charly's Menu

We also had a "Llorona" Torta, which is fulled with an alambre (a mixture of cheese grilled together with pre-marinated and cooked meats either in a skillet or grill top), avocado and beans...amazing stuff, I tell you! I think basically because the bread was Charly's personal recipe and not the terrible bread they make here in Korea (TBH). The second time around -we brought friends so they'd experience the authentic Mexican food!) and we (sis and I) had Tacos de Chicharron en Salsa Verde and Cochinita Pibil and shared so we could try both; as I am writing this post, I swear I am pretty much drooling all over again just remembering the taste of those tacos, that's how good they were -especially de Chicharron ones -glorious! The only thing I didn't care for were the prices, it's still a little pricey for just Tacos and Tortas, but well, Western food is always expensive in Korea.

Don Charly. Itaewon. Noksapyeong Station, Line 6.

Torta!

Anyway, now you know what your options are for whenever you're having those crazy Tacos and Mexican Food cravings (that oddly enough, are not exclusive to Mexicans!). If you still feel undecided, you can try them all one taco at the time OR, you can always bring me with you for personal advice *wink*.

Provecho!! 

Oh, and just so you know, one of the best and most authentic Mexican dishes in Korea are -of course- at my house. Nothing better than Mexican Homemade Food to make you feel like at Casa!

Homemade Cheese Gorditas, Guacamole, Quesadillas + Salsa Roja :)

Volunteering in Korea

Angel's House is a residence for disabled people with no one to turn to, it is located in Goyangsi Dukyangu and it was founded by Jang Soon-Ok in 1993, who not only was a disabled person herself with spine problems, but also had a disabled daughter. This is why she decided to open a place that could house people of various ages and with different kinds of disabilities, and help them out.

Jang Soon-Ok is known as the "125 cm Tall Tiny Angel" because of her height due to her spinal problem and, of course, because of her selfless labor with the disabled.

Picture borrowed from the Group's FB Page

The Angel House has around 50 disabled residents and one of the things that makes it unique is the fact that the disabled residents support themselves by making (or more like assembling) crafts they later sell the popular low-cost store Daiso in South Korea; in my opinion, that is something not only worth mentioning but also worth baring in mind to remind us all that no matter what conditions and situations life puts you through, you will always be able to make it as long as you’re willing to fight for it!

 

The Angel House opens its doors to volunteers on the first and third Saturdays of every month. Each volunteer gives a 10,000 won donation to cover the cost of food for the day. The remainder of the money is donated to the Angel House to benefit the residents. Some of the chores the volunteers are responsible for are: cleaning the facilities, doing laundry, cooking, and providing basic personal hygiene for the residents. When the work is all done, they get to eat, talk, and socialize with the residents.

Personally, I always enjoy volunteering but I think I’ve only had experience volunteering in the Arts field, which –for me- was not only rewarding but also amazing; however, volunteering and giving your time with people is a completely different thing, it’s much more fulfilling and you actually feel like you’re helping out. 

When someone talks about “giving back” people usually imagines celebrities being altruistic and “giving back” to the community as a thank you for everything they’ve got: fame, fortune and whatnot. However, giving back is not only for celebrities and/or rich people, giving back is something we can (and probably should) all do. In my case, I consider myself to be very lucky and blessed with the life I’ve got, the people, the experiences and all the things in it, so I wanted to “give back” and contribute to the society even if it was a little of my time and care. I knew it might be a bit of a hard experience for me as I’ve dealt with disabled people before (my Mom) -hard in the sensitive kind of way- but I also knew I would be able to help them and share my time with them and treat them like normal people, because not everyone is capable of that, to be honest.

There was this lady who had a purse hanging across her body and she had this little phonebook with her, she’d take it out and ask each of us to write down our name and phone number in it (all in Korean, of course, as none of them speak English), I thought she was so cute and endearing! There was also this guy, a very smart man, he’d tell us how to assemble the crafts properly and made sure to let us know if/when we were doing it wrong, but in a nice way and when you were doing it right, he’d say “good job!” (again, in Korean). For me, that kind of things are the ones that fill your heart with love, your mind with peace and your body with good energy; and I don’t mean to sound all hippie here and all, but it is what it is.

The general experience was just alright, really, as I was expecting to spend a bit more time with the people rather than the crafting part; however, I enjoyed it and would definitely do it again.

If you’re in Korea and would like to volunteer, you can check out the Angel’s House FB Group or find any other place where you can do so, if you’re not in Korea, I’m sure you can always find places where your help is much needed, so don’t be afraid or wait until you’re rich or a celebrity to give back. We can all contribute a little now!

Special Thanks to Kiki for inviting us to share this great experience!