Cheering with the Korean Red Devils

My Korean friend, Seungji, recommended I check out the Korean Red Devils - people who cheer for the Korean National Football Team during games. I had NO idea what to expect, and have been blown away by the pictures and videos I found. Supporters come out by the thousands during games to congregate in public plazas to watch games on jumbotron screens and cheer together. This should give you some idea of the scale of these gatherings:

Red Devils in Seoul Plaza during the 2002 World Cup

The "Red Devils" are such huge supporters of the national team that they have often been called the "12th member" of the team. Here's some video footage of the passionate fans!

I'm not very into sports but I think I would HAVE to go be a part of this if I had the opportunity at  some point. It looks like a lot of fun, and has such cameraderie involved! I love that they even clean up as a group afterwards:) 

Korean fashion - couple tees!

When I started this blog, my intention was to profile countries I have not yet had the pleasure of visiting. So, in the spirit of full disclosure, I feel I must state that I have been to Korea for a super quick layover.  I was only there 8 hours, 4 of which were spent in the airport or on a bus - however, I enjoyed my time there so much that I promised myself I'd get back one day!


One of the first things Shannon (cousin/roomate/fellow traveler) and I noticed about Korean people was a fashion trend we couldn't help but noticing in the Bangkok Airport as we waited to board our flight to Seoul - people dressed like this:

 and this:

Shannon and I kept staring and trying to figure out why all the couples on our flight were dressed similarly, and we tried, ever so sneakily, to take pictures to document who we saw, however we knew it would be too obvious to flat out take a picture, so Shannon would pretend she was taking a picture of me and then would quick whip the camera to the side to catch the couple - which lead to a bunch of blurry pictures like this one:

We got off the plane and met up with our amazing tour guides (Seungji and Hyein - former host students of my friend Heather) and when we asked them about the outfits we noticed, they told us that they are called "couple tees" and are super popular in Korea.  Here's some examples:

I like how sometimes the design connects from one person to the other, however sometime it can lead to awkward situations of standing on the wrong side...AHHHHH!

Shannon and I kept pestering our new friends to learn more about the trend and when we asked what happened when people broke up and had extensive collections of couple tees, we found out that some people burn them when relationships end! Yikes!!!!

Has anyone seen this trend in other countries? I don't think I've noticed it here in the U.S. at all, but I'm definitely keeping my eyes open! 

Costa Rica Wrap-Up & Plans For March!

February was so short!!!! Well....since I gave up coffee for the month, the mornings of February did tend to ddrrrrraaaaaagggggggg, but overall, it went by so fast!

I enjoyed my pleasant day-dream vacation in Costa Rica this month. I can honestly say I've thought about living in a treehouse every day since my blog about Finca Bellevista, and even the crazy bright colored bugs have grown on me as I've looked at more and more pictures. Costa Rica's "pura vida" lifestyle is pretty enticing and I very much hope to visit one day.  I definitely want to take a zip-line tour over the canopy of one of the cloud forests, and I'd love to see how my attempt at gallo pinto stacks up...and maybe to take a cooking class:)

Studying Costa Rica was definitely a departure from my time with the Congo, and I must admit I had a form of culture shock switching out of thinking about some of the heavier subject matters discussed in my January blogs.  Life in the Congo is so different from my lifestyle, which made studying their customs and way of life fascinating. At the same time, I felt a lot of sadness for the unfortunate and, at times, unconscionable situations that many Congolese people face. To switch from reading current news stories about rape being used as a weapon of war in the Congo to seeing headlines about Costa Rica as a leader in environmental policy and being a top tourist destination was about as drastic a change as possible.

It was really heartening to learn about the "Switzerland of Central America" (they abolished their military in 1949!) and to marvel at the beauty of their well-preserved ecosystems.  I felt inspired to take a second look at the land on which I live - I've tried to more appreciate the plants and creatures around me (even the darn green parrots that hang out in a tree on my street and squawk up a storm).  I also really really loved the gallo pinto I made on feast night and the Lizano sauce I bought - I will absolutely continue enjoying Costa Rican food!!!!

All in all - I had a great month immersing myself in Costa Rica!

Soooooo, are you ready to hear where I'm armchair traveling to this month????.........Korea!!!!!!!