Weekly Photo Challenge: Movement

Movement as seen from a park bench next to the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon.

 

Kicking it Korean Style in Portland

Moving from Korea didn’t necessarily mean we would have to give up our Korean lifestyle. Most major cities in North America have some of the foods and other things you would have in Seoul. While we were in Portland we managed to dive a little into our Korean side.

There are a couple of places in downtown Portland where you can choose from a variety of food trucks to eat from. One of these trucks offers a bit of Korean fusion food. At Boolkogi Taco, they take the sweet tasting bulgogi beef and put it in, you guessed it..tacos.

They were small, but quite tasty. Two tacos and a soft drink was $6. Not bad for lunch.

Another Korean activity we enjoyed while living in Seoul was karaoke. Karaoke in Seoul consists of renting  a private room for you and your friends. Voicebox in Portland also offers private rooms.

Once in the room, the process is pretty simple.

First, you choose a song from one of the song books.

Next, belt it out for your friends listening satisfaction.

It’s nice to know that moving from Seoul doesn’t mean we have to say goodbye to Korean culture for good. Korean culture can be found in most major cities in North America. It was nice to have experienced some of it in Portland.

Related articles

• Strolling Around Bukchon (theplaceswevebeen.wordpress.com)

Exploring in Portland

We recently had the opportunity to visit great friends that we met in Korea who now live in Portland, Oregon. They were our hosts and tour guides around the great city of Portland. Portland is one of the three big cities in the Pacific Northwest of North America. The other two would be Seattle, Washington and Vancouver, British Columbia.

Portland has a great downtown that is best explored on foot. You can go on foot to great bookstores, coffee shops, clothing stores, etc.

Public Domain is one of these great little coffee shops. This shop differs than other coffee shops in the fact that the coffee bar is at about waist level which allows you to see the baristas making your caffeine beverage.

The Willamette River cuts through the center of the city and is an easy stroll from downtown.

The banks of the river provide places of leisure for the citizens of Portland. You can jog, run, bike and roller blade on the cement path. Those who don’t participate in any of these activities can watch those who do. That’s the sport we participated in beside the river, the sport of people watching.

When you are jogging, running or biking you can’t appreciate the well-groomed poodles and the men who walk them.

Portland is a great city to explore. The downtown is especially nice to stroll around in. Our great friends (Jordan & Kyla) were great tour guides. Many thanks!!!

Related articles

• Portland, Oregon: most bike friendly in the U.S. (greentravelerguides.com)
• Top 5 Free Things to Do in Downtown Portland (apartmentguide.com)
• ‘Grimm:’ Second season will continue to film in Portland, Oregon area (examiner.com)

Waterfall Wednesday

The following waterfall photos were taken yesterday (Wednesday) of some of the waterfalls  in the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon. All of these waterfalls can be reached by a short drive from Portland.

Horsetail Falls

Multnomah Falls

Latourell Falls

 

The Good Old Hockey Game

One of things I embrace as I return to North America is the love of hockey. After spending a good portion of time in a country where soccer and baseball are the rulers of the sports scene, it’s nice to come to a place where hockey lives. Sure, hockey might not be as popular in some parts of the United States as it is in Canada, but at least you don’t need to say “ice” before hockey so as not to confuse it with its weaker cousin called field hockey, a sport played on grass and with sticks way too short for any human.

The above picture shows my very first purchase upon my arrival in Canada. Once I cleared customs and took a much needed bathroom break, I made a b-line for Hudson News in Vancouver International Airport to buy my favorite magazine. This purchase was preplanned for awhile now. Its $4 well spent!

My second hockey indulgence was actually taking in a live hockey game in Portland, Oregon. The Portland Winterhawks play in the Western Hockey League which is a major junior hockey league made up of teams from western Canada and the USA. It might not be a professional league, but the major juniors are an important stepping stone into the professional hockey world. These teenage players play like they have a lot to prove. The games are fast and physical, which is a great recipe for interesting hockey. The Winterhawks unfortunately lost the game to the Tri-City Americans by a score of 4-3.

It’s nice to be on a continent where hockey is appreciated. I do enjoy other sports, but for me there’s nothing like the “Good Old Hockey Game”. Just like the song says, its the “best game you can name”.