Changdeokgung Palace

Here are some pictures from the amazing Changdeokgung Palace, located in Seoul!

It was amazing. The colors were all so beautiful. I only wish I could have seen it in the spring when everything was blooming and warm. But it was still a great sight to see! 

Night out in Gangnam!

Some of the other models and I went out into the crazy awesome city last night!! So many lights and things to see. This is what I expected in Korea. The streets were packed with people, you had to keep dodging people. Did I mention it was also freezing??? About 12 degrees Farenheit! Ahhh! After walking down some of the city streets we decided to find a place to eat.

A packed street! Yes, you also have to watch out for the cars coming down the street. :)

The restaurant was fun because we got to sit on the floor Asian style! We had to take off our shoes and sit on the pillows. It was so relaxing! Why don't we do that in the U.S.?

I apologize for the blurry picture, but you get the point! 

We ordered some food which wasn't truly Korean. But it did come with the famous Kimchi. I've tried Kimchi multiple times before, but I have not become a fan. Ugh, the flavor of the cabbage is so strong, and the spicy sauce they put on it is not tasty. At least not for me. So, I avoided it! :) We got some sort of crispy potato thing, which was good but not Korean, and then fried chicken, also not Korean. But it came with this soup and rice which had Korean flair. I have tried authentic Korean food a few times now, and have not really been a fan of its intense spiciness!!!. But I will post a later story on that. 

Dinner!

Dinner at another angle! :)

Kimchi. Yes. Yum. Not. 

Well it was a fun night!! We headed home and got out of the cold night. I really do enjoy the city. The sights are so different from back home. Still, I miss my Arizona mountains. :( Only about 6 weeks left here though! I have a lot to catch up on, so expect LOTS more posts! Thanks! :)

Cat Cafe!

What's with the look?

Me and an adorable kitty! 

Yes, Korea has these amazing things called Cat Cafes. They also have Dog Cafes, but cats and coffee seems more relaxing to me. So of course, I found the cafe, which was a short walk away from Gangnam Station! Here are a few pictures!

When you arrive, you have to take off your shoes and wear slippers. Don't forget the hand-sanitizer either! Then you must buy a coffee or other drink they have for 8,000 won. It seems expensive, but it also includes the cost of entering basically. They have to make money somehow right? It's a fun place, but don't expect the  cats to come right up to you! Go to them, play with them, and the people there will most likely give you treats to give the cats. 

Well it definitely was a fun adventure. I miss my 2 kitties at home, so it was a fun stop! I recommend going by the Cat Cafe if you ever find yourself in Gangnam!!! 

Here is their website!

http://www.godabang.com/ 

My Sister's New Song

Hey guys! I'm so sorry I haven't posted in a while. I've been so busy working over here, which is great experience for me, but so tiring. I promise I will write a post after this. But first, I want to share something very awesome with you!

My sister has an amazing voice, that is so unique to the pop music of today. Check out her song, and support her by buying it on iTunes. Share with your friends!!!

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/tell-me-why-single/id596583316

Eating Healthy

As a model, it's important that you eat healthy. You don't need to starve yourself or go on some crazy diet. I thought it would be difficult to get good meals when I got to Korea. For the first few days I was buying little sandwiches or snacks from stores or restaurants for each meal that came along. But sometimes it was difficult or annoying to always go out and buy a meal. So my roommates helped me find the local grocery store and I stocked up on food! That way, after a busy, long day I can just chill at home and make dinner or lunch.

Here are a few of the things I bought at the store:
-Eggs
-Cereal
-Yogurt
-Milk
-Fruits (Bananas, Apples, Strawberries, etc.)
-Veggies (Broccoli, potatoes, corn, carrots, and bell peppers are good to put in meals)
- Soup (easy to heat up for lunch)
-Pasta/Noodles
-Tomato Sauce/ any pasta sauce
-Crackers, Nuts, Snacks

Those are just a few things I got to have for meals. I was very proud of my last meal last night! Although it wasn't extremely flavorful, it was good and filling! It was super simple, I think it will be great for other models to use who are on trips and have limited resources!

(Makes 1 Serving)
What you will need:
-Broccoli
-Potatoes (2 small or 1 large)
-Butter
-Salt/Pepper (or other flavoring)
-Noodles (I used ramen noodles because they were so cheap!)

1. Boil some hot water (fill it halfway for a small pot, and a third for a larger pot) for a few minutes. (Add a little butter for creaminess!)
2. Watch potatoes and slice them into bite-sized wedges. Put them in the microwave for a minute.
3. Wash broccoli and cut up. Put them in a dish and put aside.
4. Grab the potatoes and put some butter and pepper to taste on them.
5. Add the noodles to the now boiling water. Add a little salt/pepper/flavoring.
6. Stir the noodles and boil them for about 6-8 minutes depending on how much your water is boiling.
7. When the noodles are done, remove them from the pot and strain the water out of it. Pour the noodles into your bowl and add a little more butter and salt/pepper/flavoring to mix around.
8. Fill the pot with more water (a little less than you used for the pasta) and add the broccoli and potatoes. Add some butter to the water and salt/pepper.
9. Cover this pot with a lid to steam the veggies and makes them soft. It will take about 10 minutes or more depending on how much your water is boiling.
10. Stir the veggies and water.
11. Once the veggies are as soft as you would like them (poke them with a spoon or fork!) strain them and add them to your noodles!!
12. Add any last seasonings to your liking and enjoy!!

With this meal, I had some leftovers because it was actually quite filling!! Sorry the measurements and times aren't super accurate, but with your judgment, I'm sure you can cook this meal to your liking!! Hope you enjoy!! Keep checking back for more recipes!! Questions? Ask in the comment box!

My finished meal! :)

How Castings Work

Before I got here, I had never really known how modeling castings had worked. Here is what happens most of the time:

First you arrive and give the client your portfolio. You should have a lot of comp cards, because you give that to a client for every casting!

Most of the time, they will take test shots of you, so make sure you know about 10 poses. Some castings only take a few pictures, while others might take a lot!

The first picture you take will be you facing the camera with no expression, holding your comp card. Then you hand your comp card to someone and start posing for the camera! When they are done taking pictures of you, they'll tell you and say thank you.

That's it! They are quick, quicker than I thought! Sometimes they tell you if you got the job right away, others they call you back.

That is for most catalog castings. For some Fashion Catalog castings, the client will have you try on different outfits and may or may not take pictures of you in them. Some castings the client simply looks at you and your portfolio. Don't expect too much emotion from the client either, they try to show the same expression for every candidate, but you can tell when some really like you. For me it is always hard to tell, because now the clients speak Korean. So I never know if they like me! But each casting is a good experience, and even after just a few, you get the hang of it. Hope this explains everything, and if it doesn't, ask me questions in the comment box!!

Photoshoot in Korea!

Here are a few pictures from one of my first photoshoots in Korea. It was a long 5 hour shoot, but I loved the results! Hope you do too!