Sweet Persimmons 

​Garak Market is a wholesale market that sells a variety of fruits, vegetables, marine and farm products. The market is located in the capital city of South Korea, Seoul. Garak Market is around 543,000 m2, with the largest area dedicated to fruits and vegetables follow by marine products. During my travels, I always try to visit the local market. I love visiting local markets because I can learn so much about the lifestyle of the people living in each country just from seeing the types of food they prefer to eat and interacting with the local buyers and sellers. I can also understand the culture more through visits at markets, their views on food, culinary culture and on health. Here are some images below of the Garak Market. Enjoy. 

Grapes and Tangerines From The Local Farmer 

​The grapes and tangerines I tried in this market were filled with sweetness and juiciness. Although it was a little pricey, the quality was worth it. 

 Types of Marinated/ Fermented Marine Produce In Tubs

Hi Mr Crab

Marinated Seafood

There was a wide variety of marinated seafood. Usually the seafood are either marinated with spices such as red pepper paste that makes the seafood really spicy or a savoury taste using sauces such as soy sauce and spring onions to draw out the natural sweetness from the fresh seafood. 

Ahjummas hard at work

Traditional Korean Sweet Rice Cake 

For further information please go to link below:
Garak Market Official Website
Garak Market on Korean’s Tourism Website

​Location: Garak Market, Songpa-daero, Munjeong-dong, Songpa-gu, Seoul, South Korea

Sweet Meringues That Are The Shape Of Cute Yellow Ducks 

​Last year during the time of Easter, I visited Brussels, the capital city of Belgium with two of my friends. Brussels is also considered as the capital or home of the European Union because it hosts the official seats of the European Commission, Council of the European Union, and European Council, as well as the European Parliament. However, this city is not only home to some of the most important political institutions in Europe, but also to famous chocolatiers around the region. Yup, that’s right. During my short visit at Brussels, I constantly stumbled across waffle houses and chocolate shops, literally they were everywhere. I had at least 2.5 waffles per day, if my parents knew they would be silently shaking their heads. There is a specific area in the heart of the city that has a high concentration of chocolate and waffle shops.
 
The area full of chocolate and waffle shops is a highly recommended and popular area for tourists visit. It is located near the Grand Place/ Market Square that are surrounded by guild halls in Brussels. Right next to the Grand Place are iconic architectural sites such as Stadhuis van Brussels, an elaborate 15th Century Gothic town hall and Les Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert, a 19th Century indoor shopping street.  

​Beautiful Shop Display

Let’s Go Treasure Hunting!

Festive Easter Chocolate

Artisan Chocolate Overdose 

Chocolate Lollipop!

Me Very Happy With My Waffles Outside Maison Dandoy 

A Typical Picture Of Waffles On A Typical Day Roaming Around Brussels

My Friends And I Outside Maison Dandoy Ready To Try The Famous Brussels Waffle (Bruxelles Wafle) 

A week ago, I went to Taiwan for a short family summer trip. As a family, we have been to Taiwan numerous times before and adore the country. This time, we wanted to visit something different to the normal touristy sites, so we decided to head to this colourfully painted art trail in Taichung called the Malibu Art Trial (馬力埔彩繪小徑). The art trial is located in the outskirt of Taichung in Xinshe District (新社區) and the art murals are painted on the walls of fences and houses in the local neighbourhood.

Getting there was a little challenging.  It took us a while to find the place since it is hidden away by normal looking buildings in the local surrounding. From the central Taichung station, it took around 30-40 minutes to find the art trail by Taxi. I would recommend either hiring a Taxi for a day or rent a car to explore Taichung. We hired a Taxi for half a day, sometimes the driver gives an hourly rate, other times they will charge by meter, but that can be negotiated with the driver.
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I was absolutely captured by the vibrant colours of the paintings. I think there are quite a few artists that participated in this art project, seeing there are a few different art styles throughout the trail. There is no entry fee to the art trial and there are also no commercial shops around the area either. It is a beautiful local Taiwanese neighbourhood with colour art murals. Malibu (馬力埔), the name of the neighbourhoods is a community famous for its agricultural produce and the artworks in the art trial reflect Malibu’s identity.  

Artwork that reflects what farming looks like in the past in Malibu

Art reflecting local Chinese traditions and celebrations

Cheerful Sunflower

Mushroom is a famous agricultural produce from Taichung/ Taiwan

Malibu Art Trial (馬力埔彩繪小徑)
Opening Hour: 24/7
Entrance Fee: None
Location: Lane 114, Section 1, Zhonghe St, Xinshe District, Taichung City, Taiwan (台中市新社區中和街一段114巷)