I listened to Sunkyeol's EP on bandcamp last week and was instantly intrigued by its unusual vibes.  It's atmospheric, but not chilly or distant in the way that I'm used to. It is folk? Is it post-rock? Is it a little bit of both but nothing like either? I don't know how else to describe this, but upon first listen it just didn't sound conventionally Korean to me (I'll probably get in trouble for saying this). Upon reading the bio, I discovered that the tracks were originally collaboration between two London college students in the early 2000's. Now played by an all Korean trio created by one of the collaborators, Kyoungmo Kim, this albums retains the essences of its extraordinarily transnational origin, and shines with a truly unique identity.

 The tracks are each full of nuances that escapes expectations of typical genre distinctions, with a coalescence of novelty and unexpected familiarity. Sunkyeol's music creates space but doesn't leave it hollow. The sound is expansive, but flirts with intimacy, if that at all makes sense. The best part though, is that every tack is gentle and radiant, making them perfect companions for Sunday afternoons. My favorites are "Woolfox Depot" and "Aphex Convention," which make me imagine strolling through a bucolic European countryside, but maybe with a GoPro strapped to your head. In essence, Sunkyeol pulls off a stylish remake of nostalgia that has me excited for more.

 Bandcamp
Soundcloud
 
It took my suitemates and I all of 15 minutes one random school night to decide on a weekend trip to Chicago. In the spirit of spontaneity, 30 minutes after the first words dropped from my mouth, we had tickets and hotels booked. Guess that's how senior year of college works. I love that we just say stuff and then act on it with abandon. The trip was an amazing time, with good company and food adventures galore. Read on to find out how we maxed out the experience in just a little over three days.

 Day/Night 1: Our trip plans were unabashedly centered on eateries that we wanted to try. Our first stop after checking in to our hotel that evening was to hit up Lou Malnati's for some tasty authentic deep dish pizza. I loved this place and it also comes with glowing reviews from our Chicagoan friends.
There was quite a wait for a table and then for the pizza to cook, so we started with dessert, because we are adults and we make all of the rules. We had samplers of key lime pie and tiramisu. The one covered in whipped cream is a Lou Malnati's special chocolate chip pizza, and it was by far our favorite. There was the combination of warm melty chocolate and gooey cookie dough, and then, to top it off, there's a rich vanilla ice cream that holds the hole thing together. That is some delectable fare in every spoonful.
The pizza was glorious! By the time it came we were so hangry we radiated hostility towards all of the other diners who had already gotten their food. Needless to mention that I inhaled my portion, but not before a photo-op. In the last couple of years I've had the chance to try other well known deep dish places like Gino's East, but Lou's is by far my favorite. The ingredients are fresh, there's a really wide variety on the menu, the crust is beautifully toasted, and the cook time was pretty fast, even if my hunger-clouded judgement would have told you otherwise.
We got a half and half of the Malnati Chicago Classic and the "Lou"

 Day 2: Millennium Park was packed when we arrived, despite the frigid temperatures. Obviously, reflection selfies in The Bean needed to happen because otherwise were you even there.
It's basically impossible for people not to walk in and out of your frame. I did my best.
It was a nice and crisp morning and everything was beautiful! Although one gripe I have about tall buildings is that it totally messes up your GPS, and basically turn by turn navigation inside the city is a nightmare because your location jumps around at least 3 blocks from where you think you are. It's better to learn to look at maps and figure things out that way.

We hung around the park for a good 45 minutes, but the cold drove us inside. No complaints though because the Art Institute of Chicago is actually one of my favorite things about this city. If you've got lots of time, this place, the Chicago Field Museum, and the Shedd Aquarium are basically the holy trinity of Chicago indoor amusement worth checking out.We skipped the aquarium entirely, but between the Art Institute and the Field Museum, we could probably have spent the entire trip just gawking at amazing displays. So if you're pressed on time like we were, I suggest planning out the specific exhibits you want to see and just head straight to those. 
A student ID will get you a discount at the door, and cameras were allowed everywhere except the Medieval Byzantine art, which might not be a part of the Chicago permanent collection. This is my fourth time at the Art Institute, so there were a few things my friend and I were determined to see such as Hopper's Nighthawks, which was sadly out on loan the last time I visited. Tastes and interest will differ between individuals, but below are pieces/exhibits I highly recommend seeing, in no particular order.
-Asian Art featuring ancient to contemporary pottery, prints, and the Ando Gallery installation (pictured below)
-American Art featuring works by Wood, Hopper, and my favorite: Georgia O'Keefe (check out her elegant Sky Above Clouds IV hanging in the stairwell outside of European Art)
-Contemporary Art featuring paintings by Shiraga Kazuo, Pollock, and Warhol, plus cool installations that I don't remember the names of. There was apparently a Rothko but we missed this.
-French impressionist paintings including works from Monet, Degas, Renior, Cezanne, and the famous La Grande Jatte by Georges Seurat
-Renaissance, romantic and neoclassical paintings also in European art
The Ando Gallery
An artist at work

Fellow patrons

We found an early dinner in Chinatown. I've always been very intrigued by American Chinatowns because in all honesty what Chinese city even remotely resembles this? They're sort of perpetually stuck in the 80's for the sake of that commodified "Chineseness." But there's always tons of great bubble tea and yummy food so I'm not gonna complain (I mean, my social media handle says everything).

MingHin was packed to the brim when we arrived. I consulted Chinese bloggers for good food in Chinatown and this was on a lot of people's lists. They specialize in Cantonese food, but also have a big dim sum menu. I'm don't eat Canto food very often and don't really know what's considered good, but I think it was fine. The service was so-so as well. Although, being a northerner I would have probably preferred something more heavily seasoned.
Dim sum and Canto food at MingHin
Boba, my one true love. I asked around in the stores and a bunch of people recommended Kung Fu Tea. It's a pretty well known chain in the North and around the California area, I think. Anyway, the boba was a really great consistency, it's chewy but not lumpy and hard. The tea is on the sweeter side, so next time I would ask for half sugar.
Boba = Bae
Industrious duck place
Midnight snack time! We had plans to go out that night for drinks so what better way to pre-game than with pure carbohydrates? W had to order ahead for what is apparently the world's most hyped churros from Xoco on the corner of N Clark and Illinois. Our Uber driver was totally confused about where we were though because again, his navigation was super off inside the concrete jungle. But I tell you it was so worth the hassle. This stuff is melt-in-your-mouth delectable, especially with the chocolate, and is a must try.
OMG
We ended Day 2 with some drinks at the hotel bar and then a night out on the town at one of the clubs that was suggested to us by our favorite Yelp socialite friend. No pictures though because I wanted to save myself the trouble of toting around a camera and being socially awkward. But just because I didn't think bringing a camera was appropriate that didn't mean other people didn't. Somehow we got stopped for photos by these people who ran another venue and so yeah, there's a photo of us out there somewhere. I hope we looked really hot.

 Day 3: It's an unexpected late start for the travel party, but brunch makes all things better. After a long wait we finally got a table at The Bongo Room on Wabash and E Roosevelt. The food was just stellar. The atmosphere was great too, if a little crowded. I recommend getting an egg dish, it seems like the main attraction there. Some items, like the terderloin benny, are weekend only specials so be sure to look at the menu before you go.
The brunch bunch
Beef tenderloin eggs benedict
Chorizo avocado omelette
After brunch we headed over to the Chicago Field Museum for some fun times with Sue the T-Rex, my spirit animal (seriously I think every time there's a boba or tea or t-rex reference I should honk a horn or something).

The Field Museum is pretty much an anthropology major's colorful wet dream. Sadly, in our exhausted state I forgot to charge my camera, so it died shortly after we entered the premises. Again, a student ID gets you a discount ticket so don't forget. Also, museum closes at 5PM with final admission at 4PM, so your dreams of Night at the Museum will sadly never come true. If you're looking for a quick and dirty museum hack, below are may favorite exhibits.
-The entire west side of main level, featuring taxidermized animal specimens from all around the world. Enter from Nature Walk on the north side, right next to Sue, and work your way towards Ancient Egypt
-I recommend the Americas if you have a bit more time. I say this because the exhibits are rather reading heavy and less directly visual. There are also lots of videos if you need a break from walking.
-The Evolving Planet on the east side of the upper level. If you have time, also make your way through Plants of the World. It's a surprisingly fun area featuring plants that have a lot of significance to human cultures.
-The Hall of Jades and Hall of Gems, for you lovers of glitzy things

Post museum we headed north of town for some amazing Japanese food at Wasabi. I had the vegan Hot Yogi roll, which came served with the most wonderful fried lotus chips. 
Hot Yogi Roll
We were sitting at the bar and some guys next to us were handing out beers from a giant 24 pack. Goose Island 312 is very appropriate for the occasion and tastes pretty good, so thanks, random strangers!
Enter the main course, the most exquisite, creamy tonkostu ramen. The noodle has the right amount of spring, and the egg is perfectly cooked. As I got to the bottom of the bowl I was struck by this deep sadness because I don't live in a city with access to such great Asian food. Just you wait Chicago, there is still grad school left for me yet.

 There's no stopping the hungry tourist party. Only a few hours after dinner we headed to W Ontario for Chicago style hot dogs at Portillo's. The hot dogs were super cheap and very scrumptious, a great midnight snack.
Yummy
Day 4: Our last day in Chicago was a lot more relaxing. In the morning we went to the Willis Tower Skydeck because neither of my friends had been before. It was a bad day to go since the normal express elevators were being serviced, and we had to take three different elevators and an escalator, while being stared down by people who were actually in the building to work or whatever they do there. We're not great with heights, but we felt that it was a matter of pride. We didn't want to lose to young children.
Afterwards we went strolled through town and eventually made our way to the Magnificent Mile for a bit of shopping. 

Lunch was at The Purple Pig on Michigan Ave. The seating was communal and the food is served small plate style. Everything was excellent, but very rich so go on an empty stomach. This also turned out to be one of the most expensive meals we had in the City, since we had to order quite a lot. My favorite dishes were the Milk Braised Pork Shoulder with Mashed Potatoes and the Octopus with Green Beans, Fingerling Potatoes & Salsa Verde. The Sicilian Iris we had for dessert served with vanilla soft serve was the crown jewel though. It's fried, it's warm, it's stuffed with ricotta, oh my.
Another packed house
Octopus with Green Beans, Fingerling Potatoes & Salsa Verde
Sicilian Iris
In the evening we had a couple hours before our returning ride, so we made our way on the Magnificent Mile to More for some cupcakes. The place is super minimalist, no seating, no drinks menu, just a big display case full of cupcakes. We got Chocolate Hazelnut and Chocolate Chocolate to take home. They were delicious, even two days later.

 We crossed the street for dinner at Le Pain Quotidien, where a suave French man in a chic gray turtleneck served us our food. This was right after we got rung out at Topshop by a girl who sounded like she might be Irish. Chicago, do all your import businesses come with import employees? In any case, I love it. The tartines were excellent, so was the momosa.

So yeah, we had a great time in the city being total tourists and devouring everything in sight. If you're ever in Chicago and get a sudden hankering for good food and fun, I hope you find this brief tour helpful.

 Thanks for reading! Hug puppies and drink tea.
The St. Louis Wiener Dog Derby is an annual event held as part of the Mardi Gras celebration near the historic Soulard Farmers' Market. Dachshund owners from all over the city bring their dogs to race in the competition. The turnout this Sunday was quite prolific so we had a really hard time seeting the actual dogs in the race, but I did get to pester the crowd for some adorable pictures of their furry companions.

Spirits were high as the weather today was radiant and crisp. I was very grateful to all the dog owners and unsuspecting strangers, who let me take photos to my hearts content without questioning my sanity. 

The puppies are put behind a holding area and then the wienies are release together. The competition is real.

The Derby is as much about the dogs in the race as it is about the onlookers. Here's my montage of dog paparazzi photos. So many puppies so little time. Be still my heart.
Wow have you seen anything so precious as this husky puppy wearing his own Mardi Gras beads? Thank nature for puppies!!
I require this affection in my life


I've always thought this but pet owners are some of the raddest and happiest people. Dogs are especially upbeat and fun. They're also quite therapeutic, especially for college students who spend their lives gawking at glowing rectangles and don't get enough time with living things (refer to my bio for exhibit A).
This is probably my favorite shot of the batch.
Oh yeah, and then there were these three who saw me with a camera and wanted their picture taken. I have no idea who you are but if you see this one day just know that I went through all of this trouble to edit this photo and post it on the internet, K you're welcome. 

 So I'd say this was a pretty fulfilling Sunday excursion into the city. If you're in the area I definitely recommend checking this out next year, especially if you are a dog owner. 

That's it, until next time, eat well and cuddle with puppies.
                                                       -Jane






Here we are yet another month into another year. I've come back here to this space to turn over the proverbial new leaf. Much has changed since my last correspondence, still much has stayed the same. I'm anxiously, fearfully awaiting graduation from college this May. Things are pretty relaxed as I've accepted a job offer before Winter Break, and now all that lies between me and full blown adulthood are 12 more weeks of ridiculous GenEd requirements. That said, I feel not at all like someone who could handle quintessentially adult things like 401ks and health insurance. 

Despite a bit of existential limbo, music, books, art, food, and the internet remain unwavering constants my life (try to feign ignorance at the utter lack of proper human interaction). So in my liminal state of not quite adult but not quite child, I've been living out the dying hours of my unburdened student life with the utmost hedonistic zeal, and it has been a blast.

Always on the hunt for new gastro-adventures.
In the past few months, I've crossed many items off of my St. Louis restaurant bucket list, saved up for some pretty substantial photo and audio investments, and made a considerable dent in my perpetually growing reading list. These luxuries and indulgences are not exactly profound, but I imagine they might keep me sane when I start my travel heavy job and take on responsibilities of a full grown human. 

In an effort to evolve into a responsible, disciplined adult, my mission for this year is to resuscitate this blog and keep it alive. I'm coming back to this blog to make a space for passions and aesthetics that I hope to curate beyond my college years. I'm also looking for a way to do some disciplined writing to retrain my lifeless prose for impending writing projects closer to graduation. In general I think this blog will be a conglomerate of unabashed consumerist lifestyle, eccentric personal sentiments, and maybe even forays into some high brow things like academia, social commentary, advice (I don't actually know if you should take advice from me though)? The possibilities, they are endless.

Thanks for visiting. Eat well and take naps.


Wow, hello world of prolific writing. This blog has taken too long to get started, because I'm basically landlord of writer's block. This blog is going to be a mishmash of in depth review of music and other things I find awesome, and random musings. So if anybody out there is interested in jabbering with me about things we're obsessed over, then read on!

I'm really excited to start with something that has become very dear to my heart over the past week. This album has been calling out my name since it was first released in September of last year. If you're not familiar with 티어라이너 (Tearliner), they are signed under the indie powerhouse Pastel Music, along with such notable artists as Humming Urban Stereo, Casker, Zitten, and Sogyumo Acacia Band. They're probably most famous for their contributions to the OST of drama sensation Coffee Prince a few years back, but they've mostly been under the radar since their release of Polaroid Life in 2007.

I've listened extensively to all of Tearliner's previous works before,and have a lot of love for their music. Embrace All, a song that easily landed a place in my list of all time favorites, is just the epitome of melodic catharsis (you can find out why if you click on the link). Needless to say, I was overjoyed to hear that Grey Garden, their second full album, was finally being released in September of 2013.

To my dismay, I couldn't find anyone who sold digital versions of this album, so the New Year had arrived and still, I was hitting the replay button furiously on youtube videos of Love Traveler and 너는 내게, both of which grabbed me instantly. I couldn't stop thinking about this possibly amazing album, and ended up paying quite a pretty penny to get it all the way to middle of nowhere America. And here is the CD in all its glory!



The album lists 14 songs, all of them beautiful and distinct. Included is a lovely little number featuring 융진 (Yoong Jin), vocalist for Casker. There's also an original recording of Embrace All, which made me smile with nostalgia. But when I went to listen to the CD, I found out that there was a mysterious 15th hidden track titled 나빌레라, a surprise from which I happily profited. 

The airy, hollow sound that is so characteristic of the band is still there. However the marked differences between this Album than any of Tearliner's previous works is impossible to miss. Mild but pleasant vocals take center stage here, whereas previous albums have consistently favored instrumentals. Opinions will vary from listener to listener, but for me this was a huge boost in experience, because I feel like good vocals and lyrics instantly make a song more accessible and adds that extra connection to the musician. Major kudos for the spot on incorporation of classical instruments, especially the cello. They really add a nice twinge of poignancy that sets the heart aflutter.

All in all I am happy to report that this album is nothing but pure quality. I'm beginning to understand the reason behind their 6 year hiatus. The work put into this album must have been enormous. I'd recommend this to pretty much anyone who loves a good mellow ambient rock sound. Finally, I have to share with you the quote that came on the inside jacket of the CD because it single-handedly captures how I constantly feel. Verbis Defectis Musica Incipit: Where Words Fail, Music Speaks. I will now proceed to give you less words, and more music.

Tearliner - 03. Love Traveler

Tearliner - 15. 나빌레라

About me

This blog belongs to Jane. On most days, she's an existential crisis. Her many occupations include foodie, shopaholic, surfer (of the internet variety), and cat lady. She enjoys obscure music, procrastination, subjunctivising tactics, npr, and tea.