cheongju and a real cup of coffee

The Korean language final exams are this week and I am about to go crazy from all the studying. So, to relieve some stress and study in a new environment, on Saturday I boarded a bus headed to Cheongju with four of my friends. Our first stop was The New Yorker, a coffee shop that looked enticing. This was one of the best coffee shops I have seen. The atmosphere was relaxed, with classical music playing in the background and a rooftop garden. I casually sipped my cafe americano on the second floor, studying from my table that overlooked the streets below. In the small town of Goesan, it is difficult to find strong coffee and I have succumbed to drinking instant coffee in the morning for my caffeine fix. This was my first taste of a true cafe americano in Korea. After some intense productivity (at least that was the intent...), my friends and I headed into the town for lunch and shopping. We found a hole-in-the-wall restaurant that served bibinbap, one of my favourite Korean dishes. Bibinbap consists of vegetables served over rice in a hot stone bowl. The stone bowl crisps the rice a little and there is a spicy sauce that can be added. Satisfied with our meal, we headed out onto to the streets, mostly to window shop. I did purchase a very stylish green and brown plaid umbrella to fend against the rain. The crowning event of the day was the trek through Lotte Mart, a store similar to Target. I found a coffee dripper (I have used them before when camping, all they require is hot water) and ground coffee at a reasonable price. Finally, I can say no to instant! On the whole, the day was a grand success.