The Wal'z & Joypia Dog Cafe in Gangnam | Seoul, South Korea

It seems like there is a cafe on every corner here in South Korea. They are quite literally popping up everywhere! Serving not only your favorite latte, but fresh smoothies, and my absolute favorite beverage, bubble tea! in addition to foods to munch on such as bagels, muffins, and cheesecake slices. With such a saturated market, it's no surprise that some cafes have resorted to a different approach in order to draw customers to their shops. 

In this case, puppies are the incentive to stop into this corner cafe in the renowned Gangnum district of Seoul. Like us, customers will actually seek out this shop in order to spend a couple of minutes of their day with these adorably fluffy friends.

The Wal'z Dog Cafe in Seoul has a nice atmosphere and is especially great if you're a tiny dog lover. They have at least five to ten pups in the main area running around and playing with the customers.  The dogs are well groomed and relatively friendly. Visitors will also bring their own dogs to play, so it has a dog park-like atmosphere.

The tables fill quickly. When you enter, you go through a door and then a gate designed to keep the dogs from darting outside. The 'waiter' will find you a seat. From there, you're expected to go up to the counter and place your beverage order.

We did find this cafe a little disappointing, as we were expecting larger dogs, which are much less popular in South Korea. Many Koreans live in high rises with smaller floor plans than in the states, which are less suitable for larger breeds. It's also difficult to spend any amount of time with one pup, as they are very incentivized by treats, which are available to purchase. If anyone in the room has food, all of the dogs will crowd that one person, which can be a bit of a downer when you're petting a pup and it walks off. No love here for attention here, only treats. Ha!

The dogs treats that are available for purchase. No other food is allowed or served in the cafe.

The drinks here were great. I ordered a fresh banana smoothy, which was very good. Ethan had a strawberry yogurt smoothy. It did take them awhile to serve the drinks after we ordered, but we watched the dogs play while we waited. The drink prices range from 5000-11000 won, and about 5000 cheaper than that if you order take out. Essentially, you're paying to be in the cafe with the dogs. 

The cafe does have an extensive doggy boutique. You'll find tons of dog outfits, fur clips and accessories, collars, leashes, bags to carry your pouch around, and more. Side note: I didn't see much for larger dogs, which seems to be a trend in South Korea in both humans and dogs. No large sizes here!

Overall, the entire experience definitely had a commercial feel, which put a damper on our visit. If this cafe had larger dogs, it would certainly be more appealing, especially to tourists visiting from western countries. I'd recommend stopping in only if you're in the area. I honestly wouldn't bother seeking out this dog cafe unless you're a small dog fan. 

I noticed that the cafe is located right next to what appears to be a veterinarian and/or groomer called Medi Pawz. I believe the cafe actually has space available for lodging, in case you need someone to watch your pup. I noticed a back room with more small dogs, but don't quote me on that.

The Details

• What: The Wal'z & Joypia Dog Cafe in Gangnam

• When: 8:00AM - 11:50PM

• Where: 서울특별시 Gangnam-gu, Yeoksam 1(il)-dong, 역삼로 134

• Cost: 5000-11000 won per drink, you must purchase a beverage to occupy a seat and hang out with the pups!

The War Memorial of Korea & Museum | Seoul, South Korea

The Korean War Memorial and museum was a really interesting (and unplanned!) stop for us. We took a bus to Yongsan, the military base located in Seoul, and were walking to the nearest subway station to catch a train across the city headed for The Wal'z Dog Cafe. Right outside the walking gate we saw static jets and, unknown to us, The War Memorial of Korea. Static jets? Heck chyes. 

After understanding where we were and since we didn't have anything terribly pressing scheduled for the day, we decided to spend some time checking it out. I'm glad we did! We started in the area with all of the aircraft, tanks, etc., then ventured into the actual museum.

Ethan's checking out the tanks. They had more on display than I'd expected!

Note the USAF! There are several American military aircraft here.

This area with the static jets and equipment on display was open for us to simply walk into, like a park. There were many Korean families there taking photos with the aircraft.

As you can see, there are many types of aircraft here to check out. The signage provides descriptions in both Hangugeo and English for your convenience. No need to pull out Google Translate! 

Missile defense systems from the war.

We honestly could have spent an entire afternoon here reading and learning. I hope to return and spend more time looking around. Next to the area with the static jets is the actual museum. The front is an area surrounded by plaques and the flags of all of the nations that aided the country of Korea during the war.

Test shot! He's a great sport.

I found this to be a really interesting depiction. No words are really needed here. The message is clear. However, for your information:

Facing outwards from the museum.

Once we'd explored outside, we went into the museum. There isn't an entrance fee for walking through the museum, which was nice. There's also a cafe, gift shop and restrooms to your right as you enter through the front. Grab a pamphlet at the start and feel free to explore!

At the end of this hall, we entered a dark room with luminaries on both sides. In the middle of the room sat a large book encased in plexiglass. It was open and written inside were the names of all of the people who had died during the war. Before the case was a line which you were not to cross. I watched a woman and her daughter come forward, stand at the line, and the woman and little girl both bowed and spoke "감사합니다" ("kamsahamnida") in solemn thanks. I didn't feel very comfortable taking photos inside the room like a tourist, especially focusing my lens on that book like it was a spectacle. However, I did get this shot of some of the words on the walls to give you an idea of the atmosphere.

There were many symbols with great meaning as we passed through the museum. This room especially. Again, the documentarian inside me felt conflicted about taking many photos here. It felt sacred and I wanted to respect that.

As we moved through the museum, the environment became more informational. There were various displays and much to read, as with any museum.
Soon our stomachs were beginning to growl, so we decided to find lunch. I'd love to return and explore more. There was so much to see. You could easily spend two or more hours here.

As we were departing, we came upon this statue and I think this was the most moving for me of the entire experience. It depicts a South Korean officer holding his North Korean soldier brother. You can read the full description below.

Overall, I'd highly recommend putting this stop on your itinerary. The Korean War is such a huge part of Korea's history and in turn, their culture. It was astonishing to see how many nations across the globe played a part in aiding Korea, including countries in Africa, Europe and the Americas. We were also able to see how much respect the Korean people have for those who fought and lost their lives defending their country, like the woman and her daughter bowing in gratitude. That kind of gesture of respect is not something I'd likely see in the states, possibly due to the great diversity of people in America. I really feel like we lack unity as a country, which saddens me.

Our visit didn't cost us anything but our time, which was spent learning, and in my opinion that's always time well spent. I encourage you to make an effort to check it out.

The Details

• What: The War Memorial of Korea and Museum
• When: Open December-February: 09:00-17:30
All other months: 09:00-18:00 (* Last admission is one hour before closing.)
Culture Day (last Wednesday of each month): 09:00-20:00
Closed every Monday (* If Monday is a holiday, it will be closed on the following day instead.)
• Where: 29, Itaewon-ro, Yongsan-gu, Seoul 서울특별시 용산구 이태원로 29 (용산동1가)
• Cost: Admission is free! (There is a fee for parking. We walk everywhere, so that's not an issue for us.)

Happy Birthday to Me!

Where in the world is this year going? It's hard to believe that my birthday was this week – already!

I turned 24 on Sunday. Eek!

March is flying by! I don't even know what happened to February. 

Ethan and I have enjoyed a couple of weekend trips to Seoul. Every time we go, we stay in a different part of the city and explore on foot. Let me tell you, my once comfortable boots are no longer comfortable after six miles of walking around the big city. I've got to get some more comfortable shoes.

My birthday wasn't something I was looking forward to this year, I guess it's that getting older thing, however I'm glad to have celebrated it in such a unique place as Seoul, South Korea and with my handsome husband. And I've survived 24 whole years on this earth, so that's something to be happy about!

We spent this weekend with the intention of seeing a couple of palaces in the city and finishing the weekend with a view of the sunset at the top of Seoul tower. Well. That didn't happen. It was overcast all day, and smoggy, so a sunset wasn't going to happen. We went to a palace that morning and spent the rest of the day walking around and shopping in Myeongdong. Tired from walking all day, we decided to try Seoul Tower another day with hopes of a clear sky. 

We did, however, have some awesome Indian food at a restaurant called Jyoti. There were two locations, and yes, we tried both. Ha! Have I mentioned my love of Indian cuisine? I think the flavors and aromas are incredible. 

As I turn 24, I thought it would be appropriate to lay out some goals for this coming year. I'm a list person. 

But before I do that, I should reflect on the past year. 23 was... unexpected. Life is like that sometimes, isn't it? Here are a couple of big moments for me last year:

• Growth in my wedding photography business, meeting awesome couples
• Growth in my Etsy shops, countless orders
• Watching our new puppy Adelaide grow
• Meeting awesome girlfriends at Whiteman AFB
• Starting my fitness and health journey, losing 30+ lbs and counting
• News that we'd be moving to South Korea
• Flying to South Korea, back to the states to shoot a wedding, and back to South Korea (all while being terrified of flying)
• Struggling to find a purpose in South Korea, setting my business aside for the year
• Celebrating our four year wedding anniversary in a foreign country
• Growing as a person living in another country and understanding life in a radically different culture

Phew! That is a ton of change. I hadn't realized how much had happened until I'd actually written it all out. If you'd told me all of that would happen in the next year in March of 2016, I don't know that I would have believed you. It's unbelievable the difference that just one year can make.

Honestly, I wouldn't mind if the next year was just a little bit calmer. Ha! Here are my goals for 24!

• Continue my fitness and health journey, lose the last 15 lbs, tone and tighten, maintain!
• Reinstall and grow my wedding photography business in Tucson – so exciting!
• Make connections with fellow creatives in sunny Arizona and collaborate to create beautiful imagery
• Book at least one destination wedding!
• Reinstate The House of Moser on Etsy with hand crafted pieces created by Ethan and I
• Hike in the Grand Canyon
• Plan a road trip with the hubs!
• Consider going back to school for another degree, possibly botany or other plant science related field
• Learn calligraphy
• Start a garden, grow a fruitful lemon tree (bucket list item here...)
• Find stability and normalcy in our new home back in the states

Obtainable goals, I'd say. That's important. I'm curious to see where we'll be at this time next year. In the meantime, here's to enjoying the now. Twenty four will be a good year. I just know it.