SEOUL THROUGH THE EYES OF ALICE

“Me in a nutshell? I wear only black, I love to eat and I eat a lot, and I love to travel” This is how Alice introduced herself when we met and talked about her work as a travel and food blogger, as well as her time in Seoul.

Alice is the founder and face behind I heart Alice. What started as a personal fashion blog 11 years ago gradually evolved into a high-end travel and lifestyle journal where she is capturing different countries, cultures, food and people with her words and photography – a portrait of the world through Alice’ eyes.

“I love to be overwhelmed with impressions! The bigger, louder, wilder and crowded a city is, the more I love it, it gives me the feeling of being alive.“

Traveling is Alice’s inspiration. She relishes the chance to discover new countries and their culture, food and people – the more foreign, the better. Being half Vietnamese, half Chinese and having grown up in the Bavarian countryside she can relate to a feeling of not belonging and searching for your roots. In the strained political climate of today, it is important to keep an open mind; to learn about cultural and religious aspects of each country travelled, to be tolerant and respectful towards the unknown, to keep an open mind and appreciate the uniqueness and beauty of other cultures.

While traveling, Alice seeks authenticity; the bigger, louder, wilder and crowded it is, the better for her. Being in the middle of a city that it is hot, loud, and busy, while roaming the streets and getting lost in the hustle and bustle Alice feels alive, inspired, her curiosity is never stilled.

Alice loves to travel and she travels a lot. For at least 6 months a year she is out in the world, while all her image editing and writing duties wait for her return. How does she keep her balance? Alice needs and loves her home, Berlin, but on her travels she lives in the moment and fully enjoys it, feeling at home easily. Food, a clean bed, and a cup of chamomile tea (that she always brings from home on her trips), and everything is fine. I feel that Alice has found her spot travelling the world, and then shortly after she returns home, the travel bug sets in, and the urge to hop on a plane returns.

This autumn, Alice travelled Vietnam, China and South Korea, where she spent twenty days. We were curious of her perspective on the country and capital Seoul where YUN has its roots.

“I love Seoul! Everything is modern, avant-garde and well designed; you see that design and aesthetics are important and deeply rooted in the culture. Around each corner sits another cool café or design shop, the museums are incredible and the food is unbelievably good. I find Korean culture super interesting. Seoul is the hub of K-Pop, of the entertainment industry, of shopping and fashion, of architecture, trends. And then you have the traditional part with the palaces, temples, restaurants, and the old town. But despite this or because of the stark contrast of old vs. new, of traditional vs. modern, everything goes hand in hand. As in other Asian cultures and cities, this contrast is visible at first glance, but still it works. All this is very exciting and interesting for me, so I spent days just walking around the city, soaking up the atmosphere, taking pictures, and eating quite a bit of course!”

“We also spent a few days on the small Jeju Island and the contrast with the busy capital felt so good, its greenery, beaches and volcanoes provided us with some all important balance. Jeju is a traditional, typical fishing island and I loved especially the Jeju Diving Women, eighty year old women that still dive deeply for fresh seafood. Needless to say, the fish and food were amazing there!

Thank you for sharing your view, Alice!