NCT 127 Neocity Fansign in Bangkok, Thailand

NCT 127 are one of the most popular K-Pop groups in Thailand and have already been brand endorsers for popular snack and soda brands here, the Neo City World Tour was their first time holding a concert in Thailand, something which fans, known as NCTzens, have been anticipating for the longest time with the first two shows sold out in three minutes and a third was added which subsequently sold out in a minute, that is a total of 18,000 concert tickets sold in just minutes!

Unfortunately I wasn't able to get tickets to see them, which I was quite sad about but I knew it would be difficult given just how popular they are in Thailand, however, there was some good news for me as they announced they would be hosting a press con and fan sign at Central World mall which would be an open event for anyone to attend, so I decided to go check it out and hopefully get a glimpse of them while they were in Bangkok.

I arrived at the mall about 6 hours before the event was due to start and already a large crowd had formed, so I decided to get some lunch first and fuel myself for the long wait. I think I was stood waiting about 4 hours before I saw them and unfortunately my view wasn't that good... I was stood in a huge crowd of people on the second floor directly facing the stage but a lot of people had brought chairs and ladders to stand on so my view was blocked, however I was able to see them through my camera and managed to steal a few glances of them with my own eyes, which was only for a millisecond but made me so happy to finally see them in real life, the really do look as flawless and handsome as they do in photos, no filters or photoshop needed!

The whole event was over so quickly and lasted just over half an hour, I couldn't hear a lot of what was being said at the press con as the screams of thousands of excited fans were overpowering but I could hear them speaking a few phrases in Thai that they had learned which was met with even louder screams of joy from the enormous crowd that had gathered to see them. The fansign came next for just 100 lucky NCTzens who won a competition and were allowed to meet, shake hands and get a poster signed by all of NCT 127.

The boys were so sweet with the fans and made sure to wave to everyone who had been waiting there for them, they had come straight from the airport for this event so must have been exhausted but they seemed so excited and upbeat. NCT have visited Thailand quite a few times in the past for events, fanmeets, festivals ect. and have quite a large established fanbase here but this was their first solo concert in the country and something fans and NCT themselves have been greatly anticipating, out of all their world tour stops so far Thailand is the only one to have 3 consecutive nights of concerts to a sold out audience making it one of their biggest concerts on this tour.

Although I wasn't able to see them in concert I'm so grateful for this opportunity to see them, it was a very new experience for me as a fan to see a press con and fansign as these are things I only ever experience through others photos and videos so being there in person, feeling the atmosphere and seeing how the "pro-fans" work and are able to get those amazing shots was really awesome and I'm sure I'll be better prepared should another opportunity arise in the future.

Have you ever been to a fansign? What K-pop artists would you love to meet?

Love & Cherry Bombs

Cate

xoxo

Christmas in Seoul : Zapangi Cafe (자판기 카페)

Zapangi is one of Seoul's most popular cafes and also known as the pink vending machine cafe because the entrance to the cafe looks just like a vending machine. I've seen so many photos and videos of this cafe all over the internet but this actually wasn't a planned visit and we accidentally found it on our way to another cafe which was unfortunately shut at the time, luckily Zapangi wasn't too crowded so we decided to stop there instead for some Christmas treats.

I'm writing this almost a year after we visited but the cafe is still there and I'm sure they'll have these Christmas treats on offer again this year, our visit was actually the day after Christmas but seeing all the cute Christmas themed drinks and treats they had on offer we just had to try them out and extend the holiday joy.

What I love most about Korean cafes is the aesthetics, each cafe is so uniquely and intricately decorated and Zapangi was no different, I love the pink almost tropical style, minimalist aesthetic they had happening there although the seating was a little bit uncomfortable but it was a nice warm welcome break from the cold, winter streets of South Korea.

The Christmas cake although huge was almost entirely made of cream, really pretty to look but I struggled to eat it as it was so sweet! I really don't like wasting food but on this occasion I just had to stop as I started to feel a bit queasy so I had to admit defeat. The drinks were super sweet to especially the Christmas latte but luckily they had lots of complimentary water so I could drown the sweetness away and my mouth was totally green after eating all that cake!

If you don't get the chance to visit Zapangi for Christmas then they also have other adorable treats for you to try out like donuts and mermaid cakes, I probably won't be ordering cake there again as it was just too sweet for my tastes but they had lots of other drinks there which I wouldn't mind trying out, prices were a little high but Christmas is the perfect time to treat yourself to something sweet, so if you're in the area it's worth checking out if only for the cute photos!

What are your favourite Christmas treats?

Love & Snowflakes

Cate

xoxo

Psssst if you want to see more awesome cafes from around the world you can click the button below, buy me a coffee, get treats & a shoutout on my next post

#OOTD: Pink Pool Style

There's just something about being in Seoul that brings out the fashionista in me. Seoul is such a trendy place with everyone dressed on point and everywhere being so damn aesthetic, I mean literally every cafe or store you walk in has some sort of unique theme or concept which brings in the Instagram crowd all trying to get those stylish selfies and honestly I just love how extra it all is. Style Nanda is one of my favourite stores in Korea but it's not the clothes or even the make-up that make it a must stop for me it's the stores themselves and how gosh darn beautifully they are.

Style Nanda has a few stores in Seoul and whilst I love the Pink Hotel/Pink Pool Cafe in Myeongdong this store in Hongdae has to be my new favourite because they've gone even more extra and built an actual pool in there! Luckily we happened to be there on a quiet day because I heard it gets really crowded so we had the whole pool section to ourselves and I was having one of those rare moments where I was really feeling myself so it was the perfect excuse to get some outfit shots. Maybe it's because just before going up to the cafe I spent quite a bit of time playing around with all the 3CE make-up there but damn, this place kinda makes me look good!

But seriously, I think it's important to celebrate those days you feel good in your own skin and not be ashamed of it because we spend far too much time hating on ourselves and nitpicking at our flaws. I'm no model and I never will be but it's perfectly fine to have those moments where you feel fierce as hell like you should be on the cover of a damn magazine, so ignore the haters, take cute selfies and give sometime in your life to celebrate the awesomeness that is you because there is NOBODY else in this world like you!

What is one thing that makes you feel fierce?

Love & Love

Cate

xoxo

Outfit Details
♥ Love hat - Twinkledeals
♥ Hoodie - Spao Korea
♥ Skirt - Putumayo
♥ Boots - Dr Martens x Hello Kitty

Moon Bird Does Think of Only The Moon - Traditional Teahouse - Seoul

Insadong is the place to go to if you're looking to experience the more traditional side of Seoul. While there are a plethora of traditional restaurants, tea houses and stores selling all sorts of handicrafts and souvenirs on the main street the most interesting places can be found down the small back alleys, one of these places being the beautifully named tea house, Moon Bird Does Think of Only The Moon.

I say this every time but I really can't stress enough how you must visit a traditional tea house when in Korea, the cosy atmosphere, the smell of brewing herbs and graffiti covered walls are something you can only experience in Korea. I could seriously spend the whole day just relaxing in a tea house. It was a bitterly cold winter's day when we visited this tea house and what was really lovely was that they had already put out blankets and hot water bottles for the customers to warm themselves up with, I could have fallen asleep right then and there it was so wonderful and cosy.

Yujacha tea is one of my favourites and I always make sure to order it when I'm in Korea (as well as bring a jar or two home of it) and the sweet warm citrus flavour is the perfect thing to warm you up on a cold day. We also ordered some deep fried mochi which came covered in icing sugar and a sweet and chilli sauce on the side to dip them in and the also gave us some traditional rice cakes as an extra treat, one of my favourite things about Korea is how they always give you extra treats as service.

Whilst enjoying our hot drinks we took in the atmosphere, reading all the little love notes left by past customers some of which came from far away countries and some left by guest who visited almost a decade past, of course we made sure to leave our mark to and I hope one day we can go back there and find those little memoirs we left of our amazing trip to Seoul.

Where would you love to visit in Korea?

Love & Tea

Cate

xoxo

Psssst if you want to see more awesome cafes from around the world you can click the button below, buy me a coffee, get treats & a shoutout on my next post

Clouds in the Sky - Dog Cafe - Hongdae - Seoul

Dogs are a guaranteed mood booster and nothing makes me happier than puppy kisses and cuddles. I love dogs so much and the one thing I miss the most when I travel is my Nan's dog Russ, and as much as I'd love to have my own pupper in my life, with all the travelling and craziness there's just sadly no way I could commit to having one, so dog cafes are a real life saver for me and my go to place whenever I'm feeling a bit sad or lonely

Clouds in the Sky is a dog cafe in Hongdae just down the street from the Style Nanda flagship store. The first time I tried to visit it was closed but luckily on my second trip to the area I noticed doggies in the window which meant it was open so I just had to go in for some much needed puppy love.

Pretty much as soon as I walked in I was mobbed by dogs of all sizes giving me the barks, sniffs and kisses, it was so overwhelming but in the best possible way. Dogs seriously make me so happy and the whole time I was there I couldn't stop smiling, the dogs were all so affectionate and playful towards me wanting cuddles, pats, kisses and some even decided to fall asleep in my lap, I was in DOG HEAVEN!

I'll admit I have a soft spot for huskies and corgis (Russ is part corgi so I'm bias) so I spent most of the time trying to get their attention even though the tiny poodles kept wanting to play with me the most, and of course I made sure to gave them all the cuddles to, I can't say no to a dog in need of love no matter what as all dogs are beautiful in my eyes.

To play with the dogs all you have to do is buy a drink there, my Americano was about $8 which honestly isn't that bad considering a lot of cafes in Seoul charge around the same price and they don't have cute dogs to play with so it's definitely worth it as the dogs were all so cute and playful and gave me so much love, I'll definitely be back there the next time I'm in Korea!

Where do you go to de-stress? Don't forget to enter my KBeauty giveaway!

Love & Puppies

Cate

xoxo

Psssst if you want to see more awesome cafes from around the world you can click the button below, buy me a coffee, get treats & a shoutout on my next post

Dore Dore - Garosugil - Seoul

Dore Dore is a really popular cafe in Korea known for their rainbow cakes, they have quite a few locations around Seoul but I believe their cafe in Garosugil was their first. I have actually been wanting to visit this cafe for a while as I've seen it featured in so many articles and videos and their cakes always look amazing, so on my last trip to Seoul I had to stop by.

It was Christmas Eve when I visited (a few hours from being Christmas Day) so instead of getting the rainbow cake I decided on the special Christmas strawberry shortcake they had, which was huge! Violet and I decided to share a slice but it was still a struggle for both of us to finish it but it was still quite good and not too sweet, had I not been so full I probably would've tried all the cakes there because they all looked so delicious!

Whilst I was sitting in Dore Dore I had this strange feeling that I'd seen this place before and not just in articles and vlogs and then it suddenly hit me GOT7 FILMED HARD CARRY TV HERE!! So that lead to me frantically googling all the images I could find and trying to find the episode (they're actually regionally blocked on MNET's YouTube channel in Korea... WTF?), so after finally finding some images and re-watching the first episode (the same one where they visited Shake Shack) it was confirmed THEY WERE HERE! Which lead to me taking all the random selfies I could and trying to recreate some shots they did, little did I know at that point that I'd be having more random "GOT7 were here" encounters but it was a pretty cool considering this was my first day in Seoul and I hadn't really planned it.

I loved the aesthetic in Dore Dore, it's no wonder it's so popular and really wanted to take home the holographic tables for my house. Each floor actually has a different look so if you're not into the pink there's a floor that's all chic and wooden, believe me Korea really knows how to decorate! I really liked the laid back, relaxed vibe there to and even though we were there near to closing time nobody was rushing us and telling us to leave. There's no doubt I will be back there one day I mean I still need to try their iconic rainbow cake.

Let me know what your favourite type of cake is and don't forget to enter my GOT7 giveaway!

Love & Rainbows

Cate

xoxo

Psssst if you want to see more awesome cafes from around the world you can click the button below, buy me a coffee, get treats & a shoutout on my next post

Midnight in Seoul - Gangnam - Seoul

Cereal is one of my favourite foods, I think every time I buy a box I end up eating the whole thing in one go so when I found out that there was a cereal cafe in Seoul I just had to check it out. Midnight is Seoul has been on my radar for a while, I actually wanted to visit it on my last trip to Seoul but it was closed so this time I made sure to stop by and check out that awesome pink aesthetic.

Midnight in Seoul now sell their own branded cereal which you can find in some Olive Young stores and their packaging is so on point, I love the cartoon movie theme and the bright colours they use, they've definitely created their own unique brand, the place was just so beautifully decked out and so on point. They also have a merch store next door where you can buy not only the cereal but clothes, phone cases, pins and much more featuring their kawaii movie characters.

So let's get onto the food, you can either tailor make your cereal bowl exactly how you want it or order one of their sets which is what I did because although the ice cream was tempting I really needed some fruit! They also have a selection of different milks you can choose from so if you're vegan don't worry there are plenty of options for you to try and they will make stuff exactly to your liking. If cereal isn't your thing then they also have a few other breakfast items on the menu you can chose from and of course all the coffee because Korea is all about the coffee.

If you're curious Midnight is Seoul also has a KPop connection to as Jo Kwon from 2am actually owns this place and if you check out his instagram you'll see he's there quite often so if you're lucky you might be able to see him and his cute doggies there. I honestly loved this place so much and I'm kinda kicking myself I only decided to visit on my last day as it was only a short walk from our apartment, also I feel like you can't go wrong with cereal but then again I am a cereal addict! I adored the aesthetics and the cartoon, movie theme so much, I think it's very me and I kinda just wanted to move in there but one thing for sure I will definitely go back there on my next trip to Seoul!

What's your favourite cereal?

Love & Blueberries

Cate

xoxo

Psssst if you want to see more awesome cafes from around the world you can click the button below, buy me a coffee, get treats & a shoutout on my next post

THE BIGGEST GOT7 KPOP HAUL YOU'LL EVER SEE!!

For the past two years my obsession with GOT7 has grown so much that they've become a pretty big part of my life, they've given me so much strength and inspiration to continue to pursue my dreams and through all the struggles of the past 2 years of me leaving my UK life and starting over again in Thailand with no idea how it would work out they've been there with me forever making me smile and giving me hope through their music and their actions. So to show my support to these boys I did some shopping and I'll admit I went a little bit crazy with the GOT7 merchandise whilst I was travelling but no regrets! Kpop merch is pretty hard to get, especially official stuff so I thought I would share all the amazing things I bought whilst I was away.

I split the haul into 2 parts because there was that much stuff and I also wanted to share a couple thoughts about the concerts and events I've been lucky enough to go to as I realised apart from a few Instagram Stories of me fangirling I've never actually talked about them before. This probably won't be the last of my GOT7 hauls and concerts though as they're currently on a World Tour and I'm planning to support them in as many countries as I can so stay tuned for more of my GOT7 adventures as it's not over yet!

Let me know your favourite KPop artists & don't forget to enter my GOT7 giveaway! 

Love & Birbs

Cate

xoxo

#OOTD: My SWAGGER!

So I'll admit over the past year I've gone through a style evolution and after over a decade I'm wearing jeans again and not just any jeans but skinny jeans! Now this is a big deal for me as I have a huge complex about my legs, they're just so short and wide compared to the rest of my body I never felt comfortable wearing trousers and while yes I still complain about them the fact that I'm here now wearing skinny jeans shows you how much more confident I am in my own skin. Since moving to Thailand my style has become what I like to refer to as "comfortable" so gone are my old kawaii poofy floral dresses as now I'm favouring a more easy sporty style whilst still keeping it kawaii! So when we found this amazing graffiti covered alley, thanks to our Korean drama adventures, I thought it would be the perfect backdrop to document my new street style.

One of the things I've noticed through this style evolution is that I have a thing for jackets (and hoodies) and the majority of the time they're what my outfits are centred around because they're such an easy way to dress up and otherwise plain outfit and it also keeps the sun off my skin. This jacket I bought purely because I had seen the forever handsome, always my boi, Jackson Wang wearing it which is probably a stupid reason to buy something but once I tried it on and saw how good it looked on me I was sold, although teenage goth Cate would probably be turning in her grave seeing me wearing Kappa chav fashion but girl don't deny I look good in this jacket!

The Kpop fashion influence has well and truly taken a hold of me but I'm loving it and just how comfy and chic it is. My SWAG hat is probably one of my favourite purchases from my travels to as I'd been looking for a new cap to keep the sun out of my eyes and I have a thing for cheesy slogans and I won't deny every time I wear it I do feel kinda SWAG!

What's one item from your closet that always makes you feel good?
Love & SWAG

Cate

xoxo

Outfit Details
♥ SWAG hat - Candy Stripper
♥ Jacket - Charms x Kappa
♥ Jeans - Chuu
♥ Shoes - Taywin

Laundry Pizza - Gangnam - Seoul

I'm declaring this month Kpop month on Cateaclysmic so I'm going to be sharing a bunch of awesome places I visited in Seoul which relate in some random way to Kpop starting with Laundry Pizza in Gangnam which you may recognise as a lot of groups including GOT7, BTS and many more have done photoshoots here.

One of the things I love about Korea is just how extra they go with the themes of their restaurants and cafes, they're just so aesthetic and it doesn't surprise me at all that so many idols get their photos taken here, it even featured in my boy Henry's I'm Good music video. I just love the bright colours and the laundry theme is just such a unique concept for a restaurant, and of course a great place for taking selfies!

Sadly though I wasn't a fan of the pizza there, I tried both the mac and cheese and margarita and they were pretty mediocre HOWEVER upstairs you can find Double Trouble where they sell all sorts of different types of grilled cheese sandwiches and those are so GOOD, so much better than the pizza and it was only $10 for a grilled cheese sandwich, fries and a drink which was about the same price as one slice of pizza, so I would say skip the pizza and go for the grilled cheese!

Of course whilst I was there I couldn't resist taking a bunch of selfies and trying to recreate some of those iconic shots although I restrained myself from to climbing up on the tables... even though I was kinda tempted. The lighting was kinda awful there though which you can probably see from my super dark grainy photos *sigh* I mean it's kinda amusing the place has such bad lighting considering it's one of those places where people go purely to take photos but at least I got to stand in the same place as my beloved once was and eat off a table which pretty idols had sat on to.

Despite the mediocre pizza I would definitely go back there though because that grilled cheese was amazing and definitely satisfied my cheese cravings, also it's just a really cool place to grab some lunch with friends, chill for an hour or two, live out your Kpop dreams and live out your idol dreams.

Don't forget to enter my GOT7 Giveaway!

Love & Pizza

Cate

xoxo

Fashion Haul from Tokyo, Seoul & Bangkok

I've always loved Asian fashion, there's just something that's so fun and unique about it all, so during my trip to Tokyo, Seoul and Bangkok I just had to pick up a few things. Although I've been living in Thailand for over 2 years now I've mostly avoided buying clothes and just wore what I packed in my suitcase to save not only some money for more travels but luggage room! However a lot of the clothes I have are worn out, no longer fit or are no longer my style so this trip was the perfect chance to get myself a whole new wardrobe and stock up on those essentials, especially now I know I'll be settling down in Thailand for a while.

Whilst in Japan I mostly visited the second hand/vintage stores in Harajuku to find what I wanted as not only are the prices generally cheaper but the clothing is surprisingly good quality compared to a lot of second hand stores you can find in other countries, luckily I managed to find a lot of things I loved for really cheap. In Korea however I focused on the more trendy stores which have been made popular by a lot of idols wearing the brands, but as it was winter at the time I was there and I'm living in the land of forever summer I didn't get too much and found myself picking up most of what I wanted back in Thailand. Overall I'm so happy with all my new clothes and I can't wait to start getting creative with them so hopefully you'll see some outfit posts from me in the future!

What are your favourite fashion styles?

Love & Puppies

Cate

xoxo

A Day at Nami Island - (남이섬) South Korea

Nami Island is just over an hour away from Seoul and a great way to spend a day away from the city and in some nature. The island was made famous by it's appearance in a classic romantic Korean drama called Winter Sonata which I haven't personally watched but I know was very popular, especially here in Thailand! We visited Namiseom on Christmas Day and although Christmas has long since passed as it's KDrama month on Cateaclysmic I thought it would be the perfect time to share my perfect day on the island of romance.

Nami is beautiful place to visit all year round but I heard it was especially beautiful in winter and it really was with the snow and the soft winter sunlight. I've never really had a "White Christmas" before so this was a mini dream come true and although I was freezing that day it was worth braving the cold to visit and see all the beautiful sights around Nami.

One of the attractions at Nami is the ostriches they have living there which was quite a strange sight to see in the snow considering they're native to the African deserts but they did seem quite happy and healthy, and they looked a lot warmer than I felt! I've never been that close to an ostrich before so it was amazing to see just how big they actually are and the size of their feet, one powerful kick from them could probably kill you...

Hotteok is one of my absolute favourite Korean treats and I think I ate it almost every day whilst I was in Seoul, it's most commonly sold in winter and it's the perfect thing to warm you up on a cold winters day. I'm not quite sure why the hotteok on Nami was green but it tasted good and I kinda wished I had bought another but I was already full from the giant salad I had for lunch but if you ever have the chance to try some DO IT! They also have a savoury version with japchae (korean noodles) inside which is really tasty to.

There were cute snowmen all over Nami and lot's of them were dressed in traditional costumes from different countries from all over the world, the ones above are Thai. Nami also had flags from all around the world and signs welcoming visitors in many different languages which was really nice to see and tourists even get a slight discount on admission to the island. I heard so many different languages spoken that day and a lot of Thai, I mentioned that Winter Sonata was a popular drama in Thailand but I had no idea just how popular it was until I saw the busloads of Thai tourists lining up to take photos with the Winter Sonata statues there.

A lot of places in Korea have area where you can draw and write on the walls which I kinda love as it gives a homely vibe and I always love reading the little messages and seeing the cute drawings people leave behind after their visits. For some reason Nami just made me feel really sentimental as it was such the perfect day and such a romantic setting and there was me #FOREVERALONE, I guess being in such a beautiful setting just has that effect on people but at least I was with my BFF who lives sooo damn far away from me and I never get to see, anytime we're together is a good time ♥

So that was my day in Nami. I imagine it looks like a completely different place in the summer and I would love to go again as it's pretty easy to reach by subway from Seoul, there's also Petite France and The Garden of Morning Calm nearby which I'd like to see and have also featured in many Korean dramas so no doubt this won't the end of my Korean drama adventures it's only the start, who knows maybe next time I'll get the Train to Busan...

Don't forget to check out my giveaway and let me know your favourite Asian dramas
Love & Snowflakes

Cate

xoxo