December's things to do

As many of you are aware, raccoons are not native to this country. So, if you wish to go see these awesome animals IRL, Blind Alley is the place to go to. Located near Sookmyung Women’s Universtiy, Blind Alley is the designated ‘raccoon café’ in the area. Before you head in, just remember to check all the information provided. The café itself is divided into 2 areas: the ‘raccoons’ room’ and the café. If you order something from the café, you will be given free entrance into the ‘raccoons’ room’, but for those who are visiting with the sole purpose of chilling with the raccoons, you will be required to pay a fee of 6,000 won. There are 3 raccoons in the café (along with a Welsh Corgi that roams around the café area). Upon entering the ‘raccoons’ room’, you will be handed some feed, which any one of the racccons will excitedly run towards (you can leave the feed on your palm). Don’t force these adorable furballs into your lap, though, because it could cost you a bite. Interestingly enough, Blind Alley wasn’t originally founded as a ‘raccoon café’. The owner first adopted ‘Kongy’ and ‘Milk’ when they were just raccoon puppies. She didn’t like the idea of leaving them alone at home while she worked and decided to bring them along to the café every day. That’s how Blind Alley came to be today. ‘Milk’, the lighter colored raccoon, was fortunately rescued from becoming an expensive fur accessory. Each one of the three raccoons have a story of their own, which is why we should...

Gyeongnidan has been home to this small cupcake shop since the beginning of the area’s popularity around 5 years ago. It's got rough walls, furry spiders, huge model of E.T. sitting outside and all the small accessories crowing the space inside this extremely small store. By its look, it didn't seem clear as to what I should expect, but once I found the cute, monstrous cupcakes displayed in the small counter, I couldn't wait to find out which flavors each crazy decoration came with.    The most popular menu here is the Red Velvet topped Hotel Transylvania’s very own fat mummy, the Tiramisu decorated with an RIP grave and lastly the Apple Cinnamon holding a jack-o-lantern the top. The one I was most pleased with is the Halloween special Dark Chocolate and Peanut Butter cupcake. Its artificialness you'd feel at your first bite may lower your expectation, but once you dig in, the mixture of the the bread's soft texture and the flavorful icing is a delightful surprise. Perfectly sweetened, the cupcakes make a fun dessert for kids while adults would also appreciate the delicate flavors within.

The name of this tea-café, “Suyeonsanbang” literally translates into “a small home in the forest where literary people used to meet” and the title’s appropriate as it was once home to late Korean author Lee Tae-jun. This hanok home served as the backdrop to several of his short stories and was the main setting his 1943 novel, "HaebangJeonhu" as well. Hidden on the side slope of a hill and tucked behind a rainbow of flowers and a small forest of trees, it’s not hard to imagine how a writer could draw inspiration whilst in this charming hideaway. Talked about on media outlets in Japan, France and the UK, the home consists of several rooms and chairs around the space. The tea collection on the menu is impressive and their ability to take something like medicinal herb ssanghwa-cha and make it delicious, even more so.