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Collavo at Huangpu River, Shanghai, China

While viewing The Bund from the Puxi side of the Huangpu River is most popular between tourists, the Pudong side’s view from Lujiazui is just as astounding. Lujiazui is China’s only finance and trade zone among the 185 state-level development zones in Mainland China. Due to this, the many of Shanghai’s tallest buildings are here, and it’s awesome to see up close. You can also head up the Pearl TV Tower or the Financial building and get a great view of the whole city. It’s also an extremely tranquil place get away from the sometimes hectic inner city. David, Team Collavo www.collavo.co

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Collavo at Yu Garden; Shanghai, China

One of the must see spots in Shanghai, the Yu Garden (Yuyuan) is one of my favorite places within the city as well. While the tall and modern buildings may sometimes make you forget that you're in China, Yu Garden's old style buildings takes you back and gives you a nice change of atmosphere; it's almost like you've suddenly stepped into the past. While the countless tourists and shops sometimes distract you from it, the beauty of the Yu Garden is at times breathtaking and I recommend it for everyone!

David, Team Collavo www.collavo.co

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Collavo at Shanghai, China

Hello everyone! Last week, the Collavo team was in Shanghai for the World Mobile Congress Shanghai. We got to meet a lot of interesting people as well as get a deeper insight on how the industry is evolving

We also had some time to travel, and we have to say Shanghai was great! We especially loved the food smile emoticon

Here's our 7 days in Shanghai presented in 32 seconds. Enjoy!

-David, Team Collavo www.collavo.co

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UMF Korea x Collavo

Ultra Korea is a music festival held once a year here in Seoul. As most can tell from its name, it's the Asian branch of the world famous Ultra Music Festival held in Miami every year. This year marks the 4th time Ultra Korea was held in Seoul, and in my opinion is was by far the best, especially the line up.

One fault was that two of the main headliners cancelled last minute citing "health problems", which had many fans shocked and frustrated, but it still turned out to be an amazing event!

It's only been a week since Ultra was held, and I already can't wait for the next one. See you soon, Ultra Korea 2016!

David, Team Collavo. www.collavo.co

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Skateboarding x Collavo

With spring almost behind us, the weather here in Seoul has been getting better and better. While the weather is nice and warm, it's not yet humid and stuffy like how it becomes during the summer. Perfect!

To commemorate this fantastic weather, me and some friends headed down to Jungnangcheon(중랑천) to skateboard. Jungnangcheaon is a small stream that's connected to Han River. While it's not as big, it still has some great facilities such as basketball courts, tennis courts, tracks, and so on; that many in the area enjoy on a daily basis. The best part is that it's not as packed as how Han River could be due to is being relatively less well-known and harder to get to.

I'm usually more into cycling but ever since I randomly bought this skateboard for 20 Euros on my trip to Barcelona, I can't get enough of it! It's easy to learn and small enough so that it's not a hassle to carry around. After trying mine out for the first time, many of my friends went on to buy one for themselves also! If you'd like to see what all the fuss is about, you can get one for cheap (less than 30,000 won) if you search the net.

David, Team Collavo www.collavo.co

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Lamb Skewers in Seoul, South Korea.

Have you ever tried lamb skewers(양꼬치)? They're a Chinese dish that's pretty widely available (and popular) here in Korea.

Even though I've been in Seoul for quite some time, It was only a few weeks ago that I first tried these lamb delights. At first I didn't think they would be that great because let's be frank, meat is meat. Right??

Well I have to admit, I was dead wrong. Lamb skewers, where have you been all my life?? From the first bite, I was instantly hooked. (I went again twice!)

If you haven't tried them yet, you're definitely missing out! Don't forget to also order some Cuobalow (Chinese sweet and sour pork) and a bottle of Tsingtao beer to wash it all down!

David, Team Collavo. www.collavo.co

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Cycling at Han River (Seoul) x Collavo

Although it may have rained today in Seoul, the weather this past week was nothing short of amazing!

What better way to enjoy the fine weather than going for a ride? I got together with a few friends to ride for the first time in months.

I have to admit, I was a bit more out of shape than I remembered, but all the pulls and aches I suffered the following days were totally worth it!

The forecast for the upcoming weekend looks just as bright, so go grab your bikes and skateboards, and enjoy the sun!

David, Team Collavo. www.collavo.co

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Hongdae x Collavo (Buskers in Seoul)

With the weekend behind us, it's often sad to see Monday closing in. However, it's Children's Day on Tuesday here in Korea, (which is a national holiday) which almost makes Monday feel like a Friday!

While this weekend was a mostly cloudy with a bit of rain, the weather last weather was fantastic! I headed to the Hongdae district of Seoul, which has a reputation to be one of the "It" places for musicians. Without a doubt, countless musicians could be seen busking all around the area, and they were all so talented!

While the weekend may be over, here's a video of one of the talented artists so we can end it on a good note.

Good night everyone! David, Team Collavo. www.collavo.co

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'Midterms are over!' Collavo x HUFS; Seoul, South Korea College midterms here in Korea are finally over, and the weather couldn't have been any better!! Just look at how relaxed everyone is! It surely must have been rejuvenating for all the students who probably haven't gotten much sunlight for the past week. Although it may have seemed like an eternity of sleepless nights, cramming, and drinking coffee; it's finally over! For now, forget about how well you did or what your grade might be, and enjoy your freedom! (until Finals that is... :D) David, Team Collavo www.collavo.com

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Collavo x Berkeley Coffee Social; Seoul, South Korea About two weeks ago, I was invited to a private dinner event at a local coffee shop in Kyunglidan-gil, Seoul. The common theme was “toast” and everyone was asked to bring something that goes with it. (Naturally, I brought Goober's Peanut Butter and Jelly..Yum!) Even though mostly everyone had met for the first time, the great atmosphere, fantastic food, and a bit of red wine(okay…a lot of red wine…) helped everyone loosen up and have a great time. Thank you Berkeley Coffee Social for hosting such a terrific event! And to everyone who hasn’t been there yet, what are you waiting for? Go check it out! David, Team Collavo. www.collavo.co

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Collavo at Han River Park; Seoul, South Korea As the late Robin Williams had once said, spring is nature's way of saying, 'Let's party!' 22 degrees, Han River(Seoul), beer pong, good food, and great friends = a fantastic spring weekend! How was your weekend? David, Team Collavo www.collavo.co

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Collavo at Barceloneta; Barcelona, Spain.

Bienvenido a la playa!

I’m sure we all can agree, Barcelona is an amazing city. With architectural greats like ‘La Sagrada Familia’, the urban atmosphere filled with centuries old buildings makes Barcelona a marvel to explore. As if this wasn’t enough, Barcelona also has some of Europe’s best beaches. It’s definitely a strange experience to be in such a urban setting filled with old buildings to suddenly being surrounded by palm trees and sand. Strange as it may be, it’s one of the most charming experiences one can experience. 

Barceloneta is one of the many beaches in Barcelona. While it may not be considered the best the city has to offer, it definitely is the most easily accessible, the most popular, and most entertaining.  Even though it was pretty chilly when we visited (early March), the beach was still packed with locals and tourists coming to take in the fantastic view as well as relax under the Iberian sun.  Even if swimming is not your thing, the beach has many fantastic restaurants serving some of the best sea food you can imagine, and at night the beach transforms into an entertainment hub, where the city’s youth gather to head to some of Barcelona’s best clubs. The best times to go to the beach according to my local friends is around May to June. Starting July is when most tourists start pouring in, making the beaches a bit of a tourist trap. And a heads-up: Many locals prefer to go to the beach topless, so don’t be surprised! David, Team Collavo www.collavo.co

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Barcelona, the City of Music; with Collavo

You never know what to expect when walking the streets of Barcelona. From awesome shops to some of the best food I’ve ever had, most of my most memorable moments in Barcelona happened mostly be accident.  Another part about exploring the city is all the amazing musicians you run into. It seems Barcelona is a city filled with talented musicians. Every other street or corner is occupied by an amazing artist doing his or her thing! The city itself is almost like a huge outdoor concert with various headliners spread around different locations! One night while exploring the city, I stumbled upon a opera singer singing behind some old buildings in the ‘Old Town’ area of Barcelona. I’m not much of an opera fan but I couldn’t help but stare in amazement as this amazing singer that should be singing in an opera house was performing before my eyes. Then suddenly out comes another singer from the crowd, and soon another! It’s moments like these that really make you fall in love with the city. So the lesson here today is, don’t just look for the famous tourist attractions. Learn to enjoy the city for what it is and most importantly, EXPLORE!  David, Team Collavo www.collavo.co

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Collavo at La Ciudad Condal, Restaurant in Barcelona

Without a doubt one of the best parts of being in a new country is trying out the all the food. Being someone who doesn't smoke or drink, the only other outlet I have is to eat, which I really love to do!  Obviously, the first thing I asked our BnB host when we got to our apartment was, “what should we eat?” The first place he suggested (and also called his favourite) was a nice place around the corner called ‘Ciudad Condal’. All I have to say is, it was perfect! While the restaurant itself is located on a corner, much like other restaurants in Barcelona outside seating was available. While the menu is vast and offers a wide range of Spanish cuisines, you also have the option to try a bit of everything with a cup of wine or cerveza (which is what we had.)  The first thing I noticed is that the food comes out much slower than what we were used to back in Korea. Usually Koreans like to eat everything at once in a timely manner and leave, but everyone there seemed to take there time, talk, and enjoy the moment. While it was a bit awkward at first, we slowly learned to relax and live in the moment. As for Ciudad Condal, the food was great and the atmosphere was fantastic! It was a great way for us to start our adventure in Spain, and I recommend it for everyone! David, Team Collavo. www.collavo.co

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Collavo at El Ravel; Barcelona, Spain.

The good, the bad, the ugly. The 'El Raval' district of Barcelona certainly has a bit of it all. Conveniently located right next to the tourist-filled 'Las Ramblas', we had decided to make 'El Raval' our home for the 10 days we would be in Barcelona. Being the area closes to the port, 'El Raval' is known for having a big immigrant population (about 50% of the population was born abroad). It also had the reputation for being one of the more dangerous areas of Barcelona, and was considered a "no-go" area for many as recently as 20 years ago. Since 1988, however, the Barcelona City Council started renewal programs to make ‘El Ravel’ a safer and more accessible place. Thanks to this, El Ravel has slowly evolved into a hot spot filled with contemporary, diverse culture. You’ll find some of the hottest bars and hippest restaurants hiding in the complex alleyways of El Ravel. The streets of El Raval are usually filled with young hipter-ish crowds until late at night, with goes against the negative stigma usually associated with the area. But as always: where there’s smoke, there’s fire. While generally a safe area, El Raval still has many shady aspects. Prostitutes and pickpockets still roam the areas at night, and being to negligent can be dangerous, so always keep an eye out! That being said, my team and I had never ran into any trouble or seen anything dangerous during our ten days there. I had even gone our for nightly strolls at 3AM and never encountered any problems! El Raval is a place you don’t want to miss. David, Team Collavo.  www.collavo.co

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Exploring Barcelona Part. 2 (Port de Barcelona)

     The thing about Barcelona is that even when you're lost, you're bound to end up somewhere amazing. On my way to the Castle of Montjuic to catch the amazing sunset there, I took a few wrong turns and lost my way. While I was walking around( lost of course) taking in all the new setting, I could see a tall monument with a man pointing towards the sea. I thought, "Hey that looks cool." and walked towards it.

     My little adventure had taken me to the Barcelona harbour, or the Port de Barcelona to be exact, and that man above the monument was none other than Christopher Columbus (Mirador de Colom)! The Barcelona Harbor was gorgeous around noon time, and there were lots to see and do. Walk down La Rambla del Mar and you'll get a chance to see many vendors and street performers.

     Once you cross the small bridge you'll end up at one of Barcelona's biggest malls, the Maremagnum. Be sure to grab a bite on one of the terraces on the third floor because the view is amazing! 

    Every once in a while the bridge would swing around to let the yachts pass through. The fun thing about this is a siren starts going off and starts beeping faster and faster as it gets time for the bridge to swing around. It’s hilarious to watch all the people start running as the sounds get faster!      Overall it was an amazing day and while I did manage to walk all the way up to Montjuic Castle (which is quite a walk. Come Prepared or ride a bus!), I’d say my sudden discovery of the port was the best part of my day. David, Team Collavo. www.collavo.co

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Collavo at Las Ramblas & Placa Reiel, Barcelona Spain. (Barcelona Part 1)

We are back! (With a bit of jet lag.) MWC was an awesome experience, and after about 20 hours of flying and transferring our team has made it back safe and sound to Seoul, Korea. 9 days went by much too fast, and the cold under-zero weather of Seoul isn't helping much. As for Barcelona, only one thing can me said: 

Amazing. Barcelona is a magical place, and at each corner there's a surprise waiting for you. We'll miss everything from the small Koma Kafe coffee shop next to our apartment up to the tourist-packed Les Ravales streets.

A friend a met there had told me "The best way to get to know Barcelona is to get lost in it." I couldn't agree more. In our first video you'll see me exploring the city and discovering some awesome places such as the "Placa Reial"

Enjoy and look out for more awesome updates on Barcelona.

-David, Team Collavo. www.collavo.co