Ban Bossy Boutique
Written by Becky
Photos by Jay Lee
Getting caught in an unexpected downpour while walking through Hongdae’s alleys is a quintessential experience of Seoul’s summertime.
So was the case when Jay and I were looking for a particular cafe I wanted to photograph. At the first raindrops, we abandoned our initial plan and took refuge in the first cafe that was open. It was nearing 7 pm and oddly, most cafes in the area were already closed.
This is how we chanced upon Ban Bossy Boutique - yet another one of my old Cafe Hunter spots that is no longer around.
But I decided to write about it because it’s one of my first memories of hanging out with Jay - who ended up becoming part of The Halfie Project team and was the force behind many of the amazing shots that came together for our interview videos.
I admit that looking at these photos now, nearly four years later, is actually pretty embarrassing. We’ve both developed a lot in our creative work and seeing these… let’s just say, these photos serve more as memories than as work to be proud over :)
It’s funny. At the time, Jay was a newly-made friend who had connected with me (we met via craigslist. Don’t try that at home, kids) to work on his photography. I was giving him an outlet by seeking out places to go and publishing his photos on my old blog or instagram.
I like to look at those old days. Long hair Becky, fresh photographer Jay, pre-covid Korea and the future of The Halfie Project yet ahead.