Back to Life, Back to Reality...

I can't believe that my holiday in Seoul is over and tomorrow, I have to go back to work! Reality bites!!

I am soooo not looking forward to tomorrow. I'm sure my boss has reloaded her bullets to fire at me once I am back at the office. She would make sure there's something to blame me for when I was away. *sigh*

Well, life must go on and I have to do my best. I'm sure whatever happens at the office tomorrow, I can take it. I have been doing it for 8 years! God, how I wish I am still in my holiday right now!

I already miss Seoul! I miss the weather, the people, the food and the view. I will definitely go back!

Anyway, it is back to life and back to the present time. Seoul is now a memory... But one I will cherish for the rest of my life!

Seoul Finally!! ^o^ [7]

Today is our last day in Seoul.

We woke up late and was out of the guesthouse by 11.45 a.m. in search of lunch. Today was an easy breezy day... walking and shopping around Myeondong. We decided to have lunch at that place that sells fried rice and paejon. Jan's friend, Karen, joined us at the restaurant after we finished eating. She is Filipino but lives and works in Canada with her family. She's here with a group of friends for holiday like Jan and me.

After lunch we walked around Myeondong. I bought another cap from Hats-on shop, this time for my brother as souvenir. Then I bought some stuff from Tony Moly, a Korean brand beauty and skincare product. There are a lot of local brand beauty and skincare shops and all of them are endorsed/modelled by top Korean actors/idols. I think I saw like 5 Tony Moly shops in Myeondong shopping area alone!

After we parted ways with Karen, we walked some more and found a shop called Art Box that sells cute stuff like stationeries, bags, organisers, t-shirts, etc. I bought a small travelling bag, a toothbrush holder, a birthday card and a cute umbrella there. Art Box is that kind of shop where you cannot leave without buying anything.

Our next stop in Myeondong was the Cat Cafe. That place sells coffee, tea and other beverages and while you enjoy your drinks, you can pet and play with the cats in the cafe. The cats were so well behaved and very playful. I had a great time there!

Afterwards, we went back to the guesthouse and started packing. Jan bought a lot of stuff!! Yesterday she bought another 10kg for her airline luggage. Well, she has a big family so souvenirs alone took a lot of luggage space. Not to mention the bottled drinks and magazines she bought here. Hopefully there will be no excess baggage at the airport tomorrow.

We went out to Myeondong again after that in search of dinner. We went to Myeondong's Nipong Naepong (I hope I got the name right!!) that sells fusion Italian dishes. Tonight we had sweet potato pizza and Italian pong. The Italian pong is like carbonara but a bit spicy with more gravy. It was delicious!

We walked back to the guesthouse with a heavy heart, knowing that tonight is our last night in Seoul. I really hope I could come back here again and visit more places.

I will miss Seoul very much!!

Seoul Finally!! ^o^ [7]

We spent our 6th day in Seoul with a spring shower in the morning. Luckily, by the time we left the guesthouse, the downpour had reduced to drizzles. I chose to wear the new Nii sweater I bought at Lotte World yesterday. It is a vibrant yellow colour which was a contrast to the gloomy morning.

Our first stop was Naksan park which is at the top of a hill. I felt embarrassed to the ahjussis and ahjummas who confidently strode/jogged up the hill whilst Jan and I were huffing and puffing our slow ascend to the park. Thank God the rain stopped when we got there in Naksan and we got occassional peek of the sun when we were there.

Naksan park was simply breathtaking even though most of the flowers planted on the flowerbeds along the path were still not blooming. But almost all trees are blooming with flowers which made our journey up to the top of the park most worth it! The view from the top of the park was also very pretty.

From the top of Naksan park, we walked down towards Ihwa Village where we found murals on walls and stairs. It was very nice!

After Naksan and Ihwa Village, we kinda lost our way to the subway station. Hence, we asked direction from the policeman who was sitting in the police car. Instead of giving us direction, he gave us a ride in the police car towards the station! What an experience! I have never ridden in a police car before and my first experience was in Seoul! I think the policeman found it hard to give us directions in English; hence, the free ride in the police car ^^

We continued our journey to Insadong.... A place for art and culture lovers. We stopped at the mall there called Ssamziegil and I found this little shop that sells porcelain music box. The unique thing about this shop is you can choose the design of the music box and the song to play in the music box. I finally found the perfect gift for Oni (my sister), who is celebrating her birthday this 30th. I choose a design with cats because Oni loves cat and the music is La Vie en Rose. I hope she likes it. After shopping in Ssamziegil, we walked some more and found a big shop that sells Korean handcraft product. Here, I bought  handmade handbag for my mum and a fan for my sister. The ahjumma who sold the handbag to me kept saying that I am a good daughter since I told her that I was buying it for my mum! ^^ I also like the fan I bought for Adik (my youngest sister) with beautiful and yet simple design. I hope both Mama and Adik will like what I bought them!

And to my surprise, Jan bought me a pair of silver earrings from the shop too. It is a simple flower design which I can wear everyday. I really love it! I should buy something for Jan too, I guess! :)

So, that's our adventure today. Tomorrow is our last day! I wish we could stay here longer!!

Seoul Finally!! ^o^ [6]

We were in our 5th day in Seoul and it was a bright sunny day too! ^_^

We left the guesthouse at about 9a.m. and had our breakfast at Paris Baguette about 5 minutes away from the guesthouse. Then we took the subway to Jamsil to Lotte World, one of the famous theme parks in Seoul. We bought the tickets at the self-ticketing kiosk, which is quite easy to use. An all day pass is 34,000 won for an adult.

Lotte World has an indoor and an outdoor park. We went straight to the outdoor park. It is next to Seokcho Lake which boasts beautiful scenery. Cherry blossoms surrounded the lake... It was indeed a beautiful sight. A great place for lovers to stroll hand in hand.... *sigh*

Anyways, the theme park was fun. We went to the horror 3D show (which was actually not really scary) and I tried the high swing. I also rode on the Gyro Swing, which I think is the scariest game in there. I still couldn't believe that I got on that thing alone! But it was fun!

Afterwards, we went to COEX Mall in Gangnam because there is an Aquarium there that we wanted to visit. The Aquarium is quite alright. Almost the same experience I had when I visited Aquaria in KLCC. The ticket in is 19,500 won for an adult.

It was almost 6p.m. when we finished at the Aquarium. So we went straight to Ittaewon in search of halal food. Jan and I really missed our chicken meat. LOL! We went into an Indian restaurant and ordered chicken tandoori and chicken curry with nan, rice, samosa and palak panir. It was delicious!

That was our day today. Tomorrow will be another adventure!!

Seoul Finally!! ^o^ [5]

It was a wet rainy day in Seoul. It was our 4th day here and we had an early morning start because we were going to Nami Island. It was a good thing that we left early, otherwise we wouldn't be able to enjoy Nami Island to fullest because rain started at about 12p.m.

We left the guesthouse at about 8.30a.m. We took the subway and afterwards, the ITX, to Gapyeong station. From there, we took a cab to the dock for the ferry that would take us to Nami Island. For the ITX ticket from Cheongnyani to Gapyeong was 4,000 won per person and the cab from Gapyeong station to the dock was 2,400won. The ferry fare to Nami Island was 8,000won per person.

It was already cloudy when we arrived at Nami Island but we could still take good pictures. The island becomes famous because of the popular drama, Winter Sonata. I am a big fan of this romantic drama and at that time when it was super popular, I too was in love with Kang Jung Sang, the lead male character in this drama. So, visiting the island was like reminiscing the great romantic scenes between the lead characters... their first bicycle ride together, played in the snow together, their first kiss, their walks to remember the forgotten past... Sigh!

But Nami Island itself, in reality, is not as romantic as it was depicted in the drama. It could have been a romantic place for couples to date but with too much crowd and school children on field trip running around, the romantic moments become lost. To me, once is enough. I won't be visiting the island again.

We had our lunch on Nami Island at this restaurant that sale bentos. Well, if you are thinking about Japanese bentos with little egg rolls and cute unagi-cut sausages, you got it wrong, my friends. This was rice mixed with kimchi and egg, served inside a hot metal "bento box" and you have to shake the box really hard so that what's inside it will mix well. Because the metal bento box is really hot, you have to wear a protective glove to shake it. After so much effort and shaking, you open the box and find that what's inside is not really worth all the shaking. Then you start eating and realise that you should eat something else instead. You get what I mean?

We wanted to go to Petit France afterwards but because of the rain, we cancelled our plan. Instead, we headed to Dongdaemon and went to the ahjumma's place that sell grilled fish. The same restaurant we went to on the first day we arrived in Seoul. By the time we found the restaurant (we were kinda lost because we took the wrong exit from the subway station), it was almost 5.00p.m.

After eating, we took the subway again. This time to Namdaemun. It is like Petaling Street in Kuala Lumpur. We went there to buy souvenirs for friends and colleagues back in KL. I also bought 3 t-shirts for my dad.

We bought kebab for dinner and walked back to the guesthouse. Our plan to Ittaewon was cancelled because the rain was quite bad. We were already very tired.

So that was our adventure today. I really hope tomorrow will be a sunny day for us.

Seoul Finally !! ^o^ [4]

Day 3 in Seoul.

We were again blessed with a very good weather today. This time, it was really sunny with clear blue sky.

We started late today. We left our guesthouse at about 12p.m. We wanted to go to Apgujeong for lunch but we missed the stop and got off at Sinsadong instead. But we didn't regret it because we got to eat lunch at Blacksmith, a pizza place endorsed by Park Yuchun (Jan's Korean idol/actor sweetheart) and Song Seung Heon (my latest Korean actor sweetheart ;p). The place is a bit pricey because it is a proper restaurant but the food and service were great! We had a good lunch there.

Afterwards, we headed back to Apgujeong and went to this ice-cream place called Timeout Gellato owned by Park Yuchun's mother. According to Jan, the place is gonna closed soon because the whole Timeout Gellato franchise is closing down. That particular Timeout place is like a Park Yuchun's shrine where fans could come and worship him. The walls were full with Yuchun's big posters and the tv was showing his group's (JYJ) concerts. There's one cabinet next to the counter that was filled with Yuchun's merchandise. But the icecream was really good! So, it was not just about Yuchun.

After Yuchun, we went to Yeouido to visit the National Assembly Hall where cherry blossom trees were blossoming. It was such a divine experience! The trees were splendidly beautiful! When the wind blew, the petals went down softly like snow! Jan and I had a blast there!

Then we went back to Myeongdong to catch Nanta, a musical where 4 actors played music using kitchen utensils, including very sharp knives! They were so skillful and funny at the same time. No wonder it is one of the top 10 tourist attractions in Korea! I'm glad we watched it because the show was awesome, funny and very interactive.

We had a late dinner of seafood fried rice and paejon not far from Nanta theater. I can't remember what the place is called but they cooked the fried rice for you at your table. That's my first experience of something like that!

Another fun and interesting day in Seoul. Tomorrow, we will go to Nami island! Can't wait!!

Seoul Finally!! ^o^ [3]

Day 2 in Seoul.

I woke up quite late... around 8.40 a.m. After breakfast, we went to Namsan Tower. The walk from our guesthouse to the elevator that would take us to the cable car was about 5 minutes away. Very convenient, isn't it?

The best thing today is that the weather was nice although it was still cold. The view from Namsan Tower was breathtaking. From up there, Seoul doesn't have significant amount of skyscrapers but that is definitely not a bad thing in my view. It is still a fun and interesting city.

We started our Namsan activity by visiting the Teddy Bear Museum. Those cuddly and cute little teddies are dressed and positioned to depict the various history and culture of Korea. You can't help but uuhhhs and aaahhhhss at the various levels of cuteness those teddies showed you.

Afterwards, we went to the observation deck to see Seoul from the tower. Like I said earlier, the view is breathtaking. I wonder if Kuala Lumpur tower will give me such viewing pleasure too? I must go there when I get back to KL!

Then, we went down to one deck where people put locks at the deck's railing. Mostly by couples or lovers. I guess it is a symbol of two hearts locked together.

After Namsan, we took the subway to search for an ahjumma restaurant that supposedly sell monster paejon. We found it! Despite the language barrier, Jan managed to order what we want. The dubu kimchi and monster paejon were delicious. It could actually feed more than 2 people!

After eating, we went to the house in Coffee Prince drama which is now a cafe. It was up a hill. Thank God we took a taxi! I don't know how Jan and I would get up there if we didn't! The coffee is great but a little bit pricey. But you won't regret going there because the place comes with a nice view. I wish someday I would be able to drink coffee there with my boyfriend! :)

From there, we took a taxi to a subway station and took a train to Hangang Park. The cherry blossoms there were awesome!! There people riding bicycles along the park, people having picnic... General that's where you get to have fun! Jan and I took the cruise along the Han river and we sang and giggled like a couple of school children along the cruise. Despite the super cold weather, we braved it and stayed on the observation deck. It was worth it because the lights and water show from the Rainbow Bridge was awesome!

Despite our tired feet and our cold chattering teeth, we continued our adventure to search for dinner. This time at Sindang where the famous Toppoki Town is at. From the subway, we walked for about 10 minutes and arrived at the famous ahjumma restaurant. Like I said before, don't ask me the name cos I'm suck at remembering it. In any event, despite the fact that it was almost 9.30pm, the place was packed with people who wanted to eat hot and delicious toppoki. We ordered for two but it could actually feed more than 2 people! And it was only 11,000 won! So worth it!

We took a cab back from Sindang but because of language barrier, the taxi ahjussi dropped us quite far from our place. By the time we arrived at the guesthouse, I was already too tired to speak!

Anyway, another great day and great adventure in Seoul. I had fun and can't wait to explore more. But first, I need to recharge my battery... ^_^v

Seoul Finally!! ^o^ [2]

We haven't slept for 24 hours but because tonight is a Saturday night, we must experience Hongdae. So off we went to Hongdae tonite despite our lack of sleep and our tired feet. But the excitement kept us going. We saw street performers, shopping area, Hello Kitty cafe, etc. The highlight was dinner at Nipong Naepong near Ehwa Women's University. We shared a big bowl of Chinese Ppong (spicy but omnomlicious!!) and sweet potato pizza (yummiliciously sweet which went well with the ppong) and total bill came out at 15,500 won!

There were a lot of good looking Korean guys and girls and you keep wondering if you'll ever bump into a famous actor/actress/idol.

Can't wait for another adventure tomorrow!

Seoul Finally!! ^o^

Jan and I finally arrived in Seoul, South Korea this morning after 6 hours long uncomfortable flight. We couldn't sleep during the flight but soon as we got to the city, we couldn't wait to explore.

It was raining in Seoul when we arrived but we could still see cherry blossoms lining up at the side of the road on our way from Incheon airport to Seoul. I have never seen such beautiful trees in my entire life! This is truly a blessing to me!

And guess what? At the airport when I was walking back to Jan after I got the trolley (we were collecting our luggage), I saw Top and Daesung of Big Bang!! They were like just 10 meters away from me! I was so star struck that I even forgot to take their pictures. Daesung actually smiled and grinned at me after seeing my obviously surprised face!! He is so adorable! And Top was looking handsome as usual in his sunglasses... maintaining his cool of course!

I am such a lucky girl!!

We are staying at B My Guesthouse in Myeongdong. Such a nice place and very friendly English speaking staff. Our room is small but we like it! And it is so conveniently situated near the subway. The only complaint I have is the walk up the hill to the guesthouse. Thank God it is spring!! Otherwise I would not only be puffing but also be sweating profusely!!

We had grilled fish and spicy squid for lunch at a local small restaurant (don't ask me where cos I am suck at remembering names!) and it was superb and we only paid 13,000 won for it!

Right now we are relaxing in our room. Will go out again tonight to explore Hongdae! ^_^

Holiday!!

The one year wait is almost over. At 1 am tomorrow morning, Jan and I will fly to Seoul for our first overseas holiday together! I am very excited!

This will be Jan's 3rd time to Seoul. As for me, this will be first Seoul experience. Hopefully, everything will go well and fun for us in Seoul.

It is a hard earned holiday. With so much shit I have to take at work, i really need this break. My boss kept saying that I don't earned but I don't care. I know I worked hard.

Well, my luggage are packed. All I need to do now is survive another day at work. After that, I will be off to Jan's place and we will go to the airport together.

Wish me the best!!!