summer holidays in Seoul! (Day 3)

Day 3 in Seoul was all about rain.

It rained since morning and seemed like it would not stop.
Nothing like cats and dogs rain, more like the Zeus and Hades were really fighting up there.

But people in Seoul are used to it, and rain doesn't really stop them from doing their daily routines. They use umbrellas religiously.

*Gangnam on a rainy day. Taken from my hotel room*

Dad went to visit the factory and the rest stayed in the room, watching Korean dramas with no subtitles.
'City Hunter' was on TV on encore so watching Lee Minho almost all day long wasn't that bad.
Seriously, the rain did not stop. So when it drizzled me and mom quickly jumped out of the room for a sightseeing around Gangnam. We tried to borrow umbrellas from the concierge but there's no umbrella left.

We strolled along the streets and I noticed quite a number of coffee houses in just one block. There are Paris Baguette, Seven Monkeys Coffee, Republic of Coffee and Starbucks and Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf of course, just to name a few. I also noticed that most men wore full suit to work while ladies seemed more casual but they never not wearing high heels. I truly admire that, being a heels lover myself.
=)

My mom and I bought drinks at a coffee shop/bakery called Paris Baguette which looked like a really nice café. The cashier didn’t really speak English but with menu in hands, ordering wasn’t that difficult. We only bought a strawberry milk carton and a super cute mineral water as we weren’t sure if the breads are 'halal' to eat. The mineral water bottle looks like a giant roll deodorant! I just had to keep that bottle and bring it back home to Malaysia! A very impromptu souvenir..haha..

*Gangnam road signage*

*super cute water bottle!*

After quick refreshments, we went back to the hotel and my dear friend, Ruhil said to be on her way to Gangnam. She studied English Linguistics at Hankuk University and probably the main reason me and the rest followed my dad to Seoul. My dad’s troop was scheduled to fly home tomorrow but dad extended our (family) stay a bit longer so that we could spend more time in Seoul especially with Ruhil’s generous help. She had booked us a rented room/homestay which is always way cheaper than staying in hotels. She arrived at around 6pm and not long after that, dad also came back and had already taken his dinner with his colleagues. So the rest of us including Ruhil went out for dinner and along the way, she shared about her experience studying in Korea and she seemed to be very happy there. She now even looks like a Korean, especially with her fair skin!

Ruhil shoved us into a Japanese restaurant but owned by a Korean family and we all stared at her in awe when she made orders to the ‘ahjusshi’ or uncle. She can read and speak Korean really well. Me and my sisters were jealous, mainly because we all love Korean dramas, ever since ‘Winter Sonata’ were showed on TV3. We fell in love with Jun Sang instantly, followed by Won Bin through ‘Autumn in My Heart’. Hehehe.. Anyway we had Japanese Soba for dinner which is a type of noodle and also a shared rice with vegetables. Basically, according to Ruhil, Koreans cook their meals with sesame oil or vegetables oil and never with animal-based oil. Thus, as long as the food does not contain animal-based product, Muslim can consume it without any worry. The same goes with breads sold in bakeries but try not to buy those with sausage or meatloaf as it may not be ‘halal’. Well, if you’re not sure about your food or you ever feel ‘was was’, just don’t eat it, as simple as that.

We stopped by at Paris Baguette (a different one than earlier, there’s Paris Baguette everywhere!) to buy some breads for breakfast tomorrow as the rations that we bought from Malaysia (ehem, we Malaysians are very used to bring food from home) had already zero-ed out. We ordered a dessert that looked a lot like Malaysia ABC (air batu campur) but with fruits topping. A nice cool dessert to end the rainy day.

*me&Ruhil*

*Paris Baguette*

*our yummy dessert*

And I had begun to love Seoul.

=)

summer holidays in Seoul! (Day 4)

My dad's troop went back to Malaysia on the fourth day but my family stayed in for a couple more days.
Tak puas berjalan lagi. Haha!

We moved out from the hotel as it would be too expensive to stay there. Plus, Gangnam is a bit too far from the hearts of Seoul.
Ruhil already booked us a homestay room at Boetigogae and the company driver sent us all there after breakfast.
Korean house is quite small compared to what we have here in Malaysia. They have a lot of flats and apartments which are very close to one another. I can tell by now that space is really limited in Seoul.
We walked into the room and boy, I was amazed! There's everything in the room -bunker beds, wardrobes, TV and even a mini bar! I was certainly impressed!
The room cost us 15,000Won or RM45 per night for each person. It was still much much much cheaper than hotel rooms.
There were three rooms, kitchen and a bathroom in the house. The landlady lived in another house next to us. There was no sofa in the living room, just a dining table and computer table.
We're very grateful that Ruhil was there to help us. Language was quite a barrier and it would really help if you learn a few Korean words.

*landlady explaining to Ruhil about the house*

After moving in, Ruhil guided us to the subway station, bought us subway tickets/cards that can be topped up.
We went to Itaewon where the Central Mosque is situated. We had a Turkish lunch in a beautiful and peaceful restaurant. Muslims can find halal food easily in this small town. While waiting for our meal, Ruhil drew maps for our journey, just in case she couldn't make it the next day.
Basically, if you have the tourist and subway maps, it'd be super easy for you to move around. The most important thing is that you definitely have to cope with walking. You would see people walking everywhere. And while the road seemed at its peak all the time, so were the people who walked. You can tell the population is very large.
*subway**Itaewon*
*our beautiful tour guide!*

*Seoul Central Mosque*
*varieties of Baklava (Turkish pastry)*

After lunch and solat at the mosque, we headed to Myeongdong by subway. The trains were very punctual, no need to worry if you miss one as the other will arrive in less than 10 minutes.
Well, ou see, before I came to Seoul, I've heard all the fuss about the city being a blessed shopping heaven.
And I won't beg to differ in any way!
It is a shopping heaven!
Myeongdong is a huge shopping streets and not only do they have shoplots, there are also street shops like hawker style!
You can find almost anything here -shoes, handbags, accessories, phone covers, food, beauty stuff...
There are also a 3-storey Zara and 4-storey Forever 21 boutiques where stuff sold is super cheap as everything is manufactured in China, thus, transportation costs are way cheaper.
Did I mention it's a shopping heaven?
;)
The funny thing was that Forever 21 shoes were cheaper or almost the same as the ones they sold hawker style.
I actually walked in into almost every shop!
So many decisions to make. So little time to execute those decisions.
Sigh.

Anyway, shopping wasn't the only highlight of the day.
The Seoul Global Culture and Tourism Centre is also situated in Myeongdong where you can get more information about Seoul especially the cultural events happening around town.
Tourists are also allowed to have the experience as a Korean by learning to wear their colourful traditional costumes and it's free. It is a must to try on the costumes if you visit Seoul as it is always nice to learn about different cultures.
After a little bit of shopping we went back to Itaewon for an Indian dinner which was delicious before heading back to our homestay.

I haven't traveled that much around the world (yet) but wherever country you visit, try not to convert the price. Once you start to convert, you won't be able to enjoy spending your money on holidays.
I've to admit food is quite pricey in Seoul, especially if you choose a nice restaurant but if the food taste nice and your tummy is singing happily, not hungrily, then what's the fuss about?
=)

*Myeongdong*
*okay my mom said it's not nice to laugh at people. so stop laughing, you!*

Day 4 basically ended with a nice long hot shower and a bunker bed.
Lovely.

summer holidays in Seoul! (Day 5)

Our day 5 in Seoul was simply breathtaking.

We started early because holidays are just not the time to sleep in.
Ruhil had gone home the night before and her friends were visiting her from outside of Seoul so she couldn't join us.
But she had already taught me everything I need to know about the subway system so I didn't worry much. God bless her.

We had planned our journey for today to be a trip to Nami Island.
Now, if you're a fan of Korean dramas, you would remember the first ever Korean drama series played on TV in Malaysia.
I supposed it's in 2001 or 2002, if I'm not mistaken, and the super famous drama was 'Winter Sonata'. If was so famous that me and friends all watched it and discussed about it at school.
And it's a love at first sight when I saw Jun Sang or his real name Bae Yong-joon. He's such a sweetheart in the drama.
Damn I'm a sucker for anything romantic.
Back to Nami Island, the place became famous mainly because of the drama which was also a hit in Korea.
It took us around an hour and a half to get there by train.
The place was breathtaking, beautiful and as weird as this may sound, romantic. You can feel the love here. It's like everyone was so happy to be here.
I bet the place would be even more gorgeous during spring or winter.
I'd definitely come back to Nami Island for my honeymoon!
Guess I've to start looking for a potential future husband now.
LOL!
*waiting for ferry*
*the famous 'first kiss' table*
*the statues of Jun Sang & the heroine, Yoo Jin*
*my parents trying their best to be an older version of Jun Sang & Yoo Jin. cute!*

We spent almost four hours on the serene island before taking the jetty back to train station and straight back to Seoul.
Next place we had in mind was another famous location for another drama, 'Boys Over Flowers', The Seoul Tower or Namsan Tower.
From the nearest train station, we needed to take cab as there's no bus or other train going up there. The cab dropped us at the cable car station and it cost us 2,000Won. Not bad for a cab fare.
From the cable car, we were able to see the town of Seoul. We could actually see how crowded the city was.
The tower is also famous for the massive number of padlocks around the fence or Locks of Love. Lovebirds would write love notes on the padlocks and lock them on the fence, symbolising a promise of eternal love between them.
Don't bother counting the padlocks. Or even read them. You'll go blind. There's just way too many to read.
On top of that, I bet the tower would look immensely beautiful at night especially with all the lights on. It is open at night and there's a lot of tour packages that choose to bring tourists there at night.
*now do you believe me when I said don't bother reading?*

I have hundreds of pictures taken but don't think it can all fit here.
One thing for sure, these two places are 'a must visit' places when you're in Seoul.
They'd take your breath away in a whole different kind of way.
Just like falling in love.
=)

summer holidays in Seoul! (Day 6)

You know, Korean dramas certainly have their own ways in making people (like me) addicted to everything about the dramas.

For instance, the actors and actresses, of course, and also the places where the shooting happens.
Not to mention that it's a great way to promote the country.
The day before we went to two tourist attractions that used to be shooting places for Korean dramas 'Winter Sonata' and 'Boys Over Flowers'.
Well, for day 6 we managed to go to another place made famous by the drama 'Stairway to Heaven'. God this drama just kills me everytime I watch it. I'd cry like nobody's business. Very bad.
Me and my sisters were obsessed with this drama and ahem, the actor (Kwan Sang Woo) of course, so long before we came to Seoul we decided we must go to Lotte World.
Okay, this was where we got confused. Lotte World is a huge, tremendous place. There are Lotte hotels, shopping malls, tall buildings and indoor and outdoor theme parks.
Yup, it's so big I honestly think it's ridiculous that someone can be this rich. It's like the whole city is owned by Lotte!
Putting the awe aside, we learnt that we need to pay around 20,000Won for a ticket. Our idea was just to snap few pictures and went home happily. We weren't interested to play any games in the theme parks so we just walked around for pictures.
*ticket booth. super cute!*
*the entrance of indoor theme park*
*the ice ring & outdoor theme park as seen in 'Stairway to Heaven'*

Next, we satisfied our needs to 'shop til we drop' in Insa-dong and Myeongdong.
Again.
Bought souvenirs at Insa-dong, grabbed myself the Korean spoon and chopsticks and socks with celebrities' faces on them.
Yep, they're that creative to even have these kinds of socks.
I found a pair of shoes I really really like at Forever 21 Myeongdong, sadly my size had sold out! I was very disappointed! Out of all days it had to be on this day!
Browsed through garments and bags but none caught my attention. Here at Myeongdong you'll see many beauty shops such as The Face Shop, Etude House (both are also famous in Malaysia), Missha and Its Skin and with these numbers of beauty shops, how can I not shop?
I bought too many facial masks, BB creams and eye liners that probably would be a year supply.
Okay, make it two years.
They're super cheap as the brands originated from Korea. Almost 70% off from the price in Malaysia.
At that bargain, tell me how should I refrain myself from buying anything?
Could I?
I'd be crazy not to.
*Insa-dong Art Market*
*Myeongdong, a shopping heaven*
*socks!*
*collateral damage. unintentionally. hehe..*

Shopping sprees had basically made my dad very tired so we went straight home.
If it were up to me, I'd be shopping up until the last train of the day.
hahaha...
But then again, holidays are not for selfish people.
We went out together, we came home together.
Had shower and hot drinks.
End result -everyone was happy for the night.

And a bit gloomy because it's time to pack things to go HOME.
='(

summer holidays in Seoul! (Day 7 -final day)

It is a norm for everything to end.

Every starting mark has its finishing line.
The same goes to my great journey in Seoul. As much as I hated to leave, I missed my own bed and bathroom and my 5yo nephew.

It was raining on our final day in Seoul.
Our flight home was almost midnight so we still got a few hours to embrace the last moments in this beautiful cultural rich country.
We decided to to visit The Museum of King Sejong the Great because my dad is a big fan of a drama about the king.
It was raining heavily and because of the weather, it was quite a hassle to find the museum.
It took us almost an hour of walking in the rain and two policemen to guide us there.
Such an adventure on the very last day.
And the museum was, well, disappointing.
First, the guide book was written in Korean. Secondly, the description at every historical item found in the museum was also in Korean.
Basically, we couldn't understand a thing there.
It doesn't make sense for a museum to not include English translation but who am I to criticize upon this matter, they probably have their own explanation.
You can read the history of the great king here.

*The Museum of King Sejong the Great*

We made our last stop at Itaewon for our last lunch here.
A Pakistani man gave us pamphlet of a buffet restaurant and we decided to give a try.
The food wasn't that bad but not so variety for a price of 15,000Won per head. The naan bread was nice and fluffy, though.
*Maha Raja Restaurant*

We stopped by at home to refresh ourselves and to collect out luggage bags.
The landlady was at church so we said goodbye to her through phone call. Her husband was at home but he couldn't speak English, a very nice guy.
He called a Jumbo cab for us which can fit up to six people. The cab took us straight to Incheon International Airport, for almost an hour journey and it cost us 80,000Won. It was still raining when we arrived at the airport at around 6pm.
We had some good rest at the airport, just lazying around and walked around the airport. We checked in quite early as we planned to do some last minute shopping at the duty free shops.
Worse thing happened -the duty free shops close at 9pm in this airport.
What a day.
But we did manage to grab few things before the shops closed -bought more beauty stuff.
Hehehe..
Our flight was delayed for half an hour, probably because of the bad weather.
*Incheon International Airport*
='(

I bid goodbye to Seoul at 12.05am.
It was a hard goodbye, a bittersweet feeling because at the same I can't wait to return home.
I was too tired I couldn't sleep at all on our journey home.
I really enjoyed my time in Seoul, despite the language barrier, the city is a place I wanna come back in the future.
And a thing I truly respect of Koreans would be the fact that they don't smoke in public. I remember walking down the streets in Myeongdong and people would stop to smoke in the alleys, not while walking in public.
Try walking in Jln TAR in Malaysia and you'll have people exhale their cigarette smoke into your face.
I decided then with this mentality and attitude of no respect towards others, we'll never move forward and be developed as Korea or Japan.
I have nothing against smokers, it's your choice but it's proven that secondhand smoke is dangerous, thus, don't drag non-smokers, children and helpless old people into your smoky living hell.
Oh well, I better rest my case.
Why would they care about others when they themselves provide nicotine into their own lungs?

And so with a slight bump, we safely landed at LCCT at 4.45am.
Alhamdulillah.
They don't say 'home sweet home' for nothing.
=)