Day 46 An Unplanned Hike: Mt. Achasan
I originally wanted to visit Dobongsan in the morning, but i woke up a little late and i really don't know why but i always postpone my trip to Dobongsan. I am quite paranoid so i keep thinking that i will slip off the rocky slopes in my sport shoes. Also, i am not confident of scaling Dobongsan because of the level of difficulty(according to online sources and my imagination).
Mt Achasan is situated beside Goguryeo Blacksmith Village and i was thinking, hmmm why not? I read somewhere that it is the easiest to climb out of the few mountains that the author climbed.
Labels: Hidden Gems, Thoughts
Day 46 Goguryeo Blacksmith Village
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| Filming site of the First King's Four Gods and Faith |
Day 45 A performance that i watched but did not understand
I loitered around the area near Gyeongbukgung station for a while before a lady approached me and invited me to a free performance in a dance theatre. I knew that i wasn't the kind who knew how to appreciate such abstract performances but i went in anyway, just for the experience.
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Day 45 Buam-dong, Baeksasil Valley
Baeksasil Valley can be easily accessed by taking a bus to Buam-dong Community Centre. It lies deep within the residential area and it provides respite from the hectic everyday life(of which i will be experiencing very soon T.T). There are many families having picnics by the stream in the valley. There is also a temple situated in the Valley. I continued walking after reaching the main road and i returned to the bus stop that i alighted at when i arrived.
Of the few neighbourhoods that i have visited, i like Buam-dong best. I would love to live here if i could.
Labels: Hidden Gems, Neighbourhoods, Temples
Day 45 Cafe: Art For Life at Buam-dong
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| Art For Life Cafe: a quaint cafe owned by warm-hearted Mr Sung |
I walked past this cafe before while i was on my way to Sanmotoonge a few weeks ago but i didn't think of checking it out. This time i passed by their entrance and the image of a cup of iced coffee surfaced in my mind when i was about 10m away. I needed a drink to survive the summer heat and the walk through my destination for the day: Baeksasil Valley.
Labels: Cafes, Food, Hidden Gems
Day 45 Goodbye SNU
Today feels somewhat like the third and final chapter of this journey. I missed a futsal session this morning because i overslept and woke up at 9am. I spent abut 2 hours packing the remainder of my belongings before i left for the guesthouse.
I lugged an obese Mr Bobo across platforms and up and down flights of stairs. Memories of my very first day here vivid in my mind as i recalled the same scenario occurring on June 14. I am thankful to have met a fellow summer exchange student who helped me to carry Mr Bobo up the bus, an old couple who helped me manage my luggage even though they didn't sit near the entrance of the bus and a kind lady who carried Mr Bobo up the station's killer stairs with me when she saw me struggling.
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Labels: Cafes, Hidden Gems
Day 44 My Last Night in SNU: Pajeon 파전 with Friends
We went back to the delicious pajeon and makgeoli restaurant at Nokdu-ro (directions(somewhat) here) to eat our favourite seafood pajeon for the last time in a few years(i hope...). Time really flies. One week, one month, one year, two years... Before we know it, we will all be sitting in a rocking chair telling our children or grandchildren(or dogs and cats, if we don't get married) stories of pancakes, beer and kimchi. These precious memories and mental images of our friends and family laughing at the dinner table will be kept close to our hearts for as long as we live.
Day 44 Jamsil station, Lotte Mart
I really like the toasted bread that they sell in Korea. It is simple, delicious and affordable. This is only the second time that i ate toast. The first time i ate it was at the platform in Geumjeong station.
Labels: Food
Day 44 Pyeongchang: Tandem Paragliding
This morning, we took an express bus from Dong Seoul Bus Terminal (Gangbyeon station) to Pyeongchang Intercity Bus Terminal.
Pyeongchang feels like one of those cities where life seems to proceed at a slower pace. It is a tranquil city filled with mountains and a lot of greenery.
We had an unexpectedly good pork rib and potato stew at a restaurant located beside the bus terminal (behind the taxis). We initially wanted to order some noodles and kimbap but the lady said that those dishes were not available. We eventually settled on Gamjatang(감자탕), which turned out to be a wise decision. The stew is spicy but my friends got hooked on it. The meat was tender and the potatoes tasted nice(really can't be a food blogger). The four of us devoured the medium-sized stew and we are certain that it is one of the best meals we had.
Labels: Food, Hidden Gems, Sports
Day 43 Cafe: Yoger Presso
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| Cookie & Cream Yopucino, 4500won |
Yoger Presso isn't exactly a very special cafe but i couldn't resist getting a cup of my favourite Cookie and Cream Yopucino. It tastes a little like cookies and cream milkshake but it has the icy texture much like that of the smoothies i have drunk. I am a big fan of anything cookies and cream so i really like this drink. I have no idea whether there is any caffeine in this drink but i can't seem to taste it.
[From Yoger Presso's website]
Labels: Cafes
Day 43 Meet Hearty
Hearty lives in Keum-Ryeon-Sa, a buddhist temple in the Korean Folk Village.
I walked up the small hill towards the entrance of the temple and proceeded towards the main area to snap some pictures. After i reached the top of the main stairway, i looked up. This time, it was not the temple's beautiful traditional architecture that caught my eye.
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Day 43 Meet Cookie
Cookie is a friendly cat who resides in the Bazaar at the Korean Folk Village.She(or he?) is being fed regularly by one of the shopkeepers. She lives with her sibling(presumably) who is a little wary of humans. Do say 'hi' to her if you meet her at the folk village!
Day 43 Gyeonggi-do: Korean Folk Village
I had lunch at a supermarket in Suwon station before i boarded the last shuttle bus (2.30pm) to the Korean Folk Village from the parking lot beside Suwon station's tourist information centre. (You have to get a 'ticket' from the tourist information centre first)
Labels: Hidden Gems
Day 43 Baseball Again!
Today marks the last day of lessons in SNU. As much as i am glad that we don't have anymore assignments to do, i miss being a student in Korea, albeit not a regular one. It is also vehement reminder that soon, very soon, i will be boarding a plane back to the little red dot and i will be back to studying engineering, something that is vastly different from language and humanities.
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Day 42 Samgyupsal Dinner + Cold Stone Creamery
My friend and i were craving for some meat so we settled on this Samgyupsal restaurant.
Read more »Labels: Food
Day 42 Cafe: Jio Book Cafe
I finally found the cafe that i have been wanting to visit since the start of the week after i stumbled upon some pictures of it online.
Read more »Labels: Cafes
Day 42 Went to a baseball batting cage and whacked some balls
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| When in Korea, go to a batting cage to whack some balls. |
There are a few regrets that i have:
1. Not coming here much earlier.
I arrived in Seoul a mere 10 days before checking in to the dormitory. I should have came here 3 weeks before checking in. Heck, i should have came here 3 months earlier... ...
2. Not learning Korean prior to my departure.
Maybe sometimes i am less conscious about what i do because i have absolutely no idea what people are talking about.
But i am dying of curiosity.
I have a burning desire to chat with the friendly old people that i meet on my subway rides, in markets and in restaurants.
I want to answer their questions and i want to ask them questions.
I don't want to have a shellshocked expression whenever the cashier over the counter asks me something really basic.
I want to read all the banners and street signs with relative ease.
3. Not entering a batting cage UNTIL TODAY.
Day 41 Cafe: Cafe Whipping
I will be counting down to my last day in Korea and i have decided to do a...
CAFE COUNTDOWN!
(I have no knowledge of coffees, teas and brewing so whatever i write will be based on how much i like what i ordered.)
The first Cafe in this series is Cafe Whipping.
Cafe Whipping is situated on the second floor of the building and might probably be overshadowed by its GINORMOUS neighbour Cafe Justin which is directly opposite and is the size of a football field.
Just kidding...
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The cafe has a very simplistic design with cream-coloured walls and dangling overhead bulbs (my head hit one of them thrice by accident).
The menu consists of coffees, smoothies, fruits and a rather wide selection of wine and beer.
They also offer a few variants of sandwiches.
Read more »Labels: Cafes
Day 41 Skipping Lesson to Play Soccer
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| Make your weaknesses become your strengths and make your strengths become second nature to you. |
I missed Korean language lessons today because my legs were very itchy and my boots were calling my name in the middle of the night. Hence, at 520pm, i trotted over to Daechi Sports Complex and ran into the arms of my old friend, Soccer.
Day 40 Food & Friends
| I wanted to find a particular book cafe near Seoul National Univ. station but i was unsuccessful. So i ate at a cafe cum learning centre for kids. It is called SGS if i am not wrong. (walk straight after emerging from exit 2 for about 250m) It is a cosy place and the owner is very friendly!  |
| Donkatsu, 6000won |
Labels: Food
Day 39 A Regular Day
Listening to Lee Jonghyun's(my favourite CN Blue member) song, My Love, while relaxing in a relatively empty cafe makes today feel so regular.
Gradually, this journey doesn't feel like a trip anymore.
It is beginning to feel as though i actually live here.
I would love to go out and meet friends after school or during the weekends, drink and laugh over barbecued meat, watch a movie and actually understand what the actors are saying, go on picnics at public parks and perhaps, chill out at the market with my mum.
I wouldn't be rushing and wanting to visit as many places as i can.
I wouldn't have to decide on where to go and what to do.
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I forgot my handphone number until i saw a very familiar looking set of numbers on an application form that i kept.
Whoops.
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I forgot my handphone number until i saw a very familiar looking set of numbers on an application form that i kept.
Whoops.
Day 39 Bongeunsa
Bongeunsa is a 1,200 year old temple located in Samseong-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul.
Labels: Temples
Day 38 Bukchon Hanok Village + Bubble Tea
Bukchon was especially quiet and peaceful on a Saturday. Probably because it was 6pm and most of the museums had closed for the day.
At Anguk station, i saw an old lady dragging her plastic bags on the ground as she walked towards exit 2. So casually asked her if she needed help. She smiled and said that it's alright. She then spoke to me in English and asked me which country i am from. She continued asking me the usual stuff like when did i come and how long i would be here. I also told her that i am currently learning Korean. When we reached the top of the flight of stairs of exit 2, i bowed and bade her goodbye. She called out to me after i turned around to continue on my jouney and asked me to go over. With a smile on her face, she passed me two tomatoes and told me that they are tasty. I smiled widely as i thanked her and accepted the tomatoes even though i knew i wouldn't be eating them.
In the night (or rather, in the wee hours of that morning), i hung a bag containing the tomatoes on the doorknob of the dormitory auntie's room and stuck a piece of paper with a smiley face on it.
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Day 38 Hongdae: Lunch + Hello Kitty Cafe
Day 38 Hongdae Free Market
Hongdae Free Market is a great place to hang out at on a weekend.
To get there, get out of exit 9 of Hongik Univ. station.
Walk straight along the street, turn left and proceed up the slope towards Hongik Univ..
When you reach the intersection in front of the university, turn right and cross the road(the univ. will be on your left).
Walk straight till you see the area with a playground in it.
All the items sold at the free market are handmade creations of the talented artists and designers.
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Day 37 Food with Friends
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| Photo taken by Ningxin! |
I met up with one of my closest friends who came to Seoul for a tour.
We had Mandu Ramyeon(one of the cheapest dishes on most menus) at an eatery in Dongdaemun.
I had a great time catching up with her!
Labels: Food
Day 37 Suwon: Mul Naengmyeon (물냉면)
Facing the front of Paldalmun, there will be a Fine Art Street on the right side of it.
I tried Mul Naengmyeon for the first time in an eatery situated in this area.
Labels: Food
Day 37 Suwon: Traditional Archery
One of the highlights of my Suwon day trip is the Traditional Archery experience.
If you start from Paldalmun's ticket booth, you will only reach the archery grounds after completing about two-thirds of the route.
Read more »Labels: Hidden Gems, Sports
Day 37 Suwon Hwaseong Fortress
I took the subway to Suwon station and this time, i took bus #36 to Paldalmun.
I alighted in front of Paldalmun and followed walked along the streets on the right of the gate(from my perspective).
You will eventually end up behind the gate the fortress will be within sight.
Read more »Labels: Hidden Gems
Day 36 Namdaemun
Namdaemun Market is one of those gems that is not hidden.
I settled down in a typical market restaurant and ordered grilled mackerel. It is my first time eating fish in Korea and it is really tasty, despite having to soak about 8 pieces of serviettes with oil before devouring it.
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| Namdaemun station's subway map |
Labels: Food
Day 36 Namsangol Hanok Village
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In Namsangol Hanok Village, there are 'five well-preserved Hanok Buildings, protected as folk data by the city government... The original residents of the house varied from a high-ranking military officer to a carpenter so visitors can easily recognise the differences according to social status.'
It is closed on Tuesdays. |
Day 36 Lunch at Farm Kamille restaurant in Hongdae
I might not have had coffee at a quaint cafe, but i had lunch at a quaint restaurant! HAHA
While wandering around the relatively empty streets, i spotted Farm Kamille.
I like the design of it so much that i went in to try their food.
Labels: Food
Day 36 Hongik Mural Alley
After my morning class, i went to check out Hongik's Mural Alley.
To get there, get out of exit 9 of Hongik Univ. station, walk straight until you reach an intersection.
Turn left and walk up the slope towards Hongik University.
Cross over to Hongik University.
There will be a small opening to an alley on the right side of the main gate.
It is very easy to spot.
Ok frankly, i don't know if i am in the right place or if the place should be touted as Graffiti Street YO. Yes, with the YO at the back.
Most of what i saw are graffiti.
There are also many quaint cafes in the area.
