First, the reason why I only started to write this post now is because I had wisdom tooth surgery last Sunday. My right cheek became swollen, painful when I touched it or even when I tried to smile, and the prescribed meds were making me drowsy for the whole week. Now it feels much better and also, we are having a long weekend here in Singapore. Holiday till next Monday ayyy π
Hmm now it brings me to again realize the fact that I've been a working adult for more than a year now. I'm not sure if this is quite obvious, but I am that type of person who actually enjoy working and feel happy when I do a good job. My job grade is now one level higher than when I first started, which is something I'm grateful for.. and it's a challenge as well. Apart from putting my writing skill to a good use, now it's also about making things happen. Coordinating here and there, planning and learning on the go, to make something out of nothing. I honestly don't think that it's easy, but I'm gonna give it my best try πͺ so wish me luck hehe.
Ok back to the main topic, Korea! I was there for around one week, 25 July to 1 August (just noting it down for my own future reference haha). It's my second time there and just now I scrolled through my blog to find THIS: a Korea photo-diary I posted 7 years ago. Damn, it feels nostalgic. I was a 16 years old kiddo just starting senior high school, and those photos were taken with my first and only digital camera, a 500D Canon. I truly embraced the DSLR craze back then and you can see how I even tried to take artistic looking photos (p.s. I still like to take artistic looking photos, but nowadays mostly using my phone and sometimes film camera).
-----resuming after one week here π-----
So, why not do something similar this time! I've not-so-randomly selected some photos from my Korea trip. All are taken with my phone, unedited, and I will put them in chronological order starting with the earliest. Then, the photos will be accompanied with my commentary of them. Whatever that comes into my mind when I see it. Off we go!
I took an overnight flight from Singapore to Korea, with the purpose of arriving in the morning and can start exploring in the afternoon. Given that I was quite tired from work earlier, it was the first time ever that I really tried all I can to sleep in the plane.
The food was not bad! And the stewardess asked me what I wanted to have in Korean. So does that means I look like one? π
Me proudly stating my occupation as UX Writer. My actual title is "Web Content Executive" but kinda feels that it's too broad and essentially what I do fits the UX Writer job scope more.
Mannnn I'm in love with this drink! There is this little cafe near the place I stayed, called Venti and I bought drink from them almost every day (and it would be literally every day if not for my health conscious friend's words of wisdom). This one here is Chocolate Melt or sth like it. The milk was soooo fresh and the melting chocolate slowly mixing with it made it super nice.
My first meal in Korea is... MALA! This one also located near my place, and I went there again on my second last day. It tasted mostly like the generally nice mala found in Singapore, but a bit sweeter with a hint of kimchi. The rice here was special though, served warm in a metal bowl and more sticky, which I liked!
The first day we were quite tired, so decided to go somewhere nearby. Dongdaemun Design Plaza was within walking distance, and I had been looking forward to see it.. so that's our first stop! Along the way we stopped at a LINE Store and after taking photo with the bear mascot, I realized my face was so round π clipping my fringe (because it was cut too short) certainly didn't help lol.
Anyway DDP was cool! We went to see a free Disney exhibition, went around the complex, and saw some unique looking furniture. The weather was perfect for a walk; windy but not raining. One downside tho. The photos taken that day were not exactly spectacular, as you can see from the gray sky + gray building combination above haha.
Went to Myeongdong Night Market! It was raining heavily the first time we're there, we had to go inside a shoe store to hide. One funny thing about the rain in Seoul is that it's so unpredictable. Even after such heavy rain, it could immediately stop and continue like an hour after.
In total we came to this night market three times, and each time we went back happy and full π·
Found samyang kimbap roll in a GS25 convenience store! Forget Netflix and Chill, we have Popcorn Time and Chili.
Our first full day in Korea began with Insadong... nope, actually it began with a super chill morning and eating a heated Jajangmyeon we bought the night before for breakfast. We only head off from our airbnb around lunch time and went to this trendy neighborhood. There were so many things to see, and there is this place called Ssamzie-gil which has 4 levels full of art and craft related stuffs. Would recommend 10/10 especially if you're into this kind of thing.
Bukchon Hanok Village was on top of my wish list as well. To be honest I didn't do much research before coming, so we went all free and easy there. Followed random path, made turns when we felt like it, stopped for photos, and ended up on top of a little hill that's designated as a photo spot.
It has a pleasant vibe, and I was happy to see fellow tourists and sometimes locals who brought their dog for a walk. The details of the buildings are work of art, I think. Very well maintained and the colors, textures, are all so nice.
Introducing another drink from Venti! This is some kind of watermelon slush and if you see those black little chunks, they aren't despicable seeds mixing in. Those are mini chocolate chips!
Amazing truffle burger we ate in Common Ground. It tasted and smelled so rich, the patty was one of good quality. I can imagine that in Singapore it might cost around 30 SGD after tax, but this thing here is less than 20 dollars, inclusive of the soft drink. Super satisfying.
This is the Starfield Coex Library and the unique thing about it is that it's located right in the middle of a shopping mall. Also, it looks so grand. Also, it left me wondering how the people there still managed to read while there's such a big crowd walking around, posing and taking pictures.
Were supposed to visit Namsan Tower but heard that it is underwhelming and basically is another high tower where you can get a bird-eye view of the city, so we decided to ditch the plan. We're walking towards Myeongdong when we saw the sun setting in, and the cotton candy sky became the perfect backdrop for Seoul's city scape.
I accidentally put a pack of chocolate milk to the freezer part of the fridge. After some effort, we ended up with a homemade bingsu π¨
Woke up early to catch the morning train to Busan! Had this instant ramyeon recommended by my friend to start the day and damn, it was good. Anyway, I said "train" there just to make it sounds like that movie title haha. In reality we took premium bus because it was cheaper~ and actually I enjoy long rides a lot, so 4 hours of sitting comfortably, talking to each other, listening to music, and occasional snacking is totally not a problem.
It was a sunny day in Busan π€️ The scenery was nice but yeaaaa it's hot hahaha. We were a lil bit tired because of the long trip, and generally the destinations in Busan can't be reached with a direct bus. So going to places always involved considerable distance to walk.
The Gamcheon Cultural Village was nice to see with the colorful buildings. But with the weather that time, we didn't bother to walk a long way to find the perfect spot to take picture. So we just made do with the first spot we found, and I was more fascinated with the curious details along the way, like those lego bricks under the concrete.
Up next was the Haeundae Beach, which I had a hard time remembering the exact name until I found out that it is ζ΅·δΊε° in Chinese. Originally we planned to go to more places in Busan, but then we got so hooked to this nice nice beach that we decided to stay until sunset.
There's so many things to love about this place. The blue sky that seemed to stretch infinitely, the wide pedestrian road with some street performers, the happening cafes and stores along the way, and of course the beach itself. It's located right in front of the buildings, it's crowded but instead of stuffy, it had got this cheerful atmosphere. Children, couples, families, and friends, everyone having so much fun.
Once there, we didn't wait for long until we started dipping our legs into the cold sea water. The strong wind made my hair go crazy, but the breezy weather was perfect. I love our time there.
We went to this temple by the sea on our second day in Busan (wow a lot of preposition there). Again, the weather was quite hot and we had to walk up and down to reach there, but the view's quite worth it! We're also tempted to try that cute looking watermelon drink.
After the temple, we spent some time hanging around a shopping mall before going back. I bought a nice and cheap white sandals that I'm wearing right now as I write. Can you tell that I'm pleased with this purchase? π
I took this photo of the Seoul's metro map on my last full day here. Before that time, I didn't need it because my friend handled basically everything and even had some transport apps installed. But on that day, I was going solo with the travel. Why, you may ask. Take a guess, I'll say. HAHA.
So my destination for the day was Hongdae, known for the youthful vibe as it's located near a university. And yup, that's exactly the impression I got. The area's full of cafes, fast food places, and many many kind of shops. Some selling retro oversized t-shirts, some hypebeast looking stores, some stock accessories at cheap prices, and of course there's innisfree there.
The are two shops that I spent long time browsing inside. I forgot the name of the first one but it's a multi-level building, with the first two floors selling arts, crafts, stationaries, and other design related stuffs made by local artists. Bought cool postcards, stickers, and memo here (some are for gift). I then went to check out the third floor, but it's just a usual cafe with only one table occupied.
The second one is ALAND. It's a concept store that curates products from various brands, and their store here in Hongdae is quite big. Some of the items there are really cool, but I felt they're generally quite expensive so it was more like window shopping for me. I went out with a new tote bag and aesthetically satisfied ✨
A single-trip ticket I bought for the trip to airport because I lost my metro card the day before lol.
Chose to get MOS burger at the airport. It was a nice and filling meal, and I personally think this is better than the local chain, Lotteria. I tried Lotteria twice during this trip because their menu looks appetizing and has interesting burger combinations (with hash-brown, bacon, etc). But then, the end result is not something that I'd call "tasty", as the ingredients don't mix well with one another. Maybe because lack of sauce hmmmm.
Time for the last pic, another airline meal! My flight lasted from afternoon to late evening this time, so I watched a TV show called Deception. I love the entertaining, casual tone of the show and basically that's all I did through the whole flight.
And that's the end of my Korea trip π I had lots of feelings during and even after. Happy that it has gone so well and for the nice memories created, yet at the same time it makes me want to preserve it more. I am quite forgetful, and to be honest I generally can't remember much details of my previous trips unless it's recorded in some ways. That's part of the reason why I took many pictures, highlight all the insta stories, and of course, write this super long post.
Even with this, it still doesn't cover all of the story. But that's alright. Maybe I'll write more details in my personal record, and on top of that, there's something more important... keep creating good memories together! ππ€
p.s. don't ask me why this post sounds more and more like a love letter haha
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