Korea life - day 102 (week 15) / (Seoul) Hong dae & Sinsadong - Cafe hopping

Korea life - 4 June 2014 (Day 102 week 15)

Assignments were getting more and more challenging every time we advance to the the next level. And this term's (level 2) assignment was to arrange an itinerary to introduce places (of Korea) and my team chose to do cafe hopping

Due to voting day, there was no lesson today so we heard to Hongdae to start. Before that, we did our homework and look for all the address and direction online first, so we were able to find the places easily. First stop was Hello Kitty Cafe !

<< Hello Kitty Cafe>>

Address - 358-112, Seogyo-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea 서울시 마포구 서교둥 358-112
Open hours - 10am to 11pm
How to go - Take subway to Hongdae station (subway line 2 (station 239)) ; Exit from exit 9 and follow the blue line as below

Map to go from Subway station to the cafe
Taken from - http://ajugglingmom.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Hello-Kitty-cafe-map-Hong-Dae.png

We were there pretty early so there was not many people. It's not a very big place, but is a 2 storey building. First floor has just a small low ceiling seating, a corner selling Hello Kitty merchandise and the counter, Second floor has more seating with a human kid size Kitty sitting in the middle. They have quite a few choices like cake and waffle, hot drink (like coffee and tea) and smoothies. Price are slightly on the high side, as I'm not really a Hello Kitty fan, this should be my first and my last time here. But I'm not going to denied that fact that it's a cute place.

Picture inside of the Hello Kitty cafe 

My teammate's were a mix of Japanese and Chinese, even though we were in level 2 of Korean language, we still have problem to make a conversation. Feel like ending this whole trip asap but there are a few places that we still needed to go. Not everyone eaten at the Hello Kitty cafe, so we went for early lunch at a restaurant that one of my classmate was working (like that also can end earlier). 

<<Cafe Source>>

Address - 343-10, Seogyo-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea 서울시 마포구 서교둥 343-10
Open hours - 12 pm to 12 am
How to go - Take subway to Hongdae station (subway line 2 (station 239)) ; Exit from exit 9. Find your way to Hongik University Main gate. At the three-junction road, you will see a Hana bank. Turn around on the left corner and you will see a Starbucks branch in distance away. Then turn left into the alley before reaching Starbucks, and you will be able to see the car

Cafe Source 

 After lunch, one of my teammate had to start her part time, so we went on without her as we don't have much more time to waste and to go with her. Next on the list was Cat Attic

<<Cat Attic (Cat cafe)>>

Address - 343-10, Donggyo-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea 서울시 마포구 동교동 164-14
Open hours - 1 pm to 10 pm
Cost - 7,000 - 10,000 for a cup of drink and you can spend there for as long as you like
How to go - Take subway to Hongdae station (subway line 2 (station 239)) ; Exit from exit 9. Walk down the street, take your first left and keep an eye out for the yellow signs on your right

Cat attic cafe - If you are a cat lover, this is the place for you 

We were asked to change our shoe before entering the place and disinfect your hand. In case of cats running out, there is a small gate that we need to push open to go in. We were asked to order a drink (as entrance fee and no need to worry if you can't read as it's written in Korean and English.) and to take note . Bags were asked to keep in the cabinet (that was under the seat, in case of the case cats bites it.) Spent a few hours there where you don't no need to think what to talk to each other and just play with the cats. It's really a good what to spend a afternoon  

After half day of cafe hopping, I went on to Sinsadong with Qi for another round of cafe hopping. We heard that there were many interesting cafe here in Sinsadong and is a must invite street if you are a coffee fan. (Our assignment did not choose to go there main reason was it's too far away from our school. ［what kind of stupid reason, but they vote and chose not to go］). Walked down the street and just enter a cafe that match our eye. Sorry that till the end, I totally forgotten to take note of the name of this cafe. But I enjoyed myself, if I have the money, I don't mean doing this everyday. But the coffee price in Korea are too expensive for a poor student like me ...

nice cafe in Sinsadong 

Article from "Yahoo" - World Street Food Congress: 24 hours food tour to digest the cause

After living in Korea for 8 months, every time thought or seeing all the Singapore food picture that my family sent, it will just make me miss Singapore food even more. So even if I'm going to gain back all the weight that I lost, I AM SOO GOING TO DO LIKE WHAT THEY DO WHEN I'M BACK IN SINGAPORE  


[cut and paste from - https://sg.entertainment.yahoo.com/news/world-street-food-congress-24-091103792.html ]

World Street Food Congress: 24 hours food tour to digest the cause

Mamu mee kuah opeh at bedok hawker centre intriqued them with the way he packed it.

Eating for 24 hours in one stretch is no joke. It’s serious business or culture, if you can see it.  So, about 25 foreign media descended onto our hallowed makan island last Saturday to embark on a food tour of their life- the 24 Hour Food Frenzy Safari. They were invited by Makansutra and The Singapore Tourism Board for what may be the world’s longest press conference event at this 1440 minutes of non-stop feasting on the go. It was to update the media, both local and international, on the upcoming second edition of the World Street Food Congress (April 8-12th, 2015).

It began at 10.30am at the Esplanade and they cruised through 34 stops and scarfed down about 40 items. It took them to all corners of the island through day and night. It also included an early morning seaside washroom and refresher break plus some stretching session (which many were too zonked to bend over and reach the knees to loosen up). There was also a proper one hour media press conference session buried in there somewhere. Four doctors took duty turns on board the food bus to keep things in check, but they really ended up enjoying the feasting party themselves. There were no casualties.

Media curiously hungry at tian tian chicken rice.

Very often, many could not see the opportunities, culture and the craft  behind that bowl of laksa or chicken rice in a hawker centre or coffeeshop. So this 24 hour food tour served to give them an idea of what we cannot usually see behind that bowl of kway chap or pig offal stew. They got insights on the business models of hawker centres, supply and supply chains in our land-scarce island where 95% of our ingredients are imported, the irony of a popular food culture that has no proper structure or culture that seeds continuity and even how a comforting plate of nasi lemak can be profitable at a measly $3.50. They now understand the culture behind why folks would queue for a spicy and spunky bowl of laksa at 7am and the entrepreneurial opportunities in this comfort street food trade.

Nasi padang at Hajjah mona geylang serai.

Tales about the plight, intents and aspirations of a new generation of hawkers were also regaled along the way, showing how this culture can play a big part in social enterprise efforts.  All these are part of the purpose and cause of the World Street Food Congress, which had its first event in 2013.

The media came from as far as Britain (the Independent) and the USA (The Daily Meal). There were also regional publications and online sites, plus bloggers from Indonesia (Detik, Femina and Jakarta Post), newspapers in Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Thailand, Korea, Denmark, Japan and even our close neighbours from Malaysia.

Ye lai xiang laksa at Woodlands.

They were taken to Woodlands, Bedok Changi, Jalan Kayu and to the shiny and delicious corners in town and saw how fishballs are made and turned into fishball noodles, how roti prata is flipped and made, and they understood the culture behind why folks would queue for a spicy and spunky bowl of laksa at 7am.

It made good footage seeing how prata is flipped at jalan kayu.

Blogger, chef and food host JJ Yulo from Manila was amazed at how safe the trip was. He intends to bring foodie travellers from his country to Singapore and the event opened up his mind to the opportunities in his field of work. Ms Julia Buckley from the Independent in London was bowled over by roti kaya and roti prata, and was particularly amazed at the prices and how it all still makes  economic sense adding, “Even if you raised it by 30%, it would still be cheap by the world’s standards”.

Bak kut teh at Rong Cheng was done using the long dragon ribs.

Korea life - day 96 (week 14) / (Seoul) class 1A last Gathering

29 May 2014 - Day 96 week 14

One of my level 1 classmate is heading back to their hometown soon. So we organised a goodbye dinner and one last gathering with the rest before she left tomorrow.

As there were 10 over of us, we had to split into 2 table. We ordered a spicy pot and a non-spicy pot of army stew (which is call Budae Jjigae in Korea - this dish often incorporates with ingredients like instant noodles, sliced cheese and meat. Other ingredients may include sliced sausages, baked beans, tofu, chill peppers and other ingredients that you like ).  Picture below is the spicy pot, although it seem very red but not very spicy at all.  

Too bad this is going to be the last picture with class 1A
Don't know when then can meet up with the full class.  

There were lot of thing for us to chat about while eating since we were now (almost all) in different classes and haven't have the chance to talk to each other for awhile. Now that we had learned korean for 3 month now, we could use korean to make a conversation much more easier than before(although was still not easy).

After dinner, all said want to go home but in the end we just stand around the street kept talking. It was still early when we really decided to all headed home, so went to a friend's house to slack. Because we all living near the school, go back around 11 plus also never mind. 

Article from "Cheapflight.com" - Top 10 cities that spook: Creepy tours around the world

With Halloween around the corner, many website are introducing interesting places to go during Halloween period. Although I'm not in Europe/ US , but I will like to try it out if I'm there. Hope in the future, I have the chance to try it out.

[cut and paste from - http://www.cheapflights.com/news/top-10-cities-spook-creepy-tours-around-world/ ]

Need a good scare this Halloween season? Indulge in your penchant for the paranormal with bone-chilling details of ghosts, torture and unexplained phenomena on a spooky city tour. Our list rounds up the goriest, scariest and creepiest tours all around the world. Read on to see which cities boast the most haunted stories and which continue to be influenced by paranormal activity.

Edinburgh, Scotland

Underground tunnel in Edinburgh (Image: fw42)

Edinburgh is said to be the most haunted city in Scotland, and with many underground tunnels and streets it’s no surprise why. In Old Town, Mary King’s Close, a street now enclosed underground, is said to be where victims of the plague in the mid-1600s were quarantined and left to die. Explore the ins and outs of Edinburgh’s underground history with a City of the Dead tour, where you’ll be taken to the South Bridge Vaults. Built to house pubs and shops, the Vaults were soon abandoned due to poor conditions, but remain a site of active ghost sightings and paranormal activity still today.

San Francisco, California, United States

Alcatraz (Image: Dennis Matheson used under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license)

San Francisco is home to the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, cable cars and some of the most horrifying ghost stories of America’s past. If you’re feeling brave, venture out on the Haunted Haight Walking Tour where your guide will take you on a two-hour stroll to infamous and lesser-known creepy parts of the city. You’ll tour the Haight-Ashbury district, home to famous murders and cult leaders while you learn about parapsychology – the study of paranormal or psychic phenomena. Be warned: It’s not for the faint-of-heart, and the tour is not recommended for children younger than 13.

Kimberley, South Africa

Honored Dead Memorial (Image: flowcomm)

Referred to as “The Diamond City” this small South African locale became well known for its mining by industry giant De Beers. The city has 158 known haunted houses, which the Kimberley Ghost Trail Tour will delve into with chilling details. This guided tour starts at the “Honoured Dead Memorial” and continues onto historic houses, monuments and cemeteries each with its own ghost tale. If the tour hasn’t fulfilled your ghostly interests, visit the Magersfontein Anglo-Boer War battlefield where many visitors have claimed to hear a phantom Scottish bagpipe and seen flickering lanterns.

Prague, Czech Republic

Old Cemetery (Image: Bjorn used under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license)

For the best bet of a haunted sighting, visit Prague’s Old Town where numerous dark events in the city’s history took place. Haunted Prague offers a number of gruesome options, including the Ghosts, Torture and Underground Tour that takes you on a walk to the Charles Bridge, where famous construction mysteries and executions took place. The underground portion of the tour offers insight into real torture methods and punishment tactics that were used on prisoners. As midnight rolls around, visit the Old Cemetery in the Jewish Quarter where an estimated 100,000 bodies are buried and supernatural sightings have been recorded.

Chicago, Illinois, United States

Some people see a ghost descending down the stairs in the Hull House (Image: Jim Reynolds)

Chicago’s history is wrought with criminal activity and tragic happenings. The Great Chicago Fire of 1871 tore through the heart of the city, leaving at least 300 people dead and thousands more homeless. In the 1920s and 1930s, mobs ran through the city and killed countless victims. The historically based Chicago Hauntings tours will touch upon all this and more as it takes you through these experiences. Visit the Bachelors Grove Cemetery, often referred to as one of the most haunted cemeteries in the world. Spectators have admitted to seeing headstones moving as well as apparitions roaming the area at night.

Victoria, Australia

Ararat, Australia (Image: Steve Gibson)

Victoria is home to a few infamous asylums. Aradale, located in the rural town of Ararat, is the largest abandoned insane asylum in Australia. In its 130 years in operation, approximately 13,000 people died and the institution was home to some of the most controversial psychiatric experiments in the country. Tours are offered after dark, where visitors hear of the brutal treatment of patients and haunted sightings of the past while touring all aspects of the asylum from the infirmaries to the morgue. While in Victoria, also tour Aradale’s sister hospital, Beechworth Lunatic Asylum, which eventually closed its doors in 1995 after being in operation for 128 years. The asylum offers tours that dive into stories of specific past patients and paranormal myths that were recorded while still in operation.

New Orleans, Louisiana, United States

The LaLaurie Mansion (Image: Reading Tom)

It’s hard to look into the history of New Orleans without coming across Madame LaLaurie, a socialite in New Orleans in the late 16th and early 17th century. Known for her brutality and torture tactics used on slaves, many of the city’s ghost stories involve her victims. A New Orleans Ghost Tour will take you to the haunted mansion on Royal Street, where spectators have said they’ve heard screams of Madame LaLaurie’s victims from years past. If you prefer a more well rounded tour of New Orleans’ dark past, try the French Quarter Phantoms Ghost and Vampire Tour for a glimpse into some sinister tales of vampires that lurk in the city’s history.

Rajasthan, India

Bhangarh Fort (Image: Shahnawaz Sid)

It is believed that Bhangarh Fort in Rajasthan, India, about four hours from Delhi, is the most haunted place in India. The fort is supposedly cursed by a sorcerer living in the city who attempted but failed to make the palace princess fall in love with him, in turn cursing the palace residents to death. Select travel operators in India offer independent haunted tours of the area, but it is still prohibited for tourists to visit this unique site between sunset and sunrise, according to the Archaeological Survey of India. Local residents claim that no one who has stayed in the ruins after sunset has returned.

London, England

The Ten Bells pub (Image: Secret Pilgrim used under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license)

London doesn’t fall short when it comes to ghostly tales – from supposed paranormal activity at underground stations to the Tower of London beheadings and many other gruesome tales. One outing that is sure to thrill is the Jack the Ripper Tour, where you’ll be guided to the actual murder sites of the mass serial killer who was never caught. The tour will feel like a murder investigation, following the chronological route Jack the Ripper took in East End London in the late 19th century. After the tour, stop by The Ten Bells pub, well known for its association with two of Jack the Ripper’s victims.

Salem, Massachusetts, United States

The Burying Point (Image: Robert Linsdell)

Witchcraft is deeply ingrained in the history and reputation of Salem, where the infamous Salem Witch Trials took place in 1692. Dive into the truly dark details surrounding the trials and throughout the city’s past on a Spellbound Tour, where you’ll visit the location of an old Witch Dungeon and the second oldest cemetery in the U.S. For a more off-the-beaten-path look into Salem’s mysterious history, choose the Salem Tunnel Tour where you’ll be guided to various locations throughout the city. Hear tales of ghosts told by a medium and learn about conspiracy theories that have become part of the city’s culture including secret tunnels, sealed entrances and more.

(Featured image: Jaakko Hakulinen)