Korea Life - day 263 (week 38) / (Seoul) beauty of shopping alone

Korea Life - 12 November 2014 (day 263 week 38)

Since Qi has left, I don't feel bored as I had make lots of friends when I was studying in SKKU. Although they would be either be busy with school or even has other appointment, but that should not be a reason for me to lock myself away in the small shoebox room of mine.

Therefore today I decided to go out to do some self shopping. Normally when I goes to gangnam underground shopping mall, I'm normally the one who stops and wait for the people to see the things that they want. Although my friends will normally say if there is things that you want to see, stop me to wait, but I will just follow them and shop the shops that they stop at.

But for the first time, I have the full control to where I want to go. Went out after lunch time, took the subway and arrived the underground shopping mall almost 3pm. Thinking that that time has lesser people but I WAS WRONG !! People were mostly tourists, there's why even late afternoon also has alot of people around.

The last time I was there, I spent almost 4 hours with my friend there because she kept stoping to look at times. But this time I only 2 hours and I has finish the whole underground shopping mall. Maybe before I already know what I'm looking for, so I'm able to finish it sooner that and I won't overspent on things that I don't even need. I enjoyed the fact that I can stop anytime I want to see things that I want and don't need to worry about people has to keep waiting for me to, and walk away if things don't interest me at all.




  

Yahoo Article - Tips for Reducing the Cost of a Romantic Trip to London

I WANT TO GO TO LONDON AT LEAST ONCE IN MY LIFE!! Many will ask why I have this kind of idea of wanting to go to London that much? I will always answer, the beauty of it is not a country that you can understand by just seeing from the outside, you will have to visiting it then you can understand it from the inside. Hope I have the chance in the near future! I don't know how long more I need to wait then can go ?!!?! Will take note of the below article and hope it can help me to save the money to go soon !!


Cut and paste from - https://sg.finance.yahoo.com/news/tips-reducing-cost-romantic-trip-160000092.html

Tips for Reducing the Cost of a Romantic Trip to London 

Every Singaporean make it to London at some point. Even if you have barely travelled, there's a high chance your very first long overseas trip will involve London. The face that Singapore is a former British colony and thousands of Singaporean student head to the UK for university each year could be one reason. Whatever it is, London is not cheap, but that doesn't mean you're doomed to squandering your life savings on a trip there. Here's how to keep it affordable.

Flight 

Good news: because there are so many flights to London from Singapore, during off peak periods you can find tickets for prices as low as $900. 

The bad news is that there's a ton of Singaporean students jostling to get flights to London at the beginning of the three school terms, and back to Singapore after the terms end. This means you should avoid trying to fly to London in late August/ early September, late December/ early January or April, or flying back to Singapore in January/ April and late June, as you'll be paying grossly inflated prices. 

The cheapest times to fly are usually February, March, October or November. Just sayin'. 

Accommodation

So you're past the backpacker stage and want to stay somewhere a little bit nicer, but now it seems the only thing you can afford is a storage locker at the airport. Head to AirBnB, where you can get a cosy room for two in a central area for 150 SGD a night and below. 

The thing to remember is that London is a huge city, and you're going to want to make sure you're not forced to take the Tube for hours just to get to the city centre. Most AirBnB hosts will tell you where the nearest Tube station is, so pull out a copy of the Tube map and see how far the accommodation is from the centre. 

Avoid anything that's not in Zone 1 or you'll end up paying more on the Tube. 

Attractions

Most of the cultural attractions in London are museums, which are wonderfully, gloriously free. Whether you're gawking at art at the Tate Modern or enjoying a date at the British Museum, it's nice knowing you don't have to pay a cent. Yes, there are expensive attractions like Madame Tussaud's and the London Eye, but these tend to be more touristic than cultural. 

So our top tip for keeping the price of attractions down is to just stick to where the locals go - museums, galleries and parks - and stay far away from the glut of camera-toting tourists. 

Shopping 

While London might not have spawned fashion brands like Chanel or Prada, it's heaven for High Street shoppers who are fans of fast-fashion brands like Topshop and Miss Selfridge. If you're a student, be sure you bring your student pass with you, as many high street stores offer discounts. 

When shopping at high street stores, note that many of them have fairly generous returns policies, meaning that if you return the items by a certain date you simply get a full refund, which can be sent to you via your credit or debit card. 

We all know how easy is to buy things on impulse that you later regret when you're on holiday cos you're so afraid you won't be coming back again. Periodically going through your purchases and returning the ones you don't want to keep before you leave can save you quite a bit of wallet-ache. 

It's also a great idea to hit up the many vintage stores and markets such as Portobello Market. While not dirt cheap, quality tends to be excellent rather than crappy imports. I've found 20 pound leather boots and 10 pound snakeskin belts at random market stands. 

Dining 

Eating well in London is not cheap at all, and if you're here on a romantic vacation and want to enjoy a bit of comfort, expect to feel the pinch. To avoid spending a ton, you need to plan ahead. London is not like Bangkok, where you can wander into just about any restaurant and be confident that it'll be fairly good and also affordable  

Your best bet is probably to get on Groupon, do research on the restaurants for which deals are available and then Google the establishments to see if they're any good. 

Of course, making sure you save money on your spending wherever you can is important, and that's why it's also good to make sure that regardless o whether you're a cash back or air miles person, you've got the right credit card for spending overseas. Do your planning in advance fist by comparing the best credit cards for your travels.  

Korea Life - Day 258 (week 37) / (Seoul) getting ready for topik exam

Korea Life - 7 Nov 2014 (day 258 week 37)

Since Qi had left Korea, I had been studying with LJ for the topik exam that will be holding soon at the Toms Toms cafe near our places. We chose to study there was because if we bring our student card there, we could have free upsize for the drinks that we order.

Suddenly received a text message from Topik, saying that the picture that I submitted for the exam has been rejected. They want me to upload a new picture asap or else they have the right to not let me take the exam. So I head up to the school to try to upload another picture (since I can't upload it via my own computer, have to use Korean computer than possible.)

First I had problem to download the picture from my email to the computer, then I have problem editing the picture to the size that is needed. That an hrs I nearly wanted to smack the computer, it kept rejecting the picture that I want to upload.At least after an hrs of "fighting" with it, I finally successful uploaded the picture. Since already spend so much time, today decided not going to study! Decided to go Myeong-dong to do shopping instead!

Korea Life day 254 week 37 / (Seoul) mix feeling

Korea life - 3 November 2014 (day 254 week 37)

Tmr is the day that Qi will be heading back home, I promised that I will help her with her packing but before we start we the backing, we went to Lotte mart to buy some goodies that Qi wants to bring back to Singapore for her friends and family.

We need to try to pack 9 month worth of things into 2 24' inch luggage. Tried so many things but really there is too many things that we can't fix in. So no choice but have to send the rest by post instead. While helping her to pack, it make me worry about my things, because I have much more things that her !!

For the past 9 month, if is not because she is always there for me, I would have went back home don't know how many times already. She has been there with me and stayed with me for the pat 9 month and I'm really thankful that she was there.

Because of her, I have the courage to walk out of my comfort zone.
Because of her, I got to make friend all around the world.
Because of her, I became a much knowledgeable person
Because of her, I have more life experience than other people.

Hope she has a safe trip back and I can survive Korea myself for the rest of the month !!

Korea Life day 253 week 37 / (seoul) last outing with Qi

Korea Life - 2 November 2014 (day 253 week 37)

In 2 days time, Qi will be heading back to Singapore. She wants a day to pack so today will be the last day Qi is available to go out with me. So we decided to catch the talk show that we always said to watch the talk show which just located downstair of our place, since normally we see so many people queue outside our place to watch this show.

Since the show is just downstair our place, I went down to buy the ticket myself. I also went to get her a gift. I knows that she has too many things to bring back already so bought her a candy floss flower that we everyday walk pass but never once that we buy before

I bought the 5pm ticket and we decided to come out to queue an hrs before the show start as it's free seating. Sound shocking that we need to queue up an hrs before the show start? When we went down to queue up, we are still not the first, there were people already queue before we went down !! However we are still the first few in the line, and is a good thing that we do that as the queue gotten even longer despite of the cold wind!!  

Finally when is able to enter to, we follow the front and was led to the 3 floor and was asked to enter a room with a small stage and a background prop. On the stage is very simple, there were only a sofa,  a table and some shelf. We chose to sit on the second row as we don't want to be too near (will scared ), also not too far, but even like that we were still very near the stage (if we rise our hand out, we could touch the actors easier). Instead of starting the show straight away, a MC came out and played question and answer quiz with us first, then slowly start the show.

It's a 2 hours stage play where there were a total of 3 person only, there isn't much singing so I can't  say its a musical show as there is more talking than singing. It's use black humour to talk about suicide and the current economy issue of Korea, some of the things that we normally never see, doesn't mean it don't exist. It's trying to use this kind of method to make the Korean to face the issue that has been troubling lots of Korean, instead of ignoring it, face it. It's a pity that I can't fully understand what it's trying to say but some part were really funny and let people willing to sit down and think about it.

It's very similar to this movie < The Suicide Shop> that I watched last year. I first read the book in Chinese version then last year I saw the anime in French (as the originally is in French), its really a very interesting storyline, if there is the chance, do take a look.  Below is the trailer that I found on YouTube.

Korea life - day 251 (week 36) / (Korea) Yangpyeon one day trip - Camera cafe and Rail Bike

Korea life - 31 october 2014 (day 251 week 36)

Because Qi will be leaving Korea soon, so now take this chance to see as many thing as we could together. Despite that yesterday we have a long day at Seoraksan National Park, today we will be heading to the camera cafe that seen very interesting.

Once again we depart from the bus terminal to the change to the express bus to the Yongmun Intercity bus terminal (which take an hrs bus drive). Instead of trying to figure out how to get to the cafe by public transport, we took the taxi! Apparently that place is very popular at that area, most of the taxi drivers knows where it is if you mentioned the name of the cafe.

Dreamy Camera Cafe (꿈꾸는 사진기)

Add : 341-13, Jung-won-ri, Yongmun-myeon, Yangpyeong-gun, Gyeonggi-do, Korea
Open hours : 11am - 6pm
Facebook page : https://ko-kr.facebook.com/cafedreamy 

A South Korea family that is living in Yangpyung (located 40 miles from Seoul) have built a life-size vintage Rolleiflex twin lens carmera cafe. The family consists of the husband who is an army aviation helicopter pilot, the wife who is a recently retired army aviation pilot, and their young daughter.

The name of the cafe is Dreamy CameraCafe, and has been a lifelong aspiration for the husband. He wanted to combine his two passions for photography and coffee into one, that why there is the Dreamy camera cafe now.

The outer building the totally the same as the pictures that was posted online and when it comes to the interior of the Dreamy camera cafe, it is 2 storeys with both floors having tables and chairs for visitors. The first floor has many toy cameras, miniature cameras, real vintage cameras, and a Rolleiflex camera the cafe is based on. The vintage cameras were collected by the husband and are in working condition. There are also books about photography that line the shelves.

We were quite hungry due to the long travelling time but sad with the menu as there is nothing much able to eat, they mainly serve coffee and tea. Despite we were hungry, since we came all the way here, it will be a shame if we don't spend some time there. They serve tea is a super cute teapot and coffee with nice form art, and there are books around for people to read and spend some time there. However there isn't much seat available (about 5 tables only), after all is a family run business.

We spent more than 2 hours there, kept taking pictures (from internal to external), we even took picture with the owner !! They are very friendly people, even though there is some language barrier with foreigner, they will try their best to make a conversation with them. If they are located more to the city area, I will want to come back to visit them again!!

Because they are located quite inside the city, there is no taxi come by, so they helped us to call a taxi. While waiting for the taxi to come, we continue taking picture of the surrounding. After we board the taxi, we asked the taxi driver if there is any food that can introduce to us since we also don't know what is nice around here. He introduce us to this restaurant which serve quite good side dishes and bamboo rice. So he drove us there and we went in to look for a place to sit down.

The name of the restaurant is <마당 곤드레밥>. Seem like is quite popular among the Koreans as we seem to be the only foreigners around (and there is no foreign website introduce about this restaurant too). We actually wanted to just order 3 set and share, but they don't let us do that and make us order one person one set. There is no point for us to argue with her so we order as she said, when we saw the amount of side dishes bought to our table, I was totally speechless !! There were up to 20 side dishes and you can refill in anytime (most of the side dieshs can be refill, only one or 2 cannot) !!

After lunch, it has free tea at the tea house next to the restaurant. We took our time to enjoy that cup of tea first then shop around the tea house bait before we called the taxi driver to drive us to our next stop. In the end, he was waiting outside of the restaurant the whole time !! So we hurry out finish up the tea and hop back on to the taxi.

We last min add this last stop <Yangpyeong Rail Bike>. Because we had so much fun when we took it at Chunccheon, so I thought it would be as fun as it, so we just ask the taxi driver to drop as the Rail Bike entrance.

Yangpyeong Rail Bike (앙평 레일바이크)

Add: 126-5, Samseong-ri, Yongmun-myeon, Yangpyeong-gun, Gyeonggi-do
경기 앙평군 용문면 삼성리 126-5
Open hours : Mar - Oct = 9am to 9pm (1hr, 30min intervals / run 9 times a day)
Nov - Feb = 9am to 6pm (1hr, 30min intervals / run 7 times a day)
More information :  http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=1721247

Using a long abandoned railway, the Yangpyeong Rail Bike offers a unique bike ride at speeds of 15km/h from Yongmun to Wondeok. This 3.2km journey passes along a gleaming river and tree covered mountains. The bke ride delivers picturesque scenery all year round: blooming flowers in the spring with the light green buds blossoming on the trees, the flush greens of summer time, vivid autumnal tones colouring the ridge of Yongmunsan Mountain, and the clean white snowflakes resting delicately on the limbs of trees

At first was so excited and talk other people how fun it will be, however is really a super wrong time to take this ride now, as we were travelling in fast speed with no covers, it was CHILLY !!! Don't know should I be sad or happy that the ride is not as long as the one in Chuncheon (sad that there is not as much thing to see as Chuncheon, happy that we don't need to do through the cold for long !) By the time we finish our rail bike ride, sun has set and it's time for us to find our way back to Seoul! 

Korea life - day 250 (week 36) / (Korea) Seoraksan national park

Korea life - 30 Oct 2014 (day 250 week 36)

Few days ago went to immigration to ask and luckily that time what my friend told me was for Chinese passport, for other passport, we have a month more then need to leave Korea. Although was slightly a waste of my time to travel down to the immigration early in the morning, at least I able to enjoy myself for the next one month then come and worry about visa issue.

Therefore today I decided to head to Seoraksan national park to see the maple leave as the season is ending soon. I met up with Qi and Sun at the bus terminal to take the bus to Sokcho Bus terminal which take around 2.5 hrs then we still have to change to another bus 7 (which take another 45 min to  reach Sogongwon bus stop) then arrived at Seoraksan national park.

Then we walk to the entrance which is nearby the bus stop. The entrance itself was already very big, I can image how big is the whole national park! I'm not that good with words, let pictures speak all the words for me !!

Lastly took bus from to the bus terminal and too tired to take the bus back so we took the subway which is much faster way back home