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Sunday, December 29, 2019

My Seoul

Another bucket list crossed. I have been wanting to go to Seoul and Korea since 2013, since I started liking Kpop, sorry I'm basic.
It was actually a last minute plan, buying the tickets and stuff like 2 weeks before flight. We actually planned to just use an agency my parents used in the past, LetsJomKorea. Some info about LetsJomKorea, this person will bring us to every place that we want, eat with us, show us tourist spots, it's like a personal tour guide but cheaper. Unfortunately the person in charge already have plans and are busy on the dates that we picked and she actually suggested to us her friend. I was okay with this, of course because it's still managed by a Malaysian and I thought they worked in the same company.

Turns out she had a whole different company and they don't provide the same service as LetsJomKorea did. She said our dorms are really cheap. It's muslim friendly and only 15 000 won per night. I thought that was okay. I was disappointed but I still considered because the accomodation is cheap; until she gave me the pamphlete.

"Damn that's expensive, this can't be true"

So I said to her, well I don't want all this personal driving, I am very fine with using public transport. Because what the hell, one day of driving is 100 000 KRW. She said, yeah.. sure. We can drive you only on certain days and you can ride the public transport on others. But I said, sorry I'm really fine going public so I think I will only use your dorm.

I knew she was annoyed, because we discussd a lot about the prices and in the end I didn't want it, I understand, and I'm sorry. But what could I do? I don't have the money.

Fast forward a week she whatsapped me:

"Hey, I'm really sorry but I actually forgot that on the dates you chose, our whole dormitary will be full. It was booked by UIA students far before you did. I guess I was too busy wanting to help you that I forgot such an important booking"

What the actual fick?

Before everything else, the first important question I asked was, are there free rooms on these dates? and she said yes?? and I agreed so I bought flight tickets after?? and now she said something else. With one week left until the trip, she told us such nonsense news. I guess she was really frustrated and irritated that I didn't take her driving service because, surprise surprise, the driver is her husband himself.

I questioned her why was it full? How can we get another cheap accomodation this last minute? How can you do this to me?

She said to search it on the internet

Wowww cool. I didn't know the internet has booking sites, thanks alot.

So I asked the LetsJomKorea spokesperson, what to do and she said look around Myeongdong. There are a lot of cheap dorms there that people don't really know about. So I did and FORTUNATELY!!! I found one. Cheaper than that woman's dorm in Itaewon. Alhamdulillah. And it is in Myeongdong, much better than Itaewon, obviously because Myeongdong is cool! and Itaewon sucks! Boo!

So yeah, we went to Korea  🎉
P/s: click to enlarge pictures

DAY 1 (27.8.2019)

Right after we landed in Incheon, took the Airport Bus that costed like 15 000 won straight to Myeongdong, and ALHAMDULILLAH!! Our dorm was just like 100m away. After we left our luggage at the dorm, went to the bus station that we arrived at just now, and zoom, came the exact bus to Namsan Tower. Without wasting even one second, our journey was sailing very smoothly. 



I am not a big fan of bird-eye views, but this one took my breath away. I don't really know the reason. Seoul is just.. beautiful. The soft blue hazeless sky. The way the buildings and greeneries connect, I love it. 아름다웠어. 서울.









(We left our traces, of course, by vandalising the walls, like everyone else haha)
Then we go to Myeongdong. This is the first time we see Myeongdong properly. And little did we know, This is the place that we will return to everyday. Every time discovering something new, trying new food, finding different interesting people.
See what I mean?! Seoul is like fate that ties us together. I met my MALAYSIAN hoobae in a GERMAN University in SEOUL on ACCIDENT. My friends didn't believe me. They said we promised to meet. But we didn't HAHAHA. I really wish the guy at the end of this red thread on my pinky is here. 운명아, 나와라!!
 This is Ewha Womens University (pronounced ee-hwa). I love how there are a lot of female universitites in Korea. I wish there is a few in Malaysia.
 Near the female uni, there are so many clothing stores. With reasonable prices too! If I were to study here, I guarantee every piece of my clothing is from here lol.
 At night, we went to Myeongdong street, AGAIN!
WARNING: There will be a lot more mentionings of Myeongdong so please brace yourselves.
 (This Kimbap wasn't so delicious. I can make better kimbab, I think HAHAH. 역시 집에서 만든 김밥은 취고야)
(아이스크림 붕어 빵. So nice!! There is honey comb on top. A little bit too sweet if you eat it whole XD)

DAY 2 (28.8.2019)

Today we go to Nami Island!!
Actually to get there was a fuss. It is better to buy online in advance but of course, I don't have a credit card nor a korean debit card so I had to ask for my lovely friend Kyeongeun for help to buy the tickets. Well, in short, public transport in Korea is.. quite expensive, I have to say. If you have a lot of places to travel to. Like, they don't have a Day Ticket like in Europe. So basically you pay like 2 000 won for every train ride, no matter if it's one station or,... 9. For short distance, it's cheaper. 

The return  ferry ticket is 13 000 won. 

(found a one-day friend. I forgot her name XD. She followed us around the whole day and we took pictures of each other)






















Around 3 o' clock we decided not to linger at the island any longer, because literally we have seen everything (that we wanted to see). Photos were abundant too.. so we took the ferry and bus back to.. 

HONGDAE!

This shop is called Stylenanda Pink Pool Hotel. It sells a lot of different stuff. Clothing, makeup, they even have a cafe upstairs.


(seeeee it even looks like a laundry room!!)

 (this prawn is freaking good)
 (hotteok. 내가 좋아하는 호떡)
DAY 3 (29.8.2019)

LOTTE WOLDEUUUU!!
We went during Halloween so that's a total plus point!!! Also there weren't as many people as my cousin told me. Normally you would have to wait an hour to get on most rides but the only ride I waited an hour and a half for is the French Revolution. Which is said to be the best attraction but.. mehh I think there are better rides at Lotte World. Also another big problem is, my scaredy ass sister could only ride the first 2 attractions before she vomitted her ass off (out of her mouth) and claiming to be dizzy. So in the end I had to ride everything on my own and she just.. sat at the side, watching me having the time of my life with her dizzy little head.




 The best thing about this Halloween Parade is, oh yeah a lot of handsome staff LOL. My eyes are cleanseddd.





(recreating BTS' pictures at Lotte World #kindafailed)


 (I regretted not buying this Dumbo ears)




 (what? is there a ghost behind me or sumn?)

 (this was the time I found out I SUCK in shooting. On the other hand, my sister found a new talent. She was one of the top shooters and I was in third last place hahahahaha)
We left Lotte World at night around 8 pm because we, I mean *I* have already went on everything I wanted to ride on. So to avoid human traffic jam, we went out early and went to... MYEONGDONG! AGAIN!
(a cute canned drink we stumbled upon and thought thats too cute not too buy!)
This time it's STAR AVENUE!!! This is the closest thing I can get to meeting my idols :( sadly. At least my hands were where their hands once were + millions of other unwashed hands that touched the metal

 (the deep voiced Felix killed me everytime he speaks)
 (SKZ Stray kidzz)
 (Baby BANGTANNN)

 My hands were ugly but I sacrified my hands to make this blog post. To show you guys how CUTEEE their hands were!! TMI fact, my pinky is 5.5cm. Have fun with that useless fact.
More importantly, CAN YOU SEE THOSE HUGE BABY RABBIT HANDS???!!
 And jiminnnn. Jimin, is just too, IDK what to say, it's just too cute I'm swooning.
 Leader-nim hands were the biggest in my opinion. The genius hand that wrote hundreds of award winning songs. I TOUCHED THAT! (indirectly)






By the time we left star avenue, (very reluctant to leave actually) it was already around 9 pm. went to a random Myeongdong street to taste anything that we haven't tasted yet.  And we walked back home. It was 2 stations away but idk why we walked like 1.5 km lol