Lastly, with taking UH Manoa classes, I would say I've been managing a lot better than I thought. Since the two classes are completely asynchronous, I appreciate the flexibility of being able to complete my assignments abroad. By taking these courses now, I am able to better balance my schedule for next semester!
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Hyundai Premium Outlet Gimpo This week, my friends and I started off the week by heading to Gimpo, an hour journey west from Seoul on train to go to the Hyundai Premium Outlets. It is one of the main outlets near Seoul and heard a lot about it on social media! I thought it was pretty interesting as there are three sections within the outlet for you to explore. From luxury to every day brands, there was so much to look from that we ended up taking half a day there! They also have a Nike outlet (which there isn't much in South Korea) so I would definitely take a look at that and maybe even make it your first stop! If you end up having time left like we did in your day, we headed to the Lotte Mall at Gimpo Airport Station, which also had a lot to look around! Going to a Lotte Mall is one of my favorite things as sometimes, they have Lotte Mart, their grocery store which is usually couple stories tall and has an enormous selection of food and snacks. At the mall, we also got to try 부대찌개 (budae jjigae), or Korean army stew for the first time~ It was definitely filling and I would highly recommend getting this with couple friends to get the full experience! Everland!! I LOVE amusement parks!! Therefore, I was so happy when my friends and I decided to plan this trip to go to Everland, South Korea's largest theme park. *An interesting fact, many businesses around Korea are owned and operated by chaebols, or large family businesses. Everland is owned by Samsung C&T Corporation, a subsidiary of Samsung!* Since it is almost a 2 hour 30 min journey by public transport (train and bus), we left Seoul around 8 am and arrived at 10:30 am, which was around the time they opened. Once you get there, I would highly recommend going straight to the ride T-express (South Korea's first wooden rollercoaster) since there is always a long line and you would want to reserve a spot before all the spots run out. Throughout our day there, we got to experience and see so many things! Since we went during Halloween, we got to see the Halloween parade. Additionally, since they have a mini zoo, we got to see capybaras and alpacas, which was so cool since it is was my first time seeing them in person!! It was such a fun day trip, I would highly recommend going! *The tickets are also super affordable through trazy/klook! Gwangjang Market!! Ever since I knew I was coming to Korea, I've been wanting to go to Gwangjang Market! Known for their variety of street food stalls and popular Netflix shops, it was a must visit on my Korea bucket list. At the market, my friends and I decided to make Cho Yonsoon's handmade noodle stall our first stop! As seen on the Netflix show Street Food, she was so lively and her food was amazing. We had her 만두 (dumpling) and 칼국수 (knife cut noodles), which were both simple yet so flavorful. Like many of the food stalls, her food tasted amazing and very affordable, making you want to come back for more! Our second stop was 부촌육회 (Buchon Yukhoe), a Michelin star restaurant that serves the famous raw beef dish. We had 육회 with raw octopus which was an experience I had never had before. However, to my surprise, I actually enjoyed both, especially the beef. Initially the beef looks not so flavorful but after tasting it, the slight flavors of sesame oil pair perfectly with the meat. Our third stop was to eat some 빈대떡 (mung bean pancake). It was really good but since we had so much food earlier, part of me was already very full but since we were already at the market, I wanted to make the most of our time there! Lastly, we got to try hand twisted donuts at 꽈배기, which were surprisingly only 1000 won! Fall at Ewha This week was definitely one of the prettiest times at Ewha! The colors of the leaves were changing and everything was colorful. To commemorate the changing of seasons, here are some photos of me at Ewha :) Food spots of the week!
Here are some places I went this past week that I thought I'd share were worth mentioning! 1. Yoemnya Goemon - This restaurant is a popular Japanese Spaghetti restaurant. They had a special menu so I ended up getting the souffle omelet with mentaiko risotto, which was sooo good. Also the egg initially doesn't look filling since it's in souffle form but it was super filling! 2. Hai Di Lao - I'm sure many of you that have gone to other parts of Asia have visited Hai Di Lao (somewhere I definitely wish I went during my time in Singapore). I finally got to try it and I thoroughly enjoyed my experience. They have snacks/tea while you wait and once you get to your seat, they gave me a hair tie, seeing that I had longer hair and I had it down. The best part was that there was also a sauce bar that you can make your own dipping sauce and there were some sides there as well. In all, pricier than usual but a great experience! *Note: It seems like I only explored food this week, so enjoy some new food recs :) Korea Costco! Today, I got to go to Costco in Seoul for the first time! It was very interesting as although they do have products you would find at Costco back home, such as the snacks, food, clothes, etc., there were also Korean/other products that you wouldn't normally see back home! Something that they had which I wish we have back home were the sushi platters. They were totally affordable and worth the value, which made me wish that my friends and I can try it one day! Although we didn't shop much, some of us ended up buying a longer coat to prepare for the upcoming winter season. Like with any Costco trip, we had to stop by the food court! It was definitely a trip worthwhile as the choices were different from the ones back in the US. Some unique options were bulgogi bake, meatball pizza, chicken salsa wrap, red grapefruit juice, fried chicken wing set, and greek yogurt granola. All the options seemed so delicious but I ultimately ended up getting the grapefruit juice and the meatball pizza (since I had a craving for Costco pizza haha)! If you do end up going to the Costco food court 10/10 recommend trying the meatball pizza! Greek yogurt cravings satisfied! As someone who eats greek yogurt almost everyday back home, I definitely have been missing it a lot. This week my friends and I tried out Thanks, Oat, a greek yogurt shop located in Hongdae! The store front was very homey and the inside was very cute. I decided to try the fig and blueberry yogurt as fig is currently in season and there isn't as much fig dishes back in Hawaii! The fruit was very flavorful and the greek yogurt was soo thick, you could definitely tell if was homemade. A little bit on the pricier side (7900 won) but I definitely satisfied with my bowl! Some of the other dishes my friends tried was the grape greek yogurt and the bagel. Bloggable aesthetic?? This week we also celebrated one of our friend's birthday (happy birthday Alissa <3)! To celebrate, we headed to Euljidarak for dinner. They are known for their omurice and pasta, which were both very aesthetic when presented! I got their spicy cream pasta (which was a good balance of creamy and spicy). It was pretty cool how when the waiter brought the omurice, he cut the egg in half in front of us, showing the egg dropping off the rice! To be quiet honest, the dishes were good but worth the price(?), I'm not sure. I think it is still worth it to try at least once! Michelin star meal ⭐️ In Myeongdong, we visited a Michelin star restaurant called Myeongdong KyoJa. They have two locations but we visited their main location, which had about 4 stories! They are famous for their kalgukusu, which my friends had while I had the bibimguksu (which was pretty spicy, so if you can't really handle spice, I would recommend the kalgukusu)! We didn't have the stomach space for it but if you can, their dumplings seemed to be very popular as well! Cafe drink recommendations! 1. IM1L Coffee: They have affordable coffee options and this time I tried their matcha latte, which reminded me of a Starbucks matcha latte! I enjoyed it a lot and will probably be getting it often :) 2. Palgong: Ok by now, palgong is one of my favorite cafes (not because they sell boba, which majority of the time I don't get while I'm there). The sinchon branch is a great study area and the drinks are affordable as well! I usually get their iced americano (which I add the milk foam on top, which makes the drinks basically a cafe latte but cheaper :>)! This time I also tried their ade's which were also really good! 3. Starbucks Reserve: Compared to back home, there are so many Starbucks Reserve location in Seoul. This time I went to one near Myeongdong Station, where they finally had the nitro cold brew I was looking for! The three flavors they have are the regular reserve nitro cold brew, velvet dark mocha nitro, and the french apple tarte nitro. To be quite honest, I think my favorite ones are the dark mocha or the regular one as the apple one I ordered was a little too fruity/sour to me. Also compared to the Starbucks stores back in the US, they have a variety of pastries, cakes, sandwiches, etc., that both look good and appetizing. Last but definitely not the least, dessert :)
1. I finally got to try the melon bingsu from Sulbing this week!! I was super excited since the dessert is literally half a melon with ice cream, strawberries, and of course the ice. With four of us sharing it, the whole bowl was gone before we knew it. A word of advice, since the half melon covers the entire bingsu, you'll definitely need to eat it first, unless you can put it on the side. 2. As for market ice cream purchases, I got to try two new ice cream bars this week (the fish ice cream is always a good choice, I had to get it this week). The chocolate and coffee ice cream bar wasn't tooo sweet which was nice and the mango was very fruitful, they were both great choices in my opinion! 3. Ms. Braids braided croissant was a new discovery. I tried the injoelmi one and I absolutely enjoyed it. The dough was soft yet flaky and the injoelmi balanced out the sweetness making it a perfect combination! I can't wait to go back soon and try the other flavors they have (they have both sweet and savory, along with regular waffles as well)! 4. McDonald's ice cream is always a great go to ice cream. In Korea, they currently have strawberry cones, which are only 700 won!! The strawberry ice cream was very creamy, which made it feel like an ice cream version of strawberry milk! If you're ever in Asian in general, I would definitely recommend trying the different ice cream flavors since there aren't that many varieties back home! Weather update: Once October began, you can definitely notice the change in temperature. The highest temperature was always below 75 degrees and the lowest temperature listed around 60 degrees. During the first week of October, I would recommend starting to gather any sweaters and thicker jackets if you do not have any yet as there are predicted days where there is a sudden drop in the temperature. Incheon Chinatown 🥢 On one of our free days of the week, my friends and I decided to adventure out and head out to Chinatown in Incheon, which was about an hour half to get to from Hongdae by train. Upon arriving, you could definitely tell the impact covid has had on the businesses as many of the stores were closed. Our first stop was 共和春, which is a restaurant known for their jjajangmyeon. In addition to their jjajangmyeon, we also had their jjampong, which was also very tasty and flavorful as well. We went as a group of four and got 2 bowls of jjajangmyeon and 1 bowl of jjampong to share as we also wanted to experience some of the food stalls that were open around the area. After eating lunch, we looked around and I was able to try 红豆饼 (red bean bread) and sugarcane juice from the mini shops, which were both very tasty. Since it was also a little past Mid-Autumn festival, I was glad I was able to buy a mooncake, something I eat during this time every year. Although it was not exactly the same as a traditional mooncake, it was pretty similar. After exploring Chinatown, we went around the Incheon area to find filming locations from the popular kdrama Goblin! Although I have never seen the drama myself, I have seen clips of it and it was honestly wonderful to be able to see the places in person. Once we found the filming locations in the area, we headed to Wolmido Island, which was about a 15 minute bus ride from Incheon. The island is known for their mini amusement park called Wolmi Theme Park, particularly the ride called Tagada Disco. This ride in particular is famous for the DJ's commentary/banter that there are multiple YouTube videos of this ride! Although we didn't go on it, it was interesting to see how the people reacted as well a how fast the ride went. Before calling it a night, we decided to ride the Viking, which swung a lot higher than I expected! National Museum of Korea The National Museum of Korea is one of the free activities you can do in Seoul! The museum itself is very pretty and even has three stories. From pre-historic artifacts to modern art, there is so much to explore that we could only really look around the first two floors before we all decided to call it a day as we had already spent 3 hours there and it was approaching dinner time (we definitely will be back another day to check out the last floor). If you plan to look around the entire museum in one day, I would highly recommend booking an earlier time to make sure you have ample time to walk around (also reserve your spot couple days in advance as depending on the day, the spots tend to get filled)! New food discoveries of the week! I'm happy to share with you all the new dishes I got to try this week! As midterms are coming up, Blanc has been one of the cafes I have been going to study. This week I decided to try their multigrain sandwich and it was honestly one of the best decisions. The sandwich is made with their multigrain bread and the insides contain cheese, ham, korean pear, tomato, bacon, lettuce, and pickle, which only costs 3600 won! The sandwich was honestly filling while still maintaining a great balance. My second discovery of the week was ayce pork neck steak for 12,000 won at 통큰갈비 홍대점. Although there was only two choices (regular or spicy flavor), it was definitely worth the price. We also order steamed egg with cheese, which is a dish I would recommend ordering as well! The last discovery was Udon 0410. This is a great place if you're looking for a quick and cheap meal, while still having a decent variety in menu options. They have several different udon options in addition to several different bowl options and set meals. I got the spicy udon which was 5000 won and very filling! Lasty but definitely not least... dessert!
Ok, if you haven't figured out already, I love my desserts. I was so happy I got to try the mango ice cream from Go Mango this week! As seen in the picture below, it's a pretty big sized ice cream for only 1500 won (it really makes me wonder how this store is making money haha). Once again, I am bringing up Blanc but I finally got to try one of their desserts. Although I went in wanting a strawberry shortcake, they were unfortunately sold out (I guess I have to go back :)) so I ended up getting the mint chocolate pie. When getting a dessert from Blanc, I would recommend sharing as even if the pie slices initially seem small, the cream and chocolate itself was very rich. Lastly, after figuring out that the market near my place sells cheap ice cream (by cheap, I mean 400 won cheap :0) I have been trying different varieties of ice cream! This time the new flavors/types I tried the mojito, injeolmi, and red bean, which were all delicious and would recommend if you find them! Ewha Peace Buddy meet up At Ewha, you have the opportunity to be paired up with an Ewha Peace Buddy. They are local students who are usually learning English who are there to help you with your time at Ewha! This week, I got the opportunity to meet my buddy, who is a freshmen at Ewha, along with two other girls from the UK and US who are part of my buddy group as well. She took us around the famous Gyeongbokgung Palace, where we got to see around the palace. Additionally, while we were there we also got to see how the guards change their shifts and the rituals conducted, which was very interesting as well. After the palace, we headed to a nearby pork belly store and wrapped up the day with getting ice cream Baskin Robbins! Another day in Gangnam The Gangnam area is so big, we had to go back again to explore more. We started our day in the afternoon, where we ran into a really cute cafe called Grain Bounday, which turned out to be a cookie and coffee shop! Although there were several different types of cookies, we decided to share the oreo smore cookie, which I will say was probably the best choice we made. The cookie was so soft with a melted marshmallow inside and surprisingly not too sweet! I also got an einspanner to go with it, which was also very pretty :) After taking some cute mirror selfies (hehe), we looked around the area. While we were looking around, it was really cool to run into a Steve Jobs/Apple pop-up called Steal the Apple. To be quite honest, I'm not sure exactly why the store was there but it was interesting to see everything! Since Gangnam is also known for flagship stores of brands as well as just stores with gorgeous displays, we had to stop by the popular ones such as Dr.Jart, Gentle Monster, and Tamburins, along with Line Friends, and Kakao Friends which already just happened to be nearby. At Kakao Friends, we were very fortunate to be able to try the famous Knotted, a famous donut shop that has collaborated with Kakao Friends and has a cafe at the top of their Gangnam location. The donuts were airy while filled the cream, a perfect balance! Lastly, we also stopped by Seoul Escape, a popular escape room with multiple locations around South Korea. The interesting part about Seoul Escape is that their escape rooms have connected stories, making you want to try all of them. Unfortunately the Gangnam location will be closing in a week but can't wait to try out the rest, especially since we got out of the one we tried! Other eventful activities of the week :)
One place I got to visit this week was Common Ground! It's a popular shopping area with mainly streetwear and other mini shops. I thought it was very interesting to see how popular streetwear is here in Korea. Some of the popular brands are Covenant, Carhartt, Thisisneverthat, and Nerdy to name a few. Additionally, my friends and I ended up having another brunch day at Colline. This time, I decided to try their persimmon bingsu, which was so good. I was even more surprised that my bingsu was the one person serving size! Regardless, everything was so flavorful (I'm pretty sure I has the equivalent of 3 persimmons on my bingsu) and we even got pictures this time! Today was a very special day to me as since the opening of Hybe Insight, it has been on my bucket list of places to go. In order to book a spot in their tours, you will need to go onto the Hybe Insight website and make a Weverse account, if you don't have one already. From there, you will be able to choose your time slot and pay ($23).
This visit was very special as for only 2 days, Hybe had decided to display the diplomatic passports BTS received as they represented South Korea as diplomatic envoys at the UN General Assembly. Overall, the museum itself was very cool as it showcased works related BTS, TXT, Seventeen, and NU'EST. From interactive activities, special videos/interviews, and a display of all the trophies and albums, it was intriguing to see all the effort that is put in not only by the group but also the producers. When everything is displayed, it honestly amazed me to see everything that each of these groups have done since their debut. It also made me realize the huge impact kpop has had on the world, especially over the past couple of years. You'll definitely have to see it for yourself to feel the amazement of the museum! Even if you are not a super fan of these groups, I think it is still worth it to visit the museum!
Third, related to drivers is the intense driving. Usually I don't get car sick but the couple times I had to ride a taxi, I felt so nauseous and had a headache after finishing my ride. The drivers drive pretty roughly (with several brake jolts) which probably caused the nauseous feeling (which has also transferred slightly to buses as well). Lastly, the issue regarding foreign vaccines. Although my friends and I have been fully vaccinated in the US, some restaurants have told us we can't dine in as our group (the limit of 4 people after 6pm if 2 people are fully vaccinated) because we haven't been vaccinated in Korea (even with proof of our vaccine cards). It is kind of saddening as there are places we would like to try but can't because of those limits. As for my classes, I'm pretty bummed that all my classes are pre-recorded lectures that are uploaded onto Ewha's class website, Cyber Campus. The professors set a deadline to watch the lectures, usually around 72 hours - 1 week since it's been posted. The pros of having pre-recorded lectures is definitely being able to make your own schedule but the cons is that I don't get the opportunity to meet my classmates. Majority of the classes are individual work and only one of my classes have group work but unfortunately won't be happening till later on the semester. On top of my four classes at Ewha (Int'l Business Law 35688, Managing Organization Behavior 30818, The Korean Economy 35731, and The Foundation of R Programming for Social Problem Solving 11367), I am also taking 2 classes at UH Manoa (HRM 453 and POLS 307B). At first I thought it would be difficult to balance all my classes but with my very flexible schedule, I am glad that I have been able to manage everything!
Chuseok (추석)! This week in South Korea, it was 추석, also known as Korean Thanksgiving! The holiday is officially observed from September 20th-22nd (Monday - Wednesday) but like many holidays, many began celebrating from the weekend. It was wonderful getting to experience a traditional holiday unique to Korea. For my friends and I, the week was very eventful as we got to go to various sites and activities as our workload was a little less due to the holidays! Kdrama site visit: Geumga Plaza If you've seen the popular kdrama Vincenzo, you'll know the Geumga Plaza is a prominent part of the show. I had a great time visiting the site and being able to see the building in person, even if it's the outside! It definitely made me think about all the scenes of Vincenzo walking around the building :) N Seoul Tower ✨ Being out and about in Seoul for about a month now, it was about time my friends and I went to visit one of the main tourist attractions, N Seoul Tower. If you prefer to not walk up a hill, I would highly recommend taking the bus and several stops away from the bottom of the road to the tower. This is because the bus does get crowded and there will be no seats available (standing is possible but it's definitely better to be sitting as Seoul bus drivers are a little rough already and driving up a hill does not help at all). When we got to the top, the view was super nice as we decided to go there closer to sunset! The main look out is nice but difficult to take pictures with the numerous people, therefore I recommend taking photos in the other sections where we still got equally (or maybe even better) photos! We decided to not go to the top this time but looking forward to going to the observatory one day! Trick Eye Museum The Trick Eye Museum was pretty interesting to me as it was the first time I've ever been to one! There were a lot of different types of art to take pictures and interact with, even some that used VR! It's very interesting how depending on the perspective, everything looks so different. The funniest one was definitely the one where Michelle and I are different sizes! From a photo perspective we look completely different sizes, although in reality we are about the same 😅! New food findings and Din Tai Fung :> Missing some Vietnamese food, Michelle and I heard that 63prov is a great Vietnamese restaurant located near Ewha! Upon trying their food, I would definitely recommend it! I had the bun bo hue, which is the spicy noodles with beef and it instantly satisfied my Vietnamese food cravings I had. I can't wait to come back and try the banh mi along with the regular pho! The second discovery of the week was 마있는순두부앤김치찜 신촌점 (Soft Tofu Stew Steamed Kimchi). Hands down, one of the best deals for a fulfilling meal. Not only is the soondubu 7500 won, it also comes with the healthy purple rice with a variety of banchan. Initially it looks like a normal bowl of soondubu but the bowl is packed with tofu along with the type of protien, in our case, we got the beef soondubu and the mix (beef and seafood) soondubu. Once the weather get cold, we'll definitely be coming here often! Seeing that this is near Yonsei, it was definitely crowded with both locals but also foreigners! This week Michelle and I (my second time this month hehe) went to Din Tai Fung where we ended up getting the shrimp set meal as it was the seasonal option! The meal was definitely worth it but was also very shrimpy. The set came with shrimp xiaolongbaos, fried spicy noodles with shrimp & vegetables, fried rice with eggs, spicy shrimp & pork wontons, fried spring rolls with shrimp & vegetables, and sweet sour soup. They were all flavorful and amazing dishes I would definitely eat again (especially since we cleared all our dishes)! Trying out new cafes :) Studying in cafes are very common here that many people spend the entire day working at one cafe (which is what I ended up doing). This week, I went to Blanc, one of the cafes in Hongdae! Not only do they have a great selection of bread, their coffee is pretty good as well! I got the sweet potato croque monsieur which was very filling and only 2400 won. In Korea, not only are there numerous coffee shops in general, there are plenty of Starbucks stores as well as Starbucks Reserves. One day we decided to check out the Starbucks Reserve at Ewha, which we found out was the first Starbucks Reserve to open in Korea! Not only do they have special lattes/cold brews, they also have their items only available at this store! Upon ordering a drink, they also give you chocolate with it, which was also very good and not too sweet. I ended up going to another Starbucks this week but I was happy that I got to try the green glazed cream frappucino, a drink not available back home. As the name suggests, the frappucino had a creamy flavor but with the green glaze (which I believe is matcha), the sweetness balanced out and I throughly enjoyed it! Squid Game display at Itaewon Station
With the new kdrama Squid Game becoming popular, the Netflix show created a display right inside the Itaewon station. Although I haven't seen the drama myself, it was very intriguing to see all the hype and promotion that is going around the show! It was so popular that people lined up to take photos with the display. (ultimately the display got shut down due to covid regulations :( but glad I got to see it before all the caution tape wrapped) Food around Hongdae! It's been about three weeks since we have lived in Hongdae and everyday I continue to be amazed by the food discoveries I experience. On our way to way the train station, Michelle and I always see one specific restaurant always crowded with people waiting outside. This week, we finally got to try 연하동 (Yeonhadong) along with one of our friends who live in the same building as us! We got the two dishes they're well known for, which is the chicken bowl and the salmon roll. They were both so delicious and definitely worth the wait (I would recommend going in pairs as their seating is majority pair seating and have only one area to seat 3 people, which is why we also had to wait a little extra to get seated)! Another popular spot in Hongdae we were able to visit for brunch is called Colline. They are known for growing their own fruits and vegetables but also their aesthetic cafe vibes. Additionally, the cafe has is very popular as the location has been used in multiple cafe scenes in kdramas. Although a little on the pricier side, the food portions and quality did not disappoint. I had their plate meal and persimmon juice! I have always loved persimmons and never would I have ever thought I would get to try persimmons juiced. The juice wasn't that sweet while still maintaining that persimmon flavor, a great balance if you ask me! The plate meal was also very flavorful with the french toast and savory bacon and sausage. This is one place I have bookmarked and will be back to! Lastly, if you're ever in an area with street food, definitely worth a try! By Hongik Station Exit 2, there is a food stall ran by an ajumma (local auntie), who sells typical street food such as odeng and tteokbokki! It's so cheap yet satisfying, it's my go to place when I have tteokbokki cravings :) Then after you're done with dinner, there's so many dessert places around, this week, Natalie, Michelle, and I chose to go to Soft Lab. We got their blueberry, brownie, and salted caramel soft. All of them were pretty good and would recommend depending on whether you're feeling fruity or sweet! When HKU/HSBC Case Comp brings friends together 💗 This past summer, I had the opportunity to participate in the HKU/HSBC Case Competition. During one of the networking rounds, I met Gabby, who was part of the Yonsei University team. Fast forward to this week, I had the wonderful opportunity of meeting her along with her friend and my friends. For lunch, we headed to 인사동마늘보쌈 (Insadong Maneul Bossam), where we had bossam among many other dishes. Everything was so delicious there, a definite recommendation to fulfill any bossam cravings! After lunch, we headed to onion, a very popular cafe with its traditional look. They had amazing unique pastries, which I wished I could try all of them (we ended up getting 3 to share to be reasonable and not eat with our eyes :)) The pastries we got were chocolate banana, chocolate scone, and their best seller injeolmi pandoro. Upon first taste, everything was even better than it looked! The coffee had great aroma and the pastries were not overly sweet, a great balance. From there, we walked around the Bukchon Hanok Village before we called it a day (we also had some snacks such as a croffin and bingsu because it was so hot)! Thank you so much to Gabby and Lisa for taking us around the area and planning the whole day! 💗 Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
Let me begin by saying Shang-Chi was AMAZING! It truly is amazing to finally see Asian representation in blockbuster films. Not only did Simu Liu portray his character perfectly, it was also nice to see familiar faces such as Awkwafina, Michelle Yeoh, and Ronny Chieng (also all in Crazy Rich Asians lol). If you haven't seen it yet, don't wait any longer!! Aside from the film, the movie theater experience was great in itself. The ticketing machine was easy to navigate and they had decently affordable theater food (compared to the US; we also got some Gongcha to take with us :)). It was also great to see a small replica of platform 9 3/4 for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone's 20th anniversary!
The Hyundai Seoul One of the highlights of this week was definitely visiting The Hyundai Seoul, Seoul's newest and biggest department store. The mall opened earlier this year and is 15 floors and over 959,000 sq ft (89,000 sqm+). I would definitely say it is one of the nicest malls I have been to ever. From luxury to every day brands, there was everything there. The most amazing part was how aesthetic the mall was, especially the Sounds Forest, which was the perfect place to take photos! When in Seoul, it is definitely one of the must visit malls to experience! They also had a Christian Dior pop up store at the Sounds Forest so I *had* to take a photo with the gigantic bag they had displayed 😌 *The photos my friends and I got were definitely Instagrammable for those of you looking for an aesthetic place to take photos :)* I-Park Mall I-Park Mall is located at Yongsan station, which is a very popular area. Like many other malls, there are a variety of shops and eateries on multiple levels! This was a very special trip as Natalie and I got to see the Studio Ghibli pop up store! Since it is the 20th anniversary of the movie Spirited Away, there were many items from the movie ras well as other Studio Ghibli movies. Being the artist Natalie is, she even drew me with No-face (Kaonashi)! Additionally, around the area, there was also pop ups of anime stores. We also got to try Shake Shack, where they also had makgeolli shake! It was so creamy yet flavorful, we definitely enjoyed every sip of it. Yeonjun Cafe Visit Since Yeonjun's birthday was in a couple days, Natalie and I visited Cafe Bud, one of the cafes that was hosting a Yeongjun birthday event. They had a poster for him outside the store, which we took a photo with and got a set as well (the drink came with 2 cups and a card!) :) Since the cafe is around Hybe, their entertainment company, there were several other cafes that were decorated! It's definitely an interesting experience! With classes starting, this week was definitely a little slower than the previous weeks~ I will still try my best to update you all with all my adventures and experiences!
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kelsFrom traveling to tips, I hope to share my experiences with you all and motivate you to explore your kuriosities :) Archives
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