Showing posts with label Gangnam. Show all posts

4 Ways I Traveled - Winging It (Part 4)

Uncertainty is something that can be very unnerving. The list of if's, and's, or but's that could happen is just too lengthy to list. Learning to let go of the scariness of not knowing is difficult. We, well maybe just some of us, are told since young that there is one path in life: being born, growing up, going to school, getting a stable job, settling down, etc. The chances to stray from the path isn't common nor recommended. But, what if?

Being carefree and open minded to new experiences were my top goals of the extended trip. I guess I just wanted to have some time to live in the moment after following set plans and making plans for so long. Maybe I felt like this was an answer to grow mentally and break out of the shy shell I tend to coop myself up in. Maybe I followed one too many free-spirited influencers and just wanted to try something different from everyone else for a change: breaking expectations.

Structured bus tours, tag-a-long with Mom, and planned itineraries with Aunt were all styles of traveling that I don't regret. Sure, I had gripes with each but there were also many good things that came with each. But if I were to be completely honest, I had some of the most stress-free and interesting moments when I was able to let go and be more spontaneous. Going somewhere and doing things with no expectations will surely equate to something that is at the very least average and at the very most extraordinary. There is no way to feel regretful or upset about missing bullets from a non-existent itinerary.

lavlilacs Singapore Marina Bay Sands night lights show
lavlilacs Singapore Botanic Gardens orange yellow orchids lavlilacs Singapore Zoo bats
lavlilacs Singapore Chinatown Maxwell Food Center fresh coconut waterlavlilacs Singapore Chinatown Maxwell Food Center fresh coconut flesh


Singapore.

Of the places I traveled to with my Aunt, Singapore was the first where I had no daily plans for before arrival. Figuring out Tokyo took up all of the time my procrastinating self left for me. I also thought that Singapore would be the easiest of all places for an impromptu styled a trip. For one, my Aunt had already been before. Most people there speak English, if not also some form of Chinese, so communication wouldn't be an issue. Singapore has a relatively simple to navigate transit system. Plus, we could always ask our AirBnB host for recommendations.

Most of our plans for the day were usually decided on the night before with the help of the internet and various travel books our AirBnB home provided. Like in Japan, I chose to focus on certain areas of Singapore. One day we roamed around Marina Bay. Another day was spent at the day and night zoos. We also visited the botanic gardens, Orchard Road, Chinatown, and Sentosa.

I originally thought that weather would be a big issue since we were visiting Singapore during the monsoon season. But the rain surprisingly didn't last all day and instead came down in one big spurt. The sun shone as bright as ever after the daily downpour came and went. Even though the humidity in Singapore was unbearable at times, all the sunlight was very energizing.

lavlilacs China Kaiping Diaolou history
lavlilacs China Kaiping Diaoloulavlilacs China Kaiping Diaolou 2

Kaiping, China.

My plan, at first, was to wander around Hong Kong for a week or so before I departed from Asia altogether. The city was mainly a layover stop on my multi-month trip. Both my mom and Aunt insisted there wasn't much to do there and that everything was too expensive. But being the city girl that I am, exploring metropolis Hong Kong felt more appealing than going to dimsum and dinners every day in China.

Somehow my Aunt got me to follow her to China with the promises of doing things that my mom did not do: visit black sand beaches, soak in hot springs, and have an outdoor BBQ. All in the name of doing new things right?

Of the things she mentioned we would do, we only got to the outdoor BBQ with her friends. Unlike Western BBQ's, big hunks of meat weren't smoked or cooked on outdoor grills. The Chinese style BBQ involved sitting around a firepit with sausages, chicken wings, and other likes that are skewered and roasted over the open fire. The day was rainy and gloomy but still interesting and cozy.

I was a little disappointing we didn't end up getting to go to every place my Aunt had to mentioned. Expectations were raised but not all were met. Her substitution, however, wasn't all that bad. Instead of the beach and hot springs, she decided to take me to Kaiping to see the Diaolou. These type of buildings were historically supposed to be watchtowers. The ones we saw were more of a glorified ancestral home and museum built by immigrant families. It was fascinating to see and read about those families' histories since I knew so little about my own.

lavlilacs Hong Kong Lamma Island signs
lavlilacs Hong Kong Lamma Island streetlavlilacs Hong Kong Lamma Island mural

Lamma Island, Hong Kong.

My Aunt and I made a compromise, we would spend a few extra days in Hong Kong in exchange for me going to Taishan with her. I hadn't a clue what I would do in Hong Kong but I was glad to have the days available. My Aunt's main complaint was how crowded and polluted the city was. My best answer to that was visiting the quiet Lamma Island. Besides knowing the name from TVB shows, I wasn't familiar with the place at all. I looked up how to get there from our hotel and we had a day-trip adventure.

The ferry ride from Central to Lamma Island wasn't long, maybe around half an hour. Leaving the ferry pier led to a bunch of seafood restaurants so we had shrimp, clams, and crab for lunch. We found some signs with estimated walking times and took a hike from the island's northern village to its southern one. There was no rush to be somewhere by a certain time. We decided on everything as we came to it. If we missed a ferry, we waited. Everything about that day was laid-back and calm.

lavlilacs Korea Hongdae Bauhaus roomies group photo
lavlilacs Korea Seoul Bukchon Village persimmon tree lavlilacs Korea Seoul Gangnam Deux Amis Cafe

Seoul, Korea.

A big part of my original plan was to try to travel alone. Before my Aunt said she could join me in the travels, I was only going to be in Korea and Hong Kong by myself for a few weeks and then head home. (Why Korea and Hong Kong? They were the places my mom had to worry about me less in.) I had never truly lived away from people familiar to me before and curiosity got the best of me. Sure, I did study abroad; that was away from family and most of my friends. But I also had that experience with my best friend. There was never a situation I was in where I felt completely uncomfortable and had no one else but me to rely on. Being able to go through something new with her felt safe and encouraging.

I know I am extremely lucky to have the support of family and friends, to have people I can rely on. Tons of people don't or can't have that. Maybe it is the Asian/Chinese part of me, I never really imagined living apart from my family. I also always preferred to do things with friends and family: eating out, shopping, traveling, and even attending classes. What is familiar is reassuring.

There wasn't ever really a time where I thought twice about how I might be too closed off or that it doesn't have to be always "do together or don't do at all". When I had the opportunity to travel for an extended period of time, but no one else could, I joked about the idea of doing it myself. When else would I get the chance? Then I actually had the time to think about it twice. Seriously, when else would I get that chance? If not now, when?

It surprisingly didn't take much to convince my mom to the idea. Just a lot of nagging and insistence. As with anything, deciding at that moment was always the easiest. Going through with it required the courage. Would I stay in a hotel room by myself? Would I try a hostel and befriend other wanderlusts? Even up until the week before my flight to Seoul, I was hesitant.

Staying in a hotel, by myself, would have been the most comfortable option. I wouldn't have to worry about being too awkward around others. I could have woken up and gone to bed whenever I wanted. I would be in control of where I went and not go to the same places again. Yet, I wondered what being in a hostel was like and how sharing a space with other travelers was. What if this trip to Seoul wasn't to actually be in Seoul but to make friends and maybe be less introverted?

Curiosity got the better of me and I chose the latter option. I chose the most uncomfortable scenario for me in a somewhat familiar city. I stayed at Bauhaus Guesthouse in Hongdae and shared a room with a handful of girls who came from different parts of the world. I wandered Seoul with three of my many roommates and went to many places I had been before. Sometimes I acted as an amateur guide and sometimes I followed their leads. The activities and destinations were the same, yet the experiences and surroundings couldn't be more different.

All this, of course, can't change my personality. I cannot turn into an extrovert or optimistic suddenly. Nonetheless, I still tried to tackle nudge at some of my biggest fears: uncertainty, risk, and awkwardness.

Korea Diary | At Hangang Once More (Day 42)

Our time at YISS was almost nearing its end. Day 42 was the second to last weekend that we had together. Of all the things to do in Seoul, my friends and I all couldn't wait to go back to Hangang. Even though had we previously went in two separate groups on different occasions, everyone was still excited for the day's plans.

It was also a special day since we were joined by 2 new friends of friends. One was a Korean local our Californian friend met via the Facebook group for YISS. He was studying in the U.S. full time but came back to Yonsei for the summer program just like us. The other was a Canadian working in Hong Kong but came to visit our Australian friend where they met in France. Talk about being globally connected!

Seoul, Korea - Summer Study Abroad 2014 - Sinchon Hyundai Department Store Magokoro ramen

We started the day off late and decided to grab ramen from the Hyundai Department Store as it was conveniently located right by the Sinchon subway station.

Seoul, Korea - Summer Study Abroad 2014 - Biking in Yeouido Park

The must do at Yeouido Park, for me at least, was renting a bike. It was easier and more freeing to ride a single bike but there were way more people out enjoying the weather that day. For those not extremely confident about their swerving and avoiding skills, the park is quieter earlier in the day.

So many families and groups of friends were out picnicking or just chilling by their tents. There is even a water park nearby where a lot of people were enjoying the pools for those who prefer that over bike ridess.

Seoul, Korea - Summer Study Abroad 2014 - Yeouido Hano Little China Star jajangmyeon
Seoul, Korea - Summer Study Abroad 2014 - Yeouido Hano Little China Star tangsooyook

Our friends discovered this really great Korean-Chinese restaurant nearby the last time they went to Yeouido Hangang Park. (I think the place was called Hano Little China Star judging by other  photos and video clips I have.) They had been craving the food from there ever since that fateful day and I was pretty excited to see just how awesome it was.

The must order items at any Korean-Chinese restaurant are of course jajangmyeon 자장면, jjambbong 짬뽕, and tangsooyook 탕수육. I could tell why our Cali friends claimed this spot was so delicious. The jajangmyeon I ordered was so nice. Typically the vegetables and meat are in really big chunks and cooked until very mushy. At this restaurant, all the veggies were cut to a small size and the meat was ground so everything didn't have to be cooked for that long (I assume). I don't know...maybe I'm spouting nonsense but I felt the sauce was killer here. Some one at our table ordered the bowl of jjambbong (spicy seafood noodles) and the bowl was humongous. It was impossible to even see the noodles underneath the pile of generous seafood ontop. If timing is right and this Chinese restaurant is still open, I would definitely go and devour as much as I can handle there.

Seoul, Korea - Summer Study Abroad 2014 - Performers at Banpo Park

We all tried rushing to see the last water show at Banpo Bridge since the Canadian/Hong Kong friend was interested in photographing it. We, unfortunately, missed most of it by the time we arrived. After listening to some performers nearby the Korean local friend took us on a bus ride to get back to Sincheon. None of us would have dared to brave the Seoul bus system had he not been with us. Luckily the number bus that we needed to take was right by the Banpo Bridge and would take us directly across towards home.

Seoul, Korea - Summer Study Abroad 2014 - Patmiok 小豆味 팥미옥 - Favorite bingsoo chain
Seoul, Korea - Summer Study Abroad 2014 - Patmiok 小豆味 팥미옥 - Chocolate cookie bingsoo
Seoul, Korea - Summer Study Abroad 2014 - Patmiok 小豆味 팥미옥 - Mango bingsoo

The night was never over without something sweet. We were introduced to a new place called Patmiok 小豆味 팥미옥 in Sincheon, which may be my all-time favorite bingsoo chain in Seoul. The shaved ice is extremely soft, snow-like, and milky. This place had one of the best ice consistencies of all that we tried. Even though the toppings look simple, both the mangos and chocolate cooking crunchies work so well with the milky ice. The only con was the shop closed pretty early (~10PM).

Korea Diary | Thursday Thrills (Day 33)

Seoul, Korea - Summer Study Abroad 2014 - Changdeokgung 창덕궁 Huijeongdang
Seoul, Korea - Summer Study Abroad 2014 - Changdeokgung 창덕궁
Seoul, Korea - Summer Study Abroad 2014 - Changdeokgung 창덕궁 Nakseonjae Seoul, Korea - Summer Study Abroad 2014 - Changdeokgung 창덕궁 Nakseonjae

Class field trip no. 2 brought us to Changdeokgung 창덕궁. Prior to visiting Seoul, I had no idea there were multiple palaces in the city. Imagine my surprise when I learned that there were 5 in total? Each one has something a little different to them so it wouldn't be extremely redundant to want to visit multiple ones. Changdeokgung in particular is known for it's Secret Garden. We didn't get to visit the garden space at the time since I think it required either a separate admission fee and/or reservations.

Seoul, Korea - Summer Study Abroad 2014 - Sodammandoo 소담만두 Mandoogook 만두국

For lunch we ate at a place in Edae called Sodam Mandoo 소담만두. With dumplings in it's name, how could I not order something mandoo related? Plus you know me and my love for rice cakes! Mandoogook 만두국 was the perfect dish which combined both.

Seoul, Korea - Summer Study Abroad 2014 - NANTA Chungjeongro 충정로 Seoul, Korea - Summer Study Abroad 2014 - NANTA Chungjeongro 충정로 stage

Bestie C had a comedy/musical show called NANTA on her To-Do list. The story was suppose to revolve around a food theme while incorporating various sing-song and viewer participation elements.

After some of our friends came back with rave reviews, we had to book our own tickets as well. The show actually does a number of shows in various parts of Seoul: Hongdae, Myeongdong, and Chungjeongro 충정로.

Seoul, Korea - Summer Study Abroad 2014 - Noodles Tree
Seoul, Korea - Summer Study Abroad 2014 - Noodles Tree Hamburg Omurice 함박오므라이스 Seoul, Korea - Summer Study Abroad 2014 - Noodles Tree Wang Donkatsu 왕돈까스

Despite already having already completed our night time activity, there was more planned for the night. I did say we were well settled into our routines didn't I?

To make the most of our time, we chose to eat nearby the theater before heading back to the dorms. I believe the place we grabbed dinner at was called Noodles Tree. It was conveniently located in (or was it near?) the NANTA Theater building. Bestie had the Hamburg Omurice 함박오므라이스 and I the Wang Donkatsu 왕돈까스. It was very hard to resist fried foods.

Seoul, Korea - Summer Study Abroad 2014 - Taxi stand Seoul, Korea - Summer Study Abroad 2014 - Gangnam Octagon Club

Onward with the late late night plans! Drum roll, my first clubbing experience. It was actually the first time for a majority of the group of friends that I tagged along with.

Seoul is known for its nightlife, drinking, and clubbing culture. So why the heck not? If it was just Bestie and I, clubbing wouldn't even have come out of my mouth. Both of us are just not into it.

One of our friends found that Octagon in Gangnam was supposed to be the place to go. Getting there was an ease via taxi. Just tell the driver you're headed to New Hilltop Hotel or Hilltop Hotel. None of us were looking to get drunk at the club so we arrived on the early side to pre-game at the nearby convenience stores. Our pre-gaming consisted of "weak sauce" alcohols, which I think was beer and/or makgeolli & cider mix.

Our group arrived to the club way early and nothing was really happening inside yet. The crowds hadn't really filled the place until sometime past midnight. Even then I don't have any interesting club stories to share. Most people tended to keep to themselves or their crowd of friends. To me it felt kind of like a prom or school dance but with much better music. What an experience, heh?

Korea Diary | Han River At Night (Day 22, Part 2)

Seoul, Korea - Summer Study Abroad 2014 - Shinsegae Gangnam - entrance

The day didn't end at just pedaling bikes and boats. We finished the rest of Day 22 at a much slower pace, by eating and then watching the water show at Banpo Bridge.

Shinsegae Gangnam was a huge high-end department store that was directly en route to the bridge. We had originally stopped by to walk around and kill time until the night time water show. But seeing the Food Court sign had us roam a new area of the store.

Korean department stores are very unique in the sense that they have a very wide variety of food vendors. Typically the entire lower level of the department stores consist of food related goods. A portion will have proper restaurant stalls as would any food court. Another portion is for the grab and go foods and snacks (bakery, doughnuts, cakes, ice creams, etc.). Some department stores might even have another portion that is a supermarket.

Seoul, Korea - Summer Study Abroad 2014 - Shinsegae Gangnam - Food court ramen

We thoroughly walked through the entire food floor during our time at Shinsegae. Our dinner was bought from the restaurants section. It seems we chose to dine Japanese that night.

Seoul, Korea - Summer Study Abroad 2014 - Shinsegae Gangnam - Food court Azabu Seoul, Korea - Summer Study Abroad 2014 - Shinsegae Gangnam - Food court Azabu fish bread
Seoul, Korea - Summer Study Abroad 2014 - Shinsegae Gangnam - Food court Azabu sweet potato fish bread inside

Whenever I talked about poop bread in the previous posts, I also mentioned something called taiyaki. That is of course the Japanese name for it, in Korean it is boongeobbang 붕어빵 or fish bread. Both are typically a pancake-type bread filled with sweetened red bean. It was my first time seeing fish bread filled with sweet potato so I had to buy one to try from the Azabu stall.

Seoul, Korea - Summer Study Abroad 2014 - Shinsegae Gangnam - Food court cute animal cakes

None of us bought a cake but I really wish we could have. How cute are these animal shaped cakes?

Seoul, Korea - Summer Study Abroad 2014 - Banpo Han River Park 반포 한강공원 - sidewalk direction sign Seoul, Korea - Summer Study Abroad 2014 - Banpo Han River Park 반포 한강공원 - direction sign

The route from Shinsegae to Banpo Bridge was not a short one. We got a little too excited with all the goodies at the food court and ended up having to stay later than expected at the bridge. Luckily we only had to wait a little bit before the last water show of the night started.

Seoul, Korea - Summer Study Abroad 2014 - Banpo Han River Park 반포 한강공원 - Banpo Bridge Moonlight Rainbow Fountain 반포대교 달빛무지개분수

Seoul, Korea - Summer Study Abroad 2014 - Banpo Han River Park 반포 한강공원 - Banpo Bridge Moonlight Rainbow Fountain 반포대교 달빛무지개분수

Most of the photos I took in Korea taken with my iPhone. Even though I had brought along my DSLR, I didn't end up using it as much as I thought. On the rare occasion that I chose to bring it out with me, it wasn't an easy photo-op. I learned that it was very difficult to take photos in the dark. I think the moving water jets made it that much harder for my camera to pick a focal point too. Of all the photos I snapped, only a few were meagerly savable on post-editing. Let's just say my pictures don't do the rainbow bridge justice. But if you Google something along the lines of Banpo rainbow bridge, you could see better versions of how pretty the rainbow fountain was like.

Korea Diary | K-Pop Entertainment Co Walking Tour (Day 21)

My memory is fuzzy regarding many aspects of this trip. One thing I am 100% sure of is Bestie C and I both slept in the Saturday of Day 21. The fact that it was a weekend played a part but we were thoroughly exhausted from the previous day's adventures. All day of walking and blistering heat made for a very good sleep.

Seoul, Korea - Summer Study Abroad 2014 - Loving Hut - Vegan Restaurant - Soy Cutlet
Seoul, Korea - Summer Study Abroad 2014 - Loving Hut - Vegan Restaurant menu

We started the day with a vegan meal from the Loving Hut in Sinchon. I think it was one of a few, if not only, vegan/vegetarian restaurant nearby. Bestie C read about it on a blog and wanted to give it a try. We both ordered the fried cutlet from the Loving Hut. It was ₩7,000, which is pricey compared to some other meals we've had in Korea but still on the cheaper side compared to eating out in NYC.

The regular, non-vegan, version is usually a pork cutlet that is breaded, fried, and served with sauce and rice. In Korea it is referred to as donkatsu. In Japan it is usually called tonkatsu. Both refer to a similar kind of dish. If there was a difference, it is probably just in the sauce styles.

Loving Hut's take on the donkatsu is soy based. In fact the English name on the menu was Soy Cuttlet. In Korean it is called 비건 콩까스 or vegan (soy)bean katsu. I would like to know what kind of magically stuff they used to make this faux meat cutlet because I remember it tasted just like a meaty version. If I didn't know before hand and someone just ordered this for me, I would have probably been completely fooled.

Seoul, Korea - Summer Study Abroad 2014 - JYP Entertainment building
Seoul, Korea - Summer Study Abroad 2014 - Cube Entertainment building
Seoul, Korea - Summer Study Abroad 2014 - SM Entertainment building

Something else that we were both curious enough to do whilst in Korea was tour the streets of Gangnam and Cheongdamdong to see the Korean entertainment companies. Of course it would have  been a plus to see some celebrities and idols by chance but neither of us were fangirls enough to sit and wait for anyone.

We were only able to spot JYP, Cube, and SM Entertainments' buildings on our self-guided, internet-aided walking tour. All three had very conveniently located shops or small parks across the street where many fans were idling and hoping to catch a glimpse of their idols.

Seoul, Korea - Summer Study Abroad 2014 - Exercise equipment in parks

I saw these in a few parks that we passed by in Korea and I knew it existed via K-dramas but I always wondered if the free exercise equipment in the parks was ever used. I guess that person might prove me wrong. Now I am also curious if such parks would be popular in the U.S. There's supposedly a higher number of overweight population in America than in Asia and who really wants to make that yearly donation to the gym...

Seoul, Korea - Summer Study Abroad 2014 - Gangnam bar
Seoul, Korea - Summer Study Abroad 2014 - Gangnam KBBQ pumpkin mascot

A friend met up with Bestie C and I near the main street in the Gangnam district for dinner. I had initially wanted to try a pig intestine KBBQ restaurant that a popular Korean variety member and rapper of Leessang, Kang Gary, ran in Gangnam. Despite being able to locate the restaurant with the help of blogs, the BBQ joint was already shuttered. But my craving for grilled pig intestine only grew bigger during the search. What to do?

Seoul, Korea - Summer Study Abroad 2014 - Gangnam The Mak Chang 막창 - KBBQ Restaurant
Seoul, Korea - Summer Study Abroad 2014 - Gangnam The Mak Chang 막창 - KBBQ Restaurant - Grilling pork intestine, pork belly, and beef

Of course we went on to find another KBBQ place that had intestine instead. The three of us ended up at The Mak Chang 막창 in a food alley off the Gangnam main street. We ordered those pig intestines that I had wanted in addition to some pork belly and beef.

It might sound really weird to be eating intestines. Yes it is the organ that houses all the feces of an animal. No it doesn't taste like it, if it's been cleaned well. Intestines taste really good when the outside gets super crispy. The inside of the circular food is still soft and slightly chewy. It is really all about the different textures for this cut of meat. Don't hate it until you try it. I love to eat the Chinese fried version but since it is on the fatty side, I don't get to eat it often.

Seoul, Korea - Summer Study Abroad 2014 - Sinchon Homilpat 호밀팥 - Fruit and Watermelon Bingsoo 과일빙수 수박빙수

A new day meant a new night to get shaved ice. This time we went a place in Sinchon called Ho Mil Pat or 호밀팥 since we saw a long line up of people waiting for it. If I remember right, the fruit bingsoos were the popular items. If I don't remember right then, we were just really happy to order something with fresh fruit. These two were the fruit shaved ice (과일빙수) and watermelon shaved ice (수박빙수). Both types come with their own serving of sweet red beans and fresh ddeok and were ₩7,500 each. At this point in time, I can say this wasn't my most favorite spot for bingsoo. But hey! It is still fresh fruit, red beans, and ddeok...good components nonetheless.