This is the first part of my Seoul Experience Winter 2018
DAY 1 (20 – 21 Dec)
Over Winter Break in December 2018, I took the opportunity to head over to Korea for Winter Studies.
However, before the studying began, I had to visit earlier to explore the city. Thus, I went one week ahead of classes.
This was a very exciting yet daunting trip for me since it was my first trip abroad without any family. It was my first trip to Korea and I flew solo for the first time to meet my friends who were already in Korea. So many firsts.
But before anything exciting could happen, I was met with many obstacles along the way. The subway which could bring me directly to the city centre, without stopping, was closed by the time I landed.
I landed around 12am.
So I had to take the subway that went past every single stop which took about 1 hour instead of 45 minutes.
At the city centre, I was going to cab to my hotel but I could not find the taxi stand among all the exits. I got a culture shock since there were only staircases and lifts. No escalators. It was so hard lugging my two suitcases with me across the entire station.
Since I was lost, I asked for directions from a group of locals. I did not know a single word of Korean and could only ask them in English.
Thankfully, one of the ladies could speak English.
It was then, I experience kindness in that moment of despair.
The lady brought me to the taxi stand and even helped me with my suitcase. Along the way, I also did find out that there was a taxi strike so it was very hard to get a cab.
She waited with me patiently for an hour in the cold (it was 0 degrees) before we managed to catch a cab.
She also helped me with conversing with the taxi driver so I could get to my hotel.
Unfortunately, along the way, my cab driver did not know how to get me to my hotel. So I had to call my friends who got the help of the concierge.
Finally after a long day, I reached my hotel and reunited with my friends.
All of this all happened within the first 3 hours of touch down.
What a trip.
I am very thankful for meeting that nice lady on my first day here.
Little did I know, this was not the worst part of the trip.
DAY 2 (21 Dec)
We set out to explore Korea.
My friends, having been here earlier than me, visited some places already. So we went to places which they have not visited yet.
We set out early in the morning, to Changdeokgung Palace. But before we did that, I bought T-money, Seoul’s transportation card. They come in so many lovely designs and can be purchased at any convenient stores.
Changdeokgung Palace was beautiful. Everywhere looked amazing. The weather was perfect for a photoshoot which was exactly what we did.
For lunch, we went nearby to a famous Mandu Restaurant, Gaesong Traditional Dumpling House, which got a Michellin Star awarded. We sat on the heated floors and ate.
It was a filling and heart warming meal in the midst of the cold.
We did not have the intention of visiting the Kimchi Museum. However, it was part of the package we bought.
Since it was nearby, we thought that we might as well visit it. The museum was not too fancy. They showcased things like the history of kimchi and the different types of kimchi.
There was even a little area for photography and doodling.
Afterwards, we went walking along the road and got a snack called Hobbuk. Which was sold fresh. It was like a Korean Donut.
We took the subway towards the Han River. It was not what I expected. Maybe because it was in Winter and it was early in the day so there were not many people around. It could also be because we were not on the right side of the bank.
Nevertheless, we decided to take E-land Cruise (part of the package earlier) and cruise down the Han River.
The cruise was pretty cool. We saw some sights and a governmental building which looked very grand. There was also a guy on board who was serenading the crowd with his song. He was pretty good.
The last trip of the day is to the Sauna. It was one must-do thing when in Korea. The Jjimjilbang (Sauna). The one we went to was the Dragon hill Spa and Resort which was 24h.
This was a great getaway from the cold outside.
When we entered the dressing rooms, there was a huge culture shock for us as everyone was very comfortable in their own skin. We were not used to it. But it was a good experience.
In common areas, everyone was lying everywhere. There were rooms of varying degrees. The one we went into was 53-degree celsius. It was hotter than expected.
But we made sure we tolerated it and left only when everyone in the room had been “replaced” which was about 15 minutes or so. So it wasn’t too bad!
We also got ourselves some Sikhye, Baked Eggs, Bingsu and Sweet Potato Fries, just to try them out. Sikhye was really good!
DAY 3 (22 Dec)
We went to COEX because we wanted to visit the SM Town building. There was not much in the building to see except for some overpriced merchandise 😢
Although we did see some people who are auditioning to be the next K-pop idol. Lee Kall actually signed up and we came back another day for her audition.
We headed to the nearby shopping centre for lunch and I got to see the iconic COEX library. Easily one of the prettiest library I’ve ever seen. It was heaven.
At the food court, I got some Korean Traditional Noodles which was awesome. Something local.
At the COEX Aquarium, it was pretty cool. We got to see a few feeding sessions and watched some performances. The way the aquarium was designed is absolutely beautiful. Look at how beautiful the fishes are. They look like they are from a painting.
Express Shopping Street. It was heaven for Lee Kall while we watched her shop.
For dinner, we managed to found a restaurant that sold local food. I got myself a chicken cutlet with cheese. It was so good.
The auntie was so nice as she gave us drinks for free (They call it “service”).
Thanks Ajumma!
DAY 4 (23 Dec)
We went to the Kakao Friends flagship store at Hongdae because it was a must go.
So much to see, everything was so cute. There are life-size figurines which you could take pictures with.
Afterwards, we went to the Trickeye Museum and the Love Museum. I had been to the Trickeye Museum in Singapore. Although they had slightly different exhibits, it was a meh experience for me.
An interesting thing was the AR app that we could download. Through the app, we could interact with the exhibits. That was pretty cool.
So, I do encourage you to check it out if you have not been to any Trickeye.
We also went to the little ice museum which was just opposite. Everything was made of ice. It was freezing in there. There was even an ice slide in there which was really fun.
Unfortunately, it got too cold for us to enjoy ourselves so we headed out into the other museum.
Since the tickets all came with the package, we went into the Love Museum. It was an eye-opener.
Definitely M-18 to R-21 category. So you have been warned. I shall not delve deeper here.
We continued walking around Hongdae, we got some eomuk guk and chicken with cheese. The goodness.
I even got myself a bag from one of the street stores. It was gorgeous and it fit everything that I needed so it was great.
After dinner, we decided to go up the Namsam Tower, the icon of Seoul to catch the sunset.
However, we got a bit lost going up though because we were not allowed to drive up there.
We wanted to take the cable car up but the queue was too long. So I suggest getting the tickets beforehand or going earlier to join the queue.
Even though we did not manage to catch the sunset, the night view of Seoul was breathtaking as well. This may or may not have been literal since there was a hill we had to climb to reach the Tower in the cold.
I also wrote a postcard to send home. However, I think I did not get enough stamps on the postcard so it did not get sent.
So when you buy stamps from the store, be sure to tell the store attendant that you are sending it abroad to avoid this mistake!
DAY 5 and 6 (24 – 25 Dec)
Here comes the WORST part about the trip.
I fell ill overnight and had to spend the next couple of days resting in bed. I was far too incoherent to go out. It was a pity, falling sick while on vacation.
Thankfully, my friends took great care of me, buying me medication and dinner.
THANK YOU FRIENDS FOR BEING SO CARING! <3
DAY 7 (26 Dec)
It was time to move to our actual accommodation for Winter Studies, so we took a cab and moved into StayforU!
It was an apartment building situated in Sindang which was quite the optimal location.
The room that we had was a mezzanine. Meaning that there were two stories. So I took the entire space upstairs while my other two friends stayed downstairs.
Though, it was a bit dangerous going up the stairs since there weren’t any railings.
I piled my things along the edge of the stairs as some form of protection and boundary. It worked out pretty well.
I was still not feeling very well so we decided that I should go to the hospital to get it checked out.
It was an interesting experience going to the local hospital. One thing good was that I had no issues conversing with the doctor who spoke English.
He did give me a swap to make sure that I did not have Influenza A which he said was common in tourists. I think I got Bronchitis?
Yeah so things were not that great.
The first week in Seoul was not the best but I managed to take care of myself throughout the trip with the help of my friends.
So I would say this is the part where I grew up while aboard. Even if it does seem like a small thing.
Do come back to catch the next part of my Korea adventure! Comment down below what your worst experience was like overseas.
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