Before I begin my accounts on experiences I had on each day and my tips for every SK- bound traveler, I'd like to share the little things I miss in South Korea so much I really need to share it. (To anyone going to Korea, bring me some of these stuff okay?)
15 Things I miss about Korea
1. Milkis.
Though we have it here in Manila, we don't have it it 1.5L bottles. We only have it in small cans. Nothing beats chugging it without having to open difficult cans.
2. The cool windy weather
As most of my readers know (What readers, I only have a few :<), I live in a very beautiful tropical country named the Philippines, where summer days are not quite pleasant. ITS SO HOT AND HUMID HERE. I miss the cool, dry breeze back in Seoul! At the time my sister and I left, it was a cool 18-20C at 9pm. The lowest we experienced was about 13C but in the afternoon was about 26C, a little warm with the cool breeze :D Compared to Manila's 36C, I'd like to stay in the cooler Seoul City....(But nothing beats sweating though! Sweat those pounds away)
3. Safe Environment
The first thing I noticed on the subway stations were the women carrying their sling bags at their backs with the zipper WIDE OPEN. In other places I've been, that's practically suicide but there....THEY HAVE SO MUCH PUBLIC TRUST. CCTVs are everywhere too! There weren't any policemen or traffic aides roaming around on the streets. Even some drunk people sleep on the streets without fear of being mobbed (Or I guess they're reaaaally drunk) I mean, ITS SAFE TO WALK AROUND THEIR STREETS ALONE EVEN AT NIGHT.
4. Seoul Metro Subway Station
ohhh wae you have to be so OZM <3
Yes, I miss that dearly especially the announcements in English, Korean, Japanese and Chinese. Even though it entails you to millions of steps and complicated transfers, I miss the quick trains and the cute announcement sounds (If you have a ringtone of the Subway announcements, please comment on the bottom with the links!)
5. Korean Popstars
Remembering that your fave Kpop idol is just a few kms radius away from you is PRICELESS. In short, you're breathing almost the same air. Even though I didn't get to see my bias, Siwon Choi (ALMOST. ALFREAAAAKINGMOST. Will explain on the other blogs), I got to see his other group mates in Super Junior, Sungmin Lee and Ryeowook Kim while watching their open radio show, Sukira Super Junior Kiss The Radio. (I like to write their names that way. We cool?)
I also saw SNSD's first sub-unit TaeTiSeo (VIDEO), heard Sungmin's Yeoja voice (VIDEO) and chilled with other ELFs and SONEs. So I have a total of 10 fancams (WATCH FULL PLAYLIST HERE)
well, hello there gwapo :)
6. Kstory's Omija and Kona Bean's Cheesecake
If you're an ELF, K-Story, Kona Beans (Apgujeong) and Handel and Gretel are MUST GO Cafes....even though I missed Yesung's family's cafe, Handel and Gretel because I went there on closing time (huhuhuhuhuuu)
If you're an ELF (especially if you're an UNDEAD PETAL) and you don't go to Kstory, you're missing out on all the DAEBAK Heechul stuff.
K Story is basically a cafe and merch store owned by Bruce Youn with Heechul as a partner! In that store, they sell LOTS AND LOTS OF KPOP STUFF and Heechul has his own room there where you could take tons of pictures and leave your fansigns there! They have a Heechul menu there, which Heechul personally chose as his favorites. Omija juice is a Korean drink (tea) and is TO DIE FOR plus it's very healthy! Guess this is why Heechullie is so radiant even when he gets tired... Click here to know more about Omija and its health benefits Their lattes are also GOOD! Oh and Bruce oppa is very accommodating! ELFs, make sure to stop by K Story okay? More on the details on what I did there on the next blogs!
Seriously the cheesecake is HEAVEN. I miss it so much I wish I hoarded a whole cake.
Kona Beans in Apgujeong is a franchise cafe owned by the moms of Super Junior's Sungmin Lee, Leeteuk Park and Kyuhyun Cho (Kill me if you want, I'll still write their names that way :D) It's a really chillax cafe with awesome food and drinks. It's also like a museum of Super Junior. Their moms are so proud of their sons and the whole group! More on what I did again on the next few blogs!
7. Street food
I looooove Myeongdong's sausage potato thingy. I don't have a picture of this but BOY ARE THEY AWESOME. For the Filipinos, they're like the swirly potato chips on a stick with a super yummy sausage in the middle except the potato cuts are not chips and are thicker and juicier.
I love their 8 inch ice cream too! I got the green tea and vanilla flavored ones and they could give you a brain freeze.
Tteokbbokki = the BEST.
8. Hearing Kpop music EVERYWHERE
For Filipinos, because of President Noynoy's request, the songs we hear on the radio are mostly OPM or AMERICAN (WAE THE HATE ON OTHER ASIAN MUSIC?!?!?!?!!) So, it's really rare when you hear Kpop on the radio and it's usually the Korean stores that play Kpop (HEHEH MOSTLY SUPER JUNIOR AND SNSD) It was like Heaven to me.
9. Flipping the tube to find KBS is a local broadcasting company
and so are MBC, MNET, TVN and SBS.....But the best thing that ever happened on our guesthouse's TV was seeing Attack Of The Pin-up Boys being played. Best wake up call...EVER. There were also reruns of old shows (Star King! THE EPISODE WHERE CHARICE STARRED. Which means.... SUPER JUNIOR WAS THERE.) So I got to watch the latest episodes of Fashion King, Love Rain, Show Champion and a whole lot more
Hello there Henry bebe <3
10. T-Money
This card gives wonders. This will be your trip's BEST FRIEND. The T-Money is your all in one transportation card that can give you less KRW 100 on your rides than on rides being paid fully by cash or by the single ride ticket (Hey that's PHP 4 but still, that's big when you're saving) Not only is it used for transportations in Seoul but also to the airport! Plus when you use the subway and you need to use the bus 30 minutes after, your fare is FREE. How cool is that? You could also use this money when you dont have cash in hand for selected stores, just look for the T-money sign on the doors and make sure IT HAS MONEY IN IT. :)
11. Super intense fast internet
900kbps to 1Mbps. ARE YOU KIDDING ME. and the guesthouse we stayed on said it was a little slow because it was just installed. YOU KIDDING RIGHT? Huhuhu compared to Korea's, Philippines' internet speed is just 1/5 and we're the 2nd-4th fastest and most wired in the world. Good thing I uploaded most of my videos there. Uploading a 1 minute video there takes 10-15 seconds while here back at home, it sometimes takes FOREVER. Loading a 30 minute video took me a minute.
12. Kkakka juseyo (Discount please!)
Shopaholics, this will be you favorite word. Say it nicely, with cuteness and aegyo and hopefully like in my case, they'll give you big discounts! Well, bargaining is bargaining wherever you go! But, I never expected I've done it in a foreign land where I used to think foreigners are given higher prices.
13. Kpop merch at REALLY REALLY LOW PRICES. In the streets and subways.
Happy fangirl is HAPPY, ya know. ^^
14. MAKE UP GALORE.
Make up in the Philippines is kinda expensive. Most of the make up here are from Western brands and are usually apt for Westerner's skin. We may have local mineral make-up but I'm sorry to say, some (not saying all) of them are not good. Their make-up is PERFECT for Asian skin and they have mineral benefits. Plus, when you buy, they give you samples of their new products and a LOT of face masks! Who wouldn't want these? Sometimes they give more to foreigners and give discounts. My tip for you.... HOARD ON BB CREAM.
15. DAEBAK. It's DAEBAK-ness and DAEBAK WILL LEAD YOU TO LOTS OF GREAT THINGS
The word Daebak is a slang Korean word that means COOL/AWESOME/GREAT. When foreigners say that, it'll make the locals smile! :) That's how I describe Korea. Whenever I hear it, I'm so happy! Everything there is just so awesome. Guess I just didn't experience the super bad side yet but so far so good.....I wanna come back!!!!
More on my Korea trip on the next blogs but for now, bye bye!
Fierce and love,
gracedlemonades
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