Why I Definitely Want To Visit Korea?

Gosh, how do I even answer this question? It’s like asking me why I want to go home. Seriously, after 1 season of Kpop Academy during university, several Korean language classes and 3 visits to Korea, the country feels like home to me already. Suddenly I became the ambassador of Korea to my friends and family. Natural disaster in Korea? Ask Karen about it. Any Korean artist, celebrity, people come to Malaysia? Oooh gotta tell Karen.  Political issues in Korea? Karen definitely knows this more than Google. And of course, the question that everybody always ask me – “so when are you going back to Korea??” and “WHY DO YOU GO TO KOREA??”

Okay..rants aside, here are some of the main reasons why I definitely want to visit Korea again and again..(All pictures are mine unless otherwise stated. Warning: it’s a long post. I wrote this post to enter the Global Wow Korea contest. I really wanna go back to Korea, but  Malaysian’s currency exchange rate keep on dropping, it’s seriously too expensive for me to go to back now…Global Wow Korea, please let me go “home”! >.<)

1. Korea is oppas’ home country! (read: my oppas = TVXQ)

In case you’re wondering, my bias is Jaejoong!

Well Korea is the country where TVXQ comes from so naturally us fangirls love Korea and would just love to visit it. It is probably the place where I would have the biggest chance to see them! I’ve seen Yunho in a cafe, Yoochun in Gangnam, Jaejoong in the airport and Changmin in a shopping complex. Don’t be fooled though, it’s not easy to see them outside of their official schedule, you need tonnes of luck! (But please, no stalking! If you get to see oppas, cool, just wave from afar. Do not stalk  or follow them cause that’s just creepy and invades their privacy alright). Which brings me to my next point; the easiest place to see oppas is at their concerts!

2. Korean concerts are dae-to-the-bak! (대박 means awesome)

Me outside TVXQ concert venue in Jamsil. Nobody’s queuing because in Korea, you get numbered even for standing tickets. So you don’t have to spend the night queuing unlike in some countries.

Concerts in Korea are awesome! Sure, the competition to get a ticket is really really tough, and the fangirls are really aggressive (I’ve been to many concerts, trust me, Korean fans win hands down in the “enthusiasm” department). But a concert in Korea is unlike any other; K-fans fan chants are the best, seriously. To maximise my experience, I’ll make sure I memorize the fan chants and songs before hand, cause cameras like to zoom in to me singing Korean song cause I look obviously waygook (외국인 means foreigner).

I will also get the best range of concert merchandise in Korea – usually overseas concerts will sell only selected, leftover merchandises. Various fansites will also give out fan-made items like banners and fans, you just have to look for the small queues where fansites are at the venue. Another advantage of being a waygook in Korean concerts is that you’ll stick out likae a sore thumb so maaaaaybe oppas will notice you? Haha (valid for non-east Asian looking fan, and also, you need front row tickets).

All in all, if you are a K-pop fan, you need to experience K-pop concerts in Korea at least once. But wait, there is also another channel where I can see oppas performing. It’s a whole new world that I just recently discovered – the awesome world of Korean Military!

3. Learn about Korean Military and Police in their events and festivals!

Yes, this picture of Sergeant Kim Jaejoong of JYJ looking at the camera was taken by yours truly.

Long gone were the days when fangirls would cry when oppas enlisting to army! Korean Military and Police actively hold various festivals and events nationwide, and more often than not, these events will feature K-pop artists as performer. So it’s a good place to see oppas while also learning something about Korean army.

I went to see Jaejoong (and Super Junior) performing in Jinhae Military Band and Honor Guard Festival, Changmin (and Super Junior) in an event in a local hospital, and Yunho (and Super Junior and Lee Seunggi) in Ground Forces Festival in Korean Military HQ in Gyeryong.

Yup, that’s Sergeant Jung Yunho of TVXQ, performing in Ground Forces Festival, Gyeryongsan.

The good things about going to Military festivals are beside seeing oppas, you can also visit various hiddem gems in Korea that you won’t otherwise think of visiting. For example during the Ground Forces Festival – I got to stay in the beautful Gyeryong Mountain, chatting with local ahjummas (아줌마 means aunties) in my broken Korean, greeting kindergarten kids whom never see foreigners before, and of course meeting the friendly (and good looking =P) soldiers.

3. Korean landscape and nature is areumdabda! (아름답다 means beautiful)

Would you look at that colourful autumn foliage?? Picture taken in Nami Island.

Sure, I first found out about Korea because of TVXQ and Korean dramas. But there are so much more to the country than idols and entertainers! Coming from a tropical country, I have never seen autumn colours or snow or cherry blossom before. I’m just gonna spam with pictures of Korea’s gorgeous landscape alright, cause a picture is worth a thousand words;

ahh pristine fresh snow against this traditional Korean building…isn’t it romantic..

lovely cherry blossoms by Seokchon Lake just makes you wanna stay here all day

breathtaking Jeongbang Waterfall in Jeju Island. The only waterfall in Asia that falls directly into the ocean.

4. Shopping! Shopping! Shopping!

Lotte World in Myeongdong at night 

When you go to Korea, remember to bring an extra bag! Trust me on this, I always leave Korea with an extra bag cause Korea is a shopping heaven. For you people with extra ka-ching, high-end departments stores like Shinsegae and Lotte will satisfy your luxury needs. For ordinary folks like me, we’ll be spoilt with choices of trendy Korean clothes, cosmetics and accesories with reasonable price. After my first visit to Korea, I don’t buy cosmetics in Malaysia anymore and will stock on Korean cosmetics brands like Missha, Etude House etc. when I go there. They’re seriously good! Same with winter clothing and ooh! Fabrics!

Inside Dongdaemun Fabrics Market. credit to: http://www.beatriceamanda.com/

I can sew and I enjoy making my own clothes, but there are not so many choices of fabrics and embellishments in Malaysia. My jaw literally dropped when I first went to Dongdaemun’s colossal fabrics market, and it become a must-go place for me. It’s fun walking in the labyrinth of the thousands of small stalls and seeing the vendors’ impressed face cause how on earth does a waygook know this place?? haha. I can speak basic Korean so it’s pretty easy to buy things here, but if you do not, you can just punch in numbers into the calculator.

Sinchon, which is near to Yonsei University is one of my favourite pace to go to.

Another favourite place for me to shop is at the university district like Hongdae and Ewha University. Usually prices are cheaper and you’ll have lots of trendy selection of items that cater to university students.

5. Korean foods is mashitda! (맛있다 means delicious)

There is this grilled fish place in Sinchon that I always go to whenever I’m in Korea. I think the ahjummas there already know me haha. My favourite dish is their stir fried squid and this dish alone can be the sole reason why I want to go Korea. It’s that good, seriously. Be warned though, it’s super spicy that most of you weak people will cry when you eat it hahaha (insert evil laugh).

The glorious stir fried squid! Restaurant’s name is Gosame.

Bibimbap, another healthy yummy Korean food. I can’t remember this restaurant’s name. You can find good Bibimbap everywhere though.

Yang Good Barbeque in Nonhyeon – Place for yummy, halal lamb barbeque. Another must-go place for me.

Bungeo Bbang – my favourite Korean street snack! This stall’s in Myeongdong is the best cause it’s cheap and the red bean filling is full.

6. Korean history and culture is so fascinating!

Since my Kpop Academy days, I love reading about Korean history. I already know stories of many Joseon kings and other Korean histories. Which is why I love to visit Korean heritage places like the palaces and traditional villages. I also love watching sageuk (사극 means historical drama), so that’s maybe also one of the reason why haha.

Beautiful Gyeonghoeru Pavillion in Gyeongbokgung Palace during Spring

Yangdong Folk Village in Gyeongju. This is an authentic traditional village, and people still live there in the traditional houses.

Changdeokgung Palace’s Secret Garden is simply magical during winter!

We tried out Hanbok for free at Myeongdong Tourist Center

A visit to Korea would not be complete without trying out a Hanbok. I really love this colourful dress so much, I want to buy one in Namdaemun the next time I go to Korea. Then I can merrily wear it in all the palaces and villages that I visit! haha..

6. Korean people are just lovely! ❤

School kids are the friendliest and bubbliest. I think cause their curious about foreigners!

I should probably stop now since this post is getting really long. There are so many other reasons and beautiful pictures of Korea that I wish I can include in this post as well. To all my family and friends (apart from those whom always have to listen to me talking about Korea all the time whether you’re willing or not haha); I’m sure now you understand why I just love to go to Korea. You should definitely try it too!

Can I go to Korea now please….

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My Korean Adventures – Busan and Jeju Island

So I’ve decided to make my  Kpop Academy blog into a Korea travel blog! This is not a travel guide. This post merely serves as an online diary to me – to make up for my scumbag forgetful brain, so that I will remember the details of my travels. (and oh, I usually have OST (ie:soundtrack song) specifically for every country/city I visit. I listen to that song on repeat when I was in that place. So the next time I listen to that song, I’ll instantly remember that specific place/trip, cause y’know, my scumbag brain is forgetful. The most effective one so far is Junsu’s 돌고 돌아도. Never fails to bring vivid memories of Spain everytime I play it)

OST: Kim Jaejoong feat Lee Sang Gon – Shiny Day

Busan – Nampo and Jagalchi Market

Yayyy Busan!!! Since we landed in Busan, but our connecting flight to Jeju Island is at 5pm, we had a few hours to go to downtown Busan. We left our luggage at the airport (at the departure floor) for KRW5,000 per piece.  Pretty expensive, but we didn’t really have a choice.

The airport rail from Gimhae to Sasang station only costs KRW1,300 (only KRW500 if using T-money). From Sasang, we changed to the Green Line to Seomyeon, and then changed to the Red Line to Nampo station. Cost from Sasang to Nampo is KRW1,200. As soon as we exited  the Nampo station, we could see the signboard to Jagalchi Market so we went there first.

Jagalchi Market is actually quite a large building (3-4 storeys), and the building is pretty new and of course very clean. They sell all sorts of seafood I’ve never seen before in my life. Huge octopus, crabs, clams, even gamat (sea cucumber!); you name it, they have it.

We then proceeded to the 2^nd floor which is the seafood restaurant/stall section. We stopped to see the price signs at the first stall we saw (which of course we couldn’t understand), and the ahjumma warmly welcomed us inside. It was only 11 in the morning, but we we’re already starving. The ahjumma kept on recommending us to order the expensive lunch sets, but we politely turned down and ordered the small lunch set without jjigae (which the ahjumma kept on insisting the small set wouldn’t be enough for us).

Despite being called ‘small’ set, these were what they actually served, plus one plate of grilled fish and a large bowl of seafood fish that came later! Look at the abundant amount of banchans (side dishes)!! This was our first proper Korean meal, complete with banchans and all. It only costed us KRW43,000. Pretty reasonable price I would say, especially because every single dish, including the banchans were soooo yummy! Plus, the view of the sea from the window is nice!^^

After Jagalchi Market, we crossed the street to go to the BIFF Square at the Nampo shopping area. I was excited to find a Yunho standee outside a Missha shop holding the best selling BB cream beacuse their contract with Missha has actually ended. But Yunnie was alone,  Chami was nowhere to be seen ;(.

There are also lots of stalls there selling street food like tteokbokki and hotteok. Overall, Nampo and BIFF Square area is a pretty cool area to chill and relax. I would highly recommend dropping by; especially because Jagalchi Market is in the area.

After that we went back to Gimhae Airport heading for Jeju. We landed at 6pm++ in Jeju Airport and go straight to KT Kumho Rental Car office via their free shuttle bus. The process is so hassle free, we’re out with our Kia Morning rental car by 6.45pm. Costs only KRW72,000 for 48 hours, including full-waiver insurance. That’s a pretty good deal. But you have to register as member and book online to get that promotional rate. The car looks small from outside, but is actually pretty roomy for 3 people, and is brand new. In Korea, the driver is at the left-hand side, so we were really confuse on how to navigate at first. Thankfully the GPS (even though in Korean!) was so reliable and easy to use; just enter the destination’s phone number, and you’re good to go.

Our lovely hostel: You & I Guesthouse. It’s located in the middle of Jeju City, behind Dunkin Donuts. The harabuchi and ahjussi owners were so friendly and funny, and speak fluent English. No private parking space, but we just parked our cars at the roadside, in front of the shops.

Our private room for 3 people.

Jeju Island Day 1 – West Course

Yeongdam Rock

The next day, we drove to Jungmun Resort via the West course. First stop: Yeongdam Rock:  the dragon head shaped rock by the sea. Entrance fee: KRW3,000, parking fee: KRW500.  It was still early but so many people were already there.

Next stop: Hyeopjae Beach

The beach is near to Hallim Park, but we didn’t go to the park. The beach is soooo pretty!

Next: Suwolbong Mountain

This is supposedly a Unesco Heritage Place due to the ancient settlement/archeology thingy. But we just drove up this mountain to enjoy the view from the top.

Next: the second beach. I forgot what’s the name of the beach, but it is on the way to Jungmun Resort via the West-side costal road.

I love the bum-shaped chair! Haha

Next: Teddy Bear Museum the Jungmun Resort

Jungmun Resort is located at the south of the Island and is home to many museums and luxury hotels including Shilla and Lotte Hotel. I love that they plant palm trees at the roadside; palm trees are my favourite! And not because Junsu loves it. I like palm trees before I even know Junsu okie haha.  Loads of museums here, but we only went to the Teddy Bear Museum. Actually I wasn’t that interested, but it’s kind of a ‘must-see’ place, so yeah. Entrance fee: KRW8,000

Next: Cheonjeyeon Waterfall

The waterfall is situated in the Jungmun Resort, just 5 mins walk behind Ripley’s Believe It  Or Not Museum. It is so beautiful, the blue pond at the top of the waterfall. Notice that the walls’ shape is geometrical. Legend has it that fairies used to ascend down to earth to bathe in this pond.  There are actually 3 waterfalls in this area, but it was almost sunset, so we didn’t get to explore further. Entrance Fee: KRW3,000

Mitsui and me and on Seonimgyo Bridge (the arch bridge near Cheonjeyeon Falls)

Jeju Island Day 2 – East Course

Sunrise at Seongsan Ichulbong

I actually wasn’t very optimistic with the idea of waking up at 4 and hiking up a mountain at 5 in the morning. Luckily, Chao and Mitsui was rather enthusiastic about the whole idea; thanks Chao for waking us up. Seongsan Ichulbung isn’t actually that far from Jeju City, as the You & I ahjussi put it. I think we arrived in 30 mins, driving at 70kmh, mind you. We were the 2^nd car to arrive there! We wondered if that was the right place since it was already 5.00am, but half an hour later, lots of cars and taxis were already there. What was I expecting – of course it’s gonna be freezing that early in the morning. Plus the wind! Ughhhh….The climb up hill is quite a challenge for me; I was not a very fit girl to begin with, but after I got sick last November (long story…) it made me out of breath so quickly when I climb ;(

Ta daaa! We arrived at the top! Lots of people were already there. However, we couldn’t see the sunrise as it was cloudy that morning….T_T Nevermind, it was a good experience by the way…and the view from up the crater peak was breathtaking!

We went to Droptop Cafe at the bottom of Seongsan Ilchulbung for breakfast. If you are a K-drama junkie, you will notice Droptop always appears in the dramas (It’s the café that always appeared in Yawang =P). The thick honey toast topped with whipped cream is a popular thing in Korean cafes,  I noticed. Tastes yummy!

Next stop, Seopkoji, as one blogger put it, is his favourite spot in Jeju Island, so I figured that there would be many people there. But not that many! Imagine, we had to wait for almost an hour I think (?) for a parking spot. But it is indeed, such a beautiful place. I imagine it’s much prettier during Spring with all the yellow little flowers blooming in the valley up to the hill.

And oh! We could see Seongsan Ilchulbong from here!

From Seopkoji we drove to Jambang Waterfall near Seogwipo via the Eastern coastal road. Jambang Waterfall is allegedly the only waterfall in the world that falls straight into the ocean. It was a beautiful place, but due to the scorching heat, we didn’t stay long. Oh we also met a group of Malaysian kakaks there. There were like 5-6 of them, ladies only. So there’s still hope for ladies’ trip even though you’re old and married and have kids! Yayyy!! Chao, Mitsui, we definitely should do it later in life okay!

Jusangjeolli Cliff – Hexagon Rock

The hexagon-shaped rocks are pretty cool. They were formed thousand years ago due to the lava cooling, or something like that. And oh, while looking for a toilet, we got lost and went to a filming location of Secret Garden (can’t remember which scenes though)

We really wanted to go to Jungmun Beach. We saw it from afar from Teddy Bear’s museum yesterday and it looked nice with all the plam trees (yay palm trees!). But our rented car needs to be returned by 6.45pm, so we went straight to KT Kumho next. The traffic was pretty bad as we’re approaching the city, so we arrived at KT Kumho just on time (we thought we’re going to be early). We filled in the fuel on the way back. Costs KRW38,000 full tank. (We only used ¾ of the tank for our 2-day trip – very fuel efficient, this little car).

Next, we went to Bagdad Restaurant for dinner; they serve Halal menu there. (We took a cab from KT Kumho to the City. Cost KRW3,200)Yay for meat!. Even though the price is on the higher side, all 3 dishes that we ordered tasted simply uh-may-zeeng!

Time to zzzz now, since our flight to Seoul tomorrow is at 8.15am! We checked out before 7am. The You&I ahjussi keep on suggesting that we take it easy, have breakfast first and go to the airport at 7.30 since it’s only 10 mins drive away. But we politely declined since we don’t wanna take chance. Anything can happen on the way to the airport right? (But well, it really was just a 10 mins drive T_T).

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My man, the war officer ♥♥♥

There’s my man at work. Wearing the war officer gear. Looking exactly like how I imagine him would be. Those piercing eyes, they give me chills.

Now I want to hear your husky voice speak with Joseon dialect. And sword-fighting the rebels, and riding horse, and planning war tactics with the king. I also want you to strip into the white undergarments (like the one Lee Seonjun always in when he sleeps). And loosen the hair-knot too please. Muahahaha..@_@

재중, 화이팅!! 사랑 해요♥♥♥

 

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Namja

I never knew Yuchun could look this…fatherly?^^

Yuchunnie, when not trolling around, really is a matured namja – I feel so calm looking at these pics 😉

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Homin

“Different from what I may look like, I like romantic things,” Yunho answered. MC Joo Byung Jin then responded, “What are you talking about, you look plenty romantic,” causing Yunho to become embarrassed.

Awww…we’ve always known that you’re a hopeless romantic Leader-sshi^^…

I know I don’t post a lot on Homin (very evident in my tumblr site as well). But it doesn’t mean that I don’t love and support them. I buy their albums too, hang TVXQ2 posters, and watch their variety shows. I love Yunho so much, in fact, if I get to marry a DBSK, it’s him that I’ll choose and not Jaejoong (JJ can be my jealous boyfriend from the past=P)

And Changmin! Stop nagging him, poor Yunho my squishy teddy bear. I just wanna hug himmmm^^…Yunnie, if you marry me I won’t nag you. I’ll cook and clean and be a good domestic housewife (which is the opposite of what I am) just for you^^.

On another note, I really really really hope SMTown goes to London this year. Them London kpoppers need to see the king, TVXQ2 live!

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Leisure Activities in Korea

Last week at Kpop Academy we practice singing 아리랑 (Arirang) and also played  물총 노래방 (water gun Noraebang) – basically a karaoke session where you have to memorize the lyrics, and opponents shoots you with water gun a-la “Happy Together” when you sing the lyrics wrong.  Being a person with zero ability to sing, I managed to not embarrass myself too much the Noraebang session. It was really fun and I actually hoped we can sing more songs.

credits: KCCUK

For homework, I have actually recorded myself singing two Kpop songs, but after listening to it, I decided not to torture anybody’s poor ear with it, hence I’m choosing option 3: Choose 5 leisure activities that I want to experience in Korea other than the Noraebang.

Cha Muwon and Seo Nayun

Singing in Noraebang is a really big part of Korean culture – I have not seen a single Korean drama that doesn’t feature a Noraebang scene in it (okay, exagerating, but you know what I mean). Other than singing in Noraebang, here are other activities that feels uniquely Korean that I want to try there:

1. Korean sauna (Jimjilbang)

Lee Gak and Park Ha

Of course I want to try the Jimjilbang! Koreans love going to the Sauna, and from what I see in dramas and internet, Korean Saunas are really big, clean and modern. Many of them are open 24-hours, so you can even sleep there if you can’t find a place to crash. That is a truly Korean experience that I don’t want to miss.

2. Hiking

Hiking is said to be Korea’s national favourite past-time, people say Koreans love mountains more than the beach. South Korea is a largely mountainous country, so the folks really enjoy hiking with family and friends. One of the nearest mountains in Seoul is the Bukhansan National Park. A great way to keep in shape during the trip to Korea, and enjoying breathtaking scenes at the same time – perfect!

3. Riding bicycle in parks

Gu Junpyo and Geum Jandi

I know people in other countries ride bicycles in the parks too, but I see this a lot in the dramas, so riding bicycle in one of Seoul’s park is something that I really want to try in Seoul, or maybe even the countrysides.

4. Hanging out at cute cafes

Seriously, who wouldn’t want munch on cupcakes in this lovely Hello Kitty cafe? This kind of cutesy, girly cafes can only be found in Korea (okay, maybe Japan as well). I’m guessing that hanging out at coffee shops is a huge thing there since I’ve seen it a lot in dramas and people’s travelogue to Seoul, and also, the sentence 커피숍에서 친구를 만나요 is a compulsory line in every Korean textbooks I’ve read.

5.  Shoppping!!

Seoul is a shopping heaven! There are so many things that I want to buy when I go to Korea. They have all the ridiculously cute Asian stuffs that can’t be found anywhere else (see eatyourkimchi.com), markets selling trendy clothing at cheap prices (although I may not fit Korean sizes, I swear Korean XL is like S size over here), modern shopping districts like Myeongdong, stashes of BB creams that I must buy from arrays of Korean cosmetic shops and of course Kpop merchandises. Not to forget the most expensive item I want: a custom made Hanbok.

Random pics: DBSK in Happy Together^^

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Allkpop

Allkpop suddenly spams on JYJ & TVXQ2 because they know the boys bring the highest traffics. That, or they newly hired a Cassie as a writer ^^

I’m not complaining. It’s a good publication for JYJ.
Allkpop, please continue to spam on JYJ and TVXQ2.

Them new kpoppers need to know about the kings.

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War officer Kim Kyungtak

 

Finally! This is what officer Kim Kyungtak looks like!!  (a Joseon officer leisurely having drinks keke)

Kyaaaa!! Can’t wait for Dr.Jin to be aired!~~~

And that hair knot! Please wear that (artificial) mane-of-glory down too ^^

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재중 씨, 당신은 너무 미남입니다!~~~

Aaaaahhhh…bb looks so handsome and young with that hairstyle ^^

And he looks so much healthier and cheerful these days. Jaejoong…hwaiting!

I wonder what is that blue thing that he holds? Looks like a puncher. But why would he pose with a puncher? (Well it’s JJ. He can pose with other weird things in the world if wants)

It’s Nintendo. He was doing Nintendo Super Mario CF.

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I love you Kim Junsu

I love you so much Kim Junsu!

I trust you the most in this whole Kpop world. When in doubt about things – what’s right and what’s wrong, I’ll just look at you, because I believe you will always make the most morally right decisions.

I’ve always have this protective noona-esque feeling towards you. I want to protect those precious smiles that brighten our lives since we know you. Junchan-yah..hwaiting!!~~ Noona love you!

-but wae u look so sekshi nau…makes me don’t wanna be noona anymore, and cheat on my boyfriend JJ  >.<

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