Places: Songdo Park

For those who keen about sports, I believe some of you already aware of Asian 2014 Games isn't it?? Asian Games is one of the biggest and most well known international sporting events in the world! This 17th event will be held soon at South Korea.

Most of you might wonder why I brought up this event in my entry right?? ㅋㅋㅋAm I one of the athlete?? Hahha! Of course NO!!ㅋㅋ This event will be held at Incheon and what is the relation between Incheon and Songdo Park??O_o Songdo Park is a new city under Incheon Metropolitan City. Songdo Park were build as an inspired of NYC central park. This city were build as international city.

For upcoming 17th Asian Games, Songdo Park will be the hub for media and broadcasting center. This city had its opening on August 2009. However not many people know about this place even locals!ㅋㅋㅋ Perhaps after Gangnam Style been popular world wide, people start recognized this place?? ㅋㅋㅋ. Psy shoot some of his music video at Songdo Park but don't ask me which area of Songdo Park! It is because this place is HUGE!!!!ㅋㅋㅋ

I've been to Songdo Park with my Seoul friend during my last trip. Since its his first time, we were kind of lost!! ㅋㅋㅋ We kept snap pictures there and our stomach starts sing a song!ㅋㅋ My friend searched about seafood restaurant before we went here however we can't find it!! We kept walking back and forth! ㅋㅋ We try to use naver map, google map but still can't find it!ㅋㅋㅋ

After 1 hour, we about to gave up! Starving, tired and have no idea where to go! At last we decided to look for last time! If we can't find it, that's it! We going to eat somewhere around Seoul!Grr.. Finally we found a Fish restaurant! Phewww! Its not seafood restaurant we were looking for but at least its Fish house?? Meaning I can eat it! ㅋㅋㅋ

We had our lunch or can should I call it dinner?? ㅋㅋ. You can refer to this entry for the pictures of our meals (lunch).  Anyway Songdo Park is a nice place to be with your love one. Strolling around can be tired however the environment is more relaxing and its not crowded. ^^ Here below are some of photos we took while we were there. ^^

p/s:  A day trip here would be nice! ^^ I wonder how does its looks like during winter?? ㅋㅋㅋ I went here during autumn, should I coming back??? O-o Songdo Park can be reached by subway, INCHEON LINE 1, get off at Central Park station. ^^

Sources: http://www.incheon2014ag.org/en/Promote/News/Detail/149
              http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incheon
              http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Songdo_Central_Park

Guesthouse: Gwangju

On my last visit , some of my Korean friends asking me, why I choose to visit Gwangju instead of any other provinces?? I wonder why they asked me like that, so in return I asked them back, why I can't visit Gwangju??Surprisingly they told me that Gwangju is one of black area or literally known as "dangerous area in Korea"!

I read a lot about it including the history of Gwangju. Gwangju is a place where First Peace movement happens against the newly installed military government of Chun Doo-hwan. This demonstration lead to Gwangju Massacre. Due to this incident, Gwangju people have been mistook as bad people and a dangerous place.

However when I reach Gwangju, I feel Gwangju people are more friendly than Seoul society. Of course people stared at me since I'm wearing hijab, ㅋㅋㅋ. I understand Korean were curious about people who looks different than themselves especially when you were in rural area in Korea.ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

Since Gwangju is my first outskirt of Seoul area I've been to in Korea, there are a lot of differences! They are more relax and they have strong dialect! ㅋㅋ It's quite hard to understand what they talking about!ㅋㅋㅋ. A day before I went to Gwangju, my Seoul friend help me to book for a room. I did search for it earlier but I just book it a day before I went there.ㅋㅋㅋ

The journey from Seoul to Gwangju took around 3 hours via KTX. When I reach there it almost evening. Inside the KTX, next to me is a soldier and his hometown is Gwangju. He didn't speak English well but he helped me a lot. ^^ When we reached at Sejong Station, he and his girlfriend teach me to buy Gwangju subway ticket and let me know which station I should get off.

At Gwangju, I stayed at Namdo Hostel. This hostel were located at Seo-gu.The nearest subway station is Ssaangchon. This hostel also very near to U- Square, which is the transportation hub terminal for South Jeolla-do. While my stayed at Gwangju, I feel Namdo hostel is like my own home!! ㅋㅋㅋ A very cozy place, with convenient store right down of hostel!^^

Namdo hostel provide us many accommodation too! We also can make our own breakfast! ^^ The owner provide eggs, fruit, free of charge! Normally at other guesthouse in Korea, they will just provide bread, jam or butter and coffee but this hostel is different!! ^^ Besides that, the owner is very friendly, he speak English and Mandarin fluently!! What about Korean?? LOL of course he speak Korean fluently too as he is native speaker! ㅋㅋㅋ. For more information about this hostel you can refer here. They also can be reach via facebook.

p/s: The owner of this hostel is Mr. Park. Anyway Namdo Hostel will always be in my heart as here I met my boyfriend! ㅋㅋㅋ ^^

Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gwangju_massacre
             http://blog.naver.com/dewpark
             https://www.facebook.com/namdohostel

Guesthouse: Hongdae

Before my Korea 2013 trip, I am so stressful as I need to figure out all information by myself!. Slowly I making new Korean friends from Interpal. At first they were teaching Korean to me, and from there we start develop friendship. ^^ I have few Korean friends who really help me a lot for my trip. ^^

Some were searching for a guesthouse for me, as well helping me to figure out about transportation system, and etc. For Seoul there are too many guesthouses, it makes me @_@!! I don't know how to choose it!!ㅋㅋㅋ As I'm travel alone, I need to find a very safe place! As when travel, normally I will going out early and going back very late at night!

After looking for a good guesthouse with nice accommodation, reasonable price and near to subway station. Finally I make a decision! My friend suggest to me to stay at May Guesthouse. This guesthouse were really near to subway station and not really crowded with pub or bar. I refused to stay around those area because relatively there are lots of people but when people get drunk we can't predict what will happen right??

May guesthouse were located in Mapo-gu. The nearest subway station is Hapjeong Station. At first its quite hard to find the guesthouse as it's already dark and the map I have is quite simple. ㅋㅋㅋ I got lost for a first time! LOL Luckily I kept asking people and at last guesthouse staff pick me up after a call from ajushhi. ㅋㅋㅋ

The guesthouse were cozy and it also provide breakfast everyday. ^^ The staffs were very friendly even though at that time all staffs were guys. ㅋㅋㅋ I heard one of the staff resign and his replacement is a girl.Recently, I have contact the owner of the guesthouse, he said they just moved!! Their guesthouse were no longer at Hapjeong area instead in between Hongdae. The subway station for their new location is Sangsu Station (LINE 6)  For more information you may refer it here here. You also can contact them through Facebook by visiting this. For those who has kakaotalk or LINE, you can add them MAY guesthouse.

p/s: I enjoyed my staying at May Guesthouse and would like to recommend it to travelers. ^^ A very safe and fun place! I get a chance to know many new friends too here and we still kept in touch! ^^

Sources: http://www.mayguesthouse.com/

              https://www.facebook.com/mayguesthouse5

Photo Credit: May Guesthouse Owner

Dating Tips: Baek-il?? 100 Days Celebration??

Time flies so fast! October, November, December, January and now February??!!Owh its 100 days!! Wee!!^^ All of you must be curious what 100 days I'm talking about isn't it??ㅋㅋㅋ :P For anyone who ever in relationship with Korean, they might know about this. ㅋㅋㅋ

Still wondering about it?? ㅋㅋㅋ. Let me tell you then.  For Korean, 100 days or known as Baek-il 
(백일) is important event whether for babies or for adult ,(whose in relationship). However I will not talking about Baek-il for babies here. ㅋㅋ

I will talk about 100 days in relationship. ^^ Most of couple in the world celebrate their anniversary by month or once its turn to 1 year isn't it?? While Korean were different! They celebrate it when it turn to 100,200 and so on. 

For this special occasion, normally Korean guys will spend a lot for their girlfriend. Some might giving a bouquet of roses, teddy bears, cake,candles, chocolates or even branded stuff!! For girls, they prefer to do something for their boyfriend. Handmade stuff?? ㅋㅋㅋ

Well if I said I didn't expect anything from my boyfriend, it would be a lie!! ㅋㅋㅋ Yes I wish for some of surprise however due to our distance I don't think its possible for us now, I mean to celebrate it..ㅠㅠ Anyway that's doesn't mean we can simply let it go. ㅋㅋㅋ

I read a lot and thinking on how can we celebrate it despite our long distance barrier.Hmm,  perhaps we just celebrate it with minimum scale event?? ㅋㅋ How come?? We live far from each other!!?? Owh I cannot tell the detail here. ㅋㅋㅋ Whatever it is,thinking about each other every single days and always make some time for each other is more than enough! ^^

p/s: Both of us know how deep is our love and how to maintain it. That's most important! ^^ 

Sources: http://korcan50years.com/2013/08/13/what-to-expect-when-dating-a-korean-guy/
              http://jaclyna.com/2011/10/07/100-day-anniversary/

Photo Credit: stickyjesus.com
                     latesthdwallpaper.com
                     narcissistsblog.wordpress.com

                   
              

Korean Food: Japchae (잡채)

It's been so long since my last attempt on Korean cuisine. On last weekend we had a long break as celebrating Lunar New Year@ Seollal, so I decided to give a try on another Korean Cuisine. Weeeee ^^

It's public holiday but I choose to work for personal reason ㅋㅋㅋ. My sister kept bugging me to learn cooking Japchae and most of my siblings coming back home, so I try my best to squeeze my time for making Japchae for them. ㅋㅋㅋ 

At first I wanna learn from my boyfriend but since we had limited time to talk everyday I think I better learnt from Youtube! ㅋㅋㅋ. Below is my Japchae recipe (however I forgot to record step by step!!) so you may refer video I attached below (taken from Youtube), and how does it look? Do you think its yummy??? ㅋㅋㅋ

Ingredients: 

1 bunch of Spinach
1 medium size of carrot
1/2 can of shiitake mushroom (supposedly dried shiitake mushroom) but I can't find it
Starch noodles (dangmyeon)
6-7 green onions
1 red chili
1 onion 
1 pinch of minced garlic

For seasonings:

2 tbs of sesame oil
1/4 cup of soy sauce 
1 tb of goghuchang (pepper)
salt

My Japchae

p/s: Somehow I became Korean Chef at home??? ㅋㅋㅋ Owh did I surpass my boyfriend?? Hahahah! Well I need to taste his dishes soon. ㅋㅋㅋ You may follow step by step according to the video but I exclude egg.

Sources: http://crazykoreancooking.com/recipe/stir-fried-glass-noodles-japchae
              http://www.maangchi.com/recipe/japchae

Video Credit: AngelaMinjiKim