Hongdae Street, Gwangjang Market & Cheonggyecheon River

The Hongdae Street (Hongik University station, Line 2, Exit 9) offers a glimpse into Korea's youth culture.

Wall paintings by Korean Red Cross

Wall paintings by Korean Red Cross

Wall paintings by Korean Red Cross

A diner at Hongdae Street that specializes in pigs' feet dishes.

Hongik University is famous for its fine arts courses, and on every Saturday (Mar-November only), there is an art market (or FREE MARKET as they call it) at the Hongdae playground from 1pm - 6pm. Hongdae is actually a contraction of HONGik DAEhakgyoh 홍익대학교 (Hongik University).

Students from Hongdae will set up stalls at the Hongdae playground and have their products and art designs (some in the form of audio/video) sold there. Many are handmade. Got myself a reasonably-priced purse there (although mine is mass-manufactured product) for 16000₩. The market isn't as big as I expected it to be, but for those who are a fan of art, you should pay this space a visit.

Some stalls prohibit photo-taking, so I didn't.

There was a cute guy (properly-dressed, stylish messy hair, typical representation of an art person, still cute nonetheless) who gets your caricature done in 10 seconds. The cost? Only 10₩ (MRY0.03!) and erm, a long wait. But I guess it was worth the wait.

Before we went to Hongdae art market, Grace and I stopped by a small shop somewhere near Hongik U for lunch. You see the guy in the picture below? He's running a one-man show. It's a small shop, but he's the host, the waiter, the cook, and also the cashier.

Cheese Ramyeon. Try this at home! :)

Odeng (fish cake) and Ddeokbokki (Spicy Korean rice cake)

A building that sells paper/paper products.

That is just one example, but you really gotta give the Koreans a clap for their architecture. Go to Hongdae and you'll see what I mean.

After a Mary-Go-round (cos we got lost looking for the Market pfffttt), it's time for some much-needed rest for our exhausted legs. We stopped at a yogurt place at Hongdae and hanged there a bit to tap on their free wi-fi.

Decided to head to Gwangjang Market 광장시장 (Euljiro 4-ga station, Line 2, Exit 4) before we got too comfortable (and sleepy) sitting there.

Food stalls

World of textiles

Busy and crowded stalls

Wanted to try 빈대떡 (Bindaetteok, mungbean pancake), but it seemed like there was only one stall selling it in this market. We waited for about 10mins, but the queue in front of us is still long. Besides, those patrons seated behind are still waiting patiently for their order. I overheard one of them ordering 10 pieces and each piece takes about 5mins to fry. Gonna try this another time instead.

Stuffed ourselves silly with kimchi dumplings as no sharing is allowed. Each bowl has about 7 or 8 pieces. -_-. It's not bad, but I don't think I will order this again.

Kimbap (mini version) - this portion is meant for one. Made with only carrot and radish strips. No less yummy nonetheless.

잡채 Japchae (Korean glass noodle with mixed veg)

After dinner, we strolled along Cheonggyecheon River leisurely. As the river is very long (8.4km), you can start walking from many different starting points. We started ours mid-way, which was near the Gwangjang Market.

According to the signage at our starting point, this is a Waterfall. So much hope we had to seeing a real Waterfall -_-'''

Night falls.

View of the river from a bridge

 
We stopped after 45minutes since we still have to walk back to the start for subway.  Saw a 녹차 호떡 (Nokcha Hotteok, green tea pancake) cart along the way and sat down for one last munch from Gwangjang Market before we called it a night.

Different stall fills the dough with different fillings. This is filled with brown sugar, chopped peanuts and cinnamon. Best eaten as soon as it is served or while it's warm.

Observations from Seoul

Things you should know about Korea:

1) They have law against littering, but spitting on the street is not an offense -_-. You see the elderly especially, spitting on the street still.

2) You have to separate your litter and place them in the prepared bins accordingly - normal trash (i.e. tissue paper, paper boxes, perishables), bottles & cans, and plastics. At the subway stations, there are bins for recyclable and non-recyclable waste.

3) Stand on the right of escalator to give way. Otherwise, you will have screaming ahjummas (elder woman) yelling gibberish words at you.

4) Similar to Taiwan, you're supposed to throw used toilet papers in the bin next to the toilet bowl, not INTO the toilet bowl. I still find it hard accepting this as it makes the toilet smell.

5) You can get bloody cheap socks in Korea (1000₩ per pair)

6) You can eat/drink at the subway station. They even have F&B kiosk at the platform.

7) There's free wi-fi at subway stations (even at the underground platform).

8) When you dine out, some stalls do not allow sharing. If there's two of you, you need to place order for two.

9) Some of the middle-aged and elderly can really be rude. They talked loudly and scold each other on the street even. Note that they are strangers. If you need help in Korea, approach Gen-X or Gen-Y, NOT the baby boomers. And please do not expect 'Excuse Me' or 'Sorry' when someone knocks into you on the street, in subways, in fact, not anywhere. The ahjummas will push you as they like, if you are blocking the way or if they deem you walking too slow for their liking.

짜장면 (Jjajangmyeon)

As both of us are longing to try Jjajangmyeon, Grace and I decided to go to this Chinese diner nearby our university after class. I stumbled upon this place on the way back home just a day ago. So glad we came here! I'm definitely coming back as there are other items on the menu that I'd like to try and it's pretty cheap for Seoul's standard.

탕수육 (Tang Soo Yook; Sweet & Sour Pork 糖水肉) and 짜장면 (Jjajangmyun; Black Bean Noodle 炸酱面).

After lunch, we decided to make a visit to Ewha Womans University 이화여자대학교, a female-only university, which is considered to be one of the top universities in Korea. The campus' architectural facility is one of the most talked about in South Korea. I read online that the Univ is also turning to be a must-visit place while in Seoul. Now that I've been there, I know why.

View from Main Gate

Ewha Campus Complex - you know, on the left and right, they're not just glass panels, but a total of 6 levels is housed below ground, which is home for auditoriums, restaurant, cafes, bookstores, shops, student union, printing station, meeting halls, and parking lots O_O

There were more facilities within, but I stopped snapping as I didn't want to appear jakun (unsophisticated). Coming here was worth the walk. The university aside, the entire Ehwa area is populated with food/cafes and cheap places to shop.

***

Ah yes. Rewinding back to that faithful day. One the very first day, we were told to fill the A3 paper with our basic details to facilitate a self-introduction session. Day-by-day, there are different activities which allows us to get to know one another better, at the same time, learn speech patterns for use in everyday life. By the 3rd day, I got everyone's name right.

Early to rise, early to class.

During the same slot (two-hour lesson for Speaking), we had a test. Erm, not exactly a test. It's more like a review (of what you have learned in Level 1) and preview of certain chapters in Level 2. According to Ms. Lee, if that paper was too easy, we can request to skip L2 and progress to L3 instead. But I'd rather not.

Happy weekend everyone.

Prepaid IDD Card in Seoul

If you're staying in Seoul and need to make international calls frequently, you may want to consider getting an prepaid IDD card. This is pretty useful if you have no land line (i.e. a student), have no international roaming on your mobile (i.e a traveler), or if there is just simply no service when you are abroad, or in this case, in South Korea.

The IDD card (by SK Phonelink) can be purchased from convenience stores like 7-11, GS25, or Buy The Way. I got The Asia card at 10,000won (approx. MYR29) and one thing that caught my fancy is that I can even use the card from payphones (public phones), besides land line or mobile phone. Unfortunately, the website is published only in Korean, but you can get the gist of it via Google Translate ;)

To call:
1) Dial 162. It will connect you to an automated system.
2) You can select English as your preferred language. Just wait a little while till you hear 'English'.
3) Key in your Card No, followed by a hash (#), for. e.g 1234567890#
4) Key in the phone number (Country code + Number), followed by a hash (#)

However, if you are making international calls from public phone, on top of the IDD rates, public phone rates will still apply, but it is not expensive, as they identify 162 as a local number. Calls made from public phones costs 70won for every 3 minutes.(approx MYR0.20).

As for the IDD card, rates ranges from 33won (MYR0.10) to 695won per minute (MYR2.00), which is pretty affordable in my opinion. You'll be satisfied with the quality.

Laptop + Wired Connection = Hotspot

Tomorrow will be a week since I arrived in Seoul.

Things are slowly, but surely getting better. Classes are still easy to cope with, and I have been asking some people out for lunch to get to know them better. As expected, I really am the 큰 누나 / 큰 언니 (eldest) of the class. 슬프거든요! :(

***

Anyway, just wanna share with you today (as workload is lighter weeeeheee), just how with your laptop and a wired connection, you can get Internet on your mobile/mobile devices. Of course, perhaps most of you are aware of this already, but for those who aren’t, this is one freaking amazing technology! Being the laggard and technology-uncurious person that I am, it was only a few days ago that I was educated about this incredible thing. You’ll thank me later :P

At where I live, there is no wi-fi. Wired connection however, is available in the room. Who would have guessed, with just that (and a laptop), I can ‘convert’ it into wi-fi and share Internet connection on my iphone. Seriously, I must give credit to the creator, and my brother (for telling me this).

There is only one thing (and one thing alone) you need to do, which is to download and install Connectify Hotspot, from www.connectify.com. Technical proficiency is not required. After that, you can create your own Hotspot and share the connectivity with other laptop or mobile devices. With the connection, you can email, Whatsapp, Facebook, Twitter, Skype, and even Viber your friends.

This is pretty important to me (especially now) as I can’t register myself a Korean line yet and internet is really important to me so I can keep people closest to me updated on how I’m doing.

Even in hotels, wi-fi is chargeable per usage block and it’s not cheap!

Therefore, if wi-fi is not readily available at where you work/stay/are or perhaps, your mobile service / data plan does NOT work overseas (like mine!), but you desperately needs wi-fi (who knows, some important business files are in your mobile and has to be sent out RIGHT NOW), this may be the best solution ever invented for you. All you need is your laptop and a wired connection (i.e. usually available in the hotel room).

You’re welcome. :D

Orientation & The Misadventure

This morning was a misadventure. I woke up earlier so I can go to the Olleh global store in Gwanghwamun to apply for a prepaid mobile line. As luck would have it, Olleh is caught in a period of suspension and is unable to activate new subscriptions until 13 March. I was like 'Whyyyyyyy? Why now?!'

:(

I checked if there are other alternatives around and the staff (English-speaking yes!), was kind enough to recommend me to try at SK (Olleh and SK is like Digi to Maxis in KL). However, olleh is famous with the expats/foreigners as they are very foreigner-friendly- consultation can be done in 17 different languages, or so they say.

The Olleh guys directed me to SK, which I had troubles finding. I stumbled upon a Tourist Info Centre and asked them for the direction again. From where I was standing, it was supposed to take 17 minutes to reach by foot. 30minutes later, I was cold and freezing, confused and surely lost in the city. Simply said, it was an unfruitful trip. I gave up looking as I didn't want to miss the Orientation which was supposed to start at 1pm. What can go wrong will go wrong.

Lost in the city

An endless walk

I took the subway back to Sinchon and headed up a hill to Sogang for the first time. There were so many students walking together along the way and it hit me, I am indeed carrying on life as a student. It felt... funny! Haha.

I arrived 90 minutes earlier and took the opportunity to explore the university. As the campus is not that big, it wasn't too difficult to find my way within the campus, which is great, because you know how I hate walking. Here are some shots I took of the Univ:

The way out to Main Gate

A statue at the administration building. I'll find out who he is.

Still cold - hardened ice on plant

Through orientation, I got to know Grace, a fellow Malaysian. (hello Grace if you're reading! :)) It feels good to meet a fellow countrymen while living abroad. Orientation was simple- we were briefed on all things relevant to us as student. Class lessons aside, I'm also looking forward to the out-of-the-class activities like culture lecture and field trip.

The brief

Had lunch at Sinchon before Grace and I headed to Myeongdong. Fashion labels like H&M, Zara, Uniqlo, F21 (I haven't seen the outlet yet, but I was told they're there) and an umpteen number of cosmetic brands are there. Very nice place to hang out at. Eating places are aplenty too! (Gong Cha, i see youuuu) Hehe.

My leg is sore from all the walking today, so we (or rather I, selfishly) decided to head home earlier to rest.

p/s: Subway stations in Seoul make you climb an enormous flight of stairs! Every. station. without. fail. Hmpphhh! Subway station, I hate youuuuu

Day 3: First half

Did my laundry and had take-out kimbap for brunch. I'd rather eat in, because you realize soon enough, with their doors perpetually closed and without window for ventilation, you will always end up smelling like food at the eating places.And the only way to get rid of the smell is to do laundry again! grrrr.

I'm just gonna hang out in my room a little longer and explore Sinchon later.

도착했습니다

1 March 2013 (Day 1)

무사히 도착했습니다. Arrived safely in Seoul.

Without me knowing, my arrival coincided with a national holiday here, which is known as March 1 Independence Movement Day (삼일절/三一节), commemorating a day in which Koreans openly resisted the occupation by Japanese and fought for their independence. Not like it makes my arrival in Seoul any special, but hey, just thought of sharing :)

Anyway, what can I say bout Day 1, except err..., it was a little shattering. Why? I was on the verge of breakdown, if I may admit. First of all, the room is tiny (with a capital T!). The pictures online are definitely misleading. I know it's gonna be small (what can you expect from a 9.9m² room?), but now I think it's really pitiful. For the same amount I'm paying, I got a room 2.5times bigger in Singapore. Now Singapore doesn't seem that expensive to live in :(

Worse, the dysfunctional mobile phone (or rather, the line) further ruined my already-bleeding heart. I can't call, can't whatsapp, can't SMS, can't log on to internet, and worrying about how worried my parents will be (not hearing from me) got me in dismay. Sigh. And because the electrical adapter is different in Korea, I can't even use my laptop to connect to the internet to 报平安. Thankfully, a student who also works part-time in the goshiwon, was kind enough to lend me his mobile to call home. And he speaks not-bad English, thank goodness!

Unlike Malaysia, there aren't many mobile retailers here, and unlike Singapore, it's also impossible to register a SIM prepaid card at 7-11. eff-em-ell.

Knowing I've yet to buy my bedroom accessory, ahjussi lent me a pillow and blanket to warm the cold night. Thank you for the hospitality (although I'm still upset about size of the room). As there is nothing much I could do and wanting to soothe the sullen mood, I jumped into bed before 10pm. Taking a deep breath, I told myself everything's going to be fine. 모든게 좋아 질거야.

2 March 2013 (Day 2)

After a 12-hour sleep (how did I?!), the first thing I did was to head out to Hyundai department store just a minute walk away to get the necessities (food, pillow and such). Ahjussi found me a universal adapter and I am finally connected to the outside world. You'll never understand how big of a deal this is until you're in my position. Typing happily (as if I own the world *fistpump*), I updated family and friends of my status. This feels so good!

It's freaking 1°C outside today, and I don't even intend to leave the room for the rest of the day, except for meals. The entire day, all I did was facebooking, watching TV and shedding tears over Hyung Bin and Kyung Mi's wedding video. Brother logged into FB at night and taught me how to connect to WiFi via the wired connection so I can have a chat with parents on my iphone even without a mobile line. Amazing, I didn't know such technology exist! So much more at ease after our video chat. 그래 모든게 좋아 질거야! :)