• S.M Entertainment

    November 18, 2012

    It is now customary that I will pay S.M Entertainment at least one visit, every time I visit Seoul. The surprises you get of not knowing who you will meet there is exhilarating. Like I mentioned earlier, artists I’ve met so far include Girls Generation (SooYoung Yoona Sunny Jessica Hyoyeon Taeyeon…etc) and DBSK (Yunho).

    Today, I’m going to share on how to go to S.M Entertainment! Before you rejoice, I must first warn you how far the building is from the subway station. My pictures are all screenshots using Google Map so no complaints on the quality of the pictures please.

    Take subway line 3 and alight at Apgujeong Station, exit 2. Turn and walk in the opposite direction of the exit. Turn right around KEB Private Bank.


    From here onwards, it is endless walking straight. The following are some shops you will pass by.




    Continue walking straight and you will see a big cross-intersection. Cross the road and you will reach a gas station S-OIL.


    Continue walking straight.



    Keep walking until you see The Galleria. Cross the road to The Galleria and continue walking in the same direction you were walking in.

    You will pass by Louis Vuitton. Cross the road and keep walking straight.

    Continue walking straight until you see the S.M Entertainment building!

    The middle panel was renovated and newly added words “SMTown”. It lits up at night and this is how it looks like.

    Hope this guide is useful in helping you reach S.M Entertainment and meet dazzling world stars!

    If you happen to see any artists, please don’t take photographs, scream or cause any inconvenience to them. I can’t guarantee you won’t be chased away by the ahjussi security.

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  • Jeju Island: Maze Land

    October 18, 2012

    In Jeju, there are various mazes such as Mirror Maze, Gimnyeong Maze Park, Maze Land. It took us some time to decide which one we wanted to go. A concern we had is the very limited time in Jeju Island we had, 2D1N to be exact. What if we got stuck in the maze for 6hours? We might have to forgo a tourist spot because of this. We then assured ourselves this wouldn’t happen due to our high IQ. LOL~

    We then decided on Gimnyeong Maze Park (김녕미로공원) because there are platforms in the middle of the maze where you can climb up to take photos. To add on, the maze is in the shape of the Jeju Island!

    Though we did well self-assuring, when the driver said to wait outside the maze for 1.5hours, we looked at each other and gulped. We ourselves were not convinced and didn’t really know what to expect.

    We paid for the entrance fee and was given a map of the maze. The entrance sign welcomes us!

    The maze was built in such a way that you can’t cheat by looking over or through the hedges.  I must admit it was a bit overwhelming initially because I felt lost. We decided not to rely on the map at all because it takes away the fun.

    Things started to get interesting with the things we see. We managed to walk under a platform and a sign here wrote do not kiss in caps with exclamation mark. How cute is that!

    In one of the dead ends, there is another sign in Korean 뽀뽀금지 meaning kissing forbidden. ㅋㅋㅋ

    In another corner, a fake skeleton piece to scare the hell outta you. I think it would be so exciting to spend Halloween in a maze! Why do we not have mazes in Singapore?

    We found one of the platforms and decided to take pictures like this. You wouldn’t know how hard these pictures came about. The photographer has to stay on the platform and shout out to me which corner to turn in order to capture an angle with me in it.

    We found the right platform of the maze! There is a bell at the top of the platform where you can ring it to celebrate the moment. Ding Ding Ding Ding~~~~~

    Look at the maze behind me! We conquered it! Heh~

    On our way out, I was so delighted to find a post box. But I don’t think its functional so don’t drop any postcards or letters in there!

    There are some topiary to be seen at the exit of the maze. Call me ignorant, but I’ve never seen so cute and pretty topiary in my life.

    We ended the maze in less than 1.5hours. According to Korea Tourism Board, a rough estimation they indicated to complete the maze is half an hour. We spent a lot of time taking pictures, going back into the maze to take more pictures. We even ate corn dogs at the exit. So it kinda explains why we took such a long time to complete the maze. On the overall, the maze is really easy. We didn’t even utilise the maps to navigate. I guess I will probably explore Maze Land next, and it seems more challenging.

    Gimnyeong Maze Park
    Address: Jeju Special Self-governing Province Jeju-si Gujwa-eup Donggimnyeong-ri
    Operating Hours: 08:30-19:50
    Phone Number: +82-64-1330 (Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese)
    Website (Only in Korean)

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  • Jeju Island Adventure Continues…

    October 13, 2012

    It was such a fine day for our second day at Jeju Island. Thankfully there was no rain! We visited outdoor trick art museum and got another shade darker >.<


    I was trying to mimic the monkeys but failed… LOL

    Loving the colorful zebras! Normal zebras are black with white stripes. So these zebras are actually rainbow colored with white stripes? SUPER LIKE!

    I can’t imagine how dwarfy I look next to giraffes. I have been changing my views on giraffes since Ryeowook’s love. Heh~

    This marks the end of my trick art museum tour!

    If you ask me, I’d say indoor is so much more fun. But outdoor has life size animal figurines you can hug and take pictures with. Indoor would take a few hours to take pictures with each and every art piece, outdoor would probably only require around 15minutes to navigate.

    There wasn’t much people out there venturing in the open area. After all, the main highlight is still the indoor trick art museum. Still, I had so much fun!

    Next up, 성산일출봉 Seongsan Ilchulbong Peak!
    It is also called the Sunrise Peak, but the hotel staff had advised us not visit in the morning because the sky that day was gloomy and probably couldn’t see sunrise. Hence we planned for the visit in the afternoon instead.

    View from afar and we gonna conquer this! I did a research prior to this and it’s said that it’d only require around half and hour to climb up and another half hour to get back down.

    We barely started ㅋㅋㅋㅋ A coke is much needed to give us energy along the way!

    Nearly reached the top and landscape sight was already so pretty!!! You can see the settlement of Jeju Island from here.

    There we are at the altitude of 180m! Conquered!!!!!!

    We were just wandering around the top and saw a speed boat zoomed past. Look at the pretty horizon!

    Being surrounded by high rise buildings for so many years, I am loving this view. I just stood there and embraced the wind, took in deep breathes and felt very contended.

    The cliff of Seongsan Ilchulbong is one of the places where sea women dive in without oxygen tanks to gather abalones.

    I had to take a picture here because this is one of the scenes from “Queen In Hyun’s Man” drama. Kim Boong Do in the drama woke up in Jeju Island penniless and stole a bag from a tourist here. ㅋㅋㅋ

    The afternoon was too hot and got myself a melon ice-cream to ward off the heat!

    We took slightly longer than 1hr for the entire trail because we were too engrossed taking pictures. Towards the very end of the trail, it was quite steep and steps were slightly bigger. At some point in time, there is a “single lane” for those climbing up and coming down. And it kinda get on my nerves when tourists from a certain country was wearing very high heels, clad in long skirts, holding on to a lacy umbrella, complaining about the height of the stairs and refuse to budge.

    I’d probably come again to see the sunrise. It’s such a pity that I’m always missing out on the sunrise! I still remember I took an hour train to Fu Long Beach from Taipei at 1am to catch the first sunrise in year 2010. It was freezing cold by the beach and I wasn’t fully clothed for the temperature. To add it up, I just had a full day activity and was dead tired. The sky only gradually turned bright behind the clouds. My saddened sunrise encounters… 엉엉~ ㅠㅠ I must come Seongsan Ilchulbong again! (Clench fist

    We didn’t end that afternoon with Seongsan Ilchulbong though. Next destination: Maze Land!

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  • Jeju Island Day 2

    October 5, 2012

    I guess I’m highly motivated to blog these two days
    You didn’t wait too long for day 2 entry right?
    I hope these blogging worms squirming in me will keep up
    This way I can get Jeju Island blogs out of my system soon!

    Day 2 started off well
    With the help of hotel staff, we got ourselves a driver to bring us around the whole day
    Though it was slightly expensive, it was definitely a better deal compared to flagging cabs everywhere we go


    Very bloated face the next morning
    Note to self not to eat ramyeon before sleep again


    We looked out the window and voila!
    Such a beautiful sight
    Lighthouse, sea and cloudy sky
    The day just got better!


    Nice driver offered to take a photo for us
    See! The strong wind blows whenever I tried to take photo!
    I can’t really complain though
    It was very cooling despite the glaring sun
    Again, we could hardly open our eyes *v*


    Our first destination of the day!
    Trick Art Museum! 트릭아트 박물관!
    Don’t you love the blue blue sky with white clouds scattered across it! ☁


    We started off with the indoor museum area
    I was the one holding my own clothes actually
    That’s the beauty of trick art museum isn’t it!
    Your eyes play tricks on you XD
    The photo was a little blur because I was tip toeing to get to the angle
    Disadvantages of being short
    Booo~


    Alright there really wasn’t any trick to this picture
    I was really sitting on the sledge
    I’m just sharing this photo because it makes me look slim and I feel like Miss Korea
    LOL


    Another photo featuring SNSD legs! ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
    Please ignore how dirty the mirror was
    The kids were plastered to the mirror before we came XD


    I was contemplating whether to enlarge this photo for sharing
    But due to the dim lighting, the photo gets very pixelated and blur
    So please make do with this low quality small photo instead
    )=


    This photo is so cute!
    I was actually sitting on the spoon of the kitty
    And the big round thing was it’s plate
    Yeah and this photo is cute because I was acting cute XD


    In order to get the right angle for these photos, the photographer has to climb stairs
    That is very tiring!!!!! XD
    But the drawings on the floor look so 3D!

    Next up entry, outdoor Trick Art Museum!!!

    Progress is slow for a reason
    Every entry I made, every photo I share, is like going through the entire trip for me again
    I savor every moment of it
    Hope you enjoy it too!

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  • Jeju Island Continued…

    October 4, 2012

    It’s been some time since I wrote on my last Korea trip
    Hey~ Don’t judge me!
    I skipped to Seoul part to churn up an article on Korean Ginseng Chicken
    I was craving so badly for it and decided to write about that first

    Looking at my speed, I need at least a third blog entry to complete my Jeju Island adventures
    Or even a fourth entry is possible
    Hee~


    See how they tried to earn my money at Teddy Bear Museum
    This is soooo cute~!
    I was contemplating whether I should bring one home and add to my overcrowded bed
    I didn’t in the end ㅠㅠ

    Wow you can see how my dark hair grows out from this photo
    The black and brown is in so much contrast
    Note to self to dye my hair when I reached Seoul!


    This looks like a family photo isn’t it!
    Papa bear, why didn’t you look at the camera >.<
    These bears mark the end of the indoor Teddy Bear Museum
    Now to embrace the rain and go outdoors!!!


    This photo was taken from so far away, we couldn’t hear each other shout “1, 2, 3”
    I hope these bears caught fish
    ㅋㅋㅋ


    We went GS25 looking for drinks after the museum tour
    I had to get this drink because of cute GD
    I still recalled I brought this orange flavored carbonated drink all the way back home in my Nov trip last year


    I bought a postcard to write to myself from Teddy Bear Museum
    Luckily we found a post office in Jeju Island
    I could send myself a different postcard from Seoul
    Heh~


    The Jeju Island mascot is like everywhere, in different sizes
    We were initially worried we couldn’t find one to take pictures with
    Turned out there were simply toooooo many
    LOL


    Totally love this picture!
    Look at our SNSD legs XD


    We walked past Lotte Hotel again and decided to go in have a look
    There were these big big banners above our heads
    Super Junior!!!!!


    Another Jeju Island mascot located in Lotte Hotel premises
    The sun was starting to set and I could hardly open my eyes
    ~_~


    Off to look for Cheonjeyeon Falls
    It wasn’t too hard navigating from our hotel


    You probably can’t see from this angle
    The red colour bridge has a lot of deity looking drawings on it
    The vast sky looks like it can go on forever
    Like Like Like!


    Myself on the bridge
    And the wind forever blows whenever I’m trying to take a photo
    Big fat face without hair to conceal )=


    There!
    The magnificent Cheonjeyeon Falls!
    I can’t really express how pretty and surreal this place is
    You just have to see and experience with your own eyes

    This marks the end of day 1!
    Ok I think I was wrong previously
    I need at least another 3 blog entries to round up my entire Jeju Island trip!

    Stay tuned folks~

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  • Tosokchon Ginseng Chicken

    September 27, 2012

    I crave for Korean ginseng chicken so badly and must eat them every time I visit Korea
    Regardless of season, be it winter or summer

    During winter, all I want to do is sip this hot pipping soup and feel the warmth spread through my body
    During summer, all the more we should eat ginseng chicken!
    This dish is exceptionally popular during bok days (복날)
    Bok days are the three hottest days of the year according to Lunar Calendar
    It believed that the nutrients from the dish will protect one from illness and provide strength
    I need lots of strength to continue sight seeing in Korea
    Heh~

    My favourite store would be Tosokchon Ginseng Chicken 토속촌삼계탕
    The location is easily accessible, and most importantly, they serve very yummy ginseng chicken!

    How to get to Tosokchon Ginseng Chicken

    Take Seoul subway line 3, and alight at Gyeongbokgung Station (경복궁역) Exit 2

    Walk straight and these are some of the shops you will see along the way

    Turn left at this GS25 shop onto Jahamun-ro 5-gil Road

    Tosokchon Ginseng Chicken is right in front of you!

    This is how the menu looks like
    Usually I order the second option priced at KRW$15,000

    Every bowl of ginseng chicken comes with a small cup of ginseng wine or insamju (인삼주)
    Pour it in, mix well and get ready to enjoy the delicious soup broth and soft tender chicken!

    When you finish dining, remember to bring this to counter near the door for payment

    Address: Seoul-si Jongno-gu Jahamun-ro 5-gil 5 (Chebu-dong 85-1)
    Operating Hours: 10:00-22:00
    Telephone Number: +82-2-737-7444

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  • Jeju Island, I’m Finally Here!

    September 11, 2012

    We arrived in Jeju Island and it was raining
    Not surprising at all for a place that has only 30plus days worth of sunny days

    We took off looking for the bus stop once we got clearance from immigrations


    I love taking pictures of mailbox in every country
    Don’t you think they somehow stand for the unique culture of each country?


    We’ve arrived at our hotel!
    Hooray!
    The accommodation we picked in the middle of the night, after reading through countless reviews on websites


    The room is big enough for three people!
    We played Scissors Paper Stone and I won
    The huge bed was all MINE!
    Teehee~ (Rolls Around


    This photo is so funny
    I was trying to make the entire bathroom look big
    Ended up I squeezed myself outta the bathroom leaving only my arms in there with the camera


    The hotel outer view
    Most of the buildings in Jeju Island are not high rise building
    So no worries about view being blocked
    Anyway the hotel looks very newly renovated

    In terms of service, the receptionists were super helpful!
    They offered advice on our day 2 route and even helped us book an individual car for next day

    We checked in and started roaming around the hotel vicinity
    Rain was so heavy that umbrellas were useless
    Don’t ask me why I didn’t bring my raincoat out
    I totally forgot about its presence
    It was lying happily in my luggage >.< 

    We passed by Lotte Hotel and decided to go in for a visit
    It is at a total different level from our hotel
    The renovations were so posh and high class
    But it’s alright, our hotel was warm and cozy!

    The following dishes were ordered when we weren’t in a very hungry condition
    As expected, we couldn’t finish them (Coughs


    This saba fish was so delicious
    There were few fish bones, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside
    Most importantly, it’s downright fresh!


    This is the most anticipated dish of all
    Abalones, clams, mussels, scallops, prawns and so much seafood that I’ve seen for the first time
    There were some we didn’t dare to eat… … … ORZ


    A must eat when we come to Jeju Island: Abalone Porridge
    Abalones are caught by women who risked their lives without diving equipments
    The taste is truly heaven ㅠㅠ


    Ready to dig in!!!
    You’d understand why we couldn’t finish everything from the look of the table right?
    Such a pity 엉엉~

    With our stomach filled, we left for our first sightseeing spot of the day!


    Teddy Bear Museum! Go Go!


    We saw a newly wed the moment we stepped in~
    I have no idea why my head looks so big in this picture
    Reminds me of “The Dog” series
    LOL


    Even the staircase hallway has such pretty paintings


    Marilyn Monroe~
    You can even spot her white panty from the other angle
    Cute! XD


    There’s this huge bear we can take pictures with at the souvenir store
    Trust me, we took more than one picture
    Heh~

    Teddy Bear Museum in Jeju Island is really huge
    I guess I’ll continue with the rest another day
    Stay tuned folks~ ^^

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  • I wanna SEE with BUZZ KOREA!

    September 11, 2012

    I have visited Korea twice
    It sounds a lot doesn’t it
    But I could tell you this is far from it

    There is simply so much more to see and to feel!

    Every time I went Korea, I packed my itinerary filled to the brim
    Going up to 3 or 4 sightseeing locations in one day
    Everyday wishing time would pass slower so I wouldn’t end my trip so soon
    I wish I could have more time to explore Korea

    Like I managed to go to S.M Entertainment building during my last trip

    Look how pretty the building is!
    I even get to meet stars like SNSD (SooYoung Yoona Sunny Jessica Hyoyeon Taeyeon…etc)
    And also DBSK (Yunho)

    I want to visit the newly opened Cube Studio in Chungdamdong, Seoul too
    There are so much raves about this studio

    Even this building looks so pretty too!
    It is like literally glowing~
    I did some research and found out that the first floor is a cafe
    Second floor is where the artists’ practice rooms are

    OMG!
    Imagine drinking a hot cafe americano in the cafe
    Sunshine glowing through the windows on a afternoon
    Then Yoon Doojoon from Beast just sashays down from the second floor and walks right up to you

    Well maybe not this way
    But you got the gist
    I will hyperventilate on the spot!

    During my last trip, my friend and I were on a quest to find a drama film set
    The house in which drama Personal Taste 개인의 취향 features Sang Go Jae 상고재
    It is the traditional Korean housing that Lee Minho stays in the drama

    To be honest, we had such a hard time locating this house
    At one point in time, we were so lost that we simply sat on the floor dejected, trying to read maps
    Thankfully kind souls from Mobile Tourist Information Service approached us and showed us the light
    I feel so warm whenever I see duo dressed in red jackets with signs on them that says “English” or “Chinese”
    They are guides located all around tourists spots in Seoul to help damsels in distress like us
    Okay, they help guys too
    And guides who speak Japanese are also available

    Tadahhh!!!!
    So proud of myself for finding this!

    Since we are talking about Korean dramas
    One we cannot miss must be Boys Over Flowers 꽃보다 남자!
    I even found the porridge shop Jandi works part time in the drama


    Their porridge is truly delicious~
    Such a big portion and I could finish everything by myself!
    Please give me another serving~~~ ㅠㅠ

    I haven’t had a chance to visit The Shinhwa High School in the drama yet
    I’m not sure if anyone remembers the scene where Oh Minji spills ice-cream on Gu JunPyo’s shoes
     The English Village in Yangpyeong is exactly where that happened!

    Look how magnificent the place looks
    I want to visit this place tooooooo~

    And I must share something very stupid of me during my past trip to Korea
    I visited N Seoul Tower that offers great panoramic views of Seoul
    I even planned my time in visiting
    So that I could see the spectacular night view of the city

    At the sky terrace, couples can affix their love padlocks to the fence
    Throw away the key and it symbolizes everlasting love
    Isn’t that so sweet~

    But I was all the way up in the tower
    Even sent a postcard to myself from the tower
    Yet I forgot to go to this place for Locks of Love!!!!! (Wails
    How can I get so absent minded, I do not know
    Please people, if you ever get a chance to go, please do not forget this place
    I MUST go again ㅠㅠ

    Ah… So many places I’ve yet to visit and experience for myself
    I seriously do wish to win the contest so I could immerse in the Korea culture again

    Pick Me Pick Me Please~~~~
    ^0^/

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  • Embark on Journey to Korea

    September 7, 2012

    I went for another trip to Korea in June
    A 11 days trip worth of anticipation
    Hoping for a full of RP trip but… … ㅠㅠ
    I’ll share more next time

    My first virgin flight on Cathay Pacific
    And it’s gonna be a 10hours flight!
    We had stop over in Hong Kong
    Took off at 8pm in the night and arriving at 5am plus the next morning

    Even went for gel nail session before my trip
    Proud of my pink leopard prints manicured nails
    Teehee!

    We were still so worried about work at the airport
    But we threw it all out of the window once the flight takes off
    Weeee~

    I had to take this photo of chocolate ice-cream
    They served strawberry ice-cream on my Singapore – Hong Kong sector
    Booohoooo~
    I hate strawberry flavored food!
    So when I got chocolate ice-cream flavor for Hong Kong – Incehon sector
    I just had to take this photo!!! (Clench Fist

    Lee Seung Gi was there welcoming us when we arrived in Incheon Airport
    B.R.E.A.T.H.E!!!!
    This is the smell of KOREA!!!!!!!! (Throws Confetti

    Off we go and continue making our way to Gimpo Domestic Aiport
    It is my first time taking the AREX too!
    So very convenient and speedy~
    We fell asleep on the train not long after

    Gates with 2PM members awaiting us
    Of course I went through the door with Nichkhun’s face
    ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

    And Lee Seung Gi is truly everywhere!

    JYJ came into our mind the instant we saw this (Giggles
    Well, they are AIMAG mascots

    Gimpo Domestic Airport Go Go!

    We finally checked in
    And there they are!
    Original JYJ group welcoming us ㅋㅋㅋ

    The GS25 shop is weird
    They sell instant cup noodles and they have hotwater
    But forbid us to eat that in their store
    We ended up having Kimbap and coffee for our breakfast

    Yups! The last gate for take off
    My fate… (Coughs

    Our Converse!
    So comfy and I nearly bought another pair in Seoul!

    After we finish taking this photo, the person beside me fell asleep (Side eye

    And I continued randomly taking photos

    After this flight, we will finally arrive in Jeju Island!!!!!!!!!!!!
    To be continued… …

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  • Blur Klutz

    September 26, 2011

    It’s like a determination to make the trip work out
    I’m searching high and low for flights and accomodation pricing
    And as of yesterday
    W’ve got accomodation, air tix and musical tix booked and paid for
    WOW~
    Talk about speed!!!

    Oh… And after the last article I wrote about losing my mind
    Another incident happened the very next day

    I was on my way home from work
    Finally managed to get off the very very packed train
    And realised I left my card holder on the train

    I remained calm and searched my bag twice again
    After confirming that the card holder is indeed not in my bag
    I approached the SMRT train staff on the platform to alert that I lost my card

    As the staff was dialing some phone numbers on his handphone to help me
    I suddenly felt the card holder is in back pockets of my pants

    OMG
    You can’t imagine how embarrased I was
    And I can’t believe how blur I was

    Yeah…
    This concludes my statement that I am SERIOUSLY losing my mind
    =.=||

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