Its a Fine Day!

Today is a fine day. Why? Because it's a holiday! :) In my previous job (no need to mention the name of the company), I never get to appreciate holidays since they don't apply to us. But now, things have changed and I'm just grateful for this change.

Today, I'm gonna meet my friend April in her homy coffee shop, Yellow Hauz. We have tons of things to update so this might take long. After catching up, we're scheduled to meet someone who has a business opportunity to share. I just hope its not one of those network marketing.

Well, I do hope that everyone will have a fine day. Whether you will be spending it with your family at home, at the mall shopping with friends, or alone reading a book or have a DVD marathon, or even working, I do hope that all of us enjoy what we are doing.    

To end this post, here's a song from Tiago Iorc to make us feel fine, fine, fine! (video by lazynni)

Tiago Iorc (pronounced as ee-orc) is a Brazilian musician, singer-songwriter and record artist. His music, just like Jason Mraz, John Mayer and James Morison, is the type that I won't mind playing in my iPod the whole day.

Cheers to the Freaking Weekend!

After SK, I continued my week long vacation in Manila. As soon as we arrived in the Centennial 3 International Airport by Friday morning, our friend Rachel who came all the way from Davao, caught up with us. It was a really exhausting flight for all of us so we decided to rest the whole afternoon.

We woke up around five in the afternoon to get ready for dinner. We decided to have dinner in the nearby MOA. We tried the Japanese restaurant Kimono Ken. The food was delicious and I really liked that they serve tea for free. 

After dinner, Rachel went around to shop then Cindy & Biboy picked us up. Before heading home, we took a couple of drinks in Blue Wave.

We woke up late the following day. Cindy cooked "sinigang" and "spicy chicken wings." Both were delicious - thanks Cinds! After brunch, we got ready for another day of eating and shopping. Our first stop was Greenhills. There were a lot of good finds that time so we did spend a bit. As expected we needed some food to energize us some more. We tried CPK this time. I must say that the pasta we ordered was heaven. Unfortunately, I had no pictures. 

After Greenhills, we head to Makati then had dinner in Bon Chon - a Korean chicken restaurant. I'm not really a fan of drumsticks and wings but this time, I was able to enjoy them. Their chicken is amazingly tasty.  As their tagline says "Best Chicken in America!" perhaps in the Philippines too.

 
We went back to Cindy's place to get ready for a weekend party in the capital of the Philippines! We started late but we ended very early - early in the morning! We first head on to Izumi then transferred to Opus. This video will expose what happened that night...

 
Indeed, I had a freaking weekend to end my week long vacation! Looking forward to next year! :D

Loving the Christmas Breeze!

I just love the weather today! Its cold than the usual temperature! Is this a sign that Christmas is just around the corner?

If you are looking for Christmas themed ads being shown almost simultaneously on the television, Christmas songs over the radio, Christmas lights and decors, then the joyful season is indeed just around the corner.

In fact, Christmas is already in the air in our humble home. Every year, my mom adorns our house with Christmas decorations and lights right after Halloween. This just means that the Advent Season comes a bit early for us.

In addition, I can already smell the delicious scent of Christmas as my mom has started baking. One of our favorite goodies is the "torta." This is like a muffin or cupcake but with the native aroma. It is not that sweet and fits very well with coffee or tea. Perfect for "merienda" or light breakfast.

To complete the mood, I'll end this post with a Justin Bieber Christmas song done by Joseph Vincent entitled "Mistletoe."  Advance Merry Christmas!

Video by hoorahjencar

Count on Me - Bruno Mars

This song has been playing in my mind for quite some time now.  It has a really catchy melody and the lyrics are just amazingly simple - simple as 123! :)

As we start another week, let us remember that we always have someone whom we can rely on either in times of happiness or challenges. Here is the video of the feel good song from Bruno Mars to start our week with good vibes.

Video by kanditran167

Autumn in Seoul - Day 3

Our last full day in Seoul!

After a physically demanding day, we woke up a bit late this day. I was the  first in our room to wake up so that I still have much time to pack. As soon as I finished packing, I went down to the lobby and used their computer to free some space in my memory card. All of us finished packing and checked out by 12 noon. Since it was late already, we decided to have something to eat first before heading to our first destination. I had another bowl of instant noodles but this time it was beef flavored.




Our photo op for the last time...

First on our list for the day was the Trick Eye Museum. This museum isn't the typical or traditional kind. The trick eye showcases various 3D portraits that look real in pictures. These pictures will say it all.

We really had fun in the museum and we spent around one hour taking pictures of ourselves with the portraits.

The admission ticket per person cost 13000 KW. The museum can be reached through Line 2 to Hongik University Station.

After the museum, we walked around the neighborhood to have our late lunch. The museum is in Mapo Gu where most universities are located so you can really see a lot of young people around. We happened to pass through a similar restaurant that we had in Myeongdong. Even their type of food was the same.










However, this time, we were asked if "no spice" or "medium spice." To try something new, we chose the medium spice for both of our orders. Our verdict - SPICY!!! The chilli was too much for us to handle that we took a lot of the sweet cabbage side dish to balance the spiciness. In addition, we also relied on a lot of water! lol

After lunch at Mapo Gu, we head on to COEX Mall for another shopping. Coex Mall is the largest underground mall in Asia. It is located in the Gangnam District which is considered to be one of the affluent areas in Seoul. Its also where you can see Apgujeong, an upscale shopping district in Seoul.

After COEX, we went back to our hostel to pick our luggage. In our itinerary, we had to go to Seoul Station then take the late night bus to Incheon International Airport. We successfully reached Seoul Station through the help of a very friendly and helpful ahjussi. Even though, he can't speak English nor Chinese, we somehow conveyed the message that we wanted to convey. Before getting off his cab, we offered an extra pay without him asking for it.

We had dinner in Lotteria since it was the first restaurant / diner we saw. Lucky for me, my dinner was paid by Donna for her payment from the bet we made. Thanks Don for the last Bulgogi Burger I had in Seoul.

After dinner, we went into the bus stop to wait for the late night bus. To make things complicated, we noticed that there were a lot of bus stops! We had a hard time looking for the right bus stop. Fortunately, another friendly Korean with the name of Jae Uk Joo helped us in our dilemma.

Apparently, the bus number the hostel gave us was wrong it should have been 6001 instead of 601. After a few minutes of waiting, our bus finally came but the bus went ahead without us on board! Why? I don't know...

At that point, I was in the verge of panicking. However, we were still lucky to have Jae Uk Joo who helped us earlier. He really went out of his way and made efforts to help us. He even called our hostel to seek for assistance.

After they talked over the phone, he quickly instructed us to follow him inside the Seoul Station. It was really huge! After navigating the station, we ended in a ticket booth then a lady came out and talked to Jae Uk Joo. We paid a certain amount of money to the lady (I was so out of focused that time that I forgot how much we paid). The next thing we knew, we were on the next train to the airport!

When we arrived safely and successfully in the Incheon International Airport, I thought of the people who helped us reach our destination. My mind can't stop thinking of what should I have done to repay their goodness. I just wish for more blessings in their lives.   

I learned and discovered many things about South Korea in this trip. Contrary to what I heard, Seoul is not overly expensive. In fact, I spent lesser in SK compared to HK. Another thing is that their food tastes great based on what I tried at least (just be sure that you specify your preferred level of spiciness). Lastly, most of the Koreans are friendly and there are those who are really willing to help. They are also very nationalistic.They take pride of what they do and they work hard without any trace of complain in their faces. That for me is remarkable!

I adored their beautiful place which retained their rich culture without compromising modernization. On top of these, I love their weather! In short, I just love Seoul! I look forward to visiting this place again hopefully in the winter!

Autumn in Seoul - Day 2

Our itinerary for day 2 was just within Seoul but don't easily underestimate it as it was a physically challenging day for us especially for our precious feet.



My breakfast for this day was cheese roll from Paris Baguette. Unlike the cheese rolls I tasted before, this was filled with big chunks of cheese - heaven! Of course, what a great way to enjoy my bread was with a cup of coffee, especially if its free! haha.. Thanks to Travelers A for the free coffee!








Before heading to our first stop, our photo op should not be missed especially at the time that we were in our freshest! lol Miong was not around since he was not feeling very well and chose to rest in the morning.

First on our itinerary was no other than the Gyeongbok Gung / Palace. It is the main palace in the Joseon Dynasty until the present so we had our courtesy call. For the Koreans, the Gyeongbok is the most beautiful and remains the grandest among all five palaces. So, I recommend that you guys give priority to this palace when in Seoul. If you still have the time to visit the other four then it would be a bonus. The palace can be reached via Line 3 of the Seoul Subway system. Fare cost us 900 KW one way (This is the minimum fare in Seoul).

The admission to this palace is 3000 KW which is also acceptable for the National Palace and Folk Museum  inside the palace premises. But if you are planning to visit all the palaces, the integrated ticket would be advisable. It only costs 10000 KW and you can purchase this in any palace.








Its also okay if you don't want to pay the admission tickets since the outer gates can already suffice to your pictorials. In addition, you can also witness the changing of the guards in the Gwanghwamun gate.

You wouldn't expect that this gorgeous palace is situated in downtown Seoul. Once you go out of the palace, you can already see Seoul's towering buildings depicting its advancements. Just across Gyeongbokgung is the Gwanghwamun Square where you can see the statue of Admiral Yi Sun Shin. The square is just newly renovated and lights fill the square at night along with the pop jet fountains.

On our itinerary, we need to go back to Gyeongbokgung Station to go to Insadong. However, I just felt that we can walk our way to Insadong from the Gwanghwamun Square. So we walked... walked... and walked... and walked much further for several blocks! I must admit it was a wrong decision. Take the subway or taxi instead. 

In all fairness, we reached Insadong but by the time we arrived there, Cindy felt sick already. So we immediately looked for some place to have our lunch. This time, we let Biboy decide and he chose a certain restaurant. I wasn't able to see the name of the restaurant anymore due to hunger and exhaustion. We ordered one of my favorites meat dumplings and Ribs (I forgot if its pork or beef). Including the rice, it only cost us 11000 KW per person and it was very satisfying. I must say that the ribs were really delicious and tender.

After having our lunch, Cindy asked to go back to the hotel to rest so Biboy came with her. At this point, Team Seoul is down to three - Me, Noche, and Donna. The three of us explored Insadong and the place was filled with stores selling Korean souvenirs, street foods, coffee shops, art shops, and tea shops.

 

This street food is really yummy. The dough was like a doughnut but with a sweet peanut filling.

Miong asked to meet with us in Insadong so we waited for him. When he arrived, he said that he already saw the Changdeok Gung - our next stop along his way. So this time, Miong became our guide! So we walked... walked... and walked again to our next destination. In between our journey, we bought some Korean drinks from a store along the way.








Finally, the Changdeok Gung!

Our goal in this palace was the secret garden but to our dismay, the last tour has already started. So the Secret Garden remains to be a secret for us :-( Nevertheless, we still enjoyed our visit to Changdeok Gung.

After some photos, we head on to our fifth destination - the N Seoul Tower. We took a taxi going to Chungmuro station and took the yellow bus 2 at the bus stop near the subway station. Bus fare only cost 550 KW. I recommended to use this route compared to the cable car as to avoid walking from Myeongdong station to the cable car platform. Little did I know that upon arrival in the parking lot there was still an approximately 100-meter uphill walk. Well, instead of ranting, we laughed about our fate instead!

Upon reaching the top, I immediately found the place where Gu Jun Pyo, played by Lee Min Ho, sat in one of the scenes of Boys Over Flowers. Of course, we took our opportunity and had our pictorial on the setting.








Here are some of our jump shots in front of the N Tower.

Our photos inside the observatory of the tower.

One thing that struck me in the observatory was the lavish comfort rooms. You can literally see Seoul's skyline while peeing. As you can notice, the lavatory was a work of art!

After exploring the tower, we head on to this place filled with padlocks. Love was really in the air as the padlocks were signs of the love commitments of the couples who visited there.

After N Tower, we then decided to head down for our final shopping in Myeongdong again. This time, we took the cable car going down instead of the bus. Me and Donna knew that there were scenes in BOF that took place in the cable car and in the platform. Unfortunately, Noche's cam ran out of battery and my memory card was full! This just proved how we are when we travel hehe. We only have this photo of the coffee machine were Jandi bought for the both of them. As for the platform and the cable car, nada!

When we reached the lower platform, we took a taxi going to Myeongdong. We had our dinner in this Korean restaurant where they cook the rice, chicken and sauce in front of us. I forgot the complete name but it has this "Chicken Melt Rice." One thing that I remembered was the taste - it was another superb meal in South Korea!

After dinner, we head on to our shopping. This would be our last time in Myeongdong so we utilized every minute. While we were shopping, we accidentally bumped into Cindy and Biboy so the whole gang was complete again.

When everyone has arrived in our meeting place in Starbucks, we first discussed our tomorrow's itinerary. After a few minutes, we decided to skip the Gyeonggi English Village (BOF setting) on our third day.

Before going back to our hotel, we still have our seventh and last stop - the Cheonggyecheon Stream. We took a van taxi going there and it was a little bit expensive than the usual. Never mind the cost as the stream was another impressive tourist attraction in Seoul.

The air temperature at that time was seven degrees so even with three clothes on, I still felt the wind chill!

Our hotel was just near the stream so we thought of using the stream as our guide. However, the stream isn't short! We walked... walked... walked... walked... and WALKED... and WALKED again until we reach Travelers A. This would probably the longest walk I ever had in my whole life!

Jump shots in Gyeongbok Gung, walk from Gwanghwamun Square to Insadong then to Changdeok Gung, an uphill walk to N Tower, jump shots with the tower, walk around Myeongdong, and the final stretch along Cheonggyecheon Stream! Can you imagine how our feet felt after? If they only had their own mind, they probably went back to the hotel ahead of us! lol

At the end of our day, I can say that Me, Donna and Noche were the CHAMPIONS!

Autumn in Seoul - Day 1

Our call time for our first full day in Seoul was around 7:00 - 8:00. Cindy and Biboy were in one room while the rest of us were together in another room (me, Donna, Noche and Miong). As for our room, one of us needs to be awake around 5:30. Since the three of us were gentlemen, the lady should be first! :) After all of us finished fixing ourselves, we then head to the lobby for our breakfast. I had Korean instant noodles - the flavor was seafood and had seaweeds. It was good and it only cost 1000 won.



Travelers A had a nice gate and wall in front so we used them for a quick "photo op" before heading to our first stop.

First on our itinerary was Namiseom or Nami Island and we took the subway going there. From Euljiro 4, we passed 25 stations and spent more than an hour one way! After we got off, our bodies were still in sync with the subway! lol. Subway fare cost 1800 KW one way.













We got off at Gapyeong Station and took a taxi to Gapyeong Wharf. Since we were six, we need to have two cabs. Lucky for me, Donna, and Miong, we were able to catch a very nice taxi driver and the "ahjussi" (this is how they address men in Korea) happened to be in the traditional Hanbok! Taxi fare cost around 3000 KW.

From the wharf, we took a ferry going to the island proper. It was just a regular weekday that time but there were already a lot of visitors. I can't imagine how would it be on a holiday. However, the lines for the admission tickets were not that long and their ferries constantly travel to and from the island. The admission ticket including the round trip ferry fare is 8000 KW for foreigners.

Nami Seom is a leaf-like island floating gracefully on top of Cheongpyeong Lake in Chuncheon, South Korea. It is very famous for its beautiful tree lined roads and it has been the setting for many Korean dramas including the Winter Sonata.
















Since it's autumn in Korea, leaves were already falling and most of the trees were already turning yellow, orange and crimson - it was such a wonderful view and we really enjoyed it!

Truly the Nami Island is one of the recommended places to visit when in South Korea. You can certainly appreciate what nature can offer to us. The Nami Island is naturally beautiful!  

(Caution: There were a lot of small flying insects by the afternoon which stick to your coat. It can get really annoying so having a dark colored coat would help conceal the blood marks from the insects)

This was our lunch in Nami - meat dumplings, vegetable pancake and ramen. My dumplings and rice just cost 6,000 KW.

We left the island around 2:30 and head off to our next destination - Lotte World. Just like our way to Nami, we took a taxi going to Gapyeong Station then subway going back to Seoul as well.



Because of the long travel via subway and lack of sleep, Cindy and Miong weren't feeling very well when we reached Jamsil Station. In addition, I also failed to find exit 4 so we didn't see the main entrance of the theme park and reached the indoor park instead.






The mood was getting low so we decided to eat first and Lotteria was just nearby. I ordered the ever famous Bulgogi Burger and it fit my taste. It was delicious and the whole meal cost less than 5000 KW!








While we were eating, we discussed our next itinerary. Since most of us were not into theme parks, we decided to skip Lotte World. Luckily, the theme park has a mall inside so we stroll around the mall instead. Noche was in a wrong crowd this time for theme parks :( However, we still got pictures of Lotte World.

Our next destination from Lotte World was Myeongdong - a popular shopping district in Seoul. It is here you can find high end malls like Lotte and Shinsegae. If you are on a tight budget then the street market is perfect for you. Unlike other street markets I've  been to, Myeongdong doesn't give discounts so don't bother haggling. Myeongdong comes to life at night since all the lights are lit and the streets are filled with locals and foreigners as well. The shops close by 22:00 but the street shops can extend depending on the foot traffic.

Aside from shops, Myeongdong also offers a lot of street foods ranging from Korean cakes, fried squid, potato chips, and hotdogs. Me and Noche happened to try one - hotdogs wrapped in potato chips! The combination was good but it was hard to eat. The hotdogs w/ potato chips cost 2000 KW.  













After a few hours of shopping, our tummy asked for some attention. This time, we wanted to try McDonalds. It was one of the few McDonalds in Seoul which only proves that Koreans really do have a high degree of nationalism. My dinner - Bulgogi Burger again but this time it's double! The whole meal cost less than 7000 KW.

Before heading back to the hotel, we grabbed some bread from Paris Baguette for my tomorrow's breakfast.




Photo sources: Yours truly, Noche, Cindy and Donna