Seoul Adventures: The Final Days 5-7

Song Seung Hoon, JYJ, Hyun Bin, Choi Ji Woo (lucky girl), and Jang Geun Suk. Geunnie, one could really get sick of your face after a while if you’re literally EVERYWHERE in Seoul. 

I’m sorry I haven’t updated more frequently. But my last few days of stay were less about sightseeing so I didn’t have many photos to show off. Plenty of night shots though!

I am sorry to say that I’m leaving, but it was quite the adventure. As my departure date neared, my Korean got lazier and lazier, and I no longer wanted to make an effort to communicate. However, it was fun navigating through Seoul with my broken Korean.

In this last batch, I visit Coex, Dongdaemun at night, Coex Aquarium, and Incheon airport. Arriving at Incheon isn’t glamorous. Leaving Incheon is, and I think it’s point is to leave a beautiful, lasting impression of the country and make you never want to leave Korea.

Thing is… it looks like the Pudong International Airport in Shanghai. I had an intense deja-vu moment and forgot where I was.

Seoul Adventures: Day 4

My days are nearing an end!! Sob*

This time, I was at Gangnam and Apgujeong. Gangnam is in the south side of the river, and known to be the more expensive side to Seoul. Apgujeong has all the fancy shops and whatnot (especially on Cheongdam-dong Fashion Street).

I took a walk there, Hangang Park, Ttukseom Park (a nice area where you can ride the swan boats seen in Lie to Me; also has plenty of steps and an esplanade, where all K-drama actors go to brood or make shady deals.

Seoul Adventures: Day 2 – The Teddy Bear Museum

Why hallo, King Sejong!

There was a Teddy Bear Museum at Namsan Tower! So OF COURSE I had to go! Beware – major squealage follows. I was running around the museum by myself, squealing and talking to myself.

Not too hard to imagine, right?

Seoul Adventures: Day 2

The series continues! Places I visited: Bukchon and Samcheong-dong (think New York’s West Village/Chelsea), Unhyeongung (Palace), and Namsan Tower.

Highlight – I was out so late from Namsan that I ended up taking a cab back home. I tell him where I want to go in Korean (because that’s easier) and then he starts asking if I’m Korean. I say no – I’m American. AND HE GOES RATTLING OFF IN KOREAN STILL! I’d have expected him to stop talking to me because he thinks I have limited speaking skills, and I do! He goes and asks me a good many questions and I go “네” or “아니요” – guessing which is more appropriate. Then I go and explain that I know very little Korean, and he says he knows very little English.

Good – so we got that straightened out, yeah?

No! He goes on and starts explaining where we are and points out every major station we pass by. I do get to see Seoul Station and the first thing I think of is 49 Days. He even tells me about the Japanese tourists he’s had and how they were asking him to make an illegal U-turn (not that it matters because Seoul drivers are terrible and craaaaaazy). He then thought (or said to them): “Are you crazy?! You want to die!?” Made me laugh – IF I understood him correctly. And there’s a 50% chance I didn’t.

Anyways – enough blubbering. Pics it is!

Seoul Adventures: Day 1

My life is complete because I saw Jang Geun Suk. Who cares about Kim Hyun Joong, Song Joong Ki, Yoona, and JYJ when you got THIS GUY?!

I also saw a Park Shi Hoo commercial on the subway TVs. I died. He even had to change his shirt onscreen. I propose that he have a shirtless scene in The Princess’ Man - one that is completely unnecessary but totally necessary for me.

This time difference thing is throwing me off too. I’m technically on Day 2, but home is on Day 1. Anyways…

Several observations – Seoul is intensely hot and muggy. Underground malls are cooler than some market places. Insadong is really nice, Myeongdong is hip, Namdaemun Road is fancy, and Namdaemun Market is overrated.

Also – getting lost is awesome. Getting lost and then having your feet die by the end of the day isn’t.

Seoul Adventures Begins!

Hi everyone from Seoul!

Not sure if you all know this yet, but I am in Seoul for a week! A whole week! I arrived pretty late so I won’t be doing much sightseeing right now. (I’m all sore, stinky, physically tired but mentally alert. Not a good way to help get over jet lag…) I will be updating pics as often as I can – and perhaps still have a chance to catch up on some celeb news while I’m here! In just one commercial break I saw Hyun Bin, Kim Sun Ah, and Big Bang. Yeaah…

Related Posts:

• Seoul Adventures Day 1
• Seoul Adventures Day 2
• Seoul Adventures Day 2 – The Teddy Bear Museum
• Seoul Adventures Day 3
• Seoul Adventures Day 4
• Seoul Adventures The Final Days 5-7

Pottermore Announcement!

1) the Youtube page for this announcement is epic, so I suggest going straight to that site than just watching the video here.

2) Oh. My. God. I think I just died and went to Heaven. Only to be sent back to earth by the good ol’ Dumbledore, reminding me that I still have work to do in the office.

Do Celebs Have It Easy?

It’s easy to think that being a “celebrity” means you get everything you want – the fame, the money, the beauty, the name. Nowadays it is even easier to get your “15 minutes of fame” just by having a sex scandal or inheriting a fortune. (Maybe I should amend that to “15 seconds of fame” considering how fast Twitter and Facebook can be.)

Thirteen Reasons Why – A Review

If you haven’t read “Thirteen Reasons Why” by Jay Asher, you should go read it now. I stayed up all night because I could not put it down. I actually read a review about the book, found out it was going to be on paperback on June 14, and just a couple days later went and bought it. That’s how much the review stayed with me.

I occasionally write these book reviews even though they have nothing to do with the way my blog is set up, but I write them because I really care. I’ve read other books (most of them by Malcolm Gladwell this year) but I’ve never felt compelled to write about them. The last fiction I’ve read was “The Book Thief” and I give a nod to javabeans for being the one who finally convinced me to read it. “Thirteen Reasons Why” is just one more book that I have to write something about.

47th Baeksang Awards

Photos! Winners! Whee!