MARCHING ON

We are only halfway into March, but I feel that this has been the best month thus far! It has been a flurry of events with birthdays, meet ups, and Kingdom Invasion, and I'm treasuring every moment. Thankful for the friends that I get to spend time with, and the exposure I get to receive that comes with work.

Working on a cardboard box during KI.

To be honest, KI has stretched me to the max. At the end of that week, I returned home dead beat and fell into a comatose the moment my body touched the bed. I didn't even get a chance to remove my makeup or shower or anything. And then I had to rush straight out of the house the next day.

But the stress pumped me up and put me to the test. Covering KI on the go really was a challenge. I'm flanked by my own inadequateness, yet so inspired by others. I hope I somewhat levelled up in terms of my work performance after the conference haha.

I was also very privileged to be able to go backstage and be a part of the bustle. It was so amazing to see how everyone worked together for a greater purpose. It reminded me that we are all part of a greater collective :') God is moving in Singapore, and I'm very fortunate to witness the process as He moves.

I was even invited to observe as the media team interviewed Bill Johnson, whut.

You know, I'm not the most excited person for the future, and I'm pretty sure I'll return to my state of ennui very soon. I'll have to pray for a zealous faith, but for now, I'll be looking forward to what the future has in stall :)

WRAPPING UP

2017 has been an incredible year and although there were many changes/transitions, I can see God’s hands in it as I look back and reflect.

One of the bigger changes this year is my relationship status. While most of the other changes were anticipated, this was definitely not something I had planned for. In fact, there’s still quite a lot of uncertainties - the constant process of unlearning and relearning what love means. I’m someone who likes to know everything before making an decision (I never fail to plough through online reviews before buying an item) so not being able to understand something fully is unsettling for me. But I’ve learnt that the process is also a lesson, instead of being anxious and wanting to rush to the end.

Hehe so cute *v*

Which is also why I’ve decided that I won’t post our love story and my experience being in a relationship until and unless I’m about to get married. I know I promised I’ll write it previously because I believe that this kind of sharing can help others in their decision making process, but I think there’s also wisdom in waiting it out.


The second biggest transition would be my transition from a full time student into a full time minister. To be honest, I was worried that I’ll be stuck working in ministry forever when I first accepted my job. I wanted to go outside and enjoy the world too! I know that there are people who changed to a marketplace career from a ministry job, and I supposed I was unconsciously hoping for that (not that it’s unbiblical), but i can hardly say the same thing right now.

One of my colleague’s friend was hospitalised recently and might die anytime due to his condition. Our boss, without a pause, allowed her to take a few days off just to be with the friend. When the patient’s other friends saw how frequently she was in the ward, they asked, “Don’t you have work to do?”

She replied, “I work for the souls of men. It’s my privilege to be here.”

Time and time again I’m mind blown by the weight of the responsibility that God has given us. I’m so thankful to be where I am right now, and I can only say God knows us the best. He knows what He’s doing even when He calls us into the unknown, no matter how scary and mysterious we think it is.

Through work, I’ve also rekindled my friendship with HH.

Not sure if you guys know but there was a period of time me and HH were very close! She’s literally the second person next to YX that I feel 100% at ease with. Unfortunately, we drifted apart due to our circumstances, but we are now able to sow on this friendship once again because of our circumstances haha (we are colleagues, and in fact it was because of her that I landed myself a job at Thir.st).

We even won a phone each from our company’s lucky draw hahah.

The last major change in 2017 is the change of LG. I’m quite privileged to be surrounded with many lao jiaos because I’m able to discuss many things with them, and get trusted valuable advice. I was quite touched how they care for my friends too - be it enfolding visitors, or praying for my friends. They are really an encouragement to me :’)

Not everyone is in the photo though :(

That pretty much sums up my 2017. Laced in between was of course other blessings eg parents coming to Church, making new friends, Hillsong conference and many others :D Not sure how 2018 will top 2017, but we shall see. TYJ! 🙌🏼

24

Not many were aware of the occasion as I had unlinked my birthday from facebook notification a few years back, but the past week saw me celebrating my 24th.

It's not that i want to test who my true friends are – I understand that there's just so many birthdays that we can't keep track of it all. I mean, I also don't remember my friends' birthdays hahaha. Instead of making celebrations obligatory, I just want to keep things free and easy, spending the special occasion with my loved ones without imposing it on anybody else.

Aligned with my desire to keep things low-key, my birthday celebrations weren't extravagant. My LG kickstarted it with a simple dinner, great conversation and a round of affirmation. It wasn't anything special but I appreciated the time spent together very, very, very much ☺️

YX and I wanted to visit a video gaming cafe on my birthday and we later on decided to invite some of our mutual friends to join us while withholding the information that it was my birthday though I think he eventually told them la cause they presented me with a card and a cake (thank you friends!). Had a great time laughing because of the games we played. I could totally use the clips I've recorded as blackmail materials in the future 😂

We left the group in the evening to join my family for dinner. The food was really good and the prices were reasonable! If you're living in the east and are looking for a decent zichar place, do give the place a try. Especially the double hor fun 👍🏼

Jin Hock Seafood 金福海鲜菜馆 | 844 Tampines Street 82, 520844

***

To be honest, birthdays are quite overrated. Why do we even celebrate birthdays? The reason(s) fluctuates person to person and even my answer changes with each passing year, from commemorating a milestone reached to recognising my significance on earth to letting others fuss over me as a way of loving them. But this year, I celebrate my birthday because I want to celebrate life.

I'm not sure about most people but I tend to think about death a lot. Not in a suicidal way – there is a difference between wanting to die and wanting to kill yourself – but more of a philosophical manner. Any rational person who would sit down and analyse the situation would come to the same conclusion that life is pretty meaningless.

And while I don't always feel depressed, death is a presence that doesn't leave. Most days I can easily continue my life while ignoring death but his presence loomed a little larger than usual a few weeks back.

I felt my life being sucked out of me. I was extremely unmotivated – more so than usual – and utterly demoralised. But even in my despondency, I remember the feeling of gratitude washing over me. I was reminded time and time again of how blessed I really am and how undeserving I am of what I have and I began giving thanks – for my family, for my friends, for my workplace. There is a difference between wanting to die and wanting to kill yourself.

I think that difference is gratitude.

And so while life sometimes gets a little harder, I recognise that He has gifted me with much. I know I’m surrounded by people who love me, and most importantly by Love Himself. That, I can give thanks for.

Another year has passed, another year sustained by God :)


Thank you to those who sent me well wishes and for celebrating my birthday. Appreciate it! And of course, the biggest thanks goes to YX who tried to coordinate the celebrations between our friends and my family haha. Planning isn't his strongest suit so he got a bit stressed out throughout the week even though my celebration was a simple affair lol. He also spent a lot of thought (and money!!!) into buying me the perfect gift. I love it, thank you very much 💕

PS, I straightened my hair!! Yay to having fuss free tresses every morning!

FRIENDSHIPS

Updated:

I recently wrote an article about friendship. It’s my personal favourite out of all the pieces I’d composed because I had written it for myself. It wasn’t the easiest to pen - I had to dig into the deepest recesses of my heart to produce that piece. Out came a lot of unanswered questions and hanging conclusions which I’ve once asked myself but swept aside because it had become too hard to face. What does friendship mean? Who are my good friends? Do I even have any good friends? Will they even last? These questions seem fundamental like what primary school kids would think about but I found myself questioning what I really know about friendship for the most part of my university life.

Friendship is one of the most basic relationships between people and yet it is often very profound. Friendship is also one of my biggest struggles.

Growing up, I have always played the role of the 'elder sister'. At home, I was the responsible member of the family. In school, I was known to be fiercely protective of my friends. I am often the listening ear whenever I chat with people. I let them unload their burdens, nod my head empathetically, offer some advice if needed and envelope them into a hug or two. I would even cry with them sometimes.

This settled into an easy rhythm over the years. Take care of others. Minister to others. Disciple others. It seemed so right and so natural that I didn't notice how the way I was relating to people was gradually becoming an unhealthy one-sided relationship.

Many called me a friend but there were few whom I could reciprocate the feelings.

I find it hard to talk about myself or my emotions because I wasn't used to it; I didn't want to open up because I'm afraid of how others would see me. Sometimes, it is hard for me to get along well with girls. I feel as if I don't really fit in and I have difficulty connecting to them on an emotional level.

So I started uni jaded of people. I wanted to keep to myself and stick to my comfort zones. And in a way, I did. I graduated having made about 4 friends outside of church. But I also lost a few friendships along the way. Some fell out, some drifted away. Some turned out to be not as invested in the relationship as I was.

I was hurt, frustrated and disappointed. I became guarded. It’s easy to turn cynical when you get pricked time and time again. Despite being a recluse, God showed me repeatedly the importance of opening up. And somewhere in my heart, I knew I yearned for someone whom I would love and would love me back.

I began praying for a trusted confidante but the person never came… or so I thought. After 4 arduous years, I finally realised why. A relationship can only blossom as much as you’re willing to give in spite of what you can receive. It no longer matter if I have best friends or not. There’s beauty in giving pieces of your heart to people in and of itself.

I’m glad to have graduated from this phase of my life and thankful for the people who have journeyed with me to find the solution I’ve been searching all along. I am the answer to my own question. Friendships all start somewhere and so let it begin with me.

IMMENSELY BLESSED

Today, i felt very blessed and loved by the church community (specifically the LG and the LGL team but sadly we didnt take a group photo as a LGL team).

Throughout the years, i have somehow developed a cynicism which made it hard for me to want to be vulnerable. I fed myself the lie that i want to be alone, that i am alone. However, this is false and unbiblical. We may, from time to time, require personal space but we were never meant to struggle alone in our battles. Everyone needs to be loved and to be cared for. Wanting to be alone may be a comforting lie, but a lie nevertheless.

I am still learning and relearning what it means to be vulnerable, to let people love me, to let myself be loved. Sometimes i still fall into the trap of wanting to disengage from people but it is times like these that the church community display what godly love is like to me. To see this bunch of people loving so genuinely and freely really puts me to shame. But it is also their love that encourages me and inspires me to love more genuinely and freely as well.

Today, i am thankful because i know that i have friends (and family of course!) who love and care for me. I am not alone and i dont have to struggle alone.

To the people whom i've hurt, sorry for the things i've said or done to push you aside. To the people who stayed by me despite my prickliness, thank you for your patience and trust in me. I honestly dont know what i've done to deserve you. And to the people whom will continue to walk by me, i may hurt you from time to time but i will try my best to keep learning what it means to love.

And specifically to NYC 7, thank you for being such a blessing in my life. Leadership can sometimes be a lonely journey but when you have an entire group of God-loving and God-fearing people supporting you, it doesn't feel so lonesome anymore :)

WANDERLUST ; SOUTH KOREA

Day 1 | 1st June

Singapore > Seoul > Jeju

Touched down at Incheon airport at 8am before boarding our transit flight to Jeju at 1130am. It was in the late afternoon by the time we checked in and settled down. Had some black pork bbq (which Jeju is famous for) and damn, it was good. We also walked around DongMun market and explored the neighbourhood.

I love how their coffees are non-spill. They have this aluminium foil layer underneath the plastic cover to prevent spillage. Also, their coffees from convenience stores are super cheap! Like less than $2?

This is actually a wall painting!

SIQI RECOMMENDS:

???

I have no idea what this store is called but it sells a lot of street snacks at DongMun Market and apparently Running Man members visited it before. But honestly, SO GOOD. SO GOOD. Just find the busiest stall with screenshots of Running Man pasted over the panes and you've found yourself a gem. We stumbled upon this stall randomly at an odd hour so we managed to get a table but right before we left, it became full house and there were people waiting for seats. Daebak.

Some primary school

This was the place where we had our bbq. We went here because our hostel had a 10% discount but apparently the shop right next to ours is the more popular option with media clippings and consistent customer crowd.

Day 2 | 2nd June

O’Sulloc Cafe > Innisfree Jeju > Glass castle > Seongsan Ilchulbong Sunrise Peak  > Kim Young Maze Park 

So for our 2nd day in Jeju, we booked a one-day taxi tour via our hostel. Our first stop was O'Sulloc Cafe / Innisfree (they are at the same location). The scenery was just so beautiful but we had to rush because there were too many places we wanted to visit within a day. If you have the time, i recommend to stroll around the area because it really is picturesque! Imagine all the green tea fields behind you... You can literally shoot a mv there! 

If you are a tea lover, you probably would want to spend most of the time at O'Sulloc Cafe smelling and buying tea packets. They smell so heavenly, i wish i could buy all of them back. They also sell other organic merchandise such as slimming tea and facial care products. Also, please try their matcha chiffon cake! If you are not travelling to Jeju, Hongdae has an O'Sulloc Cafe too so you can try and buy their products even in Seoul :)

As for Innisfree, well there's nothing much to buy. The selection at Jeju is limited and they dont offer as many promotions as in Seoul so save your moolah (and luggage space)!

Look at the fields behind!! So pretty!

We went to the Glass Castle next which i think was a waste of time. Honestly, it is really pretty and you can take many photos with the ornaments but i have no appreciation for such stuff. We went on a weekday so it was pretty much empty and we conquered the place in 1 hour. Weekends though, according to the auntie, are crowded. I still do not see the appeal in it. The only happy thing i got out from the place is the above photo cause it looks pretty and just nice the fountain spurted water and so it adds to the feel of the photo haha.

In Jeju, you HAVE TO eat seafood. Just look at the huge pot in the photo. We ordered for 2 to share (my other friends can't eat spicy so they ordered individually) and that entire pot came out. I almost thought we ordered wrongly but that is indeed their smallest size (yes SMALLEST) and it was filled with goodies like abalone, clams, oysters, and what not! The mackerel tasted good as well! For all these it only cost about $20-$25 SGD per person??

Sadly, i cannot recommend this restaurant to you as i don't know what it is! The taxi lady just drove us there for lunch. All i know is that it has media clippings in the shop and it is located near Seongsan Ilchulbong Sunrise Peak, which was our next destination.

Don't let this photo fool you. This place is brimming with tourists!

We planned to go Seongsan Ilchulbong Sunrise Peak because we wanted to see the flower field which we saw on Instagram. Unfortunately, the season for flowers is over and worse, we couldn't watch the diving show because the wind and current was too strong to dive that day. I had a throbbing head just from being exposed to the harsh wind. You look at all of our hair!

After that we moved on to our final location of the day which is the famous Kim Young Maze Park. Along the way, the taxi lady stopped by the beach for us to take photos. If i had the time, i would love to linger more in this area. One of my favourite things to do while on holiday is to go beach-watching. There are literally SO MANY cafes plastered along the Jeju beach so you can just enter into any of it, grab a coffee and enjoy the ocean view. Some cafes even had sun beds so you can just lay down and chill with the majestic scenery in front of you. Even if you do not patronize the cafes, there are also chairs laid out for tourists to take photos (although the chairs has the cafe's names written on it as a form of advertisement haha). How cool!

Look and imagine how beautiful it really is in real life!!!

Wind is so strong, centre parting is unavoidable.

SIQI RECOMMENDS:
Maze Park

Conquered the maze park within 20 mins although it felt like an hour??? Up till now i have no idea how we walked out of that maze. It was so confusing and the map did not help at all. But i enjoyed walking around and trying to find a way out. An interesting experience.

Day 3 | 3rd June

Seoul > Lotte Mart

SIQI RECOMMENDS:

Isaac Toast

Woke up in the morning to grab breakfast from Isaac Toast which serves the best bagels!!! It's laced with butter, sugar and bacon and it sends you straight up to heaven. You can find them in almost everywhere in Korea.

We did not do much for the day as we spend some time flying from Jeju back to Seoul and checking into our Airbnb. We did shop for snacks at Lotte Mart but who wanna see 4 girls being aunties? Gonna dump some random sightings and cafes that i like here instead.

Cafe opposite our apartment

SIQI RECOMMENDS:

Soupman

If you live in Hongdae, please try this home made soup cafe! Even their menu is so handmade lol. This shop is near Exit 3 and they serve soup in a cup, much like a coffee. I like their broccoli corn soup the best - yes, i love it so much that i convinced my friends to buy and try most of their flavours haha.

A dumping ground that suddenly peaks out from an alley in a place filled with developed and high rise buildings.

Koreans like to do their makeup anytime, anywhere.

They can park their cars on pavements!

Day 4 | 4th June

Lotte World

Ok, not much photos for this day because we spent most of our time queuing and playing rides. A little sad that there were so many people on the day we went. We had to wait for 90 mins for every ride??? So in the end we only played 6 rides the entire day. If you like thrilling rides, you'd enjoy:

Giant Loop, Comet Express, Pirate Ship, Gyro Swing, Gyro Drop and French Revolution.

Day 5 | 5th June

Myeongdong > Hongdae

Started the day with some porridge for breakfast at Myeongdong. HUGE disappointment though. We couldn't find the shop that we planned to visit - btw, please use google street view to find out exactly how to get to the places you wanna go before setting off because somehow the directions online are never right?? And even when we arrived at the exact address, the shop is nowhere in sight?? Figuring out your way in Korea is seriously even harder than the language barrier - so we entered into a random porridge restaurant thinking how bad can porridge get?

Very bad. I attribute part of the reason to the rice and method they used to cook. I love congee kind of porridge where the rice are so disintegrated they are almost like a thick soup. However, you can still bite the rice grains in the porridge in Korea (or at least in this shop)? And they are thin and long - unlike the plumper Thai rice i am used to. That aside, i felt that the porridge was too oily for my liking. The only thing that i can approve of is the presentation, You have to give it to them - it really looks amazing haha.

With our tummies filled, we went ahead to shop. Nothing much to mention. Just go crazy.

SIQI RECOMMENDS:

Manse Mandu

Cheap, good and filling - what more do you want! This was our lunch, located conveniently at MyeongDong as well so that we can rest and eat after a shopping spree. Don't let the humble appearance of the restaurant fool you! It's so popular that there was a queue snaking out from the door. We enjoyed their dumplings so much that we ordered another basket of it. Noodles were good too - just do not order their cold noodles (that white broth thingy in the photo). It is very geliat because of the soymilk sauce. Like no, just no.

SIQI RECOMMENDS:

Hongdae Stone BBQ

We went back to Hongdae for dinner and actually I have no idea what is the actual name of this shop but trust me - or trust HH's palette - this is damn gooood! It specializes in pork but you need to eat their beef. When cooked well, with the right timing, it literally oozes in your mouth! The hot, tantalizing meat together with the buttery juice is just - i cant even. And yes you read the name right. This restaurant stone grills your meat. Me and my friends loved it so much that we went back on a separate day and only specifically ordered their beef HIAK HIAK. 

Apparently it is so famous that when i google 'hongdae bbq restaurant' this is the first review to pop up??? Gonna put the link to the review here because it includes useful directions and a menu to refer to. The blog also recommended many other Korean restaurants to try and reading it makes me feel nostalgic and hungry T.T

Btw, this restaurant has many foreigners such as Hong Kongers, Singaporeans etc etc. So if you're picky about 'I need to eat in an authentic Korean restaurants that only locals go' maybe this wont be your cup of tea. BUT JUST TRY IT ANYWAY LA. ITS POPULAR FOR A REASON.

Also i made friends with the unni of the restaurant. She is so nice and she remembers me from the first time we visited (maybe because i almost left the restaurant after accidentally underpaying her severely haha). We took a photo together and she promised to give me a free cider the next time i come back :D

A random note: this is the place where i got 3 free huge Song Joong Ki posters HAHAHAHA. The uncle was like "Song Joong Ki 좋아?" and i just anyhow nodded my head suddenly i end up with the posters. It is rolled up and stored somewhere in my room because it is too embarrassing to be seen.

Day 6 | 6th June

Gwangjang Market > Ewha University > Dongdaemun

We went Gwangjang Market on a public holiday and at first the streets and market looked so empty, we thought we picked a wrong day to visit. But we persevered walking in and a few moments later, the landscape totally changed. It was FLOODED with tourists. It's like you suddenly walked into another dimension?? But yes, this is the place to try traditional Korean food. Though i still stand firm that the DongMun Market/Running Man store sold better food, this is where i got to try my live octopus.

It really is not that terrifying at all. I mean other than watching its tentacles chopped off mercilessly and getting flashbacks of Titans, eating it felt like i was eating... squid. Pretty normal. It sometimes will suck the ceiling of your mouth but that was it. The suction power was not very strong and i definitely did not experience it sucking onto my throat although that would be an amazing experience too. I love the sauce and seaweed that they paired the octopus with as well. Superb.

Their campus is so pretty it really puts NTU to shame. And i love how just right outside their university is a street filled with shopping and eateries? You'd never run out of things to do after classes!

However, if you are a tourist like me, you'd probably not be very interested in the shopping at Ewha University because you can find the exact same stuff in Hongdae/ Myeongdong and they have larger stores as well. Clothes here are also slightly pricier. I'd say skip the shopping and focus on roaming the university grounds instead. Really beautiful and picturesque which also means lots of tourists too.

Presumably their hostel but looks like our HDB hahaha.

We headed to Dongdaemun that night and this is the heaven of all shopaholics. The malls operate from 10pm - 6am so you really can shop until siao. Unfortunately, i didnt hang around this area much because my friends were all too tired from the day :( But we did explore the area. It is super futuristic. Think Orchard ION x 1000000000. Especially the museum. I am sold.

A museum overlooking the shopping centres.

Expensive ice cream that looks out of the world but tastes ordinary.

Day 7 | 7th June

Illhwa Mural Village

Started the day off with some Jap food. This is located a few stalls down Hongdae Stone BBQ. It is extremely small, with a seating capacity of less than 10 people. Food is pretty cheap and delicious although nothing life changing. You order via machine and insert notes into it - somewhat like a vending machine. Quite interesting.

Headed to Illhwa Mural Village and this place is a killer. I literally mean it kills your energy. It is not conveniently situated next to the MRT so you'll have to walk a distance. Upon reaching the neighbourhood, there are so many slopes and stairs to climb in order to see the murals. We were so tired that we did not bother completing the tour. I even entered a cafe in order with the intention of resting my feet but ended up falling asleep hahaha.

Ryan Higa's BGA is coming to my mind...

So we caught a live shoot of some kdrama

Apparently we went in from the wrong direction and this uniform shop was one of the first thing we saw. There were many students/couples who actually rent the outfit to walk about and take photos. I have no idea what is the significance behind this phenomenon.





Illhwa is a pretty artistic area. Besides murals and graffiti, i met this artist whom drew a caricature for me (ok fine, i paid her haha).


Koreans love water painting. I have started to fall in love with it as well.

Man and dog overlooking the city

LOL, can totally tell from the lack of murals that we gave up on the journey halfway haha.

Day 8 | 8th June

Gangchon Rail Park > Petite France > Nami Island 

Woke up supppeeeer early in the morning to catch the ITX which is an express train in Korea. We went for the Gangchon Rail Park first which is something that was featured in Running Man as well. Basically you're on a rail track and you have to pedal your way through as a group while enjoying the scenary. Sounds difficult but actually the automatic system does most of the work LOL. 

Heads up that there are not many pictures from today.

A sudden burst of colour on my lips because i did not cap my lip tint properly and it had spillage and i was like "Must not waste this!!!" and smeared everything on my lips. Spot my orange-tinted fingers as well. On another note, isn't the dog cute? There are so many dogs in Korea hehe *o*

No photos from me from Petite France because my hp died and was in the middle of battery resurrection. Nice place to visit if you like to take photos but do note that there are many tourists.

We travelled to Nami Island next and that is literally all my photos from Nami Island. Don't ask why. But it is definitely another photogenic place with its looming trees and rivers and especially during the sunset timing. I witnessed a few bridal shoots there as well :) Do visit Nami Island if you have the change to. Btw did you know that they are considered a republic themselves??

Day 9 | 9th June

Hongdae

It was a pretty relaxing day so we just stuck around the neighbourhood that we lived in and shopped around Hongdae. It was so funny because we had specific shops we wanted to visit and everytime we wondered out loud "Eh, where is XXX ah", the store would magically appear in front of us a few mins later.

It really shows the power of Korea's cosmetic/shopping industry. It's like in every alley and street you go, you will definitely find another outlet from the same brand. Like whuuut??

Oh, we bought this watermelon juice from Juicy which was super refreshing on such a hot day :D

Day 10 | 10th June

Everland

Yes, we visited another theme park during our stay in Korea. I love how Everland truly makes you feel like you got teleported to a fantasy world. Maybe because you have to travel so far to some ulu place, but definitely part of the magical experience. I love the service and how their staff are fancily dressed. The crowd and waiting time is significantly lesser as compared to Lotte World which makes the experience even better. I really cant choose between Everland and Lotte World because the former had such a other-worldly atmosphere you really think you are in some lala land but i think Lotte World has better variety of exciting rides. If you have the time and money, i'd say visit both!

T-Express at the background

Fave ride. We queued for this 5 times!

SIQI RECOMMENDS:

???

So we randomly stumbled upon this restaurant because it was the only shop still serving food at 930pm by the time we left Everland and travelled back to the city. We didnt expect much because we just wanna eat and head home asap but Good Lord, you HAVE TO try this!! The menu selection is quite limited - We ordered a beef and a pork hotplate but it was nothing short of amazing. All the dishes presented to us were extremely delicious and this is no easy feat because not every shop serves the sort of radish/kimchi/soup that is to our palette. Seriously every single side dish was two thumbs and toes up. Needless to say, so were their mains. I was chomping food down at an unbelievable rate that i bit my own tongue LOL.

Like really, if you only want to take away the top 3 food recommendations from this post, this is one place you should keep in mind, together with the Hongdae Stone BBQ and DongMun Market's (Running Man) street food stall. Directions to this shop are fairly simple. Walk out from Gangnam Station Exit 11 and go straight until you see CGV in one of the alleys at your right. Turn into the alley and walk up the slope until you pass the 1st right junction. Continue straight and keep your eyes peeled for the shop. You'll see it slightly before the 2nd right junction.

Day 11 | 11th June

Express bus terminal

Cheap shopping here. No photos because we were all busy looting stuff into our bags and pushing against the crowd haha.

Day 12 | 12th June

Gyeongbokgong > Bukchon

So this was the day where we rented and adorned Hanboks. We got ours from Oneday Hanbok which is only 2 stops away from Gyeongbokgong where the palace is. I honestly think it was such a good experience because you get to choose pretty traditional dresses to wear and take awesome photos. You'd definitely get stares from people but my motto whenever i am overseas is "I am a foreigner. I have no shame." HAHAHA. Also, entrance fee is waived if you visit the palace wearing a Hanbok!

Mini skirt - a modern take on Hanbok

Yup, what is a photoshoot without me being unglam

The palace is directly right behind King Sejong statue.

We headed to Bukchon next which is a neighbourhood filled and preserved with traditional Korean houses. Another lovely place to take photos with your Hanboks. 

omg this baby is too cute!!

We went to Happy Day Jijjimbang that night and i looooooove it. We were totally clueless on what to do and even though i knew we were supposed to strip all the way down, i still got a shock when i was walking through the rows of locker, trying to find mine and suddenly i got a glimpse of naked women LOL. Totally unprepared la. And obviously we were hesitant as well but heck it la, we knew what we signed up for and honestly after a while you just get used to it because it is totally normal for Koreans. The more awkward you are, the more outstanding you will be.

Just meditate on "I am a foreigner, I have no shame" and you'll do fine. 

I really think you should visit Jijjimbang with friends you're comfortable with. It's a brand new experience and its super fun to scrub each other's back and like play water with one another HAHAH. It felt like i got teleported to my younger days, before the concept of shame was taught to me. I enjoyed it and even made new friends while resting in the lounge area where after bathing, you can head there for sauna or watch tv or to eat or sleep. You'll also feel extremely refreshed after the jacuzzi and all. So yes, definitely slot this activity in if you can. 

Day 13 | 13th June

Isaedong 

Last day of shopping and i think this is an interesting place to visit to get unique souvenirs. I bought a lot of stuff from here too (mainly because i was trying to clear my cash) and carted back many unique buys that i didnt get to see at other places. I think this is the beauty of Insaedong because after staying in Korea for so long, you get tired of seeing the same things. It's like every other shop sells similar stuff and walk a few more steps you'll see the same brand but a different outlet. I guess on one hand its really convenient because its super easy to locate the shops and even if you forget to buy something from the shop, you can just continue walking down until you see the next one. But on the other hand... I need something fresh for my eyes man.

Eating poop

Ok, so that pretty much sums up my 2 weeks in Korea because we flew back the next day. Perhaps i really shouldn't have ate that poop bun. Now that i think of it, it was like a foreshadow to what i have to go through upon returning to Singapore. LOL.