Tuesday 12 June 2018

Hottest Seoul Summer trip Part 1



Another short trip to Seoul. I actually regret this trip a bit, because my aim is to listen to Honey G live singing, but apparently they do that only a week after I came. But anyway, lots of good things happened in this trip.

Bought tickets just 2 weeks before flying. AA was having promo, I got it for around Rm700, where the price I checked 2 weeks before was only rm656 returned. I was in dilemma of whether I should really go for the date or not, I even asked HoneyG if their new song will come out before June. (it did, but I didn't get to listen to it live).

As usual, I will struggle a lot a week before flying, this time the same. I really got so much headache and brain hard to function and many things going around, my best friend even has to check on me, reminds me of things, if I can handle it all. I had the 'cold-virus' as my doctor told me, with the ever changing weather. Thursday night I hardly drove my-sick-self to Putrajaya (getting lost for 1st time, since I always go to Putrajaya Sentral, 1st time missing the exit).

I took my pocket WiFi (Roaming Man this time) and go to upstairs to eat my early sahur and take my medication. After that I go to international gate and the immigration went smoothly (no people at all at 12am). Walked to the boarding gate, and flight got quite delay I think. Use the time to read Quran since I have to reminds myself it's still Ramadan, gotta grab all the pahala while I can.





1am we still queuing to go inside the plane, plane full of Koreans, I get the middle sit, next to an aunty. Not easy to sleep since I'm cautious about the timing, at 3am,i ate kurma and drink water as my sahur, around 4am then I perform prayer, after that only I could sleep. Woke up again around 6am and it's already bright. I saw the aunty next to me trying to fill up the entry form, I began talking to her of what she should write (being to Korea so many times alone, I always prepared for this, people always borrow my pen haha!).

We began to talk with each other. Found out she's a Sarawakian Chinese and that's her 1st trip to Korea. I believe she had been to Japan and China before. She asked me alot of things and answered enthusiastically since I did travel to Seoul few times. Fashion, food, places to travel, prices. It's a good filler since i can't really sleep after the sunrise (nope, I slept 1/2hour before landing lol).

So it's summer, the temperature that morning was 20? 22? I still wear my baju kurung and feeling comfortable, until I was out of gate and started sweating. Indeed summer. I walked fast, top up my tmoney fast, and took subway train fast, heading to Apgujeong where my guesthouse is. Didn't on my WiFi yet since I want to enjoy the view (or I was just simply sleepy).


Flight was late, so my journey also got dragged. Cancelled the 1st list-to-do. When I reach Apgujeong station (good since got lift), I tried so hard to find the guesthouse. Really not easy I think I crossed the same street twice after circling around. Took almost 1/2 hour, to see I'm on right road, under the 12pm sun. Really, really hot, and I was fasting. No kidding, I almost accidentally drink the water from bottle I had in my hand.

When I finally found the guesthouse across the street from subway station, I stepped in and welcomed by the owner (or owner's daughter), speaking Malay with me. Not so Seoul feel haha sebab masing-masing guna bahasa Melayu. 

FN House was my guesthouse this time. Paid for the room, she showed me the toilet and my room. At that time there's 1 person inside my room/dorm and we greeted each other. She's doing makeup and ready to go out I think. We didn't talk, I just lay down on the bed since it looks so comfortable, few minutes after that I decided to take cold shower(Ya Allah tak penah rasa bersyukur mandi air sejuk macam tu sekali), ready to head out again, after praying at the prayer room inside the guesthouse. Really convenient.



Around 1pm I head out again. Panasnya MasyaAllah. Luckily I figured out the right, easy road quickly and head for subway station, but that's not my destination. I went to Hyundai Department Store 1st to see if I can find album there. It's just across the road from subway station, or even on Apgujeong Station but another exit. While I wait to cross the street, I open my ig to take short video, didn't finish when the light turn green. So when I crossed the road..

I saw Cha Taehyun O. M. Allah. Cha Taehyun holding hand with his daughter, probably Taeun. I was wearing cap because of heat, so I didn't realised him earlier. I took glance few times to make sure, but I was too starstruck to call him out ㅠㅠ. I almost run back to follow him but I decided not to, since he's not on artist mode, no makeup, probably just pick up Taeun from her school.

Off I enter the Hyundai Department Store. Suddenly feel so out of place, definitely a chaebol vibe all around. High-class place. I go down 1 level and wow, food section. Puasa weiii. But I still took few pictures haha! After I concluded that there won't be album there (stay just because of aircond), I head out to subway station again, and go straight to Arirang Tower.




I get down at Nambu Terminal Station and boy.. It was scorching hot. The map look easy but the actual distance, because of the temperature, feels like a forever walk.
Reached Arirang Tower around 2.15pm and I know I'm early, since email said 5pm. I tried to get inside to the cafe, and it was hotter? so I head out again, send email that I already arrived, and just read Quran. 


Around 3pm though, while my head was down looking at my phone, heard Indonesian language. Immediately looking for source and I shouted Sisca! It's my friend from sns and Super Kpop family. She was with Rusi, both are Indonesian.

So I joined them going inside, before I stopped them since the counter called for us to check our identity, and head to lift again. Sisca and Rusi seems to know Arirang Tower very well (my 4th times but still awkward for me). We bump into writer-nim, she said she thought we would come at 5pm, but we were there even before 4pm. So they decided we could come in and watch the show. We waved Sam and he saw us. We immediately settled and start writing on message board. Sam read Sisca's and my message (glad to be back in SKP, also lost my way)

Sisca showed her burning bandage, got it in the morning because of ironing, and also, Tascha(from Spain) arrived with her kids after that. Sam got outside to greet us for a moment and said we'll talk more later.

Giyong and Taehyun arrived shortly after that. I think my face was so bright to see them again. Jaehyun no where to be seen (I showed Rusi of Jaehyun's ig and the reason he probably will arrived late. We just giggled). The 2 guys sit at the other side because the studio was so occupied with Tascha, Sisca, Rusi and me, plus 2 of Tascha's boys.

At 5pm we moved to the bigger set for HoneyG, and I was so eager since the punishment for this week is for Giyong and Jaehyun to dance to Kara's Mister. Jaehyun sing song for Sisca (we can't stopped laughing) and dance so funnily I had to resist LOL because I was recording and do ig live at the same time.

Better Than Honey G corner was funny as usual. It's actually an advantage when I could understand most of their conversations before Sam translating. And my ig live is faster than Internet broadcast, said Zana and Syera who were watching my live. Leon won again this time. Really our quiz king.

After the show ended, the studio is crowded again,this time plus HoneyG. I don't remember who I greet 1st. I talked to Giyong and he updated me about current HoneyG, their future plans etc. Played with selca a bit with him. We took group picture 1st, before me continuing to Jaehyun. I sat besides him on chair and asked him 잘지냈어요? He was shocked and asked why my Korean is good. I gave him a judging look right in the eyes, because Jaehyun, this is not the 1st time we met and talked.. You know my Korean is not that good.When I passed Jaehyun my phone, he was surprised to see the filter lol, I said 'apps', since last time we took video, he asked if there's no apps. Lol now you have it. 



Took selca with Jaehyun, after that approaching Taehyun to give my small plastic bag of and candy. Took selca with him, he said my gift is cute, told Jaehyun and Giyong that even the plastic bag is cute, making me embarrassed. Also asked HoneyG for group photo, Giyong failed after few attempts and Jaehyun can't stand it, he took over the phone hahaha. End up the filter didn't come out on Giyong ㅋㅋㅋ. I called for Taehyun because Rusi wanted him to sign her book, 1st I called 태현씨 few times but he didn't respond, I called 권태현씨~~ with bit of aegyo at the end, then he replied 네~. Do I really have to? 






I passed my gift to Sam, tea bags since he likes tea, and recorded a short video for Syera. I went back to Jaehyun and Taehyun and asked where they are heading to. Jaehyun said to his studio which I asked where and is it far from Arirang? Jaehyun told me the area and only 1/2 hour from there. Giyong joined us and he said they are going to record something and said to me to keep in touch, and to enjoy Jungjae's concert (I'm touched he remembered). Honey G went outside 1st.






I asked Rusi where they are going after that, and they said to Samsung Coex (which actually where I would meet Grace but she can't make it because too busy) . I said I'm going for dinner because of break-fasting, so they said I can join them. So we went outside to take the bus, Rusi and Sisca asked how did Leon know they met another arirang DJ. I said probably from my livestream, and suddenly I thought I left my another phone in studio.

We ran back inside, and the phone was actually in my bag. I apologise to them ㅠㅠ we head out again and took bus to Nambu Terminal station. I sit in front of Rusi, told her how amazing Tascha is to take care of the 2 hyper boys alone, one 7 years old and another 5 years old, also how single-minded I am to get lost in Seoul even though I've been there few times. We took the subway train, and Tascha told about how her kids are so hyper, how her kids are mixed of many, and I can't stop getting amazed. (Sam said the kids look liked him when he was young. I bet. Hahahaha)

(after debating about the station "was it Samseong or Samsung" hahahaha) we arrived at the station and met ex-writer of arirang radio. Korean but speaks fluent English. She introduced us to the place and showed us the big lcd screen. Me to Sisca:the screen is larger than my house. We got inside and get the tour in Coex Mall.


Told them I didn't eat meat (Sisca :vegetarian? Me:well you could say that. But I'm fine with others eating it), so writernim (sorry I forgot her name) take us to the food court. She suggest bibimbap but taking out the meat, but I think bibimbap is too much of quantity for me, so I order the ala-carte spicy squid rice, hoping that it's not that spicy. I order the strawberry-peach ice blended too, which was delicious. The squid-rice was too dry for me, even Sisca said I should eat porridge for breaking fast (I'm the only Muslim but of course most Indonesian understand). Tasha's kids are so cute though, can't forget that 'where did you get that (drink)? Mummy, she bought it there' so cute. 




After that, SMTown which almost closed,but fun nonetheless. Boys got so excited with space to run, and I love the ice cream cafe the most. The interior is so nice I told Sisca I want it at my office hahaha. We went outside after being told the place about to closed. We wow-ed at the screen again and started to head off to the train again, bid goodbye to writernim, and the boys hug me before we went separate ways. Really grateful for the time spent with Sisca, Rusi, Tascha and the boys.







I reached guesthouse and when I open the door, 2 persons greet me with 'oh hi, we were waiting for you. We're about to watch ___(I couldn't hear well). Wanna join?'. I could only managed a head shake since I was so tired. I go took shower, pray maghrib+isya plus short terawih, and when I got back into room, shortly after, the 2 girls are back. I don't know how the conversation started, but we suddenly talked and laughed a lot. One is from Canada but having Chinese blood (so she looks Asian, from Harbin too. Mind me, she even said I looked so shocked when I heard she's from Harbin. I never thought I would personally meet someone from Harbin, - 40 in winter man), one is from Thailand. 

These two are funny, and maybe the fact that they're there for kpop events make them clicked well? So I was there listening more, about Wanna one, and BTS and knowing a bit about the concert culture which I never experienced, since I only go to non-kpop artists' concert. Wannable girl is so cute about her camera wrapping, her experience with fraud ahjussi, etc. 

Me to Nisarat(Thai girl): do you come alone?
Nisarat:yeah. 
Me:wow that's amazing. 
Nisarat:Are you not alone? 
Me:Well, yeah. 
Nisarat:We are same! 
Mary(the Canadian):you're cute. (I think she refers to me but I didn't respond) 
Nisarat: me? Thank you. 

Hahahaha we are all cute. Mary was there for weekend, she teaches in Inju and come to Seoul because she was bored. I was too tired and didn't charge my devices and next thing I realized it's morning (continue part 2)

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