Discreetly Fangirling in Seoul

Whether you are a hard-core or closet fan of k-dramas or k-pop, you’d be feasting on oppa sightings everywhere you go in Seoul, albeit they are just cardboard cut-outs, wax replicas and ad posters. 😂 I found Lee Min Ho's likeness in several spots around town and I was secretly fangirling, discreetly taking photos. Because, you know, it  could be a little embarrassing when you are alone and trying to get selfies with your Korean crush. 🙈  You can find LMH and other big Hallyu stars at the Grevin Wax Museum. (Update: As of June 2019, the Grevin Museum has permanently closed)

South Korea Day 4

Day 4 Part 1
November 29, 2018

We were very excited to finally visit the Gyeongbokgung Palace grounds. What an amazingly grand and beautiful site! The Korean government has only so far rebuilt 25% of the palace’s original blueprint after the Japanese conquerors destroyed what was Joseon era’s main seat of government and royal home. We just made it in time to catch an English language tour of the grounds and to see a quick changing of the guards ceremony in front of the Gwanghwamun gate. ⛩

As we entered the grounds, my sister saw a teeny weeny speck of snow fly by. It was so close to snowing that day. She would’ve been very happy, as she has not experienced a snow event before. We were debating whether or not to rent hanboks (Korean traditional costumes) like other tourists walking around in them did, but we were too lazy to go through all the layers of clothing we were wearing that day. So, we decided to skip the hanboks.

South Korea Day 3.2

Day 3 Con’t.
November 28, 2019
Shinsegae & Myeongdong Shopping District

Upon arriving back in Seoul from our Petite France and Nami Island tour, we dropped by Tous Les Jours hoping to buy my favorite custard buns but they had run out. We settled for some cheese bread to take back to the hotel for next morning’s coffee pairing. (PS. So, we found out that Koreans don’t provide creamers with their coffee in hotel rooms. As such, I also found out that I could actually drink coffee without creamer. 💁🏻‍♀️) We headed back to our hotel to get a little rest before heading out to Shinsegae Department Store by Namdaemun, a walking distance from our hotel. The main purpose for heading that direction was not to go shopping but to find one of the filming spots for Lee Min Ho’s drama, Legend of the Blue Sea. Let’s just say the pictorial session was one my sister did not enjoy very much because of the biting cold. 😝🧤 We had a hard time finding the right angle and getting the perfect shot for this one. She was cold and I was impatient. We were loud and arguing. People walking by thought we were weird. 😝 (I thought we were weird! 🤣) Lol. Nevertheless, we were able to settle on a couple of close-enough shots before calling it a wrap. 😅

South Korea Day 3.1

Day 3

November 28, 2018

Petite France & Nami Island Tour

I booked a combo tour of Petite France and Nami Island through the Klook app, which cost about $33 per person with discounts. Petite France, as the name suggests, is a small French Cultural Village made up of 16 French-themed houses. A few K-dramas were also filmed there, including my sister’s favorite, My Love From the Star (or something titled like that). We met our guide and hopped on the tour bus at Myeongdong Station, which was only a 5-minute walk from our hotel (Ibis Styles Ambassador - Seoul Myeongdong). We arrived at Petite France about 50 minutes later and found the place very charming. It was one of the coldest days of our trip and so we found ourselves taking refuge in one of the cozy houses a few times. Walking around, we also saw a marionette show and an Eiffel Tower replica. (Read more about Petite France here.)

The Nami Island ferry dock was about a 15 minute ride from Petite France. While waiting to board, the wind picked up and we had to cover our faces from the wind chill. Face masks have become a handy “fashion” accessory in Asia. Thanks to the cold season and the microdust fog that often reaches Korea from China.  

South Korea Day 2.2

Day 2 Con't.
November 27, 2018
Gangnam District Tour Con’t. and
Dongdaemun Design Plaza

After our visit to the Bongeunsa Temple, our tour guides drove us to COEX Mall, which was just across the street. COEX has COnvention and EXhibition halls, among other things and is the largest underground shopping mall in Asia. We didn’t do any shopping there, however. After a deliciously spicy filling of Jajangmyeon and Jjampong for lunch at the food court, we went to the mall’s aquarium (It was part of the full day tour). I was really only interested in creatures I’ve never really seen in person before and those that were weird-looking (See video)but on hindsight, I think I could've done without the aquarium part of the tour.  There are other good things to see in and around the complex. Driving out of the COEX parking garage, on the other side of the building, we saw the giant monument of the “(Oppa) Gangnam Style” hand sign in reference to the song and dance made popular by Korean singer, Psy. Definitely made us sing, “Op, Op Op, Op!” 😁

South Korea Day 2.1

Day 2.1 Tuesday

November 27, 2018

Gangnam District Tour

We had a scheduled full day tour of Gangnam District, known to be “Seoul’s upscale, modern center, home to gleaming skyscrapers, designer brands and stylish nightclubs.” Our tour guide, Paul was supposed to pick us up at 9:10 in the morning but had called the hotel front desk to let us know that he was running late due to other guests being late to their meeting points. 

The drive from Myeongdong took about 45 minutes. There was some sort of a rush in Gangnam; traffic was heavy at some points but moving. Our first stop was the royal tombs of King Seongjong, the 9th King of the Joseon era and his wife, Jeonghyeon. Right in the middle of busy Gangnam sits this well-preserved major piece of history. We loved the peacefulness of the place, as one can hear mostly nothing but the chirping of the birds.

South Korea Day 1

Nov. 26, 2018

Arrival Day

Airline: Korean Air (BOS-NY-ICN). 

Airport: Seoul-Incheon Int’l Airport (ICN) T2

Hotel: Ibis Styles Ambassador Hotel Seoul-Myeongdong

Hotel Address: 302 Samil-Daero, Chungmuro 2(i)-ga, Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea

You know you have arrived Korea when you are welcomed by K celebrity ads upon deplaning. Also, you immediately notice that you are indeed in the world’s best airport: fancy bathrooms with bidets, clean and state of the art facilities, automatic (almost) everything and immediate wi-fi service on your phone, among others. FYI: Korea has the fastest internet in the world (or so I heard). 

Lee Min Ho K-Drama Filming Locations in South Korea

My sister could not wait for me to upload this particular set of pictures. One of the silly yet fun things we (ok, mostly I) decided to do as part of our itinerary in Seoul was to visit some of our favorite Korean drama filming locations. Since I don’t really consider myself as big a K-drama fan as she is, as I have only seen Lee Min Ho’s dramas (so far), I decided to just recreate the ones he was in. 

Our adventures and misadventures while visiting these filming sites were truly unforgettable. From getting lost a few times to our loud public arguments about her wrong shooting angles and frozen fingers, as well as my frequent “please-hurry-I’m-embarrassed” poses, it was indeed a special experience we have deeply ingrained in our hearts. Some picture comparisons came out better than others while the rest are comedic fails. 😂 I’m laughing as i recall one of the most spectacular weeks of my life. Believe me, I know it’s corny but it was all for the fun of making memories.‬ ☺️

And, if in case you can’t tell from this post, I love Lee Min Ho. 🥰 Who doesn’t? 😊

#CityHunter #GwanghwamunSquare 

#BoysOverFlowers #NSeoulTower #NamsanTower

Not quite the same spot but close enough! =P 

#BoysOverFlowers #NamsanTower

#LegendOfTheBlueSea 

#ShinsegaeDepartmentStoreMyeongdong

#LegendOfTheBlueSea

#ShinsegaeDepartmentStoreMyeongdong

#LegendOfTheBlueSea

#NSeoulTower #NamsanTower

#LegendOfTheBlueSea

#HeoJoonJaeHouse near NamsanTower

#Faith a.k.a. #TheGreatDoctor

#BongeunsaTemple #Gangnam

#PersonalTaste #SanggojaeHouse

#BukchonHanokVillage

#TheHeirs a.k.a. #TheInheritors

(My Favorite LMH Drama)

#BukchonHanokVillage

About Me: Testing the Waters

Heads up! I'm not a writer.  I just love to travel and "fangirl" and to document proofs of such. It has always been my desire to start my own online diary to chronicle my daily wanderings - whether they are wanderings of my two feet or wanderings just in my mind. 

I have always been interested in and curious about the world - cultures, landscapes, people. It is fascinating to me how we were made so different from one another - from person to person, culture to culture, yet also beautifully the same in many ways. And so, my purpose for starting this page is not to gain a million readers or to become a certified money-making blogger although that would be awesome, if that happened, right? Who wouldn't want to just work from home or to be able to travel for a job? 

It is my hope that eventually, this site becomes substantive enough to be useful to even just the fewest of people, whether to family and friends or a few strangers, in any way God makes it possible. Because besides in our physical and worldly travels, you and I are also wanderers in our own personal and spiritual journeys. We are in a constant battle to choose the right path. And until we find and meet God in our eternal home, our human bodies and souls will always be wandering in restless search for that everlasting joy. 

I just would like to one day and everyday have this page to look back to and to remind me to be grateful. I hope that you and I feel safe enough in this space so that instead of passing judgment or spreading negativity, we would be able to discover the good - and God in our own and in each other's every wandering. 

May you always feel blessed.

*Click on my picture on the homepage to read my full profile.