tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5316199722187403322024-02-18T20:34:14.071-05:00A Travel Lady Bug Documenting all the travels, food stories, interesting meet ups and fun events that make up my life abroad. ATravelLadyBughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12956302708928218007noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-531619972218740332.post-46344190518898748432016-07-05T07:51:00.000-04:002016-07-05T07:51:51.400-04:00Wong Fu's K-POP Rendition Ever since I watched the first YouTube video about "Yellow Fever" from Wong Fu Production back in 2006, I've been obsessed with them ever since. <br />
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I've been watching their creative videos and short film clips over the past decade. It's been a source of entertainment for me growing up, especially on nights when I'm bored and browsing the net. This is definitely my Asian nerdy side when I'm not out drinking and dancing! <br />
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One of their newest music video that connects to me dearly right now is their version of an attempt to be a K-POP boy group. Since I'm currently in Seoul, this stood out to me the most. The lyrics were incredibly funny and made NO sense whatsoever. <br />
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To give you an idea, this is a sample verse:<br />
<em>Please open the refrigerator </em><br />
<em>Give me the salt quickly </em><br />
<em>My back is itchy</em><br />
<em>The sun is really far</em><br />
<em>I have no friends...</em><br />
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Need I say more? <br />
I highly recommend checking out the video here for some good laughs: <br />
<a href="https://youtu.be/beZFLT0Ixag">https://youtu.be/beZFLT0Ixag</a><br />
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<strong><u>Side Note:</u></strong> The YouTube response videos of Korean people watching this is even funnier because of how ridiculous the lyrics are. Seeing people's reactions and their commentaries are priceless. <br />
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<br />ATravelLadyBughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12956302708928218007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-531619972218740332.post-87282196325192610032016-06-28T07:49:00.000-04:002016-06-28T19:51:13.718-04:00Dim Sum Girl <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I have to admit. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I might have an unhealthy
obsession with "dim sum".</span><span style="color: #454545;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><br /><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
I lived in Hong Kong for 3 years and how much dim sum have I had? Maybe too
much. If you're one of my good friends in HK, you're probably sick of me asking
to eat dim sum every Saturday, every Sunday, and pretty much everyday.</span></span><span style="color: #454545;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Since I've moved to Seoul,
Korea in March 2015, I would get random dim sum cravings, especially
over the weekend. I've had legitimate reasons for visiting Hong
Kong once in a while, but dim sum definitely weighs
heavily on my decision making. My latest visit to Hong Kong was in May
2016 for a quick weekend trip to see my mother before we embarked on our Seoul
trip together. </span><span style="color: #454545;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I recalled going back earlier in
the year of 2016 and trying out a NEW dim sum restaurant that opened up near
Soho, Central. It was absolutely, mouth wateringly delicious! Though,
I was a bit skeptical. I can't be sure if I'm being objective or if I'm
just so <em><b>dim sum deprived</b></em> that it tasted better than it really
is. </span><span style="color: #454545;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As a result, on this trip, I
decided to take my mother here so the both of us could judge the quality
of their food. We arrived in central station exit D and took the moving
escalators up to Soho. It's located near Elgin Street but in a side street, so
it can be somewhat hard to find. </span><span style="color: #454545;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We ordered some of our favorites
including soup of the day, shrimp dumplings, turnip cake, spare ribs, a
vegetable side dish, and lastly Malaysian sponge cake. My mother spent 10-15
years of her life in Chinatown New York City and consumed dim sum on a semi
regular basis.
By the end of the meal, she was convinced that it was one of the best
dim sum she's had in years! We both looked at each other and nodded in
agreement that the dim sum in the states is nowhere as authentic or tasty as
the ones in Hong Kong. I mean, to be fair, it is Hong Kong style dim sum. </span><span style="color: #454545;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Moral of the story: if you've
never tried dim sum, you're missing out! </span><span style="color: #454545;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you've had dim sum before then
you're probably hungry like me right now...nom nom nom. </span><span style="color: #454545;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Perhaps, I should make it my
mission to find yummy dim sum in Seoul.</span><span style="color: #454545;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u>Address of the dim sum restaurant
in HK:</u></span><span style="color: #454545;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ding Dim 1968 </span></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">14 Elgin Street, Central,
Hong Kong</span></strong><span style="color: #454545;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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</span><span style="color: black;"><br /><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
You can also check out reviews of Ding Dim 1968 on <strong>TripAdvisor:</strong></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g294217-d6739503-Reviews-Ding_Dim_1968-Hong_Kong.html"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g294217-d6739503-Reviews-Ding_Dim_1968-Hong_Kong.html</span></a></span><span style="color: #454545;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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If it's your first time trying this out, here are a few of my favorite dim
sum choices for your reference: </span></span><span style="color: #454545;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Chicken feet - </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "ms mincho"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman";">鳳爪</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Fried sticky rice - </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "ms mincho"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman";">糯米飯</span><span style="color: #454545;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Malaysian sponge cake - </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "ms mincho"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman";">馬來糕</span><span style="color: #454545;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Pork siu mai - </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "ms mincho"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman";">燒賣</span><span style="color: #454545;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
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</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Roast pork buns - </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "ms mincho"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman";">叉燒包</span><span style="color: #454545;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
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</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Shrimp dumplings - </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "ms mincho"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman";">蝦餃</span><span style="color: #454545;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
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</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Spare ribs - </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "ms mincho"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman";">排骨</span><span style="color: #454545;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
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</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Steamed soup dumplings - </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "ms mincho"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman";">小籠包</span><span style="color: #454545;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
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</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Turnip cake - </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "ms mincho"; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman";">蘿蔔糕</span><span style="color: #454545;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
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</span>ATravelLadyBughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12956302708928218007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-531619972218740332.post-82334029311130967692016-06-14T08:13:00.000-04:002016-06-14T11:05:07.304-04:00My Korean Hanbok Experience <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw5OB_rAQUIeLO8l3qNQWLXpfH4x8bYEM2qR-CPkOrVlTa4Ee9cx36yU5aIDhoIo4As-A_CzSl3PSbr5lYD2EJBTdEXF-6FxvbFesKTJtILd_N2lWpMtZN-_nZ1RiLcFaZAbeS1ullNDw/s1600/IMG_4165.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw5OB_rAQUIeLO8l3qNQWLXpfH4x8bYEM2qR-CPkOrVlTa4Ee9cx36yU5aIDhoIo4As-A_CzSl3PSbr5lYD2EJBTdEXF-6FxvbFesKTJtILd_N2lWpMtZN-_nZ1RiLcFaZAbeS1ullNDw/s320/IMG_4165.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Taking a photo with the guard at the palace </b></span></td></tr>
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I've wanted to do this for some time, but I just never got around to it. So, when my mother decided to come visit me, it seemed like perfect timing. I mean, mother and daughter time wearing traditional Korean Hanboks, posing in front of the Gyeongbokgung palace...<b>Why not</b>?!</div>
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I searched on Google and found this foreigner friendly site in English about an all-day Hanbok rental. There were two locations and we choose the Gyeongbokgung palace branch near us.</div>
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<span style="color: #222222;">We arrived aroun</span>d 11am<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=531619972218740332">,</a> right before it started getting really busy with tourists. Unfortunately, due to height restrictions, I had limited selections for someone my size (<i>I'm 5'2 by the way</i>). The pretty ones I personally liked that I often see in the streets, are for taller girls. Nonetheless, I was happy with the purple and gold print two-piece hanbok I selected. My mother had a purple one with a mix of floral designs, which suited her very well. The rental for a day until 6pm can range anywhere from 40,000-70,000 KRW, depending on the style you choose. You can store your belongings a<span style="color: #222222;">nd clothes by the front desk as well and they will give you a ticket. You also get to pick a little cute purse of your choice to put things you'll actually need in there while you walk around taking pictures. For an additional 5,000 KRW, you can get your hair done with accessories, so of course we did that too! </span></div>
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The moment we stepped out of the shop, we immediately transformed into photographers documenting our exploration of the palace. We were also frequently interrupted by tourists inside the palace who wanted to take pictures with us. Definitely felt like a celebrity! We visited the <b>Bukchon Hanok village</b> after the palace tour for some good old fashion shopping and eating. The stares continued from strangers all around us but we didn't really care. </div>
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Honestly, though, it was a hot sunny Saturday and we were both sweating in our layered hanbok outfits. Needless to say, we did not make it until 6PM and, instead, only lasted 'til about 2PM before we decided to switch back to our normal clothes. Overall, it was an amazing experience and something my mother really enjoyed. She likes to dress up in pretty costumes, she likes to take pictures, and she likes doing something fairly relaxing, all of which fit into this hanbok experience.</div>
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Even if it may seem like a tourist trap at times, it is something quite unique to Korea so no wonder so many people do it!<br />
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See website<a href="https://www.trazy.com/experience/detail/hanbok-korea-rental-one-all-day-in-seoul" target="_blank"> here </a> here for details of where I rent my Hanbok!<br />
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For your information, the one I went to:<br />
Hanbok rental shop 3355<br />
45 Sagan-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, Korea<br />
Tel:+82-2-720-1255</div>
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ATravelLadyBughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12956302708928218007noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-531619972218740332.post-34169892892129714432016-06-11T11:27:00.001-04:002016-06-12T06:26:46.172-04:00Yes, it's Poo-Pourri!<div class="MsoNormal">
When I saw this Poo-Pourri commercial about a year ago, I
honestly thought it was a joke. How can such a product actually exist? Though I
did literally LOLed when watching it.</div>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaQ1CdISw8o" target="_blank">HILARIOUS REAL Commercial: Poo-Pourri with BETHANY WOODRUFF</a> </div>
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However, when I had my layover in the Seattle airport
on the way back to Seoul, I encountered an exquisite little arts and craft
store called Fireworks. It has the cutest and most unexpected things; a great
place to buy gifts and souvenirs! </div>
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What do you know? There it is, on the counter next to the
cashier is the Poo-Pourri product that I’ve always wondered about. I read the description
and it is indeed the same product that was in the commercial. I couldn’t resist
and purchased a few, some as funny gifts to friends and the rest for myself.</div>
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I tried it once out of curiosity and I can now say, <span style="color: red;"><u>my poo smells like roses</u></span>, ha!</div>
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ATravelLadyBughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12956302708928218007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-531619972218740332.post-46819835895823167372015-11-30T08:00:00.000-05:002016-06-12T06:27:16.726-04:00Literally, Sleepless in Seattle <div>
After over a year of being in Asia, I was finally able to visit my family and friends back in New York City. I spent 2 weeks in the states with a jam packed schedule of coffee, lunches and dinners follow by a 4 day vacation in San Diego and Las Vegas. It was fun but also tiring!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Needless to say, there wasn’t much sleep involved in my 4 days in SD and Vegas. My flight was also Monday morning 630AM back to NYC so I pretty much stayed up all night. I arrived for a final family dinner before my early 7AM flight from JFK to Seoul the next morning. I had a layover in Seattle and when I got on the Delta flight from Seattle to Seoul, something unexpected happened. I’ve had about 25+ flights in the past 3 years and this has never happened to me before.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
About 4 hours into my 12 hour flight back to Seoul, the pilot said there were some sort of malfunction technical difficulty and we had to return back to Seattle. Everyone was shocked and freaking out a little bit on the plane, myself included. This 8 hour flight to nowhere was definitely not a fun experience when you’re traveling alone. To top it off, the 2nd backup plane that was supposed to arrive at 10PM to pick us up also had a malfunction which didn't help with the paranoia. Eventually, it was decided that we had to wait till 10AM the next morning for the next flight out to Seoul. They put me at a nearby airport hotel for the night and I managed to sneak in a tiny bit of rest before another early morning flight. 12 hours later, we finally landed safely in Seoul.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
This pretty much summed up my sleepless week. I shall now sleep like a bear- zzz</div>
ATravelLadyBughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12956302708928218007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-531619972218740332.post-24403515294126399042015-11-15T07:38:00.000-05:002016-06-12T06:27:36.428-04:00Go Green Korea!People often say they want to be eco-friendly but saying is one thing, doing is another. Korea, however, is pretty damn serious about recycling and sorting their trash. This definitely took me by surprise.<br />
<br />
How did I learn? Not from a friend's advice, but through personal experience.<br />
I stayed at hotels my first two months in Seoul so the simple task of taking out the trash never occurred to me. Now that I am living in an actual apartment building, one where the lobby guy does not speak English and refuses to try to understand me, this has now become a painful and daunting task.<br />
<br />
A week of furniture shopping and unpacking left me with A LOT of trash and cardboard boxes. We usually leave these in the little side rooms of the floor where people generally take the trash down. Or so I thought. I did this twice in a week until one day, these signs magically appeared around the walls of the little side room next to my apartment door. I suspect that they didn't know where I'm truly from, but to ensure I get the message, the signs were in Korean, Chinese and English.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=531619972218740332" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbFNqlq-Fz8Nn4ekXgBnk1NJSMdX_QN5w_hJUISfOrssfVE_Qk7VbzxWF0_o5XFczPW9nRg7hPTbjebmXGfqf6xSAXlp5_9KqgYRYYi4VAICQHMINKJ2ubCSn9ZLLjvYi2ieCeMO1_B0w/s1600/2015-05-12+08.13.34.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbFNqlq-Fz8Nn4ekXgBnk1NJSMdX_QN5w_hJUISfOrssfVE_Qk7VbzxWF0_o5XFczPW9nRg7hPTbjebmXGfqf6xSAXlp5_9KqgYRYYi4VAICQHMINKJ2ubCSn9ZLLjvYi2ieCeMO1_B0w/s320/2015-05-12+08.13.34.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I now clearly know I've been illegally taking out the trash. They now have CCTV recording me so I should take it to the basement B2 to avoid fines. B2 has a huge garbage room where it is sorted by pure food waste, general waste, paper, plastic and cardboards. I've been told you need a special waste bag for food only, nothing waste. I have failed to secure this "bag" after a few attempts to purchase it at the local convenient stores near me. I did successfully order a food waste bin online, so I will eventually get on buying that bag.<br />
<br />
I'm impressed Korea, <span style="color: #38761d;">go green</span>!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />ATravelLadyBughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12956302708928218007noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-531619972218740332.post-52381325789295642862015-05-21T01:21:00.003-04:002016-06-12T06:28:00.300-04:00Life as a WIFI Seeker<div class="MsoNormal">
It was a regular Sunday afternoon. I was on my way
to meet a friend for lunch. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Meet at line 1, Jegi dong station, exit 2
at 2:45pm. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Simple task. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I arrived 5 minutes early so I just waited
upstairs by the exit. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><b>2:50PM</b>- Maybe she is downstairs waiting for me while I am
up here, let me go down<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><b>3:00PM</b>- Hmm, it’s been 15 minutes. However, I don’t have
a working phone. I should walk around and try to find wifi, there’s usually
wifi around the subway exits. Walking…nothing. <o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><b>3:10PM</b>- She is much later than usual. I wonder what
happened. My stupid phone doesn’t work, what is the use of this phone if I
can’t reach anyone? I should just pay the 1 hour wifi usage from SK wifi,
it’s cheap enough…Proceeding to payment…<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>It’s been this page for a while now, why doesn't it work?
They don’t even want my money? You have got to be kidding me. <o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><b>3:15PM</b>- it’s been 30 minutes. I should probably set a
limit to this waiting time. I’m getting really hungry. I think 1 hour is long
enough. Oh wait, here she is! <o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Times like these, I really wish I had a proper working phone
where I can perhaps use it to dial and call people. The real purpose of a
phone...And trust me, I've tried. However, ever since I've moved to Seoul, my
phone situation have been rather <b><i><span style="color: red;">difficult</span></i></b><span style="color: red;">.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: red;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The first week is all about settling in, plus I had wifi, so
I was not in a hurry to get a phone plan. I then learned you need a foreigner's
ID to get a phone plan but that requires an approved Korea visa. Since I am
still waiting on the visa, a temporary prepaid plan is my only option. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u>Attempt # 1</u><br />
I ventured out on my own one afternoon to the nearby phone store Olleh to get
the prepaid plan set up. After getting a ticket, waited for 45 minutes, asked
for help then realized no one spoke English, I left the store phone less and
frustrated. What a waste of my time!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u>Attempt #2</u><br />
I learned my lesson with the language barrier so I took my Korean colleague
with me the next day to a different phone store. The guy who was helping us
initially turned out to be a trainee and our situation was way too complicated
for him. After wasting 30 minutes, we had a more senior staff assist us.
Everything was going well until he told us something was wrong with the phone
and the SIM card is not picking up any signal. He tried changing the settings
and called multiple people for help, but none of it worked. After 2 hours and 2
staffs trying to help us, we left the store phone less and frustrated yet
again. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u>Attempt #3<br />
</u>I went with a different colleague this time back to the same store later
that night. She had the same issue previously since her phone was from the US
and it was fine after adjusting the settling. 45 minutes and 3 stores later,
nothing. <u><o:p></o:p></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u>Attempt #4<br />
</u>We received information from a friend of a friend to get a prepaid SIM at a
specific store that help foreigners so perhaps this would work! Jongno 3 ga
exit 15 train station, this is where the <b><u>magic</u></b> happened! </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
Long story short, the store guy planned to switch my internal hardware from a US one to
a Korea one, so that it would work with the Korea SIM. This is the cheapest
since I don’t want to spend a fortune on a new phone. I dropped by after work
to pick up my new phone only to hear that the switch doesn't work since US and
KO phones are made differently. I was seriously about to give up, but the guy
handed me another smart phone with a phone case and temp SIM, with all conutacts
transferred! </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>This totally made my month!</b> I Should have totally brought a lottery that night, oh wells. <u><o:p></o:p></u><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7gyErZOFkddF-XdYgGvg_6C0nh-n0pIjRK_XaGb3vTP056sjfrp7FwYZqpWEapMZvLH7F2yX7iJ4OwRfbA1kDe35hCeQq0xbkMeaLG7gICiEJadZI7BWWiX7gYppEzm1ZApHj9m6HqWU/s1600/2015-05-20+13.02.21.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7gyErZOFkddF-XdYgGvg_6C0nh-n0pIjRK_XaGb3vTP056sjfrp7FwYZqpWEapMZvLH7F2yX7iJ4OwRfbA1kDe35hCeQq0xbkMeaLG7gICiEJadZI7BWWiX7gYppEzm1ZApHj9m6HqWU/s320/2015-05-20+13.02.21.png" width="180" /></a></div>
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<br />
<br /></div>
ATravelLadyBughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12956302708928218007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-531619972218740332.post-20980918955256069682015-04-14T03:07:00.002-04:002016-06-12T06:28:15.307-04:00Sunday is not a rest day <div class="MsoNormal">
This past Sunday has been an eventful morning to say the
least!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Currently, I am living in hotels until I move to my own
apartment in May. I actually have to move to a new hotel this past Sunday so I was
up since 10AM packing away. Between stuffing shoes in bags and sitting on my
suitcase to close it, I was finally able to finish packing by the 12PM checkout
time. Right on the dot. I managed to get a taxi within 10 minutes thinking I was
well on my way to the new hotel. <i><span style="color: red;">Now the fun part
begins here…</span><o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I told the taxi driver the neighborhood I was going to in
Korean- <b>Success</b><br />
He asked for the specific hotel name and address, I handed him the booking
confirmation I printed that is bilingual with both English and Korean- <b>Success</b><br />
He asked a few questions in Korean but I can only said “Sorry, I don’t speak
Korean” and pointed at the confirmation sheet- <b>Success</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So he inputted the hotel name into the GPS but nothing came
up- <b>Failed</b><br />
He inputted the address in Korean into the GPS but nothing came up- <b>Double
Failed</b><br />
He asked if I could call to ask the hotel but I told him I don’t have a working
phone. So he used his phone to call the number but the number didn't work – <b>Triple Failed</b><br />
(<i>I actually asked my Korean Colleague afterwards and learned that the Korea country code is 82, the Seoul area code is 2, and the hotel number included 222...I think all the 2s confused us</i>)<br />
<br />
After all attempts failed, he then suggested going to the police station to
seek help. You know, with me being a foreigner and all…We both laughed hysterically
at how ridiculous this situation is as he drove to the police station. Just
when I was about to give up hope, I saw the road name in the interaction stop
of the “correct” road of where the hotel was located. It matched the English
address on the paper 100%, so we finally managed to find the hotel. <b><o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u>Icing on the cake:</u></b> when I took a second look
at the confirmation paper, I realized that the English and Korean address
actually don’t even match up! The numbers are totally different. It doesn't
take a Korean person or genius to know that the Korean address was WRONG. <b>Epic
Failed.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Good thing I saw the road sign just in time, so there’s an
itty-bitty bit of luck on my side. Can you image if I had to go to the police
station just to find a hotel?! </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Actually, that would be an awesome story…but not so awesome of a Sunday for me.
Sunday should be rest day. However, for me, this Sunday is not a rest day. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
#JustanotherdayinKorea</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
BUT, I’m glad I found my new hotel because I love it!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTD7bbsjKVzWaJYMVetHDPMVmnj9dtjY5ZPSys6siwErSnt5eaqycwbUSzFpvMuHptJqAJCfi_XORRaFn6wjS6K6hobNOdFdZcgWNBaCR-vzJg0XQdwBt-67dBSFXwcXjAuwEX8purRs4/s1600/Seoul+fraser.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTD7bbsjKVzWaJYMVetHDPMVmnj9dtjY5ZPSys6siwErSnt5eaqycwbUSzFpvMuHptJqAJCfi_XORRaFn6wjS6K6hobNOdFdZcgWNBaCR-vzJg0XQdwBt-67dBSFXwcXjAuwEX8purRs4/s1600/Seoul+fraser.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
ATravelLadyBughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12956302708928218007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-531619972218740332.post-29315645289119272442015-04-09T10:40:00.003-04:002016-06-12T06:28:27.533-04:00Break It Down I went to my first dance show in Seoul tonight for a bboy musical: the <span style="color: red;"><i><u>Expression Crew</u></i><i><u>.</u></i></span><br />
<br />
Actually, it's been a while since I've been to one so it's a nice yet different thing to do after work. It reminds me of the good old dance days back in college. Oh, how time flies!<br />
<br />
They are quite good and I was impressed by the creative story line, use of props, lighting and technology. The scenes with the ghost busters and transformers are probably my favorites. As expected though, bboy techniques are great but choreography can be stronger. Personally, I think it's difficult to excel at both free style and choreography. Even friends of mine fall into either one category or the other, they are just so different. There are always exceptions of course.<br />
<br />
<b>Alright, it's time to start looking for some hip hop classes in Seoul! </b><br />
<br />
Check out our photo with the dancers after the show in the lobby! Yay :)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCzI4ENDQ1EeaQMvX-x9_m5D0udStwXlY7Nv_k3o3d6gcOVUCVYZv3CtTjcekbCLHY-3PvXx6AaX-mvPQFezJrdeMlKEPj1muKGU1eca2lsiEcjfnSONZ9_xckRnNbxrX1jakV-ygKgwM/s1600/20150409_210852.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCzI4ENDQ1EeaQMvX-x9_m5D0udStwXlY7Nv_k3o3d6gcOVUCVYZv3CtTjcekbCLHY-3PvXx6AaX-mvPQFezJrdeMlKEPj1muKGU1eca2lsiEcjfnSONZ9_xckRnNbxrX1jakV-ygKgwM/s1600/20150409_210852.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Some cool videos as well:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://youtu.be/-8nE65JshkU" target="_blank">Expression Crew on Youtube</a><br />
<br />
#Justanotherdayinkorea<br />
<br />
<br />ATravelLadyBughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12956302708928218007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-531619972218740332.post-76189111366262634612015-04-08T10:29:00.003-04:002016-06-12T06:28:46.122-04:00There's a Saying My colleagues and I explored today and went to a new place for lunch. On the way there near City Hall station, we walked by a palace surrounded with people sitting outside sipping coffee. Beautiful day!<br />
<br />
Apparently though, the walkway surrounding the palace has this saying, almost like a Korean urban legend.<br />
<br />
If a couple walks down this walkway together, then their relationship will not last long.<br />
"WHY?"<br />
I asked, but I didn't get a real answer.<i><span style="color: red;"> </span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: red;">"Just because."</span></i><br />
That's what they've heard and how it's always been.<br />
<br />
<b>Guess I won't be walking there with anyone I'll ever date. </b><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white;">#</span>Justanotherdayinkorea<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLR9gOrvArLIQCZ1MoskWA9ZiXK6YLnPbtM8H6kI9e3feoBZonbvWM4_UXadIZq_aGARe58NtMV1Zh9OZxVDfVIYUTAcm7j3Si7VYZiaMmzWehZg-2Fa_XOswarXe_Q4Cq8hrXxqUkxLQ/s1600/20150408_125002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLR9gOrvArLIQCZ1MoskWA9ZiXK6YLnPbtM8H6kI9e3feoBZonbvWM4_UXadIZq_aGARe58NtMV1Zh9OZxVDfVIYUTAcm7j3Si7VYZiaMmzWehZg-2Fa_XOswarXe_Q4Cq8hrXxqUkxLQ/s1600/20150408_125002.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
P.S. I just found out as well this is one of the most common superstitions. Check out this link for more information:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://blog.korea.net/?p=7920" target="_blank">Korean Superstitions </a><br />
<br />
<br />ATravelLadyBughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12956302708928218007noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-531619972218740332.post-10762935313803674412015-04-07T08:32:00.001-04:002016-06-12T06:29:10.617-04:00Daily RoutineGiven that I've only been in Seoul for a month, everything is new and strange to me.<br />
<div>
I started noticing that girls always brush their teeth in the restroom after lunch. Maybe it's a one off thing? </div>
<div>
Nope, it's not. </div>
<div>
Maybe some girls have that habit? </div>
<div>
Nope, not that either. </div>
<div>
It's pretty much <span style="color: red;">EVERY girl</span>, like a social norm. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I mentioned this to my colleagues who all giggled at my "expat" remark. Shortly after, they all took out their own tooth brush and tooth paste they kept in the drawers at work. Off to the restroom they go...</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<i><b>I guess it's time I buy myself an office tooth brush and tooth paste. </b></i></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
#Justanotherdayinkorea</div>
ATravelLadyBughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12956302708928218007noreply@blogger.com2