Seoul Searching

I go to sleep homesick and wake up homesick, haha. I think it’s something that most people experience when they are away, but it is my first time away from home without my family, so I just need to get used to it. Also, being in a single room requires you to contact others all the time. I feel like a bother! But the people I’ve met are all really nice and fun. I tend to wake up early, so today, I skyped my boyfriend and my little sister. Last night I also called home through Kakao and messaged friends at home. Korea is pretty awesome, but I wish you guys could experience it with me!

I forgot to tell you guys yesterday! We took the bus to Hongdae, but in general, we use T-card that are refillable to use public transportation. My friend and I bought it while we were at the airport and got it for 3000 won. The exchange rate is about $1:1,100won, so I just do a 1:1000 to make calculations easier. At the airport, it came with some discount stubs, but was 500 won more than the other friends that we had went out with. We also used that to get on the bus to bring us to Yonsei, and the ride was about 10,000 won. These cards are used by just tapping them to the thingies on the bus (similar to the octopus card in Hong Kong). We tap on and tap off on the bus, but not sure about trains yet. We basically pay for the distances that we travel, which is cheaper than NYC. We used the trains today, and as long as you know where you want to go and you have a map, it is painless. It is a lot of walking through the stations and I cannot stress how much it is like Hong Kong and China train stations.

Today was a sunny morning and we had paris baguette for breakfast. Also bought some snacks for the hungry nights which is like now! We decided to go to one of the palaces and afterwards head to the flea market, both in the area of Anguk. The Changdeokgung Palace was beautiful, but the heat made it pretty unbearable, and the smoggy sky made it almost impossible to take nice pictures. However, some will be shown below! We left the Secret Garden early because we were spending a lot of time walking and it was hot and uncomfortable for the whole group. All in all, the trip was very long and hot, so we headed to the Insadong market. On our way, we stopped by for lunch at a local restaurant. It was a very small place, but the food was cheap and delicious! I had Kimchi Jigae, which is like kimchi stew with some pork that comes with rice. Others had bibimbap, ddokpokki (sp?), and kimbap. Insadong is a nice place to buy souvenirs. REMEMBER TO BARGAIN GUYS! haha I saved only a few dollars, but saving is saving! There is Ssamziegiel market that you will see when you walk down Insadong. It had small shops full of cute things and a lot of handmade accessories, jewelry, bags, and etc. Once again, couples everywhere! One thing that I thought was really worth it was taking sticky pics with hanboks, and the renting of the hanbok in the shop was free. We basically paid $5 per sheet, which I found was cheap compared to the old Toto’s that used to be in Flushing and was closed down. It may be touristy, but its cute, and they have it for male and female! (so if you are a couple, take advantage, and if not, bring your friends!)

To decide tomorrow’s plans, me and my friend had some tea! Only 5,500 won per pot and we just sat and talk. It was so cute! Pictures below 🙂

Advice:
-Buy some snacks that don’t need to be refrigerated! Like bread, because you do get hungry.
-I had said before to bring your own water bottle. Recently, we have already been to two places to eat where they ask you to get your own water with sterilized cups (like heated up stuff) and then there is a water filter where you can choose hot or cold water. Today, I ran out of my own water and asked the owners, and they said it was fine. Also, at the Ssamziegiel market in Insadong, I spotted one of those water filters as well and was free for people to use.
-Plan ahead so that no time is wasted and everything will go smoothly. This also means that everyone will know what to expect and where to go. This includes checking the weather!
– You can get the admissions for all 4 palaces in Seoul and one shrine for a flat rate of 10,000 won ($10), which should be cheaper than buying them all separately. They also have their own free guides in different languages, but they have a schedule, so take advantage!
-Bargain, especially in areas specifically for tourists and to buy souvenirs! It works, even if its a dollar or two, it will make some difference!
-Don’t be quick to buy because you can come back to this area any time now that you know how to get there and what you want to buy. We are spending about a month here, so I know that it is easy to go back to insadong and that my friends also need to go back. Another trip there would be simple and quick.
– I don’t know if I have said this before, but Korea is really green. Like Hong Kong, we pay for bags in certain stores, so it is good to carry a compact reusable shopping bag. I have a cute one that is folded up and becomes a strawberry.
-DON’T BE AFRAID TO EXPLORE. Although it is comfortable to stay in my room all day, I want to see what Korea has to see. Different people are also going out for different things, so don’t be afraid to talk to others about their plans as well. I am still afraid, but it is nice.
-Bring your significant other. (I am writing this again, because there is just so much couples and almost everything is based around couple life. It’s silly, but if you can, definitely study abroad with them!)

Pictures: