Today, Jackson took me around the city and before meeting him, i had a hot chicken sandwich and cafe latte. Last night i had problem falling asleep because a girl (i assume) was using her hairdryer at 11:30p.m. for at least 15 mins... i imagine she must have a huge afro of a hair. i blame her and not the excessive caffine intake that i have here.
Seriously, there's a coffee house on every single street? looking from a coffee house, there is bound to be another coffee house in sight. i asked jackson if koreans really love coffee houses and he said he have no idea at all why there is so many coffee houses... are koreans so sleep-deprived?
The cafe where i had my $6 breakfast
After touring through Yonsei University (jackson teaches there) in his car, he brought me to Changdeok Palace. He said that one must at least see a palace in Seoul to be considered a tourist. haha
the long stone pavement that leads to the palace itself. it's very spacious and most of the rooms are just empty rooms. we thought that we could access the Secret Garden (no, the drama isn't filmed there) where the King used to have "fun" there. Fun = fishing, reading poems, making poems, talk about poems...
It is said that the King never put his feet on the ground because it is dirty. so, he rode a horse everywhere he went. the Secret Garden is so serene and the noise from the city doesn't seem to penetrate the palace walls.
This is the more leafy part of the garden, the rest is kinda botak from the weather. the best time to visit this place is during late autumn where the trees are all in different shades of earthy colours
a clock/calendar i guess? the english tourguide didnt explain it to us
the colours on the inside of the roof of most buildings. this palace is said to be opened to public only 2-3 years ago after they restored it for 8 years.
one of the rare camera-and-me-more-than-30cm-away picture haha.
this "door" leads to a something-something-room. it is carved from an entire piece of rock and the inscription says "δΈθι" which symbolizes longevity.
why are all the pictures taken with instagram soo nice? if i were to come after december, i think all the trees would be botak and even instagram won't be able to save it
Direct Translation: "Long Happiness Door" - may you be happy long long
a door for male to enter (something like a superstitious viagra door for them)
doesn't this "dormitory" reminds you of Song Keong Gwan Scandal? haha. i told that to jackson and he told me that Song Keong Gwan isn't that far away. And that was when i realised that Song Keong Gwan is not a fictional place. i thought is a korean hogwarts sia
little pavilion for the King to play with miniature boats. The tourguide had her own theory on this. she said that because nobles in the past think that excessive movements are not elegant (unglam), she thinks that the King just sits there and watch his servant play with boats. lol. lazy till backside cannot leave his seat
this pavilion was built in 1644. one of the "newer" ones in the Secret Garden
kinda reminds me of Ex Wallaby... the dry leaves and the weather..
300-years-old tree. i think i'm taller that it is
The oldest pavilion of all in the Secret Garden. Built in the year of 1636. the surrounding of this pavilion is a mini rice padi field where the King will symbolically plant rice to show the importance of agriculture in their time. the dried straws would then be used to cover the roof as a symbol of good harvest. this is the only pavilion that is left with the original straw roof
mini waterfall carved by hand
750-years-old tree that survived the typhoon last year (or at least half of it did)
Jackson told me that this is a women-only parking lot but he parked it anyways. i asked him if the space is wider and he said no. it's just because some women are intimidated by aggressive male drivers who stress them while they're parking lol
Cho Park Chip (duno how to spell it) BBQ Pork Ribs between Gongdeok and Mapo. this place is famous among the locals and he said that if we were to come during lunch, we have to queue for quite some time
heated floor ah... warm my backside... and frozen calves...
*sizzle sizzle*
cold kimchi (non-spicy) noodles with side dishes (onion and cabbage "salad" and seasoned spring onion) with 2 condiments, bean paste and hot pepper sauce (usually the sauce we have in sg is a mix of those 2)
it's a something-something chigae. haha. some soya bean, tofu and veggie soup. they place the pot of soup on the charcoal after you're done with the meat
full ttm... 2 pax meal for only KRW 25,000 (~SGD$29)
Originally, after the bbq, jackson wanted to bring me to a traditional teahouse but on the way, he scratched someone's bumper with his car and had to wait for both sides' insurance representative to come... his car plate was dangling throughout the rest of the day. i felt so bad because he was talking to me when that happened...
anyways, the parking near the teahouse was closed and he said he would bring me to another dessert place instead. the above is a red bean paste with chestnut, kidney beans?, some green chewy stuff, cinnamon powder and a ball of mochi! other than being slightly on the sweeter side, it was so hearty to have it in the cold weather
the napkin of this store says that it is the second best. so who is the best?
the exterior of the humble store
the president's mansion. didnt manage to take a good picture in the car
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