When in Seoul pt.2 - Edae

I should be writing my thesis proposal right now, but I think I just want to continue with the 2nd part first... You know, blogging is like therapeutic, eh? Despite the craziness of the thesis-making I am in right now, I find peace in writing a blog post.

Funny how both are writing but so very different. lol.

Anyways, second part I'll be talking about Edae. Remember the first part? Yes, Hongdae. Are you questioning now if all places in Korea ended with a 'dae'? kkk~ let me do a little explain, 'dae' is a short from dae-hak-gyo (대 학교) which means university. Hongdae was a short form of Hongik Daehakgyo, and Edae is a short form of Ewha Yoja Daehakgyo (이화여자대학교) /ewha women university.

Got that?

Koreans love to shorten words, lol.

Since Ewha is a women university, there are like hella lots of girly frilly boutiques for your girly needs! This place is like my favorite place to shop, because everything was so cheap too! :D

Like I've said, coffe shop is everywhere, and Coffee Bean is like one of the biggest so... 

It was early when I went there (and by early, I meant 1 o'clock)

I'm so loving the neat street. Edae, in my opinion is simpler than Hongdae. Man, I really love this place!

Make up, shoes, bags, everything you need, girls!

They not only sells inside the building, even street vendors sell cute stuff! I mean, look at those bags!

I've told you, right? Girly frilly boutiques. I wasn't kidding when I said that.

Shoes shoes shoes! More shoes if you walk further down the lane!

Even without the color editing, this place screams pinky-peach to me. Femininity overload!

Shoes on SALE!

Cute cute cute stationary! I didn't bring much money I couldn't buy them on my first visit*Sobs*

More cute stationary, say hello to Choo Choo Cat~!

Oh gosh, another frilly boutiques! I can just stare at it all day and probably be happy enough.

What else could you ask for? Loads of cute stuffs on SALE!

 All in all, like I've repeatedly said, this place is my favorite. If you're wondering why isn't there any pictures of me in the photos, well... it's because I went there adventuring alone so... yeah. No no, I am not antisocial, I love hanging out with friends, as much as I love going around alone like a cat marking its territory, kkkk~ plus I can't really imagine going there with the boys, haha...

I really, like really really love wandering around, seeing new parts of the city or just any place I didn't know and find pretty stuffs. The chance to see new places is like something I really treasure and thankful for. There are like gazilion of places I've yet to visit on my wish list, but this little project my blogger friend, Nikolett, holds give me more chances to see places I never know about.

No, she's not giving away free tickets to go around the world (I wish she will, though -lolololol), but this project is a close one! Postcard Project is an adorable little project that will 1.) lets you see a new place through postcards, 2.) lets you find new friends

So what are you waiting for? Aren't you excited for this? Oh because I know I am ;)

When in Seoul pt.1 - Hongdae

I'm home already, but I think I really left part of my heart in Seoul. I've even planned to come back there again soon, the due date is the time all the cosmetics I bought there run out--which will be pretty long since I bought a lot, plus I got like hella amount of free samples.

I secretly (or not really) planned to come back there for my birthday next year.

I'm not sure what makes me love it so much, why I found it so lovable and adorable and homey. Before this, I've always been in love with my city, Yogyakarta. Not even coming to the infamous Bali reduced my love for Yogya even a little bit, so the fact that I enjoyed Seoul so much surprised me.

And no, it's not about the pretty boys in their boy bands, seriously... I'm too old for that. lol.

I've even decided to learn Korean (so I can bargain properly when shopping there) and to look for a job there (and I'm seriously serious about this). So I've been planning out the things I have to do to prepare my coming back there.

It's a good thing, really. Now that I have something to look forward to, I keep reminding myself that I have to finish my thesis as soon as possible, because only by finishing it I can go travelling again.

Anyways, I came back with heaps of stories and new friends, which I am really thankful for. Let's see... hmmm... let's talk about Hongdae, my favorite area in Seoul.

Hongdae is a really colorful area, filled with young energy as it is the center of where art in Seoul come from, Hongik University. It's an area filled with cafes and night clubs and all sorts of fun places youngsters would love to hang out in. It's my favorite place to hang out and having fun, despite the fact that the first two time I went there I got lost twice.

it's predictable to see posters of music concerts everywhere

Lomostore in Seoul, placed really strategically behind Hongik University, really a perfect place for such a fun shop.

La Sardina DIY, you can personalize your camera with your own artwork! How fun is that?!

One of the examples of how you can make your camera really yours.

everything in Hongdae is artistic, including this (unused?) car.

One of the artwork booths in free market*

cute gardening store! >.<

You know you're in Korea when you can find coffee shop every three steps

CAT CAFE oh my God! kkkk~

Anymode, from what I understand, this store sells heroes-themed cellphone accessories

and of course, cosmetics! Etude House is everywhere too.

Being the central of art, of course the buildings have to be artistic too.

I love how they have clear concept on every cafes, which makes each one of them distinct from one another.

*free market:
Every Saturday and Sunday, the students from Hongik University came out and have a free market selling their artworks, a very fun event indeed!

This summer

some of the new friends I made here in Korea

[August 18, 2012 7:09 AM Room. 325 Inha University; Dormitory 1]

Everything was suddenly quiet, it was merry last week, it was still merry yesterday, it was even still merry 2 hours ago. This morning at 6 AM the first batch of the students leaving the dormitory started, and that was how this quiet emptiness started.

I can still remember how crowded the airport was three weeks ago, better yet, it was crowded with teenagers of my age, and I couldn’t help but guess “ah, they’re the ones I’ll spend my next three weeks with”, which was accurate.

Random ads with CL of 2NE1 (a Korean girl group) in a subway station

Korea had always been in my wish list, and having learned to take every chances given, I decided to join this summer school I found randomly when I browsed the internet, granted, it was one of the best decision I’ve ever made.

Despite the Korean wave with its K-pop and K-drama, I’ve never really learnt about Korea, especially the language, so it was expected of me to be kind of nervous starting a ‘new life’ in a country I’m so unfamiliar with, that speaks language I know nothing about.

A cafe in Hongdae

It wasn’t love at the first sight, maybe not even the second sight. It was a hot sunny day the first day I came here, with the sunflowers stood still so beautifully, but nevertheless, it was hot, scorching hot. I couldn’t help but to think at how similar Indonesia and Korea are, well… the weather that is.

So time went by, I learnt new stuffs, made new friends, experienced new adventures, visited new places all squeezed in a very short three weeks.  I learn new things every day, making my dreams coming true one by one by visiting places I thought I could only see through the internet.

another random cafe (?) in Hongdae

As time sneakily moved, it was suddenly the third week. Suddenly the hot summer day was gone, changed with chilly wind and some rainy days. That was when I noticed the sunflower wasn’t standing as high as before, was the summer coming to its ending already?

I couldn’t help but to feel really empty as I couldn’t hear any sound from the hallway anymore right now, and feel a little bit saddened by the fact that I can’t hang out with my new friends anymore. And I hate to say that I hate the fact that I have to go back to face the reality, finishing my thesis and my study, looking for a job and do the deeds.

Choo Choo cat notes

This summer is definitely one of my best summers; I wouldn’t want to trade it with anything. Korea had taught me so much. The people here had been nothing but generous and helpful, I was awed at how advanced the technology here, but at the same time touched at how people keeps their culture.

I feel like suffering from a broken heart realizing how I have to pack my back and follow the other to come back home too. Suddenly, without me knowing, suddenly Korea is my 2nd home. I promised myself, this won’t be the last time I’m visiting Korea, I’ll be back for more.

Annyeonghaseyo~!

Hello from the land of K-pop!

I know I know... this is kind of late, I mean It's been a week since I first came here and I should tell you all about it~ well, better late than never, right?

So I found a new hobby, travelling alone! It's sooooo fun! Especially in a country I've never been in before, the adventure is so thrilling, and it's a good thing that Korea is so 'user-friendly', so it's easy for me to go around.

I stayed in incheon, about an hour from Seoul. On first day of my adventure I decided to go around like a cat   marking its territory. I forgot to bring my camera so... and I stopped the adventure when my mp3 player ran out of battery, kkkk~ it was quite a walk and since then I decided to just explore a little bit more everyday :D

On the second day I went with my friend to China town here in incheon, and strolled around the park, which was tiring... hahaha, nevertheless it was fun!

The third day I went to Bupyeong station alone, Bupyeong has a really huge underground market so I went all out that day, I also got lost some times, but then that actually added the fun (I can't seem to find a better word to describe 'fun' kkkkk~) went asking some people (and scared them a little when I said 'excuse me', I think) and I survived the day.

Everything is so cute in Bupyeong, I mean, everything is so cute here in Korea! Gah! If I could I would buy them all! D:

Did I bore you out? I think I should stop the post here, I mean... I still have like gazillion of pictures in my computer (and I went out everyday here... especially on weekend! Kkkkk~)