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| Seoul beautiful |
This May, my girlfriend and I, despite our busy schedule, decided to fly our way to KOREA to make our long-awaited holiday together happen! Excited for all the shopping, eating, sight-seeing, and of course, I'll be visiting Ducati Korea!
11:47pm
I took an overnight flight from Singapore to Korea, hoping to get some rest on the plane so by the time I land, I would be ready to conquer the endless shopping streets Seoul had to offer!
Obviously, my thoughts didn't go as planned. Sleeping on the plane was never comfortable because somehow or rather it's quite difficult to achieve an ideal sleeping position given that limited space and there's nothing to support our "dropping" heads.
Not having mentioned the lights that will turn on when meals are served (even if you don't wanna eat), making way for the passenger sitting next to you when he/she needs the lavatory, babies crying due to air pressure etc etc etc etc etc etc.
Ya, many factors.
Being once an air stewardess with Singapore Airlines (read here), I would rather work my flight over than be a passenger anytime. Time passes faster too.
Unless maybe you're on the A380 First Class Suite with a fully flat bed (as shown in the picture above). Stilllll, there will be some sort of disturbance like occasional turbulence and inflight announcements that could disrupt your sleep.
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| Incheon International Airport |
After approximately 7 hours flight time (Korea local time is 1 hr ahead of Singapore), I arrived at Incheon International Airport, took the KAL Limousine to Grand Intercontinental Seoul Parnas Hotel located in Gangnam where we stayed throughout our holiday.
9:48am
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| Our Suite |
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| I don't even have energy to smile properly LOL |
Still pretty sleep deprived, we decided to head out early so as not to waste the day away.
Day 1: N Seoul Tower, Love Lock Bridge
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| Lunch |
We had to fill our grumbling tummies for energy, so as we walked the streets of Gangnam area, we randomly picked an authentic-looking Korean restaurant to have lunch in. However, as the menu were all in Korean, we couldn't read it. So we just ordered what we knew: Bibimbap and Kimchi Tofu Soup with Rice which tasted pretty alright.
P.S. It is a dining tradition in Korea whereby they serve little side dishes like preserved Kimchi, radish, salad, anchovy to whet your appetite before the main course.
Singaporeans love it because it's like "Wah! Pay $10 for my main course but got free 6 side dishes! So worth it." Hahaha.
5:11pm
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| Train station |
N Seoul Tower
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| N Seoul Tower |
After it was opened to the public in 1980, it has since been the landmark of Seoul with an observatory room, open hall, viewing decks, souvenir shops, restaurants and cafes for the public's enjoyment.
"N" stands for "New", "Namsam" and "Nature".
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| Bus Stop No.3 - N Seoul Tower |
Weather makes all the difference when it comes to traveling. It could make or break your holiday.
When we arrived, the weather was a little gloomy, affecting visibility towards the panoramic view of Seoul from the observation deck.
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| Man, our arms that form a heart shape is so lopsided |
Oh well, we did not let it dampen our mood and made the best out of it by enjoying the cooling weather at 19 degrees!
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| Pretty flowers, pretty girl |
Anyway, look at how well the flowers grow in the cool climate. Gosh, even my cactus wouldn't last more than three weeks under my care. Hahaha.
Love Lock Bridge
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| All the Love Locks |
This place was meant for couples to symbolize their love by attaching a lock to the railing of the bridge, and throwing the key away so their love will be "locked" together forever!
Awww.
Some would scribble their love notes on mobile casings, paper, sweet wrapper etc and attach it to the bridge. Then of course, there would definitely be mischievous punk asses who'd hang up crap like a condom wrapper.
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| Lock it down in Love! |
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| Fries and Kmichi Hot Dog |
As it started to rain, we proceeded into the cafe there to have some churros, hot chocolate and snacks. Before we know it, we sat there for the next 2.5 hours just having our girl talk ;)
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| Who's the tallest amongst them all? |
It seems like a trend to see who can construct and build sky scrapers around the world. Now, do you know which is the tallest among all?
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| Burj Khalifa |
It's Burj Khalifa in Dubai, soaring at 828 metres.
I honestly have no idea why it's so high for.
Maybe one day we can take a lift up to Space or something.
Day 2: Bukchon Hanok Village, Hongdae
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| Bukchon Hanok Village |
Bukchon Hanok Village is a residential area that sits between the two palaces of the Joseon Dynasty, Gyeongbokgung and Changdeokgung. Known for the traditional houses, many yangbans (people from the ruling class) lived here during the Joseon Dynasty.
Bukchon Village was actually not created for tourists as there are residents living in the houses, but because of traditional environment that has been preserved, it gives a beautiful nostalgic feel that naturally attracted a lot of attention.
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| Hello Bukchon! |
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| Directions to Bukchon Village |
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| Ready to start our tour |
- Please keep noise levels to a minimum
- Please do not litter
- Please keep group visits to a maximum of 10 people
- Please do not use microphones or loudspeakers
- Please do not take photos or film the insides of houses, even if the door is open
And as I was reading the above list, a tour guide was speaking through a microphone and had a speaker attached to her waist, with the volume at the maximum, leading a group of tourists.........
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| These traditional houses have high walls built for safety and privacy |
We strolled through the quiet residential lanes of Bukchon, taking photos, talking about the pretty houses as the village continue to work it's charms on us, soaking in the atmosphere of the Joseon Dynasty. For once, this place doesn't feel commercialized, unlike the usual cities.
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| Traditional door improvised with technology |
Digital door locks, that go by numerical password.
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We wandered.. and wandered.. and...
AHHH!! LOOK WHAT I FOUND!!!
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| When old school meets new |
Of ALL streets, I walked into this one.
Of ALL alleys, I strayed into this one.
Of ALL corners, I turned into this one.
Of ALL bikes, it's a..
I chanced upon the old Ducati Evo 848 while it seemed quietly nestling at a corner unit traditional house, waiting to be discovered. I'm amazed at my fate with Ducati haha.
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| Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo excited for me too |
It's little surprises like these proving there's no way what happened could've been planned that makes me feel really happy and blessed :))
5:39pm
We walked out of the residential areas, onto streets filled with cafes and restaurants of different characters and art.
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| Tea time! |
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| Cafe Rosso |
Time for some coffee/tea and cheesecake! We picked quaint little Cafe Rosso as it was like a little France cafe in the urban area of Seoul. Boy, their Green Tea latte and cheesecake were reeaallyy good.
The Famous Toksochon Ginseng Chicken
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| Singaporeans, does this look familiar? The Queuing part |
In Korea, you have to visit the correct restaurant if you're looking for really good authentic ginseng chicken, and Toksochon has it!
Just 10 minutes walk from Gyeongbokgung Station, Toksochon is popular among the tourists as well as locals, hence usually a long queue can be seen outside the restaurant. Even the Late President, Roh Moo-hyun, have dined in before!
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| Traditional floor seating |
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| Ginseng Chicken |
Their signature chicken ginseng soup is made with glutinous rice stuffed in the chicken, gingko nuts, ginseng, garlic, jujube and 30 different types of medicinal herbs and grains. One word: Solid.
The chicken was tender and juicy, eating it together with the fragrant glutinous rice which was soaked in the aromatic ginseng soup, mm... every mouthful was really rich and flavorful. We finished every bit without a single drop of soup left!
Hongdae Night Shopping
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| Night market |
Hongdae is an area that is most popular among youngsters as there are plenty of street/restaurant foods and cheap shopping, catered to university students. To get there, we took the subway to Hongik University Station.
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| Supper |
I don't know why we were eating again when we just had a freaking full dinner like, not long ago. I guess we just wanted to try something different and were craving for some street food.
Again, the menu was only in Korean so we just anyhow pointed and hoped for something yummy.
Well, we got some sort of barbeque pork intestines, eaten with raw onion, carrots and mint leaves.
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| You eat it like that |
Does it look delicious?
Hahaha.
Day 3: Nami Island
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| Selfie on the subway |
After walking and exploring for more than 10 hours each day, we woke up slightly later today as our bodies needed to recuperate and gear itself for the real shopping (yeah, we haven't really started).
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| Nami Island Pine Trees |
We decided to check out Nami Island, which was made popular by the Korean drama series "Winter Sonata" that was a mega hit worldwide. Not that we were a fan of the show, but we heard that it's quite a beautiful place.
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| Subway, Taxi, Ferry |
To get there, we took the subway to Gapyeong Station, after which take a taxi to the ferry point where there's a ferry that comes every 5 minutes interval to Nami Island.
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| Nami Island entrance |
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| Jump for Korea! |
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| Rows and rows of neatly grown pine trees |
The island was very quiet and peaceful. As we walked through the rows of pine trees, we could hear birds singing away and the gentle breeze glide on our skin. It was a great place to have picnic too as the weather was perfect at 21 degrees.
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| Train tracks |
Walking on foot
Cycling
Rent a tram
Hop on the little train
Other than on foot, the rest of the transportation modes would require additional charges. You may purchase the respective tickets at the island.
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| Act only |
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| The lovebirds statue |
And that's what you're supposed to do: lame around, poke fun and take photos. Lol.
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| Chilling |
Nami Island is quite a pretty place, but that's just about it. Great for couples to take a quiet romantic stroll, or a peaceful place to break up also (hurhur), or just to have fun around and do a picnic like my girlfriend and I!
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| Leaving Nami Island selfie |
As the sun started to set, we took the last ferry departing Nami Island, back to Gapyeong Station where we took the subway to Itaewon Station for some walking and dinner.
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| Quaint little Japanese restaurant |
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| Pork ramen |
Dinner is served! Boy, it was delicious. The meat was succulent, the soup was rich and flavorful with noodles so smooth and bouncy, every mouth was a loud slurp!
Day 4: The Bulgogi House (Korean BBQ), MyeongDong Shopping Street
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| My koreanized act cute face |
After being in Korea for 4 days and seeing like Girls Generation/SNSD posters everywhere, I was inspired to look more Korean today. Or at least, I tried. Hahaha xD
My girlfriend and I decided to skip breakfast and go for some solid Korean BBQ for lunch, so our hotel's concierge recommended us Seoul's famous The Bulgogi House restaurant in Gangnam. Cost about SGD$55/pax.
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| Let's tuck in |
The staff there would assist us in the BBQ-ing and refill of our side dishes so all we had to do was just sit and eat.. and eat.. and eat.
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| Too full |
Before I know it, I was beyond full that there wasn't any space more for my tummy to expand and my hair messed up on it's own. It was too much to take hahaha but the beef was pretty good.
That's it, this shall only be the meal of the day because I think my tummy would take a few days to digest all that I've just ate. Phooo!
Next Stop: MyeongDong Shopping Street
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| Endless shopping |
MyeongDong is one of the main shopping district in Seoul. It's a must-visit place for all tourists and even their locals frequent the place often. It's a shopping heaven for ladies with designer and local brands around, not having mentioned many repeated skin care boutiques like The Face Shop, Skin Food, Etude House, Aritaum etc etc.
We took the subway to MyeongDong Station, and yep! We shopped and walked there for the next 6 hours non stop without rest.
There were endless rows of shopping and more often than not, you'd get a bit lost and confused with all the different lanes and corners.
Well, it was one good way to burn some calories from the heavy lunch this afternoon :)
Day 5: Ducati Korea
Since I was in Korea, I decided to pop by Ducati Korea to check out what cool stuff they have and share it with you guys back in Singapore! ;) Ducati Korea's HQ was located in Seoul, not far from Gangnam area where I was staying at (Grand Intercontinental Hotel Parmas).
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| Ducati galore |
When I arrived, I was like "Wow, they have such a big showroom! Almost four times the size of what we have in Singapore!"
Their open showroom had a ceiling height of approximately 30 metres, full floor-to-ceiling glass windows and comprises of 2 storey:
Level 1 - The showroom
Basement - Service Center
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| From above |
Clearly enjoying the luxury of space, the Ducati Monsters, Hyperstradas, Hypermotards were arranged neatly in order on the ground and premium ones like the Panigale 1199 were placed on top (as seen in the picture) where customers can access via a back staircase.
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| Recycle |
Instead of purchasing tables, they decided to make good use of old tyres from Ducati bikes by stacking em' up and with a simple tempered glass top, it becomes the showroom tables! Doesn't it enhance the whole "motorbike" feel?
Their retail section is situated closely to the showcased bikes for customers' easy access, and it gives them with a better idea of how the whole look feels when they're on a Ducati bike, wearing matching apparels.
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| With Cole, Director of Ducati Korea |
Knowing I was going to visit Ducati Korea, Ian (Director) and James (Marketing) from Ducati Singapore told me to look for Cole, the Director of Ducati Korea, and send him their best regards!
P.S. Hahaha how genuine it is to have someone from Singapore send regards to Cole personally :p
The friendly staffs introduced me to Cole, where we sat down for a little chat before him being so kind to show me around the place.
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| From left: Myself, Jasmine |
Cole introduced me to his marketing personnel, Jasmine, a young and pretty Korean girl who is on her way to taking her motorbike license! Curious, she asked how long I've been riding and I told her about 7 years, explaining the fact that in Singapore, we have a progressive system whereby it takes close 3 years to get a Class 2 (>400cc) bike license.
Surprised, guess what she shared with me?
Yes. If that was your expression above, mine was a bit worse.
In Korea, to ride a Motorcycle (<125cc), all you need is:
- be 17 years old and above
- Possess a Driving license (you don't even need a motorcycle license)
To ride a Motorcycle of ANY capacity:
- be 19 years old and above
- 5 Hours Theory Class
- 1 Theory Test
- 10 Hours of Practical Riding Class
- 1 Practical Test
The above can be completed within 3 days, after which you'll have a Motorcycle license which enables you to ride any bike you desire. Yes, that includes a 1300cc Goldwing or Harley Davidson.
Yes, it is.
Oh but in Korea, motorbikes aren't allowed on the highway. So, it's B-roads and city rides all the way :)
Okay let's get over it, moving on...............
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| Ducati Monster 1200S |
The all new Ducati Monster 1200/S has arrived in their showroom, sitting prettily, waiting patiently for the homogenization process to be done before it could unleash it's monster within when it gets onto the roads ;)
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| Checking out the Monster's 1200 Ohlins |
Ducati Korea Service Centre
Located at the Basement, Ducati Korea's Service Centre stands at approximately 3,000sqft including an outdoor and storage area. A very comfortable space for their mechanics to work their magics on the bikes.
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| Indoor |
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Outdoor
Storage
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| On the Panigale 899 |
Thank you Ducati Korea!
Day 6: Flying Back to Singapore
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| My neatly packed luggage |
Guys, something to note when it comes to women shopping habits. Our mindset is like that when we enter into a shopping arena: Don't care how much luggage space we have, BUY FIRST THEN SAY.
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| Doing the impossible |
This is what happens. When it's time to pack our luggage, we'll be like
"shit, how to stuff everything in??"
And after 45 minutes of sitting/hammering/jumping on the luggage to make it close, thinking we successfully had it all packed in, we look to the side, only to see another huge big bag of shopping, and we go,
"CRAAAAP! Still got some more!"
This is when the partner comes to help. So guys, you're supposed to have some extra luggage space reserved for us ok. Hahaha. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. Hahahaha.
Lucky I did not overbuy, so I had some space for my girlfriend though she decided to hand carry all the excess in a big plastic bag back home, like an aunty. LOL.
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| Flying back to Singapore from Seoul |
On the plane, flying back to Singapore for Ducati Monster 1200/S launch at Zouk! ;)
See you guys there!
