I have been so busy, not necessarily in the way I had initially intended but busy nevertheless!
But yesterday I was lucky enough to have been able to go out to Samcheong-dong for some R&R and to do a little shopping. If you're wondering how to get there, it's really simple, just get on the Subway (Orange Line 3) and get off at Anguk. Exit 1 is where you wanna get off. If you get out and see the Jongno Police Station across the street, you're on the right track. Turn right once you get out the exit and you'll pass and Starbucks at one point (which will be on your right) and Olive Young on the corner. At some point you'll see (on your right) the entrance to the area (it'll be pretty crowded) so follow the crowd and keep walking. As you walk, you'll see street vendors selling little trinkets and things then as you walk, you'll start to see little cafes and small eateries as the road kinda gets narrower.
As I was starving by the time I got there, I went into the first shop that caught my attention. It was upstairs and I had no idea what it was so I sat down and was given this menu. Then I saw the price and could not stomach it. So I left and I ended up here
Meok-shui-don-na
it had SBS on it so I guessed it was good?
Who knew, it was Toppokki made for sharing. Goddamn.
But I was fucking hungry and toooo lazy to leave again so here's what I got:
Seafood and Beef Toppoki with Ramyeon, Fish Cake, and Eggs.
I think Emma'd agree wimme on this.
Sad to say the least, I couldn't finish it completely. Dude, it was made for 2 or more! I finished the important ingredients though haha (like the fish cakes, seafood, meat, as much of the eggs as I could, and the veges). I felt like a boss eating it all on my own though ;) hehe. The couple that sat next to me didn't even finish HALF. Watching their figures maybe?
But of course all of that was followed by some walking around and shopping! Gotta sweat it all out. And sweat I did. Everyone did, in fact. It was hot and humid so of course beads of sweat would at definitely make its way at least to your neck. ANYWAY, enough about sweat.
Most of the things on sale were pretty cheap.
Those pink ones remind me of the ones I had at Soka.
interesting name. Koreans really have a quirky sense of humor when it comes to setting up shop names
The shoes were on sale approx 20,000-30,000 on sale. Didn't bother looking at the non sale items.
I usually do not (or pretty much can't so why bother) roll that way.
My last stop was this vintage store to pick up some stuff I couldn't pay for the night before (we dropped by for a few seconds and I picked out a dress and a skirt)
most of their stuff in the vintage store was 10,000 ₩ aka approx USD9/RM30
Seriously in love with this place.
In the end, my hauls for the day were:
a ton of jewelry I was too lazy to take photos of
vintage skirt and dress
from Retro Vintage
They remind me of my late grandma.
She only wore these kinds of shoes.
Here are some other shots of the shoes I thought you'd appreciate..
the insoles are pretty soft +1
the sole is pretty sturdy looking. When I wear them the bottom of my feet feel protected +1
not bad for 25,000₩ won't you say?
okay. Let's sum it all up.
My advice from this trip:
1. BRING CASH! This applies to whenever you leave your hotel room (ESPECIALLY if you're going shopping at places that isn't a mall). I mean unless money is no biggy and you don't mind getting charged at least an extra 10% with every purchase. Then in that case, don't. But realistically speaking, why pay that extra when you can pay for whats on the price tag alone?
2. When it comes to food, unless you have a pitless cove for a stomach, I'd suggest bringing a friend. As mentioned with the toppokki, I had to eat it all by myself and was not able to devour all the yummy desserts that tempted me and called my name like mermaids at sea. Pretty much everything except the chicken skewers (which I could not try cause broke as fuck and not hungry partially cause of the thin wallet) were made for sharing
3. Food aside, here's why bringing a friend/another person would be good: One, as mentioned above, sharing, less binging, more variety. Two, second opinions when it comes to shopping cause dude, most of the things there are so cheap/on sale that you literally wanna buy everything and it'll make you go broke in 5 seconds, not even kidding. Lucky for me, I had a small wallet, aka small-ass-budget so I had to control my own spending. Three, the photo taking! If, like me, you're vain (nothing wrong with that) and enjoy being in front of the camera, then your friend would do much much help. Vice versa. Win. Mother-fcukin-WIN.
4. This point is quite important so remember this well: There is a small drink stall next to the restaurant Flora. You won't miss it. It has fruits in a cup on display and it's pretty red/pinkish on the inside. Take note of this place. You do not. I repeat DO NOT wanna buy anything from there. Heres why: I paid almost USD4 for a tea that didn't even have milk, honey OR sugar in it. I was not offered any condiments and the sad pathetic part of it all was when I asked for some milk, she told me that she'll only put in a little after showing me a sour face and then pretending to be confused. Trust me, you're not missing out on much if you're opting out of this place. With the money you're paying for "traditional Korean tea" (it was stuff you can make at home cause all you need to do is add hot water), you could probably save that money, add a couple more dollars for a sit in nice ice cold cuppa or shaved ice in an AC-ed (or heated depending on the season you're in) cafe that's round the corner. Seriously, refrain from that stall! You're not missing out on much.
5. When you reach Flora, you'll think you're at the end. But you're not. So cross the street, keep walking (follow the crowd) and go up to the Bukchon village (especially during sunset you don't wanna miss the view) and just slow walk. Its really chill and you get to people watch from an elevated view. It's like watching a live dollhouse!
Like the escaping teddy...
I promise.
And if you're feeling hungry by then, there's a ton of restaurants/cafes for you to pick from too!
Alright, I feel like I've regurgitated too much. Hope you took at least one thing away from this! :)
Watch out for my next post! I sense a coffee one coming! :) YAY!
I'm out.
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