South Korea Trip Day 10

November 4, 2016January 2, 20221 Comment

South Korea Trip Day 10 Shinsegae & Lotte Department Stores + Airport Journey Ends

This morning started with alot of commotion as it’s the last day in Korea, every1’s busy with last-minute packing, our flight was at midnight, but they told us to check out of the rooms at noon.

The girls weighed their luggage to avoid any excess weight fee, literally, half of my big bag was SNACKS, my hand bag got piled up with snacks also lol, I was a business class passenger so I didn’t need to worry, some girls asked to check-in their bags with mine, I agreed since I have more kilos to spare.

Oh, yesterday we received a set of spoon & chopstick from the Korean tourism company, Thank you <3

We agreed to leave for the airport at 6 PM, some girls got outside, some stayed in the lobby, me & 1 of the girls went to Shinsegae Department Store which is connected to the hotel from the underground.

It consisted of many international brand stores, but I was focused on finding more snacks for home, so I headed directly to the basement that was loaded with fresh food & little supermarket stuff, I purchased colorful rice cakes & chestnut biscuits.

Since I only had Nesquik in the morning, I ate freshly made potatoes with sweet chili sauce from a Japanese stand, the seller & me spoke to each other in Japanese lol.

I couldn’t make it to Lotte’s supermarket yesterday, so I decided to take a taxi to Myeong-dong again, this time I asked how long it’ll take to reach it before I went, answer = 15min, the girl with me tagged along.

Myeong-dong is totally different in daylight as you can see everything, plus, it wasn’t crowded as yesterday night, the girl bought her father souvenirs on our way to Lotte Department Store.

Next, we entered Lotte’s supermarket, heaven of snacks *Cries*, I had to control myself coz I’ll be forced to carry them with me onboard the plane (luggage barely closed, no place for more), after over-thinking, I got Lotte brand snacks like cheese & lemon cup cakes, vanilla & coffee biscuits and raspberry chocolates (ofcourse 2 of everything).

My fiance loves coffee, different kinds of Korean coffee were available, I chose the Arabica one, he never took it though, it’s still here, unopened & expires in 2017 *Sighs*.

I used my credit card coz my cash ran out, I merely left some for the Taxi, look at the heart-shaped emoticon, Oh Korea even your receipts are cute lol.

We ate roasted chestnuts before returning to the hotel, thanks to Lotte I ended up carrying 1 mini bag, 1 shopping bag, in addition to my personal bag with me onboard lol (Couldn’t add to my 2 check-in luggage).

Off to the airport, out of 34 girls on this trip, only 4 were in business class, the economy quo was very long, in contrast to our business counter which’s empty, during check-in process, 1 girl from the economy class checked-in her bag with mine, but she also had a 2nd bag with excess weight, so she insisted on checking it in with another girl of us 4, the other girl was ill & tired, she got mad coz of the delay.

Since I’m done & waiting for the others would take forever, I decided to go alone & pass the immigration, I couldn’t find our Korean guide to say goodbye *Cries*.

Into the Incheon Airport’s duty free, 1st shop I came across was Godiva, I looked at myself & the bags I’m carrying, Oh well, 1 or 2 things extra wont kill me lol, so I purchased 1 packet of Godiva mint chocolate & another brand with pineapple, also, Korean chocolate box & multi flavor chocolate bag from another shop.

I went to the business class lounge, ate rice & veggies, took some selfies, then I ran into the other 3 girls who were in business class also, tagged along until we got on the plane, I sent my fiance a video msg before taking off.

We arrived in Dubai next day around 5 AM, I said goodbye to the few girls I kind of associated with, like the girl who tagged along today & her cousin, the lawyer, my roommate, the girl who used to sit next to me on the bus, our supervisor & our guide from Dubai’s travel company, then I took my next flight from UAE to my country.

As my luggage were being scanned in the airport back home, the customs officer stopped me, he thought I’m a foreigner, so he spoke in English asking for my passport (they don’t check passports at that point), as usual he’s shocked to know that I’m a citizen not a foreigner, he started talking Arabic.

Officer: Where did you arrive from?
Me: Dubai
Officer: No, I mean before Dubai?
Me: Korea
Officer: What?
Me: Korea, Seoul, is something wrong?
Officer: No, everything’s OK, are you studying there or just tourism?
Me: Tourism
Officer: Fatima (he read my name of the passport) do you work?
Me: Yes
Officer: Where?
Me: (My job’s place), seriously is something wrong?
Officer: Nothing’s wrong, welcome back, please proceed *Big Smile*

I told my fiance about it, he said (Customs officers never ask personal questions, this guy was just being curious about you). In my opinion, I believe the officer got suspicious because of all the snacks inside my luggage lol.

End of Korea’s trip, End of this LOOOONG tiring blog, I hope the experience & info I shared helped somehow <3 it sure helped me to pass time, in order to move on after the breakup with my fiance.

South Korea Trip Day 9

November 1, 2016Leave a comment

South Korea Trip Day 9 Robotic Centre & Myeong-dong

My everyday’s suffering from my roommate’s alarm (set at 5:30 AM!), what’s worse is that she keeps hitting the snooze button for 30 min! I couldn’t go back to sleep, now that I’ve never had breakfast since day1, I’ve decided to go for it, no girls would be in the restaurant at 7AM lol, anyways, only foreigners were there, many sat alone like me, I ate 1 sausage & half a hash brown with roasted veggies, my tummy started hurting later, maybe coz I’m not used to eating in the morning, I returned to the room as 1 hour remained before departure.

Off to Robotic centre, half the girls weren’t on the bus including my roommate, coz starting today they’re allowed to go anywhere they want, however, this statement came very late, I mean this is the last day in Korea.

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PS: I’m using the pink ribbon pin I bought yesterday <3

Our destination takes around 2 hours to reach, so we stopped at a rest area on the way, I got an ice cream from the supermarket, also Korean manga potato chips which turned to be a drama called (Cheese in the trap) & ofcourse lemonade from their cafe <3

Finally we’re in the Robotic Centre (Digital Pavilion), again school kids everywhere lol, they showed us around while illustrating different technologies, I think it consisted of 3 levels, the 1 we were on had many displays of tech’s history, equipment used in old ages, early tries of tech and tablet stones with science theories engraved, along with equipment & machine used in new age tech like rockets.

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The middle level contained video games, I really wanted to play but kids had already invaded it lol, plus we didn’t have time. There were also Robots on display, like talking & dancing robots, those were dancing on 2PM’s song lol.

The lower level had physical games that required jumping & running, such as soccer, basketball & cycling, ofcourse it’s all connected to a computer that calculates the result.

Outside, there were tents with people sitting, but I had no idea what’s it for.

Back to the long journey on the bus (2 hours), we’re supposed to head 1st to Chelsea shopping outlet then Myeong-dong shopping district, however we were short on time, so a clash of opinions took place, some girls wanted to skip the outlet & head directly to Myeong-dong that consists of Korean brand stores, unlike the outlet that consists of international brand stores, which are all available back in Dubai’s outlet, despite this fact, others still wanted the outlet, conclusion = we shall stick to the original schedule.

We reached the big Chelsea outlet, but we (8 opposing girls) didn’t go inside, as we took (2 taxis) & headed off the moment we arrived in order to save time, coz shopping in the outlet will not give us enough time in Myeong-dong, we’re in Korea for Korean stuff not for stuff we have back home, anyways, little did we know that it’ll take another 2 hours coz of traffic, imagine 2 hours sitting on the bus then 2 hours sitting in the Taxi *Dies*, but seriously our Korean guide is to blame for not telling us this, or else we would’ve just stayed in the Chelsea outlet & came later to Myeong-dong (even if we would not have much time).

The taxi cost 120,000 Won (that’s 100$), we were 4, so every1’s suppose to pay 30,000 Won (25$), but they made me pay the whole amount & said we’ll return it to you in the hotel, I only had 200$ cash, so 200$ – 100$ = 100$, that would not have been enough for me in Myeong-dong as they don’t accept credit cards in open shops, so I walked up to the 3 girls & told them to pay me back now! People need to understand that every1 has a certain budget during travels, you can’t just tell some1 (pay now & I’ll pay you back later) what if they needed the money right now?

Can’t help but to love Myeong-dong <3 it’s like multiple crosses in the center with 6 long streets of open & closed shops, along with restaurants & street food, there are also shops underground coz I think it’s connected to a metro, in addition to a huge Lotte Department store with many levels. I guess it needs more than 4 hours to cover the entire place, but we only had 2 hours.

I started from the underground, the 1st shop I entered was a K-pop merchandise one, I got pens on Suju <3

Upstairs to the main streets, I had to finish all my souvenir shopping, I’m mostly done except for 1 of the kids (a boy), toys were mostly Lego but come on who plays Lego at this time? after giving up on toys, I bought him a t-shirt, socks & a school bag.

While I strolled along the shops, I got a lemonade, but it wasn’t in a glass or cup, instead, in a plastic bag lol, also, fresh coated strawberry, it was delicious, I had no idea I’ll be writing this blog or I would’ve taken a pic *Sighs*.

I wanted more snacks for home, but unfortunately Lotte Department store that had a big supermarket already closed, so I bought from a small grocery instead.

(Han’s) a bags shop I came across, sells Korean-made bags in different shapes & colors, I purchased a cute pink one for myself, navy for my fiance & brown for my mom.

I noticed 1 guy dancing infront of a cosmetic shop he works in, causing a scene that people enjoyed, ironically, the played song was (Hot Summer) but it was freezing cold lol.

Returning to the start point = no sign of the girls, nor did we agree on a meeting place or time, I sent my fiance audio notes updating him on my whereabouts, then I ran into 2 girls who chose the Chelsea outlet, they arrived here very late, I tagged along until we met up with the others, lastly I bought a warm egg cheese bun & ate it on the bus.

This is how I looked like at the end of the day, taking into consideration the forever long hours sitting in moving vehicles, then walking in a very cold weather at night = Toomi turned into a zombie lol.

My roommate went to different places with her friend that lives in Korea, she showed me videos of street performances in those places.

Pack Pack Pack since we’re saying bye bye Korea tomorrow.

South Korea Trip Day 8

October 29, 2016Leave a comment

South Korea Trip Day 8 Back to Seoul, Ewha University, Gangnam Street

We checked out from the hotel in Jeju, then turned to the airport to fly back to Seoul, I grabbed a donut & ate it on board, bye bye Jeju Island.

In Seoul, we headed directly from the airport to Ewha University, but we arrived before our appointment, so we wandered around the shopping area next to it.

Unlike other places in Seoul where people tend to be cold & wont even notice you, this place consists of University students that rudely stare & laugh in groups, it really sucked coz I was walking alone while being bullied by them.

Anyways, I didn’t find any clothes, as I mentioned before Korean-style dresses aren’t appealing to me, I merely got some accessories such as pink ribbon hair pins, it’s very cute, I wish I bought some more, also a doll & Charmander socks.

As for food, I ate a potato bun, an omelette tortilla & ofcourse lemonade <3

The University tour started, we had to walk alot coz the place is huge with different buildings, however our Sharjah University is more huge lol, by the way it’s an all girls University, many of them are wearing mini skirts & you know what? they aren’t as skinny as the actors in K-Drama, instead, some are curvy & have cellulite just like normal girls, so I guess only K-Drama actors are very fit, anyhow, as the tour continued I entered a grocery to search for Dettol wipes, guess what happened next. (Audio link below)

Last but not least, we transferred to GANGNAM street, I tagged along with 2 girls, it was freezing but amazingly the hot chocolate I got kept me warm for a while.

1 of the 2 girls is a lawyer, back in Jeju’s airport she happened to sit next to me, so I took the opportunity to ask, if it was possible for me & my fiance to get married in UAE without family’s permission, coz in my country the girl’s father permission is a must, she said (the same law applies, but I’ll check if there are other means), I thanked her & told her to text me for the answer. Once before, my fiance mentioned the idea of getting married in another country, coz waiting for family matters will only make delays, but he didn’t even go along with that.

In Gangnam street, we came across a men’s clothing store which had a cardboard statue of my favorite actor/singer Jung Yong Hwa <3 his photos wearing their brand were all over the store inside.

The other girl got something for her brother, I’ve bought my fiance a shirt & a summer jacket by Mind Bridge brand, the lawyer asked me at that time (who are you buying this for?), I said (the guy I want to commit the crime with) lol, I meant the guy I’m getting married to behind my parent’s back, which is my fiance, she laughed as she already knew from our conversation in Jeju. Unfortunately, he didn’t accept any of the stuff I bought for him, I kept them hoping he’d have a change of heart *Sighs*.

Another grocery, I keep buying different kinds of Korean snacks for home, such as potato chips, biscuits & chocolate, I always buy 2 of everything, 1 for my family & 1 for my fiance.

The girls got into subway, meanwhile I went to a cosmetic store called Nature Republic, personally I don’t care about this stuff nor do I use such products, however many girls from our group purchased some, since my mom likes these things I bought her a Ginseng cream. Cosmetic stores are very popular in Seoul, it’s like everytime I pass by 3 shops, the 4th one is mostly a cosmetic one (Nature Republic, The Face shop, It’s Skin) are everywhere.

As I was heading back, I’ve crossed a wide street, the green light for walking started blinking while I’ve reached HALF the street only lol, & I was walking fast! but I guess Koreans are VERY fast walkers.

In the end I got Mcdonald’s for dinner, conducting my fast food tests as usual resulted in = same taste as home, the only difference was the ordering process, you get to order using a machine, Korea is so advanced in tech.

After we returned to the hotel, an argument occurred, some girls are mad coz they’re not allowed to go to places other than the ones in the schedule, 1 girl said (we are graduates & not young to be controlled like that), Alumni back in UAE knew about this, as a conclusion, they allowed the girls to go wherever they want after noting their names, but the University will not be held responsible for misfortunes.

No texts from my fiance, he didn’t even ask if I’m alright or not after getting lost, so I sent him this before I slept (baby I’m Ok, I’m back in the hotel), I guess he wasn’t worried at all, this kind of treatment is what I’ve been enduring the whole trip, it started before I travel, & continued in the same manner until he finally broke my heart 2 months after Korea’s trip, it hurts even now.

South Korea Trip Day 7

October 26, 2016Leave a comment

South Korea Trip Day 7 3D museum, Manjunggul Cave, Haenyeo Museum

A fresh start after yesterday’s indoor rest <3 I came down to the lobby in time but ofcourse some girls are always late, so I took the opportunity to take some selfies.

I’ve been wearing dresses since day 1 in Korea, but today I’ve worn stretch pants & t-shirt (I hate the term Leggings), trying this style for the 1st time made me send my fiance some pics asking him what he thought, he said (it looks good on you) <3 then I asked how old does it make me look? he replied (it has nothing to do with age).

The lobby floor had a shop that displayed a bride’s dress & a groom’s suit, I took a selfie in front of it, then asked my fiance if he’d noticed what’s behind me in the pic, he said (clothes), I told him it’s wedding clothes for you & me <3 he replied (since when do I wear suits?), then I said, I know but I want us to wear the same ones in Italy. To be honest, I’ve always tried to bring forward our wedding but he kept making excuses, now I know why, I guess in the end he never really intended to marry me.

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Off to 3D museum, some girls didn’t enter & waited in the bus instead, we walked to the museum under the beautiful rain <3 however, it was a wrong timing, coz the place was crowded with school kids! even inside, kids trying to take photos all over the place, it made us (adults) look like outcasts lol, anyways the museum contained alot of wall drawings, it’s suppose to be 3D I guess? my pics don’t look 3D though, maybe coz selfies don’t work & some1 else should have taken my pics *Dies*.

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The hero of Sad Sonata, Kwon Sang woo was there <3 a wall photo ofcourse not the real thing lol, I had to take a pic coz I loved him soo much in the drama, however, it made me nervous trying to take selfies infront of kids who were waiting for pics also.

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The camel 3D painting looks real though lol.

Next stop, a naaaaature categorized place *Dies* MANJUNGGUL cave, we had to pass a big garden to reach the cave, then move downward to actually enter it, I didn’t get inside, what if bats appeared?, God knows what will happen underground if my phobia started acting, so NO!, I just strolled along the garden & found a traditional restaurant, it looked old, even the menu was outdated, so I didn’t order, got out & got in a grocery next to it, bought some orange pie biscuits, Oh & there were mummified insects keychains! I almost threw up the moment I laid eyes on it, what on earth are they thinking?! why, just WHY *Dies*

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It was cold outside, as I tried to find an indoor place, I ran into another girl who also didn’t get into the cave, we stayed together inside a building which had instructions, maps, brochures, etc on display, then found 1 of those machines that prints our photos with the background of the cave, 1 of the girls who entered the cave saw those pics later, she said (you didn’t get inside the REAL cave & got photoshopped instead), I laughed lol.

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After the cave we headed to Haenyeo museum, Jeju women divers & their history, it started with a video presentation, then a live performance of how they catch fish & clamps, they invited some of our group to participate, lastly (best part actually) they threw candy at us lol, 1 thing really bothered me about this place, its smell, ocean scent mixed with swimming pool scent = bad combination.

I have to mention that starting this day, the girls played songs on the bus using the guide’s microphone, they even danced lol.

Finally, shopping <3 we spent the last hour of our schedule in a small area with shops & restaurants, I bought the same white chocolate dried oranges that I’ve gotten from before, also, chocolate boxes with flavors of cactus, orange & green tea, I fell in love with the cactus which was new to me, in addition to a hand-made shiny bracelet.

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I haven’t eaten/drunk anything since my morning Nesquik & 2 pieces of Godiva chocolate, so I went for a German Burger food stand, I got a burger, fries, 3 pieces of mozzarella cheese & lemon ale, they cooked it right infront of me, I ate the mozzarella on the way, half the burger on the bus & gave the fries to one of the girls, my main problem was the ale thing, 1st of all, I’m a lemonade fan <3 I love fresh lemonade (sometimes with mint), & I’ve had the sparkled one before, so I know how it tastes, however this lemonade ale tasted really weird, delicious but weird lol, when we got back to the hotel, my roommate googled (ale), it might have been mixed with beer, that’s why it tasted weird, but we’re not sure if the beer was alcoholic or not, so I MIGHT have drunk beer by mistake *Cries*.

I stayed up late packing coz it was our last day in Jeju island.

South Korea Trip Day 6

October 22, 2016Leave a comment

South Korea Trip Day 6 Hotel Room

I decided to take a break & stay in the hotel today, since I already know that an orange farm & a yacht tour are within this day’s schedule, bearing in mind what happened in the waterfall & the Han river cruise, so no ofcourse I’ll pass.

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I never thought that my decision would turn into an issue. (Explanation Audio below)

For other people, Jeju island might be paradise or something, but for me it’s just scary, their shops & streets aren’t as advanced as Seoul’s, it’s like comparing a countryside with a city. The hotel itself was inside a resort, so in simple, nature, nature, nature, nature & more nature *Dies*, Oh & it was raining the whole day, I love rain <3

Full day of relaxation, I had all the time in the world, so I slept, arranged my stuff, organized my pictures, calculated how much money I’ve spent, ofcourse my fiance already knows that I didn’t go out today, but still, he hasn’t spoken to me since morning *Sighs*.

I washed my hair yesterday after the waterfall place, since I stayed in today, I haven’t straightened it, this is how my natural hair looks like, it’s curly & a bit damaged from bleaching & dying.

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I need to point out something strange about the water in Korea, either in Seoul or Jeju, everytime I take a shower, I see red rashes on my face & parts of my body, even as I wash my face in the morning, my eyes turn red, this happened to all the girls, maybe the change in water is the reason? it never happened to me in London though. Redness on my cheeks & nose is visible in the pic below.

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In the afternoon, I ordered noodles with veggies from room service, I also tried Ginseng juice with milk & honey but it wasn’t to my liking.

The group came back early, around 7 PM I think, unlike everyday which happens to be 9 or 10, my roommate told me that they visited Hello Kitty museum which wasn’t mentioned in the schedule, I like Hello kitty stuff, too bad I didn’t go.

South Korea Trip Day 5

October 20, 20161 Comment

South Korea Trip Day 5 Jeju Island, Teddy Bear museum & Choengiyeon Water Falls

We were leaving Seoul to Jeju island, so we checked out from the hotel leaving our big bags in their storage, since we’ll be back in 3 days, however, we grabbed mini hand bags with us to the airport, the journey took around an hour via Jin Air.

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As soon as we arrived to Jeju Island, the girls wanted a place to eat, so they took us to a specific restaurant, ofcourse with my ongoing dilemma of not wanting to sit alone, I had no choice but to step outside.

While I was exploring the nearby shops, I’ve noticed that Jeju’s streets are not as clean as Seoul’s, anyways I came across a French pastry cafe, there was only 1 girl inside, she was sitting alone, so there I found my salvation lol, a place where it is ok for people to sit alone. The cafe had sooo many pastries of all shapes & kinds, you receive a tray, pick anyones you like, then it’ll be heated for you, chicken, vegetable & sweet red bean are the ones I picked, Oh & a lemon soda drink. I sat down & ate then texted my fiance, he hasn’t replied so I started taking selfies & sending it to him, mentioning that I’m alone in some French cafe.

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1 hour had passed, we gathered on the bus & took off to the new hotel, the room we got had 1 double bed & another small one, I ended up with the small one *Sighs*, after resting a little, we continued to our next destination.

Teddy Bear museum, I have no idea what’s so special about it, but apparently this museum was featured in some Korean Drama, it was loaded with Teddy bears of different colors, sizes, clothes & settings, the place was so boring, I just walked as fast as possible to reach an ending, the girls however seemed to enjoy it, maybe if I’ve watched that Drama I would have shown more appreciation to this museum lol.

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On the way out, there was a big shop for souvenirs, I purchased a very cute bag, there was also a small cafe that sold dried orange chocolates, I love the combination of chocolate & orange, so I bought ones with white chocolate & ones with milk chocolate, for my family & my fiance, Oh & I ordered a mixed orange juice but I didn’t like it.

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Now it’s time for a horror movie called (Choengiyeon Water Falls) lol, first of all, I have a thing against nature, phobia perhaps? so If you’re a nature loving person, you’ll adore this place, unlike me. It’s a humongous jungle-like place, with lots of huge trees, flowers & rivers, it even had mountains, I was very careful as I moved forward because weird things were falling from the trees! I knew it was a bad idea for me to proceed but I still tagged along with the group, we reached the waterfall at the end, every1 was taking photos of each other, but I was taking selfies *Sighs*, anyways compared to Niagara falls, this waterfall wasn’t special at all.

As daylight faded away, the sounds of the birds were starting to get creepy, trees were shaking from the wind & bugs were flying all around, I was breathing heavily because my phobia took over, I placed Dettol wipes on my mouth & nose then rushed back before things get worse, every1 was still inside the waterfall, they weren’t afraid, but I got outside & waited in the bus, the pic below says it all *Dies*.

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KFC was on our way, the bus stopped but we didn’t eat inside, just take away, I tried their Zinger but it’s nothing compared to the 1 back home, it’s not even spicy, sorry KFC Korea, you failed the test.

Usually when we get back to the hotel, my roommate tends to stay in her friend’s room till midnight, this was to my advantage coz I get to take a shower & prepare my clothes without interference, so at this night, April 5th, I spoke to my fiance on the phone, he hasn’t spoken to me via phone for 3 weeks, keeping our communication limited to audio notes & texts, although I’ve tried calling him everyday, but it was already at the point where he started to change, therefore, this phone call after 3 whole weeks filled my heart with joy <3 my eyes were tearful but I maintained my voice’s normal tone, because he warned me not to cry before he called.

South Korea Trip Day 4

October 18, 2016Leave a comment

Day 4 Everland, KBS, Coex Mall & Itaewon

I skipped breakfast as usual but my beloved Nesquik is a must <3

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I washed my hair because it was ruined from the rain yesterday, Thank God I had a good mood next morning despite the horrible conclusion of the day before, so I took photos on the bus making funny faces, sending some to my fiance, he said (I like your hair dye color), he even added a love emoticon, I felt very happy <3

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Everland, another theme park lol, seriously what kind of schedule includes theme parks two days in a row? anyways, they told us to get back to the start point after 3 hours, the girls got into small groups & headed off, I was alone, didn’t wanna be a burden to anyone, and no1 asked me to tag along.

At the main entrance, there was a view for taking photos, a seat between flowers with the characters of Everland’s park behind, every1 sits there & asks their friends to take photos, since I don’t know anyone, I asked a photographer wearing an Everland tag to take a photo of me, he took 3 then told me to go inside for printing, I didn’t like any of it lol, ended up choosing the one with my eyes closed, ofcourse it was a paid service.

Everland theme park is built around a mountain area, it looked more natural than the modernized Lotte world, more like a huge camping place, there were giant trees & mountains, even the walkway was ascending, it’s like climbing a mountain, you move up as you move forward & vice versa.

So what am I suppose to do for 3 hours? it’s really sad, I mean I’m in a big theme park, but I can’t go on the rides alone, so I decided to do some shopping in their Everland’s own products shop, its kind of like Disney or Warner Bros stores in London, it had the cartoon characters of Everland, I bought some toys for the kids. Also, there was a huge candy & chocolate store called Weeny Beeny, I ended up buying 2 full cases, 1 for my family & 1 for my fiance, imagine carrying this from the start, people usually buy stuff on their way out lol.

Sad Toomi walking alone, praying that time would pass fast since she refuses to play the rides solo *Sighs*, I heard later from the girls that the park contained real animals *Cries*, I haven’t witnessed any animal, that’s because I didn’t really venture deep inside the park, anyways, as I walked a little, I found an empty game arcade so I invaded it lol, ofcourse every1 is playing the big rides outside, no one would be in a little arcade except for me *Cries*, I sat down in a car game’s chair after buying a chilled juice, then I sent my fiance a message.

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OMG! I noticed something, something I only see on TV, something I’ve always wanted to try, something that was on my future (to do list), A DANCE GAME lol, I couldn’t help myself but try it, the game included a bunch of K-pop famous tracks, I danced on many songs but I played 2PM’s song (Hands Up) 3 times lol.

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I was shy in the beginning, the game was next to the arcade’s door & the music was sooo loud, so basically I caught the attention of any1 passing from outside, however, the more I danced, the more I didn’t care about people staring, I placed my phone in the back & started recording, all my frustration & sorrow either from the way my fiance is treating me, or me being lonely on this trip, it all got released out from these couple of dances.

Time already passed in that small arcade, the walkway descended as I headed back. On the way I ate a small pizza roll from a food stand, Oh & I saw two Korean army guys sitting, I told them (Korean army so cool), they looked happy so I asked for a photo, then 1 of them moved aside so I can sit between both of them for the photo, they were so nice.

Next stop, KBS productions.

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If you’re familiar with (Boys Over Flowers), then you’d know what KBS is, it’s like a dream to all K-Drama fans, but unfortunately we didn’t meet any actors lol, the representative spoke of their history & accomplishments, then gave us a tour in the building around shooting locations, costume rooms, studios etc. It reminded me of my internship in Sharjah TV back in my senior year of University.

Characters cardboard statues from many Dramas were located on the ground floor, I’ve noticed Jandi & the F4, so I asked one of the girls to take a photo of me, but it didn’t turn out nice *cries*.

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After KBS we went to COEX Aquarium, which is located in the Coex mall, some girls entered the aquarium, me included, but others decided to go shopping instead, it was a typical aquarium with fish & water creatures, but after that came a bird’s zone, I could not step into that zone, honestly I tried but I started hyperventilating, I’m not allergic or anything, it’s something mental I guess, I don’t like birds and feather, it makes me feel like I can’t breathe, but in order to move forward, bird’s section must be passed, so I went backwards to ask them to let me out & they did. Oh there were also mirrors that reflect people with different height or weight, this 1 made me taller lol.

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The Coex mall itself was big, however it’s very similar to Dubai Mall, nothing special, I didn’t find anything to buy so I only got Godiva chocolate.

While I was heading back to our meeting point, a weird Korean girl approached me, she spoke English & asked If I had time to talk, she made me sit down then requested money for charity purposes, I gave her a small amount, she explained that it’s for some spiritual thing that involves my ancestors! I was sooo afraid, she asked for my name, age, nationality etc, she even wanted my number, ofcourse I gave her all the wrong info, I told her that I need to go coz I’m late, then I ran quickly to our Korean guide telling her what happened, she calmed me down saying (don’t fret, its OK), she also mentioned that this group targets nice-quiet looking people who happens to be alone, they don’t target loud confident people, I thought to myself (even strangers can sense my low self-esteem *Kills herself*), then another girl from our group showed up frightened as well, the same Korean spirit girl approached her, we talked about it on the bus, we were the only 2 girls from our group that ran into that weird Korean girl.

At night, we moved to Itaewon street, it’s also called (Arab Street) don’t ask why lol, it had alot of shops, I bought a European style dress & it’s the only dress I found, other dresses are Korean style & they don’t look good on me, I also got some accessories & biscuits. Lastly, I ate some street food, you get to pick stuff & it will be fried for you at the same time, I randomly picked things (which I didn’t know what lol), turned out to be seafood, I loved it <3

South Korea Trip Day 3

October 14, 2016Leave a comment

Day 3 Lotte world, palace & the hellish cruise

Skipped breakfast & had my Nesquik <3

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The first thing happened once we reached Lotte world is me falling while getting out of the bus lol, anyways Lotte world is a big theme park, both an outdoor & an indoor park, however, due to the rainy weather half of the rides outside were closed.

I love theme parks <3 but I didn’t know any1 good enough in order to laugh & play the rides with. I’ve already gone to another theme park with my fiance once before, I can’t even begin to describe the joy & content I felt while we played together, so ofcourse any other theme park with other people (even in Korea), will never top the happiness I felt with him.

We got inside and I tagged along with 4 girls. South Korea is so modernized that we actually had to register for the rides via an app for cell phones, so yes if you have no cellphone, you’re screwed lol, the park however does provide complimentary wifi.

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The park’s lake fence had a whole bunch of locks with couple’s names attached to it. Months ago, I gave my fiance a key to my heart-lock bracelet, I told him that he has the key to my heart now. I really wished I had a lock in Lotte world as well, to carve our names & attach it along with the others on this fence *Sighs*.

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In the outdoor part of the park, I played 1 ride only, other rides were either closed or too scary for me. I ate custard small pastries, they were sweet, warm & perfect for the cold rainy weather, Oh & later I ate sweet potatoes. Beautiful Sakura trees were all over the place, I used to see Sakura trees only in anime, I’m very thankful to God for giving me the opportunity to witness it in real life <3

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As for the indoor park, we’ve ridden a train that drove up high, it was for kids but it showed the entire indoor park from above, I also shopped for souvenir toys marked by Lotte. In the end I ate fried chicken popcorn with sweet chili sauce, its called coke & chicken, technically it’s a coke (cold) and the chicken was on top of it (hot), of course there was a piece of plastic separating them, but the idea was creative & new to me.

As we exited the park, I was tired & asked the guide if it’s possible to take a taxi & go back to the hotel, she said that’s not allowed for security reasons, so I ended up going to our next stop by force. The pic below was taken right after reaching the palace, I was freezing & looked half dead.

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Gyeongbok palace was boring, the outdoor area was so big with lots of gardens & temple-shaped houses, I ran quickly to the indoor hall coz the weather was sooo cold. The exhibition featured a lot of pictures & glass rooms of sculptures, furniture, equipments, scriptures, books, etc, that explained the culture of traditional Korean life & their history, the hall was dark it made me look like a Shinigami or a spirit from the past lol.

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I found a coffee/tea vending machine & ended up choosing some weird hot Korean drink, it was sooo sweet, I don’t know what on earth was that but I got another one, I wanted more coz the cup was so small, but I was afraid that it might contain something bad, I mean I’m drinking something I don’t even know what lol. Oh & there was a souvenirs shop, I bought a palace shaped tea set with 5 different tea flavors for my mom.

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Last stop, the Han river ferry cruise, or shall I say the hellish cruise, honestly I hated that ferry ride, may God give me strength to talk about it. (Audio Talk via link below).

South Korea Trip Day 2

October 11, 2016Leave a comment

Day 2 Icheon pottery lesson and Folk village

Touring started this day, I skipped breakfast coz I don’t wanna eat alone in the restaurant, anyways I’ve already brought my beloved Nesquik from home, so a glass of cold milk with Nesquik is my everyday breakfast (even at home) <3. I also made sure to eat 1 piece of chocolate on the bus specially if it takes a long time to reach our destination. Dietary stuff aside lol, we headed to Icheon pottery village.

The picture below was taken on the bus, I’m wearing the necklace my fiance gave me, I sent him the pic instantly at that time, but now as I write this blog, he’s no longer around anymore, so it’s breaking my heart.

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We went to a place where they taught us how to create pottery, in the beginning I didn’t wanna touch clay coz I hate that stuff, but then I realized that we can make any shape we want & even carve any words on it, only coz of that I decided to participate, I made mine into a heart-shaped ash tray for my fiance (he’s a smoker), I even carved both our names on it *Sighs*.

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Our teacher explains the pottery-making process in Korean and our guide translates it into English.

Oh and all the girls lined up to take a photo with our teacher lol, since he looked like all these K-Drama actors, however, I was courageous enough to tell him that he’s handsome.

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Then we headed to a place called Folk village, it’s a big place with lots of shops, events, rides and food. As soon as we reached there, the girls went to a restaurant, since I’m alone & I don’t know anyone to sit with (my roommate has her own friends), I decided not to eat at that restaurant, I walked outside instead, taking pictures and exploring.

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I bought a cheese bread thingy from a food stand, it was delicious <3 , the cheese was melting & the bread was kind of sugary. Communication was difficult coz Koreans don’t speak English but I managed somehow, I also bought ice cream.

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Later on, I met up with our guide and the people in charge of our trip. As I was walking, our Korean guide asked (how old are you?), then she asked (do you have a boyfriend?), I showed her my phone’s wallpaper which was a photo of me and him together, this conversation made me very happy, I was telling her about my fiance & how much I loved him. The irony, he broke my heart two months after Korea’s trip.

There was a traditional Korean event, we sat and watched but it was all in Korean, so we didn’t understand a thing and took off in the middle of it .

We noticed a big shop for Korean traditional souvenirs like traditional Korean wallets, key chains, pens, fans, t-shirts, books, toys etc, I bought myself and my fiance the same stuff, mine = a hanbok Korean girl, his = a hanbok Korean man, Oh & I bought my mom a traditional wallet. When I returned home, my fiance already planned on ending things, he refused to even take these souvenirs *Sighs*.

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On our way out, I bought weird potato chips on Chili Pepper, Weeds and Burdock, I didn’t even know what Burdock is, also some weird traditional Korean sweets, I keep buying unknown food lol, however I saved them for home (haven’t opened them in Korea).

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Cat-ear headbands were very popular, every Korean girl has it, so I got myself one as well.

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Last stop was Nanta performance. I was so tired after visiting 2 places prior to this one, when I sat for this show, I was like *Uhhh* however, I started clapping & laughing automatically engaging with it. A musical show about a bunch of chefs cooking & using kitchen equipment like spoons to play big drums, along with singing & screaming, it was also mixed with comedy scenes & throwing plates around lol. In the end, the master chef got us (the audience) involved by separating us into two sides, he kept saying (Punch) in a very funny way, then asked each side to clap, the 2 sides kept clapping together driving him crazy lol, he made us start all over each time we made a mistake, this happened over 7 times lol, anyways the show was worth it.

I can’t recall what I ate at night, I guess a piece of chocolate or biscuit, I know my dietary system is messed up but I was trying to lose weight even in Korea.

South Korea Trip Day 1

October 6, 2016October 11, 20161 Comment

April 1st – April 10th 2016

As a K-Drama & K-Pop fan, well not too obsessed , I decided to join this trip to Korea, coz I doubt I’d ever go there by myself, as soon as I received an email from Alumni of my University about organizing a trip to Korea, I opted right away.

Day 1 Journey begins

Since I don’t live in UAE anymore, I had to take a flight from my country to Dubai first, then travel to Korea from there, unfortunately my flight was delayed so there was only around an hour gap between reaching my 1st destination and my next one to Korea.

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After reaching Dubai’s airport, I went directly to the lounge that led to the plane’s gate, in other words, I haven’t met any of the people I’m traveling with lol.

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I was already annoyed (ended up crying) coz I dyed my hair right before my journey, it didn’t come out the way I wanted it to, my hair was blonde/faded pink, so I had to fix it by adding brown highlights, but apparently the hair stylist didn’t understand what I want & bleached my hair, although I was very clear when I said (No Bleaching), I got angry and started crying in front of everyone lol.

Another annoying thing happened in Dubai’s airport lounge, all my sms/drafts got deleted from my phone, I was so upset coz there were alot of important messages *Dies* anyhow, I got on the plane & there was still no sign of the group I’m traveling with, due to the fact that I’m flying business.

I remember sending my fiance this message (Baby I’m flying to Korea now, I love you). now I feel like crying *Sighs*

The 8 hours journey wasn’t that tireful, out of the food choices I’ve chosen the Korean one, I ate something I don’t even know what lol, I threw up in the end *Cries* but to be honest, it was very delicious, however my stomach isn’t used to Korean spices.

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As soon as the plane landed in Seoul, I stood waiting for the economy class to come out, I actually asked 3 girls with Hijab If they were from the university group, they said no lol, I waited & waited , then I saw a big group of girls approaching and finally I met up with them. Oh and the Korean airport staff checked our temperature right after we got off the plane.

The difficult part was the queue for the immigration, we waited 3 whole hours!!! other airports usually have a fast track for business class travelers, I was shocked that Incheon International Airport didn’t have one.

We got our bags, then headed to the arrival area. The airport was beautiful, we directly went to get sim cards for mobile phones, our Korean guide advised us to get rented phones with built-in sim cards, but since I’m a Dettol freak lol, I strongly rejected the idea, so I got a new sim card from a bookshop at the airport, the shop keeper removed my phone’s original sim card & placed the Korean one, then he registered it into the network, he did everything and made sure it worked, how sweet <3

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After that, I went to Starbucks, I bought some weird seeded yogurt drink which tasted ok lol and a bottle of water.

We arrived at noon but since it took forever for the immigration process to finish, we ended up on the bus at night, there was no time for sightseeing, so we went directly to the hotel, I took a shower and slept.

Oh and all roommates were randomly selected, mine was friendly, but later problems started lol, she sets the alarm 3 hours before heading out! I used to skip breakfast just so I can have a little more sleep time but imagine waking up 3 hours earlier! I didn’t say anything coz I’m a very nice person *Kills Herself*

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Category: My Travels

South Korea Trip Day 10