Another Chapter of My Life - Work & Travel USA

Hey hey!

Man, it has been 2 weeks since I have arrived in the USA for my work and travel program. Everything has been great so far! I am working as a food service crew at the YMCA of the Rockies, Estes Park, Colorado. This place is 8000 feet above sea level so it gets really dry and cold up here. I am really loving the people I work with here, they are very friendly and nice. Always joking around and inviting us for events and gatherings. I have also met some Malaysians that are on the same program. There are quite a number of us so it was really comforting to have friends to talk to when I feel homesick. 

I had my first Thanksgiving Dinner in the USA. Kara invited us over for a Friendsgiving Potluck and we had turkey that was donated by a kind soul. I really enjoyed the fellowship. I attend the Rocky Mountain Church in downtown and I love it!. I praise God that he surrounds me with spiritual mentors and that we can have discussions and sharing about God's love.

It was difficult adjusting to the weather and altitude here at first. I get breathless real easily and my skin was cracking real badly, especially my hands till it was bleeding at one point. My nose also bleed due to the dryness. But after two weeks here it got better, but still lotion and water are my best friends up here. While working here, it really got me thinking about my next step in life... and honestly I don't know... but well, I learn from the people here that I should take it one step at a time, and don't be afraid to explore. I'll just let pictures do the talking haha! Ciao :)

10 Things My Dad Taught Me About Life

Hello!

It has been a little more than a week from my last post. As the man I respect the most, my beloved dad just celebrated his birthday yesterday, I decided to dedicate a post for him (as a birthday gift LOL). This will be a short compilation of 10 principles my superhero has taught me, his little girl, in my 22 years of life. 

1. Life is NEVER fair

I remember as a teenager, I use to grumble a lot to my dad as we were (back in those days) not allowed to have a mobile phone until we were 17 years old (after SPM - so almost 18). That is when my dad told me the truth about how the world is never fair and that everyone will have different circumstances. And for my case, it was not owning a phone till I was 17. This very simple principle guided me in a sense that I stop being envious of what others have, but instead focus on how I can make use of what I do have. The good thing is because I don't own a phone, we still wrote those silly letters instead of SMS. 

2. You can always do better than you think

When I was in high school, I was a fairly brilliant student even without trying as hard as my peers (not boasting here). There was once that I scored 6th place in my class, and I told my dad happily about it. And of course I was hoping that he would praise me and and said I did well, instead he told me one thing : "If you could get 6th place without studying, imagine what you could get if you actually study". That really struck me to think the possibility of me getting a better grade, because I never really seriously thought about it. After that, I put more effort into my studies and I always give my best. Up till now, I can say that most of the outcome of my work turns out to be better than what I imagine.

3. You have a mouth, so ASK.

This principle is really simple, it just means to ask if you don't understand something. Therefore I do not shy away from asking questions during lectures or tutorials and in fact in my first year of university, a friend's friend said that her impression of me is that I am a very bold person. I also realise that by asking questions, information get absorb faster and thus more understanding follows.

4. If you have nothing good to say, then don't say anything.

Sometimes in life we really feel the urge to comment about something negatively. It could be a situation, a movie, food, place or even friends. But my Papa taught me the value of positive speaking and reminded me that words spoken can never be retracted.

5. Always speak with tenderness

I realise that some relationship problems occur not because of the issue itself, but rather by the way the two communicate with one another. Speaking rashly and harshly often makes the situation worse because emotions are running high and feelings are hurt. So Dad's advise is to always speak with tenderness even during confrontations.

6. Help someone whenever you can

Daddy is a principal at school. He greets his student at the school gate and sometimes brings them home so they don't have to walk so far. He goes for visits when the students "ponteng" and loans money to the security guards when they needed it. My dad is a living testimony of generosity and I have too learn to care for others just as Jesus care for us. 

7. Always seek to improve

There is no such thing as to graduate from learning for dad. He is always telling us to upgrade ourselves - be it in our studies, cooking, changing a tyre. There is always room for improvement in life and we ought not to be idle least we lose out.

8. Spend time with family

Family is a gift from God. My dad, no matter how busy would never fail to tell me and my sisters a bedtime story when we were younger. I love those bedtime stories because it wasn't about a princess being saved by prince charming, but it was about my dad's childhood and his adventures. These family bonding time is what makes us closely knitted. We spent a lot as a family during the holidays. 

9. Be a listener without judging

My daddy is a great listener. In fact, I am more comfortable talking to daddy about my problems because he also listens attentively and he doesn't judge. And he only gives advice when I ask for it.  

10. Love and trust God

I am so glad that Daddy love God with all His might. Many times when I have doubts, he would tell me that our Heavenly Father has good plans for me and that I should submit my plans in prayer. He prays for me whenever I go back to university, or goes travelling abroad. There is nothing more important than to teach ones children to obey the Lord and walk in His ways. 

Daddy and his little girl <3

Every Child Deserves Education!

Good day to all my lovely readers.

This post is specially written to raise awareness for a campaign that my dear friend, Ja and her team consisting of international volunteers are championing - to raise $12,000 for a group of school children in Nairobi, Kenya so that they can go to school.

This campaign is raising funds on behalf of Frank Educational Centre, a community school located in the Ngando slum, Nairobi, Kenya. The aim of this fundraising is to secure a new plot of land for the school, which is currently facing eviction from its current premises, and to rebuild it, as well as to take steps towards ensuring the future sustainability of the school and give the children a secure place to reach for their dreams.

I count myself a very blessed child. I am born and raised in Malaysia, a country that lacks nothing beautiful. My parents put high emphasis on education, being educators themselves and I have never lack anything as it is always provided.

Being a volunteer tutor myself in a children's home, I've come to understand that there are many underprivileged children whose parents might not put education as their child's first priority. Some are required to work in the field after school, some might even skip school because their parents went away to earn a living and they are left at home to care for their younger siblings. 

Naturally, as education has never been a priority to these children, they are unable to break away from the poverty cycle. This is what we are championing for, a fair chance for the children who want to be more and who believe they can be more than what they are now. We want to give them an opportunity to study, not to deprive them from their rights to education. 

Sometimes we have to admit that we are too busy looking at our own problems to realise the needs of others. And even more often we take our comfortable situation for granted, never really appreciating what we have, always coveting what others have. 

For those school children, even though they lack, the smile on their faces still encourages people. So all you who are blessed, if everyone would just spend one day not to eat out, not to go watch one of our favourite movie, we could probably save $10 to be donated to this cause. And if 12,000 people would do this, their project would have received the full amount of funding necessary. 

This is the link to this project:
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/save-frank#home

What $10 could do for us means so much more to them. We are changing lives with our giving. Support the cause, Support education for children! 

image from designurge.com

  

Trusting in God

Sometimes (or should I say many times) things don't really work out as what we have carefully planned in our heads. And when that happens we just tend to get so worked up and irritated because it is not how we EXPECT it to turn out.

Thankfully when that happens, a bible verse almost always comes to my mind.

"God's way are higher than my way, His thoughts are higher than my thoughts"

And so instead of complaining about the situation in which I have no control over, why not PRAY instead and SUBMIT everything into the hands of the Almighty? Surely He knows better than me and His purpose is to prosper me and to give me life abundantly.

When I start to meditate upon His word and trust in His provision for me, not only do I get less anxiety, I also learn to depend more on my God and less on my own abilities. For who am I without Him?

Of course at times we still do give into the temptation of the devil and have doubts or start wanting to make things right our own way. But when this happens, we rest assure that we have God's own living and active Word to counter the works of the evil one. If we truly believe in what is being written in the Holy Scriptures, I really believe out lives would be an empowered one because we HEAR and LIVE the word.

Many things had happened in the past month that has in one way or another set me back. But because I trust in His word, I know that He will surely bring me through.

So thank you Jesus for everything.

11D10N Seoul - Busan Itinerary Plan

Alright folks! I promised that I will upload the original itinerary (for super humans) created by my sisters En & Poh. They spend a few months to make plan and research this, hopefully this can help some of our friends out there who are planning to go to South Korea soon.

Day 1

- N Seoul Tower

Observatory: 10:00-23:00
Restaurant: 11:00-23:00
Teddy Bear Museum: 10:00-22:00 (Last entry: 21:00)
Directions: Chungmuro Station Line 3 or 4,(exit 2,to the right of Daehan Multiplex entrance). Then take Bus 2 (08:00-24:00/5min intervals) or Bus 5 (07:30-23:50/15min intervals) to N Seoul Tower.
Fare: 550won
Teddy bear Museum: 8,000won
Observatory + Teddy bear Museum: 14,000won

- Myeong dong
Opening hours: 10am to 10pm everyday
Direction: Exit 5, 6, 7, or 8 – Myeongdong Station Line 4

Day 2

- Seoul Grand Park

Directions: Seoul Grand Park Station, Line 4, Exit 2
Entrance fee: 

Zoo : Adult(Age 19 or older) 3,000 won, Teenager(Ages 13-18) 2,000 won Children(Ages 4-12) 1,000 won
Dolphin Show : Adult 2,000 won / Teenager 1,500 won / Children 1,000 won
Theme Garden: Adult(Age 19 or older) 2,000 won(group of 30 people or more 1,400 won) / Teenager(Ages 13-18) 1,500 won(group of 30 or more people 1,100 won) Children(Ages 4-12) 1,000 won(group of 30 or more people 700 won)

- Gwacheon National Science Museum

Entrance fee: 4,000won
Directions: Seoul Grand Park Station, Line 4, Exit 5

- Garosugil
Directions: Sinsa Station (신사역) – Line 3, exit 8 (10 minute walk)

- War Memorial of Korea
Opening hours: 9am-6pm
Directions: Samgakji station Line 4 or 6. Exit 12

- Cheonggyecheon Stream& Cheonggye plaza
Directions: Line5 , Exit 5 Gwanghwamun
City hall, Line 1&2, Exit 4

- Chungdong Church
Directions: Line 1 or 2 to City Hall Station.
5 minutes’ walk towards Ewha Girl’s High School from Exit 1
Exit 11, 12 or 2. Walk toward Dunkin Donut then turn right, following the palace wall until you reach the church. The church is opposite Seoul Arts Museum and Chungdong Theatre.

- Seoul Museum of Art & Seoul Plaza
Directions: City Hall, Line 1&2, Exit 1
Go to the right and turn down the first street on your left before Deoksugung palace. Keep goin for 5min. The museum is on a small hill to the left.

Gwanghwamun Line 5, Exit 5
Go stragight until reaching seoul plaza, cross the road, go towards Deoksugung palace n turn right immediately after the palace’s main gate.

Day 3

- Samcheongdong
Directions: Anguk Station (안국역) – Line 3, exit 1

- Changdeokgung
Directions: Exit 3 – Anguk Station Line 3. Walk straight for 5min.
Exit 7 – Jongno 3(sam)-ga Station Line 1, 3 or 5. Go straight along Donhwamun-ro Street for 10min.
Regular Tour (Changdeokgung Palace): 3,000 won
Huwon Tour (Secret Garden area): 5,000 won

- Bukchon Hanok Village
Opening Hours for Bukchon Traditional Culture Center: Mon~Fri (9:00 ~ 18:00)

Directions: Exit 2 – Anguk Station Line 3. Walk straight for about 300m.

- Cheongwadae
Directions: Exit 5 - Gyeongbokgung Palace Station Line 3. Walk 10 minutes.

- Gwanghwamun
Directions: Gwanghwamun Station (광화문역) – Line 5, exit 2

- Jongmyo Shrine

Entrance fee: 1,000won
Guided Tours :English – 10:00, 12:00, 14:00, 16:00
Directions: Exit 11 – Jongno 3 (sam)-ga Station Line 1.Walk for 7 mins from station.
Exit 8 – Jongno 3 (sam)-ga Station Line 3 or 5. Walk for 7 mins from station.

- Gyeongbokgung
Entrance fee: 3,000 won
Opening hours: March to October 09:00-18:00
Closed on Tuesday
Directions: Exit 5 – Gyeongbokgung Station Line 3

- Ilsan Lake park
Directions: Jeongbalsan Station Line 3, Exit 1 or 2. Walk along Jungangro-1261 beongil street or Jungangro-1275 beongil for 10min.

- Insadong& Nakwon dong
Directions: Exit 6 – Anguk Station Line 3. Walk straight 100m & turn left.
Exit 3 – Jonggak Station Line 1. Walk 300m straight, turn left. then 100m straight & veer left into Insa-dong alleyway.

- Itaewon
Directions: Exit 1 - Itaewon Station Line 6

Day 4

- Everland/Lotte World

Everland: 10am to 6pm

Directions:

1. Exit 10 – Gangnam Station Line 2. Take bus 5002 to Everland. (Travel time: 50 min)
2. Exit 1 – Gangbyeon Station Line 2. Take bus 5800 to Everland. (Travel time: 50min)

Entrance Ticket: 40,000won

Lotte World: 0930-2200
Directions: Line 4 to Dangkogae (Dongdaemun Stadium) then Line 2 to Jamsil
Ticket: 38,000won

Day 5

- Petite France
(entrance fee: 8,000won, open all year round) the same day via the shuttle bus ( just show the ticket). Time table for shuttle bus from Gapyeong Station to Petite France :
0910 till 1810, every hour ( journey: 30 mins)

- Jade Garden
(operation hour : 0900-1900), entrance fee: Apr-Nov : 8,000won / Dec-Mar :6,000
Gyeongchun line Gulbongsan station, Exit 1, you will see Jade Garden Free shuttle at your right. Time table from subway station to Jade Garden is from 1045, every hour till 1645.

- Dongdaemun
Operating hours: 10.30am to 5.00am
Closed on Monday & some public holidays.
Directions: Exit 8 or 9 - Dongdaemun Station Line 1 or Line 4

Day 6
- Namdaemun market
Directions: Hoehyeon Station (회현역) – Line 4, exit 5

- Naksan Park

Hyehwa Station (Seoul Subway Line 4), Exit 2.
Go straight for 200m, then turn left onto Dongsung-gil Street.
Go straight for 200m, then turn left at Lock Museum.
Go straight for 50m, then turn right onto Naksan Gongwon-gil Street.
Follow the same street up the hill for 300m to arrive at Naksan Park.

- Yangpyeong Railway Bike
Fee: 29,000won (4 person)
From Cheongnyangni Station, take a train to Yongmun Station (용문역).

Day 7

- 63 City & Yeouido Park
Directions: Yeouido Station (여의도역) – Line 5, exit 3 or Yeouinaru Station (여의나루역) – Line 5, exit 1
Free shuttle bus to 63 city. @ bus no.62

- Hongik University Street (Hongdae)
Directions: Exit 6 – Hongik Univ. Station Line 2

- Trick Eye museum
Entrance fee: 15,000won
Operating hours:9am-9pm
Hongik University Station (Seoul Subway Line 2), Exit 9.
Go straight 150m, cross the road, and turn left onto Hongik-ro Street.
Go straight 120m, and turn right down the second side street (in between TONYMOLY and Holika Holika).
Continue going 100m to arrive at Trickeye Museum on the right.

- Metro Spa Cabin
Directions: Chungmuro Line 3 & 4 , Exit 8
Walk straight 50m to world pet 1 building. Metro Spa Cabin is on 4F of the building.

Day 8
- Gwangjang Market
Directions: Jongno 5-ga Station (종로5-가역) – Line 1, exit 8 or Euljiro 4-ga Station (을지로4가역) – Line 2, Line 5, exit 4.

- Ewha University Street
Directions: Ewha Woman’s University Station (이대역) – Line 2, exit 2

- Sinchon Street
Directions: Sinchon Station (신촌역) – Line 2, exit 2

Busan
- Seomyeon
Directions: Busan Station Line 1. To Seomyeon Station.

- Gwangalli Beach
Directions: Gwangan Station, Line 2, Exit 3 or 5. Walk 5min.

Day 9

- Haeundae Beach
Directions: Line 2, Haeundae station. Walk 10min.

- Centum City
Directions: Line 2, Centum station.

- Heosimcheong spa
Directions: Line 1, Oncheongjang Station. Exit 1 to street level. Cross the street using pedestrian overpass. At the traffic light, turn right. Then another right at the woori bank. Begin looking for the hotel Nongshim on the left side of the road. Heoshimcheong is behind the hotel. Take escalator to the spa.
Entrance fee: 8,000won
Opening hours: 5.30am-10pm

Day 10

- Taejongdae
Shuttle bus fee: 2000won
Directions: From busan station. Bus no. 88 or 101
Bus bound for taejongdae No 8, 13, 30, 88, 101

- Jagalchi Market & BIFF Square
Directions:Jagalchi station, Line 1.

- Gwangbokgong Street
Directions: Jagalchi station, Line 1, Exit 7

Day 11

- Busan Tower
Directions: Nampo Station (Busan Subway Line 1), Exit 7.
Upon exiting the station, turn left onto Gwangbok-ro Street (광복로).
Go straight 160m to arrive at Yongdusan Park (escalator on the right).
Observatory: 09:00-22:00 (ticket office closes at 21:45)
World Musical Instruments Museum: 10:00-18:00

Admission Fees
Observatory
Adults (ages 16+): 4,000 won / Group: 3,500 won
Children (under 16) & Seniors: 3,500 won / Group: 3,000 won

The Museum of Musical Instruments of The World
Adults (ages 16+): 2,500 won / Group: 2,000 won
Children (under 16) & Seniors: 2,000 won / Group: 1,500 won

Integrated Tickets (Observatory + Museum)
Adults (ages 16+): 5,000 won / Group: 4,000 won
Children (under 16) & Seniors: 4,500 won / Group: 3,500 won

Tadaa~~ happy planning and hope you guys have fun in South Korea :) Bye!

*disclaimer: The information provided may change overtime, please double check from the official KTO site for confirmation* 

Things to pack to the USA

Hello minna-san!

This post will be special as I am dedicating it to some of my fellow friends/colleagues who will be travelling together with me to the USA for our Work and Travel program this winter. Packing can really be a headache especially for those who pack for long months and to places with different weather than our home country. Hopefully this post can be a guideline on what to pack and do comment of other essentials that you guys might want to bring while away for a long holiday.

As I am packing for 4 months stay (mid November till end of March), most of my clothing will be winter wear and thicker material due to the weather. I'll try to be as detail in my list as possible.

Packing List
1. Medication (very important for people like me who sometimes suffer from gastritis and allergy, it is quite expensive to go to a doctor in the USA so I highly recommend to bring any sort of medication you might need)

2. Clothing (2 sweater, 3 hoodies, 1 wind breaker, 4 set of inner thermal wear, 3 shirts + pants for sleeping, 5 nicer shirts for regular wear, 2 winter vest, 1 fleece jacket, 5 sets inner garment, 2 slack pants, 2 jeans, socks)  This is what I brought, choice of clothing is totally up to you guys :)

3. Universal Adapter & extension plug (ultra important for the gadget dependent generation like us)

4. Towel

5. Toiletries (toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, bath, shaver, deo, facial cleanser set, comb, nail clipper)

6. Sunscreen (I can't seem to stress enough how important this is, our skin gets exposed with UV rays even more so during winter time)

7. Lotion/Cream/Moisturizer (skin gets really dry due to the harsh winter air and it can become very itchy if not protected)

8. Shoes (Boots, sneakers, flats, black shoes)

9. Phone & Camera charger (you have no idea how many people forget about these while travelling)

10. Winter gear (Winter jacket, muffler/scarf, hat, ear muffs, gloves)

11. Make-up essentials (don't want to be shabby while you're there)

12. Cotton bud & Cotton pad  

13. Sanitary pads (this is for the ladies)

14. Plastic bags + Recycle bags (Just in case you have dirty laundry that needs to be separated)

15. Band-aid/ Plaster

16. Food (okay, this is what ALL my Malaysian friends ask me to bring! Mee Sedap, Milo, Nescafe, all the spices if you are planning to cook, but I am not so I am just gonna bring sachets of old faithful Milo and oats drinks) just be careful not to bring the liquid ones or those with pungent smell as they might not pass through immigration

This is pretty much my packing list and of course there might be some minor details left out but most of it are here. Do however pay attention to the weight and baggage size limit as airline charges quite a lot for excess. Wherever you are going, remember that safety is first and have fun!

Must Eat Korean Foodie :)

This is just my list of the must try top 10 (in no particular order) while in the land of K-pop (you can agree or disagree). Hopefully this can serve as a guide while you go food hunting :D

1. Jjajangmyun (짜장면)

The chewy noodles + flavourful sauce makes it so delectable

Oh yes, this is something we almost always see in K-dramas... the delicious black soy bean sauce noodles with kimchi at the side. And we see even the Korean artist slurping and inhaling the noodles in just a few BIG bites!

Slurp slurp~ Yoon Eun Hye can't get enough of it on Coffee Prince

Hyeri from Girls Day accepting a challenge to eat it super quick and proves it! 

2. Dakgalbi 

Us enjoying a meal of mix chicken and pork stir fry dish :)

Dak galbi, also romanized dalk galbi, is a popular Korean dish generally made by stir-frying marinated diced chicken in a gochujang based sauce, and sliced cabbage, sweet potato, scallions, onions, perilla leaves, and tteok together on a hot plate. (Wiki)

Dakgalbi is really delicious especially if you add in rice or noodles at the end of it... and the sweet potato inside makes it a little sweet :)

3. Hobakjuk (made with steamed pumpkin or squash and glutinous rice flour or rice soaked in water.)

This might not look appetizing but it's the best thing ever!!! Got this from gwangjang market

4. Galbi (grilled pork short ribs)

That piece of meat there is a whopping 13,000won per piece... dayum expensive but yummy :/ sad case. Add a side of stir fried squid and you are good to go :)

5, Dwaeji Gukbap (pork rice soup)

This yummy dish is made by boiling the pork bone for many many hours hence the milky color of the soup! For those who dislike too strong of a porky smell (like me) can put in a spoonful of deonjang, it helps clear the smell 

If you are down in Busan, this dish is said to have its roots here and therefore a more original taste. Just head to Haeundae Gukbap Alley or Gwangalli.. there are plenty of shops that sell this dish.

6. Bulgogi Burger from Lotteria

As weird as it seems that I am including a fast food item on the list, this bulgogi burger is just too much of a memory for me to leave it behind... I just love the juicy meat and it packs a punch of flavory awesomeness! At least to try once if you are in Korea!

7. Jjampong (Korean spicy seafood noodle soup)

This is the less spicy version of jjampong in Seoul, the chef saw that we weren't korean and said he'll tone it down. I ate a second time in Busan and it was super spicy!

8. Gamjatang (Pork bone with potato soup)

Gamja actually means potato, so literally it is potato soup but the main ingredient is the pork bone that has been boiled for many hours. This soup is so flavourful I could eat 2 bowls of rice literally!! MUST TRY

This pot of soup for 4 cost us 30,000won

9. Jaksal Chicken (Stir Fried Chicken)

We were somehow in Ilsan after the MBC Show Champion recording and search Kim Hyun-joong's Jaksal Chicken Shop to have this dish. We also ate fried chicken on our first night in Seoul where we bough it from a nearby shop. Apparently Koreans like the combination of chicken and beer but we weren't really in the mood to drink so we had "Cider" which is Sprite instead.

We ate the original flavour stir fry chicken (spicy warning) and garlic flavoured one. It comes with salad and radish.. 

10. Budae jjigae (Army style korean stew)

Suitable to be consume on a cold rainy day! For the sausage and spam lovers :) I think the MSG helped a lot in terms of flavouring haha

Korea 11D10N (Seoul - Busan) Summary

Okie, I'm creating this post to make it easier for those who want to see our whole Korea 11D10N itinerary. I'll link it to it's individual post so it doesn't get too overwhelming. I'll be posting about Korea must eat list soon.. stay tune :)

Seoul
Day 1 & 2 (Namsan Tower - Seoul Grand Park Zoo - Korea War Memorial - Gwanghwamun Square)
Day 3 & 4 (Changdeokgung - Bukchon Hanok - Insadong  - MBC Show Champion, Ilsan - Everland)
Day 5 & 6 (Namdaemun - Naksan Park - Yang Pyeong Railway Bike - Petite France - Jade Garden -Lotte Duty Free, Myeong Dong)
Day 7 (Yoido Church - Hangang River - 63 City Wax Museum - Sinchon Street - Metro Spa Cabin Jjimjibang)
Day 8 (Seoul Folk Flea Market - Gwangjang Market - Edae - Hongdae - Seoul Station KTX)

Busan
Day 9 (Busan Aquarium - Haeundae Beach & Market - Gwangalli Beach)
Day10 &11 (Taejongdae - Jalgachi Market - BIFF Square - Busan Tower)

Actually according to our original itinerary, it has more places of interest and packed. But due to time constrain and fatigue, we skipped some places as we were flexible about our schedule and wanted it to be more relax. I'll post the original itinerary soon just in case there are some superhuman out there who wants to accomplish it. HAHA

11 Days Korea Trip - Seoul & Busan Part 7 (Taejongdae, Jagalchi Market, BIFF Square, Busan Tower)

Day 10

Our trip to Busan was rather relaxed. I wanted to see more nature and beautiful landscape because we had plenty of city view is Seoul previously. And so our first stop in the morning was beautiful Taejongdae!

A little bit of introduction to Taejongdae before pictures...

Designated as a Busan monument, along with Oryukdo Island, Taejongdae (태종대) represents Busan, and is especially famous for its rock beach. Featuring its highest peak at 250 meters, there are forests of pine trees and other 200 varieties of trees. Taejongdae was named after the 29th king of Silla Kingdom BC57-AD 935), King TaeJong Mu-Yeol (604-661). King TaeJong had traveled to many places but this was the place he enjoyed shooting arrows.

Under the lighthouse of this resort is a rock called Sinseon Rock, named after the myth that gods and goddesses came down here to relax. At this rock is a figure called Mangbuseok, named after the story of a woman who waited for her husband who had been taken to Japan. Taejongdae is also famous for the ritual of praying for rain, performed when there are droughts, and rain on the 10th of lunar May is called the 'Taejong Rain'. On days with clear skies you can see Japan’s Tsushima Island from the observatory.

I am telling you this place is a MUST VISIT if you are coming to Busan! Even though it is not very easy to get to (it took us like 1 hour ++ to reach this tourist hotspot), but I believe the scenery and breathtaking view will be worth the bus rides.

Tickets to for the shuttle bus (2000won each)

It is highly recommended that you buy the shuttle bus ticket which allows you to hop on and off the attraction sites. Be reminded that this place is humongous so if you don't have the ticket and decide to WALK... it's going to be really hard and sweaty especially during the summer.  

Breathtaking isn't it?

Reason for the awkward hand was to prevent my cap from flying away since the wind was pretty strong

Found this really neat old telephone booth~ you know how we all have fantasies of making a phone call from the red phone booth? Well mine's just going to be an aqua coloured one :)

Lighthouse to warn the boats of the cliffs and rocks... 

I'm the Princess of the World! Just kidding :P

Look at all the tiny miniature people down there at the rocks/cliff 

Posing with the lighthouse

Selfie from inside the lighthouse

I really can't get enough of the scenery and landscape of Taejongdae. One of the highlights of our 11 days Korea Trip.

Selfie combo! I was going crazy will all the beauty around me

We were in Taejongdae till about lunch time... outside of the park there are many seafood restaurants and most of them sells the famous Galchi Jorim (hairtail braised in spicy sauce).

Galchi Jorim - the soup is wonderful but beware of tiny thin bones!! Not suitable for young children

Grilled jalchi and some other fish~ it was one of their signature dish.. I honestly liked this better than the stew :)

After a full lunch (we ordered 3 person's portion and had no idea it was that much!) and another hour travelling back to the city, we have reached BIFF square by mid afternoon.

They have this thing that looks like it's from the Hollywood walk of Fame

The whole street pavement lined with star's signage

Traditional korean sweet - Dragon Beard Candy with peanut fillings

5000won for this pack of 10 sweets

Ajusshi that praised our Korean haha! Very nice and cheerful :)

Enjoyed by Korean celebrity too!

Famous hotteok at BIFF Square! Really yummy and better than the Myeong dong one! The line for this is very long

Busy making hotteok for the long line of hungry customers.

Hot hot hotteok! (1000won each)

 After walking arounf BIFF square and getting our foodie goodies, we walked into Jagalchi Market which is very close by and immediately the stench of sea creatures hit us.

Look at the gigantic clam at the side!! The sight of it creep me out at first! 

Actually our initial plan was to have a raw fish meal at Jagalchi Market as we have read many people blog about seafood being very fresh there... but the stench was too much for us to bear and it wasn't dinner time yet (besides we already at a bunch of snacks on the streets). So we retreat from the market and went back to the streets and this was were we found a shop that sells korean traditional stamps for cheap!!

The machine that carves the pattern on the stamps

Stamps beginning from 2,000won (RM7) to 40,000won (RM 124)

All of us bought a name stamp for ourselves and one for sister in Malaysia. I bought the 5000won one and had my English and Korean name carved on it :) I think this is a very special gift/souvenir for friends and loved ones rather than the overrated and common keychains.
(P.S: Do not buy the stamps in Insadong as it is twice more expensive than in Busan!)

The rest of the night we took a break as we were quite tired from all the walking in the morning and ate instant noodle at the hotel haha!

Day 11

Today is the last day for us in Busan before our 4pm flight back to Malaysia. Since we had the whole morning, after checking out and placing our luggage at the Busan Station, our last stop was to be Busan Tower.

I personally liked Busan Tower because it is not as expensive as N Seoul/Namsan Tower (4000won vs 9000won). And it still provided a lovely view for us to admire - definitely suitable for the budget conscious group.

where we stored our luggage before heading to Busan Tower

Busan Tower is also in an area called Yongdusan Park

Love tags here unlike in Seoul Tower where they have love locks instead

I have no idea who the guy beside me is haha

You can see the whole (?) of Busan from here

more selfies at Busan Tower <3

Me just chilling at the observatory

WE LOVE BUSAN TOWER

That is all from our 11D10N Seoul & Busan Trip! Hopefully these posts help give some light into places of interest in Korea for those who are budget conscious. Honestly this trip wasn't too expensive and way better than joining overpriced tour groups with not much flexibility on schedule. If you don't mind getting lost once in a while, speaking broken Korean and walking a lot, backpacking in Seoul & Busan is definitely possible :)

Until my next trip! Bye bye :)