📍137 days of living abroad You probably get the point by now, but it's impossible to talk about my semester abroad without having a glimpse of Trân. So, I wanted to start this post by dedicating my appreciation. Thank you for hopping on the plane and embarking Korea with me! More than anything, thank you for being my best friend, and even better friend by the days. Things never went our ways, 80% of the time, but once our eyes met, we burst into loud laughter and everything was going to be fine! We share the same brain cell! You trusted my nonexistent sense of direction and made sure that I was always well-fed (I gained quite some weights!) Ohh, thank you for waking me up in the morning as well! She absolutely hates my 100 alarms.. People say "don't dorm/live with your best friend, you might lose the friendship by the end of it!" But for us, it was a BOGO deal! Our friendship only strengthened and I am forever grateful for the memories we shared together. Love you! Trân and I were Vietnamese aunties in Dongdaemun. Our place was only 2 minutes from a subway station and a 10-minute walk from the infamous Dongdaemun Design Plaza. It usually took us around 20 minutes to get to school everyday, from Line 1 to Line 6. I grew fond of our home, it was a cozy size for the two of us with newly equipped furniture. I especially love the gudeul aka ondol, the unique floor heating system that kept us warm and toasty! Another place that we frequented often in the neighborhood was Myeongdong Cathedral Church. The church is located in Myeongdong, 10 minutes away from Line 4 stations. It is also a popular tourist attraction because the beautiful church featured in many films and dramas. The architecture is absolutely stunning! English mass is offered at 9 a.m on Sundays..so you could guess that we definitely struggled getting ourselves to church. As if our location could not get any better.. we were only 1 station away from Gwangjang Market! We came here to eat, buy grocery, eat some more and for Pono's last dinner in Korea as well. Don't be afraid to try something new, especially when it is a specialty of the place that you are visiting! We did not hesitate for the raw octopus and raw beef. Delicioso! Until next time, this is the last of my Aloha Friday series and my adventures abroad. This chapter might close but a new chapter awaits. Let's continue to go places! Day 137/137. Grateful that it happened!
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📍Singapore A (very) small girl in a big world, I backpacked a solo trip to Singapore for the last few days of 2018. It was incredibly majestic everywhere I went, and hot..extremely hot. But that’s what makes Singapore special; from iconic skyscrapers, fancy malls, hawker centers for munchies, botanical gardens, to chicken rice, kaya toast, milo, chili crab and sticky feeling from the humidity.
I escaped the Korea's cold weather for the warmth in Vietnam. That did not really work out because I went to Da Lat and soaked in the chilly air (which I loved!) Until I arrived in Singapore, there I had it, the warmth that I was seeking... I'm still unsure which one I prefer, but I learned to appreciate Hawaii's lovely weather very much! I had fun solo adventuring the city on the first day, then I met up with my church friends from Vietnam who currently live in Singapore on the second day. At last, made it back to Vietnam just in time to ring in the New Year with my family and friends! Also, special thank you to Josh, Vivian, Kelli, Steve and those who kindly sent me recommendations and made sure that I had a great time. It was short so I could not complete all, but that’s only a reason to come back! Until next time, Singapore! 📍Da Lat, Vietnam Đà Lạt (Da Lat) is nicknamed City of Love. For me, it was City of Friendship as I got to visit and enjoyed the city for the first time in my life with my two best friends, Tien and My Anh. We took a bus that has beds instead of seats for our journey. It was so much fun and helpful for my friends with motion sickness. We booked a gorgeous homestay and rented two motorcycles for the trip.
Da Lat is also the city of my dad’s childhood memories. He grew up there during the end of France’s era in Vietnam. He described it as romantic, mysterious, cold (it’s a lot colder compared to Ho Chi Minh City), but absolutely beautiful. Dad was right! Da Lat today is a mixture of raw nature, historical remains and lively lifestyle. I was born and raised in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. I never really traveled outside of the city during those years. Now that I am older, I want to explore the country of my roots and reserve the family stories that I continue to discover, whenever I have the chance. That was my Christmas 2018, how was yours? A different beauty of Vietnam that I never knew of! 📍Elysian Gangchon Ski Resort Ok, perhaps ‘skiing’ is an overstatement for me. Tran was skiing, graceful like Elza. I, on the other hand, was more like walking on sledges. But that was our second time seeing, touching and being in the snow, so we were thrilled despite the cold! Surprisingly right? Apparently, the snow comes quite late this year, it had only snowed notably twice by mid-December in Seoul. Skiing definitely isn’t an easy sport but there is always a first time for everything and it was one of the last must-do’s on our bucket list! Our tour guide was fun and attentive, I wish he would have been more instructive as he taught us how to ski; regardless, thank you David 'oppa'. Ratings: 9/10 Highly Recommended. The finals and projects were on-hold, we needed a day off to distress! Number 1 Tip: LEARN HOW TO GET UP AFTER YOU FALL DOWN. I’m not kidding. It might be just me, but it’s quite difficult to get up. (Skiing teaches you life lessons..) ***Lack of pictures because I was scared outta my life and it was below freezing point!!! Self-discovery: I have no sense of balance!
Note to self: Learn how to get up, literally Promise to self: I WILL SKI NEXT TIME! 📍Jeju (제주도) November 22-25, 2018. We could not be home for Thanksgiving this year so we hopped on a plane and headed to Jeju aka Korea's Hawaii to celebrate the best Friendsgiving thus far! Turkey, smashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, biscuits? Nah..black pork, horse meat, abalone jjigae, sashimi and street food! The weather in Jeju was perfect. We craved for a ride along the coastline, with mountain range to the left and the ocean on the right! The island is enriched with nature, beautiful sceneries and countless activities for everyone to enjoy. I hope to be back in the future and explore the rest of island. Before we get to the itineraries, thank you Tran for planning out the perfect weekend! Thank you Jang for being our driver throughout the trip, MVP! And, thank you Jed for joining us and making the trip even better! Thankful for all ~ ♥️ Home is where your heart belongs!
📍DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) "DMZ - land of life, where wild animals live in peace."
Along with my fellow exchange students from around the world, we headed to the Demilitarized Zone on Friday, Nov 16. The tour included the following destinations: Imjingak, Dorasan Station, lunch at Unification Town, Dorasan Peace Park, Dora Observatory, The 3rd Tunnel. Although we did not get to visit Panmunjeom (Joint Security Area), we learned that in the near future, the guarding solders from both countries will no longer have to bare arms and the area will become free land with less restrictions..fingers crossed! I won't spoil the details because you should experience it yourself, the remaining traces of war and the tension that could be felt everywhere. Colorful parks were built to console the painful memories but somehow, it still feels depressing. A little of North Korea could be seen at different peaks, mountain ranges that remind me of home, but the people's life on the other side of the DMZ must be quite different from mine. Honestly, I am speechless and unsure of how to express it into words so I hope to deliver through the gallery above. Jiwon, Jason and Ha Eun, thank you so much for organizing this wonderful tour, being our translators and making it memorable! We truly appreciate everything you had done ❤️~ Humbly grateful for the privileges that I have today. 📍Namiseom, Chuncheon I AM ABSOLUTELY OBSESSED WITH AUTUMN 🍂
One of the best places to take in the beauty of autumn is Namiseom, a tiny island that gained tremendous fame from the classic 'seasons' dramas set. Whether you are a kdrama fan or not, you will autumnmatic fall in love with the landscape and nature. Take a walk in the crips air along with the rustling sound of fallen leaves.. Directions (by subway): - Take Line 1 to Hoegi Station, then take either Line Gyeogchun or Line Gyeogui-Jungang. - If you take the Line Gyeogchun, congratulations! Sit back and enjoy the ride until Gapyeong Station! - If you happen to hop on Line Gyeogui-Jungang, which is totally normal because it comes more frequently (I took this line.) Get off at Mangu Station and transfer to Line Gyeogchun then get off at Gapyeong Station. Recommendations: - Purchase the Chuncheon Shuttle Bus Tour, costs 6,000 won. The pass gives you unlimited rides to all famous sites in Chuncheon within the day including Namiseom, Petite France, Garden of Morning Calm and more. The shuttle stop is right outside of the station, you may purchase directly from the driver. - Go early! We started our journey at 11 a.m. and got a bit lost so we only spent a few hours at Namiseom. In order to arrive on the island, it is quite an extra process but worth it. You can either ride the ferry for 5 minutes (13,000 won) or zipline there for 38,000 won. I would definitely love to come back and enjoy the rest of Chuncheon! Love at first sight 🍂 📍Busan One of the countless adventures to do in Korea is hopping on a train (KTX) to Busan! It was a short yet sweet weekend getaway. Here is a list of places to visit and eat that I highly recommend in Busan:
Places:
A much needed recharge of my beach and mountain doses, I had been quite Hawaii-deprived! Busan's majestic beauty and raw culture of festivities and cuisine were heartwarming to experience. Busan, see you later! 📍Gyeongbokgung Chuseok, Autumn Eve, is one the most celebrated holidays in South Korea. Family members and relatives travel home to spend the holiday with family, to honor their ancestors and to celebrate the Autumn harvest. National holidays also mean no school! During the time off, Tran and I visited Gyeongbokgung Palace.
Gyeongbokgung, the largest and also the main royal palace among the Five Grand Palaces that were built during the Joseon Dynasty. This historical palace is beautiful and majestic. Not only did we get to visit the palace, we also got to wear Hanbok, traditional Korean attire. It felt as if we got to experience a touch of history. There was still so much to see, such as the National Palace Museum, the palace by night. other historical sights around the area. I will definitely be back! More information about the palace, click here! Tip: You can either set your destination as Gyeongbokgung Palace or City Hall. To be continued. Aloha,
Friday is my favorite day of the week and being away from Hawaii makes me treasure it even more, so here is to a beginning of my Aloha Friday series, a visit to a special place/landmark on Friday! The early autumn breeze of September is perfect for Namsan Seoul Tower, located in the midst of Myeongdong. Tran and I are active, but we are not huge fans (yet) of steep hills and many many stairs so we chose the cable car experience. Hop on Line 4, get off at Myeongdong station, Exit 3. Upon exit, look up to your left, you will see Pacific Hotel. Make your way towards the hotel, keep right on the path up a narrow and not-so-steep hill. When in doubt, follow the crowd and use your map! N Seoul Tower is a paradise on earth for couples so join the bandwagon and lock up your love! But you can still have as much fun and feel as much love whether you are by yourself or with your family and/or friend(s.) Perhaps, you might find love here! For me, I fell in love with Seoul! Tip: Go around 3-4 p.m so you can enjoy the view, catch the sunset and watch the city light up. Other transportation options: www.nseoultower.co.kr/eng/visit/traffic2.asp Love, Ha |
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