Korea Winter Discovery --- Day 8

Day 08 - Seoul Noryangjin/Incheon - Singapore

Temp: -4c to 9c

Day 8 of 8. The last day.

Due to the limitation of time we had in Seoul, Jay, Kelvin and Leong woke up bright( nope... the sun had not yet rises) and early as we wanted to visit Noryangjin Fish Market before flying back to Singapore and of course, the promised free and easy part of the trip was replaced by our current itinerary. 0455hrs was the revillie timing, it was absolutely hard to imagine, we laze in the bed for some time and so off we went, 6am in the morning, to take SMRT (Seoul Metropolitan Train System). Raymond was suppose to join us, he said "Wake me up",but he was sleeping like a log, despite hearing water drips from his toilet ... haizzzzz.....Yup, Ra & Eugene was sleeping in the same room otherwise Ra would be forced out of the bed. By the time we dragged here & there, it was already 6am, far from the scheduled 530am which we managed to decipher the 1st train timings on Line 2 from Jamsil Station.

FYI:
Noryangjin Seafood Market in Noryangjin-dong is a huge seafood wholesale market serving the metropolitan Seoul area, set up to protect the interests of both suppliers and consumers, and to serve a leading role in improving the seafood distribution system. The market was established in 1927 at the other location on Uijuro, Seodamun-gu, in the west of the current Seoul West Station, after the Gyeongseong Seafood Co. Ltd. was established as an agent for the Gyeongseongbu Seafood Wholesale Market in compliance with the Central Wholesale Act. Since at that time the main method of transportation was by rail, its close proximity to the Seoul Station made it an ideal location.In 1947 after the Liberation from the Japanese occupation, the Seoul Seafood Market Co. Ltd. was established to replace the old company, and began serving as an agent for the Seafood Wholesale Market owned by the City of Seoul. However, as automobile transportation became more important than railroads, and the area became more urbanized, they closed the old market, and established a new and bigger market at the current location in April, 1975 to serve as both wholesaler and retailer, and, in April, 1985, the Korea Cold Storage Co. Ltd. was constructed, and leased the new Retail Building, along with the Wholesale Building to the Noryangjin Seafood Co. Ltd.The Noryangjin Seafood Market has a total area of 23,002㎡, and a total floor space of 34,430㎡, consisting of auction floor, wholesale building, retail building, wholesale agent offices, management offices, information center for sellers, waiting room for sellers, waiting room for cargo handlers, parking lot, temporary cooler room, and also freezer room, refrigerator room, ice makers, and storage rooms.Of November, 2000, under the management of one assigned wholesale company, all of 114 employees, 163 brokers, 8 trading observers, 894 merchants, and 430 cargo helpers, are working here, and the total trade volume for 1999, was 113,698 ton, or KRW 2,83600,000,000. Cargos come from all three coasts of the Korean Peninsula, and the busiest months of a year are March, April, and May in the Spring, and September, October, and December in the Fall, and the slowest months are July and August. This Market handles 49.5% of a total trade volume of Seoul.Recently, the number of Japanese tourist visitors to this Market reached 10,000 per year, making itself known to the world. As the national income increase, so does the consumption of raw fish, and this trend makes this Market more and more vibrant. Its early-morning auctions provide a certain entertaining scenes to the citizens of Seoul. About a half of all seafood, auctioned off in the early morning, goes directly to the shelves of the department stores, distribution centers, and other neighbor retailers, and the auction prices taken by the retailers are usually 20~30% below the consumer price.

on the train




the destination

After a round of confusing transfer of trains, we finally arrive at the fish market, just a bridge across the subway station and unfortunately, we only had 15 min to explore(... sianzzz....). The market was indeed an eye opener... there is a huge variety of marine products available, most of which you don't even get to see in Singapore. Definitely worth capturing in photographs.


Overview of Noryangjin Fish Market

wide variety of seafood

a closer look

unknown sea creature..sea cucumber?

stingray

fishes? Giant frogs?
giant octopus

Leong with the display tanks

Jay with the display tanks

Kel with the prawns

After a quick but thorough scanning of the fish market, we made our way back to the hotel, of course by SMRT again, and OMG! we almost went onto the wrong train that might have carried us to god know where. Luckily, we arrived at the hotel safely and on time too(even earlier than others from the group) and though a little lack of sleep, we were more than ready to start the itineary for the day.

no more golden ticket

the wrong train

For breakfast, we had chinese breakfast, yes! no more international breakfast buffet. It was delicious, especially the fried dough stick( you tiao) and soya bean milk. Since it was the last breakfast in Korea, we were savouring all the food and as usual (perhaps the 3 of us who went to the fish market were too hungry after all the running here & there early in the morning), others finish faster than us (another demerit for them for not knowing how to enjoy good food).

breakfast venue, finally something we know how to read

breakfast for today

thanks aaron for this pic : )

After breakfast, we arrived at the tong-cho-xia-cao(cordyceps) shop, another location for Chris to earn big bucks. Sadly, not many people from the tour group was interested in the purchase of the fungi, except the mdm show-off woman who basically brought everything at every location and never fail to announce to the whole world about her purchases. Again, no photography allowed( wonder why...). One innocent lady from our group asked davidgan whether what can USD50 buy, david just laughed and stated USD50 can only probably buy "cao" = grass, not tung chung xia chao (cordyceyps).

FYI:Cordyceps is a genus of ascomycete fungi that includes about 400 described species. All Cordyceps species are parasitic, mainly on insects and other arthropods (they are thus entomopathogenic fungi); a few are parasitic on other fungi. The best known species of the genus is Cordyceps sinensis, a precious ingredient in Chinese traditional medicines.

Sinchon Fashion Street

Finally, we arrived at Sinchon Fashion street which was somehow similar to Dongdaemun Market, except that most stuff here was more high end and expensive. Sadly most of the good was catered for ladies, just like the high-end HK Ladies Street; thus, we did not make much purchases here. However, it was quite a nice place for photo taking.

FYI: Sinchon Fashion Street(E-dae Ap) has been greatly influenced by the female population(due to Ewha Womens University) boasting a cutting edge fashion district and a wide variety of eateries. From subway line 2, exits 2 and 3 bring you into the heart of this district. While the main street has much to offer, the many alleyways are really the backbone of E-dae Ap. These alleys are filled with accessory shops, clothing stores, shoe shops, eateries, quaint cafes, hair salons, and many small-sized shops catering to those people looking for unique items. This area also attracts all kinds of people looking to find famous hair salons, and manicure and makeup shops.

Jay

yes... it's leong

Ra sees.... a blurrrr vision in the ball

Soon Jay was bored about the Fashion Street, and being adventurous, he decided to venture into another place which required him to take SMRT in the very very limited time he had. Determined to make full use of his time in Seoul, he ventured into one of his own adventures at Cheonggyecheon Stream. It was nonetheless another running session as he found out the train station was quite a distance away and the whole bus had to wait for him..oops

FYI:Cheonggyecheon Stream used to exist merely as an overpass forgotten in 1970 until it was restored in 2005, becoming a haven of natural beauty amidst the bustle of city life.Narae Bridge, expressing a butterfly in flight, and Gwanggyo Bridge, symbolizing the harmony of the past and future, are only 2 of more than 20 beautiful bridges that are laid throughout the path of the stream. The ‘Rhythmic Wall Stream’, lined with fine marble, various sculptures, and Korea’s 8th stone building, Palseokdam, adorn the Cheonggyecheon Stream. Cheonggyecheon Stream offers many beautiful sights to see and enjoy: l The grand fountain, located in Cheonggye Plazal Dapgyonori on the Gwangtong Bridge - a ritual of crossing the bridge on the first full moon of the new year to ensure that for one year, the one who crosses will not have any leg ailmentsl A ceramic mural of a king making a grand voyage to Hwaseong, Jeongjobanchandol A colorful cloth wall made of fabrics from Dongdaemun’s fashion districtl A cultural wall painting by 5 local artistsl A reproduction of an area where folk woman used to do their laundryl A wishing wall, where more than 20,000 people have written their deepest desiresl A tunnel fountain l Jonchigyogak, an angle of intersection left behind when the Cheonggye overpass was removed l The aquatic life dwelling among the willowsFurthermore, the Deoksugung Palace, Seoul Plaza, the Sejong Center, Insa-dong Street, the Changdeokgung Palace, and the Changgyeonggung Palace all lie adjacent to the Cheonggyecheon Stream, allowing visitors to easily visit the tourism sites after a leisurely stroll along the stream

Cheonggyecheon Stream

away alone...

After the fashion street, we went to a shop that specialise in selling all the local products of Korea. Sadly, we found out that the things were way more expensive than Lotte Mart... However, we wanted to use up all our Won so we brought lots of seaweeds, bean paste and what not. We really regretted not buying more at Lotte. One good point, they provide packing services for us to bring all the purchases back to Singapore easier. One bad thing, it is a shop to target tourist like us on the way to Incheon Airport to offload our won. The things are not that cheap either, but again Mdm Visa-Cash started her shopping spree and soon her baskets were loaded with goods enough to feed an African Village for weeks. Apparently Mdm show-off did not lose in the battle as both competed with who can offload the most cash out of their wallets.

expensive goodies shop

After spending most of our Won(we kept some intending to enjoy Baskins at the airport), we went for lunch. For lunch today, we had something sort of a stew in hot pot. It was flavourful and as usual, the typical side dishes made their last appearances.

stew in hotpot

side dishes

Ra, Jay and Kel. Ra says "I want that meat!"

Leong, Aaron and Eugene

After our last meal on Korean soil, we departed for Incheon International Airport.

Arrival at Seoul-Incheon Airport

It was time to part and the last opportunity for Ah ming (aka "nan-yong") to unload our baggages from the bus storage bin. Soon, everybody wheeled their loads and proceeded straight to Asiana Airlines common check-in with our boarding passes (given in advance). You could see the delighted faces of the travellers with their huge shopping loads. As what Chris (aka David Gan) commented, "Don't worry so much about excess baggage, i will talk to the person, 30kg, 80kg, 100 kg...you name it, we send it, but of course, dont be erm....so bulky ar". This is probably the 1st time for most of us with more than 1 checked-in baggage, beyond the regular limits.

Group pose at Seoul Incheon Departure check-in halls

It was a matter of time before our Korea tour leader Sean make his usual speech all guides do before farewell like how i enjoyed this trip with XXX travel co and XXX co is the best. Soon after, everybody went into the immigration area which was relatively strict; apparently Aaron's facemask and Jay's green-tea cereals alarmed the security officials to double-checked them. Meanwhile, David Gan was still outside calculating his long-awaited loot - comission, after fidgeting throughout Sean's speech.

group photo with Chris aka david gan

After wandering inside the transit area to pass time, as well as doing last minute (window) shopping, it is time for us to board our flight. Sadly, we did not manage to have Baskin as it was not available inside the transit area. It was sure foggy. From the airport terminal, you couldnt even see the tarmac, only the blur view of the plane right in front of you.

15:46h - Entered Gate 9 of Seoul Incheon

Asiana Airlines Flight OZ 0751,

codesharing Singapore Airlines Flight SQ 5751

HL-7736 (Delivered on 20/12/2004) - 3yrs old+ plane

Airbus A330-323X

YG Class

Flight OZ 0751

on board

16:02h - Flight OZ 0752 took off from Seoul-Incheon (2mins late)

final photo before take off

It was another long flight back to Singapore, but thankfully the services and in flight entertainment of Asiana Airline was good enough for the flight back home to be enjoyable. They provided us with snacks and drinks throughout the flight and the in-flight meal for the day is bibimbap and seafood with rice. Certainly, after 1 week of Korean food, all of us chose the non-Korean meal...

snack

seafood rice

sunset off Taiwan

welcome home...

After some movies watching and catching up on lost sleep, we arrived at Changi International Airport.

hopefully...

2147h - Arrival at Gate D32 Singapore Changi Airport (17min later than scheduled)

photo @ arrival gate

Of course, we were not going to miss the opportunity to buy duty free goods inside the transit area. In fact, we spent so much time shopping that our luggages was put to a side when we went to collect them, and as expected, not a soul from our tour group was seen again (Thankfully and hopefully we will not see some of them ever again).

final photo of the trip

After this eight days, spending almost all the time together, the group has become closer together than before and it was a wonderful experience to travel with all the fellow racoons.

Certainly, we look forward to more exciting adventures together in the future!!!

Korea Winter Discovery --- Day 7

Day 07 - Seoul City

Temp: -3 to 9c

Breakfast on a river

Day 7 of 8. Today was totally a shopping day. Minimal sight-seeing(which results in low photo count) but maximum shopping.

Before all the shopping begins, we went to have breakfast, which was held at a scenic spot, yes, on a stationary ship. Thanks to the high cost of buffet breakfast in Seoul 5-star hotels, all tour groups usually eat out. Anyway, the breakfast was buffet style as well, and there was someone to fry an egg on the spot, yes, we kinda missed that thing quite for a long time. Overall, quite a good breakfast, expecially the special brew of tea that they served. One thing we noticed, all the other passengers in the tour group always finish their meal faster than us, it is as if they are at Raffles Place, having their a very short lunch break...come on, theres good scenery out there!

fry on the spot

daybreak

enjoying but prolly too cold to stay out for a long period.

taking photo

After breakfast, we drove pass the Presidential House and stopped at our first shopping point, a souvenir store near the Blue House. Of course, we tried to balance between photo taking and shopping, both of which are the main motive for today. The historical talk was rather quick as most Singaporeans are apatheic and only have shopping in their minds. Moreover, the temperature was kinda unbearable to stand in the cold for long. No criticisms, but Singaporeans do love shopping than an educational talk.


FYI:The symbol of Cheong Wa Dae (known to westerners as the Blue House or the presidential residence), is the blue tiles.The first thing that catches your eye when you arrive at Cheong Wa Dae are the blue tiles of the main building. The blue tiles and the smooth roof are in beautiful harmony with Mt. Bugaksan behind it. As the Blue House represents Korea, the blue tiles and the smooth curve of the roof represents the beauty of Korea.The unique buildings Cheong Wa Dae are comprised of the Main Office, Yeongbingwan (Guest House), Chunchugwan (Spring and Autumn Pavilion), Nokjiwon (Green grass), the Mugunghwa (Rose of Sharon) Valley, and the Seven Palaces. It is interesting to see that these buildings have special shapes. They are unique and beautifully designed, built in the Korean traditional style. The blue tiles and the smooth curve shape of the main office roofs are elegantly built. Approximately 150 thousand tiles compose the roof of the Blue House. Each were baked individually which make them strong enough to be used for hundreds of years. If you turn to the right you will see Chunchugwan. The roof of Chunchugwan was made of earthen tiles. This is where the president's press conferences are held. On the left side of the main office, there is the Yeongbingwan. It was designed to hold large conferences and official events for foreign guests. It looks luxurious with 18 pillars.You can walk along the Nokjiwon and the Mugunghwa Valley. At Nokjiwon a succession of presidents planted trees on memorial occasions. There is one famous tree which is 310 years old.The Mugunghwa Valley has the flowers, a fountain, and a phoenix statue, which makes it perfect for taking pictures. It is best to visit here between July and October when the Mugunghwa flowers bloom. There are many places to go to in Hyoja-dong Sarangbang. Presents given from around the world to the president are displayed here. You can tour for free and buy Cheong Wa Dae souvenirs. One place you should not miss is "the Seven Palaces." The area has seven palaces with traditional houses and yards from the Joseon Dynasty. After opening in November 2001, many tourists have visited.A walk around the paths just outside the the Blue House grounds is a pleasure as the surroundings are peaceful and beautiful. The paths follow Gyeongbokgung Palace to Blue House and to Samcheong-dong Park. The walk from the East Gate of Gyeongbokgung Palace to the Blue House is the most beautiful part. With the road in the middle, there is the Gyeongbokgung Palace stone wall on the left and galleries and old buildings on the right. The stone wall of Gyeongbokgung Palace is scattered with beautiful old trees that will comfort you. With their colorful leaves, the path is a romantic course to walk through during the fall season. Across the street are Hyundai Gallery, Geumho Gallery and other famous galleries and stylish cafes. Of the many nice cafes and restaurants, there is "The Restaurant." Its interior is modern and one side of the building is a glass wall where you can enjoy viewing the scenery and the stonewall alley while dining. After you pass this area, and before you reach the Blue House, turn to the right and you will reach Samcheong-dong Park. There are many famous restaurants and galleries. In particular, on the way to Samcheong Park, there is a restaurant called 'Sancheong-dong Sujaebi' which is the most renowned in Samcheong-dong. If you walk pass the restaurant, you will find Samcheong-dong Park at the end of the road. There are many trees, a mineral spring, and another famous walking path. When you visit the Blue House, don't forget to take a stroll on the quaint and narrow Samcheong-dong street. It is much quieter than Insa-dong and is popular among foreigners
The Blue House

Yeongbingwan, the guest house

Ra and Eugene

Kel and Aaron

Jay and Swee Leong

group photo, near the Presidential House

Next stop for us is the ginseng shop, which of course, specialise in selling ginseng. No photography was allowed at this shop, it was like they were promoting some secret drug in the shop. That place gave us a very China feeling, it was as if we were transport to China, most probably due to all the Chinese-speaking shop assistants. It was amazing to see a wide array of ginseng products, from tablets, powder to cosmetics and ALL these do not come cheap, they were priced in US$. It was an exorbitant, time-wasting event, but nonetheless, it brought extra comission to davidgan & sean, all thanks to mdm show-off.

FYI:While six or seven types of ginseng are known worldwide, the most common types are the Asian Ginseng (Panax Ginseng) grown in Korea and North-East Asia, the American Ginseng (Panax quinquefolium L.) grown in the U.S. and Canada, and the Siberian Ginseng (Eleutherococcus senticosis) grown in China. The Asian ginseng root, whose shape resembles the human body, is categorized as a different species from the American or Siberian types. To distinguish it from other ginseng grown in the world, all of the ginseng cultivated in Korea is referred to as Goryeo ginseng. Goryeo ginseng is a perennial, shade loving plant, and as mentioned, the root forms “legs” and a “trunk” like a human body. A cultivated ginseng plant can take from four to six years to grow, from selecting the seeds to harvesting, and the more attention given to cultivation, the greater its medicinal effect. Korea has the optimal conditions for ginseng, whose cultivation requires the right natural environment. It is particularly sensitive to climate, to the amount of sunlight, and to soil. Considered a cure for various illnesses even in modern times, Goryeo ginseng has more effectiveness than any other type of ginseng and is effective towards prevention and treatment of most diseases. Because of this, Goryeo ginseng is more expensive than other kinds of ginseng. Sometimes ginseng produced in other countries is remade into Goryeo ginseng.

Due to the beautifiying effects of ginseng, most of the women in the tour group were very excited, especially at the cosmetics section. Mr. Sour Plum's wife(aka The Cash-eater) even demanded that he hand over his credit cards as she(supposedly) had spent most of her Won in the first 6 days already.

2 important lessons we learnt at the shop: 1)Never set your credit card limit to a very low value(such as 200 dollars) in case you need to purchase some thing that is way above that value, especially when you are going oversea. 2)Jay's advice:" No matter what you do, do not marry a Cash-eater..."

After the ginseng shop, we went to The Face Shop, which was just a few steps away. Davidgan was sooooo excited while at the exit of Ginseng shop, that he sprinted down the stairs, while mumbling the greatness of Faceshop products. He was like a mobile ambassador, promoting it so well, and not to forget, his knowledge tells alot about his shopping habits. Of course, the women nonetheless excited as David, as the face mask were way cheaper as compare to the FaceShop in Singapore, almost half-priced. The group made huge purchases at the Face Shop as it truly was much cheaper, though according to Jay, all the exotic face masks were MIA from the shop(only three types of masks were available, collagen, pearl and Q10). The ladies just grabbed a few packets of tens, as though it was some clearance closing-down sale. It is kinda obvious Collagen became the top-seller, as everyone fears wrinkles since it devalues your faces, esp for those concerned people like mdm cash.

Then, we went to the amethyst factory for some jewellery shopping, purchasing of purple colour rocks. Again no photo taking (Arggh!!!)... It brought some curiousity to mdm cash & gang, but what a disappointment, their purchases did not match the status they will trying to potray. Their puny small purchases gave black faces to the shop assistants who were convinced that the VISA cards they were holding could go for more credit transactions. Of course, mdm cash and show-off HAD to buy something and not to forget, to ask a few passer-bys (we) about our opinions of which pendants are better, just to "announce" that "im buying". We should have pointed that big rock to her and see whether she can swallow her pride and give sparkling faces to the shop assistants.

amethyst factory

Finally, it was lunch time, and for today, we had a 'special' meal, ginseng chicken. Once again, the special meal was not so special, the soup was bland and the chicken was dry from overcooking. It was like some rubbery 50year old chicken. The only saving grace was the wine they provided to be added inside the soup and the noodles(which is like a thicker version of mee sua).

ginseng chicken soup

wine

ginseng chicken noodle soup

group photo, ginseng chicken restaurant

After lunch, it was time for us to exprience some Korean culture, thus, we went to the Korea Cultural Center.

First up, we exprienced kimchi-making process... in fact, all the ingredients had been pre-prepared for us. We were just mixing the mixture with the vegetable. Of course, the so called exprience Korean culture was just another excuse and opportunity for them to promote more stuff for us to buy, in this case, it is... kimchi.

culture exprience

before

after..no we didnt ate them, it will be too horifying, it went to the bin.

FYI:
Since human beings began cultivating, they have enjoyed vegetables, which are rich in vitamins and minerals. However, the cold winter, when cultivation was practically unavailable, led naturally to the development of a storage method- pickling. As a kind of pickled vegetables, kimchi was born in Korea around the 7th century.
•
At the earliest stage, kimchi was just salted vegetable, but during the 12th century they saw the appearance of a new type of kimchi with some spices and seasonings, and in the 18th century, hot red pepper finally became one of the major spices for kimchi. In particular, thanks to the introduction of cabbages in the 19th century, they witnessed the same type of kimchi as we know it today.
•
It is suspected that the name kimchi originated from shimchae (salting of vegetable) which went through some phonetic changes: shimchae - dimchae - kimchae - kimchi.

group photo, after kimchi making

Second up, we tried on hanbok and of course, new costumes result in new photo taking moments. If not for the time constraints, we were had tried all the different backdrops available.

FYI:The women's hanbok is comprised of a wrap-around skirt and a jacket. It is often called chima-jeogori, 'chima' being the Korean word for skirt and 'jeogori' the word for jacket. The men's hanbok consists of a short jacket and pants, called 'baji', that are roomy and bound at the ankles. Both ensembles may be topped by a long coat of a similar cut called 'durumagi'. The Hanbok, worn today are patterned after those worn during the Confucian-oriented Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). The Yangban, a hereditary aristocratic class based on scholarship and official position rather than on wealth, wore brightly colored hanbok of plain and patterned silk in cold weather and closely woven ramie cloth or other high-grade, light weight materials in warm weather. Commoners, on the other hand, were restricted by law as well as finances to bleach hemp and cotton, and could only wear white, pale pink, light green, gray or charcoal colors.

raymond, eugene, jay

leong, aaron, kelvin

peace...

and quiet(not really...)..Ra is getting addicted to the whiff of tea aroma like some opium addict

group photo, Hanbok Fashion Show

After all the photo taking, we departed to watch Nanta Show, which is a highly entertaining performance, though no photography was allowed in the theatre, we enjoyed the show thoroughly.

FYI:Since first presented on stage in 1997, Nanta has been the must-see performance in Korea. 'NANTA' figuratively refers to reckless punching as in a slugfest at a boxing match. 'NANTA' is a non-verbal performance of reckless rhythms that dramatize customary Korean percussion in a strikingly comedic stage show. Integrating uniquely Korean traditional drumbeats with a western performance style, NANTA storms on stage into a huge kitchen where four capricious cooks are preparing a wedding banquet. While cooking, they turn all kinds of kitchen items - pots, pans, dishes, knives, chopping board, water bottles, even brooms and each other- into percussion instruments. The typical instruments used in Samulnori (Korean traditional percussions) have been replaced with diverse drums improvised from utensils commonly found in kitchens. Going back and forth from cooking to pounding out their rhythmic cadences, from cheerful banter to playful animosity, the kitchen crew creates visual humor and aural fun that irresistibly entice the audience to participate. As they complete the best dishes of the day, the performance culminates in a feast that is shared with the audience to both highlight and celebrate the communal bond found in a traditional Samulnori performance. Rhythm rules and audiences are swept along in the primitive sound explosion and actions on stage. Though the performance is built primarily on captivating rhythms and has very few spoken words, audiences of all ages and nationalities can easily enjoy the plot and dramas. Currently, Nanta is presented in two exclusive theaters, Cookin' Theater in the northern part of Seoul and PMC Theater in the southern part of Seoul. Cookin' Theater is near Jeongdongno Street which is excellent for strolls.

outside the theatre

Synopsis:
A cross-tempered manager orders three chefs to cook a major wedding banquet within a strict time limit. On top of that, he brings his mischievous nephew to work with them. Even though cooks don't like his nephew, they need the assistance. While they are cooking, they show their mistakes and happenings with dance and music. The sexy man and woman chefs are too busy with their love affairs. The mischievous nephew has trouble with cooks. While making a big cream cake for the highlight of the wedding, they lack time and good ideas. Luckily the nephew has a great idea, and the chefs complete the big cake and other dishes on time. Then, a fantastic wedding party is held. The typical instruments used in Samulnori (farmers' percussion quartet) have been replaced with diverse drums improvised from common kitchen utensils. Going back and forth from cooking to pounding out their rhythmic cadences, from cheerful banter to playful animosity, the kitchen crew creates visual humor and aural fun that irresistibly entice the audience to participate. As they complete the best dishes of the day, the performance culminates in a feast that is shared with the audience to both highlight and celebrate the communal bond found in traditional Samulnori performance.

it's showtime...

after the show...

After taking a few hours break from shopping, we resumed once we reached Dongdaemun Market...more like the big highlight of all the shopping areas in Seoul.

FYI:
Ever since its opening in 1905, Dongdaemun Market has been one of the major markets in Korea. Specializing in wholesale clothing, the market has grown large, having more than 20 shopping malls. A full range of fashion items that cover from head to toe, are found in Dongdaemun Market at inexpensive prices. Just name it and you shall find it! No wonder that the market is always crowded with retailers, foreigners, customers and tourists.

The main street divides Dongdaemun Market into 2 sections
Section 1 - Retail Shops

Huge shopping malls in Section 1 basically sell wholesale and retail goods, but mostly deal with general customers and tourists at retail prices. Thus, they have convenient facilities like money exchanges and information desks with English speaking staff. Open hours are also aimed at general customers, opening from 10 am to 5 am of the next day. With a pleasant interior, and rhythmical music played all day long, shopping malls in Section 1 draw many young people everyday. Various events organized by these shopping malls (7 or 8 pm) are also delightful. Sometimes you will get to see the youth come up on the stage in front of the mall, dancing or singing. Major shopping malls are Doosan Tower, Migliore, Freya Town and Hello apM.
Section 2 - Wholesale Shops

Shopping malls in Section 2 sell goods both in wholesale and retail, but mainly sell in bulk. That is why shopping malls here usually open at about 8 pm and close at 8 am or 5 pm the next day for the convenience of wholesalers. The peak time comes late at night through early morning. Since most shops deal with the wholesalers, there is no dressing room. Refunds and exchanges are not guaranteed, so make sure to check the quality and size carefully. Major shopping malls in Section 2 are Designer's Club, Migliore Valley, Nuzzon, Gwanghee Fashion Mall, Jeil Pyeonghwa, and Heungin Stardom. Among them, Jeil Pyeonghwa and Heungin Stardom attract customers in their thirties or forties with items of simple and elegant design. The teens or youths in their twenties usually visit Designer's Club, Migliore Valley, Nuzzon and Gwanghee Fashion Mall. There is a variety of sporting goods shops around the Dongdaemun stadium.

There were so many places for us to shop but so little time. It was like Bugis Shopping Street multiplied by a dozen. In the end we decided to split up so it would increase our shopping efficiency. The goods available were very nice and there were a wide variety of designs available. Of course, pirated goods were also available there, but not up to the par of imitation due to restrictions maybe. In terms of prices, they also offered a wide range. Those who were looking for cheap stuff should visit the open space stalls near to the stadium where better bargains can be found. Of course, Ra was looking for rip-off branded belts trying to cheat his bro by telling him it's geniune.

Dongdaemun Market

the streets at night

fashion accessories

more available

satisfied

Too bad our divide and conquer stragegy did not prevent us from being the last group to board the bus as we were trying to cover the whole area to look for the best price and Aaron had to rush back to the last shopping mall we went to purchase some shoes and Raymond had to buy some pirated belt for his fashion-savy brother(lol... can't wait to see his brother reaction to the fake belt). Some of us even end up empty handed. 2 hours were definitely not enough.

After using much energy to walk around Dongdaemun, it was time to statisfy our hunger pangs. For dinner, it was another 'special' meal, Bibimbap. Of course, no decent dinner in Korea comes without hotpot/hotplate/steamboat. Thus, other than the bibimbap, we served with a hotpot with balck fungus, and other vegetables inside...with pork belly and side dishes to go with the bibimbap.

FYI:Dolsot bibimbap is a variation of the bibimbap (minced meat, veggies, eggs, sesame oil, and hot bean paste mixed with rice) served in a heated stone pot. The stone pot works to retain the heat inside the dish while it is being eaten. The pots are hot enough to sizzle while the bibimbap is being mixed!

the hot pot

pork belly and other side dishes

Bibimbap

start to....

enjoy

Due to the myriad of shopping locations covered today, we reached our hotel rather late and not much time was available for us to venture out like yesterday, so we decided to visit Lotte Mart, which is just located next to our hotel.

FYI:Lotte Mart offers fresh groceries, high quality goods as well as famous fashion brands. You can also relax while shopping in fast food restaurants such as Lotteria and Popeyes, a music cafe or food court. Lotte Mart is located in Jamsil, where there are various leisure sites such as Lotte Department Store, Lotte Hotel, Lotte World amusement park, Folk Museum and a gym.

6F- Six Banquet Halls

5F- Four Wedding Halls

4F- Home Appliances, Sports, Golf, Children’s Wear, Food Court, Stationary, Toys

3F- Men’s & Women’s Wear, Women’s Suits, Casual Wear, Shoes

2F- Young Casual Wear, Denim, Watches, Shoes, Music Café, Leather goods, Other goods,

1F- Underwear, Cosmetics, Daily Supplies, Car Supplies, Handicrafts, Lotteria, Popeyes, Uno, Photo Atelier, Flower Shop

B1F- Groceries, Liquor, Snacks, Bakery

B2F~B3F- Parking Lot

Since our main motive is to stock up on food items to bring back to Singapore, we visited B1 which is somehow similar to our Fairprice, though they offer a much wider variety of goods.

Lotte Mart

Ra 'fired' up with the grabbing of seaweeds.

well-preserved

dried fishes

different variety of kimchi

Of course, Raymond, being the Shopping King(aka Resident Slut) was very excited when we were in the hypermart and would not allow anyone to stop him in his quest to buy the whole mart(..hmmm..). His policy:" If you never see it before, that means it is foreign, just grab it!". Basically our shopping cart was heavily loaded with lots of goods, almost like a month's worth of groceries.

Korea is a very environmental friendly country, so no plastic bags was provided for us to bring our harvest back to the hotel, however, they do have recycled boxes for us to pack our stuff in.(Bravo!)

packing our goodies

When we had packed our goodies, it was three full boxes. Luckily for us, there were 6 of us to share the load.

let's take a break

While we were walking back to the hotel, some of us got seduced into the Krispy Creme donuts shop located at the basement. OMG!!! They were giving out one whole donut as sample for FREE... even our group's food critics were very amazed at the quality of the donuts offered there. We were glad we stood there infront of the donut showcase dumbfounded as it provided us the opportunity to have some free samples. If Dunkin had put Singapore's donut to shame, Krispy Creme had banished them to the hall of shame totally.

Krispy Creme

Aaron and Swee Leong(who missed the opportunity to go to Krispy Creme) went to explore around the hotel as it was our last night in Korea. Thankfully for us, the other brought back Krispy Creme donuts for us and Eugene(who was resting in his room after the shopping spree at Lotte Mart). Aaron immediately shifted his loyalties from Dunkin to Krispy and was disappointed to find out that the shop had closed for the day. Hearing about the news was like losing loved ones as you can see the sadness in his eyes.

After savouring the donuts, we started to pack our luggage as we need to check out early in the morning tomorrow. Here comes the problem, due to the all the purchases we had made throughout the tour(especially Raymond), most of us had a hard time squeeze everything into our barang barang. In case of letting our luggage overshoot the weight limit, we even use the bathroom scale of the hotel to weigh our luggage, Raymond even had to go over to Jay's room in his long john only to borrow the scale as according to him, his weighing scale was spoilt. Lol... Raymond had a Kodak moment when he saw the weight of his luggage(which surprisingly, was below the weight limit). He yelled "Yesssssss! Yesssss!!!" His yes could prolly be heard miles away as the sound travelled through unlocked doors & drifted to the corridor.

After the big hoooo-haaaaa of packing our luggage, the group retired into the comfortable bed in Lotte World Hotel. The final night in Seoul... the final day in Korea will soon arrive... Meanwhile, Kim Myung-Ja, our chamber maid gave the prediction of the weather forecasts on a piece of paper placed near the table-lamp. Ra feeling cheated, as the temp has been hovering around the same interval & rather inaccurate, placed a "LIAR" word on the piece of paper. We just wondered how will Ms Myung-Ja faced the supervisor, it was both hilarious & evilness. Haha.