SMTOWN@coexartium

Idolatry at its best.

I want to talk about the real reason why we went to Seoul. For K-pop lah. I didn't want this to be just a typical ahjumma* holiday if you know what I mean. I want to explore cafes, see record labels where idols are made, spend a fortune on stationeries and merchandise, you know that sort of thing. As mentioned before, I get a lot of flak from families and colleagues for liking errthing Korean (they hurt okay) so let's give more things for them to talk about.

This is actually our first pit stop. SMTown, the record company for some of the best hallyu idols like Shinee, Super Junior, EXO, f(x), SNSD, TVXQ etc. has an exhibition of sort. Talk about taking idolatry to another level - you can find so many things here! Merchandise, 3D printing, huge jumbotron, hologram musical, merchandise -- you name it they have it!

Would be nice to have this glass exterior at home!

Pop-Up Cafe, where you can get idols-inspired desserts!

Hmm, not sure what are these though.

Kim Junmyeon, EXO leader a.k.a. my main squeeze. Heh.

Korean girls be like pogoshippeo oppa!

Absolute beauty.

* ahjumma - makcik2

N Seoul Tower

We made it to N (Namsan) Seoul Tower! Unfortunately it rained on that day so the view wasn't that clear. But thank goodness it wasn't that cold. 

Didn't put any lock. One, because I ran out money. Besides, I'm sure the EXO boys know how much I love them! (or BTS or Big Bang or Dynamic Duo or BS2T);p

PDA in Korea is EVERYWHERE. Couple shirts, couple shoes, kissing, hugging...Sweet, in a nauseating kinda way.

I love this elevator!

"How to take a photo of your boyfriend". lolz

Absolutely gorgeous view.

Shocking la sangat.

Twist Potato!

The best twist potato is right at the bottom of the N Seoul Tower! Especially when it's cold, and your twist potato is sizzling hot dipped in cheese powder. Heaven.

Street food at Myeongdong

Sotong bakar on the streets of Myeongdong! Sedap. Taste like ayam percik I kid you not!

itaewon mosque

The majestic mosque in Itaewon.

Before this I only know Itaewon from The Case of Itaewon Homicide, a 2009 Korean movie starring Jang Geun-Suk.

Heheh.

Itaewon is pretty cool, because the minute you step out of the subway you can already feel the international atmosphere, thanks to its US military base here. The uphill road heading towards the mosque are Halal restaurants from neighboring countries including India, Pakistan, Malaysia etc. We ate a place called Muree Muslim Food Restaurant, where I ordered a big portion of chicken briyani. It was so-so lah, but I was more than happy to stuff myself with rice!

Also saw a couple of tattoo parlors hedged in between those halal restaurants. Talk about co-existing in diversity! 

dongdaemun design plaza

It was a surreal feeling to be able to visit DDP!

The futuristic design is completely out of this world and way ahead of time. I nearly cried when I saw it!

Also the best place to do your #ootd by the way.

:)

Sewol tragedy memorial at Gwanghwamun Square

Nothing is more eerie than seeing the photos of the kids who perished in the Sewol ferry tragedy back in April 2014. You could almost hear the laughter of the kids just by looking at their photos. 304 passengers perished, while 9 are still missing. 

There is makeshift memorial here at Gwanghwamun Square in downtown Seoul, near the golden statue of King Sejong the Great. I saw an old man staring forlornly at the statue, before he was called for lunch in one of the food tents there. I hope he is not one of the parents of the missing students because it really broke my heart just seeing him. Can't imagine the pain he has to go through, just waiting there everyday, for answers.