Of Sandalwood and Childhood

The smell of Sandalwood always reminds me of my childhood.

Because we have Spanish family members, the bar soap that you’d often find in our bathrooms was Mama. It was a Spanish brand with a black and red packaging, punctuated with a dancing Spanish woman. That soap had a very strong Sandalwood scent.

So did Peach Blossom, another soap that you’d find in our bathrooms. It was this wood coloured soap with a super strong scent that stays on long after you’ve used it.

Then, there’s Lola Dita’s Wood fan. It also emitted that same scent profile each time she opens and uses it.

Because of these scent memories, I’ve had a fondness for Sandalwood scents. Even if most people find it too old, i’d Always find myself gravitating towards that kind of scent.

That’s why Diptyque’s “Tam Dao” appealed to me the moment Imtook a whiff at Shinsegae Duty Free in Myeongdong.

Let me say, it’s like reliving my childhood with every spray.

Same same but different

From my last visit in 2019 to my visit last October, Myeongdong has changed a lot.

It might have been because of the pandemic, but there were so many closed shops and empty spaces even in the main shopping street. Some of the places I'd frequent, like The Alley and Jamba Juice, were both closed.

Luckily, some of my favourites are still there, in the same place where they were during my last visit.

Like Yoogane, which is a great place to eat galbi.

And the ice cream place that has been there since 2010! Thus, even if it was 10 degrees outside, that same ice cream was on the agenda. Albeit a different flavour.

These made Myeongdong feel the same, but different.

Seoul for the Soul

Myeongdong Cathedral is one of the places that I never fail to visit every time I'm in Seoul.

From the first visit until today, it has this calming presence in the middle of the hustle and bustle of the area. Each time my trip coincides on a Sunday, hearing mass here is on top of the agenda.

When Mark and I dropped by last 2 Saturdays ago, they didn't have a mass and the Cathedral was closed in preparation for the anticipated Korean mass. 

So, we just stopped by the grotto instead.

Of course, we lit some candles to thank Him for this opportunity to travel together and spend a few days there.

We'll definitely hear Mass at the Cathedral the next time we travel to Seoul.

LFLTAT: Say Crochet

While Mark and I were roaming the underground mall in Myeongdong, there was a stall that sold a lot of outfits that were straight out of K-dramas. Summer and spring outfits, at least.

In one stall, a dress on the rack immediately caught my eye. This was despite the fact that it was sandwiched in between other dresses. 

It was a white dress with puffy sleeves, and it came with a crocheted vest.

Rushing to the stall, it turns out that the dress was one-of-a-kind and they don't have others like it anymore. Unique - check!

The price? It was just W15,000! That's less than P700! Affordable - check!

That's how a random underground mall walk led me to the first LFLTAT from Seoul.

And it's not the last.

Meals with Mark: Dynamic Duo

One of the most popular food combinations in Seoul is the "Fried Chicken & Beer" combo.

Whether it's in a  Kdrama or IRL, you always see scenes of people indulging in this duo. And whenever I'd catch a glimpse of them biting into those crispy pieces of fried chicken, it makes me want to indulge in it myself.

That's why Mark and I didn't miss the chance to do like the South Koreans do and eat at a chicken & beer restaurant.

Actually, there's this popular spot in Myeogdong where the chicken and beer restaurants are lined up in a row. The first time I ate there was in 2019 with the production peeps, and it took me 3 years to come back, this time with Mark.

We chose the place with the least number of people and settled on a table inside the restaurant, but near the doorway to get the outdoor feels.

Just as it is in the Kdramas, this duo enjoyed the fried chicken and beer duo a lot!

Get me to the church on time

Among the first things I researched before my Seoul trip was the location of the nearest Catholic Church. Since I was spending Sunday there, hearing mass was an imperative.

Luckily, the Myeongdong Cathedral, the seat of Catholicism in Seoul, was just 3 stations away from where I was staying. Further research revealed that there's only 1 English mass at 9:00 am, so the date and time were set.

This morning, I left the hotel early to give a bit of time to find the place. By 8:40 am, I was in Myeongdong, then 10 minutes after, I found the place, quietly walked into the area that said "For Foreign Visitors" and took my seat. Picking up the literature, it said "Seoul Presbyterian Church."

Yup, wrong church.

After quietly sneaking out, off I ran and looked up to try and locate the bell tower of the cathedral. And after 5 minutes, I saw it!

Good thing it was just a few blocks away.



Got inside a few minutes after the mass started. For a Catholic Church on a Sunday, it wasn't very full. After seeing Catholic Churches in Hong Kong, Bangkok, China, and Japan, it was a surprising sight. Churches - even in North Asian countries - are usually packed to the rafters. But not so much in Seoul.




Another surprise is that there aren't too many Filipinos. Unlike in the church in Yotsuya, Japan, where there are multitudes of Pinoys - plus the occasional Pinoy vendors - there were only a handful here in Myeongdong.

The interiors of the church was very nice. It's reminiscent of the interiors of the Notre Dame in Paris. The interiors and exteriors were very European in look and feel.



The only Asian elements I saw were the statue of the first Korean saint, and this very nice portrait of the 79 beatified martyrs in Korea. Looking at the photo inspired me to read up on their story - which I'll probably do after this.



After mass, it was off to Myeondong for breakfast, then a bit of shopping before heading off to the temples. And writing about that episode is something I'm saving for next time.