Wait a Seconds

Apparently - and quietly - another one of my favourite Korean fast fashion brands has a store in MNL!

8 Seconds is part of the triumvirate of fast fashion shops that's always in my itinerary whenever I'm in Seoul. The other 2 are Top Ten and SPAO.

After Top Ten opened this year in Gateway 2, 8 Seconds opened its first store in MOA. This is probably why the opening was unknown to me. It's just too far!

But knowing that they're open, I can't wait to visit their store soon.

Mmm-bap

A few months back, Mark and I had a Bibimbap lunch in Seoul.

Yesterday, I had this sudden craving for Bibimbap again. Thankfully, there's a BonChon near the house.

Cravings satisfied.

On the surface

Was going through the photos on my phone when I chanced upon a series of photos that were taken when Mark and I were in Seoul a few months back.

It's a series of photos of the different surfaces on the Sungnyemun Gate near the hotel where we were staying.

Each part of the gate - whether it was a wall or ceiling - was so ornately designed that it was truly a feast for the eye. And the great thing this place is the fact that it's free and open to the public.

If I were living in Seoul, I'd probably hang out at this gate and marvel at the different surfaces as often as I can.

Baby Talk

At the King Sejong Museum, there was an interactive activity where you type in your birthday and they’ll give you your personality.

For my birthday, here’s what came out:

Yes, my personality is like a “Quiet and Leisurely Sleeping Baby.”

Strange as it may sound, but it’s actually quite accurate. Harhar!

Wrapping up

On my last day in Seoul, while wandering around Nandaemun Market, I found this store which will be my new favourite place in the city.

It's a gift wrapping shop!

As much as I wanted to hoard wrappers, my bags were already neatly packed - as well as full. So, resisting the urge to snap up all these wrappers was Priority One. 

But during my next Seoul trip, this is definitely the place that I'll spend mot of my time at.

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.

Bay the way

Since we're on the subject of "Something in the Rain."

In that K-drama, Son Ye Jin was working at a coffee company called "Coffee Bay." From the 1st to the 16th episode, we'd always see Coffee Bay - from the exterior, to the interior, to the stockroom - it was all over the place.

One thing that was always on my mind was: "Is Coffee Bay a real place in Seoul."

And during my last trip, the answer finally presented itself.

It is a real coffee shop! And this is the branch near Seoul Station.

Leave it to K-dramas to make people curious about Korean brands.

Sun and Rain

Yup, it rained at one point of our Seoul trip. And this was my cue to just stay at the hotel and have a snack.

This iteration of Sun Chips - Garlic Baguette - was super good! Was able to down 2 packs of these during my stay, and it makes me feel bad that they don’t have this flavour in MNL. Then again, they might have it in Korean sores, so that’s something to check out.

Of course, the chips were paired with something unmistakably Korean -Banana Milk! Yummers!

Even if this day was spent mostly lazing around the room, it still was a day well-spent.

Dramatic Drink

While at Lotte Mart at Seoul Station, a certain product caught my eye.

It was a can of beer with a very light and refreshing hue of blue and orange. After looking at it for a few minutes, I remembered where I first saw this can of beer. 

This was the beer that Son Ye Jin and the other main characters in “Something in the Rain” would drink when they’d get together.

As a new K-drama follower, this curiosity led me to buy the beer and bring it back to the hotel.

Oh, the things that K-dramas make you do.

COS I’m blue

It was our last day in Seoul and one realization was that I haven’t bought anything for myself. That wasn’t an unusual moment, and it was actually a source of pride.

One store that was part of my “must-check-out” list was Flying Tiger Copenhagen. The store that I knew was all the way in Lotte World Mall in Jamsil, and that was a good 40-minute train ride from the hotel. But again, it was on the agenda.

Upon reaching Lotte World Mall, it wasn’t at the basement where it was before. They used to be located just across H&M, but now it’s gone! Just as I was about to get bummed, it turned out that they moved to the 3rd floor. Whew!

Yes, it’s the same Flying Tiger with all the fun and quirky stuff that we know and love from their Tokyo store, but admittedly, nothing really caught my eye. So, that visit ended with me still not having bought anything for myself.

While walking back to the subway station, I noticed that the store in front of the old Flying Tiger was COS! 

After ducking in and browsing, I left with this nice pair of jeans:

It’s a dark blue denim with a low rise and a cropped length. Sort of unusual, but it’s very much true to the Korean aesthetic, which is probably why they had it in the Seoul store.

With that, the possibility of leaving Seoul empty handed was finally out!

Melrose in Myeongdong

In 2021, the Melrose gang planned an Anniversary trip to Seoul in 2022.

Due to scheduling concerns and life changes, that trip didn’t push through. Even though we still talked about it, there were no concrete plans when it would happen.

But sometimes, things happen when they aren’t; planned. And last week, 3 of the Melrose members - Rommel, Bong & me - found ourselves meeting is Seoul.

The funny thing about this meet up is that Rommel reminded me that it was around the same time - 5 years ago - that the 3 of us met up in JKT!

We’re really living up to our name as Melrose International.

Oppa-rtunity

It started when Mark said that he didn't have anything to wear on his flight back to Manila. The clothes that he brought to Seoul were just enough for the entire stay, and his only option was to wear shorts on the flight back to Manila.

Since wearing shorts in Seoul's currently cold and rainy weather was a "no can do," this was an opportunity for me to put together something for Mark.

Myeongdong was just 5 minutes away from our hotel, so the task was easier. My game plan was to first check out my go-to local brands - SPAO, Top Ten and 8-Seconds. As back-up, there are the non-Korean brands like Uniqlo and Muji.

Since Seoul fast-fashion brands are now selling Spring clothes, it was easy to find something that's appropriate both in Seoul and Manila. Something light, easy-to-wear and versatile. And with our current location as inspiration, something "Oppa" would also be a great idea.

And voila! 

The first thing that I found was the pair of light khaki slacks from Top Ten. The fabric was super soft, the silhouette was breezy, but with pleats in front to make it look sharp. The striped top is from Muji, and the cardigan was something that Mark brought with him. Actually, that gray cardigan was part of my consideration set when buying this outfit.

After buying everything and putting it on the hanger, it really did give out that K-drama vibe that I'd see in those Netflix shows.

With that, Mark came back to MNL looking like a cool, Korean.

Meals with Mark: Ari-run

It was lunch time and Mark and I wanted to eat at a more authentic and hole-in-the-wall place.

We spotted a small restaurant ear the hotel and decided to try it. The fact that there were a lot of locals who were ducking in the restaurant for lunch - it was a good sign that the resto must be authentic. So, it was decided that our lunch would be at “Arirang.”

Yup, the food and side dishes were so fresh and local. We both had the vegetable Bibimbap, and they served it with 4 side dishes which Mark ranked based in how good they were: salted fish with greens, kimchi, mushrooms and boiled spinach.

There was also a shared side dish which tasted like a cross between a tteok-bokki and kimchi. Also delish! 

It was a filling and satisfying meal. And considering the name of the restaurant and what it means, it was also a very apt and providential choice.

Modern Tradition

Just outside our hotel, there was a Starbucks outlet that Mark and I had to try. While we’ve been in different Starbucks branches in Seoul, this was different.

First, the facade was based on a traditional Korean house. Second, there was a seating area where you’d have to sit the traditional way: sitting on the floor sans shoes. And that’s what we did.

It’s nice when modern places give a nod to ancient traditions.

Kings of Seoul

A lot of the Korean series that I follow are period pieces. Because of that, i’m familiar with the King’s throne and the screen behind it.

Those 2 are fixtures at the throne room and we often see them in scenes whenever the king makes a big decision.

After seeing it so many times, it was time to experience sitting on the King’s throne!

Tadaa! Mark and I got to sit on this throne replica at the Museum of King Sejong in Seoul.

Now, we’ve officially experienced the Joys of Jeonha!

Feeding my Seoul

Whenever I’m in Seoul, first on the agenda is a quick snack. 

So, an hour after touchdown, it was off to 7-11 for this:

With a Triangle Gimbap and Chilsung Cider in hand, it’s safe to say: Annyeong Seoul! I’m back!

Getting back to (the new) normal

As we get ready to welcome the new year, it's always nice to look at the year that was.

"New Normal" is a term that's been around since the later part of 2020, but it was this year that it felt like we were really moving in to it.

With the travel rules easing, masking becoming optional, and more people going out, it started to feel like the world was going back to what it used to be. But of course, there were still indicators of the pandemic - people still wearing masks, the reluctance to remove masks in public places, the practice of social distancing, and the feeling of overall cautiousness.

Personally, we started to go to the office more often. Our shoots were a bit more relaxed, sans the face shields but still with a lot of swab tests. Meeting up with friends became a tad (just a tad) bit more frequent. And yes, this was the year that I was able to travel again.

First, it was to Bicol with the family. That was the first domestic trip. 

Second, Mark and I were able to go to Seoul before the year ended. That was a special trip in a lot of ways.

And as 2023 comes rolling along, it feels like we'll start to do a bit more "normal" things. Hopefully, with more confidence and less reluctance.

Thanks for easing us to a new sense of normalcy, 2022. And we're hoping for a better a more "normal-normal" 2023!

Snacks with Seoul

Call it a “Seoul hangover” after our trip last October, but my cravings for Korean snacks are becoming more frequent.

Good thing there’s a Korean Store a few meters away from the house! It’s so easy to get this:

Chisu Cider is the equivalent of Sprite in Korea, but it’s less sweet and lighter, which is great for me. And the corn chips is one of the things that I discovered in the Lotte Supermarket. It’s a snack that I liked after tasting it. Mark, not so much.

My Seoul snacking self is happy!

Abi there

For a teacher, one of the greatest joys is seeing your student thrive and succeed in the professional world.

That's exactly how I felt after having dinner with one of my former students, all the way in Seoul!

Abi was one of my Advertising students in SSC. After graduation, she pursued a career in Advertising Media, working for A-list media companies like Starcomm.

Eventually, she spread her wings further and took on an overseas posting in BKK. There, she continued to impress her bosses until they offered her another posting in Seoul.  Knowing she was there, meeting up with her was one of the items on my agenda for this trip. 

Listening to her story reminded me so much of myself during my younger days. (Albeit I was older than her when the expat life beckoned.) This made for great conversation while waiting for our Chicken Galbi to cook.

Knowing her as a student and hearing how she is now, I'm sure this is just the start of a very successful career in Advertising for her. Whether it's here or there or anywhere.

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.