Day 5: Hello Kitty Cafe in Hongdae

My surreal moments continued when we set foot to our next destination, the Hello Kitty Cafe in Hongdae! As a big fan of Hello Kitty since childhood, I have always wanted to go to its cafe so when we planned our trip to Korea, I gleefully added it to our itinerary (of course with the permission of my co-travellers, kamsahamnida chinggus! ❤)  Warning: Overuse of the word "cute"

How to go? Go to Hongik University Station Line 2 Exit 9. From there, you can follow this map.

As soon as I saw the pink gate, my heart pumped with excitement. Couldn't wait to see what's in store for us inside! We definitely took a lot of pictures before entering. That pink bow is irresistible! 🎀

We went upstairs and greeted by this two-storey pink house. Omo! 😮 Feels like home! Hahaha.

 There were these cutesy Hello Kitty chairs outside. Another photo op with our girly pose. Snap a shot every chance you get! 📸

Are you ready to go inside? Let me give you a tour in this adorable cafe. 💕 This cafe is quite big. The first floor is consists of the gift shop, counter, kitchen and seats while the second floor contains HK's bedroom and more seats.

As you enter and go right, you will pass by the counter where you can order food & beverage. They also have display of their cakes. From there, you can go straight ahead and check for available seats. There were also seats upstairs, but we decided to stay in the first floor. We were the only ones there so I roam around the place. Almost everything was pink and has Hello Kitty on it! How can you not love this place? 😍

At the left part is the gift shop. Any HK fan would really go crazy inside this shop. It's a bit expensive though.

 

 Spotted this queen HK inside the shop. Wish I could bring her home someday!

I also saw this cute display on the wall on my way to the gift shop.

We ordered food and was given this cute buzzer.

 

While waiting for the food, we went upstairs. Even the walls are painted with Hello Kitty!

 

Love this cute wall decoration! It adds up to the home vibes.

You will get to see HK's bedroom. Every girls dream room. Photo op again! Ready your just woke up poses!

 It also has vanity area inside. Guess HK is also obssessed with beauty!

 Closer look of the mirror. Hmm. Bedroom design idea! What do you think?

 Outside, there is a giant HK display. I know right, my outfit doesn't go well with the theme. I'm sure HK would understand. 😂

We did not get the chance to check the seats upstairs because we immediately went back to check our food. So here, we ordered one beverage per person as required and one order of meal only as it is a bit expensive. Hahaha. Talk about cheapskates!

When it comes to taste, i think it is just a so-so, the kind of taste that you can find in any ordinary cafe. However, we would like to give them a thumbs up for the presentation! We were hesistant at first to drink it because of the HK design.

Indeed, it was a fun and memorable experience. I fell in love with the ambiance and the cuteness of the place. What are your waiting for? Unleash your inner girly girl and pay a visit in this cafe!

Kdrama Review: Hwarang

I mentioned in my earlier post that I am not a fan of historical kdramas but after my tearjerking yet lovely experience with Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo, I decided to give historical kdramas a try - I chose Hwarang.

Hwarang is one of the highly anticipated kdrama of 2016. This kdrama gained a lot of attention even before its airing because of its visually stunning casts: Park Seo Joon, Park Hyung Sik, Choi Min Ho, Do Ji Han, Jo Yoon Woo and Kim Tae Hyung. With these visuals, what more could you ask for?

Photo is from Dramafever.com

This kdrama series is based on Hwarang - an elite group of male youth from the Kingdom of Silla. In the story, they are formed by Queen Jiso to protect the throne and control the powerful nobles. They were trained in horsemanship, swordsmanship, archery even arts and literature. You'll see Hwarangs doing various stuff which is quite fun to watch.

I was lured to watch Hwarang because of Park Seo Joon (I loved him in She was Pretty) and Park Hyung Sik (I was addicted to Min-min in Strong Woman Do Bong Soon) however my eyes were totally fixed on Park Ban Ryu played by Do Ji Han. He may have the coldest character among the Hwarangs but he is also the most innocent and lovable one.

The story. I like that the whole Hwarang thing is new to me (there's a lot to know about South Korea's history) however there is something lacking on how it was told and executed. 

The first four episodes of Hwarang is relatively slow-paced and dry that I didn't understand the flow of the story at all. The story progress a bit starting the 5th episode but it was so steady until the last episode, which I'm not sure if that's a good thing. I was waiting for that climactic scene that will keep me on the edge of my seat but it didn't happen. 

The romance. I was quite disappointed with the romance between Sun Woo and Ah Ro as well as they were not very convincing; they lacked chemistry and connection - their brother-sister relationship is actually much more convincing. I honestly didn't care much on their love story that I skipped some of their scenes. Sorry. LOL. 

While the main couple's romance is ineffective, there is a cute couple that stole my heart; it was Soo Yoon and Ban Ryu's sweet romance. They are just so adorable and kakilig. I hope to see them again together.

The bromance. Kdrama without a bromance is incomplete. Agree? LOL! Sun Woo - Ji Dwi, Soo Ho - Ban Ryu and the Hwarang's bromance is not as intense and hard-core (what a term! hahaha) as the other bromances that I watched but it was enough to keep me from watching.

 I particularly love Soo Ho and Ban Ryu's bromance. They act indifferent but they secretly care for each other. I guess their neverending fight built their friendship.

Final Verdict: Hwarang is a good story with a laid -back climax. It was boring at times, there were loose ends and flaws but I must say, I still enjoy this kdrama. I survived because of the Hwarangs; seeing them is enough reason to watch it until the last episode.

Kdrama Review: Goblin

Goblin is one of the most raved kdramas of 2016. Even Filipino celebrities are talking about this kdrama! Thus, we got curious and joined the hype. Like every relationship, we had our love-hate moments with this kdrama. We've listed it all for you in this review. Enjoy reading! 😊

The story revolves around Kim Shin - an immortal Goblin waiting for his mortal bride to end his long life. Amidst his search, he found himself living with a nameless Grim Reaper. They both fell in love with a human and the story continues as they overcome their forbidden love and their complicated past lives.

Here are the things that we love. ❤

1. It is not your stereotypical kdrama. We haven't heard of a Goblin before (is it just us? hahaha) and the Grim Reaper we know is a scary and monstrous creature weilding a large scythe which is a complete opposite of how this kdrama portrayed the Grim Reaper. 😬

 What makes Goblin special is how intricate the plot was written. The intertwined fate of the characters' past, present and future will make you watch for more.

 The theme was all about life and death. Although, it may sound disturbing for some, it was depicted in an excellent way - leaving the viewers an important lesson to cherish each moment with their loved ones. 👪

2. Goblin and Grim Reaper's bromance is a breath of fresh air. These ahjussis annoying each other and fighting like lovers are childish and silly yet fun to watch. It will keep you begging for more! 😂

3. Deok Hwa is a ray of sunshine. He was spoiled and immature but he added happiness and extra cuteness to this kdrama. His relationship with his samcheons is adorable - I can't get over with the playstore scene.. hahahaha. It must've been hard for him raising his two samcheons. LOL. Plus he's Yook Sung Jae whom we really love. ♥💘

4. Grim Reaper and Sunny's ill-fated love. This pair has phenomenal chemistry that we ended up liking them more than the main couple. Their awkward relationship is so cute, funny and heartbreaking as well. 💔

5. Lee Dong Wook's acting is remarkable. He acted naive, funny and eccentric at times but for emotional scenes, you can see the depth of his emotions even without saying a word. He's the most lovable character in this kdrama! - atleast for us.. 

6. Cute Secretary. He's serious but he brought laughter to us like ROFL. See for yourself.

 7. Oppa Spotted 🔎.  We know its improper to call them oppas but we'll call them oppa anyway (we have our won definition of the word oppa LOL). They don't have major roles but they caught our attention and made our hearts flutter.

 

 8. OSTs will leave you with last song syndrome. We don't even know the lyrics but we kept singing gibberish hahahah! Stay With Me and Beautiful are some of our favorites. ♪♩♫♬🎶🎵

Everytime we hear Stay With Me's  intro, this scene flashes instantly.

 9. Cinematography is visually stunning! It captured the best picturesque scenes.

While there are lots of reasons why we love this drama, we have some animosities toward this drama as well.

1. Eun Tak and Goblin's romance makes us cringe at times. It is probably because of their age gap in the story. Yes, they are cute moments but we were not fully convinced of the love they have for each other. We felt like it was not well-developed and it was like more of a brotherly love than romantic love.

2. The story was wrapped up weakly. SPOILER ALERT!! Okay, the sword was pulled out of Shin's chest and had died but he returned as an immortal Goblin again. So in the end, Shin is destined to be the lonely, immortal Goblin since Eun Tak has only three chances to be reincarnated? Well...we don't know. 

3. The first part of Goblin is slow-paced and flashbacks are tiresome. There are scenes that are repetitive and insubstantial that we almost stopped watching it. 

4. We hope they showed more of the young Kim Sun and King Yeo as they look really cute together. ❤

Rating: 7.8/10

Final Verdict: They say there is a thin line between love and hate and that is what we felt in this drama. We don't dislike it but we don't love it either. We are not discouraging you from watching. We have different taste when it comes to kdramas so we'll just leave the judgement to you and let us know your thoughts. 😉

Day 5: Haneul Park

Looking for a picturesque park to visit during autumn? Then, look no further! We highly recommend you to visit Haneul Park (also known as Sky Park) and be prepared to gasp in awe with its scenic views. 😍

It was sunny but chilly when we went here, just a perfect weather to wander into this beautiful park away from the city's hustle and bustle. 🌤

How to go? Take the subway to World Cup Stadium Station on Line 6 and head out at Exit 1. Once you're here look for the East Gate of the stadium, walk upstairs. Keep heading westward until you see the park in the distant.

 

Enjoy the endless views of colorful autumn trees. 🍂🍁

Just keep walking up to this area and go downstairs. You should see a huge open ground for you to walk towards the mountain-looking hill.

Don't let the opportunity pass and strike a pose while crossing the pedestrian lane. 📸🚶🏼‍♀️

Another line of autumn trees! Sit for awhile here to regain energy. 💪🏻 Trust me, you'll need it later! 😉

 

Or you might want to go for a photoshoot again with your chinggu? 📸👯

Follow the maps along your way until you see this overpass decorated with flowers. 🌸 Go straight ahead and you will find yourself at the base of the park.

See that zigzag stairs? 😵 This is what they call the "Stairway to Heaven". You will need to climb 291 steps before you can fully see the paradise. Aja!

Uh oh! Not yet there! Don't worry, there were chairs for you to rest right after climbing. 😓

 

Along our way, we have passed by these cute children who seems to be having their fieldtrip.

Finally! We have reached the park and were welcomed with this vast field of "Eulalia Grass" under the clear blue sky. 🌾 Feels like we're dreaming!

Want a closer look? 👀

It was surreal seeing the hues of yellow and green grass slowly rippling in the wind. 💛💛💛

Of course, we had our photos taken! Most of our time here was spent taking pictures. 😂 We can't help, it was so instagram-worthy. Here are some of them. We found orangy grass that's really perfect for a dramatic pose. HAHAHA! Work it girls! 🤷🏼‍♀️

 

There is also an observation deck in the middle of the field which is called "Bowl Full of Sky". It is where you can have breathtaking views of Seoul. From here you will see Han River, Bukhansan Mountain, Namsan Mountain and the highest building of Seoul, 63 Building. Sorry I forgot to take a picture of how the deck looks like, but here is the view on top. 🔭

 

 

We also walk going back. For those who may get tired from walking, there is a shuttle to take you back down.

Enchanting isn't it? Who would believe it was once a mountain of garbage? Kudos to Seoul Metropolitan Government for transforming it into an ecological park. 👏🏻 It is now a popular spot amongst the locals for photoshoots and picnics.

Absolutely a perfect place to feel the refreshing breeze and immerse into the beauty of nature. 🍃 No wonder this ended up being our most favorite and most photogenic spot in Korea during our trip. 👍🏻 Know other parks worth checking out? Share them with us in the comment section below!