The dawn of the beginning of the rise of the final semester

Where did my holiday go??

HAHAHA I just found photos of myself when I was frizzy haired and had really bad taste in handbags. -_-

So right, where were we? Ah, yes....my semester has just started and this will be the final of all my semesters (inshallah). The final hurdle. The final bump on the road to my degree. The final semester where I can call myself as an architecture student. let alone a student. (until I decide to further my studies. which I will)

Does this mean I've figured everything out already? Does this mean I'm capable of making rational decisions as an adult? Does this mean I'm ready for the working world?

My answer to you is : honestly...I don't think I am. I don't think I am ready for whats out there. I don't think I'm capable of making rational decisions yet. I can't even decide on what to wear for tomorrow's studio trip. (no no, I have decided actually hahaha)

I am still learning. I am still evolving. I am still figuring things out. Apart of me knows what I want to achieve...yet, apart of me still feels like a little child scared and unsure of everything. 

Is this normal? Is this what other people go through too? Did those before me go through the same thing? Why is it so difficult to find the answer to what I really want?

Apart of me wants to get dressed up and grow up & become an adult (or at least figure out how to be an adult) and apart of me just wants to stay in bed all day and all night. 

Growing up is so difficult. And sometimes I can't believe things have changed so much since I first started writing in this blog. 

I guess eventually I will learn to grow up. I will adapt to the new world I am about to step into. I will welcome this new environment into my life and let go of the past.

xx,

Sarah

I'm probably gonna read back this blog post and laugh at myself.

Travel Diary : South Korea Part 3

Gyeongbukgong Palace, Seoul, South Korea

Hello and selamat malam from my cozy bed in Malaysia. Ladies and gentlemen and fellow travel junkies, here it is! the FINAL PART OF MY 3-PART TRAVEL DIARY to South Korea :D

Thank you to those who have been following my blog! and for those who just stumbled across my blog, I welcome you with a virtual high 5! and if you're wondering where you can read up on the first 2 parts, you can read it here by clicking on the links : part 1 and part 2

First of all, I'd like to apologise for the delay. I sent in my laptop for repair cause the speakers are messed up and I wanted to listen to crystal clear sound :P 

*current music obsession : Tycho;*

5.2.2015 || Day 11 : Jeonju to Seoul

After having the famous bibimbap at Hanok Village in Jeonju, Amal and I took the 6.50 pm bus to Seoul. 

The bus was the executive bus with lots of leg room and was really comfortable. It was similar to the 1st bus we took while we were on our way to Daejeon.

Eventually, Amal and I arrived at the Express Bus Terminal in Seoul at about 9.30 pm.

After retrieving our bags (with the ever so helpful bus driver), Amal and I took the subway to Hongdae where we booked a hostel recommended to me by a friend. The hostel is called Dustin's Place and it is located literally about 2 minutes away from the subway entrance and was really easy to find. We booked for 3 days 2 nights through Hostel world.com on my iphone. The passbook app on the iPhone is really helpful in organising my bookings and I'm pretty impressed with it. (noob)

So anyway, we got to book our hotel for about RM 183.40 for 2 beds 2 nights. Dustin's place has  your basic facilities, beds (in our dorm there wasn't any curtain for the beds), 2 shared bathroom, hot water (really hot and it doesn't run out hahaha),  pantry, complimentary breakfast (jam and toast), common room & common computer and even a rooftop area. The staff, Sabrina, a singaporean whom migrated to Korea, was very friendly and inviting :D

The place is a lot smaller compared to Inno and it is located on the 4th floor so...be prepared for stairs and stairs and stairs. The floors are heated and you don't have to worry about being cold. 

After getting settled in, Amal and I crashed and slept the whole night.

6.2.2014 || Day 12 : Hongdae & Myeongdong

Our agenda for the last week in Korea compromised of shopping, shopping and more shopping :P hahaha we didn't do much site seeing (or is it sight seeing?) 

We went about Hongdae and eventually we decided to go to Myeongdong where I shopped and shopped and shopped! 

I got a few items :

1) Lush cosmetics (cause there is no lush in Malaysia boohoo)

Golden wonder bath bomb (it was an xmas special and I guess they were just trying to finish it up)

Cupcake fresh face mask

Titsy Tosty bath bomb.

2) The K-pop group named boyfriend for my little sister. I got the autographed one. aren't I nice?

3) various cosmetics from Etude House, Face Shop, Nature Republic

4) Socks. LOTS AND LOTS OF SOCKS :P

7.2.2014 || Day 13 : Ewha Women's University & Myeondong

Walked around Ewha and did some shopping there. I even had coffee at a cat cafe in the area and it is much cheaper than in Myeongdong.

We also checked out of our hostel in Hongdae and went back to Inno Hostel in Hapjeong where we had booked for the remaining days left in Korea.

I had to buy a new winter coat cause some idiot barfed on my wool jacket as I was on my way back from Myeongdong. It was really cheap for a winter coat but it kept me warm and that was important.

it looks like this ;D

8.2.2014 || Day 14 : Dinner with Ryu & his sister

On day 14 of our trip, Amal and I were really running out of ideas on what to do. We had visited almost all the tourist spots and even walked around to the outskirts of the city. 

So that day I just enjoyed some quality me time in our hostel and drank hot milo out on the balcony embracing the coldness of winter.

At about 4pm, Amal & I met Ryu & his sister at Seoul Station. The 4 of us then went on to a different part of Seoul that I've never been to.

I don't remember the name of the place but it was a nice suburban area with a lot of theatres and art performances. We went up to the Naksan Village to check out another mural village just like in Jeonju only this was higher and it was the coldest temperature yet. It was difficult for me to walk as I was carrying a heavy bag and was climbing up the steps in a pair of sneaker wedges.

Lesson learnt : DONT WEAR SNEAKER WEDGES. unless you know EXACTLY where you're going.

While walking up the torturous hill in my awesome sneaker wedges, we came across an old lady with a monster she calls a Husky. Seriously, he was so huge he ate a whole bun in one bite. 

After walking around the village area, we decided to hike up Naksan Park. *in my sneaker wedges...

The view was spectacular and you can see the mountains. However it was the coldest day we've ever experienced in Korea. 

After that, we walked around to find a place to eat and we eventually decided to have fried chicken 

Then we went to a shopping mall to look for bingsu but we ended up goofing off in Åland 

It was our last night with Ryu & his sister, so we were very happy we got to spend time with them.

9.2.2015 || Day 15 : Hongdae & Myeondong

It finally snowed on the 2nd last day of our trip. Amal and I decided to finish up our shopping spree in Hongdae and at night we would go to Myeondong again. 

10.2.2015 || Day 16 : South Korea to Malaysia

Finally, we packed our things (I struggled with mine the night before cause I bought a lot of stuff) and got on our plane to fly back to Malaysia.

So, thats it! that's officially the end of my 16 day adventure in South Korea! :D (although part 3 was quite boring)

Till next time mein Liebling

Xx,

Sarah

Travel Diary-South Korea Part 2 (Daejeon & Jeonju)

Hello dear reader~ It's your gal, saraaahhh~ as I sit here at the overly crowded JPJ office and wait for my number to be called for my driver's licence renewal I decided I should start on part 2 of my trip to South Korea - Daejeon & Jeonju

For those who just started reading my blog & would like to read about my trip to Korea from the beginning, here's where you can find it : Travel Diary - South Korea part 1

So, lets get on with it :D

(sorry, this post doesn't have any great images cause I ran out of memory space on my DSLR and had to rely on my action cam & my phone)

31.1.2015 || Day 6 : Seoul to Daejeon

After collecting our bags in Inno Hostel & Pub Lounge, our hostel in Seoul, Ryu, Amal and I went to the bus terminal to catch the 7.30 pm bus. 

There are 2 ways to get to Daejeon by public transport : 

1) is by taking the KTX train at Seoul Station. That costs a bit more than the bus and it is faster and more convenient. *especially if you don't speak Korean and just wanna play it safe.

2) is by taking the bus at Seoul's Express Bus terminal. You can reach the bus terminal by the subway and walk from the Express Bus Terminal Station to the bus station. It is cheaper however it takes a longer time to reach Daejeon. 

We chose option 2 because we weren't in a rush to get to Daejeon and because we had Ryu with us. :D 

The bus is an executive bus, so the seats were very comfortable and you are given your own designated seat. The bus driver was very helpful to as he helped us open & put our bags into the compartment below.

It took us about 2 hours 30 minutes to Daejeon. And we arrived at about 9pm in Daejeon. 

Ryu was very kind and let us stay in his studio apartment. Thank you Ryu!!!!! 

After settling our bags in Ryu's apartment, Ryu decided to bring us around the area so that we don't get lost of we decide to venture out on our own. 

After that, Ryu left us & stayed over at his friend's house. 

Amal & I decided to walk around (more like I kinda forced Amal to follow me) to find food around the area. 

Eventually we stumbled upon a cute shop named Eazy Go that sold Fried Chicken. 

According to Ryu, Koreans love to eat chicken & beer. Since I don't drink, I settled with just having fried chicken. 

After dinner, Amal and I went back to Ryu's house and crashed that night.

1.2.2015 || Day 7 : Sledding, park walk & downtown Daejeon

The next day, The three of us went out for brunch and had a full Korean meal. I had Sundubu Jiggae (Spicy tofu soup with rice), Amal had noodles and Ryu had squid with rice. Ryu also ordered Kimbap for us and it was definitely the best Kimbap I've ever had :D

After brunch, we went sledding at the Daejeon Expo. The last time I went sledding was when I was 5 and it was nothing compared to what I experienced in Daejeon :D

 The sledding 'hill' is a small one but it was awesome and was faster than I had expected!

After sledding down the hill, we decided to walk towards the Park and enjoy the scenery and see the view of Daejeon.

2.2.2015 || Day 8 : Snowboarding in Muju Resort & MY BIRTHDAY!

I celebrated my 22nd birthday in Korea and my friend Shin had treated me and Amal to a full day of epic snowboarding! I was super excited about it and had so much fun. It was difficult at first but after awhile I got the hang of it and I was able to snowboard :D 

Who knew this tropical country gal could snowboard, eyyy? :D 

I even went on to the intermediate level and snowboarded down with Shin. :D 

After snowboarding, Ryu took me out for pizza at Mr Pizza to celebrate my birthday and we had coffee at a cozy cafe. I had my usual cafe latte and just chatted with Ryu. :D Amal slept from 6pm in Ryu's apartment until the next day! She even missed out on dinner. hahaha

3.2.2015 || Day 9 : Sleeping in Daejeon

Because of our snowboarding session, Amal and I couldn't get out of bed. We were sore in places we never thought were possible and was so exhausted from the whole trip. We ended up delaying our trip to Jeonju so that we can recover from our exhaustion. 

That day we had lunch with Ryu at a famous braised chicken shop and then just chilled in Ryu's apartment while Ryu went back to his university to study.

4.2.2015 || Day 10 : Daejeon to Jeonju

Finally, Amal and I could get out of bed and after lunch we packed our clothes and went to Yoseong station to catch the 7pm bus to Jeonju. 

Again, there were 2 ways to get to Jeonju. 

1) via Train at Seodaejeon station

2) bus at Yoseong station. 

We took the 7pm bus, with the help of Ryu and went to Jeonju.

Our buddy Jungjun, whom we met in Dongdaemun met up with us at the bus station and we went to his family's apartment where we stayed there for a night.

After getting our bags settled in his apartment. Jungjun, Amal & I went out to buy pizza and had dinner in his house with our other friends :D 

After dinner, we got to meet Jungjun's family and talked for awhile before we went to sleep.

With Jungjun's mum & our Korean Oma

Thank you Jungjun & family for letting us stay in your house

5.2.2015 || Day 11 : Hanok Village, Painted walls village, back to Seoul

The next day, Jungjun brought us to the Hanok Village where we met with our friend Ki Hong (I call him Jongkook cause he reminds me so much of Running man's Kim Jong Kook)

Ki Hong and Jungjun brought us around Hanok Village and we tried a lot of Korean delicacies and explored the Hanok Village before Ki Hong had to leave to go to work in his university.

The three of us walked around Hanok Village and discovered a few museums before we ventured on towards the painted walls village. 

Jungjun :D

The cats are so fluffy!

Searching for Camels in the village

view from the cafe on top of the hill

At about 6.30 pm, Amal & I headed back to Seoul.

Thanks again for sticking by and reading through the part 2 of my trip to South Korea. Next I'll write about the last part of my 16 day adventure in South Korea :D 

Xx,

Sarah 

Travel Diary - South Korea part 1

Annyeonghaseyeo my avid readers & those who just happen to stumble upon my blog. 

I welcome you with a huge warm smile that can only be shown in this emoji :D (hahaha!) 

So as you all know (or don't know...cause you don't follow my awesome Instagram account *cough cough ig:sarahhilmee cough cough*) I am currently on my semester vacation and I recently got back from 16 days of traveling in South Korea!! 

I know I know, you've read my blog before and you already know that I've been to Korea before. But this time it's different. (I sweareeee kahkah)  

So since I was there for 16 days, and I did so many things and went to so many places, I figured I'd break it down to 3 or 2 parts (5 days in Seoul, 5 days in Daejeon & Jeonju and 6 days in Seoul) so that it won't be such an overbearing read and I'm pretty sure you'd probably just skim through the photos. 

So sit back, relax and get your mouse ready to scroll! because it's gonna be a long one. Hehe~

16 DAYS IN SOUTH KOREA - Part 1

26.1.2015 || Day 1 - Malaysia to South Korea

Amal and I went to Korea on 26th January 2015. We booked a flight a year ago with AirAsia and got a sweet promo deal that costs us less than RM1000 (I'm writing on my phone now, so I can't do the conversions for you) 

Which is affordable since it's flying to Korea. We booked our flight at 8am so Amal stayed over at my place that night and my mum helped send us to the airport at 4am the next day. Once we arrived, we went to the check in counter and checked in our bags. Since we didn't book a meal on the flight, we had breakfast at Texas Chicken. ('Twas geeewwwdd) 

Finally our flight was called and we went on board the airplane. Being Low cost (I've much to debate about this actually), there wasn't any inflight entertainment and of course the seats were cramped and there was hardly any leg room. Luckily for my small frame, my legs folded nicely and I was ok, not entirely comfortable but I wasn't in agony. I pity my dear neighbour who was (I reckon) about 1.8m. 

Eventually we arrived safely in Incheon International Airport at 4pm. Since it was winter, it was a dramatic change to my skin and I pretty much suffered from severe dry skin...plus I was already dehydrated from the lack of water in the airplane. 

After getting all our documentation done and got our bags, we finally set out on our adventure in Seoul. And by that I mean we took the train, searched for our Hostel and finally crashing that night. Hahaha

So we booked our hostel at Inno Hostel & Pub Lounge through Booking.com. We got an awesome offer for 4 nights which was about RM36 a night? The room we booked was a 6 bed mix dorm and it was more than enough for us. It had the basic facilities such as a bed to sleep on, locker, showers with hot water (except after a certain time. I reckon the hot water ran out), there was also a pantry, a washing machine and a dryer. 

Apart from that, there was also a bar downstairs with 2 PC's where some of the backpackers would chill out and have a beer or something...I didn't chill out there since a) I don't drink and b) we were dead tired after a full day of discovering Seoul. Maybe next time I'll try to be a bit more friendly and order a sprite. Hahaha.

So as you read earlier, Amal and I reached the hostel and crashed that night. We did get to meet our roommates apart from the usual hi, good mornings and bye, all 6 of us didn't talk much. They probably thought we couldn't speak English...

27.1.2015 || Day 2 : Gyeongbukgong, Insadong, Dongdaemun

We went to the Gyeongbukgong Palace the next day to check out the majestic palace, but because we failed to look at the fine details written in my trusty travel book, Gyeongbukgong palace was closed on every Tuesday. -___- so we eventually went to Insadong to scout out souvenirs to get and had noodles at a small little restaurant in Insadong. 

After exploring Insadong and it's treasures, we went to Dongdaemun to check out Dongdaemun Design Plaza designed by the famous Zaha Hadid. It was beautiful and amazing and too huge to fit in one screenshot. 

After that we met with our friend Jungjun and had chicken galbi for dinner :D 

Jungjun! 

Chicken galbi cooked by the waitress

28.1.2015 || Day 3 : Itaewon, Noryangjin Fish Market & Seoul Forest

The next day we went to Itaewon to check out the famous Leeum Samsung Art museum. 

After lunch in Itaewon, we went to Noryangjin Fish Market to check out the fish and the outer parts of Seoul. The lobsters, crabs & octopus' were HUGE! and a lot. not to mention the prawns and other sea creatures. But we didn't try them cause we couldn't speak Korean and almost all the fishmongers there either spoke Korean or Chinese. (maybe I should take up Mandarin...)

After that we took the subway & walked to Seoul Forest to try to find the Sika Deer, which we failed to because it got too cold and dark for us. By the time the sunset, it was too dark and we had to head back. On our way back to our Hostel in Hapjeong, we stopped at Dongdaemun to have dinner.

Sculpture in Seoul Forest

you have to cross a bridge that overlooks the train tracks to get to Noryangjin Fish Market

29.1.2015 || Day 4 : Hongdae & Lotte World

We went to Hongdae the next day and went to Trick eye Museum. It was rather difficult to find as it was located at the basement level in a building. Eventually we managed to find it with the ever so helpful Tourist info centres & tourist police. 

We spent half our day there and had so much fun! After that, we met with my friend Ryu and his uni friend at Lotte World! 

30.1.2015 || Day 5: Nami Island, Gangnam & Myeongdong

Ryu accompanied us to Nami Island the next day. We took the express train to Gapyeong station and then took a taxi to Gapyeong wharf & hopped on a ferry to Nami Island. Anyone who wants to visit Nami Island can easily search for the info from their official website here

Amal & Ryu

Nami island is very much famous for it's famed rows of trees and because it was part of a memorable scene from the famous drama Winter Sonata. Ask any K-drama fan and they will definitely say they'd want to go there. (Ok maybe not ALL...but you get the picture)

Nami Island is a very popular scenic tourist destination. However, the island is small and there is a limit to the number of visitors. DO BE PREPARED! There were so many tourists (myself included) that you'd wonder if you were in Korea...

Hahaha, but nonetheless, if you walked along the less popular stretch, you can enjoy the beautiful scenery of the island. 

There was an ostrich farm (why??)....do be careful as the ostrich will attack you. Like in this photo of the ostrich attacking the buttons on Ryu's jacket because he thought it was food. -_- Not advisable for young children and people who are afraid of getting pecked on...like me. HAHA

Ice sculptures!

really tall Gingko trees! 

I imagine Nami Island would be spectacularly beautiful during the other seasons and when it snows. But there's always beauty in nature, no matter what season it is. 

It does get extremely cold and muddy (when there's no snow) so be prepared with waterproof shoes that you don't mind cleaning afterwards and warm clothing. Ditch the 'I'm-so-gorgeous-I-don't-need-thick-winter-clothes-cause-in-dramas-they-look-fine' persona. It got freaking cold. (even Ryu complained)

We then went to Gangnam, that has been popularised by PSY's song : Oppa Gangnam Style. (it literally was EVERYWHERE and got rather annoying.) I was curious about what Gangnam had to offer.

To me, It's like every other city, with tall buildings, traffic jams & crowds of people. I would say Gangnam is very much like the centre of Kuala Lumpur or any other city. However, there is an awesome bookstore tucked away underground and was really nice to get lost there. (I'm sorry...I Don't remember the bookstores name :( ) 

Ryu had to leave us after visiting Gangnam. So Amal and I decided to go to Myeongdong just to scout for souvenirs & have dinner.

31.1.2015 || Day 6 : Gyeonggbukgong Palace, Bukchon Hanok Village, head to Daejeon

Finally Amal and I got to go to Gyeongbukgong palace. Initially we wanted to go on the guided English tour but eventually we decided we'd just explore each part of Gyeongbukgong on our own.

Gyeongbukgong Palace was divided into various sections and each building had a specific function. 

I advice anyone who wants to go there to grab a copy of the English tour book at the ticketing counter, as there are no English explanations around the palace. I forgot about it after we were walking halfway to the main throne hall.

After touring around the palace, we met Ryu again at the National Folk Museum and then went to Bukchon Hanok Village. 

Bukchon Hanok Village is a traditional house village up on a hill. Initially, Ryu, Amal & I got lost and we ended up eating at a store that sold Odeng, Topokki & deep fried fritters. We eventually found the Hanok Village with the help of some local and very friendly aunts.

Bukchon Hanok Village is a residential area, so to those who are thinking of going there should remember to keep your voices down.

After that, we went to our hostel, took our bags and headed to Daejeon. 

Thank you so much for being so patient with me and reading through this long post! 

In my next entry, I'll write about my visit to Daejeon & Jeonju :D

Xx, 

사라

(Sarah)