Travel Seoul: My Day At Yeouido Hangang Park

If you want to see some real local culture in Korea, stop by any Hangang Parks. One thing I like about Seoul is the long wide Han River which runs through Seoul especially. This river has brought live to all the land along the river! It's such a peaceful sight to the eyes when you just sit there on any random day, and observe the people along the banks of the river. They are either walking, cycling, jogging, skating or having a picnic with their dates or families.

One day on my way to Yeouido church, I decided to drop by Yeouido Hangang park (han-gang gong-won 한강공원) after church and chill out there. The weather that time was hot in the summer! To the extend that some ahjummas will say "ddeu geo! 뜨거!" which actually means hot/boiling; instead of "tteo-weo 더워" which means just hot.

Yeouido Hangang Park is one of the 12 district's citizen parks along the majestic Han River, and it's one the most popular ones because the Yeouido area is where all major TV stations are located.

A day at Yeouido Hangang park showed me quite some stuffs! :)

A place to play water for free!

Free public pools for people to enjoy!

It's amazing to see that they have a few public pools (I'm not sure is 'pool' the right term), which are rather huge, for people to deep themselves into to cool off the heat! Best thing is it's for free! Kids love it and parents are satisfied with it because they are not deep at all.  I personally sat in this pool (the one above) and watch the kids splashing water among themselves. What a joy, to just splash water and laugh it off without any worries! "Gosh, I so want to be a kid again!" - That was my thought.

A place for family bonding time!

Mom and her precious one

What's nice about this kind of recreation area is that I saw many parents playing along with their kids ranging from 1 year old to young teens. I think this is just so wonderful! Weekends shouldn't be spent at home in our individual rooms, should it? Well the Koreans showed me that you should hit the roads, bring your family and friends outdoors and dwell in nature while you bond with each other!

A place to grow up!

Kids having their time in their own lala-land

These 4 kids were just spending their own sweet time filling their toys with water and then with some weird stuff which I guessed might be flour. They didn't care what's happening around them and they just talked and laughed and talked and splashed and talked and laughed and laughed and...laughed. How many children grow up like this now in the city of KL? Some of them roam in shopping malls or stay at home with their iPads. Well I guessed although it's hot during summer, the cool chilly streams and the awesome companion just drew them to get out of the house and get themselves all soaked up here feeling awesome!

A place to be less self-aware, lie down, and chat!

There's more than just an empty space under the bridge

Under the bridge which surprisingly seemed to be more cooling, is the place where the older people rested. They either just lie on a mat or a towel or even in their own tent. Some of them will order Ja Jang Myeon 자장면 and it gets delivered ...under the bridge! Some old grandpa or so called ha-ra-beo-ji 할아버지would play some traditional chest game which I forgot what's it called (aigoo...). But the best part is no one really cared how you lie, or how you sleep, or even how you snore. They were engrossed in talking with one another which is what the modern era is increasingly lacking now - human communication. And the scene under the bridge just reminded me again how important it is to communicate with humans via human, not via gadgets.

Me cooling my feet. Too bad I can't take off my jeans. :P

A day in Yeouido Hangang Park really reminded me to be thankful for most of the simplest things in life - your growing up, your family, your friends, your time with precious ones, your stories with them. If you would like to experience what I experienced, take the subway down to Yeouinaru station and spend about an evening there (not afternoon 12pm! an-dwae 안돼!) during the summer. I've been to 2 Hangang Park for 4 times and I didn't see any tour groups at all. So that makes it an even more obvious reason for anyone to pop by here and mingle with the locals. :) It's free, anyway! Except for your subway tickets!


TIPS FOR TRAVELERS
Who should go?
Local culture lover. Observation fanatics. Anyone who wants to relive their childhood by playing with the kids in the public pools.

Subway:
Line 5. Exit #2 or #3 at Yeouinaru Station

Opening hours:
24 hours!

7 To Dos During Chuseok Festival!

Happy Chuseok! If you're in Korea now you'll find the streets and shops in Seoul to be quite deserted. Why? Because Chuseok is a time for Thanksgiving and most of the families will return back to their hometown to gather with their families and have good meals :)

Originally known as Hangawi, this major harvest festival is celebrated with a 3 day holiday; in which the 15th day of the 8th lunar month is the peak! It's similar to Chinese's Mid Autumn Festival! In contrast to what we Chinese do (eat mooncake and play with paper lanterns), there are a few things you should know about Chuseok!

1. Roam the streets of Seoul if you are in Korea
Because it's a major holiday, most people will be back and you'll be happy to see one less crowded Seoul. Try roaming Hongdae during a normal day and during Chuseok - that area will suddenly make you feel as if you are in a "Resident Evil" scene - quiet and lifeless. I spent my Chuseok last year in Hongdae roaming around the streets and was glad to find Family Mart opened to provide us a bowl of ramyeon!

2. Try songpyeon 송편

Osaek Songpyeon - 5 colours represents the harmony of nature

Glutinous rice to me who's a Malaysian Chinese was either "lo ma kai", or "nasi kerabu" or "nasi pulut". It's amazing how people use it in different variations at the Korean made this traditional Korean food from glutinous rice as well. Songpyeons are a variety of "tteok", or so called rice cakes and they are a symbol of the traditional Korean culture. Made into a cute half-moon shape, it carries different fillings in it such as red bean paste or sesame seeds! 

3. Dance to the moon

Traditional dance during Chuseok - Ganggangsullae

Well, not literally. :) Ganggangsullae can be watched at various cultural folk villages. In the olden days, young and old women used to dance in a circle at night under the moonlight in their traditional hanbok. They would hold each other's hands in a circle and the circle rotates. You'll find them singing as well and the dance can last as long as until before day breaks. This 5000 year old Korean dance is mostly performed in the southwestern coastal province of Jeollanam-do. 

4. Play Yutnori 윷놀이!

All of us looking at the sticks. We played this at the Namsamgol Cultural Village.

4 sticks, 1 board, mal (tokens) and 2 partners or 2 groups help you kick start the game! It's a traditional game played with lots of excitement and tension - well at least to me! You need to get your mal from one station to the last station based on your scores. The excitement comes when you are able to cast more than one at a time, or when your mal lands on a station occupied by the opponent's team because you can return kick your opponent back to its starting position!

To get to the Namsamgol Cultural Village:
Take subway Line 3 or 4
Exit 4 at Chungmuro Station
Walk along Hanongmaeul-gil street for 5 minutes

5. Wear hanbok 한복!

BEAST in their hanboks!

This is a festival where people are visiting each other in their pretty traditional Korean dress - hanbok! It's during Chuseok festival when a lot of Kpop artist managers will make sure the artists and artistes have their very own Hanbok pictures to send a Chuseok message to their fans in Korea and all around the world!

The day when we dressed up as the Queen, the King, and the Princess (me!)

6. Watch your Kpop love on Chuseok specials!

KBS Chuseok Special 'Idol Crown Prince' filming

Just like how we always have our Chinese New Year specials, or Hari Raya specials; Koreans have Chuseok specials as well! Two specials that I'll be watching is KBS 'Idol Crown Prince' which has several members from BEAST, 2PM, 2AM, Infinite, SISTAR, KARA, 4Minute, Secret, APink; and who am I going to eye on? Nonetheless than 2PM's Taecyeon! The next is MBC's new special "Miss and Mister Idol Korea" on October 1st featuring 8 girls groups and 8 boy groups including KARA, Secret, 4Minute, 2PM, MBLAQ and more!



7. Say "Have A Great ChuSeok"!

FOOD: Korean Dessert Cafe @ Namoo On The Park

Anyong!

This is my first food entry! I've been hearing about them for weeks. Namoo On The Park is a Korean Dessert Cafe Bistro at Publika and they showcase Korean desserts with a modern twist; you can still find main dishes fusion style. We have many Korean restaurants serving everyday meals here, but Namoo introduced something new to our taste buds, which is definitely not the usual Bi Bim Bap or Bulgogi. :)

"Namoo" means tree in Korean and that's their mascot at the Entrance too!

Nice story behind the business!

Mat Tang. RM14.90

For the sweet tooth, Mat Tang will not go wrong for you. It's a warm delicacy made of caramel coated sweet potato, pumpkin, rice cakes and nuts. It's quite starchy and sweet. Good enough for 2 - 3 people to share the carb load. We're glad we had our main course first then only to this or else I guessed we will never be able to finish our main course. Why? Answer as below!

Bulgogi Taco/Tortilla. RM 19.90

The Bulgogi Taco totally blew me away. If you love fusion food, get this to have a taste of Korea meets Mexico. It's bulgogi (Korean marinated beef) wrapped in tortilla, or you can choose burger as well. I would suggest to go for tortilla wraps - healthy and seems like it's a bigger portion! I'm very glad that Bulgogi didn't let me down! Salad and potato wedges accompanied these bulgogi tortillas and I must say they have one of the best wedges I've tasted!

Namoo also offers a variety of Korean cakes, compared to other Korean restaurants in Malaysia. Their top hit is Sweet Potato cake and Sweet Pumpkin cake. I kind of saw most of the table had one. Too bad I can't order more but it looks really really nice! 맛있겠다! But I'm wondering why didn't they bring in more Korean rice cakes in as I tasted so many varieties in Korea - am sure there are more to offer the Malaysian market!

It's a cosy place for youngsters to hang around and for families to spend time together while the kids play at the park. Definitely going back for another round.

Check out K-popped's chat with the man behind Namoo here!

Namoo on the Park — Korean Dessert Cafe & Bistro
Address: Publika, Level G3, Lot 4A, Solaris Dutamas, No. 1 Jalan Dutamas 1, 50480 Kuala Lumpur
Opening hours: Monday – Sunday, 11am – 10pm
Telephone: 03 – 6411 6698
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/namoocafe
Pork-free

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Korean Word Of The Article

맛있겠다!

mashiketda!

Delicious/Tasty/Yummy!

7 Things To Try At Gangnam!

With all the Gangnam style hype, I can't stop to think of sharing things that you must do if you are at Gangnam-gu! If you would like to feel the posh in Seoul, visit Gangnam-gu! Itself is a huge district and is one of the richest city in Seoul! I personally been down to the Gangnam district a few times when I was at Korea and I really love that area for it's blend of traditional culture and modern upscale lifestyle.

Just 40 years ago, this was nothing but rice paddies.
Picture Credit: Robert Koehler

People will recommend you to visit Coex or check out Apgujeong if you hit Gangnam but there are also other things to do.

7  things you can try when you are at Gangnam:

1. Walk and shop through the "Europe of Seoul" - Garosu gil (가로수 길)

Garosugil which means "tree lined street"
Picture Credit: Google

It's famous for trees which line the both sides of the roads up to 700m long! Best time here is during August when all the leaves turned golden red. Walk along the streets to a beautiful scene of art galleries in the 80s, cosy cafes, and fashionable boutique shops - perfect for girls or a date! Stay up till night and you get to enjoy live bands at open bars or even some clubs. Or if you are lucky, you might spot MBLAQ’s Lee Joon shopping there again like how he did last few weeks!

How to get there:

Exit 8 of Sinsa Station, Line 3

2. Stay at Bongeunsa Temple for one night

Something different - Temple overlooking the city
Credit: Korea Sparkling

Although Christianity is South Korea's largest religion, there are still quite some temple stays in Korea especially for travellers. Bongeunsa Temple stores about 3,479 Buddhist scriptures!Try catching Jeongdaebulsa, a ceremony where monks march and carry scriptures on their heads and recite Buddists rites. This happens every September 9th of the lunar calendar. A one night temple stay would be around USD 70. Email bongeunsa@templestay.com for more details! 

How to get there:

Exit 6 of Samsung Station Line 2, walk 100m toward Asem Tower, turn left and take a 10 minutes walk through the Bongeunsa Temple trail. Bongeunsa Temple will be on your right.

3. 10,000 won heaven at Gangnam Terminal underground shopping arcade

The Gangnam Underground Shopping Arcade might be a girl's heaven for pretty bargains
credit: hellomotherland

Flowers, fashion wear, shoes, bags, food, whatever you name it - you'll find it here! The good news is the things are as cheap as 10,000 won, at times you might even find a hidden gem for 5,000 won only! We're always fed with the Myeong Dong and Dong Dae Mun shopping heaven news; but hey you might have just missed out one of the best shopping place in Korea!

How to get there:

Get off at Express Bus Terminal Station (line 3 or 7) and follow the Gangnam Terminal Underground Shopping Center sign

4. Try getting a hair treatment in CCA (pronounced as Kka) hair saloon!

Getting your hair steamed while you relax with a cup of coffee or wine
credits: wonder woman

Hair salons in Seoul are known to be a wonderful place to spend your time. Kka has a vintage design, free internet, great drinks and awesome hairstylists. Situated at Yeoksam-dong, this pretty place to pamper your hair is accessible via buses at Gangnam station - no.402,440,470,420,441,471! 

5. Check out the twisting pines at the Gangnam's green patch - Samneung Park

A peaceful place in the heart of the busy district
credits: UNESCO

The park's name actually means "three royal tombs", which have been protecting the sleep of King Sonjeong, Queen Jeonghyeon and their second son, King Jeongjong. Travel back in time with Korean statues, tombstones and also the twisting pine trees. I hope they are still there. 

Feels like travelling back to Joseon Dynasty hahaha
credit: Discovering Korea

How to get there:

Exit 8 at Seolleung Station Line 2

6. Snap pictures with Media Pole

Along the streets sometimes you can find Media Poles, it's a place for you to snap picture and send it to your mail! Cool stuff to play with if you don't mind people watching you doing silly poses! :)

7. Wait for your Kpop artists if you have the time! I know you want to do this!

Wonder Girls Yeeun and Sohee caught crossing the roads near JYP
Credits: ohitsning

It was said that sometimes you can spot Girl's Generation Yoona at some coffee shops near Apgujeong too, as per my Korean friends. Apgujeong is the house of SM Entertainment. However there are so many more other entertainment companies in Gangnam-gu for example, JYP, DSP, CUBE etc. Stroll around their company who knows you'll be able to bump into your fave Kpop artists?

There are so many bustling cities in Korea and every city give a different feeling; every district surprise you with a special experience; and every province brings you a different memory :) If ever you are at Gangnam-gu, perhaps you would like to try out these 6 things! :)

Happy travelling!

SUBWAY:

Line 2

Exit 8 at Seolleung Station 

Top 10 Surprises That Inspired Me To Love Korea More

I shared how Korea just took 5 simple steps to inspire me to start loving Korea. Now what inspired me to continue the love? Here are "Top 10 Surprises" I got to know, from people, by reading, and by observation, and it inspired some thoughts in me.

SURPRISE #1: EVERYTHING IS FAST

In Korea, a lot of things are fast. Many people take the subway because it is convenient. People walk very fast in the subway station, especially when changing stations, you have to walk fast in order not to miss the next train; some even run! Fast food are really fast too! Once you placed your order, the next second it's right in front of you! Even when you are sitting in a public bus, most of the time you have to stand up before you even reach your bus stop! Korea has a food delivery culture and the most surprising fact is at times, the delivery guy even came to collect the food before you even get to finish it! They are fast!

Inspiration - Time is precious!

SURPRISE #2: MIRROR MIRROR EVERYWHERE

If you are in Korea you'll notice there are mirrors at the subway stations. Take a lift, you'll find  mirrors at all four corners. On the way to the toilet, you'll see mirrors lining on your left and right. Enter the toilet cubicle, you'll be shocked with mirrors surrounding you, or at least in front of you there's one piece of mirror! I then learned that making sure you are looking clean and good is a type of manners in Korea. It can boost self-confidence too. So you'll always see people in Korea always checking themselves once a while if they pass by a mirror, or anything which is reflective.

Inspiration - Dress yourself up, look clean & confident in life!


SURPRISE #3: EXERCISE AT 10PM!

In Seoul there are a lot of parks. When the weather is good you get to see people exercising, running on tracks, or playing badminton. It happens at 6am, 5pm, 6pm. The shocking part is that when my friend pulled me to exercise at 10PM! What's even shocking is that the park is still filled with people running around at 10PM! I wonder is this part of the reason why they are slim!

Inspiration - Health is important!

SURPRISE #4: REFILL HEAVEN!

The best part about Korea is that there are always refills. Water or tea is free, and side dishes are always refillable without any extra cost! One day I asked whether can I refill "makkeoli" which is Korean rice wine, and the staff laughed. Yes, wine is not refillable though. 

Inspiration - Be generous on basic necessity!

SURPRISE #5: SHOP THE GREEN WAY!

Home Plus is a chain hypermarket in Korea. On and off you'll see people pulling a trolley bag to this hypermarket. Why? Because they charge on every plastic bag you take. So instead of plastic bag, people get to have their very own shopping trolley bag and place everything inside. Those who doesn't have, can do so by placing in card boxes provided by the hypermarket. Or else, get charged for plastic bags!

Inspiration - Go green! Take care of the environment!

SURPRISE #6: DRINK, DRANK, DRUNK!

Koreans can really drink liquors! They have a high level of tolerance with alcohol! You can see them drinking from one bar, to another, to another, until they get drunk. They have very awesome drinking games too, guess that's what make them drink more! Look out for Soju or Makkeoli (Korean rice wine).

Inspiration - Erm, drink till you are drunk? Joking. Drink if you can, it's part of the Korean culture. If you can't, get uksusucha which is Korean corn drink.

SURPRISE #7: TUITION TUITION TUITION!

Summer holidays in Korea is a great time for kids to learn new skills, pick up new hobbies, and also do more revisions. I realised Koreans are very hardworking, they read alot, and they do a lot of revision. Kids are always send for extra tuition classes during the holidays, or to swimming lessons or drawing classes to pick up a new skill. If they are lucky, they have a lot of books!

Inspiration - Use every opportunity to learn something!

SURPRISE #8: SOGAETING TO MEET NEW PEOPLE!

Some Koreans like to date on one-on-one date, it might be a blind date. This is called "Sogaeting"! Usually they'll either go for movies, or cafes, or perhaps some activities.  Many youngsters like to chill and bond at cafes and there are  alot of nice concept cafes at Sam Cheong Dong which is just across Insadong, an area which display a lot of traditional art crafts.

Inspiration - Meet new friends, why not?

SURPRISE #9: GO NAKED!

The best way to appreciate your own body is to go naked, or so my Korean friend said, haha! Public saunas are very common in Korea, which was a culture shock to me too when I first stepped in. The public bath is always separated according to genders (of course!), and everyone in the bath has to take off their clothes to enjoy the hot bath. When at the public mixed area, traveller's get to eat boiled eggs and also a cold rice juice called "sikye"!

Inspiration - Appreciate your body, and always bathe!

SURPRISE #10: HOT & SPICY!

I only thought Kim Chi was spicy. But I came to learn that Koreans cannot miss the sensation of not just a warm, but spicy at a level of 10 (rating from 1 to 10, 10 being the highest) soup! You have spicy food like fermented cabbage Kim Chi, spicy rice cake Dduk Buk Gi, Kim Chi soup which is welknown as Kim Chi Jigae. The spiciness usually comes from Go Chu Jang which is actually fermented red chili paste! If you are enjoying such food, make sure you'll breathe in "ssssssssssss" to express how spicy it is!

Inspiration - Hmm, stay hot and spicy! Like 2PM & MISS A!

Big Bang Sponsoring ME?

Such a lovely night it was last night!

I was thinking about Big Bang's concert.

"I must get VIP seat, must grab it!"

I was looking at one of my most favourite Big Bang album.

And opened it!

I loved this album a lot mostly also because it's their 1st mini album, and I love the skies!

As I wanted to open the CD case to browse through the album...

Super shocked! Since when I had RM300 in this hidden place?

In my head I imagined Big Bang saying this:

To that old forgetful me (perhaps weeks ago, months ago, or even YEARS ago)

Thanks for keeping that RM300 there.

It was such a sweet surprise.

I would like to have a fangirl imagination that the secret hidden souls of Big Bang actually hid the cash in it!

HAHA!

DAEBAK!

5 Steps That Inspired Me To Start Loving Korea

*A post I wrote for a competition but didn't win, so re-posting up here*

Malaysians are a very united race. Regardless we're Malay, Chinese, Indian, Sabahan, Sarawakian etc, when it comes to supporting Korean culture and Kpop music, you'll see we all speak in one language, and that one phrase we'll always chant - "SARANGHAE!".

It's not hard to get a Malaysian to love Korea. It took 5 steps to inspire me to start loving Korea:

STEP 1: KOREAN DRAMAS SHOWED ME THE BEAUTY OF KOREA

It is through K-dramas that most of us came to know more about Korea, the country itself. I was particularly attracted to how beautiful it is and I appreciate how the Korean filming crew always fight to get us the best scenery ever!

"Coffee Prince" drama got me to know that Hong Ik is a very artistic area where youngsters hangout for clubs, foods, and fashion. When I was there myself, it was indeed a very happening and lively place. Walk up the streets and you'll be able to find all kinds of fashion stores and appetizing foods on your left and right; not to mention the artistic graffitis on the walls as well as the designs of each and every shops.

Hong Ik, inspired by Coffee Prince

Watching "IRIS" drama also brought me to wow at how marvellous Han Gang river is during the day and in the night. Han Gang, or more known as "Han River" is a place where Korean couples love to date, and Korean families love to hang out. A place which is called Han Gang park, near Yeouinaru, is a place where Koreans love spend time during the summer either cycling or dipping inside the manmade streams.

Han Gang & Han Gang Park, inspired by IRIS

Drama of the year 2010 "City Hunter" showed us how beautiful is this hidden gem called Riverview 8th Street, an observatory situated below Gwangjingyo Bridge. This was portrayed as the office of Jin-Pyo in City Hunter drama. If you would like to enjoy free jazz or other music performances, feel free to drop by. I personally enjoyed a great Jazz performance!

Riverview 8th Street, inspired by City Hunter 

Idol drama "You're Beautiful" never failed to show us how pretty Seoul's shopping heaven - Myeong Dong is! I've always wanted to shop till I drop at Myeong Dong and I really did it when I was in Korea. Up trend fashion styles, yummy street foods that you cannot resist, and also the everflowing free samples you get whenever you enter a store! Myeong Dong is a shopping heaven for everything pretty for every girls, and also guys!

Myeong Dong, inspired by You're Beautiful drama

Hit drama in 2003 "All In" surprised me with the natural beauty of Jeju Island! The All In house at Seopjikoji was lovely and cosy, and at another part of Jeju you'll find Seongsan Ilchulbong (Sunrise Peak), which is a UNESCO heritage, always packed with visitors who were there for the beauty of nature. The Cheonjiyeon (God's pond) is also a pretty landmark where a lot of dramas and commercials are being filmed there. Head to the west side of Jeju you'll find a calming Hyeopjae beach with lots of seaweed!

Jeju Island, inspired by All In Drama

STEP 2:  KOREAN LANGUAGE TAUGHT ME MORE ABOUT KOREA CULTURE

Through Korean dramas, I was fascinated by the Korean language, particularly two words:

Korean language is fascinating. It has the formal language, informal language, and the polite language. I then got to know that adding a "-yo" behind every ending of a sentence means being polite; and ending a sentence with "-nida" is a formal language. 

Not long after, I started to pick up the Korean language and I learned that what kind of sentence endings you use actually sort of shows your relationship with that person. Close friends usually speaks "pan-mal" which means informal language without the "yo"s; and newly met friends with the same age usually add "yos" to every sentence making them sound like they are rapping; while speaking to adults always use the ending "-nida", especially during work.I loved the language so much so that I actually created my own flash cards to share with Korean language lovers around me!

Sharing a few useful Korean phrases for you to use in Korea:

Anyonghasaeyo: Hello!

Otteoke Kayo?: How to get there?

Odieyo?: Where is it?

Olmaeyo?: How much is it?

Kamsahamnida!: Thank you!

I was inspired by the beauty of the language and I passed the TOPIK beginner exam!

STEP 3:  DELICIOUS KOREAN FOOD MADE ME CONTENTED

From watching drama and getting inspired by their beautiful scenery, to picking up the Korean language, it led me to Step 3 - to appreciate all kinds of Korean food Korea has!

From healthy Kim Chi which is actually made from fermented cabbage mixed with spicy sauce, to the welknown mixed rice with vegetable known as Bi Bim Bap - Korea never fail to surprise me with their variety of food! My favourite is Sam Gye Tang which is Chicken boiled in Ginseng Soup, it's light and good for health, great to be served as a morning dish or during the cold weather. Gam Ja Tang which is known as potato soup is also a great food to have when you are craving for something warm! 

While it's summer,it's good to go for a refreshing bowl of noodles deep in cold soybean soup which is known as Gung Guk Su, or perhaps a bowl of cold noodles with ice which is welknown as Mul Naeng Myeon! Of course when it's hot, it's always great to opt for some icey cold dessert filled with all kinds of fruits, nuts, ice cream etc like Pap Bing Su! I've learned that Koreans also like to bond with family and friends over a good session of BBQ Sam Gyeop Sal which is known as 3 layers pork, or over a cup of beer with awesome spicy chicken or fried chicken, also known as Chi-Mek (Chicken + Beer)! Not forgetting, remember to grab a Kim Bap as a snack, it's rice with different ingredients rolled with dried seaweed!

STEP 4:  PRETTY KOREAN TRADITIONAL DRESS MADE ME A LADY

After the first 3 steps, it took step 4 to make me love Korea culture even more because the traditional dress, or also called "Han-Bok" in Korean, changed me from an ordinary girl to a pretty lady! It is exciting to know that there are different designs to indicate different statuses of the people who is wearing it. Also, it also has its designs made according to different purposes for example - common daily dress, wedding dress, ceremonial dress etc.

STEP 5:  AMAZING KPOP MUSIC MADE MY HEART SKIP A BEAT

Korean dramas showed me the beauty scenery of Korea, Korean language taught me on Korean cultures, Korean food let me see more of Korean's everyday life, Korean traditional hanbok helped me to learn to have respect for different statuses. The last step that took me to go full swing loving Korea - is step 5 - Awesome Kpop music from Korea!

I started to have an affection for Korean pop music for it's beautiful music arrangement and the fact that they like to include amazing raps into their songs regardless it's a pop song or a ballad. Not to forget, the lyrics are meaningful and some are even inspiring like a song from "Dream High" which encourage us not to give up our dreams! Korean Kpop concerts never fail us, they are grand, and always interactive and fun!

So there you go, 5 easy steps that inspired me to start loving Korea!

Step 1: Korean dramas showed me the beauty of Korea

Step 2: Korean language taught me more about Korean culture

Step 3: Delicious Korean food made me contented

Step 4: Pretty Korean traditional dress made me a lady

Step 5: Amazing Kpop music made my heart skip a beat 

...and I've started my journey to love Korea!