hays… it was very hard to shoot a video w/ very shy cast. ending we had to shoot on locations w/ no people traffic lolz. well at least we were able to dance the Gangnam Style in Seoul!
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Category Archives: South Korea
CRAZY AND AWESOME THINGS WE DID IN KOREA – Teddy Bear Museum hungkyuuut!!
im not a fan of teddy bears but this trip to Seoul’s teddy bear museum located at the N Seoul Tower was definitely the cutest (insert overhwelming gigil factor) among all the places we’ve been in Korea. everything was so cute and cuddly i almost brought one home (i do not know how i got hold of my control mechanims, it was a good thing though that i didnt gave in to the urge – this time).
anyhow i will not make this long, photo overload should follow immediately. details at the bottom of this page.
the museum has two areas, one depicts the historic korea under the Joseon Dynasty and the second area is all about the modern, contemporary Korea (i must say Koreans really revere their culture, a trip to Seoul si like 70% culture and 30% shopping lol).
entrance to the museum
so big but so cute
pa kiss!
OLD KOREA – JOSEON DYNASTY
MODERN KOREA
the best to – BBOI lol! they’r actually moving and dancing (breakdancing to be exact) lol
the Malacanan of Korea – Blue House
shopping capital
master chef teddy bear edition
super junior teddy bear edition
OLD TEDDY BEAR COLLECTION (dated as early as 1902)
creepy ng slight lol
tips:
the teddy bear museum is located at the N Seoul Tower observatory, so usually tourist go for the package rate of 14,000 KWon or (560P) this both for the museum and the observatory already.
museum and tower opens from 10am to 10pm 7 days a week.
Directions
1. Intracity Bus
– Get off at Namsan Library and walk 15~20 minutes. Take Bus No. 0014 or 402 at Seoul Station (Subway Line No. 1, Exit #4)
2. Taxi: Take a taxi from in front of Exit #6 of Dongguk University Subway Station, Line No. 3. (15-minute ride)
3. On foot: Walk 30 minutes from Exit #3 of Myeong-dong Subway Station or walk 40 minutes from Namdaemun Market Subway Station, both located on Line No. 4
4. Belt-line Bus (Yellow Bus No. 2)
– Get on the bus in front of Daehan Cinema at Exit #1 of Chungmuro Subway Station (Line No. 3 and 4), or Exit #6 of Dongdae Ipgu Subway Station (Line No. 3)
– 5-8 minute intervals
– Hours: 8a.m.-midnight
– Fee: Cash 550 won, Transportation Card 500 won (Transfer possible)
5. Cable Car
At Exit #3 of Myeong-dong Subway Station, Line No. 4, walk toward Pacific Hotel and then walk 10 minutes to the Namsan Cable Car.
Running hours: 10:00~23:00
Fees: Ages 14 and over (Round-trip ￦7,500 / One-way ￦6,000), Ages 7 to 13 (Round-trip ticket ￦5,000 / One-way ￦3,500)
CRAZY AND AWESOME THINGS WE DID IN KOREA – on KPOP, shopping and BB creams
notes to ponder:
Vanity, fashion, narcissism is legit in Korea… be ready to get insecure.
when in Seoul, never ever do your shopping on your first day (or at least stay away from the major shopping districts). my expenses doubled from my original budget for this trip because i went to the shopping districts of Seoul on our first day… (it was for my mom’s bday gift, i ended up buying for everybody)
day 1 ended like this… i was doomed since we had to go back to myeongdong again 2 days after… which meant another set of paper bags….
KPOP and KPOP boybands are huge in Korea, and these boys (including lee min ho) are the endorsers of beauty products that are a big hit in appearance concious Koreans. for the Pinoy boys, chill…they’re still straight. lol.
Myeongdong, DOngdaemun, Insadong, Namdaemun, Itaewon among others spell DISASTER for the budget concious. stay away.
beauty products from Korean brands are considerably cheap if bought in Korea compared to buying it from branches outside Korea. hording is inevitable… unfortunately for me.
if you want to fashionably belong, then prepare your wardrobe while still in the Philippines. Cubao ukay2x and friends who frequent abroad can be a good source for these wardrobes. trust me, even those people working on not so high profile jobs in SK tend to look fashionably ‘fasyon’.
lastly, dont get allured w/ all the freebies in Myeongdong’s shopping district… every store in the area have freebies just for you to go inside w/c eventually will lead you to buying stuff. i was able to give pasalubong ( a whole set) all coming from freebies lol.
tips:
1000 won is 38Pesos
all the shopping districts are part of the Seoul CIty hop on-hop off tour (separate blog) and can be easily accessed by MRT subway.
photo overload c/o of yours truly, lot,jen and ashley
pasalubongssss.
very good marketing strategies, handsome men for the women market
lee min ho
try to choose where to go
forever 21 in Seoul
UNIQLO
Crazy and Awesome things we did in Korea – getting lost in Incheon International Airport
First it was Changi, then Kuala Lumpur, then Hongkong and now Incheon…. NAIA, now what?! –
these were the thoughts looming in my mind as i deplaned from our 3 hour flight to Incheon SK. it felt surreal the moment i stepped out of the plane and breathe the cool South Korean autumn air. moments later, after immigration duties were fulfilled, it sank on me…i am in Korea… it didnt take much effort to dig the fact that i was already in Korean soil – the airport itself is screaming ‘yes tof you are in 1st world Korea! you have every right to feel oblivious! lol’
more info about Incheon International airport here.
photos c/o Lot2x:
hindi yan touch screen tof!
hindi nga touch screen yan eh
laser lights
may walkalator sa Pinas, wag masyado excited mag papicture sa walkalator
english lot, english ba… panic mode
Crazy and Awesome things we did in Korea – the DMZ
shared credits to my travel buddies lot2x,ashley and Jen for the photos used in this entry.
experience (and indulge) DMZ – the Demilitarized Zone
i have to admit it, by now, i am a fanatic of the North Korea (DPRK) and its socialist single party state of dictatorial rule that has been existing for the past 50++ years. i ‘m so wallowed w/ how elusive this country could get and how it stopped ‘evolving’ and got stuck to an early 80”s era up to this time. i’m dead serious about how they brainwashed their people (and how people allow themselves to be brainwashed) .
i would want to know how it is to live in a country where mobile phones are just being introduced (GSM technology at that – think Nokia 5110), no internet – basically no access to the outside world, having only one fast food ‘concept’ store, only one soda flavor (second rate copy cat of coke), department stores selling VCDs of madonna and elton john (90’s album), only one channel on tv w/ endless and ‘paulit2x’ propaganda TV shows celebrating their ‘Dear Leader’ and lambasting the US, etc etc i can go on and on and on…so i’ll stop it there lol.
so, with that… a visit to a DMZ could actually sum up my whole trip to this wonderful country lol (madami pa tof chill lang wag muna uwi agad)
basically, DMZ is a 4KM demarcation line stretching hundreds upon hundreds of km from east to west that divides the Korea to a north and to a south. i wont go too much w/ the details but the whole experience was capped off w/ a ‘176 meters away from north korea’ infiltration tunnel experience – and i was extatic.
tips:
conversion – 1000 WON is 38 Pesos
there are 2 major DMZ tour types: the infiltration tunnel tours w/ other areas of the DMZ (1) and the Panmunjeom Tour ( JSA Tour ) (2). the latter should be ‘a must’ since this is the tour where you can enter the freedom house and have a glimpse of the thin demarcation line dividing SK and NK. unfotunately though we only got the first tour since its a lot cheaper compared to the JSA tour. if given the chance to visit SK again, i’d deinitely try Panmunjeom…chance ko na makakita ng authentic North Korean haha.
tour 1 costs 46000 won while tour 2 is at 87000-90000 won
passport is a must to enter DMZ.
photos:
entrance to the infiltration tunnel that leads to that 176 meters away from North Korean end of the tunnel
at the Munsan Train Station – the last SK station. officially wala pang trip ang train na ito since Pyongyang NK ang destination, not until unification will push thru then saka pa lang bibyahe ang train dito.
lot lot and the verrrry tall SK army men. p.s. DMZ is heavily guarded by both US and SK troops.
the railway leading to NK
a taste of NK propaganda on SK soil….
flora ornaments sa TOILET…
the bridge of no return
the viewing deck, about 2 KMs away is supposedly our first view of NK… unfortunately its a foggy autumn weather so we didnt see a thing.
nobody can ignore the red and orange (smells like shit) autumn leaves. diba lot? lol
the bell of Peace – you have to pay though to ring it
meeting fellow travel bugs – meet Jennifer from Singapore
and who can forget ‘Philip and his angry bird’ haha. diba lot? hahahaha.
Korea Sparkling – Visa Application for Filipinos
S.K. Visa Approved! valid for 3 months good for a 59 day stay in S.K.
I have so much ‘kwento’ about this unexpected trip i can go on and on and on… so let me start from where it should all begin – the Korean Visa Application.
it has been said that South Korea (S.K.)has loosen its Immigration Laws towards Southeast Asian nations (that includes us the Philippines) in order to attract SEA’s emerging tourist market. thus, visa application for S.K. is not much of a hassle and its FREE for us Filipinos.
the S.K. embassy and its Consulate can now be located on the following addresses below.
South Korea Embassy , Philippines
122 Upper McKinley Road
McKinley Town Center
Fort Bonifacio, Taguig city 1634
Philippines
Phone:
+63-2-856-9210
Fax:
+63-2-856-9008
+63-2-856-9019
+63-2-856-9024
Email:
ph04@mofat.go.kr
philippines@mofat.go.kr
Website URL:
embassy_philippines.mofat.go.kr/eng/as/embassy_philippines/main/index.jsp
South Korea Consulate, Philippines
122 Upper McKinley Road, McKinley Town Center,
Fort Bonifacio
Taguig city
1634
Philippines
Phone:
(63-2) 856-9210
Fax:
(63-2) 856-9024
Email:
ph04@mofat.go.kr
Website URL:
http://embassy_philippines.mofat.go.kr
a copy of the S.K. Visa requirements provided by the S.K. embassy
the Requirements:
1) Duly Signed Application Form available at the S.K. embassy Visa application Center
2) 1pc. passport sized picture
3) 6 months valid Passport – Original
4) COpy of Passport First Page
5) Employment Certificate – Original
6) Personal Bank Certificate – Original
7) Income Tax Return Form 2316
8) Original COpy of Your Visa and arrival stamps from OECD member nations (optional)
Tips:
1) Please make sure your application form has no erasures. acceptance of your documents (not even for approval yet) is subject to the Consul’s objectivity so better give the impression that you are dead serious w/ your trip and reflect it with the way you fill out the application form.
2) 1 pc. passport size photo is attached to the application form prior submission
3) Remove all covers of your passport upon submission. Consuls tend to assume this strict, irate, hateful look and you would never want to provoke them by not removing the passport cover (baka itapon lang yang passport mo sa basurahan)
4) Certificate of Employment (COE) should be Original. It must include the address, contact nos., signature of your Head H.R., your office number, your position and your company’s Letter Head. Just to be safe you may have to include/state in your COE the approval of your superior on your vacation leave and the no. of days of your VL.
5) Personal Bank Certificate is entirely different from a Personal Bank Statement. the Visa requirement is a Bank CERTIFICATE. i am a BPI account holder so i was able to secure a Bank certificate from any BPI branch for a fee of 100 Pesos. i was able to get it right away also.
the next question would be, how much amount should be reflected in the bank certificate? well for me, i acknowledge the significance of the bank certificate as a requirement for Visa so, that would mean the amount should also be, well, significant. 30,000P is acceptable i guess (but a few of my friends who have gone to S.K. had as low as 12,000P in their bank certificates nonetheless their Visas were approved).
6) BIR form 2316 should reflect your TIN number. good thing all our BIR forms are downloadble through our company console. no need for us to visit BIR.
Visa Submission Day
1) Visa Application submission only runs from Monday to Friday (closed on Korean Holidays so better call the S.K. embassy beforehand to check the dates you intend to go if they’re open or not) from 9AM to 11AM ONLY.
2) Visa application and Passport retrieval is from Monday to Friday from 2PM to 4PM ONLY.
3) Please wear somthing presentable. slippers, sleeveless and shorts are not allowed inside the embassy.
4) Processing will take 5 days. you will be given this claim stub w/ the date of claim.
p.s.
if you dont really want to undergo all the hassle for visa application, then you may opt for travel agencies w/c can charge you to around 1000P for the whole processing (pero kayo pa din mag gather ng requirements, sayang din yung 1000P pinambayad nyo lang sa pila)
