Whatever-lahno: Annyeonghaseyo Korea Part 5 - MBC, Myeongdong & Nandaemun

Ok, continue again...last part, I promise!

MBC

We went to MBC Studio which is quite far away as we departed from Everland. After bus, train and taxi, we arrived the place around 5 minutes before the official time they will close, which mean we can only have a short time there. We can't visit this one place as the closing time is 6pm and another place closing time is 6.30pm. At first I was not sure what is the place all about, then I saw the scene photos and it is actually a place where their film "Jewel in the Palace" series. A period drama where a woman become kind of a doctor in the palace, if I'm not mistaken. I didn't watch the series but I knew my dad loves it.

Well, perhaps because of lack of people day, the place look deserted and frankly speaking, I was disappointed. After all the long and tiring travel to go there, and this is it? I admit I was grumpy, seriously I think my group realize it.

On the way back, I was very quite and try to think positive, I mean is not that my friend know how the place look like and I trust her choice of place so far and she has done a good job. During the train ride, there this uncle, drunk and I though he wanted to sit so I get up and then he pushed me down. Then he is murmuring something and the smell of the liquor is so strong, almost make me want to puke. Then he was angry and we try to look around to find out if anybody can translates us what he wants, then he try to grab the hijab so we run away. Everybody else just with their own world and we are so happy when we reach Myeongdong. Then Zati's shoe gave up on her and she need to buy a new one. So we when to this store and she is asking for one design, and then the seller ask for size in cm, yes cm. Of course we don't know. Then when we asked for a different colour she is start mumbling something angrily and we talk to Zati, whatever shoes that she pass to her just take it, it doesn't matter the shoes fit her or not. Luckily, the shoes fit.

Deoksugung Palace

In the morning, we was warn that it would be raining...and yes it is. But we decided still want to go to Deoksugung Palace where the palace is the middle of city. We missed the English Tour so we decided to just go by ourselves. It was big castle with a beautiful garden at the back. Zati wants to try to wear the royal costume at one of the restaurant but because of raining, the close the session. Bummer.

The best thing is we manage to see the changing of palace guard. It was quite ceremonial and I feel like the old days of Korean or in a period drama. We did took photo next to the guard and they just stand there like a stone. The train station here is beautiful and it is like a museum.

Myeongdong and Nandaemun

Then we went to Myeongdong for shopping and lunch. We met Zati's cousin for lunch and we eat at Korean restaurant. She ordered for us in Korean as she is studying one of the university there. It was a lovely lunch and we learn a trick or two on how to bargain in Nandaemun. Myeongdong is more on boutiques like Uniqlo or cosmetics such as Skin Food and Republic. Their workers will stand outside of the shop with free gifts to invite the people to go in the shop. It is quite havoc and they speaking not only in Englihs but also Chinese and Japanese. Talk about marketing!

I didn't buy a lot here but I shop a lot in Nandaemun. For some reason, Zati and I entered this building and the whole building sell brooch and jewelries. It was like a whole ocean of brooches, bracelets and we don't know where to begin.but we just went to "kind face" I guess. Then we met this autie who is very pretty and nice. Between me and Zati, we must spend around RM 500 for brooches, bracelets and necklaces. I mean we are girls, right, we love jewelries.

In the end, I spent most of money for souvenir for my families and friends, t-shirts, fridge magnet, 2012 K-Pop calendars for my K-Pop crazy fan cousins. Name it I've got Big Bang, 2pm and sexy calendar of Super Junior. I even get myself kind of notebook of Lee Ho Min ( yes I like Boys Over Flowers).

At night we prepare to put all our things in the luggage and luckily we did bought extra bag allowance 20kg as if we not, then we have to pay a for the extra things that we have. We need to book a van for it as we don't want to carry our luggage by train.

At the end, it was great journey with great friends. At first we never thought that we can make it on our own because of the language barrier. There are some discussion take travel agent but in the end we did it by ourselves, the itinerary, the booking of flight to Jeju( in Korean and using my credit card), book the hotels and taxi. I was quite pride of ourselves as this is the first and the farthest place that we ever go by ourselves.
Hopefully we will be able to do it again sometime and perhaps go ever farther than this.