Day 2 - 24/3 Bukchon Hanok Village, Banpo Bridge

Didn't bother waking up early the next morning.  :)  First destination - Bukchon Hanok Village, which is Korea's most famous residential area with traditional Korean houses (which are called 'hanok').  It being very early spring, I was excited to see the first tree in blossom.

 

A flowering tree!

Hmm we found the place a little underwhelming.  It was pleasant enough, but seemed too new and clean to be 'traditional'. 

Does this look traditional?

Traditional walls

More of the village

I had penciled in some cafe to check out since cafe culture is apparently huge in Korea.  Nearby Dotori Garden cafe looked really cute with interesting offerings.  I loved the Studio Ghibli-inspired deco.

Found the cafe!

Got this funny creature in the flesh

HOWEVER... SE wanted to try a Korea BBQ all-you-can-eat.  No point filling ourselves up beforehand!  So we just looked around and then headed to Mongvely at Myeongdong.  Now, if our dinner the night before lacked meat, we sure made up for this at lunch!  The place offered various cuts of beef and pork at KRW31700/MYR86 per head. We ate contentedly for the whole 2-hour period.  Good stuff indeed!

  

First grilled meat platter, of many-many

Next we walked to the Line Friends Square shop where the BTS gang had left handprints.  Historic moment for a BTS fan haha.

Oooh I'm touching Jung Kook's hands'

She found a BTS bear statue nearby too.  

Me with BTS bear

Once the BTS fan was satisfied, we went quite a distance to Banpo bridge for the musical rainbow fountain show which normally starts in April.  It was brought forward to mid-March this year which was perfect for us.  The jets of water and lights are supposed to be synchronised with the music.  The girls weren't impressed though and pointed out most people were only there coz they were dating.  Oh well you can't win them all.  At least it was one item ticked off my list.

Dancing fountain

We headed back and grabbed some food from a convenience store for dinner.  Too full from our late and big lunch for a proper dinner.  As the main trip planner, I always try to evaluate how the plan went... this day rating, ok not bad. :)

Korea trip 2026 Day 1 23/3

JE has been a k-pop fan since she was 9.  Hence Korea had been one of her target travel destinations.  I was in no mood to plan anything since the unexpected loss of hubby.  She argued it this way:

1. This is the last year she can travel before her Form 5 examinations next year
2. Mummy is getting old so now is the time (before she gets older and more decrepit haha)

Well I guess time and tide waits for no man.  We HAD been planning to travel as a family, it was something hubby specifically said he wanted to do.  So I booked and planned.

Arrived at Incheon airport, found the all stop train (was planning to take the express but it was quite long to the next train) to Seoul station, transferred to Chungmoro station and made it to our hotel Wecostay without issues.  I liked that the bedroom was separate from the living/kitchen area.  :)

Our room, not bad

It was a 20min walk to Myeongdong which was no problem in the cool temperatures of 10-15C.  JE squealed at this cutout of Enhypen we saw on the way.  (To me these boy bands look pretty much the same!)

Take picture!  This is one of my favourite!

We randomly picked a dinner place down these steps.  The place, called Woo Bros, was bustling enough.

Let's go down here

Our choices turned out just average, containing barely any meat for an average cost of KRW13k/MYR 39 per person.  The banchan/side dishes were all veggie as well.  

Food... can fill stomach la

We then walked around the busy Myeongdong area till the shops closed at 11pm.  And I thought we would need an early night after the long journey from home!

We always enjoyed visiting convenience stores to check out the local offerings and stock up on breakfast and snacks.  JE would target ice-creams, SE the cheese. 

Mmmm good

This peach ice-cream was deliciously creamy.  Retired to our comfy beds at rather a late hour heh.

Spring cleaning

This was a BIG activity taking many weeks.

First part: After our maid Jane left.  I noticed her room was like a store room, containing boxes of books/toys and luggage bags containing clothes and more bags.  I brought one bag down - hubby's things, which I asked him to check.  He decided to throw some and keep some.  But after this ONE bag, I concluded it would be better to wait for our new maid to arrive before proceeding with the rest.  There would be too much work to clear so many things.

Second part: After hubby suddenly passed away.  I had to find out what was in the house since there was now nobody who would know.  Hubby owned a lot of stuff - he'd always liked buying things and apparently also liked storing them beyond their usefulness.  Strange how items which were important to a person loses much of their value once that person is gone.  I wondered if he was looking at me from somewhere while I went through his personal belongings.  I wished I could brandish items at him and ask what is this, why did you buy this for, why are you keeping this.  I held things thinking he'd touched them before.  Suffice to say this task was emotionally difficult for me. 

Third part: Toys the kids have outgrown.  The decision to be made was whether to keep, donate or throw.  JE generally said to throw everything so her part was over quickly.  SE looked through each item, reminisced on them, set some aside to give to her friends, even wanted to keep some for her future kids hahaha.  

Throw or keep for my own kids? Hmm

We disposed of many items - to charity, to the trash.  Almost there now, only a few more items to go.

Additional birthday meals

As always when birthdays fall on a weekday, the birthday person gets to pick a weekend meal as well.  I remembered this in time to claim my additional pick heh.  Well my original choices were derailed by free birthday stuff from various places - perks of joining loyalty programs.  Wataiwan was offering a free Taiwanese chicken chop - sure, I'll bite!

With said free chicken hehe

JE wanted this milk tea bingsu which I was expected to share.  Quite nice, just that it was a lot for only the two of us.   

This one is yummy

The next weekend happened to be my turn to pick.  Chose 103 coffee which was offering a free slice of cake.  Picked the alcoholic kahlua tiramisu - oh this was very good.

Our lunch spread

Purposely took pictures as I was already planning to post onto my blog.

My birthday 2026

Right after CNY 15th day was my birthday.  I have always been emotional on this day.  The uncertainty whether colleagues would arrange lunch or I would somehow be alone (possible when colleagues happen to be stuck at meetings).  The uneasy anticipation of a birthday cake and when the cake-cutting would happen.  I take leave if possible to avoid that kind of stress and to do whatever I want on my 'special day'.

This year marks my first birthday after hubby passed.  I kept thinking of this day back in 2025 - my disappointment when hubby couldn't be discharged yet from hospital post-surgery, my annoyance that he continually requested things to be done for him until I had to have a dismal dinner due to food having run out at the shop downstairs.  I told myself that it was ok, I would make up for it in 2026.

I never expected 2026 to turn out like this.  No more hubby to pamper me with food, a massage, sometimes presents (I often don't want anything).  I tried, but still spent most of the day in tears.  Walked past CBTL and decided to redeem my birthday cake voucher because why not.  

 

Me with cake

I had considered going out for dinner but our area is predominantly Malay and I figured shops would be packed for Ramadan month.  

That evening, got a text that my parents had decided to go out for my birthday dinner.  I bawled some more.  I am so grateful to have my parents around during this dreadful chapter in my life.  We went to a nearby place which was empty (because food isn't great heh).  

Me with sponsor of dinner

I have much to be grateful for, must pick myself up and continue this journey.  

CNY potluck

The best day for our CNY potluck turned out to be on Chap Goh Meh (15th day of CNY).  Food was a mixture of bought and home-cooked.  My mother prepared many items as usual - the yee sang, her signature bak kien/pork rolls, vinegar pork trotters and punch. 

I refuse to smile

Get ready for yee sang

I had sauce left from my Dragon-i 'poon choy'.  Decided to make our own as it can't be that difficult right?  I made sure it had an even number of ingredients.  Bought fried chicken feet from the market and braised that together with mushrooms - #1 and #2.  #3 pork belly cooked till tender, #4 cooked chicken, #5 prawns and #6 broccoli.  Arrange everything in a pot, pour the sauce over and heat up at the stove.  Tadahh!!  Turned out very well indeed! 

Home-made 'poon choy'

We ate outside this year - good also as the temperature was lower!  (I have to record this in case of any future questions on who/what/where/how haha)

Pause eating short while for camera

We remembered to take a group photo this time.  The first one had my father's tummy showing, that's why the cushion is there as the solution.  We had a good laugh over this!

Much better!

All right, done and dusted for this year's CNY.

Soft cookies

We did make our usual seaweed crackers for CNY but I completely forgot to take photos.  

I finally out why our cookies were burnt last year... basically the oven thermostat is malfunctioning hence it would just get hotter and hotter.  So didn't bother to bake any CNY cookies this year.

After getting an oven thermometer, we can use the oven by manually turning it on and off.  JE made non-CNY soft cookies to eat.

Go flat y'alls

Pat-a-pat

I'm just happy when she gets off her electronic gadgets.