The Wall and the Oven

When hubby was around, I thought I did most of the work.  He would be watching TV when I left the house to fetch the kids for gymrama, swimming, art class and whatnot, and he would be in the exact same position when I returned.  In between I would be rushing for work deadlines while he didn't have them as a business owner.  I was the one who went to the market for food supplies, the supermarket for more food and other consumables.

However when he was gone, I realise that I depended on him more than I thought.  Like I didn't have to bother about the house or the cars.  I had to push down the panic when multiple things seemed to happen - power blackouts, leaking taps, his car battery going flat, my car making strange sounds, the washing machine malfunctioning, the overhead lights in my apartment burning out.  I didn't even know the number to call to get cooking gas.  One day I noticed the back wall was collapsing.

A widening crack

Before I knew it, I was in the middle of a major-ish repair job.  

Bricks and sand

I had never dealt with contractors before.  He gave a quote of rm20k, then increased it by 1k when he knocked down the wall and apparently only then noticed it was red brick which costs more.  Some tiles were broken by the lorry delivering the bricks.  The contractor said the ground underneath had shifted and it was hollow, quoted another 20k to dig everything up and make things right.  Sigh I was so not up to all this!  Told him I had no more money.  

The work took 3 weeks.  In between, he said the drain was broken and recommended fixing it for another 5k.  I said no, then he left a long phone message that he sympathised with me since I didn't have a man to take care of things, he didn't want me to have a tough time having more problems etc etc.  I had zero idea if he was fleecing me blind.  Agreed to this as the last item.

All rubble

When the wall was done, I realised it was much lower than the old wall.  I couldn't look over it before and now I could, easily.   The contractor provided some long explanation again.  Fortunately he eventually agreed to raise it.  The wall looks all right now.  I addressed the air/sky/my hubby... "I got it fixed!  Are you proud of me?"  Hubby must have known about the wall and decided it didn't require immediate action.  It might have lasted a few more years.  I just... panicked.

While the wall drama was going on, the oven was providing a side story.  The old oven was giving electric shocks and the thermostat was shot.  After I located a shop selling ovens, multiple messages and visits to measure the space happened before a suitable replacement model was found. Then when the technician came to install it, the new oven was also giving electric shocks.  Another couple more visits and tests before it was discovered the wall socket wasn't earthed.  Luckily the shop had an electrician I could contact. 

Hacking wall to drag the wire from another socket

I guess it's not a matter of things suddenly requiring attention, it's that hubby had been managing them as they happened.  I appreciate him more now.  And must take over what he used to handle.   

New Maid

Picked up Joy the day after Christmas.  My previous helper of 9 years was 'Jane', the one before of 2 years was 'Gen'.  All sound quite similar haha.

With Joy, it was very difficult going even after making allowances for a new person.  She was so confused, forgetful and either hard-of-hearing or just in her own world.  Apparently at home her husband was the one who cooked, cut the kids' hair, fixed things... so she wasn't familiar with these tasks.  She was the one who went to work on the farm.  SE asked if we could hire her husband instead!

New kakak's here

Slowly, slowly she has improved.  Still nowhere near our most-efficient Jane though.

SE's birthday 2026

SE is now 14!  She adamantly refused a birthday cake though.  Or substitutes like a jelly or ice-cream cake.

She picked Mozer's for Syrian food on the weekday, and d'Italiane on the weekend.  Mozer's was good as usual, forgot to take pictures.

Food at d'Italiane was good!  

Mozzarella in crumbed ciabatta bread

Pea and avocado risotto

The third item was lamb stromboli - lamb in baked bread - which we decided not to order again. 

Then she chose some cheese after me asking her multiple times to get something 'special' since it was her birthday.  And that was all. 

Happy birthday to my little one!  Maybe next year choose more 'presents'?  

Home and Other pics

Gahh sleeping at the airport with old bones is no joke!  Apparently there are rest areas within the airport, but since online check-in is not doable for Malaysians, we had to wait outside until the counters opened at 5am.  Which meant napping on a hard bench.  JE didn't bother with it and just walked around the airport.  

Reached home smoothly.  Our loot: Socks (good quality and cheap at just rm3 a pair if you buy more), snacks to share, souvenirs for friends and JE's usual popmart - rainbow thing this time.

Our loot

A few more pictures... there were so many HBAF almond stores!  Most stores had samples but usually the same, more popular, ones.  I was happy to score unusual ones like 'carrot cake', 'soy sauce chicken' and 'matcha red bean', as I wouldn't dare buy whole packets of those.  Erm no, I wouldn't be buying either after trying.  Prices didn't seem lower than what I could get online so just bought a few home for friends.

Chicken-flavoured

Toffee latte flavoured

Now, why the hype over cherry blossoms when there are other pretty ones?

Magnolia with large white flowers

Plum, this one in intense pink

Looking back on the trip is part of the fun I guess.  Ok, on to the next!

Day 8 - 30/3 Yeouido Park, Ikseon-dong

Ah the last day of our trip already.  We had ticked off all the major items on our list so we could now go for remaining items - ginseng chicken, cherry blossoms, Namdaemun market.  Followed the Naver map for the first... then kept walking around without seeing the shop.  Finally I realised we had already been in the correct building, just that the shop was on a higher floor, its name WAS listed (in Korean) AND access was actually across the floor via a different set of lifts.  Wow no wonder we couldn't find it!

Figured 3 orders of ginseng chicken would be too much.  Selected 'acorn jelly salad' instead as the 3rd item - it was cheaper which was already a plus point, and salad would complement the meal.  It was a good choice as we got to try something new.  Acorn jelly is a Korean dish made from acorn starch.  It was slightly bitter.  I didn't quite like it while SE did.  The ginseng chicken soup didn't taste of ginseng... only the shredded ginseng topping had a mild taste.  I had expected something like the one hubby and I had years back on a package tour to Korea, which had a strong taste and we could even add on ginseng wine for free (which we did).  

Ginseng chicken finally, and also this weird salad

On to Yeouido Park.  Sigh, confirmed that it was too early for cherry blossoms.  I wonder why they don't just plant a lot of PLUM trees together?  These were way more cooperative in showing blossoms! The trees we saw were beautifully shrouded in blossoms but were always scattered single trees.

Plum tree with blossom

This one is also plum blossom

With Hechi (the big pink one) the mascot of Seoul and his friends

We still had time so took the metro to Ikseon-dong.  I loved the narrow streets filled with cool cafes and shops.  The cafes were just beautiful.  Unfortunately we were full from lunch and couldn't have managed to eat the 3 items we would have had to order.  Fine hmmppff (being sour grapes)... at least we didn't have to pick one cafe out of the many tempting ones.  Oh, and the prices weren't low either.

Birdcages in nature theme

Railroad tracks theme

Saltpond cafe 

Dripping water and a pond

Dry ice stream

SE suddenly noticed it was past 5pm... meaning Namdaemun market which was the next destination was already closed.  Aiks what an early closing time.  Thing was, wouldn't have been much point going to a foodie destination on a full stomach.  What to do... just made our way back to Myeongdong.

See the lone plum tree?

The final item to tick off, Isaac toast, the famous toasted sandwich chain.  Shared a sandwich with JE... too much food, too little stomach!  This was pretty good.  

Got the toast

We noticed people going up the stairs next to this outlet.  Searched on Google and found the shop was called 1992 and it has good reviews.  We still had to walk around more to digest our lunch first!  Made our way back here eventually for dinner.  Food was decent but not mind-blowing.

Last dinner in Korea

I'd initially considered this last day a poor cousin to our previous ones for lack of worthy destinations, but JE liked it as she said it was relaxing.

Walked back to our hotel to collect our luggage, made our way to the airport without drama and settled to sleep the night there ahead of our early morning flight.  Bye, Korea!

Day 7 - 29/3 Namsan Tower, Namsangol Hanok Village

Oops time flies and I was busy.  Continuing on!

First destination for the day was Namsam tower.  I spent some time researching - multiple walking trails exist so had to be careful to pick one suitable for us.  In the end, found that the bus to the start of my chosen trail would go also straight to the tower haha.  So we just rode all the way, passing people huffing on the uphill road. 

Us at Namsan tower 

From the bus-stop it was a short walk to the base of the tower.  Fake cherry blossoms will do when real ones are not showing up....

Blossoms! Erm fake ones

Tons of 'love locks' there.  You could buy this from the many stalls or from vending machines.  Write your message and lock the padlock on the many rails around.  They will periodically remove when the rails are full (which makes it kind of pointless?)

Colourful padlocks

There were stalls offering various edibles.  Hubby would have liked this wine and cheese section.  Yep, still found it hard to believe he was gone.

If only hubby were here 

Queued for an ice-cream instead.  

My ice-cream is actually quite large

We decided to walk down to Myeongdong, which was surprisingly quite close.  But so glad we were going DOWN instead of UP!  The many flights of steps would have been no joke at all.

Down, down we go

Eventually arrived at this temple.  I thought hard whether it was worth braving the steps.  Eventually we did... there were old people climbing up so had to control the heavy breathing hahaha.  Lovely weather and scenery though.

More steps

Soldiered on and eventually got down from the hill.

Yes yes everyone knows we are at Seoul

SE wanted to eat meat buffet again.  So it was back to Mongvely.

C'mon let's go!

Walked out stuffed to the brim, again.  Next was Namsangol Hanok Village, which was close to our hotel.  This place was nice.

Pretty yellow flowers behind us

Now pretty purple flowers

Unlike Bukchon Hanok village, this was a 'show' village with real houses which had been brought together to this site.  We could walk in and out as we liked and imagine how it was living there in earlier times.  The houses were those of the upper-class but somehow the living spaces seemed really small to us.

 

What if we lived here?  Hmm

This one should be plum blossoms

Night was falling when we were done, perfect timing as we were rather tired

Goodbye now

SE and me were too stuffed to consider going for dinner even though JE was game.  So we blamed JE for not eating enough haha.  A trip to the convenience store was enough for the night. 

Day 6 - 28/3 BTS ex haunts, Gangnam

The morning was dedicated to the BTS fan apparently willing to move half the earth for them.  Luckily I simplified her travel plan to a doable one.  Arrived at the nearest metro station and began walking.  The way was long and hilly.  Why do these roads go up AND down?  Surely it's either up OR down?  This was NOT kind to my leg muscles.

Down and then up

Finally reached this graffiti-covered building.  Upon closer inspection, the 'graffiti' which covered every inch of the building are actually declarations of love from fans like JE.  And mind you, this is the PREVIOUS location of their recording company.

This is the EX-company HQ

Once JE was done soaking in the atmosphere, we walked to the cafe where the group USED to hang out.  The BTS fan enlightened us with the history and snippets of trivia.   

 

And this is their EX-lunch place. So cool!

Food was decent but I forgot to take pictures.  Onwards we go.  I was actually more excited to find my first salt bread hehe.  This is a buttery bun with salt on top.

Salt bread and me

Next stop was Bongeunsa Temple.  Reviews say it feels authentic, spiritual, and deeply calming.  Well however much I might attempt to feel that, the kids don't have much patience with temples.  But we went to check it out since we are already there.  The grounds were large for a temple.

 

Going in

Big statue of Buddha with many small ones around

Then we walked across the street to the Starfield mall.  We had visited the Suwon library earlier.  There is actually another one in this mall in Seoul itself.  This one is a tourist attraction as well.  The design is a little different.  Actually I'm not sure of its function - having many visitors taking photos definitely goes against the purpose of a normal library.  It's not a bookstore hence not revenue-generating, there is no charge to enter.  Maybe it's to generate foot traffic into the mall.

 

Another pretty library

JE wanted to visit the "Psy hands".  Many were doing the steps for Psy's 'Gangnam Style' hit right at this statue.  This song was played over speakers which set the mood nicely.

Psy hands!

We walked around the mall a bit and opted to leave.  Had a good meal (overall I enjoyed the food in Korea) at a place near our hotel. 

A nice dinner

An ok day... JE got to do her BTS stuff but as the photos show, she became grumpy towards the later part.  Being out from morning to night daily IS tiring.