Friday, April 29, 2011

April 28, 2011 Living in a Fantasy World

I can't believe people live here!  Everything is so nice here!  Even KFC and Pizza Hut is nice!  Is this real life?  ;-) 


Living room view of Kangnam-Gu 강남-구


Another view from the living room

I'm stil in Kangnam-Gu 강남-구, Seoul-Si 서울시.  I mentioned that it's one of the richer parts of the city if not the richer.  You got to take a look at this place.  Everywhere I go I'm thinking, "ARE YOU FOR REAL??  What do you NOT have and can your imagination go any further?"  So far, I haven't seen any celebrities or idols yet but I think knowing that Bi/Rain 비 lives across the street is good enough so far.  :-)  I'll get a picture of his house later haha.  Song Hye Gyo 송혜교 lives in the area as well.    


View of Kangnam-Gu 강남-구 from my bedroom window.


SM Entertainment is in Kangnam-Gu 강남-구.  Some of the most popular K-Pop groups are under SM Entertainment such as...........

Super Junior - Bonamana


Super Junior - No Other


SHINee - Lucifer


SHINee - Hello


Girl's Generation - Gee (This is in Japanese)


There's SO many popular K-Pop groups and idols (Koreans like to call them) but these are just a few from SM Entertainment.  (For copyright purposes, I don't own these).

SM Entertainment is really close to my aunt's house.  It's within walking distance.  I was actually disappointed in some ways but it was still cool going to visit the building.  First, I expected to see a ton of fan girls outside the building saying, "오빠! 사라해요!  화팅! /Oppa (it literally means "older brother"; if you are a girl and have an older brother or a friend whose a boy, you call him "Oppa".)  I love you!  Fighting! (o-ppa! sarang-hae-yo! fighting/hwaiting!)  Unfortunately, this time is a testing period for middle school children so many of them went home early to study.  I also expected to see a tall glass building like many of the buildings here in Korea but it doesn't look that outstanding.  However, it's still cool knowing that celebrities practice in there and their apartments are just around the corner.  Those groups don't live at home; instead they live together as a group.  Talk about living with your co-workers....


SM Entertainment Building


Haha now this made me laugh!  It also made up for not seeing any fan girls outside.  This is a bunch of graffiti of fan girls expressing their love for their idols.  Sookhee 숙희 and I saw "DBSK is mine", "Eunhyuk/은혁!!!" (haha Sarah, you got some competition there lol).  I thought about writing something immature like, "I love SHINee more than all of you because I came from America just to write that on here" or "DBSK, I love you like puppies and cream" (Hmm, maybe just for you Sarah, I'll write that on there if I go back tee hee hee), or "Is this the Justin Bieber fan club wall?" or my favorite Mean Girls quote, "She doesn't even go here!" and find some girl's name and draw an arrow towards her name.  Haha, maybe I should go back and write something to let SM Entertainment know that I was there?


Here's a poster explaining that they have auditions every Saturday after 3 pm.  Maybe I should audition so I can show you what's inside.....?  We'll see haha.

After looking at the building and laughing to ourselves, we went to the Galleria mall 갤러리아 which is a mall just full of imported name brands.  It had everything that was already included at the Coex Building 코엑스 빌딩.  It was huge!  Galleria mall 갤러리아 was a lot of fun too.  I got excited there just as much as I did at the Coex Building 코엑스 빌딩.  So, if you ever have a chance to come here, these two places are excellent for shopping!  Well, even if you don't have lots of money, fashion ideas then lol.  



Galleria Mall 갤러리아


Front Entrance.  It says "Luxury Hall West".  Pretty much if you can't afford luxury, you probably can't afford anything is this store. 



Little me


Inside Galleria mall 갤러리아


Galleria's make up counters.  This is actually taken from an elevator.  Again, a bit sketchy with taking pictures of merchandise.

After some window and eye shopping, Sookee 숙희 and I met up with one of her friends for lunch.  We had Samkyetang 삼계탕 which is chicken soup.  I was not aware of this next part at all:  Koreans can eat a lot.  I thought Polynesians were the only ones who could eat a lot but I guess not.  And they use chopsticks which slow down your eating because you're taking smaller portions in.  Also, they eat often.  It'll be two hours since we've last eaten and I'm already stuffed till I'm going to die and then I get asked if I'm hungry again.  It's not just the people I've met with here but back home as well.  This isn't a bad thing at all; in fact it's amazing!  :-)   How is it that so many of them are skinny and can eat that much??  Apparently, I've tried to do what they do but I'm just gaining weight in the process of it all!  I'm having a hard time finishing everything here because it's a big portion with small utensils.  Wow, Korea continues to amaze me each time in so many things.  :-)



Samkyetang 삼계탕 and Kimchi Radishes 깍두기(ggak-du-gi)


Samkyetang 삼계탕

After lunch, we went to a French bakery called Paris Croissant which pretty much is the same as the bakery Paris Baguette 파리바게뜨.  These are so cute and super delicious!  Even though it's Korea and I should be eating lots of Korean food, it doesn't hurt to have some fancy French food once in a while


Cafe and Lounge at Paris Croissant


Paris Croissant in Seoul 서울


These cakes are incredible!  I would have gotten closer but again with the merchandise thing.  They're expensive but soooo darling and delicious!


Bakery view of Paris Croissant


Cafe and Lounge at Paris Croissant


So good and so cute!  Look, they even gave us a number for our order.


Chocolate twist pastry, Cranberry Tart, Chocolate Raisin Nut Cake


Hot Chocolate from Paris Croissant.  Haha I'm in Korea but this makes me fee like being in Paris again.  I guess Korea is that good lol.

This next part you might be thinking, why on earth did you go in there?  The reason:  just to look at what's inside there; really, no reason at all.  Inside this hotel was this plastic surgery office.  Yeah, inside a hotel!  If not a hotel, then something else but I'm pretty sure it wasn't a mall. 



Plastic surgery office/성형외과


Front Entrance


Inside the refrigeraor, I found this vitamin C drink that has a picture of Yuri 유리 from Girl's Generation. 

Korea is so much fun!  Everything here so far has amazed me.  It really is a different world out here.  If you ever get a chance to go to Korea, DO IT!  Don't even think twice about it.  It's been pretty safe here.  It's been safer here than Europe.  Of course you still have to be careful (duh) but the people here keep to themselves.  Seoul 서울 is really classy and has fun and high end living shouting at you pretty much lol.