Gyeongbokgung Palace

Gyeongbokgung Palace

It's been more than a month already but I'm still not finish posting about my trip to Korea. So yeah, here goes. On our third day, October 13, we headed to Gyeongbokgung Palace. From Namsan Guesthouse, we took the bus and got off at Gwanghwamun Square, located just in front of Gyeongbokgung Palace. In the plaza, you'll find two statues, that of King SeJong Dae Wang the Great of Joseon and that of Admiral Yi Sun-sin of Joseon Dynasty.

Statue of King SeJong

From the plaza, it's just a few minutes of walk to Gyeongbokgung Palace. The entrance cost 3,000 won. When we arrived, we got to witness the change of palace guards. It's a program (probably lasting from 15 to 25 minutes) with the guards wearing costumes and carrying flags and weapons. There's a narrator and if you don't understand Korean, fret not, for it's also translated in English, Japanese, and Chinese. The few minutes of watching the palace guards was really worth it. It felt like I traveled back in time.

After watching the change of guards, we then explored the palace grounds. It's amazing how the roofs of these palaces were intricately designed and painted. And while walking, I can't help but imagine people wearing traditional Korean clothes called hanbok.

We also found a shop selling Korean souvenirs. Look how cute these little hanboks are! I am definitely loving the different color combinations and the types of fabric used in these.

My most favorite part of the Gyeongbokgung Palace is the area below. There you can see the Gyeonghoeru Pavilion surrounded by a man-made lake. Several trees, which I think are willow trees, can be found in the area around the lake. 

Being in that open space is like having a breath of fresh air from all the palace quarters. It's a place where admiring the surroundings and contemplating about life seem like the most appropriate things to do.

Fourth Visit at Apsan Park

Apsan Park is one of my favorite sites in Daegu. I visited it for the first time in the fall of 2011 (see post here), the second time around during the summer of 2012 and for the third time in the winter of 2013 (see post here).

Now, for the fourth time, I came back last October, fall of 2014.

There are a lot of improvements in Apsan. For one, the cable car station has been renovated. And
when you're already up in the mountain, the once open-aired receiving area is now enclosed with glass so people can have a rest and be warm in the colder months while waiting for the cable car.

This view...it never fails to amaze me! This is the best thing when going to Apsan, you are greeted by the view of the entire city and its surrounding mountains. It's just beautiful and serene.

It's also nice to have met other people.

And on our way back, it's a must to try out some exercises. Which one is your pick?

I will, definitely, never get tired of going back here again and again.♥

The lovely sunset, 

the stunning view of the city,

the trees around me, 

the chill of the autumn air...

Nothing will ever compare.

It seems like everyone I know is settling down.

And then, I realized, I am just a free bird,

flying around but nowhere to go.

This

Image source here

Oscar de la Renta Spring 2015 RTW

Such gorgeous feminine pieces from the legendary fashion designer Oscar de la Renta.

Thank you for sharing your talent into this world. May you rest in peace.

All images are from here

Trip to South Korea 2014

Here's a video I made during my trip to the Land of the Morning Calm.                        

 

We found wonderland

You and I got lost in it.

                                               -Taylor Swift

And I think that Korea is my Wonderland.♥

Annyeonghaseyo Seoul

Going back to my travel to South Korea, Day 2 (October 12, 2014) was spent in a train ride from Daegu to Seoul and exploring Myeongdong area. I'll be discussing again some details. We left at about 9 in the morning, took the cab and got off at Daegu Station. While I was buying the Mugunghwa train tickets at 9:50am, the lady told me the schedule of the train. It will be leaving at 9:53am and the next trip will be at 11:00am. She said you can get the 9:53 schedule (in a calm manner) and I was like, Are you sure? (imagine me in panic mode). It's just a few minutes away and what if we didn't make it on time? But waiting for another hour seemed like a waste of time so my friend and I decided to just go with the 9:53 schedule. With about three minutes left, I was running going to the tracks. I was also running while on the escalator because I already saw the last passenger going into the train. I was running while carrying my luggage and backpack without minding if other people were already looking at me (Apparently, the were.). Actually, all I cared about was making it to the train. Thank you adrenaline rush! And yes, we were able to make on time. I'm not sure if I can do that thing in the Philippines, moving at a very fast pace, but it seems like I'm a different kind of person when I'm in Korea.

There was no assigned seat for us. We were in a standing status. But here's the thing, if there's a vacant seat, you can occupy that as long as the occupant hasn't arrived yet. Good thing, on the four-hour train ride, I was able to get a seat majority of the time. There were only a few occasions I needed to stand. Mugunghwa is the regular train, nothing special, not like the KTX which is a bullet train but the whole trip was such a comfortable one and I absolutely enjoyed the view -  the fields, mountains, and small communities. I did a bit of a video which I'll be sharing soon.

When we arrived in Seoul at past 2 in the afternoon, surprisingly, the weather was warm. Where is autumn? Seoul is northern than Daegu but why is it warmer here? But well, must be climate change. After checking in at Namsan Guesthouse and resting for two hours, we headed to explore the Myeongdong Market, which is just walking distance from our guesthouse.

spending the beautiful afternoon in Myeongdong

Korean souvenirs

lovely Korean dolls

several shops in Myeongdong

at Nature Republic

while waiting... and no, I don't know who's that guy

How do you undo loneliness?

This unexplainable feeling of sadness, of loneliness...

There's really no specific reason at all.

It just hits you.



And you wonder,

Maybe I'm just getting old.

Or maybe, I haven't found the one yet.

Maybe I'm just doing the same activities day by day.

Maybe this is really part of life.

Maybe...

So full of maybe's.

It's hard.

You get in the bus and you just wanted to cry.

But you can't because, what would people think of you?

You have to control your emotions.

You have to make sure that your facade looks good,

but deep inside you are drowning.

Now tell me,

how do you undo loneliness?


Image source here