Seoul-searching -- Part 2
• Got lost and stumbled at SNU’s Law School, another tick in K-drama universe! Think ‘Squid Game’ & ‘Reply 1988’ and many others.
• Had a wonderful discussion and lunch with Prof Kang. We even spoke in Malay and reminisced about Pulau Penyengat. Jika takdir…
• Went to Yonsei (cos meeting the one who helped me call SOOP). ‘Reply 1994’ ticked! Campus reminded me of Columbia in New York. At the long, long walkway was the iconic Gothic building (just like Lehigh and Cambridge).
• Of course it had to rain on the day that I didn’t have an umbrella with me. Ran to nearby building for shelter. Was running late coz had to visit Hankuk University. What to do?
• Called uber but apparently all ubers couldn’t pick students that time (due to heavy rain and traffic?). How how? One of the students said we were supposed to climb up the hill at the top where the uber would be waiting. What?!!
• Texted uber driver (in Korean) telling him to wait for me at the hilltop. With the Longchamps bag full of books, Yonsei ‘newspaper’ as umbrella, I ran up the hill. Drenched and panting, I slumped in the car with driver aplogising profusely. Kenchana yo…
• Reached Hankuk in the evening. Had to cross the football field and meet a Malay lecturer who wanted my Gedung Kuning book. Gave my other books to the university library.
• Went to Seoul Central Mosque in Itaewon on Friday but missed the Friday prayers due to moving of hotels. Part 2 of Project: Telekung. How come majority of Muslims who came out from the prayers were non-Koreans? Sigh.
• Went to Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) cos of ‘The Devil Judge’.
• Had temple food, teokkboki (in one of those old stores like in Reply 1988), ramyeon, sikkhye, panjeon and those Korean food often featured in K-dramas.
• Went to DMZ and had an interview with North Korean defector. Daebak! Due to heightened alerts (post short-lived Martial law imposition), we were scared to take photos of North Korea. Don’t want to be imprisoned in North Korea for taking photos; would probably die in their prison.
• Went through the treacherous Red Tunnel. So steep, low ceiling, bad ventilation. Drenched in sweats (in the cold) and panting. No way in hell, will I do this again.
• Skipped the protest with the Koreans cos I was too tired after DMZ trip.
• Had food and drinks in pojangmacha 포장마차 or pocha (street dining in tents) in Jongno with Minhye (the writer who wrote my Inex article). She reminded me that Goblin had a meal in a pocha too.
• Deciding between visiting Single’s Inferno 3’s Jin Seok’s café in Gangnam and Ehwa Women’s University (Mariam said, “the architecture is lovely!”). Cerebral triumphs over stomach.
• Went to the student convenience shop in those gorgeous glass structure at Ehwa and behaved like a grad student living on campus. Love the student life!
Didn’t shop much but came back with lots of rich, unforgettable memories! I will be back Korea, God willing!
Photos in Seoul: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10170512037770228&type=3
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