Seoul - Day 2

Today was finally the day I got to see my boyfriend after four long months of being separate. It was a bittersweet moment. When I saw him coming out the doors of Kyobo bookshop, I quickly noticed how thin he had become. But his smile was as bright as ever. It was a surreal moment. It was a moment that I had waited for so long, and it just didn't seem real enough that he was walking towards me. We hugged very briefly though. I think he was trying to look respectful in front of my Mother. But it was just a moment that I wanted to feel proud of. That he came all the way to Seoul from his hometown just to see me. He truly is wonderful. And, because our hotel is stingy not to let a third person stay in our room, I had to see him off at the elevators of our floor. We finally kissed. To be honest, it felt weird to kiss him again. I guess it really becomes uncomfortable for me to kiss, especially since I haven't kissed him for that long. I didn't really get to hug him tightly today though, more because I was just trying to think of my Mum and not make her feel awkward in seeing her daughter constantly snuggling with her boyfriend. But when I think about it, I haven't seen my boyfriend in months, and I want to be spending as much time as I can with him.

Today was our second day in Seoul. Before meeting with my boyfriend, we went to Bukchon Hanok Village. It was really an interesting and fascinating long walk, that took us quite a far distane without our realising it. The old, Joseon-period hanoks were mixed with modern, unruly, and cramped buildings. It was such an interesting and juxtaposed mix of architecture. I really enjoyed being able to see hanoks just peaking out of corners, almost blocked by other, more attractive areas. We walked through old-style alleyways, and the beautiful sun made the scene all the more dramatic. After this rather tiring walk, we went to Cheong-gye Cheon, the stream that runs in central Seoul, just near the Kyobo building. Although we stayed for a very brief time, I really liked the stream. It would really be a good place to seek some form of tranquility, despite its being located in the heart of busy, busy Seoul. We were famished by this time so we had no choice but to eat at the nearest restaurant that looked decent enough to eat at, a Vietnamese restaurant called Pho Bay. It was already getting dark, so we headed to Myeong-dong. Boy, it is such an exciting and alive area!! Once you climbed up the stairs from the station underground, you are already hit with the huge, white lights of the shop called Uniqlo. Turning left, we found ourselves at the entrance of the Myeong-dong shopping district, which comprised of small alleyways that were filled with fashionable shops and people cramming around having a look at clothes of the street venders to people who are trying to make their way to more shopping areas. The lights were so excited and made the environment so thrilling and exciting. I really, really enjoy this kind of atmosphere. There, I even bought the things I needed, such as a pair of gloves from SPAO and hand cream and face mist of Innisfree. I would love to go back there and experience it. Walking through the many, many shopping areas seriously drained us of our energy. Surely after a while, we were feeling colder and colder. We headed to Shinsegae for some warmth before heading off again back to Gangnam-gu. We had bibimbap for dinner at a Korean restaurant in COEX Mall. We were quite happy and fulfilled, and had coffee afterwards.

I feel extremely tired after today. I guess the culmination of intense-walking and touring for four days is slowly dawning on me. My knees are already feeling sore. I can only hope that my knee will feel much better tomorrow morning. I will meet my boyfriend at Starbucks tomorrow morning, an hour earlier than when my Mum will meet us. In the mean time, I look forward to day 3 in Seoul! Changdeokgung, Namsan and Itaewon, here we come!