I met Maxwell at the lobby of the hotel I stayed in just off Teherano-ro. It was beautiful, seeing him waiting for me. After many months of being separate, it really felt like we had never been separate at all. We dropped off his things in the room, giving Mum the room to herself, while we went to Starbucks to have some time together. Sitting there, it occurred to me many times how lucky I was to be sitting by the window next to my boyfriend in the beautiful city of Seoul. How I wished I could have frozen that moment and just held his hand forever. He is truly a gem to have and I am extremely lucky to have such a sweet boyfriend who went all the way to Seoul to see me and stayed with me for three days.
I'm writing this in Manila now. After the second day, I didn't have enough time to write an entry. On the third day, we went to Changdeokgung Palace. Compared to the first palace we went to, Gyeongbukgung, this one had a more intimate feel. The smaller size definitely helped give out this feeling, as well as more trees and gardens inside the palace. Although we had to pay an additional fee to enter further in to what is called the "Secret Garden", where the royal family went to stroll, meditate and learn the humanities, it was a beautiful, despite costly, addition to the tour. The garden itself was really beautiful. Because we were right smack into winter, there were no leaves. I can imagine how much more beautiful it would look if it were in autumn. But because I usually don't get the opportunity to see these kinds of gardens, it was really a beautiful scene to behold. The small, roofed spaces built just over the edge of the water to give the sense of serenity and wholeness with the water must have been a most peaceful experience for the royal family. All the lakes had frozen so this was another new sight added to my list of things I've never seen before. What made it all the more beautiful was that I was with my boyfriend. Holding his hand, walking through this beautiful garden, what more could I ask for? The walk itself was long and, although not being strenuous, it was a tiring walk. After Changbeokgung, we went to Itaewon. I was expecting a lot more from this space, but it resembled a rough neighbourhood of an Asian country that was jam-packed with international restaurants, lots of stalls on the sidewalks. We were pretty much tuckered out from the Changbeokgung palace tour and so we made our way to the nearest café (along with short detour to KFC asking if they had wicked wings available) and had a few snacks there. We were expecting to have had dinner there, but my Mum was rather displeased with the area. Instead, we tried heading to Garuso-gil. Instead, we found ourselves surrounded by plastic surgery clinics. Although all the signs were in Korean, I could see my boyfriend's expression of disbelievement and amusement from the sight. Again, we could not find a decent enough restaurant. And so, we headed back to our area in Gangnam and scavenged for some restaurant on the way back to the hotel. After a long and difficult decision-making, we decided to eat at a "hue" restaurant (or what my boyfriend calls a Korean sashimi restaurant). We ordered a meal that was supposed to be a dish usually for the summer season, but we really enjoyed it nonetheless. It was something we never tasted before, but my Mother and I had unexpectedly really enjoyed the meal.
We headed back to our hotel feeling satisfied. My boyfriend and I then took a stroll around the neighbourhood in the cold. Again, it was one of those moments where I wanted to freeze and play it all over again. We slowly walked around and went to Tom n Toms café. Sometimes, we don't talk a lot, but I don't mind it all. It never has felt awkward or uncomfortable. Rather, it felt like just enjoying the company you were with and that no words are always necessary in a conversation.
Now that I am in Manila, a completely different environment to that of Seoul, I find myself feeling blue and terribly missing him. I should count myself lucky that after this trip in the Philippines, I will be flying my way back to him in no time. I just have to keep my patience and hopes up for one month before I see him again.
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