Day 5: 3 July 2009 Friday

So I thought I wouldn't have a happening day afterall today because Wan Ling wanted to join the rest and go to Lotte World but I didn't want to because I want to spend the whole day there and not go there from 3pm-11pm+. So Melissa, Garima and Chun En, let's go there when you guys come over! And hopefully, it won't rain!

But in the end, there was a change of plan and it sure was an exciting night! I had lunch with the rest at Sinchon's McDonalds: a bulgogi 불고기 burger for 2,800원 which was delicious :)

Popped by Innisfree after lunch before meeting Wan Ling at Sinchon Station 신춘역. We met Jeannie at Quizno Subs near Yeouido Station 여의도역.

Eating at a Korean eatery where the lady kind of chased us out after Jeannie and Wan Ling were done eating because she wanted to rest?! She told us to talk somewhere else. What a wonderful service -_-

We didn't know how to get to the KBS building and asked a Korean guy for instructions. He could speak in English so we conversed for quite awhile. Another Korean guy overheard our conversation and told us that he could bring us to the building because he works there so we followed him and told him the purpose of our visit: to catch the Music Bank show even though we didn't have any tickets. Mr.Ahn works as a programmer/professional engineer at KBS and he was really nice! He can speak English quite well and travelled to London and New York before.

So anyway, he brought us to the KBS Building and helped us talk to the personnel-in-charge, saying we're from Singapore and stuff and we couldn't call in for tickets. Initially, the receptionist said no, but Mr. Ahn told her that we came all the way here (여기까지...) just to catch the show so she asked her manager/supervisor over and he helped us! We were brought to the waiting area and told to wait there until 돼지 comes to meet us and direct us...ㅋㅋ. So we waited till around 6.30pm when almost everyone had gone into the studio and we were directed in by the guy whom the supervisor called 돼지(but he didn't look like one...the words mean a "pig"). So yeah, we managed to catch the Music Bank show!

SNSD was there and they are so gorgeous with their long legs, perfect hair and makeup. After observing Korean girls for the past 2 weeks, I think they must have some secret makeup and hair "recipe" because most of them look really beautiful with their perfect hair texture and well made-up faces. Shinnee was there too, and basically the singers of all the latest songs 가요 you keep hearing in the stores in Korea now, like the 가지마 song which we kind of have a love-hate-relationship kind of thing. 가지마's not the title of the song I think, but that's the phrase that sticks in your head.

I nearly went deaf because the fan girls just kept screaming and screaming and screaming. I think the guys there went because of SNSD (Girs Generation).  Oh yes, and because we were let into the studio so late, we couldn't get seats so we just sat on the steps by one corner.

The music show ended at around 8pm+ and we headed for Dongdaemun 동대문 where I had 오뎅 for dinner. It was more spicy than the one I had back in Singaopre in Square 2, Novena. I bought 2 blouses, a pair of cullotes, a hairband, a hp charm and a present for my little brother 남동생. I didn't manage to check out all the malls there so I'll have to go back there again one day! We shopped at A pm and Doota.  I love shopping with Jeannie. For one, she gives her honest opinions and keeps me grounded. Secondly, she speaks Korean much better than me and helped me do the price bargaining!

Having 팥빙수 at 11pm+ in Doota for 8,000원.

From Dongdaemun 동대문, we took a cab to Apgujeong 압구정. The 1st cab that we flagged down and took didn't have a meter! We couldn't communicate well via Korean and luckily both the cab driver and Wan Ling could converse in Japanese. He said it'd cost us 40,000원 to drive us to Apgujeong 압구정 because it was during the peak period and the subway trains were out of service. But it was utterly insane. I mean like 40,000원???!!! Luckily he let us alight near the shopping malls without having to pay for the short distance ride because Wan Ling kept telling him that we didn't have much money. We managed to get another cab and the cab fare was only 7,000원. So be careful! If you take a cab in Korea, please take a cab that has a meter inside!

The 2nd cab driver didn't know where Everysing and SM Entertainment Building was either, so he let us alight along Apgujeong 압구정 and we asked a lady at the bus stop for directions but she didn't know either. Later on, we met a group of 3 girls and they directed us to the noraebang 노래방 (Korean karaoke). Everysing is near Paris Croissant and its signboard is actually quite small so you have to look out for it. It closes at 3:00am and the hourly rate for the smallest room is 17,000원. We sang from 1-3am.

After our singing session, we took a cab back to Sinchon. It was a bumpy and rather thrilling ride with the cab driver driving at 120km/h! We reached the hostel around 3.30am but it was locked because there's a curfew from 1.00am to 5.30am. With no other choice, we had the cab driver send Wan Ling and I to McDonalds in Sinchon and Jeannig back to Korea University. I had a 불고기 set meal at 4am and we chatted till 5.20am before taking a cab back to school and sleeping at around 6am.