[Part 3] 145. Bucheon & my Christmas Eve

We spent most of the day staying in Youngjin's place and watching the Korean drama "Secret Garden" from Episode 4 onwards. Some episodes were filmed in Jeju's Lotte Hotel. Actually, when I was there with Jeannie, Yuya, Raus and Kenneth at the end of October, we caught a drama filming but didn't know what drama it was for. It was actually for the 4th of 5th episodes of Secret Garden. We saw the actor acting as Oska! But it was a pity we didn't see Ha Ji Won and Hyun Bin...we were actually in Jeju at the same time and breathed the same air!

Breakfast

Love Korea's IP TV! We could download previous episodes of the drama to watch.

Cheesecake making 

In the early afternoon, Jeannie, Phyllis, Youngjin and I walked to New Core to buy a chicken to cook chicken rice with the premix packet that Phyllis brought over from Singapore. We were supposed to meet Lee Geun around 3 or 4pm but at 2pm, we had just started cooking so instead of meeting him outside, we invited him over to Youngjin's place for a late lunch. We should have met him more often because he will be going to the army on the 27th and we won't get to see him till 2 years later or rather, till the next time we go back to Korea. I will continue studying Korean when I'm back in Singapore so that when I'm back in Korea, I can better communicate with my Korean friends. There are so many things I want to talk to them about but our language barrier is one big limiting factor! I bet some of them think that I'm really quiet but I'm not...Jeannie can attest to that! I can talk for ages but when I can't speak a language well, I don't dare to speak out at all. Lee Geun, take care of yourself in the army and we'll see you again!
The rice wasn't well cooked because Korean rice-cookers can't be opened once you press the "start" button for cooking! We were supposed to open the rice cooker after 5 minutes to fluff the rice a little but we couldn't :( When the rice was cooked, we could see certain portions with more oil than the other :(

Bye, Lee Geun!

While Jeannie and Phyllis headed back to Seoul to shop for shoes, I went to Times Square in Yeongdeungpo 영등포 on my own to shop for Christmas presents. Yes I know...how last minute of me! Shortly after I had arrived in Times Square, Jimmy called me and invited me to watch a concert in Gangnam area but I had to settle my Christmas shopping. Furthermore, I doubt I would have the time to return to Times Square again before I leave and I want to explore the whole shopping mall! When I was there with Yuhong and Kenneth in October, we only covered a small section of the mall :( It was nice shopping alone...I like to do that. BUT I was surrounded by lovey-dovey couples and people carrying boxes and boxes of ice-cream Christmas cakes which I lusted after. So while it was nice shopping alone, I felt lonely :( 오빠를 너무 보고 싶었어 ㅠㅠ

On my way back to the subway station, I discovered an underground link from Times Square to the subway station which saved me from the biting cold outside. I almost died when I walked from the subway station to the shopping mall earlier outside in the subzero weather which left my fingertips red and numb even though I was wearing gloves. The link to Times Square from the subway station can be accessed from the underground shopping area in Yeungdengpo Station. So use the link if the weather outside is too unbearable!