Autumn, Winter, Spring and….Summer?

I took a break this week… I figured I am to entitle chill out during my birthday week…so apologies to those who have been checking this site daily. ^^

Speaking of break, it’s summer time in Korea now and many of the Koreans I know are also going on their summer vacation. Coming from a country like Singapore where seasons are divided into hot or wet, I really like the different seasons in Korea.

AUTUMN (2004)

This was taken on Nami Island in September 2004. I went to Nami Island in 2003, and at that time, there were already quite a lot of Winter Sonata related references. By the time I went again in 2004, it was literally dotted with sites, pictures, sculptures and all sorts of paraphernalia. Personally, I think it’s an overkill. But if you look beyond all these tourist attractions, the island itself is really beautiful. It was after all, a popular local destination long before the success of ‘Winter Sonata’ made the island into a sacred pilgrimage for its fans. It’s not difficult to get to Nami Island and along the way, you will pass by Chun Cheon, another ‘Winter Sonata’ site. If you do go Chun Cheon, you must try their signature dish- Chun Cheon chicken…. (salivating at the thought of it)

Daehano is a fascinating place, not just because of the lively atmosphere, but also because of he architecture. I could almost believe that I was in Europe. Especially when you see flower baskets hanging outside buildings like these.

WINTER (2006)

It was quite a last minute decision but I ended up going to Korea in December last year during winter. Unfortunately I miss the first snow, which came 2 days after I left. Sigh. This is Sok Cheon Lake. Where? Well, you may be more familiar with its neighbour- Lotte World Seoul. The lake is right next to it. Like most tourists, I wouldn’t have known about it as I normally take the subway to Jamsil station if I’m going to Lotte World. But because of a business meeting, I discovered this lake. It was peaceful, quiet and beautiful as I walked by the lake that morning. I only wished I could have been there to catch some of the activities.

I was totally fascinated with these flowers which look like some kind of lettuce to me. They lined the streets in the E Dae Ap area. Or what many of us know as Ewha Women University. It’s a great place for shopping trendy women’s stuff like shoes, clothes, accessories at very affordable prices. I spent hours there each time, often just to window shop. If you go, do take the time to explore the small shops in the side alleys. They are just as interesting as the main shops along the main street. By the way, does anyone know what the words mean? I know the first line but am not sure about the second line.

SPRING (2005)

Many people go to Japan to see the cherry blossoms during Springtime but there are cherry blossoms in Korea as well. I managed to catch it when I was there in April 2005. It is truly a breathtaking sight when you see rows of the cherry blossoms decked out in full bloom. There are a few places where you can see them but we went to Seoul Grand Park, which is part of Seoul Land. The place is big, spacious and there were many families there, just enjoying the view. I read that it’s a good place for dates as well. I guess it could be romantic as long as you don’t meet a bunch of girls, laughing and generally behaving like lunatics. Hahaha!

Here’s a close up of the cherry blossoms. Pretty huh?

I love pretty flowers. Especially brilliantly coloured flowers like these which is only possible in seasonal countries. This was taken in the Samcheok Jukseoru or Samcheok Park. What was I doing in Samcheok? Hehe! Obviously it’s related to Bae Yong Joon..read about my trip, Off to see some snow in April here

Hmmm…I just realised that I’ve not been to Korea during Summertime. It would be great to go there and just complete my album. Wonder if KNTO will sponsor a trip there for me. hehe! (Hint! Hint! Addy)

I will be away next week and so may not be able to blog for awhile. Hopefully I will be able to catch up on some of the dramas this weekend. Thank goodness ‘Capital Scandal’ is ending next week. Don’t know how I would have been able to manage with 3 dramas. Btw, ‘Time of Dog & Wolf’ is turning out quite well. All the 3 leads are good actors but I am especially impressed with Lee Joon Gi. He is really good from what I’ve seen in the 4 episodes so far.

Not so briefly on Jang Hyuk in Singapore

There have been less sightings of Jang Hyuk for the past week. I heard he’s busy training. Hehe! Still some people managed to spot him this week. This is J’s story and the autograph that she managed to get from him. Enjoy!

I was chatting on my mobile when I saw a ‘petite’ sized man dressed in black passing by. He stood near the counter for about nearly 2-3mins, accompanied by a lady and a big guy . One of the girl in our group stood up and I quickly walked towards them….

Jang Hyuk was wearing a black beanie black tight tee and black pants. He was dressed in black from head to toes and wearing sunglasses….He also carried a Gucci monogrammed sling pouch.

He was shy and friendly when we approached him and some passed him gifts. I think he was a bit surprised when we ‘appeared’ in front of him suddenly.

I greeted him in Korean and bowed, he bowed back. I think he bowed about 5 times when we were with him….such a nice guy…

He didn’t speak much….SHY SHY SHY..One of the girls asked if we could take a photo with him and he nodded. So we took turns taking photo with him individually. He was quite stiff though and I didn’t dare to put my arm around him. After that I thanked him in Korean and bowed…..ha ha, sorry I’m used to bowing when I’m in ‘Korean mode’… I then asked him for an autograph and spelt out my name for him.

The big guy was like ‘pushing’ him towards the lift. So we all shook hands with him as he left. His hand is small…soft and smooth….and fair… Then he was escorted to the lift and went up at approximately 9.45pm….

The whole thing took only about 15 minutes….I could see his fit chest and body under his tight tee….nice bod…his face is very slim and small. I couldn’t believe that I managed to see him up close n personal….unbelievable…

This is one of the photo taken that night by another girl. Posted by Amaryllis on soompi.