We woke up at around 9 today after the previous night of crazy shopping at Dundaemon. Today is an exciting day for us because I have a date with a plastic surgeon!!!
Best Toast Bread In The Whole World
I have an appointment with a Plastic Surgeon today at 11am (please see below for more details) but we were a bit late after a late night shopping. We set out at about 10am and saw this stall selling toast bread outside our guest house and we decided to give it a try. It was the best decision ever.
The toast is soooooooooooo good ! The only thing I don't like is the corn that has been mixed with the egg. I don't like corn at all...if only the corn were not there the toast will be better than best!
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| the menu in korean/english/chinese/japanese |
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| the lady with the magic skill |
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| if you can read in hangul |
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| a group of taiwanese tourists waiting for their toast |
Seoul is really a heaven for plastic surgery. You'll know what I mean when you see the pictures below. The train stations are plastered with hospitals's posters and the locals don't even try to hide their face even after a surgery (we saw many with a bandage on the nose or a sunglass hiding swollen eyes).
I am here because I have an appoinment with BK Hospital's Dr. Kim Byung Gum. He is the founder of the hospital (I later learnt from a Korean friend that his hospital is a very popular one in Seoul).
Don't get too excited. As much as I wanted to, I dare not do anything major because first I'm a scardy cat and second, I've ZERO threshold in pain!! It took me A LOT OF COURAGE to say yes to doing facial contour. I keep thinking of backing out on the way to the hospital!! Even up till the moment when I was sitting in the clinic reception area waiting to be 'assessed.'
I only did a very small job. In beauty term it is called Facial Contour but in laymen's term it's botox!
Injections were made to the side of your jaw to release the muscles at the back of your jaw, thus reducing the over prominent areas and your jawlines will be sharpened, giving you a more defined face shape. I had very bad swelling on one side of my jaw after the injection as I was too tensed. I couldn't opened my mouth for 2 days and I have got bruises. Knowing that this is a normal reaction for certain people, I'm not worried at all, but just frustrated!! Anyway, I'm enjoying the nice effects now. The botox has brought down the 'width' of my face...
Although till now, I still didn't know what make me say yes!! haha!
Sinsa Station
This is where you have to be for plastic surgery! There are so many hospitals around this area! The moment we alighted from the train we saw a lot of 'before' and 'after' pictures/posters, we know we are in the right place!
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| BK hospital - the hospital i went to |
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| BK hospital |
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| they even have a museum |
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| this is where you have to be!! |
LUNCH - Min's Club @ Insadong
Min's Club's original name was Minikduga, meaning (Minikdu's Home). The place was renamed and remodeled into a fusion restaurant in 2001.
It was designed by Gilryong Park, he was the pioneer of Korea-modern architecture in 1930. The house is a historical building that helps to understand the changes in Korean architecture. The exterior of the building looks like the traditional Korean house but the interior is totally modern with antique European and Oriental furnitures.
Thanks to our Korean friend for bringing us here. It was a very place to have lunch. The service is good and the food is of good quality though a bit pricey.
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| pasta |
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| beef |
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| me with my swollen jaw |
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| exterior of the restaurant |
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| the main entrance - looking from inside |
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| the map of min's club - it is located in the heart of Insadong |
Ewha Womans University is one of the most popular shopping districts in Seoul. The street is also often referred to as Ewha Womans University Fashion Street as it has become a shopping haven for women. There are a few departmental stores here (according to the web but we didn't visit any) and the streets are lined with fashion, nails and hair salons. The best part about the street is the price.
Being located near the womens university can only mean
1) the area is full of shops all targeted at women
2) price is meant for students
We went to Ewha Woman's University after lunch and and it is at this area that we finally saw beautiful, well-dressed, well made-up Korean girls!!!
It is ironic that while being seen as a place of plastic surgery with all the beautiful actors and actresses in k-drama, you'll not see beautiful people on the street somehow. I later learnt that the beautiful ones are all driving in the cars and they only appear in weekends at a few places, hip places to be exact, places to-be-seen.
It is later proved that the saying is correct as we saw more as we hang out in those areas on Friday nights and Saturday.
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| street stall selling food |
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| my favourite cosmetics shop in seoul! |
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| university compound |
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| Ehwa womans university fashion street @ night |
Hongdae Area
Hongdae area is another university area. With Hongdae University nearby, a prestigious school known for it's arts and design programs, the area is itself a concentration of funcky clothes and vintage stalls.
Hongdae itself is also a clubbing street with many happening clubs nearby.
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| the street is closed for public transport to allow shoppers to roam freely |
The menu has the usual coffees teas juices and cakes. I highly recommend you try the sweet potato latte. There are also waffles, breads, yogurt ice cream and Hello Kitty Shaped cookies. Being a hello kitty fan i was hoping to bring everything there home....
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| sweet potato latte |
HOW TO GO:
From Hongdae station, make a left out of exit 5 and turn right at the 2nd intersection (past The Face Shop). Then walk down this road and cross the street (the street's name is Seogyo-ro). Once you cross Seogyo-ro, go down the road to the left of Tony Moly. Up an alley, on the left side of this road, is the Hello Kitty Cafe. It is visible from the road, so if you're looking, just look for pink.
Hello Kitty Cafe
358-112 1F Seogyo-Dong
Mapo-gu, Seoul, 150-881 South Korea
Phone: 02-334-6570
Hours: Everyday 11:00am-12:00am
This is a specialty restaurant specializing in boiled boned soup (ox bone soup) with chopped leeks. It is said that the rich and sweet broth with the beef is very good for one's health.
I am not a kimchi fan but I was told that the kimchi they served is awesome.
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| we went to the one at myongdong |
Address:
Seoul-si Jung-gu Myeong-dong 2 ga 2-2
JJIMBABANG - KOREA SAUNA
You have not visited Seoul if you did not visit any Jjimjimbang. Jjimjimbang is a public family sauna place for Koreans to go and relax. It has more than 10 kinds of sauna, massage shop, salon, snack shop, restaurant, pc room and relaxation lounges and it is a 7 or 8 stories building. Most jjimjibang is opened 24 hours a day. For about 13000 won (SGD14!!), you get to enjoy all the facilities in the building.
We went to Silom Jjimbanbang on recommendation as it's the nearest one to Myeondong. From the exterior, it looks like some love hotel or something as the building doesn't look posh, in fact it was quite old, and dark.
But when we saw tourists arriving in vans we know we are in the right place. It is 6 floors of heaven and you'll feel that you've just hit the jackpot.
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| the exterior of Siloam Jjimjimbang |
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| even the reception counter don't look very promising |
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| 6 floors of wonders! |
WHAT TO DO IN JJIMJIMBANG:
1) Make payment at reception area and head to the changing room on 1st floor (I think it's a mezzanine area since the reception is also on the first floor).
2) Put the shoes in the locker once in the changing room, take the key and pass to the lady at the counter in exchange for your towels and orange uniform. She'll then pass you a key for your locker.
3) Remove everything and put them in your locker, bring a towel and head downstairs (internal staircase that leads you directly from the changing room to the shower area) for your bath
4) REMEMBER TO BRING YOUR OWN TOILETERIES
5) The bath area is a public shower area with a lot of handheld shower facilities plus some little pools with slightly higher temperature.
6) Once you finished your shower, head back to your locker, put on the orange uniform and that's when you can start to venture to all the different sauna rooms which are located on the 3rd to 5th floor
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| this is one of the sauna rooms |
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| the ice room sauna |
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| The Den Room: Infrared rays help with rheumatoid arthritis, backaches, stiff shoulders etc |
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| the rest area |
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| the heated salt room |
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| the sand sauna room |
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| the women's snoring room |
That is the way to Siloam Sauna
Hi CK..
ReplyDeleteHow can I get to this Siloam Sauna? When I see the map, I don't understand at all.. hahaha I am planning to visit Korea this coming May, and I plan to follow your itinerary as I love reading your blog about Korea trip.. hehehe I'll be more than happy if you don't mind to share more detailed information with me. Thank you. Hope hearing from you soon.
Regards
Jenny