USA Trip Day 7 - 10 Sep 2014 - Seattle / Pike Place Market Area

Uncle sent us to SFO airport slightly after 7am as our flight to Seattle was set to depart at 9:10 am. 

I realized after our trip that we flew with a different domestic airline every single time! Among all these airlines (Alaska Airlines, Delta, American, Virgin), we would have to say that Virgin planes are the best. While all airlines provide great friendly service and they are not strict with cabin luggage, Virgin planes are just newer with entertainment system for each individual. Other planes were spacious but they were quite old.

USA Trip Day 6 - 9 Sep 2014 - SF Walking Tour Part 4

Cable Car Museum

We left Coit Tower around 5pm and walked down the Filbert Steps into Filbert Street. 

wow custom hat shop O.O

I saw a shop providing a coin washing service too. Vintage much?

After passing by the Washington Square Park, we turned left into Mason street and walked straight till we reached the Cable Car Museum, housed in the old-fashioned red-brick building. 

USA Trip Day 6 - 9 Sep 2014 - SF Walking Tour Part 3

Union Square

Address: Area surrounded by Geary, Powell, Post & Stockton streets 

While this area is well-served by public transport ranging from cable cars, MUNI train, BART, F line streetcar and many buses, it is best explored on foot. Since its nearby Yerba Buena Gardens, we took a leisurely stroll.

As a historically significant site, this plaza was the venue for many pro-Union rallies, held on the eve of the civil war. A 97-feet tall monument was erected in 1903 to celebrate another event - the victory of Admiral George Dewey at the Battle of Manila Bay. This was also the place of the world's very first underground parking, opened in 1941.

USA Trip Day 6 - 9 Sep 2014 - SF Walking Tour Part 2

After our morning excursion around the beautiful architectural buildings of the bay area, we took BART train for 1 stop from Civic Center station to Powell Street station. 

It was fascinating to observe the Powell-Mason & Powell-Hyde cable cars turning around here, right above the station!  

 You can see tourists queue-ing behind me, for that historic cable car ride, unique to San Francisco!

USA Trip Day 6 - 9 Sep 2014 - SF Walking Tour Part 1

We decided to be actual free & easy tourists today and requested Uncle to drop us off along the Van Ness Avenue for exploring historic civic center as well as downtown San Francisco. Much of this area was rebuilt as part of the Beautiful City Movement which strove to counter the chaotic growth of cities during the rapid immigration and industrialization. Hence, it was not without much surprise that most of the more stunning buildings in San Francisco are clustered here together.

City Hall

Address: 1 Dr. Carlton B Goodlett Place, San Francisco, CA 94102

How to get there: There are a couple of ways to get here and public transport is recommended since its not that easy to get a parking lot
1) Civic Center / United Nations Plaza Station By BART Train
2) Civic Center / United Nations Plaza Station By MUNI line J, K, L, M, N
3) F line street car

USA Trip Day 5 - 8 Sep 2014 - Chinatown

Today was a very relaxing day for us to spend some time with Mister's grandma. The morning however was spent, wandering aimlessly round Chinatown, weaving among throngs of locals and tourists, purchasing beautiful postcards and savoring the appetizing Chinese treats.

An imposing Chinatown Gate at the beginning of Grant Avenue marked the area popular with tourists. 

USA Trip Day 4 - 7 Sep 2014 - Pier 39

Pier 39 / Fisherman's Wharf

Address: Beach Street & The Embarcadero, San Francisco, CA 94133

Opened since 1978, Pier 39 is one of the most famous tourist attractions in San Francisco. The presence of restaurants, souvenir shops, street performances, cruises, sea lions as well as an aquarium makes this place an ideal hangout place for any visitor - be it families or couples or a group of friends.

USA Trip Day 4 - 7 Sep 2014 - Lombard Street & Costco

Lombard Street (aka The Crookedest Street in the world)

Address: 1070 Lombard Street, San Francisco, CA 94109
              (The portion of Lombard Street between Jones Street & Hyde Street)

You may wonder why we made it a point to see a street. Well, it's because the street was so crooked and yet, exuded beauty with well-maintained flower beds and red brick pavement, not to mention the marvelous stately houses located along it! Why wasn't the road straight? Well, a straight road down the 27 degree slope was considered too dangerous for both drivers and pedestrians and hence, the road was designed to be curvy with eight turns in just one block.

We reached this crooked street around 10 am and luckily, managed to find a parking near the top of the hill! There is also a cable car stop near near the top, so that's a great transportation option if you don't want to drive.

USA Trip Day 3 - 6 Sep 2014 - Palace of Fine Arts, Golden Gate Bridge & Golden Gate Park

Palace of Fine Arts

Address: 3301 Lyon St, San Francisco, CA 94123

Constructed in 1915 for the Panama-Pacific International Exposition (or otherwise known as the World Fair), this palace has become one of the iconic locations of San Francisco.  This exhibition was held to celebrate the city's recovery from the devastating earthquake of 1906. Although this palace was supposed to be dismantled together with other exhibition palaces, it was allowed to remain, due to its beauty and star attraction status.

USA Trip Day 3 - 6 Sep 2014 - Alemany Farmers' Market & Twin Peaks

Wow Uncle is a great cook! Now I know where Mister inherits his culinary skills from :D Just look at the breakfast plate he prepared for us.  Fancy home-cooked meal! 

Ready to go! By the way, don't those homes look too cute? 

Alemany Farmers' Market

Address: 100 Alemany Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94110

Opening Hours: Every Saturday from dawn to dusk (It is better to go early, possibly before noon, so you can pick the freshest flowers, fruits and vegetables!)

USA Trip Day 2 - 5 Sep 2014 - Santana Row

After leaving Palo Alto town area, we headed to a bank for me to get a prepaid card. I really it's a great option for travelers who do not want to carry loads of cash around.  

We were there for a-month long holiday, so of course, we should have more than a thousand dollars each. Note that we have plans to visit 3 outlet stores. But it could be dangerous to have so much cash on you.  It is also not foolproof to leave your cash hidden in the room.  

So the next best thing is to get a plastic.  Debit cards are tied to bank accounts, which I do not have in the States.  Credit cards require a credit check which might take a while - time is a luxury I can't afford while on holiday. Thus, we opted for a prepaid card, which functions pretty much like a debit or credit card. 

I just loaded money into the card via deposit at the bank itself. I could even shop or make reservations online! And if my card get stolen, I just have to inform the bank asap so that they can block my card.  I believe my money can be recovered that way in case of theft! 

But note that you cannot spend more than the loaded balance. Also, you have to go to the bank branch to get it done. If you have a friend or relative in the States, maybe you can get them to help you get a card in advance so that you will save the time required to drop by at the bank.

Lunch at Pho Queen, Sunnyvale

Address: 1133 Tasman Drive, Sunnyvale, CA 94089, United States

Hours: 09:00 am - 09:00 pm

USA Trip Day 2 - 5 Sep 2014 - Stanford Shopping Center & Stanford University

I so loved waking up to the gentle greetings of light rays that sneaked through the window, while I was still wrapped snugly in my comfortable cocoon of blanket and mattress. In Singapore and Myanmar, I was so used to avoiding sunlight like a plague due to the tropical weather. So it was definitely a nice change to be able to appreciate sun light in the cooling weather of the bay area.  

Our first stop of the day was the Palo Alto medical center for Mister to undergo his annual full-body check-up.  Afterwards, we left around 1030am to explore Palo Alto area - the birthplace of tech culture. Homes of various tech entrepreneurs including Steve Jobs' were located here. 

Stanford Shopping Center

Address: 660 Stanford Shopping Center, Palo Alto, CA 94304, United States

Stores: Over 120 Stores including A&F, Apple Store, Banana Republic, Bloomingdales, Brooks Brothers, Burberry, Coach, Crate & Barrel, Godiva, Hugo Boss, J.Crew, Kate Spade New York, Macy's, Michael Kors, Tiffany & Co., Tory Burch

Opening Hours: 10:00 am - 9:00 pm (closes early on Saturdays and Sundays)

USA Trip Day 1 - 4 Sep 2014 - Stonetown Galleria Mall

Wow finally The Epic Trip of Our Lives is here! It may not be the case for Mister since he grew up there, but I was pretty thrilled about this month-long trip to the States since it will be my very first foray outside of Asia. And honestly, how often do we get to indulge in one month of vacationing? Lucky us indeed :D

 First, let me indulge in good old Asian food of pork ribs soup, before I subject myself to Western food for a whole month! 

 Sunrise = Beginning of a new day, also a beautiful start to our journey (: 

Our 1 Month Journey in the Land of Liberty - USA Trip Itinerary

We have been planning this trip for an extremely long time!  Since both of us had never been on a month long holiday, just imagine how giddy we must had been :D  I was in between jobs and he had just completed his undergraduate studies so the timing was perfect! 

Departure from Singapore - 4 Sep 2014

Arrival back to Singapore - 5 Oct 2014

Total duration of the trip - 32 days

On the road / Travel days - 3 days

West Coast - 18 days (7 cities)

East Coast - 11 days (4 cities)

Day trip to Ayutthaya, Thailand (26 Sep 2015)

While I was in Bangkok recently for a business trip, we had some time for a little R&R and wondered where we could explore. It had to be somewhere near Bangkok as we only had 1 day. Since my mom didn't feel like being adventurous, day trips to tiger temple or River Kwai were ruled out.  Finally, we decided upon Ayutthaya.

Spring Break in Korea Day 15 (11 April 2015) - how to claim tax refund

Wow what a rush! Let me tell you, I have never in my life, had to cut this close to catch a plane. And its all thanks to the slow check-in counter & tedious tax refund process!!!  

We started our day on schedule. Although we had 5 luggages, my helpful sister was sending us off so she helped us with one luggage and we could take train from Seoul Station all the way to the Incheon Airport.  This convenient train journey only took about 45 minutes and we were at airport by 8:30am, almost 2.5 hours before departure time.  

Oh dear, the Vietnam Airlines check-in counter was extremely slow and inefficient, that we had to wait 1 hour to check in.   Arghhh

Anyway, if you purchase more than 30,000 Won in one single receipt, you can request for tax refund receipt, be it from cosmetic shops or shopping centre or even supermarkets. Thus, its advisable to combine your purchases with your friends' to hit that minimum 30,000 Won value.  However, there were different tax service providers so not all the businesses will be partners with the same company.  The most common were Global Blue Tax Free (Blue), Global Tax Free (Orange) and KT Tourist Reward (Red).

Spring Break in Korea Day 14 (10 April 2015) - Part II

The bus promptly dropped us off back at Seoul Station around noon and we walked back to our flat  for lunch. We went overboard buying food the previous night and didn’t even get around to tasting beef rib soup and rice ball.  With fresh Korean strawberries, Starbucks coffee and black bean milk, they made for an appetising lunch. 

Afterwards, we headed out to Yeouido Park for Seoul cherry blossom festival.  If you are armed with a great DSLR camera, you can also go there at night to enjoy over 1000 cheery trees lighted up to create a romantic ambience. After visiting both Yeouido area and Jinhae, I prefer Jinhae cherry festival though.  Nonetheless, Seoul has many places for you to catch these lovely flowers during their fleeting blossom season. For instance, at Namsan Mountain, the view of cherry trees must be stunning with N-Seoul Tower in the backdrop.

How to get there: Yeouinaru Station, Line 5, Exit 1 OR

                      National Assembly Station, Line 9, Exit 1 or 6

Spring Break in Korea Day 14 (10 April 2015) - Part I

SO EXCITED TO BE VISITING THE FILMING SET!!! Its not just any set, its THE set used in My Love From Another Star!! Remember the mysterious alien Do Min Joon & adorable actress Cheon Song Yi? That was definitely my favorite drama in 2014.  I even shared about it to Mister, friends and colleagues and they became fans too. Can you feel my excitement? I just couldn't stand still :D

Spring Break in Korea Day 13 (9 April 2015)

Today, we planned to meet my dear friend from my KU days as an exchange student.  As she was working near Samseong Station, we decided to grab lunch at COEX Mall around 12:30pm.  It was really really far from Seoul Station though.

Naeng Myeon

This is a special summer treat, unique to Korea. Fresh, handmade noodles were submerged in ice cold soup and served together with sliced cucumber and pear, to chase away sweltering heat of the summer. 

Spring Break in Korea Day 12 (8 April 2015) - Part II

Su Yeon San Bang (수연산방) tea house

After late lunch, we headed out to suyeonsanbang (수연산방) tea house in Seongbuk-Dong. This quiet traditional tea house used to be a hanok residence of the late Korean author Lee Taejun. This classic abode, with its unassuming beauty, is indeed an ideal place to take a respite from the hustle and bustle of hectic city life. Their noteworthy menu items include blueberry makgeolli and patbingsu (shaved ice dessert, excellent for summer).

From udon restaurant near Jonggak station, we took buses 150 and 2112.  Alternatively, you can take subway to Hansung University Station then change to bus.

How to get there: Hansung University Station, Line 4, Exit 6

                            Then take bus 03 or 1111 or 2112

                            Alight at Dongbang Graduate University

                            Tea house is just 3-4 min walk away

Opening hours: 11:30 - 22:00

Seriously, Google Map knows the best.  Even bus arrival times were very accurate!

We were so sad to discover upon our arrival that suyeonsanbang was closed for renovation T.T

Spring Break in Korea Day 12 (8 April 2015) - Part I

We had a pretty late breakfast at Paris Baguette (inside Seoul Station) around 11am before taking the subway to visit the National Museum of Korea. This was my first visit and many of you might recognize it from the comedic variety show Running Man. 

The National Museum of Korea

This is the largest museum in Korea as well as the sixth largest in the world.  Its a beautiful marble building which houses thousands of national relics and artifacts, which depict a compelling history of Korea. The museum also includes The National Hanguel Museum (offering a glimpse to gain a better understanding of Korean alphabets) and The Children's Museum with several hands-on activities. If time permitted, I'm sure we could have easily spent the entire day in the museum. 

How to get there: Ichon Station, Line 4, Exit 2

Opening Hours: Closed every Monday & New Year's Day

                                Tue, Thur, Fri 09:00-18:00

                                Wed, Sat 09:00-21:00

                                Sun, Holidays 09:00-19:00

Entrance fees: Free entry for permanent exhibitions but visitors need to purchase a ticket for blockbuster shows such as Pompeii. 

Spring Break in Korea Day 11 (7 April 2015)

I had meetings the whole day today so the only photos from today were of food! 

Simple yet mouth-watering breakfast, I'm craving for it even right now!

Spring Break in Korea Day 10 (6 April 2015)

We left our apartment around 9:30am to explore Paju area today.  Paju is located further north of Seoul, pretty close to North Korea.  During the bus ride, we were driving along the river at some points and we could see across the river into North Korea! Anyhow, we didn't have to wait long for bus 2200 and reached English Village around 10:45 am. No traffic at all too! haha :D

Gyeonggi English Village, Paju Camp

The most effective way to learn a new language is for you to be put in an environment which forces to you utilize that language for your daily activities. That's how I managed to improve on my command of the English language as I lived and studied in Singapore.  That's also why my sister went to Seoul for a few months of intensive language program.  

I guess that is the main purpose of this English Village - to help Koreans learn English language in a setting similar to a typical English neighborhood, complete with  City Hall, post office, bank, theater, police station, hospital, market, restaurants, cafes and last but not least, schools! This surrounding facilitates learning in terms of role-playing and in the context of daily life, as opposed to the usual boring way of memorization and regurgitation.  

Other than its educational value, this place is beautiful and quite a lot of couples go there for their pre-Wedding photoshoot. Also, a lot of you might recognize this as the shooting location for variety show Running Man. 

We came here as we had ample time and it was on our way to Paju Premium Outlet.  If you have been to Europe and are not a big fan of Running Man, you can skip this.  There are other places in Seoul you should explore, especially if you are in Korea for the first time.

Opening Hours: 09:30 - 18:00

How to get there: Hapjeong Station, Line 2 or 6, Exit 2

                            Bus 200 or 2200 (10-15 min interval)

Entrance Fees: 3,000 Won per adult on weekday

                       5,000 Won per adult on weekend

 View of English Village as seen from the bus stop

Spring Break in Korea Day 9 (5 April 2015)

Sunday = Lazy Day (yes, it applies even when you are on holiday :D)

Our simple yet yummy breakfast at noon

All 3 of us slept in and had late breakfast around noon! Then we set out around 2pm for Hongdae.  God, it was extremely crowded in Hongdae. I couldn’t remember Hongdae streets being this packed, except while I was chasing Jang Geun Seok during the filming of drama "Marry Me Mary" and Yoon Shi Yoon  (from drama "Baker King Kim Tak Gu") during the filming of Guerrilla Date, back in 2010, as a exchange student at Korea University.  Hahaha I did spot quite a few of Korean celebrities then.  I was such a cray cray girl for K-Pop & K-Drama back in 2010 but I'm much calmer now :D

2 of us outside Seoul Station Exit 4, nearest to AREX line

Spring Break in Korea Day 8 (4 April 2015)

After non-stop touring for the whole week, it was time to sit back and relax.  Our friends left for airport quite early around 8am. As we were waving bye to them and wishing them safe flight, we felt like we were sending off our house guests!  Haha :D

After they left, we packed our bags, cleaned up our cozy AirBnB apartment, made sure nothing is left behind then called our landlord to let him know we were ready to leave and to thank him.  He called taxi for us so that we could move to a smaller apartment right behind Seoul Station.  There was not much traffic around 11 am and we spent just 10,000 Won on taxi fare. 

Food for Thought 4 [Greatest Pop Music from My Pre-Teen Years]

The other day, I was browsing through our old stash of CDs as my car only had built-in 30-pin Apple cable and CD player.  It totally made me feel like I had traveled back in time. 

(Credit: Britney Spears Official Vevo)

Way before the popularity of iPod and iPhone, we didn't enjoy the convenience that iTunes offers - an avenue to download your favorite songs for 99 cents each.  Instead, we had to physically bring our lazy asses to the music store  in those days!  

NUS Gang in Korea Day 7 (3 April 2015) - Part II

After a satisfying lunch, we continued onto Samcheon-dong neighborhood from Tosokchon (the place marked with a red pin at the bottom left corner of the above map).

In my previous trip 2 years ago, we walked the other way round, from Samcheon-dong towards Tosokchon.  Either way is fine, depending on your schedule.

http://musingsofmissn.blogspot.com/2014/01/mr-missy-in-korea-day-13-28-may-2013.html

Samcheon-dong

We took a stroll from Tosokchon, back to the main gate of Gyeongbokgung, and along the palace walls on the Eastern side. Then cross the road into Samcheon-ro street, marked in the above map with a red line.

Alternatively, you could take subway for 1 station from Gyeongbokgung to Anguk and begin the exploration of the area from Anguk Station, Exit 3. That was our starting point of the Bukchon+Samcheondong stroll during Mister exchange student days. 

http://musingsofmissn.blogspot.com/2014/01/mr-missy-in-korea-day-13-28-may-2013.html

Samcheon-dong is a quaint area dotted with many unique museums (Owl museum, anyone?), cozy cafes, organic beauty shops and pretty boutique stores. 

Spring was admittedly more beautiful. This was taken 2 years ago in May 2013.

NUS Gang in Korea Day 7 (3 April 2015) - Part I

After a couple of days of simplified breakfast at our Airbnb accommodation,we went back to the small eatery located inside the Yeongdeungpo station for breakfast around 9am. Their menu is limited to stews, udon and kimbab but food is pretty tasty!  

Gyeongbokgung Palace

We reached our first sightseeing spot slightly after 10 as we did enjoyed our leisurely breakfast. Construction of the Gyeongbokgung Palace was completed in 1395, 3 years after the Joseon Dynasty was founded by King Taejo. The Palace as the heart of the capital city of Seoul flourished as a small city, with over 500 buildings covering 64 hectares at the height of its glorious past. Sadly, it was destroyed by the Japanese invasion not just once, but twice in 1592-98 and 1915. Since 1990, there has been an ongoing enormous effort (a 40-year project) to restore this once-stunning palace grounds to its former glory. 

NUS Gang in Korea Day 6 (2 April 2015)

Day 6 was definitely the highlight of our entire Korea trip. Jinhae Cherry Festival (Jinhae Gunhangje Festival) was the sole reason why we timed our visit to coincide with cherry blossom season. In order to avoid the crowd, we chose to visit Jinhae on a weekday.

To get to Jinhae from Busan, take the subway to Sasang Station, walk towards Exit 5 and you will see Seobu Intercity Bus Terminal as soon as you get out.  Well, McDonald's was the huge clue for bus terminal since the terminal sign was in Korean.

Buses depart to Jinhae from Busan every 15-20 minutes and run from 6am to 9pm daily. If you don't speak Korean, no worries as some staff speak basic English. Although buses depart at scheduled times normally, today they departed as soon as there were enough people due to the high demand for bus tickets to Jinhae.

Tickets for this one-hour journey cost 5,100 Won per pax. Upon our arrival around 10am, we were greeted with breathtaking sight full of cherry blossoms.

Right outside the bus terminal! Welcome to Jinhae!

NUS Gang in Korea Day 5 (1 April 2015)

Wake up call was set at  7am.  Wanting to set aside at least 1 hour of travel time to get to Seoul Station during morning peak hour, we planned to leave our place at  8am, to catch our  9am train to Busan.  However, we left our place later than planned and reached to train platform just in the nick of time, 5 minutes before departure!!! Even then, Mister and Kyaw Kyaw still rushed to convenience store on the platform to buy breakfast.  Apparently, simple breakfast we had today wasn’t fulfilling enough for them haha :D Well, if you plan to have breakfast during train ride, buy before reaching the platform as the items at convenience stores there are quite over-priced. Supply and Demand I guess. 

Our Simple Breakfast 

Anyway, we really did enjoy our KTX ride.  The seats were comfortable and the leg space was quite roomy.  Charging points were available at every row and there was free WIFI on-board as well (although we could only connect during the first 30 minutes of the trip).  There was a space dedicated for large luggages in every cabin while there is also overhead racks to store your smaller bags. The cabins were really clean and the journey overall was a smooth one. The trains were very punctual since they depart and arrive exactly at the times printed on our tickets. So yes, please don’t be late as trains will not wait for you.

 On board KTX