Went to Jasper National Park for few days after my short stint at Lake Louise and before settling down at the Town of Banff. Went for a walk around the ever beautiful Lac Beauver (do you guys still remember this lake?) and it brought back all my past memories. Jasper still feels like home after all these years, but it would never be the same without my girlfriends :)
Can't help but to miss this beautiful place. Though I only get to call this place home just for over a week, the memories that I made over there will last for a lifetime. Lake Louise, I miss you! Will definitely visit you again once I get used to my working life here and once I have a longer days off. :)
The first post of what would be an endless posts about South Korea is about one of my favourite parks in South Korea; Haneul Park or Sky Park or known as Haneul Gongwon (하늘공원) among the locals.
I did not know the existence of Haneul Park until I landed in South Korea. I was looking for other interesting places to be visited in South Korea because I did not feel like going to the places listed on the list that I made prior to the trip. Accidentally, I found this place on Instagram. Oh my, you have to see the pictures. They were so pretty!
Sold by the pictures that I saw on Instagram, I made a quick google search. I found out that those kind of pictures that I saw on Instagram were taken during Eulalia Festival that takes place sometime in October - that's when Haneul Park looks the prettiest. Too bad I was there during the shoulder season. But, Farah being Farah, I decided to visit the park. So, off I went on one of those days.
Getting to Haneul Park was a lil bit challenge for me cause the direction that I read was not detailed. Asking questions to locals were lil bit hard too cause all people that I bumped into over there were all old people. Thankfully, I managed to find the right direction. It took me 30 minutes from the nearest subway station to reach to the starting point of Haneul Park. Tips: Please be fully prepared with detailed direction if you're visiting Haneul Park. Or at least know how to pronounce Haneul Park in Hangul. I believe most of the people that you will meet there are old people and they do not speak English.
Once you reached the starting point of Haneul Park, you have two choices; to take a shuttle to the top or to hike to the top. As I was given wrong explanation by an ahjussi at the information counter, I actually hiked to the top cause I thought that's the only way to reach the top. I don't really remember how long did I take to reach to the top but I remembered I was panting like crazy while hiking. I was also dehydrated in the middle of journey to the top.
But once I reached the top, the fatigue was gone! I was blown away by the view. Granted, it was not as pretty as during Eulalia Festival, but it was still pretty for me! Aside of the grass view, I was served by the view of Seoul! I can see Namsan Tower, Bukhansan Mountain, and Hangang River clearly from the top.
There are also a few windmills at the Haneul Park. They make a pretty picture if you know the right angles. I obviously are not that good so all the windmills in my pictures looked like just regular poles. #kesian #nogoingtouploadthosepatheticpictures
As Haneul Park is very #aestheticallypleasing, there are many designated photo spots available around the park. I did not count the exact amount but pretty sure, there are a lot. So, if you are a noob in taking picture, just like me, just stand at the designated photo spots and you are good to go.
I'll just call this thing postal boxes. I have no idea the real name of this thing. These postal boxes are one of the famous photo spots in Haneul Park, So, if you're visiting Haneul Park, do not forget to take pictures here :)
I spent a solid 5 hours at Haneul Park because it was suddenly raining heavily when I was about to hike down. The rain lasted about 1 hour, so I happily waited for the rain to stop with the view of beautiful Haneul Park. But I had to say, though I spent 4 hours walking around the park, I did not manage to walk around the whole park because the park is relatively big and it has a lot of small lanes that you can choose to walk to.
Tips: Always check the weather forecast and always bring umbrella if you're travelling during the shoulder season.
Haneul Park also has this Slow Mailbox where you can send a letter or postcard to future yourself or anyone, really. I like this idea of Slow Mailbox cause I think it is pretty cool. I particularly love what was written on the sign,
"In this digital society where everything moves so fast, Slow Mailbox reminds us the meaning of patience and gives us a chance to handwrite a letter."
The Slow Mailbox will send the letter or postcard twice a year: during Seollal and Chuseok holidays. I wanted to send a postcard to future myself but was unable to do so because the tourist information centre was closed at that time. It was a real bummer but hopefully I can send one in the future.
To reiterate, Haneul Park is of my favourite parks that I have been in South Korea. I just wish I went there when the weather was pretty or when it was not too hot or when it was not raining. Oh, and how I wish I went there with someone so that said person can help me to take my pictures. lol! :D
Would I go back and visit Haneul Park in the future?
Definitely yes, in a heartbeat! Hope I can visit Haneul Park during the Eulalia Festival next time :) p.s: Such a bittersweet coincidence that I am publishing this post on Kang Ha Neul's enlistment day. See you after 2 years, Kang Ha Neul! :)
This is a long time coming post. Meant to write this post few months after my trip but life happens - a depressing ones for the fact. So, here I am, finally writing and publishing this post after a year!
My trip to South Korea last year was fun and good but it was not always butterflies and rainbows. And honestly, it left me so much to be desired. All these thanks to all the experience that I went through, the memories that I made, and the countless stupid rookie mistakes that I made. I was not entirely happy with the trip - I think I can do it better, but I was still grateful for all the life lessons that I gained during the trip.
Here are bunch of pointers that I realized after my 1-month trip to South Korea.
1. I am not good at managing my money/budget.
It hurts my pride to admit to this one fact cause most people around me keep telling me that I am good at managing my money but the truth is, I am not! I blew out a good portion of my money just for shopping. I can actually extend my stay in South Korea for another 2 months or I can even go for a 2-3 weeks Europe trip with the amount of money that I spent on shopping. This was something that I regretted the most from this trip!
2. I don't like fixed and inflexible itinerary.
I have always known that I do not like fixed and inflexible itinerary but South Korea really reminded me of this fact once again. I did not have an itinerary at all when I went to South Korea. The only thing that I had was a long list of places that I want to visit. Granted, I did not get to go to all the places due to the non-existence itinerary (ironic,eh) but I only regretted it a tiny bit. Next time, I should have a flexible itinerary, at the least!
3. Research! Research! Research!
I can't stress enough how important research is in planning your trip. Please do a lot of research before you hop on the plane to another country. I learnt my lesson in a hard way. I wasted a lot of money and time cause I did not enough research. The situation that often happened to me was like this, "Eh, A ni dekat je dengan B & C rupanya. Kalau tahu, pergi je A, B, C sekali semalam. Jimat duit. Jimat masa."
4. I prefer slow travel.
Again, I have always known that I like to take my time at one place which is why I decided to spend 1 month is South Korea but 1 month is still not enough for me. I also know that I easily get overwhelmed by new and unfamiliar things, which is another reason why I prefer slow travel. I need time to soak the unfamiliarity and to enjoy it.
5. There is still kindness in this cruel word.
I read a lot of blogposts mentioning how Koreans can be unfriendly, unwelcoming, and sometimes racist towards South East Asians and Muslims. But, I think I was lucky cause I met a lot of nice and helpful Koreans during my trip. So many people helped me - young & old, even though we do not speak the same language. I really felt this thing when I fell down and hurt myself in Busan. So many people helped me and were very concerned about me. I was truly touched by the kindness of Busanites.
6. Set a theme for the trip.
I think having a theme for a trip to South Korea will definitely make your life easier as South Korea has so many things to offer. As for me, I did not have a set theme so I did a bit of everything and eventually felt so worn out by the end of my trip. It also left me so much to be desired as I felt I did not get to do all things that I originally planned. I tried to apply this on my recent long layover at South Korea and it worked wonders. On my recent long layover, my theme was about music. I attended Sweet Sorrow's concerts and got to enjoy busking scene at Hongdae. In fact, I did get to do few stuffs that originally were not on my plan.
7. Knowing few local phrases will definitely get you a long way.
I am so thankful for all the hours I spent on listening to K-music and watching K-dramas because they helped me a lot during my trip. I often used English whenever I communicated with the locals but I did communicate with some of them in Hangul whenever they had trouble in understanding me. I obviously used the basic phrases that I picked up from the dramas - nothing fancy, but you should see the reactions from the locals. It was priceless. Another example is I got a better treatment from a housekeeper Imu-nim (이모님). At first, she did not want to entertain my requests and kept repeating, "No English. No English" but once I asked her in Hangul, she replied me and fulfilled all my requests.
8. Trust your instinct - sometimes.
I usually do not trust my instinct cause I know I can be somewhat dramatic and over imaginative but I learnt sometimes I need to trust my instinct. It will save me from a lot of hassle and trouble. For instance, I had a hunch not to reload my T-money with X amount but I ignored the hunch. Consequently, I lost my T-money with 70,000 ₩ in it after a week. To put in context, I lost almost MYR 300 just like that. Another instance, I got a hunch to reload my T-money with 5000₩ but again, I ignored it. I put 20,000₩ and lost the card after one trip. That was MYR 75 flew away just like that.
9. Make sure you are fit enough.
I had a trouble with my fitness when I first landed at South Korea. I walked too slow and I panted whenever I need to take stairs or walk the hilly roads. Do you know how many stairs - subway stairs especially, that I need to tackle and how many hilly roads that I need to walk for the whole trip? A. LOT. But then, I can't blame anyone else except myself cause I lived such a sedentary life for a good 5 months T__T.
10. South Korea is a safe and solo-friendly country - at most parts
I think most people know and acknowledge that South Korea is very safe for solo travelers - female solo travelers included. It is also solo-friendly - at most parts. You can see from the endless walking tours catered for solo travelers offered at big cities. However, do not some of the places are not solo-friendly i.e. famous and busy restaurants. lol! I was denied entry to restaurants twice, once in Seoul and once in Busan just because I was on my own. #notahappytourist
I learnt a lot more than what I listed from this trip. Most of them were lessons that I learnt in a hard way. But one thing for sure, I did not regret going to this 1-month trip! I also realized that I will never get enough of South Korea! I will definitely visit this country again if I have another chance. 💖
p.s: With this post up and running, I can finally start updating about places that I went during this trip! Can't wait to jog my memories about this trip :)
I was tagged by Misaki (I'm so sorry, I forgot your real name! T__T) and I figure I'll do this tag cause I feel like taking a break from another post that I am currently working on.
Without further ado, let's start.
1. What are you wearing?
Clothes
2. Ever been in love?
Ever since I was born.
3. Ever had a terrible breakup?
None.
4. How tall are you?
Not that tall considering I need to lift up my head whenever I communicate with my colleagues
5. How much do you weight?
Heavy enough to be considered overweight T___T
6. Any tattoos?
No
7. Any piercings?
No
8. OTP?
Don't really have any cause I am not emotionally invested with any pairings.
9. Favorite show?
I have a few but on top of my mind right now is 2 Days 1 Night.
I like this week episode and the previous one :) #chataehyunmydreamnampyeon
10. Favorite bands?
Do Super Junior and Sweet Sorrow count?
11. Something you miss? Asian food specifically Malaysian food! T____T
12. Favorite song?
Iknow I am supposed to put one but I'll just put three just because :)
Sweet Sorrow - Beautiful
Sweet Sorrow - I Love You
Sweet Sorrow - Happy New Year
13. How old are you?
Definitely old enough to vote.
14. Zodiac sign?
Aries
15. Quality you look for in a partner?
I don't know. I have never think about this thing.
16. Favorite quote?
I have a lot of favorite quotes but the one speaks to me the most is this one.
"Whoever you are, there is some younger person who think you are perfect. There is some works that will never be done if you don't do it. There is someone who would miss you if you were gone. There is a place that you alone can fill." - Jacob M. Braude
17. Favorite actor?
Kang Ha Neul.
Love this fine guy's smile and laugh.
18. Favorite color?
Always blue but not all shades of blue :)
19. Loud music or soft?
Depends on my mood but I usually listen to soft music specifically acoustic songs or something like Sweet Sorrow :)
20. Where do you go when you're sad?
My bedroom - wherever my bedroom is.
21. How long does it take you to shower?
I don't know. Never pay attention to how long I take to shower but pretty sure around 15 minutes.
22. How long does it take you to get ready in the morning?
Minus showering time, I think I usually take 15 minutes to get ready.
23. Ever been in a physical fight?
Yeah, with my sisters but that was zillion years ago.
24. Turn on?
Smart and kind people.
25. Turn off?
Stupid and ignorant people.
26. The reason I joined blog?
I first joined blog cause I needed a medium to express my feeling. But now, I use blog to jot down my valuable memories.
27. Fears?
I have a lot of fears.
28. The last thing that made you cry?
The performance expectations that my previous employer and I had and how I did not manage to achieve the expectations despite doing my best.
29. Last time you said you loved someone?
I don't really remember but pretty sure I don't really say I love you that often cause I am not that expressive.
30. Meaning behind your blog url?
The name of my new blog. I observed myself and I noticed that I usually write about things that I don't really talk about in my real life - things that are I am kind of shy to share with my friends.
31. Last book you read?
I don't really remember but I think it is one my Jemari Seni's novels.
32. The book you're currently reading?
None. I don't have any book with me currently.
33. Last show you watched?
Episode 15 of School of 2017.
I giggled so hard during this scene. #mudahterhibur
34. Last person you talked to?
My housemate. 35. The relationship between you and the person you last texted?
Junior-senior and/or adik-kakak.
36. Favorite food?
Mostly Asian food :D
37. Place you want to visit?
Again, I know I should just put one but I'll list a few. Switzerland, Austria, Macau, South Korea & Makkah.
38. Last place you were?
Kitchen - a girl gotta eat.
39. Do you have a crush?
Yes, if you're talking about celebrity crush. Forever swooning over Siwon :)
Siwon & Heechul
40. Last time you kissed someone?
Two months ago?
41. Last time you were insulted?
Last night?
42. Favorite flavor of sweet?
Strawberry and yam flavored ice-cream. 43. What instruments do you play?
I don't play any instruments, not even recorder. lol
44. Favorite piece of jewelry?
None? I don't really like jewelry or accessories. The only accessories that I wear on daily basis are my watch and Fitbit.
45. Last sport you played?
I don't remember. It was ages ago.
46. Last song you sang?
Sweet Sorrow - Sign
47. Favorite chat up line?
I don't really understand the question.
48. Have you ever used it?
Can't answer cause it is related to the previous question.
49. Last time you hung out with anyone?
A week ago, I think. Went hiking with my friends at Lake Louise.
It was very hot and humid during my recent long layover in South Korea. In one of those days, all I wanted was to sit in an air conditioned space and have something sweet. I particularly craved for anything mango that day.
Honestly, Sulbing did not instantly come to my mind. I was initially heading to Mango Six but decided to change my mind and go to Sulbing instead. The main reason why I decided to go to Sulbing instead was to give Sulbing a second chance. Let's just say, I was not impressed with the first Sulbing bingsu that I had during my first visit to South Korea.
Sulbing, Hongdae
Sulbing, Hongdae was jam-packed during my visit. I was so lucky that I got a seat but obviously, it was not the best seat in the house. Cannot blame the other customers for having the same idea as me to go to Sulbing, cause it was really hot and humid that day. But then, Sulbing, Hongdae is quite small. So, there's that.
A note for myself, I felt a little bit out of place at that time cause everyone came with his/her boyfriends/girlfriends/friends, while I came alone. #foreveralone
Mango Cheese Snowflakes Sorbet
I ordered Mango Cheese Snowflakes Sorbet cause I was craving for anything mango. But I have to say, if I did not crave for anything mango, I might order Yogurt Tong Tong Melon cause they only serve melon bingsu in summer. Anyway, I was glad I decided to give Sulbing a second chance cause Mango Cheese Snowflakes Sorbet was quite okay! It was not as sweet as I expected. Maybe because I did not pour the condensed milk. The cheese also did not make me feel nauseous, which was a plus point :)
The only thing that I did not really like was the choice of mango. lol! I read somewhere they used apple mango. I am not used to eating apple mango so it was quite hard for me to eat the mango chunks at first. But fret not, the apple mango tasted okay and just nice :) It was just my personal preference.
I personally might go to Sulbing again if I had a chance, just for the sake of trying other bingsu flavors. Hopefully, I will not go alone in the future, insya Allah. haha! :D
After 5 years dreaming of visiting this magical lake, alhamdulillah I finally got a chance to visit the lake last week. Did not get the best picture of the lake as I did not climb the rockpile - the rockpile offers you the best viewing point and angle of the lake, but I was satisfied. Alhamdulillah. Alhamdulillah. Alhamdulillah. Thank you Allah :)
If you happen to be in South Korea and are craving for the Korean street food, may I suggest to you my favourite 이모님's stall at Gwanjang Market (광장시장). I firstly discovered 이모님's stall during my first trip to South Korea when I stayed in Jongno area. I had my few last dinners in South Korea at her stall and have been craving for more ever since.
Look for her if you are in Gwanjang Market :)
She was one of the main reasons why I decided to have a layover at South Korea recently. I craved for her omuk and sikhye! It also does not hurt because she is such a nice lady. (I am a sucker for kind people!). Even after 9 months since my last visit, she still recognized me. lol!
I think I had 3 omuk and 3 sikhye during my recent visit. You guys have to try her sikhye! Her sikhye is to die for! I have tried sikhye at few places but her sikhye is hands down the best sikhye I ever had. I also got free mayak kimbap from her. hehe! *I love free food*
Some people asked me about the ingredients and stuff when I recommended 이모님's stall on my Twitter. As far as I observed (and I asked), she does not use and serve any meat, chicken, or pig. As you can see (or not), she only sells sikhye, mayak kimbap, omuk, spicy omuk, and tteokbokki.
So, if you have a chance, do visit her at Gwanjang Market and please savor her omuk and sikhye on my behalf! :)
For this final part, I want to share about other stuff related to the shows. As you can see, the title of the concert is Sweet Sorrow Small Theatre Concert <Harmony>. For Sweet Sorrow, Harmony Concert series emphasize on their harmony and outstanding vocals while showing their true selves. And I think the shows totally lived up to the name. They showed how harmony should sound like yet they managed to show their goofy and fun selves.
Can you see how close the stage with the first row?
The venue itself; Samsung Hall is very small and intimate. I was super shocked when I entered the hall. The gap between the first row and the stage is super close. I estimated the distance to be selebar queen bed sahaja. It might be less than that. So, even though I did not have the best seat in the house (I sat at row L and N), I still can see them clearly! :D
I also really liked the audience. For me, audience plays an important role in making or breaking a show. The audience was very sporting, fun, and responsive! You also can see how diverse their fans are in terms of age groups. There were quite a number of middle-aged and older adult fans. You can even see a number of children. Honestly, it felt like a family event instead of concert in some ways. They also had almost a balanced number of male and female fans which I find refreshing cause I have always been surrounded by girls only whenever I went to K-concerts.
Besides that, I really loved the audience because they came to enjoy the performances. They really enjoyed the performances to their hearts' content. You cannot see people recording the shows using their phones and cameras except during the encore. Granted, I might not see the whole audience. There might be few people recording the whole shows sneakily but they did not disturb the show's flow and block others' view. As such, I was really impressed with the audience.
Ergo, I want to reiterate that Sweet Sorrow's concert was the best concerts that I ever been in my entire life! I am so glad that my first paid concert in South Korea was Sweet Sorrow's cause they definitely hold a special spot in my heart. After being a fan of them for 7 years, the whole situations were definitely like a dream come true.
I got to witness their beautiful friendship firsthand which is something that I have adored for quite some time. Can you believe these guys have been singing together for more than 20 years?! I got to interact with their fun selves. I also got to see how genuine their love for music and their fans. I also came to like their fans too! :)
Thank you Sweet Sorrow for the sweetest memories. Hopefully there will be next time for us. :)
Now, I will share about the actual shows. But first, let me make an exclamation. Sweet Sorrow's concert was the best concert of my life! Okay, now we can move on.
Gotta love these talented and quirky guys! :)
If I were to describe the whole performances in one word, it would be phenomenal!And yes, that was fangirl in me talking. lol! They were so good that I decided to attend 3 shows instead of 2 shows like I initially planned.
The performances were everything that I expected from them. In fact, they went above and beyond with few surprises here and there. If you happen to see them on TV shows once in awhile (they usually appear on Immortal Songs 2 or Yoo Hee Yeol's Sketchbook), you know how high quality their performances are. They sounded exactly like, if not, better than their recordings or TV shows. The size and layout of the Samsung Hall added with the good sound system also helped, I think.
On the 1st show that I attended, I got goosebumps throughout the whole show cause they sounded so good! They successfully conveyed the intended emotions when performing as I felt like crying whenever they sang sad songs yet I was hyper and happy when they sang happy and fast tempo songs.
They had different song lists according to each member's day and other days, which is why I was glad I decided that I attended 3 shows instead of 2 shows. I still wished I could attend all the shows as they sang few different songs for each show. Ughhh :(
But basically, they divided their performances into few segments. The segments/song list that I am about to write might not be 100% accurate as I do not have good memories and I do not recognize all the songs. hehe! I also exclude the ments cause I am not sure if they were even ments. But I have to say, their ments (if they were indeed ments) were totally funny and interesting. I laughed like crazy whenever they had funny ments. I also was indulged by memories when they had walking on memory lane ments.
1. Opening song. They sang something similar to what they sang at Yoo Hee Yeol's Sketchbook.
2. K-pop medley. They sang Mirotic by TVXQ, Lie by BIGBANG, Wild Eyes by Shinhwa, a song that I do not know the title and the singer but I am very familiar with, Replay by SHINee, Couple by SECHSKIES, Can I Get Married by Coffee Boy, Cheer Up by TWICE, Beautiful Night by Beast or currently known as Highlight, and Be Mine by INFINITE. This segment was fun cause I have always enjoyed their K-pop covers. It was also entertaining cause I know almost all the songs and they were witty in making fun of In Ho Jin :D
3. Sign by Sweet Sorrow. This song was my jam for few months before the concert. Absolutely adore this song!
4. Happy New Year by Sweet Sorrow. This song is one of my top favourites too! So much happiness, so much joy! I remembered Sweet Sorrow looked so happy when the audience sang along with them especially during the last part.
5. So Cool by Sweet Sorrow. I honestly do not really listen to this song that much but I super love the show version :)
6. Sweet Sorrow by Sweet Sorrow. This is their debut song. I got goosebumps all over my body cause I did not expect they will sing their debut song.
7. Sunshine by Sweet Sorrow. This is arguably one of their famous songs in South Korea. I usually listen to this song whenever I need a pick-me-up. So, it is kinda weird to listen to their rendition when I was in a good mood. hehe.
Skip to 3:57
8. Pounding Heart by Sweet Sorrow. This is definitely one of my favourite songs. So glad that I had a chance to listen to this song live. They only performed this song on the second show that I attended! :D
10. No Matter How I Think About It by Sweet Sorrow. This is definitely their most famous song as far as I know. Those who watch Running Man might be familiar with this song. The song arrangement was a lil bit different during the shows. I prefer the show version :)
11. Give Me Affection by Sweet Sorrow & Jung Jun Ha. This song is one of my favourite songs (again!) and this segment was my favourite segment of the shows. They had this funny short sketch before singing the song. During the sketch, they introduced the hashtags that we should use for the day. The hashtags were so funny and some of them did not even make sense. lol! They also held a short dance lessons and an enjoyable harmony lesson so that the audience will enjoy the performance. And everyone looked so happy dancing and singing together with Sweet Sorrow! :D
12. 10 minutes break. Thank god for the 10 minutes break I managed to take a breather :)
13. A cappella segment. I am not sure if it was a full a capella segment of not cause starting somewhere in the middle of second song, I can hear faint music. During this segment, they used condensed microphone. You basically can hear everything clearly even their coughs. During this segment they performed Good Night by Sweet Sorrow, Wild Flower by Park Hyo Shin and First Love by Sweet Sorrow. I really love this segment cause I am a sucker for a capella! And guys, you need to listen to their rendition of Wild Flower. It was so beautiful and they totally made a justice for the song.
14. The Wind Blows by Lee So Ra. This was one of the goosebumps inducing performances. You have to listen to their rendition yourself. Seriously, I was holding my tears back during their performance.
15. The Words I Tell You by Sweet Sorrow. I just realized the existence of this song during the shows even though this is their old songs cause I do not really listen to emotionally heavy songs. I love it!
16. Upbeat songs.They sang medley of their few songs; Drive, Just Get Way (You Deserve It), Dark Circle, & Let's Go to Sokcho!. They also incorporated two other K-pop songs; Nayana by Produce 101 and Cheer Up by TWICE. This was the segment that I mentioned on my previous post where #oppanoticedme. Hahaha! :D
17. I Love You by Sweet Sorrow. This is definitely one of their classics that I really love! Might be one of the songs that I hummed a lot for the past 7 years too cause my youngest sister said she knew Sweet Sorrow cause I always sing this song. lol! Totally love their live performances cause they were cute and lovely! :D
18. Once Again by Sweet Sorrow. This was the last song for all three shows. I do not know why but I always feel heavy whenever I listen to this song. Felt the same when I listen to their performances.
19. Encore. They sang their songs; No Daebak and I'll Sing For You. No Daebak was all fun and entertaining. Can not stress enough how happening this song was. This also was the time where everyone started to bring out their phones and took pictures. As for I'll Sing For You, the vibe was heavy and emotional cause it was the very last song for the night. I love it when all the audience started to sing together with Sweet Sorrow.
Skip to 2:49
So, that was about it for the performances. Again, the performances were different according to the days. But this was what pretty much happened on the three days that I attended. :)
Oh, somewhere between the performances, Song Woo Jin performed one English song and two Korean songs during his day. As for In Ho Jin's Day, In Ho Jin performed a duet with Kim Young Woo and a duet with IU. We also got a solo performance from IU.
And yes, what a nice surprise. I actually got to see IU performing live!
I refrained myself from writing this post for almost a month so that I will not sound like an excited and delusional fangirl but pretty sure I failed miserably. Whatever. hehe! I just need to get this out from my system (again!). Hopefully this post will be more organized than my hundreds tweets. :)
Just to give you a heads up; it is going to be a very long post! Like, super, duper long!
p.s: Initially, I wanted to write the whole experience in one post but I have to split it up to three parts cause it is super duper long. Even after I split it up. lol!
There is so much things I want to write but where do I even start?
First of all, I need to emphasize that I was super lucky that I got to attend 3 out of 10 shows of 2017 Sweet Sorrow Small Theatre Concert <Harmony>. Obviously, I wanted to attend all 10 shows especially Sung Jin Hwan's day but with my situation and financial state at that time, I am just thankful that I managed to attend 3 shows.
Attending 2017 Sweet Sorrow Small Theatre Concert <Harmony> was a big thing for me cause I have been a fan of Sweet Sorrow for 7 years! I love them as much as I love Super Junior, maybe even more! It still feel unreal that I got to attend their concert cause honestly, it is near to impossible for international fans like me to go to their concerts. They do not have international tours and all of their concerts are held in South Korea.
It also did not help when the ticketing site that they used were fully written in Hangeul. I for one, do not read Hangeul at all and get lil bit frustrated as I really want to go to their concerts! Cause let's be honest. Who knows when will I get this kind of chance again. I am getting older so do them. *For your information, they are 41, 40, 39, and 36 years old respectively.* Plus, I do not think I will have the same passion after few years. lol!
(The next few paragraphs are the MSG-added version of the actual Q&A)
So, what I did was to try my luck by asking questions regarding the ticket on Sweet Sorrow's Facebook Page in English. Honestly, I did not have high hope for anyone to reply my message but to my surprise, I got a reply! And it was from Kim Young Woo of Sweet Sorrow! *rasa nak pengsan*
I started to ask about other questions that I had regarding the tickets and I was delightful cause he said he will help me. Mind you, he is one of Sweet Sorrow's members. He was supposed to be busy with concert preparations and stuff. Yet, he took his time to answer all my questions. After confirming the deets, he said let's keep in touch so that we will not miss or forget anything.
And I thought that was a lip service. lol! Oh boy, was I wrong. Fast forward 3 weeks later, I arrived at South Korea for my long layover and was about to unpack my luggage when I received a message from Kim Young Woo. HE. MESSAGED. ME. FIRST. Talk about another level of fanservice! Sweet Sorrow has the best fanservice ever! :D My excitement for the concert doubled after that!
As you can see (or not!), he took his time to explain to me on how do I get my tickets and answered some other questions that I had. He even advised me not to come to early and to grab some food before the show cause it will be 3-hour show. I have to say, for the amount of money that I paid, 3-hour show is totally worth it. Most of the times, a show will be about 1-hour ish with that kind of amount of money. Or, you cannot even attend a show with that amount of money. #satisfiedfan #happyfan
I arrived a tad early at the venue so I decided to check out their merchandise booth. I bought a set of postcards for my keepsake cause I love postcards! The staffs were surprised to see me. Cannot blame them cause I was the only international fan there.
I had to wait for quite some time for the ticket booths to be opened. When they opened, I got really confused because they had 2 different lines. But fret not, the lady at the merchandise booth helped me to buy my tickets cause she had to be expecting me as she asked me, "Facebook Message?". "Yup, that is totally me!"
Okay, I sounded so perasan but that can be a true story. She must be expecting me. haha! Kim Young Woo must have told her about my presence. He even told me that I should message him if I had any problems when purchasing the tickets. One hour before the concert, Kim Young Woo messaged me again to ask if I got my ticket or not. BEST. FANSERVICE. EVER. I. REPEAT.
I will summarize about the actual shows and my observations of the shows on the next two posts (sorry guys, it is still far from over) but here are some of my personal highlights.
On the 1st show I attended, during one of the songs, I believe it was Let's Go to Sokcho, Sweet Sorrow's members went to audience seat and shook their fans' hands. At that time, Kim Young Woo noticed me and said "Farah-shi? Thank you!" and bowed at me. Truly felt like crying at that time. #oppanoticedme
After that, In Ho Jin approached my seat (since my seat ke dalam sikit), and said "Komawoyo! Thank you so much" with his touching expression. I felt like laughing at that time but I was awestruck by him. #oppanoticedme
Okay, I totally sounded like a delusional fangirl but that really happened! :D
I told you #oppanoticedme
Another personal highlight is I got to meet them at the backstage after the 3rd show that I attended! #neverforgetjuly2
It all started when my youngest sister and my roommate at my AirBnB cucuk-cucuk me and said, if they were me, they would make a request to Sweet Sorrow for a brief photo session. I honestly wanted to do so but I thought it was going to be too much. After all, Kim Young Woo has helped me a lot! #forevergrateful
But after the 2nd show ended, I thought to myself, "This might be the only chance I got to attend their concerts, so why not just try asking. It will not hurt asking, right? They can say no and I will not be butthurt about it."
So, I tried my luck again and sent another message on their Facebook page. Few minutes after that, Kim Young Woo replied my message and said yes! *Excited like asdfghjkl!* He also gave me cute instructions on where should I go after the show. So, the next day, after the 3rd show ended, I went to the place as instructed. Kim Young Woo said he will send a crew to pick me up but lo and behold, he picked me up himself! BEST. FANSERVICE. EVER. I. REPEAT. ONCE. AGAIN.
When he went outside to pick me up, all the fans waiting for Sweet Sorrow's members were excited. Aren't we all like that? Hehe! He explained to other fans that he is bringing me inside cause we (I, actually) do not know when will I get another chance to attend their concerts again. I totally felt like crying at that time. Let me repeat this once again. I have waited for 7 years for all of this to happen!
I for one, really like the fact that he explained the entire situation to the Korean fans. For me, it showed how much they value their Korean fans. After all, the Korean fans are the ones who have always been with them in every single event and concert. Yet, it showed that they also appreciate their international fans as they were accommodating to my requests.
Very thankful to Sweet Sorrow's fans cause they were very nice and understanding that I did not get any death stare or glare from them. #sweetsorrowfansarethebest In fact, I heard some of them said that I was very lucky and they were happy for me. #luckyfan
Selfies with each of Sweet Sorrow's member.
From left: In Ho Jin (인호진), Song Woo Jin (송우진), Kim Young Woo (김영우), Sung Jin Hwan (성진환) #sungjinhwanismyfavourite #sungjinhwanismyforeverfavouritenerd #sungjinhwanismyfavouritemaknae
So, I chatted a bit with Kim Young Woo and kept saying thank you cause I will be #forevergrateful to him while we were on the way to the waiting room. I was puzzled when he suddenly stopped when we were walking.
Guess what?!
Sung Jin Hwan was standing beside me! But, I did not recognize him and almost passed by him until Kim Young Woo introduced us. Can you imagine that? I did not recognize my own bias! But to my defend, he did not wear his spectacles. He looked way too different :/ He giggled cause I did not recognize him. You have to see his reaction yourself. He was so cute! #sorryoppa #youarestillmyfavourite
Then, Song Woo Jin came with his megawatt smile! Kim Young Woo and Sung Jin Hwan introduced me to him. Thank god he did not converse in his bass voice cause I surely will melt. Hahahaha. But seriously, have your heard his bass voice? His bass voice always gives me a good goosebumps.
Soon after, In Ho Jin came with his ahjussi vibe. #sorryoppa Oh god, I seriously love this man. I can not stress enough how lovely this old man. lol! He was very gleeful and giggly. Totally approachable. In fact, all of them were so approachable. In Ho Jin kept saying thank you to me while I kept saying thank you to him. The whole situation was so funny. He also mentioned she saw all my Instagram posts and he read my messages on Facebook.
Sweet Sorrow & I
All of them said they saw and read my Instagram posts and messages on Facebook but can not respond to any of them cause they are not fluent in English (except Kim Young Woo) and I do not know how to read Hangeul. #languagebarrier
The entire time, I was completely overwhelmed with my emotions and surroundings that my hands were literally shaking all the time cause I cannot believe I was close to them. I can literally touch them if I want. It also did not help as so much things were happening at the backstage. It was hectic and busy as they were preparing to conclude the night.
And honestly, I did not get to spend too much time with them as they need to entertain other guests too. I also met some family members of Sweet Sorrow. I think they are In Ho Jin's family cause it was his day. They were surprised to see me as they were not expecting an international fan to attend the concert.
Personalized autographed postcards from Sweet Sorrow :)
After things settling down a bit, we took dozens group photos and selfies and I asked them for their autographs. While waiting for their autographs, I had a small talk with Kim Young Woo again. We actually talked for quite some time and shared personal updates. I also managed to suggest few things that I think other international fans will appreciate. lol! Hopefully he will take my suggestions into consideration :)
And then, it was time to say goodbye. Kinda say to say goodbye to them cause I may never get a chance to see them again. We said goodbye by saying thank you to each other endlessly.
After that, I decided to wait for them outside along with other Korean fans. Just to see them for the last time, you know. While waiting for them, I was approached by a fansite master where she handed me a fan for Sung Jin Hwan's day. I was so ecstatic at that time! May I remind you that Sung Jin Hwan is my favourite? Hehe!
Fan project by few Sweet Sorrow's fansites :)
Few Sweet Sorrow's fansites collaborated and had this fan project where they handing out fans on members' day. You will get a fan if you attended the said member's day. For me, I only attended Song Woo Jin's and In Ho Jin's days. So, I only eligible to get fans for their days. But the fansite master happily handed me Sung Jin Hwan's day's fan. I think she must felt kesian towards me cause I sent her messages prior the concerts asking about the fan project and unintentionally mentioned that Sung Jin Hwan is my favourite but I am not going to Sung Jin Hwan's day. Truly appreciate her kind heart :)
Anyway, after waiting for them for almost 15 minutes, they came out and were ready to leave the venue. But they still took their time to chat with their Korean fans and posed for photos. I stood a lil bit far from the crowd as I did not want to disturb other fans. Still, Sweet Sorrow's members acknowledged me from far and mouthed a goodbye to me. Their manager also mouthed a thank you and goodbye to me.
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Soon after that, I left the venue with a full heart and loads of sweet memories.
I went to a cafe called Oliver Brown in Hongdae during my recent long layover in South Korea. I wanted to have a proper lunch before heading to Incheon International Airport, but I did not manage to find any opened restaurants nearby. So, I settled for a brunch at Oliver Brown, Hongdae.
Oliver Brown, Hongdae
Just so you know, I am actually a sucker for aesthetically pleasing cafes and shops (especially in South Korea!) but I do not really get to spend time at these kind of cafes and shops as I do not drink coffee and I am not a big fan of desserts. So, having a brunch at Oliver Brown is kinda big thing for me.
I really love the interior and the ambiance of the cafe. Very nice and calming. Granted, I came when they just started their operation for the day. The major plus point for Oliver Brown was their cold air conditioner. It was very hot and humid during my visit, so I was thankful for their cold air conditioner. haha!
Like any other cafes, Oliver Brown serves hot drinks, cold drinks, and indulgences. Personally, I think they offer quite a number of choices, so you might find one that suits your taste buds.
Belgian Waffle with Ice Cream for One
For me, I took almost half an hour before settling for iced Earl Grey tea and Belgian Waffle with Ice Cream for One for my brunch. Yeah, I took that long cause I am not a big fan of this kind of brunch. At that time, all I really wanted was rice and seafood. lol :D
The verdict,
I am not a fan of their iced Earl Grey tea but then I can not blame them. I ordered a wrong type of tea. I do not drink tea often, but I when do, it has to be English Breakfast. Note to future myself, "Farah, you only drink English Breakfast!"
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I fell in love with their Belgian Waffle. I think their Belgian Waffle is to die for. The Belgian Waffle was quite crunchy and crispy on the outside but fluffy on the inside. It was perfect for my liking! The Belgian Waffle and the ice cream also were not too sweet which was nice for me.
Insya Allah, I will definitely come back and have another round of brunch at Oliver Brown, Hongdae if I had another chance to go to South Korea :)
Do check @sparklingstardust_ out on Instagram or sparklingstardust_ on Carousell if you are interested in buying cute socks. We are selling cute Korean socks at a reasonable price. All of our socks are ready stock, which means you do not have to wait for 2-3 weeks to get your hands on our socks. Currently, we have 29 designs that you can choose from. Each design comes in a limited quantity, so grab yours fast! :)
29 designs to choose from!
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yes, I said we. This is my sisters and I's business. We set up this business before I went for my a-month trip to Korea last year. Did not manage to promote our business earlier due to few personal reasons. But the time has arrived. While our offline sales have been somewhat encouraging, I think it is time for us to step up our online sales game!
So, please show us some love by following our Instagram at @sparklingstardust_ or our Carousell account at sparklingstardust_, or even better by purchasing our cute socks.
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we seek for your understanding if you got a late response. Currently, the whole business is managed by my youngest sister. She is still a high school student which means she can only entertain your requests and questions from evening onward.
Thank you so much!
p.s.: We may open pre-order for other Korean and Canadian stuff in the future, insya Allah! :)
Welcome to this little space of mine. Decided to make this new blog as I want to private my old blog. Insya Allah, I will slowly make a comeback and reconnect again with my dearest blogger sisters :)
