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| Strolling at Ewha Women's University |
Sobs, it’s already Day 4, and it feels like time is slipping
away faster than I can catch my breath (and my steps)! We left Starria a little
later than planned because—get this—my leg cramped, and getting out of bed felt
like scaling another Namsan. Reality check: I’m way too old for these
high-energy escapades. Backpacking days? A distant memory. Now, everything
hurts, especially my legs and thighs, all thanks to that torturous climb to
Namsan yesterday. Honestly, why didn’t we just call a Grab or cab? Past-me
would judge current-me so hard right now.
Today was supposed to be a laid-back, chill-chill day. We’ve been here before, so it was more of a nostalgic stroll with a side mission – makeup and skincare shopping. Ewha was first on the list, and I’m happy to report that it hasn’t changed much since my last visit. The same youthful, student vibes were intact. We took some obligatory photos (because, duh) and wandered around, marveling at how everything was pretty much the same.
Then came the Olive Young spree. They’re literally everywhere in this area! Of course, I had to go full “Mom’s personal shopper mode” and grabbed everything she meticulously listed. It’s a Mom Thing, right? Shopping for her is more satisfying than shopping for myself sometimes.
Lunch Time – GOSAME!
Oh my gosh, we’ve been hyped about Gosame since before this trip even started. This cozy spot is famous for its halal grilled fish and squid, beef bulgogi, and soondubu jjigae. As expected, it was swarming with Malaysians and Indonesians—clearly the word about its halal menu and delicious, local-Korean-with-a-dash-of-homey flavors is out.
Pro tip: All the mains come with rice! No need to order extra unless you’re super hungry. Also, don’t forget to check their break hours; they close for a bit in the afternoon, and trust me, you don’t want to stand there waiting.
The food? Beyond scrumptious. It felt like a warm hug, except the hug was grilled, spicy, and utterly satisfying. My Malaysian soul was so happy.
After stuffing ourselves, we headed to Lotte Mart at Zettaplex. Think of it as Mydin, but on steroids. This is THE IT place for souvenir shopping, especially if you want bulk deals. Pro tip: avoid weekends unless you enjoy being caught in a sea of tourists and locals. (Spoiler: I don’t.) It was chaos, but productive chaos. I snagged Market O Brownies, candies, and sweets (halal and vegan-approved, of course), but I also fell into the trap of being too overwhelmed to buy more. Back in Malaysia, I was kicking myself for not hoarding enough snacks.The trek back to Starria was a workout, especially since we
were hauling all that shopping and dealing with a completely unhelpful
6-year-old. My excitement, though, was bubbling over because—drumroll—my twin
sister is arriving tomorrow night! She’s joining us for the rest of the trip,
which means double the fun, double the chaos.
As I lay here, exhausted and a bit achey, I can’t believe
we’ve been here for 5 days already. Time in Seoul moves at a different
speed—too fast to soak it all in. Eight days aren’t enough. Honestly, I need at
least three weeks. Maybe I should just move here? Hmm...
Goodnight from Day 4, where my heart (and my feet) are full
but my craving for Seoul life isn’t even close to being satisfied.
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