Decided to go on to one of the hippiest place in Seoul, Hongdae. You could literally feel the difference in atmosphere once you get off the Hongik University Station, especially on a Saturday evening.
Hongdae is a must-visit spot if you're not a demophobe (someone who is afraid of crowds) as it is famous for its urban culture.



Hongdae is a place with pretty decent shopping places (Innisfree, Nature Republic, and Etude House are practically everywhere in Seoul).
We decided to skip dinner and enjoy some street food instead as we had a late second lunch.
I repeat, it's VERY CROWDED. Squeezing through groups of people is no fun at all.



So we got a strawberry/yogurt ice-cream that is quite common in Seoul and Taiwan. We were careful to not tilt it too much as it felt super wobbly.



Takoyaki yay! Not exactly a Korean snack but it had been a while since I had takoyakis.



Egg bread/Gyeran Bbang 계란빵, which is also a popular Korean street food.





Spicy cheese chicken (₩3,500 for a small one). Chicken was crispy and tender at the same time, a little too much of the spicy sauce but it's recommended!





Also, Aboong's taiyaki with mango ice-cream (₩3,000). Not a lot of people when I spotted the small store and bought a taiyaki ice-cream for myself but boy, there was a queue after I got mine. The ice-cream wasn't too sweet and it doesn't taste like the overly-artificial ones. Taiyaki was still crispy and delicious even after we finished most of the ice-cream (which took a while).
Aboong also expanded to Malaysia but sorry to say that I have not tried it yet, Will it be the same as this heavenly creation?

Next stop, Thanks Nature Cafe, which is covered in another post.

You will often find street performances in Hongdae, especially Saturday nights, varying from singing, to dancing, to magic tricks. And they could just be located next to each other, each having their own circle (or square) of audience.



Of course, there's more to Hongdae's street food and culture (we didn't spend much time there as we were taking things leisurely and at a slow pace at Ewha in the morning/afternoon. oops), it's up to you to discover it!

Also, if you are in the area you could try tomake your own ring!

(click on the image above to read more on my trip to South Korea!)

Spent Day 2 in Bangkok shopping!



I've never been to Bangkok before but my aunt lives there so transportation's not a huge problem as she has a chauffeur. Unfortunately, those who have been to Bangkok is pretty aware that the traffic jam in the streets of Bangkok is freaky. It could take you an hour to get to a place which is only a few kilometers away.



The Platinum Fashion Mall is a highly recommended shopping place in Bangkok as there are 6 floors and 2,350 shops to choose from, and there's also an extended 4 floors next to it! Awesome news, huh?



It's more of a wholesale centre. Shoes, bags, clothes, accessories... Some items are cheap but some are not quite so. Be rational when you spend your bahts (Thai currency). Do not just spend without looking at the price. Some stuff are just a little overpriced for my taste.



Eat before you shop. It'll save some time and leaves more time for your shopping. There's a food court on the 6th floor.



For first timers, you'll have to go to the counter and get a card that looks like the one above. Insert some credit into it and you'll be able to swipe it to buy food. It works like a debit card and you can cash the remaining credit after finishing your food.

While waiting for lunch..



Okay. Enough narcissistic time.



Off to shop! Men's apparels are only on one floor, if I'm not mistaken. But still, there are lots of choices to go for.



Since it's a wholesale center, you get to buy some items at wholesale prices. For example, you see a bracelet that you like but it's selling at 100bahts. You may get a few similar bracelets at 75bahts each. People seldom bargain much here, unless you're buying something quite expensive or if you're buying a lot.



Also, remember to check your purchases before you leave and make sure that it's not damaged.



There's also this stall which sells those denim bags and stuff. Oh gosh, I love the designs. And the bags are not too expensive either. It's located somewhere in the 4-storey extension.. forgotten which floor though.



Some of the bags are quite.. cute. Microwave bags, radio bags, TV bags.. I even came across a bag that also acts as a speaker that could be connected to your iPhone/iPod/. Oh gosh.

And also, there are no fitting rooms there. Some vendors allow you to put them on while others don't. Some also allow you to try them on in the washroom after you paid them. If you're not satisfied with it, you can exchange it for another item.

There are also street vendors outside the place. No, along the stretch of road. Some items are cheap and adorable. You can buy them if you feel that the price is affordable.



We didn't buy much. Just these:





And only these are mine. Sad case.



We bought quite a lot of jewelleries though. More than 1000bahts spent on jewellery. Damnnn.



Got myself a new purse. LOVE IT.



And also a new bag. (actually two)

Well, quite satisfied with this shopping trip. For a first timer, it's considered quite good. Will definitely head back next time for more shopping, and armed with cash. :D

Located about 100km southwest of Bangkok, Thailand, the Damnoensaduak Floating Market in the Ratchaburi province is one of the most famous floating markets in the world.



The market starts around 5.30am each morning, and ends about 11am. We reached there around 9am? Took a boat there. Along the way..







You get to see houses on both sides of the river. And also some shops.
If the tour guide or locals warn you of crocodiles in the river, you'd better take them seriously. We thought the tour guide was kidding us until we saw one. It was just a few meters away from us and we were pretty freaked out as we didn't expect it. Couldn't get to take a photo of it though.









We reached the pier after a few minutes. You can either walk along the pier or rent a boat for 150bahts per person. It was a nice experience as floating markets cannot be found everywhere. It was my first time there.







We rented a boat and cruised the river. Okay, not exactly "cruised" as there were quite a number of boats, but you get the point.

It was quite a hot and sunny day and some boats do not have shades, like the one I was in.









You can buy fruits, herbs, local food and also desserts here. Stop a boat and ask for the price.





Don't like the food on the boats? There's also a food court there. I like the stir-fried noodles. Have a coconut ice-cream too while you're at it.