17 July 2013

CutiCuti: South Korea Day 1 - Hello Kitty Cafe / Hongdae / Ewha Womans University

Assalamualaikum. 안녕!

Previous:

Namsangol Hanok Village

Lately liat sikit update blog. Although hati ndak sabar mau habiskan entri Summer Holiday with The Ladies. Fuh, canggih sangat nama tema cuti2 kau ni Bie. Motif gila.

Back from my trip to South Korea last year, I was a bit devastated for I found out about the existence of Hello Kitty Cafe in Hongik a bit late. Akibat berjalan tapi ndak buat research awal, serves me right. 

UPDATE as of 2017: This Hello Kitty Cafe is NO LONGER operating at this building. 

And so when drafting the itinerary for my second time trip to South Korea, haruslah cafe ini masuk terus dalam jadual. Dalam wishlist kot!



To get to Hello Kitty Cafe, Hongdae.
1. Take the subway to Hongik University station Line 2 (Exit 9). Walk straight until u arrived at a big intersection.
2. Turn left. Walk straight.
3. Keep walking until u see Tony Moly store across the road (ur right side); located in between 2 forks.
4. Cross the road & take the left fork. Walk straight until u see the Watsons pharmacy on ur left. Turn left at the junction just after the pharmarcy & tadaaaa....Hello Kitty Cafe before ur eyes!

Pink building from ground to the top...really makes my day lah benda begini.
Imaginary cottage it is. Ms Z siap request mau jejak kaki pi sana...kunun 2.3km isn't too far. 
Door knob at the entrance. Comelnya Miss Kitty. Was never a fan of Hello Kitty; never will be BUT I have to admit the color is just too irresistible.
Because it was Saturday...and we arrived a bit late, most of the menu were sold out. Kempunan merasa waffle bentuk kepala Miss Kitty. Adakah perlu second time visit?
I must say...this is creative. Best gila kalau dapat run cafe begini. Sila teruskan verangan Bie.
Hello Kitty's merchandises for sale. Those peminat tegar memang melompat riang di sini.
Space upstairs. Where we had our tea time.
Elegant decoration.
Even the restroom pun ndak ketinggalan...decorated the Kitty style.
The outfit blend well with the background. Yours Truly is one happy lass.
This buzzer will vibrate once ur order is ready. Ni kalau ada di KK, memang ndak bertahan lama punya. Confirm.
I purposely ordered the hot drink just to get that Kitty's face. 
Done with my verangan part at the cafe...we moved to the market held every evening at Hongik. We started at the very alley in front of the cafe. Masa ni orang baru start datang membanjir kawasan. Totally happening. One can find all kinds of fashion here. Designed by young independent designers. Fresh & some can be found no where but here. 
If only area uni aku dulu macam ni...memang tiap minggu habis duit membeli jak.
Entrance to Hongik University.
The closest I could get to Hongik University a.k.a Hongdae's entrance. I planned to go to the flea market held at the famous playground in front of the uni but we got it cancelled due to time constraint. The market ended at 5p & we reached Hongik around that time. Insha Allah, next visit mesti bergambar depan entrance. And wander around the playground to see by myself the must-see graffiti walls. 

I said it's a famous playground sebab few Kdramas were filmed there. Marry Me, Mary and A Gentleman's Dignity; to name a few. Ngeks ndak habis lagi sama Kdrama.
The nightlife begins as early as dusk in Hongik. 
Ndak banyak buang duit on our first day as we did cuci mata more. Despite saying so, I managed to grabbed this one very cool Lego inspired t-shirt. Bertambah koleksi t-shirt kuning ku. These days ntah napa apart from pink I am attracted to yellow as well. 

We proceeded to Ewha Womans University after Hongik. It is just a station away. Still on Line 2. 
I-Dae stands for I - Ihwa (Ewha) & Dae - Daehaggyo (University). Not just Indonesian loves abbreviation, I found Korean loves it as well.
Another wish came true. It's been my dream to visit this university in the evening only to witness this view. Mainly attracted by the unique design of the building above; the Campus Complex.
It is an underground structure consisting of a total of 6 levels below the ground. The 2 lower grounds are as used as an underground parking lots.
Alang2 sampai...biarlah mensibuk sekali. Masuk lif kampus orang dengan rasa kagum sekali. 
Yes, this cinema is located inside the building!!! 
Apart from the super canggih study hall, the university provides this for their student. I couldn't enter the study hall as it only allows student with access card. Super canggih sebab before masuk ada board near the door that shows how many vacant seats available. Kalau penuh, boleh buat booking. 
Cafeteria just opposite the cinema. Tahap gaban 'mewah' hidup student di uni ni. Kalau ndak study dengan jayanya, ndak tau lah kan. Facilities super lengkap.
Last shot at the campus before we called the day off. 
Didn't get to study here therefore a picture in front of the complex will do then. Who knows aku buang tabiat mau enrol for short course sini; enhancing my Korean language kunun. Ok that cita2 boleh masuk balang & reconsider later.
Sambil cuci mata while on our way to the subway station. Skru kaki sudah longgar. We defo need to recharge. 
Communal area at Namsan Guesthouse; accessible twentyfour hours. But laundry can only be done after 7p. While tunggu laundry siap...harus jamu perut dulu. Yes, first day kami sudah poyo buat laundry bagai. 
Week before the trip we decided to do laundry there hence akan bawa baju sikit as to avoid heavy backpack. Free service, kenalah guna sehabisnya.

Our first day ended blissfully. After dinner-cum-supper we had a little chit chat before hitting the sack. And I guess I was feeling extra excited I woke up super early the next day! Bloody 3a! Talk about time is gold when u travel? No!

eryantierdabdulkarim

6 comments:

Malicious Mind said...

mcm best semua pun hello kitty.

Unknown said...

Best. Cuci mata aku sma kaler pink. Puas ati. Tapi syg mcm xkena jaga ni cafe. Bnyak meja xdikasi bersih. Kali suma muda2 trus xda bos lagi.

Lily Riani said...

OMG! i kene pergi, my sis is a big HK fan! kena katam entry nih.

Unknown said...

Kene pegi!! Layankan orang yang minat benda2 ni memang kita ikut excited. My direction mmg memeningkan kot, xreti bagi precise sgt. Hihi. But it's so easy to look for the cafe lah.

Nurul Says said...

last aku ingat ko kestau aku ko nda minat HK tapi bukan main bersinar mukamuu..

uwaa pengsan aku tengok HK penat begambar ja bgniii

Unknown said...

Demi kerana si merahjambu ah. Yang maskot tu memang aku ndak berapa.

Penat bergambar, penat cuci mata. Siok eh. Tapi ndak merasa waffle muka HK.