Experienced Korea: Day 2
- Jody Garcia
- Nov 7, 2018
- 5 min read
Every moment in South Korea was memorable, but this day was totally exceptional and unforgettable. To know why, just continue reading while I walk you through how our day went.
As a kpop fan, the places you want to visit when you go to Korea are entertainment agencies, restaurants owned by your idol/their family, and the places your idol frequently go to. So, our itinerary for the day is all about that, plus going to N Seoul Tower together with the rest of our family.
Our day started by going to the first entertainment agency in our list, which is YG Entertainment. Honestly, what you see in pictures and when you see it physically--it's the same. You know it's YG Entertainment because of its building (by means of its shape compared to other entertainment agencies). But, it only differs in the feeling of actually seeing it right in front of you and the feeling that there might be artists inside or your idol is actually inside as of the moment. Also, hoping that you might see them. Really, I'm hoping to see members of iKON or BlackPink (sadly they're not in Korea during that time as they have a concert in Japan I think). We didn't get to see any idols or artists, but it's okay since having the chance of finally seeing it is more important and having that sense of contentment.
After that, the second agency was BigHit Entertainment. I think this is their old building where BTS trained for years before they debuted, but now that BTS is now recognized both locally and internationally (literally became a big hit), they moved to a spacious location.
Then, we decided to cool down and freshen up at Cofioca since the heat was barely bearable. In fact, we went here first before going to the old building of BigHit Entertainment, but it was still close that time--I think it was around 10:00 AM that time so we decided to go to BigHit instead to buy time. We really meant to go here since EXO frequently goes here to get there bubble tea fixed. Some kpop artists also goes here to grab their favorite drinks since it is near to their company I think. Looking at the store front, it is bombarded with artists'/idols' autographs, and as you enter the store, it's still filled with it. Actually, the store itself was mostly filled with idols' autographs and some messages from fans who visited the place.
Of course, my brother and I ordered EXO members' favorite drinks. My brother got the Chocolate Colada (Sehun's fave) and I got the Honey Dew Milk Tea (Chanyeol's fave). The ahjumma was very nice and accommodating. She was the one who told us the members' favorite drink.
When you're in Gangnam, it is a must to see these cute GangnamDols of your favorite group/artists. There is also a shop wherein you can buy a mini version of this for display.
There are a lot of SM Entertainment offices. The first one was along the GangnamDols; the second was the studio center; and the third was the communication center (where you can see the SUM Cafe, SM Market, and the SM studio where artists' practice). I'll tell you a short story about our experience here. So, after taking pictures in front of the building, we decided to take a short break at the park just on the other side of this building. We met two Thai friends (sadly we forgot to get their Twitter or Instagram accounts) who are waiting in front of the SM building. We had a little conversation about EXO (yes, they are EXO-Ls) and she said that she saw Kyungsoo here last December 2017 (not sure, but that's what I remember she said). So, I think they're waiting for artists to come that day. After taking a short break, we headed to the next agency which is FNC Entertainment. Then, went to JYP Entertainment. The logo was not there anymore. We also went to Dunkin Donuts in front of JYP to eat snacks since we haven't eaten lunch---this is where most JYP artists are seen like GOT7 and TWICE. So, the place have some notes/messages from fans posted on the wall. After that, we got thirsty and wanted a soda so we went to GS25 convenience store on the other side of Dunkin Donuts. Since we have time to spare, we went back to the park in front of SM Entertainment Studio Center. And they are still there. Minutes have passed and then we saw a private bus---meters away from the building and kpop idols standing in front of it (we knew they were idols because of their aura/vibe), but we are unsure if they're SM artists or FNC artists as they are somewhat far from us and we cannot recognize their faces from that distance. But as they started filming and the bus passed by us, you can see inside the bus because of the lights, and I felt that was NCT. I am not quite sure but I think I saw Doyoung. The Thai friend somewhat confirmed that was NCT because she also saw a member. We can't believe that we saw an idol that day. I will surely not forget this day.
We thought our day will end with that experience, we didn't expect that we're going to meet someone much closer to our idol. After our entertainment agency tour, our next agenda was to grab lunch at Viva Polo. As you go upstairs, you will see messages/artworks by fans of Chanyeol plastered on the wall until you reach the second level. When you go inside---there are still pictures of Chanyeol, messages of fans who visited the place, banners, and the big white poster with autographs of the EXO members at the center of it all.
Okay, story time. Before we got to Viva Polo, we were not expecting to meet Mama Park there as we thought that she's not there right now since she might be busy preparing for her daughter's wedding---but, we were wrong. As we go up the stairs, I was ahead of my brother, Mama Park was the one who welcomed us. She talked to me. I remembered feeling nervous and happy at the same time. It's a mixed feeling. She asked me like if it's only the two of us, etc. I felt like that my soul is not there as of the moment and felt like I'm floating. She was also the one who escorted us to our table and told us to wait for someone to assist us and take our order. So, as you can see from the photo above, we ordered Pasta Pomodoro (which was recommended by my friend since it's Kyungsoo's fave), Bacon Carbonara (I forgot the name of the dish, sorry), and two Colas. The food was so good! Definitely, I will come back there to try other dishes from the menu. After eating, we went to the cashier to pay for the meal and Mama Park was there. We asked her politely if we can have a picture with her and without hesitation agreed to have a photo with us outside the restaurant. We had our photo taken individually with her and thanked her for the meal and for the photo. Indeed, my heart and tummy are full. This day was truly unforgettable and memorable.
Our day ended by going to the N Seoul Tower or Namsan Tower (as others call it) with the rest of our family since they just arrived that day (July 24, 2018). Going there, we spotted The Shilla Hotel (where SongSong couple got married) while waiting for the bus. I finally got to see the famous love locks there and the beautiful view at night.
End of Day 2.
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