All about K-Pop
Did you think I would come to Seoul without dedicating a whole day to just K-pop?!
You're funny.
Yup, one whole day. Nothing.. but K-Pop.
I have been looking forward to this day since the second we planned this trip.
I think I planned this day out more thoroughly than all my essay assignments..combined.
Being the excited fangirl I am, get ready for a photo spam.
Another warning: this post is a lil over because well.. I'm naturally over, but put me in a K-Pop building? Yeah..no.
This is me toning my kpop-ness down. Imagine me actually there.
Started the day with leaving our apartment at 9am to Samseong Station in the Gangnam area, which took us a good hour by train.
It was a pleasant ride, though. Since Gangnam is across the Han River, the train crossed the bridge and my God, the river is beautiful. Wish I had taken more photos of it, was probably too mesmerized.
Tip: Be sure to bring headphones for the train ride. An hour didn't pass that fast..
It was pretty easy getting to Coex Mall from the Samseong Station, there were signs all over the station.
So once we got out of the station, this was our view. Nadia and I were hyperventilating so hard, people around us probably thought we were getting a seizure.
The Coex Mall is a proper mall with shops and department stores, but the one on the right is SMTown (a.k.a my dream)
For those who aren't into K-pop, lemme just fill you in.
SM Entertainment is one of the main one of the, if not the, biggest entertainment companies in Seoul.
EXO, Girls Generation, Shinee, they're all groups under SM Ent.
In December of '14, SM Ent. launched SM Townland which is a 6-floor building of anything and everything you can think of involving SM Ent. artists.
Um.. heaven on Earth for Tania, more like?!
I was gawking at this Suho 3D figure for, no joke, 5 minutes.
They also had this interactive wall of fame, where you can take pictures of your favorite artists.
Not interactive enough, hello Suho ain't even looking at me.
Kai: I love only.. her
Yup, thanks, babe!
These Love Me Right jerseys weren't for sale, boohoo.
I would have paid big bucks for the Suho one, but they only had these jerseys without the number and the name.
So it was just a plain jersey..that costs RM300.
There were signatures like these all around SM Townland.
This one is EXO Baekhyun's. Chen, Xiumin, Joy, Irene and a lot more can be found on the tables and chairs at the cafe.
It's like sitting where they sat lah basically. They might not have even sat there pun but whatevs,
let a girl dream ok.
If I begged my future husband hard enough, do you think he'd let me put this huge Suho poster in our room?
These photos were from their photo booth on the 5th floor.
These were the interactive booths, where you:
First, step in and stand on the footprint sticker on the floor.
Secondly, pick a boy group or girl group.
Then you pick specific members you want with you in the photo.
Then you wait a second, and the members will (virtually) walk in the booth next to you.
And then you pose and try to keep your composure and not scream.
That last step was very hard to do, because I was so fluttered 'cause it felt so real.
Over tak? Hehe.
Haih, if only you didn't cost half my life savings..
Ahh.. The gift shop..
The place I spent three quarters of the cash I brought to Seoul.
No ragrets.
This looks creepy, but this is the closest I'll ever be to them so I will treasure this photo all my life.
LOL
Anyone planning on becoming a K-Pop star?
SM Townland has it all.
Believe me when I say this, it took me a lot of patience and thinking and a lot of "Tania, don't be stupid" monologues to not get this helium balloons.
I was thiiiiiiiiiiiiiis close to getting a whole box of them for my upcoming 20th birthday.
I actually thought about turning back when we on the train home.
Should have bought at least one, but..
I think I've found my 20th birthday cake inspiration, guys.
I knew Tiffany and I would get along!
My favorite SNSD member <3
On the 5th floor where the interactive photo booth is located, there's this huge ass screen showing SM artists' music videos.
What a sight to see Suho as huge as that.. Ah.
We couldn't really take photos in the gift shop, so I only sneakily took some.
Look at all those EXO files!! How do you expect me not to get all?!
However, the gift shop is a bit on the overpriced side. Especially the t-shirts, which costs something like 40,000won (RM120). I love EXO to death, but I wouldn't pay over a hundred ringgit for a t-shirt.
Especially when brands like SPAO also has an EXO collection in store, which costs 19,000won (RM60) for a t-shirt. A third of the price for basically the same thing.
But other than the t-shirts, the little things like files (5,000 won: RM15), EXO polaroids (18,000 won: RM55), huge posters (10,000 won: RM30) and stationeries were not that bad. I'd rather get the little things from the official store than anywhere else because they're of better quality than the ones sold elsewhere.
Don't expect too much from this store, though. Most of the things are sold out.
Like those EXO pillows, not even one member is available. Same goes to the notebooks, mugs, memo pads.
And for some things like the files, members like Suho and Kai were all sold out.
*wails*
Of course I didn't leave empty-handed..
Just right below the Coex Mall, there's this restaurant called La Grillia.
We came here twice because it was so good! The menu ranges from pastas to salads, steak, roasted chicken.
We also loved how surprisingly affordable it was.
Especially for a very fancy restaurant in the centre of Gangnam, you can't even get these prices around touristy areas like Myeongdong!
After that, we took the train to Apgujeong Rodeo Station,
where all the entertainment companies are.
Apgujeong Rodeo was still in Gangnam so it only took us one transfer and a short 5-10 minutes to get here. As soon as we exited the station, the street that greeted us reminded me of Beverly Hills.
It was just a long street of everything designer, from MCM, Gucci, Prada, you name it - it's there.
It was actually quite a walk from the station to our first stop; JYP Entertainment.
And with the heat! My God, I felt like passing out.
One thing that made the walk bearable was the excitement I felt when a black van passed us.
What black van, you ask?
K-pop groups usually travel together, so they're always in this van going somewhere.
And these vans were everywhere along Apgujeong Rodeo Street!
They were fully tinted, so we couldn't see who was inside, but just the thrill of knowing that your favorite group might just be inside was enough for my heart to beat twice as fast whenever these vans passed us.
There were also a bunch of these vans parked outside the entertainment company buildings.
First stop: JYP Entertainment.
*shouts* Junior oppa!!!!!!!!! Are you in there!!!!!!
*deep breath*
The SM building..
*deep breath*
EXO was here..
The building is located right opposite a playground, so Nadia and I stayed there for a good half an hour.. Just in case..
Unfortunately, no one came out or came in. We later found out that EXO wasn't in Seoul, and was shooting a commercial elsewhere. Unlike JYP, there were no vans outside the building.
We were too scared to enter the compound, so we just took a picture from afar.
Phew!
Day 4 was just filled with walking, by 7pm we were exhausted.
From the SM building to the train station was - again - quite a walk, so imagine us all sweaty and panting once we reached the station.
Working hours in Seoul finish at 5 or 6pm, but the subway was still full around 7pm. It took us another hour to reach Hongdae Station.. standing up in a crammed train.
>.<
But if anyone were to ask me if I'd go back to this day and do it all again, I wouldn't even wait a second before saying (read: shouting) YES.
It was honestly one of the highlights of my trip, everything was exactly how I expected it to be, if not better! Not many can understand my excitement or happiness, especially when it comes to my k-pop obsession, but I don't know how else to express this level of euphoria.
Even though I've gone to all these places already, the next time I come to Seoul, I would still go to these places again. And I'll still be just as excited as I was when I first went.
xoxo
Tania
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