Tteokkuk in Seollal

The kids insisted that we ate tteokkuk or rice-cake-soup during Seollal since they wanted to make sure that their age is added one year more...^^ as a proof of their growing up.^^

So, their Mom finally made the tteokkuk at home. We're lucky to have the tteok as a gift..and the mandu (dumplings) from our friend as well...as a present, too.^^

Yup, we're celebrating Seollal completely since we officially ate the rice-cake-soup, too.

Freya said" yes, I'm now...9 years old"

IMLEK...새해복 많이 받으세요.

An Empty Seoul Station @ Night

I was going home from Ansan by subway..and later on found out that the train I was on....stopped at Sadang station which was still far away from home. So, got out of the subway station..trying to find the bus..only to find the only one bus no.502 heading towards Seoul Station transfer center. Okay..got it. Then...after about 20 minutes or so, I arrived at Seoul station...and luckily it was still opened..at about 01.20...I still had time to go inside and use the restroom^^..and boy..its' the first time ever that Seoul station was in its state of 'void' from people....^^

Yup...it's almost 01.30 am where the passengers gone..and no trains coming in or out of the station. It's a new feeling of being inside the busiest station in Seoul....with not many souls visible.

So..I took the chance to look around and take some snaps of it...while I could.^^

The people I saw were mostly the security in charge of keeping the station safe and sound.

Not a minute too soon...at about 01.30...there's an over-voice heard....asking us to exit from the station since it's going to be closed.

Yup, that's a new experience of being inside Seoul station...on Saturday, Feb.07,2016..when not many people were around.

To think that it's Seollal's holiday..!!

Home-made Brownies

What's the best day to start the first Sunday of Seollal long holidays? No..not yet the ricecakes...

But..it just so happened that the ingredients were there...that zapped! brownies....done.

All. home-made. ..on Seollal Day.

새해 복 많이 받으세요.

Chubby Weight lifter!! @ Jamsil

Walking towards Seoul Tower @Jamsil. Encountered this chubby looking statue.so cute that I couldn't refrain myself from not taking a pic.

Not many people. ...

I just loveeeed the branches of the trees in winter.

롯데타워가 보인다. 맑은 날속에 멋지게될 건물.

자전거들이 나란히 서서 얘기하듯^^ 

2015년 설날 오후 3시경.

All about Those Cheese + home-made dish

Second day of Lunar New Year holiday....hmmm let's order something to celebrate it. No ttekokkuk...just yet. But....instead we had some pizza.

The new pizza was in for tasting. All that cheese! Ok....we gave it a try!

*** worth the price....for something new.

As a matter of fact, we had nasi gurih for our breakfast...plus tofu and tempe.

Plus....this "kim kremes" as we call it.

Tttt...that's it.

Silhouette of the Kids

It was supposed to be the Valentines photo booth for couples as the banner suggested. Oh well...we didn't celebrate it...but...the idea seemed tempting^^

Let's have them inside the screen and that's what we got.

We're Here Together @ Imlek (Seollal)

My wife, her elder sister, and her younger sister. On February 1st, 2014...since we're in Jogja, my wife's sister living in Bogor..flew straight to Jogja just to be with us. After all, it's a long weekend .thanks to Imlek (Seollal). 

That's why..they're so happy to be together after like...almost 2-years. 

Okay..okay..I got the point. 

Then..along came mas Kelik (my wife's older brother) who also flew straight from Jakarta. 

Yup, this year's Imlek really gave them a chance to meet again in person.  

Now along came om Didik and me. Wait..where are the kids? They're still in bed:) 

Yes..it's early in the morning...before we took our sister and brother to the airport. 

Hmm...2-day reunion during Imlek was like a blietzkrieg reunion..but I am sure that it's all worth-it.

Imlek-Seollal 2014

 

It's January 31st and it's a holiday. Yes..the whole nation was celebrating the Chinese New Year or Imlek as we call it or Seollal in Korea. Though we're not Chinese, but the hype of having the holiday was in us. Since it's a long weekend...we're able to meet other relatives who turned out to be coming from other cities: Cilacap, Balikpapan (Kalimantan), Jakarta, Bogor and others... 

It's more like Lebaran or Muslim Celebration since we also had snacks on the table...and all. Okay..this one, our sister-in-law and brother-in-law also came all the way down from Bogor and Jakarta to Jogjakarta. Oh, my classmate, Nina--who's also principally my wife's best friend--also paid a visit to our home. Yep..this Imlek felt more like Lebaran to me. 

A communal feeling we treasure is one of the strengthening factors that glue and tie us together. 

Happy Imlek & Seollal 2014. 

Imlek 2014

 Imlek was on its way and all stores were pumped up to weigh up its sales by 'tricking' its customers to shop more and more. And I was one of the so-called 'victims' in this vicious cycle of consumerism. See?? I wouldn't have dared myself touching ...let alone picking up those red envelopes (called angpau in Indonesian), had I not spent *certain* amount of money at this store. ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

But, oh well..for the sake of having fun....let's go. 

This is what angpao hoki (red envelope of luck) may look like.
Instead of giving us money, it tempted us to SHOP MORE:) 

WHAT a GIMMICK!!! ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ 

now...come another story.----->>>>>>> 

The exterior was like the donuts shop that I know so well: J.Co Donuts.

but..it's NOT. 

oh...noooo...........:)

the concept and style is rather similar to that of J.Co.

Frankly speaking, I'd choose J.Co.

J.Co is the Best up to now.

But..too bad...I cannot find any J.Co in Seoul, yet.

An Early Imlek (Lunar New Year) Celebration?? Not Quite So.

Ready to get set and go for the first night-out again in Jogja? You betcha. We sort of 'dragged' ourselves out of the 'lair' of our remote neighborhood about 45-minute drive from downtown...to go 'downtown' and..what we meant by downtown was no other than Ambarukmo Plaza a.k.a. Amplaz--as we affectionately call this home-sweet-home plaza.

As soon as we got out of the car, the bell boy at the entrance greeted us by saying that it had been quite a while since we last visited the plaza.

hahaha...we're so distinguishable from other guests..since we're used to coming to Amplaz once a week. 

Happy Chinese New Year or Imlek in Indonesia or 설날 (Seollal) in Korea.

This year, it so happens that we're spending the holiday in Jogjakarta & Kediri. 

Then....it would not have been 'US' had we not deliberately 'invited' ourselves to Pizza Hut. Yes, we never went to Pizza Hut in Korea. First, it's so expensive in Korea. Second, there are none we could eat. Well....we're so excited that we could 'savor' our appetite or longing for PH. And...avocado juice...was the highlight. It's so yummy and delicious.   

Eyra, Razqa (their cousin), and Eyra: the trio who are always on their best energy and shape whenever the term 'dine-out' came out of our 'vocabulary list' during our visit to hometown: Jogjakarta.

A Seollal gift set from a friend

Just got a Seollal gift set from a friend of mine, ms. Park HJ who is currently in Daejon. We met like 3 years ago when she was teaching Korean at my university back home in Jogjakarta. After almost 1.5 years of staying here, I never met her or she never met me, yet. But, KakaoTalk or text messages or calls are the only medium we use to communicate. 

In this Seollal, it's very nice of her to send me a gift set full of toiletries and shower products that we will surely make the best use of. 

Thank you, ms. Park.^^

Monorail @ Uijeongbu

Monorail in Uijeongbu--a city 45-minute ride by subway to the northern part of Seoul--is now officially in service. I've heard about this last year and in fact I saw its construction when I visited this city last year.

So, as the city of hope and city of clean future, Uijeongbu has been in the frontline among other cities in Korea that has leaped forward in gearing towards this goal.  

So, on the eve of Seollal, without nothing to expect, we went there just to spend an evening with the kids. Eyra and Freya were amazed at how small and cute the train was. Especially, they liked the fact that the train has tires...which eventually made them call it 'bustrain'^^ 

The elevated rail made it possible for us to see the whole city of Uijeongbu and its vicinity. In fact, the previously fallen snow just made it even cooler. 

We were surprised at how slim it was. There were only two carriages or compartment with only 18 seats on its side. This is --I think--indeed a light city commuter train. 

To make the best of it, we took lots of pictures.  

Oh, there is only one line called U-Line that goes back and forth integrating about 15 stations or spots in Uijeongbu and its vicinity.

With my 2nd daughter, Freya. The apartments at Uijeongbu as the backdrop. 

It was like 'watching a live TV show' on a big screen!!! 

The time when another monorail was passing us by...was one of the interesting things we could enjoy while taking a ride on it.The kids learned the fact that the monorail is driverless...which goosebumped them^^ for a while until they realized that it was just a sort of robot or Tobot they saw on TV.^^

On our way home, we took the front seat so we could see another different view of how it would feel to be zoomed into another direction at that speed.  

As for dinner, as we simply didn't know where to go..then we decided to stay at Paris Baguette for a light dinner before going back home. 

As for Freya, she chose a chocolate fudge. Hmmm yummy..

Just look at her hair...^^