Gathering @ Ashley, Hongdae

One of the purposes of Pak Tri's visit to Korea was to make a gathering of his students who happen to be studying in Korea, or Seoul in particular.  Pak Tri called up a meeting and he asked me to arrange it...*aha*!!! I got an idea of booking one of my favorite places to have a buffet^-^: Ashley. But, boy..oh boy..since it was weekend, my intention of booking the one nearest to my place didn't work out..so, we got to go as far as Hongdae to have this gathering. In short, it's a good decision. 

Lina (Sookmyung), Mr. Park Hyun-ju (our beloved teacher who once taught Korean language at our university in Jogjakarta), Rio sonsaengnim, Sonya (Gangneung Wonju Univ). and Feby (Gwangju + SNU). 

Nining sonsaengnim (Busan University+ Inha Univ), and Diana (Hanyang Univ), and of course, Pak Tri Mastoyo himself.  We did spend 2-hour allotted time for all guests at Ashley to enjoy the buffet over friendly talk..or vice versa. 

An exchange of token...from ms. Park to Pak Tri 과장님. 

then...the one from Pak Tri to ms. Park. 

The Girls @ Hello Kitty Cafe (part 2)

Okay...though I may not into 'Hello Kitty' stuff, I got to find ways to 'amuse'myself..and this is one thing: 'Please Do Not SEAT!!!!!' okay....oops. 

What about all of those Hello Kitty's love message inscribed on stones stored in glasses?  Only girls-power can do all of these! 

Let me jot down the menu: Most of them are H.K.related. (expected, right?) 

and..this is what the girls really wanted to have. 

The (well, hopefully reasonably priced) mousse.

.

Are these for sale, too? (but, wait..what are those?) 

and...other cakes or waffle that...I could just savor in any other place...but wait...this is not about me....THIS IS about my daughters' wish to come to this cafe....so...I don't judge.... 

Freya's happy. 

Eyra's, too.  

Even..they started to wonder if they ever gonna eat the Hello Kitty mousse...worrying that they might 'hurt' the Hello-Kitty-shaped mousse. (OH DEAR!!!!)

The Girls @ Hello Kitty Cafe (part 1)

I can't remember when was the first time Eyra, especially, got her crush on everything about Hello Kitty. She used to love, well...Tobot, Tayo, and others...but ...at one particular moment, she must've seen, heard, watched, or...got influenced by someone..about girls' being infatuated to Hello Kitty. 

oh, well..anyhow...I didn't even have the slightest idea that there IS such a thing as Hello Kitty Cafe in Seoul.....UNTIL my daughter asked (more like insisted) me to take her there. It turned out to be at Hongdae area...subway line 2.  

We got there at around 4 and it so happened that there was a 'No Order from 4 to 5 pm' so, it meant one thing: we could go around the cafe and see what's inside..the interior may look like. hmm..Eyra seemed to be the one who's excited. 

oops...her sister, Freya, was no exception. In fact..she became kind of interested in this PINK-world of Hello Kitty. OMG...every corners...nooks and corners of the cafe are full of hello kitty-themed stuffs. Mind-boggling....

Waiting for time to order our menu.....and what's to do, then? 

Just look around the 2nd floor of the cafe and they found this life-size(?^^) Hello Kitty...that Eyra would love to take a pic with. 

oh, Dear...you, too, Freya? Okay..just go there and take a pose. 

All Hello Kitty-covered walls are the only things that simply make this cafe deserves to be called 'Hello Kitty' cafe. Other than that? nothing special about this....(or wait...is it too biased..since I am NOT into Hello Kitty?:-) sorry,girls. 

But..for you, Daddy can do anything...like taking you to this cafe..even though..the Hello Kitty-shaped mousse was tagged at 10,000 Won!!! Oh, Dear......!!!!! 

and...please don't tell me that the restrooms are also H.K-themed!!!!!