Beans of wisdom: Travel plans and sad trucks

by DB Staff

This week in Beans of Wisdom…

Denali observes in “Team Dramabeans: What we’re watching” comment #34:

In the meantime, The man living in our house has got to be the least eco-friendly k-drama ever, what with all these drives back and forth to and fro Seoul just for meaningless chats? C’me on, haven’t you ever heard of KKT?

And in “The Man Living in Our House: Episode 12” comment #13, maripaz writes for our main couple:

I do sometimes find it hard to believe the romance in some kdramas (ie. the second half of W), but I don’t have a problem here. Nostalgia and childhood feelings are very powerful, and even though she doesn’t place Nan Gil directly in her childhood, he kind of represents the community she grew up in. His shared connection with her mom must be very comforting for her in her mom’s absence, the townspeople only have good things to say about him, and he has done numerous things to show he quietly cares about her with no expectations. For me the big thing is that she takes his little gardening proverbs to heart and even repeats them to others. Someone who touches you like that is hard to forget, and knowing that you were his first love and that he likely still cares about you is pretty much game over.

Na Ri has only been with Dong Jin, the man who got upset that she was grieving for her mom. Contrast this with Nan Gil who tells her to take her time and heal. I see Na Ri as someone who intuitively understands Nan Gil’s feelings and actions, even if the rest of her mind may not have caught up yet, so while it’s easier to see Nan Gil’s loving and longing expressions, I still buy that Na Ri has a depth of feelings for Nan Gil as well.

JTBC’s This Week, My Wife Will Have An Affair sparks some meta discussion as it tackles online communities. NotMacgyver writes in “This Week, My Wife Will Have an Affair: Episode 9” comment #2:

Being a strong supporter of fidelity in relationships, I thought I would hate this drama (I didn’t even bother to watch the airport drama). However, the drama didn’t really focus on ‘why?’ but ‘what next?’. It took a very realistic approach and there’s no one way to handle it. The man she cheated with reconciled with his wife, but it looks like that may not be the same for her. We see the effects of the affair and posting about personal issues on the internet.
Nowadays with daily vlogs, and internet diaries, it’s very easy to get involved with someone else’s life and relationships. Once you expose yourself on a personal level to the public, there are two side effects. One, the followers would feel like they know you personally. Two, they would want to know more. When a popular daily vlogging couple on YouTube decided to break up they got a lot of backlash from their followers who were super invested in their relationship. That’s why I can see it happening: someone who would go to extreme measures all because of someone’s postings online. They don’t understand that they’ve crossed the very vague line of anonymity. They want to act, not just be in the know.

MapleSilver writes in comment #9.1:

I find it endlessly fascinating that a drama about affair has as one of its strongest themes the extent of cyber connection any one person has in this day and age. What’s even more impressive to me is that the show has done this while staying clear of the lecture on internet dating/hook-up dangers, or the bad manner of staring into your screen while being in the company of others, or other such things. Instead we get to see how even in cyber space we basically just want to be accepted and validated. I just think the combination of the affair and cyber themes is brilliantly done and very seamless.

In “This Week, My Wife Will Have an Affair: Episode 10” comment #11.2, Maymay writes:

We really don’t know how people want to live their lives, and for me, the blame game plays no purpose at all. Is it the wife’s fault, the husband’s fault, the third party’s fault, etc? I applaud the people who at least want to try to make things work, as painful as it may seem. Whatever the finale serves, I believe not everyone will be satisfied because everyone has their ideal on what is the best solution. Right now I am just enjoying this show that is so divisive and triggers so many thoughtful threads.

nomad in comment #16:

I really do admire this show for taking us to all of the uncomfortable places. Usually shows with adultery theme (such as OTWTA) would show one partner as pretty much horrible and that they’re really a mismatch thus adultery happens. That’s not how adultery mostly happens though, at least not from what I’ve observed (from friends, family members). This is much closer to reality.

I’m honestly okay with any ending. I’d love to see them get back together and try to mend whatever broken pieces they have left, cause I think their marriage is worth fighting for…though I’m certain it’ll be a very painful road ahead. The question becomes, would they be willing to do that? Sure it’s unrealistic for the Knetz to “forgive” SY (if they can’t even forgive Kim Bom for taking a prescribed depression drug, how would they forgive an adulterer? *shudder of the thoughts of scary knetz*), but b/c I’m not Korean, so I just wanna say “IT’S NOT FOR YOU TO FORGIVE OR JUDGE IN THE FIRST PLACE!” I really do wanna root for them to move on, b/c the problem is theirs and the solution can only be their own. Anyone else, oh heck…be damned.

And candiceraine in #18:

This show did an awesome job in showing that everyone – EVERYONE – can make mistakes. Even though you’ve never once cheated on your bf/gf before. Anyone can make mistakes.

So when I saw the online community coming together to protect and preserve what little hope is still there to reconcile and save the family, I got teary eyed.

I always thought that netizens are super unforgiving and harsh nowadays. They destroy lives without blinking. They can end lives with just 1 click of a button. All because they can. We sometimes forget our humanity when we’re in front of our monitors. We forget what matters most.

Whether we are the victim, the cheater, the friend, the online supporter or friend – we all have our stories. Now this drama gave us an avenue to appreciate our stories. And for that I think this drama, though low key and unapologetic, is one of the best written and acted drama I’ve ever seen. I will always remember that powerful scene at the end.

Speaking of meta, MapleSilver asks in last week’s “Beans of Wisdom: Now with more fishy titles” comment #1:

Is it just me or does This Week My Wife Will Have an Affair really prompt people to write multiple paragraph carefully thought out essays? I love it.

rentenmann replies:

It’s like being in school again, only now the subjects are so much fun! Who wouldn’t want to write thought-provoking dissertations on them? ?

potatodrama:

Yeah, by the end of the show, we’re going to have a full 300 pages Ph.D essay about it.

Awesome show, indeed.

kanz:

I notice that affairs dramas tend to have long, carefully thought essays, like On The Way To The Airport and This Week My Wife Will Have An Affair .

Gaeina Lee:

…and I’m already halfway in my PhD program after completing my OTWTTA essays. Yayy!!

*dancingontable*

Maymay:

Affairs seem to be a recurring theme in the current kdrama landscape nowadays. And being a sensitive topic, people may try to word themselves more carefully. But I agree that the discussions are kinda cool and profound. Maybe because it’s the thoughtful way these shows were filmed that actually facilitates these healthy discussions. Beanies here are from all walks of life and different stages in life so of course we all have varied views as well.

Looking forward to more…maybe on different topics as well.

Bond. James Bond. shows some appreciation for fellow beanies in #4:

This is exactly why I continue to lurk around this website. I had not found this website long ago, but once I did, I have never looked back.
I don’t care if now that makes me more obsessed with K-Dramas now, but I love how this site, helps me to see the deeper side of dramas. Although sometimes it seems like some get too deep of a meaning (I mean, I look at some dramas and come out squealing over all the fluff, while others came out with a life lesson!!) it helps to broaden my view of the world. As also makes me see the drama in a different perspective, and understand better the characters, and why they may do the things they do.
Sometimes I just want to rant out angry things at the drama, writing, characters, or the character’s actions, but I am always brought back when I read some of the more longer profound posts. Almost always they are the most optimistic about the dramas. So although they may not be defending the dramas, they are reminding us to connect with them, and see it through their lens as well as reality. And I love that. I love how in this site, we can do so much more than squealing and fangirling, but we can talk about our thoughts and feelings from dramas, and what we get out of them. Cause not all of us, just get a new hot oppa to gush over, and another actor/actress to follow, but we also came out wiser.
( Well, sometimes, when the drama allows it.. ? )

Thank you dramabeans community for existing, and may we always be able to come back and gush about whatever drama is out. And just be our normal crazy selves, one drama at a time. ?

In “1% of Anything: Episode 16 (Final)” comment #27, Nil asks:

No pun title for this drama? ?

A question no beanie would pass up. growingbeautifully replies:

Pun titles?

100% Natural Romance Which Is Really Something
Uncontrollably Fond: The Practically Perfect Version
Yes, We Could Love
Delightful Girl Da Hyun
Falling For Sincerity
I Love Lee Jae In
It’s Okay, It’s Perfect Love
Marriage, Not Dating: And I Mean Marriage
The Improved Time I’ve Loved You
We’ve Fallen For Each Other
1% of Something That’s 99% Perfect Romance

Satsuki92

Answer Me Dada
Rude Mr Lee Jae In
The Best Kiss

JA

All About Jae-In & Da-Hyun’s Romance ?
Oh My Lee Jae-In (or Kim Da-Hyun)
Falling For Lee Jae-In (or Kim Da-Hyun)
Romantic Teacher Kim (Da-Hyun) or Romantic Lee Jae-In ?
Fated To Love Each Other
Fantastic Couple (or Realistic Couple)
A Chaebol Emracing A School Teacher (or Jae-In Embracing Da-Hyun)
Chaebols Over Flowers (or Orange Juice Over Alcohol ? )
Dating Contract
On The Way To Lee Jae-In’s Hotel
100% Authentic Lovers
My Love Kim Da-Hyun
Hello Mr. Lee Jae-In
My Dear Teacher Kim Da-Hyun
Perfect Romance
Best Kisses
To The Beautiful Couple

Dee Em

The Fault in our Contract
My Girlfriend is a School Teacher
Chaebol Hunter
Kill me, Marry me

In “Cuddles and fights in Hwarang’s lighthearted second teaser” comment #13, blnmom asks:

Wait, they had showers in Silla?

kanz answers:

Hae Soo brings make-up to Goryeo and showers to Shilla. Win-win.

pieryrose speaks for all of us in “Name That Drama: Good girls, bad guys, and a bait-and-switch” comment #25:

It is funny how, that you could have watched hundreds of k-dramas , but when it comes to this ‘Name that drama editions’,you feel like being so lost, and re-reading the queries posted, thinking and banging your head , to remember from where you have seen that scene before and the mind just goes BLANK! You aint gonna remember a single thing. Wiped out from memory.

Lily left the valley reports a tragedy in comment #11.1 of “Legend of the Blue Sea: Episode 5”:

I’m trying to remember the last drama I’ve watched where a vehicle of doom struck a major character and said character either didn’t have amnesia from it, or didn’t fake having amnesia either.

Related, I heard a rumor that Truck of Doom is inconsolable because it was informed it was the wrong fit for that scene, given the chaebol driver.

ToD was overheard admitting that it has never had the experience of hitting a mermaid before, and would have liked to have the opportunity to grow as a vehicle of doom character in a modern mythical fantasy fusion drama since it rarely gets casting calls for the historic mythical fantasy fusions.

ToD was reportedly last seen in a poorly lit alley. One witness said it appeared ToD had copious amounts of wiper fluid running down its grill, with the occasional sound of its horn honking in between windshield wiper swishing, making for a sorry sight.

rentenmann:

Aww, poor ToD! Especially after having W epiphanies this year, you’d think ToD would have a chance to expand. Where do we send consoling flower arrangements, or oil?

Lily left the valley replies:

Your post made me wonder if maybe it’s time that Truck of Doom switches agencies.

I also wonder….what would Kdramas do if all the Vehicles of Doom had to do a two year military stint at the same time? Would they have to scout new Vehicles of Doom in order to keep the trope going?

OMG, my spouse just asked why I was cracking up as I read all these, and I told him. (He watched W with me, so he’s familiar with ToD.)

He then did an image search to find a pic… http://i.imgur.com/v18wXaS.png

I told him that truck isn’t as big as the usual ToDs, so he wondered if maybe it attended tryouts to join the Vehicles of Doom union, and was told it was too small, hence why it’s sad.

(I had no idea that “sad truck” was a meme before now…)

athena nike writes in comment #29 of “Legend of the Blue Sea: Episode 6”:

What I like about this episode was that it suggested that Chung hasn’t felt deep love yet. I thought it was super strange how deeply she fell for Joon-Jae in such a short time, and I’m glad the show is FINALLY making a distinction between her attachment and love(especially familial love).

Huey

+1! That’s a great point. It has me thinking about Mermaid families and the overall mythology that this show presents. We know Mermaids may not have parents in the traditional sense, but we’ve seen other mermaids with Chung. Maybe because they’re always linked telepathically, they are unable to view each other as distinct, separate, autonomous individuals and so that level of altruistic concern (like that of a mother and her newborn) is absent.

But I’m so glad that Chung is developing a real family and home.

Emsel writes in comment #47:

This drama is like reading fables as a kid, teaching morales that differentiates us a human by being compassionate. In each episode there is a message subtly interwoven into the plot without being preachy.

Ep 1: ” I like waiting. It means my friend doesn’t want to see me hurt and good things are to happen. ”
Ep 2 : ” Love is when you surrender/lose to that person. ”
Ep 3 : ” If your earning money 24×7, when will you have time to enjoy. ”
Ep 4: ” I don’t capture pictures in cellphone. I capture it in my heart. ” (Making memories)
Ep 5: ” Promises are made to be kept. ”
Ep 6: ” You want to remember loving even though it hurts. ”

This makes me realize that in trying to survive the rat race in the modern world, we all forget to live and enjoy life.

And sharp-eyed beanie Margie notes in comment #56:

I don’t think anyone else has commented on this yet – at the end of the scene when Joon Jae’s stepmother is listening to her bugging device, the camera lingers on her as she picks a flower stalk from the pot in front of her and contemplates it, before we cut back outside to Joon Jae’s father. Well, that flower is monkshood, an extremely poisonous plant. I’ve read that before poisons like arsenic and cyanide were discovered, it was the most poisonous substance known to Europeans. Taken internally, it’ll kill a person pretty quickly. If it’s applied to the skin, it can cause rashes and hallucinations. Witches in Medieval Europe used it to give themselves vivid dreams of flying – when they claimed they could fly, they actually believed they could. This plant is seriously not something to mess around with (and unless you are crazy, you should never, ever use it as a house plant)! ? We already know Joon Jae’s stepmother is one of the main villains, and the way the camera cut from her looking at the flower directly to Joon Jae’s father’s face made me wonder if she’s been slowly poisoning him…Could that be the reason he’s aged so much, as the faithful secretary told Joon Jae?

Peeps shares in “Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-ju: Episode 5” comment #20:

Lol, never had a crush here, and so I’m learning from dramas just how people can go loco when they have one. I was like “eh….” to BokJu’s antics, then I read here that apparently it’s realistic and then I went “Oh.”

K-drama – teaches you all about people.

Which attracted a lot of responses from beanies who were eager to describe what it felt like to have a crush. Like elric’s:

I had a crush once on a student librarian. I already love going to our uni’s library but I developed a habit of going there every single day whenever I had free time. It reached to a point where I would ask/convince/manipulate my friends or group mates to hold meetings in the library just so I could see him.

Looking back, I actually might have looked like a stalker or the creepy girl who was always in the library.

Andy Pandy:

…I used to not pay much attention in a class because I had a very cute professor. He was really nice too and the subject was known to be quite challenging in the first place, so he allowed us to schedule consultations with him, so…I took full advantage of that and would schedule sessions with him before any major exams, LMAO. I can honestly relate to Bokju because I don’t even know what I was thinking by doing that. ^^; But it was one-on-one time, and I was hopelessly crushing.

If anyone’s concerned, I ended up doing pretty okay in the subject, hahaha. Probably would’ve scored higher if I had just paid more attention in class though. XD

Grapese:

I had crush when i was 15-16, he was living in the same neighborhood, he used to pass infront of our house whenever he wants to go to the convenient store because it was near our house, i used to wait on the window untill he pass and keep looking at him, sometimes i follow him to the store pretending that i want to buy something p, lol, remembering all that made laugh.

Yuki:

I guess feelings are different for us all and some people are more intense when it comes to attraction. Also, I think it depends on finding the right person that makes your heart click.
I experienced love at first sight once ? he was my French teacher and I went from 0 to 100% taken in a few minutes, the first day I met him. I was daydreaming about him all day and spending my time at the school just to meet him “by chance”. Still remember the day he came to the cafeteria and asked to sit with me. I think I was radiating happiness that day. Unfortunately, I was in France only for a couple of weeks and I had to leave just when I found that he might have noticed me too… Anyway, I can totally understand Bok Ju and her thoughts at the end of the episode, when she is so happy of being alive and being a woman because she can enjoy that moment with him. Crushes are an emotional roller-coaster and there are moments where you are really really high

Peeps replies:

HAHA! Guess I’d started a thread of confession here.

I guess I can get how people get so preoccupied with crushes and how intense that feeling can be. I mean, there are things I have passion for too, like sports or creating something. I just never experienced that overwhelming fixation over one person before.

But then again, my favourite thing to do is to sleep and I think crushes are useless and a waste of precious sleeping time, so… hum.

Maybe we’re all in a love triangle with sleep. It’s just the second lead that almost never wins.

In “Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-ju: Episode 6,” rue continues the nostalgic talk in comment #38:

I love this show. It reminds me of my high school crush and how I acted in a similar fashion to Kim Bok-ju every time he said or did something. I would read into everything he did and put a label on it. He could say “Hi” and I’d give another one of our kids a name and add a pet to our ever-growing family. I bet when he handed her that gum she was half hoping he’d look away so she could put it in her purse and frame and name it when she got home(I would have). I’m just a bit sad because I can see heartbreak in her future. even if she escaped being rejected by him and actually dated him, there would be a certain imbalance to the relationship. To her he probably is this great person who can do no wrong and when she realises just he is just as human as the next person that may burn some. Still, it’s fun to watch.

Lord Cobol writes in “Romantic Doctor Teacher Kim: Episode 7” comment #9:

And we have yet another person who loses her balance and needs to be saved from falling over. I swear, Korean people must have serious balance problems. They should go see a doctor. Oh, sh… ?

Michykdrama replies:

Haha. Based on dramas Korean people also have serious problems of:

Walking randomly onto busy intersections and being paralyzed once truck headlamps are shone on them

Being blind to the gender of a female once they have short hair and cross dress, or become completely unrecognizable once they wear a cap (for males) or big sunglasses and a scarf for females)

Not being able to grab anywhere else but the wrist

Oh and really frequent amnesia. Almost everyone has had it or knows someone who has had it before. ?

Michykdrama weighs in with her medical experience in “Romantic Doctor Teacher Kim: Episode 8” comment #4:

I also want to mention that I loved the entire case of the comatose patient, including the scene with the confrontation between the family members and Dong Joo. In fact I have so many thoughts on it it’s hard to put them all down!

It raised the sensitive issues of cost affecting doctors decisions regarding options for healthcare;
Administrators (Managers in their glass towers) controlling what patients can receive based on “cost effectiveness”;
Doctors deciding to offer expensive treatment despite knowing it will be a financial burden on the family;

And finally it had the scene with the family confrontation- so well written! everyone in the family was grieving, and they were all trying to do what they thought was right, but ended up just hurting each other more in the process. And the tragic part is that no one was right and no one was wrong, everyone was just in pain and faced with an impossibly difficult decision.

Is it wrong to be pragmatic and avoid disappointment or more wrong to irrationally hold on to hope? How do you put a price on a life? Is it always better to offer life saving therapy? Or is sometimes better for doctors to be more conservative, especially when chances for recovery are dismal.

Lessa adds:

I agree!

Do we go aggressive? Do we go conservative? Are we doing it for ourselves to make us feel good that we gave it our best shot, or are we doing it for the patient?

I came across this dilemma with my own grandmother before she died. The stroke had her bedridden for a year. She improved minimally with rehab, with on-and-off pneumonia attacks and infections which we treated accordingly. She hated hospitals tho, so we converted her room with the proper bed, oxygen tank and nebulizer. So one day my dad took me to see her because she was looking weaker and I knew on first glance she was going to die. I was at a crossroads myself: as an doctor, if this was the ER, I would do EVERYTHING immediately. As her grandchild, do I really want to see my grandmother, after a year of suffering, be intubated, poked with needles, with other tubes and wires attached? And knowing fully well as a doctor the chances of her recovering be dismal? But there was a slim chance! What do I do?

In the end, we let her pass peacefully, and I think my father appreciated that I gave him all the options: all the expenses and the chances that I know. I actually had to pronounce her death myself. It doesnt make me feel sad now, and I always look back on it when I have patients in the ICU. We give all the options ahead and we discuss. We make the patient/relatives partners in decision making so they don’t feel overwhelmed with medical jargon.

I think this series is doing so well in putting these issues out there, and I look forward to the future episodes!

Character descriptions in “Meet the plane crash survivors of MBC’s Missing 9” introduce more questions than answers. In comment #4, mysterious writes:

“Four months later, she ends up becoming known as the only survivor and sole witness to the events surrounding the accident.”

Uhhhh, that doesn’t bode well for the other characters. Not to mention it sounds like a potential spoiler. There must be a twist coming or something. But I’m looking forward to this show. I like both Jung Kyung-ho and Baek Jin-hee.

Kaybee:

It made me think that maybe they just choose to stay there and not be famous anymore, or maybe there’s a door to Narnia on the island, or it’s actually Atlantis and only appears once in a blue moon, or aliens came by and kidnapped them (/they went voluntarily because they were told Earth was about to be demolished ’cause of a new highway in space), or maybe there’s an indigenous people that they marry into, or maybe it’s someone’s own little secret Jurassic Park and they’re kept from leaving ’cause someone might find out, or maybe it’s Dr. Moreau’s island or the Mysterious island, or they find the entrance to the center of the earth and journey there, or maybe it’s Lilliput and they find it amusing to live amongst tiny people the size of your thumb, or it’s the country of the Houyhnhnms and they can’t escape their talking horse-slave masters, or maybe it’s Utopia and they like living in a weird restricted society, or Ecotopia and they like riding trains with plants in them and no real seats, or maybe they just simply befriended a native named Friday or a volleyball named Wilson and it’d break their heart to leave them behind.

I have clearly read too many sci fi and fantasy novels.
Prize for whoever gets all the references!

Michykdrama calls for help in comment #1 of “Open Thread #476”:

Happy Friday Beanies! For once I have a totally non drama related question for you all!

I’m planning a trip to Korea next year (I’m so excited!!) and I want to ask for advice/suggestions on where to go and what to do!

I’m planning to go either end Sept or mid October for 10 days (avoiding Chuseok (Oct 3-6), as suggested by @Kender a while back). I was told there may be post chuseok sales going on- any Beanies in Korea can confirm this?

So I’d really appreciate all suggestions on Stuff To Do, especially in the Must Not Miss category, Places to Eat or even Places to Avoid! (I have a 3 year old kid so nothing too risqué thanks ?)

I haven’t planned anything yet except that I am hoping to see some of the places they filmed Moonlight Drawn By Clouds (I’m going to pass it off as historical palace sight seeing to my husband so he won’t complain too much! ?) so any help would be greatly appreciated!

Peeps replies:

For Moonlight By the Clouds, visit JeonJu. Apparently I was there while they were filming but I missed it all!!!!!!! Only my non-k-drama mom saw them, ISH! We split up cos we fought and I was off visiting the Memorial of King TaeJo for free because that day was Independence day, lol. Next day when my mom went past, they charged an entrance fee, HEE!

Anyway, JeonJu is a beautiful place to visit on it’s own anyway. Book a hanok room in the Hanok Village, a perfect place whether it’s day or night. Stay there for at least three days, and even then it wasn’t enough for me.

If you go there, definitely eat Ddeok-galbi, Beansprout Soup (there’s a traditional market nearby where the soup is absolutely a delight) adn JeonJu traditional Bibimbap. Once you head to JeonJu, just ask enter any tourist stop and ask the guide for places with good food. JeonJu is perfect because it’s in the Jeolla-bokdo, region, where there’s mountains, seas and land, which is why their food is so varied and absolutely delicious.

I went in August, during their dog days (seriously, I still question myself why) but September to October should be perfect because that’s when Autumn starts arriving.

I also went to Mokpo, YeoJu, GwangJu, Damyang and Seoul.

Ah, if you stay in Seoul first, head over to MyeongDong, where there’s the largest tourist centre in all of Korea.

For deathbychocolate, since you’re going in the dead of winter, definitely head to any sea for oysters, since they’re in season (especially Mokpo and Yeosu).

bbstl:

http://magazine.seoulselection.com/

Definitely look up this website and all their affiliated stuff (FB, twitter etc) including Seoul Weekly and the Seoul Selection Guides. I haven’t been in Seoul in years but reading their stuff it’s clear to me that there’s more going on every day than one could ever hope to do! They’ve been nice about answering emails, too.

You probably know about the Official KTO:

http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/FU/FU_EN_8_7_3_1.jsp

Jean:

Hi michykdrama! So happy for your korean trip!! Extra meaningful especially for us kdrama/kpop fans haha!

I’ve been visiting Seoul yearly for around 6 yrs now and that place is just like healing for me, haha! For first timers, I recommend the following:

1. Myeongdong (shopping, street food, cosmetics)
2. N seoul tower (from myeongdong subway, use oreumi elevator for an easier trip up to the cable car station)
3. The palaces (Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung)
4. Bukchon Hanok Village (we often stay half of our trip in Myeongdong and half Iin Bukchon, in a guesthouse where we sleep on the heated floors. Super nice in spring, fall and winter)
5. Samcheongdong
6. Insadong
7. Cheonggyecheon stream (go in the afternoon and dip ur feet in the cool waters after a long day of walking)
8. Hongdae saturday free market
9. Han river during the weekends and try watching the water and lights show
10. If you still have time to go out of Seoul and are willing to do alot of walking, it’s nice to go to Nami Island and the Korean Folk Village where alot of dramas have been filmed (Empress Ki, Rooftop Prince, Moon that Embraces the Sun

For foodie recs:

1. Tosokchon – most popular samgyetang in Korea
2. Gogung – best jeonju dolsot bibimbap
3. Yoogane – dak galbi dipped in melted mozzarella (featured in shows like Signal, Misaeng etc)
4. Noryangjin fish market – if adventurous, try the live baby octopus hehe (Drinking Solo memories)
5. Congee house – super good abalone porridge
6. TwoTwo – really good chicken and beer
7. Keun Giwa Jip – raw crabs marinated in soysauce (resto featured in Let’s Eat). Popular but a bit pricey. Though for me, worth the price. I’ve eaten here repeatedly hehe.
8. Dawon traditional teahouse in Insadong – try the jujube tea with frozen persimmons. Yum!
9. Seorae galmaegi – the one in Hoegi was the same resto featured during the drinking scenes in DotS. Super good grilled meat and kimchi jjigae!
10. Sulbing – for really good bingsu
11. Myeongdong streetfood!! Haha

Let me know if I can help you with anything else. Oh and if u want to know directions for places like the bar frequented by the 2nd couple in DotS (serve really good ricewine!!) or Yoo Ah In’s cafe etc haha ..happy planning!!

While korfan writes:

Michykdrama –

I just want to say I’m totally excited for you because you’ll be taking a trip to Korea!

While I’ve never visited, I know there are many beautiful places to see and yummy food to try! I wouldn’t know where to start!

Let me know if you need someone to help you carry your luggage. Heh!

And Wag_a_Muffin adds:

Or contact me if you need someone to hide IN your luggage.

michykdrama:

haha. I wish I could stuff all the Beanies here in my magic bag and haul you all off to Korea with me where we can paint the town red and chase after all the Oppas! XD

Check out the original thread here for more tips if you’re planning (or wishing, or hoping) to visit South Korea.

Thanks for another week of great comments. Don’t hesitate to share your thoughts on dramas or just life in general!

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