Since the Japanese colonial period when coffee was introduced to Korea, it has become an important part of the culture. The culture is known for its fast-paced nature and thus many people find it hard to keep up. Coffee swoops in to save the day and there is a cafe every 2 buildings. Which was how I found myself at a cafe called A Twosome at 9 pm. Whoever let cafes be open until 11 was either a madman or a genius. I went to meet up with my friend to work on our final project proposal for our class “Understanding K-pop”.
When the weekend arrived I went to go get my nails done in Hongdae at a shop I found online that was supposed to be friendly to foreigners. The woman was very nice and my nails were very cute.
Afterward, I went to a Korean bbq place in Hongdae that specialized in eating alone. It was my introvert heaven. I ordered through a touchpad and no awkward sitting at a table alone.
It was a very relaxing day for me and as I walked back to the subway station the streets of Hongdae were filled with people enjoying an evening weekend stroll.
The next day I saw this big blow-up balloon!
When I went to the mall I discovered there was a pop-up store! (Pop-up stores seem more common in South Korea).
I bought two cute bags for myself and an AirPods case for my boyfriend.
South Korea is defiantly a fast-paced culture but when you get to stop and look around it feels freeing.
Gracie