My Mapo Memories

Looking back through 2017, I realized there are many changes in my life. This time I would like to review the area that I go most often throughout 2017: Mapo-gu.

I lived in Ewha Womans University dorm for a year, and I was so attached to the area. After I moved to Korea University area, I tried to go to different places, but nothing can replace my love for Sinchon and Hapjeong. It is quite time-consuming to go back and forth to Mapo area, but in the end, it is what makes me happy. I even go to Sinchon and Ewha at least 5 times a week this semester as I am taking courses in Sogang and swim at Ewha. 

So this year, my memories are filled with the alleys of Hapjeong and Sangsu, cozy corners in the vegan restaurants in the area and dessert places in Sinchon and Hongdae.

Let me introduce my favorite places. I am skipping Mangwon Market, Hapjeong and Hongdae as I have shared it in the previous posts.

Sogang University 

I took an Italian class here, so I ideally come twice a week. 

Sogang University is quite small, but I love the apparent Catholic atmosphere with Maria hanging in every class. It reminds me of my high school time.

Best thing about Sogang? Its proximity to Daeheung Station (Line 6). Living in Korea University, there are not many cool places in Line 6 and you have to appreciate this one.

Not to mention my love for the fun class(mates)!

Slunch Factory 

A spacy and cozy restaurant located near to Sangsu station.
I am in love with Slunch Factory for its damn cute menu and vegan options.

 I accidentally found it while passing by. Sadly I did not get to be seated right away as it gets quite busy during lunch and dinner time.

Ingredients are fresh, the menus are quite creative. I like the staffs, they are friendly.

Cook and Book

I am in a love-hate relationship with this place. For me, a vegan place must be friendly. Period.

But Cook and Book staff keep changing and my first experience was not so good. She was cold and seemed hesitant to take my orders. Regardless, they offer different menus every week and only open for limited business hours (Thu-Sun).

The place before remodeling offers homy vibes. 

Vegan lasagna

I recently reviewed their vegan lasagna on my Youtube channel. Check them out. 

Sukkara (Hongdae)

I am not sure how to start, Sukkara is just perfect.

remember the open market?

It offers vibes that I rarely find in Korea. It feels like the traditional market back home and I can sit there for hours doing nothing. I am reserving a special post for Sukkara later on.

I checked that they do many community events too. I should try to come next year.

Menu

They use organic stuff. Quite pricey but worth every sip of it.

My lemon love

I am not gonna say much as I will be writing a more comprehensive write-up on Sukkara later.

Honorable mention

Home

Eventually, my attachment to Mapo leads me back. I decided to move to Mapo. It was a huge decision, as I am still a full-time student at Korea University with the heavy class load and responsibility that entails. Many factors made me decide to choose Mapo, firstly is for its convenience. Mapo is VERY strategic and easy to get to anywhere (well depends on which part, but I cannot say the same about my university area). 

Finding a house was not easy but I love how there are endless options for my low budget. I feel like it is a rational choice as I usually go to school 4 times a week (Mon-Thu), yet I had to go to Sinchon and Ewha for swimming and Italian class 5 times a week (Mon-Fri). I would also have a better commuting time to elsewhere during the weekend.

So to wrap up, my best memory in Mapo this year is probably moving in. I love my house and I appreciate every single process that I had to go through. It was not easy, trust me. But it is totally worth it to say that I want to live here for the rest of my stay in Korea. 

Eat Like a Korean (Student)!

Setiap jalan-jalan keluar negeri, keinginan terbesar gue biasanya makan. Makan ala lokal tapi yang aman alias masuk dietary restriction gue (no daging merah). Tapi ternyata keinginan sederhana ini susah sekali cyin! Ga cuma kendala cari tempat yang free dari tourist-trap, tapi juga masalah bahasa. Bayangin deh, kalo orang mau ke Indonesia terus cari pempek... Bingung kan kasih taunya gimana makan pempek yang enak, bisa dicari dan ramah foreigner?

Nah, 3 tahun gue disini, berikut adalah makanan-makanan yang selalu pengen gue kenalin ke seluruh turis Indonesia karena enak dan harganya masih masuk akal buat pelajar.

1. Sulbing, es serutnya Korea

Ga ada pelajar asing yang ga kenal Sulbing, merk bingsu aka es serut ala Korea, yang paling ngetop. Untungnya Sulbing di Myeongdong ramah foreigners dan terbilang mudah dicari. Cuma penghambatnya adalah orang Indonesia ga suka makan es kalo dingin (padahal ga ngaruh sih, tetep dingin cuma ga bikin makin menggigil kok :P).

HARUS DICOBA. HARUS. Meski minus 20, there is no bad day for Sulbing.

2. Mijeong Guksu 0410 - mienya Chef paling tenar seKorea, om Baek Jongwon 

Temen-temen gue pasti ngamuk kalo baca ini, karena buat mereka ini mie biasa. Ya justru karna itu. Ini mie biasa, toping minimum, seharga 3000-4000 yang enak banget dan porsinya mantap. Disajikan secara cepat, makannya ga disarankan pake ngobrol. Tempat terbaik buat student yang kesepian dan kurang uang.

credit: as tagged

Diluar dari cultural valuenya bahwa ini Korean life yang tidak fancy, kapan lagi makan produk chef terkenal yang dibuat merakyat?

3. Yoogane - Dakgalbi semua umat manusia (dulu)

Yes, sekarang ngga lagi soalnya di deket Korea University udah tutup semua. But anyway, Yoogane adalah hidangan biasa banget sebenernya. Korea standar deh. Dakgalbi alias chicken ribs yang dimasak didepan kita, terus aftermathnya makan nasi goreng pake bumbu yang sama. Topnya kalo pake keju. Ini uniknya Yoogane sih, karena dakgalbi lain enaknya ga pake keju.

Harganya yang murah dan side dish makaroninya yang enak jadi faktor tambahan.

Don't take Yoogane for granted. Ketika dia menghilang dari neighborhood kita, kemudian semua menyesal.

4. Jjimdak, terutama Jaws jjimdak di Busan, atau seenggaknya Daepo Jjjimdak di Seoul

Kayanya gue ga perlu komentar, liat fotonya udah cukup.

Jjimdak biasa, ayam semur pake keju, udah dahsyat, tambahin cumi goreng? Fix rasanya pengen part-time disana biar bisa makan terus.

5. Deungchon Kalguksu, mienya sehat tapi nasi gorengnya bikin candu

Penemuan terbesar gue ditahun 2016 adalah kalguksu pake nasi goreng. Kalguksu alias si mie tebel handmade adalah cinta baru gue. Sumpah, sebenernya ini makanan polos banget. Yang bikin enak ya kuahnya dan kesimpelannya itu. Deungchon Kalguksu beda cerita. Makan disini terbagi jadi 3 episode.

Pertama, sayuran, toge dan jamur direbus dengan kuah yang agak pedas. Bisa langsung disantap ketika mendidih. Kalo si pancinya udah lumayan kosong, lanjut masukin mienya. Makan mienya sampai kira-kira setengah panci, lalu tante-tantenya akan pakai sedikit dari kuah mie untuk bikin nasi goreng + telur. 

Susah dijelasin kenapa dan bagaimana, si nasi goreng ini adalah bagian terbaik dari the whole experience. 7000 untuk 1 set per 1 orang.

6. Food Cafe Sinchon (Stasiun Kereta), kantin terbaikkk seKorea raya dengan tante teramah

Mau makanan Korea apa? Yang normal, porsi sendiri-sendiri dan harga ramah disini ada semua. Banyak banget orang asing makan disini, so menunya Bahasa Inggris kok. Cuma ga banyak turis yang kesini karena emang makanannya terlalu sehari-hari. Tapi justru ini yang gue cari dong. Bonusnya adalah tante yang sangat ramah dan side dish fish cake unlimited.

Sundubu Jjigae, sup tofu kesayangan

Buat yang suka daging, konon si Bulgogi Dukbegi (sup sapi kuah bening) rasanya dahsyat. Buat aliran seafood kaya gue, Sundubu Jjigae (sup tofu merah) dan Nasi Campur topping Squid disini terbaik dengan harga ga sampe 6000 (mungkin sekarang naik...).

7. Chir Chir Chicken

Korean life akan hampa tanpa ayam. Ayam adalah snack nasional dan sumber penghidupan bagi terlalu banyak orang. Nah, sebelum gue berdebat dan mikir kepanjangan Korean Chicken merk mana yang paling enak, mending gue kenalin fusion chicken merk Chir Chir dulu.

Chir Chir

Ga banyak orang yang tau merk ini. Mereka jual ayam standar juga sih cuma gue rekomen banget yang Rose Chicken (penuh keju dan ada rasa pedasnya) sama Chir Chir, karena lelehan keju dan pasta dan ayam tender rasanya ga pernah salah.

BONUS

Kalguksu merk Gohyangjib di Pasar Mangwon yang murah tiada tandingan

Wah. Gue bingung disuruh mulai darimana. Ini tempat legendaris karena enaknya bukan main, harganya ngalahin warteg nasional si Kimbap Cheonguk, tapi sebenernya ga terlalu menyenangkan karena tante-tantenya ga ramah. Rekomendasi yang ini harus ditanggapi dengan objektif: hanya Alira yang suka bela-belain ke Pasar Mangwon buat cari Kalguksu legendaris.

Cafe Tui - tante barista teramah seKorea raya dari New Zealand

Gue ga suka ngopi, ga hobi nongkrong di coffee shop juga. Tapi gue suka bela-belain ke Tui untuk sekedar ketemu tante barista yang sangat ramah.

Cafe Tui ini adanya di depan Korea University, ga terlalu besar, tapi dekorasinya sangat homy dan sangat mencerminkan tantenya. Tantenya dulu lama tinggal di New Zealand dan sekarang anaknya adalah pianis, masih berbasis di New Zealand. Fasih berbahasa Inggris, kalo butuh rekomendasi, tanya aja. Browniesnya mantap, flat whitenya menyenangkan.

Flat White

Brownies

 Kalo tertarik pengen tau selegendaris apa tantenya, boleh liat disini (tapi Bahasa Korea sih...)

Hotteok, bukan isi daging, ini isi madu pake kacang!
Dari sekian banyak jajanan Korea NON ayam (saking kebanyakan ayam, gue suka mual), ini adalah favorit gue. Sebenernya cukup pasaran but not all hotteok is created equal. The only one yang paling best adanya cuma di BIFF Square BUSAN. Yes, gue mau banget disuruh tinggal di Busan beberapa minggu kalo ditaro deket si tukang Hotteok merk Ajusshi ini.

digoreng fresh, antara nikmat sama ga sehat

Harga terakhir 1200, mungkin sekarang udah naik.


Sung Sim Dang Bakery, Daejeon

Bakery terenak termurah yang mungkin dibuat oleh titisan malaikat. Sayang, cuma ada di Daejeon alias 2 jam dari Seoul. Dahulu kala ketika gue masih hidup dengan bebas, gue bisa ke Daejeon cuma buat beli roti dan makan yogurt, padahal jaraknya 120 km one way. Yak, sekarang hidup tidak seindah itu dan gue hanya bisa mengenang Sung Sim Dang.

Kalo ditanya apa enaknya... Bingung juga. Semua enak, tapi bestnya buat gue sih si original cream bread harga 1000 won.

Instagrammable Hapjeong

If there is any neighborhood in Seoul that I would like to recommend to my friends, it would definitely be Hapjeong. The center of cafe and restaurants, my adventure in Hapjeong seems like an endless one. I still discover new places, although I have (obviously) been there multiple times. Recently, I even expanded my discovery to Mangwon and Sangsu.

First thing first, where is Hapjeong? Why do most tourists never hear of this area?

My bet is simply because the area feels too hippy and unique. Hapjeong offers you the relaxing neighborhood-kind-of-feeling, while it does not particularly feel 'Korean.' Hapjeong is strategically located near to Hongdae, and the Hapjeong station serves Line 2 and Line 6. Other than the accessibility, the good news is... almost every corner in Hapjeong is Instagram-worthy.

Where do you start the photo hunting?
You can actually begin your quest from any exit, but I recommend exit 6 or 7 that will eventually lead you to the cafe area.

I often have too much time, so I wander around and discover some pretty corners along the way. On my last cafe hunting, I brought along my two friends, and we stop by at some cafes to take pictures.

I feel like they should promote 'Positive Vibe' or something because places like this are truly marketable!

a random corner

Indonesians love jalan-jalan sore or late afternoon walk, and Hapjeong-Sangsu area is the best area to do that. As the day is getting darker, we decided to go through the pictures that we've taken and try to decide which cafe do we want to visit the most. Scrolling through some reviews, we decided to go to Decoa Balim.

If you don't read Korean, it would be quite tricky to find this cafe as its located hidden in the small alleys (just like typical Korean cafes).

The exterior looks very unique, and the window suggested the calm atmosphere of this cafe. My two friends were also tempted with the chocolate and dessert. Well, it was a great decision because...

The interior is gorgeous and we just looooove the atmosphere!

Oh you, goodness

Lemon Pie and sinful Chocolate Cake

The desserts tasted delicious and they had a social media promotion. We did it for a free cake (chocolate lava)!

Free chocolate lava!

Although we really came here for the desserts, we did not forget that we wanted the perfect Instagram-able shots too!

Just beautiful

Perfect angle

Done with the 1000-perfect-Instagram-shots, we left to discover yet another catchy corner. A wall with perfect lighting and a door!

Coz we just like it

Oh halo my new Insta profile picture

Okay, you gotta really give it to Indonesians. We are really obsessed with Instagrammable corners. The conclusion is Hapjeong is always Instragram-worthy day and night! I would not say things exclusively apply to Hapjeong-dong but also Sangsu and parts of Mangwon. I even considered moving there because the vibe is just perfect for any age. But uh oh, perfection clearly comes with a price and I can't afford it (yet). For now, I will remain to become a frequent visitor and number one fan!

Happy Instagram-ing in Hapjeong! Don't forget to bring many of your friends and take some killer shots!

Tiziano Ferro - Il Mestiere Della Vita Tour 2017

This is not my usual concert review. For once, I do not care about all the technical detail but the feeling. In all exaggeration, this is the concert of my life. Or more likely, the concert of my 2017. So I only write about my sentiment, my story and my journey. The usual concert review will be posted later :)

I still remembered the day they announced the tour on Facebook. It was October and I was counting down to my first visit to Italy in January. I stopped breathing the moment I saw the picture. I do not even speak Italian. I was not sure when is 'Giugno' and 'Luglio'; all I knew was the fact that I have to go.

The day to buy the ticket came. I decided that I would attend both the tour on Salerno and Firenze, because it works with my schedule. I did not even know where is Salerno, what is it like and how to get there. It was not as easy as I thought. I am a trained Kpop fans, I have the instinct to click the page and buy the second it's opened. But my credit card did not work, I did not know who to ask and things were just complicated. I did not give up and finally, I got the ticket. 

I was about to go to Italy for the first time in January but I already planned for my second visit in October. I even bought my plane ticket for the concert before I actually went in January. I was secretly hoping 'I better fall in love with Italy because I have to come again in less than 6 months'

Nobody knew about this. Oh, the things I did for this concert.

The day is getting nearer, applying for the visa was tough although it was my second application in three months. I said to myself, "I've been waiting for many many years, I won't give up this time"

Things were smoother the moment I arrived in Italy. I fell in love with Salerno and I should actually thank Tiziano for bringing me there. Yes, I barely met anyone who speaks English but it was actually fun to challenge myself with my very broken Italian.

I was alone in the entire journey and I came to the stadium way too early as my host thought I would go for the Prato. I waited for more than 2 hours before realizing that I could actually change my voucher to ticket early. How come? Well, no one told me and the email said they only open 1 hour before the concert. 

My expectation went up the moment I sat on my seat. This is it.

The moment they turned off the lights... The moment his name appeared on the screen...

Then Tiziano appeared. I could not stop smiling.

I saw old, young, healthy and physically challenged, female and male... Everyone came. Everyone sang along. I did not realize that I know the whole melody of his songs and roughly a good 40% of the lyrics - without even searching or speaking Italian. The first song that touched me deeply was Il Regalo Piu Grande. I discovered Tiziano in late 2008 and this song and the album was newly released. The whole album was my daily soundtrack.

Then Indietro. I have no idea how this song grew on me, I think I must have listened to it more than a hundred times because I actually remembered the lyrics and the helicopter. The next one, La Differenza Tra Me E Te is from the time I was already into him. It was beautiful. Then all the hype hit its peak when he sang Xdono. This song is on my permanent Most Played list, along with Rosso Relativo and Senza Scappare Mai Piu. 

When the time for Senza Scappare Mai Piu came... so much feeling. This is the song that wakes me up every morning. The song that my best friend used to hate the most because I could not stop playing it. The song that gives me the nostalgia with the video clip. The song that represents me.

In my Salerno concert, my personal hit was Troppo Buono. It was never my favorite song. I tend to like his upbeat song. But I would never forget the video clip with footage from his concert. The feeling of watching it for the first time still lingers. I once wished I would be part of the crowd. I once wished that I would have the chance to come to Italy. I once wished that I could thank Tiziano for the joy that he brings to all his fans.  

I am beyond happy and blessed. I would forever cherish the chance to be able to come to this concert. Dreams do come true. 

Back in 2008, all I wanted was finding a good Italian singer who could motivate me to learn Italian. I came across him after trying to listen to some other singers and immediately liked him. Since then, I always appreciate his presence, not only in my darkest, toughest moment but also my happiest days through his songs. 

I am sure he changed many lives. I am sure he has given so much impact during his career and for that, I am forever thankful.

Post concert selfie: so much happiness!

Back then, being a fan was so much tougher. I always support my favorite artists by buying their CDs but his CD is not available in Indonesia. We did not do online shopping nor streaming. There was no such thing as digital music. I had to beg my mom to get me Tiziano's CD from her friend who does shop on EBay. I always treasure my first package of his CD, a pack of his four earliest albums. I got his fifth album when my dad was touring in Europe. He was away for a few weeks, visited many countries and of course - he asked us if we wanted anything. I only asked for Tiziano's CD.

Bakc then, even streaming for his video on Youtube was a real challenge. I do not live in Narnia, but Tiziano Ferro's music videos are blocked in my country. The uploader (Vevo and his label) chose not to reach out to the world, or rather a specific part of the world. I had to use DailyMotion and it was just... not right.

Back then, Google Translate was not as good as now. I do not speak Italian. I do not get the latest news. I do not know what is happening out there. But all these struggles were never a good enough reason to stop listening to him. Thank you, Tiziano Ferro. 

I would always remember 12/07/17 and 15/07/07. Being able to finally come to his concert is a good enough reason to let go all the things that I missed in 2015.

Hours of working last semester to afford this trip, my 24+hours and 11000km+ of travel to Italy... Everything was worth it. Thank you, Tiziano. Thank you for not giving up and sharing your gift with us.

Hongdae, Pintunya Seoul

Gue heran kenapa orang Indonesia kalo wisata belanja taunya cuma Myeongdong, Dongdaemun sama Namdaemun. Kalo nongkrong yang atas dikit, baru kesebut Gangnam. Terus kalo makan, yang mau makan halal suka pada ke Itaewon. Yak, padahal ada kompleks yang semua ada di Hongdae.

Hongdae sebenernya adalah area universitas yang terkenal dengan fakultas seninya. Yuhuu, area disekitarnya jadi kerasa hip hip anak muda gitu. Dikalangan lokal, Hongdae terkenal buat nongkrong dan street performancenya. Dikalangan turis? Nah, ga banyak yang tau. Padahal best banget.

Hongdae adalah pintu pertama lo masuk ke Seoul. Dari Incheon, lo tinggal naik Airport Express dan turun di stasiun Hongik University. Gamau naik kereta karena capek jalan naik turun? Ada kok bis dari airport langsung ke Hongdae. Barang bawaan banyak? Jangan khawatir. Lo bisa titipin di loker yang ada di stasiun Hongdae. Atau kalo udah ditengah kota pun, Hongdae ini bisa diakses dari 3 line kereta, termasuk Line 2 yang paling gaul karena banyak tempat wisata. Nah pertanyaannya, setelah sampe stasiunnya, kemana dong?

Pintu menuju hipnya Hongdae

Exit 9! Ini legendaris buat janjian dengan siapapun ditengah keramaian Hongdae. Eits, jangan pikir karena KFCnya! Soalnya kalo belok ke kiri dari exit 9 langsung ke pusat Hongdae. Kalo lurus terus ke kiri, juga bisa ke keramaian yang lain. Tapi kalo punya banyak barang dan males banget naik tangga, silahkan ke Exit 8 yang ada eskalatornya.

Explore bisa langsung dimulai. Baru nyampe pasti laper kan? Gue rekomen buat cobain jajanan Korea langsung. Kalo datengnya sore, disekitar exit 9 banyak yang jual gorengan (twigim). Kalo datengnya siang, tetep jangan tergoda KFC! Cobain restoran-restoran yang ada di sekitar. Hongdae emang gak popular-popular amat dikalangan turis Asia Tenggara. Tapi pilihan makanan tersedia dalam Bahasa Inggris dan yang halal juga banyak kok. Atau kalo mau familiar taste, bisa mampir ke toko ayam goreng ala Korea.

Shopping!

Buat cewe-cewe yang diet atau males makan, bisa langsung mulai shopping. Di Hongdae ini best banget buat beli pakaian model terkini dengan harga miring. Patokannya di sebelah Bershka ada gang. Nah ga perlu nawar, karena harganya langsung dibandrol. Kalo gue sih ga pernah beli yang diatas 20 ribu. Toh banyak yang 6000, 10000 atau 15000an. Ga suka dengan gaya Korea? Masuk H&M, Forever21 atau Bershka aja! Harga tetep lebih murah dari Indonesia.

Area terbuka di Hongdae

Gimana kabarnya dengan mas-mas, adek-adek, bapak-bapak yang gamau shopping? Jangan khawatir. Asalkan cuaca bagus, bisa nunggu sambil melihat suasana hidup anak muda Seoul di open space yang banyak tersedia di Hongdae. Sore ke malem, banyak street performers disini. Ga cuma nyanyi tapi juga ngedance dan sebagainya. Ga kalah lah sama kualitas Kpop. Kalo ujan? Bisa ngafe dong.

Cozynya Information Center

Jauh-jauh ke Korea, ngafe? Eh, ngafe di berbagai kafe cute di Hongdae ini beda. Ada banyak tema aneh-aneh disini. Yang gue denger ada kafe kambing?! Cuma jangan ekstrim-ekstrim amat lah. Kafe kucing, anjing atau sekedar coffee shop biasa berjamuran disini. Berikutnya kalo bingung mau kemana, gak perlu pusing! Ada dua tourism center di Hongdae. Yang pertama punyanya Seoul dan yang kedua punya Mapo-gu. Gue udah coba ke Information Centernya Mapo-gu dan mbaknya fluent Bahasa Inggris kok. Tempatnya juga luas dan nyaman, dilengkapi dengan free wifi kenceng. Boleh bangeeeet numpang wifian sambil tanya-tanya destinasi berikutnya.

Mapo Tourist Center juga bisa rekomendasiin tempat-tempat yang mungkin lo ga kepikiran. Bisa juga beli Discover Seoul Pass disini, akses serbaguna ke berbagai tempat menarik di Seoul. Harganya worth banget sama benefitnya. Kalo udah gini, Hongdae bukan cuma tempat transit atau pintu masuknya Seoul, tapi juga bisa lo masukin sebagai destinasi utama yang must-visit!

Tunggu apalagi, jangan lupa stop di Hongdae sebelum mulai perjalanan lo di Seoul!

Toilet dan Perempuan

Gue suka heran menemukan sign 'women-friendly'. Maksudnya, emang dulu infrastruktur disini separah apa sih? Kenapa women-friendly begitu diagungkan?

Gue nemuin sign ini di toilet. Judulnya dramatis. Seoul yang menyenangkan buat wanita. Intinya, toilet ini women-friendly. Jumlah toiletnya (jadi) lebih banyak, maka semua bisa merasa nyaman. Yes, gue boleh paham kalo ini temporary campaign, tapi kalo permanen?

Berikutnya adalah spanduk raksasa di toilet laki-laki. Gue ga inget kenapa gue iseng banget sampe moto ginian.

Kalo kepo silahkan dizoom. 

Intinya lagi ada petugas wanita yang bersihin, silahkan tunggu sebentar. Nah kalo sign ini gue suka banget, penuh respek. Kadang gue suka kaget ngeliat mas-mas bersihin kamar mandi cewe. Bukan rasis bukan apa, cuma gak kebiasa aja. Kalo toiletnya kosong sih terserah, lah kalo lagi full operation?

Sesunggunya masih banyak hal-hal aneh yang gue temukan di toilet. Nanti gue update lagi muahaha.