Saturday, a day before our flight we have to wake up early to clean the apartment by throwing all the garbage and washing the bedding. I also threw my old shoes and slippers as I can’t bring them anymore even I like too. My bag is already full, I have two luggage, one backpack, one body bag, one computer bag and camera bag to my husband’s irritation because they are too many to carry and I might be in over baggage.

It took me time to get out of our apartment because of too many bags I have to carry. My husband didn’t help me until we get out our apartment building, my husband repetitively asked me how can I carry my things when we travel as he will not help me if I am expecting a help from him.

Left no choice I tried to contact Edelyn while we are in the bus going to Incheon if they are open during Saturday, unfortunately they are not.  With her help,  I am able to connect with their new employee (ate Marlene) and I think with their boss permission they are able to open their  office. I was relived and thankful to them, although at first I am thinking of leaving the bag to Edelyn or to someone in Korea that wanted it, it is better than leaving the things in the hostel. My husband agreed with my idea as it will save me paying for the box fee.

To cut the story short, after reaching our hostel we immediately went back to the airport where the hostel employee pick us up after we arrived from Icheon.  We took the subway to Hyehwa, my husband carrying the small bag and me a plastic bag with towel, toiletries bag and my personal documents. The trip took so long and it was quite tiring for me to hold the bag so it accidentally slip to my embarrassment because my things was thrown in the floor train. Ha-ha

My husband was already annoyed with me because instead of resting he is traveling with me to Hyehwa, and when we reached Hyehwa he was more agitated because there are lot of people and traffic on the cross street. When we finally reached the LBC office I was happy to see Edelyn and ate Marlene, they are very friendly and helpful. I am little embarrassed for disturbing them on their rest day, and a sign of being grateful I would like to give them chocolates but they declined. I don’t know how to pay their kindness, so I just say my sincere thank you again. Nothing new, because it is already my habit giving token to someone, I originally would like to give them souvenirs but I already sent them home so I was left no choice.  Thanks again sis Edelyn and Ate Marlene!

Well, the box should be shipped on Friday but due to unseen problems it was moved the next week, and today it should be a week already since it was shipped if the shipping was made last week.

LBC Korea branch is located at: 1F, 102-1 Hyehwa-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul Korea.
Jumbo Box size – 73 x 52 x 73
Hotline/Contact #: 1661-5899

On our last night in our apartment we decided to eat and feast with food.  Our flight leaves on Sunday but we have to move on Saturday and stay in a hostel near Incheon Airport as our flight leaves in Sunday morning. So,  my husband asked me to buy pizza after we arrived from downtown, we already bought Baskin Robbins so pizza is all what we need.

For a change we had 59 pizza and I have ordered meat spaghetti too because I am starving, I didn’t cook rice as I am afraid we can’t eat it until we left.

I am quite busy these past few days packing, boxing and throwing things that we cannot used any more like old bags, clothes that are worn out and cannot be worn. We are leaving Korea soon, our flight was already scheduled on Sunday (March 2) to Hungary but we have to leave our apartment before our flight to avoid transportation problem, as it is 2 1/2 hours away from Incheon Airport and our flight is in the morning.

Cleaning also made me busy I have to clean around the apartment because the new teacher will arrive as soon as we left, so the apartment needs to be clean as a courtesy to the new tenant. I have already scheduled my third LBC jumbo box to be picked up by Monday, but I was told that they have to pick it up on Thursday, their scheduled pick-up date in Gyeonggi-do area.

As I am scheduled to go to the Turkish Embassy today, my husband and I left the box in the hallway outside the elevator just in case the tekbe ajossi came and I am not around. We trust to leave it outside because the kids at the Hagwon below are on vacation, and the students renting a room in our floor already left so the chance of kids playing with the box is less. By calling, I stressed out that it needs to pick-up this week because we are leaving on Sunday and nobody will take care of it when we left. I just can’t leave the box sitting in the hallway, we already informed the landlord about leaving the box today in the hallway (my husband co-teacher call him as he is the one in contact), the landlord says we can leave the box but we have to be aware that he is not responsible if the box was lost or damage.

I left early in the morning to Seoul as the Turkish embassy opens at 9:30 AM, before I left my husband and I took the box in the hallway.

I went in and went out, I directly went to the subway to the bus station when I left Turkish embassy. It was perfect timing that the bus is leaving when I arrived at the bus station or else I have to wait for another bus, on the way I received a text message from tekbe ajossi that my box will be delivered between 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm, I was wondering what box is it because I didn’t order anything from gmarket and I am not expecting for tekbe aside from someone who will collect my box.

I have arrived home before 12:30 pm and I was a little bit disappointed seeing my box in the hallway, few minutes after I arrived home someone knocks at the door. It was the tekbe ajossi who delivered boxes two days ago. The boxes are from the new teacher who is moving soon when we left.

Waiting for tekbe ajossi is killing me, I am paranoid, hearing movements around the apartment or seeing delivery truck in the street thinking it is the tekbe  ajosssi’s truck. Ha-ha, I am going crazy, being worried that my box will be left alone when we left Korea in a few days. It was already two o’clock in the afternoon and didn’t hear any single knock on our door, tekbe ajossi is usually at my door steps early in the morning to collect my box, so getting worried I call at their office confirming if my box will be pick-up. Edelyn confirmed it is going to be pick-up today, but my husband kept teasing me that my box will not be collected. After a few hours and it is already 4 o’clock and there’s no sign of someone  collect my box, I sleep my disappointment and when I wake up it is already late in the afternoon and office hours is finished and my box was not pick-up. I knew, because I can’t count any more how many times I check in the hallway if my box is still there.  Ha-ha

We have to start the laundry soon so the clothes will be dry tomorrow and we can packed our bags, while waiting for my turn in the shower I started to blog my disappointment about my box not being collected on the day they told me when I received a call from an unknown number that my box will be pick-up after one hour. I am so happy hearing the good news so I immediately told my husband about it. After one hour I received a call that they are already in our hallway to pick-up my box so I went outside and see someone and greeted good evening. You know I am awarded as the most polite during my kinder years. Ha-ha, I am really so happy thinking I am stress free and nothing else to think about. Anyway, I was told that I can still use the second box the next time I want to send something home, but I informed the guy (which is probably Edelyn’s boss because she call him Sir when I update her that my box was collected) that we are leaving Korea soon and I can’t use it any more because we are not returning. Remembering what Edelyn had told me,  I’ve asked if I should pay now or tomorrow. I was told it was fine to pay now so I did.

I was very happy that my box was finally pick-up so when I return inside our apartment, I jump for joy and giggle to my husband like a child with a new toy! My husband call me crazy! Ha-ha sorry I am just really happy, and when I am happy I create a mess or I can’t think straight nor speak normal I mean I just blurted out anything in my mind without thinking!  Ha-ha

LBC Korea branch is located at: 1F, 102-1 Hyehwa-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul Korea.
Jumbo Box size – 73 x 52 x 73
Hotline/Contact #: 1661-5899

I am procrastinated to blog these past few days I have nothing really much to say or I really don’t know what to write. Anyway, Valentines Day just passed by, how’s your date or did you have a date? My husband and I didn’t go out for dinner, we just had a simple dinner at home after going to the gym. He cooked chili con carne from the ingredients left in our kitchen, instead of using crushed tomatoes he used corn and food turns well out of his expectation.

I also got down to the ground floor to buy cheese sticks, but knowing me, I will always get extra something on my shopping bag aside from the food or item I was told to buy, but of course I have to expend my own money, spending his money is a big no no. Well, unlike the past years we didn’t buy a cake this year as we are too full to have a cake and we didn’t agree what cake to buy, if you will ask me I am always into chocolate cake but my hubby says it is already tiring eating chocolate flavor, we should get something fresh.

Well, that’s how we celebrated our Valentines date this year simple and sweet.

Everyone loves a bargain and sales are really big temptation that is hard to resist. Going home after submitting my visa application in Seoul I stumbled to Missha’s outlet in the Express Bus Terminal without thinking I just went in to look around, I am looking for a toner to cleanse my face at the end of the day. I have asked the sales clerk for the best toner but the one she showed me is quite expensive so I just go with Super Aqua Hydrating Toner, it was on sale for ₩7, 850 and I think it is a good product as I remember seeing most Korean women buying Super Toner when the Missha outlet in Icheon was on sale.

While paying in the counter the Super Aqua D-Tox Peeling gel for ₩6,800 got my attention, it was also on sale so I paid for it as well together with Missha Shower Cologne for ₩2,800, it was already a good deal because I saved few thousand won.

Super Aqua Hydrating Toner

• Retail Price ₩9, 800/150ml
• Sale Price: ₩7, 850
• Savings: ₩ 1, 950

Super Aqua D-Tox Peeling Gel

• Retail Price: ₩10, 800/100ml
• Sale Price: ₩6, 850
• Savings: ₩3, 950

We had Korean street food last night, it was been a long time since we had them, way back in downtown we have street food every week but since we moved here we always have BHC chicken.  Anyway I went to the nearby canteen where street foods are sold, there are already plenty of customers most of them are students buying their snacks before heading home.  I waited for my turn to give my order, with the help of a tong I am able to add the food I like when the owner can’t figure out how many I wanted.

Cheese sticks are my husband’s favorite, we usually buy bags of cheese sticks in supermarket and we cooked it ourselves but when I discover that cheese sticks were also sold in the street and they taste better than the cheese sticks in the supermarket we stopped buying bags of cheese sticks and if we are craving for it we just head to the nearby canteen. I also bought 2 sticks of fried tteokboki.

Aside from cheese sticks I also bought fried sweet potato, stuffed peppers and dumplings (mandu) as it was already getting late only few are left in the tray so I took them all, my husband told me not to get over board but dunno if I did.

Clumsiness can be quite a challenge to deal with. I admit of being clumsy all the time knocking things over, spilling drinks, dropping food and tripping and stumbling over almost anything. There are times I hurt myself because of my clumsiness like the other night I accidentally had a painful split lesson. I accidentally stumble on our printers power adapter, I lose my balance and slid. I fell on my left knee while the other is stretch upfront it was like I am splitting. I hurriedly jump into the bed after accident mending my painful knee and waist sometimes I wish there’s foam sheets from Foam Factory installed in our floor so I won’t get hurt every time I stumble over.

[Image source daleargot.com]

I am expecting my husband will laugh on me but he was in shocked and probably feel bad when I roll in the bed shouting in pain. When he eventually realized what happened and I felt a little calm the teasing started, asking me for rein-enactment.

It is holiday in Korea since yesterday because of the celebration of Seollal or Lunar New Year, my husband and I shopped for marinated pork meat to grill at Nonghyup supermarket like what expected the supermarket is giving food trays to every shoppers. We are asked to get one but we declined because we are moving soon and we can’t use it.

[Image from Google Search]

Korean New Year is the first day of the Korean lunar calendar. It is one of the most significant traditional Korean holidays. It consists of a period of celebrations, starting on New Year’s Day. The Lunar New Year celebration lasts three days.

The three day holiday is used by many to return to their hometowns to visit their parents and other relatives, where they perform an ancestral ritual called charye. It seems most of the occupants in our apartment building went home to their respective ancestral homes because it is quite empty unlike the normal days, most shopped are closed as well.

Shopping online is one of the more convenient thing to do and one of the things I have enjoyed the most when I have extra cash to spend. My shopping haul is not for myself, but for my family. I love sending presents to them and any products that I found sale online.

Recently, I shopped frequently so I can fill the “balikbayan box” I need to send home. It is for my family and gift for my relatives as we are leaving Korea soon. One of the items I bought online are Pantene shampoo, they are cheap for ₩590 per 90ml bottle. These are perfect as a homecoming gift to my relatives, right?

I have thought shampoo is not enough as a gift so I search for soaps that are on sale in Gmarket, I was lucky to find ON body soaps on sale (ON: Lovely Perfume and ON: Sweet Perfume) ₩6, 900 for 10 soaps so I bought 2 sets, making it 20 ON body soaps.

With the Lunar New Year coming there are plenty of items on sale in Gmarket and when I found a good deal for Closeup toothpaste, ₩2, 900 for 100mlx5 I bought five sets making it 25 pieces of 100ml Closeup toothpaste, also a perfect match for my gift set, isn’t it?

Online shopping has become a real popular alternative to shopping in malls and local stores. Shopping online offers many different ways to save money and there are many online shopping malls to choose from but one type that is real economical is a portal shopping mall that gives cash back or offer deals and discount on all purchases.

In Korea shopping online is one of the popular trend. There are many shopping portal online caters locals and foreign shoppers, and one shopping portal catering global shoppers is Gmarket, a leading e-commerce marketplace in Korea since it has been founded in 2000 and a brand of eBay Korea. Gmarket gives sellers a flexible and comprehensive sales solution and buyers a tremendous selection of goods at competitive prices.

Gmarket is my favorite place to shop online because it is convenient and items are cheaper than the local stores. The shopping portal also offer discounts, coupon codes, free return and delivery in special cases.

First time shopper in Gmarket? Do you like to create an account, you can start shopping in Gmarket by registering an account. Choose global so the site will run in English language, once you create your account you can start shopping in Gmarket. Add the items you like in your shopping cart, if you live in Korea add them in domestic delivery and if you want to ship the items overseas choose overseas delivery.

Before you hit PLACE AN ORDER look for coupons to avail discounts on the item in your shopping cart, to use the coupons just click the orange menu “Apply Coupon” on your shopping cart and you can see all the usable coupon for your order, choose one and click apply. The discount will now reflect on the item in your shopping cart, fill-up the delivery information and choose your payment method in payment options you can pay thru credit card, sending money (bank transfer), mobile payment and paypal.

Gmarket sellers offers fast delivery, my order always arrived 2-3 days after payment.

[ Tagged In ] Gmarket, Gmarket Korea, Korea, Korea Shopping, Life in Korea, Living in South Korea, Online Shopping, South Korea