Celebrating Eid Al-Fitr with Indonesian Ambassador for South Korea
In 2017, I spent Eid Al-Fitr in South Korea and that would be one of the best memories I had in life. At first, considering that South Korea is not Muslim-majority country like my home country, Indonesia, I thought that the Eid Al-Fitr celebration in South Korea would be very much different form the celebration in Indonesia. However, I felt so grateful that I experiences such a festive and warm celebration of Eid Al-Fitr in South Korea.
The night before Eid Al-Fitr, me and my friends had our
last Iftar (dinner) of Ramadhan at one of halal restaurants in Itaewon, near
the Seoul Central Mosque. It was one of the best halal meals that I ate during
I was living in Korea. Moreover, because there are many muslims ate in that
restaurant, the atmosphere reminds me as if I was at home.
The next day, it was finally Eid Al-Fitr. I and my
friends first prepared to do our Eid Al-Fitr prayer. At that time, we did the
prayer with other Indonesian communities at one of the outdoor fields in Seoul.
I grateful that Korean people gave us the freedom to perform our prayer at such
an outdoor place like that. I didn’t feel like a minority because they
respected us to perform our religion.
After performed Eid Al-Fitr prayer, me and my friends
from Indonesia, Turkey, and Azerbaijan, went to Indonesian Embassy in Seoul to
celebrate Eid Al-Fitr together with other Indonesian people. At that place, I
also had an opportunity to meet with Indonesian Ambassador for South Korea, Mr.
Umar Hadi. There were many activities held in Indonesian Embassy to celebrate
Eid Mubarak. We ate Indonesian traditional foods which are usually served on
Eid Al-Fitr, such as Rendang, Ketupat, Opor Ayam, and other foods. We were also
able to see such great performances from various performers, such as Marawis
performers, singers, and etc. The best thing is we were able to meet with other
Indonesian friends, talked together, and had a great Eid Al-Fitr like in our
homeland.
After several days, I also had Eid Al-Fitr Celebration in
my school, KDI School of Public Policy and Management, which is located in
Sejong City. The school is well-known for its diversity and I really
appreciated my school to let us celebrate Eid Al-Fitr in school, and even
supported us by providing the school hall to be used for celebration. In that
celebration event, not only muslim friends, but non-muslim friends also came to
join us and celebrate together. The school staff and professor also came by to
the event. It was really meaningful Eid Al-Fitr Celebration and left a precious
memory in my life.
However, this year, because of the COVID-19
pandemic, I felt that Ramadhan and Eid Al-Fitr is quite different. Not only in
Indonesia and South Korea, but in many other parts of the world, we all now
struggle to fight this pandemic. That’s why I hope all of us can be strong to
end this pandemic. I also hope that the spirit of Eid Al-Fitr remains in each
of our hearts. Happy Eid Mubarak for all Muslims around the world!
Staying home all alone where you just sleeping, eating,
watching tv, and repeating the same things over and over will probably make you
boring. However, there is nothing we can do since now many countries has
implemented “lockdown” and “physical distancing” policy to prevent the
contagion of COVID-19. Therefore, in order to reduce the boredom, we should
make our stay at home more fun and more productive. Out of many great options,
my suggestion here is to improve your cooking skill, especially in cooking
korean food. There are many kinds of korean food that you can make, but this
time i will recommend you these four simple dishes that don’t really need many
ingredients or special technique. So, check these out!!
1. Tteokbokki
A very simple korean traditional
snack that is made from Korean rice cake or called “tteok” which is cooked/boiled
in the tteokbokki sauce that is made from gochujang (korean chili paste),
sugar, gochugaru (korean chili pepper), garlic, and water. You can also add
other ingredients such as fish cake, green onions, and boiled eggs in order to
complement this dish. And the great news is if it’s hard for you to find the
ingredients, especially the ingredients to make the tteokbokki sauce, you don’t
need to worry anymore because nowadays there are so many instant tteokbokki
that is sold online. Based on my experience, here is how to cook instant
tteokbokki: put the tteok in the boiled water, put the instant tteokbokki
sauce, add other ingredients, stir it, wait till the sauce is thickened, and
it’s done! It’s so easy, isn’t it?
2. Gimbap
Gimbap is made from two words. “Gim” in
Korea means seaweed while “bap” means rice. Gimbap itself is a dish that is
made from cooked rice which is filled with other ingredients such as tuna, ham,
beef, egg, spinach, carrot, cucumber, and etc. (the fillings can be vary
depends on your taste). And after that, the rice with those ingredients will be
rolled in dried sheets of laver seaweed or “Gim”. It’s like Korean roll sushi
and very easy to be made. Make sure that you roll it well so when you cut it
later, the ingredients won’t fall apart!
3. Bibimbap
Another “bap” or rice menu that i want
to introduce here. To be simplify said, bibimbap is a korean traditional
mixed-rice contained with rice, egg, meat, and assorted vegetables that is
mixed and served in a bowl. In my opinion, making bibimbap is quite simple.
First, you just need to prepare the ingredients and cook each ingredients
separately. Here are the ingredients that often be used and can be your
preference: meat, egg, vegetables such as carrot, spinach, bean sprout,
mushroom, cucumber, and etc. Of course the ingredients can be vary, depends on
what you prefer to use and the ingredients you had. Then you just need to put
the rice and the cooked ingredients in a bowl. After that you just have to mix
it with the bibimbap sauce! The point is you have to stir it well, so that the
rice, the ingredients, and the sauce can be mixed well.
4. Ramyeon
Last but definitely not least, “Ramyeon”
or Korean ramen. The simplest menu from
all menus that I have mentioned above. But i guarantee you the taste will not
be that simple, because so far Korean Ramyeon is definitely one of the best
noodles i’ve ever tasted. To cook Ramyeon like Korean people, i recommend you
to use Korean instant noodle, if i can said the brand, probably shin ramyeon is
the best for me. But you can also use other brand as well. And don’t forget to
cook the ramyeon in the Korean yellow pot that often you see in the Korean
drama.But if you don’t have the yellow
pot, just use the pot that you have in your home. Then cooked the instant
noodle in the boiled water, add the seasoning, stir it well,and it’s done! If you want a cheesy flavor,
you can also add cheese on the top of noodle and let it melt. Then i can say enjoy
your food!!!
Recently,
the city of Busan is often being talked in the newsand i’m sure that you’ve heard one of those
news. This is because this year Busan is hosting a large event, especially for
ASEAN citizens. The event was an ASEAN-Republic of Korea Commemorative Summit
which was held as a 30th anniversary of relations between ASEAN member
countries and Korea. Indonesia is also one of the participants in the event
that was held in Busan. Indonesia's President, Joko Widodo, has also left from
Indonesia to go to Busan on Saturday, November 23, 2019, to attend a series of
events, in which one of its agendas was to discuss ASEAN-South Korea
cooperation for the next 30 years.
Apart from
that, has it ever crossed your mind to visit Busan if one day you will travel
to South Korea? For most people, they generally will prioritize to visit the
South Korean Capital, the City of Seoul, when visiting South Korea. However,
actually there are many cities in South Korea that are interesting to explore
besides Seoul, one of which is Busan. Busan is the second largest city after
Seoul and it is a tourist destination that has beautiful natural scenery.
·How to
Get There
First of all, in
order to be able to go to Busan City, you need to know in advance what mode of
transportation you will use to get there. If you depart from Seoul, there are
several modes of public transportation with several price options to choose
from.
1. By KTX
KTX which is
short for Korea Train Express, is South Korea high-speed train that will take
you from Seoul to Busan in only about two and a half hours. Wow, it's really
fast, isn't it? Ticket prices can be chosen according to the class you choose.
There are 3 choices of class if you use KTX, which are First Class, Economy
Class, and Standing/Non-reserved seat. If you want to reserve a ticket to
Busan, you can directly reserve the ticket via the korail website (www.letskorail.com).
2. By ITX
ITX is also
one of the trains that you can choose to travel from Seoul to Busan. However, traveling
with ITX will not be as fast as KTX. But the ticket prices are certainly
cheaper when compared to KTX.
3. By Bus
I myself used
the bus to go to Busan because the price of taking a bus was relatively cheaper
compared to the mode of transportation of the train type. In addition, in my
opinion buses in Korea are also very comfortable and also on time. It is
different from my experience using a bus in Indonesia, which sometimes require
me to wait for the passengers to be fully loaded and sometimes I have to face a
pretty long traffic jam on the road.
However, if
you intend to make Busan as the first city in South Korea that you visit, then
you can also choose a plane that lands at Gimhae International Airport which
can be reached in about 1 hour from Busan downtown.
·Where
to Stay
As in Seoul,
there are several choices of places to stay if you visit Busan. Starting from
hotels, motels, guest houses, or even if you only stay 1 or 2 days maybe you
can stay at Jjimjilbang / sauna. My advice in choosing a place to stay is to
choose a place that is close to your tourist destination in Busan. When I go to
Busan, I choose to stay at a guest house near Haeundae Beach because I only
have to walk to go to Haeundae Beach and it will certainly cut my
transportation costs.
·Where
to Go in Busan and What to Explore
Based on my
experience, there are several tourist attractions in Busan that are interesting
to visit while you are there.
1. Beach (Haeundae Beach and Gwangalli Beach)
Busan is a
city that famous for its beaches. Therefore, it won’t be complete to go to
Busan without visiting the beach. When I was there, I visited 2 beaches, namely
Haeundae Beach and Gwangalli Beach. Because I came in summer, during the day I
can enjoy the beach by swimming, sunbathing, and playing sand on the beach. In
addition, because I came during the summer holidays, so I also met many local
people who were on vacation there. The atmosphere of this beach can not only be
enjoyed during the day, but you can also enjoy the sunset in the afternoon and
at night you can enjoy live music and performance on the beaches. In my opinion,
spending the night at beach in Busan has its own experience, especially because
you can hear the sound of the waves accompanied by soothing live music. In
particular, at Gwangalli Beach, you can also see the beautiful view of the
Gwangan Bridge light show at night.
2. Gamcheon Village
Gamcheon
Village is a village with colorful houses that has long been an icon of the
city of Busan. When Indonesian president, Mr. Joko Widodo, visited Busan City,
he also had the opportunity to visit this beautiful village. Gamcheon Village
has often been used as a shooting location on Korean TV series and it is also a
very “instagrammable” village for those of you who like to take pictures and
upload photos on Instagram. In order to enter the Gamcheon Village Area, you
don’t need to pay or it is free because actually Gamcheon Village is an original
complex of Busan residents. Therefore, you should not disturb the residents when
visiting this area. In addition, the Gamcheon village area is quite extensive,
so my suggestion is to take the map provided at the entrance of Gamcheon
Village. You can use the map for guidance while exploring Gamcheon Village. In
the village there are also many souvenirs that are sold to tourists so you can
buy souvenirs there. Happy exploring!
3. Haedong Yonggungsa Temple
Haedong
Yonggungsa Temple is a temple located on the seafront. The experience of
visiting this temple has left its own impression for me. Personally, Haedong
Yonggungsa temple is the most beautiful Buddhist temple that I have ever seen
in South Korea. Its location on the seafront makes this temple has its own
charm. The sound of crashing waves combined with the sound of monks from the
temple has calmed my heart. At the end, I was mesmerized not only by how big
and magnificent this temple building was, but also by the surrounding atmosphere
that calm my mind and soul.
4. Oryukdo Skywalk
One of the fun
places I visited in Busan was Oryukdo Skywalk. In this place, you can look
under the sea from a transparent glass bridge located on a cliff on the beach.
It's fun and tense to walk on this bridge. However, you don't need to worry
because this glass bridge is very strong and is guaranteed to be safe walking
on this bridge. From here, you can enjoy the blue sky, sea views, and the
beauty of Busan.
5. Dongbaek Island and Nurimaru APEC House
In this area
of Dongbaek Island, there are walking paths that can be used to go around the
island. You can also see a statue that resembles a mermaid in this island. The
statue is based on the Korean legend, Princess Hwagok. In addition, you can
also visit the “Nurimaru APEC House” which is also located around Dongbaek
Island. Nurimaru APEC House is a place that was used for the APEC (Asia-Pacific
Economic Cooperation) meeting in 2005.
6. Al Fatah Mosque, Busan
For Muslim
visitors like me, you can also visit the mosque in the city of Busan, called
the Al-Fatah Mosque. In South Korea, Muslims are a minority and mosques only
exist in a few cities. Besides coming to worship at the mosque, you can also
experience Halal Food restaurant in the area around the mosque.
·Where
to Eat and What to Eat in Busan
As a city
close to the beach, seafood is certainly a food choice when visiting Busan. In
order to taste fresh seafood that is directly taken from the sea, then you can
visit markets in Busan, one of which is Jagalchi Market. At Jagalchi Market,
you can immediately choose the type of fish or other seafood that you want to
eat and then your seafood will be directly processed to be the food as
displayed in the menu. Furthermore, you can also choose unique food menu like sannakji (live octopus) if you want to
try eating like local people.
Another option
for culinary hunter other than seafood is definitely street food. If you want
to try various street food in Busan, you can visit Gukje Market Street Food.
Here you can taste a variety of street food with various price, from gimbap (korean rice rolls), tteokbokki (korean rice cakes), pajeon (korean traditional pancakes), hotteok, and other street food. Another
food option when you visit Busan is eomuk
(fishcakes). When I visited Busan, I came to eomuk
(fishcakes) cafe, called "goraesa eomuk", located near Haeundae
beach. In this cafe there are many variants of fishcakes with various flavors.
You can immediately choose the fishcakes you want and pay directly at the
cashier. After that you can enjoy the fishcakes you want. Other than fishcakes,
there are also other foods such as udon and salad that can be eaten with
fishcakes. You can also buy a variety of processed fishcakes that can be
brought if you want to eat the fishcakes later.
·When
to Visit Busan (The Best Time in Busan)
Since South
Korea is a four-season country, so in my opinion Busan has its own charm or
interesting side in each season. I came during summer so I can swim, sunbathe,
and enjoy Busan beaches more. Next, if you come in spring, you can enjoy the
beautiful cherry blossoms that blooms in Busan City. My advice if you come in
spring is don't forget to go to the best cherry blossom spots like Oncheoncheon
Stream and Daejeo Ecological Park.Meanwhile,
if you come in autumn, you can enjoy fallen leaves with various colors that
will please your eye. My recommendation to enjoy autumn in Busan is by visiting
Juwangsan National Park or Yongdusan Park. Lastly, if you come in winter you
can enjoy the winter atmosphere which is certainly warmer than Seoul City
because Busan is located in the southern part of Korea. Besides that, you can
also enjoy ice skating at Shinsegae Department Store or go to Eden ski Resort
to enjoy the sensation of skiing in Busan.
In conclusion,
Busan is a city with beautiful scenery, a variety of interesting tourist
attractions, and a variety of culinary choices that can be enjoyed. Last but
not least, you can experience to hear satoori/
Busan local accent, and mingle with local tourists in Busan City. My experience
in Busan itself is an unforgettable experience. If I have the chance to visit
Korea again, I will not hesitate to visit Busan for the second time and explore
more things there.
Are you a fan of SEVENTEEN, or NU'EST????? Or are you k-pop lovers who like to travel around K-Pop Entertainment Agency????
If your answer is yes, this post will definitely help your fangirling life ^^
This time I want to share about my visit to one of entertainment agencies in South Korea, Pledis Entertainment. But at that time, I didn't meet seventeen or Nu'est members (I'm not lucky lol).
However, if you lucky, who knows you can meet your favorite idol coincidentally.
And you also can just take photos around or in front of the building, maybe to brag to your friend or to post it in your social media.
The situation around the building is quiet enough and sooo empty lol. And unlike some agencies which provide special cafe for fans, there is no cafe for fans who want to wait at pledis entertainment. But no need to worry, at that time I think I saw pizza restaurant and chicken restaurant near Pledis Entertainment. So maybe you can wait your favorite idols in those restaurants hehe >_<
Pledis Entertainment is actually located between two subway stations, which are Seonjeongneung Station and Samseong Jungang Station. You can either take subway or bus to arrive there.
Here is how you can go there:
- If you go by bus, take Green Bus 3412, and get off at "Samseong Jungang Station, Platinum Apartement" bus stop. Go straight around 1 minute or less. Then after you see KB Bank building, you still go straight a little bit and next one you should turn right when you find Kyochon Restaurant (chicken restaurant). And you will find PLEDIS Entertainment.
- If you go by subway, get off at Samseong Jungang Station, then go out from exit 1. Go straight around 1 minute or less. Then after you see KB Bank building, you still go straight a little bit and next one you should turn right when you find Kyochon Restaurant (chicken restaurant). And you will find PLEDIS Entertainment.
I found JR advertisement at bus stop. Soooo happy
Birthday ad for my crush wonwoo.
I found this at bus stop as well. Happiness double >_<
The situation around is quite empty lol
MUST do: taking a pic in front of the building
Bonus : I found this at hapjeong subway station hehe
Hello all, this time i want to share my experience traveling in Jeju Island. I went to Jeju Island around April 2017 and it's in spring. When spring comes later, i hope that you guys can go there too, so maybe this post can help you find some interesting destinations in Jeju Island.
I went to Jeju Island with a travel group. We spent 3 days and 2 nights for our trip. It's one day on the road (round trip) and two days full exploring Jeju Island. We went there not by airplane but by Ferry Ship that's why it needs extra time on trip. However no need to worry, the experience going by Ferry Ship itself is so interesting. It is kind of a new experience for me that's why i enjoyed it soooo much ^^
Here is the ferry ship that i boarded. It's huge and quite spacious. You can do many things in this ship. You can just sleep, enjoy the view from the deck, and you can just explore the ship. The facilities in this ferry ship include rooms, massaging chair, toilet, shower, snacks store, and etc.
Here is my itinerary for 3 days and 2 nights in Jeju Island:
Day 1 - Go to Jeju from Seoul to the port by bus with my travel group (night before day 1).
- Arrive at port, and then ready to depart to Jeju Island by ferry ship.
- Arrive in Jeju Island, off to first destination, Manjangul Cave.
- Off to second destination, Seongsan Ilchulbong.
- Eating in traditional restaurant for dinner.
- Go to Hotel to sleep and take a rest.
Day 2 - Breakfast and depart to third destination, Cheonjiyeon Waterfall.
- Arrive in Cheonjiyeon waterfall and explore.
- Go to fourth destination, Jusangjeolli Cliff.
- Go to fifth destination, Oedolgae rock. - Lunch and continue to go to sixth destination, Osulloc Green Tea Field. - Off to seventh destination, Iho Tewoo Beach. Had a super fun time here!!!
- Last but not least, free time and off to eight destination, night amusement park.
- Dinner - Go to Hotel to sleep and take a rest.
Day 3
- Breakfast, morning walk, and enjoy the view around our hotel, which is located right in front of the sea.
- Going back home to Sejong City :(
First Destination - Manjangul Cave
Manjangul Cave is the cave and tunnel which is naturally formed by the lava which flow to the surface. It is one of great natural attractions in Jeju Island. Located in Gimnyeong-ri, Jeju City, Manjangul cave is known as the longest lava tube in Asia. Even though it was formed around 200.000 years ago but in my opinion the site is still looks fine and well preserved.
When we enter the cave, we will go down the stairs. After that, just walk along the tunnel. Thankfully, the condition inside the tunnel is not dark because there are many lights installed in the tunnel to illuminate us throughout the walk.
Second Destination - Seongsan Ilchulbong
Seongsan Ilchulbong or "Sunshine Peak"is one of the Unesco heritage and also one of natural attractions located in Jeju Island. Like manjangul cave, this place was also naturally formed by the hydrovulcanic eruptions happened thousand years ago. This place is well known as the great place to enjoy sunrise so i recommend you to come at dawn, before sunrise. I came to Seongsan Ilchulbong in afternoon but I believe it didn't diminish the beauty of this place. In my opinion, if you come to this place, you will get the view of former volcanic mountain and the view of sea as well. So it is like complete package to enjoy natural beauty. You can climb to reach the peak of Seongsan Ilchulbong and also go down to arrive on the coast.
The symbol of UNESCO Heritage
Third Destination - Cheonjiyeon Waterfall
If you come to Jeju, you can't miss visit the waterfall. Actually, there are some places with waterfall attractions in Jeju that you can visit. The place that I visited is called "Cheonjiyeon Waterfall". Amazing waterfall surrounded by the nature and feels very refreshing to go to this place. I also enjoyed taking photos in front of the waterfall and feeling the splash of the waterfall that touched my face.
Fourth and Fifth Destination - Jusangjeolli Cliff and Oedolgae Rock (Seogwipo)
In Seogwipo Area, there are quite many places to visit. At that time, our travel group went to two places, which are Jusangjeolli Cliff as Fourth Destination and Oedolgae Rock as our Fifth Destination.
As for Jusangjeolli Cliff, It was amazingggg. I was mesmerized by the view from the cliff. I didn't only see the natural cliff but I also can see the beautiful blue sea and hear sound of waves from the top of cliff.
Meanwhile, Oedolgae Rock is also called "Lonely Rock" in English. The rock is called Lonely rock because it stands alone in the middle of the sea, looks like alone and lonely. And if you are happen to be a fan of Jewel in The Palace / Dae Jang Geum Drama, you should also know that area around Oedolgae Rock is used for shooting location of that drama.
Jusangjeolli Cliff
Oedolgae Rock or Lonely Rock
Sixth Destination - Osulloc Green Tea Field
If you are a fan of green tea, this will be the best place for you. Not only can you explore the green tea plantation field, but you can also learn the green tea making process into food or other products, learn the history of green tea plantation, and enjoy eating green tea food, snacks, drinks, ice cream, and etc. in the green tea cafe, which is located exactly in front of the green tea plantation field.
Seventh Destination - Iho Tewoo Beach
Iho Tewoo Beach. Super great beach to close our day in Jeju Island. Me and my friends were really having fun in this beach. We played around the beach, soaked our feet, walked on beach stones, eat snacks, and also took photos in front of the unique horse-shaped lighthouse which is located in the area of that beach.
Eight Destination -Fly Viking and Disco Bang Bang Jeju (Night Amusement Park)
Last but not least enjoying our free time. Me and my friends decided to go to night amusement park at Jeju downtown before we went back home. Had so much fun tried fly viking and also disco bang bang. It was my first time tried disco bang bang and i swear it would be my last time lol. Because at that time, the DJ/operator who controlled disco bang bang was so scary haha (because i'm a scaredy-cat) yet it was so mucchhh funn. It was definitely the most memorable memory I had in Jeju.
Fly Viking
The Scary Disco Bang Bang Lol
Snack I bought
Our Last Dinner in Jeju
If you wanna see a little bit video of me and my friends in Jeju, click here.
As always, thank you so much for reading my story. See u again in another story. Anyeonggggg ^^
