Korean Travel Online - Things You'll Find at Hwanghakdong Flea Market

If you're in the market for a disco ball, a 16-bit video game and console, or Darth Vader, look no further than Hwanghakdong Flea Market. Here are some cool things you'll find at the market.

1. Piles of cassette tapes

Remember the days when you have to rewind for minutes before being able to replay songs again? Or when the cassette player drives you crazy every time it eats the tape?

2. Antique toy cars

3. Medieval armor figures

4. LP records and record players

5. Rotary dial phones

6. Typewriters

7. Music instruments and equipment

7. Old TV sets

8. Disco balls

9. Train pencil sharpener

10. Super Nintendo

11. Charcoal iron

12. Vintage stores like Viking
Address: 36 Hwanghak-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul
Webpage: www.vk50.com
Tel: +82-02-2232-5570
Email: jkmoon45@gmail.com

13. And more vintage stuff

Another place to find similar vintage and antique stuff is at the Seoul Folk Flea Market (Seoul Pungmul Market).

Korean Travel Online - Favorite Breakfast Meals

Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. I don't really like the Korean breakfast and I'm more of a coffee and pancakes kind of person. I also enjoy eating out for breakfast, sitting in a nice coffee shop with a good view and just enjoying the food. So here are some of my go-to breakfast meals.

(photo from McDonalds Korea site)
 McDonalds Egg McMuffin Meal - they should make this an all day menu

Pancakes from The Flying Pan Blue in Itaewon - probably the best pancakes I've had so far

Pretzels and coffee from Tom n Toms - pretzels are always hot and freshly-made

Blueberry Bagel with Cream Cheese and Latte from Hollys

Ham Cream cheese Bagel and Latte from Caffe Pascucci

Ham Panini and Latte from Caffe Pascucci

Cream Cheese Muffin and Latter from Holly's

Pancake set at Paris Baguette Cafe

So obviously, I love latte's, and anything with cream cheese.


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Korean Travel Online - English-speaking Hospitals in Seoul

Being sick in a foreign country is hard, especially if you have to go hospitals that don't speak English. Korea has been promoting its medical tourism industry recently and here is a link to help you find English-speaking (and also Chinese, Japanese) hospitals in Seoul:
Medical Tourism in Korea

The first hospital I went to was St. Mary's Hospital in Gangnam, near the Express Bus Terminal station. The hospital is very modern, with good facilities, clean rooms, and up-to-date medical equipment. There is an International Center at the first floor. They were pretty helpful and assisted me with all I need, accompanying me to the doctors and translating. The only problem is, the center only provides assistance to those who don't have the Korean National Insurance, and I didn't have that when I had my surgery.  A few months after, I was able to get the insurance through my employer. Unfortunately, the center told me they cannot assist me anymore. Since I have the Korean National Insurance, I should go through the process as a normal Korean would. That was a problem. I decided I would change hospitals since St. Mary's is far from where I live anyway.

So the next hospital I went to was Soonchunhyang Hospital in Yongsan, close to Itaewon. The hospital is not as big as St. Mary's and it obviously doesn't look as new. Their International Center is also a lot smaller but I find their staff friendlier. They accompanied me to the doctor's office but didn't stay with me. The doctors can speak English too. The nurse who's in-charge with my case (her name is Nurse Nam if I remember correctly) is very nice and friendly and helped me settle the bills etc. However, my situation requires taking a radiation therapy which they didn't have the equipment for at the Yongsan hospital, so they told me I had to go to their Bucheon hospital, which is quite a trip from me. So I looked into more hospitals and decided to check out Yonsei Severance Hospital in Sinchon, a good 15-minute bus ride from where I live.

Yonsei Severance is pretty impressive. Huge buildings (and more construction underway), awesome food court, top-notch facilities and fantastic staff. The staff at the International Center spoke really good English and the whole process was so much easier. Best of all, they have clinic hours on Saturday! There are volunteers who accompany you to the department that you have to see the doctor at (that is if you need more than family doctor) and translate for you. Mine required me to go to the Department of Nuclear Medicine and the doctor spoke really, really good English. They told me a lot of information and a bunch of papers in Korean. The nurse at the International Center explained everything thoroughly and even made another chart for me in English, to organize my schedule and the important reminders. So thanks Nurse JiYeon Lee!

Yonsei Severance Hospital is accessible either via Sinchon Station or Ehwa Women's University Station.
From Sinchon Station, Exit 3, keep walking straight until see the overhead tracks of the railway. Take the tunnel and cross the street.

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Korean Travel Online - New Mall in Hapjeong: Mecenatpolis

Whenever my bus would pass by Hapjeong on my way to work, I would see this new mall outside Hapjeong Station Exit 10 with a Lotte Cinema, McDonalds, Caffe Pascucci. I wasn't really enticed to go take a look and I didn't really think there will be more stores inside. Then a few days ago, I noticed a big Uniqlo store. I needed some jeans and cardigan for work so I decided to go for a little clothes shopping. To my surprise, I found more than what I expected. The mall is called Mecenatpolis (메세나폴리스). Aside from Uniqlo, there's also Muji, and 8 seconds and TopTen. For food and drinks, there's Starbucks, McDonalds, Steff Hotdog, Coco Curry House, Angel-in-us, Jamba Juice, Taco Bell, Krispy Kreme, and ChaTime.

 

I think this will be my new favorite store. It's not very busy (yet) and it's just two subway stops from my house. Sweet!

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