I love to travel. That's a fact. But because I am not that rich and I am still a student, I find it hard to travel always. It will actually take me awhile to save money for a certain trip knowing that there are lots of concerts coming in the Philippines.

Just in case you're wondering, I started travelling in 2018. So far, I have visited three countries already. One of those trips were actually sponsored. Few months have already passed since I last traveled out of the country and I am definitely missing it already. I was suppose to travel to Taiwan this 2020. Unfortunately, this pandemic happened and I have no choice but to cancel it. Instead of being sad with what happened, I'll just be reminiscing my past travel journeys.

Here is a list of the countries that I have visited:

Though it wasn't my first time to ride a plane (since my first time was during my Ilo Ilo trip), it was my first time to go out of the country. A lot of people said that for my first travel experience, I should go to Hong Kong first. Maybe because a lot of Filipinos are working and visiting the country.

I was with my cousin, Ate Neri, during our stay here. The most memorable place that I have visited during our stay is Disneyland and Madame Tussauds. We only stayed there for 3 days so it was quite a short trip. I plan to go back to Hong Kong one day, when everything is fine already.

My second out of the country was also on the same year, 2018. The main reason why I went to Malaysia was for Wanna One's concert which happened last July 21, 2018 at the Axiata Arena. During this trip, I was with my KPOP friend, Ms. Jay. Wannables forever!

This trip was more like a birthday gift for myself since I traveled a day after my birthday. Aside from the concert, we also got to see the famous Petronas Tower. Aside from the concert itself, one of the most memorable thing during our trip was their milk tea. A lot of people know that I am not much of a milk tea fan but I really loved their milk tea there.

In 2019, I have finally visited the land where my fangirl heart really belongs, South Korea. Oh, and yes, I have visited South Korea twice on that same year. First one was around May after my thesis defense and all. The second one was around October -  November since we were invited to attend the ACH Program for Hallyu fans.

During my first travel in South Korea, I stayed there for around 5 days together with Ms. Jay and Ate Tin, my KPOP friends. We visited JYP Entertainment and to my surprise, we saw Stray Kids' Hyunjin and I.N. Aside from that, I got to see DAY6 and Eric Nam too at the Beautiful Mint Life.

During my second visit in South Korea, I saw a lot of artists. That's why my fangirl heart is so happy. I got to see my crush since 2012, 2AM Jinwoon. Not only that, I also saw BTOB's Changsub, Yoo Jae Suk, TXT, and Nu'est.

Like what I have mentioned earlier, I was suppose to travel to Taiwan this 2020. Unfortunately, it was cancelled. But I still have the plan to travel to Taiwan soon when everything is already okay. I also plan on going back to South Korea to visit more filming locations. Aside from that, I plan to visit my ASEAN friends who I met at the ACH program.

I don't know when will I get to travel again but I promise to travel at least once a year. Hoping that this pandemic to end soon.

One of my goals as a KPOP fan is to go to my favorite artists' agencies. I have visited SM Entertainment and JYP Entertainment already and my other goal is to visit Swing Entertainment, home of Wanna One and X1.

ALSO READ: SMTOWN COEX: A Must Visit for SM Stans

I'm a Produce 101 fan ever since the first season. Yes, I watched every single episode. I also followed the groups that debuted and suffered from heartaches when they disbanded. Funny how I knew that this would happen but then ended up still stanning them.

1. Go to Itaewon Station Exit 4 and walk along the Itaewon Antique Furniture Street.

2. Continue walking forward until you reach a big intersection. You can see a 7/11 store in this intersection. Turn right.

3. Once you reached the end of this road, turn to your left and you'll immediately see K212. This is the cafe below Swing Entertainment.

When we have arrived, we noticed that there were some fans (around 3-5) waiting outside the building. Instead of waiting outside, we went inside K212 Cafe to have a little snack and also check out how it looks like.

Wooseok's banner was the first thing I saw when I entered the cafe since he just celebrated his birthday last October 27. By the way, we went here November 3, 2020.

This cafe is full of Wanna One and X1 photos together with the famous trot singer, Tae Jin Ah. Well, he's the former CEO of Swing Entertainment/YMC Entertainment. Now, his eldest son Cho Yoo Myung is the CEO of the company.

We sat down on a table near Wanna One's trophies and waited for our order. I can't really remember the prices of their food and drinks there. I wasn't able to take a photo of their menu because I was too amazed with the photos and merchandises in the cafe. My fangirl heart is really screaming.

While waiting for our order, I roamed around the cafe and took lots of photos.

If you're wondering who that guy in yellow/green/red suit, that's Tae Jin Ah. And to our surprise, he entered the cafe. The moment he saw us, he immediately talked to us and asked us how's the food, where are we from, etc. Yes, we had a short chat with him.

Not only that, we also had a photo with him. He mentioned that X1 is currently in Japan for an event. He knew that we were looking for X1. Haha. Although we may not have seen X1, I still felt happy because I got a photo with Tae Jin Ah.

I can't wait to go back to South Korea and visit more entertainments, cafes, and even filming locations. Hope this blog somehow helps (and inspires? lol) you. Before I end this blog post, here's a photo of Ms. Jay and I in front of the building.

If you're currently in Seoul, you have to take a train (KTX) going to Busan. It's probably around 3 hours of travel. Once you have arrived in Busan, here is how you can go to the Village:

1. Ride the subway to Toseong Station and take exit 6. You can see a bus stop.

2. Hop on to bus with number 2 or 2-2.

3. Alight at the Gamcheon Culture Village

I was very excited when I knew that we're going to Gamcheon Culture Village. Like what I mentioned earlier, I am a huge fan of The Little Prince. One of my ultimate goals is to have a photo with the statue of the Little Prince located at that village. But aside from that, I like to see the beautiful art murals and also the colorful houses.

When we entered the village, this artwork caught my attention. It is made of painted woods formed into a fish shape. I have been seeing this from my friends' photos. Seeing this in person definitely has a different feeling. I was able to check each artworks on the woods - different designs, different styles. This made me want to try doing a mini version of this. But we'll see. If time permits.

Before we go on our own, we decided to have a group photo first. I'm not quite sure what time we arrived here. All I know was it was in the afternoon. It was a bit cold but I really loved the weather during that time.

The first location that we (the PH team) went to was somewhere at the top of the building to have a better view of the whole village.

I felt like I was looking at Lego houses formed together. It was too beautiful for my eyes. I actually wanted to stay a bit longer there but we have to go to the Little Prince since for sure there will be a lot of tourists lining up to have a photo there.

We continued walking more until we reached the Little Prince. To be very honest, if there were no lines, I would have not noticed the Little Prince there. The line wasn't that long when we arrived there, which is a good thing. And here are my photos:

It's just so sad that the fox was not included on these photos. But anyway, I still plan on returning to Gamcheon Culture Village soon so I'll get another chance to have a photo with it.

Aside from these, there are a lot of interactive mural paintings where you can enjoy and be creative while posing.

In there, you can actually see a lot of stores - either it's a souvenir shop or a cafe or a food shop. I love to taste the snacks. Unfortunately, I left my bag inside our bus since I do not want to have something with me aside from my phone and camera.

But I still thank Ms. Jay for lending me money so that I can buy a tote bag with the Little Prince design and the name Busan. (I forgot to take a photo of it. I will update it once I done it. I left it in Manila so I cannot take a photo now.)

So I just took a photo with some of the items being sold there.

Flower headbands costs around 3000 won or around Php150. These items were really cute.

We only roamed around there for a few hours that's why I wasn't able to go to other alleys of this village. It would be nice if you can spend half a day there just to check out everything the place has to offer.

On my next return here, I promise I'll try the clothes rental, some of their snacks, and buy more souvenirs.

SMTown COEX is known to be the “theme park in the city,” where it has six floors which consists of merchandise, store, cafe, museum, etc. Before going there, it's either you bring lots of money or not because you might get tempted with all the merchandise sold there.

Open Hours: 11:00 - 22:00 KST
Admission Fee: If you don't plan on visiting the museum, theater, or buying from the cafe and merch, then the admission is free. However, if you plan to visit the places I mentioned earlier, then you need to buy a ticket before entering.
SMTown Museum - 18,000KRW (offline), 16,200 KRW (online), 9,000 KRW (discounted)
Theatre: 77,000KRW
Hologram: 44,000KRW (these details are from their website)

You can go to the Artium by riding the subway to Samseong Station (Line 2) and go to exit 5 or 6.

What are the activities you can see on every floor?

Like what I have mentioned earlier, it is a 6-floor building. On the first floor, you can just see an escalator going up with videos of your favorite SM Stars on the side. Literally, just an entrance to it.

On the second floor up until the fourth (I guess? Not quite sure), you'll start seeing the costumes and awards of the artists.

Not only that, on the second floor, you can buy your favorite merchandises. They have this SMTOWN &Store there where they offer official and some limited merchandises of SM Artists. If you love collecting merch, then good luck to you my friend. You'll definitely spend a lot of money here.

SM Town Museum is located at the third floor. In this museum, you can see and learn more about your favorite artists. You can see there how albums were produced, what the artists wore on a certain era, never-before-seen photos of the artists, and a museum shop. Not only that, you can also have a picture with your fave artists (ehem, just a holo something haha).

Their cafe is located on the fourth floor. I honestly haven't tried any drinks or pastry there and I plan to try one on my next visit. Look how aesthetically pleasing and IG worthy this cafe is!

On the fifth floor, the SMTown Theater can be seen. They offer a of shows like hologram concerts, musicals, plays, etc. You can also buy there concert merchandises. But most of all were sold out already when we visited.

The last floor, the sixth floor, it is still under construction. There's only a few things you can see there like the artworks of the fans and the VR thingy which isn't working yet. You can also claim your tax refund on this floor.

So that's pretty much it! The thing that I enjoyed the most was their museum since I was able to see and know more about the artists. I also got to have a photo with NCT Dream's Jeno and Jisung through the virtual photo station.

I also had a photo with Super Junior but I forgot to take a photo of it. I might update this post once I have done it.

Meanwhile, at the outside of SM Town Coex, you can also see the handprints of your favorite SM Stars.

P.S. During my last visit here, I saw TXT outside the building. They were doing their VLive.

The 2019 ACH Invitation Program for ASEAN Fans of Hallyu is a 9-days and 8-nights program by the ASEAN Culture House (ACH) and Korea Foundation which aims to invite delegates from the 10 ASEAN countries - Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam - who are fans of the Korean wave so that they will get to know more about the Korean culture as well as the ASEAN culture.

This whole program is free - from the airfare, to the accommodation, to the meals, everything. Yes, you read it right. It's free. Once you're invited, you can visit South Korea for free. That's one of the main reasons why I feel so blessed attending this event. Who would have thought I'll get to experience like this? And who would have thought I was able to go back to Korea this fast?

As an active K-content creator (photos, videos, and contents) and PKCI staff in the Philippines, the Philippine KPOP Convention, Inc. (PKCI) has recommended me to attend this program, together with Ms. Jay (the President) and Ivan (also a staff in PKCI). The three of us were the representatives of the Philippines for the said event.

Our mission, together with ACH and KF, is to create a video about the Korean culture that we have experienced throughout this whole event that will or may eventually encourage our fellow citizens (in our place, Filipinos) to travel and visit Korea. At the end of this blog post, I will be sharing to you our final output. I will also be sharing to you our detailed itinerary from DAY 1 until DAY 9.

Our flight schedule was October 24, 11:30PM PST via Korean Air. This was actually my first time to experience Korean Air since I usually book flights under Cebu Pacific or AirAsia. What I actually liked with Korean Air is that they have larger leg room, have a screen where you can watch movies or even play games, plus we have food. (Yes, food is life). They also offer a mini pillow, a blanket, and headphones.

We have arrived in South Korea around 4:30AM and was able to reach the hotel around 9AM because we still waited for other delegates to arrive.

Just a quick segue, I was actually kinda emotional at that moment because I was there in front of the arrivals area of the airport meanwhile GOT7 was at the departures area. At that time, they were about to go to Manila for their concert. That's what we call, "So close yet so far."

Anyway, our hotel was Courtyard by Marriott located at 9 Namdaemun-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul 04526 South Korea. It's just a walking distance to Myeongdong. It was a really nice hotel. The staff there were so caring and so approachable.

Our first calltime was around 11:20AM KST at the lobby. So we still had time to rest a bit on our room. Ms. Jay and I shared the same room. Our first schedule for the day was the Welcome Luncheon.



I actually got separated with other PH delegates and was sitting beside Vietnam (Green), Jodi (Singapore), Kay (Myanmar) and Coyee (Malaysia). At first, I felt so shy, but eventually, they were so friendly and I managed to talk too.

We then went to KF Seoul Center to have our orientation as well as self introduction. I was nervous but eventually managed to get over it. I introduced myself as a PKCI staff and a part-time concert photographer.

Almost everyone have different jobs or states but we all have this common thing, our love for Hallyu. During our orientation, I was really excited with the activities that we will be doing in this program. I will be visiting a lot of places and experience a lot of first times.

After the orientation, we got to visit an exhibit. If I'm not mistaken it's more of the Western (?) part. I'm sorry I forgot all about this because I was too sleepy.


We went to our next destination, the Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) for the the Public Diplomacy Week. We got to learn more about other countries' culture. We also got to watch a performance from the ASEAN countries. There were also some PH representatives there and I feel so proud.

DAY 2

A lot of the delegates are excited for our DAY 2 because we're visiting SMTOWN Coex Artium and One Million Dance Studio. We actually have cover dancers in the group and I was really looking forward to see them dance!

But before that, we first visited the Cheongwadae Sarangchae. It is a historical museum wherein we can see the history of Korea's government. After having a tour in the museum, we decided to go out and take photos. And to our surprise, we were able to meet 2 KPOP artists!



They were 2AM's Jinwoon and BTOB's Changsub. This was really an unexpected moment. I know that both of them are currently serving in the military so I wasn't really expecting to see them. They were there performing.




I actually liked Jinwoon since Dream High 2 and I never thought I'll meet him even once in my life. When we were about to go to the bus, I didn't expect to go near them. I wasn't even able to take a video or photo of them upclose. But here's a screenshot from Nyii's video.



After that unexpected moment, we need to go on with our schedule. The next place we'll be visiting is the SMTOWN Coex Artium. This will be my second time visiting the Artium but my first time to go to the SMTOWN Museum.



As a former SM Stan (yes, I admit I am no longer an SM stan but I still love my babies), it's fun to see the albums, costumes, awards, and other things related to SM and their artist. I also got to experience the photo-thingy there.





I also got to buy Super Junior's Lightstick Version 2. I know I don't need it because I already have the version 1 but... I don't know. Super Junior scammed me lol.

ALSO READ: SMTOWN Coex: A Must Visit for SM Stans

After that, we went out of the artium and was about to visit the SMTown Artists' hands wall. But we met some familiar faces. TXT, the newest boy group of BigHit Entertainment, was there outside doing their VLive. We managed to see them upclose.



Our next schedule was the One Million Dance Studio. If you have been watching KPOP dances on Youtube, you will probably know about this studio. We were really looking forward to meet Lia Kim, unfortunately, she has a business meeting so she won't be able to meet us. Instead, Isabelle was the one who taught us.



We danced to ZICO's Artist. I was hesitant to dance at first because I am currently not in my best condition. I recently found out that I had a slight shoulder dislocation and the rotators were already loose. But I really want to experience this. So, I danced but with limitations of course.

DAY 3

For our third day in Korea, we visited the ASEAN Culture House (ACH) which is located at Busan. Meaning, we will be taking the train to Busan. During my last visit in Korea, I was able to go to the train station but wasn't able to ride the train. This time, I finally rode the train!

It took us around 3 hours to arrive at Busan. I didn't get dizzy when we rode it even if I was using my phone all the time - although I also slept for an hour I guess.

When we arrived at Busan, we first went to our hotel - Kolon Seacloud Hotel. It was just near the Haeundae Beach. We left our bags there and went straight to ACH. Inside the ACH, we witnessed the beauty of ASEAN countries by seeing their important items through the exhibit.

After that, we met new friends! They are Korean students who will be helping us with our mission. But before doing our mission, we had some fun games and even freebies.

DAY 4

We experienced something new on our fourth day. We went to ACH to have some cooking lessons. I never cook so it's really a new experience for me. We cooked pajeon. I partnered with Andrea from Singapore and she's quite good at it.



After that, we had our lunch and even ate the meal that we cooked.

Before going to Gamcheon Village, we visited the Haeundae Beach. I was really looking forward to get closer to the beach because I have seen a lot of k-variety shows shoot here. Another fangirl goals!

Of course, I  also excited to visit the Gamcheon Village because of the Little Prince. I don't actually knew why I love the Little Prince. But ever since it became a movie, I became interested with it. I even got a book during the MIBF.



It's really a dream come true! To finally got a photo with the Little Prince. Not only that, I also bought a tote bag with a cute Little Prince design. I will be back to this place. I promise.


ALSO READ: Visiting Gamcheon Culture Village

DAY 5

We went back to Seoul on our fifth day. Our 2-day trip to Busan is a bit short but I have enjoyed it a lot. I am really looking forward to be back to Busan soon. After another 3-hours of travel to Seoul, we had our lunch and then we headed straight to SM Entertainment, not the COEX Mall.

We had a lecture about the sources of KPOP's competitiveness by Professor Lee. At the end of the lecture, they gave us freebies - signed albums! I got Super Junior' One More Time and Red Velvet's Power Up Yeri Version.

After that, we went back to the hotel to check-in and had a short meeting for our mission.

This is probably one of my most awaited day because we'll get to visit a place near North Korea. Although we were not able to see the boundary, I'm still happy that I was able to visit a place near North Korea.

Since I barely go out of my house, I don't really appreciate trekking. But during this activity, I was able to appreciate my surroundings. It was fun to walk with that kind of weather plus the view is so beautiful. We got to see those big rocks with bullet holes.


During our trip there, we also got to eat duck meat as our lunch. It was my first time eating it and I guess it's not that bad. As far as I know, the place we ate at is really famous.


When we went to Imjingak Park at Paju, I was so happy with the environment. The windmills were so pretty and I actually want to just stay there forever. lol. The weather was not too cold nor too hot. There were some families gathering there too.

We then visited the National Museum of Korea. What I liked the most in that museum are the paintings. Since I am a painter myself, I love seeing paintings and different kinds of artworks. At that moment, I suddenly wanted to paint again. It's just so sad that we had a short time here.

During our seventh day, we went back to KF and had some lectures about the Korean Wave with the PD of KBS as the speaker. He was explaining how the concerts or festivals work in other countries. Like how much is needed, who will they bring, and a lot of things.

During the lecture, he also mentioned that he personally invited us to go to Music Bank and I'm so excited because NU'EST and DAY6 have their comebacks so I might get to see them.

After that, we went to MBC World. Last time, when I went to this place, I was not able to have a tour. I was only outside the venue. This time, I was able to enter. I also got to see the Idol Radio studio. Although there were no filming on that time yet, I still feel thrilled because I know that some of my favorite stars have visited it.

I also got to touch the script of one of my favorite Kdramas, W: Two Worlds. But the most exciting part is I finally had a photo with Lee Jong Suk's character in W.

After our visit to MBC World, we went to watch a show, The Painters: HERO. I actually didn't know that this show will be so exciting - not to mention one of the performers looks like Jonghyun. Huhu Jonghyun I miss you.

So what is it all about? There were four performers who dance and at the same time create beautiful art works. As an artist in both fields, I really appreciated it. Not only did they make artworks and dances, but they made it hilarious and audience-friendly. If you're visiting Korea, I suggest that you buy tickets to watch this performance.

After that, we went back to the hotel and finished editing the video which took us until 3AM?

Presentation of our mission - no decent sleep but we're excited. We went to KF Global Center and prepared for our presentation. The presentation was done in alphabetical order. We were a bit nervous but eventually finished the presentation successfully.

We had a few time having photos with one another before going to the farewell banquet. The farewell banquet was actually a memorable one. I got to interact with some delegates whom I wasn't able to interact with that much during the past days.

After the banquet, we went to Music Bank to watch the rehearsal. This will be my first time attending a music show and I'm really excited. We were not allowed to take photos or videos inside the venue but the memories are still clear inside my head.

We were able to see NU'EST and DAY6 perform. Because we lack time, we had to leave after DAY6's performance. Although we manage to see TXT again at the side.

After Music Bank, we went to Changdeokgung Palace. If I am not mistaken, this palace is one of the filming locations of Rookie Historian Goo Hae-Ryung and The Crowned Clown. There we took a lot of photos. Although I'm not really fond of posing, I still tried.

We had our dinner after, and then went to the ASEAN Cinema Week. I was really shocked when I saw P'Naphat. He was the actor in the Thai movie Friendzone.

Since today is technically our last night of the program, we decided to finally go out and have fun. Together with Vietnam and Myanmar, we went to Noraebang and sang happily. This was really a memorable moment. We enjoyed it.

This is the saddest part of the trip. It's time to separate ways. During the start of the trip, I told myself that I won't talk to anyone in the trip because I hate to get too attached with everyone and then leave. But I ended up being friends with a lot of them. I'm so sad to see everyone leave, but at the same time, happy because we got to meet new friends.

We may have separated ways but we still keep in contact with each other thanks to social media. I'm really looking forward to meet them again soon!




Before I end this post, I would like to thank Philippine KPOP Convention, Inc., Korea Foundation, ASEAN Culture House, for this once in a lifetime opportunity. I have learned a lot from this program. I have met different kinds of people and learned about their culture. You all made my 2019 a special one.

Here's our video:

Next Blog: Lee Dong Wook Fan Meeting in Korea
I don't know when I'll finish my blog but I will write it soon.