We Registered Our Marriage

There has been a lack of activity on this blog mainly because we have been so busy with our work and also preparing for marriage, mainly the former. During this period of time and as usual, I have travelled quite abit to Korea.

So, where should I start, or rather, continue? Some updates to our relationship... we got married! Unbelievable... after 5 years and 6 months of long distance relationship, we made it and achieved the first milestone.

We had our solemnization in Singapore (at Mandarin Oriental hotel) and we chose to do it here for a couple of reasons:

1. My wedding ceremony will be in Korea, so this is like a small gathering for my Singaporean family members.

2. We have plans to stay in Singapore for good, marriage cert here will simplify PR or LTVP application administratively.

3. Registration of marriage here is more formal (in Korea, you just need to fill up a form and submit to the local district office) and more meaningful.
4. Easier to convert to Korea cert so that we have both.

The process itself is easy as long as you get your head around it. There are a few distinction for cross border marriage, which was not highlighted in the usual wedding forums. 

Firstly, if you intend to settle down in Singapore, remember to do the pre-LTVP assessment as this will shorten the LTVP application processing time to "up to 6 weeks", otherwise it could take up to 6 months. This assessment is FOC and should be taken at least one day before the solemnization. As the name suggests, this is just an assessment, it doesn't grant you anything but is for you to gauge how likely (no guarantee) your foreign spouse will be granted LTVP. If you pass the assessment, you will be granted letter of LTVP eligibility which I think is valid for a year. We did not do the assessment because we know that due to work commitments, he will not be able to stay here for the next 1 year.

Secondly, be sure to sign up for the marriage preparation program. It is not a mamdatory requirement but if you intend to apply for LTVP or PR, then this is required/preferred. I understand that you can also attend this after your solemnization. This is a 2.5 hours FOC course. I have seen couples attending this without translator even though the foreign spouse has difficulties understanding English.

Thirdly, this is just to let everyone know that your foreign spouse is able to go through the ROM process here as a tourist, with no special passes or visas.

If you are super kan chiong like me and your foreign spouse has difficulties understanding English, go through the statutory declaration (can be found online) with him/her beforehand, you are required to read this aloud infront of the ROM officer before they issue you a blank cert for signing.

We have checked out a few venues for our solemnization and decided to go with Mandarin Oriental harbour view suite for the following reasons:

1. Good food, this is quite important for my Dad

2. Good view as we have Korean family members here, we want to show them the skyline (unfortunately, our hotel rooms at Pan Pacific had better views)

3. Right size, it is meant for close family members but our family is quite huge so I needed a place to fit 60 pax.

4. Right price, this is not the actual wedding and we don't want to end up spending too much money/effort on this
5. Indoor, he can't stand wearing suit in Singapore's weather.

Mandarin Oriental harbour view suite rooms fit every criteria above. We did the ceremony in suite 3 and dinner in suites 4 and 5. Changing and makeup were done in suite 1 and we had the foyer of suite 2 for reception. As our ceremony was held on a Friday evening, we were lucky that there were no bookings so we could have all the rooms to ourselves. Overall we were satisfied with the service and arrangement at Mandarin Oriental. The night view of the skyline acts as a perfect backdrop for photos. All of our pictures turn out to be really nice even though we did not engage professional photographers. There is a ton of difference during daytime and at night, trust me, I was reluctant to go with Mandarin Oriental at first as I went to recce in the afternoon and most of the pictures posted online was during the day. It looked like a boring function room. But at night, the view is beautiful.

We stayed at Pan Pacific for the following reasons:

1. With only 6 tables, room is not included in Mandarin Oriental package price (you need at least 10 tables)

2. MO provided special rate for rooms but the standard rooms were sold out. PP rate was much better and had marina bay view.

3. Within walking distance to MO and connected to Marina Square and Suntec

PP really outperformed our expectation. They had Korean staff at the reception, shower facilities at hospitality room which could be used FOC after you check out, nice breakfast spread and really nice view (we chose the balcony rooms). The staff were really helpful and my husband was just super pleased to be serviced by the Korean staff who was able to acede to our requests on most front.

We have decided on our wedding date next year in May so stay tuned for more updates and my 스드메 (Seu-deu-me, short form for studio, dress and makeup) and hanbok choice. His aunt is in this line of business and has connections to the top notch firms which service celebrities, so everything will be a breeze for us. We will just go where his aunt recommends (otherwise preparation can be a headache). It is common to engage a wedding planner in Korea who will help you shortlist a few companies and offer better rates than you going direct. That said, being a kan chiong spider, I did my homework as well.

Korea Cherry Blossom Forecast 2017

If you are interested to see cherry blossom in Korea, the forecasted dates for the different cities are shown in picture above.

Seoul: 6 April
Daegu: 26 Mar
Jeju: 23 Mar
Busan: 26 Mar
Jeonju: 31 Mar
Incheon: 9 Apr
Yeosu: 29 Mar
Tongyeong: 28 Mar
Gwangju: 29 Mar
Cheongju: 3 Apr
Chuncheon: 8 Apr
Gangreung: 2 Apr
Suwon: 7 Apr
Pohang: 27 Mar

Seoul Itinerary - Tour with Mum (Haircut, Spectacles, Shopping, Food)

I have tried my very best to not have multiple posts on the same destination but seems like I can't help but open another post on my upcoming trip to Seoul. There were lots of requests on Seoul itinerary and since I am planning a trip to Seoul with my mum soon, I thought I should dedicate a post on this.

Usually if I am in Seoul visiting my bf, we don't prepare itinerary for obvious reasons. In addition, we usually drive around places so I don't really have much information on public transport. This time round is different as I will be travelling with my mum without my bf and doing all the touristy stuff.

We are planning to have our haircut, perm and colour there (it has been a long time since Korea hair salon has been highly raved about but it took me years to finally visit one). In addition, my mum also intends to make another pair of glasses in Korea (which is significantly cheaper than in SG). It will be a relaxing trip and we will base ourselves in Myeong Dong. We intend to visit Express Bus terminal underground shopping (Goto mall and also the new Enter6), Naksan Park, Sky Park, Namsangol Hanok, Lotte supermarket, Namdaemun, Edae etc.

Stay tuned for updates!

Daegu - Path Less Travelled

Daegu is the 4th largest city in Korea, just 1 hour away from Busan. You will notice a high number of foreigners residing here due to the proximity to the US base. Daegu, like other parts of Korea, has an interesting mix of developed areas and traditional streets. It is my first time to Daegu and I had very low expectation of what the city can bring. But wow.. the city has surpassed my expectation.

I went to Daegu mainly because my bf is working and living there now.

It is a great stopover for people travelling to Busan, you can base yourself in Daegu and make a day trip to Gyeongju.

How to get to Daegu from Incheon Airport
From Incheon airport, you can either take the airport bus or KTX to reach Dong Daegu (city area of Daegu). KTX will cost KRW55,800 one way whereas airport bus costs KRW35,800.

I chose to go by bus as it is more convenient (don't need to navigate the KTX station, bus stop is just outside the arrival area and you have someone to help you load your bags). Moreover, buses are more frequent (almost every 30 min). The only downside is that bus takes about an hour longer and is subject to traffic condition.

You can buy your ticket at the airport limousine bus counter. The boarding point is at 10C (exit from the airport and cross the road). You will be assigned a seat as well. The bus will indicate the departure timing on the front so that you know you are boarding the right bus.

The seats are really comfortable, allowing you to recline and have a good nap.

The journey takes 4 hours (not all buses take the direct route so do check with the receptionist when you purchase your ticket) and midway, it will stop by a rest stop for 15 min. It is really too short for any proper meals so make do with street snacks. The rest stops that they stop by are usually the bigger ones, the toilets are clean and there are more food selection.

When you see this iconic bridge, you are about to enter into Daegu city.

What to do in Daegu
There are tons of things to do in Daegu, especially if you are an avid hiker. Otherwise, fret not, there are cable cars that will bring you up. Before starting my list of places, would like to warn that although T-money can be used in Daegu, recharging it is not so convenient. You can't recharge via the machines or the service counter, you will have to do so at convenience stores. So, make sure you recharge your T-money in Seoul or Busan.

1. The first place I am recommending is Palgongsan natural park. The cable car ride costs KRW9,000 per person, 2 way. It is pretty high up, the wind was strong and we were quite worried as the cable car was swaying.

This is the view from the top. There is a restaurant up here. A pity that we couldn't spend much time outside as we were under-dressed and shivering. Definitely a good place to visit if you are a hiker.

2. There are lots of towers in every country (those that I have been to are CN tower, Namsan tower, KL tower, Eiffel tower, Pisa tower, Macau tower, Tokyo tower... I think you get me) and some are really exciting (with glass floor, bungy jump etc) so I thought 83 tower will be just another average tower.

Before I raise your expectation up by too much, it is indeed just another tower but we actually had our photos taken free of charge (supposed to be included in the package but this could be a promo so do ask before you have yours taken, anyway, they are ok for you to take with your own devices) at the bridge extending out of the tower.

This is the view from the tower, will recommend to come at around evening time to see the sunset. There is a cafe up here for you to chill.

Not to mention that this tower is located just above the E World theme park (nice place for cherry blossom).

3. You must definitely try out the Geundae Golmok Tour in Daegu which shows you a glimpse of the old Daegu (interesting as there are still people living and doing business here, the old way). This is not an organised tour, just a walking tour and you will be guided by tons of signs and brochures. There are a few courses to follow.

We ended up in a traditional tea house which preserved the old furnitures, menu and setting of a traditional tea house.

The recommended tea from the menu below is the third from the top known as 상화차 (pronounced as Sang Hwa Cha). It is supposed to be some kind of traditional herbal tea (for treatment of flu) where they will add an egg yolk in. Unfortunately, mine didn't come with the egg yolk as Korea was facing bird flu issue and there was egg shortage.

This traditional snack came free of charge.

This is Sang Hwa Cha, couldn't really figure out what is inside, lots of nuts and it tasted healthy (LOL). For those less adventurous, you can order 강황꿀차 (Gang Hwang Kkul Cha, honey tea, refer to second picture below).

My bf finds it nostalgic but for those not familiar with Korea's history, just treat it as a historical/cultural tour. It is actually quite interesting as some buildings are open for tourists to visit.

This is the first catholic cathedral in Daegu, it is currently still used for service and is very well maintained.

Schools set up by missionaries, you can enter into the buildings free of charge.

What to eat in Daegu

1. Bread. Yes, Daegu is famous for a few traditional bakeries. One of them is called Samsong Bbang Jib. The bread are sold at a reasonable price (around KRW1,000 to 2,000) and they were amazingly good (especially the croquette). The famous ones are the vegetable croquette, cream cheese bread and corn bread (best seller).

Cream cheese bread with red bean

Vegetable croquette

The next bakery is Geundae Golmok Danpat Bbang Jib which is located near Samsong Bbang Jib. This one has a cafe upstairs and they serve really good coffee (costs around KRW3,000 to KRW4,000) with coffee beans imported from Hawaii. The popular bread from this bakery is the fresh cream bread which comes in different flavours (I prefer the bread from Samsong bakery though the coffee here is really nice).

The sitting area on top provides a nice street view as well. This is the highly raved fresh cream bread (green tea flavour) with red bean inside.

Both bakeries are located near the Geundae Golmok tour area. The one marked at the right top is Samsong bakery, the one below on the right is Geundae bakery and the point on the left is the catholic cathedral I was referring to before. Just take exit 14 from Ban Wol Dang station (near Hyundae department store). There is a huge underground shopping area here which you can check out as well.

From Naver map

2. Another popular delicacy here is chicken liver, known as Dak Ddong Jib. You can find this chain (Daegu Tongdak) at various places. They come in 2 flavours, either original or marinated or half half. We prefer the marinated ones. This is kind of chewy and I think it goes well with beer. Don't expect to fill your stomach with just this.

3. This Bulgogi shop here can be found at Chilseong market. It was introduced on SBS Baek Jong Won's show and the best part is that one portion only costs KRW6,000 with rice (separately ordered). The meat is grilled over charcoal stove and this is definitely one of the recommended eats. Just order Dwaeji Bulgogi. The only downside of this place is that it is too crowded and definitely not the cleanest restaurant.

Exit from Chilseong market subway exit 2.

From Naver map

4. Another highly recommended cafe is Cafe Myung Ga. They have several branches as well. This cafe is probably the best cafe I have ever been to. The barista are really professional and they have the best strawberry cake in this world. I always have a habit of ordering green tea latte and I can say that they really do serve good quality green tea latte. They were actually whisking the green tea powder the Japanese way. We were awed by their precision (with weighing scale and all, not kidding) in preparing my bf's Yuja tea. Of course, the Yuja tea turned out to be really flavourful.

Buying Winter Jacket in Korea 2016 (Sale + Recommendations)

I have been eyeing Korea's winter jackets for quite some time. Winter in korea can be really chilly thus getting a good down jacket is quite important. That is also the reason why I think Korea's jacket can be trusted when it comes to keeping warm (and staying trendy). Some of the popular brands in Korea include North Face (Mcmurdo series) and Discovery (Milford series).

I went for a winter jacket hunt when I was in Korea in early October. I believe this was the best time to get good deals for winter jackets, many of the jackets (usually past models) were on sale. A good down jacket should be water resistant, light but still thick enough to keep warm, wind resistant, comes with hood and last but not least, fashionable and stylish enough.

I had set my eyes on Mcmurdo from North Face and have been searching about it online for the past 1 year. I have no doubts at all about its quality. This costs KRW 420,000 at Gimpo outlet mall, original price is around KRW600,000. It is definitely above my budget but my bf said it's cheap going by Korean's standard. True enough, I do see a couple of people buying it.

Since I was already at the outlet mall, might as well check out more options. The Bean Pole jacket got me wavering. I have never seen such nice camel coloured jacket. The fur doesn't look too shabby and the jacket is light and comfy. This jacket comes in 6 colours (black, navy, red, green, light blue, camel). Originally selling for KRW 418,000, it was going at KRW 209,000 (after tax) while I was there. A bargain too good to give up on. Tax can be refunded at the airport.

Decided to also check out K2 and Black Yak, both are well known Korean brands. I think those below ranged from KRW 300,000 to KRW 390,000.

These were of good quality as well but the design, cut and colour did not capture my interest as much as Bean Pole's. And so.... both me and my bf bought the super cheap camel coloured jacket from Bean Pole! Happy and contented. Love the colour and how the collar/hoodie fur stays up, shielding the neck from the cold.

By the way, I got my jeans from Uniqlo at Myeongdong, it seems like slim boyfriend fit is the trend in Korea in Autumn 2016.

Hope this guide will help you make a decision on Korea winter jacket investment.

Refer to my Recent travel to Jeju post for a photo of a coat I got from Korea (from a brand called Soup).