Last October 25 to 25, Korean Travel Mart was held at the activity center of Glorietta. I was able to attend the said event on the first day.

The said activity was organized by the Korean Tourism Organization - Manila. It offered a lot of activities, freebies and performance to its visitors.

First stop, KPOP channel on Cable Link (available in the Philippines). I forgot what the exact channel is but it is something between 30 to 39 on HD. I am so sorry about that. If you are a Cable Link subscriber just call their hotline to add this Kpop channel on your list.

The PKCI (Philippine Kpop Convention Inc) was also present in the said event. PKCI. They were giving free-stubs for the fan signing of NOM. 

If you want to be updated on the latest happening in the Kpop World here in the Philippines be sure to follow PKCI on their facebook and other SNS accounts. 

PCKI Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/philkpopcomm

The Painters: Hero booth was just next to PKCI.

There was also a free photo booth but I failed to take some pictures. :)

Now, this was one of the things that I love during the festival,... HANBOK!!! :) I've been wanting to try hanbok for along time and tada~~~ I got try it for free. The events offered free trial of Hanbok for their visitors courtesy of Hanbok Palace Philippines. 

With my delulu friend :)

If you want to rent or buy costumes, you can visit Hanbok Palace Philippines' facebook page or you may call them at 0948-242-1169. They are actually based on Laguna, but they can ship the item/s for you if you are from Manila. As far as I remember the staff in their both said that they can also do meet - up. She also mentioned the the lowest rate for the rental would be Php600.

I went there during last time and I was really hungry when I arrived, good thing there was Chef Mimi. 

Chef Mimi taught her visitors how to make delicious Kimbap. 

The best part,, I got to try this Kimbap for free. This part saved my stomach from crying too much. :) The Kimbap was really delicious.

Now, let's go to the KTO-Manila booth,

These visitors were lining up to get their freebies from KTO. By liking the SNS page of KTO-Manila, they got free posters from KTO-Manila. I was able get mine also. :) 

There were travel agencies and airline companies present in the event. They offer great travel and tour packages to Korea this Autumn and Winter. Anyone who booked their tour in the event, received a special gift from KTO-Manila. 

 So, if you are planning a trip to Korea anytime soon, make sure to visit these travel agencies to know the latest promo and pick the best tour package that will suit your needs and of course your budget. :)

One of the performances that I enjoy the most was from The Painters: Hero. The Painters: Hero is an innovative art performance that stages the mind-blowing skills of love drawing with incredible visual effects filled with a witty blend of mime, dance and comedy right before your eyes. Rather than a finding satisfaction from a complete artwork, The Painters:Hero embodies and shares the joy and awe-inspiring journey of creating works of an art with the audience.

The Painters:Hero has been performing in major cities including Tokyo, Singapore, Hongkong, Shanghai, Beijing, Bangkok and Hollywood and it has been praised as a one-of-a-kind show.

Here are some video clips of their performances :)

Now for the Kpop fans, KTO has invited NOM (No Other Man), a Korean Boy group,  for a special performance. Here's NOM singing Pusong Bato.. Yes, you heard it right.. Pusong Bato, which is an OPM song.

For the last part, we had Chef Mimi again, This time, it was bibimbap.Yey! My favorite!! :)

Thank you for reading! :) 

Who says you can't eat halal food in Korea? If you will go around Seoul, you will see a lot of restaurants, cafes, and retail shops that offer halal food. You'll find a large concentration of halal establishments in Itaewon, Seoul's best-known multicultural neighborhood. As halal food becomes increasingly popular with the number of Muslims visiting Korea on the rise, there is no doubt that more and more restaurants in Korea will offer halal options in the near future. However, distinction should be made between an establishment serving halal food and a halal-certified establishment. For Muslims, you may wish to inquire whether or not the establishment is certified by the Korea Muslim Federation before visiting.

Here are three of some of Halal Restaurants that you can visit around Seoul.

• BabaIndia

    Address: 359 Gangnam-daero, Seocho-gu, Seoul

Conveniently located next to Seoul Subway Line 2 and the Shinbundang Line, BabaIndia serves up delicious Indian food using halal ingredients. The foyer of the restaurant greets customers with the wonderful aroma of Indian spices. The restaurant combines a pleasant dining experience with reasonable prices, quality food, and friendly staff. Order a set menu to try a variety of dishes and experience the best taste of India.

Being located in the heart of Seoul, the restaurant attracts customers from all different walks of life, ranging from business people to groups of travelers. A delicious and budget-friendly lunch menu draws young couples and students to the restaurant as well.

BabaIndia also allows customers to choose their level of spiciness, which helps first-timers who may find it daunting to order Indian or halal food. The homemade naan bread and chapati (unleavened flatbread originating in India), various house specials and desserts are sure to give those with homesickness a great treat.

• Kervan
  
  

                  Address: 190 Itaewon-ro, Yongsan-gu, Seoul

Vegeterian isn't the only halal food option in Korea! Located on the main street of Itaewon, Kervan is a Turkish restaurant offering a variety of halal dishes made from beef, lamb and chicken, as well as seafood and vegetables. Prices are a bit on the steep side, but the quality of food is worth the money spent. Those on a tight budget can take advantage of the wallet-friendly lunch menu.

In order to better express the beauty of Turkey, the dishes are served with elegant silverware by the friendly staff. Also, the elegant interior and superior cuisine served by the restaurant will provide you with an excellent culinary experience, and is the reason that it attracts not just Muslim travelers but also locals with an adventurous appetite. Kervan has also opened a second restaurant located in COEX Mall.

• Persian Palace

Address: 9 Seonggyungwan-ro 6-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul

Persian Palace is located in the artsy neighborhood of Daehangno, near Sunkyunkwan University's main entrance. The restaurant has an elegant, distinct Middle Eastern dining ambience, and attracts a bustling mix of patrons. Since opening in 2002, the restaurant has focused on creating Persian dishes made from 24 spices, and meals have been developed to complement the Korean palate.

Though kebabs are the specialty, the menu contains seven pages of halal dishes and four separate dishes for vegetarians. The curries are popular for having an authentic taste unique to Persian Palace. Also, the lamb kebabs are tender and carefully roasted, tasting heavenly with freshly baked naan bread.

This restaurant is ideal for Muslim customers, vegetarians, and anyone interested in Persian cuisine. If you find yourself in the area for a theater performance or the well-known hiking trails, stop in at Persian Palace for some of its authentic ethnic cuisine, which will surely leave you wanting to come back again.

Ancient rivers cutting deep valleys as they meander between weathered bluffs. Railways snaking their way along narrow gorges between the soaring heights. Tranquil mountain towns full of friendly, rustic charm. The county of Jeongseon – built around the small town of the same name – is everything you’d expect from the highlands of eastern Korea, and then some. While admittedly not the easiest place to reach from Seoul, those willing to make the effort are rewarded with a rejuvenating weekend of rugged vistas, fascinating local culture and a few high-adrenaline thrills.

An old mining town embraces its past

For most of the 20th century, the economy of Jeongseon – and, indeed, many of the surrounding towns in this less polished region of eastern Korea – depended on the rich veins of coal that ran beneath the towering peaks. Coal was so important to Korea’s national development, in fact, that the government, with great difficulty and at great expense, built a railway line through the mountains to connect the mines with Seoul and markets further afield. By the 1990s, however, demand for coal was flatlining, and the government “rationalized” the industry by closing many of the nation’s mines.

With its chief industry all but dead, Jeongseon turned to tourism to make ends meet. Tourism authorities have focused their efforts of the region’s natural splendor, but they’ve also put their historical legacy to good use. The old Samcheok Mine, whose black gold fueled the Miracle on the Hangang until its closing in 2001, has been transformed into the Samtan Art Mine, one of Korea’s grittiest – and, at 832 m above sea level, most remote – art and culture spaces. The mine shafts, main hall, marshaling yard and other facilities have been renovated for use as exhibit spaces, performance venues and even a restaurant/wine bar.

One of Jeongseon’s most popular attractions is the Jeongseon Auraji Rail Bike, a 7.2 km stretch of scenic rail bike track that runs through the narrow valley linking the village of Gujeol-ri with Auraji Station. Not so long ago, this was a functioning rail line used mostly by coal carriers, but declining traffic led to the line’s closure in 2001. Rather than let the old line rot, however, national rail carrier KORAIL, inspired by similar cases in Europe, converted it into a rail bike line carrying two- and four-seat draisines (old-style bicycles outfitted to travel along railroad tracks), allowing passengers to pedal along a landscape of rivers, mountains and tunnels. At the final stop, Auraji Station, you can catch a special sightseeing train, the A-Train, back to Seoul if you wish.

Zipping to Korea

Jeongseon’s biggest draw is its highland scenery – 22 of its peaks reach over 1,000 meters in height, and the hilltops offer some jaw-dropping vistas of endless, alternating lines of blue-green ridges and deep valleys.

Behind Jeongseon-eup is Arii Hills, a scenic lookout at a U-shaped bend in the Samhaengcheon River. The bend produces a strip of land that closely resembles the Korean Peninsula. If you’ve got a head for heights, the best vantage point is the Sky Walk, an observation deck with a glass floor built on a sheer cliff overlooking the river. You may have to wait in line, but the views are well worth it.

True adrenaline junkies, however, will make their way to the Zipwire, a zip-line that carries you from the peak of the Arii Hills lookout point down to the river below. If hurdling 70-120 km an hour from the top of a mountain while hanging from a wire hundreds of meters above the valley floor is your idea of a fun time, then this is your place.

If you happened to be in downtown Jeongseon-eup on the 2nd, 7th, 12th, 17th, 22nd or 27th of the month, check out the town’s historic five-day market (named for how frequently it occurs, not its duration). This is a good place to buy some medicinal herbs picked from the county’s wild mountains. It’s also a good place to try out some very chewy buckwheat noodles and a cup of corn makgeolli, a local favorite.

Hilltop seas of silver

Mt. Mindungsan – literally, “Bare Mountain” – is a big peak at 1,118.8 m, but its gentle slopes make it a relatively easy climb for hill walkers. As its name suggests, its peaks are oddly devoid of trees – in the old days, locals used to burn the vegetation to encourage the cultivation of wild herbs. Instead, the massif is crowned by large fields of silver grass. 

Starting in September, the fields of waist-high reeds begin to ripen, transforming the hilltops into shimmering seas of silver and gold. The mountains reed fields are especially beautiful in the warm light of the early morning. You can camp at the peak, which comes with the added bonus of allowing you to see the star-filled nighttime skies, a rare treat for city slickers. The best time to visit is during the Mindungsan Silver Grass Festival (Sept. 19-Nov. 8), when you can finish off a day of hiking with good food and cultural activities.

Birthplace of Arirang

Auraji “Lake” is not a lake at all, but rather the confluence of two cool, clean mountain streams. Nowadays it’s a popular relaxation spot with a stone river crossing, some larger foot bridges, a viewing pavilion and small pedal-powered watercraft lazily plying the water. In the old days, however, this was the departure point for the raft people who transported Gangwon-do’s prized timber to Hanyang, or present-day Seoul, where it was used to build the royal palaces and other landmarks in the capital. Timber rafting was dangerous work anywhere in the world – see Joan Baez’s “The River in the Pines” – and Korea was no different.

This danger, combined with the tragedy it often brought, gave birth to Jeongseon’s best-known contribution to Korea’s musical heritage, the Jeongseon Arirang. This slow and mournful take on Korea’s beloved folk song, designated Intangible Cultural Asset No. 1 by the government of Gangwon-do, tells of the heartbreak of a woman whose husband, a raftsman, departed down the river one day never to return. The woman is still there waiting, her bronze statue staring longingly over the river and into the mountains beyond.

For six centuries, raft people sang the Jeongseon Arirang as they navigated the sometimes treacherous river passage to Hanyang. While Seoul’s version of Arirang is probably the best known, the Jeongseon version is the oldest and, hence, the “original.” The Jeongseon Arirang Festival (Oct. 9-12) celebrates this heritage with musical performances and contests, reenactments of river rafting and other events.

The article courtesy of Seoul magazine                                                                               Source: http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/