Ibyang Sanchez, Author at Ibyang

Themed Cafe: Charlie Brown Cafe (Seoul, South Korea)

4 June 2011 Ibyang Sanchez 7 Comments Category: Charmed Life of a Mrs, Cherished Memories, Food, I Love Seoul, Photography, Travel

One of the things I noticed about cafes in Seoul is that when it’s a themed cafe, they are consistent when it comes to following the theme of their cafes. One of the themed cafes and also one of the restaurants we had a meal at Hongdae, was at the Charlie Brown Cafe.

P1040581Charlie Brown Cafe (Seoul, South Korea)

It was a miracle we found this cafe in the middle of Hongdae. We knew that there is a Charlie Brown Cafe in Hongdae. We hoped to find it but after awhile of going around the streets of Seoul and having realized that most street signs are in Korean, we let go of the fact of finding it. On our first day in Seoul, we thought to ourselves to just throw our cautions to the wind and not expect to find all the things we hoped to find in this trip.

After walking around the shopping area of Hongdae, we decided to have afternoon tea. Due to some twist of fate, we entered a small alley and when we turned a corner, we were surprised to see this sight…!

Charlie Brown is a famous character of the comic strips Peanuts created by Charles M. Schulz. When I was a kid, I had a few Peanuts comic books and I enjoyed the life and humour of Peanuts characters such as Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Linus and Lucy Van Pelt, Sally Brown, Schroeder and Woodstock. Seeing Peanuts characters come to life in the form of food and dining is one of the cutest experience I’ve ever had.

The Charlie Brown Cafe brought me back to my childhood as I was amused by several Peanuts interiors and dining paraphernalia.

Upon entrance to the cafe, you will be greeted by Peanuts characters.

Their counter and menu board full of characters drawings.

Peanuts characters are seen everywhere in the cafe, from the pillars of the cafe…

on the tables and walls….

The door to the ladies’ room…

Comic strips on the tissue holder inside the ladies’ room.

Woodstock reminds us to throw our trash properly.

The Charlie Brown Cafe logo stamped on their serviettes.

Their pagers have Peanuts characters…

and even their cutlery! Oh sooo cute!

The Husband ordered a big cup of Cafe Mocha with a lot of cream.

While I ordered Cafe Americano and after I had my first sip, Snoopy’s head appeared. I love it! I also love their coffee. Tasty, rich and smooth.

The back of their coffee mug.

The Husband and I only shared a plate of Belgian Waffle. We loved the presentation of this dish. Notice that the waffle is shaped like the head of Snoopy. The Belgian Waffle plate already came with slices of fruits, whipped cream, maple syrup and two scoops of ice cream.

Wedged in between the scoops of ice cream was a small piece white chocolate stamped with Snoopy lying on top of his doghouse.

The Husband and I enjoyed our dining experience at the Charlie Brown Cafe. The coffee and food was good. And before we left, I just had to have a photo with my most favourite Peanuts characters, LINUS Van Pelt.

You can bring home some Peanuts goodies too. At the Charlie Brown Cafe, you can purchase souvenirs such as mugs, shirts, stationery, etc.

My Husband and I bought two little plates which we’re already using at home as cheese, fruit and cake platters.

We also bought a Charlie Brown Cafe mobile key chain/monitor cleaner which we will turn into a ref magnet. They don’t have ref magnet so we will improvise.

I also bought this pink Peanuts mechanical pencil so that every time I write, I’ll always remember the fun and cute time we had at Charlie Brown Cafe.

Charlie Brown Cafe
Hongdae, Seoul, South Korea
Check this map for location
If you are taking the train, get on Line 2 and get off Hongik University Station.

Bakery Cafe: Tous les Jours (Seoul, South Korea)

2 June 2011 Ibyang Sanchez 8 Comments Category: Food, I Love Seoul, Photography, Travel

Tonight, I ache to write about food and so instead of writing about Hongdae as promised, I just had to indulge myself. Our Hongdae photos would have to wait awhile before it gets published.

By the time we checked-in at Lottle City Hotel, we were already starving. So before we unpack and rest (the plan was to have a short nap before we conquer the streets of Hongdae), we had to feed ourselves. As faith would have it (plus the fact that we studied the area where we chose to stay), a lot of cafes surround our hotel.

The Husband and I just had to look outside our window and looked for a place to eat. Down below, right infront of our hotel, we saw an attractive looking bakery and I immediately decided, “There! That’s where we’re going to eat!” So off we went down to have a cuppa and some good bread for breakfast.

I love the concept of a bakery and cafe in one. I love the smell of freshly-baked bread and pastries. Even before we crossed the street, I already smelled the aroma of brewed coffee and baked bread and in a few seconds, we were welcomed at Tous les Jours with a simple. “Annyeong Haseyo!“.

Established in 1996, Tous Les Jours is a leading chain in Korea’s food industry’s premium café bakery segment.

Tous Les Jours is a French-Asian Bakery serving a unique selection of bakery goods and beverages made with the highest quality ingredients.

They have stores in America, China and Vietnam.

Half the space of their branch is the bakery.

Korea is known for their cake arts. Their cakes look so creative and delicious. And since they love eating fruits, they use them to decorate their cakes.

Took a photo of this Teddy Bear Cake because it’s such a cutie!

The other half of their Mapo branch’s space is the cafe.

Cozy interiors of natural colors and soft lighting.

This one’s my favourite. I love it when I find functional accents like this in cafes and restaurants. The cafe was mostly wood and leather and then there’s this cute pieces of metal in one corner.

We missed the morning rush so there weren’t so many people in the bakery/cafe. We had a blast taking photos.

Bakery cafes are a norm in Korea wherein the bread and pastries are readily available for customers to pick and bring to the counter for payment.

Once you’re at the counter, they transfer your goodies unto a plate if you will eat at the cafe or pack them away for take out.

I had the Croque Monsieur which is only a ham and cheese sandwich only that the cheese is on top of the bread. It was a bit toasty, warm and cheesy.

The Husband had Yuna’s Blueberry Cream Cheese Bread. It was perfect for him because he has a sweet tooth. It tasted delicious and we loved the sprinkled almond bits on top.

The Husband had a Latte.

While I had Chamomile Tea. REAL Chamomile Tea, not just a tea bag. Since we will nap after we had breakfast, I needed a drink that will relax me.

I love it! Nothing beats natural stuff.

Now for some camwhoring.

The happy Husband with our drinks. Now that’s what you call service with a smile.

Their lighting is great…great for taking photographs and portraits.

As I’m about to have a cuppa.

The Husband likes taking photos of me, especially candid ones. He always notice that I close my eyes when I drink or eat something beautiful. He likes making jokes of my silly, crazy habits and I’d just laugh my heart out. And sometimes I’d just smirk at my silliness.

On our last day in Seoul, we dropped by Tous les Jours one last time and hoarded a few of their breads: Peanut Butter Cream Bun (my fave!), Walnut & Red Bean Bread (my mum’s fave) and Pastry Donuts.

Tous les Jours

Mapo-Gu
Seoul, South Korea 121805

Where We Stayed in Seoul: Lotte City Hotel Mapo

31 May 2011 Ibyang Sanchez 3 Comments Category: Charmed Life of a Mrs, I Love Seoul, Photography, Travel

The place we stayed at was a gold mine. We don’t know much about Korea, but we know that one of the most famous Korean brands is Lotte (yes, the chocolates and gum). Lotte Co., Ltd. is a South Korean conglomerate. It is one of the largest food and shopping groups in South Korea and Japan. Lotte Group consists of over 60 business units engaged in diverse industries such as candy manufacturing, beverages, retail, publishing, entertainment, hotels, etc. Such a big company that they even have their own duty free called Lotte Duty Free.

Before I moved on to telling you about where we stayed at, let share with you this Lotte Duty Free video. When we arrived at the Lotte City Hotel, I saw this catchy and entertaining advertisement playing non-stop on their Lotte channel, I was in awe because they are endorsed by the hottest actors, singers and Kpop group in South Korea. Everytime I see this ad, and I mean always, I can never take my eyes off the tube. As in I feel– “Ahhhhhh, I’m inlove.” LOL. If you like watching Koreanovelas, have found a Korean actor cute or like a Kpop group, please WATCH THIS! I’m sure you will like it too. This is not cheesy. You might even like the Lotte Duty Free song. It’s so catchy, it made me want to dance haha.

Did you like it?

Anyway, back to my post. Let me tell you first how we ended up staying at Lotte City Hotel Mapo. Please note that all our preparations were mostly done online. We researched, planned and organized everything thru the use of the internet.

One’s accommodation in South Korea need not be expensive. You have the option of staying in a Guest House (their version of Bed and Breakfast) or in a Hotel. Guest Houses are definitely cheaper and you can easily find them by making a search online.

My Husband and I are quite particular when it comes to accommodation. Although we know that we’re mostly spending our time outdoors because we will be exploring all day, we still want to be comfortable during our time of rest. So we ruled out staying at a Guest House.

In choosing a place to stay during travel, we take note of the following:
(1) Travel time to and from the Airport
(2) Access to public transport
(3) Safety and security
(4) Establishments in the area such as restaurants, malls, etc.
(5) Convenient location (should be near places will plan to go to)
(6) Clean rooms with basic amenities

Given these basic considerations, we studied about 4-6 hotels/apartments we can find online. We’ve had bad experiences with a hotel or two before so choosing a place for lodging is a process for us. It takes us a week to decide because we do a lot of research when it comes to things like this (I know, we’re such geeks!).

For our Seoul accommodation, we initially had five hotels, then it narrowed it to three. In the end we chose Lotte City Hotel Mapo because:
(1) it’s Lotte and a 4-star hotel (so we had a bit of high expectations)
(2) if there’s no traffic, the airport is about 45 minutes away
(3) it’s conveniently located nearby popular places like Myeong-dong, Seoul Station, Hongdae and Yeouido (the places where we plan to go!)
(4) it’s accessible to public transport: the bus stops are right infront of the hotel and Gongdeok train station is just underneath the hotel.
(5) there are cafes and restaurants that surrounds the hotel

Now for some photos.

LOTTE CITY HOTEL MAPO

Check-in is at 2pm but since we arrived early in the morning and would like to rest, we informed the hotel that we will check-in at 7:30AM. We arrived at almost 8:00AM and they let us checked-in. No questions asked.

They don’t have bellboys or porters so be ready to carry your luggage to your room.

IN THE LOBBY OF OUR FLOOR

Upon entrance to our room, there was a glass that works as a divider and decor.

Our room is minimalist and modern with a bit of zen.

An office in the corner.

The bathroom in white. The usual toiletries and bathrobes are available for guests.

The clear sink. Stylish (I like!).

They have bidets!

And a hairdryer which I believe every hotel should have in every room.

On my bedside table is the all-in-one controller for lights, clock, aircon, etc and even an emergency button (if you are too stressed to pick up the phone and dial a number).

Each room has two pairs of slippers.

Safety is a big deal for the Koreans, hence each room has this…

and this.

Our view is not spectacular because we are in one of the business districts of Seoul but that was fine by us. We enjoyed watching the cars and buses passing by.

The street infront of us has 10 lanes!!!!! They have wide roads here.

Our coffee table by the window. Here I was spending a few minutes journaling what transpired during our day.

We don’t have internet connection inside our room. We didn’t asked to be connected because we wanted to just relax and watch Korean TV (although we can’t understand and there was no subtitles LOL) before we sleep. If we needed the use of the internet, we can always go down to the Business Center where WIFI is free.

Can you see our reflections on the Business Center divider?

The basement area of Lotte City Hotel Mapo has a supermarket (where we bought lots of Lotte chocolates), cafes and a bank (where we had the rest of our money changed). The basement is also connected to the Gongdeok Train Station. Very convenient for tourists like us.

We loved our stay at the Lotte City Hotel Mapo. The rates were reasonable and staff were very accommodating. Check-out time was 12:00noon but since our return flight was schedule at night, they safekept our luggage until it was time for us to go.

LOTTE CITY HOTEL MAPO
http://www.lottehotel.com
Gongdeok-Dong, 467 Mapo-Gu
Seoul, South Korea 121805

UP NEXT: Exploring the streets of HONGDAE

The Morning We Arrived in Seoul, Korea

29 May 2011 Ibyang Sanchez 7 Comments Category: Charmed Life of a Mrs, Cherished Memories, I Love Seoul, Photography, The Married Life, Travel

This week, I start sharing our Seoul adventures to you but before I blabber on, let me answer a few questions sent to me via FB and twitter:

Is it cheaper to fly to South Korea via Manila or Sydney? Based from our calculations, it was cheaper for us to travel from Manila to Korea. So what we did was booked our plane tickets via Cebu Pacific and fly from Manila instead of stopping over in Korea to and from Sydney. Our flights and accommodation were all booked online and were settled even before we were in Manila.

Do Filipino citizens in Australia need to apply for a Korean tourist visa? Yes. My Husband still holds a Filipino passport so he had to apply for a visa. He was asked to present a show money of AUD$5,000.00, our flight itinerary and accommodation bookings. Before you do anything, please call the South Korea Consulate General (+61-2-9210-0200 – Sydney; +61-2-627041000 – Canberra) to confirm what you need to do. Visa or denial of visa is granted after 5 working days.

Why Seoul? Part of our travel plan everytime we go overseas is to grab the chance to explore an Asian city. The last time we were in the Philippines, we went to Hongkong. When I picked up my Husband in Dubai, we had a quick stopover in Singapore. When we planned our Manila vacation, there were three cities we thought of exploring: Singapore (again), Tokyo or Seoul. The choice to go to Seoul won because (1) it was a chance to have a break from Manila’s heat–April is Springtime in Seoul and it would be lovely to see some Cherry Blossoms; (2) We love Koreanovelas!!! And one of the reasons why we love watching them is because of their lovely scenery and (3) exploring Seoul seemed cheaper compared to going to Singapore or Tokyo. All these three major reasons for choosing Seoul proved to be a good decision.

We took the red eye flight on a Monday morning. We left Manila at 1:15AM and touched down at Incheon International Airport at 5:45AM. We liked taking the red eye flight because it meant we will arrive in South Korea in the morning and we’ll have time to rest and be able to explore the city right away.

I slept soundly during the flight and only woke up because the pilot announced that we will touch down soon. When the Husband opened the window, Korea’s sunrise greeted us a good morning.

It was 6 degrees when we arrived, a chilly morning in Incheon.

We had to ride a small train which transferred us to the Arrivals area of the airport.

This escalator machine talks but I only heard Korean words. Maybe there was an English translation but I didn’t have time to listen.

Their airport is massive. They say an airport is a reflection of a country, in this case, it is true. This country is all about wide and high spaces–much like their airport. It takes a lot of walking to get from Point A to Point B, hence, the help of walkalators.

Their walkalators have these signs. If you incidentally step on the left side, the walkalator will make a loud noise, telling you that you are at the wrong side.

This writing table used by passengers for filling in their travel forms amazed us. Other than pens, they have reading glasses available for passengers to use. What’s more amazing is that there are three reading glasses with three different grades. So cool!

Lining up at the immigration took awhile. But passing by the Customs was a breeze. We had a quick side trip to their foreign exchange centre before going out of the Arrivals section.

And then we were out! And finally we saw this part of the Incheon International Airport, a place we’ve seen in numerous Koreanovelas. My Husband and I were laughing like crazy when we realized that we are finally in South Korea and we felt like we are living a koreanovela we’ve seen on TV (yes, we are lame like that haha, it doesn’t take much to make us happy). I kept on saying, “Oh my God, we are here!”.

They have gardens in the middle of the Arrivals area.

First order of the day was to find a way out of the airport. We checked out the electronic map and the Information Centre.

The electronic map seemed user-friendly enough. The ladies in the Information Centre can speak English.

As we walked towards where we’ll buy bus tickets, we passed by this counter where you can rent phones. In Korea, there are no pre-paid phones (only post-paid) so if you really need a phone, you need rent them out. My Husband and I didn’t rent a phone because we learned that most areas in Seoul have WIFI. We got in touch with our loved ones via FB or twitter while we were there.

There are three ways to get out of Incheon Airport: Bus, Taxi or Train. We decided to take the Limousine Bus which won’t involve too many stops and will drop us right infront of our hotel. There is an “ordinary” bus which is cheaper but will involve more stops. Taking the train will involve a lot of moving from one platform to another or worse, getting on a bus too.

The Limousine Bus costs 15,000 won (about U$15.00) per head.

The cost is worth it because the seats are likened to a business class seat in an airplane. The seat has reclining functions and made it comfortable to sit back and sleep.

The ride going to Seoul took more than an hour because we were on the road during morning rush hour (about 7ish in the morning). Photo below indicates the right side lane has slow moving traffic. Those vehicles stuck in slow moving traffic are on their way to Seoul.

However, seeing Cherry Blossoms outside our window made up for that. We were surprised to see the city enveloped in blooming Cherry Blossoms. We thought we were too late. We were told that Cherry Blossoms usually bloom on the 2nd week of April and only lasts for a few days. We arrived on the 3rd week of April and thank God, there were still lots of Cherry Blossoms.

Our first day in Seoul was cold and drizzly. The weather was gloomy but when we saw this sign that said….

…my Husband and I were both smiling, feeling a certain warmth. We have arrived, finally. An unexpected dream has come true.

UP NEXT: Where we stayed in Seoul.

Welcome HOME.

24 May 2011 Ibyang Sanchez 8 Comments Category: Blog Life, Deep Thoughts

I’m slowly easing myself into work as I’ve finally came back last week. I was a bit overwhelmed when I got back because everyone were so happy and relieved to see me, plus the fact that my presence at work is badly needed already (we are launching a “new” training program in July). I was warmly welcomed with big and long hugs by everyone and some of our external trainers (whom I have become friends with throughout the years) even called me just to say hello. I’m truly, truly touched.

Welcome Note on My Desk (18 May 2011)

One of my workmate-friends, even emphasized, “Welcome back HOME“. This was due to the fact that I told them that I’m still a bit homesick. Another one said, “But this is your home.” That is true. Sydney is home. Manila is home, too. I take pride in having two homes and I never take that for granted. Which is probably why at this time, I let myself miss Manila a bit more even if it meant hurting a bit.

Anyway, with each day that I’m feeling better (due to flu that I got when I was in Manila), I’m gradually increasing my appetite for work. Slowly, I go back to “my normal”.

Welcome KISSES (Cherry-flavoured Kisses from one of my friends at work)

Speaking of Home, I would like to thank everyone who visits my little home here in the blogosphere, “A Wife’s Charmed Life“. I’ve been “quite absent” in the blogosphere lately, I’m even tweetless in twitter. Since I’m still trying to get myself 100% healthy, I avoid doing numerous tasks at the moment and that includes blogging while doing chores at home.

I have so many things to write about, it’s so overwhelming. We captured thousands of photographs and been to a couple of great places. I would like to write about them soon. But where do I start? How do I begin? Where the hell did my mojo for writing go???? I am asking myself these questions for the past week because I want to start blogging again. My mojo for writing is out there somewhere and I’m faithfully waiting for it to come back while I get 100% well. But I hope it comes back soon.

In the meantime, I’ve started replying to emails and will continue doing so in the coming days.

I have received several requests for an exchange of links and I plan to get on to it soon. If you have linked me up in your site, PLEASE LET ME KNOW. Let me know where you’ve linked me up and give me the link to your blog and I will add you to my Love Links page. I don’t mind being linked up and I don’t mind giving the favor back to you. You can let me know by leaving a comment on this blog post OR by leaving a comment in the Love Links page of this blog.

Thank you for your time. I wish you a week full of abundant blessings!