Octagon: A Review

During our first weekend in Seoul, we were brave enough to venture into Gangnam to party at the hottest club in Seoul. We wanted to get a table, but at 1,000,000W the idea was laughable–unless you’re Brian Yi. Instead we each paid about 30,000W (~$30) for a Saturday night at Octagon! Once inside, it was obvious that we were in the Beverly Hills of Seoul. Everything that Psy sang about in Gangnam Style was here– the beautiful girls with perfect hair, Louboutins and a size 0– were all here. They were dipped in Gucci, Herve, Saint Laurent, all of the above. It was an alternate universe and of course a group of obvious “expats” clearly stood out. Avoiding the cold atmosphere, we quickly maneuverer to the dance floor– this is where things got fun and we realised *or at-least I did* why Octagon was Seoul’s best nightclub. It was sailor night, and what is a sailor/yacht theme without sailor hats and lightsabers? Its just a regular old gathering of strangers or a party as some like to call it. Octagon’s strong point for me was the fact that Octagon was not just a party location, they delivered an experience. From the Lil’ John-esque DJ with his Korean sidekick, the sailor/navy models, the blinding dry ice that would spray into the dance floor at random moments, the lightsabers, one free drink with entrance and the cute sailor hats– It was totally worth it!

Dear Mom, You are a Big Deal

So about 2 weeks ago, during our first full weekend in Seoul I made a mistake. I was texting my mother and selfishly decided that it was time to go. She sent a text, that I did not receive initially (got it in the morning) and I never responded. I come back home from a night at Club Octagon my phone is dead, I am tired, sweaty and ready for bed. Naturally, I pass out. Next morning at 9AM Seoul Time I receive a knock at my door with a note delivered from the front desk. It was from my mom! Apparently she called and scared the front desk people at Casaville so much that they attempted to come to my room three times the night before, and then early in the morning. I opened the envelope only to find a loving note reminding me to CALL MY MOTHER. Though it was not a big deal yet, there was no way I could understand what it’s like to not be able to reach your child. I guess it comes from years of motherhood and a growing love for someone you gave life to. And yes Mom, I know you’re reading this, but I am very sorry I didn’t call. The truth of the matter is, always call your mother because when you can’t call your mother anymore it will be a sad day.

Love ya Adelia.

xx

It’s been a while

This work life balance is rather difficult. Adjusting to the real work day that starts at 8:30 but ends at 5:30 on paper isn’t as it seems.The day really starts at 6 and ends whenever you plaster your face to your bed, so like 11pm. The week has been fine, it’s just very different from the work-life balance in College. I will DEFINITELY cherish my minimal free time at UChicago!

Oyori et. al.

This weekend it was all about walking around and trying random restaurants in Seoul. The first place we [Interns] tried as a group was a fried chicken joint. They had wifi, they were open late, and we ate in a basement and mingled. The food was amazing, cheap and the conversation flowed well! The next morning, lunch/breakfast was at a small noodle shop near our hotel in Sinchon. None of us knew any English, but the lady who worked in the restaurant knew we had a look of desperation and hunger. She kindly yelled “ramen” and we all giggled and walked right into the restaurant. That too, was a good decision. But of all the places we visited, Oyori was probably my favorite. It was trendy, kind of pricey (for Seoul) and had a great concept. Oyori Asia “supports women in poverty to be financially and socially independent and realizes a sustainable social value, entering the global market. I was enthused to find a delicious Indonesian Seafood Soup (Laksa Soup) and a  sour.

 

Song of the Summer: Latch

Basically this song is everything right now. If you haven’t heard get on it. Sam Smith is extremely talented and this collab with Disclosure romanticizes the club love we see in music videos. Close your eyes, lay in your bed, put this track on and go wherever “Latch” sends you!

Backtrack: Korean Air Flight Experience

I meant to do this a few days ago, but as usual I forgot to comment on my flight experience on Korean Air. Overall the flight was fantastic. The Airbus A380 Jet was beautiful with a massive wing-span and 4 silent Rolls Royce Trent Engine Jets. The food was very good as well. Within the first hour of flight, we were given peanuts and wine, followed by a choice of chicken, beef or bibimbap! In efforts to be more authentic and cultured, I went for the bibimbap. This was a fantastic choice. There was a meal served maybe about 5 hours after the first meal with a snack and drinks in between. The only thing I wanted was more selection in the entertainment system in terms of shows. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the fact that they had all but one of the Oscar nominated best films— and if you take a guess which one wasn’t there, you’d probably be surprised…considering it won the award. I was equipped with macarons from LeMacaron (Delray Beach) and a blanket for the long haul. I think my favorite feature of the plane was the triple view camera (forward, tail, and belly).

Experience 3.8/5

(Compared to United Direct from Newark to Shanghai which was the best flight experience I’ve ever had).

 

Home at Sinchon

So far everything in Seoul has been absolutely remarkable. The couple days I’ve been here has been better than a quarter at UChicago in terms of the personal growth and having the ability to put things into perspective. I spent my Sunday perched on my bed and looking out the window at the giant LG sign as well as the landscape of Seoul. The next month will be very beautiful!

Rajay’s Travel Essentials

L'opulence Noir

Must haves for my flight to Korea!

Check out this board which details the inspiration for my next 12 hours!

xoxo

-Raj

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Summertime Fine

New Ab-Workout to get the summer started. I have to be real, I don’t work out. But I figured I should start in order to get my body tighter for the summer bikini season. Every morning I am committed to a 10 minute ab workout followed by a 10-15 minute cardio. Hopefully, in time I will work out more but I just want to start by nailing down a schedule and a routine!

Route to Seoul

I will be working for Hyundai Capital in Seoul for a month before transferring back to America, to Work for Hyundai Capital America. This is all apart of an internship program by Hyundai Capital Service/Hyundai Capital America, a finance firm in Korea and its American subsidiary (respectively).

The journey began three months ago, when I formally accepted my offer. Now the time has come to finally embrace working abroad!

After 17 hours of flying (Fort Lauderdale-Los Angeles-Seoul), Summer can begin!

Please keep comments positive and give tips/recommendations of things to do in Seoul!

xx
-Raj