Thursday, June 9, 2011

[SEOUL] Not that Impressed with CoEx


I'm sorry but I wasn't that impressed with Co-Ex, but before you pelt me with Kimchi you have to understand that where I'm from, saying that we have "many" malls is an understatement. CoEx doesn't have the advantage of a bayside view that gives the Mall of Asia its charm. It could probably rival Greenbelt in terms of the chic factor but this is mainly attributed to the people who go there. Koreans are very fashion-forward and they are probably the only ones who could give the Japanese a run for their money in terms of fashion sense, no matter how outrageous it might seem at times. Greenbelt, on the contrary, would remain trendy with or without the people, in my opinion. The building's orientation linking it to a tower could probably rack in some extra points but this becomes fairly negligible when pitted against KL's Suria KLCC. There's just no winning against the Petronas Twin Towers.


This is not to say, however, that Co-Ex is a waste of time. Don't take my word for it. We have different motivations for going to malls. Mine is somehow limited to watching movies and observing people. If yours happen to include excessive plastic swiping and watching fish, then you came to the right place. There is a wide variety of goods to choose from, fast food chains both Korean and international, and a lot of culture. There always seems to be an exhibit going on. You can also visit the Kimchi Museum. I was not able to experience the aquarium, though, but judging from the flashy display at the entrance I could bet that what you see inside would be worth the admission ticket. It closes at 8 by the way. Last admission is at 7 PM.


I was able to catch X-Men First Class at Megabox. Koreans watch foreign movies with subtitles, so you really don't have to worry about misunderstanding a Korean speaking Professor X. They have a lot of cinemas for one mall and the luxury of space inside makes it conducive for relaxation, which I greatly needed after my first share of Korean (or Japanese) hostility that morning, leaving me a bit depressed and homesick.


I was looking for Mr. Kim's Guest House that morning but I simply couldn't find it. Instead I found another guesthouse on a hill, which wasn't really accessible but happened to be within the path of my descent. I checked it out. The woman entertained me and asked for my passport. I was out of Won so I decided to find a money changer first. She was trying to explain how to find one and kept saying "anoo..." a Japanese conversational filler, which led me to think that she was actually Japanese. After looking in vain I decided to come back and just eat first. I will just get my bag and give her an excuse.

She was furious after hearing I won't be "checking in". She tossed me my passport and started talking fast. All I could catch went something like, "Shillyemyeon andwaeyo!" which I immediately decrypted to be a more polite version of "Fvck off, moron." Actually it means something more like, "If you excuse yourself it isn't possible!" translated word per word.


It was my fault but her "guest house" was expensive and inaccessible and she was asking for a minimum stay of two nights. My mistake was having second thoughts and not refusing right away. This is why I just decided to go to CoEx after finding a place to stay. A mall immediately reminds me of home and a movie just uplifts my spirits. CoEx was able to do that. So fish or no fish, thanks anyway CoEx.

[SEOUL] Not that Impressed with CoEx

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