The Toy Story: South Korea

Remember how I began my Toy Story journey last year?

Yea the story of how I started to buy the real-size toys from Toy Story which I couldn't seem to be doing when I was younger. Well actually it technically began in 2015 when I got Mr Potato Head from Japan. But last year I hit the jackpot of the three main stars in just a single trip to Hong Kong and then I realized that this ritual couldn't just stop there.

And so today, I'd like to tell you the continuation of the story.

It was when I traveled to South Korea. I mean, it's Korea. I never expected myself to bump into any toys, let alone Toy Story toys, LET FVCKING ALONE real-size Toy Story toys. There's no Disneyland in Korea, not even Disney Store. So my trip was really all about nature, culture, and those travelers' actual goals. Not Vicky Amin's goals.

So it took me by surprise, and by delight, to spot a very charming, unassuming toy store nestled in the craze of food places and clothes shops of Jeju's busy city center. I stepped inside with not much expectation, only to be mindblown by the existence of one doll sitting by the corner of the shop.

Bullseye the Horse.

My hand was snatching the doll on its own command. It wasn't made of real quality leather like the one in the films. It wasn't coming with the box, nor any stand, so what it could do was just sitting around loosely or dangling helplessly. But it WAS THE REAL SIZE.

I didn't care much about anything else because it was the real size. I already have Woody, Buzz, and Jessie at home so bringing Bullseye would complete my Toy Story 2 collection. I only had just one concern, though: where was it made? Because if it was just a random toy produced in Korea, just a random doll made for girls to pick out of other unbranded bears and Sallies, I might not gonna go for it.

But then the tag was there. The tag that showed this toy's quality. The tag which confirmed that this Bullseye deserve a spot in my room with rest of the roundup. The tag that says "TOKYO DISNEY RESORT".

And that was it. Without further ado, I brought the doll to the cashier and saved Bullseye from its uncertain future.

But my Toy Story in Korea didn't end there.

Just when I was about to make the purchase, I see one other toy that caught my attention. Not one of those main toys, but important enough to make me think of buying him as well. It's

Wheezy.

It was a literal doll, not a plastic-made squeezy toy like he's supposed to be. But again, he was of the real size. And any real-size Toy Story toys would really matter to me. And on top of that, it's Wheezy.

He didn't have a nice back story in the film. He was abandoned all the way up the shelf, hidden behind the books, showered in dusts. He was about to be sold at the yard sale, but Woody saved him. So I thought, this was my call. I had to save him.

Plus, when I checked the tag, apparently he was also coming from Tokyo Disney Resort. He must have been in the same place as the Bullseye doll I was about to buy, MY Bullseye. They've been through the same journey, been through the same disappointment from not being chosen by the kids who entered the store, been through the same hardship. It'd be a sin if I separate them today, and so, with not much more consideration, I brought along this Wheezy doll.

Now you may think I'm crazy, to having such nonsense thoughts only to buy toys. Well I must say I am. I'm really sensitive about this kind of thing. Nonsense things.

As for these toys, the idea of them traveling from Tokyo to end up in a random toy store in Jeju, only to be brought to Busan and Seoul and eventually to its final home in Indonesia, it amazes me already. These toys have the stories of their own, which I would never know exactly how it went, and that alone gave me more reasons to bring them with me.

Sadly I have no proper photos of them boat. These are when we were on the
ferry to Busan, on the exact day I bought them :D

This Toy Story game is evolving to not only about me.
It also talks a lot about them

The Playlist From Korea

No, I'm not going to confess that I'm a fan of K-Pop.

Although I got to admit that I like one or two songs.

I want to tell you about a story. Yea, yea, another trip. Regular destination though, it's not like I was traveling to somewhere out of people's common sense -although there was one destination from this trip that was quiet anti-mainstream I'm really proud of going!

It's to South Korea.

Right? Regular. The destination. As for the trip itself, umm, I don't know, it felt a bit different, because otherwise, why would I want to make a big deal out of it here on my blog?

So you know I just returned from Macao last month. Crazy. And I'd REALLY love to brag about how my traveling plan could eventually be so packed it's not even midyear yet!? But yea, not now. Because I want to talk about this South Korea trip now. Which was TOTALLY lacking of plans -because all my energy were drained from Macao- and lacking of excitement -because I've been so emotionally squeezed from work BECAUSE I LEFT FOR FVCKING 6 DAYS TO MACAO AND LESS THAN A MONTH LATER I WENT AWAY AGAIN TO KOREA, DO YOU THINK MY BOSS WOULD LET ME GO EASILY AND HAPPILY!?

Ah well, so yea, in summary, I departed to Busan unplanned, I even brought my laptop along with me to keep up with works I hadn't done -I swear this was the first time... I once brought laptop but it was to Japan in which I had to do my internship, not a real trip for a holiday- and help me arrange my itinerary because I seriously hadn't plan anything! I arrived in Busan just to catch a flight to Jeju, which was the real first stop of this trip.

And this, honestly, was the highlight of my trip.

Jeju was amazing. The nature, the weather, the food, and the people I met. Oh, the people I met. Since the hour one -not day one, HOUR ONE- I met this American guy whom apparently had the same plan to go to this -erotic- museum. So not wasting any more time, because it was already late at noon, we went to that -erotic- museum, saw all the -erotic- stuff, and bought some -erotic- souvenir, while BOTH OF US WERE GUYS WHILE OTHER VISITORS WERE REAL COUPLES HAHA THAT WAS THE BEST TWIST! We then had dinner at local Korean izakaya near our place, had a heart-to-heart talk and got drunk -on each others' stories, duuhh. We were so "Meant to Be" roommates.

The next day, our ways were no longer "Crossroads". We had different plan this time, so I went to see some awesome nature with my new Japanese friend. He was another beautiful touch to my Korean trip. Because on top of those places which was originally stunning, his companion was so amazing as we shared lots of common interests. The best one would of course be each meal time, with lots of jan-ken-pon -original Japanese version of "rock-paper-scissor because hey THE PORTION OF KOREAN SHARED FOODS ARE SOMETIMES GIGANTIC WE HAD TO FAIRLY DECIDE WHO GETS THE MORE FOOD- and sojus -ahh let's not start talking about this because being high with a Japanese is the best thing you have to do at least once in a lifetime!

On the third day I met both guys separately, but I don't think I'd want to talk more about this because now it seems like this blog post can exceed the length of a football field. I want to jump to the fourth day, which was the last day in Jeju for all three of us, but those guys left earlier in the morning and left me totally alone, realizing that since ever my trip started,

This was the first time I was actually by myself.

Damn. "Those Days Are Gone" man. They really left. It felt so empty without those two basterds. And I swear I never felt so lonely being a solo traveler. I tried hiking, but the bus going to the mountain was the same that I took with the American guy the day before, so it didn't really work out. I bought some toys, which cheered my up a bit, but the street where the store was was the one I always had dinner with the Japanese guy every single night. I left Jeju heartbroken, riding a ferry, and I swear that dusk on the ferry deck, where I tried to defend myself from the crazy spring wind while staring back to the island, was the worst goodbye ever. And it was only Korea, for God's sakes... but "All the Stars" were weeping with me that night.

I woke up arriving in Busan. And it rained. Well it rained almost the whole two days of my visit there, so clear that the universe knew well how I felt. The city was amazing, so amazing that it became just like a regular tourist visit. Because I didn't make friends with anybody. So yea, let's say it was just like "The Middle" stage.

Things got a little bit better when I arrived in my final destination. Seoul. Supposed to be the main dish of the trip, and that's why I put it on the last stop. And good news is, I made friends again, and a lot! My roommates were awesome too this time: a Chinese guy who did work-out a lot -during his trip to Seoul, please note it, and this American-Iranian guy who joined on my last day in Korea. We hung out only once, though, because we seemed to have a whole different plan. But I also met this Singaporean college student during my exploration, and this American-Mid-Eastern guy whom I thought would be my "Redemption Song" because on our first meet, it was totally a match. He even invited me to join him and his Korean gang to have dinner and party the next day -which was also my last day, because it was Saturday Night.

And so I did. It began really well, I bonded really strong with his group, which consisted of two Korean girls and two Korean guys. We ate, we talked, we played some Korean drinking game, and went on to the clubs. It started to be kind of blurry, and the next thing I know, I went to the base camp already with one of his girl friend -which was his closest friend, but until today I can't remember her name!- and one thing led to another, which I think those guys had a big fight, so everybody left, and I got stranded. Good God I met a Korean guy and we hung out for a while until I was good enough to go. I was so grateful to meet this angel who looked after me, but still, my mind was still on the gang. It was so random!? And I still couldn't figure out what happened. It was "Like A Riddle". A nasty kind of riddle, because it happened exactly on my last day, leaving me leaving Korea with this roller coaster of emotion.

Fvck, it's like I'm playing my own K-drama. All I want was just a nice, enjoyable journey. Well it was nice, and enjoyable too though. But the bitter twists here and there, duh, that I couldn't really handle. But all and all it was a tremendously amazing trip. And believe it or not, I miss it like crazy already.

Not sure "What I Miss Most" though,

But obviously it wasn't the buildings.

It may most likely be the people,

But I guess it wasn't quiet it.

I think it's the sensation

Of playing along in this dramatic Korean Playlist of mine,

Which didn't have the typical beautiful ending I always see.

But it sure does have the one that made this trip really,

REALLY amazing:
"Love Scenario"