Super Show(s) 10

In 2023, at the end of my personal SS9 tour, I wrote "Till my SS10 tour!". 

It's finally time. 3 years later, we are now beyond the 20th anniversary celebrations for my favourite ancient Kpop group. It's not always that a long-awaited event ends in satisfaction, and this means that I've got many lucky stars to thank. But before the reflections, let's summarize!

This round, it was my privilege to attend:

- Seoul, 23 Aug 2025

- Manila, 4 Oct 2025

- Singapore, 2-3 Jan 2026

- Seoul (Encore), 5 Apr 2026

5 shows in total, less than the 8 of SS9 and with one less overseas stop. Despite that, the SS10 run came with much deeper contentment and appreciation.

+++++++++

Seoul, KSPO Dome, 23 Aug 2025

- We made it! SS10 was real! And most importantly for me, I got to watch it! Live! Never shall I forget that (1) I got a ticket (2) to watch my long-time favs (3) on my first birthday (4) after a major health event. It was my comeback as well.

- Ticketing was guaranteed to be a battle, what with the surge of ELFs coming out of hibernation for the big milestone. So I went in single-mindedly to secure a seat (any seat, just get in can alr) on my bday show and came out with nothing left to want. 

- While the terrible Korean summer couldn't kill my spirits, it made things quite challenging. Back then, I'd only just reached the bare minimum of travel-readiness and the typical Korean stairs and walking distances were extra tough. At KSPO, I rmb making a judgement call to decline sprinting between the dome and the nearest CU to meet someone coz it was imperative to stay safe to watch the show.

- It was my first time in the wide, flat KSPO Dome since I'd casually missed the Seoul run of Half-time. If Jamsil was a bowl, KSPO felt more like a plate. The coziness of Jamsil Arena can't be beaten but for SJ, the scale of KSPO was necessary. Even before the explosive 20th anni, SJ's popularity seemed to be steadily growing, alongside their ages. There would've been an uproar if any smaller venue were chosen, and performing any more shows than they did would've been a health risk.

- It was also my first time seeing Heechul perform live! I live with few regrets but one of them was that I held back from going for SS7 - the first SS I could've afforded after I entered the workforce... and also the last before Heechul's hiatus from concerts. They would all continue to be around anyway... right? And so I internalised the lesson on not taking things for granted. After seeing him on stage for the first time, it was clear to me that he was born for it. It probably took tons of physical and mental hard work for him to get back, and hearing him declare at the end of the tour that he was now and forever Super Junior's Kim Heechul melted my heart. Welcome home indeed, Oppa. 

- I prob mentioned it on IG or elsewhere but really, the giant hanging X above the X-shaped stage was so so impressive. My gut feel was right that such amazing logistics wouldn't be feasible to replicate on tour. This is why it is important to attend the Seoul run if possible, because that's where SJ's full intentions are realised before things are cut into a more manageable and sustainable size.

- They went right into the songs and never really stopped till the end. The setlist was crammed with songs from over the years, surprisingly enough to force out their usual chaotic and draggy ments haha. I was counting and other than the songs from the latest SJ25 album, almost all songs were more than 10 years old. We got a good helping of 20 year-old songs too, some of which might have sounded right at home in 2026 if sung by a younger group in modern times. This is why my Spotify age pretty much reflects my true age haha.

- As a long-time ELF who commenced concert-going at a late stage, this was my shining chance to hear their old, less-performed titles live. This refers to the likes of Twins and Don't Don, which I actl like more than the holy trinity. My guess is that now that they've gotten their light of day, they'll be mothballed again until the 25th anni at earliest.

- I've always marveled at their fitness, but moreso for SS10 with that non-stop full-group setlist. In usual Super Shows, the unit/solo stages give the other members time to rest. This time, they only had the VCRs. In other words, even if they're not the same shape as their Bonamana days, their cardio capacity still outstrips regular humans by far. 

- Speaking of Bonamana, they elected to perform the original version, with all of its aerobic moves, rather than the rock version they've been doing for years. It really gave me the motivation to get back in shape. If guys in their 40s can do this much, I can at least do a fraction xD

- Compared to the haphazard opportunity-hoarding that was my SS9 run, I think my prevailing mental state allowed me to be completely satisfied with that one-day concert attendance. It's like I accepted that this run would naturally be more limited, and so I better be immersed as much as possible at each show. In any case, Seoul concerts always signal the beginning of a period of looking forward to the next concert ^^

Manila, SM Mall of Asia Arena, 4 Oct 2025

- The plan for SS10 was always Seoul + SG + 1 overseas stop + encore. It happens that only the Manila date fit nicely for the overseas choice. I was amused at my affinity with Manila by that point haha. This was my 3rd time in Manila for a concert, after SS9 and Fan Party so I really should visit the Philippines for a proper non-concert trip sometime in the future. 

- Thanks to my friend and her contacts, I had a reallyyyy good seat. Prob closest seat in the house to any part of the stage! A seat like this was worthy of my trusty fanboard and hence I got a few servings of fan service throughout the concert :D 

- The acoustics of SM MOA made the already powerful SS10 opening segment particularly thunderous. I was like whoa and having to "brace" my heart but thankfully the rest of the concert proceeded quite normally. 

- Apart from the fan service, seats like these were also meant for catching details such as adlibs or other random antics. Ultimately, I left Manila so satisfied that I totally didn't mind not snagging any VIP seat for the rest of the tour. It's been a fantastic run so far in that I've gotten up-close seats/standing positions for every tour to-date (where Ryeowook could see my fanboard hehe) - let's hope that this continues!

BONUS: Countdown @ Kallang, 31 Dec 2025

- While waiting for ticketing deets to come out for the original 3 Jan SS10 in SG, this announcement came as a curveball that no one expected! It meant that SJ would be spending a good 4 days on the sunny island (including holding a rare physical fansign that only the craziest/luckiest fans got to attend).

- Honestly, I could do without staying up that late, but I cannot not go if SJ is in my home country, especially not when tix cost only $12. During ticketing, I got in fast and naively checked out 2 tix for the front pens before realising that almost all my friends didn't manage to get anything before they sold out >.< The organisers were compelled to add more tix, showing the importance of guest choice.

- Since the venue wasn't big, the $12 came with a very decent view! The most dedicated ELFs apparently queued to get in since 6am and they were rewarded at the barricade with hi-fives with the SJs. The less-dedicated me was like a mere 20m away from the stage - good enough!

- Physically, I was in a better place by then and able to manage the intermittent standing past my usual bedtime. I was having to keep close tabs on my condition throughout my SS10 run actually. It felt like each of the stops and their unique characteristics fell into place nicely for when I was ready to take them on.

- SJ came out last so we had to wait, but I was sufficiently entertained by the other acts beforehand. Sitting on the floor, I acknowledged that Tabitha Nauser really can sing, and got to add a few songs from Cheng Huan to my dusty mandopop playlist. 

- Over dinner, the group of us speculated that SJ would sing their holy trinity + Miracle and be done with it. But they opened with Express Mode (ok nubbad!) and then at some point Believe came out! The livestream audio was extremely terrible but wow on ground, their vocals were flawless, even after landing around 10pm and zooming over to perform. I got goosebumps at Ryeowook's opening of Believe - a song with beautiful full Korean lyrics, written by Heechul, such as: 

그대의 미소가 지워지지 않길 바래요

언제나 행복한 날들이 계속 되길 빌며

- Believe was followed by Devil which thus became the final song I heard in 2025. But I'm partial to Bonamana and was extremely heartened that that was the song played at the stroke of midnight, right after the 10s countdown ended and alongside the final sequence of fireworks. 2010-me, whose first comeback as an ELF was Bonamana, couldn't have foreseen that so many years later, she would get to open a year with that same song. 

- I think there must've been Sorry Sorry somewhere but last but not least, we were treated to a fitting Miracle. Daresay I could do with believing that "life couldn't get better!". It's not objectively true of course, even now in Jun 2026, since life is still in the process of getting better (slowly). But I think... that feeling is a great state of mind to have, and I definitely totally believe it whenever I'm jumping around to SJ hahaha.

- Must mention that, although I confirm that my bias is still Ryeowook, Heechul was very suave that night. It was the return of his Mamacita bartender look. He's handsome/pretty enough even when styled like an ahjumma, but there are definitely looks that I prefer!

- (My real) Sis somewhat enjoyed herself and acknowledged that SJ were great live!

Singapore, Indoor Stadium, 2-3 Jan 2026

- I took it chill partially coz of the amazing VIP experience in Manila, but also coz I settled easily in face of the fiercest ticketing battle I've fought for SG (3 Jan). 13 tabs opened across 8 devices only yielded a single Cat 4 tix. To this day, I have no idea how other people manage to get their desired tickets after hours of refreshing, coz I never have the stomach for such uncertainty. 

- And then, they added an additional day (2 Jan)! This was historical - the last time SJ held a 2-night show in SG was over a decade ago at their peak. Ticketing for the second show was comparatively easy with ELF membership, but apparently gen sales were just as much of a bloodbath as the original day. Doesn't need a data analyst to show that the returnee ELFs were out in full force. After SS10, my guess is that their vows were renewed for the long run haha. So, hopefully... SG will have 2-night shows again in the future *crosses fingers*.

- SJ aside, what made those two days the utmost joy for me was that I got to meet so many of my real-life friends from across years and circles. It was two days worth of compressed catch ups and phototaking. A shared love for SJ really brings people together and my heart was filled to the brim even before entering the stadium. It really was a good start to the year.💙

- Rather than a ticketing concession, I saw this as my first chance to experience the second floor of the Indoor Stadium from the front and side views. No much fan service up there, but the immersion remained potent! That high up, as I'd already experienced in KSPO, the view expands to include the bobbing lightsticks of other ELFs enjoying themselves.  

- SG ELFs are not known for enthusiasm. But this time, I felt a change from previous Super Shows. Maybe it was the excitement from the returnee ELFs or maybe everyone was just extra charged up for the 20th anni, but WOW the fanchants. The stadium literally echoed at "the last man standing!", particularly on Day 2. For the first time, I was proud to be an SG ELF. 

- SJ themselves seemed to be responding very well to the enthusiasm! Or maybe it was just coz it was the first concerts of the new year. This also meant the start of their "40s" branding lolol. The whole group insists on saying that they are all in their 40s (in Korean age) even if the maknaes are still 38 and 39 in international age. Cue lots of self-generated age humour but the best was Leeteuk's "I'm your superstar, I'm your idol, I'm your uncle" xD

- Despite the humour, there were real signs of physical wear and tear, with the most obvious being Heechul's wrist guard. I was thus surprised to see him play the Sorry Sorry drum set on Day 1, but he didn't do so on Day 2. As the members explained, adjustments were made along the way in consideration of their various conditions. The drum segment was an unexpected occurrence in SG, especially since I didn't see it in Manila and thought it was gone for good (or at least until the real powerhouse stops). 

- Each of the SS10 stops I attended belonged to a different setlist "era". SG was my first encounter with the very singalong-able Too Many Beautiful Girls, and there was also the second encore (Miracle) after Finale. So although I could sense that the setlist was shorter than before (bye Don't Don), it still felt whole. This I try to explain to Mummy every time she asks why I was going for the same concert again and again. It's like going to a playground right? The playground stays the same but it's always fun haha. 

- I couldn't see amidst the flurry of confetti, but the whole group actually did a deep bow to the audience during the encore segment on Day 1. Special, first concert of the year things! I'm not sure how the tour lineup was planned, but seriously, it was insane luck that we were able to start the year with SJ right here at home. 

- And that was the end of my SS10 run in its existing form. All there was left was to watch fancams to pass time and wait for news of the encore...

Cr: orenji_sg2 on X.

Seoul (Encore), KSPO Dome, 5 Apr 2026

- Not sure about other groups, but SJ has shown time and again that they don't simply... settle. As a group, they have an obsession with outdoing themselves.

- Some of the members have described the encore as "SS11" and I can't blame them haha. It is SJ's self-inflicted tradition for their encores to be a vast overhaul from the main runs. This was taken to a whole new level for the 10th edition and the end of the 20th anni. I can't think of any reason why anyone would work this hard when they don't need to, other than that they genuinely enjoy it. 

- The seatplan came out showing that it'd be their first ever 360 degree concert, breaking the mould for many other groups that've come before and after them. I was amazed... but not totally surprised. It's so SJ to have pushed for this.

- Again, my mindset was just to get into KSPO Dome. I'd be in the country any way and it would've been the icing on a very sweet trip as is. Thanks again to zero hesitation, I got my intended tix and got out. And then, because of an SOS, I went back in to grab whatever I could on another day and miraculously managed to. It really is all thanks to the higher availability across 3 days of 360 degrees, which SJ managed to sell out. I've been lucky to have secured most of my own tickets thus far, but with the steady increase in difficulty, it might only be a matter of time before other options have to kick in. This is especially after SJ specified that the 360 degree setup was a special occurrence since it was particularly difficult to prep for. 

- When I got to Seoul this time, conditions were much better both in terms of the weather and my physical health. The reduction in overall worry and caution meant that more resources could be allocated to simple enjoyment. 

- One of SJ's problems is having too many great songs. How do you commemorate a 20-year, extremely decorated and active career? It's not like they were dusting off a limited song selection for a reunion every 5 years. This problem manifests in the concerts and things like Killing Voice where they kinda self-limit to an overflowing best hits compilation. 

- If SS10 was the grand commemoration, SJ-Core was more like SJ doing just what they and ELFs really wanted - somewhat like the mood of the SS9 encore actually. And so, I think they had a bit more freedom in selecting songs. Yes, Dorothy and In A Dream deserved their spots in SS10, but they were put away just for a while and hence, I got to hear the likes of Angela, Storm, Evanesce, and Raining Spell for Love :') My manifest list was pretty spot on since my tastes align well with the typical ELF's, but live Angela was something I didn't dare dream of. Count on SJ to know their fans, but it could also be that they enjoy such songs themselves haha. Of all their songs, Angela sounds like it was pulled right out of an old mp3 player and Heechul was singing along enthusiastically (off-mic) outside his own parts xD

- I'd kept mostly spoiler-free and went in confident that whatever songs they chose from their 20-year catalog, including solos/units, I'd know the entire setlist. I should've expected to be proven wrong haha, give it to SJ to pull a surprise every single time! There were 2 songs I didn't know but this was no fault of my own coz they were new and yet-to-be-released. 

- Never in my wildest dreams did I expect to see the coming of 83z and dare I say that theirs was my favourite performance in the entire concert. I smiled through the entire song I was hearing for the first time :') First, well, music always comes first and it was 100% my type of song - a dramatic rock ballad somewhere between the likes of MLTR and Nickelback. I imagine that Onsaemiro will enter my 2026 top songs rather easily once it's finally released on Spotify. Second, that combination OMG. Those two... As a long-time ELF I think I understand how much character development it took over these decades to finally make it possible for them to stand on stage together. No other duo in SJ would've caught my interest like that, period. Not even if it were Ryeowook + another member. I am currently eagerly awaiting their official debut and fancon tour pretty much as eagerly as that of my real bias hahaha.

- The other song I didn't know was the D&E version of Rocket - one of the songs in Donghae's then yet-to-be-released album. They chose well for the whole KSPO to manage to sing along to a new song that included "Super Junior" in the lyrics. As it is said, no one loves SJ more than SJ.

Acha survived the overhaul, so here's the awesome rainbow view from the 山顶.

- Throughout the SS10 tour they all used the same shiny blue-cased mic. For SJ-Core, each member used their own personalised mics gifted by fans (except for 83z since Heechul didn't have his own and Leeteuk... probably didn't want to let his 搭档 feel alone). Quite symbolic actually. 

- The only end that SJ-Core signified was that of the 20th anni celebrations. For many other groups, this would mean a quiet spell but not SJ lol. The members were all raring to go and were busy promoting their upcoming solos/subunit activities... and also SS11. They never spoke of it as an "if", merely a "when".

-  I came out of KSPO Dome contented and eager for things to come. 

+++++++++

As the members have joked of ELFs and of themselves, once you've been in it for this long, you've missed the opportunity to get out and you're in it till the end. 

I was always confident that they'd reach the 20th anni and SS10. Before SS10, I'd primed myself not to see them again for a while after the tour ended but now I know that I needn't have worried that much haha. SJ is now well into their 21st year and I have absolutely not been able to keep up with them. Full group activities are on hold for now but ironically this means that ELFs are more busy than ever since there's at least one Suju doing something in every week of 2026. And their support for each other means that they appear in countless combinations all over social media. I shall be well-fed with contents from my dear show window group. It's clear now that the only time they really go silent is in preparation for group comebacks, under strict orders to avoid spoilers haha. 

I can trust SJ on SS11. On hindsight, parallels can be drawn with the release of their 11th album. Back at the 15th anni in 2020, the 10th album was such a hyped up milestone and although it was a solid album, the rollout was delayed to 2021 and was quite meh due to SM's antics and covid. Then suddenly and with comparatively less fanfare, as the world was cautiously coming back to life in 2022, SJ started releasing a collection of singles/minis that would collectively make up the 11th album "The Road". One of those minis was subtitled "Keep On Going". There was their intention right there, shining strong. 

From then, I got the sense that SJ doesn't stop at nice, big milestones. It's like the 10th album was just another work project and they moved on to the next one right after without taking time to bask. Maybe next year, the 20th anni will feel that way too. But still, there are no guarantees in life, not even things slated to happen at 7.30am on the next day. So I will hold on to their intention and hope that it comes to fruition. 

Life so far has moved in ways that reinforce my belief that things happen as they are meant to. It doesn't mean there's no point putting in effort and waiting for things to occur, quite the contrary... I still had to fight for the tickets and plan the trips. But for a bunch of random seats buried on the remote 山顶s, there were those shining VIP ones and all those people who were with me along the way. Just like the rest of life, right?

Looking back, it was a miracle for me to be there at the start and at the end. There are endless what ifs and one of the milder ones is: what if SJ had kicked off SS10 earlier in 2025? Knowing myself, I'd have stayed home safe and watched on Weverse haha. But since I was there, I was meant to be there. On my birthday ^^

SJ is still here (as a group), and I'm still here. Well, now they are more of dispersed agents but I think the periodic separation does help keep them together hahaha. For the moment, I am very very excited about the upcoming releases from Ryeowook and 83z most, and there's definitely more than that to come. Looking forward to SS11 is not the priority since my concert run for 2026 is far from over, but I shall still say for good luck:

Till my SS11 tour!

시작부터 

끝까지

KR 🌸 Apr 2026 Part 1: "Busan"

[At the airport]

Mummy: how many times have you been to Korea?

Me: *counts fingers* this will be the 7th.

That many, and yet the favs keep getting replaced. That said, this trip was special enough that I doubt it's gonna be overtaken anytime soon!

After a few years of envy and some very close misses, I decided that it was time to prioritise the cherry blossom chase. I have to say that we were VERY lucky for this trip to have gone the way it did, especially dates-wise. After deconflicting across family travel plans (incl giving at least 1 day to do laundry after my Disney cruise), we settled on 1-9 Apr. Forecasts notwithstanding, coz plants do things their own way, we were treated to the full suite of views, from early to full blooms to petal fall! Basically, the blooming occurred earlier than forecast and my original plan to start later (after 5 Apr) would've given us a spectacular view of branches.

Another first is that mummy came along! It was a holiday just for me and mummy, and this was a combi that I felt brought out the best of this trip - it was important that we're both walkers. And to my benefit, I gained a rather talented personal photographer and got to eat 3 square meals a day, which doesn't usually happen during solos haha. Mummy likes flowers/plants, so I was all the more thankful that the flowers showed up and she could experience a regular travel destination of mine in its most beautiful form. 

There's even a bonus. Despite planning in isolation, the stars aligned enough for a few good friends to feature on this trip! I've never taken these occurrences for granted over the years. And, this makes 3 out of 3 for workplaces yielding travel-worthy friends ^^

++++++++++

Day 1, 1 Apr, Wed: Busan

For the very first time, I arrived in a Korea engulfed in pastel pink. 

The cherry blossom viewing actually started in the air with those tiny pink pompoms far below!

But first, to hotel for a nap. Gimhae airport just wasn't spec-ed for the cherry blossom peak and I was zombiefied after queuing 1.5h at immigrations. Mummy was holding up well by comparison.

It was brunchtime by the time we got out for the first meal at Seomyeon Market. We shared a kimbap and kalguksu (and couldn't finish the noodles between us) while watching the Korean OL at the next table enjoying the same amount on her own.

🌸#1: Oncheoncheon

드디어! Despite the gloomy skies, despite the tiredness, I was in awe when we finally approached our very first cherry trees! 

Wahhhhh! Even if there were objectively better views to come, the first will always be special.

There were other more well known viewing locations in Busan but they all came with hills which I was keen to avoid. As is, the trip would involve lots of walking and stairs and as fit as mummy is for her age group, there was no need to push it on holiday. Going down the listings, Oncheoncheon seemed like a chill place plus it had a cafe street and it turned out as perfect as it sounded.

While that first view of endless cherry trees (they literally went on for kilometers) lining the stream on both sides was amazing enough, the magic intensified as we got closer. The stream sat in a gully and we had a choice between taking the stream-side jogging path made of colourful rubber or the boardwalk up on the hillside. We opted for the boardwalk which took us right amongst the flowers.

View from the boardwalk i.e. blossoms + people at stream-level.

Mummy: looks like HDB.

Mummy doesn't like stairs but she unleashed her hidden photographer and gladly went on and off the boardwalk to get her shots. Not surprising since excitement tends to be peak at first sightings and there was a photo opportunity every few steps. The trees were literally growing through the boardwalk so it was an amazing 3D experience (cherry blossoms don't seem to have much scent otherwise it would've been 4D) and even small-sized mummy was having to skirt under the low-hanging branches. 

One of my favourite photos from the trip :D

In preparation for this trip, I'd specifically sought out the zoomiest lens available for my cam, balanced with compactness and weight - the FD 35-105mm f3.5-4.5. This was in anticipation of having to zoom into branches up high to get those dreamy closeup bokeh shots that were sprouting up all over IG. The lens was very useful and has become the usual option, but I guess I never expected to see cherry blossoms right in front of my eyes (literally xD). Even a less zoomy lens that I'd already owned would've done well in that white-pink thicket. 

(Duo 400) Yep I definitely didn't think I was gonna get this kind of proximity and was starflowerstruck. 

(Duo 400) Zoomy lens was also useful for sniping subjects.

While there was a peaceful churn of locals, there seemed to be hardly any tourists along Oncheoncheon. Or at least there was no sign of the Singaporean accent. 

After ogling our way down a stretch, we arrived at a thoughtfully located cafe street just in time for tea. I really should have taken a photo of what we ordered (and everything else we ate on the trip), but alas didn't have presence of mind that afternoon. Anyway that was my mum's first encounter with citron tea which, despite claiming that it was "too sweet", she enjoyed enough to have a few more versions of throughout the trip. We also shared an apple cheese panini which became the first of a small selection of foods that mummy liked enough to recreate at home (Mummy Approved #1). I'd say not a bad showing for Korean food in general on this trip!

Eventually, we had to leave the cherry trees :') No matter, since that was only Day 1 and there was lots more in the plans! Since that was practically our only day in Busan on the "Busan" leg, I thought mummy should at least see a beach. Well uh... Gwangalli beach is normally vibey and pretty but it just looked sad on that cloudy day. Perfect hindsight would tell me that we needn't have bothered. The uber ride there was also memorable for all the wrong reasons and I'm glad the ride was short and we didn't have a full meal before that. The saving grace was that the road from Oncheoncheon to the beach was teeming with cherry trees in full bloom.

Sad beach.

Days after a red-eye flight usually end early, and we defo needed our energy for the next full day out and about. 

Dinner was a rather normal Korean set meal at Lotte, but then we passed this lovely array of bakes that I was wayyy too full to get but might totally have skipped dinner for had I been travelling solo xD

No space for pastries but these chamoe (Korean melon) caught our eyes. It had the deep sweetness of honey dew and a crunchy texture somewhere between rock melon and cucumber.

Day 2, 2 Apr, Thu: Gyeongju

Spoiling it first: this day was peak.

There was a guest star on this day - B, to whom I give most credit for the day's itinerary! We got on the earliest reasonable train to Gyeongju where we were blessed with my ideal weather of sunny blue skies and <20 deg C temps. The first location was the furthest away so we hopped on a super VfM cab ride - the first of many throughout the day for time-saving purposes.

🌸#2: Bulguksa (Park)

At the Bulguksa temple grounds, we were very... confused. Where were the cherry blossoms? It was interesting to explore the temple but that unfortunately wasn't the objective (sorry, temple). What more, the few relevant trees looked like they were done with the season coz the ground around them was covered in pretty pink petals. 

(Duo 400) Very limited pink in the temple grounds but plenty of lush green un-autumn leaves.

After peeking into the various shrines and picking our way up and down the steep staircases, we exited the grounds, still confused. I'd lost my orientation by then but it was clear that we were somewhere different from where we'd begun. Then, we spied some cherry trees a short walk away and thought to go take a look, since we'd already gone all that way.

OH. WOWWW.

POV: diving into the sea of cherry trees.

We crested a sloped road and all of a sudden, cherry blossoms spread to the edge of my vision. There in front of us, at the end of some random road leading away from the carpark, was a sea of cherry trees swaying prettily in the sunlight under the bluest cloud-free sky. "Chef's kiss" doesn't come close to describing such a view. 

Our legs automatically took us the rest of the way. Don't care where next and what time, just walk and enjoy. No need to keep off the grass or anything of that sort - everyone was just getting up close with the trees. And there were enough trees to go around! The very first tree in our path was this cotton candy behemoth with some generously low-hanging branches, and that's where we spent like 20 mins marveling and taking photos before moving off to give the rest of the place a chance.

(Duo 400) The cutest sighting ever of classes of small children picnicking under the blossoms. 

At some point we encountered a sign specifying our location as Bulguksa Park (불국사 공원). So that explained the difference! That park was prob akin to an SG pocket park in size, but we so spent much more time meandering around trees than we would here haha. 

So Oncheoncheon from Day 1 was special and played its role well as a fine appetiser - tasty but not too filling, allowing the main dish(es) on Day 2 to shine. Anyway, there were still other (very nice) dishes to come after Bulguksa (Park), but first it was time for an actual meal. 

It was part of the plan for mummy to try hanwoo on the trip since it's almost exclusively found in its origin country. Thing is, mummy+me probably wouldn't have had a very successful KBBQ on our own since mummy doesn't eat that much meat and I don't eat... that much. So company was necessary. No surprises that B took on most of the meat eating but mummy enjoyed the free flow sides and salad very much. It was a meal good and filling enough for mummy to declare that we'd have cup ramyeon for dinner back in hotel (which we did)!

 I can't remember what cuts those were even though we ruminated for quite a while in front of the gigantic chiller lol. But hanwoo is hanwoo and I enjoyed the beef very much.

🌸#3: Bomun Lake

Walking is the best thing to do when stuffed, but I think many other factors came in to enable how far we walked for the rest of that afternoon. First was of course, and again, the weather. Sun without sweat provides a great incentive to be active outdoors although mummy, quite alike many Koreans, was scared of getting tanned and insisted on using my umbrella for shade. Secondly, the view:

(Ektar 100) Going up the stream towards the lake. If I lived here I'd come out to walk/jog every day.

(Ektar 100) Amazingly picturesque entrance.

(Ektar 100) And it remained good allll the way.

Nuts I tell you. The good day just kept on giving and giving! I'd be hard pressed to say which part of my favourite day was my favourite, but I think the view of the dense, pastel pink treeline juxtaposing the rich turquoise water gives Bomun Lake the nudge to the top. 

A note on the shooting at this point. Up till then I'd simply been going with the flow, i.e. snapping whatever looked nice to my eyes, but at the lake, I felt awoken enough to do some proper composition practice. In this season, social media is flooded with cherry blossom photos from wherever they grow, since it's easy to take nice pictures of pretty things just by pointing a phone at them. That said, there was only so many closeup, dreamy photos of the blossoms that I should be burning film on coz of the lack of locational context.

(Ektar 100) But yes, every roll had a bunch of closeup shots of its own haha.

To differentiate, the framing and the subjects mattered. The frames could only be the branches of cherry blossoms draping over the pathways, like seriously there was no way to avoid them even if I wanted to. Subjects were also aplenty in the form of boats/park furniture/random passers by. Composition involved stopping to look at a scene (my eye-view is like a 28mm lens), identifying the portions that look interesting, and waiting for a subject to unconsciously wander in before shooting. This was where the zoominess came in super handy, because good shots don't need too much in them, just what is necessary. Looks like I was unconsciously hopping on the "what I see vs what I take" trend hurhur. 

(Ektar 100) View of the rollercoaster with the top-down view of the cherry trees.

(Ektar 100) Bomun Lake yielded my favourite film shot of the entire trip. Great location, great conditions, great film, great camera, and I'd venture to say a good eye here :D

We covered the entire northeastern bank of Bomun Lake and the leisurely, sunny 1.4km walk was rich with opportunities to practice my craft. The distance we covered was surprising coz, remember, mummy was there too. We did stop for coffee somewhere in the middle, sitting in the shade haha. But other that that, we walked all that way with no one asking to bail. I couldn't think of a better way to enjoy the cherry blossoms than to walk amongst them, so it helped that mummy regularly goes on walks and was sufficiently fit for the rigours of this particular holiday. 

After a gloomy Day 1 in Busan, this was such a level up! Again, I have to thank our lucky stars for that day. Had it rained, or had the temps been too low, our experience may have been completely different. I also have to thank B for sharing the realities of visiting Seokchon Lake in Seoul during this season. It was originally my plan to skip Bomun since there would be Seokchon, but I wasn't keen on getting caught up in a cattle drive. Hence, the responsibility for "cherry blossom lake view" fell to Bomun Lake and it rose spectacularly to the occasion!

(Ektar 100) Showcasing the grey brick road that we followed till the end. No location in Korea has every disappointed me in terms of walkability thus far.

As all good things have to end, we reached a carpark which was a fitting place to move on to the next locations which I shall just summarise. Donggung & Wolji Pond was strangely underwhelming for something that was a prominent attraction in Gyeongju. I'm not sure I would revisit. So we moved again to Hwangnidan-gil for a change in environment. 

🌸#3.5: Oreung Stonewall Walkway

The walk continued off Hwangnidan-gil where it started to get pretty hot in our layers as the temps climbed to about 20 deg C. Since we'd have to wait until after dark for the next viewing, and mummy's legs were finally getting a little tired, we parked ourselves at a very conveniently located and picturesque cafe to chill and wait for the sun to finish setting.

(Fujifilm 200) Yes, it was just Day 2 and I was 3 rolls of film deep hahaha. Can't blame me right, look at the golden light filtering through the petals!

(Fujifilm 200) Even the cafe deserves a shot.

(Fujifilm 200) This cafe was like an oasis in how it appeared it the otherwise rather quiet neighbourhood, just where mummy wanted to have a break.

Spoiler alert, we would have to move again. But even if it was not the right stonewall, the Oreung Stonewall stretch of cherry trees still held their own in the fading light. Just as suddenly as the temps dropped, we realised that we were at the wrong place (the peacefulness in that area was telling). Thankfully, there was a bus arriving shortly that would take us to where we had meant to go.

🌸#4: Daereungwon Stonewall Walkway

There was no doubt that we were at the right place when we got there! For mummy and me, that was the only time in the trip that we got to see the night cherry view, and this was all thanks to B's plan. I probably would've been unaware of it otherwise and my usual practice is not to end days late. But this was worth it so many times over.

Similar to the wrong place, the Daereungwon Stonewall was a road lined with cherry trees on both sides. The difference was that the walkways were purposed for night viewing with strong up-facing lights set into the path. The road itself was closed off in preparation for a festival (that we were one day too early for), so there was plenty of room to walk and marvel amidst the moderate crowd. Again, infinite photo ops as the whole stretch was filled with trees at peak bloom, creating a fluffy white tunnel against the night sky. Phone only, coz low iso travel-safe film doesn't do well at night, even with flash (I did try).

Very different from daytime and just as stunning!

Like masses of lit cotton wool.

As if the day hadn't been epic enough, we got some sort of supermoon that night. No photo can do justice to the view of a fiery orb framed by cherry blossoms in the black sky.

Towards the end of the path, there was a long queue to get a shot of a break in the cherry canopy which was apparently heart-shaped. Mummy and me didn't join the throng since we needed to leave and catch our train, satisfied with the day's haul.

Taken from the wrong side of the "heart". I really don't bother sometimes xD

As we made our way back to our promised cup ramyeon dinner/supper, I thought to myself that this day would be unbeatable. Turns out I was right, but the following days were nothing to sniff at either. As mentioned, huge credit goes to B for shaping the itinerary. In another universe where our trips did not overlap, mummy and I might've had a less epic day out at Gyeongju. We parted ways at Daereungwon but not to fret, useful-friend B features again in the Seoul leg!

Day 3, 3 Apr, Fri: Jinhae

After the long Day 2, we got to start the day a little later since our tour pickup was in the afternoon. The irony is that I ended up waking earlier on average on holiday than at work but well, fun times are more worth maximising. We did some shopping around the station to pass time, where mummy procured some cardigans and a hat to shield her skin from the diabolical sunshine.

Hills are everywhere in Korea, such as this rather steep linkway from the station to Lotte.

We packed some standby food in the form of a giant bao-like meat-filled mandu from Seomyeon Market and off we went on the tour bus to Jinhae. Tour, because I couldn't find online bookings for transport to and from Busan and wasn't about to risk getting stranded in another city during its busiest season for visiting.

🌸#4: Gyeonghwa Station

Before we got off the bus at our first stop in Jinhae, we were primed to expect cherry blossoms and more cherry blossoms! And crowds and more crowds! This was drummed into us so much by the tour guide, in both English and Mandarin, that it ended up feeling not too bad in real life. Sure, there were a lot of people, but there were enough cherry blossoms and walking space to go around. I judged this from the slight challenge faced in framing photos so that they weren't overly busy. The crowds thinned out significantly towards both ends and it was rather peaceful, but I reckon that this wouldn't be the case on weekends. 

Intense view! Even as we headed to the toilet first after getting off the bus haha.

Even after seeing 1.5 day's worth of blossoms, the trees at this location were intriguing. On the main section of the old railway, one side had short cute trees but the ones at the other side were huge and like extra drapey, almost as though they were bid to grow in a sine curve right over the walkway. We wondered if this was the result of pruning or a more hard-handed approach as in the case of bonsais. In any case, these were mature trees at peak bloom. Hence, someone about 10% taller than myself would've been getting eye sockets full of cherry blossoms if they didn't duck, whichever side of the railway they walked on.

In the embrace of the mature trees.

Even the smaller trees held their own!

Me for scale.

Of all the locations we visited thus far, Gyeonghwa Station exemplified the appeal of cherry tree tunnels. I just had to look up at any point and there was a neat skyline of blossoms under the weak sunlight. Closer to ground, the sine curve branches were also super useful for getting macro shots. So I shot them! ... And then realised later when reloading that the half-roll left over from the previous night at Daereungwon was overexposed... I'd forgotten to switch back to metered shutter from flash sync. That meant that all Jinhae shots so far were overexposed by ~2-4 stops. Oh well, it's not film without some user error at times, and luckily, the wronged roll was a common Fujifilm 200. The heartache would've been much greater if say it had been the Ektar or the Fujicolor.

(Fujifilm 200) Not all was bad though, like this extra dreamy close up shot.

(Fujifilm 200) I guess overexposure can also pass off as vibes sometimes.

Thankfully, we had a luxurious 2h at this stop which I felt was just right even though the place wasn't very big. Mummy was happy to sit on a bench and rest beneath the flowery sky and so was I, after reloading and going another round to re-take the shots I wanted. Compared to our long walks on the previous day, the Gyeonghwa Station stretch was short at about 400m tops. Only thing was that walking on the pebbly tracks required careful foot placement to avoid rolling ankles or twisting knees. On hindsight, this was probably one of the elements that made the day more tiring overall, since more muscles were activated in the simple act of walking. 

View from the bench!

(Kodacolor 100) Closeup shot checked.

(Kodacolor 100) What I prob looked like getting that closeup shot haha.

(Kodacolor 100) While sitting, we listened to this talented violinist play a very recognisable repertoire (e.g. My Heart Will Go On and other western songs) which seemed to cater to tourists.

Compared to the first two days, we encountered a more noticeable proportion of tourists. Not surprising since we were part of one busload full, but it was a surprise to see a whole group of Japanese tourists. Maybe they wanted a different cherry blossom experience from their domestic ones. 

After typing so much above, I still have something important to describe. We saw our first petal rain at this location! I thought we might come across it since the trip was sufficiently long, but didn't expect to see it for the first time on Day 3. The trees at Gyeonghwa were soooo dense so losing a flurry of petals didn't seem to make much of a difference to them. So we got the best of both worlds there - a magical petal rain beneath a skyful of flowers!

After a long enough time to marinate in Gyeonghwa, we popped back onto the bus to the next famous location. 

🌸#5: Yeojwacheon

Second of the cheons visited on this trip and probably one the most famous in Korea during cherry blossom season. As the guide said, we would be flanked by the trees at Gyeonghwa but experience the opposite at Yeojwacheon. Here, they were planted along a narrow stream with boardwalks built on the outsides. 

Sorry but I immediately thought of it as a pretty longkang oops. I shared this with mummy who added on that there was a pasar malam. She meant the festival food vendors lining the entire stretch beyond the boardwalks haha. No we did not snack coz we wanted to eat a proper dinner. Had I been solo-ing I totally would've bought a cheese hotdog or something and spoiled my dinner xD

It's by no means the fault of the stream but by that time, it'd become completely overcast and the view suffered a downgrade. Nevertheless, it was a cherry blossom tunnel and a rather cozy one. We joined the orderly one-way march on the narrow boardwalk. 

Spot mummy and me!

Both pretty and... a lil dreary.

Each section of the stream featured a different rainbow-coloured display, some of which would be lit up at night. Also pleasing to the eye was the sight of the pastel petals peppering the stone bottom of the stream.

(Kodacolor 100) What everyone saw.

What I think everyone also saw but was interesting to me xD

Looking at the map, I'd estimated the festival stretch of Yeojwacheon to be no more than 1.2km one way, i.e. very similar to mummy's regular walking route at the Tampines canal. There was a small wetland park at the end of the festival stretch so we agreed to walk there and then turn back to find dinner. What I didn't account for was a very slight incline on the way up. So slight that it really couldn't count as a hill but still it was perceivable to both mummy and me, almost like we were wearing light ankle weights all the way.

Compared to everything we'd seen up to that point, the wetland park was just a park with a few cherry trees. However, the un-autumn leaves were plentiful so it prob would've been more beautiful in a different season. So we turned back to find dinner and heading the other way down was a breeze.

(Kodacolor 100) No I did not apply any melancholic filter, that's just how it turned out. Still got vibes~

It was getting to stew temps by that point so we sat down at a pinned place in the map provided by the tour guide. It felt authentic in that there was no English menu and halfway through our meal, a bunch of local police officers came in to eat, prob after ending their crowd-control shift. I could at least read the menu enough to order a kimchi pork jjigae, but required some gesturing from the owner to understand that for 2 pax, we could only choose one stew type. During the time our food took to come, I did more slow reading of the words on a wall and realised that those were the instructions haha.

This was really tasty and I was hungry. But no matter how hungry I am, Korean portions always lead to leftovers >.<

Possibly compounding from Day 2, mummy was definitely tired towards the end. We skipped the light ups back at the stream because it would involve walking back up the not-quite-a-hill and instead found a cafe to relax at. Just like dinner, the cafe had no English menu and, instead of turning to papago, I opted to do enough reading practice to order us some fruit teas - grapefruit for mummy (too sweet) and lemon for me! Finally, it was time to take the bus back to Busan and end off another ~20k steps day.

Day 4, 4 Apr, Fri (AM): Busan --> Seoul

Early breakfast was accompanied by a view of the pouring rain. There was just one umbrella between us since the other had gone hiding deep in some bag. I asked mummy to stay put under shelter while I wheeled both luggages out to the cab. The driver found me one-handed/kneed-ly lifting the luggages into the boot and said I was strong ^^

There was unfortunately more strongarming to do on the train coz there wasn't sufficient luggage space and we had to muscle ours on and off the overhead compartments, with some help from surrounding passengers. Note to self, avoid booking car 1 next time. 

More cherry blossoms to come even on this day, but shall save those for the Seoul post. 끝 for now!