It has been 2 weeks since I came back to Malaysia. I was not doing anything serious (such as preparing for my Final Year Project) for the past 2 weeks. I did some shopping at Prangin Mall and Bukit Jambul Complex, Penang. It is sale now, things are quite cheap. There are quite a number of RM10 blouse for sale at Prangin Mall. The quality is quite okay. I realized that there are more and more Korean hair accessories selling in the shopping complex now, but at a higher price.
I am hook up with watching Korean drama series that I downloaded in Korea, of course with subtitles. I just finished watching 新娘十八岁. It is a love comedy. Hok Joon’s grandfather and Chong Su’s grandfather made an agreement that their grandchildren will marry each other when they grow up. Hok Joon (28 years old) and Chong Su (18 years old) disagreed about the marriage at first, but later, Chong Su found out that Hok Joon is the guy of her dreams. Many funny things happen after that. From the drama, we can see a lot of Korean culture and practices.
The Sad Love Story is a melancholy drama series. The whole story is sad from the beginning till the end. The storyline is quite complicated and twisted. Joon Young was raised up by her mother who is the boss of a club. He was always bullied by his friends because of this and disliked his mother. He met up with Hye In, who was blind, when he was bullied by his friends in the park one day. They became classmates after that and Hye In’s aunty worked in his mother’s club as a singer. Some of their classmates begun bullying Hye In as well and Joon Young protected her. Two of them became very close friends after that. A series of sad events continue to happen throughout the drama. The soundtrack is very nice, the best ever that I come across so far for Korean drama series.
I did my medical checkup this Monday and many people were asking me if I am sick. I am perfectly fine, just decided to do some checkup as there is a promotion going on at Pathlab. But, it is really better to do some checkup, as we maybe having some unknown health problems. If we get to know about the problems earlier (if there is any), then we can take some actions on it ^^
Friday, October 28, 2005
Thursday, October 20, 2005
The Remaining Pictures in Korea
Sorry for the long wait. Here are the remaining pictures in Korea:
Photos taken during Pusan International Film Festival (PIFF):
http://photobucket.com/albums/a146/dellachew06/Korea29/
Photos taken in Daegu:
http://photobucket.com/albums/a146/dellachew06/Korea30/
Photos taken in Lotte World:
http://photobucket.com/albums/a146/dellachew06/Korea32/
Photos taken in War Memorial Museum and Nandemum:
http://photobucket.com/albums/a146/dellachew06/Korea33/
Photos taken in Gyeongbokgung and Myeongdong:
http://photobucket.com/albums/a146/dellachew06/Korea34/
Photos taken during Pusan International Film Festival (PIFF):
http://photobucket.com/albums/a146/dellachew06/Korea29/
Photos taken in Daegu:
http://photobucket.com/albums/a146/dellachew06/Korea30/
Photos taken in Lotte World:
http://photobucket.com/albums/a146/dellachew06/Korea32/
Photos taken in War Memorial Museum and Nandemum:
http://photobucket.com/albums/a146/dellachew06/Korea33/
Photos taken in Gyeongbokgung and Myeongdong:
http://photobucket.com/albums/a146/dellachew06/Korea34/
Back in Malaysia!
* Sorry for the slow photo upload! My connection is extremely slow recently.
For my first night in Malaysia again, I couldn’t really sleep well. There is only 1 hour time difference between Korea and Malaysia; it shouldn’t have affected me that much. I woke up at around 7.30am and unable to get back to sleep again. Suddenly, I feel weird being in Malaysia again.
As I went out to the “kopitiam”, the aunties there are speaking in Mandarin. It feels so weird that they are not speaking in Korean. I find Malaysia’s dollar notes very small as Korean’s one are bigger. I just couldn’t seem to get use to its size. The feel of touching it is different again. Some Malaysians are missing Malaysia food when they are in Korea. I do not know why but I don’t seem to miss it that much. Could it be because that I was able to get use of the food there? I was quite bored with Korean food as they are almost the same after staying there for a first few months. But, I was not complaining it as much as when I was in Malacca. Hmm… could it be that Malacca’s food really doesn’t suite my taste? Or perhaps I was comparing it much with Penang’s food? The food in Korea and Malaysia is almost totally different.
Suddenly, without the need to go to the lab, is somehow too relaxing for me. I enjoyed going to the lab. My lab members were there and I was happy chatting with them. There were many friends around the campus as well. Though I need to work and sometimes maybe a bit stress, I like it there. It feels very homely. The internet connection in Malaysia is extremely slow compared to in Korea. I can hardly upload a picture into my photobucket today.
When I cooked in the common kitchen, most of the time there were other students cooking there as well. Even though sometimes we were not that close, only hi-bye friends, I feel warm. If in the morning, they will greet you “morning” and asked you what you are cooking etc. Nowadays, as I walk into my “private” kitchen, I only see some cooking utensils and unwashed dishes (must be my brother’s doings again). No more curry smell in the kitchen anymore (the Indians always cook curry there and my mum seldom cooks curry). There are so many things that I miss it there~
For my first night in Malaysia again, I couldn’t really sleep well. There is only 1 hour time difference between Korea and Malaysia; it shouldn’t have affected me that much. I woke up at around 7.30am and unable to get back to sleep again. Suddenly, I feel weird being in Malaysia again.
As I went out to the “kopitiam”, the aunties there are speaking in Mandarin. It feels so weird that they are not speaking in Korean. I find Malaysia’s dollar notes very small as Korean’s one are bigger. I just couldn’t seem to get use to its size. The feel of touching it is different again. Some Malaysians are missing Malaysia food when they are in Korea. I do not know why but I don’t seem to miss it that much. Could it be because that I was able to get use of the food there? I was quite bored with Korean food as they are almost the same after staying there for a first few months. But, I was not complaining it as much as when I was in Malacca. Hmm… could it be that Malacca’s food really doesn’t suite my taste? Or perhaps I was comparing it much with Penang’s food? The food in Korea and Malaysia is almost totally different.
Suddenly, without the need to go to the lab, is somehow too relaxing for me. I enjoyed going to the lab. My lab members were there and I was happy chatting with them. There were many friends around the campus as well. Though I need to work and sometimes maybe a bit stress, I like it there. It feels very homely. The internet connection in Malaysia is extremely slow compared to in Korea. I can hardly upload a picture into my photobucket today.
When I cooked in the common kitchen, most of the time there were other students cooking there as well. Even though sometimes we were not that close, only hi-bye friends, I feel warm. If in the morning, they will greet you “morning” and asked you what you are cooking etc. Nowadays, as I walk into my “private” kitchen, I only see some cooking utensils and unwashed dishes (must be my brother’s doings again). No more curry smell in the kitchen anymore (the Indians always cook curry there and my mum seldom cooks curry). There are so many things that I miss it there~
Last day in Seoul and South Korea
October 13, Thursday – Last day in Seoul and South Korea
This was my last day in Seoul. I woke up early in the morning at around 6.45am. I finished packing at around 7.30am and asked Jun and Jane to help me out with my luggage. It was tough carrying so many luggage - 1 small one, 1 medium and 1 huge one. It was really heavy. I met with Ryan and Yushu at the bus stand near Dongyang Technical College. Swee Sing and Joo came along as well to help us with luggage and showed us the way to take the airport bus. We took the taxi to a nearby bus stand. From there, we walked for a while before reaching the bus stand for the airport bus. Swee Sing and Joo followed us by bicycle. Luckily they both came along, else we will be having problem finding our way and carrying the luggage.
We chatted while waiting for the airport bus to come. It cost 7,500 won from Gaebong station to Incheon Airport. For international flight, we need to go to Incheon Airport. It took around 1 hour to reach there.
We reached Incheon Airport at around 10am. We checked in at Malaysia Airline’s counter because the flight that we took was a collaboration flight between MAS and Korean Air. We were very happy to see many Malaysians there and MAS air hostess. We heard some passengers speaking in a mixture of Hokkien, English and other languages. We were sure that he is Malaysian! All of a sudden, we felt very at home. The queue was quite long.
We took the airbus A330. It was not a big plane. Since we were taking economy class, the space between the seats is quite narrow. It was not a comfortable flight. Some of the air hostesses were Malaysians while some were Koreans. We can choose either Seafood Oriental or Bulgogi Rice (beef rice) for the lunch set. The amount of food served was very little.
We met with a Malaysian Indian on the flight. He disliked Korea a lot, mainly due to the high living expenses and started chatting with Ryan about how good Malaysia is. I think that most of them are true. The food in Korea is definitely not as nice as in Malaysia. In Malaysia, we can get a variety of food – Chinese, Indian and Malay food at a cheap price. Multiple races live together in this country like a melting pot. It is something very unique, especially for those coming from a single race country like Korea. Malaysians pay more attention to the different cultures among different races and tolerate with them. However, it is different for Koreans, for example, Koreans and Malaysians going out together. They often talk to each other in Korea and forgetting that we do not understand it. In Malaysia, if we go out with friends who do not understand our language, we will translate what we are talking to them in the language that they understand. Since we live in a multi-racial country, we learned multiple languages. It is something awesome for the Koreans. As we learned multiple languages since we are small, it is easier for us to pick new languages easily compared to other foreigners.
Our flight was a very full one. We were always eating, eating and eating. At around 5pm Malaysia time, we reached KLIA. The flight was very shaky as it was about to land. It was a bit scary. This was the worst flight ever. Maybe the pilot is very new.
Jin, Thai Sin and Thai Sin’s sister, Li Rong was already there after I got out from the Immigration section. It was the first time my friends come and see me as I arrive from an international flight. They helped me out with the luggage while waiting for my grandaunt to arrive to fetch me.
My granduncle treated us to a very good meal at a restaurant in Banting. He ordered a plate of fish, sweet and sour fried tofu and fish pieces. The food was really too much. Then, we departed back to my grandaunt’s place. I was really tired. There were really too much to be eaten but I did not feel like eating. Maybe I was too tired for the past few days. I had some fruits shortly after taken a bath. At around 10pm, grandaunt treated me to some fried chicken, “lin gou” soup and sea coconuts drink. Yellow watermelon was served after that. There was too much all of a sudden!
This was my last day in Seoul. I woke up early in the morning at around 6.45am. I finished packing at around 7.30am and asked Jun and Jane to help me out with my luggage. It was tough carrying so many luggage - 1 small one, 1 medium and 1 huge one. It was really heavy. I met with Ryan and Yushu at the bus stand near Dongyang Technical College. Swee Sing and Joo came along as well to help us with luggage and showed us the way to take the airport bus. We took the taxi to a nearby bus stand. From there, we walked for a while before reaching the bus stand for the airport bus. Swee Sing and Joo followed us by bicycle. Luckily they both came along, else we will be having problem finding our way and carrying the luggage.
We chatted while waiting for the airport bus to come. It cost 7,500 won from Gaebong station to Incheon Airport. For international flight, we need to go to Incheon Airport. It took around 1 hour to reach there.
We reached Incheon Airport at around 10am. We checked in at Malaysia Airline’s counter because the flight that we took was a collaboration flight between MAS and Korean Air. We were very happy to see many Malaysians there and MAS air hostess. We heard some passengers speaking in a mixture of Hokkien, English and other languages. We were sure that he is Malaysian! All of a sudden, we felt very at home. The queue was quite long.
We took the airbus A330. It was not a big plane. Since we were taking economy class, the space between the seats is quite narrow. It was not a comfortable flight. Some of the air hostesses were Malaysians while some were Koreans. We can choose either Seafood Oriental or Bulgogi Rice (beef rice) for the lunch set. The amount of food served was very little.
We met with a Malaysian Indian on the flight. He disliked Korea a lot, mainly due to the high living expenses and started chatting with Ryan about how good Malaysia is. I think that most of them are true. The food in Korea is definitely not as nice as in Malaysia. In Malaysia, we can get a variety of food – Chinese, Indian and Malay food at a cheap price. Multiple races live together in this country like a melting pot. It is something very unique, especially for those coming from a single race country like Korea. Malaysians pay more attention to the different cultures among different races and tolerate with them. However, it is different for Koreans, for example, Koreans and Malaysians going out together. They often talk to each other in Korea and forgetting that we do not understand it. In Malaysia, if we go out with friends who do not understand our language, we will translate what we are talking to them in the language that they understand. Since we live in a multi-racial country, we learned multiple languages. It is something awesome for the Koreans. As we learned multiple languages since we are small, it is easier for us to pick new languages easily compared to other foreigners.
Our flight was a very full one. We were always eating, eating and eating. At around 5pm Malaysia time, we reached KLIA. The flight was very shaky as it was about to land. It was a bit scary. This was the worst flight ever. Maybe the pilot is very new.
Jin, Thai Sin and Thai Sin’s sister, Li Rong was already there after I got out from the Immigration section. It was the first time my friends come and see me as I arrive from an international flight. They helped me out with the luggage while waiting for my grandaunt to arrive to fetch me.
My granduncle treated us to a very good meal at a restaurant in Banting. He ordered a plate of fish, sweet and sour fried tofu and fish pieces. The food was really too much. Then, we departed back to my grandaunt’s place. I was really tired. There were really too much to be eaten but I did not feel like eating. Maybe I was too tired for the past few days. I had some fruits shortly after taken a bath. At around 10pm, grandaunt treated me to some fried chicken, “lin gou” soup and sea coconuts drink. Yellow watermelon was served after that. There was too much all of a sudden!
Day 3 in Seoul
October 12, Wednesday – Day 3 in Seoul
We bought our lunch at the same shop and then departed to Gwanghwamun station by subway at 10.45am. We had lunch at the park in front of Gwanghwamun at 11.45pm. We reached our destination, Gyeongbokgung at 12pm. Gyeongbokgung is the primary palace during Joseon Dynasty (one of the dynasty during the Three Kingdoms). Behind the palace, we were able to see some rocky mountains. This background had made the palace look very grand. In order to reach the palace, we just need to walk in Gwanghwamun. The admission fee is 3,000 won each.
We were just in time for the free English tour guide session at 12pm. There were many visitors there, both foreigners and locals. We filled in a questionnaire before the tour and were given some postcards on the palace. The tour took about 1 hour and the guider was a Korean. Her English was a bit weird making it hard to listen.
The palace is divided into mainly 2 parts; the king’s working place and the king’s resident. Some parts of the palace were rebuilt as they were destroyed during the Japanese Occupation. Some of the old buildings remained until today. “tancheon” refers to the paintings on the buildings. Only palace, temples and government buildings were allowed to have these paintings. The colors of the paintings were made from natural sources, such as the yellow color was made from the goat’s heart. These paintings were water resistant. Thus, making the buildings last longer, around 100-200 years. The writings at the palace were Chinese characters. This is because China had great influence on Korea during the olden days. Chinese characters were used before King Sojeon created the Hangul characters.
The first building that we saw as we entered the palace was Geunjeongjeon, the main building of Gyeongbokgung. Ceremonies such as the New Year’s celebration and receiving the arrival of the foreign envoys were held here. Then, we proceed to the king’s working place, Sajeongjeon. Papers were used to cover some parts of the windows/doors. These papers were water-resistant. The lower part of the wall was made of olive paper and was green in color. This was to prevent water from going into the place. During the olden days, they used a device to check the time, date and seasons. This device mainly uses the concept of shadow. It does not work during rain. There was another device, known as the water clock which was able to check the time despite any weather. Other buildings had heating system. It is known as “ondol”. Underneath the wooden floor, there’s a passage. While the charcoal is burned underneath, it will heat up the wooden floor and the whole room will become warm. There chimney is normally located directly behind the building.
Next, we visited the party palace, Gyeonghoeru. It is one of the items in the Korean’s 10,000 won notes. Entertainment was performed there. There was a small pavilion there and surrounded by a pond. The scenery there is very calm and peaceful.
Then, we visited the king’s resident. It is something very interesting indeed. The whole building is divided mainly into 2 big rooms and a hall. Inside the big room, it is further divided 9 small rooms inside. The king’s room is the middle room inside this big room. The other small rooms surrounding the king’s room will be occupied by the palace workers or nannies. They were sort of like bodyguards, to guard and take care of the king. They must stay awake even when the king is sleeping. The king’s room is like a multi-purpose room. There is no furniture in the room. The furniture is all located at the store rooms, surrounding the main resident. When the king wants to eat, the palace workers will take out the furniture from the store room and then place them accordingly. After the king finish dining, they will remove the furniture and put them back into the store room. The same goes for sleeping. Everything is done in the same room. The furniture of the room will be placed accordingly whenever the king is around and removed once he leaved. It must be tough for the palace workers there, setting and removing the furniture a few times a day. The doors are removed hung on top of the entrance. I wondered what is it’s purposed. The heating system there is slightly different. The chimney is not located directly behind the building, but further apart, at the gate between the king’s resident and the queen’s resident. Some security actions were taken during the olden days, such as the ones serving the food must test out the food in front of the king before it is served. Silver eating utensils were used so that poison can be detected.
The queen’s residence is behind the king’s residence. It has a wooden floored hall in the center with 2 rooms at both sides. It is only building open for enter. We must take off our shoes before entering the hall. Amisan chimneys in the queen’s garden boast their beauty.
Many Korean’s culture is almost the same as Chinese, maybe due to its influence during the Three Kingdoms. The same as the China, only son can inherit the throne. They believed that only the son can inherit the family’s bloodline. Normally, the queen’s eldest son will inherit the throne. However, if the queen does not have any sons, the king will choose the best son among the concubines to inherit his throne. It happened 4 times before among the 27 kings of Joseon dynasty where the king is a son of the concubine because the queens did not have any sons. The king must visit his mother’s place everyday, early in the morning to ensure that she is in good condition.
Behind the palace is a small pond. It was the place for the king to rest. Our free tour ended there. The National Folk Museum is located beside it. We made a short visit there. We were amazed by the different types of candlesticks and candles used during the previous dynasties. It comes in various sizes as well.
We snapped some photos around the palace once more heading to the entrance there for the royal guard changing ceremony demonstration at 3pm. It lasted for around 15 minutes. We were allowed to snap some pictures with the guards posing there after the ceremony but not allow to touch them. Hmm… perhaps they think of it as a type of sexual harassment.
Then, we headed to Jongmyo Royal Shrine. It was a long way there by foot. We reached there at around 4pm but did not visit it as we felt that it was almost the same like any other temples that we visited before. The park in front of the shrine was crowded by many senior citizens. Some of them were doing some performance, such as singing and selling some writings. There were some hawkers selling food in front of the park.
We headed to Myeong-dong after that. Jun and Jane recommended this place to me. We were lost on the way but managed to reach there eventually with the help of a Korean. It is the best place for shopping when it comes to fashion. There are many fashion shops and restaurants around there. It was crowded by teenagers. The things there are indeed different, the clothes and hawker food etc. However, the prices are not cheap. Itaewon is the best when it comes to shopping for souvenirs.
We had dinner at a small shop at 5+pm. The food there is expensive and not delicious. We walked around the area for a while. Then, we headed to Lotte Department Store. The decorations there is really nice, the door and the staircase etc. However, things here are not cheap as well. It is really weird in Korea that we can bargain the price for some items with the promoter in the shopping complex. This is not the market and yet they can do that. The promoter can make decisions on the price.
Then, we headed back to Guil Station by subway at around 7+pm.
I watched the drama series with Jun and Jane again at 1am.
We bought our lunch at the same shop and then departed to Gwanghwamun station by subway at 10.45am. We had lunch at the park in front of Gwanghwamun at 11.45pm. We reached our destination, Gyeongbokgung at 12pm. Gyeongbokgung is the primary palace during Joseon Dynasty (one of the dynasty during the Three Kingdoms). Behind the palace, we were able to see some rocky mountains. This background had made the palace look very grand. In order to reach the palace, we just need to walk in Gwanghwamun. The admission fee is 3,000 won each.
We were just in time for the free English tour guide session at 12pm. There were many visitors there, both foreigners and locals. We filled in a questionnaire before the tour and were given some postcards on the palace. The tour took about 1 hour and the guider was a Korean. Her English was a bit weird making it hard to listen.
The palace is divided into mainly 2 parts; the king’s working place and the king’s resident. Some parts of the palace were rebuilt as they were destroyed during the Japanese Occupation. Some of the old buildings remained until today. “tancheon” refers to the paintings on the buildings. Only palace, temples and government buildings were allowed to have these paintings. The colors of the paintings were made from natural sources, such as the yellow color was made from the goat’s heart. These paintings were water resistant. Thus, making the buildings last longer, around 100-200 years. The writings at the palace were Chinese characters. This is because China had great influence on Korea during the olden days. Chinese characters were used before King Sojeon created the Hangul characters.
The first building that we saw as we entered the palace was Geunjeongjeon, the main building of Gyeongbokgung. Ceremonies such as the New Year’s celebration and receiving the arrival of the foreign envoys were held here. Then, we proceed to the king’s working place, Sajeongjeon. Papers were used to cover some parts of the windows/doors. These papers were water-resistant. The lower part of the wall was made of olive paper and was green in color. This was to prevent water from going into the place. During the olden days, they used a device to check the time, date and seasons. This device mainly uses the concept of shadow. It does not work during rain. There was another device, known as the water clock which was able to check the time despite any weather. Other buildings had heating system. It is known as “ondol”. Underneath the wooden floor, there’s a passage. While the charcoal is burned underneath, it will heat up the wooden floor and the whole room will become warm. There chimney is normally located directly behind the building.
Next, we visited the party palace, Gyeonghoeru. It is one of the items in the Korean’s 10,000 won notes. Entertainment was performed there. There was a small pavilion there and surrounded by a pond. The scenery there is very calm and peaceful.
Then, we visited the king’s resident. It is something very interesting indeed. The whole building is divided mainly into 2 big rooms and a hall. Inside the big room, it is further divided 9 small rooms inside. The king’s room is the middle room inside this big room. The other small rooms surrounding the king’s room will be occupied by the palace workers or nannies. They were sort of like bodyguards, to guard and take care of the king. They must stay awake even when the king is sleeping. The king’s room is like a multi-purpose room. There is no furniture in the room. The furniture is all located at the store rooms, surrounding the main resident. When the king wants to eat, the palace workers will take out the furniture from the store room and then place them accordingly. After the king finish dining, they will remove the furniture and put them back into the store room. The same goes for sleeping. Everything is done in the same room. The furniture of the room will be placed accordingly whenever the king is around and removed once he leaved. It must be tough for the palace workers there, setting and removing the furniture a few times a day. The doors are removed hung on top of the entrance. I wondered what is it’s purposed. The heating system there is slightly different. The chimney is not located directly behind the building, but further apart, at the gate between the king’s resident and the queen’s resident. Some security actions were taken during the olden days, such as the ones serving the food must test out the food in front of the king before it is served. Silver eating utensils were used so that poison can be detected.
The queen’s residence is behind the king’s residence. It has a wooden floored hall in the center with 2 rooms at both sides. It is only building open for enter. We must take off our shoes before entering the hall. Amisan chimneys in the queen’s garden boast their beauty.
Many Korean’s culture is almost the same as Chinese, maybe due to its influence during the Three Kingdoms. The same as the China, only son can inherit the throne. They believed that only the son can inherit the family’s bloodline. Normally, the queen’s eldest son will inherit the throne. However, if the queen does not have any sons, the king will choose the best son among the concubines to inherit his throne. It happened 4 times before among the 27 kings of Joseon dynasty where the king is a son of the concubine because the queens did not have any sons. The king must visit his mother’s place everyday, early in the morning to ensure that she is in good condition.
Behind the palace is a small pond. It was the place for the king to rest. Our free tour ended there. The National Folk Museum is located beside it. We made a short visit there. We were amazed by the different types of candlesticks and candles used during the previous dynasties. It comes in various sizes as well.
We snapped some photos around the palace once more heading to the entrance there for the royal guard changing ceremony demonstration at 3pm. It lasted for around 15 minutes. We were allowed to snap some pictures with the guards posing there after the ceremony but not allow to touch them. Hmm… perhaps they think of it as a type of sexual harassment.
Then, we headed to Jongmyo Royal Shrine. It was a long way there by foot. We reached there at around 4pm but did not visit it as we felt that it was almost the same like any other temples that we visited before. The park in front of the shrine was crowded by many senior citizens. Some of them were doing some performance, such as singing and selling some writings. There were some hawkers selling food in front of the park.
We headed to Myeong-dong after that. Jun and Jane recommended this place to me. We were lost on the way but managed to reach there eventually with the help of a Korean. It is the best place for shopping when it comes to fashion. There are many fashion shops and restaurants around there. It was crowded by teenagers. The things there are indeed different, the clothes and hawker food etc. However, the prices are not cheap. Itaewon is the best when it comes to shopping for souvenirs.
We had dinner at a small shop at 5+pm. The food there is expensive and not delicious. We walked around the area for a while. Then, we headed to Lotte Department Store. The decorations there is really nice, the door and the staircase etc. However, things here are not cheap as well. It is really weird in Korea that we can bargain the price for some items with the promoter in the shopping complex. This is not the market and yet they can do that. The promoter can make decisions on the price.
Then, we headed back to Guil Station by subway at around 7+pm.
I watched the drama series with Jun and Jane again at 1am.
Day 2 in Seoul
October 11, Tuesday – Day 2 in Seoul
At 10.30am, we had lunch at the same shop recommended by Joo yesterday. The chicken balls there were really delicious. At around 11.20am, we took the subway to Itaewon. At 12.30pm, we reached Itaewon. Itaewon is an area with many visitors. Most of the hawkers there know how to speak English, though not fluent. We managed to get some souvenirs at a cheap price there.
At 1.40om, we visited the War Memorial Museum. The admission fee is 3,000 won each but we can visit the outside area for free. There were many old aeroplanes, missiles and warring equipments exhibited there. The guys were excited on some of the stuff there.
At around 2.20pm, I entered the museum. Ryan and Yushu did not enter as they were out-of-budget and not interested in it. There are 3 levels in the museum. I visited the second floor first as it is on the same level as the entrance.
Exhibitions on the second floor include Korean defense equipments and Memorial Hall. For Korean defense equipments, there are displays and some details on its specifications and performance, such as the ship types, engines, land transportations, mask types, remote firing devices, night vision equipments etc. There is a section especially for the Marine Corps. There is a short history about them, displays of their uniforms (both past and present). The Memorial Hall is on the second floor as well. Names of the famous army officers and their contributions during the war are marked there.
On the first floor, there are some exhibitions related to the war history. They have statues of the commanders/warriors who fought during the Japanese Invasion. There are 3 main dynasties in the olden Korea. They are known as the 3 Kingdoms – Koryo Dynasty, Joseon Dynasty and Choson Dynasty. The traditional clothes are different for different dynasties, though we can see some similarities in them. They even have some moving models on war for displays. It is really interesting. They have a detail description about live during wartime in Korea as well, such as their cultural activities, economy and education. Reporters and entertainers played an important on informing the people on the latest news and helped them to get over their anxiety. The economy during war time was terrible. People trade with whatever they have to get what they want. It was possible for food prices to increase up to a few thousand times in a day. People were not having enough food. They mainly relied on the food supply from the UN (United Nation).Even during war time, parents believed that education can make a change in their children’s life. They tried all they could to assure that their children receive food education. Children studied under a tent and sat on the straws on the floor. There are models on it as well. It is really upset. I felt like as if I was experiencing war itself.
On the third floor, they have more exhibitions on the war history of Korea, but not much. They have exhibitions on all the countries in the UN - their uniforms and badges etc.
At around 4.30pm, we departed to Nandemum Market by bus. Even though it is not that far from the museum, we were exhausted from all the walking just now. Nandemum area is a very crowded place with many hawker stalls and people. Things there are not really cheap, but a lot of choices. You can find a variety of “kim”(zhi3 cai4), winter clothings, papers for wrapping, pillow case etc there. We visited Nandemum (one of the main gates during wartime) before sunsets. There is really nothing to see there but a gate.
Then, we went around hunting for food. There are rows of stalls selling the same thing. However, the prices are not cheap. The aunties like to pull people as we walked pass their stalls. We tasted some of the hawker food. Ryan was the one complaining the most of the price. Yushu gave me “a burn in my money pocket” type of look.
At around 7pm, we headed back to Guil station by subway.
I watched the drama series with Jun and Jane again at 1am.
At 10.30am, we had lunch at the same shop recommended by Joo yesterday. The chicken balls there were really delicious. At around 11.20am, we took the subway to Itaewon. At 12.30pm, we reached Itaewon. Itaewon is an area with many visitors. Most of the hawkers there know how to speak English, though not fluent. We managed to get some souvenirs at a cheap price there.
At 1.40om, we visited the War Memorial Museum. The admission fee is 3,000 won each but we can visit the outside area for free. There were many old aeroplanes, missiles and warring equipments exhibited there. The guys were excited on some of the stuff there.
At around 2.20pm, I entered the museum. Ryan and Yushu did not enter as they were out-of-budget and not interested in it. There are 3 levels in the museum. I visited the second floor first as it is on the same level as the entrance.
Exhibitions on the second floor include Korean defense equipments and Memorial Hall. For Korean defense equipments, there are displays and some details on its specifications and performance, such as the ship types, engines, land transportations, mask types, remote firing devices, night vision equipments etc. There is a section especially for the Marine Corps. There is a short history about them, displays of their uniforms (both past and present). The Memorial Hall is on the second floor as well. Names of the famous army officers and their contributions during the war are marked there.
On the first floor, there are some exhibitions related to the war history. They have statues of the commanders/warriors who fought during the Japanese Invasion. There are 3 main dynasties in the olden Korea. They are known as the 3 Kingdoms – Koryo Dynasty, Joseon Dynasty and Choson Dynasty. The traditional clothes are different for different dynasties, though we can see some similarities in them. They even have some moving models on war for displays. It is really interesting. They have a detail description about live during wartime in Korea as well, such as their cultural activities, economy and education. Reporters and entertainers played an important on informing the people on the latest news and helped them to get over their anxiety. The economy during war time was terrible. People trade with whatever they have to get what they want. It was possible for food prices to increase up to a few thousand times in a day. People were not having enough food. They mainly relied on the food supply from the UN (United Nation).Even during war time, parents believed that education can make a change in their children’s life. They tried all they could to assure that their children receive food education. Children studied under a tent and sat on the straws on the floor. There are models on it as well. It is really upset. I felt like as if I was experiencing war itself.
On the third floor, they have more exhibitions on the war history of Korea, but not much. They have exhibitions on all the countries in the UN - their uniforms and badges etc.
At around 4.30pm, we departed to Nandemum Market by bus. Even though it is not that far from the museum, we were exhausted from all the walking just now. Nandemum area is a very crowded place with many hawker stalls and people. Things there are not really cheap, but a lot of choices. You can find a variety of “kim”(zhi3 cai4), winter clothings, papers for wrapping, pillow case etc there. We visited Nandemum (one of the main gates during wartime) before sunsets. There is really nothing to see there but a gate.
Then, we went around hunting for food. There are rows of stalls selling the same thing. However, the prices are not cheap. The aunties like to pull people as we walked pass their stalls. We tasted some of the hawker food. Ryan was the one complaining the most of the price. Yushu gave me “a burn in my money pocket” type of look.
At around 7pm, we headed back to Guil station by subway.
I watched the drama series with Jun and Jane again at 1am.
Day 1 in Seoul
October 10, Monday – Day 1 in Seoul
I woke up at around 4.40am. Ryan and Yushu’s room was already bright. I wondered if they sleep at all. We departed at around 5.15am. It was tough carrying the luggage. The guys went off to find a taxi while I guarded our luggage at ground floor. We departed to Gimhae Airport at 5.50am and reached there after 20 minutes. We checked in at 7.30am for our flight Incheon Airport.
We reached Incheon Airport 5 minutes before 8am. We were able to see view of mountains and clouds along the way. It was the best view I ever had on a flight. After reaching the airport, we took bus 306 to Incheon subway station. I was surprised as I reached there. The station is not underground and it looks very old. We took the subway to Guil station without changing line. The subway there is managed by Korail. The train is very slow as it started moving. It is moving very slowly as well after that.
When we reached Guil station, we called up Xiao Wen. She is a Malaysian, JPA scholar in Korea. Joo came along as well to help up with our luggage. We stayed with the other Malaysians when we were in Seoul. I stayed with Jun and Jane while Ryan and Yushu stayed with Joo. They are all JPA scholars in Korea. Their allowance for a month is 460,000 won. It is so much compared to our 180,000 won monthly allowance. But, some of them find the allowance not enough. As we have more, we spent more I guess.
Jun and Jane’s place is located at a different direction from Joo’s. Joo’s house is behind the college. Jun and Jane’s room is an apartment beside the college. Joo showed me the way to Jun and Jane’s place while Xiao Wen showed Ryan and Yushu to Joo’s place. Jun and Jane’s room is quite small for twin sharing but the place is quite nice. It is the school hostel. They can stay there for free but need to pay for the water, electric and internet bills. The lights along the corridor will be lighten as we walk across it. It is using sensors. It is the all in one type of room. The kitchen, sleeping place, studying place and toilet is all in a room. Of course, the toilet is separated. Fridge, wardrobe and the furniture for the kitchen is provided. But, they need to buy their own computer table, cupboard for books and mattresses. I was unable to see Jun and Jane as they were having class at that time.
Then, we met up again at Joo’s place to go for lunch at 12+pm. He recommended us a cheap place selling lunch boxes. The prices for a set meal there cost around 1,800 won – 4,000 won. We had some meat, salad, kimchi and rice at 2,800 won for lunch. It was very tasty. The kimchi there was nice as well. It was not as salty as the one in Busan. It was mild and light. For the first time, we can accept kimchi.
He headed to Lotte World after lunch. Lotte World is a world class theme park and the main filming location for the famous Korean drama series, “Stairway to Heaven”. There are 8 subway lines in Korea. We were very confused on where to change lines as sometimes a line have 2 directions. We were starting to miss the subway in Busan. There are only 2 lines, the subway stations are cleaner, not so big, not so many people and we do not need to change line for so many lines.
We reached Jamsil station after more than 1 hour. The special pass for Lotte World cost 30,000 won each while the normal admission cost 26,000 won. With special pass, we can play the games and attractions there. Admission is for sight-seeing only. They need to pay extra if they want to play any of the attractions there. There is an indoor theme park (Adventure) and outdoor theme park (Magic Island). The place is not big as I expected. We went to the indoor theme park first. It is like a wonder land and looks exactly like in the drama series.
There were many people there, even though it was Monday. There were many primary school students, high school students and teenagers. For popular rides, we need to queue up for more than an hour. It was a very long wait. Actually, I have not being to a theme park for around 9 years. My last went to a theme park during my primary school trip.
Below is the route of the day in Lotte World:
Bungee Drop (Adventure) -> World Monorail (4pm, round trip, Magic Island) -> Fantasy Dream (Magic Island) -> World Monorail (half trip, back to Adventure) -> Dynamic Theatre -> Jungle Adventure -> Mexican Restaurant (6+pm, dinner) -> World Carnival (parade at 7.30pm, Adventure) -> Merry-Go-Round (Adventure) -> Giant Loop (Adventure) -> Fantastic Odyssey (8.45pm, Adventure) -> Laser Show (9.30pm, Adventure)
We did not take a ride for the famous attractions there such as Gyro Drop, Gyro Swing, Atlantis etc as the queue was too long. World Monorail makes a around trip around Lotte World, both indoor and outdoor theme park. There is a station at both theme parks. Fantasy Dream is cater for kids below 6 years old. It is a tour on a boat. There are many cute dolls moving there. I enjoyed it. For Dynamic Theatre, they screened something and the seats moved according, like Motion Master. The high school girls were screaming their way but it was like nothing for “old people” like us. Ryan and Yushu were like teasing the girls by screaming as well, even though they did not feel the thrill. I was feeling the gap between us and the high school students when I was there. In Malaysia, I feel that I am still a high school student even though I am 21 years old now, maybe due to the different culture. The girls here are very rough; they took off their shoes and put their legs up on the chairs in front while waiting for the game to start. The Jungle Adventure is a non exciting water ride. We took the floating boat with another 2 kids and their mother. The kid cried as some of the puppets were laughing hilariously. Poor girl…Yushu made the situation worse by imitating the laugh of the puppets.
At around 6+pm, we had dinner at a Mexican restaurant. The other shops there were quite expensive as well. We might as well try out something different. I ordered a plate of Mexican beef dish. It tasted a bit like Indian food. It cost 6,500 won.
I was very excited to see the many locations for screening my favorite Korean drama series, “Stairway to Heaven” – the souvenir shop, the monorail, the merry-go-round etc. There are many shops there selling merchandise for Korean idols such as Bae Young Jun. But, they are very pricy. The view at night is very beautiful as well. There are many lights around.
The World Carnival parade is interesting but it is too short. People dress up in different costumes. Other than the Lotte World mascots (a pair of raccoons), I like the pig the most ^@^
It was my first time taking a merry-go-round. I was very excited about it. But, I was a disappointed after taking a ride. It would have been nicer if the speed is faster. Then, we tried out the Giant Loop. I planned to stay behind and let the guys enjoy the game as I am scare of heights. I tried to escape but the guys wouldn’t let me. They blocked me and assured me that it was just another ride. There were some girls wearing skirts taking the ride as well. The guys were very excited about that. Too bad, they were unable to see anything.
Then, we went for the show Fantastic Odyssey. It is show done by manipulating the water and fire. No one is acting in the show but it is very nice! They managed to control the water pressure very well and make the water splashed in a uniform way and shape. It must have cost a lot, for both the equipments and software to control the change of water, fire and props throughout the show. We were amazed by it!
The Laser Show at 9.30pm is something not to be missed. The whole indoor theme park turned into a huge stage for the show with the globe in the middle of the theme park as the focus. Even though we did not understand what it is saying in Korean, we enjoyed it.
Then, we headed back to Guil subway station. We reached there at almost 11+pm. I met Jun and Jane for the first time. They both sure look a lot alike, like sisters. They were busy preparing for the coming exam next week, now is study week.
We watched a Taiwanese drama series at around 1am. There are many good looking guys and girls in the series. The theme music is a new song from a Taiwan artist, titled “ai4 mei4”. Some of the dialogues are over exaggerating for the use of words and way of talking, making it funny in a sense.
I woke up at around 4.40am. Ryan and Yushu’s room was already bright. I wondered if they sleep at all. We departed at around 5.15am. It was tough carrying the luggage. The guys went off to find a taxi while I guarded our luggage at ground floor. We departed to Gimhae Airport at 5.50am and reached there after 20 minutes. We checked in at 7.30am for our flight Incheon Airport.
We reached Incheon Airport 5 minutes before 8am. We were able to see view of mountains and clouds along the way. It was the best view I ever had on a flight. After reaching the airport, we took bus 306 to Incheon subway station. I was surprised as I reached there. The station is not underground and it looks very old. We took the subway to Guil station without changing line. The subway there is managed by Korail. The train is very slow as it started moving. It is moving very slowly as well after that.
When we reached Guil station, we called up Xiao Wen. She is a Malaysian, JPA scholar in Korea. Joo came along as well to help up with our luggage. We stayed with the other Malaysians when we were in Seoul. I stayed with Jun and Jane while Ryan and Yushu stayed with Joo. They are all JPA scholars in Korea. Their allowance for a month is 460,000 won. It is so much compared to our 180,000 won monthly allowance. But, some of them find the allowance not enough. As we have more, we spent more I guess.
Jun and Jane’s place is located at a different direction from Joo’s. Joo’s house is behind the college. Jun and Jane’s room is an apartment beside the college. Joo showed me the way to Jun and Jane’s place while Xiao Wen showed Ryan and Yushu to Joo’s place. Jun and Jane’s room is quite small for twin sharing but the place is quite nice. It is the school hostel. They can stay there for free but need to pay for the water, electric and internet bills. The lights along the corridor will be lighten as we walk across it. It is using sensors. It is the all in one type of room. The kitchen, sleeping place, studying place and toilet is all in a room. Of course, the toilet is separated. Fridge, wardrobe and the furniture for the kitchen is provided. But, they need to buy their own computer table, cupboard for books and mattresses. I was unable to see Jun and Jane as they were having class at that time.
Then, we met up again at Joo’s place to go for lunch at 12+pm. He recommended us a cheap place selling lunch boxes. The prices for a set meal there cost around 1,800 won – 4,000 won. We had some meat, salad, kimchi and rice at 2,800 won for lunch. It was very tasty. The kimchi there was nice as well. It was not as salty as the one in Busan. It was mild and light. For the first time, we can accept kimchi.
He headed to Lotte World after lunch. Lotte World is a world class theme park and the main filming location for the famous Korean drama series, “Stairway to Heaven”. There are 8 subway lines in Korea. We were very confused on where to change lines as sometimes a line have 2 directions. We were starting to miss the subway in Busan. There are only 2 lines, the subway stations are cleaner, not so big, not so many people and we do not need to change line for so many lines.
We reached Jamsil station after more than 1 hour. The special pass for Lotte World cost 30,000 won each while the normal admission cost 26,000 won. With special pass, we can play the games and attractions there. Admission is for sight-seeing only. They need to pay extra if they want to play any of the attractions there. There is an indoor theme park (Adventure) and outdoor theme park (Magic Island). The place is not big as I expected. We went to the indoor theme park first. It is like a wonder land and looks exactly like in the drama series.
There were many people there, even though it was Monday. There were many primary school students, high school students and teenagers. For popular rides, we need to queue up for more than an hour. It was a very long wait. Actually, I have not being to a theme park for around 9 years. My last went to a theme park during my primary school trip.
Below is the route of the day in Lotte World:
Bungee Drop (Adventure) -> World Monorail (4pm, round trip, Magic Island) -> Fantasy Dream (Magic Island) -> World Monorail (half trip, back to Adventure) -> Dynamic Theatre -> Jungle Adventure -> Mexican Restaurant (6+pm, dinner) -> World Carnival (parade at 7.30pm, Adventure) -> Merry-Go-Round (Adventure) -> Giant Loop (Adventure) -> Fantastic Odyssey (8.45pm, Adventure) -> Laser Show (9.30pm, Adventure)
We did not take a ride for the famous attractions there such as Gyro Drop, Gyro Swing, Atlantis etc as the queue was too long. World Monorail makes a around trip around Lotte World, both indoor and outdoor theme park. There is a station at both theme parks. Fantasy Dream is cater for kids below 6 years old. It is a tour on a boat. There are many cute dolls moving there. I enjoyed it. For Dynamic Theatre, they screened something and the seats moved according, like Motion Master. The high school girls were screaming their way but it was like nothing for “old people” like us. Ryan and Yushu were like teasing the girls by screaming as well, even though they did not feel the thrill. I was feeling the gap between us and the high school students when I was there. In Malaysia, I feel that I am still a high school student even though I am 21 years old now, maybe due to the different culture. The girls here are very rough; they took off their shoes and put their legs up on the chairs in front while waiting for the game to start. The Jungle Adventure is a non exciting water ride. We took the floating boat with another 2 kids and their mother. The kid cried as some of the puppets were laughing hilariously. Poor girl…Yushu made the situation worse by imitating the laugh of the puppets.
At around 6+pm, we had dinner at a Mexican restaurant. The other shops there were quite expensive as well. We might as well try out something different. I ordered a plate of Mexican beef dish. It tasted a bit like Indian food. It cost 6,500 won.
I was very excited to see the many locations for screening my favorite Korean drama series, “Stairway to Heaven” – the souvenir shop, the monorail, the merry-go-round etc. There are many shops there selling merchandise for Korean idols such as Bae Young Jun. But, they are very pricy. The view at night is very beautiful as well. There are many lights around.
The World Carnival parade is interesting but it is too short. People dress up in different costumes. Other than the Lotte World mascots (a pair of raccoons), I like the pig the most ^@^
It was my first time taking a merry-go-round. I was very excited about it. But, I was a disappointed after taking a ride. It would have been nicer if the speed is faster. Then, we tried out the Giant Loop. I planned to stay behind and let the guys enjoy the game as I am scare of heights. I tried to escape but the guys wouldn’t let me. They blocked me and assured me that it was just another ride. There were some girls wearing skirts taking the ride as well. The guys were very excited about that. Too bad, they were unable to see anything.
Then, we went for the show Fantastic Odyssey. It is show done by manipulating the water and fire. No one is acting in the show but it is very nice! They managed to control the water pressure very well and make the water splashed in a uniform way and shape. It must have cost a lot, for both the equipments and software to control the change of water, fire and props throughout the show. We were amazed by it!
The Laser Show at 9.30pm is something not to be missed. The whole indoor theme park turned into a huge stage for the show with the globe in the middle of the theme park as the focus. Even though we did not understand what it is saying in Korean, we enjoyed it.
Then, we headed back to Guil subway station. We reached there at almost 11+pm. I met Jun and Jane for the first time. They both sure look a lot alike, like sisters. They were busy preparing for the coming exam next week, now is study week.
We watched a Taiwanese drama series at around 1am. There are many good looking guys and girls in the series. The theme music is a new song from a Taiwan artist, titled “ai4 mei4”. Some of the dialogues are over exaggerating for the use of words and way of talking, making it funny in a sense.
Last Day in Busan
October 9, Sunday – Last day in Busan
Today was my last day in Busan. I woke up quite late as I was busy packing the night before. I had dinner with the Indians at around 11am. Singh was the one doing most of the cooking on that day. We had “capati” and curry for lunch. Ryan cooked some “nasi lemak” and mushroom mixed with mince hard-boiled eggs.
At around 5.30pm, I went to Xian Yan’s apartment to get something from her. She was not in as I reached there and her housemate, Quen Li passed me the present. On my lab to Xian Yan’s apartment, I dropped by at my lab for a while to say farewell to Kyung Kon oppa.
Then, I met with the other Malaysians for our farewell dinner. We had chicken for dinner. We ordered pan pan chicken (means half-half chicken). There were 2 favours, garlic chicken and sweet and sour chicken. We ordered another plate of fried chicken and 3 bowl of rice. Then, we went to “noreban” (karaoke). It cost 10,000 won an hour for a small room. Wei Shi enjoyed himself a lot.
At around 9pm, I met with Min Pyo, Jeung Geun and Jang Chun oppa after the karaoke. Jeung Geun and Jang Chun oppa gave me a present each. I was very happy. I never expect them to give me a farewell present. They departed soon after giving me the present. We headed to Hanaro Mart after that.
We reached the dormitory at around 10pm. I unwrapped the presents as I reached my room. Jeung Geun oppa gave me a soldier hat while Jang Chun oppa gave me an umbrella. It is a very nice fordable umbrella with life time warranty. It must be an expensive one.
It was a very busy night after that. While I was busy packing the luggage, Young Kyu oppa called me to say goodbye to me. At around 12+am, I said goodbye to the Germans and was chatting for a while after that. I arranged the things that I wanted to leave behind in boxes for the other Malaysians.
Finally at around 1+am, I finished all the packing. I felt sad that I was going to leave Busan. I may not be coming back here anymore. I sure miss my oppa and onni, especially after they called me up and gave me presents. My excitement on going to Seoul was gone for the moment, replace by memories of my friends in Busan.
Today was my last day in Busan. I woke up quite late as I was busy packing the night before. I had dinner with the Indians at around 11am. Singh was the one doing most of the cooking on that day. We had “capati” and curry for lunch. Ryan cooked some “nasi lemak” and mushroom mixed with mince hard-boiled eggs.
At around 5.30pm, I went to Xian Yan’s apartment to get something from her. She was not in as I reached there and her housemate, Quen Li passed me the present. On my lab to Xian Yan’s apartment, I dropped by at my lab for a while to say farewell to Kyung Kon oppa.
Then, I met with the other Malaysians for our farewell dinner. We had chicken for dinner. We ordered pan pan chicken (means half-half chicken). There were 2 favours, garlic chicken and sweet and sour chicken. We ordered another plate of fried chicken and 3 bowl of rice. Then, we went to “noreban” (karaoke). It cost 10,000 won an hour for a small room. Wei Shi enjoyed himself a lot.
At around 9pm, I met with Min Pyo, Jeung Geun and Jang Chun oppa after the karaoke. Jeung Geun and Jang Chun oppa gave me a present each. I was very happy. I never expect them to give me a farewell present. They departed soon after giving me the present. We headed to Hanaro Mart after that.
We reached the dormitory at around 10pm. I unwrapped the presents as I reached my room. Jeung Geun oppa gave me a soldier hat while Jang Chun oppa gave me an umbrella. It is a very nice fordable umbrella with life time warranty. It must be an expensive one.
It was a very busy night after that. While I was busy packing the luggage, Young Kyu oppa called me to say goodbye to me. At around 12+am, I said goodbye to the Germans and was chatting for a while after that. I arranged the things that I wanted to leave behind in boxes for the other Malaysians.
Finally at around 1+am, I finished all the packing. I felt sad that I was going to leave Busan. I may not be coming back here anymore. I sure miss my oppa and onni, especially after they called me up and gave me presents. My excitement on going to Seoul was gone for the moment, replace by memories of my friends in Busan.
Sunday, October 16, 2005
Daegu 1 Day Trip
October 8, Saturday – It was my one day trip to Daegu this day. I attended the IT Expo there. At around 7.30am, Ern Yu, Shu Yun and I departed to Busan Station by bus. We reached there at around 8.10am. It was our first time there. We were sort of lost, looking for the entrance for our train. The receptionists at the information center there have very poor English and hardly understand what we were talking. We managed to find the entrance in the end, of course.
At around 8.15am, we were able to board. We will be taking Korail instead of KTX (some sort like Korean’s bullet train but the speed is not consistent because some of tracks are old). The train that we took used the Saemael track and our train number was 1004. Our professor helped us to get the tickets. He bought us the second class tickets. The seats are quite spacious. I have not taken a train since more than ten years ago. It was like a new experience.
The train departed exactly at 8.35am. The train was not full. As the train moved, it is very steady and quiet. There is a worker pushing a small trolley selling food for a cart to another. I find him very annoying. The way he talked is like mourning. There is another serving either tea or coffee. Along the way, I saw some very scenic views. At 9.45am, we reached Dong Daegu station. Our professor was already there as we reached. He took us to EXCO (Busan Exhibition and Conference Center) by car. He showed us some pamphlets on Daegu.
We reached EXCO at around 10.20am. The design of this building is almost the same as BEXCO in Busan. It has 5 floors above ground and 3 floors underground. Most of the underground levels were used for carpark. Coincidently, Korea travel fair was held on the same day at first floor. The IT EXPO was at third floor. We visited the travel fair first and managed to get many freebies, such as paper bags, pens and postcards. There were many booths there, all very well decorated. They must have invested a lot on it. Each state had their booths there. Unlike in Malaysia, they like to hire pretty girls, dressing up in special uniforms to take care of the booths. There were mascots as well. The pamphlets were very well done, no photocopies. Some of the booths even offered free coffee.
After a short walk there, we headed to the third floor with professor. There were not as many booths as in Busan’s IT EXPO. However, the booth decorations were simply amazing. We visited the NURI booth at first. NURI is a government project and our professor is involved in it. There were exhibitions on biotechnology, fashion and health. There were many displays of robots, such as vacuum cleaners. There was a session on Korean traditional crafts. There were many interesting things to see there, such as kites, tea set, metal crafts, shell products, boxes and paper arts (eg: lamp, masks and dolls).
At around 11.30am, as my professor was busy, he asked us to tour around Daegu on our own by EXCO’s shuttle bus. He explained to us the route of the bus. At ariybd 12+pm, we had lunch at a restaurant at the lower ground. There were many furniture and house decorations shop there as well. The designs were very nice. We ordered 3 bowls of “jajang myeon” and a big plate of sweet and sour fried pork. The professor leaved after our food had arrived and gave us some traveling fee each for the day. I was surprised that he gave me some money for my tour to Seoul. I was very happy. It was my last time seeing him.
After lunch, we visited the exhibitions once more before taking the shuttle bus at 1.30pm. The bus only departed at 2pm. Some of the views in Daegu are different from in Busan. However, most of them are the same. The bus reached Banwoldong subway station. We headed to Jungangno station from there. We were able to see St. Justino Catholic Seminary at a far from Banwoldong station. There are a number of shops underground near Banwoldong station. The shops and subway seemed to be quite new. Primary school children were doing some performance at that time. Many passers-by were enjoying the performance, so did I. There were many other shops along the way to Gukchae-bosang Memorial Park, selling food and winter clothing.
We were very disappointed as we reached the park. There is nothing special there, a big bell which is something very common in Korea and a park. We rested there for a while. It was very cooling because of the shade of the trees. We walked around the area near Jungangno station. There are many hawker stalls and branded shops. It is like Nampo Dong in Busan.
We had dinner at 6pm at McDonalds. They were having a promotion at that time. All the set meals were sold at 3,000 won (normal price is 3,500 won – 4,000 won) and desserts were sold at 1,000 won. I bought 2 apple pies at 1,000 won. The size of the apple pie is smaller than in Malaysia.
Then, we had a look around the boutique there before taking the subway to Dong Daegu station. The ticket buying machine there is slightly different from in Busan. They do not issue a ticket; instead, a small round thing like a keychain will be issued. There are only 2 subway lines in Daegu. 800 won for short distance and 900 won for further distance.
Our train was at 8.45pm. The train was 5 minutes late this time. The train number is 1011 and the arrival time in Busan is 10pm.
At around 8.15am, we were able to board. We will be taking Korail instead of KTX (some sort like Korean’s bullet train but the speed is not consistent because some of tracks are old). The train that we took used the Saemael track and our train number was 1004. Our professor helped us to get the tickets. He bought us the second class tickets. The seats are quite spacious. I have not taken a train since more than ten years ago. It was like a new experience.
The train departed exactly at 8.35am. The train was not full. As the train moved, it is very steady and quiet. There is a worker pushing a small trolley selling food for a cart to another. I find him very annoying. The way he talked is like mourning. There is another serving either tea or coffee. Along the way, I saw some very scenic views. At 9.45am, we reached Dong Daegu station. Our professor was already there as we reached. He took us to EXCO (Busan Exhibition and Conference Center) by car. He showed us some pamphlets on Daegu.
We reached EXCO at around 10.20am. The design of this building is almost the same as BEXCO in Busan. It has 5 floors above ground and 3 floors underground. Most of the underground levels were used for carpark. Coincidently, Korea travel fair was held on the same day at first floor. The IT EXPO was at third floor. We visited the travel fair first and managed to get many freebies, such as paper bags, pens and postcards. There were many booths there, all very well decorated. They must have invested a lot on it. Each state had their booths there. Unlike in Malaysia, they like to hire pretty girls, dressing up in special uniforms to take care of the booths. There were mascots as well. The pamphlets were very well done, no photocopies. Some of the booths even offered free coffee.
After a short walk there, we headed to the third floor with professor. There were not as many booths as in Busan’s IT EXPO. However, the booth decorations were simply amazing. We visited the NURI booth at first. NURI is a government project and our professor is involved in it. There were exhibitions on biotechnology, fashion and health. There were many displays of robots, such as vacuum cleaners. There was a session on Korean traditional crafts. There were many interesting things to see there, such as kites, tea set, metal crafts, shell products, boxes and paper arts (eg: lamp, masks and dolls).
At around 11.30am, as my professor was busy, he asked us to tour around Daegu on our own by EXCO’s shuttle bus. He explained to us the route of the bus. At ariybd 12+pm, we had lunch at a restaurant at the lower ground. There were many furniture and house decorations shop there as well. The designs were very nice. We ordered 3 bowls of “jajang myeon” and a big plate of sweet and sour fried pork. The professor leaved after our food had arrived and gave us some traveling fee each for the day. I was surprised that he gave me some money for my tour to Seoul. I was very happy. It was my last time seeing him.
After lunch, we visited the exhibitions once more before taking the shuttle bus at 1.30pm. The bus only departed at 2pm. Some of the views in Daegu are different from in Busan. However, most of them are the same. The bus reached Banwoldong subway station. We headed to Jungangno station from there. We were able to see St. Justino Catholic Seminary at a far from Banwoldong station. There are a number of shops underground near Banwoldong station. The shops and subway seemed to be quite new. Primary school children were doing some performance at that time. Many passers-by were enjoying the performance, so did I. There were many other shops along the way to Gukchae-bosang Memorial Park, selling food and winter clothing.
We were very disappointed as we reached the park. There is nothing special there, a big bell which is something very common in Korea and a park. We rested there for a while. It was very cooling because of the shade of the trees. We walked around the area near Jungangno station. There are many hawker stalls and branded shops. It is like Nampo Dong in Busan.
We had dinner at 6pm at McDonalds. They were having a promotion at that time. All the set meals were sold at 3,000 won (normal price is 3,500 won – 4,000 won) and desserts were sold at 1,000 won. I bought 2 apple pies at 1,000 won. The size of the apple pie is smaller than in Malaysia.
Then, we had a look around the boutique there before taking the subway to Dong Daegu station. The ticket buying machine there is slightly different from in Busan. They do not issue a ticket; instead, a small round thing like a keychain will be issued. There are only 2 subway lines in Daegu. 800 won for short distance and 900 won for further distance.
Our train was at 8.45pm. The train was 5 minutes late this time. The train number is 1011 and the arrival time in Busan is 10pm.
Shopping Trip @ Nampo Dong
October 7, Friday – I went to the lab early in the morning, around 10am but the lab was locked. Luckily Tae Hwan was in his lab. I stayed in his lab for a while. He let me used Suk Hen’s computer. Then, he went to class soon after that. Shu Yun came to the lab shortly after 10am. Min Ho and Daniel oppa came in for a while at around 11+am. Min Ho oppa dressed up very differently on that day.
At around 12pm, I went to Nampo Dong to hunt for souvenirs by bus no. 61. I saw a huge dog outside a cosmetic shop there as I arrived and snapped a few photos of it. Many passers-by were attracted to the dog as well. I shopped at the underground shopping mall for quite some time before heading to the PIFF at around 3pm.
On the way there, I saw many people holding very nice paper bags with some posters and perhaps goodies inside, most of them were high school students. All the food stalls outside of the PIFF (Pusan International Film Festival) complex was gone, replaced by the booths for selling PIFF’s souvenirs and information about PIFF. There was a stage, medium size at the end of the road. I managed to get a booklet which contained the screening schedule and a short synopsis of the movies that will be shown during the festival. There were some police officers around the area. The whole place was well decorated. The plants were replaced by new flower plants.
All of a sudden, the whole place was packed with people and cameramen. The opening ceremony began. I was surprised as I saw Jackie Chan, a Hong Kong born International movie star and a Korean actress showed up on the stage. The crowd increased immediately and many teenagers started shouting and taking out their cameras and handphones (with camera). I never know that Jackie Chan is so popular among the Koreans. The crowd was almost out of control as he begun speaking in Cantonese. It was mostly about his latest movie with a Korean actress, a love story. Of course, there was a translator to translate what he said. The police officers were doing their best to make the situation under control.
I leaved the area to look for food after the ceremony ended. The shopping areas nearby were very quiet. I planned to buy a new umbrella as the one that I brought from Malaysia is already broken due to the strong wind. However, the nice ones are too expensive, around 10,000-12,000 won each. Thus, I decided to get a new one when I am back in Malaysia. After some shopping for souvenirs, I headed to the bus stop. Along the way there, I saw a banner outside Lotteria about discounts for burgers. Thus, I ordered a burger at half price, 1250 won for dinner. Then, I went back to Naengjeong by subway.
When I was in Seomyeom to change line, I was surprised to see many people there. Hmm… could it be due to the film festival… I was holding much stuff due to the shopping just now and my hands were full. One of the ajuma sitting offered to help me with them. It was very nice of her. She even let me to have her seat after she leaved.
At around 12pm, I went to Nampo Dong to hunt for souvenirs by bus no. 61. I saw a huge dog outside a cosmetic shop there as I arrived and snapped a few photos of it. Many passers-by were attracted to the dog as well. I shopped at the underground shopping mall for quite some time before heading to the PIFF at around 3pm.
On the way there, I saw many people holding very nice paper bags with some posters and perhaps goodies inside, most of them were high school students. All the food stalls outside of the PIFF (Pusan International Film Festival) complex was gone, replaced by the booths for selling PIFF’s souvenirs and information about PIFF. There was a stage, medium size at the end of the road. I managed to get a booklet which contained the screening schedule and a short synopsis of the movies that will be shown during the festival. There were some police officers around the area. The whole place was well decorated. The plants were replaced by new flower plants.
All of a sudden, the whole place was packed with people and cameramen. The opening ceremony began. I was surprised as I saw Jackie Chan, a Hong Kong born International movie star and a Korean actress showed up on the stage. The crowd increased immediately and many teenagers started shouting and taking out their cameras and handphones (with camera). I never know that Jackie Chan is so popular among the Koreans. The crowd was almost out of control as he begun speaking in Cantonese. It was mostly about his latest movie with a Korean actress, a love story. Of course, there was a translator to translate what he said. The police officers were doing their best to make the situation under control.
I leaved the area to look for food after the ceremony ended. The shopping areas nearby were very quiet. I planned to buy a new umbrella as the one that I brought from Malaysia is already broken due to the strong wind. However, the nice ones are too expensive, around 10,000-12,000 won each. Thus, I decided to get a new one when I am back in Malaysia. After some shopping for souvenirs, I headed to the bus stop. Along the way there, I saw a banner outside Lotteria about discounts for burgers. Thus, I ordered a burger at half price, 1250 won for dinner. Then, I went back to Naengjeong by subway.
When I was in Seomyeom to change line, I was surprised to see many people there. Hmm… could it be due to the film festival… I was holding much stuff due to the shopping just now and my hands were full. One of the ajuma sitting offered to help me with them. It was very nice of her. She even let me to have her seat after she leaved.
Tired Day
October 6, Thursday – I was unable to sleep after reaching Busan. Maybe it was due to the brightness of my room. I had some biscuits for lunch. At around 3+pm, I went to the lab to see my professor about my evaluation report. I am supposed to get it from him before I go back to Malaysia. But, he have not fill in yet as he was very busy.
Today, Min Ho oppa was very happy because he just passed his CCNA examination. At around 5pm, I went to the International Happy Hour that is held on every Thursday for the last time. I was not able to meet Il-Hee oppa there. There were very few people attending on that day, maybe due to the poor food. I chatted with Bruce for the last time. As I was about to leave, I saw Bong Geung oppa outside. I have not seen him for a long time. I managed to take a photo with him.
Today, Min Ho oppa was very happy because he just passed his CCNA examination. At around 5pm, I went to the International Happy Hour that is held on every Thursday for the last time. I was not able to meet Il-Hee oppa there. There were very few people attending on that day, maybe due to the poor food. I chatted with Bruce for the last time. As I was about to leave, I saw Bong Geung oppa outside. I have not seen him for a long time. I managed to take a photo with him.
Additional Information on Jeju Island
Jeju Island is a bit like Langkawi in Malaysia. It is a huge island. It took around 5 hours for the bus to go one round around the island. Most of the areas in the island is still undeveloped, which means that the beauty of nature remains. They always joke that there are 3 popular things in Jeju Island – Wind, Rock and Women. The wind around the island is quite strong. There are many rocks around the island. As the traditional occupation here is fishery, most of the men are fishermen. Most of them lose their life when they were out for their work. Thus, they have more women than men on the island. I do not really believe it for the last one.
Here are some advise for planning:
1. Stay at places near to the places that you are going to visit on that day. This is because traveling from city to city is very costly and time consuming.
2. If you want to hike Mount Hallasan, be there before 9am. It is better not to go to Mount Hallasan on the same day as you will be leaving because it is very rush.
3. Better get a map of the roads of the island before doing any planning. It will be easier. Jeju Island is divided into North, South, East, West with Mount Hallasan in the middle of the island.
Here are some advise for planning:
1. Stay at places near to the places that you are going to visit on that day. This is because traveling from city to city is very costly and time consuming.
2. If you want to hike Mount Hallasan, be there before 9am. It is better not to go to Mount Hallasan on the same day as you will be leaving because it is very rush.
3. Better get a map of the roads of the island before doing any planning. It will be easier. Jeju Island is divided into North, South, East, West with Mount Hallasan in the middle of the island.
Pictures in Korea - Batch 28b
I am back in Penang, Malaysia! Finally I am connected. It's good to hear Manglish again and see Malaysians everywhere. However, I somehow feel weird. Suddenly, all the Koreans around me are gone. The broadband in Malaysia is extremely slow compared to Korea. No more "click-and-open" type of speed -_- Of course, I am expecting a slower speed here, but it is way slower than I anticipated.
Here are the remaining photos for Jeju Island:
http://photobucket.com/albums/a146/dellachew06/Korea28b/
Here are the remaining photos for Jeju Island:
http://photobucket.com/albums/a146/dellachew06/Korea28b/
Sunday, October 09, 2005
Pictures in Korea - Batch 28a
Here are some of the photos taken during the first 2 days in Jeju Island. I will upload the rest later:
http://photobucket.com/albums/a146/dellachew06/Korea28a/
p/s: I won't be updating this blog for more than a week. Will update tonnes of it later ^^
http://photobucket.com/albums/a146/dellachew06/Korea28a/
p/s: I won't be updating this blog for more than a week. Will update tonnes of it later ^^
Friday, October 07, 2005
Trip to Jeju Island
October 1, Saturday – At around 3.30pm, my journey to Jeju Island begun. We went to my lab to collect some printing on the bus number of Jeju Island. Then, we did some shopping to get a roll of toilet paper and to Hanaro to buy some food as snacks for the night or as breakfasts. We went to Jungang-dong by subway and then followed by some walk before reaching Busan Coastal Ferry Terminal. Many people were asking Ryan a lot of questions when we were changing line at the subway as he was holding some maps. They were talking non-stop in Korean. Yet, we only understand some normal questions that they were asking, such as “Where are you from?” One of the passengers in the subway assisted us there.
Min Ho oppa had already helped me booked the ship tickets before that. I just need to go to the counter to give them my reservation name and pay for the tickets. We took the cheapest tickeet, 29,000 (3rd class type B). We will be staying in a big room with another 210+ people. The ship departed at 7.30pm. Since Monday is Korean's National Day, there's 3 continuous days of holidays. The ship was packed with passengers - kids, teenagers, families, hiking team etc. We quickly find a spot to sit down before all the empty spaces were taken by the other passengers. Almost al the pillows were taken by the time we reached there. It is like a culture for Koreans to bring food along whenever they go for traveling. Shortly after we arrived, we saw a lot of people opening boxes of food and picnic there. Meanwhile, we were having sandwiches, biscuits, snacks and "san kak gimbak" as dinner. The night at the ship was like a very long one. We played some card games and had some snacks. Then, we went out to get some fresh air. The wind was extremely strong and cold, especially at the front of the ship. It was so strong that it was able to move a person standing there. Sleeping in the ship with so many people was the worst of the worst. It was very noisy as the hiking team consisted of “ajesi” (uncles) and “ajuma” (aunties) were chatting throughout the night. Kids were running here and there, playing and shouting. A couple was sleeping next to me and the guy kept on kicking at me all the time. I changed places with Ryan after that and he was complaining about the same thing.
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October 2, Sunday – Day 1 in Jeju Island
At around 7am, we arrived at Jeju Island's port. The wind was not so strong anymore. It's great! The design of the ferry terminal looks a lot like the building for APEC. We headed to the bus stop outside the ferry terminal after we arrived. It was seriously had to get a bus there. Luckily, a lady there helped us. Her English is quite good and she's traveling alone. It was her second trip to Jeju Island. We shared a taxi with her to the bus terminal. Then, she helped us to get the bus tickets to our “mimbak” (cheapest type of accommodation in Korea; something like homestay) near Seongsan Ilchulbong (Seongsan Sunrise Peak). The bus ticket cost 3,800 won and it took slightly more than1 hour to reach there.
Seongsan is a small town and not as developing as Jejusi (Jeju City). There are not many people around the area. The view there is really nice. It is located near the sea and mountains. There are many vegetable farms there. The “mimbak” that we were staying at is located beside Seongsan Ilchulbong. We were able to see the mountain from our room, a very nice view indeed.
We had lunch at a small shop at 11am before heading to U-do. The prices for food here is more expensive than in Busan. It cost around 4,000-5,000 for a meal. Of course, seafood is more expensive. I ordered 2 “gimbak” while Yushu and Ryan ordered “sungdobu chige” (tofu soup with rice). The side dishes were really nice. I like the sweet fish pieces the most. The “ajuma” (aunty) there seemed to be very happy with us visiting the store. She even fried 2 medium size fishes for us as side dish.
After lunch, we walked to the nearest jetty to take the ship to U-do (Cow Island). It cost 2,000 won for one way and the last ship back is at 5pm. The jetty was packed with people as many people were heading there for the cave concert. It took us around 15 minutes to reach the island. U-do is a small island very near to Jeju’s mainland. It is famous for its black stone beach and diving women. Udo got its name because its shape resembles a cow lying down. There are 8 scenic views in the island. Most of the scenes of the Korean movie, “Mermaid Princess” were taken here. Some of the scenes for the Korean TV drama series, “Summer Scent” was taken here as well.
We rented a bicycle for 10,000 won each to go around the island. It was great as the weather was not very hot and the wind was very cooling. We cycled around the island. The beach is made of black basalt and the water is crystal clear. Houses there are normally surrounded by a low wall made of the black basalt. As it is autumn now, most of the farming lands were cleared. It must have been really beautiful during spring, when all the flowers bloom. At 3pm, there will be a concert at the cave below U-do’s lighthouse. We met the lady who helped us before at the bus stand on our way there. She guided us to the place.
The scenery there is fantastic, especially the landscape. There were many people heading towards the cave. We need to pay 5,000 won as the admission for the cave concert. The beach at the entrance of the cave consists of black sand and we were able to see some seaweed in between some rocks at the entrance. Why would they want to have a concert at a cave? It’s hard to get in, especially for senior citizens. It was very cooling inside the cave. The concert is divided into 2 parts. One is for traditional music and another one is for the orchestral. We sat at the slanting part of the cave to enjoy the concert. The cave itself interested me more than the concert.
At around 4.30pm, we rushed back to the jetty for the ship at 5pm. It was very tiring at first because we need to cycle up the slope. But, it was enjoyable later on as we speed down the hill towards the jetty.
We managed to catch the ship at 5pm without paying. Ryan was supposed to get the tickets before heading to the ship for boarding. But, it seemed that he could not find the ticketing booth. He asked to the “ajesi” (uncle) who was collecting the tickets but he did not understand at all. In the end, he just let us in without any tickets.
At around 6pm, we headed back to the same shop that we had lunch in the afternoon for dinner. The “ajuma” (aunty) was very happy and she gave us extra fried fish as side dishes. Then, we headed back to the mimbak for some rest.
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October 3, Monday – Day 2 in Jeju Island
At 8.30am, we departed to the nearest bus stand to take a bus to Seogwipo. It was a long wait. The bus only came at 9.30am. We arrived at Seogwipo at around 10.30am and then took the bus to Mount Hallasan at 11am. It took us around 40 minutes to reach there. The scenery along the way is very beautiful. Some of the trees in the mountain have already change color while some are changing. It was a bit misty on that day, making it mysterious. However, it was too late as we arrived. The rule stated that we must be there before 9am if we are going to hike the mountain. Thus, we took another bus back to Seogwipo. We did a last minute planning on the way. From there, we took another bus heading to Mini World. The scenery along the way is very beautiful, as if we were entering another world. The mountain is made of Christmas trees.
At around 1pm, we reached Mini World. The admission fee is very expensive, 6,000 won. There are many miniatures of various buildings and structures from different countries around the world, such as Eiffel Tower and Buckingham Palace. It reminded me of one of the famous tourist spot in China. I was rather disappointed by some of the badly made miniatures. We were very surprised to see a miniature of an infamous mosque in Ipoh, Malaysia. Overall, it was okay, a good place to learn about different places around the world. We had some sardine and bread inside the park as lunch.
At around 3+pm, we headed to Sangumburi Crater. It is located very near to Mini World. Sangamburi, hollowed by the volcanic eruption of gaseous content and having little emitted material, is a parasitic volcano and the only maar which exists in Jeju. It is a large hole in a wide plain about 400m high above sea level. The diameter of summit crater is 600-650m. It is deeper and wider than the peak of Mount Hallasan. We were welcome by a well maintain garden before entering the place. I like the roof of the buildings there. As it was cold, parasites are growing on the rocks. The scenery of fields of eululia is very beautiful. Eululia is a type of tall wild grass. The whole place is yellow and white in color. Then, follow by the greeneries formed by the Christmas trees at the further part. There are many Grandfather Stone there. It is known as the guardian god of Jeju Island, made by natural stone and available in various sizes and shapes. The souvenir shops there are selling a lot of them.
At around 5pm, we headed back to Seongsan-ri as it was starting to rain. We took a taxi back and managed to snap some pictures along the way. In order to save money, we had “ramyeon” with eggs as dinner instead. Then, we enjoyed an English movie showing on TV. It was about some sort of aliens trying to take over the school and the world etc. It was nice.
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October 4, Tuesday – Day 3 in Jeju Island
At around 6am, we headed up to Seongsan Ilchulbong (Sunrise Peak). It is a very famous spot to see sunrise and a must visit place in Jeju Island. At the top of the crater, it looks like a splendid crown floating upon the blue ocean. The admission fee is 1,000 won. It took us around 20 minutes to reach the top. The view is very beautiful from the top. The landscape below is like 3D miniatures of islands. We watched as the whole place changed from dark blue to bright. We were able to see U-do from there as well. Too bad it was cloudy on that day. We were unable to see the sun as it was hiding behind the clouds. During New Years Eve, the New Years Sunrise Festival takes place there. It starts at New Years Eve and continues overnight until dawn. It is an annual event.
At around 8am, we headed back when it was drizzling. Then, we took our luggages and headed to Pyoseon at around 9+am. It was raining at that time and the wind was very strong. My umbrella was getting out-of-shape. It was raining heavily when we reached Pyoseon. From there, we walked for 15 minutes before reaching Jeju Folk Village Museum. It was a tough journey there as we were carrying our luggages along.
Jeju Folk Village Museum reproduced the images of the 19th traditional villages on Jeju Island. Traditional thatched roof houses, spectacular collections of fishing tools and artifacts are displayed. It was the filming location of the famous Korean drama series, “Daejangkeum”, which featured a woman chef for the royal palace during the Joseon dynasty. The admission fee is 6,000 won. Even though it is expensive, it is a place worth visiting. Train tour is provided. We felt like as if we were really in the village itself. We put our luggages at the office before walking around the place. We waited for around 30 minutes at a café in the museum for the rain to stop. Yet, nothing seemed to change. Thus, we decided to walk around in the rain, with umbrellas of course. There were displays of the fisherman’s house, the hunter’s house, the rich man’s house etc. Yet, they looked almost the same, with some difference. For example, in the hunter’s house, you will be able to see the equipments they use for hunting. The houses are made of stones, wood lodges, ropes and mud. It was interesting.
We had lunch at a shop in the museum. We had hard-boiled fish as lunch. It tasted a bit like “tomyam” but it was really delicious. It cost 5,000 for each person, including rice. As we were freezing cold and hungry, we finished all the side dishes before the main dish arrived. We even finished the refills for the side dishes. Then, we continued with our sight-seeing under the rain.
At around 2+pm, we took the bus to Seogwipo. We reached there at almost 4pm. We walked around the area, looking for motel. We managed to get a room at 30,000 won. We started calculating our budget again as we will be extending our stay here for another day, which means we will have more expenses.
At around 5pm, we took the city bus to Daepo Jusangjeolli. We passed by the World Cup Stadium and the Teddy Bear Museum along the way. We reached the Jeju Convention Center at around 5.30pm, followed by 5-10 minutes walk. We were surprised to come across a weird looking building, known as Museum of Africa at the junction before reaching our destination. Why the Museum of Africa is in Jeju Island?
The admission for Daepo Jusangjeolli is 2,000 won. The unique thing about this place is the shape of the black rocks. This pillar rock formation is located off of the coast of Daepo. The shape is very unique. The rectangular and hexagonal rock pillars have been academically evaluated as important geological resources to do research and gain insight into the coastal topography development process. It started to rain again soon after that. We managed to snap some photos before heading to the bus stand, which is around 20 minutes from there.
At around 7pm, we had our dinner at a small shop near our motel. Gimbak sure is more expensive in Jeju Island. It cost 1,500-2000 won each. Normally, we can get it at 1,000 won in Busan. Then, we went back to the motel to dry our shoes and shocks before getting some rest.
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October 5, Wednesday – Day 4 in Jeju Island
At around 8.20am, we took the bus to Mount Hallasan. We reached there at 9am and started hiking at 9.15am. It was really cold, maybe due to the rain yesterday.
The journey up was easy at first. It was a bit easier later and then getting tougher and tougher. Most of the paths are made of black rocks. We need to reach the shelter before 12.30pm because we are not allowed to hike up to the peak after that. We managed to reach there at 12pm. We had a bar of chocolate before continued our way to the peak. The journey up was a boring one because we were able to see trees only. However, the scenery is getting nicer as we were reaching the shelter.
We rushed to the top at 12.15pm because we must get down from the peak at 2.30pm. The way up is made of only rocks. It was very tiring. In addition, it started to rain heavily soon after we started hiking again. The path became very slippery and muddy. We were holding on to our umbrellas as we were hiking, must be very weird. We must be nuts for hiking in the rain. The plants along the way are different as we went higher and higher.
After more than 1 hour of walk, we were able to see the peak from the lower part. It was very beautiful, with all the clouds, flowers, plants and rocks. The scenery is simply gorgeous as we almost reach the peak. But, it was rather disappointing as we reached the peak. There was nothing there but a huge hole. However, the view from the peak is nice. It was extremely cold up there. Our hands became numb, hardly able to move. The wind was very strong and we were unable to open our umbrellas.
The way down was a rush because we need to be down at around 5pm, else we will not be able to catch the ship at 7.30pm. We had our lunch, which was sardine bread in the rain at around 2+pm. We made it to the bottom at 5.30pm, barely able to stand. We got our certificates for reaching the peak at the office. That’s the end of our 20km hiking in the rain.
At 5.45pm, we took the bus to Jejusi. We were so tired that we finished the rest of the biscuits that we had. Plain biscuits could never be so delicious. We arrived at 6+pm. Then, we took a taxi to the ferry terminal. We managed to get 7.30pm tickets. We rushed to a store in the terminal to get 3 cup noodles, biscuits and some snacks before heading to the ship. It was very tiring. Surprisingly, the ship was quite empty. We can finally sleep without being kick by the other passengers. But, for no reasons, we were able to have a nice sleep.
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October 6, Thursday - We arrived at Busan at around 6am, it was surprisingly early. Luckily, the public transport was working. We took the subway back to Naengjeong. Then, we took the taxi back to our dormitory.
This marked the end of our trip to Jeju Island. I was busy washing all the dirty clothes, shoes and shocks after reaching my room. BJun had already leaved on the same day, around 5.30am. Now, I am alone in the whole room.
p/s: Some of the information are quoted from the tourist guide. I will upload the pictures later. May not be blogging for another week as I will not be around.
Min Ho oppa had already helped me booked the ship tickets before that. I just need to go to the counter to give them my reservation name and pay for the tickets. We took the cheapest tickeet, 29,000 (3rd class type B). We will be staying in a big room with another 210+ people. The ship departed at 7.30pm. Since Monday is Korean's National Day, there's 3 continuous days of holidays. The ship was packed with passengers - kids, teenagers, families, hiking team etc. We quickly find a spot to sit down before all the empty spaces were taken by the other passengers. Almost al the pillows were taken by the time we reached there. It is like a culture for Koreans to bring food along whenever they go for traveling. Shortly after we arrived, we saw a lot of people opening boxes of food and picnic there. Meanwhile, we were having sandwiches, biscuits, snacks and "san kak gimbak" as dinner. The night at the ship was like a very long one. We played some card games and had some snacks. Then, we went out to get some fresh air. The wind was extremely strong and cold, especially at the front of the ship. It was so strong that it was able to move a person standing there. Sleeping in the ship with so many people was the worst of the worst. It was very noisy as the hiking team consisted of “ajesi” (uncles) and “ajuma” (aunties) were chatting throughout the night. Kids were running here and there, playing and shouting. A couple was sleeping next to me and the guy kept on kicking at me all the time. I changed places with Ryan after that and he was complaining about the same thing.
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October 2, Sunday – Day 1 in Jeju Island
At around 7am, we arrived at Jeju Island's port. The wind was not so strong anymore. It's great! The design of the ferry terminal looks a lot like the building for APEC. We headed to the bus stop outside the ferry terminal after we arrived. It was seriously had to get a bus there. Luckily, a lady there helped us. Her English is quite good and she's traveling alone. It was her second trip to Jeju Island. We shared a taxi with her to the bus terminal. Then, she helped us to get the bus tickets to our “mimbak” (cheapest type of accommodation in Korea; something like homestay) near Seongsan Ilchulbong (Seongsan Sunrise Peak). The bus ticket cost 3,800 won and it took slightly more than1 hour to reach there.
Seongsan is a small town and not as developing as Jejusi (Jeju City). There are not many people around the area. The view there is really nice. It is located near the sea and mountains. There are many vegetable farms there. The “mimbak” that we were staying at is located beside Seongsan Ilchulbong. We were able to see the mountain from our room, a very nice view indeed.
We had lunch at a small shop at 11am before heading to U-do. The prices for food here is more expensive than in Busan. It cost around 4,000-5,000 for a meal. Of course, seafood is more expensive. I ordered 2 “gimbak” while Yushu and Ryan ordered “sungdobu chige” (tofu soup with rice). The side dishes were really nice. I like the sweet fish pieces the most. The “ajuma” (aunty) there seemed to be very happy with us visiting the store. She even fried 2 medium size fishes for us as side dish.
After lunch, we walked to the nearest jetty to take the ship to U-do (Cow Island). It cost 2,000 won for one way and the last ship back is at 5pm. The jetty was packed with people as many people were heading there for the cave concert. It took us around 15 minutes to reach the island. U-do is a small island very near to Jeju’s mainland. It is famous for its black stone beach and diving women. Udo got its name because its shape resembles a cow lying down. There are 8 scenic views in the island. Most of the scenes of the Korean movie, “Mermaid Princess” were taken here. Some of the scenes for the Korean TV drama series, “Summer Scent” was taken here as well.
We rented a bicycle for 10,000 won each to go around the island. It was great as the weather was not very hot and the wind was very cooling. We cycled around the island. The beach is made of black basalt and the water is crystal clear. Houses there are normally surrounded by a low wall made of the black basalt. As it is autumn now, most of the farming lands were cleared. It must have been really beautiful during spring, when all the flowers bloom. At 3pm, there will be a concert at the cave below U-do’s lighthouse. We met the lady who helped us before at the bus stand on our way there. She guided us to the place.
The scenery there is fantastic, especially the landscape. There were many people heading towards the cave. We need to pay 5,000 won as the admission for the cave concert. The beach at the entrance of the cave consists of black sand and we were able to see some seaweed in between some rocks at the entrance. Why would they want to have a concert at a cave? It’s hard to get in, especially for senior citizens. It was very cooling inside the cave. The concert is divided into 2 parts. One is for traditional music and another one is for the orchestral. We sat at the slanting part of the cave to enjoy the concert. The cave itself interested me more than the concert.
At around 4.30pm, we rushed back to the jetty for the ship at 5pm. It was very tiring at first because we need to cycle up the slope. But, it was enjoyable later on as we speed down the hill towards the jetty.
We managed to catch the ship at 5pm without paying. Ryan was supposed to get the tickets before heading to the ship for boarding. But, it seemed that he could not find the ticketing booth. He asked to the “ajesi” (uncle) who was collecting the tickets but he did not understand at all. In the end, he just let us in without any tickets.
At around 6pm, we headed back to the same shop that we had lunch in the afternoon for dinner. The “ajuma” (aunty) was very happy and she gave us extra fried fish as side dishes. Then, we headed back to the mimbak for some rest.
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October 3, Monday – Day 2 in Jeju Island
At 8.30am, we departed to the nearest bus stand to take a bus to Seogwipo. It was a long wait. The bus only came at 9.30am. We arrived at Seogwipo at around 10.30am and then took the bus to Mount Hallasan at 11am. It took us around 40 minutes to reach there. The scenery along the way is very beautiful. Some of the trees in the mountain have already change color while some are changing. It was a bit misty on that day, making it mysterious. However, it was too late as we arrived. The rule stated that we must be there before 9am if we are going to hike the mountain. Thus, we took another bus back to Seogwipo. We did a last minute planning on the way. From there, we took another bus heading to Mini World. The scenery along the way is very beautiful, as if we were entering another world. The mountain is made of Christmas trees.
At around 1pm, we reached Mini World. The admission fee is very expensive, 6,000 won. There are many miniatures of various buildings and structures from different countries around the world, such as Eiffel Tower and Buckingham Palace. It reminded me of one of the famous tourist spot in China. I was rather disappointed by some of the badly made miniatures. We were very surprised to see a miniature of an infamous mosque in Ipoh, Malaysia. Overall, it was okay, a good place to learn about different places around the world. We had some sardine and bread inside the park as lunch.
At around 3+pm, we headed to Sangumburi Crater. It is located very near to Mini World. Sangamburi, hollowed by the volcanic eruption of gaseous content and having little emitted material, is a parasitic volcano and the only maar which exists in Jeju. It is a large hole in a wide plain about 400m high above sea level. The diameter of summit crater is 600-650m. It is deeper and wider than the peak of Mount Hallasan. We were welcome by a well maintain garden before entering the place. I like the roof of the buildings there. As it was cold, parasites are growing on the rocks. The scenery of fields of eululia is very beautiful. Eululia is a type of tall wild grass. The whole place is yellow and white in color. Then, follow by the greeneries formed by the Christmas trees at the further part. There are many Grandfather Stone there. It is known as the guardian god of Jeju Island, made by natural stone and available in various sizes and shapes. The souvenir shops there are selling a lot of them.
At around 5pm, we headed back to Seongsan-ri as it was starting to rain. We took a taxi back and managed to snap some pictures along the way. In order to save money, we had “ramyeon” with eggs as dinner instead. Then, we enjoyed an English movie showing on TV. It was about some sort of aliens trying to take over the school and the world etc. It was nice.
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October 4, Tuesday – Day 3 in Jeju Island
At around 6am, we headed up to Seongsan Ilchulbong (Sunrise Peak). It is a very famous spot to see sunrise and a must visit place in Jeju Island. At the top of the crater, it looks like a splendid crown floating upon the blue ocean. The admission fee is 1,000 won. It took us around 20 minutes to reach the top. The view is very beautiful from the top. The landscape below is like 3D miniatures of islands. We watched as the whole place changed from dark blue to bright. We were able to see U-do from there as well. Too bad it was cloudy on that day. We were unable to see the sun as it was hiding behind the clouds. During New Years Eve, the New Years Sunrise Festival takes place there. It starts at New Years Eve and continues overnight until dawn. It is an annual event.
At around 8am, we headed back when it was drizzling. Then, we took our luggages and headed to Pyoseon at around 9+am. It was raining at that time and the wind was very strong. My umbrella was getting out-of-shape. It was raining heavily when we reached Pyoseon. From there, we walked for 15 minutes before reaching Jeju Folk Village Museum. It was a tough journey there as we were carrying our luggages along.
Jeju Folk Village Museum reproduced the images of the 19th traditional villages on Jeju Island. Traditional thatched roof houses, spectacular collections of fishing tools and artifacts are displayed. It was the filming location of the famous Korean drama series, “Daejangkeum”, which featured a woman chef for the royal palace during the Joseon dynasty. The admission fee is 6,000 won. Even though it is expensive, it is a place worth visiting. Train tour is provided. We felt like as if we were really in the village itself. We put our luggages at the office before walking around the place. We waited for around 30 minutes at a café in the museum for the rain to stop. Yet, nothing seemed to change. Thus, we decided to walk around in the rain, with umbrellas of course. There were displays of the fisherman’s house, the hunter’s house, the rich man’s house etc. Yet, they looked almost the same, with some difference. For example, in the hunter’s house, you will be able to see the equipments they use for hunting. The houses are made of stones, wood lodges, ropes and mud. It was interesting.
We had lunch at a shop in the museum. We had hard-boiled fish as lunch. It tasted a bit like “tomyam” but it was really delicious. It cost 5,000 for each person, including rice. As we were freezing cold and hungry, we finished all the side dishes before the main dish arrived. We even finished the refills for the side dishes. Then, we continued with our sight-seeing under the rain.
At around 2+pm, we took the bus to Seogwipo. We reached there at almost 4pm. We walked around the area, looking for motel. We managed to get a room at 30,000 won. We started calculating our budget again as we will be extending our stay here for another day, which means we will have more expenses.
At around 5pm, we took the city bus to Daepo Jusangjeolli. We passed by the World Cup Stadium and the Teddy Bear Museum along the way. We reached the Jeju Convention Center at around 5.30pm, followed by 5-10 minutes walk. We were surprised to come across a weird looking building, known as Museum of Africa at the junction before reaching our destination. Why the Museum of Africa is in Jeju Island?
The admission for Daepo Jusangjeolli is 2,000 won. The unique thing about this place is the shape of the black rocks. This pillar rock formation is located off of the coast of Daepo. The shape is very unique. The rectangular and hexagonal rock pillars have been academically evaluated as important geological resources to do research and gain insight into the coastal topography development process. It started to rain again soon after that. We managed to snap some photos before heading to the bus stand, which is around 20 minutes from there.
At around 7pm, we had our dinner at a small shop near our motel. Gimbak sure is more expensive in Jeju Island. It cost 1,500-2000 won each. Normally, we can get it at 1,000 won in Busan. Then, we went back to the motel to dry our shoes and shocks before getting some rest.
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October 5, Wednesday – Day 4 in Jeju Island
At around 8.20am, we took the bus to Mount Hallasan. We reached there at 9am and started hiking at 9.15am. It was really cold, maybe due to the rain yesterday.
The journey up was easy at first. It was a bit easier later and then getting tougher and tougher. Most of the paths are made of black rocks. We need to reach the shelter before 12.30pm because we are not allowed to hike up to the peak after that. We managed to reach there at 12pm. We had a bar of chocolate before continued our way to the peak. The journey up was a boring one because we were able to see trees only. However, the scenery is getting nicer as we were reaching the shelter.
We rushed to the top at 12.15pm because we must get down from the peak at 2.30pm. The way up is made of only rocks. It was very tiring. In addition, it started to rain heavily soon after we started hiking again. The path became very slippery and muddy. We were holding on to our umbrellas as we were hiking, must be very weird. We must be nuts for hiking in the rain. The plants along the way are different as we went higher and higher.
After more than 1 hour of walk, we were able to see the peak from the lower part. It was very beautiful, with all the clouds, flowers, plants and rocks. The scenery is simply gorgeous as we almost reach the peak. But, it was rather disappointing as we reached the peak. There was nothing there but a huge hole. However, the view from the peak is nice. It was extremely cold up there. Our hands became numb, hardly able to move. The wind was very strong and we were unable to open our umbrellas.
The way down was a rush because we need to be down at around 5pm, else we will not be able to catch the ship at 7.30pm. We had our lunch, which was sardine bread in the rain at around 2+pm. We made it to the bottom at 5.30pm, barely able to stand. We got our certificates for reaching the peak at the office. That’s the end of our 20km hiking in the rain.
At 5.45pm, we took the bus to Jejusi. We were so tired that we finished the rest of the biscuits that we had. Plain biscuits could never be so delicious. We arrived at 6+pm. Then, we took a taxi to the ferry terminal. We managed to get 7.30pm tickets. We rushed to a store in the terminal to get 3 cup noodles, biscuits and some snacks before heading to the ship. It was very tiring. Surprisingly, the ship was quite empty. We can finally sleep without being kick by the other passengers. But, for no reasons, we were able to have a nice sleep.
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October 6, Thursday - We arrived at Busan at around 6am, it was surprisingly early. Luckily, the public transport was working. We took the subway back to Naengjeong. Then, we took the taxi back to our dormitory.
This marked the end of our trip to Jeju Island. I was busy washing all the dirty clothes, shoes and shocks after reaching my room. BJun had already leaved on the same day, around 5.30am. Now, I am alone in the whole room.
p/s: Some of the information are quoted from the tourist guide. I will upload the pictures later. May not be blogging for another week as I will not be around.
Thursday, October 06, 2005
My Last Day of Training
September 30, Friday – Today was my last day of training. My professor had a conference. Thus, he was not in Busan. I had a small party for my lab members in the afternoon at sky lounge. The attendance was not very good. But, I was glad that some of them were able to come. I cooked ulam sausage, pop corn chicken, fried instant noodles and barley drink. They liked the fried instant noodles the most, even though it was almost the same as “ramyeon”. There were many sausage leftovers as they were seriously dislike sausages. Hmm… does that have something to do with their army service…since they dislike chocolate cake with marshmallow because they have it every morning as their breakfast during their army service? At around 3+pm, the party ended with a photo session. Some stayed back to enjoy some junk food.
Then, I went back to the lab at around 4pm to clear up my stuff in the lab. Next, I attended Dongseo’s Collection at the 2nd floor of New Millennium building. It was a fashion show. Even though the place was very small, the light settings and decorations were very grand. There was huge crowd with cameras and video cameras. Luckily, I managed to squeeze into the crowd and get some photos. The fashion show was done in the professional way, both the design and stage settings. The designs were really unique and nice. It ended after more than 1 hour. There was another section at 7pm but I did not attend it because my labmates, Min Ho oppa and Ji Hyun asked me to have dinner with them.
At around 7pm, I had dinner at a small shop near our lab. Eileen recommended that shop to me before she went back. I ordered “sung do bu chige” (tofu soup with rice) whereas we shared a “gimbak” (something like a row of unslice sushi). Min Ho oppa treated us for this meal and we had ice-cream after that. I picked an ice-cream cake. It was surprisingly delicious! Yummy~
That’s all for my last day of training ^^
Then, I went back to the lab at around 4pm to clear up my stuff in the lab. Next, I attended Dongseo’s Collection at the 2nd floor of New Millennium building. It was a fashion show. Even though the place was very small, the light settings and decorations were very grand. There was huge crowd with cameras and video cameras. Luckily, I managed to squeeze into the crowd and get some photos. The fashion show was done in the professional way, both the design and stage settings. The designs were really unique and nice. It ended after more than 1 hour. There was another section at 7pm but I did not attend it because my labmates, Min Ho oppa and Ji Hyun asked me to have dinner with them.
At around 7pm, I had dinner at a small shop near our lab. Eileen recommended that shop to me before she went back. I ordered “sung do bu chige” (tofu soup with rice) whereas we shared a “gimbak” (something like a row of unslice sushi). Min Ho oppa treated us for this meal and we had ice-cream after that. I picked an ice-cream cake. It was surprisingly delicious! Yummy~
That’s all for my last day of training ^^
Wednesday, September 28, 2005
Shopping @ Sasang
September 28, Wednesday – This week suddenly become very busy. It is not because of my assignments or training, more to preparing for stuff before I leave. The Jeju Island trip that was scheduled from Monday till Friday suddenly changed to this Saturday till Wednesday instead. It was cancel on and off for many times, due to the ship tickets. They are sold off for certain days. There's an extra trip now to the IT Expo in Daegu. This exhibition is for a few days. It will be on the same date as Pusan International Film Festival (PIFF) as well. Hopefully I can at least go and have a look at this festival. They will be showing many unscreend films from many other countries. However, the subtitles are only in Korean. We can only choose films in English if we are going to watch one. It cost 5,000 won for a movie.
Today afternoon, I went to Sasang after lunch. The weather is quite ok. The wind is a bit cold but the sun is warm. The supposing short journey became a long one because I was sort of lost half way after reaching Jurye. I felt really weird as I saw signboards to Gimhae airport. There were not many people around the area and many heavy industries. I had asked many ajesi (uncle) and ajuma (aunty) along the way there.
After 2 hours of walk, I finally reached Sasang’s E-Mart and Homeplus. These 2 supermarkets are located next to each other. It is easy to recognize them. Some of goods there are cheaper. I managed to get some pork at 5,000 won, sausages, onions, garlic etc.
I managed to get the necessary materials that I need after shopping at both supermarkets. I ended up carrying a box with 3 huge packets of food inside. It was so difficult to carry it as it was heavy and carrying a huge box was blocking my way. I could not find the correct bus stop to take the bus as I have never take the bus here before. It was my first time here after all, and most likely my last time as well. I took the wrong bus back. Luckily the bus driver let me took another bus for free at the bus station. He even helped me to carry the box and told the other bus driver that I will take off from the bus at Naengjeong.
Carrying such a huge box was really something almost unbearable for a timid person like me. I met Bruce, from the International Exchange Center at the bus. His Mandarin is very good. He even offered to help me to carry some of the packets on my way back to the dormitory. He took off half way and then I saw BJun after that. She helped me with some of the packets back to the dormitory. Luckily I did not buy the soft drinks yet. Else, I am going to be one dead “mouse”.
Today afternoon, I went to Sasang after lunch. The weather is quite ok. The wind is a bit cold but the sun is warm. The supposing short journey became a long one because I was sort of lost half way after reaching Jurye. I felt really weird as I saw signboards to Gimhae airport. There were not many people around the area and many heavy industries. I had asked many ajesi (uncle) and ajuma (aunty) along the way there.
After 2 hours of walk, I finally reached Sasang’s E-Mart and Homeplus. These 2 supermarkets are located next to each other. It is easy to recognize them. Some of goods there are cheaper. I managed to get some pork at 5,000 won, sausages, onions, garlic etc.
I managed to get the necessary materials that I need after shopping at both supermarkets. I ended up carrying a box with 3 huge packets of food inside. It was so difficult to carry it as it was heavy and carrying a huge box was blocking my way. I could not find the correct bus stop to take the bus as I have never take the bus here before. It was my first time here after all, and most likely my last time as well. I took the wrong bus back. Luckily the bus driver let me took another bus for free at the bus station. He even helped me to carry the box and told the other bus driver that I will take off from the bus at Naengjeong.
Carrying such a huge box was really something almost unbearable for a timid person like me. I met Bruce, from the International Exchange Center at the bus. His Mandarin is very good. He even offered to help me to carry some of the packets on my way back to the dormitory. He took off half way and then I saw BJun after that. She helped me with some of the packets back to the dormitory. Luckily I did not buy the soft drinks yet. Else, I am going to be one dead “mouse”.
Tuesday, September 27, 2005
Counting Down My Days in Busan
September 26, Monday – The weather was getting cooler and cooler nowadays. The minimum temperature now is around 21 Celcius while the maximum temperature can reached up to around 24 Celcius. It is nice to stay under the sun in the afternoon as it is warm and the wind is cool. Some of the trees are starting to change color. However, Busan will only reaches mid autumn at around end of October.
This week is going to be a busy one as I have many things to prepare. It is my last few weeks in Busan after all. I may not be coming back here anymore. Thus, I am currently busy getting everyone’s contact and seeing them for the last time. I am starting to miss home now but I missing my life here as well. It is fun here, with no fix working hours, as long as I get my work done. My professor is not very particular about my attendance in the lab. I can go in and out anytime I want. Sometimes I even watch movie in the lab. Once in a while, my oppa(senior male, only called by female) and onni(senior female, only called by female) will visit the lab and chat with me. They are very nice and fun to play with, because they are mature but childish at times. Ah… I am going to miss them.
I did my presentation on LILI-II keystream generator, my last assignment at 9.30pm in the lab. I was supposed to present it on Wednesday but the professor had a meeting on that day. He was satisfied with the presentation and gave me a present as a farewell gift. I was very happy with it.
This week is going to be a busy one as I have many things to prepare. It is my last few weeks in Busan after all. I may not be coming back here anymore. Thus, I am currently busy getting everyone’s contact and seeing them for the last time. I am starting to miss home now but I missing my life here as well. It is fun here, with no fix working hours, as long as I get my work done. My professor is not very particular about my attendance in the lab. I can go in and out anytime I want. Sometimes I even watch movie in the lab. Once in a while, my oppa(senior male, only called by female) and onni(senior female, only called by female) will visit the lab and chat with me. They are very nice and fun to play with, because they are mature but childish at times. Ah… I am going to miss them.
I did my presentation on LILI-II keystream generator, my last assignment at 9.30pm in the lab. I was supposed to present it on Wednesday but the professor had a meeting on that day. He was satisfied with the presentation and gave me a present as a farewell gift. I was very happy with it.
Beomeosa & Godang Peak
September 25, Sunday – Early in the morning, around 9am, BJun, Ern Yu, Shu Yu and I departed to Beomeosa(“sa” means temple). We planned to go to 3 places on this day, Beomeosa, Geumgang Park and the Botanical Garden. However, the plan was a bit off. We took the subway to Beomeosa station. Then, we walked up a bit to the bus station and took bus no.90 up to Beomeosa. The bus was very pack. Many people were heading there as well I guessed. The way up was quite steep; luckily we took the bus instead of walking.
The admission fee is 1,000 won each. There were many lanterns along the way. We need to walk up a bit before reaching the temple. We were welcome by some sort of statue at the entrance. It looks like a huge graveyard. There is nothing much special about this temple. It is any other temple I had visited before. However, this temple is not concentrated at one area. It has 5 temples altogether, 1 mother temple and 4 other small temples. We visited the mother temple at first. There were many halls inside. The scenery of the mountains there attracted me more than the temple itself. A small portion of the trees have begun to change colors. It must have been really beautiful here during mid autumn. Too bad we will be returning to Malaysia before that.
After visiting the main temple, we headed for the hiking trail to Geumgang Park. There were a lot of people taking that way as well. I guessed we were taking the correct way. We took a rest at the rocks beside the mini river, along the hiking trail and had some bread and biscuits for lunch. It was very shady and cooling there.
We continued our way up after that. We realized that we were actually heading the wrong direction as we were hiking up halfway. We visited another small temple which located on the way up instead. This temple is small but nice. It is very quiet and not so crowded compared to the mother temple. There is more greenery there as well.
We headed up after visiting the temple. According to the ajesi(uncle) that we met on the way, the view at the peak is very nice, we will be able to see the whole Busan from there. I wondered how true it is. We reached Nanmun(the North gate) after more than one hour of walk from the mini temple. The view there is very nice. We were able to see mountains and a bit of sea view. There were a few stalls selling instant ramyeon and some hawker food there. But, the place was crowded with many people. Maybe it was due to the fine weather on that day. We had a rest there. Ern Yu and Shu Yun took some oden(something like “lok lok”) as they were hungry.
There are a few roads heading towards different destinations from the North gate. We took the shortest route, which is only around 800 meter from there. The destination is called Godang Peak, the most popular route taken by the crowd there. The way up is quite park. But, the road up is tough when it almost reaches the peak. There is no proper road up. We need to make use of the nature of the stones and with the help of rope to get up. It was cold at the peak. Many Koreans were having a picnic up there. The scenery is much better, breathtaking compared to the mountain behind the dormitory. We were able to see different views from there, ranging from mountains, rivers, islands and Gwangan Bridge. It was misty at times, making it mysterious but beautiful. We stayed up there for quite some time before heading down to Nanmun again.
We headed back to Beomeosa at around 4+pm. It was getting a bit dark at that time, luckily we departed earlier. We took the bus back to the bus station near the temple. We had our dinner at a restaurant near there. Then, we took the subway back to Naengjeong.
p/s: I will upload the pictures soon, please be patient ^^
The admission fee is 1,000 won each. There were many lanterns along the way. We need to walk up a bit before reaching the temple. We were welcome by some sort of statue at the entrance. It looks like a huge graveyard. There is nothing much special about this temple. It is any other temple I had visited before. However, this temple is not concentrated at one area. It has 5 temples altogether, 1 mother temple and 4 other small temples. We visited the mother temple at first. There were many halls inside. The scenery of the mountains there attracted me more than the temple itself. A small portion of the trees have begun to change colors. It must have been really beautiful here during mid autumn. Too bad we will be returning to Malaysia before that.
After visiting the main temple, we headed for the hiking trail to Geumgang Park. There were a lot of people taking that way as well. I guessed we were taking the correct way. We took a rest at the rocks beside the mini river, along the hiking trail and had some bread and biscuits for lunch. It was very shady and cooling there.
We continued our way up after that. We realized that we were actually heading the wrong direction as we were hiking up halfway. We visited another small temple which located on the way up instead. This temple is small but nice. It is very quiet and not so crowded compared to the mother temple. There is more greenery there as well.
We headed up after visiting the temple. According to the ajesi(uncle) that we met on the way, the view at the peak is very nice, we will be able to see the whole Busan from there. I wondered how true it is. We reached Nanmun(the North gate) after more than one hour of walk from the mini temple. The view there is very nice. We were able to see mountains and a bit of sea view. There were a few stalls selling instant ramyeon and some hawker food there. But, the place was crowded with many people. Maybe it was due to the fine weather on that day. We had a rest there. Ern Yu and Shu Yun took some oden(something like “lok lok”) as they were hungry.
There are a few roads heading towards different destinations from the North gate. We took the shortest route, which is only around 800 meter from there. The destination is called Godang Peak, the most popular route taken by the crowd there. The way up is quite park. But, the road up is tough when it almost reaches the peak. There is no proper road up. We need to make use of the nature of the stones and with the help of rope to get up. It was cold at the peak. Many Koreans were having a picnic up there. The scenery is much better, breathtaking compared to the mountain behind the dormitory. We were able to see different views from there, ranging from mountains, rivers, islands and Gwangan Bridge. It was misty at times, making it mysterious but beautiful. We stayed up there for quite some time before heading down to Nanmun again.
We headed back to Beomeosa at around 4+pm. It was getting a bit dark at that time, luckily we departed earlier. We took the bus back to the bus station near the temple. We had our dinner at a restaurant near there. Then, we took the subway back to Naengjeong.
p/s: I will upload the pictures soon, please be patient ^^
Mountain Hiking & Farewell Eileen!
September 24, Saturday – I woke up at around 7.20am as I will be going for a small mountain hiking at the mountain behind our dormitory with BJun and Wei Shi. Eileen already woke up by then as her flight was at around 11am. We departed at around 8am. It took us around 2 hours to climb up and down the hill as I am a slow walker. It was my first and last time there. I do not like hiking but since everyone went there before, I wanted to make at least a trip there.
The way up was not as tough as I thought, but it was not easy as well. I felt a bit dizzy on the way up, maybe due to the lack of sleep the night before and the air. The view at the top was nice. The sky was very clear. We were able to see a clearer view of Naengjeong and the areas around it and Taejongdae side. I felt like as if the clouds were right above my head as I reached the peak. They were moving very fast, forming shadows on the areas underneath it. We took another route back to the dormitory. It was easier to walk but longer.
We reached the dormitory at around 10am. Eileen was busy doing his final packing at that time. Many people were waiting outside our room. Wow… it looked like as if they were lining up for an autograph session. San Chi, Eileen’s labmate will be sending her to the airport. BJun and I felt like leaving Korea at that instant. We started doing some packing immediately after that. BJun always have the least luggage while I am always carrying a lot of things, a huge contrast indeed.
The way up was not as tough as I thought, but it was not easy as well. I felt a bit dizzy on the way up, maybe due to the lack of sleep the night before and the air. The view at the top was nice. The sky was very clear. We were able to see a clearer view of Naengjeong and the areas around it and Taejongdae side. I felt like as if the clouds were right above my head as I reached the peak. They were moving very fast, forming shadows on the areas underneath it. We took another route back to the dormitory. It was easier to walk but longer.
We reached the dormitory at around 10am. Eileen was busy doing his final packing at that time. Many people were waiting outside our room. Wow… it looked like as if they were lining up for an autograph session. San Chi, Eileen’s labmate will be sending her to the airport. BJun and I felt like leaving Korea at that instant. We started doing some packing immediately after that. BJun always have the least luggage while I am always carrying a lot of things, a huge contrast indeed.
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