Seoul

Today the day has come when I will move to Seoul for another month. 

I woken up early to wash my blanket and leave it in the room for the next student in case they want to use it, as its to bad to through in the bin which just had been used for a few months only.

Then I token a walk around the campus to take final snap shots and returning back to wait for my friends who will help me to get me to the bus terminal before I will set off to Seoul.

My arrival to Seoul is expected at 4pm and I notice is my first time a direct bus to Seoul as the other times I arrived by train. Train is always convinent if you don't have to carry much with you and second the host stay family lives not far of the bus terminal station.

I given them the call a bit to late as I was not aware buses had "blue lines" a lane for themselves - so I waited a bit at the station and met a student from South Africa whom just return back for the Winter break. It is great to see that S Koreans go anywhere in the world to gain a university place.

I met my guest family and settled down with them for the evening. We even had been after dinner to my new office - as my plan was just to explore by myself. Maybe they had been worried I would get lost - so they droven me along the bus route and shown where to get off. The air distance from the apartment to office is only 5km, but the bus route is 10km. I will be looking forward to join the commute early in the morning and gain this experience for future life. I think this was also a good reason to stay in Homestay family to learn getting back home for dinner time and able to commute through the dentist populated city to work and being on time.

Last Day in Daegu

The time is now getting to the end. One more sleep and I will sit on the bus to Seoul. Today I also need to move into my new room or old room on which I stay before when coming to Daegu. I have moved all my belongings from top floor to the other top floor. I was lucky to meet few of my friends who quickly helped me to move my stuff and I could give them some left overs such as all the cloth hangers. Otherwise they may end up in the bin or so.

I had a few appointments with friends, to say good bye and wish them luck for the their future. I hope I will be able to meet them again somewhere on this planet. As they also needed to move there belongings and moved back home and it was only me left on campus I decided to go into the town to say good bye. In some strange reason also thought of visiting the cinema and later two other friends joined me who come extra back to Daegu to help me tomorrow to bring me to the bus terminal in the morning. These friends I don't need to say good bye as I am confident I will manage to see them in Europe. As they will join two university, one which is where I am from, Northumbria and the other is Pecs (Hungary) closer to Krakow which would be my next stop after Seoul.

On the way back to the campus we walked into our other friend, who is just on the way to Taiwan. So we decided to go for a coffee at late at night, which was not easy to find one open. Its a bit strange for Korea, but I guess due now all students are gone and only a few are left. There was one still open which served cold coffee only. Why not at night time and close to end of December to have a cold coffee in the first coffee shop we went together in the beginning and to find our drawings in the archives of the store. 

IVF Farwell

Today was the farewell event of IVF - we had meet up for lunch together. You can notice on whom was an active member to IVF all of those who come for lunch too. I guess this type of culture stays the same across the globe. It was nice to have some lunch in one of the local restaurants near the university. We had the opportunity to eat some nice food and have lovely discussion. 

We went then for a coffee and tea in the nearby coffee shop on whom still was open for business for the people who work and live around. As the others had been closed due the majority of student left the university already.  I had to solve a few issues in the university before I return back to the IVF meeting.

We then formerly said good bye in the church building of KNU and token final pictures together and I manage to get the group picture of IVF to remember on the good time we had together, even so I did not understood a word of Korean. I had been happy that they just integrated me into the group and token me to the trip "Happy Camp". I hope that more foreign students will join IVF in KNU and maked great Korean friends for life.

Goodbye Exchange KNU

Today was the day on when the final was and to say good bye to fellow exchange students and those Korean buddies who will leave back home for the vacation. The time had gone really fast in Korea. It just seems like yesterday when I wrote the first entry into the blog and now its already time to go.

I hope I will be able to stay in touch with most of my friends and able to meet a few of them in Europe and where ever it will take me in the world. 

I had been given today with another student from France our personal notice to the students off our stay in Korea. I have recall on the old man from the subway on the way to IAAF stadium on whom himself been an exchange student in Germany. I recall his words of language barrier which shall never had been a problem for myself, in which I was false and shown language barriers and learned what it meant to have a language barrier. I had define language barrier in my own words and that it is ok not know any Korean and English to get around S Korea. I been telling the story of the mountain trip to Palgongsang and revering backwards on it what I have improved from this journey. 

There was also presentation on the students who won a bit of cash to travel around Korea on there special route - it was nice to hear on where they had been going and on what they had done. 

Later in the night we had been given certificates of attendance and got ready to go to a bar in town for a few drinks of those who did not yet needed to catch a flight back home. 

Where does it take me?

We all know since the start of the blog of all the bus routes that I token the red number 1 to the mountains Palgongsang. Did ever anyone asked where would take me the red bus number 2? I always wanted to take it - but never had done it yet. It was actually not planned, as the plan was just going to HomePlus and purchase some textile pens for the next day to let my friends sign my t-shirts. 

I always could have asked Naver Maps to tell me on where No 2 goes :

2012.5.8 | 지도 크게 보기 ©  NHN Corp.

But, it will be never as fun as to find out by yourself. I went the direction South bound which drop me off in the village of Daeil-ri . Many will say there is nothing special - but I guess in some sort is a bit special. As you can get to see a few citizen and also some grandmother who hitch-hike a car and walk in faster paste of speed then yourself up and down those mountains. I used this time to practise for tomorrows farwell speech while also walking a bit up to this village where they building a new road in nowhere and you easy notice as probably no tourist got lost into this place yet.

Campus Pictures

Its Tuesday already and only a few days left on campus. It is actually the last week before I will go to Seoul on 18th December for the final stage of my stay in Korea. It would a different stay and hope to get another great month in Korea. 

Today I had been wondering around campus to take final pictures of libraries and class room to memorize myself in the future on how they have look like. If any chance I can return to Daegu and take a look inside it will probably all be change into modern and new designs. We never know which parts going to be change on campus and is just to show back home to friends on what the campus is looking like in KNU.

Today had been no IVF meeting as there will be a special one for the farwell on Friday - so keep tuned to read up what will happen. 

Christmas Light

 Its a bit awkwardness to walk in the evening with a camera around town to take pictures of Christmas light. You will guess I have seen for sure many Christmas light within Europe. I guess it something special in Korea, where the business use the Christmas period as a non Marketing tool as many Koreans can not understand what Christmas is all about due to there culture, but still adapt elements from the "western" world. Therefore it was in a kind of way interesting to see the Christmas light and on the Daegu City Blog I could read where the best spots are, so I try to walk to those.  

There is not many words for this day especially I may just upload a few pictures of Christmas Light and wish you a Happy Christmas Light watch.

Football and Study

Today I had token a walk around campus and decided to have a look onto the football match for a while. I don't really like to play and watch football for a long period. I guess out of solidarity I shall had at least once watch the a game which had been set up by the exchange students whom played against KNU schools students.

I could not stay to long for the match as later on we had a meet up on Skype (even we all live on campus) to discuss the exams question in Strategy. I see strategy never has a right answer, it is a debatable question if a theory will work - it can be supported with evidence of research of probability that it works in practise. Therefore the study debate on Skype we had was basically among the theories a Korean company can use and how to apply them. 

Earthquake

My time in Daegu is getting closer and closer to the end. I want to follow one advice of my professor back home university and attend a training session in the mountains. It shall be hopefully really fun. I hope I just will be not disappointed and send back home, as it stated to register online or call them up. The website is Korean, so I could not register online and when I had been calling no one has ever pick up the phone.

I check then my favourite website on an easier way to get to Palgongsang Mountain, as I noticed that the red bus No.1 passes by not far from Main Gate, just bottom of the street. I would then do not need to travel to City Centre. I also would recommend you for all your trips to use Naver Maps, its a really amazing website. So I sorted out on which bus to get faster today up the mountain and made myself on the way.

It was a bit chilly in the morning, but its now the 10th December it shall be getting colder soon. I waited for the bus and then just enjoyed the ride up the mountain and memorised my great times when I gone up the first and gone down. Can you also still remember? If not have a read again here in your free time.

When I got out the bus it was freezing. It was more colder then down in town. I made my way fast to the centre for the training. I had been lucky I could sign up for today. First I have been given a RFID reader, which will track my progress through the few hours and an English translation transcript. Which shall explain me on what I will be doing. The training will be provided by current and retired fire fighter. 

The first training had been to deal with fire, how to eliminate fire. Really just the basics which everyone shall know. The second training was to rescue people - the instructor has shown me on how to hold my hands and how strong to press on the breast of the person. I never had done it before, so it was a good exercises to learn. The fourth exercises was to sit in a kitchen and wait for an earthquake, as we did not had much time to wait for 7 point to 8 point of earthquake she brought the kitchen into shake. I could easily perform the task in the simulation switch of the gas, open the door and put a chair in front of it and go under the table. The question is will I able to do it also in a real life situation? At least I will knew on what points shall be done. I had never knew to open the door, but to go under an object was always clear.

We talked then a walk outside where a few house blocks fallen down on us and continue into the mountains area where we climb up the rocks and cross various fields. The lesson here is to show that nature is unpredictable it could be a sunny day but its actually can turn out different. As you read above nice and chilly in the university area but freezing cold here on the top of the mountain. 

We token then a small break by watching the future of fire fighters in a 4D cinema screen room. It was an interesting story line, but really science fiction based so far. 

Now we are going to the room which I really want to practice and learn, and which can occur anywhere in the world. The subway fire - that's why also the centre open. 

In this case it was a crime on what has happen - but it also can happen without being a crime. If anything like this happens again you shall know on how to behave if taken care during this training. I really liked it as on a public train in service you can not play around with the functions otherwise you get a high fine. Here is where you can press all buttons and turn off and on things, especially on how to handle the doors to able to escape and afterwards how to walk and where to walk to escape faster.

This was then the end of the training and a very useful of 2-3 hours time spend. I then headed towards Beommul-dong area to take finally a picture of the World Cup. Later this late afternoon nothing exited happen. Reached back to the dorm and we encounter a black out. Not sure if it was due to the moon eclipse which we shall see or extensive usage of electricity.

Birthday

Its Friday and its my birthday. I am really happy to celebrate mine birthday in S Korea. It adds some value on being here, as in the next years I will always experience UK or German style birthday. I believe also as older I will get the less fun the birthday parties would be - rather then just having coffee and cake. 

I greeted my friends at the North Gate for lunch and we had some good time together. I try to avoid to walk by fountains and lakes, as my birthday is just not in a good month to be thrown in one of them. Even I had mention I wanted to have the full experience on my birthday. 

Some of my friends still had classes or needed to study, so we stay not all to long in the restaurant. With other friends who did not need to go yet, I had some talks with them while walking along the campus and other I meet between there classes. Later on myself I needed to go to they Youth centre for volunteer work. It would be the last one today. I already could notice that the time has gone by past very quickly since arriving to Korea. 

We had a small farewell party in the Youth centre and been presented our certificates and provided a calender and video to memorize the good times. "We will never forget you" - had been the slogan of the children. It was a really great experience to volunteer abroad. 

In the evening we token a walk back to campus and meet up with my friends and more who had been invited by there friends for a small birthday party in one of the bars at the North Gate. It had been great that many of my friends come along to the party - even they had been busy with preparation for next week final exams. 

Thursday

Today was the first farwell saying. Just lets skip the day time. In the evening after class I joined up a bible study group another one from IVF, the attendance is mainly by member of staff and doctoral students. Is a very small group and conducted in English by an American. Next week he would not be here in Daegu and therefore it was the last bible group for this semster, but the last one for myself. It was a pleasure to know this people.

The days are also getting now colder and colder. Not as cold as we would experience in the UK, but from warm temperature as I was reporting having BBQ in the mountains end of November and now is starting hit zero degrees is not pleasant anymore. 

Wednesday

In the morning hours I had Strategic Management class. Afterwards I had sorted out my banking and payments. The banking issues here in S Korea are very easy and strict forward. If you want to do a payment, you just need to find an ATM machine and pay through the ATM a business or person. You don't need to fill out documents or stand in a queue. 

I transfer the payment to the host family and then received couple of hours later an email with the full contact details of the family so I could let them know where I will arrive and what time. 

The further along this day, I did a bit of studies and preparation for examination and video conference. Also not to forget my birthday is soon approaching. I try to figure out on what to do - to have two separate parties one with close friends and one with whom I knew. I went one of the restaurant to reserve a table (or big one) and also I given up an order on the food. Later this days I just informed my friends by face to face or text messaging to keep this lunch time free on Friday (clue).

Tuesday

I guess if you had been a loyal reader to my blog - I can stop here. You can comment below and give suggestion what has happen today.

Rather in the evening I had met up with friends for a cup of coffee/tea and afterwards we just headed back to the campus. I bought some manderins of the vendor who stands by the university under a negotiated price. Its good that he stands on the other side of the street, as he is aware I must cross and he must sell. So I got it for a good value and shared with my friends who decided to do some late night studies in one of the buildings which is left open through the back door. 

Monday

Today I have taken a bit of rest. As the class for Strategic Mangement had been postponed. I used also this time to prepare for the final examination and sort out the accommodation in Seoul. I had decided to stay in a homestay family - the cost would be similar as staying in a hostel for a month and actually a bit more. Due in the host family I don't need to be worried of anything, I will get breakfast and dinner. On top of it I may will learn more about Korean culture, as I will stay past the lunar new year period. I guess I look more forward to it then starting the internship. It shall be one of the highlights of the next year (2012).

Other then that I had a walk around the campus and been amazed on how fast the Korean workers are working. They have completed the new street really fast - I thought it would be finish next year. Koreans are really fast workers.

Gwangju and Jeonju

3rd until 4 December 2011

Today I planned my last week of travel, and I needed to make the decision Gwangju - Jeonju or Gwangju - Mokpo. I decided for the first option, as one of my favourite dishes in Korea had been Bibimbap - so I shall try the real dish (from the origin). I had the guide book of food which dishes you shall try in S Korea, and where. I have nearly the full list full. Only a few are just missing, such as Chuncheon chicken. 

I normally do not plan well on which attraction to visit when I travel - and therefore I had little expectation on what to see in Gwangju. I thought the visit will consist of visiting a park, mountains and temple. It turn out totally different. When I arrived at the bus terminal, the tourism office told me I shall visit the "sad story" of Korean history. The Gwangju uprising and follow the road of May 18 from the top of the city to the bottom. 

I did not knew what to expect so I token the bus 518 (May 18) to the top of the city. It was a long journey, at least an hour we had been on the bus, which has pass all the sights which had token place on this day and week. The journey then started backwards from the monument and cementary. I had the opportunity to watch a small documentary which has given me great background of what has occurred in this city. Afterwards they given me a guided tour through the museum and the cementary field. The tour was conducted by who was living just outside the city.

I did not stay to long, and token the bus back into town and gone off at the old roundabout which nowadays is not real visible due all the construction been put in place. Token me a while to recognize it from the archive pictures. I walk then around this part of town where the two universities are located and nowadays a place is for young people.  After lunch I decided to go and see the museum of Gwangju, but it was more a generic museum of general knowledge. 

The last point I wanted to see is the monument of the High School, whom also had participated in the uprising of Gwangju and of course I shall try some traditional food in Gwangju which is duck. Unfortunally no restaurant wanted to serve me duck, as the dish is for minimum two people only and the cost was also very high starting at 25,000 to 40,000 Won ($25-40). So I just looked for a simple restaurant and ate generic meal, before heading to the bus terminal to continue my one hour journey to Jeonju.

If you like to know more about this event, I recommend you to watch May 18 (2007). Here is a preview:

Let know arrive into a town which never moved away from more then hundred years ago. The majority of the town is still a village.

First I was finding my new friend, with whom I will stay for the night and then explore the town all day long before catching the bus back to Daegu.

In the next morning I made my way to the village which is in the city heart and then I started to explore it. My friend also shown me on his map which other areas I can visit, as they have funny streets name example "The street desired to walk".

I had found the tourism agent first before starting the walk - they given me a map and a recommend walk. First I shall go up the small hill and may see the entire village from the top and then walk around the streets and visit few of the places from the inside. The most interesting thing in this village is that on the premises is a church. I did not been to all villages in Korea, but I predict this is the only one with a church in a traditional Korean village. This village is very nice to walk around, but its more a tourism village, I don't believe many local people stay here. On the other side you can experience a bit of Korean culture, I was lucky enough to experience a traditional Korean wedding. I am still unsure if it was real or fake. As it was organised very well in the backyard of a house which I joined and watch the processes. I guess I was very lucky, as I just had been walking around and only heard some music playing.

After the ceremony I decided to go also for lunch as the guest did. I gone back to the tourism agent spot, to ask which of this restaurant serves the best Bibimbap. There had been three restaurants who do it the best and of course they had been on air either SBS or MBC. I found the restaurant and sat down on one of the empty tables and order Jeonju Bibimbap. It was really delicious.  I can just never take a picture of Bibimbap when its get served, I am just to slow, therefore always mixed. If I dont mix it quick enough, either the rice will stick to the bottom and burn or the egg will be not fried (as its raw egg). I just was also amazed by the side dishes been given to the meal.  It is really worth coming to Jeonju for some food and experience a living village from tourism perspective.

I had later a walk around the new part of town before returning back to Daegu with the great experience I had collected while being here in Gwangju and Jeonju.

Christmas drawing

The time to Christmas is coming nearer, as mention before its not yet visible in Daegu and Korea. In a few stores there is already advertisement displayed, but it looks more just as a trend then being festive.

Today in the morning hours I had a medical check up in city centre part of my internship which is due to start after this semster. So I was happy that the medical check up was as soon as possible in the morning hours as I did not ate and drink anything for the past 12 hours. 

Later in the day, I just kept sorting out the accommodation to stay in while being in Seoul and later in the afternoon I had the volunteer work in Buku-Youth Centre.

Today we had been decorating a Christmas tree and afterwards ate pizza. I am sure you are curious on what our Christmas tree may look like? Just have view on the left. Yes its not a real Christmas tree but it has all the functions of a Christmas tree with decoration of sweets and balls.

1st December

It is end of 1st December - and I today had forgotten it. There seems to be no festive exitment in Daegu - no count down to either 23 or 24 days left for Christmas. 

May it could be just as it is Thursday and it is study day - so not much contact to the outside world. Nothing much else happen on this good day today.