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.

British Council and Seoul

(30^th September until 2^nd October)

Today on Friday I had a meeting with the British Council director. He liked to find out more of British students and studying in the UK from abroad and now here in S Korea abroad. His mission is to bring more UK students into Korea, as many of them come for travel but not studying. He is keen to find out the reason on it - why and how do they hear about the opportunity of coming to S Korea. I hope I can contribute to his mission - by posting my experience here and be read by my home university for the start and expand to other students who come across this blog and make them exited on what they can experience while being here. 

In the later afternoon was a session for Korean students  on who like to find out more about the UK and progress their studies there. I have been asked to come for the Q&A session that students could ask me on my experience - as technically I will encounter nearly the same problems as they will do. They also can ask me about the student life into more detail as British council would answer it with case studies and on past students they had meet on the return. The lady from the British council had been greatful that I have attended the Q&A session of her event.

 As soon the event has finish we made our way to Seoul. It is now the last weekend for my girlfriend here in Korea or only one day off the weekend as she is flying away on Sunday morning. The weeks had gone by very quick I still can remember on how I pick her up from the airport and actually on how myself I just arrived to Korea.  

Before the meeting of the Brtish Council we said good bye to her friends from the church at a place which my friend had recommended me to go for tea and coffee (or Coffee and bread).  As the name says you get for every drink you order 4 to 5 different types of bread. The price of the drink does not vary much from other places, therefore actually it is cheaper in this place if the cost of the bread is included into the price. 

After the meeting with British Council we made our way to the station and set off to Seoul. I promised the hostel to come for 10pm but due to late finish and want to save a bit of money (therefore not token KTX) got the train at 7pm and arrived at around 11pm in Seoul. The hostel is very friendly and let us arrived and check in for 11pm. I am not sure as if I had been guest there now twice or is that there policy to wait until 1am. 

The next day me had met up with our friend from Seoul and said good bye to him (or at least my girlfriend). We also have given him the Kimchi we had made ourselves in Suncheon. He was very happy - as it is actually his favourite Kimchi.  

We could not stay long with him as we had been looking out for our tour guide and needed to go to the theatre at 2pm. The promised tour guide did not had shown up or they already meet up and walked around. We did not had register for the tour anyway as it was closed - as we found out one day before. We just thought just to join them when we arrive there. We just made our on way at Namsan to the Namsan Tower. It is very confusing on how to get there, from the base it might be a 4km walk but then it can not decided itself either 2.7km and then you walk for a long period of time (maybe up to 5mins) and the next sign says 2.6km or 2.8km.

 Maybe we just walked wrong or they can not decided on where to start the measurement, but during the time many new ways up have been formed which are a little bit faster then the sign says. Therefore it might be a different way.  After a while of walk we found the way to the tower, but on the way there we had found other interesting things, such as a wedding and a Korean garden. 

As soon we reached to the tower we could only stay for a while before already making the way down. As we are going to the show "Pan" not far away (by subway) from here. It is a traditional show of Korea, and we purchased the tickets online. 

It was actually very easy to find the location - as on the map they given it looked simple but when actually being on the road it is a bit more difficult. In this case the simplified version had worked and we found it on the first go.  Unlucky both camera have died - as forgotten to recharge last night. We need to remember the event of today in our brain. I surely will not forget it as I was able to participate in one of the games they played. They played very nice music and told stories, those who's Korean isn't fluent there had been subtitle provided on the screen behind the acting  and on the side there was general information on what this play was about. 

After the show we had a look around the area and head back to the hostel for an hour to recharge the cameras.  Then we head back to the Namsan area to look around the market - as last time we been for the food but not for items. As my girlfriend wanted to buy last minutes gifts. 

 The next day has broken up and it is Sunday. We had made an early start to the airport. The flight was scheduled for 11 in the morning. After I said good bye to her, I wanted to visit Incheon and token a bus from outside to Incheon Train Station. Incheon itself is also very big therefore I just visited only two parts of it China Town and an Island. Where I could find a Korean style garden with buildings and Emigration Museum. I have learnt on why Koreans aim to US and who the first emigrates of modern Korean been. It was also interesting to find out that Koreans in 1903 had been classed as "low cost" labour. 

I did wanted to stay to long in Incheon as I had been a bit tired and needed also to be back to the dorm before 1am. 

I also did not wanted to sit on the subway all the way to Seoul Station and decided to take a bus to Daegu, which is nearly gone the similar time as I would have taken the subway plus train.