Hyundai

Today is Monday and most of the exchange student had asked for a leave. Why? Maybe the title gives a clue. We went to the Hyundai Motors and Hyundai Heavy Steel plants today in Ulsan to observe and have a look onto the Korean firms.

It was very amazing to see a car plant - the size and also on how really fast it goes to produce a single car. In the plant it self is probably more people working then the area of Heaton in Newcastle living. Surely it has more hospital then a small town itself and restaurants. The bus service alone to bring people from one place to another. 

If you get the opportunity visit the plant for yourself in Ulsan - also the Heavy Steel plant. The dimension is high - six ships get build simultaneously. 

We had spend around three to four hours in Ulsan to visit both plants. Afterwards we return back to Daegu and I gone to the Toastmaster meeting.

Conference

(18 - 19th November 2011)

Today we had visit from my professor from the UK and I introduce to her one of my friends who will join us in January. We had a small discussion on my life here in Korea and also I told her my recent journey to N Korean border which for me seemed like yesterday and not Monday. The week has gone so fast in the recent days.

In the afternoon a two day conference has started here in KNU. I joined the innovative session on Friday and been listen to great scholars from Asia on their opinion and research in this field of studies. In the second day the conference was an open one with a mixture of government speakers and academic staff. The speakers come as far from America and Japan. I had the opportunity to learn more about the Japanese culture and academic field of studies in Supply Chain Management.

It was a great conference, from which I could learn myself more and think more into detail on what I have learned and experiences so far. It was not just only the conference - but able to observe on how to behave among academics in a Korean environment. 

Jinju

Today we had time and gone to Jinju - The plan had been to go to two cities. As I thought my friends will come with me I decided to return back to Daegu at night time.

It was good again to travel to a new city and a new place. We had been visiting one of their friends their who is studying in Jinju Russian Language. So we arrived for lunch time and went to Mr Pizza for a (yes you right) pizza.

We spend almost two hours inside to chat and eat, after the meal we gone to her university which is just opposite Mr Pizza.  We wanted to go inside the university muesum but the lift was out of order, it is the only way for visitor to enter the museum without ID card. Therefore we token first a walk around the campus before we headed to the Jinju castle. Jinju in other word is a closed of complex temple where Kim Shi Min has lead a great army against the first Japan invasion.

I would recommend other travel to go to Jinju - myself I had only been one day and do not feel to go again. Excluding you like to travel the southern of Korea, it is a great gateway to the other places. As this area is very rural is better to have a car in Korea if you fancy to drive.

We went for dinner to one of traditional market to have the special Bimbamb with raw meat. It was very delicious. I highly recommend also a visit to the market. I think to explore Asia is only through food possible, then you get the best experience out of it.

Dinner with friends

You are right - lets skip the day part.

In the evening my girlfriend and me had meet up with my good friend from Korea. Who I had meet on my second day here in Korea.

We did not seen for long each other - few weeks. It still feels like ages - therefore we decided to go for some dinner near the university. We had small discussion on how the university life is going and if I enjoy it to be here. It is a great experience to be here, I can not imagine to going back to Europe. I actually feel to stay here, but if that would be the case it would be more working then playing as I do right now all the times. My blog may would then say everyday - Library - Library. So far I visited the library only to print out documents but not for studies.

I would recommend everyone to come here in Korea and study for a semester or a year. It will be an awarding experience. So far I have spent over a month in Korea and few more are to go.

Tomorrow would be an interesting day to meet up with the British Council.

Busan

(23^th September until 25^th September)

It is back to Friday – the weeks are going very fast somehow these days. It shall go a bit slower again. Today my girlfriend and I are setting of to Busan. As I don’t have any classes and no meetings we decided to go to the bus station just after breakfast and purchase a ticket. As Busan is only 1-2hours away from Daegu there is nearly every 30mins or one hour a bus leaving from Daegu station.

We needed to go to Busan for two reasons, the main reason is for the examination of my girlfriend in her IELTS exam and the second just to travel and take a look around the Port city which had been shown cased many times on the TV Channel Arirang.

The bus journey has taken more than two hours, due to being a general service and stopping at every motorway junction to drop off and get on people. I wonder myself on how they manage to get their to the motorway stops and on how they will continue their journey if they had gone off.

All the time when you arrive with the bus you never get taken to the main city as you will be in Europe bus service or Taiwan bus service. They will drop you here off in Korea close to the motorway – in Busan case it is North of Busan. We needed to catch a metro service to City Centre. As we did not have an accommodation yet we made the decision to go to city centre and look around for guesthouses or motels.  

After we moved into the accommodation we gone for food hunting as it was already afternoon time, and there is a market nearly similar design to Andong. In Andong inside the markets had been food vendor, but in Busan or at least in this one there was no food vendor. We managed to find a place outside the market to eat something and to decide on what to visit.  The tourist map recommends to go to Songdo Beach and the port area of Busan. I feel the port is nothing special, maybe as visiting or living near a port.

There had been some confusion between tourist map, local people and Russian tourist on which bus to take. As arrived by metro to the designated station and exit, we asked local people on how to get to Songdo but either this did not speak or not understand English. I see then some tourist coming to our way – I am sure they must have visited the beach or may had an idea where to take a bus. They come from Russia, so I used Russian language to find out – they knew on the opposite side we could take a bus – but it will take to long for arrival of the number we waited for so we asked a local person which bus to take and given us a number. When boarding the bus we asked the bus driver if he will go Songdo Beach but he said – yes but on the other side so we shall wait for him or other bus to come.  We cross again a street and waited for the bus. Then suddenly a bus stop and I try to practise my Korean reading… and read “Song-do”… and quickly jump into the bus to ask if he will go Songdo Beach. Luckily he was indeed going to the beach.

After reaching the beach we had taken the trail which goes along the shore – which is very unique. I wish something like that will be built in Berwick-upon Tweed. That the promenade not suddenly finishes by the rock. I guess it will be a long dream due to all the Health and Safety issues – so I enjoy walking here in Busan along the shore on a secure pathway and hang bridges.

Tomorrow would be the exam - therefore after the beach we had made our way to the university. We shall see where it is and find the building. We had been stopped on our journey by a performance at the Busan Train Station.

 

More videos of the show can be found on their website here.  It was a very interesting show, showcasing again the Korean culture everywhere across the country.

After the show we continue our way to the final destination to the university ground.  The area did not different much from KNU area. Bars, shops, takeaways, etc. Just a bit more busier doing to being two universities at one place.

 Let me skip the part on finding the buidling and get to the eating part. We had some dinner on the street, as we already tried all dishes from restaurant but not the street food yet. We had chosen a few food to try out. Which was very nice and cost a little bit cheaper then in restaurant. After we continue our search for food, and come across an interesting ice shop. The lady is preparing fresh waffle (so shall be hot) and put in 3 spoons of ice cream inside. We bought one ice cream for  $Caribbean 5 as the lady is collecting foreign bank notes, we did not need to pay in Won. Actually we paid more in $ then the price would be in Korean Won. It was still nice and a great experience to try it out, and the waffle become cold with some tricks of the vendor so that the ice cream will not melt.

The next day has come up and it is the exam day. A very long day of waiting for myself. I had brought my Korean homework and study material to practise and read for small quizzes to coming up the following week.

After the exam was finish my girlfriend and me had made our way to Busan International Film Festival part of town. Where we also arrange to meet up with my KNU friends who also come to visit Busan. The only problem had been to communicate as due to my credit has run out and in Korea you can not top up your phone on the weekend due to being the server is down or something. Which is very strange, but at least the member of staff in the phone stores are friendly and let you borrow their phone to you to call your friends. Therefore recharge your phones before weekend or you will be stuck with out connection.


We managed to find my KNU friends and then look around the BIFF Sqaure, before going to get some food and visiting the bridge "Gwangan Bridge" on Gwangalli Beach. My girlfriend and I already seen it yesterday from the other side on where the cars drive on. As it isn't far away from the university.

It is a nice place for taking pictures at night - just need to find a good spot where not many people are walking or they either become ghost or block the view.

The day has gone to the end, we spend a little more time at the beach as we did not been in rush to return to the train station.

The next day we planned to go to visit the Fishery Folk Museum and China Town, and then we shall return in the late afternoon to Daegu.

In the Fishery Museum, we could learn of the old Busan and traditional way of catching fish up to today's method on catching fishes. It is an interesting museum to explore on how the culture has change from the tradition to the modernization.

We had contiune back our journey into town on where we gone and visit China Town or Russia Town. Every second store had a Russian name "Magazin", "Coffee Bar", etc and in between Chinese and Taiwanese Restaurants.

As it is already being getting to late afternoon we decided for one more attraction to see near China Town which is Yongdusan Park. Is on a little mountain which does not need to be climbed up as they have a stair escalators to the top.

Some tourist will say that Busan is not an interesting place of visit. I guess it depends on what you like to see - as it is still a city but with few nature points left such as small parks and the beaches surrounding the area of Busan.