Suncheon

(16^th Septmber until 18^th September)

This Friday we, my girlfriend and me, had set off to Suncheon. Please do find on the right hand panel “Where is Artem?” to localize Suncheon. It is in the south east region (more in the centre of the South) in Korea.  There is not much bus service in the day to Suncheon, but on good times – they do not go all together. It was easy just to turn up at the station and set off to Suncheon.

In the direction off Suncheon, they only use “General” bus service, but it was more deluxe. It had a lot of room leg for a comfortable journey on the hot day.

The journey shall take around 3 hours as long the traffic is good, which it was and we had arrived well in time. As we needed to see the Tourist Information centre. We knew there will be a guided tour for the weekend.  An Eco-Tour which will run for two days, but unsure on how it will works and where to stay for Saturday night after the tour and start again.  The lady could not speak English in the tourism branch, so she called a friend off her to translate our conversation on what we wanted and read of the city.  With various method of communication we come to understand better on the tour and found out, we will stay in a local village overnight and finish the tour in the afternoon by next day.  After the phone call with the friend and tourist information centre, the lady asked – if we actually could speak Chinese.  Indeed we can, not myself but my girlfriend. In this way we had found out more in detail on what is going to happen tomorrow.  Why did she or we do not asked straight away if we could speak Chinese language?

After we paid the tourism information the fee for the tour – we gone out to find first a place to stay and afterwards went to the local market to find a place to eat.

In Korea isn’t very hard to find where to eat – but I usually look out where elderly people eat. I feel more assure that the food is clean.  Sometimes I feel that the place does not look clean, it might be just the design of the building or the attitude of working. (As you can see I have a bit of culture shock down slope.) We did found a place and I see a nice picture of noodles. As I had so much rice in these days I thought I go for the noodles. My Korean is still on zero – therefore I need to trust the picture.  Never again trust noodles in Korea – there had been very cold. I wanted something warm as it was for my dinner, but still a positive experience to receive food which I may would not order if I could have read or seen the ice cube in the picture.  It was a big partition, I guess it would fill me up but as it was cold it was just like a dessert to me with Kimchi.  I asked my girlfriend if I can look out for something warm to eat later on, as she was (un-)lucky to receive something hot but spicy.

We knew there is a river in this city and close by and had made our way to there. As it looked very interesting place when passing by over the bridge with the bus.  Indeed the place is nice, very relaxing. People cross the river by human made stone bridge – instant of using the bridge on the road. It is I guess more interesting and keeps you fit.

The next day has started and the tour is due to start at lunch time. We brought our bag pack to the tourism office and then had a look around the market. We may find something interesting to eat.  We found a vendor who is selling rice cakes in different colours, but we had been unsure if we need to boil them or can eat them like that. We try to communicate with her with hand and feet but it did not work. Suddenly a car drive pulls up her stall and just tokens a few of the rice cakes and ate them.  This is what we wanted to know, and bought couple of the colour full rice cake to try.

There is so many good things to try, but unfortunately I do not have a kitchen in my dorm to cut or even cook the fruits and vegetables. You also can not try them in restaurant as they mix it with other ingredients and the taste either gets lost or mixed with the others.

The time was getting closer to lunch time and we return back to the tourism office on where we meet our tour guide and the bus driver for the day. Not many people joined, just three couples (including ourselves).  We had also a big bus – at least 40 seats. We had therefore lots of room for everyone.

The first stop had been the Drama Set where many modern Korean drama been filmed (but set in the 70s and 80s). One of the most popular one is East of Eden. It is also apparently the biggest movie set in Korea – but actually it does not look as big as it had been promised on the tourism web pages. It is still a nice place of visit those who are interested in Korean drama.

The next stop was Seonamsa temple. It was more interesting and a nice place to visit. It is located a few kilometres inside the mountain and forest and a bit away from the city. You are fully surrounded by nature.  The tour had been done in Korean language, but we just could read the tourist board on information of the temple. Sometimes the tour guide could explain in English on the building or trees. We had stayed at the temple for three hours and mainly followed the tour guide.  If you come on your own, I am sure you need to spend a full day there. You can walk from Seonamsa temple to Songgwangsa temple.  I guess it is better to have a tour operator on who can pick you up from the other side of the temple. As I did not saw, any local bus station in this area.

The day is coming to the end and we get taken to our place where we will stay. It is in Suncheon Gaeraengyi Godeulppaegi village. It was truly a great experience to stay in one of the traditional houses of this area. As not sure if the opportunity will arise again. We had been told that we will receive simple food, if this is what the provided is simple food what would be the best food? We had various side dishes and the main course.

After the meal we had been given the opportunity to prepare Kimchi. It was an intressting experience on making Kimchi - and also finally knowing what exactly is all inside the Kimchi. We could take the Kimchi back home.

After the dinner my girlfriend and I token the chance to explore the area. As it was dark already we could not see much excluding fireflies who flown around us. It was also looking to be a thunderstorm as we could see the lighting, so we decided better to go back. When we return back, some of the tourist had been sitting by the fire. They have asked us and the rest to join, so we did. Only one of them could speak English. Maybe the others could understand us, but just not respond.

The next day has broken up. The two places of visit today would be Nagan Folk Village and Suncheon Bay. After the breakfast the tour operator come to our place and pick us up. Today we had a different tour guide, and she could not speak English. We still have followed the group until she given us free time to take a look around ourselves in the village.  The village is very nice, as people still actually live there or rent them for overnight stay to tourist. We had spent about two hours in the village and found a nice place on the wall to sit and relax. Where we also could see part of the village from above. 

The next and final stop is Suncheon Bay, but before that we had gone for lunch. It was served somewhere on the way to the bay. The food had been nice, but as we all already just had breakfast we did not ate much.

As we arrived in Suncheon Bay, the tour guide just given brief information of the place and told us we can go either left or straight ahead.  Actually is better to go left as, at one point you need to turn left to go straight. You pass through the Reed forest and continue your way up for 2km to the mountain point where you can observe the bay from the top. The measurements of distance do not take them too serious here. As it said 1km to walk, and next time it will say 1.2km to walk.  Just enjoy the nice walk up hill; it only takes around 30-45mins without stop.

Suncheon Bay

 I really recommend visiting Suncheon, it is so far the nicest place for nature. 

Job Fair

It had been again a busy day at university – I already explain on which module I take part two days before.

Let me tell you on what I experience new – it is the job Fair. It is not my first time to attend a job fair. I have attended a couple of job fairs in Newcastle before, which had been hosted in St James Park or in the University. This one here in Korea had a totally different approach; companies have spent time and effort to advertise that they will be coming and where they will be. I was very curious on where they stood. As I can understand a bit – Company Name – Building – Date. Therefore I had found Samsung Electronics and E-bay and had a little chat with them during my break time.

I have seen on how important it is to continue to learn Korean language, even though English language is required for most companies to work for here in Korea.

New friends

Today I had Strategy Management. The professor had assigned us into groups for the semester on where we will be working teams on case study and group project. The professor gave a deeper understanding of Strategy and make sure to have next time a study for the class.

After class I went into the book store and purchased all the books I needed for class and also finally a bag so I do not need to carry my pen and paper in my hands from class room to class room.

Later for lunch I met my new friends on whom I met last week. We had gone for some lunch and cup of lemon juice.  It was a great place, which maybe on you would never find. As the Koreans like to build good restaurants and bar on top floor, and usually myself looks on stores on the ground floor.

Later in the day my girlfriend and me had meet up with my friends at the fountain to practise our presentation speech for Persuasive speech. The area on focus is the usage of body language. I knew I had a few problems, but with the help of Toastmaster and A1 Speakers in Newcastle – I managed to resolve some of the issues.

We had just a few chats, as they met my girlfriend for the first time. It was a nice relaxing chill out again at the fountain.

Chuesok Holiday

(9th September until 13th September) 

  

As you may read the last article it stated I am in the airport. Here it continues.

My girlfriend had arrived and we meet up with our friend from Korea who we meet in Newcastle. He lives himself in Seoul and he has shown us around his city. We had been to a small market street near to our hostel and continue along to the National Museum where we met up with his girlfriend.  While we visited the Museum, most of us felt very sleepy as we all did not sleep well or had jet leg off the long travel.  We decided therefore to head back for a little sleep all of us and meet up again at night time for Nansam Tower in Seoul.  It was a great view during the night onto Seoul.

In the second day we had gone to the bus station to purchase tickets to Andong, it is better to do in advance due to the holiday. Everyone is travelling back home to their parents or a meeting point with all the family.  After purchasing the tickets from the East Bus Station (DongSeoul), we had taken a look on the map where we could go. I saw that just few stations away the Olympic Stadium of 1988 was nearby. Therefore we visited the Olympic Park of Seoul Games 1988.

We then taken the Subway back into town of Seoul, on the way back we come across a stop which called “Market” and decided to have a look. We found out it is a whole sale market and was very interesting to see on how they sell it. It is sometimes very hard to purchases something as they try to sell you either the full box or a bowl of 5 fruits. We only just want to try the pears, peaches and apple, therefore are not willing to purchase the bowl.  We manage to find some stores on where we could just buy one apple, and at some other stall one peach and one pear.  We had a look around the market and continued back on the journey to city centre on where we try to find the market at Nansam and maybe to have also some dinner.  As it is the last night of Seoul, I also liked to see the river as I only seen from the car while stuck in traffic.

We manage to get a subway to the river where we stayed for an hour before traveling back to the hostel and take a good rest for the journey southward to Andong.

It is Sunday now and tomorrow is the day of Chuesok. It is a Korean thanksgiving day, where family member get together and worship their ancestors.  We had made the way the to the bus station and had around a fours journey to Andong. The bus was full and I did not been aware we will drive direct to Andong – so great service. I was as well surprised that 50km before the destination we take a 15mins break.  As 50kms is not anymore a long journey.

We arrived late afternoon in Andong and still manage to visit Tourist Information centre before closure, so they could tell us on how to get to the famous village in Andong. The most important aspect on where is the best place to stay overnight. They had given as a few suggestions and then we made on the way to ask for the best price.

We token a walk in Andong and seen a nice park which looks many hundred years old, but was just recently build for its local citizen to relax and for us tourist after the long journey from Seoul. It was a good place to relax.

The next day has broken in and we been had been given the information on bus services to Hahoe Village which is not very frequent. Therefore we decided to take an early bus, maybe a bit too early.  It was good as no tourist expect us had been on the side of arrival, and you got the best spot on taking pictures of the village. No one will appear in the peaceful village.  As today is also Chuesok holiday I will not expect many visitors coming, but later in the day more people joined from Korea. Maybe some of their family member used to live in the village. As they worship their ancestor as mention above.

As we only would spend one day in Andong we decided for lunch time to head backwards and see if we could visit the bridge, but before that look on how to return back to Daegu and stop by Tourist Centre. They advise us that the train and bus service would be very busy and indeed the train service was fully booked, so the plan change and we gone to bus station to luckily manage to purchases tickets back to Daegu or may would stuck in Andong.

After purchasing the tickets we went to the longest pedestrian bridge in S Korea. It was something special, as usually a bridge is just for walking over, but on this one you could take a rest in the shadow as you do on the river bank in Korea.

In our tour guide it had been mention that the chicken dish is original from Andong, so we shall try it here. We went to the market on where many vendors been and just decided for one and ordered the dish, being unaware it is for sharing.  As my girlfriend is vegetarian I had the whole plate for myself – I am sure you can imagine on how I felt after finishing the dish.

This was the end of the Chuesok, thanks for taking the time to read the blog. As this was a long blog entry so far.

Incheon Airport

Today I had again mine busy schedule of classes from early in the morning until early evening. We continue to study the basic understanding of each of the module. The professor made it again important to all students to purchase the book, as we needed them by next week and we may go to have exam any time.

After the class today I have hurried back home as my girlfriend will be arriving at Incheon Airport at around 3am. I knew there will be a direct train to the airport at 10pm, from Daegu so I had two hours’ time to reach it. But, due to upcoming holiday Chuesok many people will be traveling to Seoul due to a 10 million people populated city. I wasn’t able to purchase a direct ticket, but I knew that the last subway is at around 11pm from Seoul Station to the airport, and if they give me the ticket to arrive at 10pm I have one hour window to get the subway. I did not had any trouble to reach Incheon Airport on the night and had 4 hours waiting time, but when I was on the subway they had screen of departure and arrival information – and I see the information New York flight is delay. Maybe it was due to the hurricane, but there was no correct information on how long the flight will be delay.

There is nothing I could do – just wait and watch on Samsung TV MBC News or MBC Drama TV. It was very quiet at the airport until Tokyo and Beijing had arrived at around midnight and stayed for some reason at the airport a few passenger instant going on the shuttle bus to Seoul Station (Central). Maybe they are unaware like me that there is actually an hourly bus service from Seoul Station after subway has closed. I therefore did not needed to be worried that I will not arrive at midnight to the airport.

Relax at the fountain

Today I visited the Immigration Office with KNU to apply for my Alien Register Card and Student Visa D-2.  It was a fairly easy process, KNU thought we would spend 2-3 hours but we already been on the way back home after 1 ½ hour.

For the rest of the day I had no plans so just wondered around and saw a society for photography and I asked them if I could join them.  Therefore I have joined them and they told me they will get in touch with me in October time for orientation (welcome) session of the society.

In the evening I had met up with my friends at the fountain of the university to socialize with a few chicken and snack. Chicken is very common to eat as students here in Daegu. The plan was to play a few card games, but we did not come to it. We had so much to talk and shown pictures of our home countries or home university cities where we study.