Day 4 in Seoul

It is Day 4... and has been raining almost continuous for the past 2 days. Yesterday was DARN HEAVY... makes me feel like staying in and not going anywhere!

I checked out my school the day before and the bus journey was toturous!

No doubt the bus ride IS convenient, directly outside my place and stops about 10 mins walk from school, but it's way too long and took 1.5hrs to get to school (still not factoring in the possible peak hour jam - which i suspect is pretty close to the CTE jams in Singapore!)

The train option on the other hand takes only 32 mins, but walking distance in total adds up to 35 mins from my house to hongik station and from cheonyangi station to school... yes.... total time taken to walk is even longer than sitting train! But still, this option is more reliable, no jam + takes only slightly more than an hour to get to school... If i think positively, it means 1hr 10mins worth of walking (to & fro) - consider it exercise - afterall, i need to work off those kimchi, bibimbaps, tteopokki etc.

My test placement test was a diaster... i initially thought i had a pretty good foundation (since i have self-studied for a good 1 year in S'pore), but i guess that's not true. LOLs... i did however manage to make it directly to class 1B instead of starting all over from the bottom...

Reality is setting in and i AM going to have to start "mugging" to make this trip worth it!... "FIGHTING!"

Wonder if it is the weather or it is just me....but i have been feeling a little melancholy.... i guess it is a mix of missing home + not having many friends to hang out with here... Though i am living with very nice Korean housemates... they are kinda "workaholics"... start work in the morning say 10am and only return home after 12 mn... one of them only returns after 2am... it is like... HUH? And i thought those overtime workers in Singapore who work till 10 - 11pm daily were considered "lifeless"... it is worst here! Another one of them, does not work full time, but she sleeps really late and wakes up really late too.... so, out "meeting time" is really random...

By the time i sleep, they wont be home yet, but when i wake up, they have either already left for work / or are still sleeping.... well, i hope this is only seasonal...

Like i was saying... this weather just makes me so sleepy and lethargic, but i had to just push my butt out and go out to explore. What is the point of staying indoors in a foreign land, i can do that at home (as in Singapore!)...Therefore, despite the dislikeable rain... off i went!

Being on my own and having no plans in mind since i have settled my schooling stuff...First thing was to head to Myeongdong's M Plaza... I heard there are fun traditional arts and craft that you can get involved in...and that one could find out tourist information there...so i thought, why not just kill time by going there... i thought it was just another place... but it is THE place! Especially for foreigners like me who have no plans and dunno where to go!

The customer service team was superb! They wore a smile throughout and had representative for each foreign language so language was not a barrier at all... it felt like home! :) They would "educate" you on the places you wish to go, how to get there and when is the best time to go there... They are almost like an agent, just that they are all-rounded, they will call the places you wish to visit on your behalf to make appointments, get the opening/closing hours, cost fee EVERYTHING... I should have called them when i was planing my accommodation earlier, that way, i wouldn't have worried so much! :P

The arts teacher was a fine and friendly lady who was just ready to teach anyone who came to class... the trip was well-worth it despite the wet shoes and bulky umbrella... hahaha

I am now so inspired to plan for my "self-tour" in Seoul after this visit to M plaza.... And i think big part of that reason is because i know now that i have a reliable "information counter" that will be able to help me check on things i am unsure about and even make bookings on my behalf...without charges and no strings attached... it's so cool! (Although i do have a pretty good Korean friend, i just didn't what to add pressure to her and make her feel obliged to help me as she has already helped alot so far!)

It is really unlike me to NOT make plans for my time in Seoul... but i do think it is pretty fun to just "take one step at a time"... Play when you feel like, sleep when you feel like, eat when you feel like and not have restrictions/control... of course, certain extent of discipline should be mantained - like, you dont sleep the whole day or eat the whole day, this will be called being aimless and that is losing control - everything should be in moderation...

So, after class, i just walked about Myeongdong, observing the people around... working class, dating, students etc... what they wore, who seemed to hang out with who... etc... this people-watching is fun! You begin to realise that people everywhere are the same... Whether in Seoul or Singapore... they are all making a living and trying to enjoy their life... hang out with their loved ones... have fun, eat and play... Some may have big dreams, or some may have small simple ones... but whatever they have, they just LIVE...

Walking to nowhere is really quite a fun thing... Although i do fear not being able to find my way back, i just wanted to trust my intuition and walk on without knowing where i am headed for... i bump into unkind restaurants who turned my down was i asked for a table for 1... and i bump into kind souls who help point me the right way to the right place... I guess, life is like that. its a bet... only if you venture into unknown, will you find valuable memories and experiences...staying too focused can actually blind you at times...

I should better turn in for the night... will post pictures soon!

M Plaza Helpdesk, Myeongdong, 명동

Myeong-dong Subway Station, Line 4 or
Euljiro 3-ga Subway Station, Line 2

The first thing that any tourist to Seoul should do (especially if they are traveling alone) would be to head to Myeong-dong, M-Plaza.

It is the place where I got all the information I need... from random things like where to find a gym closest to home (yes, I enquired about that) to directions to other suburbs area.

There are:
- Maps of all sorts, for touring Seoul and for touring outside Seoul
- Free Hanbok photo-taking
- Free Arts & Craft Lessons (you can check the schedule on-the-spot)
- Friendly Customer Service Officers (Japanese-Speaking, Mandarin-Speaking, English Speaking)

Just super cool!

I selected this book called: SEOUL BEST 100 PLACES to go.

From there, I bookemarked the places that interest me and there you have it - an organised directory for touring by myself!



DIRECTIONS

The directions here are quite straight forward.

You head to Myeong-dong (see the above Subway listing). I cant recall the which exit, but upon exit, you should be able to spot an area which is bustling with live, people, music, shops etc. 

That would be Myeong-dong. The street would look like this.

 

Warning: Shops are "replicated" everywhere!
Turn right and you see Missha, Etude House and Skin Food
Turn left and you see theEXACT same thing!

And best thing is, the "street hawkers" and wheel cart shops by the pathway all sell the SAME thing!
Tell me not to get lost!

Look out for a big building called M Plaza (should be indicated on the Myeong-dong map) if you do get lost.

This is a shot of M Plaza, ZARA would be a good "marker" for the building.

 

Enter the building and take the lift to 4th floor and there you will see the Helpdesk I am talking about.

 It's called Seoul Centre. And you can ask about anything you like.

 

Here are just some random shots of me attending a Handicraft workshop.

 It was a great way to spend my Friday afternoon!

Anyway, after all that activity, I just wanted dinner.

Sad thing is I was being rejected by 2 other restaurants prior to finding this restaurant as they did not want to take in "table for 1"!!!

Can't describe how I felt when I finally had this bowl of bibimbap in front of me... There was some sense of "sadness" and at the same time joy...

Just as it looks - this was YUMMY! but it did cost 6000won... sooo it had better be!

University of Seoul - Site Recce

Since i will be attending the University of Seoul (UOS), i thought it will be better for me to do a school recce.

 I did a trial run of finding my school before the test date to make sure i know the routes and don't screw up! Sure feels like first day to school!


This is the view of my house from the outside.

This is the view of the house from outside...

























My friend suggested i take a bus from the bus-stop situated just outside our house, but the bus journey is really no joke - think - 1+ hour... no thanks!

























I went around asking for the right directions to the school and finally, i arrived at this junction after following the road signs for drivers...


























Imagine the joy when i found this junction! After 10 mins of walking....


























This is the entrance to the school.... it really doesn't look like a school's entrance does it? I was expecting some sort of a huge school gate with a huge signboard bearing the name of the school... but... hmmmm

Walking further down, I spotted this "Eagle Tower" which would be the landmark to locate my classroom building... But at that point, I have not actually identified where my classroom was. I was quite LOST.



Then I spotted a short stairway and just followed by intuition.... The "greeny" looking park, didn't seem to look like the way to go, but there's nothing to lose if i tried. So i did just that!... And DADANG - i found my school block...

This is the 1st Engineering Block where my placement test would be held....looks rather unlike universities in Singapore right? (Not that i've been to one)

This time round, i decided that the subway will be a better option, so i walked to the nearest subway.

 This is the view from outside -Cheongyangi Station... Lotte Shopping Centre is just right next to the station... So i could possibly have my dose of shopping DAILY after school.... sounds good!

(UPDATED: Lotte Shopping Centre located next to the station is actually a filming site for "Secret Garden" one of the best K drama I have watched so far, airing in early 2011) 

Here is a peek into Korean supermarts.

And there you see it, my lunch of spicy rice cakes and some deepfried veg... all mixed up... it was really yummy! Loved the combination...and all that for 3500won... considered cheap! Now i found a good lunch place after school!

 Shopping and shopping! AR!!! Containers! My favourite! But, i dont need any more! My room is not that big! Just a note, everything we have in Singapore, they have it here and EVEN MORE!

 No prizes for guessing! Yes that is foody! My favourite soft toy. And it is a free gift with min 50,000 won spending. How sad. How can Foody is FOC?!


It's strange because who wants a free gift toy in a super market.... i dont suppose ajummas are interested in Foodys'....

 By the time i got back, it was rather late...so that was an attempted shot of the night scenery... not much of a scenery huh? LOLx... Shalom!!! (a dog on Skype?) :P

First Dinner in Seoul

After a hard day of packing the room, I finally treated myself to GOOOOOOoood food!

This is one of the most popular and common food in Seoul... BBQ meat! I think they call it "Bulgogi"?

Usually, it is either BBQ pork or BBQ beef.... The traditional way is to have charcoal underneath the heating plate, but that is definitely more troublesome, so gas is used...

Meat is being cooked!

Side dishes used to wrap the meat... It is the first time i see this "mochi-like" stuff used as a "meat wrapper"... Usually, vegetables are used...

Meat is done and served! For this restaurant, the waiter will help flip the meat and serve! Well-done! Good service! :)

First day in Seoul...

Day 2 in Korea and i should better update otherwise, i m likely to forget! hahaha...

I am so touched by the "send-off" party at the airport the night before... You guys rock!


And of course, my beloved family! :)





The few days prior to departure was pretty "stressful" as my bags are too heavy and i was so uncertain about what to expect. I was finally seeing my plans come true! And it was almost unreal...i went packing/unpacking/packing/unpacking and ALAS, my luggage was down to 26 kg, but my carry on was like a whopping 14kg in total - almost about to BURST!

As i bid goodbye, my feelings were kinda mixed... although just a short 3 months, i felt like i missed my family even before parting... yet on the other hand, i am extremely nervous and excited about living in Korea...

First thing i did upon touch down was to get my rented mobile phone... Got Student Rate! hahaha 1/2 price!


My Korean friend, Yujin was here to receive me and we headed to the place i stay via the Airport Limousine....


The luggage was no joke man! Imagine 2 girls pushing over 40kg worth of bags across the roads, through the streets etc... I kinda regretted bringing so many things as i was about to find out they have a DAISO just next door! HAH!

This is one of the streets in the Hongdae area.




The first impression i had when i reached the house was - huh.... so "lok cok"... The entrance was a small one... it isn't significant and being a "pang ji ha" (which is a half-basement" house...)it seems to give the impression of a very damp, dark and smelly place... Lucky thing was i expected nothing, so there wasn't much disappointment...


Once in the house, i kinda felt better as the place was actually rather clean though the living roomas slightly messy. The toilet and the kitchen was EXCEPTIONALLY clean and and very well-mantained...(I would soon find out that the main tenant of this house, Seonyu is such a dilligent lady who cleans the place and tries to keep it as tidy as possible as the men (2 of them!) usually don't do it!)


My room is actually clean (except for that the windows looked slightly dirty!)... Small, but very cosy... So i started my own edition of Project Homeway! Though i slept very little on the flight here... I had to organise my room so somehow, there was the adrenaline!


I asked for the best few places to head to for purchase of such furniture and there you go! Daiso! Grand Mart! (both are walking distance from where i stay) and Homeplus! (which was a few subway rides away...the popular household brand, akin to our NTUC and Carrefour)...

In fact, i had no time to miss home... i dived straight into buying stuff, cleaning up the room and organising my stuff! By the end of the day... I was ready to call this my haven in Seoul...

I have so much to update, but right now, i just need to go sleep and wake up EARLY tmr for my placement test! Nights and i will log on soon!

Times & Chance happens to all man...

Enough is enough. I love my current job, but if I don't move on, i never will.

After some procastination, I have decided that I value the experience more than the money (quoted from my profound husband "money can be earned, time cannot- which costs more?) So I have decided that taking a sabbatical and doing a homestay will be the way to go.

Yes.

Suddenly.

Yes.

Random.

I have officially resigned from the job I love and truly enjoy... (after 3 years and 3 months) and now, I am making preparations for my trip to Korea to study the language. The course is 10 weeks long....it's not a long time, but it's also not really that short, is it?

There are ALWAYS issues "what about my husband? what about my job and my income? what about my plan to acheive this and that by when and when...?" The more one procastinates thinking about the "what abouts", the more their dreams/desires remain only as a dream. It ends there.

One of my all-time favourite quote -

"Sometimes, people would rather dream about their dreams without trying to realise it in fear of disappointment..."

No - I don't want to fall into that category...

The light bulb suddenly lit up.

Not everything can be measured with money... sometimes, opportunity costs is not about losing the opportunity to make that "bit" of money (ok - I have to admit, the pay is not just "a bit" to me) but if I compared it to the cost of losing that chance to experience living abroad on my own... I may look back in 10 years time and regret not going for the opportunity now...

I don't know what to expect, but I know:

"If I dont try, I will never know"

Checking out with this poem:

Seasons come, seasons go
There’s a time for each and every role;

A time to laugh, a time to cry,
Every time’s, a different tide;

Sorrows and joy, lasts but twilight,
Blink and there, it’s gone with the wind;

Paths may cross, and they may split,
Timing meetings are divine’s intervene;

A split second it could be,
Yet creating never-ceasing memories…


I will leave my last statement as some food-for-thought:

The race is not to the swift, nor battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to man of understanding, nor favor to men of skill; But time and chance happen to them all....

Ecclesiastes 9:11

Run

I want to run, Out of sight,
Yet here I stay, In your delight...

Runaway from you,
To somewhere you cannot see
Runaway from me,
No more hopes to keep...

RUN, RUN, RUN ... I RUN
Even if I trip and fall,
Run from dusk to dawn
Even if there's no more strength to carry on...

Run away from hopeless faith,
Run away from joyful pain.
Run away from self-less gains,
Run away, just run....

I want to run, Out of sight,
Gone from desires, gone from light...