Lets visit Korea for free?

Where would you be if you are now in Korea? Do you want to visit and shop at Seoul? or maybe to learn about Korean history at say, Gyeongju? How about tasting authentic Korean food in Jeonju and then board a flight to Jeju Island the next morning for lunch?

After a tour around Jeju, why not fly back for dinner at Daegu - the birthplace of Samsung? You can actually do all that - hotels and round trip airline tickets to Korea fully covered by KTO (Korea Tourism Organization).

This is the link to participate. If you are lucky, you might just be among the lucky chaps to travel to Korea for free. Who doesn't like people paying for your flight ticket?

Sales, Shopping and bits of my memories - Korea

Lady Gaga, the craziest (Uhhh), the coolest (Ahhhh), colors mix-and-match lady and a performer. I like her individuality, she is able to wear what she wants without being subjugated by the public opinions on her wacky style. The way she sways her crowd, the way she influenced the people - Wow!

Lady Gaga Day in Taiwan - Welcome to madness



This is what you call them ardent Gaga supporters! *Nightmares*

That's what fashions and clothing are all about. Right now in Korea, there's a big sales going on. Most, if not every single shops are now having sales. From ZARA, H&M, Giordano, Calvin Klein and right up to the shops around hidden alleys of clothing district in Daegu, you can definitely see sales!

For ladies, there are more clothing varieties to buy if compared to men. There is also a common misconception that men don't really go out and shop. Men in general do buy clothing quite often but it's just that we rarely window shops like how women do. Imagine the long hours men have to sometimes accompany their wives just for her shopping. It is a tough job being a man. Hehe.

Wife : Hey honeeeeey... Does this cloth fits me???

Hubby: Sure, nice la wei

Wife : Really? How about the other one?

Hubby: All suits you dar.. ^^

Wife : Erm... Which is better? the red or the pink one??

Conversation goes on and on.. bla blah...

Wife : This looks beautiful, can I have it honey?
Hubby: Sure why not?

At the cashier:



Wife : (Stares at hubby)
Hubby: How much is it dar? (Soft tone)
Wife : Only 400 USD...
Hubby: (Deep inside : WTF, for a DRESS!!! AHHH) *Smiles back at the wife*

In Korea, the best place for men (and women alike) to buy is through the net (G-Market or Interpark) but the cons of buying there are that the stuffs can be of low quality and that there might be hidden charges when buying things online. This are the reasons I don't encourage buying using this way.

Korea is brand conscious country. This is why T-shirts with word "GUESS" or "GAP" imprinted on them can be best sellers here. For guys in Korea or male tourists to Korea, the best retail outlets to shop are ZARA and Uniqlo (all foreign brand outlets - unfortunately). For guys looking for style, they can opt for the clothing alleys in downtown for vintage.

ZARA has fantastic cloths because the clothing changes very often so it's rare to see people wearing the same outfits (more of "individualism" you see) and in my case, no brand names sticking out like as in GUESS, Levi's or Bean Pole (a Korean brand). Uniqlo because the cloths are cheap, simple and soft :)

Luckily for women (if you are), you will be spoilt for choice when you shop for clothing in Korea. Lots of it really. In every nooks and crannies around Daegu (and in other cities), you will definitely see women retail outlets.

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Few weeks ago, I attended a small graduation ceremony for foreigners in my university. It was to celebrate my friend's graduation. Time does really flies when I ponder awhile to think of my friend who had just graduated and she was among the first few Malaysians I met when I first arrived at Kyungpook.

Sumaya (the one holding the bouquet of flowers), friends and me

Her name is Sumaya. Sumaya and ex-KNU Malaysian friends! Thanks for the nice memories! I can still remember the first time I met them all - It was on a long lonely night in a chilly spring weather that I met them at a restaurant outside my campus. Can you imagine me then not knowing a single Korean word? It was so difficult but so glad I made it.

I will be back home for my summer vacation end of this month and my favorite quote is always this

"It's a funny thing about comin' home. Looks the same, smells the same, feels the same. You'll realize what's changed is you."

The Curious Case of Benjamin Buttons

It's really true that as time passes, through bitter and harsh experiences, we grow up. I guess I am not in the position to say about myself but really, maturity and growing up are two different things. A person can be a grown up but he may lacks the maturity.

I like being young, I hate making mistakes but somehow, I can't run away from it. So I have no choice but to accept them as they were and get on with my life.

ADV - Blow Away the Heat in Caves!

It was really unusual that temperature in May recorded an average of 28 degree Celsius. It made some really worried about the coming heat of summer. Well, they were right. Why don’t we go on a trip to cool places?

One of Korea’s natural beauty lies with the caves. There had been a lot geographical changes in this peninsula which formed many nice natural sites in Korea.

There are several kinds of caves. Limestone caves are formed by the rainwater which dissolves the limestone layer. Sea caves are formed by abrasion of the ocean wave. Lava caves are formed by lava flow. Artificial caves are formed on a specific purpose.

There are more limestone caves and sea caves in Korea. Stalagmites, stalactites and stone pillars are so beautiful that more and more people keep visiting the caves. This article will guide you to explore the caves around Korea.

Korea’s only theme cave, Hwaam



Gold-colored Stalactite in Hwaam Cave (Source: Kookmin Ilbo)

Hwaam Cave is located in Jeongsun, Gangwon-do and is recognized as one of the great caves in Korea. It was listed in 1980 as monument No. 33. Most of all, it is highly recognized for its beauty and it is also one of the eight natural attractions in Jeongsun, Gangwon-do.

It is the only themed cave. The theme is ‘Meeting of the Gold and the Nature’. What makes it unique is that, Hwaam Cave was both a coal mine and a natural cave. To get to the starting point of the cave, you should take a shuttle train. You can truly feel the theme of the ‘Meeting of Gold and Nature’ there.

The tour length of Hwaam Cave is 1,803 meters and the tour takes approximately one and half hour. You can see some chapters in the cave. The chapters consist of ‘History’, ‘365 along with Gold Line’, ‘Wonderland’, ‘Gold world’, ‘Nature Wonder’. The cave was discovered during the mining of gold, so there are many displays and exhibits inside which are connected with Gold mine.

You can learn about the the history of gold mining. It is quite interesting to see gold bars too. In addition, there are some displays showing various kinds of gold mines, the uses of gold and the history of gold. For the children who are easily bored, there is a section on ‘Gold Ghost and Silver Ghost in Wonderland’ which are the mascots of this cave.

The Wonderland mascots will show how to mine for gold and gold products from the children’s perspective. Because of this, there are more family visitors in a cave tour.

Edited until here, but do read more at this link.

ADV - Gochang appeared in Mischelin guide!

Have you heard of Mischelin guide? It is the most well known guidebook which is published by the Tire company Mischelin in 1900. The Mischelin is a renowned magazine that grades restaurants, which of the grading system is called 'Red Guide'.

Mischelin guide (Source: Joongang Ilbo)

It hasn't been long since it has adopted the 'Green Guide' system which grades tourists' attraction around the world. Well, it became a sensation when Mischelin Co. published the 450-page of 'Mischelin guide-Green'.

The number of places in Korea mentioned in this Mischelin guide are 23. There, we can find a rather unexpected name among other familiar names, Dolmen Museum, which is located in Gochang, Jeollabuk-do. There are few people know where the Dolmen museum is actually located.

In addition, not many people know that the dolmen is an attractive place to be visited. Isn't it good enough to visit this place? You will be surprised to know that it was awarded with the highest score - Three stars. Gochang has an old heritage but it doesn't mean that it is still stuck in the past. Let's travel to Gochang.

Places to visit!

Gochang Dolmen Museum



(Source : Korea Tourism Organization)

Temples of Goryeo dynasty, Seonun Temple and Dosolam



Seonun Temple (Source : Korea Tourism Organization)

Gochang's fortress



Gochang's fortress (Source:: Korea Tourism Organization)

Going to places with a variety of historical significances from the Joseon Dynasty of Gochang is a great experience. Gochang too has a long history of organizing festivals dating from the prehistoric Dolmen to the modern day festival.

Edited but do read more at this link.

ADV - Korea ballet, Fly high to the world!

Korean ballet is on focus nowadays. Two main ballet companies of Korea, 'Korea National Ballet (KNB)', and 'Universal Ballet (UB)' are now internationally acknowledged for their artistic talent and are being compared to world-class ballet companies.

In fact, Korea ballet was out of B30 (Ballet Ranking Top 30) ten years ago. But now its reputation has been prominently enhanced as Korean ballet troupes are being invited to foreign countries, surely raising the pride of Korea’s dance world.

Image by Kyunghyang Sinmun

The world’s eye on Korea ballet

KNB has been leading the popularization of ballet, performing 81 times in 2009, 123 times last year throughout the country including its capital city, Seoul. Last year KNB performed in Bolshoi Theater (Bolshoi Teatr) and Mariinskii Theater (Mariinskii Teatr), creating a better reputation of Korean ballet. Recently, KNB was invited to theaters of Italy and France and currently further schedules in details are under discussion.

A specific plan for a performance at San Carlo Theater (Teatro San Carlo) in Napoli, Italy will be carried out by this October. This theater is one of the most prominent theaters comparable to La Scala Theater in Milan (Teatro alla Scala di Milano) or Rome Opera House of Italy. Stressing the fact this historic stage was founded 39 years before the globally honored La Scala Theater in Milan, the invitation is very meaningful.

KNB is also invited to 'Les etes de la danse', a dance festival held in Paris and further schedules for the 2014 performance are as well under discussion. In addition, KNB is planning to perform in Caracalla Theater (Terme di Caracalla) and Rome Opera House next year. This performance will be a very historical occasion for Korea, as Italy is a birthplace of ballet and France is meaningful home of ballet where it became an independent art genre.

‘Shim Chung’ an original ballet of Universal Ballet staged in Taipei, Taiwan (Image: Asia Today)

UB is also planning to have a tour in 40 countries within the next 3 years. 'Shim Chung' and 'Giselle' is already scheduled to perform in 8 cities of 6 countries including Taiwan (April), Singapore (May), U.S.A. and Canada (July), Japan (September), and Oman (November) this year. Most of these concerts were organized by UB by directly contacting the local theaters who happened to respond with great enthusiasm.

Edited but read more at this link.

ADV - Convenient Traffic System of Korea

Most foreigners will agree that Korea has an excellent public transportation system. In Korea, you can reach almost everywhere by bus or subway. It is considered superb in terms of its easy access and cleanness.

Korea’s transportation system is now recognized as one of the finest example among other countries. In the past, many Koreans complained of ineffective subway and complicated road systems. But after it adopted the transit discount system and better equipped subway systems, situation got much better than ever.

Comfortable Public Transportation System

Korea’s transportation system can be considered a role model for other countries (Source: Yonhap News Agency)

There has been so much improvement in traffic system that now Korea’s traffic system is widely regarded all over the world. Most importantly, the subway and bus companies do not compete with each other for passengers and it became a win-win situation for them.

It can be considered cleaner here than in any other subways around the world (Source: Yonhap News Agency)

For example, the transit discount system helps passengers save their money, which is found only in Korea. For this reason, many policy makers from many countries visited Korea to learn more about Korea’s traffic system. It is common for Korean to pay with digital card when taking a bus, but in many countries, people are still paying by cash.

Moreover, a variety of bus and subway line can be considered remarkable. Since all buses were divided into four colors- blue, green, red and yellow- according to the routes, it became much convenient to take buses even in the rush hour.

Edited until here but do read more at this link

Korea - Getting a smartphone and Kakao?

There were many things happening lately, some worth talking and some not worth talking. This makes me not in a mood to blog. Anyway, I think I am a private person and I do not like to share personal stuffs to people. This blog is a bit of exception but I neither wish to have many readers nor to promote it.

This blog started off as a personal blog for my incessant ramblings on my life in Korea and my personal views (more like a diary to me la - and can you believe - a guy having one!), but after sometime, I gradually write about my experiences in Korea.

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Honestly, I prefer her over the phone :P



IRIS drama star, 이병헌..

Acquiring a smartphone is of late becoming more of a necessity than an indulgence or a trend. As much as I like to say that the basic cellphone still serve its purpose to enable communications and other small functions like taking pictures, smartphone's rise is inevitable.

With the rise in usage of smartphone, more research and development (R&D) funding will be poured into smartphone's software and hardware while cellphone's development will remain as stagnant as ever. Like how pagers were replaced by bulky cellphones, and then a period of cellphones with multiple functions. Now, it's all about smartphone.

Blame it on iPhone too.

In Korea, it's still possible to get a basic cellphone but it's really difficult to get one that will suit your taste. These days, there are not many varieties of cellphones to choose from if compared to smartphone varieties. Nevertheless, there's always pros and cons of having a smartphone.

I, not being a gadget enthusiast, jumping into the iPhone bandwagon is just not my type. I chose an Android based phone - I chose a Samsung Galaxy. This Android based phone was okay but the apps in the market were a bit messy and sometimes, it's still a hassle to search for nice apps in the Android market.

In Korea, it's more common to find non-apple smartphone on the market than in any other countries. Nationalistic feelings (only buy either Samsung or LG) and restrictions imposed on foreigners mean it's quite difficult to have an iPhone. Besides the I-know-you-know expensive subscription packages too for iPhone users.

It's more expensive to own an iPhone in Korea than in Malaysia due to the "basic" fees. Nevertheless, performance wise, I think both smart phones are the same but iPhone remains as sleek as ever. Owning a Samsung or LG smartphone in Korea is easy and fast. Just sign pages after pages (erm... not really.. only a front and back subscription form) of contracts written in Korean without actually "knowing" it. lol. Just kidding.

The most downloadable apps in Korea is Kakao Talk. Kakao functions almost like a messenger but is more widely used here than in any other countries. It's free but that's if you do not include the 3G fees. Luckily in Korea, the free data usage is more than enough (up to 1 GB in my case).

The thing about getting a smartphone in Korea is that the staffs in the mobile shops will always promote the best and of course, the most expensive phones (and subscription packages too). Sometimes, a basic packages can be overly expensive, maybe an unlimited data usage with a limited free calling time (only up to 5 hours) and SMS messages (300 SMS) will set you back at least 55000 Won (51 USD) per month.

Frankly, unlimited data usage plan is not really worth it. Smartphone's (Mine's a Samsung Galaxy) battery life really sucks so what's the point of getting a package that is not worth subscribing because of the limited battery power? It's better to donate to a place called charity than to fatten the telecom company's paycheck. But really, get Kakao if you are in Korea!