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Seoul(Oh!) by nature: Day-hiking Bukhansan via Gireum Station (Quick Tips and Insights)
Seoul(Oh!) by nature: Day-hiking Bukhansan via Gireum Station (Quick Tips and Insights)
Day-hiking Bukhansan via Gireum Station (Quick Tips and Insights)
Thinking of a quick nature get-away nearby hectic Seoul? Think no harder. There’s always something exciting at any one of the Bukhansan park trails for every nature enthusiast.
Definitely, Seoul is just the perfect blend of concrete jungle and nature, so nature lovers rejoice– for Seoul (and the rest of South Korea)…
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Comparative and Contrastive Analyses
The following are the structural and thematic correspondences between Daniel of the Bible and Daniel Lewin-Isaacson (Dillon, 1999).
1. The Two Books
The Book of Daniel
The Book of Daniel Detail Two Detail One A Detail Two A
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No-rush, half-day Saigon walking tour
No-rush, half-day Saigon walking tour
When my Filipino friends ask me to show them around Saigon, this is the most usual route we take. Since I don’t have that much time to go with them, I normally just introduce them to the parts of the city that are easily accessible (for my convenience,too, if we are pressed with time).
Nevertheless, these places are included as popular highlights in most Saigon city tours. Thus, I’ve decided…
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Onli in da Pilipins (Only in the Philippines!) Quirky ways to eat popular Visayan delights
Onli in da Pilipins (Only in the Philippines!) Quirky ways to eat popular Visayan delights
Today being my birthday, I want to celebrate by looking back to the fond memories that centered on food.
Here are most of the ever-missed foods from my childhood years and quirky ways to enjoy them.
Painit and breakfast meals
Painit is a Cebuano terminology which literally translates to “To warm; to make hot”. Alternatively, it also means “to have some snacks or light rice cakes with a…
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Vintage Munro by Alice Munro
Vintage Munro by Alice Munro
Behind him lay the gray Azores,
Behind the Gates of Hercules;
Before him not the ghost of shores,
Before him only shoreless seas.
(Columbus,Joaquin Miller)
Vintage Munrois a collection of 6 eloquent and poignant accounts about women from among over a hundred other Alice Munro’s contemplative short stories. The first story opens with the speaker finding her father in “the heart wing” suggesting…
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The United Fruit Co.: A Marxist Perspective
The United Fruit Co.: A Marxist Perspective
[This is an unedited paper of mine. I hope this will still be helpful to you in some ways. Read on…]
After imperialism another era has dawned: that of capitalism or commercialism. First world nations exercise their dominance in this other equally destructive way and in so doing, disregarding its ill effects, they are materially enriched by it and remain to be in power as they hold on to it. As…
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Meorakano? 3 Reasons why Busan's beauty is bliss~~
Meorakano? 3 Reasons why Busan’s beauty is bliss~~
Another October is up to swiftly say goodbye. This thought has made me feel a familiar melancholy that the older generation of Koreans feel as most of them listen to a sentimental song every last day of October.
To be one in sentiment with the Baby Boomers of Korea, here’s a Generation X’s short trip to Busan, in retrospect…
My Korean friends and students are divided on their opinions…
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Food for the hungry Seoul
Food for the hungry Seoul
I can now agree to my Korean students and friends that Korean food in Korea tastes completely different and much more sumptuous from Korean food served outside the country, generally, despite being prepared mostly by Koreans themselves or at Korean-owned restaurants. Yeah, talk about authentic dishes.
bulgogi stew
I myself wanted to try how much tastier a samgyetang (ginseng chicken) or a
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Last Night I Dreamed of Peace by Dang Thuy Tram
Last Night I Dreamed of Peace by Dang Thuy Tram
The name Dang Thuy Tram is one of the most unforgettable names in Vietnam. This name rings nobly of heroism.
Published in 2005 in Vietnam and translated to English by Andrew X. Pham in 2007, Last Night I Dreamed of Peace is a wartime diary that mirrors the many facets of suffering of the revolutionist fighters during the Vietnam War.
Hanoian Dang Thuy Tram, fresh from medical school at…
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Isolation and Perseverance: Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea Isolation and Perseverance in Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea “I am a strange old man” (Hemingway 7).
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An Attempt of SW(A)T Code Analysis of a Poster Ad: A Working Text
An Attempt of SW(A)T Code Analysis of a Poster Ad: A Working Text
A 1944 AFFTC ad warning the servicemen that women may be promiscuous… (Owner of the image: AAFTC)
(Note: This rough note came out as a part of a discussion under Language and Taboo. There are still a lot of portions to be covered, but this may still prove useful. You may have better ideas, so please feel free to comment. Thanks a lot! Happy World Teacher’s Day to all teachers!!!)
Symbolic…
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Hashtag MyheartandSeoul. Hashtag 1stSeoulprise.
This is my first ever trip to a visa country. (Hello, USA and UK! Wait for me, please…) In retrospect, the visa application requirements were fairly easy, and unexpectedly the trip to the South Korean consulate here in Saigon was a breeze. (There is a separate queue for non-Vietnamese nationals doing business at the consulate.)
Being my first time to go to South Korea and with all the different places there I wanted to see, I prepared for the trip in between classes and weekends for roughly 3 months. Also, I packed our itinerary with the famous and not-so-famous sites we could possibly pack in 4 days and 4 nights. Sad to say, my companion and I finished off about half of our list, owing to first-timer’s misadventures and bad weather.
(Hopefully, I will be able to attend the KOTESOL in October 2019 and stay there a little longer.)
It’s been 2 weeks that since I came back to Saigon but I still really feel like I haven’t been to the land of K-pop yet. It’s not that I didn’t enjoy my time there; it’s just that I feel I should have planned for a longer stay, and a much better itinerary.
Anyway, after efficient immigration procedures was the restroom ritual to freshen up; the restrooms are pretty clean (Koreans are generally obsessed with sanitation as far as I know) but I suddenly missed Saigon for its bidet. 🙂 I’ve seen from a YouTube video regarding some dirty toilets in the country, but, so far, it wasn’t the case wherever we went in and out of Seoul.
So… here are some of the things I can relate to or give as tips to those who want to check and see how the country is more than Hallyu, and these go also for me the next time I go there…
1. WEAR THE RIGHT FOOTWEAR: If you plan to do more walking and subway transfers than taking cab rides, then DEFINITELY wear proper walking shoes, like trainers or cushioned sandals. Public transportation in Korea is cheap, and it’s the best option to have when moving around on a budget. However, subway transfers in Seoul can be a killer (since they have at least 12 lines!! so the probability of transfers made me think how easy the Singapore subway was) if your footwear isn’t right. At the end of my first day there, I killed both my big toenails. The older subway stations don’t have escalators on some exits, and they were extremely exhausting!! So I had to buy comfy sandals to use throughout the whole stay. Some Your feet will be forever grateful to you, I promise.
I wore my comfy silver sandals for the rest of the stay. (left pic: BIFF Square in Busan; right pic: going up Toseong Station Exit 6)
Plus, I love walking around checking interesting avenues and possibly hidden gems during my trips, so it’s like a whole day of walking. Well, probably it was because I wanted to go to so many places in such a short time that my feet have taken its toll. It was too late for me to really feel sorry for my feet and pay attention to them. But mind you, for some reasons, we didn’t cover even half of the places on our itinerary.
I’m still mourning for my big toenails! (sob story)
My ootd on the first day. It must have been that the boots’ toe caps put the most pressure on my big toes after walking the whole day.
Up next to remember is to…
2. AVAIL OF TOURIST CARDS and PASSES: There are many of them to choose from. In my case, I chose the Discover Seoul Pass, Korea Tour Card, and the KTX 2-day Flexible Pass.
Both the Discover Seoul card and the Korea Tour Card have the T-money functionality (after top up), but yeah they differ in the amount of freebies and discounted attractions and facilities you could use. I still bought the Korea Tour Card anyway as it’s cheapest at 4,000 Korean won, but it only comes with limited discounts. I got my Korean USIM using the discount coupon from the Korea Tour card. Discounts for selected cosmetic lines are available, as well as discounts for attractions, such as the Korean Folk Village in Suwon and Petite France in Gapyeong.
Reserve online via Klook website and claim the physical card at the airport lobby
Bought ours at the emart24 shop at the AREX Seoul Station lobby
It is best to get the Discover Seoul Pass as it offers more than 30 attractions, free or discounted. The hanbok rental comes free with this card!! The DS card may be purchased directly at the lobby of the international airports, but for some discount and points I bought online via Klook, one of the authorized online reselllers of the Korean tourism office. TAKE NOTE: Discover Seoul Pass is counted by HOURS.
Get your HK$25 off here from Klook for any activity or attraction offered.
Oh, on a side note, it was best that I made us buy 2 cards with both T-money functionality because one served as an emergency T-money card. Somewhere along our first subway transfer my companion could not tap out of the line because she dropped her KT card somewhere. A kind Korean woman indirectly taught (because she didn’t say a word, she just made gestures) us that in case we’d get into a similar problem again, we’d just press the HELP button at the turnstile for the PWD and elderly. So, what my companion did was just to top up the other card (The Discover Seoul Pass) to use for the rest of our subway and bus trips without purchasing another T-money card again.
We tried to buy another KTC, but we couldn’t find it in other convenience stores like CU and 7-Eleven; they top up cards tho. Now I can see why the emart is the best store in the country. (Vietnam’s former emart CEO who used to have man-to-man English classes with me told me this.) Tho I don’t know if this correlates (maybe just my bias, sorry).
At Exit NR 15 of Seoul Station, going out to Cheongpa-ro in Jungno
I thought it wasn’t practical to use the MPASS card since we couldn’t fully maximize it, and I was right. On the average, we spent about 10,000 Korean won for the subway fares a day because transfers are free when you tap in (a bus or another subway line) within 30 minutes from the first (entrance) tap you made. (Did I make sense??)
The KTX pass is an e-pass for me since I purchased and booked online (DIRECTLY AT THEIR KORAIL WEBSITE). It’s fairly easy to navigate and reserve online. Our physical tickets were not actually checked or inspected on board. We just located our seats ourselves and off the train went. Best to travel in the daytime for the lush countryside view, but to save time (of course), take the night trip. We tried doing each one. TAKE NOTE: The KTX pass is counted by the DAY.
late night KTX Train to Busan/Busanhaeng (fortunately, there were no zombies on board hehehe)
Also, if this tidbit helps…go to the KTX Seoul Station at least 30 minutes before departure as the station is just HUGE that you don’t want to be running to catch that train after queuing up for the physical tickets, which can be a serious cause for your delay. This goes if you have a timetable to follow and cannot afford being stalled.
Click here to learn more of each card’s functionality and where to purchase.
More discount coupons are also included on the pages of tourist maps and brochures from the Tourist Information booths scattered around major touristy areas, like Myeong-dong and Insa-dong.
A much better copy of this Myeong-dong map is available at every Tourist Information booth, also found at airport lobbies
A much better copy of these Itaewon and Hongdae maps is available at every Tourist Information booth, also found at airport lobbies
Seoul Subway Tours are quite interesting!!!
A much better copy of this Gangnam map is available at every Tourist Information booth, also found at airport lobbies
TAKE NOTE: If you want to check out the K-Star Road for their Gangnamdols, take the subway line to Apgujeong RODEO (NOT Apgujeong only), and go up Exit 2~~~
A much better copy of these City hall and Dongdaemun maps is available at every Tourist Information booth, also found at airport lobbies
Lastly, a month before the trip I had to ask my Korean students at uni, read blogs, and watch several YouTube videos for ideas to limit the number of …
3. NEEDED PHONE APPS to DOWNLOAD: I noticed that not all subway exits in the country have an information booth, but 99% of your needs are answered through these phone apps! The most useful app I used was the Kakao Metro because we took the subway more often than not. Mind you, not all the subway lines stop operating at the same time, so having this metro app was indeed a lifesaver since you can have the option of the faster or the easier route, and the first and last train schedules. (The Kakao Bus doesn’t have English language functionality.)
In total, we bought about 4 phones, old-but-still-working ones included, for emergency purposes. When one phone batt emptied, we had a spare when we couldn’t recharge battery power yet. I would advise for first timers that they get rent a WIFI egg (pocket WIFI) or get a pre-paid USIM loaded with unlimited data use. We did the latter.
In case you just want to stay within Seoul, you can survive without availing of any of those pre-paid things. FREE WIFI areas: near subway stations (above ground), government buildings, malls, cafes, and hotels. Nevertheless, I didn’t exactly feel that South Korea has the fastest internet connection. I’ll try other options the next time around.
super useful for your walking tours in Busan
We didn’t really use a lot of apps in Busan since we stayed there for only a little more than half a day. Since we mostly stayed downtown, we used mostly the navigation map. Google directions were VERY unreliable.
If you are availing of the Discover Seoul Card, the bike rental as one of its freebies, so you need to download these two apps as well.
Wrapping up, the part I loved most in South Korea was visiting their grand palaces, very much a twist to the modern panorama of its cities. Without the ancient palaces and other cultural artifacts, Seoul would just be an ordinary metropolitan. Thus, go outside of Seoul to explore more and see the real natural beauty of South Korea.
Booking hotels is extremely easy these days, but for a good !0% discount, you can use my code here at Booking.com, and in return I get a small reward, too.
No worries, Koreans are generally friendly to tourists, but a know-how of basic practical Korean will also be very useful. You’ll be amazed at the elderly people’s reaction when they hear foreigners speak Korean with the proper accent. 🙂 Just remember that the old generation are keen on polite manners, so be ready with the formal “죄송합니다 (Joesonghabnida) and “감사합니다” (Gamsahabnida) for their help.
Oh, it seems that one of the goals I need to do is to update and make separate articles for a more detailed descriptions of my Korean trip. My IBDP and IGCSE classes are eating up my time right now, but please, please stand by until the next articles.
Thank you very much! Have a good day, everyone!!
USEFUL BLOGS AND SITES I VISITED WHEN I DID MY ITINERARY:
Visit Korea and Korea Tour Card
Discover Seoul
Let’skorail (for KTX passes)
The Travel Intern (on how to go to Gapyeong and Nami Island)
Trazy (for the simplified Nami Island map)
I am on the road
Changwonderful (for jjimjilbang suggestions in Busan)
My TOP 3 EXTREMELY USEFUL TIPS WHEN GOING to the HALLYU KINGDOM Hashtag MyheartandSeoul. Hashtag 1stSeoulprise. This is my first ever trip to a visa country. (Hello, USA and UK!
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How to do IB Paper 1, English A Lang-Lit
How to do IB Paper 1, English A Lang-Lit
What students are REQUIRED to do: Ø Reading between the lines: extracts and passages are complex and open to different interpretations Ø Insightful understanding of the writer’s purpose and effects of the literary features used in the extract Ø Organizing the thesis and expressing it into a coherent whole (as the sum of its parts) CONTENTS OF THE INTRODUCTION: Subject/Theme> What is the…
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Mitch: ...I've never had a real look at you, Blanche. Blanche: What are you leading up to? M: Let's turn the light on here. B: (fearfully) Light? Which light? What for? #astreetcarnameddesire #IBgoals #IOCgoals 😜😂🇺🇸 (at Ho Chi Minh City)
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Fixed myself some quick lunch! Orenmanya, kimchibokkeumbap... ❤️😘 bapmokja! (at Phú Mỹ Hưng)
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