Assorted stories in Korea

Before I start, I have to advice that followings are merely my personal point of view, things and people that I've came across during my latest trip to Seoul and Jeju Island, they might not represent the country or people in general.

We, group of 6 spent 6 days in Seoul and 4 days in Jeju Island. It's a memorable trip, I wish I could record as many details as possible. Will record the daily itinerary in my later posts, this post just to list down few interesting points that I feel.

1. People

I find that the Korean are very friendly and kind, we encountered some problems in the trip and the people there never hesitate to lend us their hands. For example, on the day we arrived, the owner of the guesthouse overslept and locked us out on the street, an uncle wearing flower shirt (also wearing a sunny smile on his face) passed by offered us his cell phone to call the owner and called the police to help. Although at the end non of him and the police officers can help, but I am grateful for his kind gestures. 

Then a staff who is working in another guesthouse (she is actually a Taiwanese working while learning Korean there) helped us to contact all guesthouse nearby just to get us a place to rest, she speaks fluent Korean, watching her kept talking on the phone at 1 in the morning, I was touched, if I were a guy, I'll definitely fall for her.

Then another day when we were suppose to catch a bus to Nami Island but we missed it, a pedestrian saw us searching up and down and so he came to offer us some help to call the travel agency, suggesting us an alternative way to Nami Island, although he speaks neither English nor Mandarin, I know he was trying his very best to help. How could you not touched by all these?

Will you help a tourist when he/ she looked like in need of any form of help? I won't say no, but I will hesitate, why? Worth think about it.

2. Public toilet

I always got surprise to explore the public toilet in Korea. Usually we will only get surprise when thing happen out of norm. I'm too use to visit a public toilet which has no toilet paper inside, shoe prints on the seat, wet floor, bad smell and etc. Public toilets are not the same in Korea. How can they maintain the toilet so well? Is it because of civilized people or hardworking cleaner or good management system?

3. Language

When I was telling others that I'll be going to Korea, the most common comment that I get is, "are you travel on your own or follow a tour? Communication is an issue there." so, we downloaded apps which can help us to do translation, in case. But, throughout the trip, I don't think language is really a big issue, some of them speak simple English, I even met a guy in MRT and he speaks very fluent English, we can chat about country GDP, safety, tourists spots, economy... And most of the shopping mall, they hire staffs who can speak mandarin as well, of course some of them are China Chinese or Taiwanese, but some are local Korean! They have also a very big banner at the airport written in Chinese, welcome the Chinese (China) to visit their country, smart! Of course there are still a lot of ppl speak only Korean, but again, because they are very friendly, they will try their best way to communicate with u.

4. Fashion trend

Hallyu is real hot everywhere, not only in Asia, but all around the world, and not applicable to only K-pop music, but food and fashion too. Besides the Japanese, Hongkies and Taiwanese, Korean is quite trendy too, I think. But the way the Korean follows the trend is slightly different from the other nations that I mentioned. They are trendy, but not a lot of variation, for example, the shoes, Tom's, I think is in trend, so you will find a lot of youngsters wearing the shoes, as if it's uniform. So, it's not hard to find what's in and what's out at the moment, and now, another in trend item is the big black frame spectacles.

5. Plastic surgery
I am not an expert in differentiating people before and after plastic surgery, my friends said most of the Koreans have done that, erm... I have no comment, but generally, I think the lady, sorry to say, most of them are not natural beauty, they wear heavy makeup, nice to see from far but not close up, so, even they have nice skin, I can't tell what's hiding under the makeup.
Korean, no matter guy or gal, they have big frame, not fat, but just bigger in size, so for guys, they have nice body, I think the reasons might be they take good care of their out look (so they go to gym) and they have to serve in the army too, wow, they are real hot (applicable to their bodies only, not the face, lol). However, for the gals, big frame isn't an usual term we use to describe a beautiful lady.  

6. Safety
I think Seoul is a safe city, at least you don't feel threaten when you are walking alone late night. Friends said because we didn't read the newspaper, we only spend few days there, so we can't really judge, yes, we can't judge but I can feel, compare to some of the countries I visited throughout the years, I think Seoul is safe.
Not to mention in Jeju Island, they have these terms Samda: 3 abundancies (rocks, wind and women) and Sammu: 3 lacks (thief, gate and beggar). From the Sammu, you can tell how safe is this wonderful island.

7. Living expenses
The living expenses in Korea is quite high compare to other Asia countries, a bowl of instant noodle by the roadside costed about RM9, well, I think this is expensive. And anything that labelled "Made in Korea" usually charge higher compare to imported stuffs. However in another hand, the duty free stuffs are worth buying, but those stuffs are usually branded items. So, if you are intended to buy branded items (bags, cosmetics, clothes, skin care and etc.), you will be happy to shop till drop!

So, that how I see and feel about Seoul and Jeju Island... will definitely visit these places again, till I save enough "bullets"...

Bagan Sg. Tengorak/ Bagan Sg. Burung

北上东去的参加婚宴、圣诞、新年、农历新年、公司年初的各样会议、还有一些有的没的的吃喝玩乐。。。还以为时间不够用我没资格说，还是说我的心太野没让自己休息安定下来的意思？还是换个说法，我就是一个字 – 懒

好了。。。这一切都该尘归尘，土归土了，该让心定下来，不属于我的，甭想，想自己能够掌握的就好了！就像这个，照片整理好就差文字的这篇博文，从去年12月12日就一直乖乖的呆在草稿箱内，若不是这星期报纸有报道到这个地方，我这该死没良心又善忘的人什么时候才会乖乖的把文字填上。

Bagan Sg. Tengorak

Tengorak means skull, those time during the occupation of Japan, the army used to kill the captive on the beach there, and later when the Malay found skull and till now they name this place Bagan Tengorak. Of course now no more skull, Bagan Tengorak is now a peaceful fisherman village and is well known by the delicious seafood there.

We were actually going to my friend’s (Perlyn) hometown (we all used to work in the same company, I left but they are still colleagues), as we were using the old road (not highway), we stopped by Bagan Sg. Tengorak for lunch. This is my first time eating at this one and only seafood restaurant in the village, we were already talking about the restaurant and the lady boss in the car, they said, the boss has her own way of running business, you must be able to wait patiently, you shouldn’t call her to take order unless she walked to your table, cannot add or cut any food that you’ve ordered, cannot rush her because you have been waiting very long for the food to be readied and served…

When we were there, all tables are occupied, we waited for about 30 minutes to get a table, then another 30 minutes or longer for her to walk to our table to take order, another 30 minutes of waiting for the food to be served… The food… fantastic! So good until non of us remember to take pictures, we just eagerly gorge in everything presented on the table… I think the food is worth the waiting… but of course this is very subjective. Actually while waiting, you actually can walk around the village, if you are lucky, (I’m lucky that day), you will be able to see the Egrets searching for food by the beach.

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Bagan Sg. Burung

It’s kind of fun to experience “going back to hometown”, everybody seems friendlier, simpler, happier… they have stronger bonding with the family members too, taking my friend, Perlyn for an example, her family knew that we will be visiting, all family even those who have married or moved to another places, young or old, they all came back to throw a party for us.

Guess what? Jelly fish, round-disc-shape are the “umbrella” and in the barrel are the tentacles… well, kind of gross until you eat the fresh one, taste so good that you will force yourself to forget about these.

Photo time!

Dinner time!

                        Homemade rojak (even the sauce)                                                       Teowchew stewed duck

All sort of seafood, you name it, they have it. Can either cook them in steamboat or bbq pit. Look at the portion?

We were so full that we can’t take in the giant crabs anymore… so, Perlyn’s brother brought it to the nearby coffee shop, asked them to cook with beehoon for us – that’s our seafood breakfast!!! Yummy!!!

After breakfast, Perlyn brought us to visit her relative’s salted fish “production house”

                                                                                                        Old man knitting the fishing net

Next we were brought to another relative’s fish ball “production house”, although they do things on the floor, but it is very hygienic area. Of course we got the chance to buy the freshest fish ball from them too!

Photo session again!

Seafood all the way!!! Seafood lunch @ Teluk Intan

The seafood porridge was unbelievable tasty…

As we were travelling north, it will take a longer hour to go back to my hometown – KL, so, we decided to try the local famous asam laksa before departing. For me, asam laksa is not my favourite food… no comment whether this is nice or not.

Photo taking in front of the leaning clock tower marked our arrival to this town – Teluk Intan, Perak!

Water Rafting @ Gopeng (29.10.11)

At first, I was a little hesitate about the trip, because I’m not an adventurous person, sports never like to befriend me and I seldom put myself in danger, therefore, no matter how much I admire people who has the courage to do bungee jump, or sky diving, I won’t! Water rafting isn’t as “dangerous” (some only think that these activities are high risk, they do not agree that they are dangerous because all of them do measure the risk and they have all sort of safety precautions to protect the participant), but still this is a game which need you to sign a consent to forego any claiming rights in times of severe injury or death, in another words, you have to be responsible for everything.

We, went in a group of 9, was separated into 3 groups, because only 4-6 people + guide can fit in a raft. Me and Heng Lee in a group, joining a Chinese couple and a Malay girl, 3 guys (Heng Lee’s friends) joining some people from a big group (if not mistaken, the group is from Coway, they are probably having their staff team building) and the remaining 4 (Shin Yen, Seok Bing, Seok Bing’s sister and brother in law) in a raft.

The water is neither calm or too rapid on that day, last rain was 2 days before our session. Yet, there’s a  part whereby Seok Bing’s brother in law fell into the water and hit a rock in one of the falls. My raft was in front of them, right after that fall when we reached the calm part, I looked back the witness his fall into the water, it was so scary, because he fell and I saw his head hit the rock and disappeared in the water. Luckily he was alright and saved by a guide… no serious injury, got a little cut on one of his eyelid and bruises. phew~

Our raft has 5 participants and a guide.

(Our actual guide was holding the camera, the Malay guy in the picture is the guide leader)

Half journey break

Yeah! we managed to complete the journey successfully! Total time spent was about 4 hours.

End of the journey – floating (as shown in the picture) back to the shore. 

This was my 2nd time joining this white water rafting, 1st time was years back in Kota Kinabalu (KK). I personally like this experience better than the KK one. And if you ask me whether I will do it again… this time, I will say YES!!! It’s fun.