Lotte world

Sunday morning decided to go to Lotte world. Lotte world is a big theme park in east Seoul. Went to Suwon station thinking of taking a train to Lotte world, but didn't know the station. Went to tourist information desk and a pretty girl there said we can take a direct bus right opposite to station, cool! Bus number 1007 and get down at Jamsil station bus stop. It took about an hour and bus was very fast, we were in Lotte world! Lotte world is a beautiful theme park, has both indoor and outdoor stuff to do. When we entered Lotte there was stage performance lot of cute dolls(people dressed like dolls) singing dancing. The theme was Christmas, so lot of jingle bells and all. Good fun! There was a parade as well. The place is very colorful and decorated! As it was Christmas time there was rebate in ticket as well :)! Generally it is 35k won now it was 26k won! There are lot of high thrill rides. High thrill ones vertical drop, the view once they take you to top is fantastic!! Hydro swing was another fantastic thrill game. My personal favorite was balloon it is not thrill but it shows the whole of Lotte world from top it is beautiful, that too when we went up there was a parade happening awesome it was. 

Vegetables n fruits in Suwon

I must tell you all about fruits and vegetables we get here. T

We get palak, giant radish, small tomato, giant onion, colorful capsicum, giant carrot, sweet potato, green cauliflower, also normal cauliflower, peas. soya bean etc.

In fruits side, yummy oranges, juicy apple, bananas,pears,pineapple is what i have seen in this season. 

Namoon Market

Couple of days ago all the wives here planned and went to Namoon market a place near subway railway station. We travelled by local bus. The bus stop has a display stating in how many minutes the bus (along with route number) would reach the particular stop, it is all calculated and pretty accurate and very impressive. Also once the bus leaves the previous stop, the particular number blinks in the board so that we can be ready! One more thing in bus is anywhere to anywhere to 1000 wons. there would be a drop box, which checks when we drop amount and gives a voice based response and change if any would be issued in another box by the driver, there is no conductor. The  bus passes are smart card and while getting in they show the bag/purse/valet near the machine and it beeps. There is a button near every seat "stop button" if you are getting down you would have to push it. 

Now let me write about the namoon market, it is a small place like one street like avenue road/chikpet. The place has lot of non veggie stuff sold, so whole area has smell. Me being vegetarian it was intolerable after a while. Otherwise the market was interesting. People who came with me bought handbags. Seem to get good deals on handbags here. Otherwise it was general window shopping. Again another dollar shop. 

By the time we finished all this it was very cold and we were all hungry. Went to a bakery called Paris banquet. Very tasty buns. Had buns and headed back home in bus.

Morning Walk

Now that I am able to come back to the place I stay without getting lost, got the confidence today to go out and roam around. Today went for walking to nearby park. Rather than calling it a park, may be should call it parks?? The park just separates residential area and main road and it keep continuing throughout along with the road. Interesting right? Today I could cover 2 kms and it still was going further. One interesting thing in park is exercise equipments. Most of the equipments we see in gym are there, but they look little different and everything in working condition!  Shall try to take photos and post it tomorrow.

Tuesday vegetable market

Today happen to goto Korean vegetable market. From a new nice,sweet Indian friend I met here, learnt these markets are open on tuesdays and fridays in a specific location. It was fun to shop there. Got a lot of fresh vegetables. Buying in this market and buying in supermarket has huge price difference as well! It is very similar to the our vegetable markets in India, we even got interesting deals, you take two pack it is 4k wons take 3 for 5k wons :).  People are very friendly. When we came back to our room, came to know the caretaker/owner of room gets vegetables for us and we would have to pick what we want and pay her :). Yet another learning. It was a pretty long walk. Then went to a supermarket called kims club. The price of same products in the bigger supermarket again it is cheaper here. Then had been to a dollar shop, where everything is 1000won, there are things which are more than 1000 wons. It is like our china bazar something. As my trip is only for a month, anything I want to use and throw for which I don't want to invest a lot, this place was interesting.

Sunday day out!

Decided to roam around today. Snow stopped when we got ready and stepped out of house. After snow the road is slippary slowly walked and took a taxi to Suwon subway station. I like the idea of subway system, inexpensive and simple and neat ideas. The tracks have color coding. The map given to us has the color coding and places covered by subway station. All we have to do is to find the way to our station, if the tracks color change then it is transfer station. Get down there and follow the color code. Interestingly all the train, platform numbers follow the same color. It is like theme, simple idea makes huge difference.

Also ticket, there is a machine at the gate which won't open unless you give ticket. At the destination, it opens the door and keeps the tickets, in all other stations it just gives back the ticket.

Travelled in subway to reach a place called Iteawon. Iteawon is a place there are lot of foreigners for reason I don't know, also lot of resturants from all parts of world. It was a rich area! Had food at hotel Asoka. It was nice to had Vada,sambar,Dosa in Korea. But it is very expensive place. Ambiance was good. Food was tasty.

The subway station had a tourist information place, where more maps and more details are given. We wanted to goto Seoul tower. All we had to do is take a yellow bus. Again color! Very interesting! It was very simple, took the bus and terminus was Seoul tower. Seoul tower is I guess on top of small hit, temperature further dropped, but it was beautiful place. There was a teddy bear museum there. There is teddy past and present. Using the teddy bear they tell the Korean history and current. There are large cute teddy's everywhere. After spending sometime there went to seoul tower using elevator, it is a fast elevator and could feel pressure dropping(air in ear got blocked). It is a beautiful view of seoul from top. The cars moving slowly in broad roads looks beautiful from top, one side full yellow headlights other side red parking lights. Also telescopes there to see! It was very nice!

When we are on the top of tower it again started snowing, this time there was breeze as well it was fast movement. It took the color from the lights from floor below us. Sometimes it was green sometimes red. Awesome!

Came out and took an yellow bus and came back the same way we went!

I see a lot of decipline in people here. They all follow queue, they stand in the destined places, no one sits in the seats allocated for elders/pregnant women even if it empty. Interestingly in both bus and train there is less of seats, more place is left for people to stand. Brilliant idea. This will help to move more people comfortably. Korea seem to be similar to India in terms of population, lot of people everywhere. Never left alone. While designing our system we should probably pick up ideas from folks here.

Subway train stops every two minutes in a station and covers lot of places.

On way back went to home plus huge super market! Picked up some essentials! Here again to avoid people leaving trolley everywhere, has a coin based lock. Put a coin and pull trolley once the trolley is pushed to other trolley's in the trolley place your lock opens and you can take the coin back!

In the supermarket you would have to pay if you need a cover(plastic). I was so impressed! Rather than just talking about pollution, we can just implement such things!

It was a nice Sunday.

First snow

Woke up Sunday morning, with confused Indian/Korean timing. Opened the window to see snow! First snow! It was beautiful! It is different from rain, as snow is lighter than water, it is soft, it is light, it is slow, it is silent! It was very exciting, till then I didn't know snow is in such beautiful design. the pattern of snow was familiar to me, used to use in rangoli/kolam designs but didn't know it was nature's art! Now I understand why all Christmas tree has the thing hanging, it is snow! Everything is white, when it snows cars,roads, trees people everything.

Place to stay....

My hubby had been talking about the place we would be staying in Suwon. But I had kept my expectations very low. To my surprise the place was good. It had almost all facilities required to stay. There was a gas stove with four burners, water purifier with hot and cold water outlet. Fridge,TV, microwave, Washing machine,computer,Internet connection, phone, cart,bed, place to dry clothes, neat bathroom, wardrobe. Wow! It is house! Above all the owner/runner of the place, an elderly lady called kha eul soon(pronounced like call soon) was very kind, friendly and helpful. She was full of energy. She came and showed me how to use washing machine as all buttons are in korean. Then asked if we have salt/sugar. We didn't have it. She got it and fridge already had some curd, green chilli, cabbage, brinjal. There was washing powder already kept.There were enough utensils. Also guys who lived before us had left some idli cooker and all. You can't ask for more! With the stuff my mom had packed we are having a comfortable living here. The owner of the place told she would even introduce me to other Indian's living here! People seem to be friendly here. It was a warm welcome in cold whether.

Suwon at first sight

From Incheon airport took a bus to Suwon. This bus service is called luminiso(guess so). It is like our Vaju vajra :). But more comfortable seats. Bus have heaters heating. Slow moving traffic here as well, but no one honks. There is distance between vehicles maintained. Discipline, with no policing required. Don't know how they mange to do it. After travelling for about 1.30 hrs reached Hotel castle where we are welcome by Indian guest house owner's husband. Once I got down from bus with lot of excitement this sweet old person came to me and asked "Wife?" I replied "Yes Wife!". Both of want to say something but language is a problem! Guess Swatheeka won't work here! It was very cold. My face was numm, I couldn't feel anything. Then in a taxi he took us to our place of stay.

Place of choice???

This December vacation chose me. Suwon, Korea for 4 weeks as my husband's work called him there. Booked ticket through thai airways and happily returned home to see suvarnabhumi airport bangkok where i had to change flight was shutdown. After lot of suspense the airport reopened the day before i had to start!! :) :) and I also packed lot of stuff and started to for my first trip outside India.

Hardest part of journey was reaching BIAL from my house. It was hell of a traffic and reached just 15 mins before the check in starts. Had dinner and rushed saying bye everyone!

But I quite like the new bangalore airport except for the fact that it is faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar from city!

Without any delay thai airways started, my journey to Incheon airport started. Don't know if it is always the case, the flight was exceptionally empty. I got a seat in two seater and no one was there next to me. To my right in 4 in a row only one person who just stretched himself in four seats and went to deep sleep. Being my first trip and as i had to change flight in bangkom where i have an hour+ to take change, never got sleep. Enviously watched the person sleeping in my next seat stretching completely, economy class and comfort more than business class! :). Dinner was decent in thai. Best part was orange juice they had. I simply loved it. I must have drank at least a litre of it in the whole trip! Also I did like the way thai airways greet us "Suvatheeka". It sounds like music!

Morning 6am bangkok time the flight landed at suvarnabhumi airport. It is a beautiful airport to see from top...HUGE! Before getting down a video came in TV and explained the airport organization and told how to go and all, I didn't quite understand it! It was too much of data after sleepless night! By then I had learnt "Suvatheeka" replied to all airhostress with that and got down. . Once we got down a bus was ready, everyone got into it, I didn't see anything else or any other co passenger outside bus. Asked the person standing next to bus, where to go for transit, in thai she replied/sang something and showed hand to bus, that was enough for me. Got into bus. Bus took a round and took us somewhere and dropped where it read international arrival. Guess it is like the two bus stands we have in our town/city and all. We get down in outskirts and take a connecting bus to reach local bus stand :). Anyways now is the time to find where exactly I should go to take the flight to Incheon. My hubby's tip on keep following transit board helped! Searched and followed international transit. It was a morning walk for me. I saw the escalator type on floor(not steps type), it was like 4-5 of that kind crossed and reached some place where it read information desk, and there i saw thai airways counter! What a relief! A mistake anywhere would cost me a flight miss! People can easily get lost in this airport. Finally an English speaking thai airways counter and hassle free the boarding pass for this flight as well is issued in the Bangalore itself. They just make an entry on terminal and give us the boarding pass. It was C4. Went there and saw the flight number, yes huge relief! Just then counter was open went down and sat seeing the flight! Within another 20 minutes we were called to board the flight. To my surprise, my mobile was saying airtel!! What?? Airtel prepaid international roaming is enabled default I guess, and only SMS was working, I wasn't able to make phone calls! But I was glad that sms's worked! Good enough for me to keep everyone posted! Got into flight and hot parata's were served! It was pretty good! Again had some orange juice! Some old movie was played! Dogs talking and all. Wasn't very interesting for me! Tried to sleep, then walked a bit and by then Taipei a technical stop at Taiwan and compulsory all of us were asked to get down! Got down and heard from people travelling with me that there is free Internet somewhere there went again and updated everyone the progress and checked the phone, it worked! Wow! Sent couple of sms, there was a plastic card issued to roam around this airport, some 30 minutes later we were all back on flight. Now I am all excited as the next stop would be Incheon and started reading a book. The flight reached Incheon airport,Seoul before schedule. This is again a big nice airport. I like the idea these escalators have, people standing will be on one side, and people want to move fast will use the other side and keep going! We don't have to slow down/wait for others! Interesting it is written everywhere and everyone follows!

If suvarnabhumi across terminals if it is bus service, in Incheon there is a train! Every 5 minutes a train (almost all standing) moves us from terminal to place near exit! From there walk to Immigration counter, then a display says which conveyor belt our luggage is expected to come. Thrill is not over, what happens to all home made powders and pickle, there after 10 minutes of suspense saw my bag without any stickers coming out! Came out to see my dear husband waiting with my jacket and gloves wore all if it and stepped out and felt -7 degree Centigrade. It was a cool trip to a cold place.