Buhay sa Korea

We’ve been having really clear sunny days the past week. My husband said the city has not experienced the same kind of clear weather for the last ten years. The sky has been blue and I could see stars at night!

We use blinds at our apartment’s veranda for the shade in the afternoons. Lately, I’ve been keeping them open to let the sunshine in. I really find them more convenient than having curtains, which I’ll need to wash as often as I can.

The vertical blinds outside have been there since we moved here almost five years ago. They are still in good condition but I think they might need some updating.

There are a variety of blinds available in the market today. There’s a wide range of different colors and style to choose from. I’m pretty sure there is something that’s perfect for our veranda.

It’s springtime and yet we couldn’t even go out for some fun on the weekend. The weather here is really good from Mondays to Fridays and then it rains on Saturdays and Sundays. Unfortunately, my husband works on weekdays. Really, they should change the days for weekends in spring. My friends and I had planned spring picnics since we met and yet we have never been out for one since it almost always rain on the weekend! In the winter, Koreans have what they call “삼한 사온” which means “three days cold, three days warm” for the winter weather. In the spring, they should have a “주말비” or weekend rain.

One thing that I really like to do is go to the beach. Back home, it’s the season for beach vacations. And I know that millions (or at least thousands) of netizens are searching for cheap holidays.

This weekend, my husband will be going on a business trip to India. I told him that he could visit a beach there. Goa in India is famous for its sunny beaches. Unfortunately, we couldn’t travel with him. It would be better if he could find clients to the Carribean ;). We’ll definitely join him! I’m sure we could find all inclusive holidays there. I’ve read somewhere that as South Koreans prefer to go to cheap destinations in Southeast Asia, the Japanese tourists are choosing the Caribbean for their beach holidays.

My son and I went out Monday afternoon to hunt for a camera at Namdaemun market. The weather was really good. The temperature was 14 degrees celsius and it wasn’t windy. No yellow sand either. It’s just the second week of March but it felt like May! It’s been cold and windy since mid-November last year so I’m really excited that warmer days are just around the corner. Now I can’t wait for the cherry blossoms to bloom. There are a couple of trees near our apartment gate. They only bloom for a week or two so they really are a treat to see. So if you’re planning to visit Korea soon, look for the best travel deals now and come here for spring.

Still hunting for a camera… new models are not yet available in Korea.

In Korea, you know it’s almost spring when:
- you see a noticeable amount of dust on your cars
- people are wearing masks
- there’s a yellowish cast on the buildings around you
- the air smells a bit “off”

It’s generally called “Asian Dust” but in Korea, we refer it to it as “Hwang sa” 황사(黃沙/黃砂) . “hwang” is the Sino-Korean word for yellow, while “sa” is sand. According to Wikipedia:

Asian Dust (also yellow dust, yellow sand, yellow wind, or China dust storms) is a seasonal meteorological phenomenon which affects much of East Asia sporadically during the springtime months. The dust originates in the deserts of Mongolia and northern China and Kazakhstan where high-speed surface winds and intense dust storms kick up dense clouds of fine, dry soil particles. These clouds are then carried eastward by prevailing winds and pass over China, North and South Korea, and Japan, as well as parts of the Russian Far East. Sometimes, the airborne particulates are carried much further, in significant concentrations which affect air quality as far east as the United States.

How I love Korea’s four seasons: hot and humid summer, windy autumn, cold and dry winter and yellow sandy spring

It was -9 degrees celsius this morning in Seoul, and tomorrow it’s going to be -11! It’s the middle of February and you couldn’t even go out to enjoy fresh air. My husband and I have been planning this early where we would spend our spring break.

If I were in the United States, I would head for the southern area this early. Florida is one of the most popular destinations the whole year round. Even in this winter cold, I’m already dreaming of staying in one of those Destin vacation rentals. I’m also looking at Naples vacation rentals. I’d like to spend a vacation in the comfort of a condo, villa or resort rather than in an impersonal high-rise hotel. I can just imagine the feeling of warm air on my skin while lying on the sand and looking at the inviting blue waters.

Another place to go to in the southern area is South Carolina’s Myrtle Beach. Likewise, there are Myrtle Beach vacation rentals available on the net. There are just so many things to do here. I’m sure the Koreans would flock here if they know that it’s the “Golf Capital of World”. The Myrtle Beach International Film Festival is also an attraction.

Winter, winter go away… I just can’t wait for spring!

As mentioned before, Korea has four seasons: winter, spring, summer and fall. It’s now fall and I just love it when the colors of the leaves change to almost every shade of red and gold. Love the color of the sky too! Plus, the temperature has dropped but still not as cold as in winter

To continue… there are four airlines that serves Manila/Clark/Cebu < --> Seoul/Busan flights. Korea’s carriers, Korean and Asiana, are quite expensive specially during the summer and winter vacations. As they say, it’s best to visit Korea in October or the middle of Spring as tickets are cheaper that time. I usually take Asiana as they have a direct flight from Seoul < --> Clark and the airport in Clark is just a 15 minute drive from where I live in the Philippines. I haven’t flown Philippines Airlines and Cebu Pacific.

At the airport. Incheon International Airport is one of the best airports in the world. After getting off the plane, it takes about three to five minutes to walk to the immigration. There are sections for Koreans and Non-Koreans or Foreigners. When my sister visited, she was asked how long she’ll stay here and where. She answered “less than a week” and “Seoul” (she doesn’t know my address). As a US passport holder, she didn’t need a visa to tour Korea for less than a month. Philippine-passport holders need to get the appropriate visas. The last time I traveled, there was a small group of Filipinos traveling as “tourists”. While waiting for my husband at the arrival area (he forgot that we were arriving at 6AM!), one of them approached me and asked if I could lend him some money to call his brother in Seoul. I lent him my phone card and helped him call, as he was not familiar with the public phone. Then he explained to me that a family of four that he was with were being questioned by the immigration officials. He explained that they’re not actually tourists. After almost an hour, the family was released and explained that they were questioned for traveling as a family.

After passing through the immigration, you go down to the baggage carousel. Carts are free to use, unlike in some airports where you have to pay US$3.00! There are stores and restaurants at the airport.

From Incheon Airport, you can travel to Seoul by bus or subway. The bus fare is 9,000 won (standard limousine). I’m not really sure about the subway fare (heard it’s 3,500 won) but it’s definitely not more than the bus fare. You can also take the taxi, but it’s gonna be a lot more expensive (plus you’ll have to pay the 7,000 won toll fee for a standard sized car).

Escalator, pedxing, sidewalk. Most escalators in Korea have a yellow line in the middle of the steps. If you intend to walk up/down the escalator, use the left side. If you’re just gonna stand, then use the right side. If you stand on the left side, you’ll most likely be called for it or worse, somebody might just push you. Hehehe… Pexing (or pedestrian crossing). It used to be that Koreans walk and cross the street on the left side, shown by the directional arrows on pedestrian crossing and stairs. The government has changed this and you’ll now see the arrows on the right side. In the Philippines, I always walk on the right side but I’ve gotten used to the left side since a few years ago. Now, I have to train myself to walk on the right side again… Walking. Koreans walk on both sides of the sidewalk. Don’t be surprised if you get bumped a couple of times. It’s normal. IT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME! What I really hate is when there’s a group of girls/boys/old men/old women hogging the sidewalk that you just can’t pass through them. Motorcycles (o-to-bai in korean) use the sidewalks as well. So keep your ears alert too when walking. You wouldn’t want to be ran over by one.

Bus and subway. What makes it easy to tour Seoul is its bus and subway connections. Basic fare is 1,000 won. A prepaid transportation card or credit card saves you 100 won and you won’t need to pay again when you transfer. Buses are color coded and number coded. They only stop at designated bus stops. The Seoul bus route is available on the internet. There’s also a Seoul cyberstation map. A reminder: always give up your seat to senior citizens, pregnant women and disabled persons. In the subway train, seats are allocated for this group, so better not use them.

Self-service restaurants. I just have to write about this. In the Philippines, after eating in a fast-food joint we usually don’t throw out our leftovers or trash. In Korea, it’s a big no-no. After eating, you’ll have to throw out your own trash. Once my husband and I ate at a self-service pizza joint. Near our table is a group of five Filipino grown-up men (I know they’re Pinoys because they spoke Tagalog). When they were done, they just left their table and didn’t bother to put back their trays and dirty dishes on the designated table.

More later…

We didn’t have a grand summer vacation this year. And instead of going to some place by ourselves, we spent it with my husband’s family in their hometown, Jechon. We went to a camping site in Bakdaljae, parked our cars, set up a tent and prepared a wonderful lunch while the kids played in the water. The men cooked “samgyeopsal” (Korean bacon wrapped in lettuce leaf) while the women prepared the picnic blankets and I took care of my son. After lunch some went to the natural and non-chlorinated water playground (mul noriteo 물놀이터) and had lots of fun with the inflatable boats. My husband played with his nephews and niece. There was a heavy rainstorm (sonagi 소나기) that day, which cut our afternoon short. The next day, we went to Cheongpung Land, also located in Jecheon. My first sister-in-law and her kids took on the “big swing” while my second sister-in-law bungee jumped! I couldn’t do any of those, I thought I was too heavy for them. LOL! After Cheongpung Land, we went to the Cheongpung Cultural Complex. We didn’t enter the park because there were so many people that day. There were three buses full of Vietnamese tourists visiting the park. That evening, my brothers-in-law and their families went back to Seoul. The following day, we drove to a find a stream in the afternoon. In one camping site, there were just so many people that there wasn’t almost any room to sit down nor park our car. One lesson I learned from this summer vacation is that it’s not really necessary to spend a lot of money to enjoy and have fun. It’s even more enjoyable when you don’t spend money!