Guideline: How to guide people in Incheon Airport even you are not there??!!?

When I was a kid, I always wonder why whenever people going for travelling, their family and love one will sending them off at airport. On my mind was they only going for traveling, after they finish their trip they will come back home, so why need to go to the airport with them??O-o Its not like they can hop on the flight for last goodbye though!ㅋㅋㅋ However when I grow up eventually I understand why people sending their love one at airport. Hugging, kissing and last goodbye at airport  are more warm than at ordinary place!ㅋㅋㅋ

Going to the airport alone can be a very relaxing or lonely. ㅋㅋ When my close friend went to the airport alone for the first time, I can't understand his feeling. He told me that he's quite nervous!ㅋㅋㅋ. Then when I went to the airport alone for the first time, I got that feeling too!!ㅋㅋ International Airport normally bigger than normal airport, so when I was there I was like, ok where do I go now?? Where is the signboard? Direction? Lucky me, I went to the airport early!ㅋㅋso I don't have to rush and get lost in airport! ㅋㅋㅋ

I am a person who don't like rushing too much! I hate panic and being lost!ㅋㅋ However when we travel with someone sometimes we cannot avoid it! Especially if your travel mate is kind of lay back person! I once experience this at Incheon Airport!!ㅋㅋㅋ Not 100% is his mistake though, its was my mistake too! I wrongly look at the boarding time!ㅠㅠ His only mistake is we start taking our subway late to the airport. ㅋㅋㅋ

When we reached airport, it was final call for my flight!!ㅠㅠ I have to check-in my luggage too!! Actually they cut off the time for check in luggage, thank God, they help me at last and I reach at boarding gate a minute before boarding time!! Phewwㅋㅋㅋ. Direction at huge airport like Incheon can be confusing when you in panic mode!ㅋㅋㅋI've been to South Korea for three time, so I'm quite familiar with the airport. ㅋㅋㅋ

Last week, my cousin and her children travelling to South Korea for the first time. I guess they have no problem travelling there as they didn't ask me much ㅋㅋ, well the best part for traveling Free and Easy is the confident that you get when you have to ask about direction!ㅋㅋㅋ However at very last minutes she ask me about any restaurant that they can stop by at airport before boarding! As we are Muslim, we have to find for halal food but then she already pass the immigration checking and reach at boarding gate! Most of restaurant and cafe at the main concourse!

As she look at the time, she knew that she have to look for something to eat as the journey back to Malaysia takes more than 6 hours! Without any airport booklet she asking me where should she go!?? I was like!!?? What?!! It's not easy to give direction when you are thousand miles away!! O-o Thank God, I managed to find the airport website and guide her to the place! She did get lost in airport for a while though! ㅋㅋㅋAfter all I feel good as I managed to guide her to the bakery and way back to boarding gate!ㅋㅋㅋ   

P/s: I've been to many airports but somehow I felt Incheon airport is the best! ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Why?? You will not feel bored while you there, you can visit Korea traditional,cultural experience center, sometimes they have performance like concert or cultural performance.! They also have spa, just prepare your money if you wanna try it!  They also have ice skating rink too and it available all year round!!! ^^

Sources: http://www.airport.kr/airport/facility/efalicityInfo.iia?carId=18&facilityId=205
               http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halal
               

Photo Credit: passengerterminaltoday.com
                      askthepilot.com
                      businesskorea.co.kr
                      airport-int.com

   

Guideline: How to join Student Exchange Program in South Korea Higher Institution??

As Korean Wave penetrate around the globe, there are so many people around the world whose really interested in Korean culture. Some of them even get a chance to experience what was it like Korean daily life is by joining student exchange program in either University or Korean school. Ooh how I wish I could turn back the time!! If I can, I really wanna join this program too!ㅋㅋㅋ

Earlier I did mentioned about student exchange program in school or university isn't it?? I guess for today lets just focus on how to join student exchange program in South Korea Universities. Since we were living in globally environment, these days is it common to see people from various countries around us! ^^

South Korean were known for protecting their roots, cultural and heritage well even though some of them already living abroad!!ㅋㅋㅋ Since all of us is going towards global, they have to slowly adapt with international environment. One of the ways is to let Koreans mix up with foreigners by providing student exchange program in Korean universities as well to send some of their student abroad for experiencing new places, new cultures and new environment!

People always says for learning cultural or language, going to the motherland of those particular cultural/language is the best solution! I guess its true!ㅋㅋㅋ Long time ago, one of my Korean close friend did ask me to join this program so that I will understand how hectic Korean life is!ㅋㅋ but at that time I didn't seriously have a deep thought about it! ㅠㅠ Now I'm kind of regret though!ㅠㅠ  

In Korea, there are so many universities that offers student exchange program. However student exchange program admission is normally been controlled by host university itself. Since the programs enrollment been control by universities, each university have different criteria requested, as well offers various discipline. For more information about it you may read here and here.

Below are some of Korean Universities (around Seoul/Gyeonggi-do)  that offers Student Exchange program:

Seoul National University
Sungkyunkwan University
Korea University
Ehwa Women University
Chung-Ang University
Seoul National University of Science and Technology
Hankuk University of Foreign Studies
Konkuk University

Another Korean universities (other provinces) that offers Student Exchange Program: 

(Gwangju)
Honam University 
Chosun University

(Busan)
Pusan National University
Pukyong National University

(Daejeon)
Chungnam National University
KAIST

(Daegu)
Kyungpook National University
Yeungnam University

p/s: Getting a chance to experience new places is like having a gold in your hands, make sure grab the chance if you get it but of course sometimes we also need to consider many things before decided and get going. ^^

Sources: http://www.studyinkorea.go.kr/en/sub/gks/exchange.do
               http://www.studyinkorea.go.kr/en/sub/overseas_info/korea_edu/edu_student.do
               http://www.useoul.edu/apply/exchange/programs
               http://www.skku.edu/eng_home/global/edu/inbound_1.jsp
               http://oia.korea.ac.kr/listener.do?layout=student_2_1
               http://www.ewha.ac.kr/mbs/ewhaen/subview.jsp?id=ewhaen_020301000000
               http://neweng.cau.ac.kr/04_international/exprogram01.php
               http://en.seoultech.ac.kr/admission/students/program/
               http://international.hufs.ac.kr/
               http://www.honam.ac.kr/english/
               http://eng.chosun.ac.kr/
               http://www.als.hku.hk/admission/exchange/file/partner/375/PNUFact2015.pdf
               http://korean.pknu.ac.kr/E_Main/main.asp
               http://plus.cnu.ac.kr/english/M01/sub_0111.jsp
               https://irt.kaist.ac.kr/prog/incoming.do
               http://en.knu.ac.kr/
               http://www.yu.ac.kr/en/study/index.php?c=study_02
               http://www.konkuk.ac.kr/eng/jsp/International/inter_1_2.jsp
             
    Photo Credit: neweng.cau.ac.kr
                          beasiswaterkini.blogspot.com        
             
             
               

Culture: Did Korean showing affection everywhere???

I’m back!! After a week away, I felt fresh! Wee ^^ My vacation just over, strangely I felt my body is here but my mind was still there??ㅋㅋ Well I guess that’s normal for anyone after a long break (having vacation) isn't it? My body still need some time to adjust to normal conditionㅋㅋㅋ

As I travel with Korean to Vietnam, most of local people were amazed on how we get to know each other ㅋㅋ. Anyway today I’m not going to write about my personal experience for having a vacation in Vietnam though, as you guys knows right I write about Korea on my blog so I don’t want to make you guys confusing! ㅋㅋㅋ. However someday I might write little bit about it as K-Pop culture had brought Korea trend everywhere these days including in Vietnam! ㅋㅋㅋ

While I’m away, I still have some time to check about interesting event/news that happening around us (especially related to Korea)! ㅋㅋㅋ I guess most of you were aware of K-POP trend isn't it? I never write about it on my blog as I don’t have much interest in it but because of the incident between Korean band and their fans in Malaysia, I felt I need to at least say something.

I read a lot from different sources, most portrays about this incident badly, personally I disagreed with the “hugging session or they said it as parody of K-Drama scene” itself, true as celebrities this is normal for them, this is one of way for artist showing their appreciation to their fans. (Some artist from western or even from Malaysia itself does the same things to their fans but somehow it’s never become an issue). However as an event organizer, they fail to follow the rules.  They know well about conditions for organizing concerts or any entertainment event in Malaysia, so supposedly they can prevent this from happen. Yes, at first they already asking permission and agreed that there is “hugging session” between celebrities and fans (win contest) but they should think it again as these days with internet it is very common for anything to be viral!

For B1A4 members, this might be a surprised to them because most of KOREAN didn't know much about Islam teaching and Islamic culture. Even though most of Korean didn't know about Islam that doesn't mean we should just agree with them. I have a lot of Korean friends including guys, it’s true some of them didn't know anything about Islam when I first knowing them, they was like “Islam/Muslim”? Ok I know it’s about religion, but I don’t know the rest of it. Slowly I explained to them about Islamic teaching and culture and they understand it well, so when I met them in Korea, most of them knowing that shaking hands between women and guys (that’s non mahram) is forbidden in Islam. There is no offended for them when I refused to shake their hands (if they forgot) ㅋㅋㅋ more over, they felt guilty and kept saying sorry as they failed to memorize about it!!ㅋㅋㅋ

Korean are known for securely their PRIVACY well, so if you asking me “Did Korean will act like simply HUGGING or KISSING at public?” The answer is NO! In Korea itself it’s very hard to see everybody showing AFFECTION much in PUBLIC area, for holding hands, that’s normal, even in Malaysia, we can see many holding hands everywhere regardless Malay, Chinese or Indian! Those act like hugging; kissing on forehead and etc is just simply in DRAMA and in K-POP culture, in reality NOT every Korean like that. I hope Malaysian will not backlash every Korean because of this incident. For any girls especially MUSLIM who obsessed about K-pop, please get yourself on grid, even if they are your favorites, you can choose to say NO for those actions, perhaps taking photos is more acceptable.

p/s: As a person that have background and once working in event industry, I felt that in the future, event organizer should be MORE CONCERN and AWARE about those CONDITIONS. K-Pop fans don’t make yourself to become VIRAL on the internet if you know that you CANNOT handle situation well, WORLD is HARSH than what you EXPECTED. I hope Korean also will improve their UNDERSTANDING about others culture as well, as many people were attract to Korean culture so much, hope Korean also can do the same things! ^^ 

p/s:Those are Koreans that I known well while I'm in Korea (I only get to know them while I'm there), see the different? Showing affection between same gender is no problem, but for opposite gender, there still gap between us 

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahram

Throwback: Places# Gimhae Traditional Market

It's been few days of 2015 but I don't feel it much ㅋㅋ, due to the flood that been affected my town, we don't celebrate new year this year. Not even my town/state, actually whole Malaysia! We did celebrate it but with prayers from all religions, I guess its a good start for us to pray for a better year of 2015. Despite of new year celebration, people at my town were too busy looking for clean water on 1st January as at that time we already experienced 10 days without having clean water.ㅠㅠ

Thank God, now the condition is getting better, no more flood and we had clean water back! Wee ^^ Looking at calendar "ohh, its already 2 years since my autumn trip to Korea! Time flies so fast! I'm also counting days for flying again! Not to Korea but somewhere else. ^^ Back to my topic, during my 2013 trip,while at Busan I got a chance to visit one of my friend who live in Gimhae. ^^

It was my first time meeting her. We used to chat at Kakaotalk before I went for a trip, a bit nervous actually but lucky me I'm not alone ㅋㅋ, I met her with my Ex. ㅋㅋ. What a warm meeting! ^^ Even though it was our first time, but I felt as if I known her for more than 5 years??? ㅋㅋㅋ She's older than me, so I address her as "eonni" (언니) ㅋㅋ. You can read our stories here.

She brought us to Gimhae Traditional Market or known as Gimhae Jeontong Sijang. Before we arrived there I was like stunt for a while, its like we were at foreign land!ㅋㅋ Along way before we actually reach Gimhae traditional market, we passing by a bunch of international shop! Over there, there are many international restaurant, groceries, and etc. I even saw few words in Indonesian/Malaysian, I was just laughing! ㅋㅋㅋ The feeling was like where I am now?? Indonesia? Malaysia? ㅋㅋ too bad its at night, some places already closed! If not maybe I can practice speaking my language there and make two of them like  O-o! ㅋㅋㅋ 

After few minutes of walking, we arrived at Gimhae Jeontong Sijang, over there we saw many Korean delicacies! There are so many types of kimchi and other side dishes, they sell it in bulk, I think if people wanna buy they can ask like " can I have this for 1kg?" We snapped some pictures of those delicacies, then 언니 bought us snack, I can't remember the name ㅠㅠ but I guess I tried it earlier when I'm at Gwangju! ^^ Then since its cold 언니 also bought us bong eo bbang! It was our first bong eo bbang during early winter on 2013, also my first time ever taste it! ㅋㅋㅋ Taste good!!

p/s: This traditional market located somewhere in downtown Gimhae city, so for going there need to know how to read Korean or maybe knowing local? If you asked me, I don't know how to give a direction to that traditional market as we go there via her car. ㅋㅋ