Guideline: Late Autumn/ Early Winter Fashionista!!

Been so long since my last entry...Well I am too busy as my trip is coming soon!! Wee ^^* Owh! this will be the last entry before I go for my trip!! I  planned almost everything and finished packing but still somehow I felt so worry about it!I don't know why!! ㅠㅠ I guess this is because it will be my first time ever boarding on plane all alone??? so that's why I am very nervous?? ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ. Thinking about it makes me realized something "ahhhh so this is the feel when people going travel or boarding on plane alone for the first time?", now I only understand what my Ex felt when he took his first boarding alone to meet me.ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

I keep asking my Korean friends about daily temperature and what else I should prepared?? Some of them just laugh and telling me "stop worrying, you will be just fine!" Since the temperature drastically drop, some of them telling me its still autumn but seems like winter season is back!! There is a report saying that this winter seasons will be more powerful than last year! If the lowest temperature recorded last year was -16.5 can you imagine what will it be for this year???!!! O_o Its autumn now but during night its already so cold. I'm not used to these kind of temperature as I'm not living in four seasons country so I have no idea about it!! O_o

I even have no idea what kind of coat I need to bring, so I ask some of my Korean friend about it and the answers I got were various answers so I decided "lets just buy the coat when I'm there!" Since its four seasons country I believe there are many choices and the price might be slightly cheaper than buying in my country. I guess most of you aware that Korean have a very good sense of fashion right? Ahh I got it wrong!! not good, Korean were very advanced in fashion and grooming so of course I don't wanna being laugh by them if I pick a wrong outfit there! ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ so I make some research and ask my Korean friends about it. Below are some outfit suggestions by them. 

p/s: Too many choices!! Seeing those makes me @_@!! If only I can buy all ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ! However I'm not using it every year because we don't have winter here! ㅠㅠ These days some of them wearing knit wear and normal coat but inside they were wearing thermal wear and some of them start wearing thick coat (like in the last picture) For me I guess I will buy both if the price is reasonable, not because I'm trying to be fashionista but its precautions for my own health. ^^ Till then keep reading my blog and I will be back with lots of interesting topics/pictures once I'm back from my trip!! ^^ Pray for my safety and see ya!

Photo Credit: My friend

                     lelong.com

                     tinydeal.com

                     pabbos.com

                     wholesale-korean-fashion

Places: Let's go to Gwangju! ^^

For those who love art and design! This is special entry for you ^^ Are you planning to visit South Korea soon, I mean around this month till early November?? If that so, don't miss a chance to go to Gwangju!! You must be wonder what is so special about Gwangju during these two months isn't it? :P

Gwangju which is located at South Jeolla province were well known as Asia's most prestigious contemporary art biennale. These Biennale exhibition were divided into two version which is International Contemporary Art Festival Gwangju Biennale and another one is Gwangju Design Biennale. This Gwangju Biennale were founded as in memory of the spirits of civil uprising of the 1980 repression of the Gwangju Democratization Movement.

For this year, Gwangju Design Biennale starts on September 6 until November 3, 2013. This event were held at Biennale-ro, Bukgu Gwangju. There is a fees entries for this event. You may check out the details here. For 2013, it was the 5th edition of Gwangju Design Biennale. "Gesigi Mesigi" or known as anything something is the theme for this event. This word derived from two famous Jeolla province words " gusigi musuigi, they just change the spelling. ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ. For more information you may visit this.

Exhibition Hall

One of the item but I don't know 

from which country ㅋㅋㅋ

Seems like a playground item? LOL

Owh! My country map, but I'm not sure 

did we join this event??

Pathway to the hall

p/s:  I'm still at my lovely country so I'm not yet going to this event. However my friend visit it, so here some pictures he snap while he's attend the event. ^^

Sources:
http://www.gwangjubiennale.org/eng/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gwangju_Biennale
http://www.zapaday.com/event/74380/2/Gwangju+Design+Biennale+Art+Exhibition.html
http://idnworld.com/events/?id=GwangjuDesignBiennale-2013
http://www.gwangjubiennale.org/eng/gdb/program/

Photo Credited: My Friend

  

Language: Lets learn Hangeul ^^

I believe for anyone who ever visit Seoul, they must be familiar with below statue right?? Do you know who is him? He is one of their Great King or well known as Sejong the Great King ^^. What is so great about him and why I choose to write about him today??? Is it his birthday?? No, no! Even if I ask my Korean friends I think they also not sure when he was born. ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

Its a day where Korean government have gazette 9 October every year as public holiday (start again this year).This is because to commemorate Hangeul Language day. What is the relation of Hangeul day with King Sejong then?? Anyone knows??O-o....  King Sejong is the one who responsible to develop and design the Hangeul language.

If we compare Hangeul with any other Asian writing system such as Japanese and Chinese, personally I think Hangeul writing system is easier. I know some of you might think different right? Well during my university days, I took Mandarin (Chinese) as my third language.

When I'm comparing these two writing system I found out that Hangeul is easier to write compare to Mandarin. However if we look at reading perspective, Mandarin words are easier to read compare to Hangeul. Originally there are 28 letters in Hangeul but these days they only use 24 consonants and vowel that they are using is similar with Roman alphabet. For more information about Hangeul history you can refer here. For those who interested to learn Hangeul, you can learn it here. Here another site you can learn Hangeul.

Sejong The Great statue

History of Hangeul writing system statue

Hangeul Writing system

My own Hangeul Notes

p/s: Hangeul language is easy and fun! I just took 2 days to remember all consonants and vowels ^^ ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ. I can read well but for communication I guess I need to practice a lot.. Anyone wanna be my language partner?? :P

Sources: 

http://blog.korea.net/?p=13471

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hangul

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hangul_Day

http://www.talktomeinkorean.com/

http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/CU/CU_EN_8_6_1_1_1.jsp

    

Event: Seoul Firework Festival

For those in South Korea on last weekend, there are so many big scale of event happening around.^^  Have any of you check it out?? Looking at it on the internet makes me envy all my Korean friends!! Plus I am staying at my brother's house, and there is NO cable tv so I missed those event! ㅠㅠ

However I would like to thanks to my Korean friend for snapped some nice pictures for me.^^ What event I'm talking about??? Well on 5th October there was Seoul Firework Festival around Yeouido Hanggang Park. This firework festival is an annual event. Normally this event held on October every year at Seoul. (Place various every year) For more information you can check it here. Apart from that there are also firework festival around the other province but I'm not sure when it was held or is it an annual festival too??? O_o May be you can simply google it. ^^ 

p/s: My friend didn't go to the festival but he just snap from his apartment window! Owhhh I envy him!! I wish I'm at Seoul so I can snap it myself!! T.T

Sources:

http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_2_1.jsp?cid=790394

http://www.visitseoul.net/en/article/article.do?_method=view&m=0003001006008&p=06&art_id=58068&lang=en

http://www.hanwhapyro.com/

Photo Credit: My friend

                     facebook.com 

Guideline: Preparing for my Korea 2013 trip!

Time flies really fast! Weee^^ finally its October! :D I'm counting my days!! I'm so excited plus nervous, everything in between! ^^~~ Its around 3 weeks before I fly to Soul of Asia! Seoul ^^ Most of my Korean friends telling me that I'm fully prepared but I guess I didn't prepare any???! Hahah!!

I'm also kind of blur about it? or perhaps I'm prepared too much??ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ. Well about language barrier, I do worry about it, I did study a little bit but most of my Korean friends were comfortable speaking in English with me so at the end they learnt a lot compare to me! Hahah!!

How should I overcome my nervousness then?? My trip will be coming soon?? ㅠㅠ Any suggestion?? Anyway today I will show what I am prepared for my trip. Some of you might use another guide references but I choose to use those books below: 

p/s: Too many books?? Hahah well I'm not bringing all to Korea though, I just bring lonely planet ^^. Good book as it stated how to go from one place to another plus transportation fares, transportation schedules and etc. (I don't know why some of my pictures like that) LOL!! Anyway do my handwriting looks mess?? ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

Guideline: Seoul Subbers ^^

Most countries have their own subway system in their capital cities right?? same goes to Seoul. In fact Seoul subway system had been voted as number ONE most efficient in the world by Jalopnik.com. ^^ Apart from that, Seoul Metropolitan subway is the MOST extensive system by length and 2nd of the most subway with numbers of stations. Seoul subway also placed as 2nd most frequently used subway after Tokyo subway system.

However when I first arrived at Seoul and looking at subway map, my eyes become like @_@!!!! My gosh! How am I able to remember of this map and not getting lost!?!!! With small font as well fancy colors and very complex routes its really makes me dizzy!! Anyone wanna guess how many LINE (routes) they have? They have 19 LINE!!!!! Too many isn't it??? However its good as it cover almost every part of Seoul and even connected to Gyeonggi-do and airport at Incheon! ^^

For travelers, this subway system is not only cheap, reliable but also very convenient! Normally the schedule is on-time however if you ride during peak hours it would be very pack!! One of my Korean friend telling me, DO NOT sit on 3 seat set because those seat were specially made for old folk, sick people and pregnant women. He even telling me if you sit there, some "ajumma or ajusshi" will come over and mad at you! Hahhah!! well I'm not sure about this as I never saw it for real while I'm there. ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ 

What about their signage and announcement??If you didn't understand Korean language don't worry!! This is because they provide with multi-language announcement when reach at every station or when need to transfer. At some station, they will announce in Korean, English, Japanese and Mandarin (according to the tourist interest center). Another good thing is inside subway you still can be connected as they provide wifi for you! That is ONE of the best service they gave you! ^^

The subway stations also clean and very safe even when you ride at night. ^^ For travelers before plan your routes using Seoul subway you also can check about the fare and the routes via their web!For more information check it out here. Another best facilities they provide for you is heated seats. Since Korea is one of the country that extremely cold during winter (plus with Siberian wind) there is one place for you to avoid cold which is inside subway! Hahah! Their seat were provides with heaters! Isn't it good??? Last but not least is if you were rushing home and busy to get something, you can do your last minutes shopping inside or at attached shopping mall at most of subway station!! Save your time isn't it?? :P 

I print this from their website

I got this from my guide book

p/s: As you can see on my last pictures, most every Seoul subway stations were covered with glass so it only open when subway reach. For buying subway ticket, I would like to suggest to use T-Money as its more convenient. You can check about it on my previous entry, T-Money. For recognizing each LINES color, please see at the wall (subway station), each station provide different color code according the Seoul subway routes.

Sources: 

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seoul_Metropolitan_Subway

 http://seoulistic.com/just-for-fun/10-reasons-why-the-seoul-subway-system-is-the-best/

 http://dmzap1.seoulmetro.co.kr/station/eng/linemap.action

Guideline: Item MUST BRING around at Korea

Did you guys check out my blog wallpaper?? How was it?? Is it nice? Thank you so much to my friend for spending some time making it for me :D Really appreciate it! ^^ Do I have to mentioned your name here?? Hahhah, you know who you are! :P

Anyway in some previous posts, I did mentioned to all of you about " 5 worth item  and 6 special stuff you need to get at Korea right?? However I never write about Item you MUST BRING around at Korea isn't it? For today I decided to write about it. :D

This entry were dedicate to South East Asia people and to Muslim travelers. As Korea is one of Tiger country, their hygienic system is similar to western countries or most of developed countries. Most of their public toilet didn't equip with normal bidet faucets. However their public toilet were the cleanest I've seen compare to any other countries!!^^

As Muslim, hygienic practices is very important. For more information check it out here. Since there is no normal bidet faucet at public toilet, I guess its hard for Muslim and South East Asia (SEA) people as most of us using water to clean our private part. We can use stones or paper too but it is the BEST to use water. In this modern era, who use those right?? unless you were in desert or some remote area! ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋYou can check about it here.

In order to avoid uncomfortable situation, I suggest Muslim and SEA people to bring an empty bottles around as well few pack of tissue. When I was at Seoul for the first time, I'm kind of having culture shock about this, luckily I didn't throw away my empty mineral bottle!ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ! So I used it and always carry it inside my beg. This two item is the MUST BRING item while you at Korea. ^^

p/s: As you can see the last picture is one of the example of Korean public/home toilet, it have bidets faucets but its sort of modern/digital?? I'm also not sure the correct word for it! Hahah!! ^^~~ Those bidet faucets use some sort of button. (see on the right of toilet bowl) it have some sort of button, but all was written in Korean! LOL! The button includes for hot water, normal water and dryer too!! Hahah! Too savvy technology! For that no wonder most of their public toilet were the cleanest compare at any other countries!ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

Sources :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_hygienical_jurisprudence
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anal_cleansing

Photo Credited: jenstreasures.net
                         news.bbc.co.uk
                         mrsbidet.com
                         reneeinsk.blogspot.com