Week 7: Full of Surprise..

Week 7: 08/10/2012 - 14/10/2012

08/10/2012 - Monday

Today the weather is getting colder and as usual due to the internet here like "OXYGEN" we always stay in the room online and chatting with friends. Then suddenly i saw a notification in facebook shows that one of our friend, Fania from Indonesia birthday tomorrow. For the last minute preparation or "EXPRESS SURPRISE", one of our friend find her and trick her to go to the rooftop where we are waiting there to surprise her.

Once she open the door and walk out, all of us scream and sing birthday song for her. She so touching and didn't expect from us for this surprise. Well, for the last minute preparation we didn't have a birthday cake for her but we do have the firework for her birthday! =) Happy Birthday Fania!

After that, she make a wish on her birthday with the firework before all the firework finish burn. =)

Just before end of the celebration, i do make a video record all the wishes from friends for her and herself also give some speech back to us. Look so funny but yes soon all this moment will become the most sweetest memorable memories for her. =)

Hope in future when she look back those pictures and video, she will smile and think of us which each of us are far away from different country. =)

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12/10/2012 - Friday

Yes! Friday again!! 

Time pass by so fast and without realize its been the 7 weeks we're here, in South Korea! =) So what is the plan for this weekend? Well, to think where to go, where to do which not so far from our university, i look back to the Suwon map that gave by OIA at Orientation week and there it is!!! 

Something that catch my eyes... Something that special and not available in Malaysia... and maybe funny to know for the 1st time...but still it bring Korean culture to me. =)

Today we will visit Mr Toilet House!!! Sound so funny right?? Haha. 

Mr Toilet House template.

Mr Toilet House Front View

Mr Toilet House means a house to satisfy anxiety~~ =.= Well, in Malaysia we do have the Toilet Bowl restaurant, a restaurant's food and equipment are design based on toilet/bathroom and this, Mr Toilet House is a house that shape design based on toilet bowl and everything in the house are about the toilet. =) Awesome! 

Mr Toilet House Outside View

We took bus number 99 from Ajou University and get off at the entrance of Dongwon High School. The journey took about 30 minutes to reach and then we have a walk about 10 to 15 minutes to reach. Since we don't know where it is so we just ask anyone there. =)

Mr Toilet house shows how important a toilet is to humans as well as the toilet philosophy and faith of Sim Jae-duck. Sim jae-duck or Mr Toilet built this house that looked like a toilet to celebrate the birth of the World Toilet Association.. When i was here for the visit.. This is the 1st time i heard and never though there is a World Toilet Association in the world... =.= And guess what.. Mr Toilet House was recognized as the first and biggest toilet-shaped construction in Korea Recorded Institute in 2007.

News about world toilet association

The notices board then paste all the visitor pictures.

Mr toilet house entrance

After i came and stay in Korea, i agree and never denied that Korea public toilets are the most cleaner toilet compare to our public toilets.. =.= To imagine the toilet that we have... Haiz... no comment.. Wish that we also can be as clean as them in future..

Here, we saw many different kind of toilet bowl use by Korean from beginning till now. It's cute.. 

Statue that show how human make some "investment"... =..=

To think for the 1st time when i step in this place.. My expression is "yuck!!!" but after have a looked.. My though was change.. It is true to think when they say toilet actually also one of our own culture.. We can't live without it and everyday we have to go toilet and it actually part of our life... =)

Explanation by the person in charge.

Korea customer service always be number one for me. When we arrived and walked in  Mr Toilet House, they greeting and took us around and explain everything about the  Mr Toilet House's information. For your information, there is no entrance fees or any payment to have a visit here. =)

The owner of the Mr toilet house information and his achievements.

Besides that, they give a small gift to all the visitors. I also received this as a memorable gift from Mr Toilet House. =) I really admire and respect them because Korean they really appreciate everything that given to their life. =)

After that, we took some walk around the Mr Toilet House.. Beautiful and peace view of it.. And me! As usual.. Picture picture! =)

http://haewoojae.com/eng_html/

Here are some video click around Mr Toilet House... Hope to open up our mind~ =)

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13/10/2012 - Saturday

After a tired day travel to Mr Toilet House yesterday, today we relax our self by watching movie at CINEMA! =) This is also one of the thing that in my list to do in Korea and finally i realize it! So excited and happy!

For Korean, some say watching movie is expensive for them... So for us is more and more expensive compare to what they felt.. Well, we are more understanding their feeling after all.

Due to one of my Korean friend work part time over there so he introduce us some English movie of course with Korean subtitle to watch. We choose Looper, an action movie to watch.

Movie Ticket

Our movie start at 1.22pm so we took taxi from Ajou University to Megabox at 12.30pm. 

After make payment, only then i realize the price... why so expensive because of the popcorn is BIG and the drink also BIG! So here the differences compare to us. Besides that, our currency also is one of the factor that make thing seen everything expensive here for us. T-T

Here the environment in the CINEMA...

Ticket counter

After done watched movie, all of us went to Home Plus which opposite the Megabox for dinner and shopping before we went back Ajou. It's really fun and happy because i had achieved what i wish for and experience it by myself. =)

Week 6: Public Holiday!

Week 6 : 1/10/2012 - 07/10/2012

01/10/2012 - Monday

This time i have the chances to experience Korea Public Holiday. =) (Happy!)

Chuseok is the biggest and most important holiday in Korea. it is a time when family members from near or far away come back home together to share food and stories and to give thanks to their ancestors for the abundant harvest. =)

Well, maybe Chuseok can compare/similar to the Chinese New year or Hari Raya i guess. =)

This year, Chuseok falls on September 30 but the holiday is observed for a total 3 days (sept 29 - oct 1) so it is a big and long holiday for me~~~ i get 6 days holiday directly~ =) Happy again! That's why we use this opportunity to visit Everland and Lotte World because when holiday, there is a lot promotion and discount for amusement park! More cheaper than usual day. =)

We didn't feel the Chuseok because all of our Korean friends they go back home and gather with family... it is really hard for them to bring us go visit their home because they will be busy helping family and spend time with them... So we arrange our time with visit the places in Korea. =)

Beautiful Place just like in dream

Today we going to Lotte World! Another largest indoor theme park in South Korea. Yeah~ Early in the morning we wake up and prepare ourself and take 1007 bus to Lotte World. It's take almost 1hour. Along the road outside Ajou University really scary because 80% shop are close and only can see a few people walking around. So we assume that all Korean are back home so it will be nice to go Lotte World! Less people! 

The Entrance

My friend told me that Lotte World is linked by monorail, shopping malls, hotel, Korean folk museum, movie theater and even ice rink all in one place. It's really new for me and i keep imaging it until i reach the place... It was like "Wow~ Nice and huge place~"

This is the Lotte World ice rink.. the largest and the best ice rink in Korea where we can have the joy of skating with natural sunlight from the sky through the glass ceiling and also with the festival atmosphere designed by lightning of moving light machine. But we didnt go for it because we don't have much time.. 

My though was wrong! Totally wrong.. When we are otw to get the ticket, i was really shock! There is a lot of people Q for it! Why~~~ T^T.. 

Luckily one of our friend know the shortcut way.. Actually not really shortcut because she know there is another counter open behind another hall. So we go there and Yes!!! Few people.. So we only Q for like 15-20minutes to get the ticket. =)

There is a promotion by Lotte World to attract the foreigner by giving the special discount. So we just need to print out this coupon and bring along our passport then Done! All need to pay is 24,000won (RM72) from the actual price 40,000won (RM120). But still...It is expensive~ T^T

The Entrance of the outdoor

The 1st game we play is the Comet Express the outdoor game.. Since it is too much people here so we Q for this game took more than 1 hour.. =.=   It really a adventure game even from outside the house look like nothing special.. Who know when in there, there is more bigger space down there. We been spinning around and the view is like in spaceship. Hard to explain its better to experience it. =)

Here some other outdoor games...

Pretty owesome??? But too much people and we dont have chance to play.. T^T

And this Gyro Drop.. I really wanna play and feel it myself but no chance coz too many people..

Due to too many people we feel like no mood to play around because all the game here have a long Q.. So we go in to play the indoor games... 

This Horror house not horror at all for me because there is no real ghost in there.. i mean the human ghost.. All the ghost are just a dolls and put it in the wall.. so nothing special and feel like kinda waste our money.. If i not mistaken is 3000won.. Waste~~

Then we have our lunch and guess what this is the 1st time i try on Chicken Ginseng! When you come to a new place all we have to do is try.. So it is delicious!
Friend say, if you come to this place you must eat this Chicken Ginseng. If not, your visit to Lotte World is waste~ 

Even the price is 12000won (RM36) but you know Ginseng is expensive herb, most famous and good quality from Korea. And they give the whole chicken for you..So really worth it. =) (But i dont like to eat Ginseng... it taste bad for me....)

After the meal, we pay a visit to Korean Folk Museum. This museum is a new type of historical folk museum where Korean history and culture can be learned while having fun at the same time. I think Malaysia also suppose to do like this so that other can learn and know more bout our culture too.

This is the Miniature Village which is the life styles of royalty in Chosun Castle.

  

The history and culture of Korea is revived at the Historical Exhibition using diorama models beginning from the origin of mankind to the Goruryo Dynasty.

But overall today not really fun as we go to Everland because too many people and we only play less than 10games... So feel like not worth it.. Maybe if i have extra money i will consider to come here again to replace back by play all the games here. =)

Korea really have a lot of places that can attract people / foreigners to visit and how they can make it like this? Hmm... i think maybe because they care a lot bout the culture and always promote to others all the time.. beside that, the way they arrange and everything look so beautiful and perfect..

Until today we still have some languages problem when we are outside. As usual, Korean really hard to speak English and understand it. So we try our best to explain in English with the body language.. and they also do the same thing when they can't explain it in English..Kinda funny when think back and imagine the situation.. 
I think after end of this  semester, i will be expert in communication with body language. Hahahaa.. =)

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05/10/2012  - Friday - Brooch

Today after class feel boring and have nothing to do so just simply ask few friends to go out have a walk and shopping! Guess what i saw many beautiful thing today but Haizzz.. sad because expensive for me and just window shopping~

Here the thing that catch my attention today is the brooch.. It's true like some of my friends say.. Korea brooch compare to Malaysia it really really far far far~ away different~

The quality is different. When i hold it. it is heavy and the diamond surrounding it so beautiful and blink blink that's y catch my eyes on it. My malay friend say, malay people really love brooch especially from Korea because of the quality. One thing i learn bout the brooch from her is she say need to check behind the brooch. The pin. From the pin we can know how quality it is. So when i see the pin is ok and tight. My friend say if the pin is loose it will difficult for them. It will make the shawl damage/spoil and sometimes stuck at the shawl, that's really really hard to get it out unless use scissor cut it off..

i wish i can have it all~ Girls heart... when saw beautiful thing really feel like wanna buy and keep it as collection... so beautiful~ but haiz... financial problem.. im short of money if i buy this all. =.=  so only can touch and see it... T^T

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06/10/2012 - Saturday - SKKU

Today we pay a visit to private university which is SunKyunKwan University (SKKU). Just simply wanna meet friend and see what other different between the university here.. Our friend from this university say SKKU is special because this university was partnership with Samsung that's y the building writing Samsung name and the design so beautiful.. I guess this university is rich because of Samsung.. 

The thing that i interested bout this university is, their GYM! Because from outside it look big and feel like wanna go in do gym.. But only for their students... T^T

After done visit and walk around, our friend take us to have lunch nearby SKKU. He bring us to a BBQ shop and eat Eel (Belut)..

This is the 1st time i eat Eel with BBQ cooking style... Really curious about it and after eat it.. Yummy yummy~ Delicious.. =) I eat until i cry because can't tahan with the spicy and the boss bring a lot of Eel for us~ Each of us have to pay 10,000won (RM30) for this meal. Well, expensive but the price is normal for them.  At least, i try something new that  can't find in Malaysia. =)

For my malay friends, they always scare / aware of the food because here, in Korea we can't avoid from the food. Because most of the delicious food they can't eat it because non-halal... So this Eel they can eat because the malay friend from this university say it is ok to eat because no meat, chicken or pork.. So it safe for them... 

But after think back.. or maybe i think too much?... If the restaurant have a BBQ with variety of meat and for sure they use the same plate or any same cooking equipment.. So if they use the same equipment to cook.. Still the Eel consider Halal? Hmmm... Or maybe can use the term of "situation that can't avoid".. So they can eat? (kena tanye ustaz nie...)