Practical things about Seoul

First : going around!

Public transportation in Seoul is one of the best in the world. Varied, cheap, effective, clean and pretty safe. When I first visited Seoul in 2007 I mostly used the metro unless I was accompanied because it was kinda hard to get oriented and know where to get off, also to understand the bus system which was very different than Montreal and there are not so visitors friendly. But this time since I was gonna be here for a year I thought I'd give it a shot since my friend Youssef who's been teaching English here for 3 years was always raving about them. I'm surely glad I did, now I'm becoming familiar with the buses around my houses and they sure are a saver when you don't want to transfer 3 times subway lines for a not so far place and when it's rush hour usually they are less crowded than the metro. Actually I was pretty amazed by how the transportation system had improved and continue to developed since my last visit 2 years ago which I was already considering at the top of the class at that time. Some of the new developments I spotted so far includes: touch screens for search with satellite view of map and location in the subway, GPS in all buses and the possibility to track them in real time with app on your phone(which I use all the time and it works awesome!) Touch screens are some bus stops to track your bus as well :)...

Here some pictures of the subway:

just a normal subway station from outside

The card reader: could be a card, in your cellphone etc... you pay by the distance. use it to pay in the taxi, at the convenience store ^^

Screen tells about next train coming and the weather etc..

first figure out where you are and where you want to go haha

This is just the subway map btw.. and also I think this map may not be up to date lol

And now, what about those buses? There is 4 types of buses.

Basically, Seoul is divided into small regions, Green Buses go in the immediate neighborhood within that region, the Red are express buses connecting theses areas with downtown, Yellow buses connects major subway stations, tourist attractions and major business centers while Blue buses connects surrounding regions together.

I mostly use green and blue :P

What I don't get is why the buses don't have automatic and the bus drivers are known for their crazy driving, anyway once you get use to that and hold on thigh its like a cheap amusement park ride :)

Inside one bus, the screen gives info on bus stops, publicity

There is information on the side about their route and main stops

This is a bus terminal so there is a screen giving information about the buses on their way here and how many minutes we will wait.

typical bus stop information

More info:

http://www.seoulsubway.co.kr/station/eng/linemap.action

Don't get lost okay?

:)

xx

Seoul searching...

Although I've been here travelling twice before there is something about leaving a year for anywhere that makes you see things differently. I knew when I got on the plane that I was leaving my family, my routine comfortable and multi-diversified Montreal life but I never realized how different Korea would be to me seeing it from a resident point of view. Don't get me wrong I'm not being negative about it, Korea was and always will be a country that fascinates me. There is something about with its complex ways to mix history with a modern fast megacity. Its intriguing and sometimes disgusting closed homogeneous people that are fascinated with learning English like their lives depends on it and it does in a way.

At first, when I visited Korea, Seoul especially I just fell in love.. I saw a lot of myself here, I had a sense of belonging here, even tough it was my first time... a sensation still hard to explain even today, 3 years later...

I'm still in love but now with everything happening so fast I realize my honeymoon is over and it's time for me to go beyond just being seduced and invest myself here as well. Like waking up from a deep crush and realizing that perfection has also defaults all along that you simply refused to see in the first place.

I feel I want and need to get closer to the other international students, makes friends and share the same hardships, but at the same time I feel I'm older and don't have the same values, priorities. So these days I have mixed feelings about a lot of stuff. The best ways to describe it would be feeling loneliness in a crowd. yes.. that a good way to describe my feelings.

There is something about getting out of your normal environment and going to a place where no one or few knows you that really makes you look inward and get to know yourself in a new way. I'm realizing a lot of things on life, myself and I hope I will get a better understanding of where I stand in all of that here.

I guess I feel a little philosophic and introspective today and I wanted to share it with you. Sorry I don't post a lot of things so far. I lack motivation and energy often at the end of the day :) I will try to include blogging into my routine and make it interesting as much as possible. Next time I will try to give you some practical things about living in Korea. Probably I'm less influence and amazed at small things since it's my third time here. nevertheless , everyday there is always something I see that reminds me I'm far from Canada. haha

see ya

I think this picture I took this week shows well the mix of Modern and old here.... in downtown with all the skyscrapers and LCDs you can see the statues of national heroes and the Gwanghwamun Gate which guard the Gyeongbokgung palace behing it.

some early pictures

One of the 3 planes

A view of Tokyo while taking-off

My room after I received my stuff and making it more like "home"

yes there is a toilet which the whole thing is also the shower... you want to see the rest of my room? well it's the bed that it. I'm literally standing outside the room here to take a picture. The bed is also smaller than a regular twin at home. my height is 5'3" and my feet are just at the end.

2 suitcases and a year...

I'm going away as a exchange student to one of Korea's best university. After being literally struggling with paperwork for most of the year it's time now to say goodbye to all my trusted friends and board the airplane with all my expectations, fears and belongings.

So it's only me and two suitcases for a year. Of course I'm counting on all my friends and most of all Jean, my love who supported and pushed me from the very beginning. Without their support I wouldn't be here, I wouldn't be me.

I left Montreal on early August 20th and arrived in Seoul late evening on August 21st. I had a rough beginning. I will leave out the details but let's say it took me 35 hours to get here instead of the original 18hrs and one more connection in Tokyo than originally planned. In all this confusion my luggage was lost (well delayed). It took a lot of time, patience, and phone calls with them to finally get my two suitcase in relatively good shape on last Tuesday night so 3 days later. 3 days without clothes when it's a normal of 30 degrees , very humid and raining on and off all the time when I have literally 1 pair of jeans and 2 t-shirts. it was soo hot. On top of that I got problems with the manager of the "dorm" I reserved. I expected my room to be small but turns out I got a really small one, smaller than the others on this floor, my fan and AC and light wasn't working and I was paying the same price !?! After everything this!? I just lost it. Plus I'm not sure if it's cultural differences or whatever but I got the impression I was being talked down. Anyway after complaining some things got fixed and the good news is I will be changing rooms in a week because I'm literally less than a meter from the front door and office and all the noise that comes with it, at night and during the day as well.

Thanks to my friends here/home and speaking with Jean over the internet everyday, I could retain my sanity in my bathroom size closet with a bed. haha

So in all I wanted to write my story earlier but with all that I was so discouraged and jet lagged that I just tried to be better, going to the orientation at school and trying to make some friends. I got some new friends and a cold as well haha. Yup this wonderful hot and humid weather with air conditioning inside got me but at least today I don't have fever and I feel better after taking some medicine.

I will write here, my adventure for a year in the Kimchi republic. visit often I will update once in a while and try not to be too boring. ^^

leave your comments if you have any I will read them all.

Isabelle

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