Seoul Searching: You are very beautiful.

The most surreal thing happened to me two days ago in the Seoul Metro.

Trying to take a selfie at the World Cup Stadium in Seoul.

I was at the platform of the World Cup Stadium station, having spent the last hour within the stadium's walls, when a lady came up to me. She spoke to me in rapid Korean while touching her cheek.

The Lady who thought I was beautiful! All I could do was thank her for being so kind! 

 Completely rattled, I took her hand and cried out to a group of teenage boys seated at a nearby bench. They were the obvious suspects who might remotely know English in the rather empty station.


A rather bespectacled cutie rose and came up to us and talked to the lady. He then turned to me and said, "You are very beautiful." I was shocked to the soles of my feet, to say the least.

"What?"
"She said, You are very beautiful."

I turned to the lady, not knowing if I should laugh or cry. Clearly madam, you haven't been to the Philippines.

She then proceeded to ask me, through our translator, how old I was, where I came from, and if all people from my country were as beautiful as me.

I laughed quite consciously. How does one respond to a situation such as this one? So I simply said, 'Thank you."

Then the train arrived.

Seoul Searching: snowboarding on the slopes of Jisan Forest Resort

I am no Kelly Clark but I sure had one fun day snowboarding on the slopes of Jisan Forest Resort. The plan was to get on skis but since they are completely foreign to a tropical flower like me, I opted for the snowboard instead. A board, at the very least, seemed familiar.

Strapping on my boots to the board was the first challenge. I absolutely had no idea how to do it. I wanted to ask for help from fellow holidaymakers but the language barrier and becoming a bother kept me from doing so. So instead, I stood next to a kid ( a kid!) and observed.

The second challenge was the simple business of moving. You see, before I got on the actual slopes, I tried moving across the foot of the slopes. I had this idea of going about it like a snowboarder, with one boot strapped on the board while the other pushes on the ground. (And it was how the snowboarders did it when they made their way for the chairlift.) When I finally had the hang of sliding across snow (which I would describe as sliding across gawgaw), I set my sights on doing it at an angle.

Stopping and getting that board where I wanted it to go was the biggest challenge of all. It was very hard! Visions of broken wrists and a broken skull made me stop trying at a height I can be proud of.

This trip to the slopes took an entire day, a fine day trip outside Seoul if you'd ask me.

 

Snow lessons on the slopes.

Here's a one-on-one class.

People just leave their skis and boards when they go in for a bite or just sit it out for a while.



I love that these snowboarders put on these silly costumes for their day on the slopes.



Some real live fire to warm some bodies.



Here's me and my (rented) board!

For more information about Jisan Forest Resort, visit http://www.jisanresort.co.kr/eng/intro01_01.html 

Seoul Searching: changing of the guards

My first stop for the day was Gyeongbokgung (Palace Greatly Blessed by Heaven) Palace where I was able to witness the changing of the guards. I was ignorant of the fact that it is held every hour from ten in the morning until three in the afternoon. But because of some stroke of luck or the almighty's perfect timing, I was able to see such a thing.

This morning proved to be the coldest so far since I’ve been here. It was so damn cold that after exploring the palace for roughly two hours, my hair had frost, my hands were on the verge of getting blisters, and my knees were literally shaking. I guess that's  what I get for going on holiday in the winter!

I ducked into the National Palace Museum next door to get my body temperature back to normal.  And I was just about to finally I was taking photos at the lobby when I heard drums. I glanced at the courtyard and saw these guards holding up several colorful flags. And just like in the movies, I raced down the front steps with my camera in hand and into the courtyard, while a John Williams soundtrack was playing in my head. My feet sunk into sand that was wet because of the snow but I didn't care. I just knew I had to see this!

The entire ceremony made the hair on my arms and on the back of my neck stand up.  I knew that such a ceremony is party for the tourists but I didn't care. I am such a sucker for pomp and ceremony! Is it because as I am writing this now, I could only think of only one same sort of thing back home - the changing of the guards in front of the Rizal Monument?



The "new" guards are now approaching the gate.



The "head" (?) royal guards pay respect to each other.

The guards move to their posts. 

The "outgoing" head guard inspects the "incoming" ones. 

The incoming guards take to their posts.

The outgoing royal guards exit and head back to their quarters. 

A few minutes later, I got dressed as a royal guard! It took three women to get me into this uniform. 

This is me, earlier that morning, at the palace gate. 

HOW TO GET THERE:

1. Take line 3 and alight at Gyeongbokgung Palace Station. Take exit 5.
2. OR hop on line 5 and alight at Gwanghwamun Station. Take exit 2. 

Seoul Searching: getting all teary at the Korean War Memorial Museum

It was raining today. So instead of freezing my tushie walking the streets of Seoul, I've decided to visit two of its museums. And between the National Museum and the War Memorial Museum, I must say that I had a better time at the latter.

I think that, and you could quote me on this, if there's a museum you have to visit in your entire stay in South Korea, you have to spend atleast a good two solid hours in the War Memorial Museum.

You do have to remember that the war between the two Koreas isn't over. And this museum shows how much they value this temporary respite from that conflict. I love what was emblazoned on the front steps, "Freedom and Peace are not free".




DOG TAG TEAR DROP: In remembrance of the Korean soldiers and UN military participants who lost their lives in the Korean War, the respect towards the warriors (1,300 identification tags) has been embodied as tear drops. The iron thorns symbolise the horror, suppression and danger of the tragic war. The circle on the sand below represents the wave of the drop.

Both museums are free to the public, so don't think you have any excuse not to go.



HOW TO GET THERE:
Take the line 4 (the light blue line) and alight at Samgakji to get to War Memorial Museum. On the same line (the light blue line), alight at Ichon and foot it to the National Museum of Korea.

Seoul Searching: beyond enemy lines

I finally stepped on North Korean soil!
I must admit that I wasn't exactly within the city limits of Pyongyang (which was what I've been dreaming of going these past several years) and that a couple of million people have been on the same spot. But those don't take away that fact that it was, technically, North Korea and that I should be darn happy to be on it.

Two South Korean soldiers, dressed in their winter uniform, stand sentinel in the conference room. This is a view from the South Korean side.  

This concrete slab serves as the demarcation line between North (left) and South Korea (right).

Here I am, standing next to a South Korean Solidier, on the North Korean side of the Conference Room.

I went on the DMZ-Panmunjom tour today and got to enter the conference room where the Military Armistice Commission Meeting was held. The entire tour lasted roughly the enitre day and cost me a pretty penny. But you know what? It was worth it! I learned a bit of Korean history, got to be a guest of the United Nations Command, Military Armistice Commission, and I was able to cross the border to North Korea.


Trivia:  The Philippines is one of the 17 nations which aided South Korea in the "Korean Conflict". (I didn't know that until today. Were we internationally significant back then? We actually sent 1,500 of our troops!)



*blog entry about the tour will be posted in the coming weeks.

Seoul Searching: amazing loo at the Incheon airport

I am currently on the road and for the first time, blogging while being so. 

It is due to the fact that Seoul provides access to the internet within almost every square inch of its city limits.  (But perhaps, its really the entire country that is plugged to the net because since I deplaned in Incheon, there has always been free WiFi.)

So why exaclty does a girl who was never into K-Pop nor Korean telenovelas freezing her ass off in the land of the morning calm? I must admit that I didn't have any expectation when it came to S. Korea. Truth be told, I'd rather visit Pyongyang. But since that is a wee bit hard to do at the moment, I had to settle for a visit to the democratic south instead.

And boy, she didn't waste any time to win me over.
Right after deplaning, I headed straight to the water closet and found this:
(Pardon the subject but I think it is simply just bloody brilliant!)

That plastic wrap solves a multitude of problems. The "steppers" is one of them.

Couldnt' we have such a thing in our public restrooms back home?!
Please? Pretty please?
One only has to press that red button for the film/ plastic on the ream to be replaced with a new, fresh one. Isn't that just a clever thing?



I hope to share tidbits, a snapshot or two during my entire stay in Seoul. The detailed account of exactly what happened will be up in the next couple of days when I eventually get home.

Well, that's it for now since I still have to wake up early tomorrow.




annyeong-hi gyeseyo!

The new Clark Airport Lounge in Tri-Noma

Clark International Airport now has an airport lounge at Tri-Noma in Quezon City. This means that there are now regular and direct bus trips from Tri-Noma to Clark Airport and vice versa. And that, I think, is such a welcome relief for most of us. Heading to Clark from Tri-Noma cuts most of the problem spots along EDSA that could easily mean delay.

One of the very few times I flew from Clark Airport, I boarded a Philtranco bus in Pasay and almost missed my flight. We crawled along EDSA, from Pasay to Ortigas, for almost two and a half hours. Read about it here.

Perhaps the next time I take the bus to Clark, 'll try out this new Clark airport lounge and find out if they were right in claiming that its going to be  "hassle-free" connection.

They don't have a hotline, though.

Tri-Noma, an Ayala Mall, offers a new service to its customers. 

The airport lounge was inaugurated last January 15, 2013. 

A bright, shiny, and new lounge for passengers heading to Clark International  Airport. 

*all images from clark international airport's FB page