The Integral: May 2007

#147 Hedge Hog!!!!!!!!

Yunseong adopted this little mammal a few days back... its really damn cute... cost 150,000 Won, around $150.

#146 Happy Birthday To You

I know its pretty late... but Yunseong celebrated his birthday on 26th... The cake was awesome! Paris Baguette Rocks!!!!

#145 Junction Velocity

This was just an unsuccessful attempt to capture a really big road junction in the night, with traffic moving at full speed... I only wish I was perched atop a tall tree!

#144 You Eat Broccoli !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

#143 Yunseong Hyong

Hmmmmmm today...
I made breakfast for Kim Yunseong and Kim Yunseong made breakfast for me. And apparently both of us liked the breakfast made by each other :)

After a lot of deliberations, we decided to go to Seoul. Seoul City is around 40 km from Incheon and takes about 40 minutes by subway. The distance isn't a factor in Korea. You can go from any place to any place in 3 hours! Compare to India... 3 days! Hahahahaha (This is the time of travel by railways of course).

In the previous post below, Ive put pics of the small trip on a Rainy Day. Really this day spoilt our visit to Namsan Tower. N Seoul Tower or Namsan Tower is the highest point in Seoul, and you can get a very nice glimpse of the whole city. But it was raining and I could hardly see anything except the rain. But the place looked good, nice cafeterias around, and finally spotted a chunk of western people here.

Yunseong, comes around as a really nice guy!! Like all Koreans that I have come across, he is a simple, not-much-attitude, kind and really helpful person, and funny of course! I don't really think he knew the way to reach Namsan by bus, but together we found our way to the bus stop. Language has never been a problem for me in Korea, if you are willing to make some effort, its easy to understand each other. And then they always have their mobile phones with pre-loaded translators which are really very helpful.
Coming back to Yunseong... He has asked me to call him Hyong, which means elder brother in Korean. Learning about Korean culture and teaching a little about Indian culture is a great experience. And shouldn't I mention that he taught me to "Read and Write" Korean script?? I can read and write anything in Korean script, but I still don't understand the meaning of the words... Picking up phrases for daily use is easy, and the rest will come soon! I don't really have much to write about him right now, but surely by the time I go back home, there will be a lot to tell... Today again he left me alone at Juan station and went out with his cute girl friend :) Happy Couple!

Have a nice time...

#142 Seoul Trip Two: Rainy Day

Hanjin Group building... The Hanjin group is the same conglomerate (chaebol) that owns Korean Air and Inha University.

This is a Korea Fort gate in teh center of Seoul. The fort walls have disappeared but the gate stands...

A Wider look at Taller buildings...

This is Ginseng... famous Korean Health drink... Korean Ginseng is the best, but beware of side effects...

Traditional Korean market... things like clothes and food are really cheap here. When I say cheap, I mean cheaper than the rest of Seoul, but still way costlier than India...

These are parking lot guards...

... Korean "V" style...

Busy crossing... the man on the automated wheel chair is actually a beggar, singing song and waiting for coins...

Inside the N Seoul Tower... very beautiful from outside, inside and the outside as seen from inside...

... same place...

but unfortunately it rained...

Korean vegetable preparations... very delicious...

Koreans love French bakery and pasteries... most enjoyable stuff...

#141 Beautiful Korea...

I guess it has been a long time since I actually wrote something...

This place is awesome! Its so much evident from the photographs.

South Korea 대한민국 (Dae han min guk) is a very small nation, about half the size of Gujarat, and slightly bigger than Sri Lanka, in North Eastern Asia. In spite of having faced invasions from Japan, China and Russia, and many problems that any nation faces, this small nation emerged as a true leader. Despite a severe setback caused by the Asian Financial Crisis in 1997, the country was able to re-emerge as a major economic power. In 2004, South Korea joined the "trillion dollar club" of world economies. The policies and decisions of the government from 1970-2000 saw South Korea transform from a troubled state facing problems like India is today, to a developed nation. The quality of life and level of happiness in its people is awesome. Technology is the center of attraction here apart from the vibrant colours and fashion. This place aims to become the hub of North East Asia, and I see all hints at it trying to achieve it hard!

Korea is one crazy nation, is the only country in the world probably, where you would find children, girls, guys, and even elder people wearing bright pink clothes! And it looks so good on them!! Major expenditure of Korean Youth is on Cosmetics!!!! If you are in Korea, you will realise it in no time. 20 percent of young girls have undergone cosmetic surgery to look more beautiful, but I bet they look better anyway! The average person looks much younger than what he or she may be... a very young looking modern girl may actually be mom of one or two kids! (You may see my post "Inha at Night" for an example.) The literacy is 98% and average life expectancy is 77 years~

It has amongst the highest number of medals in Asian games and Olympics, (one question that all Koreans tend to ask me is why India never gets good results in any sport inspite of having such a huge population).
It beat India almost twice in recent times, one... during the election for the UN General Secretary and then next during the voting for the city to host Asian Games in 2014.

Also, Seoul is the most expensive city to live in the world, after Moscow!

Things I would recommend:
Try to speak some Korean, the locals will mix up better with you if you do so...
Make good friends, they will really make sure you have a good time...
Try to enjoy the food here, you wont get something like this back home...
Go for a walk rather than a drive, it will rejuvenate your body mind and soul...
Wear pink, it will perhaps look good on you here...
Drink with locals but don't get drunk, else you will vomit...
Watch Korean movies, they are awesome...
Ogle at Korean girls, they are pretty and cute and most fashionable...
Do lots of shopping...

He he.... And have a nice time... :)

#140 Sports at INHA

Football game amongst students of Dept of Electrical Engineering.
Professor played too!!

This is him...

Yunseong... Running for life...

"V for Victory" is the most common pose Koreans give while being photographed!

The orange team won... The blue team lost badly :(

This is girls playing a game like Baseball, but using their feet to kick a football sized ball!

A closer look...

Some Indians, Bangladeshis and Nepalis (I guess so...) playing cricket in one corner of the playing ground...

Girls and guys... skipping the rope...

...

Labels: aditya, baseball, cricket, football, girls, incheon, inha, marathe, professor, sports, university, won, yunseong

#139 Inha by night...

Reads "Inha University" when translated in English. This neon sign glows along the height of the Hi Tech Center.

This girl (lady) is a mother of a cute little girl! Everyone here looks so young...:)

#138 Welcome to Korea

This is my professor at INHA University. Professor Dong Jun Won

Welcoming me to Korea: Three Cheers!

Three Cheers: Take One

Three Cheers: Take Two

Three Cheers: Take Three

Professor with an undergraduate student... the only girl in her class.. pretty famous hence... Jo Ara

Labels: aditya, electrical, inha, marathe, professor, yunseong

#137 Hi Seoul

There are these boards, and the doors always land between them!
At some places, there are glass walls with doors on the platform, that prevent anyone from getting down on the tracks! Something to learn!!

Bupyeong Station...
This line goes to Seoul.
Click Click!
It has an underground station as well for the Incheon subway line.
My Sassy Girl was shot there!