Korea life - day 181 (week 26) / (Seoul) Bye Bye 3A and seeing my family

Korea life - 22 Aug (day 181 week 26)

Once again, it's time again to say good bye to current classmate. Lot of classmate planned to leave Korea to go back. For the first time, we had a tearing good-bye with each other. But I didn't have much time to feel sad as tonight my family (My Grandma, Mum & Brother) will be arriving in Seoul !!!

Went back to rest for a bit and went to myeong-dong to check into - Seoul Tower Hostel - which is located at opposition of Myeong-dong. Actually after that I wanted to take the Airport Limbo bus straight to airport but because there were too much time left so in the end I took the airport rail train to the airport instead. (Like that also much cheaper than taking the airport limbo bus)

Qi went to the airport with me as her mum and aunt were coming to Seoul too (but they will be staying a few more days than my family). We arrived at the airport too early and we weren't hungry so we just hang around the airport and kept staring at the arrived board.

My family's flight planned to land first, but people just don't come out. After waited for so long, we tend to get impatiently for them to come out. After 20-30 min of waiting, my grandma and mum came out first then my brother came out with the luggages. Qi helped me to take a picture with them first then sent me off to the taxi stand, her family will arrive 40 mins later.

By the time all of they came out with everything, we missed the last Airport Limbo bus to Myeong-dong. Wanted to take the airport rail train and then change to taxi but because of my Grandma, we took the cab all the went to the hostel and it costs us KRW 80,000. Catched up with each other on the taxi since it's was a long ride all the way to Seoul (1 hrs ride )

Because I had check in before hand, so they were able to go straight to the room to settle down and rest to get ready for tomorrow. I had planned lot of thing for them but don't know if my Grandma can handle it anot. She will be the centre of everything, if she don't or don't want, I will just have to skip and do something else. Hope they can enjoy the things that I had planned for them.  

Yahoo Article - 7 Ways To Stop Your Snoring

Normally I sleep alone so I don't really know how loud or how often do I tend to snore when I sleep. But when travelling with accompany, people said I tend to snore only when I had a long day the day before. Well, that's me, but my Dad and brother snores every night that their wife complained almost every night !! Going to send this article to them and hope that this article could help them and let them have a few peaceful night !!


Cut and paste from - https://sg.news.yahoo.com/7-ways-to-stop-your-snoring-085424547.html

7 Ways To Stop Your Snoring

Before you resort to sleeping in separate beds, try these at-home remedies for snoring.

Forget about the monster under your bed. If you have a partner who snores, you're dealing with a monster in your bed - and it's often a near-nihgtly showdown. In a new National sleep Foundation survey, 40 percent of Americans admitted to snoring a few nights per week (or more).

And the ones who are suffering aren't usually the folks sawing logs. "The most common side effect of snoring is waking up other people, whether in the same bed or the next bedroom, depending on how loud it is," say Eric Kezirian, MD, a professor of otolaryngology at the University of Southern California, who specialises in the treatment of snoring.

In fact, people with a snoring significant other tend to lose an hour of sleep per night, according to Craig Schwimmer, MD, founder of the The Snoring Center. Perhaps as a result, "couples in snoring relationships report lower marital satisfaction scores, they have less sex, and they often resort to sleeping apart," he tells Yahoo Health.

That's why snoring is considered a social issue more so than a medical one, although in some cases, it does indicate a more serious problem: obstructive sleep apnea. "When we go to sleep at night, the muscles in the throat relax, and as we breathe in and out, this relaxed tissue tends to vibrate," explains Schwimmer. But if that tissue closes a it vibrates, blocking your airway, you may have obstructive sleep apnea. "Snoring and sleep apnea are really just different points on a continuum," says Schwimmer.

Obstructive sleep apnea, of course, requires serious medical intervention. But simple snoring can often be treated with these at-home remedies:

1) Adjust your position 

If you're a chronic snorer, back isn't best. "Most people snore more on the back than they do on the side, and more on the side than they do on the stomach," says Schwimmer. It can be tough to switch your preferred sleeping position, so sleep doctors often suggest this trick to encourage people to stay on their side: Sew a pocket on the back of a T-shirt between the shoulder blades, and slip two tennis balls inside.

"When people sleep on their side, their shoulder can get sore. So they roll on their back," says Kezirian. "The tennis balls aren't very comfortable, so they end up rolling to their other side."

Not extreme enough? Try the Night Shift Sleep Positioner, a device you wear around your neck that vibrates when you roll onto your back, increasing in intensity until you shift to your side. "I wore it one night, and it drove me crazy," says W. Christopher Winter, MD, director of Charlottesville Neurology and Sleep Medicine. "But it worked. After a few days of that, you would not be sleeping on your back."

2) Play with pillows 

For some people, the tennis ball trick works - but only because it keeps them up all night. If you simply can't sleep with sports equipment attached to your PJs, try resting a body pillow between your legs, which helps align your spine and makes side sleeping more comfortable. Or wedge a C-shaped pregnancy pillow behind your back, suggests Winter.

If you still can't adjust to lying on your side, lie on your back, but prop up your head and shoulders. "You want to make a little incline - a wedge - with a couple pillows," says Kezirian. "It's not just lifting up your head." Try placing one underneath your shoulders to elevate your chest, then another two under your head. That may help keep the back of your throat open.

3) Avoid alcohol before bed. 

It's not just your inhibitions that loosen up when you're drinking. "Alcohol preferentially relaxes the muscles in the throat, so everybody's snoring is worse after a couple drinks," says Schwimmer. Plus, since you're more sedated after drinking, your snoring is less likely to stir you awake, leaving your bedmate to suffer longer. "Most wives will tell you, 'When Walter goes out drinking with his buddies, he's going to snore like crazy. I don't even sleep in the bed with him that night, " says Winter. The simple fix: Stop your imbibing within four hours of bedtime.

4) Open your nose 

Sometimes, snoring isn't due to flapping muscles in your throat - it may simply be a problem of clogged or narrow nasal passages. If they're consistently congested, a saltwater nasal spray may be the only fix you need. "When you brush your teeth in the morning and at night, put a spray or two in either side of your nose," says Kezirian. Not only will that keep your nostrils clear, it will also maintain the moisture in your nose, preventing the dryness and irritation that can promote snoring.

Another way to keep your nasal passages open: Breathe Right strips. "If your airway is collapsing in the back of your throat, putting a sticker across your nose is not really going to help," says Winter. But if narrow nasal passages are the problem (Or if they're chronically clogged due to allergies), the sticky strips could make a big difference.

Try this test to see if these strips might be the right remedy for you: While looking into a mirror, inhale deeply through your nose, and see if the sides of your nose collapse. If your nostrils cave in, you probably
have narrow nasal passages, so the strips could do the trick, says Kezirian.

5) Control your acid reflux 

What's happening in your oesophagus may not seem relevant to the noises you make at night, but acid reflux can actually play a major role in snoring. When stomach acid coats your throat, it creates inflammation, say Schwimmer. "The tissue is swollen, so that narrows the airway," he says. "Swollen tissue is more vibratory." To tame your reflux, stop eating two to three hours before bedtime, and if that doesn't work, try taking Tums or Rolaids before bed.

6) Be a mouth breather 

People who snore often sound like a chop-choo train while they snooze. "They're puffing up their cheeks, and exhaling against a closed mouth," which can lead to snoring, say Winter. ProVent stickers turn your nostrils into a one-way valve, allowing you to breath in, but not out, through your nose. "That creates extra pressure in the back of your airway and holds it open," he explains. In other words, the stickers force you to exhale through your mouth. "They'r really for sleep apnea, but I have patients who say that they help with their snoring," says Winter

7) Belt it out 

Here's motivation to tun your morning commute into a concert: In a 2013 British study, people who did singing exercises - a series of simple, repetitive noises put to music - for 20 minutes a day showed a significant reduction in snoring after three months. But you don't necessarily have to do the specific exercises in the study - just belting it out may have a benefit. "There are a lot of muscles in your upper airway that don't get used a tremendous amount," says Winter. By singing, you may strengthen and tone those muscles, which could potentially reduce your snoring, he says. 

Yahoo article - Free WiFi at all NEL stations by next year: LTA

After staying in Korea for so many month (almost a year now), I'm too used to the fact there is wifi almost everywhere that sometime I hope that Singapore will one day be the same like Korea. And it see like my wish going to come true soon !!

Cut and paste from - https://sg.news.yahoo.com/free-wifi-at-all-nel-stations-by-next-year--lta-031628157.html?linkId=11220426

Free WiFi at all NEL stations by next year: LTA

Free WiFi will soon be available at all North East Line platforms by the end of 2015. (Graphic by LTA)

Free WiFi will soon be available at all North East Line platforms by the end of 2015.

Selected platforms at three stations - Bishan, Dhoby Ghaut and Outram Park - are already equipped for free WiFi access. All the platforms at these stations will be WiFi-equipped by the middle of 2015, says the Land Transport Authority (LTA).

Currently, three stations have been equipped for free WiFi access since 22 August this year - City Hall, Orchard and Raffles Place.

By the end of 2015, 32 stations will have WiFi access, including these stations on the North-South and East-West lines - Ang Mo Kio, Bedok, Bukit Batok, Buona Vista, Choa Chu Kang, Clementi, Eunos, Jurong East, Khatib, Paya Lebar, Sembawang and Yishun.

Korea life - day 165 (week 24) / (Seoul) School field trip - Lotte world

Korea life - 6 Aug (day 165 week 24 )

This term school field trip, teacher tried to keep this school field trip a secret. Until the very last day then they informed us that we will be heading to Lotte world !!

As Qi headed to Lotte world with her classmate, I headed over there alone. When I was heading over, I was still worried that no one will be taking the rides with me since I have yet to get close with my classmates and my friend all don't really play.

We had to gather first to make sure who had arrived and who didtn't, then we were given our ticket to go in. Before we headed in, we asked around who plays, who don't play then spilt to 2 group, don't waste time. Thank god most of my classmate are daredevil, dare to play!! Got ppl accompany me and play all the rides, so happy !! Come to Seoul so long, this is still my first time heading to Lotte world (actually is my third time to Lotte world).

Because it was school holiday period, many student also headed to Lotte world to play too. We headed to the outdoor theme park first, but when we were queueing up for the first ride, rain started to rain. Actually it started to rain but it didn't stop us for wanting to play. We stood in the rain and waited for our turn. Even though the rain didn't stop but we were still able to play almost all the outdoor rides. But when we headed in to the indoor theme, classmate started to leave.

By the time we finish playing the 3rd ride (in the indoor theme park), only left with 4 of us. In the between, only got to saw Qi once, but since she was with her classmate so I didn't really go and look for her. As time go by, people seem to get more and more so we decided to leave too.

Before heading back, went to lotte department store to check out some baby things for jialei. But didn't found the thing that I need so went back empty handed. Since I normally hang around with Qi, don't really have the chance to eat fast-food, so this time I'm alone, I just had fast-food for dinner then head home.

Article - 9 Reason why traveling alone is the best way to see the world

From the day I decided to come out from my comfort zone and start my adventure in Korea, I knew that my way of thinking will change by the time I go back home. When I read this article, I tend to agree to almost everything that it wrote ! In the past, I tend to afraid to travel alone but now I believe that alway waiting for people to join you to travel to a place, why not just go and worry about other thing later. Hope this article can help other people that still don't dare to travel alone to step out of their comfort zone and see the world when there is the chance

Website - http://elitedaily.com/life/9-reasons-traveling-alone-best/854921/
(Cut and paste from above website)

There is often a stigma attached to doing things alone, Our first reaction to seeing someone eating alone at a restaurant or sitting by him or herself at the movie theatre is that he or she didn't have anyone to go with. We feel sympathy for them, pity, even. Lately, I have been the subject of that sympathy.

I recently took a trip to Rome by myself. When I informed my friends I was going alone, they were either appalled or felt bad for me. They would ask, "Why would you even travel alone?" I also received an unprecedented amount of, "Good for you!"

I told them I didn't want to miss out on a trip just because no one was going to accompany me. Since then, I have realised that this stigma associated with travelling alone (i.e friendless, loner) just simply is not true.

Not only did I find that travelling alone wasn't sad or worthy of someone's sympathy, but it was also possibly the trip on which I learned the most about myself and the world.

Here are nine reasons why travelling alone is the best way to travel:

1) You get to do what YOU want to do 

This first reason might be the most obvious, but when you're travelling in a group or with another person, it is easy to get caught up in what the group or that other person has planned for your trip. Sometimes, it doesn't even occur to you that you'd rather do something else than visit every museum and tourist site your travel companions are dying to see. 

When you travel alone, you get to skip the awful, "What do you want to do?" and just get up and do it ! The itinerary is all yours; you don't have to worry about others not enjoying the activity. Even if you are on a trip with a group with differing interests, take a day or an afternoon and venture off on your own to take in whatever it is you deem worthy of your time. I would have missed out on some extremely special moments if I had not decided to go it alone on a trip.

2) You find out what interests you in the world 

If you're travelling in a group, you're less likely to stop when something catches your eye. You might fear you'd be holding up your group by making a pit stop. But, when you travel alone, you have the freedom to investigate your intrigue. You can learn so much more about yourself and what you enjoy by taking the time to just stop and soak in a place. More importantly, you find out what does not interest you.

You don't have to do things you've been doing solely because everyone else said, "We HAVE to go here," or "This place is a MUST-see". On my solo trip, I learned I simply despise museums. I walked around exhibits full of historical tidbits I would normally never think twice about in my everyday life and wondered, "Why the hell did I want to come here?"

And, then, I realised it was because everyone had said it was something you HAD to see. I learned I would rather be doing something interactive than spending my time staring blankly at art pieces I don't understand. You only have so much time on these trips to explore; spend it searching for something that makes you want to stop in your tracks, something that makes you think.

3) You become more comfortable with yourself. 

I know many people who will not do anything by themselves. These are the people who will not be caught dead at a sit-down restaurant by themselves; they even want someone to accompany them to the restroom. They are so fearful of being seen as a loner, or that people may think they don't have any friends. I used to have similar fears, but once you take a trip by yourself, the "caring about what everyone else thinks of you," will pretty much fly out the window. You start to realise that there is nothing embarrassing or scary about travelling alone. 

On a trip, I walked into a very nice restaurant and told the maitre d that I would like a table for one. He looked puzzled, gave me a look of sympathy and asked, "Just one?" I repeated myself and made sure my tone expressed how much I did not care that I was alone and he was kind of being an a**hole . Once you start travelling on your own, you learn to be comfortable in your skin and confident in who you are. You might be surprised when you start craving this alone time. It is so refreshing to just go somewhere and explore a new place without feeling like you need to entertain another person.

4) You can go at your own pace 

People often have different midgets when it comes to travelling and sightseeing. Some people want to go, go, go and try to fit as many activities as they can into however much time they have. Others like to soak things in, even if it means they don't see everything. These differing mentalities can often clash when travelling together. 

The former gets frustrated and thinks there won't be enough time to see whatever is on the itinerary, while the latter feels rushed and wants to spend more time at each activity. The great thing about being by yourself on a trip is that you get to set your own pace. If you want to have a jam-packed trip, go out and do it. Bit, if you'd rather just meander about and get lost in this new place, you can do that too ! You're on your time - No one else's

5) You become more independent 

If you're like me, you often let others take the reins when it comes to planning and navigating trips. But when you're travelling alone, you're truly on your own. One of the most important things I had to learn when going it alone was to stop depending on other people. I became independent; I learned how to use a map, navigate the different cities' public transportation, and I had to pay better attention to my surroundings.

When you're by yourself, you have to look out for yourself because no one else is going to do it for you. You can't be careless, and you can't let people take advantage of you because you're a tourist. This newfound independence comes with confidence of knowing that you are stronger and tougher than you once thought. There is such a satisfying feeling of accomplishment that comes along with being able to navigate a new and foreign place, especially when you did it alone.

6) You become more observant 

Normally, on trips, you spend a lot of time conversing with your travel companions and put your attention on them. Without the disruption of others, all of your focus is on your surroundings, as it should be.

Wonderful things happen when you are free from distractions; you see things you might have missed before or you meet people with whom you might not have taken the time to speak. You are free to take this new place in with all of your senses. The sound and scents of the city that were previously in the background are now front-and-venter. Your experience becomes much fuller when you can take in everything about this new place. When you travel alone, it might be the first time you're seeing the world and actually seeing it.

7) Time to reflect 

I don't think II've ever paid more attention to my thoughts than when I was travelling lane. Without anyone else swaying your attitude about a certain place or activity, all you have is what you might be felling at that moment. You can learn a lot about yourself and how you view the world. There were many times when i found myself lingering at a certain place and would just be thinking about life and where I was, and how lucky I was to be there. 

There are few opportunities in our everyday life where we can be completely honest with ourselves about how we feel or how we see the world, without our opinions being affected by another's point of view. On your solo trips, you can have that time to reflect on not only where you are and what you're dong, but on life and what you want from it.

8) Treat Yourself! 

Your 20s are a time of frugality. You probably don't have a real job; more than likely, your refrigerator is barren, and your gas tank might be virtually on empty. You might have to live like this in your everyday life, but you should treat your trip alone like the celebratory event that it is !Splurge on a fancy (or somewhat fancy, we're not millionaires) hotel. Treat yourself to a luxurious dinner; order wine instead of water. Maybe even get that $6 dessert you would ordinarily pass up.

This is your trip; try to make it like the vacation you deserve.

Luckily, there is no one there with you to say, "This restaurant looks too expensive," or "We can't afford that hotel." Or, worst of all, "Let's skip lunch to save money". You have the rest of your life to worry about your finance; be a little bit selfish while you still can.

9) You become fearless 

Some people who have known me for a long time might be surprised I would travel the world alone. I used to be afraid of things I was not familiar with, and change made me uneasy. But, after travelling alone, there are few things I fear.

I have been in many situations during my travels where I have been scared, lonely, uncertain, frustrated and many other emotions we try to avoid everyday. What is important about those moments is that I got through them. Most importantly, I got through them alone. If it had not been for those moments when I felt afraid or homesick, I might not have the same outlook on life I hold now.

Whenever I think there is something I can't accomplish, or the odds weigh too heavily against me, I can look back on those times I was alone and uncertain, but found my way through it. After travelling through countries where nothings seems familiar, not knowing a word of the native language and finding your war through foreign streets to a destination, you will realise there is nothing in this world you cannot do. There is simply nothing you cannot accomplish. You become fearless. 

Korea Life - day 161 week 23 / (Suwon)

Korea Life - 2 Aug 2014 (Day 161 week 23)

Since mid-term exam had just finish, before we start to study for our final term exam, I decided to head to Suwon to visit our SKKU suwon campus ! Actually the campus is not very far away from Seoul but we still need to take 2 hrs subway to get there. (longest but the cheapest way to get there).

Sungkyunkwan University campus (also known as SKKU Suwon) is their Natural Sciences Campus. This campus is almost twice as big as the Seoul campus, although there are not as much steep slope as we had in Seoul but the place is way too big to walk around like Seoul campus !! And I hread from other teachers that due to the courses in Suwon are mainly engineering, sport related and science therefore 90% of the students in Suwon campus are guys.

Left picture - one of the side gate of SKKU
Right picture - Subway station
Bottom picture - Samsung Library 

From the Sungkyunkwan station, we walked for 10 min and we arrived at one of the side gate of the campus. Maybe because the school is having summer vacation so there wasn't many student walking around (actually is barely saw anyone !!). The campus was too big and there was no one to intro the place to us so we end up heading to the library which we all saw on our SKKU magazine before.

Actually Sungkyunkwan University Libraries have a few library, included of Central library, Gongyounggak, Law library, Medical Library, Architecture Library and last but not last Samsung library.  The very first library that opened in 1475 by King Seongjong of Joseon Dynasty that is named Jongyeonggak. It continues the existence of Jongyeonggak unitl now. Modern library of Sungkyunkwan University open in 1946 and it grew along with the University over the years. SKKU Samsung Library which is open in 2009 at the Suwon campus, it is a unique architecture-not only the library but the landmark of the campus too.

Samung library has a total of 9 floor, it's much bigger than the library we had in Seoul campus. One of them forget to bring their student pass, we still thought we might have problem to go in but the staff heard that we came from the Seoul campus, they just let us in although. There were too many thing to see but we were too tired from the train ride that we just want to have a cup of coffee, so we headed to the 5th floor where they have a cafe there. Turns out that the cafe is Yakun !!! OMG , I was so excited lor but they don't serve toast !! Sad again.

We sat there for an hours to rest then we took the subway to Suwon station to meet up with Qi's friend, but her friend was late for an hour and the worst part was when he arrived, he didn't even apologies at all !! I was so angry but because there were lot of people and it's qi's friend, I didn't said much. After that he gave us a drive to some history area, thinking that at least he's willing to give us a drive but when we arrived at the place, he just waiting for Qi to pay for his admission fee !! WTF lor, I just turn away or else I think I will start scolding people lor. HOW CAN SOMEONE BE SO RUBE ?!?!?

Thank god that he didn't had dinner with us but he introduce to a expensive place for dinner. At least the food really taste good or else I really don't know what I will say to him. Really hope this is the last time I see him. He really change my though about Korean, hope it's really only him but I actually never really have bad impress of Korean de >_<

Korea Life - day 156 week 23 / (Busan) Day 3

27 July 2014 - Korea life day 156 (week 23)

Last day of my Busan trip and tomorrow back to school again (SAD!!), but not going to waste any time today as we still going to a few location before heading back to Seoul. Check out early in the morning and bring along all our thing as we will heading to the bus station straight later

First we went back to Jagalchi Market to buy some things that we didn't get, and since we were there, we had some local busan street food before leaving. Qi wanted to eat pig blood tofu soup, so we decided to try out the spicy pig skin and blood tofu soup, but turn out that the blood tofu soup is not pig's blood but it's cow's blood. I had never tried blood tofu before, but the taste is not bad at all. Actually the blood tofu has no taste at all, it's the soup that help to bring out the taste, the people were so good that they gave us so much that we can't finish at all.

After that we headed out to a jimjjilbang that is one of the biggest in Busan, but turned out that it wasn't as good as the one that we went before in Seoul. Was really quite disappointed, so we just stayed for a few hours and left after lunch.

Still had too many time left, so we went to relax at a cafe but there was really too much time left, so we went to request for change to a earlier bus back to Seoul. Slept in the bus like a baby as we travel back to Seoul, and went straight back home to get ready for school tomorrow

Korea Life - day 154 week 23 / (Busan) day 2

Korea life - 26 July 2014 (Day 154 week 23)

We left the guesthouse early in the morning for our first stop - Jagalchi Market (자갈치시장)

Jagalchi Market (자갈치시장) 

Add : 52, Jagalchihaean-ro, Jung-gu, Busan (Nampo-dong 4-ga)
부산광역시 중구 자갈치해안로 52(남포동4가)
Close : First and Third Tuesday of each month
Website - http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=264168 
How to go - Take Busan subway to Jagalchi station (line 1), exit 10. Turn right not Jagalchi 3(sam)-gil street. Walk for 5 min, then turn left to arrive at Jagalchi Market

The Jagalchi Market is Korea's largest seafood market. After the Korean War the market solidified itself as a fish market. This market represents Busan and is famous throughout the country. If you visit the correct time, you will be able to eat fresh raw fish at the market itself.

The fish market is located next to a fish port therefore the seafood are consist the freshest of all. We took some pictures at the port itself first then went into the fish market which is a few levels high (there is also outdoor fish market if you don't want to go the indoor fish market). There were many stall for people to choose from but they actually all sells the same things. It just depend on which store you like to order from only. But the prices were too expensive for me to afford so we went to the small store located outside the (outdoor) fish market. Although price are not too much different but the variety was much more than the store located on the second floor of the fish market.

We were able to see the Gamcheong culture village from the Jagalchi market, thinking that it should be nearby since we are able to see it from there but turn out it was not as near as it seem. We walked for 10 min but still can't and don't know how to find the entrance to the Gamcheong culture village, so we gave up and took the cab.

Gamcheong Culture Village (감천문화마을)

Website - http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_6.jsp?cid=1056152
How to go - Take Busan subway to Toseong station (line 1), exit 6. OR Take the 17 or 17-1 bus across from Busan station. Get off at the last stop and change to a maul bus (small green bus) up to Gamcheong culture village. Alight at Gamjeong Elementary school, and you should see the village from there.

At the entrance of the village, there was already many tourist walking in and out of the village, so actually you will tend to see more tourist than local at the village. We were lucky that even though the sun is glaring, but windy so it's nice to walk around. Although this village is not much different from other village, but because all roof was painted with different colour, when we see the village from a high area, it seem like a beautiful picture.  

Spent more than planned time there to take picture and walked around the whole village to see the villages in other angle. I don't mind bring other people this place to see the next time when I'm back in Busan. Hope this place will stay as it is for as long as possible.

Before heading to our next destination, we went to BIFF street to get some dessert first.

Haeundae Beach (해운대해수욕장)  

Website - http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=264155
How to go - Take Busan subway to Haeundae station (line 2), and walk straight toward the beach.

Haeundae Beach is one of the must come beach during the summer period, numerous people visit every year from June to August. It's also famous for the various cultural events and festivals held throughout the year. (The last time I was here during the Sept/Oct, there was barely anyone! but this time there was full of people EVERYWHERE !!)

Found a place to sit down and enjoy the sunshine and look at the Korean playing around, felt so relax and peaceful (even though it was quite noisy). This is really life, no need to worry about life, no need to worry about money, just enjoying and living this every moment. If only we can forever live this kind of life... We still had some time before night fall so we decided to go to one more beach, I asked around and I was introduce to Gwangalli Beach

Gwangalli Beach (광안리해수욕장)

Website - http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=264250
How to go - Take Busan subway line no.1 to Seomyeon station and change to Gwangan station (subway line 2) and walk 5 min.

(Cut and paste from visitkorea website)
Gwangalli Beach is 1.4km long, 64m wide, and is famous for its fine sand. This area has undergone a water cleaning program, and as a result, the water of the beach is pristine. The clean waters of this area also attract many fishermen. You can prepare raw fish dishes on the spot, right after you have caught the fish. For those looking for some action, there is the Olympic Yacht Rental where you can rent yachts. You can also enjoy water-skiing, jet skiing, windsurfing, and other exciting water sports.

We reached there on time for the light show, so we sat down and watched quietly with the other Korean. Maybe Busan is a nice place to stay for long period as it is quite peaceful, not as fast pace as Seoul itself. Although I still have some problem to understand the Korean the that Busan locals were using but they were much nicer than the people in Seoul.

So fast, tomorrow is my last day in Busan, going to enjoy to the last mentioned of it. Hope to come back again to enjoy all these again

Yahoo article - Experience Japan without breaking the bank

Truth is that I'm planning of going Japan for a vacation before I headed back to Singapore to re-start my life in Singapore. I'm not intending to tell my parent as I already can guess what kind of answer will they give me. They always reject any of my idea regarding to vacation. They never understand why are vacation so important that I'm willing to spend so much money on it. Truth is I don't understand how can they go on working for so long with no vacation in between. Thinking of the life that went through, I NEVER WANT TO BE LIKE THAT. Therefore no matter what are they going to say, I decided to go on this trip without them knowing about it at all. Hope below article can really help me to save some cash for this trip !!

Cut and paste from - https://sg.news.yahoo.com/photos/experience-japan-without-breaking-the-bank-slideshow/1-flight-tickets-photo-1416970350523.html

Experience Japan without breaking the bank

Two’s company, three’s a crowd. If you think that paying a visit to the Land of the Rising Sun is out of your reach because of budget constraints, think again. Now that Japan has slipped into recession and the yen has depreciated against the other major currencies in the world, perhaps you might want to reconsider your stance on flying over, and I have some tips that might help ease the pinch on your wallet throughout your stay in Nihon-koku, whether you are traveling solo or as a couple. By Edwin Kee 

1. Flight tickets
There is the famous proverb that goes, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” Making your way to Japan (and back, of course) is half the job done, and you can always keep a keen eye out on the various airlines as well as travel fairs. Sometimes, full service airlines do have an all-in fare that is comparable to that of budget airlines after you take the other details such as luggage and meals on-board into consideration. Not only that, a connecting flight from a different country might cost less than a direct flight, which leaves you with the opportunity to explore another country even if it is for an overnight stay (or two).

2. Purchase travel passes
Getting around in Japan is easy and convenient - if you are not going to rely on taxis, of course, since those can induce a heart attack when you see the meter ticking faster than Usain Bolt crossing the finish line in a 100 meter race. Most cities or prefectures that you go to would have day passes on sale that are cheaper than ala carte ticket purchases, allowing you to hop on the different modes of transport (a mixture of rail, trams, ferries and buses in some cases) throughout the entire day so that you can cover all the sights without sweating over the fare. If you intend to visit different cities outside of Tokyo, it would be advisable to pick up the corresponding Japan Rail Pass, as it offers unlimited ride on the applicable shinkansen (bullet train) and other JR modes of transport. Alternatively, take an overnight bus if you have the time to spare - not only are you able to spend an entire day at the city of your choice and sleep your way through to the next city, arriving early the next morning, you also save on a night’s accommodation.

3. Lunch sets are your friends
Most of the time, lunch sets offer a whole lot more value for your hard earned money than dinner, since eating establishments tend to throw in an additional salad or appetizer, or even a cup of coffee. Do take note that most of the time, iced water or generic green tea is free, and you will have to help yourself to those, so not ordering drinks at your meal is acceptable (and agreeable to your bank account, too). Most of the time, food portions in Japan can be seen from the plastic food replicas that are on display outside of the restaurant, and they follow the WYSIWYG formula - what you see is what you get. Hence, couples can opt to share a meal and leave satisfied.

4. Drop by grocery stores in the evening for food markdowns
Wastage is largely frowned upon in Japan, which is a good habit to cultivate. Hence, grocery and department stores that sell food tend to mark down the prices of near-expired food products, and there is a wide selection to choose from which you can purchase for your dinner, as well as some pastry for breakfast the next morning. Naturally speaking, the later it gets, the lower the chances of you picking up good bargains since most of them would have been snapped up already by other bargain hunters. This allows you to vary your meals if you want something different. Apart from that, there is the convenience of microwave ovens in most establishments that let you warm up your food - handy when the mercury drops.

5. Pick up souvenirs at the airport before departing
Now this might seem to be a rather strange practice, but there are stores in Japan’s Narita Airport after the security clearance and immigration area which offer tax free purchases, helping you skip on the 8% tax levied on all purchases. Not only does this help you maximise the amount of yen that you spend, you will also be able to pick up some of the items in a fresher condition - right before you fly home, which is essential for some of the more easily perishable delicacies such as the famed Tokyo Banana.

There you have it - I sincerely hope that you would  have found some of these tips useful, and it does help if you were to arm yourself with a smattering of the basic Japanese greetings. A little bit of banter goes a long way in making your holiday more enjoyable, and the Japanese are a polite and hospitable people who would go great lengths to help you have a memorable trip.