Monday, June 02, 2008

This is my first and last biz trip to Seoul. I am glad that I get the chance to go but yet I had to go through a lot of damn bloody hassle and also missing Meow Meow who was not able to join me for the trip. Don't worry Meow meow... you are forgiven... hahahaha... well, I guessed you had fun without me around also... haha :p

This trip to Korea is really a devastating event at the beginning but at least it turns out sweet at the end... haaa... will tell you shortly.
Firstly, have to really thank DS (my Korean colleague) for spending so much time with me and with all the patience after all the trouble I have been through!!


Well, this trip was made necessary as I had to do a physical stock count there by myself sort of as a form of internal audit....
Everything was going according to plan but things got disrupted totally on Sunday (25th May 08) night when I was packing my luggage, all prepared to set of for my flight in the morning. Not having to travel for like close to 3 years and normally even when traveling, the passports are handled by my mum.... SO..... I did not know that I needed 6 months of passport validity to get through the customs. I only had 2 months.... yes!!! Crazy right....

And best of all, DINERS WORLD TRAVEL!!!
Yes!! Diners... you didn't get me wrong... they did not do their job well enough as to check with the traveler on the specific details when arranging an air-ticket and just assume everything is fine.

'Panic' is the word to describe.... I had to call up SIA to cancel my morning flight (8am) to a night flight (11:50pm) instead. Got hold of DS (korean colleague) to do a change in arrangements. Headed down to the immigration department the next morning trying to settle my passport. But.... at first the lady told me that I only can have my new passport back the next day... which means... another delay of flight... BUT NO!! Fortunately my mum was with me... and she helped me to make sure that the immigration department helped me to get it done by the day itself.

Seriously, they are able to do it but it's a matter of whether they are willing to help or not.

Oh well....
Meow sent me off at the airport and off I go.... But things were not that smooth as yet. Due to bad weather condition in Seoul, Incheon Airport. The aircraft had to be diverted to Japan and waited for almost 2 hours later before really reaching Seoul. Oh man!! What a journey along the way... haha...

The cabin is so dry that I can feel my lips cracking.

Now finally, I have reached Seoul.... and this is the first time traveling alone. Hmmm... pretty cool!!

The Blue Pearl Hotel driver could not wait for me to get out of the airport, so SS Lee had to take the trouble to come all the way to fetch me to the office directly.



After hopping onto SS Lee's car... off we go and headed straight to the Korea office... and then knowing that everyone was actually waiting for me to arrive to have lunch together makes me a little embarrassed as I know everything started off with me right at the beginning. Hmmmm.....


Here is a few pictures I captured along the way:-

Click them~~~




Anyway..... that was Day 1 in the office.... and I started counting, counting and counting together with HA (DS's assistant??) heee..... not too sure of the positions....
And by 4+pm I was done with the physical stock take but of cause there are still many parts 'missing'.

But let me inform you.... I have no freaking idea how the parts looked like.... lol...


Next was heading to my first hotel stay at

Blue Pearl Hotel:-





Love this hotel the best! Very big study table and a very nice toilet... and just look at the toilet cleaning system... hee....

After a long day, I managed to hit the showers and have a nice cool bathe!!
Then was.... DINNER....




The bimbimbap and Kim bap was one of my favorite food there.

Next was followed by shopping at COEX Mall.....
*sorry.... some of the pictures are too dark due to the camera's fault*







~~Day 2~~ (27th May 08)

Back to office again..... I thought I had nothing to do.... but no... Lucky I did a recount of the stocks at least twice. This time was amazing... I managed to find some more missing parts.

And with the help of DS who knows how the parts looked like... even better!!! 3 or more parts were found. Woohoo!!! Really had the kind of satisfaction in me.....
Kekeke....

Met up with JY Kim and CH Yum in the office.... nice nice people... (^.^)

Then after work, headed to my 2nd hide out which was at Lotte World Hotel.

Anyway, let the pictures do the talking.....







Followed by Dinner on me for DS (^.^)
Dinner was fantastic....






Had cold noodles, traditional korean pancake and soup dumpling....

Oh.... I sure love the pancake and the soup dumpling the best.... keke.... if only I can have them again.... and the kimchi-s... cannot be missed out!! It's definitely the authentic 'real' kimchi... they just taste so refreshing. ~*Yum*~

As for the cold noodles... it's good too but I guess I still prefer my food served piping hot... heehee....

DS then brought me to the supermarket and oh yeah.... there's sure loads of stuff and yummy snacks. And we sure got a lot of things.... things which are for Grace (SG colleague) & Jacqueline sister (Ex-colleague whom I loved the most ^.^v)

So... let's see...




Yes.... loads of seaweeds for Grace and Jac.... &

loads of Skinfood products which are for me, Joleen and Wanting....

Too much things.... !! I had no choice but to courier them back to Singapore office and to Wan Ting herself. Oh well....

~~Day 3~~ (28th May 08)

This day is all by myself for the whole of the afternoon till I check out at 11pm. Run all the errands, washed up and packed my luggage bag. Then it's time to head to LOTTE WORLD themepark to have fun!

Ok.... seriously I did had fun but not enough fun as I was enjoying them alone. But oh well... who cares!! I just had to go for the rides. Too much pictures but anyway here are just some of them.





















After having fun at Lotte World... I was practically concussed at Lotte World Hotel lobby... Heehee... :p I was so tired after walking the whole afternoon.

Dear DS met me after her work to bring me to my next hotel stay.... this is the most memorable event. Haha....

We took a shutter bus from Lotte World hotel to Lotte Plaza hotel which Rex Hotel was supposedly near there... With all my laptop, and HUGH luggage... we walked and we walked... and keep pulling my luggage bag over bumpy floorings... -_-'''

We were unsure where the hotel was located at first.... thinking it was supposed to be only a 5 mins walk. But no.... we walked for almost 20 mins.... to then finally found the hotel location... BUT... the worse thing is, having to reach the hotel, we had 2 choices....

1. Either to run across the streets which was filled with cars or
2. Carry the HUGH luggage down 3 flights of stairs through the underpass to get over to the other side of the road -_-'''''

I guess for safety wise... we had to take choice 2...

So... we counted 1..2..3.. and held the luggage bag together and ran down as fast as we could.
Sure we did a great job... hahaha... but ended up really tired after that...

DS's hubby invited us to his hotel workplace for buffet dinner... but I didn't have the appetite as my tummy was feeling sick... guess it's due to my improper meal for the day as I didn't really had lunch at Lotte World.

BUT, Thanks DS!!! (^.^)v

~~Day 4~~ (29th May 2008)

Seoul Rex Hotel... yeap... this was the hotel I stayed in for the next 3 nights.

This day was mainly 'alone' but I actually planned a full day tour the night before.
The tour was great!!
Passed by the president's house (Blue house).
Visited 2 different palaces.
Visited the National Folklore museum.
Visited Isadong streets.
Visited the temple, Namdaemun Market, ginseng center.

Got to know a chinese guy from Sydney and another guy from Italy during the tour who was also alone ... and helped each other to take pictures.

Here are some of the pictures!


National Folklore Museum

Kyongbokkung Palace

This was the first palace to be built in Korea but a lot had been destroyed and most of them are replaced buildings.

My tour guide for the day... she is a great tour guide... very interesting and she is one who will tell you not to buy anything like ginseng or crystal as they are very expensive.

These are the guardian of the palace

The fire place area which is meant for winter rooms which provides floor heating system to keep the floor warm.

Then this is the chimney... smoke released outside unlike those house which have their fireplace inside the house.

Jogye-sa Temple

White lanterns are for the deads... and the colourful lanterns are for celebrations.

Ginseng Chicken for lunch.... it's not that fantastic.... just by trying once is good enough...

The kimchi was the best during the meal... but it's a sad thing that the ang-mohs don't know how to eat them....

Deoksugung Palace (2nd palace of the day)

This is the main historical palace where most of what I see there are preserved till now... only a few buildings were destroyed and re-constructed.

This metal containers are meant to collect water and in case of fire, they are used to put the fire out... Hmmm.... but with the amount of storage... I doubt it will be enough...

One main tree... but with 3/4 trunks. Woah....

This tree is hollow...

The Queen's Secret Garden??

Insadong Street

The corn is something Singaporean might not get used to the taste and texture... Kekeke...
Corns in Singapore are crunchy, whether it's sweet, it depends....
But corns in Korea... it's totally different. They are sticky and chewy.... Not my kind of texture... keke... but the sausages were great!

Street food is good.... but it also makes me full very fast.

Last stop... a short explore at Namdaemun Market.

So.... they day of the tour ended there....
Went back to my hotel to rest while waiting for DS to meet me for dinner....

Felt kinda embarrassed that she had to keep me accompany most of the time... so nice of her...
Street food for dinner... but it was not bad... and best of all... there is my favourite Krispy Kreme donut... woohoo....

~~Day 5~~

Yippee!!! The actual day of shopping lead by DS again... keke...

This day, I really have to thank her and her friend!! Without her, I guess I would not have been able to get brooches and rings and rubber bands with crystals at wholesale prices at Namdaemun market. Keke.... and best of all, they are all HAND-MADE!!!

Next, we took a subway and headed to Dongdaemun... And I managed to get a pair of jeans and 3 tops there. But it's a very sad thing that I am not able to get any shoes there as my feet are just too long.. hmmmm.. *pout*

Yup.... my cute Korean colleague cum tour guide cum shopping mate (^.^)v

Dinner at Myeong-Dong

Korean BBQ with plum liquor *slurp*... dinner was great!!






This is the best meal of all....!!

Then I bought the 'dragon beard candy'....

These 2 guys were cute and funny. They were singing to us while making the dragon candy beard using Maths... They were really entertaining....

Our last few pictures together before she headed home together with her hubby.

~~Day 6~~

Finally, it's time for me to bid Korea goodbye and hello Singapore... I miss the weather back there... So cooling...

Took the airport limousine bus to the airport and had lunch there.

Oh well... I hope to be back there again....

Alright.. finally I have come to an end for this 'long-winded' entry...

Salsaera Paradiz signing off lovingly 6/02/2008 12:43:00 PM