InaRatriyana.com

Hello world..
Here i come again after several months dissappearing from the world. Actually, these months were very bery busy bery much. I can’t have basically free time for myself, only myself, because of course i have to share my life with others (in this condition are my parents, friends, boyfriend or maybe ex-boyfriend because we are in time between ^^ ).

I don’t want to share my busy life actually, i want to tell you about a happy time, world. Oke, lets get start it. Last week i went to South-Korea with my collegues. We have to go there (honestly, we really want to go there) for academic visit as a part of international benchmarking from my office. In here you can assume that my job related into education ^^ . I have only two weeks for preparing this academic visit. Wufffhh,, that was horrible. I can’t feel any excitement at this time. Have to send email here and there, phone to this office to another, and finally. This is it. After got wrong to call Prof. Yang in Seoul (which i supposed to call Mr.Kim in Korean Embassy), i’ve got our visas only in one day. Hahahaha… That’s the art of having person in embassy, guys! In common case, you have to wait about four until a week to get.

So, in 13rd November i’ll prepare all my stuff to go abroad. Honestly again, this was my first time to go abroad, so you can imagine about the excitement! Woowwww…. We went to Jakarta from Adi Sucipto Airport, Yogyakarta at 20.15 and arrived in Cengkareng in one hour. There, our travel guide from Satriavi (his name is Surya) has already wait and take care of our bagages. Shortly, then we went inside newest plane of the biggest airways in Indonesia (just guess it, i don’t want to put it as advertisement ^^ ). After took 6 hours in plane, good flight actually, but there was a man behind me who’s snorkle all the time. Hufffhh… I sat beside window so i could see sun rising in the morning.. That was beautiful. Really, it is!

So, suddenly, we’ve stand in Korea’s land. Time is already 8 a.m (South-Korea’s time is two hours earlier than Indonesia). Welcome to Korea. Land of warrior (where i found that quote?hihi..). I am standing in Incheon International Airport, Incheon District, South-Korea. It’s just an hour to go to Seoul, where our hotel place is. After getting bagage, there was Dewi, our local tour guide who’s waiting for us. She is still youn, just a year older than me, and she is Indonesian! Yah, she study in Yonsei University and having this guide as a part-time. For information, you can exchane your money in airport, actually not really good rate but it’s quite difficult to get won in Yogya or Indonesia (i got some hundreds won in Mulia Money Changer, but that’s all). Phone cell provider can’t use in Korea, except Telkomsel and XL, but you must have 3G phone cell. It’s easy laaaa ^^. But for you who want to borrow cell phone here, you can go to phone outlet in airport. You have to pay about 100.000 won for each phone, and you have to pay for pulse you used. Actully in the end each person only charge 30.000 – 70.000 for 4 days. Not really expensive, but i choose not to borrow that 😉

First Day.
We went to Stay Seven Premier Hotel in Yeuido, near National Assembly. Quite nice place, business class and comfortable. Even the room is too small, the bathroom’s too small and don’t have any privacy here. Why? Because you don’t have any door in in, only a door-glass, it’s not really a door actually because you can see me when i do ‘a thing’ in bathroom. Huffhh..At 00.30 p.m we went to small restaurant called Andong Restaurant (we have to walk about an hour to reach this place. Hellooww,, none of us know Korea, none of us can speak Korean either read it. And basically, Korean people don’t speak English). Weeeewww… we do tarzan language in restaurant also to order food. It’s noodle soup (taste like sayur lodeh in Indonesia) and beef meat. You don’t have to order drink here because you’ll get free water, except you want to drink softdrink, soju (Korean beer), orange juice, etc. which you have to pay extra. And finally we have to pay 20.000 won each which means almost 200.000 rupiahs or $20 each person. Huhuhuh… that’s very expensive. In Indonesia you can eat 20 times all out with that much money ^^. After that we tried to go to Seoul Forest (it’s faraway, i have to call my friend who’s also study in Seoul to help us. And we have to wait her for 30 minutes in subway station). For information: you have to buy T-money first in convinient store or mini market. Each card only 2.500 won and each destination only 1.000 won. So, it’s enough to buy 5.000 won to travel five times. We just put T-money in gate door before go into subway station and before we go out. It’s like to make your card clear before entry anothe vehicle or destination with T-money. It’s cheaper to get transit here and there. T-money can also use for bus and taxi. It’s fun and simple to use this. I like this system!

We’ve already find Seoul Forest, which is already empty and cold. Many trees without leaves, there aren’t grass or flower. It’s empty. Huhhhh…. dissapointed with this 😦 But after this we went to Ewha market near Ewha Women University. It’s very beautiful place day and night. Romantic and full of shop where you have to go shopping there! Very cheap and nice model (honestly i bought 4 shoes, 1 coat, 4 bags in here. God, forgive me! ).

We eat in small reastaurant, many food with pork, so just be careful. But it’s delicious! And this time is very very cheap. Only 45.000 won for 10 person. WOwwwwww…. And at 10 p.m we went back to our hotel. Fyyuuhh.. this first day was awesome!