Budget Travel Guide South Korea

Studying Korean in Korea for FREE

2012-02-13T10:28:00.041+08:00

I'm now attending FREE classes every:

1-Tuesday and Friday at Seoul Global Center, City Hall - 7.00pm to 8.30pm - upper beginner

SGC is using Kyunghee University's text book and I bought

this for 22,000 won

2-Wednesday at Korean Foundation, Jonggak - 7.00pm to 9.00pm - lower intermediate

Korean Foundation published their own book for 17,000 won.

3- Saturday near Sookmyung University -4.30pm to 5.00pm - intermediate (Kongbubang). Just pay 1,000 won after each class for the material fee.

My semester with Sogang University will be ending on 17th February and I have about a week to spend with my friends before everyone going to their respective home country. Some of them will continue with Sogang University, some like me will continue with FREE classes and some will take the night class due to job commitment during the day.

So far I love the energetic teachers at Seoul Global Center (SGC) and Korea Foundation. While SGC is only a review class for me but Korea Foundation's is pretty much intensive and I hope I could keep up with the speed. I love both teachers because surprisingly both of them have so much drive!

That is the only the FREE part.

The scarier part is...

Cost of living:

Dormitory/Hasukjip/Goshiwon - a decent one starts from 3 squared metres with no private bathroom starts from 400,000won per month - includes breakfast and dinner
Daily expenses - if you're really frugal, you can get by with 300,000 won per month. (lunch + transportation fee)
Sightseeing, shopping and entertainment would need more $$$.

For your information;

Current price of:

regular kimbap starts from 1,500won at Kimbap Nara or Chonguk.
mineral water of 500ml starts from 500won
decent cappucino can starts from 3,500won onwards
fruits are expensive but the banana starts from 2,500won (the cheapest I've ever bought)

So if you want to stay in Korea with a tourist visa for a year to get the FREE Korean lesson, how much money should you save?

400,000 won x 12 months = 4,800,000 won
300,000 won x 12 months = 3,600,000 won
Total = 8,400,000 won ~MYR23,000

So expensive? Yes.... You need to save a lot and find some extra cash to support your life expenses too. I would say cash flow is better. Get creative! ^^

What about getting a scholarship? I'm thinking about it..but I'm too lazy though to study all over again. I just want to study things that I'm interested in ie. Korean language and study the culture by travelling and interacting with Korean.

How to be fluent in Korean Language faster?

Find a few Korean penpals 3-4 months ahead and build the trusted relationship there, meet them once you're in Korea and practise
Try to do homestay
Mingle only with Koreans
Offer free language exchange
Don't stop talking in Korean although you will tend to create blunders..don't worry
Read in Korean loudly while you are alone
Memorize a lot of new vocabularies (once you enter Intermediate, new words help sentence construction a LOT)
Study only with fun material which relates to your interest - like KPOP lyrics, Korean drama, Naver web cartoon, Naver junior

Jongmyo Shrine

2012-02-12T08:47:00.004+08:00

This was my first time to Jongmyo Shrine and on my mission to complete the palace tour of the 4 palaces plus a shrine. I had been to the rest and the remaining is only Changgyeonggung palace. Maybe I would visit Changgyeonggung before I leave for Malaysia.

You can actually buy the integrated palaces ticket at any of the palaces ticket counter which includes - Gyeongbokgung, Chandeokgung (Huwon + secret garden), Deoksugung, Changgyeonggung and Jongmyo Shrine for 10,000 won. Ticket is valid for a month and no refund after ticket is used to enter any of the palaces.

What's so special about Jongmyo Shrine?
It's not a palace but a shrine.

That's it?
Yes.

Hehe...

Jongmyo is a Confucian shrine dedicated to the memorial services for the deceased kings and queens of the Korean Joseon Dynasty. Info: Wikipedia

Jongmyo Shrine was built by Lee Seong Gye (1335-1408), the first king and founding father of the Joseon Dynasty. It was a primary place of worship for kings throughout the Joseon Dynasty and has been registered as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site for its well-preserved ancient customs such as memorial services and traditional music. Info: KNTO

Jongno-3(sam)-ga Station (Subway Line 1), Exit 11 or 8, 10-min walk from station.

The easier route from Exit 11, Jongno-3-ga station.

I actually took the longer route as I was from Insadong. The girl inside TIC(Tourist Information Center) booth told me to walk straight after exit 4 and follow the main road till the end. Hmm...there was a road block! So I have to follow this beaten path but I was in for a pleasant surprise. ^^

My route along Anguk main road.

Right after the road block, I took a right turn as I saw a similar stretch of palace walls like in Chandeokgung. My instinct told me that it must be Jongmyo. "Jongmyo shrine is really near!" so I thought. But I was in a rush for the English guide tour at 4.00pm and my clock said it was 3.45pm. Darn..so be it.

I hate running..mainly due to my knee pain so I just enjoyed the stroll and smiled at every passersby; nope..no handsome men or idols. Just old grandmas and grandpas. They had a meetup, drinking and chatting with their old mates. Nice view, nice feeling in -9 degrees celcius and my fingers were freezing cold!

The ticket was 1,000won and the ticket officer kept speaking in Japanese. I was clearly trying to practice speaking Korean here lady... Or was my pronunciation sounded so Japanese after mingling with my Japanese classmates these few days? Or do I look like a Japanese? *O-O* Hehehe..no way!

She told me to follow the English tour guide; all the while speaking in Japanese to me. Aigoo..luckily I understood her instruction and ran towards the entrance.

I missed a few spots and followed the tour guide till the end and surprisingly she asked me; "I wonder how your Korean pronunciation is very good, are you a student?" Hmm..I felt so much better now. At least learning Korean was not a useless inferno and this lady realized that.

If you come to Korea and your trip coincides on the first Sunday of May, do visit Jongmyo Shrine for the Royal shrine rites at 1.00pm.The place is opened for public FREE. It's gonna be a different experience.

More info on Jongmyo Shrine by KNTO here and English guided tour is at 10:00, 12:00, 14:00, 16:00 and it's closed every Tuesday.

More photos on BudgetTravel2Korea Facebook.

Claypot Sujebi at Insadong

2012-02-11T15:25:00.000+08:00

It was snowing quite heavily yesterday afternoon. The temperature dropped a few degrees but it was still chilly. Not much difference.

Snowfall in Insadong.

By now I have bought a least 4 pairs of winter gloves but lost them all, either I misplaced them while riding the subway or left them at any of the public toilets...sheessh..no more buying winter gloves!! I just shoved my hands into my padded jacket pockets and it's still fine.

After class, my classmates decided for Apgujeong to "study for final exam" at Kyuhyun's cafe (Super Junior). Hmm..are they really gonna study there? I wonder..hehe. Kyuhyun will not be there anyway, only his mother. Hahaha..

Rather than Apgujeong, I headed towards Insadong instead after finding this popular Claypot Sujebi restaurant from Wingspoon, a food portal in Korea.

I tried regular sujebi but I would prefer perilla seed sujebi 들깨수제비.

As usual my lunch is always after 2pm to avoid the lunch crowd aka office workers. I reached there at 3pm exactly and appreciated the heater fan warmth directed towards my seat by the sensible ahjumma waitress.

I was the only customer and no one dared to speak to me since I was a foreigner. One of the ahjummas was guessing my nationality with her friends and I just chuckled.

The restaurant ambience was calming - Korean traditional restaurant and you can choose to sit Korean style rather than the normal table with chairs.

The place is quite hard to find for a first timer but worth all the time spent.

Walk after Anguk Station, Exit 6 towards Insadong. Pass Ssamziegil building

and after passing a pharmacy SudoYakguk 수도약국, walk into Insadong-10-gil

road. Walk about 20 metres and you will find a signboard on your right across

an old Korean Traditional House read 인사동 수제비. Walk towards the end of

the alley and you will see the bright yellow signboard.

Wonder what goes into a claypot of sujebi? Check out Maangchi's Korean Recipe for making Sujebi here.

More pictures in BudgetTravel2Korea Facebook.

Hwaseong Fortress Part 2

2012-02-10T14:03:00.004+08:00

Remember when my friends' visited Suwon in 2010? Apparently it's not Hwaseong Fortress but Hwaseong Haenggung (palace) instead. My bad for not checking it properly.

You need to pay separate admission entrance for Hwaseong Fortress -1,000 won and Hwaseong Haenggung - 1,500 won.

As time didn't allow them to track Hwaseong Fortress, they quit the idea. However, the not so adventurous me would not waste my time and tracked it down!! ^^

We stopped by at the tourist information center outside Suwon Station and asked for direction. As usual, no snowfall but Afri just had to take a 'snow moment' picture to bring home. Global warming is showing it's effect much worse this winter.

After the commemoration picture, we walked a few metres to the bus stop for Hwaseong fortress. There are so many bus heading there but we rode bus number 13.

From KNTO info: Take Bus 2, 7, 7-2, 8, or 13 from Suwon Station and get off at Jongno 4-geori (intersection). Walk 5 minutes to fortress.

Along the way, there were many signboard for Hwaseong Fortress but when the announcement said Hwaseong ..bla bla I was panicked (mind you, there's no English announcement), and we immediately stepped down.

We shouldn't have stopped here.

Drop off from the bus only when you see the fortress gate.

T_T The fortress is still quite far! Oh No...so we had to walk quite far to reach the fortress. As usual I didn't care for the harsh weather as I love looking around aka enjoying the moment.

My brain is kinda strange as it could simply ignore the cold weather and focus to the beauty around me instead. But the toll is on Afri, pity her. :( We walked a good mile if not more towards the fortress and fortunately it was a fun stroll along the pavement.

When we arrived at the entrance, I saw the sign for Hwaseong Haenggung (palace) and was confused why there were two separate spots. As we were not strained for time so we just headed for the palace first before going to hike the fortress.

My advice: If you ever want to conquer Hwaseong Fortress, do it from this entrance. This entrance is not as steep as the other.

I love how every breathtaking places that I've been to in Korea are mostly on top of the hills or mountains. "No pain no gain" simply rings the bell here. I used to hate hiking before and amused at how so many Koreans love mountain hiking - 등산 (but not all Koreans though). After hiking several in pain, now only do I understand the real meaning behind 등산.

For more pictures visit BudgetTravel2Korea Facebook.

How to use BT2K effectively?

2012-02-09T21:45:00.000+08:00

BT2K = Budget Travel To Korea.

I just feel the need to let this one out of my chest.

As this blog grows, I have received so much love by the readers and no doubt I am grateful for the attention and appreciation.

However, the swarm of emails and comments with repetitive and similar content are too much for me to handle alone. ^^

Please download the FAQ on the left side of the blog and use the Google custom search on top of Nuffnang advertisement. Nope..it's not a scam. It's an honest to goodness search box. Use it to effectively search the answer to your question before resorting to email me.

As I take my precious time to write as much quality posts as possible, do allocate your precious time to read through the blog as well.

love,
Zarina

P.s. I'm currently preparing for my final exam 14-16th February, wish me luck!

My 3 Seconds Fame On KBS World

2012-02-09T20:21:00.001+08:00

This is pretty ages ago if I mention it now. I know that somehow or another, a few of you had seen me on KBS World for 가족의탄생 or Birth of a Family. The episode was aired on 31st December 2011 but the actual shot was taken about 2 weeks ahead.

Actually it was a coincidence. My classmates wandered around Hongik and I just tagged along for a bite of Baskin Robbins in front of the infamous Hongik park (where Jang Geun Suk and Moon Geun Young's Mary Stayed Out All Night was shot).

When we arrived at the park there were some filming staffs positioning their cameras and stuffs..ding dong!! "Someone famous will come!" so we thought. I hate crowds and would rather avoid it but my friends were pretty excited if we could get a shot at being famous! Hahah..yeah right! *rolling my eyes now*

We saw Kim Byung Man (KBS Gag Concert) and Lee Hwi Jae (We got Married and MCs for many variety shows). Hwi Jae noticed us at the park. Yup..because were so "alien" from the rest!! Hahah..so he asked the staff if he could film a foreigner in the program. After he got the greenlight, my friend Eden tried the Slack Line and the rest was history. ^^ Nope, I didn't get Kim Byung Man or Lee Hwi Jae's signature. No regret whatsoever..but if I ever get the chance to watch Gag Concert Live, only then will I reconsider.

Watch the video here and for the 3 seconds or so where I am famous..haha.

Watch after 7:17

Yonsei University in a glimpse

2012-02-05T18:02:00.000+08:00

I didn't realize that we gonna have graduation night on February 17th!! Time flies...*sigh* That means our final exam will be around the corner as well, in fact in 2 weeks..yikes!!!

Our teacher was confirming our attendance since the first day of the semester today and requesting for any volunteers to perform on graduation night as well. None of us volunteered.

I felt somewhat bittered not because none of us are willing to perform but because I am the least talented in the arts department. T_T

After class last Wednesday, I took some time to let off the steam from studying Korean and checked out Yonsei University. Just walk straight up till the end of the road from the Sinchon rotary and you will see a flyover. Walk through the walkaway and cross the road.

Yonsei University is quite big compared to Ewha University and the architecture speaks of their own reputation. However Yonsei gave me a serious vibe type of school, you know. Heheh..not so much like Sogang University though.

Have you heard of this string of top universities in Korea- SKY?

Seoul Univesity
Korea University - (Guryeo)
Yonsei University

There you have it. ^^ Yonsei University is one of them so that's the answer for that strong vibe I explained before.

How to go to Yonsei University?

From Sinchon Station, Exit 2 or 3, walk straight ahead.

By the end of the road, you will see a church on your right

just before the flyover.

More pictures at BudgetTravel2Korea Facebook.

Korea Foundation Free Korean Class in Seoul

2012-02-01T23:34:00.000+08:00

Sorry for the sudden burst of learning Korean posts this past weeks. The weather is too cold for sightseeing and I'm hibernating instead.

I am now actually looking for FREE Korean class in Seoul to fulfill my evening slots and found a few good ones. As if learning in Sogang University is not enough. Zarina is so greedy!!

As I did mention in recent posts that I might be quitting Sogang University and as you guessed it right this FREE Korean class is my Plan B (도망자). Nope, Rain is still in the army and he will not be attending the same FREE Korean class with me. Dream on, ok? ^^

I have been enlisted for Free Korean Class in Seoul Global Center for Upper Beginner 2 on Tuesday and Friday class (7-9pm) starting next week. Ironically, I sat for placement test today in Korea Foundation Center and was accepted for Intermediate 1.

Hmm..my level is still in that grey area..fluent not fluent, fluent not fluent..and counting my sheep now. Heheh..

As the class starts today in Korea Foundation Center, I attended the class with no expectation whatsoever. But BAM!! I realized that this is what I've been waiting to learn all this while which is -- the useful daily grammars that I am familiar with while listening to the conversations in the train.

My class was quite big, more than 20 people but we had a really good teacher with two assistants. *Sogang University should implement this too*.

I sat with another Sogang University's student and another two from Hongik University!! They speak much much better than me and the whole time we were conversing ONLY in Korean. God, I was so glad!! The grammars were pretty hard but my learning curiosity piqued another notch further.

Korea Foundation Center wrote the book themselves

and available for 17,000 won at major bookstores.

Official site: Korea Foundation Center. or http://volunteer.kf.or.kr/

More pictures at BudgetTravel2Korea Facebook.

Yurim Myeon 유림면, City Hall

2012-01-28T10:35:00.000+08:00

I love mak guksu or bibim guksu. It's simple but if done right, the taste is heaven. I had my first bibim guksu and mak guksu in HomePlus near Jakjeon, Incheon and I fell in love right on the spot. As you know, I love spicy food and it is one of the reason why I could accept Korean food.

When I have a sudden pang for bibim guksu, I kept thinking of the one in HomePlus but one day I was in school and through Naver I found Yurim Myeon!!

Yurim Myeon had a 50 years traditional recipe under its belt and I was curious. So I headed there with Julia and we savoured Bibim guksu and Nembi guksu. Both were marvellous but on winter days, we would prefer warm Nembi guksu. Nembi guksu reminded me of Kitsune Udon..hmm I guess they are the same. The only difference is Yurim Myeon throws in some rice cake..hehe to Koreanize it somehow.

Price wise, Yurim Myeon's is between 7,000 - 8,000 won but HomePlus's is 4,000 won. However, Yurim Myeon's surpassed HomePlus's in terms of taste and satisfaction of course. ^^

Julia vouched for Bibim guksu as she had never tasted non-meat guksu as delicious as this. Myself, I love the strong perilla seeds concoction (you know my infatuation with perilla leaves right?) and promised to myself that I would return for more someday.

If you are around Deoksugung (Deoksu Palace) or City Hall area, try this meal. But don't come around lunch time, it will be a long bee line. After 2pm would be better. I had mine at about 3pm.

What's the difference between Mak guksu / Bibim guksu/ Bibim memil?

Bibim mean rub or mix. It's the same as Bibimbap.
Guksu means noodle from wheat.
Mak/Memil means noodle from buckwheat. Similar to soba noodle.

For Bibim Guksu recipe try MyKoreanKitchen and if you can read Korean, check out Mak Guksu recipe here.

How to go to Yurim Myeon?

Go to City Hall subway station, line 1 or 2, exit 12. Turn backwards and

turn right on the first alley.

More pictures in BudgetTravel2Korea Facebook.

Korean Grammar In Use - Korean Book Review

2012-01-27T22:07:00.000+08:00

If you ever step down in Korea and would like to purchase a book or two for self-learning Korean back home, I would suggest that you acquire these books (Beginner and Intermediate level).

I just received mine today after purchasing it online last Friday.

Normal delivery is within 1-3 days but was delayed due to Seollal.

They are indispensable.

In my opinion, they are better than Sogang University's text book hence I purchased one for myself. I didn't get the beginner book though as Sogang University's Level 1 and 2 pretty much covered the Korean Beginner level's grammar.

Why do I think that it's better than Sogang University's text book?

One of my classmates (he's an American) bought this book and recommend that I get one. As I browsed the content of Korean Grammar In Use (Beginner) book, I think "D***...I should have begun my Korean study with this book!!"The explanation is concise and even if I don't have a Korean teacher, I think learning Korean through context is explained quite well by the writer.

Whenever I learn a new grammar, there's a slight nuance or even subtle difference where it can only be differentiated by contextual example. At times I need a native Korean to explain the difference but most of the time I don't have that luxury. Luckily, this book does the job pretty well. Not perfect but well done.

How to buy the book?
I got mine from GMarket (Seller: Libro) as the seller offered 5,000won slash in price than normal bookstore. Normal price is about 23,000 won.

You could purchase "Korean Grammar In Use" at major bookstores like Kyobo or YP but my classmate found this gem near Sinchon station.

The book store is on the same building as 뮤즈헤어

If you walk out from Sinchon Station, Line 2, Exit 1 walk until you pass Hyundai Shopping complex. Cross the small road and look at your right. The bookstore is located on the 3rd floor and you could find all Korean language books in major international language. Sweet!

More pictures in BudgetTravel2Korea Facebook.

Heart to Heart Talk

2012-01-26T20:24:00.000+08:00

Now is 8.53pm.

I just finished discussing my unwillingness to continue Korean Language Program with Sogang University for the next spring semester..

with Min Young's mother.

You must be wondering how did I converse with her? Mind you, she speaks no English whatsoever except for 'Okay buddy', 'Thank you'.

I was like this..the whole time. Swallowing every little bit of my remaining pride and just be humble. Her speech was as fast as KTX bullet train.

Her advice: I need to continue because it's the only way to progress and the only way to know how much I will leap forward. I shouldn't have doubt Sogang University's credibility of producing quality students especially in speaking Korean fluently in such a short time. I should have strive harder in memorizing more new words and using them with the family instead of wallowing on my classmates' ability. Most importantly, I shouldn't be so stucked up of my ability. The way she sees my proficiency now is like a 3-4 year old Korean child. I couldn't make long sentences and stumbled a lot. I am fortunate as I'm staying with Korean family and is the reason why I could comprehend a lot faster than my classmates. Other than that I'm still slowwwwwwwwwwwwwwww in all aspect.

I have another 3 weeks before the final pay date for next semester's fee.

My dream of being fluent in Korean...should not stop NOW. Not ever.

Durumi bird watching, Gangwondo

2012-01-22T16:21:00.000+08:00

A week before mid term, Min Young's dad brought the whole family to Gangwondo for Durumi watching. Min Young told me it was a bird and she phrased the rhyme occassionally spoken by Hyun Bin in Secret Garden.

Red crowned crane or 두루미 is symbolizes luck, longevity and fidelity.

It is one of the rarest crane in the world and during autumn they will migrate

to Korea and some parts of China to spend the winter. Info from Wikipedia.

This was taken outside of the DMZ area.

"김수한무 거북이와 두루미 삼천갑자 동방삭 치치카포 사리사리센타 워리워리 새프리카 무두셀라 구름이 허리케인 담벼락 서생원에 고양이 바둑이는 돌돌이

Kim suhanmoo keobugiwa durumi samcheongabja Dong Bang Sak Chichigapo Sarisarisaenta Woriwori Saepeurika Moodoosella gureumi heorikaein dambyeorak seosaengwonae goyangyi badookineun Doldolri" - more detailed explanation by Otayamin

Ahhh...apparently even my other Korean friends haven't had the chance to see Durumi personally. Wow..am I lucky or what!! This was my first time ever for bird watching so my initial expectation - I will be bored to death!

Tada...it wasn't so bad. Unfortunately, there's some disappointment as we were not allowed to shoot pictures of the birds.

The Durumi location was inside DMZ area so we couldn't shoot any picture due to military restriction. I had to leave my Alien Registration Card with the soldiers before entering the gate. As usual you must have Korean guide with you before entering DMZ and in my case they are Min Young and her family.

The DMZ area that we visited was near Yeoncheon-gun and by car from Incheon was about 2 hours. We were about 800 metres away from North Korea! There were some binoculars available for 500won for 10 minutes view of the border area but we didn't have 500won with us. Then the soldier did the unexpected! He used a kind of ruler to bypass it so we didn't have to slot a coin. Heheh..

With a soldier at DMZ and he spoke fluent English.

It's a 9 to 5 job as he mentioned and he will finish

his term this October.

Gangwondo is so gorgeous!! Especially during winter and its frozen

river, just like this. I was smitten by the view although its @#$#$^^& cold!

If you wish to go on your own for DMZ tour at Cheorwon, Gangwondo you can actually book a tour from Goseok-jong.

Checkout www.dmz4u.com

From Cheorwon it costs only 10,000 won per pax.

From Seoul to Cheorwon is another story though.^^

Take a bus from East Seoul Terminal to Sincheolwon. The bus operates every 20 to 30 minutes between 06:00 and 22:40 and the journey takes about 2 and a half hours.
At Sincheolwon, Dongsong-eup, take a bus (runs every 20 minutes) and get off at Goseokjeong Bus Stop (20-minute ride) or taxi takes 15 minutes.

More adventurous souls can also visit the small town of Cheorwon, some two hours northeast of Seoul. Once a sizable town and major railway stop commanding the Geumhwa Valley, Cheorwon was literally obliterated during the Korean War - brutal frontline warfare that earned its name, “The Iron Triangle.” - KNTO

Black Smith Restaurant Review

2012-01-21T15:07:00.002+08:00

The lovely Kim Tae Hee is not a black smith but rather the ambassador of 'Black Smith' brazier pizza and grill restaurant; together with Park Yoo Chun (JYJ) and Song Seung Hun (a girl should know when to squeal..oppa!!! ^^).

There are only two Black Smith restaurants in Seoul now - Sinsadong and Gangnam but the one that Afri and me dined was in Garosugil, Shinsadong. If you love Cafe' Bene coffee; Black Smith is their second brand. Basically they are both under the same owner.

This was my second time to visit Garosugil when the last time wast just wandering around the route admiring the pretty cafe's and over priced clothes or accessories.

What we love about Black Smith?

The ambience is rough and vintage. Love it. Somehow I feel that the table is pretty small even for two to dine. The service and the food complement the downside though. Waiters and Waitresses are on their toes and nice looking hehe. Not to mention the main chef!! The moment I walked into the restaurant, he smiled at me. *faint* I know why though. He was surprised as I looked different..err.

We had mango shrimp salad which was heaven sent for 14,500 won and thin margherita pizza which was quite big for 14,500 won. Some garlic toast as appetizer was given FREE while waiting for the food. Overall feeling: Thumbs up!! ^^ If only Song Seung Hun is there....*wishing and wishing*

If you walk out of Sinsadong Station, Line 3, Exit 8 - walk straight and after

about 100 meters you can't miss Black Smith on your left.

Other reviews of Black Smith (in Korean) is here.

More menus at Black Smith Official site.

P/S. Another Black Smith will open some time soon in Myeongdong, near Myeongdong station exit 2.

More pictures from BudgetTravel2Korea Facebook.

Ewha University

2012-01-21T13:47:00.000+08:00

Although Sogang University( Sinchon Station) is just one station away from Ewha University, Line 2 but still it took me no less than a month to finally visit the aesthetic buildings.

Afri came and I took the opportunity to visit Ewha University with her. Ewha University has been the filming spot for many TV programs and if you're lucky you might meet Korean idols or stars like them here.

Right after the exit 2 or 3 of Ewha University Station, you will find a whole stretch of road crowded with shoppers mainly students and youngsters. The ambience felt more relaxed compared to bustling Myeongdong and shopping is fun even if you don't intend to splurge.

Winter brings so many pretty delicacies that we couldn't miss the chance but to savour it. This glazed strawberry was pretty good for 1,000 won. If it's strawberry chocolate it would be better wouldn't it?

We end our perfect evening stroll at C'Lucy cafe just next to the front gate of Ewha University. I had sweet potato latte to go with the strawberry pie which was a perfect disaster. I should have had plain tea instead. That would be the first and the last potato latte for me. Such a weird taste!! Check out other cafe's around Ewha University here.

If you are interested to check out other universities in Korea, KNTO has a recommended list here.

More pictures here.

Mid Term Review, Sogang University

2012-01-21T08:14:00.000+08:00

I had two speaking tests on Wednesday. One was a conversation with my partner (from the same class) and another was with my speaking class's teacher.

We had to pick some lots to determine our conversation partner and after that we had a week to practise 8 different daily situations. My slot was at around 10 am for Korean daily conversation with my partner and interview with my Korean speaking class's teacher at 12.50pm. I was the last in the group.

During the Korean daily conversation test, the interviewer (our teacher) asked us to pick 2 situations by random and we picked 'restaurant recommendation' and 'absence from class' situation. Luckily we practised the former right before the test. Some of my classmates had to speak about 3 or 4 situations but for both of us, we spoke long enough for 2 situations and the teacher was satisfied. Phew...

The other interview test is a one-on-one with the teacher. I was so nervous but still manage to be cool..hehe. It went smoothly and after the interview the teacher asked me what was my learning style or whether I intend to continue study with Sogang University.

I was pretty stunned as that was my thought exactly. Initially I wanted to discuss with the teachers whether Sogang University's program is the best for me. After almost half of the course went by, I think that it's better for me to study the grammar and vocabulary by self-study and have about 2 hours speaking drill. Hence the reason I wanted to take the night class. But the night class is applicable for those with working visa only. Bummer..

My aim : to be fluent in Korean.

My problem : Who could give me speaking drill and be patient with my current Korean speaking level?

Private tuition : Will costs about 40,000 to 50,000 won per hour

I've been coining the idea with Min Young's mother that we would speak for an hour everyday only in Korea. However, I need it to be structured as in today I will use this set of vocabularies and this set of grammar. As she will be my informal teacher, I still need to give her some fees.

Why I don't want to continue with Sogang University?
It might seem too early to decide now but I feel that there's so many unnecessary homework and my speech is still unnatural. Not to mention occasional stuttering and the awkwardness to use new vocabularies that my classmates haven't learned yet. I might be looking into YBM or MKA after the semester ends where the class is more focused and lesser students per class.

How to buy cheap handphone in Korea

2012-01-17T11:10:00.002+08:00

I have my IPhone but it's useless here so now it's totally behaving like an ITouch. Arghh..but anyway my IPhone is still usable when there's FREE Wifi signal around. I had been to KT and SK headquarter but they asked me to check with Celcom since my handphone is under contract and it might be locked.

I did check out the handphone around Sinchon or Sogang University but I need to fork out some money even for used handphone, at least 40,000 won. I know I'm stingy so I won't be doing that since I'm not working and have no stable cash flow at the moment.

So my only option is to buy a used handphone. I visited the same shop back in 2009 and it is still there!! Yeay.. The used phone is so many and some are even FREE. My choice? Definitely the free phone.^^

I chose LG plan instead of KT or SK. Just to be different..haha. Min Young uses KT and her mother uses SK.

Used phone - 0 won
Prepaid - 10,000 won (available for 30 days)
Phone cable - 2,000 won.
Total - 12,000 won.

But...used phone does come with its downside.

No antenna - if you want to watch tv
No spare battery
Battery depletes very fast - I have to recharge every night
Not a 'smart' phone obviously, just a simple text and call phone.

Take subway to Dongdaemun History and Culture Park Station,

Exit 5, Line 5 or 4. From Exit 5, you will see Woori Bank right after

the exit and turn right. Then walk straight, cross the road and walk straight

until you see this hand phone shop.

By the way, I find it interesting that Whatsapp is available when I checked into FREE Olleh or T-Wifi signal while riding the subway. KakaoTalk or Viber is not working though. Whatsapp used to be free for download from Appstore but now is chargeable.

How to recharge prepaid phone in Korea?
It depends on the service either KT, SK or LG. Like mine, I could recharge the prepaid at any shop bearing the LG U+ or LG Uplus sign.

Interview Exam in Sogang University

2012-01-16T11:09:00.000+08:00

Interview?

Sogang University Korean Language exam consists of mid term and final exam. Both exams equals to 100% of marks - 40% mid term + 50% final +10% miscellaneous ( attendance, assignment, class participation and etc.)

In each exam, you will sit for listening, reading, speaking and writing. I have sat for reading and listening, speaking and writing. In total there are 3 papers. Then the most nerve wracking is this week's exam which is interview.

The speaking class teacher will choose a partner by picking lots for each of the student and we need to practise around 8 types of daily Korean conversations. Don't worry cause you have your text book for guidance.

How do I tackle Sogang University interview exam?
My partner and I went to Lotteria, grabbed a 1,000 won coffee (Promotion price from 2pm to 6pm) and recorded our 40 minutes conversation with my reliable Sony Mp3 player. ^^

I love my coffee black at all times but sad to say that

I need to throw in some sugar into Lotteria coffee

though.

As told by my friends who have attended Level 1, my partner and me will be tested around 15 minutes for the conversations. Not all but if you've cleared one Korean daily conversation then you will be tested the next conversation until the 15 minutes end.

After that, you will have a one on one interview exam with the teacher, ALONE for about 10 minutes. My exam will be on Wednesday at around 10am and 12.50pm respectively. I'm so freaking out now cause I know that I will be a total klutz.

Sogang University emphasizes on speaking hence the interview exam. I don't know about other universities though. If you want to proceed to the next level you must exceed 70% from the total marks otherwise you need to repeat. Which I don't think I want cause the fees is quite a burden.

If you fail one part of the exams you are allowed to resit for that paper but if you fail two or more, you need to repeat the level.

Pencil Guesthouse Review

2012-01-15T13:03:00.001+08:00

By end of 2011, I met a Malaysian friend who's currently working in one of the ubiquitous guesthouses in Hongdae area.

Have you ever heard of Pencil Guesthouse? It is situated closely to the infamous Kimchi Guesthouse. My friend is Zuruel or you may call him _ _ _ _ (his other Korean nickname ^^ which he hates!).

The guesthouse that Zuruel works in is the newest addition to Pencil Guesthouse strings. Pencil Guesthouse 2. Say why am I now promoting guesthouse in Hongdae instead of Myeongdong?

I admit that I raved about Myeongdong too much in the past (too excessively maybe) but Hongdae area is not that bad either. Hongdae; as the second syllable means 'university' in Korean is closely situated to Sinchon where you find three famous universities. Yonsei University, Hongik University and Sogang University (where I'm learning Korean now ^^).

Wait..........is Sogang University that famous? Perhaps only for Korean Language Center.
Back to Pencil Guesthouse 2 shall we?

According to Zuruel; Pencil Guesthouse 2 has been opened for almost a year now and as I'd seen the place myself, the facilities are spanking new!! One point that attracted me the most is the POP art splashes right before the entrance. Neat, right?

Location wise -- might be intimidating if you are a first-timer in Seoul but rest assured that no hiking needed. No hill whatsoever. Flat surface. Pheww..but subway is no joke, very convenient but very hard to locate the elevator. Please come with Incheon Airport Limousine bus instead of subway if you bring a huge luggage. You will thank me for this later! ^^

Facilities wise -- private kitchen ( I love this!), private bathroom, FREE laundry as each room is equipped with a washing machine but no free breakfast :(. Pencil Guesthouse 2 is an hostel type and there is no elevator to the top. The building is about 4 levels and just ask some help from the friendly staffs to bring your heavy luggage up. Bicycles are FREE on first come first serve basis.

Room rate wise - not the cheapest around but you get what you pay for.

Things to do - mostly shopping, university tour and younger tourists love the clubs here.

For more info visit http://hostelhongdae.com

Click here for other budget accommodation.

Mid Term Exam in Sogang University

2012-01-10T20:29:00.001+08:00

Just went through mid term Korean language exam for Sogang University this morning for speaking, reading and listening and I am glad that I could nail most of of the questions. Alhamdulillah. I'm not boasting about my ability if you think I am. Will tell in details why I said that in a minute. Tomorrow will be the writing exam which I hate the most and next week will be the interview exam which is the hardest and the most important one. As told by my classmates, mid term exam constitutes 40% of the marks from the course.

Back to the reason why I thought that Level 2 of Sogang University's is easy? Because I have sat for TOPIK beginner and intermediate exam before in 2009 and 2010 respectively and from my perspective Sogang University's Level 2 is harder than TOPIK beginner but easier than TOPIK intermediate. But why am I assigned to level 2 not level 3 or 4? Because my Korean is not fluent and I admit it. ^^ The grammar and vocabulary for level 2 seems like a revision for me and hopefully I could move to level 3 faster where I could explain my ideas and opinion better with longer sentences which means I need the immersion.

With regards to writing class, honestly I failed to catch with the never ending homework but I make it a point to use as much of level 2 grammars in my sentences. That way I could improve my writing. Writing class also made me think of giving up the whole course sometimes but because I have paid this course with my own hard earned money, I don't think I want to fail myself even before trying my hardest, right? ^^

If I manage to step up to level 3, I'm thinking of taking night class next semester where the class is not frequent; only 3 times per week, cheaper, more time for me to concentrate on building more vocabulary and more time for me to travel and update the blog. ^^ Some might say that I might delay my goal to be fluent but I'm trying to take some time off to practise the language with natives rather than repeating mindless conversational passages in class. Hmmm..or I might just drop the writing class and attend the 15 hours regular class instead.

Back to study yo! ^^

Korea Rail Pass Travel

2012-01-07T13:10:00.000+08:00

Afri and I went to Busan and Gyeongju with Korea Rail Pass from 28th till 30th December 2011 and it was rather cheap for 2 pax of 3 days travel for about 76,100 won per pax (Saver classification). If you pay individually for Korea Rail Pass it would be 84,600 won for 3 days travel and sets the difference at 8,500 won.

We would save more time if travelling by plane but Afri had never rode KTX before so we decided to ride one. Furthermore, flight fare was more expensive as we didn't book ahead and it's holiday season so we opted for Korea Rail Pass instead. As I had rode all the three type of trains - KTX, Saemaeul and Mugunghwa; there are not much difference except for speed.

We rode the 6.30am KTX train departing from Seoul Station.

Inside KTX.

It took us about 2 hours to reach Sin Gyeongju KTX Station and 40 minutes to reach Busan KTX Station from Sin Gyeongju. Unfortunately we only spent a day in Gyeongju and a day in Busan. I would love to spend more time in Gyeongju compared to Busan cause I had been to Busan too many times and the better part of Busan is only the beaches. Gyeongju is the remnant of Shilla Dynasty and I would love to properly explore the area. I know it sounds boring but my advice - Come during autumn or spring. Gyeongju is breathtaking!!

Sin Gyeongju KTX station

You may buy the ticket online and I bought the ticket 2 days ahead and exchanged it to Korea Rail Pass at Suwon KTX station. You could exchange it at any of KTX stations like in Seoul Station. The reason I exchanged it at Suwon was because we were in Suwon visiting the Hwaseong Fortress.

Note that the Korea Rail Pass is only for foreigners and you might get a seat or you might not. It's not a sure thing. Try not to travel out of Seoul during major holidays. From my experience, we arrived at KTX station at least 30 minutes before departure and normally there are 100 or so economy seats remaining for booking. If you didn't get to book your desired time, just book the next departing train. There are so many of them and the trains run every 15 to 30 minutes.

For more information on Korea Rail Pass click here.

Queen Seondok Tomb, Gyeongju

2012-01-05T20:47:00.000+08:00

The last time I went to Gyeongju was back in 2009 where I had to skip visiting Queen Seondok Tomb as I ran out of time. Basically Queen Seondok Tomb is similar to other huge tombs that you could see in the park in Gyeongju but the location is amazing. It was situated in a dense forest full of red trunk pine trees.

You can use T-Money in Gyeongju and Busan now but only GS25 could recharge T-Money and they were scarce. If you tend to visit Gyeongju and Busan remember to recharge your T-Money in Seoul before you go. Public bus per ride is about 1,500 won for adult and you will get 50 won off the fare if you use T-Money. While in Busan the ride by bus or subway is calculated by sector and the fare starts from 1,200 won.

Me and Afri visited Queen Seondok Tomb after visiting Bulguksa and Seokguram Grotto and there is no admission fee for it. However the bus schedule is about 1 hour each so we kinda asked the taxi driver in front of Bulguksa Park and the driver offered 13,000 won per ride and he could drop us right in front of the tomb gate. But we declined and waited for bus number 10 which stopped at the nearest bus station to Queen Seondok Tomb. I kinda estimated that we walked about 10 minutes up to the hill but the taxi driver exaggerated the duration up to 20 minutes!! Luckily we didn't pick the ride.

Honestly, I have never watched Queen Seondok drama until after this visit. After coming back from Gyeongju I really wonder how the story is and am now watching 13th episode..arghh, a long way to go.

Do remind the bus driver or taxi driver your drop off point.

선덕여왕릉 is pronounced "Seondong yeowang neng."

Don't ask we why it is pronounced differently from the

character cause I might mess up your Korean. ㅋㅋㅋ

Spot the difference between the two pictures above? I am not

there! Heheh..tettttttttt...you're wrong! Notice that the distance

to Queen Seondok Tomb is 50m in the first picture and this picture

states 450m. But we think that both are wrong! The distance is

somewhere in between. ^^

Just walk along this road till you meet ...

..this..

See what I mean? And this is just the entrance of the forest. So..so

breathtaking.

Queen Seondok chose the location before her demise and when

I give it a thought, it is rather true from her point of view. The scenery

from her tomb is magnificent.

Queen Seondok Tomb.

On the way back we saw this tractor? *I don't know what is this called ^^*

It was making the hay into square blocks and we were rather amazed

so did some other visitors..hahaha

For more information on Queen Seondok, check out Wikipedia.

Seoul Plaza Skating Rink

2012-01-04T17:58:00.001+08:00

1,000 won??!!

So cheap hence the crowd is humongous T_T. Afri and I passed the skating rink after visiting Doksu Palace (Deoksugung) last week. At the time we were there, the rink was closed for break around 30 minutes after every 1 hour skating session. Seoul Plaza Skating Rink is just right across Doksu palace (Deoksugung) and you may go there by subway for City Hall Station, line 1 (dark blue), Exit 5 or 6.

Official website: Seoul Plaza Skating Rink

Korean teenagers crossing the road with their skating shoes.

Haechi statue for photo spot.

I couldn't really remember the exact temperature but it

fluctuated between -11 to 0 celcius. So far, we rarely

seen snow fall. I felt sorry for my friend. :(

See the bee line? I fared quite bad with roller skating so I think

ice skating would be the same. I don't know..if the crowd is not

that huge, I might skate one day.

You can either buy the ticket online or from the counter.

Check out this Naver blogger Hyunokmun for more details (in Korean).

A week off from Sogang University

2011-12-31T13:27:00.000+08:00

I am on holiday for the whole week until 1st January 2012 so the reason of no posts..teehee. Nope, I'm not abandoning the blog if you might think so. My friend Afri from Singapore visited me and we spent some quality time to travel together towards year end. All the updates will be coming in hordes after Sunday.

Well, first and foremost, I want to wish everyone

Happy New Year!!

2012 is welcoming us and we gonna say bye to 2011 pretty soon. *count down around Jonggak Station anyone? ^^* I have no particular resolution for 2012 but if given the choice, in no particular order,

to be healthier
to be fluent in Korean *in a year? hmm..*
to find my significant half? *ehemmmmmmmm*
to help, give and love more and more
to inspire and be inspired
to be stronger spiritually, mentally and physically
the list go on and on..

I have received countless supports, emails, laughter, inspiration from many of you readers out there for the past wonderful year and feel sorry when I didn't even keep my due diligence ie. replying emails on time, posting updates and stuff. Nevertheless, please take your time to check out the FAQ, which I am grateful if you could go through that first *why am I even repeating this..hehe I sound like a mother don't I?*

One more thing, so many of you has requested me to be your tour guide in South Korea; unfortunately I have to decline as my study doesn't allow me to be one. Hence the reason that 2012 is such a great year for me to not stray from my passion to keep http://budgettravel2korea.blogspot.com/ as informative as possible for all of you out there.

Do support me all the way, be it in your pray, friendship or gratitude and be passionate in whatever you do!

"The only way to do great work is to love what you do.

If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle" - Steve Jobs

Cheers!

Love,
Zarina

P.S. If you meet me in Seoul or anywhere else, don't be afraid to say hi or Salam to me. I really appreciate it.

Ring making at Ssamziegil,Insadong

2011-12-23T18:48:00.001+08:00

Today we had outdoor class activity in Insadong!! But the weather was freezing cold and it was about minus 12 celcius when I walked out to the bus stop. Normally I don't wear gloves but today was my limit, I just had to otherwise my fingers would be so dry and terribly painful.

I was fascinated by this man's skill and wish I am that talented

but... What I love about Anguk Station is that they exhibit a lot

of arts like this and Insadong, Chandeokgung palace and Samcheong-dong

(where many Hanok houses and Lee Min Ho's Personal Taste shooting location)

is just walking distance!

We; all the students from Level 2 (Sogang University) gathered at Anguk Station, Exit 6 at about 10am. My classmates participated except for one girl. We walked out from Exit 6 and walked really fast towards Ssamziegil (쌈지길). The shop's name was 체험공방 and located at the basement floor. Immediately turn left after you pass Ssamziegil entrance and head downstairs. All of us dominated the shop..hahaha.

Christmas decoration at Ssamziegil entrance.

We were offered between making a ring or phone strap but I chose ring instead because it's simple and I'm simply too lazy to design (actually I'm not creative..that's the real reason..shhhh! don't tell anyone ^^).

The bling-bling shell powder for our ring.

My ring for10,000 won.

My classmates - ring team.

My classmates - handphone strap team. My teacher is on far left.

The shop where Jo Kwon and Gain made their couple ring

is just beside our shop . ^^

How to Buy Winter Boots in Korea

2011-12-22T21:10:00.000+08:00

Recently as winter is becoming harsher as days go by in Seoul I was worried about the condition of my health particularly my feet. My feet stands at 265cm, so it is kinda hard to shop around for winter boots as on average the shoes size sold are normally up to 250cm. It took me quite a while before settling for one average looking winter boots which fits my size but not my preference T_T.

Min Young did help me to find winter shoes on the internet via Naver but I rejected the idea as I'm too lazy to return the winter boots if the size doesn't fit or I don't get it as on screen. Things like that do happen while you do internet shopping and it gets on my nerve sometimes. But, if you still insist to buy online and your situation is as typical as mine ^^ by all means run this keyword "큰 부츠" it means big size boots.

The links inside the red box sell big size winter boots.

I bought this black winter boots unintentionally while checking on Pizza Plus Halal restaurant in Dongdaemun area. Actually I have been to this area a few times before back in 2009 and 2010 but I didn't realize it until I saw stacks of shoes sold beside the road! Ahaa..and now I must buy the shoes!

Walk out from exit 5 of Dongdaemun station, Line 1.

Walk straight and you will see Pizza Plus Halal restaurant

on your left and just walk ahead and you will walk along

many shops selling cheap winter clothes like thermal clothes/

long john - 10,000 won (a set), winter gloves as low

as 1,000 won and winter socks as low as 500 won!!

At the end of the road, turn left and you won't miss sellers

selling shoes in bulk!

So many shoes and they are cheap too!!

The winter boots are sold from 10,000 won. If your shoe size is

250cm and below it's pretty easy to find winter boots here.

Actually not only in Dongdaemun, you can find winter boots sold

practically everywhere during winter.

My 35,000 won dull looking winter boots. T_T I wore it this morning to

school and it was really warm. It has done the job well but my feet

sweated in the warm rapid train on the way back home. Not only that, my

butt got burnt up by the seat in the subway too. Hahaha..