Le Trip To Busan (Day #1)

Haeundae (해운대), Busan

If you are in South Korea, probably you will be wondering what Busan looks like. 

Basically, Busan is a city with some beautiful beaches since it is located at the southeast of South Korea. I can say that the beaches are modern ones. Why are they sophisticated? It's because even if you are in the beach, you will still be able to see skyscrapers. I am not sure about other countries' beaches, but in Indonesia, the beaches are literally beach.. which means no skyscrapers, and even you will hardly find signal for your cellphone. lol. 

This post is related to How to Apply Free Shuttle Bus From Seoul to Busan, South Korea. So, if you haven't read that post, you'd better read it since it will help you to get from Seoul to Busan without any charge! Seriously. No kidding.

I went there on July 26 - 28, 2012. Well, here is my story!

Day #1. Arrival at Lotte Hotel: 13.00 Korean Time.

By the time you arrive there, I am sure that you'll have been feeling so damn hungry, except if you bring snacks to feed your growling hunger during the trip! What I did to overcome this madness was by eating Dakssambap (닭쌈밥). I am not sure whether this dish is originally from Busan, but who cares, I was starving to death. Haha. It costed KRW 4900. Cheap, eh? No doubt. The chicken tasted really well. Freshly baked and so Indonesian. It is located behind the Lotte Hotel.

Next, I went to meet my friend Kevin and Gary, along with Conal, of course, at Seomyeong Station. I bet you'll kinda confused to find where it is. It is located beneath the Lotte Department Store. Our first destination was Beomosa (범어사) Temple, to learn air bending skill. Haha.

Beomosa - The Tranquilizing Buddhist Temple Backgrounded in Green Hills Stretching Above The Horizon

If you are interested to know more about Buddhist culture, this place suits you. I can say that the atmosphere was really supportive for meditation or such things since it was so quiet. There, you will meet monks with grey clothes, just like on TV (The Journey to The West). There are  also golden Buddha statues inside some of the buildings. Actually, there was Home Stay service here, but at that time there were children only. Make sure that you visit the river.. bringing some snacks and a mat for picnic on the river is not a bad idea. It's worth to try! 

Gwangalli Beach - Where Random Dance Takes Place

If you come here at night, there will be a open-space club on the beach. At that time, there were mainly old people, dancing in a Latin manner. I liked it though, since I love Latin songs. There was no fee to enter the open-space club. What made me amazed was people did not know one another but they could easily find partner for dancing. Then once the music stopped, they separated again. Even one of my friends, Conal, got onto the dancing area and he asked a woman to teach him dancing. I was so speechless. Hahaha. Then, if you are tired, you can go towards the beach and witness the rainbow bridge:

Gwanggalli Bridge (광안리 대교)

Dont forget to bring TRI-POD, I forgot to bring it.. I regret it so much. The picture above is taken without tripod, hence the result is not that satisfactory. 

SongJeong Beach - My Resting Area. Then since we were bagpackers, we decided to spend a night at Jjimjilbang. The cost was KRW 8000 per 12hours per person. It is located at SongJeong (송정). From station number 201, we took a taxi. When we arrived at the beach, we were relaxed by the calm breeze of sea wind.. and the beach was decorated with tables with colorful lamps, tempting me to take a snapshot even we were tired. haha.

SongJeong Beach (송정 바다)

I think that was our first day of trip. Not to mention that we also had dinner (all you can eat) in Seomyeong for KRW 11,000.  ㅋㅋ. 

Tips!

If you are planning to sleep in a jjimjilbang, you don't need to bring your own pajamas and towel. Just use what they will have provided.. you have paid for them! Trust me, they take a lot of space in your bag! Haha.

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How to Apply for Free Shuttle Bus from Seoul to Busan, South Korea

Hello there! It's been almost a year! Haha.

In this post I wanna share how to get a free shuttle bus from Seoul <--> Busan! You guys love free stuffs right? Everyone does. #youdontsay

Normally, if you live in Seoul or nearby,  like Incheon, you'll need approximately KRW 60,000 or USD 52.80 for a round trip from Seoul to Busan by train.

If you have a passport, then you are eligible for this!

The first thing to do is to visit this link: 

http://english.visitkoreayear.com/english/benefit/benefit_07_01_01.asp

Read the pop-up notes carefully.

Then you will notice the calendar for the schedule, please note that you can only book at the maximum of D-11. So, if you want to travel at 12 August 2012, make sure that you have applied for it before 2 August 2012. If you have decided the date, then click on the name of your destination, either Busan or Joenju. 

Another page will come out, just click "I Agree" then you can fill out the registration form. Easy, eh? Fill it according to your real data, because I think that they will check it. 

The seats are very limited, so there will be a kind of lottery. They will pick the lucky ones RANDOMLY. The ones who are close to departure from Korea will most likely get it. However, pray for it! Haha. In my case, I did not get it, but my friend, Conal got one and since he applied for 2 seats, he asked to join him. 

In D-10 there should be a confirmation email. If you don't get it, then sorry, try again! Otherwise, you well get the ticket and you can print it out and bring it with you at the D-Day. 

The meeting point for going to Busan is here:

It is easy to get there, once you get out from the Gwanghwamun Station, you can see colorful buses in 100-m radius. You have to ask the committee there to make sure that you are in the correct bus! We got a nice "Visit Korea" tumbler from them. They are so kind.

There will be 2 resting area during the trip. However, I suggest you to bring some snacks or lunch since it will take 5-6 hours (you need to bring your own food). Bringing gadgets would be better, to kill the time, of course! 

I think that's all what I need to share. I hope you can get the ticket! Happy traveling! Enjoy Korea!
Let me know if you get one, I will share to how to survive in Busan at a minimum cost, my version. Haha.

Note: Changes of system may occur in the future.

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Summer School 2011 - Inha University, South Korea

South Korea was one of the countries listed in my wanna-go-there list. So, when I knew that there was a summer school to South Korea, I promised myself that I should join the program. This program was held by Inha University; and Binus University has cooperated with them, so it was kinda easier for Binusians to join. The program started at August 1, 2011 and ended at August 19, 2011.. The program was open for all Inha's partners across the globe: Indonesia, China, Japan, Russia, India, Italy, Turkey, USA, and many others that I cannot remember. So, are you ready for the story? Here it is!!

Note: This post contains the very brief version about the main programs of this Summer School. I think I will post other more-detailed stories later on.

The Departure

The group from Binus University gathered at the Soekarno - Hatta International Airport, Jakarta. At that time, Binus' International Office chose me to be the leader for Binus group. Well, I couldn't say anything at that time. It was so weird that we did not discuss anything but then I was chosen suddenly. Hahaha.. So, I helped my friends for the check-ins, etc. Yeah, I wonder if I lost all the tickets I brought at that time.. Our story would end there. LOL. Fortunately, I could handle them well. We departed from Indonesia at 11.20 PM. The flight took 7 hours.. and during the flight, I ate Bibimbap for the first time. It was really delicious. :)

Inha University, Incheon, South Korea

One term for Inha University : A city in a city. Inha University is so spacious and so green! Yeah, even  a miniature of an airplane could fit on the yard of the main building. Well, if we compare to Indonesian university, Inha University is like Universitas Pelita Harapan. Since it's summer, the weather was humid and hot. Contrary to fact, Indonesia is still hotter, I guess. :p

The yard next to the Main Building

Well, the picture below is the dormitory. I lived there during the Summer School. The place was nice, and I was kinda shocked that the shower room is shared. There were no partitions between the showers. Umm.. cultural shock. Hahaha. There's dining hall also, we could eat either Korean food or International food there. Kimchi was always available. Yummy~

The Dormitory

The Classes

Basic Korean Language Class - D

Remember, I was not having a holiday. I was studying there. However, frankly, I spent more time to explore Korea than to study. Hahahaha.. I'm sure that all participants did the same thing. I had to have 3 classes there. Two classes were mandatory : Korean Culture Class and Korean Language Class, while for the other one, I chose Introduction to Korean Business Class. 

Field Trip #1 - Korean Folk Village

Hendrik - JaeYong - Me - Hartono posing in front of "don't-know-the-name" monument. Thanks to Rapenda for the picture.

Field trip was included in the program. For the field trip in the first week, we went to Korean Folk Village. Oh! I forgot to introduce my buddy, Han Jae Yong (한재용) a.k.a. James. I was in one group with Hartono and Rapenda. JaeYong hyung was our tour guide during the field trip.. thanks, hyung!

"Random Pose" :p

I think the time provided was not enough. We enjoyed the trip, but we could not explore much about the place. JaeYong hyung explained to us about Korea in old times: the housing, the culture, superstitions, and many others. Awesome!! He explained them to us very clearly.. of course with some hilarious topics mixed in it, like how children should pee in ancient times.. hahaha.. The first field trip ended up in making rice cake!! 

Making rice cake - smashing the dough.

All the participants were so enthusiastic to smash the dough using the provided wooden hammer. Since some participants were somehow had extra energy, the dough was thrown away out of the area. LOL. After we had finished smashing it, the guides cut the dough into pieces and mix them with soy bean powder.. then we were allowed to eat the rice cake. 맛있다!

Site Visit #1 - Bank of Korea

Since I chose Introduction to Korean Business as the elective course, I could join the site visit to Bank of Korea. Well, they introduced to us how they manage the economy of Korea. The most interesting part was when they showed us their vault to save physical money. WOAH!! I really wanted to take one.... one stack of KRW 50000. LOL. Unfortunately, taking picture in the vault was forbidden. There were also the documentation about all forms of Korean money since old times until nowadays. When we had finished, they gave us souvenirs. The souvenirs were coins which are commonly used, packed in a book-like box, and a wallet to save cards. They were so kind! Thanks, BOK.

Field Trip #2 - Gyeongbukgong Palace & Nanta Show

Gyeongbukgong Palace was so broad! The place showed us the history of Korean kingdom, well, once again, JaeYong hyung became our tour guide. Thanks, hyung! Hahaha.. At that time the weather was not friendly at all.. rainy all the day.. just some moments without rain.. and again, the time was not enough. There was a museum also.. much information was provided there, but we were in rush to watch... THE NANTA SHOW!! :D

Alright, this is a spoiler. Nanta show is like High School Musical. The show took place in a kitchen as the backgound. Mixed with some jokes and talents in playing cooking utensils, Nanta was really worth watching.  The story was about an annoying manager who was so grouchy towards his workers, but very nice towards his nephew. He asked his workers to prepare some meals just in less than an hour. The dance, the music, the surprise, the competition, and the drama were all well packed in the show.   I'm really sure that the show required much concentration from the the players. Once the players could not concentrate, they would hurt themselves. The show took approximately 90 minutes. The players were from the Orange team. Woah! They were really breath-takingly awesome. Lucky us that watching this show was included in the program. :D

Site Visit #2 - Incheon Free Economic Zone

The place was so futuristic. They explained to us what Incheon will look like in few years from now. Looks so elegant and modern!! We watched the 4D and 5D about the future of Incheon city. 

I really hope that I can take part in the project someday. Yeah, I love technology so much.

Again, we got a souvenir from them.. This time, we got a cloth, just like towel, I guess, but I'm not sure.. lol.

Korean Culture Competition Day

Our Performance - Roly Poly Dance

South Korea is really famous of its K-Pop thingy. Well, to make the program much more interesting, Inha University included this kind of competition in the program. When I knew that there would be a competition, I really wanted to join, but at that time, I did not know what to perform and with whom I would perform. Luckily, my friends were also eager to join the competition. Therefore, a team which  consisted of 10 people: Daniel, Herbert, Harry, Hartono, Arya, Felicia, Ferina, Glory, Mitha, and I, is formed. We decided to dance. At first, we only combined T-ara's Roly Poly and Super Junior's Mr. Simple for the music. It was really short.. only 2 minutes! I thought we needed to add more.. What came to my mind at that time was Tae Yang's Wedding Dress. I told my friends about this. They agreed, and I taught them the dance moves.. It happened that they said that the dance moves were really difficult.. oh my.. the only way to solve this was... they asked me to dance that part by myself.. WTH!! I just refused that offer instantly.. but then, since they really asked me to do it, I could not reject anymore. Then, I thought that since it was a very rare event, I should make it very memorable.. I found myself to be very abnormal.. LOL. Until now, I still cannot believe that I was so crazy at that time. 

The Farewell Party

Time did fly so damn fast!! Three weeks were not enough!! The moment which we were not waiting for had come. During the farewell party, they announced the winner of the competition. One team from Binus University who joined the singing contest won!! Congratulations!! Hahahaha. I could not remember all the champions. Maybe I'll update this post later on.

Although my team didn't win the competition, I was not upset since I had succeeded to make the most memorable and craziest event in my life. I love my team. But wait, our Italian fellas loved our performance very much.. they even made their own version of the certificate of award for our performance.. thanks to you all :)

Certificate of Award from our friends from Italy. Grazie!!

The dinner was kinda touching.. some of my friends cried since they knew that they would back to where they belong in no time. Our friendship grew so fast, we were like a family already. All of the participants got the certificate, and we took so many pictures together.. Woah!! I could not believe that it was the closing of this Summer School. :( 

Participants from Binus University - We're All in This Together

The next morning, we had to make sure that our belongings had been packed up. Then, at 12.45, many participants gathered at the lobby of our dorm.. one of my friend started to cry, then another one, another two, three, four, ...... and finally, 95% of us could not hold our tears. Even my friends whom I know that they were strong people, let their tears come out!! Since then, I knew that friendship would not be perfect without sharing joy and tears. We took pictures with our friends as many as possible with a hope that we could meet again someday.

I've got so many friends, knowledge, experience, and so much fun!! Joining this Summer School was really worth it!! I really wanna say thanks to God, Inha University (International Office, the lecturers, etc), Binus University (especially Binus IO), my buddies (Yeah, I had more than one buddy at that time, unofficially.. :p), my roommates, my BNEC fellas, my dance group, the photographers, my Binusian friends, the cooks at the dorm, all the participants of 2011 Inha Summer School, and everyone.. you all have colored my life. 

We departed as perfect strangers, we went home as a family.

Thanks for reading, I hope my experience can inspire you, or at least, enrich your knowledge. I think I should post more detailed and crazy stories next time! Stay tuned! If you are curious about this program, just contact me! I'd be glad to share my experience. However, please note that if I share our story in detail to you, you might be the next participant. Take it by your own risk! LOL.

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Google+ , The Facebook Killer?

What came to your mind when you heard Google+ (read: Google Plus) for the first time? I thought Google+ was a kinda advanced search engine. Then, when I opened up http://plus.google.com, I was totally wrong. 

That's the icon of Google+ project. Yep, Google never leaves its characteristic: a simple logo with fun and eye-catching colors. Facebook uses "f" for its logo. Twitter used "t" - but now, a bird -  as its icon, while Google uses "g". I wonder whether one-letter logo makes a company successful. lol.

For now, Google+ is still in BETA version. I have registered for the BETA Tester, and thanks to my friend who has invited me. This is the screenshot :

Very simple in layout. If you think that it's similar to Facebook, don't worry, you're not alone.

The slogan of Google+ :

"Real-life sharing, rethought for the web."

Is it really that good? Let's check it out!


Feature #1 : Circles

This feature is similar to Facebook's group. It lets you share things to group of people you've categorized. In other words, you'll still be able to do stupid things without your boss' knowing by putting your boss to "the untouchable" circle. How evil I am. lol. If you watch the video, you will love the interface of it.

Feature #2 : Sparks

Friends always have some things in common. This feature will enable you to subscribe to feeds that you really cannot live without.  There will always be newsworthy things that will get rid your boredom. Discuss things with your friends. Anything. Yes, anything. Stay up to date with things that fascinate you the most!

Feature #3 : Hangouts

Finally, the feature I've been waiting for for Social Networking has been brought to reality. Woah.. I wonder how many people will be able to gather in the real-life-in-cyber-world live streaming. It looks so fun. No need to install a software to have a video chat. However, I wonder whether it needs much bandwidth. As you might have known, the internet connection in Indonesia is.. somehow.. slower than a Llama. Well, for busy people, this feature will be very beneficial since they'll be able to have meeting throughout the web. 

Feature #4 : Instant Upload (For Mobile)

Do you hate it the most when you have to upload your photos you have taken? With this feature, photos and videos are automatically uploaded to your Google+ account. However, they won't be published until you decide to publish it. In other words, you'll just need to click publish if you're ready to publish them.

Feature #5 : Huddle (For Mobile)

Well, it's not very special, I guess. It provides us with group chat. Simple yet useful. But there is no specialty which distinguish this chat with other services. However, I love the GUI. So tidy.

Facebook's "Like" VS Google+'s "+1"

If Facebook has Like button, then Google+ has "+1" button. This very simple button will spread around the web in no time. So, what's so special with this button? This button is more likely a recommendation button for your friends. It will adjust the spotlight to things you give points to. The more people press the +1 button, the more popular the content will be on the feeds. The points will be visible at Google search (if you have logged into Google+). So, this will be very beneficial for recommending your friends about something need-to-be-visited on the web. Happy sharing! Below is the video for this feature, in case you need more detailed information.

 

Basically, the market of Social Networking is really being competed. Friendster closed down few months ago and has begun a new start for Friendster games. Facebook is still on its peak, and so is Twitter. In my opinion, Google+ will give more secure private data compared to Facebook. Yes, Facebook lacks of managing personal data, our privacy is not really well-protected in Facebook. Google, as what we have known, is more expert since it has existed for more than a decade. So, will this Google+ be the Facebook killer? Let's wait and see while enjoying the features. :)

Thanks for reading! I hope this post can expand your knowledge.

The writing above is just my opinion, so, if you have different point of view, let's discuss it together!

Please leave some comments!! Thanks.

F.A.Q. :
How can I register?
Well, many of my friends ask me about how to join this G+.
Actually, Google+ is still in BETA version. You have to get invitation from other users first.
If you're really interested to join, you can contact me, by leaving your comment below, or just contact me through FB / Twitter. Thanks :D

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The Commencement

              It's been approximately 2 years since I last posted on my previous blogs. It just came so sudden that I want to share something in my life to all of you. This blog contains my experience that I would like to share to all of you. It's nice to share something, isn't it? Well, I dunno much what to write in this introduction. Just enjoy this blog. I hope this blog can inspire you. Thanks. And yeah.. comments are really welcome :)

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