Wanderlust

It's already Tuesday, June 3rd, 2009 here. I'm considering whether to go out today because it's windy and there's like 40% chance to rain. I have an umbrella but it looks like so big and I'd have to lug it everywhere.. I might just take my dad's coat in case it's chilly and I need some rain protection. I'm on the fence about it.

I still have to load my pictures. On the weekend we went to Shilla Millennium park and I got to paint a fan with water color. It's not quite what I wanted to do, but I'll survive it. Heh. Also the horse demonstrations were nice and after the main show the main actors came to take pictures with the audience. I got one with my dad.

Then yesterday I visited Gumi for the day. I just shopped to my heart's content. I think it'll be harder to do some stuff outside like the temples due to the rain, but we'll see. I'm still trying to drag myself outside. This weather makes me feel terribly lazy... I should take more pictures too and try to get them up here.. so my blog isn't quite so boring...

Okay here I go today!

I was trying to keep up with the day but I eventually go tired around 10pm -12am. But now I'm awake at 8am ( 08:00 ). Anyways the plane from Japan to Korea was the cat's pajamas. It was the Boeing 737-800 for JLA. This is important because I think airlines opt for extras, like a person buying a house and getting the granite counter tops. For this slightly older and domestic sized plane, the seats had slightly more space in width, had foot rests, magic system (better version than the long distance flight I took), nice bento box ( lucky extra I read in their magazine for the JLA), and we got ten million things to drink during the course of the flight ( not given on america domestic flight).

Here's what I learned about JLA services. They like to give hot towels to be refreshed or at least a wetnap for your face and hands. They give drinks with meals and then may come back 3-5 times to offer hot drinks such as hot green tea, hot black tea, and hot coffee. With black tea and coffee, they offer cream and sugar and things like that. I drank a ton! The stewardess were very unbiased and gave little extras to everyone regardless of race. On a flight previous to this trip. Some stewardesses on another flight had been partial to people of their race and gave extra snacks like that.

More on the way here, the long distance flight from LA to Japan: The seats were rather small and narrow. Three to a seat at least, so I had an older couple sit next to me. They were kind and offered me candy and such. The lady was very peppy and sweet. The guy was small and quiet, but knew the most English. On that flight we did get awsome service and all the admenities. We recieved a drink/snack service. For the snack we got oriental crackers in a baggy. Then we got more drinks and we got a meal of either seafood curry or chicken parm(Got curry as insisted by the nice Japanese lady). Then between we had the whole hot drink refresher ( again 3 types offered, with a fourth reoffering of coffee). Then we got another meal of some kind of seafood noodle thing ( it was rotini noodles with an orange-milky sauce that was thick. I guess seafood because I found detailed shrimp floating the mix. Then the whole hot drink refresher again. The drink think pretty much lasted till the end of the flight. Even if the seats were torture, I have to reitterate the wonders of the service industry on the plane for JLA. THis plane was their 747-400. If you get into higher numbers like the 767 boeing, those are pretty roomy or you notice the place you are looking at has two seats on the sides and 5 in the middle, that's a nicer style.

The older couple when onto hokkaido. And then I worked with the whole fiasco of the train.

As I said Korea it was a very simple transition. The airline as JLA so we had bento box ( I have pictures I'll edit into this). There was salmon with seasoned rice, middle compartment had a tiny burger with sauce over rice ( cold ), and last compartment was some tiny veggies and a jelly for dessert.

I like my dad's apartment. It's pretty. It has the glass sliding doors for the dining room which I thought was interesting. I saw this in a recruiting video for the federal jobs.

Well I'm off to enjoy my day! Must take pictures muhaha.

Right now: 08:30am 5/31/09
Gotta figure out local time for the blog..

No pictures yet. Still hitting my stride. I got to Korea on time and it didn't take long to get through the customs. They used a touch thermometer on my neck and I passed through. I got in through Kimhae airport. It's a bit better and simpler than Incheon Airport. Very cool. That's it for now!

Unfortunately do to the major passport and customs, it took nearly an hour to get out of there if not more. My plane landed at about 16:34 and then we were held up on the plane to be 'quarantined'. After that we waited in long lines to fill out papers and show our passport ( + get our picture taken with our digital fingerprints) and then we got our bags and had to fill out customs forms. I ended up getting to my aunts nearly 17:10. I left at about 18:40. So it's two hours anyway you look at it. The limo bus back was faster but only because there wasn't much traffic. It is definitely the nicer way to go. But I was on a budget. I paid 1610 Yen to get there. The bus costs about 3200 Yen, but my aunt paid for that. She got the tickets and walked( actually ran) me to the bus. Luckily it wasn't far from her apartment. On my way back to the usa. I'm taking much more pictures here. I didn't get enough at all. Especially I wanted to take a picture of my aunt's toilet. It warms the seat and does have the beday( which I didn't use ). Her place was nice. I do have to say that she has the same taste in decorating as my mom. It's uncanny how alike they are.
I do warn that the trains are a bit confusing. At the airport there's some limited english and it's quiet. You even get a seat on the Keisei line. But after that, the regular express transit gets packed. Everyone waits in a line and then crams in. Don't be upset if people just squish you out of the way if you aren't moving fast. In minutes seats are filled! I stood for the last leg of my journey on the Express Tobu Toju line. But it was cooling to be next the doors, you could feel the air and the glass was icey cold. My worst area was probably in Ikebukuro. It was HUGE. I asked a girl where to go by showing my ticket and she was flustered because she couldn't explain fully that i need to put the ticket through the little gate to get out. At the Nippori station I had to buy a ticket and turn in my other one to go through. Do the routing with the routefinder site. It is much worth it so you can ask about the trains and see some of the english signs. Makes it very possible. Anyways I have 5 mins. left on my paid internet. I wanted to get down at least a partial recollection before I leave here because later I might get fuzzy on the details or forget or get lazy and wait to write it. When I wait to write it, I usually forget most of the details.. I'll be like train > bus. Yah. Tired. haha.
Till next entry.

Here is my bento on the way to Busan, Korea from Narita Airport in Japan. It was really cool. I liked the airplane too. It was lovely and spacious. If only the international flight from Japan to USA was as nice. Oh well! What can you do? I did want to show you the bento.

First compartment was the seasoned rice with some raw salmon and eggs, the middle was a cold burger with rice, and finally the last was some veggies and a sweet jelly ( green thing) for dessert. Also adding a picture of one of those visual menus!