Our company has this annual trip abroad as an incentive for its employees. I remember earlier on the day of the announcement when my boss and I were just talking about the places we'd like to visit, and I said Korea's on my list. Later on everyone in the office (all 100+ of us) was called into the conference room as our management committee announced that the trip will push through this year... Destination: South Korea. My god, I have ESP.
I can still hear the loud cheers as people jumped in excitement. :) After weeks of anticipation (and suspense, as we waited to be granted VISAs), the departure date was finally confirmed. We leave on Nov. 26, Friday, 12AM. However, news suddenly broke about the North Korean missile attack on a South Korean island. I panicked, but only for a good 5 seconds. I was too excited that I didn't care if I walked on a bomb while strolling on the streets. Yeah, I know...I'll contemplate on my priorities later.
After the S.Korean gov't and the Phil. Embassy confirmed that it was okay to visit, it was all systems go. After office last Thursday, we got ready and headed off to our respective airports for our flight. I flew Korean Airlines to Incheon with about 30 other colleagues, while some flew PAL and a few others through Asiana. After more than 3 hours, it was Annyeong Haseyo Korea!
After breakfast at the airport, our bags were sent to the hotel and our group immediately started on the tour. I mean, who needs to rest after a 3-hour EARLY MORNING flight, right? :D
Our first stop was the Blue House. I wasn't paying attention to our tour guide on the way, so when we had to get off the bus I had no idea where I was and what we're supposed to do there. So I just took pictures until finally I realized it was the South Korean version of the White House.
We soon headed to the National Folk Museum, to see their artifacts and other traditional wedding stuff and then to the Gyongbok Gung Palace. What I enjoyed most there is the view. You gotta love how Korea maximizes its landscape so that you get a harmonious mix of modern buildings, cultural structures, and nature. I also loved how the transition from fall to winter brought out a bright orange and red glow on the trees--or at least to those which still had leaves on them--adding a little bit more color to the view.
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| These cute kids on a field trip :) |
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| May tao, Jedi? |
Lunch was at a local resto at Itaewon (didn't get the name) where we were served Bulgogi. Before this trip I knew Bulgogi was a Korean dish but I never really knew what was in it. Now I know that it's beef. With brown sauce. And that it had just become my favorite dish. The food was just overflowing and I ate nonstop. They refilled the meat, the sauce, and rice so that our pan was always full. Uhm, what? Diet? WHAT DIET?
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| Outdise the bulgogi place. TOO COLD |
Next stop was Nami Island...famous for the being the setting of the drama Winter Sonata. But first, let me tell you how I almost didn't get there...and how I almost could not have been writing this part of the entry..
You see, we had to ride a ferry to Nami Island, so all 3 buses parked by the dock. Almost everyone went to the toilet first so there was a bit of waiting time. My officemate Ehm asked me to go with her to buy a pair of gloves since she mysteriously lost hers. The store was just a few meters behind the resting area and the queue for the toilet was still long so I was confident we'd get back in time. Oh we were in time, alright. When we came back everyone was gone. As in nada. Silence. PANIC MODE. We ran to the entrance and this guy was asking for our tickets. We told him we were part of the group and he said, "Ah, group! Ppali, ppali!" I knew that meant "hurry up", so I panicked even more, since that should mean everyone else was already on the ferry. We ran just in time...
...to see the ferry go. Imagine my shocked face. And this, just after promising my boss I won't be the one to cause any trouble during the trip. WELP.
Ehm asked the operators to tell the ferry driver to go back. All we got was incomprehensive Korean blabber, which I'm sure was important. But at that time I just stared at them blankly, cursing language barriers. Another set of people were falling in line so we tried to ask them if they were going to Nami Island.
Me: Go to Nami? Uhm, ferry? Line? You?
People: (nod and smile)
How convenient. Thankfully one of the staff overheard us and confirmed that yes, the new queue was for another ferry to Nami. While we were finally aboard the ferry, Ehm and I were laughing at the situation, silently hoping that the boat was really going to Nami...not Jeju. LOL. Luckily, we made it there alive. We reunited with our teams as if nothing happened. I took pictures to celebrate.
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| We had to do this pose. Hahaha |
We ended the tour with dinner at another local resto. This time we had lettuce wraps. It was delicious! We mixed chicken, seaweed rice and some chili then wrapped it in lettuce leaves. Very Princess Hours. After we were dropped off at the hotel, we went back out for some coffee and planned to walk around, eat street food, and drink soju. We ended up just having coffee at a local coffee shop. Walking around was ambitious with the biting cold. Just look at my officemate Pao's fogged glasses below. :|
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| My officemate Pao's fogged glasses. He had to buy a mask to keep his nose from freezing. :) |
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