Departing Incheon

Friday, August 20 2010

My lack of sleep hit me on the bus and when we arrived at Incheon airport. We checked in for Singapore and spent some time at the Coffee Bean before going to our gate to board.

Mum & I met two very friendly flight attendants on Singapore Airlines who gave us a bunch of cool things (eg: playing cards!)

Darmesh & me (very tired) at Incheon Airport

Mother (finally) arrives in Korea

Tuesday, August 10 2010

Even up to the day before, it was uncertain whether or not my mum was going to come to Korea. She was unwell for a few weeks, but she recovered enough to travel halfway around the world to me (us) - thank you, mummy! 

Mum arrived on the same flight as Darmesh did the week before. It was pouring with rain on the way to the airport. By 6pm, we were at home safe and sound.

Egypt (2) Incheon Airport

Egypt (1) The Idea to go

Friday night, January 22 2010. I leave my apartment at 7:45pm. My building manager helps me get a cab. I wait for the airport bus for about 20 minutes. It's actually a bit chilly, and I wonder if I should have worn something warmer, but I hate having to carry coats, gloves and scarves. After all, I'm going to a warmer climate. I'm sitting at the front of the bus and the driver starts talking about the World Cup in South Africa.

After an hour, we arrive at Incheon International. Check in is quick and easy and after sorting out my forex, my friend Hye-jin calls wishing me a good trip.

I have a 12 hour flight to Istanbul. I arrive at 05:00 the next morning and will only depart for Cairo at 23:40. Because of this long transit, I qualify for a free day tour around the city. I'm looking forward to that!

Incheon Airport is surprisingly quiet and I'm suddenly aware of the handsome men around me, especially those checking in at the Turkish Airlines desk. Tall, dark hair, sharp features. I think I'm going to like Turkey ;-)

On my way to my boarding gate, I pass a book cafe. There are 3 available computers, but I guess I have to buy something to use it? No - the guy tells me it's free! One of the reasons I love Korea. I catch up with some friends online and after an hour, I make a few calls before boarding.


Incheon Airport has got to be one of the best airports in the world. It's so easy to navigate, clean, staff are friendly and helpful and there are plenty of things to see and do while waiting for a flight.

Egypt (3) Turkish Airlines

Bangkok (30) Adios Bangkok!

Bangkok (1) The idea to go
Bangkok (2) Adios snowy Korea
Bangkok (3) Holiday Travelers
Bangkok (4) The drive to the hotel
Bangkok (5) P2 Boutique Hotel
Bangkok (6) The Family from SA
Bangkok (7) Breakfast on Wed morning
Bangkok (8) Pratunam, Scooters & Tuk-Tuks
Bangkok (9) Central World
Bangkok (10) Sukhumvit Road 
Bangkok (11) Himali Cha Cha
Bangkok (12) Beware of Cheating Drivers
Bangkok (13) Private Tour - for FREE?
Bangkok (14) Chao Phraya River
Bangkok (15) Chao Phraya River Vids
Bangkok (16) Stop at the Temple
Bangkok (17) Chin Jewelry Factory
Bangkok (18) FURIOUS in Bkk
Bangkok (19) Lunch at Swagath
Bangkok (20) My Thai Massage
Bangkok (21) Am I invisible in Bangkok?
Bangkok (22) Put the meter ON!
Bangkok (23) Happy New Year!

Bangkok (24) Check Out!

Bangkok (25) MBK Center
Bangkok (26) Getting to Siam
Bangkok (27) Siam
Bangkok (28) Silom Road
Bangkok (29) Health Land Spa

Day 4: Friday, January 1 2010

It's 8pm and I'm sitting in the hotel lobby charging my netbook and MP3 player. My flight is only at 01:15, but I leave for the airport at 8:30pm. A young man drives me in a white van, much like the one that drove off with my Singaporean friends yesterday! Another woman who works at the hotel is first going to be dropped off at Baiyoke Sky Hotel. She tells me she's meeting her friends for dinner. She asks me if I'm sure I have my passport and then goes on to tell me about a guest they had at the hotel who was flying back to Singapore, only to realize he had forgotten his passport in the safe in his room! Lucky, I have everything.  I triple checked.

When we arrive at Suvarnabhumi Airport, I'm so early to check in, so I wait around near the check-in desk. I find an empty seat and have to sit next to a couple who's cuddling next to me. Eugh! The man sitting next to me has very dirty jeans and keeps looking at my netbook that I'm typing on. I hate it when people do that. I'm a bit annoyed that I can't access Wi-Fi from the airport's network.

When it's eventually time to check in (around 11pm) I see a sign on the electronic notice board saying to visit the Information Desk to enjoy free Wi-Fi. I make a mental note to do that after I go through Passport Control.  I walk quite a distance to the Information Desk. A woman asks me to write my name and passport number in a book and then gives me a small ticket with a login code.  I proceed to my boarding gate and go online. I send a few messages and plan to chat for a bit, only to be CUT OFF from the network. The login pin for free Wi-Fi is only valid for fifteen minutes!

By now - 00:30, I'm tired and hungry, but I'm not going to walk to find food. A few minutes later, I meet an American man who's also flying back to Seoul. He seems nice and we chat a bit before boarding. At this point, I'm feeling very happy to see Koreans around me and to hear Korean being spoken.

I fall asleep on the flight and wake up to this:

When we land at Incheon Airport, it feels strange to arrive back to icy, snowy weather. For the first time, there are no queues at Passport Control. I'm only traveling with hand luggage, so I make it out quickly. Also, I'm not stopped at Customs like I usually am!

As I walk out the airport and the crisp winter air hits my face, I smile. I know exactly where to go and what to do. I buy a bus ticket and wait for about 10 minutes before my bus arrives. I'm really so happy to be back 'home'. 

It's snowing heavily and doesn't stop all week-end. It takes a long time for the heating in my apartment to start up.  I spend all day on Saturday catching up on sleep. I'm also very grateful that I've made it back safe and sound, unharmed by tuk tuks or scooters! I don't necessarily travel to have a GOOD time. I travel for experience...and that's exactly what I got in Bangkok.

I believe that everyone is entitled to their opinion. I feel a bit sorry that I haven't come back from Thailand excited and sharing the same sentiments of others' that have been there before me. Everyone told me that Bangkok has the BEST shopping. I can understand why they said that. As I've said on my blog before, I'm not a big shopper. Also, I've been living in Korea for the past two and half years. Shopping here is endless. From clothing, shoes, handbags, accessories, electronics. You name it, Korea's got it. I didn't see anything in Bangkok that I've not really seen before. I figured that everyone who raved about Bangkok to me, have nothing else to compare it to. Granted, I've not traveled THAT much, but I've had my fair share of seeing and experiencing new things and places.

Should I ever go back to Thailand, I've decided that I won't go back alone. I am willing to give it another shot, but not in the near future. My next few holidays will be reserved for visiting new countries!

Swine Flu be gone!

Before reaching Passport Control at Incheon Airport, we had to pass this first. Had to hand in a form stating where we'd been before entering Korea with contact details. There's Swine Flu mania going on over here in Asia!

Incheon Airport : My homeground

There's a certain sense of comfort I feel when I arrive at Incheon airport. Almost like I know my way around the place and I'm comfortable navigating it on my own. Before reaching Passport Control, there were brief check ups for this whole H1N1 (Swine Flu) drama.

After collecting my luggage, I thought I was good to go.

I'm so used to greeting Koreans in Korean "Ahn-yong-ha-say-yoh" And you'd think that they'd let me go through, yeah? But when I say I have "Nothing to Declare" I mean it. But they still sent me to have my bags checked out. I was irritated 'cause I had to put my heavy luggage through another scanner. The lady went through my carry on, rummaging through makeup and what not. Of course they're doing their job, but it irks me when they go through my things so untidily and then just leave it for me to repack.

After all that, THEN I was good to go. Got my bus ticket and waited for a bus to Sosa Yeok (Sosa Station). From Sosa Station, I had to catch a cab to my apartment.

Finally. I was home.

Time to pack up and head back to Korea

My holiday was over, and before I knew it I was packing my bag on Saturday night (August 22 2009) to leave the following day.

My brother and I were trying to figure out what we'd done each day that the weeks went by SO quickly. I was very sorry not to have met some of my friends, and I hope they understand that time was simply not enough and for most of the time, the days and times that I was free - they were not.

Sunday morning, August 23 2009 I woke up early to catch my flight to Jozi. I know my mum was sad and she'd been dreading the day ever since I arrived in SA almost a month back.

Arriving at EL airport, even before stepping into the building, the guy who does the shrink-wrapping of the bags greeted us and made idle chit chat with me as I was walking. He asked, "Where are you going to? Durban?" GRRRRRRR

I stopped in my tracks and demanded to know why he said that.

"Is it 'cause I'm INDIAN that I must be going to Durban? For your information, I'm actually KOREAN and I'm going HOME to KOREA."

'Nuff said.

My luggage was overweight so I had to take a few things out and send it home with my parents (which will ultimately be sent over to me in a couple of weeks time)

And then, I heard that my flight was delayed - but not for too long.

I flew SA Express and again, was not impressed with the service of the flight attendants. I was the first to board the aircraft from East London, and I was battling to put my carry-on luggage into the overhead cabin.

"Do you think it'll fit?" I asked the attendant standing near me.
She just stood there looking at me and said, "I don't know."

Anyways, the flight itself wasn't too dreadful - except just very cramped. I read a bit of my book, Eat , Pray, Love.

Arrived in Jozi and made my way to International Departures where I waited for my flight to Hong Kong. I flew South African Airways. Thank goodness for my netbook - I was able to write a bit. (If only I could get online from there) and read as well.

Hong Kong airport is pretty easy to navigate. I flew Asiana from Hong Kong to Korea. After getting my boarding pass and finding my gate, I was able to log on quickly with my netbook and send a few emails and reply some messages and Tweets.

Boarded the flight to Korea and within 3 hours, I was back at Incheon airport.

Just in time @ Incheon Airport

On Friay, July 24 2009 I left my apartment just before 4pm. My building manager helped me get a call taxi to go to the bus stop where I'd get the airport limousine to Incheon airport. Usually, getting from my apartment to the bus stop takes about 1.5 minutes, but on Friday it took about 10 minutes. The traffic was heavy. To get to Incheon aiport takes about 1 hour. But then again, all the times that I'd gone, it was early in the morning or late in the evening.

I *always* arrive about 2.5 - 3 hours early before my flight. I'm paranoid like that. Guess I got it from my dad :)

So my flight was at 7:45pm, but at 5:45pm I was still on the bus. The traffic was really heavy and it was a Friday afternoon. Also, the calls from my manager and to my mum (about changing my ticket to come back a week earlier because of swine flu) made me waste at least 30-45minutes.

I arrived at Incheon airport just after 6pm, and couldn't find which counter I had to check in. When I found out, I nearly ran to Counter M (Asiana Airlines desk). I was *fierce* with my luggage trolley and showed no mercy to wondering toddlers and slow walkers.

Standing in the queue, I felt a bit stressed but felt a bit relieved after checking in. I was 2kg overweight. I was really nervous about this. I had packed a few books and boxed gifts, so my bag was pretty heavy.

NOTE: When checking in, smile to the person helping you and make idle chit-chat, in the hopes of distracting them ;) hahaha

So I rushed to my gate and quickly got online from my netbook. A tall man came to ask if he could sit next to me. After a few minutes he started making conversation. He was an American. But to be honest, I wasn't in the mood for small talk. I was still pretty p*ssed off from the phonecall earlier. And I even forgot to call some friends to say bye...

Standing in the queue to board the aircraft, I made 2 quick calls to say goodbye.
I don't know why, I was very irritable with all the snotty-nose kids around me. I said a special prayer - "Please, please, please...let there be no crying babies on the flight."

I won't lie. At that moment, I was really happy to be leaving Korea. And I was off to Hong Kong.

Swine flu nearly cut my vacation (Part 2)

* I acknowledge that there’s a global concern about this crisis that is swine flu, but HOW can I be told this on the day that I’m leaving? …just a few hours before leaving home?

* Secondly, don’t you think it’s more realistic to just not work for that Thursday & Friday and begin the following Monday after arriving back?



* Another thing – if the government DID just state this rule, then that is highly unfair. It’s summer vacation NOW in Korea, and anyone will tell you that over summer, there are almost no foreigners in Korea. 



Ina calls back after I had a quick vent to my mum.



Me - Hello?

Ina - Hello, this is Ina

Me - Hi Ina.
Ina - Sheetal, you know before all that I told you wasn’t my opinion. It was school’s.



Ina does this very often. She gives me information or something that doesn’t seem very fair at the time, upsets me and then afterwards she says “I know you and your thinking. It’s school that says that”.

Co-teachers / Managers to foreign teachers in Korea are meant to be like a mouthpiece for the Native English speaker. Very often, principals and vice principals can’t speak English so the co-teacher acts as a link between the two. I’ve come to Ina pretty well over the past year. Unfortunately she doesn’t have a strong character and never questions authority. She just accepts and does, even if she’s unhappy about it.

Mind you, this is Korean culture. You just grin and accept what’s being told you. You don’t talk back. This has been very difficult for me to adjust to. I was raised to believe that just because someone is in authority, doesn’t make what they say or do right.

My previous co-teacher was the opposite. If she didn’t believe in something, she’d defy and fight for it (figuratively). And she always told me that we are all human and we all make mistakes. No one’s perfect. And to top it off, there are always exceptions to rules.

Anyway, I just pretended that the phonecalls hadn't happened, and I got ready to leave for the airport.

Finally in Korea

On April 30 2009 I arrived late afternoon at Incheon Airport in Korea. I was dead tired. I only got home after 7pm I think. But I couldn't fall asleep - my body was still confused about which time zone it was in.

I think I fell asleep around 03:00... and was up at 06:00 to go to work~

Leaving for South Africa ~ Friday, April 17

My flight from Korea to Dubai was at 23:55... when I reached Incheon airport, I was already tired.. and didn't know how I was going to make it all the way to South Africa feeling that way ~!