The Adventures of Teh in Mito City

Hello mga teh at kuya! Samahan si Teh sa kanyang mini adventures at Mito City in Ibaraki. 

It is summer and a lot of English camps emerge around this season in Japan. Agencies arranging such camps usually hire international students for this to allow cultural exchange na rin. Sounds fun and interesting 'di ba? Medyo nagkulang sila ng people so Teh accepted the job here in Mito 2 days before the program itself. It is only for 6 hours  a day including lunch break so after 3PM, libreng-libre na si Teh and colleagues.

Going to Mito city from Tokyo is quite easy. If you want to arrive fast, then you can use the limited express trains named Tokiwa or Hitachi. Tokiwa starts from JR Ueno Station while Hitachi starts from JR Shinagawa station. Pero kung nais magtipid, you can use the local JR trains then get off at Mito station. This station is along the JR Joban line (blue ang color niya mga teh at kuya). 

Well, bumagyo before ako pumunta sa Mito so naka-experience si Teh ng almost 12 hours delay sa biyahe due to tree fallen upon the electricity grid, thus cutting the electric power along the train lines to and from Mito. I did not expect the delay to be that long pero gano'n pala ka-vulnerable ang mga poste at trains sa bagyo. -_-

Left pic: View along the way. Relaxing. Nostalgic. ~_~
Right pic: The stranded train, Tokiwa No. 71. x.x

So after N years, nakarating din kami sa paroroonan. 'Yun nga lang, zombie mode si Teh gawa nang kawalan ng tulog. @_@

View from Teh's room. Lovely... ^_^

Walking within the vicinity of central Mito is quite relaxing. And our hotel is by the river kaya na-relax si Teh. 

The east and the west sides of the Sakuragawa river. (Blard pic, sorry!)

Bukod pa riyan, Kairakuen Park and Senba Lake are also close. Ideal for early morning walk (and catching Pokémon). Pero after work kami nakapag-ikot para may taga-picture ang bawat isa. Hirap kayang mag-selfie palagi. Hehe... :D

Summer sights + emote at Kairakuen park. :D

Contrasting weather. Each side, at the same moment. ~_~

Ang tamang pagmo-moment sa bridge. Pak ganern~ :D

Truth is, a half day is more than enough to explore the park and the lake. And the best time to come here is during Spring, locals told us. But summer is also nice! 

Quack, quack! Greetings from Senba lake residents. ^_^

After hard days' work, nag-dinner out sina Teh and the rest of our team in a very nice Indian restaurant. Very sumptuous and surely authentic kasi Indians run the restaurant themselves.

Mixed group photos of Teh and new friends. (c) Teh, A-san and A-san. :)

Thank you very much for joining Teh and friends in their mini adventures in Mito!

Special thanks to the following who made the adventures of Teh in Mito successful:

• ISA Inc. for giving Teh the opportunity to visit Mito City. ^_^

Seoul Markets in Autumn ~ the Quest for Teh's Military Coat

Hello mga Teh! Samahan sa (medyo window) shopping sina Teh and Sensei around Seoul.

Dahil hindi naman nagwi-winter sa Pilipinas, and in the coming months I knew na mapapadpad ako sa 4-season land, namili ako ng isang winter jacket dito. Natandaan din ni Teh na biglang lamig noong last day namin so nagamit ko rin 'yon habang nasa Korya. (Actually, 'tong sentence lang na 'to ang relevant sa title ng post hehe.)

Anyway, here are the 4 major markets that you can visit in Seoul - kung saan ba sila matatagpuan and anong mabibili sa bawat market. :)

~ Dongdaemun Underground Market ~

Nearest train station: Dongdaemun, Subway Line 1 or 4

If you want to be in fashion in Seoul, better shop here mga teh. In general, during Autumn, you can find Autumn/Winter wear and shoes here. Very stylish in my opinion (or kakaiba lang kasi hindi naman uso sa atin mga ganito), and so far dito na pinakamura mamili, on par with Namdaemun Market. 

A portion of Dongdaemun Underground Market

~ Namdaemun Market ~

Nearest train station: Hoehyeon Station, Subway Line 4

Another place to shop around for trendy stuff is at Namdaemun Market. I think mas malawak ang shopping area na ito as compared with the Dongdaemun, most especially when it comes to product diversity. Merong seasonal clothing and shoes, sport shops, Hanbok costume shops, pasalubong shops, street food, etc. Name it, most likely you'll find it here! :D

Namdaemun Market (afternoon)

Kaya hindi nakapagtatakang ginabi kami rito kakaikot. :D

Namdaemun Market (evening)

~ Insadong Street ~

Nearest train station: Anguk Station, Subway Line 3

Humandang magsawa sa mga authentic Korean souvenirs pagpunta rito. Hindi kayo mauubusan ng pasalubong dito promise. :D

And in one of the shops here, we met a very happy Oppa (Kuya). Kumita kasi siya sa amin eh hehe. ^_^

May mga street food din along the street, pero hindi ko maalala na kung ano ba tinda nito. (Churi...) So hindi rin kayo magugutom sa lugar na ito. :D

~ Myeongdong Market ~
Nearest train station: Myeongdong Station, Subway Line 4

In general, mas mahal mamili rito compared with Namdaemun and Dongdaemun markets kasi medyo pa-high end na mga tindahan dito. Most of the brand stores are here. Pumunta lang sina Teh rito para ngumanga hehe.

Dahil tapos na kaming mamili ng pasalubong, it is time to say goodbye now to Seoul. Thank you so much sa lahat ng happy and kind people that we've met there. Kam samnida! :D

Before leaving Choi's house. We left a note because nobody was in the reception area.
And Choi was joking (was he) about being in Manila. :P Kam samnida! ^_^

Kind, happy-hearted Koreans who served us in the restaurants, 

who gave us discounts and freebies and who chatted with us,

kam samnida! ^_^

Teh will always be thankful for the wonderful experience that I had in Seoul. Till next time mga teh, thank you very much for visiting my travel journal! ^_^

We're leaving on an airbus~♫

Special thanks to the following who made the adventures of Teh in Seoul successful:

• Promo fare by Cebu Pacific Air.
• Choi's House Seoul for making Teh and Sensei feel at home and for the guidance in revising our original itinerary.
• Darlene-sensei for the photos and company.
• Korean Tourism Website for refreshing Teh's memories (official page link here).

Seoul Nights

Hi mga teh! Samahan sina Teh at Sensei sa continuation ng aming adventures in Korya. Ngayon, let's visit Teh's favorite places in Seoul. ^_^

~ Cheonggyecheon Stream ~

Recommended Time/Length of Visit: Evening

Para mahaba-haba ang lakaran at mas ma-explore pa nina Teh ang stream na ito, sa may malapit sa Jongmyo Sam-ga Station kami nag-start. (Although sa palagay ko kung plaza lang naman gusto niyo makita, you can start from Gwanghwamun Station). Well, at first medyo boring, pero as we drew closer to the plaza (the target/finish line), it just got more interesting. :)

First, nadaanan namin ang isang mahabang pader ng tiles kung saan naka-print ang prusisyon ng Royal Family noong uso pa ang mga dynasties. Then at the edge, merong naka-print na map of old Seoul. Also, there is a portion along the stream that has a mini-museum place. Noong napadaan kami, saktong may exhibit ng art contest doon.

Some that you may see along the stream are the flowers (pero baka sa iba maliit na bagay) and illuminated snail shell near the plaza. ('Di ko alam ano itatawag eh...)

Along the stream, you can see a waterfall landscape na nature lost in the city ang peg. Sa tingin ko eh konti lang ang height difference nito with Teh. Habang dumidilim, paganda nang paganda ang paligid. Little by little, umiilaw na ang mga installed illuminations on some portions of the stream and on the plaza. Sa haba ng nilakad nina Teh eh pahinga-pahinga rin kasi may time. :D

~ N Seoul(Namsan) Tower ~

Recommended Time/Length of Visit: Before sunset till evening

Maganda sana kung before sunset kayo umakyat dito para abutan ang sunset sa observation floor ng tallest tower in Korea.

Habang paakyat sina Teh sa Namsan Mountain to reach the tower, hindi ko naiwasang mag-emote sa ganda ng effect ng autumn foliage (yes nemen fumo-foliage) at late afternoon sunlight. :3 

Arriving before sunset lets you see the two sides of a place. For example, sa staircase na ito. Noong maliwanag pa nakaka-amaze 'yung autumn foliage. Sa gabi, medyo afraid na. @_@ (Pero siyempre, echos lang 'to. Maliit na bagay kaysa sa mga susunod na pics...)

In the daylight, mukha itong communications tower but at night, it shines like a candle in the dark. (Chos.)

Just in time! Palubog na ang araw noong nakarating sina Teh sa itaas. Emote pa more. Lavvveeettt[1]!!! ^_^

At dahil gusto naming masulit ang ticket namin, nagbaon kami ng dinner at kumain dito habang nanonood ng sunset and city lights. Teh loved this place because you can watch this wonderful transition. ^_^

~Palace Illuminations~

Locations: Any palace in Seoul na umiilaw sa gabi

Recommended Time/Length of Visit: Siyempre gabi

Dahil hindi informed si Teh na umiilaw ang mga palace sa gabi, hindi namin naisipang bumisita at night. Pero siyempre, sa labas nga lang kayo ng palace kasi admission hours is until around 6PM lang. Anyway, pasensya na sa super blard[2] shot na 'to kasi habang nasa bus sina Teh nakunan ito. Pero in Teh's memory, it was beautiful. :)

This ends our night sightseeing adventure in Seoul. Sana ay nag-enjoy kayo mga teh. Till Teh's next adventures! Thank you very much for visiting my travel journal. :)

Special thanks to the following who made the adventures of Teh in Seoul successful:

• Promo fare by Cebu Pacific Air.
• Choi's House Seoul for making Teh and Sensei feel at home and for the guidance in revising our original itinerary.
• Darlene-sensei for the photos and company.
• Korean Tourism Website for refreshing Teh's memories (official page link here).

~ Vocabulary ni Teh ~

[1] Lavvveeettt - Slang/beki term for "I love it". Required na tig-tatlo ang letter "v", "e" at "t".
[2] Blard - slang term for "blurred". Basta minali spelling slang na. XD 

Bongeunsa ~ A Temple Lost in a Modern City

Hello mga teh! To continue with the adventures of Teh in Korya, let's visit Bongeunsa temple, a Buddhist temple in Gangnam District...

Dahil medyo napagod si Sensei sa dami ng lakad here, there and everywhere, mag-isa ang Teh na gumora rito. In short, ako lang ang napagod this time around. About 0.75 kilometer walk ito from the nearest station (Samseong Station, Seoul Subway Line 2, Exit 6). So round trip walk is 1.5km. Hashtag: #pagodacoldwavelotion.

As you enter, you will see statues of what they regard as the "guardians" of the temple's gate. Buddhists passing by these statues bow to them as a sign of respect. Kaya naman as a sign of respect to their religion, nag-bow din ako. Para na rin hindi masyadong O.P. si Teh. Hehe...

After entering the temple gate, on the right you will see some tablets on which the names of the past abbots or head monks are engraved. Medyo cemetery feels.

Dito, ang pagbili ng mga io-offer nila kay Buddha ay by honesty policy system. Kuha sila ng bigas tapos ihuhulog na lang sa drop box ang bayad. For example, 'yung bag of rice na binibili ni ateng Koryana na nasa picture... :)

May isang portion dito na hindi ko mapigilang mapatigil at tumitig sa itaas dahil sa mga red lanterns. Nasa harapan ito ng isang malaking prayer hall.

Sa palagay ni Teh, isa ito sa main prayer hall ng mga bumibisita rito. Pero hindi katulad ng ibang temples na napuntahan ko, hindi masyadong crowded ang main hall na ito.

Nung napadaan naman ako sa hall na ito, sa right side ng main prayer hall, nakasaksi ako ng patapos nang memorial service. 

Dahil medyo creepy ang feeling ni Teh (naaalala ko kasi mga asian horror movies), inantay ko munang matapos ang memorial service bago ako um-enter sa hall na ito.

Afterwards, I went to the upper portion of the temple to explore further.

Disclaimer lang mga teh. Sa na-oberve ko, I think depende sa prayer petition ng Buddhist kung saang hall sila magdadasal at magbibigay ng offering. That's how Teh understood it. ;)

On the northwest part of the temple, Teh saw a huge, outdoor Buddha statue.

And on the leftmost portion of the temple, you will find a staircase leading to what Teh remembers as the monk's residence. Well, off-limits po doon mga teh, unless, of course, you're a monk. :D

Upon checking the surroundings of the temple, you will notice lots of high-rise buildings. So ngayon gets niyo na siguro kung bakit ang title nito ay "~lost in the city". Looks beautiful but solitarily sad somehow.

After exploring this temple, you can drop by the temple store where you can buy charms and other Buddhist-related items. Located just outside the temple's main gate. :)

This ends our short visit to Bongeunsa Temple. Thank you very much for visiting my travel journal. Till the next adventure! ^_^

Special thanks to the following who made the adventures of Teh in Seoul successful:

• Promo fare by Cebu Pacific Air.
• Choi's House Seoul for making Teh and Sensei feel at home and for the guidance in revising our original itinerary.
• Darlene-sensei for the photos and company.
• Korean Tourism Website for refreshing Teh's memories (official page link here).

Bukchon Hanok Village ~ A Mirror of Old Korea

Hello mga teh! Samahan si Teh at si Darlene-sensei sa kanilang adventures in Bukchon Hanok Village! (Backlog since 2013...) 

If you walk 300m away from Anguk station, you will find these traditional houses na existing pa since the Joseon Dynasty, around 6 centuries ago.

Somehow, the architecture of these houses seems like Chinese and Japanese architecture fusion, which is a little bit logical because the earliest traditions of Korea rooted from Chinese people (proof is that, their old handwriting was Chinese characters before it became Hangul), and Japanese occupation during early 1900's.

Pero siyempre, with the effort of Korean government and its constituents, na-preserve nila ang magandang village na ito. Hats off for their great job in preserving this old village! ^_^

Emote pa more, Teh.

In this village, puwede ninyong ma-experience ang traditional Korean homestay, ang pagsusuot ng Hanbok and tea ceremonies. Booking in advanced is required in general so Teh recommends that you ask your hotel/guesthouse staff regarding this. 

Dahil walang booking sa maski anong activities dito, wala kaming specific na bahay na napuntahan. Teh and Sensei just strolled around the village, as if we were lost in time... (emote...)

As for the tourist information centre, as far as Teh remembers, free admission sa loob nito. Inside the tourist information centre kasi, merong photo gallery depicting the history and restoration projects for the Bukchon Hanok Village. 

Bukchon Tourist Information Centre

Natapos namin ang aming DIY walking tour within half day, in the morning. So you will notice that we've reached the end of the tour. Thank you very much for visiting my travel journal mga teh! Till next time! ^_^

Special thanks to the following who made the adventures of Teh in Seoul successful:

• Promo fare by Cebu Pacific Air.
• Choi's House Seoul for making Teh and Sensei feel at home and for the guidance in revising our original itinerary.
• Darlene-sensei for the photos and company.
• Korean Tourism Website for refreshing Teh's memories (official page link here).