Korea. Day 1/2.

      FLYING OFF TO THE START OF MY NEW LIFE.

I guess that saying “practice what you preach” was said for a reason…and I should’ve kept it in mind.  If you go to my archives,  I think it’s the 2^nd post I ever made [Travelling Tips]  about a year ago, I  gave some tips on how to pack, but unfortunately didn’t read up on it before packing this time.  I learned a few more things in addition to those tips, though.  Having to pack my entire life into suitcases was a bit of a challenge, especially with how many shoes I never realized I had.  Anything I left behind, I probably wouldn’t see again so prioritizing the importance of certain items took about 14 consecutive hours.  By the end of it, I had 4 suitcases packed up and ready to go…one ENTIRE suitcase of shoes, each pair packed into its own separate zip-lock bag.  (The freezer ones are the perfect size)

[MORE] tips for travelling

Tip #1a:  Airlines have weight limits.  Weigh your stuff before you get to the airport to make sure EACH bag is the right weight.   DON’T think you can get away with a few extra pounds…the check-in po po will catch you.

Tip #1b: They weigh your carry-ons too.  So that whole “put all the heavy stuff in your carry-on so you don’t go over weight in your checked baggage” doesn’t work.  For a flight to Korea, you get 12 kilos for carry-on total.

Tip #1c:  If you know you’re going to be over in terms of weight, just pack as much stuff into one of your check-ins as much as you can and pay the extra 50 bucks…. because if you don’t, you’re going to end up paying $130 for an additional checked bag. 

Tip #2:   BRING A NECK PILLOW!!  I felt so bad for the halmoni (grandma) sitting next to me in the aisle seat…she couldn’t sleep the entire 14 hour plane ride because her head kept bobbing.

Other reminders:  Don’t go out and buy a brand new bottle of perfume and expect to take it in your carry-on unless it’s under 3 fl. Oz.  It WILL get taken away…even if it’s 3.2 fl. Oz. 

And

Keep your laptop handy where it can be taken out and put back in easily…you have to send it through to be scanned out and separate from the rest of your bags.

I watched about 5 or 6 movies…most of them pretty new, which made time fly pretty quickly but man I should’ve done some squats to prepare for the butt-flattening 14 hours of sitting! 

FINALLY ARRIVED.  Say hello to a new shade of life.

Day 1 (Plane and arrival)

As I wait in line to check my bags, (in this case bag singular thanks to the tips I learned through personal trial and error (see following post)...I can’t help but wonder who I will be sitting next to.  Everytime I get on a plane, which is actually quite often, I hope that it’s that super attractive guy with the nice arms, that helps me put my carry-on in the overhead compartment and offers me a massage mid-flight…I can dream right?  This never necessarily happens so I’ve learned to prepare for the worst.  This means packing a neck pillow, (the bobble head look is not very attractive apparently) earplugs/earphones, my credit card, and a hoodie.  [the pic's a little creepy, but this is what they do in Korea when your face is not presentable...after 14 hrs on a plane, ya catch my drift?]

Brilliant idea for an airport...

The neck pillow is so that you don’t end up leaning on the shoulder of your neighbor who is probably taking up your armrest anyway; the earplugs are for that inevitable screaming baby, the headphones for any movies or music (they charge like $4 if you don’t have them and sometimes they even charge for movies), the credit card for those movies if they charge or for any snacks because being hungry and trapped on a plane is not a pleasant feeling, and the hoodie because it gets cold on airplanes.  Apparently they can’t turn the heater on unless it’s -30C and it seems that it’s always colder way up in the sky, even if it’s 100F on the ground.




So the plane ride wasn't that bad...the flight attendants loved serving orange juice every 10 minutes and I definitely appreciated the amazing service!  Korean Air is the way to go when flying for over 13 hours.  6 movies and a bibimbap later, I made a friend on the plane who helped me find my way through the airport.  And walked out to greet my aunt and little cousin before I inhaled my first meal in Korea.

Me-mul gook-soo (ice-cold buckwheat noodles dipped in soba soup)

Along with a greeting from my relatives, I received a warm greeting from Korea...there was a performance

Traditional Drumming Performance



And a more [modern] performance...people in business suits playing electric guitar...new fad?



Before I end this post, there is one last thing that I would like to share with you.  Korea has become a very health conscious country.  Check out their means of keeping toilets sanitary...and yes, I took a picture of the toilet, as well as edited it so you could understand what was going on (that's plastic covering the seat):

And that concludes day one in Korea, folks.

Let the adventures BEGIN!