One day in Seoul (2007)

June 14, 2007-- Nathan and I flew with Korean Air to Thailand, but we had about 14 hours waiting for our connecting flight in Seoul, so we made a plan to visit my friend, Lee. Lee and I met in the US. We were in the same ESL classes at SBCC in 2006.

We landed in Seoul in the early morning. As a Thai citizen, I don't need a visa to enter the country, and I can stay up to three months. As an American, Nathan doesn't need a visa either, but he can stay up to only one month. What a difference!











As soon as we got through immigration, Nathan and I cleaned ourselves in a restroom in the Incheon International Airport. Then we took a bus to town where Lee had told us to get off.


I wanted to call Lee as soon as I got off the bus, but I didn't have any change for the public phone, so I went into a little convenience store next to the subway to get some change.


It wasn't too difficult to learn how to dial the phone in Korea. Lee came to pick us up almost right away. 


His family is very warm and welcoming. I fell in love with his nephew right away, and he seemed to like me a lot since he kept clinging around me and said that he wanted to take me home. :-)


After a welcoming breakfast that Lee's sister made for us, Lee took us to a palace. I don't really remember the name of the palace, but I guess it is Gyeongbokgung Palace.

Gyeongbokgung Palace is pretty big. There weren't many tourists in the early morning, so we had the best chance to see a lot of things. Koreans seemed to live a pretty simple life in the past. There is only one room in a building to sit, sleep, eat and work. It really reminded me of my favorite Korean series Dae Jang Geum, which shows how the royal family lived in the past.

















Lee took us to see the Gyeonghoeru Pavilion, a beautiful building that is represented on the 10,000 won Korean banknotes.















Our portraits right in front of the Gyeonghoeru Pavilion.

After touring the palace, Lee took us to a famous shopping mall. I don't remember the name of the area, but it's a perfect place to get some food and souvenirs. I bought some Korean traditional rice snacks for my family in Thailand.

After a long walk, Lee took us to get some lunch at a traditional Korean restaurant. This is the best Korean food I have ever had in my life. Nathan and I always think about it whenever we are craving for Korean food. Lee ordered many dishes, and I was surprised that there actually are many kinds of kimchi. I knew only the spicy kind from the Korean series I watched.

Before heading back to the airport, Lee's family took us to Seoul World Cup Stadium to chill out at the park. We had such a great time wandering around for about 10 hours in the city. Nathan was so fond of Lee's nephew and ran around the park with him.

It was a great stop-over. I'm so glad to have visited  Lee in his home town. I wish to take him around in Thailand as well if he ever visits Thailand again. Apparently he and his family have visited Thailand more than 40 times!

Nathan and I will definitely visit South Korea again, and we will stay for at least a week to do more traveling around the country.

First time abroad, Frist time in Japan

April 1-10, 2004 -- I was in my senior year of college when I had a chance to go to Japan. It was my first study abroad program. It was also my first time ever going abroad, flying on an airplane, and seeing snow and cherry blossoms. This trip would have never happened if Dr. Pinit Ratanakul didn't give me a full scholarship to go. I always think of him and thank him for his kindness for giving me this opportunity.

We left Bangkok late at night and arrived in Tokyo early the next morning. This trip was hosted by Rissho Koseikai, a Buddhist new religious group in Japan. It was found in 1938 by Nikkyo Niwano and Myoko Naganuma, and it emphasizes the Lotus Sutra.

We stayed at Rissho Koseikai's headquarters in Tokyo for a few days, and every day we would visit a few organizations of new religions or movements to listen to a lecture about their teaching or organization.

It was the best time to be in Japan. Cherry blossoms were blooming all over the country. I sometimes saw many girls in Kimonos, which I guess meant they were celebrating their 20th birthday. 

Tokyo really fascinated me in many ways. The subways were huge and super-complicated. I learned that you have to stay on one side to leave the other side for people who are in a hurry to run to the train.There also were a lot of shops in the subways, but most snacks they sold were too cute to eat! The cost of living was ridiculously high too!








Even though our main purpose was to study new religions and New Age movements in Japan, we often had a side trip to enjoy the city. We went to the Tokyo Tower and shopped at Shinjuku for electronics.










One day we made a trip to a suburb of Tokyo called Tokamachi province. It was my FIRST time seeing snow. I was so excited to touch and walk on that solid white ground. I will never forget the feeling I had then. :-)

After visiting Tokamachi, we took a train to another town to attend the cherry blossom festival. That night we stayed in a traditional hotel. I learned a lot about Japanese life there. We had a traditional meal, but I actually ate only a few things on the tray. I also sat in a stone tub to take a warm bath. I learned that Japanese like to take a bath together in a big bathroom. They will wash themselves first and then sit together in the huge tub.

After the relaxing bath, I wore a Japanese ukata that the hotel had provided to all the guests and walked to the cherry blossom festival in town. It was a fascinating celebration. The parade was impressive, and people were joyful. I got to see traditional Japanese dance in the parade too.

I spent quit some time at the festival before returning to the hotel. I put my sleeping mattress on the hotel floor like Japanese people in the past. I studied the pillow and found that they put little seeds inside for some purpose that I didn't know, but it actually gave me a very sound sleep at night.

The next morning we took a train to Mount Fuji . It was kind of scary because I had never been on a gondola, and it was quite high. However, once we were on the top, I got to get myself a memorable photo with Mount Fuji.

After visiting all the new religion organizations in Tokyo, we traveled to Osaka to learn more about new religions. Actually, we did more traveling than studying. We went to Naniwa Nagara-Toyosaki Palace. It is the most beautiful palace I have ever seen! Of course, cherry blossoms were everywhere. Osaka is my favorite city of all! :-)

One surprising thing I saw at the palace is that priests/monks would stand and pray for money. That's kind of odd for a Thai person to see.

After the palace we went to a flower festival located along the river. It was beautiful! The whole town was celebrating the pink flowers. There was a lot of great food like grilled squid/octopus. I would never get tired walking there again.

The next day we went to Mount Koya (Koyasan) to visit Kongobuji Temple, the head monastery of the Shingon sect. It was a pretty temple outside of town.

Next we went to Okunoin, one of the most sacred place in Japan and a popular pilgrimage spot. You have to pay a lot of money to be buried here.



















The last day before heading to Osaka Airport, we visited one last new religious group. I don't remember the name of the group because it was 8 years ago when I visited them.












The trips in Tokyo and Osaka were the most memorable trips, and Japan has always been my favorite country. I went there before I met Nathan, so I hope one day Nathan and I can travel in Japan together. Right now I'm learning Japanese, so hopefully I can get around without a tour guide this time. :-)