http://www.holidays-revealed.com/forum/forum/ http://www.eblah.com en http://www.holidays-revealed.com/forum/forum/m-1244456024/ http://www.holidays-revealed.com/forum/forum/m-1244456024/#num1 Mon, 8 Jun 2009 11:13:44 chithanh119 http://www.holidays-revealed.com/forum/forum/m-1243498215/ http://www.holidays-revealed.com/forum/forum/m-1243498215/#num1 No. 1 - Don't Buy Drinking Water!
Guess what? You don't need to buy any drinking water while in Korea and believe it or not? You would never die from dehydration. Why? Well, water comes free! All you need to do is get yourself a water container and simply fill up at any of the water dispensing machine found at most hotels, shopping complexes and convenience stores. There are both hot and cold water for you. Of course, drinking plain water is not the way to go. There are a large variety of interesting fruit juices and other weird concoction that you must sample. Try the hop drink!

No. 2 - Watch Out For That...
...Korean?!?! Excuse me for saying this, but Koreans are not exactly very polite. It may be a general or sweeping statement, but do be careful while on the road. Day after day, I have Koreans rushing past and bumping into me - hard! I do not understand why they cannot maintain what other people or a general civilization would call "personal space". The weird part is... it seems like a trend amongst their culture. Even small children believe in 'bumping' or 'brushing' past strangers without the slightest hesitation. Don't expect an apology from them. And if you prefer, you may just elbow them in return. It's all fair in life...

No. 3 - Grade A Goods
Putting aside piracy laws and other ethical obligations, wouldn't you like to know where to get really good authentic-looking handbags? Branded names like Prada, Louis Vuitton, Salvatore Ferragamo, and the likes are found in abundance in Korea. However, there is a trick in getting your hands on one of these Grade A bags! The different classifications denote the quality of the bags. There are Grade A, B and Cs, with Grade A being the best. In fact, an untrained eye can almost never tell the difference between a Grade A Prada bag from a real Prada. However, don't expect to see Grade A bags being hung out for sale. For example, you will see a bag with similar design as a real Prada complete with the triangular logo. Unfortunately, instead of the word 'Prada', you see 'Original'. These are your Grade B bags. And you know what? Should you be interested in a Prada logo on your bag, just ask them for it. The logos are interchangeable. If you want Grade A ones, ask the proprietor and you will be surprised at what is in store for you. Grade A bags/purse/wallets are priced at around KRW90,000 and above whilst Grade B ones are priced much lower at around KRW20,000.

No. 4 - English is Useless
While in Korea, I also realized that the English language is pretty useless. Very few Koreans understand English. Even simple terms like one, two or three, or a "how much?" baffles them. Not only will you get a blank look, but expect some to ignore you as well. Preparing yourself with a translation/phrase book could be useful. Alternatively, if you are able to speak Mandarin, you could be in luck for some (very few as well) Koreans understand a little Mandarin. If you are to join a tour, ensure that there is an English-speaking guide or you would be left in the dark... like me. Sigh!
]]> Thu, 28 May 2009 09:10:15 chithanh119