Meetings @ Daejeon

First, lunch. Then..over lunch..we had some briefings on our group's assignments.

We're a just a small family within a huge family of PERPIKA (Indonesian Students Association in South Korea)...

Oh, I didn't know this before. My friends told me that it's the downtown area of Daejon. 

well...not bad for a huge LED canopy that may look cool at night. 

2차, we moved to a nearby cafe to continue our talks. Again..chocolate and snacks were on the table...which more often than not..indeed distracted the discussion.^^ㅋㅋㅋ 

It's getting late..and we got to go back home...to Seoul, Busan...etc. 

But, first...we needed to drop by at the nearest Masjid operated by IMNIDA. 

Meeting up with friends at Daejon Masjid. 

Daejon December 2014

Some yet to be posted pictures of me with friends in Daejon. Yup, we managed to 'sneak' out of our busy schedules to go to Daejeon for some blitzkrieg meeting.

Sure..lunch was not to be skipped for. 

Though I did not eat any of this famous grilled fish..yet I enjoyed my time with them. 

Had a chance to visit IMNIDA, a musholla designed for Muslims in Daejon. 

And..what would be a Daejon Trip without some local delicacies? 

@ Daejeon KTX Station, we got to queue just to buy these delicacies.

It's called Sung Sim Dang cake. yup..worth the wait!^^

Going Back to Seoul from Daejeon

On my way back to Daejeon with mas Khoirul (my colleague from KIST), we stopped at the rest area where we encountered a rather amazing spectacle: banana tree. Yes, we saw banana trees..the real ones....outdoor. 

Two years ago, I saw banana trees inside a warm botanical garden. However, these ones were special, I assume. 

The rest area (휴계소) looked pretty much like this. A lot of effort must've been put into this place... 

Because, not only that it served the need of food&drink along the way, rather..the management intricately put so much effort in designing and decorating the area. 

Then..off we went agian on the high way..that led us to Seoul.
Since the car we rode in was a huge one that could accommodate as many as 9 people....we're happy to know that... 

we could just tag along..tailing right behind the bus on the bus-only lane..^^

Hmm what a great way to drive,then. 

colors of the Dusk...Magbrib....the sky's twilight ..

I remembered having to make sure along the way that mas Khoirul did not fall asleep while driving.!!!!

oh...what a job! But...being a navigator competing with computerized GPS-enabled device...was something. Really.

Daejeon: Student Orientation

What a hectic week that was, indeed. I think I never set my feet at home. I've been on the move since.^^

On Sunday I went alone to Daejeon by the morning KTX. Well, I shouldn't have take KTX had I not been late waking up!!!!! Yes, it's my fault. I should've taken the bus provided by the organization (Universitas Terbuka Korea) that would take us to Daejon for only 10,000 Won round trip. But...since I took KTX..I got to spend almost triple than that. 

Anyway..I got to enjoy the trip no matter what. though..being alone for almost 2 hours.:)!!! 

Passing through a bridge ..crossing the Han River...it's a good sight, though. 

okay..let me wrap up what happened in Daejeon.

It's the orientation day for new students of Universitas Terbuka Korea (Open University) for Fall Semester 2013. New students got their university jacket as one of the initial official symbol of them..being students. 

Then...speeches after speeches...and talks after talks...about the (mostly important) bla..bla..bla...and the rest..is about how to and do and don't's .....^^

I think I also..learned about what I should do as a tutor...starting from this semester. 

As many as around 100 students attended the orientation at KAIST campus in Daejeon that day.

It's a long trip to Daejeon..but was it worth-it? yeah sure. 

At least, I could meet face to face with the students whom I am going to be tutoring for the next two months. It's been worth-it. 

Sung Sim Dang : What is this???

Sung Sim Dang: dubbed to be the best bread ever made in Daejeon..

Hmm..since I am still fasting at the time of writing down this entry...I just do not know yet how it tastes. 

Prof. Yang gave them to me this afternoon. Instead of eating them on the spot (of course, I couldn't), he asked me to bring them home and taste them later on. 

It is said that it was first introduced since 1956!!! wow...

It is a Boulangerie Patisserie.

Only to be found in Daejon. 

Even it is said in its wrapping "성심당은 대전의 문화입니다'

Sung Sim Dang is Daejeon's Culture.

hmmmm...is that so?

Well, I got to admit that the package is indeed a look-to-be-tasty kind of bread.

and ..kind of expensive, too. ( I don't know about it).

But..one thing for sure...people need to queue up to get a handful of these.

(so, I heard).

I just can't wait to taste it!!!!^^

Orientation for 2011 KGSP Scholarship Student (part 1)

Time: Thursday - Friday, 22 -23 September, 2011
Venue: KT Human Resources Development Center, Daejon
Participant: 279 students from around the world
Programs: Introduction of GKS scholarship; Lecture on Korean Education, History, Culture, Politics, Economy; Talent Show from representatives of the students; field trip to Expo Park and National Science Museum in Daejon.

So, I guess I would start my story with the fact that we had to wake up early in the morning on Thursday night because we got to leave for Daejon at 07.30 a.m. After an early wee hour of preparing stuffs, I made it to the bus. Off we went to Daejon at around 07.45. Departed from the tennis court of the campus, 18 of us were on board the bus with Ms. Kang and Mr. Kim from International Office accompanying us. Out of 18 students on board, most of us did not know what to expect from the orientation; what we might get and o and eat there. So, all of the expectations were high.

It took us about 3,5 hour, an hour longer than it should due to the traffic jam on highways. With about 10 minute break at the side-road rest area, we managed to refresh ourselves before continuing the journey.
Nothing pretty much interesting things to see along the way until we were approaching Daejon and had the first glimpse of how wide the Daejon lanes were; how beautiful the landscapes were; how neat the trees along the sidewalks were. It was a different place from that of Seoul. A kind of relaxing feeling set in.
I got a glimpse of an eye-opening 'scene' or new art or contemporary art displayed at unlikely place: the air over a park. I would talk about it later.
It took me a while to realize what I saw until the bus passed that 'thing' by. Since then, I got a determination that I had to go back there and take the picture of the whole 'commotion' I saw on the way to the venue.

It was my first impression of Daejon with high expectation.