Multi-Faith Prayer Room @ Singapore's Changi Airport. Does Incheon Airport have it?***

The answer to that question would be 'YES' but....
ok, let me start with this first...
Multi-faith prayer room: what an intriguingly interesting, yet so-right a term to call it.

I know that musholla or praying rooms or ARE essential parts of any airport in Southeast Asia. Be it in Jakarta, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok ( I found out that Hongkong--wait, it is not in SE Asia-- has one, too) and I bet other cities too in Southeast Asia provide at least one praying room for its travelers.

I love the fact that the so-called 'multi-faith prayer room' is provided by the authority of Singapore Airport and other airports as well.

Now let's go to Korea with its Incheon International Airport.

Incheon Airport is dubbed to be the number one airport or world's best airports in the world for 8 consecutive years while Singapore Airport is in number two (until April 11, 2013 when the newest poll stated that Singapore has finally garnered the  1st spot once again).
Ok...let me start again with Incheon....

I think my personal evaluation as the user or traveler....is that....

Incheon International Airport IS 99% the world's best airport...since it DOES NOT (fully show) or fulfill the term what a multi-faith prayer room should be like. Well, the one that Singapore Airport provides is quite different.
As for the one(s) in Incheon Airport.....it is a bit different from what I or others might have expected.
..........

So..So..So..So..

I request that Incheon International Airport would willingly think or consider building or setting up a room (for the meantime, size does not matter, supposed it already has one, I hope that it is spacious enough) where travelers ...

Especially, for Muslims who need to pray 5 times a day. 

Korea has attracted more than 10 millions visitors a year. And a significant number of travelers come from Middle East and Southeast Asian countries.

So...I'd be one of those who'd be more than thankful should the authority of Incheon International Airport would consider setting up multi-faith prayer room where Muslims have also a place here. ....like a wudhu (ablution) section for cleansing before praying....

Please..please...please....

I am sure that this will upgrade the status and the pride o Korea's Incheon Airport as indeed the world's BEST airport. (or now the 2nd world's best one).

Back to Changi Airport, even a so-called Meditation Room is provided. 

so, I guess if a so-called "Multi-Faith Prayer Room is soooo difficult to be realized in Incheon Airport, the authority could --at least--consider establishing 

a so-called Meditation Room, especially an additional one for Muslims?

That would surely be an added value of Incheon International Airport.

*** This is my simple wish.....^^ and since it is a wish...I think I could be wrong if it turned out that Incheon does have it already by the time I wrote this blog.

Because...I also found on the internet that actually Incheon DOES have it.

it is called 기도실  (gidosil) or praying room.

The thing is..first it is not really or YET to be a multi-faith since it is only for Christians, Catholics, and Buddhist, and no space for Muslims (that's what I know of)....so, I do hope that an additional room could be added. 

from other travelers that I learned, Incheon indeed have the so-called 기도실 (gidosil) but it does not yet --once again--fulfill the needed space by Muslims.

Or if not, the present room should be at least widely written on signboard so it will be easily known that Incheon Airport Does provide this prayer room.

I just hope that this simple fact that Incheon indeed has this prayer room is widely known and widely posted on many more sections of the airport so that people who need it might find it easy to go there.

So, my next plea is to have more signboard telling passengers that Incheon Airport DOES indeed provide a prayer room  or 기도실 as it is referred to.

By doing so, Incheon Airport is 100% freshly guaranteed that it is indeed World's Best Airport. ^^

so, there goes the 'real' 1% that I have been looking for.

Safely Arrived @ Incheon Airport

I knew it. She was actually soooo tired of a long journey from Jogjakarta to Seoul. It took nearly 19 hours from Jogja to Seoul. (domestic flights, transit, and the flights themselves) 

But..she kept smiling...^^

THank You Freya..for being such a nice girl... 

though I know..that you were tired.

So...let's have some rest at home. 

From Incheon to Jakarta via Singapore (part 1)

It was Saturday morning (March 23, '13) and we were ready to check in. The flight from Incheon departed at around 9 am and we had enough time to check in. Freya was in her utmost excitement as she's been waiting for this day. 

Selca after check-in process was done. Now...let's squeeze and cheeseeee.... 

"Yes, Daddy...I am ready" 

On our way to the Gate, she just could not stop walking and running around....

The morning rush-hour inside Incheon International Airport. 

"Dad, it looks cool" well, okay..just stay there and let me take a pic of you, honey.!" 

So, this is what my wife told me. There was this hall where passengers could take their time experiencing Korean culture. We saw some people were making dolls.  

OOpss..it's only your silhouette, Freya. I am sorry. Ok...just stay there, though. 

This Singapore Airlines was the flight we were in...for about 6 hours from Incheon to Singapore....before departing for Jakarta.

Cu in two weeks, Mama

My wife is going back to Jogjakarta for 2 weeks until Feb. 20, 2013. So, early in the morning on Feb. 6 we took the limousine bus from Cheongnyangni to take her to the airport. The kids were also there. 

Have a great time back home and cu again in two weeks time, Mama.^^ 

Before boarding...the China Southern Airlines. 

Although it meant that she had to transfer in Guangzhou for about 3 hours, she found it a challenge in itself. She enjoyed it. 

Eyra and Freya were waiting and looking through the window pane at Incheon airport after seeing her mother off. 

They liked hanging out at the airport.  

The hanging 'season's greeting' lamp was still there at the airport. 

Ok, girls..let's go home and enjoy our 2-week life without mama...we got to be brave^^

Daddy will cook you some breakfast, dinner, lunch, too.

We can do it. 

Cu again Mama...on February 20, 2013.

The first train (a.k.a. AREX & Metro) ride in Seoul

  

I planned to pick up my family via AREX since it was cheaper than that of taking the Limousine Bus. Apart fromt that, I also wanted to make sure that my family could enjoy the best of their time even from their first day of arrival in Korea....i.e. by taking the train back to Seoul.

Eyra and Freya were so excited as they could see the first glimpse of what Korea was like through the windows of the AREX ...of course ...before the train subduing itself into the underground tunnel that would make it categorized into Metro or subway(back then).

Anyway...the  trip to Seoul by AREX and Metro turned out to be just fine...^^
After getting off at the Seoul Station where we had to transfer to Imundong where we live,  a diorama of a city with its trains operated by KORAIL  caught the attention of my kids.

So, we stopped there and let them enjoy their first enthusiasm of being in Seoul....despite the freezing winter breeze. They liked it, though.

Family Reunion in Korea

The topic of today is the arrival of my family that I had been waiting for. Finally, it was December 10, 2011: the day when my family came to Korea.

I just could not wait to meet the angels: Eyra and Freya: my daughters who (I’m sure) missed me as well.

I prepared for the day with lots of preparations. One thing for sure: the two-room house that we rent was ready right before they came. In fact, I moved into the new home the night before they came to Korea.

OK...shortly speaking: I woke up early to go to Incheon International Airport (IAA) by AREX (Airport Express) from Seoul Station. I thought it was one of the best highlights that Seoul has to offer for all of the world travellers.

From Seoul station, it took only 50 minutes or so to the IAA. In the wee early hour, I managed to arrive at the airport just in time to meet my family. I was happy as well as nervous for having to wait for their arrival. It was like a feeling of having to meet them for the first time.
Anyhow...the information board at the arrival hall finally showed that the Garuda Flight from Jakarta had just landed safely. I was ecstatic. Could not wait to meet my family. After for about 45 minutes of waiting.....after their landing....I finally managed to see and meet them again after 3 months. ^^

I could see the surprised and can-not-believe look on my daughters’ faces as they were running towards me. Their expressions were like....”So, it  IS true that Daddy is IN Korea just like Mommy told us.” Funny, eh? Well, I mean...for the past three months...the only way we connected to each other was through phone, internet, or Skype-ing.

So, it was like too-good-to-be-true kind of feeling.
Being united again....was so deliberately .....freshly ....indescribably....soothing.
Ok...then..came the hugging and kisses moment.....ignoring the fact that we were in the midst of others. But.....it was unplanned for.
Then...came the time when we had to keep up with one another. My angels never let their hands off me as soon as we met...right until we got ourselves to Seoul by AREX again.

In between, we managed to take some pictures as tokens of memories of their arrival to Korea. At that time, IAA was already decked with the Season’s best greetings and nuance and atmosphere. X-mas was everywhere...or should I say... the Winter festivities were alreay there as if to meet and greet all of the travellers who came to Korea during this Winter.
All in all...it was such a great day....one thing for sure..because I met my family again....^^