Seoul and Train Tracks

From the 8th floor of Cheongnyangni station. I was dragging myself...literally speaking haha...to make me see what it would look like from above...the train tracks I pass on a daily basis.

I mean...yup...these are the rail tracks that he subway I ride everyday pass on by.(??)

It doesn't look that much....simply a barren-looking lines of tracks....well.for some maybe...

but..for my weary eyes...that needed something to see....

...finding this spot...and take a moment to see what's beneath...was a truly 'okay' time for me who needed something to distract myself from routine daily commuting.

It just so happened..that a red train passing me by...under...

again..an empty tracks in winter....oh, no...it's not empty..there's one subway...on the left side.

A blue sky really beautified the scenery. Indeed, had the skies not been blue, I wouldn't have dared myself ....going outside onto the 8th floor to enjoy the moment.

Subway Exit....

iseng-iseng saja sambil pulang jeprat-jepret tsngga-tangga saat menuju rumah.

sepi. Tak ada orang lain.

pas menuruni tangga pun demikian.

ketika naik eskalator pun juga sama saja.

한적했다.

But....begitu keluar...terlihat ada 'kehidupan' seperti bapak ibu penjual ini.

oh...bahkan ...tak terlihat orang lalu-lalang menuju atau keluar dari Emart dekat rumah.

입학 축하금 Uang Masuk Sekolah

Salah satu hal yang kusuka dari fasilitas subway di Korea adalah bagaimana stasiun subway pun juga dimanfaatkan menjadi tempat budaya. Salah satunya adalah dipasangnya berbagai karya puisi atau esai pendek yang rata-rata dipilih untuk dipajang karena isi dan muatan pesan yang terkandung di dalamnya.

Kupotret esai singkat ini di stasiun Seoggye jalur 1 pas aku nunggu subway mau pulang. Isinya menarik karena mengungkit tentang bagaimana kekuatan pemilihan kata-kata yang kita ucap dan tuliskan dapat mengubah persepsi kita tentang sesuatu.

Di sini diceritakan ada sebuah keluarga yang mengalami kesulitan ekonomi karena himpitan masalah. Banyak orang berdatangan ke rumah keluarga itu untuk meringankan beban keluarga itu dengan cara memberikan amplop berisi uang sebagai tanda peduli. Ketika sang penerima ragu-ragu dan merasa sungkan karena takut merepotkan, serta merta di atas amplop itu tertuliskan bahwa ini uang untuk biaya sekolah anak keluarga itu yang kebetulan masuk sekolah menengah.

Alhasil, dengan penuh bahagia...keluarga itu menerima maksud baik orang-orang yang berniat membantu mereka.입

@ Hanyang University, Erica Campus

Just finished teaching our class on Sunday, 5th Oct. 2014.

Another great day spent at Indonesia Open University, Korea Campus. ^^

Yes...each Sunday, we rent some rooms to teach Indonesian migrant workers at Hanyang University, Erica Campus.

---anyway-----

The sky's again and again..bright blue. 

We're waiting for the shuttle bus (see the picture?) that would take us from campus to Hanyang University Subway Station--located about 15-minute bus ride.

See? that's thing: 한대앞역이란 역이름이 지여진 이유가 뭔지  궁금하네^^

보통 뭐 뭐 뭐 앞 이란 말은 바로 그 뭐뭐뭐앞에 존재한다는 것이 아닐까?

근데... 재미있는건...한대앞역은.....멀리 떨어져 있다는 사실을 알게 되자...와 대단하다.

아니..신기하네요.

다행이 이러한 셔틀버스가 마련해 줘서 ....고맙기는요.

World's Snack Corner

We're passing through the corner of world's snack that seemed to be just popped out of nowhere at one section of Dongdaemun Culture Park Station. Since we're intrigued by what they offered, we thought of taking it a look and...okay...these were what we found.

So many choices of snacks from all over the world in half price or ...way much cheaper than those sold at supermarket or department store. (but...of course...I kind of being suspicious of its catch....^^, esp. as to whether they're soon-to-be-expired snacks or something...well..fortunately..they're NOT.) 

And...yippie...we encountered the Tim Tam chocolate wafer that we like. And one of the funny things we found out was that...these Tim Tam are those supposed to be sold only in Indonesia....^^. so, why are they here? How is that possible? or could I be mis-interpreting it? Oh..I also bought two cans of Biscotto chocolate that we even rarely saw back home in Indonesia...but eventually ...we bumped into them anyway...right here...at this world snack corner.

National Subway Graphic: The Limited Edition NOT to be Missed!!

I love how Seoul Metropolitan Management found its creative side of portraying the social phenomenon at subways. First, let me get this straight, well..at times I did see couples hugging and kissing (although some would be blietzkrieg-like kiss). Not that I am naive or being hypocritical, but..yest...there are kids too in subways.:)  

and that's what prompted the Subway management to create this public awareness campaign ad.

what a great way to 'nudge' those couples:-) 

Then...the second edition that I like is also about how some people would just behave like the king of the subway..hehehe.:)

Well, some may not be aware of it..but the fact that some do exist....has prompted (once again) the Seoul Subway Management to come up with this brilliant idea of 'portraying' misbehaved passengers as gorilla or Kingkong. 

Then..what about those who sneaked out of the system...get on and off the subways without paying. I was alarmed to find this, too.

Some are just using the children card instead of adult-fare card. (so they say).

but...this is what makes it even more interesting...

these limited editions of National Subway Graphics are what keep me glued to wait and expect more 'insanely' creative ways of 'nudging' those kinds of people out there.

hmmm I hope I am not one of those...:) 

Nganter Anak PP Sekolah Tiap Hari? Why Nottt

yah begitulah. kalo memang sudah diniatin pindah rumah yg agak jauh dari sekolah anak-anak, berarti ortunya harus siap nganter PP anak-anaknya ke sekolah.

tiaaaapp hari naik bis, subway, jalan kaki...well, 30 menit sih ditotal...tapi ya tetap saya..tiap hari bolak balik sudah 1 jam sendiri..

tpiiiiii kalao anaknya saja juga seneng dan sptnya 'nggak punya udel' (kalo orang Jawa bilang), ya gimana lagi... 

Tiap hari adaaaaa saja yang dia usilin karena harus nunggu subway.

Hari itu giliranku jemput si Freya dari TKnya. hmm...ternyata usilnya nggak ketulungan!! 

untung saja kalo siang hari...nggak begitu rame tuh stasiunnya...jadi bebaslah dia ngalor ngidul...muter sana muter sini......peciciiilaaan.

tapi ternyata...asyik juga ya...^^ 

ah iseng ah...moto sepatuku....:_)

*#akibat dikit lunglai....jalan terus.... 

*hasil jepretan Freya...yang sudah mau berhenti lari-lari....^^

Bicycle Locker

Yep...you read it right. At first..I thought it was just another cabinet or any other lockers. It is not. It's a specially designed locker for bikes. Yes..anyone who comes and goes back and forth the subway and having to lock or store the bikes..they no longer need a long overdue locker coz this particular locker is a kind of modern-day bike lockers.

Just look at the boxes attached in between. 

There are instructions on how to operate or use the bicycle locker like this one. I tried to take a closer look at this but I refrained to.  

This locker room is at Hwarangdae station. I bet there are a bunch others like this one in any other subway station.

On weekends, lot of people are using their bikes to explore the city and I think this bicycle locker is deemed to have a great and multiple uses for the purpose of having fun.

Hmm..There's Something Wrong with This...^^

On May 22 I took a snap picture of seemingly an ordinary sight at subway station. We can see a signboard telling passengers the current time, the name of stations, the length of time before incoming subways arrive, and stuffs like that. 

But...I noticed one peculiar thing back then...

the train from 응암 (Eungam) would arrive at the station (where I was) in 

99 minutes!!!!!

There must be something wrong with this.

But..I just shrugged. Oh well...computer DOES glitch!!

Right?^-^