Planes, Trains and Automobiles Pt. 2

Ok, Im going to cover public transportation in the second installment of this series. Included are buses and subway trains; up first: the subway.

Having never really ridden an established and extensive subway system before this summer in NYC, I have to say they are really beneficial when done right. Atlanta's is not done well, as evidenced by the fact that no one really takes it unless they are going downtown, to the airport or trying to find somewhere to sleep. New York's and Seoul's are far better, encompassing the entire city with entrances every few blocks. I have give the edge to Seoul's system though, but only because the platforms dont smell like urine and the stations are extremely well maintained.

I probably take the subway here at least once a week and have never had a bad experience, save for the random times I show up as the doors are closing or inability to get a seat as seen here:

The subways run pretty regularly, and even if you miss a train, there is always one a few minutes behind with it's position shown on an electronic board. Every stop is announced in both Korean and English and the map of stops is written in both, ensuring that you have to be asleep or a moron to miss yours.

The only downfall to the subway is that the trains dont run all night, they stop around 11 or 12, but since taxis are so cheap (I will elaborate in pt. 3), getting home is never too expensive.

Ok, now for the buses. There is a wonderful piece of technology that links the subway system and bus system together, its called a T-Money card and is about the size of a piece of gum. This card either goes in your wallet or attaches to your phone via a cord and is rechargeable at every subway station. While you can use cash, Id say more than 90% of Koreans use their T-Money card to pay for subways and buses. In addition to convenience, one of the best incentives to use it is that it gives you free transfers. For example, whenever I take the subway home, I also have to take a 5 min bus ride, but that bus ride is free since I use my T-Money card. I can also use this card to pay for some taxis and in select convenience stores.

Like the subway, every bus stop is announced in English and Korean and you simply push a button to signal to the driver that you want off. While much of Seoul looks similar, one of the best things about the bus is the view. This, paired with the recent implementation of a HOV lane just for buses makes this mode of transportation more appealing than being stuck underground.

There are two major flaws in the bus system though, the first is that while the stops are announced in English, the maps at the stops are only in Korea. This means that unless you know which bus to take or know Korean, its going to be pretty hard to figure out which bus goes where.

The second is the driver's sense of entitlement. According to their posted licenses, many of these drivers have been in the game for many years and have the ego to go with it. What does an egotistical bus driver do? Anything he wants. Since Ive been here, Ive almost been hit when crossing the street at the appropriate time, been cut off numerous times while in a taxi and witnessed buses refuse to yield to emergency vehicles. Its goes both ways though, because I obviously enjoy the driver making haste while Im aboard, but some of their actions surprise me at best.

Planes, Trains and Automobiles Pt. 1

This is intended to be the first installment of a 3 part series aimed at describing traveling within Korea. First up: planes.


While I have only had one experience on a Korean run airline, I have to say that everything I have heard supports my experience. Some of you may remember when I went to Tokyo at the end of January; for that trip, I flew Asiana Airlines. Prior to them, I have flown primarily domestic run carriers (with the exception of Lufthansa this summer and maybe a Caribbean one when I was younger), but Asiana blew everyone out of the water. I cant imagine anyone enjoying flying domestic airlines (with the exception of first of business class), but stop reading now if you do because they are in the minor leagues compared to Asiana.

First, and perhaps most importantly, they were overstaffed (some of you may be asking yourselves what this means since US carriers dont understand either). Not only were there about 20 desk agents checking people in, there were also 10 gate agents when it was time to board. Things went smoother than smooth, in addition to the desk lady honoring my request for an exit row, the gate agent offered me a paper after my ticket was scanned.

It gets better: once on board, I noticed the flight attendants didnt look leathery and on their death bed (apologies to anyone with who's mom is/was a flight attendant, I wasnt talking about them, unless their face looks like a handbag painted like a clown). In fact, Asiana's flight attendants reminded me of the glory days of the profession (see Catch Me If You Can for insight) when it was hip to be a jet setting flight attendant. Gorgeous and courteous, they catered to the passengers like they cared and in four languages. I was constantly offered beverages and snacks which leads me to my next point of praise: the food and drinks.

Not only was the alcohol free, it was quality booze. Im talking both foreign and domestic beers as well as brand name spirits, all of which had unlimited refills. I dont know whats wrong with our domestic carriers (actually I do, their industry is in economic turmoil and is desperate need of cutting costs), but drinks on the house go a long way. Not even on my flight to Korea on United, which lasted about 13 hrs, were their any complimentary drinks. Also, the food was delicious. Im talking food that filled me up and that I could actually recognize without consulting the menu. And no, I didnt have to pay extra for it. Both entrees were fish, but the side items ranged from salad to noodles and was always accompanied by bread, dessert and rice (it is Asia after all). Take a look at this picture and tell me you wouldnt eat this.


Thats what I thought.

I guess the thing I was most impressed with was the lack of a language barrier. I was expecting them to be proficient in Korean and Japanese, but I was pleasantly surprised by their extensive knowledge of English. From checking in to disembarking, not once did a staff member have to consult another to translate anything I said. Pretty impressive if you ask me.

Alright, that concludes part one, I will be flying Korean Air on my trip to Cambodia in July, so hopefully they live up to my newly raised standards.

The Rivalry of Rivalries

Some may say its Duke vs UNC, others UGA vs Florida or Auburn vs Alabama, but on Wednesday night, I saw a game that trumps all the others and is seen by few. Im talking about a game that is a literal escape for one team, an excuse for them to leave their scripted lives and see how the rest of the world lives. No, Im not talking about Canada, Im talking about a soccer game between South and North Korea. On Wednesday night, 8 coworkers and myself traveled to World Cup Stadium (home of the 2002 World Cup) to see two countries, who are still technically at war, battle it out on the soccer field.

This was one of the coolest and most exciting sporting events Ive been to, not only was it an exciting game, but words cant describe what it was like seeing citizens of the North outside of their country. The South scored the only goal with about 5 minutes left, here are some pictures and a video of the stadium post goal.