Plane Spotting At ICN ... Part 5

As I head back to India, I took time to do what I love to - Plane Spotting at Incheon Airport!

Not the sexiest plane, but the Korean Air colours look nice on a Boeing 737...

A carrier I love to hate, China Eastern - I remember the lousy flight we had with them From Zhangjiajie to Shanghai Pudong, way back in May 2013...

The home base of Korean Air...

Czech Airlines Airbus A330 - I need to head there!

There she rests, the whale!

The exotic Airbus A330 from the Czech Republic...

It is a lovely day for Plane Spotting!

A China Southern Airbus A320 - this is a pretty decent carrier!

A Korean Air Boeing 747-400 on short-finals...

Air China Airbus A320...

An Asiana Boeing 767 taxis...

The Boeing 767 is a dying breed...

Korean Air Boeing 777...

China Southern Boeing 737...

Etihad Airways Airbus A340...

The Queen, she rests before her flight to Frankfurt...

Nothing beats the grace of the Jumbo Jet - Lufthansa's Boeing 747-400...

China Eastern Airbus A320...

Alitalia's Airbus A330...

This plane will take me to Hong Kong...

MIAT Mongolian Airlines' Boeing 767 with winglets... 

On her take-off run, headed for Ulan Baatar...

T'way's Boeing 737...

Air Macau's Airbus A320 - she seems to have had a "nose job"...

Eastar Jet's Boeing 737...

Waiting to board...

Off to Rome, there she goes...

Air Asia's Airbus A330 that came in from Kuala Lumpur Sepang...

Singapore Airlines' Airbus A330...

And there we go...

The Korean Air ramp...

Shenzen Airlines Airbus A320 next to the bird from Singapore...

Asiana's cargo ramp...

And Hong Kong, here I come...

Yay! Headed Back Home!

Yay! That day has come when I am finally headed back home to Mumbai and Delhi.

Days after Neeti left for India and an exruciating schedule, the day I was longing for finally arrived. It is exactly been 5 months since we moved to Korea and that homesick feeling had reached a crescendo before we started to feel settled here.

And yay! Now I head back home for a few days, with the Lunar New Year break coming in handy.

And so I left Songdo on a freezing but sunny noon to head to Incheon Airport. Checkin was smooth but then there was a gruelling long line for the security check and immigration before I got time to have a quick light lunch at the Paris Baguette outlet.

My lunch - a crab sandwich, a yummy egg-tart and an Americano!

Pororo at the airport - this is Korea's homegrown cartoon character that is a major export...

And then it was time for an hour of Plane Spotting, criss-crossing the remote concourse and that was a worthwhile exercise in itself.

And then I armed myself with a series of newspapers for my inflight entertainment while boarding, yay, I am set to go!

It Happens Only In Korea... Part II

Every time we are out exploring the country, there is something amusing that we encounter. And some of those amusing things can be captured on the camera, so here goes the second edition of It Happens Only In Korea...

Only in Korea, they straighten the Leaning Tower of Pisa...

As it happens in India sometimes (like "Chilled Beer" becomes "Child Bear"), spellings here can atrocious sometimes... 

Will Sunil Mittal's Airtel file a copyright infringement case in Korea?

"Sick And Tired" of whom?

Newsweek with Modi on its cover sells in bookstore in a subway station in Seoul...

A case of Google Translate going wrong - the cafeteria in my office building has two menu versions - one in Korean and one in English. Now the English version is a Google Translate version of the Korean menu. That explains why "Abuses in the machine" is on the menu!!!

A Psy doll - remember Psy of Gangnam Style?

And the menu again - sticky rice got translated as "magnetic field of rice" - we do need a new field of science - gastronomical physics!!!!

Hello Kitty again, at Lotte Mart...

Himalay herbal costmetics from India in GS Mart...

What a coffee cup at Paris Baguette...

Dubai shoes, made in Korea, only at Gangnam Station...

Happinness is with Snoopy! That is why I love Korea...

Bang Bang Plaza on Tehran Ro, Gangnam - bang, bang?

Want a clean bum, get a electronic bidet!

A creepy looking coffee cup at Dunkin Donuts!

And I say, It Happens Only In Korea...

It Happens Only In Korea... Part I

Over the last few incredible months over here, I have realised how similar the Koreans are to us - most of them are indeed nice people. They are simple and fun loving people with aspirations similar to what we have.

Wherever I have been in Korea, I have experienced quite a lot of warmth from the people around. Even in the workplace, the locals did do a lot to help me adjust. That has made me respect the Koreans a lot!

One can only respect the ingenuity and the hard work of the Koreans - despite not knowing English, they did grab a huge share of consumer electronics market the world over and their products are good. Also Korean construction companies have quite a great reputation for themselves around the world.

But there are moments that are quite entertaining and funny. And these moments add a bit of spice to life. As we used to say in India, we end up saying the same here in Korea as well - "It Happens Only In Korea!"

Korea is renowned for its cosmetics and this shop in Myeongdong has a cosmetic line called "Modi". Well, every Indian would have smiled seeing this...

OK Bank! If we can have a Yes Bank in India, it's okay to have an OK Bank in Korea!

The boyfriend does the girl's hair at Paju! Men here are so protective of their girlfriends as though they were little babies...

Namaste India - a manhole cover in Itaewon...

A wonderful way to encourage the use of stairs...

"Choo Choo Pie", a bakery at Bupeyong Station - well the logo seems to depict a steaming piece of turd... arghhhh!

"There is a big difference between living and being alive. Things are never happened what is not not prepared before"

If you keep the grammar aside, this display outside a store in Myeongdong conveys a meaningful message about life...

Salman Khan wake up, there is a Dabang app here!

"English available" - is English on sale here? Or are they saying they can speak English?

Plastic surgery is a big craze here - this advertisement in a metro promotes cosmetic surgery. Very often you come across deals such as pay for one Lasik and get the second one free. There is immense pressure to look good here and CVs are incomplete without photographs... As we say It Happens Only In Korea!