Signing Off

So today is the last day here at Ulsan. Back to Seoul tomorrow and then to India with lots of good memories. About Hyundai Heavy at Ulsan, the rocky cliffs shoring Ilsan, the drive to Pohang, the Chics at Busan, the 'happenings' at Seoul, the flowers of Gyeongju... it goes on and on. But what striked me the most was the people. Hardworking, simple and sincere. The soil doesn't give much. Shattered post world war 2. A hostile neighbor in the north. All these notwithstanding, people live a good life. The roads are clean. Children receive good education. The countryside is kept beautiful. The trains and buses are on time. People respect TIME. And they make quality stuff in huge numbers for all the world. I hope for once - my country becomes all that and more. Signing off!

Kham Sa Ham Ni Da, Korea! Annyonghi Kaseyo!!! 

Downtown Marathon

16th April 2010. Friday Evening. Its been almost a week in Ulsan. Have already explored the nearby locality, the beach, local restaurants, the football court, the neighborhood parish, the supermarket et al. The streets are dotted with Cherry blossom - in hues of pink, rose, violet and white - 'Sakura' as they are called are the delight of the spring season.

Today I thought of visiting the downtown. Need to flex my calf muscles a little bit. A week in office, no football and I am already wearing thin. Why not go for a stroll? Downtown is a dozen kilometers away. Not much for a runner, not much for me. Checked the weather forecast - 7°C, Windy, little chance of showers. So off I went...

The Marathon Route:

Started from the office, slipped into my apartment for a quick change of gear and jogged by the Taehwa river side, wallowed in the breathtaking view of the Ulsan harbor. Sprinted past Hyundai Heavy's Offshore Division, Hyundai Mippo Dockyard and Hyundai Motor Company. Two giant Ro-Ro ocean liners of 'EuKor' & 'China Shipping' were berthed at the quay. Avantes, Grandeurs, Elantras and other cars from the Hyundai stable were lined in thousands to be rolled over the ramps into these behemothic vessels. The export volumes are amazing. With a population and land area that is half that of Uttar Pradesh, South Korea exports a little more than twice of what India exports. But we are catching up! I mused. Maybe not with so many cars right now - but the day is not far when the Nanos are going to win the bottom of the pyramid around the world :)

Chewing on that stat I whisked accross the Taewha river bridge into the labyrinths of the New Downtown. Rush hour time. People out of offices waiting for cabs and buses. I slipped into Lico Bar for some coffee and hotdog. Resumed my  amble - yonder Lotte Hotel, window shopping at the Hyundai Department Store flaunting LV, Versace and all that jazz. Reached just in time at Ulsan Culture & Arts Center. Bought front seat tickets for the Philharmonic Orchestra next Friday. Picked up a City Guide and KTX time tables at the information centre at Ulsan Train station. Wanna go to Seoul on a bullet train sometime over the the next couple of weekends :P

Already dark, it was. Trotted back home - wished to have a fresh pair of legs. Could have taken a ride back. But to run - it was - and so would it be. Chilly breeze. Dazzling lights. Starry Sky. The roro liners were gone - probably in the Pacific already. Reached home by 10. What a marathon it was! Quarter Century Sprint. Totally refreshing.

The Land of the Morning Calm

I woke up to the Captain's announcement, "Good evening ladies and gentlemen. We will touchdown at Incheon International Airport in 10 minutes. The local time is 18.04 hours and the airport temperature is 5 degree Celsius. The passengers to the right of the aircraft can now see the beautiful city of Seoul by their side. The passengers to the left of the aircraft can watch their friends on the right admiring the beautiful city of Seoul..." (sound of chuckle) "... or else see the beautiful sun set on the western horizon." I looked out through the window on my left. There was the twilight sun and the vast expanse of the sea beneath, tinged with shades of yellow, orange and red, embossed with trails of ships heading out to the Pacific Ocean. It looked like a sheet of canvas colorfully adorned by the imagination of a 4 year old. Abstract yet beautiful. The put-on-seat-belts sign was already ON. I sat upright, buckled up. Shoved the Strait Times that I despised for the bad news about yuan (and other asian currencies) into the front pouch and prepared for descent. After a long day at Kualalumpur and 9 hour flight (including layover at Kota-Kinabalu), I just wanted to get into the place that would be my home for the next 2 months. The pilot performed a textbook touchdown and soon I was facing the young lady at the immigration counter.

"First time in Korea?" she asked.

"Yes."

"Purpose of Visit? ... Business or Pleasure?"

"Business." Of course! ;)

She looked at my passport and then looked at me (without either of her eyebrows raised). "Thank you and have a good time." she said handing me back the stamped passport.

I collected my baggage, converted some dollars at 52 week low exchange rate, called Bala, put on my jacket and scurried to the transport terminal muttering under my breath. Damn! the appreciating asian currencies. Had just over 4 million won which would have been 40 % more if converted an year ago. Currency futures better be applied than just mugged :|

Ulsan (destination) was still 447 km away. KTX (Korean Train eXpress), the Korean version of 'bullet trains' that we learnt about at school, at its top speed of 350 km/hr could theoretically take me to my destination in less than an hour and a half. Alas, Murphy played foul. The last KTX for the day had left at 6 pm. That leaves me with Plan B - Get the damn Express Bus ASAP.

A cold, damp gust of air flogged my face as I walked out of the airport. Pulled over another layer of woolen and waited for my ride. The airport limousine arrived shortly and the driver helped me settle down in the warmth of its interiors. It was about an hour's drive to Seoul Express Bus Terminal, where I got my ticket to Ulsan, grabbed some grub and bumped into Miss Eun-ah Chang.

Eun is a violinist. Cute like most oriental girls and graceful like her instrument. Helped me with getting the tickets (English is not that popular with the common folk) and agreed to teach me some Korean during the 4.5 hour journey to Ulsan.

"So, what brings you to Ulsan?" she initiates conversation as the bus wheels onto the freeway.

Then I start explaining to her about the internship...blah blah blah...answer her questions about India, Taj Mahal, Zubin Mehta and the Tatas. I learn that she is majoring in Violin at Korean National University of Arts, Seoul and also plays for the Ulsan Philharmonic Orchestra. I am amazed by the extent of formalization of music education in Korea. The young are formally initiated into arts and music at a very tender age. There is also a proper organized music entertainment industry that includes classical music.

"I have been learning music for only 17 years. And I started late. Joined music school only when I was 10" she says.

Yeah right... very late." I agree.

I couldn't even hold the fiddle properly when I was 10. The aching fingers and vibrato lessons had almost made me quit but for mom's persistence.

Talked over random arbit stuff over the next four hours. She taught me "Anyong ha se yo?" which means hello. And "Kham sa ham ni da" meaning thank you in Korean. I also got an invite to the philharmonic concert at Ulsan Grand Hall celebrating Schumann's 200th anniversary :)

"The proceedings would include three sessions: 1. Rhapsodie 'espana', 2. Rachimanivov: Piano Concerto and 3. Shumann: Symphony no.1 'Spring' " she explained.

"I am really looking forward to it", I said as I bid her goodbye at the terminal.

Bala came just in time to pick me up. He set the GPS to Dong-gu and sped through the empty city-lanes occasionally braking for the speed cameras that decided not to take his picture. He dropped me at my apartment and there - I was home. Home for the next 2 months :)

Leaving on a Jet Plane

It was 5.30 pm and I bid goodbye to my relatives in Chennai and headed to the airport. My internship begins in 2 days from now at Hyundai Heavy Industries, S. Korea - the largest Shipbuilding & Offshore Construction facility in the world. And my excitement at the prospect of being "there" knew no bounds. My mind was running ahead of time but the Chennai traffic slowed me down.

"Ini etra samayam (how much more time)?", I asked the auto driver. He shrugged and gave no response. After thinking for some time, perhaps, whether to answer my question or not, he cleared his throat and announced, "Minimum 2 hours sir... traffic jam." I nodded in acknowledgement. I would really have been happy if he criss crossed Madras in 2 hours in rush hour. Bumper to bumper traffic is so much an understatement - the highway looked like a parking lot!

"Chennai first time? You a Bengali? Flight at 9? Tickets all ready?" the driver was shooting questions at me left, right and centre. Reminds me of DARCP (Desperate Arbit Random Class Participation) at Hel(L). Or is he trying to do a Sherlock Holmes on me? I let him pass his better judgement on me and conceded in reverse order, " Tickets ready, Flight at 9, Bengali but have come to Chennai before." His face lighted up on confirmation of his prediction. So much to make people happy and now that I've got the guy smiling I asked him in the little Tamil that I could manage, "Sheeghram Pokuma? (Can you go faster please?)" He nodded and pulled up the accelerator. This has been the seventh time I have been "Bong"ed in the last two years, starting with Mr. Paleti, the football captain at Hel(L), and I have been wondering about it ever since! Baffled and slightly amused at my bong connection! Fish? Football? Communism? Only God knows!

My cell-phone beeped the 4th time since I left to the airport. Incoming SMS from good ol' friend Raman - "Change of rendezvous - Come to Hotel Sangeeta at Guindy." Had met him only once after college and we had 4 years of catching up to do. I SMSed back, "Just around the Corner, almost there." Fifteen minutes later, another incoming SMS from Raman- "Which Corner? The diagonally opposite one?". I could only laugh. Reached the place in another 5 minutes and there he was waiting. Got some grub and chatted over the usual arbit stuff but more importantly capitalized on pulling his leg on relinquishing bachelorhood. Bid him goodbye and like always agreed to 'catch up better' next time.

Checked in very early at 9 pm. The boarding time for my flight to Kualalumpur was quarter past eleven. So made a few calls and ere... waited. MH181 took off just in time, rolling towards the starboard, flaunting a breath-taking aerial view of Chennai lit up by the city lights. And I sat there in my window seat reading 'Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde', sipping some red wine and occasionally gazing at the beautiful night sky.