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How to Type in Korean on Windows 8
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And yes, these are all real-sparkles. No Photoshopping or Picture Modification. It looked like the trees were filled with diamonds!
How to Type in Korean on Windows 8
18 FebAirline Reviews: Korean Air
17 Feb
Date:
2012, 2013
Airline:
Korean Air–International & Domestic (8 flights).
Plane(s):
Airbus A330-200, Airbus A332 (no longer used?), Boeing 737, Boeing 777-200.
Pre-flight Interactions:
I prefer ordering Korean Air tickets via Orbitz or other online systems because their website is fairly complicated. One nice element is that it comes in a multitude of languages–English, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, etc. It isn’t always so difficult to look up flights, but it can be difficult to compare them via their home site. There isn’t a lot of explanation as to what exactly their “Skypass” does for you, although I’ve signed up since the beginning. As far as I can tell, it just gets me through the check-in a little easier because I can have everything easily accessible online. They say that you can pre-check in via the web and just use their machine at the airport, but it has always failed for me. I might be using it wrong or not qualifying, but the instructions are confusing. It helps if you have ticket in hand, along with your itinerary, and your passport. That is enough for them to get started.
However, the personnel are amazing at their jobs. I can’t say that I have ever had a single complaint with them. Their English is superb, they get me through the lines quickly and efficiently, they have people standing around waiting to answer questions, and they are charming at it. They seem to have an unending line of patience because I can honestly say I’ve never seen the less than lovely. For all that I stumbled through on my first couple flights, they were fabulous. They always verified that I knew what I was doing and where to go, they actively came around the counter and led me to where I needed to go next, and they even worked with me the day I was late for the flight check-in. I can’t speak highly enough of their service.
The deal is that if you are flying internationally (and I often am), all airlines must honor the baggage requirements/allowance of the airline with the longest flight (if tickets are all bought together–not separately). I always try to get Korean Air’s baggage allowance if traveling.
First/Business Class always get 3 free checked bags, but it differs for Prestige and Economy depending on the destination. You can find all the rules here under At the Airport–>Baggage. Generally, Prestige gets 2 bags, while Economy gets 2 bags for to/from America and 1 for anywhere else. You also get a personal item (I always make it a backpack because it counts as a purse but is bigger) and a carry-on. Small tip, if you are stopping in other countries during our trip, buy all the tickets at the same time as you purchase your flight back/from the US. It gets you the 2 bags instead of 1.
Boarding:
Amazing. There are always 2-3 people at the gate waiting to answer questions and handle problems. They are extremely efficient at the process, working with children and the elderly first, then everyone else. Everyone is divided into groups and you just wait your turn, making the lines more manageable. The flight attendants greet you at the door, check your ticket, and direct you to your seat. If you need help (have kids, strollers, elderly, etc.) one of them will come with you to help you settle in. They never complain about weirdly shaped baggage or oversized items; they simply gather them all up to be dealt with quietly. Your seat already has the amenities there including a blanket, pillow, slippers, and water bottle. They are eternally polite in getting everyone situated, it’s a smooth process that eases both adults and children.
In Flight:
The best part about Korean Air is their customer service and amenities. Domestic is a little rougher because you don’t get the televisions or as many amenities, but I really appreciate having the water bottle already in hand. They arrive quickly when the button is pressed, and return promptly with your requested items. I once watched a flight attendants rock and walk a screaming baby for nearly an hour while the parents tried to sooth their other kids, and she acted like it was no big deal. They serve drinks and food to First Class first of course, but they move quickly and you don’t have to wait too long. The food is generally amazing (cakes, puddings, salads, curry, baked chicken, etc.), and it is actually a full meal. They offer soda, wine, water, juice, milk, etc. free generally, and usually come buy with snacks a couple of times. The seats are pretty well spaced with lots of leg room so I never feel crunched up (Domestic less so, but still better than AA), and they are comfy too.
By far the best part is the tv screens each chair has for international flights. They offer music (International, Korean, American, Country, radio, etc.), Television shows (European, American, Kdramas, comedies), Movies (dozens of films are always there including tons of kids films), tourism information, flight information, maps, even Video Games. Kids are entertained for hours, and I rarely see any making a big fuss on these flights. They can even compete together in the video games since the tvs connect for them. Some have plug-ins for USB cables too, which is nice if you have an I-pod or laptop.
Then there is of course the flying. I have run into some very late flights with Korean Air, but we were avoid a big storm hitting Korea and China so it couldn’t be helped. They are very careful about safety measure, demonstrating the procedures in case of emergency. They always alert you when the seat belt lights come on and explain the issue. Generally there is also an apology. They have been turbulent but not scary. It’s nice that the pilot comes out and thanks you as you walk off the plane too.
Luggage Retrieval:
This usually goes pretty well. I had one flight where my luggage wasn’t where they told me, but I’m not sure whose fault that was. My suitcases ended up in first class, so I had to hunt to find them, and then they changed the location of retrieval which confused things. But my suitcases always made it back, and I’ve never had anything break.
Overall Conclusions
I attempt to always get Korean Air if possible. To be honest, customer service is one of the most important things to me when choosing an airline; flying is stressful enough without having to deal with grouchy workers. So, I particularly appreciate their customer service and amenities. It helps that they sent me up to Business Class once after they had an opening and I slept at their feet the whole night before. I was also touched by the flight attendants relating to me personally. I once lost my boarding pass and the woman rushed all over helping me look and figuring out the process of what to do. I spent several minutes talking to one flight attendant as we waited buckled in for take-off (storm delays) with him describing everything I should see, talking about where I was from, etc. He then caught back up and wished me a good trip when we were leaving. That’s just how kind they are. Flying Domestic is less fun because the planes are more cramped, older, and offer less entertainment, but it is still as nice as I’ve found elsewhere.
The only negatives I see with Korean Air–They are almost always more expensive and I don’t understand enough about the Skypass for it to be doing me any good. Also, my miles are going to expire before I reach the upgrade, and I’m within reach if I could just afford one more international flight 😦
Airline Reviews: American Airlines
16 FebI should have done this ages ago, but I kept finding other cool things to talk about. So this is a tad late, but better late than never! (And I’ll update it next time I have to fly with them).
Date:
2012
Airline:
American Airlines (AA)–Domestic (2 flights).
Plane:
Pre-flight Interactions:
I ordered the tickets via Orbitz, so the process was fairly simple. My flight almost immediately appeared on the AA website as registered and confirmed. The website is easy enough to use; I actually went ahead and registered a membership with the airline, which simplified things. You have to keep either the “Record Number” or your AA number on hand if you want to look anything up though. I did have to call them with questions, and I was less than pleased. Although the questions were fairly simple (arrival times, baggage capacity), they redirected the calls several times and put me on hold repeatedly. When I finally got someone, they were abrupt and short. Hung up on me before I finished all my questions.
Baggage Allowance:
The deal is that if you are flying internationally (and I was), all airlines must honor the baggage requirements/allowance of the airline with the longest flight (if tickets are all bought together–not separately). I flew AA across country and took Korean Air to Asia, allowing me to abide by Korean Air’s baggage allowance. Still, the difference wouldn’t have been that significant.
First/Business Class customers get 3 free checked bags all the time, but it differs for economy depending on your destination. You can find all the rules here, but generally you get a personal item (I always make it a backpack because it counts as a purse but is bigger), a carry-on, and 1-2 checked bags (flights to/from Brazil and Asia are 2; rest are generally 1). This is pretty nice compared to other US airlines.
Boarding:
Once again the flight attendants and staff were gruff and short with the customers. They offered far too many sighs and rolling eyes. They stalk the aisles snarling at people trying to put stuff in the overhead, and pushing the customers out of their way. You can’t ask questions or they act like it’s a huge burden. The first flight, they actually yelled at some people whose stuff wouldn’t fit. I wasn’t much impressed either time. No sense of customer service–it’s obviously a job they dislike.
In Flight:
Still not terribly impressed with the service–it sucked both times. The food was awful, the snacks were nuts and water. The first time I had to ask for a water half-way through and was huffily/snottily told “We’re working on it, you’ll just have to wait!” It took nearly half-an-hour before I got anything. Kind of a problem when I was trying to take my medications. Second flight a baby next to me started crying and the attendant ignored the mom when she asked for a blanket. The baby had been asleep for forever before it actually showed up. It was annoying because in the interim, we could see the flight attendants standing around drinking coffee and chatting. The amenities on the plane aren’t very good either; I had to stick with my ipod.
The flight itself sucked big time. The plane was cramped, and we were all smashed against one another. Plus, I understand that flights aren’t always smooth sailing, but both of these were heart-stoppingly scary. Once, the plane’s humming stopped and the plane actually fell quite a ways. Not like moving downwards deliberately, we literally came up out of our seats (with the belts on) and hit hard when it stopped. Then pilot missed the landing twice and we had to circle around. Even when we made it, the landing was extremely bumpy. The guy next to me said he’s taken that flight dozens of times and it had never been that bad. I could maybe have understood that, but they never reassured us or said anything about turbulence. A couple times the seat belt lights (which stayed on most of both trips) came on without warning or comment. It was especially a problem after the whole plane dropping from the sky thing. I would have appreciated someone telling us that nothing was wrong with the plane. I was late arriving both times.
Luggage Retrieval:
This actually went pretty well. My luggage was where they said it was, and it was easy to grab and move. Nothing was broken, and the cases came out of it okay. I have big suitcases that often end up on bottom, so it’s always a good thing when they survive the journey.
Overall Conclusions
This is definitely not my favorite airline to fly with. The website/baggage allowance/other mechanics of the system were fine, but everything else was awful. The flight attendants were rude at best, unkind and problematic at worst. Their concept of customer service was non-existent, and it was obvious. The flights were too bumpy and nauseating–I’ve flown the same trip with other airlines and made it fine. Overall, I was sick and unhappy when it was over and I would avoid them in the future.
Delicious Desserts!
14 Feb
Delicious desserts at a small restaurant in Japan. It was actually attached to a little shop beside our home station; and we ran in for some lunch before a movie. The signs all pointed to it being a omelette shop (Japan has many restaurants that serve lunch and dinner omelette), and we thought it’d be another mom & pop place. Instead it was incredibly fancy and the dinner was arranged prettily and with elegance 🙂 Luxury in Excess!
Feels Like Home
10 FebIrish Parliament, nearly identical to US White House
When traveling, it feels kind of amazing when you stumble across a little bit of home clear across an ocean.
Maybe it’s a person. A Toronto native bumps into a San Franciscan in China, and suddenly they’re next door neighbors separated since birth. Immediately it’s all, “oh have you ever been to Chicago, why yes I went when I was 2–oh my gosh, I was there when I was five, how’d you like it?!?”
Familiar brands can also catch your eye, a McDonald’s, Marriott Hotel, or Motorola. Even when you never actually bought them back home, they seem a little comforting. Personally, I never buy from Cold Stone Creamery. My mother’s parents used to own an ice cream store, and we’ve all eaten our fill of the heavy cream desserts. Too much, and it gets a little sickening. So instead, whenever we eat Ice Cream we make our own. But I used to hang with a group of friend who liked to stop there. So on a hot day alone in Korea, Cold Stone Creamery seems awfully comforting. Purely because at that very moment, someone I know might be doing the same thing.
It’s the felling of connection that matters. Homesickness isn’t a craving for home, it’s a craving for the connectedness of home. Despite what many non-travelers think, we usually aren’t really wishing we were at home instead. We don’t want to abandon our trips abroad or regret taking off on an adventure. Really, it isn’t home we’re looking for at all, it’s just that sense that you are bonded to the world around you that gets lost sometimes. The feeling that you matter, that you are part of the events around you instead of just a stranger wandering through. That feeling that, if needed, home and friends are just around the corner. You don’t want to go back to home, it’s just that home needs to be brought to you. Usually, what we really need is a sign that home can still be found right were we are.
For me, this summer that connection was a little flyer I picked up in Japan. I’d been there nearly 3 weeks and I was starting to miss home and family a bit. On my way back from school, I ran across an ad for the theatrical version of Kuroshitsuji in a Gas Station.
You may not recognize the name, but Kuroshitsuji was an anime my best friends and I used to watch in college. Whenever college or finals or life got to be too much, the four of us would all get together and watch whatever episodes were out. If nothing new was up, we’d watch re-runs. It got us through deaths, failed classes, broken hearts, lost jobs, family fights, and 21-credit semesters. It’s actually a surprisingly angsty show, which allowed us to get all teary-eyed and dramatic without looking like idiots in real life. But it also had characters like the insane, safety-scissor waving, cross-dressing death god who we all adored. I actually watched a lot of anime in college, but I never met anyone in Japan who recognized my shows or saw anything talking about them. So to find this little ad for Kuroshitsuji meant a lot to me. Admittedly, it was Japanese in nature, but to me it connected Japan to home. I ran to the hotel and messaged my friends all about it, and for a little bit I got to squeal with them about something we all recognized. I felt reunited, just enough to remind me that home wasn’t really that far away. In fact, I could still find some parts of it as far away as I was.
So for those of you who are travelling abroad, and are reaching that point where you just need a home-sized hug, look around you. Maybe you aren’t looking for something in the U.S. (or whatever nation you’re from); maybe you just need to find something familiar. Think back to what made you fall in love with the idea of visiting this country? Don’t focus on what you don’t have. Focus on the one think in your life that lives in both locations. You will always be able to find something that looks at you and screams: “You Know Me!” It’s the familiarity that matters.
Sunset on the Ice
24 DecAnd yes, these are all real-sparkles. No Photoshopping or Picture Modification. It looked like the trees were filled with diamonds! 
Winter Ice Storm Hits Midwest
23 DecPhotos of the Trees after the Ice Storm hit us here in Illinois. I hear at home we got 6 inches of snow! Praying that all of you made it out okay and that your Christmas trips are safe and sound!
Seoul Grand Park Zoo
23 NovRandom photos from my trip to the Seoul’s Grand Park Zoo! Great place to take your kids 🙂 Just make sure you have run and play clothes cause the kids like to hit the fountains, play areas, etc.
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Subway Stop: Seoul Grand Park
Subway Directions: Take Line 4 to the Seoul Grand Park stop (i.e. toward Oido) and follow Exit 2.
If you look at the subway map here, it is the 7th stop after crossing the river.
ONWARD TO THE ZOO!!
When you take Exit 2, you will see a long walkway in front of you. All you have to do is go straight until you come to the big fountain and the building behind it that says zoo.
Exit from Subway
Entrance Building
There is a little ticket booth at the big building, where you buy a shuttle ticket for 1,000 Won. Go through the gates and get on the shuttle; the zoo will be on your first stop. Check out the map below for directions.
Shuttle Yay! So Exciting 🙂 Hard to miss the big tiger at the entrance.
From there it’s all fun and games and pet-the-animals 🙂 After you enter the zoo grounds, there are red, yellow, blue, and green lines painted on the paths. Each one is a different route, and you can pick and chose which you want to follow via the maps. I ran up the Blue and Green paths, which took me past the big wild animals (Bear, Tigers, Elephants, etc.), ocean/marine animals, and a few other odds and ends. Plus I got to hit the HUGE ski lift which carried me down the mountain over the tiger/cheetah/lion exhibits and some gardens; an amazing experience. I am seriously going back there just to ride the ski lift again. I also like it cause it gives the kids something fun to do on the way down without making them walk all the way back down the mountain when they’re tired. With my undying distaste for anything snake related, I always avoid the reptiles and birds weren’t really high on my list; however that all available as well.
Water Pond
I won this stare contest!
Stupid Cheetahs wouldn’t turn around.
But the lions were out to play
Roaring Lion
It was feeding time for these luck fellows
Come early enough to catch a show!
They spent most of their time in the bath
This is the kind of guy I was lucky enough to see in the wild in Japan-rare sighting.
“Traveler’s Lodestone” out in Hard Copy!
15 NovCelebrations abound! At last, “Traveler’s Lodestone” is officially out in hard copy — a great universal translator ready for use!
After a great deal of time and effort, we have put together this great resource for anyone working with foreign languages. Whether that be while traveling abroad or when dealing with non-native speakers in your own backyard. “Traveler’s Lodestone” is a point-to-speak book. It uses picture-based communications to cover the basic things a person would need when conversing in any foreign language. The idea is that when the words aren’t at the tip of your tongue, the pictures are at the tip of your finger. Everything from groceries to clothes to hotel amenities to weather, directions, and more is available instantly with this easy to use book. It’s quick and universal!
Right now it’s out on CreateSpace, but coming soon to Amazon and other booksellers near you. At 5×8 and 100 pages, it’s small enough to stick in your purse or bag and carry around, easy to pull out and use. Check out this great universal translator! Now tested in Korea, Japan, and China–it worked perfectly! (the Bathroom/Toilet pic is apparently very popular 😛 ) Trust me; I’ve tried the dictionaries, translation books, etc. and this is the best tool I’ve found so far.
Great for students abroad!
Pick up Your Paperback Copy By Clicking Here
If you are interested in the E-book Version, that’s available here. The e-book is actually broken up into 3 short Volumes for easier use.
We’re also working on a Android/Apple app. As soon as I figure out how to attach buttons to links, we’ll be adding that.
Labor Day Ventures
17 Oct
Labor Day Labors (of Fun) aka Adventure!
I long ago promised that I would relate my wonderful, awesome adventures cross-country this past labor day weekend. Labor Day weekend, always one of the great highlights of any college student’s life, was particularly exciting to me this year since I also had Thursday and Friday off and I was off to visit family for a BBQ. A five day weekend, BBQ Pork Steak, Baked Potato, Grilled Veggies, and Home-made Ice Cream and Fudge Sauce–the weekend was definitely offering great potential 🙂 My Aunt and her husband were hosting the BBQ at their cabin down in Illinois; having traveled the same road dozens of times in the past, the trip can get kind of boring at times.
Now you have to understand that I wasn’t going to be alone on this trip; my mom was also going to be riding down with me. My mom and I together are pretty awesome. We love taking the roads less traveled and heading off Continue reading
“She was free in her wildness. She was a wanderess, a drop of free water. She belonged to no man and to no city” ~ Roman Payne
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