Monday 28 April 2014

Shopping in Seoul, KOREA

Shopping in Myeongdong
Myeong-dong (명동) one of Seoul’s main shopping districts. The cosmetics heaven.






Brand categorized here are :
Etude House, The Faceshop, Skinfood, Nature Republic, Missha, Tony Moly, Innisfree, VDL, Lioele, It's Skin, Aritaum, Banila Co., Holika Holika, Baviphat, Apieu, Too Cool for School etc

every Korean product have their own stores

If you don’t speak Korean, but can converse in Mandarin or Japanese – no problem! Because most of the sales assistants will be able to speak these – mind you it is difficult to find someone who speaks English.

Must check out these items..
My Korean friend said that Missha was popular amongst teenagers since their products are generally affordable, and Tony Moly is fantastic for eye shadows.  snail masks and creams from Missha and Holika Holika.
Eyeshadows from Tony Moly and Nature Republic, and eyeliners from Nature Republic, and the popular bb cream from Missha.

Tips on buying in these stores :
-Go to big streets like Myeong Dong, because almost every brands have their shops there. I know Myeong Dong is very crowded and big but it's all there in one place.
-These big streets shops staffs are used to receive foreign costumer.  Likewise they usually have staff that speaks English/Chinese/Japanese. If you're looking for a specific products or want to learn more informations but you can't speak Korean these staffs would totally helps you. However, beware sometimes they're really aggressive so if you're weak... you could end up buying everything.
-Prepare your feet! Going around from stores to stores means you need walking strength. Therefore, plan out your route wisely as to conquer  and not to exert oneself and to missed out other adventures during the trip.

map










Olive Young ...one could imagine as similar to Watson.

The brand category equivalent to the  Brands like NYX, Maybelline, Revlon, L'oreal, Rimmel, NYC, ELF, etc. which one could call price-friendly.

Japanese brands are almost everywhere next to western and some Korean products. Not of he  high end Japanese product of  Shu Uemura, or SK II, but of the affordable range like .Maybelline, L'oreal, NYX, Elle Girl, Art Deco, Dr. Jart +, Bed Head, Burts Bee, Kiss Me, Canmake, IPKN NY, DHC, Neutrogena, Majollica Majorca, and much more skin / hair care line such as syoss and hadalabo.

Korean brands which is more affordable in retails outlet such as  Skin 79, Clio, VOV, Peripera, Cathy Cat etc.




Korean cosmectic product of the  high end brand in Korea, such as Urban Decay, Hera, Sulhwasoo, The History of Whoo,  ..one can get these brands in department store such as Shinsegye or Lotte or Hyundai Dept store .






    


 Shopping in Dongdaemun      

Dongdaemun market is the mecca of domestic Korean fashion.

Doota or Migilore, dedicated to Korean made fashion, and there you’ll be in shoppers heaven. Best part is the Dongdaemun night market. The street vendors will start opening shop around around 9PM, and you can shop till the sun rises (literally — shops close near dawn)!




Shopping in Itaewon

Itaewon is famous for their custom tailored suits.
Street shopping is awesome too and there’s a whole underground market for super high quality fake bags.


Shopping in Ewha (aka Edae)

shopping at Ewha is one of the cheaper options for shoppers (girls and boys). This place is great shopping for the cheap . ..as it caters for the young especially college students.


Shopping in Hongdae

Hongdae is another college town with tons of people and great shopping. There are some major retail brands here, but most of the shopping here is for domestic Korean fashion.


Shopping in Garosugil

Garosugil is one of the newest hotspots in Seoul.   the latest in global and domestic fashion, as well as shopping with good looking and fashionable people.  Be prepare to pay.


Shopping in Apgujeong

Apgujeong is one of the richest areas in Seoul, and that means shopping in Apgujeong is where all the high end fashionistas go. This is where name brands such as Louis Vuitton, Prada and Channel setup their main shops. There’s also the Galleria Department Store, which houses top line fashion brands. If you like high end shopping, come here.


Check out .....
http://seoulistic.com/travel-to-korea/seoul-shopping-11-best-places-to-go-shop-for-korean-fashion/

http://groovekorea.com/article/9-shopping-suggestions-seoul

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Seoul Map

A.. Insa-dong
B.. Myeong-dong
C.. Samcheong-dong
D.. Dongdaemun Market
E.. Namdaemun Market
F.. Ewha Univ. & Sinchon
G.. Apgujeong & Cheongdam
H.. COEX
I.. Sinsa-dong Garosu-gil
J.. Itaewon
K..Hongik Univ. (Hongdae)
L.. Munjeong-dong
M.. Times Square
N.. I'PARKmall

further readings...
http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SH/whereToShop/whereToShop.jsp?region=Seoul&gotoPage=1#tab

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Wednesday 26 February 2014

Walking Tour in Paris, France

Paris is full of surprises and hidden treasures. The best way to Explore the city is on foot...

Walking tour route 1..

Montmartre

Start: Place des Abbesses (Métro: Abbesses).

Finish: Place Blanche (Métro: Blanche).

Time:  2 hours (not including stops). It's a 3km (2-mile) trek.

Best Time:    During the day.

Worst Time: After dark.



Walking tour route 2..

The Latin Quarter

Start:  Boulevard St-Michel (Métro: Cluny).

Finish: St-Étienne-du-Mont (nearest Métro: Cardinal Lemoine).

Time: 1 1/2 hours (not including stops). The distance is about 2km (1 1/4 miles).

Best Time: Monday to Saturday from 11am to 11pm.

Worst Time: Sunday morning, when everybody else is asleep.



Walking tour route 3..

The Marais

Start:  Hôtel de Ville (Métro: Hôtel de Ville).

Finish: Métro Saint Paul.

Time: 2 1/2 hours (not including stops). The walk is about 4km (2 1/2 miles).

Best Time: Every day, during the day. Sunday is a very popular day to visit the Marais.

Worst Time: Toward dusk, when shops and museums are closed and it's too dark to admire the architectural details. Also, Saturday is the Jewish Sabbath so the area around Rue des Rosiers can be quite quiet.



http://www.frommers.com/destinations/paris/maps

Wednesday 22 January 2014

London, UK bus tour ..Hop On Hop Off ... Open Top Bus tour

Here's the deal...

http://www.hop-on-hop-off-bus.com/london-bus-tours

http://www.theoriginaltour.com/

http://www.city-sightseeing.com/tours/united-kingdom/london.htm



http://eng.bigbustours.com/london/home.html

News :

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Tuesday 21 January 2014

LONDON ..district and neighbourhood

My good reference..
http://www.londontown.com/LondonStreets/

ukguide.org

london.university-guide.com

travelmagma.com


londontoolkit.com

visitbridgnorth.com













chinatown london.org




londontown.com

chinatown london pinned





Monday 20 January 2014

Getting To London From Heathrow Airport

Heathrow Airport is located about 20 miles west of the centre of London.

There are many ways to get into and around London.
Choose your method of transport as below:

1. Coach and Bus
2. Train and Tube





Train
Heathrow Connect operates between Heathrow airport terminals 1,2 and 3 and Paddington, via five stations in west London. This service takes 25 minutes, and operates every 30 minutes. Passengers travelling at terminal 5 should use the free inter-terminal service. Oyster pay as you go cards are not accepted on this service.

For more information call 0845 6786975.

You can also purchase Heathrow Connect tickets online through  mytrainticket.co.uk.

Heathrow Express runs four trains an hour, non stop between the airport and Paddington station.
This journey takes 15 – 20 minutes and oyster cards and travelcards are not valid on this service.

For more information call 0845 6001515.

Purchase your Heathrow Express tickets online through MyTrainTicket.


Tube

The Piccadilly Line connects all Heathrow terminals with frequent services to London. There are three stations at Heathrow on Piccadilly Line, one for Terminals 1, 2 & 3 located between the terminals, one for Terminal 4 and the newly opened Terminal 5, both situated in the basements of the terminal buildings.
The journey to central London takes about 50 minutes and services run between 05:00 and 23:40.

You are able to use your oyster card for the underground or you can buy an all day travelcard for unlimited travel on the tube all day. Buying a travelcard is suitable for commuters who are planning on using the tube and the train as the tickets can be bought together.
Visit mytrainticket.co.uk to find out more about how travelcards work and how much they cost.

For more information on fares and what route to take call 020 7222 1234.



3. Taxi

The journey time to central London is approximately 45-60 minutes and should cost between £45 and £70.

Getting a taxi can take the hassle out of your journey. Choose a taxi to suit you and your passengers. From executive travel to minibus, and coach taxis. You can just sit back and relax, knowing you will be at the airport soon.

However, you could get a better price by booking your transfer in advance. Find a taxi company on our Heathrow Airport Taxis and Transfers page. Alternatively, follow the signs from each terminal for taxi ranks.



Oyster Cards
Oyster Cards

Getting an oyster card is generally the cheapest way to get around using public transport in London. You can get a pay as you go oyster car, meaning you don't have to worry about having the right change in your pocket.

You can use an oyster card on tubes, buses, DLR, trams, London overground and some National rail trains. For more information on where you can use your oyster card, visit  TFL .

Just make sure you touch in with your card before boarding tubes and buses and Oyster will work out they cost of your journey at the end of the day. By doing this it means they can charge you less than the price of a day travelcard.


http://www.heathrow-airport-guide.co.uk/london.html

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Maps and Directions

Car
It takes approximately 45-60 minutes to get to central London from Heathrow.

When leaving terminals 1, 2 and 3, follow exit signs to the access/exit tunnel. Follow signs to the M4 motorway, which will eventually bring you into London. Terminal 4 is on the main A30 road while Terminal 5 is close to A3044. The M4 and M25 orbital are signposted. Again, follow signs to the M4 which will eventually bring you into London. For further information on directions and the best roads to take, have a look at our Maps and Directions page.

http://www.heathrow-airport-guide.co.uk/flight-arrivals.html


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Arrival HEATHROW airport London, UK ..guide.



Arrivals Information

Heathrow Airport has 5 terminals:

Terminal 1 handles all domestic flights to destinations in the UK and Ireland. There are also some European and long-haul flights that operate from terminal 1, including flights to places such as San Francisco in the USA and Cape Town in South Africa. Most UK airlines operate from this terminal along with other airlines including:


Aegean Airlines
Aer Lingus
Air New Zealand
Asiana Airlines
Austrian Airlines
bmi
British Airways
brussels airlines
Croatia Airlines
Cyprus Airways
El Al Israel Airlines
Germanwings
Icelandair
LOT Polish Airlines
Lufthansa
South African Airways
Swiss International Airlines
TAM
TAP Air Portugal
Transaero
United Airlines
US Airways

Terminal 2 closed in November 2009 while modernisation works are taking place. All airlines have now moved to different terminals so please check with your operator.


Terminal 3 mainly deals with long-haul flights for US, South America, and Asia. There is also a number of African and Australasian airlines operating from Terminal 3 as well as some flights to Europe.


Air Canada
Air China
All Nippon Airways
American Airlines
Blue1 (SAS Group)
British Airways
Cathay Pacific Airways
Egypt Air
Emirates
Ethiopian Airlines
Eva Air
Finnair
Iran Air
Japan Airlines
MEA Middle East Airlines
Oman Air
Pakistan International Airlines
Qantas
Royal Jordanian
SAS
Singapore Airlines
Thai Airways International
Turkish Airlines
Turkmenistan Airlines
Virgin Atlantic Airways
Vueling

Terminal 4 deals with long haul and European flights, operated mainly by Delta, Air India and KLM. They operate flights to destinations in the USA, Canada, Asia, Australia, Africa and Europe e.g. Paris and Amsterdam.


Aeroflot
Air Algerie
Air Astana
Air France
Air India
Air Malta
Air Mauritius
Air Transat
Alitalia
Arik Air
Azerbaijan Airlines
Biman Bangladesh Airlines
Bulgaria Air
China Eastern Airlines
China Southern
Delta
Etihad Airways
Gulf Air
JAT Airways
Jet Airways
Kenya Airways
Kingfisher Airlines
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines
Korean Air
Kuwait Airways
Libyan Arab Airlines
Malaysia Airlines System
Qatar Airways
Royal Air Maroc
Royal Brunei Airlines
Saudia
Sri Lankan Airlines
Syrianair
Tarom
Tunisair
United Airlines
Uzbekistan Airways

Terminal 5 is occupied solely by British Airways and Iberia.

This information is subject to change. If you are not sure which terminal you need, please check with your airline.

http://www.heathrow-airport-guide.co.uk/flight-arrivals.html

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Know your London, UK.... area to stay reference

Reading material....

Rentwatch Rental Map



Budget living ...
http://www.mygreatmove.com/estimate-the-cost-of-living-in-london

Where to live in London?
http://www.mygreatmove.com/where-to-live-in-london

Consideration to note...
http://www.mygreatmove.com/wheretoliveinlondon



Spareroom Rental Map




http://www.mondaytofriday.com/   ...reviews on space room..availabe romm for rent...

Rent on the cheap in London..
http://www.tntmagazine.com/london/area-guide/rent-on-the-cheap-in-london

Good Reads on living in London...
http://www.moving2london.com/accommodation-in-london/finding-a-place-to-live-in-london/

Find your roommate..
http://www.easyroommate.com/




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