On my way to Yeoksam station: I already determined that I will go around 10-11AM, when it is least crowded (my conclusion after careful polling of all my Korean friends lol). This way when I am staring at the ticket moniter blankly and blinking lost at all the exits, stairways, tunnels, etc that I'm sure awaits me down there, there will be less people to laugh, point, and/or think I'm retarded T.T
The aftermath: The subway was CRAZY, I had never been in such a high-tech, clean, airport-looking subway. They have these moniters everywhere that show an animation on the bottom of where the particular subway train you are waiting for is, so you can stare at the train animation moving across the screen from station dot to station dot as it happens. Lots of the subway trains have electronic maps that blink showing the station you are in and the one you are heading towards. Announcements on the train are made in Korean, English, and sometimes Japanese. Most signs in the station have English as well as Korean and the lines are color-coded (e.g. the one closest to me is Line 2, the Green Line). It is extremely complicated as each line has a ton of stops and each station has tons of exits that lead up to various points on the street.
With all the stations being underground, it looks like a mini low-celinged shopping mall in there. There are cosmetics, shoes, clothes, pharmacies, coffee shops, convenience stores, etc. The turnstiles to enter the train part of the subway are such that you just place your T-card on top and rub it a little and it was beep and open for you. Very quick!
The aftermath: The subway was CRAZY, I had never been in such a high-tech, clean, airport-looking subway. They have these moniters everywhere that show an animation on the bottom of where the particular subway train you are waiting for is, so you can stare at the train animation moving across the screen from station dot to station dot as it happens. Lots of the subway trains have electronic maps that blink showing the station you are in and the one you are heading towards. Announcements on the train are made in Korean, English, and sometimes Japanese. Most signs in the station have English as well as Korean and the lines are color-coded (e.g. the one closest to me is Line 2, the Green Line). It is extremely complicated as each line has a ton of stops and each station has tons of exits that lead up to various points on the street.
With all the stations being underground, it looks like a mini low-celinged shopping mall in there. There are cosmetics, shoes, clothes, pharmacies, coffee shops, convenience stores, etc. The turnstiles to enter the train part of the subway are such that you just place your T-card on top and rub it a little and it was beep and open for you. Very quick!
I only went to Samseong station, which is two stops to the right of where I am (Yeoksam) since my destination was COEX. The next post will be on that. The trains are also very very complicated to me since I am not used to it. There are trains on both sides, up and down, all over it feels like, since each station is different. I don't know which train is going which way (as they run in both directions on either side) or which line it is since there are multiple numbers and colors on signs sometimes. I'm sure I will adjust though and learn my way around...it is only my first week here still :)
Subway = chi-ah-chul 지하철
Station = yuk 역
Subway station = chi-ah-chul yuk 지하철역
Japanese (nationality) = il-bun sahram 일본 사람 or il-bun-een 일본인
It's expensive = pi-ssa-yo 비싸요
It's cheap = ssa-yo 싸요
How much is it? = ol-ma-ye-yo? 얼마예요