Street View in Seoul Subway

After a couple of months waiting, finally here is the solution to the “Life Changes” mystery:

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The Seoul Subway “DigitalView”.

It is all about some cabinets that have been installed at the the line 1, 2, 3, and 4 Seoul subway stations (what about the other lines?). These cabinets have an interactive map of the surroundings of the station, and a touch phone that allows paying phone calls using the T-money card.

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A different view.

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Touch phone that allows paying using T-money.

I am not sure whether or not this will change anybody’s life, but I think it’s a great idea. These new booths have, on one side, a public telephone (during the testing period you can make free national calls, including cellphones!). On the other side there is room for an advertisement that I guess they will use to finance all the operation. In the center there is the main device, a huge touchscreen that very much reminds on an iPhone, showing information about the subway station’s emergency exits, nearby restaurants and interesting places, news, and even a Google Streetview-like interactive map of the subway station’s surroundings. They have called this map “Digital View”. I recorded a small video so that you can view the “device” in action:

Seoul Subway: Life Changes?

Since a few weeks ago, they have installed these boxes in all the subway stations of Seoul. The cover says in Korean, literally: “In February 2010 life changes”. I wonder what’s changing my life in February…

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The answer… in February 🙂

Oido

Oido is on the South Korean west coast, near Incheon Airport and at one hour and a half from Seoul by subway. The west coast of Korea is known because it doesn’t have beaches where you can swim. Instead, this coast is mostly composed of mud.

You can get to Oido by subway (line 4, last stop). If you go out of the subway station (there is only one exit), you have to take the 30-2 bus (at the bus stop before crossing the street), and you have to get off when you see the red lighthouse. It’s about one hour subway ride plus 20 minutes by bus, but it’s worth it, specially if you like shells.

And, what’s there in Oido? Shells. In all kinds and sizes.

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Jiwon and the pale sky I told you about in the last post.

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This is how this coast looks like. What is between the boats is not water, but mud. [[Cuando sube la marea]] the mud is covered by the sea, allowing the boats to move.

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Near the beach, there were these ayummas selling fish that reminded me of the Jagalchi market in Pusan.

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Another picture of the beach.

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Near the coast, it’s all full of restaurants selling shells. Most people going to Oido, go there to eat shells.

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Cooking the shells.

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More shells…

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And more…

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And more…

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And more…