Final Exams

... and a wee bit late Report Annual Visit to POSCO's Gwangyang Steel Factory

The road less travelled
A map showing a train route from Seoul to Gwangyang

This week is reading period week. As a Budak Boy, I was constantly reminded by my old man when he was a Budak Boy in 1963-64 (when the Instructors and teachers were Smiths, Middletons, or Townsend - yeah former British colonial masters) the RMC had a compulsory rest period after class and lunch. I think it was from 1400H - 1600H before afternoon prep and then sports for another 2 hours. But during my tenure at the RMC in 1990s, the supposedly rest period was a time for you to receive hell or extra fatigue (punishments and washing your seniors dirty laundry)

So back to this school's so called Reading Period, it was actually classes and end of semesters lunch and dinners with your professors. I had a great time with my Middle Powers Aussie professor, doughnuts with my American Academic Writing professor and next will be with my Economic and Statistics professors. How great is that? Makan free. Woohoooo!

With fellow classmates, Sana Mangi and Stilson

~ Picture by Mangi

Let me begin my experience at the POSCO Annual Trip on 5-6 April 2012 to Gwangyang with 58 fellows from all over Seoul, South Korea by thanking the TJ Park Asia Fellowship for an outstanding tradition of "CAN DO" spirit 정신을 할 수 (jeongsin eul halsu) which I think Malaysia's fourth Prime Minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamed's "MALAYSIA BOLEH" spirit was based upon in the early 1990s.

The journey started by meeting up with other Asia Fellows at the POSCO Headquarters in Seoullong, the southern part of Seoul. There were two buses waiting for all the scholars with smartly dressed drivers who looked like airline pilots rather than a typical bus drivers like we have at home.

I had the same experience during my trip from Canberra to Melbourne in 2002 (paid for by my brother-in-law then Captain Zamran Hashim who was an instructor at Australia's Royal Military College of Duntroon - thanks bro!). The driver welcomed us like an airline pilot with all the salutations you would expect from a Qantas Airlines.

But this time, the driver was quiet, probably it was not his forte to inform us.

Looks like an American greyhound bus

The smartly dressed drivers.
I am guilty of not knowing their names - as my old man always taught me,
everyone is important and has a role in this world 

The trip from Seoullong, Seoul to Gwangyang was going to be a four-hour trip with one stop at their R&R that is about 320km. Roughly about the same distance from Kuala Lumpur to Sungai Petani. The stop at Jeong-nam Service Center was a good one when I had the chance to taste our own Rotiboy there. 

Jeong-nam Service Area
Reminded me of PLUS Highway RnR in the 1990s but with more parking space

Rotiboy born in 1998 at Bukit Mertajam, Penang, Malaysia

The parking space was like an American strip mall 

I had a good sleep all along the way, with a glimpse of Korea's rural area which took two hours journey to see the other side of Korea naturally (that's how urbanised Seoul is). There were a lot of rice paddies which reminded me of my father-in-law who would have loved to see Korean technology in rice-farming. 

Rice paddy fields en route Gwangyang

And guess what received me after waking up in the bus? A good strong bridge that had the resemblance of Penang bridge, not that I was surprised as they were the ones building the Penang bridge in the 1980s.

Gwangyang or Penang?
Dia mai dahhhh.... 

I always had strong emotions and bonding towards Pulau Pinang as it was my first experience of handling with Assemblymen, Members of Parliament, villagers and town folks who always had to deal with my first job as an Assistant District Officer at Seberang Perai Tengah District Office or formerly known as Province of Wellesley during the British colonial era. So I immediately felt at home when I saw this bridge.

We arrive on time for lunch peak hours, and the hall where we had our lunch was packed with the locals. The lunch was prepared for the local community which I think is subsidized by POSCO, there were school kids, ajummas and ajeossi alike having lunch together. It was a typical kimchi and bab (rice) for me which tasted not too bad for my hungry stomach.

We were ushered for a briefing at POSCO's training center and due to security reasons there were no pictures allowed during the presentation, but this model I took was outside of the hall where we had our briefing. It was mighty impressive.

Gwangyang Steel Plant on reclaimed land

After the briefing of Gwangyang POSCO's steel making processes we also had the opportunity of visiting its plant and observing the steel plates being formed with ultra heating processes all done by electronically-controlled machine - and imagine, Korea does not have natural iron ore on its soil!


They imported it mostly from Africa.

The weather was nice, 15ºC with soft winds blowing in our faces, and what did we do next?

A presentation on our experience in Korea indoors. pfttt... And who had to present on behalf of good old KDI? Yours truly. 

I had fun listening to my colleagues presentation of their experience in Korea, and as most of them had been here for more than a year it was easier to share their thoughts and enrichment they experienced here.

I truly appreciated their presentation and wish them all the best in their studies here.

As I was the first presenter, I did not know what to expect, so I had all my other colleagues, Mahmudbek, Nurlybek, Nurgul and Linh to come up with pictures of their experience here, and I wish to congratulate them for their teamwork and support in assisting me to present on behalf of KDI School.

You guys ROCK!

Food Glorious Korean Food

~ Picture by Nurgul

Trying to act serious but the pictures are of us having fun.... studying or partying?

~ Picture by Nurgul

After a day's journey, we made our way to Baekwoon Mountains, POSCO's training center located 45 minutes from Gwangyang. I was hungry and tired and looked forward to the dinner. As it was dark, I could not enjoy the scenery outside the bus but the roads reminded me of Cameron Highlands and Fraser's Hill in Pahang, Malaysia.

Leaving Gwangyang to Baekwoon Mt.

The dinner was superb!

Healthy food. Salmon, mushrooms, kimchi, prawns,
at the rear are beans bab with FRIED prawns sweet and sour sauce! FRIED yeah!

I had three helpings, and it was a good night to end.

The guys had fun in front of my room, I really wanted to join them but was too tired and sleepy (and old) plus the bed was alluring me to lie down pretty early.

A bed beside the fridge

Waking up early after Nurly did his Subuh prayers, I went out the training center and was surprised by the British influence here in Korea. Ever since I step into Korea, it was difficult not to notice that everyone speaks with an American accent (or try to sound like one), so when I saw an English cottage-theme building, I was either surprised or maybe nonchalant to view a part of British here in Korea.

It felt so Ye Olde British - its as if Winston Churchill slept here dear laddie, old chap...

British version of Eagle's Nest (okay too many World War II movie) - Bed and breakfast anyone?

The day was planned for a visit to Nagan Fortress and Folk Village until noon. A living village with history of its own dated way back in 1600s.

But I have to end here as my Analysis of Marketing in Public Policy and Quantitative Methods professors would expect me to do my best in my final exams. "CAN DO" spirit!

Good luck to all Master Public Policy and Master Development Policy colleagues!

We CAN DO it!

View at Baekwoon Mountains from our lodging