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Airport live orchestra
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Our flight back home consists
of Mu 5042 with transit at Shanghai Mu 545. Although the flight departed from
Seoul at 12.55 pm, we were there by 9.30 am to claim the meager tax refund.
It was a troublesome
procedure. Here’s a recap of how to get our refund :
1 - When we make a purchase
at a tax refundable shop and if the amount exceeds 30 000 won, a receipt will
issued by the shop when amount that can be refunded indicated.
2 - Fill out the particulars
in the receipt.
3 - Pack the purchase items
separately in case Customs demands to have them inspected.
4 – Go to the respective
checkin counter for our flight and do the usual checkin. Tell the staff that we
want to claim a tax refund.
5 – We will be given our
boarding pass and luggage tagged. ( we have packed our meager purchase in the luggage to be checked in ). The staff will weight, issue our bag tags
BUT not send in the luggage to the conveyor system.
6 – Go to the Customs booth
instructed by the check in staff. Show our passports and receipts ( which has
all our particulars filled up ).
7 – Customs will stamp the
receipts to acknowledge that they have seen the items ( which they didn’t ).
They will collect our tagged checkin luggage, x-ray and send them into the
system via the conveyor.
8 – Enter immigration was
usual.
9 – After passing through
immigration, look for the tax refund booth.
10 – Submit the stamped receipt. A cash refund will be
given as indicated on the receipt.
Whew! It was a lot of work
but the checks were there to prevent abuses in the tax system, so we have to
bear with it.
To spend the remaining won, I
bought a perfume ( 11000 won ) and ginseng tea ( 14000 won ). The price is fair
and service was friendly. The Chinese were out for the last kill at the
airport, swipping Prada bags off the shelves. It was horrifying to see their
hand luggage consisting of bags and bags of airport purchase!
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Cheap and good airport canteen food
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Flight back home from Seoul
and transit at Shanghai was smooth, thankfully. Looking back, Seoul's Incheon is a nice
place to set off but the same could not be said for Shanghai. It is utilitarian
though toilet facilities were many and better than that in Dubai. What Incheon lacks in sophistication compared
to Changi, it compensates in terms of
price – food at its food court was reasonable and seating plentiful.
Thus ends our first holiday
to South Korea. It is a land of many surprises with strong service culture. The
people’s resilience can be seen in their hard work despite the cold. Self
discipline and mutual respect is very evident in that seats for senior folks
were never occupied despite a packed train and a elder person is always given a
seat. There are no cleaners in the streets or mountains nor were thrash bins
easily , yet the streets were clean despite the crowds. Foods are not aesthetic in most cases but if
we eat with our other senses, it provides the most amazing culinary experience
in Asia.
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