Well, reading posts, and sometimes the random comments again, makes me feel like it's time to update. Nothing really exciting has happened since my last post, although I did what most Singaporeans won't do.. travel by ship to China via Korea.
With airfares that are not as expensive as before, why did I choose to do that then? Well, simply because it's an experience. If you are from Singapore, the only boat/ traveling by sea are the boats to the nearby islands and perhaps a cruise to Malaysia, which is also not that far away. So staying at the hostel, I have heard of people who traveled from Russia to China to Korea on sea and I find that fascinating.
So when I had to leave Korea again in September, I did exactly that. I took a ship from Incheon to Qingdao. It's 16 hours but most of it was at night. It was a fascinating experience, though it was a lonesome one. I wrote a lot then, my fan fictions mostly. There was even fireworks on board the ship! And for a 9-day trip, all I planned was when I left Korea and when I would arrive back in Korea. Everything in between was a question mark! It was insane yet exhilarating! You can only travel like that if you are alone, or with someone who would go with your flow. Or if you are insane like me.
I went to Beijing. I went to the Forbidden City and I climbed the Great Wall of China. And being in a country where the food and language is familiar is GREAT!! Osaka was beautiful, but not knowing any Japanese made the experience really bland. But I'm going again in December with Victoria and this time, we have a guide! I got in touch with one of the guests I met at the hostel and asked him to be our guide. He agreed and even offered to put us up! :) So we just have to worry about getting there and back and letting him know when. Nice!
Back to my China trip, my biggest realization was if Singapore were to just depend on tourism, we will be dead. Or we would have to import culture like we import everything else. I went to the Ming Tombs and the first thing I thought to myself was, "When Mr. Lee Kuan Yew passed away, how would Singapore remember this man? Would we build a memorial?" Then the cynic/comedian in me kicked in "Nah, there's no land in Singapore. If we build him a memorial, we would probably have to dig it up in 10 years to make way for progress."
So China has all these fascinating historical sites, it got me thinking about Korea. To be honest, I was more of a tourist in China than Korea. So while I did go to some of the touristy places, I wasn't really impressed. And if you have been to Forbidden City before Gyeongbok Gung, then seriously, it pales in comparison. But interestingly, Korea has created another cultural hotspot for themselves: K-pop.
To Koreans, it fascinates them whenever they asked foreigners why they came to Korea and the reply is "K-pop". I got the same "you must be crazy look" when I said the reason why I came to Korea was to watch 2AM's concert. But they have to realize that K-pop has become a real push in their tourism business. It has become a commodity that every other country outside of Korea wants to import and won't mind spending money on. Even Singapore. We are forever importing, never really creating. Sigh. What are we going to do?
What am I, a Singaporean who's abroad worrying about the future of Singapore? Pfft.
Thursday 3 November 2011
Tuesday 9 August 2011
"The Scent Of A Woman" - No Unlimited Tomorrows
I started watching "The Scent Of A Woman" last night. Well, it was loaded but I didn't really hit the 'Play' button. So I got bored last night and decided to watch it seriously. And honestly, while I cry easily, the plight that the female lead really made me cry and think.
*SPOILER* (In case you want to watch the show)
The female lead, 34 yrs old, worked at the same tour agency for 10 years, treated like shit and swallow every single humiliation that was thrown her way because she had to keep her job and make sure she can feed her mum.
Right from the beginning, and I mean really beginning, we are told she's going to die. She has like 6 mths left. Suddenly, she HAD TO, FORCED TO face her life. And realised that it sucks. Because all her life she was living her life for others, thinking about how the others would think of her. And suddenly she has 6 months.
So I cried. Seriously, I mean I'm in a place where I want to be. But it does get lonely and at different points, I would ask "what am I doing here?" "Am I being stupid?" and I start thinking whether I should just go home, back to the routine, back to responsibility, back to reality.
But the thing is this. I was talking to Quasi the other day and I told him the main reason that I'm still here is because I definitely can't get away from working 1 day a week and have the time to myself. I'm selfish, that much I admit. Maybe in old age, I'd pay the price. I would end up with no one and I'd die with my cat chewing on my eyeball (no wait, come to think of it, he won't do that).
I hear all the time that I'm 'brave', I 'adapt well'. But life is just about that: When you are thrown into the big, deep blue sea, what do you do? You either freaking swim or you just give in and die. We live without a stopwatch above our head, thinking that we have limitless tomorrows. That's the scary thing. You are going to wake up one day, take a good look around you and go, "Where am I? What am I doing? Who am I with?" and then the ultimate question: "AM I HAPPY?"
You don't have to wait till you die. You are possibly already dead. Your heart is beating. Consistently. Maybe we should have this one moment in life where our heart stops. Then we might really look at our lives in a more critical and honest manner.
My life is not perfect. I don't have a lot of money. But I have lots of time for myself. And at least I can say I have a laugh a day. And best of all, I'm not complaining about work. :)
*SPOILER* (In case you want to watch the show)
The female lead, 34 yrs old, worked at the same tour agency for 10 years, treated like shit and swallow every single humiliation that was thrown her way because she had to keep her job and make sure she can feed her mum.
Right from the beginning, and I mean really beginning, we are told she's going to die. She has like 6 mths left. Suddenly, she HAD TO, FORCED TO face her life. And realised that it sucks. Because all her life she was living her life for others, thinking about how the others would think of her. And suddenly she has 6 months.
So I cried. Seriously, I mean I'm in a place where I want to be. But it does get lonely and at different points, I would ask "what am I doing here?" "Am I being stupid?" and I start thinking whether I should just go home, back to the routine, back to responsibility, back to reality.
But the thing is this. I was talking to Quasi the other day and I told him the main reason that I'm still here is because I definitely can't get away from working 1 day a week and have the time to myself. I'm selfish, that much I admit. Maybe in old age, I'd pay the price. I would end up with no one and I'd die with my cat chewing on my eyeball (no wait, come to think of it, he won't do that).
I hear all the time that I'm 'brave', I 'adapt well'. But life is just about that: When you are thrown into the big, deep blue sea, what do you do? You either freaking swim or you just give in and die. We live without a stopwatch above our head, thinking that we have limitless tomorrows. That's the scary thing. You are going to wake up one day, take a good look around you and go, "Where am I? What am I doing? Who am I with?" and then the ultimate question: "AM I HAPPY?"
You don't have to wait till you die. You are possibly already dead. Your heart is beating. Consistently. Maybe we should have this one moment in life where our heart stops. Then we might really look at our lives in a more critical and honest manner.
My life is not perfect. I don't have a lot of money. But I have lots of time for myself. And at least I can say I have a laugh a day. And best of all, I'm not complaining about work. :)
Sunday 12 June 2011
When 'Good Enough' Is No Longer Enough
I met with Jin with Tako today at The Famous Lamb. She actually came across my blog while searching for opportunities in Singapore and Hong Kong. And between me and Tako, we kind of represent Singapore and Hong Kong. Life works in a way that you can't really decipher, nor can you fully understand.
Basically, we talked about our motivations to leave our own country amongst other things. For me, part of it was circumstantial, the other part comes from always wanting to be here. Tako just wanted something different from HK. And Jin, while everything seem good enough but somewhat it's not enough anymore.
Thus the title for this post.
Very often in life, we kind of settle for 'good', and tell ourselves that's enough and we shouldn't be greedy. And in doing so, we will forget what we really want to do, say when we were 6, 12, 16, 18 and 21. These are random numbers but think about what you said when people asked you "What do you want to be when you grow up" at those ages. What were your answers? How far away from your initial answer are you now?
There are some who will read this and will probably go, "Wake up, Audrey, stop dreaming, especially when you are already 30."
To these people, I would like to prescribe some sleeping pills and if possible a dream that reminds them of their dreams, hopes, ambitions, visions, etc. One doesn't or should I say, SHOULDN'T STOP dreaming or aiming higher. It is what gives us motivation to carry on. If not, we are just living life one day at a time.
Actually, 30 is a turning point in everyone's life. You are done with teenage, early adult-hood and this is when you take a serious look at your life.
And in return, I'm going to ask the same people who asked me to stop dreaming, "When was the last time you did something that makes your heart beat faster? Or put a smile on your face?" While Tako and I might not have a lot of money in our pockets, but we do enjoy a laugh a day. Or more.
Will laughing give me money you might ask? When was the last time you laugh when you were paid?
Ouch.
Basically, we talked about our motivations to leave our own country amongst other things. For me, part of it was circumstantial, the other part comes from always wanting to be here. Tako just wanted something different from HK. And Jin, while everything seem good enough but somewhat it's not enough anymore.
Thus the title for this post.
Very often in life, we kind of settle for 'good', and tell ourselves that's enough and we shouldn't be greedy. And in doing so, we will forget what we really want to do, say when we were 6, 12, 16, 18 and 21. These are random numbers but think about what you said when people asked you "What do you want to be when you grow up" at those ages. What were your answers? How far away from your initial answer are you now?
There are some who will read this and will probably go, "Wake up, Audrey, stop dreaming, especially when you are already 30."
To these people, I would like to prescribe some sleeping pills and if possible a dream that reminds them of their dreams, hopes, ambitions, visions, etc. One doesn't or should I say, SHOULDN'T STOP dreaming or aiming higher. It is what gives us motivation to carry on. If not, we are just living life one day at a time.
Actually, 30 is a turning point in everyone's life. You are done with teenage, early adult-hood and this is when you take a serious look at your life.
And in return, I'm going to ask the same people who asked me to stop dreaming, "When was the last time you did something that makes your heart beat faster? Or put a smile on your face?" While Tako and I might not have a lot of money in our pockets, but we do enjoy a laugh a day. Or more.
Will laughing give me money you might ask? When was the last time you laugh when you were paid?
Ouch.
Tuesday 24 May 2011
Life in Korea: And then the Supernatural calls...
I've been really slow in getting my blog posts out but well, sometimes it doesn't come as rapidly as it should. Last Monday, I tweeted about me going for a tarot card reading. Seriously the whole evening was just plain weird but here goes~
I was actually going to go for a Language Cast meet-up (if you follow @ttmik-Talk to me in Korean, you would know what that is). The meeting was going to start at 7.30pm. I was there at 6.30pm. BUT I didn't stay for it. I got up from my seat at 7.15pm, went downstairs and walked out of the cafe and got onto a bus that I know goes back to Hongdae where I live.
Actually, I could have gotten down at a stop nearer to Kimchi Hostel but when the bus reached Hong Ik University's main gate, I got down. At the bus stop, I stopped to take a look at some of the posters advertising various acts. One of the posters was actually advertising a tarot cafe. I didn't pay it any attention. Trust me, there are plenty of tarot cards/fortune telling cafes/shops in Hongdae so it's not the first time I saw it.
So anyway, I was walking down the streets towards home when a pink poster caught my eye. I stopped and took a closer look and it was the same poster advertising the tarot cafe. So in the end, I decided to give it a try. If nothing else, there's always coffee. I walked towards the cafe and then I went upstairs, got myself a drink and then sat down in front of the tarot card reader.
After talking to the tarot card reader about how I was from Singapore and now staying in Seoul, etc, we settled down for the first reading. The first question we asked the tarot was about my vision. I mean I'm in Korea to achieve a few things: Learn Korean, get TOPIK qualifications, translator qualification, if I have money, pursue a masters in Entertainment Management in Korea. So it was a 'LIFE' reading (10 cards)
Here's a summary and what I can remember of it:
Past: Chariot-used to be full of passion and zeal in the job I was in (teacher) which is true but I lost some of that along the way. So one of the advice in my 'FUTURE' card was to find back that passion and zeal again. The present was really on-the-spot. It basically said that I have to settle a lot of things, think a lot and basically starting afresh. You guys know what coming to Korea means to me (if you don't, go back to the beginning of this blog. :p) and how I blog about starting afresh, etc. So that made me cry. But the reading also tells me that I can't keep sitting on the fence about things in general and stop being lazy. If I have set my heart on something, then I should make the best out of it. One card stood out: The empress card. The lady told me that it's a very good card, that in my life there are always people who would be helping me, especially in the area of money. And honestly, thus far, yes, I would say I have no complaints in that area but more importantly, it is the fact that I will have people around me who would help me. Overall, the reading wasn't bad but it did caution and remind me that I need to make a decision and stick to it. There will be challenges, for sure but then what is life without its share of challenges right?
Of course, although I might not seem like it but one of the biggest decision and one that occupy my thoughts A LOT is "Should I stay or should I leave?" so that was what I asked. In the tarot card reader's way of asking the question: Career prospects - Is it better in Singapore or Korea?
I have to tell you, I laughed out loud. This was a 5-card formation, forming a V. At the point where both side meets, is the PRESENT state and it was a BRIGHT picture, of people dancing and joy basically. The lady went, 'that's you at the present moment.'
The two ends, one represented 'Singapore' and the other represented 'Korea' and I have to tell you, Korea side were DARK cards and Singapore side was BRIGHT cards. No joke, the contrast was DAY and NIGHT, it's so amusing to me.
Korea cards:
If I continue to stay in Korea and want to pursue a CAREER, it will be difficult to find a job. I will have a lot of worries that I can't even sleep at night (ok, that seemed to be happening now, the 'cannot sleep at night' part) And eventually I will be so bugged by them that I fall into depression or something. But then, I told myself, finding a job was never quite the goal in Korea. It's good if I can find one but I'm in more for the 'learning' part so that kinda made me a little less depressed.
Singapore cards:
I only remember the Wheel Of Fortune cards. Can't remember the last card but basically, there are a lot of opportunities and eventually I might find something that I like but still it wasn't enough to make me want to go back. My heart is not in Singapore I guess.
So after 'LIFE', 'CAREER', what could be next? LOVE right? This is totally funny and people who knows me well in real life would know who I am thinking of when I do the reading. Can't remember the exact question for the first LOVE reading but it was still amusing to me.
Overall, the guy's impression of me: I'm generous, loving, etc. And the description of the guy: he's family-oriented (he is though some of my friends won't agree with me), he's rich (yes, that too) and he's a spend-thrift (towards people he cares about yes, but not someone to spend money unnecessarily.) I must mention that the Ten of Cups card appeared again, so there can be a happy ending between the two of us. (I can so imagine Genette and Victoria's expression). Our present state was represent by the 'Tower' card which basically meant that something unexpected happened, though I can't really be sure if it's unexpected. But the funniest and MOST amusing card has got to be this:
I was actually going to go for a Language Cast meet-up (if you follow @ttmik-Talk to me in Korean, you would know what that is). The meeting was going to start at 7.30pm. I was there at 6.30pm. BUT I didn't stay for it. I got up from my seat at 7.15pm, went downstairs and walked out of the cafe and got onto a bus that I know goes back to Hongdae where I live.
Actually, I could have gotten down at a stop nearer to Kimchi Hostel but when the bus reached Hong Ik University's main gate, I got down. At the bus stop, I stopped to take a look at some of the posters advertising various acts. One of the posters was actually advertising a tarot cafe. I didn't pay it any attention. Trust me, there are plenty of tarot cards/fortune telling cafes/shops in Hongdae so it's not the first time I saw it.
So anyway, I was walking down the streets towards home when a pink poster caught my eye. I stopped and took a closer look and it was the same poster advertising the tarot cafe. So in the end, I decided to give it a try. If nothing else, there's always coffee. I walked towards the cafe and then I went upstairs, got myself a drink and then sat down in front of the tarot card reader.
After talking to the tarot card reader about how I was from Singapore and now staying in Seoul, etc, we settled down for the first reading. The first question we asked the tarot was about my vision. I mean I'm in Korea to achieve a few things: Learn Korean, get TOPIK qualifications, translator qualification, if I have money, pursue a masters in Entertainment Management in Korea. So it was a 'LIFE' reading (10 cards)
Here's a summary and what I can remember of it:
Past: Chariot-used to be full of passion and zeal in the job I was in (teacher) which is true but I lost some of that along the way. So one of the advice in my 'FUTURE' card was to find back that passion and zeal again. The present was really on-the-spot. It basically said that I have to settle a lot of things, think a lot and basically starting afresh. You guys know what coming to Korea means to me (if you don't, go back to the beginning of this blog. :p) and how I blog about starting afresh, etc. So that made me cry. But the reading also tells me that I can't keep sitting on the fence about things in general and stop being lazy. If I have set my heart on something, then I should make the best out of it. One card stood out: The empress card. The lady told me that it's a very good card, that in my life there are always people who would be helping me, especially in the area of money. And honestly, thus far, yes, I would say I have no complaints in that area but more importantly, it is the fact that I will have people around me who would help me. Overall, the reading wasn't bad but it did caution and remind me that I need to make a decision and stick to it. There will be challenges, for sure but then what is life without its share of challenges right?
Of course, although I might not seem like it but one of the biggest decision and one that occupy my thoughts A LOT is "Should I stay or should I leave?" so that was what I asked. In the tarot card reader's way of asking the question: Career prospects - Is it better in Singapore or Korea?
I have to tell you, I laughed out loud. This was a 5-card formation, forming a V. At the point where both side meets, is the PRESENT state and it was a BRIGHT picture, of people dancing and joy basically. The lady went, 'that's you at the present moment.'
Ten of Cups
The two ends, one represented 'Singapore' and the other represented 'Korea' and I have to tell you, Korea side were DARK cards and Singapore side was BRIGHT cards. No joke, the contrast was DAY and NIGHT, it's so amusing to me.
Nine of Swords
Ten of Swords
Korea cards:
If I continue to stay in Korea and want to pursue a CAREER, it will be difficult to find a job. I will have a lot of worries that I can't even sleep at night (ok, that seemed to be happening now, the 'cannot sleep at night' part) And eventually I will be so bugged by them that I fall into depression or something. But then, I told myself, finding a job was never quite the goal in Korea. It's good if I can find one but I'm in more for the 'learning' part so that kinda made me a little less depressed.
Singapore cards:
I only remember the Wheel Of Fortune cards. Can't remember the last card but basically, there are a lot of opportunities and eventually I might find something that I like but still it wasn't enough to make me want to go back. My heart is not in Singapore I guess.
So after 'LIFE', 'CAREER', what could be next? LOVE right? This is totally funny and people who knows me well in real life would know who I am thinking of when I do the reading. Can't remember the exact question for the first LOVE reading but it was still amusing to me.
Overall, the guy's impression of me: I'm generous, loving, etc. And the description of the guy: he's family-oriented (he is though some of my friends won't agree with me), he's rich (yes, that too) and he's a spend-thrift (towards people he cares about yes, but not someone to spend money unnecessarily.) I must mention that the Ten of Cups card appeared again, so there can be a happy ending between the two of us. (I can so imagine Genette and Victoria's expression). Our present state was represent by the 'Tower' card which basically meant that something unexpected happened, though I can't really be sure if it's unexpected. But the funniest and MOST amusing card has got to be this:
Strength
The lady told me that the only thing I could do is wait and be patient and one day, the lion will be tamed. Trust me, I really LAUGHED when she told me that. The guy is strong, and stubborn in his own way but if I would just wait it out, we can have the happy ending, that is, if both of us wants it. Well, I have been waiting, my friends think I'm absolutely crazy to be waiting. But I don't know, I believe that we have that one person in our life that we are meant to be with for the rest of our lives and in the strangest, most crazy way, that man is the one for me is how I feel about it. He's NOT unreal and no, he's not one of those idols that I'm crazy about *ahemSeulOngahemJinWoonahem*.
But I can't go on waiting infinitely too right? So of course the next question was 'WHEN?' So this was the last reading. The lady only asked me to pick 5 cards. Can't remember what one of the cards was for but the other 4 was for each of the months from May to August. But when it seemed like there wasn't any 'meeting' in those months, she picked one more card and told me we would probably meet again in September. She said we made contact in May, which was quite true too. And if things really go well, the next time we meet, we might well be talking about our future.
Two of Cups
The card was one that spoke of partnership, of reaching a decision from both parties. I have a suspicion is the Two of Cups but I'm not too sure. I really kept laughing during the two 'LOVE' readings. But well, whatever it is, I believe this time, the ball is in his court. So we'll see.
But the amusing to me is that everything that was spoken pulled at something inside. And in case you are wondering, I spent 25,000won on 4 readings. The first one with 10-cards cost 10,000won but the rest costs 5,000won which wasn't too bad considering ONE reading in Singapore would have cost $60. And the thing was this wasn't part of the plan for the day. I just wanted to go for the meeting, but ended up with a tarot card reading instead. And then, the weirdest thing happened. Steve, the weekend staff at Kimchi, messaged me and was telling me that he wants to go for Language Cast meeting. I was like, 'Ok, that's officially freaky.' Then again, Korea thus far has been one of those 'freakish' trip so I'm just rolling with the flow right now.
Exciting right my life? It's been an interesting ride thus far. I will post up pictures of the cafe at a later time. I need to sync the photo from my phone first. Maybe I should persuade Victoria to have a go at it when she comes to Korea in June. It would be fun! The lady spoke a splattering of Korean and English. I try to clarify using Korean a couple of times so it's mostly correct.
Or maybe I should bring Tako and Suzy (I have to take a picture of her tomorrow. She's very pretty! She's like our Korean practice partner at Maple Coffee) then Suzy can help us translate!
Tuesday 17 May 2011
The Gradual Transition - Traveler to 'Resident'
It's been some time since I last updated. It's amazing that although I don't really have a job in Korea, my days are quite occupied. I might not be doing anything that's of any significance in the eyes of strangers but I am doing a lot of things.
But I choose this topic to write about because Tako, a girl from Hong Kong who is pretty much like me- came to Korea to try out something new, to experience a different lifestyle or maybe simply to be out of Hong Kong for a while, said this to me last Saturday:
"I think I'm going through the same thing that you are going through when I first met you at Kimchi."
I met Tako at Kimchi Hostel. I believe at that time, I was at my one-month mark since arriving in Korea. The guests and even the staff sometimes do not get why I stay at the hostel all the time. They are always asking me to go out. But at that point in time, I have just decided that I was going to stay till the end of my visa and I just wanted to experience "growing roots" at a place. But at Kimchi, I have found my home in Korea so it's almost like getting used to the fact that I have a permanent place here.
Tako has since moved out of Kimchi Hostel. First she moved to her friend's Korean friend's place (complicated right?) but now she's renting a studio apartment (one-room apartment). And she made the remark. I believe she is settling down and changing gear. Since she has a working holiday visa, she is now getting her ARC (Alien Registration Card) done. The 'traveler' status is now being changed to a 'semi-resident' status. The feeling is very different.
I have moved beyond the settling down stage and am probably in the 'LIVING HERE' stage. I go to the shops in my area. The ahjummah at 김밥천국 (Kimbap Heaven-a franchise that serves Korean food at affordable prices [below 6000won]) and Pizza School probably can recognise me by now. The ahjummah at Kimbap Heaven told me once when I bought Coke to the restaurant that I'd put on weight if I drink Coke. The baristas at Maple Coffee (Suzy and Yoon) are on first-name basis with me. I am taking free Korean lessons at the Yeonnam Global Village which is like a few streets away from Kimchi. Tako joined the class last week so after class, we went to Maple Coffee to revise and do our homework. Suzy sat down with us last Thursday after her shift and helped us with Korean while we help her with English. And we made arrangement to do the same thing each week.
Tako and I also went to another free Korean language class run by kongbubang.wordpress.com. This class is near Sook Myung Womens' University which is on the same line as Myeong Dong. After class last week, we went to Myeong Dong for dinner. Myeong Dong is like Orchard Road or City Hall to me now. So now we have a weekend hangout place too.
Today (16th May), I was going to do something different - expand my social circle to environment beyond 1 kilometers around Kimchi. I wanted to go for Language Cast, a gathering for people learning languages organised by the people who runs "Talk to Me in Korean" and actually registered saying I'd go. I did go. I was at the venue but just before it started, I chickened out and left the cafe.
Maybe I'm not ready yet. Or maybe I don't want to have even more 'connections' in Korea. Already thinking about the fact that I might have to leave one day, leaving my 'family' in Kimchi behind is not something I look forward to. If I start to know MORE people, it might get worse.
Whatever the reason is, I have to try to move on to the next stage. And seriously, life in Korea is full of strange and wonderful happenings. Read my next entry to find out why~
But I choose this topic to write about because Tako, a girl from Hong Kong who is pretty much like me- came to Korea to try out something new, to experience a different lifestyle or maybe simply to be out of Hong Kong for a while, said this to me last Saturday:
"I think I'm going through the same thing that you are going through when I first met you at Kimchi."
I met Tako at Kimchi Hostel. I believe at that time, I was at my one-month mark since arriving in Korea. The guests and even the staff sometimes do not get why I stay at the hostel all the time. They are always asking me to go out. But at that point in time, I have just decided that I was going to stay till the end of my visa and I just wanted to experience "growing roots" at a place. But at Kimchi, I have found my home in Korea so it's almost like getting used to the fact that I have a permanent place here.
Tako has since moved out of Kimchi Hostel. First she moved to her friend's Korean friend's place (complicated right?) but now she's renting a studio apartment (one-room apartment). And she made the remark. I believe she is settling down and changing gear. Since she has a working holiday visa, she is now getting her ARC (Alien Registration Card) done. The 'traveler' status is now being changed to a 'semi-resident' status. The feeling is very different.
I have moved beyond the settling down stage and am probably in the 'LIVING HERE' stage. I go to the shops in my area. The ahjummah at 김밥천국 (Kimbap Heaven-a franchise that serves Korean food at affordable prices [below 6000won]) and Pizza School probably can recognise me by now. The ahjummah at Kimbap Heaven told me once when I bought Coke to the restaurant that I'd put on weight if I drink Coke. The baristas at Maple Coffee (Suzy and Yoon) are on first-name basis with me. I am taking free Korean lessons at the Yeonnam Global Village which is like a few streets away from Kimchi. Tako joined the class last week so after class, we went to Maple Coffee to revise and do our homework. Suzy sat down with us last Thursday after her shift and helped us with Korean while we help her with English. And we made arrangement to do the same thing each week.
Tako and I also went to another free Korean language class run by kongbubang.wordpress.com. This class is near Sook Myung Womens' University which is on the same line as Myeong Dong. After class last week, we went to Myeong Dong for dinner. Myeong Dong is like Orchard Road or City Hall to me now. So now we have a weekend hangout place too.
Today (16th May), I was going to do something different - expand my social circle to environment beyond 1 kilometers around Kimchi. I wanted to go for Language Cast, a gathering for people learning languages organised by the people who runs "Talk to Me in Korean" and actually registered saying I'd go. I did go. I was at the venue but just before it started, I chickened out and left the cafe.
Maybe I'm not ready yet. Or maybe I don't want to have even more 'connections' in Korea. Already thinking about the fact that I might have to leave one day, leaving my 'family' in Kimchi behind is not something I look forward to. If I start to know MORE people, it might get worse.
Whatever the reason is, I have to try to move on to the next stage. And seriously, life in Korea is full of strange and wonderful happenings. Read my next entry to find out why~
Thursday 28 April 2011
Traveling to Korea: Practical Tips for Planning a Trip to Korea: Accommodation
The other day, I was on the phone with my friend who just flew to Korea for a holiday with her family. The whole family was staying at a hotel in Gangnam for the Seoul leg of their tour, which was part of their tour package. They are extending their stay for a few more days and will stay in another hotel in Gangnam.
Other than the fact that the weather was colder than expected, I was a little shocked to hear that the hotel didn't have WiFi (She had to pay to get WiFi), and didn't provide toothpaste too. So I was like, ok and that's a 5-star hotel? Alright, never mind that. But then as I was riding the subway train today, I thought of a VERY important question: How is she going to go to the airport when they are leaving Korea? I mean when she came with the tour, it was easy since the tour bus took them to the hotel but Gangnam is really far from Incheon airport. Go and look at the map of the Seoul Metro Lines. And you'd know what I mean.
So I decided to write this little piece on some of the practical things to think about when you are choosing your accommodation when planning your trip to Korea.
ACCOMMODATION
If you have been reading my blog or following my Twitter, you would know I'm staying at Kimchi Hostel. A few reasons why I would suggest choosing a hostel over a hotel. And I'm saying this in general, not just specific to Kimchi Hostel.
1. FREE WiFi
Most of the hostels I have read about provides free WiFi on top of a few computers for people to check their mails/make contact on Facebook (That's like the FIRST site everyone goes to the moment they sit down). So you don't have to pay extra for accessing the Internet. And for people with smart phones, it's an added bonus since they can log onto the WiFi network and use their phones to communicate via the various applications available (whatsapp, Kakao, Skype, etc)
2. Laundry Service
This might not be free or provided everywhere but if you intend to be in Korea for more than a week, try to look out for a hostel that provides laundry service. I learnt that in this trip to Korea that I really didn't need to bring so much clothes when I can do my laundry every few days.
Now, when you go about choosing accommodation, LOCATION is VERY IMPORTANT especially if you are traveling on your own and not with a tour group. Seoul is a very big city, well, compared to Singapore, it's much bigger. So a trip from the airport to your destination is not going to be cheap. So you should choose places where the locations are either accessible by AREX or the limousine buses. Otherwise you are going to be faced with the problem that my friend is going to face soon.
Below is the AREX line that goes from Incheon International Airport to Seoul Station
As you can see, the train will pass by a few stations. The notables ones would be:
1. Gimpo Airport station (so if you are flying in from Gimpo Airport, you will get on at that station)
Other than the fact that the weather was colder than expected, I was a little shocked to hear that the hotel didn't have WiFi (She had to pay to get WiFi), and didn't provide toothpaste too. So I was like, ok and that's a 5-star hotel? Alright, never mind that. But then as I was riding the subway train today, I thought of a VERY important question: How is she going to go to the airport when they are leaving Korea? I mean when she came with the tour, it was easy since the tour bus took them to the hotel but Gangnam is really far from Incheon airport. Go and look at the map of the Seoul Metro Lines. And you'd know what I mean.
So I decided to write this little piece on some of the practical things to think about when you are choosing your accommodation when planning your trip to Korea.
ACCOMMODATION
If you have been reading my blog or following my Twitter, you would know I'm staying at Kimchi Hostel. A few reasons why I would suggest choosing a hostel over a hotel. And I'm saying this in general, not just specific to Kimchi Hostel.
1. FREE WiFi
Most of the hostels I have read about provides free WiFi on top of a few computers for people to check their mails/make contact on Facebook (That's like the FIRST site everyone goes to the moment they sit down). So you don't have to pay extra for accessing the Internet. And for people with smart phones, it's an added bonus since they can log onto the WiFi network and use their phones to communicate via the various applications available (whatsapp, Kakao, Skype, etc)
2. Laundry Service
This might not be free or provided everywhere but if you intend to be in Korea for more than a week, try to look out for a hostel that provides laundry service. I learnt that in this trip to Korea that I really didn't need to bring so much clothes when I can do my laundry every few days.
Now, when you go about choosing accommodation, LOCATION is VERY IMPORTANT especially if you are traveling on your own and not with a tour group. Seoul is a very big city, well, compared to Singapore, it's much bigger. So a trip from the airport to your destination is not going to be cheap. So you should choose places where the locations are either accessible by AREX or the limousine buses. Otherwise you are going to be faced with the problem that my friend is going to face soon.
Below is the AREX line that goes from Incheon International Airport to Seoul Station
As you can see, the train will pass by a few stations. The notables ones would be:
1. Gimpo Airport station (so if you are flying in from Gimpo Airport, you will get on at that station)
You can choose to get onto Line 5 or Line 9 at this station or take the AREX line to the other stations.
2. Digital Media City (Line 6)
3. Hongik University [aka Hongdae] (Line 2)
4. Seoul Station
You can then transfer to Line 1 or Line 4.
Since I stay in Hongdae area, I can only give you a reference how long it would take from the airport to Hongik station. It is about 40 minutes and the fare is about 3600won.
The advantages of taking the AREX would be that it's cheaper than the limousine buses (10,000won). However, as you can see, it travels to fewer destinations. The buses have a wider choices of locations. The other not-so-good thing about the Korea subway system in general is there are a lot of staircases. So that should be factored in when you are choosing the mode of transport from airport to accommodation.
The other thing to look out for is whether the accommodation you choose can be accessed by both the subway and the limousine buses. You really want to have that choice to be honest. And make sure that the accommodation provide CLEAR instructions on how to get to the place.
In all honesty, do choose accommodation either at Hongik/Hongdae (Line 2) and probably Line 4 would be the other subway line to consider for your accommodation. Line 4 goes to famous spots like Myeong Dong and Dong Dae Mun and there are quite a number of hostels and hotels in those areas.
Sunday 24 April 2011
Life in Korea: Buying Plus Size Clothes in Korea
Where to buy clothes that fits me is always a big question mark, even in Singapore. The problem becomes more glaring when I'm in Korea. It is difficult to find clothes that fit me. So in the end, I turned to the only source that I'm familiar with - Google and searched for plus-size clothes for women. And from a forum, I saw a recommendation for OKBT in Itaewon so I decided to try my luck. I was getting tired of seeing myself in just jeans. So I thought if I could get some legging it would be great.
So I left Kimchi Hostel and went to take the subway train to Itaewon. I couldn't find the shop in the first round of walking around with the limited instruction that was posted in the forum and I can't remember the shop name as well. I took a rest in Starbucks then walked back towards the station on the other side of the road. I was about to give up hope when I finally saw the sign!! So I went up and I found the shop.
The shop is not fanciful but it serves its purpose which was to provide clothes for plus-sized women. I asked if she had leggings (which was my goal) and when she said yes, I was so relieved. She found the leggings, and I tried them on and it fits!! So I bought 2 of those and walked around a bit more. I didn't see anything I fancy at the moment but I wasn't really looking for anything to buy at the moment.
At least now I know if I were looking for something to wear, I know where to look for it!
So I left Kimchi Hostel and went to take the subway train to Itaewon. I couldn't find the shop in the first round of walking around with the limited instruction that was posted in the forum and I can't remember the shop name as well. I took a rest in Starbucks then walked back towards the station on the other side of the road. I was about to give up hope when I finally saw the sign!! So I went up and I found the shop.
New World Plaza
2F Itaewon-dong 119-26
Yongsan-gu, Seoul
Subway: Itaewon Station, Exit 1.
Walk in the direction AWAY from Hamilton Shopping Center
The shop is not fanciful but it serves its purpose which was to provide clothes for plus-sized women. I asked if she had leggings (which was my goal) and when she said yes, I was so relieved. She found the leggings, and I tried them on and it fits!! So I bought 2 of those and walked around a bit more. I didn't see anything I fancy at the moment but I wasn't really looking for anything to buy at the moment.
At least now I know if I were looking for something to wear, I know where to look for it!
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