Rose - Precious Moments

Whenever people mentioned about United States of America, I guess the immediate city on people’s mind would be Manhattan, New York City. I mean I love NYC too as it’s a great place for photography lovers. In fact, most of my prized photos for this trip are taken in NYC.

However, I have always been curious about San Francisco. Maybe I have grown up watching Chinese movies and dramas, thus I have heard a lot about the Gold Rush. During that era, a lot of Chinese migrated to San Francisco in that hope and search for gold for it was rumoured that SF was covered by gold, i.e. 旧金山=片地黄金.

                                                 Gateway to Chinatown

After doing some reading up and confirmed by some “happy” friends, I also understand that SF was the breaking ground of the GLBT movement. In fact that week when I was there, I even witnessed the Pride Parade which celebrated the liberty of GLBT movement.

                                           Pride Parade on Market Street

The last 2 things I knew about SF before I went was – Alcatraz Island and shopping. Alcatraz held the worst prisoners on an isolated island across SF and everything else about it was from Hollywood movies.

                                      Alcatraz Island taken from cruise ship

                                                        Union Square

When I mentioned that I was going on a solo trip to U.S. for 6 weeks, everyone's reaction was like "WOW!!" I guess all 3 factors - SOLO (female), U.S., and 6 weeks - contributed to the big WOW. The most common remark I got from people was "U.S. leh, very dangerous, people there carry guns, you are a girl and alone, very dangerous!"

I thanked all for their concern but I went ahead anyway. So like a kid, I learned to lose my fears so that any place in this world can be my playground. Nevertheless, I took all the necessary precautions and kept my eyes peered, bags locked and back guarded along the trip, constantly trusting God to protect and keep me away from all dangers. So really like a child, everyday after play, I slept so soundly that even an earthquake couldn't wake nor shake me up.

"Where can I go from your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there. If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there." - Psa 139:7-8

One of the places in New York not to be missed would definitely be Christian Culture Church - Brooklyn, pastored by our beloved Dr. A.R. Bernard. So early Sunday morning with my luggage (as I was transferring to D.C. in the afternoon) and a 1-hr long subway ride, I arrived at CCC.

The members were dressed in their Sunday best, mostly African Americans but they were poised and appeared cultural. [Guess Dr. Bernard's cultural mandate message definitely got through to his members]. As I was with such a BIG bag, I took a seat right at the last row waiting for service to start. Being of a different colour skin tone and with such a BIG bag, I think I must have stood out in the crowd because after a while, the usher came to greet me and asked if it was my first visit at CCC and where I came from. So I answered, "I am from Singapore and came to know of Dr. Bernard as I am from CHC". Of course I shared a little more that I was doing a solo trip and travelling to several states in U.S. After the short chat, I was left alone for a while.

People continued to stroll in, family and friends smiled, greeted and chatted with each other. The atmosphere was relaxed and friendly. Although nobody came forth to chat with me, but many smiled at me and I returned with a smile too. Just before service started, the usher came back to me and invited me to sit further up front (at the 4th row to be exact) as I was their guest. I declined initially for I had to attend to my luggage, but they insisted and said they will take care of my luggage for me, so I relented.

I still remembered they sang "All over the world, people just like us" (old song from Hillsong), so I enjoyed the praise very much as it was a song that I was familar with. And boy oh boy, they surely can groove.

I admit that I had missed God's presence during worship very much, and I long to find it back. What I didn't expect was a non-stop tear-jerking session during worship. It was so ironical for I had travelled half around the globe to find God's presence with a worship song from home (CHC).

I guessed I must have been overwhelmed by God's presence and the friendliness of the church members, there was a sense of comfort and love to ease the "aloneness", inconvienence and hardship of the solo trip. The tears just wouldn't stop and Psa 139:7-8 was fulfilled. One can escape to the ends of the earth, but God's presence will still find you there, wherever you are.

God hears our faintest cry

When I went back to LA which was my last stop, it was also the week of 4th July and there were mega SALE everywhere. The best shopping bargains would have to be at the premium outlets where all big brands were on BIG SALE. However these premium outlets were not convienently located, usually at the outskirts of the big cities.

To cut the long story short, I did a very risky thing to buy a return ticket on Amtrak train which was scheduled to depart at 8.27 p.m. and arrived at the next station at 8.36 p.m. so that I can transfer and catch my Greyhound bus which depart at 8.55 p.m. Amtrak was usually very punctual and I was very confident of catching my Greyhound bus within the 20 mins turnaround time. [All tickets are pre-booked].

Lo and behold, the most unfortunate and unbelievable thing happened. A freight train which shared the tracks with Amtrak was in the way. What should take only 10 mins to arrive at the next station became 40 mins. Amtrak was crawling at unbelievable SLOW speed, I would probably have cycled faster than it.

This was the ONLY moment fear arrested my heart, so much so that I nearly bursted out in tears.  Although Greyhound was usually late, but would it be that late? I really wondered. Nevertheless I cried out in my heart, something like "God, let Greyhound come REALLY REALLY LATE!!!" I panicked BIG TIME for that small town was unsafe and it was a long journey back to LA (almost 1.5hrs away). I have spent all my money on Coach bags and got no money to cab all the way back. I have definitely missed the Amtrak back to LA and I was no sure if there was a later Greyhound bus and if I could get another ticket for the later departure.

The moment the train stopped and doors opened at 9.15 p.m., I sprinted towards Greyhound bus berth and there was a group of people gathered with their luggages waiting. I asked if they were waiting for Greyhound and they said "yes". I asked if they were waiting for the 8.55 p.m. bus, and they said "YES!"..............Oh my goodness, I could jump for joy and shout "Hallelujah, Praise the Lord!!!".......but I tried to contain my relief and controlled myself as I don't think they are all that please with the delay. Then they shared that the bus will be an hour LATE!! I really couldn't believe my ears when I heard that...........but it all worked well in my favour.

Thank God for the 4th July holiday as all the highways were jammed as people make their way home or to their holiday destinations. So if you ask me does God hear the faintest cry in our heart? My answer would be yes, He definitely heard them. LOL  

"The business of going on holiday really sits on top of so many important and interesting themes. I would advise a friend to travel alone. It can be disorienting but from such disorientation can come valuable insights." - Alain de Botton, Philosopher.

I have been back for a month now from my 6-weeks solo U.S. trip. I should have done this earlier but being the usual "S" personality that I am, it takes about a month for reality to dawn upon me. Esp when it's time to make those credit card payment, that yes, I am finally back in SG.

While I can't say I fully relate to Elizabeth Gilbert, the author of "Eat, Pray, Love" (well, coz I didn't find LOVE at the end of the trip...LOL), but yes it was my form of escaping from reality -  from the treacherous evil abyss of power and political struggle; from the heavy-hearted mind-boggling issues of salvation/rededication: career path and destiny; and the excess emotional baggage which I just can't seem to shake off. Although there still aren't any clear answers to some of my struggles, but I guess some of the experiences I encountered can be applied to our pilgrimage on earth called LIFE.

WAITING

California, being the third largest state in terms of land mass in U.S. means car is essential and without it you are left to the mercy of public transport. While I must praise that San Francisco and Los Angeles have very complex, well-distributed and punctual public transport system, but unfortunately the sheer size of CA translate to LONG waiting time for any bus/subway to arrive (although timely). Especially in LA, to get to any tourist attraction from my hostel is a minimum 1 hr journey (include waiting time). So if there's anything I learnt from this trip, it has gotta be patience.

God is never early, but God is never late too, just like U.S. public transport system, He is always just on time. He is also not like the bullet-train in Japan, bringing you to your destination in a dash, but like any good old bus, He takes you through places.

                                       Night view of Las Vegas taken from Stratosphere

Sometimes it's glamourous like Las Vegas and Hollywood, where lights glitter like gold and sin (casinos/shopping/sales) ensnares. It takes willpower to resist the temptations of sin and move on to the final destination.

                                             Hollywood sign taken from Griffin Observatory

Sometimes you pass the slum and poverty-striken areas like old Chinatown and Harlem and you learn to count your blessings as you see how communities stay together after its fought for liberty and their resilence towards hardship to fulfil the American dream as immigrants. This brings hope and sweetens the simple pleasures in life.

                       New York's skyline taken from Top of the Rock (Rockfeller Centre)

                                      Brooklyn Bridge (front) and Manhattan Bridge (back) 

Of course, not forgetting to mention the long inter-state journeys. LA to Las Vegas was like wandering through the wilderness. Being in the desert, the scenery does not change very much which left me wondering when I would arrive.

                            Colorado River and Grand Canyon taken along the bus journey

                                                   Grand Canyon taken from the South

I left NYC for Washington D.C. on a Sunday. Bad day to travel as everyone else was trying to go back to their respective states to work on Monday. What should take only 4 hrs became almost 6 hrs because of the massive traffic jam. 

                                                  U.S. Capitol Hill in Washington D.C.

But thankfully, being on a holiday, most of my journeying is like the Coastal Starlight Amtrak route from SF to LA which boasted of breath-taking serene scenic sights.

                                        View of Pacific Ocean on Amtrak's Coastal Starlight Route

Just like life, we do not live every moment on the fast-track of the highway, we get caught up in traffic, we are trying to meet ends meet, we get distracted by short-terms goals like to get a lucky strike and sudden windfall but only to realise this fortune slips away as quickly and easily as we get it.

                                    Another scenic view taken on Amtrak's Coastal Starlight Route

While I do not encourage a "que sera sera, whatever will be will be" spirit, but I guess it helps our soul to find a little peace if we learn to be patient when we have to wait for our "prize" and enjoy our surrounding scenery, take the time to smell the roses while we are on our LONG journey to our destinations.

                                            Night view of Nigara Falls taken from Canada's side

(I thank God that I have learnt patience to wait for the right job & had enjoyed my carefree days. There is indeed a time for play and a time for hard work =).     

Was feeling refreshed/recharged being able to sleep in late. A free & easy holiday should be lidat, 随心所欲, have a draft itineriary but very open to change. Our life journey should also be like this too, man should plan our ways but stay open to God's direction & guidance. Decided I so better finished up my assignment & hand in so that I can play in peace.

1.45 p.m.

Left the hotel and was all set to enjoy my day. It's been the 3rd day in HK and was quite familar with the roads, felt much more confident and at ease.

3.30 p.m.- 5 p.m.

Was elated to be at Mdm Tussands taking photos with the waxed celebrities, 终于可以和'别人'合照 ! =)

5 p.m. - 6.15 p.m.

Although it had just rained but my spirits were not dampened, in fact the weather was much cooler after the rain. I always love mountainous view, it was magnificent and breathtaking, I felt liberated. 有一种让人感觉心胸宽阔，可能因为事眼可以看得更高更远. Wish Singapore had more mountainous area so that whenever I am feeling down or met with life's roadblock, I can climb up to the highest peak to look at this world and life from a higher perspective.

7.20 p.m.

Run to and fro to find the right pier to board on Star Ferry to view the Symphony of Lights show at 8 p.m., nearly missed the boat......PANIC PANIC PANIC!!

7.20 p.m. - 8.20 p.m.

Feeling a little emo and melancholic for it is the last night in HK. Just wanted to take in all of that experience at that moment, those that cannot be captured by videos and cameras. The gentle breeze brushing through my hair & drying the perspiration on my forehead, the whiff of saltiness coming from the sea, the sound of traffic lights, horns from cars and ferries and splashes of the waves formed part of the experience & memories of this City of Lights.

8.30 p.m. - 10 p.m.

Tried to find my way to Lan Kwai Fong and SoHo without referring to the map. HK is indeed very hilly, after 1 hour of walking round and round, climbing up and down, I was finally exhaused for my legs were abt to give way. This phrase 休息是为了走更长的路 couldn't be more appropraite at that moment. Finally settled down in a Viet Restaurant to fill my stomach and rest my leg. For tonight is the last night in HK, I will not rest till I covered all my itineriary set out to do.

10.30 p.m. -11.30 p.m 

I went all on foot for the last lapse of this journey. Alighting at Tsim Sha Tsui, walked from HK Cultural Ctr/Clock Tower through Avenue of Stars and down Nathan Road back to hotel. I was tired, my legs almost numb from pain, I could feel my ingrown toenail eating into the flesh but I was determined to finish this walk.

As I walked, I reflected about this journey. Sometimes we really need to spend such times with ourselves, to find back our true self, who we really are, what we really love and having the liberty to be ourselves. As I walked on and reflect deeper, I realised although physically I am alone, but I am not really alone. There was ONE who was there with me, my constant friend who not just could experience all that I had experienced but was and will be there with me through my every ups and downs, who never leave me and never forsake me........I thank You!

Journey - HK/Macau 心路旅程 (12 Aug 09 Tue) 5.30 p.m. - 6.30 p.m.

Was on the bus back to airport, saw a beautiful sunset. 所谓夕阳无限好，只是近黄昏. It aptly described how I felt. Beautiful and fun moments always past faster than usual. At that moment I realised this thing called TIME which is such a precious and important commodity to city dwellers really is just relative. TIME is relative! SO what are we chasing after everyday when majority of our time spent are NOT in exchange for anything that could last for eternity? Would time not be better spent to enjoy beautiful moments of God's creation such as sunset or time with families and friends, creating wonderful memories/experiences which could last forever?

I decided to forget about photography and let the sight of this beautiful sunset be imprinted in my mind instead.

7.15 a.m.

Forced myself to get out of bed and brush up to get ready to catch the 9 a.m. ferry to Macau.

9 a.m.

After the mad rush, I am finally in the ferry. Really thank God I booked the tickets online & could skip the looooonnnnnnnggggg Q. It had been smooth-sailing & felt that it's gonna be a GREAT day since everything has started on the right note.

9 a.m. - 10 a.m.

Listened to Boys over Flowers' soundtrack on the ferry ride and I was sooooo excited, it was exploding and I even felt like dancing. In fact, Macau was THE destination I was looking forward to, more than HK.

10.45 a.m. - 11.15 a.m.

Was so fed up with the crowd that kept coming as I couldn't get a clear shot on the bridge with the "self-timer shot from a tripod". Really wished Val and Wel were there with me to do crowd control.

11.30 a.m. - 5.45 p.m.

Was in PLAY mode again so didn't think much of frds, didn't miss them too. Much as I like the grandeur of Venetian, the Old Macau somehow really reminded me of Israel with the many churches and relics of Portueguese's culture remaining on their floor tiles, building facade etc. And Israel reminded me of the presence of God.

6 p.m. - 7.30 p.m.

As I was carrying lotsa goodies & didn't budget any money to shop, I just window-shopped aimlessly until my legs were giving way and decided to take shelter at the ferry custom. "Lost" and Tired were probably the most appropraite words to describe the feeling then.

7.30 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Thank God I came early to the custom for it was such a mess. Stood at the wrong Q and got to cut-q in the end otherwise I cannot board the ferry at 9 p.m. In the chaos, offended this Ang Mor couple and it was really a bad feeling. Really felt the effects of acculturation (i.e. what I have learnt in school - first hand experience when coming into contact with different culture) at that point in time.

9 p.m. - 10 p.m.

Was feeling a little emo......afterall the highlight of the trip (i.e. Macau) has come and gone lidat and the unpleasant incident at the custom. Really wish Someone could just give a pat on the shoulder to say "it's ok, it's alright".....and I think that Someone came, the presence of God came and did just that......"it's ok, it's alright......it's not your fault, you didn't mean it anyway."......as for Macau, though I have come and gone, but the memories will always remains (just like that of Israel).....but of course Macau is cheaper and I can always come again.

11.30 p.m.

Arrived back in hotel........tired, but still excited to wanna share with frds. So after bathing, quickly got down to edit the videos and posted them & the photos up on FB.

1 a.m. - 4 a.m.

FB-ed, MSN-ed etc.......guess men are made to be social beings afterall. Much as I like the adventurous experiences to explore places on my own, on the other hand, the desire to stay connected with frds cannot be denied.  

Woke up from a nightmare of a scene like that of the Air France crash, plane broke up in the centre in mid-air and passengers just flew off from seat in free fall. It was an awful feeling & I automatically prayed, trying to get back to sleep.

4.30 a.m.

Woke up and got ready to leave the house to catch my flight at 6.40 a.m. Left the house sneakily so that I don't wake up the family, felt like a little kid trying to 离家出走.Got onto the cab & started to feel tiny-weeny bit excited, maybe still tired coz it's so early.

5 a.m.

Arrived in airport, was surprised to see soooo many people checking in, getting ready to leave SG. I am surprised too that I am not as excited as I imagined myself to be, probably coz of the early hour and the nightmare I had, was more nervous than excited. After checking in, brace & hype myself up to get over the nervousness by doing up the self-taken video clip. Now feeling embarrassed.

6.45 a.m. - 7.15.a.m.

Was getting impatient due to flight delay, on the other hand was praying hard that the crew better check the plane thoroughly to make sure it is in proper working condition. The skies slowly got brighter & brighter......it's the Sunrise! It's really a rare sight for me to catch sunrise, am reminded of God's goodness and prayed earnestly for God to grant me journey mercy and bless my going out and coming in.

7.45 a.m. - 11.20 a.m.

Tried to catch some nap on the plane but naughty irritating kid behind kept making a lot of noise.......KIDS and animal shd be ban from taking airplane.....snort! Finally peace alas when the kid was exhaused & I could catch my nap.

12 noon

Cleared custom and am finally in HK!!! Felt much more relief now that feet is standing on solid ground. Cursed be the stupid nightmare la.....it added to the stress to navigate entirely on my own. Now......excitement really started to built up as I figured my way to get from the public bus to the hotel.

1.45. p.m.

Finally arrived in hotel.....double sigh of relief. Was REALLY excited now & couldn't wait to share the experience with frds, that's why the first thing I did when I reached the room was to connect to the internet & tried to "capture a video" instantaneously on FB, but it couldn't work. Being the discipline me that I am, decided not to waste anymore time fiddling with FB, I better be out and going.

3 p.m.

Finally on the ferry to Ma Wan Park......it was all quiet, think everyone was sleeping, so I also managed to catch some eye-shut. Although it was a mixture of nervousness and excitement in my heart, there was an unusual peace too as the tiredness overcame me and the eyelids grew heavy.

3.45 p.m. - 7 p.m.

I surprised myself that I actually really DON'T miss my frds and families when I am in PLAY mode....I really had enjoyed myself despite the fact that I played all by myself. =) [Doesn't little babies do the same too, play and are amused by themselves].

7 p.m. - 8 p.m.

Mind somehow drifted and realised how much I have prayed that day, I was actually soooooo dependent on God. Hmmm......could it be the messages from Noah's Ark....it was indeed evangelistic and spiritually awakening. [It's like how you don't realised you are really hungry until you smell the aroma of food that wake up every senses......for I hadn't had a proper breakfast or lunch since 4.30 a.m.].

9 p.m.

Reached the cafe just beside the hotel and my sense of hunger was finally aroused by the fragrance of food. The cafe was very crowded and it goes to magnify my aloneness. I have no problem being alone, the only trouble is I hate to eat in a public place all by myself!!! Being so hungry, I gobble down my food as soon as it arrived and finished in 5 mins.

9.30 p.m.

Finally back in hotel room!!! Finally can let down my guards and relax both mentally and physically. After bathing, was sooooo excited, therefore quickly post my videos and photos up on FB to share my joy with frds.

12.30 p.m./1 a.m.

Was sooooo tired, I fell asleep almost immediately after mumbling a thank you prayer & KO-ed.

I just finished watching 1 Korean drama and 1 Japanese drama. Korean drama "Who are you?' tells of a pair of squabbling father and daughter, in which the daughter could not appreciate the father's love in time before his death and only learnt about her father's love for her when he became a ghost, failing to realised that she had loved her father the same all that time when he was alive but yet only managed to find fault with him and found him naggy etc.

The Japanese drama "My absolute boyfriend" tells of the perfect custom-made boyfriend who is a robot. Predesigned in his program, he lavishly showers the girlfriend with "I love you" everyday and creates many other ordinary but sweet memories of daily life shared with the girlfriend. Over time, robot became more human and developed real feelings & memories, LOVE became an autonomous choice rather than a part of his predesigned program. Unfortunately, robot eventually burnt out, yet saved all the wonderful memories shared with girlfriend into a microchip. It was the love unreserved and without regret that gave the girl the courage to continue pursuing her dream and true love with the real human knight in shining armour of her life.

Maybe it's an Asian thing, we tend to be very stingy when it comes to words of gratitude, appreciation and affirmation, it is even more difficult to get the words out of our mouth to say those 3-letter words, "I am sorry", "I miss you" and "I love you".

I had a very embarrassing yet extremely funny situtation that happened today which made me realised that actually it is not necessary to always wait for that perfect situation or special day to say these 3-letter words, although sometimes saying the right things at the right moment will multiply the positive affect.

Saying "sorry" - sometimes it is not about who is in the right or wrong, but to salvage the relationship, considering about the feelings of the other party rather than stubbornly holding on to the 'rightness' or 'wrongness' of what had been done.

Saying "I miss you" - why wait? We cannot take for granted that tomorrow will always come. Such unexpected loving words almost always create the endorphine effect for both giver and receiver.

Saying "I love you" - there is no reason not to say. None of us are psychic, people cannot see through our hearts to know how much we love them until we tell them, say it and make it loud and clear.  

Would you rather procristinate daily & miss even the best moment, or would you rather create the sweet though ordinary daily moments which accumulate to be special memories not to be regretted?  U decide

i) Affording or enjoying contentment, security and physical comfort;

ii) Free from vexation or doubt, stress or tension; &

iii) synonymous with words like "cozy", "snug", "easy", "restful".

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/comfortable

There are 5 comfy stuff I have at home. These stuff are associated with me when I am myself - relaxed, happy and at rest.

I love my bloster. I cannot sleep without my bloster. It is essential for me to have it to hug and cuddle and fall into deep sleep. When I am depressed and heartbroken, I bury my head and sob on it while it takes everything in silently and does what it does best, to bring comfort and rest.

Of course, comfort is associated with sleep and we also cannot sleep without a pillow. A good pillow with the right fillings gives good support when you lay your head on it and good fit for the neck is important because it keeps the posture right, spine straight and release all tension on the back.

I need my quilt to be able to fall asleep. The quilt symbolises protection and covering, a.k.a. "security blanket"? Traditional quilts are like mosaic artwork, patched up by different designed fabrics, quilt (verb) also means "to stitch together", "to mend up/sew up". On a cold night, it brings amazing warmth and comfort.

In the living room, you cannot do without a sofa. The living room is the place of fellowship where closed ones come together for entertainment, for food and games. The living room is so called the "living room" because it is here where lives are shared and laughters are heard.

It is on my sofa that I can sit back, relax and even be unglam to sit the "Korean" style watching my Korean drama or put my legs on the sofa table while watching my HK serials, Star Award and variety programs. I usually have my dinners also on the sofa in the living room while I watched tv. Occassionally when I am tired, I will catch a short nap on the sofa. The living room just doesn't look right without the sofa.

Finally, I also have a massaging chair in the living room. It is always good to have that massaging chair there so that when you are having that backache and muscle-ache, you can let it knead and tap on you to improve blood circulation and release tension. However at times when the kneading and tapping hit on the raw sores I feel more aches and pain the next day.

These are my comfy stuff describing the kind of comfort my 5 best friends bring to me of which they have to figure out for themselves.

The girl in the picture is  Katie Kirkpatrick,  she is  21 .  Next to her, her fiancé, Nick, 23.  
The picture was taken shortly before their wedding ceremony, held on January 11, 2005 in the US . Katie has terminal cancer and spend hours a day receiving medication.
In the picture, Nick is waiting for her on one of the many sessions of chemo to end.

In spite of all the pain, organ failures, and morphine shots, Katie is going along with her wedding  and took care of every detail. The dress had to be adjusted a few times due to her constant weight loss.

An unusual accessory at the party was the oxygen tube that ketie used throughout the ceremony and reception as well. The other couple in the picture are Nick's parents. Excited to see her son marrying his high school sweetheart.

The semester has finally started and into the second and siongest month as I need to juggle 3 subjects concurrently. I have also lost my tuitions too, but I feel kind of happy because I have more free time as Mar & Apr are going to be challenging having 5 TMAs on hand to complete in 6-7 weeks. I am happy too because I can take the opportunity to find better paying tuitions, although the kids were really quite cute and I sincerely had hoped to help them, esp Xavier with the dyslexic condition.

I have had 3 free weekends and am beginning to see a trend. Burn midnight oil on Fri night-Sat, ZZZzzzz until high noon on Sat, catch up with Korean drama in the late afternoon to evening and if the weather is fine, I will go cycle, jog or gym. Sat night-Sun rush assignment again, ZZZZZZzzz in until late morning on Sun, go gym and either do assignment or proscintinate with I also donno wat on Sun night, or watch show while doing facial before sleep and then face the work week on Mon morning again.

The first week was fine, the second week I was getting a bit bored, by this 3rd week I know I cannot go on with my life like this. I did a psychometric survey on Mon as part of my assignment and there was this whole section that I did not know how to answer. It was all the serious questions about life, the meaning & purpose of life. Coincidentally, that afternoon a tuition agent having read my profile asked out of his curiousity, what exactly do I want to do with my life having such mixed qualification? Honestly, my answer would be "I don't know!" But honestly..........I am happy being like this too.

I don't know what my friends think of me now, but I feel that I have changed. I don't know if you would say that I have changed for the better or worse, but I am happier, my life simplier and I am more real now. I used to be really goal-oriented, everything I do is to strive to attain some goal. The me now is goal-avoidant..........maybe I am afraid of disappointment. Of course there are short term goals, like ensure I can pay my bills next mth and not overspend this mth, write my TMA to get a good score (which will accumulate in the final score), even when I plan my boss' schedule I don't plan for more than 2 weeks because life is full of changes. So there are no long term goals. Therefore I really don't know how to answer qns like "What do you want to do in life?".........because I can't even see myself beyond the next 1 year. Put it in a negative way would be like "K sarah sarah, whatever will be will be".

Thankfully everything has been going very well for me still even without long term goals. Sometimes I cannot help but wonder, could it be God? I remember in the past whenever we had those exercising of the gifts of prophencies, God will speak very specifically to some "chosen" ones, but my memory of such times would always be God standing behind me, sometimes his hand on my shoulder and always smiling as assurance, BUT never ever telling me specifically about my future. Could it be because I had not learn to trust God and allow myself to lose my control to God?

In my boredom these days especially over the weekend, I find myself pondering over these serious qns more frequently. Could this be God's way of speaking to me? I wonder........

If you are thinking of taking a cab to the airport, DON’T….for you will pay through your nose for it. There are public airport transfer shuttle services available and would stop by most of the bigger hotels at just a reasonable price of under 20,000KRW. The shuttle bus comes about every half an hour. Just check with the concierge of the hotel you are staying and they will be able to advise the price, timing and pick-up location of the airport transfer shuttle buses.

Our flight was at about 4.30 p.m., so we made good time by hopping onto the 12 noon airport transfer and it took us about 1 hour to get to the airport. We managed to give Oppa a farewell call, had lunch at airport food court and get some souvenir before we depart.

Sigh….never felt this way about returning home for a looonnnngggg time since my childhood days. For example, if you had been to Korea’s neighbouring country on its west, you will be so glad to be coming back to Singapore for its clean air, clean toilet and more civilized fellow citizen…..but Korean has been so wonderful in terms of hygiene, technology, weather, scenery, culture, people etc….you wish you don’t need to come back (to reality and of course back to work).

But life goes on, although I will still reminisce the winter sonata moments but it is amazing how fast we adjust and adapt. It’s been a month that I am back in Spore already and of course had celebrated Christmas, crossover to 2009 and celebrating CNY soon, resolutions had been made and kept to-date so far. One of the recent Jan 09 article in “Mind Your Body” mentioned occasional feeling of nostalgia is good for our psychological well-being as we recall the fond memories and connectedness with people. I don’t know when is the next time I can visit Korea again, probably will go in Spring in the future, but from now till then, the memories and attachment formed to that land will be cherished and used as therapy during busy stress-out period. Sarang-haeyo, Hangu! 나는 한국을 사랑한다!

We initially wanted to shop at Dongdaemum first before we proceed on to our other destination, however when we reached the mall, they happen to open really late on Mons, at 7 p.m. We went in the afternoon because that is the timing whereby these wholesalers are more willing to entertain small buyers like their locals and tourists, for in the night it is the hour of their major transaction, whereby retailers and distributors will come from all over Korea and buy in bulk and small buyers like us can forget about trying to bargain with them. 3 Korean phrases that you need to know while shopping are, (1) How much? (Korean: Olma?), (2) It’s too expensive. (Korean: Nomoo Pee-sum-meda), (3) Can it be cheaper? (Korean: Gaga Jooseyo).

Ok, since we cannot shop at Dongdaemum, we went to the other shopping street which we went with the tour group on Friday but had no chance to walk around as we were departing for Busan. It is called Woman’s Shopping Street, partly because there is an all-girls Ehwa Women’s University around the corner, therefore the shops are catered for these young ladies (which of course suited us as well). We took the subway to Sinchon (stop No. 240) but when we exited we simply couldn’t locate the exact place where we departed that day. After about half an hour of wondering around, we realize the big “SINCHON” sign we saw on Friday referred to their train station (where you can take the inter-cities KTX train). Whereas if we want to go to the shopping street, we should have alighted 1 stop away at Ehwa Woman Uni (stop No. 241). -> This is the “fun and adventure” of getting lost when you do free and easy as compared to being totally spoon-feed when you are in a package tour. Well….but at least we really get to experience their lifestyle.

When we arrived, we were pleasingly surprised. This shopping street was unlike Myeongdong which sold all the high fashion / up-market stuff, neither was it like Dongdaemum which was very shopping mall and wholesaler market feel, and definitely not like Bugis Street or Chatuchak in Thailand (i.e. hot until you want to faint). I think because the sun was shining in the afternoon, it made the cold more bearable thus very pleasant to shop at this shopping street. The pavement for pedestrian was wide enough and it wasn’t overly crowded with shoppers, there were also not many cars on the road and the many little shops offered variety and style. Val needed to buy some more faceshop products so we spent slightly more than an hour in the shop. We even spent enough for Val to get a makeover and me a manicure.

We had Jap food for lunch again for it was really cheap. (Check out the prices in the order form). We managed to buy some tops but we didn’t shop much as we had another sight-seeing to do. However before we left, we went to explore the Ehwa Women University as it was really pretty. Val said it looked like her Uni in Brisbane Australia. My camera kind of died as SD Card was overloaded with too many photo, but I still managed to take those few 艺术 shots. My photography skills, not bad yah?

We decided that we shall not get lost anymore and so we took a cab to Namsum Cable Car station so as to take the cable car to go up to N Seoul Tower and capture the night sight. If you can recall My Lovely Samsoon, they took the cable car up when Samsoon pestered Hyun Bin to give her a job. However when we took the cable car, it was nothing like that (as in spacious) for we were packed like sardines in each car that came (about 15 mins wait per trip).

We went up at a very timely hour for it was sunset and it was so beautiful. I think the Korean Tourism tagline “Korea Sparkling” cannot be appropriate when we were up there. At this point, I think picture speaks a thousand words and it is easier for me to just post the photos.

I think the 2^nd greatest reward coming up to N Seoul Tower was that they recently opened a mini Teddy Bear Museum. Other than 63 Building, the other place that I had really wanted to visit was Teddy Bear Museum in Jeju (featured in Princess Hours), however because we were with the tour group, we really could not stray away to go visit that on our own. So I was really thrilled to at least catch a glimpse of it, although it was really really very mini. Although we were up there for quite long, about 2 hours + but when we looked at our watch, it was only about 8 pm. However we had to go because it was getting chilly again, especially because we were on the mountain and the cold winds were blowing.

We initially wanted to go back to our svc apartment to put down our stuff and find the traditional sauna place and eat the boiled eggs, however when we returned to Dongdaemum area, we found the whole area bustling with activities again (that’s when we realized the malls were opened). Instead of returning to our apartment, we ended shopping and bought some stuff. As the apartment was nearby, Val stepped out of her comfort zone to try the snacks at the 路边摊. This was where we met another tourist from Indonesia who was fortunate to have a Korean friend as his guide and we actually chatted for a good 15-30mins at the snack shop, in the middle of the pedestrian walking. Before we know it, it was already 10.30 p.m. and the streets were still CROWDED.

We decided to go back to put down our spoilt before coming out to find supper/ dinner. However when we came out for the 2^nd time, we found ourselves returning to the same place. We were actually quite full from the snacks and so we channeled our energy to do the final round of shopping to make sure we don’t miss anything and my last chance to find a nice furry winter jacket. At last, I found it…..at about 57,000KRW, about S$65. Nevermind, just buy first and worry about how to pack later and of course I was finally penniless.

We returned to our apartment for good that night at about 11.30 p.m. and now the nightmare begins. We got NO IDEA how to pack in such a way that it will not exceed the weight limit. Oppa prophesized rightly, 2 big Pandas were going to leave the country as we would have to load A LOT of jackets on us to keep to the luggage weight limit. I was feeling the weights already and finally the flu bug caught onto me….so it was a lot of sniffing as I packed.

After all the packing and squeezing, we finally slept at 2.30 a.m. and hope that we will never need to wake up to reality to go home.

The pretty Ajumma bought us Krispy Kreme donuts as breakfast for us. I do not have a sweet tooth especially not sweet stuff for breakfast but I guess it will be disrespectful not to eat when the owner offered it to you. Val looked chirpy though, I guess she had recovered from her flu, she was even chirpier when she saw that it was her one of her favourite donut for breakfast. We made good time and even managed to take photos with the owner before we left to catch our train. We gave up trying to find our way around and so we flag for the cab. We caught the 11 a.m. KTX train and returned back in Seoul at 1.40 p.m.

Lunch was settled in Macs for we had sudden cravings for fast food after having proper Korean/Jap/Chinese style meals for straight 10 days. It was interesting to note that they do not sell Fish Burger and usually their meals come with coke and also coffee (although Korean taste for coffee is really quite bland, thank God I brought my own Nescafe and O Town coffee pack, else I might have caffeine withdrawal symptoms).  Oppa told us that fast food is not popular in Korea, perhaps that explains why it is so cheap, because since young, parents forbid children to eat fast food with scolding and even beatings. Also their culture is to have their breakfast and dinner at home, that’s why wives become full-time housewives after getting married. As for the kids, their mums would even prepare Bento Set for them. After hearing the “miserable” life of the Korean Ajumma (married women), I thanked God I am not born a Korean nor live there for I will never make it. My advocacy for singlehood will definitely be overthrown in such a culture. But then again, happiness is really a subjective matter, who knows I might be happy just being a submissive wife waiting on my husband and kids if I was born and grew up as a Korean?

We settled into Western Co-Op at about 3.30 p.m. Although it was not a very big service apartment, but it was really cool and cosy, 麻雀虽小，五胀具全, it is a highly recommended and affordable place to stay in Seoul, only approximately S$50/night/pax.

We then explore the highly complex Metro Subway and found our way to Yeouido Subway Station, however as we were not sure of the exact location of the church, we hopped onto a cab and surprise, surprise it was just around the corner, so the metre didn’t even move and cost only 1,000KRW. In fact, we were actually at the breakfast place when we saw snow for the first time as I recognized it when the cab turned that corner. To be honest, even if we knew how to walk to the church, I doubted we can make it, for it was freezing cold back in Seoul and because we were just next to Hangang River, the cold winds made our hair stood up.

We kinda missed the 5.30 p.m. svc, but it was too cold to wait outside, therefore we joined in their latecomers and pretended to be part of the usual congregation and walked in. The service wasn’t as dynamic as we thought it would be, neither did we witness the crowd queuing outside the church, we concluded perhaps it wasn’t Dr. David Cho himself preaching or perhaps it was the weather for it was really cold. The whole service was in Korean so we couldn’t understand a word, except when they said “Amen” and we “Amen” together. LOL. Although their hall does not look as big as Expo, but it was consider big and yet conducive at the same time, for everyone should feel contain wherever they are sitting. Christmas deco was up too, very pretty, it felt really cosy, maybe that’s why some members dozed off….Oops!!

After service, we went to my MUST-VISIT destination, 63 Building! Yes, the one that the female lead in My Girl die die want to see. It was actually just down the same stretch of road as Yeouido Full Gospel church, we were garang and thought we could walk, but the moment we went out to the open…….blurppp….it..was..cococo….cold. There was no way to walk….and the mins we waited for the cab to come felt like hours and we almost became snowman out there.

63 Building is the 3rd tallest building in South Korea, the 135^th tallest building in Asia and is a Korean icon among skyscrapers. 63 refers to the building's 63 official stories, of which 60 are above ground level and 3 are basement floors. Construction was completed in 1985. At that time, the 63 Building was the tallest building in Asia but it has been overtaken since other taller skyscrapers sprung up. At the basement, you have the IMAX theatre, an aquarium, shopping malls, food court etc., in between are offices and the 60^th floor is now an art gallery, known as Sky Art which is also the observatory deck, a great place to oversee Hangang River and Seoul city.

The lighted city was really very beautiful and for the dare-devils, there is even a corner called “Sky Walk” which flooring is made of glass so that you can see through to the ground from the 60^th storey. Obviously I didn’t go and try, I think I even jittered just peeping from the outermost corner of “Sky Walk”. But then again, Val also didn’t really dare to walk to the centre….haha. However, the most amazing thing was its toilet, it was really pretty and check out this innovative sink from the photos below, creative right?

We settled dinner at their food court and finally it was easy to order food, for we just ordered what we knew best, that’s right, Bimbimba. Val was glad that Koreans like fried chicken so it was everywhere, and after so many days of veggie, me too decided to let myself loose and treated ourselves to their Lotte fried chicken. I already mentioned that Koreans were hi-tech, but they were even high-tech with their food Q no.? We were given this pager-like thing, I didn’t know what it was for, but I suppose it was our Q no. for it only made sense. So while we waited for our fried chicken, we started on our Bimbimba and suddenly the pager-like thing vibrated. We got a shock, so…..it was our turn to collect our food. One thing about Korean public food area culture you got to know is that, e.g. food court or fast food, everything is self-service, so we collect our own food and after eating, we got to return our trays.

Next I visited the aquarium while Val shopped around and checked out the shuttle bus timing back to the subway station. The aquarium was amazingly BIG and so I kinda lost track of time and later lost my way OUT of the aquarium. But one thing that was really captivating was, they had an aqua-ballerina performance in the aquarium. It was hypnotic, the dance, the music, the fishes, the whole enclosed environment made you feel as if you are in another world. Amazing…… (I will load this in the video review).

Our itinerary for the day was to hang out at Haeundae Beach. We followed June’s instruction and managed to find our way to Seomyeom Station, probably due to the daylight, which made it easier. Before we took the subway to Haeundae Beach, we went to fill our stomach at the food basement of Lotte Departmental Store, which is similar to the food area at Taka. Woah, they had such a wide variety of selection until me and Val were so spolit for choice and didn’t know what to choose. I was quite hungry actually so I went for the BIG BAO which caught my eyes. For just 1,000KRW, I tasted one of the best BAO I have ever eaten, maybe partly because I was hungry. Firstly it was BIG, then the skin, although not the soft, spongy like those in Singapore, it was more similar to the Dumpling but the dough is softer (quite similar to the kind of Bao which my mum made), but the best part was the filling which was really juicy. Slurp!

We then took the subway and arrive at Haeundae Beach in about 45 mins. The subway in Busan is less complicated than that of Seoul, but the stops are further apart, thus explains why even though it was just a few stop, it took such a long time to reach. While we were on the train, we bore in mind what Oppa mentioned about Korea having a very strong 敬老尊贤culture and how youngsters must give up their seats for Ajumma, otherwise the Ajumma has every right to hit their head and scold aloud for them to get their butt off the seats. This made us quite conscious, although the train was quite empty at that hour and we managed to find seats for ourselves, everytime when an Ajumma steps in, we will be wary. Therefore although we were getting drowsy from the 45mins ride, we didn’t dare to doze off least we get hit by the Ajumma who wants our seat.

We finally arrived at Haeundae Beach just before noon. Although we still kinda miss the fellowship of the group, I must say it feels good to be on free and easy, we can take our time and not miss any chance to take a good shot (just check out the increase in the no. of photos we took when we went on to F&E). We found a KFC and decided to pamper ourselves with a daily stimulant shot (referring to hot chocolate) which we missed during breakfast.

After that we went to check out the beach, it felt relaxing to be free and easy, but even more so when we saw the beach, it felt like the last time we went to Gold Coast, except it is much cooler at Haeundae 海云台for it was winter, although you can’t really tell from the photos. It is our first time going to the beach in winter. It wasn’t freezing cold kind of weather, about 14-16 deg C, but of course it is not those weather you can walk around in your bikini. So it is a weird sight for us to see everyone wearing their jackets at the beach. Even the dogs were clothed and we saw this poor dog shivering in the cold while the owner went to get its coat.

After an hour’s walk, we finally reached one end of the beach where June recommended us this fish soup which we MUST-TRY. He said many celebrities even went there just for the fish soup. We asked around and were directed to a shop which did not look too appealing from the outside. We walked nearer to get a confirmation if it was the reputed shop and yes it was…..for we knew it from the Q outside the shop. We were issued Q no. and we hang around for our turn. When it came, we knew June had made a good recommendation. The soup was so delicious, it had the same milky appearance like our local fish soup, except the murkiness didn’t come because milk was added but it was the essence of the fish head. Yummy…..we had a very healthy and fulfilling meal for just 7,500KRW.

After lunch, we decided to visit the APEC house, the lighthouse near APEC house and take photo of the Gwangan Grand Bridge in the background which was on the OTHER side of the beach. So it was a lot of walking that day but it was worth it for we had a lot of good photos shot in returned.

Didn't manage to catch a nice photo of Gwangan Grand Bridge so download from Internet, this is how it should look like when it is lit up at night.

We returned to Busan central, Seomyeom and decided to check out their No. 1 Street and it turned out to be a F&B street bustling with light and life…”Happening” is the word to use here. So we might as well………..settle dinner there. We tried those 街边小吃 like how 菊花has done in the Korea drama. Val was really down with her flu so she had no more appetite for dinner no matter how appealing it looked. I wanted sashimi initially but decided to just go for a normal Jap meal since I would be the only one feasting. The Jap meal I had was woo-lala, Katsudon stewed in egg and etc. side dishes for just 8,000KRW.

Val was really worn out by her flu so we decided to go back and not to your surprise, we were lost again! The best part was Val did not bring out the address nor the contact number, so somehow we must try to figure our way back. Finally after 30-45 mins of trial and error, we were finally back in our room after hearing the high-tech door lock sound (like Hyun Bin’s apartment in My Lovely Samsoon)! TIRED and my legs were sore from all the walking! We packed up and rested so as to be rejuvenate for our last league back in Seoul.  

              Entrance to Lotte Dept Store from underground Seomyeon Subway

Photo on right below: Entrance of female toilet in Lotte Dept Store. Looks like toilet of 5 star hotel right?

My knowledge of "How to live the happy life" that I scored A+ in my positive psych exam was put to the real test this week as we received the annual announcement of who has been promoted (thus extra increment). I must admit I was feeling striveful and a little 眼红 to know that my colleague who joined around the same period has been promoted AGAIN. Thoughts ran through my mind, like "Come on, I ain't so bad right? Afterall I am studying now not just for a basic degree but an honours degree, I am sure I can excel too if I have been given the free hand to work and not just be an order-taker etc etc.....I am also a 千里马, but unfortunately my boss doesn't happen to be my 伯乐....If not because we are faced with global economic crisis right now, and at the same time I am pursuing for honours, I would definitely look for greener pastures."

That's right, I am falling into the "SIN" of social comparison. This is the big NO-NO to living the good and happy life. The bible says "Guard your heart, guard your mind, for out of it springs the issues of life." That's right, I retracted my thoughts as fast and as much as I could to focus on happier news, like at least we still got some form of increment (although it was lesser than last year), at least I am still employed for there was a lot of retrenchment out there in the market, I am studying and paving my way for a better future, I have less workload so means I can focus more on my studies and continue to excel, I should Thank God I am not promoted this year for the increment would be lesser due to economic crisis. I know........sounds like a little bit of self-deception, but research does say suitable amount of illusion does help us to live a happier life....and I think it does, been there and done that...

The truth is we all practice social comparison, and we cannot avoid it because we are social being, unless you go and be a hermit on some mountain.....This is a part and parcel of life, but how can we live in this world and not be affected by our peers' success? One of the solutions I can think of is not to compete for the No.1 position.....If we think of life as a race and there can only be 1 winner, then we will never ever be happy because there will always be someone better, smarter, cleverer, prettier, slimmer etc than us.....If we think of life as a basketball competition, then we are learning to draw circles instead of line. We don't have to be the No.1 winner, but we can be in the "IN" and winning group. Be thankful that you are counted among the financially stable person with a career, degree-holder, physical attractiveness above average group etc. Not too bad a strategy, at least there is the social support thingey going on. But what if no matter how hard you try, and you are still NOT IN the group?

I am quite sure, although I have not done any research or survey, that professional athletes who are record-holders do not train themselves or run to beat anyone else but themselves. That's right, they are their own rival / opponent and it has a name, it is called "complacency". So if you want to win in life, the one and only person to compete against is yourself, the goals and resolutions you have set earlier in the year are the records to break. Don't be the No. 1 which you can never attain, don't be a copycat of the IN group, be yourself. You have been good last year, be a better you this year and be the best that you can be in future......for we always have room for improvement.

But of course balance is the key to life.......be it in the midst of "battle", training or preparation, sometimes it is good to take some time off to smell the flowers, take in the scenery, stay close to nature so as to clear the mind. And I did just that today....finally went to take a leisure stroll at the new nature walk trail at Southern Ridges of Singapore, which includes Hort Park, Alexandra Arch, Forest Walk linking Alexandra Road to Telok Blangah / Henderson Road and ended off at Henderson Waves. Although I am really tired out, and having Salon Pas on my back now to ease the backache (of course not just from today's walk but my 1 whole week of jogging on the treadmill), it was enjoyable and I am glad I have done it before my school reopens next week.

While we waited for the rest of our tour members to gather, Rachel came up to me and greeted me so I also took the opportunity to ask her family members if there were anyone who could fill me with the Chinese characters which me and Val do not know how to write.

It was all shopping itinerary for us today, first to Ginseng Monopoly Showroom which we got a better understanding of Ginseng. We didn’t buy any for it was too expensive to pay up one lump sum for 1 year’s supply, however we did a quick calculation, actually it is quite a reasonable sum to pay for high quality supplement on a monthly basis, about S$60-S$70 per month. So if you are into health and supplement, I would strongly encourage that you standby and be prepared to part with that money either by card or by cash. Just for your info which was to our surprise as well, Korea’s Ginseng eating culture has gone beyond using it to cook herbal meal or tea, but it now comes in tablets and essence form for easy consumption.

Well, much as I was interested to buy, I gave it a miss. Next was a visit to Amethyst Factory. As expected, why would we go to Korea to buy crystal so…nah. But we did receive an unexpected surprise for we saw Edmund Chen and Xiang Yun there on holiday too. Rachael was the cutest, she recognized Edmund Chen and wanted to take photo with him, but she denied and asked me to go up to him to take photo instead. I would love too as well but unfortunately like the Ginseng Monopoly Showroom, photography and videoing are strictly prohibited. So there goes our chance. However when they came out as we were waiting for our coach, Rachael saw Xiang Yun dashed pass and recognized her as the older version of Yue Niang in Little Nyona. I was really amazed with Rachael for I also watched that 1 week of Little Nyona before our trip and had already forgotten their names in the show, how did she even remember given her tiny brain? The power of media influence on kids.

Next was my favourite stop, FACESHOP!! Yes, I already heard from Nico that it would be much cheaper, but I didn’t expect it to be that cheap, at least a good 70-80% cheaper. E.g. 3 mask sheets cost S$10 here and over there is went like 1 mask sheet for 1,000KRW which is about S$1.20-S$1.50, depending on the currency rate. Yah, so you can imagine all the ladies……moreover we were introduce to some fantastic new products and store promotion promised to throw in free gifts, free luggage etc. Yup, so I chalked a good 400,000+ KRW and got a luggage full of FACESHOP products.

Actually our original intention was to lug our luggage to Busan, but Oppa….looking at our 1 more bag of facial products, simply shook his head and decided to be good Samaritan all the way to arrange for our bags to be deposit at Western Co-op which we will checked in only on SUN.

The last destination for the group was the Woman Shopping Street at Ehwa University. We did not manage to go shopping as we needed to select our photos from Joy. Much as I would love to buy all 19 for 2 reasons, because they were really well taken and Joy really provided very good service in every way possible, but all 19 photos will cost 95,000KRW (1 photo cost 5,000KRW) so I only bought 15 as budgeted. Oppa was worried that he couldn’t get the group to the airport in time, so after the photo selection, everything happened so fast, we took a few last shot with them and he helped us catch a cab to bring us to Western Co-op to deposit our bags and then we will be on our own.

When we were in the cab, I think both me and Val felt it…..and were silent for a while. The sudden feeling of attachment and belonging to a realization that it has now got to come to an end…….but not just that, we got to be on our own in a foreign land where we couldn’t speak the same language…..kind of….I think 有苦难言 is the only phase to describe the strange feeling within. And there was little Rachael, she wanted to sit on the coach with me and Val and we said we would do so after the shopping, but we just disappeared. We wondered if she would be looking out for us.

The rest of the day was in transit…….a transition of emotion, a transition of destination. From Western Co-op which was near Dongdaemum, we took the subway to Seoul Station to hop on to KTX intercity train to Busan which was a 2 hrs 40 mins ride. We arrived in Busan at about 5.10 pm and followed the instruction as per the Home Stay’s contact person, June to take the subway to Seomyeom Station. We followed the arrows indicated to go to the mentioned exit. He said it will take him 10 mins to arrive, but we waited almost 1 hour and finally realized that we were at the exit of the next station! Anyway, there was a helpful Korean who spoke to June and help us get a cab and assisted to direct the cab-driver to the correct address. FAINT! By the time we reached, it was about 7 pm. Now all these while when Val emailed June, she thought June was a girl, but it turned out June was a guy…..my immediate thought which ran through my head, “we are not going to be staying with him alone only, are we?” (even though he looked like a bigger version of Jay Chou with tummy LOL). Phew, he was not the owner for the Home Stay although he does own the other backpacker’s stay over at the next block. We had a short chat with him and he briefed us of some interesting places to visit in Busan. However as Val was sick, and we only had 1 full day in Busan, we decided to visit Haeundae Beach as recommended by Oppa.  

 It was almost 8pm when we finally decide to have dinner after settling down. The nearest was another Shabu Shabu opposite the road, which June also recommended, but I think we would so better with just a simpler meal.  Now the real problem begins, we DO NOT know how to order food on our own!! So we pointed out to the advertisement wording outside the shop, not really knowing what to expect although we know it was PORK. Lo and behold, pork indeed it was and very streaky!! Val had always hated pork and moreover she was sick, she gave up totally, and I end up having to consume all that cholesterol all by myself. (I really really wished Sharon and Mark were around to help share those cholesterol). The 2^nd regret, my hair stunk with that BBQ smell again! Thank God there was a E-Mart opposite and I could buy a leave-in conditioner and borrow the hairdryer from the girls in the family so I don’t need to put up with stinko hair to sleep.

We finally saw the house owner quite late at night. She was such a modern Ajumma (Aunt), almost as hip as Sun, quite pretty and very well-maintained for both her figure and complexion. I feel almost inferior to stand next to her, for she had given birth to 2 teenage girls and still maintained such a great figure, I got keep on FIGHTING!

We slept early that night for we were both physically and emotionally exhausted. But I must say the weather in Busan is really quite pleasant and I had a very good night sleep (windows semi-opened). It is either the cooling weather or I was really tired….but ZZzzzzZZZZzzz.

We must really thank God throughout the trip for we have been very fortunate and blessed with all the right weather for our itinerary. Just yesterday it was sunny, shining at 15 deg C. and today it was overcast and was even drizzling when we left, which means if the temp dropped further, it might snow and that’s not the best for beginner skiers like us.

After the 3 hrs coach ride, we arrived at Sangsoo Herb Land, apparently quite famous as many celebrities had visited it before. The boss who is also the main researcher of the Herb Land personally gave a presentation of the history and use of herbs and Oppa was arrowed by the boss to translate for him (which Oppa most unwillingly oblige). Actually the boss is not so nasty like that of the coffee prince shop, but just that he is too flamboyant and energetic, he certainly does not look and act his age. I think among our friends, Bryan most potentially would become like that when he grows old………As for the Herb Land itself, I had always been into aroma therapy, so it is wonderful to smell in the fragrance of the herb, but unfortunately our climate would never be suitable to grow my favourite lavender, so well, the best I can do was to buy some aromatic EDT home.

Next we proceeded for lunch at this place called 紫霞门 which served Royal Korean Cuisine or known as 贵族餐. Well, it certainly lived up to its reputation for it was the best Korean meal we have tasted since we arrived in Korea.  As usual, there were many side dishes and it not just tickle the tastebuds, it looks good to the eyes too for it was so exquisite and colourful. Anyway, for your info (in case you have toilet hygiene concerns like Val), their toilet had been awarded Seoul Best Toilet before in 2003, so it is safe to relieve yourself over there. We were sitting with our makan buddies and Rachael happened to sit beside Val so I think she must have found us interesting as she kept talking and asking questions non-stop. Ever since then, Rachael had been the cutest as she would look for us at every destination once we have alighted from the coach. She being so “ka teh” (short)….I really couldn’t see her, then suddenly she will come and just hold my hand. So cute!

Next on the itinerary was a visit to Myeongdong, probably Korean’s teens favourite shopping street. Actually it is not too hard to guess as well, for many K.Drama, especially if it is those 清纯偶像剧, it is bound to have 1-2 scene which is shot there. For example, in Winter Sonata, the girl was waiting there for BYJ to appear for their first date on NY eve but BJY met with an accident.

In Goong aka. Princess Hours, that was the street where Xin and Chai Jin kissed passionately before Chai Jin went on to further studies overseas. However, to us tourist, especially from Singapore, it is not the most appealing to us for it sold all the high-fashion goods which is available in Singapore too. And because the weather was sooooo cold, it really could not keep up strolling on the street and went indoors to window shop, just to thaw ourselves. Though the weather was really cold, nevertheless we still tried the 30cm tall ice-cream cone. It was too bad our hands were full so we couldn’t take photo of it. Actually I kinda like eating ice-cream cone in such cold weather because I needn’t worry the ice-cream will melt before I can devour it, unlike in Spore whereby I will get my hands all messy because I couldn’t eat faster than it could melt. Snort….

After shopping at Myeongdong, we were brought to Coex Mall. Oppa explained that it is liken to Suntec in Singapore. Initially we couldn’t understand why for it looked the same as any other mall in Singapore, later then we realize what he meant by it was liken to Suntec, because it also had a convention centre, office towers and shopping mall. Now I see….sodesu. Although it was a short 30 mins stop which he allocated for us just to window shop, we took the opportunity to take photo with Oppa and got to understand a little more about his job and life. It is amazing how quickly we have formed an attachment to him, just like how Baby Rachael did with us, from the initial feeling that he was gonna be another commando tour guide, but he is quite cool (or maybe beng) and looked a bit like BJY thus charismatic, then to knowing his very complicated background that his ancestors was from Shandong (China), however he was born and grew up in Korea but holding Taiwan nationality, to knowing that he is already 40 and had been married for 16 years with 2 kids (which in the first place he doesn’t look 40). The most amazing was he had been a tour guide for 16 years and he is still as passionate as he is on the job, now this is really inspiring. He became like a close big brother, for in my conversation with him, he did touch on a topic which is my raw chord, but well, although 心照不宣, I appreciate his concern. But sigh, it is a pity 天下没有不散的宴席, however close friendship we have forged with Oppa in that week will have to be retracted for we are really just passerby in his life and I am sure he being a professional tour guide will be even better at retracting any emotions with his tour members. So it is good and bad that my heart is always kept guarded…..at least I wouldn’t get all emotional when we need to depart with Oppa, Joy, Baby Rachael, Adriana & Ivan and the group tomorrow.

After Coex Mall, finally we settled in at Lotte World Hotel. It was again like another magical big playground for kids. We went for 2 compulsory rides, which the first really scare the hell out of me for there was 2 free fall, then the other was a monorail ride around the whole Lotte World. It definitely wasn’t big as Everland, but it was still amazing in terms of its grandeur and range of activities for it was divided into indoor and outdoor. Although Lotte World was supposed to be another highlight of the trip, we all held the Big 3 tickets and were entitled for another ride of our own choice, but we were all too drained and knowing we had to do major packing of luggage, nobody went for the last ride. Dinner was on our own and Oppa recommended us to JaJang Mian (my favourite), the most successful Chinese dish which became popular in Korea. How do we know? Just by looking at the number of times JaJang Mian appeared in K.Drama, e.g. Prince Hour, Couple or Trouble etc. Once again, Oppa never failed to go the extra mile, he could have knock off and finally take his 1.5 hours subway ride to go home and spend time with his wife and kids, but he stood around to help us order food, for it was self-service and the waiters spoke in Korean. What can we say? Oppa is the best.

After dinner, Ivan, Adriana, Val and myself went around the hotel to capture its night scene and proceeded back to our room for Val was not feeling well and we needed to pack and prepare the “tips” for Oppa and Christine (our SG tour ldr).  We felt so appreciative that we decided to write Oppa and Joy a “Thank You” note using the photos we had just developed. But Oppa probably couldn’t read English, and we couldn’t write in Korean, Chinese was our only medium of written communication. Of course we did went down to ask the concierge how to write a few Korean character, and of course it was my final day to post my last postcard to Val so that she can at least receive it by New Year. Well, as Chinese wasn’t our best written language, you can imagine how long we took to write our notes. So although we have went back to our room early, we didn’t retired until almost 1 am.

It’s one of those rare trips that I felt the sense of 失落感, just like how I was when I was a kid who is due to come home from granny’s place after CNY………i.e. after all the spectacular fireworks. Oh well, all good things must come to an end, just like the fireworks we used to light as kids….we ought to celebrate the fact that we have once experience it.

Photo with Oppa - recognise the 爱心 which you see so frequently in K.Drama that we are trying to form?

Finally the day has arrived! We were told the temp would be 15 degree C so we just wear light clothing inside and put on our ski gear. Because we have all rented from the same place, all of us looked like F1 racers…..and the pants come with suspender, so me and Val thought I really look quite clownish in it (without the jacket).

We had breakfast in one of their conference room and sitting beside me was Baby Rachel who really was not so baby for she was going to be Primary 2. She was really adorable and asked many cute questions which I patiently “entertained” her. After breakfast, we proceeded to collect our ski boots and poles. The whole process to measure our legs, calves and putting on the full gear took almost 1.5 hours and to think that was only the start of Oppa’s “nightmare” for the day.

It was very cumbersome to walk in those boots. After we were geared up, we proceeded to the beginner site to receive some training before having the first go at it. We Q in 2 straight line facing each other. Oppa taught us to climb up the slope, which really was the same technique as in skating, to walk like crabs up the mountain. Next we were taught how to fall so that we would not be injured and how to get up. Before we even managed to have a go at skiing or learning how to fall properly, many of us, being over-ambitious, clumsy etc. had already fell many times. I think this must be Oppa’s most dreadful day for he must have thrown up gallons of blood. (吐血!) OK, falling was easy, that is to fall at the side so that we land on our buttocks but how to get up with the ski on our feet was quite a feat and I didn’t manage to accomplish even at the end of the day. Finally we were taught how to ski and brake and there we go! Adriana, myself and Val screamed like nobody’s business when we had our first slide down. For me, I had to decide if I want to bang into the fence or fall willingly because I did not manage to brake…….so I decided to fall on my bum. Ouch!                                        

                                                                   Oppa teaching us to ski and me at the

                                                                       corner lugging my ski up the slope

After everyone had their go, we were given the opportunity to practice on our own and it was a lot of screaming, ski INTO each other and falling. I didn’t know how to U-turn when I crab-crawled up the slope so everytime when I ski down (uncontrollably), I screamed for the people down the slope to move away. However, all of us were amateurs, none know how to buzz off, so ya……I skied over Val’s skis, bump into another tour member, bump and caused another to fall together etc etc.

Time flies by quickly and feeling hungry, I took a break. We rested at the nearest food outlet that sold hotdog buns.  Val’s nose bled, think due to the cold weather and the snow battles she had with Oppa and the kids, so I went to buy lunch. The guy at the counter spoke pretty fluent English and after I went back to my seat, it registered to me that he looked a little like Hyun Bin!! Well, didn’t manage to catch the real Hyun Bin, so might as well………..and I requested to take a photo with him and complimented him telling him that he looked like Hyun Bin and that he is quite handsome (Korea: cha sengeok soyo).

After the rest, I decided I must try to master my braking and at least manage to do some turns. Well, practices make perfect, after realizing that my wrist position was wrong when I U-turned, I was more in control as I skied down in a straighter line and thus also managed to brake more gracefully. With confidence built up, I decided to conquer greater heights. Some of us realized a secret that is removing our Skis and carrying them up the slope would be easier and faster than crab-crawl up. So we took 10 mins to get up, 10 sec to ski down and we repeat the whole process again.

Oppa saw that I could finally brake and decided to teach me how to turn. Well, that is when all my major falls happened because I had to go higher so that I have more distance to turn before I braked. However that afternoon, there was a lot of Korean amateurs who were also trying to learn but just that their starting point was at a much higher place. There was a couple whereby the boyfriend was trying to teach the girlfriend how to ski and his back was towards me. I couldn’t yell for him to stop in Korean and in the end all three of us collided and fell. But the worst fall was when I first tried to learn turning and there was 3 little Korean Odini with their instructor, I screamed my lungs out for fear I would bump into those kids. Thank God I only cut in between the kids and their instructor. The instructor was kind enough to try to hold me to a stop, but because I came from such a great height, the speed and impact was so great, he did not manage to bring me to a stop and in the end, I had the hardest landing you can ever imagine. Yah, the bruise was almost a fist-size and I couldn’t turn and sleep on that side of my bum for 4 days. OUCH OUCH!

It was soon 3 p.m. and we went to return our ski boots and poles. Next we proceeded to take a Gondola ride at the other end of the resort so as to get to the top of the mountain. As the Gondola was not in sight initially, I thought it was the open concept cable car again……….but phew, it was the all covered cable car type, just like those at Mt. Faber to Sentosa. Oppa explained as the snowfall was not heavy yet, the snow at the bottom of the mountain where we skied were man-made snow, however those snow on top of the mountain were real snow. However man-made snow is more suitable for skiing for it is harder.

After a short ride, we finally reached the top of the mountain and it was a pretty sight to behold with snow all over the ground. It is called Deogyusan National Park and there was a Zen-like temple on the mountain. There we finally found enough snow to make our snowman, but because time was short and our hands could not bear the ice-cold snow for long, we only managed a snowman junior (as seen by the size). But well, 100 marks for good effort lah.

We were allowed 2 hours of rest before we returned our ski pants and jackets and proceed for dinner. It was our last paid-for dinner as a tour group so was feeling kinda sad that we are going to part soon. Don’t know was it because of that or simply because I didn’t enjoy stewed herbal chicken, I didn’t really have much appetite.

After dinner which ended really early, honeymoon couple i.e. Adriana and Ivan and me and Val decided to explore the resort on our own (although Oppa was very much against it). It was a nice breezy walk to the Ski Resort from our chalet, didn’t feel like winter at all. To our surprise, we found Ya Kun there, so we ordered some toast with kaya to remember the Singapore taste. This was the second surprise as the night before we found our favourite fried chicken which was only available at Changi Airport, that’s right, Popeyes!

I think we were all feeling a little 舍不得 because we just didn’t want to “waste” the night away and didn’t feel like returning to our chalet. So we explored the vicinity. The Tirol Hotel just next to the ski resort was very pretty indeed, it is very cottage-like and built in an Alps-style. Its walls are embossed in delicate stone murials and even its toilet was scented with the therapeutic aroma of the Austrian larch tree. Apparently Michael Jackson had stayed there before and he liked it so much that he nearly bought it. As it was Christmas, although the trees’ leaves had withered, it was prettily adorned with lights which fully outline the tree……very elaborate Christmas lighting indeed.

How times flies and we are halfway through our itinerary. Was starting to feel sentimental already for we have started to bond with our tour group, the little Odini (which means children in Korean), our makan buddies and Oppa and in another 3 days, it is time to say goodbye.

It was again another very early start for we need to travel 3 hours westward to the Ski Resort Muju by the evening. It wasn’t my favorite itinerary day because we are going to amusement park, Everland, liken to U.S. or Japan’s Disney Land and those who know me should know that I am not game for such places due to Acrophobia (phobia of heights). Most of us slept in on the coach for the first 2 hours and the 3^rd hour we were awoken by Oppa for another story telling session (or perhaps most of us are just quite urgent).

Before Everland which was owned by Samsung, we visited Samsung Transportation Museum. It could be due to the cold weather or simply because we were in the mountain, it fogged up terribly and Val in her wildest imagination pretended herself to be in those ghost film. I was more innocent and imagined we were in some Scooby Doo cartoon.

It was nearing S.Korea’s school holiday so there were a group of Korean’s kids there on excursion. While their teachers were busy, I took a photo of the kids. They were so smart and alert, by the first snap, most of them turned their heads, so I took hold of the opportunity and placed a “V” sign asking them to say “Kimchi”. They were so cooperative and most of them posed for the 2^nd photo. Eventually, we asked their teacher if we could take a photo with the kids and so we did. Little kids are just so cute and adorable.

After visiting the Museum, we headed for Everland. It was the filming site for “My Love Paparazzi” and also featured in “Full House” when Song Hye Kyo insisted that she wanted to celebrate her birthday at Everland and Rain eventually went and got mob so hid in the toilet to wait for rescue. True enough, it would probably be every child’s dream to visit for it was so Lala….

Our Oppa promised that he would only bring us on non life-threatening rides and allow free and easy time for daredevils to explore the rest. But the very first ride was already “life-threatening” for me, that is to go DOWN on the open concept cable car. Faint……and he claimed there was no other way down. So Val gotta hold on for my life and accompanied me down…..Haizzz. Next was a water-ride, which was non life-threatening, but well it was still “dangerous” for we could be drenched, and it was not fun to be cold and wet during winter. Finally, it was a 4D animated cartoon and that was quite alright.

We were given coupons to have lunch at their foodcourt and finally we could eat other than Korean cuisine. So me and Val went for western. After lunch, we were brought to an open-zoo concept, whereby we could see lions, tigers and bears up, close and personal in a mini-bus. The bears were really cute.

After visiting the zoo, me and Val went on separate ways, she went on her life-threatening ride and I went to see the sea lion and animal shows. It was like going back to primary school to relive the moments you get educated of what little animals are and how they are like. After the show, I really felt quite sleepy so went back to the coach to rest as I didn’t sleep much the night before because the room was quite stuffy when the windows were closed but too freezing cold if you leave the windows open. (Just a point to note, in these countries, when winter comes, the hotels do not on the air-con, instead they would have heater. So you can adjust the room temperature by either opening or closing the windows or on the heater if the cold is unbearable even with the closed windows).

After Everland, we then proceeded for dinner, and it was Shabu Shabu again. The only difference, the pork were a lot fatter, it was streaky pork. Oh man, the amount of fats we cut away, but unfortunately, there were quite delicious too. So well, dieting got to be put off our agenda for the time being while we enjoy the BBQ streaky pork. The only trouble with Shabu Shabu is that you stink from head to toes. After our meal, we went to the ski equipment shop next door to rent our ski jacket, pants, gloves and goggles and that took almost 1 hour. Finally we proceeded to the Muju Ski Resort, apparently the largest ski resort in Korea and retired early for it would be a great workout day, learning to ski tomorrow. Really looking forward to it.