seoul korea: day1 dongguk university

it is a midnight flight and i fell asleep almost immediately since i was pretty tired. it was when i woke up, that i start thinking straight. one week ago, my cousin reminded me she is leaving for korea for work. she asked again if i would like to join her -- free accommodation and dinners. 3 days later, i actually bought the ticket with nothing plan. and here i am. i cannot believe it, im on the plane. ahhha... i am going to korea. i took a midnight flight and i will be arriving in seoul before my cousin. the moon kissing the morning sun is exactly how i felt in my heart, muakkkk... excited.


did i ever say this, that i am determine to make sure i visit every starbucks in the country i go to. yes, it says a lot. it does say that i am actually more interested to visit metropolitan cities. unlike most ppl who love to escape from the city when they travel. i like to be lost in another city, where transportation is all well planned for me, allowing me to merge so freely into the cultural and ppl. contrary going to the rural area, looking supreme and villages looking at my small camera as if im some posh fella which-im-not doesnt entice me. nor am i good with outskirts public toilets or showering by the river. lastly i never like the idea of oozing my heart with compassion and doing nothing about it. my point is: i just love the city. i love to see ppl just like me busy-catching-the-train after work, walking-hand-in-hand with their lovers, kids running around, teenagers just having the time-of-their-life. knowing that im among them observing, and no one will probably notice i exist -- makes me wonder how many ppl like this exist in our life. enjoyed having the best excuse in the world to stop a cute guy to ask for direction. despite the language barrier, i find comfort somehow in ppl not understanding me not due to the gap between people.

enough said, this is my trip.


yeoksam, this is the train station closest to me. i use this subway every day. not difficult at all, almost similar to those in spore just probably more lines and 30 more interchange. very much clearer than the one in tokyo. at least i never get on the wrong train. on the third day, i can even read my book and travel as if im one of the local.

1. jangchung-dan park

supyo bridge





2. some park around the area.
i was a bit disappointed with that park because there is really not much there, my walk up the the korean national theatre is not even worth the mention. later i found a stairs, the stairs is so steep and i really have no idea what is ahead. i took the step of faith, climbed up and found another park, the name which i-do-not-even-know. but it is pretty up there.



now, that is a great piece of architecture and you will be seeing a lot of that the next few days. and there is a park behind.


look at this statue. it is the first of the many piece art i see in this park. and it was not exactly a comforting way to start off this trip because it reminded me that i am all alone (im not sure this trip or in this pilgrimage). at least they have each other to keep them warm.




stairs...


and more stairs. before i walked down, i was thinking twice. do you think, i can get out of this place from this route. should be, right?.... no it dont... so i had to climb back up. it was freezing and there is no one around. not a single soul. i was wondering, if i faint climbing this stairs. i will probably die here in the cold. it was getting dark and no one will know im here.

i was kinda lost in this park. but it is not a waste of time. find out what i found:

A. those typical house in korean series... but i really dunno what is this uncle doing on his rooftop.



B. hotel shila's open air restaurant, it looks like a perfect small wedding venue.


C. a perfect view of seoul tower from the park.

more photos of day1 here.

when i was about to leave the place, it started to snow... (just a little...) it is pretty. i didnt take any photo since it is my first day and i took for granted thinking i might see that the next few days. little do i know, that is rare. must be the snow, it washed away my loneliness, i was very glad i had the luxury of going for another holiday. God somehow has his way of making me feel special when i think otherwise. it was indeed a very special welcome gift.

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my very first meaty meal, korean bbq. yum.

who i met
in my hotel's lift and i actually initiated the conversation
cy: where did u get that (referring to his coffee).
x: oohh... down the street, in fact if you like starbucks there is just one right outside our hotel.
cy: really, i would love that.

a long while, after that. passing by the lobby to my room
x: hey, got your coffee
cy: ... (how does this pilot guy know i've got coffee. then it registered it was the guy in the lift. sorry im really bad with caucasion's face). ohh yahh...
x: somehow u just need to grab one of those to start of the day, yah.
cy: yahh :), you are leaving already?
x: yah, we always stay here
cy: really, it is a nice place. anyway nice meeting you

*anna rina said somehow ppl talk to you a lot when you travel alone, i think that is true. this column is dedicated for that.

random

yes, it is getting crazy... and im not thinking straight. with assurance from some friends and help of a travel agent. i decide to buy a ticket for next monday to one of this country. yes. very random indeed. i havent pack my bags, change my money or plan my itinerary. plus i have loads of submission to do on monday morning.

a series of unfortunate events

1. one of those weekend, i had loads of work to do. so i thought working at starbucks will be a good idea. at least the coffee and not working next to a bed will be helpful. there i go, didnt mind a bit going all the way to a further starbucks because i prefer to work in a more quiet place. happily i bought my iced latte... chose my table near a sit with a plug, changing table making sure it is balance. taking out my laptop... "oh no, i forgotten my mouse and wacom. it is ok. forget all about completing my work. change of plans, i should at least do some research for my project." to find out that i actually forgotten my charger too and so happen my battery was running low. right, i left that place in a short half an hour. went home, guess what i saw my bed and i slept. there goes the sunday i was trying to be efficient.

2. apple invention is really smart. i always believe so. to avoid ppl tripping over my charger wire and dragging my laptop along they had created this magnetic part to my battery wire. i find that really convenient, so most of the time instead of removing the plug head, i removed this magnetic side. because of this convenience, it had coz me many times to forget my charger. despite leaving and having to rush back to this destination to collect it back, im more than thankful to complain. at least i do not need to buy another charger which will probably cost me more than the petrol and time needed.

that day, i was rushing home after class to reply an email and a rush job for my client. i was glad my class finished early. about 5ish just before the the jam hit the area. once i stepped home, i quickly unpacked my laptop and mouse. i reached inside to my bag... "gosh where is my charger." i panicked. "oh no, where is my charger? i must have left it in my college library." i quickly rushed back to my car, rushed back to college, rushed back to the library, not to find anything. i called home to ask my mum to check, she said "your white plug... isnt it on your table next to your laptop." i was speechless. i unpacked so fast, i actually already taken it out. but i dont remember doing it at all. all i did was panicked and search the bag all over again twice. i didnt even bother to look around though it was all within my view. i felt so stupid because by that time i left college the second time, i was trapped in a jam of the peak hour and it was too late to catch my client.

3. it is submission day the next day, so i worked thru the night till probably 4ish in the morning. someone sms me in the morning about 9. i was pleased to reply her, in fact thankful she smsed if not i will be way too late for my class. so i jumped off my bed. packed my things and left for college. it is a 9.30am replacement class. "why is it, i dont see anyone around?" tried to reach out for my phone to call my other classmates but i cant find it in my bag. must be i forgotten my phone in that rush. still no one appears. so i went to the office to look for my lecturer. he said "the class is in the afternoon, not morning." the intended replacement was morning but everyone cant make it so the change of date and time, yes i actually remembered after that i was informed but i mixed it up. im sleepy, i could have sleep a few more hours. but it is ok, i will not go home. i will go to buckie to troubleshoot my flash project. when i payed for my latte, i found my hp. it was there afterall.

4. i keep reminding the new girl in the office, "dont forget to do it in the new size yah" (our magazine have just change their measurements, so we need to redo all the pages template). everything went really well. i was careful to duplicate all the template to the latest size. a day after that i found out that i had done my cover in the wrong size. im so sorry... they redo it because i was in class. they were very forgiving and merciful. they kinda just informed me, didnt even raise a voice.

5. i was a bit late for class so i ended up parking at a spot i normally refuse to park, knowing that this spot is the favourite double parking spot. but u see im late, beggar cant be chooser, right? so i just parked. of course im right, i've got double parked. but what i do not expect is the double parking is so massive that not one but three cars double parked me. so i honked and i waited. no one come. i walked around these three cars and i found out, one kind soul who is probably a student like jelly-used-to-be-and-does wrote "sorry, i have to double park your car. call me at 017 XXX XXX". at this point, i remembered... i left my phone at home. this time for real.

then i went to curve to do some stuff, it was about 6pm so the jam already hit the area. i wanted to go to sunway so i took the bangsar route towards NPE. im not exactly sure how to get to NPE from bangsar but how hard can it get right? but just to be sure, i will make a call to my friend. just right at this point... all three friends i called decided not to pick up. so i passed bangsar, passed maybank... thinking of doing the u-turn when this one particular person that picked up do not exactly know how to lead me from that side, insisting i should go back to towards the mosque side... so i ended up towards the museum... but lucky i saw the damansara sign i turned back to jalan duta. oh no... i've got myself in another heavier jam than nkve. later ppl start calling me back to tell me i was right, i should have make that u-turn. so the smart me... when all the way past damansara, and bangsar again... and maybank, and u-turn and all the rest till i finally reached sunway. the total time is about the same as if i've taken nkve straight in the first place.

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am i unlucky? nope, in fact i was very grateful out of most of the incidents. am i complaining and cursing it is a spiritual attack. nah, i dont think the devil is free for me. so why am i listing all these things down. because it suddenly dawn on me these sleeping late, coffee and rush rush is not really helping me. all of a sudden, it reminds me of those ppl that doesnt have a sense of urgency. i used to be very agitated by them. "how can they still move so slowly when they are late." now i think of them wise. the last few days, despite the rush... i packed my bag very slowly and carefully. i told myself going back to get things doesnt help me save time. on a highsight, i think i have master all this nonsense. im not even upset about it anymore. nevertheless, i intend to end this shit. yes, anna... trust me, less coffee... sleep early. dont start getting clumsy like me :)

DISCLAIMER: my life is not that bad, im just compiling my clumsiness. the rest of the hours was fun, like the weddings, the birthdays, even the bit about baby sitting the twins while my mum is away. and yes, i actually enjoyed my assignments, got to know a few fun ppl the last week, and found the soft yogurt ice cream i discovered in spore. life has it fair share of sweet and sour.

paying attention to sound

am learning to insert sound to my flash animation now. this is when i learn to pay attention in the beauty of sound. it is really nice isnt it. i have watched this before, and again, but i am not bored of it yet.

a heart dont break even

I'm still alive but I'm barely breathing
Just prayin' to a god that I don't believe in
Cos I got time while she got freedom
Cos when a heart breaks no it don't break even

Her best days will be some of my worst
She finally met a man that's gonna put her first
While I'm wide awake she's no trouble sleeping
Cos when a heart breaks no it don't breakeven... even... no

What am I supposed to do when the best part of me was always you,
And what am I supposed to say when I'm all choked up that you're ok
I'm falling to pieces, yeah,
I'm falling to pieces

They say bad things happen for a reason
But no wise words gonna stop the bleeding
Cos she's moved on while I'm still grieving
And when a heart breaks no it don't breakeven even... no

What am I gonna to do when the best part of me was always you,
And what am I supposed to say when I'm all choked up that you're ok
I'm falling to pieces, yeah,
I'm falling to pieces, yeah,
I'm falling to pieces
(One still in love while the other ones leaving)
I'm falling to pieces
(Cos when a heart breaks no it don't breakeven)

Oh you got his heart and my heart and none of the pain
You took your suitcase, I took the blame.
Now I'm try'na make sense of what little remains ooh
Cos you left me with no love and no love to my name.

I'm still alive but I'm barely breathing
Just prayin' to a god that I don't believe in
Cos I got time while she got freedom
Cos when a heart breaks no it don't break
No it don't break
No it don't break even no

What am I gonna do when the best part of me was always you and
What am I suppose to say when I'm all choked up that you're ok
(Oh glad your okay now)
I'm falling to pieces yeah
(Oh I'm glad your okay)
I'm falling to pieces yeah
(One still in love while the other ones leaving)
I'm falling to pieces
(Cos when a heart breaks no it don't breakeven)

Oh it don't break even no
Oh it don't break even no
Oh it don't break even no

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what else can say, no one will disagree that it never break even. watch the music video here. catchy tune besides the meaning.

faith of a child

every night samuel and sara will follow their mum to pray this prayer:
"i pray for daddy, mummy, samuel and sara. in jesus name. amen"

one brilliant night, sara added:
"i pray for daddy, mummy, samuel and sara... and baby oranges (she meant the small mandarin oranges she discovered during CNY). in jesus name. amen"

so samuel was inspired, he also added:
"i pray for daddy, mummy, samuel and sara... and cucumber and carrot. in jesus name. amen"

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the next morning, her grandma bought a box of baby oranges to their place without the knowledge of their prayers. apparently it is one of carrefour discounted item.

three lessons from prayers of the two-year-old:
1. you do not need to teach a child to ask, we are born self centred
2. prayer of a child can move mountains
3. some prayers are not answered because we do not know what we ask for. for eg: samuel came to my place for lunch, we gave him carrot and he doesnt want it. it was in his prayer prolly because it was the few name of food he knows.