My Trip to Singapore- Part 2 (Universal Studios & S.E.A Aquarium)

     What irks me all the time is when I'm hungry and there's nothing to eat, nowhere to hunt for food and my feet are already getting tired from excessive walking. Well, that's what I faced the first morning since arriving in Singapore. It was 9pm and I'm out looking for my breakfast in Chinatown Singapore. Being unfamiliar, I walked the entire streets and all the shops are still closed. Rounding a corner, I saw my savior! McDonalds. Imagine this, you're in a foreign country, wanting to try local delicacies and yet still end up in McDonalds. Even the food street isn't open! I didn't have a choice. There is no shops opened. Although later that day, I discovered places where you can get food is inside a shopping mall. Geez.....

     To spent the entire day, we're going to Universal Studios and S.E.A Aquarium in Sentosa Island. I didn't have enough time to check out the beach but I heard it was awesome just strolling in the island. Take a MRT into the island or a cable car. 

     Easter just passed not long ago so the theme in Universal Studios is naturally Easter day. I really love the themed diners in the park. The choice is pretty good if you are looking for variation. There are different diner themes at different zones- a Sci-Fi inspired diner, Retro Diner and many more. It was pretty gloomy that day and it was good in the sense that I won't get sunburn but it rained heavily later that day which put a brief halt to all outdoor activities. 

     I remember the most memorable rides i took was Revenge of the Mummy and Transformer 3D ride. It is a must when you visit the theme park. Again, please purchase your ticket beforehand and expect a LONG line. It took me an hour to wait for my turn in the transformer ride. But don't worry, along the way you'll be entertain by the TV or rather your "mission" to save the world. The interior is pretty cool and the ride was worth it. The ride is essentially all 3D experience, tricking your eyes instead of plunging a steep depth or whatsoever. All i felt was rocking back and forth in "Evac" and he does reverse but other than that, the glasses do all the trick.

     I took the Revenge of the Mummy ride when it was raining. I'd say, it's the best ride in the park. Go into a long dimly lit tunnel before arriving at the starting point. Then the car will slowly move into total darkness before emerging into the "intro" of the rides before the unexpected plunge down. The ride will halt suddenly so do stretch your neck before the ride. The rest of the ride consist of you getting thrown backwards, reverse and more plunging. Oh, do expect sudden "things" jumping out next to you and real fire being ignited above you. I loved the ride I even took it twice. Outside, you might catch a glimpse of a few Anubis walking about. Take pictures if you like but beware, they love to "bite" you. And my~~~ those Anubis has great abs <fans myself>.

Hot looking Anubis

Revenge of the Mummy entrance

     Want to relax after a whole day in the heat or rain? Go enjoy a brief 4D show with Shrek at Far Far Away Castle. It looked so pretty and glorious outside I couldn't resist going in. Upon entering you feel like you'll get ripped off cuz its an open space where everyone is watching a TV screen but be patient. The real show is inside. Keep all cameras and phone in your bag. Why? I was splattered by donkey's "sneeze" numerous times. Also, freaked out by "spiders" crawling up my leg. It was a nice experience, it's my second time watching a 4D. My first ride was actually the Enchanted Airways which is a junior roller coaster, not really exciting but its a good start. 

Far Far Away Castle

     Going into the Madagascar zone makes me feel all childish cuz all the rides are for kids. But to spend the rest of my time, I took the Crate Adventure. It's just a short and relaxing ride, listening to the characters of Madagascar talking while you drift by. There was a waterfall in there and I was thinking "Oh shit, the camera is going to go all wet" then the waterfall split in the middle for the raft to pass. You'll still be as dry as you went in. 

     A fan of Steven Spielberg? Visit the Lights, Camera, Action! Sound stage. You'll be entering a stage where Spielberg's movies are made possible thanks to the creative effects. The stage we entered is a hurricane blowing through a city and we, in a boathouse. You'll see glass shattering, fire burning, shaking docks and dropping gutters-finally, a huge ship crashing into the boathouse right at you. Beware, you'll get wet...a little.

Open Ocean Tank

   After exiting Universal studios, straight into the aquarium. All aquariums tend to look the same to me and this is no exception. Well, there is an impressive collection of fishes from from different seas. I was more impressed at the Open Ocean where a vast tank stretched out wide open inside the building. I mean, how did they do it? Its my first time seeing manta rays and boy are they HUGE. Yea, I'm impressed by Manta ray. It's nice just sitting in front of the tank, bask in ocean blue and just looking at fishes, rays and sharks swim by. It's peaceful... There is the giant grouper which is bigger than a 5-10 year old kid. 

See what I meant?

The Magnificent Manta

    The Shark tank was the least impressive. There's just a bunch of normal looking sharks which are small and sloth. No hammerhead sharks, nurse sharks, great whites and other usually documented ones. There was a whale shark if I'm not mistaken. I don't remember. I did remember seeing shark pouches where tiny little sharks hatch from. Its a round yellow sac and seriously gross cuz the little sharks are twitching inside. 

Spot the baby sharks!

    Dolphins are such graceful creatures. I fell in love with them. These dolphins would do routine swim to allow you to take pictures of them, but be on stand by, they swim fast. 

    I ended the day with a short walk to the Sentosa Merlion to take a picture before returning to the mainland.

My Trip to Singapore-Part 1 (Chinatown & Singapore Flyer)

      Singapore-recently crowned the most expensive city and the land where young or old has their nose stuck to their smartphones 24 hours a day. 
      As you can see from the title, I took a 5 days trip to Singapore last month. It's very much the New York of South East Asia and I agree they do live up to their reputation. Tech Savvy and clean. When I'm on a holiday, my habit is to visit as much attraction as I could, much to the horror of my travelling partner (Dad) and my own feet. Advice? Prebook or purchase your admission tickets online or at the hotel before you depart for the attraction. It saves you time and a few hairs (from tearing it out of frustration while waiting in a LONG line-I'm not kidding).
     First up, how did i get there? I thought travelling from Johor (Malaysia) which is just a highway across, is cheaper. NOT! Take a plane directly to Changi Airport, it's less time consuming and less hassle. I stayed near Johor Sentral so on that day, I took the bus to Singapore. The Johor-Singapore Causeway was jammed packed because it was a weekday and it took 1 hour instead of a 15 minute ride (according to the distance of the causeway if there is no traffic congestion). It is advised that you avoid the 6-9am, 4-8pm rush. Anyway, upon arrival, there's the security/immigration check point I needed to clear and it took another hour to queue and have my passport stamp. Once I'm cleared, back to queuing for the bus to take me downtown.
      Public transport in the city is so convenient. Take the LRT instead of bus, its easy to understand, convenient and doesn't cost much. I traveled within the city without using a taxi for the 5 days. Buy the ticket, and ride the train. If you get lost? No worries, as long as you don't get your ticket scanned, you can ride and ride until you find your destination.
     What I love about the city is that it's clean. No litters on the street and clean LRTs. 
First 2 night was spent in Chinatown at a hotel named Porcelain Hotel. The exterior is really pretty and I was attracted to it but the rooms, albeit clean, was too small and cramp. TV at the foot of your bed, so close, you can use your feet to switch channels. Washroom is a tinted glass an arm-length from the bed. There isn't space for me to walk around. Since I was planning to spend most of my day out of the hotel, it doesn't really matter that much. 
     It was hot and humid, thin clothing are advisable. Chinatown is a really suitable place for people to hunt for souvenirs. I was so attracted to the Chinese Handheld Fans sold at few stalls. The embroidered and intricate details made it so dainty that I wanted to just frame it up. A few walks away led me to a square where groups of old folks (men mostly) are locked in a leisure game of chess. When in Chinatown, don't miss the Food Street where you can savour most of the local delicacies. It gets better during the night. I was lucky to catch glimpse of a food show going on at the Chinatown Food Street.

     The first night was spent at the famous Singapore Flyer (giant Ferris wheel) dubbed the Eye of Singapore. Its a stone throw away from the majestic Marina Bay Sands and across Gardens by the Bay. I arrived rather early, at 5.30pm. I was waiting for nightfall, when the view would be truly magnificent. So i spend the time just sitting at the end of the river, watching boats drift by and people jogging.
     By 7pm, I waited in line to board the Flyer. It wasn't a long queue so don't worry but there's strict security check before entering. The round trip took around 30 minutes and the dim lights around each car makes it so romantic especially for lovers. It's a slow climb to the top, I thought I didn't have any fear of heights but as I slowly ascended to the top, my legs started to go wobbly. My advice is don't look down if you're afraid of heights, look straight. The view on top is wonderful. When the lights go up in the city, it's light a beacon-Skyscrapers everywhere and you get a full view of Marina Bay. The Marina Bay Sands looks absolutely stunning in its full glory. I couldn't afford the trip up the Skypark but I bet the view on topof the hotel would be breath taking since it's even taller than the Flyer itself. The Supertree at the Gardens by the Bay looked like glowing purple mushrooms, cute.

Check out the glowing purple "mushrooms"

Marina Bay Sands (Left) and city

     My nightmare during the entire trip also happened here when I realized I lost my hotel room key. After telling security, I waited an hour for that same car that I took to come back around just to hear them say they can't find it. Being a very careful person, this was a big blow to my self-esteem. I was giving up when my dad suggested we stop by the security check to find it. It was there, it fell out of my pockets when they told me to empty it. Geezus! My mood was pretty down thereafter.
     Going back to Chinatown, I was surprised to see the streets cleared off stalls and shops. It was only 9.30pm mind you. They close early and open late. So back to the hotel I go and sleep off my frustration on how i became so careless these days.

Loving life now~

Being an interning reporter now, it’s so exciting. Everyday is a new experience and new day. I wake up everyday anticipating what’s in store for me, loving the autonomy the job gives. Freebies, food galore, you name it. I went to a lobster luncheon testing yesterday and it was my first time eating it. I used to think lobster must taste good because of the price, turns out it tasted to me like any ordinary crustaceans. I swear I’ve gain a few pounds from my internship.

But there is of course downside to it, writing about politics freaks me out often, I’m so terrified I might write the wrong things and might get terminated and fail my internship. My dad didn’t help much by trying to freak me out more with worse case scenarios.

And boring governmental events is a chore. No excitement, no suspense or whatsoever. There only got thing I get out of it is free food again and meeting hard-to-meet ministers.

I get to write stories I want independently, but these days I’m too busy to have the time to think creatively. I don’t even have time to blog. I’ve been trying to write more articles related to psychology but that isn’t really what the editors want. Bummer!

What I have really enjoyed so far is meeting new people, being able to socialize with others while being anonymous. Living in the shadows of parents and sister, I always felt restricted and unnatural. But now I meet new people everyday, making friends as I go. There’s so many interesting persona to be observed. I’ve met downright snobby reporters and politicians, those eyes looking at you up and down, scrutinizing even when we don’t know who the heck are they.

Then there’s shy and quiet one’s that kept to themselves or their small group of friends. I guess I’m still under that category but I’ve been more of an active participants in socializing these days. Coming out of my shell~

Moving on, I’ve met really friendly and sweet people who coincidently share my love for food. We can talk endlessly, laughing like a bunch of crazy hyenas while stuffing our faces. They are my new best friend now~ in the reporting line that is.

Not forgetting the older people (Reporters) who feel the need to turn into mentors or teachers when they realize you’re new. I don’t mind as long as they don’t feel the need to be strict, I’m more than happy to listen to their experience in the field, who to approach, what to ask and how to act.

There are also the gossipers. I usually listen and try not to interrupt, it can be mean but it’s the best way to know about a situation fast.

Lastly (for me)- the helpful individuals. Usually they will have to know I’m new in the line and they get REALLY helpful. Explaining to me the names of ministers, their designation, what they do and all. I really appreciate these individuals. These are the type I can always turn to.

That sums it up. I’ll be wrapping things up here in 2 weeks and I am really reluctant to leave. I’ve grown too attached I guess but I still need to finish my degree. If I get real lucky, I might come back here to work. I’m sure they won’t mind an extra hand.

My internship: Knowing about reporting line

Ok, my first post of the year wasn't how I imagined it would be. I thought this would be the first.
I haven't been blogging for months since last year, mainly cuz I have much more important things to focus on and I'm too lazy, uninspired and lack of internet access.
To round up what I've been up to for the pass few months, I have been doing my internship. Yeah, finally... I've been dreading this for a very long time. Thinking that OMG I'm so gonna embarrass myself and die.
I am currently doing my internship at a national newspaper company as an amateur reporter. As a psychology major, EVERY single person I met asked me the same question "How is it that you are a psychology student  but interning as a reporter?"
I'm so sick of answering this questions that the answer is etched into my mind. I put on autopilot everytime i answer then "Oh, its like this...... I applied for the human resource department at first but they don't have it at the bureau where I wanted to be placed in. So i just took the available reporting vacancy cuz I'm just looking for work experience."
There you have it. I haven't been entirely honest. This is partly true. But actually I have been aiming for this company since day one because of the good reputation and I always wanted to be a writer. AND also, I was super desperate because no other companies are taking me in and the deadline is near.
I still remember the day I was called up and told I was accepted. I was in the class and the phone rang, in a rush to get out of the classroom to answer the call, I almost slipped TWICE (the floor is tiled and my heels are slippery). I'm pretty sure everyone was looking at me and giving me the "whats with this girl" snicker.
I was grateful that they are taking me in but later to my horror, I thought "How the hell am I going to link psychology to reporting?". There's where my dilemma sets in but after much reassurance from my lecturers and family, I didn't care anymore.
When I first start out, I thought I wasn't going to last the 14 weeks at all. I thought I was going to quit after the 3rd week but miraculously, I made it to week 8 now. Partly because I have such awesome co-workers and mentors, PLUS my work hour is so flexible I can come in to work after noon and still go home at 5pm (depending on my workload). It isn't as stressful as I'd imagine the reporting line would be.
As an intern, they took care of me well (like a fragile fledgling actually). They teach me all the basic stuff and gave me much autonomy in what I do although in the end they'll check my end products.
Being a new reporter myself, I was surprised at how cooperative reporters could be with each other even with the competitor companies. They are like old friends, sharing information and joking around.
They have impressive connections and contacts of all big shots and famous figures. And mostly, they don't really stake out at the minister's house and stalked them unless it's really something big.
I was terrified at my first function but my mentors were really nice. They gave me tips and guided me throughout the time. I ended up producing pretty good pieces.
My first solo coverage of an event was nerve wrecking but I still pulled through. From there, things got much better. My mentors are so sweet and considerate. Since I'm not really good at recognizing roads, they'll offer to fetch me up at the office and we'll go to a function together.
Needless to say, I have gained much experience while interning there. I know more about whats going on around me and I don't have to be the ignorant blur person when someone ask me a question.
Talking to strangers have always been a phobia to me but after being in the reporting line, it has significantly reduced because it is part of the requirement that I call up some ministers and interview them on the phone. I find myself more open and sociable thanks to my job.
Through encouragement and advice from these people, I manage to write an article on ADHD to help me link psychology to reporting. After a few days within its publication, my lecturer (who i sought help from) told me my article has attracted the attention of the public and he was receiving calls for more information. It took me weeks to produce that one article but I was proud of myself. At least, I'm doing something for the community. 
Then my mentors challenge me to write a color story, something I excelled in. It's what I do best, writing. It appeared as the headlines the next morning. It wasn't my first headlines, previously, another article I wrote made the headlines and couple more with bylines. I guess, as an intern, it couldn't get better than that. For that, I am grateful for the opportunities they gave me. It is so touching that, these reporters are giving me the chance to shine on my own, pushing me to reach a higher target, achieve success.
It was an awesome experience so far, I really hope that I can do this again next time although i can't imagine myself as a reporter forever. For the remaining 5 weeks, I'm just going to enjoy my time and hopefully I'll score good for my evaluations.
Ciao for now.

Pathetic Love Life

          I don't know what's wrong with me, I have been watching way too many depressing love stories. It made me think about my own pathetic love life which doesn't exist. Okay, so i can add one admirer into my dating resume for now. But I chose to back out of that one. 
           So I was watching The Nanny (reruns) and at first I find it so hilarious. Then episodes after episodes, watching Fran struggle to find a man that she can settle down with made me think of myself. She admitted that she was desperate and pathetic, now I'm starting to think alike too.  

  

Things got worse when I watched a short Korean drama "Expect dating/ Looking forward to romance". The girl inside also had the same problem as me, except she got off to a better start. She wasn't deprive of candidates in the first place, just a problem with keeping them. Again, I can empathize with the part that she wanted to be in a relationship but it is so hard to find a good guy.

          I used to think how pathetic of some girls to like guys that treat them like dirt. If you ever watched Itazura Na Kiss (Japan) or Mischievous Kiss (taiwan) or Playful Kiss (Korea)- don't ask me why they made so many version of the comic, it's a pretty stupid story but if you watch it you will understand what I mean when I say stupid girl. The protagonist inside is really dumb, falling in love with a guy waaaay out of her standards. The guy is a genius but cold blooded jerk who openly admits he hates dumb/stupid girls and treat the girl so badly. But the girl still fell for him, stubbornly loving him even when she has been rejected multiple times. I do admire the girl's determination and spirits, if only she put that into something that will help her in the future like studying for example. Somehow, I found that I can totally feel for them now. Even when I know this guy is a major flirt, popular, out of my league, fake and selfish (all the possible negative comments I have ever heard), one look and it was all forgotten. I can't bring myself to dislike the guy. I just can't do it. Now I am the dumb girl and I hate it. 

    

          It's so hard to find the perfect guy these days. There's no more fairytale love story, perfect guy and a slow romantic and passionate relationship these days. All the good guys are married, gay, gone into hiding or extinct. They either rush into things way too fast or they realize it way too slow and they lose their chance. What I want, or what every girl wants is no longer a reality but a fantasy. Being in a relationship that is slow but progressive, routine but romantic and all those classic stories that we love when we were little girls.
Things are so complicated these days. I like to think too much, from all perspective, consider the pro's and con's too much. It's bad for me. I really hoped i was more of an simple minded person who rushes into things without thinking too much. Then again, I have too much pride. But really, all we want as human, is to have the best for ourselves. 
          I am pathetic, I know. I find it so easy to empathize with stupid girl in love and desperate girls these days because I am one. 

The pain of class reunions

          What is the point of a class reunion? At an age where we barely know what we want to do or even know what and who we are, I don't think that we are the best judge of characters. I didn't think I had loads of friends worth remembering in high school. In fact, I have terrible memories in high school, being a victim of verbal abuse. So I don't understand how some of these "classmates" can still invite me without batting an eye. At least they should remember how they treated me last time and feel remorse. Better yet, just totally forget about me. I don't care. I'd rather be forgotten than to be pulled in back into that time where I hated the most? 

         It's true that things happened a long time ago and that I should have became more mature and forgive. But no matter how mature someone can be, there are things that can't be forgiven. Even if i forgot how i lived through high school, I'm just too lazy to give a thought. What was in the past can stay in the past and I rather not dig it up again.

         The inspiration behind this post came from a sudden chat invitation in Facebook. My old classmates started chatting about how they are doing and the old times. I'm just too tired to care about what they have to say. I felt a bit guilty though, since it was my history teacher that started the chat. I like her, she was nice. Still, why should those people have to know about what i do now, how am i living and what am i going to do in the future? If they didn't care in the past, they definitely shouldn't care right now.

          I see class reunion as a chance for people to be nosy. We dig up old memories, remind people of the good and bad times, find out how they are doing, mock and be jealous of them. I don't see anything good coming out of these. So why bother with a reunion? Graduating from high school was a big transition in my life, I changed into a different person and I lead a different life right now. It was a new beginning, a fresh start, you get what I mean. I get to be who I am and not being judged by who my parent's are. I try to forget the people in my past that i found worthless to remember and rewrite my history or simply start a new life.

      But every year I receive invitation for a reunion and i ALWAYS ignore it. How I wish they can get the message and disappear from my life forever. Since they still insist on popping up once in a while, I'm trying my best to disappear instead. 

         I'm doing great without these people right now. I don't think I want to disrupt my life now with a reunion I'm going to hate. It's so much different if it's only a small reunion with my few closest friend, but this is one whole class of people that I used to feel tortured being around them. So no thank you! 

My Trip to Korea- Soul of Asia (Day 7 & 8- Seoul)

Last day of my tour already, I feel sad and reluctant to go home before the day even begun. We started the day with shopping at Lotte Youth. This day, I was feeling more energized to wrestle the other tourist to buy stuff. The beauty product section is always the busiest of all departments, partly because Korea is famous for their beauty products and also, they are cheap. Very cheap. I bought some CC creams and face mask which back in my country, cost double the price, why not buy it there and bring back?

Me and my sis were so engrossed in buying these stuff that we are left with little time when we went down to the food section (plus, it doesn’t open till 9.30- the upper sections opens earlier). They have all the street food I was aching to try and the displays of cakes and macaroons are just so mouth watering! It was a sweet tooth haven down there! The cakes are so prettily made. Oh my gosh~~ There’s more down the row but I was dragged away due to time constraint.

Here is just one small section of a whole sweet galore.

I felt like I have missed out on a lot of things just because of this tour. The time allocated was too little and at the wrong time. We don’t need 1 hours in specialty/local product shop! 30 minutes is enough. Ugh~~ I’m coming back here next time, WITHOUT using tour.

Guess where he dragged us next? An Amethyst shop. At the entrance, we were given a brief introduction to the gemstone and the qualities of Amethyst. There was this giant amethyst at the door and we were told to touch it for good luck and wealth. This stop took an hour because the other ladies wanted to buy some gemstones. I personally prefer sapphires. So I passed.

 When the ladies were done buying their Amethyst, we went for lunch. It was Mandooguk (Dumpling soup). I love dumplings so I really enjoyed the meal.

It was noon and the sun was shining so brightly, I thought Jesus came. Just kidding. Autumn sun in Korea is not hot, the air is still cool, but the sunlight is piercing. It was hard looking without my sunglasses. For the afternoon, we spent it at Namsangol Hanbok village. It looks like a setting from the Joseon era village, like the place never aged. Again, I like to imagined like I’ve been transported back in time and now I’m in a Korean village exploring my surroundings. I don’t know how the people back there differentiate their houses, it all looks identical. These houses are furnished according to how it looks in the olden times.

They provided some traditional games for tourist to try on and there were some shows at the stage. I saw some traditional dance performance. There were pretty much a few couples there for a wedding photo shoot and I was lucky enough to get a glimpse. They wore beautiful Hanbok and posed in front of the houses. The village was pretty big and they have sections for different purposes, like I wandered into a house about Korean traditional medicine/acupuncture. The workers in there really wore the traditional doctor & nurse attire.

            I saw the bedroom setting and it looks uncomfortable, but I’m not going to argue on the cultural differences. It looks neat and pretty though. The kitchen was also on display.

If you get tired of walking around, you can just sit near the pond, surrounded by cool trees. I felt a little intruding when I sat next to a bench where a young couple was sitting and the girl had her head on the guys lap while she read, the guy stroked her hair. How sweet~ Are all Korean guys this sweet?

By the time we finished touring Namsamgol Village, it was 2 hours past noon. My final stop to conclude this entire tour was Myeong Dong fashion street. It is the perfect place to go after work. The streets are bursting with people. Food stalls and accessory stalls lined the whole street. Since it was my final day here, I will not miss the chance to eat all the street food that I wanted. The street boast cheaper apparels and you can find everything you want there. I skipped the clothes and went for Etude house to run some errands. The shop was also filled with customers. I bought the last minute face product I wanted and also grab some for my mom. Korea’s beauty industry is trying to promote snail creams (their slimes) because of the high water content in it. I don’t find it appealing at all. 

 I wasn’t planning on buying any clothes or accessories here, so I walked the street and enjoy being in a busy Korean street. It felt more real. I grabbed a Hotteok as a snack, it’s like a flat bun with nuts, cinnamon and brown sugar in it. I also saw malt candies, traditional hard candies, long and spiraling ice cream cones and smoked octopus & squid. The street is my food retreat! Many people are seen walking with snacks in hand or they just eat by the side.

For tourist, Myeong Dong is a compulsory visit. The street is so busy I don’t really know how to differentiate between Koreans and tourist. I just blended in, nobody knows until I start talking. I enjoyed street food the most and some banana milk again. 

When it was time to meet up, I bought some Tteokboki (Spicy rice cakes) and enjoyed it with my sister. I took this chance to look around the buildings. They remind me of New York because of all the skyscrapers, you don’t see much small buildings around. I am impressed at the architecture and advancement of the city. This is a place I grew to love and I already missed it terribly. My last dinner in Seoul was some kind of pork belly stew with tones of cabbages. We were able to visit a newly opened restaurant near Myeong Dong. My last dinner, might as well enjoy all I can. After dinner, I was back at the hotel.

Two hours to midnight, we walked the streets, feeling nostalgic. Just for a little while, let us mingle around and hopefully the memories linger. My sister insisted on grabbing a Coldstone ice cream in this crazy weather. I forgot what flavour, maybe Green Tea pistachios? She enjoys watching the person mix her ice cream, poor guy must have felt pressured. I am more contented reading the labels on the bread and pastries. I am pretty impressed at how they manage to come up with the combination of ingredients for the bread. And no matter how appetizing the cake looks, I had to tie my hands up. They're so alluring. 

That night, I packed up and prepared to leave for Incheon Airport early in the morning. Usually i just sleep like a pig for the entire night but that night, I hesitated a bit, knowing well what the next day would mean. <Sigh>

Day 8

We made sure to wave goodbye to our fellow tourist and lugged our heavy baggage to the streets to find a taxi. It was a Friday morning and traffic was heavy. We were actually just supposed to go to the nearest bus stop and wait for the airport shuttle bus but our bags are just too huge and heavy. The taxi drivers weren’t that keen on fetching us since it was just a walking distance and we are going to be stuck in the traffic.

I noticed that Korea’s taxi drivers don’t speak a word of foreign language, which complicates things. I had to use some of my broken Korean language to communicate with them. After considering for a while, he reluctantly let us into the cab while grumbling.

When we got to the airport, our box of KimChi was waiting at the check in counter, unattended. Since I bought some tax free product, I get to claim some money back at the tax refund counter. It actually wasn’t that much, just 3000 won. There were more tax free shop in the terminal but I was all drained of motivation to shop. Later, we board the plane and when the plane took off the ground, I felt an overwhelming sadness.

It felt like I left my soul there. It was an incredible adventure and I really appreciated the time I spent there. Throughout the journey, I have gained many insights. It was refreshing to learn about new culture and the stories behind some practices. Somehow, I felt like my world just got broader during this trip. I know that one day I will return to Korea again, this time, without a tour. Until then, Annyeonghi Gaseyo Korea! Thank you for the experience and joy that you bring. 

My Trip to Korea- Soul of Asia (Day 6-Nami Island)

It is morning, I am still barely awake when I dragged myself to have breakfast and left for Nami Island. This is where “Winter Sonata” was filmed and this series was also one of the revolutionary films for Korea’s entertainment industry. When we arrived at Nami Island, it was still not that busy. We were waiting for the ferry when the other tourist arrived and then things got noisier. The air was refreshing to my sleepy senses.

Ferry to Nami 

When the ferry finally came, we stood outside to enjoy the view. Nami Island, as suggested, is really just a small island filled with trees, mostly Pine trees and Ginko trees. There are also some chestnut trees, in case you never saw them before. It’s pretty small but it was picturesque. We went ahead to the middle of the island where the actual filming took place to snap some picture before other tourist flooded in. There are “Winter Sonata” memoirs to be found throughout the island such as Snow mans and Bicycles used in the movie. It is actually more beautiful during Winter than in Autumn, hence the moniker for the series. The landscape is also spectacular, with endless rows of trees. I mean it, rows and rows of it, you can get lost too because all of the paths look similar. So I tend to stick to a certain path, or the way I came from. You can just walk along the path of trees and enjoy the scent of pines and rotting ginko. Yup, you heard me. Ginko fruit stinks when it rots and there are plenty on the ground in Nami Island. At first I have no idea where that stench came from until I looked at the pile of rotten ginko fruit under my foot. Anyway, don’t let that dampen your mood there. It is a very beautiful place, just stay a distance from the Ginko trees. The trees itself are a wonderful backdrop for photo’s. Go ahead, walk among the trees. It might give a certain Twilight vibe, except, no vampires. 

Pine trees

Ginko Trees

You can check out the creatively designed tin man sculpture all over the island too, some even hanging from the trees. For kids, they do have some ostrich to look at. The fountains and pond are pretty nice too. I tend to look at more unique things like the cabbage that they grow, they use those cabbages to make Kimchi. There was also small herb garden and restaurants. I saw many squirrels and these little critters aren’t afraid to be near humans. Unlike the one’s we had in cities, they scurried away once you are within a 5 feet perimeter. These squirrels are fine if you are a feet away from them but of course they’ll run if you try to touch them. But don’t pet them, seriously, they’re biters. I saw one busy hiding its nut. The trip to Nami island was a field trip for my sister, she just adore nature, trees and flowers. For the allocated time, we just walk and enjoy being among the trees. 

Herb Garden

KimChi cabbage

Take the train, tour the island

It was just 10.30am when we were called back for lunch. Well, the journey to the restaurant will take us some time but seriously, it’s way too early to have lunch. On the way out, I saw this very cute sight. Look at the plant in the boots! That is what I call creative….

The lunch menu was stir fried chicken (a little spicy, depend on how much spicy paste you put). After the meat and vegetables are cooked, add in some rice and voila! Mas-Issge Deuseyo!! The ajumma was kind enough to help us stir and scoop out the meat for us. It was very delectable~

 What’s a tour without going to specialty shops and visiting souvenir shops? That was out next stop. The first shop was the Ginseng shop. We were given a duty free card (only for tourist/non citizens) and escorted into the premises. Wow~ They really have people that looks like body guards looking after the place, what did they keep in there? Million dollars Ginseng? Okay, maybe yeah. No camera’s are allowed inside, so I can’t snap any pictures. The lady told us about Ginseng and the stages of growth. Korea is famous for their red ginseng but they won’t sell it unless the person has a prescription from a doctor (Chinese Med). Red ginseng are only for those with extremely weak body and if they are “cold” bodies. Chinese understands what it means. So yeah, I wasn’t able to see the red ginseng.

The ginseng is most valuable and nutritious at the age of 6 years and it can grow as long as our arms. One year old ginsengs are only the length of our fingers and very thin, it has little value. The 100 year old ginseng was as big as our limbs. It was said to be very hard to grow these plants. They require very fertile land and when they are done being harvest, that land is said to be acidic for years, so you can’t grow anything on that land. That is why not many people wants to grow it, it’s hard to maintain and not worth the time. Those who want to grow ginseng needs a permit from the government for land and permission. Sound like a tedious process right? Well, at the end they do rake in thousands by the end of the sales. The ginseng from Korea can’t be found anywhere, if someone is suspected of smuggling it out of the country, they can be charged in court. I don’t know how true are those info that they told us, you be your own judge.

We were sent to a room where they launched into a series of promotional talk. We get to sample some ginseng drink and ginseng jerky (Sorta). I would be interested to buy some if only it weren’t so expensive! I can’t swipe a card like the others so I just stand back and watch. There is a small souvenir shop below (when you exit the shop), I bought some ginseng candy for my mom. Btw… I regretted buying it. It’s double the price of what I can get in departmental store. Ah…. My poor heart can’t take that news~~

Next up was Liverin store where they sell liver drugs. Their products were made of berries harvested in the high mountains of Korea. Very affective and healthy- according to them. Drop one tablet into a glass of coke or coffee, stir and within minutes, you can see a layer of white substance floating on top. That white substance will take days to be processed by our liver- according to them. I do have some unhealthy liver- what’s with sleeping late and eating unhealthily. But again, I just don’t have the money.

SAMSUNG has such a big influence in Korea that they used their name to guarantee the product that you purchase (the expensive one’s) like Ginseng and Liverin. When you buy products like these, find the Samsung sticker on the packet before buying. They are so sure of the good effect of their product that if you don’t think you are getting better after the eating the drug, you can send it back and lodge a complaint and you can get your refund (Of course you have to get a medical proof from doctors). For Liverin, you take the drugs for months and if you liver function isn’t increasing, you send the medical report back to the store and you can get your refund. But they are really so sure that they wouldn’t have that problem. If I were those people taking the drugs, I would be too lazy to do all the process of returning and claiming refund.

Last shop was the local product shop where we go on a spree. All sorts of candies, seaweed, biscuits and pepero (chocolate stick) are available. They also sell souvenirs like Korea’s must have spoons/chopsticks/metal rice bowls, key chains, face products and etc. I bought packets of seaweeds, peperos and banana milk!

After the shopping, we had dinner before departing for our last destination- Walker Hill Casino. Dinner was Gamjatang or Potato Stew with Pork ribs. The emphasis is on the potatoes but the bottom was all bean sprouts! (Horror scream!!!). We didn’t finish the bean sprouts but ate the pork ribs and potatoes. I am so going to swear off bean sprouts for the rest of my life!

Here we are in the casino. For those that do not fancy casino, you can visit the duty free shops in the complex. I was told that I can see many “pretty” Korean ladies by the tour guide, I see none. I’m not lesbian, just wanted to see how fake these girls can be, he said (the tour guide-not me, I swear!), 90% of Korea’s pretty ladies go under the knife. It’s a common sight to see women donning bandages on their entire face roaming the streets. At first I thought, “poor women, she must have got into a terrible accident”. Then I saw few others with the same bandages on face and thought “Wait a minute, it’s impossible all these women got into an accident!”. Then it clicked in my mind, these ladies doesn’t even wait till they recovered from the surgery and they are already coming out and showing off that they got plastic surgery. Plastic surgery is very common in Korea and they are known to be the King of plastic surgery (Again, I didn’t say that. That’s what he said). It seemed that for someone to be able to have plastic surgery, they are pretty proud to show it off. Like trying to make a statement “See! I’m rich enough to afford surgery”. Anyway, for the past 5 days, I haven’t really seen any pretty celebrity like ladies, all of them look pretty natural to me. I wonder where all those so called fake Barbie dolls went to and I hoped I will see them in the casino (because you want to attract rich men). I didn’t see it IN the casino but rather outside, when three models came out to show some watches. They are model, they are suppose to be pretty. One of them looks like Ji Yeon from girl group T-Ara. No surprise there.

I couldn’t stand the cigarette smell in the casino and escaped to the duty free shops outside. This place was also hoarded by tourist, especially the beauty product department. I can’t compete with these barbarians, they are brutal! I get bruises by just trying to elbow my way out of the shop. I guess it is cheaper when you buy it in bulks but I can’t finish all those. In the end, I was contended to just sit and watch people.It was around 8pm when we travelled back to the hotel. My feet always hurt by the end of the day and I really just want to scream No-More-Walking every time. For supper, I went to Lotte mart near the hotel and bought some cup noodles. I now understand why Korean’s like to have cup noodles for supper, it really is good to go with the cold weather. It was really cold that night, I was only wearing leggings so the cold bit into my skin. Actually, I really wanted to try the Yangyeom Tongdak (Seasoned Fried Chicken). It is fried chicken tossed in seasoned sauce and it looks absolutely delightful. It is a must try in Korea, too bad it’s too big of a portion for me to finish it by myself. 

One thing that I noticed when I was around Seoul is a bakery named "Paris Baguette". I didn't try it so it's a shame. But there are SO many of them scattered all around Korea, I've seen it in all parts of Seoul, Jeju, Mt Sorak and others. It's everywhere, so it made me curious. I guess the business is good so they are able to have branches at so many places. If you are in Korea, maybe you can try it out?