Happy New Year

I got a facebook message from Naomi.

Hey sorry it's taken so long.I made my way to Hiroshima, then went up to Osaka and then Kyoto and now I'm in Mt Fuji. I will make my way up to Tokyo tomorrow :) Yes I am homeless on the 1st Jan, I either need to share a bed with somebody ;) or party all night.
Ohh you're off to Korea tomorrow- how exciting?! I hope your all packed up and ready to go, Facebook me to let me know how's it going.
Take care :)
Lesson learned: It's hard to be homeless in a foreign country. I experienced being homeless for a night in Cambodia, I ended up having to squat in a room of a Belgian girl I met in the bus going to Siem Reap.
Today, I made sure to book a room at least on the 31st evening just to make me settle. From there I will be travelling to nearby cities of Seoul and hopefully bunked in some cheap hostels I can find. Nothing beats an unplanned adventure ;-)

Let me share the details of my 1 night accommodation. Courtesy of hostelbookers.com

Hostel: B and B Morning Calm
Address: Jongnogu Pyeongchangdong 345-89 ,Seoul 110-847, South KoreaTelephone: +82 (0)2-379-1337 / +82-16-229-6966 Email: staykorea@nate.comWebsite: http://www.hostelbookers.com/hostels/south-korea/seoul/8618/Directions: By airport bus : Take an airport bus (at 4A and 10A bus stop) to Plaza Hotel and take a taxi and ask taxi driver to call us on phone. By subway : Take a number 3 line and get off at Gyeongbokgung station or number 5 line and get off at Gwanghwamun station. - see map
Booking Information: Booking Ref: 8618-2762363 - Jxxx xxux xx
Date
Room details
People
Cost (USD)
Total (USD)
Wed 31/12/08
Private Single
1
37.76
37.76

Total
USD 37.76
10% Deposit
USD 3.78
Booking fee
NONE
Total paid*
USD 3.78
Balance**
USD 33.98
*The total paid has been charged at today's USD exchange rate by XE.com and is non refundable.**Your balance of USD 33.98 is payable on arrival in the local currency at KRW 45000.00Cancellation Policy:You may cancel or amend your booking up to 48 hours before arrival, without cancellation charges. After this time you will be charged for the first nights accommodation.
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2008 is the best year so far! I am thankful I took the leap of leaving the comforts of home and family. As usual, I have not booked anything for 2009 yet! Hopefully the adventures continue.

Happy New Year 2009

Seoul Searching

After a short deliberation, I have finally decided to go crazy and end the year 2008 with a bang. Without much thinking I told myself I am going to Seoul.

And so I read and looked for informations about how to get a Visa to Korea. I have to admit it was a bit difficult because aside from complying all the requirements for the Korean Visa ( Chinese Visa, work permit, employee certificate, employee's business registration, Bank statement, detailed Itinerary and 540 RMB). South Korean Embassy in Shanghai has changed it's regulations since August this year. Nobody can directly apply for an individual visa. Everyone has to go through an Agency.

As much as I want to go through the bloody details of phoning the embassy in Shanghai and being referred to an agency in suzhou, only to be declined since I am foreigner, and pass back to the embassy again. I am thankful for my persistence and obviously I was the first foreigner that the Suzhou agency has processed, which unfortunately have to deal with their incompetence.

2 weeks ago I got my visa application approved already. So timely for the weekend that I will be sending Naomi off from Shanghai to Tokyo. I also took the chance to buy the lonely planet Korea.

I am looking forward this trip. 1st time to celebrate new year away from home. 1st time in Korea.

My must do in Korea:
Visit Ski resorts and try skiing for the 1st time
Visit the scary boarder of North Korea and South Korea. ( DMZ)
Try traditional korean food
meet my old korean friend Booker
Have fun

Let me share some interesting read I got from my lonely planet book:
Before going to Korea
Don't leave home without:
-checking your socks have no holes in them as you must remove your shoes to enter Buddhist shrines, traditional restaurants and private homes.
-Packing extra winter clothes during winter
-Improving your skills at charades and gestures as not many Koreans speak english
-Practicing being naked in front of strangers so you can enjoy Korea's many excellent and reasonably priced hot springs and spas
-Packing a pair of sheets if you're planning to stay in a budget accommodation, which often has just quilts.
-Bringing personal hygiene and brand name medical items that may be difficult to obtain.

With that... I am all set except for my accommodation...
( my Korean Visa and my best friend in Korea Lonely planet Book)

Naomi

When I came to China to study last January, aside from Mark, my classmate and housemate, we have another classmate named Naomi. She is from UK. Though we had a few more classmates from New Zealand and the States, it was the 3 of us who became close. It’s because our ages are not that far from each other, compared to our classmates from New Zealand and US.

I have written something about Mark, and this post about Naomi is way too overdue already.













(few weeks after we all arrive in china Hairstyle no. 1)- winter-spring

Naomi is very independent and thinks and acts with sense. She likes to travel and has traveled fairly a good number of countries already. When we had problems with our visas because of the Olympic issues here in China, all of us had to leave the country. I went to Hong Kong and she went to Thailand.

She then became a great fan of Thailand and has speak highly of that country. One of the reasons why I chose to backpack there last summer. And true enough, I had a blast!!

Unlike before, we see each other almost everyday because of school and after school bottle of beers. Right now, Mark has gone back to Australia. Naomi is still in Suzhou living like a princess but on the opposite side of the city.

Though my apartment and her place is on the opposite ends of Suzhou, from time to time we do occasional dinner or lunch just to catch up.













(one of catch up meetings. Hairstyle no. 2) summer- autumn

This month, we have planned to do Shanghai and just get wasted and stay there for the night. But because of different schedules it barely came to reality. Naomi is spending Christmas and New Year in Japan. I felt bad for always postponing our drinking spree. I offered to go with her in shanghai to catch her flight to Tokyo.

It was interesting that even if we took the late train to shanghai, she managed to cause me to panic because she arrived at the train station very late, that we were the last passengers to get in before they close down the entrance gate. Not to mention the long run in the ramp as our seats are in the carriage number 16!

Anyways, we managed to catch our train and got to Shanghai.

(panic booking for a place to stay in Japan. Hairstyle no. 3) Winter

Looking at panic booking picture, I am reminded that I myself is travelling to Seoul on the last day of the year to celebrate New Year in South Korea. And until now I still have no place to stay. I don't want to be homeless in Korea for the New Year....

easiest gift for ladies

Tomorrow is the birthday of a friend of mine here in China. She has done some good things for me so I feel that I have to give her something for her birthday. The problem is I am not the type of person who likes to shop around.



So instead of punishing myself deciding what gift I should give, I decided to follow my principle about ladies and flowers. I hope I am right when I think that ladies feels special if they receive flowers.

Aside from it's quick, I think men never go wrong with giving flowers.
After work, I decided to look for some flower shops on the way home.
I saw one in Feng men lu, one of the first few streets here in Suzhou that I am very much familiar, since my school is located in that street and I used to walk along that street last winter.
The owner speaks "Suzhou hua" or Suzhou dialect, which is kinnda difficult for me to catch up. After a few minutes of hand gestures we agreed on a price. I chose peach roses to be safe.
1 piece is 4rmb (28 Php or $.58) I told him I want a bouquet and I don't want to pay so much. He then told me 40 rmb (280 php or $5.8) for 8 stems of peach roses. After converting the said amount to my known currency, I think it is cheap. Without trying to bargain, I said Yes to his offer. I was just thinking that it would be a simple arrangement because the price is not so expensive.
But as he was preparing the arrangement, he used a lot of papers and fancy decorations, which I really think unnecessary( thinking of all the trees that they cut down for producing such fancy papers) . He individually wrap each rose with papers, he then crumpled some fancy looking papers to serve as the division for each stem..... Honestly, I think it was too much for the price that I paid. For the finale, He placed the bouquet in colored woven light pot, I though I am to pay extra for the pot. But it is included in the 40rmb... I really think its a bargain. After he gave me the bouquet, the wife asked me for the occasion, I said its for a birthday, she then gave me a red card with a clear stick. I think if it were in my country, the pot, the card on stick would have to paid separately. But well, I told myself.... Welcome to China =)

I thought that giving flower is thoughtless and effortless. but for this time, I had to carry the bouquet walking to the bus stop, waited for the bus and forced myself inside the jampacked bus while trying my best not to disfigure the flower arrangement..... That for me was hardwork.... After all, it's always the thought that counts.
P.S.
I haven't been updating my blog, I have been reading again. This time it's House of Sand and Fog by Andrew Dubus III.
Highly recommend it. A tragic comedy of how a simple thing can go wrong on a wrong move.

sumptuous dinner

I just got back home from a very sumptuous dinner. My friends and I, from my part time work decided to have a dinner. They chose Holiday Inn.
I was expecting the usual Chinese dinner, where it is waaaaay different from how we do dinner. Rice is served last and soup maybe served last as well. But to my surprise it was a western style dinner buffet. Looking at the array of food, I tried to recall when was the last time I had a good dinner at a hotel, which we usually do when I was still working at a Bank. With the choices of food, the closest I can compare it to is Cafe Marco at Marco Polo Cebu.

(vicky digging on some ice cream)

I had Japanese for starters, just like how I do it back home. Tried a little bit of everything for the main course. Sweet and Sour pork, Beef with Pepper Sauce, Beef in Tomato and Blue Cheese and a lot more... I lost count of everything ( I am not a good food critique).
Best part they have cuts of beef for steak. Even if I was not sure if the chef understands english, I ordered for steak medium rare....( sluuurrp)

The Dessert was also good. The walnut pie and the pumpkin pie is really good! Because I had too much Walnut pie, I had no room for ice cream already...

(workmates and I looking at the Gingerbread house)

Price? per person is 98rmb($15 or 705php) not bad at all. Considering that they are doing a buy 4 plus 1 promotion. Since there were just four of us, I get the free coupon for next visit...Sweet!

Early morning Run

I took an early morning run to help me clear my mind.
Actually, it helped a lot. I ran despite the cold. I can see the air that I breathe coming from my mouth as I was running. It somehow eased me...

I remembered how much I used to take early morning runs when I was still at the University.

When I came here in China I used to run also during afternoons and evenings during summer.

While I was running, I noticed the beautiful sunrise, I quicken my speed so I can go back to my apartment and grab my camera and take some shots of the amazing view.

Here are 2 of the photos I took during that run....

I feel much better now =)

It's 6:06 AM

(sleeping while doing my laundry in taipei)

It's 6:06 am. I did not sleep well last night, I barely had 3 hours of sleep. My phone is set to alarm in an hour to wake me up for work....

I am a little bothered...

I hope I can recover some sleep later this evening.

It's just frustrating trying to force myself doze off since last night, until my head hurts, until my body aches from tossing and turning in my bed...

I have decided to take an early morning run to ease myself...I will brave the cold outside.

I hope I will have the energy to last me the whole day.

I'm still listening to No more I love Yous while writing this post.

So many monsters........

by the way facebook status: is wishing for an Eternal sunshine and a SPOTLESS mind...

Feeling so stupid

There are times that we do stupid things in purpose. I just did a very stupid thing last weekend that is haunting me so bad =(

I was not expecting to be affected and haunted this much... I guess this is the price I need to pay for being so reckless..


(passing out photo taken at Pattaya after hard partying)

I just had a glimpse of the darker side of the real world...

I am contemplating on the lyrics of Annie Lennox's Classic No More I Love Yous

I am seriously thinking of embracing the fact that: No More I Love Yous and that Language is Leaving me in Silence

I used to be lunatic
from the gracious days
I used to be woebegone
and so restless nights
My aching heart would bleed
for you to see
Oh but now...
(I don't find myself bouncing home whistling
buttonhole tunes to make me cry)
No more I love you's
The language is leaving me
No more I love you's
Changes are shifting outside the word
(The lover speaks about the monsters)
I used to have demons in my room at night
Desire,despair,desire,so many monsters
Oh but now...
(I don't find myself bouncing home whistling
buttonhole tunes to make me cry)
No more I love you's
The language is leaving me
No more I love you's
The language is leaving me in silence
No more I love you's
Changes are shifting outside the word
They were being really crazy
They were on the come.
And you know what mammy?
Everybody was being really crazy. Uh huh.
The monsters are crazy.
There are monsters outsides.
No more I love you's
The language is leaving me
No more I love you's
The language is leaving me in silence
No more I love you's
Changes are shifting outside the word
Outside the word

Lesson Learned: I have to be careful of the consequences of my doings