Ni Hao, China!

Exactly three months ago, September 7, 2012, I boarded an early morning flight out of my hometown Cebu to Manila.  That was the start of my journey to China.

It was a day filled with check-ins, waiting, boarding, connecting flights, take-offs and landings.  I didn’t get to Fushun until about 11 that night.

I arrived with a 20-kilo trolley, a 9-kilo duffel bag, and a backpack, filled with stuff that should help me get started with a new life in a new country.

Fushun is a small city in the northeastern part of China.  It lies near the borders of Mongolia, Russia and North Korea.  It is expected that the temperatures here are cooler than in other parts of China, like Beijing or Shanghai.

It is a small city, but there are a lot of wealthy residents, as I was told.  I think a good indication is the vehicles driven by the residents here.  I can see Lexus, Mercedes Benz, BMW, Porsche, Range Rover vehicles parked along the streets.

I can’t say the same for the houses.  Most people live in apartment buildings, like we do.  But from the billboards of soon-to-stand apartment complex, I think the average cost of an apartment here is 4,500 RMB or about 720 USD per square meter.

There are four of us sharing a 3-room apartment and it only has one bath.  The bathroom also serves as our laundry area since the washing machine was installed there.  It has a decent kitchen and dining area, and a huge living area.

Our only complaint is the seemingly shoddy construction of the apartment. Our walls have been stripped of its paint by the mold that formed due to the moisture buildup from the cold temperature.  Our heaters are not working, too.  We have to rely on electric blankets and portable heaters.

Our place is a 5-minute walk from my work.  I love that we don’t have to spend for fare everyday – saves us time and money.

There isn’t a mall near us.  The only place we go to is Tesco and New Mart, for groceries.  My new life here is a far cry from what my life used to be back home.  And the widespread censorship China has on SNS and blogs is not helping with the homesickness at all.

But if there’s one thing I’m happy about being here, it’s the new career I have as a teacher.  I feel like I am doing something meaningful by being a teacher.  I have waited six years since I graduated from college to find the job.  And I’m just glad I finally found it.

Well, Hello There, July!

I can’t believe we’re already halfway through 2012!  Where did the days go?

July this year means a lot to a lot of my friends, including yours truly.  Even before the month rolled in, we knew that this month is going to be quite an eventful one.

A friend will be leaving for Australia to pursue a nursing career.  She will have to take further studies before she can actually work.  She has to be in Australia by end of this week, and she is just awaiting her student’s visa to be mailed by the embassy to her.

Another friend has left for Manila also to go back to school.  She’s a licensed dentist and she needs to take some more units to qualify for a job also in Australia.

As for me, well, I am patiently waiting for the invitation from my overseas employer so I can start on my work visa application.  I should be able to have everything completed by this month, and will leave as soon as I secure said visa.

I really hope July and the rest of the year will be good to me.

Korea Tour Day 5

April 1, 2012 – It was an early start for us.  We were out of our rooms by 8AM, on our way to Yeojwacheon Bridge.  We asked the manager, who was cleaning the room two doors down from us, where we could find the Bridge.  He told us that four stop lights after from the motel, we should turn left.  It’s beside the Jinhae train station.  We promised to be back by 10AM for check out.  We have to catch the 10:30AM bus or the next one at 11AM.

It was still very cold out.  There weren’t a lot of people out, too.  When we finally saw the train station, we asked a parking attendant (we think), how to get to Yeojwacheon Bridge (again, in my broken Korean).  He started pointing to a chimney of some sorts, saying that it’s right by there.  Unsure if we really got it, he asked us to follow him.  And we tried to keep up as he sprinted toward the street beside the station.

He pointed straight ahead that that was already the Yeojwacheon Bridge. We were excited to see if the cherry trees that lined the bridge, and made it so post-card perfect in pictures have blossomed.  We can see a tour bus parked ahead.  When we got there, we were greeted by two rows of cherry trees, one on either side of the bridge, but the flowers were still buds.

I had hoped they would have bloomed by now, but suspected that due to the unusually cold spring temperature Korea has been having that it would be delayed.  So you can imagine how disappointed we were.  Nevertheless, the sight was still something else. We still managed to snap some pictures on the bridge, even of the sign that proudly announced that the MBC drama ‘Romance’, starring Kim Ha Neul and Kim Jae Won was filmed on that bridge.

We spent about 30 to 45 minutes on that bridge.  It’s a long uphill bridge, by the way.  By the railings, there were photos of past performances and festivities that had the cherry blossoms as a natural backdrop.  Ah, we can only imagine how beautiful it must be here when the flowers are in bloom.

We walked back down, commenting on our disappointment.  Everywhere else, the cherry blossoms are not expected till the first or second week of April.  That’s not good news to Liza, who’ll be leaving for Cebu on the 3rd of April.

It was almost 10, so we hailed a cab by the train station.  The flag down rate or the initial rate is 2,400 Won, which we think is consumable.  From the train station to the motel, we paid 3,700 Won.  The driver had to take the bigger/main roads instead of the more direct back roads since the latter were closed for the festival.

Back in the motel, we quickly gathered our things and with our overnight bags in tow, went down to the manager’s office to surrender the room key.  We went to the bus terminal and bought two tickets to Seoul (Nambu Bus Terminal) at 24,400 Won each.  We caught the 10:30 bus and was expected to be in Seoul by 4PM.  We were assigned seat numbers, so we didn’t really have to queue to get in.

The bus was surprisingly roomier than the KTX.  We were able to recline our seats, and the foot rest slid up.  There was ample legroom, although the overhead compartment was barely able to accommodate my small overnight bag.

I took out the snacks my friend gave me in Busan, expecting to munch on them during the trip back to Seoul.  We haven’t had breakfast and lunch, so we were already starting to feel hungry.

Liza sat by the window, so she was awake most of the time.  She snapped some photos of the scenery our bus passed by.  I slept through most of the trip.  The first time I awoke was when the bus pulled in to a rest stop.  As soon as I realized where we were, I went back to my nap.

When we got to the Nambu bus terminal, it didn’t feel like we were in Seoul.  It was like we were in some province.  We really wanted to get out of there and head back to Myeong-dong.  We were so relieved to see the familiar sign for the subway just outside the terminal.

Liza needed to go back to Myeong-dong to get a tax refund receipt/document.  She bought some (or a lot of) cosmetics from Missha and forgot to ask for the tax refund.  After filling out the details and getting some further instructions, we both agreed that we were starving.

We dropped by a Vietnamese restaurant and Liza suggested we try something else today.  It’s a cozy little place with about 4 booths and 8 other tables.  There was a tree in the middle of the restaurant, too.  We had egg rolls, seafood rice and the noodle soup.  Even at a Vietnamese restaurant, we were still given side dishes of pickled radish.  They don’t offer a lot of dishes, but what we had were delicious.

We paid 24,500 Won for the meal and left.  We were now heading to Namsan since Liza wanted to see the N Seoul Tower.  It was almost sunset.

Namsan Park, where the N Seoul Tower is located, is situated on a hill (or mountain?). The walk up to the cable car station proved to be a challenge to Liza.  Not even Bacchus D we got from Jacob’s stash could help her walk without stopping to catch her breath.  LOL  Liza was quite surprised how I manage to go on, considering our 6-year age difference.  I just laughed and told her I walk for 15 minutes everyday to catch a ride from home.  I think that is enough exercise.

It was a Sunday, so I wasn’t surprised to see the long queue for the cable car.  I was worried we wouldn’t be able to see the view from above if we don’t get a spot along the sides of the car.  Good thing the Indonesian couple we befriended while queuing let me through so I can snap some photos.  Liza, I discovered, was scared of heights.

We caught the sunset at Namsan.  We took some pictures of the Haechi mascot, the teddy bears promoting the Teddy Bear Museum, and the famous lovers’ locks.  It was getting colder as it was getting darker, so Liza and I decided to head back and meet up with my other friend Jun for dinner.

Jun thought when we said we live in Incheon that it was accessible through Line 1 of the subway.  I forgot to specify that we actually live in Unseo, near the Incheon International Airport, accessible via the Airport train (AREX).  We agreed to meet halfway in Hongdae.  In Hongdae, we had chicken strips with sweet chili sauce and salad with yogurt dressing with ice cream.  A strange combination but it was surprisingly very good.

We talked, laughed, shared Jun’s stories of his life in Cebu as a student.  He shared how he almost bought a ticket to visit Cebu again, but stopped when he realized he has to study.  He is still a university student and still has 2 semesters before graduating.

After dinner (Jun’s treat), we headed to the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf next door.  We stayed and talked again for about an hour.  It was getting late and Liza and I were tired so it was time to go home.  Jun sent us off all the way to the turnstyles for our platform.

When we got back to Unseo, we were so tired that after preparing for bed, all we did was charge the batteries of our camera and only working phone.

Korea Tour Day 4

March 31, 2012 – Since we didn’t do much the day before because of the rain, Liza and I were determined to make the most out of the rest of our stay in Busan.  We will be heading to Jinhae, just an hour away from Busan via bus.

Our original itinerary for Busan included Centum City, Haeundae Beach, Gwangan (Diamond) Bridge and the Cherry Blossoms street.  As it turned out, Gwangan Bridge is quite far from Haeundae, and Jungmin asked us to choose between the two since we wouldn’t be able to cover both that day.  We chose to go to the famous Haeundae Beach.

Liza and I met with Jungmin in the Sseomyeon Metro station.  We then headed out to the Trickeye Museum.  This was a new addition to the itinerary.  Liza saw a brochure of the museum in the guest house and we thought it was better to go there than Gwangan Bridge.  Jungmin hasn’t been to the museum before, too, plus Gwangan Bridge, as we were told, is better at night.

We took the metro and walked about 2 blocks until we reached the Trickeye Museum.  At first, we mistakenly entered the Wedding Hall building because of the huge tarpaulin outside promoting the Trickeye Museum.  The museum was actually beside the Wedding Halls.

Tickets to the Trickeye Museum cost 12,000 Won each, with discounts to kids and the elderly.  Liza and I paid full price.  It’s a bit pricey, but I also wanted to go since we haven’t really done anything in Busan to make it worth the trip (and money).

We had lots of fun, and the paintings, exhibits were really good.  In the photos, it looked almost real.  We didn’t hesitate to pose for wacky, sweet or just plain ridiculous photos.  After all, I paid 12,000 Won for it! LOL

After some time, we were getting a bit tired.  That is even without our overnight bags, which we rented a locker for (500 Won).  The place held a lot of pictures and exhibits and we didn’t have the time or energy anymore to focus on every exhibit.

We finally got out of the museum at 1:30 in the afternoon, and we were all drained and hungry.  Liza asked if we could have Samgyeupsal for lunch.  Jungmin said we can – if we can find a place open at that time.  It is a bit early for Samgyeupsal since this is best paired with Soju.  We tried about 4 restaurants and were about to give up, when Jungmin spotted one that was open.  Samgyeupsal – check!

 We rode our first bus in Korea on our way to lunch.  And Jungmin was quite amused that we haven’t been on one in our 4 days in Korea.  It was a very short ride, too.

Our next stop – Haeundae Beach.  It was sunny out, but it was sooo windy! It was like there was a typhoon or something.  It was quite difficult to even walk to the beach, since the wind was blowing at our direction.  We managed to snap a couple photos and quickly sought shelter in Angel-in-Us Cafe.  In my opinion, from the different Korean cafes we’ve tried, Angel-in-Us has got the best Americano.

We also used the time at the cafe to figure out where to go when we get to Jinhae.  Jungmin helped map out where we should go when we get there, thanks to his smartphone.  We then headed toward Busan Bus Station and bought tickets to Jinhae – 4,700 Won each.  We bid Jungmin goodbye and thanked him for all his help, then queued for the bus to Jinhae.

We had hoped to arrive at around 6PM in Jinhae, but we got there at almost 8.  While on our way to the Jinhae Bus Terminal, I kept an eye out for any hotel, guest house, or motel we may pass along the way.  We don’t have any idea where to get a room because, except for Hill’s Motel mentioned in one blog, nothing would come up in a search for accommodations in Jinhae.

I am glad I can read Hangul because the minute I saw green neon signs saying ‘Motel’, I was relieved.  In fact, just a block away from the bus terminal, there are two motels.  We chose Se Won Motel.  We first spoke to the owner/manager, who was dressed in sweats.  He mentioned it was 6,000 Won for the room.  I knew he was missing another zero there, but said nothing at first since we wanted to check out the room first.

The room was decent in size, although this also being a ‘love’ motel, the hallways are dimly lit.  The room contained a queen bed, a table with 2 chairs, cable TV, hair dryer, mini fridge, phone and a/c.  The bathroom had a tub and shower.  And I was right, after writing down both ‘6,000’ and ‘60,000’, the manager confirmed he meant the room was at 60,000 Won per night.  Tired from the trip and the heavy overnight bags, we took the room and headed back up to the third floor to freshen up.

We didn’t waste any more time and quickly headed down to go to the eve festivities of the Jinhae Cherry Blossom Festival.  We asked the manager for directions, and he explained that it was two blocks over and to just look for the tents.  And off we went.  Oh, and yes, it was still cold – colder even at 1 degree Celsius that night.

We followed the people who were also walking on the streets, and the music.  As expected, the Hallyu (Korean Wave) performances have already started.  I didn’t recognize the performers yet, so I knew that SHINee, who was advertised to perform have yet to show.

After two groups, the crowd screamed as the MC (host) announced the next performer – Teen Top (a K-pop idol group).  It shouldn’t be long now till SHINee is set to appear.  And although they only performed three songs, I was a happy K-pop fan. 🙂

We checked out some of the tents in the area.  Some were selling fresh, or should I say ‘live’ seafood, hardware and home improvement items, some nutritional supplements, socks and hats, and food – lots of food.

After having our fill of the Korean street food, Liza and I decided it’s time to head back.  We can barely feel our faces from the cold wind.

We turned in early – around 11, since we plan to go to Yeojwacheon Bridge the next day to see the cherry blossoms.

Korea Tour Day 3

March 30, 2012 – First thing we checked was the weather for the day – both for Incheon and Busan.  Today, Liza and I will be heading to Busan.  The forecast isn’t good – 80% chance of precipitation.  Jacob even discouraged us from going to Busan because it will be very cold, he says.  But Liza and I have our hearts set for Busan, and not even 80% chance of rain can stop us.

We were a little behind schedule since we didn’t know what to pack for Busan.  We will only be staying overnight, but with the rain and the ridiculous temperature we’ve been having in Seoul and Incheon, we thought we should go prepared for anything.  That’s why, instead of going to Busan via bus and coming back via KTX (as originally planned), we switched things around.  So, in our rain-ready gear, we headed to Seoul Station.

Seoul Station is huge!  I mean, really.  It was like we were in an airport!  Since Seoul Station is a hub of sorts for inter-city buses throughout Korea, there were as many passengers as our very own airport back home.  We were surprised to see a lot of military personnel waiting for their trains, too.

Tickets to Busan via KTX is at 54,400 Won each.  Our train isn’t scheduled to depart the station till 12:30PM, so Liza and I have an hour to eat lunch and just relax a bit before our trip.  By 12:20, we headed down to platform 4 to start boarding.  The train left right on schedule – 12:30.  We were impressed because back home, that’s almost an impossible feat!  LOL

It was already starting to rain 10 minutes after the train left Seoul Station.  We were hoping it wouldn’t be raining very hard in Busan but when we got there, it was pouring.

We managed to (almost) get lost in Busan Station.  We didn’t know that Busan called their subway system ‘Metro’ so when we asked where the ‘trains’ were, we were directed back to KTX. LOL

We bought the 1-day pass for the Metro at 4,000 Won each, good for use till end of day service of the Metro in Busan.  It sounded like a better deal than purchasing individual ticket each time.

Our first stop was Shinsegae Department Store – Centum City.  This is officially the biggest department store as listed in the Guinness Book of World Records.  It is indeed huge.  But we weren’t really in the mood to shop.  We were starving.

The food court is on the fourth floor of the building.  Liza got some Carbonara and doughnuts for sweets.  I didn’t feel like eating as I was already feeling a little under the weather.  I managed to eat half of the doughnut, though.

We were also waiting for my Korean friend Jungmin, who was coming over from his university.  He will be helping us look for a place to stay the night in Busan.  We stayed in Zen Backpackers, where a bed in a dormitory room is at 22,000 Won each per night.  A bit pricey, but the place was clean, had free wifi so I can work, and free breakfast (toast and coffee/tea).  The owner, June Park was nice, too.  He didn’t show annoyance that my other Korean friends decided to drop by at one in the morning!

I met my friends Sunny and Eric at Cafe Ti-amo.  Had some waffle with gelato and strawberry smoothies.  We stayed till 2AM and decided to head back since they both came from their respective jobs and were tired.

Sunny also brought over some Korean snacks (O Yes), yogurt drinks and coffee from his store, too. 🙂  I definitely have nice Korean friends.

Korea Tour Day 2

March 29, 2012 – Liza and I woke up to nothing but fog around us.  We have already checked the weather and temperature the night before, and we expected some fog, but not like the one we saw.

Well, it also gave us a reason to laze around and rest up after coming home very late from quite an eventful day yesterday.  I did some of my online work, while Liza did some research on our itinerary for the day.  Since we only knew that our visas were approved a couple of days before we left for Korea, we never planned anything specific.  We simply wrote down the places we wanted to see here.

We finally decided to leave at around 11AM and braved the blistering cold toward Unseo Subway Station.

Today, we planned on going to two coffee shops or cafes – The 1st Shop of the Coffee Prince (used as a set in a famous Korean drama of the same name) and the Hello Kitty Cafe.

According to the websites we checked for the location and directions, both cafes are in Hongdae.  The directions told us to get off at Hongdae or Hongik University Station for both locations.  We already have a number of different maps of Seoul and Korea in general, including the subway routes.

Today, we learned that not everything posted on the internet is accurate.  In fact, we followed the directions for the 1st Shop of the Coffee Prince.  We went around the ‘complicated’ Hongdae streets and have asked several people for directions to the said cafe.  The response we got was either they could not give us directions in English, or they simply don’t know what we were talking about.

Finally, one student gave us some directions as to where to go.  But by the time we reached the intersection she mentioned, we can’t find the cafe anywhere.  We asked another lady, who seemed to know where the cafe was located and pointed us to the right direction.  Finally, I can see the small familiar sign outside.  We went in and we were ushered by a waitress into a booth inside.

As per my previous readings of the Coffee Prince shop, prices here are higher than other shops.  A glass of iced chocolate is at 6,500 Won, a slice of their New York Cheesecake (which was very good, IMO) is 7,000 Won, and my Iced Caramel Macchiato was 7,000 Won.  Well, anyway, we were allowed to take pictures of the shop, which was what we really came here for, right?  And we didn’t feel alone since a group of Japanese and Thai girls were also there for the same reason.

The next part of our short itinerary for the day is the Hello Kitty Cafe.  This took quite some time to find.  The directions told us to take Exit 5 of the Hongdae Station and to walk straight then left.  Hmmm… I guess we have to find Exit 5 first – which was kind of difficult.  We asked another student who was also headed toward Exit 5.  We didn’t go down to the subway, but we used that as our starting point.  Unfortunately, we were still desperately lost.

Liza and I were about to give up as we seem to be just walking around in circles.  We finally saw to men – one younger than the other – in uniforms that had POLICE written on them.  We approached the younger police officer and asked, “Where is the Hello Kitty Cafe?”  He didn’t seem to understand, so I asked in my unsure Korean “Hello Kitty Cafe eodi isseo-yo?”  The older policeman heard us and asked him if he knew where it is.  The younger policeman then asked, “Do you have a smart phone?”  Hah! Korea is so digitally connected that anything you need can be answered or accessed through their smart phones.  We have a smart phone, but since we are on roaming, it’s quite expensive to use data.

The older gentleman called someone on his radio to ask for the address of the cafe.  So after a few seconds he finally got the directions on his smart phone.  We just followed the directions, and although we missed the 711 landmark he gave us (it was a small store and the sign was not lit), we finally made it.

I ordered another coffee – Americano and a Hello Kitty Caramel Waffle.  Liza went gaga over the Hello Kitty merchandise in the cafe.  She bought a lot for gifts to her family and even got me a gift for my birthday (which isn’t until September, by the way).  A cellphone charm of a stuffed Hello Kitty is at 7,000 Won.

Finally, we’ve had enough and decided to head home.  It was still very cold in Unseo, so we couldn’t wait to get back to our warm room.  However, we still needed to drop by the supermarket to buy some groceries.  We promised to cook a Filipino dish for our host, my friend Jacob.

There is a Lotte Mart across the subway station in Unseo, and it’s open till 10 PM.  With groceries to keep our hands full, we wanted to take a cab home.  However, the cab drivers do not understand the address we wrote.  We didn’t ask for the Hangul equivalent from Jacob.  We had no choice but to walk home in the cold, again.

Korea Tour Day 1

March 28, 2012 – Technically, it’s Day 2, but since we didn’t do anything after we arrived at around 9PM on March 27, let’s just say it’s Day 1. 🙂

Liza and I woke up at around 6AM (Liza insists I woke up at 7:30 LOL) KST.  We slept on the floor Ondol style at my friend’s apartment in Unseo-do, Incheon.  We rummaged through our luggage for something warm to wear  since it seemed very cold outside. It was a bit misty and the few people we see walking past our window were all bundled up.

We settled on 3 layers of clothing and a scarf.  We figured it wouldn’t be that cold since it’s supposed to be Spring, right?  Wrong.  As soon as we stepped out of the heated apartment and into the cold morning, we could see our every breath fogging up!

My friend was kind enough to walk us to the nearest subway station (Unseo) and got us some T-Money cards for the subway.  He saw us off and we went on our way to begin the first adventure of the day – finding our way to Seoul. LOL

We took out our handy-dandy map and the print out for our itinerary for the day.  We wanted to drop by the Korean Tourism Organization office first so we can get some more maps and other important information we may need to get around Seoul.  It was a bit difficult following the directions from the print out.  It tells you to turn left, without telling you which corner or at which landmark.  After walking for a couple of blocks, Liza suggested we eat first.  We couldn’t decide whether to eat at the coffee shops we passed by or search for a place that’s open at 10AM that served something with rice.  We then saw the familiar McDonald’s sign and went in so we can finally get out of the cold.

Liza got her Big Breakfast, while I got the Bacon & Egg McMuffin with brewed coffee.  We then headed out to continue our search for the office.

We finally found the KTO office and went to Basement 1 to the Tourist Information Desk.  This is the same level where the Hallyu (Korean Wave) Center is located.  I had my photo taken with some of the standees of the idols I know and like (2NE1, Donghae of Super Junior, etc).  We then asked the kind old lady behind the Tourist Information counter marked with ‘English’ questions about going to Busan for Cherry Blossoms.

The lady told us that the Cherry flowers in Yeouido have not blossomed yet and won’t be expected till first to second week of April.  She called the Busan Tourist Information office to find out where best to go to see the Cherry Blossoms.  She had us take our seats so she may write down the information for us.  After several minutes, she then asked us to approach and explained how to get to Busan and where to go to see the Cherry Blossoms (I’ll post the details here next time when we get to go there). She also provided us with maps, the addresses in Hangeul, in case we need to show it to the cab driver, and other useful tips for going around Seoul.

The plan was to have a cultural tour.  Our next stop was then the Gyeongbokgung Palace.  It wasn’t very difficult to find and since we researched the night before, we know that we have to catch the 1:30PM English guided tour around the Palace.  We got there about 10 minutes before schedule.

Tickets to enter the huge Palace compound is at 3,000 Won per adult.  The guided tour already comes with the price – meaning we didn’t pay extra to join.  We were joined by other nationalities – North Americans (Americans or Canadians), Chinese from England (according to one of the group), Malaysians, and some Filipinos, too.

The guide spoke English with the Korean accent, but the information she provided was very good.  In fact, she answered some questions, including about the concubines of the kings.

After an hour, she bid us goodbye and we were left to explore the rest of the compound.  We took some pictures and then made our way to our next destination – Changdeokgung Palace.  We got there at around 4:00PM – pretty late, I know.  There weren’t a lot of people when we got there.  There was a group of Filipinos, some Koreans, Chinese, and Japanese groups.  We paid 3,000 Won again each for tickets, and the one that included the Secret Garden was at 8,000 Won.  But we decided against going to see the Secret Garden.

Changdeokgung Palace has almost the same set up as the Gyeongbokgung Palace, and after the guided tour, we know why they are set that way.  We finished at 5:30, and by then the place was already closing up. We had to go out the side gate since the main gate was already shut.  We walked toward the subway to get to our next stop – Myeong-dong.

Myeong-dong is always highly recommended because of the different shops in the area.  And at night, the city is packed with people.  Stalls are set up in front of brand-name shops like Zara, Nike, H&M, Nature Republic (Korean brand), The Face Shop, Forever 21, etc.  Shoes are sold starting at 25,000 Won a pair.  H&M were having a sale, where a jacket was at 15,000 Won only from 39,000 Won, a pair of jeans was at 20,000 Won from an original of 59,000 Won.

Our main goal wasn’t to shop, but to go to the Tourist Information Center in Myeong-dong (above Zara) to get to have our pictures taken while wearing the Korean traditional dress or the Hanbok.  When we got there, we found out that we need to make reservations, so we begged if we can have the last slot at 8:40PM (they close at 9:00PM).  We got it!  So, with 2 hours to kill, we went around the area.  Liza’s sister had asked for Missha products (cosmetics) and since I was also out of BB cream, we went and ended up with freebies, too.

We then went out in search of a good place to have dinner – with rice!  We haven’t had rice for 2 days now.  We saw this place packed with diners, so we went in.  I forgot to note the name of the place though, but we shared Jjimddak or Chicken with Vegetables.  It was soooo spicy, but it was also so good.  No wonder people flock to this place.

Oh, and one thing that we also manage to do here is get lost.  We got lost trying to find our way back to the Tourist Information Center.  When we got there, we were 6 minutes late for our reservation, but they never said anything to us, and the lady helped us into the Hanboks we chose for the photo souvenir.

We then headed back home to Unseo, and was miserable during the 30-minute walk from the Unseo station because of the frigid cold.

Korea Again

I was first introduced to Korean culture and lifestyle by my college friends.  At first, it was through the songs known as K-Pop, then movies and K-dramas.  Because of the fame of the drama Boys Over Flowers, my friend Sol and I decided to go to Korea for a 5-day holiday.  It was during the beginning of winter in 2009, and coming from a tropical country, it was a bit difficult to adjust to the very cold weather winter in Seoul had to offer.  But we managed – and survived.

Now, I’m back.  This time, I’ll be around longer than 5 days.  I’ll be staying in Incheon, some 45 minutes from Seoul.  There were some bumps along the way before I finally got to enter Korea (starting with the visa application that was sent in at the last minute).  I will be posting some photos and journal of our (my friend Liza is visiting with me for over a week, too) adventures and misadventures around South Korea.

Bum-mer

Today marks the day I officially became a bum.  I am now part of the statistics of the unemployed in the Philippines.

My manager surprised me last night when she tapped me on the shoulder and told me not to log in to my PC and that we needed to talk.  Somehow, I had a slight idea of what was about to unfold a few minutes later.  She motioned for me to follow her to one of the huddle rooms in the office – for privacy.

Once I sat down across her, she pointed some stuff on a sheet of paper with some form printed on it.  She kept pointing to the box showing my ‘performance’.  I can hear her but my mind was racing.  I barely had time to settle when everything was just being presented to me. I moved my eyes down to the bottom of the page where the ‘recommendation’ part was, and saw the ‘Separation’ box ticked.  That confirmed my suspicion.  I didn’t even bother to listen to the metrics I supposedly didn’t hit (CSAT, QA, Adherance).

In about 10 minutes, I have signed my separation papers, been advised that I will no longer report for work starting immediately and that I am to surrender all company property issued to me.  My manager escorted me to my locker where she took possession of my headset and company badge, before leading me to the elevators.  That was it.  Done.

Funny thing is, she had the nerve to tell me to ‘keep in touch’.  May God forgive me, but I couldn’t help but laugh when she said that.  I even told her I had bought my outfit for the whole year-end party everyone was urged to go to.

And this is a major US company I work for offshore. They send us email blasts of the revenues they rake in for the last quarter/year, yet, somehow, I feel like our center was cutting costs.  I’d like to think I have served the company well by serving its millions of customers with the best customer service I can provide, despite the current status of US economy and the miserable working environment I had to work in daily.

As much as I’d like to say ‘it’s been great’, I can’t.  I’d be lying if I did. I did enjoy some part of it. I met some good friends. I know now why I had avoided applying for the company before when they first opened its doors to Cebuanos.

Bummer, I had plans to quit, but not till next year.  They had to hold on to my pay and have to wait for 45 days till they ‘clear’ me. I’ll have to get a new job fast.  Or work on some online jobs for now.  Back to square one it is.

Eventful November

I can’t believe it’ll be December in a couple of days!  November came and went, and I didn’t even feel it.  I guess I was thinking it was very uneventful, but looking through my photos on Facebook, I realized otherwise.

The month started with the usual family get-together because of All Saints and All Souls days.  I remember very well that my brother picked me up from work early morning of November 1 so we could go together to our mom’s hometown.  Uncle Francis and my cousin Jason came to visit, too. Some other relatives from neighboring provinces also came to pay their respects to our grandparents, who passed on.

November has also been a lucky month for me, too.  I won a pair of comfy flats from Footzyrolls Philippines.  My gift from Athena Milk also arrived this month. I have yet to get my P1000 Speedo gift certificate I won from the Athena giveaway, though.

On November 18, my team mates from work and I went to Agus Resort for our GA.  It was a very short, yet fun Sunday

And yesterday, November 26, I met up with my college friends for some shabu-shabu and coffee.  Our conversation over coffee led to a ‘sportsfest’ of some sort on December 11. LOL  I’m quite excited to do something different, yet at the back of my mind, I’m thinking of how much of a klutz I am.  I think I should come with both a warning and a disclaimer!  XD

Some stores opened in Cebu that gained a lot of attention from the Cebuanos.  Krispy Kreme in Ayala and IT Park in Lahug opened its doors to the Cebuanos, who used to only get these doughnuts when someone comes back from Manila. I know I used to lug around their boxes, together with my carry on bags every time I come home from Manila.  Till now, I can still see people queuing for a box of their doughnuts in Ayala.  Although, the line isn’t as long as the first few days they opened, but the queue can still reach outside the store.  And because of the lines, I have never had the chance to buy anything.  But thanks to my sister’s ex, I still had my share of the original glazed doughnuts (by the dozen!). hahaha

The other store that made the fashionistas of Cebu lose sleep over is Forever 21.  Yup, the fashion heaven that was only available to the Manila residents finally opened its doors at the SM Northwing.  And it never disappoints, I tell you.  I’m glad I’m not going to Korea during winter, or else, I would buy the fabulous coats, jackets, sweaters, scarves and what-nots they have on display now.  I already got my outfit for our company’s year-end part from F21 and I swear, I had to stop myself from getting a pair of skinny jeans and some accessories. (, “)

So there, November is almost done and I can’t wait for December.  This gets me closer to 2012, and to March 2012, to be specific.