I sometimes can't believe how time seems to fly, and how everything seems to pass in a blur. In a whiff 2009 has ended, and now I'm hanging a crisp, new calendar with hopes that the new year would be as equally colorful, if not better.
'Colorful' is the best way to describe the past year. I commemorated important milestones, reunited with long-lost friends, patched things up with my family, rekindled old hobbies, and welcomed monumental changes that permeated every aspect of my life.
And as for my greatest passion that is travelling, 2009 has indeed took me for a spin and it was one hell of a ride! I was able to visit so many good places, saw myriad of beautiful sights, and got to experience things I could only dream of as a kid. It's so nice to look back and relive all the fun and bittersweet memories of the 178 posts I made that year.
This year I dream of doing more things in life - to visit more places, to meet more people, and to achieve more things that'll make me proud. 2010 is gonna be a great year, and wherever it takes me, I'm sure I'll always be pleasantly surprised.
Showing posts with label holidays. Show all posts
Showing posts with label holidays. Show all posts
1.05.2010
1.03.2010
Fresh From The Holiday Hiatus.
The two most important holidays of the year has just ended, and I'm absolutely elated to have celebrated it with 3 of my strongest passions: family, friends, and food!
This year, our family wanted to do something we haven't done for Christmas. We agreed to skip the standard Noche Buena Dinner at home, and instead, we all stayed in a family suite at Astoria Plaza. I was in charge of the hotel, and getting a room on Christmas Eve proved to be a very difficult task!
The room's motif of white and blue is a refreshing take on the classic wallpapered and heavy curtained rooms we're all familiar of. The floor-to-ceiling glass that gives a good view of the sprawling city was a plus I didn't expect, and it's awfully pretty especially at night.
So we're all gathered in this cute little spot away from home, and the only thing missing is the food right? Well, to complete the whole Christmas experience, Mom packed some Buko Salad, Leche Flan, and her signature Roast Beef in disposable plastic containers. Sis came with her Pesto Pasta and Grilled Prawns. Both tasted awful, but I commend her effort ^^. While waiting for midnight, we watched "Romeo and Juliet", then we exchanged gifts and greeted each other "Merry Christmas". I recieved a chocolate body scrub gift that smells good enough to eat! The next day, we all went to hit the Buffet for some nice, familiar comfort food. Look, they even got Kimchi!
For New Years Eve, I went to Eastwood City with two of my best buds for the 2010 countdown. We came 20 minutes early, and it was already jampacked with people. We were far from the stage so we didn't get to see the performers, but we had the best view of the whole place with the lights and everything. When the countdown began, people were in a state of frenzy, jumping and shouting and laughing altogether! The amazing fireworks generated even more shrieks and 'wows' from the crowd. It was unbelievable having to jumpstart the New Year like that. I didn't get a video of my own, but I found one from rachellelorene on Youtube. Do click it to get a glimpse of the kick ass New Year celebration.
This year, our family wanted to do something we haven't done for Christmas. We agreed to skip the standard Noche Buena Dinner at home, and instead, we all stayed in a family suite at Astoria Plaza. I was in charge of the hotel, and getting a room on Christmas Eve proved to be a very difficult task!
The room's motif of white and blue is a refreshing take on the classic wallpapered and heavy curtained rooms we're all familiar of. The floor-to-ceiling glass that gives a good view of the sprawling city was a plus I didn't expect, and it's awfully pretty especially at night.
So we're all gathered in this cute little spot away from home, and the only thing missing is the food right? Well, to complete the whole Christmas experience, Mom packed some Buko Salad, Leche Flan, and her signature Roast Beef in disposable plastic containers. Sis came with her Pesto Pasta and Grilled Prawns. Both tasted awful, but I commend her effort ^^. While waiting for midnight, we watched "Romeo and Juliet", then we exchanged gifts and greeted each other "Merry Christmas". I recieved a chocolate body scrub gift that smells good enough to eat! The next day, we all went to hit the Buffet for some nice, familiar comfort food. Look, they even got Kimchi!
For New Years Eve, I went to Eastwood City with two of my best buds for the 2010 countdown. We came 20 minutes early, and it was already jampacked with people. We were far from the stage so we didn't get to see the performers, but we had the best view of the whole place with the lights and everything. When the countdown began, people were in a state of frenzy, jumping and shouting and laughing altogether! The amazing fireworks generated even more shrieks and 'wows' from the crowd. It was unbelievable having to jumpstart the New Year like that. I didn't get a video of my own, but I found one from rachellelorene on Youtube. Do click it to get a glimpse of the kick ass New Year celebration.
Holidays like these are indeed the perfect time to bond with the people you love the most. I've learned that being around them is enough to restore the energy I need to face all the stress and hardships of the coming year. And sometimes it pays to think out of the box and do things outside tradition. It can be super fun as long as you're with the people that matter the most. I hope you all enjoyed the holidays as much as I did!
4.09.2009
In Memoriam.
It's my father's 2nd death anniversary today, April 9th. I can't believe two years have passed since he was taken away from us. The familiar pain is still there, and I wonder if it will ever go away. My father's passing is by far the most horrific, emotionally draining, personally devastating event I have ever experienced. I can't even begin to imagine how painful and how broken I was at that time. In my disillusioned, angry, and rebellious state of mind, I searched for answers and for something to alleviate the pain. His death at age 57 was all too sudden. We weren't prepared, although I doubt if someone could ever be prepared for such a thing. As a way to cope with things, I started an online journal and I began to write some of my past experiences while I tried to make sense of them all. I discovered that it's an emotionally cleansing, and inspirationally enriching outlet. I found solitude and healing in writing. It has become my ideal escape to things I'm not yet ready to tackle, and there are so many of them. Whenever I talk about my Dad, I still have that tendency to mope, but I didn't intend to write a sad post so enough of those.
We visited my father's grave today.. He was laid to rest at Himlayang Pilipino together with my grandparents. When I was young, I really enjoyed visiting Himlayan. It was a time I get to play with my cousins and eat as much ice cream as I want to. For some reason, my father likes buying Magnolia Ice cream whenever we go there. He wanted to make it as fun as possible for us so we wouldn't get tired of visiting there. I took some pictures at Himlayan today. The place still brings back a lot of good, sad, and bitter memories.
Some interesting facts about my father;
* He started driving at age 14. When his mother was about to give birth, nobody was there to drive her to the hospital. My father volunteered and brought her to the hospital just in time.
* He cooks the best "pinakbet" sans the 'bagoong' (he hates the funky smell of it^^).
* He reads the newspaper every single day from age 28.. not a day missed.
* He feels claustrophobic inside a movie theatre.
* He only listened to classical music.
* He could basically fix anything, so everyone in his family called him "jack of all trades"...
* He cooks the best fried chicken ever.
* He was a soccer player back in high school at Don Bosco. He was very proud that he led his team to the championship game in China. Unfortunately, they lost. T.T
We visited my father's grave today.. He was laid to rest at Himlayang Pilipino together with my grandparents. When I was young, I really enjoyed visiting Himlayan. It was a time I get to play with my cousins and eat as much ice cream as I want to. For some reason, my father likes buying Magnolia Ice cream whenever we go there. He wanted to make it as fun as possible for us so we wouldn't get tired of visiting there. I took some pictures at Himlayan today. The place still brings back a lot of good, sad, and bitter memories.
Some interesting facts about my father;
* He started driving at age 14. When his mother was about to give birth, nobody was there to drive her to the hospital. My father volunteered and brought her to the hospital just in time.
* He cooks the best "pinakbet" sans the 'bagoong' (he hates the funky smell of it^^).
* He reads the newspaper every single day from age 28.. not a day missed.
* He feels claustrophobic inside a movie theatre.
* He only listened to classical music.
* He could basically fix anything, so everyone in his family called him "jack of all trades"...
* He cooks the best fried chicken ever.
* He was a soccer player back in high school at Don Bosco. He was very proud that he led his team to the championship game in China. Unfortunately, they lost. T.T
3.13.2009
White Day.
March 14th is the day they celebrate "White Day" here in Korea. It's like the counterpart for Valentine's Day where men are obliged to give chocolates to the ladies. Since this celebration is more of a social obligation, men are expected to give chocolates not just to their girlfriends and spouses, but also to their female friends and colleagues... And a lot of stores are taking advantage of this cause they are willing to pay mad bucks for chocolates in fancy boxes and wrappers. But of course, they could always choose one, and just ignore the others like what Chris has been doing for the last 29 years... ^^
3.07.2009
Yet another birthday...
Chris is celebrating his lunar birthday today, and for some freakish coincidence, so as his father. Both of them were born on 11th of February (how convenient), but like most Koreans, they celebrate it using the lunar calendar. I couldn't find a family picture of Chris, so I'm just gonna use his grad photo for all intensive purposes. Just don't ask me why his mom is the one wearing toga.. It's meant to be funny, although I'd say in a very peculiar way.
His dad is hosting a party today at their residence for his staff and other people who works for him in his company. Tomorrow, he'll be hosting yet another party for his friends, associates, and golf buddies. I feel sorry for Chris cause they share the same birthday, and he's obliged to participate in a party where he's the only young person. He'll be forced to drink soju with them, and I know just how much he hates the taste of soju.
Felt guilty as I wasn't able to get him a birthday gift last February 11th, so today I bought this long-sleeved shirt for him. The shiny collar buttons bothered me so much, but I thought the shirt will look good on him so I ended up buying it anyway.
Last night, we were having the whole birthday talk, and I asked him what his birthday wish is. I was eating sushi then, and I almost gagged when he answered me. He actually wishes*** not to get fat, lose his hair, and have wrinkles. I laughed so hard cause I've never heard a birthday wish vainer than that in my entire life!
In my case, I wish him good health this year. Career-wise, I know he couldn't wish for a better career than now (I could actually kill for a job like his ^^). He works under the procurement division of Samsung Electronics. There is no striking difference with regard to his paycheck to other employees of the company, but his position gives him great benefits. He deals with mostly CEOs and Presidents of manufacturing companies that supplies certain parts that Samsung needs. For some specific item, he's the one who gets to decide which company they'll do business with. This could mean a very big income for the company who'll get chosen, so they suck up to him with expensive liquors, cigars, chocolates, teas, pastries, toiletries, and other gift items. Except for liquor and cigar, I'm the one who conveniently takes advantage of all those stuff. It doesn't end there, he gets to travel a lot, eat and drink at the most expensive places for free, and that is what he likes the most. The last time he went on a business trip to China, there was a limo waiting for him courtesy of a CEO he's dealing with. So for four days, he got to move around China in a limo, ate as much sharksfin, bird's nest, and lobster as he wants to, and he got a lot of stuff for free to give me.
His job didn't come easy as he had to work really hard for it. The job appeals to a lot of applicants, therefore the competition was really stiff. In their team of 8, 4 graduated from American Universities, 2 from Seoul Nat'l University, and the other 2 were from Hanyang (which includes Chris). The job calls for excellent command in English, so having a Filipina gf works for his advantage as he gets to pratice his English a lot. I'm not giving myself entirely the credit, cause he got accepted there even before we met, but I kinda help him 'stay' in the competition. Out of all the negative effects of our interracial relationship, I'm glad there's one good thing that comes out of it.
I did a bit of shopping for seafood cause I'm going to cook Haemultang for him tomorrow when he arrives. It's his favorite dish and I'm dead worried that it might taste anything but Haemultang. So I'm preparing the cookbook and some internet stuff I printed on standby, just in case.
His dad is hosting a party today at their residence for his staff and other people who works for him in his company. Tomorrow, he'll be hosting yet another party for his friends, associates, and golf buddies. I feel sorry for Chris cause they share the same birthday, and he's obliged to participate in a party where he's the only young person. He'll be forced to drink soju with them, and I know just how much he hates the taste of soju.
Felt guilty as I wasn't able to get him a birthday gift last February 11th, so today I bought this long-sleeved shirt for him. The shiny collar buttons bothered me so much, but I thought the shirt will look good on him so I ended up buying it anyway.
Last night, we were having the whole birthday talk, and I asked him what his birthday wish is. I was eating sushi then, and I almost gagged when he answered me. He actually wishes*** not to get fat, lose his hair, and have wrinkles. I laughed so hard cause I've never heard a birthday wish vainer than that in my entire life!
In my case, I wish him good health this year. Career-wise, I know he couldn't wish for a better career than now (I could actually kill for a job like his ^^). He works under the procurement division of Samsung Electronics. There is no striking difference with regard to his paycheck to other employees of the company, but his position gives him great benefits. He deals with mostly CEOs and Presidents of manufacturing companies that supplies certain parts that Samsung needs. For some specific item, he's the one who gets to decide which company they'll do business with. This could mean a very big income for the company who'll get chosen, so they suck up to him with expensive liquors, cigars, chocolates, teas, pastries, toiletries, and other gift items. Except for liquor and cigar, I'm the one who conveniently takes advantage of all those stuff. It doesn't end there, he gets to travel a lot, eat and drink at the most expensive places for free, and that is what he likes the most. The last time he went on a business trip to China, there was a limo waiting for him courtesy of a CEO he's dealing with. So for four days, he got to move around China in a limo, ate as much sharksfin, bird's nest, and lobster as he wants to, and he got a lot of stuff for free to give me.
His job didn't come easy as he had to work really hard for it. The job appeals to a lot of applicants, therefore the competition was really stiff. In their team of 8, 4 graduated from American Universities, 2 from Seoul Nat'l University, and the other 2 were from Hanyang (which includes Chris). The job calls for excellent command in English, so having a Filipina gf works for his advantage as he gets to pratice his English a lot. I'm not giving myself entirely the credit, cause he got accepted there even before we met, but I kinda help him 'stay' in the competition. Out of all the negative effects of our interracial relationship, I'm glad there's one good thing that comes out of it.
I did a bit of shopping for seafood cause I'm going to cook Haemultang for him tomorrow when he arrives. It's his favorite dish and I'm dead worried that it might taste anything but Haemultang. So I'm preparing the cookbook and some internet stuff I printed on standby, just in case.
2.15.2009
Valentines Day ~ Just another day to those who are romantic.
It's a little past midnight, so technically, Valentine's Day is finally over... It wasn't my best Valentine's Day experience cause regrettably, things didn't go as we previously planned. But it wasn't half bad at all... Chris had a work~related emergency so he had to report for work early this morning. That doesn't usually happen as he consider weekends as sacred... by sacred I mean purely and entirely devoted unto me, and me alone. Ok, I did sound like the hypocritical selfish beast there, but weekends are the only time we get to spend the whole day together. This could simply mean 'nothing' for some people, but it's a really big deal for the both of us... Good thing he got off from work before 5 pm, or I would have coaxed him to stage a rally in front of his company for messing up our precious weekend.
We opted for a simple dinner at a meat buffet restaurant, which turned out to be a bad idea considering I ate more than what I could handle, and it's BOUND to hurt sooner or later.. After the 'too-filling-I-almost-couldn't-walk-after' dinner, we went to Baskin and Robbins for some desert overload. I had my all-time favorite banana split but unfortunately, today it wasn't so good. Something's off with the banana... It wasn't as ripe as I would have wanted it to be. Chris enjoyed his usual dose of pistachio ice cream, and he subconsciously asked if I was enjoying mine. I nodded in a less-subtle agreement, but deep inside I grumbled (eyes narrowing to the girl that served it); "Give me a break here! It's Valentine's Day and I rightfully deserve a better tasting banana than this..." ^^
I didn't bother to buy chocolates for him like girls here would normally do. It's just that chocolates have always been included in my grocery list that our supplies never go dangerously low. Chris asked if I wanted to visit a good wine bar to sort of celebrate, but I just laughed at the idea... No, I don't have any issues with wine bar or wine in general. I just thought why should he bother paying for wine he hasn't even heard of, where sitting by the cupboard are good ol' wine (probably as good as what they're gonna serve) straight from the cellar of HomePlus. Yeah~ just like chocolates, wine is also included in my grocery list. ^^
We opted for a simple dinner at a meat buffet restaurant, which turned out to be a bad idea considering I ate more than what I could handle, and it's BOUND to hurt sooner or later.. After the 'too-filling-I-almost-couldn't-walk-after' dinner, we went to Baskin and Robbins for some desert overload. I had my all-time favorite banana split but unfortunately, today it wasn't so good. Something's off with the banana... It wasn't as ripe as I would have wanted it to be. Chris enjoyed his usual dose of pistachio ice cream, and he subconsciously asked if I was enjoying mine. I nodded in a less-subtle agreement, but deep inside I grumbled (eyes narrowing to the girl that served it); "Give me a break here! It's Valentine's Day and I rightfully deserve a better tasting banana than this..." ^^
I didn't bother to buy chocolates for him like girls here would normally do. It's just that chocolates have always been included in my grocery list that our supplies never go dangerously low. Chris asked if I wanted to visit a good wine bar to sort of celebrate, but I just laughed at the idea... No, I don't have any issues with wine bar or wine in general. I just thought why should he bother paying for wine he hasn't even heard of, where sitting by the cupboard are good ol' wine (probably as good as what they're gonna serve) straight from the cellar of HomePlus. Yeah~ just like chocolates, wine is also included in my grocery list. ^^
1.05.2009
The Cake.
I wasn't exactly in the celebratory mood last New Year's Day, and all I wanted was to get some sleep. But Chris didn't want to make it an ordinary day so he asked me out on a date. We went to Bennigan's for my favorite baby-back ribs, and it took nearly an hour before we could get a table. We must have spent 3 hours there before we decided to come back home. I took his New Year's picture before we left.
Chris then asked me to go home first. He said he forgot something. When he came home, he was carrying this..
It came with a greeting card that says "Happy New Year's Day... from Oppa". So the New Year's day wasn't exactly jumpin, but nevertheless, he made my day! ^^
Chris then asked me to go home first. He said he forgot something. When he came home, he was carrying this..
It came with a greeting card that says "Happy New Year's Day... from Oppa". So the New Year's day wasn't exactly jumpin, but nevertheless, he made my day! ^^
1.03.2009
One with the 'Island of the Gods'.
The next day after my arrival back to Korea, I was drained, and my eyes were constantly droopy for not getting a much needed rest. It was crazy having been deprived of sleep for a while, so I slept 12 hours straight. I wanted to sleep longer but I forced my way out of bed knowing I have urgent things to do. I did the laundry, sent things to the drycleaner's, caught up with my reading, and arranged stuff for our trip to Jeju the next day.
We woke up at 5:30 am the following day to catch our early flight. It didn't take more than an hour, and we were soon headed out of the airport. While Chris was making the reservation for the hot-air balloon ride, I was waiting in the car he rented. It wasn't very cold at that time, around 10 degrees or so. It was drizzling, but not enough to soak my jacket. Jeju didn't look any different from the last time I saw it. It was still very windy, like how I pictured it to be.
Chris knew the city by heart as we're frequent visitors, so he didn't need so much help from the maps. As we always did, we went to Yongduam (Dragon Head Beach) first, as it's the nearest to the airport. The wind blew in all direction leaving my hair disheveled all the time.
Then we drove following the coast line, and I can't help but be fascinated by the changing colors of the beach. At some place, it's deep dark blue, and while going further it turns into sapphire, then aquamarine, and even torquoise.
When my eyes got tired of wandering through the beaches, we went to a forest park where we enjoyed the fresh pine scent and the alluring smell of nutmeg. Chris was in a totally different mood, and had his arm resting on my shoulder (normally, he would put his hands warm in his pocket like I do since it's cold and the wind is unbelievable^^). He even kissed me a couple of times when he thought nobody was watching. I asked him why the sudden PDA, and he answered that Jeju has a certain 'pull' in him cause it's a popular place for couples to spend their honeymoon, not that I have any problem with that.
We then drove mostly near Seongsan Ichulbong area. We had mixed seafood soup for lunch there. By 4, he was tired and sleepy and said he wanted to go to the hotel early and take a rest. It was still mildy drizzling and the winds got stronger so I didn't argue with him anymore. We woke up at 9 pm, decided to take a drive and look for a restaurant for dinner. After we ate delicious Jeju samgyeopsal, we went back to the hotel carrying beer. We sat by the glass-encased veranda, and drank beer while watching the waves at night. We woke up early the next day (so~ early that the hotel didn't serve breakfast yet!), to catch the sunrise at Seongsan Ichulbong. It was sooo cold, and the winds were dangerously strong. The clouds were so thick that we didn't see the sunrise. We went to some other places after that, some places I knew like the crater, museums, and the very disappointing mini-mini land where our camera got busted, and we weren't able to take pictures afterwards... Crap!
The other places we went to were all unfamiliar to me, like the two beautiful waterfalls and another sightseeing coast (with lots of Chinese tourists hanging around). Anxiety filled the best of me, the places where we went after the 'camera busting incident' were all unbelievably beautiful, almost surreal in a way. I'm exasperated for not being able to seal those images in photographs! After that, we drove to Jeju City proper back again in preparation for the hot-air baloon ride the next day, but unfortunately, due to the weather conditions, they didn't work. Chris was eyeing for a refund cause he already paid for the two tickets that we didn't use.
The next day was spent hiking in Halla Mountain. By the time we got to the foot of the mountain, it was snowing in large clusters blown by strong winds towards our faces, our hair, and our clothes. It was difficult to stand still. I was shuddering so hard that I clenched my jaw and my hands really tight. Chris stopped to put some chains for the tires. The snow picked up till the ground was completely covered in just a matter of minutes. I've seen snow a lot of times before, but nothing compared to the snow in Mt. Halla. It doesn't fall, it pours... like someone pouring it from a huge bucket above. It was so tightly clustered together that it formed small ice rocks (imagine millions of that, falling together at the same time!), and it created a scrunching sound as soon as it hit our jackets and the ground. We were stopped by the local police at some curb, and told us that they don't allow vehicles to enter, so we have to go there on foot. We walked for 20 minutes in the blizzard-like (Chris calls it ice storm) condition till we reached the entrance of the hiking course. We chose an easy course, cause we didn't have the spiky thing for our shoes, and waterproof clothes. It was so difficult for me to keep pace with Chris cause I'm wearing my Chuck's, and it doesn't work well with snow. Unscathed, we reached the top. It didn't disappoint me, not even a bit. The view was something a person cannot forget for the rest of his/her life. Again, I'm exasperated by being 'camera-less' in a perfect place like that. But the temperature was just too cold to bear, it felt as if the ice seeped right through my veins and bones. We spent a good 15 minutes there before we went down. Whew! Going down was much more difficult and strenuous than I expected. Good thing, it never stopped snowing by the buckets, and the ground wasn't slippery because of the fresh snow.
When we got back to the car, driving became an impossible task for Chris. The previous rain froze and created a film-like cover of thin ice. We slid a couple of times but didn't bump or collided with anything. It was more than lucky..! The next day, we drove some more but we weren't in a rush mode. We had Kalguksu for lunch and ate raw oysters, abalone (our favorite), and other seashells before we drove back to the airport. It was still snowing hard, still making the same scrunching sound, but it melted soon after as it's much warmer than the magical mountain. The winds have become unbearably cold and strong that I was forced to run for warm shelter. Chris flew at a different airline. One of the best things when you're out of the country a lot for business trips, and your mileage accumulated to unfathomable points and you get to ride for free. Oh well..
We woke up at 5:30 am the following day to catch our early flight. It didn't take more than an hour, and we were soon headed out of the airport. While Chris was making the reservation for the hot-air balloon ride, I was waiting in the car he rented. It wasn't very cold at that time, around 10 degrees or so. It was drizzling, but not enough to soak my jacket. Jeju didn't look any different from the last time I saw it. It was still very windy, like how I pictured it to be.
Chris knew the city by heart as we're frequent visitors, so he didn't need so much help from the maps. As we always did, we went to Yongduam (Dragon Head Beach) first, as it's the nearest to the airport. The wind blew in all direction leaving my hair disheveled all the time.
Then we drove following the coast line, and I can't help but be fascinated by the changing colors of the beach. At some place, it's deep dark blue, and while going further it turns into sapphire, then aquamarine, and even torquoise.
When my eyes got tired of wandering through the beaches, we went to a forest park where we enjoyed the fresh pine scent and the alluring smell of nutmeg. Chris was in a totally different mood, and had his arm resting on my shoulder (normally, he would put his hands warm in his pocket like I do since it's cold and the wind is unbelievable^^). He even kissed me a couple of times when he thought nobody was watching. I asked him why the sudden PDA, and he answered that Jeju has a certain 'pull' in him cause it's a popular place for couples to spend their honeymoon, not that I have any problem with that.
We then drove mostly near Seongsan Ichulbong area. We had mixed seafood soup for lunch there. By 4, he was tired and sleepy and said he wanted to go to the hotel early and take a rest. It was still mildy drizzling and the winds got stronger so I didn't argue with him anymore. We woke up at 9 pm, decided to take a drive and look for a restaurant for dinner. After we ate delicious Jeju samgyeopsal, we went back to the hotel carrying beer. We sat by the glass-encased veranda, and drank beer while watching the waves at night. We woke up early the next day (so~ early that the hotel didn't serve breakfast yet!), to catch the sunrise at Seongsan Ichulbong. It was sooo cold, and the winds were dangerously strong. The clouds were so thick that we didn't see the sunrise. We went to some other places after that, some places I knew like the crater, museums, and the very disappointing mini-mini land where our camera got busted, and we weren't able to take pictures afterwards... Crap!
The other places we went to were all unfamiliar to me, like the two beautiful waterfalls and another sightseeing coast (with lots of Chinese tourists hanging around). Anxiety filled the best of me, the places where we went after the 'camera busting incident' were all unbelievably beautiful, almost surreal in a way. I'm exasperated for not being able to seal those images in photographs! After that, we drove to Jeju City proper back again in preparation for the hot-air baloon ride the next day, but unfortunately, due to the weather conditions, they didn't work. Chris was eyeing for a refund cause he already paid for the two tickets that we didn't use.
The next day was spent hiking in Halla Mountain. By the time we got to the foot of the mountain, it was snowing in large clusters blown by strong winds towards our faces, our hair, and our clothes. It was difficult to stand still. I was shuddering so hard that I clenched my jaw and my hands really tight. Chris stopped to put some chains for the tires. The snow picked up till the ground was completely covered in just a matter of minutes. I've seen snow a lot of times before, but nothing compared to the snow in Mt. Halla. It doesn't fall, it pours... like someone pouring it from a huge bucket above. It was so tightly clustered together that it formed small ice rocks (imagine millions of that, falling together at the same time!), and it created a scrunching sound as soon as it hit our jackets and the ground. We were stopped by the local police at some curb, and told us that they don't allow vehicles to enter, so we have to go there on foot. We walked for 20 minutes in the blizzard-like (Chris calls it ice storm) condition till we reached the entrance of the hiking course. We chose an easy course, cause we didn't have the spiky thing for our shoes, and waterproof clothes. It was so difficult for me to keep pace with Chris cause I'm wearing my Chuck's, and it doesn't work well with snow. Unscathed, we reached the top. It didn't disappoint me, not even a bit. The view was something a person cannot forget for the rest of his/her life. Again, I'm exasperated by being 'camera-less' in a perfect place like that. But the temperature was just too cold to bear, it felt as if the ice seeped right through my veins and bones. We spent a good 15 minutes there before we went down. Whew! Going down was much more difficult and strenuous than I expected. Good thing, it never stopped snowing by the buckets, and the ground wasn't slippery because of the fresh snow.
When we got back to the car, driving became an impossible task for Chris. The previous rain froze and created a film-like cover of thin ice. We slid a couple of times but didn't bump or collided with anything. It was more than lucky..! The next day, we drove some more but we weren't in a rush mode. We had Kalguksu for lunch and ate raw oysters, abalone (our favorite), and other seashells before we drove back to the airport. It was still snowing hard, still making the same scrunching sound, but it melted soon after as it's much warmer than the magical mountain. The winds have become unbearably cold and strong that I was forced to run for warm shelter. Chris flew at a different airline. One of the best things when you're out of the country a lot for business trips, and your mileage accumulated to unfathomable points and you get to ride for free. Oh well..
1.02.2009
About the wedding.
So I finally landed at MIA Terminal 3, last Dec. 25. The airport, as I expected, was almost empty except for the people who were with me during the flight. It wasn't difficult to look for the person who'll pick me up. I saw him as soon as I went out of the baggage claim area. It didn't take long before we reached home. The roads were as empty as the airport. I'm sure everyone was sitting casually at home, enjoying their noche buena.
When I arrived home, it was almost 3 in the morning. My mom is the only one awake. Everyone was tired and slept early. I ate a few things, left-overs from their noche buena before going to bed. That morning, everyone was busy packing things up in preparation for my sister's wedding the next day. In my case, I'm searching the whole house for clothes I could wear for their garden/beach theme wedding but couldn't find any. The last thing I want is to stick like a sore thumb, so I decided to go on frantic shopping on Christmas day. I need more choices so I went to Megamall (Mall of Asia was too far). I needed something in peach or champagne gold, and it was like looking for a needle in a humongous haystack. Too many clothes, none in peach or champagne gold that suits my taste. After two hours of walking, I finally found the dress I was looking for. It was an empire cut satin dress in reddish and peach floral patterns, and there's a brownish/bronze belt thingy on the waist... After I secured the dress, I went to look for shoes. It wasn't as difficult to look for, unlike the dress, I was able to get a bronze open toed pumps in less than 30 minutes.
By 6 pm, we were on the road going to San Fernando, Pampanga. I wasn't aware that they changed the venue... I thought it was going to be held in Tagaytay. After two hours, we were already in front of the hotel. Everyone was busy meeting the bride and the groom's relatives over dinner, I chose to sleep early. I woke up late the next day, it was almost noon and the wedding was at 3. Everyone was gone and I'm the only one left at the hotel... I took a shower, went to mocha blends for some perk-me-up drink (feeling really sluggish that day^^), and went to the villa they rented inside the resort. The venue was at Lakeshore, a very big place with several villages inside that caters to expats mostly, a huge and beautiful lake, and resort. The roads reminded me of L.A., with all the palm trees strategically aligned. The 2 storey villa with 3 bedrooms was packed with at least 30 people. It was hot and the airconditioner didn't work as much with all those people around. I changed my clothes and did my own make-up just in time for family portraits. Sis asked me if I wanted a stylist to do my hair and make-up but I told her, I don't wanna look 'too made up' but I took the liberty playing with the brush and the body shimmer they used on her... I ended up looking 'decent-enough' for a wedding. The clothes fit me well, and it's comfortable too.
We then went to the lake resort. I was amused how they made it look like a beach. I heard someone commented, 'they brought boracay here with them', and I couldn't agree more. The main place was at the dock of the lake where they made a gazebo. The chairs were neatly arranged with huge dark golden bows at the back. The tables were also there, extending from the back of the arranged chairs to the bermuda clad garden, awaiting the reception that'll soon follow. The tables were nice, decorated in layers of colorful sheets. The center piece for each table was made of bamboo with handmade lamps brought to life by small candles inside, hanging side by side. There were also two long darkly-painted bamboo with holes carrying different colored floating candles to light the tables. The 'tropic-ish' flowers added an elegant touch to the one of a kind centerpiece there. Seashells were also nicely placed in the table together with the plates and other utensils. I couldn't help but be mesmerized.. especially when I saw those cute little bottles with sand and a rolled paper inside. It was their wedding invitation I heard. Even the peach napkin there bore their names in gold prints. Everything, even to the slightest detail was carefully planned, well thought of.
A Pastor from GCF Church officiated the wedding. He chuckled when he saw the rings placed in a giant seashell, slightly covered in sand. It was almost sunset when they said their vows and I do's and it made it all the more romantic. I could tell sis was nervous as her voice was shaking.. the groom was also just as nervous. I couldn't really concentrate on what he was saying cause the wedding singer sang their themesong, and it was so beautiful I even had goosebumps! My sister and the groom are both kindred spirits and both are very active in the church, so I totally understand when they chose a christian song for the most important part of their wedding. A part of the song says "When God made you, he must be thinking about me...", and that's all I can remember.
It was already dark when they had their first dance while the song "Just the way you look tonight" was being sang by another singer. The customary slicing of the cake and throwing of the garter and bouquet was exquisitely executed (now that's a tongue twister^^). After the ceremony, dozens after dozens of mini hot air baloons were lit and launched to the sky. And then the emcee directed our attention to the huge white screen while another guy was tinkering with the projector. It was an Audio Visual Presentation of the bride and groom's pictures when they were young, their highschool and college days, their travels, etc... Next came the food.. It was buffet style with do-it-yourself salads with several dressings to choose from. About 4 kinds of soup was there, and I love the pumpkin soup the most! There was a unique roasted chicken dish, smothered with ground coffee that added a distinct and unique flavor. It was interesting and delicious at the same time.. There's also grilled salmon with lemon butter sauce, then there's this beef dish with a special sauce as well. A vegetable dish was also there, puttanesca and a cream based pasta. Desert is mango crepe in vanilla ice cream, whipped cream and chocolate syrup.
After the delicious meal, dance came next. The younger crowd gathered by the gazebo and started to dance. The band played a lot of alternative songs, some reggae, and pop. The older group stood up and went to the table with the blue cake, beside it was a tall pile of mini-version of the cake in cupcake form. They stood there munching on their cupcakes, as if waiting for the oldies music to be played, unfortunately, the band kept playing for the younger crowd. The best they got was a song from ABBA, "Dancing Queen" which cheered them up a bit. After that it's back to the younger crowd. I danced with my escort while the band sang "I'll Be". Sis changed to another dress and let her hair down. She joined us during a song from Lifehouse. It was a really fun wedding, and I'm pretty sure everyone (around 200 of them) had a great time. Before the visitors started to leave, they were given a bar of Lindt's chocolate wrapped in a special wrapper with the bride and grooms picture, and there's a give-away box covered in rafia and ribbons. I heard it's spa essentials like scrub, lotion, massage oils in mini bottles. I didn't bother to get one for myself.
The day after the wedding was my flight back to Korea so I had to wake up early and travel back to Manila. I departed early, I was traumatized with my previous flight experience so I made it sure that I have ample, as in ample time to get to the airport. As I expected, I arrived early, too early even but I don't mind. It's better to be early than late and sorry. And since I have too much time to kill at the airport I went to Jollibee and ate a chicken joy meal. After that I went to Mister Donuts and grabbed coffee and donuts. By the time I finished everything, I was just in time for boarding.
Pictures, soon to follow...
When I arrived home, it was almost 3 in the morning. My mom is the only one awake. Everyone was tired and slept early. I ate a few things, left-overs from their noche buena before going to bed. That morning, everyone was busy packing things up in preparation for my sister's wedding the next day. In my case, I'm searching the whole house for clothes I could wear for their garden/beach theme wedding but couldn't find any. The last thing I want is to stick like a sore thumb, so I decided to go on frantic shopping on Christmas day. I need more choices so I went to Megamall (Mall of Asia was too far). I needed something in peach or champagne gold, and it was like looking for a needle in a humongous haystack. Too many clothes, none in peach or champagne gold that suits my taste. After two hours of walking, I finally found the dress I was looking for. It was an empire cut satin dress in reddish and peach floral patterns, and there's a brownish/bronze belt thingy on the waist... After I secured the dress, I went to look for shoes. It wasn't as difficult to look for, unlike the dress, I was able to get a bronze open toed pumps in less than 30 minutes.
By 6 pm, we were on the road going to San Fernando, Pampanga. I wasn't aware that they changed the venue... I thought it was going to be held in Tagaytay. After two hours, we were already in front of the hotel. Everyone was busy meeting the bride and the groom's relatives over dinner, I chose to sleep early. I woke up late the next day, it was almost noon and the wedding was at 3. Everyone was gone and I'm the only one left at the hotel... I took a shower, went to mocha blends for some perk-me-up drink (feeling really sluggish that day^^), and went to the villa they rented inside the resort. The venue was at Lakeshore, a very big place with several villages inside that caters to expats mostly, a huge and beautiful lake, and resort. The roads reminded me of L.A., with all the palm trees strategically aligned. The 2 storey villa with 3 bedrooms was packed with at least 30 people. It was hot and the airconditioner didn't work as much with all those people around. I changed my clothes and did my own make-up just in time for family portraits. Sis asked me if I wanted a stylist to do my hair and make-up but I told her, I don't wanna look 'too made up' but I took the liberty playing with the brush and the body shimmer they used on her... I ended up looking 'decent-enough' for a wedding. The clothes fit me well, and it's comfortable too.
We then went to the lake resort. I was amused how they made it look like a beach. I heard someone commented, 'they brought boracay here with them', and I couldn't agree more. The main place was at the dock of the lake where they made a gazebo. The chairs were neatly arranged with huge dark golden bows at the back. The tables were also there, extending from the back of the arranged chairs to the bermuda clad garden, awaiting the reception that'll soon follow. The tables were nice, decorated in layers of colorful sheets. The center piece for each table was made of bamboo with handmade lamps brought to life by small candles inside, hanging side by side. There were also two long darkly-painted bamboo with holes carrying different colored floating candles to light the tables. The 'tropic-ish' flowers added an elegant touch to the one of a kind centerpiece there. Seashells were also nicely placed in the table together with the plates and other utensils. I couldn't help but be mesmerized.. especially when I saw those cute little bottles with sand and a rolled paper inside. It was their wedding invitation I heard. Even the peach napkin there bore their names in gold prints. Everything, even to the slightest detail was carefully planned, well thought of.
A Pastor from GCF Church officiated the wedding. He chuckled when he saw the rings placed in a giant seashell, slightly covered in sand. It was almost sunset when they said their vows and I do's and it made it all the more romantic. I could tell sis was nervous as her voice was shaking.. the groom was also just as nervous. I couldn't really concentrate on what he was saying cause the wedding singer sang their themesong, and it was so beautiful I even had goosebumps! My sister and the groom are both kindred spirits and both are very active in the church, so I totally understand when they chose a christian song for the most important part of their wedding. A part of the song says "When God made you, he must be thinking about me...", and that's all I can remember.
It was already dark when they had their first dance while the song "Just the way you look tonight" was being sang by another singer. The customary slicing of the cake and throwing of the garter and bouquet was exquisitely executed (now that's a tongue twister^^). After the ceremony, dozens after dozens of mini hot air baloons were lit and launched to the sky. And then the emcee directed our attention to the huge white screen while another guy was tinkering with the projector. It was an Audio Visual Presentation of the bride and groom's pictures when they were young, their highschool and college days, their travels, etc... Next came the food.. It was buffet style with do-it-yourself salads with several dressings to choose from. About 4 kinds of soup was there, and I love the pumpkin soup the most! There was a unique roasted chicken dish, smothered with ground coffee that added a distinct and unique flavor. It was interesting and delicious at the same time.. There's also grilled salmon with lemon butter sauce, then there's this beef dish with a special sauce as well. A vegetable dish was also there, puttanesca and a cream based pasta. Desert is mango crepe in vanilla ice cream, whipped cream and chocolate syrup.
After the delicious meal, dance came next. The younger crowd gathered by the gazebo and started to dance. The band played a lot of alternative songs, some reggae, and pop. The older group stood up and went to the table with the blue cake, beside it was a tall pile of mini-version of the cake in cupcake form. They stood there munching on their cupcakes, as if waiting for the oldies music to be played, unfortunately, the band kept playing for the younger crowd. The best they got was a song from ABBA, "Dancing Queen" which cheered them up a bit. After that it's back to the younger crowd. I danced with my escort while the band sang "I'll Be". Sis changed to another dress and let her hair down. She joined us during a song from Lifehouse. It was a really fun wedding, and I'm pretty sure everyone (around 200 of them) had a great time. Before the visitors started to leave, they were given a bar of Lindt's chocolate wrapped in a special wrapper with the bride and grooms picture, and there's a give-away box covered in rafia and ribbons. I heard it's spa essentials like scrub, lotion, massage oils in mini bottles. I didn't bother to get one for myself.
The day after the wedding was my flight back to Korea so I had to wake up early and travel back to Manila. I departed early, I was traumatized with my previous flight experience so I made it sure that I have ample, as in ample time to get to the airport. As I expected, I arrived early, too early even but I don't mind. It's better to be early than late and sorry. And since I have too much time to kill at the airport I went to Jollibee and ate a chicken joy meal. After that I went to Mister Donuts and grabbed coffee and donuts. By the time I finished everything, I was just in time for boarding.
Pictures, soon to follow...
1.01.2009
Flight back to Manila.
24th, Christmas Eve, I woke up early to do some last minute shopping for gifts to bring back home. When I was finally done with all the packing and preparation, I took the airport limousine bus that'll bring me to Incheon Int'l Airport. I was the only passenger at that time, thought it's a good thing, but it felt really awkward when the driver did the customary short speech and bowed at me. I was sleepy and tired so I dozed off while endless Christmas songs were being played on the radio. When I woke up, I heard the song "I'll be home for Christmas", thought it was perfect for the situation as I'm literally on my way home for Christmas.
I glanced at my watch every so often, calculating the time it'll take. The bus departed at 6:20 pm, and usually, it takes only about an hour to get to the airport, but considering the traffic I added another hour to my calculation. There was moderate traffic on the road that night, but I sort of expected that. Time and time again, I assured myself that there is nothing to worry about. At 7:30, I eagerly checked the surroundings for signage that'll show where my location was. I was more than surprised when I saw that I was still in Gyeonggi, still far from the airport. I patiently waited but unable to calm myself, my flight was at 9:35, it was past 8 and I was nowhere near Incheon. By the time the clock hit 9, I was in state of panic, and kept on calling Chris to inform the airline that I'm stuck in the worst traffic ever and I'm going to be late. He talked with them and they said they'll wait for me till 9:10, later than that, they wont accept me. I bit my lip hard, at that time I just entered Incheon area and all I could see are endless rows of red tail lights.
My head was in a frenzy of thoughts. Part of me says I won't be able to make it, too bad the ticket isn't rebookable nor refundable. I kept telling myself it's now or never, I can't bear to lose that much money, not now, not ever! I sweated profusely while I prayed for a little Christmas miracle. The bus barely moves and when it does, it's slower than a person running! At 9:20 the roads cleared as we entered the intersection going to the airport. The driver sort of recognized that there is a huge possiblilty that I'm going to miss my flight, so he sped up as fast as he could. As soon as I got off the bus, I ran to the airline booth. It was 9:32 pm when I checked the time.
Even before reaching their designated table, one of the ground staff called my attention from afar, asking if I was Manila bound and I said yes. He then asked if I was Emma, again I said yes while catching my breath (I knew they were expecting me). I let out a sigh of relief when they accepted my passport and handed me the boarding pass. They asked if I have any liquid items or gels in my baggage... Crap! I said to myself. I forgot all about that. I prepared a luggage for 'check-in', and not for 'hand-carry' so obviously I didn't have that 'liquid-thingy rule' in my head while packing. Since I'm late, they could only accept hand-carried ones and I do have wine, and some skin care set I bought as gifts for my family. He said I should give those up and people from the security gate will confiscate those items. I felt really bad but he didn't leave me with any other option, besides, getting on my flight is more important than those things. It was 9:36 so he asked me to proceed and got another staff to escort me to the gate. I told the security personnel who opened my luggage that those items were gifts for my sister's wedding. I was ecstatic that I didn't need to throw those gifts away, I didn't forget to say thanks and I greeted him a Merry Christmas. He must have seen me so stressed, anxious, and in a hurry so he let me pass through easily.
Since the boarding gate is located at the far end of the airport, the staff and I took the train, she seemed oblivious to my presence. She was on her walkie-talkie the whole time and kept on checking her phone so I wasn't able to talk with her. I finally showed up right in front of the gate 10 minutes after the scheduled departure. One staff took my luggage from my hand and stowed it somewhere while I was frantically searching for the ticket and my boarding pass in my pocket. Another staff then asked me to hurry up and enter the plane. As soon as I went in, I looked for my luggage but couldn't find it, so the stewardess had to call an airline staff again and asked about my missing luggage. A different staff came inside the plane and escorted me back to the gate upstairs. He called his crew in the walkie-talkie and at an instant, 7 people showed up, he then asked me to find the person who took it. One guy came forward, explaining to me that when he measured the bag, it wouldn't fit in the overhead compartment so he took the liberty to bring it to the cargo area. I couldn't bear to be angry at him for not informing me before hand, afterall, I'm the cause of delay.
It was way past 10, almost 11 perhaps when the plane took off. I didn't bother to check the time, I just kept my eyes closed, avoiding the stares from fellow passengers. I was so exhausted and it didn't take long before I fell asleep. A stewardess woke me up, handing me my meal and my immigration card. I couldn't be happier knowing I'll be home just in time. The plane arrived an hour late from the scheduled time of arrival. It was 1 am then, officially it was Christmas day, I couldn't help smiling as I go along the almost empty road back home.
I glanced at my watch every so often, calculating the time it'll take. The bus departed at 6:20 pm, and usually, it takes only about an hour to get to the airport, but considering the traffic I added another hour to my calculation. There was moderate traffic on the road that night, but I sort of expected that. Time and time again, I assured myself that there is nothing to worry about. At 7:30, I eagerly checked the surroundings for signage that'll show where my location was. I was more than surprised when I saw that I was still in Gyeonggi, still far from the airport. I patiently waited but unable to calm myself, my flight was at 9:35, it was past 8 and I was nowhere near Incheon. By the time the clock hit 9, I was in state of panic, and kept on calling Chris to inform the airline that I'm stuck in the worst traffic ever and I'm going to be late. He talked with them and they said they'll wait for me till 9:10, later than that, they wont accept me. I bit my lip hard, at that time I just entered Incheon area and all I could see are endless rows of red tail lights.
My head was in a frenzy of thoughts. Part of me says I won't be able to make it, too bad the ticket isn't rebookable nor refundable. I kept telling myself it's now or never, I can't bear to lose that much money, not now, not ever! I sweated profusely while I prayed for a little Christmas miracle. The bus barely moves and when it does, it's slower than a person running! At 9:20 the roads cleared as we entered the intersection going to the airport. The driver sort of recognized that there is a huge possiblilty that I'm going to miss my flight, so he sped up as fast as he could. As soon as I got off the bus, I ran to the airline booth. It was 9:32 pm when I checked the time.
Even before reaching their designated table, one of the ground staff called my attention from afar, asking if I was Manila bound and I said yes. He then asked if I was Emma, again I said yes while catching my breath (I knew they were expecting me). I let out a sigh of relief when they accepted my passport and handed me the boarding pass. They asked if I have any liquid items or gels in my baggage... Crap! I said to myself. I forgot all about that. I prepared a luggage for 'check-in', and not for 'hand-carry' so obviously I didn't have that 'liquid-thingy rule' in my head while packing. Since I'm late, they could only accept hand-carried ones and I do have wine, and some skin care set I bought as gifts for my family. He said I should give those up and people from the security gate will confiscate those items. I felt really bad but he didn't leave me with any other option, besides, getting on my flight is more important than those things. It was 9:36 so he asked me to proceed and got another staff to escort me to the gate. I told the security personnel who opened my luggage that those items were gifts for my sister's wedding. I was ecstatic that I didn't need to throw those gifts away, I didn't forget to say thanks and I greeted him a Merry Christmas. He must have seen me so stressed, anxious, and in a hurry so he let me pass through easily.
Since the boarding gate is located at the far end of the airport, the staff and I took the train, she seemed oblivious to my presence. She was on her walkie-talkie the whole time and kept on checking her phone so I wasn't able to talk with her. I finally showed up right in front of the gate 10 minutes after the scheduled departure. One staff took my luggage from my hand and stowed it somewhere while I was frantically searching for the ticket and my boarding pass in my pocket. Another staff then asked me to hurry up and enter the plane. As soon as I went in, I looked for my luggage but couldn't find it, so the stewardess had to call an airline staff again and asked about my missing luggage. A different staff came inside the plane and escorted me back to the gate upstairs. He called his crew in the walkie-talkie and at an instant, 7 people showed up, he then asked me to find the person who took it. One guy came forward, explaining to me that when he measured the bag, it wouldn't fit in the overhead compartment so he took the liberty to bring it to the cargo area. I couldn't bear to be angry at him for not informing me before hand, afterall, I'm the cause of delay.
It was way past 10, almost 11 perhaps when the plane took off. I didn't bother to check the time, I just kept my eyes closed, avoiding the stares from fellow passengers. I was so exhausted and it didn't take long before I fell asleep. A stewardess woke me up, handing me my meal and my immigration card. I couldn't be happier knowing I'll be home just in time. The plane arrived an hour late from the scheduled time of arrival. It was 1 am then, officially it was Christmas day, I couldn't help smiling as I go along the almost empty road back home.
Just in time for new year's day.
I just got back from Jeju today. I'm tired, have sore muscles and aches here and there... I'm dying to write stuff about my recent trip to Manila and Jeju, but right now, I badly need to sleep. For the last ten days, I was constantly on the go I barely slept. And due to exhaustion from keeping up with my crazy schedule, I've been floating in and out of consciousness that I can barely keep track of time... I almost forgot that it's Jan 1st today! It's probably late but I would like to wish everyone a happy new year.
12.24.2008
flight.
7 hours before my flight back to Manila. I'm feeling anxious to finally see my family. It has only been a month since I went away but somehow it feels much longer than that.
I woke up early, did some final shopping for gifts to bring back home. I forgot to prepare gifts earlier so I was sort of cramming. I didn't realize that there are so many people I need to prepare presents for! I'm glad I was able to get what I needed in a short amount of time. Two hours to be exact! I decided to stick to my original plan and give my sister the wine... with permission from Chris of course! I had it wrapped nicely with peach and gold shimmering ribbons. I know she'll like it.
Time to pack things up...
I woke up early, did some final shopping for gifts to bring back home. I forgot to prepare gifts earlier so I was sort of cramming. I didn't realize that there are so many people I need to prepare presents for! I'm glad I was able to get what I needed in a short amount of time. Two hours to be exact! I decided to stick to my original plan and give my sister the wine... with permission from Chris of course! I had it wrapped nicely with peach and gold shimmering ribbons. I know she'll like it.
Time to pack things up...
12.04.2008
Of Neutrogena, Shopping, and Christmas
So I went to Aekyung today looking for Neutrogena Toner and Moisturizer. I forgot to pack my old one when I came here and this cold weather makes my face so dry that I rushed to buy a new one. Too bad, Aekyung only had limited Neutrogena products... I was only able to buy a facial wash which I don't exactly need so I resorted to just ordering those stuff online. It's kind of urgent so I wanted to buy it in the mall and use it as soon as possible but now I would have to wait a couple more days... with uber dry and itchy skin, almost unbearable.
Since I've got plenty of time to waste, I decided to go window shopping which turns out to be a bad idea. I ended up buying some tights and underwear which (again..) I don't really need. I don't know what's wrong with me but everytime I go to malls some different person possesses me and I always end up buying something impulsively so as much as possible I stay away from malls and department stores.
I saw a lot of 'eye candy' Christmas decors and trees lit with bright lights which entertained me while walking. I totally forgot all about the Christmas season ever since I came here but the nice decors of Aekyung reminded me that it's just around the corner. It hasn't been a week but I kinda miss the carols I hear back home. I miss feeling the 'anticipation' of the coming holidays, the preparation, the food and everything that has to do with Christmas. This will be the third year I'm spending it here.
Then I remembered the last Christmas I spent in the Philippines. It was last 2005, Chris and I had dinner first at Italianni's before I came home for noche buena. It was our first Christmas together so I nodded when he asked me out..
At home, I was assigned to do the barbecue while my brother and sister were helping my mom prepare the dishes. My dad came home carrying a 'mango bravo' cake from Conti's and we just couldn't wait so we ate it as soon as we saw it! I lost count how many servings of buko salad, spaghetti and ham I ate that night (and how many pounds I gained..^^). Then at stroke of midnight, we all went to the rooftop to watch the firework display and in the middle of all that noise, we greeted each other "Merry Christmas".
Chris perfectly understands whenever I get lonely come Christmas time so he tries his best to celebrate it in a special way. But of course no matter what he does, it wont be as special as the Christmas back home.
Since I've got plenty of time to waste, I decided to go window shopping which turns out to be a bad idea. I ended up buying some tights and underwear which (again..) I don't really need. I don't know what's wrong with me but everytime I go to malls some different person possesses me and I always end up buying something impulsively so as much as possible I stay away from malls and department stores.
I saw a lot of 'eye candy' Christmas decors and trees lit with bright lights which entertained me while walking. I totally forgot all about the Christmas season ever since I came here but the nice decors of Aekyung reminded me that it's just around the corner. It hasn't been a week but I kinda miss the carols I hear back home. I miss feeling the 'anticipation' of the coming holidays, the preparation, the food and everything that has to do with Christmas. This will be the third year I'm spending it here.
Then I remembered the last Christmas I spent in the Philippines. It was last 2005, Chris and I had dinner first at Italianni's before I came home for noche buena. It was our first Christmas together so I nodded when he asked me out..
At home, I was assigned to do the barbecue while my brother and sister were helping my mom prepare the dishes. My dad came home carrying a 'mango bravo' cake from Conti's and we just couldn't wait so we ate it as soon as we saw it! I lost count how many servings of buko salad, spaghetti and ham I ate that night (and how many pounds I gained..^^). Then at stroke of midnight, we all went to the rooftop to watch the firework display and in the middle of all that noise, we greeted each other "Merry Christmas".
Chris perfectly understands whenever I get lonely come Christmas time so he tries his best to celebrate it in a special way. But of course no matter what he does, it wont be as special as the Christmas back home.
1.02.2008
How did I spend my Christmas Eve?!
On Christmas eve, I had dinner at VIPS. It's so difficult to get a reservation and it took nearly 2 hours before the waiter ushered us into the table. Main course was Rib-eye steak with vegetables and baked potatoes... and the others, I got from the buffet salad bar which actually has everything from seafood, to buritos, do-it-yourself pizzas, soups, salads, pastries, ice cream and whole lot more! I honestly think their food wasn't that good!!! Well, I mean I couldn't get $40 worth for what I had.
After dinner, I took home a cake from Tous Les Jours and they gave me a bottle of Belgian Champagne for free! I called my mother before midnight then drank champagne before sleeping... I really couldn't feel any 'Christmas Spirit' goin on here!!! I just miss spending Christmas back at home.
12.11.2007
Korean Christmas
Wherever I go these days, I am constantly reminded that Christmas is just around the corner. Athough Christmas is also anticipated here in Korea, they don't celebrate it like we do back home. Most of Koreans spend Christmas like any other holiday. They are just anticipating the long winter vacation ahead and spend it travelling abroad or going to far places with their family. However, many places are dressing up to remind everyone about this season...
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