2016 went by really quick. I was at Korea with my family for two weeks in February, SEA for 3 months during summer break and spent Christmas and New Years in UK and I'm done with 5 semesters with 1 more semester left to go.
2017 is going to be a pretty scary year for me. I'm really looking forward to see where I'll end up by the end of 2018 and hopefully, not in the same spot. It's the year that I will be graduating from my degree and I have to again, figure out where I'll be going from there. It took me a long while to figure out what I was going to do after SPM, and then A-Levels and I after this, it will be the end of my formal education if I don't continue masters.
I guess I would have never thought that I would be travelling so much during my degree life but I am so thankful for these past 3 years even though my CV is probably empty, I have gained so much more knowledge and self confidence that no internship would have helped me in.
It is definitely not travelling that does that to you, but the people you meet in between, how lonely it gets sometimes, or when you just don't and cannot connect with the backpackers you meet in a hostel, or no matter how hard you try to make friends but you're still not very comfortable or on days, you just don't feel like doing anything, or that you don't have your friends or family around you when you're sick or when you're in trouble, or on some days, you feel like you're on your own with no one to turn to, when you're sick, there's no one to depend on but yourself.
It is also all the food I get to try and how sometimes when you make a connection with someone and they tell you intimate stuff about themselves, how it made me teared because I feel so much more and I don't take connections like these for granted because it is hard for me to make a connection. Looking back, it was all the stupid mistakes I made that I really can laugh about it now. How I rode a scooter halfway to town only to realise there's no gas and no one around me understood or could understand that I need gas despite my actions trying to explain it ( one of the locals brought me to a police station lol). I also remember riding up to the mountains only to realise that I'm lost and it was drizzling and cold and I was wearing only a tank top and shorts and how a family invited me to their house for some hot drinks even though we don't speak any common language. The whole night it was just us talking with sign language and me showing them pictures of my travel and them being amazed and they brought out their photo albums and start showing me random pictures of... their family I would presume.
It is going to a country that speaks in a completely different language and trying to figure out how their public transportation works (Google Map is AWESOME), how they spend their days, what they usually eat, it is listening to their conversations in a completely alien language. There is just something about that that is so beautiful. It is about them showing their affection and care towards a stranger like me with a completely different language but a universal body language and tone.
It is about spending a month in a country and just taking my time to explore, to talk to the locals and experience what they experience in their country. It is them talking with pride about their local delicacies, about the beauty of their country.
It is all these that really puts a smile to my face. I feel like I grew every time I come back from a country because I learn so much more.
Things don't always go my way and I learn to be okay with it. I learn to be okay with not enjoying myself when I'm out. I learnt that it is okay to spend a whole day in bed in your hostel because I just didn't feel like doing anything. I learnt to ask for help when I need one. I learnt to approach people and try to make conversations when I feel lonely. I learnt that it is okay on days where I feel not okay.
All in all, I am really glad I have a home to go back to and my home is wherever my family is.
I've always admired people who have a clear vision or at least they know what they want to aim for in the future because I don't. It really scares me a bit to not know what lies ahead but as someone I care about deeply's favorite quote - " There is no experience but the present experience " .
Friday, 13 January 2017
Friday, 7 October 2016
2016 with a bang
Laying flat down on my tummy, typing on my laptop, listening to "Dreamer - Isbells", occasionally stealing glances on my dogs, one sprawling with his leg wide open on the sofa and one by my side, snuggled up next to me.
I'm feeling thankful for the past year, being able to experience things I never knew I would/could. I have learnt so much throughout the year and it has made me who I am today.
Sending my other half off to UK, crying when my dad cried. She FaceTimed my dad today and both of them cried over the phone and it made me cried too, just looking at them cry.
I was 55kg before I left to the States last year and when I came back to Malaysia 4 months later, I was at 63kg. I came back with more muscles and fats than when I left, it's crazy. I love the food there eventhough it makes people gassy, but holy shit, all the cheese you can eat??? I worked out a lot too, having to carry trays and carrying them one shot because I refuse to do the same work twice.
This year though, I decided to do SEA for my 3 months summer break with the money I had leftover from working in the States last year and after backpacking for a month in San Frans, Seattle, Grand Canyon and Hawaii. I had RM10,000 in my bank account from a combination of the leftover money, RM2000 tax return from US, and from working for a month part time in a juice bar during my study break.
I am really bad with directions and geography. I honestly and shamefully didn't know where any of the SEA countries were, except Thailand because I've been there. I didn't know where to start initially and how much to budget for. I was actually hoping to use only RM1,000 per country and coming back with at least RM5000 but total failure.
I bought a one way ticket to Philippines and from there, travel my way through and bought tickets when I think I should leave. In the short span of 3 months, I managed to cover Philippines, Bangkok and north of Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia with a budget of RM9,000.
I bought a ticket back when I think I should come back and spend time with my other half who will be gone for a year.
Laos has never crossed my mind the whole entire time and Laos was supposed to be my cross-border country to reach Vietnam by land because I refuse to pay for the air fare. And yet, Laos turned out to be my favourite country (tie with Vietnam). I love Vang Vieng and Luang Prabang, how there's so much to do and also so much to not do (if you get what I mean).
You can rock climb, go tubing while bar hopping, smoke joint, all day long while watching reruns of Friends, lookout at the Mekong River, rent cheap bicycles and scooters, Kuang Si waterfall (thus far the most beautiful waterfall I've been to).
My phone died on me on the first two weeks of my travel, so for the next 2 months and 2 weeks I was without a phone and wow, I never knew I could travel without Google Maps. Backpacking for a month in US, I depended so much on Google Maps because I can never remember my way back and I'm someone who would walk if it takes less than an hour to reach the destination.
Coming home though, after 3 months, is amazing. I don't have to move, lug around my backpack, worry about whether I have enough money to spend, debating on whether I should spend that RM5 on a doughnut or a proper meal. All of a sudden, everything is just, stabilised, I'm no longer on the move all the time. It feels great, but at the same time, empty.
I learnt too, a lot about myself and in a sense, grew.
I'm feeling thankful for the past year, being able to experience things I never knew I would/could. I have learnt so much throughout the year and it has made me who I am today.
Sending my other half off to UK, crying when my dad cried. She FaceTimed my dad today and both of them cried over the phone and it made me cried too, just looking at them cry.
I was 55kg before I left to the States last year and when I came back to Malaysia 4 months later, I was at 63kg. I came back with more muscles and fats than when I left, it's crazy. I love the food there eventhough it makes people gassy, but holy shit, all the cheese you can eat??? I worked out a lot too, having to carry trays and carrying them one shot because I refuse to do the same work twice.
This year though, I decided to do SEA for my 3 months summer break with the money I had leftover from working in the States last year and after backpacking for a month in San Frans, Seattle, Grand Canyon and Hawaii. I had RM10,000 in my bank account from a combination of the leftover money, RM2000 tax return from US, and from working for a month part time in a juice bar during my study break.
I am really bad with directions and geography. I honestly and shamefully didn't know where any of the SEA countries were, except Thailand because I've been there. I didn't know where to start initially and how much to budget for. I was actually hoping to use only RM1,000 per country and coming back with at least RM5000 but total failure.
I bought a one way ticket to Philippines and from there, travel my way through and bought tickets when I think I should leave. In the short span of 3 months, I managed to cover Philippines, Bangkok and north of Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia with a budget of RM9,000.
I bought a ticket back when I think I should come back and spend time with my other half who will be gone for a year.
Laos has never crossed my mind the whole entire time and Laos was supposed to be my cross-border country to reach Vietnam by land because I refuse to pay for the air fare. And yet, Laos turned out to be my favourite country (tie with Vietnam). I love Vang Vieng and Luang Prabang, how there's so much to do and also so much to not do (if you get what I mean).
You can rock climb, go tubing while bar hopping, smoke joint, all day long while watching reruns of Friends, lookout at the Mekong River, rent cheap bicycles and scooters, Kuang Si waterfall (thus far the most beautiful waterfall I've been to).
My phone died on me on the first two weeks of my travel, so for the next 2 months and 2 weeks I was without a phone and wow, I never knew I could travel without Google Maps. Backpacking for a month in US, I depended so much on Google Maps because I can never remember my way back and I'm someone who would walk if it takes less than an hour to reach the destination.
Coming home though, after 3 months, is amazing. I don't have to move, lug around my backpack, worry about whether I have enough money to spend, debating on whether I should spend that RM5 on a doughnut or a proper meal. All of a sudden, everything is just, stabilised, I'm no longer on the move all the time. It feels great, but at the same time, empty.
I learnt too, a lot about myself and in a sense, grew.
Monday, 25 July 2016
Crossing the border from Thailand to Laos
They use Kip as their currency in Laos. 10,000Kip = RM5= USD1.20
Crossing the border from Thailand to Huay Xai
From Chiang Rai, we took a bus to Chiang Khong for THB65 which is the border of Thailand before crossing to the Laos border. It took about two hours. We told the bus driver beforehand that we were going to cross the border to Laos
When we reached, they told us to get down and there is tuk tuk waiting to bring you to the border. Apparently there is a sign already stating that is cost THB50 to the border so there was no use bargaining.
It was a fairly easy process where we got our exit stamp and then paid for a shuttle bus to cross the bridge to Laos' border for THB20
Upon arrival to the border, you can obtain the visa on arrival where you fill up the form and paid USD35( I think, for Americans) plus a passport size picture.
When that is done, you cross over and get the entry stamp and once you exit the building, there will already be jeepneys waiting to take you to the city centre of Huay Xai. We coupled up with a few people and got a cheaper price for it at THB80 per person.
Summary
Bus from Chiang Rai to Chiang Khong -> THB65/MYR8
Tuk tuk to Thailand's immigration office to get the exit stamp -> THB50/MYR6
Shuttle bus to Laos' immigration office -> THB20/MYR3
Jeepney from Laos' immigration office to city centre of Huay Xai->THB80/MYR9
Total : THB215/MYR25/USD6
From Huay Xai to Luang Prabang
We chose to take the two days slow boat to LP costing THB1000/210,000Kip/MYR108/USD27 that does not include food. It has comfy chairs but in like 100 degree sitting position for 6-7 hours which can get pretty tiring and agitating. They sell cup noodle, snacks, water, alcohol in the boat but the price is a lot more expensive. So, buy whatever you need before boarding the boat.
The slow boat will stop at Pakbeng for a night before continuing the next day to Luang Prabang making it a 2 day journey.
First day slowboat : Huay Xai -> Pakbeng
Having read a lot of blogs about their experience, we got up super early and walked to the ticket vendor and bought the ticket with the seat numbers on it to make sure we don't get the behind seats which was nearer to the motor and really noisy and hot. The boat leaves at 9am, we woke up at 7am to buy the tickets. The ticket vendor lady said we could board the boat already if we want to but since there were seat numbers, we kinda chilled around a restaurant overlooking the Mekong River and boarded the boat at around 8.30a.m.
And, boy, were we glad we did.
Turns out, the seat number does not apply. You just sit wherever there are seats available, so being one of the earlier ones, we got to choose. There are more people than seats available so it took a long time for everyone to settle down and actually get a seat.
Chairs were laid out in the middle of the aisle making it a very awkward position for the few. The late comers all have the same confused expression when they realize their seat has been taken until everyone tell them the same thing ' you can sit wherever you want, the seat numbers don't matter'.
We took away sandwiches to eat in the boat for lunch that is seemingly available in most shops in Huay Xai costing 10,000Kip-15,000Kip / RM5-RM7/ USD1-USD2
The journey took about 6-7 hours or longer because the boat was stopping at places to drop villagers off and by the end of the day, everyone actually have seats without having to sit at that awkward chair by the aisle.
Once you step down to Pakbeng, you will be flocked by hotel staffs showing you the pictures of their hotel. All of them seem to have the same price, 80,000Kip/MYR40/USD10 for a room with two beds, shower,free wifi and fan. We asked if it was near the pier and just chose one and went.
Second day slowboat : Pakbeng to Luang Prabang
The next day, everyone seem to be smarter and woke up earlier to get to the boat because none of us wants to sit in that 'awkward chair'.
Turns out, we had a different boat and it has more seats. The journey to LP took about 6-8 hours too and it seems like everyone(including me) were restless. We can't wait to land because the slow boat is really bloody slow.
Halfway through the journey, people were just lying on the floor just to get a more comfortable position. The floor is pretty clean, before entering the boat we were all required to remove our slippers and shoes and put it in the plastic bag provided.
Upon reaching Luang Prabang
There were tuk tuks waiting to drive people to the city centre.
The two day slow boat journey offer some really incredible views. We were surrounded by hills and mountains. We saw cows, goats, kids showering and swimming naked in the Mekong River, locals waving as we pass by, the noisy speedboats that passed us occasionally, boats shaped like part house ( I assume they do everything in the boat) part boat. Definitely bring books to read or download games in your phone or buy chips and sodas and alcohols beforehand because the journey gets pretty tiring after awhile.
I don't think I will do it again just because I am a very antsy person and sitting for 6-8 hours is not something I would fancy doing again but it is definitely an eye opener for me.
Crossing the border from Thailand to Huay Xai
From Chiang Rai, we took a bus to Chiang Khong for THB65 which is the border of Thailand before crossing to the Laos border. It took about two hours. We told the bus driver beforehand that we were going to cross the border to Laos
When we reached, they told us to get down and there is tuk tuk waiting to bring you to the border. Apparently there is a sign already stating that is cost THB50 to the border so there was no use bargaining.
It was a fairly easy process where we got our exit stamp and then paid for a shuttle bus to cross the bridge to Laos' border for THB20
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| Getting our exit stamp |
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| Shuttle bus ticket to Laos' border |
Upon arrival to the border, you can obtain the visa on arrival where you fill up the form and paid USD35( I think, for Americans) plus a passport size picture.
 |
| Filling out the visa form |
When that is done, you cross over and get the entry stamp and once you exit the building, there will already be jeepneys waiting to take you to the city centre of Huay Xai. We coupled up with a few people and got a cheaper price for it at THB80 per person.
Summary
Bus from Chiang Rai to Chiang Khong -> THB65/MYR8
Tuk tuk to Thailand's immigration office to get the exit stamp -> THB50/MYR6
Shuttle bus to Laos' immigration office -> THB20/MYR3
Jeepney from Laos' immigration office to city centre of Huay Xai->THB80/MYR9
Total : THB215/MYR25/USD6
From Huay Xai to Luang Prabang
We chose to take the two days slow boat to LP costing THB1000/210,000Kip/MYR108/USD27 that does not include food. It has comfy chairs but in like 100 degree sitting position for 6-7 hours which can get pretty tiring and agitating. They sell cup noodle, snacks, water, alcohol in the boat but the price is a lot more expensive. So, buy whatever you need before boarding the boat.
The slow boat will stop at Pakbeng for a night before continuing the next day to Luang Prabang making it a 2 day journey.
First day slowboat : Huay Xai -> Pakbeng
Having read a lot of blogs about their experience, we got up super early and walked to the ticket vendor and bought the ticket with the seat numbers on it to make sure we don't get the behind seats which was nearer to the motor and really noisy and hot. The boat leaves at 9am, we woke up at 7am to buy the tickets. The ticket vendor lady said we could board the boat already if we want to but since there were seat numbers, we kinda chilled around a restaurant overlooking the Mekong River and boarded the boat at around 8.30a.m.
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| Having a good breakfast before the two days slow boat journey. |
Turns out, the seat number does not apply. You just sit wherever there are seats available, so being one of the earlier ones, we got to choose. There are more people than seats available so it took a long time for everyone to settle down and actually get a seat.
Chairs were laid out in the middle of the aisle making it a very awkward position for the few. The late comers all have the same confused expression when they realize their seat has been taken until everyone tell them the same thing ' you can sit wherever you want, the seat numbers don't matter'.
We took away sandwiches to eat in the boat for lunch that is seemingly available in most shops in Huay Xai costing 10,000Kip-15,000Kip / RM5-RM7/ USD1-USD2
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| One of our sandwich takeaway which is really pathetic... |
Once you step down to Pakbeng, you will be flocked by hotel staffs showing you the pictures of their hotel. All of them seem to have the same price, 80,000Kip/MYR40/USD10 for a room with two beds, shower,free wifi and fan. We asked if it was near the pier and just chose one and went.
Second day slowboat : Pakbeng to Luang Prabang
The next day, everyone seem to be smarter and woke up earlier to get to the boat because none of us wants to sit in that 'awkward chair'.
Turns out, we had a different boat and it has more seats. The journey to LP took about 6-8 hours too and it seems like everyone(including me) were restless. We can't wait to land because the slow boat is really bloody slow.
Halfway through the journey, people were just lying on the floor just to get a more comfortable position. The floor is pretty clean, before entering the boat we were all required to remove our slippers and shoes and put it in the plastic bag provided.
Upon reaching Luang Prabang
There were tuk tuks waiting to drive people to the city centre.
The two day slow boat journey offer some really incredible views. We were surrounded by hills and mountains. We saw cows, goats, kids showering and swimming naked in the Mekong River, locals waving as we pass by, the noisy speedboats that passed us occasionally, boats shaped like part house ( I assume they do everything in the boat) part boat. Definitely bring books to read or download games in your phone or buy chips and sodas and alcohols beforehand because the journey gets pretty tiring after awhile.
I don't think I will do it again just because I am a very antsy person and sitting for 6-8 hours is not something I would fancy doing again but it is definitely an eye opener for me.
Thursday, 7 April 2016
Volunteering & Travelling in Korea (Busan)
Quite a number of friends have asked me about this and I encouraged each and every one of them to try, especially if you're having a semester break, or taking a gap year. I guess one of the most important issue is the cost of volunteering and travelling.
I went through for volunteering and travelling in Korea for about a month. It was probably one of the best decisions I've made resulting in one of the best holidays I've spent.
Also, my very good friend, Tom, from Spain introduced me the website whereby you can find many other volunteering jobs. You can click into the website for more detailed explanation on how it works.
Upon registering as a member, you are required to pay €20 EUR which is about RM97.18 which lasts for 2 years.
There is also another website, in which I realise most volunteers that I've met in Korea uses.
Registration cost $29 USD which is about RM113.10 which lasts for only 1 year.
The differences is that Workaway has more list of hosts as compared to helpx but helpx is cheaper by RM20 and has a longer membership duration.
(Special thanks to Tom because before registering as a member for helpx, I used Tom's account to search for the suitable host and then, register myself, just so you know, I don't waste unnecessary money. This is because it was my first experience and I was still a little bit skeptical with the whole idea of volunteering in exchange for food and accommodation. Plus, the website looks a bit dodgy.)
Once you are a member, just pick any country you plan to visit, and then you'd be able to view the list of hosts.
Reason why I picked going to Busan instead of Seoul is because I believe the standards of living in Busan is lower compared to Seoul and since our currency is quite weak against the Won, it is actually quite expensive to survive in South Korea.
Anyway, it really depends on what you are looking for. For me, I wanted to meet people from all around the world, thus, I picked the one that requires a higher amount of helpers. Also, I picked the job that has the most reviews. More reviews in which helpers themselves tell their experience, so, in a way, you'd know whether this the right job for you.
I picked to work in LZone Language Cafe in Busan so I sent them an email through Helpx and within a day, I received a reply. The owner of Lzone, Mike, requested a Skype interview that lasted for about 15-20 minutes. He asked a few simple questions, and also explained the working routine and what to expect. He asked me to send him my air ticket through email to confirm that I won't be bailing out. But Emil & Frankie, both from UK has taken over the role as the person in charge with all the Skype interviews, so you will be seeing them through Skype instead if you choose to volunteer under Lzone. (PS: Tell them I said hi!!)
Fast forward to the day I landed in South Korea, I arrived at Busan at around 7pm ish. Once I arrived, I found my way easily to the cafe from the metro station as they've provided specific instructions which is easily understood. If you are lost, you can just ask any Koreans you've met on the streets as LZone is really famous in that area.
To start of with, LZone International Language operates in Kyungsung-dae district in the city of Busan, which is one of the liveliest districts in the city as there are several universities with convenient subway access and only 15 minutes walk from the beach. Trust me when I said it's lively, it's like living in Changkat/Publika/Bangsar but probably much busier, especially on weekends.
So to make things easier, this is the details and requirements which I've gotten from their host list in helpx:-
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| On my first day of work, I've met a really nice Korean friend, and his name is Jee Hun, he brought me around Busan and treated me to my first Korean beer! Throughout my month in Korea, he has always been really nice, bringing me around Busan and always helping me out. I am really grateful to him and felt really lucky to met him :) |
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| Typical lunch & dinner they provide. On some good days, you'll be served bibimbap and kimchijeon (kimchi pancake). |
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| They also provide free Korean classes every week. |
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| First bottle of Soju! It's so cheap, like RM5 per bottle? |
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| In the metro on the way to Grid, one of the best clubs in Seomyang to celebrate Ellie's birthday! <3 |
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| Meet one of my favs, Maegen from Scotland & Billy from Cheras! |
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| One of the best drinks ever created, makgeolli, Korean rice wine. |
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| Typically, makgeolli is eaten with kimchijeon during a rainy weather. BEST COMBO EVER. |
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| We also had this flour noodle which tasted like Mee Hoon Kueh. |
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| Meet Scott from Belgium! I wanted to have some dreadlocks on my hair and he offered to do it for me, but my hair was too soft and I had to resort to washing my hair with soap. But it was still too soft :( |
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| Sometimes, we have movie nights with lots of snacks in the hostel ;) |
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| Korean Fried Chicken, food from heaven. Even the tteok(rice cake) was fried and it was so chewy plus fries are sprinkled with cheese shavings. |
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| Meet Joab from Mexico & Franco from Barcelona. |
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| Even pizza taste good in Korea. |
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| A typical day in Lzone. 2 volunteers are assigned to each table, so I'm with Julia, from Germany. The other 3 are one of my favourite Koreans! |
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| Dwaeji Gukbap, the famous pork and rice soup which apparently is really good for those who had hangover from a night of drinking. |
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| Meet Ye Ji from the furthest right. We met her in Lzone, and she's a local so she brought us to a famous shopping district to get our shopping done. |
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| One of the street food everywhere, waffles! Their waffles taste so good. |
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| Deep fried puffer fish - puffer fish is supposed to be very poisonous if it is not prepared right |
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| Meet Mi Suk, she actually made research on the best place to have puffer fish and brought us there. ;_; |
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| Meet Neal from Korea, Maegen from UK & Kevin from USA |
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| Us having our meal. One thing I really like about Korean food is the amount side dishes along with the main course. So much love for their food! |
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| Ye Ji from Korean, Julia from Germany and Mi Suk from Korea! |
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| An illustration of how puffer fish looks like |
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| Gwangali Beach; 15 minutes walk away from our hostel |
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| Yes, this is part of the side dish as well, beondegi; broiled silkworm |
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| The food I've been wanting to try for so long!! It was moving quite a lot and it tasted really fresh! |
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| Look at the amount of side dishes :O |
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| Sometimes we have entertainers at night playing the guitar and singing in the hostel. Meet Emil from Manchester & David from Chile. |
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| Hanging out by the beach on our off days |
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| Celebrating Stephen's birthday! |
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| A Korean in Lzone teaching me how to pronounce different fruits so that I could easily order fruit juice in the local juice store |
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| And guess who came down to visit me! Jinnnnn. He was my classmate during A-Levels but he returned to Korea. It was so good seeing familiar faces. |
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| And you know the stereotype that all Koreans can sing? IT IS TRUE! All Koreans CAN sing! Probably it's because one of their past time is in Norebang (Karaoke). I've also spent a lot of my time there in Norebang and had so much fun! It was really cheap as well. On my second last day in Korea, I lost my voice singing and yelling in Norebang from 1am until 5am. |
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| Oyster soup |
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| Maegen, in which we got food poisoning together :P, sharing toilet, taking turns to puke. |
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| Gwangali Beach <3 |
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| I've also tried baseball for the first time in my life. About 1.000 won (RM4.50) for 20 shots |
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| By the last week, I was actually quite sick of Korean food, so it was nice to have something different. And this cost only 3,000 won which is about RM12-15. |
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| Meet Rhia and Natalie (Korea) who brought their manicure sets over to our hostel to do our nails for us! |
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| Rhea painted his right hand fingernails whereas I did the left! Meet Charles, my mochi and roommate from France. |
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| Rhia even brought her manicure tools to Lzone because I messed up my manicure :x |
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| View from our balcony. A good place to do your work outs in the morning and the chill at night with a guitar. |
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| Charles and Omar from Israel |
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| More drinking and eating after work |
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| Usual hangout spot. Outside CU, a convenient store with bottle of soju |
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| From left, Sarah (Canada), Billy (Malaysia), Kevin (USA), Lucas (Switzerland), Charles (France), Omar (Israel), Birdie (Denmark) & Maegen (UK) |
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| There was a day whereby they need us to come in on a Saturday to aid with some recording for some TV show, this is us communicating with a 95 years old Korean senior citizen who was really fluent in his English and Mandarin. |
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| In exchange for coming in on a weekend, FREE PIZZAS FOR EVERYONE. |
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| Our trip to the SEA Temple |
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| Ended our night with Samgyeopsal (Korean BBQ) for dinner |
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| More soju nights! |
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| In just one picture, we come from 10 different countries; Belgium, Switzerland, Canada, Denmark, Malaysia, France, United Kingdom, United States of America, Germany & Korea |
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| All dead on the way back from SEA Temple we were so tired we just fell asleep in the Metro. |
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| Meet Gonny (Korean), my housemate and a future flight attendant |
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| I also had the chance to visit the famous fish market; Jakgalchi Market |
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| But before that, some street food! Kimchi and spring onion pancake |
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| Half eaten tteokbokkis |
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| Man doo; dumplings |
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| Gimbaps |
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| Chicken satays |
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| Dried seaweeds |
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| Ke bul, penis fish. Too bad I never had a chance to try this |
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| Cheese dakgalbi, one of my absolute favourite food in Korea!! Can cry eating this, |
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| Cheaper option of cheese dakgalbi |
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| Another version of cheese dakgalbi but this is the more expensive option |
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| Kimchi Cold Noodle |
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| Supper! Gimbap which costs 1,000 won |
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| Strawberry bingsu! Honestly, strawberries taste so so much better in Korea as compared to Malaysia. Before I left, I had as much strawberries as I can and I am missing the taste of it so much right now. |
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| Us on the way to Jimjilbang (Korean Spa). *Korean fashion lol! |
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| User guide and instructions to use the jimjilbangs |
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| Changing rooms |
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| Gina & Callan! |
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| They also have a lot of different rooms to enjoy the sauna |
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| One of the best jimjilbangs around in Busan |
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| Hotteok, pancakes filled with brown sugar, honey, cinnamon and nuts for the extra 'oomph'. All of us loved it so much, and they have an ahjumma selling very good hotteoks near our hostel! |
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| Cheese dakgalbi again! |
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| Meet Elodie from France (one of my roommate!) and Caleb from Las Vegas |
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| Kimchijeon! |
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| Strawberry makgeolli |
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| This is how my workplace looks like. I am seated on the same table with Maegen, and the Korean guys comes in the have a chat with us in English/ play board games/ card games! :) |
I ended my trip to Korea with a heavy heart. I wish to visit Korea again sometime in the future as I really think it's a beautiful country with beautiful people. I've made many friends from all edges of the world and learnt much about their culture. The different cultures still amazes me as we are all just people, but how can we live life so differently? I regret not taking enough pictures and probably more pictures of food than the people there.
Some of the advantages working in Lzone / working while travelling :-
1) I've met so many people and learnt so much about their culture. I was inspired by most of them, as they were taking their gap year/quit their jobs to discover to world via backpacking. Mostly, I was amazed by their courage as some of them were backpacking for almost a year alone, away from their family, some of them are only 18 year olds, some hated their jobs, but all of them just wanted to see the world.
2) Now you've heard of stereotypes about different races, etc, etc. But when you meet people who're backpacking/travelling, they are mostly fun, outgoing, adventurous people who loves making new friends and just wants to have fun! At the same time, we just want to enjoy life and make the most use of our time abroad, thus, everyone, sharing the common purpose, leads to more fun!
3) Culture shock. Trust me, working and partying with people from all over the world, you will definitely feel it. For me, one of the biggest culture shock is really just the difference in attitude and behaviour between Asians and Caucasians. Although it may not apply to everyone in particular, but in general, I've really noticed how loud and confident Caucasians are as compared to Asians.
4) You learn to work with people from different backgrounds. As our economy is becoming more integrated and globalised, we are deemed to work with people having different working cultures in the future, better start getting used to it now!
5) You may get free accommodation and tour guide when you visit their country in the future! *wink wink*
6) I can really tell the difference between the one month I've spent just purely travelling around Europe and 1 month spent working and travelling around Korea. Firstly, just by purely travelling, I don't meet as much friends as I did while working. Also, as I really, really hate planning, I would feel like my money is wasted if I'm not able to fully utilise my day. However, by working and travelling, it doesn't get boring as I occupied half my day working already. Besides, I get to really experience Korean culture while working as opposed to just purely travelling. I also found that working and travelling is much cheaper than just purely travelling!
Now you've heard plenty of good things from my side about working in Lzone, what's the downside?
1) No privacy. You literally live with 30 people in an apartment sharing 2 toilets (that's if you stay in global house). You can't really take your time in the toilet and if you choose to get diarrhoea, make sure it's in the middle of the night. But otherwise, this issue did not bother me much as I don't usually take long to shower in the bathroom.
*Global house- the 'big' apartment with 30 occupants.
2) It's rarely quiet. This will seriously affect those who're light sleepers. Again, this is not an issue for me so it did not bother me at all. Imagine living with 30 people, some are early riser, some party till late at night with the door making loud noise every time someone comes home. I know this girl who couldn't stand it after 2 weeks living in the global house, she stated that she rarely had enough sleep causing her to have massive headaches. She moved out of the global house and into other small apartment.
I remember my first night arriving there, I was sleeping and then suddenly my roommate, whom I have not yet met, came barging into the room, drunk and was making a scene. It was quite funny tho.
*However, for those who prefer more privacy, a more quiet place, Lzone also prepares smaller apartments in which there will be 4 occupants each. Those apartment has also facilities like toilet, washing machine, kitchen and bunk beds. These apartments are given to those who prefer to stay with a single gender and prefer more solitude.
3) The job can get boring. As with most of the jobs you guys have had experience, it may become repetitive. Yes, meeting new people and making conversations everyday seems like an easy and fun job, I cannot deny that. However, imagine having almost the same conversation everyday as you'll meet new people everyday. "Hi, how old are you? What are you studying? etc, etc. ".
Otherwise, there's not much downside to it, really. I genuinely enjoyed my time in Korea so much so I couldn't stop talking about it when I'm back home!
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