Comaradie is when you hear your native tongue, complete with accent, in a foreign land.

We were waiting for our food at a roadside stall when we heard a familiar accent asking what the store was selling. It was nice to answer in the accent, words and level of formality that was built in us, instead of always bowing and replying that we couldn't speak Korean. In Korean.

I'm not sick of Korea. Yet. It is just not so difficult to remember that this is not where I come from. The "Alien Registration" card snug in my wallet continues to be a reminder of my foreigness.

Imagine when the school holidays arrive and more Singaporean families come over for a holiday. Who knows. I might even earn a little from being their guide :)

Griping post

It's always an eye-opener to me how people know others are different but maintain the concept of "we" as a group of homogenous people. All communications with "us" must be acceptable according to "our" standards and all communications to "them" should follow "our" standards.

For claiming to be from a multi-racial and multi-religious country, Singaporeans are some of the most guilty people.

I find it such an oxymoron that our stress on maintaining inter-racial harmony should culimate into intercultural communication classes in university.

Some of us are so narrow-minded to accept that other people have their own norms and practices too. It's not that we have to be polycentric to live up to our name as a quiltwork country, it's not that we have to compromise our values. Why can't we just respect others for their own backgrounds they were brought up in, and acknowledge that others have different systems of getting stuff done?

I really wish that this other person reads my blog as well cos these words would fit exactly what I want to say to him.

You can throw it back at me that I'm too myopic to accept you have your own conformist styles, but maybe you shouldn't be talking so much when your worldview is the sky from the bottom of the well.

Lessons from Korea

1. The number of layers of clothes is not a choice

2. Gloves and beanie are basic necessities

3. When fingers are numb, a bump hurts more than a cut

4. Kids in winter clothes are freaking cute!

5. The (closed) windows brings cold air, aircon and fridge brings warmth

6. Provided meals are sooo wonderful

7. Delivery meals are damn cheap, and good

8. Never change before checking outside the window

9. Knowing the weather forecast is important

10. Make up feels damn good on the skin here

11. Face shop and skin food is everywhere, cheap and good. With freebies every single time you buy from them, no matter how little

12. Namdaemun sucks. Myong-dong is the best

13. "Yo"s are important here. "Ya"s are rude. And no one pays attention when you scream out hokkien vulgarities :)

14. Knowing how to speak Korean, or someone who knows how to, is sooo important.

15. I'm attending lessons with like the Korean GEP-ers

16. I'm going to miss kimbap when I get back

17. Sometimes, the sun is really good to have around

Skiing!

Breakfast in the subway! (You can eat in the trains and trains stations here)

First sighted flats in Yangji

My ski gloves!





Camwhoring after just alighting at Yangji

Me! We rented those equipment at half the price of the resort's from a ski shop outside of the resort. That ski shop was also where we met our instructor :D

That man is our suuuper nice ski instructor. He gave us free lessons, brought us out to dinner and helped us get our tickets back to Seoul!

Wee!! Haha those ugly bibs should be there to show we are first-timers, I think.

On the little ski "escalator" up the orange slope.

Huh?

Group photo!




Be-autiful sunset at Yangji.