Anger

Anger is the most frightening emotion that brings out the worst in people. It is weakness in the mind. A slip of control in just a split second and waves of negative energy keep crashing in. Receiving anger really shakens me and leaves me feeling so disorientated because all the calm in my mind is disturbed.

Instinctively we sometimes react back in anger, but fighting fire with fire only brings tension and unnecessary unhappiness to everyone. It is uncalled for. We are human and we have emotions, but emotions are created in the mind and that we can choose how we want to feel. We decide our own happiness.

We are not perfect, but at the end of every day we should want to be better people tomorrow.

Sleepless

You are sleeping soundly next to me right now and your peaceful face is truly the most beautiful thing.

I miss times when I could listen to your breathing every night; fall asleep to your wake up to random hugs from you in the middle of the night; laugh at and take pictures of your strange sleeping positions; fight with you to get more of the blanket; always have you right next to me.

Most importantly, I miss being able see you first thing when I open my eyes and have you be the last image I see before closing my eyes everyday.

Light

Finally wore this eagle cropped top that has been hibernating in my closet for the past seven months. Oh and I really need to fix my gold hairband because the ends are falling off...

Shopping in Seoul

I am always getting questions about where to shop in Seoul, so I considered doing a post about it for the benefit of whoever might need it. I decided to write this post today because I was just browsing online Korean shops and I'm in the mood to talk about shopping!

I did most of my shopping online while I was in Seoul because it's cheaper and way too convenient, but will talk about four places I have gone to for actual physical shopping. All pictures are not mine and are taken from visitkorea unless otherwise stated because I didn't take pictures while I was shopping.

1. Dongdaemun

Ah Dongdaemun. The first place everyone thinks of when it comes to shopping in Seoul. It's a whole area of shopping centres (think copies of Bangkok's Platinum) that is bustling with people even after midnight. Most of the shopping centres that I like are open from about 10 pm to 4 am, so I would only recommend DDM to people who have the time and energy to go shopping during such late hours.

This is the most useful map I could find, from daodaodao.com

Forget Doota and Good Morning City. They're overpriced and I can find some of Good Morning City stuff online at half the price. The shopping centres I like are wholesale shopping centres congregated near Dongdaemun History and Culture Park station Exit 2 (head right after exiting, see map above).

For sunglasses, spectacles, bags and caps,

NUZZON (뉴존 in Korean if you want to google map it)

NUZZON is also awesome for guys' clothing, but not so much for the ladies.

For ladies' clothing,

U:US

It's opposite NUZZON and has really really beautiful clothes but the first and last time I went there I couldn't get anything because all of the shops I went into told me that they were wholesalers and only took large orders ): It's still worth a try though, because my blogshop bosses managed to buy some pieces there when they came to Seoul!

apM and apM Luxe (very near apM)

They have stuff like U:US too, but are more open to individual shopping as compared to U:US from my experience.

Note: clothing price ranges from 20 to 30 SGD but the designs are really gorgeous and the quality is good compared to what you typically find in Platinum in Bangkok and Argyle Center in Hong Kong

For ladies' shoes,

Designer's Club has a decent selection, but for most of the shops you have to order before 2 am or so (do ask) and collect your shoes at about 3 am.

For the guys,

NUZZON and apM has pretty good stuff. I'm not sure about apM Luxe because I didn't check out the guys' stuff while I was there though.

2. Hongdae

This is the main shopping area

I like going to Hongdae because besides the shopping, there is a lot of good food to choose from. There are also youths busking around the area, usually during weekend nights. So the feel is the best among all the four places. To get there, take Exit 9 of Hongik Univcrsity Station. Go straight and take the second right. Keep walking and you'll see the stretch of shops.

3. Edae

Edae is where the famous Ewha Women's University is located. There are a decent number of shops, but I find that Hongdae has a better variety and the clothes are nicer. Ewha University Station, Exit 2.

4. Gangnam Underground Shopping Arcade

Not a lot of people know about this place, but it's not bad! The prices are lower than those found in Hongdae and Edae, but the the ambience isn't as good as the other two. It's easy to find items for about 11 SGD each and for sale items, prices can get as low as about 6 SGD. I got a neon pink skirt for 11 SGD and earrings for slightly over 1 SGD each. It's crazy crowded on weekend afternoons though, so it's best to go on a weekday.

The arcade is located at Express Bus Terminal Station, Exit 8.

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Shopping is one of the things I really love about Seoul. Seoulites' dressing and make-up is quite different from that of Singaporeans (and probably from the rest of the world). It's normal to dress up even for school (heels are everywhere) with just-stepped-out-of-the-salon hair and a significant amount of makeup on. Even the guys dress up. Singaporeans are much more casually dressed, but in defense of our country, I guess it's just not in our culture, plus the hot weather dampens any mood to dress up so most would just opt for comfort.

Back in time

Last week, I returned the place I used to call my second home for a batch reunion. It was a night for all of us to revisit memories and catch up with people who used to be part of our everyday lives. It felt different, yet the same. It was a nice feeling. It also felt nice to be remembered by teachers, although I hope they remember me for good reasons haha. I got to see my favourite teacher and I took a picture with her but I have no idea with whose camera. I'm hoping it will somehow surface on Facebook and find its way to me.

IJ will always hold a special place in my heart for it was where I received true education. It was where I was happiest learning, where I met my friends for life and where my character and values were formed. I will always be thankful for the ten years I spent there.

Times change and slowly I unknowingly conform to societal norms in certain ways, but deep down I will never forget what's important.

Just some food for thought

A man can live and be healthy without killing animals for food; therefore, if he eats meat, he participates in taking animal life merely for the sake of his appetite. 

Leo Tolstoy

Not to get all people-who-eat-animals-are-murderers on anyone here (I still have cravings for salmon pretty frequently), but just something to think about.

Goodnight.

I've missed you, Singaporean food!

The past few days have been simple, maybe even mundane for some. There are so many people to catch up with, but I want a respite from everything because for the longest time, I've been rushing to do something everyday. I actually feel tired. So this is what I really need - to just relax, collect my thoughts and get myself in the right state of mind before life starts getting busy again.

Needless to say, I've been indulging in food that I've missed for the last five months. Being away from home made me realise how much I take Singapore and the food we have here for granted.

Everything in Korea, or rather everything I usually ate, was based on red pepper, so everything tasted almost the same. Being from Singapore, my wonderful food paradise with an insane variety to choose from, I got bored of Korean food after a week or two. Maybe it was because I was 85.714286% vegetarian in Korea that my food choices were drastically limited. I ate bibimbap (mixed vegetable rice) and kimbap (rice roll) almost everyday. Don't get me wrong, bibimbap and kimbap are delicious (my favourites), but I can't live without Singaporean hawker food.

Throughout my exchange, whenever I share stories about Singapore with my KUBA (Korea University Buddy Assistants) members (more about that another time, but this is basically a group of international students), I am mostly talking to them about the food we have here. I think I really sold Singapore to them though, because a few of them have told me that they will see me in Singapore haha!

As Virgina Woolf says, "One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well."

Indeed!

Back to where I belong

After delving into unfamiliarity and learning to get used to it for five months, I am finally back home. Equipped with what I've seen and learnt, I hope I will live life better as a better person from now on. Posts on my exchange journey will be up soon!