My Emotional Mess

Music: The Trouble With Love Is by Kelly Clarkson

Love can be a many splendored thing
Can't deny the joy it brings
A dozen roses, diamond rings
Dreams for sale and fairy tales
It'll make you hear a symphony
And you just want the world to see
But like a drug that makes you blind,
It'll fool ya every time

The trouble with love is
It can tear you up inside
Make your heart believe a lie
It's stronger than your pride
The trouble with love is
It doesn't care how fast you fall
And you can't refuse the call
See, you got no say at all

Now I was once a fool, it's true
I played the game by all the rules
But now my world's a deeper blue
I'm sadder, but I'm wiser too
I swore I'd never love again
I swore my heart would never mend
Said love wasn't worth the pain
But then I hear it call my name

Every time I turn around
I think I've got it all figured out
My heart keeps callin' and I keep on fallin'
Over and over again
This sad story always ends the same
Me standin' in the pourin' rain
It seems no matter what I do
It tears my heart in two

Fireworks

Music: Inside the Fire by Disturbed

Today i went to the 8th Busan Fireworks Festival. It was supposed to be yesterday but it rained heavily the whole day so it was postponed to today. The fireworks were amazing, complete with laser shows and accompanying music, against the backdrop of Gwangan Bridge. However, its nothing ive never seen before. Although there was one where the firework was heart shaped, not only the outlines of a heart, but it was filled. a colored heart, in red of course. and then when the heart disappeared, the word 'LOVE' appeared for a brief moment. That was quite interesting. Love is the theme for this year's festival. We sort of arrived a bit late so the fireworks started while we were walking towards Gwangan Beach. There were sooooooo many people, at super crowded places i felt like i was in a mosh pit at a rock concert. The fireworks started at 8pm and lasted for 1 hour. We left around 8.45pm to beat the crowd in the subway, but still got to see the rest of the show while walking back.

It was a nice night out, the temp in Busan is soooo much higher than my place here. I went with wonderful company, different from my usual crowd, which was rather refreshing for a change. This has no bearing on my usual crowd btw, they are still the ppl im closest too and i like that. I also wanted to get out of this godforsaken far from everywhere place for a while. And i had a good time.

I just finished writing one of my midterm papers actually. 2 down 3 to go. 5 days left. Should be no problem i think haha. this assignment was given 3 weeks ago and i only started 2 days ago. Long live procrastination.

Off to sleep now. Tạm biệt.

Korean wedding

2 weeks ago i attended a friend's wedding in Busan. The ceremony was simple. It started at 3pm, we reached the venue around 2.30pm. It was a hall specially for weddings, at the top floor of a shopping mall. When we arrived, the groom (my friend) was at the entrance and greeted the guests. The bride was in the pelamin room, and guests can take pics with her.

Then at 3pm the ceremony started. Like matsalleh weddings, the bride walked down the aisle w her father, the groom waited at the front, then their version of tok kadi started w the mukadimah and after they were married ada taklid. Lol. Then someone sang a song, then family and friends can take pic with the married couple. There were decorated tables and chairs where family members sat. Other guests like friends just stood around the hall to watch the whole proceeding. There was no food or drinks served during the ceremony. It all ended in half hour. Nice and simple. There were no door gifts for the guests.

Later the couple changed into korean traditional clothes and had a traditional ceremony in a small room, with their parents only. I had the chance to witness it. Basically the whole thing was so simple, and takde sesak2 mcm kalau kat mesia time nikah ngan sanding, where everyone wants watch everything and take pics.

Then friends of the bride and groom went to a restaurant somewhere outside and waited for them to come and hangout and have a party and get drunk. Then it was all over.

Basically wedding diorang lepak gila and x banyak protocol. And makan minum yg proper like a banquet utk close family members je. Kesimpulannya, wedding kat mesia lagi meriah and best. Hehe.

Of socks, homework, and travel tips

Ok so im hanging out with a dear friend in his room. This friend has been so sweet and nice to me ever since i got here, most of the time unexpectedly. He also gave me something really nice for my birthday, something that he brought from his country which he asked his aunt to choose for him. And... he's also the most good looking guy here (in my list), hahaha. so anyway i came to share some grapes that i got as a belated bday present from another good friend who calls me bro here. The grapes is no match to the present but its the thought that counts right? (Btw ive officially confirmed the fact that, i cant run away from being a bro to guys no matter where i go)..

Ok so on w the the story, im doing my own thing while my friend is doing his hw, then i started to think about how i feel when some friends sometimes ask for my solutions to refer (i trust them not to copy, i hope my trust is not misplaced). I dont mind sharing my answers, in that way they can check mine for mistakes that i cant see or wrong answers or whatever.. But rarely anyone comes to share their thoughts or ideas w me after i give them my hw answers, i actually would like it very much if they come and discuss the answers rather than just looking at mine and not sharing what they think. But then i start to feel ashamed for thinking like this because sounds like aku ni berkira, like i want something in return, or tak ikhlas sharing my work. Infact i dont mind at all giving out my hw answers if anyone asks.. Im pretty sure i would be doing the asking in the future, i just feel some give and take would be nice, thats all. And then suddenly my friend here asked me about our hw and we ended up discussing the hw, well more like i explained to him the answers, but in the process i got some new ideas. U know how it is when things become clearer to u the more u explain about it. This friend didnt ask to see my solution, but merely discussed the hw and answers w me, and he even shared his ideas. Im gonna revise my solution later. Haha, i feel like this is such a petty thing really, ahh the things that go on in my head. Maybe coz ive been on a gossip girl marathon for the past few days.. Hahaha.

Anyway, the point that i really wanna make is, Isnt it wonderful how God works, there i was having these not so good thoughts and He made me feel so much better instantly.

I also have w me 9 pairs of brand new socks, with cute and girly patterns that are totally not my style, but i do appreciate it of course. Its probably a trend, or the easiest thing to give girls socks as bday presents in korea haha.

Lastly, i was reading this article about travel tips.. This has to be the best travel tip article that i've ever come across so far.. And there are many out there and most of which i can't really apply. I agree with everything the writer said, its like he read my mind! although its more likely that most travelers feel the same way, so nice to know that i have many kindred spirits out there.. Happy reading!

http://www.traveldudes.org/travel-tips/ten-tips-travel-after-fifteen-months-road/20092

Thirty and counting

Movie Marathon

Music: Supermassive Black Hole by Muse

I wanted to write about Seoul, but then I changed my mind. That would require some effort and I'm in a lazy mood, as always.

I've been watching movies non-stop for many days now, this sudden mood probably triggered by the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) last week. Its an annual affair, and I went to watch three, including a Malaysian movie. I said to myself, this is the closest I can ever get to something like the Cannes Film Festival.. so I might as well just join in on the fun. Hahaha. One can dream .

First we watched a movie shot in Israel by a Iranian father-son duo, titled The Gardener  I knew it was a religious movie from the synopsis, but what I didn't know was that it was a self-discovery-exploration sort of documentary, and the religion is the Baha'i faith. Granted, it was a super slow documentary. Was a bit boring at times, but it was ok in general. I first knew about the Baha'i when I visited one of its temples, if I can call it that, somewhere nearby Chicago, probably about 9 or 10 years ago. Oh god I feel so old saying "10 years ago". And then last year when I went to New Delhi, we saw another Baha'i temple from far, and decided not to go in because we were lazy and also rushing for time. What was said about the faith in the movie are the things that I already know, what I didn't know was that there are at least 700,000 people in Iran who embraces the faith. The Iranian govt. censors it, which is not that surprising to know. After the movie ended, the father and son made an appearance, answered some questions, and I talked to the son later afterwords. He explicitly said that the young generation in Iran now are sick of the govt, the censors, the many restrictions imposed, and how everything is associated with religion. I wanted to know whether it was only his opinion (he's 30 years old, quite handsome), he said yes. He said, "me and my friends". I'm not sure how far I should believe. But I'll just keep an open mind for now. Ok I've sort of gotten off topic here. Back to the movie, it centered around the life of a guy who came from Papua New Guinea to work and serve at a Baha'i temple Israel, and the place has the most beautiful garden I've ever seen. So the movie explored the role of religion in human life and in this world, specifically politics and war. The father is more forgiving whereas the son is sort of sceptical, I also think he's sort of an atheist (both of them were in the movie too). So in a way, the movie tried to discuss the clash or difference of opinions between two generations. Quite interesting actually.

I've always hated gardening. I couldn't understand why would anyone enjoy this hobby (the young mind doesn't understand many things). But a few times last year, I had to spend some days watering the plants in my house garden, whenever my parents were out of town or traveling somewhere. And you know what, watering plants sort of made me feel rather peaceful, and small. You see, I started thinking about how these plants would die/wither if they don't get enough water.. You'd think the heavy rains in Malaysia would be sufficient, but its not. Rain don't come everyday. I was responsible for their 'life'. I couldn't go out before I watered them, and I also couldn't go to bed before I watered them. It seems petty but its actually not. And then I sort of could see how the plants become more 'alive' the moment the water drops come into contact with the leaves. Beautiful. Gives me a wonderful feeling. Or maybe its just my imagination. I start to think how they'd become dull and lifeless if I missed a day not watering them. I start to think, not only humans are trying to survive in this world. It sounds obvious though and also corny. But how often do you think about the other living beings in this world other than humans? We are so caught up and centered with our lives and we take animals and plants for granted. Its true. So I thought, maybe gardening is not such a bad hobby after all, and why so many people do it. But I'm not saying that I'm taking gardening anytime soon. I'm still a lazy person. Anyway, reason I'm writing about this now is because I remembered this feelings and thoughts that I had when I watched this documentary.

Damn I wrote longer than I expected to write about this movie. Moving on.

The second movie we watched was titled Horses of God. Set in Casablanca, Morocco, about how poor kids in slums were indoctrinated by the Al-Qaeda to become suicide-bombers post Sept. 11. I've seen something like this before, nothing in the movie was surprising, but it was enjoyable nevertheless. The third movie...ahhhh... lets show some support to our fellow countrymen. Its called, If It's Not Now, Then When? Directed by James Lee (never heard of him before), scenes shot in KL.. actors were Chinese.. in fact, they spoke Mandarin. There were subtitles of course. Slow movie, imagine the Chinese version of Sepet.. or any of Yasmin Ahmad's movies. At first everything seemed pointless.. but the twist at the very last end was... yeahh... totally twisted!!! and all the previous scenes made sense, and it explained the title of the movie. Hahaha. There were explicit scenes of kissing (tongues and all), touching, BJs.. by Malaysian standards, and even a naked scene of a man and a woman on the bed, post-procreation haha. I can see the guy's balls, not to mention his ass as well. Either this is not really a new thing and I've been living under a coconut shell in my own country, or this is something revolutionary (in terms of daring-ness) when it comes to the Malaysian movies. I dunno. But I do know I wouldn't have had any chance to watch this if I were back home.

Other movies that I've watched since, in the comfort of my room, are:

The Avengers
The Lucky One
Friends with Kids
The Vow
One for the Money
Peace, Love, and Misunderstanding
Being Flynn

..and then some new glee, greys anatomy, himym and big bang theory episodes hihi.

85.71% of the movies are chick flicks hahahaha. Bring out the popcorn! Homework and assignments can wait ;p

Vulnerable

Music: Love Hurts by Incubus

I hate myself for caring too much. Dear God, please turn my heart into stone.

Chuseok Fun

Music: Megalomaniac by Incubus

About 2 weeks ago was the Chuseok Holidays in Korea. To put it simply, its the Korean version of Thanksgiving, or our version of raya, hehe. And I am thankful for the 1 week holiday that came with it. At first I wanted to go to Jeju again but decided against it and went on a different road trip instead with some friends.

During Chuseok, the Koreans would pray and remember their ancestors.. give food offerings.. visit their graves etc. One of my friends invited us to his house to experience the ceremony.. his hometown was in Wonju, about 40 minutes drive from Seoul. We took a night train and reached there around 5am in the morning. It was interesting to go into a Korean house that is not an apartment. Small, nice, cozy.. the whole gang (their family) was there.. besides praying, they also eat and eat and eat!! The food was really good too. They had the prayers in the house, then we ate the food that was offered to the ancestors for breakfast hehe. Then they went to the graves and prayed at the tombstones. My friends went, however I was too tired and sleep so I stayed in and slept. Oh my how bad. We brought some fruits for the family, which were added to the already so many food offerings on the table haha.

After Wonju, we took a bus to Sokcho.. for the main activity of our trip.. which was hiking! hahahaha. It seems like that's all I do these days. Sokcho is a small city, only minutes away from the 3rd highest mountain in South Korea.. i.e. Soraksan. However, we didn't climb to the highest peak, which is at 1700m. That would take 2 days and I usually only do day hikes. Up and down the same day. Easy. But we did opt to climb the most difficult route.. There are many routes. I actually expected the climb to be more difficult. We climbed in 2 hours, 30 minutes faster than the average/estimated time. Soraksan is more like ridge so most of the way it was almost flat and the gradient was small. But the last 30 minutes we had to hike almost 80 degrees up. We started at 7.30am and were down before noon. With still so much time, we opted to go on another route and see enjoy the waterfalls. Both hikes gave us beautiful views, of course. For those who wants to come to Soraksan, which is about 2 hours from Seoul I think, but doesn't want to hike, don't fret. There's a cable car that takes you up to one of the peaks.

That night we went to check out Abai Maeul in Sokcho. Its the location where 'Autumn in My Heart was shot. Ok so apparently this drama is sooooo freakin famous and popular, and fans come from all over the world to see this place. I've never heard of it before hehe. We also ate the famous Ojingo-sundae (stuffed squid), only available in Sokcho. Haha. The night before, we went to check out Sokcho Beach. It was full moon at the time and oh my god the view was really nice.

(Hmm I think I can write better than this but I'm sort of lazy right now haha).


The next day we on the way to Jeongdongjin, we visited the Samyang Ranch, which is purportedly the largest ranch in Asia... or something. I called it New Zealand. So we went to NZ by bus. There were windmills, and the view of hills and vast green field is pretty good. There were cows and sheep and ostrich. But of course it is nothing compared to NZ, which is really one of the most beautiful places on earth, at least to me.

The reason we went to Jeongdongjin was because we can only take the train back to my place from that city. I didn't expect much but the small city turned out to be a really nice quaint cute city so to speak. It sort of gave me the same feeling when I was stranded in Lima, Peru and discovered how nice the city was! On 1st January every year, tens of thousands of people will come here to watch the first sunrise of the year. Again with the sunrise, people???!! Hahaha. No kidding, I read about it on the internet. Why here? Its supposed to be the most eastern part of the Korean Peninsular. Oh wait, I thought it was Geonjeol-kot? (refer previous post).  Hahahaha. There is one interesting thing though, the Jeongdongjin Train Station is the nearest train station to the sea in the world. I dunno how true this it but thats what it says in the Korea Tourism website.

Again, I've left out many things that happened during the trip in this post, the little things and happenings and thoughts that made the trip more fun that what I described here.. oh well, sorry about that. Now comes the hardest part, choosing only a few pictures from a total of 500+ that I took.

 Soraksan

 Ulsanbawi Peak

 Biryong Falls

 Samyang Mokjang

 Fall foliage

 Jeongdongjin.. view from our motel

 Sunrise Hotel.. no its not a ship.

 Jeongdongjin Train Station.. right by the sea!

 Food offerings

Gambar raya! Happy Chuseok!

Geonjeol-kot

Music: One Day Like This by Elbow

Ok I only have 30 minutes before my group meeting. So this time I'll talk about a short trip one weekend back in April.

Geonjeol-kot is the place where "the sun rises the earliest in Eurasia, including the Korean Peninsular".

Well, at least that's what it said on a big stone in the area. Its about 10-15 minutes drive from my university. The place is quite pleasant and beautiful. During the new year (both Gregorian and Lunar Calendar, I think), many people would come here to watch the first sunrise of the year. It is a popular place to watch sunrise here. Well, this thing about watching sunrises at a special place sort of boggles me, coz I think I can watch the sunrise from wherever I want.. what's the significance of watching the earliest sunrise anywhere, anyway? Hahaha. ok maybe I'm not that sentimental or romantic or whatever. But I guess its also how they sort of sell the place, right?  Like being in the southernmost tip of the african continent (Cape of Good Hope). But that is quite interesting actually haha.

Yeongnam Alps Tall Grass Festival

Music: One Sweet Day by Mariah Carey

I know I haven't written much about what I've been doing here, but truth be told, I've actually been to sooooo many places around Korea in the past 7 months. I think its high time I chronicle them all. I'll start with my most latest excursion, i.e. my hiking trip today.

We went to an area called Yeongnam Alps, which is just about 45 minutes drive from my university. The peak we climbed is called Shinbulsan (san=Mountain/Hill). The pressure vessel and reactor design course professor organized it as a class trip (nothing to do with the subject though haha), and I sort of went on a free ride since there was an extra space in the car. I'm not enrolled in that course. So off we went at 7.30am, and I honestly thought it'd be a short hiking outing that I'll be back by lunch time. Instead, we came back at 5.30pm, totally exhausted from one of the most rewarding but tiring hikes I've ever done so far.

One of the best things about hiking is the gorgeous views that you'd almost always get from high on top. Why would anyone want to wake up early on a weekend and go punish your legs and knees if not for that? The hill was one of the steepest I've ever hiked on, and we went all the way up to the peak at 1200 meters. It took us a little under 4 hours to reach the top, and once we were at 1000 meters, we were presented with a magnificent meadow of tall grass. It only appears during the fall season, hence this festival, which is only held once a year. The vegetation is also very colorful all around the top, I loved it so much. Sempat la aku rasa jiwang2 sikit sambil hiking tu hahahah.

To quote a friend of mine, "Orang kat Korea ni pi hiking macam pi theme park". There was sooooo many people its ridiculous really.

One of the things I like about hiking is the peaceful feeling, because in other parts of the world that I've gone hiking at, including Malaysia, not that many people hike. The rustling leaves and sound of rivers flowing (if any), the chirping birds.. etc. But its pretty much impossible to get that in Korea. Hiking is the nation's favorite past time.

Anyway, I didn't eat breakfast except for 2 tiny croissants, a cup of coffee and a small box of milk. Usually I'd buy a couple of snickers and a bottle of isotonic drink to get some sugar in me for that extra energy. Works for me the whole time. But i didnt have those this time. I didn't know it was gonna be a super long hike. On the way down I got a severe migraine for being so hungry, my legs were wobbly and the muscles were tired, and i started feeling so cold so I wore a jacket (temp was between 17-21 degress celcius and it was quite windy too). I took it really slowly, all the time thinking, I've gone through much worse than this (OBS=Outward Bound School came to mind). My friend was really kind to always wait for me everytime I started to fall back really behind. In truth I could have gone faster to get the hike over and done with, but then the degree of agony will be greater, and I don't want to put too much pressure on my legs and body, I have at least 30 more years of hiking to do all around the world hahahaha (that's the dream anyway).

By the time we ate lunch it was 3pm. My friend said, "Hey Kirah, eat now (pointing to the food served), then you can smile again". True enough, my headache went away as soon as I got fooooooddd!! All in all, the hike was a really good one, I slept almost throughout the ride back, and my legs also managed to recover by then (they're getting used to all the hiking I've been doing around here, so I don't get sore legs for too long).

 Here are some pics out of 100+ that I took:

 Huge field of tall grass.. In a couple of weeks it will turn golden

 The small city below. I have no idea what's the name.

 So pretty.. 

 Magnificent colors... 

 Never ending view of hills

Massive amount of Koreans hiking on a Sunday. So where's the theme park?