Seoul-iloqy

On Korean Men

noreply@blogger.com (E-L-L-A) — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 14:06:00 +0000

I am practically surrounded by Korean men in my workplace, and while my officemates would probably say how they’ve barely managed at least a minute of casual talk with me given such “aloofness” that I exercise inside the office, I must say that I have, and will probably always have in my mind the most striking conversations with them.

Korean men are actually interesting. They may not be the best-looking men (face-wise) on earth, but they certainly are the most-buffed Asians. Their firm bods must be the result of their two years in military service. I am just not a fan of chinky and lid-less pairs of eyes. And I have sworn loyalty to the classic Borgy Manotoc and Leonardo DiCaprio “crush-ness”. Haha.

It is one thing to have a look at what the appearance can offer, it is another thing to spend time and talk with these men. It’s given— they are world-class heavy drinkers and workaholics. But believe me, there’s definitely more than meets the eye.

Conversation #1: Ignorance of Religion

Saturday weekend. A day after I arrived in South Korea. He was helping out with moving in and with buying things for my new house.
Korean Man: Hey, so what are you doing tomorrow?
Me: Oh, I heard that there is a place here in Seoul where Filipinos usually gather so I might check it out. There is also a church there, so I want to hear the mass tomorrow.
Korean Man: Why?!?!
(I’m like, why not?)

Conversation #2: Going Against the "Boy as First-Born" Policy
After-work dinner in a HOF bar with a colleague, in my first months in South Korea.

Korean Man 1 (talking about another Korean Man): His wife is actually pregnant. He is expecting their first child.
Me: WOW! Do you want a boy or a girl as your first-born?
Korean Man 2: I want a daughter. You know why? Because in Korea, when your daughter marries, you practically submit her to the husband and his family. So you are free from responsibilities and expenses by then.

Conversation #3: The Olympic Dream
Lunch appointment with colleagues in a Vietnamese restaurant.

Korean Man 1: If I don’t get married and have a kid, I will adopt a child from Kenya.
Me: Oh really, why?
Korean Man 1: I heard that Africans run very fast, so I will take good care and train a boy from Kenya and make him the best athlete so he can make it to the Olympics.
Korean Man 2: (Slightly laughing) That is what you call investment.

Hwaseong Fortress

noreply@blogger.com (E-L-L-A) — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 15:35:00 +0000

This is my second time to celebrate Thanksgiving Day in South Korea. I remember just staying at home last year, so I don’t think I can still forgive myself if I lock myself up in my room again. I have long been craving for travel that will technically throw me out of Seoul— with a cultural feel at that. And when you are not really sure how culturally blessed a place is, you basically just depend on titles attached to these places.

Like the Hwaseong Fortress. A UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site. How heavy is that. Teehee.

The place is located in Suwon, the capital city of a province in South Korea called Gyeonggi-do. All it took was a subway train ride with my friend and there we were in a crowded and bustling city, which I think has more signage and billboards than Seoul, clustered together in just one building. You get that instant vibrant feeling that won’t really leave unnoticed. Very near the subway station is a tourist information center, which is a very good sign that we have actually just been to a place visited by everybody else.

We rode a bus then got off at the Paldalmun area, where this oval structure took center stage, prompting cars and buses to circle it just so they can pass through. The oval structure is called the Paldalmun, which is among the major gates of the famous fortress. It sure has that huge, “dynastic” feel with it, except that we can still see crowded signage and hear honking horns everywhere. We then looked for a way to the entrance of the actual fortress, which was quite a challenge as it was way, way nestled inside the city.

It is what I am actually so amazed about South Korea. You feast your eyes on picturesque signs of industrialization and economic progress, yet you feel the air of history and culture that it strongly upholds. They have temples erected right smack in streets full of buildings and stores. Behind this great facade of industrial growth, you discover century-old bricks and walls that shout of kings and the dynasties that they ruled.

It was quite a walk, I must say, and as I trodded along, I even was not sure what to appreciate at first. I mean, there were the usual trees and cemented roads, plus grasses and old-school gates and doors. It took a while before I realized that the path I was walking on and the sturdy walls that lined that long path under the sun's heat is what should be marveled upon- the considerable years, painstaking manpower, and noble resources that were put to build a town-size fortress to protect the nation from foreign invasion.

Here are some of the architectural structures of ancient Korea that can be found at the Hwaseong Fortress:

Seojangdae, a famous command post at the top.

Seonodae, a famous platform that is adjacent to Seojangdae. Archers use this post to attack assailants from downhill.

Namporu, one of the major gates in the fortress.

You'll be treating yourself for some hardcore walkathon around the Hwaseong Fortress given the size of the place. But hey, who says there's nothing that can be done with it. Here comes your trolley!

On Jimjilbangs

noreply@blogger.com (E-L-L-A) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 14:52:00 +0000

Jimjilbangs are a pretty common place to go (or at least try out) here in South Korea. They are public bath houses or saunas that help you keep up with your personal hygiene as you get bored with your same, old bath tub and find it inappropriate for a relaxing, night-time treat. Of course, for a Southeast Asian whose life back in her own country wasn’t much into the lavish “pampering”, it can really be a sophisticatedly cool experience. Then you talk to people and find out that there have actually been dirty connotations on preferring jimjilbangs for bathing, for the simple reason of being the “public” kind.

Bath houses are almost usually traced to the British, having established such places only for the elites back then. The introduction of bath houses into the British culture was primarily a response to the public's desire for increased sanitary conditions, so I don’t really understand where the dirty part comes in. I guess, maybe, as public houses became so popular and common— that they have also been opened up for the “non-elites”, it created a problem as the differences in personal hygienes of the sophisticated and the not-so sophisticated were highlighted. But I am being a bit discriminatory here. I’m sorry.

Bath houses are an ideal sleep getaway here in South Korea, when late night happenings or parties usually make it inconvenient for anyone to go home. Jimjilbangs are abundant in almost all areas, especially in Seoul, so it has always been all-worth it to pay 8,000won to 12,000 won for the first 12 hours to bathe and take a rest for the night.

Of course, there are more to just the usual 3 or 4 cold and hot tubs, plus a shower area per bath house. There are public sleeping quarters, floors and pillows everywhere to doze off. They make it more appealing and conventient for relaxation, as it sets up massage rooms, nail-art rooms, a skin treatment room, an exercise room, a lazy-boy area, a snack bar, an outdoor veranda, and even a smoking area. Skin, nail, and massage services all require a separate fee.

How it typically goes is you pay at the reception and leave your shoes in lockers usually around the receiving area. They will then give you towels and a jimjilbang uniform— either a bath robe or a shirt/shorts combo before you go to the general locker area where you place your stuff. The choices on what you want to do next in a jimjilbang are then boundless.

For a naturally self-conscious person like me, who have always enjoyed private moments in her bath tub, taking showers in a jimjilbang can be really uncomfortable. I remember the first time I went to a jimjilbang with two guy friends. Jimjilbangs separate the men and women’s actual bathing area (for very obvious reasons). Anyway, even if the locker rooms and bathing areas are separate for men and women, there are always common areas in a jimjilbang where men and women are allowed together. There are the snack bars, the lounge and TV areas, and the saunas. So it can still be a treat after all. I heard that there are some Koreans who go to jimjilbangs on dates ;-p

That first time I bared naked in a public bath house with these farer Korean “ajummas” (elder women) was personally quite a stir, for I remember being the only tan-skinned specie in the world of kimchi-bred, whiter skins. I just had to strut along anyway, and tell myself that at least, these women get to see a real, full butt. I rarely saw one. Haha.

You basically just have to get used to the casual atmosphere in a bath house because women walk like they are Eve’s in the garden of Eden. They can always just sit beside you in a bath tub and strike a conversation. Koreans do not really take even a tinge of discomfort on being naked.

Though it is generally a cheap alternative to an overnight accommodation, frequenting jimjilbangs can also get costly. The access of these public bath houses nevertheless re-affirms South Korea as such a convenient place to live in.

Korean 'Masaji'

noreply@blogger.com (E-L-L-A) — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 11:55:00 +0000

I first cried over a severe back ache that started with a stiff neck back in January of this year, enough for my housemates to rid themselves of such an unbearable face, as they finally brought me to a nearby massage place when it has reached my lower back. It was mainly brought about by the double wham of the very cold weather and the stress at work during that time. Seven months later, and I am at it again. Except that this time, my body seems to have gotten used to it. My back has been getting a great deal of beating lately, and I am afraid that the pain is becoming bearable. My body is forced to get used to the pain, especially when my mind is more occupied with deadlines and crammed reports everyday. Practically, there’s just no time to feel it. But when you finally steal a minute of relaxing and not thinking too much, you suddenly get overwhelmed by the weight of such pain in the back that has seemed to have temporarily muted, since there was just no space in your brain to process the pain. That’s exactly what just happened to me.

Anyway, I splurged on an afternoon massage today. I may actually recommend a massage service as a good business idea here in Korea, especially if you place it in such a fast-paced, competitive, and highly-stressful area like Yeouido where most of the securities firms abound. They can really give you the long hours of work that will make you sit on your chair as early as seven in the morning until midnight. If that is still not enough to strain your back as you sit the whole time through, then it’s never too hard to extend more. Haha.

Okay, I know how massage services may instantly connote more than just the plain massages, but apart from the underground business that may arise, there are actually a lot of ‘decent’ massage services here in South Korea. Koreans are such health buffs, if I may just tell, and they will always be willing to spend on anything that will make them always pretty, healthy, and in shape.

And so those with entrepreneurial minds who have grown tired of being corporate slaves to offices and manufacturing firms then think of learning a skill that they like and will make money from. Pretty much like a certain Baek Jaimun, who runs Healing Hands, a massage center in Itaewon.

I remember still calling him over the phone despite being just down outside the building where it is located, simply because I didn’t look up to see its name at the 3rd floor. So he obviously knew it was me who just called when I entered the place. I was immediately served tea as I waited for just a short five minutes before I was called to go to one of the rooms to take my clothes off and change on the shorts that the massage center provides.

The place is pretty decent in size, with two major divisions for the massage areas. Each division has two beds that can always take in couples who go together for a massage. They are of course up for solo customers like me. The furniture was pretty simple and neat, with just the right blend of the needed atmosphere in a massage center. It would be easy to remind you though, as you look outside the window, that you are in a crowded area like Itaewon.

Anyway, all that shuts off when you start getting the massage. I’ve experienced both Swedish and Thai massages before, so it was pretty hard to tell what exact type of massage I actually got (if it was a combination of both or a slight variation of either massage types, or a completely different kind of massage). One thing that I can say is that it was all good, and just what I REALLY needed. Baek Jaimun was very professional in doing it, and he was pretty cool in conversations, too. I might forgive him already for calling my back a “Korean ajumma’s back” (Korean old woman’s back), since he was very nice in talking to me as his first-time customer.

I chose a massage package for myself, which includes a 70-minute full body massage, plus a 20-minute hot stone massage. All in all it costed me 80,000 won (around 3,000php). It would've have been pretty hefty in value for me had I not needed it so badly. I must say it was all worth the price, since I really felt relaxed afterwards.

Healings Hands also offer foot massages and a tanning booth. I might try getting a foot massage the next time.

My Own Hallyu Fever

noreply@blogger.com (E-L-L-A) — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 08:56:00 +0000

Talk about the Hallyu fever, I was once a sucker for Korean dramas in the Philippines, and they have been the dubbed versions to my native language. As to Korean pop music, it was not that expansive two years ago in my country, so there was really no chance for me to get hooked to it. I guess I had other priorities, then. Teehee.

I am now here in South Korea, in a place where Asian teenagers would probably die to be in just to experience the real Hallyu craze, yet there seems to be little time (and interest) for me to get it on with them. I guess I still have other priorities in life. Haha.

But of course, I am still aware of the famous girl group, Wondergirls and their danceable “Nobody” song, which is so popular in the Philippines right now. I am also aware of Sandara Park’s comeback to the Korean entertainment arena after her failed showbiz career in the Philippines. I may not be that updated, but I think I still got the basics covered.

If there is one thing surprising that actually happened to me in regard to the chances of me liking K-Pop, it’s the fact that somebody has actually made me like one song and even memorize its lyrics. And for the record, I am even making a separate post for it. And it has nothing to do with me liking the song nor the singers themselves, it just so happened somebody liked it, and so I liked it, too. What's up with that? Haha.

Korean Temple Stay

noreply@blogger.com (E-L-L-A) — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 15:10:00 +0000

My housemates and I alloted a weekend for a temple stay experience. Our apartment at the seventeenth floor happens to be good friends with a Buddhist at the nineteenth floor, and he opened up the idea of a trip to Gangwha-do, where a meditation center is located. Mr. Lee, the Buddhist who is also a Taekwondo instructor, along with his two kids, drove us to the place as soon as we finished our Saturday lunch, and the weather joined us in our relaxed mood as we hope for an escape from the stress of the city.

It’s been quite a while since I breathed in fresh air in South Korea, and I should thank the wonderful atmosphere that the temple area provided as soon as we arrived an hour and a half later.

Temple stays are a favorite among tourists because the experience speaks loudly of a deeply-rooted culture and religion. Temple stays let us take a peek at the monastic life of Buddhist monks-- the so-called “free loaders” of the economic society, the dormant players of life whom we go to anyway when we have been filled up by the "unfulfilled" demands of living. I recently learned about how Koreans generally regard temple stays. I was told that Koreans who usually go on a temple stay are either students who are reviewing for an important examination, or parents who would pray hard for their children to qualify for that school examination. Now talk about such demands of living. It actually makes me think now of how Filipinos use their faith as well, much more when they are in distress than when they are being showered with bliss. Our actions and the outcome of these actions, I believe, are all driven by our intentions.

Anyway, upon getting off the car, we immediately went to our rooms which were almost barren except for the mattresses, pillows and blankets that were prepared. Boys and girls are asked to go to separate rooms in a temple stay, so there’s no way a couple could use it to have some bonding time in bed. Teehee.

After settling our bags in our assigned rooms and switching to our gray uniforms, which is actually part of the whole temple stay deal, we finally got the first-time feel of being inside an actual Buddhist temple as the Russian monk officially welcomed us and facilitated the orientation. Instructions and reminders were given, along with the activities that were laid out for their set of observers for the weekend. After the orientation, we had the whole afternoon finding our own quiet spot in the place to do some personal "thinking".

Then came the dinner at 6pm. I now know why monks are a bit shorter in height and are skinny, and all look like I can carry them all up in one hand to toss them around. Oh okay, so the last part was a bit exaggerated. But really, I don’t think I can live eating just potatoes and bean sprouts everyday. Though of course, I am fully aware on how being a vegetarian can save anyone's life more.

The highlight of the day came when we had our meditation. This time, it was a Swiss monk who welcomed us and meekly spoke about how to do proper meditation, and why monks find it very important to make meditations a part of their lives. Then came his stories on how his fellow monks would actually spend fourteen— yes, 14 straight hours of meditation, which they usually do in the mountains. Meditation sounds more sophisticated than how it is actually done. It’s not a joke to sit and close your eyes for that long of a time as you work on clearing your mind from such “worldly impurities”. I must say that doing it for just a teeny-tiny fraction of any monk’s regular time was quite a struggle already, hurting my back and letting my legs experience some cramps. And the goal to actually “THINK OF NOTHING” can be a bit confusing, because I work my way to telling my mind to think of nothing, yet I feel like the fact that I am letting my mind work on not thinking anything is still thinking. Did you get me with that? Haha. Oh well.

We had to sleep early at 9pm to get up for the 3am prayer chant the next day. Hearing the bell as it signaled the start of the activity and walking my way through the dark path to the temple since the sun was not yet up at that time-- it honestly gave me the feeling of a day that was started out right. The monks were of course in their typical bald heads and brown cloths strapped diagonally over their shoulders like a sash in a pageant. Since most of us were still a bit groggy having been forced to wake up a bit earlier than usual, standing straight and keeping quiet were the most that we could offer. The monks and the other active Buddhist men went on with their chants which were in the Korean language. There was no single phrase or even word that I understood, but the same fact that I did not understand anything made it more mysteriously appealing.

With the whole temple stay experience, I bring with me a higher level of appreciation to the simpler way of things in life, the uplifting struggles to achieving a lighter sense of being, and the spiritual complacence to our "sentient" beings. It may be hard to completely embrace the ways monks live the life according to Buddhism's teachings, but I completely appreciate the essence of its teachings.

Boryeong Mud Festival

noreply@blogger.com (E-L-L-A) — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 15:21:00 +0000

It’s amazing how South Korea has suddenly become a melting pot of foreigners— of Americans and Westerners, at that. Korean’s huge appetite for learning the English language has definitely opened doors for these native speakers, and they’ve all swarmed and created their own communities in the country.

Festivals have always been a great way to group foreign people in South Korea, and one of the highly-awaited events during the summer month of July is the Boryeong Mud Festival held in Daechon Beach, in the province of Chungcheongnam-do. The place has been made famous by the mud that can be found in its beach, perceived to offer good skin benefits due to its mineral contents. But more importantly, the festival has been regarded as the grandest way to pool international people together— anyone who just want to enjoy and play it cool during the summer season.

I had the chance to participate in the 12th Boryeong Mud Festival, and it’s one of my best experiences ever. It was a weekend spent with Filipino friends and Korean housemates, just among the few planned trips that the group had.

We stayed in a hostel room which was a couple of kilometers away from where the main event was held, but if there was anything positive that we have gotten from the long walk that we had to do, it was the chance to enjoy the beach scenery and feel the fresher air that we will surely not get in the city of Seoul.

We knew that we were nearing the main area when we were already bumping into people all covered gray and black with mud. We saw them strut confidently with the mud, and the more we craved for the “feel” of it.

There was a “self-massage zone” in the beach area— sinks and a hose that can be used to spread mud onto one's body. It was the first thing that we saw, and so we went ahead and played with it ourselves. It actually feels great on your skin, being the “smooth” mud that it is, definitely not the typical kind of dirt that you would get on any rainy street alleys.

The main event area was expectedly full of blondes and of chest hairs, of board shorts and of bikinis. They’re of course a common sight in the summer season except that these white people are now smothered with mud. Then you’ll see them walk around with beer bottles, ready to either drink on it or splash to anyone they bump into, just for the heck of it.

There were a lot of fun activities that they put up for everyone to experience mud. There were mud slides, mud wrestling, and even a mud prison, while a grand stage housed party music from several performances. Anyone can actually take their own pace in trying all the activities with friends while gearing up one-liners with strangers on the sides.

It’s of course a good opportunity for all to hit up on anyone (haha), and probably create little conversations with people, since its all part of the package of the event. If you’re even daring enough to take part in the mud wrestling, you’d give yourself a favor of being tripped over and hugged afterwards. You can even ask somebody to give you a lift (which I actually did! LOL), just so that person can throw you off to the ground the next.

Then there's the fun part of walking up the streets with your mud-covered body and passing on the mud to anyone you bump into, especially on those whose mud has turned hard white on their skin. You shout with them, take pictures with them, and practically goof around with people you probably won't ever see again.

Restaurants sure raked it a lot of money from these foreigners, and it is something to note that most of the eating places in the area serve sea food. It actually rained that day we went out and 'mud-partied' with people, but the rain drops just made it more fun to stroll and eat and drink... I think :-)

Here's to the fun and the experience of being all-muddy:

Filipino prisoners honor Jackson with 'Thriller' show

noreply@blogger.com (E-L-L-A) — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 01:08:00 +0000

CEBU, Philippines (CNN) -- Amid the tropical heat of a Philippine prison, convicted murderers, rapists and drug dealers on Saturday paid tribute to Michael Jackson with a reprise of their YouTube dance hit, "Thriller."

A rendition of Jackson's 1980s smash hit by prisoners at the Cebu Detention and Rehabilitation Center in the central Philippines garnered more than 24 million views since 2007, when prison supervisor Byron Garcia first uploaded it to the video-sharing Web site.

The prison has since posted other dance videos, including performances to Van Halen's "Jump," Queen's "Radio Ga Ga," and Phil Oakey and Giorgio Moroder's "Together in Electric Dreams."

Jackson, known as the "King of Pop," died Thursday in Los Angeles, less than two weeks shy of the first in a series of comeback concerts in London, England.

When he heard the news, Garcia, himself a fan of the 50-year-old pop icon, organized a free tribute performDancing was introduced at the prison in 2007, as a means of rehabilitating prisoners at a facility once notorious for its gang problem.

Every able-bodied prisoner must dance. If they refuse, they lose privileges, mostly conjugal visits. According to Garcia, the dancing occupies up to five hours a day. However he rejected claims he's abusing the prisoners' rights by forcing them to dance so many hours a day.

He said it gives them a renewed sense of worth and confidence, breaking them of their violent ways. He is convinced his prison is a model for prison authorities everywhere, an example of how to crack the plague of violent prison gangs.

"It brought back their self esteem. We have happy inmates now -- we don't want to go back to the old jail where we had mad, sad inmates," he said.

In searing temperatures, 1,400 men in bright orange tracksuits performed the 15-minute "Thriller" routine perfectly. They rehearsed for 10 hours the previous day, finally stopping at 3 a.m. to rest ahead of the show.

The superbly-choreographed moves, energy and obvious enthusiasm of the prisoners had the audience -- swelled by journalists from around the world -- captivated the audience. Several inmates even invited people from the crowd to dance with them.

"I never thought I would ever find myself dancing with a prisoner," one excited local said.

A local journalist even described the performance as Asia's best way of paying tribute to Jackson.

Garcia, who says the prison has witnessed no violence in three years, paid tribute to the performers. "I'm so proud of them," he said. "They got the dance exactly right."

Although it was "probably wishful thinking," he added that he had actually wanted Michael Jackson to come to Cebu to dance and play the role himself. "Now it's not going to happen," he said mournfully.

Convicted robber Mavin Cabido, 23, said: "I feel so sad as we idolize him really. The moonwalk is my favorite -- I like that."

I Miss Good Ole Jollibee!

noreply@blogger.com (E-L-L-A) — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 04:49:00 +0000

Cheers to my ever-jolly orange bumble bee! Amid the global slump, Jollibee as an enterprise has definitely proven that it can whether the economic storm. I guess when a business has more importantly become part of a culture, there is no way that it cannot stand even the most adverse of situations. Filipinos will never have second thoughts of shelling out their hard-earned money for a hearty, quality time with the family at their favorite fast food chain.

Jollibee Captures Top Spot in Philippines
How Fast-Food Chain Fought Back Against McDonald's and Plans to Expand Further Overseas; Strength During Global Downturn

In the Philippines, consumer-related companies rule the roost in good times and bad. This year, Jollibee Foods Corp. again wins the top spot in the Philippines' portion of the Asia 200 vote, thanks to the fast-food outfit's skill at extracting pesos from Filipinos' pockets.

Jollibee's consistently strong showing over the years, at or near the top of the most-admired list in the Philippines in the Asia 200 survey of subscribers of The Wall Street Journal Asia and other businesspeople, presents complications for the contest: There is a challenge to finding fresh ways to detail the company's success. Last year's story, for instance, focused on the company's innovations -- from dollops of pink salad dressing in the top-selling Yum! Burgers to around-the-clock hours to feed Filipinos working all night in the country's call-center industry.

An earlier story detailed the expansion of the chain, including the 500th Jollibee store, opened by founder and Chief Executive Tony Tan Caktiong on the island of Basilan, formerly the lair of the feared Abu Sayyaf group. Some U.S. military officers cite the restaurant as proof of success of their anti-terrorism mission there to help the Philippine army root out Islamist militants in the country's troubled south.

Jollibee's strong showing in this year's survey can be tied to the world's economic slump, which hasn't hit the Philippines as badly as some of its neighbors but still has a big effect. Filipinos are continuing to spend -- even if they are finding cheaper things to buy.

"Jollibee is a barometer for the Philippine economy," says Luz Lorenzo, an economist with ATR-Kim Eng Securities Inc. in Manila.

In taking first place for most admired, Jollibee moved up from No. 2 in the prior contest. The prior overall winner was Ayala Land Inc., a publicly traded real-estate-development unit of wide-ranging conglomerate Ayala Corp. Ayala Land dropped to No. 3 overall this year as its parent moved up to second place.

The Philippines' strongly consumer-oriented economy is proving much more resilient to the global slump than, say, Malaysia and Thailand, where exports make up about 70% of the economy. In the Philippines, exports contribute 30% of gross domestic product. That means the bulk of the Philippine economy is driven by consumer spending -- and a lot of its takes place in Jollibee's stores.

As a result, economists generally agree that, as Jollibee's sales expand -- they were up 18% in the fourth quarter compared with the year earlier -- the Philippine economy also will continue to grow this year while Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore face sharp contractions.

That said, people are reducing their spending. Of Philippines-based respondents to the Asia 200 survey, 17% said they will significantly reduce their spending this year, and 45% said they will spend somewhat less. About 30% said they won't change their spending patterns, while 7% said they will spend more.

That isn't necessarily bad news for Jollibee and some other consumer-focused business in the Philippines. Hans Sy, president of SM Prime Holdings Inc., the Philippines' largest shopping-mall operator, says Jollibee is benefiting as people trade down from more expensive restaurants to dine at Jollibee's chains of burger, pizza and Chinese eateries. Mr. Sy would know; Jollibee is one of SM Prime's biggest tenants.

Ordinary consumers say the same thing. "I used to go to Starbucks for coffee and maybe a pastry for breakfast," says Raymond Gomez, a clerical worker in Manila's financial district. "But now most days, I pop into Jollibee where I can eat breakfast for half the price or less."

Ms. Lorenzo, the economist at ATR-Kim Eng, goes as far as to say that last year's spike in inflation was a bigger problem for Jollibee's bottom line than the global slowdown, because the restaurant chain is less able to pass on higher raw-materials costs. Its fourth-quarter net profit of 661 million pesos ($14 million), on sales of 16.56 billion pesos, easily surpassed its income of 480 million pesos in the first quarter of 2008, when both Jollibee and the Philippines in general were struggling with significantly higher food prices than they are now.

The seeds of Jollibee's success in tapping the spending patterns of some 90 million Filipinos were laid in 1975, when Mr. Tan, then a chemical engineering student, opened an ice cream parlor in Manila. He happily scooped vanilla and chocolate ice-cream, but noticed that he got more customers when he began offering sandwiches, burgers and fried chicken to the lunch crowd. Jollibee -- a bumble bee dressed up in a chef's outfit, and a symbol of what Mr. Tan says is his ideal state of happy industriousness -- was born.

In the early 1980s, Mr. Tan ran into a big threat. McDonald's Corp. entered the Philippine market and threatened to sweep all before it. The U.S. company's stores were bigger and its marketing more sophisticated. Mr. Tan fought back with his own expansion plan, and started hiring local film and television stars for his marketing efforts. Also working in Jollibee's favor: the burgers themselves, prepared with a dash of soy sauce and pinches of salt and sugar, which satisfy many Filipino palates.

In addition to its signature, cheery yellow-and-red burger joints, Jollibee's other brands including Greenwich Pizza and Chow King, bringing the company's total number of restaurants in the Philippines as of February to 1,515, with another 289 overseas.
The company's draw is so powerful that Filipino politicians routinely buy Jollibee food to serve free at campaign events to attract prospective voters, typically adding a few percentage points onto the company's sales during election years (the next is 2010).

Recently, Jollibee has ventured overseas, launching stores in places such as Vietnam while buying up local food chains in China and applying Jollibee's logistical and marketing expertise to them. Ultimately, Mr. Tan wants to generate half the company's revenues outside the Philippines. Another potential growth area: Filipino-rich parts of the U.S.

Prospects there look good. Jollibee already operates several stores in California and Nevada. A Jollibee store that opened in Queens, New York, earlier this year "practically inspired riots of joy" among local Filipinos and Filipino-Americans when it first opened its doors, New York's Village Voice newspaper reported.

excerpt from a WSJ article

A Taste of Egypt in Seoul

noreply@blogger.com (E-L-L-A) — Sat, 23 May 2009 15:19:00 +0000

I went out today with newly-found friends whom I met from my most recent UNESCO stint, and the Seoul Friendship Fair that I went to a few weeks back. Fatima, the Egyptian lady whom Ate YY and I met at the city hall fair, invited us over at the National Museum of Korea for an exhibit on Egyptian Civilization.

It was an “all-girls” day-out, as I dragged another Filipino friend to join us, since we both had an affair to go to in the afternoon as well. So the group consisted of two Filipinos (Kat and I), a Chinese (Olivia), an Egyptian (Fatima), and three Koreans (Ate YY, Ms. Sophie, and a classmate of Fatima in the English academy— I forgot her name, so sorry!)

We all met at Exit 2 of the Ichon subway station (Line 4, Light Blue Line) at ten in the morning. Kat and I were a bit late (uh-oh), but as we completed the “ensemble”, we all went to the museum, anyway.

It was indeed a nice morning, as the weather had the right mix of sunshine and air to occasionally brush my hair. It was quite a walk from the station to the museum, and I sure had enough time to notice the children who were walking with us. It’s cute to see a number of them eagerly strutting their way to go inside the long and wide building that houses the museum.

We paid man won (10,000 won) for the entrance ticket, and armed with our cameras (which were actually prohibited inside the museum), we strolled along all that there is to see inside-- all that speak of Egypt’s rich history and culture.

No history class passes by any grade school student without that student at least hearing about Egypt and the pyramids. He would instantly have that sepia picture of a man-faced lion beside a 3-dimensional triangle. That’s how they usually show it in textbooks. And even though the student does not fully understand at that time why people are amazed at such structure that would’ve looked really dull, had it not been placed beside a half-man and half-lion— the student goes on remembering such edifice anyway. Egypt and the pyramids are plain classics in the “historical attractions” category.

As the student grows older, his knowledge of the lion and the triangle expands to knowing that there actually were buried people inside what he now calls a “pyramid” (not a triangle anymore). He'd picture these dead people as covered with mile-long tissue papers until he grows up more to afford a US$10-worth of museum tour and see an actual wrapped-dead creature himself. He finally thinks of the idiot who made up the whole tissue-wrapped image of a mummy, when he realizes that there has been so much sophistication poured in burying the dead in ancient Egypt.

History and culture-rich places like Egypt therefore makes you dream of traveling the world, really. You suddenly marvel at the past— a colorful past that has contributed so much to what civilizations are like at present. Pasts that make museums US$10 worthy.

If I were to travel to Egypt though, I need to take extra care when crossing the streets there. I was told that there are no traffic lights in the country. I should then need to get back to my running routines as well, just so I could outsmart the fast drivers in that once, camel-driven nation. I mean, I won’t be surprised if having no traffic lights has long given birth to reckless drivers in the country. If these hunchbacks instead ruled the streets in Egypt, it would have then been a perfect trip to old, yet funky Nile-town ;-)

My Typical Emotional Rollercoaster Ride

noreply@blogger.com (E-L-L-A) — Sun, 17 May 2009 14:59:00 +0000

Sundays have primarily been a church appointment and a Korean language class for me— occasionally alternating on the time that I actually hear the mass (9am- Myeongdong Cathedral / 1.30pm- Hyehwa church / 7.30 pm- Sogang University’s chapel) and sometimes escaping my afternoon Hangeul language sessions when laziness simply strikes at me.

Some unusual air of enthusiasm seem to have breathed in me today though, to feel extra good about doing these same, old stuff. You know how it is when you’ve been doing things out of some habit or routine? Yeah, exactly just that. You kind of don’t take note of how significant they can actually turn out to be, especially if you have been doing them (1) out of sheer childhood practice and (2) just so you can chill out and meet people.

First, I never really realized how brilliant my Korean language teacher is, and how she could just be so patient and diligent in making us the best Korean speakers in town. She’ll have a real, hard time with me, though :-( I nevertheless told myself how today’s class has so far been the most enjoyable class that I attended, getting my daily doze of laughs, yet learning and remembering a lot.

Second, I was back to seeing my favorite priest at the church that I go to for my evening mass, and I realized how he has become such a personal inspiration. I look at him and I see meekness. I hear his words thru the homily, and I hear rock-solid voice of truth and wisdom. He even looks a bit of a Jesus Christ to me. I mean, he looks like the typical Jesus Christ the movies would make Christ look like. And with that, I am in awe.

It’s not like I haven’t seen my teacher and the priest do their jobs as I participate in it, it just makes me feel thankful now to have these kinds of people around. People who make a difference in me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now as if fate has never gotten tired of making those sudden turn of events to put my emotions on a rollercoaster again— I went home from church and got an unexpected, yet subconsciously prayed for thing to happen. It was as simple as wanting to get the longed-for confirmation from someone, that he has fully known and understood such feelings thrown, JUST SO HE’D KNOW. Nothing more wanted, but to get feel good about myself having poured it all. The hell I care if he actually decides to just shrug it off, and go on with his life. Because by that time, I would be able to join him in doing the same.

But of course, since I have that subconscious self that housed the long, suppressed feelings recently expressed in a little shit of a letter, it was hard to teach it to keep away from what the subconscious self naturally looks for—- anything that makes oneself better and happy. When one tells about his suppressed feelings to someone, it is because that someone has never really felt the same about you, and you want him to feel the same way, too.

And so I cry for not getting what the subconscious self hopes for. But just the same, the ill-thinking side of me falls those tears for some kind of redemption from such high and dangerous clinging. That I could finally lose the grip, because there really is nothing to hold on to. It has been made visible with the words that I got back, which seemed as if the person has been so much affronted by his numbness and my bluntness, and so he just went on to say what anyone would be expected to say when he has hurt someone. And so he asked that I bear with him. Which is actually, near to saying sorry. But not, really.

This should end it. I got what I wanted. And I have to let it go.

Weekend Playtime With Kids

noreply@blogger.com (E-L-L-A) — Sat, 16 May 2009 10:05:00 +0000

I love kids. I mean, I really enjoy being with children. I don’t exactly know what it is called, but there’s just this special fondness that I have of them, and it makes me go high. It’s like I can be my most comfortable self to unconsciously pick my nose in front of them, and I won’t even be any kind of embarrassed in doing it. It must be the rawness of their minds, the innocence that people mistake as being less intelligent, when most of us know that they can even be way smarter than us sometimes— that draws me to them. Here I am stuck at getting older, technically acquiring more knowledge and experience, yet making things more complicated. I then talk to any kid licking on his ice cream, and I am again reminded of how life can just be anyone’s coned vanilla. Plain and smart-ass simple.

This special fondness of children made me volunteer for UNESCO’s Cross-Cultural Awareness Program. I found out about it online and attended an orientation that officially included me in the roster of foreigners in South Korea who said “yes” to the organization’s invite to a mutual exchange of culture with Korean students. Two weeks after the orientation, I finally got my first call for a Saturday class, and my, I couldn’t just be any more excited.

The UNESCO office informed me about my first stint a week before the date set by the head teacher of the school I was to hold the class at. One thing that astounded me with the class details was the big number of children that I had to handle. Come on, they’re fifty. That’s an educational system issue already, even in Philippine standards, to have a 1:50 teacher-student ratio. Anyway, with the help of my KIV (Korean Interpreter Volunteer), whom every CEV (Cultural Exchange Volunteer) like me should be paired up with, I was able to get further advice on how to go about with my class, particularly when the head teacher said that he would like it more if I’d brew some games or teach a dance or song to the kids.

So that’s how the subjects on Philippine traditional dances and games came about. There sure are a lot more interesting topics to come up with and share about my country, but I considered the head teacher’s request, and the fact that we’re talking of a big number of students whom I just cannot afford to bore with dates and names in Philippine history and those other serious craps.

And so Ate YY (my very nice and pretty KIV) and I have been exchanging e-mails and Skype messages since the day I got her mobile number thru the official UNESCO website where the invites are received and confirmed. I gave her my class outline, while she, in turn, gave pointers and even shared her experiences with her previous classes with other foreign volunteers. Our agreed meeting place at Line no. 1, exit 4 of the Cheongnyangni station then sealed our first travel adventure as one-day teachers.

The Saturday morning drizzle that I had to embrace along with the big, brown bag that I carried on my right shoulder was something that I sure was fine to deal with, as I excitedly rode the train to conform with our 7:20 am meeting time today. The big, brown bag had all my “class stuff” in it, anyway. Ate YY practically led the way in the whole travel, being the Korean that she is and the foreigner that I am in South Korea, *teehee*. She even had our tickets prepared prior to today, which was cool because she just showed her mobile phone, and we were off to our seats in the train that had the 7:50 am departure schedule. Apparently, she had bought our train tickets online, and had her receipt sent through her mobile phone. Oh the convenience of life, here is.

The head teacher had been waiting for us for a little more than five minutes after 9am, when we arrived in Cheongpyeong, after which he let us go inside his car so he could then drive for another 20 minutes. The school that we were going to is Miwon Elementary School, located in the province of Gyeonggi-do. It was a pretty big school to just house elementary students. The facilities were all new, that no one would actually think it is a public school. But nah-uh, it is. I then told YY how it can be hard to distinguish a public from a private school in South Korea, then. In the Philippines, public schools would usually have vandalized desks, overly-scratched green blackboards, broken jalousies, and very old arm chairs.

I hopped out of the car, still with my big, brown bag, as we finally arrived. Since it was drizzling, it didn’t really surprise me to see that there were no students even in the corridors of the school building. It was very quiet. Mr. Han, the head teacher, then prompted Ate YY and me to the principal’s office where the principal formally welcomed and gave us a little plaque of appreciation, which is technically called a “call of attorney”. After some small talk and picture taking, Mr. Han then led us to the indoor gym where the class will be held.

It was yet fifteen minutes before our ten o’ clock class, but all the kids were already seated in the steel chairs that were arranged at the center of the gym. Then there was that big brown table with a laptop and projector on, which practically told my a-bit nervous self that I should be anywhere near it. Ate YY had forwarded my class outline to Mr. Han, so he already knew what I would need for the class. I prepared a PowerPoint presentation and a very simple video, so those gadgets were what I exactly needed.

I was given ample time to prepare, since I had to make use of what my big, brown bag had to offer. It basically had all other paraphernalia, which I thought would help in making the class more meaningful. It’s where I took out my maps, my giveaways, and some other “props” for the class. I also drew out my outline and prepared spiels from it, just to guide me as I speak in front of these children. I never really know when I’d just suddenly go blank. Tsk. Tsk.

One thing I noticed with the class is how the seating arrangement was grouped according to gender, with the boys filling up the first two front rows. The girls were all at the back.

All the students were very active. I really enjoyed every minute of the whole cultural lecture, pacing around as I walk to a student for an answer to my question, then back again to the big, brown table in front. Since it was a pretty big gym, I used a microphone so that even the kids at the back would hear me. The students confidently responded to my little queries, not minding if they were already saying Jebu (Cebu) for an answer. They must’ve liked the idea of winning a prize for a correct answer, that I really saw a lot of hands raised in every question.

The most fun part of the class was when I tried to teach them the basic steps to a traditional dance called the Pandanggo sa Ilaw, where I gave each kid three paper cups as “props”, to replace the candled glasses that are normally used— two cups to hold with each hand, and one to balance on the head. The students sure spent a great deal of their time balancing the cup that they put on their heads, and it was funny how this led to them being a bit uncontrollable. I showed them a video of the dance prior to the actual teaching, so they knew how to use the three paper cups, as they have seen in the video. I then had to just instruct everyone to leave out that one cup to be put on the head, and to use just two cups for both hands, instead. I taught the basic swaying steps, and called on a girl whom I thought did it well to dance with me in front, as her classmates followed her. I gave her a prize for that :-).

Then the part I was most proud of. Along with the Philippine traditional dances, I have decided to also show to them some novelty dances in the Philippines, so I showed everyone the music video for the famous “Otso Otso” dance. I asked everyone to dance the famous moves for it, afterwards. They were sport enough to try it out with me, though I sure saw some kids who went a little uncomfortable with the idea, since it is a pretty hard dance to do. When it was time for me to choose the best dancer, I called on this fairly-browned girl at the back who was oh-so pro in dancing the “Otso-Otso”. As I have already thought, she’s half-Filipina and half-Korean. She was even way better than me.

And so as to make it even more memorable for my first class ever, how about a question from this handsome kid in front who have since been so active in making comments as I went along with my presentation? I remember him raising his hand just to tell me that he has drunk buko juice straight from its shell, which he said his family had bought from a supermarket here, and that it didn’t taste sweet for him. So to officially cap off my class for the day, he went on to ask, “Ate Ella, who is the president of the Philippines?” With it I said, “Her name is Gloria Macapagal Arroyo”. I made him say the name, to which he preferred to just smile and keep quiet ;-)

The warm cuddles from the students, especially the girls, as they approached me after class was the sweetest of all. Some asked me questions, some asked for my mobile number, some had their pictures with me taken from their mobile phone, while some plainly came up to me to give me a hug (which is the most memorable, really). I spent some minutes chatting with the Filipino kid in class and her classmates, and told her how I was so proud of her because she did well in dancing the “Otso-Otso”. Haha, way to go!

After the class, Ate YY and I ate lunch with Mr. Han, who had been busy taking the video of the whole lecture as we did our jobs earlier at the gym. It was very flattering to hear from the head teacher how he was very satisfied with what I did, to think that I was really having my first-time jitters, even seconds before I actually opened my mouth to talk in class. I gave Ate YY and Mr. Han my own small token of appreciation while on the table, and that pretty much loosened everything up in me. The early day has ended, and this by far, is one of the very few times when I felt like I did something so valuable and fulfilling. :-)

I'm now so excited about the succeeding invites to come!

(And here are some more pictures!!!)

Whatthebook

noreply@blogger.com (E-L-L-A) — Fri, 15 May 2009 14:23:00 +0000

It must be the laxity that I am getting from work these past weeks (thankfully) that suddenly pushed my whore-ish tendencies over books, and it made me itch for new paperbacks to read. It actually started with this Facebook (FB) application that I found out from somebody else’s profile. It’s called WeRead. I kind of liked it, so I added it to my FB profile, listing there all the books that I remember having read. I know I have not listed all, though. I then said that it would be nice if I could add more to my list, and so the search for new books to buy started. I am missing the books that I left back home in the Philippines.

There is a pretty neat online service from a foreign bookstore here in Korea that gave me my first ordered books online, ever. The bookstore is called Whatthebook, owned by an American guy named Chris, who is married to a Korean. I haven’t been to the actual store in Itaewon, though I would love to go there some time. Since the itch came while I was busy googling at work, I decided to get my new book-reads by having it delivered to our apartment. The website is very easy to navigate, with categorizations that make one's book selection very easy. I went ahead and checked out the “Used Books” section, and made my choices there. The site offers several payment options, and since I do not own a credit card, I went ahead and wired my payment from my bank account to the bookstore’s. It’s amazing because a few hours later, I got an e-mail already confirming such online order and payment.

I made the order and wired my payment on a Thursday afternoon, and the books arrived today, Friday. Which really makes a first-time customer like me extremely happy as it basically exceeds customer expectations :-). The site said that the delivery for my chosen books will be after two business days, and well, it came just the day after! Delivery days for books generally vary in the bookstore, depending on the availability of the chosen books.

Anyway, here's an attempt to balance my life in general with my newest book purchases:

I just thought I'd go back to reading the latest fiction reads, while still struggling to read on something related to my field of work. Haha, goodluck to me!

Seoul International Friendship Day

noreply@blogger.com (E-L-L-A) — Sun, 10 May 2009 14:10:00 +0000

I had the chance of checking out the Seoul International Friendship Day at the City Hall today, thanks to a needed, first-time meeting with my Korean Interpreter Volunteer (KIV) for a UNESCO-led cultural class that we both have to prepare for. Aside from this, I have been texted several times by a Chinese girl whom I met when I had my Cultural Exchange Volunteer orientation for the same organization, that I finally agreed to meet up with her on the same day that I have to meet with my KIV.

Just a brief backgrounder, I recently volunteered for the Cross-Cultural Awareness Program that UNESCO has for participants who want to share their country’s cultural backgrounds. It mainly wants to enhance the intercultural understanding of the Korean youth, therefore creating a constructive partnership between Koreans and global citizens as they interact and learn each other’s cultures.

It was an early day spent in the said area, since I agreed to meet up with Ms. YoonYoung (KIV) at eleven in the morning. There were expectedly a lot of people of all colors and sizes at the place, along with food and novelties to try and buy. Ate YY and I of course checked out the Philippine booth to see if there’d be anything that we can grab as materials for our class. The booth basically showcased the country’s most commonly exported tropical fruits-- bananas and pineapples, with sago at gulaman on the sides. There was even a free taste of our sweet pineapples! Aside from the fruits and drinks, native stuff like bracelets, purses, and bags were also showcased for sale. I ended up buying some native pencil cases and wooden balls as prizes for the kids. I also grabbed some brochures and booklets about the Philippines for free.

Then the long walk followed, with YY and I checking out each booth from the country that we felt like going to!

1.) A fun, fun, fun performance from Mexico. Way to go, Korean fellah!

2.) A band performance from Austria's finest men! Haha.

3.) A barbecue experience with Ms. Republic of Cote D'Ivoire. The barbecue smelled just oh-so good! The lady didn't like the star treatment that I gave her, obviously. Way too shy. Ha-ha!

4.) A taste of Malaysian food. I forgot the name already, tastes like curry though.

5.) Window shopping at India's mini flea market

6.) Name-lettering at Turkey's booth. That guy was all-sweaty.

7.) Food fest at the Egyptian booth. It's gold finger (very sweet and syrup-y) and koushari (rice with beans and other stuff in it, hehe).

Then the non-stop pictures went on! A parade of beauties from all nations, wahahahaha.

What's nice about events like these is it really makes you strutt more confidently as a foreigner in a country, all-pretty to make friends with other people. A highlight of this day in regard to this whole idea of "friendships" is the very amiable Fatima, the Egyptian lady whom YY and I met at the Greek booth. Ate YY and I fell in line to check out the sweet pastries in the said booth, when Fatima suddenly approached us to ask what we were falling in line for. She then explained that she is a Greek History major who was plain curious about what the Greek booth had to offer. After we finally got our sweets, we then went inside the Egyptian booth to eat our Greek sweets, while Fatima added her very proudly own "gold finger" and "koushari" for us to taste as well. All yummy! :-)

Fatima, YY, and I

A Night of Orchestra

noreply@blogger.com (E-L-L-A) — Fri, 08 May 2009 15:10:00 +0000

Classical music has almost always come along with an orchestra, or vise versa. Now some people may find an orchestra tedious, given the complexities of such instruments played, and classical music as boring. I’ve never really been a classical music freak myself, though I am able to once in a while find special cravings for such sound, usually when I simply want to subconsciously put caressing pillows under such mind of mine that would clutter itself with all the strains of the real world. I honestly have such great respect for such genre and the people who can excellently play musical instruments typically used to play such relaxing and soothing music. Combine these people and their melody toys, and a certain musical sophistication arises.

I got a free invite to Brigham Young University’s (BYU) Wind Symphony and the US 8th Army Band’s performances held at the KBS Hall today, thanks to a late afternoon call from my good friend, Lemons, who had access to the event. She’s actually a student from the said university. The concert venue was just a few meter stroll from my workplace, which was probably why my friend thought of hitching me in.

Songs such as Bugler’s Holiday (Leroy Anderson), Molly on the Shore (Percy Grainger), and Dance of the Jesters (Peter I. Tchaikovsky) were played (not that I personally know the songs— I just copied them from the concert programme:-D), and I just cannot help but be drawn to how the incredibly many and varied instruments on stage were able to create such music that came together and homogenously blended themselves beautifully. I know that an orchestra technically follows a generally accepted hierarchy, with each instrumental group (woodwind, brass, percussion, and strings) having a “principal” that gets to occasionally do solos in a song or piece. Nevertheless, support from the subordinate instruments makes it richer and vibrant in sound, therefore removing such technical concept of a “hierarchy”. Each instrument is just as magnificent as everybody else.

What makes an orchestra performance even more appealing is the presence of a conductor, whom I equally give such respect to (even with his face turned against me). It was just so riveting to see him on stage do a soft sway of his head and hands at one count, then do a stomp with his feet and stiffen his whole body the next, to command everyone in the orchestra to stop. Such power of a stick. I wonder if they have a technical term for that musical wand? You look at the conductor’s movements, and he seems to be doing such an easy and seemingly unimportant job, until he again do that quick, heavy throw of both hands this time, and the whole ensemble suddenly silences. Amazing. That’s the part in every song performance that I actually like- whenever the conductor do that halting hand command.

Here’s a sneak peek of the concert, with the symphony’s rendition of the Korean traditional song called Arirang. It's a bonus track actually, done after all the songs in the programme were played.

Plain Vanilla Vent (Cough-Free)

noreply@blogger.com (E-L-L-A) — Wed, 06 May 2009 09:56:00 +0000

My length of stay here in South Korea is long enough to mold and bring forth a child into this world, had I actually been a pregnant mother who arrived here last August. Recalling the nine months that I have wrestled for my independence in this country, I can now understand why and how I am able to have this time to do some thinking... or reflections, if I should get any deeper.

I just got back from a one-week vacation, thanks to the three days of sick leave that I took on the working days that came in between the May 1 and May 5 holidays of this year (following the South Korean working calendar). Well, I must say that I have always been a smart ass in requesting for leaves in the office on “sandwich-ed working days” so I can have the luxury of calling these short leaves as ample vacation time.

The seven days of vacation that I got (3 sick leaves + 2 weekends + 2 holidays) would have been a grand time for me to spend outdoors. I mean, I have actually gone theme-parking and late night bar drinking on normal weekends. But God sure knows how to create the irony of my having more time to keeping it idle at home. For one, God gave me a prolonged cough, which is actually the main reason why I called for the sick leaves. My body has finally succumbed to the pressure and stress of work that I yearned for my pillows and bed sheets, instead of the sun that has started to shine amid the transition from winter to spring.

In the days that I have slacked it off at home, I couldn’t be more grateful to have such a kind housemate to accompany me to the clinic so I can get my prescription, as well as get my shots for the freakin’ cough that has rattled everyone in the office with the noise that it has been making. And part of the idle time, I have mustered enough nostalgia to create my first picture collage abroad, admitting how I am seriously missing my folks back in the Philippines.

A lot has really happened in the past nine months—- have felt bad and cried over my first office presentation ever, not to mention my tripping by the subway stairs for not getting enough sleep the night before; have used my allotted vacation leaves to move to a new apartment, which everyone in the office knew even before I would’ve formally told them; have gone from jolly to almost stoic in the office, bearing the occasional solo-flight lunches; have gone past six different teams that required monthly PowerPoint presentations that sure plodded me to work on some Saturdays, yet mostly to no avail; have attended weekly Hangeul classes, more so to meet friends and have a diversion than to seriously learn the language; have written a long letter to someone to end such foolish, unidentifiable kind of “keeping in touch” with each other; and basically struggled to live each day not understanding what I am doing things for and why I am doing them in the first place.

I can attribute such unbearable stress to the main problem of not knowing and fully understanding my role and worth in the workplace. I got irrationally carried away by the rollercoaster run of its environment, struggling to grip on the rails, yet keeping my eyes shut. There was of course that great, pleasant welcome to the prestige of such tenure, but it was so easy to forego, given the bloated expectations born out of my “special” case. I am a foreigner, a young breed at that, stereotyped to be full of potential. They think that I have a second tongue to express myself more, and so they believe that everything is comprehensible.

Sometimes though, what you think your mind understands is not sincerely read by the heart that is trapped by the ambiguity of the ground where you should really step on. You then think if the biggest decision that you had to make in your life was actually worth the stake.

I am not complaining about where I am now. It would be of extreme arrogance to act and even think that way. There are people who would so much want to be in the same field of work that I am currently in, and they can anytime despise me and make themselves more worthy to take my place, if they hear me not realizing how I am plain lucky to even have this job. I guess what I just need is that concrete tag above my head that tells of what I should be really doing to contribute to the workplace that I am in. A ROLE. No matter how minute and miniscule it is, is worth my much-clamored identity in this foreign land.

Ending my first day at work after this long vacation, relaxed as ever with no for-work-sake task so far (I hope it won’t be too long though), I hope to firm myself with my role as I learn the changes in my workplace today. I am technically part of a team, and it is faintly drawing the borders to my “identity” tag.

Mainstream Love

noreply@blogger.com (E-L-L-A) — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 15:57:00 +0000

In a country where you'd most probably think people would have more apprehensions in such public displays of affection given such purist history and conservative values, you’d then smile and give credit to how Koreans can be their creative selves in mainstreaming this so called couple love. Oooh yeah, baby!

The Couple Shirts.

Korean couples really know how to be K-POPish with these matching tops that sometimes not only match the colors, but the prints themselves. Just when everybody else in the world strives to be as unique and original as possible in their wardrobe, Koreans tell us that there is great fashion dug in looking alike. The concept will initially strike you as cute, since they are primarily put on couples, whom you would realize are simply trying to profess their love to their partners. It even looks more fun, especially when you’re in an allowable place like a theme park, which is always a good venue for couples to have dates or such.

I actually spent a Sunday with friends in Everland, a popular theme park in South Korea, and boy, I’d like to think that there were more couples than kids in that place. Couples in couple shirts, at that. Five more seconds of looking at them though, enough to notice how the purses and shoes even match-- I suddenly had to ask, “What are they really trying to get at?”. Nah, I'd like to think that was plainly brought by the fact that there is no way I could sport such look anytime soon. Haha.

I asked my housemate what she thinks of Korean couples sporting matching outfits, and she said that it really is a common thing, especially among younger couples in colleges and universities. She's sported matching colors with her husband before, but has never really gone beyond matching shoes nor socks. For her, they plainly give the impression that they are the fashionable breed of couple. And quoting my housemate on this, “It’s like, they just want to show that they are one as a couple.”

Well one thing sure, Koreans, in general, strike me as dangerously bold and appealing when it comes to fashion, really. And that Koreans are the most “mainstream-ed” people as of the moment. Mix mainstream and fashion with love, and you’ll definitely get that mainstream kind of couple love. ;-)

The Sunday Dress Culture

noreply@blogger.com (E-L-L-A) — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 14:43:00 +0000

I have never really been the great Catholic devotee, but having been raised by spiritually-rooted parents and sent to an all-girls school that had to perform short, weekly quizzes about the Holy Bible, I don’t think it would surprise anyone if I show even the slightest effect of the Catholic influence in me.

And one great practice, you ask? Sporting a dress for the mass-- especially on an Easter Sunday. Whoot whoo!

I was very much aware of the Lenten week this year, though I must say that it was very hard to feel the supposed quiet and calm spirit of it, given the fast-paced working environment that I am in. It was “business as usual” in the place where I am currently caved in: hearing the same alarm sound from my mobile phone in the morning, walking on the same underground walkway to the same subway exit, to reach the same building elevator so I’ll get to the floor where my same high-backed office chair is placed. And for some reasons, as soon as my ass slumps itself on the cushion of that office chair that I just mentioned, I am automatically transported to a world of non-stop googling, online reading, and occasional eye-drooping. It’s normal, don’t worry. We all get tired when all we have to do is burn holes in our chairs, and pretend we have mastered all that there is in our field of work.

But despite this five-day virtual transformation in the office, weekends have more or less brought me back to the simpler of things, and not to mention, the more pleasant ones. I have never looked forward to Easter Sunday in my whole life than this year, when even an outright reminder to myself that I should not eat meat on a Friday, still plodded me to a samgyeopsal lunch appointment with a colleague. My longing for Easter Sunday is therefore a redemption from my submergence to another culture that made me forget my own.

And what a way to celebrate such yearning, than with someone who has more or less been exposed to the Sunday dress culture back in our teen years. It’s funny that the first question that this friend brought up as we talked about meeting up to attend the morning mass, was if we have gotten ourselves a church dress to wear. In the few times that this friend and I have actually met, hearing the Holy Eucharist has always been our agenda together, so going a level higher to inquiring about church etiquette may be a promise of better church meet-ups together. Who knows?

I get a late night, self-invite and reminder from a housemate that she wants to join me to mass the next morning, plus a shout-out from someone in the subway station as I high-heel your way to church-- and I end up standing in one line at the back of the cathedral with three of my friends, for coming in late. Serves me right for wearing black heels, eh?

So off to my newly-bought white flats as I spend Easter Sunday with the cherry blossoms in Yeouido, after hearing the mass. Despite the crowd and the heat of the afternoon, I think I can say that my dress had its perfect use for this day. :-)

On Ceramics and Three-Headed Eagles

noreply@blogger.com (E-L-L-A) — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 15:24:00 +0000

A friend dragged me into this informal Korean Language class that he said he randomly caught online, and I must say that this has a more “multi-cultural” feel compared to the one that I have been attending in Hyehwa every Sunday. Most of the students in this one-and-a-half hour class in Sookmyung are Westerners and Middle Easterners. Taller creatures, yes they all are to me. Haha! It is also informal in a sense that all I get every week are a few sheets of paper that has the week’s lessons, compared to the textbook that I have to bring every Sunday to my class in Hyehwa. One thing with the informal class though, is I get stamps every time I attend a session, which, if I reach ten, will get me a gift! Similar to drinking much, much coffee at Dunkin Donuts for the stamps, to eventually get a free cup after a dozen! Teehee.

Now I have just been to two sessions in the Level 1 class when it called for a cultural field trip for all students. And I kind of liked the idea of going out and mingling with Westerners so I listed myself in. I initially did not want to go because I didn’t want to spend that much (haha), but it turned out to be a fun experience for me.

The whole group first met at the Angguk station (Exit 2), where we, the students, were divided into two further groups. Group A got to do ceramic-making first, venue of which could occupy about only 10 people. That’s actually the reason why there was a need to divide— there were around twenty people who participated in this trip.

The crash course on ceramic-making is pretty easy to listen to and look at. As a first time ceramic artist (ahem), anyone would encounter petty problems of course, like how to make the coil of the same thickness, to properly smoothing out the outsides of your vase or jar, given such full-grown nails that would occasionally prick on the clay itself. I’m pretty fine with my work, though. I could’ve just made the most out of the provided clay, and made a bigger one.

Voila! Here I go! Done, done, done! Here's my W19,000-worth of artsy hands. Any bidders?

Next stop was a trip to a small museum called the Gahoe Museum, which had lots of blah blah's about Korea’s folklore. I sure heard a lot of names from the Kingdom Animalia— from tigers to bears to cows to three-headed eagles! There was a little tea-talk time afterwards among our group, and I could clearly remember this blonde Russian doing all the speeches, while the rest waited for him to just stop. Haha. Leila, our teacher-in-charge was very accommodating though, in nodding and agreeing to everything that the Russian blabbed about. Now I don’t mean to imply that the Russian was saying all nonsense, I am actually amazed that he knows so much about Korean folklore. Well anyway, tea anyone?

Saint Patrick's Day in Seoul

noreply@blogger.com (E-L-L-A) — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 14:58:00 +0000

I’m of course far from being any breed of Irish (come on), but just the same, my housemate and I spent this afternoon going nosey over at Marronier Park in Hyehwa-dong to witness Saint Patrick’s Day celebration here in Seoul. I read about it in the papers during the week, and the news was just in time for my usual brew on weekend activities to try out. Woohoo!

It surprised me to know that there actually are quite a handful of these European bloods in Asia, for Seoul to even hold a celebration here. Then I remembered how the Americans are so stoked to “going green” along with the Irish people— with how it has equally been popular in the U.S., I mean. And talk about the flock of Americans that have been going to South Korea for teaching jobs— the country then, has all the guts to splurge on this one. Now looking around at all the tall, Western folks that gathered in that small park that I have more or less been so used to seeing (I pass by the said park every Sunday for my Korean Language class), I realized how I’m simply such a loser in distinguishing an Irish from an American. They all are the same tall, white, usually-blonde, and commonly chisel-nosed species of the opposite hemisphere for me!

Saint Patrick’s Day is, more than anything else, a religious occasion, commemorating Ireland’s patron saint, who brought Christianity to the country. Unlike the serious mood that such matter would normally imply, it's pretty amazing to see and actually feel the festive and jolly spirit of the event.

There were balloons, London Bridges, caterpillars, mascots— and everything was just in green! Now I learned that the color green has always been associated with Saint Patrick’s Day because Saint Patrick used the famous “shamrock” green leaf in explaining the Holy Trinity to the Irish people. And well, well, well. I did my share in everybody’s "go-green" theme.

Nami Island Trip

noreply@blogger.com (E-L-L-A) — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 15:39:00 +0000

Being the ultimate Winter Sonata freak that I am, I checked out this famous island in South Korea— Nami Sum (Nami Island), located in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province so I can catch the last day of the said island’s “Foreigner’s Free Festival”. The said event celebrated Nami Island’s third anniversary of independence. It declared its independence in March 2006 and renamed itself as Naminara Republic. Now, what’s cute about this half-moon shaped island is it has invented its own passport, currency, and stamps since then, as it now promotes itself to other countries. Talk about living up to its “independence”, eh?

It was quite a trip to get to the place, since it took an hour-worth of train ride from Cheongryang-ni to Gangpyeong station, after which we went for a short taxi ride that brought us to the port where a ferry awaits anyone who would want to finally cross the waters to reach the island.

Nami Island of course, is that picturesque place where Bae Yong Joon and Choi Ji Woo shot those lovely scenes for the Winter Sonata series, most famous spot of which showed those long stretches of tall trees where they went biking in the space created between the soldier-like stances of the said tall trunks.

The island surely deserves a good walk from first-timer visitors like us, and since it’s a Festival-Day Sunday when we went, there sure were a lot of people who walked around with us. Some took the free tour bus service of the island, while some rented bikes. And after the good amount of exercise gotten from those, the food stalls scattered in the whole place surely proved ready to serve everyone. But we caught on free beer somewhere in the area, and lined up for it as well. You never miss opportunities like that. Haha.

A special highlight in the trip that we caught on was this amateur singing contest sponsored by the island officials for the festival. It was a Filipina in pink jacket who won, and it was a freakin’ prize that she got from the contest: A round-trip ticket to any country that she chooses to go to. When my friends and I had a little chat with her though, she said she would have liked it better in cash, haha. Why not?

The place all in all has a very relaxing feel, with the trees and all, and I must admit it really is a place for couples and the budding ones… *teehee*. But can I just say just the same, that a very big factor that contributed to this “romantic” feel of the island is how Hallyu freaks really went gaga over Winter Sonata.

Come on, that sole fact dragged me to the place in the first place. The Hallyu influence is really something, I tell you. ;-D

On My First Bookstore Trip

noreply@blogger.com (E-L-L-A) — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 13:48:00 +0000

It’s a bookstore to me when it could have been a salon for the more normal women. And it’s a book on the racks when it could have been a haircut--- you know this cliché on the usual state of women when they actually decide to go to a salon alone to even have their hair razored for hell’s sake? Ha-ha. There. I just wouldn’t want to outrightly admit— I am at it again. D-------d. I’m just surprised to find out that I tend to be geeky when I am on a big D. Boo-hoo.

I checked out Kyobo Bookstore in Gwangwhamun for the first time, which is a famous bookstore here in Seoul, and bought myself new books in a lousy attempt to better myself with work. It would be a double slap on the face if I have both work and my personal life on the rocks. I have to make either doing great to provide a great excuse for the other’s silly state. Yes, it’s the love-career trade-off. Ha-ha. I then recalled why I suddenly craved for book buys today.

My major work obligation for the day ended this morning, and so it allowed me the luxury of time in the afternoon to broadcast myself online— therefore exposing me to such casualness that I have secretly been complaining from someone. Of how someone, in his most ambiguous sense, could occasionally keep in touch and throw at me personal stories of his so-called life, and therefore exercise this person’s well-known numbness and being inconsiderate of other people’s feelings (particularly, mine). God knows how I’ve been cursing myself of the fact that either way— talking to him or not, I GET HURT.

Damn, all he did was to be his normal self in chit-chatting with me, and it sent my eye linings wet again, as I held back the senseless drops. It’s crazy. Freakin’ crazy that I get unreasonably affected. So what if he exerted effort in rekindling with a previous love?

It all boils to down to a very crucial need in my life right now. CLOSURE. A straightforward talk with someone who is dragging me to an unhealthy way of thinking about the kind of relationship that we currently have. He has to know that I cannot take him casually as he now does to me, unless we stab each other with words to end whatever it is that we have (or maybe, at this time, just whatever it is that I solely have against him, since it looks like he has nothing left for me, for him to take me casually). Okay, so I may give malice to every single word that he shares, but that is because I have all the reasons to. And you may accuse me of being too hopeful, but I again have all the reasons to. He was the one who started it, asking for it from me in the first place-- yet I toyed with the idea for quite a while, that it didn’t provide him the quick answer to what he wanted from me at that time when he was flaring with such emotion in it. And so the flare died as fast as it went into him, and in its utmost irony, it was only when my emotions answered back— finally looking for him when he has long gone fishing, away from the waters where he initially caught on me. Crazy.

I went underground in doing all means to get him back, or at the very least confirm the backfire of his initial attack on me and my feelings, and well… men have always found it so easy to juggle with even three balls on air with their two hands, if you get what I mean. And so I actually had him back, out of the mere fact that I called for him. It did not appear okay with me, of course-- getting juggled with the other balls, and so I didn’t push myself any further since I thought of how it’s not going to work anyway, given the other aspects of my life that I had to decide upon at that time-- biggest of which is distancing myself to pursue a career. I thought of the bigger and better picture, and realized at that time, how he’d be too weak for it.

And so I pursued, but left a big trace that made him scramble back a great deal, for I know I rattled him too much as I have already been rattling. We know we have to talk about something; it’s basically just a question on who’s going to be more stubborn in suppressing it. The greatest joke of it all is we finally mustered to talk again, but greatly avoiding WHAT really has to be dealt with.

(...to be continued)

Jason Mraz in Seoul

noreply@blogger.com (E-L-L-A) — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 15:45:00 +0000

Jason Mraz is one great artist whom I truly, truly admire— someone I am definitely willing to trade decent lunches for a week or two, just so I can finally buy a ticket to his concert. The guy already had two concerts back in the Philippines which I knew about, though I frustratingly did not get the chance to catch both. The first was due to lack of the moolah, and the second was due to lack of time.

I finally was able to muster both when I got here in Seoul, and finally had one of the most meaningful two hours of my life. Woohoo.

Jason Mraz’s songs are simply of great wit and profoundness, just not easily realized, given the rather light and playful melodies coupled with that cool-kid image of his. We have all been accustomed to only hearing deeply-thought songs from ballads, and from songs sung by neatly-tucked crooners with some piano or violin. Listen to “1,000 Things”, “Beautiful Mess”, and “You and I Both”. They’re the most romantic songs that I will forever wish to be sung to me, with even just a ukulele.

The concert was well-attended by people, and I am amazed by how the event was very much organized. Now being the great fan that I am, I have previously been checking on You Tube for videos of his concerts in all corners of the world, and he has always been equally witty and funny when jamming with his audience. In this concert though, he was just plain performing, that I thought he was rather impersonal in his Seoul concert. Still friendly though—very, very cute and sexy in that signature moja and white shirt.

Another thing that was so cute in this concert is I caught on several Koreans with papers that wrote the lyrics to this song. This is the “noraebang” style of humming to one of Jason Mraz’s current national anthems:

The Financial Crisis Explained

noreply@blogger.com (E-L-L-A) — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 08:17:00 +0000

I am just as confused as everybody else. Don’t count on me as more-knowing for having technically finished my Business Economics degree because there are far better people who have the logic and wit to understand the matter than I ever will. And so I do what I do best—googling, in my search for a topic for my monthly presentation at work, and stumbled upon this video that has a witty take on what the financial crisis really is.

It’s simply about daddies finding it hard to tell mommies that they don’t look good.
Ha-ha.

Birthday Post

noreply@blogger.com (E-L-L-A) — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 09:10:00 +0000

I know. Such a lame title above. Ha-ha.

“Are you at work today?”
“Yeah. I’m chatting with you in the office.”
“Tell everybody that it’s your birthday, so you can make it even for a half-day leave. Tell them it’s the Philippine working culture.”

And all I can do is hold back the giggles. “I am at the office”, I had to remind myself.

It’s funny how I am so living up to such culture that my friend just mentioned about, as I have practically been slacking at work today. I don’t exactly feel lazy, mind you, I woke up early to arrive just in time at the office. And you could imagine how my mind has already been so set with the fact that nothing can ever ruin the pleasant mood that I must’ve mustered from my early sleep last night. There is just something with birthdays and how the Filipinos make such a big deal out of it that makes me extra perky. Why not? Birthdays are meant to be happy. That is why it’s called a HAPPY BIRTHDAY. When you put that extra perkiness at work though, people in the land of the “Work-Hard, Drink-Harder” club might see it as irresponsible laxity. People in my place of work spend sixteen hours a day inside the office, and here I am planning to leave right at the tick of the official 6 o’ clock end of working hour schedule. Ha-ha.

Well, nobody has ever called my attention, really, since I have been so stoked to facing my laptop screen to type “nonsense-ries” to friends online so I can say my word of thanks for their birthday greetings. I have officially been given something to do at work, but let’s just say that I can make a general excuse for not finishing it since the means to do it has proven to be not always available. And so I give up browsing through the Bloomberg station where I have to dig on data, and talk to friends using Yahoo Messenger. Oh damn goodness, how I love YAHOO MESSENGER! Ha-ha.

I have been checking once in a while to see if the Bloomberg station was already vacant, so if not, I could then open my Hangeul manual for random readings. But point here is, my mindset is just far out from work. It’s really not that hard not to let it show (I have always been a good actor), but once in a while I would also feel guilty. I then probe on why I am here in a foreign land in the first place to work. Nah, that deserves a whole separate entry.

I check on what I’ve written now, and I then think about what I actually want my entry to get at. It may be so much telling now of how these scribbles have been written while at the office. Maybe I don’t want to say anything. That I just want to pass away time and wait until I can meet my friends for some dinner. Coolness, Ella. Ha-ha. Just this morning, I got my mother’s birthday greeting thru e-mail, which included a line wishing me luck in my career. I now think of where her wish of luck will eventually lead to. No one really wants to disappoint their mothers, you know.

I have honestly been so touched by people who have posted birthday greetings online through the social networking sites that I am currently subscribed in. There have also been personal e-mails that were sent to me, apart from the offline messages that I got from people who opted the messenger service (kudos to YAHOO!) for some birthday notes. Now the e-mails were more importantly from my parents who included wishes of luck to my life here. Oh well, parents want only the best for their children.

Now, birthdays and good food, I believe, go together, having been grown up by a mother who has never ever failed to cook something special for any of her children’s birthday. My mother is really amazing, I tell you. She cooks even for a dead person’s birthday. Talk about my grandparents (my mother’s parents) whom she loves dearly.

And since I cannot cook (now I'm missing my mom), I went ahead and still splurged this day with food as I spent my birthday with friends at an Indian restaurant in Sinchon. I got out of work pretty early (told you!), and met up with them. One thing so memorable with this dinner is when we asked the waitress to take a picture of us using my camera, she pulled out her own camera to take a picture of us as well. Coolness, Haha. We must've been very memorable customers!

My little celebration for my first out-of-the country birthday was continued at home. Talk about sweet cakes and sweet notes! THANK YOU!!!

~~Seoul-iloqy~~