Tuesday, September 11, 2012

100912

1919191919191919191919 !!!

LONG, TIRING but productive day =]

had class in the morning!! almost late because i had a late night last night... but it's okay! fell asleep here and there during International law (expected), but my contribution to the class made it okay i think... i still think the lecturer thinks i'm dumb... he doesn't give much assurance that what you said is right.. HAHA.

Lecturer: What is the Golden Rule?
Me: It is a common value among religion(s) that basically states - Treat others as you would treat yourself.
L: Sure, now why is it important to International Law.. or what does it have to do with International  Law?
Me: It forms the basis of international humanitarian law/doctrine.
L: Sure.

(so... am i right professor?)

after international law.. it was global ethics again... the class where i feel most uncomfortable... but today was fine i guess...

the topic was animal equality/animal treatment.

I don't quite agree with animal EQUALITY, but i agree with proper animal treatment...

Adam, Eve and us were created to rule over the birds of the sky, beasts of the land and the fish in the sea... MYC 2011. We have authority over animals, but that doesn't mean we abuse our power/ability by treating them cruelly. 

the lecturer wants me to stop eating meat and animal products altogether.

sorry. won't happen. LOL.

but in a Christian context... sure, we were originally made (Genesis) to eat the fruits of the trees... but in the NT, it talks about the eating of meat being fine, so long as it doesn't cause a brother to stumble (furthermore, so long as it doesn't cause you to sin).

that being said, i believe there is a good balance between being overly carnivorous to the point it's gluttony... and being a purely anti-meat artichoke & pesto pizza (no cheese) lover.
i love my veggies, i love my meat, i love free range products... but i can't turn vegan. =[


after the class, i headed back to the dorm and chilled for a bit.. until dinner time with Nicole + Lyna!
we had black bean noodle (Jjajangmyun). authentic stuff >=D
2500 won/$2.40 WOOHOO!


Jjajangmyun

Mr. PRINGLE!!!!!

we explored Wangsimni station shopping complex... the IMAX level and the higher levels above E-mart.. can't believe i haven't checkd it before... amazing stuff!!


after that, we went back home to get ready to go out at 8pm.. to Seoul Namsan Tower (Seoul N Tower).. also known as the Couple tower..

A street in Myeongdong.

The tower in the background!


Steep stairs... Front

Back

a kool(?) statue in front of a restaurant.

CABLE CAR!!! UP THE TOWER.







i'm scared of heights...

but so beautiful.

sorry blurry phone.

torture hike (only maybe 1% of what you'd climb if you didn't take the cable car)

Eero, Lyna and Nicole



These 'trees' are actually full of couple charms.

crazy.

the elevator hallway going up!





To everyone else back home!!!


somewhere beyond the horizon is my home.


couple postcards.


Couple post-it wall

Couple wishing well

Couple meal

Couple balcony

Couple bush

Couple bench

Couple statue with more charms inside

after we were done feeling mushy inside from all the couple stuff... we were on our way home.. we caught a bus to Myeongdong from the top of the hill, and BAM we went around the place looking for supper..

YEUH. hi shawn tan.

Cat cafe... a cafe full of cats... 

we couldn't find anything in Myeongdong (surprisingly), so we went back to Wangsimni and went to a 24 hour Gimbab/Ddeokbokki restaurant =D.

AKON BAR LOL.

$8 altogether for all this. SO GOOD.

by the time we got back... it was 12.26am... 4 minutes before my dorm curfew.. PHEW.
XD


overall an awesome day... felt very productive and it was defs fun.. definitely did not help with the homesickness because i could see the airport from the tower... but i blame it more on Lyna because she kept mentioning that she'll be back with her family in 4 months (Nicole and Lyna are only staying for 4 months.... MUHH).

on another topic.. i've gotten VERY used to speaking Korean now... i asked for directions today without hesitating and without feeling nervous or anything... i've begun ordering food, paying, etc... in Korean and so far so good! i have a feeling when i come back to Sydney, i'd still be speaking Korean if i am in a Korean restaurant or Strathfield.. LOL.

Thankful: A good day; strengthened friendships, classes are getting comfortable, life here is getting comfortable and a beautiful city to spend a year in.... pictures cannot describe how amazing it was to look at the city lights and the point where the city touches the coast.

Prayerful: Not to be too comfortable in Global Ethics classes... a lot of brainwashing can occur and I may begin to live a false truth without knowing it. A Christian life here in this world shouldn't be easy, nor should it be comfortable. I must be on guard at all times and be wary.

Dangers: I've been seeing Nicole and Lyna a lot lately... Although they are fun to hang out with... I need to be careful of unwise situations and/or potentially harmful situations.

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Monday, September 10, 2012

090912

18!!

sorry today will be another short one... it's 2am and i need to sleep!! class tomorrow =[

today was Church day!!

went and checked out New Harvest Ministry (under Sarang Church).
it was awesome!! great people, great worship, great talk.. but an even better God. 

the message was on Luke 18:18 - true riches.
very comforting and very reassuring. =]


my new 1.5kg cereal... it's called Corn Flight.
wut.

Rich people suburb =P 


Busy streets of Gangnam

TOM n TOMS!!!

when i got back to the dorm after church... it was approaching dinnertime .. so i called Nicole + Eero to see if they wanted to have dinner together... but they either already had dinner OR had dinner plans already.. so i ate alone at the cafeteria =[
O WELLS.

Nicole went out on a date with Nelson.. LOL. cute. couples everywhere.

after that, we decided to go to the park/playground under the bridge, in front of the river =O

Eero, Lyna.. and Nelson and Nicole joined us later =]





and then supper + dessert =D

BRAVO CONEEEE. $1.40.. 1500 won. =] can't believe the cone is actually hard... unlike the soft ones in Aussie LOL.





i'm really glad i have found a good church that i believe i will be sticking with for this year.. God has provided me everything i needed here.. He has not forsaken me nor has He left me here for dead. i believe i am still here breathing and healthy because of His divine grace... it is very easy to forget sometimes, but God is good, God is faithful, God is for us and His timing in everything is mysterious yet supreme.

Thankful: A new church, new brothers and sisters and real potential to grow spiritually within this community.

Prayerful: A new week at Uni... will be getting busier... and topics will be getting deeper.

Dangers: I have become very self-conscious lately... I know looks are temporary and all... but I can't help but be troubled that it affects people's perception of me.

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Sunday, September 9, 2012

080912

seventh teen.

quiet-ish day today haha.

woke up around 11am wondering what to do... 

started the day with my bowl of special K to find out that i am running out of cereal!!! so i told myself i'd buy more later today or tomorrow..

after breakfast and chatting to Ed about very important matters (to me and i'm sure to him also), i decided to take advantage of the cool, sunny/cloudy weather and went to the riverside to continue reading Disciplines of a Godly Man. it was the most peaceful moment i've had yet in Korea.. it doesn't beat clifftop back in Sydney, but you can never find a river in the heart of the city back in Sydney =P


Philippians 4:8 - Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

spoke to me the most.

Hughes said that the opposite can be applied... "whatever is untrue, whatever is ignoble, whatever is wrong, whatever is impure, whatever is unlovely, whatever is unadmirable - if there is anything shoddy or unworthy of praise - do not think about these things."

God calls us to be disciplined with our minds to reject such thoughts... to be able to reject unwholesome thought is truly a valuable discipline. it allows us to remain guarded from inappropriate thoughts and it ultimately builds us up to be Christ-minded.

linking this to MKC 2011 and the idea of "fleeing" temptation as opposed to fighting temptation, rejecting such thoughts means to not even let it enter your mind. it definitely means not fighting with such thoughts because by fighting it, it would mean it is already within your mind.


after the quiet session, i went back to the dorm because the clouds were getting quite gray and dinnertime was approaching..
i decided to contact Eero, Nelson and two girls to perhaps have dinner together..
so at 6pm, we went to Wangsimni and had stonepot bibimbap =]

yummm... ($3)



whilst we were at Wangsimni, we also decided to go to E-mart... I got my cereal and they got what they needed (nail polish, snacks, body wash, etc..)

MOM! NO NUTRI GRAIN!! I WANT CORN PLEASURE.

after that, we went back to the dorm to change and headed off to a friend's 21st =]
happy birthday Ainu!

 we went to a bar called Cass Town (the beer Cass) and drank a bit.
altogether i spent $9 ish on drinks and fingerfood =]
Nelson and Nicole. (Nelson isn't wearing a shirt and he's wearing tights)

Eero, Malte and Lyna.

Ainu = birthday girl



Sausages! $4

Martin and Malte

it's 2.40 am now... and i bet the others are still at the club... yeahh i went home when they left for the club... not my scene =X

i've sobered up now... but i think i may have drank too much... i was getting quite hyperactive and probably said a few things i shouldn't have said... when you're intoxicated, it really is hard to think straight.... i will be careful next time..

Thankful: Quiet moments and quiet places in the heart of a busy city.

Prayerful: Remain to be a good influence among my new friends and to remain guarded at all times.They (Lyna and Nicole) are fun and I can see we will be good friends... but I hope it stays like that.

Dangers: Alcohol and speech. A toxic combination that can destroy image, morals, promises and character.

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Saturday, September 8, 2012

070912

sixteen

shopping day today!! hahahaha.

woke up at around 11am and found out my other room mate has returned from Japan as of last night =D
the dorm room is rather livelier now but at least he's attempting to clean around the place =]

whilst waiting for Jo to reply me with the time she'll be free to meet up, i decided to browse the internet to search for the android 4.0 update for my xperia S....
in the end, i ended up manually updating it via download and force updating it.... didn't work out so well...

lost all my contacts, apps, messages, access to australian number whatsapp... yeah...
haha... luckily i had a backup of old contacts from july, so i used that =]

after struggling with it, i completed the update and restored most of the stuff i had before.. pheww..
4.0 looks a lot better and runs smoother . very happy =D

at around 3pm.. i met up with Jo at Dongmyo and went to Myeongdong (again) to shop!
i don't know which other suburbs have SPAO stores.. so Myeongdong was the place to go =]

bought A LOT of stuff... $220 all up.. 8 items (mostly sweaters, jackets and button up shirts) =] Jo has become my new stylist here in Korea and we are going towards a smart/preppy look . =D

dinner at Lotte Department Store.. SOOO good.






=D

Came home to find a very nice e-mail in my inbox =]
read it with no hesitation and s'all good =D

now i shall sleep... its 2.30am and i am tired =[

im still very sad about my sweater though... there is now a white stain that i can't get off... we shall see if it'll blend in with the rest of the sweater after it dries..


Thankful: Clothes, shelter, food and the necessities in life given so graciously. A true blessing.

Prayerful: Money is being spent veryyyy rapidly and almost carelessly... I need self-control.

Dangers: Staying up late... talking to people with my half shut-down brain past 1am... aimless conversations and dangerous topics.

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Friday, September 7, 2012

060912

M15+

i am so tired... so i apologise if this is rather short..

i just got back from my mentor party.. we went to a drinking place where they serve finger food and alcohol.. and you just chat the night away..

arm wrestle match between girls.

Nemo (group leader) and Chloe (my mentor)




they made me do the asian sign... i protested three times...


HUGE beer jug..

after this bar.. we went to another one.. a quieter one where we could chat and get to know each other better. =D

this was at the bar... the jugs contained pineapple soju =O

chips! mmm

this jug had lemon soju haha... crazy crazy drinkers.


and then we went to karaoke..



rather exhausting.. but fun! my mentor group is a good group.. we're all friendly and we get along =]
my noona is the koolest.... except for when she ignores me and talks to other people in the group >=|
jkz. =]

on the way home to my dorm at 2am ish... i bumped into Eero and a few other people from my dorm.. 2 of which were girls from America.. they are very nice, but have a rather playful personality.. she asked for a piggyback on the way home, but i said no... funny because if this happened to me last year or two, i would've been fine with it... but nowadays, i should be and am trying ever so hard to be careful with girl contact and to avoid situations that could otherwise escalate to something i'd regret... so far it's been good, but i shan't dismiss it so easily.

apart from this night.. i just had classes today..

had global ethics and international business.

global ethics is proving to be quite the faith stirrer... every class i grow more and more uncomfortable because they are bashing Christianity and though we all agreed to respect each others' opinions and cultures.. they seem to laugh everytime we discuss Christian doctrine.. it is disheartening and very rage-inducing.. but Shawn and Ed have reminded me to be patient and graceful; as Jesus would be... 

i am not too sure what God wants me to do in this class.. but whatever it is, perhaps through my presence, God will be glorified. 
i think being too sheltered in the past, hanging around Christian friends and being comfortable with Sunday Christianity has grown on me.. and now that i am in a situation where my faith is really being put on the line, it will truly reveal what foundations my faith lie on.

it has been hard and i can imagine it will only get harder in this class.. but i will persevere - so that in due time, it will build a character that is stronger than what it is now.

Thankful: My mentor group - that they are so hospitable, sensible and still fun =].

Prayerful: Godly patience, grace and wisdom in my class(es)... that God's presence can be made real to those who don't believe.

Dangers: I drank a lot tonight... Not used to the Korean drinking culture... Although I wasn't tipsy or drunk, if I kept drinking out of peer pressure it would've turned out much worse...


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Thursday, September 6, 2012

050912

14.. 2 weeks!?!? already!?!?!

is time going slow? or fast... not sure.

what i'm sure of is that it's getting colder here. felt the cold breeze this afternoon as i was heading out to meet Jo for dinner... autumn (or 'fall' as they call it in Korea) is coming and i must brace myself for extremely cold weather soon! (SNOW!)

in the morning... woke up sweating because it was quite a warm morning and i was curled up underneath my blanket.. went straight to shower and had my morning cereal =D. nothing new really.... haha....

had Special Topics in IR as my first and only class... the lecturer is awesome.. he's an old man with a lot of years serving in Government behind him. he has befriended all sorts of people; including North Korean generals and a lot of other very interesting characters... one in particular had originally planned an invasion into South Korea and yeah... the lecturer has A LOT of knowledge.. but with old age, he also comes with A LOT of stories.. after one hour of stories, he said he would stop the class there and let us go... but the stories went on for another hour... LOL.

for lunch, we headed back to the cafeteria ($2.30 dish). spicy pork soup =D


after lunch, my classmates and i went our separate ways because they had classes to go to..

i went back to my dorm to do laundry! (third time laundry.. feelsgoodman).
i thought i had put too much detergent.. but i think it's fine.. im wearing the clothes now and they're very fluffy and non-itchy =]
pro tip: read the instructions next time.

whilst the clothes were getting washed in the machine... i cleaned the bathroom and the dorm floor once again... 
the bathroom was disgusting... there was black mould in the corners and a lot of hair and other flaky stuff on the ground closer to the walls... i think the dormitory cleaners (professional ones) clean the dorms once a year (X-mas break) so we students have to maintain it for the rest of the year...

anyway... i managed to get most of it out.. i need to buy a brush to get the stubborn bits out.. but it looks and smells a lot better now =]

hopefully it'll last.. thank you mom, dad and Hemi for always doing the dirty bathroom stuff back in Sydney.. =[

after cleaning and laundry, i went to Anam to meet Jo! Korea University (Jo's university) is close to Anam, so why not!?! =D

we went to a nearby restaurant and ate Chicken Teriyaki Udon, Pork Kimchi soup and Mandu !
$14 altogether for both of us =D.



jo's sweet tooth was craving cake.. so we went to Paris Baguette after and got a cake... i noticed a mirror on the ceiling.. so we decided to take a photo.
=O



... and then.. KARAOKE! LOL.
the guy gave us double service.. so we paid for 30 minutes but stayed for an hour... our voices were gone by halfway haha... fun tho!!!

im sorry guys.

then walked Jo to her dormitory because it was quite late at night and + it was a good chance to see what i missed out on (i applied for Korea University as well but didn't get in because my WAM was too low back then).

good walk!! a lot of hills.. but very nice.. their dorms were all in the one place and it felt like i was in Merroo or something haha... 

went home.. and now here i am..
catching up with Hemi and Ceewing and spamming with Nick and Shawn..

homesickness has gone.. but i am still looking forward to coming back home.. i saw a picture of father today on facebook and i do miss his face.

so hopefully, it won't be long before soon.


Thankful: The opportunity to be independent and to be responsible for my own healthy living... even if it means doing the dirty jobs no one wants. +++ Successfully applying for the cultural excursion!

Prayerful: Against fatigue and for endurance as this semester may be a tough one. Self-taught courses are not easy.

Dangers: Fatigue and quiet times do not go well together... Need to set aside a specific time a while before sleeping to ensure full attention is given... Sorry for not being faithful God..


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