In my last entry I reported that shopping in Korea is in most terms superior to that in Canada.
What I failed to mention is the quality of service offered.
A lot of Korean vendors are pushy and impolite. This can come across as a surprise especially since many servers at eateries are extremely nice (to the degree where they can be deemed submissive). I have yet to determine the cause of this rudeness. I still don't understand; they are trying to make a sale, and explicitly showing that they're reluctant to fetch a certain size goes against their objective.
One of the things that shocked me when I first shopped in Canada was how nice people were about exchanges and refunds. I still remember that Shoppers exchanged a used Smashbox foundation after I told them the colour didn't suit me. USED foundation. And they offered me an exchange or another colour without saying anything.
Shopping in Korea should be practiced with much discretion and planning. Prepare to fight vendors in the case of refund/exchange. Most will only take exchanges, and if you're lucky you can get store credit. If you don't speak the language you're pretty much screwed.
This led me to believe that perhaps this is partly why online shopping is so well-developed in Korea. Shopping is a much more pleasant experience without pushy salespeople, and you can return items without having to fight them in person. (You can always fight over email instead.) Add fast delivery to this option, and voila. You got what you wanted without having to frown.
Of course, sizes may not fit you perfectly and items may look slightly crappier, but I say the benefit outweighs the cost.
Korean shopkeeps, y u no be nice?!!
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Shop till you Drop
South Korea, or Seoul, to be exact, is undoubtedly one of the best places to shop in the world. Its high population density and obsession with designer goods attracted various boutiques and brand-name merchandises. But one need not despair just because one does not pull a six-figure income. Seoul is an equal opportunity shopping mecca for all.
Things have gotten a lot more expensive than when I last shopped (8 & 1/2 years ago), but compared to retail prices that Vancouverites pay, denizens of Seoul can procure cheaper goods more easily. For a good pair of heels you can go as low as CAD$30, maybe even less if you have the guts to haggle. My fellow North American consumers can attest to the fact that such a price is not easily obtained in Vancouver.
Even though I cannot deny my utter (sometimes servile) devotion to footwear, I also have a weak spot for cute stationary. Like Japan Korea is a home to many of those so-called "character goods". I've seen Artbox or Morning Glory in Vancouver/Burnaby, but items sold by the original Korean branches are much more varied. North American countries do not fully embrace cutesy stuff to the degree that Asian countries do, it seems.
The problem with these shops lies with their tendency to make me BUY CRAP THAT I DON'T ACTUALLY NEED. Visiting an Artbox store is a real treat to my eyes, but a torture to my reason and wallet. So far I've managed to buy only those that I absolutely need. God knows how long my defense will last against their persistent temptation.
And that's only offline.
Korea is a small, overpopulated country with an affinity towards the high-speed internet. Korean online shopping malls are much more well-organized than their North American or European counterparts. Because the country is so small and there are so many people in the labour force, things are more or less certain to arrive within a few days. Efficient, n'est-ce pas?
Quite. In making your wallet lighter.
Upon my unwilling research for permanent employment and finding all these shopping malls, I couldn't help but wonder (a la Carrie Bradshaw): Are most Koreans driven towards online shopping because they have to work jobs they hate, and have to somehow compensate for their lost dreams and frustrated desires?
Sounds legit.
Things have gotten a lot more expensive than when I last shopped (8 & 1/2 years ago), but compared to retail prices that Vancouverites pay, denizens of Seoul can procure cheaper goods more easily. For a good pair of heels you can go as low as CAD$30, maybe even less if you have the guts to haggle. My fellow North American consumers can attest to the fact that such a price is not easily obtained in Vancouver.
Even though I cannot deny my utter (sometimes servile) devotion to footwear, I also have a weak spot for cute stationary. Like Japan Korea is a home to many of those so-called "character goods". I've seen Artbox or Morning Glory in Vancouver/Burnaby, but items sold by the original Korean branches are much more varied. North American countries do not fully embrace cutesy stuff to the degree that Asian countries do, it seems.
*Artbox Website* http://www.artbox.co.kr/
Abandon all hope ye who enter.The problem with these shops lies with their tendency to make me BUY CRAP THAT I DON'T ACTUALLY NEED. Visiting an Artbox store is a real treat to my eyes, but a torture to my reason and wallet. So far I've managed to buy only those that I absolutely need. God knows how long my defense will last against their persistent temptation.
And that's only offline.
Korea is a small, overpopulated country with an affinity towards the high-speed internet. Korean online shopping malls are much more well-organized than their North American or European counterparts. Because the country is so small and there are so many people in the labour force, things are more or less certain to arrive within a few days. Efficient, n'est-ce pas?
Quite. In making your wallet lighter.
Upon my unwilling research for permanent employment and finding all these shopping malls, I couldn't help but wonder (a la Carrie Bradshaw): Are most Koreans driven towards online shopping because they have to work jobs they hate, and have to somehow compensate for their lost dreams and frustrated desires?
Sounds legit.
Friday, August 26, 2011
Poison
Things are already getting turbulent. I'm not sure how long this will continue to go on. Everyday is a struggle and a conflict.
My overall plan was to work for a couple of years, retake LSAT, and reapply. I really have no ambition of entering a major corporation until then. Even though the current pay sucks I thought, once I get past the internship period, I could get hired as a regular employee and get a raise.
But my dad is certain that no matter how hard I try my salary will not be worth my time and I should continuously look for employement opportunities elsewhere.
I don't think I would've been irritated by this had he not emphasized the need to work for really big companies like Samsung, LG, or Hyundai.
Maybe he thinks I can pull it off. Maybe he thinks I'm too good for the current job. I have no idea. From the way he speaks to me though, I can tell his perception of me does not surpass that of a toilet brush.
I thought everything would get better once I came to Korea and got ready for this internship. I thought my parents would be happy. I too was getting anxious at the prospect of losing my job after this 3-month contract, but I tried to think that I would be able to maintain my position as long as I don't screw things up. I really couldn't care less if I work for a company that no one has heard of as long as I'm happy working there and can feed myself.
I'm so ashamed of myself. I am very lost. I feel even worse because I can understand dad's frustration and disappointment. I guess I would be pissed off too if I invested about 30 grand in a product and I was only rewarded with a meagre payoff.
Applying to major corporations shouldn't be much of a chore... if you are eager to get the position. But for me working for Amore Pacific (cosmetics company) or KB (bank) makes as much sense as working for a fitness franchise. My whole life revolved around wanting to study law and I can't just change everything in a beat simply because I failed on my first attempt. My parents think law is now a lost cause and nothing down that road is certain. But I do feel that I deserve another chance. Why must everything be so extreme? Must I give up on my life-long dream that easily, due to external pressures?
I'm sure dad thinks of me like most people think of Wall Street. It has failed once; why shouldn't it again?
My overall plan was to work for a couple of years, retake LSAT, and reapply. I really have no ambition of entering a major corporation until then. Even though the current pay sucks I thought, once I get past the internship period, I could get hired as a regular employee and get a raise.
But my dad is certain that no matter how hard I try my salary will not be worth my time and I should continuously look for employement opportunities elsewhere.
I don't think I would've been irritated by this had he not emphasized the need to work for really big companies like Samsung, LG, or Hyundai.
Maybe he thinks I can pull it off. Maybe he thinks I'm too good for the current job. I have no idea. From the way he speaks to me though, I can tell his perception of me does not surpass that of a toilet brush.
I thought everything would get better once I came to Korea and got ready for this internship. I thought my parents would be happy. I too was getting anxious at the prospect of losing my job after this 3-month contract, but I tried to think that I would be able to maintain my position as long as I don't screw things up. I really couldn't care less if I work for a company that no one has heard of as long as I'm happy working there and can feed myself.
I'm so ashamed of myself. I am very lost. I feel even worse because I can understand dad's frustration and disappointment. I guess I would be pissed off too if I invested about 30 grand in a product and I was only rewarded with a meagre payoff.
Applying to major corporations shouldn't be much of a chore... if you are eager to get the position. But for me working for Amore Pacific (cosmetics company) or KB (bank) makes as much sense as working for a fitness franchise. My whole life revolved around wanting to study law and I can't just change everything in a beat simply because I failed on my first attempt. My parents think law is now a lost cause and nothing down that road is certain. But I do feel that I deserve another chance. Why must everything be so extreme? Must I give up on my life-long dream that easily, due to external pressures?
I'm sure dad thinks of me like most people think of Wall Street. It has failed once; why shouldn't it again?
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
1-week mark
I've been in Korea for roughly two weeks now. I am no longer jet-lagged, but still I am not free from the fatigue that pervaded me in Vancouver.
I am living in the perpetual fear that my English will deteriorate and when I finally make it back to Vancouver, I will have to work my way up from scratch. I try to keep up by reading books aloud and at times speaking to my parents in English. Some decline will be inevitable; I'd like to disprove it, but it's like learning Spanish in Vancouver. Without using the language one cannot maintain the proficiency. When I put my mind into it I can still compose decent sentences, but I feel that my accent is getting stronger. English is pretty much the only thing that's keeping me desirable to the Korean job market. I cannot lose it at any cost.
It's been forever since I worked on my novel. Figuratively. Realistically speaking it's been about two weeks since I wrote substantially. I wonder if I'll ever finish it. I found it difficult to write even when I was using it daily. God knows what can happen when my daily life isn't saturated with English.
I long for solitude. And when I'm alone I crave company. I'm at a state where nothing can make me entirely happy. I'm not saying that I'm unhappy. But the presence of my parents suffocate and irritate me. I think we'll be much happier if I only got to see them in the weekend.
I'm confined in the society I've been trying to avoid for the last eight and a half years. It's only natural that I am living in perpetual discontent.
I am living in the perpetual fear that my English will deteriorate and when I finally make it back to Vancouver, I will have to work my way up from scratch. I try to keep up by reading books aloud and at times speaking to my parents in English. Some decline will be inevitable; I'd like to disprove it, but it's like learning Spanish in Vancouver. Without using the language one cannot maintain the proficiency. When I put my mind into it I can still compose decent sentences, but I feel that my accent is getting stronger. English is pretty much the only thing that's keeping me desirable to the Korean job market. I cannot lose it at any cost.
It's been forever since I worked on my novel. Figuratively. Realistically speaking it's been about two weeks since I wrote substantially. I wonder if I'll ever finish it. I found it difficult to write even when I was using it daily. God knows what can happen when my daily life isn't saturated with English.
I long for solitude. And when I'm alone I crave company. I'm at a state where nothing can make me entirely happy. I'm not saying that I'm unhappy. But the presence of my parents suffocate and irritate me. I think we'll be much happier if I only got to see them in the weekend.
I'm confined in the society I've been trying to avoid for the last eight and a half years. It's only natural that I am living in perpetual discontent.
Bus Ride Part Deux
Today proved once again that I have little to no sense of direction.
On Tuesday I went to see my work place for the first time. It is near Samsung station and it's just a few bus rides from where I used to live, but now it's a bit more than an hour bus ride. I had to transfer multiple times to get to work and today my dad showed me a quicker way around.
All was well until we parted ways.
Dad had a lunch meeting with his friend and we got off at different places. I had to get off at Gangnam station and take the subway to Samsung. I found my work okay, and decided to head right back home because I was still pretty tired from walking. (I spent yesterday wandering around as well, trying to find my way back home.) I thought that I got a good look at where I got off and was sure I would be able to find the spot with no problem. I need not tell you I was mistaken.
I spent about an hour walking from one place to another, walking in circles, stepping in and out of subway stations, passing by the same building several times. I knew how to get home by another means, but that meant that I needed to transfer at least twice and take about 90 minutes overall. Frustration and despair took over me.
When I was about to give up my dad called me up and told me he was done with his meeting and asked whether I was already home. I knew my dad would not look kindly upon my lack of resourcefulness, but I was quite desperate; I confessed that I was completely lost and asked for help.
It later turned out that I did find the right spot, but they moved the bus stop for my bus to the side because of construction work. Still I felt pretty stupid.
It just shows that my (previous) uncanny ability to find my way to any location relied on GPS. Entirely. Without a smart phone I will always feel vulnerable. Sigh.
On Tuesday I went to see my work place for the first time. It is near Samsung station and it's just a few bus rides from where I used to live, but now it's a bit more than an hour bus ride. I had to transfer multiple times to get to work and today my dad showed me a quicker way around.
All was well until we parted ways.
Dad had a lunch meeting with his friend and we got off at different places. I had to get off at Gangnam station and take the subway to Samsung. I found my work okay, and decided to head right back home because I was still pretty tired from walking. (I spent yesterday wandering around as well, trying to find my way back home.) I thought that I got a good look at where I got off and was sure I would be able to find the spot with no problem. I need not tell you I was mistaken.
I spent about an hour walking from one place to another, walking in circles, stepping in and out of subway stations, passing by the same building several times. I knew how to get home by another means, but that meant that I needed to transfer at least twice and take about 90 minutes overall. Frustration and despair took over me.
When I was about to give up my dad called me up and told me he was done with his meeting and asked whether I was already home. I knew my dad would not look kindly upon my lack of resourcefulness, but I was quite desperate; I confessed that I was completely lost and asked for help.
It later turned out that I did find the right spot, but they moved the bus stop for my bus to the side because of construction work. Still I felt pretty stupid.
It just shows that my (previous) uncanny ability to find my way to any location relied on GPS. Entirely. Without a smart phone I will always feel vulnerable. Sigh.
Saturday, August 20, 2011
My first bus ride alone
Today marks the very first day I boarded a Korean bus all by myself. That may strike many people as strange, but when I lived in Seoul the last time, I lived very close to a subway station, eliminating the need for bus rides.
My (un)kind father gave me a terse instruction as to where to find the nearest bus top, and I wondered around the apartment compound to look for it. I probably shouldn't have worn high heel wedges but being the vain person I am, I chose to do so against my better judgment. When I finally found "a" bus stop, I ended up waiting for the bus that went to the direction opposite to where I actually wanted to go, and let go of the one that I needed to board. This mistake resulted in me waiting for the right one for 25 minutes. Even though the heat had died down significantly it was still pretty humid and hot. There was a monitor designed to let people know where the bus was and how long it would take to get to the stop, but it was just blank. Around this time I began to think FUCK EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS. Guess it was my own damn fault that I didn't do enough research, but at the same time the transit website failed to show the part of Pangyo I live in because the map was slightly outdated.
But of course, the bus eventually came. And I got to the rendezvous point pretty late.
My friend was to show me his office and we went around the nearby points of interest. There were lots of dragonflies in the park and they flew around Tancheon (Tancheon means Charcoal River). We then went off to a little square where there were lots of European cafes and eateries. The street layout was quite similar to that of Vancouver, though the cafe we went to was ridiculously overpriced. (I later argued that we pay for the ambience but I still think it's BS.) Afterwards we went to a shopping mall called AK Plaza. It was more of a department store with lots of designer labels and whatnot. There is no way I'll be buying those in Korea; the import tax in this country is completely preposterous.
The incident with the bus schedule made it painfully obvious to me that I will not be at ease without a smart phone. Had I had one, I would've looked up the schedule and other info more comfortably and freaked out less. I'm sure my perspiration was not solely the product of heat.
My (un)kind father gave me a terse instruction as to where to find the nearest bus top, and I wondered around the apartment compound to look for it. I probably shouldn't have worn high heel wedges but being the vain person I am, I chose to do so against my better judgment. When I finally found "a" bus stop, I ended up waiting for the bus that went to the direction opposite to where I actually wanted to go, and let go of the one that I needed to board. This mistake resulted in me waiting for the right one for 25 minutes. Even though the heat had died down significantly it was still pretty humid and hot. There was a monitor designed to let people know where the bus was and how long it would take to get to the stop, but it was just blank. Around this time I began to think FUCK EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS. Guess it was my own damn fault that I didn't do enough research, but at the same time the transit website failed to show the part of Pangyo I live in because the map was slightly outdated.
But of course, the bus eventually came. And I got to the rendezvous point pretty late.
My friend was to show me his office and we went around the nearby points of interest. There were lots of dragonflies in the park and they flew around Tancheon (Tancheon means Charcoal River). We then went off to a little square where there were lots of European cafes and eateries. The street layout was quite similar to that of Vancouver, though the cafe we went to was ridiculously overpriced. (I later argued that we pay for the ambience but I still think it's BS.) Afterwards we went to a shopping mall called AK Plaza. It was more of a department store with lots of designer labels and whatnot. There is no way I'll be buying those in Korea; the import tax in this country is completely preposterous.
The incident with the bus schedule made it painfully obvious to me that I will not be at ease without a smart phone. Had I had one, I would've looked up the schedule and other info more comfortably and freaked out less. I'm sure my perspiration was not solely the product of heat.
Friday, August 19, 2011
My first day alone
I can barely believe that I'm in Korea. It still feels like I'm half way between dream and the waking world. But I'd better believe it. Humidity and heat make it real enough for me.
I arrived on the 16th in the evening and I was greeted by monsoon-like rain. My dad picked up me, mom and Leon from the airport and we got home in around 1 & 1/2 hour. The amount of rain we got was surreal. It can get much worse but I hadn't seen that much rain in a long, long while. The ride would've been boring had I not stored all my music in my dad's car.
I was very worried about Leon in the beginning of the flight. He had to go for about 13 hours without food, water, or a litter box. He was confined to a small carrier and a dog that did not stop barking for the entire duration of the flight. (I didn't hear it but apparently the dog's voice had gone hoarse according to my mom, as she observed it at the pick up point in Incheon Airport.) Leon was surprisingly calm and when he came home, he went around the house to find a safe spot where he could hide. His mouth was open wide like he was hissing and he hyperventilated. I thought he was having a heart attack and freaked out. He cooled down later that night and in the morning he hopped onto my bed and got some real sleep. He seems to be quite at home now. I'm glad he gets used to a new environment fairly quickly.
On another note, so far it's been pretty boring for me. I got settled in, organized my room, etc. Even though I'm relatively close to Seoul (I live in Pangyo, a suburban town in Kyungki province) it is still half an hour drive from the city centre. By transit it'll be close to an hour. The most I've taken to get to a place from Vancouver was Burnaby and Metrotown had failed to provide me with an appropriate incentive since 2007. I'm used to being able to go to class within 5 minutes by foot, or shopping in half an hour by bus. And not having a proper driver license, I'm pretty much stuck in this place. Not that I would want to drive even if I could drive. Drivers here are just out-right crazy. I will report more on this issue once I start working. I imagine I'll suffer from their horrid practices daily.
Today mom and dad went out golfing and left home 6 am. I'm not kidding; they left that early. For golf. Je ne comprends pas. I couldn't really sleep after 3 so I stayed awake for a bit and got some early morning shut-eye.
I had some errands, though all of them were to be completed in the comforts of my apartment. My parents' real estate agent requested that they mail the apartment key to his house, and as they would be thoroughly occupied today, mom and dad left me in charge of taking care of that matter. I made a couple of phone calls to see which shipping company would be most convenient. They charged me about $80 and they accepted cash only. (Something about a broken machine... I don't know.)
On top of that my parents' beds arrived earlier than expected, and I received the delivery by myself. I felt bad for the assembly guy so I gave him a glass of orange juice and kept the AC on full.
Later on a lady from the apartment management came in and sanitized the drains. I have no idea why apartment owners are not responsible for this kind of thing.
I had hoped that I would have my own cellphone by today, but apparently without a valid foreigner registration ID card, I cannot legally purchase a phone number. I'm still waiting for my documents to be processed so I have to wait till September 1st. My grandma lent me her phone again much to my relief. And she got a new phone. The old one was from 2002 and every time I used it I had to do it in the corner where no one looked; everyone was staring at me like I was a time traveller.
Another bad news is that it is most likely that I won't be able to use my beloved Sony Ericsson X10 because of the compatibility issues. They say it can be done, but I have to go to their service centre and have them reconfigure it. I'm not sure if it can be done all in one day, and the company that is affiliated with Sony Ericsson is SK Telecom -- which is a problem, because my dad wants all three of us to use KT for discounts. (SK Telecom and KT are Korean-equivalents of Telus and Rogers.)
And apparently cellphone plans in Korea are things of a nightmare. They're very convoluted and misleading and if you don't do your research, you can end up being charged for things you didn't want to get. Sigh. I didn't like doing it for my essays and now I have to do one for a goddamn cellphone.
I arrived on the 16th in the evening and I was greeted by monsoon-like rain. My dad picked up me, mom and Leon from the airport and we got home in around 1 & 1/2 hour. The amount of rain we got was surreal. It can get much worse but I hadn't seen that much rain in a long, long while. The ride would've been boring had I not stored all my music in my dad's car.
I was very worried about Leon in the beginning of the flight. He had to go for about 13 hours without food, water, or a litter box. He was confined to a small carrier and a dog that did not stop barking for the entire duration of the flight. (I didn't hear it but apparently the dog's voice had gone hoarse according to my mom, as she observed it at the pick up point in Incheon Airport.) Leon was surprisingly calm and when he came home, he went around the house to find a safe spot where he could hide. His mouth was open wide like he was hissing and he hyperventilated. I thought he was having a heart attack and freaked out. He cooled down later that night and in the morning he hopped onto my bed and got some real sleep. He seems to be quite at home now. I'm glad he gets used to a new environment fairly quickly.
On another note, so far it's been pretty boring for me. I got settled in, organized my room, etc. Even though I'm relatively close to Seoul (I live in Pangyo, a suburban town in Kyungki province) it is still half an hour drive from the city centre. By transit it'll be close to an hour. The most I've taken to get to a place from Vancouver was Burnaby and Metrotown had failed to provide me with an appropriate incentive since 2007. I'm used to being able to go to class within 5 minutes by foot, or shopping in half an hour by bus. And not having a proper driver license, I'm pretty much stuck in this place. Not that I would want to drive even if I could drive. Drivers here are just out-right crazy. I will report more on this issue once I start working. I imagine I'll suffer from their horrid practices daily.
Today mom and dad went out golfing and left home 6 am. I'm not kidding; they left that early. For golf. Je ne comprends pas. I couldn't really sleep after 3 so I stayed awake for a bit and got some early morning shut-eye.
I had some errands, though all of them were to be completed in the comforts of my apartment. My parents' real estate agent requested that they mail the apartment key to his house, and as they would be thoroughly occupied today, mom and dad left me in charge of taking care of that matter. I made a couple of phone calls to see which shipping company would be most convenient. They charged me about $80 and they accepted cash only. (Something about a broken machine... I don't know.)
On top of that my parents' beds arrived earlier than expected, and I received the delivery by myself. I felt bad for the assembly guy so I gave him a glass of orange juice and kept the AC on full.
Later on a lady from the apartment management came in and sanitized the drains. I have no idea why apartment owners are not responsible for this kind of thing.
I had hoped that I would have my own cellphone by today, but apparently without a valid foreigner registration ID card, I cannot legally purchase a phone number. I'm still waiting for my documents to be processed so I have to wait till September 1st. My grandma lent me her phone again much to my relief. And she got a new phone. The old one was from 2002 and every time I used it I had to do it in the corner where no one looked; everyone was staring at me like I was a time traveller.
Another bad news is that it is most likely that I won't be able to use my beloved Sony Ericsson X10 because of the compatibility issues. They say it can be done, but I have to go to their service centre and have them reconfigure it. I'm not sure if it can be done all in one day, and the company that is affiliated with Sony Ericsson is SK Telecom -- which is a problem, because my dad wants all three of us to use KT for discounts. (SK Telecom and KT are Korean-equivalents of Telus and Rogers.)
And apparently cellphone plans in Korea are things of a nightmare. They're very convoluted and misleading and if you don't do your research, you can end up being charged for things you didn't want to get. Sigh. I didn't like doing it for my essays and now I have to do one for a goddamn cellphone.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
In-Flight Entry
(Written on board)
It's been roughly four hours since I boarded. It doesn't feel like that much time has passed. I still feel like I'll leave Seoul in a short while and will be back to Vancouver like nothing happened. I thought this day would never come. I had hoped. In a way. But at the same time I craved some kind of project. Production. Life is meaningless without it. Even now I have no idea what I'll be doing at the law firm. Perhaps it'll consist of mindless errands. My job will be easier if it is indeed so.
I've been staring at the monitor in front of me, watching The Lincoln Lawyer and part way through Kill the Irishman. My eyes are pretty sore but I don't feel like going to sleep yet. Guess I'm more excited than I'm willing to admit. Going to Korea had been a nightmare to me. Until now. It's funny how quickly I can adapt to survive. Despite all my bullshit and stubbornness I've proven from time to time that I can change.
A couple of hours ago when the plane took off, the row I was sitting in felt a sharp bump and rattling. We were all spooked. I started imaging the plane splitting in half and that I would be yanked away from my seat real slow like they do in disaster movies. Just missing the edge of the rope by a second. Luckily that didn't happen. Or has yet to happen. Fingers crossed.
Although I'm pretty psyched about the work I am not enjoying the prospect of having to deal with GRE pretty much as soon as I get there. I thought I'd be free from exams when I graduated. At least for a while. My prediction is that while I won't completely mess up, I won't be doing that well either, leading my parents to force me to take once more. Or actually, as many times as it takes for me to get a high percentage.
On another note, I cracked a nail while I was trying to get to my carry-on luggage that I put up in the overhead bin. I was trying to lift the lid up and the damn thing just fell on my seat. Thank god I didn't hurt anyone.
I bought some stuff off their in-flight duty-free shop. It's a brilliant tactic, really. You're confined to a small space with boredom and a credit card, and of course you'll want to buy something. Something you probably don't need and can go for a cheaper substitute. I convinced myself (and when it comes to shopping I don't need much persuasion) that I needed the Guelain marble blush thingy and a Bobby Brown eyeliner set. I don't need them, technically, but I wanted to get them for the pure sake of getting them. Sometimes these impulses make me pretty sick. But I can't help it. It's an addiction. I try to fill in the void in my life with materials. Doesn't everyone do that? I'm just more up front about it, I'd like to think.
I think I'm going to try to fall asleep now. My eyes hurt.
+ Post-flight note:
I virtually had no sleep throughout this flight. I rested well at night though. Sunday, August 14, 2011
Thank You. Merci.
Thank you, Canada, for
Teaching me the meaning of diversity and acceptance;
Showing me how to embrace people regardless of their sexual orientation;
Offering me a beautiful campus, a unique place where the mountains and ocean come together;
Letting me learn for the sake of learning, not simply because it will help me get a better job or earn a higher salary;
Providing me with a great place for intellectually provocative discussions;
Advocating open-mindedness rather than judgment and persecution;
Encouraging me never to give up on my dream;
And finally, introducing me to the wonderful bunch of friends whose friendship I will cherish for the rest of my life.
Friends,
you were not only my friends but teachers. You taught me more things than I can possibly remember. You put up with me when I was in a surly mood. You comforted me when I was feeling like I had hit the rock bottom. You were there with me to celebrate the good. You didn't judge me for my many mistakes and flaws. You helped me be.
I shall not bid adieu since I will be back before you know it.
Take care and I'll see you later.
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Packing Days
My official packing day. I've been getting rid of stuff every now and then but today it's a full blown-out packing time. Excluding minor travels, this is the sixth since 2003. I've gotten used to it well enough not to complain when mom breaks out boxes and plastic containers. Still, less than thrilling.
I used to show a mild symptom of hoarding. Even a tiny box that could be of no use to anyone, once perceived to have some sort of sentimental value, was preserved deep inside a drawer.
It would have made much more sense if I actually had remembered to check on them. I simply forgot they existed and it was only on the packing day I realized I had them. In to the trash they went.
Getting rid of clothes is often the hardest, I find. Even if I outgrow something I always hold on to them for the vain hope that one day I may lose a bunch of weight and will be able to fit into them -- which almost never happens.
Moving often helped me put an end to this kind of behaviour. I still kept certain items, like cards and hand-written letters since nothing could replace them. But not silly little paper bags and decorative strings.
I grew up, I suppose.
Only nine days until the departure.
I used to show a mild symptom of hoarding. Even a tiny box that could be of no use to anyone, once perceived to have some sort of sentimental value, was preserved deep inside a drawer.
It would have made much more sense if I actually had remembered to check on them. I simply forgot they existed and it was only on the packing day I realized I had them. In to the trash they went.
Getting rid of clothes is often the hardest, I find. Even if I outgrow something I always hold on to them for the vain hope that one day I may lose a bunch of weight and will be able to fit into them -- which almost never happens.
Moving often helped me put an end to this kind of behaviour. I still kept certain items, like cards and hand-written letters since nothing could replace them. But not silly little paper bags and decorative strings.
I grew up, I suppose.
Only nine days until the departure.
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