My Winter Sonata I

Went on a tour with CTC to Korea over the CNY. In all my life, this is the only once I have actually booked a local tour. It was a hectic week to say the least, waking up early, adhering to a timetable and rushing place to place to cover the itinerary. The bright side was that I didn't have to do any homework, and flex any muscles lugging my luggage anywhere. It helped that my Korean guide was obscenely hilarious with his broken and misguidedly inaccurate Mandarin. The picture above shows our first pit stop at mountain grocery shop.

Besides selling food, drinks and winter peripherals, I found these weird, vulgar objects in phallic and mammary shapes. No idea what they were for; I didn't venture to pick any up for closer inspection. :p

Ginseng Chicken was our first meal. They used a tender succulent young chicken and stuffed glutinous rice inside it. That raised the bar for subsequent meals, which unfortunately turned out to be hotpot with kimchi, cuttlefish as side dishes. I have given up taking photos. They all look the same. Mushroom hotpot, seafood hotpot, pork hotpot, shabu shabu. Yes, every meal except for one BBQ chicken one. That was yummy.

I loved the hotel in the Seoraksan Mountain - the Kensington Stars Hotel. It was so quaint it looked like something from the English countryside. Here I am, outside freezing snow with the LONDON BUS!!!

The room was typically English with floral sheets and wallpaper.

I was delighted with the toilet! Electric toilet seat ~ perfect for winter. The jet of water could be adjusted up and down for the perfect butt wash, and you can even choose how powerful you want it. You can use "massage mode" for more "anal enjoyment".

I let out a little squeal when I discovered that the toilet paper was so cute. Kawaii!!

The funny thing is how formal the holder look against the cartoon prints.

Here I go again, taking photos with strange uniformed men.

This is just the lift lobby.

GOLD fire extinguisher. Looks real expensive and opulent, reminiscent of TT Durai's golden taps (remember the NKF saga?)

In case you're wondering, the flowers are fake.

I didn't know if we could touch the display but I have a soft spot for teddies.

There is even drawing room filled with fake books, fake fireplace and maybe fake painting. It's fake everything English.

This is a piano from the 1800s by the brand Weber. It is so ancient it doesn't even have 88 keys! Well, it was badly out of tune so I couldn't display my musical virtuosity. Haha, like real!

And here's a panel in the breakfast room. Disclaimer: It is not what it looks like!

Here's to a hungry reindeer!

Sadly, it was only one short night in this cosy hotel.

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The next day...a short 300m trudge in heavy snow to the Seoraksan National Park, a Unesco Heritage Site. That's the hotel in the background. Beautiful eh? Can you imagine having breakfast in their Princess Room with the wintry landscape just outside? Best breakfast I've had ever.

First attempt at making a snowball. Not very good I'm afraid. My fingers were freezing!

Cute eh? A hole just for 2.

In the gondola up to Dragon Peak. Why don't they have heating in the cable cars? As we ascended it got colder and colder. My nose protested with a slight shade of pink.

At Dragon Peak, the filming site for Winter Sonata. I salute the actors for working under minus 20 degree temperatures. My face was numb but my neck was sweaty with the fox tail round my neck. My fingers virtually couldn't feel anything. Taking my gloves off to take a picture was an exercise in endurance.

Knee deep snow. Breath-taking scenery.

Can't wait to leave the place. Much too cold for a tropical girl. I happily ran back to the gondola station and scurried into the nearest gondola.

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End of Part I

Who Wants to Be a Cleaner?

Consider this article published in The Straits Times on Tuesday, 13 Jan 2009

SEOUL - A JOBLESS scientist in South Korea with a doctorate in physics applied for a street sweeper's job amid the economic slump but failed the physical, local officials said on Tuesday.

The 36-year-old was among 63 applicants - eleven of them university graduates - for five openings in Seoul's Gangseo district. But brawn overcame brains as far as the scientist was concerned.

Applicants had to carry two sandbags each weighing 20 kg over their shoulders to simulate stacking garbage bags, before dashing back and forth over 25 metres with another sandbag on their shoulder.

The scientist, identified only as Mr Kim, was three seconds too slow in the dash, Chung Young-Ik, an official in charge, told AFP.

'I carded in poor results,' a dejected Mr Kim told journalists. The district office said an average 12.6 people vied for each sweeper's job this year compared to eight last year.

T he 33 million won (S$37,231) average starting salary for a sweeper is more than fresh graduates earn in large businesses, Mr Chung said. The job is also very secure, allowing people to work until they turn 60.

South Korea's economy generated 78,000 new jobs in November, down from 97,000 created the previous month, as companies avoid hiring amid the ongoing economic slump, the National Statistics Office said.

Job growth has been one of the top priorities for the government of President Lee Myung-bak, who took office in February. Mr Lee has said he aims to create around 200,000 new jobs annually.

So actually in Singapore, when our locals say that they do not want "unglam" jobs like cleaner, waiter and long hours like retail service staff, even in bad economic times like this, all they mean is that the pay package is not like Korea's. Who needs to be a rocket scientist to earn big bucks? Being a cleaner is not so bad eh, some more got job security. Eat your words mom! If I didn't study hard, I'll end up being a cleaner eh?! I might not even get that job even if i got a doctorate!

Now the only thing is that killer job interview! You might just break your back carrying 40kg of sand. If you survive, the job's not even yours. You'll have to content with other people who can race faster than you. This is truly survival of the fittest in the literal sense.