To save this memory for posterity, here's a breakdown of the receipt of the time I treated my family to dinner with my first proper paycheck.

New Shanghai, 226 Queen St, Brisbane, QLD 4000
Table #7

1	#201.STEAM. PORK DUMPING 小籠包	$9.00
1	#206. SPRING ONION PANCAKE 蔥油餅	$7.40
2	#304.ST. MEATBALL BROTH 8.00 原盅清蒸蟹粉獅子頭	$16.00
1	#404. CRISPY CHICKEN NOODLE 山東手撕雞湯面	$15.70
1	#418.STEAM RICE (per bucket) 白飯（每桶）	$7.00
1	#515.RAINBOW BEEF 幹煸牛肉絲	$20.60
1	#601.SAUTEED SNOW PEA 清炒豆苗	$15.80
1	#607.MOPO TOFU 麻婆豆腐	$14.30
1	#1613.SRIRA-SHU	$15.00
Item(s) SUBTOTAL		120.80
GST INCLUDED		10.98

Monday 31-7-2017 6:36:09 PM

Labels: experiences

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I'm in a bit of an existential crisis of sorts. I come home from work (which I do thoroughly enjoy) and all I do is sit around and stare at various screens all over again. I don't know what I'm doing. I feel lost, like I'm missing something important. I think I sleep enough, and yet everyday I wake up lethargic, and go to bed feeling worn out and unacomplished. Perhaps, I've thought, it could be that I'm missing travelling, of exploring new places and encountering new sights and sounds. And yet, the very thought of having to pack and plan and be overwhelmed by new stimuli leaves me with a certain dread and inhibition. Or maybe I miss the independence of living abroad, of being in control of how I decorate my living space or cooking what I want when I want. And yet, I foresee that to be 'independent' would mean a loneliness so profound (for I wouldn't want roommates). It would mean nights of almost no meaningful interaction after a day of work, and it would mean a life without my loving family by my side (who cook for me as well).

I'm lost, adrift in a sea of my own doing, my senses seemingly deadened by what's happening around me. Maybe I should just answer this yearning to just leave it all, to have concern for nothing and to live for myself, as is common nowadays. And yet, I don't think life is all about travelling to exotic locations and eating good food, contrary to what social media tells us. What I do know is that God has called us to a higher purpose, and that I am His child and He is my God. I seek solace in that.

I don't know the answer to my perceived existential crisis, but I do know that from the time I started writing this, I feel slightly lighter, like a weight has been taken off my chest. I haven't written in a while, but it sure feels good to do so. Maybe I'll write a little more.

Labels: thoughts

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Hello! So it's been about a month since I came back from my 3-week exchange at Yonsei University 연세대학교 in Seoul, and it was honestly one of the best decisions I made. I'm planning to do up a quick photo/journal-style blog for each of the 25 days I was there (if there was anything interesting accomplished that day), which means that it will take "a while" for it to be done.. But for now, here's a quick little post on a few observations I made while in Korea, and my thoughts on them.


Bad driving
My gosh, do South Koreans drive terribly! And I thought China was bad. While I was in Seoul, bus drivers obstinately filtered into oncoming traffic, cars honked at each other all the time, taxis swerved in and out, and sometimes even traffic lights or signs were ignored. On the positive side, it must take a fair amount of skill and courage to drive in Seoul but as for me, I'll stick to safe ol' Brissie roads!

Seongsan-ro 성산로, Yonsei Uni


Ubiquitous beauty stores
I knew Korean beauty was a huge enterprise, but truly, they were everywhere! In more well-visited areas like Myeongdong, it was not uncommon to see stores like Tony Moly, Etude House, Missha, The Face Shop, Nature Republic, Skinfood, Banila Co and so many others jostling for your attention as you walked past them. For someone as inexperienced with Korean beauty as I was, they were places you went into, wide-eyed at the type of products, number of options and the myriads of colours available at every store. Then you turn the next corner, and behold, the same few stores are there too, and you wonder how franchising 3 stores within a 500m radius makes a sound business strategy.

As overwhelming as it was, going into those stores was exciting and fun (except for the fact you'd probably leave with your pocket that little bit lighter). Although that feeling of excitement died away a little in the middle of my trip owing to the overexposure to those brands, but towards the end, when I had to buy a few more things on my list, going into the stores rekindled that excitement and made me wish I knew that little bit more about Korean beauty. But I'll be back! Hopefully wiser and more prepared to tackle your cute packaging and overwhelming beauty choices!


Homogeneous fashion/beauty
It might have been the fact that it was winter, but it felt like everyone sorta looked the same.

For girls: Hair worn down and fairly straight/relaxed, no hair accessories, black eyeliner, a thick layer of pale BB cream, a red/pink gradient lip, a parka/coat, dark jeans, sneakers/boots.

For guys: Well... they kinda have more limited clothing choices so I'll excuse them, but they basically wore coat/parka, dark jeans, boots/sneakers.

I think what really surprised me was that unlike what I was made to believe, South Koreans don't seem to wear beanies or gloves that much. All those 'street-style' photos you see of cool Korean girls wearing beanies and a couldn't-care-less graphic top just weren't there! But again, it was winter; people care more about staying warm than getting snapped by street photographers, and I'm willing to make a concession that spring or fall would be a better time to people-watch.

Images from pinterest by searching "stylenanda winter"


Couples everywhere
By the second week, I started to notice couples everywhere holding hands/wearing their couple clothes etc., and I couldn't help but wonder: was there something wrong with me? I'm normally pretty confident in my singlehood (heh) but something about being surrounded by a considerably-higher-amount-of-couples-than-in-Brisbane/Singapore made me feel slightly insecure haha. If so many people my age have found their other half, surely I would have found someone by now? I can see why sogaeting 소개팅 (Korean-style speed dating) would be socially acceptable there. Since coming back to Brisbane, that awareness of being single has pretty much diminished to what it was before.

E.g. at the Ihwa 이화 Mural Village


Heating systems
Ahhhhhhh, nothing was better when I was outside in the cold than coming back to a room with heated flooring. This was reminded me of my trip to hot spring territory (i.e. near Rotorua) in North Island, New Zealand, where the toilet floor was deliciously heated to a nice toasty temperature for my feet. Talking about heating, the metal seats on Seoul's subway trains were also surprisingly heated--it was so warm at one point that I actually started sweating a little.


Sanitary issues
Why, oh why, when Seoul is so fantastically high-tech (see: technologically-advanced heated train seats!), we can't even flush our toilet papers down but have to throw them into a primitive wastebin at the side?? This is reminiscent of the toilet system in Taiwan, or China, where I've heard that the reason for this phenomenon is because their waste pipes are just too small to cope with the extra volume of toilet paper. Granted, I may have faced more of this problem due to the fact I was staying at International House (double room with shared bathrooms on each floor), in comparison to most of the other people in the WAY program, who were staying at Global House and had their own private bathrooms. Come every weekend (thank goodness I only experienced three of them), when the wonderful cleaner had those two days off, the toilets' wastebaskets became piled up with swaths of toilet paper and the stink intensified greatly. I only spent the required amount of time in there, and I got out pronto. Although most toilets I went to, whether in public or at uni, were as primitive as this, there were a wonderful one or two that had fancy biodegradable toilet paper which could be flushed down the toilet. Still, I expected better from you, Korea.
(Sorry, I didn't mean to spend such a long time talking about toilets, but this was a major gripe of mine.)


Further thoughts
Interestingly enough, I think Seoul is actually a lot like Singapore and China combined. It has the advancement and commercialisation that Singapore is known for, yet has the disorder and gross habits (smoking and spitting, ew) that China has. In that way, it was pretty familiar to me.

Seoul was also familiar in the sense that quite a few of the people there not only spoke fluent Korean, but could speak Chinese as well. This proved to be pretty helpful for me, especially in those beauty cosmetic stores and some of the busier food places as well. Definitely a bonus when you're bilingual! (It also helps if you can read and understand a little Korean as well, since not everything is in English).


xx

Labels: korea, seoul, thoughts, travel

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1. That I had gone for a semester abroad
From the very first semester of my first year at uni, I was interested in going abroad. I was always looking out for UQ Abroad information sessions, and actually managed to go to one then. But I had no idea where I wanted to go. Then uni work started to pile up, and since I didn't know what my ideal destination was, and it all felt like something very far away, I put that thought to the back of my mind. 2nd year came, I tried to go to more information sessions, yet I was still clueless about my country of choice. But I knew time was running out (since you have to apply pretty much a year before you leave for exchange). Anyways, somewhere along first semester of my third year this year (I graduate after my 4th year), I finally decided I wanted to go to New York, USA, partly because I realised I wanted to experience that American hustle and bustle, but partly because I also knew someone who went to the exact uni in that state.

But, a combination of insufficient electives/lack of enthusiasm from my parents/money prevented me from going. It was incredibly tough for me to watch my application remain empty while the dateline passed me by.

Definitely a huge regret for me. This leads me to my next point:


2. To not use up/waste my electives!
In my first to second year, I would say I managed to do 2 electives: Korean and web design. My other 'electives' were spent on biology and maths subjects. This was partly because I wasn't sure what I wanted to major in, and so ended up doing a wider range of subjects that would give me more options. As I've mentioned, this ended up being one of the deciding factors in my failure to go abroad for a semester.

At this point, all I have left are 2 electives, one of which I want to use it to do some forensic/archaelogical science subject.


3. I sorta wouldn't have minded staying at college (i.e. dorms)
Although some colleges are known for having somewhat of a sex, alcohol and procrastination culture, I reckon it would have fairly fun to live on campus and get involved with activities (not the ones I just mentioned><) that would have made me feel more like a part of UQ. It would be so hard to concentrate/study though, but it would have given me a taste of what it means to live by myself.

Things I'm glad I did:

3. That I joined a club I feel a part of
You may or may not know that I'm part of a Christian group on campus that goes by the name of 'Evangelical Students'. Apart from the fact that I get to learn more about the Bible and how to be secure in my identity as Christian (and what it means to have 'faith' in an increasingly secular world), the group has actually allowed me to meet a wide range of people and challenged me to go to events and activities (i.e. have a social life). Like seriously, whether you join a religious club or language club, and especially when the aims and ideals of the club promote a friendly and fun environment, you'll benefit so much from it. One great thing about joining a club is that it forces you to talk to people who do different classes/degrees to you, so conversations have to do a little broader than the usual class-specific material and you get to make acquaintances/friends.

Let's be real here though, I know it's intimidating to join one, and it will require some effort on your part to persevere and socialise (this is coming from an introvert), so this might not be for everyone. That being said, there are so many clubs and stuff around that cater to different interests. If you haven't joined one and are craving some social contact, this is one way to deal with it.


4. That I'm going on a short-term program!!
Update to the whole depressing first two points above: Although they still pretty much hold true, I've since moved forward and I've managed to find a compromise of sorts! So, that means I get to study abroad, not for 1 semester, but for 3 weeks, and I get to do 1 elective while abroad. So where might I be going??

.
.
.
.
.

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA.

Be still, my heart! But yeah, it's not entirely surprising that despite the 'setbacks' I'd faced regarding points 1 and 2 above, I was constantly on the lookout for travel opportunities, and that was how I found out that UQ had short-term programs!

I'll be studying Introductory Psychology at Yonsei University as part of their 'Winter at Yonsei' program from late Dec to mid-Jan. Interestingly enough, now that application's been accepted and my flights are booked, I'm a bit at a loss of what to do and where to go when I'm there. It's as if the possibilities are infinite and I just don't know where to start! There's a lot to plan and a lot of admin to consider but each step I take is another step closer to my (short-lived) life in Korea :)


Are there any experiences in uni that you've regretted not doing or are glad you did??


xx,
Jas

Labels: experiences, regrets, study, thoughts

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So about a month ago a year ago, my fam and I headed up to Toowoomba for the annual Flower Festival! We went there once before with 2 families back in 2010 when we first arrived in Brisbane and had so much fun! Unfortunately, maybe due to high expectations, lack of other 'fun' families, or just a decline in beautiful flower gardens in general, we didn't enjoy ourselves as much and came home telling ourselves we would never go on that three-hour drive back up and down again. On the bright side, I did manage to get some pictures of the flowers I am fairly happy with, so here they are!

to be honest: some pictures have been edited slightly. I just adjusted midtones and contrast though, nothing fancy.

Where are we? Oh right, Brisbane.


A saber of blue greeted us at the first of many gardens we visited that day.


How do you even-


This shot somehow brings to mind bluebells and Swiss mountains and dairy maids. (I might be getting my geography a little mixed up here).


Juxtaposition of soft and hard textures.


Hawaiian getaway.


Bloom.


One of the last few shots I took at one of the award-winning gardens. Used my sunglasses as an impromptu filter to make this pic all fancy.

Now if only I had the actual scientific names of these beautiful plants to make this photoset even more perfect.

Labels: experiences, festival, photos

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