Entries from July 2008 ↓

Sa dinami-dami ng mga Koreano na nagsisiksikan sa mga dalampasigan ng Pilipinas, aakalain mong wala nito sa bansang Korea. Meron naman kaya lang ay hindi kasing gaganda na kagaya sa ating bansa at kalimitan ay hindi maliguan kung hindi panahon ng tag-araw dahil malamig ang tubig kung hindi.

Ang litrato sa ibaba ay kuha sa isang lugar na ang tawag ay Ammyeondo (gawing kanluran), mga dalawang oras mula sa Seoul. Pansinin na kung low tide ay pwedeng lakarin ang dalawang islang bato at kung high tide naman ay hindi na pwede. Ang ibang larawan ay mga lamang-dagat na mabibili sa dalampasigan mismo ng Ammyeondo. Sariwang-sariwa at kailangan lang ay maghanap ng malaking bato kung saan pwedeng umupo para kumain.

Napakasarap ng talaba na sinasawsaw sa “cho gochugang” na gawa sa sili. Hindi ko pa natikman ang sariwang pugita dahil takot ako na baka dumikit sa lalamunan at hindi ako makahinga. Napakalalaki ng mga tahong at ano ba ang tawag sa mahabang iyun? Dahil panahon na ng tag-araw, magbabakasyon kami nitong Linggo sa isang dalampasigan sa gawing silangan ng Korea. Siguradong pagkarami-raming tao!

Last July 19, it was reported that the founder of the Unification Church, Moon Sun Myung has been injured in a helicopter crash in Gapyeong. I didn’t really know before who he is until my husband told me. The Unification Church is more popularly known as the “Moonies.” I was then reminded of how controversial this group is.

The “Moonies” is known in the Philippines for its “mass marriages”. If you recall in the early 1990s, thousands of Filipinos and Koreans were married in these ceremonies. I remember watching an episode of Noli De Castro’s Magandang Gabi Bayan detailing this event. What’s controversial about the said marriages is the fact that the couples were “arranged” to be married.

I know four Filipinas here who got married through such an arrangement. Three of them have been married for more than seven years now while the other for almost a decade. Two of them would admit to having married their husbands through the Unification Church (the other two would not even talk about it). AFAIK, the arranged marriages is one of the reasons that the Philippine government requires all Filipino citizens marrying foreigners to attend a guidance and counseling service by the CFO (Commission on Filipino Overseas).

We sometimes hear of women being abused by their Korean husbands. Luckily, all four of the Filipinas I know who married the “Moonies” way have told me that their husbands “love” them despite the fact that they didn’t know each other when they got married. However, one of them has a friend who has been married for years and has been suffering from physical abuse from her husband.

Financial difficulty is one of the primary reasons that motivated them to this kind of marriage. However, it should be known that not all Koreans are rich. I once met a girl here who taught that the man she married has money. Turned out he’s a taxi driver living with his parents. The girl said she accepted the offer to an arranged marriage as she got tired of waiting for an opportunity to work in Japan as an entertainer. I’m not sure if she really got divorced like she wanted since we lost communication.

I don’t know enough Filipinas who had an arranged marriage for me to conclude whether this type of marriage mostly end in failure. I only know four and so far their marriage life is fine. Those thinking of marrying this way should know that life in Korea is not a bed of roses. Being a Korean wife means duties. Duty to your husband, children and HIS family.

School starts of Friday, August 1. Unfortunately for us, we’re still on the waiting list for day care. We live in a residential area dubbed as a “new town.” And I guess this must be the reason why we’re still on the waiting list. There are more kids than day care centers around us. My only option now is to ask my parents-in-law to come live with us until my son is accepted at the nearest 어린이집 or children’s house.

Day care here is relatively cheap. The basic pay depends on how old the child is. For my two-year old son, we’ll have to pay about 270,000 won (US$270) a month. That is 12 hours a day, 5 days a week. Of course, we’ll also have to pay for his food and other things that he might need. My husband’s friend who also has a two year old pays 420,000 won (US$420) a month for his child’s day care and that includes everything.

My sister-in-law is actually volunteering to take care of my son. However, her house is a 40-minute drive from us and it would be difficult for me to take my son there. I also think that a day care is better since he’ll interact with more kids.

I only two more days to find a day care for my son… time is ticking so fast!

Maraming bagay ang sumasagi sa isip pag naririnig ko ang salitang “kanluran” at isa na rito ang paglubog ng araw. Pero dahil wala akong litrato ng paglubog ng araw ay eto na lang ang handog ko para sa tema sa linggong ito…

There are a lot of things that come to mind whenver I hear the word “west” and one of these is sunset. Since I don’t have a picture of the sun setting, I’ll just offer this as my entry for this week’s theme…

Ang “hamburger” ay marahil ang pinakakilalang pagkain na galing sa kanluran. Ang litrato sa itaas ay kuha sa Disneyland sa Anaheim, California. Nagulat ako sa laki ng pagkain na sa wari ko ay hindi para sa isang tao lang. Tama ako dahil hindi ko naubos ang malaking hamburger kahit na ako’y gutom.

The hamburger is one of the most famous foods known to have come from the west. The picture above was taken at Disneyland in Anaheim, California. I was shocked to see how big it was and I thought it’s not just for one person. I was right since I didn’t finish the big hamburger even if I was hungry.

Remember that Roxette song that goes like “nah-nah-nah- She’s got the look!” Boy it’s one of those songs I enjoyed listening to years ago (I still enjoy listening to it whenever I hear it). I’d imagine that I was the “she” giving out that look. Do you have a certain “look” that you use to spark interest from others? I do but I just don’t know how effective it is. LOL. I should’ve kept a scorecard! I usually give a full smile with my face angled and one hand on my hips. Worked for my husband like a charm!

When I think of the word “flirt” the person that comes to mind is Joey of the hit sitcom Friends. Remember how he delivers his famous flirting line “How are you doing?” He looks as if he’s really into the girl! That worked for him really well.

I guess what works for me and Joey may not work for others, but would you like to know how effective your “look” is in attracting interest? Then you should try Extreme Style by VO5 - the Ultimate Flirting Championship.

I have tried the game myself and I had a great time flirting. Yup! Flirting is fun and in this case, harmless! I just wish I actually have the Victory Hair I used in the game.

I was raised and educated to be a Catholic. I attended Catholic schools from grade school until I graduated in college. My husband is a Buddhist and one of his uncles is an esteemed monk. Believe it or not, religion has never been an issue with us.

I sometimes go to Catholic church here by myself or with friends. My husband has never stopped me from practicing my religion and I the same with him. He reacted positively to my mother’s suggestion to have our son baptized in the Catholic church. However, it was I who chose not to.

There are times when my husband and I talk about our son’s religion and we always conclude that we would let him choose for himself. For now, we believe that we should inculcate in him the belief in a higher being. I asked my husband what if our son choose the Islamic religion? He just said that as long as he knows what he wants and he’s not hurting anybody, then it’s fine with him. I was shocked with his open-mindedness with this topic, but I’m glad that having different religions is not a hindrance to our relationship as a couple and as a family.

Isa sa proyekto ng pamahalaan ng Korea ay ang tamang paghiwalay ng pagtapon ng basura. Gaya na lang ng basurahang ito na matatagpuan sa isang parke na malapit sa aming tinitirhan. May lalagyan para sa lata, bote, plastic at ordinaryong basura. Isang paraan para mapanatili ang luntiang kapaligiran. Kinunan ang larawang ito noong isang taon sa panahon ng taglagas.

One of the projects of the Korean government is the proper segregation of trash. Just like the one pictured below at the park near our residence. There’s a sack for cans, bottles, plastics and ordinary trash. This is just one of the many ways to keep our environment green. The picture was taken in last year’s autumn season.

We are always busy on weekends. My husband leaves for work at 8AM everyday and is usually home at 8PM. He spends more than two hours a day traveling to and from work daily. As much as he’d like to come home earlier, it’s not just in Korean culture to leave earlier than the boss. My husband isn’t alone as most Korean fathers spend a lot of time working and even drinking socially at night.

Our weekends are reserve for the family. There are times though that I go out with my girl friends for lunch on a Saturday and my husband usually takes his turn the following weekend for his hiking trip.

I think we’re lucky that we live in Seoul. There are a lot of parks and zoos that we can go to to spend time as a family. Our favorite place is the Children’s Grand Park, which is about a 30-minute drive from our apartment. It has a zoo, swimming pool, soccer field, carnival rides, camel and horse ride, playground and of course, picnic grounds. I just love love going there ‘coz it’s free.

I’ve noticed that a lot of young families also spend their weekends going to such places. Fathers accompanying and playing with their kids while the moms (like moi) takes pictures. I guess this is really a time we’d have to take advantage of being a family since there will come a time when our son would surely prefer to go out with his friends instead of us. Talking from experience? You bet.

Thanks to Teys.T for this tag. I enjoy answering this kind of tag since I can share information about myself without worrying of getting too personal.

The rules are simple. At the end of the post, the player tags 6 people and posts their names, then goes to their blog and leaves a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer.

1. What was I doing 10 years ago?
I was attending CPA Review classes in Manila.

2. What are the 5 things on my to-do list today?
- do the laundry
- go to the playground later in the afternoon with my son
- blog, blog hop, read news on the net
- do some grocery shopping
- get a cellphone!

3. Snacks I enjoy: nachos, spicy rice cake or tteokbokki, ice cream, fish balls, takoyaki

4. Places where I lived: Sta. Rosa, Laguna; Angeles City; Manila; Las Pinas; Seoul

5. Things I’d do if I were a billionaire:
- work on doing charities (school, hospitals, jobs)
- travel the world with the whole family
- build a “Children’s Grand Park” (just like the one we have here) in Angeles City

6. People I want to know more are Elliot, Eden, Cher, Pete, Haydee, Aquamarine

Less than a month from now, I’m going back to school. The last time I was in school was almost a decade ago. Two weeks from now, I’ll be sending my son to the 어린이집 or literally the children’s house, a Korean day care center. I’m a bit worried though.

I’m a stay-at-home mom and I’ve been with my son on a daily basis for the past 25 months. The only time I was away from him was when I visited New York City with my sister and it was just for a night. I’m not worried about my son because I know he’ll be taken care of by the trusty teachers at the center. I’m worried about myself. Will I be able to handle being away from my son on a daily basis?

I never thought I’d be worried about weaning myself from my son. I hope I’ll be able to concentrate in school, not thinking about what my son is doing while I’m in class. I guess I’ll just have to think that a few hours of separation and my son being with other kids is not such a bad idea.