What Life Has In Store

I wasn't in the best of moods a couple of months ago and when I had dinner with my friends Leticia and Tjun Hong to gripe, the latter gave me a piece of advice which I did not really take to heart at the time. Tjun Hong told me to let my hair down, dispense with whatever agenda I had, and just to go out, embrace what life had in store for me, and to have fun.

Stubborn as I am, I didn't take his advice and still went about with my agenda. Now I know better. After another misstep, I am finally letting go of the confines that I put myself in and taking things in stride, enjoying whatever comes my way so to speak.

It is liberating in a sense. Not having an aspiration that needs to be attained. Instead, I am adopting a laissez-faire attitude. Que sera, sera.

Photo shot right smack in the middle of winter in Seoul, Korea in February earlier this year.

Positive Energy

A friend posted this on Facebook recently - 'Miracles start to happen when you give as much energy to your dreams as you do to your fears'. Like most, I have my fears, my insecurities. They sometimes affect my frame of mind, cause me to be slightly dejected and melancholic. I accept it as part and parcel of life.

The good thing is that I bounce back from any setback or moodiness pretty quickly. I will myself to think positive, to visualise the happy outcomes that I so look forward to attaining. I would be the first to admit that this takes effort but I realise that one can only truly move forward by doing so. Dwelling too much on the past is not something that I do. And whilst I recognise my fears and insecurities, I generally do not let them overwhelm me. Instead, I work continuously to overcome them. To maintain a positive outlook as much as I can.

So I tell myself that tomorrow is a new day. With better experiences to encounter. With happier moments to experience. Each day brings with it new hope. That I do believe, no matter how jaded I may feel from time to time.


Wishing trees at Seoul Tower in Korea.

Out Of The Woods

I've not been entirely myself the past couple of weeks due to a number of reasons. But I am finally seeing the clearing and am slowly making my way out of the woods.

Little setbacks in life make one stronger. For those of us who are able to put situations in perspective, we emerge stronger, we become a better version of ourselves. We learn from our bad judgement, realise that we should never repeat them, and move forward again with renewed faith and hope.

A step forward a day, so they say. Little by little, we regain the trust we had in our instincts, we walk with a little more spring in our steps. Here's to fully embracing what the future may hold.

Photo shot at the DMZ in Korea.

Insecurities

I was having a chat with a good friend and the topic of insecurities came about. Like everyone else, I have my fair share of insecurities. Some are warranted, others not so. Still, they are something that I need to work on.

The warranted ones keep me grounded. I remind myself to think things through and not make any rash decisions or take any hasty actions. The unwarranted ones are the ones that cause much nuisance. They irritate the hell out of me. These are the ones I need to keep a lid on.

When I feel insecure, I turn to my close friends. They know me best and they know how to help me put things in perspective. And if I make the further mistake of not heeding their advice, then more likely than not, I'll get a slap. A well deserved one no doubt.

Jogseya Temple in Seoul, Korea.

Two Sides Of A Coin

This poster at Dorasan Station at the DMZ in Korea caught my eye. I love the positive spin to the copy ... 'Not the last station from the South, but the first station toward the North'. To the non-politically-affiliated, it spells hope, hope of reunification despite the many challenges that the two Koreas have to overcome for it to eventuate.

It reminded me that there are always two ways of looking at things. Invariably there are times when negativity gets the better of me but for the most part, I am getting rather good at looking at the positives. A silver lining is easier to locate when one is in a positive frame of mind.

Letting go of the bad and embracing the good is something that has taken me years to cultivate. I am still a work-in-progress, albeit one that is heading in the right direction, a good direction that is. A friend recently told me to throw caution to the wind. To live in the moment, to enjoy the process, to appreciate the journey. Another told me to live vicariously. Sound advice indeed. I've always known so but sometimes it takes a nudge every now and then to remind me to do so.

Photo shot at Dorasan Station in Korea.

Good Things

Some say that good things come to those who wait. I'd like to believe so. But it's the waiting that can sometimes be nervewracking and stress inducing. The waiting can also test one's faith.

So what do I do? I take comfort in my friends' encouraging words. I say a prayer when I come across a house of worship. I throw a coin and make a wish. I try to think positive. I place hope on the law of attraction.

When all is said and done, I reckon it all boils down to belief. The will to make it happen. Believe I shall.

Success on my third try at the Cheonyecheong stream in Seoul, Korea.

Trip With Godparents

I try to go on an annual holiday with my godparents. Actually we missed last year but were in Ho Chi Minh City for Christmas in 2010. This time round, we headed to Seoul, right smack in winter no less. I normally don't go on winter holidays despite having spent four years in Adelaide, South Australia and almost two in Le Bouveret and Leysin, Switzerland. I very much prefer the warmth of summer. But this holiday was planned last year and coincided with my godparents' trip from Adelaide, so headed to Seoul we did, with bags filled to the brim with warm clothing.

Seoul was cold! Temperatures rarely above freezing did not prevent us from seeing the sights and shopping the streets. We even made it to the demilitarised zone for a half day look see. When faced with freezing weather, one takes the opportunity to indulge in food. Street food, family run restaurants, cafes, tea houses, intimate joints to more fanciful establishments, we made it a point to sample as much Korean cuisine as we could, some we enjoyed more, others less, but nevertheless all interesting experiences.

I had actually been to Seoul before in the warmer months and whilst I am no fan of the cold, it did give me an opportunity to experience the city from a different perspective. Barren trees, frozen ponds, lakes and rivers, remnants of snow, Koreans and visitors alike dressed in winter finery, all made for a different Seoul, but one that still warms the heart and urges a return visit in the future.

Photo of mum and my godparents at Hanok Village in Seoul, Korea.

Jogyesa

Those who know my travel habits would be aware that whenever possible, I will pay a visit to a temple in the city which I am visiting to say a little prayer. It was no different when in Seoul and I made it a point to include Jogyesa Buddhist Temple as one of the 'must see's in my itinerary.

I often give thanks for the opportunity to travel. I pray for success in business and fulfillment in life. Good health for my family and friends. When at a place of worship in a foreign land, I pay close attention to what the worshippers do and try to follow suit. And more often than not, the locals will offer advice through gestures, particularly if they do not speak much English. This I very much appreciate.

Here is a photo of the many wishing lanterns at Jogyesa.

Photo shot at Jogyesa Buddhist Temple in Insadong, Seoul, Korea.

Gyoja

If you could only see the queues at Gyoja, a decades old restaurant in Myeong-dong, Seoul. From the tiny dining room to the corridor right out the front door to the lane and snaking round the bend, one has to see it to believe it.

We arrived just before noon for lunch and the place was already packed. Fortunately, the line was just starting and we were shown our seats after a ten minute wait. Mum and I cramped into our seats, a table for four, shared with two Korean gentlemen in suits. We promptly chose to have the dumplings and knife-cut noodles, two dishes from their menu of four. Yes you did not read wrong! This well-known restaurant has had only four selections to choose from since 1966. What they do, they do well, that's for sure. Those must have been the best dumplings I have eaten in my life. Meaty, moist and full of flavour.

A day later while walking along the same lane, I overhead two tourists from Hong Kong lamenting the fact that they could not locate the famed restaurant which served wonderful dumplings and noodles. I jumped, uninvited, into their conversation and took it upon myself to show them the place. I was rewarded with multiple and incessant 'thank you's. I guess it is always nice to share a good thing.

Our meal at Gyoja in Myeongdong, Seoul, Korea.

Seoul

Seoul had never been on my list of places to visit. However, I chose it as the go to place as a surprise for my Mum, a birthday present so to speak. A fanatic fan of Korean dramas, I thought it apt that a trip to Seoul would be something that she'd very much look forward to.

As it turned out, Mum had a wonderful time as I had expected, more surprising was the fact that Seoul has really grown on me. A pleasant surprise. I'd make a return trip any time. The juxtaposition of old and new, tradition and modernity, sedate and energetic, East and West, all make for an intriguing experience. The friendliness of the Korean people in particular made an impression. There is a relatively large Korean community in the vicinity of where I work here in Kuala Lumpur, but they've never seemed approachable. So to have them offer directions and advice whilst visiting their capital city came across as welcome and pleasant encounters.

Lots to see, good food and great shopping are a given, cosy restaurants and little tea rooms are a highlight too. It's not cheap, neither is it beyond my means. I don't stinge when on holiday. Whatever I've budgeted, I spend, be it on food, transportation and quintessential Korean experiences, so much so that I even found time to savour tea at four tea rooms, some traditional, some more contemporary, each with its own unique character, in the short few days I was there. So thanks for the positive vibes Seoul. I'll definitely re-visit at some point.

Having tea in Insadong, Seoul, Korea.