Loving The Samsung Galaxy SII!

When my Nokia N8 died on me last month, I thought of getting another smart phone, and I am happy I did!

I use that disappointing Nokia N8 for my Philippine cellphone number, and I was stuck with that phone! But for my Korean cellphone number, I thought of changing my unit from an old SKT unit to either an iPhone 4 or a Samsung Galaxy SII.

I polled friends, colleagues and read reviews, and I finally decided one night when I met up with two of my best Korean friends for dinner and drinks in the Gangnam area. And as the two have been using the two brands, I handled their phones and interviewed them on what they love or hate about their phones.

And I decided on the local brand.

I immediately looked for an SK Telecom shop in my neighborhood the next day and immediately switched my unit with the help of the clerk, who couldn't speak English. Until now, I could not recall as to how we were able to understand each other. Ha-ha-ha!

So, I am now a happy user of Samsung Galaxy SII with its useful apps, and very likable form, weight and  customizations. The only downside is... it drains the battery very fast! Probably because I use the internet endlessly.

My big question is...how could Nokia not have been any better? Both in technology and customer service? And I was really, really disappointed with the way Nokia Hong Kong's customer service handled my complaints. I'd rather they call that department customer disservice!

So, for now, while running the streets of Seoul, I am accompanied with my Samsung Galaxy SII doing things we all love to do all the time:  check emails, tweet and Facebook!

"In Our Small Way....."

It was easy for me to decide to sign up and join a volunteer club a few years back when I arrived in Korea.  After all, right in my neighborhood in Yongsan-gu, I see a lot of homeless people, people who might not have the same opportunities most of us have. So, like the rest of the volunteers, I felt I have an obligation to help.

 On my first day to volunteer, I joined the team in packing bread provided by a bakery, preparing kimchi on a huge container, helping prepare and cook a few kilos of vegetables and spiced bulgogi, which we all brought  to the Yongsan Station, along with bottled water and snacks.

At that time, it was a regular weekend task to help serve free lunch for the homeless around the Yongsan Station, and there were always about 150 people who would show up for a plate of hot meal. And although we were tired after doing our assigned chores, we were always happy to have shared our time and effort.

Lately, I joined the group's other regular activity: spending time with the kids living in a foster home in Gwangmyeong-si in Gyeonggi Province.  Some of these kids are orphans, some were abandoned, and some were taken away from their abusive parents, or from parents who are not capable of raising them.

Unlike most of us (or our own children), these kids are growing up not being cared for by their own parents, and not knowing how it means to be loved by your own father and mother. So, the group schedules to spend a day with these kids either by visiting them at their foster home, or by taking them outdoors for a fun activity.  And if only for day, we try to be their big brothers and sisters; thereby, providing some semblance of normalcy in these very young lives. We may not take the place of a real family for them, but at least, we are trying to help raise them with good values, and provide them with some experiences and opportunities that otherwise they would never have under their current plight.

In our busy world (and work!), it is easy to overlook those who are not as fortunate as we are.  And worse, it is even easier to overlook how fortunate we still are no matter how big we think our problems are at home and at work. 

But those of us who share our time, effort and some of our blessings in life with those who have less, a little help goes a long way. 

And to borrow a few lines from a Michael Jackson song:  “You and I can’t do great things; we may not change the world in one day, but we still could change some things today… in our small way.”

Cooking For The Chuseok Holidays!

The long chuseok weekend has started!

People in Korea are happy when Chuseok, the Korean thanksgiving, falls on a weekday because vacation becomes even longer.

While I welcome these Chuseok holidays to spend at home to watch movies on cable TV, or play tennis with friends after they're done with their Chuseok traditions, or to write some blogs at my favorite cafes (like where I'm now!), some female Korean friends I know do not exactly like the idea of the Chuseok tradition.

Why?

Because they have to cook! In case they're married to the oldest brother, or their dad is the oldest of the brood, they have to attend to the preparation and the cooking and every else! And what do the male members of the family do? Well....let's ask them. Ha-ha-ha!

Oh well. That's the Korean tradition.

And last weekend, I, along with other volunteers, visited a foster home to spend time with the kids, and help them prepare, cook and let them enjoy these Korean traditional goodies which are usually prepared during Chuseok.

While I don't know how to cook, I just sampled the goodies and do what I do best...take photographs of the fun riot at the foster home!  

Enjoy your Chuseok holidays!

Back To Work....

Finally, a breather of a weekend!

After the long nights in the office and weekends of travelling, running around, visits to the orphanage, and countless cups of  iced cafe mocha, slices of brownies, bites of food for the gods (and unwanted kilos!), it's finally time to get back to work! Working on this blog, that is!

When I tried to list down the blogs I still want to write about, I found out that I have a blog backlog! Ha-ha-ha!

I still haven't written about the race, the marine-type training and the mud festival itself. I haven't written yet about the visit to a famous poet's home, and not even close to putting a piece about making maguksu! And I also look forward to sharing my days a volunteer! Not to mention the parties!

But I will soon have the time to write all these as chuseok, the Korean thanksgiving, is around the corner and I will have a few days off...from the real work!

And while that real work affords me my living, this work provides me enjoyment!

And thanks to all the visitors from 118 countries (so far), a lot of more experiences, photographs and insights into my life as Pinoy in Korea is yet to come!

Garuso-Gil....At Night

And night, Garuso-gil gets even more interesting.


With all the shops turning on their lights, and everyone else turning up in their nocturnal mood, nobody is wearing pajamas! Ha-ha-ha!

And helping me capture the night lights of Garuso-gil was a photographer friend, Huck, who came all the way from Yeosu City, to walk this street at night for the first time.

And even under the lights, the shops and boutiques look even more expensive. Ha-ha-ha!

In this place, you won't see drunk people (or did I just miss them that night?) zigzagging on the sidewalk. Nor would you see puke (like the those on Hannam-dong sidewalks every now and then!). Ha-ha-ha!

But on a cool night, you would definitely see relaxed, better- dressed people, who came out to Garuso-gil for the same reason as everyone else. 

A dinner. A stroll. A cup of coffee. A shopping bag. A chat.

Or just a night out at Garuso-gil.