Another Angles from the Mosque at Itaewon

Actually I took these pictures about two weeks ago, but I do not think I have blogged something  'bout it. Since I am oblivious of whether I did put these pictures or not.. I might as well put them onto the blog again. As usual, after the Friday Prayer lots of people were gathering outside the Mosque--chattering and talking over stuffs or catching up the latest news (gossips:) among themselves. Well, it was a kind of weekly informal social gathering that they can do at least once a week.

As for some others, they preferred staying out late inside the Mosque listening the additional sermon offered by a cleric who usually come from different nationalities. It was also a kind of activity that some did after the prayer.
I got a chance to take a snap of what they were doing.
As for me, I'd prefer to take myself into the line or queue for some snack and a box of milk offered for free. ^^

Animal Earmuffs and Headmuffs(?)

It is really cold outside. (the Glee's 'Baby, It's Cold Outside' rings in)...^^
Anyway..I just want to share the picture-taking we had this morning in the class.

Our Japanese friends--Chika and Akane-- happened to come along with the earmuffs and headmuffs they were putting on their heads. All of a sudden, we wanted to try put them on on our heads since it looked so warm wearing them.
So, the Doraemon and the Horangi (white tiger) headmuffs they brought were kind of cute.
I tried putting it on my head..even our sonsaengnim, too.
It was indeed like a a feeling of being sucked into the state of child-prone jubilation.
Indeed.
Love it.

2000 visitors

Well, it might not have been an achievement compared to other sites or blogs.
But, still it is a great rewarding experience and thing for me ...for there are some of you who have been here for some reasons. I am glad that the readers find the blog worth-reading.:) Hopefully.
I hope I will be able to jot down what I have in my daily trivial life into the blog...to share with all of you.

it might be too obscure...but it shows the 2,000 visitors

A Memoir to My Akung

He has gone now...
Yet, his warm and wise words will always linger on my mind.
Someone of Patience. Indeed.
A loving father to all of us... He is.
irrespective of how and who we are as his children.
Akung, I will never forget you....
Your sincere smile hugs me every time I remember you, Akung...
Your warm hugs feel like just yesterday...
I know you are so sincerely patient in every move you made in this world
look at how Akung has achieved so far...
You've dedicated your life......
to make us proud to be your children...
A loving Akung to our Ibu...
A loving Akung to all of us as a family...
Bandung & Gelatik Dalam would never be the same without you....
Yet....I won't falter....
you've touched me in the ways......I haven't yet expressed to you
I love you, Akung....
May Allah Embrace you in Peace...

Lunch: Yeongyang Deolseot Bibimbap

영양돌솥비빔밥 or literally translated into a 'mixed rice full of nutrition in a hot bowl'
That was what I had for lunch. Thanks for Yumi who invited me to have lunch with her.
Oh, it was also her celebration for she has been accepted as a staff at KIEP research Center in Seoul.
It means she passed all of the requirements to be eligible staff at the center.

Yumi 

맛있다!  hmm yummy

it was only half of what we had on the other side of the table

 She seemed to be pretty happy about it, for I know how hard she tried. We did have a rehearsal of how to face the interview should any Indonesia-related questions might came up.
Though, none of what we rehearsed was present during the interview, one thing for sure, she got a job!
I am happy for her, too.

autumn really sets in.....

Oh, the meal was sumptuously presented before us with lots of banchan or side dishes on the table.
It was a treat indeed.
It was indeed a great time.


oh, the picture of the school: out of my curiousness while waiting for Yumi at the main gate.

Gasan Digital Compelx (가산 디저털 단지)

This place is called : Gasan Digital Complex. But....this name itself is so misleading. Indeed, it is misleading. For foreigners it would be deliberately associated with any electronic stuffs or gadgets. So, the first thing that came up to our mind was that this place was gonna be packed with all of the latest gadgets in digital products:)
But, we were wrong.
It was more like a fashion district. Lots of malls selling branded stuffs were sprung up along the intersections and lanes of the district.
Well, it was a funny thing to be there in the first place.
I was informed that I can get some cheap and bargain stuffs there. I thought it would be some digital products, but it turned out to be fashions.
Well, since we also wanted to check the place out...we might as well stroll along the block:)
It was fun, then.
The interesting sight that I noticed was the fact that even the fitting rooms are served on the pavements or sidewalks. It was a nice thing to look at, though.
We (felix and Jobirson) got there by metro that took us for about 1 hour or so (including the time when we missed the station where we were supposed to transfer).

The place is famous among Koreans but not among foreigners, let alone tourists. Tourists would prefer (or they did not know actually) to go to Namdaemun or Dongdameun or Myeongdong, instead of going to this Digitally fashioned complex (hehehehe). Koreans love branded stuffs and they want to show the image of being well-off by purchasing lots of branded stuffs. You name it, you Got it here: Nike, Adidas, Puma, etc...all of those sport apparels. The shops were lining up along the streets as long as we can see.
Then, Calvin Klein, Zara, D&G, Abercrombie, Zalvatoirre(?), well..could not name them one by one..
They are just amazingly scattered along the district.
Well, is it worth-visiting? well, if you are into the branded stuffs at relatively cheaper price...it is.
I ended up only buying one winter jacket for my daughter. Of course, it was on sale, it was 59,000 Won...and discounted into just a mere 10,000 Won.
Yes, it happened there.

종이에 적어 보는 일

여기에다 적을 것들이 주제 없이 제가 그냥 마음대로 쓰고 싶은 점이다....

4급이 진짜 어려워서  반복하게 되면 어떻게 할까? 5급으로 못 올라가면끝장이다. 공부하는 것이 너무 힘들다. 그래서 책상앞에 있는 벽에다가 자식의 그림을 걸어 두면 언제든지 함께 있는 것 같다. // 평생이 무너진 것 같다는 생각이 들면 이번호로 전화를 걸어서 얘기해 보라고 했는데 그럴 리 가 있을까? // 고향에 와 보니까 옛날에 같이 공부했던 친구들이 깡그리 없어졌다. //오늘의 뉴스에 의하면 정부가 믿을 수 없는 쇼핑몰의 상품을 매매하는 것을 금하고 있대요.// 그 사람이 심각한 문제에 젖어 있기 때문에 일을 하는 둥 마는 둥 하고 있다는 걸 봤다.// 어제 만난 쌍둥이가 인생관이 다른다. 동생이 비관적이고 형은 낙관적이다.// 전에는 이바지가 까만색이었는데 시간이 흘러서 퇴색했다.// 방금 산 과일이 변질 되지않도록 냉장고에 넣어 야 한다.// 미래에 대해 막연한 생각을 가지고 있는 젊은이들이 많다.// 그 사람들이 의리가 있는  것 같다. 사장님이 하라는 것들을 따라간다. 그런데...의리 때문에 그럴까? 약속을 지키고 싶어서 그럴까? //   OECD 자료에 따르면 요세는  양호한 경제를 가지고 있는 나라가 몇 개 밖에 없다고 발표되었다.// 지금까지 우리반 선생님으 말씀을 여석개의 항목으로 다시 적을 수 있을 까?// 이런 문제를 간단하게 단정하지 말고 좀 깊게 생각하면 방법이 보일 것이다.//
...
마지막 문장이 맞을까?
요리를 하다가 소금을 설탕인 줄 알고 넣는 바람에 요리를 그르치고 말았어요.  (?) ^^

blitzkrieg paper

Within three hours I managed to finish 3-page long paper in Korean--that frankly I am not satisfied with.^^ Well, I got no other choices but to squeeze the ideas out of my head just to make this 3-page long paper that I wish I could have done it better.
The thing was that...I was planning not to take the exam as I was jut a non-regular or sit-in student in this class. That's it.
But then....I was wrong...I did not know that it would be a different pose should I not do it.
Actually, I was bold enough to send an email asking a permission for not taking the exam...but......as what I had feared.....an instant message snoozed into my inbox informing me that I should (the euphemistic way of  saying 'must') write the paper as others did. ^^
The deadline was just three or four hours left...and I got no ideas to write down.
It was a good thing that I did send an email for confirmation.
....
Now that I had done it, the frenzy feeling of being released from the upside-down shell ...bestowed me.
I was exhilarated..............
Although deep down I was kinda worried since I did not check my Korean grammar as to whether it was acceptable in term of paper works in academic area. Oh, swell...at least up to the moment..I can just talk myself in.....that it was over...for the meantime^^.

classmate's birthday

Yesterday was the first time ever that within 6 hours I had meals three times. For sure it was not completely me at all. I had a late lunch  after class (2.pm) when my friend asked me to accompany her for her late lunch...at 5pm. Well, since it would be a good time to talk since I had not met her for quite a while....
Just when I had not yet finished having my 2nd lunch....my friend, Taekcho, texted me...informing that it was our friend's--Illiya--birthday. So, he asked me to make a surprise party for him. Since Illiya sits next to me and he's been more like a brother to me...I could not help but agreeing to his plan.
So, we met again at 8pm.
Since it would not be any birthday party without any cakes, we decided to buy some at Paris Baquette near campus. It's a good thing that I had my LG membership card for additional 10% off. ^^ (one of the so many privileges of having this LG Card--not to mention the free movie ticket every month for any movie I want to see in any cineplex) ^^ what a treat.
back to the party...

then we met four other friends and off we went to a Chinese restaurant.
It was the first time ever for me that a restaurant in Korea served lamb satay and fried eggplants just like what I had back home in Indonesia. Hmmm what a treat. So, we did have a goooood time celebrating Illiya's B'day. The dish (though we felt so sorry for not being able to eat them all) was good and the cake was yummy.




Since we were in Korea..and this would not have been any close to Korean culture should we just go back home after party.....we ended up throwing ourselves into another 2-hour session at noraebang or karaoke room. It was a shocking revelation to each of us since most of us sang! we did sing songs that actually kinda portrayed the true and real personalities of who we were individually. It was a good thing that we spent the time together like this since it would eventually work just fine for our friendship.
It was 1 in the morning.
We were strolling back to the dorm.
..........and today...two of us...came late to class.
and what's worse.....we were a weezzzyyyyy sleeeepppyyy...during the class:)
our sonsaengnims were wondering as to why we were kinda tired.......
Oh, swell....

classmate's birthday

Yesterday was the first time ever that within 6 hours I had meals three times. For sure it was not completely me at all. I had a late lunch  after class (2.pm) when my friend asked me to accompany her for her late lunch...at 5pm. Well, since it would be a good time to talk since I had not met her for quite a while....
Just when I had not yet finished having my 2nd lunch....my friend, Taekcho, texted me...informing that it was our friend's--Illiya--birthday. So, he asked me to make a surprise party for him. Since Illiya sits next to me and he's been more like a brother to me...I could not help but agreeing to his plan.
So, we met again at 8pm.
Since it would not be any birthday party without any cakes, we decided to buy some at Paris Baquette near campus. It's a good thing that I had my LG membership card for additional 10% off. ^^ (one of the so many privileges of having this LG Card--not to mention the free movie ticket every month for any movie I want to see in any cineplex) ^^ what a treat.
back to the party...

then we met four other friends and off we went to a Chinese restaurant.
It was the first time ever for me that a restaurant in Korea served lamb satay and fried eggplants just like what I had back home in Indonesia. Hmmm what a treat. So, we did have a goooood time celebrating Illiya's B'day. The dish (though we felt so sorry for not being able to eat them all) was good and the cake was yummy.




Since we were in Korea..and this would not have been any close to Korean culture should we just go back home after party.....we ended up throwing ourselves into another 2-hour session at noraebang or karaoke room. It was a shocking revelation to each of us since most of us sang! we did sing songs that actually kinda portrayed the true and real personalities of who we were individually. It was a good thing that we spent the time together like this since it would eventually work just fine for our friendship.
It was 1 in the morning.
We were strolling back to the dorm.
..........and today...two of us...came late to class.
and what's worse.....we were a weezzzyyyyy sleeeepppyyy...during the class:)
our sonsaengnims were wondering as to why we were kinda tired.......
Oh, swell....