South Korea: The cross-country adventure

How could I not possibly update this blog with stories from Korea? After six months of planning, I finally conquered (and is still conquering) autumn in Korea.

Andong, Gyeongsangbuk-do; behind me is the Nakdong River

Very pretty autumn scene at Jukjeon's Cafe Street in Yongin City, just right outside Seoul

Biking by the Han River

Sitting at the doorstep of my traditional Korean room at Hahoemauel, Andong, Gyeongsabuk-do

Posing beside a soldier at the South-North Korea border (DMZ)

Gyeongbokgung Palace grounds with the view of Mt.Bukaksan

Sanggojae!!!

For one thing, I feel like watching again the dramas which I've seen filming locations of. Second, I want to do this all over again. Where to next?

I wish to write a more detailed blog of this adventure. But I'm anticipating the loads of work that awaits my return to the Philippines. Nonetheless, I am sure that the mental snapshots of my Korean autumn adventure are here to stay with me for a long time.

I hate you

Dear Korean Embassy, 

I hate you for making me worried-sick for a week! But anyways, I'll see you in 3 weeks!

Me

Bukas na

'Tangina! Kalma lang!

Three more days of restlessness

So I'm singing my blues away

Astrology and anxiety

I am not religious. But now, I'm summoning my mystic tendencies to provide myself comfort in times of gripping anxiety. I resorted to reading astrology to see if lady luck is on my side.

This Week's Virgo Horoscope General: Financially you will be lucky this week in respect to monetary transactions. Some of you will undertake a distant journey which will be hectic but may be highly rewarding  Career: Those working to get a transfer of workplace can expect something positive in this direction. Using your creativity to the maximum would be beneficial. Love: Use your words sensibly in love during the week..

- Distant journey

- hectic

- highly rewarding

Cris-crossing between Sagada-Korea-Sagada is kinda hectic, and distant, yet highly rewarding. IS THIS IT???

God. Three more days.

Dying of suspense

The last time I felt like this was while waiting for the results of the comprehensive exams I took in graduate school. My heart was thumping extra hard whenever my mind is not distracted with work or any activity. It's not easy being like that for a week. Until the day came when I received a call from my classmate telling me that I passed. I literally jumped for joy.

It's all coming back to me now - the jitters and the torment while I anticipate the approval or denial of my Korean visa. My 2-minute encounter with the young female consul was easy. All requirements are complete. But I can't help but rummage through countless possibilities that may cause denial of visa based on too much Internet research (yes, this is the downside). Documents cannot be verified (i.e. Sandy was not able to answer the embassy's call for verification, or she answered differently, TIN number cannot be recognized - this I'm so afraid of), hotel cannot be contacted, or that they simple missed my documents from their eenie-meenie-minee-moe-to-whom-will-this-visa-go scheme. You know the words "consul" and "power trip" conveniently go together, eh?

Aaaahhh, it's killing me! I wanna die!This has got to be the longest week in my life! But then again, If I get denied, then it means that I just have to concentrate on my thesis (because if Korea trip pushes through, I will have to interrupt my data gathering, temporarily detach myself from my thesis and work, and then return again to Sagada to continue). Then I can reapply 6 months later in time to catch spring. It's not that bad really. BUT STILL, I WANT IT TO BE NOW.