1 week left. 6 months left.

I miss my brother so much.
I miss all the times we'd go out to some place in Seoul and explore and do the stuff that we both like doing e.g. shopping, eating at nice places, taking photos, etc.

I've finally realised that I've been alone for far too long.
I've always been a loner, enjoying the solitude and just being able to do what I want on my own.
Having all the time in the world to myself only.
Walking around Sinchon and Edae areas alone after holing myself up in my room all day, listing to songs on my Spotify playlist and walking around the beauty counters in Hyundai Department Store. This is me.

It's difficult to find friends with the same interests here and even if we do, they're busy with their other friends and their own friends. I'm all alone here, I have all the time in the world when I don't have to work or have school commitments to deal with.

Indeed, blood is thicker than water.

Now what have I turned this blog into :'(
I never meant for this blog to be so personal.

Ok, one more week left for my internship and then it's back to the last semester in Yonsei for me.

6 months left in Seoul/Korea.

I'm no longer a full-time student/유학생 here. I'm an exchange student with just 6 months in Korea.

I'll make the best of every day or moment (if possible).

On bandages

There was one day when I had lunch with my colleagues and after eating in the staff food court, we went to the 13th floor relaxation area to chit chat. And we somehow started talking about foreigners who come to Korea for plastic surgery.

My colleagues were saying that it's so weird to see all these foreigners walking around Gangnam area with their bandages on their noses and all. I was shocked when I heard that because I heard that most Korean girls who do PS do that, especially in Gangnam, so foreigners think it's normal/common/alright to do likewise post-surgery (this is what I heard/read in blogs; I don't really go to Gangnam often because it's too far- yeah even though it's just a bus ride away). And then it was my colleagues' turn to be shocked because they said that Koreans don't do that...the people walking around with the bandages are foreigners. Hahahaha I guess when you're wrapped up in bandages and all, no one can tell whether you're a foreigner or Korean unless you start talking.

At a crossroad again

Slightly more than 2 years ago, I was at this crossroad but I chose to escape by applying for the scholarship and coming to Korea. 

But escaping doesn't solve the problem. And now, I'm back at the same crossroad again, just that the circumstances are a bit different. 

What to do after I graduate in February???

I'm really glad to be interning in a great department (which doesn't even hire fresh graduates to start with) with a possibility of having my contract extended into a part time job for the next 2 months (though this is not confirmed yet and I kinda want to enjoy my last semester as a student...) in Korea's biggest cosmetics company. The food here is great (free lunch every day) and the people here are really nice. But...this department is definitely not for me when I graduate because I don't really know business Korean and my Korean's not that fantastic (definitely not as good as it was more than a year ago when I was studying Korean full time). I can only help for market research, that's it. Then, there's the global marketing department for the different brands. But $$$ is an issue...I have an opportunity cost. I'm here in Korea studying when all my peers have already worked for more than 2 years and are earning decent salaries. I don't mind if I were a fresh graduate but not if I were a MBA graduate and earning that amount... 

And then there's the question of whether I'm going back to Singapore or staying in Korea. 

For now, I'm leaning towards returning to Singapore. 

Ahhhhhh I have to decide but I can't!!! Hopefully, by early November, I'll have my answer. 

Public holiday tomorrow and Labour Day (only for my company) next Friday. 2 Fridays off in a row, wheee!!!!! And then I'll just have 1 more week of internship left before it's back to school for the last time. 

How did time pass so fast?!?!?!? 

In about 2 weeks' time, it'll be my 2nd anniversary here in Korea. Soon, I'll be having my farewell party with my fellow KGSP friends since my program is 1.5 years while theirs is 2 years. 

Time to sleep and wake up late too finally!!!!

Happy birthday Singapore!

From the time I arrived in Korea in August 2012, I haven't really felt homesick.
But this time, after spending slightly more than a month with my brother here in Korea, I am homesick.
I've just sent him off at the airport and it was a struggle to put on a brave front and not cry in public.

The past few weeks with him were one of the best times I've had in Korea.
With friends here, there are things that you can't do together because you may not share the same interests or spending habits (not saying I'm rich or anything; on the contrary, I'm always in a financial crisis but there are times when I just want to spend some money on that ONE time just for experience sake). My brother and I are really close and we share very similar interests. Like even when I'm shopping, he'll stay in the boutique with me (ok, only when I ask him to, if not he'd just stand outside) and give me shopping advice.
Thanks to my brother, I've pretty done almost everything I've always wanted to do in Korea and it was nice to be able to do them with him and not alone. Now, we're just waiting for our Winter adventure :)

I'm currently still interning but after 3 weeks, I'll be freeeeeee!
Unfortunately, I'll have no break and school will start the week after.
Nevertheless, I'm only taking like 7.5 credits this semester as compared to 18 last semester so life will be so much easier.

Once I'm done with my internship, I might revamp this blog or move to Wordpress where I can selectively lock entries. I'll resume work on this travel blog for the remaining few months of my stay in Korea.

Previously, I thought I could work here for 2 years after graduating in February. But lately, I've been missing Singapore and most importantly, my family. Furthermore, each time a relative or friend comes to visit me and then return to Singapore, I get sadder and sadder with each farewell. I don't think my poor heart can take so many farewells! We'll see but for now, I'm leaning towards a "returning to Singapore" stance. But who knows, things might change over the course of the next few months. Maybe my company might hire me for a full-time position? Ok fat hope and I still can't decide whether to stay here in Korea or to return.

Korea's a beautiful country but I'm a Singaporean at heart. There are cultural differences and some of which, I can't tolerate. Things like personal space. There's a newcomer in my department. She's Korean but spent 10 years in the States for her education and she concurred with me about people not having a sense of personal space here. So it's not just me who feels this way!!!!!! Even a Korean herself.

Happy birthday Singapore. I'll be home for good soon and I'm looking forward to that (except the heat).