The Last Din Dins Until We Meet Again

So after a great and totally random weekend in Durban, I just had to see my friend Reneldon one last time before he heads back to Korea. We had a very brief meet and greet on Sunday at uShaka Marine World so we made a plan to meet again last night along with lovely ladies Sam and Shefali. Sam is heading to Johannesburg on Saturday before heading back to America next week. Shefali was also in Korea but she's back to her hometown now which coincidentally is the same city that I live and work in now.

We decided to meet at 6pm at the mall and went to a nice restaurant called RJs. It's a steakhouse but it pretty much sells everything.  It was Hump Day so we had to behave ourselves (...not!!) (",)

It was bottomless rib night at RJs so Ren and I decided to eat with our eyes and ordered the bottomless ribs while the ladies got chicken schnitzel and chicken cordon bleu. The chicken schnitzel (I love that word) was fried in bread crumbs and bacon bits and topped with cheddar and mozzarella cheese. It was sooooo delish but I didn't end up finishing it! The chicken cordon bleu was also really delicious. It was a chicken breast stuffed with cheese and other yummy goodies.

After our yummy food we headed for more socializing.

We had an amazing time and Im so glad I got to see him! 

My Year In Pictures 2010 (Part 1)

This has been a long time coming. When I first got to Korea in 2010 I decided to start a scrapbook but that didn't go too well because I didn't have the discipline. I decided to stick to what I love more and that's photography. For that reason I decided to turn my scrapbook into digital format by creating a video slideshow of my life in Korea.

It was an exciting project that I was working on and it kept me up at night for many long hours.

This segment goes through my first 6 months in Korea- experiencing snow for the first time, experiencing Korean food and culture for the first time and so forth. This was pre-dslr so my photos are lookin' a lil dreary.

Hope Y'all Enjoy! Part 2 coming soon!

Soul Sunday

I realized how much I miss Durban and South Africa in general. I arrived in Durban last Saturday morning and spent the day chilling and just enjoying my own company. In the evening I met my cousin and her friend and one of my fabulous varsity friends. We enjoyed each others company well into the night and said our goodbyes past midnight. I really needed that.

My Sunday couldn't be more chilled even if I tried. I woke up at about 09:00 and met my friend DeAnne at about 11:30 at uShaka Marine World. DeAnne is American and we met in Korea. We didn't meet often but whenever we did it was usually in a social setting so we always had a blast!!! DeAnne is now working and living in the Middle East.

It was really great seeing her. We took a stroll on the pier and decided that we needed to eat so we headed out to Ocean Basket for some delishhhh seafood!! We spent most of the day together as we only only said our goodbyes around 16:00. 

It was a very inspiring day and DeAnne motivated me a lot. I don't think she knows how much though. She and I connected and in fact met on the foundation of our mutual love of travel. She was in Korea seeking something new and exciting and I was in Korea seeking something new and exciting. She made me realize that life is short and you really have to go out and make the most of it. We spoke about our travels and all the places we'd still love to visit. She's in South Africa for about a week and then she will head out to Zambia, Namibia and Botswana. By the time she leaves SA next month, she will have visited over 40 countries!!! I've only been to 6 and that's why I feel there's so much of the world waiting for me to see!!! 

I was supposed to meet my friend Reneldon (visiting from Korea) around lunch time but my phone died so DeAnne and I decided to take a walk on the promenade to see if we could spot him. And we did... actually, he spotted me and screamed so loud I'm sure everyone thought something bad had happened but actually I think I was the most terrified! After I realized who was shouting my name I almost cried, I was so excited to see my friend and all the friends that were with him. We had a quick somthin' somethin' before saying our goodbyes and posing for a quick pic.

I have come to the realization that I am not ready to settle down. The thought of buying kitchen appliances and furniture freaks me out and I'd like to put it off until I'm truly ready to find a permanent place to call 'home'. You have to realize that in life everyone takes a different route. If everybody got married at 25 and had kids at 28, the world would be a very boring monotonous place. I was glad that DeAnne agreed with these sentiments. 

While enjoying our ice-cream, we talked about possible plans to return to Korea. For me, it is still a definite plan B. Actually, I don't even have a plan A it's just that I have a job at the moment so I have to weigh up whether I want to leave or not. It was really nice to hear DeAnne's ideas and thoughts about life, love and travel. 

I told her she was really fortunate to be in South Africa meeting so many of her friends. It really makes travelling so exciting knowing that you're a citizen of the world and no matter where you go there'll always be someone you know. The world really does seem small. Because of Korea, I now I have a ton of friends all over the world with open invitations to visit. It was really nice and interesting hearing about DeAnne's current life in the Middle East. It makes me wanna do Korea all over again like I did 2 years ago - fresh, bright eyed and eager for something different. 

Of course, I never really know where I will end up. Life happens. Circumstances change. People grow.

81 Things to do before I die

AKA My bucket list. 

I've been working on my bucket list since November last year so it's definitely a work in progress.

There are soooo many things I still want to do in my life and I think by writing and confessing them, they are more likely to happen. Life is short so I want to make the most of every opportunity.

There are currently 81 items on my bucket list. I will continue updating as time goes on. 


Sports and Athletics

1. Do an extreme sport. ✓ In March 2012 I went white water rafting for the first time in Chiang Mai, Thailand. 

2. Run a marathon. 

3. Take up a new sport.  ✓ I played badminton for the first time in May 2011 but I never continued with it. 

4. Learn to play golf properly. 

5. Learn to play tennis. 

Language and Culture 

6. Learn a new language.  ✓ Started learning Korean, Feb 2010. 

7. Learn Spanish properly. 

8. Learn sign language. 

9. Learn to use chopsticks.   ✓ Learnt how to use chopsticks literally 2 weeks before leaving for Korea. My good friend J'son Li taught me. 


Music, Song and Dance 

10. Be a competitive dancer.  ✓  Started competing in 2009. 

11. Be a professional dancer.

12. Be in a musical.

13. Dance in a music video for a famous singer.

14. Learn to play the piano. 

15. Go to a concert.  ✓ My first concert ever. November, 2011. Asia Song Festival: Daegu, South Korea. 

16. Go to a Halloween party.  ✓ October 2010 and 2011. First Halloween party ever: South Korea. 

Adventures 

17. Buy rollerblades and go rollerblading.

18. Fly in a helicopter

19. Go trekking (hiking) in a forest.  ✓ Northern Chiang Mai, Thailand. March 2012. 

20. Ride a horse. 

21. Ride a roller coaster.  ✓ Sentosa Island, Singapore: July 2011. 

22. Go on a roadtrip. 

23. Ride an elephant.  ✓ Thailand, July 2010 and March 2012.  

24. Ride a camel. 

25. Ride in a hot air balloon. 

26 Go camping in the woods. 

27. Sleep in a hammock.

28. Stay awake for 24 hours straight.  ✓ Friday NY Eve, Saturday NY Day, Sunday my birthday. Enough said. December-2010 - January 2011. 

29. Experience true love.

30. Find my soulmate.

31. Stay awake for 48 hours straight. 



Travel 

32. Explore a castle.

33. Climb the great wall of China.  ✓ In May 2011 I climbed the wall with good friend Reneldon Moodley on our trip to Beijing, China. 

34. Travel Africa 

35. Experience the Rio carnival in Brazil.

36. Go to the full-moon party in Thailand.

37. Fly first-class.

38. Live overseas for an extended period of time.  ✓ Feb 2010 - Feb 2010: Lived and worked in South Korea. 

39. Travel Asia. ✓ Feb 2010 - March 2012 (South Korea, Thailand, China and Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Cambodia). 

40. Visit America. (New York and California first on the list). 

41. Take my parents on a vacation abroad. 

42. Experience a sunset in all its glory ✓ The closest I've come is watching the sun set over the Angkor temples in Siem Reap, Cambodia. March 2012. 

43. Go where the road takes me.

44. Visit the pyramids in Egypt. 

45. Visit the Eiffel Tower. 

46. Visit the Leaning Tower of Pisa. 

47. Live as a local in South America (Brazil or Argentina). 

48. Visit the Taj Mahal. 

49. See the Golden Gate bridge in San Francisco.

50. Visit all 7 continents of the world. (Latin America, North America, Antarctica, Australia and Europe remain). 

51. Visit Robben Island. 

52. Visit a desert. 

53. Visit all 9 provinces in South Africa. (North-West, Northern Cape, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and Free-State remain).

54. Live in Cape Town, South Africa. 

Career

55. Appear in a Magistrates court. 

56. Appear in a High court.

57. Appeal in the Supreme court of appeal

58. Appear in the Consitutional court.  

59. Be recognized as an authority in Environmental  law.

60. Be an admitted (licensed) attorney.

61.  Invest in the stock market.

62. Buy my first car. 

63. Have my dream home. 

64. Start my own business. 

Hobbies 

65. Work in the entertainment industry.  

66.  Be on TV.  

67.  Be in a movie.  ✓ In 2009 I was an extra in 2 locally made movies. 'For better, for worse' and 'My Secret Sky'.  

68. Be in a newspaper. ✓ Had my University graduation pic in the community news section of the newspaper. April 2009 ^^ 

69. Have 250 page views on at least one of my blogs.  ✓My Korea blog: Life in The Fast Lane

70. Have 500 page views on at least one of my blogs.  ✓ My Korea blog: Life in the Fast Lane

71. Have 600 page views on at least one of my blogs.  ✓ My Korea blog: Life in The Fast Lane

72. Have 750 page views on at least one of my blogs.  ✓ My Korea blog: Life in The Fast Lane and My Health & Fashion blog: Face It

73. Have 1000 page views on at least one of my blogs. 

74. Take a photography course. 

75. Learn how to play chess. 

76. Start a blog.  ✓ Started December 2011. 

77. Start Yoga.  ✓ Started in April 2011 with good friend Fay-Lee Hutchinson.     

78. Fly a kite.

79. Go camping.

80. Be in a magazine. 

81. Read the bible from cover to cover. 

Reverse culture shock

As mentioned in my previous post Four months too long, I've had a hard time readjusting to life post-travel. As such, I've had to find ways and means of trying to adjust and make the most of my time back in South Africa.

Here are some suggestions which I've been using to help me:

1). Be a tourist in your own city or country

For me this means exploring places you've never been to before within your country or within your city.  Below is a picture from a recent visit to Johannesburg. It was my first visit to the City of Gold ^^ Planning the trip will give you the same high you'd get if you were planning a trip abroad. 

The Nelson Mandela statue outside Nelson
Mandela Square, Johannesburg.: June 2012. 

 

2). Enjoy the simple life with new appreciation

I was never a fan of going to the beach until I traveled abroad and discovered how much I really loved it. With summer fast approaching, I make it a duty of mine to visit the beautiful coastal cities as often as I can just to bake in the sun and and enjoy the sea breeze. Doing this transports me to a completely different world. Rarely do I ever swim :) 

Lookin' fly on Durban Beachfront: July 2012. 

3). Discover the culture your city has to offer

When we travel to new places we love learning interesting things about that country or city. These facts can be learned from locals or visiting local sights. It's the reason we go to museums, cathedrals or any other place of importance. This can also be done in our home country/city. Whether its visiting a museum or going for a theater show I think this is really important. Not only does it satisfy the hunger to learn but it also makes us more aware of what is happening around us. This weekend I am going to Durban for a body painting festival. I think it will be so cool- will post about it next week! 

4).  Keep in touch with friends you made during your travels

These friends could still be in the country where you met them, or they could also have returned to their home country. I try my best to keep in touch with friends and at the very least I chat to close friends on a weekly (sometimes daily) basis. Fortunately, modern technology makes it very easy for us to communicate, with the likes of Facebook, skype, whatsapp, BBM and Kakao talk easing the convenience. In this way you won't feel like you left them behind and they won't feel like you disappeared. 

5). Remember the reason(s) you decided to go back home

For me this was two fold: 1) Get a job related to my major and 2) Enjoy the benefits of being back home. The latter includes:-

• Family- I dont have much to say about this. When you're abroad you miss out on family functions and important family events such as birthdays, anniversaries and Christmas. Since I've been back I've been able to enjoy all of these special times with my family.
• Food- Home-cooked food, South African food and meals from favourite local restaurants. Eating those yummy dishes certainly make up for all the nostalgia I experience.
• Weather- Not having 4 seasons is a bonus at the best of times. I've had enough of the winter and snow in Korea. The flip side is that I'm not able to use all my jackets and coats here because even in winter the temperature ranges between 10 and 15 degrees celcius. I miss the snow but I'll take a sunny day any day. 
• Communication - The ease of communication in your home country is definitely a plus. Not having to omit articles and use 'broken' English is incredibly satisfying. Living abroad can get so frustrating sometimes and the language barrier just makes it worse. Another plus of being back home. 
• Personal growth - The truth is that you can't really grow as a person when living in Korea. You're restricted to teaching English (unless you strike it lucky and land any other kind of job on the merit of your foreignness or your English speaking abilities). You're restricted to a routine which becomes your life. Teaching English is fun and exciting but it's really not mentally stimulating. Even having a conversation with a non-native speaker can prove to tiring.  Being back home means you're open to a lot more opportunities and intellectual stimulation. I'm quite looking forward to start studying again next year. 

6). Do fun, exciting things to keep busy: 

Life post-travel may seem to be boring. As I mentioned in my previous post, I spent 4 months at home and hardly did anything and even with my current 8-4 job I still find life pretty standard and sometimes boring. Of course this depends on who you are where you're living. An exciting life starts with YOU. I would suggest signing up for classes (cooking, learning a new language) signing up for a sport or even volunteering in your free time. If travel is your thing then make a plan to travel out of your city sometime. I treat myself to a weekend in Durban once a month and I really make the most of it. 


Your memories will be with you for life so take comfort in that. 

Goodluck!! 

Four months too long.

From subways and sky trains to Durban International Airport. 

It's been 5 months and 10 days since I've been back to this beautiful country. Still reminiscing about Korea and the last two and a half weeks I spent in South-East Asia. This is the first post I've written since being back so it's highly overdue. I guess for me this is also a means of putting closure on a chapter of my life that I will probably never re-live.

I arrived in South Africa on March 17 and on the 18 I was already yearning to return to the land that had become my home for the past two years. (You can read my blog about my past 2 years in Korea: Life in Korea's Fast Lane). I continued feeling like that for about 4  months. So much so that I was secretly in the process of re-applying to Korea. Application check, police clearance check, passport check. I just needed to round up a few more documents before I could hop on a plane and jet back to the east.

You have to understand where I was coming from. You have to understand what it's like having your life flipped completely upside down and then having it return to 'normal' again. That was the case for me. After I returned I had only a handful of friends who I could still call up. I was living in a little town (compared to the big cities I'm used to) and I had way too much time on my hands which caused me to question the life I had known pre-Korea. 

I returned to find everything pretty much the same as when I left. Family were the same, the neighbourhood was the same (if not, worse) and most importantly the people were still doing the same things (even at home) and still following the same routines. I didn't bother going out much because I knew from experience that the social scene is nothing like Asia's. I know I was wrong for thinking like this but I was really getting depressed about not being in Korea and the fact that I was not finding a job here in SA. It's really hard to discuss this with someone who's never experienced it. It's especially harder if you have been living abroad for an extended period of time and have become accustomed to that way of life. Most travelers have to deal with this after spending time overseas- whether just a short vacation or a longer period of work or study. 

Getting down from a travel high is difficult. In Korea I could afford to travel to at least 3 different countries on ONE salary and still have change. In SA, not so easy. One would have to save up for at least 4 months just to visit one country. 

In the 4 months of being back, I only went for 3 interviews. The 3rd interview was for the job I currently have. Securing this job was a life-saver, to say the least. Not just financially but also from a practical point of view. The truth is that I enjoyed being home with my family, eating home-cooked meals and sleeping in until 10. But I was bored. I needed to get up at 6am get busy during the day and then go to bed exhausted. I needed that rush. There was never a dull moment in Korea- the spontaneity kept me on my toes. 

Now the point of this post is not to wallow in nostalgia and feel sorry for myself, it's to move on and enjoy where I am in life right now. I'm living in beautiful South Africa - in the capital city of my province, I have a great job that pays well enough and I'm living with awesome family. I'm still working on my social life and getting a bit more independence, but for now I seem to be okay. 

There are a few strategies I'm working on to help me deal with the adjustment, or at least to make it bearable. I will share those in my next post :)