영원하자

Made a quick trip to Seoul over the weekend and just returned yesterday afternoon.  In the last 5 days, we stayed at two accommodation of sorts – the first two nights at a guesthouse, and the next two at an apartment.  Couldn’t sleep well at the first because sleeping on the floor with a thin mattress and soft pillow = backache.  The second was worse – had air-conditioning that didn’t work and kept shutting itself down like there was some timer, and hot water that was non-existent after midnight.

I slept badly all 4 nights, so much so that I was sleeping away for most part of the return 6-hour flight that I didn’t even want to eat.  Now… eating is a big deal to me and I chose sleeping over it.  Tells you how fatigued I was.

Seoul, like Taipei, is no longer a city I travel to because I want to sightsee.  They have become by-the-way cities that I explore apart from attending concerts.  This trip is no exception, although I must say, I feel less at a loss because I now read their words!  I don’t always know what the words mean, but where it matters, I can read e.g. bus going in the direction of Incheon Airport or Gimpo Airport.  Now… that’s important.

As usual, the hubby complains about how my classes never seem to teach me enough.  I retorted that I know enough to say ‘신쳔역근처에’ and ‘올림픽공원역’.  Oh, and also ‘광화문앞에’.  Good enough to get me to all 3 locations with little problem.  Who said the classes aren’t teaching me anything?

111/250

Water Dance

I’d been missing from action the past few days because I was travelling.  In a nutshell, the hubby and I made a very short trip to Taipei over the weekend .  He’s actually very busy with work the coming airshow, but specially made time to travel with me because he knew this trip was important to me.  He has to know: I sacrificed my sleep and woke up early two days in a row while in Prague, and used up half a day in Paris staying in the hotel room so I could have internet access to do what I had to do.  He shared my grief when I was not successful, and basked in my happiness when I was.  Nobody else in this entire universe indulges me as much as he does; my family comes in a very close second, but they stop short of fueling my fanaticism.  Well actually, my mum and sis are rather supportive too.  I am indeed fortunate.

I don’t expect everyone to understand my passion (or to put it bluntly, my obsession).  It was never my objective to seek consensus, but it is important to me that my loved ones and closest friends accept me for who I am.  And I’m glad to say that while they may not truly understand, they do not judge me.  In fact, my passion has prompted some of them to relook into their old prejudices with new perspectives.  As for my parents?  They are happy so long as I don’t do the ABCDs – alcohol, booze, cigarettes and drugs.

3 shows.  9+2 members.  12.5 hours.  A very special birthday celebration for Kyuhyun and a unique ‘water dance’ performance on the final day.  I am very contented.

I’ve been travelling every month the past 4 months – October to Tokyo, November to Seoul, December/January to Europe and February to Taipei – and I’m beginning to understand Traveller’s Fatigue Syndrome.  Which is just as well, because I have almost a full year to recuperate.  You see, the hubby has officially ‘banned’ me from travelling for the rest of 2012.

We’ve heard of the Europe Cold Front and seen some devastating news footage while in Tapei.  The situation looks rather bad.  While we’re glad we have returned home safely from our Europe trip, our hearts go out to those of you in Europe.  Please take care!

30/250

So. Wicked.

I spent yesterday evening getting acquainted with Marina Bay Sands, the swanky down-town integrated resort which is billed as the world’s most expensive standalone casino, according to Wikipedia.  That place frightened me mainly because of the crazy parking fees, and I have not visited since June last year (when most shops were still not opened yet).

But I had no choice yesterday because I was watching the broadway musical ‘Wicked’.  Been quite a long while since I caught a musical – I think my last was ‘Cats’ in… 2009?  After that musical, there were several I wanted to catch but somehow never had the opportunity to.

‘Wicked’ was entertaining and there was some really great singing too but it did not replace ‘Les Miserables’ as my all-time favourite musical.  It will take a lot to ‘dethrone’ the longest running musical in the world, which reminds me… I should try catch it while in Europe, if it’s available (remote possibility).

Had a great evening with a good friend, sat till my butt hurt (long musical it was), never drank coke that fast (intermission too short, queue for drinks too long) and bad dinner.  That dinner, I would like to leave it to another post.

The Perfect Pose

Tuesday is unofficially K-Pop day on my blog.  I have not had the time to continue with my K-Pop Demystified series so it’s all about Super Junior today.  Again.  Sorry… I know I have been exceptionally frivolous of late.  I can’t even remember when was the last I sat down and seriously wrote something of substance – not that I have much grey matter to begin with.

It will only get worse I have to prepare you, because I have to pre-write almost a month’s worth of posts in advance while I’m away holidaying (just in case I don’t get internet access on the go).

Their magnum opus is easily ‘Sorry, Sorry’, the title track in their 3rd full album.  It is also this infectiously memorable song that brought them to prominence in the international music scene.

Originally, 12 members performed this song.  After 2.5 years, it was a 9-member strong group that performed this song last week at the 2011 MAMA.

Rumour has it that they did the dance version for their MV in one take.  I love the chereography of this song but it’s still not my top choice.  Maybe I’ll leave the rest to another post.

사랑한다

The title of this post reads ‘Saranghanda’, written in Korean, just in case you were wondering.  This was the message that was hopefully passed on to Super Junior during the second Seoul concert last weekend when the whole stadium lifted up this banner during the predetermined song.

I don’t know enough Korean to write and read, but fortunately enough, these 9 characters are commonly seen enough for me to recognise them.  In short, the banner reads ‘Love You,  Super Junior’.

It was a simple, but touching fan project.  Glad I managed to make it for their Seoul concerts second year in a row.

Now that I’m back home, it’s time to sit down and study for next weekend’s JLPT.