Technicolour Heartbreak

And colours appear in me
neon, child-like innocence
sense of love, a bright rainbow
arc in my heart.

Seven colours made of
you - your touch, your eyes, your voice
your shape, your mind, your soul,
your heart.

And it's intense, you, the one I
go to, the one I adore, the one
I imagine in a kaleidoscope
of colours.

But what's a rainbow but
impermanence? Drops of rain
punctuated by light
only to dissipate
like glass broken into shards.

Shards that drop to the chest
to reveal just a pulsating red,
a scarlet river. Beating to its death,
you only see the monochrome
in me. I see you only

a figment of imagination.

Because the colours I'm seeing
are made of rose-tinted glass,
this love is stained
in hues of
grey and darkness.

Assessing English Language Learner - A Review on the Webinar

This is a review of a webinar on education that I watched on Saturday, 16^th of May 2020, from 9.00 pm to 10.20 pm.

Title: Webinar 1 – Assessing English Language Learner

Discussants:

• Datin Dr Mardziah Hayati Abdullah – The member of the English Language Standards and Quality Council, Ministry of Education Malaysia and retired associate professor from the Faculty of Modern Languages and Communication, Universiti Putra Malaysia.
• Ms. Jayapushani Ponnudurai – The member of the English Language Standards and Quality Council, Ministry of Education Malaysia, a Cambridge Examiner Trainer and Examiner for IELTS and Life Skills.
• Dr Ramesh Nair – The associate professor at the Academy of Language Studies, Universiti Teknologi MARA and president of the Malaysian English Language Teaching Association.

Moderator:

• Dr. Premalatha Nair – The senior lecturer at the Institute of Teacher Education, International Languages Campus Kuala Lumpur.

Organisers: Malaysian English Language Teaching Association and Oxford Fajar.

Focus One – Curricular Reforms and Common European Framework of Reference

Reforms in education in Malaysia have been a continuous process, according to the needs of the local and global society at particular moments. Curricular reforms in Malaysia that involve English particularly are extensive. In 2011, Malaysia began its latest curricular reform, Kurikulum Standard Sekolah Rendah (KSSR), which is then continued with Kurikulum Standard Sekolah Menengah (KSSM). One specific aspect of this new curriculum for English is the implementation of Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) in 2018.

Malaysia’s CEFR-aligned Curriculum is a part of the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013-2025 and is aimed to make learners gain knowledge and skills relevant for the 21^st century. CEFR is designed as a framework for describing fluency and linguistic skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) for learners and forms the basis of teaching and learning. It helps the process of learning and teaching by assigning tangible descriptors of what learners can do at various levels. The levels being A1 from the lowest to C2 as the highest. This helps educators and parents to give a more concrete response for learners’ progress and proficiency and be able to dictate the next steps taken to ensure their advancements. A particular focus of CEFR-aligned Curriculum is on the communicative ability of learners, which is one important aspect of learning any languages. Understandable interaction can still occur with slight errors, and this is a facet of language learning that CEFR purposefully wants educators to also rectify upon, as before this, the view is that a proper linguistic knowledge in terms of grammar are absolutely important tool to express ideas, thoughts, opinions, and other communicative skills.

Nevertheless, to think that CEFR is only about descriptive levels is a wrong concept. CEFR also focuses on what learners can do, through can-do statements (such as ‘pupils can narrate short stories’ or ‘pupils can understand the main idea of a text’). The focus on can-do statements acts as a positive enforcement for learners as they know what their goals are and find ways to reach those goals. This focus on learner awareness is beneficial to their self-learning.

Something to note is that we must reiterate that CEFR is not an example, tool, or technique. It is simply an outline or a guide for helping educators to put into places a systematic thinking about where their pupils or students are, and where to go next. Besides that, as CEFR is a global in its structure, the same levels and descriptors are used throughout the world. Different countries nevertheless may have a different set of exit targets for their learners. CEFR in Malaysia is definitely aligned and suited to our country’s environment and society.

As far as I am concern, CEFR-aligned Curriculum does help a teacher in determining the problems that their pupils or students are facing, knowing setting the targets for them to achieve, and creating lessons that are shaped by learners’ abilities. It is undeniable that sometimes, teachers might be at a lost on what to target or focus on, so a framework like CEFR brings about a proper guide for them to be more concern of their learners’ achievements in class.

A focus on communicative aspect is also another good thing about CEFR. While former curricular are highly focussed on grammar, which is undeniably important, it is highly concentrated on reading and writing to the detriment of speaking and listening. We do not need to have a highly accomplished grammatical knowledge to make ourselves understandable. While it might be needed depending on where we reside or work (and as teachers, teaching grammar is needed), as a general skill, making ourselves comprehensible through a clear presentation of ideas and expressions of our thoughts should suffice.

Focus Two – Exam-oriented Education System and Teachers’ Concerns

The educational system in Malaysia has always been oriented towards exams, as evident from the number of exams that a pupil will go through throughout their life such as UPSR, PT3, SPM, and STPM. Many teachers are concerned about teaching as they are divided between teaching for their learners’ own skills and knowledge and/or just to pass major examinations. Malaysian society as a whole has been ingrained with this idea that grades and marks are the most important thing in a learner’s educational life. Vital decision-making is attached via exams and this is not a way to go for the future. Advocates for changes have long stated that some exams or assessment methods should be reformed.

In terms of the English Language Education (ELE), it is seen as a continuous process. ELE should be regarded as a non-stop learning experience or journey from pre-school and tertiary education (if a learner chooses to enrol in tertiary education). The implementation of CEFR can be seen as a way to reduce the dependence on exams.

The levels and descriptors can be used to determine and assess their knowledge and what they are capable of doing. It is not surprising to encounter moments when a learner’s grade does not really show what he can actually do as assessment through final examinations can be a limited and inaccurate system. Grades in the form of As, Bs, Cs and so on only matter if they are able to be interpreted into something that show what learners can do.

The role of CEFR in helping learners, their teachers, or even their parents to evaluate themselves is an important tool in ELE and encourages self-learning. They can have noticeable and real views on what they are capable of and what they should concentrate on next. For educators, this opens an avenue for them to properly conduct lessons that are built around skills and linguistic awareness that their learners already have or not have. Indeed, a continuous assessment via visible descriptors are far better than only a final exam.

Another primary concern of teachers are the format of tests. While undeniably, learners should know about the format of tests, it should not be a primary issue. The ways we teach should not have an overbearing concern on the exam format. CEFR-based lessons are based on things to be learnt and tested on pupils. Teachers could just teach as according to the descriptors and requirements of the CEFR-aligned Curriculum. Learners should gain knowledge and skills for the progress of their lives, and not just for a day during the examination period. Exam can be important, but it is not necessarily a be-all and end-all means to determine learners’ capabilities and knowledge.

In my humble two-cents, a reduced focus on end examinations can help reduce stress as learners are not overwhelmed by a deluge of information to be taken in and regurgitated in a short amount of time, when they themselves might not be able to dictate their strengths and weaknesses. Through descriptors and continuous assessments, learners can also build their learning through easy steps and set targets to be achieved. A realisable pace of learning and teaching will help in ensuring learners’ mastery and build upon what they have encountered earlier. The process of using CEFR descriptors for measuring learners capabilities and what they can do also take the burden out of teachers’ shoulders as they have concrete ideas and suitable guide to create lessons that help in the step-by-step learning process.

Focus Three – Formative Assessment

Learning is a continuous process. In this manner, giving assessment only at a particular timer during the learning period does not suffice. In fact, there are differences between formative assessment and examinations (which can be considered summative).

Formative assessment is seen as a process used to improve on the learning process, in which evidence from learners are taken into consideration when giving feedback and crafting the subsequent stages for learners. Assessment is also collaborative effort between teachers and learners. Without substantial evidence and collaboration, learners cannot be measured appropriately. This is where CEFR descriptors can come into play. Targets set by teachers are plans that learners need to achieve.

Summative complements formative assessments in aspects that formative assessments cannot, especially for exit targets and determining pupils’ capabilities at the end of the learning period.

Focus Four – Highly Immersive Programme

The reform plan does not only concern CEFR. Another part of the plan is Highly Immersive Programme (HIP). One important factor that makes learning a language easier is a constant exposure to and use of a language in the surroundings. HIP necessitates this by having schools create an environment where English is used through physical and visible elements and through communicative aspects. HIP and CEFR are not equivalent to one another, but the design of HIP is made to complement and support CEFR-aligned Curriculum in schools. This can be done as teachers can design activities carried out through communication and interaction.

It is of my opinion that an appropriate environment where language is highly visible and used throughout the day helps learners to shed some of their qualms and fear in interacting using it. A continual effort to increase learners’ engagement with English can make them realise that English is not just to be used inside the four corners of classroom but also have valid real-world usages, even if the usages might be limited to personal or educational reasons only during the school years. Engaging learners to use or see or interact in English through the participation of other subjects also help them to see that English language is not narrowed by only the usage of the language in the classroom. In fact, English can matter through various roles and topics.

This webinar can be watched here.

Wildflowers

Like wildflowers

just like wildflowers
each letter you pronounce
falls to the ground
and it blooms
a path
that leads to you
in a multitude of colours
beautiful under the sun.

On perth

G’day Mate!

You see, it was after I started to work that my dreams of travelling overseas (not that I have never travelled in Malaysia, of course I do!) could be achieved, and the feeling of being able to step in other countries by using your own money is indescribable. The satisfaction of it all.

Okay, so in 2016, I went to Japan (specifically the Kansai Region – Osaka, Kyoto, and Nara) with my best friends for a summer trip. It was great! I just haven’t written about it here hahahah~ Well, anyway... it was followed with an autumn trip to Seoul, South Korea. I’ve written about it HERE. That was also another amazing trip with my best friends.

In December 2018, it was a bit different.

I have always wanted to visit Perth, Western Australia, Australia, and that was what I did. My parents and uncle accompanied me this time. I think it was a special moment for my mom and dad to be able to go to another country at the ages of 81 and 84 respectively. My father went for hajj before so Australia was his second foreign country. For my mom, that was her first time leaving Malaysia.

So, we took an AirAsia X flight that departed from klia2 (not KLIA obviously) at around 0005 hours. The flight took about 5½ hours to arrive to Perth, and by the time we reached Oz, it was already bright. It was summer in the southern hemisphere, hence the shining sun.

We stayed at our relatives’ house, so to be honest, I can’t write anything about the accommodation there, but I can write about other things. Mind you, I did not really write this post according to the correct sequence of the days there.

Fremantle, a Cool City by the Coast

I actually went to Fremantle on the second day we were there. Fremantle is indeed one of the most beautiful places in Perth, a mixture of colonial buildings, Australian’s carefree lifestyle, and marine traditions, with amazing sceneries all over. Fremantle is still a functioning fishing harbour, but for travellers, you’ll have a delightful time here.

So, what did I do there? Undeniably, the first thing that I did was visiting the famous Fremantle Markets. The markets, which were built in 1897, were an assortment of sights, sounds, and smells, plus souvenirs. When I was there, a boy was busking, wishing to get money so that he could travel to Europe. It was cute haha. I did give him like a dollar or something. Anyway, this is the place to be if you want to buy Australian-made items, from delicious foods, soaps, leather products, shirts, handicrafts, or boomerangs (and other authentic Aboriginal items). There are also groceries here, it is still a market! I bought a beautiful native-made boomerang here. Trust me, the shop where I bought it intended to support Perth’s Aboriginal community, so if you want to buy Aboriginal-related item, please find that shop and help them. The products are stunning and of good quality too. Don’t just buy things from normal souvenir shop. At the market, beside a boomerang (hey, that thing is as Australian as it gets. You got to buy one!), I also bought a kangaroo plushie, some shirts, and a ‘special’ Australian Annual Firefighters’ calendar for someone heheheh.

After the markets, we had coffees and ice creams at Cappuccino Strip, an area (more like a street) where coffee shops and restaurants were available everywhere. The designs of the buildings on this street (and other areas in Fremantle) were delightful to the eyes, seeing that I’m a junkie for old buildings.

For lunch, we had fish and chips at Cicerello’s, a famous restaurant well known for its… well, fish and chips. It was a nice grub, especially after I added salt, lemon juice, and tartar sauce. The price was 15AUD, or about 41MYR… well, for that price, the portion was actually big! I think if you only have a normal hunger level and are not that big of an eater, you can share it with another person. I was slightly hungrier and even I had trouble finishing the one that I had. The restaurant had a long aquarium inside, so while munching your feast, you could take a look at the live fish. But I think if you want to make your experience better, eat outside. Dining while enjoying the view of the Success Boat Harbour was a unique experience. Right after lunch, I just walked on the boardwalk that surrounded the harbour, enjoying the breath-taking views of everything. The stroll along the boardwalk was indeed so romantic, even though it was not actually during sunset hahaha.

Before I went back home, we made a stop at E Shed Markets. This is a market (whose unassuming building was built in 1929) that sells souvenirs and trinkets such as magnets, shirts, scarf, chocolates and candies, and interestingly, army surplus products, among many other things. I purchased some souvenirs for my family back home in Malaysia here. Malaysians definitely love to come here for its cheap products and the fact that many sellers can speak Malay (since they are Indonesians haha). It is only opened during the weekends, so plan well ahead.

Swan Valley, a Valley of Plenty

On the third day of my travel, we went, by car, to Swan Valley. Swan Valley is popular for its vineyards, chocolate, and of course, Caversham Wildlife Park. Caversham Wildlife Park is located rather deep inside a park (yes, it might be a bit confusing), so really you need a car if you want to make your journey easier. Anyway, I liked the way Australian wilderness looked. The plants were, uh, really Australian haha. An interesting thing that I saw along the road to CWP were the roads signs and the Australian fire danger rating sign. The road signs were the real yellow kangaroos, emus, and koala signs (I bought a miniature one as a décor for my room). How about the fire danger rating sign? Usually you would expect a sign like that to have levels that gradually show an increment in the fire hazard, something like LOW to MODERATE to HIGH to VERY HIGH to maybe SEVERE or something as the highest. Well, in Australia, it seemed the second level is already HIGH, followed by VERY HIGH, SEVERE, EXTREME, and the highest, CATASTROPHIC. The first level is LOW-MODERATE, yes both together. I know fire is a big hazard for Australia’s grasslands or forests, but HIGH already in the second level and CATASTROPHIC as the highest? There is a valid reason for that, connected to a big bushfire catastrophe a number of years ago though…

Okay, so the entrance fee for the park is 29AUD (about 82MYR), which can be a bit steep, but hey, how many times can you actually see Australian faunas in front of your eyes? I was blessed that day though as the staff there actually gave my parents a concession price of 22AUD (or 62MYR) to my parents as they were above 80 years old. Concession fee is only for Australian aged pensioners, but I was grateful for that. This wildlife park was filled with so many interesting animals ranging from mammals, birds, marsupials, and reptiles. The fact that I could see and touch many icons of Aussie wilderness was a source of contentment. Besides walking around the park on your own, you could also visit some special areas where free-roaming animals, animal performances or animal exhibitions are held. There were three that I like the most. The first one was this large kangaroo and wallaby enclosure where many kangaroos and wallabies roamed around freely. I fed some of them as they lay down on the grass. Stroking them is okay, but you still need to be respectful towards the animals. Another interesting attraction there was ‘Meet the Koalas!’, where I got to see, touch, and take photos with those adorable koalas. I also went to the ‘Meet the Wombat and Friends’ exhibition which was housed in an Australian-style homestead. During certain hours of the day, you’ll get to interact with animals such as kookaburra, Australian reptiles, possum, and the resident wombat. The wombat was so big and cuddly!

After spending a few hours at Caversham Wildlife Park, we made our way to Margaret River Chocolate Company. As the name suggests, it sells various kinds of chocolate and the ones that I tasted were so delish! A small chocolate ball cost about 1AUD, and I bought 15 of various flavours, including unique ones such beetroot & berry, caramelised balsamic, Turkish delights, and dark chilli. There was also a small café inside where I tasted some cakes and gulped a lovely hot milk chocolate chip drink.

We spent more than half a day at Swan Valley, and before going home, we just took a pleasant car ride across the Great Eastern Highway towards Guildford, and then into some country roads to see how Aussies lived their lives in the suburbs. The journey itself was pretty enchanting, seeing the vineyards, big farms, old buildings, Australian copper-like grasslands, and postcard-ready panoramas.

A Day of My Own!

You know what they say, travelling solo is a different feeling altogether. Yes, for this trip to Perth, I did go there with the fam, but on the fifth day, my parents decided to rest at home, so I decided to walk around Perth central area on my own. I’ve never thought that I would be able to walk alone in another country, but that was what I did, even if it was only for a day. My relatives’ home was relatively (eheh) far from the nearest station, so to get to the train station, I took the Transperth bus service to Murdoch railway station (though going back, I disembarked at Bull Creek railway station).

Let me explain a bit about the transportation system in Perth. It was somewhat efficient and easy. Obviously the rail services are not as extensive as Japan or South Korea, but the lines do reach many interesting hotspots or near to places where attractions are located. The bus services are also quite extensive, especially since you can plan with the online journey planner. One thing to note (and I hope I remember this correctly), is that the ticket fares are zone- and time-based, so you can actually use the ticket that you receive on the bus for the train service too. Basically, there is no need to buy separate bus and train tickets, and vice versa. You just need to finish your entire journey from the starting point until the end of the time duration stated on the ticket. There’s no end point since you can also use the ticket for the journey back if you manage to do so within the time limit. In my case, my ticket had a time limit of two hours? Not enough for the journey back as clearly I spent the whole day enjoying my life heheh.

Anyway, From Murdoch station, I took the Mandurah line train straight to Perth railway station, the main train station of Perth. From there, it was easy to reach Downtown Perth via the Murray Street entrance. Being as hungry as I was, I decided to get a very fulfilling doner kebab from a halal stall nearby the station. The price was about 11.50AUD or around 32MYR. A bit pricey but seriously, it was a big piece of flatbread that wrapped a humongous amount of thin meat slices. I couldn’t finish it at one go, so I saved some throughout the morning. I spent the entire morning walking around Downtown Perth, looking at people, books, and entering some street shops to look for souvenirs to buy. Although it was almost Christmas, one thing that I noticed was that the Christmas decorations in Perth was not as grand as decorations in Malaysia. It was not because they celebrated Christmas in summer so there was no joyous spirit in the air, but because, well, it has always been like that based on what I read in books or journals. There were some Christmas activities or events, but the decorations were barely half of what we could see in KL malls during yuletide. And yes, I know that in Malaysia, the malls only celebrate Christmas because of the commercial aspect of it.

I visited an old church known as St George’s Cathedral, an Anglican church located at the heart of the city on St Georges Terrace. It is a charming Victorian Gothic church with a handsome façade made of red bricks. The interior is also dazzling, simple yet graceful, with stained glass windows adorning the rosy walls around the nave area. After spending some time in the cathedral, my next plan for the day was my Perth cultural trip, an educationally-rewarding visit to Perth Cultural Centre. Perth Cultural Centre is an area where the arts, culture, knowledge and community come together. It is the cultural heart of the city of Perth and contains many renowned institutions devoted to the advancement of humanity when it comes to history, culture, and knowledge. Unfortunately, during my visit, The Western Australia Museum was under a big renovation thus I had to strike that out, but fear not for other places were opened.

First, I made my way to the Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts (PICA), a gallery that housed various contemporary arts in many forms. When I was there, there was an exhibition called Hyper Prometheus: The Legacy of Frankenstein. It was COOL (and somewhat creepy) to see artists’ interpretations of how we as humans were monsters too. After PICA, another art gallery close by that I went to was the Art Gallery of Western Australia (AGWA). This large art gallery contains a lot of Australian works of art from various eras and genres, including indigenous works, besides other international works of art. There was a temporary exhibition, ‘Beyond Bling! Jewellery Exhibition’ on the day of my visit. The jewelleries being shown were exquisite!

Around 1 pm, I had a delightful cup of java and a luscious piece of raspberry chocolate muffin at La Veen Coffee, before making a stop at Forrest Place just to wind down while listening to a street busker. I then made my way to a bus stop opposite of Yagan Square to get to my next destination, which was Scitech at City West Centre. It was a bit like our Petrosains or National Science Centre, but smaller. Still for the geeky heart in me, it was still fun to do experiments there. I remembered a train-controlling game in which I played against a local boy which was like probably 9 or 10 years old. I lost so many times hahaha. The admission price for Scitech is 12AUD but since I entered the place at around 2 pm, which was only one hour away from its closing time, I got a discounted price of 10AUD. Hey, 2AUD were still money!

I should mention that I went to Scitech by riding the free Central Area Transit Bus or CAT Bus for short. You can determine which bus is the CAT Bus by looking at a graphic of a, well, cat on the bus’ exterior. There are four lines, Red, Bue, Green, and Yellow. By taking the CAT Bus, you can travel anywhere within the limits of Perth Free Travel Zone (FTZ) without paying a dime. Cool isn’t it? In fact, I did ride on them buses a number of times.

At around 3 pm, I made a stop at Elizabeth Quay, a new development in central Perth. If I managed to be faster, I could have entered the Swan Bell Tower, but alas I did not. The tower itself is eccentric but modern and mesmerising, with glass spire and coppery external walls. The Elizabeth Quay is a focal point of residents and tourists in Perth. It overlooks the Perth Waters and with various vista points, you will get a lot of selfie moments here. The Queen Elizabeth Quay Bridge, a stunningly bold double-arch pedestrian-cyclist bridge with an S-shaped walkway is a sight to behold. From every side of the iconic structure at any point where you stand, you are guaranteed wonderful 360° view of the waters and the skyline. Another popular structure at Elizabeth Quay is Spanda, a 29-metre tall public art piece. This sculpture also attracts visitors due to its open and interactive design, thus ensuring a constant stream of photograph takers. Before I went home, I visited Gusto Gelato, a local ice cream parlour just at northern end of the area. The ice cream that I got was totally delicious!

After a long day of self-discovery and fun, I went back by taking a train from Elizabeth Quay station to Bull Creek station, and with the same ticket, a bus ride right to my home.

Family Trips!

There were other days where I went out with my parents and uncle. Since we borrowed the car from our relatives, we could not use it for the entire day, thus usually, our trips were short, but they were still fun.

After we arrived in Perth, we went to Kings Park and Botanic Garden, a sprawling park that is at the very heart of the city. It is a brilliant and gorgeous park with many native plants and splendid views. Don’t forget to visit the State War Memorial that commemorates Western Australian servicemen and women who have served in all wars and conflicts in which Australia has been involved.

On Tuesday, 11 of December, Mandurah (which is not actually pronounced that way) became our destination. This town is an hour away via the Kwinana Freeway. It was summer in Australia at that time obviously, but the wind was cold, and honestly, it felt more like 15°C! We spent some time at Mandurah Town Beach, then ate cakes and drank coffee in Café Moka, located at Dolphin Quay, and then went inside Dolphin Quay Indoor Markets just to buy some souvenirs. At the end of the day, we went to Westfield Carousel, a large shopping mall at Cannington, just to window shop and eat halal Mexican fares for late lunch at Mochachos, a casual fast food outlet at its centre food court. The service was great and the meals were pretty hearty. My choice was a beef burger, while my parents has Mexican chicken pieces and rice.

I brought my parents with me to Perth on the next day after I ventured Perth on my own. Since we were walking, I only brought them to a few places there were reachable by public transport. First, we went for a souvenir hunt at Murray Street. Later, we took the free CAT Bus to Watertown Brand Outlet Centre. After buying some clothes for relatives back home, we went to Perth Busport in order to take a bus to the famous Cottesloe Beach. The beach, which faces the Indian Ocean, is a pretty good placed to watch the sunset, but we did not stay there for that long. Because it was a hot summer day, semi-naked Aussies were lounging around the beach… that was kind of awkward for me since I forgot that, well, we were not in Malaysia anymore hahahaha! Anyway, there I ate a really sweet but delectable blue-cloured bubblegum-flavoured ice cream at Cottesloe Gelato RedSpoon. After a short stroll, we had our late lunch at Amberjacks Cottesloe, where we chowed down on fish and chips. The fried fish pieces were big and they were served on a great bed of chips with two lemon wedges. I chose the typical tartar sauce to accompany mine, while my parents picked the sriracha sauce. We went back at around 4 pm.

On the last day at Perth, we did not really spend our day travelling. We mostly stayed at home, although in the morning, we went to E Shed Markets to buy more souvenirs. At night, my relatives brought us to South Perth Foreshore, a beautiful place by Perth Waters, although to be honest, kind of dark since there was almost no lampposts there. Here is where you can get those superb sweeping panorama of Perth’s skyline. In fact I did take some. At night, the buildings light up and create wonderful reflection on the surface of the water. During the day, it also offers you a panoramic view. Just take a look at many photos taken there. We ended the night with dinner at a Malaysian restaurant, Makan2 Café. The dishes were quite good. Since I am a Malaysian, then it’s typically true that Malaysian food in Malaysia tastes better, but if you want to have good halal food, then, yes please come here. Don’t expect Malaysian prices though – a piece of roti canai is 4AUD or 12MYR hahaha.

A Dream of Down Under

I actually wanted to write my perspective on the Australian life, but this post is already too long, so that one will be in a separate post.

Anyway, My Ozzie dream finally came true, and what’s more special was that I brought my parents (well, with the help of my uncle) to a foreign country. Perth is a clean, peaceful, and (though this is an oft-repeated word that doesn’t really show how it is) beautiful city with really nice people.

I will try to visit Perth again, and this time go to places I’ve never been to!

Students' creation: An event that taught you an important lesson in life

Okay, so I did an essay question with my Form 5 students. A narrative actually. They were divided into groups and each group wrote a paragraph. After peer checking and teacher's guidance, they rectified their mistakes and rewrite the story in their notebooks. They managed to come with a funny story that I think should be read by all of you. Okay, for this one, I did take some liberties in making it a little bit more polished, but as a whole, this is totally their creation. I hope you will enjoy reading this!

Simplified question:

Write about an event that taught you an important lesson in life.

English Paper 1, Question 2 (An SPM-related question)

Many people have experienced an event that gave them precious lessons in life. Well, I was not spared from it, and how I wish I could forget it. It was a hot afternoon Monday and I just came back from my swimming lesson. My throat was as dry as the Sahara Desert. As I walked home, my eyes suddenly saw a piece of a heaven on Earth – a cendol restaurant. It seemed to call my name, so I dashed to the place with the hope of quenching my thirst.  I made my way to the ordering counter, looked at the menu, and opted for durian cendol.

While waiting for my order, I killed my time by watching a music video by BTS. The choreography was so mesmerising, my eyes were glued to the screen. Moments later, I heard the waiter called my number. My cendol was on the countertop waiting for me. I walked slowly with my eyes still on the video, took the cendol, and zigzagged my way towards a table at the back of the crowded restaurant.

Weirdly, I heard chuckles and small laughs while walking. At first, the laughs did not bother me, but as seconds passed, I realised that many people were observing me. Some even pointed their fingers at me while talking to their friends, and those fingers were suspiciously pointing at my buttocks.

I put my right hand at the back of my pants, and felt… different. I was expecting denim texture as I was wearing jeans, but my bottom had an unusual sensation. It was as smooth as Egyptian cotton. That was when I realised, with an unrestrained horror on my face, that my pants were torn apart, exposing my hot pink boxer briefs. The restaurant erupted in laughter while my face became pinker than my undergarment.

Many teenagers started capturing photos and videos. There were also sounds of superzoom effect on Instagram Stories. I was terrified! I was not aiming to be popular around the nation this way! Malaysia did not need to know that I, a 16-year-old macho boy, wore a pink undergarment. I tried hopelessly to cover my buttocks using my hands but unintentionally let go of my cendol. I could only watch the fallen cendol in despair for a second before I sprinted away from the restaurant.

The lesson that I learnt from that embarrassing situation was simple – never forget to check the clothes to be worn before going out. Needless to say, I really regretted not examining my clothes before I left the pool. It was a lesson well learnt which I will never forget.

On those normal questions

I have not written a post on this blog for a long time. Hence the way I write might be a bit childish haha but you know, let’s just write. (Motivates myself by listening to ‘reputation’ by my queen, Taylor Swift, ‘reputation’ with small ‘R’.)

Being 28, a male, and still single (with no intention of looking for someone). A ripe situation for those who are older than me (both males and females) to start spouting those million-dollar questions. Maybe you can guess what the questions are. If you don’t know, let me state them here:

1. When are you going to get married?

2. Do you want me to find a girl for you?

3. You are almost 30. Why do you want still to wait?

Okay. I will say this first – I don’t mind being asked those things. I know there are some sensitive people out there who would be angry if they are ‘attacked’ with the inquiries. They probably think that they are being ridiculed or the askers are poking their noses too much into their lives. So far, I’m not that kind of person. I don’t feel annoyed frankly. Those questions are just a part of a normal day. So this post is not me trying to be angry at those who always pose those things to me.

Many of my friends are now married, and I am happy for them. They find happiness in having partners that are legally bonded to them (that sounds weird hahaha). They have someone to go through their lives together, and that is a beautiful thing.

But a matrimony is a responsibility (it rhymes!): one that I don’t think I am ready to take yet. The obligations that have to be fulfilled towards a spouse and possibly child(ren) feel too much. In the words of my favourite princess, Mia Thermopolis, I’m still waiting for my normal body parts to arrive! Obviously being loving towards your wives is a thing that husbands should do, but honestly, tell me that being loving alone can get you five meals a day? Other duties for husbands are to mentor and support their families, to bring them happiness, assisting the upbringing of the children, realise their desires (in all forms), having a good financial management… those are just simplified versions of some duties.

Some people might think that you will learn to make yourself responsible as you navigate your marriage. Yes, that can be true, and yes, experience begets wisdom so they speak, but when it comes to relationship, I’m not taking any chance.

I am not up to do this thing called ‘being married’… and truthfully, finding someone to get married is not in my mind at all. I probably would lie if I say it will still stay that way in the future. Probably there will come a time when I might try to find my significant other… but now, I have my personal desires and wishes.

On seoul

South Korea. Mention that country to someone and amongst the things that people might know about it range from Samsung or LG (both of which show this East Asian Tiger's technological prowess), Kpop (because there’s no getting away from that nowadays and undeniably, the country's most powerful export), kimchi (and other dishes), its squabble (which is somewhat an understatement) with North Korea, melancholic Kdramas with more twists and turns and bumps than a Malaysian road, cutesy-styled ceramic-porcelain-faced guys, or that one magical word that everyone – from young school children, to teenage girls, to their grandmothers’ moms – knows: oppa. Why this sudden mention of the land of the rose of Sharon anyway? It’s because I was lucky enough to step my feet there last October. This is a bit of my experience and stories from my trip to the miraculous city by the Han River, Seoul.

To Begin with…

This post might be a bit long since I will share my anecdotes of Seoul - about its people, about random stuff I saw, the places that I went to, what I did and ate, and maybe some tips and tricks. The itinerary and expenditure of my trip are located on the bottom section of this post.

So, my friends (Zell, Jaceyy, and Syed) and I chose Seoul as our next destination while we were still in Osaka circa 2016 (which reminds that I still have not written a post on that amazing trip… oh well). I think with the influence of that nation in our country, that was a natural choice for the next travel. Anyway, different people have different reasons why they travel. For me, I love to experience the cultures of other people, both tangible and intangible. It’s good to know how people are similar or dissimilar with all of us. Besides that, travelling is also one way to at least have a glimpse of people’s behaviours and attitudes, way of life, way of thinking. Travelling enriches our minds. Of course, I want to have fun too. That’s a valid thing.

Autumn in My Bones

We went to Seoul in October, which was like early to mid of autumn I guess? The temperature of Seoul in October fluctuates between 10 to 20 degrees Celsius, so if you come from a tropical country and are skinny as me, seems like a bit of hell so to speak. I wore Uniqlo’s Heattech (not a promo) and still I could feel the cold wind seeping into my bones, although the clothes did actually work in keeping my body warmer than what it was supposed to be if I hadn’t worn it! The plus side was since the temperature was quite low (especially during nights), we didn’t really sweat and that made our adventures more comfortable. I was a tad disappointed as we were there quite early during the autumn and the leaves hadn’t really change to those postcard-ready warm tones, but that was a minor issue. Interestingly, Koreans actually wore shorts and short-sleeve shirts, but then again, it was obvious to that Koreans were used to low temperatures like that. I should be grateful though. Originally, my friends wanted to go there during winter, but luckily, we didn’t. I think Seoul in winter might be the end of my life hahaha. Never mind the snow.

Where ½ of Koreans Made Their Homes

Seoul, the heartbeat of South Korea and the pulse of its economy and politics is a metropolitan city. Around 25 million people live in its metro area, and that is about ½ of the whole South Korean population! You know, one of the purposes of travelling anywhere for me is to observe people and Seoulites were no exception. The city itself was quite clean (when it comes to cleanliness though, Japan is the clear winner). Not so much trash, which showed how civic-minded the population was to me. Just like Japan, many Koreans do not speak English, and so communication can be a bit tough. My friends and I had to translate certain things using our smartphones or gestures to ask certain stuff. Syed knew a bit of Korean (from watching Korean shows hahaha), so at least it was easy a bit. (Side note: Due to the situation, now I understand how my friends felt when we were in Japan since when we were there, I was the one who communicated with the local a tad more as I knew some Japanese from my UiTM years. In Korea, it was the other way around hahaha.) Nevertheless, shops frequented by tourists are obviously exceptions. Usually, the staff there would know English (or Mandarin). Anyway, interesting things about Koreans from what I experienced – 1) Some peeps actually ran quite fast in train stations. Based on my reading, it IS a typical Korean habit. Needless to say, I was scared s**tless. 2) If a place was popular, they did not mind queuing up even if it took a lifetime to enter. Trust me, I saw that at Hongdae area. 3) Yes... old people in Korea do actually wear those old people kind of clothes that you might have seen on TV. With bright blinding colours and strange patterns and all. You know, if I wrote this post earlier, I’d remember a heck more things, but now… whatever. Let’s move on

"They are so Beautiful I Want to Kill Them"

Koreans… their fashion sense was just on point. The young ones especially. Even amidst the cold autumnal days, they still chose to wear chic and classy casual clothes. Hongdae, as the mecca of youthful life, was amongst the favourite place for hip and trendy Korean youngsters to hang out (three universities are located near the area). I loved the way Koreans dressed. Yes, there were a few who wore stuff that seemed to be pulled straight from bombastic Kpop music videos, but many were genuinely street stylish. The influence of Korean popular culture was in their styles and they made themselves look oh-so-good without looking over-the-top. Newest trends were up-and-about between the girls and boys. How about their hairstyles? Damn they got good salons there. Some guys (and girls) did have hair colours made up of pink, or lime green, or light blue, but let’s be honest here, Koreans are fair. Any colour would fit their skin tones like puzzle pieces, methinks. Speaking about their skins, I wonder how much they spent on skincare and cosmetics because their faces were silky smooth (well, at least from how they looked like. I didn't go touch their faces absentmindedly. In fact, go to Myeongdong, and you’ll be surprised by the sheer numbers of beauty shops there. Myeongdong is the place to be if you want to buy quality skincare, beauty products, makeups, and cosmetics. My friends, they are not big makeup junkie but they are super into facemasks, and Myeongdong (and Insadong) had tonnes of them, for dirt cheap, you won’t believe your eyes! One thing that I also noticed (but beware, this might be gross generalisation and skewed perception) – Koreans were slim. It was very rare for me to see someone under 40 who was chubby (and many people above 40 were slim as well). Based on what I read, Koreans have this tendency to be slim due to the expectations of society and the ever continuous effort for perfection (hence all the surgeries you tend to read about). So, is it good or bad? Perspectives perspectives.

Kpopping Everywhere

South Korea is a powerhouse when it comes to entertainment, especially music. Kpop is a part and parcel of many of my students here, I bet if they were to live or study in Korea (let’s be hopeful with that), they might be spoilt. It was fascinating to see the lives of Koreans were impacted by Kpop. Billboards for Kpop of all kinds can be seen everywhere. One that I find remarkable has to do with Kpop fans. Kpop fandoms can be very very very loyal towards their artists. I saw in different Seoul Metropolitan Subway stations billboards rented (you actually rent billboards isn’t it?) by fans in which they congratulated on the recent wins in awards and wished “Happy Birthday” to Taeyeon (and I can’t leave this part without saying, yes, Taeyeon IS. A. GOOD. SINGER!). See how dedicated they were? I am not even sure if Taeyeon actually uses the subway (for all I know, she could just glide gracefully through the air to go anywhere) but there you go. Besides that, I don’t think it is surprising to say that you could hear Kpop songs being played (or blared) almost everywhere, from local restaurants, to boutiques, to your mom-and-pop-shops. Merchandise? Official or the not-so-official, you can find them. I bought (not for me) some file folders that featured Twice and BTS on them. I also bought (this time for me) two original albums… which coincidentally are also Twice and BTS. What gives? Oh, at Hongdae, there is a place where musicians and dancers congregate to perform. We were there for quite a number of nights and enjoyed seeing all those performers entertaining visitors there with Kpop songs and dances.

Convenience on the Go

Japan is known for its amazing convenience stores (which I experienced first-hand and can attest to. They ARE HEAVEN ON EARTH!) but I could really say that South Korea might be the second best when it comes to convenience stores. In fact, every day before we started embarking on our journey, my friends and I would stop at GS25, the nearest convenience store to the place where we stayed, and had our breakfast there. The choices of drink were excellent! Various beverages that would make your dietitian cry in horror over their calorie counts, but really, them stores got your sugary daily drink intake taken care of. There were also a number of take-away food and snacks to choose from. Yes, not all of them are permissible for Muslims so you do have to be careful, but I did munch a lot of samgak-gimbap (Korean onigiri) and eat their amazing instant cheese ramyeon. The cheese ramyeon was awesome. You can cook your instant noodle at the convenience stores if they have the means to do so and throw everything away at the same place, so your life is easier. Also, it saves your money.

Toilet Chronicles

(If you don’t like reading about toilets, skip this section) I will readily admit that I am really really concerned about WCs in foreign countries since they mostly do not have one thing that we have in Malaysian toilets – bidet. South Korea is, unfortunately (but that depends on how you see it though), one of those many countries without bidets. So, doing a certain business might be a bit tough. Hence, the need for wet tissues and stuff. Not having bidets in the cubicles does have benefits though. The floors of many of the toilets that I went in were clean and dry. Other than that, Korean washrooms were quite clean. That made the experience tolerable hahaha. One noteworthy thing: many cubicles actually had small bins inside. The bins were there not for general trash, but for tissues that were used to wipe the seat-of-wisdoms clean.  You see, South Koreans don’t throw the used tissues into the toilet bowl and flush them goodbye. Instead, they throw them into the small bins. The prospect of seeing what’s inside the bins might not be a good moment for some of you, especially the weak vomit-prone ones.

Train to… Way Longer than Busan

Rail systems in Seoul were quite good. Here’s a tip (that you probably would know if you plan to visit Seoul) when using trains in Seoul: buy the damn T-money card. T-money is a card similar to our very own Tn’G. I used it to conveniently ride trains/subways in Seoul. With the card, you don’t have to queue to buy tickets. You just tap in when you enter the stations and tap out when you are done. Since it’s a rechargeable card, you should top it when your credit is low. The ticketing machines do have English as a language option so that will make your life easier. I bought my T-money at Incheon Airport. It only cost me about 4000KRW. I recharge an amount of 20000KRW the first day I was there (since clearly airport rail to the city IS expensive) and I was good for like two days before having to recharge. One good thing about T-money is the credit stored in the card has no expiry date, so you can actually use the same card when you visit Korea again. Now about the train systems. Being the capital of a first-world country, there’s no denying that the public transport system of Seoul is one of the best and most extensive. The trains and stations were clean and well taken care of. Announcements and signs in English were provided. During rush-hours/peak-times, trains were definitely packed, though there was still room to breathe. There were no seats, so we had to stand up, which was a bit tough especially when our destinations were quite far, though we did not really think about it as long as we could arrive as early as possible. Some Korean subway/rail stations were actually really large, that we had to walk like really far just to change trains or get out. Perhaps that is how Koreans stay thin heheh. But honestly, I remember this one time when we were at Seoul Station trying to change trains. The other line was located upstairs, but arriving there during morning rush hour, so many people were lining up at the escalators. We decided “hey, let’s take the stairs instead”. Bad decision man. The staircase was so so so long. You thought Bukit Bintang MRT station staircase was long? Try Seoul Station. We were definitely out of breath and sanity when we reach the top. No wonder people would just line for the escalators.

Seoul-searching for Food: Part 1

One of the perks of travelling (perhaps the best perk) is that you are able to savour the dishes of the countries you visit. Seoul, South Korea is no exception, and with an abundance of local and international cuisines, to street food, to items in convenience stores, you’ll be pretty hard-pressed to not find things that you like. So, when I was preparing our itinerary, there were a few places or things that I just needed to check out. One place that I insisted to my friends was Shin Old Tea House or in Korean, Shin Yet Chat Jib. The tea house is located at Insadong and there were a few reasons why I really wanted to drink tea there. The tea house is well-known for its small yet cosy, inviting atmosphere. The building the tea house is in is old, the ommuni who ran the business told us the building was build more than 100 years ago. The tea house itself was filled with paraphernalia from the yesteryear, Korean decorations, and awesome antiques. The traditional Korean flavour of this place was the thing that got me attracted. I could imagine if someday I were to visit Seoul again, I wouldn’t mind going there again. Even if you’re alone, Shin Old Tea House is a good place to be reflective or just wind down. I drank omija-hwachae (magnolia berry punch) and ate yugwa (a type of Korean rice snack). The tangy cold drink was perfect for me. The ommuni who own the shop was über nice too. If you come to Seoul, please don’t forget to come here.

Seoul-searching for Food: Part II

Dongdaemun is also one of the most well-known areas of Seoul, and here lies Dongdaemun Grilled Fish Street, a street that is filled with… uh grilled fish restaurants. The restaurant that we dined in was the first one that you would see when you enter the street, and that is where most Malaysians will have their grilled fish. Evidence for that? The internet… also the owners and workers greeted us with “Selamat Datang”. Like, I don’t even know how they guessed us as Malaysians. Probably Syed and I gave away the fact that we were Malaysians. Jaceyy looks Chinese, even though she’s not (which is confusing to Malaysians too) and Auzellea… well she could be anything hahaha. Anyway, this restaurant has two floors and we elected to dine on the upper level. The ceiling of the second floor of was quite low. The female restaurateur was friendly and she provided us with food suggestions. When we bought our dishes, we ordered them according to what we liked. We didn’t realise that the grilled fish that we ordered would be rather large. We thought it would be like personal-size fish for each person. In the end, we shared everything (including other delicacies that we asked for), but since the dishes were so yummy, we did finish almost all of them.

Seoul-searching for Food: Part III

Obviously, there are so much to Korean food than just kimchi, and we managed to get our hands (and mouths) on a number of them. It is safe to say, trying them did satisfy our curiosities on how the food that we saw on Korean TV programmes tasted like. Some were good, some were uhhh, quite an acquired taste. Jjajangmyeon (sweet bean sauce noodle), as savoured by my friend was nice, but naengmyeon (cold noodle)… well, uhhh... it was as cold as your ex's heart. I had a lot of beef bibimbap and bulgogi, and being a carnivore, they were delish! Meals in Korea will come with side-dishes or banchan, so unless you are a really heavy eater, you don’t really have to order too many dishes. Kimchi is served as banchan and you might be surprised by the different kinds of kimchi that they have. Street food is everywhere in Seoul, being sold from street carts or small stalls. We tried so many tteok (both grilled and tteokbokki) and twigim (Korean fried seafood or vegetables) since they were quite cheap and filling. The food sold by street vendors is meant to be eaten standing up which was what we did. In Myeongdong, I had an ice cream that was piled really high on its cone. The taste was alright, but the height was nerve-wracking. The prices of street food in places such as Hongdae or Myeongdong are between 1000KRW to 4000KRW. One of my weirdest experiences related to food (but which I did not have the guts to try) was san-nakji (raw live octopus). At the stall where my friends tasted the freaking thing, the owner cut the octopus alive (hence raw and live, raw since she ain't gonna cook the octopus, and live since the octopus used to be a living thing and because you got to see it being cut LIVE in front of your very eyes). The cut octopus pieces were then sprinkled with sesame seeds, smothered in sesame sauce, and mixed with I-don't-know-what-leaf-it-was. Just like what Auzellea experienced, since the nerves of the octopus still functioned even when the tentacles were cut (and the octopus long dead), the suction cups could still attach to the mouth or throat. Really, unless you are brave enough, don’t try this. I didn't try because... I ain't gonna eat that!

Seoul-searching for Food: Part IV

If you are worried about searching for halal or Muslim-friendly food, try not to fret as there are various restaurants that cater to Muslims. Itaewon, especially, has many halal restaurants, ranging from local Korean to Western to South Asian and to Middle Eastern cuisines since a large number of Muslim expatriates live there. At Insadong area, one restaurant that you could go is Ose Gye Hyang. It is vegan/vegetarian and I admit, I am not a big (or should I say titanic) veg-eater, but hey, the dishes were all superb! Anyway, to make your life easy, when you reach Incheon, ask for Muslim Dining Guide at the Information Counter. You might even get special coupons for the restaurants listed. You can see the names of the restaurants that I went to in my expenditure list down below. One more thing, if you want bring back edible goodies such as ramyeon (my friends loved the spicy cheese ramyeon) or gochujang, you can buy them from groceries or convenience stores. My friends did that and ended up having to pay extra for luggage.

I·Seoul·U

Our Awesome Seoul Itinerary and Expenses

We stayed at Sinchon Kimchee Guesthouse. If was quite inexpensive and if you don’t mind bed bugs, then this is the place for you. Mind you, the guesthouse has both shared rooms or dorms and private rooms, so if you end up choosing this place, just be a bit careful when booking your room. Sinchon Kimchee Guesthouse is also a stone's throw away from Hongik University Station, so it was quite easy for us to commute using Seoul’s efficient Metro.

Here, I will share with you our post-trip itinerary as opposed to my original pre-planned one. I didn’t actually fix everything rigidly when I did our itinerary. It was just a guide for us, but during the trip itself, the places we visited depended on where we were and what time it was. So, while most of the places that I selected were there, a few did not make the cut in the real trip, while some others were added.

Day 1: N Seoul Tower à Banpo Hangang Park + Rainbow Bridge + Han River

Day 2: Insadong à Bukchon Hanok Village à Jogyesa Temple à Itaewon

Day 3: Full Day: Nami Island + Petite France à Hongdae

Day 4: Full Day: Lotte World Adventure à Hongdae

Day 5: Gyeongbokgung Palace à Gwanghwamun Square à KYOBO Bookstore Gwanghwamun à Cheonggyecheon River à Dongdaemun à Gwangjang Market à National Museum of Korea

Day 6: Namdaemun Market à Myeongdong à Hongdae

As you can see, we went to Hongdae quite a number of times since it was near to our accommodation, plus the atmosphere of Hongdae was just electrifying and very very youthful. National Museum of Korea is free-of-charge and on Wednesdays, it is opened even during night. As for Nami Island, I will say this, if you are a Korea first-timer, then do go there. It might be a touristy place, but the Island for me is a thing you are obligated to visit. It is a charming little river island really. Petite France, regrettably for me, is not a must-go. I did not enjoy that place, but if you like French-themed places, you do you. If you want to buy Korean silk or try san-nakji, Gwangjang Market would be your choice. N Seoul Tower, we did not pay 10,000KRW to go inside the tower as the outside area was beautiful enough. You could still see Seoul from the top of the mountain. If you want to walk along Cheonggyecheon RIver, combine it with Gyeongbokgung Palace and Gwanghwamun Square. They both are near to one another and the starting point of the stream. Markets in Seoul are lively places, so visit one or two. You might find wonderful trinkets or souvenirs for yourself or your loved ones.

Here is my expenditure list. Mind you, this were MY EXPENSES for the trip. Which is why I included my own personal stuff. Yours will be different. The total of each day has been rounded up to the nearest RM (as of March 2018 exchange rate).

DAY 1

ITEMS	PRICE/FEE/PAYMENT (IN KRW)
T-money	4000 (top up for the day – 20000)
Mushroom and oyster porridge - Congee House, Myeongdong	8000
Namsan Cable Car	8500 (two-way ticket)
Matcha ice cream	2000
Room (original price divided by four, for six nights) – Sinchon Kimchee Guesthouse	90000
Convenience store purchases	5000
TOTAL	141000 (518MYR)

DAY 2

ITEMS	PRICE/FEE/PAYMENT (IN KRW)
Shikhye (Korean rice beverage)	1000 (real price 2000, hooray for good uncle!)
Decorations for my room	5300
Hangul scarf for mom	10000
Deco Travel World Map – bought at Ssamziegil	15000
Omija-hwachae and yugwa – Shin Old Tea House, Insadong	7000
Tteokpokki	1500 per person (shared)
Bulgogi bibimbap – Makan Halal Restaurant, Itaewon	8000
Love Museum	8000
Rolled ice cream	4000
Convenience store purchases	5300
TOTAL	64800 (238MYR)

DAY 3

ITEMS	PRICE/FEE/PAYMENT (IN KRW)
T-money recharge	10000
Bus ticket to Nami Island	6000
Nami Island visa payment (a fancy way to describe “entrance fee”)	8000
Sky Bike	3000
Bulgogi with rice – Asian Family Restaurant Dongmoon, Nami Island	12000
Ice cream	2000
Petite France	8000
Convenience store purchases	9000
TOTAL	58000 (214MYR)

DAY 4

ITEMS	PRICE/FEE/PAYMENT (IN KRW)
Lotte World entrance fee (this price is exclusive to Kimchee Guesthouse guests)	37000
Mirror Wall	3000
Haunted House	3000
Vegetarian omurice – Lotte World Food Court	6900
Cheese ice cream	3000
Garlic cheese potato	4500
Passport cover	16000
Arcade game	2000
Lotte World photo card	5000
Clothes for my dad	29900
Convenience store purchases	5000
TOTAL	115300 (430MYR)

DAY 5

ITEMS	PRICE/FEE/PAYMENT (IN KRW)
Gyeongbokgung Palace	3000
Books – Kyobo Books	39900
Grilled fish and other dishes – Jeonju Sikdang, Dongdaemun Grilled Fish Street	12000 per person (shared)
Silk fabric	25000
Nutella cream waffle	3000
Convenience store purchases	4600
TOTAL	87500 (322MYR)

DAY 6

ITEMS	PRICE/FEE/PAYMENT (IN KRW)
T-money	5000
Hot stone pot bibimbap – Busan Jib, Myeongdong	8000
Grilled tteok	1000 per person (shared)
Watch for dad	59900
Various souvenirs	13000
Frame with hanbok décor	25000
A4 Kpop folders (3 pcs)	6000
Calligraphy	15000
Calligraphy scroll	20000
Book	1500
Dinner - Ose Gye Hyang, Insadong	10500
Nutella cream waffle (yeah, it was really good!)	3000
URBAN BREEZE – Vintage Water EDP by The Saem	17500
Convenience store purchases	3800
TOTAL	189200 (700MYR)

DAY 7

ITEMS	PRICE/FEE/PAYMENT (IN KRW)
Phone call to Malaysia	2500
T-money	10000
Twicetagram (Twice’s album)	27000
Wings (BTS’ album)	27000
Bulgogi kimbap - Nimat	5500
Convenience store purchases	2700
TOTAL	74700 (280MYR)

So in the end, I spend about 3000MYR (more or less) for seven days in Seoul. My flight return tickets were around 1600MYR. Basically, I spent about 4600MYR. If you are able to buy cheap flight tickets, that’ll be even better! In fact, many people actually got to visit Seoul with just about 2000-3000MYR. I spent a lot because, well, I just couldn’t stop myself from buying food and souvenirs. In fact, the list up there is not even exhaustive. I’m pretty sure I left many things (though they were not essential to the trip but essential to the happiness and well-being of my soul) out haha. See, Seoul is quite achievable for everyone.

So, to end this rather long post, I’d say, travel if you have the means to do so. The world is too beautiful to be left unexplored. Your world is going to get bigger if you see life beyond your own.