WATCH: Seoul-Incheon, South Korea


Here is my video on my short trip to South Korea.


For more blogposts on Seoul, click the links below.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular This Week

Bullying: A Part of Filipino Culture?

Image
Bullying became a hot topic in Norway today after a young teenager died of emaciation due to eating disorder that was primarily linked to anxiety from bullying at school. This was quite taboo in this Scandinavian country, given the nation is very keen on respecting socio-cultural differences and on protection against any form of discrimination. Discussions have been made on how to handle and prevent bullying and who takes the responsibility in these cases, whether the family, school or the State. Personally, I was not reacting in anyway as my mind says the concept is remote and almost impossible to happen in the Philippines. Perhaps, I was referring it to death, but not to bullying. However, after several days I was quite uneasy on the topic and further asked myself if I was ever bullied before and what it has caused me in the long-term basis. To my surprise, bullying was a crucial point in my childhood. My coping skills allowed me to hide in my consciousness what had happened...
Read more

Signs You Are Getting Old

Image
As we grow older, our bodies and minds change in ways that can be both funny and annoying. Here are 10 signs that you are getting older. If you recognize some of them, welcome to the club! First, you may feel like a detective when you cannot find your glasses or phone. You look everywhere and later realize you were holding them the whole time. It feels like you have the power to make things disappear. Another sign is when your joints start making cracking sounds like an old wooden floor. You may make strange noises every time you sit down or stand up. It sounds like your body is making music that nobody enjoys. You may also notice that your memory is not as good as before. You might forget where your things were, what you ate for breakfast, or even someone’s name. It can feel like your memory only remembers embarrassing moments. Another sign of getting older is making references that younger people do not understand. You may talk about cassette tapes, rotary pho...
Read more

Happy Long-Term Relationship

Image
In these challenging times when finding the right person to trust and to be with is hard, having a long-term relationship is significantly more difficult. Divorce rates are high throughout countries, which legally allows couples to do so. For those who are not even married, relationship does not simply last that long. Are there things needed for relationships to work? We have heard many stories about success and failure of long-term relationships, but there is a need to tackle this topic thoroughly. Firstly, let us define what long-term relationship is. The exact duration on when to consider a relationship long-term varies from one case to another. In this blog, we will be referring long-term relationship as a bond not dependent on time, rather depending on meeting essential conditions for it to exist. Since long-term relationships are not perfect, all these conditions may not be met but most of these must be achieved and fulfilled optimally. What are these, these are the fi...
Read more

3 Comparisons Between Norwegian and Filipino Values

Image
I am entering my fifth year of residing in Norway. Many things have happened during this short period of time, both good and bad. However, one of that is worthy to highlight is how I realized the big contrast between prevailing values between Norwegian and Filipino cultures. I can only talk about these two in particular, although there are somehow similiraties between the Norwegian culture with those of coming from Europe, as well that with Filipino and other Asian societies. This blogpost will present three comparative points to exhibit the diversity of culture. COMPARISON 1 Norwegian: Able decide independently for oneself Filipino: To fight for what is most important Freedom and passion may not be on the same side always. Freedom is the ultimate virtue in the Norwegian culture. One may or may not be passionate of what Norwegians are doing, but most important is that they decided on them by themselves, such that no one has dictated on them what they are supposed to do....
Read more

10 Sociocultural Differences Between Norway and the Philippines

Image
Soon, I would mark my sixth year of living in Norway. It is difficult to sum up the past six years in few words. A lot of things I have experienced, and many people I have encountered. At least, I could say I have learned a lot during this period. However, what makes it more challenging for me as an immigrant in Norway is the contrast in cultures and social norms between my home country, the Philippines and Norway. Both countries were ranked high in different survey of happiness, depending on how happiness is defined on these surveys. And this concept of happiness is reflected in the norms in both countries. In this blogpost, I would enumerate ten of these cultural differences. 1.         Love for nature I could say that both Philippines and Norway have been blessed with beautiful landscapes. Philippines is known for its beaches, while Norway has fjords giving way to beautiful unique sceneries not found in other countries. However...
Read more

Padayon Lang: Just Continue ᜉᜇᜌᜓᜈ᜔ ᜎᜅ᜔

Image
There are words that stay with us long after the people who spoke them are gone. For me, one of those words is the Cebuano phrase: “Padayon lang.” These simple words describe my life motto. It is short, almost ordinary. It does not shine with poetry. Yet it has a quiet strength, the kind that you don’t just think about but actually feel deep inside. Literally, it means “just continue” or “keep going.” But in Cebuano life, padayon lang is less of a command and more of gentle encouragement, just a soft pat on the shoulder, a light that shows you the way in the dark. I first heard it as a child, when I struggled with school and say, “Padayon lang sa imong pagtuon.” Keep studying. It is not a word of triumph. It does not promise success. Unlike congratulations or I’m proud of you, padayon lang accepts that life is hard, that the road is tiring, and yet it reminds us that moving forward, even slowly, even step by step is still worth it. It is the Cebuano spirit of resilience, no...
Read more

Dresden, Germany: The Saxon City of Contrasts Part 1

Image
Dresden is a German city located south of the capital Berlin. It is the capital of the Free State of Saxony in Eastern Germany. Due to its proximity to Berlin, I decided to take a bus to know more about the city. I personally did not place any high expectations for the city was really not part of my travel list. To my surprise, Dresden has given me a lot of learning of its history, which is for me is full of contrast and diversity. The city is a historical gem along the riverbanks of Elbe. Cultural buildings were built by a Polish King, who had made union to govern the city and its nearby areas. This is the reason why Dresden has many beautiful Baroque structures, providing one the feeling of romanticism. However, in contrast, the city has become an important military and industrial city during the rise of Nazis in Germany. This is an opposition to the romantic past of the city. During the World War 2, the city was destroyed by the United States and its allied forces. This has b...
Read more

Once upon a time... Summa Cum Laude

Image
It has been fifteen years since I completed nursing school. I culminated my student days as a Summa Cum Laude at Father Saturnino Urios University in the Philippines. It was a rare academic feat, but I managed to excel inspite of the difficulties I had back then. As I reminisce how it has been, I would like to point out the learnings I had through the years, and this will be the focus of this blogpost. Summa Cum Laude is the highest Latin honor one could get in the university. It does not just mean being the class valedictorian with the highest grade in the batch, but it means possessing a grade considered one of the highest throughout the school's history. In the Philippines, there are very few with Summa Cum Laude honors, and it is extremely rare in Nursing. Yes, I did that. Well, it was unexpected. I was actually expecting at least Cum Laude, the third highest Latin honor. However, some rules were changed, making it less difficult to get Cum Laude such that I was lit...
Read more

Stockholm, Sweden: The Charm of a Multi-Cultural Metropolis - Day 2

Image
Accounting almost one-third of the entire GDP of the Swedish nation, Stockholm has became an important headquarters of major companies in the Scandinavian peninsula. This is the reason why immigrants have streamed in the Swedish metropolis in seek of better opportunities.  Due to this multicultural characteristic, Stockholm is unique in its own from other Nordic countries. This has led me to embark into a visit on the Swedish capital for two days. Click for the first day of the Stockholm visit. 1. Adolf Fredriks Kyrka This church is named after Adolf Frederick, who was controversial for failing to reacquire the Baltic provinces in favor of Sweden. The cemetery surrounding the church is where Rene Descartes, the mathematician who introduced the Cartesian coordinate system was buried. 2. St. Johannes kykogård This church is one of the two experiment parishes of the Swedish diocese of Stockholm. Interestingly, the aim of the church is lessen the number of peopl...
Read more