to south korea with my best friend

  *posting this on 01/02/2022 to fill up the missing parts of the blog (and for me to remember things by)

It was a dream for us to be able to travel together and I am so happy that we are doing it now! =) It took a lot of planning for us: timing for her, our itinerary, and where we're staying.

Ours was an early evening flight, meaning we will be arriving at our place of stay late at night but we never expected to arrive past 1am the following morning. The weather was not really good and it took a while for our plane to take off because of the weather and the number of planes wanting to take off as well. We are just lucky because the one who manages the place we booked waited for us.

Waiting for take off.

Arriving in the wee hours... it was also raining a bit

Our room at Doo Guesthouse, which was only walking distances to the palaces and Insadong

day 1 in seoul

 *posting this on 01/02/2022 to fill up the missing parts of the blog (and for me to remember things by) 

There were just a lot to see! Our feet hurt after a good day's touring and soaking everything in... I am just glad that my best friend is an avid walker and eater, too! =D

Just right outside our room early in the morning

Street art around Bukchon

Doors of Bukchon

Art installation near Gwanghamun Palace

Changing of the Guards at the Gwanghamun Palace

Inside the palace complex

One of the houses inside the palace complex

Inside the Changgyeonggung Palace complex

One of the views in the secret garden tour of the Changgyeongguk Palace

We also looked for the Mampo (something) bridge to see the fireworks at night but we got lost after walking so far and so long. But still, the view by the river at sunset was really refreshing.

Somewhere along the river

Happily hopping from place to another at Myeongdong, the shopping capital at Seoul 

Be Committed

Month Three of my Kendo training. 

Last Saturday, there were only a few who attended training as most of the regular, active members were participating in the HK Open. That meant that even though there were just a few of us, training went on, with the last batch of try out people being entertained. That also meant that training was a little bit more intense.

It was hard, yes, but I learned new set of moves today: kote-men and do. I also got to properly practice Kata 1 sitachi role with a senpai and I actually did pretty good. Then keiko went on from men, kote, kote-men, and do. From all these, I finally (finally!) realized that I had to learn how to do the suburi properly because I, from time to time, miss to hit men and kote properly (sometimes even missing them altogether!). But the most interesting lesson for that day was when I was hitting do with my Kata senpai partner. Since it was my first time to try do, I was afraid of hitting him in the wrong places so my hits weren't that hard. Senpai said that I must look where I am hitting and I am not hitting very well because I was not committed. Be committed.

Now one of the questions posed to me by one of my friends is answered. What am I gonna learn from Kendo which I can apply outside the dojo?

In life, in everything you do, Be Committed!

New Year, Post 1

So I totally missed out on blogging last year. Never again this year. I will write. I will learn to reflect more and put them in words. And to welcome this new year, here is my first post! :)

And to make up from missing out on blogging this year, I will look back from the year that was and write from time to time the highlights of that year. All in all, it was a good year although it is sad losing our grandmother. But then again, she is probably happier in heaven with Lolo, so it must be a blessing, too.