Never, ever, ever, give up

Carlo: What’s “give up” in Chinese?

Me: Uhh, haha, I don’t know…

Carlo: See? It’s not in your vocabulary, so… don’t give up!

People’s encouragement is just… something to be grateful for.

Fml #1

Joy mentioned a classmate she doesn’t really like, a person who I find okay anyway…. something like that.

Hahahahaha.

Posting this because I really feel like worse than crap now (I feel like the sole of my slippers) and I’m trying to find ways to make things a little lighter.

Well, still… fml.

Conversations in Korea

In Joy’s city…

Maita: Ohhhh, Harmony-ro… Joy, what a nice street name!!

Joy: It’s the first time I’ve heard of that…

(Waaah ang babaw ko nakakaiyak)

—

While waiting at the station…

Joy: Oh, it’s gonna take about one hour and a half [from Incheon to Seoul]… we’ll just be on the subway… is that okay with you guys?

Maita: Yeah of course… hahaha isn’t it in the Philippines traffic takes one and a half…

(Btw, I never diss my beloved country… just trying to make an analogy right there, hahaha)

—

In Kyobo, a bookstore chain…

Joy: *points* Foreign [books]!

Maita: What? Porn?!?

Joy: Foreign!! Raffy, what is your sister watching?! Maita, format your computer…

(Hahahaha, peace!)

—

While having dinner…

Joy’s Mom: Joy… *does hand gestures* pig!!!

(PIG!! Haha it’s so funny how they make fun of her)

—

Anytime, anywhere…

Maita: CLINIC!!

(Inside joke, well, sort of… gonna expound on this soon!)

—

At the airport, terminal 3, departure, still in the Philippines…

*goes to the Zest Air counter, wonders why there is only one flight number*

Maita: Nasaan po yung Z2885?

Guy: Z2885…? Diba arrival ‘yon? Sa kabilang gate ‘yon! Kayo naman, hindi pa nga kayo umaalis eh…

(HAHAHAHA excited much? I’m stupid I know, many thanks to my brother)

—

At Namdaemun Market, buying Korean shirts as pasalubong…

Seller: Where are you from?

Maita: Pilipin!

Seller: I love Pilipin!

(Hahahaha okay dapat sinabi ko Japan para “I love Japan” din… well, lucky him, we bought!)

—

At Seoul, going to our next destination on the tour bus…

Conductor: *in Korean* Sorry, no drinks allowed!

*David (Joy’s oppa) gets down of the bus, while we all proceed*

*he gets in*

Us: Ahhh sayang!!

David: *taps Raffy* I drank it all!

Joy: Wow~ First and last [words]

(HAHAHAHAHA laftrip… that’s because Joy’s brother is super quiet, made me wonder if there was something wrong with us or what, haha, but Joy said he’s just like that when he’s with people he just met)

—

Maita: Joy I love your dad talaga!

Joy: He’s taken!!

(Duuuuh Joy I knew that hahahaha… I hope that wasn’t misinterpreted LOL kmn)

—

In Lotte World, going to the museum…

written: Fork Museum (this way)

*walks and walks*

written: Folk Museum

Joy: Oh, haha… I thought it was a museum about forks…

(In Korean, “l” and “r”, when pronounced, are only treated as one. Well, when words are then romanized… that’s a completely different story!)

—

Thursday morning (my brother and I), sitting beside Joy’s dad as he takes his English lessons on Skype, with his teacher a Filipina, on video chat…

Us: Hello po!

*conversation ongoing*

Teacher: Wow, fluent kayo sa Tagalog!

Us (looking at each other, confused): Uhm… opo, hehe…

Teacher: Bakit kayo nag-aaral sa Manila? Bakit hindi sa Korea?

Maita (super confused face): Ah? Ay, hindi po, mga Pilipino po kami… nagbabakasyon lang sa Korea… kaklase ko po yung anak ni Tito…

Teacher: Ah!! Ganun ba? Ay, sori!

(Do we look Korean enough even to our fellow countrymen or what…)

—

With Joy and her mom…

Joy: My mom said that you seem like a study-study person, something like a nerd…

Joy: She’s asking what your impression of her is!

Maita: Responsible, caring mother!

Joy: Plastic!!

Maita: Who?

Joy: Both of you…

(Hahahaha I swear it was so funny)

—

At the subway…

*elder woman asks something in Korean to my brother, panicing, probably about what the next destination is*

*brother, panic mode, shrugs shoulders and does hand gestures*

Raffy: I think she missed the train because of me…

(Omg I can’t even count how many times my brother was spoken Korean to. I was, too, but the number of times wasn’t anything remarkable. Haha. I’m a tourist here)

—

At Gyeongbokgung Palace, tourist mode on, snapping around…

*Joy asks a woman to take a picture of us, with the landmark as the background*

*woman holds the camera opposite, with the lens facing her*

*tells her to change the position, still has it wrong, with the camera now upside-down*

*goes to her and helps*

*takes our picture*

Woman: *in Korean* It’s a nice picture!

Us: Thank you, kamsahamnida!

*checks the picture on the camera*

Joy: *disappointed* She could’ve included the background… she even said it was a nice picture…

Us: Haha, omg…

One of us: Well at least we taught her how to use a camera…

Chit-Chatting

Some chit-chats with different folks in the past week or so…

At review classes, during break time…

Tim: Hey, how come you never go out? (referring to hanging out with them trio in the corridors)
Maita: Ehh… ang init eh!
Tim: Ang lamig mo!

Hahahaha. Corny, pun-ny, but… yeah.

—

At Bon Appetea with the ~*friends for life*~ group (inside joke!), talking/reading about One Direction…

Maita: Si knee-yahl?
Them: Na-yahl!
Maita: Aah ganun ba? Hahaha okay halatang ‘di alam.

HAHAHAHA. ‘Sensya na friends, I know their names, but I never heard a video where their names were actually mentioned and pronounced. Lolol.

—

Inside the car with the carpool trio (me, Raya and Lanz) with my dad driving, going home from review classes; talks about something related to parents + ages…

Raya: How old is your dad? 49, 48, 47, 46, 45…
Raya: 46? 😀
Maita: HAHAHAHA LOL
Dad:  Hahaha! Okay ka ha! Sige sabay ka ulit bukas ah!
Lanz: 45? 😀
Dad: Hahatid ko pa kayo sa bahay niyo!

Huwawz, okay kayo mangbola ah…

—

At Bon Appetea, with everyone doodling on post-its…

*Lanz hands a post-it to Mariah*
Us: Hahaha uy ano ‘yan ha!
*Mariah tries to read*
Mariah: P…a.. pang…

(you may conclude the scene with your own ending, with supporting details and sound effects)

Lol. Gewdtimes. Week 16, make it happen again.

Feilübin

Hi.
Hi.
Can you speak Chinese?
Yes.
I’m Chinese.
Oh.
Wow!
How about you?
I’m not.
I learn Chinese.
Ah.
You come from?
Philippines.
Ah.
Hehe.
Filipino ah.
Yes.
Haha.
What province do you come from?
Beijing.
Oh, I see.
Beijing.
Nice.
En.
I do not know about the Philippines.
Hahaha.
It’s okay.
Lol
Ah.
I want to sleep.

Uhm… at least he was honest I guess. Lololol.