Dec 24: On Korea Part 2 and Closing 2024

2025 is here!

But I digress. This is meant to be a post for December 2024.

I spent the first part of December in Korea. It was our first time back since 2015 and it was also the first long international trip for the kids.

My intrepid little travellers

It was great to be able to do some of the things we didn’t manage to do the last time we came here – like put on hanboks, or glimpse North Korea from the DMZ.

I also really wanted to see snow, and a giant snowstorm preceding our visit seemed to offer hope, but the extent of the snow we saw was limited to what you see in the video below.

I don't think Korea has changed that much in ten-ish years. But I will say it's much easier to find halal food these days. We were particularly amused that a random Wingstop outlet in Gangnam was able to produce a halal certificate.

Our visit also coincided with the proclamation of martial law, which sounds really dramatic – but life in Korea generally went on as usual, at least based on my observation.

Naturally, with my life being what it is, some complications arose as a result of the trip. But let’s just leave it that.

However, everything else was OK. 

In fact, the rest of the month seemed to pass by at a very sedate pace.

As my colleagues began their year end leaves, I often found myself alone at the office which gave me time to catch up on some reading. Because of the stuff I’ve read, I’ve added something to the list of things I’m never likely to do – which is to make a trip to Norilsk, Russia.

See? Alone at the office

We also went back to celebrate mum’s birthday – something we do every December. Happy birthday mum!

And even though it was Mum's birthday, I bought myself a car (which I don’t really need). 

I don’t think it’ll be long before I decide I can’t afford it. But I think the real purpose of the car is to give me the sense that I can control some things in my life, even if everything else isn’t. 

We’ll see how that goes.

Then on 28 December, I had boat noodles for the first time in my life. A momentous occasion.

We rounded up the year by going to see a light festival at Putrajaya. We left well before midnight to avoid the jam but ended up being stuck in a literal standstill 500m from the carpark until about 1.30am.

The light show itself was ok. Not sure if I'd do it again though.

Anyway, dear reader, I wish you joy, prosperity, and good fortune in the year ahead too! Happy 2025!