Being a Working Mum, Childcare and Child Abuse

It has been an interesting week for me.

On Monday, a friend contacted me to ask if I would be free at short notice to help her out with a project for a couple of days. Super short notice in fact, as she needed me to be in her office that very same afternoon.

I decided to go for it. An opportunity like that doesn't come very often, and I thought it might be fun to be part of the working world for a bit.

My mug which my girlfriends gave to me for my birthday, which they declared perfect for the office. 

But being a working mum sure wasn't the easiest.

Being around them all day, it was a little hard leaving them behind, especially when Meips started crying big fat tears when I walked out the door. I usually try not to leave them alone with my helper for extended periods of time, but being at short notice, I didn't have much choice but to do so. I was very grateful that my MIL was able to step in and stay for most of the day on Tuesday, but otherwise, my helper was it.

At least I know she is fairly reliable when it comes to the children. Indeed, I returned home each night to find that the kids had already been fed, bathed and changed into their PJs well ahead of their regular schedule. I was told that they ate more quickly - and without their usual shenanigans - without me around. Hmmm. Made me think I should make myself scarce during mealtimes more often!

All this brings me to my point, which is that childcare you can count on is so important when you're a working mum.

Yes, this made me think about the case of alleged child abuse which recently took place at My First Skool, a childcare centre, where a teacher was caught on CCTV handling a child roughly, leading the the child suffering from a fractured shin. It is not easy leaving your precious children to go to work and the least that you need is the peace of mind that they will be safe and cared for in the time that you are away. As a stay-at-home-mum, I know how difficult, and indeed annoying little kids can be. Sometimes, it can really get to you. Sometimes, you will reach that point when you just need to walk away. And that's probably what should have happened: the teacher should have walked away because there is just no place for child abuse. 

I guess there is no point talking about what the teacher should or should not have done now. I just think it is sad that this has happened to a pre-school sector that is short on places and urgently in need of manpower. But I do hope that more attention will be given to provide pre-school teachers with adequate support and maybe training to handle such situations in more appropriate ways.

For me, my stint as a working mum is over for now. It was fun while it lasted but I think my real work? That's at home. 

Me, the SAHM

I looked at the date a couple of days ago and realised that it's been 5 months since start my stay-at-home-mom gig. Wow, time has just flown by.

How am I doing? That's a good question. I think my husband, who knows my great need to connect with people on a regular basis, was recently a bit worried about me and kept asking if I was getting bored at home. "I am definitely not bored," I told him. "There's hardly time to be bored around here!"

I had a busy few months after I stopped work (or more accurately, started full-time work at home). There was our trip to Sydney, then Advent and Christmas, followed closely by Chinese New Year. After that there was a lull -- during which I felt like I was nursing a celebration hang-over -- and then it was Naomi's birthday party.

I guess you can say that after all that excitement, I've been suffering the post-party blues ever since. For the last few weeks, I was stuck in a bit of a rut. I was just going through the motions with the kids, and didn't make plans to meet any friends or do any activities. It was an unproductive stretch for me. I guess it happens to everyone. I mean, unproductive days used to happen to me in the office too, sometimes more regularly than I would have liked. It was no fun though, so recently I took some steps to get myself out of it. I made plans to catch up with some friends, brought the kids out, and tried out some new recipes at home. I'm feeling on the upswing as a result.

Over the weekend, I also planned an Easter party that I was pretty happy about.

In the grand scheme of things, I'm still happy to have this time to spend at home and am in no rush to get back into the workforce just yet. I can't say I haven't been tempted to go back to work. I had an interesting e-mail from a headhunter and briefly toyed with the idea of pursing it further. But I look at the two faces before me, and I shelf all thoughts of working full-time. This is the season for my home and my kids. I want to be there with them, watch them grow in person rather than vicariously. Kids only grow up once. A career, well, that can wait. For now.

When I think about work, I know I have had it good. I have achieved most of what I have wanted to achieve up to this point. In the 10 years I'd been working, I was involved in high-value matters and cross-border deals. I've done enough "cutting-edge and high profile" work to know that such work is invariably painful and not always desirable! I have worked with and for some of the most brilliant minds in the industry, a privilege that I am very grateful for. I switched portfolios and tried out different fields, and satisfied myself that I could perform the functions equally well. I've collected fat paychecks as well as not-so-fat but still pretty decent ones. Wherever I went, I was blessed with bosses who valued me and my work, affirming my self-belief that I wasn't that bad at my job after all. Through it all, I have been challenged and stretched. While I can't say that I've always enjoyed my work, I definitely have no regrets being where I have been, doing what I have done.

So I do want to go back at some point, God willing. But for now, home is where my heart is. I remind myself often that as much as this is supposed to be for the kids' benefit, I am also doing this for me. I remind myself of this especially during those moments when the kids don't seem particularly appreciative or when the drudgery gets to me. But when I see Naomi do her cute little jiggle to music, or when she surprises me with a new word she's learnt, or when Noey says something funny, or when he surprises me with a new word that he's learnt to read, I am glad that I am there in the moment.

I must also add that I'm very grateful that the hubs for giving me the opportunity to be at home for now. He's always been ever supportive and that has been a big help. If only he didn't have to work such long hours, but I guess someone has to bring home the bacon, eh?

I'll update in a couple of months and we'll see if I'm singing a different tune.

My current bosses, squeezing me out of my rightful space in bed. Don't they look lovely when they're asleep?

Home, For Good, For Now

On Monday, I packed up my office desk for the second time in two months.

The first time was a month ago when my office shifted out of from its prime almost-on-Orchard-Road space to its new location in Pasir Panjang. Needless to say, the change in location was quite a shock to the system.

This second time round is for good. After much deliberation, and with the blessings of my husband, I have decided to call it a day on my time at my current office. It's been nearly 5 years. I will be staying at home with my babies for a bit before returning to the workforce.

There are many small (ok, maybe not-so-small) push factors and the rather large pull factor of the home that have resulted in this decision. My home needs me at the moment.

I also make this decision with the peace of mind that this is really God's hand at work, because I of the full support of my family I've received. Whenever I'd previously contemplated stopping work, my Mum would be vehemently against the idea. The usual "you can't just rely on your husband" and "it is important to have your own money" and "it would be a waste" lectures would be trotted out. I actually don't agree with that thinking, but for the sake of peace, plus the fact that I was ok with my job and the part-time arrangement was working rather well, I never pushed it.

The past couple of months since I returned to the office have, however, been challenging on my alternate care-givers. And everything came to a head in August when we realised that:

• My helper would have to return home in Oct
• I would have to get a new helper with uncertain prospects of whether there were any suitable ones available and when she would be able to arrive
• My Mum's helper would be going back on home leave at around the same time
• DD was scheduled for 3 weeks of reservist overseas from mid-Oct

This after my Dad had gone back to work, and I had gone back to work. My Mum was feeling the strain, especially with 2 kids now under her watch.

So when I suggested that I stop work, at least for a bit, I wasn't met with the usual talking-tos. Oh no. Instead, my Mum heaved a sigh of relief and told me she thought it was a good thing! Wow. Praise God indeed.

Things have worked out quite well for me in the end -- nightmare Oct did not materialise. My new helper was able to come in early, and DD managed to get his reservist deferred. There's still plenty to do at home though.

I am exploring some options, but in the meantime, I fully intend to enjoy my time with my two babies. Especially with the school holidays coming up! I hope I will be able to take a leaf out of my friend's book and be a "never-stay-at-home-Mum" at least some of the time!

Back To The Rat Race

I took my first steps to going back to work last Wednesday, and again today when I was called back to cover some Board meetings. Easing myself in, in a sense, before I officially start next Friday.

I was in denial for most of the week before I forced myself to get all my things sorted the night before, and packed that instantly recognisable Medela PIS backpack. On a sidenote, I'm embarrassed that it's taken me having my 2nd child to realise you can pull the pump out of the bag. I'm on the look out for a nicer (and more chic) bag for pumping equipment, but for now, this will do.

It felt funny, putting on my work clothes and squeezing my feet back into my heels. Once I got to the office however, it was not difficult getting back in the groove. It felt like slipping back into a familiar routine. And yet, this second time round, my heart was still at home. I missed my babies -- Noey's chatter and Mimi's gummy smiles. Maybe it was because I didn't find my maternity leave as isolating an experience as I did the first time that the adult interaction or me-time in the office didn't make up for the time away. Possibly it is because my office isn't quite the place it was a couple of years ago.

Whatever the reason, it was a relief to come home to an excited Noey and a happy Naomi. They did really well on my first full day away. Mimi in particular was in good spirits the whole day, downing her bottles and bestowing smiles on all and sundry. Noey actually went down for his nap fairly easily, leading my brother to comment that it's just me who is ineffective at getting him to nap. Hah. I felt like I was the only one having the separation anxiety!

I guess it's a good thing I still only work part-time!

No Regrets

I was a guest at the wedding of an ex-colleague-turned-dear-friend over the weekend. It was a lovely affair that I had very much wanted to be a part of -- full of warmth and reflecting the genuine affection the couple had for each other and which their friends and family had for them.

(And I'm not just saying it cos you might read this, A!)

It was a relationship that I had seen grow from before its official inception and I'm very glad for to see it come to fruition in marriage.

This post is not about the wedding per se though.

As was to be expected, I met many of my ex-colleagues at the wedding lunch. Some whom I have met periodically over the years since I left my previous firm, some which I have not met at all since then. While it was good to exchange a laugh or two, sitting among them reminded me oh-so-clearly why I left. There was that level of testosterone which you had to be of a certain mindset to accept and feel at home with. There were the bawdy comments and sexist arguments that had faded somewhat in my memory. All those I handled and can handle still. But more than that, I was also reminded how much lawyers are such a cynical, dissatisfied, negative bunch.

Maybe I'm generalising too much, or maybe it's just the people I used to work with! But I've gradually met up less and less with my colleagues -- those who were my peers at least -- because the bulk of the conversation centred around how their bosses made them miserable, how useless their assosciates were, and how unreasonable their clients are. It was certainly entertaining to some extent. Some of their stories were real classics. But I always found myself a silent spectator to all that griping. I cannot deny that I was interested in the goss. But the truth is, I'm not negative person. And all that complaining? It gets to me. When I meet to catch up, I want to know what's going on in your life. Unfortunately it felt like the only thing going on in their lives was misery.

It isn't perfect where I am now. Hey, I still work with lawyers after all! But my colleagues now are mostly mummies. We share stories about our children and other parenting tips and activities and celebrate milestones. Sure, we gripe as well about nonsense we face at work but it is, at least, not as drawn out. My colleagues and I share the mentality that we're here just to do our job so that we can go home to more important things, like our family. I like it this way.

It's been 3.5 years since I left practice and I will still make that decision now, even with the benefit of hindsight, and even if I was still working full-time. Of course it's all the better that I only work part-time!

I like to live life with no regrets and I can say that, for now, I am happy. And it's a good place to be.

Goodbye 2009

It being the eve of a new year, I guess is appropriate to look back at the year past even as we look forward to the year ahead of us.

2009 was a very different kind of year for me, chiefly because it was my first full year as a Mummy. The year has been for me, for us, and probably for our families, all about Noey. It is truly amazing how he has swept in our lives and just taken them over! And in return he's given us many trying moments and a few scares, but also much plenty of laughter and much joy.

When I look at the little boy that he almost is today, I can scarcely remember the little baby that he was at the same time last year. He has, by God's grace, grown a great deal over this past year. And as we spent time with him, even as we thought we couldn't love him more than we did at that point of time, we found that we could and we did. Now, standing on the cusp of 15 months, he is, I find, cuter than ever. Before he turned 1, it felt like he was busy working on his physical development. Thereafter however, he has really blossomed in understanding and in his language development. To date, he can say 22 words fairly clearly and another 10 or so in Noey-speak (that only us parents would understand!). And on top of that, while "Bear", "Bird" and "Ant" are the only animals/insects whose names he can say, he can identify and convey with animal sounds or hand gestures another 10 more. He has also become much more interactive, playing, laughing and communicating. I can't wait for him to be able to speak in sentences in the coming year, even as I know that I might regret that when I can't get him to stop talking!

Thinking about this also makes me particularly grateful for the fact that I have mostly been able to be around Noey to catch each development that he has made as it happened. This year also marked the year when my career took a backseat as Noey took front and centre in my life. I went back to work at the end of February, unsure of how it would all pan out, but by God's grace, it has turned out to be the perfect arrangement for me. It has given me time to be out of the house, socialise with my colleagues, and put my mind to work and yet be home with Noey for the better part of the week. The year ahead will mark changes on my work life as a dear friend, colleague and mentor will be leaving the organisation. I will miss her greatly. Her leaving actually left me in a quandary as I was asked to consider taking over her position. I was honestly surprised by how much the offer made to me weighed on my mind. It would have been a promotion and a position of more autonomy and control. I would have been exposed to more on the work front and also be of greater prominence to the powers that be. It would also have brought a pay raise of course. But it would have required me to return to full-time work with a heavier workload, and that was something I wasn't sure I wanted or was prepared to do just yet. It took time and prayer, and also consultation with DD before I was able to make my decision and be at peace with it. There are still steps to be taken internally but God willing, I will be continuing with my part-time arrangement for another year.

On the relationship front, I must admit that this has been one of our rougher years. What we were guilty of was not so much unpleasantness, but neglect. With Noey taking up so much of our time and energy, we didn't have much left to spend on each other. It took a while for us to find our footing and to take active steps to address the issue -- less computer time, more couple time -- and I think we are in a better place now. Indeed I know that I could not be more blessed with a partner who knows me through and through and still loves me without reservation. Despite his occasional self-doubt, DD has taken to fatherhood swimmingly and Noey's love for his Papa is evident.

With so much already on our plate, I wonder if we are crazy to be thinking about #2. But we are thinking about it and well, let's see what the year would bring. At least we know that we would definitely have family support! Certainly it has been crucial to my peace of mind on the days when I'm in the office. Everyone is always impressed when they realise that I can just take-off on the mornings I need to go to the office as my Aunt would come over to help watch Noey before I leave, and then my Mum would drive down to pick him and my Aunt back to her place later in the morning so that I wouldn't have to fight the early rush hour morning traffic to Jurong to drop Noey off. And some days when I need to work late or need a break, my parents would send Noey home as well. I have been very blessed in this regard. Noey has certainly brought our families closer together and helped us appreciate the things our parents have done for us over the years. And all the things they continue to do for us. Having Noey and loving him as I do has opened my eyes to how much our parents love us, and made me realise that you never stop being a parent, no matter how old your child is. I want and must do more to appreciate them in the year ahead.

In the year ahead, I also want to do more to spend time with friends, both old and new. Both my best friends relocated to UK at the end of 2008 so I spent a good part of early 2009 feeling a little rudderless. But as things go, I was able instead to forge stronger friendships with friends and fellow mummies, some of whom I would never have met but for the internet. It has been an incredible year as I've gotten to know so many wonderful babes on a deeper level as we shared our mummy joys and woes (and ok, our shopping conquests as well!). I look forward to doing more of the same in 2010.

In retrospect, I realise that I quite enjoyed 2009 after all! God was indeed gracious. Here's to a better 2010. We don't know what tomorrow may bring, but He does. And we can look walk confidently into the future knowing that He holds it all in His hands.

"Happy New Year One and All! See you in 2010!"

Back to Work

The much anticipated first week of being back to work is over and it went rather well, all things considered.

For me, it took a while to adjust back to office life. There were the small things, like remembering to bring my office access card around with me (I kept forgetting it!) and having to recall all my passwords. The Company Helpdesk got many calls from me to reset everything. And when I left for lunch, I forgot my usual protocol of taking my phone and wallet only and instead brought my entire bag with me. It was only when we returned -- really late -- and my colleague lamented that we looked so conspicuous, especially with me carrying my bag, that I realised what I'd done. And for someone who was permanently in heels pre-pregnancy but has for the past many months been shod almost exclusively in slippers, being back in heels is seriously killing my feet. Ouch, my poor toes and calves.

It's only been a week so it's a bit early to tell if I'll be able to manage workwise, but for now, things are good. It did however hit me mid-way through the first day that I had step on it and get everything done in the course of the day cos I wasn't going to be in the next day to finish it off. But it felt so good to know that I would have the next day off. And at the same time, it was really nice to be back and yapping with my colleagues again. It is a big deal, being able to feel a bit more like myself again.

Noah on his part, did quite alright with the change to his daily schedule. Thanks perhaps to the fact that I used to bring him over to my parents' place once a week, he seems to be alright with making the trip down twice a week on Monday and Wednesday. I think it also helps that there's a whole army of folks to help look after and distract him there -- my DaYiMa, my Mum, my brother (who doesn't start poly till April), my Mum's helper and my own. The reports from my Mum were that he's a happy baby throughout the day. He's an angel, except for the fact that he wouldn't drink his milk. Argh.

On Monday he drank all of 3 ounces the whole day. I was a bit heartbroken when I changed his diaper when I came back in the evening and saw the pink uric acid crystals in the diaper, a sure sign that he was dehydrated. Needless to say, he was ravenous by the time I got back and wanted to feed every hour till he went to bed for the night, and worried Mummy here let him. On Wednesday he improved to 6 ounces but was otherwise playing and sleeping well. Unfortunately towards the end of the week he seemed to catch on that I wouldn't be around for longer stretches than he was used to. On Thursday when DD left for the office and I disappeared into the room for a bit, he started whimpering, only to stop when I reappeared in front of him to catch him as he lunged into my arms. Then on Friday when DDMum came over to take care of him in the morning, he apparently cried a bit when we left, and a fair bit more later. When I came back after lunch, he had cried himself to sleep and not drank more than an ounce of milk. Sigh.

One effect of this separation however is that he seems to be much more excited to see me these days. Haha. On Friday after I came back from work, I picked him up and dream-fed him an ounce and a half from the bottle, then after he'd rejected it, latched him on to continue his feed. The little bub latched on, sucked a couple of mouthfuls, then pulled himself off in shock and stared at me (with his mouth open for effect) for a good minute as if to say "Mummy, you're back!". Then he broke into the sweetest gummy grin before latching himself on again to continue his feed. You'll be right in thinking I completely melted! My baby missed me! Arw.

Anyway, I'm now actively trying to bottle feed him a bit more so hopefully he'll get used to it soon. In the meantime, he also seems to be on an alternate day eating schedule where he makes up the previous day's feed on Tuesday and Thursday!

So he's a bit clingy these days but since I miss him when I'm in the office, I'm that much happier to carry him when I'm home, which works rather well for all of us. I pray that it will continue to be so.

Happy Flats

Having to work in the weekend is no fun at all. But at least I have happy new shoes to keep me company!

Shoes from FabricInks

For a perpetual heel wearer, having to convert to wearing flats is not as bad as I'd originally feared...

A Lifetime to Count

I think that sometimes, due to the high value of the transactions we deal with, I get rather numb to how much money we're really talking about when the sums are bandied about. $30 million for a piece of equipment. $250 million for an investment (and not a very large one at that). Billions worth of assets. They've become really just numbers on a page.

One of the projects I'm currently on has an estimated budget of around $1 billion (Yes, this is public info). While we were talking about precisely this concept of how much money that really is one day, one of my consultants came up with this comparison:

"If you were to count out $1 billion in $1 bills at the rate of $1 per second, how long would it take you to count out $1 billion?"

The Answer: More than 30 YEARS.

Geez. That really is a lot of money isn't it??

And for the record, in my own personal context, $1 billion (and even the earlier $30 million) is completely unthinkable!

Not Quite Winter Sonata

For someone who has been to Korea 3 times now, I think I've honestly seen precious little of the sights of Seoul, let alone the rest of the country! Instead, I've come to learn odd little really random things about the place. For example, did you know:

1. The surname "Choi" is pronounced "Chue". We were all majorly confused when our lawyers kept referring to "Mr Chue" when there seemed to us to be no such person.



2. If public holidays fall on a Saturday or Sunday in Korea, it's just too bad - they don't make it up to you. The Koreans get 3 days off for CNY (Reunion Dinner night and the 1st 2 days), but since 2 of the days were Sat and Sun, they only got a 1-day break this year, which was pretty sucky.



3. A married woman does not adopt her husband's surname - she just changes her title to "Mrs". I think that's a great idea! :)



4. It seems to be a big part of Korean office culture to brush your teeth after a meal. All the offices I visited provided shelving in the common toilet for staff to keep their toothbrushes. The photo on the right was taken in the Ladies' at our lawyers' office.



5. Koreans get off the plane incredibly fast, and they will mow over anyone who gets in their way!



6. Lotte sells absolutely the cutest swimsuits - they come in 3 or 4 pieces, the extras being the sweetest little skirt to wear over your bikini bottom, and the optional tankini top. I totally LOVED the skirts!

Okay, I'm sure any regular shopper would have known the last one! Sadly I didn't get any cos I couldn't bring myself to spend more than $250 on a swimsuit. :/

At least this time, we did go visit somewhere of note - Sam Cheong Gak. Then again only becuase we finally managed to complete the matter we were working on and our business partners invited us there for a celebratory dinner.

The place looked amazing! Nothing like an authentic-looking old-style buildings to make you feel like you're in Korea, no?

Dinner was at Yi-Gung, a restuarant serving traditional Korean fare where diners are seated at royal court-style tables. Apparently the food served were royal court dishes? That definitely brought images of Dae Jang Geum to mind man...

The dishes were really interesting, and no doubt expensive, being liberally peppered with ginseng, but I think they may have been a little too posh for our plebian tastes. Where was the spicy soup??? My colleague and I both agreed that this was the better meal:

The perfect thing to warm the tummy on a cold day!

And since food was our only outlet, we made frequent trips to our favourite restaurant, Tani! :)

Overall, it was better trip than the previous ones, mostly I think cos we were un-policed since the bosses didn't come up with us. Still it was 4 days of working from morning to night and 0.5 a day of shopping... Hmmm. And I have to say I'm really glad to be home, hanging out with a husband who has been beaming from ear to ear on seeing his wife back home.

No more Korea for a while for me! Please?

Korea, but not on Holiday

Back!

Since last Friday actually - left Seoul on the 6pm flight and I was home safe by midnight. But the work has continued so the blog has taken a back seat. Somehow coming home after a long day just leaves me wanting to just zone out in front of the telly... :P

It was a busy time for all of us in Seoul the previous week - it was meetings galore. And for minions like me, lots of running around to manage the voluminous paperwork. The office where we had our daily meetings was literally a 1 minute dash across the road from our hotel so you can image that I didn't see much! So, no, I didn't get to shop, and no, I didn't get to sightsee - just what I could see from the my hotel, what we drove past in cabs and what we came across on our various ventures out for meals! Haha. Acutally seeing Korea would have to wait till anor time.

Not that it was all bad though. For one thing, I actually got upgraded to Business on the way to Seoul! This is the first time I've ever gotten upgraded, and I was beside myself with excitement. My lucky break was due (I suspect) to the fact that I got a really late confrmation and the the flight was really over booked. Not that I cared at that point. Business would have allowed me to sleep better on my way there, but DD (who knows me too well) knew I just wouldn't be sleeping - why would I when I would want to maximise my Business class usage? :) Pity it wasn't SQ though...

Business was fun, but I didn't realise how much better it was till our return trip when I realised to my dismay that Korean Air Economy has no personal in-flight entertainment! Dang! I knew I shouldn't have slept at all! :P

Hitting the ground running was tough though. Watching day turn into night in meeting rooms... But there are the perks that sometimes come with getting round to dinner late, combined with the need for private dining rooms for discussion. Sometimes, you end up having to eat at some place nearby. Some place nice. Like The Ninth Gate at the Westin. You know those poncy places you see only on TV where your food comes covered with these gold covers that they whip off in synchronised motion? It was that kind of place. And an amazing view + great food = happy me. Pity the dinner conversation was all about work!

But on other times, when we were not being policed by management, us low level minions got away for some really good - and fun - meals. Since most of my colleagues have been to Korea many times before, they brought me to the gorgeous Tani Next Door.

And on the last day when we had a bit more time, we ventured out to the classy Wood & Brick where we spied many Korean tai-tais having lunch. Incidentally that was where I learnt one of my now new list of random facts about Korea - they serve kimchi/pickles at every meal. Notwithstanding the fact that we were at an Italian restaurant, we were served pickles together with the bread! Only in Korea I believe...

But aside from the fancy restaurants, I had more than my fill of local Korean food, in particular hot pot/spicy soup, which clearly kept me happy.

Ramyun (which tasted almost exactly like our fav Shin instant noodles) with Seafood Pancake

Spicy Tofu Soup with clams and scallions. My colleagues call this the national dish.

(Real) Korean BBQ. No finely sliced pieces of meat here! Just thick slices of pork belly laid on the grill which the server later comes round to cut up into bite-size pieces with a pair of scissors (no kidding)

Spicy soup (yes, again) with rice cakes and dumplings

(No pics of bugolgi cos those went real quick :P)

And did you notice random Korean fact #2 - small Korean eateries all seem to use the same kind of chopsticks - flat silver ones, quite unlike the types we use for back here.

Overall impression: Korea is expensive, but intriguing enough to merit a proper visit another time... Working trips just ain't good enough when there's real work to be done!

Modern and Ancient Disjunct

Doesn't this strike you as being incredibly incongruous? Spied this Starbucks joint across the road from our meeting room and it amused me, so much so that I had to snap a shot.

Hello from Seoul! The weather it's cold but clear today and it makes me wish I was out in the open rather than being stuck in a meeting room. It's been a long week...