I was so blessed this month to be asked to do a promotional event in Seoul. I received the phone call in the middle of IKEA and was jumping up and down I was so happy. I hadn't been in a year, and the one time I was there I had an absolute blast. We spent a whopping 4 days there, and had so much free time, in all about 8 hours in total was actual work and rehersal. We were presenting the trophies and medals for the final of the FIFA Under 17 World Championship, and there were 15 of us girls from many different countries, a nice multi-cultural mix if there ever was one.

City Hall, which was directly opposite our hotel. The hotel was so much more convenient than the Cabin crew hotel, it was a nice change to walk everywhere, rather than catch a cab or the subway.
The World Cup Stadium in Seoul

The rehersals

All of the girls (Left-Right) - Anna (UK), Anna (Greece), Katrina (Aust.), me, Elena (Spain), Irvinee (Malaysia), Areeda (Thailand), Diana (Aust.), Harjinder (UK), So-Yeon (South Korea), Emma (Ireland), Melissa (UK), Setfanie (Aust.), Jovina (Singapore) and Elly (South Korea)

And you can't go to Korea without having some Korean BBQ! Lots of Kimchi for everyone...

After the BBQ, those who were keen pushed on for some Karaoke! It's not like Karaoke in Oz, the put you in a private enclosed room that's fitted with disco lights, plush seating, comes complete with tamborines, microphones and full drink service.

Elly trying to work the machine
Me trying to sing and failing miserably

The next day was totally free for us, so I wanted to do something different. I went on a tour to the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) which is the zone that separates the North and South Koreas. It was very strict, you had to bring your passport, and there were certain places you were not allowed to take photos. There were armed guards everywhere, watching you and your camera. It was bizarre but very interesting.

You see those mountains in the background? Those are North Korean mountains.

The Unification Bell. To be rung when the two Korean states become one. Located at Imjingak, in the city of Paju.

The yellow line at the Dora Observatory. Where the guy is standing it's ok to take photos, but take a photo past the line and you get taken into custody by the South Korean military and questioned.

The Freedom Bridge at Imjingak.

The North Korean village of Kijong-dong, also known as "Propaganda Village" according to our guide. If you squint at the picture you can see the Kijong-dong flagpole, complete with the DPRK flag. Thought to be the world's highest flag tower, made taller once the North found out the South's flag pole in Daesong-dong was taller than theirs.

The station built in the hope of carrying passengers between Seoul and Pyongyong in the future, should Unification be successful.

The next day we had the morning and early afternoon to ourselves, which I spent some time shopping in the Lotte district. I didn't last very long, I had actually been struck down by some sort of tummy bug since I left Dubai, and a lot of the time I was really fatigued - I struggled a lot walking the Third Tunnel of Aggression on that tour, and even the stairs to the shopping underpasses were a challenge. I eventually retreated to my room and slept before getting ready.

We travelled to the stadium, and were lead to a waiting room, so we couldn't watch the game, and we had to entertain ourselves for 2.5 hours. Took lots of photos, most of which are in uniform :-(

The three trophies we were presenting to the highest goalkickers.

But afterwards, it was partytime! FIFA put on a private party at the S-Bar, one of the trendiest clubs in Seoul, and us girls let our hair down. BIG buffet spread, unlimited booze, perfect as we had very little to eat at the stadium.

Thai mafia shot - myself and Areeda.

I have some great trips coming up - going to Singapore and Colombo, both are 2 day layovers. Singapore is something I always look forward to, but since my last visit one of my good friends, Issac, has moved there, so it'll be good to see him again. Work also gave me a string of 5 days off, and I wanted to get out of Dubai, so I booked tickets to New York on a whim, as I've never been there before. Accomodation is sorted and everything, just figuring out what I'm going to shop for! Hope to get some cool shots of Singapore and Colombo, in the meantime I hope everyone is doing well and hope to be home soon...

Labels: Random Thoughts, Work

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