SimSimi

I will have a lot of serious catching up to do with communication technology. I am so behind with what's new. All I know is that, there is Blackberry, then there is Apple's iPhone and iPad. But, I don't know what's going on with the communication technology.

One testimony is the fact that I don't know what SimSimi is. I keep hearing it from friends and keep seeing treads on social network site about how fancy and cute SimSimi is. So I researched. I found out that SimSimi is an application in iPhone and other platforms using Android that you have to download. It is created in 2002 by a Korean tech company called ISMaker. It is a question-and-answer kind of application or simply put - a conversation application. SimSimi is like a smart entity with artificial intelligence responding to questions given by the users. Oftentimes, the reply comes as hilarious adding more fun and entertainment factor to the application. Here's a snapshot of a SimSimi chat (and by the way, SimSimi is so cute!).

Photo credit: appfinder.lisisoft.com

Worst Jet lag Ever!

I have tried all imaginable trips and tricks known to man to get my body clock in-sync with the time here in the UAE. Unfortunately, my jet lag has gotten worse.

Last Saturday, I slept at 4 a.m. Then I woke up at 2:00 p.m. only to remain wide-awake until Sunday (21 Nov.) of 8:30 p.m. My head was already aching. My temple throbbing. My brain shutting down and my eyes dropping like atom bombs while I was working. I finally had a semi-decent sleep last night around 8:45 p.m.

I realized that prior to our trip to New York, we went to Seoul, Korea first which was in the west and crossing different time zones. I didn't experience any jet lag so bad to affect my sleep pattern. Then we had a trans-Atlantic trip few days ago. I subjected myself to another time-zone difference and coming back to the Middle East was a nightmare in terms of jet lag.

My pilot friends are now telling me that they are experiencing what I have just gone through and they do it every single day. My hats off to them!

So, tonight, I will sleep according to what my body has been accustomed to. I will spray lavender mist on my pillow. Draw the curtains shut and put the air condition to full blast. I will also plug my iPod for some nice relaxing and soothing music. I need to psyche myself and it has to be now. I cannot walk another day like a zombie in the office. I need my sleep and I need it now!

High Technology in Seoul

My family and I have enjoyed our recent trip to Seoul, Korea. The place was scenic and clean. I love the weather although it was so chilly.

We had the chance to visit some nice malls and I cannot help but compare their advancement in technology. I bought some chocolates in the grocery and had to use my credit card because I had few money left. I was surprised to see their sleek receipt printer with a very high-quality paper print out. The receipt was thick. I was also waiting for the shop attendant to ask me to sign the paper receipt she printed. Instead, she directed me to a small check-book like device placed in front of me with a small pen. She told me to sign there. Wow, electronic signature! I have never used that yet and have not seen that here in Dubai.

Seoul is really modern and advance.

Back from Korea

Every fun and great vacation has come to an end. That really is a bummer but hey, it's reality! The flight from Seoul was approximately 9 hours and 20 minutes. It was longer to come back from going to which was only around 7 hours and 30 minutes. Probably, it was because of tailwind. Anyway, it is back to reality for all of us. The short vacation is so short but we had fun.

My mom-in-law was so surprised to see us there. Just like the Singapore episode, we did not take videos nor pictures of the "surprise moment" because my sister-in-law's family arrived part midnight. We were so drained and dazed so we fell asleep. We'll probably get the "surprise-look" next year, I hope!

We liked it there. The weather was great as usual because I was kind of biased with that. I love cold weather so I will find it very pleasant. Actually, it was chilly with the cold, crisp air biting the skin. Come to think of it, the season was just the start of autumn. I could imagine already what it would be like when it is winter.

Sigh... I wish the vacation is longer. I had fun! Although I didn't get to buy any souvenir, except for my daughter's key chain only, I am happy. We got to see many places and sampled their Korean dishes.

I will post the pictures as soon as I have time to label and load them on my pc. For now, I just want to relax and sleep for a while. Tomorrow is back-to-the-grind day again. Argh!

안녕하세요 한국에서

Ok, I got that from translate.google.com and it stands for - Hello from Korea!

Yup, we just got here this afternoon and the weather is so chilly. I am not used to cold weather but I am loving it here so far.

I had my first nose bleeding episode already, probably due to the cold weather. We're all fine, tired and sleepy but excited too.

Tomorrow's agenda is just going around Seoul for sight-seeing. I am not sure about shopping because my budget is really tight. We passed by the night market in Myeongdong a while ago and I am so tempted to buy a "fake" Ugg boots. My daughter and I call the fake Ugg - Urgh! hahahaha, Honestly, I am not one to buy counterfeit items but if you see the fake Ugg, you cannot tell it is fake. I'll ask dear hubby to buy me one...hehehehe.

As for souvenir hunting, it's still early to look for that. I just want to enjoy and bask in this beautiful place.

Travelling Light

We have been travelling quite a lot as a family ever since my husband and I joined one of the most prestigious airlines company of the world.

I am really glad for the opportunity to work in the airline industry because we get to travel a lot. And because of that, we have learned the art of packing light and smart!

Tomorrow's our flight to Seoul, Korea and we're not packing a lot of clothes. Just a couple of shirts and thermal wears and a warm jacket or coat to combat the chilly weather. As for the footwear, a sneaker and a warm boots will do. The toiletries are all small, carry-sizes and few undies. It is a short vacation so we can't carry a lot of unwanted stuff. Who knows, we may even carry more when we come back because of the numerous street markets in Seoul!

Going To Korea!!!

I am so excited! This is our first time to visit Korea. We just got our visas and raring to go...but not just yet! My leave does not happen until the end of the month so I have few more days to bear and grin it in the office.

I have been researching about the country since 2008 when we initially planned to go there instead of Europe. However, the lure of Germany and Italy were overpowering the charming country of Korea. So we decided to wait for some time. Then recession came but thank goodness, we managed to visit the great USA even before the peak of recession took its bite.

We still have cancelled a lot of planned trips after that. We were supposed to visit the US again last January but called it off due to an unexpected circumstance surrounding my passport. So, for 2010, our annual family trip will be in the beautiful country of South Korea. This time there will be no shopping involved because our budget is very, very tight. It will be plain sightseeing and relaxation only. This trip, by the way, is an all-expense-paid trip of my hubby for us. He knows I am so stressed so he is treating me and our daughter there. 

Korea, 우리가 간다!!! ( <---- Got that from the internet...hehehe). It says - Korea, here we come!