nami island with accidental friends

this lonely little man that had not gotten over christmas just yet, awaited for people to take a seat beside him and perhaps, join him in people watching (while reading a book?) on a cold day. in my earlier solo excursion, i just merely passed by him and paid respects by taking a photo but it seemed not enough for him -- given his poker face. wait, i'm completely out of my mind right now to think such a thing.

but little did i know that when i passed by him the second time, i was able to take a photo with him along with accidental friends. was that the little man's doing? i don't know. my disney-inspired mind can only wonder and shall i name him, pinocchio then?

in my return, "pinocchio's" euphoria was made apparent by a ribbon around his neck and a disturbing cut out in his bosom. yes dear pinocchio, i was with newfound friends, ready to take notice of your solitary plight.

onto my newfound friends, i briefly mentioned them in my previous post, also about nami island. however this time around, this post portrays that as if, i was never alone in going to nami because of how the budding rapport came through to the photos.

i am never a highly sociable person and that it takes a long while to topple the awkward barrier before i feel comfortable with someone. many, i haven't overcome the barrier up to this day and that's why, i'm only left with a handful of dear friends. of course, it doesn't mean i'm not nice to anyone. the word is in fact, part of my name and it's my constant reminder to do so.

i was getting the hang of taking a deluge of photos of the ubiquitous snow and just observing how the people who came in groups, were having such a grand time. i wasn't envious or anything because the major part of me is introvert that i can settle in watching people take the center stage and me, as the laid back audience. bravo to the beguiling actors in the world!

envy was the least of my concern because the dilemma who could take my photos, surfaced to be a bigger problem. although on second thought, being with others can be a solution to that.

as i momentarily watched the whole harmonious discord of people taking their photos, i again bumped into the three countrymen whom i first met during lunch. they were incredible people that they urged me to tag along, convincing me by laying out an ace card. well according to them, i should go with them so that i would have photos of myself. if there's one crystal clear of many filipinos when traveling, that will be taking photos almost endlessly -- not just the scenery or sights but of course, of ourselves! however, this is just a mere observation for i know, there are some who will beg to differ. fine.

something to shed light on such behavior is that we very much bank on good memories and what better way than having those still in photos!

i have no idea what these very conspicuous statues are supposed to be, other than the fact that they make an effective campaign for breastfeeding is best until the baby is 2 years of age. at first, we thought there was only the standing baby but to our surprise, there's also one at the back! how adorable!

taking a photo in the middle of the rows of redwoods without another human being in sight, became a frustration that the guy who was with us, shouted something in filipino and another surprise for us, that the group actually understood. mabuhay! above is a souvenir photo with that group. all of them work in south korea and with the lunar new year holidays, they surely made most out of it. well, i wasn't much more different from them.

it looked like we weren't the only ones with a photo session in mind but those korean girls as well. they even had matching teddy sweaters! this time, i was green with envy. how come i hadn't think of that? right, i forgot that i was alone in going to nami and i had no one to match my clothing with. lol

sonata café became the next agenda when the biting cold finally made its way to our shivering hands. unluckily, the endless photos were not enough to numb us from the subnormal temperature. however aside from coffee, there were also several campfires so that people could briefly feel the much needed warmth. one should be very careful though. we saw a woman who got off-balanced that she landed on the burning wood! good thing, someone had grabbed her instantly and she turned out alright.

'Coz we just had to take a photo with the ducks!

Igloo, Korean version?

Winter Sonata Photos

We, the girls were taking turns on plastering our face,
on top of the girl's face so that it looked like the guy and us were the couple.
Mine was bordering on shame that I posted this instead.

We should get an award for creativity.

You can actually use an arrow without a bow.

Unlike Cupid who only makes use of the bow to pierce through unsuspecting hearts.

Hotel at Nami Island. Oh, there's the father of the snowmen caught in the act!

Is that a baby bird pretending to be a snowman snowbaby?

Now these ones are the real birds. Ostriches!
Their feathers can sufficiently tide them over the cold! Amazing.

Ice sculptures. But of course.

Someone got really bored after drinking a LOT of soju.

Poem by General Nami cast on stone.

The welcome photo that we took on our way back.

my initial goal in heading to nami might be downright lame to a lot of you and that was to revel with the snow in its natural setting. yes, i was able to do just that but having met certain people whom i magically hit it off, was like an icing on top of the cake. it certainly made the whole experience extra special.

i sometimes get too sentimental that i had this bittersweet feeling when i part with the people whom i know there's a good chance of not seeing each other again. but i console myself with the thought of the moments no matter how brief they were, the stories, and the laughter we shared. i get by with daydreams and it's not hard for me to believe that when people come across your life, it happens for a reason.

Here's us!

And here's our extraterrestrial-looking ride that would take us
into our own individual lives. To which I say, carpe diem!

o-O