As Koreans like to say: “Have you worked worked too much? You’ve earned a trip!”
Samhwa employees meet up to talk about their upcoming summer vacations.
It was a bright summer afternoon and the temperature was still rising. Lee Sang-hee, Director of the Color Design Center, met with Kim Hyo-jeong, a section manager at the same Center, along with Lim So-hee, a deputy manager at Samhwa, and Heo Hyun-ah and Jeong Da-ul, both deputy managers at SM2Networks, at a bistro in Nonhyeon-dong, Seoul.
Enjoying some good food and light-hearted laughter, the women talked in-depth about their summer vacations, past and upcoming.
Most Korean workers plan to travel on their summer vacations. Are there any particular destinations you remember fondly or that you’d recommend?
Lee Sang-hee
Phuket has been my favorite vacation destination. It was also my first-ever long-term trip, and I enjoyed my time there, feeling as if I’d gone back to my 20s.
Jeong Da-ul
I have a similar memory. Bali was the ultimate destination for me. It’s got the perfect resorts and hotels that would make any summer vacation a breeze. I’d sleep off the morning, get up and head down to a local restaurant for a hearty meal. Then I’d spend hours doing activities in the ocean. I’ve never had so much fun!
Lim So-hee
That’s why we go to these places on our holidays, right? My personal favorite is Ko Samui in Thailand, where you can both relax and do some water activities. I went there during the local full moon festival, and saw people from every part of the globe on their own getaways. I got swept up in the mood myself and had so much fun, forgetting all about my daily life.
Heo Hyeon-ah
It seems it’s the exotic vacations abroad that are the favorite memories here. Same for me. I went to Guam with some friends last winter. We all love the ocean, so we spent every waking hour on the beach. I’ll never forget how it felt to swim against the backdrop of a beautiful sunset on a private beach.
Kim Hyo-jeong
I understand the appeal of these exotic vacation destinations, but the most memorable trip I had involved a lot of difficulty. Back in my university days, a friend and I decided to travel the whole of Jeju Island with almost no money. Fifteen years have passed since then, but I still remember it like it was yesterday. We went everywhere around the island on the bus. One day, we hopped on a local one, asking the driver if the bus went to such-and-such a place. The place wasn’t on the bus’s fixed route, but the driver drove us there like he was a taxi, since there were no other passengers that day.
Share your tips on having a great vacation.
Lim
I try to eat what the locals eat wherever I travel. I also avoid eating to my heart’s content at any given place, so that I can visit multiple places to try all sorts of different food. My time there is limited, so I need to make the most of it! My next advice is to avoid trying to do everything you planned. I tried to do that myself, but it didn’t always end well.
Kim
I agree. It’s not a good idea to cram your schedule for a vacation, which is already too short for you to do a lot as it is. I try to be flexible, making sure I slot in a few hours here and there where there’s nothing specific I’m trying to do. We travel to new places to serendipitously see great things. Enjoying the natural flow at new places and chances is how I make special memories.
Heo
For those of you who cannot travel much during the summer holidays, I recommend filling a bucket with cold water and ice and putting your feet in it. You’ll be chilled to the core of your brain! That’s something we can do only in the summer.
Lee
That’s right. We don’t always need to go somewhere to enjoy our summer breaks. I can easily escape reality by sitting down somewhere breezy and shady and reading a book that I’ve put off reading for a long time.
Jeong
Okay, for those of you who intend to stay home this coming summer, let me tell you how to find trending restaurants, since my job is to analyze social media trends. When using Naver.com, use the common phrases and expressions that influencers use to describe the restaurants that they really like, such as “return visit” and “choice of a lifetime.” You can also use Instagram hashtags, like “#GangnamStationRestos,” to view pictures others have posted of the yummy foods they had around Gangnam Station. Pick the image that appeals to you the most and check out its location tag to find where the restaurant is.
Lee
You’re free to decide how to spend your summer break. It’s not the same even among the few of us gathered here. What’s really important is to always remember to enjoy it, to live in the moment. That’s the surest way to enjoy summer.
Lee
(Director, Color Design Center)
“A special gift.”
Lee says she cannot travel far this summer as her child has entered Grade 11 and is preparing for the university entrance exam. But she hopes to visit Las Vegas someday.
Kim
(Section Manager, Color Design Center)
“A ‘pause’ button for a busy and hectic life.”
Kim plans to visit Busan this summer to go surfing for the second time in her life. She had quite the challenge learning the basics two years ago, but the memories of it have stuck with her ever since.
Heo
(Deputy, Management Support Team, SM2Networks)
“I love having fun!”
Heo says she’ll be heading down to Busan all by herself this summer as she could not time her vacation with her husband’s. Busan is her hometown, so she plans to eat lots of homecooked food prepared by her mother and see her childhood friends.
Jeong
(Deputy, Marketing Intelligence Team, SM2Networks)
“A magic potion that lifts me up.”
Jeong, also from Busan, says she’ll visit her hometown as well this summer to see her much-missed family.
She plans to find trending hot spots in Busan to visit and relax with her family.
Lim
(Deputy, Technical Service Team, Samhwa)
“The best reward I could give myself.”
Lim intends to have lots of family time on her summer break this year. She’s booked a kid-friendly “pension” (cottage resort) so her children will have fun while she enjoys a drink and relaxes next to them.
As Koreans like to say: “Have you worked worked too much? You’ve earned a trip!”
Samhwa employees meet up to talk about their upcoming summer vacations.
It was a bright summer afternoon and the temperature was still rising. Lee Sang-hee, Director of the Color Design Center, met with Kim Hyo-jeong, a section manager at the same Center, along with Lim So-hee, a deputy manager at Samhwa, and Heo Hyun-ah and Jeong Da-ul, both deputy managers at SM2Networks, at a bistro in Nonhyeon-dong, Seoul.
Enjoying some good food and light-hearted laughter, the women talked in-depth about their summer vacations, past and upcoming.
Most Korean workers plan to travel on their summer vacations. Are there any particular destinations you remember fondly or that you’d recommend?
Lee Sang-hee
Phuket has been my favorite vacation destination. It was also my first-ever long-term trip, and I enjoyed my time there, feeling as if I’d gone back to my 20s.
Jeong Da-ul
I have a similar memory. Bali was the ultimate destination for me. It’s got the perfect resorts and hotels that would make any summer vacation a breeze. I’d sleep off the morning, get up and head down to a local restaurant for a hearty meal. Then I’d spend hours doing activities in the ocean. I’ve never had so much fun!
Lim So-hee
That’s why we go to these places on our holidays, right? My personal favorite is Ko Samui in Thailand, where you can both relax and do some water activities. I went there during the local full moon festival, and saw people from every part of the globe on their own getaways. I got swept up in the mood myself and had so much fun, forgetting all about my daily life.
Heo Hyeon-ah
It seems it’s the exotic vacations abroad that are the favorite memories here. Same for me. I went to Guam with some friends last winter. We all love the ocean, so we spent every waking hour on the beach. I’ll never forget how it felt to swim against the backdrop of a beautiful sunset on a private beach.
Kim Hyo-jeong
I understand the appeal of these exotic vacation destinations, but the most memorable trip I had involved a lot of difficulty. Back in my university days, a friend and I decided to travel the whole of Jeju Island with almost no money. Fifteen years have passed since then, but I still remember it like it was yesterday. We went everywhere around the island on the bus. One day, we hopped on a local one, asking the driver if the bus went to such-and-such a place. The place wasn’t on the bus’s fixed route, but the driver drove us there like he was a taxi, since there were no other passengers that day.
Share your tips on having a great vacation.
Lim
I try to eat what the locals eat wherever I travel. I also avoid eating to my heart’s content at any given place, so that I can visit multiple places to try all sorts of different food. My time there is limited, so I need to make the most of it! My next advice is to avoid trying to do everything you planned. I tried to do that myself, but it didn’t always end well.
Kim
I agree. It’s not a good idea to cram your schedule for a vacation, which is already too short for you to do a lot as it is. I try to be flexible, making sure I slot in a few hours here and there where there’s nothing specific I’m trying to do. We travel to new places to serendipitously see great things. Enjoying the natural flow at new places and chances is how I make special memories.
Heo
For those of you who cannot travel much during the summer holidays, I recommend filling a bucket with cold water and ice and putting your feet in it. You’ll be chilled to the core of your brain! That’s something we can do only in the summer.
Lee
That’s right. We don’t always need to go somewhere to enjoy our summer breaks. I can easily escape reality by sitting down somewhere breezy and shady and reading a book that I’ve put off reading for a long time.
Jeong
Okay, for those of you who intend to stay home this coming summer, let me tell you how to find trending restaurants, since my job is to analyze social media trends. When using Naver.com, use the common phrases and expressions that influencers use to describe the restaurants that they really like, such as “return visit” and “choice of a lifetime.” You can also use Instagram hashtags, like “#GangnamStationRestos,” to view pictures others have posted of the yummy foods they had around Gangnam Station. Pick the image that appeals to you the most and check out its location tag to find where the restaurant is.
Lee
You’re free to decide how to spend your summer break. It’s not the same even among the few of us gathered here. What’s really important is to always remember to enjoy it, to live in the moment. That’s the surest way to enjoy summer.
Lee
(Director, Color Design Center)
“A special gift.”
Lee says she cannot travel far this summer as her child has entered Grade 11 and is preparing for the university entrance exam. But she hopes to visit Las Vegas someday.
Kim
(Section Manager, Color Design Center)
“A ‘pause’ button for a busy and hectic life.”
Kim plans to visit Busan this summer to go surfing for the second time in her life. She had quite the challenge learning the basics two years ago, but the memories of it have stuck with her ever since.
Heo
(Deputy, Management Support Team, SM2Networks)
“I love having fun!”
Heo says she’ll be heading down to Busan all by herself this summer as she could not time her vacation with her husband’s. Busan is her hometown, so she plans to eat lots of homecooked food prepared by her mother and see her childhood friends.
Jeong
(Deputy, Marketing Intelligence Team, SM2Networks)
“A magic potion that lifts me up.”
Jeong, also from Busan, says she’ll visit her hometown as well this summer to see her much-missed family.
She plans to find trending hot spots in Busan to visit and relax with her family.
Lim
(Deputy, Technical Service Team, Samhwa)
“The best reward I could give myself.”
Lim intends to have lots of family time on her summer break this year. She’s booked a kid-friendly “pension” (cottage resort) so her children will have fun while she enjoys a drink and relaxes next to them.
Wall paint
친환경 벽지 페인트
