I made it to the airport no problems and went to the departures area as I already had my boarding card from this morning when I had arrived. The airport train doesnt go direct to the airport but you have to get off two stops early where there is a branch line that goes via the expo centre.

Singapore was a nice airport to sit and rest for a while with lots of free internet terminals everywhere. I had emailed the strange guy from the Medan airport train to say sorry we had missed each other but he never responded.

I also wanted to change the $8SGD I had left to Korean Won which worked out to about 6,800w ($6). They said they didnt have anything smaller than a 10,000w so I would have to do it when I arrived.

At the departure gate I was the only foreigner on a flight full of Koreans. When boarding they all stood there like a lost flock of sheep even though the same standard announcements were being made in English that would be made on any Korean flight for business class first followed by special needs then economy back rows.

On the flight the lady next to me asked for a breathing mask then made sure that my blanket wasnt touching her.

I hadnt bought dinner hoping to be served on the plane as I'm usually stuffed when they serve a double meal when you have just eaten. They didnt serve anything and I had to sit there hungry for 4 hours but managed to get to sleep

Around 4am before landing they served breakfast with eggs, potatoes, and baked beans. On landing I was so tired I slept right thru it. The bus to Daegu I slept for another 3 hours.

The heat in Korea was different when I arrived. Even though it was mid 30s I was able to walk outside everyday during my trip. In Korea its more humid and feels like standing in front of a hair dryer.

Some reflections on my trip....

Malaysia... I had been to Kuala Lumpur, Putra Jaya, and Melaka in 2008 so was doing the outer areas on Borneo Island and the mainland north of KL. The image we have of it being a 'Muslim majority country' is not true as I saw so many Hindu, Buddhist, Christian, and even Sikh places of worship everywhere. Everyone seems to get along in such close proximity to each other.

Penang was certainly a delight and almost a mini tour of Asian Buddhism. It seems every sect of Buddhism from every Asian country was represented, again ironic for what is perceived as a "muslim country"

As to ESL teaching jobs, this was a British Colony and English is still an official language. I didnt see any need for teachers and I hardly see job postings for Malaysia

Brunei.... This was the ultimate destination I wanted to reach and had to plan a whole trip around it as it so hard to reach. It did seem a bit of a disappointment with the way buses ran particularly when I had arrived at the airport. It is a very sleepy backwater that happened to strike it rich with oil, perhaps how Dubai was 30 years ago. I have seen postings for ESL teachers but I could not live there long term.

Indonesia... this was my second time having been to Yogyakarta, Borobudr, Parambian, and Jakarta on Java Island back in 2008. It was incredibly cheap and I should have planned to stay longer and do more exploring. Your money certainly goes a lot further but the smog was getting to me even after just a day that I was there.

Singapore... This was a layover just to connect me back to my flight home. I did 3 days in Singapore in 2008 so had no desire to back but by cashing air miles I had a free flight to Singapore so decided to spend a day. I didnt get to do anything new like biking on the outer island or visiting the bird sanctuary. I did discover a few new things and Singapore is worth a second look if I spent more time and money but I doubt I will come back again if I leave Asia. Again there was incredible religious diversity so close together in every country.

This was the last leg of my stint in Asia as I'm not renewing my contract in Korea end of August. Next I will spend two months in Europe and maybe its time to call it quits after that as I reach 50 countries visited but who knows...