KARAOKES, CINEMAS, and PC rooms are some of the most frequently visited places by Koreans who want to have fun with friends, family, or other acquaintances. Besides such temporary entertainment activities, people plan for vacations or holidays to take a break from their busy lives. Such enjoyment may seem like a trivial matter, but it is crucial in that it can provide the energy to work and relieve the stress built up during our everyday lives. The Yonsei Annals discussed entertainment and recreational activities with students from France, Indonesia, Slovenia, and Thailand.

Annals: What are some recreational activities children do in your country?

Om: A lot of children play this game with five stones. You have to throw a stone in the air while you grasp the other four stones on the floor (Also called Gong-gi in Korean). Another common childhood game is Dod-ngnang, for which we use ropes made out of elastic bands. Kids gather six to ten people and divide them into two teams. When one team plays, two people from the other team hold the rope. The details of the rules are set by the children and change according to the levels.

	Om (Thailand)

Jeremie: I don't think we have a unique game that we played during childhood. One thing I remember is children collecting little pieces of cardboards called "Pogs" with drawings on them. These are expensive, but children feel content as they collect these little circular cards with drawings.

Simon: It's a shame that the diversity of childhood games is decreasing as more and more children stay home to play computer or video games. But still, many children go sliding in Slovenia because it has a cold winter and a lot of snow. Our country has a special sliding device that looks like one wide ski; we also have sliding competitions.

Nie Nie: From the night - 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. - to the next morning, Mamaks (Indians of Muslim faith) open food-stalls on the street. Many students go there and watch football games, and have birthday parties, etc. It is a unique "night-eating" culture common for many people in Malaysia.

	Nie Nie (Malaysia)

Please tell us about the party and drinking culture of your country.

Om: In Thailand, drinking is regarded as a really bad habit, especially for women. In general, drinking is considered  as a social evil, so it's hard to see people enjoying drinking in Thailand.

Nie Nie: Many Malay people are Muslims by birth, so they can't drink alcohol. (I only learned about drinking cultures when I went to England and then came to Korea for studying) Also, by law, not every place can sell alcohol. Unlike in Korea, you cannot find alcohol in convenience stores like 7- Eleven or Family Mart, so even if you go out to Mamak stalls, alcohol is not available. Only pubs or clubs are authorized to sell alcohol.

Jeremie: Inviting friends home is common in France because the restaurants are very expensive. They cost about ￦25,000 per person. We go out eating about once a week. But students drink a lot in France, more than when they work. They drink wine with meals and beer afterwards, because it is cheap. Since many clubs are free on Thursdays, student parties are often held on Thursdays, so I have seen a lot of students fall asleep during class on Fridays.

	Jeremie Comte (France)

Simon: Teenagers drink a lot, especially during puberty. The official age you are allowed to drink is 18, but nobody really regulates teenagers from drinking. I think students drink the most, but then it depends on what kind of people you hang out with and how strict your parents are. For example, farmers in Slovenia are known for drinking a lot. Most of the time, men drink beer, and women, who may prefer something more sophisticated, drink cocktails or wine. Sometimes, we drink a mixture of coke and red wine, called "Bamboo" if translated into English.

Nie Nie: Nobody takes subways or buses in Malaysia, unlike Koreans do. Since people all have cars, it's much easier for them to invite friends to their houses and ask them to bring drinks.

Please tell us about your trips during weekends or vacations.

Jeremie: The possibility of weekend trips depends whether one lives in the countryside or the city. Even though people have a driving license, they often don't drive because the traffic jams are too bad. In fact, many don't even own cars, so it's not common to go on weekend trips for Parisians; they are stuck in Paris.

Nie Nie: We definitely go on trips during vacations because flights are very cheap in Southeast Asia. There is an airline called Air Asia, where flights are available at about ￦10,000. We often go to Singapore and Thailand because we don't need passports when going there. If we were to go outside of Asia, Australia and New Zealand would be the most visited places. Melbourne especially, a city in Australia, is considered a mini-Malaysia, and is the cheapest among Western countries. In fact, there are many Malay students studying and living in Melbourne.

	Simon Kocbek (Slovenia)

Om: I think Thai families can be grouped into two kinds: the conservative and the liberal. My family is a bit conservative so I am not allowed to go on trips overseas with my friends during the vacation. But I often visit the suburbs of Bangkok, the capital city of Thailand, with my friends.

Jeremie: During the vacation, many French people go to the South, where the climate is different from the Northern part of France. The South has a Mediterranean climate, which is similar to that of Spain and Italy. It's very hot and many festivals are held. As an overseas destination for vacations, many students prefer Spain, Italy, and the Netherlands, since the atmosphere in these countries is very different from that of France. Also, many people visit Germany for Oktoberfest. Similar festivals are held in June in Spain and Southwest France, which are great tourist attractions. One of the most famous events there is the bull-fight. Also, after many Eastern European countries joined the European Union in recent years, many people started visiting these because they are very cheap.

Simon: Summer vacations are long in Slovenia, and many people visit Croatia, a country just south of Slovenia. But younger people who prefer more exotic destinations usually go to Spain. Greece and Cuba are popular destinations for students who have just graduated college. But many people just stay in Slovenia because it has a very diverse countryside with mountains (the Alps) and sea.
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Life cannot always be entertaining. Even the happiest-looking people have their own worries and difficulties when living their lives. Since blissful moments do not last forever, it is important to know how to enjoy the precious moments of your life, or else you will lead a very depressing life in which you cannot resolve mental stress or agonizing memories. Increase your chances of having a joyful life by learning about various recreations and entertainment sources from different countries!