kimchii or something like it

Grateful^^

2011-12-31T23:00:00.000+09:00

The night before the big day, Asul excused himself, as we were about to sleep, to drink some water and go to the bathroom. It had already been like forever but he wasn't back to bed yet. I KNEW something was up cos I could hear some soft banging sound in the kitchen. I just asked what he was doing but I didn't get up to check up on him. I wouldn't want to spoil his "surprise" for me, would I? That would totally ruin everything. So I just let him do his thing. But I knew it has something to do with a candle and some song. So, in he went and there it was! Boy, was i not expecting it! I wonder where he's been seeing/reading this kind of stuff, cos I swear he's stepping it up every time.lol

It would have been sooooo much nicer though, if those candles were on top of something edible like a cupcake or something.haha (Now, I'm being a brat!) lol Nah, i'm just kidding. It actually made me giggle nonstop though for a minute or so before blowing out the candles. I don't know, but it's not just the candles or the song. But the thought that he'd tried to do something that was soooo not him is what I appreciate the most. (I discovered though that if you've been living together for so long, something that would have been romantic for me years ago, seems soooo cheesy now, i thought i was gonna throw up or something.hehe) But I still find it sweet ^^ AND the surprise cake the next early morning was a plus, too!

We really didn't do anything special on that day. It was just like any other day. Nobody even knew my birthday at work (unlike last year when a co-worker, who knew my birthday through fb, bought me my uber favorite egg tarts from Paris Baguette and had a card signed by the other teachers... just reminiscing.kkk) AND I don't have friends' greetings on my fb wall cos I was hibernating at that time.

But I realized, none of those really matter anymore. The thing is, when people around you and those who matter to you, whether you see them or you don't, in their very simple way, make you feel happy and loved...that's what's priceless^^ I feel so stupid that I had let the months pass being all so stressed, negative and mopey. Now, I feel like i'm ready to start anew.

I really hope to be a better person the year ahead of me (being a year older... and wiser, I hope! *fingers crossed*) AND for the coming new year, 2012. I hope to stay positive, happy and more grateful. There are just so many things to be thankful for and I hope I won't ever fall short of counting every blessing that God has given me.

Good-bye and thank you 2011!

To 2012, welcome! and what else can I say but bring it on!^^

Cheers!~

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T23:30:00.005+09:00

Gosh, how long has it been?

I just want to greet everyone a sweet little Merry Christmas. I hope you've all had a joyful, grace-filled, meaningful holiday~

God Bless you all! :)

Early fall invasion ^^

2011-07-12T00:30:00.002+09:00

Two of my friends (but we're still hoping there'll be three of them) are 'invading' us on their trip here in September... for one week! Isn't it exciting? The last time I saw them was when they sent me off as I was about to fly here in Korea and that was three years ago!

I sooooo can't wait! I already asked them the specific places they want to visit and the things they want to do and one of them literally, sent me a list which includes :

1) experience making kimchi with pink gloves and stuff
2) spend a night in a sauna wearing those pink uniforms and eating boiled eggs (isn't it obvious they watch a lot of dramas?kkk)
3) eat street food and drink soju in a tent
4) go to a hair salon together, the three of us looking like the 'ajummas' you can see in dramas
5) watch a movie in a cinema super early in the morning
6) go skiing early fall! (which means visiting Woongjin Playdoci Snowdoci an indoor ski resort, the first in Korea apparently)
7)visit drama locations
8) see Lee Minho (stalk was her term actually!lol)
9) see celebrities ... and probably anything that has to do with kpop and kdramas, heh!
The list was endless!^^

I'm still trying to organize our itineraries cos I want to make sure we can squeeze everything they want to do in a week.. and I'm pretty sure it'd be fine. My only problem is... where can we find Lee Minho?! Does anyone know? Help!kk^^

Chungjeon! (recharge)

2011-07-10T13:00:00.007+09:00

My brother sent me a message through ym asking why I am not on facebook. I told him it's been more than 3 weeks since I deactivated my account and I was like "... you've only realized now?!" Heh. and I remembered how I had teased him about remembering me only when he needed something.lol He's such a sweetie, though. :)

Gah! I miss my social life online but I realized it's good for me,too. Though I'm not really addicted to fb, it sometimes does get in the way when I'm doing much more important stuff (with my poor time management and all). I think it might take a while before I'd be in fb circulation again. Let's just say I'm in a deep summer slumber recharging *wink*

Chungjeon!^^

MBC Trick Art Special Season 2

2011-06-26T19:20:00.004+09:00

So, today is the last day of the Trick Art Exhibit at TechnoMart that Ms. Wendy posted about weeks ago. Asul and I have been planning to go there but it has been raining recently that we just opted to stay home.

Good thing though, another exhibit is opening soon! It's MBC Trick Art Special Season 2, from June 29 to August 18, 10am-7pm, at KINTEX in Ilsan. (Line 3, Dehwa station) Entrance fee is 12,000 KRW.

We were actually there last year but the line was toooooo long cos it was a weekend and errr... actually, we were late in the first place because of yours truly.kkk And so we just ended up having lunch there and then heading back home :( You can just imagine the i-told-you-so look Asul gave me the whole time.kk I hope we'll be early birds this time :)

Best Love is over :(

2011-06-26T19:10:00.001+09:00

MBC's Best Love/The Greatest Love aired its final episode last Thursday *sniff* Why so soon? I swear,this is one of my all time favorite dramas now. It was hilarious, heart-tugging and... addictive! (okay, maybe just a little. I just watched some episodes once or twice... so that's just a little.lol)

And speaking of addictive, I have been so addicted these days to listening to one of the drama's ost. It's "Take my Hand" by IU. I guess it's gonna be my ringtone for awhile :)

2011 G-Global Aviation

2011-05-07T23:30:00.001+09:00

Is it not a miracle when your Korean husband decides to take a day off??? That's just what mine did last Friday *wink* I was off from work the day after Children's Day and I was actually planning to go somewhere alone... but then Asul said he won't be going to work, either. And so we headed to Ansan, Gyeonggi province to see the aviation and aerospace exhibition.

The video below was the last part of the air show we saw for the day because the rest was cancelled due to the weather. I don't really know how to appreciate the 'art of flying' (if that's how you call it), but this one is sick... and I mean it in a freakingly awesome way ^^

Zoltan Veres, from Hungary, was the pilot of the plane. He is known for setting the world record in 2007 for executing 408 continuous rolls in an aircraft! Isn't it crazy?! ^^

There goes Mr. Awesome after the crazy ride^^

I was able to shake his hands but I wasn't able to take a picture with him! (Akapta, his smile looked charming pa naman.lol) *starstruck mode*

The following are just some of our pictures from the exhibition~

The 2011 G-Global Aviation is still running until May 10, Tuesday, 9am to 6pm.

On Health and Death

2011-05-05T12:53:00.008+09:00

I was thinking of something fun to write about, since it's Children's Day today here in Korea, but I'm just not in the mood to do so. For the past few days, I've had this recurring pain in my tummy but I opted not to see a doctor. Actually, I could go see a doctor alone, but I wanted Asul to go with me... and I knew he couldn't. So I decided to play doctor myself, heh. I just took some medicine: the ones we have at home,those from my boss and those my sister-in-law gave me (three different kinds, three days in a row)and today is the first morning I woke up with the pain all gone, thank God. I hope it stays away from me for good.

But before my tummy situation, I had already been feeling down since Saturday.

For one, the weather was so depressing, it was dark and rainy in Seoul that we couldn't go out and there was nothing to do.

Another was a very shocking news I read from fb. My high school senior passed away. He was barely 28. We were not really close friends. We just kind of knew each other way back though we did some school activities together like being in the school paper and stuff. But if someone, someone so young, was from the same hometown, went to the same elementary school, high school AND university, and you, more or less, know his family (his mom was a head teacher when I was in high school and his sister and I were in some organizations together), it is impossible not to be affected by what happened. My first question was WHY? He was very smart, creative and he was a born leader. He had a bright future ahead of him.It felt so surreal.

Death, and how and why it happens, is probably something I won't understand fully. All I could do, all we could do, is to live life the best we could cos we never know when our time will be. My heart goes out to his family. I share their grief and loss and I pray that he may now be resting in peace with our Creator.

The last post

2011-03-14T00:30:00.007+09:00

...that I'm writing at our soon-to-be-former apartment, that is. ^^ We're moving out you see, on Tuesday (tomorrow technically) yey! finally. For weeks I had been busy "thinking" how to sort our things.. and it was only for the past three days that I ACTUALLY did something to get rid of our unnecessary stuff.hehe The place we're moving to though is not somewhere far... it's just a 5-minute-walk from where we live now.Heh! so much for a 'new' environment.. but still, isn't it exciting?

And so I just wanna share the first thing that will pop out my head whenever I would think about our first haven. aw. lol

it's our 3rd year wedding anniv last feb 16 ^^

I was sooo not expecting anything for our anniv this year (just sayin' kkk) and it shows, when there are no expectations, the reward is priceless *wink*

I was hurrying home cos I was so excited to give my gift to Asul. A nice wallet to replace his ancient one. Asul was there already when I got home but he didn't let me in and asked me to wait for a while. sigh* soooo Asul-ish! How can I be surprised if I already know that I WILL be suprised? ^^ Minutes had passed and I was literally freezing cos of the negative something temperature. I phoned him and even knocked on the door several times as if to say "I'm freezing out here. What the hell are you doing!?" What a way to start the evening! lol The frown on my face was wiped away instantly though when he opened the door and I saw the dim light and this...

I swear, my jaw dropped and my mouth was open the whole time.lol I was so speechless I couldn't say anything. Instead, like my reaction to anything 'extreme' like this. I just cried. OA? i know! it's so me. ^^

and with this?...

AW. He told me the heart could have been much bigger if didn't come so early. Yeah, I wanna say, it is soooo my fault. Why did I come so early?! lol tsk tsk the bigger heart would have been so much nicer.hihi

We didn't have picture together cos my digicam's batt was dead and we couldn't use the tripod (why oh why? moment pa naman eto.lol)

I was actually thinking of going to my our favorite Japanese restaurant near our area to have dinner but Asul had a different idea. He bought this box of 'chobab' for 10,000 won in Emart and we just ate them at home (with the puso, the candles and the lobo) hehe

But hey, for those of you thinking "Asul is so sweet"... I had my share, too! ^^ Early morning of the day of our anniv, I suprised him with this couple pj's , forced him to put them on and have our picture taken (okay, that's probably a little cheesy ^^)

ANYWAY! Like what happens in probably any romantic movie behind-the-scenes... Asul also had some Blue-pers..kkk

there were 25 balloons and Asul, literally, blew them all up! He ordered them through the internet and the package, which arrived on the same day, didn't have the pump he bought with the candles and balloons!
he had to go out looking for ribbons in stores to tie the balloons cos he didn't have enough and ended up buying the costly ones.
he walked to Emart to buy 'chobab' which probably took more than 30 minutes back and forth
the double sided tape to stick the balloons to the ceiling was not strong enough which made them fall to the floor one by one... and he had to stick them all up again - you get the picture.lol
I arrived early which had him short of time in lighting up all of the candles

Poor Blue. No wonder he looked exhausted when I came home :(

sigh*

Isn't it the sweetest thing evah or what?^^

But you know what he told me before we went to sleep?

"Phoebe, let's just eat out for dinner next time, shall we?"

You don't have to read this...

2011-01-16T00:15:00.020+09:00

Cos it'll just bore you to tears.kkk I just want to list down some of the events in the latter part of 2010, which made the previous year one heck of a ride for me (just so I won't forget) =D

In random order:

1. North Korea's firing on Yeonpyeong Island (which had me preparing our important stuff in a bag just so we'd be ready to flee. seriously!)

2. Ako'y nawindang nang magamit ang aking fb account para mag-iwan ng di kanais-nais na mensahe sa taong super nice naman sakin :( (sorry, kelangan talaga Tagalog!kk) Mahabang salaysayin. I had to deactivate my account tuloy for awhile.

3. A friend said she's getting married! (totally out of the blue. kalurkei!)

4. A news about a preggy friend got me worried :( Thank God she's okay.

5. Went to a place more than two hours away from Seoul, alone.

6. Another friend is getting married! (i was kind of anticipating it already.... it was just sooner than i expected)

7. My birthday! (this one deserves a nice single post, donchathinkso?)

8. Had one of the busiest time ever, I never knew I could be THAT productive (and that I COULD be workaholic when I WANT to!kk)

9. A friend had a layover here in Korea. We only had enough time to visit one place and we chose to go to Namsan Tower.

10. Some decisions had to be made.

Dude, what's up?

2011-01-01T19:20:00.002+09:00

I was thinking of how to greet you guys a Happy New Year when a friend posted this on FB. You've probably seen this on TV already. Naaliw lang ako,hehe Nangyari na ba sa inyo to? :D

And so as 2011 starts, remember to LIGHTEN UP! (I myself BADLY need to lighten up^^)

A prosperous and fun-filled 2011 to everyone!

Lee Ji Min is KNTM 2010 Winner

2011-01-01T19:00:00.001+09:00

I know, I know. I should have posted this ages ago (i've been meaning to, really!) I just couldn't find time to do so. I just noticed a lot of people stumble into my site by searching for Korea's Next Top Model... and i feel guilty they don't find anything useful.kkk So here it is!

LEE JI MIN is Korea's Next Top Model!

Korea's Next Top Model Top 3. From L-R. KIM NA RAE, LEE JI MIN (winner) and LEE YOO KYUNG. If you want to see more pictures of the behind the scenes, you may click here. This one was during the final runway show.

You can also check out all of the KNTM Cycle Cycle 1 contestants' pictures from the photoshoots of all of the episodes here.

Happy CHRISTmas! ^^

2010-12-25T20:30:00.001+09:00

So! i don't want to let this day pass without extending my warmest greetings (though it's literally freezing outside!) I realized it's been more than a month since my last post and i swear! we seriously have A LOT of catching up to do (well, at least between me and those who are regularly visiting.hehe) But let's just save it for later, shall we?

It's my third christmas here and this is the first time that I wasn't able to prepare anything for our noche buena:( I got home from work 9:30pm and I was sooo tired that I didn't feel like cooking anymore. LUCKILY, and to my surprise, Asul (who, i must admit, is "learning" pretty fast *wink*) bought this adorable Christmas cake from Paris Baguette.

I've long been finding some 'excuse' to buy this kind of cake since I saw the one Cher gave Jehan for her baby shower.hehe (nainggit?lol) It's pretty expensive you know. Not the type that you can buy cos of whim.kkk But NOW it turned out, i don't need any excuse anymore:) The downside though is that I found it hard to actually eat it cos I was only like staring at it the whole time.Heh! And Asul and I were like arguing who's gonna dig in first cos neither of us wanted to!LOL

And before midnight, I called my family back home and I was sooooo envious they were having such a great time and I wondered when I'd be with them on this holiday. *sniff*

But then, a post from FB reminded me something. It's not MY birthday. It's Jesus Christ's special day. And though it's important for families to be together, the true essence of CHRISTmas is Jesus Christ...the realization of God's promise to us. and HE should be the center of today's celebration ^^

And so! Happy CHRISTmas everyone!

20/15

2010-11-12T08:00:00.006+09:00

... is now my colleague's vision after undergoing LASEK (laser epithelial keratomileusis) eye surgery. He opted for this instead of LASIK (laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis) because of its advantages like less (or no) eye dryness and less post-operative pain. It cost him around 1.7M KRW or approximately 1,500 USD.

I asked him about it cos, now, I can actually relate to it... kkk Having such a poor vision myself. But it's not THAT terrible (or that's what I'm just telling myself:) I can still go through my routine without glasses (though with difficulty cos I keep on squinting every now and then.)

I got my first prescription two years ago but being the stubborn me, I refused to wear the glasses cos I found them bothersome. So, I just put them on when I feel like using them. (pasaway!) And using contact lenses is out of the question. (I just can't... though I find choosing the ones with nice colors so tempting.kk) And So! last month, when I had an eye check up again, I was told that my vision got even worse especially in my right eye. tsk tsk tsk My lenses had to be changed and I was advised to use my glasses ALL of the TIME. NOOOoooooooo. :(

Wouldn't it be nice if, through LASEK or LASIK, I don't have to wear glasses anymore? But the thing is (1) We definitely have NO budget for that! and (2) I'm a scaredy cat! What if something went wrong? Though I've heard how safe it is (two of my co-workers had it... and some relatives of a Korean teacher, too... and they are all okay:) I still can't bear the thought of someone or something "poking" into my eyes.lol

Would you have it? I think I'd stick to my glasses :)

11.11

2010-11-11T01:30:00.006+09:00

... is Peppero day! :)

Last Sunday, I saw a little girl, probably a 4-year-old, hugging a humongous box of peppero on my way to the supermarket. I casually told Asul about it when I got back home and reminded him NOT to give me any peppero anymore cos it's only for kids. (what am I? a 4-year-old?.......-ish?)haha LOL but of course, anybody can have peppero! It was just my way of saying that Peppero day is coming and that he should feel free to give me any treats *wink*

However, I was still surprised when he handed me the exact same gigantic box of peppero when I got home Tuesday night! (like there's gonna be a peppero shortage or something so we have to stock up)lol

How I wish the chocolate coated cookie sticks inside were like baguette in size!lol Instead, inside the box were 36 regular-sized boxes of three different kinds of peppero... almond, chocolate-filled and original peppero:)

Happy peppero day! :)

Time Check

2010-10-30T01:02:00.006+09:00

...it's already 1:02am and I'm still waiting for Asul who, when I called 30 minutes ago, was still in a meeting! Kumusta naman? I was about to pick a fight over the phone (and was about to ask if he's just fed up with me so he doesn't want to come home or he just doesn't love me anymore... okay, that's just me overreacting:) when he said, "So, should I just go to work tomorrow instead?" (which is, of course, my edited version of his question.lol) Tomorrow? (I mean today, technically) Oh, no. Work on weekends is a big NO for me. So, I automatically shut my mouth and the argument was finished before it even started :)

... it's Saturday again and I can't even remember what happened this week! But believe me, it was chaotic! We had Halloween Party, Thursday and Friday at the hagwon and the only things stuck to my mind were me being a witch and the zombies. But that's another story :)

... it's almost November and I'm close to having a big ZERO under the October post.

... it's gonna be Christmas again in like.. two minutes? (i mean, seriously. where's all the time going?) and I'm wondering when I will be spending it again with my family back home. *sniff*

... it's been more than two years and my Korean is still bad as ever. (All that probably improved was the number of k-dramas and programs I've watched and the k-pop artists I know.kk)

... it's been more than two years but Little Park still seems very distant :C *sigh*

Time Check. Asul's not home yet and my eyes are drooping and I could be sleeping any moment. Hmmm... shall I change the security lock number before I sleep so he won't be able to get in? (naku, tulog-mantika pa naman ako! lol) Just a thought. haha :)

Losing My Mind

2010-09-06T00:50:00.003+09:00

The song in the video below is Lee Seung Gi's "Losing my Mind", ost of SBS's My Girlfriend is a Gumiho shown every Wednesday and Thursday. I would've posted Lee Sun Hee's "Fox Rain" (which is my phone's current ringtone,hehe) but I can't find a nice video. Anyway...

I freakin' love this show! If cuteness and sweetness overload were deadly, Asul's probably a widow by now.haha I may be kinda childish, but what the heck, i'm 14! lol

Trivia: MGIG's writers, the Hong sisters, are also the ones behind You're Beautiful (2009) which I've watched a couple of times (errr... make that 3 times, but hey! that's including the time when it was still being aired :)

Okay, now i'm officially teenager again :)

Fun stuff

2010-09-06T00:30:00.000+09:00

It was weeks ago when we went to Hyewa, where Filipinos gather for the Sunday mass and the open market, and saw these cool stuff in Hyewa station.

There's a digital photo zone where you can take as many pictures as you want, as long as nobody's queueing in or they're gonna kick your b*tt.lol They're for the public, you know :) And then you can send the pictures taken to your email. There are also ones which have the neighborhood map, subway map and other informative stuff :)

Asul was typing in his wish on the wishing balloon. Well, what can I say?! Times have changed indeed! We don't even have to fish some coins out of our pockets and throw them into some stagnant pond or something.lol :)

Kal Guksu

2010-08-24T23:30:00.002+09:00

Last Saturday, we went to a cellphone store near our place to replace my 4-year-old cellphone! (Well, actually, we'd been together for just more than 2 years cos my nephew's its former owner.)

It was a sort of bribe from hubby cos we didn't get to go ANYWHERE this summer. And besides, we'd been planning to buy a new phone for quite sometime. Okay, now im being defensive. The thing is, it was pretty expensive and I feel guilty about that. And it's by far the most high tech phone i've ever owned (can you blame me??? I didn't even experience a camera phone back home). So... justified? lol Anyway, i'm so enjoying it now... and asul? Well, when i saw him the moment I woke up Sunday morning, he was already tinkering the applications he downloaded the day before.haha (wow, my intro's quite long! the title should've been "kal guksu and cell phone" lol)

We headed to the "Kal Gugsu" restaurant afterwards.

"Kal" means knife and "guksu" is noodles. So literally, it's knife-noodles. :) It actually consists of handmade, knife-cut wheat flour noodles served with broth and other ingredients (do I sound like cookbook now?) lol

This is "bori bap" or barley rice which was served first. I don't normally like boiled rice with other stuff but this one's really good. You can put "gochujang" or red pepper paste in it if you want it a bit spicy.

And this is my favorite "jeon" in the whole wide world! It's "haemul jeon" or seafood pancake. It costs 8000KRW. The right side's a bit weird cos asul and I accidentally poked our chopsticks on the same part, ready to devour this thing. And that's when I gasped, "Wait! I need some documentation! LOL

And this is Kal Guksu. "Haemul Kal Guksu" or Seafood Noodle Soup to be precise. This much is 12000KRW, enough for two:) I was not after the noodles actually.lol I just sucked up the seafood! I love it anyways.

After the satisfying lunch, (you don't mind if go beyond kal guksu, do you? lol), Asul asked me if I wanted some bread from Tous Les Jours. But they don't have the egg tarts that I frequently buy in Paris Baguette. So I suggested we go to PB instead. (These are all only a stone throw away from our apartment by the way! Including the Kal Guksu restaurant. Don't you just love it?:) So we went straight to PB, which was the first time for ASul to see! I mean, honestly! And you call yourself a resident here?!lol Anyway, I had my tart and we stayed there for an ice cream.:)

We headed home after... HHWW. LOL (nah, we just headed home.haha And spent a lazy afternoon together:)

It was a perfect Saturday:)

I Heart Sindang-dong

2010-08-07T13:00:00.003+09:00

Craving for something hot and spicy? feeling for a rice cake? Why not try Tteokbokki? LOL

Corny? I know!haha I'm sorry I just don't know how to start off this post :)

It was last weekend when we went to Sindang-dong to get my phone (I left it in my friend's car when I visited her family. Luckily, she was working on a Saturday somewhere in Sindang, so Asul and I decided to go to her place to pick it up.) It was like an hour away from our house.

Apparently, there's also a famous area here called "Sindang-dong Tteokbokki Town" which is, obviously, known for "tteokbokki" or hot and spicy rice cake. So we agreed to have lunch there before heading to my friend's place.

We took subway line 6. You'd see this kind of map in all of the subway stations so you won't be wondering where on earth you are. If you're like me... with no sense of direction, trust me. It'd be useful:)

A lot of the subway stations are quite big and they have several exit gates. If you're planning to go to this tteokbokki town, you'd have to get out of exit 8.

We just walked straight a bit when we got out of the station. Turned left and walked some more. We didn't see the area right away and I was kinda panicking cos all I saw were restaurants for "tang", "guk" (which are basically soup!) and others.

"Where's tteokbokki?!" I asked Asul. And before I started nagging him again, this entrance arc came into sight. And he gave me a look as if saying "See?!"

The first restaurant we saw on the left was the original tteokbokki shop according to Asul. But it was full! And there's a queue of people waiting for empty tables. So we settled into "I Heart Sindang-dong" (It's supposed to be literally a heart shape but I don't know how to make one, pano ba?:)

Anyway, here's the menu. Gosh, it still gives me headache just to see korean text. So I just feasted my eyes on the pictures and asked Asul instead:) We ordered the one on top. It costs 10,000KRW for two. And you may have additional stuff like fish cake, ham etc. We requested for cheese tteok or cheese rice cake and we paid 3,000KRW for that.

Here's the Sindang-dong Tteokbokki the moment it was served.

And this is to show how big the serving was compared to Asul's tummy (would you believe he tried to go on a diet cos he got so conscious about his "big" stomach!? ooopps, THAT was supposed to be a secret *wink* :)

And here it is after a while:) It was bloody red (-ish.. more like orange:) but it was not as spicy as I expected it to be. Or my spicy food tolerance has just dramatically improved? It was pretty good, though. A bit sweet,too.

*sigh*

It's a rainy Saturday and I suddenly want one again :)

certified

2010-08-05T22:20:00.002+09:00

cry-baby.

okay. okay. i'm definitely NOT a baby. but I certainly cry. A LOT, i guess. (and not in a cute way,lol... in a messy sort of way:)

anyway, sorry, i just HAD to post this cos i don't want to talk to myself. My clock says 10:05 and I've just arrived home.

You see, I was on the bus home and it stopped in one of the bus stops. And there was this really tall man with a backpack jogging a bit to catch up with my bus. It was funny cos he reminded me of my father. Just a bit chubbier. The driver was probably having second thoughts if he was gonna ride or not cos the bus was like going and stopping and going and stopping.. if you know what I mean. Eventually, the man was able to get on and I realized the only empty seat was the one beside me (which he surprisingly occupied). And the thing was, the moment he sat down, tears welled up my eyes (now you'd think i'm a psycho!kkk but believe me it's kinda normal. lol ask my close friends:) I just couldn't help it. And so I had to cover my face with my hair as if I was Sadako or something so people won't think i'm insane. stupid tears.

It's just that I suddenly remembered the time when my dad would send me and my mom off in a bus terminal in Manila to go to our hometown. Cos we used to visit him in his workplace somewhere in the city. I was little then (when I so hated riding the bus cos I got so dizzy and threw up all the way home... ok, you don't need to know that) We would wave at each other when the bus was about to drive off and he would sort of walk with the bus to get a glimpse of me and my mom.

bottom line. i just miss my dad. I miss his tall figure and how he would tease me when I tried to fix myself like a lady when I was young. And i feel sad knowing i don't have the chance to see him anymore. I want to believe he can see me, though. and i hope he's taking care of me,too.

it's his birthday this month, by the way. So, i guess this would just be my "happy-birthday-Dad post" :)

Heuk-doe-ji

2010-07-29T20:00:00.003+09:00

Did you miss me? I missed me too!LOL (as if!) I missed blogging,I mean:)

So, it seemed like I didn't do anything but eat last weekend. On Saturday, we treated my niece and nephew for dinner with Naeng-myun (cold noodles), which Koreans like to eat in the midst of the summer heat. And on Sunday, Asul and I had a lunch date in Heuk-don-ka (흑돈가), a newly opened restaurant near our apartment.

The restaurant's specialty is heuk-doeji gogi or Jeju black-pig pork which is a famous dish in Jeju Island.

Trivia: Heuk-doeji was also called "ddong doeji" or "dung pig" cos long time ago, people in the island used to raise pigs in a pigpen near their toilet! (now, you've probably lost your appetite,lol erase.. erase.. erase:)

Anyway! So here's a picture taken as we were walking to the restaurant.. I so love our neighborhood! There are lots of places to dine in and it's very convenient. I'm afraid we'd be leaving this place in a few months though... but that's another story :)

And here's Heuk-don-ka! Two floors are for dining in. Pretty big,huh?! A restaurant called Ocean Star used to occupy this place and we had never tried it... even once. I just used to stare at it longingly whenever I passed by.lol

It was around 2pm when we got in and there were just a few customers. The place was surprisingly jam packed though when we left (i didn't even notice people were coming in... i was so engrossed with eating.. lol

We were on table 2! Big restaurants usually have this buzzer, bell, whatever, for when the customers need anything *easy peasy* :)

The text on the paper basically explains the best way to eat the pork... like put some salt and... err, sorry, I barely finished reading despite Asul pushing me to go through the whole thing for my Korean. What the...?! I was here to eat! lol

Love this "mul kimchi" or water kimchi! And they especially added ice since it was so hot outside.

We ordered two types of pork. This is "hwang-je-sal" or the pig's neck part. This much costs 15,000KRW. It's delicious but i think it's just quite similar to the meat we usually eat when we have samgyeobsal.

and this is heuk-doeji gogi! Now, THIS. Was. Yummy! I've had this when we were in Jeju Island but it was still like the first time for me. A chunk which was a bit longer than the one you can see on the left costs 14,000KRW. It was juicy and tasty. So glad I don't have hypertension or something (yet!) Gosh, I love being young. :) haha I probably ate more than Asul did.

And this is what I love about eating out. My husband DOES the cooking! Actually, it's kinda traditional. Korean men are usually the ones doing stuff like this when outside. (pordat, could we just eat out every single day? pretty please?:)

(Btw, see the shirt he's wearing? I got it from Bang Bang and it's the exact same shirt Lee Minho was wearing in his image on the paperbag they were giving away!lol wala lang. :)

LSS... ulet :)

2010-06-26T12:30:00.005+09:00

I've heard this song from a cf on tv and it had been stuck in my mind again for awhile. (I notice I'm sooo prone to lss these days. I swear I was singing a line from Yeng Constantino's "Hawak Kamay" over and over two days ago!)

Anyway, I just posted this video since (1) The song Smile Boy, made by KB Banking Group and sung by Lee Seung Gi and Kim Yuna, is one of the songs expressing support to the Korean Team in the ongoing FIFA 2010 World Cup... which the koreans are uber crazy about! (2) Lee Seung Gi, singer, and Kim Yuna figure skater look cute in this video (3) Lee Seung Gi's smile just melts me into jelly (dontchathinkso?!) kkk

Oh, the Korean team will be playing Uruguay tonight, and guess what? We'll be watching it in Lotte Cinema (which i've never ever done back home just to watch Manny Pacquiao's match)!lol I can't believe we'd actually be paying 10,000 won for a ticket! I told Asul I wanted to go to Seoul Plaza to have the ultimate cheering exprience but he said it'd be hard to go home since it'd be midnight and we don't have a car. AND he doesn't like anywhere too crowded! hmmp! killjoy. haha

ANYWAY! DaeHanMinguk fighting! :)

of a pink table and yoda

2010-06-12T16:15:00.008+09:00

My SIL is the sweetest. A few weeks ago, despite the rain, she delivered the table she promised to make for me. Well, she didn't really MAKE the table, if you know what I mean. She painted it! :)

Have I mentioned she's an artist? When I first saw her apartment, most of their furniture have her touch. And they're beautiful! Asul was so urging me to be her sister's apprentice (since she's an expert at painting AND she's done things like sewing, quilt making, dyeing clothes..) You know, like, she could be like Yoda to me or something.lol Cos he's always had this vision that in the future, I'll be the one making all the stuffs at home. Mind you, he is sooo into that idea. Well, good luck with that!haha :)

So! Back to the table. It wasn't painted yet when we were living together with SIl and her hubby. But she promised to give it to me when she's done with it (I bet she just squeezed it in her busy schedule) I tried NOT to get excited when I saw the pink table they were taking out of the trunk of the car. So I said, "Aww, Hyung nim! (which is the way we call an older sil) You didn't have to bring it all the way from your apartment." (but i said it in all honesty... which is true! promise!kkk) And I said thank you and it's so "yeppeuda" (pretty).

Here it is... Asul can't help laughing when I immediately placed my laptop on the table (I told him, it's only for MY laptop and sorry his ancient one can't be on it.lol) For about thirty minutes or so, I sat in front of the table trying to feel the good vibes of it or something. Btw, the whole "everything pink" theme wasn't planned. I just noticed it when I was about to take a picture:)

And speaking of paintings, this one was, ehem... made by yours truly.haha I got to attend folk art class with SIL's teacher when I was still bumming a few months ago. It was only a once a week class and I didn't expect I'd get a job sooner so I wasn't able to make more stuffs. Gosh, it was so hard to make the two flowers identical. And I suck at mixing the colors. AND the leaves look like mangoes (or worse, tamarind!) To think that I spent a lot of time practicing the brush strokes on a paper.lol

I had a blast doing it, though. And I might do it again when I have time :)

pissed off = productive

2010-05-30T19:00:00.002+09:00

Ever had the urge to do something when you're so sad, upset or angry other than wacking your pillows or hitting a punching bag? I just did.

I was soooo pissed off at Asul today (on a Sunday! Lord, pls forgive me). Let's just leave out the "why" question, shall we? Cos you'd probably side with Asul if I told you.lol And the thing is when I'm depressed or something, I have this habit of cleaning and fixing stuff at home.

I have probably turned the house upside down today. I started off in the bathroom. After that, I vacuumed and mopped the floor from the living room to the bedroom. Next, I scrubbed the tiles in the veranda. And then as if it's not enough, I headed to the kitchen sink and scrubbed it as well. I had the clothes spinning in the washing machine,too while I was doing all these chores. By the time I was almost done, the frown on my face was gone and I felt its muscles have also relaxed. That's when I thought, "NOW I'm feeling better." I turned around and saw the refrigerator as if it was saying "How about me?" and I thought "I'm back to my old self, I'd just deal with you next time, ok?!lols"

For the record, I'm not used to doing this much on a weekend!haha It's far different from how I imagine a weekend should be. But hey, it's not that bad. If not for me being pissed off, I wouldn't be this productive:)

We just had dinner by the way! and Asul rewarded me with sam gyup sal! :)

Who is Haechi?

2010-05-23T15:00:00.003+09:00

Asul finds it funny that I'd want to celebrate every single special occasion in the calendar (even the trivial ones like Peppero day) and, yes, even the ones that we have nothing to do with like "Children's day" which was on the 5th of May. Anyway! Why not do something special (i mean, something ELSE other than staying at home) since it's a holiday?! :)

And so on "Children's" day, we went to Ttukseom Resort which is along Han Gang or Han River for a picnic! The place was uber crowded as expected but it wasn't that hard to find a spot to spread our mat cos there's plenty of room (kahit mag-cart wheel ka pa!kk)

Here's the view of the place from the subway station...

It's been awhile since the last time we were here and so I was surprised to see this huge pipe just as we got out of the station...

The tunnel was full of exhibits and stuffs specifically about Han River. But the one below was for Hangeul or korean alphabet. It's a landscape installation showing Hangeul in 9 different fonts.

And hey, this is us! Taken in front of the huge installation above. We were trying to make a heart shape using our arms (the korean way..haha) but it looked more like a b*tt. So we just settled with our cutie cutesy pose. lol

As we were about to go out of the tunnel... tadaaaaa!haha the Haechi Miro or Haechi Maze... (a smaller version of the maze we went to in Jeju Island:) hmm... so who is Haechi?!

Now, THIS is Haechi (yung yellow ha, hindi yung white na naka-shades,lol) Haechi is the symbol of Seoul (like the Big Apple of New York, ganun. or Jollibee of Jollibee.lol) It's generally known as Haetae, a mythical lion-like creature said to be a guardian against disasters and fire. Actually, we have met na pala?! I mean, Haechi and Me. It was in my post last year and I just referred to it as a mascot which had too much candy or something...:)

We walked around after eating our foodies,hehe (nothing fancy, just grapes and cherry tomatoes (as in, addicted sa kamatis!) cookies and junk food...) this is where the pipe ends...

And this is the Ttukseom dock... we originally planned to go on a Han Gang Ferry Cruise (roundtrip takes about an hour and there's one-way trip too) but I was not in the mood to go anymore (thanks to my period, what a perfect timing!) but then on a second thought... i think it's better we didn't go... i'll just save it for the next time we can go at night... when we are both in a romantic mode or something!harharhar :)

Dol Janchi (돌 잔치)

2010-05-09T19:55:00.005+09:00

So! Two weeks ago (pansin ko lang, most of my posts these days happened WEEKS ago! When can i actually start saying "Today... " ? ), hubby and I were at my Pinay friend's baby's "Dol Janchi" or first birthday party.

The first time I attended this kind of party was that of my korean friend's baby, which was in an Italian restaurant somewhere in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. This time, it was in a banquet hall in Gyeonggi-do. And like in any other birthday parties, it was attended by relatives and friends. What made it quite different though was that my friend, her hubby and baby were all wearing "hanbok" or Korean traditional clothes! (but it's not like that all the time... people choose whatever they want to wear:)

The place was decorated with white and blue for the birthday boy. There were fruits and 'dol tteok' (돌 떡) or rice cake on the table at one end of the banquet hall~ the family stood here during the short program after the guests had all eaten~

Can i just say that my friend is one of the most artistic people I know?hehe She made most of the stuffs here especially for her baby's birthday..there was also a video presentation she made herself... ok, now im so envious,hehe The boxes on the right were the giveaways which were two painted cute mugs~

And the highlight of the event was the "Doljabi" or the "grabbing event" where they let the baby pick one among different kinds of objects foretelling the baby's future.

The objects to choose from were stethoscope-which meant the baby would be doctor; money- meaning wealth; rice- meaning he would never go hungry; pencil- meaning he would be scholarly; and microphone- well, obviously, if the baby would be the future member of BigBang or 2PM or something,kkk

The baby normally just gets to pick once... but hey, there's nothing wrong with picking some more, right?hehe especially if it didn't choose what the parents want!haha My friend's baby first picked the stethoscope and it got the pencil the second time. The guests could participate, too. We got these coupons that we dropped to the glasses below, whichever we think the baby should pick. And then there was a raffle draw where we get to win prizes and stuff~

And since the baby picked the pencil (WE chose the pencil,too!) our number was drawn and I took home a prize! (and I THOUGHT draw lots was never my thing, im hardly the luckiest person, you know:) The funny thing was, I was supposed to say something in front as I claimed our prize, you know a message for the baby and the family. But all that came out of my mouth was the most heartbreaking "Saeng il chuk ka hamnida" (happy birthday!) How pathetic was that? Was I just speechless or I was just never good at thinking on my feet? I think it's both.haha :)

Three weeks

2010-05-08T16:00:00.001+09:00

... overdue. This post, I mean:)

We went to Yeouido for the cherry blossom festival weeks ago (and when I say weeks ago, it means that white petals are long gone by now,hehe).

It was my first time in Yeouido (yey!). The place is the "Manhattan of Seoul" being the financial center of the country. You can see the 63 Building- Seoul's tallest building, MBC and KBS- television companies and Samsung and LG headquarters here:)

Taken in front of our apartment building~ it was kinda cloudy to start with but thank God it was sunny the rest of the day~

First step in Yeouido~ (pityur kagad!:)

huge pots of flowers~ you actually have to squat to have photo op with them (after waiting for your turn cos lots of people were crowding the area :)

one of the recycled-stuffs-turned-to-art thingy we saw as we were walking along~

Ji Hyun Woo and Lee Bo Young of the drama Birth of the Rich in KBS2, which has just finished by the way. You can watch it here.

Isn't it the cutest thing?!hehe I was literally running after this cutie cos it was walking so fast! I wasn't even able to get a good front shot. Notice its tiny shoes?!kkk

*sigh*

It will be another year before I see this again. Not the dog, i mean, the cherry blossoms,haha

I just lurrrv spring! :)

Away on a weekend: The Garden of Morning Calm

2010-04-25T01:00:00.001+09:00

We left Petite France early the next day and headed to The Garden of Morning Calm. It's a flower garden conceptualized by a korean professor and inspired by a poem describing Korea during the Yi Dynasty as "The Land of the Morning Calm" by an Indian poet.

April is already peak season (which is until October) but we were there at the beginning of the month, so they were just starting to grow the flowers. The ones below were from the flower shop near the garden's entrance.

And like in Nami Seom and Petite France, the fee is 8000KRW,too~

Wondering what these are?

they're stacked stones for prayers~ shamanism according to asul :) here's ours~

Wish we could visit this place again before the peak season ends. It would be hard though cos it's not very accessible (at least with public transportation). We don't have a car by the way!haha We traveled by SIl's car. Wish we had one though,hehe AND I MUST learn how to drive! (i want to, anyway) cos never in a million years will Asul drive for me, he hates driving.kkk

Well, this was our last stop. Dunno when the next one would be. But I wish it would be just Asul and me next time *fingers crossed* :)

Away on a weekend: Petite France

2010-04-25T00:51:00.001+09:00

It has always been my dream to see France. But since it's still in a very distant future (or should say far from reality?!kk) South Korea's Little France will do :)

It was a shooting location of Beethoven Virus (2008) and Lee Min Ho's Personal Taste which I mentioned in my previous post. It was also the location of Kim Hyun Joong's chicken commercial last year (is it so obvious that i still can't get over f4??!!haha)

Petite France is in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi-do. It's open from 9am-6pm and admission is 8,000 KRW. We didn't have to pay for it though, cos we reserved a room for the night~

Antoine de Saint-Exupery Memorial Hall~

a 30-minute jazz performance we watched after exploring the area~

taken early the next day so we were the only ones around... (hmmm... i mean other than the guy in blue over there~ kkk)

The four of us stayed in J-322 and we paid 110,000 KRW for an overnight stay~

We finally met him!hehe isn't he cute?!

The place was adorable and I felt that for awhile I wasn't in Korea (nor in my home country) well...almost! How could I forget that we were just somewhere in Gyeonggido if koreans were all over the place?!hehe

Away on a weekend: Nami Island

2010-04-25T00:44:00.001+09:00

Traveling is the last thing on my mind during Holy Week (which was weeks ago). It's probably because I grew up in a family strictly observing the lenten season. I remember my grandmother actually scolding us (just a little:) when my aunts, cousins and I were hysterically laughing out loud while practicing some production number for our family reunion (yeah, we do stuffs like that,haha) and so we had to kinda shift to a somber mode again (but still stifling our giggles!lol)

ANYWAY! SIL and her hubby invited us, out of the blue, for a weekend trip to Gyeonggi province during the holy week (they were not aware though of the lenten season cos they're buddhists:) so it was just really a random trip.

First stop was Nami Island, now known as Naminara Republic. It's 1 1/2 hours away from Seoul. And as many of you probably know already, it's the main filming location of Bae Yong Joon and Choi Ji Woo's korean drama Winter Sonata (2002). I honestly was not able to watch the drama and though I like BYJ, not as much as some of my friends do. But might as well take tons of pictures for them to drool over.hehe

Going in to ride the ferry.

Admission fee was 8000 KRW per person which included the roundtrip ferry fare to and from the island.

Here we are in Nami Seom (Island)! ~

the Central White Pine Tree Lane~ Wouldn't it be awesome if Asul gave me a piggyback ride as we walk along?kkk

We saw heart shapes like this while walking along the pine tree lane. It would have looked nicer if it were autumn, right?

We dropped by The Song Museum,too which was just near the island's entrance. They exhibited traditional musical instruments and... take a look! It's Rain!hehe (ang angas noh?!) along with those of Lee Hyori and some other korean singers.

Taken at the back of the coffee shop where we stayed for a while~

The UNICEF Charity Train, one way costs 2000KRW~

A gigantic bear in the UNICEF hall where you can see nice rag dolls as well~

mga feeler ever~ hehe

love the Metasequoia lane! really nice~

err.. just to clarify, we were taking a picture WITH the statue... they were not covering the background or something,kkk:)

We were not able to walk all around the island cos we still had to go somewhere else. But we will definitely be back here :)

...

2010-04-25T00:43:00.000+09:00

I missed my blog's first birthday which was 3 weeks ago! (I remembered it just 6 days after the actual date and it took me ages to write about it!) How could I?! kkk It was not like I was busy 24/7. I was just really preoccupied these days :)

Well, what can I say?

I used to be so anxious of having someone actually read what I wrote, especially the ones in English. I was not so confident you know. The only people who had probably read my writings were my English teachers who required me to do them in the first place.kk And being part of our school paper in high school didn't count since it was in my native language. Even now, I must admit, and as you may have noticed, my writing is far from brilliant and hardly exceptional.haha

But what the heck! I started blogging anyway. LOL (it must have been through age that I was able to overcome my fear of showing who I am as a writer... in short, getting older made me thick-skinned.haha :)

I like writing but it's the thought that through this blog, I'd be able to look back to my experiences living here in my second home that matters to me most. And apart from that, being able to make friends is a huge plus (since I consider myself as a not so sociable person!kkk)

And so I wanna thank everyone... those who keep on visiting my site and enduring reading my nonsensical posts (why?! lol); those who look at my pictures (i mean, pictures i've TAKEN,hehe kapal ko naman); those who leave comments (which i'm always looking forward to reading, really. super thank you. keep them coming.haha); to the silent lurkers (i feel you people!kk) and even those who just accidentally drop in and leave after a second! LOL

It's not like I have tons of readers or something,lol but knowing that someONE's actually reading inspires me to keep on writing. (wow, i feel like i'm making some speech for a 10-year-old blog or something.haha exagg!:)

Anyway,here's to more years of blogging to come:)

Cheers!:)

LSS

2010-04-16T23:22:00.004+09:00

Can I just get this over and done with?! haha I've been humming this song the whole day today and now, I'm still listening to it! (kalurkei!) It's called "Can't Believe It" by Younha. It's the OST of Personal Taste, Lee Min Ho and Sohn Ye-jin's new drama in MBC. You can watch the drama here.

Yay!

2010-04-14T08:30:00.001+09:00

It's been a month since my last post! What's wrong with me?! And what's wrong with the time? Why is it too damn fast? LOL

I'll be posting again soon! (hopefully!haha) :)

Nakji (낙지)

2010-03-07T10:45:00.002+09:00

"Nakji" or small octopus is the favorite food of my late "shi aboji" (father-in-law) and my husband's family prepare this as an offering during "chesa" or memorial service.

Every year, Koreans do chesa to remember their loved-ones who passed away and thank them for looking after the family. My husband's family do it twice a year. One for FIL and another for "haraboji and halmoni" (grandpa and grandma). It was FIL's chesa last Tuesday and since I had a long weekend from work, I was able to go to Mokpo and mess up the kitchen!haha (okay, the latter was not actually true cos i never cooked anything! I was more of a dishwasher and table setter! lol :)

It was like Thanksgiving and Korean New Year in terms of food except that we also prepared what FIL liked the most. The whole Tuesday was spent for cooking and it was midnight when the table was set and the sort of ceremony began. We placed FIL's picture on the table together with the food. It was the guys' moment cos only Asul, his older brother and his nephew bowed in front of FIL. They bowed together and individually, after each offered a shot of soju. We were supposed to eat together after the sort of ceremony but I was too full to stuff more food in my tummy.kkk

Hmmm... FIL's chesa this month, New Year last month AND grandparents' chesa NEXT month. How's that for the first half of 2010?!! lol :)

Korea's Next Top Model

2010-03-07T10:30:00.003+09:00

... is showing on the second half of this year! :)

KNTM will be the second localized franchise from a foreign language reality competition on Korean television after Project Runway Korea, which is now on its second season. It will be shown on one of Korea's cable channels, OnStyle. Applicants must be 15-27 years old and must be over 165cm. (haha tama bang pati yun i-plug?!) T'was funny though how Allison appeared here as ANTM's Season 12 winner instead of Teyona! LOL

im so looking forward to this:)

2 years ago :)

2010-02-16T23:36:00.007+09:00

Asul and I tied the knot on the 16th of February, 2008 at The Sulo Hotel in Quezon City Philippines.

As I was digging in all our wedding pictures I can't help but wish I could relive that day. It was definitely not perfect but it was one of the happiest I have ever been:)

I so love our venue. The Sulo Hotel was very near from where I used to live. The place was grand and elegant and yet you'd still feel its homey vibe. It was very convenient for me too since they offered a wedding package that took care of everything. So I didn't have to go crazy putting up the whole thing. Catering, decoration..etc :)

The bouquet was from SM North!!!! hahahah I was super stressed and was just thankful my bestfriend was there to help me sort things out. We personally ordered it in a small stall in the mall and had it delivered the night before the big day. Super tipid!hahahha :)

Who said the groom shouldn't see the bride before the ceremony???? We dressed up in the same room!! haha

This was what I realized SHOULDN'T have happened. We had a mini-pictorial outside the hotel before our wedding at 10am (the ceremony was at the hotel,too)... and so! Some guests arrived quite early and saw us/ME already! And I thought I could have my grand entrance or something,haha

I wasn't able to enjoy this much (cos every thing went by in a blur!) but we had this flaming sword ceremony as we entered the hall the second time as married couple:)

See my puffy eyes??! Blame it to my mom who was crying the whole time!haha One of the reasons I want to get married again (to the same person of course!bwahahhaha!). I just wanna have a tear-free wedding. Is it too much to ask?! :)

How did I end up with a krung-krung?

2010-02-16T23:10:00.001+09:00

*Note: This was my very first post when I started this blog. I'd just like to share it with you again since Asul and I are celebrating our 2nd wedding anniversary today:) Warning: Isa siyang nobela sa haba!! lol )

( I have come to associate "krung-krung" (a Filipino slang which could mean crazy, weird or foolish) to Koreans mainly because of Sandara Park (who's been known to be an International Krung-krung). Though it's unfair to label the Koreans as such, I can't seem to break the habit of using them interchangeably (disregarding its literal meaning of course! ) lol

anyway...

all I want to say is that i am married to one... i mean a certified "krung-krung"... Asul or Blue.

It has been more than a year since we have officially tied the knot and i can't help but look back and ask myself... how did i end up with a krung-krung?

It was march 2006. I met him through a common friend. I had been teaching English to Koreans in a language center for over 3 years that time and I swear! Never had I thought of marrying a korean! (or any other nationals other than my own for that matter) (Though seeing some cute korean guys made it so tempting!harharhar) Having a job like i did was like stepping into a part of korean world. And knowing just a part of it had me so against marriage to koreans.

Anyway, when i met him, i knew it right away... it was definitely NOT love at first sight!haha I just tried to be friendly with him and talk to him and all but he was so trying to avoid me! (which later on i learned from him that it was because his nose was secretly bleeding while talking to me! it was a struggle for him to speak English!:)

He became my student in the language center and eventually I became his private tutor. I was still a university student that time so when he asked me if i could teach him outside the center... hmmm, why not?! It was "Thursdays with Blue" indeed. We got along surprisingly well. He was a diligent student and I was, as he said, an excellent teacher (it was either he was just buttering me up or his standard was depressingly low!LOL)

There was really nothing special or anything. Until one day, specifically after I came back to the city from a trip to my hometown, he became different. He became kinder and more concerned. I just ignored it (yeah right! but still took notice of every single sweet thing, duh?!) I had never entertained the thought though that he had deep feelings for me mainly because he was not my type!haha He's much older than me and physically, he's not bad either, but i was thinking, though i was definitely not the "princess-looking" girl, i was still hoping for a prince charming to come!haha Blue was charming, yes, but my mind always said he didn't look like a prince!haha

Anyway, there was this one incident when i confirmed eveything.

We were in his unit (purely English class, no bad stuff, promise!) We started having our class there when he moved out from the language center's dormitory. We ate dinner together and we chatted some more after. It was night time and i couldn't help but look out the window. You could see the entire area from his place... the buildings, lights and all. It seemed to be the perfect time that he probably decided "This is it!" and gathered his courage to say that he liked me. I was so nervous! Not that he was harmful. Super harmless,really! But it was not a "kilig moment" (no sparks or anything) for me. It was the perfect moment but it seemed to be the wrong person. Why was that? And another thing was, I was bothered by so many things that time because I was about to graduate that year so I thought nothing or no one could distract me in any way.

Things became awkward for me after that incident. But Blue played it cool. He stayed as he he was but with a little distance. He was not persistent to ask for my response. We still had this student-teacher relationship (with a bit of spice in it!harhar) I was determined to work this out. My goal: to graduate! And i couldn't do that without a job!

However, one thing was still bothering me... At 22, I was a certified NBSB! (No Boyfriend Since Birth) lol And so i thought, why not give it a try? Just for the sake of being "taken" before graduating from the university. I suddenly thought about my friend who said that according to some study (in my country), on these days when the number of girls is much higher than that of the boys, if you didn't get to have a boyfriend before graduating from the university, there would be a little probability that you would have one after that! Was she just trying to scare me or what? I must have been so frightened that even though i was not in love with him, i went for it anyway.haha

Well, honestly, it was partly true. I mean, I didn't have any feelings for him when we officially became together. And i promised myself that before he leaves for Korea, i'll simply put an end to it. But it was harder than i thought.

He was such a nice person and he seemed so sincere and just the thought of hurting him makes me feel bad as well:( One of the things that i liked most about him was on how he tried to get along well with my family. Wohooo! with the bribes and all!haha The first time we went to my hometown together, he bought boxes of fruits and brought them along. He brought some korean food as well. He made some sandwiches and he even cooked some soup for the oldies at home (i didn't know he had such culinary skills!:)

But the most touching thing he did for me was when he helped me reconcile with my father. My only family was my mom and my brother and we had been separated from my father for more than 10 years. I had not seen him for a long time. Until one day, I received a call from my father's relatives saying that my father was ill. I was thinking of visiting him but i was having second thoughts. I was not so ready you know, after the long separation and all. I told my story to Blue and he immediately said that i should go there before it's too late. I might regret it afterwards if i didn't go. And so after that, the four of us, Mom, brother, Blue and I went to my father's hometown. It was a very dramatic moment. But the bottom line was, though we didn't get back together as a family, apologies were said and we were able to put the past behind. And that's partly through Asul's help (wasn't it the sweetest thing?)

A month after that, Blue had to go back to Korea already. I must have flooded the entire Visayas Avenue! And, most probably, my plans to end everything? was never done! Was it karma or what?!haha He promised to keep in touch which he really did. It was not easy. And i don't know how we did it but we managed to keep our relationship. He even went back to the Philippines twice in just a year. But we, or for the most part, he always had this hanging question " And so.. what now? "

The thing was, since we started being together, he already proposed to me. He even talked to my mom about it. But it was a super NO for me because i still wanted to do so many things in my life. But he felt so pressured because of his family. At his age, he was really supposed to be settling down. And his family was so urging him to get married right away. And so he was like proposing everytime we were talking over the phone. But my answer was always a big NO.

Until... during the Christmas season in 2007, all the way from Korea, one of his sisters came to the Philippines simply to ask me the question i had been dreading " Are you and my brother going to get married or what?" I couldn't give a proper answer even until she went back to Korea. The negotiation had been so complicated... Me, Blue and his family. But to wrap it up, in the name of LOVE, i ended up saying YES! But it didn't really end there! Everything was on the fastforward mode. Blue planned a wedding around the second week of February (because... guess what? that's the only time he was allowed from work! hello? Was it just a dinner you're attending somewhere in Cubao?lol) And the funny thing was, i had not even decided if i would agree to the date he was insisting on me. It was just on the 20th of January when i finally said "the second week of February indeed!" Which meant less than a month of preparation! Hello again!:)

Surprisingly, given the VERY short time of preparation, we pulled it off. Amazing, huh? (If you need an express wedding coordinator, my bestfriend and I are the ones you need!lol)

Three months after the wedding, i flew to Korea.

...

and that's how i ended up with a krung krung!
and the krung krung and i will live happily ever after!:)

Pizza for dinner...

2010-02-06T14:00:00.002+09:00

... is a sign that I'm not a dutiful wife anymore (less harsh way of saying lazy!) ! haha We haven't had a decent meal since I started my job in an English "hagwon" (academy) a month ago. So far, I'm so loving my job but Asul probably isn't!

Actually I don't need to eat at home cos the hagwon provides lunch and dinner. But Asul insisted that we have dinner together (he even offered to wash the dishes for like twice a week to persuade me. No wonder he opted to buy pizza instead!LOL)

And so this past week, we survived with pizza, kimbab and noodles for dinner!

We almost always order pizza in Pizza School. Their pizza is not only yummy but affordable,too! We get to enjoy their pizza for as low as 5,000KRW. And since I'm a sucker of cheese, ASul always makes sure he pays an additional 2,000 KRW for a cheesy crust!:)

Korean pizza usually goes with pickles... but MY pizza has to go with garlic dip! :)

Even before, whenever I don't feel like cooking, I always ask him if he wanted kimbab with "ramyeon" or noodles! I didn't make this kimbab, though. A roll costs 1,000 KRW or so. :)

As yummy as I thought our meals were in the past week... I wish the coming week would be better (hmmm.. samgyubsal?!!! hahaha) I mean, more decent :)

7am movie

2010-01-24T22:00:00.002+09:00

Would you wake up in the wee hours on a Saturday to watch a discounted movie? I wouldn't. But we did!haha

We just watched Avatar (were we the last ones??) on 3D in Lotte cinema Saturday last week. We were supposed to see it earlier but we couldn't make any reservations.

It was only my second time seeing a movie in a cinema here. The first time was an early morning movie, too which usually starts at 9am (the 7am movie was a special case probably due to public demand!haha). People usually pay 9,000 KRW for a regular showing. But an early morning movie costs, 5,000 KRW. Not bad right? Something like this comes in very handy for cheapskates like me and Asul!hahahha

Avatar though costs 13,000 KRW on 3D and since we deprived ourselves of a little bit more sleep to be in the cinema before 7, we only paid 8,000 KRW. It was quite a deal since there were three of us cos we tagged our nephew along :)

So... a 7am movie... anyone?! :)

Visiting Jeju Island: "ALL IN" drama set

2010-01-24T21:15:00.002+09:00

ALL IN (2003) ( Lee Byung Hun, Song Hye Kyo) drama set is located in Seobkoji, a district in Southern Jeju. All I remembered was the throng of tourists and the WIND which was hyperly blowing all over me,haha

A whale!! which was not moving..lol it actually consisted of two rocks which amazingly looked like a whale from afar..
. See?
Oh, and I DO remember this one... (mga feeler!!) hahaha

Visiting Jeju Island: Manjang Cave

2010-01-24T21:00:00.002+09:00

Manjang Cave (Manjang-gul) is one of the longest lava tubes in the world. It was formed as the lava was pushed to the surface from deep down during volcano eruption long time ago.

If I'm not mistaken, this was the first time I had ever been to a cave (and a lava tube at that!) I didn't see much inside though cos it was kinda dark (obviously!) but I liked the mere feeling of walking inside. Oh, and it was interesting to see this amazing lava formations exhibited in several segments of the cave.

Going in...

Too bad, I didn't have any decent picture inside... technical difficulty,hahaha

This " lava turtle" was the last lava formation we saw (we didn't walk further anymore). There was this small equipment that tourists press to hear the explanations in different languages like Korean, English, Japanese and Chinese. The lava turtle was said to be in resemblance with Jeju Island's shape with Mount Halla right there in the middle. It was also said that you can make a wish by touching the turtle's head (which of course I did!) :)

taken on our way out...

Visiting Jeju Island: Yongmeori Coast

2010-01-09T18:04:00.006+09:00

This was where we walked the longest :)

Sorry my hair was all over the place..hahaha :)

This is "hong sam" a type of "he sam" or sea cucumber...

AND we ate it raw! :) It was yummy with red pepper paste:)

Visiting Jeju Island: Horseback riding and kart racing

2010-01-09T16:00:00.001+09:00

Okay, this was ALSO fun... ish.LOL

I am normally an athletic well-coordinated individual and stuff like this shouldn't be a problem. But it kinda was!kkk After this photo op (with their sort of official photographer... we kinda HAD to buy our picture they put in a frame!), our group of five people plus the guide headed to the track. The horses just fell into a line and obediently followed the one in front. We went on slowly but from time to time the guide would shout telling us to hit the horse to make it gallop when the slope's getting a bit steeper.

O-oh, there's NO way I was gonna hit it... for one, I felt bad for the horse...it looked exhausted!! and I felt I was a burden cos I ate A LOT that day.kkk Another thing was, I was afraid to lose my balance so I had to hold tight with both of my hands. So I just ignored it even if I was lagging behind. I was relieved when I saw that we were back to where we started. But I was surprised when the guide shouted again telling us to go faster! and I mean faster that I could actually feel myself bobbing up and down!lol The last part of the course went on a circle and we probably went around..hmm... 5 times? I can't really remember cos the guide was specifically yelling at me and I was thinking of jumping off the horse or something just to end it!hahaha

To top it off, when I got off the horse, my knees felt weak, my nose was runny,and I was such a cry-baby I burst into tears (which I didn't even know why?!lol) I just promised myself I won't be a scaredy cat anymore the next time I do it again:)

We hit the kart race track afterwards. I decided not to go on my own cos as you can see, it's not the bumper car type..haha I might make a fool of myself or something (i don't know why but it ALWAYS happens to me! swear!kkk) so I just let Asul do the driving. I discovered though that I was a certified backseat driver!hahaha Poor Asul. Sorry I couldn't help it. I just couldn't keep my mouth shut. :)

Visiting Jeju Island: Daepo Seashore

2010-01-08T18:39:00.005+09:00

And these are nature's miracles:) Soooo nice:)

Visiting Jeju Island: Gimnyeong Maze Park

2010-01-08T18:14:00.005+09:00

LOL This one was fun. At first I was thinking it was just a piece of cake to go through the maze. But it took us awhile to figure out how to reach the other end!haha

This was the map, also in a brochure, to guide us on our way round the maze. I was just staring at it the whole time but never actually used it.lol It was a little tricky and it was funny when I heard some people joking shouting "Bihenggi!!" (which means airplane!LOL... i was seriously considering that option!kkk)

In the maze. Harry Potter?! Isdatyu?!kkkk

This is the maze's top view..

Yey!! We made it! And I actually thought we would be stuck there for like forever!haha

Visiting Jeju Island: Glass Castle

2010-01-08T16:30:00.002+09:00

Glass Castle is a large glass art theme park with glass arts produced by professional glass artists from such places as Italy, the Czech Republic, and Japan. It is divided into two sections: indoor modern glass model center and outdoor theme park.

Well, this was one of my favorites. They have plenty of pretty stuffs and all I did was take pictures :) The pictures below were just the tip of the iceberg! ;)

That's all! *bow* kkk

Visiting Jeju Island: O' Sulloc Tea Museum

2010-01-08T16:22:00.002+09:00

I'm actually a coffee person. But I do drink tea! In fact, we drink tea instead of plain water at home (cos that's what ASul wants!) so it's like we drink tea EVERY day. (but im still a coffee person..haha:)

Anyway, tea drinking has been a part of Korean traditional culture particularly among royal families and aristocrats. Hmmm... now that I mentioned, I wonder if Asul has royal blood or somethin' ?lol cos he's a huge fan of tea.haha

Jeju is said to be an ideal location for producing quality tea because of its climate and geographical conditions. (I sooo love the weather there cos it was cool... not freezing like here in Seoul) :)

This is the green tea field just opposite to the museum.
And this is Jeju's traditional gate (we saw this at the entrance of most of the tourist spots we visited).. there's another same rock at the other end as well:)

And this is the cup gallery with tea items and tea sets on display.

There's a cafe as well where we ordered green tea ice cream:)

And this is the observatory. The view was not really breathtaking but I WAS breathless cos we used the stairs to go up (and it was just on the third floor! exagg! kkk)

Visiting Jeju Island

2010-01-08T08:30:00.001+09:00

What a way to spend the New Year! We flew to Jeju Island on January 1st and we came back Monday (after being stuck in Jeju airport for 6 hours!!! cos of the super snow!) We even had to land in Incheon instead of Gimpo airport.

ANYWAY, there are three things that Jeju is said to be abundant of: wind, women and rocks.

Being surrounded by the sea, Jeju is naturally windy. It was also said that the island has a lot of women (not anymore though according to this article) because men working at sea tend to get lost long time ago. And as shown in the picture below, there are plenty of rocks in the island because of the volcanic activities of Mt. Halla, South Korea's highest peak, in the past.

This rock fence is practically everywhere...and I mean EVERY where except in the downtown area.

Another thing that Jeju is known for is Hallabong, a seedless, sweet citrus fruit primarily grown in Jeju and named after Halla moutain.

I'm soooooo hoping I can post the rest of our trip later:)

A Christmas Walk

2009-12-27T01:00:00.004+09:00

I had a blast when we went for a walk in Gwanghamun Square last Christmas. They're having the Seoul Festival of Lights this month and it was just incredible:)

This was the video concert of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra projected to the facade of KT Building.

And below is the light installation showing Korean traditional patterns like chrysanthemums and lotus blossoms.

The guy sitting down here was King Sejong. He's the only person in Korean history that I actually remember!lol Cos he's known for inventing "Hangul" or the native alphabet of the Korean language.

And here's the huge Christmas tree behind King Sejong's monument. It was too crowded, right?!

And there were ice rinks,too! There was one for ice skating and the other one, the picture below, for sled-riding. I would have tried it out if I were wearing more comfortable (and warm!) clothes... cause it was freezing cold! Oh, try to look at the snow in the picture. It was snowing!!!

We ate warm "odeng" or fish cake in one of the stalls on the sidewalk afterwards:)

After shedding some tears on Christmas Eve while talking to my mom over the phone (and overhearing my relatives' laughter... im soooooo envious I just wanted to be there, too!), this walk with Asul was a real treat for me. Plus there was snow!hahaha

HAPPY CHRISTMAS everyone! :)

Breathless (literally!)

2009-12-27T00:05:00.001+09:00

... after belting out Breathless of The Corrs, with matching dance moves in the Christmas party last Wednesday in English Cafe.hahaha

We had a party slash singing contest in the public library where I'm studying Korean. English Cafe is actually for Koreans studying English with some study groups and Native English teachers. But they're also offering Korean classes for expats.

Anyway! It was a pop song contest and I just had the guts to join since I would be in a group. I could just lip-synch or something and let the others do the singing!hahaha and besides it would be fun... (it's been ages since I did anything like this..ummm... grade school??lol)

*This is me with my classmates and our teacher:)

Oh, have I mentioned we got the second place? Not out of three but nine groups??lol And it came with some prize (monetary! *wink* ) I mean, just how cool is that?haha I just had an early Christmas gift! And I can't even sing.lol

Being breathless for a few minutes wasn't that bad:)

Seven shots

2009-12-17T09:00:00.004+09:00

So, it was my first time to meet Asul's colleagues and I had the most number of shots I've had since I came here in Korea (and I don't mean pictures!lol). I was already aware of the so called Korean "drinking culture" but only based on stories from other people. Never thought I would actually experience it myself.

Asul's company's clients treated us (employees and wives) to dinner in Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Gangnam last Monday night. It was a sort of Christmas slash New Year party and we had this really nice Oksan Buffet . I was so saving this day for a sky's the limit foodtrip (pordat, i didn't eat that much the whole day!lol) But as I was digging in my first serving, Asul's boss went around to give a shot of "soju" to all the women in the table. And it wasn't just on ordinary soju. They call it "Andong Soju" ( I wrote something about the place Andong in my post before ) and Asul said that if a regular beer's "level" is 4, Andong soju is 40! No wonder I lost my appetite after that. "Strong" would be an understatement.. It was a killer (and i mean literally!LOL... for me!haha) I think I was given a couple of shots of beer as well after that.

We were almost done with the dinner when they decided to finish off the remaining soju and "maek ju" or beer. We played a couple of games like rock,scissors,paper and counting (ever heard of the game 31?). It was silly but I've never been so terrified of counting whatsoever...EVER... until now.lol You see, the person who wins (or loses depending on what was agreed upon) would have to take the shot with his/her partner. Asul and I are bad at drinking and we were just lucky to have survived with only two shots each in the entire game.

But guess what? It didn't end there! In fact, it was just the beginning. Asul and I were planning to go home after dinner but the group decided to head straight to The Ritz Bar... and it was kinda rude to just leave so we agreed to stay for awhile. The place was amazing though (well, what would you expect from a luxury hotel?!kkk) The interior was elegant and there was a pianist plus I love the bathroom (i don't know why, but I have this thing about bathrooms.lol) I instantly felt like a VIP.lol Except for the smell of cigarette, it would have been perfect:) Anyway, though Asul and I specifically ordered soft drinks as if to say that "hey, we're not drinking anymore", we were still not spared from the next round (or the remaining rounds for that matter). This time we had a 17-year-old Ballentine and they mixed it with the remaining "maek ju" . It wasn't TOO bad and they put plenty of ice anyway so the taste wasn't that strong. And off the counting and "gai, bai, bo" (scissors, rock, paper) went again. The rest was history.LOL

**picture taken after going out of the bar. (sooo bangenge but still had the effort to smile:) Is it blurry? The photographer's probably bangenge,too!lol

I wouldn't say it was a horrible experience.haha It was a pleasure to meet the people that my husband talk to me about so often. And they were a nice bunch of people:)

The best thing though was that I was able to know more about my husband. His boss, his co-workers and their clients all told me that Asul was "che-go" meaning "the best" in terms of personality and when it comes to work:) And I was just so proud to hear that. And he was just so sweet when he took the shots which were supposedly for me (even if he was close to throwing up or something like that,.. poor asul!)

I hate it when I sound soooooo cheesy but can I just say that I think I'm falling for my husband even MORE?!!kkk The seven shots was all worth it:)

8 mice on my 25th

2009-12-08T12:30:00.002+09:00

Okay, since I'm in Korea.. it's actually 27th (how cruel is that???LOL)

I had an advance birthday celeb with Asul and my in-laws in Buyeo last Saturday:) I was actually surprised cos I wasn't expecting anything for my birthday this year (errrr... okay, actually I WAS expecting... but only a little.haha:) The 7th fell on a Monday and it's always a busy day. But it so happened that the family decided to spend the weekend in the county for a mini-kimjang session:) And since almost everybody would be there, Asul secretly asked his sister to buy me a cake and have my "saeng-il pa-ti" (birthday party) as well.

Last year, I had an ice cream cake with a cool snowman on top... This year, I had sweet potato cake with 8 mice on top! (i didn't know at first whether I should find it cute or gross!hahahah But i decided to stick to the former:)

It was one heck of a mouse!lol yum!:)

kimjang (김장)

2009-11-26T09:56:00.004+09:00

It's late fall! Which also means "kimjang" making season in Korea:) And just last weekend, together with my in-laws, I, once again, befriended tons of cabbages during our kimjang session :)

"Kimjang" is the kimchi people traditionally make to last through the winter (or for others, like Asul's family, to last for one year:)

It was Saturday when my SIL and her husband drove to Buyeo, a county in South Chungcheong province, to harvest the cabbages and other vegetables (yup! they grew those themselves! they just started this year.) we would be using to make kimchi. I wasn't aware that they were actually growing some crops there cos I thought they just go to Buyeo to visit the house they bought. Until last Saturday! Boy, was I surprised to see a small truck load of plastic bags stuffed with veggies!

The pictures below were from last year... my first kimjang session... on my birthday! :)

Normally, there should at least be 100 cabbages to prepare but there can be more depending on the number of family members. In our case, 3 families share the kimjang and SIL prefers them to last for a year, so there should be A LOT. These cabbages were cut, washed and soaked in salted water for like 6-7 hours. They were washed again afterwards.

This was the sauce (made by SIL) which was a mixture of garlic, onion, ginger, scallions, radish, pickled shrimp paste, chili powder, starch syrup, rice powder, soy sauce... etc.. I can't remember now the other things she added and people do have their own recipe anyway. Depending on their taste. By the way, this small basin was just the tip of the iceberg!lol SIL mixed the the sauce in a humongous basin that you can use like a bathtub:)

And now, we had to spread the sauce in EACH leaf of the cabbage! Last weekend, there were a lot of hands to do the job (I didn't even have to pitch in! Two of my SIL's and one of their friends were there) I just helped squeeze the excess water from the cabbage unlike last year when I was all this bloody.LOL

And then, each cabbage was carefully placed in a container.. which would be kept in the kimchi refrigerator. I think we filled more than twenty containers!

We were done within a day! It was faster than I expected. And I admire how the whole family all worked together to finish the job. It was definitely not an easy task and I saw these people's passion and love for what they were doing.

I love being a part of it :)

Baby pic

2009-11-26T09:50:00.002+09:00

Awww, isn't he adorable??? (walang kokontra!lol) This is the very first baby picture of Asul that I've seen. (Not the type that I can use to blackmail him or something!lol) Luckily, I didn't have to dig it somewhere (it would be extremely difficult! Asul didn't have too many pictures when he was young.) cos Brother-in-law just saved it with some other family pictures in my usb when we met last Chuseok:)

Seeing this picture, I can't help imagining how our baby would look like. Okay... for the record, I'm not yet "expecting" if you know what I mean.lol... but, you know... i'm just wondering... (to the extent that even when I was asleep I had babies in my dream... really! REALLY:)

I'd like to post mine, too!!!hahaha But all of my baby pictures are back home. And it's not as if I will ACTUALLY post them. Unlike Asul's, you can use them to make me do ANYTHING. lol Oh,well! I'd just rather keep them :)

Choreob het ta! :)

2009-11-03T10:15:00.002+09:00

We have graduated! :)

The English Teachers Training Program for MultiCultural Families officially ended yesterday, November 2nd (as in literally yesterday! Cos we actually still had to sign the attendance sheet even when we were all dressed to kill and were preparing ourselves emotionally... you know, for the grad tears that might overflow,haha)

After approximately 160 hours of information as well as work overload (and I'm not even kidding... there was a time when I just dozed off for the night... well, it was actually my fault that I always procrastinate:) I can't believe that 2 months is over.

We were given a cerftificate of attendance plus a Nassau umbrella :) And I got another certificate plus English books for being third in the class (okay, so now I'm bragging!haha can I just have this moment please?lol)

But what really marked this occasion was that nice bouquet... which means Asul was there! On a weekday! Specifically Monday! Well, actually, that was with a little push from me. I told him that all of my classmates' families would be there and I would be the only one attending the occasion ALONE ( *wink* i'm just exaggerating, though:) and I still told him something else but I already forgot what I said.lol WEll? It pays to threaten your husband from time to time..haha :)

I'm so gonna miss my class... especially the newfound friendship.

I hope it doesn't end here..

What I like about Chuseok

2009-11-03T10:00:00.003+09:00

Okay, so this post is a month late now:) "Chuseok" or Korea's Thanksgiving was last October 3rd. ASul and I were actually on a holiday from October 1st to 5th!haha

It was my second Chuseok and we spent it in Mokpo, MIL's home city- 3hours from Seoul by KTX, with MIL and Asul's older brother's family.

I know how a lot of "myeo neu ri" (daughters-in-law) dread this holiday because of how much work they (we) have to do and it's weird that I was kinda looking forward to it. Why? hmm...

Well? As you can see in the picture... on top of my list would be FOOD!haha This was our breakfast a day before Chuseok (and EVERY meal was like this!:). It's actually a typical Korean "sig sa" or meal. Well, it's not like all Koreans prepare this much every single day but traditionally speaking this is more or less how the dining table should look like. There are several side dishes, fish, kimchii (very basic), "chige" or stew and "guk" or soup. We, the "myeo neu ri", were always the last ones to finish because my SIL was relatively slow when eating and me... errr... just enjoying the food:) kkk

Another thing would be going to the cemetery... okay, okay! I know it's a sacred place and I was aware how some people shot glances at me while I was acting like I was in a tourist spot or something:) But I can't help it. It's soooo neat, isn't it? I already took pictures of this last year but I just had to take some more this time:) Those little 'hills' were tombs but our "halmoni" 's (grandma) urn is stored here...

Inside, we bowed (take note: 2 times and a half. :) and gave our offerings (soju and fruits) to Grandma. Asul's father's urn is kept in a temple near MIL's house.

And of course, the holiday won't be complete without the FNO... as in family's night out,hehe It's not really a tradition in ASul's family. It just so happened that last year, on my first Chuseok, Asul's brother gave us a treat by going to "norebang" (or little karaoke rooms) and by taking a walk in the park after the whole day's work. We didn't sing our hearts out this year though. We just visited the Mokpo Gatbawi Natural Monument. Gatbawi is the name of the two rocks in the picture above. This naturally formed rocks is one of the eight famous spots in Mokpo City.

And this is our Samsung Digital Photo Frame, which, by the way, is still in its box as I'm writing this.haha It's from Asul's company. I wonder when we're going to use it?!haha

The next holiday? Seolal (Korean New Year) :-)

Status: Busy

2009-10-15T15:15:00.004+09:00

... thus no time to post!!

I have been sooo busy (which is actually good:) this past few weeks. What, with the Chuseok two weeks ago (which we kinda celebrated for like 5 days!haha i'll post something about it later:) and our training more than halfway done... I just can't find any time to blog (or is it just me with my poor time management skills?!) haha

But I'm still here... silently lurking around:)

An Act of Natural Cleansing

2009-09-27T16:36:00.006+09:00

... is a piece written by Lloyd Luna, a career philosopher, author, columnist and the CEO of LLOYDLUNA Communications, in relation to the current plight of our country due to the tropical storm "Ondoy" (internationally known as "Ketsana"). I got this from the LLOYDLUNA site... something for us not only to ponder on but has to do something about.

An act of natural cleansing
By Lloyd Luna
September 27, 2009

Sure, there are sad stories. Nobody expected this incredible flooding to happen. We thought it’s just the “normal” storm and nothing is worth worrying about. Well, it sounded true to me and to so many others until I saw hip-deep water filling the streets of Palanan Village where I hold office.

I looked out the window and saw what
could have been the worst flood I ever saw. I would only see these
car-submerged-in-water, people-walking-in-the-water, and
Edsa-as-longest-open-parking-space, among other dramatic scenes in the news.
Yesterday, it was very real to me. I can hardly go out to get some real food. I
got all the cookies, instant junk food, and canned goods for the day.

For the entire day, I had to submerge myself in Facebook and Twitter among other “internet-based” activities. But even here, I wouldn’t be spared from people
posting their concerns. There are people crying for help and there are people
wanting to help but simply couldn’t. It’s a good thing though that power is up
all throughout.Cable television, live streaming of DZBB, and Inquirer.net
became my companion as I go around the web getting some information, posting and reposting them on the web. It was a day and night I’ve never been before.
My family is safe and sound. Only without some real food, I’m perfectly fine as
against actress Christine Reyes who was trapped for hours on the roof before
rescuers finally arrived. Thanks to the media for somehow “forcing” the
authorities to get her and her family. But not all have the same reputation as
her.

And so I thought of asking my friends what typhoon Ondoy has taught
them. And here are some answers.
Maya said, “discipline. love for mother earth. and proper waste management.”
Rhenz said, “I learned this from you, master. that social status is irrelevant when it comes to calamities.”
Jeffrey said, “more sensitivity to those unfortunate people and
to really go down to help even if you yourself also needs a help…”
Christine said, “after being trapped at NLEX just inside the bus for 24 hours i learned to TRUST GOD. I crossed the express way but GOD shooed me back to my bus only to find out that my hero was at the same bus. Thanks to Kuya Bayani who was with me through out the long trip. I’m now home safe and sound.”
Miro said, “Umbrellas does not have much use if most of the water came from under your feet.” and “Boats are a good investment.”
Kenneth said, “God gives us opportunities to forget ourselves and help others in need!! a friend in need is a friend indeed!! what will a man profit when he gains the whole world and loses himself! service to others and not self-service is the greatest gift anyone can give!!”
For my part, I believe that this natural calamity is simply a natural
act of cleansing. We have been too lazy steward of God’s blessings focusing much
on what we can get from this life rather than what we can give. The poor and the
rich, young and old, boys and girls simply don’t care. Left and right, throwing
trashes seems to be a natural part of living. We don’t care until we are caught
flooded and all our properties submerged in deep waters.

Authorities spend so much money enriching and enjoying their stay in public office. On the side, they spend so much advertising themselves. They seem to have allotted more budget on things that matter to them rather than what matters to the people that they sworn in to serve.

As of 10:09AM, death toll rose to 51, most of them coming from Rizal province. There are some more missing. The government said, “it’s the worst flooding in the metro in 20 years.

We all know how this happened and what caused it to happen. We all know why this happened. We all know how to trace and figure out the root of the problem. In the last 20 years, our population grew rapidly. That translates to more people throwing garbage, consuming goods, causing more pollution.

Nothing can be farther than the truth. We have grown in numbers but we have not grown in wisdom.Nobody can tell me that it’s only a natural calamity. It is a natural calamity PLUS irresponsible government MULTIPLY by irresponsible people. The answer to this equation creates a disaster that could have been prevented in the first place.

Unless lessons are learned and wisdom is taken from natural disaster
such as this, it will only get worse. No worry, I will still write about this. I
will still remind those who forget that we are all responsible for causing
something to happen. It is a natural cleansing and may we cleanse the mind that
brought us to this disaster so that in the future, we will be prepared.

Worried

2009-09-26T23:00:00.004+09:00

Metro Manila has been flooded because of typhoon "Ondoy". Check out the pictures and videos from the GMA News site.

Thank God my brother got home safely from work... he's working somewhere in Ortigas and had to commute to Visayas Ave in Quezon City to go home (it took him almost 10 hours to do so!) ... And my other relatives in Quezon City and Binangonan Rizal are okay (though with slightly flooded house and not much stock of food:(

After reading the posts in the Bagyong Ondoy Page in facebook set up by GMA News, I can't stop worrying about our fellow Filipinos' current situation. And I feel really scared. I keep on imagining the people (especially the babies and the elderly) stranded in their houses or on their rooftops waiting for the rescuers to come.

Prayers! Prayers! Prayers!

Kizclub

2009-09-09T15:30:00.000+09:00

So, it was the third day of our two-month training program that I mentioned in my previous post and it was way much better than I expected :)

They gave us the English as a Foreign Language (EFL) curriculum last Monday and it includes the list of topics that we are about to tackle for the next weeks. There's the methodology for teaching the English language, classroom management, lesson planning and other thingy (my eyesight suddenly became blurry when I browse it through.lol) But then, I was also thrilled to see fun stuffs like children's literature (poems and story-reading), teaching through puppets, balloon art, teaching english through cooking and drama and there will even be a field trip!:)

Today's topic was so much fun,too! Teacher Tati (can't remember her korean name!) our instructor every Wednesday, taught us lots of children's songs, chants, rhymes and games. I think every inch of my body was all worked up especially when we did the exercise routine and sang the "bus" song where we had to literally wiggle our entire body (boy, that was quite an exercise!lol) But I enjoyed every minute of it:)

Teacher Tati also showed us some of the materials she uses when she's teaching kids :) Memories of my sleepless nights way back in college rushed in (*sigh*) Okay, so that was long time ago. But those were the days when I could barely open my eyes in the middle of the night while working on my teaching materials (can you imagine? eyes half-closed, with scissors in my already trembling hands cutting out stuffs for tons of students... errrr... not really tons but still a lot!:) That's when I thought, I salute those teachers who actually do this consistently:)

Luckily, at this modern age when internet does wonders, teaching stuffs could be just one click away (I was not really able to take advantage of this before though cos it was a struggle for me to have access to the internet so I had to draw most of my materials *sniff* :) Teacher Tati suggested this site- Kizclub where teachers can find fun and useful materials for teaching kids:)

*yawn* Okay, so I'm not used to too much movement anymore I guess I could use a nap... was glad to have burned up some calorie though:)

not an interview-y answer

2009-09-03T10:20:00.000+09:00

I was one of the 31 applicants (mostly Pinays... there was one who looked like a Chinese) in the English Teacher Training Program for Multi-Cultural Families that were interviewed last Tuesday in the Women's Vision Center in Uijeongbu. A few people who applied failed to show up (so I hope that gives me more chance of being accepted!lol)

I was probably not in my usual self so I was there EARLY.lol We were ushered to the computer room and it officially started around 1:20pm. We were oriented about the day's procedure and the interviewers introduced themselves as well. There were only two interviewers, Ms. Jeong Rim Yun and Mr.Jun Hyung Lee who manages the program.

Okay, so I was nervous. I only had a total of four job interviews in my whole life. One: For an agency recommending academic tutors (I honestly can't remember what happened!) I was a university sophomore then and my friends just talked me into it. Trip lang ata namin yuN!:) Two: For a fine dining restaurant where I dreamed of becoming a door greeter.lol We were more serious this time! Determined to be responsible citizens:) But my bestfriend and I were scolded for not wearing suitable clothes..lol I think we were dressed as if we were performing with a streetdance club! The interviewer said she would just call us after. We never received a call.LOL Three: For the language tutorial center for koreans where I worked (mostly part time) for like 5 years. CHikahan lang:) and Four: For a call center job where I stopped after more than a week of training... di ko keri ang time! (I couldn't endure the graveyard shift! haggardness!lol)

Well, the training is not actually a job but there's still an interview. And it made me so anxious. What if I mess up? What if I get tongue-tied?

The interview unexpectedly took a long time because the interviewers talked to the applicants separately. They made a list to put us in order and guess what? Out of 31, I was 28th! Kumusta naman?! Fortunately, they allowed us to use the computers in the room while waiting for our turn... (okay, so fs, fb, multiply and blogger muna ako.lol)

I couldn't help overhearing the others though who were done with the interview. They were talking about what questions were asked like "What's the best way to teach English...?" and "Who is the famous Korean that you know?". Okay, so the first question was kinda easy but I stopped in the second question. The names that came to my mind were Gu Jun Pyo and Sandara Park which, honestly, were not very interview-y answer.lol Gosh, what will I say? I finally decided to mention the late Roh Moo Hyun, South Korea's former president since he was the most controversial person that I heard about since I came here in Korea. And so I silently practiced what exactly I should say (really!)lol

Anyway, I guess it was useless though because waiting for so long made feel tired and even gave me a slight headache. I'm not blaming the interviewers, they were just doing their job... and in fact, I kinda admire them for being extremely patient in going through this the whole afternoon.

It was around 5:30pm when I was finally interviewed (imagine?!)... and I was the second to the last! Numbers 29 and 30 didn't show up so the next (and last) in line was the 31st. It went surprisingly well and I thought it was more of chatting than of a formal interview:)

All the waiting paid off though because I just got a text message yesterday that I was, indeed, accepted!:) I was asked to report there on Monday, September 7 at 9am.

Okay, so my next problem would be being there ON TIME... not just just on Monday but for the next two months... now, THAT's a different story:)

It's asthma... NOT swine flu!:)

2009-09-03T10:10:00.001+09:00

I was kinda worried the day before I came back to Korea. Why? I had colds and cough when I was in the Philippines just a few days before my flight. And so I was keeping my fingers crossed that they wouldn't actually put me in quarantine the moment I landed in Incheon.LOL

Okay, so maybe I was too much. But true enough, as I passed by the thermal scan camera, the staff had me on hold when he saw that I checked colds and cough in the health survey form they distributed while we were on the plane. He checked my body temperature and asked me questions like "have you taken any medicine?.. how long has it been?.. and so on. The bottom line was, I was held back for a few minutes and I was wondering if I should call my husband right that instant (I was sooooo wanting to go home!) Luckily, I didn't have any fever. So they told me that in case my condition gets worse, I have to see a doctor. And they finally let me go! whewww!:)

I was really intending to see a doctor because my cough sounded weird and I noticed that I easily run out of breath (really! even when I'm just speaking!). I went to the doctor with my sister-in-law and was prescribed to take medicine for cough and colds. I was asked to come back after 2 days. The doctor's verdict: asthma.

I was honestly surprised and "thrilled" that I ACTUALLY have asthma. Surprised, because I've never had asthma...ever! and I KNOW that I don't really have one. Thrilled because, believe it or not, I have been "wanting" to have one since I was young!lol Really! I thought it was kinda cool and feminine... it's like you're so fragile and all that (cos I'm waaaaaay far from fragile!lol)

After talking to my mom though, I discovered that having an asthma shouldn't come as a surprise to me because I was, in fact, asthmatic when I was like 1 year old. It just didn't show anymore as I grew older. How can my mom keep a secret like that??? LOL OKay, she just probably forgot. And I have never asked her anyway.

However, even if it's not swine flu... being asthmatic makes me even more PRONE to swine flu, right?! Especially now that it's starting to get chilly,.. they predicted how one can easily be infected... really have to be careful!:)

10 days: Onni or Chingu?

2009-09-03T10:00:00.001+09:00

We had this discussion in my korean language class last Friday about being friends.

Apparently, age is really basic in meeting somebody in Korea. After knowing each other's age, then that's the only time the two people can actually establish their relationship (I remember hearing "Sorry, teacher, but may I ask how old you are?" tons of times when I was still teaching Koreans in the Philippines) like who will call "Onni" (used by a younger female to call an older female) or use "jeonde mal" (polite expressions used when talking to an older person). If they have the same age, then they can more or less be "chingu" or friends. But if the other one is older, there has to be some sort of confirmation from the older person that "Hey, we can be friends!" or something like that:) If the person didn't say "friends" in any way, well... just don't act as if you're close,ayt?! Isn't it sooooo toxic?!lol

Anyway, I'm just blabbing about these stuffs because I remember some of my friends that I was able to meet during my 10-day visit back home. I have friends, close friends and a best friend. Somehow, we didn't have to actually say "okay, we are friends" or "okay, we are close friends!"lol We just FEEL it. (right? Don't you feel the same way?) And though a lot of them are older than me, well, not way older but technically older, we can still bond or share things (but i always see to it that I talk to them with respect especially if we have bigger age gap...not TOO much though)

We just met over lunch and a dinner. Madalian lang talaga. It was soooo hard to meet these people (and the others, especially those who work at night) because of the conflict in schedule.

We had a sumptuous lunch in Seafood Island in Cubao.

This was taken in PancakeHouse in Gateway.

And these were in Krispy Kreme... in Gateway,too.

They were all from the language tutorial center where I used to work. And I consider it a blessing that they still consider me as a friend though we seldom see each other:)

For those that I was able to meet... I will miss all of you... (when kaya ang next time?!)

For those that I wasn't able to see (and are now probably crossing me out of their "list of friends" LOL)...Mitch, my high school friends, the badminton people... my kumare's... I'm soooooo missing you, really! (Wag na kayong magtampo!lol) And I'm sorry I REALLY didn't have enough time and I sooooo didn't know what to do!:(

Love ko kayo lahat, promise!:)

10 days: Grandma's Big 80 Bash

2009-08-27T14:15:00.002+09:00

Grandma's bash was held last Saturday, August 22 in Barangay Nayon (hehe aka Barangay Hall!)

People normally have to pay for the use of this venue but since my Grandma's the Barangay Captain, siya ang batas!lol It was a gathering only for the family and friends.

This cake was totally different when it was delivered. My cousins and I kinda edited it by decorating it with our cute pictures,lol

hmmm... do green and orange go together? If not, it wasn't our idea, okay? honestly! lol The caterer decorated the place and in fairness, the barangay hall went through a whole new transformation. I heard some people saying how "sosyal" the place daw,hehe

We had this short program (which we normally do when we have family reunion) that was not really short after all!lol One of the visitors actually had to go early for his next appointment and was not even able to eat! tsk tsk tsk The plan was to finish the important parts before eating. I guess we all got carried away.lol

O diva? May video and powerpoint presentation pa! I was sitting there with my two cousins who actually made this happen:) Mga IT genius!lol

My nephew and my grandma dancing to the tune of "SHE". Yay! mala-Julia Roberts eto!:)

My aunts singing Wind Beneath my Wings. Should I tell you how many times they rehearsed the song? Nah... lol Oh, by the way, one of them is my mom! guess who?!

Tadaaaaaan!!!! There you go! That's me with my brother, mom and lola! (grandma) :) Don't you think it's unfair that my lola's the prettiest???!!!hehe

At her age, Lola still has an active social life.lol See? That's her what they call "WALANG KUPAS" (meaning 'not fading', literally!hehe) group, berks, dabarkads something.hehe They were already "Walang Kupas" since I was a baby... or I think even I was yet to be born. They sang their own version of Happy Birthday, astig!lol:)

This was actually a "take 2" already.hehe The first time we tried, most of us were crying... due to uncontrollable emotion!hehe (I guess being a cry-baby is hereditary!) So my older cousin insisted we sing it again. We were singing "Iingatan Ka" by Carol Banawa.

The rest of the pictures were just "kulitan" na lang,hehe Mga adik sa picture! (addicted to picture!)

This is the rest of the family. Aunts, cousins and nephew. Pang- ID picture daw according to the photographer.!lol

Eto naman pa-cute:) hehe

Me and my cousins:)

Jumping, in my stiletto... ang stiff ko noh?! Kelangan pa ng practice!:)

Eto naman adik sa coke! (addicted to coke!) lol My 1-yr-and-8-month-old nephew.

This was after Lola opened her gifts. My mom and and my aunts were vying for the lotion of their choice.hehe Lola can't use any of them so they had a kind of raffle draw to decide who will get what!lol They were actually dancing like EB Babes in Eat Bulaga... or some gurlaloo in Wowowee.LOL

It was such a memorable experience. I'm sooooo missing them all already!

Can't wait for the next one!:)

Love you, Lola!!:)

10 days: Tagalog-Korean Greetings

2009-08-27T14:05:00.002+09:00

So... I have this habit of surprising people. In fact, when I booked my flight to the Philippines in April, I never told a single soul. Okay, actually, I was lying. I told my brother, alright.. and my cousin in Saudi. But that's it. Errrr... and a close friend from work plus my bestfriend. That's not a lot,right? Anyway, the bottom line is, my family didn't know. I was planning to just pop out in front of their doorstep! It was already planned! But then a few days before my flight, I thought of what my mom told me. Since she didn't send me off when I first came here in Korea, she definitely had to be there when I come back. And so, my whole plan was ruined! But I felt glad just the same. It was my mom's first time in the airport and I was just happy to let her have this experience.

Anyway, as part of my plan, since I didn't tell them beforehand that I would be able to attend my lola's birthday, I sent them our video greetings to be included in the video presentation. To make it convincing right? (I actually thought it worked! If only my plan was not ruined tsk tsk tsk) hehe

Okay, so just don't throw up while watching. I'm just naturally thick-skinned so I have the guts to post it here.lol Sorry Blue! He'll kill me for this!lol

Well? Just don't say a word... LOL

10 days: Halmoni (Grandma)

2009-08-27T14:00:00.005+09:00

One of the main reasons that I opted to go to the Philippines this August instead of December, aside from the extremely cheap plane ticket, is my grandmother's 80th birthday.

Whenever I think about my grandma, the thing that pops out of my mind is the time when she accompanied me in Quezon City to help me fix my enrollment in the university.

My mom was kinda busy that time and my grandma was the only other person who could go with me since she also knew how to go around the city (I was a certified "promdi"! from the province!hehe in the Southern Tagalog region). She was 72 then and it was only later on that I realized how hard it was for her to walk around the campus (poor grandma, I almost dragged her with me.. sorry!) You have to ride the jeepney inside the campus just to reach certain places like the shopping center, registrar and the gym and math building (which are way far and beyond,hehe). Anyway, how could I possibly know about the 'IKOT' and 'TOKI' (yellow jeepneys going around the campus) since I was not even officially a freshman yet?

We were just looking for the registrar that time and I remember how I tried to sink in my seat inside the jeepney while my grandma asked someone (read: LOUDLY! That made all the passengers listen to what she was saying. What's with the oldies shouting in a normal, calm conversation?!) how to go there. The people we talked to were most helpful and we were able to find what we were looking for. I didn't have time to express my concern when I saw my grandma behind me, slowly walking and probably just enduring her aching feet (blame it to her arthritis, rheumatism wahtsoever) but I was so anxious to have my work done (and was partly embarrassed of having my grandma as my company...okay, so I was bad... but I was a teenager then! And I so wanted to appear confident and independent,hehe)

We were done at last and I was looking forward to going home. One of my cousins used to live in Visayas..... avenue!hehe near Quezon City circle and that's our next destination. We got off in Philcoa and guess what? my grandma stopped a bus bound for Fairview! She already got on the bus when she told the driver (read: loudly again... in full volume!lol) that we were going to Quezon City Hall or any place where we can ride a jeepney to Visayas ave, the driver said we should cross the overpass and we would see jeepneys to take us there. To make the long story short, we got home safely (and each in one whole piece:)

I was with my cousin's husband the next time I went back there.lol (really sorry, grandma!)

And that's how my grandma is to everyone... her children, her grandchildren, her friends and now, the whole "barangay" where she's serving as the Barangay Captain!... at the age 80! (san ka pa?!)

And so the whole family decided to make her birthday extra special this year:)

more kwento's (stories) to come:)

10 days

2009-08-25T14:00:00.003+09:00

..of devouring kaldereta, adobo, sinigang and other Filipino food that I missed so much
..of nonstop chatting and sharing stories about my, as they said, "being Koreana" :)
..of catching up with the lives of everyone I know
..of taking tons of picture
.. spent with my family and a few of my friends

ay tapos na?! ang bilis naman!:(

I was soooo happy but soooo bitin din (hope the next one won't be... i mean, bitin. haggard kasi!:)

nice to be back, though:)

Kimchii Express

2009-08-10T10:00:00.004+09:00

Can you imagine kimchii traveling hundreds of kilometers to reach your dining table? Our's did!

A package arrived in our apartment last Saturday containing kimchii and other "ban chan" (side dishes) as well. There were several bottles,too. All basic stuffs normally used in the Korean kitchen like soy sauce (which has several types depending on what food will be cooked!) and sesame oil (which they use pretty much in everything:) My mother-in-law sent them all last Friday. And I was so thrilled to see our refrigerator THAT full again:)

Well, I'm not really the lazy type of wife.lol I DO cook for my husband! (really!!) But since there's just the two of us, there's really no need to prepare so much food. But I still feel happy when my MIL or sister-in-law give us food from time to time. (They are probably worried my husband might be malnourished or something!) Anyway, why refuse the blessings?lol

This is one of the convenient things I like in Korea. When you say express, well, it could really be fast (I guess part of their "ppali ppali" culture (ppali means to be fast) I found this site of one of Korea's pioneer in package delivery service and they offer services that cater to people's needs:)

How I wish it was possible for my mom to send me "adobo" and "kaldereta", too when I was all noodles and instant stuffs during my college days.hehe

It's a Small World 2

2009-08-10T09:45:00.001+09:00

Like I've mentioned in my post before, I never expect to bump into someone I actually know when I'm wandering around Seoul. Well, I think I should now:)

We were in the main branch of Kyobo Book Center or Kyobo Moongo, the largest and most famous bookstore in Korea, in Gwanghamun Seoul yesterday. I was looking for some art book I was planning to give my nephew in the Philippines and we had to ask for assistance. Not only was it hard to find where the exact corner was, but it was too crowded as well (what, with all the kids sprawled on the carpeted floor plus their parents who are looking after them) It was Sunday that's why:)

It so happened that the staff my husband talked to and showed us around was one of my students in my group class in the language center in the Philippines! I didn't notice her right away because frankly speaking, Korean faces tend to look similar in my eyes especially in a crowded place like this. Anyway, I was browsing some books when she suddenly asked me "Were you from C21?" I looked at her and realized, hey, she did look familiar! So, I said "Wait, I KNOW you!" and we both laughed. We didn't talk much though because it was still technically time for work so she shouldn't be probably chatting away and we were not really that close so a small talk would do. We didn't even exchange numbers,hehe She probably thought I was a horrible teacher!lol

Again, small world indeed!:)

Dinner in Alaska

2009-08-01T22:30:00.003+09:00

Okay, so we didn't actually go to North Pole just to have dinner!lol

Since I have been sick (and alone...do i really have to emphasize that?!lol), I was moping at home the whole day yesterday when my niece suddenly texted me saying we'll be eating dinner together with the family that night. I thought it was just an ordinary dinner, which is either in my sister-in-law's house or in a restaurant somewhere in the neighborhood, so I didn't bother to dress up. And I was not in the mood anyway. So I just put on a shirt and sweat pants, combed my hair a little and powdered my nose. With just a cellphone in my hand, I put on my slippers and off I went to my SIL's apartment.

The simple dinner turned out to be a kind of send-away get together for some relatives who are just in Korea for a visit. They are currently living in the Philippines and will go back there next week.

I kinda panicked because they all looked decent and I wasn't.lol And so as we were entering this fancy restaurant, I took a deep breath and thought of a friend's mantra in this kind of situation which is... "Attitude!". No matter how drab I look, with the right attitude... kering keri ko na yan!lol Anyway, actually, it doesn't matter at all. Keber ko ba?!lol

The restaurant we went to was ALASKA (Seafood Buffet and Family Party Restaurant) located in Lotte Mart in Junggye-dong Nowon-gu Seoul which is just a 10-minute drive from our home. They also have stores in Ansan, Bupyeong, Ulsan, Anseong, Guru and Gwangju World Cup Stadium.

This is their sort of logo, that I got from their site, which could be mistaken for an ice cream store or winter wonderland something if not for the small text above Alaska!:)

The place was cozy and I instantly noticed that there were already a lot of customers inside, some seated and some already feasting around the buffet tables. If I had taken my camera and were feeling a little better, I would have taken tons of picture already. But no. I was not in the pityur-pityur mode this time. And I didn't have my camera with me anyway.

They have salad bar, sushi and sashimi bar, the steamed and grilled stuff corner, a special corner where they serve kebab and shabu shabu and MY corner: dessert!!!!! That was the part I enjoyed the most:) They served these cute mini choco mousse, blueberry mousse and mango mousse to name a few (gosh, I lurrrrv them... actually not particularly these ones but cakes and mousse in general). Plus a chocolate fondue (I forgot how many chocolate coated breadsticks I ate:). They do have choux, muffins, cookies, ice cream, and fruits, too (which I couldn't stuff in my tummy anymore cause it was already bulging.lol)

Though I enjoyed the dessert A LOT, the restaurant was not really extraordinary. (I think people always have something negative to say.haha) Hmmm... and I think once is enough. Di bale nang walang picture!lol

Bluer than Blue

2009-07-30T23:05:00.001+09:00

I'm sick and alone. My husband left me! (what's bluer than that?!)

Okay, so it's just an exaggeration. I'm not divorced at the age of 24.lol

Blue left for China this morning for some work that his company asked him to do and he won't be back till Sunday (the first ever since we got married!) Well, I should be kinda happy I have some time alone and I don't need to worry about cooking and stuff cause I can eat anything I want. But the thing is, I'm feeling really terrible. My nose is clogged. My head feels heavy. My throat is itchy. My body feels kinda sore and I'm feverish (wait a sec... does it sound like swine flu?!! gosh, hope it's not!lol) Actually, it was Blue who got sick first and then I got sick, too... a day before his trip! Great! I begged him not to go but it was just all drama!lol cause I know it's impossible!

Jagiya, please come home soon!:(

Fashionista

2009-07-30T22:45:00.003+09:00

Seeing a lot of korean women who live and breathe style was definitely a "culture shock" for me (who's been trying to dress up but still a certified fashion mess)! I remember reading someone's blog saying that koreans "changed the definition of the word casual". And I think I kinda agree wih that!

Coming from a tropical country where I can just get away with flip-flops, tees and jeans, it was kinda hard for me to adjust. Not that I want to stand out or something or be, literally, a fashionista, but if i'll be walking along the streets of Seoul or meeting some people, I want to be at least presentable (I know that it really doesn't matter what clothes I wear but looking good somehow boosts my self-esteem:)

And so it's been a habit of mine to check different styles of clothes and stuff. So far, the site of The Chic Fashionista has been very helpful. It's very informative for people (like me!) who badly need a crash course in fashion. Through this site, you will get to know your body shape, face shape , the perfect color for you and the likes (which are really essential in finding the right clothes) plus the latest trend and some useful fashion tips that will definitely change your shopping habit. I have learned so much from this site... errrr... at least theoretically!lol We'll see when I go shopping...

Gamjatang (감자탕)

2009-07-22T21:00:00.004+09:00

It was a bit late already when Asul arrived home last night and I forgot to take out the "naengche" (chilled cucumber soup which Koreans usually eat in summertime) I made for him for dinner from the freezer (so it was not just chilled but frozen!) so I tried to talk him into eating out instead. We seldom do it on weekdays, anyway. And so we headed to the first restaurant we saw with a large GAMJATANG streamer outside.

"Gamjatang" is a spicy pork bone stew. The word “gamja” means potato and “tang” means stew. Its rich broth is made from boiled pork backbone. This stew generally has assorted vegetables such as cabbage, mushrooms, parsley, green onions and bean sprouts and seasoned with garlic and red chili pepper. This dish is known to be rich in proteins, calcium and Vitamin B1 (from the pork bones) and is believed to prevent snoring as well as aging.

I was just wondering, though. It's called "gamjatang" but I only saw a chunk of potato in it. How come?!lol

Hear ye! Hear ye!

2009-07-20T11:00:00.009+09:00

1. To receive this award your blog must be exceptional in design and content; presenting us with new knowledge, a sense of style, or at times just giving us a smile!
2. Each recipient of the award will acknowledge (through a link) the person who honored them with the award.

It was so kaka-windang for someone to actually give me this award (i'm so feeling it!haha:) thanks jehan! (por dat sineryoso ko talaga!:)

I also actually have a few people I want to pass this award to. They don't really need this award anymore but I'd like to pass this to them just the same :)

Ate Betchay (nyay! okay lang ba na ate?!lol)- Her blog was the first ever blog about Korea I stumbled into (how can it not be? it's all over google?!lol). I have had a daily dose of it since then. Very informative and there's always something new so it's never boring. Ate Betchay's so accommodating, too! (kala ko mahirap siyang ma-reach!lol) I only sent her an email once to ask her about the school she goes to and she really took her time to reply. She even gave me her number! (first Pinay I got in touch with since I arrived here:)

Ate Wendy (ate rin?!lol) - Her blog is not only very informative but intellectually stimulating as well:) I also love reading her posts about her Little Dynamo :) Plus, she accepted my invite in Multiply (though we barely know each other!) Thanks po!

Cher- How she presents info about Korea is so engaging that you will be left craving for more:) I also love seeing her baby Zach's pictures... soooooooo adorable:)

Emma- I so love her writing style. Witty, at times mushy (a lot of her posts shout "every girl's sentiment!"... well, at least in my opinion) and she has her way of making her posts come to life which makes you look forward to what she's gonna write about next.

Asian Conqueror- Nakakatanggal ng stress ang kanyang mga posts!lol and I was so na-lurkei with his reply when I wrote a comment in his blog once!:)

Thanks guys! Reading your posts made being an expat here in Korea less hard for me (and quite fun,too!) especially when I was having plenty of emo moments when I first arrived here:)

oh,and I want to add Mitch, a dear friend for more than a decade (we're so not getting young anymore!!) it's just so nice to stay updated to what's happening to her (but I hate it when I drool over the food pics she keeps on posting!lol)

Keep on writing people! I'm one your avid readers:)

Shopaholic

2009-07-20T10:00:00.018+09:00

Ooopps! Not me, (I do have the tendency though!:) but Rebecca Bloomwood, Sophie Kinsella's heroine in her shopaholic series.

I first saw the book, Confessions of a Shopaholic, in National Bookstore like 6 years ago (but it was actually first published in 2000). It easily caught my attention because of its girlish cover (soooper pink:) but I didn't really pay much attention to it because I was usually checking other books (and it was not as if I was going to actually buy it there! I was more of a BookSale person!:)

Anyway, Asul happened to have a copy which, take note, he found in the airport! Apparently, somebody left it (shhhhh, finders keepers!:) And so I had the chance to read it.

It... was...so... hilarious! Becky was the type of protagonist who has a warm spirit and a big heart but prone to getting into trouble (especially being, obviously, a shopaholic herself). How her "damage-limitation brainwaves" work made me burst into laughter every time. I actually thought we have quite a similarity (what, with my overactive imagination and all!) Anyway, you should read it, really. If you're all stressed out and not in the mood for anything, this could be a real treat (It's way much better than watching the film! I was so disappointed it was nothing like the book and I wasn't even able to finish it!)

Being so satisfied with it, I looked for the other books Kinsella wrote. I bought the second book Shopaholic Takes Manhattan last year. The other two, Shopaholic Ties the Knot and Shopaholic and Sister, I purchased through the internet along with Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (which all cost around 23,000 won (approx. $18)... quite good deal!:) and they just arrived a few days ago. I'm actually way too late now because there's Shopaholic and Baby already (in fact 2 years ago!) and there are several books presenting a new character as well.

hmmm... I'd be so busy devouring these books for the next few days. Can't wait to finish them all!

Panjak Panjak (sparkling:)

2009-07-13T11:00:00.001+09:00

Okay, so this is not about Girls' Generation.lol It's about the laser show we saw last Saturday in Cheonggyecheon in the upstream area of Gwanggyo near Jonggak Station.

It was actually Digital Canvas, a type af art using lasers and fog fountains, created by a renowned French artist Laurent Francois. I thought the show would run for like 30 minutes nonstop, rest for a while then resume afterwards. But no! The show was only for 8 minutes every 30 minutes from 8-10pm. Por dat, hinintay talaga namin:)

The soooooper amateur video below was only a clip of the first part of the show:) The latter part was much nicer:)

The show will run until January next year. It will start however from 6pm and end at 8pm from October.

Festival Galore

2009-07-11T12:00:00.004+09:00

It has been almost a week since Asul and I had been to Cebu, Baguio, Bacolod, Davao and Aklan all in one day without flying back to the Philippines!lol

The Philippine Embassy in Seoul, with the help of different organizations, brought some of the most popular festivals in the Philippines to South Korea as part of the celebration of the 14th Filipino Migrant Workers Day, 111th Philippine Independence Day and the 60th Year of the Philippines-Korea Bilateral Relations.

It was held in Banpo Park.

This was the really nice fountain which could be seen from the venue of the festivity.

Pilipinas. It was quite a performance (kahit mejo parang nalurkei na sila sa bandang huli!lol) And I thought it would just work in dark places!:)

SINULOG of Cebu City.

PANAGBENGA. A festival of flowers in Baguio City:)

ATI-ATIHAN. From Kalibo, Aklan.

KADAYAWAN. A thanksgiving festival in Davao City.

MASSKARA. A parade of masks in Bacolod City.

And FLORES de MAYO/Santacruzan which is celebrated across the nation.

A musical concert was held after the street dances. This is THE FORTISSIMO, a Filipino group based in Grand Hyatt Hotel in Seoul. (Na-LSS ako sa "Oh my love, my darling, I've hungered for your t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-touch" lol)

We didn't stay till the festival ended because I noticed how tired Asul looked. So we just took some pictures instead and then went home...

This is me with my newfound friend. She's my classmate in my Korean language class:) (danda ng view... tsaka, sige na nga, kami na rin!lol:)

iL-Bak-i-iL (1night, 2days): Final Stop

2009-07-03T09:58:00.012+09:00

We saw more of Yeongju the rest of the afternoon and we visited "Seo Won" and Buseoksa Temple.

Seo Won was the first national authorized private high school institute. It was so neat and the environment was so relaxing (too much sun was still burning my skin, though because it was around 12:30 in the afternoon!)

This used to be the students' dormitory.

And this was a diorama of their classroom set-up (they all looked serious!lol)

And this was where they kept their books.

I didn't take more pictures because most of the structures looked similar to me. It was nice to see this kind of place though:)

We left for Buseoksa Temple afterwards.

Now, I have come to see several temples already and I was not actually very fond of them. However, what I appreciate more is the scenery around the structure. Many temples are located on the mountain and the view could really be breathtaking.

This was what welcomed us right after we got off the bus:)

Apple trees we saw on our way up to the mountain.

See how the couple in front of us alternately carried their son?! That's how tiring our hike was!

And this was the start of the 108-step-stairs going up to reach the main hall.

The structure above is the main hall of Buseoksa. It is famous for being one of the oldest wooden buildings in the country. It was nice inside especially the ceiling but we were not allowed to take any pictures.

Asul freshening up:) The water's really cool!

On our way down...

It was around 3:00 pm when we left Yeongju and we were finally back in Seoul around 7:00 pm.

THOUGHTS:

I just wish the weather wasn't deadly hot. It definitely made the trip less enjoyable. And I also wish I was good at Korean. Our guide spoke in Korean and I got tired asking Asul for translation(he probably got fed up answering my questions,too!) And also, I felt so bad knowing that most of the foreign spouses I met were way much better in speaking the language to think that some of them studied only on their own (and I have two classes! kumusta naman?!) anyways...

Over all, it was definitely an amazing trip (what's more amazing than being able to go on a trip for free?!lol) And learning and seeing more of Korea makes me appreciate this country more. Hope URI gets in touch with us again next year!lol :)

iL-Bak-i-iL (1night, 2days): Etiquette

2009-07-02T19:54:00.013+09:00

After breakfast on the second day of the trip, we had an hour session about Korean "ye-beob" or etiquette.

I have bowed in front of my mother-in-law several times and the rest of the family once but I had no idea whether I was doing the right thing or not. And Asul didn't bother checking me anyway. The thing I knew though is that we bow only once in front of people who are alive and two and a half for dead people.

I remember Dae Jang Geum's first few epsiodes where young girls were being taught how to bow. I finally was able to learn it, too!

We were first taught how to put on "ye beok" or Korean men's school uniform before.

We were all seated on the floor while the teacher was demonstrating how to put on the ye- beok.

Asul and me in our ye-beok:)

Asul was definitely the cutest!haha

Emote!:)

Presenting... the graduates?!LOL These were the Koreans and foreign spouses who joined the camp. No kids were around because the staffs found a way to keep them busy (to avoid disturbing their parents!:)

iL-Bak-i-iL (1night,2 days): Traditional Motel?!:)

2009-07-02T10:00:00.008+09:00

At last! After a long hot day, we were finally done with the day's itinerary. And so we went to Seon bi Munhwa Su ryeon won (Seon bi means gentleman:) where we spent the night. It was located in Yeongju near Andong in North Gyeongsang province. It was like a very small village with traditional korean houses they call "Haneok". Asul told me that it was originally for people who would like to meditate or go on a retreat.

This is the entrance. And you can see ASul somewhere there in the middle!:)

Everyone's wondering where their rooms were. Bangenge na ko nito.

They looked so nice... felt like I was Dae Jang Geum!lol:)

And this was where we slept! Complete with a fan, an aircon, pillows and warm blankets, errr.... fire extinguisher?! (masyado silang prepared!lol) and complimentary bottles of water (o, di va?!) The only problem was we had roommates in this tiny room... you know, bugs, mosquito and any tiny crawling and flying elements! It was understandable because the place was literally in the middle of nowhere with mountains and stuffs all around. Good thing the room had screen plus they provided insecticide. It was a really a unique experience.

This was taken the next day early in the morning:) hmmm.... fresh na fresh,lol

Asul again.. with our second Japanese-Korean son!haha:)

sigh*

It was still an exciting day ahead...

iL-Bak-i-iL (1night,2 days): Hahoe Mask Dance Drama

2009-07-02T10:00:00.003+09:00

Before leaving the village, we had the chance to watch the Hahoe Mask Dance Drama which is one of Korea's most traditional folk plays. It was believed that one should watch this drama at least once in his lifetime or he won't go to heaven (sigh* glad I was able to see it!lol)

The villagers before performed this drama to please their local goddess and exorcise evil spirits. It was also their way of praying for abundant harvest, peace and prosperity.

The characters in the drama also represent social classes which were satirized to relieve the social tension among the families in the village.

The young lady dancing on the shoulder represents the local goddess. She was asking the people to make offerings for their blessings and wealth.

They were the male and female Juji (lion) dancing and playfully fighting.

And they were the ones giving some groove to the drama,lol. They provide the sound effect kumbaga!lol with traditional Korean instruments.

The big brown bull which forgot its manners!lol tama bang magweewee?!lol It was fun, though.. not the bull but the reaction of the audience:)

A butcher killed the bull and took out its heart and cut out its testicles. He then asked the spectators to buy them... anyone? errrrr... no thanks!:)

I love this character! Her "grandmother dance" was so funny!lol (What's a grandmother dance anyway? Actually, i just made it up. I guess it's the way I've seen a grandmother dances!lol) Anyway, she portrays a granny who became a widow three days after her wedding at the age of 14! And that's a hand loom with her. This act showed the conflict among social classes and the pain of life for common people.

And she was the treasurer i guess?lol

The man was a wandering monk who got attracted to a young lady. He caught her peeing and even smelled her pee when she was gone... seriously!lol This act criticized the corruption in religion of their time.

These three represented the scholar, the fool and the busybody.

This was the most interesting part: seeing the "Man in the WOODEN Mask"! lol There was only one woman in the cast. Most parts were portrayed by men.

The thing that I noticed the most though was the enthusiasm of the crowd. There were many foreigners, yes. But I noticed there were more Koreans in the audience. It was just amazing to see the Korean people's appreciation of what they call their own. I know I wouldn't be THAT enthusiastic while watching "balagtasan" or hearing a "kundiman". (see the attitude? i hope my country doesn't make me an exile!lol) But I know it's still something that we Filipinos should work on.

iL-Bak-i-iL (1night,2 days): Hahoe Folk Village

2009-07-02T10:00:00.000+09:00

We had lunch right after our first stop in Buyongde. We had a sumptuous meal, with bulgogi (불고기 or grilled marinated beef) as the main dish. After that, we headed straight to Hahoe Ma-eul (하회마을, ma-eul means village).

Hahoe Village is a small old village which was able to preserve not only the structure of the houses but their traditional way of life as well.

People still live here by the way.

Welcome to Andong City!:) Entrance to Hahoe Village. Trivia: Andong City gained popularity when Queen Elizabeth II of England visited here in 1999 for her 73rd birthday.

And this is a bed of "yeon kkot" (연꽃 or lotus flower... cool:)

Our group... sunbathing!lol sooooooper init!

hmmm... an old folk village with a vendo machine!:) (san ka pa?!lol)

Asul said they were traditional soju (whatever that means!lol) "Wi ha yeo!" (위하여, cheers!)

The fences all around the village were made of mud.

This thatched-roof house was where peasants used to live long time ago.

Me, Asul and the 600-something-year-old-tree.

The ropes surrounding the tree were covered with papers where people wrote their wishes.. (im still keeping my fingers crossed!)

This tiled-roof house is owned by Ryu Shi Won, a korean actor. It was called a 'yangban' (aristocrat) villa.

This hole, which can be found near the door of a yangban villa, was where the yangban family put some money for their visitors. It was said to be uncomfortable asking their visitors how much they need to take home with them and so they just put a significant amount in the hole. Wanna slip your hand in? I did! but didn't get any:)

This is the playground for people who have extremely active growth hormone!lol kumusta naman ang mega taas na swing?

I was wondering if they were see-saws or what?!lol They were actually "neol twi gi" (널뛰기). If two people sit on a see-saw, they should jump on neol twi gi.

This is Asul with our first born Japanese-Korean child!lol We were about to go out of the village and we noticed my Japanese classmate (from my Korean language class) struggling to handle her two kids alone. So Asul helped her out. Nice naman Asul! (additional "pogi" points:)

iL-Bak-i-iL (1night,2 days): Buyongde

2009-07-02T09:59:00.000+09:00

As I have always mentioned, I'm now a certified sucker of freebies:) And so when I was offered to go on a trip for FREE, who am i to refuse?! All I had to prepare were my stuff and Asul's and the adventurous side of me:)

This weekend trip was organized by the United Religions Initiative (URI- Korea). It was actually a camp for multicultural families. Most women, who have Korean spouses, came from countries like China, Vietnam, Philippines, Japan, Cambodia and Mongolia. The purpose of the camp was to familiarize the migrant women with Korean culture and to meet families of similar background as well.

We left around 8:00am last Saturday June 28. I was surprised to see a lot of kids around because I thought it was just actually for foreign spouses. It was just right then and there that I learned it's for the entire family. Luckily, I had forced ASul to come with me... and so we were a family, too! (father and daughter!LOL)

We finally arrived at our first stop, Buyongde in Andong City, North Gyeongsang Province around 11:30am. Buyongde was actually a very old school but we didn't peek inside. We walked past it and hiked for like ten minutes to reach the top of the cliff. I didn't expect it would be THAT hot and we were just so lucky to have brought an umbrella. I was not very conscious when it comes to my complexion (because it was originally DARK brown since I was young!lol dunno how it had got so lighter compared before!lol) but the heat was so unbearable and the shade of the umbrella was really a relief.

The pictures below were taken right from the top. It was overlooking the Hahoe Maum (하회마음 or Hahoe Village) which we visited as well afterwards:) "Hahoe" means that the river goes around the village. Three sides of the village are actually surrounded by Nakdong River.

This is Asul and me:) I was still groggy after staying on the bus for like 3 and half hours (thus with the sunglasses!lol Sayang lang may extra sa likod!lol)

Over the Rainbow

2009-06-23T10:38:00.004+09:00

Thursday last week was the 16th and final episode of the show That Fool/Accidental Couple in KBS. I really feel bad it's over. I'll miss Gu Dong Baek (Hwang Jung Min) and my TV time with Asul:(

The video below was a clip from episode 14. The way they sang Over the Rainbow was really cute (especially the "doom ba doom ba doom" lol ang kulet!:) and I was surprised at how good Hwang Jung Min's set of vocal cords is:) Not only is he my favorite Korean actor now, he's also my favorite singer! lol

Should you want to see the drama for yourself, just click here. Kakaaliw:)

Scaredy cat

2009-06-21T18:30:00.006+09:00

Summer's here and horror movies that will definitely give chills in the midst of scorching heat are, as well. One film entitled A Blood Pledge (or Whispering Corridors 5- Suicide Pact) has just been released here in Korea last June 18. It's about four high school girls who sealed their vow to commit joint suicide through their own blood.

Well, a scary movie is definitely not in my list of 'films that I go for'. The last scary movies I saw were: Ring (I watched it on the laptop with my friends in UP Palma Hall after our group meeting. After that, I wasn't even able to look at the television if it's off for like a week for fear that Sadako might just crawl out of it!) and The Eye(2002) (I was with my two close friends and there were probably less than 15 people in the theater! I couldn't take the elevator after watching the film.lol)

I hardly saw any of such films after that. I just don't like them... hmmmm, okay, actually i'm just a certified scaredy cat! It's probably hereditary!lol My mom told me how she would cover herself with a blanket while sleeping (especially when she's alone ) though it was sizzling hot and she was profusely sweating. She said she would hear suspicious sounds and imagine strange figures in the middle of the night!lol

As for me,just a few days ago, I was about to go home and my friend's son sent me off in the elevator of the building. He pressed the button longer and hovered for awhile while we say our endless goodbyes. And then he joked at me and said "Museopta! (무섭다 or scary!). I instantly knew what he was thinking and I found myself imagining the old man in "The Eye" with deformed face floating in the corner of the elevator about to turn around and face me.. nyay! I covered my ears and looked away and I still saw my him laughing and pretending to point to someone on the other side of the elevator! Really naughty kid!lol I coudn't take it anymore so I decided to use the stairs. Luckily,we were just on the fourth floor so it was not a problem. (I just wondered though, what if somebody just popped out in front of me? Well, I'm not a bad runner so I thought I could handle that!lol)

Now that elevators have been brought up again, I guess I'll be having problems going out and coming home again for a while because guess what? We live on the 13th floor of our apartment building! (tama ba yun?!lol) (Apparently, in Korea, the number 13 is not as notorious as it is in the Philippines.haha They think that number 4 is the unlucky number because it means death in Chinese language. So you would usually see 'F' floor instead of 4.)

Just the thought of number 13 welcoming me as the elevator door opens gives me goosebumps already!

scaredy cat indeed!:)