Bad weather

It hasn't stopped raining since I woke up, there must be some kind of storm or something. The sky is so dark and it's gray everywhere I look. I took the picture at 3 pm, but it looks like it's already night time. When the weather is like this, I feel gloomy. I made plans previously for a Friday night like this, but now.. I am just not in the mood to be outdoors where everything has wetness written all over it.

When it rains, it's difficult to get a cab, buses are seldom and are always full, and it seems like there's traffic jam in almost every intersection. So I really hate it everytime it rains.

I took this pic just outside my place. The quality is not good because it's raining and it's quite difficult to take a picture while holding an umbrella. My hands just couldn't stop shaking cause it's chilly outside. I wish this rain would just stop...

Cranky Sunday

I'm feeling cranky today! Every little thing annoys me... from the dry cleaning lady, to
the Indian guy at the subway who kept on talking to me with a bad case of bad-breath, and everything that is wrong inside the house. I'm having my regular bout of P-M-S and for all I care, it makes me a total bitch from time-to-time! Sunday means relaxation supposedly for me, but not today. After I came back home I'm more than pissed to know that I left the boiler running! I scolded myself for not remembering to turn it off. I was gonna use the computer to calm me down but heck!...the internet doesn't work. And I've got loads of laundry that needs to be washed uhm..as in NOW or I wouldn't have anything to wear. And it's messy everywhere I look so I decided to turn this place inside-out and clean every nook and cranny.

So I did several batches of laundry and hang it dry. I did the dishes and cleaned the stove which I hate by the way! I changed my sheets and fixed the bed really neat. I went through the cabinets and arranged the things inside. Cleaned the fridge and got rid of stuff beyond two weeks except for the good 'ol kimchi of course! The hardest part is mopping the floor... here in Korea we sit on the floor while watching TV or eating and the reason for that is the unique heating system called 'ondol' where it heats up the floor. So it's rather comfortable for most people to sit on the floor rather than on the couch. Koreans never wear their shoes inside the house but use indoor slippers instead but I prefer to be barefoot around the house like most people. I used the verb mopping but we don't use a real mop while cleaning the floor. I use a white cloth to scrub the floor clean and do that 2 or 3 times until it's spotless. Used Windex to clean the windows and glass fixtures and Oxyclean for others. I even cleaned the door knobs and faucets which I think is so-necessary after watching an episode on 'Tyra'. With the influence of the said show, I switched my normal detergent to one that promises to kill 99.9% of germs and started using anti-bacterial dishwashing and liquid soap.

I practically did all the things and there is nothing left to do. I didn't know cleaning can be therapeutic too!!! It's 1 am now and am just about to hit the shower. I feel more relaxed knowing everything is neat and spotless clean...

My little pieces of heaven

Say hello to my little pieces of heaven... These cheap but heavenly desserts can turn my terrible day a little bit worthwhile. Dars white chocolate is the name of the bar, costs around $1. I think it's imported from Japan though I tasted it a couple of times in China as well. The Ice cream name is World Cup, (giggle-)... I know it's tacky as hell kinda name but it's absolutely decadent for $1 price . But wait till you hear 'Goo-goo Ice Cream'... you might think it's rinky-dink nonsense name, but it's the best I've tasted straight from a convenience store... ^^

First snow

Last night marks the first snow this year. I think it's about -3 degrees celsius now and the forecast warned us that it's going to get colder and will have heavy snowfall on the days to come. So cold that it's difficult to go outside... everything's frozen and slushy.

It's a habitude for couples to meet at the first snowfall of the year and leisurely walk together. It's supposed to be romantic and all.

Whenever it snows it reminds me of the song 'I'm dreaming of a white christmas' which makes me think about christmas back home.

The bag

One of the most difficult things I have to encounter living abroad is related to food. I needed to adjust my tastebuds to dishes that are so foreign to me. I am not a fan of spicy dishes before coming here (but I've grown to love it now) so I had to adjust big time. The sad part is, my stomach doesn't really go well with some korean dishes. So I'm extra careful eating outside and I'd rather cook for myself. Thinking about this, I made a plan and went to Homeplus to do my weekly grocery shopping. While I was packing my stuff, a korean couple helped me as I was having difficult putting it all inside one bag (which eventually broke cause my stuff is too heavy). It was nice of them to help and give me this bag. I used it to put all my stuff which I bought. It's not something fancy but they are so generous to give it to a total stranger like me. I thanked them and took a cab back home carrying it.

Korean Street-Food (no. 2)

Whenever I have a chance, I always buy Hotteok from vendors on the street. It's only available during the cold season (I don't know the reason behind this... ^^). I suppose, to make people feel warm?

Hotteok resembles a fried pancake, it's made of glutinous rice, black sugar, and peanuts... It tastes sweet and chewy like that of rice-cake.

I sometimes taste a hint of cinnamon but the taste differs from place to place. It costs 500 KRW for each or about half a dollar. In some place, it's cheaper than that. It's served straight from the pan so it's very hot so I often eat it with a cold glass of milk.

Korean Street-Food

When I'm not in the mood to cook I usually resort to buying street-food here. Not to be wary, street-food here is nothing like what we have back home. It's clean, cheap, and very delicious. Don't have to worry about getting stomach ache for everything is sanitarily prepared. In summer, I am reluctant to buy street-food for obvious reason that food get spoiled easily at this time. I included two of my favorites here in this post.

I like eating Sundae... Although it's spelled like the cold dessert everybody likes it's nothing like it. Sundae means pork blood sausage made from korean vermicelli, sticky rice and coagulated pork blood all stuffed inside pork's intestine. It's steamed then sliced just before serving together with portions of liver and tripe. It may seem gross to some people but I assure you it's delicious... It costs about $2 and the portions are big you can even share

Pinoy Breakfast

Whenever I get tired of eating cereal for breakfast I try to concoct something that resembles food back home. Usually trying a new brand of cereal helps me a bit with battling my cravings for Pinoy food. Sometimes it just doesn't do the trick so I had to prepare it by all means. Scouring the cabinets I found a can of Maling which I brought here from Manila. I just fried the maling in little oil (I don't like it when it's drenched in beaten egg before frying), made some sunny-side up (I like it when the yolk is still intact and a bit runny), and some boiled sticky rice which I prefer than what we have back home. I read an article about Japanese and Korean rice being the finest rice in the world. It's rather chewy in texture, shiny in appearance and it even smells good. I used to hate kimchi, but now... a meal without one is 'incomplete', even if I'm eating pinoy food.

1st day of Winter

Yes, it's already winter... I heard from the weather forecast that the temperature will drop below zero so I armed myself with a thick coat, gloves and scarf before heading out to visit Hyewha Catholic Church and attend a mass officiated by a Filipino priest. The mass attracts thousands of attendees and it is entirely done in Tagalog... The church became a gathering spot for Pinoys from all over Seoul and Gyeonggi-do.

Just outside the church the streets are flooded with people selling everything from hotdogs, century tuna, bagoong, longganisa, ampalaya and to my surprise they even have tilapia and bangus. The usual selling price is 3 or 4 times higher than the original price so I hesitated to buy.

The air is so dry thesedays that I have to put on lotion twice a day and I perpetually use the humidifier. Before I came here, I didn't know what a humidifier is or how it looks like (since manila is sooo humid I never had or will ever have an opportunity to use it there!). Well, it's just a simple machine that is filled with water and using ultrasound or heat energy, it heats up the water to produce steam and make the air moist.

I got this one last winter and it still works very well.

The Weekend

Last weekend I headed out to Kangwon-do, it's the Eastern-most part of the country. It feels nice to be away from city; the crowd, the noise, and the pollution. Kangwon-do is said to be the most rural place in the country with agriculture being it's top most source of income. For a place that is almost covered with mountains, I didn't expect it too be so beautiful. It's a great place to see the many colors of Autumn so it is quite popular with tourist both foreigners and Koreans alike.

It's a 4 hour drive by car and a 5 1/2 hour via train so the trip going there can be exhausting. Upon arriving, it's already mid-afternoon and my first destination is Seoraksan, it translates as beautiful snow-rock mountain and it's said to be the most beautiful place in the whole country. To climb the peak one must ride a cable car first and climb by foot for 15 mins. Since it's the major tourist attraction in Kangwondo there are so many people. Getting a ticket for a cable car ride can take up to two hours so I did a little hike at one of their hiking courses.

I just managed to get past the river and I had to go back to catch my ride to go to the mountain. I'm glad I wore my thickest coat as it was really cold at the top. Then I had to climb to get to the peak. My knees are shaking ang trembling in fear, the 15 minute climb was so much difficult than I anticipated. With one simple mistake one can lose his life so I am very cautious. There are no rope, no safety harness whatsoever, you just use your hands to climb. I haven't done rock-climbing so I'm very nervous... Half-way, my foot got stucked in a crevice and I can't move. The people behind me were quite annoyed because they cannot move as well. One ajussi offered to help me and grabbed my hand so I was able to inch my way up. At long last I reached the top, I had to sit because it is really windy and one can lose his balance and fall. I have never been this close to dying I said to my self.

But the view is breath-taking and it's all worth it. The panorama at the peak resembles Himalayas to me, quite picturesque. I spent 10 minutes before I decided to go down, I was the last person to do so and I'm not proud of it. Descending from the top was even more difficult. I lost my balance twice, sweated profusely but I'm very thankful that I managed to go down safely. It was the most nerve-wracking event in my life but it's also exhilirating at the same time, and if I would be given a chance I'll do it all over again.

I headed out to a port in Seokcho afterwards to meet some people. The place looks like a night market where there are endless street-vendors, restaurants, seafood vendors and patrons. It's known for sashimi so all the fishes, crustaceans, and other seafood are alive and prepared before your eyes. I had sashimi, squid sashimi (which are eaten while it's still moving), clams, and prawns with baekseju or in english 100 year old wine (it's just a brand name, it's not really fermented for a hundred year).

The next day, I went to DMZ, the border between North and South Korea. After lunch, I went on my way to Gyeongpo beach which I heard the second most-beautiful beach in Korea next to Haeundae in Busan. The water looks great and it's not crowded. But I cannot really appreciate the sea when it's so cold to even touch the water. We had to drive thru Daegwallyong before we can reach our final destination. It's said to be the most difficult driving course in Korea. It's such a steep place, full of sharp curves, and very foggy, so foggy that there are numerous caution signs to drive slowly and carefully. I can't imagine if it's winter and snowing, it could be a very, very dangerous drive for beginners.

The last stop was the lamb petting zoo. I really couldn't stand the smell, it's intoxicating. But somehow, people like touching them and feeding them. I can't get really near because of their smell and it's the time they'd close the place, but nevertheless, it's worth seeing them even from afar. They are so cute and meek but the children that can't get their hands off them, and by the way their fur looks really neat!!!

The 4 hour drive home became 5 because of the heavy traffic. Had to stop twice to get some snacks and use the bathroom. I noticed how the air has suddenly changed that night. It was a little below zero and my breath was all foggy like a dragon's. Is it winter already?! I hope not...It's difficult to go on a trip when it's below zero degrees. I pray for more warm days to come.....................

Sudden freeze in Autumn

We experienced a sudden freeze in Gangwon-do today. Since it's raining here at the capital city, it snowed in some parts of the northern peninsula where it's much colder. This incident proves that winter is on it's way. The streets are filled with fallen leaves, trees have withered and most of them bare. I'm stowing away my light jackets to make room for winter coats. Autumn has been my favorite of all seasons... the air is so clean and crisp, the trees changing into wonderful colors, mountains are like a beautiful painting so pleasing to the eyes.

Trees slowly turn bare. Whenever I see trees in this state it makes me a bit gloomy because something so precious as their wonderfully colored leaves shouldn't be desolated. I love seeing snow but I really dread winter. It's such a pain to go out at this time. There are countless times my feet went numb while walking in snow. Here, we have to spend a lot to heat up our places and it can be such a pain when the boiler go bonkers...! Not to mention all fruits and vegetables are so expensive cause they grow it in greenhouses and not outdoors. Korean people like drinking when it's cold, it's suppose to give their body warmth. Ehyu, I don't know what my winter will be like. I just hope it'll be fun.

The Bed

It's drizzling right now and I just finished eating tteokbokki. With this weather I normally just lie in bed and cuddle-up. My blanket is thick and soft makes makes me warm and all. I like reading magazines while drinking hot chocolate or just veg out in front of the TV the whole day. It's dark and foggy outside so I guess I'm just gonna eat ramyeon for dinner (too lazy to go outside!).
Rainy days makes me gloomy... It reminds me a lot back home. Being alone is kind of depressing. There's only me and one faithful bed.

It's very dry these days and it's going to get worse even more soon. I've been using my humidifier almost every night. I noticed my skin got very dry though I religiously put on moisturizer in my face. I thought about retiring my old product and buy a new one this season. I used that last spring and it worked well but it doesn't suit me now.
Upon the recommendation of a friend, I recently purchased DeAge Red Addition by Charmzone. I instantly fell in love with it! The Red Addition means it has the essence of red wine, pomegranate, tomato and several other red fruits that are very high in antioxidants.

After cleaning my face I put the Toner first then next is the emulsion. I haven't used the control cream (middle-one) because I don't have any idea how to use it... It's like a facial wash with beads but it doesn't lather up. It'll stay in the shelf for now...

Baths

Since the temperature is rapidly dropping day by day and the nights are getting colder, I feel that taking a shower seems to be more like a burden (eew!). I normally take a shower twice a day back in my country but here, I usually do it once.
In my country, taking a bath is usually done in the morning before going to work. In Japan and in Korea, people normally take a shower night time. I asked my friend the reason for this and I was told that they are very busy and don't have time to spare in the mornings. And unlike in Philippines where tardiness is a forgivable offense, here it can be a ticket to losing a job.

Breakfast Chow

My friends often wonder what a foreigner like me eats for breakfast. Koreans usually eat rice and soup with few other side-dishes in the morning. First meal shouldn't be spicy because it can hurt the stomach (like all people say!). There are days when I make the usual Korean breakfast and on the days when I don't have time to spare, I buy some kimbap from the nearest Kimbap Na Ra or a bagel from Dunkin Donuts.
Most of the days when I'm busy ( err...lazy rather ), I usually eat cereal. It's so easy to prepare and I can spend my extra time to sleep a little bit longer.
I like the ones with almonds like the one shown below. It's mildly sweetened with honey and others are just too bland for my taste.

Lotte World

Went to Lotte World on Saturday. The ticket price is 26,000 KRW or about $25 and it was lucky I got a 50% discount. Since Lotte World is in the heart of Seoul which happens to be one of the most expensive land in the world, it's expected to be small unlike Everland or Seoul land which are not in Seoul. I don't know why Seoul land carries the name of Seoul when in fact it's located in Gwacheon.... anyways
So there I was, 4excited and all.... I bought a ride-all-you-can so I really wanted to try as much rides as possible. I didn't expect it to be so crowded and getting on a ride can take as much as 60 minutes of waiting in line. I only managed to try 4 during my stay.
I tried the world monorail first, it's like a mini train that runs mid-air.... I remember it so well as it reminded me of the drama Stairways to heaven... Song-ju often rode it. by the way, they also have a smaller version of the mural they painted on the drama.
I watched the show of lights called the Fantastic Odyssey. It's quite good but I almost fell asleep inside the theater. Afterwards, there was a laser show which transformed the whole place to a giant movie screen. Next was the comet express that's like a roller coaster but the difference is your seat is swinging to all directions. Lastly, I took the French Revolution, the high-speed rollercoaster which happens to be the best roller coaster ride of all time for me... the trick is unlike ordinary roller coaster everything is pitch black, it's like you can't see anything and you just rely on the feeling and it adds up to the excitement cause you don't know what to anticipate next....
I so wanted to try the Gyro Drop which is a free-fall experience ride at 70 meters above which is the scariest of them all but the line is too long.
I think my next destination will be Seoul land. This time, I'll try all the things especially bungee jumping.

Jang Dong Gun

First was Lee Byung Hoon who hit stardom in Asia via the movie 'JSA' and is known as Song Hye Gyo's former husband. He recently made a hollywood movie with Josh Hartnett and part of the film was shot in the Philippines. But crap! he potrays a Chinese in the movie because Americans think all Asians are Chinese whereas Asians think all 'white-people' are Americans. And now it's JDG!!!
I recently heard from a friend that Jang Dong Gun is going to do a movie with Kate Bossworth! I am so excited to hear this since Jang Dong Gun I think is hot, hot, hot! I was bitten by the lovebug upon seeing him in 'Taegukki' (the Korean flag) with just-as-hot Won Bin. He's said to be the most handsome man in Korea which I so agree by the way.
And Kate Bossworth is one of my favorite actress in Hollywood.... Who can forget about her 'Blue Crush' days before she became skinny as hell, although she constantly denied rumors that she has anorexia. I'm glad she has recovered and gained a few pounds and she looks healthy again.

Another round of 20's

1. Are you good at hiding your feelings?
* not so much

2. How can we tell if you are already irritated?
* I put on a sullen face but I try to be polite as possible

3. How do you treat a person who obviously don't like you?
* I act irreverent towards that person

4. What usually ruins your mood?
* lots of things... traffic jam, bad service, being around umindful and inconsiderate people

5. Who do you see everyday that you wish you just wouldn't at all?
* the noisy college kids next door

6. When was the last time you had a good cry?
* A week ago, I'm missing home so much..

7. How often do you shop for clothes?
* every season or whenever my budget permits me

8. Who is your long time crush?
* Kwon Sang Woo

9. Someone who you just had a crush on?
* can't remember the name exactly

10. Do you have something you wish you just don't?
* yeah! my braces

11. Do you sometimes crave for something that isn't there?
* most of the time I crave Philippine food

12. Do you wish to live in a faraway land where nobody knows you?
* I am now in a place far-away from home

13. Have you kissed a total stranger?
* no

14. What do you want to do at the moment?
* wanna eat Tteokbokki

15. What's the worst feeling for you?
* when somebody cheats on me

16. What about the best?
* being with my family... missing them a lot

17. Ever given your number to someone you dislike?
* sometimes we are forced to

18. What will you say to the one reading this right now?
* hope this doesn't bore you

19. What/Who do you need right now?
* a bigger apartment

20. Happy with your life?
* in a way yes

A post about Paris Hilton

Paris Hilton is in Korea right now to promote FILA and do several endorsements and photoshoots. She arrived at Gimpo Airport in Seoul all clad in her signature color pink of course by FILA. She's staying at Grand Hyatt Hotel, a luxurious and top-of-the-notch 5-star hotel situated in Gangnam, Seoul. I wonder why she isn't staying at the Hilton....
I am excited to see her on TV and know about what she thinks of Korean men. Will she be hitting the nightspots here? I guess not cause she didn't do it in Japan. Well, I just hope to see her soon on TV... I wanna know what she has to say about Korea!

Studying in Korea

For foreign people who are lucky to study here may attest to me that the Korean University Standard is indeed praise-worthy. From the resources, the method of teaching, the well-maintained buildings, to the professors and students are all conducive to learning.
Koreans are stagerring ninety-percent educated, the few who are not are the 'deadbeat' of the society. A household spends about 1/3 to 1/2 of their total income to pay for different educational institutions or 'hagwons'. It's astonishing how engrossed Koreans are in educating their children, even enrolling them in numerous 'hagwons' for math, english, science, taekwondo, and arts aside from their regular school.
It's not uncanny to see school children at midnight here. It's about the time that they finish at their respective hagwons. I can't imagine how stressful it can be! My high-school is as carefree as can be so I really can't imagine being in those kid's shoes. A typical high-school student here wakes up at around 6 am and attends school from 7 am to about 4 or 5 pm. Then they usually go straight to hagwon to study. They come home very late and will have to study again way past midnight and have about 4 hours of sleep before waking up and going to school again the next morning. They go to school from Monday to Saturday so they only have one day of the week to take a rest.
They are studying this hard in preparation for the university exam which is the most important thing for them. All students across the country wanted to enter the top 10 Universities in Seoul. It's very tight competition so all of them must work very hard to secure a spot in those Ivy League Universities. It is as if their life depends on it, but somehow that is true. A person who graduated from a 'good' university has a more stable and secure future. Even in getting a partner it's also important, most girls like men who studies or who graduated from a good university. Those men can get a good and high-paying job and thus, they are popular and revered by korean women.
Universities here are vast and very modern with beautiful and clean surroundings. The campus is surrounded by beautiful trees that changes colors every season, flowers, and colorful bushes. It resembles me of a leisure park where everything is neat and picturesque. They are equipped with swimming pools, soccer ground, tennis, baseball, basketball courts, and some even has pond or lake inside. Libraries are huge and have individual study area. There are high speed computers for everyone to use for free. And what I really like about schools here is that there are all kinds of orgs and clubs for the geeks, the hotties or the average joe. I like school fairs because they usually invite a famous personality, a popular actor or actress, or singers. During this fairs there are tons of funny games and numerous concerts to watch for free.
I'm also very impressed with the architectural design of the buildings. It's more of like an artwork for me. They have combined, modern buildings with Roman and Greek Inspired ones. The statues, sculptures and paintings that adorn the school are precious pieces of artworks that can inspire anyone to be 'artsy'.
The bad side for this is the expense. When you enter these schools prepare to shell out $ 5,000 for a semester. With that money some people choose to study abroad. I don't blame them because the living expense here is very high. Not to mention each campus here has their own nightlife; unlimited hoffs, bars, restaurants, nightclubs, cafes, game room, etc., that can really take a huge chunk in a person's wallet.

Visa problems hound Tribu delegates to Busan, Korea

Several members of the group that created the award-winning independent film Tribu won't be able to go to Korea for the Busan International Film Festival because of visa problems.
"Tribu delegates for Pusan Film Festival suffer humiliating discrimination from Korean embassy; by issuing visa effective only after the festival event is over," said Tribu director Jim Libiran. However, the Korean embassy only issued visas for Jim Libiran, sound editor Marc Laccay, and executive producer Dodge Dillague because they were not "first time travelers." The others were denied as they were not able to present the necessary documents.
Mitch Libiran, Jim's wife said that she felt that there was discrimination.
"Sabi sa nag-interview sa amin, hindi raw nila kami kilala. Hinahanapan din ako ng bank statement at certificate of employment. Kahit pa sinabi ko na ang festival ang siyang sasagot sa aming gastos pagdating ng Korea, hindi pa rin kami nabigyan ng visa. Kahit na sinabi ko na huwag naman 15th ang date na ibigay niya sa isa namin kasamahan, hindi rin ako pinakinggan," Mitch said.
She added that the consul officer did not even scan their papers which showed that the group was invited to the festival.
Mitch also said that it appears that the consul general feared that they might overstay in Korea or, worse, go TNT (tago ng tago).
Mitch said that she would leave Oct. 11 for the awards night, hoping that Tribu wins.
"We were hoping na maging lenient sila dahil may sulat naman kami mula sa festival organizers pero nakakainis ang nangyari sa amin. Nakaka-disappoint," Mitch lamented.
Marc Laccay won the Best Sound award in the third Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival while Tribu was the Best Film in the Cinemalaya 2007.
The Pusan film festival is scheduled to be held October 4 to 11 in Pusan, South Korea. Out of the four Filipino films invited to Pusan, only Tribu - which narrates the lives of gangsters-rappers belonging to gangs or "tribes" in Tondo - was chosen for competition.