Remembering Macau

Macau is one of the administrative region of China (Hong Kong being the other), colonized by Portugal. A ferry from HK to Macau doesn't take more than an hour and a half. People in Macau can speak both Cantonese and Portugese I heard, but I never had a chance to hear someone speaking in Portugese.

Macau is a nice place to visit. The prices are much cheaper than in Mainland China or in Hong Kong (talk about stretching your already tight budget =). Food is great, be it traditional Cantonese dishes or Fusion. Going from one place to the other is easy, as there are tourist-friendly buses that'll take you to good places and other tourist spots. People are friendly and nice but talking in English might be a bit of a problem for the locals, but good thing there are lots of Pinoys there so you could always ask for directions.... Hotels are so-so (but be wary of cockroaches!!!), I still think the ones in HK are much better. It would be nice if I could pay Macau a visit again, though I don't know when.

Pretty Plants

I often recieve bouquet flowers on my birthday and on Valentine's day, but this time I prefer recieving a beautiful plant like this. I think the plants above are very good alternative to giving flowers cause it's not that expensive and it lasts longer. I feel that it's more sincere to give these plants as gifts for birthdays, a present when going to the hospital, for mother's day, anniversaries, or just about any occasion.

My mother likes taking care of plants so I'm thinking of giving one as present when I go back home. I'm sure she'll appreciate it... but will the custom officer at the airport let me through? I hope so.

Cutie li'l store

I found this shop somewhere in Jongro and since then, it has become my favorite shop in all of Korea. I always thought I'm a child trapped inside a woman's body cause I'm a big sucker for everything cute and pink not to mention, I'm also incredibly immature. I collected so many toys when I was growing up that it occupies a lot of space till now. I still feel a kind of attachment and I just couldn't throw them away, instead, I found myself buying even more.

This kind of shops are miniature heaven for me. I loose all my wits and tend to buy so many things impulsively. It reminds me a lot of Sanrio store back home where I always visit... My motto before was; others have 'National Bookstore', I had 'Sanrio'. I like buying bags there, umbrella, colorful pens, notebooks, scented papers, pencil case, and so on, and so forth...

Wait... I heard that there is a Hello Kitty store in COEX. I have to check it out soon!

63 Building

This is the famous 63 Building in Seoul. This skyscraper has 63 floors, thus the name 63 Building. It was the tallest building before and considered as their 'skyscraper icon' for so many years. It's not the tallest building now but it still has it's charm among tourists and local visitors.

On the top floor there is an observatory deck wherein a good view of Seoul can be seen. My ears hurt a couple of times while on the elevator, never thought elevators can be that fast!!! When I reached the top, the view was quite impressive.

One-of-a-kind Starbucks...

A Pinay friend and I, went on an all-day tour in Seoul last Sunday. It was her first time to visit Korea and she hasn't seen a lot of places in Seoul so I sort of became a tour-guide for a day.

We met at Pizza Hut in Hyehwa, had an early lunch there and headed to Yeouido after. We took a lot of pictures of buildings, Han river, the bridge, and the park itself.

Our next destination was Insa-dong where we saw a lot of cute cafe's, galleries, and souvenier shops... We passed by a one-of-a-kind Starbucks along the way... This one is exceptional, because it's written in Hangeul ( Korean characters )...

It's actually my first time to see Starbucks written in another language other than English. Coffee shops are frequented by couples here... as you can see from the pic above.

I kind of remembered my friends in Manila as we usually hangout at Starbucks in ABS-CBN during breaks... missing them a lot!!!

The truth about Sex and the City

I was able to watch 'Sex and the City' last Tuesday night. Well, what can I say..? hm... I noticed that 99% of the people who watched are females (which happens to be their target audience.. duh!), and I'm sure they are an avid fan of the Sex and the City series on TV like I am.

Same old lunches, chit-chats, designer outfits, and froufrou are back. There are no surprises in the movie, I sort of expected that things would turn out that way, especially with Big which happens to be their main topic, but it has somehow managed to entertain me all through out the 2 and a half hour clip.

I also think that they are a bit too 'old' to be doing the things that they do. If they came up with this movie 3 or 4 years ago, it would have been so much better. For instance, Samantha... she celebrated her 50th birthday and yet, she was still sleeping around like a skanky college chick. It seems desperate to me now...

I read in so many columns, tabloids, and even heard on TV that someone will die... nope, nobody died as advertised by many, it was just publicity-stunt on their part!

I must admit, I had a few laughs, chuckles, and giggles from time to time.. yes, I was entertained but I was expecting so much more from the series I watched religiously, season by season.

An excerpt from "Captain Corelli's Mandolin"

Captain Corelli's Mandolin

This story is about a fisherman who went to fight with the Greek army during WWII, his fiancee named Pelagia (played by Penelope Cruz), fell in love with the local Italian commander by the name of Captain Antonio Corelli (played by Nicholas Cage).

Antonio became a part of the lives of the villagers, but the moment is fleeting. As the war grew closer, Antonio and Pelagia are forced to choose between their allegiance to their countries and the love they feel for one another, a love which must overcome tremendous odds, and endure the inevitable sacrifice.

I personally didn't like this movie much... but I was moved on this part;








" Love is a temporary madness. It erupts like an earthquake and then subsides. And when it subsides you have to make a decision. You have to work out whether your roots have become so entwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever part. Because this is what love is. Love is not breathlessness, it is not excitement, it is not the promulgation of promises of eternal passion. That is just being "in love" which any of us can convince ourselves we are. Love itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away, and this is both an art and a fortunate accident. Your mother and I had it, we had roots that grew towards each other underground, and when all the pretty blossom had fallen from our branches we found that we were one tree and not two. " - Captain Antonio Corelli

I hate missing you...

I wish I didn't have to miss you. If only you could be with me always. I know I could never be any happier. But then again, I know that the day will come when I will be able to spend my every waking moment with you. I even miss you when I am sleeping!

I love you. You are my first and my only love, and I thank you for loving me just as much. Hopefully, soon I won't have to hate missing you.

"참 이 슬" Chamisul Soju

The green bottles shown above are what we call "소 주" or Soju. It's the most popular drink in Korea and ever present in all occasions. "참 이 슬" or Chamisul is the leading brand of Soju here. The main ingredient is rice, combined with other ingredients such as barley, wheat, and sweet potatoes. It's clear, distilled, served chilled, and best consumed with meat dishes. The taste is somewhat similar to vodka and it goes down pretty easy so I take precaution whenever I drink it. It's a kind culture here to drink Soju whenever eating meat and other dishes at a restaurant, hence the soju-filled fridge.

Lunch menu

Bibimpap (비 빔 밥) is a popular korean dish meaning mixed rice because it's mixed just before eating. An assortment of vegetables are placed, then seasoned beef (optional), gochujang (korean hot pepper paste), boiled rice, egg, and shredded gim (seaweed flakes). It's usually served in a plain bowl like the one above or in a stone pot called Dolsot but that'll make it Dolsot Bibimbap (돌 솥 비 빔 밥). It's a healthy and delicious dish favored by many toursits. I once heard that Gwyneth Paltrow loves the all-veggie bibimbap and so as Madonna! Paris Hilton loved it when she visited here last winter to promote FILA but because of a huge a**-kisser that she is, I won't believe it... hehe =)

beware of this dish!

I was never a picky eater, and my taste buds are quite tolerant for a variety of dishes. I like eating korean food, and I didn't encounter any problems about it during my stay here. I occasionally crave for Filipino dishes, sometimes Italian, even all-American dishes but I don't mind having to eat korean food all the time. My rule of thumb is to smell it first before putting it in my mouth.. If I don't like how it smells then I don't eat it.

I was with a friend when we visited a traditional korean restaurant. I had bibimbap (which I posted earlier), and my friend had guk bap. Half-way thru my menu, a woman came carrying our third order, it was Hong Oh Hui(not the real one though).

"Hui" means sashimi style or raw... I mentioned a couple times before that I really love sashimi and sashimi-style dishes but geez...!This was something exotic and different, even too exotic for me!

The slices of fish in the picture are raw, then the red sauce is probably gochujang mixed with other spices, then there are some vegetables on it... It was fermented so it tasted really sour, and it's spicy as hell too. Excuse me for saying this, but it smells like fresh vomit!

I managed to have a couple of bites without having to puke, but I swear, I'm almost there. I didn't want to offend anyone so I tried to eat.. I just made up a lame excuse that I'm too full and that the super chewy and bony texture of the fish isn't good for my braces. Few minutes later, I was having stomache aches and felt sick.

I've learned my lesson, and I'm never gonna try anything like this again.

Flume Ride

Another attraction at Seoul Land called "The Flume Ride". This ride is so popular we had to wait for 35 minutes before catching our canoe. It wasn't that spectacular but I must admit I enjoyed it a little bit. I also enjoyed seeing the after-pictures taken by the camera up there on the metal post! Lot's of weird and funny faces... :D

The Sphere

This sphere is a symbol of Seoul Land, an amusement park located in Gwacheon and I took this photo when I visited there last weekend. Seoul Land is one of the 3 major amusement parks in South Korea next to Everland and Lotte World.

Seoul Land became famous for the movie My Sassy Girl starring Jeon Ji-Hyun and Cha Tae-Hyun. They shot a lot of scenes there and I even remember seeing the Sphere in the movie a couple of times.

One of Seoul Land's popular rides is the Sky X. Two people will be suspended 55 meters above with only a harness, and promises a bungee-jumping like experience. I didn't try it however, I got scared listening to people screaming on top of their lungs. I was suppose to take pictures of the ride but I was busy holding an ice cream cone at that time. Too bad...

Seoul Land is good, but I don't see myself going back sometime in the future :(

A guard in China Airport

This photo was taken at the entrance of an airport in China (forgot which one!). The guy in soldier suit that stands in front doesn't move at all except when blinking! He stands still for long periods of time. Amazing isn't?! Like a living statue...

One of a kind Topiary

I took this photo during one of my recent travels in Gwacheon. I find it very cute! Look at how he does the peace sign, and his eyes... It's pretty hilarious isn't? Children can't seem to stop chuckling looking at him!

Koreans in Phil

Whenever I go to a foreign country, I always try to act my best all the time because I feel like I'm representing the Philippines somehow. Same is true here in Korea, I try to be more polite, courteous, and open-minded to other people. Blame the television here for showing the Philippines as the land of the corrupt and poor so as much as possible, I always show the others that we Pinoys can be highly educated as well.

Korean people comprises the 2nd biggest tourist population in the Philippines, I wonder if they think the same way as I do when I'm here.. Are they being more polite, courteous, and open-minded when they are in a foreign land? It might be true for some, and not for others.

I've had more bad experiences with Koreans back in Manila than here so I thought they act differently when they are in their own country. People back home called them names for showing bad behavior or for acting rather differently but I don't blame them because there came a time when I was the one who cursed them the loudest!

I've made good friends here, and now I can say that they are really nice and fun-loving people. They can be very opinionated at times, loud, annoying, and narrow-minded but never the less, they still are somehow endearing.

I am Complete

A lost entity, no longer
Because you returned to me my soul,
And when I gave it back to you,
I felt, "This is what makes me whole."

An empty heart is all I saw,
Then you handed me my core,
And when I gave it back to you,
I felt, "This is what makes me more."

A paralyzed passion is now alive,
You gave me back your love,
And when I returned it back to you,
I knew it fit me like a glove.

A hopeless faith no longer exists,
You've earned my faithful trust,
And when I gave it back to you,
I discovered this is a "must."

You filled me and completed me,
Made me all that I can be,
I would love to give this back to you,
It is all that makes me "see."

Gratitude is not enough to give,
For you to understand,
I need to follow, for once, my path,
Please come and take my hand.

" 라 면 & 비 " ( ramyeon and rain)

It has been raining non-stop since last night and because of that, I wasn't able to wake up early today. When I woke up, the sky is still dark so I thought it's quite early and I headed back to sleep. Stupid me.. I didn't check the clock so I overslept, and was late for my appointment!

When it rains, I have this urge to eat hot and spicy soup. Soups, stocks, and broths are my comfort-food in this kind of weather for as long as I can remember. I rummaged thru the cabinets looking for something to make cause I'm just not in the mood to go out in the rain since I don't have an umbrella. I really need to buy one cause it rains a lot in summer here.

" 라 면 " or Ramen in Japan, is a favorite of many here. I always see it being eaten in Korean dramas so I'm sure a lot of Filipinos are familiar with this. " 진 라 면 " ( Jin Ramyeon) is my favorite...

It's really easy to make. I just boil 2 1/2 cups of water, then I add the veggie pack, then the seasoning, and finally I add in the noodles. Others usually just mix it altogether in boiling water but in my case, I really don't like my noodles to be soggy and all so I put it last.

Some people add egg, scallions, and even chopped kimchi. I prefer mine as it is.....

Something about the SImpson's

As a child, I was fond of watching Simpson's on TV. I stay up late to catch their weekly episodes. I usually watch it alone and laugh out loud everytime Homer does his crazy antics. Up to now, no cartoon can beat Simpson's for me. At the age where every TV show and movies are readily 'down-loadable' on the net, I've grown to appreciate it even more. It never fails to make me laugh.. I even anticipated watching "Simpson's the Movie" eventhough I read so many bad reviews about it.

I would like to share a compilation of the funniest, and wittiest quotes uttered in Simpson's history. It's quite a lot, but it sure made me laugh...

Homer: D’oh.
Ralph: Me fail English? That’s unpossible.
Lionel Hutz: This is the greatest case of false advertising I’ve seen since I sued the movie “The Never Ending Story.”
Sideshow Bob: No children have ever meddled with the Republican Party and lived to tell about it.
Troy McClure: Don’t kid yourself, Jimmy. If a cow ever got the chance, he’d eat you and everyone you care about!
Comic Book Guy: The Internet King? I wonder if he could provide faster nudity…
Homer: Oh, so they have Internet on computers now!
Ned Flanders: I’ve done everything the Bible says — even the stuff that contradicts the other stuff!
Comic Book Guy: Your questions have become more redundant and annoying than the last three “Highlander” movies.
Chief Wiggum: Uh, no, you got the wrong number. This is 9-1…2.
Sideshow Bob: I’ll be back. You can’t keep the Democrats out of the White House forever, and when they get in, I’m back on the streets, with all my criminal buddies.
Homer: When I held that gun in my hand, I felt a surge of power…like God must feel when he’s holding a gun.
Nelson: Dad didn’t leave… When he comes back from the store, he’s going to wave those pop-tarts right in your face!
Milhouse: Remember the time he ate my goldfish? And you lied and said I never had goldfish. Then why did I have the bowl, Bart? *Why did I have the bowl?*
Lionel Hutz: Well, he’s kind of had it in for me ever since I accidentally ran over his dog. Actually, replace “accidentally” with “repeatedly” and replace “dog” with “son.”
Comic Book Guy: Last night’s “Itchy and Scratchy Show” was, without a doubt, the worst episode *ever.* Rest assured, I was on the Internet within minutes, registering my disgust throughout the world.
Homer: I’m normally not a praying man, but if you’re up there, please save me, Superman.
Homer: Save me, Jeebus.
Mayor Quimby: I stand by my racial slur.
Comic Book Guy: Oh, loneliness and cheeseburgers are a dangerous mix.
Homer: You don’t like your job, you don’t strike. You go in every day and do it really half-assed. That’s the American way.
Chief Wiggum: Fat Tony is a cancer on this fair city! He is the cancer and I am the…uh…what cures cancer?
Homer: Bart, with $10,000 we’d be millionaires! We could buy all kinds of useful things like…love!
Homer: Fame was like a drug. But what was even more like a drug were the drugs.
Homer: Books are useless! I only ever read one book, “To Kill A Mockingbird,” and it gave me absolutely no insight on how to kill mockingbirds! Sure it taught me not to judge a man by the color of his skin…but what good does *that* do me?
Chief Wiggum: Can’t you people take the law into your own hands? I mean, we can’t be policing the entire city!
Homer: Weaseling out of things is important to learn. It’s what separates us from the animals…except the weasel.
Reverend Lovejoy: Marge, just about everything’s a sin. [holds up a Bible] Y’ever sat down and read this thing? Technically we’re not supposed to go to the bathroom.
Homer: You know, the one with all the well meaning rules that don’t work out in real life, uh, Christianity.
Smithers: Uh, no, they’re saying “Boo-urns, Boo-urns.”
Hans Moleman: I was saying “Boo-urns.”
Homer: Kids, you tried your best and you failed miserably. The lesson is, never try.
Homer: Here’s to alcohol, the cause of — and solution to — all life’s problems.
Homer: When will I learn? The answers to life’s problems aren’t at the bottom of a bottle, they’re on TV!
Chief Wiggum: I hope this has taught you kids a lesson: kids never learn.
Homer: How is education supposed to make me feel smarter? Besides, every time I learn something new, it pushes some old stuff out of my brain. Remember when I took that home winemaking course, and I forgot how to drive?
Homer: Homer no function beer well without.
Duffman: Duffman can’t breathe! OH NO!
Grandpa Simpson: Dear Mr. President, There are too many states nowadays. Please, eliminate three. P.S. I am not a crackpot.
Homer: Old people don’t need companionship. They need to be isolated and studied so it can be determined what nutrients they have that might be extracted for our personal use.
Troy McClure: Hi. I’m Troy McClure. You may remember me from such self-help tapes as “Smoke Yourself Thin” and “Get Some Confidence, Stupid!”
Homer: A woman is a lot like a refrigerator. Six feet tall, 300 pounds…it makes ice.
Homer: Son, a woman is like a beer. They smell good, they look good, you’d step over your own mother just to get one! But you can’t stop at one. You wanna drink another woman!
Homer: Facts are meaningless. You could use facts to prove anything that’s even remotely true!
Mr. Burns: I’ll keep it short and sweet — Family. Religion. Friendship. These are the three demons you must slay if you wish to succeed in business.
Kent Brockman: …And the fluffy kitten played with that ball of string all through the night. On a lighter note, a Kwik-E-Mart clerk was brutally murdered last night.
Ralph: Mrs. Krabappel and Principal Skinner were in the closet making babies and I saw one of the babies and then the baby looked at me.
Apu: Please do not offer my god a peanut.
Homer: You don’t win friends with salad.
Mr. Burns: I don’t like being outdoors, Smithers. For one thing, there’s too many fat children.
Sideshow Bob: Attempted murder? Now honestly, what is that? Do they give a Nobel Prize for attempted chemistry?
Chief Wiggum: They only come out in the night. Or in this case, the day.
Mr. Burns: Whoa, slow down there, maestro. There’s a *New* Mexico?
Homer: He didn’t give you gay, did he? Did he?!
Comic Book Guy: But, Aquaman, you cannot marry a woman without gills. You’re from two different worlds… Oh, I’ve wasted my life.
Homer: Marge, it takes two to lie. One to lie and one to listen.
Superintendent Chalmers: I’ve had it with this school, Skinner. Low test scores, class after class of ugly, ugly children…
Mr. Burns: What good is money if it can’t inspire terror in your fellow man?
Homer: Oh, everything looks bad if you remember it.
Ralph: Slow down, Bart! My legs don’t know how to be as long as yours.
Homer: Donuts. Is there anything they can’t do?
Frink: Brace yourselves gentlemen. According to the gas chromatograph, the secret ingredient is… Love!? Who’s been screwing with this thing?
Apu: Yes! I am a citizen! Now which way to the welfare office? I’m kidding, I’m kidding. I work, I work.
Milhouse: We started out like Romeo and Juliet, but it ended up in tragedy.
Mr. Burns: A lifetime of working with nuclear power has left me with a healthy green glow…and left me as impotent as a Nevada boxing commissioner.
Homer: Kids, kids. I’m not going to die. That only happens to bad people.
Milhouse: Look out, Itchy! He’s Irish!
Homer: I’m going to the back seat of my car, with the woman I love, and I won’t be back for ten minutes!
Smithers: I’m allergic to bee stings. They cause me to, uh, die.
Barney: Aaah! Natural light! Get it off me! Get it off me!
Principal Skinner: That’s why I love elementary school, Edna. The children believe anything you tell them.
Sideshow Bob: Your guilty consciences may make you vote Democratic, but secretly you all yearn for a Republican president to lower taxes, brutalize criminals, and rule you like a king!
Barney: Jesus must be spinning in his grave!
Superintendent Chalmers: “Thank the Lord”? That sounded like a prayer. A prayer in a public school. God has no place within these walls, just like facts don’t have a place within an organized religion.
Mr. Burns: [answering the phone] Ahoy hoy?
Comic Book Guy: Oh, a *sarcasm* detector. Oh, that’s a *really* useful invention!
Marge: Our differences are only skin deep, but our sames go down to the bone.
Homer: What’s the point of going out? We’re just going to wind up back here anyway.
Marge: Get ready, skanks! It’s time for the truth train!
Bill Gates: I didn’t get rich by signing checks.
Principal Skinner: Fire can be our friend; whether it’s toasting marshmallows or raining down on Charlie.
Homer: Oh, I’m in no condition to drive. Wait a minute. I don’t have to listen to myself. I’m drunk.
Homer: And here I am using my own lungs like a sucker.
Comic Book Guy: Human contact: the final frontier.
Homer: I hope I didn’t brain my damage.
Krusty the Clown: And now, in the spirit of the season: start shopping. And for every dollar of Krusty merchandise you buy, I will be nice to a sick kid. For legal purposes, sick kids may include hookers with a cold.
Homer: I’m a Spalding Gray in a Rick Dees world.
Dr. Nick: Inflammable means flammable? What a country.
Homer: Beer. Now there’s a temporary solution.
Comic Book Guy: Stan Lee never left. I’m afraid his mind is no longer in mint condition.
Nelson: Shoplifting is a victimless crime. Like punching someone in the dark.
Krusty the Clown: Kids, we need to talk for a moment about Krusty Brand Chew Goo Gum Like Substance. We all knew it contained spider eggs, but the hantavirus? That came out of left field. So if you’re experiencing numbness and/or comas, send five dollars to antidote, PO box…
Milhouse: I can’t go to juvie. They use guys like me as currency.
Homer: Son, when you participate in sporting events, it’s not whether you win or lose: it’s how drunk you get.
Homer: I like my beer cold, my TV loud and my homosexuals flaming.
Apu: Thank you, steal again.
Homer: Marge, you being a cop makes you the man! Which makes me the woman — and I have no interest in that, besides occasionally wearing the underwear, which as we discussed, is strictly a comfort thing.
Ed Begley Jr.: I prefer a vehicle that doesn’t hurt Mother Earth. It’s a go-cart, powered by my own sense of self-satisfaction.
Bart: I didn’t think it was physically possible, but this both sucks *and* blows.
Homer: How could you?! Haven’t you learned anything from that guy who gives those sermons at church? Captain Whatshisname? We live in a society of laws! Why do you think I took you to all those Police Academy movies? For fun? Well, I didn’t hear anybody laughing, did you? Except at that guy who made sound effects. Makes sound effects and laughs. Where was I? Oh yeah! Stay out of my booze.
Homer: Lisa, vampires are make-believe, like elves, gremlins, and Eskimos.

End of Hiatus

It's been so long since I last posted here. Been busy with work and other stuff in Manila. Since I'm back here in Korea, thought I should resume writing here. I wanna share some pics about the sakura season in Korea. 'Sakura' is cherry blossom in English and also the national flower of Japan. It comes in two colors; white, and pink. I prefer the pink ones for obvious reason that I basically love all shades of pink. In a span of two weeks, it withers and starts to fall creating a vast canopy of flowers in the ground, like that of snow...