Eastern Sunrise

'Twas a rare chance for me to watch the sun rise so I woke up at 5:00 am and headed out to the beach. The beach above is a popular sunrise viewing place so, quite a number of people were already there, anticipating the sunrise. Good thing, there was ample parking spot left. I took several pictures of the beach... while it was still dark and when the sun was about to rise like the photo above. It was a little foggy so it took longer than I expected... The skies weren't clear enough to get a perfect view but it still is beautiful.

Back to the city

I just got back from my Gangwon-do trip last night. Overall, the trip exceeded my expectation. It was my third time to visit Gangwon-do and it was just as amazing as the first one.

The first time I visited there was Autumn last year and the view was spectacular. The place explodes in so many different colors of trees like a painting that came to life. The sky was so clear and blue, I even had the chance to see stars at night which I never experienced in the city.

My next visit was Winter of last year and I took a lot of pictures at that time. Gangwondo is the coldest place in Korea so it snows a lot. There was so much snow that we got stucked and had to shovel the snow away from our tires. I played like a child, made snowman and had a snowball fight in a knee-deep snow. Rice fields became ice field, snow capped mountains everywhere, trees coated with ice and snow, frozen streams and rivers... It was a winter-wonderland surreal kind of experience!!! I can't ever forget that in my entire life...

My third visit was just last weekend. It was cold at that time and the place showed signs that Autumn has begun. I visited Seoraksan again and I was so-not disappointed! The cable car view was still spectacular. The top view was still breath-taking, although climbing it was nerve wracking cause one small slip can cause a person's life. I also went to Hwajinpo which became famous for the Autumn in my heart drama starring Song Seung Hoon and Song Hye Gyo. It's the beach where S.S.H. draw the face of S.H.G. in the sand. Beside that beach was a very big and beautiful lake. I saw a lot of different species of birds there. I went to Daegwallyong as well, where I had the chance to pet and feed lambs.. I visited so many places that it's difficult to mention it all here so I'm saving it for my next blog entries. So, till then...

Tea House Experience

Korea is one of the three biggest tea drinkers in the world, the other two being Japan and China. A typical korean household would never run out of tea because they drink it as much as they drink water. I know for a fact that in the Phil, people are not so crazy about tea because they prefer drinking coffee. The benefits of drinking tea is far more than there is in coffee so I choose to drink tea more than coffee.

On lazy Sunday afternoons, I like visiting Tea Houses to relax and drink tea. I usually order green tea, rose tea, or orange tea and I drink it while reading a book or magazine. Tea Houses are very relaxing for me... The ambiance is always cozy and warm, they also play traditional music which is soothing to the ears. As I enter the place, the fragrant aroma of the teas that they are concocting fills the air giving me a welcoming feeling. It can be quite expensive though but I don't mind... it's not just about paying for the cup of tea but the whole experience that goes with it.

Wood carvings and sculptures add a distinct 'authentic feel' to the place.

And using these unique ceramic cups heighten the whole experience..

I love visiting traditional tea houses like this. Not only can I enjoy a great cup of tea, but I also learn a lot from experiencing traditional culture.

One with the clouds

got a chance to visit the famous Mt. Jiri in Cheolla province. Jiri-san is one of the biggest mountain in Korea and though it's such a pain to climb it, it was so worth it. This was a totally different experience for me and I loved every second of it.

It was exhilirating! The clouds were literally at my fingertips. It was so high and steep that I felt I was one with the clouds. It drizzled from time to time. Cold gust of winds blew in every direction. Everything was blurry from the thing that seemed like a fog but is not! As I go higher, I noticed that my clothes were getting wetter and wetter. Clouds suck up all moisture from below so up there, we were all wet as if we just took a shower. I took pictures as I went along.

A piece of my fav' spot on earth

I visited the Island of Koje a couple of days ago... Koje is part of the Gyeongsang-namdo province. It's a 5-6 hour drive from Seoul. Whew... 5-6 hours! Boring?!... hell no! I enjoyed every minute my ass is sitting there! Luckily, I was able to borrow some CD's. It helps with the boredom. I got busy scanning through the songs and felt happy whenever I got the chance to hear English songs ( mostly hip-hop) which happens to be quite a lot. But there's a lot of Techno Pop as well. My ears bleed whenever I hear Techno pop music (hate it so much!) and when that happens I immediately switch to the next track. One of my bizzare pet peeves I guess.

I spent about an hour or two slowly gazing at the breathtaking scenery...

I just couldn't see other people... Couldn't hear anything except for the sound of the wind and the waves crashing through the rocks... It was so peaceful. Now I understand how Alice might have felt in Wonderland.

I just love this place! It's already my second time to visit but the magic is still there... so there...

Back to hell hole

I just got back here in this sh*t hole this morning. As usual, I saw J.W. aka T.H. (Teenage from Hell). (Yup, that's my problem. I curse a lot when I'm angry.) Some might ask, what could a teenager possibly do enough to be branded as T.H. Well, a lot! They could do a lot of things to piss people off. She and her friend H.J. aka T.H.2 (Teenage from Hell Number 2), remind me a lot of the Japanese Drama I watched 4 years ago. The title of the drama is G.T.O. or Great Teacher Onizuka. No, I'm not that great of a teacher but those two sinister sisters remind me of the students Onizuka Sensei had. They are the worst nightmare a teacher can ever have! See the picture?

Having conversations with them is such a pain in my *ss. WIth utmost plasticity J.W. said hello as soon as I entered their house. Her mom has to bug her to display some courtesy and greet me. As soon as she said that, she cursed her mother, shouted a little bit before retreating to her room. She's not with H.J. today cause the other evil sister went on a trip with her family. Good thing she's not around or else I would have my double dose of anxiety....

Out of respect to 'Imo', J.W.'s mom. I never show my anger to them but deep inside I'm seething. Fortunately, I would only have to bear with them for two more days and I would never have to see there friggin face ever again. Such a young age but they clearly have this sense of superiority complex towards others who have darker skin than them.

P.S. They even managed to make fun of our 15-man delegates for the Olympics at the opening ceremony..! Bitches...

Spacial Mask

I got this mask for free when I bought some make-up. I like getting freebies whenever I make a purchase. But notice how it says 'SPACIAL LINE' ??? The dictionary defines spacial as ~relating to, involving, or having the nature of space. Uhm... ok, spacial na kung spacial.

Temple-loving me

I like visiting temples here whenever I can. No I'm not buddhist... I'm just fascinated by the architectural designs of the temples. Monks usually build temples in a very quiet, peaceful, and breathtaking-ly beautiful place like in the mountains where people don't live, it helps them to meditate effectively and reach nirvana or so I've heard.

I'm thinking about doing a temple-stay one of these days, eventhough I heard from some people that it wasn't fun at all and that it was so uncomfortable. Temple-stay might not be for everyone, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

DeAge No.2

The skin care set I ordered online just arrived today. But since I wasn't around when they came, they left the package at the convenience store just in front of my place. The store owner is kind enough to accept it so instead of just picking up my package, I bought several items from there as a way of thanking her.

This is DeAge White Addition skin care set which I so-love. I'm a huge fan of DeAge products... I just love them! It's great for my sensitive skin. I find other skin care products too oily especially in this weather, but this one isn't.

The one I previously used was also from DeAge and from then on I was hooked!

Temple-loving me (2)

Pics of different temples in Korea...

Rockin the Beijing Olympics

Korea is totally rockin the Beijing Olympics!!! ROK is currently number 3 in the medal standing next to US and China being the first. Park Tae Wan who is my favorite, got a gold medal in Men's freestyle 400m swimming and a silver in the 200m. His game was highly anticipated and I'm sure a lot of people watched (I could literally hear the neighbors screaming!!!).

Korea also got gold in Weightlifting, Wrestling, Judo, Shooting, Badminton, and Swimming. As everybody expected, team Korea also bagged gold medals for Men and Women's archery. It didn't come as a surprise for many since they always get the gold medal for this sport since the 1970's.

I'm still waiting for Taekwondo (Korea's National Sport). I expect that they would get all the medals in all division as they always do for several decades now.

Go Team Korea!

Damyang Bamboo Forest

I took this photo at Damyang Bamboo Forest in South Cheolla province. Since 2006, I thought about visiting here but I always end up going to other places. So last June, I made a plan to visit Cheolla Province (the only province I haven't visited in Korea!!!) where Damyang Bamboo Forest is located along with other beautiful places.

People usually think It's nothing out of the ordinary, just a park covered in Bamboo Trees but I think otherwise. I find the serenity of the place relaxing especially when the wind is strong, the bamboos make a humming sound so pleasing to the ears. So relaxing, I felt really sleepy while walking under the mid-day sun. After finishing the walking course and buying bamboo wine for souveniers, we headed out towards our next destination.

summer heat

It's getting hotter these days to the point that it's becoming unbearable. It's sooo humid that I had to buy a lot of moisture absorber to put all over the house just to de-humidify the air a little bit. I can't stay away from the air conditioner too! I just keep on using it longer and longer.

I'm always craving for something sweet and cold so I always buy 'su-bak-pat'. It's one of my favorite... I can buy it for only 300 won (3 cents) a bar in the mart near my place. and yeah.. it really looks like a watermelon!

'Nokchabat'

This photo was taken last June when I visited Boseng Green Tea field in Cheolla province. Spring is the best time to go there but it's still quite spectacular in Summer. Boseong is best remembered as one of the shooting locations of the popular drama 'Summer Scent' starring Song Seung Hoon and Han Ye Jin.

I heard that Boseong looks very beautiful in early morning because of the fog so we woke up at 5:30 am and headed to Boseong to catch the sunrise. I wasn't disappointed at all. The fog made it look mysterious and breath-taking. We had to stay until 10 am because I couldn't get enough of the place! We had breakfast there and drank some special green tea which was so delicious that I finished 4 cups! Then we bought several teas as souveniers before heading out to our next destination.

bad mood

I've been really busy this week going back and forth more than the usual to Seoul and Daecheon for my classes so I'm really tired the whole week. I need time to take a rest and sleep enough but that didn't happen because my homestay asked me to go back to Daecheon and look after her child while she's at Cheonan taking care of a sick daughter. I wanted to tell her so badly that I feel terrible and I just wanted to stay at home and sleep but I couldn't. I'm suffering from sore throat, have a slight cough, and my body aches all over. It's impolite to say 'no' to an old person here when they're asking a favor so I reluctantly boarded the train early in the morning. There are so many people at the train and I almost forgot that it's still summer vacation for a lot of people but not for me. Time goes so slow here in Daecheon... and it kills me. It's so different from the city! Although people here are genuinely nice, they are so conservative and talkative.

I don't ask much but just a little quiet time and not having someone ask me something all the time. Like how I should tie my hair, what should I wear, what I shouldn't wear, how I should not wear socks, when should I wash my clothes, why I should never close the door or the window in my room. They even ask me to brush my teeth or take a shower in a specific time , and no... I do not have halitosis or body odor and I'm proud of my hygiene. They just ask me this because they just couldn't stop talking. What really freaks me out is how they creep inside my room at night to see if my windows are open or if the fan is turned on or if I'm cold. I feel difficult to sleep in other people's houses so if I wake up in the middle of the night (which always happens), I can't get back to sleep. I tried locking the door before so it would stop but they didn't stop knocking to see what I was doing so I just followed them not to lock doors. I came to Seoul one day and when I got back, I'm stunned to see that the door lock was disabled.

I really hate how they bug me about all the things! They are nice and all but they just couldn't shut up! What I hate the most is that I need to keep all windows or doors open all the time. Do they have something against closed doors here? One needs privacy right? I couldn't even change my clothes inside my room cause the door shouldn't be closed so I have to get dressed inside the crampy toilet. I don't wanna even mention how they bugged me on how I should and how I should 'not' eat their food. Apparently, they have some specific way of eating chicken so they want me to follow them, I was aghast when they tried to tinker with my chicken using their chopsticks because I wasn't eating it right! Oh come on!!!!!

I'm totally pissed and I know I'm being such a brat. I'm probably too sensitive and they didn't mean any harm while doing so. I blame it on the cultural difference. This is not my country so I have to adjust. But there comes a day when I just couldn't take any of that and just wish they would stop. I cried because I'm so pissed today. So annoyed that I wasn't able to hold back my tears cause I couldn't do anything. Because I don't have a choice. Even if I don't ever wish to come back, I have to. Good thing I have a blog. I really need to vent.

It's now 8:40 pm. 16 more hours to go before my departure here. I really just can't wait.... But soon it'll be Tuesday and I have to come back here again. I just need a frigging break!

"Never use. Never"

I woke up at 8 am today and it's really late compared to the usual time I wake up. 'Imo', my homestay owner's wife still hasn't come back from Cheonan. So it's only me, J.W. (Imo's teenage daughter), and Imo's husband. J.W. was gracious enough to cook dinner for us last night. She cooked curry rice. Her mother prepared almost everything for her to cook like potatoes, carrots, and the curry mix.

After preparing new set of clothes, I went to the bathroom to take an early morning shower as I always do. I was surprised to see a note written in a yellow paper (a post-it to be exact) posted in the toilet bowl saying "Never use. Never". For a sec I thought it was just a joke but how come it's not funny. Then I remembered last night when J.W. went to my room and took something from the drawer. It was a yellow paper and I saw her scribbling something but I was too busy to mind her. I fell asleep after that and I totally forgot about that incident until now.

I guess the toilet needs to be fixed. But why would she be writing something like that? We're just three people here and she should have the courtesy to just tell me that the flush isn't working. As simple as that, but writing a note to never use... never is quite rude to me. How am I suppose to relieve myself when nature calls? I have just decided not to use the bathroom till imo comes home. I just hope I can stand cause I really need to go.

Samgyetang

Today's the last leg of Boknal Days here in Korea. 'Boknal' means the 3 hottest days of summer and during these days Koreans eat special foods that help restore stamina weakened from the scorching heat of the sun. The most popular dish for this period is "Samgyetang" or Chicken and Ginseng Soup as translated in English. And since today's boknal, I treated myself to a delicious Samgyetang for dinner.


Samgyetang is a nutritious dish prepared using a tender young chicken (or spring chicken as what others call it). Other ingredients such as ginseng, garlic, jujube dates, and glutinous rice are all inserted inside the chicken then it will be boiled in a special pot until tender. Samgyetang is known to stimulate one's appetite and rejuvenate the energy, that's what makes it perfect for summer. Samgyetang is also one of my favorite food here in Korea. I like eating it not just in summer, but all year round.

Doenjang Chigae

Doenjang Chigae or Bean Paste Stew in English is the most widely eaten dish here in Korea. Some would even say that it is Korea's national dish since people eat it for breakfast, lunch, or dinner with rice and other side dishes. The main ingredient for this dish is doenjang which is made from fermented soybean paste which can be compared to 'miso' only stronger. Since it's fermented, it has a lot of good properties that aids in digestion making it a healthy food. Other ingredients are diced tofu, zucchini, potatoes, beef, pepper, and mushroom. Doenjang chigae is not expensive, it's delicious and healthy. I'm thinking for my next meal I'll probably make Doenjang Chigae with crabs, and yes.. it's that versatile.

Out of time

It's been a long time since I last posted here. Although I have lots of things I wanna write about, I can't seem to find time to do so. July was a very busy month, going back and forth to Daecheon and Seoul for my classes was extremely tiring. I got into this habit of sleeping wherever I can like in the bus, subway, or train because I always feel lack of sleep. Weekends are spent on traveling, meeting friends, shopping, cleaning the house, etc. I don't know where I can squeeze in blogging from my very hectic schedule. There are things I wanted to do like getting a hair treatment which I've been planning on doing for two months now, or going to my Doctor for a follow-up check up, shopping for new make-up and skin care, and buying a good book. Speaking of books, I always pass by Jongno Tower in Seoul (about 3 times a week) where there is Bandi and Luni's Bookstore. I thought about dropping by and look for books I could read while I'm on the subway, train, or bus but I'm always running late for my class and never had a chance to visit. Last Monday, I made an effort to get up early so I could visit Bandi and Luni's and buy some books. I checked out all the sections and finally narrowed my choices to 4, a self-help book, 2 new-released novels, and a classic. Just when I was about to pay, my phone rang. It was D.Y. asking where I was, I nearly freaked out when I realized I'm already 15-minutes late for my class. I dropped the books and thought I should just buy it online to save time. After my class I'm still in a hurry to go home or else I'll be caught up in the rush-hour traffic. I come back home at 9:30 pm, tired and hungry but I still have to prepare dinner. I usually just buy food outside and eat it at home but I know it's unhealthy so I try to make it by myself. I finish all my chores just before midnight like doing the dishes, doing the laundry, mopping the floor, and preparing my things for my class the following day. I always feel dead-beat tired after the day's work I couldn't even use the computer. I stay in Daecheon 2 or 3 times a week and I'm glad I'm not that busy there unlike here in the city. My homestay owner basically takes care of all my needs. When I don't have class, I walk around the neighborhood for sight-seeing. It's always nice to see a small and quiet neighborhood away from the city, no traffic, no pollution, no drunk people roaming the streets at night.

The Octopus

I took this photo at a seafood restaurant in Wando, a county in Cheolla province (5-6 hour drive from Seoul). Funny how they put the octopus in a basin of water to keep it alive just before serving. Yep, they serve it alive, legs squirming and wriggling. This delicacy is called nakji hui or octopus sashimi. It can be served whole or sliced up. I haven't tried this dish for fear that it can get stucked in my throat and I'll choke to death because the suckers are still intact. If ever I'll try this dish, I would absolutely prefer it sliced than whole. A large and moving octopus is freaky in my sight, let alone in my mouth.