Bespectacled!

It was Children's Day here yesterday - a well-celebrated holiday in Korea where parents dutifully take their kids out to have some fun. I planned to spend it at home enjoying some good, home-cooked meals, but Chris saw it as an opportunity to drag me to get my eyes checked. This check-up has long been overdue. For the longest time, I've been having problems with my sight. Sometimes I miss my stop because I can't see the places clearly, especially at night. Watching movies has also been a problem for me. When we watched "Iron Man 2" the other night, we were seated at the far end and I couldn't keep tabs of what was happening. I know I need to wear glasses to make my life easier, but I always thought it's gonna make me look old and ugly - the deadliest combo a girl could ever be subjected to. So like a pig refusing to be slaughtered, I begged, sobbed, gobbled and gave him a hundred different reasons not to bring me there. But then he started the whole 'be-logical-you-need-it' talk, I just had to give in.

So there we were at the optical shop and a doctor came to check my eyes. The first thing he asked is if I could understand Korean. I told him "a little", so he was forced to talk in broken English. Upon hearing his excruciatingly-hard-to-understand English, two guys came to assist him. They were younger and probably armed with more vocabulary than him. The older guy motioned me to position my face close to the machine, which I did. One of his assistants said "put your 'fit' here and 'close' your forehead.." Of course he was pertaining to my chin and my forehead should be close to the machine. They must have felt there's something wrong with the way they talked, so the next couple of exchanges were fairly simple. It went like this: "first time?", "dizzy?", "not dizzy?", "clear?", "unclear?" - all answerable by a simple yes or no. Chris should have acted as the interpreter but he was busy with the parking. When he came back and spoke to them, they all came to agreement that I really need to wear glasses. So we were led downstairs to choose the frame. There are frames in all shapes, sizes and colors and it was so damn hard to choose! The assistant must be fuming mad while waiting for me...^^ Among hundreds, I narrowed my choices down to three. * I know you guys are sick of seeing my face plastered on every post, but please keep your cool while staring at my photos stippled with a huge rash on the neck ok? (I had an allergic reaction from eating large amounts of seafood before this..)

So this was my first choice. The first time I wore it, I fell in love with it! Chris didn't like it. He kept on giving me unsolicited grandfather-ly advice that it looks too big on my face and that the black rim and plaid prints are too strong for my 'delicate' features (delicate daw oh..lols), so I had to give it up. Please don't tell me this one suits me better than the rest, I'm literally going to kill myself for not getting it!




This was my second choice. I love the funky neon pink and purple combo. I think I could pull this one off. I can imagine myself wearing it in pop concerts, shopping malls or doing household chores looking all cute and fabulous. However, Chris can't imagine me wearing it with a dress, so I had to give it up also.





And this frame was my third and last choice. It's the simplest, most basic of them all. Grandfather Chris loves the burgundy shade, he thinks it accentuates my light brown eyes. The assistant (who is awfully cute by the way) said it suits my face. So two votes against mine, there was no other choice but to get it.



It's a big, big move for me. From here on, I'm a different person - a bespectacled one, and I'm not sure if this new persona will suit me. So let me know what you guys think. Does it make me look smart? studious? or worse, old and ugly? But damn, if that's the case, I'm better off with a blurred vision for the rest of my life!

A Fusion Of Art, Culture and Food.

Whenever I travel, I make it a point to scour the area for some quaint, little restos that could offer something new to my palate. I just love tasting new dishes, especially the ones that are hard to find in the city. Sometimes, I go as far as asking the locals if they know some famous restaurant in the area. Other times, I rely on brochures given at Tourist Information Centers as to which menu to taste or restaurants to visit. Chris on the other hand, likes to do his research online. It's where he found a place called Anygol, and he brought me there during our trip to Ilsan.

Anygol is a small village/budding tourist destination filled with restaurants, cafes, and music bars all clustered together. Of all the restaurants there, we chose this place called "Dubu Han Jeong Sik", little did we know that there's more in store for us than a sumptuous meal.

The first thing that floored me upon entering are the hanbok-wearing waitresses. Next are the interesting pieces of art on display. There are so many cool things that caught my attention, so while waiting for our orders to arrive, I looked around and took pictures.

This is the walkway going towards the restroom.

Everywhere I look, there are amazing pieces of arts and crafts reminiscenct of their culture, tradition and long history.

We were surrounded by a huge collection of dolls wearing hanbok in different styles and colors.

There are private rooms for those who come in groups.

And this is the spot where we sat. Notice how the chopsticks and tea cups are arranged?

And this is what we ordered. The food was great! Their Gganjjang Gae-jang (raw crabs in soysauce) was exceptionally tasty.

For this meal, it costs 24,000 won for each person. But I'm telling you, the experience that goes with it is worth every penny!

Adieu.

The weather has not been pleasant lately. Mornings and afternoons are now burdened with heavy clouds and rain, while nights are saddled with icy winds and cold temperature. By now, most of the Cherry Blossom trees have withered, their petals covering the ground like carpet. If there's any consolation, it is seeing the new leaves sprouting in the brightest shade of green. It is amusing to see, but I'm surely gonna miss seeing the Cherry Blossoms in full bloom, standing under it and catching some petals falling leisurely like snow. Just before all the petals have fallen, I got the chance to see it one last time while we were in Ilsan.

It's gonna take many months before it blooms again, and when they do, I hope I'll be here to see it..

Flower Festival In Ilsan.

The past week had been arduously long. The days were mostly uneventful filled with idleness and boredom. I can vaguely remember how the days went, except for that one Thursday when I went shopping for some for clothes. That one supposedly fun day brought me a tennis ball-sized bruise on my leg which I got from carrying a big load of groceries and shopping bags. It also sparked an argument between Chris and I - how I should have called him so he could pick me up (thus, I could've avoided the bruise) and how I should NEVER leave home without my phone. But hell I was bruised and tired from rummaging the stores for stuffs with the word "sale" written on it, I thought he should cut me some slack. But he didn't, and I can't stand the part where he's nagging me about things I already know. I especially hate it whenever he wants to talk about every minor details of my mishaps. I got to say I've got more guy hormones in me and Chris has this middle-aged-nagging-wifey syndrome (what gives?). That night his apologies came in a box of hot patch for my leg and a promise to stop being narky and overly obssessed with my safety.

When weekend came, I couldn't be more relieved. I love weekends cause it's the only time where both of us could have some fun and act like kids. The weather was perfectly nice and warm when we drove to Ilsan Lake Park in Goyang City. That day, being the start of the flower festival, the place was jampacked wih people. There was a very long queue at the ticket booth, and Chris had to wait for 25 minutes under the sun just to get them. All the while I was sitting comfortably under a tree eating cotton candy.. Well, I could've stood there with him, but that is what he got for being narky last Thursday...^^

This is the entrance...



There is a huge showroom in there where flowers and plants grown by local and foreign horticulturists are on display. I saw some pretty interesting stuff like "air plants" grown without soil or water, plants grown using LED technology, and amazing bonsais. Here's what the showroom looks like:






The showroom is interesting, but it's even better outdoors.

Koreans are very creative and artistic. I love how they turn a very simple space into a fairy tale-like park. I really had a good time smelling the flowers and reliving my fairy tale fanstasies from childhood. Here are my photos taken just before we left.

*** Ilsan Lake Park is located at Janghang-dong, Ilsan-gu, in Gyeonggi Province. You could find more info here http://www.lake-park.com/. The Flower Festival happens yearly from April 16-30, but because of the cold weather they started it late this year. The Festival runs till next week and tickets cost KRW 6,000 each.

Korean Food Project: Dubu Gganjang Jorim

I first tasted Dubu Gganjang Jorim (Tofu simmered in soy sauce) at a friend's house, it's one of the side dishes served that evening. I liked it so much that I asked my friend for the recipe so I could make it at home. Like most Pinoys, I'm drawn to food cooked in soy sauce so this banchan easily became one of my favorites. It's healthy, delicious and fairly simple to make. Here's my version of it.

You'll need: 300 grams of tofu, half a cup of soy sauce, a teaspoon of sugar, half a teaspoon of chopped garlic, leeks, green peppers, egg and olive oil for frying.

And here's how I do it:

Slice tofu into bite size pieces, and dip into a beaten egg mixture before frying it in olive oil. The recipe doesn't really call for eggs, but I use it so the tofu wouldn't stick to the pan. You could always omit the egg if you have a teflon or a non-stick pan.

In a bowl, combine the soy sauce, sugar, garlic, chopped leeks and peppers (with the seeds removed). Mix it well and pour it in the pan. Make sure to turn the tofu to the other side so both sides are covered in soy sauce. Wait till the sauce is reduced before turning off the heat.

And here's the finished product.



It's best to eat this at room temperature with a hot bowl of rice. Eventhough it has some peppers on it, it's not really spicy so even the kids would surely enjoy it!

Fueled and Caffeinated.

The oil price is giving us a headache these days, so kudos to my friend T and her husband M for bringing me here all the way from Bucheon last Saturday. I can't thank you enough guys! They were our first visitor in our humble home, and the least I could have done was serve them some snacks, but unfortunately our fridge was understocked and there's nothing to offer except for a few alcoholic drinks and some nuts.

Chris and I are not environmentalist in the truest sense of the word, but we are advocates of saving nature's finite resources. Chris does his part by going to work on foot, and we only use the car when it's absolutely necessary. So if there are other mode of transportation available or if the distance is "walkable", we prefer to leave the car at home. Not only does it save us a lot of money, but walking is also good for exercise. On days when we just have to bring it, fueling it sends us the shiver. Even though it's a small car and it's consumes less fuel, the staggeringly high oil prices is enough to elicit a couple "ehyu" and incomprehensible mumblings from him.

It is often said that Korea is The Land of Freebies, and gas stations are no exception. Here they call it "service" meaning free of charge. They usually give out tissues and bottles of water, but Samil gas station gives out free coffee (how great is that?!). I love coffee as it is, even more if it's for free!

Chasing Cherry Blossoms Part 2

Last Saturday, Chris drove me to his hometown to visit Incheon Grand Park, and later to meet some friends whom I haven't seen in a while. The said park is known to be the best place to view the Cherry Blossoms in all of Incheon, but we were kind of disappointed to see that the flowers are barely out of their buds. Seeing how disappointed I was looking at bare trees and dead grass, Chris offered to bring me to a different place where I'm gonna see the flowers for sure. But I figured it's better to make the most out of our time there instead of chasing the elusive flowers.

I've visited Incheon Grand Park before so I know how insanely beautiful it looks come spring time. I can't help but blame the strange weather for ruining what I thought is gonna be a picnic-perfect day. And so we walked for a good 2 hours or so, slowly taking in the view and admiring how big the park is. The lake and the zoo are still under construction and that sort of added to my disappointment, but I did enjoy watching people having picnics and walking their dogs. They all looked like they're having a blast inspite of the cold and breezy weather. Anyway, here's how the park looks...

I realized I haven't posted pictures of myself lately, so here are some pictures of me all bundled up in a thick jacket (which for some reason they call "jumper" here). Like I said, the weather is still too cold for skin-tight cardigans and light sweaters. But days are becoming warmer so I think I gonna give my winter jacket a rest soon.

Later that afternoon, Chris brought me to Bupyeong station to meet my friends. Just outside the station, we saw lots of Cherry Blossom trees so I didn't pass the opportunity to admire them up close.

I really had a blast that day, especially after seeing my friends. For now I'm gonna put the chase for the Cherry Blossoms to rest. There are so many things to see and look forward to this Spring that'll keep me entertained for sure.

Chasing Cherry Blossoms.

If you are to ask a Korean what is the most beautiful season, I bet the answer would be Spring. Here they call it "The Queen of all Seasons", and I could totally agree to that. What makes Spring so worth the wait are the cherry blossoms. I'm sure everyone knows how delightfully pretty these flowers are especially when they're in full bloom. I gotta say walking on a street filled with rows and rows of cherry blossom trees, and flowers draping above your head like a canopy is such a magical experience.

On my second day here, Chris took me to Yeouido where the Cherry Blossoms festival is happening. We went there after working hours hoping that it wouldn't be so crowded anymore, but we were wrong. The traffic was so bad and it was hard to find a parking space. Not even the freezing cold temperature could deter the wicked number of tourists from visiting. It was a little early to visit Yeouido. The flowers are still not in full bloom, but I'm sure next weekend, it's gonna be a hundred times more beautiful. Here's how the Sakura Festival looked like.

Other than the cherry blossoms, these are the things that caught my attention. I'm not sure what the ribbon thingies are for, but I'm guessing it's people's wishes that are written on it. It's quite common to see this in Korea, but what I can't understand is that how writing wishes in special ribbons and hanging it for everyone to see could help make it come true.

There were a lot of artists that night. They make beautiful portraits of people with cherry blossoms on the background for a very steep price.

Even though it was awfully cold that night, still I saw some people having picnics right beside Han river. I can't really blame them though... The river and Seoul's city lights look pretty spectacular at night.

Hope you all enjoyed the tour!

Hello to Spring!

The weather is awfully cold for Spring this year, but I'm not complaining. In fact, I am enjoying every minute that I'm away from the hellish heat of Manila. Funny thing, I wasn't dressed appropriately when I came here. I thought this season is about light shirt and skin-tight cardigans. It didn't cross my mind that the weather would be more like winter. So I was there at the airport shaking and desperately trying to keep myself warm while others in fur coats were dodging glances at me. On my way home, I noticed how different the surrounding looks from the previous spring season (*same day last year). The trees are bare and flowers are still trapped in their tiny little buds. I sort of expected to see a more colorful sight than that. But even so, I'm glad I came here this time. I love to wait for flowers to bloom and see the surrounding slowly change from bare to beautiful.

There are some major changes this season and I'm having my fair share of adjustments and getting-used-tos. It's like a fresh, new start; a clean slate. To give you guys a hint of what I'm going through, I'm sharing a few below.

• We just moved to a different place so my days are mostly spent on arranging furniture and cleaning the new house. It has gotten so noisy and stressful in our old place and Chris thought it's about time to move. I'm so glad he did! There's not much difference from the old one when it comes to size, but I find it more comfortable here. I love that it's more peaceful and quiet, plus the wallpaper is really, really nice!

• Chris recently got promoted and it poses some serious disadvantage for us. Here in Korea, promotion equals to longer working hours, more business trips abroad, bigger responsibilities, and a lot more people to suck up to. That's why I don't really blame Chris for looking so beat these days. He looks like he really needs to go to a spa or something...

• Health wise, I could say I'm doing well and I'm still pretty fired up to lose another 10 lbs. The only thing that bothers me is that I'm gonna be away from the gym. Working out has been very much part of my routine in Manila but not here. I'm scared I'm gonna gain weight so as much as possible, I control what I eat and try to do some floor exercises whenever I can.

• I'm missing my two, 6 month old puppies every single day. They're staying at my friend's house in Manila while I'm here. I just hope they're fed well. My Mom can't take care of them because she's going to Australia late of next month to visit my sister who is now pregnant...

• And yes, in a few months I'm gonna be an aunt. I'm practically clueless when it comes to kids, but I hope I'd be a good aunt.

It's still a little early to enjoy the real beauty of springtime, but in my five days here, I already did a lot of sightseeing and travelling. I hope you all join me as I get to enjoy and appreciate the myriad of sights, sounds, and tastes of this wonderful season.

Korea, Here I Come!

In less than 24 hours I'll be in Korea breathing that crisp, cool air of spring and hopefully it's tinged with the smell of cherry blossoms...

The World Is As Perfect As You Make It.

I've heard the term "be comfortable in your own skin" many times over in my life (we all do), but no matter how much conviction I put every time I say those words, I still can't get past my innumerable body issues and weight drama. For four years, I've shared a love-hate relationship with my body. There are times when I appreciate my curves, and there are times when I get enveloped in a lot of depressing body drama. Sometimes I can't help but think that things seemed much simpler when we were younger and living a life of simple ideals. It's so easy back then - weight and calories are basically the farthest thing in our heads. In a perfect world, weight should be a non-issue, and there shouldn't be a skinny standard that exist alongside the premises of love, honesty and respect. But the real world sucks and sadly it's far from perfect.

Before, I blamed my being overweight from a myriad of excuses. But simple logic brought me to the conclusion that it's just me being lazy and complacent. I did try to lose the extra weight, but I keep gaining it back. Probably because as soon as I see results, I grow complacent again. But everything changed after I visited the doctor a few months ago. I went through what I call a 'health scare' and it shook me to the core. My health was a mess, my hormones were all shooting in the wrong direction, and I feel things I shouldn't be feeling. I knew I had to do something before it's too late. So I started hitting the gym again, this time with utmost determination, not just to aesthetically look more pleasing but to heal myself. I had to work doubly hard to efficiently burn calories as my metabolism seems to be a wack compared to a normal person's. And as per doctor's order, I veered away from meat, sweets and oily foods. I changed my routine, even my sleeping habits, refrained from eating out and drinking alcohol. I was struggling with the new lifestyle at first, but it's hell of fun discovering what good it does to your skin and the amount of money you could save. The only thing I didn't do is starve myself. I still eat as much as I want, only this time, I surround myself with healthier choices. And because I'm taking a lot of pills, my stomach can't be empty so I eat every two hours.

Just before the Holy Week started, I visited the doctor for check up and my blood work showed amazing results! My AST levels have normalized and I can now eat meat. How great is that?! But instead of celebrating at a meat restaurant, I went shopping for a new pair of jeans. Yeah I know, it's weird, but as shameful as it sounds, I had difficulty shopping before because I could hardly fit in a normal store's sizes. But now it's different, and it's such a liberating thing to buy one that actually fits without going through the humiliating "do-you-have-a-bigger-size-than-this?" talk with the saleslady.

In today's skinny standards, I still have A LONG WAY TO GO, but overall I'm proud to say I'm healthier, fitter and stronger. Those three words make me happy, plus the fact that I can now run without getting so winded that my lungs want to burst.

Have a great weekend y'all!

Unforgettable Things About Korea.

Korea has grown on me in so many ways. I never knew I'm gonna miss even the most trivial things about the country. And like many foreigners who got to live in Korea, I miss eating Korean food. But I wouldn't go as far as saying I miss Kimchi cause the smell of it is freaking seared in my memory and I'm still having nightmares about it. It just repels me and why others horde and manage to keep tons of it sitting in their fridge never fails to confound me. I swear, the smell reeking even from air-tight containers every time I open the fridge in the morning summons my inner-bitch and make me act all schizo.

Other than Kimchi, all the rest serve to add a different appeal that makes life in Korea more alluring and enriching. Say for example the wide array of side dishes served in restaurants. That has got to be one of the most unforgettable thing about Korea. The tiny portions of side dishes they serve are all well thought of and carefully calculated to accentuate the main dish. Not only does it give you a buffet of different taste and texture, but how they present each one of them also give your eyes something to feast on.

After going through the health scare, I started this semi-vegetarian diet to get healthy. But for some reason, veering away from meat makes me think about Galbi more and more. This dish rightfully falls on my list of unforgettable things about Korea. I'm sure everyone knows why Galbi is world famous. It's inarguably delicious and could surely impress anyone who isn't a fan of Korean dishes. So if you know someone who can't stop ranting about how everything in Korea is spicy, bland or plain smelly, take him or her to a Galbi restaurant.


Third on my list is Western Bar in Korea. They call it Western Bar because it serves western liquors and beers from around the world. Whenever I'm having a nightmarish-ly bad day, Chris takes me to our favorite bar. I love it cause it's spacious and they serve free (refillable) side-dishes. They also have this small button at the edge of the table that you could press to call the waiter. It's a far cry from the crampy, dim, and noisy bars I'm used to.

For me, life in Korea is far from fairy tale beginnings or endings. I call it a life-changing and temper-taming adventure laced with pain, joy, and a bit of humor. Sometimes it's blissful, sometimes it's really tiring, and other times it could truly push the limits of your sanity. But the important thing is that I've grown to love it flaws and all. But as far as flaws go, the smell of kimchi still bothers me and I need a few more years to fix it. Have a happy Monday you all!

Music Fix.

My playlist desperately needs an update so I added a couple of fresh new tracks. The previous songs makes me wanna reach that box of Kleenex, so this time I wanted some feel-good music, easy on the ears and nothing depressing.

Toasted and Thirsty.

I must be mental for choosing to spend this month here in Manila. The heat is unbearable and each day that passes is more like a battle. I'm desperately trying to keep myself from packing my bags and flying off to Korea. I'm sure all Pinoys share the same sentiment about the weather, and all are dying to get whisked away to some frozen nowhere land.

On days when the temperature tips at 35 degrees, I focus my energy on cursing the weather and binging on sour mangoes and bagoong. And because wardrobe choices boil down to only two things: short and shorter - I feel obligated to flex my stubborn, lazy muscles in the gym. It's hard alright, but let me tell you, working out in a sauna-like condition definitely pays off. I've lost some weight and it's something I feel really happy about. I still have a long way to go so you wouldn't see me in a teeny-weeny swimsuit mode anytime soon.

As for my health, I'm still recuperating. It turns out I have something simple but it pretty much binds me to long-term medication. And although it's disheartening as it is, at the crux of it all, I've realized that life is too short to let one's dreams go to waste. I've decided to live that dream, so I'm putting up a small business with the help of some people close to me. I'm still in the planning stage, but hopefully this July or August, we'll be ready to roll.

Amidst all these things that get my thoughts flying in all direction, I'll be lying if I say that I don't miss my Korean life. As a matter of fact, I miss it everyday (especially in this heat!). I'll be coming to Korea after the holy week is over, and I can't wait to hit the beaches there, and bask in the cool spring weather while sipping a sweet bubbly cup of Hoegaarden. In Korea, I just buy it at big supermarkets. Unfortunately, I don't know where to get it here in Manila. I sooo miss drinking this beer with my favorite beer-buddy Chris!