Then Came Healing.

Since the start of summer, stress has just been too much and it was all too overwhelming. I was in the brink of falling apart, loneliness and insecurities enveloping every inch of my body. When that happens, depression is nearby, biding it's time, simply waiting. It can be triggered by a simple argument between Chris and I, a phone call from my sick Mom, or something as innocent as a trip to the weighing scale. So when we suddenly found a day of nothing but free time, I couldn't think of a better way to spend it than watching the sun set. You might be thinking, what good could it possibly do to me? It heals me, believe it or not. Nothing calms me more than seeing the pure, unadulterated sun setting in the horizon. The expanse of colors it creates and everything else below it takes my breath away. Beautiful does not quite cover it... It's calming, soothing and it makes me, dare I say, hopeful about life in general. It takes me out of that uncomfortable limbo, away from the maddening self-hate and bitterness I feel. There is a certain element of realization it brings, to look at the positive side and not dwell on the negatives. It gets me to think that all that is waiting for me at the end of the night is another day... only better.


Pictures taken at Jecheon, around 6:30 pm Korea time.

I hope everyone else is fairing better than I am. You all stay positive alright?!

Mads Langer-ed.

It's June 30th, end of the month. What a very tiring and daunting month it has been! I have spent the vast majority of the month mulling. Just mulling over everything that is going on in my life right now.. I can say with no hint of doubt in my mind that if I did not have my time alone I would either implode and self destruct, or go completely crazy. Neither particularly appeals to me.

I suppose I'm avoiding the underlyring issue of all this gloom and doom (I find it difficult to say the particulars, I hope you all understand). I am admittedly too fragile and too coward to deal with the entirety of it. So my old faithful, my tried and tested savior comes to light: MUSIC. It aids my focus, helps funnel my energy to things that are worth doing.

In this light, I wanna share a bit of the music I've been listening to: MADS LANGER - a Danish singer who has the ability to turn my mood from bad to pleasant. He's a genious artist and I'm smitten by him big time! My playlist from now on is going to be all about him.

All of his songs are pretty good, but my favorite remains to be "Beauty Of The Dark." A song I stumbled upon while watching Vampire Diaries. I don't particularly like posting lyrics of songs in my blog cause I think it's pointless.. But in this case, it gets to me.. so much that I'm willing to post it right here.

***

The beauty of the dark is the beauty of you
I dream of dreaming dreams of you but nightmares always block the view I can't sleep

The beauty of silence is the noise of no words
When everything I listen for is here when you walk in the door tonight


Where is the light in your deep dark room?
A shock of white could save you from your shadow
Why is the dark behind the moon?
Out of reach until the light is shattered


The ugly things I do for beauty
If you could see what's real in me then maybe beauty wouldn't be so cruel

Where is the light in your deep dark room?
A shock of white could save you from your shadow
Why is the dark behind the moon?
Out of reach until the light is shattered


If you wanna know more about Mads Langer, do check this site http://www.madslanger.dk/.

Korean Food Project: Figure-Friendly Chapchae.

Chris came back home really early on Friday, and bugged me to prepare something noddle-y for dinner. I wasn't in the mood to eat or cook anything (the smell of food is kind of revolting these days), but he rarely makes a request like that so I dutifully obliged. I checked our perpetually understocked fridge and somehow I came up with a few veggies... perfect! Next, I rummaged the storage cabinet and found an old pack of chapchae noodles and thankfully, it wasn't expired yet. Chapchae isn't really a main dish here. It's more of a side dish served alongside stews and meat dishes. But together with rice, kimchi and a few other banchan, it can be considered a decent meal and ought to give him a noodle fix.

Since I'm bent to lose weight, I wanted to make my chapchae as healthy as possible; no meat, less oil and lots of veggies. And again, pardon me if my ingredients and methods are kind of different from the usual..

Here's what I used: 300 grams of chapchae noodles (soaked in water for 15 minutes), cabbage, carrots, bell peppers, onions and minced garlic. I veered away from meat and used re-hydrated mushrooms and shrimp - both are rich in flavor and enough to give chapchae a savory boost.




First, I sauteed the vegetables in 1 tbsp of olive oil. 2 minutes is probably good, you don't want your veggies to be overcooked. *Many presumes olive oil as light and low in calorie, but go easy on using it. Olive oil packs in a whopping 120 cal/tbsp.




I added the shrimp and mushrooms and stirred it for about 3 minutes.

Next, I added the noodles, a cup of water (you could use chicken or beef broth instead of water)

and half a cup of soysauce. Let it sit for about 5 minutes till the liquid evaporates. And lastly, season it with salt and pepper. *Like most Korean dishes, this dish calls for sesame oil, but I don't particularly like the flavor of that.

And here's the finished product.. A figure-friendly chapchae that's bursting with flavor!

I don't mean to brag but Chris said it's the most delicious chapchae he has ever tasted. He ate it with rice and few other stuff, while I only had a small serving of it and nothing else. He found it weird that I eat it by itself, he doesn't know that for us Pinoys, it's taboo to eat noodles with rice. ^^;

Anniversary Date.

Yesterday was our 5th year anniversary. I'm not sure if it's a side of Chris's zany culture I don't particularly get, but he likes to think of our anniversary as the day we first met. But knowing Chris who tends to forget his own birthdays and stuff, I wasn't expecting anything to happen that day. Besides, it fell on a Thursday which means he's busy as hell at work.

Later in the afternoon, I recieved a call from him saying he's gonna bring me somewhere and that I should be ready by 6:30 pm. I was elated by the fact that he remembered! So like a kid getting ready for prom, I spent the next few hours tinkering my very limited wardrobe for stuff I could wear. Well I couldn't find anything decent as most of it are either too large, too formal or too casual. So I just followed my sloppy instinct and wore something plain but comfortable, and prayed he wouldn't bring me to a place that has a dress code or something.

That night, he brought me to this place called Jeongjo-dong Street Cafe in Bundang - a village brimming with so many cute cafes and restaurants all clustered together (think Eastwood City on a much grander scale). We chose this restaurant called "Chic Ami" by the side of the main road and here's what we had:

Seafood Pasta in Cream Sauce.





Roasted Beef, Mushroom and Gorgonzola Cheese Pizza.




After dinner, we went to Cafe Pascucci for a kick of my favorite java, then we were off to explore the neigborhood some more.

Then we drove to a lake park not far from the cafe street. It was such a cute park with fountains and brimming with trees. We stayed there till midnight.

So that's how our special day went. It was simple but so damn memorable. Hope you all have a great weekend!

Danyang Palgyeong.

Three weeks have passed since the election, and though the winners have long been proclaimed, I'm yet to write an entry about the side adventure I had back then. I thought it's worth sharing so here it is....

June 2, Election Day
Our plan was to go to the voting precinct early in the morning so we could have the rest of the afternoon to enjoy. The precinct is merely 5 minutes away by foot from where we live, but it took a lot longer to get there cause we couldn't find a place to park the car. When we finally did, Chris hurriedly entered the booths and registered. I, on the other hand, went to use the restroom and the next thing I knew he already voted! It was sooo fast, we were in and out of the place in 10 minutes!

After that quickie voting, we hit the road going to Danyang, North Chuncheong province. It's a place known for it's 8 scenic wonders, hence the name Danyang Palgyeong (단 양 팔 곙). We planned to visit all of it in one day, so we skipped lunch and went directly to Dodamsambong (도 담 삼 보) - the first the eight wonders. Multitude of tourists come here all year round to see the three gorgeous rock formations that grew in the middle of the river. It's beautiful but it's better to come here right before sunset when the sky turns golden as the rocks look even more stunning then.

And as weird as it may sound, there is a very intriguing story behind those three rocks. It goes something like this; rock no. 1 is the husband, rock no. 2 is the barren wife, and the last rock is the pregnant mistress and they're all part of this one giant love triangle.

Even without the scandalous rocks, the river is already worth the visit. It's beautiful on it's own
and the air is fresh and clean. We walked at the side of the river for some time till we saw a steep stairway that leads to Seokmun (석 문). It's one of Danyang's eight scenic wonders.



Seokmun is a giant rock that formed into a very interesting shape - an arch with trees and plants growing on it. Because of the shape, they called this place the "stone gate".



There is another scenic point far up the mountain, but it requires hiking for hours. Chris wasn't feeling it, so we left the place and went on with our quest to see more of Danyang. We drove till we reached Gosu Cave (고 수 통 굴). The cave was discovered in the 70's and during that period, they unearthed several equipments that dates back from the stone age.

After the cave, we drove towards the downtown area to find some food and saw this place by chance. I don't think it's included among the eight, but it's so beautiful it rightfully deserves a spot there.

We followed the road that leads to Namhan river, Chris said we're gonna go for a boat ride. The scenery along the river is breathtaking, and it pains me to see that the government is breaking it. Pres. Lee Myung Bak has plans of turning it into a canal where ships and boats can pass through. In some parts of the river, the construction has already began, and it turned the water

from green to muddy - not a pretty sight to look at. Thankfully, the construction hasn't started in the area where we took the boat. At least we got a chance to see it's natural beauty before they decide to break it.

So we took the boat for 10,000 won each, and we got the best seats in the house! It's right in front and the view was perfect there!

The captain served as the guide saying bits and pieces about the different mountains and rock formations that we passed by. Of course, Chris was there to translate so I kind of understood what the captain was saying. I understand that some of the eight sights are here, but I couldn't care less. They all look the same to me anyway - all beautiful and spectacular.

The boat ride lasted for an hour, and by the time it reached the dock, it was almost sunset. We thought we've seen enough of Danyang so we decided to go. It was a well-spent holiday, and right now, I'm hurting for another one..

Korean Food Project: O-jing-oh Bokkeum

While cleaning the fridge yesterday, I saw a couple of slightly-withered veggies hidden amongst pile of banchan. They all looked like they need to be cooked right away or they'll be good as trash in a few days. I tried to think what I could make of it but I didn't have any meat, so off I went to Homeplus. They were selling squid at a really cheap price so I bought 2 large ones for 3,000 won. The veggies at home are perfect with the squid to make O-jing-oh Bokkeum (stir-fried squid in uber spicy sauce). I've never tried making this dish before, so excuse me if my methods are kind of odd and my proportions are unheard of.

You'll need: A quarter of a cabbage, bean sprouts, enoki mushrooms, carrots , onion, garlic and a couple of spicy green peppers. You can slice it any way you want to.

And for the sauce: I used gochujang (red pepper paste), gochukaru (red pepper powder), soysauce and some honey. This recipe calls for sesame oil, but I don't really like the taste of that so instead, I used extra virgin olive oil and toasted sesame seeds for flavor. I'm not really sure of the proportion, but a tablespoon of each is a good bench mark. I didn't want it to be too spicy so I didn't put a lot, but you can add more according to your liking.

Mix it all together in a bowl till you come up with a paste like this.

The hardest part in making this dish is cleaning the squid cause it could get pretty nasty. You really have to wash it well to get rid of the smell. Then you have to remove the skin, the backbone, innards, and the creepy looking head (but save the tentacles!). When it's all clean, slice it into rings and stif-fry it in the pan.

When the squid is nearly cooked, add in the veggies and the sauce mixture. Stir continuously till all of the squid is covered in sauce. Don't overcook it or you'll end up with a tough squid.

Add a dash of toasted sesame seeds before serving.

I served this for dinner and Chris really loved it! It may not be as good as the ones they serve in restaurants (God knows how much MSG they use to make it really tasty), but it's a delicious, cheaper and healthier alternative for that. I ate only a small portion of this and Chris finished it all in one sitting. How's that for a compliment?!

A Skin Care Product Review Of Some Sort.

Two weeks have passed since summer came and I can't say I'm having the best days.. The weather's pretty crazy. Sometimes it gets really hot and humid, other days it'll rain the whole day. I like when it rains a little bit. It's hard to go out and all, but at least I could sleep soundly at night without air conditioner (which reminds me, I really have to cut back on using it ~ our electric bill had doubled already!). But we're still on the early part of summer, and pretty soon it's gonna get even hotter (and God forbid HUMID as HELL), and there'll be no more rain to relieve us from the heat.

I'm actually ok with the heat, but extreme humidity kills me. That's why I'm awfully choosy when it comes to skin products. I hate putting on layers of gunk that'll make me feel sticky all over. I have sensitive skin to begin with, and one bad product and my face will turn into a zit battleground. It's always a nightmare when I try to experiment with skin products, so as much as possible I only stick to two brands that work for me - Neutrogena and The Body Shop. I use Neutrogena's Skin Clearing Line for the cold months. And for warmer seasons, I use The Body Shop. If you're into all natural, organic, alcohol and oil free products for the face, you'll also dig their products. I'm so pleased with it, I thought I should make some sort of a product review here.

Clear skin starts with a clean face, and for that I use Neutrogena's Skin Clearing Foaming Wash. It's an oil-free wash for pimple-prone skin like mine. It has Salicylic Acid and Natural Plant extracts that help combat acne. *175 ml bottle - 12,000 won.

After that I use The Body Shop's Seaweed Clarifying Toner. This is probably the best toner I've ever used! It's alcohol-free, very gentle and leaves your skin tingling after. It's very refreshing especially on a hot summer day. *200 ml - 17,000 won.




For moisturizer, I use Seaweed Mattifying Day Cream, also from The Body Shop. It's an easily absorbed, non-clogging, oil-free, hydrating gel-like moisture cream for Combination/Oily skin. It uses oil balancing technology to control excess sebum and shine whilst delivering essential moisture. It leaves your skin feeling soft, supple and shine-free all day long! The label says it's day cream but I also use it at night and still get great results. *50 ml - 20,000 won.

And if my skin feels drier than usual (perhaps from using too much air conditioner), I skip the mattifying cream and use Aloe Soothing Day Cream instead. It's nice and soothing and gives your skin optimum hydration. But it kinda leaves your skin sticky after so I only use it when my skin is really, really dry.

And for my hands, elbows and knees, I use Moringa Body Butter. It's an intensive, super creamy all-over body moisturiser with a delicate floral fragrance. And surprisingly, it works quite well with insect bites and rashes. I'm very adventurous when it comes to food and sometimes I get an allergic reaction. This product helps relieve the itch. *50 ml - 22,000 won.

And after sweating it out in the gym, I veer away from creamy shower creams and use bath soaps instead. I love The Body Shop's bath soaps cause it's gentle on the skin and it's guaranteed to leave your skin smelling great! I use this whenever I shower in the gym, and I always hear people talking about how good it smells.

I admit I'm a little crazy over The Body Shop. It's also my brand of choice for make up. I absolutely love their All-in-one Face Base, Super Volume Mascara and Born Lippy Lip Balms. I don't have a complicated make-up routine, just these three and I'm good to go. It's better to buy these in the Philippines though. Not only is it cheaper there, but they usually put it on sale. Like the All-in-one face base for example, here it costs 27,000 won, but I got it on sale in Manila for 800 pesos only.



I hope you guys find this review helpful!

Rainy Kind Of Wonderful (part 2).

At the other side of Cheongsong, not far from the reservoir, we visited this place called Juwang-san National Park. Juwang Mountain is part of Taebaek Mountain Range. It's summit is only 721 meters high - the smallest among all national parks in the country. 'Small' as they say, but the way I see it, it's massive. It houses several valleys, waterfalls and caves. I bet it's going to take the whole day if you wanna explore all the good things this park is famous for.





Juwangsan is known for it's beauty, but more so it's also a subject of many tales and legends. Important people in history seek refuge here during the ancient times of war and struggle.

There are lots of interesting rock formations to see there, but I got to say this hand-shaped rock is the most remarkable of them all. Right beside it is a Buddhist temple. See those colorful lanterns on the trees? They hung it to commemorate Buddha's birthday.




It's not really steep so it's good for hiking and stuff. Too bad we came at a bad time. It was hard to climb with umbrella and all that mud sticking in your shoe, so we chose to spend the rest of the afternoon at some traditional restaurant at the foot of the mountain. It's where I tasted the most delicious Dongdongju (Korean rice liquor).




I never really understood why Koreans like to drink Dongdongju and eat Pajeon when it rains till that day. Dongdongju doesn't really make you drunk, but it makes your body nice and warm against the cold rain. And as for Pajeon, they say it's the perfect sidedish to go with Dongdongju, and I couldn't agree more!

Rainy Kind Of Wonderful

After Yeongdeok, Cheongsong was next to our agenda. It didn't take an hour to get there. With it's relatively short distance, you'd think the two places are similar, but it turned out to be entirely different with no semblance of similarity whatsoever. Only scanty minutes have passed and I could no longer see the jagged cliffs and taste that briny air in my mouth. Coastlines and rock formations were replaced by rolling hills and beautiful valleys.

The rain didn't wither and so is the fog, but all we need is a good and sturdy umbrella to jumpstart our rainy adventure. On our way to Cheongsong, we passed by Okgye Valley. The water was all muddy from the rain and the hills were partly obscured by fog.

I remember seeing this in the height of Summer when the sky was all clear. It was beautiful then.. and it still is beautiful even when it's rainy.

Cheongsong is known for it's delicious apples, and we passed by several apple farms on our way to Jusan Mountain. Rows and rows of apple trees, all stunted from the unusually cold Spring we had. I don't think the apples will be ready for harvest in fall and I feel bad for the farmers who planted those..

When we reached the foothills of Jusan Mountain, the rain barely halted. I hated the dampness all over, especially the pool of muddy rain water in the ground that seeped through my Chuck Taylor's. It made the 10-minute climb to the top feels like an hour.

There's a reservoir at the top and you could see ancient Willow trees growing in the water. These trees have been there for almost two centuries.

While exploring the area, I saw this plank of wood with braille written on it. So if there's such thing as that, does it mean visually impaired people come and visit this place too? ..

This beautiful lake surrounded by dense forest was created almost 200 years ago, and it has never been dried even in the longest droughts.

I've seen so many beautiful places in Korea, but there are only a few places I can call unforgettable - this place is one of them. It's so enchanting it makes you feel as if you're in a different world. Maybe someday, we can visit this place again. I'll probably bring a mat, some wine and a picnic basket then...