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"Thanks for dropping by! Her Korean Things love to share K-Happiness with everyone through blogging down her encounters with anything Korean in her life. This is a place where stories go personal and the Kpop fanatic writer tend to relate most of her food, travel, concert, language, drama, songs, critics and whatever articles to anything Kpop! Feel free to read more about Her Korean Things here!"

Monday, 24 June 2013

Korean Vocab #14 : Henry Wants To Be Free!


Who's in love with Henry's new song? I am! For the very fact that he played the piano himself haha. From the first day he held the violin in SuJu's MV till now, he has never stop improving.

TODAY'S PHRASE:
자유롭고 싶어 ja-yoo-rob-go ship-eo: I want to be free

Breaking it down:
자유롭다 ja-yoo-rob-da:  To be free, to not be restrained. It comes from the chinese word 自由(zi you) which meant free.
-고 싶어 -go shipeo: Want to -- . This is one power phrase I love to use. If you want to do anything, just add this behind a verb.

Other tips:
Some simple -고 싶어 -go shipeo phrase that you can use in your daily life:
  1. 가고싶어 ka-go ship-eo: I want to go.
  2. 보고싶어 po-go ship-eo: I want to see/I miss you
  3. 먹고싶어 mog-go ship-eo: I want to eat
  4. 자고싶어 ja-go ship-eo: I want to sleep
  5. 듣고싶어 deut-go ship-eo: I want to listen
  6. 공부하고 싶어 kong-bu-ha-go ship-eo: I want to study
  7. 운동하고 싶어 oon-dong-ha-go ship-eo: I want to exercise
Her Korean Things Says:
I think many people wants to be free. To be free from problems, pain, hardships, relationship headaches etc. No great things come in free and easy. You have to work hard for it. But, not everything that is painful hardship might be something that's worthwhile. Some people gets trapped in the realm of holding onto something they can never get. The question we should ask ourselves sometimes is - is this battle worth fighting for, even if you lose?

Anyway, please support Henry, because he is fighting a battle that is definitely worth fighting for :)

Thursday, 24 January 2013

Travel YongPyong: Mountaintop Ski Paradise!

Speaking about K-pop, it all started from Korean dramas for example Autumn in My Heart, Full House, Stairway to Heaven and of course the ever famous Winter Sonata. One of Winter Sonata's famous shooting spot apart from Nami Island was YongPyong Ski Resort - the top recommended site to visit Korea during winter!
Since it's a hot spot where all the locals go during Winter, I went to Yong Pyong ski resort as well! I'm not a Winter Sonata fan, but I'm a ski fan! I'm a fan of ski who doesn't know how to ski before I arrived! Haha! But trust me, the weather during January is perfect to learn ski and to ski to your heart's content!

I went on a 3 days 2 nights trip at Yong Pyong and stayed at Swiss Chalet, the prettiest accommodation I've ever stayed in!

My YongPyong Ski Itinerary:
DAY 1
1. Bus to from Jamsil Station, Seoul to Yong Pyong (3 hours journey)
2. Ski attire and ski gear rental from Bing Ha Shi Dae
3. Take YongPyong cable car from Dragon Plaza up to Dragon Peak of Mt Balwang
4. Return to pension and dinner at Shabu Shabu

DAY 2
1. 2 hour ski lesson with handsome teacher :P
2. Free time to ski
3. Visit Mt Seoraksan (1 hour journey from YongPyong)
4. Dinner at pension

DAY 3
Free and easy and left for Seoul by 1pm


JOURNEY TO DRAGON PEAK
From Dragon Plaza, it'll take approximately 20 minutes cable car ride up to Dragon peak of Mt. Balwang (1459m). Throughout that 20 minutes what will be greeting you are nothing more than beautiful scenery of the wide white snowy Yong Pyong. Once a while when you'll get to pass by some slopes see professional skiers or snowboarders who easily traveled downhill. Left, right, left, right! At moment like those your heart will itch and can't wait to ski like them! That's how I felt when I was in the cable car, I can't wait for the next day to arrive! You are not advised to ski on the same day you arrived at YongPyong especially if you are new, because you'll be tired from the long journey, and you don't have much time since you'll be arriving around noon. ;)


Once you reach the top, you'll see the exact same peak that we saw in "Winter Sonata"! A 2-story Swiss style building will be greeting you in awe. It felt really serene looking at it meters away. This is the peak where most professional skiers or snowboarders will travel down. Usually beginners aren't allow to take this slope.

Since it was a sightseeing moment, we walked further up to check out. It was really breath-taking for someone who haven't experienced Winter before - like me! It'll be a nice time to spend up there if only you are in the right attire - so make sure you are well bundle up if you ever visit there!






MY SKI EXPERIENCE :)

We started off with a 2 hours lesson with this tall, handsome, tanned Korean coach name Jung. He has been training people to ski for 7 years! Learning was ski was quite easy for me. They'll teach you how to get onto the gears, how to get up if you fall, how to fall right, and also how to ski straight and how to turn left and right. The tedious part is usually after every slope you have to take the ski-lift up again so you have to line up for that. But thankfully the lines aren't super packed, because the ski-lifts are quite fast I must say :)

Important note - If you have weak legs and weak balancing, you might not be able to ski or snowboard well.

Another important note - Be brave and just charge forward! Falling in the snow is fun some times! You have your helmets with you so don't worry. ;)

Another more important note - Dress in bright colours so you don't camouflage with the snow. If your attire is similar to the snow, sometimes it's hard to find you if you happen to fall. I'm not kidding! You don't want your family or friends to spend extra time looking for someone dress in white, among the white background right?



I really loved skiing! I loved feeling the thrill of going down the steep slope, feeling the cold refreshing breeze brushing through my skin and also loved it when sometimes I was nearly knocking into someone and I can't stop - I shouted "AH!!!!!!!", and they would turn right away. Hahaha!

MY STAY - SWISS CHALET
The prettiest place I've ever stayed in my entire life so far! I would write another post on this accommodation specifically soon :) Everything here is lovely placed, every person here is so lovely and kind and helpful, and they are also very funny and love to spend the night with you over great rice wine and drinking games!

More photos at Her Korean Things Facebook page, click!

DID YOU KNOW:

  • YongPyong will be the home of the upcoming Winter Olympics?
  • If you made a hole while falling down, you must cover it up?
  • YongPyong has the largest slope in the country - 180m!
  • YongPyong has 31 different slopes altogether!
  • YongPyong was the shooting spot for Drama Winter Sonata!

TIPS FOR TRAVELERS:
Who should go?
Anyone who loves skiing, snowboarding, thrill, fun or just marveling at snowscapes!

When is best to go?
January and February are the best months to ski!

More info about YongPyong
Feel free to check out their official website. If you would want someone to plan everything for you well, check out Winterfriend, you can also customize your package. They are quite friendly to negotiate things with you.


Tuesday, 2 October 2012

Travel Seoul: My Day At Yeouido Hangang Park


If you want to see some real local culture in Korea, stop by any Hangang Parks. One thing I like about Seoul is the long wide Han River which runs through Seoul especially. This river has brought live to all the land along the river! It's such a peaceful sight to the eyes when you just sit there on any random day, and observe the people along the banks of the river. They are either walking, cycling, jogging, skating or having a picnic with their dates or families.

One day on my way to Yeouido church, I decided to drop by Yeouido Hangang park (han-gang gong-won 한강공원) after church and chill out there. The weather that time was hot in the summer! To the extend that some ahjummas will say "ddeu geo! 뜨거!" which actually means hot/boiling; instead of "tteo-weo 더워" which means just hot.

Yeouido Hangang Park is one of the 12 district's citizen parks along the majestic Han River, and it's one the most popular ones because the Yeouido area is where all major TV stations are located.




A day at Yeouido Hangang park showed me quite some stuffs! :)

A place to play water for free!
Free public pools for people to enjoy!
It's amazing to see that they have a few public pools (I'm not sure is 'pool' the right term), which are rather huge, for people to deep themselves into to cool off the heat! Best thing is it's for free! Kids love it and parents are satisfied with it because they are not deep at all.  I personally sat in this pool (the one above) and watch the kids splashing water among themselves. What a joy, to just splash water and laugh it off without any worries! "Gosh, I so want to be a kid again!" - That was my thought.

A place for family bonding time!
Mom and her precious one
What's nice about this kind of recreation area is that I saw many parents playing along with their kids ranging from 1 year old to young teens. I think this is just so wonderful! Weekends shouldn't be spent at home in our individual rooms, should it? Well the Koreans showed me that you should hit the roads, bring your family and friends outdoors and dwell in nature while you bond with each other!

A place to grow up!
Kids having their time in their own lala-land
These 4 kids were just spending their own sweet time filling their toys with water and then with some weird stuff which I guessed might be flour. They didn't care what's happening around them and they just talked and laughed and talked and splashed and talked and laughed and laughed and...laughed. How many children grow up like this now in the city of KL? Some of them roam in shopping malls or stay at home with their iPads. Well I guessed although it's hot during summer, the cool chilly streams and the awesome companion just drew them to get out of the house and get themselves all soaked up here feeling awesome!

A place to be less self-aware, lie down, and chat!
There's more than just an empty space under the bridge
Under the bridge which surprisingly seemed to be more cooling, is the place where the older people rested. They either just lie on a mat or a towel or even in their own tent. Some of them will order Ja Jang Myeon 자장면 and it gets delivered ...under the bridge! Some old grandpa or so called ha-ra-beo-ji 할아버지would play some traditional chest game which I forgot what's it called (aigoo...). But the best part is no one really cared how you lie, or how you sleep, or even how you snore. They were engrossed in talking with one another which is what the modern era is increasingly lacking now - human communication. And the scene under the bridge just reminded me again how important it is to communicate with humans via human, not via gadgets.
Me cooling my feet. Too bad I can't take off my jeans. :P
A day in Yeouido Hangang Park really reminded me to be thankful for most of the simplest things in life - your growing up, your family, your friends, your time with precious ones, your stories with them. If you would like to experience what I experienced, take the subway down to Yeouinaru station and spend about an evening there (not afternoon 12pm! an-dwae 안돼!) during the summer. I've been to 2 Hangang Park for 4 times and I didn't see any tour groups at all. So that makes it an even more obvious reason for anyone to pop by here and mingle with the locals. :) It's free, anyway! Except for your subway tickets!


TIPS FOR TRAVELERS
Who should go?
Local culture lover. Observation fanatics. Anyone who wants to relive their childhood by playing with the kids in the public pools.

Subway:
Line 5. Exit #2 or #3 at Yeouinaru Station

Opening hours:
24 hours!



Sunday, 30 September 2012

7 To Dos During Chuseok Festival!


Happy Chuseok! If you're in Korea now you'll find the streets and shops in Seoul to be quite deserted. Why? Because Chuseok is a time for Thanksgiving and most of the families will return back to their hometown to gather with their families and have good meals :)

Originally known as Hangawi, this major harvest festival is celebrated with a 3 day holiday; in which the 15th day of the 8th lunar month is the peak! It's similar to Chinese's Mid Autumn Festival! In contrast to what we Chinese do (eat mooncake and play with paper lanterns), there are a few things you should know about Chuseok!

1. Roam the streets of Seoul if you are in Korea
Because it's a major holiday, most people will be back and you'll be happy to see one less crowded Seoul. Try roaming Hongdae during a normal day and during Chuseok - that area will suddenly make you feel as if you are in a "Resident Evil" scene - quiet and lifeless. I spent my Chuseok last year in Hongdae roaming around the streets and was glad to find Family Mart opened to provide us a bowl of ramyeon!

2. Try songpyeon 송편
Osaek Songpyeon - 5 colours represents the harmony of nature

Glutinous rice to me who's a Malaysian Chinese was either "lo ma kai", or "nasi kerabu" or "nasi pulut". It's amazing how people use it in different variations at the Korean made this traditional Korean food from glutinous rice as well. Songpyeons are a variety of "tteok", or so called rice cakes and they are a symbol of the traditional Korean culture. Made into a cute half-moon shape, it carries different fillings in it such as red bean paste or sesame seeds

3. Dance to the moon
Traditional dance during Chuseok - Ganggangsullae
Well, not literally. :) Ganggangsullae can be watched at various cultural folk villages. In the olden days, young and old women used to dance in a circle at night under the moonlight in their traditional hanbok. They would hold each other's hands in a circle and the circle rotates. You'll find them singing as well and the dance can last as long as until before day breaks. This 5000 year old Korean dance is mostly performed in the southwestern coastal province of Jeollanam-do. 

4. Play Yutnori 윷놀이!
All of us looking at the sticks. We played this at the Namsamgol Cultural Village.
4 sticks, 1 board, mal (tokens) and 2 partners or 2 groups help you kick start the game! It's a traditional game played with lots of excitement and tension - well at least to me! You need to get your mal from one station to the last station based on your scores. The excitement comes when you are able to cast more than one at a time, or when your mal lands on a station occupied by the opponent's team because you can return kick your opponent back to its starting position!

To get to the Namsamgol Cultural Village:
Take subway Line 3 or 4
Exit 4 at Chungmuro Station
Walk along Hanongmaeul-gil street for 5 minutes

5. Wear hanbok 한복!
BEAST in their hanboks!
This is a festival where people are visiting each other in their pretty traditional Korean dress - hanbok! It's during Chuseok festival when a lot of Kpop artist managers will make sure the artists and artistes have their very own Hanbok pictures to send a Chuseok message to their fans in Korea and all around the world!

The day when we dressed up as the Queen, the King, and the Princess (me!)
6. Watch your Kpop love on Chuseok specials!
KBS Chuseok Special 'Idol Crown Prince' filming
Just like how we always have our Chinese New Year specials, or Hari Raya specials; Koreans have Chuseok specials as well! Two specials that I'll be watching is KBS 'Idol Crown Prince' which has several members from BEAST, 2PM, 2AM, Infinite, SISTAR, KARA, 4Minute, Secret, APink; and who am I going to eye on? Nonetheless than 2PM's Taecyeon! The next is MBC's new special "Miss and Mister Idol Korea" on October 1st featuring 8 girls groups and 8 boy groups including KARA, Secret, 4Minute, 2PM, MBLAQ and more!



7. Say "Have A Great ChuSeok"!





Saturday, 1 September 2012

FOOD: Korean Dessert Cafe @ Namoo On The Park

Anyong!

This is my first food entry! I've been hearing about them for weeks. Namoo On The Park is a Korean Dessert Cafe Bistro at Publika and they showcase Korean desserts with a modern twist; you can still find main dishes fusion style. We have many Korean restaurants serving everyday meals here, but Namoo introduced something new to our taste buds, which is definitely not the usual Bi Bim Bap or Bulgogi. :)

"Namoo" means tree in Korean and that's their mascot at the Entrance too!
Nice story behind the business!
Mat Tang. RM14.90
For the sweet tooth, Mat Tang will not go wrong for you. It's a warm delicacy made of caramel coated sweet potato, pumpkin, rice cakes and nuts. It's quite starchy and sweet. Good enough for 2 - 3 people to share the carb load. We're glad we had our main course first then only to this or else I guessed we will never be able to finish our main course. Why? Answer as below!

Bulgogi Taco/Tortilla. RM 19.90
The Bulgogi Taco totally blew me away. If you love fusion food, get this to have a taste of Korea meets Mexico. It's bulgogi (Korean marinated beef) wrapped in tortilla, or you can choose burger as well. I would suggest to go for tortilla wraps - healthy and seems like it's a bigger portion! I'm very glad that Bulgogi didn't let me down! Salad and potato wedges accompanied these bulgogi tortillas and I must say they have one of the best wedges I've tasted!

Namoo also offers a variety of Korean cakes, compared to other Korean restaurants in Malaysia. Their top hit is Sweet Potato cake and Sweet Pumpkin cake. I kind of saw most of the table had one. Too bad I can't order more but it looks really really nice! 맛있겠다! But I'm wondering why didn't they bring in more Korean rice cakes in as I tasted so many varieties in Korea - am sure there are more to offer the Malaysian market!

It's a cosy place for youngsters to hang around and for families to spend time together while the kids play at the park. Definitely going back for another round.

Check out K-popped's chat with the man behind Namoo here!

Namoo on the Park — Korean Dessert Cafe & Bistro
Address: Publika, Level G3, Lot 4A, Solaris Dutamas, No. 1 Jalan Dutamas 1, 50480 Kuala Lumpur
Opening hours: Monday – Sunday, 11am – 10pm
Telephone: 03 – 6411 6698
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/namoocafe
Pork-free

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Korean Word Of The Article
맛있겠다!
mashiketda!
Delicious/Tasty/Yummy!


Thursday, 30 August 2012

7 Things To Try At Gangnam!

With all the Gangnam style hype, I can't stop to think of sharing things that you must do if you are at Gangnam-gu! If you would like to feel the posh in Seoul, visit Gangnam-gu! Itself is a huge district and is one of the richest city in Seoul! I personally been down to the Gangnam district a few times when I was at Korea and I really love that area for it's blend of traditional culture and modern upscale lifestyle.

Just 40 years ago, this was nothing but rice paddies.
Picture Credit: Robert Koehler

People will recommend you to visit Coex or check out Apgujeong if you hit Gangnam but there are also other things to do.

7  things you can try when you are at Gangnam:

1. Walk and shop through the "Europe of Seoul" - Garosu gil (가로수 길)
Garosugil which means "tree lined street"
Picture Credit: Google
It's famous for trees which line the both sides of the roads up to 700m long! Best time here is during August when all the leaves turned golden red. Walk along the streets to a beautiful scene of art galleries in the 80s, cosy cafes, and fashionable boutique shops - perfect for girls or a date! Stay up till night and you get to enjoy live bands at open bars or even some clubs. Or if you are lucky, you might spot MBLAQ’s Lee Joon shopping there again like how he did last few weeks!

How to get there:
Exit 8 of Sinsa Station, Line 3

2. Stay at Bongeunsa Temple for one night
Something different - Temple overlooking the city
Credit: Korea Sparkling
Although Christianity is South Korea's largest religion, there are still quite some temple stays in Korea especially for travellers. Bongeunsa Temple stores about 3,479 Buddhist scriptures!Try catching Jeongdaebulsa, a ceremony where monks march and carry scriptures on their heads and recite Buddists rites. This happens every September 9th of the lunar calendar. A one night temple stay would be around USD 70. Email bongeunsa@templestay.com for more details! 

How to get there:
Exit 6 of Samsung Station Line 2, walk 100m toward Asem Tower, turn left and take a 10 minutes walk through the Bongeunsa Temple trail. Bongeunsa Temple will be on your right.

3. 10,000 won heaven at Gangnam Terminal underground shopping arcade
The Gangnam Underground Shopping Arcade might be a girl's heaven for pretty bargains
credit: hellomotherland
Flowers, fashion wear, shoes, bags, food, whatever you name it - you'll find it here! The good news is the things are as cheap as 10,000 won, at times you might even find a hidden gem for 5,000 won only! We're always fed with the Myeong Dong and Dong Dae Mun shopping heaven news; but hey you might have just missed out one of the best shopping place in Korea!

How to get there:
Get off at Express Bus Terminal Station (line 3 or 7) and follow the Gangnam Terminal Underground Shopping Center sign

4. Try getting a hair treatment in CCA (pronounced as Kka) hair saloon!
Getting your hair steamed while you relax with a cup of coffee or wine
credits: wonder woman
Hair salons in Seoul are known to be a wonderful place to spend your time. Kka has a vintage design, free internet, great drinks and awesome hairstylists. Situated at Yeoksam-dong, this pretty place to pamper your hair is accessible via buses at Gangnam station - no.402,440,470,420,441,471! 

5. Check out the twisting pines at the Gangnam's green patch - Samneung Park
A peaceful place in the heart of the busy district
credits: UNESCO
The park's name actually means "three royal tombs", which have been protecting the sleep of King Sonjeong, Queen Jeonghyeon and their second son, King Jeongjong. Travel back in time with Korean statues, tombstones and also the twisting pine trees. I hope they are still there. 
Feels like travelling back to Joseon Dynasty hahaha
credit: Discovering Korea
How to get there:
Exit 8 at Seolleung Station Line 2

6. Snap pictures with Media Pole


Along the streets sometimes you can find Media Poles, it's a place for you to snap picture and send it to your mail! Cool stuff to play with if you don't mind people watching you doing silly poses! :)

7. Wait for your Kpop artists if you have the time! I know you want to do this!
Wonder Girls Yeeun and Sohee caught crossing the roads near JYP
Credits: ohitsning
It was said that sometimes you can spot Girl's Generation Yoona at some coffee shops near Apgujeong too, as per my Korean friends. Apgujeong is the house of SM Entertainment. However there are so many more other entertainment companies in Gangnam-gu for example, JYP, DSP, CUBE etc. Stroll around their company who knows you'll be able to bump into your fave Kpop artists?


There are so many bustling cities in Korea and every city give a different feeling; every district surprise you with a special experience; and every province brings you a different memory :) If ever you are at Gangnam-gu, perhaps you would like to try out these 6 things! :)

Happy travelling!


SUBWAY:
Line 2
Exit 8 at Seolleung Station 

Monday, 27 August 2012

Top 10 Surprises That Inspired Me To Love Korea More

I shared how Korea just took 5 simple steps to inspire me to start loving Korea. Now what inspired me to continue the love? Here are "Top 10 Surprises" I got to know, from people, by reading, and by observation, and it inspired some thoughts in me.

SURPRISE #1: EVERYTHING IS FAST

In Korea, a lot of things are fast. Many people take the subway because it is convenient. People walk very fast in the subway station, especially when changing stations, you have to walk fast in order not to miss the next train; some even run! Fast food are really fast too! Once you placed your order, the next second it's right in front of you! Even when you are sitting in a public bus, most of the time you have to stand up before you even reach your bus stop! Korea has a food delivery culture and the most surprising fact is at times, the delivery guy even came to collect the food before you even get to finish it! They are fast!

Inspiration - Time is precious!




SURPRISE #2: MIRROR MIRROR EVERYWHERE

If you are in Korea you'll notice there are mirrors at the subway stations. Take a lift, you'll find  mirrors at all four corners. On the way to the toilet, you'll see mirrors lining on your left and right. Enter the toilet cubicle, you'll be shocked with mirrors surrounding you, or at least in front of you there's one piece of mirror! I then learned that making sure you are looking clean and good is a type of manners in Korea. It can boost self-confidence too. So you'll always see people in Korea always checking themselves once a while if they pass by a mirror, or anything which is reflective.

Inspiration - Dress yourself up, look clean & confident in life!


SURPRISE #3: EXERCISE AT 10PM!

In Seoul there are a lot of parks. When the weather is good you get to see people exercising, running on tracks, or playing badminton. It happens at 6am, 5pm, 6pm. The shocking part is that when my friend pulled me to exercise at 10PM! What's even shocking is that the park is still filled with people running around at 10PM! I wonder is this part of the reason why they are slim!

Inspiration - Health is important!




SURPRISE #4: REFILL HEAVEN!

The best part about Korea is that there are always refills. Water or tea is free, and side dishes are always refillable without any extra cost! One day I asked whether can I refill "makkeoli" which is Korean rice wine, and the staff laughed. Yes, wine is not refillable though. 

Inspiration - Be generous on basic necessity!


SURPRISE #5: SHOP THE GREEN WAY!

Home Plus is a chain hypermarket in Korea. On and off you'll see people pulling a trolley bag to this hypermarket. Why? Because they charge on every plastic bag you take. So instead of plastic bag, people get to have their very own shopping trolley bag and place everything inside. Those who doesn't have, can do so by placing in card boxes provided by the hypermarket. Or else, get charged for plastic bags!

Inspiration - Go green! Take care of the environment!





SURPRISE #6: DRINK, DRANK, DRUNK!

Koreans can really drink liquors! They have a high level of tolerance with alcohol! You can see them drinking from one bar, to another, to another, until they get drunk. They have very awesome drinking games too, guess that's what make them drink more! Look out for Soju or Makkeoli (Korean rice wine).

Inspiration - Erm, drink till you are drunk? Joking. Drink if you can, it's part of the Korean culture. If you can't, get uksusucha which is Korean corn drink.





SURPRISE #7: TUITION TUITION TUITION!

Summer holidays in Korea is a great time for kids to learn new skills, pick up new hobbies, and also do more revisions. I realised Koreans are very hardworking, they read alot, and they do a lot of revision. Kids are always send for extra tuition classes during the holidays, or to swimming lessons or drawing classes to pick up a new skill. If they are lucky, they have a lot of books!

Inspiration - Use every opportunity to learn something!


SURPRISE #8: SOGAETING TO MEET NEW PEOPLE!

Some Koreans like to date on one-on-one date, it might be a blind date. This is called "Sogaeting"! Usually they'll either go for movies, or cafes, or perhaps some activities.  Many youngsters like to chill and bond at cafes and there are  alot of nice concept cafes at Sam Cheong Dong which is just across Insadong, an area which display a lot of traditional art crafts.

Inspiration - Meet new friends, why not?


SURPRISE #9: GO NAKED!

The best way to appreciate your own body is to go naked, or so my Korean friend said, haha! Public saunas are very common in Korea, which was a culture shock to me too when I first stepped in. The public bath is always separated according to genders (of course!), and everyone in the bath has to take off their clothes to enjoy the hot bath. When at the public mixed area, traveller's get to eat boiled eggs and also a cold rice juice called "sikye"!

Inspiration - Appreciate your body, and always bathe!

SURPRISE #10: HOT & SPICY!

I only thought Kim Chi was spicy. But I came to learn that Koreans cannot miss the sensation of not just a warm, but spicy at a level of 10 (rating from 1 to 10, 10 being the highest) soup! You have spicy food like fermented cabbage Kim Chi, spicy rice cake Dduk Buk Gi, Kim Chi soup which is welknown as Kim Chi Jigae. The spiciness usually comes from Go Chu Jang which is actually fermented red chili paste! If you are enjoying such food, make sure you'll breathe in "ssssssssssss" to express how spicy it is!

Inspiration - Hmm, stay hot and spicy! Like 2PM & MISS A!




Wednesday, 27 June 2012

Big Bang Sponsoring ME?

Such a lovely night it was last night!

I was thinking about Big Bang's concert.

"I must get VIP seat, must grab it!"

I was looking at one of my most favourite Big Bang album.


And opened it!


I loved this album a lot mostly also because it's their 1st mini album, and I love the skies!

As I wanted to open the CD case to browse through the album...


Super shocked! Since when I had RM300 in this hidden place?


In my head I imagined Big Bang saying this:



To that old forgetful me (perhaps weeks ago, months ago, or even YEARS ago)

Thanks for keeping that RM300 there.

It was such a sweet surprise.

I would like to have a fangirl imagination that the secret hidden souls of Big Bang actually hid the cash in it!

HAHA!

DAEBAK!