HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

2007 is almost coming to an end!! How did time fly by so fast?? It seems like only yesterday that K, J and I were counting down 2007 whilst on holiday and now.. we're going to usher in 2008. Whoa.. The days just fly past!

Anyways, 2007 has been eventful, and for at least more than half a year these events have been recorded here in my own little blog space. There have been ups and downs, bumps and stretches of long roads and I still have a long way to go and more resolutions to adhere to, although that could be a tad difficult given my track record... But, you've always gotta move forward! Ajja!

May 2008 bring lots more to all of us and may everyone have a fulfilling year ahead!!

Happy New Year everyone!!!!!!!

Spoiling oneself

Ahhhh.. My sis and I planned to have a day spent on pampering ourselves. What was supposed to be a sisters day out didn't quite turn out the way it was supposed to. I picked her up this morning and we went to the beauty parlour. L joined us coz she said that she needed a facial as well. And we all started at different times, hence ending at different times as well.

Then we wanted to have lunch together, but my bro-in-law came along so my sis decided that she wanted to spend the day with him instead, and literally chased both L and I away! Aii.. Oh well.. L and I spent the day shopping and doing things that only old people do...

Looking for the best bargains on household items...

Somehow I think my sub-conscious has registered the fact that I AM old. It's just my conscious refusing to accept that fact.

I have a defence! It's known as the Peter Pan complex!!

You over there! Stop shaking your head and thinking "Aiii..."!!! STOP!!!

Anyways, I did manage to get a few steals today. PLUS I managed to find dang myun! After my long hunt! Japchae, here I come!!!!

Another day of shopping tomorrow, this time for BBQ supplies. We're having a NYE BBQ!! Woohoo!!

Kimbap

L, her sis and I made kimbap today! Although we lacked a lot of ingredients (mostly due to the fact that we were too lazy to go to different stores to get them AND we were being cheap, haha!) the kimbap still turned out pretty good! Wonderful!

The only bad thing.. I now have a whole container full of kimbap in my fridge and I have to go out for dinner tonight. And my schedule for tomorrow is packed so there's no way I am going to be able to have it for lunch.. How?

Dinner? Most likely.

If nothing else crops up..

Aii...

Today

A list of what happened today. I'm too tired to write properly...

The list:

1. Imo arrived and went back.

2. Had Imo's favourite One Hour Noodles (Han Shigan Myun).

3. Spent hours driving on jammed roads. Can someone please tell me WHY the roads are so packed even AFTER Christmas? Shouldn't they all be busy doing something else instead of congesting up the roads? Shouldn't they? SHOULDN'T THEY???

-Note: I am to be excluded from the road congesters category. Why? Because I say so.-

4. Followed Imo while she went shopping.. Super boring when we're looking at things that I am not interested in. Sigh.

5. Went to the doctor. Nothing serious, don't worry!

6. Ate pizza toast for dinner.

7. Applied a mask (my new year's resolution!!).

8. Typed this out.

Ok. Time to go relax in bed for a while before dozing off!!

Pies

I tried baking pies today. Surprisingly, it turned out pretty well! But if I have a complaint, it's the slightly saltish crust. My recipe needs tweaking. I shall experiment again soon! Muahaha!!

J is in Taiwan now, the lucky bat. I wanna go too!!! Santa didn't receive my list this year, aii.. But I suppose he's out there sending gifts to more deserving souls. I'm thankful I didn't receive a switch this year, seeing that I was most definitely NOT on my best behaviour throughout the year.

But! I received really lovely presents from the girls! And I think they liked my present to them too! So it's all good!!

*SMILE*

Anyways, my aunt is coming by for the day so I'm going to be very busy entertaining. I'll update on the events tomorrow, need to get some sleep now!!!

Night people!!

Merry Christmas!!

Merry Christmas everyone!

Eat, drink and be merry!

And spread the Christmas joy everywhere!!!

Merry Christmas!!!

Ho Ho Ho!!

Meeting J after ages

We had another GDO today, initially it was just J, L and me but K and R managed to meet up in the end!! Had a fulfilling lunch of pizza (my ultimate favourite!) and then a coffee session before going for a spot of walking around. Finally ended the day with dinner (another huge meal, I am so going to pack on the pounds... sigh...) with K and R. L and J had to leave early, so it was just the three of us.

From three to five and back to three again, a full circle!!

Anyways, seeing J again after such a long time was really good. It really didn't feel like she had been gone at all, although we didn't really have much to talk about. Yet. Too bad J has to go away for both Christmas and New Year. But the good news is that she'll be back for a couple of months, so we'll have lots of time to catch up!

But J's return reminds me that I am going to have to leave soon as well. And I still haven't decided on what I want to do. I am stuck in a rut and I can't find my way out. Which is seriously starting to get tiring.

Sigh...

Let's just hope that 2008 will bring me more clues and hopefully shine the headlights so that I can see where I am going. For once.

But for now, welcome back J! It's great having you back!

Beauty Credit

This is my new hobby. Buying lots of beauty products in hopes to realise my new year's resolution.

Which is of course...

TO PRESERVE MY YOUTH FOR AS LONG AS I CAN!!!!!

I've never used any Beauty Credit product before opting for other, usually more expensive and heart wrenching, products. But we were shopping one day and walked into a Beauty Credit store. Browsing lead to purchasing and now I am a convert. I love their products!!!

Which is not very good seeing that I have spent a minor fortune on various products.

My little treasure pile!!

But a girl has to do what a girl has to do. This is an investment. For myself. I love looking in the mirror and seeing nice, clear skin!!

Although I do have a few more miles to cross before I actually reach nice, clear skin..

BUT I WILL GET THERE!!!

BEAUTY CREDIT, MANSEI!!!!!!!!! MANSEI!!!!! MANSEI!!!!!!!!!!

==============================================================

(UPDATE)

Just a small update as to how I really, really love this brand now! I have been using Beauty Credit products for a few months now, and seriously. This is the best brand that I have ever used! Affordable too!

I tried the Q10 Hand and Heel cream and it worked wonders. My skin felt so smooth after using it for a week, and the dry patchy elbows that I had due to the fact that I'm always in an air-conditioned room, just disappeared. Honestly. Ask my sis, she's amazed that I no longer have elephant hide for skin, especially around my elbows.

Another product I really love is the Night Water Pack. I was always a bit wary about using overnight masks as they tend to be sticky and leave marks on my pillows that are super tough to wash off. But the sales assistant convinced me that this wasn't like that and that I should really give it a try. So I gave it a shot and I fell in love with it that very night. It was not sticky at all and was more like a moisturiser instead. And although my friends tell me that it's psychological, I still insist that the lovely lavender scent allows me to have a really peaceful night's sleep. I tend to have restless nights (don't know why, don't bother asking me) but I notice that whenever I use the mask, I sleep like a baby.

The eye patches and the other masks are also really good, and the cosmetics are pretty decent as well. The colours are rather common, nothing very much to brag about there, but the prices are super affordable which makes it worth buying as well. And the best thing about it is that I don't get itchy after using their products! I have really sensitive skin so Beauty Credit is like heaven-sent for me.

People seriously have to start buying this product! I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE it!!! So much so that all my friends are using it now, thanks to me! Haha, I bet I'd be a perfect sales person for Beauty Credit!

Have I convinced you all that I am a true convert yet?

Happy birthday Appa!!

It's Appa's birthday today! My sis, bro-in-law and I pooled in to get him a new phone! He looked both super pleased and stressed out at the same time! Hahahaha!! It's going to take him some time to get used to his new gadget, and a lot of calling out my name for help. Haha, so funny!!

Anyways, we had dinner together tonight (really yummy!!) and made plans for Christmas eve's dinner at home. We're going to have a roast chicken and the works! So exciting!!

Happy birthday Appa, hope you enjoy the phone!!

Christmas presents

Christmas is coming up, carols are blasting all over the place, and there are christmas trees almost everywhere. Yup, it's certainly feeling like Christmas here!!

I remember when I was younger, I used to look really forward to exchanging gifts with my friends. We would save up for months and finally splurge on each other during Christmas. I used to love year end holidays, that meant that I would buy gifts that would most likely not be found back home. Exchanging gifts are such a pleasure, I love choosing presents for my friends.

However, things have changed in recent years. I stopped having to save up for gifts, and started just buying things in the last minute. Plus I had run out of ideas on what to get them since everyone seems to own everything.

But this year, I am determined to not be that way. I have decided to give them something really simple. But from the heart.

I hope they like my Christmas present to them this year!!

Kko pi

Is my misery ever going to end?? I had a nose bleed (kko pi) this morning!! Probably due to the excessive blowing of my nose. People tell me that I ought to stop blowing it so hard, so this nose bleed was most likely self induced.. but still!! I spent the rest of the morning with a tissue up my nose. And I felt like those muay thai boxers who just got their noses done in. Yes, yes, too much "Time between dog and wolf", which by the way is a fantastic show!

The first episode is rather slow and depressing, but the following episodes are extremely exciting! I have been putting this drama off for sometime now, considering that it stars Lee Jun Ki (not very impressive, try watching "My Girl"- I seriously don't get the hype of that drama, it was terrible. I hated EVERYONE in that show). Plus, I don't really like Lee Jun Ki's looks. He looks rather.. feminine and well.. strange. But I liked his character, Kay, in here. You all should try watching it, I found it a nice change from my usual teeny-bopper, bubblegum romance dramas.

Yes, I am a sap. I admit it. Happy??

So now I'm stuck in bed, with a tissue up my nose, a cough that seems intent on making my body its permanent home and cramps, thanks to my best friend.

Misery...

Thank goodness I have a few more episodes of TBDAW to help me survive.

What will I do when I finish that drama???

Finally

I am recovering. I have been coughing and sneezing for a whole week and finally today I wasn't coughing like my lungs were about to fly out of my throat. Yayy!!!

Anyways, we watched Alvin and the Chipmunks yesterday! It's such a lovely movie! Nice, cute, light and lovable!! I love Simon and Theodore!!! Always have! I was never a big fan of Alvin, too much of a smartypants for my liking. I can still remember snippets of the theme song, it was such a long time ago..

And guess what! For the Korean version, Hee Chul is Simon's voice! Shin Dong's Theo's voice! So cute!!!!!!! And Kangin's the voice for Alvin, so apt. The person that I like the least in Suju is the voice of the chipmunk I least favour, hahahaha!!!

Today's wedding was stuffy.. The whole hall was filled with people, and we met some people from highschool. Urgh.. Had to do the whole fake "Oh, how are you?? It's been such a long time!!" and the whole tittery laughter that sounds so sickening. Bleh..

But friend looked so happy to get married. I am happy for her. Congratulations, friend!!!

Gross...

I had to go to the doctor today. I finally succumbed and reluctantly allowed myself to be brought to see the doctor. I really hate going to the clinic, it's so tiring and I am always forced to get shots or to take really awful tasting medicine.

Lucky for me, no shots today. BUT I have gross tasting cough syrup and pills the size of my thumb.

Someone save me... Please..

*%$#*@!!!!

Can you so tell that I am having a crappy week? First I fall sick (the ultimate bummer), then Blogger eats my posts up for god knows what reason, I get locked up at home coz my dad took my car keys and I cannot find the spare ones ANYWHERE, my rolls are underbaked although I left them there for longer than I should (by right they should be OVERBAKED and not UNDERBAKED) and now my online streaming is so drattedly slow that I can go swim the entire length of the ocean three times and come back, have a shower only to find that it STILL hasn't finished loading!!!!

AARRGGHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

PLUS I have a wedding to attend this Sunday.

URRGH.

Lady Luck is just not on my side this week. I hope she favours me more next time and bring me lots of nice Christmas presents. I gave up hope in Santa ages ago. Women are more reliable.

By the way...

I forgot to tell you all about the buffet we had on Saturday. It was alright, quite decent for the price we paid. They were always refilling empty trays so there was always food available even though they were about to close for the night! Too bad it was a one off event (they change events every month I think, something like that) or I'd recommend it to J who's coming back soon!

Plus! Thanks to R we got staff discounts! So even cheaper! Muahahahaha!!!

R says that they serve pretty good lunches, so maybe one day we'll all troop over and call R to meet up for lunch there. Ahh, more yummy food!!

But... I did get a kamgi after going for their buffet..

Think there's a connection??

Kamgi

Urgh... I am sick with a cold and am seriously suffering in bed. I hate the scratchy throat and the achy bones, makes me feel like a 90 year old grandmother. That and I hate the fact that I always seem to crave things that I cannot swallow thanks to my sandpaper throat.

Ai... How I wish I could have McD's fries.. and KFC.. and pizzas.. Anything fried and heaty and utterly bad for my health sounds fantastic now. But all I've been eating are soups and juk. Gross. Ultimate sick food.

*CRY*

*sniff sniff*

Health come back to me soon. I miss thee..

Buffet

I am going for a Western buffet with the girls tomorrow! R roped us all in with the super affordable rate and the rather impressive menu. Hopefully it'll be as good as what it seems! Then again, should I be expecting very much for the price that I am paying? Hmm... Better not have TOO high expectations.. Should learn from experience since everytime I anticipate I'm usually let down.

An example would be this. I heard Andy's 1st digital single, and it sounds rather.. I shall be diplomatic and say interesting.. I was actually expecting more from him considering his rather successful musical performances, but then again.. As mentioned earlier, I should NEVER have too high expectations.

I notice that everytime I don't put in an ounce of expectations, I'm usually pleasantly surprised by the end result. Take for example Jay Chou's latest movie, "Secret". I enjoyed "Initial D" and thought that "Curse of the Golden Flower" would be another good movie. Expecation. And I was really let down. I thought that the cinema was a lot better than the movie. It had really comfy seats! But I nearly fell asleep watching the movie, it was THAT boring. When I heard that he had a new movie coming out, I couldn't be bothered. It took me months, and an extremely boring afternoon, before I would actually touch the movie. And I was pleasantly surprised. The storyline was alright, at most, but what I loved was the piano playing. Superbly impressive. And that saved the movie for me. I can honestly say that I enjoyed the movie.

Therefore, I shall summarize it as this. No expectations= good results. Expectations= more often than not, ZERO for me.

Anyways, I have been listening to Shinhwa's latest Winter Album, and I absolutely love "The Snowy Night"!! "Game" and "I'll never let you go" are not too bad but quite forgettable though. Hate to say that about one of my favourite groups, but it's the truth. Haha! As L would say, I'm terrible. And mean.

But I beg to differ.

I am perfect.

Cookies

Haven't really been blogging much lately, I have a new toy and I'm putting it to good use!

I HAVE AN OVEN!!!

I've honestly never been one who enjoyed cooking or baking, but lately, I've been rather bored. Hence the dabbling in the culinary arts. Which, I must say, have been pretty interesting! Basically I've been trying to perfect butter cookies (the simplest recipe I could find.. hey, I'm not THAT skilled yet! ^_^!!) so that I can give them out to the girls for Christmas! And I've been making pizza toasts and all sorts of snacky items. Am so going to put on weight.. Should I be praying that this latest craze of mine will die out soon??

I think so.. For the sake of my already massive thunder thighs and collossal love handles.. If they grow anymore I'll need to learn how to drive a tank..

Anyways, I'm going to look for more recipes online! Will write again later!!

I knew it

I just knew it. What did I tell you all?

DECEMBER IS HERE..

I told you it'd sneak up on you!

I TOLD YOU!!!

*SULK*

Variety shows

L and I were talking last night and she mentioned something about how people seem to look me out whenever they are bored and in dire need of entertainment. Which certainly did not sound very nice to me. I immediately asked her, "What am I, a variety show?"

She of course tried to backtrack and strongly disagreed any connection between me and variety shows, but woman, the damage has been done. I know what you had in mind, stop denying it!!

Grrr...

Variety shows like X-man, Love Letter, Ya Shim Man Man, Happy Together, Infinite Challenge have always cheered me up when I was feeling down. There's nothing better than sitting down and watching episodes of these variety shows and laughing my head off when MC Yoo, Kang Ho Dong, Park Myung Su and Shin Jung Hwan start performing their weirdly hillarious antics for people like me. They make me happy. And I always get a good night's sleep after watching any of their variety shows.

But being called one myself just doesn't seem very flattering.

Sigh..

At least I am bringing joy to the people around me, just like how my favourite entertainers bring joy to me.

Sigh..

A variety show..

SIGH...

Shim shim hae

It's been a relatively boring week so far.. Bored outta my skull.. I need some excitement!

I NEED an Ipod!!!

Sigh.. Another 3 more months.. 3 more months.. 3 more months..

Till then all I can say is: shim shim hae...

Someone come save me before I start molding and turn into a fossil...

SIGH....

Family

Isn't it strange how the very people supposed to be closest to you can be the ones that hurt you the most? Is that what family is? I really wonder.

I have never been especially close with my extended family members due to many factors. I never grew up with them, visiting only during holidays and special occassions. And there was always a communication gap between us, my sister and I grew up in the city and they grew up in a more country like place. It's a little town where everyone knows everyone else, kinda like those small places that you see in dramas. Anyways, back to them. They were always running around amongst themselves, sharing their little jokes about the neighbourhood while my sister and I would just stand in the corner, blank looks on our faces.

Of course, being cousins we would play with each other and invent strange games that I recall fondly upon. But I always felt that, to a certain extent, I was always on the outside looking in. Even with my grandparents it was the same thing. They would always favour my other cousins over my sister and I, probably due to the fact that they themselves hardly knew us. We were the ones that lived away from them, the ones that spoke English instead of dialect. And when we did speak dialect, we would do so with accents, sounding somewhat snobbish I suppose. We would speak English with our aunts and uncles, and this made us look even worse in their eyes. I'll always remember my grandmother saying "Thank you" to me instead of her usual "Mmm" that she does to my cousins when they do things for her. That made me feel as though I really was a visiting guest, not part of the family.

Apart from that, I'll always remember the way my family members always had something to comment about my sister and I. No matter what we did, it was always seen as trying to be different and we were always regarded as attention seekers. My sister and my cousin are of the same age, and therefore always scrutinised together.I was always compared with the other cousins who were closer to me in age. While my sister and I did exceptionally well in school, my cousins learnt how to smoke and gamble. This never changed their opinions of us though. It was almost like we were deliberately trying to upstage the rest of the cousins. The others could do no wrong. My sister and I would do everything wrong.

My grandparents did show us affection though, they would always remember what my sister and I liked to eat and would call us to the table for extra servings of our favourites. As long as we were in no way a direct threat to the rest of the children, we were loved.

Strange? I think so too.

But now I've gotten used to it. And when I hear of families being so close knit that cousins hang out together and all, I find it a bit difficult to understand such closeness. I have a few cousins who are closer to me than the rest but none who I would do those things with. None. Even if they want to do such things with me, I'd feel extremely uncomfortable and try my best to get out of it. It's so.. unnatural for me to be close with them. It really is.

My family, to me, consists of my parents, my sister and myself. And now, my brother in law and my soon to arrive nephew. Cruel words are not spared in my family as well, we do have our trials and tribulations, but at the end of the day, we look at each other and everything's ok again. We don't have to say sorry coz we know that we're the only ones there for each other.

And that's enough.

Of late

Things have been a little strange for me of late. I spent lots time with K last week, since R went on a trip with her family (she's back already, yayy!) and L has been MIA for a pretty long time. I think the last time I saw her was probably like 2 weeks ago? It's been so long, I can't remember. Aish, the bad thing that comes with age.. short term memory..

Anyways, did a bit of shopping last week- bought new sneakers, a book, moisturisers- basically all the essentials in a girl's life, haha! Also envied K's latest toy, I can't wait to get one!! Patience is a virtue which I, unfortunately, severly lack. But in this matter I have no choice BUT to wait...

Sigh.. 3 months doesn't seem that long.

Who am I kidding, it IS long! Especially since I want it NOW!!! Sigh...

Another thing.. I seem to be having a spot of minor would be accidents on the road. I was nearly hit by a van (or a similarly sized vehicle) while I was crossing the road with K. The stupid driver just decided to reverse his car when he was supposed to be going straight! And he obviously didn't check his rearview mirror coz he nearly hit me! Lucky for me I struck out my arm at the car before it could actually come in contact with the rest of my body and the stupid driver stopped before turning and driving off. The nerve. Idiot.

Then a few days later, I was driving home at night when I suddenly spaced out and nearly went up a curb. I have no idea how/ why but in that few seconds, I just cannot remember what I was thinking about at all. Everything's a blank to me. I came to my senses only when I felt the tyres screeching against the curb and felt the bump it caused. There was a long line of cars coming from the opposite side of the road, and all I can say is thank goodness I veered off to the curb instead of veering towards the oncoming cars.

Bad luck? Maybe, but I'd prefer to think it as having good luck. Thank god nothing serious happened in both accounts. I am thanking my lucky stars now!!

Anyways, I am feeling sleepy now. Time to tuck myself into bed and dream great dreams! Night everyone!

Bean sprouts

Sigh.. I ended up with a HUGE bag of bean sprouts today. Thinking of how to cook them, since I only know one recipe. Searching for recipes online now (don't you just love the net??). It's a good thing that I am in a cooking mood, or else I'd be working in the kitchen with a face black enough to scare the Thunder God away..

Anyways, it's been a rather slow day. Not that I'm complaining, I love days where I can actually do things that I WANT to do instead of things that I HAVE to do. Plus people have been asking me about my official application post, muahahaha! Sorry all, but going to have to keep you guys in the dark for a while longer. I'll tell everyone when I feel like sharing. So just bear with my little act of being mysterious for a while more, ok?

Bokeum Bap

I'm in the mood for bokeum bap.

I made it for myself today, but it just didn't taste right.

Why is it that bokeum bap always tastes better when someone else makes it for you?

Hooked on you

Hooked on You

I was browsing Crunchyroll and stumbled upon this movie while I was looking for something else. The picture of Miriam Yeung caught my eye, especially since A and I were talking about the movie (starring Miriam) that A has always loved a couple of days ago. That in mind, I decided to give it a shot and watched it in full today.

Fortune Market rooftop- their hangout spot


Initially, I thought that this was a romance cum market place vs supermarket comedy coz the beginning of movie centered around Fortune Market and somewhere in the middle, they introduced a newly opened supermarket which posed as a threat to Fortune. Then I realised that this movie was more than your regular comedy, and this was one movie that I felt I could relate to personally.

Miriam's character was someone that was never contented with her current life, but she stuck it out because she had no choice. Even then, she always set goals for herself and would never compromise with what she envisioned herself to be. However, at the end of the day she realises that by being so anal that way, she lost out on so many opportunities that could have completed her. And for what? Her pride. And her never ending search for a Gucci that looked like a Prada.

Years later, she realises that what she truly wants was what she has been rejecting all along, but too bad.. it's too late. She ends up not wallowing in self pity but discovering that everything is a part of a process and that her life, although far from her standards of what constitutes perfection, is not a failure.

My thoughts after watching this movie was that this is the very thing that my friends and I have been lamenting about for years. We too have been searching for our Guccis that looked like Pradas, knowing full well that it doesn't exist. But we still set such targets and insist on finding them out, convinced that they're there somewhere waiting to be found. But unlike Miu, we still haven't found what we truly want. At this point, we are still flailing around hunting for our greener pastures. And maybe someday, we will find it. Fingers crossed. But even if we don't, we too will discover that everything is a part of a process and our lives are not failures. We always have to move forward and never dwell on the past because there'll always be something better lying ahead of us even if it's not something we planned for ourselves.

The ending of the movie was definitely not something I expected and I'm glad that it wasn't. Funny, emotional and most importantly, meaningful, "Hooked on You" has won a special place in my list of movies, and is absolutely one movie that I would recommend to everyone.

Official applications!

L and I submitted our official applications yesterday!!

Wish us luck!!

v ^_^ v!!

Mandu

I had mandu for a snack today! The girls and I plus a dongsaeng went to the nearby eating spot for dinner. There wasn't much to eat, dongsaeng was having his favourite tangsumyun (and slurping all the sauce that came with it.. sigh.. boys..) and we wanted something light, so we went for mandu! Haven't had it in ages, it was still as good as before. No other place makes mandu the way this ajjuma does. Hers is absolute perfection!

Aii.. I want more mandu..

Maybe I should go have them again tomorrow. Anyone interested in joining me?

Namu

I have been listening to Tei's "Namu" all day today.. His soulful voice and the lovely lyrics really suited today's gloomy, rainy weather. And the slow ballad fit in with my mood. I think I've listened to it enough times that I've memorised the lyrics already. But it's so lovely! I just love Tei's voice, so soothing.

Tei in colour

Black and white

I likes Tei. Can you tell?

Another song that has grown on me is "Promise You" by Anyband. Well, it's not really a band called Anyband, can you imagine if it was, gosh that would have to be one of the worst names in the world.. then again you think of Finkl (Fine Killing Liberty- what does that even mean??), SuShi (Su Nyeo Shi Dae) and Wonder Girls and then you realise, maybe it's not THAT bad after all. I seriously wonder why the Korean music scene is littered with all these really badly named groups..

Anyband's promo poster

Anyways, back to Anyband. It's a project group comprising of BoA (this really IS her name.. I know.. it really reminds me of those not so friendly creatures living in the Amazon, but never mind..), Xiah Junsu from Dong Bang Shin Ki, Tablo from Epik High (another group that I really like!) as well as jazz pianist Jin Bora. They are the new faces of Anycall's latest commercial, which you can probably watch on Youtube or Veoh. I liked their previous three ads as well, the ones with Lee Hyori in it (also available on Youtube). Oh! And you should listen to "Anymotion"! Another really addictive song!

But I digress again...

Anyways, the thing I like about "Promise You" is Tablo's rapping with Jin Bora's playing in the background. It's my favourite part of the song- a perfect combination, really. I like the lyrics too, very catchy and has a very feel good flavour to it. But most of all, I like the way they complement each other in this song, despite belonging to rather different genres. Ok, BoA and Junsu both belong to mainstream Kpop whereas Epik High is more out there, more raw. The three together with Jin Bora, who would have thought that they could actually become such a great project group?

L-R: Tablo, BoA, Jin Bora, Xiah Junsu

I didn't. And I must say, I am pleasantly surprised.

But today's mood is still "Namu". Maybe I'll feel more like "Promise You" tomorrow.

I'll tell you all tomorrow.

Wedding bells

*HERE COMES THE BRIDE*
*ALL DRESSED IN WHITE*
*AND HER FRIENDS SEATED AT THE SIDE*
*ALL FEEL SORROW FOR HER PLIGHT*

This is really what I feel like saying to a friend of mine getting married soon. Ok, I'm pretty sure that she's not miserable or anything, I mean she's been going on and on about getting married for ages so it's great that she's ACTUALLY going to get married. But I can't help but feel that she's tying the knot a bit too soon. I mean we're young! And at the peaks of our lives! Why get married now? WHY??

Needless to say I do not comprehend that trend of thought. Everyone seems to think that I have commitment issues (which I probably do, but never mind) and they all think that it's about time that my closest circle of friends and I actually got attached. It doesn't help that we're being slapped with wedding invites left and right and have nosey relatives itching to get all the singletons married off. I swear it's like being single is a disease that has to be cured in order to fit into their mould of what constitutes being normal. Heck if being normal means having to get married, then I would rather be weird and strange for at least another 7-8 years..

I mean, once I settle down it's a lifetime commitment (hopefully, but I am rather sceptical considering the latest marriage statistics) to one person. That means that no matter what I do, I'm going to have to consider the other party, his family, my family and OUR family. I won't have the opportunity to do anything I want anymore! I'm sure we'll all say that yeah, we can maintain our ideal lifestyles and all, but c'mon. Who are we kidding here? The likelihood of that actually happening is like close to what.. zero?? Therefore, is it really too much to want to have a few more years to myself? Is it really?

Maybe what everyone says is true and that I might most probably sing to a different tune when I meet THE ONE.

*SNORT*

Oops, you didn't hear me do that. It was a cough.

*Cough- SNORT- Cough*

See, it happened again! I must be coming down with something.

The one. Somehow that sounds even more ludicrous than a perfect marriage.

The sceptic in me lives on!! What would I do without her??

But my ramblings aside, I do honestly wish my friend all the best as she walks down her next path in life. I know that it won't be all a bed of roses, but I pray that she'll remember the lovely scent of her rose patch when she gets pricked by the thorns and march on forward without dwelling on the pain and just concentrate on the good. I wish you joy and bliss from the bottom of my heart.

Although I don't quite understand, I'll still support you!!

Congratulations dear friend!!

6 months

It's my 6th month anniversary today with my blog!!

WOO!!!!

I can't believe that I have maintained this blog for so long, as I have completely forgotten about all the other blogs I have. But this blog is special. It's become a habit of mine to document little bits of my everyday life in here. And when I read past posts, I remember those bits that I would have forgotten and smile. Or frown. Or basically feel the way I felt when I wrote those entries.

Anyways, happy 6th month dear blog!! I look forward to our one year anniversary!

This entry may sound kinda sad, if you know what I mean. But I'm celebrating my life here! So dispel all thoughts of me sounding pathetic!

*Blog!! Saranghae!!!*

Shopping

I wanna go shopping!!! Real shopping which means hours and hours of walking around the malls with the girls, going into every shop that appeals to us and just buying everything we set our hearts on!!

I had to make do with three hours last night, needed to get some new clothes. But all I managed to buy was a pair of jeans and two tops.. So sad.. And I was all alone, it was so boring that I made K chat on the phone with me while I searched for jeans and tried them out. Thank god for hands-free kits!!

Although I think that the people in the rooms next to mine must have thought that I was mad, talking to myself..

But I need more clothes!! And shopping is so therapeutic! One feels exceptionally good when one grabs a few bargains and can have a coffee later, discussing the fantastic buys together with one's girlfriends. Ahhh, that's the way to live life!!

I wanna go shopping!!!

P/S: Might want to include this little fact- I have been reading the shopaholic series.. which should explain my sudden craving for shopping. Reading CAN be a BAD influence sometimes...

0l-_-l0

DON'T WANNA HEAR! DON'T WANNA HEAR! DON'T WANNA HEAR!!!

I have a whole list of things that I don't want to listen to and just feel like ignoring from now till the end of time!!

AAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Plus, to add more damage to my already horrible mood, November came...

It's here...

*SIGH*

Think of the good, think of the good!!

Relatives left! With no mention of an arranged meeting with creeps! Woohoo!!

And think of the weird..

I am in a cooking mood.. which is really strange coz i generally DON'T cook. Not unless I'm forced to..

And the relatives gave me their name cards so that I'd have their phone number and asked me to go over for a visit as soon as I can. And somehow, I have a bad feeling about that...

Which brings me back to...

DON'T WANNA HEAR!! DON'T WANNA HEAR!! DON'T WANNA HEAR!!!!

BOO!

It's Halloween!! Not that it's anything big to me, I don't have any memories of Halloween.. Not something we celebrate here at all, maybe due to the fact that our parents have made every night Halloween for us when we were kids. The stories that my mom used to tell me about bad things that came out at night to punish naughty children was enough to scar me for life. For life I tell you.

NO joke..

But now that I am an adult, I realise that there are worse things in this world than the bad things that mom used to warn me about. So much so that my nightly Halloweenish scares don't seem that scary after all..

But this year, scary ole Halloween means something else all together..

It signifies the end of October... And the start of November.. And before I know it, December will roll right in and Christmas jingles will start playing all over the place. And then.. the inevitable.. It's the new year.. And I become ONE YEAR OLDER...

Now THAT's the scary thought..

*AAAHHHHHH!!!!*

Attack of the...

Run for your lives!!! Hide!! Dig a tunnel to escape!! The relatives are in town and we've been attacked!!

AAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!

I really wish I could do all those things, but aii.. I've got to be the brave general and stick around and protect my ground. They suddenly announced their arrival and I spent the whole of last night cleaning and tidying the house. That really annoyed me coz I was exhausted from my badminton game and wanted to just lie back and relax. But I had to clean! And I hate cleaning!

Grrr...

Anyways, they came over for a visit this morning, and have said that they will come again before they return home. Thank goodness they are staying at a hotel, I'd go mental if they wanted to stay here!

The silver lining, one must always look for the silver lining.

But I felt that something was amiss.. they kept on asking me if I could speak my native tongue, and if I could cook and all. Something tells me that those ajummas are bored and want to play matchmaker..

I pray that I am wrong. Everyone pray with me..

Or else, God, please give them something else to do with their time. Make them suddenly feel like planting rice in a paddy field or something. Or suddenly realise that their lifelong dream is to go excavating in Egypt! The further the better!

Anything's fine. Just get them off my case...

-_-"'

I have nothing to say.. except that best friends all share the same week of unfavorable luck.. Read and find out...

1) R's DSLite died on her after less than a month

2) L's pants incident at work and her horrible internet banking transaction failure.

3) My ATM card got eaten by the machine during the weekend and there's nothing I can do about it till Monday comes

4) K's been having work problems and got cheated over dinner (her Ceasar Salad was the size of a teacup!)

Maybe L and I should think about our local bank (we use the same one) coz they glitched on the both of us on the same day!! What were the chances??

Hmm... very high actually.. L and I are famous for having the same things happen to us at almost the same time. It's just a matter of what happened to whom first. But the other will definitely have a taste of the same experience. Eventually..

Sigh.. It's a sign.. Let's just hope that better luck follows us soon!! Fingers crossed!

Tagged?

I've been tagged for the first time in my life. Hmmm... I suppose I should do the quiz thingy, this being my first time and all. Oh well, here goes. Bits of information about me that really isn't that interesting but would give you something to do while you wait for your download to finish or for your streaming to load (which is what I'm doing now!)!!

Two names you go by:1. Ja 2. Woman (Does that count? That's what my friends and I call each other.. so it should count right?)
Two things you are wearing right now:1. Shorts 2. Sleeping shirt
Two things you would want (or have) in a relationship:1. Individuality 2. Bliss
Two things you like to do:1. Eat good food 2. Have coffee sessions with those I love
Two things you want very badly at the moment:1. A sense of direction 2. A white PSP
Two things you did last night:1. Went grocery shopping 2. Watched Ya Shim Man Man
Two things you ate today:1. Ramyun 2. Crackers
Two people you last talked to:1. K 2. My dad
Two things you’re doing tomorrow:1. Laundry 2. Swim? (Weather pending)
Favorite day of the week: Days that I have to do whatever I want
Two favorite holidays:1. Christmas 2. New Years
Two favorite beverages:1. Iced Latte 2. Green Tea
Two things about me!
Things you may not have known:1. I cannot sleep in total darkness, I have to have some light somewhere 2. I disappear from everyone for a few hours every once in a while- and when I do, don't bother trying to reach me, you won't be able to so just leave me alone and I'll emerge when I want to.
Two jobs I have had in my life:1. Teacher 2. Administration staff
Two movies I would watch over and over: (and do)1. Love Letter 2. Ever After
Two places I have lived:1. Home 2. New Zealand
Two of my favorite foods:1. Pizza 2. Sweet and Sour Pork (Tangsuyuk)
Two places I’d rather be right now:1. Seoul- for the food, glorious food 2. New Zealand- I miss my buddies over there
Two people I think will respond to this :Probably nobody, can't be bothered to pass this on

Urgh

..........URGH.....


...........NOT........ IN......... THE .......... MOOD.......... TO......... BLOG................


.....I'll say hello another day when I'm not feeling so blah...


...GAH....

Feeling healthy

K and I went for a session of badminton today!! Had a full two hour game before going into the jimjilbang for a while then cooling off with a nice shower.. Ahhh, it was great!!! We decided that we would try do this every week, it's really a fantastic way to unwind. The both of us were gossiping while playing (which means that we didn't really have much of a game, but it's still a workout, no??) and relaxing in the shower room was great.... Nice..

Anyways, by the time we were done, it was nearly 3 p.m. We were starving and hunting for places to eat, but *0* was closed for the day and Kim's was closed for good!! They serve the best kimchi chige in town and they're closed for good!!! I was so miserable when I saw the dark, empty restaurant and called K to tell her that we needed to find someplace else to eat. It was also raining heavily, the heavens were sharing our sorrow..

We settled for *l*p*a*t and had roast for lunch instead! I was being healthy so I had a salad and roast chicken, minus the skin!! Good for me right??? Muahahahaha!!

Anyways, we're going walking tomorrow at the park, then out for dinner. I think we'll have *o*a* tomorrow night, or maybe somewhere else. SG sounds good too. Anything as long as it's healthy!

I love feeling healthy!!

*GRIN*

There are good people in this world

Man, I've been wanting to blog for ages, but Blogspot's been all temperamental on me again. Ai.. Anyways, it's up and working for me again, lets just hope that it'll stay that way. Fingers crossed.

You know, for a while, I was beginning to think that there were no honest people in the world anymore. I mean apart from your friends, who do occasionally cheat you sometimes, but we shall put that aside. If you pick at everything your friends do, then you just WON'T have any. I'm lucky that my set of friends are all pretty trustworthy, at least with me!

Anyways, back to what I wanted to say. I went out for dinner and coffee with my friends, and we spent the better half of the night just hanging out and laughing our heads off. Then we decided to head back home, and I walked out. I didn't realise that I had dropped my phone on the sofa we were sitting at, having put it in my pocket after transferring Shin Hye Sung's latest songs to L (Yes! I finally got his latest album thanks to A! Love you!) till I was about to reach home. L and I were in the car, and I wanted to call my dad to tell him that I was on my way home when I discovered that my phone was missing! MISSING!!

Using L's phone, I called my number and this guy picked it up, telling me that he was at Coffee Bean and would wait for me to go pick it up. We rushed back and there he was, on the couch, waiting for me to pick my phone up, the kind soul. I took my phone, thanking him profusely, before L reminded me that I should get him a cake or something to thank him. I asked him what he wanted, and he refused anything, saying that it was his friend who found the phone and all he did was wait for me to pick it up. I just told him to sit for a while, and I went in line to pick out a cake when he came up to me after a while, and told me not to wait in line coz the line was too long. He was really nice and friendly and HONEST! I thanked him again before leaving Coffee Bean, grateful that he returned my phone to me.

So this entry is dedicated to him, the kind stranger who gave me back my phone. Thank you!! The world needs more people like you!!

*GRIN*

Jjajangmyun

I have the biggest craving ever for jjajangmyun..

And mandu..

With a huge steaming pot of kimchi chige..

And my plate of jab chae..

But I will have to make do with Shin Ramyun.. Plus egg..

You know things are miserable when the skies are gloomy and you can't even have your comfort food.

BUT!!

I have my comfort drink! Lovely milky tea!

Things aren't THAT bad after all!

It's a miracle!

I tried to blog yesterday, but for some strange reason Blogspot just refused me access to new posts! It was super frustrating, especially when you try like 1000 times.. But today Blogspot decided to love me again and allowed me (finally!) to post again!!

The news I wanted to share with you all...

It's a miracle!

I DIDN'T LEAVE HOME AFTER ALL!!

I had to cancel my flight due to certain circumstances and I DIDN'T HAVE TO GO!! I am still at home, in my room on my comfy bed with all my gadgets around me!

Isn't it wonderful??

*GRIN*

The time has come

Sigh.. I still haven't found a way to slow time down, and here I am. Dreading D-Day. Which is tomorrow.. I have less than 24 hours to stop time and I am NO way near finding a solution!! If only Da Vinci had figured that out before he conked out. If only...

SIGH...

Anyways, in my attempts to cheer myself up, I've been watching lots of K variety show episodes on youtube, most of them featuring Kim Hee Chul. Now, when I first saw Kim Hee Chul I was rather put off by him. He seemed really annoying with his weird outfits and hair and his constant patting himself on the back acts, saying "Na chal saengyo tta, Na chal saengyo tta". Geez, he looked downright scary, like one of those zombies that had walked off the sets of a really low budget horror flick. Gross.

One of the better pics of him that I could find..

And he was a member of SuJu, an SM creation comprising of thirteen, yes 13, members that really don't have much to offer when you compare them to the likes of Shinhwa, SG Wannabe or even DBSK. Seriously.

My all time favourite: Shinhwa!

DBSK boys

But I was watching an episode of Ya Shim Man Man one night and he was one of the guests featured. And I realised that he was rather amusing. In a yupki, bizarre sort of way. And I rather enjoyed his fast, witty retorts to everything that people said to him. He was weird and I was starting to appreciate his wit a lot more. It was rather refreshing to see someone acting like that on TV, someone who would say whatever he wanted whenever he wanted (within the accepted boundaries of free speech of course, it is TV after all) plus he was funny! Really funny!

Although I am no way near liking Suju or his weird outfits and hair, I must admit that Kim Hee Chul is now one of the Korean celebs that amuse me. And I don't cringe at his "Na chal saengyo tta" comments anymore. I have come to accept that that phrase comes with the yupki Kim Hee Chul package.

Hmmm.. I have no idea why I started to write about Kim Hee Chul..

But yea.. D Day.. Aii..

I shall write again before my flight tomorrow. My blogging days are bound to be cut in half. Or actually half of half. Or maybe even half of half of half..

I don't think I'm making any sense...

Facials and Cooking

I finally, after such a long time, had a facial today! It was one of those days when friend and I decided that it was about time that we did something for our faces, since we abuse it everyday by either exposing it to the sun for hours on end or by cooping ourselves up in air-conditioned rooms 24/7. That and we want to keep ourselves looking youthful and completely un-ajumma like for as long as we can.. The years are kicking in you know..

But I digress.

Anyways, we popped into one of the beauty parlours in the city and announced that we wanted facials done, but we only had like an hour to an hour and a half at most. The lady assured us that we would be done by an hour and a half, so we went in and subjected ourselves to much, much, much pain and suffering,all for the sake of looking fresh and young, as well as creating larger holes in our already very tattered purses.. Oh well.. Whatever it takes to keep the evil tell-tale signs of age away! But it really did hurt.. my nose looked like Rudolph's at the end of the whole facial, but the plus side was that my skin felt so soft and smooth!! Just for that feeling, I would gladly go for facials everyday! But too much of a good thing can be bad for you (and your purse!)!!

The lady cheated us! The entire facial took us two and a half hours!! I was lying in the same position for two and a half hours!! Can you imagine?? I was amazed that I had not turned to rock and could actually move to get up when the facial girl said that I was done..

Goodness.. Two and a half hours..

Then when I got home, I decided to play the role of a filial daughter and cooked dinner. And the end result was not too bad for someone who has not been cooking in ages! I'm super proud of myself for being able to whip up a decent meal and for not making porridge instead of rice!

Muahaha!!

Gosh

I can't believe it's October already! Where did time fly? It's almost the end of the year! Before I know it, I'll be OLD.. With wrinkles and liver spots and all those things that come in the being old package..

YIKES..

Anyways, I just found out that I am going to have to go away for work again.. AGAIN... Working sucks.. Especially working long hours in a place where you have very limited access to civilisation as one knows it.

*GROAN*

I am going to be an overworked ajumma with no social life whatsoever..

HELP ME!!!

I am back!!

Ahhh!!!! I'm finally home! Touched down last night and the first thing I did when I got home was have a nice shower before settling in my bed.. Heaven!

*HUGE GRIN!!*

Anyways, been lazing around today, it's Sunday! Having a BBQ with the girls tonight! Gossip sessions to be expected! Can't wait!

Anyways, going out for a while. Will write more after the BBQ!

It's so good to be home!!!

Lollies

I don't know why but I have been whacking lollies like anything else these past few days. A big change from my usual sweet free diet. It could be because they sell my favourite lollies here for half the price compared to back home (the cheapo in me screaming out again). Or it could be because I need the sugar the replenish my energy. Yea, that must be it. I shall believe that.

Anyways, it's almost Saturday, I am almost on my way back home. But I must admit that I will miss my working life here. It's been a short two weeks but everyone has made me feel at home, and all the workers are lovely! One thing I definitely won't miss though is the working hours...

*Sigh*

I think I'm going to stop by the lolly store before heading home on Saturday..

New hair

I coloured my hair over the weekend! Decided to try out the local hairdresser, and I must say that they did do a pretty good job. Although I must admit that I'm not too loving the highlights in my hair, a tad bit too loud if you ask me. But everyone says that I look good, so.. Hmmm..

Final week! Countdown!

My most missed luxury

Blogging is a luxury that I do not have now. In fact I’ve become one of those whiny ajummas who have nothing to do but complain to her neighbourhood friends about how busy she is at the moment. That, sadly, is me.

I empathize with everyone who have been working long hours, and I personally cannot wait to return to the days where I had NORMAL working hours. I am fast becoming a zombie (the panda-black circles around my eyes testify to that fact) and I have never been so technologically deprived!!

*SIGH*

Anyways, I now know when I am going home to civilization as I know it! Home, here I come!!

29th September…

So many more days before I return…

The countdown begins now!

Barely surviving

I've been here a day and I must admit that I miss home terribly. The lack of my own comfortable bed, the snail-paced internet, tacky music and dodgy people have made me realise what a great place home is. I have everything I need and more back home!! Home!! I miss you so!!

Bogoshipda...

I wanna fly back home soon!

Sigh...

I am barely surviving...

Tomorrow

I will be away from home for like maybe a couple of weeks starting tomorrow. Not for a holiday (I wish!) but for work.. Aii.. Not really looking forward to it at all as I have no idea exactly what is in store for me. But the good news is that I'll most probably have some time alone to think things through and hopefully work some stuff out. Taking a break (kinda) is good..

But the worst bit is that I'll be internet deprived after work! Hopefully I'll have lots of time on my hands to surf the net while in the office, although somehow I seriously doubt that..

Oh, how will I survive without my home internet?? What will I do when I can't sleep??

Help!!!

Expect lots of whiny posts when I find the time to teng-teng at work.

Don't say I didn't warn you.

Concern- an emotion I am thankful for

A few friends have been expressing their concern over my last post, saying that they can sense an apparent anger in me and asking if they can do anything to make things better for me.

You all already have. Yes, I know I sound angry and somewhat depressed. But I promise you, I won't allow myself to get so bad that I need to be institutionalized. I know that I have all of you to be there for me when things become bad for me. Smiling with me and lending me your helping hands. And guiding me through my darkest paths and into the glowing lights.

And for that, I thank you all. Thank you for showing me your concern and allowing myself to see the slight rays of light in my grey skies.

Thank you.

Living a life of my own

I've been having a bout of stress lately. An opportunity has come up for me, a chance to leave what I've been hating going through and moving forward to something else. A chance that I want to grab but I can't. Why? BECAUSE of family obligations.

I feel obligated as a child to fulfill the dreams, hopes and wishes of my parents. No matter how determined I am to do something else, the moment they send me down the Guilt-laden Road, I cave in to their wishes. For as long as I remember, I have been like this. And I hate being like this. I really do.

I feel as though I am being deprived of living. I am a puppet. A mere existance. Someone that runs when they are told to, sits when they are given a chair. I am lead by strings pulled by my parents. I have no control over whatever happens in my life. None at all.

I wish I had the guts of those characters in dramas, those who stand up against the world fighting for what they believe in. I wish I could do that. And in my make believe world I can. But I still have to wake up to reality.

I remember watching an episode of Ally McBeal, when I was about 15, where she had to defend a client who wanted to be left in a permanant coma because she could lead her perfect life in the land of her dreams. And I remember thinking, I understand what you mean. I really do. At the tender age of 15.

Is wanting to lead my own life such a bad thing? Would I really be labeled an ingrate for wanting to live a life of my own? My parents lead the lives they wanted. So why are they depriving me of that right? They want me to lead the lives that they had wanted for themselves but couldn't have. But what they fail to realise is that is what THEY want. Not what I want. Why is it so hard for them to see that? No matter how I try to reason with them, they still treat me as a child who doesn't know what's best for myself. To them I am a child who insists on having an ice cream even though I have a high fever. That is what I am in their eyes.

I read this book a few days ago, and one of the characters said that it wasn't that he didn't want to cry. But his ran out of liquid tears years ago. He cried and cried so many times that the tears started rolling inwards, forming rocks that hardened his heart against the world.

I am starting to feel that way. I have run out of tears. Now, all I have left is a fort in my heart. I am starting to lose all feeling, my heart being sliced away bit by bit leaving behind an empty void to be filled up by my rock tears.

I am starting to lose myself. I am no longer me. I no longer have dreams and hopes.

What right do I have to want them?

I am, after all, a mere puppet..

Sonmul

Sonmul from my mom:




Love it! Thanks mom for the lovely sonmul!! Although it seems to be more of a guy type watch than a girl type watch.. But who cares! I'll wear it when I'm sporting the jeans, t-shirt and sneakers look (which is practically most of the time anyways..)...

Aiii.. That's what the whole world says when they see me appearing around them.

But it's difficult dressing up all feminine and delicate! It takes hours! Hours I would rather use to sleep!

Uninanimous response to my defense:

Aiii....

Sometimes, I feel like I'm fighting a losing battle..

I knew it

It tasted like cardboard. I knew it! I knew it! I knew it!!!

Grrr....

I was sulking the whole day today, something didn't turn out the way I expected so I was in a really bad mood. Holed myself in my room with comfort food (a.k.a KFC) and my favourite Disney cartoon, The Little Mermaid. I fell asleep to Sabastian singing "Under the sea" and woke up when Ariel was given legs by Triton. It made me feel a teeny bit better, I was in a less sulky mood although I was still rather silent till about 5 p.m. Then we went out for dinner and I was happy again!

Plus I had another coffee session and McD's for supper! If that doesn't brighten up one's mood, then I have no idea what will..

The weekdays are coming up soon and it's the first week without Coffee Prince.. *sigh*

Of childhood snacks

I remember when I was a kid, the best time of the day was when it was time to go home. Not coz I could go back and do my homework (translation= play!!) but coz my mom would be waiting at the gates for me and we would go to the stalls outside the school gates and buy little snacks to eat in the car on our drive home.

I used to love the snack ajumma, she was so nice! She would always keep a packet of my fave snacks just in case they got sold out and would always compliment me on my hairstyles and shoes. Such a lovely snack ajumma! And the ice cream ajusshi with all his stickers! I used to collect them and show them off to all my classmates! And the candy ajusshi who used to sell those long candy canes with the rings attached to it. I used to collect those rings and pretend that I was a princess with lots of jewels (girls are just plain vain and jewel crazy)! Plus we would compare rings in class as well when the teachers weren't looking! Ahh, the memories!!

Anyways, I was at the neighbourhood grocery store getting teabags for my mom when I spotted a few of those childhood snacks that I used to devour! And knowing the greedy me, I bought a packet of each snack to indulge in later, haha! It's still sitting on my bed, looking all pretty. The packaging has not changed at all, and it still costs the same! But I bet that the taste would be really watered down, it'll probably taste like cardboard instead of what I remember..

Hmmm... Should I just admire the packaged snacks or should I eat and kill my memory of them?

I'll tell you tomorrow.

All about today

Remember how I said that I'd go watch a movie today? Well, I didn't. My friend and I decided that we were too broke to pay full price for movie tickets (we were being completely cheap and ajumma like) so we decided to go for a cheap but yummy lunch and then just go window shopping. Friend recommended this place to eat, apparently it's cheap and the portions are really HUGE, but the place was closed.. And I was really hungry.. So we thought that we'd just go to the place next to it which was supposed to be pretty good but a bit stingy with the portions though. When one is hungry, one will eat at any decent place regardless of the portions. If one is still hungry after a meagre portion, one can order another dish. The portions were alright in size, filling for girls but I seriously think that a guy has to order seconds. Anyways, while we were halfway eating and chatting, some random stranger just came by our table talking gibberish before walking away! It was really weird! I looked at friend and asked "What did he say?" and she replied "I don't know! Why, do you know him?"

Of all the things to ask... Aii...

After lunch, we went on our window shopping spree. Nothing eventful, it was actually rather boring. Nothing new to see, and we were broke. That should explain it all. The exciting part was when we were leaving the mall. We were caught in the after office hour jam, and there was this seriously irritating woman who simply CANNOT drive! She was going at like 5 mph and every single car that wanted to get out of their parking lots was cutting in front of her! We were so mad at her, she was so frigging slow! And we couldn't do anything coz she was hogging up all the space and we couldn't cut around her! So irritating! We were stuck there for half an hour because of her, and we were feeling hungry so we had a picnic in the car. Thank god we had supplies or else we would have just starved.. We entertained ourselves by calling her every single name we could think of in our little colourful dictionary that comes out every once in a while. Gave us something to do while crawling behind her. Stupid git.

Anyways, I did have my coffee session with another friend tonight, it was good. Only now I've got a slight sorethroat coz I had to yell a bit in Coffee Bean. Too many people out tonight, and it kinda felt like I was having coffee in a night market.

Oh, the workers at Coffee Bean must be high on coffee. They were freakishly jovial, smiling and saying Hi! to everyone. It got a bit creepy after a while, especially when one of the staff was smiling like those Jack-in-the-boxes when he was handing me my coffee. Those stupid clowns just scare the living daylights out of me, so seeing a life version of it did NOT make my night at all. Plus the all the weirdos that appeared out of thin air like Death Eaters made us realise that it was time to call it a night.

Anyways, today was rather eventful. Wonder what tomorrow will be like. I'm sleepy, coffee to me is like yummy cough mixture. Puts me to sleep. I'll write again tomorrow. Night world. See you when morning comes.

*YAWN*

Teng teng!

I am playing truant tomorrow! Woohoo!! Declaring a long weekend for myself starting tomorrow! Going to the movies with another friend of mine who's also decided to teng teng work before meeting up with another friend for a coffee/gossip session tomorrow night. Can't wait!

Don't you just love teng teng-ing? I do! Muahahahaaha!

Hope everyone enjoys their Thursday and Friday before Saturday finally rolls in! And if you can't stand my glee, then go ahead and teng teng work yourself!

Long live teng teng-ing!!!!!!!!!

Man Sei! Man Sei! Man Sei!

It's over...

*sigh* It's over... It really is...

The Coffee Princes

Last night was the screening of the last Coffee Prince episode.. The last cup.. Marking the end of a drama that I have been eagerly anticipating every Sunday night, looking forward to the episodes even when I'd wake up to Monday morning. It was ok, coz I'd have an episode of Coffee Prince to watch that night, or at latest the following afternoon. But last night took all the cheeriness of my Sunday nights away. *SIGH*

I was debating with myself the whole night and day, thinking should I watch it, should I not? On one hand, I had wanted to keep the Coffee Prince magic around a little bit longer, as long as I didn't watch the last cup, it wouldn't be over. I'd still have something to look forward to. It'd still be THERE.

But on the other hand, I was dying to find out the latest developments between Eun Chan and Han Gyul. That was reason enough for this hand to outwin the other. I succumbed, and watched the last cup.

Apologise, jerk!

It ended well, tears at first as Eun Chan bid everyone farewell as she was going to leave for Italy for 2 years before a huge happy smile at the end when the two lovebirds were finally reunited. I found the farewell scene heartwrenching, not only between Eun Chan and Han Gyul, but also the scenes between Eun Chan and her family and the other Coffee Princes. I loved the friendship that they had portrayed amongst the staff at Coffee Prince. It made me feel that that was the perfect working place. I'd wanna work there too, making waffles and coffee. Perfection.

I thoroughly enjoyed this drama, it wasn't the typical tragic K-Drama genre neither was it type of drama that tries so hard but still fails because of the lack of the X factor. I haven't liked a drama this much since Kim Sam Soon! Coffee Prince has definitely given Kim Sam Soon a run for its money in my books but will have to be satisfied with ranking #2. I can't help it, Sam Soon will always have that special place in my heart! But Coffee Prince holds a special place in my heart too, for being so perfectly normal. It was almost like watching the lives of people I actually know. Endearing, down to earth, and addictive just like coffee.

But all good things must come to an end, and Coffee Prince is no exception.

And so, with this post, I bid Coffee Prince farewell. I have loved watching you grow and sharing all the bits of your life with you (and the rest of the world addicted to you too!). I'll look back and think of you fondly, and will rewatch you again sometime. You have definitely glittered my Mondays and Tuesdays, my dear Coffee Prince. Thank you and goodbye.

Bogoshipda..

I miss you already..

The best things in life come for free

It's been ages since I've felt contented. But today, I did. Even if it was for a mere 15 minutes, I felt contented. The winds were blowing strongly today indicating heavy rains and the first thing I did was take my book, my cup of tea and my MP3 player and settled outside near the garden. Reading, enjoying the cold wind and listening to both Shin Hye Sung's and Hwayobi's soothing voices while sipping on my mug of hot tea. And when the rain came, I stuck my legs out and let the raindrops just patter on them. And for 15 minutes, I was contented with my life.

The best things in life really do come for free. And although sometimes I don't appreciate it enough, I do love my life. And my tiny blissful moments like this.

*SMILE*

Soap

My mom told me a really cheap way to:

a) Rid my room of creepy crawlies (a.k.a roaches- god, they freak me out so much it's not funny)

b) Leave my room smelling nice and fresh and clean without having to invest hundreds and hundreds on scented oils and potpourri.

Anybody know what the answer is? Look above if you don't. And for those who didn't get the hint, the answer's soap. Bar soap.

Unbelievable, but true. My entire room now smells of heavenly lavender, which is more than what my expensive scented goods ever did. At most, I could smell the scent in one corner of my room, the corner where it was placed. Gah.. Not everything expensive is good.

I don't know if it's as effective against the creepies, but I now have new found faith in bar soap. It's the new Superman.

Who would have thought. Bar soap.

If I were a cup

If I were a cup, would I want to be a jug? Then if I were a jug, would I want to be a pot? And if I were a pot, would I then want to be an oven? I don't know. But I have a strong feeling that I would. Because..

I have this really nasty person living inside me, she makes her appearance felt whenever I see something that I don't have or something that I long for but cannot have. And this person has a strong impact on me, once she unleashes her evil on me, I sink to the bottom of the murky lake and stew in misery, self loathing and self pity. The three emotions that I honestly hate feeling for myself, it just makes me feel so weak and useless. But I can't help it, it's the evil being inside me poisoning my system!

How do I get rid of her? I've heard the cliched answer so many times: Be happy with what you have. There are lots of other people worse off than you, so be thankful for everything that you already own and don't go chasing mirages. That, people, is seriously easier said than done! I've tried psyching myself that way, trust me it just DOESN'T work. I honestly believe that it's just human nature to never be satisfied with what one has. Everyone feels that way, I'm sure. Or am I just comforting myself for having the evil being inside me?

I do want what I don't have. And especially now, when I feel like I have yet to accomplish anything worthwhile. It's like I am wasting my youth away, when I should be doing so much more. I don't want to look back when I am like 80 and think "I should have done that when I still had the energy to do so". I don't ever want to be regretful.

Regret, would be the worst emotion to feel. And I hate regret. I hate it. It's such a stupid emotion, so useless. What's the point in regretting?? You should have done something about it when you had the chance instead of just looking back 50 years down the road and thinking, I should have done it this way instead of that. I hate regret. I always have.

I hate hypocrites too. They are the worst people in the world in my dictionary. Honestly.

But now, I am becoming two of the things that I despise the most. I am a hypocrite for saying that I hate regret and I'll never do anything that I will one day regret. For I am doing it now. I am regretting not doing what I should have done. I am regretting not standing up for myself and finding my own path. And most of all, I regret becoming the person that I am today. I am being regretful.

I want to change my life, but I don't know how. I am trapped in time, locked up in my frozen clock. But whilst I remain here, the world moves on. Time flies. My frozen clock doesn't stop my aging process. I grow older by the day but I still remain rooted. I am at the same crossroad that I was at 2 years ago. And I feel as though this is the spot I will remain at for a long time to come.

I need to find a way out of my clock. Everyone else has moved their gears forward and I am the only one left stuck in reverse.

Hello...

... aching muscles and sore arms!! I have to admit one thing, I am OLD. This realisation came about yesterday (I can hear the people yelling "Finally! This girl finally realises that she's no spring chicken!") after a long day of exercise and hanging out with the girls. We hardly did anything according to one of the girls, in fact all we did was play badminton for like a couple of hours before heading off for dinner and just hanging out. That was it! But each and every one of us reached home feeling as though we had just completed one full day's worth of army training, it was THAT bad..

I remember a time when I could practice for hours on the end for band, before heading up for Taekwondo practice. Then going out with my mates for lunch and shopping, or sometimes a walk in the park to feed fish. And on top of that, I would still be able to go out with my parents for dinner before coming back to surf online and watch T.V. I'd finally go to sleep at like 2 a.m not coz I was tired but coz my mom would be yelling at me telling me to get some sleep.

Where did I get all the energy to do that? And where has all that energy gone?? How can I get so tired after such a short workout?? And we drive now, unlike last time when we had to depend on public transportation or mostly, our legs, to get about!!! Unbelievable..

Youth, I miss you. And although I'm not even middle aged yet, I feel old. In fact, I AM old.. This sucks...

Realisation #2: My gosh, if I'm already at this sorry state now, how the heck am I going to be able to do things when I become middle aged??

Yakhan Namja

I've been having a slightly blue spell these past few days. Although Coffee Prince has made me smile (gotta love episodes 13 and 14!) I still couldn't help feeling blue. Maybe it's coz I've been having those self reflectory thoughts lately.. or maybe coz I've been listening to Shinhwa's "Yakhan Namja" *Weak man* a lot lately.. or maybe it's coz of the lack of my Han Gyul.. Sigh..

Anyone who has access to that song should listen to it, the lyrics are just so.. exquisitely depressing. Perfect for people who need depression to feed their blue souls. People just like me at the moment.

My favourite lines in the whole song:

Sajin suge woori chuokeun irohge utgo itneunde..

*The memories of us are still smiling in our photographs ..*

Kwaenchan tagu kojimmal han go, Choengmal midoeun go ni..

*Did you really believe my lie when I told you that I was ok..*

My Korean romanisation kinda sucks, I hope I got it correct. But I just love those lines, they are so tear-jerkingly, heart wrenchingly painful.. Perfect food that will starve me even more.

Yes, I am in a sadistic mood. I want to torture my soul and dry out all the tears that my tear ducts can produce. And then some.

It's Monday!

It's Monday! It's Monday! It's Monday! *doing a little jig out of sheer excitement*!! It's finally here!! Episode 13 of Coffee Prince! Yayy!

Fingers crossed that my Internet connection will be fantastically cooperative and allow me to stream my episode properly. Hmm.. I think I need to cross my toes as well..

Oh, I broke my favourite mug yesterday. I feel asleep while reading and got a nightmare and amidst my thrashing around trying to escape the awful waves threatening to drown me, I flung my mug off the table next to the bed.. Oh well.. At least the crashing sound saved me from the fate I was about to face in my dreams.. But it was my favourite mug! My favourite!

But it's Monday now! So I am all cheered up! It's Monday! It's Monday! It's Monday!

*GRIN*

I'm in love.. with both..

Ahhh... just finished watching Coffee Prince ep 12 online.. I wanted to watch it on Tuesday but my Internet was just being crappy on me so I had to wait till today to be able to stream it properly. At least I got the HQ ones, which is fantastic compared to watching it LQ so I'm not complaining!


I absolutely love Coffee Prince!! It's so addictive, as addictive as lattes and mochas and all yummy things made from coffee. Yoon Eun Hye and Gong Yoo have absolutely swept me off my feet. They make such a perfect Go Eun Chan and Han Gyul, it's almost as though they really are a couple. *SIGH*

The perfect couple of the year


I cried at ep 11 and smiled again at 12. I wonder what the rest of the episodes are going to do to my fragile emotions.. But I still can't help but smile giddily at the memory of the past episode and look forward for Monday and Tuesday to come so I can watch the next 2 episodes (gosh, I sound like I have no life and live off dramas..) Aii.. But it's such a lovely drama! Don't judge me till you've watched it! *SIGH SIGH SIGH*!!!!!!!!

Thought: I can't believe that the thought of Monday can bring so much joy to my Sunday...

And now, even more so than ever... I want my Han Gyul too!! I want, I want, I really, really want! I want!!!

Plus, Shin Hye Sung's 2nd album (The Beginning, New Days) is expected to release tomorrow!

And I want, I want, I really, really want this as well! I want!!!

I am in love with both..

Another step in life

The gods must have decided to make this year the year I age a lot.. Not only have I reached my first milestone, I am now about to be an Aunt.. An aunt.. The word itself sounds so ominous. I mean, yeah I know it's not like Mom or anything, but I have this huge feeling of responsibility now. I mean I feel like I have to be a good role model, someone that my future niece/ nephew will look up to and say proudly "That's my aunt!"!! Am I making sense? I don't know if I am, it doesn't sound like I am making any sense even to myself. But this is how I feel, and right now I am still trying to adapt to actually becoming an aunt soon.

It's great news, I am excited that there's going to be another addition to the family, a huge bundle of joy that we're all going to embrace and shower with lots and lots of love!! But I still need to get used to the idea.. I will get used to it. I have to!

It's weird though, coz right now I already feel so much love for someone who's only the size of a peanut now. It's.. kinda amazing really.. It really is.

If this is how I'm feeling, I wonder what my sis is going through... *GULP*...

Anyways, congrats sis and bro in law!!!

What would I give...

... to have a huge bowl of creamy pasta right now.. Oh, how I loved eating that during my hostel days. It used to be my staple meal when I was rushing for assignments or just too lazy to cook a full meal. Aii, I miss eating that..

I miss my jjajangmyun as well, topped with a fried egg. Yummy!! And the lovely ajumma who would always greet us with a smile when we walk into her family restaurant. And my soondubu chige, and japchae. Kimbab, mandu, tokpoki.. Heaven...

Oh, and my favourite Japanese meal: Katsudon!! Agedashi tofu, baby squid and tempura! California maki! Oohh, salivating now!!

Is it obvious that I haven't had dinner yet? I bet I'm not going to enjoy dinner much, since I crave things that won't be available at home. Oh well, at least I have my kimchi..

MY PRIVACY!!!!!!!

I want my privacy back!!! I have family over for a while, and my aunt is putting up in my room.. and she's driving me crazy!! It's times like this that I wish I DIDN'T have a t.v and a dvd player in my room.. I wanna watch my own stuff and do my own things but I can't coz I have to play host!! It's so frustrating!!! ARRRRRGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!

GRRR!!! I want my privacy back!! Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!!!

Current

Love: Coffee Prince!!

Hate: Sharing my room for another week..

Neutral: Meals I'm having at home..

Wishlist: Harry Potter Book 7 and tickets to Singapore for the weekend to meet my friends!!

Mood: As grey as the skies outside. I need some colour in my life!

Monday

It's Monday again.. The battle begins.. *SIGH*

Somehow, I feel like I am fighting a losing battle.. I'm tired already, and it's only Monday!

When will the weekend come again??

Lazy Sunday

Ahhh, I had a great weekend with my girlfriends!! We ate, we laughed, we took lots of random pictures.. Been such a long time since we did any of those together. I love work free weekends!! Plus it was an added bonus that one of our friends is finally back home! Hopefully she stays for a while, it's been great just knowing that she's back and we can meet up without having to take a flight to wherever she's at. Yea, yea I know, I'm cheap. It's a process called growing up.. Trust me. When you reach my age, you'll be exactly as cheap as I am now! The ajumma genes kicking in.. Oh no!!

Anyways, one of the girls still had to work this weekend (how sad is that??) so I decided to post up some pics of our fun-filled weekend for her benefit! Ain't I just the sweetest friend ever?? Enjoy! Muahahaha!!

Calming waters

It really was a super hot day..

My dinosaur leaf!

Don't you just love blue skies? It just takes my breath away..

Shadows on the grass

I have more, but I figured this should be enough for now. I still want my head to be attached to my neck after she reads this post! If it's any consolation, we were thinking about you while you were slaving away! And it's the thought that counts right?? Saranghae!! :D!!!!!!!!