314: meow!
I realised I’ve been posting really random posts on this blog quite a few times this week only because’ it’s the holidays (recess week). It’s ending pretty soon but I’m glad for this mini break between the semester. I can sense that upcoming weeks (all the way until the exams) are going to be jam packed with tests every week, dispensing practicals (oh no we have to physically counsel this time round!), preparation for FYP oral defense and poster presentation. Oh wells, it’s still the holidays! Thank goodness for this recess week because I can finally have some me-time. I remember recess week last semester was terrible (the worst ever) because I had to go down to lab from dawn to dusk every day.
Anyway, I just want to remind myself how happy and fortunate and blessed I am. I truly am happy. I truly am happy being who I am. In some points of life, you meet crazy people, people who try to ‘tear’ you down, people who try to make life difficult for you, people who just make others around them feel terrible. And most of the time, I choose to ignore them and lead a happy world of my own. That’s because I know that when life gets tough, I know I have family and friends who would stand by me always, never doubting me. Love them! (: Just like how I would be willing to do anything and everything for all my loved ones as well.
I started thinking about the happy little bubble I was in back in secondary school. A JC friend of mine used to comment that we’re like “温室里的小花” and at that point of time, I didn’t quite agree with him. After going through JC and now uni, I realised that it’s pretty true. I realised that I missed those days when we used to run along the walkways and corridors, turfing, collecting all the twigs and punk, setting up the fire for outdoor cooking, practising footdrill in the basement carpark during recess time… secondary school life was so memorable, so eventful. It’s the place where I had so much fun, the best four years of my lifetime. The four years I would never forget EVER. Blessed with awesome classmates and wonderful teachers, what more can I ask for? I miss and love secondary school life.
Well, after going onto JC and uni, I realised that with age comes more responsibilities. We were not able to play and laugh as freely as we were back in secondary school. Life became really dull and mundane and our studies became our top priority. Friends became people with agenda, no longer the loyal faithful ones you can count on for anything and everything. But still, at each point of life, I’m still thankful for the close few who stood by me, for the new friends I’ve met along the way…
I’m proud to say that we’ve aged gracefully into our twenties. Here’s to many more years to come!
I truly am happy to be who I am. No one can pull me down 🙂
I shall end off with a new song from Big Bang! I’ve been waiting for Big Bang’s comeback for years and they are finally back. Their previous album was released in 2008 (with subsequent other solo projects that followed). This is my favourite track off the latest 4th mini album, entitled “Tonight”.
296: Nagareboshi and Athena!
Tis’ the season of good dramas!
I cannot wait! Athena starts yesterday on SBS and I heard that the ratings were pretty good too. IRIS was one of the best korean dramas I’ve ever watched, in terms of the story, the cinematography and the score. And I can’t wait for the second sequel, IRIS 2 (should be out end 2011). But well, Athena is the spin-off of IRIS and unfortunately, it’s not broadcasted on KBS so I won’t be able to catch it on KBS World. Anyway, I cannot wait for Athena. I’m going to start watching the first episode later!
There’s all the familiar actors and actresses, some pretty good ones like Jung Woo Sung and Cha Seung Won. And there’s also Lee Ji Ah. Plus, Kim Seung Woo and Kim So Yeon are returning as the North Korean agents again! Yay!:) I like Kim Seung Woo and Kim So Yeon in IRIS. I hope Athena doesn’t disappoint!
And yes, there’s Nagareboshi too. A good friend recommended me this drama and I’ve been hooked on it since. Really touching drama with an awesome theme song by Kobukuro. WATCH!:)
And not forgetting, Secret Garden during the weekends for my weekly dose of Gil Ra Im and Kim Joo Won.
And I’ve recently started on Sungkyunkwan Scandal too. Haha:)
AMAZING ME. I’m watching so many dramas! But well, I have too. It’s the holidays (since my final year project is almost done and I promise to drag myself to school tomorrow in an attempt to finish off the final part of the project)! And I have to enjoy the holidays before school starts again. OR before I have to start worrying about writing up my CV and preparing for interviews end December – beginning January.
285: Secret Garden (시크릿 가든 )
I think this is the must-watch Korean drama this season! SBS’s Secret Garden (시크릿 가든 ) with leads Ha Ji-Won and Hyun Bin!
I’ve just finished watching the first two episodes and I’m HOOKED! Seriously!
Reasons why this is THE drama to watch:
1) It features A-list stars, Ha Ji-won and Hyun Bin! It’s been some time since Ha Ji-Won’s last drama on the small screen!
2) Hyun Bin! He’s quite funny in this show!
3) The music is fantastic! The instrumental background music featured is so whimsical, adorable and yet, haunting. The songs featured are really nice too! There’s my favourite Kpop female singer, Baek Ji Young! And there’s this very catchy ending song which gets played quite a few times during the first two episodes. Apparently, it’s by Kim Bum Soo (of “Bogoshipda” fame) but I thought it sounded like Hong Ki (from FT Island). Anyway, the song’s not out yet so I shall wait!
4) The storyline sounds really interesting! And it’s funny!
5) The writer of this drama is none other than the writer of the Lovers series, On Air and City Hall. I’m a huge fan of her works because’ I can count Lovers in Paris and Lovers as two of my favourite korean dramas of all-time.
261: TteokBokki (떡볶이) aka Korean Spicy Rice Cakes
I’m really really proud of myself today! Thank goodness for Wednesday! I’ve no class on Wednesday and my lab supervisor allowed me to stay home on Wednesday to study for the upcoming test on Friday!
Remember that I mentioned that I bought a pack of frozen rice cakes, tteok (떡)? Since I was home today, I decided to cook myself some TteokBokki (떡볶이)! And it was a HUGE HUGE success! I used the recipe and the tutorial from Aeri’s Kitchen on TteokBokki (떡볶이). Aeri’s Kitchen is a fantastic website with so many delicious korean recipes which are easy to follow! I have tried her bibimbap and bulgogi recipe many times!
I love TteokBokki (떡볶이)! And I would sometimes order a serving of this at korean restaurants or eateries to share! So today, I decided to recreate my own TteokBokki (떡볶이). And I’m really proud because it tasted exactly like the many TteokBokki-s (떡볶이) I’ve eaten in these korean eateries.
I had all the available ingredients in my fridge so it was pretty easy! I used the kelp we bought from Hokkaido the last time we went holidaying there. And for anchovies, I didn’t have those large dried orean anchovies so I cheated! I used the little ikan bilis (also anchovies?) available locally. But it worked out pretty well! And yes, I used onions, carrots and lettuce (instead of cabbage, which I didn’t have at the moment)! The onions and carrots were super sweet and spicy after being cooked in the sauce for some time! And instead of 2TBSP corn syrup and 1/2 TBSP sugar which the recipe stated, I used 1TBSP of sugar. I must say the tteok, the rice cakes were delicious! They were so lovely and chewy! So yummy:) I was really surprised that the sauce for the TteokBokki (떡볶이) turned out really well since this is only the first time I’m making TteokBokki (떡볶이).
I’m going to make this again, DEFINITELY! This time round, I’m going to make it for sis and Mummy who both love TteokBokki (떡볶이) too!
Okay yes, my delicious TteokBokki (떡볶이)!
YUMMY!
258: I’m a Bumblebee!
I’ve not been updating this space for 2 weeks. I’ve been really very busy these past few weeks. School and the honours year project is draining all my energy away. I haven’t taken a proper rest and I forsee that I wouldn’t be able to take until March next year. Alright, after March next year, I’ll still be busy busy busy. But probably a bit better, after the project is done and I can better concentrate on my other modules and of course, graduation in May/June/July. Time flies.
Today’s a public holiday so I have just a little more time today to do some random stuff. Just thought I’ll share some interesting things in my life although it has been rather boring and dull and monotonous the past 2 weeks!
The business canteen over in my school has a new food outlet and it’s selling Korean food and it’s rather authentic. I did hear that it’s opened by Korean ahjummas. One late morning last week, after class, we dropped by for lunch and was impressed. It was good canteen food! But a pity that it’s pretty far from my faculty and I have only probably this last year to eat it before I graduate!
I had the bibimbap ($3.50). It came with lots of veggies and marinated beef and a whole egg. Plus it came with 미역국 miyeok guk (seaweed soup). I like 미역국 because it’s just a simple soup (it may be bland to some)! And there was some kimchi and anchovies side dish. The kimchi was not bad. Well, a really good korean meal. I’m hoping to try the other Korean sets soon! And they even sell Kimbap and Teokbokki! I hope the standard of the food will remain:)
And something cute! I ordered some Crocs Jibbitz from Gmarket. And they were Carebears! So adorable! I have the green carebear with the clover, it represents luck, I think.
And something exciting! Josh Groban is releasing his new album “Illuminations” in November 2010. It’s been a long wait since his previous album “Awake”. So I’m naturally excited since I’m such a huge fan of his music! I downloaded his new single “Hidden Away” which is available for download from Josh Groban’s official website. And it’s amazing as usual, it’s so good to hear such soothing peaceful therapeutic songs once again. I know I’ve been a huge Kpop fan but I guess my interest is slowly weaning. It’s crazy how Kpop fans went crazy getting tickets for the upcoming Kpop concert. Somehow, I don’t think I’m such a huge fan to do such crazy stunts. Kpop wasn’t as popular years back when I was interested. Now, everybody’s listening to Kpop. So naturally, my interest is slowly weaning. It’s so good to go back to some of my first loves like Josh Groban, Corrinne May, Kevin Kern and Secret Garden.
225: Bibimbap
For me, one of the easiest dinner or meal to prepare is the bibimbap! A number of people have said that bibimbap is really difficult to prepare because there are just so many ingredients! But I beg to differ. I love bibimbap! My favourite korean food is bibimbap, a dish I will always order when I dine into korean restaurants or eateries. Bibimbap is just so easy to prepare! In dramas, you often see the actors/actresses just mixing the leftover rice, leftover dishes and kimchi, together with the gochujang (hot pepper paste) when they are hungry at home!
I like to refer to Aeri’s Kitchen for korean recipes! And I used her Bibimbap recipe for my bibimbap! I basically referred to her recipe for the marinade for my ground beef and the mixing of the gochujang! As for the vegetables, instead of stir-frying them, I prefer the healthier way – boiling it slightly (or simply blanching it, if you prefer slightly crunchy ones). And since I didn’t have a stone bowl (and therefore, no dolsot bibimbap), in order to have your bibimbap warm, cook all the ingredients and the rice only when you wish to eat. For rice, it’s the usual brown/red rice mixture with barley, kidney beans, millet etc etc etc. To top it off, I had my egg sunny side-up with the yolk flowy. I don’t really like flowy yolks but when having bibimbap, I like my yolks flowy. I like bursting into the egg yolk and mixing it together with the rice. The end product – the bibimbap will be all glossy and shiny because of the egg yolk! So yummy!
Alright, here’s my bibimbap, all pretty and nicely in place! The lighting at my dining table was not really bright, hence the photo didn’t turn out well! I didn’t think it’s really polite to leave the dining table when we were all dining just to capture a photo. So I left it and took this shot! A little blurry too!
Here’s the aftermath of the mixing! MESSY but it’s so YUMMY!
And here’s the lovely colours from the boiled/blanched vegetables! Carrots, cucumbers and beansprouts! Didn’t capture the mushrooms but I stir-fried the mushrooms with onions and a little oil and water! They tasted the way I like it because I could still taste the fresh mushroomy flavour!
And here’s my marinated minced/ground beef! I like it a lot! I followed the recipe from Aeri’s Kitchen!
And there, a lovely simple and HEALTHY dinner! BIBIMBAP:)
201: Drama Updates (20/05/2010)
Korean Drama(s)
Prosecutor Princess – Episode 15 and 16 out this week! Episode 15 is out! Episode 16 (Finale) will be broadcasted in Korea today! I’m excited!
Coffee House – Episode 1 and 2 out this week! My most anticipated drama after Prosecutor Princess! I think I might like this! I love romantic comedies! I loved Full House and this drama is by the same producers of Full House. There’s 3 of my favourite actors/actresses/singer! There’s suave Kang Ji Hwan, gorgeous Park Shi Yeon and T-ara leader Ham Eun-jung! I’m going to watch Episode 1 now!
Personal Preference/Personal Taste – I’m still stuck at Episode 7, haven’t found the motivation to carry on watching. Episode 15 and 16 (Finale) are out this week too. We’ll see. Should I continue?
Japanese Drama(s)
Shinzanmono – My favourite japanese actor, Abe Hiroshi’s new drama! Episode 5 subbed is out! Shall watch soon!
US Drama(s)
House Season 3 – I’m done with Season 3 (and 1 and 2 as well). I will DEFINITELY carry on with Season 4-6 with the remaining time I have during this holidays!
Gossip Girl Season 3 – I’m done with Season 3 Episode 21 (and of course, Season 1 and 2!) Season 3 Episode 22 will be the last episode for Season 3 before we bid Gossip Girl a temporary farewell till September 2010. And S3 Episode 22 is out! Shall watch soon!
196: Korean Finds
Dropped by Lotte Korean supermarket at Lorong Kilat today because Mum wants to buy a tub of Gochujang (Red Pepper Paste) since she ran out of Gochujang.
And we bought some korean snacks too. Was surprised to see Cled’or (or Cledor) ice-cream here! Cled’or (or Cledor) is manufactured as a premium line ice-cream under Binggrae. I love Binggrae’s Melona ice-cream! Binggrae’s Melona ice-cream and Banana Milk are two of my absolute favourites! I used to eat and drink those two EVERY DAY when I was in Korea. And I would crave for my Binggrae banana milk whenever I see the actors/actresses drinking the banana milk in dramas. But it’s rather impossible to find them in Singapore huh? Haven’t found a korean supermart that sells the Binggrae banana milk (but they do sell Melona).
Anyway, I first tried Cledor Red Carpet Cheesecake ice-cream on my return flight on Korean air two years ago. And we bought a little tub today. They were selling the blueberry ice-cream too and I just read that the blueberry one is pretty good too. Anyway, the red carpet cheesecake ice-cream is basically strawberry cheesecake ice-cream. I love the cheesecake bits in the ice-cream, delicious with slight tangy lemony taste. But I felt that the strawberry ice-cream itself was a little too sweet.
Sis was attracted to the butter waffles. We bought a small box of Crown Butter Waffles to try. I’ve tried Jules Destrooper’s and Julie’s. And my conclusion is still that Jules Destrooper’s butter waffles still rock! Crown Butter Waffles come in second because they still lack the lovely buttery taste that Jules Destrooper’s waffles have. But they were slightly better than Julie’s since I could taste a really faint butter taste (and not some eggy waffle like Julie’s).
I’m so full now. Just had a really yummy dinner at New Garo japanese restaurant. I had the Nikomi udon ($15) and it’s really yummy. I had the Nabeyaki udon the last time. I like the broth of the udon! The beef that came with the Nikomi udon was really good and tender. A really great way to warm up the soul and body on this cold wet Sunday evening. Pity I didn’t bring my phone so I wasn’t able to capture any pictures of it. Well, never mind. There’s always another time.
Alright, I am back to watching House. I stopped at Season 2 of House the last time. I am so so so so laggy! House is in its sixth season now. But, it’s never too late. I love House (:
179: Random, Food, Random, Food, Random
It’s back to being random again. Today, it’ll just be some really random pictures of food I’ve ingested the past many days. I’m getting bored, with nothing to shop online. The two dresses I ordered online are via backorders and they’ll only be in many/few weeks later. How sad, nothing to look forward to in the mail. But my favourite BS is updating tomorrow evening so at least, there will be something to look forward to tomorrow.
I’m bored and feeling really random.
First up, MAINS! This is the wholemeal chilli tuna sandwich I had for one of the weekday lunches, made using the jaffle iron/sandwich maker.
And then, this was lunch for today. Mummy’s Japchae (잡채). Korean sweet potato ‘glass’ noodles with beef, spinach, fresh shitake mushrooms and egg. Yum, I love 잡채.
And Sis and I made some warabimochi (蕨餅) this afternoon. In fact, I think it was I who did most of the job. That girl is (oops haha!) rather hopeless in the kitchen, it gets a little frustrating working together with her and getting her to do stuff. And I love the kinako (きなこ)/toasted soybean flour that is dusted on the mochi!
And this really ‘gross-looking’ dissected stuff was the molten chocolate cake I had with cookies & cream ice-cream one weekday afternoon. I’m sorry for the really unappetizing photo but the cake was just too yummy and I couldn’t resist! It was just the perfect amount of chocolate! Rich and oh so good when it’s warm! The ice-cream was a perfect accompaniment too. And I have something proud to share! I’ve been wanting to recreate the ‘crispy’ outer crust of Bakerzin’s warm chocolate cake and I have succeeded this time round. The trick is to dust a fine layer of icing sugar (on the well-buttered sides of the mould), before pouring in the cake batter.
And now, time for some junk food. Sis bought this box of cookies for me just the other day (I’m quite touched. That girl rarely gives treats, you know). Border Butterscotch Crunch cookies from Scotland! They were buttery and just yummy:)
And yes, here’s two mini packs of Meiji 86% dark chocolate from Ah Yi. I love my dark chocolates. This is the 86% one and the max I can stomach. I like the 86% dark chocolate. The Meiji 99% dark chocolate was quite a painful experience for me, the explosion of flavours in my mouth was just too weird for me to stomach. I remembered that it was sour and bitter at the same time. More sour than bitter!
And to end off, my favourite pug, Ken-chan. And no, I don’t have a dog. I wished I had one though. Ken-chan is the super adorable dog from my favourite japanese drama, Kekkon Dekinai Otoko. Here’s Ken-chan, looking ever so forlorn. He loves japanese cucumbers!
171: Oh Dear! 박평호!
I know I’m two years late. But I’m about to start and embark on 54 episodes of 가문의영광 (Family’s Honor)! And I got a HUGE HUGE feeling that I’m going to like this drama a lot. I really really regret not watching this drama together with the parents during weekends cause I will usually be stuck in my room on weekend evenings either studying or on the net. And it has ended his run on Channel U. So sad 😦 But yes, I got a HUGE HUGE feeling that I’m going to like this drama a lot.
And I’m more than halfway through 완벽한 이웃을 만나는 법 (How to Meet a Perfect Neighbour) and it’s still okay thus far. I’m still hanging on! Because I love watching Park Shi Hoo act.
And yes, there’s 검사 프린세스 (Prosecutor Princess) Episode 3 on tonight! I seriously cannot wait for the subbed version tomorrow!
I’m pretty sure you know the similarities between these 3 dramas. They all have Park Shi Hoo in them! I have turned a Park Shi Hoo fangirl! How not to watch 가문의영광 when this is one of the dramas that shot him to fame? And he’s terribly adorable so far in the first two episodes of 검사 프린세스! Ah, PARK SHI HOO (박시후)! No, his real name is PARK PYUNG HO ( 박평호)! I’m a huge fan now!
And the terrible terrible thing is that EXAMS EXAMS ARE COMING UP IN 2-3 WEEKS’ TIME. And I’m still watching dramas! Plus, I’ve four tests this week. A korean oral test tomorrow and three major test/CAs on Friday! I’m glad there’s no school today! For now, it’s back to studying. Then I can reward myself with episodes of Family Honor tonight!:) YAY!
I shall continue my love for Park Shi Hoo in a more detailed post later (if I have the time later!). Haha OOPS!
170: Lunch!
What a terribly boring title to start this post! But never mind! Tomorrow’s the start of a really horrendous week! But I’m doing okay so far. Watching korean dramas at night (after I’m done with the scheduled work of the day) makes me happy and puts my nerves at ease.
Some lunch pictures to share. I have a schedule to follow, hence I had to settle for a quick and easy lunch.
Here’s yesterday’s lunch. Very simple! Just some boiled pumpkins, raw celery, toasted Portobello mushrooms, cheese bits and toasted wholemeal and wheatgerm bread (cut into mini pieces). Tossed with the japanese sesame dressing and plenty of toasted wheatgerm and white sesame seeds.
And today’s lunch. I had to settle for something easy and instant noodles came to my mind. And I was craving for some ramyeon. So here’s korean ramyeon with chye sim and roasted duck (some leftovers from dinner).
Now, it’s back to studying. And then an episode of my korean drama after all the studying! Aja aja:)
168: Prosecutor Princess, Personal Preference & Cinderella’s Sister
The new Wednesday and Thursday 21:55pm korean drama timeslot is looking really really good!
There’s the drama I’ve been looking forward to, Prosecutor Princess (검사 프린세스) featuring Kim So Yeon and Park Shi Hoo.
I’ve just watched the first two episodes of 검사 프린세스 and I’m really liking this drama lot. There were quite a few funny parts and I must look really silly laughing to my computer screen. Kim So Yeon is great as Ma Hye Ri. It’s quite surprisingly that it was only a few months ago that Kim So Yeon acted in IRIS as Sun Hwa, a character I liked a lot. And I am really liking Park Shi Hoo too! I think he’s really cute! I caught a few episodes of Family’s Honour on TV in which he acted in. He’s got a very nice smile, I’m attracted to guys with nice smiles! Haha, with two of my favourite korean actor and actress, how not to miss! And for the first two episodes, it’s been pretty good so far. And Park Shi Hoo’s character is a pretty mysterious one. Haha:)
And yes, the other drama is Personal Preference (개인의 취향)! Another drama to watch!
Yes, it’s Lee Min Ho’s first drama after the ever famous Boys Over Flowers. And in this drama, he’s going to act as a straight guy pretending to be gay. Really interesting, huh. And there’s Son Ye Jin too! She’s another one of my favourite korean actress, really pretty too. So far, it’s been pretty good too! One should expect more laughs in coming few episodes! I just caught the first episode. I’m watching this too.
The final drama will be Cinderella’s Sister (신데렐라 언니).
The plot sounds pretty interesting here! According to dramawiki,
A modern day adaptation of Cinderella with a twist as our Cinderella, Goo Hyo Sun, is loved by everyone whereas her stepsister, Eun Jo, has a dark past and struggles with the fact that her mother starts to care more for Hyo Sun than her.
I haven’t caught any episodes yet! But I will get down to watching the first episode probably tonight when I have more time! Actors in the drama, I can only recognise Moon Geun Young and 2pm’s Ok Taecyeon!
But ratings wise, for the first two episodes, Cinderella’s Sister is topping the timeslot, followed by Personal Preference and finally, Prosecutor Princess. But I really think I’m more inclined to liking Prosecutor Princess and Personal Preference! 🙂 But who knows? The situation might just change.
But right now, I’m really excited and I really want to catch the next episode (Episode 3) of Prosecutor Princess and episode 2 of Personal Preference! But for Prosecutor Princess, I got to wait till next Wednesday. So sad. 😦 It’s terrible having to wait.
156: I Miss Pasta (파스타)!
Pasta 파스타, the drama I was talking about has just ended its run. Watched the last episode (Episode 20) just last night and I’m really starting to miss Pasta! I am so going to miss the goldfish couple (Choi Hyun Wook/Lee Seon Gyun and Seo Yoo Kyung/Gong Hyo Jin) a lot! And sajang-nim (Alex Chu, one of my favourite singers) and Oh Chef (Honey Lee)! And the whole groups of cooks from La Sfera! Love the ENTIRE CAST! And I really LOVE THIS DRAMA! 🙂 It is not that popular, it seems. But it’s good! I don’t like over-popularized series like You’re Beautiful or Boys Over Flowers.
I’m going to watch the NG compilation scenes from Pasta now. And I’m listening to this really really beautiful song from Pasta OST 5. I love the new ost, OST 5. All the songs that I’ve wanted are in there! And I’m going to get the Pasta DVD set once it’s released (oh yes, I checked out my local video stores on Monday and IRIS DVD isn’t out yet, which is strange. In Singapore, korean drama DVD sets are often released pretty quickly!)
Anyway, I conquered my Korean level 1 oral test today! It was fun fun fun! I think I did well or I hope I did. I really love learning korean! If my timetable allows, I hope to take Korean level 2 and level 3 too!
Well, this is the song I like from PASTA OST 5. LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS SONG! It’s going to be my earworm for the next few weeks until I get bored of it!
시간의 숲 – 에브리 싱글 데이 (Every Single Day)
시간의 뒤에서 난 너를 생각해
뒤돌 아 선 지난 날들은 어느새 바람이 되어
얼룩진 기억은 내안에 머물고
그리움의 언덕 너머엔 항상 니가 있었어
행복이라는 거짓 주문을 걸어
이젠 나도 혼자 설 수있다고
하지만 결국 내 작은 이기심
또다른 너를 찾아 헤매고
시 간의 뒤에서 난 너를 남기고
머나먼 곳에서 너의 흔적을 지운다.
행 복이라는 거짓 주문을 걸어
이젠 나도 혼자 설 수있다고
하지만 결국 내 작은 이기심
또다른 너를 찾아 헤매고
152: IRIS (아이리스 ) 2
SO EXCITING!
Some information about the sequel to IRIS (아이리스) have been revealed! The two male leads, that is. Check out Allkpop article and dramabeans article for more details! The title of the IRIS 2 sequel is known as Athena: Goddess of War (or Athena for short). Yes, I was from a particular junior college and we name our houses/faculties after Greek goddesses. Athena was one of the faculties.
3 good reasons why I am so excited about this sequel:
1) The two male leads
Jung Woo-sung and Cha Seung-won are two of my favourite korean actors. Yes, when I think an actor is good, it means he can really act. And definitely not because he is good-looking. But the largest irony is that all the actors that I like are pretty good-looking and charismatic. Oops! In addition to these two actors, I like Lee Jung Jae, Lee Seon Gyun, Lee Byung Hun and Park Shin Yang too. I like Jung Woo-sung in the movies he acted in, like A Moment to Remember, Daisy etc. And dramabeans did mention that this will be Jung’s 1st drama in 15 years. And the last drama I caught Cha Seung-won in was City Hall (with Kim Sun-a). Both are really good actors! Hope they’ll not disappoint!
2) They will be filming in Singapore!
Besides Italy, Switzerland and New Zealand, they are coming to Singapore to film! Woohoo! It must be the doings of the Singapore Tourism Board and their huge huge incentives. Haha 🙂 Hopefully I get to catch them in action in my homeland. Woohoo:)
3) It’s the sequel to IRIS!
Hello, duh. Of course! I love IRIS! And how can I miss the sequel to IRIS? I’m hoping the sequel will not disappoint although historically, sequels have not been pretty successful. But I’ll be waiting in great excitement for IRIS 2/Athena! I WANT TO WATCH THE SEQUEL! I am an IRIS fanatic!
Talking about IRIS, I want to buy my IRIS and Pasta DVD drama sets when they are released! I haven’t got the chance to drop by the video store. Soon, soon, soon. For now, Episode 18 of Pasta is out! YAY!
151: Salad with Japanese Sesame (Goma) Dressing
Mummy’s off to work at her part-time job (merely to pass time and catch up with friends). I’ve the whole house to myself since the parents are off to work and the sister is off to school. So I prepared my lunch for today before leaving the house later for lab. I realised that I’ve been seemingly “crazy” over sesame lately, with the black sesame cookies and now this! But it’s definitely not on purpose!
It’s just that I have decided to go green and prepared myself some salad for lunch today. The salad is merely a toss of different ingredients that are currently available in my refrigerator. Before I mention more about what goes into my salad, I have to mention about my lovely japanese sesame dressing! I was first introduced to this sesame dressing by my sister year(s) ago! And it’s a really nutty, savoury, sesame-y, Asian-kind of salad dressing. Sis uses the sesame dressing for her cold soba and she would toss her noodles in puddles of this dressing. This is the sesame dressing with roasted nuts (the green exterior). There is another similar dressing, without roasted nuts (the red exterior).
And this was my salad before I tossed everything in. In my “salad” bowl, there’s currently butterhead lettuce, broccoli (steamed), tomato and red potato (steamed). And there’s my toasted wheatgerm (as add-on for the salad), the japanese sesame dressing I was talking about and my daily green apple (for lunch).
This is after everything goes into the “salad” bowl. Butterhead lettuce, broccoli, tomato, red potato, toasted wholemeal bread chunks (as croutons), wheatgerm and 1 tbsp of japanese sesame dressing. LOOKS SUPER COLOURFUL AND AWFULLY PRETTY!:) I like! Looks good and tastes really good.
Alright, I got to start packing up for school, going to leave the house in an hour’s time. Things to look forward to after school include Episode 18 of Pasta, delivery confirmation of my two bags (Rootote and Poppins) from gmarket (hopefully) and also three lovely korean necklaces I bought online (hopefully) for my 3 BFFs (as gifts for them when I meet them in 2 weeks’ time). My body refuses to move/budge and I don’t feel like going to school. But still, stay strong, Rina:)
150: 너 때문에 미쳐 (SBS Inkigayo 280210)
Yes, T-ara performed their song, 너 때문에 미쳐 on Inkigayo this afternoon! Alright, it’s pre-recorded. But I really really love this song! I’ve been listening to it everywhere I go. OMO, Eunjung’s Dadada part at 2:28 is super cute! She did something different this time round and it’s super adorable! I think Eunjung is now my favourite T-ara member! 🙂
A lot of people have been complaining that they are practically lip-syncing. And I can understand where they are coming from! But I really do not think they are lip-syncing cause you can hear their actual singing if you increase the volume. I really think the backtracks are way too loud. For yesterday’s Music Core and today’s Inkigayo, backtrack used is way too loud. For Music Bank (on Friday), you can hear their actual singing!
Besides, 너 때문에 미쳐, they performed their other track from the Braking Heart repackaged album, 내가 너무 아파. Nice song too! 🙂
And their interview before their performance, with Inkigayo MCs, Taecyeon and Wooyoung and Sulli. Catch Eunjung (and Hyomin and Soyeon) sing from 0:28 onwards! And Eunjung was amazing at 0:31-33! 🙂
I know I should mention about how disappointed I am that Jaebeom is not coming back to 2PM for good! Yes, for good! Really really sad news for 2PM fans. But I wasn’t as disappointed and upset as I was the first time I heard that Jaebeom left 2PM. I am pretty sure the rest of 2PM must be really sad cause they have been waiting for the return of their leader and I can tell they miss him a lot. But it’s unexpected that Jaebeom is leaving 2pm permanently. Nobody wanted this to happen either. I hope Jaebeom and the rest of 2PM will continue to stay strong and fight on! I’m still with 2PM 🙂 Fighting!
147: Pasta – A Few of My Favourite Scenes
A kind soul posted up these youtube videos on a forum page. And they are totally my favourite scenes in the drama, Pasta (파스타).
The really cute elevator kiss scene
My favourite scene of all – the hospital scene
Super adorable! Love Choi Hyun Wook in this scene, so cute! I
My 2nd favourite scene – the confession in the kitchen scene
The kiss at the bus stop scene
I enjoy watching the main couple LSG-GHJ couple in Pasta. They are what keeps the drama going. I really love their chemistry in the drama! And especially when the two of them laugh, it really melts my heart. So sweet and so cute! Love it!
I’ve just completed Episode 16 and there’s 4 more episodes before the end of this drama. I’m really dying to know how the drama is going to end. And at the same time, I think I’m going to be really sad once I finish watching this drama. There wouldn’t be anything to look forward to on boring schooldays. Right now, I’m waiting for Episode 17 and it’ll only be broadcasted in Korea on Monday. Sigh, in the meantime, I’m going to complete the last 2 episodes of God of Study and two more episodes of Stars Falling From The Sky as reward after a day of studying and mugging.
Now, back to schoolwork!:)
146: 너 때문에 미쳐 (MBC Music Core 27/02/10)
Yes, the Music Core performance is out! I love the dance at the chorus part. And from a female perspective, I think Eun-jung is hot! I especially like the individual parts that she sang and her rap (especially the “dadada” part at 2:27, I think it’s cute). For this performance, I thought she has the best vocals of all. Ji-yeon was not bad too. Hyo-min and So-yeon too:)
I’m hooked onto this song!
145: 너 때문에 미쳐
Today, this post will be dedicated to my current favourite korean girl group, T-ara. When they first debuted, I was impressed by their official debut single, 거짓말 (Lies). I mean, they can really sing well (well all, except maybe for Qri and Boram). And then, their next release, TTL (Time To Love) was also pretty good! The song was catchy and the vocals and rapping were not bad! They released their full album (Absolute First Album) last year and I was also impressed by the songs selected. And of course, the really adorable and much promoted Bo Peep Bo Peep was on the charts (and it topped the chart a few times too).
As for the members, I like So-yeon because I think she has the best vocals in the whole group. I like Eun-jung too (the leader, she’s pretty cool and charismatic! Like her vocals and rapping too!), Ji-yeon (she’s like miniature Kim Tae Hee and I enjoyed her acting in the kdrama, God of Study) and also Hyo Min (this girl can rap!). Each of the members have their own charm. 🙂
And yes, they recently released another mini album, Braking Heart. I love the first song (the second song too)! 너 때문에 미쳐 (I Go Crazy Because of You). The song is so addictive and so catchy! Love the new concept the girls are having this time round. This time they are going for “sexy” and I think they nailed it. It’s really interesting that they experiment with different concepts for their albums!
MV for 너 때문에 미쳐
The Live Performance of 너 때문에 미쳐 on KBS Music Bank (26/02/10)
I got to praise their efforts for singing live during the Music Bank performance and not resorting to lip-synching. I thought So-yeon, Ji-yeon, Eun-jung and Hyo-min did quite a good job singing live. Effort was commendable. Qri (or was it Boram?) was bad. The song seems pretty hard to sing with lots of auto-tuning and electropop beats. AND HOW COULD I FORGET? I love the dance! I think the dance steps will be quite a hit (especially the chorus part)! And yes, I see more of So-yeon in the live performance (versus the MV). And Eun-jung, the leader is pretty cool. I like her short hair:) Nice! I want my hair like that too! It’s refreshing to see someone with short hair cause’ everyone seems to be having their long straight hair (either dyed or not) and it’s pretty hard to differentiate one from another.
I know Kara is debuting with Lupin this week too. But I don’t like the song as much as T-ara’s 너 때문에 미쳐! And I think SNSD’s “Oh!” is rubbish. Why is SNSD’s “Oh!” still #1 on the music charts? I hope T-ara gets #1 soon! Fighting! I can’t wait for their performances on SBS Inkigayo and MBC Music Core this weekend!
144: Pasta (파스타)
I’m currently so hooked onto this Korean drama, Pasta (파스타)! I watched a tiny bit of Episode 1 many many weeks ago but I wasn’t persistent enough, so I did not persist beyond the first 20 minutes of the drama. But it’s really really nice! I’m currently into my 12th episode of this drama (Episode 16 was broadcasted in Korea just this Tuesday and there are 20 episodes in total). And I can’t help but share what I feel about this drama!
The storyline
I am a huge huge fan of food dramas! I love food dramas and films – both japanese and korean! Love the food showcased in the drama! Pasta is essentially about an italian restaurant in Korea – La Sfera! But instead of focusing on the food (the pasta and all), the drama focuses more on human relationships (romance, friendship, employee-subordinate etc). But the most important thing is that the content/storyline is not really heavy! Pasta is a really light-hearted drama! And my very first (alright, second) impression is that it has great similarities to The 1st Shop of Coffee Prince and Triple. The storylines for all three dramas are pretty light! And yes, I read somewhere that the producers of Pasta are also the producers of Coffee Prince and Triple. Hmm, no wonder I felt they were all quite similar in styles. And yes, there is not devious plans by evil minions and really minimal interferences from the second male and female leads. Good:) I like that.
The acting
I’m impressed. I’m (again) very impressed by Gong Hyo Jin. I first saw her in Thank You (고맙습니다), another one of my favourite favourite korean dramas. And was already very impressed by her acting and her chemistry with the male lead (Jang Hyuk), the child actress (Seo Shin Ae) and veteran actor (Shin Goo). Looks wise, Gong Hyo Jin is not exceptionally pretty but she won me over with her acting in both Thank You (고맙습니다) and Pasta (파스타). I really like how she portrays her character (Seo Yoo Kyung) in Pasta. She comes across as very natural in her acting, not overly cutesy (not the OTT act-cute kind). And she has a very natural charm!
And the male lead, Lee Seon Gyun. This is the first time I’m really impressed by his acting and his chemistry with the female lead, Gong Hyo Jin. And yes, Lee Seon Gyun was both in Coffee Prince and Triple. But in the two dramas, he failed to make a really deep impression in me. But in Pasta, I felt he shone. He has awesome chemistry with Gong Hyo Jin! And I really enjoy watching them banter, laugh and flirt! Their relationship in the drama progresses really naturally and I really like the flow of things in this drama. It’s the first time I felt that Lee Seon Gyun (in his role, as Chef/Choi Hyun Wook) is really yummy (much more than the pasta in the drama). Love this couple!:)
Then, there’s the other two leads, Alex Chu (of Clazziquai) and Lee Ha Nui/Honey Lee (Miss Universe 3rd Runner Up). Alex is also yummy. Loved him in the variety show, We Got Married. Back then, he was the ideal romantic guy to date. And he is one of my favourite Kpop singer and I really like Clazziquai a lot too! And this is his first “huge” drama (I think). Not too bad for a newbie. Lee Ha Nui is no doubt, gorgeous. And really smart in real life as well (SNU graduate) and a really impressive family history. This is her 2nd drama, after Partner. I thought her acting was not too bad too. Hmm, after all, the real yummy part of this drama is the Lee Seon Gyun-Gong Hyo Jin couple!
The other sidekicks/actors/actresses in this drama are not bad too. Good fillers for the drama at times and can be amusing at times.
The music
How can I not forget about the music and the soundtrack? LOVE LOVE LOVE the soundtrack! Very Coffee Prince-ish and Triple-ish. And I really enjoy the instrumental pieces that accompany many scenes in the drama! Really cute and light-hearted. I like!:)
Overall
I’M HOOKED! 🙂 Alright, I’ll go back to watching my Pasta. And I have a sudden urge to cook some pasta for lunch too! Tomato sauce with meatballs and mushrooms! Hmm.
And and I have to put this down! I LOVE THE OPENING TITLE OF THE DRAMA TOO! Just so cute! One of my favourite drama openings!
Now now now, I have two dramas on the list. What list, you may ask? Hmm, list of korean drama DVD sets to get. The first is IRIS and now, Pasta. I wonder if IRIS is out in DVD already since it’s been some time since it ended its run. But I haven’t stepped into a video shop for ages and I haven’t gone shopping (online shopping’s not counted) for ages. I haven’t got the time to go shopping. I think I’ll need to go down to the nearest mall soon (next week?). IRIS and PASTA:) Yay!
137: Lunar New Year Days 2 – 5
Should I be glad that the uni mid-semester break falls during CNY week or should I be mad that I got cheated of 2 days of my mid-semester break (since Monday and Tuesday are considered public holidays)? But I’m pretty sure if I had to return to school the day after the CNY break, I would be thrown into my post-CNY depressive syndrome.
Lunar New Year Day 2 was spent with my paternal family. As usual, it was a noisy affair.
CNY is terrible, terrible! I have been eating and eating and eating! All the bakkwa, pineapple tarts, cookies and chocolates! And I’m feeling super unhealthy and fat now. Haha:) I think I’ll have to run off those extra fats/weight/calories this weekend. And for the past few days, I have been eating really simple homecooked main meals (like oatmeal, sweet potatoes, porridge, a simple steamboat dinner, fish soup etc). But it didn’t help that there are plenty of CNY goodies stocked up at home and when I get stressed when studying or when typing my reports, I would conveniently get some and just start eating.
I must stop now! It’s Friday and definitely not TGIF. I’ve officially two days of my holidays left now. And I really don’t wish to start school! But I MUST STOP ALL MY CNY EATING NOW. I’m not going to touch those bakkwa, cashew nuts, chocolates, cookies and tarts from tomorrow onwards. No more junk food for me. Back to the healthy lifestyle and eating! It’s good for me and for my skin. I’m going to STOP eating all those goodies!
Anyway, I was a little bored so I decided to take some shots of the CNY goodies!
Pineapple tarts
Homemade Shortbread Cookies
Almond Cookies (My Dad’s favourite!)
Chinese Almond Cookies
Kueh Bangkit (my favourite of the lot!)
Love Letters (Coconut Egg Rolls)
Chocolates (mini Cadbury Dairy Milk and Ferrero Rocher)
Toasted Cashew Nuts
During this long week of holidays, I also got the opportunity to catch up on my Kdrama. I was watching God of Study (공부의 신) on and off during the school term and finally got the opportunity to catch up on my episodes. It’s been interesting thus far! The child actors/actresses are quite good! Yoo Seung-Ho, Go Ah Sung, Lee Chan Ho, Lee Hyun Woo and Park Ji Yeon! And the plot is getting pretty interesting! And there’s Kim Soo-ro although I don’t really like his role in the drama (and his acting). He would be better off in Family Outing. I think I much prefer my Abe Hiroshi in Dragon Zakura!
And I got started on another Kdrama too, Stars Falling From The Sky (별을 따다 줘). It’s the typical kind of Kdrama, when the unlikely couple just falls in love. The poor but cheerful and strong girl manages to melt the heart of the lead actor in the drama and they fall in love. Very cliched and typical. But I really think it’s the acting that got me hooked onto this drama! The child actors are terrific! Love them all, so natural! And they make this drama really interesting and amusing too. The lead actress is Choi Jung Won and I remember watching her act in Famous Princesses (소문난 칠공주). Famous Princesses was broadcasting on Channel U during the 7pm slot a few years back and I liked that daily family drama too (although it’s 80 episodes long)! The lead actor is Kim Ji Hoon. I remember seeing him act in some drama but I can’t seem to remember the title. He’s alright, still rather pleasing to the eye. Acting wise, still okay. The second lead actor is Shin Dong Wook, of Soulmate (소울메이트) fame. He’s pretty alright too. Although I think I’ll be rooting for Kim Ji Hoon in this particular drama itself. The second lead actress is Chae Young In. I was wondering why she looked so familiar and then I realised that she is the real Min So Hee in Temptation of Wife (아내의 유혹), the 2009 SBS blockbuster daily drama that is currently airing during the 7pm slot on Channel U. I’m currently on Episode 12 since there weren’t any new episodes that were being broadcasted in Korea this week due to the Vancouver Winter Olympics. Not too bad a drama, I guess. Since I’ve been really selective with the dramas I watch these days, if a drama gets too boring or dry or annoying, I’ll definitely stop watching it. But I’ve persevered thus far:)
Alright, my mission for the weekend before school commences (again). Stop snacking on the goodies and start eating healthy again! Lose the “weight” I’ve gained this CNY week! Revise my PK again! And treasure the last two days. So sad:(
128: 이 사람이다
‘This Is The Person’ (이 사람이다) MV by Kim Jong Kook
This is the cutest music video I’ve ever seen! It really made my day! Plus, the song is nice! Love all the songs in Kim Jong Kook’s new album. Plus, the lyrics to the song is nice!:) Makes me all dreamy dreamy dreamy.
이 사람이다
첫눈에 반한다는 소설 같은 이야기
요즘 누가 믿나요
운명이란 없다고 나 역시 믿어왔죠
그댈 만나기 전까진
답답한 하루였죠 그날도 어디론가
바쁘게 걷고 있었는데
수 많은 사람들을 스치듯 흘러가다
그댈 마주치고 시간이 멈췄죠
이 사람이다 이제야 찾아온 사랑이다
그냥 느낌으로 알아 말도 안되지만
이 순간을 위해 살아온 것 같아
이 사람이다 다시는 못 찾을 사랑이다
인형처럼 서 있는 그 사람들 중에
숨소리가 들리고 심장이 뛰는 바로 이 사람이다
처음 본 사람인데 오래된 사이처럼
느껴질 때가 있죠
기억나진 않지만 알고 있었던 사람
나와 너무도 닮아있는 사람
이 사람이다 이제야 찾아온 사랑이다
그냥 느낌으로 알아 말도 안되지만
이 순간을 위해 살아온 것 같아
이 사람이다 다시는 못 찾을 사랑이다
인형처럼 서 있는 그 사람들 중에
숨소리가 들리고 심장이 뛰는 바로 이 사람이다
지금껏 이런 간절한 맘 가져본 적 없었는데
살아오면서 이렇게까지 누군가를 원해본적 없었는데
이 사람이다 이제야 찾아온 사랑이다
그냥 느낌으로 알아 말도 안되지만
이 순간을 위해 살아온 것 같아
이 사람이다 다시는 못 찾을 사랑이다
인형처럼 서있는 그 사람들 중에
숨소리가 들리고 심장이 뛰고 있는
홀로 환하게 빛나고 있는 바로 이 사람이다
127: 과자 Part II
After the rather delicious oatmeal raisin cookie from Spinelli and feeling restless with a huge bar of Nestle dark chocolate in the refrigerator, I decided to bake some giant chocolate chunk cookies!
Baked the chocolate chunk cookie using the recipe adapted from Joy of Baking. Reduced the sugar by half and replaced half cup of the plain flour with raw wheat germ.
It was (in one word), lovely! 🙂
As many may know, I am a HUGE HUGE HUGE HUGE fan of Family Outing (패밀리가 떴다). I love everyone there! Jae-Seok, Hyo-Ri, Soo-Ro, Jong-Shin, Jong-Kook, Dae-Sung, Chun-Hee, Ye-Jin, Hae-Jin! I’m sad that the original cast is leaving FO. But I’m looking forward to the new Family Outing (Season 2) too! I’m looking forward to seeing Jo Kwon, Taecyeon, Yoona in it! I think Jo Kwon and Taecyeon would be perfect in FO, especially Jo Kwon. The other members include Yoon Sang-Hyun (the lead actor in My Fair Lady), Kim Won-Hee (Jae-Seok’s friend and one of the guest during FO Season 1), Shin Bong-Sun (of many variety shows!) and gag man Ji Sang-Ryul. Hopefully, it wouldn’t disappoint! 🙂
And recently, Kook-Jong (Jong-Kook sshi) released his new album, (6집 Eleventh Story). I do listen to his songs but they aren’t really at the top of my favourite songs list. They were pretty alright, I guess. But this album surprised me. The selection of songs were really good! I’m listening to the album as I type this entry. 🙂 And I’m choosing two songs which I thought were pretty good and I like from the new album!
Kim Jong Kook (김종국) – 못 잊어 (Cant Forget)
Kim Jong Kook (김종국) – 다 알면서 (Knowing Everything) feat. Soya
91: Iris & Golden Sunflowers
And yes, I’ve completed Episode 20 of IRIS and I’m naturally not surprised by the ending. Honestly, I thought Episode 20 (up until the last 5 minutes of the episode) was good. It was really heartwarming seeing Sa Woo and Hyun Joon (the two former friends) working together again, fighting off IRIS. But it was heartbreaking when Sa Woo was then killed off by an IRIS member. The part on the assasination of the President was also pretty cool. When the presidential secretary was about to kill the president, Hyun Joon and Seung Hee appears and kills off the secretary. It was cool:) Haha. But the ending was really really sad when they had to kill off Hyun Joon (since LBH could not participate in IRIS 2 as he has to film GI Joe 2). I read soompi and I do know that many are really unsatisfied with the supposedly “corny” ending but I thought it was okay and quite acceptable. The ratings for the last episode were good, it reached 39.9% (although it still did not hit 40%). Read Allkpop for spoilers.
There are still so MANY questions that are left unanswered. IRIS is still not ‘dead’ yet. What is IRIS? Who is Mr Black? How are Seung Hee and IRIS related? And for that, I’m looking forward to the upcoming sequel of IRIS (and I heard there’s a movie. Really!?!). IRIS 2!:) When will that be?
Anyway, I really like the acting of Lee Byung Hun, Kim So Yeon, Kim Seung Woo and Jung Joon Ho in IRIS! And I’m especially impressed with Kim So Yeon and Kim Seung Woo (the North Korean agents)!
Oh yes, I helped Mummy with the baking of pineapple tarts yesterday. We typically eat pineapple tarts during Lunar New Year or Chinese New Year. Since Mummy had some pineapple jam leftover, she decided to make some pineapple tarts. The butter pastry is really important! For that, one has to use good butter. Mummy uses the Golden Churn Australian Pure Creamery butter, which gives the pastry a very buttery and fragrant smell and taste.
Here they are! I thought they looked like little golden sunflowers. Pretty:)
Rina's Silly Musings 