jehan's addictions

Korean Drama I'm Watching: The Moon that Embraces the Sun

2012-01-28T00:43:00.000+09:00

I'm again hooked to a new "historical fantasy" drama called "해를 품은 달" translated by hancinema.net as "The Sun and the Moon" but it's more popularly called "The Moon that Embraces the Sun." Episode 5 shows why the drama is entitled like this...

I'm not actually expecting a lot about its ending as what will you expect from a King falling in love with a Shaman? Hehe.. But then again, it's a fantasy story so anything can happen and I'm willing to go through the anticipation week after week again as I did with "The Princess' Man."

I watch this drama for the following reasons:

ONE. Yang Mi Kyung is in it, the very lovable Lady Han in Dae Jang Geum.

She's been in several movies and dramas after DJG but I never tried watching even one of them. In DJG, she tended to be introvert or less expressive of her thoughts and feelings while in this drama, she really shows a lot of "motherly" emotions that tug at the heart... I came across this drama at the episode/scene where she was crying for her daughter who just passed away...right there and then, I got hooked.

TWO. It is set in the Choseon dynasty or it's a period drama I prefer watching. Although the King himself is a fiction here, I really want to follow the story on how politics and economic affairs were being handled. I just read that the actor Kim Soo Hyeon playing the young King is a musical actor. No wonder he acts really well...

THREE. The OST... Please listen to or watch it so you'll know why... (This isn't the official MV..)

Need I say more?

Ah, yes.. It's currently the number 1 rating drama in Seoul and nationwide...

Our 2012 Lunar New Year

2012-01-27T01:00:00.000+09:00

Exactly 2 weeks before the Lunar New Year's celebration last year, SooAe decided to finally come out and so I was excused from the preparations and entertaining of guests at my MIL's house. Instead, my sisters in law with their families came to visit us here.

This year is actually SooAe's 2nd "Seollal" or Lunar New Year and have I told you already that by Korean age, she's actually 2 years old now? My God! Haha.. I excitedly taught her how to bow to the elders for the holiday's greetings. To her grandma's delight, SooAe performed very well when she finally became familiar with the other relatives. She entertained them with her antics and as always, she favored going or playing with the men or boys than to her aunts or grandma. I don't know why...

We weren't able to go to my MIL's house on New Year's but it was still a holiday on the 24th and the whole family was actually still there. After Alex' work, we excitedly went to Incheon knowing his nephew from the military service was there too...

SooAe was in a good mood and instantly found a playmate...

Definitely her favorite cousin...

(Mingi is my 2nd sis-in-law's son. He came home for the holidays and

went back to the military base on Wednesday before 9am.)

We didn't know that the family waited for us so we all had a late lunch. As usual, Koreans eat "tteok mandu guk" (rice cake with dumplings soup) this time of year for good luck and after eating, you officially added another year to your age.. I mean life, hahaha!

After cleaning up, my 2nd sis in law invited everyone for a bowling tourney. Maybe the other inlaws just felt too old already (after eating tteok guk, haha) so most of them decided to stay to sleep while we went outside. Since my 2nd SIL and I don't feel old at all, we played 2 rounds with his son and our youngest nephew.

The alley was full but we were in time for these nice spots..

While Mommy played, Daddy babysat... Only fitting after all the stress he gave me the previous day..

After feasting on a half gallon of baskin robbins ice cream I got after the game and a simple dinner, the relatives from Seoul decided to leave immediately to avoid the rush. We, together with my BIL's family, stayed with MIL till 10pm. MIL was definitely tired. Alex wanted us to stay some more but I told him she needed rest badly... As we hit the road back to Gimpo, it started to snow heavily. Alex pulled up at a quiet area and transferred beside me at the backseat. I asked "Why?" He said the place looked romantic and I replied "Romantic or romance is just an illusion." "Aish! Why do you have to break the mood?" he complained. "There's no mood to break." I answered.. hehe.. What's happening to me?

Anyway, I honestly dread the snow now that I have a baby. I actually dreaded winter. I long for the warmer days ahead when we can go out and enjoy the sunshine again..

Now that SooAe's 2 birthday and Lunar New Year's celebrations are finished, I'm hoping to do something else more productive.. I'm looking forward to a more blessed and stress-free 2012...

Again, Happy Lunar New Year to all of you!

Happy Lunar New Year From Kim Soo Ae!

2012-01-23T10:55:00.001+09:00

"새해 복 많이 받으세요!"

Best Wishes for the New Year!

~0~

She got busy with her Hanbok's tie..

She used to bow like this..

She Just Turned One, The Fun Has Just Begun...

2012-01-23T04:05:00.000+09:00

Is it just me?

I observed that she's become MORE confident, daring and fun loving after her 1st birthday...

She's more expressive of her feelings too.

I guess that's because I'm more confident in her too...

On the 14th, we had a simple celebration with my friends in Incheon

at an American grill and salad restaurant.

(Reservation for 10 guests.

We made it small and intimate as the place was quite far from Seoul.)

I chose this especially for the vegetarian guests/friends..

Plus, they have this mashed veggies and the mango salad also good for babies.

Or just for my baby? haha!

Although I brought along her homemade food,

SooAe definitely enjoyed these salads and the mushroom cream soup.

(for children, fun coloring sheets are provided)

SooAe's guests:

Too sad to have not taken the photo earlier

while my Korean couple friends and their baby were still with us...

The youngest one...

Her regular play date... hehe...

Having a good laugh with her Aunt Mimi..

And thank you cousin Jebee for this wonderful shot...

On her birthday, the 18th, I just prepared a simple dinner for us:

spaghetti, ginger toast, sweets and fruits...

and of course, the cake...

She was sleepy at first...

I made her eat her cake.. indulge in it I should say.. It's her birthday and her cake anyway..

So the end result:

I love it that she had the time of her life..^^,

~0~

On the 21st, we celebrated her birthday with my husband's relatives

at her aunt-in-law's brother's "meat"/samgyeopsal restaurant.

I thought it was going to be boring but it turned out really fun

because of Alex' boisterous AIL.

She'd go in and come out of the kitchen with her hands always full.

It was raining side dishes, soups and meat.

There were also "pickled?"/preserved crab (which i hate btw,LOL!)

and the usual delicious fish they serve

in restaurants like this. I forgot the name of it.hehe!

It satisfied me to see the guests really full and happy.

Samgyeopsal, I hate eating it with the vegetable wraps. I love the piece of meat

with just salt and rice. So Alex' BIL, from the other table,

kept on calling out to me to eat them properly.

It bothered him that I didn't touch my crab at all too, hehe.

I just told him I had to eat fast because of this...

...the owner, who SooAe really likes (we met him at the wedding in November),

patiently babysat for me while I ate.

~0~

The original plan was to bring the family to the same restaurant we went to with my friends but Alex changed his mind days before the weekend. We were even supposed to go out with them today, the Lunar New Year. He said his family aren't that adventurous when it comes to food but I told him I think otherwise.

But all is finished... I'm just happy that SooAe had a great time with her grand aunt. Her son and DIL have 2 dogs and SooAe enjoyed very much chasing after them. The night ended wonderfully as SooAe cutely bowed "Annyeonghaseyo" and "Kamsahamnida" to everyone as we gave them her simple tokens.

And speaking of bows, let me leave you with this video of Lunar New Years greetings we've been practicing which I think won't be seen by the elders as just 30 minutes ago, before my husband left for work, he told me we might not be going to my MIL's afterall because of his sore throat...

(I'm sorry, I didn't realize I was holding the camera this way... ^^,)

New Love: the Giveaway and the Gift...

2012-01-17T04:20:00.000+09:00

Drinking warm or hot beverages has never been this exciting...

I could either drink from one of SooAe's birthday giveaways I kept for us or from this Corelle stoneware mug I received as a gift from my cousin and cousin in law, Keith and Jebee.

These are the available colors for SooAe's giveaways btw...

This was the original photo and design for the insert but I guess those who made it didn't notice that SooAe's supposed message, written in yellow, was indistinct. The message isn't just a design but also a "Thank you" note for her guests. It also depicts her personality. So I had one of SooAe's photo album spread printed at the nearby photo shop whose equipment and materials are antiquated such that the print came out a little blurry but at least the message could still be read (as pictured above)...

We had a simple and intimate advanced celebration for Sooae's birthday with my friends here in Incheon last Saturday, January 14, at an American grill and salad restaurant.

Although my cousin wasn't able to attend, his wife was really very kind enough to bring with her our belated Christmas gifts along with SooAe's Birthday gift. When we arrived home, Alex and I excitedly opened the biggest box from the bags. When the "CORELLE" print greeted me, my jaw dropped. I said "Dad, it's a Corelle set." Alex, who couldn't believe what he was seeing either said "Or maybe they just used a Corelle box?" LOL! I said how could it be? Of course my cousins wouldn't do that. I know Jebee very well, hehe! The sides of the box were glued. I excitedly looked for the right flaps to open and indeed, we were surprised to see a 16-piece set of this gorgeous dinnerware. Alex immediately requested I bring out just 2 of the 4 mugs and keep the rest.

When we first transferred here in Gimpo, I was really frustrated to see my MIL packing all her old stuffs for us to bring. As a wife having her own home finally, I was so excited to be able to finally buy my own kitchen stuffs and everything but I was so disappointed. Also, after a very irritating incident with Alex' sister in law in Chuseok of 2010 (it had something to do with Corelles at a Homeplus), I vowed to fill this house with sets of the said dinnerware brand. As a remembrance or anniversary wedding gift for me in 2011, Alex bought me 16 pieces of the dinnerware after recounting to him what his SIL did to me (I kept on telling him that I was even very pregnant then, LOL, so much drama ba...). The set costed him $110. So receiving a 16-piece set really made me want to jump for joy. Here in Korea, one Corelle dinner plate is about $9.

So my kitchen has become more endearing to us because of SooAe's tumblers and the mugs. Alex himself would always go pick up one of the tumblers just to look at our baby's pictures in it...

^,^

Of SooAe's Free Book

2012-01-07T02:25:00.004+09:00

Yesterday, we finally picked up SooAe's free book from the Gimpo City Library. We were informed about it 16 days ago but Alex always reasoned out there was no need to travel that far to pick up JUST ONE book...

I was actually expecting it to be a thick English baby stories book, even imagining they might give SooAe more than one so I kept on bugging him we go get it. He finally gave in to satisfy my curiosity. Besides, I've been wanting to check the Library for English novels anyway.

With a very disgusted expression, he handed me this cute canvas bag with the book in it...

After getting back into the car from the library, I opened the book, showed the pictures to SooAe and she liked it. She likes the "If You're Happy and You Know It" song from Barney and she immediately imitated the baby, while making her muffled SooAe-sounding "Hooray!!"

And she was even cuter when she saw this one. She also covered her eyes and again "said" her version of "Kka-kkung" (Korean for peek a boo).

For ONE "free" little book, I told Alex that there wasn't a waste of time or travel at all in getting it. How each picture elicited positive responses from our Little One definitely warmed our hearts and showed that each book her chubby little hands grab and open will always teach us ALL something. And by his surprised look and waahs and wows at her feat, no book is too LITTLE...

(I think she wanted me to read one more book to her but I fell asleep

while I was reading to her. hahaha...

When a phone call woke me up, I was surprised to see this.

She was holding one of her favorite book blocks from

Fisher Price given by Ate Betchay of buhaykorea.com.

Taken last Wednesday afternoon.)

Besides, SooAe wasn't supposed to receive this book (by www.bookstart.org) but my Korean language teacher applied for her although she wasn't born in 2010. Not claiming it right after calling and texting us about it would be so rude and very insensitive of her efforts to claim one for SooAe too...

So let's always read to our little Bunnies.. They'll definitely start reading back to us, in no time at all....

(Taken on Dec. 30, 2011 @ past 2am... She caught a terrible cold and the clogged nose kept her awake. To pass the time, I brought her out to the living room again to read her favorite books to her. I think she got bored with my sleepy monotonous voice already so she climbed down from my lap, sat herself like what you see in the video and started to read to me...)

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Organic: How Far Will You Go?

2012-01-04T02:54:00.001+09:00

My two Korean mommy friends here use only "organic" produce with their babies. At times, I almost go speechless when they ask me what brand of "pear" or "meat" (for example) I feed SooAe. And when they keep on looking at me, waiting for my answer, I just shrug my shoulders and say "I don't know. I really don't care about brands. I just buy almost everything from the (Lotte) mart." Then they'd talk about the organic products/produce stores in the area.

I'm really not that very particular with how foods or goods are produced. Don't we all know very well that these farms and companies also follow strict regulations. I just do my best to wash the products, peel or cook them very well. I stick to the 4-day rule of thumb when introducing something new to her though. The only organic products I kept on buying were her yogurt and cheese by Namyang. There are times when I tease her with yogurt so I settle for the flavored "Maeil" Pure yogurt from the complex' store more often when I couldn't go to the big marts where I get the organic ones.

Please don't be surprised with the expiration date on the yogurt's box.

This was taken a long time ago. It's actually a long overdue post, hehe!

They stress and shell out more on organic products but they tell me that they don't see any significant improvements in their baby's allergic or skin conditions so I really don't see anything special in giving our babies only organic products.

There's a small "organic" products outlet not too far from here and their products are actually very interesting.

They don't stock up much as organic products/foods are less shelf stable.

The skin care products are also very tempting but really expensive...

The SA ajumma was encouraging me to sign up (?) to get discounts. She was trying to convince me to use only organic products with SooAe. Indeed, aside from tasting better, I suppose, fewer preservatives and pesticides are always better.

SooAe will be turning one this month and I am excited to introduce new foods, especially fruits, to her and I might be getting them from this store. With the way I let her eat fruits and veggies, I might go 50:50 for her diet.

Her 12th month general check up is fast approaching, by the way, and I'm so excited to know some things about her growth rate. She's really small framed but as agile as ever. Although born big, SooAe seemed to have stopped growing. LOL. I've read about "growth swings" and I hope that there's nothing wrong with her...

How Did You Greet 2012?

2012-01-04T01:47:00.001+09:00

For New Year's, how did you kill time with your family? Many New Year's eves ago, I almost accidentally stepped on the bowl of rice stuck with money (like shown below) my Aunt had placed by their doorway. She said it was for attracting good fortune, goodwill and health for the new year. She also said that rice, salt and sugar containers must be full.

I mixed 3 grains and the black soy beans.

I didn't see any harm in following them. We tried doing those at home too and I still do it here every year.

This time, it's even more fun doing it with my Little One. She'd always remove the bills and try to crawl away with one or two of them.

I think that like how we believe Santa Clause do come

on Christmas eve, good luck, vibes and health will also come

this new year that's why we have these customs.

In the past, I also tried throwing coins under the bed and sofa like what my mother usually does but with the Little One now, I skipped this one and did my best to keep the house as safe as possible.

Then I opened the doors and windows a little to let the bad luck or negative vibes go out and let the cool air with the good luck and positive spirit in. I handed SooAe her snack containers to shake, to make some noise (to shoo the negative vibes out). Since they were very big, she kept on dropping them so I looked for one of her rattles in her "memory" box but she kept on dropping it too... She preferred my piggy bank with coins...

She dropped her rattle with a frown...

I picked it up and gave it it to her again but look...

"I said I don't like it. I'm too old for that already!"

LOL!

Customs or not, they bring the "goods" or not, I will keep on doing these with SooAe every New Year's... We don't only wait for the clock to strike midnight but we look forward to doing something fun together.

I was actually bracing myself since last friday coz someone here sent me a message last 23rd, telling me on how I should celebrate my "Christmas" away from home. I was on my way to pick up the Philippine goods I ordered the week before from my Filipina friend's store so I didn't bother to answer her anymore. I was rushing to get back home to SooAe and Alex then. Sometimes, or most of the times, people just think they have to say something that actually "occurred" to you already... That unlike them, you don't have the slightest common sense... I do whine about wishing to spend the holidays back home but that doesn't mean I do not celebrate them here like we do at home... (Sorry for the "slight" rant, I'm just so full with this someone then... I always try to not fire back and just imagine in my head I must do it in the future. So I blog about it to get it off my chest finally,hehe!)

And again, I'm bracing myself for this year. I hope that I can manage everything trying or challenging that comes our way wisely and gracefully, LOL! I don't try to be the expert on life's lessons but I learn from my past. I do my best to forgive and forget but learn from every experience. Thanks to my Mom's infectious positive outlook every time I call her up.

For the cake, we waited for Daddy to come home last Sunday night. It has been a tradition for us already to wait for him whenever he couldn't make it on the day or time we're supposed to celebrate something. As always, he's the one pictured with her...

We were telling her to blow the candle,

signifying our first (Christmas and) New Year's as a family.

Her arms were held high coz she kept on trying

to smack the cake.. haha!

Overall, it was a fun celebration or observation of tradition and customs. My first two New Years' here were celebrated intimately as my MIL wasn't as enthusiastic as Alex was. Last year, I had an enjoyable one with Mama and now, we definitely had a blast with the Little One..

Although 2011 was very memorable for me, with the arrival of SooAe, I'm also so excited for this New Year.

~~~~

Lord, thank you for always keeping us in the hollow of Your hands... Hold us and teach us to grow in Your Love....

Our First Family New Year....

2011-12-31T23:55:00.003+09:00

Happy New Year!!!

We had an early "media noche"(?) because Alex will be working tomorrow. As usual, I made a lite version of my macaroni salad for the neighbors who liked it...

I have a good supply of gelatin from my Mom...

Fortunately, I was able to get us a cake yesterday but unfortunately, it's not a fancy New Year's eve cake because there was no way for me to go out with SooAe today... She's so sick and I was also not able to go to the shopping area where there's a BR outlet. It was too cold and traffic was quite heavy. I really wanted us to feast on an ice cream cake...

It does look like SooAe would like it anyway.

The cake with lots of white and purple frosting

I originally liked was picked up first by the man who entered

the bake shop after I did..

So I settled for this..

As always, we made a simple offering for the departed souls....

Slices and pieces of the dishes.

I hope Papa will like the slightly overdone dumpling

and won't mind the unopened beer. LOL!

SooAe, caught a terrible cold! Thanks to my very nice brother in law (we visited last Thursday) who insisted to drive us back to my mom in law's house, against her wishes, or it would have been worse... Yesterday, it seemed like we had a dripping faucet, if you know what I mean. I'm just lucky I guess that SooAe learned how to blow her nose when she feels there's too much to handle already... ^,^ It's not how we do it but at least she does blow her nose...

While dad and I had a small and simple feast, I had this one ready for the little lady in case she wakes up suddenly...

I like it that I can prepare and create

healthy meals for her.

When she gets tired of her porridge, I tease her with the yogurt:

Yogurt on her porridge and yogurt on her fruit...

Again, Happy New Year everyone! It's about time to make some noise with the Little One...

See you next year... ^,^

I Got Beyond

2011-12-28T06:10:00.003+09:00

I got this small token from a friend's sister for editing her master's degree research paper's "abstract." I told them not to bother anymore but she still felt she had to give me something.

It's actually a soothing body mist

The scent reminded me of my Aunt's

favorite Anais Anais (?) perfume...

but at the moment, I don't use any fragrance products (except for the Armani perfume my sister Izang sent me I use occasionally but at the moment, my current favorite really is Kenzo flower) to save SooAe from possible irritations or allergic reactions. Hm.. I might give this to my husband's niece...

I've always wanted to try Beyond's skin care and body care products but thought they're a little bit expensive. I take this gift as a start of new discoveries.. Let's go Beyond...

My Deconstructed Macaroni-Fruit Salad...

2011-12-28T05:44:00.000+09:00

I've learned how to make my own macaroni-fruit salad in Christmas of 2008. While growing up, I never really bothered to learn how to make these "Christmas delights" until I got married. Since it was my first time, I put so much macaroni in it that it looked more like a macaroni with a few fruits, cheese and raisins salad. A phone call from Mama even surprised me that I was supposed to put mayonnaise. Haha. Alex, wanting to please me, told me time and time again that it was delicious. Although I wasn't satisfied with the physical presentation, it was indeed delicious. Mother in law though, seeing the foreign ingredients for the first time, didn't fancy it. I really don't know whether she's lactose intolerant or just not into dairy products. In 2009, I think I became more confident and bolder such that I brought some for my companions at work. They liked it but it was too sweet for them. In 2010, Mama was here and she was against all sweets so she just made a macaroni soup for me, hehe.

This year, I carefully researched for my salad because I really wanted my friends here to taste it. I actually planned on inviting them over for the Noche Buena but they all went home to their Mom's place for the night.

The following day, I gave my friend 2 servings of the salad and two days later, we met up again and I was so surprised at how she carefully "deconstructed" my salad by asking me about each ingredient... She loved it and wanted to learn how to make it...

"What was the red square?"

"How about the green one? I also saw a white one that tasted like it too"

"Where did you get the cheese? What cheese was it?"

"Can I only use that kind or shape of pasta?"

"I tasted mayonnaise but it seems like you also used something else."

"Why was it sweet? What did you use? Obviously it's not sugar."

were her questions/observations.

It was actually the first time that I made (red) gelatin. I got these boxes of easy to make gelatin Mama sent me last time. Since a Filipino store is nearby, I was able to use this cheese from home. I still have a stock of the ingredients and I might make some again for SooAe's birthday.

And oh, I made Maja Blanca too and she liked it. I used the Thai Coconut cream and I was very pleased with the outcome.

It was only after I got the desired consistency of the

maja that I realized I didn't have the appropriate

container for it. In fear of the plastic's reaction

to the extreme heat, I lined it with waxed papers first.

It wasn't bad as well. My friend and Alex loved it too. Only I forgot about the coconut shavings for garnishing so I asked them to eat it with mango or cheese toppings. But with toppings or garnishing or not, we all still loved it anyway...

Of Our First Christmas...

2011-12-26T04:56:00.001+09:00

I planned very well for our FIRST Christmas ever as a family. I wanted us to be merry without overspending (hehe) but I think I actually did as Filipino goods are really expensive here and somehow wished I just got food delivered so I had more time playing and reading to SooAe for the last couple of days. As I've said in the previous post, I have very loving and doting relatives that help make this season a time to always remember every year. Of course, it's only fitting for me to wish the same for my daughter. But at the moment, I'm doing my best to be the doting "relativeS" to her... hehe..

What I prepared are not worth posting as I didn't get good shots of them anyway. How I wished I really got us that Tigger and Pooh Christmas cake last friday as when SooAe and I dropped by the bake shop before heading home from the church, only a couple were left and they're too big and not so Christmassy.

SooAe in the Church...

She kept on looking to her left

where these ajummas or halmonis in their glorious Hanboks and veils

were seated...

Or maybe she was actually drawn to the

Advent wreaths that were more attractive and interesting.

I actually thought that the service was going to be in English. Although in pure Korean, I still saw a lot of Filipinos. Last year, they were asked to sing for the Mass but this year, most of the choir members have gone home and they found it difficult to gather new members.

People systematically lined up for the viewing

of the Holy Family or of the Baby Jesus...

We actually lined up too and SooAe waved bye

to the Holy Family as we walked away...

I was so worried about SooAe getting sick because I was so confident we could come back home immediately after church. After church or not, the few meters walk to the taxi stand proved futile. We ended up taking the bus ride home as no taxi showed up until it arrived. Actually, we left the church even before the Gospel reading because the ajumma/halmoni procession before the mass took so much time. The viewing of the Holy family also took forever and the singing of the Gloria took eternity. SooAe got so agitated that I had to leave. The ajummas in the "children's room" weren't budging a bit to make room for us when I tried to peek in.

As I continued with the preparations when we got back home, SooAe entertained herself with her books. Whenever I called out or talked to her, she'd say something like "Don't disturb, okay?"

She'd tirelessly open her books from front to back

or back to front, hehehehe....

I made her to wear this headband just before Dad opened the front door but she didn't like it. Look at her expression.

Obviously, she didn't like it...

The small feast was started by a simple offering to my beloved Dad whose favorite season is Christmas and a prayer. I felt most appreciated when Alex thanked me for the preparations. He enjoyed my spaghetti and spicy chicken stir fry turned "dalk tori tang." We ate slowly, trying to feed SooAe too, and talked about our past Christmases. We drowned down the aftertaste with hot cups of honey citron tea while we stared out into the night from our veranda. Not too far away is the brightly lit shopping area coming to life day after day... I told him about the overnight party of the Filipinos at my friend's store in the area.

Dead tired, father and daughter immediately fell asleep when we decided to call it a night.. or morning should I say?

On Christmas Day, we all woke up so early but went back to sleep and allowed SooAe to sleep till midday. I had a lot of cleaning up to do. SooAe now makes mess like crazy and the house always looks like I never clean or fix at all.

By 4pm, we went outside for fresh air and to take a photo of SooAe with what's left of her White Christmas...

Thank you very much for the very pretty winter jacket, Aunt Phoebe.

Dad brought me to a movie date...

What a way to celebrate the day. Like what I wanted: a family day. It's our first Christmas as a family. He originally wanted us to go to my brother in law's house but I told him how I wished it to be just an "us" day as it was after all only his "free" day off of the month. For his past day offs, he had to do errands... Besides, he needs the rest so much...

I also hope you had a good or the best celebration ever. Sometimes, other relatives or friends or visitors get too drunk or so emotional that they do stuffs or say things marring the supposed best time of the year. It's hard, and easier said than done, but the best thing to do really is to ignore them and just go ahead and enjoy.

And before the year ends, I want to thank you all for sticking around with me this year. You all have been my constant companion and silent listener or reader of my ups and downs.... The witnesses and fans of SooAe's growth and antics.. Ah, I couldn't thank you enough...

Merry Christmas!!!

2011-12-24T16:55:00.001+09:00

SooAe and I had a very stressful December 23..

But a text from the photographer cheered my night..

He's done making SooAe's photo album spreads

all we have to do is wait for his call to claim the album,

print outs and soft copy...

(A spread from her photo album....)

We wish you all a very Merry Christmas

and a Blessed and More Prosperous New Year...

For our first Christmas together, Dad will be coming home late from work. So SooAe and I will go to church this 9pm, perhaps drop by the Filipino store where the Fil. community here will have their overnight Christmas party, get a cake or a pizza and head home.

What have you prepared so far? I'm done with my macaroni-fruit salad, maja blanca minus the coconut shavings (I tried cheese and mango and they complimented the sweet maja), and spicy chicken stir fry marinate. In a while, after resting, I'll prepare my spaghetti sauce and maybe another Korean side dish.

Dad promised me a tree this year but at the moment, we really couldn't find a nice place for it. SooAe tries to knock off or down everything standing on her way. She was able to get to the side of the TV by climbing up the box beside it and tried to knock it down. But how could I completely forget about the inverted tree like what SM malls do? I should have done it instead.. I did my best to decorate our place to make the season brighter...

The wall... unfortunately, I never got the chance

to get a third sock.. So they are definitely for Dad and SooAe..

The ceiling...

Alex said I overdecorated the house

and I told him they're all for SooAe.

She likes the hanging Christmas balls and ribbons.

Instant mobile, LOL!

Extra snowflakes decors were

taped to the TV.. haha...

Those canisters on top are yummy

wafers from Lottemart..

They make great giveaways or gift for students.

For the first time, I don't have wrapped Christmas gifts this year. Alex never got a day off and we couldn't go to the nearest mall. So everything's belated.. hehe.. Oh, I do have one for my cousin in law though, haha...

My family and relatives have great Christmas or holiday season traditions and we see to it that we make wonderful memories together, year after year. I happen to have very doting uncles, aunts, granduncles and grandaunts and cousins. With them, I always have wonderful childhood memories to remember. Of course, I can never get over whining and wishing we're all together every Christmas or end of the year. I can never get over wishing SooAe will experience that kind of holidays or get to feel really appreciated one day too. But we'll make it happen. Now's just not the time yet... At the moment, we'll do our best to make our Christmases really merry, warm and memorable...

My mom couldn't be anymore sadder than us, her children. Four of us are abroad and she only has my youngest brother to celebrate Christmas with in the house.

Grinch, in the form of a tsunami-like destructive storm stole Christmas from many people or families in Southern Philippines. Let's all offer a simple prayer for them please...

And oh, husband just called and asked if could we spend Christmas day, his only day off, at my brother in law's house and I wasn't able to answer immediately. He said I could think about it.. hmmmm....

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

SooAe the Little Bookworm...

2011-12-22T05:08:00.003+09:00

We have a Little Bookworm...

I was calling her out for breakfast but she just kept on

answering back with her "baby talk."

When I looked in, I couldn't help but take a picture of what she was doing.

I hope she'll appreciate Mama's efforts in the future...LOL!

These little books, along with the Pooh toys,

are her bedtime buddies...

I like it that I could hold out a Tigger or Piglet or Eeyore toy

as I read out to her...

She pretends and imitates me a lot...

While I read the bigger book to her, she'd open her tiny book

and pretend to read out loud too.

The little book is about farm friends.

She also makes the cow and horse sounds when I say

"Soo Ae too, please?" in Korean.

For the first 10 months, I only had these selection of books for her. I simply talk to her or tell stories out of memory. She loves them dearly.

After his first birthday, my friend got her baby boy 2 sets of Korean and a set of English books.

I definitely don't like this kind of bookshelf.

Because there are too many shelves or spaces to fill,

my mommy friends pick out and buy books on sale,

especially English books that are poorly translated, IMO,

just to fill the spaces out.

For English books, I still prefer buying them secondhand if

they're too expensive or have them sent to me than buy

books translated and published here in Korea.

I told them to not consider "costco" books

expensive if they really want quality English books

for their little ones.

Thanks to her, I got to see and compare the books so I knew what to get for SooAe. The "Froebel" brand or set is very popular but too expensive for just two handfuls of books. The Applebee set, boasting of 66 books (+ 4 dvds) in all and have several story books similar with Froebel's, is very affordable for only \199,000. Since she said she would have gotten the Applebee first had she researched some more, and my husband's English teacher cousin recommended it, we just got SooAe the Applebee set too.

She's always excited when a box arrives.

She'd walk and walk around it tirelessly.

Since they already look familiar, SooAe I guess marveled that she finally has her own set of Korean books... We originally planned on getting her own sets after her first birthday but when my Korean tutorial ended, I worried about Sooae's exposure to the Korean language and asked Alex we buy earlier so I could always read to her.

She dug into the box herself.

I helped her out with the heavy ones of course, hehe...

This set is appropriate from age 0months to 5 years old.

This is my favorite. The set of eyes would belong to different animals as you turn the page...

so cool...

Interestingly colored pictures/pages...

And finally, they would belong to a boy.. How I wish they had a different set for girls. I saw a couple of books more that would be better appreciated by boys. One even came with a toy car.

This one is Dad's instant favorite... Push the buttons to hear the proper pronunciation of greetings.

And most importantly, her favorite...

While I was busily washing her bottles,

she searched through the pile of her books,

grabbed this one, opened it and pretended to

be reading it aloud, even pointing out to the texts. LOL!

Maybe she loves the cute little girl in the book...

The book belongs to a 4-book series/set that comes with a dvd. There are 4 dvd sets in the package and I'm just glad there are books like this. In a way, I could listen to or watch with her for the proper pronunciation.

This cute little book is about a little girl refusing to eat what her mom served her. Instead, the mom turns the ingredients, one by one, into characters that animals would love to eat too...

Isn't she adorable? When I read books to SooAe, I personalize it by saying her name instaed of the original character's name.

And the book that scares us both, LOL!

A puppet and book in one.

SooAe would crawl away every time I try to

hold this one out or try to read to her.

I'm settling for this set for a while. My Korean language teacher just texted me yesterday to go claim SooAe's book/s from the multicultural center. SooAe doesn't belong in the age bracket being given free book/s but since she was born before Seollal (popularly called or known as "Chinese New Year), even after being born after 2010, she still filled out a form for SooAe. Also, a library will be opened this coming January at the nearby complex. I'm definitely excited to explore it with SooAe...

And now, I'm searching for a cute bookshelf for her books...

And they're just half of the total number of books

she currently has.

Not much but enough to entertain us both

and to learn from..

Question, is there something I don't like about this set? Yes, there is. I actually didn't notice it before but the "sound" books don't have switches in them. Once you've accidentally pressed a button, you have to patiently wait for the sound to end... Also, Froebel books seem more sturdy and "classy" looking. I think they are more lyrical too.. But I need variety. But Froebel books are also a little wide and heavy for Little People and tiny hands to hold... Applebee's are a little lighter, IMO.

We can settle for this. Who knows, the library might be full of Froebel books we can just borrow after all... ^,^

But like what my 2 mommy friends told me before, babies tend to "cling" to their first books. It's only been 5 days since her Korean books arrived. They're new and more colorful yet she still picks up her English books a lot. Sometimes, they feel silly for buying too many books because their babies would always reach out for their first books. I think it was the same way for us siblings. We grew up with just one thick collection of children's or Disney stories at home. I also remember a thick hardbound collection of English prose, poems and stories. The rest were about science stuffs and colorful pictures of post World War II pictures and stories and some of my grandmother's novels and Time magazine collection. I will do the same for SooAe eventually... ^,^

I hope Alex' siblings could read this, LOL, so they'll know what to give SooAe on her birthday, hehehehe.....^__________________^

The Munchkin Convert 2: Snack Catcher

2011-12-22T04:20:00.001+09:00

Eating or hanging outside with a baby is quite challenging. You have to think about her too especially when she's on solids already. Of course, you don't want your baby reaching out for the high calorie and greasy foods you want to indulge in so it's good to always bring along something for her, may it be her regular food or snacks.

I used to bring along a Gerber Lil Graduates

Snacks canisters for her to snack on while we eat outside

if I won't be feeding her regular meal.

Now I can put different kinds in this cute snack catcher and

we're good to go...

I wasn't actually so into this product but I thought to give it a try when she started biting off the lids of her Gerber canisters.

They come in gender neutral colors.. blah!

I started using this with SooAe about two months ago but unfortunately, she doesn't really fancy the color maybe. She rarely touches her snacks inside. She'd just try to bite the lid off, pick out a few pieces and then leave it lying around.

I on the other hand find this product cool because scenarios such as these are lessened:

Hand her a plate or two and at the count of two, the food

are all over the place..

You give her a few or a lot, she'll do the same...

SooAe doesn't find the digging into the container for food fun. She doesn't like it that she couldn't easily take off the lid either. I'll definitely get another one for her fruits. I like it best that I don't have to always scoop out her food or snacks from the floor and serve her fresh ones. Car messes are also further minimized.

I got this one even though SooAe doesn't really snack that much. Unlike her playmates, I'm proud that Sooae doesn't like eating almost all the time whenever they are playing together. SooAe would just look at the food, take a piece or two, scatter them on the floor and run away to continue playing or reading, LOL! I gave her Gerber Lil Graduates on her 7th or 8th month but she never really liked them except for the yogur, fruit and veggie melts.

I actually expected her to fall in love with this product and carry it around to eat but I guess my baby has self discipline after all.... ^,^

The Munchkin Convert 1: Six Soft-Tip Infant Spoons

2011-12-22T03:33:00.000+09:00

My inability to remember my GMarket ID and password made it difficult for me to make online purchases for my baby. Fortunately, my Korean mommy friends have been very helpful and so I finally got the things I so wanted for SooAe.

GMarket hasn't replied yet to my requests to email me my personal details or ID and PWs so I just also made up another account without using my ARC #.

In October, I misplaced SooAe's favorite spoon:

Super soft tip Infant spoon by Edison.

She fell in love with it right away.

She plays with the one she's holding in above photo and I feed her with this one:

Smart Steps Soft Touch (and long stemmed) Feeding Spoon by Evenflo.

The above mentioned spoons are definitely good with babies just being introduced with their first solids. They are both temperature sensitive and the soft tips are baby gums friendly. They enable you to pick up food with ease and being shallow, you can also easily remove food from them.

Losing that pink spoon (saddened me because I actually wanted to keep it in SooAe's memory box too) made me realize also that it was about time for transition anyway. SooAe needed bigger and deeper spoon for her food stage already. My friend immediately got me this when I asked her to.

Even Alex commented that these spoons make feeding SooAe easier and faster. We're able to feed her the appropriate amount of food at a time. When she rejects the food and pushes them back out with her tongue, it's so easy to scoop them off her chin, bib, tray, hands or clothes with these spoons. They are very colorful that she always wants to hold one or two while eating. Not bad. She does her best to pick up food on her own.

It's definitely worth the purchase. I only saw a couple of Munchkin products at the LotteMart we frequent. Emart has a lot of Munchkin products but to get to the nearest outlet, I have to take two bus transfers. I still love shopping in Malls than online. I get to see the actual products and compare right then and there.

Aritaum's Very Merry (Christmas) Gifts,Holiday Limited Edition: Holiday Special Body Set for a Special Teacher

2011-12-14T02:48:00.000+09:00

Indeed, hitting 2 birds with a stone again in this post...

ㅎㅎㅎㅎㅎㅎㅎㅎㅎㅎㅎㅎ

It's my Korean Teacher's last day today and I really feel sad not for myself but for SooAe. She knows it when Mrs. Lee would be visiting. She'd excitedly watch me or her dad arrange our "study" table. Then she'd impatiently watch out for her to arrive by crawling to and staying near the front door or simply glance every 5 seconds at the door while she's playing or eating. I already forgot the exact date when she did it but after learning how to climb on our "study table," she'd do it nonstop whenever we're having a lesson. There's this one time when she really wanted to drink her milk on it. We thought it was still early anyway so we gave in. But on that particular day, Mrs. Lee decided to come in early too and saw SooAe like this, to our embarrassment. (Alex always wants me to have my things ready and on the table even before my Teacher arrives. Not doing so, he said, is a sign of disinterest or rudeness.)

There's no way to stop her...

SooAe is hyper active when Mrs. Lee is around but she never once showed irritation and she'd also laugh at my daughter's antics and tell me that there's a little boy inside SooAe, hahaha... (I tried turning on the tv to divert her attention, to no avail.)

When I stood up to get her water, she threw my

books and notebooks on the floor, climbed up,

grabbed my Teacher's pen and chew on it.

But she never told me that it's going to be her last day today. She just kept on asking about SooAe's birthday and I didn't have a clue or didn't see it coming. She only informed Alex last Monday night when she had to tell him to get a copy of his family register for SooAe's free book(s?) from the center.

I wanted to give her a "Thank you" gift but unfortunately, the very thing that I wanted to give her is with my cousin, hehe. I wasn't able to bring it home with me the last time I visited their place. Alex wanted to get her either a pair of winter gloves or a scarf. Knowing my Teacher's fashion sense and Alex' shopping style, I told him to just leave the gift selection to me.

So together with my mommy friend here and with our kids, we headed to the nearest Aritaum shop after our early dinner at a burger place.

I originally wanted to get her something similar to this:

but the outlet is quite small and so they only have the Christmas set pictured below. I've been to bigger outlets and they have several body gift sets displayed too. Pictured above is also from Aritaum and it's the body gift set I got from my Director when I left GnB Academy in 2009. I love the scent and the powder puff. The similarly scented body powder has shimmers so I just transferred the powder in a bowl and used this cute container and puff for SooAe instead. Indeed, I didn't use it back then as I still had body sets from Alex' company.

This is the body or gift set I got for my Teacher. It's one of Aritaum's Holiday Special/Limited Edition gift sets. The box contains the following:

1 300mL Shower Gel

1 300mL Body Milk

travel sized/15mL tube of creamy hand cream (not pictured)

travel sized/15mL tube of foot cream (not pictured)

(all, in shea butter scent)

I wish I could give more but Alex and my Korean friend said

doing that would burden my Teacher such that she'd also

want and think of giving something to me and SooAe.

Among the sweet things about Korean cosmetics/skin care companies is that you can have your gift set beautifully wrapped for free or for a minimum fee. Other companies sell beautiful gift boxes for your purchases for as low as 1000won (Nature Republic, for example)...

SooAe's beautifully wrapped gift...

And, the freebies... A hand cream I've been lemming for and a beautiful baby blanket.

hand creams are among a mom's best friend..

this will definitely stay in the kitchen cabinet.

Our baby will miss Mrs. Lee the most. She has been very kind, patient and understanding of our situation, or the situation I chose. Other Moms have sent their babies to day care centers so they can concentrate with their studies and have some time to themselves but Mrs. Lee told me she admires how I never wanted SooAe to be out of my sight, LOL... Actually, even when Alex is home sometimes, she prefers seeing SooAe with me than staying with her dad in the computer or bed rooms...

SooAe loves to grab our pens and pencils just to show us she could hold them properly too like we do... Look...

As for me, I need to open my books and read or study for an hour (or more) everyday until my new teacher arrives in February 2012 so as not to fail Mrs. Lee too. She's a very good teacher. She'd compliment me on how I could easily get or understand the sentence patterns we're studying. I'm just a lazy student. My first term will be finished today and I'm happy and thankful that I was given a very understanding and diligent Teacher. She told my husband though that I'm the only student who usually asked for make up lessons for the times we needed to cancel my classes. Other foreign wives even escape or do not open the door sometimes when they don't want to study for the day because of some family problems.

Little did I know that they can be "counselors" too for foreign wives but I never really tried opening up to her about my problems and woes as a "foreign wife." I just ask about things that bother me like when my mother in law keeps on saying to SooAe "Halmoni chichi!" She told me that it's a joke by the elders, especially the grandmas or great grandmas to their grandchildren so I shouldn't be bothered by it. She added though that even younger Korean wives find it gross. But "Where's your sense of humor, Jehan?" she asked. I said I left it in the Philippines, I suppose, haha! and added that we are not close so I don't find it endearing at all.. kkk...

I appreciate her the most for not saying or asking anything at the times when I was in very vulnerable modes or situations. We'd go on with our lessons as if nothing's wrong with me. She'd sometimes arrive right after I'd been crying alone. Thus, the puffy eyes. As I'd mentioned before, I went through a difficult recovery and suffered from depression. Her presence, even though it was just for 4 hours a week only, definitely made a difference. At that one time I finally broke down in front of her, she even joked that I shouldn't be doing that. After all, I gave her the impression that I am a strong and very private woman, LOL... She told me that most of her students spend a great amount of their study time crying out to her or sharing their family problems, so she understands...

I've also heard of foreign spouses abusing their Korean Language Teachers such that in the contract I signed before our lessons officially started, it was stated that we cannot or shouldn't, in any way, harass or physically abuse our Teacher. Whoever did that was definitely out of her mind...

I'm looking forward to a new term. I'm hoping she'll come back here. She told Alex that they have plans to relocate in Seoul. Although she can still teach here, she's not sure whether they'll be assigning her to the same area or not..

It would be so selfish of me to request her to come back to teach here. Travel time from the Women's center to our area alone takes 30-40 minutes. I hope and pray that Mrs. Lee will have diligent, studious and kind students in the future.

To these wonderful women (and men? didn't hear of a male Korean language Teacher visiting homes) of Korea, Thank you very much...

Etude House' AC Clinic White-Trouble Essencializer

2011-12-12T02:47:00.002+09:00

A slight review.... ^,^

Will update after getting my sister's opinion on the product...

ㅎㅎㅎㅎㅎㅎㅎㅎㅎㅎ

We did a bit of "hauling" yesterday for my "baby sister," a nurse in KSA, whose day off is usually spent on studying, attending required lectures and Pediatric club meetings and drama marathon watching or dancing to 2ne1 songs maybe when she's not sleeping, hahaha..! The Pediatric club meeting is attended by doctors from all over KSA to give some lectures and only a selected few staff nurses are chosen to go and attend. I, too, would breakout with the constant pressure and stress from work. She works at the PICU and work is really very demanding.

The last time we talked on skype, she especially requested for Etude House' AC Clinic Acne Foam Cleanser because from the stuffs I sent her last year, it's the only product that works for her, she said. She definitely can buy herself branded or known skin care products but she said it's the only product she knows that works for her skin best. So off we went to E-Mart early yesterday afternoon to purchase SooAe's Christmas gifts for her...

She actually only received the free travel sized tube of the cleanser. It comes with the AC Clinic Red Spot Balm kit. This time, I got her the regular size, a 150mL tube and picked up another box for her: the AC Clinic White Trouble Essencializer:

The Essencializer bottle.

The box/kit includes travel sized

or 15mL bottle of the AC Clinic White-Trouble 2 Step Toner

and

10mL tube of the Essencializer.

I originally wanted to get my Sister the step 2 toner and face lotion(?) but the lotion's (glass) bottle is way too heavy (for shipping costs, LOL!!!) and I know that my sister isn't really into very tedious skin care routine. Then I tried holding the tester bottle of the Essentializer. I thought it was reasonably light and after trying it on my skin, I immediately thought that it's definitely the skin care product for my sister. I also tried applying it on my face after washing early this evening and I like it that it's really light on the skin. Other facial creams seem too heavy and creamy that it feels like you've just loaded your face with pore clogging oils. This one really feels good and the slight medicated smell/scent didn't bother me either.

This product became more appealing to me after reading from it's box that it's actually an emulsion and cream in one. So if you're looking for a light (on skin) and affordable skin care product, this is a must try.

For the curious, here's the product description from the box:

1-Free of the 5 harmful elements ( I really don't know what they're talking about but when I checked the list of ingredients, I didn't see any "~~~paraben" in it)

2-Contains 10% Propolis extract

3-Patented trouble skin care product

4-Dermatologist tested

5-Suitable for Acne-prone skin: (not tested on animals?) --can't get the translation right, it says tested on humans/body

6-non-comedogenic

"It is a 2-in-1 essencializer which gives both emulsion and cream at one time use. It prevents rashes(?) by keeping circulation rhythm on skin."

This should be used at the last stage of skin care or just simply apply it on after washing your face if you're not using any other skin care product.

Recommended Sequence (if you have the other products under this line):

bubble cleanser--2 step toner--yellow spot--essencializer

But why the many steps? Asian skin care routine actually consists of 5 (simple) steps. The halmonis and ajummas I've seen do more, believe me. These steps or skin care routine ensure concentrated treatment to correct skin problems. The essencializer (being an emulsion and cream in one) will provide good moisturizing effect after having used the yellow spot. Other concentrated treatments, the red spot balm for example, can dry the skin or cause peeling (usual case for me, I don't know with the others) after having been applied, so moisturizers are also a must. Having oily or slightly oily (or whatever degree of oiliness you have) skin doesn't mean you don't need to moisturize. You still need it, just applying the adequate amount, and use a good sunblock even when you're not going out (of your house)...

That is why although it's under the "AC Clinic" line, the SA told my husband that it shouldn't be treated as an ultimate "acne" treatment. It would yield best results when used with the acne treatment mentioned earlier (the 2 step toner and yellow spot).

Direction of use: pump adequate amount and gently tap/massage on face....

The purchase and samples given...

Can you see that packet with a drawing of a lady on it? It's actually a

compact mirror but a bit heavy. Instead of including it in my sister's package,

husband suggested we replace it with some more "ppepperos" hehehe..

And for the wallet damage? The Essentializer costs 12,000won (almost $11) and the Acne Foam Cleanser is only 7,500won.

Korean Post Office Greeting Cards...

2011-12-09T02:23:00.001+09:00

It's my 4th Christmas here in Korea. I never missed sending Christmas cards to family and friends back home. In 2008, when Alex and I both went to the post office to mail our cards, I saw a board full of (Korean post office) Greeting card samples. I remember being so fascinated with them. They were more beautiful than the cards we were going to send. I promised to get Christmas cards from them for the following years but it never happened. Kyobo, Homeplus and Lottemart offer a wide and beautiful selection of Christmas greeting cards too, making me forget about the post office cards...

This week though, when we went to mail the cards we prepared, I had the chance of buying and sending one of their cards to a friend...

Korean Post Office Greeting Cards

The most expensive one is only 1,100won.

The cheapest one is only 350won.

The others range from 700 to 850won.

For only 700won, I was given a very lovely card, a writing paper and a beautifully stamped envelope.

Last set of the design I chose.

Actually, this one is the display sample.

I just wanted it so badly that they gave it to me.. hehe..

A closer look: the recipient can even play with the movable blue kite by pulling/tugging on the yellow and green "handles" to which the ends of the strings are attached to...

What more could you ask for? Even the back of the envelope is very pretty...

For next year, I really must get my cards from the Post Office. They are all interestingly beautiful...

Two Things I Love About Christmas...

2011-12-07T16:15:00.001+09:00

Two things I love about Christmas:

"sending and receiving"

Christmas Cards...

It's that time of year when

you long to see one in the mail box.

Reading a Christmas Greeting the old fashioned way

takes my homesickness away..

3.5

2011-12-07T15:30:00.000+09:00

To my dismay, Alex didn't realize yesterday that it's been 6 months already since we celebrated our 3rd wedding anniversary (funny how I used this one before to explain to him when and how to use the cardinal and ordinal numbers. He'd always say 2nd floors so I told him yes, there are 2 floors but you are only referring to the one on top of the first one so you should say "2nd floor." Like we've been married for 3 years now and had been living together for 3 years now or had 3 anniversaries but we're only celebrating the 3rd one so you should say "anniversary" not anniversaries.). He was a-grumpy about something the whole morning that I had to tell him to stop or else he'd look like SooAe's great grandfather by the time she enters elementary school.

I suggested we order pizza for dinner but he instead cooked "pa jeon" to my dismay. LOL. Actually he saw on tv how it's properly done so he went to the market after lunch to buy the necessary ingredients. He did really well. I just forgot to take a photo of one pa jeon as I was very irritated.hahaha...

Anyway, I didn't get the chance to talk about our 3rd anniversary celebration. We had a very simple one as we have a baby to think about. He wanted us to leave her with MIL so we could go somewhere else but I wanted to celebrate the occasion with her.

She was just 4 and a half months old then. Nowadays, as much as possible, we go to "traditional" style restaurants where we can sit on the floor so there'll be enough play area. She just hates high and baby chairs.

We went to a specially marinated beef restaurant in Incheon. I forgot the name of what we ate but yeah, it was delicious (and very expensive that I wasn't satisfied,LOL) and the ajummas were very kind to assist us very well... Soo Ae by that time, had mastered rolling over already and I just found it difficult to concentrate with my food...

Before going home, he asked me to choose the cake we're going to bring home and here's what I got: an ice cream cake from Baskin Robbins (and he bought exactly the same one for my birthday the following month, LOL)

In 4 addicting flavors, he commented that

he couldn't remember us buying any cake for our 1st and 2nd

anniversaries. These 4 hearts then made up for them

and the 4th one signifies we are celebrating the years ahead..

Amen to that...

Our first wedding anniversary was a disaster. He wanted to make up for it on our 2nd one but I wasn't in the best condition then to go out celebrating as I felt like vomiting at the slightest smell of cooking food, grilling meat and pizza. For our third one, we couldn't go far or really linger long in the restaurant as we had SooAe to prioritize. I still had a great time though. He hoped that it would somehow erase the horrors of the 1st one that still haunt me to this day...

We actually celebrated our anniversary in advance and on the exact date, we visited a family friend and had dinner together..

My very aggressive baby...

I heard that Korean men, or maybe his generation, LOL (we have a 10-year age gap), aren't fond of celebrating "anniversaries" and I keep on telling him that it's not about Korean style all the time. My Korean friend also lamented that her husband always forgets about their anniversary yet in Korean dramas or movies, I've seen sooo cheesy couples celebrating their 100th day or whatever day really big.

But whether he remembers the important dates in our lives on his own or not, I like it that he does his best to make up for them by planning and researching on how to celebrate them well, simple or grand.

Our Korean life is definitely like a roller coaster ride. We have our ups and downs (or should I say "downs and downs" hehehe), and ugly and beautfiful moments together yet we are still here...

Happy three and a half years, Alex...

Finding Autumn 2011 at Lake Park, Ilsan...

2011-12-04T00:07:00.000+09:00

For our Autumn Trip, we actually went to Gapyeong and Nami Island but I guess it was too early such that the views paled in comparison to what we've witnessed in Jeolla Provinces last year.

Not being able to climb any mountain this year, Alex planned on going back to Mt. Bukhan alone but it rained on the supposed day off and so, we just all stayed inside and did some fixing and repairs here and there...

Two days later, the weather was warm enough that I asked him to drive us to Ilsan's Lake Park or "호소 공원" for our final "finding autumn" trip...

The parking lots were all full but I encouraged husband to be patient and wait a little more before turning back (home). In just less than 2 minutes, cars went out from the park and so we were allowed entry.

Parking fee is so cheap and entry to the park is free. We were just late already and the sun was already setting when we started to walk. We forgot that sun sets early this time of year.

Nevertheless, our Little Mover Little Shaker still had a great time...

Initiated "peek a boo" with the two little boys playing catch...

Fortunately, they were enamored with her smiles and giggles

and so they gave in.

I wanted to have our picture taken at the gazebo but two ajosshis were drowning their loneliness (I guess) away with bottles of soju...

I stood there like forever, waiting for the couple to go away but they just wouldn't... I still took a picture anyway...

When he saw this, Alex exclaimed that there was no need for us after all to travel far next time..

"Closer, Mommy... Higher, Daddy..."

And just like that... It was suddenly dark... and it felt so pathetic to be taking this picture with an antiquated camera with blinking "almost" empty battery sign...

When it was already impossible to see and appreciate the beauty the lake has to offer, we headed back to the picnic area near the parking lot. We finished 600grams of yes, you guessed it right, "Jae Yook Bokkeum," shared a cup noodle and relaxed for some more minutes before calling it a "Lake Park" day...

Soo Ae had a great time and I hope we could visit again the Lake Park this spring. It's definitely a family friendly park.

Since we were almost out everyday when the weather was warm and pleasant, I know that Soo Ae's missing the outdoors badly. Even though it's cold, she'd crawl out to the veranda and wave her arms while looking at the mountain park across our building.

Maybe we should go out tomorrow afternoon. This place by the way is getting more interesting. The shopping area is slowly taking shape. I don't have to travel far for my "burger and fries" and SooAe's "Bon Juk." hehehe...

The Picture...

2011-12-03T23:08:00.002+09:00

There's this picture I always wanted to paint... In my mind, it simply depicts happiness...

Not all people around us were happy with my idea though... But I went on with it anyway...

Then the picture slowly came to life.. Month after month, we showed the improvements of the picture, how it was taking lovely shapes and curves... Each vision was a surprise. Each glimpse of it took our breaths away. Some were ecstatic, some were plastic. LOL...

Then the picture was unveiled... It brought us joy beyond explanation. It was a beauty beyond description... It was perfection I never expected...

This picture is the only one I can call mine... Some are and will always be in the prowl to take this picture, depicting my happiness, away from me, when all I wanted to do is "share." But I will hold on to it tightly, protect it with all my might. I don't have a "check-list" acquisition definition of happiness. I'm happy and content with what I have anyway. I have nothing to prove. I only have a few precious "acquisitions" and yet others are still not happy with this simplicity that I have...

But I'll stand my ground, fight for what I believe is right and proper for my picture... because in the end, it will always bear or be after my name....

____

Though I can start anew with a blank canvass, it will take some time for me to include her...

Of Finding Autumn 2011 at Bukhan San and The "Dongyongyongyongyong" Sound

2011-11-29T00:37:00.000+09:00

After witnessing Naejangsan's autumn foliage last year, Alex admitted to me that it was quite difficult to satisfy his eyes with the sites we'd been to this year's autumn. A 2-day drip to Gapyeong wasn't enough. So he decided we visit Bukhan San again before it actually got so cold.

I guess the weather cooperated with us that day. It became warm as we approached Seoul and even warmer as we started to climb the first trail we went to.

SooAe gets more adventurous when being carried by her Dad but knowing she's more secure and comfortable with me, I decided to carry her instead of the lighter camping/climbing bag when we went to another trail.

SooAe and I were able to enjoy the climb and view because of the gently sloped and tiled path.

I already forgot what this trail's name is but I definitely saw this from a peak when we climbed Bukhansan in 2008. This is definitely a friendly trail for moms like me. We badly needed exercise so we decided not to bring along the car even if we could..

It was already 3pm when we were able to spot a good place for a short picnic.

My becoming famous "Jae Yook Bokkeum" (Spicy Pork Stir Fry). The sauce can also be used for chicken (sliced thinly) and squid. Dad liked it so much that he bought chicken and squid that same week. The week before that, I cooked for my mommy friends here. The week before that too, I cooked it for his nephew. Just 3 weeks ago, I cooked it for my brother in law's family again. I'm actually so tired of it already but Alex just requests it all the time. We basically don't eat "samgyeopsal" anymore.. LOL!

Dad chose a secluded place where I was able to breastfeed SooAe. She fell asleep while we tried to finish every slice of the 1kilo stir fried pork. This is what I like when we go out. Alex does everything while I just sit around and watch or wait for him to cook our food. He'd even feed me... winks!!! (*,^)

After the late lunch, we continued climbing and the view just got better.

Part of the Muryeong Temple

The views across the temple...

It was very frustrating to take this photo with an antiquated camera (haha). The mountain with all the colors looked magnificent..

We walked on for about 20 minutes more, lingered around the viewing deck of which I forgot to take a picture of and decided to head back to the car/base when it started to get dark and cold. When we passed by the temple again, they were ringing the big bell already. SooAe kept on looking around, wondering where the sound was coming from.

Seeing these shops reminded me that we actually visited this site before already, only preferring to take the rugged path. Alex insisted we stay some more and look around to avoid the heavy traffic.

It's gotten windy though so we went back to the car and with little amusement, we gave in to her request: to be allowed to play in the driver's seat.

As most moms know, having an active baby in a very small space or area with lots of restrictions is very taxing. After a while, I bugged Alex we start going home already but he said a camping or climbing trip would be incomplete without a (cup) ramyeon...

And so I gave in and we went out again to the nearest park for our hot cup of "snack ramyeon." Doing my best to always eat healthy, this was my first ramyeon after giving birth and OMG, it tasted really good.

We enjoyed eating our cup noodles in the dark. Other climbers were just coming down from the mountain and it somehow helped me to not feel scared or entertain creepy thoughts about the place.

With a baby in tow, it's not that easy anymore to be going out especially that he loves activities like this. But the best thing about it is that he takes care of everything, from packing to unpacking and cleaning after. I said "Thank you." He said he has lots of imperfections that frustrate me and it's the least he could do, LOL! We finally called it a "great day" and walked back to the car.

A passerby volunteered to take our picture

when he saw me setting up the camera's timer.

SooAe fell asleep while we were enjoying our cup noodles and was asleep the whole time on our way home. She stirred a little when I undressed and changed her before putting her to bed. The following morning though, she woke up early and patted Dad and me on our faces. When dad won't sit up, she started moving her face towards him making this sound:

"Dongyongyongyongyong....."

She moved her body backwards and started for Dad's face again repeating the sound for at least 4 or 5 times...

Dad sat up straight and said, "Isn't that the temple bell's sound?"

We both laughed at her and we all went out to the living room.

Since then, SooAe never made that sound again, no matter how hard Alex reminded her of it. Maybe, another trip to the mountain or a temple would...

Her Hanbok...

2011-11-25T14:15:00.000+09:00

We were so busy the whole day yesterday finalizing everything for SooAe's "Dol" (first birthday) shoot. MIL owns 2 sets of Hanbok but I also requested Alex we rent a new one for her. This afterall will be SooAe's lifetime treasure photo and I want everything to be beautiful. She was against it at first but when I told her what I thought of her Hanbok during her nephew's wedding, she gladly agreed with me.

I originally wanted us to wear Hanbok with modern take on them but the more I looked at their photos and displays, the more I realized that it's still better to stick to their traditional looks. I chose a not so long top for me. However for SooAe's I wasn't given much choice as they presented me with sets having the same top with mine.

What they asked me to put on her...

For little girls, I personally think that Hanboks with long tops like this are really pretty.

photo source

When I tried to say "I don't like it." Alex told me to leave everything to them because they know better. I said okay since the first design I also chose for myself happened to be for older women yet the model wearing it in the picture was younger than I am and she really looked good in it. kkk.

I've been thinking about the colors since last night and so I bugged Alex just a couple of minutes ago we change her Hanbok' top or jeogori (and even the skirt or chima completely) color and he agreed.. Oh, I'm so glad...

She looks great in red. He loves her in red.. But it doesn't create a "princess" or "little cute girl" look for her...

What do you think?