jehan's addictions

Our 5th...

2013-06-19T15:19:00.002+09:00

Alex and I celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary on June 6, almost 2 weeks ago. June 6 happens to be the Memorial Day here in Korea so it's actually an official national holiday. Usually, on this day, at 10 in the morning, a siren rings all over the country for people to stop and offer a prayer for the fallen soldiers during the Korean war. Some families in our apartment complex displayed the Korean flag outside of their verandas. Funny how Alex told me to be ready by 10am that day. Ready I was even before the siren started ringing.

With our bags of toddler things and of course with the Little One, we headed to Seoul for a simple Gangnam-ish day.... The itinerary was "coex---namsan/coffee shop--play area for sooae---oakwood hotel" but we ended up just really staying within Gangnam.

After spending more than 3 hours at the Coex' 2013 Korea Autocamping Show, we didn't have much time to get out of Gangnam already so he looked for the Royal Tombs he saw earlier that day and brought us there. After 3 hours too, we drove back to Coex, just beside it is the Oakwood Premier Hotel. He got us reservations for a dinner buffet. The food was lovely but not as interesting as I expected them to be... All in all, we still had a great day, especially the Little One...

June is the month of celebrations in our family. On the 6th is our anniversary, 7th is his birthday and we also usually celebrate MIL's bday within June. They follow the Lunar calendar in celebrating MIL's birthday. But for this year, it happens to fall on the first week of July. My birthday's on July 12 and so Alex decided we celebrate it together. Since our family summer vacation is from 11-15, yes, we're going on a vacation with my 2 SILs and BIL with their families, Alex told everyone we're just celebrating MIL's birthday once gathered at the vacation site. I told him to never mention it's my birthday too. I would like it to be a special one for MIL. Besides, I'm used to not celebrating my birthday anymore. I don't know.. Since we spend so much in May and June, I always tried to cut our expenses between these family months and the Chuseok (which falls on either September or October).

~~~~

I would like to share with you a number of photos of the camping show (just in case you might be interested to visit next year) and of the royal tombs, a "royal nature getaway" in the middle of Gangnam...

Since it's the camping season again, I just agreed with his desire to go to COEX for the 2013 Korea Autocamping Show...

Camping gears were everywhere but I was most drawn to Lafuma's tent colors^^

SooAe was entertained with the sample displays. I only had to follow her around. She didn't get bored at all.

Tiny black yak stuffed toys by "Blak Yak".. She tried to ride one of them but they were too soft, to her dismay^^

Millet had the cutest displays. Their theme was American Indian camping...

Alex had been going around for almost 3 hours already. She got sooo tired...

but far from being bored....

After 3 hours, I was finally able to convince him to pay for our choices and left the area. We immediately headed to Seolleung and Jeongneung Royal Tombs..

Originally, we planned on going to Namsan Tower for a break/fresh air or see a good coffee shop or play area for SooAe before dinner but he saw the sign for this lovely place on our way to the mall.

SooAe fell asleep on our way inside. It was terribly hot that day but the greenery and peaceful scenery were refreshing...

A poor shot I got of one of the tombs.

Alex and I were tired from walking around the camping show and to the picnic area of the tomb sites. I was looking forward to the peaceful rest but a group of children, laughing and shouting passed by near our picnic spot and so the Little Running Machine woke up. Upon opening her eyes, she saw birds flying and the endless chasing of birds and squirrels started.. No, there wasn't even a chance for me to rest my feet for a while. Alex got busy reviewing some brochures from the camping show. But when he saw me throwing him sharp looks, he got up and asked me to rest.

It's worth dropping by the History center in the tomb sites. You'll get detailed views and information about the Royal tombs. We definitely enjoyed it inside...

especially SooAe who stamped these postcards non-stop...

Free... It's a very nice remembrance. There are two stamps, in Korean and English.

At 5:30, we left the Royal Tomb sites and headed back to Oakwood's premium buffet....

He loves sushi

and sushi^^ (yeah, he originally planned on taking us to Todai but the ambiance wasn't for celebrating something special...

Lovely food but not as interesting, we still filled our plates and stomachs with content..

Good thing I brought her small sketchbook and crayons, they kept them on her chair for a while more than she the food usually does. Since there weren't many guests, the staff were kind enough to baby sit a while. I don't know, SooAe is suddenly sooooooo mischievous....

Among her favorites (yes, she had 3 and broke one cup ㅠ___ㅠ), the mango creme brulee...

Ah... It was a long but enjoyable day for all of us.. Alex had a great time at the camping fair, SooAe enjoyed being told "kwiyowo" and "yeppura" and well... I was tired.. so tired but how could I complain?

SooAe dropped the bomb when we were almost finished eating.. I had to remove the soiled diaper before returning to the car. Upon snapping her onesie, she immediately scrambled out of my hands and ran to her dad.. Yeah, people in the elevator just smiled at her "No, not chuwo!" ^^

The Other Side of the Story: Jang Ok Jung: Live in Love Sageuk Drama

2013-05-31T02:33:00.000+09:00

[updated: 2013-06-19]

I remember blogging about the drama "Dongyi" way back in 2010. It depicted the life of Choi Sook Bin who gained the favor of King Sukjong and bore him a son that later became King Yeongjo. King Yeongjo succeeded his older brother Gyeongjong, the son Jang Ok Jung bore King Sukjong.

The deep love between Sukjong and Ok Jung was also portrayed well in Dongyi. However, for every drama/story, there's a need for someone triumphing over someone else. That's Dongyi and the Queen Inhyeon over Jang Ok Jung and her supporters.

"Jang Ok Jung: Live in Love" relays Jang Ok Jung/Jang Hee Bin's side of the story. Jang Ok Jung or Jang Hee Bin (Royal Noble Consort, title given after giving birth to the first son of the king) is one of the best known royal concubines of the Joseon dynasty and her story has been portrayed a lot both in big and small screens...

Since I'm not a Kim Tae Hee fan, I wasn't really jumping up and down about this drama at first. I like Yoo Ah In though so I thought of giving the first 2 episodes a chance. I found the coincidental meetings of the young Sukjong and Ok Jung overly exaggerated, like that of the first episodes of the "Moon Embracing the Sun," that I didn't even try watching the episodes that followed.

Weeks passed and one lazy Sunday afternoon, with nothing else to watch, Alex tried tuning in to the drama's rerun (episodes 11 and 12 I think). That's because while he was flipping through the channels, SooAe shouted "Daddy! Mam-ma!!" (meaning "queen"--she also refers to her hanbok as the "mam-ma dress^^) when her eyes caught the beautiful costumes. He tried to look for the channel which turned out to be "this" drama and we were hooked.

I thought the story has gotten better that I actually immediately searched for the English subbed episodes^^,

As most Korean historical dramas, there are inaccuracies (i.e. about the Queen Mother) but Korean historians themselves aren't complaining so I'll just continue watching to see how they'll end Jang Hee Bin's already tragic (love) story...

By the way, in Dongyi, JHBin's mom was portrayed as the "evil" one and her brother took advantage of the favors JHB was getting from the King. In this drama, I like it that the mother is a "Lady" turned slave. It's actually the Queen Mother who used/summoned the "sorceress" countless times. So I'm hoping they won't end JHBin's life with the "sorcery" story as an act of treason....

plucked photos from HERE^^

As usual, I patiently wait for the English subtitles on DRAMACRAZY.NET (CLICK TO WATCH). The team working on the subs is great!!! My big big thanks to them.... And yes, I now admire Kim Tae Hee for taking the role. Although I don't think she's amazing (acting wise) at least she's doing a good job opposite the "better/veteran" actors. ~~~ [update: 2013-06-19] Oh no, I'm changing my mind about Kim Tae Hee.. She's definitely doing a great job. I cried with her in last night's episode. Ah.. They definitely made a great "love team." I'm somehow wishing the drama wouldn't stray away or change the ending of the novel... Even my Little One watches with so much interest. She's so fascinated with the pretty costumes... ^^ ~~~

I think that after Jumong, I didn't really see anything as engaging and epic. Are historical dramas losing their spark already?

When the Truth is Being Searched for YOU....

2013-05-30T00:09:00.002+09:00

For my fellow Filipinas already lured and that might be lured into Korean churches (because I'm being told these churches have Filipina members already. They also try to call the Filipina member or set a meet up so "she" could convince me to join)....

~~~

I am a Catholic. My mom is a devout one and she would ask us to pray the rosary with her when we were really young. In time, she stopped asking us to join her pray. Seeing us all active in the church, serving in the Sunday Mass, was enough for her.

Life is precious.

These little ones are our angels.

@ Yanggok Catholic Church

I admit that I have become less active in church, especially after graduating from the University, but that doesn't mean that I completely lost my "faith" or "conversations with God."

I am not here to attack non-Catholics or other religions but give an advice for the following situations:

(1) When the "Bible" itself is being used against what you grew up firmly believing in, against what you studied (school and university), against your personal beliefs and understanding, tell these evangelist wannabes first that you want to talk to your spiritual adviser or church priest or religious leader before accepting their invitations. Yes, don't entertain invitations to their house, your house or their church... Lest, you might be baptized in their house, your own house or their church before you're allowed to get out.

**They pretend to be over sweet and doting with your children or to you ("You're a foreigner, you must be very homesick. You must be very lonely. Why not be friends with us, come to our church.") so you would feel shy to say "no" or resist (done to me many times and yes, that's me. Shy to be rude... ggrrr) A coffee or tea would mean meeting with other church members too, a bible study or uncomfortable conversations with them. Once you're asked "Do you believe in the Bible?" make the best excuse you can to get out of the house. Always be careful when being asked for your personal information. You might be listed in their "members" book without prior notice, or without your knowledge and understanding at all. (almost done by someone else's church to me)

(2) If you're unable to reach your local church's Priest/Pastor/Deacon, there's the internet... Research about the group or church. The amount of information is astounding... and shocking!!! ^^ (of course, that includes Catholics and Catholicism).

Why research, why seek proper counseling?

**We Catholics for example practice or celebrate feasts not mentioned in the bible. These are among the things being attacked, the things we believe in since childhood that are being challenged. These antis study how to confuse a believer. Of course, it pays to be open-minded but when being confused, isn't it only fitting to seek the answers from people with authority and who studied the "faith" (i.e. priests) without intentions of finding faults in what others believe in?

**Another example: Is there really a female God? Aren't we made in the image and likeness of god? (from Genesis 1). Or is God both a male and a female? This was discussed clearly in our Religion 1 (SLU, 1st sem, 1st year) subject. Our professor told us that the days mentioned in the 1st chapter of Genesis actually represent the "time" or "period" the world was created by God. The word DAY shouldn't be taken literally. One day could mean hundreds and millions of years. Wasn't the sun created a few "days" later (4th day?). How could there be "days" already prior its creation? And reading further (I don't have an old testament now but I clearly remember the story at least, Genesis 2?), Adam felt "lonely" (not the exact words of course) and so God gave him companions. God showed him the animals but they weren't enough. He was still lonely and so God thought of a suitable partner for him. Take note: God thought of a suitable partner for him. He then put Adam to sleep, took out a rib and formed a woman out of it. If there is a female god, God would have immediately created male and female together^^ Adam didn't have to be lonely...^^ I can believe that God is both a male and female. But I can not believe that there's a separate female God in human flesh, and an anti-family....

**To know more about what they're introducing to you. Will it really be healthy (spiritually and in the end mentally) or helpful? Since they only provide the materials they want you to believe, there must be a document out there refuting their claims or at least telling us the pros and cons. I once researched about a church here in Gimpo. I was shocked to learn about the female members being told to "abort" when they get pregnant. Members are told to "abandon" their work or other aspirations in life and concentrate on studying the bible and learning how to recruit new members for the end is near. No wonder there were lots of ajummas going around in 2010-2012. But that end didn't happen. So I'm just wondering what's going on now with those people...

**Should you become a member and you can't even convert your husband, they might ask you to "break" your family. Is the church above the family? Is it the authority to break a family? Is it even supposed to break a family at all. There are families and bonds broken... How sad is that... I believe that a church should help in "reminding" to keep the foundations of a relationship and home/family strong. There's also the probability of being asked to "isolate" yourself from non-believers. No, I don't want to do that with/to my child. We all believe in the same One God. We just call Him differently, praise Him differently... but I will never do something that will be damaging to my child...

Even when there are only 10 or 15 church goers, the Mass goes on...

No, he didn't tell us to go to the streets to gather new members..

He instead told us to call our fellow Catholics to "celebrate" the Mass together next time...

(3) Though what they say is interesting, never show a flicker of interest with your eyes. That flicker which simply means "he he" is mistaken for as interest to join their group. They assume too much (that you are of the devil) and since you heard what they had to say (that you are enlightened), you must be a member right there and then.

(4) You can "entertain" them though if you are confident with your knowledge of the Bible or your high school catechism^^ and turn the table around instead. If not and they won't stop bothering you, tell them you're going to call the police...

***

I was once told that, maybe, God led me to Gimpo to know the "truth..." that's why there are lots of people coming to me from the same "church." No, I'm here in Gimpo because it's where we found an affordable house that's also very near my husband's workplace. If God really wanted me to know the truth, then why is there an English Mass every sunday at the nearby Catholic church, isn't that just sooooo wonderful? Isn't that a blessing for me? Yes, Jesuit priests driving really small or even old cars come to us, the Filipino community, every Sunday. I used to attend a Korean service in Bupyeong^^ And while they drive an hour or so just to get to us, the church community, they never, for once, asked at least 10% of our household's total income to support the church^^

And again, I'm saying this, I will never ever give up my Christmas^^ Why? Because I love celebrating the birthday of Jesus, born on December or not. The word Christmas is not in the Bible but the reason/story we celebrate is clearly written in the Gospels^^, As for Easter... oh well.. By the way, SooAe loves her Barney "Easter Party" book looking for and counting colorful eggs^^ How can I complain? Peace!!!

Anti-Acne/Blemish Skin Products: Do they really work?

2013-05-13T01:00:00.000+09:00

One addicting fact about my eye allergy medicines is that they also calm down my break outs that's why on our last appointment, I told Alex to just ask the doctor for my eye drops or I'll end up being so vain and dependent on them.

I have great products for my face, from the soaps/cleansers (sorry not pictured but will do a separate post) to the toner and moisturizers but I still break out because of the common reasons (lack of sleep, poor diet/not drinking enough water even, no exercise), change of season (biggest problem at times) and being lazy to cleanse my face very well and apply the products.

Anti-acne/blemish products work but results vary and depend on the users' skin type, needs, diet, habits and skin care practices, etc...

As for me, I'll stick with Clinique at the moment. My breakouts are manageable and when I religiously do my part of the bargain, I'm almost pimple-free....

Clinique's Anti-blemish solutions clearing moisturizer,

clarifying lotion and dramatically different moisturizing gel

So for the readers out there looking for good acne/pimple products to try, I can only recommend this line from Clinique and ProActiv (which is available here but ridiculously expensive). ProActiv taught me to be patient and "religious" with the use of the product. When busy with project studies and group studies, I would just bring the "refining mask" for an overnight treatment.

Like most skin care, of course we need to continuously use them to see or experience results. Don't be lazy, don't lose hope after a week only of using an anti-acne/blemish product.

I'm a little apprehensive at the moment because we'll be meeting with the relatives again in a month for my MIL's birthday. I don't want being noticed because of my bad skin. That's why I'm so in the mood to work for my skin. I also want to do something about my weight. I still weigh like how I did when we first came home from the hospital after giving birth... Would you believe that?

Have a great week ahead.

What's On Your Bookshelf?

2013-05-09T22:53:00.002+09:00

"Why do you have these here?" asked a nosy ajumma one time, pointing at my things on a shelf. My husband and I just shrugged our shoulders. Having two kids of her own, we thought the answer was soooo obvious...

I have a simple vanity table we got from someone selling to us his sofa and dining table in 2011. Alex and I went to check the items first before picking up the following day. On our way out of the apartment, the man jokingly said "No one's grabbed this yet. You might want to take it off our hands, too?" Since Alex felt nice talking to the young couple, trying to make the most of their items before heading back to the States, he said "Okay" and although I really didn't like it as I had something else in mind, I just agreed...

This is the vanity or n-table^^ I still haven't found a matching mirror. Actually I haven't been searching yet because I find it unsafe to be putting something on top. The little makeup guru wannabe might knock it off and hurt herself.

for safety, I removed the tiny knobs from each drawer...

Instead of makeup too, I keep random things in the drawers like gift boxes, empty perfume boxes and the winter gloves I'd looked for all winter, LOL...

However, keeping things on the vanity became impossible when SooAe started crawling, grabbing things, and trying to stand up. I had to baby proof the entire house. Well, we have a very small apartment and containing her to one location for her mess and play only worked when she was smaller^^

So to keep her from accidentally ingesting them, I placed my stuffs on top of our mini bookshelves until Alex got us full tall bookshelves for SooAe's books. One shelf was reserved entirely for these stuffs: perfume and body sprays, lotion, skin care and makeup.

one of our shelves...

Although I don't find doing this attractive at all, at the moment, it's the best solution I have. One thing more, the bookshelf is so close to the full body mirror we have by the shoe cabinet that preparing/putting on makeup is also very easy.

I think that I'm not the only one doing this...^^ So... what else do you have on your bookshelf?

Gimpo's Barista Hagwon: Gimpo Coffeean Barista Academy 김포 커피안 바리스타 학원

2013-05-07T09:04:00.001+09:00

Last January, Alex and I visited a Barista Hagwon here in Gimpo. I told him I really want to study if not now, well at least in the near future^^ I want to be able to do something else..

Anyway, here's a list of the courses offered... The coffee shop owner near our apartment expressed interest in teaching me and Alex the "Caffe Menu" (we just pay for the coffee beans^^) that's why I was thinking of going for the Latte Art...

It's not just for fun and for the love of coffee... I like their "passion" for our bright tomorrow..

Classes are conducted for 3 hours at a time for 2 times a week. A lesson is taught 2 times a week only too, one in the morning and one in the afternoon/evening. Looking at the schedule, we just decided to do it when MIL is with us already or while SooAe's attending day care.

"Mommy, popi?" (coffee?) SooAe asked the moment we opened the academy doors...;p The owner brought us to this room, full of coffee equipment and antique collections..love!

Alex and SooAe talking to the owner^^

We were served Columbian coffee in a china made in Germany^^

I wanted to take photos of the room but was too shy to ask but here's a blog I found:

김포-카피안 바리스타 학원에서 놀기

The owner said he's been to the Philippines (Boracay) several times already and yeah, he speaks in English... He told me to go back when I have the "time" already^^

For inquiries, here's their site, address and phone number:

http://blog.naver.com/coffean2011

경기도 김포시 북변동 827 상지프라자 201호

031-986-5225

Labor Day In Korea

2013-05-01T10:59:00.004+09:00

It's the first of May.. It's Labor Day but it's not an official national holiday. Banks and business establishments are closed though so some families take the day off to celebrate the Children's Day in advance. By the way, May 5 in Korea is Children's Day. It is an official national holiday that's why if you happen to be here on that day, make sure not to visit family parks as they're so so crowded.

Two days ago, Alex came home with gift boxes in his hands along with a new set of uniform. They almost always get the same stuffs every Labor Day^^ to my frustration at times... There's a pair of (bath) towels and a box of toiletries. Maybe these are all for about 40,000-50,000won. I haven't seen or heard of other companies' gifts but maybe these may cost lesser. Nevertheless, we are always thankful. There are things to use and recycle (give away like some soaps to MIL etc..). But Alex loves this brand (especially the soaps, he's stuck to it. He hates the "dial" I got him) so he stuffed them all at the bathroom cabinet...

The CJ Lion box includes the following:

6 Rice Day bath soaps, 6 tubes of toothpaste,

550g each of shampoo and conditioner

and a 300g pomegranate scented dish washing liquid.

the pomegranate scented dish washing liquid

I love this scent very much. I saw my friend "Marn" using it too^^

However, I rarely find refill pouches and it's very frustrating..

do you do this too? dilute? ^^

I don't like doing it but Alex insists on it.

He said a Korean taught him this when he was in Baguio.

Being a new "housekeeper" if not owner^^, I tried lots of dish washing soaps but I always return to CJ Lion. Dish duties are done quicker with it ;p

So while other families are now on their way to amusement and children's parks, zoos, cinema and other family friendly sites, my husband is at work and won't be out till 4 pm. I will be busy too cooking for my MIL's 2-day visit here. Since Alex will be working on the 5th, we decided to celebrate the Children's Day and Parent's Day (May 8) in advance.. I'm still checking a restaurant in Hyundai Dept. Store or Lakin's Mall, Ilsan, for a simple lunch or dinner... My friend and I went to a popular "bibimbap" restaurant there. My MIL is so done with steaks, meat and Korean buffets that she wants us to keep it simple.. How I wish I could do more... Anyway, her birthday is coming up. Maybe she wants us to save up for that;p

For families (or parents) granted offs this day, enjoy!

Of Tucked Away Baby Stuffs, Puzzles, Books and Being Busy

2013-04-23T18:14:00.000+09:00

So our really very small house is full of "ugly" boxes where I keep my baby's old stuffs. SooAe likes rummaging through them and I let her be.. They are hers anyway. At times, she'd bring out old bottles, rattles, outgrown clothes and her favorite teething buddies before...

Good thing it was late spring and summer when she started teething that it was so easy to wash and dry this cute little bunny. I accidentally sterilized a teething bead/ring she loved that I wasn't supposed to. So my cousin-in-law got her a new one and so the love for bees, butterflies and ladybugs had begun. She still plays with them at times. She smiles when I tell her she loved them when she was really tiny.

~~~

SooAe got her first puzzle when she was like 7-8 months old.

SooAe: Mommy, "O" where did it go? "O"??? Where are you?

I already paid for the toys I wanted to get for her from an online secondhand market but the seller accidentally gave them to another buyer. She gave me this instead, complete of course, we lost the O somewhere, and some magnetic animals and another complete set of magnetic alphabet SooAe turned into chew toys. She can name all the animals though except for the lizard she calls "Oscar" from Oscar's oasis^^

I got her some other puzzles after her 1st birthday (wooden puzzles from the baby fair) and she easily learned how to play with them. Knowing she'll just chew on them or try to break them apart (although she's never been destructive with her toys^^), I waited a little bit longer to get her these kinds of puzzles and she loved them instantly. About 15 minutes after opening the Cocomong puzzle and showing her how to put the pieces together, she was already playing or completing the picture on her own. A week later, I got her Pororo and Tayo sets. She didn't like the Pororo puzzle but instantly grabbed the Tayo set. Since the pieces are not as unique as the Cocomong pieces, she had a hard time mastering it. In time, she impressed her Daddy again with a matching "gwiyomi" or "aegyo" while showing him her finished work.

SooAe: Daddy, Tayo hwinished! (finished^^)

~~~

We got SooAe an Applebee book set even before she turned one. Among them, these are her favorites.

Each set comes with a DVD...

By now, when I tell her to get me "Bora book" (character's name) or the title of the book, she'd immediately scramble to her feet and run to her bookcases^^

In her hands are the Bora book and a balloon...

I somehow looked forward to the stage when SooAe would always be saying "no!" but she didn't. However, at this stage when she says "I don't like!" or "Shiro!" (in Korean), she says something else: "I am busy!" or "Babbayo!" (in Korean).

Daddy: SooAe, come eat your dinner....

SooAe: Shiro! Babbayo! (pretends to be doing something)

Me: SooAe, come drink your water...

SooAe: Shiro! Babbayo! (pretends to do something else)

Daddy: SooAe why do you always say "Shiro?"

SooAe: Babbayo! (hands on hips)

Now where did she get that?

In this book, Bora's mom asks her to call her grandfather for breakfast but Bora answered "I'm busy right now" or "Na jigeum babbayo!" while playing with her puzzle...

So the next time you see her and ask her to do something and tells you she's busy, please don't be surprised...^^

And speaking of busy.... I was so busy that I kept on ignoring her "Mommy, milk!" one time. Her aunts were coming and I was given short notice.. No, I never ever told her "Not now, I'm busy..." but it was definitely the first time I did that to her...

When she woke up, I asked her, SooAe, are you hungry? She nodded yes and just said "Bap, mommy. Bap and soup!" (rice)

I thank my husband for giving me this opportunity to be with our daughter 24/7. A few months before, we had an issue about someone commenting I should return to work and send SooAe to a daycare center. Although the possibilities of earning more and being able to transfer to a bigger place were fascinating, he didn't agree we send SooAe to a center more than 100 meters away^^

So yes, I'm so sorry for not keeping up with my blogging lately.. I'm just busy with my busy tot...

CC Creams: Here They Come!!! On SALE!!!

2013-04-19T00:35:00.003+09:00

Visit Korea now to be overwhelmed with the SALES going on in most beauty companies. If not for the prompts I'm getting from Skin Food, these pictures would have ended up in the archives again^^ So when Alex took SooAe for a walk outside this afternoon, I uploaded them real fast to start this entry.

As I said before in a post about CC creams, I'm not really enthusiastic about trying them unlike I did with the BB creams when I first arrived here. But unexpectedly, I was able to try a CC cream because last December 29, 2012, my friends and I had a year end party and we exchanged gifts. I got a heavy box from Congresswoman Jasmine Lee^^ and in it was a CC cream.

(the gift I got included a wonderful body scrub, demeter perfumes,

shampoo and conditioner from the Czech Republic, the box of Hanskin BB creams,

and the S.Diary Long Keep (Lasting) Base.

It was actually an LG product that says Long Keep (Lasting) base with an SPF 50+. I don't break out with LG products, btw, that's why I immediately got interested in it. Plus, I really wanted to try it as the mousse base I got from Aritaum took so much time to soak in when applied. The primer fixer I also got from Innisfree last summer made me break out soooo bad. I turned over the cream's box to look for details and found out that it's also called CC (changing color---their version) cream and "banjeon" cream. Google translate says "banjeon" means "reversal."

(actual product, not sample only^^ harharhar)

Definitely, it was worth trying/using it. I somehow felt my makeup staying in place for longer compared to the Aritaum base I got last year. It also soaks in fast. I checked GMarket before and there are sets you can buy with a foundation brush for application. However, I just pump a little product, warm it with my fingers and apply them real fast. It leaves a fine finish for my foundation cream or powder. CC creams are supposed to be "better" than BB creams so maybe they're going to be really "hot" this year...

(This small pump jar contains 30mL of the product)

A few days ago, in preparation for this blog, I tried typing in "cc cream s.diary" again on GMarket's search bar and this came out:

(Son Hye Jin is the face of S.Diary products)

Three and a half months ago, I didn't see this product yet when I researched about S.Diary. But if I were to buy a CC cream, I'd definitely get this one by LG (or the cc cream by sooryehan). I have good experiences with their long keep (lasting) base and other LG products like the sooryehan, their on:the body bb cream and sun cream and other products (Isa Knox) my MIL is using. This is around 30,000won, not bad for a middle/high end product.

If you want to try something from AmorePacific, you might want to get HERA's CC (complete care) cream. I loved their sun mate daily. I think that their CC cream will be a hit too. Woongjin's Re:NK produced their own CC cream too. I love the foaming facial was and peeling gels my SIL gave me. I also used a cream from Re:NK that helped with my skin's dryness last winter. Hopefully I could put up a post about it. My Korean mommy friend's friends, she said, are raving about Re:NK's bb cream so I think their CC cream is worth a try too. (Hera: 35,000won; Re:NK: 48,000won)

(pictures taken from GMarket)

And two weeks ago, while South was being barraged with threats by the North, The Face Shop and Etude House still had big sales and we met a number of women coming out of the mart with big bags from the shops, happy smiles on their faces. Clearly, the South Koreans are so used to them already that no amount of threats could stop them from enjoying their shopping..

(at a Homeplus)

I only had enough time to steal a shot of these pretty The Face Shop CC creams. (On sale for 14,940won, regular price: 24,900won)

Etude House' CC cream packaging, for me, is boring^^ (14,000won)

One floor up, Missha was also having a big sale but I didn't find their displayed CC BB cream at first. I took this photo a week later. (30,000won)

I didn't get the chance to go through the Skin Food counters. SooAe was already asleep by then and she's so heavy... They didn't have posters for their CC creams yet but I guess they also came out this first quarter of the year. I only became interested because of this image that came with the SMS for their ongoing "event" at nearby marts/outlets. (12,000won)

On my way back home from the Philippine Embassy yesterday afternoon, I saw a Nature Republic outlet at Gongdeok station and took this photo of their CC cream display. Of all the CC creams I saw, they have the most interesting selection: color change, brightening, and tinted, with different spfs. Their CC stands for "complete control." On sale for 14,000won.

Anyway, Tony Moly had the very first CC cream sale I ever saw (last March 1). It was a National Korean Holiday so my friend Joy and her husband picked us up and brought me and SooAe to the Gimpo Lotte Mall so she could play. With the number of people we bumped into every step of the way, it was so difficult to go around. I just took this photo on our way to the parking lot. (14,000won)

I am a Get It Beauty show fan. For 2013, I saw a short episode showing a model ripping a "get it beauty" print out while saying "no more get it beauty" to promote the show she's "Get It Style" she's hosting. For the first month of the year, I only saw replays of past GIB episodes. I didn't tune in to the channel for a while presuming that there won't be new episodes in a while. But I came across this on a different channel. Definitely, there was a need for GIB for product introduction to the Korean women hungry for new makeup trend^^

Featured in the show (7th episode, I guess) was Banilla Co's CC cream. (23,000won)

So if you're looking for a new product to try this year, include CC creams on your list. Afterall, as I mentioned earlier, they're supposed to be better than BB creams. And speaking of BB creams, I actually came across the site of the original BB cream..

and it's available on "auction korea" for 66,000won... and that's for 50mL already. Hm.. way cheaper than the C.Dior my friend is using...

I have yet to see or try a non-Korean brand CC cream. I just hope they're not as runny as those bb creams shown or reviewed on vlogs..

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Korean Drama I'm Watching Now, Winter-Spring 2013: INCARNATION OF MONEY

2013-04-03T00:30:00.003+09:00

I'm really so sorry for the long absence.. Ah.. I couldn't thank you enough for still visiting this site.. I will do my best to post more on skin care products and Korean food in the weeks ahead..^^

I just finished packing in case there's an evacuation emergency^^ Kidding aside, the sight of military convoy and drills still frighten me. It was never this frequent before but it's still an advantage to be prepared. I remember the time "helicopter" became SooAe's word of the day. Black Hawks passed by several times at that particular day months ago... Ah..

Anyway, I just want to share this very engaging drama that gets me excited about the weekend. Yes, it is a Sat-Sun 10-11pm drama here in Korea with a powerful cast led by Kang Ji Hwan. He's actually the reason I first got interested into this one.

I like it a lot that it's not full of the usual Korean "home" drama and the story revolves more about the life of the lead male^^

Don't worry!!! One sign this drama is sooo good is that the English subs are up the day after the episode is aired...

I became a Kang Ji Hwan fan after seeing Capital Scandal (2007) and Hong Gil Dong (2008). I've been meaning to watch his other dramas but lost I lost interest in non-Historical dramas until recently^^

Watch the trailer

and check the full episodes HERE

Enjoy!!!

The Little Commuter

2013-03-07T13:01:00.002+09:00

Spring is here...

I definitely salute all the Little Commuters out there, either carried in their mommy's arms or with a carrier, for surviving this Yanggok, Gimpo winter. This year's winter was the harshest I had out of 5. Also, I remember this place being described as "beyond" rural (don't want to be sarcastic but yeah, it's being developed for the er.. less fortunate Koreans^^,). Good thing the buses passing by our complex come and go every 10-15 minutes.

By the way, SooAe and I have been commuting for the past 6 months to and fro the Cultural Center for her Extended Education classes. It's basically introductory or enhancing techniques when teaching our babies in their early life education. There are also massage classes for babies from 0 to 10 months old, ballet for 30 months old and over and some kind of afterschool classes...

Going to the nearest "indoor" play area, about 40-50 bus rides away because it takes 2 bus rides, was always an endurance test for both of us to the nth level. Waiting time for the bus alone beside our apartment comlex would take 12 minutes. At times we're lucky, it arrives just in time we get there. Then, we'd wait for the next bus for another 12-15 minutes at the transfer station.

(a) at the bus station near our building

(b) transfer station

Sometimes... oh well, actually, most of the time, I feel sad and frustrated at how ordinary Soo Ae's life is (comparing it with the ones my nieces had when they were of the same age). And considering all of my Korean mommy friends here drive their own car, enabling them to bring their children anywhere without difficulty or looking beaten outside, I also sometimes can't help but wish I really learned how to drive while I still had lots of opportunity to do so^^,

But day after day, SooAe shows me what the world is to her. At the moment, the world to her is "me" or "with me."

We still have lots of bumpy commuting to do (yes, roads here are still under construction) in the days ahead. While securely nestled in mommy's arms and listening to my songs and whispers, she doesn't mind though.

This little tough cookie has weathered storms and seasons.. I know she'll be just fine...^^,

She Had a Happy 2nd Birthday!!!

2013-01-19T13:19:00.002+09:00

Yesterday, we bid her second year goodbye at exactly 7:11 pm...

We had a simple and intimate celebration with just her "Halmoni"

with her grandma.. she arrived with Alex at around 1am, Jan. 19^^,

we had a simple feast: classic spaghetti, dumplings and sweet potato bread

Since I lamented about what his AIL did to SooAe's first bday party with the relatives, he made me choose the restaurant this time.. She's a VIP so we had to go to her Society^^, hehe...

I chose VIPS because of their steaks and secondly, there's a playroom where SooAe can stay when she gets bored on the table. We were conveniently seated two tables away from the play room's entrance.

About half an hour later, 2 older girls arrived and bullied these little buddies

to get off the riding toys.. They were around 6 and 7 year olds..

too big to still be playing with them, tsk tsk tsk..

The older kids in the playroom were eating ice cream. I had to get her some when she went out begging "Mommy, ice cream please!"

It's her birthday anyway....^^,

MIL is a semi-vegetarian. She eats beef and seafood only that's why I told Alex we bring her here. However, upon seeing the salad bar, she said she'd be okay minus the steak.. I really wanted her to eat to her heart's content but she insisted she was okay...

"break time" before the nth round to the buffet..

And one thing I love about non-Korean buffet is that you find what you really want to eat.. Just look at that beans and sprouts.. (father and daughter loved the pizzas)..

one of my plates

In the buffet area, there's a table for making Pho alone. I lovingly made one for Mother in Law... She enjoyed it a lot... and yes, she snubbed the "bibimbap" area.. haha! I think even without the meat/beef, this Pho really tastes good..

make your own Pho

Unlike last year, I enjoyed our celebration this time. We all ate well. I like bringing out/treating MIL to non-Korean food/restaurants so I was happy to assist her (bring/make food for her). There was no need to worry about SooAe getting lost or bored at all. SooAe was able to enjoy the company of other kids her age. I also had my dose of caffeine by A Twosome Place..

a Latte...

(choices were regular and strong coffee, cappuccino, cafe latte, espresso and hot choco)

When she started crying "Mommy, ja.. ja.. " (I'm sleepy.), we thought it's about time to go home too...

The problem with Alex is that he rarely volunteers to get our picture together

but when he does, he just clicks clicks clicks..

The best shot so far.. haaay!

I thought MIL was going to stay another night... SooAe really enjoys it when she's around but she has to go to church tomorrow so we drove her back to Incheon... The celebrant was dead tired and slept the moment she finished her bottle in the car...

~~~***~~~

Thank you very much for whisking us away to your wonderland, SooAe.. We really feel so blessed having you... Stay healthy and sweet as you are. Grow God-fearing and smart too... ^^,

Nursing/Feeding/Baby Rooms At The Incheon Airport and Seoul Subway Stations

2013-01-13T01:18:00.000+09:00

I know I don't talk a lot about "breastfeeding" here but I am actually a "breastfeeding martyr" with SooAe. The more older Korean moms tell my husband about the "lack of nutrients" of breast milk, the more I breastfeed. The more they tell him I have small breasts for feeding SooAe, the more I bring out my "breast" for them to see^^,

Breastfeeding had always been an issue between us husband and wife. I'm young(er) and a first time Mom so my husband easily believes what older Korean women or moms or halmonis (grandmas) tell him. But that changed when my 2nd Hyungnim (a sister in law older than my husband) was diagnosed with Stage 2 breast cancer. I remember watching him cry about it. I had to reassure him every time that Hyungnim could battle it and come victorious. She's still young and she has that big life pictured before her. She won't give up and would do everything to combat it. He spent hours researching about "breast cancer" and the question "So, when will you really stop (breastfeeding)?" never popped out ever again.

From their insistence for me to stop my "martyrdom or craziness" (when SooAe was only 6 months and so much more when she turned 1), I already figured that breastfeeding was never popular among the Korean moms. However, times are changing and even my friend Eugene did her best to breastfeed her son till he was between 15 to 16 months old. Her son self-weaned.

Breastfeeding is not a problem when you're visiting Seoul with a baby. Upon arrival at the Incheon airport alone, parents can freshen up their babies at the easy to find nursing/feeding rooms

I wasn't able to take any photos inside of the airport feeding room but I believe my friend Paolo did. He has a post about the drinking paper cups and that photo was taken inside a feeding room^^,

Below is the best photo of a part of a feeding room at the Incheon airport I got from www.airport.kr.

(picture plucked from www.airport.kr)

At the airport, the breastfeeding area has a door separating it from the common room where Moms could give their babies solid food or change diapers. There are several changing tables, comfortable chairs/sofa and a hot and cold water dispenser.

My friend Paolo took this photo while I was changing her diaper.

She was just 8 months 10 days old^^,

When a mom entered the room while I was changing Sooae, she didn't make any fuss about the presence of a "male" inside. She can always go to the breastfeeding area anyway.

This is the international breastfeeding icon. However, I believe that most stations/spots here use the tilted feeding bottle sign (or pictured together?) ;p at Marts, they have big signs that read "수우실"

(picture plucked from wikipedia)

The first adventure SooAe and I had was when she was about 4-5 months old. I needed to meet up with my cousin in law at Bupyeong Station along Incheon Line subway. Thanks to the visitkorea site or "Korea Be Inspired" site for their "CYBER STATION MAP," it has been very easy ever since to locate and plan stops whenever we, mother and daughter, go on an adventure.

Simply click HERE to get to get to the Korea tourism site.

You'll be directed to the "Subway" information under Public Transportation. Click the TINY subway map you see (indicated by arrow in the picture below) and the Cyber Station Map will be opened.

Once the Cyber Station map is loaded, check the subway facilities listed or pictured at the bottom of the map. Took this photo with an antiquated camera so kindly excuse the blur...^^,

Click the "breastfeeding icon" and the plain WHITE "circles" will be highlighted with ORANGE circles indicating the stops with nursing/feeding rooms...

While Bupyeong Station is highlighted, I never found the breastfeeding room. I guess because I'm aware anyway of the breastfeeding room inside the LotteMart. Though old, it's still decent and offers comfort for the long drive or travel we have. I completely forgot what floor it is but it's near the baby gears, opposite end of the entrance to the Mart.

Also, Yongsan Station is not highlighted but I met up with my cousins there more than once and used the nursing/feeding room. Don't expect much though. Just a couple of cribs, a small sofa and hot and cold water dispenser.

Anyway, for a total nursing room experience, I love the provisions at Lotte Marts and the Lotte Mall at Gimpo airport. New Core Dept. Store at the Incheon Terminal also has a cute baby room. But I'll just put up a separate entry for that.

Till my next breastfeeding post! Happy Sunday, everyone!!!

Korea Expressway Rest Stops' Breastfeeding Room

2013-01-10T04:27:00.000+09:00

When we started travelling after having SooAe, I tried researching for breastfeeding areas/rooms especially in subway stations and expressway rest stops. To my surprise, there's a number of subway stations in Seoul with breastfeeding/feeding rooms. There are expressway rest stops also installed with breastfeeding/feeding facilities.

I remember us traveling a lot in 2011 but SooAe was still easy to "handle" inside the car on a "changing pad."

But like any other babies, SooAe came to hate the word "change" and it's become more and more difficult to change her diaper or soiled clothes. There's really a need to do it somewhere "special" when outside of the house.

In July 2012, we went to Gangwondo to visit my MIL's youngest sister. From work at 12am, we decided to beat the other travelers by starting the trip an hour later. We dropped by two rest stops along the way.

It was only 6am when we reached this stop. We were at least 2 hours away from the destination and so I told Alex to get some more sleep for the long day ahead. Since Sooae slept in my arms most of the time (yes, she's poorly trained to keep still in her carseat and I'm not happy about that), I thought of looking for the rest stop's breastfeeding room so we both could stretch and relax very well...

I took this picture while bf-ing her. I was comfortably seated on a small, simple but soft sofa. I was just happy to see this breastfeeding room. When traveling, I see to it that I have everything I need and they're all cramped in our small car. With all her selected toys and books plus food placed within easy reach at the back of the car, I didn't have space to stretch my legs into. Although the room looked a bit crowded with furnishings, it's still definitely a "heaven" for moms traveling with kids. There's enough room for stretching and "lying down."

Beautifully placed display shelves.

I see ornaments and a humidifier on top of the bookshelf.

Small but beautiful. By the looks of the other furniture like the bookshelf, kitchen table and the lamps, I guessed this facility has been around for years.

With the limited space, there's no curtained nook to provide privacy for breastfeeding moms. Definitely, if there were other moms with their kids here, the dads won't be allowed to enter... One thing I don't like with some ajummas here is that they "look" and I also encountered an ajumma coming over to watch while I was changing SooAe's diaper. When she still didn't move away when I was about to put on SooAe's fresh diapers, I just picked her up and moved to another changing table...^^,

Worried SooAe might stand up immediately upon waking up, I just placed her on the sofa instead of the crib. I felt relieved to see her sleeping on her back...

Hot and cold water dispenser, bottle brush and bubble type feeding bottle cleanser, sterilizers and warmers and an oven: ah, it's like I was in teeny tiny LotteMall/Mart baby room^^,

The wallpaper alone was very lovely.. How could they make me want to have a wall clock like this...

Lovely reads for Moms... Book in the middle says "Twilight".. haven't read a book yet.. no, not bitten... sorry Edward...

And the well loved breastfeeding pillows... Though small, it was definitely complete with mommy-and-baby needs...

Anyway, thinking MIL would be worried about our long absence, I picked up SooAe after failing to get a "power nap" myself. I passed by the convenience store inside the building and was surprised to see these cloud 9 mini bars. They were supposed to be gifts for cousins in law's kids but Alex loved them.. haha.. I loved it when Alex told me to take a coffee break while he held the still sleeping SooAe for me.

Of course, he should.. I know he and MIL slept very well... I actually fell in and out of sleep while he was driving but with a baby in my arms, it can't be considered a "rest" at all..

~~~***~~~

Another backlog down... Coming up next: still on breastfeeding, haha!

Love: AtoPalm Skin Barrier Function MLE Cream and Lotion, NuSkin Mist & Kerasys Hair Essence

2013-01-10T00:15:00.000+09:00

I didn't know that my cousin-in-law in Gangwondo is a non-Christian. But when she received her Christmas card, she called me up just to thank me for remembering her and the whole family....

And because of that, she sent me and SooAe lovely gifts... I spent only about 1,500won for the card and sending fee yet we got this much....

AtoPalm Skin Barrier Lotion and Cream... I've always been curious with this skin care for kids. I got samples from the baby shops and baby fair but I kept on misplacing them. Compared to Cetaphil and Johnsons products, I find them expensive because the products are rather small..^^, I was planning to buy her an Aveeno lotion for her dry patches this winter but cousin "Phoebe" called saying she'd be sending these for SooAe.

Baby/Toddler skin care is also a serious business in Korea

I love the cream the most. The MLE refers to "multi-lamellar emulsion," trademarked, that perfectly imitates the natural multi-lamellar structure of healthy human skin. With continued use, SooAe's dry patches are slowly disappearing. Her neck and nape gets red and itchy at times too and she hasn't complained about her skin yet after I started using this on "her" trouble spots only.

And for me, CIL Phoebe got me a NuSkin NaPCA Moisture Mist. I've always wanted to have this but I guess I just didn't have the opportunity or excuse to buy one. For one it's 17,000-18,000won here in Korea and two, the NuSkin Lady that came to our house before might expect I'd be purchasing regularly or "big" like her other Filipina recruits^^,

I didn't know it comes with a travel-sized spray.

Among my CIL's hobby is making hair bows and ribbons.

Because of this, SooAe thought this bottle's for her.. How cute!!!

Lastly, she sent me 2 of this Kerasys Hair Essence. This smells divine!! If I'm not mistaken, this one's rated really well in the show "Get It Beauty." The show has a "blind test" portion where viewers(?) are given samples (usually 5) of the same product from different brands, ranging from drugstore to department store quality.

Truly, in Korea, Love begets skin care products... joke!!! Love begets Love....

Ah... Happy to cross one backlog out of my list...

Actually, when the New Year kicked in, I promised myself I'd take care of my "body" more seriously this year. Fortunately, I've been receiving these wonderful skin care and makeup products from friends and my SILs. I don't want to give my family, especially my Mom, the impression that I'm forgetting about "Jehan" just because I've become a Mom already when she sees me in December...^^,

As always, shedding off weight is part of the project but look, 9 days have come and gone yet I still didn't lift a finger to start with it.. tsk...

Again, Happy New Year, everyone! May all our dreams and wishes come true... Let's work hard together...

Her Happy New Year!

2013-01-09T01:22:00.001+09:00

Happy New Year!

As usual, my greeting came in late again...^^,

I think that SooAe is having a great year ahead. We've already agreed to not let her enter daycare yet. We'll just enroll her every season in the extended education classes she's attending until she turns 3 (international age).

It was a Monday on the 31st and as usual, we went to her 40-minute "JUMPi" class. In this program, we do a lot of running and jumping around. Games and other ideas being recommended to introduce to our kids are done or demonstrated swiftly... Just when the kids start to really enjoy a certain activity, they're told to stop for the next activity...

Trying hard to shoot balls...

Unfortunately, Dad was at work and he had to work till midnight and so, we spent the whole afternoon in the mart playing....

(This set is really cute and just under $40)

....and reading books together....

(She thought she's cool sitting there with the big "unni" ^^,)

Still feeling full from the meat fest or marathon we had since Christmas, we decided to just order chicken and pizza. MIL brought us a box of tangerines and so I only bought a few apples to add to the table.

(Flashing me another 'fail" peace sign....^^,)

So it was just the two of us that bid 2012 goodbye and welcomed 2013 in our own special way: made noises with her bottle of coins and party squawkers and then lighted a couple of these sparklers...

(Can I hold it too, Mommy?)

She was tired and sleepy yet she chose to wait for her Dad till almost 1am....

new favorite book: Ariel

As usual, the mood became festive when he arrived. He patiently removed the spicy part of the chicken we got..

"Pickles, please, Daddy!"

January 1: The weather was cold and it snowed for about 3-4 hours in the afternoon.

SooAe loves to step on fresh snow and so I thought of bringing her out to enjoy the delightful view at around 11:30pm.., the temperature was at its warmest at zero-degree C.

We hope and pray for a more prosperous New Year... Heaps of love to you all!!!

Her Merry White Christmas 2012!

2012-12-27T01:53:00.003+09:00

I'm really very sorry for being away too long from this blog. Truth is, at the moment, I have already 202 "drafts" and all they need is a little tweak here and there, some photos and they could already be published. However, with SooAe's changing sleeping habits and how the days have gotten shorter, I barely found time to read blogs, let alone update this..

Anyway, here's our merriest Christmas wish to all of you....

"Merry Christmas!!!"

(She doesn't like "aegyo" as well so it was really difficult making her do this pose^^,)

Thank you very much for keeping this alive updated or not, with your visits..

For this year, I didn't go for the usual food preparations. Since I have recurring eye infection or allergies, I just told Alex to buy us a cake and wine. He planned a Christmas trip so it wasn't practical to be preparing a lot. I was taking antihistamines too. Hence, the over-drowsiness^^,

Christmas shopping....

But he was up for a little BBQ-party and so he got us pork "galbi" which I marinated following Aeri's kitchen's recipe. Oh, that was minus the pear and I used "balsamic wine." I managed to prepare spaghetti while they slept that afternoon of the 24th for our 9:30pm Les Miserables movie date....

I told him to get us the last full show but he didn't.

(We go to a small Lotte Cinema in Incheon^^,)

It was already half past 12 when we went out of the cinema.. To their delight, it was snowing. It was forecast to snow by night time on the 24th. I wasn't happy at all at the thought of us driving home on slippery roads.

But Alex was in the mood for more driving. He drove around the small town for SooAe to view the beautifully lit shops, trees and buildings... By the time we got home, it was almost 2 in the morning. It took us a while to get started with our small party...

He likes to take charge of the BBQ so I took my time packing for the supposed trip (didn't happen coz we all slept and woke up late on the 25th) and fixing the house. That monday morning, SooAe and I went to her class, as usual. Then he picked us up to shop for our food...

While Daddy grilled the Pork Galbi, SooAe sang to him non-stop...

A fail "peace" sign, haha!

Then, when she started babbling without breaks again, Alex told her to just go open her gifts while waiting for some more meat... To our surprise, she snubbed them...

Mickey Mouse story book over gifts.. oh what a snob!

Anyway, I got her to open her Uncle Keith and Aunt Jebee's gift. She instantly loved her talking/singing and cookie-eating Cookie Monster toy...

We finished the small party at 4am. Alex was asleep by 4:30 and Sooae by past 5... I couldn't remember anymore what time I dozed off but Alex started waking me up around 10...

We had a simple Christmas trip. Although we started out late on the 25th, we still made sure that the Little One enjoyed it the most:

Did I tell you that she loves "Nan"?

while waiting for his tandori and another chicken dish for me (the less spicy^^,)

We went to a jjimjilbang...she had a blast, sleeping at around 4am already...

SooAe: Daddy, you're not supposed to sleep. You should

help Mommy watch over me...

And brought her to the nearby department store^^, for lunch and some rides. I wanted to check something at the toysRus but didn't know that lottemart's closed on wednesdays. Why is that?

We arrived back home at around 5pm... After a sumptuous dinner Alex prepared, we opened the 15,000won cake we got from Homeplus that entitled us to a discounted "wine"... to our regret. The cake is good but the wine is not...

"Mommy, Daddy, you eat the cake..

I'll eat the decors..."

Still, we know that she had a good Christmas...

Of Short Term and Long Term Plans...

2012-11-25T03:06:00.000+09:00

Reality set in to me this 7:30, Saturday morning when I saw the moving company truck drivers positioning the moving equipment just where they're supposed to. A few more minutes and the sound of the motor and ladder reaching up to the 9th floor reached our open veranda windows... Ah.. Alex and I also never planned on staying here for this long... but....

Eugene and her family are moving back to Ilsan. She surprised me with the news almost two months ago about planning to move back there this coming spring. However, she fell in love with the house they'd seen 3 weeks ago and instantly moved the transfer the soonest they could.

When her family came back from Europe, her son was a little violent with SooAe that I didn't want them to play for some time. However, the transfer was so immediate that we almost met everyday this past week. Her son would instantly chant "SooAe... SooAe... SooAe" when he sees me. SooAe on the other hand shouts out "A Ie-jin" (aunt Eugene) and "Shoon" (for Shaun) when she sees them... Ah, we'll definitely miss one another. We promised to meet at Kintex or LotteMall and Hyundai Mall for at least once a month..^^,

Almost 3 years ago, Alex and I planned on staying here for just like a year.. and then move again to a bigger house to have MIL with us.. However, I thought that a year wasn't enough for us so I asked Alex we just live here and MIL just stay in Incheon for some time more. I think that they're both enjoying living apart^^, too such that lately, MIL, for the first time, talked freely about looking forward to living together with her 1st daughter after her son gets married.

Alex now nods positively when I mention about my wanting to invite my mom over to look after SooAe instead so I can go back to work or schooling maybe...

Poor as we are (yey! I know someone's dying to read this...^^,), we can't afford an upscale apartment when the time comes... We'll still try to transfer to an "LH" one, only with one bedroom more and hopefully with wider and more interesting kitchen space/features... We'll see... Maybe we'll stay here a year more. We can only push through with our other plans after our scheduled visit to the Philippines next year..

In a way, I'm attached to this house because it's our first "home" (here in Korea) as a couple, where we brought home and raised SooAe, and of course, where my Mom stayed for almost 90 days here. Yes, we still refer to this room as "Mom's room" not "SooAe's room" anymore...

So in the mean time, I'll make it the best "home" for the father and daughter while we plan more and save more for the future...

I wish my friend happiness with her family in their new abode...

Here's a cute video of her son and SooAe...

(taken a few days before Shaun and Sooae turned 16 mos and 14 mos respectively)

Cute because Shaun wasn't supposed to eat SooAe's snack but his Mom didn't notice

and SooAe was scared to get near Shaun to even take a piece...^^,

Has CC Cream Reached You Yet?

2012-11-18T04:11:00.002+09:00

Not too many moons ago, I tried blog hopping and came across "CC cream" posts... I read about "them" being created by the companies that brought us the BB creams..

I searched for them here in "Gimpo" and only saw this..

honestly, i never liked the "albatross" product line^^,

reminds me of a bath/comfort room product in PH

It's by Charmzone, also a popular skin care company here in Korea but I haven't tried any of their products yet. They have an anti-aging skin care set that my MIL likes. She's been using their essences for like a couple of years now and I also observed that the lines on her face/skin have become softer and she's definitely blooming^^, At 73, she's very religious in applying her skin care products in the morning and before bedtime...

Charmzone also released premium BB creams (again under Albatross lines) being sold via (tv) homeshopping and the "beautyplex" and "beaute" outlets. I remember seeing them at an Olive Young(?) shop too...

CC cream, as the name implies, is a "color control" cream. It is said to be "better" than the bb creams.

I'm not really looking forward to seeing more of this. I'm not even a bb cream fan anymore. I'm more into tinted sun creams...

But should I see more reviews and especially read from a friend about it, I'd definitely give it a try..

drugged...

2012-11-12T21:57:00.003+09:00

I've been taking these medicines for the last 12 days.. I was given a 3-day prescription again this afternoon and I feel like I really need help just to keep the house clean and cook for SooAe for the next 3 days... Drowsy and feeling lazy, I feel so guilty at times for serving SooAe the simplest meals I could think of...

Almost two weeks ago, I had conjuctivitis on my left eye and a few days later, my right eye just started to get red and itchy..

That's why I'm really finding it hard to update this blog.. I have so many things I really wanna share here but they'll have to wait again for like a week more...

Have a blessed week..

Sigma-tized... ^^,

2012-10-28T20:22:00.001+09:00

My dear friend Eden and I had an early Christmas exchange gift...

While everything I asked her to get me were for SooAe....

Her eyes immediately went to the book..

Upon recognizing Mickey and the whole gang, she went to the living room

and asked her dad to tune in to Disney Channel...

Eden definitely Sigma-tized me when I saw this set of SIGMA makeup brushes... (^____________^)

from top to bottom: Large Powder, Large Angled Contour,

Foundation and Eye Shading Brushes

Thank you very much, Eden....

Honestly speaking, I don't know where my Etude House brushes are anymore... I let SooAe play with them when she broke almost all of my makeup stuffs.. I never thought of looking for them or buying new ones as they'll definitely suffer the same fate...

Because she thinks she has to put on make up when I do and that she needs to retouch too when I do..., I try to keep my "kikay" kit simple: foundation, powder, tint and lip gloss... No more no less...

My new favorite tint from Etude House

She was very delighted to hear "ay yeppo"

from the ajummas at the nearby table.. very conceited...^^,

Actually Eden, I found her playing with one of the brushes again last night and I got dizzy thinking of how she got it again... Definitely, toddlers are the most resourceful tiny people we'll ever see...

But most definitely, she won't be able to play with these babies anymore...

Till next time, Eden.. Thank you very much....

How did you know I need them? ^^,

Rest In Peace: Jo Kyung Hwan, a Veteran Actor

2012-10-17T18:19:00.002+09:00

I remember seeing him first in DaeJangGeum... and since then, it seemed like watching a "sageuk" drama is incomplete without him in the cast, most especially as an antagonistic prime minister..

Jo Kyung Hwan is a very respected veteran actor here in Korea. He passed away last Saturday, October 13. He was 67 years old. My MIL and Alex were saddened by the news.. They actually only saw it yesterday. I didn't recognize him at first but I eventually did when they flashed his photos or images from his drama/works...

Rest in peace Mister Jo Kyung Hwan... I will definitely miss you...

Etude House' Baking Powder Bubble Cleansing Moist

2012-10-13T01:19:00.002+09:00

Here's another product to love from Etude House: BAKING POWDER BUBBLE CLEANSING MOIST (9,000won for 150mL product).. I really love it^^,

I tried a new product on my face 2 weeks before Chuseok and the next thing I knew, pimples were again covering my face. Most definitely, when it's about that time of the month, Ladies, avoid trying out new products if you have acne prone or sensitive skin. The raging hormones reacting with the new ingredients create ghastly marks and breakouts..

This product, however, worked well with my skin care products and so I was happy that my bumps subsided a few days before Chuseok. I dreaded Alex' Aunt who'd always comment about my skin...

(I got these for free, using my AmorePacific beauty point card points.)

As I mentioned in another "baking powder moist" post, the word "moist" here, I think, simply refers to EH's answer to the demand for "creamy" type or version of their popular cleansing products.

Here's the product description:

Formulated with Baking Powder to penetrate and cleanse deep within pores to remove makeup and residues. Bubble foam texture supplies rich, smooth lather for moist sensation. ^^,

Actually, when the "pink" baking powder cleansers first came out, I wasn't confident I'd be getting my money's worth for this bubble-type bottle (because I'm using a bubble-type cleanser for SooAe's things and a bottle doesn't last long with me). But after having tried it, with just one pump, I'm satisfied with the clean, oil free yet moisturized feeling I get every after wash in the morning.

bubble I get with one pump...

I still use the regular cleanser I have when washing my face in the evening, especially when removing makeup. But at times I use this, I pump twice for one time wash, or wash my face twice with one pump of the cleanser each time..

(Sorry for the blurry picture) EH products are pasted with white stickers showing the complete list of their product ingredients both in Korean and English languages.

*I love this product because with that amount of bubble (2nd picture) or product, I get to clean my face very well. Unlike with the tube/squeeze type, I think that I'm just using enough product for my face. It's very easy to rinse off. I always find myself washing off thick lather resulting from "over-squeezing" out products from the tube...

*I was skeptical at first with the amount of bubble I get for one pump but it cleanses well and still creates that "creamy or moisturizing" texture/sensation while using,thus, leaving skin feeling both cleansed and "moist."

*The pump itself is easy to use, convenient for travels (I hope they have a miniature like that of Hanskin), and hygienic.

*Like other Baking Powder products, this one works: cleanses and reduces bumps if not eliminate them (with my continued use together with my skin care products, I'm now again pimple-free)... Believe me, I'm really very lazy when it comes to applying toners and skin lotions. But with this alone, I feel "safe" ^^,

*It has that mild, pleasant and non-irritating signature scent of the line...

*I will still have to see how long this bottle would last me. Just got this while buying stuffs for my friend from EH about three weeks ago.. The cleansing foams in tubes would last me more than 6 months though...

*This good product is very affordable at 9,000 Korean won. I'm almost done with the 26,000+won creamy facial wash my 2nd SIL gave me. I definitely don't have plans to spend that much of money for a facial cleanser alone... (I'd just add 5,000won more to that 26,000won and I'd get another box of duplo for SooAe^^,)

***I will be updating this post after two weeks more... Stay tuned.. And thank you for keeping my blog alive with your visits...

Can't See My Own Blogspot...

2012-10-08T02:23:00.003+09:00

Dear friends, this may sound soooo pathetic but really, I couldn't view my own blog for 2 days now and I'm so worried that I might not be able to even access blogger in the future too..

Been researching how to solve the problem but I always arrive at dead ends...

Whoever had experienced this and was able to solve it, kindly email me details at

jehan_1207@yahoo.com.ph

I can still read your comments via my email prompt though so it would still be okay to just leave me a message here.. Thank you very much in advance...

Ah.. It just happened... sad.. really sad...

as ever,

jehan(ㅠ__________ㅠ)

Chasing Autumn 2010: Saemanggeum and The Trip Back Home

2012-10-08T01:45:00.002+09:00

This is the last part of our autumn trip in 2010. It took me this while to complete it as it's really so hard to remember the places already. How I wish I made notes then. I think I did.. I just couldn't find my small notebook anymore..

Anyway, you can check the first 4 (or 5? So pathetic really.. I couldn't open my own blog. Would you believe that? Been trying to know what the problem is but I can't seem to find or solve it.. I can only open my dashboard, thus the post, and check that I still have viewers^^, And as long as readers are still directed to this blog, I can view it or not, I'll keep on writing...) by searching for them in this blog^^,

~~~

After our trips to the shoot locations that morning, I told Alex that I already had enough "fun." We should be heading home already so we'd have enough time to rest before his work the following day. He readily agreed but instead of hitting the "express" button on the navigation, he opted for the longest route. It was still early, he said. There was plenty of time for more sight seeing.

As the skies got clearer, the colder it got that morning. I requested we buy hot drinks, like warm "soya milk" from a small convenience store we passed by. While Alex bought our drinks, I crossed the street to see this beautiful beach. I couldn't recall its name exactly... Maybe it's Gosapo. I was surprised with the fine sand and just look at those gentle waves. Other families, even with teeny tiny babies, dropped by to enjoy the beautiful morning by the seaside...

Alex wandered alone to the beach while I took a rest

in one of the picnic benches under the pine trees...

When I told him I had enough of the cold breeze, he reluctantly headed to the car with me. I told him with the way he loves to linger longer than planned in places, we might arrive home late again... As we were driving up along a smoothly sloped mountain road, we passed by this apple and persimmon vendor. We had to buy a box of it worth 30,000won. Alex begged the man to allow us to buy just a piece of each fruit but he wouldn't agree. Sadly, even when my husband used the terms "foreigner" and "pregnant," the vendor didn't soften up a bit...

It was a joy to drive that morning... The skies finally cleared and the countryside view just got even more beautiful...

I couldn't remember the name of this "mountain" side road but to our right were small farms while to our left was this beautiful view of the sea. That white "line" you see between the sky and the sea to the left is just among the beautiful engineering feats here in Korea: the Saemanggeum Seawall....

Not knowing at first that it was the Saemanggeum, I asked Alex if were we going to pass by that and he just said "I don't know but we can pass by it if you want to..."

The sea wall was a tiny speck from where we first saw it and I didn't expect it to be so grand.. Although construction was still going on from the side we took the road, what was revealed to us mile after mile was just amazing... The only disappointing thing about this "discovery" or trip was the cold weather, really...

At 33 kilometers long, Saemanggeum is the longest man-made dyke. It boasts of Industrial park and tourists resorts or stops that surely lure families to the seawall in the summer. It may sound familiar to Arirang viewers. I remember them featuring "Saemanggeum Gunsan Free Economic Zone" in 2010 or maybe even earlier.

It was so beautiful. You can see the enclosed portion to be later made into a reservoir and farmland. We stopped by a busy mart or the only convenience/snack bar we saw to buy hot drinks again. It wasn't lunch time yet and we weren't hungry. We had no desire to sit down for instant food either so we just decided to continue with the drive...

I was 31weeks preggy here... Look at those "elephant" legs^^,

As we neared the other end, I fell asleep. I was even excited to see how it was right there but I got bored... haha!

We were almost there, when I fell asleep...

Alex was so annoyed when I opened my eyes again.. Ah, I so wanted to take a picture of that sign on the mountain. From afar, it looked like the mountain was purposely carved for the sign alone^^, All in all, it was a good drive or visit.. It can just be so boring for a sleepy preggy on board.. hehe...

You'll find lots of uploaded videos on youtube about Saemanggeum.

Husband drove on and on. I drifted off to sleep a few times. I remember us passing by another mountain side road again but this time, to our right down below was a lake. I couldn't remember anymore if it's an artificial one from the dam made... All I could remember was "Baekje" something for this place...

This old town definitely reminded us of where we currently live, LOL! I remember being told how a Korean defined our place to her as "very rural" only we live in newly built "cheap" apartments...^^, No offense, as long as we eat 3 times a day, can buy what we need and want sometimes without spending beyond our means, no loans, still can travel and enjoy a barbeque here and there, I'm okay...

It was a little past lunch time when we passed by this small old town pictured above. We went to the biggest restaurant we saw and I had the most delicious "Wang Mandu" (King-sized and flavored dumplings) while Alex still got the appetite for a "Naeng Myeon" (cold noodle soup) which is by the way the restaurant's specialty...

After lunch, we continued with the longest travel back home ever... The bare trees and super dry looking mountains saddened me. Ah.. We were definitely out of Jeolla provinces already...

We passed by some more lakes and mountains with bare or dry trees and farmlands. The traffic buildup also reminded me that I was back to counting the remaining weeks of my pregnancy, not the remaining days of our vacation..hehe...

It was still a little early when Alex heard about a historical site from the navigation, just before we reached Pyeongtaek. He tried to locate it but we got lost several times and spent almost 2 hours looking for it. With so much time wasted, and with me getting anxious and really tired from sitting, we just accepted the fact that we had seen so much already and just enjoyed this view from a dead end, hehe...

Sadly, traffic built up when we finally reached the highway. We weren't able to drop by any "rest stops" until we reached Gimpo at almost 8pm.

Ah.. I couldn't remember writing about our travels after my delivery.. But maybe, it will take me some time to finish a project like this again...

It's autumn and definitely, Jeolla is "A" place to see...