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Prelude...

2015-07-28T19:59:00.000-07:00

It's been a very busy but rewarding month for me. An unplanned trip to Seoul and back. I can't get enough of Korea and I am still in heavy withdrawals from the trip. The trip was so wonderful that I told myself "I am ready to die without regrets now." A figure of speech because I'm greedy and I want more from deep within. But it goes to show how satisfied I am!

I want to share about my trip so much but I haven't had time to do this. Give me some time to organise my thoughts and photos. I'll be back soon!

Let's Eat 2: Strawberry Feast

2015-06-21T03:51:00.000-07:00

TvN drama has been attaining more and more attention recently on their drama. One in particular that I got hooked on was "Let's Eat (식샤를 합시다)". It is about the lives of four single people hungry for food and love. From the drama title, you can probably guess that the drama focuses a lot on food. Due to the love from audience, there was season 2 "Let's Eat 2 (식샤를 합시다 2)" filmed and the broadcast just recently ended, sadly.

On one hand, I'm glad I no longer have cravings after every broadcasted episode, and in turn gain weight from this. The food looks so delicious and tasty in the drama that I develop very strong cravings after each episode. For example, after the episode features Korean fried chicken, my friend and I met up to eat Four Fingers. I blame the drama for my weight gain. On the other hand, I can no longer look forward to Beast's leader DooJoon's acting every week. One less drama to anticipate, a piece of me seems missing.

Anyway, in the latest season 2 episode 8, there is a strawberry feast featured. I'm not a fan of Strawberry flavoured food, but this place looks R.E.A.L.L.Y yummy.

Yes, if you watched the above video, you see 4Minute's leader GaYoon starring in this video too.

Don't you feel like eating this! How can you resist this awesome feast! Now, you can eat this too! (Clears Throat) This is at cafe called Cafe DuDart. There are a number of outlets in Korea, but I'm only going to provide the guide to the venue where filming was held in "Let's Eat 2".

Let's look at the menu first, so you know what to expect.


미니 생크림 케이크 Mini Fresh Cream Cake	리얼커스터드 딸기 Real Custard Strawberry

Jay Park (Ex 2PM Leader) invested in one of the outlets too. The outlet he invested in is more convenient in terms of location, on Apgujeong Rodeo street.

Address: Gangnam-gu, 34 Apgujeong-ro 48-gil, Seoul, South Korea
Telephone: 02-545-7417

How to get to Cafe DuDart

Take Seoul Subway Line 3 and get off at Nambu Bus Terminal Exit 2. Walk straight.

Keep walking straight.

At this traffic light, turn right to cross the road.

After crossing the road, turn left.

Walk straight and you'll come to Korea Exchange Bank (KEB). Turn right after this bank.

After turning right, walk straight.

You'll pass by Starbucks. Keep walking straight.

And you'll arrive at Cafe DuDart.

Let's take a closer look at the cafe interior. It looks dainty and cozy.

Address: 59 Hyoryeong-ro 68-gil, Seocho-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Opening Hours: 8am - 11pm
Telephone: 02-588-3879

Perfect Way to Complete the Trip

2015-05-16T23:15:00.000-07:00

This is the finally the last post on my Korea trip in April. Hahahahahaha~

I was just talking to my friend the other day about how awesome this shop is. Mukshidonna (먹쉬돈나) has a lot of outlets all over Korea. The last time I looked, they were opening an outlet on Garosu-gil too. Their ddeokbokki is cheap and delicious. The first time I brought a female friend to eat for her first time, we ate 4pax portion and paid less than SGD$20 each! What makes it so special is that you get to choose what to add to your wok! Eggs, fishcake, cheese, dumpling, different kinds of noodles... etc. In one week, I ate this twice. It is how good this place is!

On my way to Cube Cafe (located at Cube Entertainment), I walked past this directory to a building. So artistic!

The buzzer to my drink at Cube Cafe. Interestingly, they've recently renovated the cafe! I wonder how it looks like now. Gotta make another trip there soon! Heh~

That night was the first time I was going to watch Beast's Yoseob and APink's Eunji performance in a musical. I couldn't believe my luck that I get to see this awesome cast acting in "Full House" musical.

The big billboard listing all the main cast of this musical.

I throughly enjoyed myself. The story of this musical was a light-hearted one to start with, so there were jokes throughout. Sitting at the fifth row is a bonus of course. So close to the stage (blush). Haha~

Returned to the apartment famished. My friend and I decided to order Chinese takeout. 2 Jjajangmyeon (짜장면) and 1 Sweet and Sour Pork (탕수육). We got free dumplings for our orders too! The quantity is too much for 2 of us. We ended up keeping one bowl of Jjajangmyeon for consumption the next day.

The next day was a trip to pet cafe with my friends. It seems like quite a number of artists chose to send their dogs to this particular pet cafe when they are away for a trip. Unfortunately when I was there, I didn't meet any artists who came to pick up their pets. This adorable dog in my arms knows how to look at my camera. Teehee!

Met my friend for clubbing another day.

Before clubbing, a satisfying meal to fill our tummies. The famous Myeongdong Dumplings!

This was the day I bought this bracelet from WhyStyle, Yesung's store. He cutely passed me my credit card and smirked. After hopping 2 clubs, the bracelet was gone. Damn... I contemplated going back to the store to buy another one but this bracelet is quite pricey. My fate with this bracelet is too short a lifespan. Sigh~

Helped my friend to buy one in brown colour.

I didn't take my friend's advice to go clubbing on a Saturday, and went on Sunday instead. This was such a big mistake. The crowd on Saturday and Sunday really differs. So people, if you ever considered going clubbing in Korea, please go on a Saturday! Below is the moment I realised my bracelet was gone, and my hand was only decorated with the various chops from clubs ㅠㅠ

I went my friend's house to stay over for the night. The next day's lunch was Ginseng Chicken at Myeongdong that my friend recommended. I still prefer the Tosokchon Ginseng Chicken I had previously though.

It was soon time for another performance of "Full House" musical! This time, the cast was Beast's Yoseob and Joo. Joo is BTOB member Ilhoon's sister. If you ask me, I'd say I enjoy Eunji's performance better, compared to Joo. In terms of voice, Joo has a higher pitch and sometimes it went out of control. I think Eunji's voice has a broader range and with the bass in her voice, it is more soothing to the ears. In addition, Yoseob and Eunji has a better chemistry compared to Yoseob and Joo.

I bought Black Tea Latte from Paris Baguette to complete my dinner with Kimbap from convenience store. The cup sleeve is so fitting for Spring in Korea.

On my last day in Korea, I had to leave for airport at around 4pm. I decided to spend my last day in Mouse Rabbit. My friends were telling me it's not quite possible that Yesung would come on a Sunday afternoon, and I should just give up my hope. Surprisingly, he really came. Hence I ordered so many times from him and this Mango Bingsu is the bomb. After this bingsu, I really couldn't stuff myself any further.

What a wonderful way to end my trip. Full of love from this trip, and full of anticipation to my next.

Hong Kong and Macau: Super Show 6

2015-05-10T23:59:00.000-07:00

When I thought I would missed Super Junior's Super Show 6 concert because their tour was almost coming to an end and there seemed to be no news of anyone bringing the show to Singapore, I made a decision to fly to Macau to attend the concert. I have started attending Super Show since their third tour, Super Show 3, and I didn't want to miss out on Super Show 6, with or without my bias.

Their concert was on a Sunday, but my friend could only embark on the trip on Sunday itself. Hence my plan was to head over to Hong Kong to play for a day, then meet my friend in Macau on Sunday, and finally homeward bound on Monday. It was going to be 3 different countries in a span of 3 days! How exhilarating!

My previous passport was one of 10-year lifespan. It was old and crumbly especially since I didn't use a passport cover during my cabin crew days. I recently (finally) changed to the new one that can only last for 5 years. It's my first time bringing the new passport out!

I don't know why but both Hong Kong and Macau doesn't do the passport stamp anymore! They just gave me pieces of papers. I go through Singapore immigration through the thumbprint biometric scan, so no passport stamp either. After visiting 2 countries, I still have my passport looking as good as new! But... ... I want to collect the different passport stamps! (Wailing)

Bah... Coming back to the topic! I didn't manage to get cheap air ticket to fly directly to Hong Kong, so it was flight to Macau followed by a ferry ride to Hong Kong. Boarding at 5.35am is seriously an unearthly hour. I guess it's probably why I fell sick the moment I reached Hong Kong. Lack of sleep and under clothed from the wind.

First time taking a ferry to Hong Kong. Of course it was! It was after all, the first time I stepped foot in Macau. Haha! The ferry was an hour ride and the rocking motion sent me into deep sleep almost immediately, if not for the other rowdy passengers on board the ferry. I'd highly recommend bringing ear plugs. Both my ferry rides to and fro were filled with passengers who had to shout instead of talk. Deafening.

My Hong Kong friend who is ever so kind to always put me up at her house! And I get to go play with her cat each time I visit. The adorable thing who only wants to play! I miss the cat already... ... ... ... ...

It was a pleasant trip and I managed to meet up with some friends whom I haven't seen for a long time. I kept making a mental note to take pictures with those peeps but it just gradually slipped my mind. I guess my mind was more like gradually slipping into a coma from the flu medication I was on. Oopsie! I'm sure it's not going to be the last time I'm gonna visit Hong Kong. Though the next time I visit, I will probably look older in photos T^T

The view from my hotel room in Macau is awesome.

And the room is awesome as well! If given a chance to visit Macau again, I'm quite sure I'll return to this Venetian Hotel for stay. There's a living room separated from the bedroom, 1 television at each side. The lavatory is also separated from the shower. Facilities suited for your needs if your travel mate is known to hog the shower room for ages. A lot of girls are guilty of this heh~

My ticket for the concert! Highlight of the trip!

Shindong has left for army, leaving only 9 members on stage in total.

Pardon me for my ghastly pale face. My flu was getting from bad to worst. The place where we were queuing had awful ventilation.

Next up is photos spam from the concert itself! If you are ever going to lift my pictures to post elsewhere, please credit!

I am so loving this series where KangTeuk came to give us love ♥

The last solo photo I took of him before he left for army.

Heenim is giving his love as well ♥

The ending thumb kiss~

After the concert ended, we were so tired and returned to our hotel for room service. The first time I tried ordering room service in a hotel! (Another first!) Just after our shower, the food arrived. Nice timing!

The next morning, the one and only item on our itinerary for the entire trip: Macau Tower!

233m above the ground is VERY windy. I can't even tuck my fringe behind my ears, hair flying all over the place.

See how good we look from above! (Pun Intended) (233m from above the ground = Camera from above. Geddit?) Hahahaha~

The walk took us approximately half an hour. Totally dig this. The employee told us they are coming to Singapore soon! I was cracking my head on the possible places they can do this, and I could only think of the Marina Bay Sands Hotel. Can't wait for them to come. (Rubs hands in glee)

Full of Anticipation: May

2015-05-10T00:41:00.000-07:00

In a glimpse of eye, we've entered May! A month I've so looked forward to. There was Super Show 6 concert in Singapore, right on the first day of May. I thought this day would never come, so I decided to attend Super Show 6 concert in Macau. This is another story, gonna be in my next post.

To my delight, all the members were in such a good mood. To think the last time I saw the entire Super Junior in such a good mood was MAMA held in Singapore on 29 November 2011. So many years ago! I didn't take a single photo during the concert in Singapore and enjoyed myself thoroughly. Everything is captured through my eyes, imprinted on my heart.

A mandatory selca to end the night at the moshpit with my friend. I'm glad she managed to take some good photos with my shielding from the security!

Dinner was at Bugis after much contemplation. A very satisfying meal with the gang, and some new friends I made.

Coming back to the topic of how awesome May is, 05 May is a public holiday in Korea because it is their Children's Day! How awesome that even adults get to celebrate Children's Day! Never lose the child in us ^-^

Children's Day in Korea this year, also marks the last day of army duty of Yesung, my bias in Super Junior. Because it is a public holiday on 05 May, he gets to be released from service one day earlier! No longer just Kim Jongwoon, he's finally assuming back the identity of Yesung - the voice that melts my heart. Because of his return, a plan is brewing. Hopefully there are some confirmed news and my plan would fall nicely into place.

In Seoul, Every Day is a Happy Day

2015-04-29T00:06:00.000-07:00

After EXO went to this restaurant called "School Food" in the variety "EXO Showtime", I too tried it with some friends in Apgujeong. Surprisingly, the dishes taste good! Ever since, I've been to the restaurant multiple times. It's a good venue to meet for meals since it's at the entrance of Garosu-gil, coming from the subway station.

Speaking of EXO, have you watched their new web drama called "EXO Next Door"? There's English subtitles to the video from their official YouTube channel. It's funny and there's my ever-so-adorable Kyungsoo! Here's episode 1.

Oh, I got distracted. (Coughs) It doesn't matter how much food I consume. I climb stairs like below everyday. Yes, this is what I tell myself daily to feel less guilty. Haha!

To think I can still see Kyuhyun's birthday congratulatory message at subway station in April. Lucky!

Met up with my Korean friend for a simple dinner along Hongdae. We weren't very hungry so some ddeokbokki and odeng is sufficient for us to call it a meal. Even a simple meal like this makes me feel blissful.

There's all these cute Kakao characters outside Kakao Talk cafe!

Why is my friend so pretty~~~~~~~~ Cam whoring while waiting for the subway.

And after much anticipation, the CNBlue concert in Seoul! Didn't get a chance to catch Minhyuk's drum sticks at the end of the concert. Didn't manage to catch that in Singapore concert either. Forever in the wrong zone where Minhyuk chooses to throw. Pfft~ (Yes, I attended their "Can't Stop" concert in Singapore too!)

Ready with my light stick and wrist tag to enter the venue!

Such a pleasant surprise to know Yesung is in Mouse Rabbit when the concert ended. We made a decision to cab down to Mouse Rabbit from the concert venue. Seeing my bias after a concert, is there any better way to end the night. (Smiles)

April Korea Trip Continues... ...

2015-04-18T04:37:00.000-07:00

I recalled my trip to Korea last year April was actually the first time I went to Mouse Rabbit, the cafe opened by Super Junior member, Yesung. That's right, my bias. Everyone has been raving about the cafe because Yesung was there most of the time, and the awesome fan service he gave by taking your orders over the counter. You get to talk to him and shake his hand even. Talk about up close and personal interaction!

There at the nearest subway station, Konkuk University subway station, there was a banner congratulating another Super Junior member, Hyukjae's birthday. Coincidentally it was his birthday month. Putting up advertisements in subway stations by fansites is actually a norm in Korea. It may be expensive, but it goes to show how much fans are willing to go for their idols.

Mouse Rabbit exterior doesn't look like this anymore, though. They removed the windows of the outdoor area you see below, and added railings. It's going to be cold and chilling sitting out here in the winter. I recalled us talking to Yesung's dad about our concern of sitting here during rainy season. He explained to us patiently that they had to remove the windows due to regulations, and nothing much they could do about it.

Breakfast alone at the quiet Mouse Rabbit is pure bliss. Sweet potato cake and black tea latte. I miss these 2 items so much... ... ... Even the serviettes design has changed.

Wearing my newly bought 574 New Balance that unfortunately gave me aching legs because I bought a size too small. I love this design so much and everywhere doesn't have my size. Cries! This pair is now belonging to my mother. And so, my mum now has couple sneakers with my Yoseob my Beast! Humph!

Chanced upon this advertisement at Myeongdong subway station. Couldn't hide my excitement because I was going to be part of this.

Attempted to get our SIM card in Hongdae and failed due to new regulations in place. Foreigners are no longer allowed to apply for SIM card from the 3 main telcos in Korea: SK Telecom, KT and LG U+. Bad news for us having to enter music broadcasting shows. Had to treat ourselves to a good lunch for the dejection we were feeling. Korean Black Bean Sauce Noodles (Jajangmyeon) and spicy seafood noodle soup (Jjampong). The seafood noodle soup isn't spicy at all!

On the side, we also added sweet and sour pork (탕수육) but I'm too embarrassed to paste the photo in here. We poured the sweet and sour sauce over the pork. What were we thinking! We should have dipped the pork into the sauce to preserve the crunchiness of the meat. How could we make such a fatal mistake (shakes index finger).

Craving for icy cold cider in this hot weather.

And craving ever so badly for this grilled pork intestine (곱창구이). Chanced upon this shop (강남곱창이야기) in Myeongdong and it happened to be the filming site for drama Reply 1997!

Ending this post with a random selca taken during the same trip. One of those times I was alone in Mouse Rabbit, waiting for Yesung to arrive.

Onward to China

2015-04-17T08:49:00.000-07:00

Vacation has always been a form of escapade for myself. Ditching whatever I hold on my hands and take off in an air jet, travelling above 40,000ft in the air, barely containing myself in the seat for the unknown that is awaiting me.

Whenever I return from a trip, I am reluctant to unpack my luggage. Removing every piece of item from my luggage is a road of reminiscing, revisiting every moment of my trip. Seeing my unpack luggage lying there out in the open is like a reminder that my trip was just over, and I still have ample of energy stored up within me, to prepare myself for reality.

When the luggage is finally unpacked and stored high up above my wardrobe, it is finally the moment when reality hits me, that I have to make do with the amount of positivity left over from the trip to get me going until the next trip arrives.

The same goes for photographs. Though luggage unpack warrants nagging from my mom, so it gets attended to far quicker than photographs. I finally got to photographs taken during a trip with my parents to China 2 years ago (Yes, this is how bad my procrastination can get. Which you probably are aware, seeing me post about Christmas 2014 four months later. Coughs...).

A selfie at the first hotel we got to. Followed by selfies with my parents! Who do I look like?

Wishing it wasn't so cold and they'd fill the pool with water so I could jump in.

Yes, the highlight of the trip was to Guilin, the hometown of our ancestors.

Our entire tour group, and you could see that I was the youngest there.

Since we were in the rural areas of China, there were a lot of boat rides, scenery views and a little mountain climbing.

Interestingly, the family that live in the house below, only leave their house and make their way down the mountain once a month. They are getting older in age and legs are not as strong. Leaving their house only for purpose of grocery shopping, sufficient to last them for another month.

Lighting from above is great for pictures!

And more boat rides and scenery.

Truth be told, I can't recall where I was most of the times when I was looking through the photos. You see, that was a tour guided trip which I absolutely have no say in the itinerary. When people say move, I walk. When people say eat, I gobble the food in front of me.

Though the scenery is beautiful in rural areas of China, I'm quite sure I wouldn't want to go again. As China is developing, there were heavy construction going on everywhere we went. So much dust flying around and I got major breakout starting from the second day I got there. It got so bad that most of the time I was wearing a mask that almost covered my entire face.

So apart from the first few days, I didn't appear in pictures most of the time. Or when I do appear occasionally, the pictures look similar to above. After a while, I even gave up smiling for the camera. It doesn't matter anyway, right? Travelling with my parents was a wonderful decision though. Just probably not China.

Seeing the last trip with parents was 2 years ago, I sense it is time for another trip with them. But trip this year is already planned out for and none of them involve my parents. So I guess it would have to be early next year? (Bites fingers nervously)

My post title is "Onward to China". It felt more like "Backwards to China" since the trip was made so long ago. Ha!

Christmas 2014

2015-04-11T04:42:00.000-07:00

My friend and I decided to treat ourselves to good food on Christmas last year. This is after all a season to be jolly! With some cash on hand to spare, good food it shall be. Selfie while waiting for the restaurant to be opened. We were their first customer of the day! Heh~ Loving my hair colour in this picture. Gotten my hair dye in Korea during my trip in September last year. Colour still looks good!

When I visited my hair stylist in March this year, I was considering another hair dye to cover up my white hair. He was against it. He said it wasn't necessary because my colour still looks good on my head. It's not like I've got a whole head of white hair either. I was just being paranoid by a few strands of white hair growing under my thick hair. Oopsie! In the end I just did a hair cut and treatment. Hee!

My friend and I decided to throw in a little present exchange and I got something very useful: Diary! I was looking for a diary every year and have not gotten myself one for 2015. Those I found are either too expensive for my liking, or too much additional pages no use for me. My friend bought me a thick diary sufficient for 3 years usage. I guess I can skip my diary hunting these few years! Hooray!

We were just aimlessly walking along Orchard Road to find Magnum giving out free ice-cream outside Orchard ION mall. It's the Marc De Champagne flavour. Yums!

A selfie shot with ice-cream to end this post.

How I love Christmas. Maybe I should plan for Christmas 2015 to be spent in a cold country with snow this year. Yes, working hard has set me thinking of escape plans again. It is not a suitable time for me to leave for any vacation trip now, so I can only plan ahead. Make this my motivation to work hard. Besides, I haven't seen snow in my life and I haven't been to Korea this year either. Christmas in Korea in December... ... ... Should I?

Authentic Bibimbap in Jeonju

2015-01-03T18:00:00.000-08:00

During my long long trip to Korea in April, I left Seoul and visited my friend's hometown in Jeonju. If you have no idea where this place is, then you are missing out the most eminent aspect of Jeonju: Jeonju Bibimbap. Bibimbap originates from Jeonju.

My friend and I booked our bus ticket for departure at 8.10am in the morning. This timing is too inhumane. We decided to meet at around 7am at the Express Bus Terminal subway station to have our breakfast together before embarking on our trip. This is clearly an excuse. We settled at this meeting time because we were afraid we'd both wake up late and miss the bus.

At 7am that day, I messaged my friend to tell her I've reached! She told me to look for her at a certain exit number and boy, I walked. Have you ever groaned at the thought of the long walk, when changing from purple line to red line at Plaza Singapura MRT station in Singapore? This walk at the Express Bus Terminal subway station is at least 4 times of that distance. I put down my phone and concentrated on walking, for fear I would miss the correct exit. 10min later, my friend sent me a message to ask why I have yet to appear in front of her. The Express Bus Terminal Subway Station is Huge! Gigantic! Humongous! You get the gist? I wasn't lost, it just took me a long time to walk.

After a 2.5 hours direct bus ride, we arrived at Jeonju! Don't ask me about the view along the way. I basically concussed 5min after the bus left the berth. I was woken up by my friend telling me we've reached, in time to see our bus pass going through the Jeonju entrance gate. Her mother picked us up with a car and off we went to have our Bibimbap! We went to a restaurant named "Gogung" for lunch.

I trusted that my friend brought me to the best store in Jeonju for bibimbap and I was right. I only took a photo of the Bibimbap dish because my friend's mother was dining together. Having to take pictures of all the food would mean she had to wait for me, and that would be rude. The side dishes and other additional dishes we ordered tasted good. The best is of course the main dish.

Next, my friend brought me to their local supermarket for some fresh strawberries and cherry tomatoes. They were so fresh and sweet, nothing like those we have here in Singapore. Interestingly, the packaging of the strawberries and cherry tomatoes had stickers on it, indicating the names of farmers who grew that particular pack!

After a filling lunch and fruits, we headed to a cafe for some energy replenishment in the afternoon. We went to the Cham in Coffee (참인커피) located in the Jeonju Hanok Village. This cafe is owned by Kim Woobin! He studied in Jeonju when he was younger and his parents are still living in Jeonju. Hence he opened a cafe there.

Kim Woobin at his own cafe.

And I was sitting at the exact same table as him.

Below is a drawing on the wall.

The poster of movie "Friends 2" with Kim Woobin in the middle.

Some decorations and painting in the cafe.

My friend and I chilled over a cup of coffee, overlooking the Jeonju Hanok Village from the second floor. The peaceful afternoon passed by quickly and it was time for me to tour the village myself.

A description of the Jeonju Hanok Village.

Look at how pretty the traditional Korean houses are! There are approximately 700 of these houses located here. To get this awesome full view of the hanok village, climb up the Ohmokdae hill, the highest place in town. It is next to the Jeonju Arts & Craft Exhibition Centre, and it took me around 10 minutes to reach the top.

I took this photo to tell my personal fitness trainer that I was also exercising despite my vacation. Haha!

I have no idea why, but we were tired once again. Perhaps it was the climb up and down the hill, or it was the heat. We once again retreated to a cafe, a different one this time, called Cafe Fermata (카페 페르마타). My friend highly recommended the honey bread and it was splendid. I think I could never eat honey bread from other stores again. Cafe Fermata honey bread has a thin layer of crust on the outside but practically melts in your mouth, as it is soft on the inside. My stomach is growling at this hour looking at this photo again.

We walked around the shopping district and had dinner before going to the bus terminal. My Korean friend is so pretty. Beside her, I pale in comparison.

It was finally back to Seoul for me. This time, on my own. I had a 1 day trip and find myself wishing I had stay longer. If you ever decided to go Jeonju, I would suggest planning at least a 2D1N trip.

Gogung (고궁)
Deokjin-gu, Deokjin-dong 2ga, 168-9 (Jeonju Main shop)
Tel: +82 63-251-3211

Cham in Coffee (참인커피)
Jeonju-si Wansan-gu Gyo-dong 274-2 (In front of Gyeonggijeon Main Gate)
Tel: +82 63-232-3003

Cafe Fermata (카페 페르마타)
Jeonju-si Wansan-gu Jeonju Gaeksa4gil 24-29

Fan Accounts turned Fanfics?

2015-01-03T03:10:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year everyone!
Goodbye 2014, Hello 2015!

How did you spend your New Year countdown? I was feeling lazy and decided to skip all invitations to stay home and chillax on New Year's Eve. I'm not sure if you are aware, every year in Korea, the major broadcasting stations took turns for the New Year Eve countdown broadcast slot. This year, the countdown programme "Gayo Daejaejun" on 31 December 2014 was held by MBC. A long list of artists and groups joined in to celebrate the passing from year 2014 to 2015. The recording is held at three different locations to split up the overwhelming crowd to witness the programme live.

This morning, I woke up to my Twitter filled with fan accounts of this Gayo Daejaejun by a single person. It is her first time travelling to Korea and to see her idols in person there. The fan accounts that came >10 hours late are very detailed and shows how much interaction she has with her bias from BEAST. Towards the end of her fan account, I am certain that she was, and still is having delusions.

I declare that I am a fan of BEAST and I call myself a proud B2UTY. I have seen the members performed before me and I truly believe the good I see in them is really the good they behold.

All fans fantasize about their idols, including me. I love how the male idols display their affection with their group members, concerned about their fans' safety and well-being. I hope the idols I like are genuinely kind and positive. I am living in a faraway land that takes 6 hours of flight time to fly directly to Korea. One of the ways I could stay updated with news of my idols is through fan accounts on Twitter. These are accounts given by fans on Twitter, who have the opportunities to see a live performance or even meet the idols up front and personal.

Like what Jongsuk said in his drama Pinocchio: "How scary it is to talk carelessly without knowing the weight of your own words". The fan whom I mentioned above, has 16.6k followers on Twitter and this is the reach her words stretch. There are fans who yet have a chance to see BEAST in person and rely heavily on her tweets. Any words that are untrue may give these fans false hopes that they too would be entitled such an experience when they travel to Korea.

When I see the replies given by all the international fans to her, I could see how much they held on to her words and everyone wishing they were there to receive the same treatment. I myself have seen BEAST perform live from row 1 and I agree that they give awesome fan service. Yet from my personal experience, they do not focus on one single person for that entire time on stage. The more I read, the more I fumed, which is why I am writing this post.

I've highlighted the important parts because her posts are too long. There's a summary given at the end, if you want to skip all the lengthy posts.

Let's go with her flow of fan accounts, starting with seats. She mentioned there were only 3 B2UTYs in the zone, she and her friend, with another person. We can deduce from here that she was not seated on the front row as another B2UTY was sitting in front of her.

Here, she added that the B2UTY sitting in front of her left, leaving only she and her friend in that zone. From this account onwards, you can see the personal interaction she cited with the BEAST members.

Firstly, Hyunseung kept staring at her.
Then Doojoon and Kikwang kept looking over, make eye contact and wave.
Kikwang and her took turns making heart with arms and throwing at each other for a couple of times.
Kikwang also gave her his boyish childish grin.

She continues to say Kikwang would always sway his body to catch her eye.
Doojoon waved goodbye to her a couple of times.
Doojoon was almost always looking for her.

She screamed for Dongwoon and he chuckled at her scream and waved at her.
Then Doojoon, Kikwang, Yoseob and Dongwoon waved at her, as usual.

From here onwards, her fan accounts took a step further from reality since it was with her bias, Junhyung.

She said Junhyung kept staring at her.
He was looking at her the whole time.
Then he smirked and pointed at her.

He kept his smirk on and continued looking at her.
He would turn around and look around, but he would always turn back to look at her.
Even up til the last moment on stage (I am doing translations from English to English, because her English is bad), he was looking at her and smirking once in a while.

She re-tweeted another person's pictures and claimed that he was looking at her.

Again on the seats, this time she said she was on the last row.
She then assumed (she used the word "think" but this is as good as an assumption) that Junhyung didn't like them to take photos.
She mentioned he looked at her again.

She said she mouthed to tell him to go to her but he shook his head and smirked.
She pouted at him and he pouted back.
She continued to say he looked at her again.

She then explained how Junhyung took care of her by staring hard at her with fingers in his ears, as indication for her to do the same.

And despite above assumption that Junhyung doesn't like to take photos, she told him to smile at her camera.
Then she said he smiled for her camera, according to her instructions.

This is her post about the photo Junhyung smiled for her.

She continued to say Junhyung was looking at her direction 80% of the time.

According to her, Junhyung did a hand bow without bowing his head to keep looking at her.
She added that she cannot be very sure if he was looking at her.

She said he smirked at her and pretty sure he knew she liked him the most.

She continued to add that the pictures are backing her fan accounts.

She re-tweeted the following photos to imply that these are the photos that are evidence.

She must be implying that he was pouting at her here.

She "clarified" that she wasn't boasting about her experiences which is in every way, a false statement.

She continued to say this is like the look after he pointed at her.

And she said she was talking to him (from last row) and he was staring at her.
Then he laughed at her.

She saw someone's photo of Doojoon in action and claimed that he was dancing with her.

Allow me to summarise.

She was the only B2UTYs in the section
In a big venue with hundreds or even thousands of fans, she claims that her section of seats only had 2 people (her and her friend) who were B2UTYs. Either she's trying to say BEAST had very little fans (which obviously wasn't true) or her statement of only 2 B2UTYs in that section not true. Of course I do not assume she's lying. She is perhaps only blind enough to un-see all the other B2UTYs in the zone.

Her seat
She was sitting in the last row in her section of seats. From my conversations from artist friends, with the bright spotlight shining on them onstage, they usually cannot see beyond row 2. Unless of course they shield their eyes with their hands. Most of the times, the spotlight is simply too blinding. Yes they could hear your screams and determine where you are shouting from. But no, they cannot see you if you are seated at the last row. And her section of seats has more than 2 rows. BEAST members did not constantly shield their eyes to look at fans. Imagine how weird it would be. Again, I do not imply she's lying. Perhaps, delusional.

Junhyung's smile for her camera
She said Junhyung followed her instructions and smiled for her camera. The first picture is too blur to proof anything, evidence as good as none. You can't even see who is who with this picture. I am quite certain she is not using a DSLR of likes, but a digital camera. Getting an image this blur with DSLR is hard.

The second picture though, proof very well how far she was seated from the members, simply base on the amount of zoom she used to get the picture. The menu options further confirmed my suspicion that she was using a digital camera. Korean artists posing for a good camera such as DSLR is common. They would search in the crowd for a good camera and approaches the camera to pose for good pictures. Posing for a digital camera is rare because it is hard for them to spot your small compact digital camera in the first place.

Junhyung's bow while looking at her
She put a disclaimer to say it might not be true, if a fan cam appears to be proof against her words. In another words, it is true if there is no such fancam. This is as good as sprouting nonsense and say unless you prove me wrong with a video, otherwise I am always right!

Junyung knew she liked him the most
How do I even start? Unless we get to ask Junhyung, we wouldn't know for sure right?

Pictures back up her "story"
Those pictures could only confirm the members did the actions such as putting fingers into their ears, but it does not confirm whatever interactions she claimed they had. She did not appear in the pictures and judging from the background, we can't even know where he was facing. I could say he was staring at me all the time!

Doojoon danced with her
She was telling stories based on pictures. A good picture appeared and she claimed the member was doing something with her based on the picture.

Junhyung pouted at her
Let me refresh your memory. She said he pouted at him and he pouted back, by which she swore it was the truth and she's not delusional.

A fan site uploaded the following picture of him obviously pouting at the fan site's camera.

This fan strikes again, this time to say he pouted after he turned from her.
So did he pouted at her or not?

Fan accounts time frame
Lastly, I must share that usually fan accounts are uploaded at the time of the performance, or immediately after the performance. This is because our human brains are tricky and may sometimes insert images into our mind, which we really thought happened. For example, I once sent some Korean artists off from Changi Airport. Amidst the chaos, I vividly remembered one of them came forward to gave all of us a wave before heading off. Lucky for me, I was videoing the whole thing and no, he didn't came forward to wave at all. I had no idea why I thought that happened. This girl's fan accounts came after she went home and slept through the night, written the next day. I can say for sure that fan accounts to come this late and after a good night sleep, it is definitely 100% not the truth.

On the overall, I choose to believe good in all mankind, so I keep telling myself she wasn't lying deliberately. She is just plain delusional and believe in the images conjured up in her head beyond doubt, then spread those as if they were the truth.

I've stated my doubts and it is up for you to judge.

Singapore Art Fair 2014

2014-12-30T17:30:00.000-08:00

I visited the Singapore Art Fair with a friend in November. Interestingly, this art fair is the first modern and contemporary art fair in Asia focusing on Middle East, North Africa, South and Southeast Asia (ME.NA.SA) art, held at Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Centre. I do not have any artistic flares in me but I like to pretend I do. Not an artsy fartsy person but I can still learn to appreciate art right?

Recently it's been raining almost everyday and I'm loving it. Brings down the temperature in Singapore and I can add layers to my outfit without feeling the heat. Makeup also stays longer on my face. Yet it's a drag to step out of my house. All I want to do is roll around in bed all day. Look at the heavy downpour when I went out. Even my shoes from SPAO are wet.

A selfie while waiting for bus to arrive.

The guide that doesn't help me out. I was lost in this big big space of art pieces on display. On a side note, they collected the entry pass back from us just before we entered the exhibition hall. Lucky for me, I have already taken the photo below. Hee!

I just picked a few I liked to share and it turned out to be so much pictures. Lots of scrolling to do for this post!

Just entered the hall and giggled hard because I saw this. This whistling face is too epic.

Let's start off with cute art pieces that are easier to appreciate.

There is ice-cream!

So happy to see fennec fox and little prince of B612.

The following two art pieces are "Fly" and "Hang" by Seungsub Lim.

Look at the head in a heart shape.

A major art work on the partition wall.

The following is "Scream" by Il Dong Kim. This is pigment on canvas. This really reminds me of the Simpons drawing in Junhyung's house.

She is staring at you.

My personal favourite.

I like how the letters "Love" fit into this Chinese character "Love".

Watcha looking at? LOL

I like the next piece so much that it is now my Facebook header photo.

The Last Supper before Leonardo da Vinci, 2014 by Dadi Setiyadi. The artist imagines the scene in which Da Vinci's painting, "The Last Supper" taking place before guests arrive. This piece is acrylic on canvas.

When we exited the exhibition, we were famished and exhausted. The place is so huge with so many art pieces to admire, one afternoon is simply not enough for us. We then realised why there were 3-day passes sold. To think that we were so naive to believe we could absorb everything in one afternoon.

Oh well, according to the Singapore Art Fair official website, this event is to be held annually. That means I have something to look forward to again, in November 2015.

The night ends with ice cream at Rabbit Owl Depot.

I'm not a fan of milky ice-cream so there's not a lot of choices for me. I got the sesame flavoured ice-cream and I love it. Sesame flavour is hard to go wrong anyway.

Rabbit Owl Depot
Address: 420 North Bridge Road #01-06, Singapore 188727
Tel: +65 6336 4075
Operating Hours:
Monday - Thursday: 12pm - 10pm
Friday - Saturday: 12pm - 11pm
Sunday: 2pm - 9pm

Item Needed: Happiness

2014-12-28T19:00:00.000-08:00

My friend shared with me the other day about Scoot Airline deals to Seoul. That day, I found myself spending a lot of time looking at 2015 calendar and non-stop pressing the calculator to measure my finances. Rational part of me is telling me not to buy, but the insensible part of me wouldn't let me leave the Scoot website. In the end, I made a decision to let it pass. Now is not the time, and neither does my wallet allows me to be capricious.

That very night, I dreamt that I suddenly found cheap air tickets to Hong Kong, and once again I was on my way to Hong Kong for a vacation alone. Instead of feeling the excitement of embarking on a vacation trip, I found myself feeling guilty that I wasn't bringing my parents along on the trip with me. At the same time, I was planning to buy another Longchamp bag on that very trip. Despite limited resources, I was persistent in making the purchase, very well knowing that the guiltiness in me would increase after the transaction.

Your dream implies feelings of rejection. You may be feeling that no one understand you.

You are feeling guilty about something is in relations to how you are handling your successes and failures or competence and incompetence. You may feel undeserving of your achievements. Or on the other hand, you feel that you have let others down. Alternatively, the dream is symbolic of repressed and negative feelings that you may have about yourself.

To dream that you are on vacation indicates that you need a break to recharge your energies and revitalize yourself. You need to break out of your daily routine and do something different.

As usual, my dream reflects my negativity and my reluctance to stay status quo. I need a dosage of positive injection in my life.

Come Back Home

2014-12-27T22:05:00.000-08:00

2014 did not get a good start, and it certainly didn't end on a good note. The overturned Sewol Ferry in April took so many innocent lives. MH370 shocked the entire nation when it went missing. With the technology advancement in our age today, we didn't think it was possible to have a plane gone missing. Yet again, this morning, QZ8501 faces the same fate of going missing.

Having worked as a cabin crew previously, I too have multiple experiences sitting in the plane with the turbulence so bad that I thought I would never make it home. I see the passengers turned their heads looking at me for assurance, and all I could do was to give my best poker face, while I was strapped tightly to the safety harness, as though everything was under control.

In fact, I didn't know if everything was under control. I couldn't give any assurance because I too have my own doubts and fear. At that time, all I did was non-stop running through the safety procedures in my head so that if we ever land safely and I am still alive, I could immediately spring up from my seat and do the necessary. Shout the necessary commands, check the conditions outside the plane and hopefully determine it is safe enough to open a door and evacuate everyone to safety.

Fortunately for me, no matter how rough the flights were, I always made it home safely, thanks to the Captains and First Officers I flew with. It dawned upon me that whenever we bump into fellow crew along the hallway previously, we always greeted each other in a loud cheery voice "Have a safe flight!", but I never really meant what I said. To me back then, it was a protocol to follow, a culture I adapted to in the line of work. It never occurred to me that one of us might not make it home.

QZ8501 is an Airbus A320 aircraft that I was so familiar with. Back in the days when I was flying, the airline I worked for only operates on Airbus A320. The route from Surabaya to Singapore is almost a weekly trip for me, if not multiple trips in a week. I used to say that going to work back then is like taking a bus ride. This route is approximately 2hrs, and it is almost equivalent to the the time I took to travel from my house to my work place. Yet today, those crew and passengers on QZ8501 might not make it back home safely and my heart aches just at the thought of it.

Have faith in the flight deck crew. Be safe please, I pray.

Happy Parcel Arrived in Mail

2014-12-25T07:36:00.000-08:00

A packaged arrived at my house some weeks back. For the first time since I started work at my new office, I rushed home from work on time.

Look at the delightful package that sat on Cathay Pacific Airways to my house. The lucky bastard sat on a full fledge carrier while I have been sitting on budget airlines to Korea for the past few trips.

This is the exact state of my items when I opened the box. All items are bubble wrapped, but things are flying out of the packaging. Fortunately other than my posters, the rest of the items are in perfect condition.

These are all merchandise sent by Cube Entertainment. As Beast's fan club is called Beauty, their merchandise are made with the signature rose. Beauty and the Beast... Geddit? I bought two of the below umbrellas, one for myself and one for a friend as birthday present.

Look at how pretty the rose is. I'm so proud to be holding this umbrella on a rainy day. When opened up, you can see the initials of Beast in Korean hangul.

A close up below.

This umbrella is so light weighted as compared to the current one I'm using. I'm so going to ditch my current umbrella and carry this Beast umbrella out with me everyday! (Happy Twirl)

And the highlight of my purchase is this Beast 5th Anniversary Package B.

The first thing I did was to open these 2 photo books. There were a total of 6 individual members' photo books given out at random.

And I got Junhyung and Dongwoon. I've only selected a few to take pictures of. Although they are not my bias but one can't deny that all photos look awesome and the members look so good. I caught myself smiling as I look through the photo books.

And there's a blanket that I have no idea when I'd be able to use. Probably bring it up the plane to fight the cold when I'm on my way to Korea? And the entire plane would know I'm a Beauty. Would you give me a kind and knowing smile if you see a fellow Beauty covered in this on the plane?

And the mug that may look plain here, changes colour when hot water is poured into it. This was indeed a surprise for me as I was just expecting a simple mug. Certainly a lovely twist!

The very thick "TIME" album comes with a random photo card and a thick photo book.

At this stage, I was losing heart and thought I'd have to settle for another member's photo card other than my bias. To my surprise, my bias greeted me with his fixated gaze and look ever so charming in that sweater. SOBS

The card below reads:
Dear Beauty ♡
Beauty whom we are always grateful for!! ♡
Let's go on together for a long time. Thank you
- Beast Yoseob -

I still do have fate with my bias. All hope is not lost!

Along with the package, I also did some shopping for BTOB merchandise. Their 5th mini album "MOVE". The random card I got is Ilhoon. Not my bias but I'm not complaining here. Because I've got Yoseob photo card! (See above) (Does another happy twirl)

I got myself a mask because I like wearing mask when I'm overseas. It protects me against the cold in the winter, or even the cold air on the plane. I really do sleep better on the plane with a mask on. I didn't know the mask would come with glittered words. This is so conspicuous that I am basically shouting "I'm a Melody!" with this on. Well, it does look pretty and non-fans probably wouldn't know what the logo or the slogan means right?

Nevertheless, I am super happy with my buys. I am embarrassed to say this, but I am expecting a second parcel from Cube Entertainment at the moment. Until the package comes, I'll keep mum about what I bought. Do stay tuned!

Combat a Cough with Korean Fried Chicken

2014-11-27T20:09:00.000-08:00

With the rainy season arriving in Singapore, it is almost raining everyday. Hooray to the cooling weather! Booboo to my bad hair days. Whenever it's raining, my hair just got more frizzy and they fall all over the place. In the morning when I left my house, it looks perfect. But a few hours down the road, WHAM! I look like a lioness. I'm using a few off the shelf products for my hair these days but it doesn't seem to work. Someone recommend me please?

I have been sick for the past 1week plus and finally showing signs of recovery. Yet I still lose sleep to my bad cough. The moment I lay my head onto my pillow, the cough starts. At the rate I'm going, either I die from lack of sleep first or coughing my lungs out. It must be either one of these.

Despite all these, I still had fried chicken for dinner with my friends last night. I couldn't resist the temptation when I saw pictures of APink members having fried chicken before their comeback stage.

Their new album is awesome, as expected, by the way.

I've long heard raves about Chicken Up and their watermelon soju. I've tried peach soju and apple soju back in Korea and totally love the taste. And so, Chicken Up off we go.

Before my meal, my friend who has tried it before has warned me about the overpriced and overrated food reviews circulating around. She had the buffet and added one watermelon soju for 2 to share, spending just slightly less than $50 per pax. That is a little steep price to pay for a meal of fried chicken. Yet considering there's alcohol ordered for the meal, this still isn't too bad.

Anyway my friends and I ordered a corn cheese appetizer, a serving of Ganjang (soy) fried chicken wings （4 pieces) and half a Yangnyum chicken. For 3 girls to share, we were full and satisfied. My favorite would be their soy fried chicken wings! I'd say it's a must-order item on their menu.Yangnyum chicken was slightly spicy for my friend who doesn't take spicy food well, but even she finds it tasty.

No,we didn't order the watermelon soju because my company for the night rejected alcohol. So I guess I must make another trip down again!

It was a busy night, even on weekdays, and queue was long. Interestingly, 3 of us were given a table for 2 to sit at. When there was a table for 4 available, we requested to shift over to that table so I don't sit in the hallway blocking traffic. The staff rejected us saying that table is strictly for group of 4. Now this is weird. Why is a table for 4 strictly for 4 members, while a table of 2 can sit up to 3 people?

I can totally understand if they explained to say that they have a big group coming and that table has been reserved for them, so they couldn't allow us shifting over. What I couldn't understand is their reasoning given to us.

Fine then. I continued on with my meal with my bag placed on my laps, eating at a table too small for the food we ordered. I straightened my back whenever someone walked past behind me and gave occasional dagger stares when they'd still knock into me from behind. I guest it is recommended that you visit Chicken Up in groups of even number: 2, 4, 6.

On a side note, if you are not accustomed to using knives and forks for chicken, you can always request for disposable gloves! This is how Koreans eat and it is a comfortable way to eat chicken without dirtying your hands. We were happily devouring our fried chicken when my friend spotted another table staring at us eating. We appeared to be the only table with gloves on. After a while, they too requested for gloves. Ha! It's good to know we managed to show other customers how chicken should be eaten.

Chicken Up
Address: 48 Tanjong Pagar Rd, 088469
Phone: 6327 1203
Operating Hours: 5.30pm – 3.00am

Insecurities vs Excitement

2014-11-25T18:38:00.000-08:00

The past week I've been heading to bed as early as 10.30pm, even on weekends. Gone are the days where I head to bed at 3am in the morning and finally wake up to a hungry stomach at 12pm. Now I reluctantly climb out of bed before 7am everyday and heads out before the sky turns bright. Every morning, I turned into a drama female lead being separated with my fellow drama male lead, the bed. I cling on to my bed as though it's going to be the last time I'm going to see it, shedding tears that came to me when I yawned.

Despite the lack of sleep everyday, my dreaming capabilities is still functioning well. Just last night I had such a long and disturbing dream. In the wee hours of the night, I was awoken by my own coughing, and thought to myself, 'What a nightmare I just had...' and dozed off once again, continuing the very dream.

Your dream implies that there is an old lesson from previously employment that you need to learn and apply to your current situation. It also implies that you feel unprepared for some challenge in your waking life. You may even be harboring some guilt because you did not prepare enough for a school exam, meeting, business proposal, or some project. Perhaps you have been procrastinating on a task and waited until the last minute to cram it all in. Alternatively, it could be telling you that you are setting yourself up for failure because you have set unrealistic goals for yourself.

The simple dream interpretation seems to imply that I am insecure at this very moment, which I can't deny. A whole lot of uncertainties but it means excitement too! I guess the adrenaline rush is something I need to contain and enjoy at the same time. That being said, I should probably get back to work.

Bojeong-dong Café Street

2014-11-13T23:31:00.000-08:00

If you've been watching Korean drama, the drama "Gentleman's Dignity (신사의 품격)" is one you shouldn't miss. It is a light hearted drama that talks about the love life of four men in their forties. Yes, you might think men in forties are old uncles and nothing enticing in the drama. You are wrong. One of the 4 male leads is Jang Dong Gun! CNBlue guitarist, Lee Jonghyun is also one of the fixed cast. Kim Woobin appears once in a while. Even CNBlue leader, Yong Hwa made a special appearance in one of the episodes. So much eye candies to look out for!

When watching the drama, I couldn't help but notice how beautiful a certain filming site is. The very place where Do Jin and Yi Soo met and had their first interaction. Yi Soo's skirt was unravelled and Do Jin came to the rescue. It is also the place where Do Jin proposed to Yi Soo in the last episode.

The filming site is called Eco's Library (에코의 서재), located on the Bojeong-dong Café Street. This cafe is the oldest book cafe on the street, whereas the street is full of cafes, apparels and accessories shops. A good place to sit back and relax, and enjoy a quiet afternoon.

The cafe is filled with books and giving a warm, fuzzy feeling with it's wooden furniture and high ceiling. (2 above pictures lifted off Korean Tourism Board website)

I went on a weekday afternoon and you can see the street is almost empty. It is really a good place for leisure and chillax.

I went online to search for guides on how to head to this place, and the furthest I came across doesn't lead to the destination. Most people got lost trying to come to this place because it is quite a walk from the subway station. I relied on Google Map to get me there. Good old reliable Google Map heh~

The subway station itself is outside of Seoul. Prepare ample of time for travelling and I'm sure you'd want to spend some time here, considering the amount of time you travelled just to get to this place. Below, I've prepared a guide to the Bojeong-dong Café Street.

How to get to Bojeong-dong Café Street

Take the subway to Jukjeon Station, Seoul Subway Bundang line and take exit 1. You will see Shinsegae Shopping Mall.

Walk past Shinsegae, towards the E-Mart.

See the logo "e"? That's the E-Mart. We are going to walk to the street behind the E-Mart. So cross the street and walk towards that building.

You can head in here to get some drinks to get you going for the long walk. The gate below is the entrance into the E-Mart.

If not, keep on walking past the entrance, and you will see the road below. Just keep walking straight.

And walk straight further... ...

You will need to cross the road and get onto this bridge below.

Get off the bridge and cross the road junction. Continue walking straight.

The plants I saw on the way. I recalled at this point in time, I started wondering if I was lost. The kind where you start to self-doubt because there are no indications at all if you're in the right direction? I wanted to ask for directions but the streets were almost empty. There were no other options except to trust the Google Map and continue walking straight.

When you see the Kraze Burgers, you're halfway there. Cross the street and keep walking straight.

You will arrive at a big junction where you can even cross the junction diagonally. You need to get to the side where Caffe Bene is.

Keep walking straight and you will see this Japanese restaurant below. Turn to your right, after this restaurant and you'll reach the Bojeong-dong Café Street!

The exterior of the Eco's Library cafe. Look at all the books. Not a word I understand. LOL

Their menu and the waffle I ordered.

Hope this guide helps you find the street safely. Do share with me your experiences on this street too!

Eco's Library (에코의 서재)
Address: 11-3 Jukjeon-ro 15beon-gil, Giheung-gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do
Operating Hours: 11:00 – 23:00
Tel: +82 31 266 1138

O Cherry Blossoms, Where Art Thou

2014-11-12T09:36:00.000-08:00

I was super exhilarated about my April Korea trip because it was finally a 3 weeks long break away from work, and best of all, my trip was right amidst the blooming period of beautiful cherry blossoms.

Our arrival time in Incheon Airport was at 9.50pm, so we only expected to reach Seoul at around 12am after the immigrations clearance and luggage collection. As expected, the streets of Hongdae was quiet and empty when we finished our dosage of cider and fried chicken.

The day ended with me breathing the air in Seoul, smiling to myself as I head to bed.

Breakfast was bibim naengmyeon at a random shop outside Ewha Subway Station. The question below pops up once we stepped out of the restaurant. Haha. I wish I could describe to you how excited I was feeling.

Before embarking on my adventures, the first thing I had to do was to visit hair salon! I want to look good in all my pictures for my trip (or at least look decent).

I seriously have no idea how they manage to twist the ends of my hair so they curl inwards and rest so well on my chest. Awwwww~ This is a technique I really need to grasp.

We stopped by Beans' Bins for some waffle and coffee after the long hours of hair maintenance.

My fate with cherry blossoms has always been thin like ice. I recalled on one of my trips to Taipei in April, my Taiwanese friend confidently told me he'd bring me to a place full of cherry blossoms. Skeptical yet choosing to believe in the fairytale story he painted, I went. We climbed a small mountain in the rain, instead of taking the sheltered train because we wanted to take good pictures of the cherry blossoms. To cut the story short, I didn't see a single thing because they've all withered and died. I couldn't catch a single glimpse in that weather. The rain washed away even the petals on the floor. That is my very sad story of encounter with(out) cherry blossoms. Naturally I was thrilled and eager to finally be able to see the so magical trees and flowers.

We travelled to Kyunghee University for this purpose as the school has pretty ancient looking buildings that you would expect a princess standing there waiting for her prince.

This is a library! If my school library was this nice, I'd be there everyday waiting for my prince charming (I will be the princess waiting for my prince charming, of course).

Yes, look closely at the pictures above. There are no cherry blossoms at all. Zero. Zilch. None. One week before our travel dates, the weather in Seoul suddenly turned warm. All the flowers decided to blossom a week earlier, before our arrival.

These are the only cherry blossoms I see. On the floor ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ

I was standing at the above location, messaging my friend in Singapore who visited Korea a week earlier than me, whining about my non-existence fate with cherry blossoms. She sent me a picture taken 1 week earlier, at the exact same spot, full of cherry blossoms. So cruel. Sobs!

And so, we moved on.

After climbing a very very steep hill, we came to this magnificent building.

This Grand Auditorium also stages musicals and concerts at times.

Ending the post with a picture of me and my travel mate. On a side note, I am so going to plan another April trip to see my cherry blossoms. (Roars)

Auntie Kim's Korean Restaurant

2014-11-11T07:45:00.000-08:00

Some time ago, when BEAST released their "Good Luck" album, I got a friend who travelled to Korea to help me carry the albums back. That's right, I used plural form because I bought 2 albums.

The black and white version of the albums. I had to get both because the photos captured in both albums are different. Black version presents a more charismatic side of BEAST whereas white version is more refreshing.

And the photo cards I got from both albums. Black version of Dongwoon and white version of Yoseob. The photo cards are totally random. One can also get a white version of photo card in black album. But I managed to get one black and one white version. The best part... ... I got the white version of Yoseob! Out of the 12 photo card designs, I love this the best and I got it. Sobs... I do have fate with my bias after all.

I met up with my friend at Auntie Kim's Korean Restaurant simply because they have a dish that I really crave for. It was our first time dining at this place and I do love it.

The seafood pancake that is crunchy and tasty when dipped in the sauce provided.

The highlight of the meal: Raw beef with egg and pear. This is the dish I was craving so badly for. Before eating, mix the egg well with the raw beef and diced pear. Remember to add on the fresh pear by the side with every bite. I cannot tell you how much love I got with every bite. This is definitely a must-eat-dish.

Apart from the above, we also ordered grilled pork belly and rice. The dishes we ordered filled the 2 of us to the brim, but we managed to clear all the plates. Satisfaction!

Auntie Kim's Korean Restaurant
265 Upper Thomson Road Singapore 574392
Tel: +65 6452 2112

Honey Creme in Singapore

2014-11-04T23:40:00.000-08:00

Are you ready for the big announcement? (Grabs Pom Pom) Honey Creme is in Singapore! Hooray!!!!

The first time I tried them was in Korea and was so addicted to their goodness ever since.
Presenting to you their famous Honey Comb Cup.

The milky ice cream is quick to melt with the Singapore weather, so slurp it all up while you can.

The galore of macaroons in the shelves at the counter. I'm gonna try one of this in Singapore one day!

There are very limited seats in the store itself but they did spend some efforts into their interior design. I would suggest buying to-go because the queue for pick up extends to the seated area. You can hardly feel the air conditioner working with the crazy crowd at this moment.

I am sorry to break to you the news, even on a weekday afternoon, I queued for more than half an hour in order to get my own cup of treats. Honey Creme is located near the taxi stand of Somerset@313, which means outdoor queuing. If you are not already dying for the cup of cooling ice cream, I can assure you, this is something you crave for by the time you reached the counter.

I am definitely going to get myself a second cup one day... ... when there are less people in line to buy.

Honey Creme
313 Orchard Road, #01-37 Singapore 238895
Tel: (65) 6884 8468
Operating Hour: Monday-Sunday, Public Holidays 1100 - 2200

The Living Cafe

2014-11-02T23:34:00.000-08:00

I visited The Living Cafe some time some time back to try their organic and healthy food. A 2 storey cafe with plenty of tranquility, a good place to sit back and relax with friend on a lazy afternoon, exactly what I was doing.

I have to admit, I was quite skeptical about raw food before I stepped into the store. I mean they are whipping up dishes with no diary, refined sugar or flour. Ingredients are not sautéed, boiled, roasted, flame-broiled, grilled over flaming coals or fried in sizzling-hot oil before serving to us.

I was quite taken for surprise when the food was served eventually. Look at this chicken burger with sweet potato wedges. Are you not salivating already?

The Chef Special Sandwich with Salmon and Pear is simply awesome. The organic pear is so soft that it could practically melt in my mouth. The eggs with fresh salmon and pears emits a fresh taste to the taste buds and so delicious at the same time.

I am deliberately writing this at 3pm in the afternoon so I don't feel the hunger pang. Yet I am still craving so bad just by looking at these pictures. I hope you are not reading this in the middle of the night and craving for supper after my post. (Evil Grin)

The Living Cafe
779 Bukit Timah Rd Singapore 269758
Opening Hours:
Monday to Thursday: 11.00am – 7pm (last order 6:30pm)
Friday: 11:00am – 10pm (last order 9:30pm)
Saturday: 9:00am to 10:00pm (last order 9:30pm)
Sunday: 9:00am to 8:00pm (last order 7:30pm)

My New Love: BTOB

2014-10-27T01:33:00.000-07:00

During my earlier trip to Korea, a tragic disaster happened. A South Korean ferry, Sewol Ferry, carrying 476 people, mostly secondary school students on a school trip, sunk. Approximately 300 people died in this incident, I would say this is largely due to the incompetence of rescue team.

As a result of this disaster, the entire Korea was mourning over the death of the innocent students. A lot of KPOP events were cancelled as a result. For example, musicals and concerts. I originally bought ticket to attend the WAPOP concert featuring artists line up such as BTOB and 4MEN. Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to see my BTOB live performance as it was cancelled. The only way I could see them was to send the members off at the airport as they made their way to Taiwan for concert.

I managed to pass my letter to my bias Minhyuk and he said "Thank You" to me in Korean after accepting my letter. Sobs... It was enough to make my day and truly worthwhile for losing sleep the day before because their flight was too early. Before BTOB arrived, I even get to see Jay Park leaving the airport. A bonus! Teehee~

I didn't took much photos because most of the time, I was walking beside my second bias Sungjae. I'm quite sure I appeared in a lot of fans' photos though.

When I look back at this photo of Hyunsik, I could only think of 화보인생. It means living his life like a pictorial. Every move looks like a pose for pictorial.

And there's Changsub and Hyunsik. They appeared solemn because they would be under fire for not respecting the victims if seen smiling in public. This is part of Korean culture, I guess.

My bias Minhyuk and Sungjae, followed by lots of photos of Minhyuk. Weeeeee~

I really like Minhyuk's black converse shoes that I am considering getting a pair for myself. It seems like he really like this pair. He was seen wearing this on multiple occasions.

When I was in Korea, I bought BTOB's second mini album, Thriller. Though late, it's better than never right? And to my surprise, I got my bias photo card!!!! (Cries) Look at his arm O)-<

While I was on the topic of albums, my "Beep Beep" album was delivered to my house with their signatures. A pity there's no photo card attached to this album. So in love with the songs in this album. Recommended!

And there were BTOB photo cards given with my purchase of Nike shoes in Shoemaker.

In case you have not heard BTOB's new song "You're So Fly", do check out the video below!

Emergency Couple Fan Meet in Singapore

2014-10-22T09:34:00.000-07:00

A few months ago (coughs), main lead actor and actress of drama Emergency Couple came to Singapore for a fan meet. I didn't realise it's been so long since I've been to a fan meet! (Alright, I also didn't realise I haven't been blogging for ages) The last fan meet I went was Super Junior's hidden member, Kim Kibum fan meet in Singapore. Having only being an ELF from around Super Show 3 concerts, I missed the chances of knowing Kibum, let alone see him. Thanks to Korea Tourism Board in Singapore, I got free tickets to watch with my friends. Teehee!

Side track! The male lead for drama is Choi Jinhyuk. He acted in dramas such as "Gu Family Book" and "Miss Panda and Mr Hedgehog". When he visited Singapore for the fan meet, he was preparing to film for the new drama "Fated to Love You". During the fan meet, he serenaded us by singing "Scent of a Flower". Though not perfect, it was enough to melt all of us.

The female lead is non other than Song Jihyo, whom most of you are familiar with through the variety show Running Man. She's so sporty and friendly. She sticks out her hand first to shook mine and her handshake was so firm. Her skin is practically flawless. When asked during the event, how she maintained her good skin condition, she responded that she made sure there is sufficient rest and cleaned her face thoroughly. Is it really that easy?!

Anyway ever since this event, I can be found on almost all the news outlets reporting this event, such as Stomp and New Paper. They have taken so many photos during the event and all they kept using is this particular cropped photo.

Look at the original photo below. You can totally see them cropping only the few of us out to use in their news articles. Our photos even appeared in Korea news articles. (Slaps forehead) I am going international, seriously. By the way, I blur out the faces of people I don't know.

Enough of my grumblings. Let's look at Choi Jinhyuk and Song Jihyo. I can't believe I called out "oppa" to Choi Jinhyuk and told him I'm a fan in Korean. He replied with his deep husky voice "Thank you" with outstretched both hands to shake mine. O)-< Dead

When can I see them again~~~~~~~

A Break

2014-10-20T07:01:00.000-07:00

I didn't realise I have not been blogging for such a long time. It is once again Beast's comeback! Hooray! Two comebacks in a year, Beauties are really spoilt. In case you have not heard the new song released last night at 12.30am (KST), do check out the MV below!

It has been quite a different experience for the past few months. I stepped down from a stable job in the government sector and joined a total different trait. Unfortunately, I seem to have joined the wrong team and went through a very painful period. I finally put an end to everything today, when my endurance reached it's peak.

To cut story short, there are people who really needs to learn what basic respect is. And threatening to jump off a building doesn't work for me, no matter how many times it is used.

I guess they've shown their remorse and really wants to hold on to me. Though I'm quite sure given their characters, it wouldn't be long for their true colours to show once again. A pity it's too late. (Shrugs)

On a side note, I'm available almost 24/7 now. I am sleeping so much that my skin condition turned so much better. Other than my driving lessons, I do not have any plans at all. Speaking of driving lessons, I am having so much fun sitting behind the wheel. Why didn't I learn driving earlier? I sped so much during the lessons that the instructors have to constantly remind me to watch out for my speed. Ha!

I just returned from my Korean trip last month. It's my second and last trip... ... for the year, sadly. I have no idea when I'd go again but definitely looking forward to it. Perhaps it's time to share some itinerary for my vacation. Do keep a look out for this space!