tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-188397352024-03-08T10:00:16.006+11:00the TOILETBOWLfor me to vomit all my thoughts...ア-ネストhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13876238874347137586noreply@blogger.comBlogger495125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18839735.post-57020560156642312702012-05-25T02:16:00.003+10:002012-05-25T02:16:53.874+10:00A day as a "house-husband"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Gotta have "house-husband" in quotation marks since that's not exactly true but yes, today I had a taste of what it's like to juggle between work and home </div>
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Well, it all started with a packet of Larb premix which Hyeyoung's Thai colleague gave. Qing and the folks were away, so I volunteered to whip up a Thai dinner. </div>
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What did I do? After work... </div>
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1. I went grocery shopping</div>
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2. Cooked 2 dishes (excluding rice)</div>
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3. Picked Hyeyoung up from gym</div>
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4. Come back to finish up the last dish (with extra hands from Hyeyoung) and, </div>
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5. Served dinner at 8 (complete with a bottle of Hoegaarden for each of us). *BIG SMILE*</div>
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K<span class="st">aeng Khiao Wan (</span>Green Chicken Curry)</div>
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Larb Moo (Minced Pork Salad)</div>
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Khai Toon Puk (Vegetable 'Cup' Omelette)</div>
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Needless to say, I didn't make the Green Curry from scratch. ('tho I wish I did!) But Hyeyoung and I are very happy with the premix sauce so interested parties, do ask! Meanwhile, the recipe for the Green Curry and Khai Toon Puk was taken from this <a href="http://www.khiewchanta.com/" target="_blank">website</a>.</div>
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Damn! I'm so happy and proud of myself! :)</div>
</div>어니스트http://www.blogger.com/profile/10616715798777611193noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18839735.post-59126798610909883432012-04-03T03:36:00.001+10:002012-04-03T03:36:45.043+10:00Some things don't change :)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Just chatted with an
ex-student of mine. It's been more than 3 years since I left Okayama.
(Had I been Japanese, Okayama will possibly be my hometown.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It
was a good hour's chat about some usual stuff - i.e. him asking me to
come back to Japan and me asking him to visit Singapore, along with some
random topics. But what's heartening is that it's so nice to know that
while the Earth is constantly rotating and life is constantly moving on,
some things, like friendship, just doesn't change. :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So here's to us. (I know your English sucks but too bad, my Japanese isn't good enough to type this out in a few minutes.) </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn6vaUBCcP1XyJ7rpXzQA5q3ySmQNqFEmb8JSMhpBS-uB_Pb8RF4qT4WWY7CJtqlJV556xJw5wZ7QRbEuDJp-_oCrQUrUgN-cb8sWTLMTAcHG2FkHZcpGAuVmI3bLqdnG53CiM/s1600/P1120653.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn6vaUBCcP1XyJ7rpXzQA5q3ySmQNqFEmb8JSMhpBS-uB_Pb8RF4qT4WWY7CJtqlJV556xJw5wZ7QRbEuDJp-_oCrQUrUgN-cb8sWTLMTAcHG2FkHZcpGAuVmI3bLqdnG53CiM/s320/P1120653.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I miss the crazy moments we'd shared in Okayama and hopefully, we will get to hang out, just like the good 'ol times, real soon! :)</span></div>어니스트http://www.blogger.com/profile/10616715798777611193noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18839735.post-23002066979031118642012-03-12T04:14:00.000+11:002012-03-12T04:14:04.216+11:00日本、頑張れ!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It's been a year since I saw the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/12/world/asia/12japan.html?pagewanted=all" target="_blank">news</a>. I was first shocked speechless, as I saw how the waves destroyed everything that was in its way. Then came the heartache, as I fathomed the pain the victims had to go through. Loved ones, classmates, friends, neighbors and even pets were lost in a matter of seconds. For someone with heartfelt ties to the nation, after devoting so much passion in the language, culture and history, it was a heart-wrenching episode. In fact back then, I was in-between jobs and had wanted to fly over so badly to help. (But for many different reasons, I eventually didn't and it's funny how a certain colleague of mine was just talking about quitting the job to go help Japan.)<br />
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A year on, <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-03-11/emperor-prays-trains-stop-as-japan-remembers-march-11-triple-disasters.html" target="_blank">Japan is en route to recovery</a>. Yet as <a href="http://www.yukikokubo.com/" target="_blank">Yuki</a>'s interviewee (in her partially done documentary, <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/yukikokubo/kasama-yaki-made-in-kasama" target="_blank">Kasama-Yaki</a>) said, "scars remain", and that is certainly true. Think about the laughter or barks that have been missed and one will understand how important it is to cherish all that is close to your heart. Not that I am a rags-and-bones man but I think even the inanimate objects, like the silly photos you took in school, or the watch you'd received as a 21st birthday gift, can hold memories that once gone, will take away the memories that it was once tagged with. So reading from the various news sources, it's heartening to see how Japan has recovered - both physically and mentally. Knowing Japan, I am certain this is not something that can defeat Japan.<br />
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With all that said, I really look forward to the day that Japan will be able to look back to see how far it has come from this disaster.<br />
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日本、頑張れ!</div>어니스트http://www.blogger.com/profile/10616715798777611193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18839735.post-49784672917354295822012-03-06T02:16:00.000+11:002012-03-06T02:17:26.535+11:00A path leading to a forked road<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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So I recently started my new job (today’s the 11<sup>th</sup>
day to be exact), and the stark difference between this and the previous one
continue to appal me. </div>
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Just this morning as I was coming out from the train
station, I was greeted not by clear blue sky with rays beaming through white
fluffy clouds but, a dark gloomy cloud that looms over the grey towers with waiting
to explode with rain. Immediately, Inception’s ominous “boom boom boom” OST played
as I gasped at such Gotham-like skyline/scene.</div>
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Don’t get me wrong, I don’t hate my job. The steep-learning
curve has been very enriching and I love the new knowledge I’m gaining daily. What
I do loathe, is the stone-cold environment that continues to elude even the extremely
pragmatist me. </div>
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So like any good book, the plot unveils a twist and
now, life (suddenly) presents me with an unexpected turn of events.
Thanks to my very good friends, a Malaysian and a French, who have
planted thoughts into my mind, I have been feeling a little lost since
this weekend.</div>
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But today, as I look at Hyeyoung's smiling face
while I was waiting for her to finish with her workout at the gym, and
then her innocent, child-like face as she napped while I was driving her
home, I knew, that there are (possibly many) things money will never be
able to buy. So I must choose prudently, and also with my heart; for
the outcome of such decisions will be borne by not just myself but the
both of us as a team. </div>
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May God grant me the Wisdom, Faith, Courage, Strength and Perseverance to make the right decision at this juncture. Amen.</div>
</div>어니스트http://www.blogger.com/profile/10616715798777611193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18839735.post-27019224426658222972012-02-14T16:40:00.003+11:002012-02-14T16:45:03.134+11:00Our Third Valentine's<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: small;">Possibly two or three weeks ago, Hyeyoung and I were strolling through Marina Bay Sands and we passed by this nice Brazilian Churrascaria restaurant, Carnivore, thinking that, "Hey, this looks like a nice place to have a nice dinner for Valentine's..." And so, it kicked off our pursuit for THE place to have a dinner on Valentine's.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">The following was how it went:</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">[Location: <a href="http://www.marinabaysands.com/Singapore-Restaurants/Casual-Dining/Carnivore-Brazilian-Churrascaria/" target="_blank">Carnivore Brazilian Churrascaria @ Marina Bay Sands</a>]</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">H: Hi, do you still have a table for 2 on Valentine's Day?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Waitress: *checks book of reservations* Yes we do.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">H: How much do you charge for Valentine's Day?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Waitress: It's $xx++ per pax for Valentine's Day.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">E: I see. What's the usual price?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Waitress: It's $(xx++)-30%.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">E: So what's the difference?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Waitress: You get a door-gift (which management has not informed us what it is yet) and two complimentary glasses of Champagne.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">H: But the menu's the same?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Waitress: Yes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">H&E: ... Okay, we'll think about it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">*H&E walks a few steps away from the restaurant.*</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">E: WTF. It's a complete rip-off. They expect us to pay the 30% difference for two glasses of Champagne (when we don't even know what are they serving exactly) and some cock door-gift.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">H: Fuck this shit. Let's just go somewhere for dinner on Saturday instead.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">E: Yeah, fucking commercialism. *Throws name card into bin.*</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">(Okay, I admit I can't remember the exact words of the conversation but you get the idea...)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Those who are familiar with our habitual practices will know that Hyeyoung and I celebrate month-saries (which is merely a convenient excuse to find nice food haunts) and so honestly, we concurred that Valentine's Day nor more than just a commercial/marketing gimmick to rip the entire world off - very much like <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1982/02/have-you-ever-tried-to-sell-a-diamond/4575/?single_page=true" target="_blank">what De Beers did with the value of Diamonds</a> during the Great Depression. I'm sure many restaurants and service providers do add value (at least more than just two glasses of Champagne and some-God-knows-what-door-gift that will probably just end up in the bin during 2013's spring cleaning), but for those who don't, I hope they will look into doing something more for the consumers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Anyway, moving on... Originally, we wanted to get a table at <a href="http://www.hungrygowhere.com/singapore/Kilo/" target="_blank">Kilo</a> for Saturday, 11th February but unfortunately, they were fully booked for some event. Not wanting to splurge, we turned to the ever-trusty <a href="http://www.sicilia-mia.com/etna_res.html" target="_blank">Etna</a> (the Duxton Hill outlet) for a 7pm meal that Saturday. Boy, what a nice, slow dinner it turned out to be.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Hyeyoung and I decided to be adventurous that evening and we strayed from the usual mozzarella-based-starter+pasta/pizza-main. Instead, we had <i> Antipasto Enta</i>, which was essentially deep fried おにぎり (onigiri) with minced beef/pork to start. Hyeyoung had chicken breast that's baked with mozzarella and parma ham, and graten potatoes on the side. Meanwhile I satisfied my ravioli craving with one that's home-made with walnut and four cheese stuffing, topped with the Sicilian pesto sauce, featuring Etna's famous pistachio from Bronte, Sicily. It was such a satisfying meal, for the palate, tummy and wallet too! </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Thereafter, as usual, we went for a good stroll. That evening, we decided to head for our newly found secret bar for post-dinner drinks. No address but here's a clue how it looks like.</span></div>
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</style><span style="font-size: small;">Upon entering, this <i>portal</i> not only
transports you to a chic and romantic NY-ish bar, but also serves awesome
cocktails. Lost in the menu, we ordered rum-based cocktails, for the first time
(again!). We know nothing about rum, but surprisingly, strong as they can be, the cocktails were smooth and the meticulous presentation only affirmed our decision
to end the evening there.</span><br />
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But I guess the highlight of that evening was
what happened back home, where Hyeyoung, (rather bashfully) presented me with a
surprise:</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5ixl72RgxN5iaFmCB30WApvWNCVCsxLnn19yLBH67q5x_kQB_d3rHADVFZph-wJ-zSbUx4UBlYdjqHgnSbqOe0I5wVs9NHztDrMzvg40LYeOUt28krBIihP2yoaBPH-nIzKIN/s1600/IMG_1693.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5ixl72RgxN5iaFmCB30WApvWNCVCsxLnn19yLBH67q5x_kQB_d3rHADVFZph-wJ-zSbUx4UBlYdjqHgnSbqOe0I5wVs9NHztDrMzvg40LYeOUt28krBIihP2yoaBPH-nIzKIN/s320/IMG_1693.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">It wasn't the big items that caught my eye at
first, but the cute matching ribbons that Hyeyoung had delicately stuck on each
Ferrero Rocher, along with the neatly tied (Happy) socks that melted my heart.
I don't mean to brag but sometimes, you must agree that it's the <i>simplest</i>
things in life that can make a day. :)</span>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Happy Valentine's Day Hyeyoung! </span></div>
</div>어니스트http://www.blogger.com/profile/10616715798777611193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18839735.post-29061182027471859112011-12-13T02:42:00.001+11:002011-12-13T02:57:15.572+11:00Perils of a foodie<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/"><span id="goog_665921385"></span><span id="goog_665921386"></span></a><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I admit. I love <s>food</s> <i><b>good</b></i> food. <i>Seriously</i>, who doesn't? And so I'm always on the hunt for a good meal. Doesn't have to be trendy, intricate, elaborate or expensive. Sometimes, a good bowl of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Seng-Kee-Black-Herbal-Chicken-Soup/168247026526844">Pork Liver Mee Sua</a> (with a plate of freshly steamed Grouper) is good enough. However, like all things in life, there's a cause, and there's a consequence.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In this case, the problem is that when I find good food, I eat (a lot); when I eat (a lot), I get fat; and finally, when I get fat, I hate myself. :(</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Simple stuff. Not very difficult to understand. Yet, very difficult to solve.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So what do I do? I exercise (or at least I try to). </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I try to keep to a routine of squash with some close friends and colleagues on weekday evenings, trying to find regular partners for tennis on Saturday mornings (applications are open!) and run/jog on weekday nights. Now, I just need to keep this up for a regular period of time... say, 6 months to 1 year? Hopefully I can go back to having visible pelvic bones. I'm not even aiming for packs on my abs!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Those who know me well would know that very often, I pray for 5 things - (not necessary in this order) perseverance, strength, courage, wisdom, and faith. I think when it comes to my exercise routine, I totally need these 5 traits, especially faith, perseverance and some times, strength.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Well, this is just a short reminder to myself, sent into the vast space of the World Wide Web. Maybe someday in 2012 I'll read this entry again and say, "hey, what <a href="http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2011/01/how_to_keep_those.html">they</a> said about writing down your goals could be true after all!" </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Meanwhile, any recommendations for good food? :p</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://wolfiernest.blogspot.com/2011/12/perils-of-foodie.html">(Link to the actual entry.) </a></span></span></span></div>어니스트http://www.blogger.com/profile/10616715798777611193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18839735.post-29883627546601310372011-12-07T00:00:00.000+11:002011-12-08T04:41:41.392+11:00Breaking the ice (Main)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Today Hyeyoung and I celebrate the 800th day of our journey together and I think it's only perfect that I publish this entry...<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Before I began, I must say that having been in Korea during summer, autumn and winter, autumn has to be the most beautiful season to be in Korea. (Actually, this is possibly true true for many countries but as many of you would know, my focus now is on </span><span class="st">한국</span><span style="font-size: small;">!) </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">The
recent trip happened in late November so my dear friends who'd like to
visit Korea in the coming year, definitely do it in autumn, when the
chill is comforting and the sight of leaves in very hue of red, orange
and yellow is oh-so enchanting... </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">These were shot at <span lang="ko-Hang"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bukchon_Hanok_Village">북촌한옥마을</a> (Bukchon Hanok Village) which is an area that's just a short 10 minutes walk from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anguk_Station"> (Anguk Station).</a> The extremely hilly area however, takes about an hour or two to fully explore (on foot), and possibly more if you're going to sip a cuppa at one of the many charming cafes in the area.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="ko-Hang"><br /></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="ko-Hang">For the adventurous few who are thinking of venturing out of Seoul, why not catch a free shuttle bus from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suwon"></a></span></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suwon"><span class="nickname" lang="Korean">수원</span><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="ko-Hang"></span></span></a><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="ko-Hang"> (Suwon)</span></span><span class="nickname" lang="Korean"></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="ko-Hang">, where the very famous </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="ko-Hang">sits, to visit </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_Folk_Village"><span lang="ko-Hang">한국 민속촌</span></a> (Korean Folk Village)</span>? (In fact, while you're in <span class="nickname" lang="Korean">수원, you should totally visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site, </span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span lang="ko-Hang"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hwaseong_Fortress">화성</a></span></span></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hwaseong_Fortress"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="ko-Hang"></span></span></a><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="ko-Hang"> </span></span><span class="nickname" lang="Korean"> (Hwaseong Fortress). For now, here are some shots of </span><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="ko-Hang">민속촌, one of my favorite touristy sites in Korea...</span></span><span class="nickname" lang="Korean"> </span></div>
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I'm no pro photographer so this only goes to show how gorgeous Korea is in the fall. </div>
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Anyway, I'd digressed. So here's the crux of this (groundbreaking) trip:</div>
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<u><b><span style="font-size: small;">I MET HYEYOUNG'S PARENTS, FINALLY! :)</span></b></u></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Hyeyoung's parents were kind enough to invite us and so Qing and I visited Hyeyoung's home on our fifth day there to have <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galbi"></a></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galbi">소갈비</a> (Sol Galbi) but more on this later. </div>
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Besides meeting her parents and stepping ground onto where Hyeyoung grew up, what is also exciting for me is that this marks my first visit to a <a href="http://ko.wikipedia.org/wiki/%EB%B0%B0%EB%82%98%EB%AC%B4">배</a> (P<span lang="ja">ear) orchard. </span></div>
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<a href="http://ko.wikipedia.org/wiki/%EB%B0%B0%EB%82%98%EB%AC%B4"><span lang="ja"></span></a></div>
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<span lang="ja">I mean seriously, who would have thought that pears grow on trees with branches that reaches skywards? <i>(At this juncture, Hyeyoung would always shake her and and say, "You city boy..."</i>) But it's true! When she spoke about her orchard, I'd always thought that it'd be a tree similar to orange and apple trees. </span><br />
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Here's crates of pears in the cold room, waiting to for their turn to be sold to loving owners<span lang="ja">. The best season to taste their best pears was during <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuseok"></a></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuseok">추석<span lang="ja"></span></a> (Chuseok), when the pears are nicely packed and sold for <span class="st">some ₩120,000 (approximately SGD$100) a box as gift sets. i.e. Think of the nicely packed Muscat Grapes</span> and Honeydews at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isetan"><span class="st">伊勢丹</span></a> (Isetan).<br />
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So unfortunately, we did not had a chance to taste their top grade pears. But we still get to try what is <u>literally</u>, the fruits of her parents' labor (and yes, the pear was very juicy and sweet but it's beyond the taste). It's the mere fact that I had the opportunity to eat something that they had so painstakingly harvest that blew my mind. You have no idea how thankful to God I am.<br />
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Another highlight of her house are her dogs, three of them to be precise. (The one above is just one of the trio.) Like Hyeyoung, they are very loving. But what really struck me what how free they ran in the open orchard. I have never seen dogs run so heartily in my life. Even the dogs at Botanical Gardens were mostly leashed.</div>
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So before dinner could start, I already have so much emotions welling up inside me. Imagine a nice cosy house, with a backyard of fresh produce (did I mention her parents grew their own cabbage for next year's kimchi making?), loving dogs running free in the orchard, friends and family who'd provide other fresh produce. Wah this is truly life man...</div>
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The menu for that evening was just pure bliss - almost everything was either home-grown/raised/made. Her dad had got not just the best grade and cut, he'd also got the freshest beef as his friend had just killed his cow the day before. I had eaten <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horse_meat#Japan"><span lang="ja">馬刺し</span></a> (Basashi) during my stint in Japan (and I love it to bits) but this was way fresher! Unfortunately I was too busy <span lang="ja" style="font-size: small;">eating and I'd forgotten to take shots of it, but I'm sure it's not too difficult to imagine how fresh and marble-ly it is. There were also potatoes and sweet potatoes from her granny's backyard farm, wine from their friend's vineyard, </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doenjang"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="ko-Hang">된장</span></span></a><span lang="ja" style="font-size: small;"> (Doenjang) in the </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doenjang_jjigae"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="ko-Hang">된장 찌개</span></span></a><span style="font-size: small;"> (Doenjang Jjigae) </span><span lang="ja"><span style="font-size: small;">from either her granny or her aunt.</span> </span><br />
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<span lang="ja">It was exactly how I'd imagined a meal at her home would be - Fresh ingredients! Oh, did I mention there were also <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandarin_orange">mandarin oranges</a> fro<span style="font-size: small;">m their friend's orchard in </span></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeju-do"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="ko">제주</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="ko">도</span></span></a><span lang="ja">(Jeju island)? How I wish to eat like this everyday...</span><br />
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<span lang="ja">As one can possibly guess, it was a pleasant dinner. There was some conversation going on (albeit a disjunct-ed one) amidst the yummy food and her dad's gorgeous cooking, not to mention the variety of alcohol we had on the table that night (Soju+Beer+Wine+Chinese Wine+Whisky). We spoke about my sister (how a wee bit prettier she is than Hyeyoung <i>hahaha!</i>), how "wonderful" Hyeyoung is, how I can come over to lend them some manpower, how proud he is of Hyeyoung... Considering that even I had a translator (aka Hyeyoung), it was a progressive dinner as I tried to speak as much Korean as I could. We drank a lot but what really humbled me was how Hyeyoung's dad actually fed Qing and I with his spoon. (Most of the time in that order since she's more attractive.) I'm not sure if this is something common but I can feel the warmth and it's a comforting feeling.</span><br />
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<span lang="ja">Well thinking back, I'm confident to say that at the very least, the ice was broken. So Hyeyoung, thanks. Thanks for inviting us over and making this happen. It's one small step for Ernest and one giant leap for us.</span><br />
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<span lang="ja">Now, the next challenge is to keep the relationship "warm". :)</span></div>
</div>어니스트http://www.blogger.com/profile/10616715798777611193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18839735.post-16502409846135178952011-11-10T13:03:00.002+11:002011-11-14T03:25:05.376+11:00Breaking the ice (Prelude)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: small;">Some of you might be aware that I made a (ground breaking) trip recently.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Most of the people I know probably just need to simply take either a bus or train to visit their boyfriend/girlfriend's home or to visit the neighborhood he/she grew up in just to understand that person you so love a little bit better. It could be a shop she has been going with her mom since she was a kid, or a bus stop he has been alighting at since elementary school till the very day he comes home from sending you home, or perhaps it could be just the sights and sounds of the neighborhood that they grew up in.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Unfortunately, I do not have that luxury of proximity for have to take a flight just to visit my girlfriend's neighborhood, and this is exactly the highlight of my trip.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">I first visited <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osan">Osan (<span class="nickname" lang="Korean">오산)</span></a> in August last year. It was a brief day trip on a very warm summer day but it was very memorable. I had the opportunity to sit down with Hyeyoung and her sister, Hyehwa, for a meal (we had actually had two that evening). The first part was at this very cosy place that Hyehwa frequents.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNpN03Jb9x0pY6zx8lhC67wBQSkB1-c-qGtYtr3PJefRQSsUgvuY69zyNn2ydBeQCb8ZKH0olLdYVLHoVRhhgwCSFdWK56JnTxSSaNE0MAmNhPXfpcp53GwGVZ4tju0KMY5-1k/s1600/DSC_6720.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5672095875986815570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNpN03Jb9x0pY6zx8lhC67wBQSkB1-c-qGtYtr3PJefRQSsUgvuY69zyNn2ydBeQCb8ZKH0olLdYVLHoVRhhgwCSFdWK56JnTxSSaNE0MAmNhPXfpcp53GwGVZ4tju0KMY5-1k/s320/DSC_6720.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 213px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGEHx7lDRLruQLLMJ5mngV-ulHgHL8cvxJu5iHylC4jI7W8so7z7lkZdtytHwmAWnpkN-WNb7-OpuiDxDFYUHPe7wuAvu_WJb532N6wtzpY61EbI5oY8vBWgEoA1hzbccOEViU/s1600/DSC_6719.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5672095880755581410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGEHx7lDRLruQLLMJ5mngV-ulHgHL8cvxJu5iHylC4jI7W8so7z7lkZdtytHwmAWnpkN-WNb7-OpuiDxDFYUHPe7wuAvu_WJb532N6wtzpY61EbI5oY8vBWgEoA1hzbccOEViU/s320/DSC_6719.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 213px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipZBZCkM7u4bTIfdMMhc8AOByDUzFM_q4PbgGZUWa_TxeCTYaA6xbiCjm4CYeaZZZTjhnPMsD1htcW66fi4RQlB5hxeLo3GLBibX1nK-PTrMsxF9njSrQim99o74PMNdEYZhtZ/s1600/DSC_6709.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5672089844373113954" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipZBZCkM7u4bTIfdMMhc8AOByDUzFM_q4PbgGZUWa_TxeCTYaA6xbiCjm4CYeaZZZTjhnPMsD1htcW66fi4RQlB5hxeLo3GLBibX1nK-PTrMsxF9njSrQim99o74PMNdEYZhtZ/s320/DSC_6709.jpg" style="display: block; height: 213px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a></span><span style="font-size: small;"> We tried their specialty, 볶음김치<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samgyeopsal">삼겹</a> (Bukkom Kimchi Samgyob), which is like stir-fried kimchi with pork belly slices. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijfW1v85bG1h3bbY32-fmbPcqJcDzk3OiRC5BeuHsM5Bi9DsDRQslG_-vykPrj7udIXwjFs6bLiSPz7yovkTsJ3NPhtO7FNmuwhVuXfDAUe_9XRep4xmua94POKPBJ-5pv5cYq/s1600/DSC_6716.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5672095916011602914" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijfW1v85bG1h3bbY32-fmbPcqJcDzk3OiRC5BeuHsM5Bi9DsDRQslG_-vykPrj7udIXwjFs6bLiSPz7yovkTsJ3NPhtO7FNmuwhVuXfDAUe_9XRep4xmua94POKPBJ-5pv5cYq/s320/DSC_6716.jpg" style="display: block; height: 213px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a></span><span style="font-size: small;">Yummy stuff (at KRW$10,000) which you can't find in Singapore! As you can probably imagine, this goes really well with rice.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">The sisters also decided that I should try Korean</span><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="ko-Hang"> </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bibimbap">비빔밥</a> (Bibimbab) Bento. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5672095902808900178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQhNzwcwcmBd4yWiRRH912l8AN2BBKjXcD2rTM7SNFp8Ik5x_qVEwoGSfPCsytKYYZrJFI_XIqT8Ejui5kcKGdO-DdIU2B225rh0dyBlE0T7B0Dbij71O9RFPFgoTmFACucspb/s320/DSC_6717.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 320px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 213px;" />Apparently kids would bring their lunch to school in these metal boxes.
In this instance, as it is 비빔밥, the way to eat it would be to hold the
box tightly with the lid and shake it (very) hard to mix everything
inside. This is possibly the most "fun" Korean dish I've tried! Again,
this cannot be found in Singapore (yet!).</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">For drinks, I tried <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Makkoli">막걸리</a> (Makkogli), which by the way is possibly the preferred Korean alcohol for both Hyeyoung and myself. Drinking chilled 막걸리 from a metal bowl on a warm summer evening just totally kills the heat!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5672095897837579730" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUGJVNSb8aD862r6w9jyIXpI0vCotCIobKBxbMP5xuIVJlt6jJXgn08W61EMsjLdIsu1hsXo1-UBkA3DseSiTC7zVJ3liGl8N-9WAsMokOLlF-ztlHPJ1YUFGkmTfY0VSW4Zzz/s320/DSC_6714.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 320px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 213px;" />Thereafter, in true Korean style, we went for Part Two at seafood place, simply because I wanted to have <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sannakji">산낙지</a></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="ko-Hang"> (San Nakji), which is actually sliced live Octopus, served in sesame oil and sprinkled with some sesame seeds. (This version was served with sliced garlic and chili instead.)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Disgusting and cruel as it may seemed, this is </span><span class="st" style="font-size: small;">대박 (taebak), i.e. AWESOME-NESS! (And yes, that's Hyeyoung speaking in the background.) Contrary to popular belief that it is difficult to swallow, it actually isn't! You just need to really bite it well before you swallow, pretty much like everything we eat. ;)</span></div>
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<span class="st" style="font-size: small;">Well, </span><span style="font-size: small;">산낙지</span><span class="st" style="font-size: small;"> wasn't all we ordered.</span><span class="st" style="font-size: small;"> There was also a basket full of colorful shells.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">The shells were grilled live and you can choose to eat them in various dips like わさび (Wasabi) + 醤油 (soy sauce) or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gochujang">고추장</a> (Gochujang).</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">No dinner is complete without dessert and we were lucky enough to have the final scoops of Baskin Robbins before they closed. After 2 rounds of dinner and a moderate amount of alcohol, it was a great way to end the night. (Albeit not very Korean I must say.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Next up... Breaking the ice (Main). </span></div>
</div>어니스트http://www.blogger.com/profile/10616715798777611193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18839735.post-14487930667006259392011-09-26T01:15:00.015+10:002011-09-26T03:11:15.061+10:00Fast cars and hot... err... Korean singers!Thanks to my secret Santa, the weekend started early with tickets to witness the practice sessions of the Singapore F1 Grand Prix "live", from the Republic Grandstand.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggzDdIb2FeeOkLjh1VAqJzuVOnt5JUiY2kwAcVbBroWu3-JOBurOsnUn4OAmAPc2l3J_CXr5zlKa4b_z83GtZBgWAfvaNVGyYcceM6msekySmF_dLxFmW5woNXyc15TvdcUBsP/s1600/DSC_0140.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggzDdIb2FeeOkLjh1VAqJzuVOnt5JUiY2kwAcVbBroWu3-JOBurOsnUn4OAmAPc2l3J_CXr5zlKa4b_z83GtZBgWAfvaNVGyYcceM6msekySmF_dLxFmW5woNXyc15TvdcUBsP/s320/DSC_0140.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5656317759140119378" border="0" /></a><br />That's Vettel, perfecting his lap... (You can tell it's him from the big screen behind.)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxYjqmFIBUhGbXpFAa9vfUKz5vCdbiVTYwufVyd9GiEFjPbUYJug3CwswWBqNyHtETDb2ZnnEwrzZ9r-sce27dzN7G_-kbSx1l4rMQOHe0hn949BAXS4j1p5qUk3BroK1iKxaY/s1600/DSC_0154.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxYjqmFIBUhGbXpFAa9vfUKz5vCdbiVTYwufVyd9GiEFjPbUYJug3CwswWBqNyHtETDb2ZnnEwrzZ9r-sce27dzN7G_-kbSx1l4rMQOHe0hn949BAXS4j1p5qUk3BroK1iKxaY/s320/DSC_0154.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5656318250304997442" border="0" /></a><br />This is the view from our seats - the first and second turns after the starting gird/pit stop.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0rRCHW1DwyfcnxavpslzjCU5yVu5fo6hRJFqczNHZOFLKZE_kJYfkrNYDwO2VR4IeJC0wND84gzQ_qfmsOXJ8qlmaEpH_G7opcrVSeTOgyYrdOI-4jU-GRkfuVJx1QG_fgvZd/s1600/DSC_0183.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0rRCHW1DwyfcnxavpslzjCU5yVu5fo6hRJFqczNHZOFLKZE_kJYfkrNYDwO2VR4IeJC0wND84gzQ_qfmsOXJ8qlmaEpH_G7opcrVSeTOgyYrdOI-4jU-GRkfuVJx1QG_fgvZd/s320/DSC_0183.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5656319827563589394" border="0" /></a><br />Turn 3 with this Ferrari (not sure who) coming in to negotiate the last of the series of turns.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf2qjagD_07HWbzLFdq_caVOdhyZsZ5S1VRDwt99i5r2m_uHDLjcc71W_2nhLEIcdKseM4pzMNMAaIDQnAcK-QE2L-Kzov3KTSqhNraMmeYAdx6Dx7SyjTAKHzekUtEg24XYZz/s1600/DSC_0201.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf2qjagD_07HWbzLFdq_caVOdhyZsZ5S1VRDwt99i5r2m_uHDLjcc71W_2nhLEIcdKseM4pzMNMAaIDQnAcK-QE2L-Kzov3KTSqhNraMmeYAdx6Dx7SyjTAKHzekUtEg24XYZz/s320/DSC_0201.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5656320626597751554" border="0" /></a>This is possibly my favorite picture for the evening. Pity that it's neither a Red Bull or a Ferrari. I can't upload the video I took from where I took this photo but here's something similar to show crazily fast and loud these machines are. (Yes, they are not cars.)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxQe1lmp20xKm2CPKWaKXi1DMhjfGiBwdnUdL3LcbfV9FRBj7mQptbV3-F4TN8vSEq6XI5DwSdE69E' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /></div><br />Despite being practice-day, the atmosphere within the racetrack zones were carnival-like and I swear, every single tap (apart from the ones in the bathroom) are flowing with alcohol! It was surprisingly... fun! The blast from the raw V8 engines was no doubt deafening, but it was at the same time (and again surprisingly), exhilarating and very addictive. Hyeyoung and I were actually yearning to hear them from my office on qualifying night. Weird isn't it? Oh, they even dressed up the bars to resemble what they look like on Emerald Hill.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGCwrWa7o2PUICneVdO3dZU5FQAs-7AB8ZR72kag2089DLlB1SZ-OSznBexB9Cl7MjXp41ZTm6RPU0DuwZk_u-REVUs7JgKC9riEZEHaCDNBfmKXRkzMuUMc9EawTF1UYG1Fga/s1600/DSC_0115.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGCwrWa7o2PUICneVdO3dZU5FQAs-7AB8ZR72kag2089DLlB1SZ-OSznBexB9Cl7MjXp41ZTm6RPU0DuwZk_u-REVUs7JgKC9riEZEHaCDNBfmKXRkzMuUMc9EawTF1UYG1Fga/s320/DSC_0115.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5656325622396518594" border="0" /></a>Aren't they cute? (ICB is the last one on the left btw.)<br /><br />Anyway, I digressed...<br /><br />Hyeyoung and I left the practice session slightly earlier because we had to walk from where we were (like 10 mins from Nicoll Highway Station) to freaking Padang! Omg, and a w.a.l.k it was! I was so glad that I changed and not gone in my jeans. I must say that it was also the walk that we saw the track from various vantage points and certainly made the entire experience very enriching.<br /><br />But of course, for Hyeyoung, the night had just began... :)<br /><br />A (almost all-female) crowd had already formed by the time we got there. (Obviously not very big F1 fans/spectators too.) Apparently according to one of the security guys, wristbands were given out in the afternoon/early evening and they had access to be in front of the stage, while we were stuck outside the cordoned area. (Note: There were still, plenty of space available inside the cordoned area.)<br /><br />Seungri opened the show but there was no doubt that it was G-Dragon and TOP that the crowd was waiting for. Thankfully, some sense got into the security and they opened the floodgate. Albeit too late but good enough! Very naturally, everybody FLOODED into the main arena. That's where Hyeyoung got up close with the trio (as you can see from the photo below).<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOBQA_0c2uK1cuQ4jUylmzl8iuNsectG8Ud1y6Bve21Zx1FN-VeLykNiOxC9Ft2FF-3jslK1zK8H53wBjgORLN7AkttVV9CXje7YLDfuC19hUq3ZfHqI01JUQd1zIEdaDJupAo/s1600/DSC_0243.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOBQA_0c2uK1cuQ4jUylmzl8iuNsectG8Ud1y6Bve21Zx1FN-VeLykNiOxC9Ft2FF-3jslK1zK8H53wBjgORLN7AkttVV9CXje7YLDfuC19hUq3ZfHqI01JUQd1zIEdaDJupAo/s320/DSC_0243.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5656324946826832914" border="0" /></a>Boy, was she a very happy girl that night. (Actually, she was very happy the entire weekend. Those who have her on Facebook would know that she can die in peace now. Lol.) Here's a short clip of their (final) performance.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9WXHmxZ2LP2LrVNbJ4Fn-_qxnbWjg047Qf4QNdS4iZVdOpa6h9CtHh9iZ1MrK_9jJEaXn38l6yaUcTWPh1gRlBbEyvvIwqE5XF9i4DUY3CrozmG57eu8cj7fQ6DlZE_RKlL-S/s1600/DSC_0255.JPG"><br /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxrdmzj3iPzvyk-ZjJbLqoYgz73nOw3w_KfRKlQNWtaK7IKzPRx8COEJWp0HGr-1uHzGvRvDBcUCx8' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br />(Please be a bit understanding of the audio quality - The music was blaring, which was great, but I can't stuff ear plugs into my poor DeeNinety's microphones.)<br /><br />We left with exhaustion, dehydration but with beaming delight. With the upcoming anniversary, the timing of the tickets couldn't have been better. We saw snippets of the race from an elevator in Marina Mandarin and so being able to see the cars so close was awesome, not to mention the fact that I attended my inaugural K-Pop concert and Hyeyoung saw GD and TOP. It was GREAT/FABULOUS/AWESOME!! :D<br /><br />Now I need to work hard to make enough money to buy tickets for the 3 days whilst keeping my fingers crossed that maybe BEG or 2NE1 might be one of the featuring acts for next year's Singapore Formula 1 Grand Prix.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9WXHmxZ2LP2LrVNbJ4Fn-_qxnbWjg047Qf4QNdS4iZVdOpa6h9CtHh9iZ1MrK_9jJEaXn38l6yaUcTWPh1gRlBbEyvvIwqE5XF9i4DUY3CrozmG57eu8cj7fQ6DlZE_RKlL-S/s1600/DSC_0255.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9WXHmxZ2LP2LrVNbJ4Fn-_qxnbWjg047Qf4QNdS4iZVdOpa6h9CtHh9iZ1MrK_9jJEaXn38l6yaUcTWPh1gRlBbEyvvIwqE5XF9i4DUY3CrozmG57eu8cj7fQ6DlZE_RKlL-S/s320/DSC_0255.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5656324306540928194" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">*If not, the FOC view from my office is also not bad!</span>어니스트http://www.blogger.com/profile/10616715798777611193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18839735.post-41828667595025724132011-09-18T03:11:00.003+10:002011-09-18T04:09:39.173+10:00A tribute to the both of us, into this infinite spaceIt feels so weird drafting a post. After all, it's been eons since I last wrote. (About 11 months to be exact.)<br /><br />Looking back and reflecting how this space has grew - from a "news feed" to keep friends and love ones updated about my life overseas, to a "scrap piece of paper" to vomit all my emo thoughts; it's a pity to see that today, I have difficulty finding relevance in this space, given that I have lesser subjects and time in my current phase of life.<br /><br />Yet every once in a while, I'd "draft" something in my head, while going to work or driving home from Hyeyoung's, and "save it" amongst my memories, as if a virtual space exists inside my brain that allows me to retrieve the draft as easily as this platform. It's a weird thing to do, almost no difference as speaking to myself.<br /><br />Once again today, as I was running around my neighborhood (in an attempt to cure my chronic tension headaches), I started "drafting" and so I decided to finally sit down and spill it all out. :)<br /><br />...<br /><br />Come this 29th is our 2nd anniversary. It's a great milestone for us because we have finally transited into a new phase in life, i.e. building the foundation for our career. 2 years ago, we met at the final moments of the previous phase, the studying phase.<br /><br />We dated in small cosy <a href="http://www.tilleys.com.au/">cafes</a> with skinny lattes, flat whites and gorgeous cakes, took strolls amongst the <a href="http://www.anu.edu.au/">university</a> grounds in the cool Aussie breeze, and best of all, spent a great deal of time cooking and rolling around at a <a href="http://www.unilodge.com.au/Canberra/Academie_House/">place</a> we've come to call home. I miss shopping grocery together at <a href="http://www.supabarn.com.au/">Supabarn,</a> doing our laundry across several floors (simply because we always had a big load), taking a stroll to and from <a href="http://www.fenner.anu.edu.au/Fenner/6.html">Fenner Hall</a> or along the shores of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manly,_New_South_Wales">Manly Beach</a> during our Sydney getaways, and of course, our inaugural trip to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byron_Bay,_New_South_Wales">Byron Bay</a>. One of my fondest image was us being mesmerized by a sky FULL of stars under the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_Byron_Light">lighthouse</a> at Cape Byron, after a degustation <strong></strong> meal at a <a href="http://www.ate.net.au/satiate/index.html">two chef hat restaurant</a>.<br /><br />Such precious and beautiful memories... :)<br /><br />This is not say that time spent back in Singapore wasn't memorable I guess since we're still here, we're still in the midst of completing this "part" of our memories and when the time comes, whenever and whatever that may be, we will again look back and cherish our time here.<br /><br />There is no better entry to restart this blog than to shout out to say how great the journey with Hyeyoung has been. Undoubtedly, the future is still very uncertain for us but I think we know, that our hearts are certain, and that's good enough. For now, we just need to take baby steps to solidify this foundation we've built whilst unraveling the future together, hand in hand. But still, thank you Hyeyoung for everything. You have been great in so many different ways. I can't decide if I wish time will past slowly so that I can enjoy each moment we spend together, to for the clock to spin faster so that time will quickly unravel what our future will be... Guess at the very least, you know how I truly feel. :)<br /><br />(Great. Now that I'd spilled my heart out, let me think of what else to write in the card I'm going to give to Hyeyoung!)어니스트http://www.blogger.com/profile/10616715798777611193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18839735.post-82497051006584717582010-11-03T17:01:00.001+11:002010-11-05T15:21:23.478+11:00Time just flew us by<span style="font-family: arial;">Something inside today drew me to the website which I'd always used to count the number of days Hyeyoung and I have been together and guess what? I found out that we'd been together for<br /><br />*drumroll*<br /><br /> f.o.u.r h.u.n.d.r.e.d d.a.y.s!<br /><br />Amazing how time flies isn't it? This time last year, we were probably just finished camping at the arts library for our final assignments and had just started mugging for exams... Gosh thinking about it just makes me miss our time at Academie House. (I'm so jealous of the future tenants as not only the old elevators will be refurbished but UniLodge is taking over the ownership of the place. Not more inefficient S.H.A.!)<br /><br />Well, Hyeyoung and I didn't had any celebration of sorts because I am going to have dinner with my CEO. How cool is that? I really appreciate his effort for speaking to each of us individually and for taking time out to have a meal with all of us. Like what I'd said to my colleagues, "it says a lot about the organization". :) It's really heartening to know that your CEO makes the effort to get to know you not just as a staff of his firm but as an individual, who you truly are and what you represent.<br /><br />Anyway, Hyeyoung and I are going to have the house to ourselves this weekend. I can't wait! ^^; We're going to turn it upside down!!<br /></span>어니스트http://www.blogger.com/profile/10616715798777611193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18839735.post-79310501267997847152010-11-01T16:24:00.007+11:002010-11-08T17:59:04.843+11:00The stark contrast between two lands<p style="font-family: arial;font-family:arial;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:100%;">Families were reunited over the weekend, albeit briefly for two hours, as almost a hundred North Koreans sat down with some 400 South Koreans at Mount Geumgang Resort. From The New York Times to The Straits Times to vernacular media in Korea, reports carry how the participants prepared and more importantly, felt about meeting their long-lost family members. While some might think that I'm dramatizing the event into a tear-jerking movie from what is merely an routine political activity, I can’t help but think of the feeling of the participants involved. Political agendas aside, whoever created the concept of such reunions should be highly praised for breaking down geo-political barriers and reiterating the fact that all Koreans on the entire peninsular are brothers. After all, countries/nations are simply social constructs aren’t they?<br /><br />I’m not expert on inter-Korea relations, and while I know that such reunions, having conducted countless of times before, are not a novelty, it is still heartening to read that families were being reunited. Even if you doubt both governments’ decision to conduct such an event, the tens of thousands of Koreans in the waiting list, the efforts behind the preparation (eg. recording clips of family members who can’t attend the reunion, bringing of extra clothes and money, etc.), and the tears of joy are no doubt very real. Imagine meeting someone whom you last saw was 50 years ago when you played together in the backyard or were walking back from school.<br /><br />And so it was very ironic and of course, disappointing, when things were not as rosy domestically over last weekend, especially when we were trying to celebrate my mom’s birthday. </span><span style="font-size:100%;">A major rift was created and a permanent divide was drawn. I learned that it's impossible for the involved parties to ever have a normal relationship(s) and there is no longer any love. We are only together because we were bound by society's definition of us as a nucleus, hence the responsibility to do so. </span><span style="font-size:100%;">I shan’t share much of the unhappy event on public domain but by writing this, I hope to remind myself (and to anybody who happens to chance upon this) that loving your partner, your kids, or any other family member should be selfless. If not, don't even bother because everything would be pointless.<br /><br />More importantly, I feel utterly sorry to Hyeyoung - that she has to bear these flaws which are beyond my control. I cannot change what I'm born with but I hope, when given a chance to have a future together, I can have a go at making sure nobody has to go through what I'd gone through. Simply because nobody deserved to, especially if I had chosen to bring them into this world.<br /><br />For now, I shall leave you with <a href="http://rki.kbs.co.kr/english/news/news_photo_detail.htm?No=15559">images</a> of the reunion. Maybe one day we all can learn to love each other like how they had, despite being physically apart from each other for decades.<span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span><a href="http://rki.kbs.co.kr/english/news/news_photo_detail.htm?No=15559" target="_blank"><br /></a></span></p>어니스트http://www.blogger.com/profile/10616715798777611193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18839735.post-30507127470316319462010-10-07T02:22:00.004+11:002010-10-10T21:37:11.733+11:00Another milestone...Reading about how MM Lee gave not one but two kisses to bid farewell to his beloved wife simply broke my heart - for I can just imagine how much he loves her.<br /><br />Growing up as a rebellious teenager, I hated him and his political party. Nonetheless when he visited ANU during my second year there, I was the only willing student who not only <a href="http://app.mfa.gov.sg/pr/read_content.asp?View,6853,">spoke publicly to Straits Times</a> in full support of what he has done for my country, but also defended him against the Australian's accusation of him being an authoritarian. Politics aside, having being spoken to him personally enable me to visualize how he gave those parting kisses as I too, has received his sincerity and kindness before.<br /><br />MM Lee gave his wife two parting kisses because he simply can't bear to let her go. Imagine that grieve in his heart. I guess if I have to be in his shoes because I think I'd have definitely done the same. For some reason, his love for her resonates within me and it is with this very feeling inside that I write this entry...<br /><br />.<br />.<br />.<br /><br />Not too long ago, Hyeyoung and I celebrated our first year anniversary. It was simple but eventful celebration to mark a very important milestone in our relationship. Friends around us would know that although it's only been a year but we had to overcome many obstacles to be where we are today.<br /><br />Hyeyoung took a leap of faith to fly straight to Singapore with me after graduation and I decided to forgo Honors to look after her in Singapore. She finished her first proper internship and after five tiring rounds of interview, finally landed herself a job in Singapore while I was fortunate enough not to have difficulties landing my first job, it was tough finding a second one when I decided the first one wasn't quite what I was looking for. Meanwhile, both of us had to get accustomed to life without Academie House, a life with many more responsibilities.<br /><br />Till today, we sometimes still struggle with this transition. At times I would be very annoyed, irritated and frustrated with all that is going around me but Hyeyoung never failed to be supportive and encouraging. This is especially so in the past few months as I struggle to find peace, satisfaction and passion with my career - something which I had been looking forward to carve while as a student, only to realize that life truly is never a bed of roses.<br /><br />We had a really good time when we celebrated our anniversary - having very fulfilling meals at Shangri-La's The Rose Veranda and Stella@1-Altitude, tasting (and finishing) that long-awaited champagne, having an endless view of Singapore from 1-Altitude, and even impromptu puffs along Singapore River as we sampled beer at Red Dot Brewery. But it's never about the expensive dining venues with polished silverware with limited edition vintage champagne isn't it? It's about sending that one consistent message "I love you" through whatever you are doing. Amidst all the fanciful stuff, I'm not sure if I'd really expressed my gratitude and love enough because I know, deep inside my heart, Hyeyoung has really given me a lot and the past 365 days with her has been unforgettable.<br /><br />Looking back, I don't think I've spent so much time with an individual who's not a family member of mine. Apart from the first few months of our relationship when we were busy writing our final essays and preparing for the final exams of our university lives, we practically spend most of our waking hours next to each other. "It's amazing we're not sick/bored of each other," Hyeyoung said in the car one day as we were reminiscing about the past and the upcoming anniversary. I agree. It really is amazing how we managed to do it.<br /><br />I always say that, "We can never choose who we want to fall in love with" and I'm so thankful that God has given me the chance to love a girl so sweet and great as Hyeyoung. Seriously, I don't think any girl would have sewed a pencil case from scratch for me, simply because she knows I'm fussy and she can't seem to find the ideal case for me. "I enjoyed every stitch thinking of you. Hope you like it and it made your day." How can I not feel so indebted to a girl like Hyeyoung?<br /><br />So Hyeyoung, thank you very much for everything all these while. It's impossible to write so much in a card so here it is, written on my very own space in cyberspace. I feel very blessed to be love by you and everyday, you continue to bring joy into my life so thank you. Thank you for being such a wonderful gift from God, for being so sweet and supportive, for being my soulmate. It's really amazing how everything comes together. Sometimes I still I can't believe the girl whom I did not even breath a word to, yet had left such a deep impression when I attended my first Japan Club Annual General Meeting, would one day be my girlfriend. Nor can I believe when I went for the first Japan Club's movie screening, the girl who had appeared suddenly at the registration counter with food and excitedly asking everybody to eat, would one day be a girl I had grew to love so much.<br /><br />Well, I'm not sure what kind of challenges the various tomorrows might bring but just as I know in my heart that you'd be there for me, I'd be there for you too. :)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsruOYbVT7NlA8LINu57RH-LPMCs8yZfy-xHPChLHNULcHwta6Rp-GtxSSvJ7cprRtZDl9YwJWvgpacIh_hQoHKE6UHbqUuYErMyRRt3jHjm9MwB6NWiFli2Nb7sra6f9voilQ/s1600/IMG_1046.PNG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsruOYbVT7NlA8LINu57RH-LPMCs8yZfy-xHPChLHNULcHwta6Rp-GtxSSvJ7cprRtZDl9YwJWvgpacIh_hQoHKE6UHbqUuYErMyRRt3jHjm9MwB6NWiFli2Nb7sra6f9voilQ/s320/IMG_1046.PNG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526362668526685938" border="0" /></a>어니스트http://www.blogger.com/profile/10616715798777611193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18839735.post-13277101560407999162010-09-03T10:07:00.002+10:002010-09-04T07:12:25.693+10:00Now that's what I call service!Brought Hyeyoung to <a href="http://www.aoki-restaurant.com.sg/webtop2/torisho/">鳥焼たか</a> to celebrate our 11th month anniversary last Friday and this cute and sincere card was waiting for us...<br /><br /><center><a href="http://blogpress.w18.net/photos/10/09/03/1962.jpg"><img src="http://blogpress.w18.net/photos/10/09/03/s_1962.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" border="0" width="210" height="281" /></a></center><br />A little background on <a href="http://www.aoki-restaurant.com.sg/webtop2/torisho/">鳥焼たか</a>:<br /><br />Back when Hyeyoung was away in Korea, I brought Qing there for round 2 to spend some quality sibling time together. (Round 1 was at <a href="http://supermerlion.com/chikuwa-tei/">ちくわ亭</a>, where I tried 沢蟹 for the first time.) The head waitress made a mistake with my order - instead of serving a serving of their sets, they served us two servings instead. She was kind enough to waive off the charge of the second set but the 焼き鳥 was so awesome that I declined the offer. In the end she waived off all the alcohol charges (3 glasses of 焼酎). Not only that, when we left, she walked us out of the restaurant and bidded goodbye to us with the words, "Sorry for the mistake, please come back again and I will introduce more so 焼酎 to you next time". And yes, she's Japanese. :)<br /><br />So tell me, after being pampered like that, how can I not return?<br /><br />And so last Friday, I did. Service was once again impeccable. The lead Japanese waitress was very busy (due to the fact that everybody else there was Japanese) and so she did not our main server. But even when she did, like how she personally spoke to the head chef for us regarding our special request, I felt that (reasonable) requests will always be fulfilled. The other two Filipino staff were very knowledgeable and helpful too - the lady with our alcohol selection and the gentleman with our food. When we left, both the led Japanese waitress and the male Filipino waiter sent us off and bowed till we disappear down the escalator.<br /><br />Amazing right? What's amazing is that I have yet to touch on the highlight of the place - 焼き鳥! I can't remember which set Hyeyoung and I had that night but everything was awesome. Imagine... Neither of us ate BBQ corn on the cob but much to our own amazement, we ate our corn that evening. It was a pity Hyeyoung couldn't try their 豆腐 'tho. Qing and I loved it for it was so dense with soy. Unforgettable taste I tell you... Hyeyoung and my favorite for that night was the 和牛 - which totally melts in your mouth (and maybe the "お茶漬け" which was not strictly お茶漬け because the soup was not お茶 but chicken soup from our starter).<br /><br />Oh well, Hyeyoung and I will definitely go back again and hopefully next time, I'd write more about the food instead. :)어니스트http://www.blogger.com/profile/10616715798777611193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18839735.post-75381273683536511862010-08-21T15:30:00.001+10:002010-08-21T15:30:00.164+10:00Mission accomplished: Staying up till 3am was worth the effort!According to the itinerary, Hyeyoung's flight has just took off and is now en route to Singapore. So in slightly more than 6 hours, she would touch down at Changi, where I would be waiting <s>with a lion- and dragon-dance troop</s> patiently.<br /><br />It's been 40 days since I last touch her face and I have waited <i>faaar tooo looong</i> for these 960 hours to pass! So to welcome her back and to celebrate our reunion, instead of appearing with flowers (no offense Li Shing!), I've decided to made a little something for a change:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimtg_1gD-Y0KNlOpH9T-ejkJ5vxYP96DJZm02WVaQkw9MgnYMM0dtPWewvdXAkZ93DQn4CzSV8eJmW5YcWSHwW-FuR5-F7KZNTZ8RiTC3ulF8AFfPhQrH1pM6p3vNLmQr6Y0NO/s1600/IMG_0993.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimtg_1gD-Y0KNlOpH9T-ejkJ5vxYP96DJZm02WVaQkw9MgnYMM0dtPWewvdXAkZ93DQn4CzSV8eJmW5YcWSHwW-FuR5-F7KZNTZ8RiTC3ulF8AFfPhQrH1pM6p3vNLmQr6Y0NO/s320/IMG_0993.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5507704246378284338" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><i>(It's supposed to be a surprise and given that she's now in the air, there's absolutely no way she could see this post before tasting the actual product.)</i><br /></span><br />Looks good?<br /><br />*Ahem...*<br /><br />DAMN RIGHT YOU ARE!!<br /><br />It's the most concentrated Tiramisu I've ever tasted. If you've complained about how weak the coffee or Kahlua in commerical Tiramisus are, then this will make you fail the breathalyzer test.<br /><br />Of course not, I'm just exaggerating.<br /><br />Precisely because it's not 10/10, I think there's a lot of room for improvement. For example, not to soak the "lady fingers" for too long next time if not the coffee/Kahlua would be oozing out excitedly (as shown above). And another pointer is to figure a way to lift a slice off the entire cake without ruining it like what I'd done to the far end corner of this slice. You should see how many slices I have ruined while trying to get this slice out for a photo.<br /><br />Nonetheless, this Tiramisu wouldn't have been possible if not for the recipes, advices and ingredients from Amelia and Pam. So thank you both! Really appreciated the help. :)<br /><br />Now I just hope the surprise would work. I've prepared a special glass of Tiramisu just for her. Initially I was thinking of bringing the glass to the airport and serve it to her as I drive home but I don't think that will work because I really need to keep it refrigerated. HOW?! I need to think of a way to surprise her...<br /><br />Think Ernest, THINK!어니스트http://www.blogger.com/profile/10616715798777611193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18839735.post-15202429476288976372010-08-16T22:48:00.002+10:002010-08-16T22:50:26.683+10:00Waiting like as if it's our first date<span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >Do you still remember how you had to prepare yourself for your first date? </span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br />Some of us might discuss the possible scenarios with close friends - "what should I have for dinner so that I can fill my stomach and yet not look like a pig to my date?" or "should I kiss her when I send her home?" Then on the big day itself, we fret over what to wear, what perfume to use and perhaps even a mental note on the a list of topics to inject into the conversations should it turn stale, quiet and awkward. Final checklist may include ensuring the tables are reserved at the right restaurant for the right day and time, and that you have a few post-dinner options</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" > depending on her mood...</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br />Tell me I've got it right because this is how I'm feeling now.</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br />Hyeyoung is due to arrive in 5 days and as time slowly luges forward, I can't help but feel like I'm preparing for a major date with her. The only difference now is that there's no dinner, no movies, and no wine bar to chill but simply to wait patiently for her arrival at the right belt, at the right time.<br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >Such a simple and defined moment and yet my mind has been visualizing that moment for the past 3,452,394 seconds, playing it over and over, and over, and over again. The reason, I guess, is simple:</span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br />I CAN'T WAIT, PERIOD.</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >But. (Yes, there's always a 'but' to the other side of the story.) But I know time is never enough for Hyeyoung, especially when she's having great fun spending time with her family. Korea is her home and it should be. For that reason, as much as I feel like jumping out of my skin and just run to the airport now, I cannot deny her of her time in Korea. And so I try to leave her out of my countdown, because it's counting down to saying goodbyes for her and the last thing anybody wants is to see his love one tearing at the airport. So to Hyeyoung I say:</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /><br /></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >"</span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >Treasure your time in Korea and know that it's not 'goodbye' but 'see you later' for we will soon be back again I'm sure.</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >"</span>어니스트http://www.blogger.com/profile/10616715798777611193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18839735.post-92225516487056364342010-08-15T18:06:00.003+10:002010-08-15T19:33:46.051+10:00Just another lazy Sunday<a style="font-family: georgia;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzi-KY_IWVgkuktl67eH5n99zRoiX2EEXV0kOe8OHVSbBXbui5nbo0PicK8zvyzhZnNyYxZozX1yuhTgv22NNeBAQZ68o1z4Irszai7e9Y9E52M-TXa6QSXgH-43q77pgE_PpY/s1600/IMG_0992.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzi-KY_IWVgkuktl67eH5n99zRoiX2EEXV0kOe8OHVSbBXbui5nbo0PicK8zvyzhZnNyYxZozX1yuhTgv22NNeBAQZ68o1z4Irszai7e9Y9E52M-TXa6QSXgH-43q77pgE_PpY/s320/IMG_0992.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505545227182136018" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family: georgia;font-family:arial;" >This is my 2nd attempt making<span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: georgia;font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><span lang="ko-Hang"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kimbap">김밥 (</a></span></span><span style="font-family: georgia;font-family:arial;" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kimbap"><span style="font-size:100%;">K</span>imbap)</a>. The first was back in Canberra when Hyeyoung was away in Sydney, hanging out with her bestie.There's more ingredients this time but I think I still need to improve on my rolling. It's damn difficult to roll it right! Cutting the roll comes in second in terms of difficulty. Apart from constantly being at war, I think there's another reason know why East Asia is known for its sharp knives...<br /><br />Food aside, this week marks my second week at work. Everybody, especially those who are aware of the "am-pee-eh" saga has been asking me how's my new job. In terms of job responsibilities and scope, there's a lot of learning to do - from the mundane media monitoring in the mornings to the very exciting strategizing pitches for new businesses. Job nature is awesome because there's a lot of communication between colleagues as well as external partners. The company's small and (most of) my colleagues are around my age so I think there's some kind of energy in the entire team. It's also very comforting to know that everybody's always ready to help and teach me. To sum it up, I'm sure I didn't jump from the boiling pot into the fire, which was my biggest fear. :)<br /><br />So the next challenge is balancing work and life. I'm starting to like my job and I'm very in love with Hyeyoung. I've gotta learn how to balance both of them well. (Not to mention I'm thinking of teaching a class of creative writing on Saturday.) Luckily Hyeyoung has always been very supportive, telling me that work comes first but knowing me, it's so difficult to ignore my love and concentrate on work. But I guess that's something I have to learn!<br /><br />Speaking of Hyeyoung, she's coming back in <span style="font-weight: bold;">SIX DAYS</span>!! Thus far, we've been apart for 35 days but thanks to technology, we'd managed to stay in contact through numerous SMS, emails, Google Chat and Skype sessions. Singapore Post has also been a very helpful support by sending my love over to her. :) I think in absence of being physically together, we have definitely grown stronger as a couple, as a team. Hopefully next week won't be as busy as the past two weeks and then I can squeeze some squash/tennis sessions in-between so that I can keep myself in shape for her arrival.<br /></span>어니스트http://www.blogger.com/profile/10616715798777611193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18839735.post-38506342987344079862010-07-31T14:25:00.008+10:002010-08-02T22:00:42.238+10:00Transitional feelings...Leaving "am-pee-eh" was more emotional than I'd thought.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6xXHatlxX_gs5GJySnkn5wA5BdLXHHnT0eHFfYArvM6mQMe8r5NMOyD-J2fvKjEfhZQ7vJnLWLGTDLzhIlCluQTFesywhi_WlbTiFNPAwS0AI4J4xSD6xwikdsnGqMjoNooB3/s1600/IMG_0775.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6xXHatlxX_gs5GJySnkn5wA5BdLXHHnT0eHFfYArvM6mQMe8r5NMOyD-J2fvKjEfhZQ7vJnLWLGTDLzhIlCluQTFesywhi_WlbTiFNPAwS0AI4J4xSD6xwikdsnGqMjoNooB3/s320/IMG_0775.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500460961783512770" border="0" /></a>Given my disappointment in the organization and hatred/disgust for certain individuals within it, I walked out the doors of the 19th Floor with a heavy heart filled with a sense of extreme pity - pity that I had to leave a job that was so aligned to my academic interests. Over a course of three days, different people came over to speak to me. Some offered their best wishes while some offered their wisdom in dealing with people and career progression. Oh yes, there was even a surprise for me in the fridge, which I felt a bit cheated when I realized that it wasn't food. Indeed, there's no doubt that nice people exists everywhere.<br /><br />One must know that such a departure is not one I'd envisioned. I'd always thought I would leave the place in complete ruins, walking away nonchalantly in the aftermath of my wrath being unleashed. Think Ernest walking away (in slow-mo) from a sea of flames with screams of poor souls wailing for a second chance. Guess it's always different in reality.<br /><br />When I left on Friday, I actually felt like crying. God knows why. (Apart from me bring the usual emo me, that is.) And so secretly, I'm quite glad/relief that I left with no animosity and even though it wasn't a happy ending, it wasn't a ugly one either. :)<br /><br />Tomorrow is going to be a brand new beginning, as once again, I try to crave something out and make it my career. I've only been to the office once and met 2 of the... (Hmmm... I don't even know how many staff they have!!) ... staff, the Managing Director who interviewed me and another girl who administered my test. So as you can see, I have no idea what kind of place it is. Since the firm's quite small, I really hope/wish/pray that people are nice and are willing to teach/share/nurture me while the job scope is dynamic enough to keep me interested. Is that too much to ask?<br /><br />So I pray... That once again, God will grant me the faith, wisdom, courage, perseverance and strength for tomorrow and more importantly, the career switch. Meanwhile, if I keep writing, then you'd know that things aren't that bad as before. :)어니스트http://www.blogger.com/profile/10616715798777611193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18839735.post-53666210148292221642010-07-27T16:21:00.000+10:002010-07-27T17:01:54.247+10:00A surprise from four thousand six hundred and thirty-two point nine kilometers away...Received this in the mailbox yesterday.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicVAJtL582VMwm_sxynPu8go-eOFK-j57lxKfHDfHgQPotbKsSAiAF4I_2Cdk1WxZ2mSmFfy0pKGYWYeqphj1AWnsG13KUOdMjki-a8pQCMnQOrOhfhBFjun-P5gBSWxY6JHCq/s1600/IMG_0963.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicVAJtL582VMwm_sxynPu8go-eOFK-j57lxKfHDfHgQPotbKsSAiAF4I_2Cdk1WxZ2mSmFfy0pKGYWYeqphj1AWnsG13KUOdMjki-a8pQCMnQOrOhfhBFjun-P5gBSWxY6JHCq/s320/IMG_0963.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498477219318959458" border="0" /></a>It's a card from Hyeyoung and enclosed in it is a cute little gift to mark our 300th Day Anniversary. <span style="font-style: italic;">(So cute right??)</span><br /><br />Ever since she's away, I've been busy with an assortment of things - from meeting up with friends to planning for our One Year Anniversary (in September) to getting ready for my new job (which I will elaborate more in another entry). Oh, and doing research on which mooncake to buy for her family. And so in the midst of everything, I'd cleanly forgotten that 26th July was our 300th Day together.<br /><br />So thanks Hyeyoung, for not just remembering such small details of our relationship, but also for celebrating it with me even though you are more than 4,600km away from me. 사랑해!! <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicVAJtL582VMwm_sxynPu8go-eOFK-j57lxKfHDfHgQPotbKsSAiAF4I_2Cdk1WxZ2mSmFfy0pKGYWYeqphj1AWnsG13KUOdMjki-a8pQCMnQOrOhfhBFjun-P5gBSWxY6JHCq/s1600/IMG_0963.JPG"><br /></a>어니스트http://www.blogger.com/profile/10616715798777611193noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18839735.post-32501005928367838042010-07-27T16:15:00.003+10:002010-07-27T16:20:14.057+10:00The lessons behind winning the Golden Ticket<span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >If stories are reflections of the realities of life, then for once, Roald Dahl's "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" was more than a fantasy story merely for kids, as I now understood how Charlie felt after winning the Golden Ticket.</span> <div style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br />My story began roughly 3 months ago in late April when I was notified about my eligibility to win the Golden Ticket and subsequently, to work for the Chocolate Factory. Now, nobody rejects such an offer right?<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">(I meant to write in full details about my entire experience</span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-style: italic;"> but in retrospective, I think it's better to leave it vague.)<br /><br /></span>Surprisingly enough, I managed to win the Golden Ticket, a chance to possibly work for the Chocolate Factory and over a span of two months, I went through 7 rounds of elimination. Like how the kids were brought to different rooms as if to eliminate</span><span style="font-size:100%;">/weed out the undeserving Golden Ticket holders, I was put through 7 rounds of elimination, in which I spoke to staff in India, Japan, San Francisco and of course, in Singapore. And similar to how the kids learned about the different technology behind Willy Wonka's various chocolate products, I too, learned more about the Chocolate Factory and more importantly, myself.<br /><br />Beyond that 7 rounds of elimination, was a journey of self-discovery for me as I learned about my strengths and weaknesses. Whatever I did and stood for was put to the ultimate test and as I was grilled, I found out that no matter how good I can smoke my way t</span><span style="font-size:100%;">hrough, my weaknesses can never be covered up with motherhood statements. You really need to know your shit.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;">And so in the end, no surprisingly, I was not selected to work for the Chocolate Factory. I had a fairly good job offer anyway and this was just a bonus. I'd read online that some people detest the long elimination process but like many things in life, I think it's all about perception and in this case, since I got to learn more about so many things, from the inner workings of the Chocolate Factory to intimate details of my weaknesses, I think </span><span style="font-size:100%;">I've definitely gained more than the amount of time I'd lost. Not to mention a new level of confidence from surviving all 7 rounds of elimination. :) At the very least, I did get a very cool souvenir to show off:<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3W32SrvSfBKZjs6dhLQBd27yPY1tmDN2ikn44-0JAZv08sm9qlNdu6qeY3zMco1ID1hlwqzqBPwAl72Jvg3Tf5Bx3nEsbzrVfC2EY4af76Sq6-_FafgEBh52V2h36ZIjafS6w/s1600/IMG_0962.JPG"><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ></span></a><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9emZBrQ2q_SWxyC-wTye2n6bh1vKuu2mHyyOVqjSWnguy6tT7q0oI1mTyzxu0S6YiXvgtTmcGp_JtxwrOJgyyw9RQbUb2mDG0mCU3i5oKowXbg763jrOJs5_YDNsV3iLq4v6H/s1600/IMG_0962.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9emZBrQ2q_SWxyC-wTye2n6bh1vKuu2mHyyOVqjSWnguy6tT7q0oI1mTyzxu0S6YiXvgtTmcGp_JtxwrOJgyyw9RQbUb2mDG0mCU3i5oKowXbg763jrOJs5_YDNsV3iLq4v6H/s320/IMG_0962.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498466627944795330" border="0" /></a></span></span></div></div>어니스트http://www.blogger.com/profile/10616715798777611193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18839735.post-36464740517559350222010-05-20T20:46:00.004+10:002010-05-20T20:49:57.098+10:00Reflections on Cheonan<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijO_du5Q-geuBLaZ7ArUYtohcn5pWV-qipUFtWiA4LRIBYaKfo3BYncMK1QhPlmKXUUP2hR_9iEVIBH0PDjU3fc3QI0DGpAK5mY3n8yhyphenhyphenYQT8GKZwnsMv00VWnHX-SV-GXohrT/s1600/cheonandeath-ap.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 217px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijO_du5Q-geuBLaZ7ArUYtohcn5pWV-qipUFtWiA4LRIBYaKfo3BYncMK1QhPlmKXUUP2hR_9iEVIBH0PDjU3fc3QI0DGpAK5mY3n8yhyphenhyphenYQT8GKZwnsMv00VWnHX-SV-GXohrT/s320/cheonandeath-ap.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473302335613035330" /></a>This photo of a crying mother, hugging her late-son's photo struck me as I was reading an article on Cheonan. Sporting the sterotypical 아줌마 (Ajumma) hairstyle, she represents the remaining 45 moms who similarly, had lost their sons in the incident. I can feel her pain as her wrinkled hands stroked the photo frame...<br /><br />I'd written on the subject of peace before and once again, life is teaching me yet another important lesson on peace.<br /><br />Majoring a Security Studies, I'd always said that chaos is good because it provides jobs for people like me. I take it all back now. When I first read about the sinking of Cheonan on 26 March, the immediate thought that came to my mind was, "The two Koreas CANNOT and MUST NOT go to war for this." I thought about the deep underground stations of Seoul's subway system, how they were built as shelters for the civilians and the scene of them being packed with families who'd fled their home for safety. I thought about the soldiers I'd seen at DMZ (demilitarized zone) near the 38th parallel. Most importantly, I thought about Hyeyoung's family.<br /><br />I visited the DMZ 2 years ago in 2008 as a tourist, thinking how cool it is to visit a place which may no longer exist in the future but in retrospective, I was foolish to go with such a mindset. The DMZ is, if I may, perhaps one important element that's upholding peace in the Korean peninsular. Hyeyoung was amazed when Kaiming drove her across the causeway to have supper. When she related her experience to her dad, he was even more amazed at it. Needless to say, driving across an international boundry to wash your car, fill it up with petrol and have supper is not something Koreans do.<br /><br />Here in Singapore, we always say that we train to fight a war that will never come and as such, we take peace for granted. Apart from some of our grandparents who'd been through the Japanese Occupation, most of us never knew what it was like to worry about any form of natural disaster, much less an imminent war. I don't claim to be like John Lennon and advocate for peace but I just hope we don't take it for granted. And it's not just about inter-nation peace but even inter-personal peace as well. (I prefer to term the latter as love but for the purpose of this entry, let's just stick to it.)<br /><br />Yet simultaneously, as a realist, I believe in retaliation as well. (No, I'm not contradicting myself. If I said revenge, then I'd be, but not retaliation.) For the 46 lives lost in the sinking of Cheonan, South Korea must of course respond. War or any form of armed response is definitely not an option, given that tens of million of lives are at stake and that it should always, always, be the final option. As an advocate of <i>Bellum iustum</i>, this is what I truly believe. I hope the Blue House will find an appropriate response to this incident and for the sake of the millions in the Korean Penisular (South and North alike), I pray that peace will prevail.ア-ネストhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13876238874347137586noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18839735.post-39612827122320212062010-05-19T00:50:00.004+10:002010-05-19T01:46:46.249+10:00The end of a dark chapter is near*exhales*<br />*coughs*<br /><br />Yes. This blog ain't dead, yet.<br /><br />Despite having my Sunshine beside me, my life had been engulfed by dark clouds over the past few months. Those close enough would know why. As much as I believe that my blog is my personal space online and I am free to express myself, I shall restrain myself from revealing too much, for I fear, that should the seal be broken, it would be too late to prevent the wrath I will subsequently unleash.<br /><br />More importantly, Hyeyoung said something some time ago which rings till today. She said, "Why have you stopped writing? I miss your entries. They make me feel like a star." Hahaha!! How cute is that?! For that reason, I shall attempt to get back into the habit of writing.<br /><br />I shall not attempt to back-log everything on what I'd not written as too many things have happened thus far (not to mention the numerous good food we'd tried in Singapore). Instead, I shall write as though I was merely away for a while (in some cave without internet) and resume my writings as per normal. Nonetheless, here are some updates:<br /><br />1. This is Hyeyoung's 4th month in Singapore and amongst the many things she'd adapted is the ability to order "Kopi O Kosong Peng" at the kopitiam near my place. Isn't she a darl?<br /><br />2. We are celebrating our 8th month anniversary this month. We were so busy that 200th day came and went without us realizing. 1/2 year anniversary was spent at a (rather reasonably priced) French restaurant, complete with a tiny <span style="background-color:#0ABAB5; border:1px solid darkgray;">    </span> as a surprise, served on a dessert plate. ;)<br /><br />3. Together, we've tried many different restaurants (including those I'd never been to) and had identified a few favorite haunts in Singapore. The list is still growing and it doesn't seem like we'd be able to finish everything soon. One of our accomplishment, I think, is to bring mom out for breakfast on Mother's Day.<br /><br />4. We're doing a mixture of long walks (to Kovan usually), swimming (though most of the time is spent in the jacuzzi) and possibly tennis. Hopefully, we'd be able to settle down on a regular exercising routine soon.<br /><br />5. Attempts to cook hasn't really worked. My kitchen is quite ill-equipped and it isn't as cosy as the one I had at Academie House, which Hyeyoung and I miss terribly. I wish we can cook more often. So far, Hyeyoung cooked 보쌈 (Bossam) once, I made breakfast (rice + heart-shaped fried egg + 생선구이 (Grilled fish) + Kimchi) once on Hyeyoung's birthday, and we probably cooked 라면 (Ramyeon) two or three times. Wish we have a nicer kitchen and more time to cook something nice to cheer ourselves up. <br /><br />6. I've started learning 한글 (Hangul)! It's a natural progression and a matter of time I pick it up I suppose. We decided that it is indeed easier to learn from Japanese so Hyeyoung bought me a book from 紀伊國屋 (Kinokuniya). I can read all the characters now. Writing is still tricky but I know more common phrases and some basic vocabulary now. :D Next step, to buy a workbook of sorts to practice. Just pure memorizing/reading to myself repeatedly on the train is not very helpful.<br /><br />Alrighty, that should set some foundation and save me from having to give some background information for future entries. For now, sleep beckons.ア-ネストhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13876238874347137586noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18839735.post-31128900123496989102010-01-22T09:26:00.004+11:002010-01-22T10:06:56.825+11:00If my oven could express itself...... It would be grinning with delight for it has truly fulfilled its role as a trusty little oven.<br /><br />Not too long ago, Hyeyoung and I decided to bake. It wasn't a new idea as we did toy around with the idea before, but like plans, we just never got do to it.<br /><br />But about a week ago, on impulse, we decided that we should bake. The original idea was to do a cheesecake and after looking at a few recipes, we decided on Oreo Cheesecake. :) <br /><br />Boy, it sure was fun!<br /><br />I searched for the recipes, she decide which one to use. We shopped for the ingredients. She gives me instructs to make the Oreo base. She pours the various ingredients in while I mix them (with an electric mixer of course!). And finally, we put it in the oven and waited...<br /><br />And waited...<br /><br />And waited...<br /><br />After several hours, the final product was ready!<br /><br />Behold! Our Oreo Cheesecake. :)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBfYOWAoVVTIS-KK_V5UNf2n0Pi2Oan6xiKJwqG6-FWd7YuaVzBC-6Msx1rQs5DwSGIBsun6HoLSwxqRsy6NPX_by3YggJvL6r5I2eZcujP7Cr57uwaVyqPMtVFXE35gkzrlbV/s1600-h/DSC_6249.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBfYOWAoVVTIS-KK_V5UNf2n0Pi2Oan6xiKJwqG6-FWd7YuaVzBC-6Msx1rQs5DwSGIBsun6HoLSwxqRsy6NPX_by3YggJvL6r5I2eZcujP7Cr57uwaVyqPMtVFXE35gkzrlbV/s320/DSC_6249.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429331364384603314" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPbGCtA1fXA-kVKQ01IT07U-fDCk0-7ErSFrUX0xwIWuFc3wzaRAaVmtv8D6styIGygwKk1D7j9FFgOjTZ3gZJW_p5UxIYMNJtABhVQgKNjJmbGKrYy8Fgs7XYgL3wXMOWCLdu/s1600-h/DSC_6250.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPbGCtA1fXA-kVKQ01IT07U-fDCk0-7ErSFrUX0xwIWuFc3wzaRAaVmtv8D6styIGygwKk1D7j9FFgOjTZ3gZJW_p5UxIYMNJtABhVQgKNjJmbGKrYy8Fgs7XYgL3wXMOWCLdu/s320/DSC_6250.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429331368278188322" /></a><br /><br />You'd watched so many movies and see couples playing in the kitchen as they bake/cook. Then you wonder to yourself if it happens in real life. Well, baking with Hyeyoung has been a dream come true. I'd never baked a cake before in my entire life and it was so much fun - planning what to bake and shopping for the ingredients, the nervous anticipation to see if the cake was a success, and the ultimate satisfaction when you take the first bite. Hopefully, we'd have more chances to bake back in Singapore. Meanwhile, I need to loose these calories I'd just gained!ア-ネストhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13876238874347137586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18839735.post-68182045596178071382010-01-12T11:11:00.004+11:002010-01-12T11:46:08.433+11:00Spinach and ricotta ravioli in bolognese sauce<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOdDolVyBxUStL04EWyCjY0qDXEan0xkD7KeBRMFBn4NzcEJR5G7WPo5rCyc8J3aunvvhTBlApuEhieWqYBvBiPTd-BlK2WX0eg16bCMW82gqXqW7I2I1cWcxOGW8VzZjssJ4D/s1600-h/DSC_6236.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOdDolVyBxUStL04EWyCjY0qDXEan0xkD7KeBRMFBn4NzcEJR5G7WPo5rCyc8J3aunvvhTBlApuEhieWqYBvBiPTd-BlK2WX0eg16bCMW82gqXqW7I2I1cWcxOGW8VzZjssJ4D/s320/DSC_6236.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425641408008297250" /></a>Homemade ravioli accompanied by 2002 Chateau Cormeil-figeac, what an excellent way to start the week! =)ア-ネストhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13876238874347137586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18839735.post-1899812067864226892010-01-10T11:21:00.000+11:002010-01-12T11:44:20.126+11:00The day Tilley's was closed."Why don't we eat out for breakfast?" I suggested. After all, it's Saturday and I want to break the monotony of having breakfast at home.<br /><br />"Yeah sure," Hyeyoung replied. "But where?"<br /><br />"Tilley's?"<br /><br />So and we got dressed for breakfast at Tilley's, which was supposed to be awesome.<br /><br />But we have no idea...<br /><br />After 40 minutes of bus ride, we realized that <s>stupid</s> <a href="http://tilleys.com.au/H/13747x23/60071/a0.htm">Tilley's</a> was closed (till the 15th). Annoyed, frustrated and irritated by that fact, Hyeyoung and I decided to walk to Dickson (through a previously unknown shortcut) where we had lunch at Au Lac. Au Lac never fail to disappoint and it sure cheered us up a little as we experimented with two dishes we had never tried. <br /><br />After lunch we indulged in one of our favorite pastimes (here in Canberra), grocery shopping. :) It was a spur of a moment decision and we decided to do some baking that afternoon. After all, we've been wanting to bake something with my oven but never got down to it. So here it is, our first baked dessert:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6ud82pXDlVv3g-sZ3sf6HhVyoTpPeIfpJXhK-DKKjeqBXNiMkzX14XW4DXUUOt_6nBHSKlP47g8_U9pt2HHyD9HzMhybw2WWaWgIdhJaGYwXeUqiUYJs7sUwQVmnO63WM-PPX/s1600-h/DSC_6232.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6ud82pXDlVv3g-sZ3sf6HhVyoTpPeIfpJXhK-DKKjeqBXNiMkzX14XW4DXUUOt_6nBHSKlP47g8_U9pt2HHyD9HzMhybw2WWaWgIdhJaGYwXeUqiUYJs7sUwQVmnO63WM-PPX/s320/DSC_6232.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425643623040661762" /></a>Pecan Brownie Fudge!!^^ Trust me, it is sinfully delicious! If not for my expanding waistline, I'd definitely <s>gobble</s> finish everything in one sitting.<br /><br />And for dinner, we had:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgACmH89wNN9NGeMrZSIyuXQzj5xQBG29Emw_OglboNlLgZHLJIybO9IelSoMoZMOPqUGhx4U7RRtDVDkoHMts1ziR_-i0SOljlvJmJxS-OcISBI2-v8bSRZ9TaUpSSfpRf8T9S/s1600-h/DSC_6233.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgACmH89wNN9NGeMrZSIyuXQzj5xQBG29Emw_OglboNlLgZHLJIybO9IelSoMoZMOPqUGhx4U7RRtDVDkoHMts1ziR_-i0SOljlvJmJxS-OcISBI2-v8bSRZ9TaUpSSfpRf8T9S/s320/DSC_6233.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425643615007225666" /></a>Roast pork with greens. There's salad on the side but I forgot to take photos of it.<br /><br />It sure is nice to have a lovely and creative chef as your girlfriend. Plus it's so much fun to spend time in the kitchen with her. Man, I'm so going to miss such days when we're in Singapore.ア-ネストhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13876238874347137586noreply@blogger.com0