January-February 2014 Hit Listers: Hallyu

Hi guys! It's been a long long while. I'm sorry for not being able to update this blog as often as I used to. I can't believe I missed two hit listers already! Anyway, to try and make up for my, well, inability to post on-time hit listers, I'll try to piece everything in with a few separate entries.

And of course I'll start with my dramas. :P

These past three months have really been interesting to me, drama-wise. The dramas I follow are usually up to my neck that I don't know how to squeeze everything in with the little free time I have. Thank God and genius people for TV-ish phones. 

I sort of strayed from my usual K-drama channels like MBC and SBS and actually started watching something from Chosun TV, which is actually a pretty good drama. It's a less known channel (apparently) but the drama I'm following is daebak.

Anyhoo, since I missed two months (and I'm hoping it won't be three) here's the two awesome dramas that really made me happy.

hallyuuk.com

 The Suspicious Housekeeper - I last watched Choi Ji Woo in Stairway to Heaven and I remember that the show was so damn dramatic that all that got stuck in my head is the crying. I didn't quite give her a chance in Can't Lose since I wasn't quite sure how'd she'd fare in the "comedy" department but seeing how she transformed in The Suspicious Housekeeper, I might just give her other shows a whirl.

The Suspicious Housekeeper is a remake of the hit Japanese show, I am Mita, Your Housekeeper. Choi Ji Woo plays the stoic Housekeeper, Bok Nyeo who does everything she's told, without much questions. I mean she does ask things, just not your usual questions. For example, and this is a spoiler so don't read anymore if you can't take it. Soo Gyul, the eldest son, asked her to blow up their neighbor's house. Her question: Where do you keep the dynamite. Pretty whacky and witty. She actually reminded me a little of Nanny McPhee. I mean that film was a little weird, but this show is a little weirder.

She has quite a backstory that would keep you glued to your seats and want to watch more episodes. The growth of acceptance and love throughout the show was just so heartwarming that I actually cried as I watched the last episode. Choi Ji Woo just does a great job of being an  expressionless yet very warm character.

Definitely not your usual drama, not that predictable, and incredibly funny. At times when Bok Nyeo's not being creepy.

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 Bride of the Century - When it was announced that idol group FT Island's Lee Hong Ki is the male lead for a K-drama, all hell broke loose. Fangirls screamed. Including me. Kidding. But seriously though. One of the most awaited moments of fans is to see their idol as the lead of a show. I'll always remember Lee Hong Ki as Jeremy, but I think I'll remember him more now as Choi Kang Ju.

Bride of the Century is basically about a family curse that kills the first bride of the heir. What's so interesting about this show is that it feels like a smorgasbord of every cliche known to dramas -- like accidents and kidnapping and the evil parents and the makeovers and believe me, a whole lot more. The show still have 4 episodes to go and the story is progressing quite nicely. Still full of drama cliches but they're nicely woven and incorporated to the whole curse arc that they don't destroy the story.

As for the acting, I commend Lee Hong Ki. He's actually good. And I've seen bad acting, like really bad acting, so I'd know. Yang JIn-sung, who plays both Yi Kyung (the bad one) and Doo Rim (the good one), is also worth mentioning. I think I've watched her somewhere but I can't quite remember. Anyway, she is really a great actress, at least seeing her role, well roles, in BoTC. It's not easy to play a role much more two completely different roles in one show. And she does such a great job that fans are both hating her and loving her (that is, hating Yi Kyung and cheering on Doo Rim).

So that's it. Do check this dramas out if you find the time or if you find any of these two interesting. Cheerio!

Certified Movie Buff: The Cat

Hey guys! It's been a while since I posted a movie review.It's been really busy that I usually just plop right onto my bed the minute I get home. :p But I have squeezed in taking a few new pictures of some of the products that I haven't reviewed yet over the weekend so, I hope, fingers crossed and everything, that I'd get a day off and do a review.

Anyhoo. You remember that time when I really got into watching all those subtitled films? Well, this was also one of those films that I gave a whirl. I actually just picked it up because I saw Park Min-young on the CD cover *fangirling*. :P

en.wikipedia.org

The Cat tells the story of the reclusive So Yeon, a pet groomer who became entangled with the twisted story of the creepy creepy creepy cat, Bidanyi, whose owner suddenly ended up dead inside an elevator. (See? This is why I hate elevators with those creepy blinking freaky lights, which we have by the way...you know, where I work). When she ended up having to "cat-sit" Bidanyi, the claustrophobic So Yeon starts seeing weird ghostly stuff and the little girl with the cat-like eyes. Together with a rookie cop, So Yeon starts to dig around about the story of the girl and the scary dead-ish cats (aside from Bidanyi) following her around--before, of course, everyone around her turns up dead.

Okaaay. That was way creepier than I expected and I hope I didn't spoil the flick for you. Do check out The Cat when you come across a copy. It's not the strongest and scariest Asian horror film that I've watched (given that I had a good night sleep after watching this) but it does give you a little fright that might make you, you know, take a step back and rewire your brain before touching kitties.

Cheerio!

Food Talk: Masan Korean Grocery

Hey guys! It's been a while since I've posted a food talk entry. Not that I haven't been checking out new foodie places (that'd be impossible) but I haven't had the time to sort the pictures out.

Anyway, we've been frequenting a Korean grocery near Farmer's Plaza in Cubao. It's right near the market place. I've been to quite a few Korean groceries but I'd have to say, Masan is probably the best. The prices of their products are lower compared to most Korean groceries, and the ajusshi who I think owns the place seemed really nice. My sister was actually able to have a short talk with him and the kind Korean lady, but that's another story.

Here are some of the stuff we bought recently. About two weeks ago, I think. ^^ We bought some kimbap (100+ Php), tteok (rice cake) (110.00 Php) and odeng/fish cake (120.00 Php) for the tteokbokki, gimari (like japchae wrapped in kim, coated with egg) (100.00 Php), samgyeopsal (180.00 Php), Chilsung cider and Aloe juice (around 30 bucks each bottle), kimchi, and pickled red ginseng (50.00 Php each). I hope I got the prices right. ^^

Here's what our lunch looked like a few weeks ago. ^^ I almost forgot the ssamjang (50.00 Php), the bean paste that goes well with the samgyeopsal.

 So, if you're up for cooking up a few Korean dishes, I suggest you pay Masan a visit and check out their items. If you're lucky, you might get to score the fish-shaped pastries filled with red bean paste. ^^ Each fishy pastry retails for 12.00 Php.

Have a nice Sunday! Cheerio!

December 2013 Hit Listers

Hi! December has always been a crazy month for me because that's when most of the coolest bazaars in the planet come out, at least in my opinion. I had quite a hard time picking out the 10 awesome-est for the month of December but since there's always next month, I figured it wouldn't matter whichever made it to last month's list.

By the way, I'm currently trying to figure out Instagram (Please don't laugh at me ^^). My sister figured it'd be an effective way to at least let you guys know what's coming next in this blog. Give me at least 2 years and I'll be the bomb in Instagram-ming. Kidding.

Anyway, December was filled with quirky polishes and facial masks, but mostly polishes. Of course, there'd be the K-dramas which would be taking place of the "special nominees." (Was I the only one who felt crushed when The Heirs ended?).  Here goes nothing!

Special Hit Listers: Prime Minister and I; Empress Ki
-Well, y'all know how I feel about Korean dramas. I do follow a lot but I don't find each and every drama enjoyable. I started to watch these dramas in December and I'm hooked. I hope both shows end well because so far, I love both of them. For Prime Minister and I, I like it because it's funny and witty enough to make me hang on to every episode. I actually enjoy watching Yoona in this series the most. And despite the huge age gap, she actually has quite the chemistry with Lee Beom Soo. And come on. It's the prime minister and a paparazzo--in a marriage contract. It's awesome.

As for Empress Ki, well, I'd watch everything that Ha Ji Won is in, especially if she has a kick-ass role. It's a 50-episoder and all, and I kinda got caught in already about 5 episodes in, but I'm loving it. It's 5 episodes shy from the halfway mark but it's far from being a boring sageuk show. I hope it continues to be interesting because I normally don't last 50 episodes. ^^

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koreandrama.org

1. Etude House Blending Sleeping Cream
-This is my first ever sleeping cream and I liked it. I like how it helps brighten my skin when I wash it off in the morning. Plus, it smells great...and, it looks totally cool. 

2. Dolly Wink Brow Mascara
-This is my current brow mascara. It's actually not the best that I've tried but it is the closest in terms of color. I have kind of a weird yelllow-ish orange-y red hair color and this suits me better than the other light colored brow mascaras. 

3. Skin Food Choco Powder Eyebrow Wood Pencil
-While my mom was looking at some polishes at Skin Food, I got talked into trying this one. Thank heavens it was on sale because it was quite pricey for a pencil. I like this because the other end is different. Most brow pens I've used have spoolies and this has a brush. ^^ 

4. Shiseido Baby Powder (Pressed; Medicated)
-When my skin starts to get crazy, I stop using tinted pressed powders just to give my skin a rest. But since I have oily skin and really can't be without a powder, I started looking for something mild enough to help me get through. I've read quite a lot about this baby powder but it was so darn hard to find. So when I got lucky and saw this at a bazaar, I bought it immediately. So far, I think it is helping--both with my skin issues and the oiliness issue. I don't think this is available in local Shiseido counters though. 

5. iWhite Korea Whitening Pack Peel-off Mask
-I've used a couple of peel off masks before and so far, I think iWhite has the best ones. This one I've tried recently. Though I don't think my skin has gotten any whiter, it helps make my skin feel really clean. It probably sucked out everything. ^^ 

6. Etude House Dear My Party Nails in Boom Boom Boom?
-I'm quite unsure with the Boom Boom name, but it is what it says on the cap. I normally hate glitter polishes because they're so much of a pain to remove, but when the glitters are this chunky and random and cool, I can't resist. It is a struggle to get all the glitter on. Patience Patience Patience. 

7. Etude House Play Nail in You are My Sunkissed Candy
- I did a review of this here. I really love the neon orange color. And because the color of this polish shows up so well, I can use it for gradated nails.

8. XOXO Minnie Etude House in Minnie Black Face
-Probably one of the best if not the best find of mine in December. It has officially become my favorite polish ever because it has Mickey/Minnie's face in it. 

9. Etude House Facial Pack Brush
-I usually use my hands when I put on cream masks but I find that it's quite unhygienic especially when they're in pots. This was given to me by my sister and it actually makes putting on masks a breeze and it's hygienic. 

10. Holika Holika Blending Brush
-I own a couple of blending brushes but I wanted to have this one because it's big and fluffy. It's awfully too big for my eyes but it is perfect as a contouring brush and a setting brush. It was given to me by my sister last Christmas. ^^ 

 So, that was it for the Hit Listers. ^^ Hope you had a great weekend. Cheerio!

November 2013 Hit Listers

Hi guys! This list is coming in pretty late. I'll just keep it short though since it's already a little late. ^^

 1. Dear My BB Cream
-This one is actually pretty old and is my sister's. I just gave it a try since she wasn't using it anymore. It's actually a good BB cream. Probably one of the best I've tried.

2. iWhite Korea Aqua Moisturizing Cream
-This was recommended to me by my friend and I ended up liking it. A lot. It's a cream-type moisturizer that turns watery upon application. 

3. Watsons Green Tea Purifying Gel
-I've been looking for a good spot pimple corrector and decided to try this one. It takes a while to work but it does work and it's non-sticky so applying it throughout the day is no trouble. 

4. Revlon Lip Butter in Tutti Frutti
-I bought this for my sister a while back. It was on sale I think. i just tried it once then end up borrowing it a lot often since I really liked the color payoff. I thought it was gonna be too glossy and balm-y but it wasn't so it was pretty good. 

5. Cream Bath Wash from Daiso
-I bought this since I wanted a good wash for my brushes. Using hair shampoo is quite wasteful so I figured I'd try this since it's so big. It actually does the cleaning pretty well. And it's such a huge bottle to boot. 

6. Bobo Tiny Pots from Landmark

-I keep a couple of pots like these in hand just in case I open up samples or need to mix up a couple of colors, like with blushes and stuff. These ones are actually pretty cool because the designs are simply adorable. Such a great find I think. 

 7. Neutrogena Deep Clean Brightening Mulberry Ultra Foam Cleanser
-I've been meaning to try this for the longest time but had to wait because I still had a tube of facial wash. I'm actually glad I tried this. It makes the skin feel so soft and it smells so good.

 8. Tony Moly Silky Glaze Fruit Hair Spray
- Definitely the best hair spray I've ever tried. I'm used to the ones that make your hair stiff and wire-like and most of them smell, well, bad. This is just plain awesome because you can hardly tell that you have it on. It smells great and your hair won't be so wire-like.

modernglossy.com

9. Pony (Park Hye Min)
- One of my current favorite Korean make up artists. She looks so cute and her tutorials are very easy to follow. I also like how she uses a diverse set of items. She's just adorable and you should really check out her videos. Check one of them here.

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10. King 2 Hearts
-Aside from The Heirs, I'm actually not watching any new dramas but one of the recent ones I've rewatched is King 2 Hearts. I love Ha Ji Won and I think playing a bad-ass role suits her best and being a North Korean soldier is definitely up her alley. Playing opposite her is Lee Seung-gi as a South Korean "prince." It's a pretty great drama to watch since you get to witness such a funny love story unfolding. 

And that's it! Hope you had a great weekend. Cheerio!

Certified Movie Buff: Quick

Hey guys! I'm currently borrowing this laptop so no reviews for now because all my pics are in the other computer.

So, I am giving you another movie entry. ^^ This movie is a 2011 Korean action film starring Lee Min-ki and Kang Ye-won.

en.wikipedia.org

This movie is about used-to-be-bad-boy-biker-turned-delivery boy Ki-su who finds himself following a stranger's phone calls to deliver mysterious packages that turn out to be bombs or else suffer the consequences, which actually equate to the rigged wristwatch and helmet. As if that wasn't bad enough, his current "package to deliver" is his ex-girlfriend, Ahrom, who was dragged into probably the most dangerous bike ride ever.

It was a pretty interesting movie. It actually reminded me of Shia LaBeouf's movie Eagle Eye. I would say though that the pacing of the movie/plot during the first minutes of the film was kind of slow and the build up was not as seamless as it could be but when the problem started to present itself to the main characters, the flow of the movie eventually became much better. 

This is available for rent at your local rental video shops but their copies are already dubbed. If you'd get the chance to find the subtitled version, I'd suggest that you watch that once since there are a lot of dialogues that would really sound much better in Korean.

Cheerio!

October 2013 Hit Listers

Hello! I'm a little behind with my hit listers. In fact, I think I'm so behind it that my sister even had to remind me. ^^ Anyway, during the month of October, I was able to try a few new items and a couple of stuff I've left untested until much later. Of course, there's still a K-drama on the list, which I think is going to be a mainstay in my hit listers unless the Korean network channels end up with shows that I wouldn't like. ^^ But I don't think that's gonna happen. Like, ever. ^^

Anyway, here's the list and maybe you can find something that you like. ^^

asianwiki.com

1. Heirs/The Inheritors/Heirs: He Who Wears the Crown Must Bear Its Weight
-I think the original title is the last one (then again, there are a couple of more versions online) but I think Heirs is what it is more commonly known for. I was really excited for Heirs, I mean it was sad for me to see Master's Sun end. But come on, this has Lee Min Hot Ho, so it was a sure-watch on my list. I was pretty excited to see Park Shin Hye and Lee Min Ho pair up but I was a little worried about the show at first since there were rumors that it was just another Boys Over Flowers. I love BOF, but it would be nice to see a different tone in a high-school show. After watching the episodes, I'd say that this drama definitely has a different feel to it. Only 8 episodes has aired but I'm liking how the story is forming. I love that I'm tuning into it not because I can stand it but because I'm actually looking forward to what's gonna happen next. 

2. Dear Girls Vitcara Long & Curl Mascara
- I was actually looking for a mascara with a slim wand when I saw this in Etude House. I love this mascara but the comb-like wand does take a little getting used to. 

3. Amour Carnival Cocktail Body Spray
- I'm actually very particular with scents because all I can stand are either musky-woody scents or fruity ones. Anything beyond and in-between for me requires a long testing period. ^^ This one from Bench actually has a mild fruity scent that I love. I wish it stayed on longer though.  

4. &Rose Flowering Eyes Palette
-I've never seen a palette from a Korean store that has a lot of matte shades and that's probably why I immediately fell in love with this new palette from Etude House. All the colors go well together and the pigmentation is awesome. 

  

5. Etude House Peach Water Gloss

-This is actually my sister's gloss that we got on sale. The reason why I keep on insisting that it'd be placed in somewhere easy to find is that this is one of the best smelling glosses I've ever tried. It doesn't have much color but the scent is just...very addictive. 

 6. Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream
- I've always wanted to try a Ben & Jerry's ice cream because they have the wittiest flavors but they're really hard to find locally. So when I saw this in a grocery store, I just grabbed it. Cherry Garcia actually tastes like a Black Forest cake, with all the extra dark chocolate bits.

7. Petroleum Jelly from HBC
-Spending a couple of nights in our office where the A/C seems to be always on full-blast made me realize how important it is to keep a jar of petroleum jelly at hand. What I love about this particular petroleum jelly is that it smells like baby powder. 

 8. Human Nature 100% Sunflower Beauty Oil
-I've had this in my stash for quite sometime but I haven't posted a review on it because I still can't figure out what to say about it. The reason why it is on my list is that I've been suffering from dry flaky skin lately and this is my go-to product.
 

9. Yadah Lip Crayon in Lovely Pink
- I found this while I was browsing The Beauty Bar's page. I didn't realize they carried Korean goodies too! Although I haven't heard much about this Korean brand, Yadah actually has a lot of cool and cute cosmetics like this lip crayon which are quite affordable compared to other Korean brands.

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dkpopnews.net

10. KStyle
 -KStyle is actually a new show in Mnet Channel that I absolutely love because it talks about Korean fashion, food, beauty secrets and a whole lot of other stuff. I love the hosts Irene and Sarah too. Irene, I think is a model from New York and Sarah is a stylist in Korea. The show is quite different from other Korean shows I watch because it's not subtitled, unless of course, they need to speak in Korean. 

Did you find anything interesting in my list? Ask me anything. Cheerio!

Food Talk: Yoogane

Hi guys! It's the first day of November and soon enough it will be Christmas time. ^^ Sorry, I get really excited around this time of the year. Anyway, I know I haven't been posting a lot lately, so I actually have a lot of stuff stuck in the draft department. I hope to make use of the long weekend wisely. ^^ So...

Going to Il Terrazzo for a donut run has proved beneficial for food hunting. ^^ At least for me, who's always looking for a new place to eat. Take this cool-looking Korean place for example. ^^ We went here on my sister's birthday since she was ecstatic to see that it looks so Korean.

 

Complementary Banchan ^^

Marinated Chicken Galbi (285.00) with Mozarella Cheese (80.00)

I've seen warnings about this one being a little too spicy and an additional order of cheese was recommended. It made all the difference. ^^ This one has bite-sized chicken pieces, rice cakes, sweet potato slices, and a lot of gochujang (spicy paste). It was prepared right on our table. Soo coolll.^^

Mul Mandu (160.00)

I love love love this dumpling. It's like gyoza but it's steamed and not pan fried. It's very tasty. Recommended for dumpling-lovers. ^^

  My sisters morning rice drink (55.00). We were looking for sikhye (rice malt rice drink) but mistakenly ordered this instead. My sister enjoyed it though.

Chap Chae/Jap Chae (230.00)

We never fail to order this glass noodle dish. I'm glad it wasn't too oily but it could use a little more meaaaattt. But that could be just me. 

Galbi Gui (390.00)

These short ribs are awesome wrapped in leaves or they do fine with rice too. The beef was chewy and tender. It's tasty on its own too. 

Bulgogi Fried Rice (230.00)

The only rice dish we had. ^^ I love bulgogi. But I wish there were more beef strips on this rice. This was prepared on a different table since it arrived with the galbi.

  

Samgyeopsal (270.00)

My one and only favorite. Kidding. I always look forward to tasting samgyeopsal especially if it gets really crunchy. And the one they served us was really crunchy. ^^ It was almost like bacon ^^. Although my family loved the Galbi Gui more, this was my favorite. 

The Verdict:

The food in Yoogane were all awesome. At least those we've tried. I'd love to go back and try all the other dishes to see if I can find a new favorite. Price-wise, I'd say they're at an average compared to other Korean restos. Not that expensive because I have seen other Korean dishes such as the ones I've tried priced at more than 500 bucks. The staff were also very helpful and nice because we've had more than just a few servings of banchan.^^ It also helped that the place wasn't too crowded when we dined so we got to enjoy our time. Plus, the smoke-sucker (sorry, I don't know what else to call it) really helped with the smell because we could have left smelling like bulgogi. ^^

 You can find Yoogane at the G/F of Il Terrazzo right beside Gavino's Japanese Donuts. Cheerio!