Trekkies Unite!

The latest Star Trek installment is coming. Watch for it.

Give it away...

I recently signed up with a group that exchanges items/stuff with each other for free. The name of the group is called Freecycle.

As a service to the group, I'd like to share this email from one of the group's head/founder for Freecycle Seoul:

Howdy folks

Freecycle Seoul is one of the slowest moving Freecycle groups. Let's work on this by sharing the love!

Please spread the word to friends and colleagues in Korea. Encourage people to join up and donate unwanted items.

You can help do this in a few ways:

1. Tell others about this group
2. Link to the group in forums you regularly visit
3. Mention this group on your blog
4. Whenever someone wants to 'donate' something, suggest they do it through here

Use this link: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/seoulfreecycle

Of course, there are many ways to spread the word, but most importantly, please let people know that this group exists.

Also, there is no reason why this group should be limited to foreign residents of Seoul (and Korea). Tell your co-workers at school, or your office colleagues, that they can use this site, even with limited English.

There are only a few rules to remember:

1. Freecycle is free. No buying, selling or bartering. This is not for profit.
2. Subject lines need to follow a specific format, to make it easier for everyone to follow. eg:

Use these phrases:

OFFER: old couch (location)
TAKEN: old couch

WANTED: old couch
RECEIVED: old couch

It's that easy!

Please spread the word and help make this group bigger and more effective.

For the meantime, I've turned off message moderation, which means that your OFFERS and WANTED posts will be sent immediately. If the group becomes bigger, or people start spamming the board, then I'll turn moderation back on.

Thanks for helping make Seoul Freecycle a great community.

Cheers

David

Justin Timberlake Rocks!

If you guys haven't seen the SNL (Saturday Night Live) show last weekend, you should see it. Justin Timberlake crashes the weekend update (he was suppose to do the Thanksgiving show but couldn't so he gives a hilarious mad-cap rundown on what his show was going to be. He does great voice impressions!).

Next came a short skit with Beyonce with JT playing one of the male dancers for the "Single Ladies: Put a Ring on It" video. Watch and laugh your @ss out.



Now the guy just can't dance and sing, he can also do comedy too. I admit, now I am a fan.

One man's trash

...is another woman's treasure.

One great thing about living here in Korea is that Koreans throw out everything. You name it - TVs, electronic stuff (cameras, phones, etc.), appliances, clothes, furniture and most especially kitchenware.

Being a Filipina, I have inherited the hoarding gene and it pains to for me to see stuff in good working condition, thrown out in the recycling bin. Lemme show you the kitchen "treasures" I have rescued.

A steamer pot that has served me well. It is great for steaming dimsum, sweet potatoes, potatoes (for mashed taters), etc.

I actually found a Vision pot. Granted it is good for a single or two serving, but hey it's perfect for us.


This charming little duo I use for making ramyeon, boiling eggs, cooking chestnuts, etc.

A wide flat-bottom pot perfect for stews and veggie dishes.












So next time you pass a recycling bin, trash yard or garbage can, don't be afraid to dumpster dive. You'll probably be surprised at the treasures that you can find.

Cake-Inna-Mug

I found this great recipe while browsing online. It said bake a cake in a mug in just 3 minutes using your microwave. Now how cool is that? The neat thing about it is that there are only 5 basic ingredients that you need: flour, cocoa drink mix, egg, water and cooking oil. The recipe can be found HERE.

Here's the cake baking in my oven. See it tower majestically above the mug?



Now open the microwave after the alloted 3 minutes and watch the cake deflate back into the mug.



Carefully take the mug out using oven mitts and set it on the kitchen counter. The freshly baked cake smells awesome!



Now dump the cake on a plate and cut into thick slices to release the steam inside it. From this on you can serve it topped with ice cream, icing, whipped cream, nuts, chocolate syrup. etc.



My little one preferred whipped cream and ice cream for his toppings. And he gave it a thumbs up. :)

I won! I won!

There's a certain thrill and satisfaction when somebody tells you that you're a winner. Be it the lowest prize in the daily Lotto or some trinket from a friend. Last time I won, it was from an online Bingo game hosted by my friend - MissyK. There was very special prize for the person who chose a certain actor's name. The prize was a small stuffed polar bear and a Lei.



Then Walk this Way's Carlos Celdran hosted a game called "THE UNBEARABLE LIGHTNESS OF BEING BAKYA." Bakya in Filipino means "tacky" and also means a pair of Filipino wooden clogs (well, they used to be wooden in the past but now they're more of plastic and rubber). And after almost a month's wait, I won! My entry was a picture of woman in heeled sandals at the same time wearing socks. Ugh!



I had the winning certificate mailed to my mom so she can pick out her Happy Feet sandals. It wouldn't do good for me to have it mailed to me anyway. It's too cold for sandals here in Korea now.

A Writer's Enemy

It's been over a month since I wrote in this blog. It's hard to explain when you stop writing. You can chalk it to laziness but deep inside, I feel something else. It's selfishness. Yes, sometimes we writers don't want to share our writings, our thoughts, our prose.

A couple of nights ago, I dreamt a story that was pure fantasy and magic. It would have made for a great short story, even a novella. But even as I pondered in setting it into writing, something made me stop and not write it down at all. Now the dream was just a dream and just fragments of it float into my memory.

Now as I tappity-type on my keyboard while "The Bridge of Teribithia" blares on the TV, I find that the urge to write has been sparked again. I shall post more on my thoughts, what has happened and what will be. I just need to overcome the enemy again.

Happy Birthday to My Wonderful Man!

Let me tell you about a wonderful man named Bill.



He is quite the accomplished cook who could whip up a full course breakfast in bed in a matter of minutes. He fries the most perfect fried chicken (moist in the inside and crispy, golden brown on the outside) and even whips up a darn-good homemade spaghetti sauce. He fixes the best taco burrito I've ever tasted (just ask my sister whose eyes bugged out when she first bit into one of Bill's homemade burrito). His burritos have become a family favorite in my clan. And don't get me started with his barbequed ribs and chicken.

He loves being a teacher and relishes his role as a mentor of kids. He is always proud to see kids who have grown-up studying with him, speak with good conversational Englih skills. He just doesn't teach his students, he actually cares about their educational growth and well-being. And his kids sure loves him back. :)

He loves being Santa Claus after being asked to play father Christmas to the opening of one of Manila's premier malls (Powerplant Mall). This is one role he takes seriously. When we were still based in the Philippines, Bill would dress up as Santa and go to the hospitals on Christmas Day to greet the sick kids confined there. I would never forget one patient, a tiny girl in ICU whose last visitor in her life was Santa Claus. She died several days later after that fateful Christmas morning. My mother thinks there is only one perfect guy to dress up as Santa and that would be Bill.



He loves to crack jokes and make people laugh. If you ever meet him, ask him to do his Jabba the Hut impression. It will make you jaw drop and also make you laugh yourself silly. He can liven up a party with his "silly" magic tricks and he never fails to wow the crowd. Hey, he was a very good commercial actor way back then in Manila.




Did I mention that he is a very caring father? He dotes on our boys with all his heart and never fails to spend time with them no matter how busy he is. He fixes toys, downloads their favorite TV shows, kisses their tears away when they have a booboo and a host of other father stuff.Not like most men, he wears his heart on his sleeve when it comes to showing his emotions for our boys. He breaks down and cries when he sees Billy and Jai get sick, hurt or when he misses them (like Jai being far away now). He's a great dad, a loving father and a wonderful husband.





And today is his birthday, Happy Birthday Bill, Mindful, Mahal and my Other Half. I am lucky to have found you.

The Insect & Reptile Exhibit (with Firefly Larvae)

I know, it's a weird title. But that is exactly what the name of the exhibit told to us by our korean guide (who thankfully spoke in English). Billy and I saw this exhibit early in the start of August. I promised him that we would return to Seoul to visit the exhibit before it ended on August 24.

We decided to go on on Friday, August 22, after I taught my classes. So we boarded a bus to Seoul and then took the subway train to Noksapyeong station (about 20 stops and 2 train transfers away). It was about $10 entrance fee per individual and I hoped it was worth it.

There were a lot of desicated insects on display outside of the exhibit. I thought it was all of that but I was wrong - there were live animals and insects inside. First up were the bugs. There were beetles, crickets, bees, katydids, stick insects, and a host of other creepy crawlies including my nemesis - the tarantula. *shudder* The gargantuan furry arachnid that they had even had orange fur on its legs. I gave it a wide berth. In a touch exhibit, Billy had fun making hercules beetles joust at each other.



Then it was off to the reptile exhibit. Billy had a chance to pet and handle several friendly snakes.





And even pose beside huge ones like these Burmese pythons (this yellow one is an albino).



This python nearly killed our guide a week before. He was cleaning its cage when it lunged at him and tried to strangle him with its coils. Good thing his fellow tour guides and animal handlers were there to help him get the snake off.



We also got to see bearded lizards, a young monitor lizard and even a local korean lizard called the line lizard (due to a single line running down its sides).

Bearded Lizard



Monitor lizard (I told the guide that I had an opportunity to eat one of these back when I was in college. Yes, it taste like chicken).



Line lizard found only in Korea.




We also got to see a monkey, guinea pigs, cute little miniature pigs from Cambodia, a ferret and some huge bunnies. We got to pet most of them like this albino skunk (the guide told us not to worry, this one's been de-skunked). It was my first time to have seen an actual skunk. Hubby said it was too bad I didn't get a chance to get a whiff of its actual odor. No, thank you very much.

There were adorable hedgehogs there too. I already saw a hedgehog about a year ago here in our local streetmarket but this was the first time that I actually got to pet one. These little guys never even woke up when we were petting them. One actually yawned and went back to sleep. How cute!


Billy also had a chance to catch and release some eels in a small pond that they set up in the middle of the exhibit. There were a bunch of kids there who were giggling and having the time of their life. The guides told them that they had to release the eels back when they were through catching them. Everyone were also told to wash their hands after that.



I let Billy roam around and explore to his hearts content. But soon, it was 4:00 pm and we still haven't eaten lunch and I was really hungry. Billy posed one last time with our tour guide (Mr. Kim) and we bade goodbye to all the animals and creepy-crawlies. It was definitely worth the fee.

LOLDogs

You heard of Lolzcats? Well I found it's canine counterpart and here are my favorites...










And I swear I actually do this...


see more puppies

My Omnivore's 100 Food

I found this meme list from ZenKimchi's blog. Interesting. Though some food items on the list are generally not food per se (road kill) or something I would want to try out and some I don't even know what the heck it is. Well, lemme see, you'll find all the stuff that I tried with *** markings on it.

The VGT Omnivore’s Hundred:

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros *** I actually made it.
4. Steak tartare *** I love this.
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue ***
8. Carp *** called "besugo" in Tagalog
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari ***
12. Pho ***
13. PB&J sandwich ***
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart *** the best is Sabrett's
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes *** Peach wine actually
19. Steamed pork buns *** called siopao in Tagalog or Bao in Chinese
20. Pistachio ice cream *** one of the few ice cream I actually eat
21. Heirloom tomatoes *** yep
22. Fresh wild berries *** oh yeah
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans ***Popeyes
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche ***
28. Oysters *** pickled, raw or steamed or even wrapped in bacon
29. Baklava ***
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas ***
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl ***
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float ***
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo *** I made this!
40. Oxtail *** in Kare Kare (or Filipino peanut stew) it is wonderful!
41. Curried goat ***
42. Whole insects *** crispy fried is the way to go
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk *** my mom made me drink this when I was little
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel *** oh yeah
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut *** oh double yeah!
50. Sea urchin *** they're best fresh from the sea
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi ***
53. Abalone ***
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal *** got food poisoned by this and nearly lost Billy in my womb
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV ***
59. Poutine ***
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores ***but not at a campfire
62. Sweetbreads ***
63. Kaolin (in Kaopectate)
64. Currywurst ***
65. Durian *** my favorite fruit of all
66. Frogs’ legs *** my mom wade me eat this when I was little!
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake *** oh yeah
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain *** great with Arroz ala Cubana
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette *** yup
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini (not together)
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail *** in coconut milk, yeah baby!
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky (same as Bbebbero in Korea and Japan) ***
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare ***
87. Goulash ***
88. Flowers ***
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam *** with a side order of garlic fried rice
92. Soft shell crab ***
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish *** with turmeric and coconut milk
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox ***
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta ***
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake *** ate this in China when I was pregnant with Billy, and boy was it good!

I got 52 out of 100

Too Many Pictures....

Too little time.

I have tons of pictures and stories from my travels in Manila, around Korea and now in Seoul - where Billy and I met fascinating creatures in the Insect & Reptile Exhibit.



I promise to post them pics and stories soon.

I will possess your heart...

My sister turned me on to this song. It's by a strange band named "Death Cab for Cutie".



It's creepy, weird, scary, beautiful sad song about unrequited love. A perfect song for stalkers and their ilk. I like it.

Have you ever danced in the moonlight?

Want to know the name of the full moon each month? Here are the official names from the Farmer's Almanac...

January ----- Wolf Moon
February ---- Snow Moon
March ------- Worm Moon
April ------- Pink Moon
May --------- Flower Moon
June -------- Strawberry Moon
July -------- Buck Moon
August ------ Sturgeon Moon
September --- Harvest Moon
October ----- Hunter's Moon
November ---- Beaver Moon
December ---- Cold Moon


more cat pictures

Too busy to breathe...

more cat pictures

I'm definitely back from our trip to Manila but am too busy and tired to post my pics. Well we did bring back lots of souvenirs from the Philippines: including 3 stitches on the forehead for Billy. He busted an inch-long gash on his noggin when he dived near the pools edge.

Another sad note: My beloved tiny cybershot camera also died. *sob* I'm gonna miss you little buddy



Hubby refuses to get the same camera: too old, too tiny (for his huge phatty phingers) and too expensive (the price just gone down $30 from its old price 4 years ago... geesh). Darn it. I really love that camera. But double the price, we can get the latest Sony handycam camera. Hmmm decisions, decisions, decisions.

Leaving on a jetplane...

You got it right - I'll be travelling in the next couple of days. I'll be in Manila, Philippines on July 21 and will be there for 10 days. It will be a whirlwind of activity for me and Billy - meeting old friends, shopping, mall-hopping, going to the beach and more shopping!

Hubby, unfortunately, won't be joining us on this trip as he still has classes in his English tutorial school. I''ll be back on my birthday and by that it's Hubby's summer vacation. :)

Why I love Discovery Channel

I love Discovery Channel. I'm nuts about science and trivia plus the fact I met Hubby through Discovery Channel Online Mind games.

Here's a video why I really love this great channel.... It features Mike Rowe of Dirty Jobs! *swoon* And from what I can remember, featured are the following shows: Shark Week, Deadliest Catch, Dirty Jobs, Future Weapons, Storm Chasers, Man Vs. Wild, Mythbusters, and not a show but a great mind - Stephen Hawkings.



And here's live one with Mike Rowe leading some of Discovery's show stars...



Isn't Discovery great?

None of that Sissy Stuff

This was posted by a good friend of mine - Daicor. I'd love to share it all with you.


more cat pictures

Are you tired of those sissy 'friendship' poems that always sound good, but never actually come close to reality?

Well, here is a series of promises that actually speak of true friendship. You will see no cutesy little smiley faces on this message...

Just the stone cold truth of our great friendship.


1. When you are sad --I will jump on the person who made you sad like a spider monkey jacked up on Mountain Dew!!!!!!!!!!!!

2. When you are blue -- I will try to dislodge whatever is choking you.

3. When you smile -- I will know you are plotting something that I must be involved in.

4. When you're scared -- we will high tail it out of here.


more cat pictures

5. When you are worried -- I will tell you horrible stories about how much worse it could be until you quit whining, ya big baby!!!!

6. When you are confused -- I will use little words.

7. When you are sick --Stay away from me until you are well again. I don't want whatever you have.

8. When you fall -- I'll pick you up and dust you off.

9. This is my oath. I pledge it to the end. 'Why?' you may ask ...because you are my FRIEND!


more cat pictures

Friendship is like peeing your pants. Everyone can see it.....................but only you can feel the true warmth.

Freaky Glowing Worms

Here's a weird snack from Lotte - glowing gummy worms.



The worms don't actually glow, it's the plastic tongs that come with the package that glows when you pinch them together.


Hubby came in the room and yelled at Billy for eating glowing worms. I had to reassure him that the jelly candies weren't glowing at all.


And Billy finished the whole package, eating one glowing worm after the other.


Radioactive worms anyone?

Green Beans & Taters

When you marry a guy from the South (of the US that is) you learn different southern recipes like Banana Pudding. Here's another Southern dish that my hubby really loves - Green Beans and Potatoes.

It's really such a simple dish. All you need are three basic ingredients - potatoes, green beans and a savory meat like smoked sausage or bacon. We didn't have any smoked sausage so bacon it is. Take your bacon and cut into 2 inch pieces. Add to your heavy bottom pot and saute them until they exude oil. Add some sliced onions and fry until the onions change color.

String your beans and cut them into 2-inch pieces. Add to your pot and stir everything. Add water, let's say about 4 cups. Cover the pot and turn the heat to medium high and when the water starts to boil, lower the heat to a low simmer. Cook your beans until they are almost tender.

While the beans are simmering, wash your potatoes. Use small to really small potatoes. If the potatoes are golf-ball sized, there's no need to cut them. If they are bigger like the size of your palm, cut them in half. There is no need to peel them, it makes for a more rustic dish.

If the beans are beginning to tender, add your sliced potatoes to the pot. Add about a tablespoon of salt and 1/2 tablespoon of ground black pepper. Now cover and let everything cook until the potatoes are tender. This will bring your water level down almost to 1/4. That is fine. When the potatoes are done, ladle it in a shallow bowl or plate. It can be a side dish or even the main course, just make a lot more portions. You can also use canned beans but don't add water. Just dumped the beans and the water that they are packed in and add the potatoes too. The beans are already tender and will be cooked once the potatoes are done.


This dish tastes better the next day. That is if you have leftovers.