Our Snugglebaby - Buttons

I am so happy we got a loving, cuddly dog from my friend, Imelda (who owns an animal shelter). Buttons just loves getting hugs and cuddles whenever she can get them.

Here's her cuddling with our Billy Boy.









And here's Buttons cuddling with Daddy...




In the daytime, Buttons is everyone's dog. But at night, she becomes Daddy's girl and wants to snuggle with him exclusively.





Ahhhh... love. <3

Hubby's Birthday Cheesecake

Today, hubby went to lunch with the president of Far East University and other professors who were celebrating their birthdays this month. They went to a nice Korean Bulgogi restaurant and hubby came home with this Cheesecake from the local bakery - Paris Baguette.



I love my hubby's university. :)

Would You Like Some Chim?

"Chim" in Korea is acupuncture. I discovered the merits of acupuncture when I hurt my back a few years ago and our good taxi driver friend, Mr. Lee, took me to his favorite Oriental clinic. Even if it was a back problem, the acupuncturists stuck the pins in my foot and leg. I think it had to do with the chi points in the body.



And when my sprained my foot badly early this year, I decided to go to an acupuncturist on my own. There was an Oriental clinic near hubby's previous place of employment, (right near our youngest son's school). I went in and the friendly lady doctor proceeded to stick several pins in my foot, leg and hand. The thing is, you need to let the needles stay in for some time (about 20 minutes) under a heat lamp.



My sprain was bad enough to warrant bloodletting. Yup, you heard me. They took blood out of my sprained foot. The doctor mentioned something about 'bad blood' stuck in the foot and releasing it will facilitate healing. I forgot the Korean name for this practice but I shrugged and told them to go ahead. It hurt!!! Not the bloodletting part but the dozen of puncture marks they made to make the blood come out.



Then the doctor took some heated glass globules and stuck them onto the punctured skin. She used a pump to draw out the air inside the glass bell and in turn, the vacuum drew out the blood. I must say, it made for a very weird experience. But you know what? My foot felt better after 3 days.

Chestnuts Roasting in the Open Air....

What's the sign that Christmas is near for you? For us in the Philippines, it's the hint of chilly air in the morning, the white egrets and cranes roosting on the power lines (having migrated from the chilly place they used to live) and the smell of chestnuts roasting by the street side.

I love chestnuts. I, for one, would pay an arm and a leg to buy a bag of these delicious, hot morsels of goodness. My mom even said that her pregnancy cravings when she was carrying me in her womb were chestnuts (hence my dark, roasted appearance). I would love seeing chestnuts rolling around and around with those black pebbles in a huge vat, smelling the buttery goodness as they cook.

I was fortunate to find the same way of roasting chestnuts here in Korea. And I don't have to wait until Christmas to get them. In Korea, anytime there's a festival or celebration, the chestnut vendors come to town. And I get my hot bag of nuts to peel and munch every time. Of course, it's extra special in the winter as the heat from the bag helps warm my cold, frozen hands.

Korean Ear Muffs

Winter is coming and aside from jackets, thermals, scarves and hats, guess what else will be in season? Earmuffs! I love these whimsical ones, modeled by a former student of hubby's. Aren't they so cute? Squee!