I know it's silly to crave this when you are on empty stomach the whole day. It's raining now in Kuala Lumpur and I'm cooking this spicy udon + egg and eat it with kimchi..Yummy.
My advice: Learn something that perks your interest.
1. Learn from Korean lyrics This might not be the most effective but I am drawn everytime to learn the hangul, correct pronunciation and abstract meaning behind the lyrics. It's so satisfying when you can write the hangul correctly and pronounce properly.
I love korean songs. Korean are so creative especially on the hip-hop side. Yeah..I'm pretty bias when it comes to G-Dragon hehe. He's one creative freak! How could I not notice?
I initially start with slow songs like Lee Seung Chul's song. I know it's soapy but I could sing slowly and attempting at number 1 noraebang spot. Miehehe..
KoreanClass101.com - I could not stress enough of how helpful this website is. Their youtube classes rocks!
3. Increase your vocabulary
I found this website 6,000 common word in Korean from Korean diva. The site structures the vocabulary in very user friendly method. You won't find it difficult at all.
4. Other websites
- Sogang University Korean notes I have received decent reviews on Sogang University's teaching method and how the students able to speak in the shortest time. Warning: I am not promoting Sogang University exclusively. However, If given the opportunity I want to continue my study here.
5. Get a korean friend in your country
I have a korean friend in Kuala Lumpur whom I meet regularly. She will check my pronunciation from time to time. Her most precious advice is I might not be able to practise much if I stay in the city cause the Korean want to practise their English. I will go to the rural by doing WWOOF though.
Today, I splurged a bit on food. Maybe because it's the second day and I was so famished that my stomach grumbled like heavy metal song.^^.
The total costed me only MYR10 (roughly 3,500 won).
From top clockwise - Mee Bandung Muar, Apam Balik and Pecal. Middle: Air jambu batu (Guava juice)
Mee bandung Muar is believed to be originated from Muar, Johor. A place south of Malaysia. Eventhough there are loads of foods to choose, but I settled for something that I wouldn't find in Korea. It's not that spicy. The broth is made from sweet potato plus other ingredients (I'm not a cook but just love to eat^^).
Apam balik is somewhat similar to hotteok. Though hotteok can be less fattening hehe. Apam balik is made from flour, sugar, peanut and sweet corn. I found nowadays there are some sellers put chocolate or other fillings inside.
Pecal. Hmm..Simply put it is a salad with peanut dressing.
Today I ate nasi kerabu (salad rice) to break fast. Bibimbap comes close to it if I want to compare with Korean cuisine. The only similarity is rice , vegetables and the fact that it is mix rice. Other than that, the differences are really up to your own imagination. I can't get bored from eating nasi kerabu. The rice is bluish because it was cooked with natural colored flower.
Could I say that it originated from Kelantan (east-coast state in Malaysia)? A state with unique dialect and mouth-watering cuisine.
It costed me MYR2.80 (1,000 won) for this in Bazaar Ramadhan. Yeap..Malaysian food is cheap! Yeay!! If you add up other side dishes the price will be different. I like to eat it with salty duck egg. Yummy..Ahh..they add myeolchijeot or budu as well in nasi kerabu. It could be spicy if you add more chillies, just the way I like it.
Today I will start my fasting. Ramadhan is a month for Muslim to defer from food, drinks and impermissible actions from the break of dawn till dusk (in a day), for a whole month. It starts today, Saturday 22nd August and will roughly ends on 21st September. This Ramadhan I will be less hyperactive ^^ (have to save my energy for this blog..hehe) and counting down the days to Seoul which will be on 27th September. In the mean time, I will ensure that I exhibit a daily photo of what I eat during this fasting month (either before the break of dawn or breaking fast). I'm gonna miss this kind of food when I'm in Korea, for sure!
To start with, this is what I ate just now, an indian pancake with spicy/non-spicy coconut gravy. I lurvv indian food. This is suitable for vegan (no trace of meat/seafood).
My friends has been bugging me to board the KTX when they will visit Seoul this November. But I am a bit reluctant because it just feel the same like riding the normal train but it is at the maximum speed of F1 car. So what?!! Tskk..
Hmm..it's cheap. Compared to Japan's bullet train. For one way ride of 2 hours 50 minutes from Seoul to Busan costs roughly 51,200 Won (MYR150 - Standard class) or 71,700 Won (MYR215 - First Class).
Booking and purchase is a breeze, you can do it online.
Like this, just a sample:
A blogger's rambling of bullet train to Nongsan by Martinborough
Here is a youtube video of a journey by bullet train from Seoul to Busan
I felt like choking myself for forgetting G's birthday! How could I? Tssk..T_T It should be yesterday - 18.08.2009 Well..better late than never. Happy Birthday Kwon Ji Yong!!
Celebrating his birthday with his upcoming solo song - Heartbreaker.
These are the lists of budget food in Seoul from JoongAng Daily and Korea Times that I have compiled. By means of budget, mostly it covers local Korean cuisine for less than 10,000 Won. (*price may change*)
1. Nakseo Pajeon - This is “monster pajeon”, Haemul (seafood) pajeon (6,000 won)
Offers various noodle dishes, well known to the Korean public as "kalguksu'' or hand rolled noodles with a thick broth made with seafood, chicken or anchovies. The word "kaljebi'' is a combined form of "kalguksu'' and another local recipe, "sujebi'' .
Kalguksu is made of noodles that are hand rolled and cut with a sharp knife, "kal'' in Korean. "Guksu'' means noodles.
Seafood kaljebi (4,500 won) and the ordinary handmade kalgukso (4,500 won).
"Seafood Kaljebi'' is located behind the Kukdong Building near Chungmuro station on subway line 3. It is closed on Sundays
Opening hours are from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. For more information, call (02) 2277-5355 (Korean).
Hahah..not like what you think! It is a kind of a croquet made of minced seafood and vegetables, deep fried in a mix of breadcrumbs and mashed potatoes. Ddong tuiguim (3,000 won for 4 pieces) is a well-known side-dish at Haemul Ddeokjjim 0410, a rising restaurant chain that specializes in spicy rice cakes with seafood.
“Haemul Ddeokjjim 0410” (02-2274-0412) is located in Dongdaemun, northern Seoul, right across from the Migliore shopping mall.
The basic beef shabu-shabu costs only 6,000 won ($4.70) per head, while the seafood option costs 8,000 won at lunch and 9,000 won at dinner. For both beef and seafood, expect to pay 14,000 won.
Jinsabu Shabu - Tel: (02) 332-0168
Address: 169-1 Donggyo-dong, Mapo District, northwest Seoul
Subway: Hongik University Station, line No. 2, exit 4
Baklava - deep-fried phyllo dough filled with crushed cashews, walnuts, pistachios and honey. 100 grams of which is 3,500 won tastes surprisingly familiar like yakgwa.
A warning for those venturing into the world of Syrian treats - baklava is extremely sweet, which is probably why they suggested to have it with dark tea or strong Turkish coffee to balance out the sugar.
Salam Bakery (02-383-7044) is on the left side of the road going to the Seoul Central Mosque. Go to Itaewon Station, line No. 6, exit 3.
Go to Hoehyeon Underground Shopping Center Exit 5 and turn right at the first alley. The center is connected to the Hoehyeong Station on subway line 4. For more information, call (02) 733-9526
The most popular menu item is classic old-fashioned kalguksu. This noodle soup (5,500 won) is simple and sticks to the basics. The broth is made from anchovy and oyster with a handful of perilla seeds. With a filling portion and a clean aftertaste, it’s undoubtedly a place for encores of noodles.
*Encore Kalguksu, (02) 525 8418, is located across from Seoul Arts Center. Follow the alley next to Baeknyeonok. The restaurant is on your right. Open 10 a.m. - 10 p.m.
13. Nunnamujip - the kimchimaribap Picture by KoreaTimes 4,500 won a bowl, has a light taste that doesn't overwhelm the palate. The kimchi soup is not at all spicy, with perhaps the sesame oil helping add flavor.
Go along the main road of Samcheong-dong. Nunnamujip is around 50 meters away from Yongsusan. It is right next to the Oz Kitchen restaurant.
Roast mackerel - a simple Korean meal. Steamed rice, four side dishes and a roast fish. *Hyanggi Goeul (02-795-1754) is located in Hannam-dong across from Mijin Fitness Center.
Seaweed-rolled rice (gimbab), in which the ingredients come outside rather than inside the seaweed packaging
For 5,000 won per order, the portion of squid was enough to feed two, and the pickled radish came in earthy chunks. A portion of sesame oil was served for dipping the rice.
The mix of seaweed, squid and pickled radish together was savory and filling.
Go to Myeong-dong Station, line No. 4, exit 8. Walk 10 minutes. The restaurant is by the back door to Utoo Zone shopping mall.
"doenjang bibimbap'" (steamed rice with vegetables and herbs topped with soybean paste). The rice portion may seem small, but you can always ask for free refills
The doenjang bibimbap costs 5,500 won.
The restaurant is located in front of the Kolon building, behind City Hall, downtown Seoul. It is next to the Taepyeong-ro police station.
Cream sauce tteokbokki , the Japanese curry tteokbokki and the basic red tteokbokki (each 3,500 won).
To get to Ttalkakbari, get off at Chungmuro station on subway line 3 or 4 and walk out from exit 1 until you find the SK gas station on your right and turn right. Walk straight until you find the restaurant, located uphill on your left. For more information, call (02) 2267-7009 or visit http://blog.naver.com/kija11
The cold buckwheat noodles (6,000 won) are served on two layers of a bamboo sieve with a sauce, a basket of chopped scallions and shredded radish on the side.
Nabeyaki udon (noodle soup in a hot pot) and zaru soba (cold buckwheat noodle with a sauce for sipping). A Korean-style udon has crown daisy in it. The peculiar herbal scent overpowers the anchovy broth, which has a stronger soy sauce flavor than the Japanese version. Other ingredients are familiar like shiitake mushrooms, as are the egg and fish cakes stay the same.
Go to City Hall station, line No. 2, exit 1 and walk five minutes toward Deoksu Palace. The restaurant is located on a small alley behind First Fire and Marine Insurance, past Korean Air headquarters near City Hall. For more information, call (02) 755-0659.
soybean noodles (5,000), which were accompanied by kimchi and cubed radish kimchi. The soybean buckwheat noodles were served in a cold soymilk based broth, accompanied by shredded cucumbers and Asian pears
Located near exit 4 of Gyeongbokgung on subway line 4.
"Doenjang ramyeon'' (3,500 won), as one can easily imagine from the name, has "doenjang'' (fermented soy paste) as its base for the soup. This is recommended for those who do not like spicy soup.
"Haejang ramyeon'' (3,500 won) is made with "bugeo'' or dried pollack. "Haejang'' literally means "chasing a hangover'' and pollack is believed to be one of the most effective ingredients for getting rid of a hangover.
A rice ball and two boiled eggs are offered for free, as well as a glass of iced tea Take subway lines No. 4 or 7 to Nowon Station and take exit 6. It is about 100 meters away from the exit. Open from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Located in Seorae Village in Bangbae-dong, the small shop offers the best of beans, from coffee beans to their specialty, red beans.
"Uhmji'' literally means "thumb'' in Korean, and like the fairy tale character Thumbelina, the shop is indeed tiny.
Uhmji Bean's specialty is the "pat'' or red bean. In the winter, it offers "patjuk'' or red bean porridge (4,000 won and served from October to April), which is perfect to warm oneself up in chilly weather.
In the summer, however, the shop offers patbingsu (4,000 won and served from March to October)
Located on the main street of Seorae Village. Walk straight toward Bangbae middle school until you find the Uhmji Bean on your right next to Woori Bank.
Doenjang jjigae, or soybean paste soup comes sizzling hot in a black earthenware bowl. The best way to go about consuming this is taking an empty bowl and dumping in the contents of your stainless steel rice bowl, then mixing in helpings of the banchan, spoonfuls of doenjang jjigae, a big squirt of sesame oil and a couple heaping scoops of gochujang, or chili pepper paste.
The result is a remix of very spicy bibimbap (literally, mixed rice) featuring a dose of vegetables.
Price: 10,000 won English: None Telephone: (02) 3482-7626 Subway: Gangnam Station, line No. 2, exit 6 Parking: Difficult to find, some on street Hours: 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week
Kimchi sujebi (4,500 won). Sujebi is a soup with vegetables and dough flakes. In the soup, it had kimchi slices. The soup was simple and clean. The broth main base - clams.
Located in an underground floor of an anonymous building next to the Coffee Bean on the main alley leading to the university’s main gate , around “Edae” an abbreviated term for Ewha Womans University. The place is called Jayeon Maeul (02-312-3800), or a natural village in English.
This pandemic really freaks me out! But my travel plan has been done even before this occurred. Parents, friends and even my cat, Naruto has voiced his concern. Naruto said "Why are you not afraid of H1N1 but you are afraid of ghosts and scary movies?" Heck..if only Naruto could speak, hehe.
As of now, the death count in Malaysia is 51.
My precaution:
1. Be healthy, be healthy, be healthy - enough sleep, no emotional interference, no JUNK FOOD? No!! Exercise? Hmmm.. I am wearing a mask right now in the office. How do I look? Do I look like optimus prime? ;)
2. Get a travel insurance - I'm going to get the HSBC one just because all my accounts are there. Easier. I already have an annual one but to be on the safe side, to get an extra travel insurance cause hospital bill would be sky-high if I am ever admitted overseas.
3. Write a will - Ack! Am I dying? H1N1 death is at such an alarming rate and without a proper antidote, betcha I will write a will. The worst I had seen in the news was this 12 year old child died in one day because of it.
I have booked the first three farms with WWOOF Korea
1. Farm in Busan - I will have access to places like Haeundae and Gwanganri beach. I will be doing paddy farming (same like in Chiba, Japan) and looking after cattle. Kekeke..I never even raise a cattle in Malaysia. My father would LOL at me!
Why I shoot to Busan instead of Seoul? Because the Busan Jagalchi Festival will be around 18th October, so right after I finish Wwoofing here I will be taking a 1 or 2 days checking out Busan city and meet some of my friends there.
2. Farm in Jeollanam-do - After the Busan Jagalchi Festival , will check out the Gwangju Kimchi Festival. Then will be Wwoofing at this farm to help them harvest paddy, potatoes, cabbage , pear etc. Some people inform me that Jeollanam-do's cuisine is amazing. Kimchi and Cornbread are raving about it. I'm curious!
Then early November, I will go up to Seoul cause a few Malaysians friends coming. We will paint the Seoul city red + Nami Island + Seorak Mountain.
3. Farm in Daejeon - One of my friends' wishes is to board the bullet train. I am not that fancy of it since I have tried the one in Japan for a few times going to Tokyo, Osaka and Hiroshima. It would just feel the same, I guess. But for the sake of testing a different ground, we would try the KTX from Seoul to Daejeon. After that both of us will be wwoofing near Daejeon.
Once my friends return to Malaysia, I will be checking out the other farms in Gangwon-do or Gyeonggi-do. I'm not entirely sure yet. Maybe I might go to Gangwon-do, because that is Kim Heechul's hometown. Hahah..what a lame excuse! But Gangwon-do's scenery is just pretty (I love autumn) and I'm dying to test out snowboarding. Will my bones endure the extreme cold? But the sight of a man snow-boarding is just too damn cool! Will it be nerve wrecking? I can't wait!
Picture by Stewart =W= I love how the word 'option' shown under the board. It's so captivating! Breathtaking picture! Imagining myself chilling out like that..hehe.
Heck..I have not accessed my gmail since July! Just recently get a few comments from those who are kind enough to lurk my blog.
Here, I would like to say sorry if I ever offended anyone in any way by my writing, commenting, taking a copy of other's pictures (but I will properly acknowledge the original and even link it back) and simply any unintentional unnecessary shitty ramblings.
I am not a perfect blogger and I can't satisfy anyone. But I know, I want peace in this world that we share together. ^^ This blog is the reason of my love for South Korea and its beauty
If anyone feel offended or enlightened, please email or even comment me. I'm totally fine with it.
There is only 55 days left before I go. I've been busy with studying Korean grammar, memorizing the vocabulary and practicing it with my 'chinngu' Hye Jin. So this August is the drilling and grueling month.
한국어를잘하면좋겠어요 - I wish I could speak Korean well.
Hye Jin said that if I speak only a bit of Korean, they will be surprised! Haha..I will be recording their impression and expression when I am there.
