I’m back again with a December giveaway. I’ve been waiting to do this one for about a year, since I had already done a giveaway last December.
I have an copy of EXO’s “Miracles in December” and also 2 posters — which unfortunately got a little beaten up on the edge because they came back with me from Korea.
Anyway! Here’s how you can enter:
– Comment below on the YouTube video orΒ here in the blog post.
– Tell me your favorite thing about winter & if you have a favorite winter Kpop song
– Giveaway closes Dec 19 11:59 PM (US Central time)
– 3 names will be picked via name generator
– Open to anyone, anywhere π
– Make sure your YT/email notifications are on, because I’ll contact the winners either thru reply or message.
Good luck!
(btw here’s one of my favorite winter songs by Urban Zakapa)
Usually when I’d want to go I’d get go with a group of friends. Sometimes it’s hard to get everyone to agree to go out. Or maybe you don’t want to sing for that long. That’s why noraebang booths are awesome.
Noraebang booths at a game arcade.
Welcome!
In many game arcades you’ll see a few of these booths lined up. You can fit 2 people comfortably, sometimes 3. You can pay 300 won for 1 song, 500 won for 2 songs, or 1,000 won for 4 songs. Then it’s time to rock!
Time to pick your songs.
The remote isn’t always easy to figure out if you’re not familiar with Korean yet. So I went through the basics in my video for how to pick out a song. Here’s a few words you should know:
These are how you find the song you want. From there you type in the words. You can go between Korean and English by pressing the button that says “ν/μ”.
μμ – start
μμ½ – reserve [a song]
μ΅μ – cancel
Once you find the song you want you press one of the above buttons.
You can also change what country’s song you want by pressing κ΅κ°. There’s Korean, English, Japanese, and Chinese. Sometimes you can find Vietnamese or Thai.
There’s also other buttons like the Top 100 songs, changing the tempo (ν ν¬), key, or skip interludes. I usually just use the basic function buttons.
I love coffee. I didn’t always though! Luckily if you are a coffee/cafe lover then Korea has got you covered. There’s one place in particular that I especially like – Roasting λλ§μ μ»€νΌ (Roasting – Only My Coffee).
It’s located in Gung-dong (κΆλ) which is the area right next to Chungnam University in Daejeon, and I mean *right next to*. You walk out of the parking lot on the southeast side of campus and the cafe is pretty much right there. π
Besides getting a good cup of coffee they have excellent desserts. I’m a big fan of the brownies. They’re huge with walnuts inside and dusted with powdered sugar on top. Yum!
The owner also teaches about coffee and how to make it. I believe you can do your own hand drip even without taking a class, but I’m not 100% certain.
Bit of a line.
It gets a little busy in the daytime with all the students around, but not terribly noisy. They also have wifi should you need it.
My favorite part of the interior is the bathroom. That may sound weird, but take a peek at my video. It’s hidden behind what looks like a bookcase. I wanted to go inside, but someone had just walked in. ^^;;
Cute bear latte art
The latte art was a bonus last time. I didn’t even know they did that (never got it before). Super cute, right?
Location
Getting there isn’t too tricky. If you’re a CNU student you’ll be coming out of the parking lot nearish λ€μ μννΈ. Otherwise you can come from Rodeo street, turn left at GS25, walk down the road til it stops and turn right. It’s around the corner. Otherwise you can plug the address into your phone on Naver Maps or Google Maps.
I went over to Gyeongbokgung the other day when I had some free time in Seoul. Unfortunately, I didn’t look up the hours/days they are open. Turns out it’s closed on Tuesdays. γ γ Oh boo…
But still I had a nice walk down Gwanghwamun Square to see the statues of King Sejong and Admiral Yi.
*Plus* Artbox giveaway winners are announced! I’ll be contacting them shortly.
Finally! I’ve been meaning to film this since I moved in. ;>.>
I’ve been in this place for 2 years. Β My first year with EPIK I lived in a decent one room. It was clean and newish, and no real problems with neighbors. I decided I wanted more space though so I found a 2 room in the same area.
It took a little work to find a new place. At the time my co-teacher couldn’t take me around so one of my Korean friends was kind enough to go with me. Basically in Korea you call up a real estate agency (known as λΆλμ°) in the area you want to move into. You can tell them all the things you’re looking for like 1 or 2 room, fully furnished or partially furnished, your price range, etc.
I looked at about 4 places and wasn’t really feeling any of them. Then the realtor said she knew one more place. All the other places were either a little small or didn’t have all the features I wanted like a cooking range or fridge. This seemed just right. For 320,000 won a month the price seemed too good to be true. I had my friend asked them if there was Β catch, but they just said “Oh we’re Christian”. So… I guess it’s thanks to Christian charity. The deposit, however, is nothing to sneeze at. It set me back 5,000,000 won (about $5,000). Granted you usually get it all back, but that’s still a lot of money!
Other than the mold problem and the upstairs neighbor who walks around like an elephant I’ve really liked it. Plus my landlord and his wife are super nice. He fixes things when I need it and every once in awhile she brings me something like fruit, rice cake, and hoddeok. I’m grateful for myΒ ν μλ²μ§ andΒ ν λ¨Έλ (grandpa and grandma) landlord/lady.
Now I just have to get organized for moving out. Oh joy!
Hope everyone is doing well and staying warm. I got to go home to the Midwest for vacation, so I too got to enjoy the wonderful -50 F weather a few weeks ago. Fun, right? π
Anyway I’m back again with another fan sign post. I got to see History for the 2nd time. This is the 1st time that I’ve been to the same group’s fan sign more than once. I really do like this group. I’d love to see them snag a #1 someday.
The event was at the Daejeon Jung-gu Cultural Center. It was a nice theater space was comfy seating. I got there about 1 hour early, hoping to be a bit closer to the front. Turns out I should’ve been there earlier. I was #75 out of 100 fans. The other Storias knew better I guess! I passed the time getting organized and writing my Post-It note questions for each member. I’d never done that before and I was blanking on questions, but I managed to come up with stuff. It took my awhile though because I wanted the Korean is be as grammatically correct as I could. γ γ Not always easy for me…
We didn’t have to wait too long because they got there a little earlier than the start time. I really love the blue suits the had on. Last time I saw them the outfit were mint green. I much prefer these. They got the fan sign underway and we all waited our turn. Sometimes I wish I had one of those cameras with the massive lenses like other fans do. I could see the really nice close-ups they were capturing. Still, I managed to get some nice photos and video with my Sony NEX.
I was really surprised at the pacing of the event. Normally you don’t get much time to talk as the staff/managers are pushing you along. This usually has to do with a group having to keep to their schedules. In our case, though, they were being really generous with time. Most fans moved on their own at a good pace and the staff weren’t too pushy with their “move ons”.
When it was my turn I grabbed my CD and gift for Do Kyun (another 1st for me – just a note, hand cream, and chocolate). First was Yijeong. The greeting were the usual “Hello. Where are you from?” in Korean. Then we went over my post-it. It said “Yijeong is ~” A. Handsome B. Sexy C. Cute . I wanted him to pick, but he motioned for me to choose first. I circled ‘A. Handsome’. He kinda raised his eyebrows and then circled the other 2 as well. :3
Next was Jaeho. He made every attempt to speak as much English as he could. I was kind of answering 1/2 English 1/2 Korean so we were sort of awkward together haha. His post-it said “Jaeho ~ which member in History is the funniest?”. He circled Si Hyung. I wonder if he’s extra goofy when out of the public eye?
Leader Kyung Il was next. He is just too good-looking in person. I mean, damn. It’s kinda not fair! I didn’t like the bleached hair at first, but it looks nice up close. [My conversations are pretty much all the same for every person/Kpop group by the way – What’s your name? Where are you from? Are you student? etc.] Kyung Il’s note said ” Kyung Il ~ can I be your English tutor? :P” A. Yes~ μ μλ! B. Nope. Of course he circles “Yes” cuz it’d be kinda cruel to say “no”. π
Do Kyun was after. He’s kinda my bias for the group so that’s why I only had a gift for him. He said I spoke Korean well which I denied, but it’s still nice to hear. His note read “Do Kyun ~ how about foreign girls? Do you like me? ^^” A. Not really… B. They [you’re] okay C. Yes! They’re my ideal type D. [You/They’re] Pretty. He circled C & D haha. Again it’s just fan service, but still nice to hear.
Last was Si Hyung. He asked, in English, “Hello. Where are you from?”, but Do Kyun interrupted “Hey she’s really good at Korean”. And I’m all “Nooooo *^^*”. Si Hyung tried to speak English too. He was a bit unsure (like last time), but it’s very cute. His post-it said “Si Hyung ~ if I teach you English will you teach me Korean?” and he wrote “Of course!”.
I was giddy leaving the stage. There’s usually some point during a Β fan sign when I get super awkward because of speaking Korean, but I felt pretty confident when I was talking to all of them. I think it helps having seen the group before and having those post-it questions ready. It gave me a topic kinda lined up in case the conversation dropped off. Plus it doesn’t hurt when the group is so nice.
I wish I lived in Seoul since fan signs here are so few and far between. There are fans who go to each of the cities to try and get into each event. I actually talked to a Storia from Seoul who had been to all the the cities for the signing (Busan, Daegu, Daejeon, and Seoul). That takes some really dedication! Traveling, buying CDs, and all that. It’s a big investment or your time and money. But I’m content to see who I can here and enjoy it when I’m able. It’s all fun. π
Time for yet another make-up review. It’s been awhile since I’ve done one of these, and in the mean time I’ve picked up a few cosmetics that I like quite a bit.
CC (Color Control) Cream – The Face Shop
This is a nice alternative to BB Cream. Actually I like it a lot better than the past base creams that I’ve used. It goes on very smooth and I feel like the color does’t make me look to ghost-like. It’s a shame the case it a bit bulky, so it’s not something I’d carry around. Still, I definitely approve of this one. It’s normally around 24,900 won unless you can get it on sale.
I don’t know if it always comes with theΒ Aqua CC starter, but I got one with mine.
Coffee Creamy Color Fit Shadow – Skin Food
A nice eye shadow set of neutral colors. I don’t usually wear shadows that are very flashy, so I liked this set. Not sure why they put purple in there, but it works all right with the browns (which blend nicely).
Magic Tint Balm – Etude House
You can almost always pic out what products come from Etude House because the packaging is almost always very cutesy. Nonetheless I can’t resist the cutey charms! This tint is #02 Magic Pink. Very bright, very fun, but careful not to put too much on. My only qualm for tints in general is the residue that gets left over if you use your finger as the applicator. Oh well.
Shea Butter Hand Lotion – Skin Food
Simple product, but does the job. It goes on smooth, isn’t smelly, and is very effective. Β I think one of the best hand lotions I’ve picked up here.
Cutey-Beauty Perfume Bar #1 – Tony Moly
This little guy is a lifesaver. I went for the cottony/baby powder scent. I try not to get perfumes that are too flowery. You don’t want to give people around you a headache. This one is also great for travel or just running around doing errands. Also great if you have to take public transportation after going to the gym.
GIVEAWAY!Β (ohmahgerhd!)
I’ve been wanting to do a giveaway for awhile. Now I’ve finally built up enough of something to give out. π
I’ve got all these perfectly nice make-up samples to give away. Take a peek:
I will also let you pick out a nail polish from one of these fine stores. I’ll package it all up and send it off to one of you lovely folks out there. Just leave a comment on the video or here in the blog. Of course I encourage you to share this with the internets. I’ll put the names into a randomizer and pick 2 winners.
The deadline is December 19thΒ 11:59 PM (KST).
Hope you liked my review. If you have any questions about make-up or Korea in general I’ll do my best to find an answer. Ask away!
Couple weeks ago there was a mini concert in Daejeon sponsored by Hana Bank. Sistar, DJ DOC, Huh Gak, and 2AM all came to perform as well as a few local folks. I do have some pictures and videos for the other folks, but for now this is a SISTAR post. π
I saw them once before in Daejeon at the Chin Chin Star Festival. That was also the festival that Park Jimin of 15& won before she went on Kpop Star (my post of it is hereΒ – I did have one pic of Jimin but it’s not in the post for some reason. ). Side story/fun fact: Jimin actually helped me friend and I out perform that concert. We were sort of confused as to where to go and a little lost, and in perfect English she’s all “Hey do you need some help?”. So thanks for the help, Jimin!
Anyway back to Sistar. They performed 4 songs – Give It To Me, Loving U, Alone, and Ma Boy. Major props to them because it was already so dang hot that night, and they were performing under those hot lights on top of that. Check out 2 of the songs here ~
The weather’s getting a lot warmer here in Korea. Pretty soon sleeve-less shirts and sandals will be a must. I love the warm weather with just two exceptions – 1) You get pretty sweaty. >.> Β — and 2) I can’t run before twilight. The heat and humidity make it kinda crummy for running, so I’ll probably have to start my night running soon.
Anyway I’m coming to you with another mini-adventure from Seoul. I went up last weekend for the long weekend because of Buddha’s birthday (Thank you, Buddha~). Mostly just chilling and taking in what Hongdae had to offer. Friday night I met with friends and we ate at On The Border in Shinchon. I don’t care if it’s a chain restaurant, it was so yummy. Saturday I spent walking around Hongdae. Last year I went to the free market (read aboutΒ here ~), and I’ve been itching to go back. I wasn’t disappointed! Check out my haul:
First this cute purse and card holder. I bought a wallet with this design last year from this artist. I use it everyday and told her so. She looked very pleased that I liked her crafts so much. π I think I’m going to need to get a new wallet before the year is out, so I hope I can see her again and pick one up.
If you wanna check her out her name is Hye Jin Lee (μ΄ν€μ§). She has a cyworld here – http://cyworld.com/hjsamo .
A crocheted animal… puppy? Bear? I think it’s a puppy haha. ^^
Last year I bought cute coffee cup earrings from this artist and I was happy to see she was back. I wore the earrings last Saturday and she was also pleased to see a happy customer. I can’t resist things with penguins so I bought this necklace and cute heart earrings.
A cute French flag magnet.
This iPad pouch is quite nice. Leather on the outside, cloth on the inside, and each pouch has different colors and patterns. The artist even told me that since I live in Korea, if my pouch breaks then she’ll fix it up for me. Awesome!
The young lady who made this was very sweet. She had some rather nice drawings and watercolors. I asked if she was an art major, but turns out it’s just a hobby. She lived in France for several months and took some inspiration from her time there. Unfortunately I can’t decipher her blog name (I tried several variations). Jinkyoung ~ if you’re out there, I really like my drawing. π
Ahhhh so cute! I can’t resist! These designs were calling my name. The characters are named Lala & Berry. Absolutely adorable. I could see these being very popular if the right people see ’em.
The man I bought this from had some neat prints. Some were like this heart, some had Korean designs, and some were just — whatever haha. He didn’t sign or number these prints though! This kind of surprised me. I only took a semester of printmaking in college, but I feel like printmakers should at least sign their work. Putting that aside though, I liked this particular one. Simple and cute. π
Last I picked up this bracelet. The artist had a totally awesome vibe. She lived in India for 4 years and everything she made was based on her time there. If I remember right, the skull on the bracelet is kinda supposed to take away your bad feelings and the other beads bring out the positive. Loving that concept. π
I really do suggest giving this a look if you have the chance. There’s lots of talented people out there and you can get great souvenirs from your trip to Seoul. Don’t forget to explore the area too! Hongdae has lots of great shops, cafes, and restaurants. I found several places I didn’t know about before, and a couple I didn’t have time for (next time for sure!).
Last month my friend Michelle and I went to our first fan signs. There were actually 3 in one week here in Daejeon: Teen Top, JJ Project, and Dalmatian. I have a few photos from the previous two (which I suppose I ought to have posted first π ).
The process of getting into the fan sign was fairly easy. I found that one of the local CD shops had an online notice board where they post events like these. Up to 2 days before the actually sign you can buy a CD with a chance to attend. It’s usually lottery based though for Dalmatian they just gave us a ticket the day we bought the CD. For JJ Project they posted the winning names online. I imagine in a bigger city like Seoul it gets harder to go to these things because a lot of the fanbase is there. So far, in Daejeon, we got in easily.
Fans waiting to see Dalmatian
We showed up at the specified time with our CDs and tickets in hand. A staff member comes around to make sure you have both.
From there on it’s just a lot of standing, looking at the group, taking photos, and listening to the squeals of fangirls (though we did see 2 boys there at the end).
I was slightly less nervous than when we went to JJ Project. Probably because I knew 2 members – Daniel and Simon – could speak English. I didn’t say a lot to Inati, but maybe that’s ‘cuz he was the first person I talked to. Jeesu asked if I had eaten – “λ°₯μ λ¨Ήμμ΄μ?” – which is sort of a standard thing to ask a person haha. I was more at ease with Daniel, who was real sweet. When I mentioned I was from Wisconsin he told me Simon had a few friends there which gave me something to talk about. Youngwon didn’t say a lot but he was pretty cute. He wrote “OMG! WOW!” on my CD haha. Simon was also real nice and wrote “I like Wisconsin” in Korean on my CD. π
I like the way this one was set-up compared to JJ Project which was outside. The fan sign being in the shop allowed everyone to take decent pictures without smothering the boys. The outside sign had the groups on a stage and fans down in chairs which felt just a touch far (not that far, but couldn’t get great pictures there).
I was also very pleased with the way all the fans & Dalmates acted. Everyone stayed in line and acted appropriately. Yeah, some followed the van as it was leaving, but there wasn’t any pushing or anything, as far as I saw, and everyone listened to the store staff pretty well.
I’ll be happy to keep supporting Dalmatian in the future. I like the last single and all the guys were very kind. I really enjoyed the fan sign.Β λ¬λ§μμ νμ΄ν !
(Some of the better pics I took. Hope you like ’em!)
Please don’t steal or re-post without permission. (Or at the very least credit me as the source :P)
). Side story/fun fact: Jimin actually helped me friend and I out perform that concert. We were sort of confused as to where to go and a little lost, and in perfect English she’s all “Hey do you need some help?”. So thanks for the help, Jimin!
Oh Happy Dae! 