do you still remember your first love?

okay, maybe not your first, but one which lasted you for years?

remember walking pass a class (or just staring out your window) just to see somebody you like?

FIRST LOVE is highly highly highly recommended by me for ya’ll born from the 80s onwards.

it kind of brings us back to how we were before.

or at least what we imagined would happen which.. never did.

anyway, some part of the movie will REALLY remind you of yourself. confirm.

being so dedicated to the movie, I would like to tell you a little bit about the plot:

it was about an ugly (bug face) girl whom was constantly being criticized about her looks and she happens to fall in love with her senior, a CRAZYLY HOT GUY. the movie is about how she stupidly loves him so much and tries very hard to make herself pretty for him. she finally turned beautiful but instead of him going after her, his new hot best friend appeared and was quickly attracted to her.

you must watch it from here. because you’ve been poisoned. I know you want to know what’s gonna happen next.

YOU WANT TO KNOW……. *CHANTS*

did I mention the male lead look somewhere in between Choi Siwon and Nichkhun?

and FYI on why you should watch it is because.. it’s the 8th HIGHEST GROSS movie in 2011 in the world! beating Tron Legacy and Prince of Persia yo! and it’s a movie you can watch over and over again without growing sick of it. you’d feel exactly the same every time. it’s far beyond my expectations really.

when I was in Thailand I used to hog onto MTV because the guys (and girls) are so irresistibly hot. and I heard they are everywhere in Bangkok T_T. I first got very hyped up to Thai guys because of my childhood idol VJ UTT (WHOM I WANTED TO MARRY!!), and later, Nichkhun(whom I WANNA MARRY!!) from 2PM. the lead of this movie, Mario (shall I betray Nichkhun? well.. Mario is cuter but I’m loyal to Nichkhun), is Thai as well but he is of Chinese and German descent.

************************completely unrelated*****************************

I really admire how Thais are so.. Thai. like they totally have no discrimination with any other race. even if they are Thai Thais, Chinese Thais, GERMAN Thais, they label themselves as “Thai”. and that’s like their only race.

***********************back to what’s related******************************

I streamed the movie actually, from DAILYMOTION. =D. prepare to sob and sink on your chair/sofa/bed/whatever you’re sitting on. I even had the chills while sinking.

PS : NEXT IT WOULD BE “AUTUMN DESTINY”!! by the same male lead but is KOREAN-THAI!! now you see why I wanna watch it hahah. guys, the girls in both movies are superbly hot.

PSS : what I love even more about this movie is that they did not change ANY leads. they made the characters look younger and older completely with make up which still leaves me in confusion on how they did it. amaaazing.

PSSS : when I recommend a movie this much, it’ll be your loss if you’re not watching it. >=D.

ok the only turn off would probably be how Mario speaks high pitched Thai. like.. many others T_T.

I wouldn’t call myself a pro, but I definitely am pretty good in saving $$. so as you read, you’d probably wanna jot down some notes .

HOTELS/GUESTHOUSES :
it’s always better to book earlier online. 3 months in advance would be cool.

and the website that would be handy will be www.booking.com. the greatest advantage..? it’s not only for Korea. but basically for EVERYWHERE around the globe.

if you’re looking forward to live in guesthouses, I would recommend you to google or search through tripadvisor to read about the comments.

normally, guesthouses in Korea are clean but aren’t exactly too comfortable and are also very very small. I stayed in Namsan Guesthouse which costs me 45,000won per night for a double.

FOOD :
a city filled with glorious food, you’d probably have to get used to the healthy kimchi. what happens would be.. you’d probably stop yourself at a beautiful restaurant with prices even more beautiful.

I’ll have to say, it’s not so advisable. it’s awesome if you could find decent looking restaurants serving typical Korean food like Kimchi Jjigae (kimchi stew), Bibimbap (mixed rice), Dalggalbi (marinated chicken) just to name a few.

price ranges from 4000won-6000won usually. but if you REALLY want to save more. you should find Kimbab Kingdom (a kimbab fast food chain) and order takeaway kimbab (seaweed rolls) which are usually 1500won for take away. ramen would cost around the same too. so no point eating it there when you could get them here.

there’s also an 8000won BBQ buffet in Sinchon! read my post here.

as for my muslim friends : Halal restaurants are really expensive and I also heard that it sucks. so just become a vegan for a few days =S. there are plenty of vegan stores! and is very delicious too according to what I heard!

TRANSPORT :
T MONEY CARD is a MUST BUY. it’s like our Touch and Go. sold in various forms and it can usually be found at all convenience stores or at the subway itself. you can use it for subways and buses; saving you at least 100won per trip.

the most precious thing being overseas would be TIME. so having this, it really saves you A LOT OF TIME.

buses in Korea are pretty complicating as it’s in Korean most of the time so it’s either you learn how to read Korean/print out Korean alphabets if not, just take the subway where English is widely used for the convenience of foreigners.

LANGUAGE BARRIER :
so far, I’ve walked around alone countless times even in Japan where I know nothing about their language. it isn’t that scary, really.

normally, Koreans do not speak English AT ALL. they might understand simple English better when typed though. so for your own safety, it’s a MUST to carry the address of where you’re staying where ever you go. as for shopping in places where prices are not stated, do bring a calculator or so for them to key the prices in for you.

here’s a list of words you SHOULD memorise as a form of respect to them :
Hello : an-nyeong ha-se-yo
Thank You : gam-sa-ham-ni-da
How much? : ol-ma-ye-yo?
Bye : bbai-bbai << they’d understand =).
Yes : ne/ye
No : a-ni-yo
Toilet : hwa-jang-sil (incredulously important)
Left : when-jjok
Right : o-reun-jjok
Straight : i-jjok

TOILET :
speaking about toilets, there are very very very little public toilets in outdoor shopping areas. so just go to any fast food store, head up to the 2nd floor(where it usually is) and use their toilet. any building is fine =). so the best is that you settle your business at the subways. =D.

ETIQUETTES :
you’d probably already know the usual Asian etiquette of not wearing shoes into homes, never eat before an elder etc. but in Korea, there are really a few where you have to pay attention to.

DO NOT :
1. wear shorts which are quite short (esp when it ain’t summer), you’d find people talking about you around =S.
2. take your own sweet time in taking pictures. always do it fast. taking more than a few shots and the ajumma’s (aunties) will start to grumble.
3. you hold your chopsticks with your right hand. but you also hold your spoon with your right hand. get what I mean?
4. share food in commercialised places like Itaewon, Insadong etc. (means order a set for every person) they might probably slam your food onto the table and spoil your mood.
5. order one person’s BBQ meat because the usual minimum is TWO person.
6. pour your own drink if you’re not alone.
7. drink facing somebody elder. always turn to the side.
8. take photographs of artsy stuff which are for sale. do it secretly =X.
9. laugh at a Korean’s English. they are pretty sensitive on that. always respect them as they are trying very hard.

practice some Korean phrases as they’d be very happy to hear you speak their language =D.

SEASONS :
Summer (June-Aug) – a lot of cheap shopping for summer clothes! incredulously hot and it rains quite often so please carry an umbrella with you
Autumn (Sept-Nov) – peak season for the pretty autumn maple leaves will usually be at late October to mid November. no summer clothes for sale. best season for photography. seldom rains. pretty cold.
Winter (Dec-Feb) – snows. skiing is the best activity. beautiful but very cold. many spots might not be available. not recommended for the old.
Spring (Mar-May) – good season for photography. awesome season to visit Jeju Island. Sakura Season on early April. not too hot. just right =).

I’ll answer (and add them into this post) any questions you have so please leave it on the comment box =D.

please proceed to my Travel page to view the other topics on Korea. =)

if you only had a choice of 1 theme park to go in Tokyo. I’d strongly recommend DisneySea. not that Disneyland isn’t nice. but it’s more for the kids….? while DisneySea is for the bigger kids.

they always have a globe! but believe me this same scene is breath taking at night. and those fairytale building behind? well, you’d think that you are lost somewhere in Europe!

see what I mean? DisneySea is MUCH MORE BEAUTIFUL compared to Disneyland I must say. I’d give 1000 points for their detailed decoration. every single part of it is carefully crafted! and instead of being all cutesy, futuristic and perfect, they are perfectly imperfect.

what a sight <3. you don’t need to travel all the way to Europe to do your wedding photoshoot when you have DisneySea!

I told my sister I sometimes see myself as Shrek and she said “I didn’t know you think of yourself like a monster” hahahaa. but the truth is, I think I smile like Shrek sometimes.

my imagination is always beyond reality haha.

super cute Japanese girls! the entry ticket for DisneySea is like RM200 and they go there even after school. this is the difference in our living standard tsk tsk.

and ALLL young Japs buys headbands. if not, then they are VERY FASHIONABLE.

I could sit by the bench in Tokyo all day just looking at how the people there dress. ALL DAY!

the FAMOUS DisneySea bear. every Japanese has it. I think. I saw countless people clutching onto one of these as they walk. I wanted to buy one so bad but my mom insist that she’ll tapau(package) it and put it in the store if I buy it. she hate having to wash soft toys. PFFT.

she boxed allllll my soft toys. except my angry bird. hmm? when I go overseas myself I’ll stuff my bed with soft toys hmph.

instead she kept asking me to buy these many many many choices of headbands! NOOOO. =S. it’s so weird walking alone with your mom.. in a headband. =S. like damn syok sendiri. (how do you even translate syok sendiri? errrr… the fun you’re having only to yourself? Malay rocks. they have such cute expressions.)

I look like a cat. pfft.

the band my mom wanted me to buy T_______T. no I ain’t spending RM50 for syok sendiri and I’ll probably only wear it once in my life pfft.

MICKEY’S EATING ME! nahh it’s a hat haha. super cute can?

once we arrived at the shore? we saw Sailor Mickey and Minnie dancing and is crowded by tonnes of people. really, every adult seemed to have turned into a kid there.

ahhh…. so beautiful. and that volcano actually have smokes coming outta it! SO REAL.

the other view. =D.

that’s the shore behind!

like.. my only picture with my mom in DisneySea. you know, it’s so difficult to travel with only two people when it comes to taking pictures. but lucky for us those kind Japs working there offered to help us take a picture!

that tower behind me? that’s the famous TOWER OF TERROR. the queue to that mad ride is always 4 hours long. so we gave it a pass but I heard it’s the “scariest” ride there. but really, it doesn’t look too scary to me. =S. I’m not a fan (AT ALL!!!) towards Disney’s rides. lack of thrill IMO.

oh did I tell you Japan has A LOT OF PRETTY GIRLS? heheheh. it’s true. although I am not sure how they might look without make up. but with make up on? they look fabulous. and they tend to buy a lot of things. Disney’s shops are super overpriced. (well partly worth it because it is TOP quality) but they tend to fill the counter up like as if there’s a big sale!

mind you I went on a Thursday and a non public holiday. so this should be the NORMAL usual crowd.

more fashionistas!

carrying a backpack around hurts my shoulders =(. actually it’s quite a bad idea to go to DisneySea on a winter day. it’s REALLY REALLY REALLY COLD at night. I shivered until I almost died from cold. so, wear more clothes if you’re traveling on winter. the wind by the coastal area is BLOODY STRONG.

my favourite picture from my whole trip. it’s taken with a 55mm f1.4. but it’s really inconvenient when it’s really packed at many parts of Tokyo. then there comes the drizzles and all… only used it to take less than 10 shots T__________T. and none of it has me in it because my mom is too impatient with it pfft.

tower of TERROR!! we wanted to head towards it but we ended up…

here. like some castle owned by some evil military king with magic powers centuries ago.

dragons!

but to my disappointment, that game near this place is only for people who could read Japanese. =(. and it looked quite fun. wuwuuwu. like a maze with mysteries to solve or something.

the environment is really really real. bubbles coming out from the sea, smokes here and there. really.. WOW!

 

so we headed for the underwater marine ride!

another picture that I like. it shucks when your mom doesn’t know how to use the DSLR.

my picture turns out like this pfft.

I LOVE JAPANESE PEOPLE. they are so fun. nothing close to shy. this group of wizzards caught me taking a picture of them and they later waved at me and after a while, we saw them again and they waved again! such friendly people! (good looking toooooo *droolz*)

they pay attention to EVERY DETAIL. making sure everything is perfect.

these are the DECORATIONS while queueing for the ride can you believe it?

and there are a lot. but let me tell you what..

I queued for 1 hours. it ALWAYS SEEM like you’re near but then every sharp angle HIDES the long queue. they hid like 4-5 times until we FINALLY saw the entry to those rides.

I was really excited to see what’s in the sea! and guess what…………….

it was a HUGE DISAPPOINTMENT. I felt like I’ve been cheated my precious 1 hour of my life. to experience an ARTIFICIAL “UNDERWATER” EXPERIENCE. where they made it look like it’s under water by emitting water with bubbles through our glass.

there was another ride which was highly recommended.. where we queued for TWO hours. stupid sharp angles again. but lucky thing is that there are water stations every 30minutes of queue.

and it’s such a shame to know that the shortcut way can ONLY BE USED before.. 2pm? what I mean by shortcut is the express lane. where you slide in your ticket to a booth and go for the ride after perhaps 2-3hours.

NEW YORK CITY TOWN! =D.

how would you like to sit behind bars? =P. just hop onto any vehicle to see the whole New York Town ahahah.

the old school Mickeys.

 

FINALLY ARRIVED AT MY DESTINATION! THE TOWER OF TERROR. the hugest disappointment was because my mom didn’t want to queue for another 4 hours with me for this ride. =(. wuwuwuuwwuwu. but it was the right choice. don’t think it’s worth the time.

the bulletin board outside. they make things so real!

beautiful ain’t it?

the superstar being crowded among at least 50 people there. MADDD.

so I went to Mr. Pluto instead =P.

MONEH FOUNTAIN.

monument of I don’t know who. =X.

he ain’t.. the rat from ratatouille right…?

I am quite a Disney fail.. I’ve never watched his cartoon. tsk tsk T_T. but I’ve watched Mickey’s shows ALL MY LIFE! my parents still keep those traditional huge old vinyl record discs of Mickey’s cartoon!

restaurants there are all overpriced T_____T. but tastes damn good. we spent like RM600-RM700 just on transport, entry and food!

here, a sneak peak of the price range of food there. but luckily we were smart. we ate our LUNCH at like 11am. I had my most infilling dinner there and it still costs a bomb T_T. but yeah, really good. (by the way, I eat a lot. so it’ll get skinny girls full easily really!)

teehee =P.

I’m a stalker for fashionistas! and IMO, this picture is so good it can be in magazines. yes? =P.

visiting DisneySea only for the sake of photography is very worth it really.

and off we go to Venice! *waves at them*

and took pictures with Cosplayers! my mom is so mean. she ask me why don’t cosplayers put on the same amount of make up n their face like on their body.

I took 1000+ pictures in DisneySea. so I’ll split it to two parts. =P. there are still 500 pictures for me to sort out from!

nervous. life’s scarier than a roller coaster ride for me right now.

두근두근. du geun du geun.

and moments ago I stood up and scared myself on the mirror. when I don’t move much I get very pale.

DID YOU KNOW,

the truth behind that you shouldn’t sleep facing a mirror is because you might get shocked when you wake up and see your own horrifying pale face that looks almost like a corpse? @_____@.

I remembered taking a nap in my friends car on the back seat and when I woke up, my friend driving literally jumped. it was at night and I was wearing white. har har.

and people say that I ALWAYS look too pale. I need to learn how to use some blusher.

taken with my HTC Desire HD. no filter applied.

the HTC Desire HD never fails to satisfy me as a phone’s camera. but it’s time they come out with a HDR filter.

Wai Yan introduced me to Lancome Miracle liquid foundation and really, does miracles.

Artistry’s (get it from your friend who does AMWAY!)  bling bling eye shadows are awesome. but I hate their liquid foundation. it makes you look like you’re wearing a mask of mask up.

Yee Hou told me that contact lenses makes the true sparks of the eye disappear. hmm. true.

Missha has the best pencils. cheap too. like RM16 (Ikano has a Missha shop). and you can get it in Korea for RM6!

actually I’m quite lousy in make up. I don’t know what are primers for and I don’t use them T_T.

shall learn as I grow. MORE YOUTUBE VIDS!

Insa-dong, the traditional street is a famous tourist destination, where I, personally don’t usually favour tourist spots so much. but Insa-dong is unique. they are not only filled with foreigners. instead, I bought the prettiest cheapest pair of boots from an uncle who couldn’t speak in english! (I saw similar boots selling here for around RM120 while I bought it for a little bit over RM50!)

“Haru Bang” or the 하루방 are these huge stone sculptures. VERY FAMOUS. usually with HUGE eyes and a lot shorter. these Haru Bangs are especially famous in Jeju Island 제주도 and are found in many many parts in South Korea.

this is Insa-dong. surprisingly, it didn’t look too crowded on such a beautiful day.

freeeezing.

so, what is sold in Insa-dong? I will say.. everything to do with SILK. silk purses, silk mirrors, silk clutches, silk table cloth.. okay, this is only for this shop. there are things like.. a variety of huge to small brushes, mini hanboks (Korean traditional wear for women), chopsticks, ceramics.. and whatever you can think of that is traditional.

so there are many these and that, everything traditionally beautiful.

CERAMICS!!! hey I make these too. =D. ceramics are called 도자기 Dojagi.

and I was probably blind for being picturate. illiterate on pictures HAHAH. well not like I can see it’s detailed designs so far away pfft.

AND OTHER THAN SELLING THOSE TRADITIONAL STUFF… you’d find many interesting cute stuff the more you walk =D. I bought my cute keychain here for only 3000won = RM9. or was it 4000won. forgot. I saw the same ones selling here in Viva Mall, they imported it and hence they are selling them for RM20. haha.

ABSOLUTELY ADORABLE RINGS!!! either 3000 or 4000won also =D. I bought the brown bear. it was the last one and I took it >=D.

SO, in the middle of the traditional street, here comes a modern place. Ssamziegil 쌈지길.

nothing too huge, but 4 levels high. THIS place is a MUST GO. it’s like the perfect art center. everything there is so unique. things you’d never imagined it to exist. it’s all here.

this artist over here. she draws inpromptu inner portraits. and she draws it ON THE SPOT. heck, every drawing is so pretty it could be hung on my living room! I was so amazed by her! but Insa-dong was actually a last minute plan. so we just snapped away.

see what I mean by artistic? haha. there are more.. paintings on the wall.. words scribbled everywhere on the side stairways (and you’re allowed to, so remember to bring your marker!).. nothing graffiti. I noticed Koreans really love leaving their marks hahaha. it’s a romantic thing I guess. some, they’d even do tattoos to symbolize their love for their partners!

drawings on shirts, badges, PILLOWS, you name it. =D. quite expensive though. kaching kaching~

a pretty shop that sells miniatures. all shops in Seoul is so pretty it makes you want to go into every one of them. really. here, because beautiful shops are so rare, if we see one we wouldn’t dare to walk into it. and in Seoul, it’s EVERYWHERE!

some miniatures from the shop. their display outside. the ones in the shop are like.. earrings, necklace, handphone accessories and stuff.

we got hungry so we went to this pretty underground restaurant.

it’s so pretty and I was thinking that my pockets will have more holes in it. (prettier than normal shops on the street that sells the same food. it’s like.. more exclusive looking)

ordered two sets. one soup set and another sizzling pork galbi. and there came the many side dishes. like 10 of them.

there were more on the left. =D.

and GIM!! whyyyy. why doesn’t any Korean restaurant in Malaysia serve Gim too. Gim 김 = salted seaweed.

those Korean words on the box meant to not take more than what you can eat and have as much as you want ^^. YAY FOR ME HEHEHE.

and you eat it like this. or with just rice. it’s delicious. SUPER DELICIOUS. I had more than one bowl of rice. D=. such a glutton tsk tsk.

I ate at least 10 wraps. =D. I eat a lot for a girl. I ate 7 bowls of pasta before! the bowl is as big as a rice bowl only though. but a little bit bigger.

this pretty building sells ceramics on the ground floor!

will never have my hair cut short. I came to Insa-dong right before my flight. seriously, after a week of not sleeping much, you’d look like that ^.

I thought that this shop is really special, grassy walls. haha. shop for them babies. D=.

Kencho-ji Temple is one of the hugest temples there but it ain’t exactly the hugest. nor is it the most popular. what I can say is, the number of temples and shrines in Kamakura will definitely exceed 20. and if you really want to enjoy the scenery of each temple you’d probably only get to 3 maximum per day on a chilly winter day.

so from Engaku-ji Temple, we followed the maps around in search for more temples.

we crossed the railway tracks right outside Engaku-ji Temple and headed left.

very cute Japanese girl! aww! <3.

did I mention I was freezing? and it was drizzling.

the WALK I had around this traditional little neighbourhood was splendid. it was phenomenal. you’d never find any place like this in Tokyo. what I am talking about is, you MUST pick a day and get yourself outta Tokyo to visit the countrysides (I sacrificed Tokyo Tower for this place. T____T. WORTH IT).

directions, guides and prices? click HERE for my previous post!

can you believe it these are actually menus and prices. thank goodness for me I am able to read Chinese numbers so I know. =D. I know a little words only though. like.. a hundred? =(.

sadly, it is pretty commercialized. well, when a place is this beautiful it ain’t gonna run from being commercialized. but well, this is like.. a dog gallery. it sells and displays everything related to dogs! YAY I LOVEEE. did you know about this Cat Island in Japan? further east. I’d like to visit it but I really dislike cats. D=.

pretty cafes along the “main road”. and you can always stroll around the housing areas near the KitaKamakura station. absolutely authentic and beautiful.

Japanese people are forever so neat. and pretty.

the walk is around 15minutes but with such a view? I’m not tired!

Sakura Cafe. during the Sakura season, Kamakura is actually FILLED with Sakuras? it’s almost like a dream. T_T. there was some brochures and posters around Shinagawa station which was going to take off to Kamakura. (and it was nearrrrrrrr the Sakura season! T_T)

the Sakura Season usually starts on the first week of April =). lasts two weeks!

and it’s something like.. pink snow when the wind blows U_U.

authentic Jappy restaurant!

SAKURA BUDS! why oh why T_T. but there was this tree in DisneySea which was fully bloomed! but well, there were only a few of them T_T. there’s a park in Tokyo called the Ueno (oo-eh-no) filled with Sakura trees! will blog about it later. though when I went it was all pretty bald. =(.

more railway crossings!! I am weird for fancying these. =S.

SAMURAI HOUSE! and that’s right that’s my mom. I chose to walk on the other side because I think that her side is prettier and because I’d rather capture the full view of the beautiful view rather than to see it closer. such a huge sacrifice for all of you reading! tsk tsk.

the LONGEST ROW of vending machines I saw there. and there’s a school right beside Kencho-ji Temple! ^^.

and those are the dream uniforms <3. I’d love to study in a school where guys dresses like that. so cool T_T. girls have fantasies for guys in school uniforms just like how guys does. =D. except that the school uniform must be MADE IN JAPAN. hahaha.

see how huge the “main road” is? =P. but because everybody here’s so healthy, they either take bus or walk, I can stand in the middle of the road! =D.

it was really cold. I was wondering how those Jap school girls could just go out in mini skirts WITHOUT any leggings. my pantyhose was quite thin but at least I have another layer of something. but my hands were literally numb. I couldn’t really feel anything. D=. it was my worst experience holding my camera because I can’t really feel it. so afraid I’d drop it.

oh, remember to bring TISSUE. your.. nose will get runny. without you knowing it. =/.

spam.

spam.

FINALLY! the entrance of Kencho-ji Temple. pretty long walk. great thing about Japan is that they have warm rooms or places for you to melt in in case you’re dying from being ice cold.

there’s a row of shops outside. so when you’re hungry, you can glutton up like me. =D.

such a beautiful place U_U. was told the other temple has like a WIDE LAKE and ANOTHER ONE has a BIG BUDDHA. gosh. I wish I had more time there. didn’t know about it until somebody who lives in Japan told me about it. really, not a place to be missed!

(actually when we went back we had a choice to visit ONE MORE temple but we were just too exhausted. but trust me my most exhausted day was in DisneySea. and I’m a girl who walks from 11am to 11pm non stop in HK. probably because it wasn’t so cold.. and I didn’t have to carry a DSLR pfft.)

the map. huge ain’t it?

souvenirs ain’t so.. affordable if you were going to buy them for your friends. =/.

your only choice are 100yen shops or errr, stationeries? =S. super exp for stationery but it’s gonna be a good investment.

but I’d recommend food. totally affordable =D.