상하이로

오월야, 날 기다려. 상하이야, 날 기다려. 난 상하이에 갈 거야. 기획이 잘 되길 바래. 호호...

All pictures above were taken at Nanjing East Walking Street, Shanghai, in Dec 2006 with my Sanyo Xacti 4MP compact camera. My subsequent compact cameras, which are supposedly many generations ahead in terms of technology, are still no match for Xacti's picture quality.

아침

Waking up to a morning filled with spirit of spring in Ganghwa Island

April 15, 2009, 6:59am. My first time watching sunrise in a mountain

돈까스

The other day, while having dinner with friends in a Japanese restaurant, I spoke about how Japanese like to eat crushed sesame seeds. It is not that I know a lot about Japanese food; I just have this experience of grinding sesame seeds in a Japanese chain (in Seoul), Saboten, who pride themselves for selling the original Shinjuku donkatsu.

In Saboten, donkatsu is not served with sauce poured over it. You are required to make your own sauce mix. They will provide you with a small bowl with roasted sesame seeds in it. The bowl has a rough inner surface and you are required to use the small pounder provided to crush the seeds by either pounding or grinding them against the rough wall. Once the seeds are well crushed, they are mixed with donkatsu sauce squeezed out from a bottle. The sauce mix is now ready for you to dip your donkatsu pieces in.

A donkatsu set in Saboten cost KRW10,000 ($12.50SGD) which is twice the price of donkatsu set sold elsewhere. I heard from a friend that there is also a Saboten branch in Parco Marina Bay, Millinia Walk, which sells its donkatsu set for well over $20. I am not too sure if I will pay that price for my fix after having it cheaper in Seoul.

Anyway, Saboten means cactus in Japanese and it is not a pure Japanese word; its origin is traced back to Portugese or Spanish. But to me, it means donkatsu. I believe, that is also how the owner would want every customer to remember them for. I must say their donkatsu is the best I have eaten in Seoul. However, don't take my word for it as I don't really eat that much donkatsu to be able to give a fair and objective judgement.

Saboten outlet near KHU

Saboten's donkastsu is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Sound quite standard but I don't think it is easy to get the meat to be tender so they really do a good job. The picture above is not taken in Saboten; it is for illustration purpose.

비가 온 후

Ever wonder what effect does rain has on land? Or, what effect do tears have on heart? If you ask a peasant, you may get the right answers.

The land becomes more harden after rain (비가 온 후 땅이 더 굳는다 - a Korean proverb). Similarly, tears steel a heart. Every upset in life makes a person stronger and more resilient than before.

But there is a problem. When soil becomes compacted, no crops can grow well. Likewise, a heart that is steeled will not allow love to blossom. Too much knock from harsh reality can make a person callous, apathetic and insensitive.

A peasant know how to plow and aerate the land on a yearly basis before the planting season starts. On the other hand, how many of us actually 'plow' our heart? When was the last time we 'plow' and soften it? Perhaps, we may not even be aware our heart has hardened since the relationship between tears and heart is not so straightforward.

Have I lost touch with nature? Then why I didn't know the effect of rain on land until I came across the Korean proverb.

Planting season is starting soon. Time to plow the hardened land. [ Farmland in Ganghwa Island, early spring 2009 ]

항구

부산 영도 한 항구에 정박해 있는 배들

교대

Farewell cherry blossoms... until next spring

There is always a season for every flower. Hello Royal Azelea!

팝콘

(Note: Popcorn Noraebang has closed down since 11 Sep 2010)

Popcorn and more

There is a new noraebang in town. It is tucked away in one of the old shophouses in the quaint Arab Street. "Popcorn Noraebang" as it is called, is probably the best place now to get your fix of the latest Korean songs. Song like "Lupin" and "Oh!" were already in their song list. However, you may not have much luck if you try to search for song as recent as "Run Devil Run".

Another improvement at the place is they have done away with those crappy scenery videos and movie cuts. Original music videos are now used though there is one thing you need to be told: the music video is not the original MV for the song. For example, when "Oh!" by SNSD came on, the video shown was that by Son Dambi and After School in "Amoled".

As you enter the noraebang, the first thing you will notice is a popcorn-making machine. So you see, they don't call popcorn noraebang for nothing. As for the room, it is clean and bright with simple furnishing and a big LCD TV. Popcorn is on the house but you will have to pay $33 an hour for the use of facility.

We were hoping that there would be "service" (extra free singing time) like what they do in Korea but no luck as the place was quite pack with crowd despite opening not long ago. More information about the place below:

Popcorn on the house

Colourful LED lights in this tamborine will light up when you hit it. The snack menu is under the tamborine. Snack prices range from $10 to $80.

New remote controller

Newly-minted song list

Popcorn Noraebang (팝콘 노래방)
Address: 122 Arab Street S199817
Telephone: 6293-5833
Operating Hours: Daily 1pm-3am

How to get there: Take MRT to Bugis Station. Exit from the station and walk about 7 minutes in the direction of Arab Street. The noraebang's entrance is not on the main street; it is in a small alley. Nevertheless, you will still see a signboard on the main street to direct you.

The above signboard can be seen along Arab street. Turn into the alley below this signboard to get to the entrance.

Popcorn Noraebang is on the 2nd floor of the shophouse.

고립

약속

만발

Every year around this time, cherry blossoms in Seoul will reach their peak.

The best cherry blossoms picture I have taken.