Spazz Saturday #5 | Happy Chuseok!

Today, the festivities begin in Korea as the country celebrates Chuseok, (추석) the Korean Thanksgiving Day. For Koreans, this is the biggest and most important holiday of the year as family members reunite and get-together to share food and give thanks to their ancestors for the abundant harvest.

This year, Chuseok falls on a Sunday, September 30. However, the event is celebrated for three days, beginning today, September 29 all the way until Monday, October 1. During this period, Koreans usually travel back to their respective hometowns to spend time with their families, hold memorial services for their departed loved ones, and visit ancestral graves.

Photo credit: Visit Korea

A common sight during Chuseok are Hanbok, or traditional Korean clothes as pictured above. If you're into period dramas like me (think Arang and the Magistrate, The Princess Man, and The Rooftop Prince), then I'm sure you're pretty familiar with these. This custom is called 'Chuseokbim', and is still practiced up to this very day.

I think Hanboks are the prettiest traditional clothes. I am so enamored by them that I asked the husband to buy one for the little man. It's a good thing Hanboks are readily available at department stores these days. Originally, they are made-to-order and handcrafted by skilled tailors only.

I received the little man's Hanbok just now; it was brought home by Youngsuk unni. She's my cousin-in-law's wife and they're in the country for a brief, four-day vacay. And yes, she's Korean. I'll post a photo of the little man wearing his Hanbok later. For now, here's the aegi and I, sending Chuseok greetings to all our Korean chingus! Happy Thanksgiving Day! :)

Spazz Saturday #3 | Gangnam Style!

Welcome to week three of Spazz Saturday!
Apologies for last week's absence, and the week before that, too. The past two weekends had been crazy! Speaking of crazy...

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Unless you've been living under a rock, then I'm pretty sure you've seen or heard about 'Gangnam Style' - PSY's single that has taken the entire planet by storm.

'Gangnam Style' is a Korean colloquial term that refers to the luxurious lifestyle associated with the rich and famous residents of Gangnam district - the most upscale and affluent part of Seoul. Think of it as 'swag' or 'yolo' in English slang.

Released last July 15, the song was written and recorded as the title single of the sixth studio album PSY 6 (Six Rules), Part 1 and became the talk of the town among Kpop fans as soon as its video was released on YouTube. The video became viral, and went on to become an international sensation.

This overwhelming popularity paved the way for PSY's international stardom - this includes PSY's expansion in the United States, plus his U.S. debut appearance at the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards. PSY also gained the interest of many Hollywood top honchos, including Justin Bieber's manager, Scott Braun. To date,  PSY is now part of SchoolBoy Records, where he recently signed a contract with.

And just in case you haven't seen the video yet, here it is. See why the world has gone nuts over PSY's 'Oppa Gangnam Style'. :)

How about you? What's making you spazz right now? Share your posts below!

Remember, this linky party is not limited to Kpop idols or Korean stars. I just happen to be very, very, fond of them. 

Please don't forget to link back to this blog or grab the code above! Comments are most welcome, too.

At a Glance | Skin Food Royal Honey Eye Cream.

It's been three months since I got this loot of Korean cosmetics, and would you believe that I still haven't used most of them?! Save for the Tony Moly Daily Sun Cream, the Missha Under Eye Brightener, and the Skin Food Royal Honey Eye Cream, everything else is still unopened, sealed, and intact.

From Seoul with love. :)

The Skin Food Royal Honey Eye Cream, was the very first product that I opened from this bunch.
I specifically asked for this from my husband because I'm still (and I guess I always will be) obsessing over puffiness, crow's feet, and dark undereyes.

Really cute tube, IMHO.

Royal Honey, as described in the Skin Food website, is a natural, raw black honey enriched with a myriad of nutrients that are good for the skin. It can usually be found in South Asian forests, one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Gift set contains Royal Honey Toner and Royal Honey Emulsion.

This eye cream also contains royal jelly extracts which soothes and transforms dry skin, leaving it with a nice, moisturized glow.

It's cream, all right!

Unlike the Platinum Grape Cell Eye Cream, which is rather greasy and a bit runny, this one is what a cream should be. Its consistency is thick, but spreads quite easily on the skin. Just a little goes a long way, so I reckon this Royal Honey will last me for two or three months. Maybe even beyond that!

And since it comes in a tube, it's very hygienic to use, unlike the full-sized Grape Cell Eye Cream and the Black Rasperry Eye Cream which come in jars. I love how good it smells (it's made of honey, after all), plus the fact that there's English text written at the back of the tube.

Dangsin-eun Hangul ilgeulso? (Can you read Korean?)

I've been using this product for more than a month now, and I'm liking it so far. Although I can't quite gauge its anti-wrinkle effect on me, I did notice that my undereyes have become less puffy and aren't as dark as it used to be.

Locally this eye cream sells for around Php1000, and can be bought at Skin Food outlets nationwide. (And practically at every corner in Myeongdong, lol!)

Will I repurchase? Well, I wouldn't mind if the husband buys me another tube.
But I'm thinking of switching to Missha's Golden Snowflake and/or (lol) Super Aqua Eye Cream, just because. :)

Big Bang's Big Heart: Helping 600,000 children through UNICEF

Since the release of their Alive album, and their special edition Still Alive album, Big Bang has become more popular than ever and has gained the love and support of fans worldwide. But despite being at the top of the world with their continuous success, the group never fails to return the love and attention that they have been receiving.

On June 14, an agreement between YG Entertainment and UNICEF has been made. The former, represented by Director Yang Min Suk, and the latter, represented by Secretary General Ryu Jong Soo, met at the UNICEF Headquarters in Korea and have agreed that part of the proceeds from the Big Bang Alive Tour 2012 will go to UNICEF. The donation will come from the ticket sales, and will go towards vaccination programs for children. With this, an estimated 600,000 children will be able to receive immunization for measles. One ticket is like saving the life of one child in Africa.

YG Entertainment and UNICEF are also planning to release special Big Bang collectibles which will be sold at concert venues. Profits will also be used for the vaccination program.

According to G-Dragon, "We want to repay all the love that we received from around the world, which is why we decided to help UNICEF." The group leader further explained, "The money raised will be used for children’s immunization. We hope that many children will not get sick and grow up healthy.”

Source: TV Report

Spotlight | Posh and Pretty with Eazy Fashion!

There are two things I can't ever and will never leave the house without - makeup and accessories. Of course, you all know how much I love makeup. It is, after all, written all over this blog.

As for the latter, well, I haven't really posted much about this, save for my Vera Wang watch and the surprise from my husband. However, if you're one of my regular readers and if you have an eye for detail, then perhaps you might have noticed the trinkets I wear in my selcas (self-capture) and/or Mommy and Me shots.

Case in point,

this Kate Middleton-inspired necklace.

And these, too.

Dangling pearl earrings.

England charm bracelet + my college ring.

You see, I'm a jeans and t-shirt girl. I'm not into fancy shmancy tops, girly girly dresses, and floral prints. Especially floral prints! (My goodness, I'd rather wear tattered sweats and baggy pants than something that resembles the curtains in my grandmother's house!)

This is where the accessories come in. I jazz up my otherwise bland and boring outfit with showstopping baubles - a pair of dainty earrings, a quirky necklace, a chunky bracelet, or a funky ring. Hence, I am always on the look out for interesting jewelry pieces whenever I go to the mall or browse online. The more it screams for attention, the better. Best if they come in reasonable prices, too.

Just recently, I've discovered Eazy Fashion - a haven of all things posh and pretty. Take a look at some of the items available at their online shop.

Black Pearls and Gold Charms Bracelet.

Leopard Queen Prints Earrings.

Pink Love Locket / Charm Necklace.

They sell mostly Korean accessories, and you know I have a deep affinity for all things Korean. They come in pocket-friendly prices (wholesale prices, even) too, which is the icing to the cake.

Rummaging through their vast collection and limiting your purchase to just a few items can be quite tough. Especially when everything you see tickles your fancy and catches your attention. I managed to resist the temptation of hoarding everything, and was able to narrow down my shopping cart to just six items.

L-R: Starry Starry Night Black Chain Bracelet, Ruby Heart Stud Earrings, Purple Moon Stones Earrings, Pink Marmalade Star Earrings, Kissing Star Necklace, Sparkling Silver Star Studded Ring.

As a promo, customers get the wholesale price when they purchase a minimum of six items. That way, you enjoy bigger savings as you buy more items. And for a single purchase of at least Php1000, you can have your orders shipped for free!

Now let's take a closer look at my loot. First up, the earrings.

I am impressed with how elegant these pieces are. They look so elegant, you wouldn't even think they're costume jewelry! The one in the middle is my absolute favorite. Yeah, you guessed it right. Because it comes in my favorite color. 

I'm a huge fan of charms, and needless to say, I'm totally smitten by this piece, too. It's a Disney-inspired kidada wrap complete with beads, stars, and a pixie charm. The price? Cheaper by a long shot than the ones sold at Disney Couture. Waaaay cheaper, if you understand what I mean.

Now if you're a Kdrama/Kpop fan, this piece needs no introduction. But for the benefit of those who are not, this my friends, is the Kissing Star Necklace made famous by the 2009 Korean drama Boys Over Flowers. 

Let me just make it clear though, I am not a fan of the Goo Joon Pyo-Geum Jan Di tandem. I was rooting for Yoon Ji Hoo all along, which was portrayed by no other than Kim Hyun Joong. (insert fangirl screams here)

Finally, this ring, which I wore for the first time yesterday. 

Wedding band + engagement ring + Star Ring = daebak :)

It matches pretty well with the Kissing Star Necklace, don't you think?

I was actually looking for those neon-colored rings that Siwon wore on the 5th jib cover, but I can not - for the life of me - find a local store that sells them. This adjustable Sparkling Star ring is the closest I can get my hands on, and I have no regrets getting this instead. Banjjag banjjag! (That's sparkling sparkling in Korean.)

Now here's the thing. I have the pleasure and the honor of teaming up with Eazy Fashion for a huge summer giveaway. And when I say huge, I mean HUGE! 

We're giving away a prize package worth Php 1800 (more or less US$45 depending on the exchange rate for the day, lol)! Two of the items included in this package are the Black Pearls and Gold Charms Bracelet and the Leopard Queen Prints Earrings, which I've mentioned above. I'm not squealing the rest of the prize package to keep you all in suspense, hehe. 

But I won't keep you hanging for too long as I'll be revealing the prizes come May 14th, when my Summer Splash Giveaway goes live. That's barely two days away! 

This event will run until May 27th, so mark your calendars and set your eyes on the prize! See you all on Monday! :)

Shared with InstaFriday, Photostory Friday, Pink Friday, Pink Saturday, Happiness Is, Mommy Moments, Mom and Me Monday, Blue Monday, and i Heart Macro.

Super Junior | Take Me to the Opera!

My boys just released 'Opera',  their third Japanese single.
And they're selling like hotcakes almost sold out at YesAsia.

I'm not surprised, actually. After all, they're the best boy group ever, IMHO. Plus Opera's MV is just so spunky!
My oh my! I can't wait for their 6th full album!

Fly me to Jeju! Big Bang style!

Allow me to take a break from all the giveaways and sponsor spotlights 

and give the rightful spotlight to...

JEJU AIR

and

Photo credit:  TeamBIGBANG™

BIG BANG!

Isn't this daebak? Nomu nomu daebak!!! The first plane takes off today with Gimpo-Jeju as its route.

If and when our South Korea trip pushes through, I will see to it that I fly aboard one of those planes. (Hello, husband! Just reiterating the Jeju trip you promised for our anniversary!)

For the Love of Pororo.

My fascination for Korea is no secret. If you've been following my blog for quite some time, then you pretty much have an idea how much I love the country and its culture. I watch Korean dramas as if they were my sustenance, and Kpop songs have taken over my iPod and CD shelf. My makeup is Korean, the noodles on my cupboard are Korean, the chocolates and canned coffee inside my fridge are Korean, heck, even my toothbrush is Korean!

Even my son has joined the bandwagon. Because now, even the cartoon that he watches is Korean. Of course, I'm referring to none other than Pororo the Little Penguin!

Pororo and Friends!

Yue first saw him in an episode of Running Man, a Korean variety show. (See? I don't even watch Philippine TV anymore!) Haha, one of the shows co-hosts, has earned the name of Haroro because of his distinct resemblance to the little penguin. If I remember correctly, this is the episode where Yue first laid eyes on Pororo.

Haha + Pororo = Haroro.

From then on, the little man has kept on bugging me about 'the penguin with glasses' and why he can't find him on TV. While Pororo has a worldwide following and broadcast rights of his show are distributed to 80 different countries, the Philippines - unfortunately - is not one of them. So for the love of Pororo and my son, I had to download episodes from the web, convert them into .mp4, and burn them into DVDs. I even had to weed out the Hangul episodes because Yue couldn't possibly read the subtitles just yet.

These days, he's asking for Pororo toys, which, of course, are also unavailable here. Now my husband is on a mission to buy (all of) these for his son.

Photo credit: The Korean Baby

Singing Pororo plushie.

Pororo ball.

Photo credit: The Korean Baby

Pororo bike.

That wouldn't be much of a feat since Pororo can be found practically anywhere in Korea. For sure the little penguin is available even at the Emart and Homeplus nearest to my husband's apartment. I smell (toy) shopping over the weekend.

And just so you know, Pororo is not just a penguin. He also happens to be a PR Ambassador for the Visit Korea Year Campaign.

Ambassador Pororo

Now isn't he inspiring? :)

Sharing with Toy Stories, Blue Monday, Mellow Yellow Monday and Orange Tuesdays.

Not from Joseon, Not a Joseon Man.

"Is your husband Korean?" 
"Is your son half-Korean?"
"Have you been to Korea before?"

These questions I've been asked one too many times before. My ears have actually gotten used to it. I usually get asked by new acquaintances, distant relatives whom I've reconnected with through Facebook, or even strangers that we meet at the mall, the fastfood chain, or at the doctor's clinic.

Perhaps its his alabaster skin, doe eyes, Hallyu hairstyle, or his ability to speak a bit of Hangul that makes people think Yue is Korean, or has a Korean dad. I find it funny, at times flattering, whenever people refuse to believe that my husband is a Filipino, or that Yue is a full-blood Pinoy. I get the most interesting reactions from people each time I tell them they have it wrong.

My most interesting encounter, by far, happened just recently while at the supermarket. Out of habit, Yue and I would always swing by the imported goods section and check out the Korean food items on the shelves. (I was hoping I'd come across some instant jjajangmyun or instant bibimbap.) As the little man exclaimed at the sight of a Pororo milk drink, a very Korean-looking ahjumma (elder woman) came from behind and began speaking to me. In Hangul.

Happy penguin Pororo!

"Annyong haseyo!" she greeted. "Odiso oshiosoyo?" (Hello! Where are you from?) In my mind I was like, 'Oh freak, she thinks I'm Korean?! Because of Pororo???!!!' 

Sure, I understood what she said, and can carry out a decent conversation in Hangul. But of course, my knowledge of the Korean language is limited to the basics - most of which I've learned by watching Kdramas and the Arirang channel.

"Annyong haseyo! Chonun... pilipin... esseo wasseyo," (Hello! I'm from the Philippines.) I greeted back with a smile. At the back of my mind I was summoning the image of Lee Jun Ki in his Let's Learn Korean instructional video.

"De?" she asked. (Huh?) I was worried that I might have said the wrong word, or my pronunciation sounds funny.

"Uh... Yogi... Chonun... Pilipin-saram," (Uh... here... I'm a Filipino.) 'Jeez, my banmal is a mess!' I thought.

The ahjumma gave me a bright smile. "Oh! Kure, kure! Arasso, arasso!" (Oh, right! I understand.)

"Mianheyo, Hanguk-mal jogeum..." I said sheepishly. (Sorry, I speak little Korean.)

"Kokchongma, Hanguk-mal choa!" (Don't worry, it's good.) She glanced at Yue and said, "Adeun minami!" (Your son is handsome.)

"Omo, kansahmnida!" (Oh, thank you!) I bowed my head a little and was thinking if I should do it ninety-degrees ala Super Junior.

And then an ahjussi (elder man), standing at the end of the aisle, shouted "Yobo!" (wife). He was waving his arm, signalling for his wife to come over. I was relieved. I might run out of Hangul if she presses on for a full-blown conversation, haha.

"Kabwa! Kumapta!" (I'm going. Thank you!) And with that smile that never left her face, she sauntered off towards the ahjussi.

I was a bit dazed from what just happened. "Anak, anyare?" (Son, what happened?) I asked Yue. The little man, who was so engrossed with Pororo the entire time, answered, "Sabi nung ahjumma annyeong daw." And then he began singing "Annyeong ne sarang, annyeong ne sarang" - the theme song of Smile You.

Pororo and my little kkonminam.

I chuckled. "Tara na nga, at baka mamaya eh Hapon naman ang kumausap sa kin dito!" (Let's go now, or a Japanese might come next!)

Oh this association with all things Korean! Miccyeoseo miccyeoseo! (Crazy crazy!)


Note: Joseon is what Korea used to be called in the ancient times. This refers to South and North as a whole.


Sharing with 366, InstaFriday, Mommy Moments.

Park Gun Tae | Kkonminam Rising.

When this young actor first appeared on Episode 2 of Warrior Baek Dong Soo, my initial reaction was, 'Omo! He's cute!'

As young Yeo Un in Warrior Baek Dong Soo.

And then I went, 'Jahkahnman... Where have I seen him before???' His face was oddly familiar, and I kept racking my brain for the answer. I even rummaged through my stash of Korean drama DVDs and went through the pictures on the disc covers. After thirty minutes of unsuccessful searching, I ended up going online and googling 'Warrior Baek Dong Soo'. (Which is what I should have done in the first place, lol.)

Turns out, this young man is Park Gun Tae whose acting career has spanned four movies and ten highly successful dramas - including Time Between Dog and Wolf.

As young Lee Soo Hyun in Time Between Dog and Wolf.

That was the answer to my question. I first saw him in Time Between Dog and Wolf. Then twelve years old, he played the role of the young Lee Soo Hyun - the drama's main character. Just to remind you, the adult Soo Hyun was portrayed by no other than my Lee Jun Ki. (This blog should really have a Lee Jun Ki counter, lol.)

A very young and very adorable Park Gun Tae. :)

Now seventeen (he celebrated his birthday last February 5), Park Gun Tae truly has the makings of a great actor. His performance in the 2008 drama East of Eden earned him the Special Child Actor Award from MBC.  And now, as the young Yeo Un in Warrior Baek Dong Soo, he commanded attention to the drama with his strong acting, charismatic smile, and undeniably, his kkonminam looks.

Spell intensity.

His splendid performance, albeit short (they have to grow up in the drama, you see), reminded me of some of my favorite and talented actors. I'll itemize them so as not to confuse you with the names.

• Jang Geun Suk as Lee Chang Hwi in the 2008 drama Hong Gil Dong
• Park Shi Hoo as Kim Seung Yoo in the 2011 drama The Princess' Man
• Lee Jun Ki as Yong in the 2008 drama Iljimae

See? I told you I love period dramas, lol. And no, this has nothing to do with their seemingly similar gorgeous mane of hair.

Watch out world, this rising kkonminam is not just a pretty face. He definitely has the acting skills to boot.

Sharing the ramblings on 366.