I was not a big fan of Jay, that I would admit but under the influence of suzelle (translation for IAM for 2AM) I began to show more interest in Jay. I liked 2PM when Jay was still in it but I will not dwell too much in there. I was impressed with Jay's cover of "Nothing on You" and I start to anticipate his comeback as a full-fledged solo artiste.
And because I'm awake at the unearthly hour of 4AM KST, I actually saw the teaser for 'Abandoned' almost immediately after it was uploaded! All I can say is I can't wait!
Can't wait for the full MV (the dance steps look sleek!)!
Can't wait for the album to be available in stores!
Can't wait for his live performance!!
I think it's going to take the K-Pop scene by storm.
So, without further ado, teaser for 'Abandoned'
Friday, 22 April 2011
Thursday, 21 April 2011
Life in Korea: the famous Lamb
I love coffee. A few people had gone for coffee sessions with me back in Singapore (yes, Lynda, I'm talking about you!) In Korea, I got to know Yoon unnie (who I will introduce in a separate entry) and she brought me to this coffee joint, the famous Lamb that is near to both Kimchi Hostel and Hong Guesthouse. It's nearer to Kimchi actually, like 2 streets away and on the way to Hongik University Subway station.
the famous Lamb is one of the many coffee joints other than the main commercial brands that you can find in Seoul. But what I like about this place is
1. the coffee isn't too expensive,
2. free refills (select from their hand-drip coffee menu and Americano) after ordering the first drink,
3. free WiFi,
4. friendly staff
5. near to Kimchi Hostel where I'm staying so I don't have to walk too far away.
So today, I came to the famous Lamb with Danny to study Korean after lunch. Didn't really manage to study a lot since I had to do other stuff as well. But I'm reminded of the days back in Singapore where I would just pack my laptop and go to Starbucks for a cup of coffee and get some writing done. Maybe I would make this a daily routine instead of just staying at Kimchi the whole day. It's becoming a joke that I'm there longer than the staff who works there.
No, I didn't get a free cup of coffee for writing this. It's a nice and cozy place and since this is all about my life in Korea, I have to write it down.
the famous Lamb
Seoul, Mapo-gu
Donggyo-dong
203-30
the famous Lamb is one of the many coffee joints other than the main commercial brands that you can find in Seoul. But what I like about this place is
1. the coffee isn't too expensive,
2. free refills (select from their hand-drip coffee menu and Americano) after ordering the first drink,
3. free WiFi,
4. friendly staff
5. near to Kimchi Hostel where I'm staying so I don't have to walk too far away.
So today, I came to the famous Lamb with Danny to study Korean after lunch. Didn't really manage to study a lot since I had to do other stuff as well. But I'm reminded of the days back in Singapore where I would just pack my laptop and go to Starbucks for a cup of coffee and get some writing done. Maybe I would make this a daily routine instead of just staying at Kimchi the whole day. It's becoming a joke that I'm there longer than the staff who works there.
No, I didn't get a free cup of coffee for writing this. It's a nice and cozy place and since this is all about my life in Korea, I have to write it down.
Wednesday, 20 April 2011
KOREAN LANGUAGE 101: Korean Verbs-Present Tense (Answers)
If you have not downloaded the notes and table of verbs, you can do so with the links below.
Korean Verb Conjugation-PRESENT TENSE (Formal and Informal Polite) SUMMARY
Korean Verbs Conjugation Table-LIST OF KOREAN VERBS
Below are the answers for 'Test Your Understanding' inside the summary and the correct formation of the 20 verbs given yesterday.
Here's the next 20. Fill in up in your own table. Yes, I don't want to let you copy and paste.
Korean Verb Conjugation-PRESENT TENSE (Formal and Informal Polite) SUMMARY
Korean Verbs Conjugation Table-LIST OF KOREAN VERBS
Below are the answers for 'Test Your Understanding' inside the summary and the correct formation of the 20 verbs given yesterday.
Here's the next 20. Fill in up in your own table. Yes, I don't want to let you copy and paste.
Tuesday, 19 April 2011
Life in Korea: Meeting New People - The Taiwanese Ladies!
Since I traveled alone to Korea this time, if I wanted to have someone to talk to, I would actually have to take the first step in talking to other people. So this would be a series of stories of people I met at Kimchi Hostel and where I went with these people. I have to emphasize that they are not necessarily in the order I met them.
SO! I think this occurred after David moved me back to Kimchi Hostel. There were 3 ladies from Taiwan and I got to know them when they first arrived. Since I spoke Chinese and they spoke Chinese, I became the bridging gap when they can't really speak English to the staff or when they don't really understand the staff. But we only got closer when they had to buy tickets for Park Jung Min's birthday fan meeting and they got Daniel to help them with it since it's all in Korean.
I tagged along for the last few days of their trip here. To be honest, without them, I probably won't have visited some of the places myself. While I acted as the guide on some occasions, they were the ones with the guidebooks. The two boys from Singapore, Shi Hao and Jason came along as well.
I shall talk about our trip to Myeong Dong-Seoul Tower. Basically we decide to go to Myeong Dong because the CD shop that I know of sells CD at cheaper and more reasonable prices than the other shops we saw. We went on the day the Big Bang Special Edition came out.
Here's a tip on getting to Myeong Dong. Because Kimchi and Hong Guesthouse are both located near Hong Dae area, we are on Line 2 of the Seoul Metro. By right, if we want to go to Myeong Dong, we would have to transfer to Line 4 at Seoul Station. That's a VERY LONG walk. So from Hongik Univ. Station, take the subway to Euljiro 1-ga, walk towards Exit 5. You will see a shop selling socks/accessories. Climb the staircase that's next to the store. When you exit, you should see Starbucks to your left and Outback Steakhouse in front of you. Make a right turn and walk straight. After probably 3 minutes, you would probably see Coffee Beans. Continue walking straight, you should see MLB. Once you reach MLB, you are in Myeong Dong. :)
Anyway, since our main motive for going to Myeong Dong was to get the albums and then take the bus to the Seoul Tower, we didn't spend a lot of time in Myeong Dong itself. To put it very simply, Myeong Dong is the mecca of Korean cosmetic brands. You can find probably every Korean brands there, with more than one outlets most of the time.
Getting to Seoul Tower by bus. I know most people would want to do the cable car because it looked so romantic in dramas. I have not tried it myself but I have people telling me that they have to walk quite a distance. So to me, taking the bus is 1. cheaper (900won) and 2. it takes me to the foot of the tower. I have to climb up a very steep slope to reach the tower but that's fine.
To get to the bus, get out at Exit 4 of Myeong Dong Station. Walk towards the bus stop. You should walk past Paris Baguette. Wait for Bus no. 5. It's a special bus that travels from Myeong Dong to Seoul Tower. If you have T-Money card, just tap. If you have to pay cash, it should not be more than 1000won.
I have gone to the Seoul Tower on my own during the day but the view at night was really great. So my advice if you want to go to the Seoul Tower would be to do it when the sun is setting. The setting sun view is gorgeous as well. And then when the city landscape is lit up by the lights, it is really nice!
The highlight of Seoul Tower, other than the observatory is the locks left behind by lovers. We have seen it done on We Got Married (Khuntoria) and Si Ying was actually going to try looking for the Khuntoria lock. No, she was not successful.
I think more than the scenary, it was the company that matters. People who likes the same things as you, people who opened their arms to a stranger when there isn't a need to. So I really have to thank the 3 lovely ladies for a lovely time I had with them.
SO! I think this occurred after David moved me back to Kimchi Hostel. There were 3 ladies from Taiwan and I got to know them when they first arrived. Since I spoke Chinese and they spoke Chinese, I became the bridging gap when they can't really speak English to the staff or when they don't really understand the staff. But we only got closer when they had to buy tickets for Park Jung Min's birthday fan meeting and they got Daniel to help them with it since it's all in Korean.
Introducing my traveling partners from Taiwan: Xiao Mi, Yu Yun and Si Ying
I tagged along for the last few days of their trip here. To be honest, without them, I probably won't have visited some of the places myself. While I acted as the guide on some occasions, they were the ones with the guidebooks. The two boys from Singapore, Shi Hao and Jason came along as well.
I shall talk about our trip to Myeong Dong-Seoul Tower. Basically we decide to go to Myeong Dong because the CD shop that I know of sells CD at cheaper and more reasonable prices than the other shops we saw. We went on the day the Big Bang Special Edition came out.
Here's a tip on getting to Myeong Dong. Because Kimchi and Hong Guesthouse are both located near Hong Dae area, we are on Line 2 of the Seoul Metro. By right, if we want to go to Myeong Dong, we would have to transfer to Line 4 at Seoul Station. That's a VERY LONG walk. So from Hongik Univ. Station, take the subway to Euljiro 1-ga, walk towards Exit 5. You will see a shop selling socks/accessories. Climb the staircase that's next to the store. When you exit, you should see Starbucks to your left and Outback Steakhouse in front of you. Make a right turn and walk straight. After probably 3 minutes, you would probably see Coffee Beans. Continue walking straight, you should see MLB. Once you reach MLB, you are in Myeong Dong. :)
Anyway, since our main motive for going to Myeong Dong was to get the albums and then take the bus to the Seoul Tower, we didn't spend a lot of time in Myeong Dong itself. To put it very simply, Myeong Dong is the mecca of Korean cosmetic brands. You can find probably every Korean brands there, with more than one outlets most of the time.
Getting to Seoul Tower by bus. I know most people would want to do the cable car because it looked so romantic in dramas. I have not tried it myself but I have people telling me that they have to walk quite a distance. So to me, taking the bus is 1. cheaper (900won) and 2. it takes me to the foot of the tower. I have to climb up a very steep slope to reach the tower but that's fine.
To get to the bus, get out at Exit 4 of Myeong Dong Station. Walk towards the bus stop. You should walk past Paris Baguette. Wait for Bus no. 5. It's a special bus that travels from Myeong Dong to Seoul Tower. If you have T-Money card, just tap. If you have to pay cash, it should not be more than 1000won.
I have gone to the Seoul Tower on my own during the day but the view at night was really great. So my advice if you want to go to the Seoul Tower would be to do it when the sun is setting. The setting sun view is gorgeous as well. And then when the city landscape is lit up by the lights, it is really nice!
The highlight of Seoul Tower, other than the observatory is the locks left behind by lovers. We have seen it done on We Got Married (Khuntoria) and Si Ying was actually going to try looking for the Khuntoria lock. No, she was not successful.
I think more than the scenary, it was the company that matters. People who likes the same things as you, people who opened their arms to a stranger when there isn't a need to. So I really have to thank the 3 lovely ladies for a lovely time I had with them.
Life in Korea: Getting a phone line without buying a phone!!
OMG OMG OMG! I'm feeling invincible because I have a Korean HP number!! Seriously this is a question that a lot of people ask when it comes to traveling to Korea. And to be honest, I would never have found the answer if Danny had not told me about it. It's great that Danny is here as a foreigner, first as an exchange student and now as an intern. Because I think a lot of Korean didn't know about the change in rules either. And staying at the hostel helped since I hang out at the reception quite a bit.
So the conversation started because Danny mentioned that he brought his phone over from Germany and all he did was get a SIM card. I was 1. surprised that a phone from overseas can be used in Korea, 2. surprised that he can get a line in the first place (but then he did come on a student's visa so that's different)
After apologizing to him (I doubted his information about the bank account, so he made me apologise), he told me how to go about getting the phone line. Long story short, KT Olleh (or Korea Media rules) has changed since January 2011, you can read about it here.
I ventured to KT Olleh Square at Gwang Hwa Mun (Gwang Hwa Mun Station, Line 5, Exit 2) today, determined to get my pre-paid line since that's the easiest to get. All you need is your passport. But the line is only for use for 3 months. After that you would need to renew with your passport again.
The staff was not too sure that it can be done with JUST my passport and they were going to ask me to go to another store that can do the procedure. So I put on my 'tough customer' mask and told them straight in the face that this is like the MAIN KT Olleh, what do they mean by they can't do the procedure. And I knew my information was right. The shop they want me to go to is under renovation as stated on the website. So they have no choice but to work out how to help me. (They had to call several parties to get the procedure started, etc)
Have your IMEI and SERIAL number ready. For the iPhone, it's easy since you can find all the information in the settings. Not too sure about the other phones but these information should be readily available. Make sure that the country where you bought your phone did not lock your phone and that the phone is a model that's already available/in use in Korea.
The procedure for me is simple. KT Olleh GLOBAL have English-speaking customer service staff. So tell them you want to get a PRE-PAID SIM card for use with your phone. Show them your passport and if they insist that you need a Alien Registration Card, tell them it's NOT necessary for a pre-paid line. The SIM card cost 5,500won and minimum top-up is 2000won. Please have cash ready. You can't pay for the SIM card using credit card and topping up using credit card is only for KOREA-ISSUED credit cards.
Initially, the SIM card didn't work on my phone. But it worked on someone else's phone. I had to call Singtel (I hope I can get that call waived) to ask if they lock the phones. As far as I know, Singapore doesn't practice this. So no, it wasn't Singapore side. In the end, they realised that they typed in the IMEI number wrongly. So they quickly rectified the problem.
What could have been done in 30 minutes took longer than expected. I had to look for a bank since I didn't have cash on me and the whole mistake on my IMEI. But once we got that sorted out, it was a great sigh of relief all round! I don't know how long I can survive on a 10,000won top up but the cost for pre-paid isn't that high. I got the line because I'm going to stay here till June at least so it made more sense to have a phone line and not worry when I want to check my Twitter, etc.
If you ask me if it's necessary to get a pre-paid if you are simply traveling, I would say it really depends on how long you are in Korea. If it's for less than a week, you can opt for the more convenient though more expensive method of renting the phone. You could also choose to roam on your phone.
For foreigners who are coming to work here in Korea, if you have your ARC, you can get a phone line without having to buy a phone. The steps are pretty much similar but you will definitely need your ARC for that. To find out more read the KT Official English Blog.
So the conversation started because Danny mentioned that he brought his phone over from Germany and all he did was get a SIM card. I was 1. surprised that a phone from overseas can be used in Korea, 2. surprised that he can get a line in the first place (but then he did come on a student's visa so that's different)
After apologizing to him (I doubted his information about the bank account, so he made me apologise), he told me how to go about getting the phone line. Long story short, KT Olleh (or Korea Media rules) has changed since January 2011, you can read about it here.
I ventured to KT Olleh Square at Gwang Hwa Mun (Gwang Hwa Mun Station, Line 5, Exit 2) today, determined to get my pre-paid line since that's the easiest to get. All you need is your passport. But the line is only for use for 3 months. After that you would need to renew with your passport again.
The staff was not too sure that it can be done with JUST my passport and they were going to ask me to go to another store that can do the procedure. So I put on my 'tough customer' mask and told them straight in the face that this is like the MAIN KT Olleh, what do they mean by they can't do the procedure. And I knew my information was right. The shop they want me to go to is under renovation as stated on the website. So they have no choice but to work out how to help me. (They had to call several parties to get the procedure started, etc)
Have your IMEI and SERIAL number ready. For the iPhone, it's easy since you can find all the information in the settings. Not too sure about the other phones but these information should be readily available. Make sure that the country where you bought your phone did not lock your phone and that the phone is a model that's already available/in use in Korea.
The procedure for me is simple. KT Olleh GLOBAL have English-speaking customer service staff. So tell them you want to get a PRE-PAID SIM card for use with your phone. Show them your passport and if they insist that you need a Alien Registration Card, tell them it's NOT necessary for a pre-paid line. The SIM card cost 5,500won and minimum top-up is 2000won. Please have cash ready. You can't pay for the SIM card using credit card and topping up using credit card is only for KOREA-ISSUED credit cards.
Initially, the SIM card didn't work on my phone. But it worked on someone else's phone. I had to call Singtel (I hope I can get that call waived) to ask if they lock the phones. As far as I know, Singapore doesn't practice this. So no, it wasn't Singapore side. In the end, they realised that they typed in the IMEI number wrongly. So they quickly rectified the problem.
What could have been done in 30 minutes took longer than expected. I had to look for a bank since I didn't have cash on me and the whole mistake on my IMEI. But once we got that sorted out, it was a great sigh of relief all round! I don't know how long I can survive on a 10,000won top up but the cost for pre-paid isn't that high. I got the line because I'm going to stay here till June at least so it made more sense to have a phone line and not worry when I want to check my Twitter, etc.
If you ask me if it's necessary to get a pre-paid if you are simply traveling, I would say it really depends on how long you are in Korea. If it's for less than a week, you can opt for the more convenient though more expensive method of renting the phone. You could also choose to roam on your phone.
For foreigners who are coming to work here in Korea, if you have your ARC, you can get a phone line without having to buy a phone. The steps are pretty much similar but you will definitely need your ARC for that. To find out more read the KT Official English Blog.
KOREA LANGUAGE 101: Korean Verbs-Present Tense
In this blog, I would also try to share what I have learnt about the Korean language, hopefully in digestible bits. What happens is after I have studied the topic, I would try to summarize, provide examples and practice relevant to the topic.
Actually, tackling the verbs first might not be the smartest thing to do but I just want to get started on this because verb is a HUGE part of any language. One of the thing that I have not been able to find online is a list of useful verbs in Korean. So I hope I'm helping out.
You can download the 2 files below. One is the summary on the conjugation of Korean verbs-Present tense for both FORMAL and INFORMAL (Polite) form. The other is a table of verbs that you can use to fill in. Every day, I would 1. give the answers for the mini exercises in the summary 2. the answers for the tables for the verbs given in the previous day 3. provide more verbs to fill in the table.
The table of verbs is in Korean alphabetical order.
I know. I sound like a teacher. Trust me, when you see the files, you would know that I was really a teacher. ^^
Korean Verb Conjugation-PRESENT TENSE (Formal and Informal Polite) SUMMARY
Korean Verbs Conjugation Table-LIST OF KOREAN VERBS
Actually, tackling the verbs first might not be the smartest thing to do but I just want to get started on this because verb is a HUGE part of any language. One of the thing that I have not been able to find online is a list of useful verbs in Korean. So I hope I'm helping out.
You can download the 2 files below. One is the summary on the conjugation of Korean verbs-Present tense for both FORMAL and INFORMAL (Polite) form. The other is a table of verbs that you can use to fill in. Every day, I would 1. give the answers for the mini exercises in the summary 2. the answers for the tables for the verbs given in the previous day 3. provide more verbs to fill in the table.
The table of verbs is in Korean alphabetical order.
I know. I sound like a teacher. Trust me, when you see the files, you would know that I was really a teacher. ^^
Korean Verb Conjugation-PRESENT TENSE (Formal and Informal Polite) SUMMARY
Korean Verbs Conjugation Table-LIST OF KOREAN VERBS
Monday, 18 April 2011
A New Beginning: New Home and Family-Kimchi Hostel
People who have been reading this blog knows about my decision to come to Korea, how I missed my flight (wait, I didn't write about that YET but I think I would include that in a 'Incheon Internation Airport MUST-KNOWs' post), and eventually how I decide to stay in Korea. I really have to thank the good people at Hong Guesthouse and Kimchi Hostel for providing a shelter and lots of hospitality towards someone who was pretty much lost and left stranded in a foreign land.
So from today onwards, I will be writing on my life in Korea, from the perspective of a tourist, the difficulties faced, the places I have visited or visiting etc. And if you have any questions, do feel free to comment. If I have an answer, I will let you know. If I don't, I would ask around.
And I am going to write in Chinese too. Do help me spread the word around. :)
I have stayed in both Hong Guesthouse and Kimchi Hostel but now I'm pretty much settled in Kimchi Hostel. So I'd introduce my family in Kimchi Hostel first. The pictures will come a little later, have to give the guys some advance notice so they can put on their best shirt.
David: The man who runs both Hong Guesthouse and Kimchi Hostel. He shuffles between the two, organises dinner and weekend parties for the guests in both guesthouses. He's around most of the time and speaks really good English since he grew up in Vancouver.
Day Staff
There's a total of 3 daytime staff at Kimchi Hostel
Jun (Monday-Wednesday)
Daniel (Thursday-Friday)
Steve (Saturday-Sunday)
Night Staff
Danny
Danny is also my Korean language studying partner. So we spent the evening from 9 to 12 studying Korea while he looks after the reception desk. I might start a section on "What I have learnt today" about Korean language on this blog, so keep a lookout for that too.
I hang out at the 'living room' a lot since that's where the TV is. Steve is my TV watching partner when I'm around during the weekend. He'd ask me if I want lunch/dinner when he wants to order delivery.
So all in all, I'm very happy. Now I can spend my days exploring, writing and learning about Korea. I would say I'm at the best place right now.
About the author:
Singaporean who decided to pay Korea a visit after 2 long years of simply talking about it. Due to unforeseen circumstances, ended up staying in Korea.
Currently residing in Seoul, South Korea and staying at Kimchi Hostel.
So from today onwards, I will be writing on my life in Korea, from the perspective of a tourist, the difficulties faced, the places I have visited or visiting etc. And if you have any questions, do feel free to comment. If I have an answer, I will let you know. If I don't, I would ask around.
And I am going to write in Chinese too. Do help me spread the word around. :)
I have stayed in both Hong Guesthouse and Kimchi Hostel but now I'm pretty much settled in Kimchi Hostel. So I'd introduce my family in Kimchi Hostel first. The pictures will come a little later, have to give the guys some advance notice so they can put on their best shirt.
David: The man who runs both Hong Guesthouse and Kimchi Hostel. He shuffles between the two, organises dinner and weekend parties for the guests in both guesthouses. He's around most of the time and speaks really good English since he grew up in Vancouver.
Day Staff
There's a total of 3 daytime staff at Kimchi Hostel
Jun (Monday-Wednesday)
Daniel (Thursday-Friday)
Steve (Saturday-Sunday)
Night Staff
Danny
Danny is also my Korean language studying partner. So we spent the evening from 9 to 12 studying Korea while he looks after the reception desk. I might start a section on "What I have learnt today" about Korean language on this blog, so keep a lookout for that too.
I hang out at the 'living room' a lot since that's where the TV is. Steve is my TV watching partner when I'm around during the weekend. He'd ask me if I want lunch/dinner when he wants to order delivery.
So all in all, I'm very happy. Now I can spend my days exploring, writing and learning about Korea. I would say I'm at the best place right now.
About the author:
Singaporean who decided to pay Korea a visit after 2 long years of simply talking about it. Due to unforeseen circumstances, ended up staying in Korea.
Currently residing in Seoul, South Korea and staying at Kimchi Hostel.
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