Bali - sight

I always thought Bali is more of a secluded hideaway for tourists to unwind, to get away from the hustle bustle of big crowded cities. Boy, was I naive! Whether you are a nature lover, a history buff, a spiritual scholar or a shopaholic, there is no shortage of places to visit in Bali! Hehe, there is even a trace of our handsome prince here, remember this Yong Joon’s Manstar CF shots? @@ Gorgeous!

Since our interest was to watch the sunsets over Indian Ocean, the hotel concierge arranged to have a chauffeur driving us every late afternoon to the spectacular sunset spots in Bali. This worked out perfect as we could relax and took a dip in the cool ocean during the hot day, then ventured out to enjoy the beautiful scenaries and dinner in the city too!

Uluwatu Temple perched on a steep cliff 250 feet above the roaring Indian Ocean. Founded in the 10th century by a Hindu priest, it was built to ward off evil spirits from the southwest. Don't these interesting shaped temples look like they just came out from a fairy tale?

Breathtaking view of Indian ocean and Uluwatu cliff
Sunset over Uluwatu is a sight to behold, thousands of toursist flock here every evening just to enjoy this moment.
Monkeys have claimed the Uluwatu temple ground as their home. They are considered sacred but very naughty. We saw them snatching sunglasses and hats from a few tourists. See, this one has 'confiscated' the tree branch that our driver used to protect us :)

We were amazed to notice the silhouette of this sacred monkey in the foreground with the temple and sunset as its background, so surreal :)

Kecak dance performances are held at the temple daily around sunset. It is a combination of ancient ritual, dance and drama. Native men sit around in circle chanting tribal rhythms while the characters dress in colorful costumes dance out the story in the center. You see, the entire performance has no musical instrument, the men just chanted out 'tsa tsa tsa .....' in high and low, loud and soft, fast and slow as the background music, so now my son and I always refer this as the 'tsa tsa tsa' dance :)

Tanah Lot temple is most famous for its sunset Kodak moment. It was built around the 15th century on a holy rock island for the worship of the Balinese sea gods.

Just like Kinkakuji (Golden Temple) in Kyoto, there were crowds of tourists aiming their cameras and persistent vendors hustling around. Because no one could get close to the temple ground, it managed to retain its sacredness and mystery in this fantasy setting.

Spectacular sight of the waves against the sunset @@
As usual, commercialism interferes with nature - the many local stores selling colorful touristy stuffs

Garuda Wisnu Kencana (GWK for short) is a private cultural park devoted to the Hindu god Vishnu and his mount, the mythical bird Garuda, who is his companion. It was built on the site of an abandoned quarry mine.

The current statue of Vishnu is 75 ft high, the original plan was for a 480 ft gold plated Vishnu riding Garuda on top of an 11 storey entertainment complex. However, the developers ran out of money and the construction is halted midway. As you see, both statues are unfinished, still the size is humonguous!



Jimbaran Bay is a fishing village and tourist resort in Bali, widely known for the fresh seafood restaurants and its night life. It came highly recommended to us for a candlelight dinner (hehe, for 3 :) right on the beach. Jimbaran Bay is also the site of the 2005 bombing, that's why security check in this area is very tight. See, there are miles and miles of restaurants right on the beach.


You chose the type of seafood and they grilled it for you in the kitchen. I personally find this a bit disappointing as the seafood was not really live and fresh. I felt sick after this dinner, luckily got over it quickly.

Sigh no wonder! It was so dark that night with that teensy weensy 'romantic' candle on the table, I couldn't even see what I was eating. Now when I am back home studying this picture, we ate all these black burnt fishes (and who knows how many more flying insects around us)! Cough cough cough ......

For the remaining of our trip, we decided to play it safe and stayed put in the hotel, what a pampering experience! Thanks for reading, last part - Bali touch .....

Weekend delight

Hi Hi sisters .... hope you are enjoying your weekend. We had a fantastic shopping day and as usual, everywhere was packed with people. It is actually a good sign to see that consumers have the confidence to spend and keep the business cycle turning. When I returned home, I found these never-been-published Faceshop pictures posted by tomato in byjgallery, am so very tired but our prince's face is just too gorgeous not to post :)




from baidu by YJ影之国

Bali - taste

We had a very deep sleep (you know the kind of sleep that you feel all your bones have sunk into the mattress?) and woke up to a glorious Bali morning!

After much of a struggle, we dragged our reluctant son out of bed (btw, if anyone knows of an effective and pain free way to wake a teenager up in the morning, please write a book about it :) I was curious to verify if the breakfast is really 'out of this world' as everyone had attested to. The set up of Boneka restauarnt has a separate kitchen/buffet area, cheery relaxing dining room and an outdoor terrace, all surrounded by infinity fountains overlooking the hotel ground.



As soon as we settled at our table, there are cheerful servers parading around offering you their fine delicacies du jour and freshly baked pastries. Of course, you can also order from the endless selection on their menu or choose from the cook-to-order buffet area, but why walk when you have everything being brought to your table? Hehe, that's why I got punished with this supersize tummy :) Now, hope you are hungry cause there's a lot of food coming up .....

The vitamin drinks - fresh fruit smoothies, the passion fruit is heavenly!

My favourite - eggs benedict

sausage and potato cake

fresh tuna sashimi

Indonesian rice porridge

assorted dim sum

Indonesian homecooked specialty - personally prepared by the hostess
lobster omelette
American steak and eggsmie goreng
nasi goreng

fresh fruit crepes
whipped cream waffles

my son's craving for a good ol' chocolate donut

Hehe, we were not that greedy, these were different dishes that we tried over the entire stay. Of course, our growing teenager was not satisfied with just a small breakfast like this, lucky there is a delicatessan inside the hotel serving heavenly pastries and fresh sandwiches to keep his stomach happy between meals.

Gourmand Deli
their cutom order cakes and fine chocolates are absolutely irresistable! there is even a chocolate fountain with fresh strawberries for hotel guests to enjoy.
fresh natural gelato pastrami sandwich

This chocolate cake and cafe latte were sinfully rich! There are jars of these fresh chocolate chips cookies for customers to munch on :)

Yes I hear you, what kind of trip journal is that without any famous sightseeing spots. That'll be next, my Bali - sight ......

Bali - feel

To most city dwellers, whenever we think of exotic resorts like Tahiti, Fiji and Bali, a perception of 'lost paradise' inevitably flashes across our minds. After all, all the components of perfect relaxation are here - sunny blue sky, calm turquoise sea, white sandy beach plus a touch of unique mysterious culture. After Seoul, Cairns, Sydney, Hong Kong; Bali was the next dream destination on our family edition of ‘Around Asia in 800 days’ @@ To me, the appeal to these exotic resorts is their catering to the senses – feel, aroma, sound, taste and sight, so I’d like to approach my memory of Bali in the same fashion.

The moment we stepped off the congested JAL flight at Denpasar Ngurah Rai International Airport, we were greeted by our smiling hotel staff and escorted to a spacious VIP lounge. While the attentive hostess was serving us fragrant towels, cold drinks and hors d’oeuvres, another staff promptly took care of our immigration visa and luggage (you see, all tourists are required to apply for visitor visa upon arrival). What a wonderful way to start a stress-free holidays!



When we emerged a good hour later feeling refreshed, we noticed other passengers on the same flight were still lining up at immigration! We were led swiftly past customs to a limousine waiting outside, 3 other hotel staffs greeted us with more fragrant towels and cold drinks. By the time our limo pulled into the hotel compound, it was already past midnight. As we stepped into the airy open lobby of St. Regis Bali Resort, a warm breeze blew onto my face as if it was giving me a gentle welcome kiss. I could hear the remote sound of ocean waves crashing onto shore like it was rushing in to greet me. The whole ambience of the grand lobby, dim lighting, floral fragrance and the warm smiles (and more cold drinks! My poor bladder was bursting already), I felt like I had traveled back to the 1900s glamour era of John Jacob Astor’s hospitality.


The staffs cordially led us to our suite, by then we were so tired that I felt like these fluffy soft beds were inviting me to jump in!


Well, not before the trigger-happy hubby snapped up a few pictures around the room first ....

Foyer/Bar area (see the pretty beach bag and his/her hats, they thought of everything!)

Workaholic area (and it's certainly not me!)

Restricted teen's zone

Suitably for the lady of the suite (yup, that would be yours truly :)


We said a prayer of thanks for arriving safely in Bali and were looking forward to rising early tomorrow for breakfast. What?! Did I hear myself right? I never like breakfast, moreover, I never like getting up early for breakfast! But in all the raving St. Regis reviews I’ve read, everyone pointed to 'this has to be the best breakfast ever served' among lineups of 5 stars hotels in Bali. So we'll see, nighty night zzzzzzzz ......

Screen Captures' series

Dear sisters ..... if you really miss our prince but don't have a long stretch of time to sit down and watch his drama, now there is an alternate way to re-connect with him. Thanks to some sisters in Chinese Baidu - lihuang33, wlbyj, YJ影之国, they have gone to great length to capture the crucial scenes and key dialogue to re-create the whole drama in a picture series! While enjoying their fruits of labour in silence, I wish I could thank them directly in Baidu (but I couldn't type in Chinese). So I'm expressing my thanks here for their dedication to Yong Joon and the generosity to share this love with others.

In response to gosijo and coco's request, I am posting the links to the 3 most classic dramas of Yong Joon - Winter Sonata, Hotelier and Have We Really Loved. Now they are all work in progress, but Winter Sonata is close to completion. Don't worry if you cannot read Chinese, please click on the links in the order of the page and post number. Hope you'll enjoy :

Winter Sonata - Junsang series
Winter Sonata - Minhyung series
Hotelier series
Have We Really Loved series

Quite a handful .....

Hi Hi sisters ..... My elder sister is a bit concerned that I haven't written about my 'man' for a while (to her, this blog kind of serves as a window to my life in Tokyo :) She is just too kind, sob sob. Hehe no worry, it's not because I have nothing to write about. On the contrary, I am overwhelmed with too many thoughts on our prince, and I just don't know where to start anymore. Yes, excuses excuses :) Before I start on posting my Bali trip, I can't help talking about 'our man'. I hope all our sisters already have or will have a man like this. A man who ......

goes out of his comfort zone to extend his friendship to you

who doesn't mind to play along in your invented silly games

who bends down to find a comfortable fit in your new setting

who keeps you warm and leads you when you are at a crossroad

who suffers quietly himself to shield you away from pain

who offers a strong reassuring hand to hold onto till the end of time .......

A man with a beautiful smile like him :)

Heartfelt thanks to lihuang33 in baidu who created the Winter Sonata captures series, thereby providing a complete collection of Minhyung and Junsang's pictures.

White crane

Hi Hi sisters ......... I think we still have a hangover from the wonderful news of HRH's 2 upcoming events in Tokyo, eh? I heard some sisters are busy re-scheduling their personal plans, family plans, even business plans to accomodate our prince's appearances. It's like we have just woken up from a long restless night of sleep and suddenly realize we have a big date with the man of our dreams! Do we have enough time to get ready? Is anyone there to assume our roles while we are away? What's the probability of us getting our hands on those tickets?? As princess said, it's not easy being a Bae fan, huh? What touches me is the enthusiasm and deep love our sisters showed for Yong Joon. You push off plans, you re-arrange dates, you move mountains just hoping to catch a glimpse of him in person. Good luck dear sisters! We all need it :)

You probably have read that heartfelt article our Korean sister Gaeulsan wrote in defence of Yong Joon's honour. (No? Please go to Quilt Freeboard on post "Becoming a cultural icon"). She quoted an old Korean proverb - "White cranes don't go to where black crows play". Now I don't know much about Korean society and politics, but we all trust our prince who always has the purest and most sincere of hearts. After all these years, aren't you amazed at how virtually untouched he is by any impurities in this world? Yes, a man can act, but eyes do not lie. Just look at his eyes, they are so clear, so deep, so inquisitive - truly a white crane!

Hehe btw, are you curious about what he's doing? Some kind of pottery? Notice his hands are covered in mud? I love how he swung his necklace to the back, so it wouldn't get in the way while he's working :) Cool!

Double trouble!

Hi Hi sisters ....... Big news coming out from the Bae camp today! Our prince is finally going to (officially) show his handsome face after last May's TWSSG Premium Event in Osaka. This time HRH is coming to Tokyo and will appear in 2 major events in September (jumping up & down :) ......

Anime Winter Sonata - another story
Time : September 29 Tuesday @ 6pm
Place : Tokyo Dome

The big news is Choi Ji Woo and other WS stars will also appear on the same stage as Yong Joon. This will be extra special for Winter Sonata fans to see both JunSang and Yujin together again :) That also means both BYJ and CJW fans are competing for the same tickets, it's going to be one intense nail-biting anticipation again!

Beauty of Korea Publish Commemorative Event
Time : September 30 Wednesday @ 4pm
Place : Tokyo Dome

You know Yong Joon has poured his heart and soul (eyes & hands too) into this project and we can't miss to watch his beautiful face lights up when he talks about his book. But this really spells 'double trouble' for the Japanese fans! How on earth are we housewives going to come up with 2 legit excuses to sneak out on 2 consecutive school nights?! Boy, I will really have to be creative and original this time. How about ...... "the doctor needs to examine my right brain the first day, and then my left brain on the second?" or "errrr honey, there's a back-to-school sale on toilet paper tonight and a 'buy 1 get 1 free' special in Louis Vuitton tomorrow" and then you are gone for 6 hours!

Tokyo Dome has a capacity of 40000, I have a feeling that most sisters will want to see our handsome prince on both days (or even longer :) Fortunately both events will also be broadcatsed live via satellite in many cinemas across major Japanese cities. For our overseas sisters, please do not feel you're being left out. It looks like there will be an Event tour organized by DA Tours (remember Yong Joon's BOFi is merged with Digital Adventures in Japan?) but the details is still not published yet. Here are the links to these events in JOB :

Anime Winter Sonata- another story http://www.yongjoon.jp/ws/

Beauty of Korea Publish Event http://www.yongjoon.jp/kb/

DA tour http://datour.jp/

Please stay tune for more announcement on ticket sales, event details and merchandise sales to follow. Hurray, we are finally going to hear from Yong Joon himself soon!

Thank you Joanne for posting the photos in Quilt and tomato san for the translation from JOB.

Back from Bali

Hi Hi sisters .... how are you? Sorry for the late response, we just got back today from our R&R trip in Bali. Hmmmm, so I guess I didn't miss much from the world (I mean the Bae world :), huh? What a big contrast. I remember a few years ago, if I went away for just a couple of days and came back, there were bound to be new photos or new articles about the handsome one. Now, our handsome one has turned into the lonesome one (sob sob). Trust me, he definitely was not lounging around at the Bali beaches last week (and so I checked :) So Yong Joon ssi, hhhooowww aaarrreee yyyooouuu nnnooowwwww.......?

Midnight rain

Hi Hi sisters ....... it is another cool, breezy, cloudy day in Tokyo. We are in the mid of rainy season, before the intense summer heat strikes. I just love listening to the sound of rain, especially at night when you really can't see it. It creates this sense of mystery which tempts you to contemplate how heavy it is coming down. As you watch the window sheer blowing like a bride dancing in her bridal veil, it conveys such a cushy and sweet feeling.

We are missing him, quietly and bearing it in our own hearts. All styles of him, in any era, from any drama just keep creeping up left, right and center in our minds. I know a lot of sisters are fond of Insoo and his style, which I didn't understand before as I always love the confidence and warmth of Yong Joon. As I am revisiting the beautiful calm face of 'our man next door', I discover this attractiveness of a lonely, vulnerable yet embracing character, much like the rain in the night. Please enjoy :)

Hehe, this one is a bonus, sweet dreams :)

Masuya Unagi

Hi dear sisters ...... remember this autograph that Yong Joon left for Masuya (a grilled eel restaurant) when he was in Japan this March? Hehe, I was lucky that cloudnine and some sisters have invited me to join them for a Yonsama 'eel' trip last week, how could I resist?

Masuya is a traditional grilled eel shop (dear cloudnine, is it 120 years old?) located in Saitama, the prefecture north of Tokyo.

Ha, the door is mirrored, almost included myself in the shot!

Behind those doors, there are narrow winding tree-lined paths (imagine in the midst of a city)
leading to many secluded tatami dining rooms

Hehe of course, we have the biggest and the best of all. Um hm, I stand corrected ...... it's actually Yonsama who had the biggest and best of all!

Passing the charming arched bridge and running pond, this is the genkan (foyer).

Well, this time is a lot easier. There were only about 5 pairs of slippers, as compared to over 100 in Meguro Gajoen, I could have slipped my feet into all of them! Hehe of course I didn't do that, there were a few sisters this time whom I am not familiar with. I had to behave myself :)

This is a big room, I read Yong Joon came with 12 people.


Haha, the significance of this picture is : Yonsama's royal throne was to the right of this waitress! Our sisters were so kind and kept asking me to sit there for a picture :)

We have the same meal set as Yonsama. The appetizers are eel bone (crisp like a cracker and loaded with calcium), unagi salad (very tasty) and Koi sashimi (I think princess' bestest GF's BF is going to chase us with an axe :)

Our main course : BBQ eel with rice, sooooooo good that it melts in your mouth! I read that eel is low in calories, high in protien, rich in vitamin A and is very healthy for your body.

Our lunch was topped off with light fresh fruit, very refreshing in the summer.

Hehe you know every outing with Bae sisters is not complete without an afternoon tea/coffee delight. This time our sisters took us to an old Japanese tea house, just the thought of something 'old Japanese', I was so excited already! I am weird, am I?

This is an old farmhouse in a forest-like setting, very rustic. The interior is equally nature-inspired, but I couldn't take pictures inside because there were a lot of customers.

This is sencha (roasted tea) and Japanese sweet set.

I ordered this gyokuro (jade dew), the highest grade tea, that's why it's so little and they didn't give me any sweet. I think you are supposed to enjoy the pure taste of this very precious tea. Honestly, my tongue, throat and stomach felt so sweet and warm after just drinking a few drops!

Hehe, look at this very cute hot water pot that you can do your refill :)

It was such a pleasant day, tenoshikatta desu ne! All because of Yonsama, gosh, I miss him!

Hair remedy

Hi Hi sisters ..... hope you are doing well. As summer holidays is about to start, I am occupied with planning a (hopefully) meaningful summer for my son. It's another no news week for our handsome prince. Now, just being silly ..... the first time I looked at these 2 pictures, a very different set of dialog entered my mind. Hehe, hope Yujin's fans won't throw rotten eggs at me, it's just for fun :)

sniff sniff, what's that smell?

hmmm Yujin ssi, when was the last time you wash your hair?
So embarassed, I've tried hiding it under the biggest hood I could find.

I also tried masking it with as many flowers as I could manage on my head.

I even tried airing it out at the back of a speeding bus!
Um hm, obviously it's not working very well!

For tonight, let's try to keep our distance as far as possible, huh?

Don't worry, I'm sure we can think of a solution tomorrow morning.

The next morning ....... look what I've got for you, Yujin!

I whipped up this gigantic super-duper strength shampoo suds that guarantees to get rid of the most stubborn smell :)

You just have to bury your head in it for a while, ready?

SHOOM!

Yujin-ah, you smell as sweet as before :)

True moment

Hi dear sisters ..... sometimes a picture is most beautiful when it reveals a person's spirit, most powerful when it tells a story; I feel this set of pictures have done just that. No makeup, no fancy clothing, no calculated pose; just someone who has a genuine desire to learn and a pure spirit to create ........


to diligently attain the technical skills,

to ensure perfection every step along the way.

He would practise to the wee hours in the morning or until his creative juice all dried up,

then he'd start all over again the next day. But to him, this was the truest moment; a moment for him to express his deepest emotions about life, about love through an art medium of his choice. This may very well be his truest work, because it will not be judged by film critics, box office, ratings and fans' reactions. This is just between him, Bae Yong Joon, and his art.

original from BOF, posted in KOB by Gaeulyeoja
reposted in Quilt by Joanne

Sweetheart notes

Hi Hi sisters ..... you know what I learned about being in the BYJ family? When you exchange letters with other Bae sisters, everyone uses some kind of BYJ stationary! Well, if you are not a graphic artist nor live in Korea and Japan, those BYJ letterheads are pretty hard to come by, huh? Thanks to the generous effort of some talented artists, we are able to build friendship with other Bae sisters in the name of our handsome prince with these pretty sweetheart notes :) Please print them out and enjoy!





Thanks to hyejun and conan :) Have a nice weekend!

A sense of normalcy

Hi Hi sisters .... remember last month Winter Sonata was voted as the most favourite TV program in NHK-BS' 20th Anniversary commemoration? Well tonight they aired episode 10 of Winter Sonata to 'answer' the audience's wishes! Apparently most voters mentioned this is one of their favourite episode....


I adore how cute and playful he was when he told Yujin, "Somebody else caught the fish and I bought it!" Look at his sweet smile :)

It broke my heart when I read the article in bb's blog. His songsungnim Jun Yong Bok commented that Yong Joon's lacquer work expressed his depth in life, but also his pain and loneliness :( Our prince has everything that any human being could ever hope for - looks, personality, career, fame, fortune, family and friends. What he lacks is NORMALCY - just living a normal life with his family under normal circumstances n any normal day!

Like what MinHyung said in this episode 10 as he was watching Yujin cooked. "So that's what a family feels like - you come home after a hard day's of work, your loved one is preparing dinner for you and the whole house is filled with the wonderful smell of cooking!" (hehe in my case, the hair/face/clothes all stink like fried fish @@)


The whole family eat dinner together and then go for a walk in the park afterwards! (or in my case, staying behind to scrub and clean in the kitchen :)
I hope our Yong Joon will have his well-deserved normal family life soon. Please take care!

Michelangelo

Hi Hi dear sisters ...... thank you for coming by even though I can't blog as often now. Our sister babasan is in town from LA, so we (with cloudnine) all went for lunch at Michelangelo. Remember the cafe that Yong Joon patronized one late night when he was in Tokyo this March?


Michelangelo is located in the affluent neighbourhood of Daikanyama where swanky boutiques and chic cafes are at every corner. As we walked through the front entrance,

To the right is where Yong Joon sat,

This is to the left. The design conveys an open air feeling of an Italian Galleria where the atmosphere is both relaxed and upscale.

Yong Joon's table is at the far end, he sat at the end facing the sofa. Not exactly the best view, if I may add, unless you are in love with the person sitting across from you, hahaha! Just kidding, a small price a superstar has to pay, I'm sure our Yonsama much prefers privacy to view :)

I came with my husband a few weeks ago and had the pasta lunch, hehe that's why all the pictures were from then. This time we ordered the soup & sandwich set, both good :)


Hehe, we couldn't help but noticed quite a few tables were occupied by fans like us. Since it was not busy last time I came, the waiter was nice enough to tell me Yonsama came with 7 of his staffs that night. He wore his fedora and plain eyeglasses. I was a bit embarassed to draw more info from the waiter as I feel silly sometimes to trace Yong Joon's footsteps. But regardless of him being here or not, Daikanyama by itself is a shopping jewel where the fashionista shop and the stylish locals hang out.

The distinct Hollywood Art Deco Architecture

One of the many futuristic designs in Daikanyama

Quaint little shops everywhere

A very pretty boutique with dreamy beautiful clothes, I love! @@

You can't miss this 315 yen store, everything so 'pretty in pink', for girls of course!

This corner hat shop on Hachiman Dori is fabulous! It has so many avant-garde hat designs, casual or formal, there is absolutely no reason you can't find one suitable for your face. Hehe, cloudnine told me rumour has it that Yonsama dropped by here to look for, what else? another FEDORA! Hahaha, please don't throw stones at me, I didn't sell him that 'good ol fedora'!


Hope you enjoy!

Let the acting bugs bite

Hi Hi sisters ....... Our dear handsome prince, looks like you have been quite a busy bee lately. Well, let’s see .......

You are a discerning photographer (causing your desperate fans wishing they were either bamboos or hydrangeas)

You are a 'would-be bestseller' author (we don't know what you are writing, but we've already reserved a slot in our bookshelves :)

You are an A+ student, I'm sure you are in the top 3 of your class :) Hehe just kidding, bet your other 2 classmates had elected you as class president

You even stole the limelight from David Copperfield and becomes the most gorgeous magician ever!

You are an unconditional patriot (but how come you are lip-synching, we think your voice is up there with the 3 tenors!)

You are a 'top choice' tourism ambassador, bet most flights to Korea and hotels in Seoul are booked for 2010! (btw, how come Mrs. President awarded you with a neck pillow? Didn't they know you don't need to sleep much??)

You are a well deserved medalist (at least this time they gave you something more useful, that's a laptop, isn't it?)

Well, you became an advisor on 'Live long & happy on a grass diet' campaign to the exclusive 'over 50 & powerful' country club (please excuse my pun, but I still can't get over you NOT being the center of attention here!)

Then naturally, you turned 'green' and became an environmentalist

This sir, I can't make out? Are you trying to be a tomb raider or Indiana Jones?

But you know what I really think my prince? I think you are at your most brilliant just being you – an actor who uses his heart to act and melts millions of others' @@ So, let those acting bugs bite!

Denim & cord

Hi Hi sisters ..... you've probably seen this corduroy jacket with his hole-y Ts on him before, don't know if you have seen him pairing it with denim and Betty Boop Ts? Hehe, even though the T shirt is a bit too kiddy, but when we don't have anything new to see, I am reminiscing his old look again :)
















reposted from YJ影之国 in baidu
source from koo in byjstudio

To Josephine

Hi hi sisters ...... our dear sister Josephine, who always leave us with such enlightening and thoughtful words, is going through a major challenge in her life. Her precious daughter Sarina will be undergoing a major spinal surgery today. I know we hardly know each other outside the 'comments' window in this blog, but my heart is quite heavy since I learned this news from her. Maybe because we are mothers ourselves, or perhaps we really feel we are sisters in the same BYJ family. Many of our dear sisters are also deeply concerned and have poured out their well wishes for Josephine and her family.


From Catt :
Josephine, I will keep your daughter Sarina, her doctors and everyone concerned in prayer as well.
Our God is a mighty and awesome God, as well as a loving and compassionate Father God, who holds all in His hands. I am sure He will be supporting your daughter and family through the coming surgery.

From gosijo :
Josephine, I will keep your daughter Sarina, her doctors and everyone concerned in prayer as well.
Our God is a mighty and awesome God, as well as a loving and compassionate Father God, who holds all in His hands. I am sure He will be supporting your daughter and family through the coming surgery.

From Jenny :
Hi Josephine, I am in deep concerned of hearing your daughter coming surgery but we all will pray hard for your daughter.
Don't worry god is very kind and will look after your daughter during the surgery.
May god bless you, Love

From xiaoyi :
Dear Josephine, Sorry to hear about your daughter's surgery. Please be strong and our prayers are with you!

From flowerbossa :
It is already Tuesday here in Japan, but I hope you are getting the rest you need to care for your daughter. Being a mother myself, I realize all too often that the hardest ordeals we go through are those concerning our children - but I am surprised and grateful that they usually seem to have the strength to pull through. My prayers will be with you and your family.

From yudi :
Dear Josephine, Although I am just a prayer learner ( I was baptized not for long), I will include Sarina and your family into my prayer with my faith. May God bless you.


Dear Josephine, please keep in your mind the heartfelt words from these wonderful sisters (and many other sisters' silent prayers) during your ordeal. We sincerely hope Sarina's operation will be a great success and she will have a swift recovery. Please also stay healthy so you have the strength to care for her, our prayers with you and your family .... love

P.S. please look at Yong Joon's smile, all your worries and fatigue will disappear :)

Happy Mother's Day

Hi Hi dear sisters ..... are you enjoying your spring weekend? I wish all you dear mommies and daughters will have a wonderful day with your loved ones. Try to put HRH at the back of our minds for 1 day (hehe, he is busy with his mommy too) and enjoy it with your family, promise? Hehe but before you go, please look at him one more time, huh :)





New Face Shop postcards posted from byjgallery by daisukibyj

Kawagoe

Hi dear sisters ...... long time no talk, I feel so bad for being ‘lazy’ but I really try to take things easy on the Bae front. Mercy me that every time I look at our gorgeous man, my weak heart will start pounding a little harder, my poor head spinning a few more rounds and that’s definitely not helping my situation here. Hehe but that doesn’t mean I have been lounging around at home in my pajamas and foam hair rollers counting how many birds in the sky would fly by my balcony every day. But I do have to say judging by the amount of 'souvenirs' they left on my balcony floor, there are quite a few culprits out there :)

Hehe, enough nonsense from me. This is Japanese Golden Week and we went to a small town in Saitama Prefecture called Kawagoe (川越市), just a 30 minutes JR train ride from Tokyo. (Note : hehe just for my record only, take #1/#2 bus from Kawagoe eki or walk through Crea Mall from Hon-Kawagoe eki to Nakacho) Kawagoe is known as ‘Little Edo’ because the town still preserves its traditional old structures and bell tower, creating a nostalgic atmosphere from the Edo period.

Kawagoe used to be a prosperous commercial town with timber, rice and commodities trade. The main street Kurazukuri Dori is lined with historical arts, pottery and kimono shops :

Kurazukuri (蔵造り) style architecture is a unique Japanese architecture found here in Kawagoe. These warehouse style structures were constructed with massive fireproof walls in several layers for wealthy merchants to store their valuable goods. See how thick the window wall is :

Toki no Kane - the Bell Tower was first built in 1624 and today the bell chime still rings 4 times a day :

Hehe, 2 famous local food are imo (sweet potatos) and unagi (BBQ eel). This unagi specialty restaurant near Candy Lane was recommended to us, called Unakko :

Our delicious and healthy lunch! I remember Yong Joon also had unagi dinner at Masuya in Saitama, guess he likes BBQ eel too, yum yum :)

Just caught sight of a pretty house in the neighbourhood ...

The nearby Kashiya Yokocho (Candy Lane) in Kawagoe comprises of a dozen old traditional Japanese candies stores, a very colorful street ......

These hundreds-years old stores still turn out old-fashioned handmade candies and snacks in their back kitchens

The candies are really pretty, delicate and colorful. I am not a candy person but the sight and smell on Candy Lane is just heavenly .....

After we 'breathed' in enough fragrance from Candy Lane, we proceeded to Kita-in Temple, a historical landmark first built in 830 A.D.

Sure, Kawagoe cannot be compared to Kamakura or Nikko since the latter two are much grander and of more historical value, but the charm is it's relatively not as touristy and remains pretty local and rustic. By now, I got pretty exhausted and dizzy from the sun and all the walking, so we decided to head home. Haha of course, I save the BEST for last! We picked the JR train back to Ikebukuro, a very popular Tokyo hub for Asian tourists. Why? Because 'yours truly' have another agenda in mind. Tada! OIOI Marui (it's not 0101 nor oi-oi as most tourists pronounce it, ok?) Ikebukuro Face Shop corner ......

I asked the 2 middle-aged male staffs by the escalator and they pointed me promptly to the right spot without even blinking for a second. When I walked past them, I vaguely heard them whispering and giggling behind my back. Yikes, I must have the word 'obasan' written all over my forehead! I didn’t really have time to analyze that as my heart has already flown to this guy @@ The promotion in Japan - you will receive this gorgeous poster if you buy 3500yen of products.

To get this precious postcards set, you have to buy another 5000 yen of stuffs.

There were a few fans already who had their shopping bags filled with rolls of posters with a big smile on their faces. While I asked hubby to snap whatever shots he could on anything Yonsama, I was busy scouring through the shelves tried to come up with 8500 yen worth of creams and soaps. Since I am not a Faceshop gal and those skin care products for the more 'mature' women are already out of stock (haha, surprise surprise!), so I comforted myself that I don't really need another poster of Yonsama :( You know what I should have done? I should have just carried this standee home, he would look gorgeous at my front door greeting my guests :)

一期一会

Hi Hi sisters .... I hope you had a relaxing weekend. I read an enlightening post in Chinese Baidu by YJ影之国 about '一期一会' which triggered me to look a bit more into this phrase. Wondering what I am talking about? Just to refresh your memory, remember sometimes Yong Joon would include this message in his autograph?


He used it quite a few times during his visit in Japan, especially to people whom he personally knows of. 一期一会 (pronounced ichi-go ichi-e) is a Japanese expression meaning 'one chance in a lifetime'. It dates back to the rich culture of Japanese tea ceremony (chanoyu) symbolizing each tea meeting (chakai) is a unique experience. Through the calm settings and formal rituals of chanoyu, the host and guests accomplish a spiritual harmony and appreciation for tea. This unique hospitality which may not be recreated again is being treasured as 'ichi-go ichi-e'.

My poor memory only supplies me with 2 incidents of Yong Joon writing 一期一会 : one is to the Japanese reporter after their April Snow interview in the Tokyo Grand Hyatt (still locating that picture). The other one is he wrote in this hotel (which one?) guest book during his secret visit to Gosireh in 2007. I think to Yong Joon, every meeting he has with every person is so precious and unique to him. He probably realizes that in his present position, it is highly unlikely that he will be meeting with the same people under the same circumstance again. 一期一会 reminds people to treasure every moment and give all of ourselves because that could be the only chance, the only meeting we have. When we think about the wonderful people we meet in our daily lives, is that also 'ichi-go ichi-e'?


Pictures from BYJgallery by daisukibyj

In 4 years ...

Hi Hi sisters .... our princess has blogged earlier about a Keyeast announcement that the plan is Yong Joon will begin shooting 'Drop of God' in late 2010, implying airing could be in late 2011 – so this may very well be a 4 years’ wait after TWSSG airing. This thought suddenly pops up, just for fun, I’ve come up with a list of what can happen in 4 years :

In the grand scheme of things
- the Earth revolves around the Sun for 4 times
- 1 term of US presidency
- 1 summer and 1 winter Olympic Games
- construction of the world’s tallest building Burj Dubai

Personal achievements
- complete an university undergraduate degree
- meet someone, propose, marry and divorce
- give birth to 3 bouncing babies (consecutively)
- move to a new country, have a life-altering experience and return home

For our prince
- became a Tourism ambassador, received a cultural medal, wrote a book and looking younger and younger

For his fans
- gains 40 pounds, wrinkles and white hair multiply 4-folds, neck grows 4 times longer

The consolation is
- the recession will be over by then! Gambatte, Yong Joon and kazoku :)

picture from Quilt by Joanne (original from BOFi)

Meguro Gajoen II

Hi Hi sisters ....... before continuing our tour in Meguro Gajoen, I’d like to quote Shim Shim’s March 4 diary from the BYJ Mail Magazine (April 14 issue) describing Yong Joon’s departure from Morioka to Tokyo – kindly translated by tomato :


"We were scheduled to get on Shinkansen at about 20 o’clock, we had to say goodbye to Mr. Jun at Morioka station. I believe all the staffs were feeling the same...Mr. Jun had welcomed us very warmly and Bae Yong Joon looked very sad upon parting. Mr. Jun standing outside the Shinkansen window and Bae Yong Joon’s greetings from Shinkansen looked like a scene from a movie and felt so pathetic.

Mr. Jun had accepted all staff as his sons and daughters. In middle of the night, he would visit our rooms to allow fresh air to pass, he would prepare our meals ... he was like a father to us. Obviously, Mr. Jun and BYJ is more attached to each other than us. Various articles noted that he enjoyed his ride on Shinkansen, but there was some sadness inside Shinkansen when we departed from Morioka."


So now we know why Yong Joon had this long sad face on the Shinkansen and no doubt shortly after arriving in Tokyo, he’d come to Gajoen to reminisce that warm feelings he had with his sensei. Understanding their relationship and Yong Joon's passion towards Lacquer art makes this Gajoen tour even more meaningful. Now, where were we? ..... Leaving Hirayama Ikuo’s exhibition and the old era of Hyakudan Kaidan, we were back to the modern world in Gajoen. We quickly proceeded to the Club Lounge as our lunch reservation was at 1:30 pm, the passageway is adorned with endless array of beautiful art panels and object d’art.



The moment we stepped into the restaurant, our imooto-chan exclaimed in joy when she saw the running chocolate fountain with strawberries, bananas and marshmellows by its side, hehe I know then she must be very hungry. The buffet offering was actually quite light - salads, soups, pastas, sushi and roast beef, perfect for ladies. Sorry, guess I was hungry too, totally forgot to take any pictures! Hehe, eating before blogging :)


After our tummies were fed, we saw everybody was heading to one direction - where else? Washroom of course! Now Olivia had been telling me this is one washroom I got to see. I was puzzled, “Well, a washroom is a washroom and there’s only one purpose being there, so how many differnt variations can you build a place for answering nature's call?” This is the entrance to both men and ladies’ rooms, we started noticing some of Mr. Jung’s inlaid work. I wonder who’s really in the mood to admire such precious artwork when you are hurrying to go? Hehe, maybe just Yong Joon and his fans?



We walked into this fancy room with ancient Chinese architecture, complete with a pond and curved wooden bridge! This is the main washroom serving the 5 large restaurants on the ground floor. Picture this, There are only 3 stalls inside (beautiful stalls, but still they are toilet stalls) and 50 anxious women waiting in line. Now I am no interior designer or anything, but you really think having running water under the bridge is going to help with their bladder situation?



Hehe just kidding, I am sure the patrons appreciate the artistic details installed, maybe taking their minds off the long wait? I am actually more curious if the men’s counterpart is of equal elaborateness, maybe our prince had checked it out already. We began to explore the airy atrium ...



There were quite a few weddings that day, the bride and groom were gracious enough to let me take a picture .....

The outer garden
and the soothing waterfall

Throughout the Gajoen ground, Mr. Jun’s works are visible everywhere, this is the entrance to the formal banquet halls



Look at the intricate detailed work, each feather on the peacock is mother-of-pearl inlaid work.

Even on the elevator doors

Other very magnificent banquet halls which contain some of the most beautiful Japanese paintings, too bad we didn't have a chance to visit ......



Every time when I went out with my Bae sisters, it’s always a feast for the eyes and mind. Not only do I learn more about the spirit of the Japanese culture, but more so, the sensitivity and benevolence of the Japanese people. I have already lost count of how many times I was so deeply moved to tears since I joined our BYJ family. It can be trying at times when we do not hear any news or see any acting works from Yong Joon, but knowing he's at a position in his life now that he is free to do what he enjoys is also comforting for us who love him so much, eh? Thanks for reading!

Kick the Habit

Hi Hi ..... ok ladies, we only have this one teensy weensy picture since how-many months from HRH, of course we are not just going to leave it like that. We have to scruntize it from top to bottom, and then back from bottom to top, right? Thanks to bb, josefine and hyds, we all know now his cool pointy shoes are LV. I always wonder who would splurge on $1000 pair of shoes and brush them against dirty concrete pavement? Now I know :) Hehe of course, HRH does not have to go up and down the subway everyday, elbowing with thousands of people, stepping on each other's toes like me!


Apparently this is not the first pointy number he wears. Here's another pointy shoes he wore at the April Snow's Japan press conference in 2005

and he loves pointy cowboy boots too

Next comes that controversial pair of ribbed jeans. This slim look is really very hip as many trendy young men in Tokyo also go for tight jeans. I guess it's HOW torn and tight this pair of jeans are! Well, the campaign did say 'Kick the Habit', so maybe the message will come across stronger if these celebrities do not present their usual image to the public. What surprised me is not the jeans, it's actually how slim HRH's royal legs are! I always thought Yong Joon has strong muscular legs, especially after his Image training. Hehe, please don't get me wrong, if my elephant legs can turn into toothpicks like these, even I don't mind wearing those jeans. Allow me to refresh your memory, breathe easy, huh? Have a great weekend!

Painkiller

Hi Hi dear sisters .... how are you? Guess what it takes to bring a dead fish like me to surface. Yes, a cool dude like this one! I may be imagining, but my pain was gone momentarily when I saw him! You know we miss you right, Yong Joon? May we dare to dream of more :)


Thanks tomato san for posting in Quilt

Meguro Gajoen I

Hi Hi sisters ....... Thank you so much for your warm and comforting words. I am trying to write a little at a time, as physically allowed, so my brain and fingers won’t become idle :) You remember when Yong Joon was in Tokyo last month, he went to Meguro Gajoen (目黒雅叙園) to look at his teacher Mr. Jung Yun Bok’s art restoration work?

As the name suggests, Gajoen means ‘elegant meeting place’. It first opened in 1928 (Showa 3rd year) as a fairytale wedding palace adorned with beautiful paintings and decorative panels. It underwent major reconstruction and was re-opened in 1991 (Heisei 3rd year) with a ryokan-style hotel, traditional banquet halls, modern conference rooms and fine cuisine restaurants. A small original portion of Gajoen was preserved – Hyakudan Kaidan (100 Steps Stairway) and is incorporated as a Heritage Museum.


Since Meguro Gajoen is meant more for Japanese functions, so it does not make it into a busy tourist’s top 10 must-see attractions in Tokyo. 2 weeks ago, Olivia, cloudnine, our imooto-chan and me picked a warm sunny day to visit Gajoen and hoping to trace our Yong Joon’s footsteps. You can conveniently include Gajoen in your itinerary while visiting Gosireh and Park BOF. It is off the Meguro station, just 2 train stops from Gosireh at the end of the Namboku line or on the JR Yamanote line, then walk 5 minutes downhill, voila ......


Yes, this modern glass-paned highrise is the new Meguro Gajoen, totally different from the old Japanese architecture that I expected! Knowing me, as I walked in, I was already like ‘a monkey has its leash loosened’ and started wandering off, clicking happily everywhere. Our dear Olivia had arranged a sumptuous buffet lunch for us at 1pm in the Club Lounge, so we had 2 free hours to enjoy the heritage treasure Hyakudan Kaidan. Hehe, just in case you wonder why this is of interest to you, please let me translate an excerpt from a BOFi staff’s journal, who accompanied Yong Joon during this 12 days’ Japan trip :

"March 4 evening, Yong Joon arrived in Tokyo and checked into his hotel, he and his staff went straight to sleep. The next day, Yong Joon went to Meguro Gajoen to look at the renovated lacquer artworks of Mr. Jung Yun Bok. The mother-of-pearl inlaid artworks handcrafted by Mr. Jung can be seen everywhere in the banquet rooms, elevators, restrooms, even on the handrails. The art personnel described Mr. Jung’s work as graceful and refined, which attract many tour groups to visit.

Yonsama walked through the entire ground of Gajoen, fixating his eyes on these magnificent lacquer artworks. It also happened that the renowned traditional painter Hirayama Ikuo (平山郁夫) was hosting his art exhibition in Hyakudan Kaidan. Yong Joon inquired politely, "if I am not causing too much inconvenience, please let me look at the exhibition ....." Since shoes are not allowed inside Hyakudan Kaidan, he took off his shoes and wore one of the white slippers provided. He stayed inside the museum for 1 hour, enthusiastically going through the art exhibition."


So, 2 things we learned from this story :

1. You got to have impeccable pedicure at all times, because in Japan, you never know when you have to take off your shoes! OK for men, better make sure no holes in your socks :)
2. I should have tried on all 100 pairs of their white slippers, since I didn’t know which 2 HRH had put his royal feet into!

Enough nonsense from me, sorry no camera is allowed inside Hyakudan Kaidan, so I will use the pictures from Meguro Gajoen’s official website (www.megurogajoen.co.jp) Btw, if you ever need to navigate through any Japanese website, you’ll find that they offer a lot more information and pictures than its English counterpart. I find these are extremely beautiful and elaborately decorated rooms by Japanese standards, I didn't even find these in Kyoto palaces!

Hyakudan Kaidan, there are 6 rooms off various levels along the 100 steps. Hehe, no time to count if it’s really 100 steps :)

Juppo no ma

Gyosho no ma

Sohkyu no ma

Seisui no ma

Seikoh no ma

Kiyokata no ma

Hirayama Ikuo’s paintings were displayed along the walls in all 6 rooms. I heard from Olivia that he is renowned for his paintings depicting the Silk Road in China. In this particular exhibition, he chose all Japanese water colors with modern landscapes in mostly cool blue and white. Eventhough I felt that they were not in harmony with the rich ornate décor of Hyakudan Kaidan, however maybe it was the artist’s intention not to compete with such heritage beauty.

From Hirayama Ikuo’s museum website (www.hirayama-museum.or.jp)


Time flew, I really wanted to go around one more time as I was so overwhelmed by the beauty of Hyakudan Kaidan, but our lunch reservation could not wait plus we still haven't seen any of Mr. Jung's artworks ......

5 years ago today

Hi Hi sisters ...... just post this quickly, you know 3 April 2004, our prince paid his first official visit to Japan. As they say, the rest is history ..... Hehe, thanks cloudnine for reminding me and it is also printed in the BYJ Diary as a date to remember :)





from byjgallery by tomochang

Health is precious

Dear sisters ... thank you for your kind concerns. I'd tried to drop a few words so many times but my condition has prevented me from doing so. Today, I am supposed to watch Untold Scandal on the big screen with some Bae sisters, but of course I have to give up the chance of seeing Won-nim, sob sob :(

I drag going to a doctor unless I am really really sick and I think this time my condition warrants a visit. I went down to the usual old doctor in my residence with no makeup, no nail polish, hair loosely tied; looking appropriately like a sick patient. As the nurse ushered me into the doctor's office, WOW! you mean my 'doctor on duty' is this movie-star handsome man?! While I complain there's no good looking men in Japan, but understandably my biased eyes are already blocked by HRH and nobody can measure up :) But this handsome doctor in front of me has the perfect features of Kimura Takuya (木村拓哉) and the elegance and sensibility of Fukuyama Masaharu (福山雅治) @@!

Fukuyama Masaharu

Sigh, but I was really in no mood to admire a handsome guy at that moment. My head was spinning like a 'Spiral Octopus' ride and pounding like a Taiko Drum. I expressed to my sensei that I worried I might have suffered from a mild stroke last week and he comforted me saying, "I am a neurosurgeon, maybe I can do a few checks for you now?" OK, that's it, I'm sold! A Fukuyama/Kimura blend, a neurosurgeon and speaks English!! Hehe, I think I got my compensation back for not being able to see Yonsama in Untold Scandal today :)

Kimura Takuya
He proceeded to ask me to follow him in performing a few basic motor skills with my arms, hands and eyes co-ordination. I followed clumsily not only because I felt conscious of my 'awful' appearance, it's also because I really have a problem responding promptly now. Then he asked me to look into his eyes to check my eyes' movements, um hm .... with a pair of eyes so intelligent and sincere, I felt I was in good hands already. The good news is he does not think I had a stroke, he diagnosed it as Ear Imbalance. No no, he's not saying I have one ear bigger than the other, it's the hormonal imbalance.

It'll be a slow and gradual treatment and I still feel very weak and painful every day. To be honest, I am a bit sad and scared, with my already-not-very-brilliant mind, I was already pushing my own limit to learn the Japanese language, culture and everything new. Now with my thought process and motor skills being slower, what if I cannot write anymore? I still want to learn, draw and write so much, never in a million years that I thought this could happen to me! As my doctor told me, this takes time and I will have to be patient. Well, I laughed when my husband joked with me about the handsome doctor saying, "looks like you'll be sick a lot more often now" but deep down in my heart, I really rather not see him again :)

Hehe, no post is complete without our super gorgeous prince of course. These are the Faceshop postcard pictures. I am sure most of us feel our Yonsama looks a bit too beautiful in these shots. Wonder what he himself thinks?? Please take care :)


posted in byjgallery by style

Cute as a button

Hi Hi sisters ..... have been very sick for the past few days. Unfortunately, my computer suffers the same fate and it's been choking real bad too. I found this very cute gif. I know it's inappropriate to describe a mature man as cute, but but ...... he DID it first, you just look at his expression!



Sorry can't locate its origin, thanks to its creator Fumika.

Enchanted encounter

Hi Hi sisters ....... have you ever met someone whom you take an instant liking to and feel a special bonding between the two of you? Well, I’m not really talking about the mother sitting next to you in the PTA meeting or a fellow fan who you share a common interest for BYJ. I meant someone quite different from you – a different country, a different language, and even a different generation?

Well, I have the pleasure of meeting such a charming young lady back in summer 2007 while visiting Tokyo. Since then, we passed by each other a few more times in Gosireh after I moved here. But every time I was with a group of sisters and she was always busy, our interactions were only limited to a formal Konnichiwa, a genuine smile to each other and a hopeful promise to return. Our friendship really started to realize recently when the kind Olivia and cloudnine acted as our bridge of communications.


Yesterday, dear cloudnine, our imooto-chan (hehe, imooto is younger sister) and I spent a leisurely afternoon attending a Coffee seminar by ‘none other than our friendly around the corner’ Starbucks Coffee Company. And in the usual attentive Japanese standard, the staff:customer ratio is at least 1:1 meaning in every direction you turned to, there is always a staff smiling and anticipating your next request.


Since I am more of a tea person, excuse me if I sound a bit uncivilized or unsophisticated in the art of Coffee. Before I walked into this seminar, my idea of a cuppa is nothing more than java loaded with butter milk, maple sugar, whip cream, chocolate syrup, chopped nuts, cocoa powder, the fancier the merrier! It’s such an ironic coincidence that the night before I happened to re-watch the movie ‘You’ve Got Mail’ in which Tom Hanks wrote to Meg Ryan :

“You know the whole purpose of places like Starbucks is for people who have no decision-making ability whatsoever to make 6 decisions just to buy 1 cup of coffee? For people who don’t know what the hell they are doing or who they are, can for $2.95, not only get a cup of coffee, but an absolute defining sense of self! Tall, decaf, non-fat .....”

Hahaha, how brilliant and so true! Haven’t you ever pondered in front of a Starbucks chalkboard menu as if you are reading a scientific journal while the cashier is staring at you pitifully like you have a literacy problem AND the people lineup behind you are jiggling impatiently as if they have to run off to a G7 Economic Summit or something? True, I know you don’t need to be a rocket scientist to enjoy a java at Starbucks, but you pretty much need to be a genius mathematician (well obviously, all their staffs are!) to figure out all the computations and permutations from their multitudes of options. Every time before I go to Starbucks, I’d tell myself, “Ok Jaime, don’t be such a bore. This time you got to try something different!” But alas, a Tall is a regular and a Grande is a large, so what’re a small and a jumbo? At the end, I still have the same old boring café latte in my hand when I step out of the joint :(


Oops sorry, I diverge again, back to the seminar. So when the presenter handed me my first cup of coffee, I habitually asked for my cream and sugar, double double please. He looked at me with a despicable disbelief, “we hope you can enjoy the real taste of coffee here, we will not serve cream and sugar in this seminar.” What?! What’s coffee without cream and sugar, you might as well tell me to drink black ink right now! I can already feel those poor taste buds in my tongue and throat planning a mass exodus somewhere.


Well, I wouldn't do justice to the seminar if I don't write about what they preach. So, a bit of coffee facts here : coffee growth largely depends on the ideal climate, altitude of the land and its soil condition. The global coffee belt lies between 2 Latitudes, namely the Tropic of Capricorn and the Tropic of Cancer. In Latin America, countries like Colombia and Jamaica tend to produce medium body, smooth tasting coffee while Asia Pacific, in particular Indonesia produces full bodied, smooth acid tasting coffee. In Africa Arabia, a more complex, spicy citrus tasting coffee is produced. The 2 most common coffee beans are Arabica and Robusta, 75% of the world’s are Arabica which are used in brewing coffee, latte, espressos etc. while Robusta beans are used for instant coffee and vending machines.

When you drink coffee, there are 4 facets that you want to consider :

1. aroma – hold the hot coffee up to your face without burning your nose and breathe in.
2. acidity - take a small sip and savor it at both sides of your tongue to feel the taste.
3. body - the richness or lightness of the coffee. Hehe, I actually thought how much you dilute it, silly me.
4. flavor – the taste, is it smooth, spicy or citrus-y?


We are served with Sumatra (Asia Pacific) and Ethiopia (Africa) coffee, then Guatemala (Latin America). I know cloudnine likes her coffee black. I turned to my pretty imooto-chan with an inquisitive look “daijobu?” She nodded and smiled to reassure me that she does not take milk or sugar in her coffee either. I looked at the other 4 ladies and they have not thrown up yet. Okkkkkk, so I guess I was the only weird one there! The presenter was eager to fetch our reactions to each coffee especially I had this dazed, murky look on my face. Under ‘normal’ circumstances, I am very willing and readily to share my opinion with others. However I didn’t think he’d be too thrilled to hear me say, “Um Hm, well, my thoughts on the 3 kinds of coffee are bitter, bitterer and bitterest!” so I stuck these goodies in my mouth to keep it occupied :)


Regardless, I still enjoyed my ‘enchanted-leisure turned caffeine-charged’ afternoon with cloudnine and my imooto-chan, just hope they were not bore to pieces. I thought I could blog about this last night, afterall, I did have 4 cups of black ink, oops I meant black coffee! Hahaha, but I slept like a baby, must be charmed out by my lovely companions :)