Spring in Jinhae, South Korea

It’s been 3 weeks since i went MIA-ed..

First 2 weeks of April was horrible. I had high fever twice in a week. So i spent the 2 weeks resting at home and trying to recover asap. First fever was 39.6 degrees before it dipped to 38.8 and went up to 39 again. The feeling was horrible. Went to the hospital for test and check ups and fortunately it was not dengue and just a viral infection. So i spent the first week recovering from 2 fevers and the 2nd week recovering from flu. When i was recovering , i had flu and sorethroat….. sorry for the rant here..but the first 2 weeks was feeling like hell….:( And last week was to make up my postponed appointments and backlogs to settle. Finally i had time to blog today.

It’s spring now and i am missing the weather and the cherry blossoms in Korea. I didn’t go back this spring..will be going back in Autumn instead of 2 weeks.

If you are heading to Korea to catch the cherry blossoms , one place you have to go to is Jinhae. It is 45mins car ride from Busan.

This place is famous for its cherry blossoms and it is always packed with tourists and locals.

My first spring and cherry blossom experience was in 2015 – April and it was my virgin trip to Jinhae. It is a small and quaint city.

Here are some things you can do in Jinhae

http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/ATR/SI_EN_3_6.jsp?cid=1630721

I miss the weather and i miss Busan. Can’t wait for October to go back there again !

Busan : Must Visit Places

Mar19

Im back from Taiwan ! I missed the cold weather. I tried to blog about the attractions to visit in Busan but the wifi was too weak in the hotel and i am unable to login to wordpress. But here it is …

Previously , i blogged about places to go for shopping in Busan.

You can refer to the link HERE : https://peonykiss.com/2017/02/26/13218/

Here are some attractions in Busan which i have been to and some are not that touristy places.

1) Taejongdae

How to get there ?

From Busan Station, take Bus 88 or 101 and get off at Taejongdae Cliff Bus Stop.

You can visit the lighthouse , National Maritime Museum and take a stroll and instagram worthy picture at Sinseondae Cliff.

On clear days , you can see Japan’s Tsushima Island from the observatory.

2) Haeundae and Gwangali

How to get to Haeundae : Haeundae Station (Busan Subway Line 2), Exit 5, 7

How to get to Gwangalli : Gwangan Station (Busan Subway Line 2) and exit 3 or 5

Haeundae is the most famous and popular beach in Busan and Korea. It’s long coast is one of the reason why is really packed during summer. I went there once during summer and omg..so many people in the water and the beach is soo crowded until finding a perfect spot for tanning is so difficult.

At Haeundae , you can find the clubs , restuarants and bars so hyped up at night.
Haeundae has a stretch of restaurants serving really nice Duae-Ji-Kuk-Bap (Pork Soup + Rice ). There are also restaurants serving fresh sashimi that goes straight from the tank to your plate on the table.

At Haeundae, you can take a walk along Haeundae’s traditional market.
How to walk to Haeundae Traditional Market : Haeundae Station (Busan Subway Line 2), Exit 3.
Go straight along Gunam-ro.

Actually when you walk along the stretch of 500m from exit 5 Haeundae station down to the beach , you will pass by the entrance of the market already. So you can pop by the market first to grab some finger food or street food to munch before continuning to walk towards the coast.

Gwangalli is famous for its bridge. The bridge looks really beautiful and you can see the whole coast of Haeundae and Gwangalli on the bridge.

There are also alot of seafood resturants at Gwangalli.

From Haeundae , you can walk to Dongbaek Seom (Dongbaek Island) . There are alot of small huts around for you to take a break and enjoy a relaxing city or sea view.

How to get to Dongbaek Seom ?
You can see Chosun Westin Haeundae Hotel along Haeundae beach. Walk towards the hotel and you will see a road behind the hotel leading to Dongbaek Seom. There is a signage there. So you will not miss it.

The path leading to the island.

At Dongbaek Island.

Millak Waterfront Park is connected between Haeundae and Gwangalli beach. This stretch has alot of local seafood restaurants.

You can do it the local way. Which is to go to the seafood market place at the park to choose the type of sashimi fish you want , the ahjumma will slice it for you. Do ask for take away. They will include wasabi , soya sauce and a Korean sauce. Go to the 711 store beside to buy a can of beer or whatever beverages you want and sit along the platform steps with the locals . Enjoy your sashimi, the seaview and fresh air like a local.

Oppa and his friend chosing my favourite sashimi fish !

Eat like a local here !

3) Oryukdo

How to get there : Kyungsung Univ./Pukyong Nat’l Univ. Station (Busan Subway Line 2), Exit 5.
– Upon exiting the station, make a u-turn, and turn right at the corner.
– Go straight about 100m to arrive at the bus stop.
– Take Bus 27 or 131 and get off at Oryukdo SK View Back Gate Bus Stop.

I have only been there once but i was not in a good condition ( food poisoning ) so no pictures.

“Or” means 5 and “Yuk” means 6 in Korean. So depending on the day and the tide, it may appear to be five islands or six islands.

Here is a picture i managed to grab from google.

4) Hwangnyeongsan Mountain

How to get there ?

Take a cab up the mountain from Yangjeong Station.

It can be quite a walk so wear a comfortable sneakers or sport shoes. Best to go at night because it is the most beautiful.

After a long day of shopping or touring around other attractions and you want to go to somewhere quite and enjoy the scenery at night ? This will be a good place for you. We prepared tea in vacuum flask , went up the mountain , find a good spot and sit down to relax and enjoy our tea.

Beautiful citylights in Busan.

5) Gamcheon Cultural Village

How to get there ?

Goejeong Station (Busan Subway Line 1), Exit 6.
– Take local bus Sakha 1 or Sakha 1-1 to Gamcheon Elementary School Bus Stop.

Or you can cab from Nampo-dong after your shopping or meal.

This cultural village is also known as “Santorini of Korea” with its colourful houses. At this place , you can buy sovenirs , experience and see the old Korea and how people in the 1960s live.

You need to queue to take picture with the Prince statue. This phototaking spot is about 10 mins walk from the entrance of Gamcheon Village.

You can rent the traditional school uniforms or hanbok for KRW6,000 and take a stroll around the cultural village to take photos , have your meals and a cup of coffee/tea.

We rented the traditional 1960s school uniform. Comes with a cap for the guys but Mr Shin’s head too big lah..no size available lol. There are street food and beautiful coffee houses. You can take a stroll , enjoy the view and walk into the quaint little coffee houses or shops to shop around.

6) Dalmaji-gil

How to get there ?

Quite complicated via public transport ( bus ) so you can just cab from Haeundae because it is further up abit from Haeundae.

Good place for coffee , cafes and abit atas restaurants. Best time to visit during Autumn and Spring. Because you can just sit in the cafe and enjoy the cherry blossom and golden maple trees during Spring and Autumn respectively.

I like Dalmaji-gil. Really good place to chill out and walk under the cherry blossom trees !

If you want to go for onsen & jjimjibang (Korean sauna) with a great view , you can find many jjimjibang at Dalmaji.

Recommended one by Mr Shin is Hill Spa. He goes there often with his friends.

This is the ocean view onsen at Hill Spa.

There is a barber shop , cafe , fitness , sauna and onsen at Hill Spa.

7) Gimhae Lotte Premium Outlet

Actually this is a shopping place which i forgot to add in the previous blog post !

There is one at Busan and at Gimhae (outskirt of Busan).

How to get there to Gimhae Lotte Premium Outlet ?

Alight at Hadan Station (Busan Subway Line 1), Exit 3 or 4.
Take Bus 220 to Lotte Premium Outlets (the last stop).

How to get to Shinsaegae Premium Outlet in Busan ?

Alight at Jangsan Station (Busan Subway Line 2), Exit 7
Take Bus 182 and get off at Busan Premium Outlets bus stop.

I bought all my sneakers from the outlets. Got my best new balance buy at KRW 39,000 whereas it is retailing at SGD 120 in Singapore !

8) Haedong Yonggungsa Temple

How to get there ?

Haeundae Station (Busan Subway Line 2), Exit 7.
Take Bus 181 and get off at Yonggungsa Temple Bus Stop.

But i will suggest just to cab from Haeundae. Not very expensive and is more convenient.

Only simple street food and no restaurants. So i will suggest you have your meal already at Haeundae or other place before cabbing over. Great view, fresh air and beautiful monuments to see !

This temple was built in 1376. Ready to climb 108 steps to see the rare view of a temple along the shore line !

Busan : Where to Eat

Feb26

Busan , South Korea is my 2nd home.

Busan is where my husband is from. It is also the 2nd largest city in Korea and well known for its long coast – Haeundae beach.

People in Busan speaks their dialect and they also can speak standard Korean too. So you do not need to worry about it. It is just like our Teochew , Hokkien , Cantonese etc. In Korea, they also have their own native dialects. But everyone can speak standard Korean which is the Seoul dialect.

Beside the beaches, Busan is famous for its specialty food like ……

Fish cakes (O-Muk 어묵)

Fresh and live sashimi (회)

Mil-myeon (a kind of spicy cold noodles 밀면 )

Pork Soup (Dwaeji Gukbap 돼지국밥)

These are the must have food!
If you like the restaurant Yooganae in Singapore, you should visit its flagship in Busan. It is a Busan brand and yes it tastes must better in its homeground.

We just had our wedding in Busan in Oct 2016. We go back twice a year usually during Spring and Chu-Seok (Autumn). Some people asked me how many days should they stay in Busan ? Some told me that there is nothing much and just need a full day or two will do. To be honest , if you really want to tour around Busan and its outskirts thoroughly , you need at least 5 days. Just like Seoul , if you want to visit historical places or amusement parks , you need to travel to the outskirts which is about an hour or two via bus/car. There are alot of things to do , eat and shop in Busan. Just that you need to know where and how to get there.

Let’s start with SHOPPING first. And will go on to attractions later !

These are the places i go and the more popular places among tourists.

Places to Shop in Busan !!!

1) Nampo-Underground shopping centre

How to get there : Jagalchi Station (Busan Subway Line 1) Exit 8. Left side of Exit 8

This underground shopping centre linked up Jagalchi Market and Gukje Market.

As usual, underground shopping centres are common sight in Korea. You definitly will not missed it. The moment you come out from gantry and turn left or right , you can see many shops lined up all the way to street level.

I just briefly walked past this stretch before so no pictures here. But it something similar to that of Seomyeon underground shopping centre but i prefer to shop at Seomyeon underground instead of Nampodong underground.

2) Gwangbok Cultural and Fashion Street

How to get there : Nampo Station (Busan subway line 1), Exit 1
Turn right and walk along Gudeongno22beon-gil st for 2 blocks

Busan is famous for the fish cake and Ttaebokki (spicy rice cake). So this entire street you can find alot of streetfood and fashion shops. Crowded place so becareful of your belongings !

The street stalls are inbetween 2 rows and blocks of fashion shops. So you can eat and shop at the same time. If you are going there as a couple , the guys who are bored with shopping can indulge in the street food while your gfs shop inside the shops.

Clothings are cheap and you can find basics at KRW 10,000 and coats at less than KRW 50,000 during SALES.

The famous Gukje Market is just 1-2 lanes away. So they are linked up together. At Gukje market , you can find vintage stuff and traditional. Whereas at Gwangbok fashion street , you can find more fashionable stuff.

3 ) Gukje Market

How to get there : Jagalchi Station (Busan Subway Line 1), Exit 7.
– Go 30m, turn left, and walk straight 5min to arrive at the market.

Gukje market has a long history and you can find alot of shops selling vintage , used and traditional korean wares.
Nothing much there but more of a look-see look-see place. I just briefly walked through and go to Bupyeong market.

This place goes all the way back to Korean war. Where many Koreans fled to Busan and they opened stores and sell their wares for a living. If you are interested to know more about its history , you can watch this movie which was a big hit and was filmed in Busan. It featured a couple of popular places in Busan and abit about its history.

Movie name : Ode to My Father (국제시장)

4) Nampo Street

How to get there : Nampo-dong Station (Busan Subway Line 1)

My favourite place because this is the “Myeongdong” of Busan. Busan Tower is also located here.

Busan tower is like the “Namsan Tower” in Busan. Something similar. You can find an escalator that goes up along the Nampo-dong shopping stretch.

Really crowded and alot of your favourite Korean skincare and beauty brands here.

You can also find street food lining up before the entrance to Nampodong.

That is me “hiding” at one of the street stalls because it was really cold during winter. The soup is free flow and keeps me warm.

1 stick of odeng cost about KRW 1,000 and the soup is free flow.

You will not miss this famus Hoddeok. Long queue and it is just outside an Aritaum stall. Haha..that is how i remembered where it is.

Nampo-dong shopping street is really crowded and bustling at night. Lots of shopping.

Beauty, skincare , fashion shops , international brands and cafe etc. Pretty big place and 1 night to shop here is not enough for me lah.

Come of the MRT and you can find a huge Lotte Department Store selling my favourite brands like Hera , Sulwhasoo , Primera , Laneige , Amore Pacific , S:UM37 etc etc.

5) Seomyeon Underground Shopping

How to get there : Seomyeon Station (Busan Subway Line 1, 2), Exit 12

I can shop the entire day here. Both underground and street level. This place is really awesome. Same as Gangnam station. Clothings are cheap also.

I will suggest that if you see anything that you like , just buy because it is a verrry long stretch and difficult to go back to find the same store again. Somemore it has 2 sides/lanes. I shop here pretty often for clothings because they are cheap.

6) Seomyeon Shopping Street

How to get there : Seomyeon Station (Busan Subway Line 1)

This place has alot of good food and great shopping. I also shop here and have my lunch/coffee here.

If you prefer quality clothings , buy from those shops at street level but it will be abit more expensive.

*For 4) and 5) , alight at Seomyeon station. Come out of station immediately is the underground shops and go to street level is 5) already. Also Lotte Department store is just above MRT.

It can get very hyped up and bustling at night. Alot of youngsters. I have 4 of my favourite fashion shops but i cannot remember the names except i know how and direction. I cut and perm my hair here to.

You can find the Medical and Beauty street at Seomyeon too. That is where all the plastic surgery clinics, aesthetics clinics , hair salons and nail salons are.

7) World’s largest shopping mall in the World – Shinsaegae

How to get there : Centum City Station (Busan Subway Line 2)

They have a rooftop garden spa and jimjibang ( korea’s version of onsen ) and you two can go there and relax , shop and have some coffee. Next to it is Lotte and also Homeplus supermarket and Lotte supermart for you to shop and buy things.

Tax refund is also immediately. It is near the Tiffany or Gucci boutique. Bring your passport when you shop here so you can get your Tax refund immediately when you go to the customer service centre. Super good service here.

Details of spa here :

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/07/10/travel/busan-spa-land/

8) Busan University Shopping Street of Youth

How to get there : Busan National University Station (Busan Subway Line 1), Exit 1 or 3

Didn’t managed to take pictures here because i went at night so i just grabbed this from the google.

Because this is a common gathering place for uni students , you can find cheap food , restaurants and fashion shops here.

Pretty good buy ! Managed to grab some cheap and good basics here ! And you can find skincares going on sales too.

That’s about it.

Will add on the list if i go to any interesting places again !

Will work on Attractions in Busan soon !

Review : My Favourite BB Cushions

Oct31

#Kbeauty Time !

Back from Korea for 2 weeks already but i have yet to sort out my cosmetics and skincare. So i decided to spend my Sat morning to pack and sort them.

I used to hoard and buy alot of Korean cosmetics when i first got to know and try them. I don’t know but maybe that time i am curious and want to try as many and also i seldom travel to Korea so i thought i should buy more at once and stock up since they are much cheaper there ( 30-50% cheaper to buy in Korea than SG ). But since now i go there twice a year , i don’t hoard or stock up that much already. They update their product range every season and there are always new products and new colours. I used to stock up alot of one thing and when there are new colours or new products launched, i regretted getting many of one kind because i need to use finish before i change. If not very waste money leh.

But there is one thing that i will really stock up no matter what …..guess what ?
BB Cushions !

I use them everyday and i touch up maybe once or twice a day especially after meals. So one refill can last me only 1 to 1.5 months. And there are different kinds of cushions for different days and depends on my skin condition on that day.

I just sorted them in a tiny box and also according to the expiry. All cushions in this box were bought this year and expires till end of 2019. You can find the expiry and manufacturing date at the back of the cushion.

The different brands im using now :

From left to right..

Age 20’s Essence Cover Pack 3 X ( no 21)

Hera UV Mist Cushion Ultra Moisture ( no 21 )

Pony Effect Everlasting Cushion (Ivory)

Laneige Whitening BB Cushion (No 13)

Iope Moisture Cushion (No 21)

Leaders Insolution Cushion (No 21)

Pony Effect Everlasting Cushion in Ivory

Usually i use this on days when im wearing bright red lipsticks. Because this cushion makes my skin looks really fair which compliments with my red lipsticks. Also it will make your skin looks alittle “oily”.

Reviewed here before : https://peonykiss.com/tag/pony-effect/

Age 20’s Essence Cover Pact 3X in No 21.

This is a new cushion my MIL bought for me. It is a 3 in 1 kind of cushion which include sunscreen , skincare (essences) and bb cream. I was told that this is the IN thing among youngsters now so my MIL ordered a box of cushions + refills + serums + liptints for me. I have not done a review yet and shall do one for this one.

The one below is a new one. The one im currently using and kept in my bag looks already cui because i have been using it for 2 weeks already. I really like it ! It is really moisturising. I can feel the moisturising essence on my skin when i pat it on my cheeks. My skin doesn’t feel dry nor does this cushion cakes. Lasting power is good because if i were to top up , i will look every fairer. Unlike a cushion , it is a abit pact like.

Price : Not sure how much it costs since it was my MIL who bought for me.

Coverage : 8/10

Dewiness : 8/10

Moisturizing effect : 9/10

Lasting : 8/10

This is suitable for daily use for all skin types.

This is the pact which im using now. There is a dent on the left side was because i thought it was “spongy” so i pressed very hard with my fingers and it kinda “cracked”. The red and white ones are essences from what i know. It is not powdery not creamy. It is like a balm. Feels good and smells good also. I have been using this for 2 weeks already ! I used it in Korea to when the weather was abit cold and windy. My skin still felt moisturised and the coverage on my skin doesn’t crack from dryness either.

Really nice ! you should get one to try !

Hera UV Mist Cushion Ultra Moisture in No 21

One of my Holy Grail . This cushion is super moisturising and suits when you travel to cold country. I use this one days when i have really dry skin. But i don’t really use this one very hot days because it will make my face look very “glossy” when i perspire.
I had done the reviews for this couple of times already.

One word review this time : BUY!

Reviewed here before : https://peonykiss.com/2014/12/04/10588/

Laneige Whitening BB Cushion in No 13.

I have not done a review for this too.

To be honest , i am a little disappointed with this. I bought it because of the cute cover and was curious about it since i saw the advert everywhere. It is very drying and though i bought it a shade lighter ( no 13) than my usual shade which was no 21 , it doesn’t really ‘whiten”. I will use this probably when days are very hot because it is quite matte actually. It oxidizes pretty fast also.

Price : KRW 26,000 after 20% discount off ARITAUM

Coverage : 7/10

Dewiness : 5/10

Moisturizing effect : 5/10

Lasting : 6/10

Leaders Insolution BB Cushion No 21.

Will review about this next week. Have yet to open ! Need to use at least 2 to 3 times before reviewing. Will compare with Hera’s Ultra Moisture cushion in next review.

Iope Moisture Cushion in No 21.

Will review about this next week. Have yet to open ! Need to use at least 2 to 3 times before reviewing. Will compare with Hera’s Ultra Moisture cushion in next review.

To be honest , i am tempted to try out the Semi-permanent make up BB cover procedure at Lee Na Young Aesthetics Clinic which is a new Korean aesthetics clinic in SG but it is quite pricey. Heard the aestheticians and director/doctor is a Korean lady and quite pretty. Abit tempted to go for it because seems interesting and convenient that i do not need to put on any bb cushion after going through this treatment. The bb cushion is temporarily inked to your skin just like eye brow embroidery. But the pricing hor…hmmm….read that the results will last about 4-6 months.

It is 12 am now. Need to go for a good sleep and prepare for tomorrow’s challenge !
Review more again ! Ahhh im still waiting for the photos taken on my actual wedding day in Busan.

The studio said need 1 month ….. ok lah..if they do swee swee for me then 1 month of wait is worth it.

Before i say good night…

Something to let you dream of tonight.

Tonkatsu + Kimbap rice + Fried Dumplings for KRW 7000 only !

At this in Haeundae Busan. Cannot remember where already. It was a random Ahjumma restaurant selling Kimbaps , Ramyeons and Tonkatsu…was tempted by the picture menu on the wall and we walked in to order this.

So shiok lor !

Busan : My Family in Korea

Oct24

After uploading the videos , i received several encouragements and good wishes from my readers and clients.

Thank you all for the support and kind words. I was happy to know that some of my readers felt so happy for me that they teared. Some followed me since they were 19 or 20 during their JC/Uni days till now. They have seen me going through many ups and downs in life and happy to know that i am happy now. Thank you all so much for the love 🙂 *Hugs*

Here are some snippets of our ROM in SG taken by my photographer friend Clarence Aw ( http://www.clarenceaw.com/ ) whom i engaged his service for that day.

Bought children Hanboks for my niece and nephews who were my flower girl and boy that day. Bought the Hanboks in Korea and had my brother-in-law to handcarry it to SG when he attended our ROM. It was 2 weeks before Chu Seok ( Thanksgiving Day ) when i ordered the Hanboks online so they were going at 50% off ! Quality was surprising very good and really satisfied with it. Esp the skirting for the flower girl. There are embossed floral patterns and made of silk.

Weather was very hot. My fringe all already stuck to my face and hair flat and cui already.

The baby breath flower ring was inspired by a Korean florist. I followed the florist on Instagram and i always “stalk” her instag to see the beautiful flowers and bouquets she made. Maybe it is the weather issue , the baby breaths in Korea are much more bigger and “denser” . The ribbon tie to it is Ferragamo inspired. Saw it on the instag and i forwarded to my wedding venue stylist to do something similar.

My guest reception table. I bought all the styling and decors for only SGD 80 from taobao including the huge LOVE signage with light bulbs.

This is very funny….he made the chair looked very very small. Whereas i fitted in nicely.

Thank you my dear friends for their help ( Elaine and girls ) for the help. Without them , i would have to do everything myself. I didn’t have bridesmaids for my wedding in SG and KR. LOL Mr Shin says no need only until the day because he doesn’t want to have the gate crash. He doesn’t want to “work” or “exercise” under the hot weather. You can watch from our Pre-wedding video. One thing he doesn’t like about SG is that …it is summer all year round. Lol. The only thing that motivates him to go under the hot sun in SG is BASEBALL practice nia.

Love the packaging from Framewerks for our Pre-wedding videos.

Our precious thumbdrive. Which Tommy rushed to edit and passed it to us at the airport before our flight 🙂
Thank you Tommy from Framewerks for the hardwork and we really love the videos !

You know , the thing i missed about Korea is not just the food or the skincare. But the food !

I just must have my favourite Andong Jjimdak whenever im in Korea. This huge plate..REALLY HUGE PLATE cost only KRW 30,000. Looks small on the picture because i was using my phone to take pictures and the angles. I cannot describe how bigger it was here.

Bong Chu Jjimdak restaurant is my favourite !

My mother-in-law cooked alot of my favourite and delicious food at home. Including my favourite Korean BBQ !

We even had it at home. I like this cozy home. The new apartment is going to be ready in 2018 so my brother-in-law rented a place for 2 years first while waiting for the new apartment.

Pork Bellies !

And my brother-in-law is really good at bbq-ing.

My mother-in-law’s 3 year old kimchi. I got a shocked to know that there is a 5 year old kimchi in the kimchi fridge too. Yes kimchi that she made 3-5 years ago. OH MAN…it tastes sooo good. The older the kimchi , the better it taste.

An earthquake happened when we were bbq-ing. Our dog was barking suddenly and then the news came that there was an earthquake. We couldn’t feel it though.

View from the window beside my bed. Ahhh sun , sea and mountain…. ~~~

This was taken after Typhoon Chiba.

Speaking of which , this is the first time i experienced a Typhoon. It was really scary. The sound of the wind was so loud , the rattling windows beside my bed. I was so afraid that the window will break and the glass will shatter and scratch my face lor . I couldn’t sleep the whole night because the windows kept shaking and made alot of banging sound. The Typhoon happened 3 days before my wedding. And my wedding was at Haeundae Beach which is the affected area.

We taped the windows to prevent it from breaking. A sudden gust of strong wind during the typhoon could have broken it or cracked into pieces.

News of the damage all over the news.
I also received alot of calls, messages and even emails from my relatives , friends and even my readers asking me to report my safety because they are worried. I was really touched by their concerns esp my readers. Im sorry if i cannot reply to everything fast on time because my phone was flooded with incoming calls and messages.

Typhoon started the night before and ended next day 12pm. Suddenly at 12pm , it is the “peak” of the typhoon. Where suddenly the rainfall was very very heavy and the wind was really really strong. Then suddenly once that was over, the sky suddenly just turned clear and sunny and everything was back to normal. Like really sudden. I was surprised also.

This was taken on the afternoon after the typhoon. Infront of my wedding venue. The Busan International Film Festival Village was destroyed and torn by the typhoon , tiles were overturned and wooden stuff and debris all over the beach. Alot of cleaners were picking up the pieces. Even after my wedding day , they were still clearing the beach and the hotels around.

This is the area and buildings you saw on the internet where the water gushed in to the buildings and swept away the cars. This was taken 2 hours after the typhoon.

Hehe Oppa and my brother-in-law always bring me out for nice food !

We had steam pork bellies ( Su Yuk ) at Oppa’s friend’s restaurant. Very very nice. Even my relatives and my brother went there to eat again and again.

This is his restaurant.

부산 해운대구 해운대해변로265번길 11-2 .

The restaurant is beside the BMW showroom along the main stretch at Haeundae. You won’t miss the BMW. So it will be easy to find.

I also had Si Chuan food at Busan University Street.

You must be wondering like..what the..go all the way to Korea to have Si-Chuan food ?
This one tasted really authentic. Same as the one i had in China 2 years ago.

Mapo Tofu

The Mala Xiang Guo is really nice. The wohei flavour was very strong also.
Super nice and i was pestering to go back for more hahaha. There is only one Si Chuan restaurant that sits 10 pax in Busan University Street. If you are nearby you should try.

Add is at 부산 금정구 수림로61번길 49 장성하우스 부산 금정구 장전동 155-16 .

Tel : 010-7474-8385 ( Owner of restaurant is Korean who speaks really fluent chinese ).

Steak from a kiosk in Seomyeon. 7900 won for a pax.

Tonkatsu + Kimbap .

Gosh this is soo sinful.

On the day we “climb” or walked up the mountain to my father-in-law’s , grandfather and grandmother-in-law’s graves.

That’s my MIL with her pet chihuahua Bomi.

After paying respect at the graves , we drove back to Busan and stopped by Changwon which was on the way to have this very famous beef patty. We wanted to go to the famous cold noodle restaurant at Jinju instead but the queue was so long and we have to wait for 1.5 hrs. So we decided to drive upwards and head to Changwon to have this instead.

OMG it is soo good please. Soo good that i didn’t talk and just eat and eat. It was cooked using fire and charcoal or wood.
So there is a very strong “fire” taste. Really very nice.

This is super duper nice.

I miss the food in Korea !

Busan : My Wedding in Korea

Apr14

Well , in 6 months’ time. I will be known as Mrs Shin and “Hyung-su-nim” or “Ahjumma” in Korea.

“Hyung-su-nim” is like chinese equivalent of “da sao”. His friends who are younger than me ( irregardless if they are older than me) will call me that. And for married woman , must call Ahjumma liao. It is our local equivalent of “auntie”. Lol.

Hmm abit not used to it because his bro used to call me by name but now he called me “Hyung-su-nim”. I used to be served last at the table because i am the youngest but now i am served right after my hubby-to-be before anyone else who is younger than him. This is part of the table manners.

Hmm abit not used to it because everyone is very polite to me and being treated with respect. But this happens when im with people who are younger than him. Whereas if im with his hyungs ( older brother ) , they will call me “jae su ssi” which means younger brother’s wife and i will call them oppa. Hehe and they still dote on me.

Many people asked me “so what is life going to be like marrying a Korean ?”

1) Housework and Cooking – Alot or should i say ALL Singaporeans i know asked me ” So does he expects you to cook and do house work ? “.

To be honest , yes he did. But i told him i will do over the weekend. Because i am working and my appointments end at 9pm sometimes. Housework is easy for me because i do my own housework at home but for cooking , i am still learning to cook chinese food. I find it easier to cook Korean dishes than local dishes. So most of the time i will cook Korean food at home. Not all but i know about 10 dishes only. So why does he expect me to learn how to cook and do housework ? Because in Korea , it is not common to have maids like we do in Singapore. Most women became stay home mum after having babies and the man will be the one bringing the bread home. Women look after their children and the house. The man will be the one outside working. I guess that is one of the reason why family bondings are very strong in Korea. But in Singapore , i don’t think it is possible for one person to work only because our standard of living is very high. Whereas in Korea, education and health care are very cheap due to government subsidies. IV drips cost only $3 so you can imagine how cheap.

2) Will you move to Korea ? – No , our aim is to bring up our children here so they can learn 3 languages – English , Chinese and Korean. So that will be at least 25 years. To be honest if i were to retire , i will retire in Korea. If i have the $ , i will dream to buy a house at a countryside to enjoy the nature and retire peacefully. Being a financial planner , i plan up retirement planning for my clients and figures needed can be quite shocking if you want to retire at a comfortable and simple pace. So yup , at last the next 25-30 years here and then retire in Korea.

3) Korean husbands are MCP – Hmm..sometimes but i find it more like they think it is their responsibility to look after their family and wife. So it makes them look like they want to have alot of control. I am actually quite touched to know that my hubby felt that it is his responsibility to provide for his future family and to work hard so that he can earn enough for me to stop working.

4) Fierce mother-in-law – Maybe it is the way drama portrays Korean mil . But not all are like that. My friends’ mil are very nice to her even though she is a Singaporean. My mil is also very kind and nice. She had 2 sons and always wanted a daughter. So she treats me really well and she is quite open and not conservative. If she is very conservative , i don’t she will even approve this marriage.

If you have a Korean bf/fiance , always remember to have a good relationship with his mother.

Here’s about it…anything else you want to ask or know ? Let me see if i can help to answer that.

Some dos and don’ts here :

Do not act like a spoilt brat. Don’t expect to ORDER your bf/fiance to serve you this and that. Learn to wash your own dishes/cups after use because most household do not have maids or helpers.

Do not SMOKE infront of them. Girls smoking is still a taboo in Korea. That’s why when you go out to the streets , you will see some people hiding along the dark alleys to smoke. Ya , the girls have to “hide” to smoke. Not common to see girls smoking opening on the streets like what you see in SG.

Do not wear too revealing clothes that shows off your shoulders/cleavages or skirts that are sooo short . They are pretty conservative. Wear tights if you are wearing short skirts. I wore tube tops when i went holidaying in Korea back in 2012 and it attracted alot of stares from locals.

Learn to address her properly and always remember to serve her food or “kiap” food for her.

Hook your arms around hers when you walk around or go shopping with her. Girls there lock their arms together if they are very close friends. And you can go to jimjibang with her. Now i know why some girls there have really smooth skin. I ever met a 75 year old grandma and her skin ( hands and legs ) are sooo smooth..they are even smoother than mine !

Learn to aegyo abit. And if she wants to buy you something , let her buy. If you feel paiseh and want to reject , just reject once and if she insisted , just let her buy. After that say thank you in Korean and aegyo abit. They will be very happy that you like her gifts.

Whip up some dishes for HER SON. At least Korean dishes so that she knows are you are trying and learning despite being a foreigner.

Most importantly , LEARN KOREAN and the CULTURE. Bo bian , this one really have to .Not just learn basic table manners sentences but really LEARN to speak and understand. No need to be too fluent. They will find it cute and they can understand you. To be honest , my written , reading and listening is good and much better than my speaking because no one speaks to me here. Now my hub to be is learning Chinese and English , so i speak Chinese and English to him. Nobody converse with me in Korean over here leh. His Busan accent is very strong sometimes i also cannot catch what he says. Haha but when i watched Korean drama or variety shows, i can understand.

As for the culture , ask your bf/fiance to explain to you. Try to visit during their new year or thanks giving. That is when you really can get to experience their traditional cultures , food and meet his relatives.

When his mother is busy doing housework or cooking, try to ask and offer your help. Don’t sit there and do nothing. I think this is quite basic common sense because even in SG , if your SG mother in law is busy , you will also offer your help instead of sitting there and do nothing or watch tv right ? Unless she insist that you do not need to help , then you can do your own things guilt free. I think this is basic manners when you go people house EVERYWHERE YOU GO no matter whether is it Korea , Singapore or anywhere else.

Try not to drink until drunk. Heng i don’t drink and i cannot drink. Does not give a good impression.

Here are somethings and tips i can think of. If i can think of anymore then i will add on next time.

Wedding prep 101 –

Face care is very important. Damn scared got one ugly zit or whataever.

Wah now i put on masks almost twice a day on weekends (Mask sheets and a overnight cream mask) and everynight on weekdays.

Need to find time for new hair colour.

Going with my bro and his fiancee to Busan together this trip. Helped them to arrange their photoshoots there and booked their hotel stay. You can actually check in any time at a nice motel or this hotel. Not expensive. I booked for them 3 days 2 night for KRW 132,000 which works about $150 for 3 days 2 night ( double room ) with breakfast provided.

They have a few branches. The one i booked for them is at Seo-myeon right opposite a shopping mall and the shopping street. If not you can book the one at Haeundae or the one next to Busan Station.

http://www.toyoko-inn.com/e_hotel/00221/

Drafting half way on the “Smart Lady” post…maybe will publish the post tomorrow.

Dec27

Merry Christmas !

Can’t imagine that it is almost the end of the year. Time flies and can’t believe that im turning 30 next year.

And i just realized that i have been blogging for almost 10 years. I started at blogpost in 2006 before i moved to wordpress in 2008. Few years ago , my facebook newsfeed was updated with all my friends’ Uni activities , clubbing , parties and shopping buys before it moved on to newsfeed about their new work and relationships and then now it is updated with wedding pictures and their baby pictures. Time flies and some of my readers even became mothers. I just met some of them and we were talking about how they read my blog since their uni days and now they are mothers and they still read my blog.
We all have grown up so fast.

Alot to celebrate this season. Me and oppa are still trying to get used to referring each other as Fiancee and Fiance.

Also , i helped a friend of mine to find a place to propose in Seoul and helped him get a photographer who is my friend’s friend. Most people will propose at Nami island or at the palace. Usually those touristy places are crowded with alot of tourists and you can’t capture a good and private photo.

So i recommended him this ice skating rink with a roof top view of Seoul. No tourists and not crowded. Not many people know about this place.

So he proposed to his GF over here.

A friend of mine sent me this picture too. And i wanted to recommend him this place too. But…abit hard to get here if you don’t know how to get there or drive.

It was snowing heavily in Seoul and the mountains were all snowy white.

Congratulations to both ! They are such a lovely couple. Can’t post their photos here. Need their permission though.

Finally im going somewhere besides Korea haha. Can’t wait for my agency trip in Jan to Taipei.

And i just bought these coats for my Taipei trip in Jan and Korea trip in March. I didn’t get the black coat in the previous post because i got something similar already just that it doesn’t have the furry thing. Hmmm..im still deciding though.

I decided to get this wine coat instead because i have quite a number of black coats.

And this padding coat. Looks damn cute right with the white furry hood.

And i got this too in PINK !

I wouldn’t get the coats if they weren’t on SALE. Now everything is on SALE and this furry knit top is only KRW 23,000 ~

Stocking up some warm clothes in Busan and Singapore. So i do not need to bring heavy luggage and coats to Busan and also if i were to travel from Singapore , i also have some warm wear to pack. Buying warm clothes in SG is very expensive so i bought mine all in Korea during sales. It is cheap and also the material is good and keeps me warm which is the most important.

Talking about all things K , i went for Korean eyelash extension at LushLashh .

Wendy is very friendly and she suggested that B curl suits me better. I also prefer B curls. I used to go for C curls but i find them abit too vavavoom and i started changing to B curl after i had mine done in Korea. The lash technician in Korea always do B curl for me too. Lushlashh is located conveniently at The Arcade which is right infront of Raffles MRT . Call or sms them to make an appointment now. You can find their address and contact number on their face book page by clicking HERE.

I gained quite abit of weight lately so i’ve been trying to cook instead of eating out. If you read my earlier posts , Aeon just expanded and they are providing body shaping services and therapy too.

I am quite concerned about my tummy fats because i realized all the weight goes to my face and tummy.

So Dr Kim suggested Ultra Shape. It is an ultrasound treatment to destroy the fats.

The aestheticians used a strap to gather all the fats around my tummy and waist together. The strap squeezed and gather all the fats for optimal results. The process was not painful because ultrasound was used to destroy the fats.

I was quite shocked seeing my fats after they strapped my waist and gather all the fats together. The aestheticians said that my fats (below) was very small compared to others they saw.

Dr Kim will mark on the areas before we start.

The machine used camera to track and for optimal accuracy.

Dr Kim performed the Ultra Shape process. Process took about 20-30 minutes depending on the surface area.

After the treatment , i will feel abit hungry for about 2 days and it is normal to feel that because selective fats were destroyed. It is a no pain , no recovery time and non-invasive treatment.

To be honest , i can see that my tummy because abit smaller after about 1 week. I felt hungry for 2 days and i try not to eat alot just because i feel hungry. This treatment destroy selective fats but you have to eat healthy and exercise too. Of cos , if you don’t take care , you will gain back those fats again after destroying them.

You can call Aeon Aesthetics and Medical Centre at 67332002 to enquire. Mention my name if you are making appointment or enquire on their services.

CNY is just around the corner. Time to make appointment for my laser and facial treatment at Aeon soon !

**psst…i have been cooking this whole festive season. Look out for Korean food recipe coming up soon !

Nov24

K-beauty !

Here’s something i got from Korea 2 months ago and i finally started using it after the Maxclinic one which i got in April finished up.

I used to remove make up with cleansing oil but i switched to Oil to Foam cleansing oil to remove my make up. This is used in the 2nd step after using the Biore cleansing water or Biore Jelly up remover to remove eye make up.

Cleansing = 3 steps for me and that includes thorough make up removals.

First step – Remove with cleansing water or make up remover

2nd step – Remove remaining make up with cleansing oil

3rd step – Foam cleansers.

I love how this cleansing oil turns to foam when you lather your face with water. I don’t like how oil cleansers are soooo hard to remove even with foam cleansers. Some cleansers are too mild and may take longer time or quite hard to remove the cleansing oil on the face. Or the cleansing oil is too oily and too strong for the cleansers.

So it is good to get oil to foam cleansers because they don’t leave that oily feeling and it removes your make up.

The Max Clinic one is good but not sold in SG. Blogged HERE before.

Because it turns to foam after you lather with water , it rinses off easily. YAY !

Im gonna stock on this ON: and Max Clinic ones on my next trip in March/April. I maybe going for a short 5 days in Jan to check on the wedd stuff. Got this at KRW 7,500 after 50% discount from OLIVE and YOUNG. Lucky enough to get this at 50% off because when i want to go back to buy another bottle to stock up , it was back to KRW 15,000 and so i didn’t buy.

Something you can buy and try as a 2nd step make up removal. Or if you are someone who puts on light make up , i think this one can remove your make up base well enough.

Im turning 30 soon and im slowly introducing anti-aging products to my skin. I have sooo many sample bottles of this AGE AWAY range from HERA that i think the samples alone can last me probably 6 months or more. Starting to feel old and can feel the skin is no longer like last time. A little bit different from 4 years ago because now i realized i need to maintain it quite abit more than before. I like this range alot. I haven’t gotten any breakouts yet (not pimple kind of breakouts but rashes). Because when a product is too strong or rough for my skin , rashes will start appearing and they are the abit painful and itchy kind. It will take 2 days for it to go away. But yay to this one.no side effects.

I think im like a K-travel guide. Friends often ask me where to go in Korea. Because they have been to Seoul soooo many times and they want to go elsewhere. They want to travel for 10 days.

Seoul , Jeju and Busan. These are the 3 popular places. To be honest , 3 days in Busan or 3 days in Jeju is not enough. If you have the time , 5 days will be great for you to comb the entire place and go to more places. Most people put a week in Seoul because there are more to see. Actually i find that Seoul is more for shopping. But if you want to have a rich experience of the culture , you can go to these places.

Gyeongju :

It was once the capital of the ancient kingdom of Silla and you can see many ancient and traditional Korean houses and palaces. Awesome place to go in Spring and Autumn because the trees , leaves and flowers blended in so well with the architectures. 2 days 1 night here will do.

Jeonju :

If you love bibimbap , Jeonju is the place you should try. Jeonju is famous for its bibimbap.

The Jeonju Bibimbap ! Jeonju is famous for its food. So remember to eat and eat and eat your way there.

It is about 5 hours bus ride from Seoul so it will take about 2 or 3 hours via KTX ?

Quite a small town so probably 1 day is enough. You should visit the Hanok Village. If im not wrong , you can book a Hanok stay there.

Tongyeong :

Tongyeong is located at the southern peninsula of South Korea. If you are a fan of K-pop star Song Joong Ki and you watched the movie Innocent man , you will know this place because it was shot here at Tongyeong at this place called Dongpirang. You can find alot of paintings on the wall and the shooting locations. Famous food here is the Ggulbbang ( Honey Bread ). Very cheap. About KRW500 per piece. 1 full day here will do and you can move on to other or take a ferry to Jeju.

Naejangsan :

Good place to go in Autumn is the Naejangsan. it is located at outskirts of Jeonju. You can find temples and beautiful waterfalls here. Don’t wear like me when you go there. I can’t climb up the mountain because of my clothes so i was only at the base. Just half a day here will do unless you want to do mountain hiking or trekking.

Jinhae :

1 day stay will do and you can move on to Busan from here.

Located an hour drive away from Busan. Famous place for its spring blossoms. Crowded with alot of locals during Spring. Best place i have ever been to in Korea in Spring. Super nice and even the mountains have “speckles” of white cherry blossoms. So nice ! I want to go back here again next year in Spring ! Cherry blossoms everywhere. This is the best place in Korea for cherry blossoms.

Gangwon-do :

Best place to go to during Winter because of its ski resots and the snow capped mountains. Damn cold. I have never been there but i want to !!! I was asking Oppa if i can have my honey moon here hahaha he wanted to faint already because i wanted my honeymoon in Jeju island and Gangwon-do !

There are other places also like Daegu , Ulsan , Gwangju and more….i’ve been to Ulsan and 1 full day there will do 🙂 If you were to skip Seoul , Busan or Jeju because you have been there many times , you can go to at least 7 cities for a 10 days trip to Korea.

Busan : My Family in Korea

Oct15

Continue with my Busan trip Day 11 ( i think ? ) lol

It was the day after Chu Seok. Omoni has to rush back to her motel because there are 50 indonesian tourists checking in that day. So Oppa and i continued the night meeting his Uni mates.

It was my first time drinking peach soju. Very nice and better than the original one because it is a little fruity. Girls will like it better. There are grapes , peach and apple flavours. KRW1,200 per bottle. Cheaper than your bottle of coke.

Korean chicken. Beer + Chicken.

This was the 2nd round. We had the first round and after that we moved to the 2nd round and then 3rd round. Never ending. I felt tired after the 2nd round already because in SG , we dont have the habit of going places for drinks and food. It can start at 7pm and ends at 3am in the morning or sometimes 4 am ( eat , drink and talk and it just keeps going on for hours ) . I was quite amazed by this culture at first but after 2 years , im used to it already.

The day after Chu Seok , Omoni , oppa and i had lunch with his paternal uncle at their hometown in Busan which is Haeundae . His mother started to introduce me to their relatives and im supposed to visit his grandmother too.

We had traditional Korean course lunch at a fine dining restaurant.

A traditional course that were used to be served to royalties.

The food just kept coming and coming.

I think we had over 18 dishes. They came in small portions.

Name of restaurant is Ye Yi Je . It means past and present.

We had our lunch near Hotel Paradise.

After which we went to Dalmaji-gil (달맞이길) in Haeundae.

It is like the Montmarte in Paris. Alot of hipster cafes serving nice and affordable food.

You will get to see alot of wedding photoshoot studios there too. Some of which we were eyeing at. This is a good place to go to during autumn and spring. Because you can sit at the alfresco or indoor cafes and admire the maple leaves during autumn or cherry blossoms during spring. The trees along the street and road will look beautiful and colourful during these 2 seasons.

Oppa’s friend opened a shabu shabu restaurant so we decided to pop-by.

His restaurant. We went there abit early so it was empty. But crowd starts streaming in during dinner time.

Self-service dessert bar where you can help yourselves with free flow of coffees , popcorns , sweets , teas , biscuits , cookies etc etc. It is complimentary for all customers.

Our Shabu Shabu beef set which comes with self-service Vietnamese spring roll wrap ( at only KRW 17,000 per pax )

You are supposed to pour the rice into the soup at the last part and stir it so that it will become porridge. It is sooo yummmy ok ! That bowl of yellow stuff was beaten egg which you are supposed to add into the porridge to make it sweet. I can have many bowls of these !

The plastic looking thing is the clear vietnamese rice roll wrap. Texture was like plastic when it was hard.

Just soak into this red solution which i guess is red vinegar . Then the harden wrap will become soft and you can start doing your own vietnamese spring roll wrap with all the veges.

After that , we decided to chill out at a cafe for desserts and some catch up. One of his friend was a Korean air stewardess so i managed to exchanges some travelling tips and places to go in Europe with her.

Dalmaji-gil. You can see some Japanese islands from Dalmaji-gil by sitting at the top floor of the cafes. Imagine these rows of green trees turns red and yellow during autumn or filled with cherry blossoms during spring.

Me , oppa and his friends whom i called Onni because they are older than me.

On the day before we left for SG , his mother brought us to a famous live eel bbq restaurant at the outskirts of Busan. You can see alot of restaurants there serving live eel bbq. Yes , the eels were sliced and cut live before BBQ so you can see the muscles still twitching when they serve the plate below onto the table. I posted a video on my instagram.

To be honest , it tasted better than frozen eels. The meat is very tender , fresh and qq.

If you are traveling to Seoul and Busan , you should travel to the outskirts of Seoul and Busan too. Because you can find many nice , good and cheap food . Not only that , you can enjoy and embrace nature and the fresh air.

Nice and cooling weather at 20 degrees celsius. Eat and eat and eat until looked so chubby and cui in Korea. Lol.

After our hearty meal , we went for a stroll up a little hill near Omma’s house.

Even Bomi joined us too.

I miss our room 😦

We always stayed at the biggest room in Omma’s motel whenever we are there.

Found this on youtube.

This was the room on the 8th floor which we always sleep in whenever we are at Omma’s motel in Gimhae which is 20 mins drive from Busan. It is 10 mins from Gimhae airport. Gimhae and Busan is just like Incheon and Seoul.

Airport of Seoul is in Incheon and airport of Busan is in Gimhae.

Busan is the 2nd largest city in Korea after Seoul. Yes in Busan , you can find the world’s largest shopping mall (Centum City / Shinsaegae ). Will intro more about Busan next time.

And here is another big room.

Room rates range from KRW50,000 to KRW 70,000 depending on the no. of pax.

The airport of Seoul is at Incheon and the airport of Busan is at Gimhae.

Most of the time , we stayed at oppa’s brother’s apartment in Seomyeon, Busan.

We go to Gimhae and help his mum out at her motel over the weekend.

Will talk about about this accommodation next time 🙂 Lotte water park, Lotte premium outlets , Lotte mart , Gimhae airport are just nearby Omma’s motel , that’s why there are foreigners checking in these days 🙂

Hehe finally done documenting my 2nd trip to Busan. Looking forward to the next trip !!

Next up is K-beauty and new posts about financial matters 🙂

Busan Korea

Oct5

Back to work today and i really miss the autumn weather in Korea.

Imagine clear blue sky accompanied with a nice breeze and the air was very fresh especially at the mountains in the day.

The haze condition in SG is getting worst. It was bad before i left and even after 2 weeks , it got even worse. My nose itches and i kept on coughing whenever im outdoors.

This post is going to be lengthy one with my personal thoughts , 2 good news to share and also continued updates on my Korea trip.

A couple of my friends who have been following my blog and instagram asked me why haven’t i been updating my social media platforms as often and why have i not even started snapchat ?

To be honest , i really enjoyed my trip this time without considering so much about taking pictures just to update on my social media accounts. I don’t want to keep thinking about what pictures or visuals to update on my instagram page or other social media platforms. I don’t want to spend time arranging the food nicely on the table for visual purposes. I just snap a simple pic and enjoy eating the food while it is hot and nice. I want my blog to stay true where i jot down all my daily life and memories. I can be abit blunt sometimes but they were straight from my heart and mind..

I want to keep the pictures for memories and document my travels , food i ate , places i have been to and share genuine reviews and tips with people. Sometimes , i even flip back my past posts to refer to when i need to and read my old posts with my bf. Because i forgot how to get to that place or what brand , what address or how it looks like after awhile.

Now that i am turning 30 next year , i just want my life to be simple. Enjoy time with my love ones , document and share my travel experiences , beauty and make-up journeys. I enjoying sharing and exchanging tips and feedbacks with readers too. Just simple and sweet. It is also time for me to settle down.

I know i have some regular and long time readers of my blog who have read about the ups and downs that happened in my life. And i am also glad to have their support. It was really touching to receive their emails with words of encouragement during my down times. During my down times , i was in no mood or in any good condition to reply anyone even though i read their messages because i wish to be alone. But i do felt touched by their words even though i didn’t express it out. And also i made friends with my readers and even customers. Like i said , it is time for me to settle down , so i have 2 good news to share with you especially with people who were there for me and always encouraging me.

First good news is….

Oppa and i are already planning for our wedding in Sept 2016. We are looking for photo studios to shoot our pre-wedding photos in Seoul or Busan and also to look for wedding venue in Busan. Whereas in SG , we are looking for a venue for the ROM ( + event styling and catering ). The main wedding will be in Busan. Planning to do pre-wedding shoot in Spring 2016. It will be nice because of the cherry blossoms.

I will be tailoring my own hanbok for the wedding on my next Korea trip. I am thinking of pastel tones ( Ivory top with Peach/Pink bottom skirting).

It will be a Korean + SG wedding. The ROM in SG will be a small affair. We ever thought of holding it on a yacht with a few of our close knit relatives actually because he was a ship navigation 2nd officer, has license to operate a ship vessel and he loves the sea. We were also considering holding it at a nice cafe or somewhere with a touch of nature because i love gardens and flowers and the budget is more affordable.

Here is one of my shortlisted venue in Busan. Something garden-ish.

For 2 years , this man has never made me worried and he really takes good care of me. He supports me in whatever i do and he understands my fear and bad experiences with trust in relationships so he always assures me. He feels and thinks that it is the responsibility of the man to take care of his woman and his family.

After going through ups and downs in my life and in relationships , i know what i want in a marriage. I only hope for a happy and simple marriage life. Just need someone to be there for me and to be there for me for life and our family. It has been my dream marriage since young which is to have a happy family with my kids and a dog.

I will document down my planning process and hopefully to share and exchange tips with fellow readers who are in SG-KOR relationships or weddings. If you ever held a SG-KOR wedding , please drop me an email at peonykissblog@gmail.com.

Thank you !

Life and work have been exciting and challenging for me these few months. If you were wondering what am I studying for and what industry did I venture into ,

Well, Here comes the 2nd good news !

I am embarking in the Financial Planning career.

I have always been interested in the Finance industry since graduating from SIM with majors in Banking and Finance.

For 3 years, I worked for a Private Bank and I am happy to be back into the finance industry once again. To be back, it is something that I have always wanted to do. And this time, I will be at the front line happy at crossing lives and getting in touch with people at the same time.

So from now instead of just blogging about my make-up and skincare reviews and Korea travels , i will share some of my financial planning work experiences and financial matters too.

If you have any questions or need any suggestions or opinions regarding financial matters , beauty and skincare , you can email at peonykissblog@gmail.com

So what about AE ? I guess this will be what most people will be curious about. It is still running by my family as usual. There were a lot of shifting and moving to a new office for the past 2 months but you can expect a new collection this coming Sunday ( previews are up on facebook page ).

I celebrated Chu Seok ( Korea Thanksgiving Day ) on 27th Sept with Oppa and his family. And that was when i met some of his extended family members. I spent the day in the kitchen helping his mother with the food and to serve the guests. It was a tiring day because the cooking and preparing started as early as 5am. All ended after lunch time and all of us knocked out till evening.

Because Oppa’s dad passed away more than 10 years ago , his relatives will come over to pay respect to his father on Thanksgiving Day. It is the day where Koreans pay respect to their ancestors and family members who passed away. Only the men will be paying respect and the women in the kitchen. Men must be dressed formally in suits , pants and shirts. Managed to snap a pic secretly while preparing to serve lunch.

After the lunch , i helped his mother to clear up before i KOed.

Next day , Jinjae oppa took leave and drove us to a small own near Ulsan for the famous and popular beef BBQ. It is an hour drive from Busan. I just realized that the best food are located at the countryside. Cheap and good.

Supposedly to go to Gyeongju this Sept but Oppa has to renew his driving license because he has not driven for 10 years. So he has to attend a 2 day course and take the driving test again. So we shall bring the Gyeongju trip to next year.

Busan itself is so big. Went there 2 times and stayed there for 1 month in total but i have not been to every corner of Busan or even the outskirts of Busan.

It was a fun car ride chit chatting with each other and Ommoni is happy to have her 2 sons by her side and traveling with her. The BBQ place was so popular that we have to wait for 30 minutes. You can wait at the shelter near the pond.

Saw GDragon and other celebs wearing the Seoul Olympic 1988 cap before. So when i saw it while shopping at a fashion concept shop , i have to get it ! It is the last piece too. He also wore one in the latest Big Bang US world tours concert held few days ago.

I looked at what caps the celebs wear whenever i watch Running Man , Infinity Challenge , Returns of superman or any other variety shows because their caps are all so nice. The HALYANG cap which Kang Gary from Running Man is often seen in is a hot item too. Can see many places selling it when i was shopping in Busan.

Look who joined us that day ? The youngest in the family , Bomi !

We have to hide her in the bag when seated in the restaurant. But she managed to sneak out after smelling the BBQ beef.

While waiting , we went to buy the Hae Bbang ( custard bread ) which is quite a popular snack in this town.

My bf and his bro.

They are my 2 big pillars and bodyguards.

Jinjae oppa is such a good cook ! The pastas and food he cooked are so great.

First time trying Samjang soup and it tasted so nice ! I want to learn to cook this !

After our hearty meal , we drove to this big field which was just 5 minutes away from our lunch place. Popular hangout with the locals. Weather was perfect , grass were green and clean and you can see many families having picnic and chilling out on the field. Ulju is a town in the city of Ulsan located at the easternmost of South Korea.

The first place to see the first sunrise of the year in Ulsan (below)

2nd largest mailbox in the world and you can post your postcards and receive them a year later.

I don’t know is it the angle or my flat hair…why i looks so bah bah here ?

Back to Busan after our trip to Ulju in Ulsan.

We went to cafe street which is just opposite our house. This cafe street is Busan’s version of Dempsey hill + Holland Village + Haji Lane. Alot of concept cafes here and the prices are affordable and cheap.

You can find many interesting cafes with unique decors and concepts.

Fans of lobster rolls can enjoy lobster rolls at only KRW 15,000 with fries. Wanted to try this but it was full house. Saw the rolls from the window and they looked so delicious with generous servings of thick juicy lobsters.

We settled for pizzas.

This big pizza is only KRW 15,000. So huge and we struggle to finish it. Bread and side dishes are free flow. You can toast your own bread at the “SELF” corner. “SELF” in Korea means self-service.