IU and Her 'Red Shoes'

IU is back with her latest album, Modern Times. It seems that she is blossoming into a pretty and sexy young lady with her latest album. Somehow I think she does it in style, sort of in a classy way instead of trashy.

The album has been on loop on my playlist for 2 weeks now, and I still can't get enough of it. Maybe it's just my tendency towards jazz and 1920's music, Great Gatsby style, but I digress.

Nevertheless, IU made a mark on K-pop this season with her out of ordinary music choice. Given that the K-pop is overflooded with similar-sounding songs, as if made out of the same cookie cutter moulds, IU's 'Modern Times' album is a breath of fresh air. Never mind that the album is named 'Modern Times' although it might sound more like 'Old Times' to some people.

The title track, The Red Shoes, is a jazz number that'll get you dancing in no time. With its catchy beat and IU's soulful interpretation, this has to be one of the best tracks on the album.

Catch the music video for 'The Red Shoes' below if you have yet to. Look out for some famous faces!

Some of my other favourites on this album are Between The Lips, Modern Times, and Gloomy Clock (featuring SHINee's Jonghyun).

Great comeback from IU this round. I'm already anticipating her next project and transformation. Can't wait for her next acting project too since she did very well in the concluded drama You're The Best Lee Soon Shin!.

The author hopes that IU will be promoting more of her songs on music shows even after 'The Red Shoes' as most of the songs on the album are really good!

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Ko Hyang: Korean Country Delights

Ko Hyang's Yukgaejang is simply delicious!

Yet another food review before my upcoming trip to South Korea in November. This time round I tried Ko Hyang, a quaint little store located at the LG floor of The Gardens Mall. 

My choice of dish is Yukgaejang, a spicy beef stew with vegetables. Served with a bowl of rice (with beans in it) and 3 banchans (bean sprouts, anchovies and kimchi), the meal was quite satisfying and affordably priced (it was around RM18.90 I think). My mom tried the Dol Sot Bibimbap, while my brother had the Chicken BBQ. 

While the Dol Sot Bibimbap was similar to what we've tried at most places, my Yukgaejang was flavourful and not too spicy. I kept drinking till my spoon reached the bottom of the bowl. Even my mom couldn't resist from stealing a few spoonfuls of the delicious soup. And mind you, she was already quite full at that point!

The Chicken BBQ was the most surprising winner of all the 3 dishes we ordered. The chicken was succulent and juicy, and so fragrant that when the chef started cooking it, we could smell it right away!

Definitely stop by for a taste of Korean country delights (their tagline obviously does not lie!) when you're around the vicinity. Do be warned though, they have few tables only and most of the time they are full at meal times. But staff are quick and we were seated within less than 5 minutes even when the store is full.

Can't wait to try their Bulgogi Bokem next round. Hit up their website for more info!

Update: I managed to try their Bulgogi Bokem last week when I was in the vicinity. The meat was very succulent and tasty! It was so good that I finished it till the last piece although I was practically full halfway through the meal :)

The author is ecstatic to try authentic Korean food in South Korea. If you have any great food suggestions, do drop a comment below. Thanks!

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Viki For DiGi: K-drama Fans Rejoice!

DiGi has recently partnered with Viki to bring English subtitled K-dramas to their Malaysian subscribers. Whee!! This could not have been a happier announcement for me since I'm a loyal subscriber of DiGi (and a K-drama queen at that too)!

Nonetheless, according to the webpage, the app is only available for Android users... Fret not if you don't have one... just buy or borrow one (just don't steal, okay?)!

As I have a Blackberry phone on a DiGi line, I was afraid that I could not download the app, but I'll just divulge the secret how I did it. Curious already? Read on....

Well, instead of downloading the app on my Blackberry, I did it on my Android tablet! (Hahaha.... it's tragic I know) 

But I still managed to download the app after tapping on the download button on the webpage, which then prompts me to enter my phone number since it couldn't detect my phone number. Next, a message was sent to my phone, and from there I entered the code in the message to the webpage on my tablet.

And, tadaa!! The app was successfully downloaded into my tablet! I registered my account with my email and I was good to go. Started watching 'My Princess' starring Song Seung Hun and Kim Tae Hee already. Hehehe...

Another heads up on this app, it is free for all DiGi subscribers but the promotion is only from 1st July 2013 till 30th June 2014 (so milk it as much as you can!).

Lastly, here's the all important link to get the free Viki app! Enjoy your K-dramas!

The author is ecstatic to get free access to Viki from DiGi since she loves watching K-dramas. Well, DiGi is 'always the smarter choice', ain't it?

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Shopaholic Me: Nothing Feels Better Than Getting A Good Bargain

Mid Valley Megamall: Great location for KL & PJ folks

Ever the shopaholic, I took the chance to go on a shopping spree at Mid Valley during Malaysia Day. Not too bad it seems although I thought the mall would be too crowded on a public holiday, maybe most have opted to go on a holiday outstation.

First off, since I'm a stickler for all things discounted and at a bargain price, I made a stop at Uniqlo. They do sometimes have great in-store offers on public holidays, so it's best you check them out during that time. I usually stop by their stores twice a month or so, most of the times they have a good rotation of the goods on offer.

Uniqlo's Heattech series

 Looks like they didn't have much on offer that interest me since I'm just shopping around for their Heattech series for my trip to South Korea. I managed to buy a camisole and socks from this series at RM39.90 each, not so satisfying but I saw the fur-lined jacket which I bought sometime ago selling at RM129.90 today. Bought it at RM79.90 back then (RM50 worth of savings!), so it consoled me a quite bit!

Then I went over to Factory Outlet Store (F.O.S.) which is another great store for bargain hunters. Not only do they stock affordable clothes of great quality, look around and sometimes you'll find some great treasures! Branded clothes at discounted prices! Now who wouldn't want that?

H&M leggings, got mine in blue instead of white

Today I went over to look at their leggings, and guess what? Forever 21 and H&M leggings at RM45 for 3 pieces! Ka-ching!! It's a bit frustrating sometimes when you can't find your size after going through piles of clothes, so when I finally found 2 of my size, one black Forever 21 and a blue patterned H&M legging, I was super satisfied. It's RM20 for a piece, but RM32 for 2 pieces. Still a great bargain nevertheless!

I went to pay and saw Levi's jeans priced at RM100 for 2 pieces!! Next time I'll be back, if there's still stock that is. Hehehe.... 

Anyway, I went to pay and upon giving my membership card (that's my IC by the way), my total was only RM22.40 instead of RM32. Say what? Apparently members get a 30% discount of all items just for today (I knew there was something calling me to shop today!).

Next on, I had dinner with my family at The Garden's food court, Food Garden, which is just next to Borders and Sushi Zanmai. The queues at Sushi Zanmai can get scarily long sometimes, similarly is Hokkaido Ichiba, just a stone's throw away on the same floor.

Dolsot Bibimbap in Food Garden. Pic credit: Cleffairy.com

Now, don't get me wrong, I didn't go to Food Garden just because I'm on a bargain hunting spree. I'm actually here for one of the best Dolsot Bibimbap I've had so far. I'm probably biased since I know the generous Korean ahjumma and ahjussi who operated the stall (she has since handed it over to foreign workers who have retained her recipe well). They once gave me a huge extra plate of kimchi when I ordered 2 sets of bibimbap, which comes with an equally awesome bubbling hot kimchi jjigae!

After that huge meal which costs me RM20 per set, I needed to burn the calories away. What else besides more shopping? I went over to Aeon and bought some sushi on 20% discount for my brothers, then headed to the last stop for the day, Cotton On!

Cotton On is probably overpriced at times, but like Uniqlo, you'll just have to give them some time to rotate their items which goes on sale. Today I went in with a mission to buy just shoes. Good ol' Rubi shoes. I bought 2 pairs for SGD30 back in November last year, and now I'm back for more!

Rubi flats for me! (cue Wonder Girls' 'Nu Shoes' song)

They have 2 variants, but I find the fabric ones tend to be more comfortable and less stiff. I picked 2 peep-toe sandals for RM60 (cheaper than in Singapore) and went off with that. I personally feel that among all the Cotton On shops which I visit often (Sungei Wang, Pavillion, Mid Valley), the one with the most items on sale is the Sungei Wang outlet. Check out their huge selection of sale stock if you're around the vicinity!

I hope I'll be able to hold in my buying impulse as my trip to South Korea is nearing closer. I'm really looking forward to bargain-hunting in Seoul and Busan, as well as cafe-hopping! Do look out for my posts in November!

The author is ecstatic to be able to visit South Korea, home to K-pop and the shopping mecca for all things cute!

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JYJ releases 'Only One' for 2014 Incheon Asian Games

JYJ has finally released a new single Only One (Cassiopeias, rejoice!), albeit for the promotional use of 2014 Incheon Asian Games.

Having been out of the music scene as a group for almost 2 years, this single is hopefully the sign of better things to come from the trio in the musical department.

While on hiatus, Jaejoong and Junsu both released solo albums, while Yoochun had focused solely on acting in dramas. He will soon take up the lead role in the movie 'Sea Fog'.

Meanwhile, enjoy the music video for the upbeat single 'Only One' below!



The author is simply thrilled that JYJ has released a new single and is hoping for a full album soon!

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2NE1's 'Do You Love Me'

The ladies of 2NE1 have been on a roll lately, releasing one single after another in a span of one month. Recently, they have released their latest single, Do You Love Me, another single off their upcoming album!

Many fans, like myself, have been anticipating the drop of their upcoming album since late last year, after the release of 'I Love You'. 

Wait... have any of you guys realized that all of the songs they've released as singles so far have the word 'Love' in the song titles? (I'm thinking their new album is along these lines!)

I also love the fact that each members' part in this song fits really well with their vocal prowess and personalities!

So, without much further ado, do let me present to you the music video for 2NE1's 'Do You Love Me', a party jam that's just perfect to let your hair loose during a pool party (that's just what they did in the video!). Enjoy!

The author is still patiently anticipating 2NE1's new album release. Hopefully all her nails won't get bitten off by then!

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Korea Day 2013: Mid Valley Exhibition Centre, 9-11 August

The Korean Society in Malaysia is currently organizing the Korea Day 2013 event at the Mid Valley Exhibition Centre from 9-11 August 2013. Open from 10am-8pm, admission is free for all.

There are many Korean related products on display, and those wanting to experience Korean culture and Korean food will have an enjoyable time.

Korean street snacks are the main crowd pullers, with Tteokbukki, Kimbap, Pajeon, Japchae on sale. Kimchi, seaweed, Korean fresh fruits and vegetables are also available.

There will be some Korean cooking demonstrations as well as K-pop performances as well, so if you want to experience a little bit about Korea without stepping out of Kuala Lumpur, do make your way there!

For more information check out the Korea Day 2013 Facebook page.

The author loved the street snacks corner, especially those fried potato chips sold on long sticks! Too bad though, the queue was really long. Settled for a strawberry yoghurt shaved ice instead.

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Pacific Rim: One Great Underrated Movie in 2013

Remember when we used to watch 'Ultraman' on the silver screen back then? Well, that was about 20 years back and I was a little kid filling up my weekends catching up with all the 'cartoons' on the weekend television slots.

Although 'Ultraman' was more for boys, I somehow love watching it since superheroes make my day after saving helpless town folks from monsters. I've been waiting for a big screen remake of 'Ultraman' but something greater has made it way instead in it's place.

Back to 2013, Pacific Rim is the latest 'superhero' movie to hit the golden screens although the concept is slightly different. 

In this movie directed by Guillermo del Toro, humans in the future have found a way to fight monsters by building huge robots called 'Jaegers' (pronounced 'yee-ay-gers') which were steered by 2 people, most preferably with combat skills.

Monsters have been appearing from the Pacific rim in the ocean (hence the title of the movie), and these huge sea monsters are named 'Kaiju' (pronounced 'kai-joo') with different categories to denote the size of the monsters.

To beat these Kaijus, Jaegers have been deployed to fight them. But these Jaegers have to be piloted by 2 people who share a strong bond since they have to think as one. The Jaeger mirrors their shared actions and together this strategy worked for a while, till the Kaijus started getting bigger and bigger, and they started losing Jaegers faster than they could build them.

Therefore, many countries wanted to stop the Jaeger programme and focus instead on building a great wall around the Pacific ocean, shielding countries from the Kaijus. 



But after a successful attempt by a huge Kaiju which broke the wall in mere seconds, people began calling upon the Jaegers to save their cities again. This time round, the Jaegers will attempt to detonate a bomb in the Pacific Rim to stop the Kaijus from coming up once and for all.

Totally the underrated movie of 2013 so far for me. I didn't expect so much from the movie since it wasn't greatly talked about or promoted (as compared to 'Despicable Me') and the only reason I went to watch it was because my 2 brothers wanted to watch it. So, thank you bros!

The author loved the relatively 'fresh' faces of the main cast comprising of Charlie Hunnam, Idris Elba, and Rinko Kikuchi. Her personal 2 favourites are the squabbling scientists, Dr Newton and Dr Gottlieb who are a great hilarious duo. And 'Gipsy Danger' rocks!

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Xia Junsu's 'Incredible' Comeback!

Xia Junsu is back with his latest album Incredible! This second album marks many firsts for Junsu and I hope there are many more to come!

Junsu collaborated with Quincy Jones, Diddy's stepson on 'Incredible', and the music video was shot in a pool party scene in the United States.

Besides Junsu's impeccable English, I also love the fresh concept of the music video, do check it out below!



Incredible is your typical summer song, but I prefer 11AM since I'm a sucker for ballads... Anyway, who wouldn't melt while listening to Junsu's vocals?

'11AM' is recorded in one sitting, a feat which is one of a kind since it's a emotional ballad that would have taken quite a few takes if the singer isn't as good as Junsu is.

Below is the special clip for '11AM', do not be taken aback as the first half of the music video does not have background music. Take the opportunity to listen to Junsu's voice, and the rawness of the recording will definitely help you to appreciate his wonderful voice, if you have yet to.



And on top of that, there is a bonus video for all you Junsu fan's out there, one where he held the showcase for the release of 'Incredible' in Seoul. Lucky fans who managed to watch it live and many more who watched it via YouTube live-streaming like myself can't believe how talented this guy is. 

Check out Junsu's 'Incredible' Live Showcase clip below!



The author is pleased and happy that Junsu finally managed to have a showcase to promote his latest album release. Although he hasn't had any invitations to appear on televised broadcasts, I pray that he'll be on one soon!

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'Falling In Love' With 2NE1

The ladies of 2NE1 are finally back after a long hiatus! After releasing their single I Love You late last year, they've been keeping mum over the release of the next studio album, but guess what? Falling In Love is exactly what they're gonna make you do next!

'Falling In Love' is the first of a series of singles that 2NE1 will be releasing over a period till their new album drops. So Blackjacks, are you excited yet??

The latest single has a reggae beat which suits the summer as it gives you the beach feels. This is new concept for 2NE1 as it's different from their previous hits.

Not convinced? Well, check out the music video for 'Falling In Love' below and you be the judge.

 

The author is anticipating the release of more singles from 2NE1, leading up to their album release. Word has it that 'Make It Happen' could be the title of the next single since the title was written on a gold coin in 'Falling In Love' music video. Could it really be? We'll soon find out!

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