Thursday, 12 March 2009
SNL with Beyonce and Justin Timberlake
Recently a friend of mine showed me this hilarious skit with Beyonce and 3 backup dancers, one of them being Justin Timberlake doing her 'Single Ladies' video. Justin Timberlake could really immitate those moves too. The other 2 guys weren't bad either. This was the best excerpt I could find on YouTube: Beyonce and JT on SNL: Single Ladies Video
The DMZ Tour
Recently I was sort of dragged to the DMZ by my OH (who has been there twice before) purely to be a tourist of course. But hopefully one who wasn’t going to be shot 5 times in the back for allegedly trespassing. Although my experience was without the discharge of gunfire and subsequent headlines across the world it had its hairy moments.
I was quite the reluctant tourist. My OH’s family was in town so the DMZ was a natural destination for ‘sight seeing’. Personally, I had no great interest in looking at a great big fence or going deep underground to see evidence of the North Koreans efforts to secretly infiltrate the South. But I wasn’t about to be the spoilsport of the group.
Rugged up and ready to go at 10.30am, we climbed into our rented Carnival (that’s the only MPV that could seat all 9 of us – 3 people sat in front!) and we were off to Paju. To get to the DMZ we went to the Imjingak Tourist Resort which has a ticket office in the parking lot. Right next to the large parking is the ‘Hill of Music’ which is a landscaped hill with a covered stage in the centre. That day there were tons of people there flying kites so quite an impressive sight.
View of parking lot and Hill of Music behind it
Don't those look like Mozarella Balls? (Seen from the top of Imjingak Resort building)
After you purchase your tickets, you wait to board the red busses that will take you to the DMZ. The busses leave from the area to the right of the ticket office. Now, all commentary is in Korean which is of course extremely helpful to foreign tourists!!! What they don’t tell you is that you should NOT take photos. This here tourist did not get that message.
Ticket office
Red busses that take you to the DMZ
The bus takes you through a checkpoint where an armed officer with a really big gun comes on board to check your passport. This is where clever me, decided to surreptitiously (just in case we really weren’t suppose to take photos) take a photo of the guards at the checkpoint. I tried to be fast but the first 2 didn’t capture the shot as I moved the camera too quickly.
The 3rd shot got it but that was also the shot that got me noticed! The guard that saw me gestures to the other guards and start talking among themselves while glancing at the bus. Finally the same army officer comes on board slowly making his way down the bus looking at each passenger. I fessed up and showed him my camera with the picture I took and proceeded to delete it in front of him. But I did manage to capture a shot of his back which he didn’t see so here you go.
It was all pretty uneventful after that. We went to see the 3rd Tunnel which was discovered in the late 70’s when a defector told the South Koreans that the North Koreans have been digging a tunnel invade the South. The tunnel is 2m in width and height and was only 52km from Seoul.
To go into the tunnel, we took the train option. The train is a bit like those that you find in an amusement park so moved relatively lowly. Keep your arms in at all times and don’t lean your head out as the fit in the tunnel is rather snug. We go down the green lit tunnel for about 10 mins, made me think of Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory but not as fun.
Where we catch the train
The 'One Earth' Sculpture dedicated towards a unified Korea
We get to walk through part of the tunnel which was quite damp and cramped. 2m clearance is not enough for someone who is 1.7m tall. All in all it was quite interesting so a worthwhile visit.
Next part of the tour was the Dorasan Station which is located at Gunnaemyeon. It is famous for being the northernmost station in South Korea. The idea for this station is to some day connect through to the main continent and thus completing the Iron Silk Road. The station was very modern but as it is not a passenger station, it was empty except for two really bored guards. I think looking at the pictures in the brochure would have sufficed for this part of the tour.
Dorasan Station
Bored guards
Back in the bus we headed to the Dora Observatory. This is the where we can see North Korea. At the top of the observatory they have pay per view telescopes where you can get a better look at the North’s Propaganda Village. It was completely empty and apparently it was built to show the South that they are equally modern and lead fulfilling lives. RIIIIGHT!
We did not go to Panmumjeom (think light blue barracks split in half between North and South Korea) to truly feel the division in this peninsular as it was closed to tourists for some reason that day. It is the location of place where truce talks between the North and South were first held during the Korean War. In fact if it hadn’t been for this trip, Panmunjeom would have just meant a place mentioned in Billy Joel’s song ‘We Didn’t Start The Fire’ to me. But now I am enlightened. It’s never too late for a geography and history lesson.
I was quite the reluctant tourist. My OH’s family was in town so the DMZ was a natural destination for ‘sight seeing’. Personally, I had no great interest in looking at a great big fence or going deep underground to see evidence of the North Koreans efforts to secretly infiltrate the South. But I wasn’t about to be the spoilsport of the group.
Rugged up and ready to go at 10.30am, we climbed into our rented Carnival (that’s the only MPV that could seat all 9 of us – 3 people sat in front!) and we were off to Paju. To get to the DMZ we went to the Imjingak Tourist Resort which has a ticket office in the parking lot. Right next to the large parking is the ‘Hill of Music’ which is a landscaped hill with a covered stage in the centre. That day there were tons of people there flying kites so quite an impressive sight.
View of parking lot and Hill of Music behind it
Don't those look like Mozarella Balls? (Seen from the top of Imjingak Resort building)
After you purchase your tickets, you wait to board the red busses that will take you to the DMZ. The busses leave from the area to the right of the ticket office. Now, all commentary is in Korean which is of course extremely helpful to foreign tourists!!! What they don’t tell you is that you should NOT take photos. This here tourist did not get that message.
Ticket office
Red busses that take you to the DMZ
The bus takes you through a checkpoint where an armed officer with a really big gun comes on board to check your passport. This is where clever me, decided to surreptitiously (just in case we really weren’t suppose to take photos) take a photo of the guards at the checkpoint. I tried to be fast but the first 2 didn’t capture the shot as I moved the camera too quickly.
The 3rd shot got it but that was also the shot that got me noticed! The guard that saw me gestures to the other guards and start talking among themselves while glancing at the bus. Finally the same army officer comes on board slowly making his way down the bus looking at each passenger. I fessed up and showed him my camera with the picture I took and proceeded to delete it in front of him. But I did manage to capture a shot of his back which he didn’t see so here you go.
It was all pretty uneventful after that. We went to see the 3rd Tunnel which was discovered in the late 70’s when a defector told the South Koreans that the North Koreans have been digging a tunnel invade the South. The tunnel is 2m in width and height and was only 52km from Seoul.
To go into the tunnel, we took the train option. The train is a bit like those that you find in an amusement park so moved relatively lowly. Keep your arms in at all times and don’t lean your head out as the fit in the tunnel is rather snug. We go down the green lit tunnel for about 10 mins, made me think of Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory but not as fun.
Where we catch the train
The 'One Earth' Sculpture dedicated towards a unified Korea
We get to walk through part of the tunnel which was quite damp and cramped. 2m clearance is not enough for someone who is 1.7m tall. All in all it was quite interesting so a worthwhile visit.
Next part of the tour was the Dorasan Station which is located at Gunnaemyeon. It is famous for being the northernmost station in South Korea. The idea for this station is to some day connect through to the main continent and thus completing the Iron Silk Road. The station was very modern but as it is not a passenger station, it was empty except for two really bored guards. I think looking at the pictures in the brochure would have sufficed for this part of the tour.
Dorasan Station
Bored guards
Back in the bus we headed to the Dora Observatory. This is the where we can see North Korea. At the top of the observatory they have pay per view telescopes where you can get a better look at the North’s Propaganda Village. It was completely empty and apparently it was built to show the South that they are equally modern and lead fulfilling lives. RIIIIGHT!
We did not go to Panmumjeom (think light blue barracks split in half between North and South Korea) to truly feel the division in this peninsular as it was closed to tourists for some reason that day. It is the location of place where truce talks between the North and South were first held during the Korean War. In fact if it hadn’t been for this trip, Panmunjeom would have just meant a place mentioned in Billy Joel’s song ‘We Didn’t Start The Fire’ to me. But now I am enlightened. It’s never too late for a geography and history lesson.
Wednesday, 11 March 2009
Carrot & Walnut Cake by White Wings
I normally bake cakes from scratch following a recipe. But recently, my OH has introduced me to the 'instant' kind. Prepared cake mixes that you just add water or eggs or milk or butter and voíla its ready to go into the oven in 5 minutes or something ridiculous like that.Being a fan of carrot cake, I decided to try the White Wings version of the Carrot & Walnut cake together with icing. It was pretty easy to make. The box contained 3 packets. 1 was the cake mix, the other the icing mix and finally the walnuts. I just had to add 2 eggs, 1 cup of water and half a cup of oil. I used extra virgin (not sure of the effect) and added some more walnuts for more texture.
After mixing it all together, I just popped it into the oven at fan assisted 160C for 55mins according to the instructions. I then made the icing mixture by adding 1 tbs of butter which I accidentally melted by nuking it for too long in the microwave. I popped it into the fridge for an extra 5 minutes to 'stiffen' it up a bit more. : ) Then 4 tbs of milk instead of the 2 and a half as the icing was too thick to handle.
The taste of the cake was pretty mediocre. I would give it a 5/10. The colour seemed a little darker than I was used to and it was a little too cinnamony. There was a lot of carrot peels inside so they definitely did't scrimp on that but the taste didn't impress me. It was also a little dry, so only a 4/10 for texture.
4.5/10 overall rating. Probably won't buy this again. Going to try the Profiteroles next.
Tuesday, 10 March 2009
우뎅 ‘U-deng’
Another favourite street food of mine is 우뎅 ‘U-deng’. It’s fish cake that is boiled and rolled into a skewer. You spread this delicious soy sauce soaked together with onion, chilli and jujube (think red dates). They normally serve this with a bit of soup that has some kick to it too especially on a cold day. Thumbs up!
The U-deng are those in the skewers on the left. The things that look like French Fries at the front are actually Sweet Potato Fries.
The U-deng are those in the skewers on the left. The things that look like French Fries at the front are actually Sweet Potato Fries.
허덕 ‘Hodok’
Korean street food is a must try. Once you get past the wondering what that is and actually pay the KRW900-1,000 for it, you may find that it actually tastes quite good. There are plenty of street vendors selling food especially in the popular shopping streets like Insadong, Myeungdong and even around Dongdaemun area.
One of the best street food that I have tried is called 허덕 ‘Hodok’ (not sure if I have written it accurately in Korean). It’s a fried glutinous pancake with a caramel & crushed pine nut filling. It comes in plain or green tea flavour. Not being a fan of green tea, I have not tried it but I see plenty of people queuing to buy them anyway.
The best 2 hodok vendors I have found is in Insadong and Myeundong. The one in Insadong is manned by two ajumma’s and their stall is situated at the crossroads of the backstreet of Fraser Suites and Insadong-gil (main street). That’s about ¾ the distance if you were to start at the top of the street closest to the memorial. They sell them for KRW900 each and if you go in the evening the queues almost encircle their stall!
The other really nice one is near the top end of the street where Migliore in Myeungdong is. After you get out of Migliore turn left and you will see a line of vendors going down the middle of that pedestrian street. It’s about 20m away from the entrance. I am sure these vendors move around a bit but every time I find them there and there’s a queue at least 6 deep each time.
Be careful when eating hodok. The filling’s hot so when you bit into it, the caramel might spill out onto your for eg. Clean white coat. Yes it has happened. If that happens in winter, just let the caramel freeze then pick it off. Do NOT attempt to wipe it off as my clever Mom informed me just in time!
Unfortunately I do not have a picture to upload yet but will do when I go pass another stall. If anyone knows other nice hodok vendors, please let me know.
One of the best street food that I have tried is called 허덕 ‘Hodok’ (not sure if I have written it accurately in Korean). It’s a fried glutinous pancake with a caramel & crushed pine nut filling. It comes in plain or green tea flavour. Not being a fan of green tea, I have not tried it but I see plenty of people queuing to buy them anyway.
The best 2 hodok vendors I have found is in Insadong and Myeundong. The one in Insadong is manned by two ajumma’s and their stall is situated at the crossroads of the backstreet of Fraser Suites and Insadong-gil (main street). That’s about ¾ the distance if you were to start at the top of the street closest to the memorial. They sell them for KRW900 each and if you go in the evening the queues almost encircle their stall!
The other really nice one is near the top end of the street where Migliore in Myeungdong is. After you get out of Migliore turn left and you will see a line of vendors going down the middle of that pedestrian street. It’s about 20m away from the entrance. I am sure these vendors move around a bit but every time I find them there and there’s a queue at least 6 deep each time.
Be careful when eating hodok. The filling’s hot so when you bit into it, the caramel might spill out onto your for eg. Clean white coat. Yes it has happened. If that happens in winter, just let the caramel freeze then pick it off. Do NOT attempt to wipe it off as my clever Mom informed me just in time!
Unfortunately I do not have a picture to upload yet but will do when I go pass another stall. If anyone knows other nice hodok vendors, please let me know.
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