Today I went to Lotte Supermarket to buy 10kg of rice, it took me a while the find the price so I call the attention of a sales clerk but I am still the first one to find the price when she roam her eyes around the price lists. After getting a rice I continue to roam around the supermarket to look for something cheap and on sale.

I was not expecting any sale among the shampoo’s and conditioner because the supermarket doesn’t frequently hold sale on shampoo and conditioner products unlike the other supermarket near us. So I guess I am lucky to see L’oreal shampoo and conditioner on 50% sale, there’s only 3 pair left and I am only thinking of buying 1 or 2 pair but to the last minute I put them all in my cart.

[L’oreal Shampoo]

I decided to buy all of them because it was cheap and I am also planning to buy online on the same price or more + shipping fee, so buying right away in the store will save me on shipping fee. As far as I remember my sister uses L’oreal Shampoo for her hair so I am sure she will be happy receiving these set.

[L’oreal Conditioner]

Retail Price: ₩8, 000
Sale Price: ₩4, 000
Savings: ₩4, 000

When I sent balikbayan box at home I included noodles, I saw them on sale in the supermarket and I have thought of buying and when my family received the box I sent home. My sister told me that the noodles was not that spicy and it taste good and flavorful so they asked me to sent more whenever I sent a new box.

Wanting to try it I also bought Jin Ramen noodles for me to try at home, it was not really that spicy like I have thought when you use the exact water of 550ml.

With the adrenaline rush running through my vein and with the desire of traveling and experiencing the other culture, I went to the Philippine embassy  to inquire about the notarization and red ribbon of documents.  I took bus #3 from the bus stop across  Noksapyeong subway station exit 3, one more stop before I descend to the embassy I went to the door so I will not miss the stop. I am hesitant if I am going to push the red button or not, well, I just thought it is already given that I am getting off by standing right in the door, but was disappointed when the bus didn’t stop so I have no choice but to get off at the stop in front of the Hyatt Hotel. Guess what? It turns out the driver cannot open the door because I am standing right to it, I mean where it is folded. Silly me!

Anyway, I immediately run towards the Philippine embassy and what welcomed me is a closed door with a note that the front door will be the main door effective October 2013, chasing my breath I run back at the front door and saw two Korean guys in the receiving area I say hello (courteous me) but didn’t receive a single response, I step forward and back when I don’t know here to go and that’s where I asked what floor is the Philippine embassy on the two guys, just get the “upstairs reply”.  Reaching up I don’t know which door, should I open, I am about to open the door where I saw someone coming out when another door open and one of my fellow men told me that it was the door where they went out, I said my thank you and get  in.  I took a number and read the forms and everything hanged inside the embassy. The embassy was renovated,  I like their new room, now it is well lit and friendly as the officers in charge are reachable without a glass blocking the counters.  I have read about authentication and red ribbon and I was relieved that I can get in Seoul, but I was dismayed when I was told only DFA can do it and it should be done in the Philippines. I know I should ask about the red ribbon thingy I just read, but it slipped already on my mind, a lot of worries with my papers, lack of proper sleep, anesthesia in my body and being forgetful.

What  a bad day.  Yeah, right, I have to go home to the Philippines  to have our NSO marriage contract authenticated, I am already calculating the fare, hotel and process where to get it, the friendly officer also said once it was red ribbon in DFA they can authenticate it in PH embassy (Seoul) if it is needed to be used in Korea. I didn’t hide my disappointment anymore, I felt really tired I have been traveling, walking and running since 7 o’clock in the morning,  I took a deep breath with drooping shoulders, then I was asked where do I need it.

Well, I left the embassy with cloudy mind,  when I went out the door not sure if the guy in the receiving area talking to me or to the woman beside her. I didn’t look back the world is on my shoulder, I am pretty sad. Well, I am able to return to the subway still in one piece, although I almost missed my station stopped on second time.  My mind was really pretty occupied luckily the door didn’t close quickly it seems it was waiting for me because when I went out after all the passengers went out the door closes and the train left. It seems the world feels my somber feeling. 

I forgot to snap a photo of the embassy front facade and the back door, I was really preoccupied with my worries in normal situation I am usually quick enough to take a snap.

Update:

I just found from a friend that I can have my documents authenticated/notarized  in Seoul through Attorney’s office. I felt relieved that I don’t need to go home and spend $500 for a plane ticket just to get $2.35 authenticated documents!

Read it here.

As I am surfing around my Facebook wall, I found this video and I was moved by the kindness, love and dedication of Pastor Lee and his wife nursing abandon babies.  It says hundreds of babies are abandoned in the street of Seoul, Korea each year.

If you want to help and support Pastor Lee with his life-saving ministry you can make a donation to KindredImage.org  today.

After a few months of no pet dog when our beloved Jihoo went to pet heaven, here comes my new pet dog named “Kangchi”. I named her after the Koreanovela “The Story of Kangchi”. So happy to have a new pet, I got this dog from one of my mother’s customer on her buy and sell business.

Kangchi is a  very cute and lovable puppy, when I brought her home the other day (December 28, 2013) I immediately bath him and get her “lice” and after that she sleeps. When my mother wants to take a bath she noticed that it’s smell bad in the bathroom, it turns out Kangchi’s do her business the bathroom and when I open the door  early this morning she went out and to my surprise she pee outside our house. Does it mean, we don’t need to train her to do her business outside the house? Well she is really cute right?

Soup is one of my best comfort food, buying a frozen noodle strips in the supermarket I have thought of cooking beef noodle soup but I have mistaken buying pork than beef so when I decided to prepare a soup, it’s pork noodle soup. I really don’t have experience in cooking noodle soup, so I experimented on my simple way.

I just saute the garlic and the onion and fry pork with it and when the meat is cooked, I add water and soy sauce, as well as the noodle strips and little sugar to taste.  Then when the soup boils I add the vegetables and pepper to taste.

My ingredients:

Noodles, pork, cabbage, carrots, garlic, onion, oil, pepper, salt and sugar

My Procedure:

1. I saute the garlic and onion until brown and I add the pork and fry it
2. Then I add water,  soy sauce, noodle strips and sugar and let it boiled for few minutes
3. When it is already boiling I add the carrots then the cabbage
4. I also add black pepper to taste
5. Serve hot

The cat is said to be one of the most sweet and loving animals but I think cat is also one the most playful pet. Why? Because, one night when I was looking for my pet cat named Soju. I saw the stuff toys scattered down the cabinet, and as I go near it there is Soju, he is  sleeping in the cabinet making one of the stuff toys as his pillow.

Sometimes Soju also is like a dog  he loves to follow us and if you don’t see him you will step right to him and when you accidentally step on him he will cry and sometimes he will bite you but not a deep bite though. There’s an instance too that when he’s lying in the floor and you walk beside him, he will catch your feet and try to bite as if he wants you to play with him.

We had an appointment at the International Clinic in Itaewon last Saturday so we went to Seoul to see Dr. Kim and have our typhoid shots. It was been three years since I had my first shot in Korea,  we also want to have yellow fever shots but this vaccination can only availed in Seoul University Hospital if I am not mistaken. After seeing Dr. Kim and getting our vaccination shots we left to find the Bulgarian Restaurant.

International Clinic can be reached through Itaewon subway station exit 2 just walked a little and you will reach the building, just beside is a coffee shop.

From http://www.internationalclinic.co.kr –

Today is our shopping day and before we go to the supermarket we stop at the nearby Paris Baguette bake shop to buy for a bagel. After shopping we excitedly toast the bagel in our pan, we have no toaster so that’s the best we can do. My husband was a bit disappointed with the bagel because it was not the bagel he expected.  I teased him, that’s why it is probably named “Simple Bagel” in the bakeshop because it was not a real bagel but simple only.

The bagel we bought was soft and not hard as bagel should be, after toasting we wiped Philadelphia cream cheese. Bagel is a  bread product, traditionally shaped by hand into the form of a ring from yeasted wheat dough, roughly hand-sized, which is first boiled for a short time in water and then baked. The result is a dense, chewy, doughy interior with a browned and sometimes crisp exterior. (source)

This year is the first time we celebrated Christmas in Korea, we usually celebrate Christmas overseas or in the air, what I mean in the plane while traveling to our destination.  We didn’t travel this holiday because we are leaving Korea soon and we are planning to travel for six months, I am hoping I could get a visa so I can tag along with my husband.

As we are going to Seoul for the weekend to eat Bulgarian food we really didn’t prepare anything for Christmas, we had a pizza and spaghetti from Pizza School and baked goods from Paris Baguette.

My husband went with me this time at Pizza School to order pizza. When we arrived I first thought the shop is closed, although I see the owners eating their dinner. Well it turns out I pushed the door instead of pull, silly me! Business as usual, the owners stopped from eating and prepared our order, new customers came in too.  I was surprised to see the owner’s son because every time I dropped by their shop to order pizza, it was only him and his wife although I saw another female once which I think their daughter.  I was happy to know that they have kids, because grandpa is not getting any younger. When we left with our orders the son greeted us Merry Christmas, we say thank you and greeted back. Probably the son is studying at University in Seoul and came home for vacation.

Instead of buying Christmas cake we opted for baked goods because the Christmas cakes left at Paris Baguette are all in white cream, I prefer chocolate cake. Unlike most days Paris Baguette is quite busy,  there are a lot of customers coming in and out. The baked good trays are empty but there are a lot of Christmas cakes on display. I think they hired extra baker because at the back of the counter we can see two people in their white uniform baking cakes.

Well this is how we celebrated our first Christmas in Korea.