Tuesday, July 1, 2014

[Korea] Day 3: Ero Museum, Teddy Bear Museum, Cheonjeyeon Falls, Dongmun Market

For our second day in Jeju, we visited Seogwipo. It is an area located south of Jeju and is where most tourist attractions are located. Originally we planned to stay a night at Jeju City and another at Seogwipo as suggested, however we can't. The distance of this two places is almost an hour so its definitely not possible since we have a morning flight back to Seoul the next day.

One of our must do in Jeju is to visit their waterfalls - most which are located in Seogwipo. We choose to visit Cheonjiyeon as it was supposedly located just 10 minutes from the Old Seogwipo Bus Terminal. However, we will not know as I'm not sure if we're unlucky or just plain stupid we missed our stop again.
  
When people say "Get off at the Old Bus Terminal" I actually expect the name of the stop to be Old Bus Terminal. =.= Therefore when it stop we did not get off as the name was different. We should've asked the driver but really you seriously don't want to walk on a moving bus in korea. It's really painful.

Ero Museum, Sex Museum, Jeju
For Adult eyes Only
Since we bypassed that area, we decided to forgo it and head to our next destination which is the *ahem* Ero Museum *cough* It was rather disappointing and a waste of time though.

This is a small museum which is much too 'educational'. We hoped that it was more like the Love Land which people said was actually funny.

There wasn't much in New Seogwipo  but before we left the area, we visited the Jeju World Cup Stadium. Pretty impressive I'd say. 
World Cup Stadium, Jeju
World Cup Stadium
Not wanting to waste any more time, we headed to Jungmun for the Teddy Bear Museum. There are a few other attraction within walking distance which was the Ripleys Believe it or Not, Alive Museum, Yeomji Botanical Park and many others.

Teddy Bear Museum was really large and worth visiting. We spent quite some time here trying to guess their Teddy-cised versions of people and events. There were so many more amazing exhibits that I couldn't choose which to share here on my blog so here's a random selection.

Teddy Bear Museum, Jeju, Goong
Teddy World~
Do allocate a generous amount of time for this place for you to appreciate and enjoy. A camera is necessary if you wish to take photographs with Teddy characters which is a really fun thing but I must say that it was really difficult photographing the exhibits because of the reflections. 

Mona Lisa, Teddy Bear Museum, Jeju
Introducing Mona *ahem* Teddy-Lisa
There are plenty of photo opportunities with giant bears both indoors and also outdoor. After finishing the indoor we headed for the outdoor.                                                                   There were supposed to be some giant 64-foot bear but it was closed. After a round tour we went back to check out the Elvis theater to watch...well~ Teddy Elvis himself performing some of his hit songs XD


We had our first fast food in Korea and quickly proceeded to Cheonjeyeon Falls. Before heading over to the Falls, we crossed the Seonimgyo Bridge. The carvings on the sides were supposed to be the 7 nymphs. It was a steep bridge and I felt like I could be blown off at any moment but the view right at the centre was spectacular.

Seonimgyo, Jeju, Cheonjeyeon
Seonimgyo Bridge


Cheonjeyeon Falls consist of three segments so its a fair walk and quite a number of steps if you wish to visit all three which I did. On that day the actual waterfall was running dry but I couldn't get over the amazing blue colour of the water.

Cheonjeyeon, Jeju
Cheonjeyeon Falls
We spent some time here hopping on the rocks and dipping our legs in the icy cold water which was refreshing after a hot day. No swimming is allowed here though. I didn't take much photos while rock hopping as I was afraid that my camera would fall in. 

2nd Waterfall
The 2nd waterfall was an actual legit waterfall. However it wasn't as fun as the first one as we couldn't go near it at all. We probably should've spent more time at the first 'waterfall'. Nevertheless it was a beautiful sight.                                                                                                  Since there is nothing much for us to do here we headed for the 3rd waterfall. It's somewhat disappointing to be so far from the waterfall after all that hiking. The 3rd waterfall can only be viewed from a platform and there was not much of a view from that angle. 

Lucky fountain~
Walking towards the entrance was a fountain which each head represents longevity, wealth, love, honour and sons. You're supposed to throw a coin on the head representing the blessing you wish for. Nothing there about education so I wished for longevity as it was the nearest.                                                           Cheonjeyeon Falls was really worthwhile and surprised me the most. I did not expect much from this place as this was our 2nd option.                

Our last stop for the day was Dongmun Market. I thought that I should visit a proper Jeju market at least once and it was really amazing. It was Orange Orange Everywhere. We didn't buy anything there as we didn't know what to do with it as we're due to return to Seoul. However I think other people do purchase as when we arrived back at Seoul at the baggage collection I saw 3-4 cartons. 

If I were to visit Jeju again,I would probably choose to stay at Seogwipo for at least a night as I felt there is so much to see here and not to mention west Jeju as well. 3 days is truly not long enough. We had dinner at one of a restaurant nearer to our guest house. This place has an english menu. Unfortunately dinner for me was disappointing as my stew tasted weak. So next time choose some place that have NO english menu. 

|Pre-Trip| Day 1| Day 2| Day 3| Day 4| Day 5| Day 6| Day 7| Day 8| Day 9| Day 10|

                            

Friday, June 13, 2014

[Korea] Day 2: Manjanggul Cave, Maze Land, Seopikoji, Seongsan Ilchubong

Honestly before coming to Jeju, I wondered how were we going to travel as its public transportation is said to be less convenient. Most would recommend renting a car or booking a taxi. I have enquired several taxi rental and was quoted roughly 150,000won for 8 hour. The price wasn't unreasonable but it was still too expensive between both of us. In the end, we decided to appeal to out sense of adventure and challenge the public bus.

We re-arranged our itinerary after advise from our host as certain places are simply out of the way and inconvenient by public transportation. Maps can be rather deceiving as locations that looks no more 1/2 hour away could actually take more than an hour to commute by bus. Since we had two full days in Jeju, we decided to spend the first day exploring Eastern Jeju.

***
Once of the reasons we choose Greenday Guesthouse was because they provide breakfast. This is important as not many shops actually opens early unless you consider the convenience store. We had a choice of korean (rice, soup & kimchi) or western (toast, cereal, eggs) breakfast daily. Today, I decided to go with the korean breakfast but since we were going to have a full day ahead at ate some toast and eggs on top of it. ^^ Everything is self-service here though

Greenday Guesthouse Jeju
Breakfast~!!
One of the benefits of a guesthouse was that we would get to meet different people. In our case we had the good fortune and got to know a pair of twenty-something siblings also from Malaysia (~strike 1) who coincidentally had similar  itinerary (~strike 2)  and most importantly were going to travel by bus (~strike 3) and since there is safety in numbers we agreed to travel together :D

Our original itinerary was to visit Gimnyeong Beach which was along the way to Manjanggul Cave. According to our host, its a lovely place though not very well known. From there we would visit the Gimnyeong Maze Park and finally end the day at Seongsang Ilchubung. In order for us to travel we would have to take a local bus to the Jeju Intercity Bus Terminal and from there ride the Eastern bus no.700.


But alas things happen. Although the main stops were announced in Chinese, English and Japanese we still missed our stop and this happened rather often embarrassingly. :P The bus guide had only the area names so obviously when we entered Gimnyeong area there would be alot of announcements of Gimnyeong this and that. We didn't know when to get off and so we waited...

Besides you do not want to be walking in a moving bus. Bus driver in Jeju drives really really fast. I've lost count the number of times I've bashed my leg against the arm rest trying to get to my seat when the bus suddenly lurches. When we finally heard the correct bus stop we should have pressed the red button. However we assumed that the bus would stop which it did not and so we zoomed past.

Manjanggul cave jeju
O__O||| Save me please~
The next stop was Manjanggul Cave and we quickly stopped the bus!! We were the only people to get off. I suppose the rest of them would be headed to Seongsan Ilchubung. Once we got a look at our surroundings we were stunned silly. We did NOT realise that the bus would only take us to the main road and the cave was another 2km!!

Jeju people have amazing business sense. We met an enterprising taxi driver who seems to be waiting at that particular junction for bewildered tourists like us. A taxi ride in would cost 1000won per person explaining that it would take us an hour to get there on foot. Once in, he asked if we would like him to take us to the surrounding tourist sites for 50,000won.

It was a good deal to me. Only 12,500 won in exchange for a whole lot of convenience. He would take us to the cave and then he would take us to Maze Land instead which was said to be much larger. I haven't heard of it during my research but seemed that it was popularised by Running Man. From there we would go to Seopikoji and lastly he would drop us off at Seongsan Ilchubung where we would catch the bus back.

***
Manjanggul Cave Jeju
Exiting Manjang Cave
Manjang Cave is a lava tunnel with a 1 km stretch is open to the public. Which means once we reached the end we would have to walk back. The cave was surprisingly chilly and wet considering that it was rather warm today. I couldn't imagine how cold this place would be during winter. O___O We had to watch our footing as the floor was uneven and and honestly I believe I could describe how the floor looked like more than the surroundings~ It took us approximately an hour to complete the tunnel. ^^

Maze Land Jeju
Paying $$ to get LOST!! ^^
Maze Land consist of three mazes actually and it is quite big. To make things more interesting, we decide to see which of us would make it to the end first. The first two maze was straightforward as we solve it pretty quickly but the third was challenging. At one point we ended up walking back where we came from!! We lost ^^ This place would be the best part of the entire day for me. =D

Maze Land Jeju
Darn it~ They've gotten there already!
After that we actually wanted to have lunch but the driver suggested that we waited till we were at Seongsan Ilchubong as there were more choices there.

I believe Seopikoji is actually a famous for being a filming spot for a drama. I had high hopes for the place but was sorely disappointed when I saw how commercialised the place is. It was a dead end but there was an endless stream of tourist bus trying to enter the place causing some sort of traffic congestions.

There were much less people after bypassing the House as I believe most people just visited the area to see it. I've read that it is possible to enter the place for a fee but since I didn't watch the drama there wasn't any significance in visiting. Our visit wasn't very pleasant due to the immense number of tourist. The view was lovely but I wouldn't recommend this place at all.

Seopikoji Jeju
Seopikoji
Our last stop for the day was Seongsan Ilchubung or Sunrise Peak. It was only about 200m high but around the halfway point I gave up. I know I should have gave it my best but at that time I truly felt so tired like my legs could give out any minute. The fitness level of the ajjummas going uphill has really put me to shame. Unfortunately we did not come at the right timing or could have watched a hanyeo in action. 

Seongsan Ilchubung Jeju
The view~
We bought some Jeju chocolates for souvenir and decided to return and have dinner near our hostel. It was a good thing too as it took us approximately 90 minutes to reach town. We chose a simple understated restaurant to try the famous Korean BBQ.

Jeju
Dinner~
We must have looked strange as we ordered three kimchi jigae and only one portion of bbq pork. The ajjumma was really kind. She was obviously worried we wouldn't know the proper way to eat and tried her best to explain since there is actually a step by step method on how to eat korean bbq.

They'd even grilled the meat for us there and there because I believe we were actually supposed to do it ourselves. The best part was that we were given two bottles of coke as 'service' probably because we were tourists. She even kept asking us if we had enough, if the food was delicious. It was really one of the best I've had so far.

|Pre-Trip| Day 1| Day 2| Day 3| Day 4| Day 5| Day 6| Day 7| Day 8| Day 9| Day 10| 

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Afternoon Tea @ 1837 TWG Tea, Pavillion

Between our busy lives, a gathering between us girls have been long overdue. The last time we met was months ago when one of the girls returned from her holiday - and its my turn now. Since neither of us have tried having 'afternoon tea' we decided to give this place a try. Maybe it's our lucky day but on that day there wasn't a queue there at all. 

TWG Pavillion
Relaxing atmosphere~
Entering the salon, we were gently ushered to our table. With the sparkling silverware and relaxing atmosphere it was like entering a different world. Ordering however was not an easy feat as they have over 450 blends of tea and we were absolutely clueless to begin with. The employees there were very attentive and understandingly did not hurry our order.

Since there were four of us, we decided to order two Chic Sets (Rm39.50) - each which comes with our choice TWG tea blend, selection of 3 finger sandwiches and choice of 2 scones or muffins; the basic 1837 Set (Rm26.50) and later a additional ala-carte selection of tea (Rm19). Although the pots look large don't be fooled as there isn't much inside and because the tea leaves have been removed 'for a more consistent experience', refilling is not an option. 

However this is just the easy part. The next part is to choose WHICH tea blends to have...O__O||| Though my friends have quickly decided on which to have, I was still undecided. The waiter recommended their 1837 signature tea to go with my order and I have to agree with him as it is really aromatic (smells somewhat sweet?) with  a slight sour finish. To me this blend taste better with a teaspoon of sugar though one of the girls reckoned that its sweet enough already :P

TWG Pavillion
Absolutely delicious ^^
The sandwiches was nothing to shout about but the scones were lovely especially when paired with the jelly and whipping cream. The chocolate muffins however can be rather filling. We divided the 2 muffins among the four of us and its plenty - at least to me. Speaking from a person who does not like chocolate, I find the taste pleasant - not too chocolatey that I would find it cloying but just right. 

We had a pleasant time spending nearly 4 hours just sipping tea, talking and enjoying the atmosphere till we did not realise that much time has passed. I'm surprised they didn't kick us out as our table has been cleared ages ago. >.<  All in all our average bill was Rm40 per person. A little pricey since it could buy a nice meal in a restaurant but I suppose its fine once in a while. I would like to try their cakes next time though. ^^

Sunday, June 1, 2014

[Korea] Day 1: Arriving in Seoul, Trick Art Hongdae, Jeju

I was hoping to publish this quite a while back, but life happens and only finally got around to doing it now. ^^ I took so many photos that it really took me a long long time for me to select photos (read: editing) that would best reflect my journey.

***
I have sincerely not travelled via plane for a long time and so I made the 'mistake' of not pre-booking our seat 48-hours prior. Thus although we checked in 3 hours earlier at the kiosk we ended up with this. O_O|||

At the very least we weren't seated near the toilet. We slept or at least tried to sleep as we had a long day ahead after arriving in the morning. After arriving at Incheon, our first priority was to find a place to store our luggage.

There were lockers at subways but we weren't sure if it would fit our luggage so we opt for the storage facilities available at Gimpo Airport. However just for the record, we've seen the lockers and its definitely large enough and if I'm not mistaken much cheaper too.

Trick Art Museum
We visited the Trick Art Museum in Hongdae (Hongik St.) because Hongdae is 30 mins from Gimpo and also because it opens early ^^ Yay~ We actually walked pass the building 3 times looking for it. O__O

This photo was actually taken when we exited and is probably the proper entrance compared  to the entrance we took earlier that looked like someone's back stairway. T^T

Luckily I remembered to print discount coupons. XD With the coupons, our entry costs us 12000won which includes entry to the adjourning Ice Museum. A pretty good deal right?

Trick Art Museum
What are YOU looking at>?
We spent a surprisingly long time at this location. I didn't expect it to be so enjoyable. Some of the pose looks and feels awkward but turns out quite nicely on photos. There were even floor markers at each exhibit to help us get the best angle.

At one point, there was a group of loud, obnoxious and rude tourist barging their way through. I won't say where they're from but thank god they quickly went their way. I believe Hongdae's Trick Art is smaller than Jeju's but its just as enjoyable all the same.

Ice Museum = Walk-in Freezer

Our next location was the The Ice Museum. I especially liked the house made entirely from ice...even the toilets!! However the best is still the ice slide. It looked steep but it wasn't really that scary. At one point I couldn't feel my nose so we decided to leave.

While exiting we realised that there was an 18+ only Love Museum upstairs. This place didn't even came up when I was doing my research. My guess was it would be a really amusing place but we didn't have time as we're running late.

Ice Noodle
The most chewy noodles~
We ordered a bowl of Spicy Ice Noodles to share for lunch and was bewildered when we were given a large pair of kitchen scissors. Then we knew why. The noodles was chewy....to the point that even using teeth to chew through was exhausting.

After lunch we hurried back to Gimpo to catch our flight to Jeju. We flew with EastarJet as their webpage is the easiest to navigate and if you booked early enough, there are special rates although you'll have to register as a member first.


As soon as we arrived, we opt to take the taxi as we didn't want to get lost....again However the funny thing is we still got lost anyway. We were searching for a 'supermarket' as our landmark when we realised that it must be that convenience store. On hindsight the location was rather obvious - we just needed to walk a little ahead and look up. =.=|||

Greenday Guesthouse
We choose Greenday Backpacker Hostel because it was recommended by my uncle. The price is really reasonable -  20,000won per person/night inclusive of breakfast. So with the two of us we could practically get a private room for the price of a dorm!!

greenday guesthouse
Pretty cosy right?
We've really had enough of getting lost for the first day so we decided just get dinner and get some rest. Eating is really challenging. Unlike Seoul with their english menu, everything is in hangul!!

We would look at the price before entering a restaurant because we were afraid of accidentally ordering something too expensive.

We choose a small cosy restaurant and ordered seafood stew, kimbab and tteokboki. We felt slightly bad as we realised the some shops at Jeju closes early - the owner must have been waiting for us to leave...
The restaurant menu which we couldn't read. >.<
We wandered around after dinner but it was just too cold. We stopped by G25  for some snacks and decided to rest as we had lots of exploring to to tomorrow.

Pre-Trip | Day 1| Day 2| Day 3| Day 4| Day 5| Day 6| Day 7| Day 8| Day 9| Day 10| 

Sunday, May 11, 2014

Pre-Trip Travelogue

Having travelled to both Seoul and Jeju for 10-days I could say that I barely skimmed the surface. Frankly it wasn't even enough since there was just so much to see and do. But given the limited time and budget, I think I've managed squeeze in some of the recommended and must-see places and activities and create an itinerary that me and my friend will enjoy.

I didn't really plan to go during spring when we booked our flight, it just happened, which was perfect as besides being a great weather to travel, we get to escape from our hot and humid weather here. One of the reason we moved our trip to mid-April from our original late-March was due to the difference in ticket prices (I can't remember how much but it was a pretty sum).


My trip to Seoul was honestly rather...sudden - for the lack of better words. No doubt that I've wanted to travel but it had been a rough idea, a general plan of sorts which I'm sure most people have at the back of their minds. The thought of travelling to Korea hasn't even occurred to me (on my own) - not even after watching gazillions of Korean drama. Unbelievable right?! 

I had the assumptions that Korea would be a challenging destination due to the language barrier, expensive and that I would need to follow a travel agency which would complicate things. I mean travelling to a foreign country where you can't speak the language can be rather intimidating don't you think? However, my uncle who is well-travelled, regaled us with how amazing and tourist friendly it was there. The plus point was the fact that travelling within Seoul was surprisingly safe and convenient. You could reach most places by subway and everything was pretty much interconnected.


HOW WE GOT THERE 

Being from Malaysia, we decided to fly with Malaysia Airlines. Contrary to popular believe, Air Asia wasn't the most affordable as no doubt it was slightly cheaper but after the extras it would be nearly the same. I would rather pay slightly extra to ensure my peace of mind to not be caught unaware of unexpected expenses. It doesn't help that my previous experiences with Air Asia = delays.

ITINERARY

Making our own itinerary was really easy thanks to numerous bloggers who have blogged about their trip. VisitKorea website was also very helpful as it contains detailed information. In preparation for my trip, I've read countless websites and blogs to compile some of the places I think we would both enjoy. However despite my planning, its really impossible to predict what was going to happen and all we could do was to adjust and make the best out of it. 

TIPS

I believe that my trip would be much more enjoyable if I were to be able to converse in korean or at least read some hangul. The people that I've met there were so friendly though much was lost in translation and I think that I could have gained much more insight if I could converse more with them.

Right now, I'm still having a 'hangover' from my trip as it was really that epic and although school begins tomorrow, I would look forward to blogging each and every one of my misadventure and probably some of my hauls too since I did quite a bit of shopping ^^ Ciao~

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Back to Reality

Seoul was absolutely amazing :D It felt unreal now that I'm back but It was definitely an experience to remember. I realised was that choosing your travel partner is very important. A heads up to future travel mates, I am the type to burn myself out during a holiday. I came to experience the locality. I'm not paying a bomb to sleep in. But for all its worth, I'm glad that I went with a close friend ^^ We didn't really match well habit wise but well enough to make considerations for each other.

This is just a quickie since I'm busy. There is just so much to tell that I can't possibly blog about in a single post. One of my highlights was shopping - clothes, shoes, cosmetics, accessories and even their local supermarket~!! I thought I went trigger happy but after unpacking I realised I hadn't bought that much. Actually I did since I returned home with 24.3kg (which is amazing since I can't even carry my own bag). Once home I felt I should have bought more stuff. But then again its not physically possible for me...You can't imagine how it was like trying to get to the airport.

I'm especially crazy CRAZY about skincare and lip cosmetics. I had always had a weak spot for lipsticks and glosses since I could never have enough of them. This is especially if I see a pretty colour or a colour that I don't have yet. I have tons lying around and I have recently bought three new colours to add to my collection. Of course I justify my purchases by convincing myself that I use more lip products since I really do favour them. 

I get more eccentric since I feel like I'm thrown into a whirlwind of hustle and bustle. Right now, I'm in the midst of college entrance. There is so little time as classes begin this Monday but I can't get any of the paperwork completed without an offer letter. What's most important is the dateline for the ptptn and my offer letter is still 'under consideration' due to me being a credit transfer student.

I've called them a few times and I was told that I have been accepted for my 4th choice (BA Hospitality Management) but the delay is due to them needing to work out my exemptions. For all this delays, I'd better be able to skip all practical since they have made me miss my orientation. I hope I didn't miss too much. I'm really excited to begin classes. 

Friday, April 18, 2014

Birthday Lunch @ The Manhattan Fish Market, Pavillion

What you see may not be what you will get~ Technically there was nothing wrong but I can't help feel a little disappointed by the food presentation and quality. The image on the left is what I was served compared to the promotional image(right).


My brother had always wanted to try the Flaming Platter @ The Manhattan Fish Market. Since I wasn't going to be around, we decided to take opportunity of the groupon promotion and celebrate his birthday a little earlier. Usually price for the Platter alone is usually RM55.90 and with the groupon it was discounted to RM47 with complementary 'chowder' and salad.

Before I bought the groupon, I called up the Pavillion outlet to enquire if we could use it on Good Friday because it was stated in the t&c that it is not valid on a public holiday. It had to be on this particular day because it was the only day before my flight where his school is off. It was a simple question but the phone was passed around with the employees mumbling and giving me mixed answers. (If they had said no, I would've gone there anyway. The only difference is that I wouldn't waste my money for a groupon that I cannot use.)

I was quite annoyed but luckily the Manhattan Facebook Team had some sense and quickly clarified this issue. During my visit, the service was quick and efficient but the quality of the meal was....well it's not that it taste bad but it leaves something to be desired. The salad was still crunchy and crisp but it had already begin browning. I didn't think much of this but on our way out, there was salads in the display counter. I don't even want to think how long it has been there. 

I didn't ask but I believe we were served Mushroom Garlic Soup since it taste like mushroom but with an overwhelming garlic flavour - kinda like melted garlic bread. It wasn't bad and it was rather thick and filling. However, I was looking forward to being served 'chowder of the day' since that was what printed in the groupon. According to the dictionary, it refers to a rich soup usually containing seafood but if there was any in it I couldn't taste it.

The main meal after over looking its appearance was actually really delicious. They brought the pan over and flamed in front of us before serving. My brother particularly enjoyed the fried oysters and my favourite was the Mediterranean fish. What that was surprising is the rice beneath the seafood! I'm not one who would choose rice as my side dishes as it would usually turn out dry and taste-less but this was simply divine. 


My brother and I was practically bloated by the time we finished it. If you're a small eater, this set could probably feed three as opposed to two and I'm telling you my brother is NOT a small eater. But of course individual appetite applies. 

To digest our lunch we decided to walk around a bit before picking up his dessert (a promise made earlier). He decided to have Gelatomio Fruito and even though we selected the smallest cup that dude serving us really packed up the cup. (Now I know how they make money) It cost me about RM15 for it which is rather expensive to me. My eyes were practically daggers when he looked like he couldn't finish it since he was still stuffed from earlier. 

He managed it in the end with me helping out a little (chocolate still isn't really my thing) and look rather tortured :P We had a great day but I doubt he would want to stuff himself like this for a long time. But then again, its only his birthday once a year. And at this point of writing he still hasn't have the slightest inclination for his dinner. 

Friday, April 11, 2014

Jogoya Buffet Lunch @ Starhill Gallery

While writing this I'm sitting in front of my laptop - stomach bloated like a fat, contented little kitty. :D A little disclaimer - this isn't supposed to be a review but rather my personal experience at the outlet. 

I was supposed to meet up with a college friend of mine who has just returned home for a week of well deserved break after completing her intern-ship. Since we're 'makan' buddies its important that we pick an awesome place to eat. Going to Jogoya was decided and agreed since we both hadn't the chance to try out this place. We were pleasantly surprised (and feeling damn lucky) that there is an ongoing promotion. That brings our bill to about rm70nett per person which is a steal if the buffet is as awesome as I hoped.


I was honestly looking forward to Jogoya despite hearing a lot of negative buzz recently - mostly about the terrible wait staff and the deteriorating food quality compared to 2 years ago. But since I hadn't tried it then I've nothing to say about it. What I can say that I am glad that the bad reviews were unfounded as I had a great time at Jogoya. The staff was attentive,polite and fulfilled our requests promptly although they look rather scared intimidated when we talked to them.

After paying, we were directed to a seat near the sushi/sashimi section. It was nicely secluded while not being too far from the buffet line. As advised by reviews, we decided to order food that supposedly takes a long time to arrive first. This is done by dropping our number clip into a bowl featuring our chosen dish which will then be delivered to our table.  


There was a wide variety of cuisines and we started out with the seafood and sashimi. Mostly since it was the nearest line to us. I have to note that contrary to some reviews, the sashimi and oyster were very fresh which makes for a pleasant experience since its my first time trying out oysters. It wasn't quite my thing but it wasn't too bad either. I guess its an acquired taste. :P If raw seafood is not your thing, there are plenty of other dishes that would surely suit your taste. 


The place is huge and is divided into sections resembling hawker booths rather then buffet lines which I was confused on what they have and where they are located. It was in a way rather nice as we did a tour on the different counters and was nicely surprised by the choices presented (the effect wouldn't be there if the food was delivered in a boring straight buffet line). Although I think this will only affect first-timers since by the end of the day we could probably find our way blindfolded :3

Some of the notable sections -  Deep Fried, Salad, Sashimi, Nigiri Sushi, Cold Dishes, something like BBQ, Western - which I gave a cursory glance and skipped (nothing wrong was with the food but who comes to a buffet to gorge on pasta :3). The Tepanyaki/ Grill segment - from which I ordered the lamb was amazing. I don't remember its name and it did took a while to arrive but it was well worth it as it taste absolutely divine. Another of our favourite dish was the Claypot Curry Crab - .


We also tried their Steamed Garoupa which was delicious (not oily and no fishy smell). Some of which I skipped was Sushies, Dim sum and Mini Steamboats - basically anything I think is too ordinary or filling but honestly since there was only two of us it was quite hard to try everything. I tried three types of soups at the Chinese Cuisine section even though I know that I'm filling up vital stomach capacity with liquid - Herbal which tastes like Bak Kut Teh, Chicken Abalone and Shark Fin Soup.I didn't regret it at all as it was rich and comforting.


The highlight of the day was their range of dessert which was amazing amazing and AMAZING. If I'm not mistaken they had four large glass displays. One each for jellies/puddings, cakes, cookies and japanese sweets respectively. For ice creams lovers there was variety which you can select from Haagen Dazs and New Zealand. . My favourite was definitely the cakes as it was soft, fluffy and just fabulous. Their cookies looked delicious but I did not try them as I was already full after stuffing myself silly with cakes and ice creams. Although I was looking forward to it, the mochi wasn't anything to shout about though. 


They also had a large selection of drinks from iced slushies and cocktails to juices, coffee, tea. But my personal favourite was the mini coconut. Unlimited mind you. I think its one of their more popular items as I see pretty much every table has it. Beer and Japanese alcoholic is also offered for an additional price. 


Obviously I didn't not try everything as it was really a too large selection for just two person to attempt. :P We left after dining for 3 hours. It was money well spent and we look forward to the next promotion at Jogoya - this time with more friends. These are some moments that I'm glad I was not too influenced by reviews as it would be a shame to miss out on this. This is definitely a must re-visit. :D


Saturday, April 5, 2014

Rekindled

It seems to me that blogging ideas comes more easily during the night usually right before I sleep. The problem with this is that I usually forget what I wanted to blog about or if I do remember then I probably lost the flow of it all together. I can only do things once. Once I've done it even if it were in my head I can't exactly re-create it with the same feeling unless I somehow manage to record my thoughts before it disappears. This makes for quite alot of un-completed and un-posted blog posts. Some suggestions on this would be appreciated but on to my topic today.

In preparation for my upcoming trip I'm now the proud owner of Nikon Coolpix P330. Tada~
The reason I selected this camera out of multitudes of others (and paid a great deal more) is because of the manual capabilities - which I'm trying hard to learn. I want to take gorgeous photos and I want to be able to control it and not be at the mercy of the camera instead - which is the problem of my current nearly 10-year-old Olympus. 

After high school I somewhat lost interest in photography (and quite a lot of my other hobbies - eg. writing) for a bit partly due to my outdated gear and the lack of supportive friends. However, researching how exactly to use each mode (I just love AV mode the best) and learning what the heck are stuff like ND filters, Active D-Lightings (sorry if I'm a noob but things like this never came with auto =.=) makes things so much more interesting. The multitudes of websites, guides and blogs available is just awesome. There area also photography magazines which I could download (for free) which had tons of beginner tips.

There is just so much to learn and I hope that college has a real photography club since I saw a couple of kids running around with dslrs. I apparently have the amazing luck of consistently joining a dead club. Any club I join seems to be dead. To proof it I've been a girl guide my entire schooling life but I've never even passed the pre-preparatory grade. This means that technically I'm not allowed to even wear their uniform. The clubs I joined at my various schools either had too many people to effectively do anything or we had not enough people to meet the min requirement for anything. Such a bummer.

Well cross my fingers and I'll hope for better luck in college since I'm supposed to be joining something to get curricular points.  

Friday, April 4, 2014

Proof of Adulthood

When I was younger, reaching my 21st birthday had always signified the gateway of adulthood - the magical age where we are no longer 'controlled' by our parents, where we could do whatever we want...and so it goes.  However, as I matured...I realised that adulthood isn't marked by a number but rather by our actions.

So what if you're 21 this year. Demanding that you want freedom is just plain bullshit for as long as we are dependant...as long as we cannot stand on our own feet we will always be ruled by our parents. Everything goes both ways. How convenient to proclaim that we are already old enough to do whatever we want but still need them to feed us, to cloth us, to pay for our education. Arguing will not serve any purpose but to proof our immaturity - this which I'm not immune to.

Parents have no obligation to fulfil our every whims and wishes. Legally they are only required to support us till 18. So if we are to live in their house we are to abide by their rules - or so my mum says. If you claim that you can do what ever you want, surely you can work for it. Financial freedom - the ability to pay our own. This is truly the ticket to freedom
However to me, health is the most important above all. This which I have experienced first hand. Within a year I've been warded twice which I'm sure is more than most my age. Some of these restrictions will affect my work opportunities as working overseas will not be a possibility. While my friends could...explore for the lack of a better word, I would be restricted to my locality as my life practically revolves around my appointments.

If this is adulthood, sometimes I'd rather be a kid again without worries. But well I'll take everything in a stride as I'm sure there is a silver lining somewhere - or so the proverb says. For now, I will be flying to South Korea in two weeks time. This would be my second trip overseas unaccompanied. I'm estimating expenses around rm5000 - a total which I hope I won't reach. I would probably post a detailed expenditure once I'm back.

Thursday, March 20, 2014

Marching Forward

Its only March and it has been a whirlwind. In a way it also meant that sometimes things won't go as planned and we can only make the best out of it.

Currently I'm enjoying my first 'relaxation' at home. For me, I haven't technically had a time where I did nothing and stayed at home. Ever since SPM it was work > driving school > college. And even then my semester breaks are filled with PT work. Its all hustle and bustle.

But this wasn't what I had in mind either.

At first I had planned to work until March which is then followed by a  holiday in April before resuming my studies in May. However things did not work out that way. Due to certain disagreement, I submited my resignation a month earlier and unfortunnately even before I could complete my term I was warded for an infection.

I am applying to enter TAR for its business course or hospitality course so fingers crossed that it all goes well or else I would have to consider Plan B which I hope does not need to happen.

Wishing for luck ^^



Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Hearts Desire

Eversince I could remember, whenever I did well in my studies I would look forward for trips to the department store. I would then be allowed to choose a small gift for myself. My parents believed then that hard work should be rewarded and this is something that I have continued until now with my own finances.

In the year 2014, instead of a reasolution, this year, I've decided to compile a list of items that I would want to own in time.

1) LUNCH BOX & BENTO SET - I like making my own lunches and I am a self-admit addict when it comes to these bento-making sets. I can't resist putting my hands on one of these whenever I enter Daiso and it doesn't help with Daiso popping up like mushrooms. :D


2) TUMBLERS - People who know me can attest that I drink water and lots of it. I really like those novelty tumblers. The creativity in them is just astounding. But its hard for me to buy it sometimes because I can't bear to use them if its too pretty. For me it has to be pretty and yet plain enough for everyday use.


3) HAND CREAM - These are my guilty pleasure. I buy them for the packaging and I just love the scents that hand creams comes with. Sometimes they are too pretty to be used but with my line of work where cuts, burns and dry hands are normal, you can see why I like it don't you.


4) LIP GLOSS, LIP TINTS etc - If I had to select my favourite part of my face, I would select my lips. Its not that I have beautiful lips but simply became the easiest to accent since my eyes are forever hidden behind my glasses and nor do I have those enviable korean flawless complection. I am embarased to say I own more lip glosses, lip sticks, lip balms that I could ever wear (afterall we only have one lips) and yet I am always tempted whenever I pass through the cosmetics section. There is always a colour that I  haven't had yet. :P


5) MUSIC BOX - Its a little unusual but I especially like those that double as a jewelry box. Maybe its partly of its calming effect and that nostalgia it evokes.



6) BRACELETS -  If you would ask me I will always favor bracelets compared to anyother jewelry. This is partly of my impossibly skinny wrists makes bracelets practically impossible (they either slip down my hands or go all the way to my armpits :P) Dainty and yet understated. Just my style.



7) SNACKS - Unlike most girls I don't really like chocolates but I could never have enough of seaweed and chips. My addiction is till the extend of me requesting that as my birthday gift. I just love seaweed and also chips. Just the perfect combination XD I know they're cheap but they won't be cheap any longer if you eat them everyday. I wish I had an unlimited supply



Its a little late as always for my first post for this year but well better late then never. :D and as it is Chinese New Year I would like to wish you all Gong Hey Fatt Choy~!!