Kono Wonderland

Hong Kong 7/2/13 Some pictures from my recent trip to Hong Kong....

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 18:18:10 +0000

Hong Kong 7/2/13

Some pictures from my recent trip to Hong Kong. Hong Kong is a city like no other, and I would recommend a visit there to anyone!

I will upload more pictures from my second day there later.

Recipe

Fri, 25 Jan 2013 20:15:00 +0000

Korean

Bibimbap (비빔밥)

Recently I’ve tried to lower my consumption of meat products because of ethical/health reasons. One day I hope to eradicate meat from my diet completely (as well as fish and other seafood) but for now, I’m taking it one day at a time. Unfortunately, at home, my parents see meat as compulsory and their idea of a balanced meal is meat, veg, potatoes…every single day. When I’m home I feel like I’m in Groundhog Day, as all I’ve been getting is mashed potatoes and boiled veg for the last week. One or two pieces of veg is no way sufficient for a good diet! (Don’t worry, I’m finally getting to the point of this long preamble).

So although it’s a bit wasteful to cook when there is plenty of mashed potato to go around, I decided enough was enough, and went to the shop to buy some wonderful, colourful vegetables. I had the idea of cooking Bibimbap, so I decided to tailor Maangachi’s excellent recipe to create my own, slightly 和風 (Japanese-style) version.

You will need:

Rice
Soy sauce
Sesame Oil
Vegetable Oil (not pictured)
Salt (not pictured)
Sugar (not pictured)
Gojujang a.k.a Hot pepper paste
Kimchi
Minced Garlic or garlic paste
Seaweed (optional)
Sesame seeds (optional)
Dried spring onion (optional)
An egg
A mix of vegetables - I’ve got a carrot, onion, cucumber, mushrooms, and bean sprouts (normally spinach is included, but since they didn’t have any in my local supermarket, I had no choice but to omit it)
Some form of meat/fish (optional) - I decided to try some weird dried seafood mix that I picked up in China Town this one time, but feel free to add in any kind of meat or fish - minced beef is standard, but bulgogi, chicken, and even raw salmon and tuna have been tried before, so go wild!

Serves 1 - 2

1. Cook the rice.

2. Slice the carrot thinly and stir-fry for a few minutes in vegetable oil. On a lower heat, add a dash of sesame oil and soy sauce and a pinch of sugar (this is where the 和風 comes in, because you’re essentially making きんぴら (kinpira). When done, transfer to a heat-proof tray and place in the oven on a low heat.

3. Dice up half the onion and cook in the same way as the carrot, replacing the sugar with a tiny bit of salt. Again, transfer to the heat-proof tray and keep warm in the oven.

4. Rinse the bean sprouts really well in cold water. Stir-fry in vegetable oil, then on a lower heat, add sesame oil, soy sauce, a little of the minced garlic and salt. Transfer to the heat-proof tray and place back in the oven.

5. Prepare the mushrooms in the same way as above, by chopping them, sautéing them in vegetable oil, then adding sesame oil, soy sauce, and a pinch of sugar. Place on oven tray like the above ingredients and warm in the oven. I used ordinary mushrooms, but if you use dried shitaake mushrooms, please remember to soak them in water first!

6. Prepare your meat or fish. I soaked my prawns and fried them in oil, adding soy sauce, sesame oil and a dash of mirin (和風ぅぅ). However, as I stated above, you can use all sorts of different things. If you try classic minced beef, check out Maangachi’s recipe that I linked to above, or have a search in google. (Other recipes will probably be twice as good as mine :S)

7. Slice up the cucumber into thin strips.

8. Now for the fun part. Get your cooked and drained rice and use it to layer the bottom of a bowl or pot. For an idea of what Koreans use, check out this link.

9. Add the vegetables/meat/fish and a big dollop of kimchi around the outer part of the rice.

10. In the middle of the rice, add a dollop of gojujang, a raw egg (fried if you live in a country that has issues with salmonella - like me - I just live on the edge, haha) and (optionally) garnish with sesame seeds, dried spring onion and strips of seaweed.

11. As a side, I prepared some wakame soup, pictured above. I also put some extra sesame oil in a small bowl as is the norm in Korea.

12. Enjoy!

Travel South Korea (14/1/13) (I’ll write about this trip...

Sat, 19 Jan 2013 16:18:53 +0000

Travel

South Korea (14/1/13)

(I’ll write about this trip in detail soon!)

Film

Sat, 19 Jan 2013 16:02:00 +0000

Noriko Goes To Seoul (노리코, 서울에 가다)

Country of origin: South Korea

Year: 2011

Director: Lee Gyo Wook

Noriko Goes To Seoul is a made-for-television, feature length drama that aired on KBS in 2011. In short, it is the story of a Japanese housewife who travels to Seoul in order to finally make something of herself, becoming part of one family, and healing her own. Of course, this being a ‘drama’-type production, there are many issues that our leads have to contend with; including the obligatory illness, a fight resulting from a love triangle, family issues and deceased relatives.

Our protagonist, Noriko, leaves her husband and troubled daughter for a few weeks to embark on a trip to Korea to meet her beloved ‘Hyun-chan’, a famous idol singer who will appear as a judge on the final of a televised talent show. At the audition she meets Min Ha, an obnoxious and talented young man intent on stardom, who makes money from ‘teaching’ others how to sing. The two become entangled with each other when Noriko begs Min Ha to take her on as a student, and despite the many dramas that befall our unlucky duo, somehow they manage to get Noriko into the final of the contest, and help each other with their demons along the way.

Let’s be honest here - this movie is not going to be the next Schindler’s List - however despite its televised roots it does have something about it that elevates it above the traditional ‘Yonsok (Renzoku) Dorama’ (which incidentally, I absolutely love, so please don’t think I’m some kind of snob!) Personally, I felt that the actors, while indulging in that typical brand of overacting that we all know and love, did have some moments of brilliance - including, but not limited to, Noriko breaking into Japanese in times of great anguish and Min Ha’s brilliantly cocky and blunt put downs (it helps that he’s attractive, too).

This movie shows Noriko as a member of two contrasting families, one Japanese and one Korean, and this contrast in scenery brought some much needed fresh air to a tired genre. Through ‘dipping into’ the extended families’ lives, we learned a lot more about the protagonists’ motivations, such as Noriko’s desire to be a good example to her daughter, which made them seem much more sympathetic and rounded as characters. Noriko’s short absence from her own family was necessary because it gave her kind but kind of spineless husband the chance to stand up and support his daughter, whereas becoming a part of her ‘new’ Korean family gave the matriarch (Min Ha’s grandmother) a new perspective on Min Ha’s lack of parents and made her see that there is no shame in Min Ha being an orphan. Of course, the cultural contrast was amusing, particularly for someone like me, neither Korean or Japanese, but invited into the story as though an extra character.

For me, that is why I liked this movie, despite the slight two-dimensionality of some of the minor characters, despite the over-arched eyebrows from some of the leads, and even despite the fact that Noriko can’t actually sing - it is the welcoming nature of the film, the sense of warmth that draws you in. Not a contender at the Cannes film festival then, perhaps, but certainly, something nice to watch when you are feeling low and need the audio-visual equivalent of a soft hug.

Rating: 3/5

Beauty

Wed, 16 Jan 2013 17:21:00 +0000

Etude House Baking Powder B.B. Deep Cleansing Foam

This weekend, because of my job, I found myself in South Korea for a couple of days. I had the best intentions in the world to cram loads of sightseeing into that small gap of time and practise my (extremely limited) Korean, but I ended up seeing the inside of a grand total of one temple but about fifty skincare shops. Sigh. Korean beauty products are just so elegantly packaged, sometimes you want to line them up on your bathroom shelves regardless if they work or not.

That being said, with there being so much stuff available, it is kind of nice to know what you should be spending your money on. I spent my money on a lot of things in those two days, one of them being the above named product, Etude House’s Baking Powder Cleansing Foam.

I was desperate for a new cleanser and was intrigued by the ‘B.B.’ part of the name - literally everything in Korea is connected to the new Beauty Balm hype, which is fairly amusing.

As for the product itself, I like it, but have a couple of reservations. Before I set out in detail, I should tell you that I have combination skin, so I normally use cream cleaners as opposed to something like this, which is more soap-based: while I’ll try and be as unbiased as possible, I may sometimes write things that are specific to my own skin type, so please bear that in mind. Okay, now for the detail;

Before I even used this product I was impressed with the size and weight of it, as well as the fact that only a small amount of product is necessary for your whole face. The cleanser itself is a thick beige paste with a clean, citrusy scent. The first time I used it, however, I just wet my face then tried to remove the product with a wet muslin cloth - not a good idea. It got into my eyes which stung terribly for ages, and I ended up having to go to work looking like I’d been awake for four days on a hedonistic bender…not great. I tried it again in the shower and rinsed the product off with running water, which was a lot more manageable that time - although do not try to use this near your eye area, it will sting no matter what you do.

As for the cleansing ability, well, this product really does give a deep clean as promised, though I would only recommend using it every few days as it has exfoliation properties from the supposed baking powder mixed up inside. (Is that even English? I thought I was a native speaker, but um…) What I’m trying to say is that, for oily skin, this product would probably be fine, but for dry to combination skins, it is too harsh for daily use. My face felt tight straight after using it, which probably means that some of the natural oils in my face were stripped away. On the other hand, my skin was completely smooth, and I had no pesky dry skin cells messing with my foundation which is a bonus.

In summary, then, this product should be treated as a (bi-)weekly exfoliant treatment and not as a daily face wash. It also cannot replace a more mild make-up remover, as if you get it within a mile of your eyes, you’ll be crying for hours. For the price, it’s a good, solid product, but I’d be tempted to save up and spend more on something a little less harsh. For those with oily skin though, it may be worth a try.

Brand: Etude House

Price: 7500 Won

My rating? 3/5

Hi there! :D Thank you for the picture of Seungri pointing down!!! Actually, that's a reaction to me speaking to him, so I wanted to ask if it's just that one picture or if you have any other pictures of that moment??? In any case, thank you so much already and I hope you had a great time in London!! - Btw, can I repost the picture maybe? :D Thanks and love ♥

Sat, 29 Dec 2012 19:21:00 +0000

Sorry for the late reply, hope you had a great Xmas!

Wasn’t it a wonderful concert! Sadly these were the only decent(ish) photos I took, but feel free to use the photo if you want - it would be nice to get credit though (^_^;)

Nice story by the way! What did you say to him? :)

Music Big Bang (London 14/12/12) So, Big Bang came to London!...

Sat, 15 Dec 2012 18:33:00 +0000

Music

Big Bang (London 14/12/12)

So, Big Bang came to London! And what an absolutely amazing show it was. I’m writing this from a comparative perspective because I already saw them in Osaka earlier this year (so please forgive me!), but for many personal reasons, this concert was so much better. For one, I was literally a couple of metres from the stage this time, and so I could see the boys in all their glory. Also, I have to say that as a British person, I just enjoyed the atmosphere of the UK concert more. The Japanese fans knew every single lyric, they screamed at all the right places, and they even made up their own gestures to the songs, but at the end of the day, they know that deep down, Big Bang will always go back to Japan, whereas UK fans are eating up YG’s tiny breadcrumbs as if they were a starving child. (Finally, I didn’t almost get chucked out this time for taking photos…)

That being said, I’m going to write about a few things that happened, because that’s what people really want to know, right? I won’t give a blow-by-blow account because there are bloggers with a much better memory than mine who could write a thousand times more eloquently and detailed than I ever could, but I’ll offer up some small snippets so you know what went down last night.

Tae Yang got a nosebleed. I didn’t see how it happened, but he ended up shoving a tissue up his nose after only a short time on stage. He carried on like a trooper though, while Seungri tried and failed at a Cockney accent and used the phrase, ‘bloody hell’ (incorrectly) - I nearly died, it was so funny and adorable.
Near the end, Taeyang mentioned the nose bleeding incident by saying something like, ‘…apart from the fucking bled nose.’ I loved all their accents…
…but mostly T.O.Ps! He got the largest scream for his English, but as in Osaka, he spoke the least.
If I remember correctly, Taeyang got the biggest cheer for his solo efforts, and at one point covered a Chris Brown song, to which Seungri replied, ‘I will be your Rihanna’.
Also, Taeyang ripped off two shirts, while Seungri threw a perfectly good coat into the audience. What must they spend on clothing? （笑）
T.O.P walked around at the end with a Chupa Chups lolly and wore reindeer antlers, and while he half-assed all the dancing as usual and acted low key throughout, he had the cutest expressions.
Weirdly enough, I always thought Daesung was not that attractive, but after seeing him up close up in the flesh, my brain was like, ‘Daesung is SO hot!’ He had cute silver hair and just seemed really enigmatic somehow. I thought he was gonna bring up the incident that must not be named at one point, but it didn’t come up.
GD was cute but also kind of low key. He lay on the floor for a bit which made me wonder where he’d disappeared to for a few seconds. I was like, ‘I can hear you but I can’t see you!’
There were a huge amount of Asian fans there, which seems to indicate that Big Bang won’t be hitting the mainstream charts any time soon, but they did say they’d be back to the UK if we all bought Daesung’s Japanese album…

It was just a really cool experience, and it made me want to go and see more concerts in 2013.

P.S. I know my pictures are shitty, but if you do end up using them for some purpose please give me credit! Thanks! :)

Fashion Chunwei Liao 廖峻偉 Chunwei Liao is a Taiwanese-born,...

Mon, 10 Dec 2012 20:31:00 +0000

Fashion

Chunwei Liao 廖峻偉

Chunwei Liao is a Taiwanese-born, London-based designer who employs the traditional art of Chinese paper-cutting to create intricate and beautiful false eyelashes.

The lashes not only reflect traditional design techniques but also feature important symbols of Chinese culture, such as horses, peonies and peach blossoms.

To see more of his designs, including origami-style furniture, visit the Paperself website.

Travel

Wed, 24 Oct 2012 01:36:00 +0100

Shin-Okubo

I have to start this entry with apologies, as usual. Although I know nobody reads this blog I’m still sorry for not updating more often. Recently my work has just exhausted me in every way - though I’m getting over it now.

Anyway, enough excuses. What I really want to talk about is my recent afternoon in Shin-Okubo. Shin-Okubo is the ‘Korea Town’ of Tokyo; a veritable haven selling idol goods, cosmetics, multimedia, and cheap, delicious food. While it may be strange for me to encourage any visitors of Japan to head to a place that celebrates a completely different country and culture, Shin-Okubo is well worth a look, even if just for a unique shopping trip.

How do I get there?

No travel guide is complete without a map. Here is a map. It is terrible. Still a map though.

Basically, as long as you can manage to navigate yourself onto the lime-green Yamanote line (in the right direction) then you’ll be fine. Shin-Okubo is between Shinjuku and Takadanobaba stations. Helpfully, all maps in the train are in English as well as Japanese, and for an added touch, a nasally-sounding Japanese lady will guide you in her ‘unique’ American accent to your chosen destination, although the above map may help in trying to work out how much you actually have to shell out for a ticket (station maps are only in Kanji, sadly). You can also walk to or from Shinjuku if you want to burn off some ramen-induced weight gain. Tokyo isn’t really the best city to traverse by foot, but you can walk between two to three districts with no problem – I’ve actually found some really interesting places that I would have never noticed from merely staring dourly through the train window.

Once you exit the station, after being sprang upon by people throwing maps at your face, just turn right and walk up the main road, following the crowd of middle-aged Japanese women hoping to get their hands on a poster of Hyun-Bin “for their daughter.” Welcome to K-Pop heaven!

What is there to do?

Shin-Okubo has all the things other districts in Tokyo have – Karaoke places, cosmetics shops, book shops, restaurants, places selling idol goods, a pet store (…wait, what?) The difference is that everything is from Korea instead of Japan, surprisingly. One of the first shops on your right is filled with a sea of K-Pop/K-actors’ faces, adorning anything from mugs to phrasebooks. You can also find snacks, CDs and DVDs, cosmetics, face creams, and weirdly enough, an absolute abundance of potions containing bits of slimy animals. Fancy putting snake or snail ‘essence’ on your face?

Further along are restaurants, some offering Korean all-you-can-eat for as little as 1000 yen, and a wonderful supermarket called ‘Seoul Ichiba’ – well worth visiting if you love trying to recreate delicious Korean food at home. If you turn right at Gusto and head along ‘Ikemen Doori’ – aka ‘Hot Guy Street’ (I shit you not) you will find more shops, restaurants, and even a Korean hairstyling salon, for the latest in Hallyu style.

The other side of the main street has its own share of treats – from a book shop packed with Korean books and magazines, to Karaoke places (known in Korean as Noraebang) which I can only imagine contain a million times more Korean songs than your average Big Echo. (Too bad I can’t read either Katakana or Hangul quick enough to sing Korean songs.) There are people selling make-up and cosmetics in every other shop, and while I can’t really speak for the efficacy of various Korean products, if I could, I would buy everything based on the adorable packaging alone.

However, the best shop may have been the one entirely dedicated to the actor Jan Geun Suk. A whole shop. Just for one guy. I know he’s hot and everything, but come on! (Truthfully, I was devastated by the fact that it was still closed when I got there. So were the middle-aged Japanese women. I mean, devastated for their daughters.)

Here’s my haul:

Big Bang phrasebook, Snail foot cream, Rice Cleanser

Hangul Keyboard Stickers :D

More Information

Here’s a map of the area (in Japanese)

Art Yayoi Kusama Kusama is one of those artists whose own life...

Tue, 03 Jul 2012 22:23:00 +0100

Art

Yayoi Kusama

Kusama is one of those artists whose own life seems inseparable to her artistic endeavours; a Japanese tour-de-force whose hallucinations and visions intertwine seamlessly with her polka-dot covered creations. Her work literally invites the viewer into her own mind.

Spending her early years learning traditional styles of Japanese art, Kusama became sick of learning from her masters and left for New York, being both inspired and an inspiration to the avant-garde movement. After several years, however, she returned to Japan and became a permanent resident in a mental institution, setting up an art studio nearby and becoming a stranger to the evolving art world.

Kusama is known mainly for her patterned installations that trick the eye, but she has taken on many different mediums, from visceral novels to oil paintings. Her work is fascinating and unapologetic, and completely honest. Despite hating her experience at one of the traditional schools of Japanese art, the way she describes the ubiquitous polka-dot is very telling;

…a polka-dot has the form of the sun, which is a symbol of the energy of the whole world and our living life, and also the form of the moon, which is calm. Round, soft, colorful, senseless and unknowing.

Perhaps the polka-dot is in some way representative of the red dot on the Japanese flag, or even an Umeboshi nestling on a bed of steaming rice - a comforting reminder of traditional Japan in an ever changing world.

Recipe

Wed, 13 Jun 2012 02:41:00 +0100

Korean

Steak Chapjae

First, a disclaimer: this recipe isn’t really like any other Chapjae out there; it’s a kind of made-up-as-you-go-along kind of dish, using whatever was in the fridge. (I couldn’t brave leaving the house for extra ingredients, it was pouring with rain!) I wasn’t going to write about it but since I already kinda promised, plus it tasted more awesome than I expected…here’s my Steak MUAYGA Chapjae recipe!

You will need the following ingredients (or alternatively, you can wing it and see what happens…)

A handful of veg, including:

Carrot, thinly sliced (normally recipes recommend Julienne slices, but I’m really not that fancy)
Half an onion, sliced
Shiitake Mushrooms (not vital if you’re stuck. I used the dry kind at the very back of the picture and reconstituted them with water, but fresh are equally fine)
Normal mushrooms (only because I love mushrooms), sliced
Red Pepper, sliced
Minced Garlic

Other recipes also say that you should add spinach and shallots, and not add the red pepper, but I was working with what I had in the fridge at the time so sorry guys!! But any mixture of veg is fine I think, as long as they work well in a stir-fry type dish.

A piece of steak meat, sliced, seasoned, and grilled

As I mentioned above, Chapjae is traditionally not made with steak, but with Beef Bulgogi or Pork. But it’s still beef! And it was good. So why not try it?

A cup of vermicelli noodles
Sugar (approx 2-3 tbsps)
Soy sauce (approx 2-3 tbsps, really depends on your taste)
Sesame Oil (approx 2-3 tbsps)
Sesame Seeds (to garnish, optional)

How to make the dish:

1. Prepare the noodles. I can’t read much Korean so I had to guess the instructions for mine, but around 10 - 15 mins on a medium heat should be fine.

2. Add a little sesame oil to a pan and heat it up. Sautee the carrots and onions over a medium to high heat. Start to add in the mushrooms and peppers, and cook for a few minutes.

3. Add in the garlic and stir well. Then add in the beef and noodles.

4. Sprinkle the sugar on the top then add in the soy sauce. Add some more sesame oil if you desire, then stir all the ingredients together. On a low to medium heat, cook the dish until the vegetables are to your taste.

5. Serve, sprinkling with sesame seeds if you want to.

As you can see, I kind of made this up as I went along. But it turned out really nice, not greasy or thick with too much sauce like the usual stir-fry type dishes I try to make. I really felt the flavour of the vegetables spoke for themselves, although next time I will add the spinach as well!

To finish off, I added Kimchi and a side salad with Goma Dressing.

Hey, I'm good thanks, casually putting off revision haha. How are you? And I'm studying at Sheffield Uni - and yes, we have a year abroad in out 3rdyear. So excited but oh-so scared too - particularly in regards to money. And no, I've not really though of where to go to be honest... Do you have any recommendations perhaps? And have you studied Japanese at Uni too? Where did you go? And what year are you in now? But yes! Thank you for your help; I really appreciate it. I'll look into them asap :)

Mon, 11 Jun 2012 19:19:50 +0100

I studied Japanese at SOAS and spent my year abroad at Nagoya University, which is amazing, but not for everyone. Actually, I’ve already finished - but I’m hoping to go back to Nagoya for my Masters. I heard a lot of Sheffield students go to Kyoto, is that right? It might be worth going somewhere else to meet new people, although Kyoto is lovely too.

Are exams still on? My reply’s a little late, I’m sorry!

If you like, I travel to Japan a lot for my job, so I could pick you up any books you need for your studies and you could pay me through my ebay shop. I’m going to Japan this weekend, and again the next week -__- (Thanks, BA!) I understand completely if you prefer to make your own enquiries but the offer is there if you like!

Also, BIG BANG are awesome! <3

Hi. I'm sorry to bother you but I was wondering which Korean-Japanese textbook you're using exactly? I've just finished the first year of my degree in Japanese (one exam to go!) so I feel I should be fine in learning Korean but I really want to do it from Japanese. However, have no idea where to start. Would you recommend your books? And did you buy them offline or from London? Thank you so much in advance. I did read your post so I'm sorry if you already covered what I'm asking. Melissa x

Sat, 02 Jun 2012 08:55:00 +0100

Hey! How are you? Don’t worry about asking questions, I like when people get in touch with me! Where are you studying btw?

The book I use is KO 韓国語「文法」トレーニング（高橋書店）, and alongside that I also have a vocab book called 韓国語の基本単語集（ナツメ社）, which groups loads of words into various categories. I would recommend them both, although there are so many books on the market which are probably just as good.

Unfortunately I got my books in Japan, so I’m not sure about where you can buy them in the UK. You could try Amazon Japan by using a shopping service, or you can request that JP Books (part of Mitsukoshi in London) order them for you. They do actually have some other Korean study books in JP Books, though they were quite expensive… They also have みんなの日本語 in Korean which I also contemplated buying, because I found it was such an excellent textbook when I was an 一年生.

Sorry I can’t be much more help. I really hope I could at least help a little. If you have any more questions please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Oh and good luck with the exams, I’m sure you’ll do great! Do you get a year abroad in Japan? Have you thought about where you want to go?

- Alice :)

Travel

Tue, 08 May 2012 22:20:00 +0100

Hello Kitty Hotspots in East Asia (Part 1)

While I’m more of a Rilakkuma fan myself, I can’t help but splurge on Hello Kitty items from time to time. For some reason, an oblong face topped with a cute little bow has attracted millions of fans from all over the world. Thanks to its immense fame and ubiquity, Hello Kitty merchandise can be found globally, but for the full ‘experience’, devoted fans have to head to Tokyo and other East Asian cities. Here are the best ways to enter ‘Hello Kitty Heaven’, from the truly wonderful to the utterly bizarre.

Tokyo:

Sanrio Puroland

A list of Hello Kitty tourist attractions would not be complete without a mention of Hello Kitty Mecca, ‘Sanrio Puroland’ - an amusement park built just outside of central Tokyo that combines rides and entertainment shows under one very large roof. All of Hello Kitty’s friends are there for young children to enjoy, and of course older fans can go shopping for something cute.

For more information, click here.

Heart Dental Clinic

And now for something a little different - Sanrio have created a Dental Clinic that pays homage to their most famous creation, kitted out in pink hues and with Hello Kitty herself peering cutely out of the window. The idea was to make going to the dentist less scary for patients, particularly young children, but of course, anyone can make an appointment to get their teeth fixed ‘Kitty Style’.

Their website fits into the pink theme in a big way.

Hello Kitty Tour

Hato Bus have created a Hello Kitty themed tour which takes people around the icon’s hangouts in Tokyo and Odaiba. To amp up the excitement, tourists don’t know which tour (out of two) they will be on until the day of the tour itself. It’s a unique way of seeing Japan’s capital.

For tour information and online booking, see here.

Seoul

Hello Kitty Cafe

For a quainter Hello Kitty experience, why not try a cappuccino with her face sprinkled on the top? Wall-to-wall Kitty awaits you in this sweet cafe in Seoul, painted in Hello Kitty’s signature soft pink and decorated with her image all over. Waffles, Hot Dogs and other delicacies are on offer - but be quick, because the hordes of selca-taking Korean schoolgirls may beat you to them.

Here’s the link to their website.

Hello Kitty Planet Exhibition

Hello Kitty Planet is a year-long exhibition in Seoul that showcases various aspects of Hello Kitty’s persona. Artwork, models, and life-size displays are gathered in one place to make a magical place to visit. Unfortunately the exhibit is only temporary, so make sure you plan a visit before the 30th of June 2012.

Their website can be found here.

(To be continued…)

Study

Mon, 07 May 2012 19:22:00 +0100

Korean

My level: Beginner

Now I know that this is an English language blog, so you guys probably aren’t going to be that interested in an article on the benefits of studying Korean in Japanese. But hear me out, because if you already know some Japanese then learning this way seems to help comprehension immeasurably. (And of course, this applies to learning Japanese in Korean as well.)

1. Korean grammar is much more similar to Japanese than any other language.

When I was learning Korean using an English language book, I felt like I couldn’t fully grasp what I was being taught. One of the main pitfalls of self study is that you really have to learn on your own, so there is no one to explain tricky things to you - even basics such as the difference between 운/눈 and 가/이. I had a feeling that they were probably comparable to は/が in Japanese, but without confirmation I felt a bit lost. As soon as I used a Japanese textbook, everything became a lot clearer, and I can now use these particles a lot more easily.

[Another language that fits well with Korean vocabulary-wise is Mandarin, as the sounds and syllables of Korean words seem to match those of Chinese (and Japanese as well). However, basic Chinese grammar is subject + verb + object, so they may not fit as well grammatically. However, the way of describing and counting objects in Chinese and Japanese/Korean is very similar.]

2. When you’re learning Korean in Japanese, you’re also learning Japanese.

This is pretty obvious, but the advantage of learning a third language in a second language is that you learn both languages in tandem. This won’t work as well for other language combinations, but for Japanese and Korean, you can kill two birds with one stone rather easily. If you are a fairly advanced learner of Japanese, you may think that you will not learn anything new - I mean, you may not yet know 가/이 아닙니다 in Korean but you must certainly know what ではありません means, right?

But the thing is, even the act of reading a grammar explanation in Japanese counts as practising Japanese. And to be honest, people forget simple things in a second language all the time. Also, when you get more advanced in Korean, you may even learn new things in Japanese - I’m learning new Japanese vocabulary all the time, and I’ve studied Japanese for four years (though badly).

3. Korean textbooks written in Japanese are in abundance; in other languages, not so much.

The first time I gave Korean a go, about a year ago now, I searched high and low for a good book. Now, funnily enough, my University actually teaches Korean (I know, I know, I should’ve done a joint degree, it’s too late now…) so I could’ve just asked my friends who studied Korean where they got theirs. But I didn’t want an academic book which required a Korean teacher to go with it, and which would’ve cost me about £25. I wanted a basic beginners textbook with pictures and things to fill in and…basically the equivalent of one of those fun paper table mats that they give to kids in restaurants to fill in. Luckily I lived in London at the time, so I was able to pop into the biggest Waterstones in the country. However, 1. not a lot of people have that choice, and 2. I still only had a choice of of two books. Two! And the one I picked was not good. I got home and realised that you learned by picking out bits of grammar and vocab from an unintelligible conversation, which is not helpful if you need to learn things step-by-step. For non-UK readers, except perhaps those living in Asian countries, it is probably the same story.

As long as you can get hold of Japanese textbooks, it doesn’t matter what is on offer in your own language. There is so much choice, that no matter how you learn there is a book for you. I found the perfect textbooks for me, but for people who learn differently, there are many other options. Textbooks, vocab books, dictionaries, electronic dictionaries, magazines, CDs…It is like learning French in the UK, except better.

[Now, to completely contradict myself, you can find some (possibly illegal) downloads of Korean textbooks written in various languages on line, and if you like studying from a screen then go for it. But I need to learn from paper, and scribble all over things, so that way of learning is not for me. I’m not anti-Kindle either, but textbooks need to be in paper-form in my opinion]

4. Textbooks are priced reasonably in Japan

Japan isn’t exactly famed for its low prices. And, obviously, if you don’t live in Japan or won’t travel there in the near future, you do have to factor in the costs of converting your own currency as well as postage. But even so, good textbooks in Japan are not expensive. In the UK, a university textbook will usually cost at least £20 - the equivalent in Japan will cost about £12, and will probably be much more user friendly. Japan isn’t super cheap but you get a lot for what you pay for - and you can’t put a price on knowing another language.

5. It’s a natural instinct

Your brain will naturally cut corners - so it’s inevitable that it will try and force you to see patterns between Japanese and Korean if you already have studied one of them for a while. Why not cut out the middle man and help out your brain?

But…

Everybody learns differently. So this may not be the way you like to learn. All I can say is that if you are fairly proficient in either language, it doesn’t hurt to give this a go!

頑張ってください～

행운을 빌어요~

[If you need any more advice on studying this way or need help getting Japanese textbooks in your country, feel free to leave me a message in my ask box.]

Design

Mon, 07 May 2012 16:42:22 +0100

Shawn Soh

Soh is a Korean designer who creates adult furniture with a childish whimsy. While his work is clean and minimal, it also has an element of fun, and could fit into a cluttered child’s playroom as easily as an all-white child free studio apartment.

His most famous work is the ‘Bookcase Tree’, an interesting way of storing books without taking up a lot of space. Despite its unobtrusiveness in size, the Bookcase Tree cannot help but become the dominant feature in a room. The piece also cheekily examines how we use natural objects in design, by turning the raw material back into its original form.

Other images from Soh’s collection can be seen below the cut:

His website is here (in Korean).

Food

Sun, 06 May 2012 20:46:00 +0100

Beef Stew Teishoku

My Dad made Beef Bourguignon with Roast Potatoes tonight. As much as I am a Carb Queen, I am on a semi-diet at the moment (aren’t all diets semi-diets? Unless you’re Gwyneth Paltrow or Madonna…) so I decided to have rice and salad instead, with miso soup on the side.

Since my parents have put away my Japanese rice somewhere where they have since forgotten, I used normal long grain rice, but that still worked really well mixed with the stew. The salad was a quick mix of lettuce, tomatoes and cucumber, with balsamic glaze and olive oil. I also added a bowl of Miso soup with some wakame seaweed. It was so easy (because I didn’t have a stew to make, haha) but also delicious. And fairly healthy. Until my Mum and Dad came into the living room with thick slices of chocolate cake made by my brother’s girlfriend, which I couldn’t say no to….

In conclusion, then, I am still a fat pig. But also, you can turn something carb heavy and stodgy into something you’d find in a quaint Japanese cafe - with only a few basic ingredients. Even simpler if you buy sachets of pre-made Miso paste and seaweed.

Anyway I took a picture with my phone, so I apologise for the poor quality. But here it is anyway:

Travel

Sun, 06 May 2012 01:31:00 +0100

Disclaimer: So I wrote this article ages ago for my other blog, and I never updated Part 2…Bad Alice…I thought it might be more relevant to repost here, and I may finally get round to updating Part 2 on this blog as well. I hope it helps some people who are making the scary step abroad.

The original post can be accessed here.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………

Things To Pack When Going To Study/Work In Japan (Part 1)

Last year, as part of my degree, I spent a year living in Nagoya, Japan. It truly was one of the best experiences of my life, and I’d recommend it to anyone. However, when you are there for a long period of time for study or work, it can be kind of bemusing to know what to pack. I know there are many guides out there that are probably much more comprehensive than mine, but I’d thought I’d share anyway; if it helps just one person then it was worth writing. (Oh and it’s going to be really long, so I apologise in advance…)

First, different packing rules apply to different people, so this is just a rough guide. I’m writing this from a personal perspective; if you think I can add more things that I may not have considered, please don’t hesitate to let me know!

1. Toiletries

Shampoo, Soap

Unless you absolutely must have certain products, there is no real need to take full-sized toiletries with you to Japan. While hair products and shower gel brands are slightly more limited than what you would find in say, a British supermarket (I’m British and therefore slightly biased - sorry!) you can find Pantene Pro V, as well as Shiseido and Shu Uemura in most supermarkets and pharmacies. As for shower gel and soaps, Dove is freely available, as well as the above mentioned Japanese brands, plus other, more cheaper options. My friend had thin hair and complained that Japanese shampoo and conditioner was no good for her hair, so she preferred buying natural shampoo from Lush - alternatively, you could try Body Shop (both shops can be found in some larger department stores). As for soaps - beware. Desperate for a shower and with no shower gel left, I opted to buy whatever was available in my local convenience store. It made my whole body tingle with cold, like covering myself in peppermint toothpaste. It’s probably best not to buy your toiletries in desperation at midnight from the only shop open in a 20-mile radius.

Hair Products

It might be worth bringing a tried and tested hair product or two with you, as the homogeneity of Japan means that most people have a similar type of hair, ergo, not a lot of choice in hair products. You may be able to find specialised products from brands such as Aveda in a local hairdressers, but if L’oreal sells it in your home country for a relatively cheap price then I’d say bring some with you. (You can always get a family member or friend to send you more). A word of warning - no matter what, if you’re a woman, your hair will probably fall out more than usual. Apparently the same thing happens to my Japanese friends here in the UK, too! Oh and guys - sorry I’m not very useful to you - there’s loads of cheap hair wax and gels available in Conbinis and Don Quixote, etc. But if you too need something more specific to your hair type, I’d buy it at home and chuck it in your suitcase.

Make-up

I think, speaking as a woman, that we can find space in our luggage for something as important as make-up. However, I wouldn’t go crazy, as you can find make-up in all price ranges in Japan. Being Caucasian, I didn’t really pay much attention at the time, but from what I remember, there wasn’t a great deal of choice when it came to skin tones. So if you have darker skin, I’d recommend stockpiling foundation, powder, and concealer. (It’s not just Japan; even British stores don’t really make an effort to cater to their entire customer base.) On the other hand, if you don’t like wearing make-up, then don’t! People get the impression from images of Japan that all women cake on the make-up, but many girls (particularly university students) don’t bother. There’s no pressure there to look like Ayumi Hamasaki or a Lolita - although if you’re applying for a job it may be in your favour to put on a little make-up (sexist, I know, but before we decry Japanese society for sexism we should remember that this is pretty standard practice in most developed countries.)

Make-up Remover/Moisturiser

You’ll find both in Japan, and they are equivalent to products in the West. Some facial moisturisers are a little watery though. To be fair to Japanese products, if gyaru can remove their make-up then so can you! Although, like everything, if you have special requirements then take some with you just in case. I splashed out and bought Chanel make-up remover - if you want more costly skin creams you can find many familiar brands in large department stores.

Deodorant

This will be short and sweet - Japanese deodorant is RUBBISH. Do yourself a favour and bring as much as you can manage; you’ll be thankful during the summer months when you will sweat like a pig. To paraphrase an over-worn internet meme: humid Japan is humid.

Toothpaste

This is also short, being as (I personally think that) Japanese toothpaste tastes disgusting. If you like it, good for you; if you don’t mind bog-standard Colgate, then you can find it in Japan; if you have sensitive teeth or are obsessed with whiteners, you may have to bring some with you/set up a regular supply from home. On the plus side, while Japanese people (along with the British) only really bother about the bare minimum of teeth hygiene, mouthwash and floss are available in Japan. I can’t vouch for their efficacy because I am British and therefore have just given up on dental hygiene forever, but if the Japanese stuff’s bad I’m certain you’ll find the odd bottle of Listerine floating about somewhere.

Sanitary Items

Towels are everywhere and there are multiple brands/types etc in the supermarket. I personally can’t vouch for the quality since I don’t use them, but I never heard any of my friends complaining. I’d bring a few with you, just in case, but any more than a box is unnecessary I think. As for tampons, I’ve heard people say they could never find them in Japan, but where I lived, they were sold everywhere, even in the conbini. Maybe people weren’t looking hard enough. I mean, in 12 months I only saw one brand of tampon in the entire country. From what I remember, there are only two strengths, but they worked fine for me, I had no problems whatsoever. If you like using tampons without applicators (to each their own I guess…) you won’t find them, I don’t think.

Hair Removal Stuff

Guys, you’ll need to double check the voltage of your razors/clippers to see if they fit the Japanese standard. You’d probably be best buying one out in Japan. Disposable razors are available, and I also remember seeing razors for the downy hair on your face and also for eyebrows, though I’m not sure what use many of you will get out of those…(!) As for decent non-electric razors and replacement blades, men may not have much of a problem finding them but women may…so I would advise bringing a Venus/Wilkinson razor with you as well as some replacement blades. As long as they’re not packed in your hand luggage you should be fine! As for waxing, I can’t really say. I’m sure you’ll find some wax strips somewhere, or at least a beautician who does waxing for a reasonable price.

(Wow this is getting really long…sorry guys!!)

2. Medication

Pain Killers

Take painkillers with you. Try to take as many as you can without looking suspicious because Japanese painkillers are really weak. Also, they don’t even sell painkillers in conbinis so if you need pain relief at 5am like I did, you’re outta luck. The only things they sell are tablets for indigestion, constipation, etc (illnesses that the forty-year-old conbini employee hilariously mimed to me when I just wanted paracetamol. It was less hilarious at the time, when I was in pain.)

Mosquito Prevention

Don’t bother. Japan is rife with mosquitoes but it also sells plenty of mosquito creams, sprays, and other anti-mosquito paraphernalia.

Sun cream

This is something that doesn’t get mentioned a lot but should be, because many people have found issue with the sizes of Japanese sun cream bottles. Japanese women (particularly those above thirty) are obsessed with avoiding getting tanned skin, so much so that they use parasols at the first sign of any UVAs and wear weird fabric covers over their forearms (ironically so much more uglier than slightly tanned skin). This preoccupation with the face and arms, but not the rest of the body, means that sun tan lotion comes in tiny, expensive bottles of factor 50, with no option to buy a lower factor in a larger, more reasonably priced bottle. It’s also kind of thin and gloopy, so you should probably avoid it if you can. While you could probably scour department stores for upscale brands like Clinique, it’s worth bringing a bottle with you because you’ll probably only need that one bottle for the whole summer (that is until your foreigner friends find out about it…)

Medicinal Creams

I don’t have much knowledge about this, but I’d imagine that if your Japanese is bad and/or you need to ask for something embarrassing, it might be better if you anticipate your condition and bring the cream from home. Of course, conditions can come unexpectedly, but it’s worth noting that a lot of Japanese pharmacies tend to stock more beauty products and toiletries than medicine, so the people working there may not be the most helpful. For instance, I had a bit of eczema flare up on my eyelids (weird I know), and the women in the shop, instead of recommending me a medicinal eczema cream, sold me a beauty serum that apparently repaired skin. While my eczema cleared up, I can’t help but think that it was due more to my complete avoidance of eye make-up during my condition than anything else.

Prescription Meds

Again, I’m not much help, so other guides may be better, but I’ve heard that you should take at least 2 months supply with you to Japan. Unfortunately I’ve only heard bad things about Japanese doctors from friends (particularly females) so it may be worth trying to bring as much as you can. However, Japan is a very advanced country, so if you really have to face a Doctor I’m sure you can find the medication you need. But of course, it is vital that you check before you leave what you can take with you and what you can get in Japan. Also, barely anyone takes the pill in Japan so I don’t know how easy it is to get - I’m sure many forums will be able to advise you better than I can.

Contact Lenses

Try to bring as many contact lenses as you can, because I can’t imagine it will be very fun to get your eyes tested with a Japanese speaking optometrist. I took 12 months worth with me which took up hardly any room. As for solution, bring the bare minimum. You can find it in any chemist for a reasonable price and in many brands. Just double check if you have lenses that require special solution/care.

Hope this was useful, it certainly was loooooong…….

Stay tuned for Part 2!

Beauty

Sat, 05 May 2012 17:46:00 +0100

Daiso Charcoal Make-up Cleansing Cream

I lived in Japan for some time, but it was only recently that I realised that ‘Daiso’ - particularly the branch on Takeshita Doori in Harajuku - was a 100 yen store. To be honest, 100 yen stores didn’t hold that much interest for me, they were just places I would go from time to time to look for household goods that I would end up having to buy in the Aeon mall anyway. However, now I’m no longer living in Japan, every time I visit I just have to check out what treasures the 100 yen stores contain, trying to find a bargain or two. My recent acquisition was the above, a make-up remover cream that promises to remove make-up, “through the power of charcoal.” Of course it goes without saying that I had to try it out.

(Yeah, just ignore how bad I look in this pic.)

The cream itself is light and smooth, and while you can feel the tiny particles of charcoal, they are not abrasive to the touch. In fact, you can barely feel them at all, which means that you could not use this product in place of an exfoliant, although it does lift light dirt and make up.

When I removed the cream, it came off easily - and thanks to its grey colour, you can’t miss a spot! Afterwards my skin felt soft and clean, although it wasn’t as smooth as usual - perhaps using a stronger exfoliant or a muslin cloth with this product would yield better results. I also did not try this product with heavy make up, which I may in the future - although I don’t think the creamy formula would work very well on a face full of mascara and foundation.

All in all though, the formula was creamy, scented divinely, and made my skin feel nice and soft. For 100 yen, this truly was a bargain find!

(If anyone wants me to get some of this product for them, please let me know here!) UK readers can try the Japan Centre, other readers may have Daiso stores in their region.

Korea Bang

Sat, 05 May 2012 16:22:00 +0100

Korea Bang:

In this post I’m going to introduce my friend’s amazing website, ‘KoreaBang’, which translates interesting news stories from Korea and then chronicles netizens’ responses. What is great about the website is that it focuses on the top stories being circulated by Koreans themselves, so you get an uncensored view of what is really happening in Korea, as well as what Koreans really think about it. For advanced learners of Korean, you can also see the original text alongside the English translation which is really handy for grasping the original nuance of the comment.

KoreaBang is the sister site to a similar website on China called ChinaSmack, which can be accessed here.

And finally, the last words should go to my friend:

“There are people who want to know more about Korea than what is deliberately presented. If we can contribute to showing a different side, or the real side, that will be great.”