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      Beautiful Blonde
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      Bijin Beach in Tongyoeng, Gyeongnam @ http://tong.visitkorea.or.kr
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      Be updated on Dara's celebrity Fans!.
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Sunday, January 17, 2016

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image from funpop.com

At looong last I'm visiting my lifelong ambition, dream place, my first love - Japan!The land of rising sun! But wait there's lots of things to do!! and my plan trip is just few months away!So many things to consider - Plane Tickets, Visa Approval, Hotels, Transportation (How to's, Getting around knowledge, etc..), itinerary and best of all my tour budget!!! 

My number one priority when I am visiting a new place is to know how to get around the area. 

 
One of the railway pass  in Japan


I should know the best transportation to take, to save time or to save money or both. So here I am reading blogs, sites, social medias, groups, searching  everything about Japan, and I realized that Japan is full of privately owned railway companies. So many railway, pass, tickets, to choose from, and sometimes you have to buy more than 1 railway pass depend on your tour to get the best deals, and I find it so confusing! Can they just unite those railway pass like Voltes V? 
Why you  so confusing?
 This is for now, I'll update you with my detailed plan. I think I need to adjust and to learn more about Japan.  Wait I still don't have visa! Need to get that one too and also need to brush up my Nihongo skill! (Do I have Nihon skill?!) So til next post! Gotta get a visa first, before anything else!!Ohaiyou!!
Inked with Love,
Analou Dedal

Friday, December 25, 2015

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It was my second time in Seoul with a friend and it was freaking cold morning  and we’re lost, looking for our hotel in the heart of Myeongdong shopping center.

Hellp!! - Lost in Myeongdong, Princess Attic asking for direction


Then  when we found it, it was unfortunate because the hotel, (which I don’t want to name it here) did not want to accept an early check in.  So what are we gonna do??! Should we wait until 2pm? Should we walk around and do some sight seeing with all our stuff?

That was cold crazy morning , we’re tired, we’re cold and no hotel. We’ve already lost few hours looking for that hotel and I don't want to loss more hours again waiting for that hotel to check us in. So armed with all our back pack we headed to Seoul Tower Ville a homey apartment style in a hilly walk up residence just 5 minutes away from the subway, hoping that they have vacant room since it was peak season and we don’t have reservation.

At Seoul Tower Ville we are greeted by Mr. Ko and his wife, they speak Chinese and English. They are so friendly.

They gave us one of their new rooms and it is huge! Good for four! Whoa so much for two person room that we’re hoping. I’ve noticed that they had recently upgraded their rooms. It has fully functioning kitchen - provided with electric flat cooking tops, microwave oven, conventional oven, 2-door fridge, laundry washing machine, flat screen TV, fantastic. Like other hotel they have heater, blower, super clean bathroom with essential needs like fresh towel, tooth brush, tooth paste, shampoo, bath soap, shower gel, and more. Not to mention their free Wi-Fi was so awesoome! The room facilities were working well. It really felt like a home stay with the kitchenette and washing machine. Nothing fancy like a hotel - this place is more like an apartment . But it is clean, neat & comfortable with homely facilities.

Our room just above the reception office with terrace
Princess Attic at the Terrace

our oven and 2 door ref

cupboard with free instant tea and coffee


unlimited stock of disposable chop stick and spoon & fork! Its bundle of stock is in the lower cabinet.

if only I could use that machine!

clean comfort room

Our shoes and boots will greet you at the door

view from our bed..is that drama on TV?

their bathroom has full of necessities ~~

Did I mention that we have 2 bathrooms?


need that cups for our coffee
I almost missed our stove - it blend to the color of the tiles! 

thoughtful to have that green tea and coffee .. and the kitchen has a pile of stocks
our 3 bed! one double bed, and 2 single and we're only two!!





STV was not my first choice because  it wasn’t located at the heart of Myeongdong, its about 10 minutes walk from shopping center. However on the other side STV’s location is good, because its away from the noise but near enough to walk to the heart of action and just 5 minutes walk to the subway. There are lots of shopping & food outlets near by which open till late night.
I recommend this apartment style located at Myeongdong, one of the prime shopping areas in Seoul. All you have to do is (1)to take a bus from the airport (6015), drop off at Sejong hotel, then call the owners or (2) ride AREX All Stop [it was ‘All Stop’ since it will stop to all station and other one is ‘Express’ for non stop] to Seoul station and transfer to subway blue line 4 to Myeongdong Station and call the hotel. They will drive down to pick you up . The owners speak Chinese and English. Since it is located halfway up a hill, so expect daily hikes up and down it's manageable though, there're stairs and they aren’t that long.

Kind Mr. Ko during our checkout
Mr. Ko sending us off to Myeongdong station

If you're travelling to other cities you can leave your luggages with them until your next check in. Upon departure, they will send your luggage at a pre-arranged time at the bus stop outside Sejong hotel so you could just take the airport bus transfer from there. It was really convenient because after check out, you can leave your belongings with them and you can still do sight seeing, kill some time  before your flight  - worry and luggage free.

What is not good though is the steep walk up to the apartment which could be tiring for people with strollers & elderly folks, so if you have elderly peeps with you this apartment is definitely a no no for you.
stair to STV
But other than the climb up, everything was great at STV. Kind owners and staff, clean room, really a comfy stay. If you're travelling during peak seasons, please try to book earlier because they are really popular with tourists.  Please visit their website for more information and booking. This place is also recommended by Korea Tourism Organization.
It has been 2 weeks since I came back, so sorry for the late post!! And erm, I might have accidentally left out some stuffs since it has been some time.. Hope this post helps you though! Oh photo credit to a very good friend and also a back packer -  Joanne Roña.
Seoul Tower Ville
Email:        st2495@daum.net
Address:    8-14 Yejang dong, Jung-gu,
                   Seoul, South Korea
Tel:   +82 - (0)10 - 6218 - 8808
       +82 - (0)70 - 7018 - 2495
Fax:  +82 - (0)2 - 318 - 2570


Inked with Love,
Princess Attic



Friday, May 01, 2015

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Gwangjang Traditional Market in Seoul

Question: What place would you love to visit in a foreign land?

I got this question in one of the writing contest that I joined..yes, I do join contest once in a while..whether its a simple survey, or a blog, or an essay one. 

Well, One place that I would definitely love to visit is - markets, I love market - this is where you can really see normal local life and real people, smell the smells, and find real local food.

This cannot be found by clubbing and sipping wine or sitting by the pool at your hotel.
Visiting a market is a feast for the senses, all kind of sights and smells.

Different stores, restaurants, street foods, the traffic both on roads and sidewalks, people rushing about in many different directions, buses, cars, a totally motion of colors and noise.
The endless street and market noise is like a background music on a musical play.

It's always worth a look at a local market, you'll also learn history on every corner.
Touch, smell and taste culture by visiting one of magnificent busiest place: the local market.

How about you? What place would you love to visit in a foreign land?

Cheers! 

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Finally, a little time to write after a year of not posting anything!!

And my first post is....what else but ~~ South Korea!! 

Hmm this ajumma finally had a chance to visit and sniff kimchi in South Korea!!hihi ~~~ (and I'll blog my adventure there but before that here's my 1st entry)

Well here's what you need to visit Seoul - Visa. If you're Filipino like me, lucky you because it's free!! It’s generally FREE, but you still have to apply for it and visa release is as short as 3 days and as long as a week!!         

 Applying South Korean tourist visa in the Philippines is not as easy and straight forward as before because last February 17, 2015 the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the Republic of the Philippines issued new requirements. But don’t worry if you have fund to show and complete requirements it’s just a piece of cake.      

 

The new requirements for Korean tourist visa effective March 1, 2015.


Steps
A. Gathered all the needed documents,
1. Application Form (you can download here)
2. 1 piece of Passport size colored picture
3. Original Passport (should be valid for more than 6months)
4. Photocopy of Passport Bio-page (page 2)
5. Original & Photocopy of valid visa/s and arrival stamps to OECD member countries for the past 5 years (If applicable, and Korean Visas will not be counted)
6. Original Certificate of Employment
   (must include applicant's position, date hired, compensation, office address, HR landline number (cell-phone number is not allowed), HR e-mail address)
7. Original Personal Bank Certificate
   (must include account type, current balance, account opening date, ADB)
8. Bank Statement
   (original or certified true copy of bank statements/passbook for the last 3 months)
10. Photocopy of ITR (Income Tax Return) or Form 2316

B. Photocopy your OECD visas, (if you have, if none skip this)
 OECD visas help a lot, it will expedite the process of your Korean visa and cut short the waiting period.

C. Once completed go to the Embassy and submit your requirements, No need for appointments, visa application happens every day from 9.00am to 11.00am only.

Address : 122 Upper McKinley Road, McKinley Town Center, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig city 1634, Philippines
Contact number : 632 856-9210 local no. 270 or 500.

Here’s how the process goes:
a. Register and leave an ID at the guard’s station before entering the consular center.
b. Once inside, get a number from the personnel stationed by the door. He will check if you have all the docs. If he’s satisfied with your documents, he will give you a number.
c. Wait for your number to be called. Note that there are separate windows for those with and without past OECD visas.
d. Once called, the staff will double check the requirements and gives you a slip of paper with the DATE OF RELEASE in it.
e. Then you’re done - Mine was less than a minute.

IMPORTANT!

Schedule of application: Monday-Friday 9am-11am only, be there on time! I remember going there 10 minutes before the cut off time! LOL.

■ Processing Time
: 3 working days (for those who have been to OECD member countries within 5 years as tourist)
  5 working days (for those who have not been to OECD member countries within 5 years)

■ Visa Fee: 59 days (or less) stay in Korea -- GRATIS
                   60 to 90 days stay in Korea -- PHP1,800.005.

Lastly claim your visa on the scheduled date of release.
Releasing of visa schedule: Monday-Friday 2pm-4pm

Tip 
1. Make sure all your documents are complete and fully accomplished before submitting
2. Your Bank Saving should have at least 30k (as per the experience of someone I know), if more than that the better, basically you just need to show that you have the capacity to pay for your trip.
3. Also check the embassy’s WEBSITE for updates.

Lastly, Good luck and enjoy your trip!

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

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So, who’s who in the Hollywood list this time?
Some Korean celebrities will have the opportunity to feature in Hollywood films this year.

Is it a mere luck? Or their popularity and talent reached the red carpet land of America? 
1. Lee Byung-hun
The Terminator,” released in 1984, is Lee’s fourth casting in a Hollywood film, after “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra” (2009), “G.I. Joe: Retaliation” (2013) and “RED 2” (2013).
Lee Byung-hun is set to appear in Hollywood blockbuster “Terminator: Genesis” together with Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jason Clarke and Emilia Clarke. The said movie will start filing early next month; although still no confirmation from his agency BH Entertainment his role will be a “significant one.”
2. Kim Soo Hyun
Actress Kim Soo Hyun will be playing a doctor in upcoming Marvel's film
Another confirmed actress to be set in Hollywood blockbuster “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” and currently being filmed in Korea is no other than Kim Soo Hyun. 
3.Choi Min-sik 
Known for his acclaimed role in “Oldboy,” Choi Min-sik performed with Hollywood star Scarlett Johansson, Morgan Freeman and Analeigh Tipton in renowned French director Luc Besson’s science fiction movie “Lucy.” 
Veteran actore Choi Min-sik portrays a mid-level manager of a drug trafficking syndicate in Taiwan who chases the protagonist “Lucy” played by Johansson.
4. Rain (Jung Ji-hoon) 
The 31-year-old Kpop singer and actor,Rain, joins cast members Jason Patric, John Cusack, Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson and Jonathon Schaech in the film, The Prince.
Jung Ji-hoon, or better known as Rain, just completed filming his second Hollywood movie “The Prince.”. It will expected to be released at the end of the year. Rain made his Hollywood debut in 2008 in “Speed Racer.” 
5. Bae Doo-na
 Actress Bae Doo-na’s second Hollywood film “Jupiter Ascending” will be released in July. 
Her first appearance in American film was in “Cloud Atlas” (2012), a sci-fi epic along with such major Hollywood stars as Tom Hanks and Halle Berry. Both films were directed by renowned American sibling director duo Andy and Lana Wachowski.
6. Ha Ji-won
Actress Ha Ji-won will also be in the red carpet American film in the near future
In August last year, Ha Ji-won just signed a contract with the United Talent Agency (UTA) that represents Johnny Depp, Harrison Ford, Gwenyth Paltrow, and other A-list Hollywood actors. It was the first time that a Korean actor signed with the agency.

As of this writing some Korean celebritiesd are making their way in Hollywood. Who is your favorite Korean actor in Hollywood? Which Kdrama stars would you like to see in crossover roles? Comment below!


Sunday, April 13, 2014

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I'm a Kim Soo Hyun's Noona fan! *throws confetti and jumps around*. For how long? you ask. Well I have no idea, but if he keeps up being this cute and full of potential, well I don't know ... ~ lol

Move over other drama princes and royalties, it's Kim Soo Hyun's era!! He's young, he's great in acting (let's not argue about the extent of his acting), he has a good voice and he mesmerises all the girls out there (including me, me!). 

His fame might not last, in this world where everyone's attention and stardom span is as short as well, my pinky,  but with all CFs and dramas, and my Soo Hyun is an actore, a real artist who's good in his craft, his fame will last quite a while for sure! 


I'm currently watching his previous dramas ( done with his movies) and when I like-love a drama, I don't just watch every episode. I do stalk every behind the scene photo, every hilarious NG (you're not a drama fan if you don't know "NG" lol), every interviews and how's the cast during filming/shooting. Every bit of behind the scenes. 

It’s always fun to peek behind the curtains — or scenes of drama productions. As much as I  enjoy the drama,  I'm one of kind viewer, who knows the line between fiction and reality. :) 

Well, generally, we know every actor/actress in their character on each drama, they're part of the story, yes, but we don't know them personally,of course, nothing in their real life,  so I do watch behind the scenes to know more about them.

In my opinion, somwhere, somehow you'll know, at least a bit of them in behind the scenes, how they interact with their co-stars, crews, and their fans on set or otherwise. How gullible, friendly or nasty they are, atleast you'll discover a bit of their real personality. Wait..am I a stalker now???!!! 

Haha... I hope that's not the case, I am a mere Noona, who's appreciating someone's talent and charisma.  

So Kim Soo Hyun dongsaeng fighting!!


Inked with Love, Passion and Spazzm over Soo Hyun,
Simply Princess
04142014 2am

Wednesday, April 09, 2014

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This is kinda late but finally, I've seen Walt Disney’s FROZEN, and I was really excited for this movie. I have this high expectation, maybe because of positive reviews I've read about it and simply because of my love at first heard, of its broadwayish sound track “First Time in Forever”. I’ve heard this song through a friend even before I’ve seen the movie.

So it's about two girls. One has power, and the other is a hyperactive dork (adorably clumsy, socially awkward, and naïve).

They're both cute though.

Their parents died right off the bat. It was shown so quickly and barely has any impact. No surprises there, Disney.

Elsa is effectively a prisoner in her own room. Such a poor little princess. Her power is just too unpredictable. I just don’t get it why she locked up herself in her room when she can go out as long as she had her gloves on.

Anna is an actively- lonely princess missing her sister.  I love the castle’s interior as well as the paintings.

On Elsa's coronation day, things go to shit when her powers explode. So she leaves to live in the mountains like a real mountain man. Well, she’s one of a kind mountain woman, an incredible architect who could sing "Let It Goooooo!!!!" while building a castle and a fashion designer who could weave fabric and made a stunning outfit from snow and create life – Olaf, the snowman and the Ice monster.

Wait, what? So Elsa decides to live in a freaking spectacular castle she just shoots out of her hands?

Three questions: Is there a bathroom in there? What is she going to eat? And can she really sleep on hard Ice?

Then Anna goes searching for her sis, and meets:

  1. A cute boy, Kristoff.
  2. A gay shop owner,
  3. A dog-horse-moose, Sven, seriously, Disney could you please stop turning horses (and reindeer) into dogs?
  4. A talking snowman; I liked the snowman a lot because his comedy was the only one that worked naturally for me.
  5. And a community of singing Trolls. I absolutely hated the Trolls and their song “Fixer Upper”. They're annoying, obnoxious and the way they're so overly close to Kristoff that they wanted Anna to dump her fiancé for him is pretty creepy. Actually, forget I said anything about the Trolls.

Um what else... There was the stereotypical evil guy at first - Prince Hans. He was too obvious. But I love Hans, Why? Because he taught an important lesson: Sometimes Prince Charming is really Prince Asshole.

So the real evil guy came right out of the left field. That was neat. Anna's hair gets cooler, but then nah.

The film has some issues with pacing, starting off slowly with an unnecessary amount of exposition and ending very abruptly, with an epiphany kicking off the inevitable thaw. At the end of the film I was like – “What? That’s IT??”

So yeah, it was a good movie. It was originally a story of the Snow Queen Elsa but Anna almost steals the show.

Elsa was the best because she was really pretty and so was the castle and the dress she made. But I really like sparkly, icy, blue and teal stuff, so I might be a bit biased there.

The message is that you should be yourself as long as you don't kill anybody. I think. The voice actors did an AMAZING job bringing life to some fairly dull characters.

Visually the film was stunning. But on an emotional and intellectual level I'm disappointed. This was not worthy of all the hype it has been receiving and no sequel please. There, I said it.

So watch it, or don't. Rewatch it or don't.

While I didn't find the film stimulating I did find it entertaining, enjoyable, almost well-made film, but not a classic.