† Everything Goes Black: The Bamboo Charcoal †

Bamboo charcoal has a long history back in ancient China and its benefits are remarkable. It is known as takesumi or chikutan in Japanese. Made up of bamboo which is five years old or older, these chopped pieces of bamboo will be burnt inside an oven at a temperature as high as 800 Celsius and taa-dah, the bamboo charcoal is ready.

Why bamboo charcoal? The thing is that, bamboo is one of the fastest growing grass species on Earth and and it is considered a highly renewable energy as it takes less than 4 years to regrow. As usual, charcoals are odorless but the good thing about bamboo charcoal is that, it releases less toxic as compared to other wood charcoal.

Amazing Facts About Bamboo Charcoal:

1. Relaxation Effect: The effects of air purification and anion generation of bamboo charcoal make people relaxed and feel comfortable.

2. Deodorization: The excellent absorbing power of bamboo charcoal can remove all kinds of bad smells such as smell of refrigerator, of old rice or even shoe smell.

3. Skin Care Effect: Bamboo charcoal has the ability of turning the bath water alkaline which is good for the skin.

4. Water/Air Purifier: It is found that bamboo charcoal has the properties of activated charcoal where it can be used to detoxify many chemicals by adsorbing these chemicals.

5. Humidity Regulator: Bamboo charcoal is able to absorb moisture from the humid air and release it during dry condition.

Other Interesting Applications:

BAMBOO CHARCOAL BREAD: This is definitely interesting and I've personally tasted one before. Black colored bread might be bad in term of presentation but most people will accept it open-heartedly because of its wonderful benefits.

BAMBOO CHARCOAL SWISS ROLL: This thing is definitely going to taste good and I really hope to taste it myself.

BAMBOO CHARCOAL SOAP: The ability of bamboo charcoal to reduce acidity and produces far-infrared red to provide excellent skin care effect is well incorporated into soaps and shampoos.

BAMBOO CHARCOAL FABRIC: I've seen many bamboo charcoal pillow cases, bed sheets and clothes. I've even found bamboo charcoal underwear in some of the Japanese websites. Interesting but innovative.

BAMBOO CHARCOAL DECORATION: These charcoal sticks are usually not cheap and they can add a unique and functional deco accent to your room.

Other Related Posts:
Miraculous Garlic
Apple Juice In Colon Cleansing
Detox & Detox Diet

† Laura Shigihara: PopCap's Rising Treasure †

It is my natural habit to go for a deep search for those who compose great soundtracks for movies, games or animes. Laura Shigihara is definitely a young gifted music composer. She has been working as a video game music composer since 2005 and her music style ranged from orchestral themes, to uptempo battle themes, and even including songs featuring her own vocal tracks.

If you're familiar with PopCap's famous game 'Plants vs Zombies', you definitely will not miss its soundtrack written by Laura Shigihara. In the game, you'll be exposed to many cute songs and sometimes these songs will be permanently embedded  into your brain. Its really brain washing. You may watch her videos in YouTube.

Just a small little intro about this game, its also known as PvZ. It is a tower defense concept game where users need to build all kinds of plants to defend against the invaders (in this case, the zombies). These plants are so cute and each of them has a different kind of abilities including plants that emit freeze shots, triple shots, or plants with heavy duty attacks.

Here's a screen shot of me playing PvZ and I only manage to survive until the 54th stage before the zombies engulf all my plants. As you can see from the photo, some of my plants have already been destroyed.

Laura's Music

PLANTS VS ZOMBIES: There are many songs in PvZ but I find this vocal version of PvZ with the title 'Zombies On Your Lawn' is the most interesting among all. You may watch the video taken from YouTube or download the .zip file from the main website. You may also watch Laura sings while playing on the piano too. Her voice is seriously as sweet as caramel.

MELOLUNE: Very nice songs can be found in her website. After listening to all the songs here, I somehow feel the presence of Yoko Shimomura and Joe Hisaishi in the element of these music.

Great music, great taste, great influences and great composing. I believe Laura will definitely shines in future as her music will speak for her identity. Its truly PopCap's blessing to have her working for them.

Source:
Laura Shigihara's Blog
Laura Shigihara's YouTube Channel

Busan, South Korea Part 1

Over Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving) myself and 9 of my other English teacher friends went to the one of the southern most cities in Korea: Busan. (Also can be known as Pusan)

Busan is the second largest city in South Korea with the population of 3.6 million. Busan is also the 5th largest port city in the world. Busan can be described as similarly to Barcelona because of its ocean side location, second city syndrome and large night life. Also Busan is Chicago's sister city!

The trip from Seoul to Busan can take as little as 2.5 hours if you book a KTX train (speed train built like the French TGV). However, we booked our trip pretty last minute so we were stuck on the normal train that took 5 hours. The ride was actually painless and we all enjoyed the Korean country side along the way.


The train was pretty average; however, it did have a "party car", which included multiple computers, arcade style video games, noraebangs (karaoke rooms) and a snack shop. All of these amenities were in full use the entire ride.

We stayed in the center of the city at a cheap and clean Japanese business hotel. The first day was pretty rainy so we wondered around and found a Paradise Casino near the famous Haeundae beach, where Olivia won a whopping 4,000 Won ($3.40) .


That night we decided to wonder around the area near our hotel. After being rejected from a "Over 40" club, we found our way to the The Diamond Hotel. After being escorted by a staff of 10 into the club in the basement of the hotel, called Arabian Night, we found ourselves right in the middle of a low budget KPOP video. Unfortunately, the hotel club was only offering bottle service at the lowest price of 250,000 Won ($216.00), so we decided to move on to a Korean Hof (beer bar) and call it a night.



The next morning we decided to embark on our first Korean hike. Hiking is the most popular sport in Korea. The county is very mountainous and many of the major cities are surrounded by beautiful mountains with paths. Since the country is obsessed with hiking, most people think they should be wearing intense hiking gear at all times. We refer to these people as urban hikers. They wear hiking boots, gloves, backpacks, masks and visors when they are walking in the city parks and on sidewalks. Korean's also believe being pale is beautiful so they want to be protected from the sun at all times, leading to the face mask while hiking.
We spent most of the day exploring Igade Park in the southern tip of the city over looking Haeundae and Gwangalli beaches. A majority of the hike was along the cliffs near the ocean and it was beautiful. Busan really got me interested in exploring more parks and trails in the Seoul area. (Mom and Dad I know you would love all the hiking here!)

After the long hike we enjoyed a delicious Korean dinner and decided to check out the night life near Kyungsung University. It was a perfect night of street soju drinking, a bar called GHETTO that played great dance house/hip hop music and had 1,000 Won shots ($0.80). We made some new Korean friends and ended the night with some late night street food.
Overall, the first couple of days in Busan were perfect! Great city, full of fun and interesting things to do. In a couple of days I will post more about my trip including our visit to the largest department store in the world and the largest fish market in Korea!

Thanks for reading!

KPOP FRIDAY (tuesday)

Sorry I missed last weeks KPOP video. I was in Busan for my first Korean vacation and it was great. Pictures and stories from Busan are soon to come!

I did not want to jip anyone on their KPOP. Here is a song called Lollipop by Big Bang and 2NE1. I actually heard this song while I was in America. Once I got here I was reintroduced to it and fell in love again.

Please enjoy Lollipop by Big Bang and 2NE1!

A New Love I Suppose?

I captured and edited these pictures myself *Clap3*

Takdela nak cakap aku pandai amik gambar ke apa, but lately I found myself into a new hobby, taking pictures and editing them.

I am so in love with this new hobby!! <3

The Greatest Inspiration Of All

I’m not a good person, far from being perfect.

I’m not a good daughter, I may have done something that disappoint my parents

I’m not a good friend; I may say stupid things or jokes that hurt

I’m not a good student, I may don’t always listen

I’m not a good lover; well that explains why I am single until now

I try to smile, but tears run down my face instead

I try to laugh, but I cry instead

I’m sick of pretending that everything’s fine

Sick of believing that life is like a fairy tale where there’s always happy ending.

But, for you,

I ‘l try to be a better person.

For you,

I’ll try to make life worth more living.

I love you with all of my heart, Mama.

You are the only reason why I have to be strong,

in living this harsh world.

Life’s a shit, but it must goes on.

† Happy Moon Cake Festival 2010 †

Happy Moon Cake Festival to my dearest girl friend Alicia Kang! This is the first Moon Cake Festival we've celebrated and I wish to celebrate it together with you for the next coming years. Once again, 中秋节快乐!!

† Revealing The Mystery of Moon Cake Festival †

The Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon Festival, Zhong Qiu Festival (中秋節), is a popular festival celebrated by the Chinese and even the Korean, Japanese and Vietnamese. The festival is sometimes known as Lantern Festival or Moon Cake Festival. There are many stories behind this festival and I only like the following stories shown below.

Story of Chang Er (姮娥)

This famous story of Chang Er was written back in 2170 B.C. The earth once had ten suns circling over it, each took its turn to illuminate to the earth. But one day all ten suns appeared together, scorching and torturing the earth with their heat. The earth was saved by a strong and tyrannical archer named Hou Yi. He succeeded in shooting down nine of the suns and left one that only appear in the day time, but hidden in during the night time. One day, Hou Yi stole the elixir of life from a goddess and became a ruler full of cruelty. However his beautiful wife Chang Er drank the elixir of life in order to save the people from her husband's tyrannical rule. After drinking it, she found herself floating and flew to the moon. Hou Yi loved his divinely beautiful wife so much, he didn't shoot down the moon.

Story of Wu Kang (吳剛)

Wu Kang was a shiftless fellow who changed apprenticeships all the time. One day he decided that he wanted to be an immortal. Wu Kang then went to live in the mountains where he met up an immortal to teach him the path to achieve immortality. First the immortal taught him about the herbs used to cure sickness, but after three days his characteristic restlessness returned and he asked the immortal to teach him something else. So the immortal to teach him chess, but after a short while Wu Kang's enthusiasm again waned. Then Wu Kang was given the books of immortality to study. Of course, Wu Kang became bored within a few days, and asked if they could travel to some new and exciting place. Angered with Wu Kang's impatience, the master banished Wu Kang to the Moon Palace telling him that he must cut down a huge cassia tree before he could return to earth. Though Wu Kang chopped day and night, the magical tree restored itself with each blow, and thus he is up there chopping still.

Story of Jade Rabbit (玉兔)

In this legend, three fairy sages from the Moon Palace transformed themselves into pitiful old men and begged for something to eat from a the animals. In this story, a fox, a monkey and a rabbit were involved. The fox and the monkey both had food to give to the old men, but the rabbit, empty-handed, offered his own flesh instead, jumping into a blazing fire to cook himself. The sages were so touched by the rabbit's sacrifice that they let him live in the Moon Palace where he became the "Jade Rabbit."

Present Day

Tea and moon cakes are the main dish of this festival. Traditionally on this day, Chinese family members and friends will gather around to enjoy the moon cake and tea drinking, as well as admiring the bright harvest moon. Accompanying with the celebration, additional cultural activities are also being practiced by people from different places such as carrying lanterns, lighting lanterns on towers, floating sky lanterns, fire dragon dance, poetry and singing competition and etc...

Simply Korean

After a great weekend of exploring Bucheon, Itaewon (Seoul's foreigner's district) and Guri (a suburb my friend Eric lives in), I am already off of school for the week. I only had to work on Monday and all students and teachers get the rest of the week off for Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving). Well it is actually a celebration of the good harvest, where Koreans visit their ancestral hometowns and share a feast of Korean traditional food; however, all Koreans will describe the holiday as Thanksgiving. If you ask any Korean women about Chuseok they will say they hate it. They have to spend the week at their in laws home in their husbands hometown cooking traditional food and cleaning up after the entire family. Not what I call a thrilling vacation.

Traditional Chuseok Meal

Well Chuseok has a different meaning for me. I am heading off to Busan tomorrow for 5 days with 10 fellow Badgers. Busan is the second largest city in South Korea, located at the south eastern tip of the country. It is known for its beaches, mountains and clubs. It should be a great trip and I am really looking forward to some quality beach time.

For now I want to leave you with some of the pictures I have been taking since I arrived in Korea. When I started this blog, its main purpose was the share my photography and I have not done much of that yet. In this post I want to show you some of the everyday things I have found to be "Simply Korean".

Usah kau tunggu

Post kali ini adalah istimewa aku tujukan untuk Shah Alam. Yes, Shah Alam Selangor bukan Shah bin Alam. *Haha*

Sumpah taknak balik Shah Alam gila punya baboon. Bukan daku je, tapi almost everyone! Cuti 2 minggu ni teramatlah heaven. Kerja? Goyang kaki, makan, goyang perut.Assignment and study tolak tepi. Beraya bukan setakat sakan, tp kakak lagi dri sakan! Sebab terlalu relax di rumah la membuat diri ini sangat malas untuk pulang ke pangkuanmu, Shah Alam.

Lihatlah saja schedule ku minggu ini:

Isnin:

3pm: Flight back to Shah Alam

6pm: Meeting SMF *dup dap*

8pm: Koko. Komer SIAL music. *Haha*

Selasa:

8-12pm: Class!

12.20pm: Meeting with vice dean

4pm: Presentation Politics *dup dap*

8.30pm: Post-mortem Henry Gurney

Rabu:

8am: Criminal Lecture (submit ASSignment)

11am: BEL (tunjuk slides)

3pm: Meeting with dean

4pm: Equity (submit ASSignment)

Thursday * Tibe2 in english*

8am to 6 pm: CLASS!!!

*10 am: politics test **duupppp dappp*

*4pm: French listening test and Expose

Friday:

8-10am: Class

Afternoon onwards : Reharsal for Karnival Sukan Rakyat 1 M’sia

Saturday + Sunday:

“KARNIVAL SUKAN RAKYAT 1 M’SIA”

*Aku jaga protocol!

Ok, enough for this week. Tu baru minggu ni, tak sanggup nak sambung tulis for the following week *SIGHH*

So, that’s why aku cakap awal2 tadi. Shah Alam, usah kau nantikan kepulangankukarena aku tidak sanggup untuk menghadapi hari-hari bersamamu yang sangat memeritkan. You sangat kejam ok Shah Alam! You paksa I tinggalkan KB! Lagi 3 tahun sumpah I akan mintak cerai ngan you dan kembali ke pangkuan Kota Bharu!

“Ya Allah, berikanlah hambaMu ini kekuatan untuk hidup bersama Shah Alam.Walaupun perit, aku tahu aku harus melaluinya jua”

(Tempat yg paling banyak aku menjalinkan perhubungan dengan Shah Alam, ie Cempaka)

(P/s: Taktahu bila pulak dapat update blog *sigh*)

KPOP FRIDAYS

Happy Friday everyone.

This week has been another wonderful week in the Korean peninsula. I honestly can't believe I am already on my 3rd Friday, meaning my 3rd KPOP song.

In class this week the students were choosing English names. I had a slide in my powerpoint that had a bunch of popular American names for boys and girls to give the kids some starting ideas for names. I had pretty standard names up there like Tom and Sara. Most of the kids chose normal names but some of them were creative. For some reason I got a couple of boys loving the name Johnson and it was a lost cause explaining that was a last name, so about 10 boys in my school are now named Johnson. (Jenner they would love you!) A couple kids named themselves Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt(as their English first names). I love hearing English name stories from my other teacher friends here because the kids get so creative. A few of the best names I have heard kids pick are Ke$sha, Eugine, Murderer and Ronaldo.

So back to KPOP. Lucy was on my list of popular American names and every time I read it out loud all the kids screamed LUCIFER. After being confused for about 3 straight classes, I decided I needed to get down to the bottom of this LUCIFER business. Hoping Lucifer wasn't a popular Korean name, I asked my co-teacher what all the Lucifer screaming was about. She explained it was one of the most popular songs out right now and all the kids LOVE it. I obliviously went straight to my computer and watched the music video. Totally KPOP Friday material.

I hope you enjoy Lucifer by SHINee. The dance moves and wardrobe is unbeatable. Happy Friday!

Bruno Mars dedicate lagu ni untuk aku!

Bruno Mars- Just the way you are



Oh her eyes, her eyes
Make the stars look like they're not shining
Her hair, her hair
Falls perfectly without her trying

She's so beautiful
And I tell her every day

Yeah I know, I know
When I compliment her
She wont believe me
And its so, its so
Sad to think she don't see what I see

But every time she asks me do I look okay
I say

*Chorus
When I see your face
There's not a thing that I would change
Cause you're amazing
Just the way you are
And when you smile,
The whole world stops and stares for awhile
Cause girl you're amazing
Just the way you are

Her lips, her lips
I could kiss them all day if she'd let me
Her laugh, her laugh
She hates but I think its so sexy

She's so beautiful
And I tell her every day

Oh you know, you know, you know
Id never ask you to change
If perfect is what you're searching for
Then just stay the same

So don't even bother asking
If you look okay
You know I say

*Repeat Chorus

Ok, lyrics lagu ni kalau nak dedicate kat aku bunyik nye sangat perasan. Yes, aku syok sendiri. *Haha* Tapi if ada orang tuju lagu ni utk diriku ini boleh caaairrr woooo even lyrics dalam lagu ini sangat tidak menepati ciri-ciri yang ada dalam diri ini *Haha*



Bruno Mars ni sebenarnya takdela handsome sangat pon, but I started to fall for his voice bila first time dengar lagu "Billionaire" Setiap kali lagu tu on air, hati ini terusik untuk mengetahui milik siapakah suara ituu *Tiba-tiba lagu Sudirman bermain di fikiran* Oh, rupa-rupanya suara itu milik Bruno Mars, jejaka campuran Puerto Rican + Filipino. Duhai Bruno Mars, ketahuilah bahawa suaramu itu sangat sexy, soothing and steamyy *Errkk?* =P




So, walaupun dalam lagu ini takde nama Fatin Shafira di mention, tapi I know deep inside of ur heart, you nak tujukan lagu ini utk i kan? kan? kan? Thank youuuu so muchh!! *Tak salah nak berfantasi kdg2 tuu.Haha*

Sorry, for some reason, i cannot upload the video for this single. But you can click -> here <- to enjoy the video (Plus, the girl in the video is smoking HOT ok! *lesbo*)

''




(P/S: Nak pergi concert Paramoreee!! Maher Zain pon boleyy jugak.. *Hee)