Don't Tell Me I'm Beautiful, I Know.

. . .photo from http://lionlamb-bowmanville.blogspot.com/2011/12/liar-liar-pants-on-fire.html

Can you tell if somebody is lying to you? Like in your face, lie to you?

Sometimes I don't. Most of the time I do.

For example, a stranger tells me that I look beautiful. Ding Ding! Lie. Liar.

Another example. A colleague sat with me at the office cafeteria. For some unknown reason, randomly tells me how pretty I am that day. Ding Ding!. Lie, another liar.

Of course, I don't tell that to their faces. I mean, a compliment is still a compliment. I don't need to be a moron and come out with nasty remarks.

Whatever their intentions were, with or without malice, it's still a good response to say "thank you".

But folks please be it known that I am beautiful not because I feel beautiful. (A-ha, -i-claim ko na!)

Know that I know you're lying because my beauty is not skin deep.

It is from within.

And I thank you.

xjellybean74170

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The Thing About Korean Food

I was browsing thru Real Asian Beauty's (or RAB for short) Youtube channel and saw some easy to do recipes that we also make at home. I noticed she makes a lot of Korean food.

I watched one video where she tried to make the now famous Jjapaguri from the award winning movie Parasite.

. . . photo from https://sea.mashable.com

I was entertained and amazed on how she was able to read Hangul.

Then I watched her DIY samgyupsal video. Damn, I am seriously craving samgyupsal right now.

I blame Itaewon Class for that. Not to mention, BEER.

I feel so stupid for not stocking up on beers. Tapioca, the wiser one was able to buy several bottles of his liquor of choice. Right on time before the liquor ban. Good for him.

I thought Coke and soft drinks were enough. Now the stress from all the anxieties makes me want to drink beer.

But again, I blame Itaewon Class. I should have not watched it. Lol!

. . . photo from https://news.abs-cbn.com

. . . photo from http://www.dramabeans.com

Check out those beer bottles in the background. I'm not sure what they are but I am salivating like crazy! Man, oh man. I am so gonna stock up on beer when the liquor ban is lifted.

I'm also dreaming of having something like this at home. . .

. . . beer vending machine!!! how cool is that?!? (photo from https://www.reddit.com)

Beer and samgyupsal. When this (quarantine)pandemic is over, I'm definitely lining up at Samgyupsalamat.

Going back to RAB's channel, I watched another video where she tried to create Japchae.

Unlike her Jjapaguri, I was having some doubts about her procedures. Questions like why does she have to separate the marination of the mushroom and meat? I mean, same marinade but why separate? Then I found out it's because she was gonna cook it separately. But the most cringe-y of them all was when they were putting all the ingredients together. It felt so wrong to be mixing everything in such a small shallow dish.

I felt violated. Err wrong word. Violated is such a strong word. I felt sorry for the person mixing it. And I felt bad because I cannot unsee what I've seen. Suddenly, I felt the need to watch how a freakin' Japchae is supposed to be made.

I went to Maangchi's channel and I'm so glad I did. By the way, Maangi is one of my favorite Korean bloggers/authors. I did not know if she was a blogger first or vlogger or an author first. All I know, as soon as I started reading her recipes and stories online, I can tell this girl knows what she's talking about.

So while I was watching Maangchi make her Japchae, I could not help but compare it to RAB.

I realized I can't really blame RAB for trying to make her own Japchae based on how she knew it was done and what she had in her kitchen.

I mean, I too had my shortcomings in making home cooked meals. As a homemaker, I should have known that everyone needs to improvise, come up with an alternative or substitute in order to whip up a meal.

So again, I should have known better.

By the way, I am so buying these metal mixing bowls. I need them in my life!!! I need them for baking, mixing sauces, marinades, and making my first japchae, just like Maanchi's.

. . . photo from https://www.amazon.com

While watching Maangchi, I realized some similarities between Koreans and the French on how they prepare their food. An example would be the way Maangchi cooked each and every ingredient for the Japchae separately to keep the colors of the vegetables. I have seen the same method from a French cook before. Both almost always used fresh and colorful ingredients.

Let's not forget, Koreans cannot live without banchan or side dishes.  It is like how the French must have 3 or 4 courses per meal. French and Koreans have high regards to their cuisine. Even when they are out of the country, they insist on having food that's familiar to them.

But I guess I can't say that in general. Koreans and French are now adapting or eating different types of cuisine due to globalization. Say for example, burgers are becoming a trend in France. The French people finally embrace fast food. Same thing with Koreans. They are now eating non traditional Korean food such as fried chicken and pizza.

So what is the sense of this post? Hmmm wala lang. I just find it amusing. That's all. Sorry for wasting your time. Hahaha.

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No Excuses

It's the first day of the month. The first quarter of the year is done. We are now halfway through the month-long enhanced community quarantine. In two weeks time, my little Pumpkin is turning one.

. . . photo from http://starrygoldacademy.com/successtips/first-quarter-of-the-year-has-gone-are-you-making-progress-2/

So what have I accomplished so far being stuck at home with ample time in my hand?


1. Published blog posts that were long overdue.

2. Caught up with watching movies and TV shows.

3. Spent a lot of time with Tapioca and the kids.

4. Caught up on ZZZ.

5. Woke up and slept on time like a normal human being.

6. Practiced my cooking skills again.

7. Organized some of my photos and documents on my computer.


Things that I'm still putting off at this time.

1. Clearing/getting rid of the house clutter.

2. Sorting out clothes in my closet and the kids' closet.

3. Organizing my paper clutter and shredding documents.


Isn't it obvious, the things that I've been putting off are the things that I hate doing? Though I have all the time now due to the quarantine, I am still not going through them.

There are also things that I still needed to work on especially with the kids.

Munchkin still needs a lot of help in practicing how to read. Pumpkin needs to get used to eating solid food. He's turning one soon and he is still not used to eating solid food. I get myself to blame for all these.

I still got a couple more weeks left. No one knows if the quarantine will be extended or not. Part of me wishes that we can all go back to normal soon. The other part can't imagine going back to normal too soon. There's just too many uncertainties.

One thing's for sure, though. I need to stop slacking off. I need to tick off all the things on my to-do list before the quarantine ends. Even if it gets extended. I have no excuse. None at all.

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