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5 fast food chains we wish would come to Sarawak

Published on June 11, 2018

Lifestyle

Sarawakians are known to be proud for our own local food but we also appreciate foreign flavours even – and in some cases, especially – if it comes in the form of fast food chains.

While Sarawak already enjoys KFC, McDonalds, Nando’s, Subway, Burger King and Pizza Hut, most of us want more.

Here are 5 fast food chains we wish would come to Sarawak:

Domino’s Pizza

Although in February 2018, Domino’s Pizza became the largest pizza seller worldwide, it has yet come to Sarawak.

Now there are two pizza restaurant chains in Sarawak, Pizza Hut and Pezzo.

A post shared by Domino’s Pizza (@dominos) on Jun 5, 2018 at 8:00pm PDT

2. In-N-Out Burger
For celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain who called our Sarawak laksa the breakfast of the gods, he called In-N-Out “the only fast food chain that I actually like, and think is reasonably good for the world.”

If Bourdain thought In-N-Out Burger was reasonably good for the world, it is good for us Sarawakians.

Their menu features three burger varieties; hamburger, cheeseburger and double-double (two patties and two slices of cheese).

A post shared by In-N-Out Burger (@innout) on May 18, 2018 at 12:00pm PDT

3. Jollibee

This Filipino fast food chain serves American style dishes such as burgers, spaghetti, chicken on top of some Filipino dishes.

Jollibee also offers a range of rice meals include Garlic Pepper Beef, Ultimate Burger Steak, All-day Garlic Bangus (milkfish) and Burger Steak.

As of April 2018, there are about 1,200 Jollibee outlets worldwide. Interestingly, the only Jollibee opened in Malaysia was closed down due to the 1997 financial crisis. Perhaps the next one will open in Sarawak?

A post shared by Jollibee (@jollibee) on Mar 14, 2018 at 12:15am PDT

4. Dunkin’ Donuts

Sabah has Dunkin’ Donuts… so how come Sarawak doesn’t have one?

When it comes to doughnuts in Sarawak, we have to settle with local bakeries and Big Apple Donuts.

If we were to compare these two joints, Dunkin’ Donuts serve better coffee than Big Apple Donuts. What do you think?

drink 2596637 1280 — A piece of doughnut goes well with a cup of coffee. Credits: Pixabay.

5. 4Fingers Crispy Chicken

At 4Fingers Crispy Chicken, the food is only prepared when you order which is why you can taste the crispiness of the chickens right away.

They serve Korean-styled fried chicken, which is usually seasoned with spices both before and after being fried.

Another highlight of this food joint, is its kimslaw, a side dish made of kimchi and coleslaw.

As for the fries, you pick your own flavour such as kimchi or seaweed.

This Singapore fast food chain was only established few years ago in 2009.

Now it has expanded its business to Malaysia, Indonesia and Australia.

Any fast food chains you wish would come to our shore? Let us know in the comment box.

What makes a good tourism board website?

Published on June 7, 2018

Travel

Although some travellers prefer travel blogs and social media, tourism board websites still remain important resources for accurate information on travelling to a specific country.

Most tourism board websites have evolved over the years, utilising social media platforms such as Instagram to promote their countries and give more insights on travelling tips.

While others still have lots to improve on, (*cough cough* Malaysia…) here are some things which can make a tourism board website stand out:

1. Good travel stories

new zealand 1738275 1280 — Lake Tekapo in New Zealand. Credits: Pixabay.

Gone are the days where tourism board websites are only filled with press releases of official events.
For example, Tourism New Zealand’s media section has plenty of stories (and story ideas) covering a wide range of topics from activities and sports to nature and ecotourism as well as insights on Maori culture.
Go behind the scenes of famous eateries in New Zealand as the website also features interviews with chefs.

2. Full of tips and guides

yosemite 1590012 1280 — Yosemite National Park in California, US. Credits: Pixabay.

There are a lot of tips and guides out there but what we need is specificity.
Like in the blogosphere, some travel bloggers are specialised in luxury travel while others give backpacking and budgeting tips.
When it comes to a good tourism board website, what we need it to be is an all-rounder.
It needs to be full of tips and guides covering all travelling needs.
The Visit California website, for example, offers various tips from how to travel with kids to how to pack for a trip to California.

3. It is all about the details

A good tourism board website website will tell you things that you never thought you needed to know.
Is the place wheelchair friendly? Do they provide baby strollers?
Is it kid-friendly? Where else can you visit in the nearby areas?
Go To Bermuda for instance, even explains to its future visitors how it’s like to drive in Bermuda.

4. More about food please

sunset 625614 1280 — A night view of Stockholm. Credits: Pixabay.

To write about eating places is more than just listing down what to eat at a certain town.
Again, travellers need and want the details.
One very good example is Visit Stockholm website.
If it is a restaurant you are looking for, it narrows down to budget, mid-price or gourmet categories.
Looking for a cafe? Do you want it to be a cozy, trendy or a classic cafe?
How about a place to hit at night in town? The website details to a bar, a place with live music, or a club and even an LGBT bar.

5. Don’t forget about pop culture

gwanghwamun 2088592 1280 Pop culture tourism is the reason why The Abbey Road in London is famous. We want to go where the famous people go, to eat what the famous people eat, to visit where the famous films or dramas were filmed.
South Korea capitalises the popularity of its Kpop and Korean dramas by promoting Kpop music festivals and filming locations.
Visit Korea website lists downs all the filming locations for famous dramas including Goblin, Legend of the Blue Sea, Love in Moonlight, Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo and Uncontrollably Fond.

Miss Korea Kim Jinsol shares her beauty secrets

Published on May 11, 2018

Lifestyle

When it comes to health and beauty, everybody agrees Korean women have most of the know-how.

They know plenty of sometimes unheard of tips; from taking traditional herbs to performing modern exercise for the wellness of the body and mind.

During an episode of KBS’ Beauty Bible, Miss Korea 2016 titleholder Kim Jinsol impressed the viewers with her unfamiliar beauty tips.

1. Kickstart your day with juice

This 24-year-old beauty queen starts her day by drinking a glass of juice.

She blended various leaves vegetable including lettuce, perilla leaves, avocado and one glass of non-fat milk, one spoon of green apple powder and half a spoon of honey.

But her key ingredient is Angelica gigas also called Korean angelica.

It is traditionally used in Korean medicine to improve gynecological health. This herb is also used to improve cardiovascular and immune system.

Kim Jinsol 2 — Make your own juice to-go in the morning.

2. Nail art stickers
Famous fashion designer Prabal Gurung once said, “Nails are the period at the end of the sentence. They complete the look.”

Same goes for Kim who believes the finishing touch of fashion are her nails.

Instead of opting for nail polish, Kim preferred to use breathable nail art stickers.

This way she can change her manicure to complement her makeup and outfit.

Kim Jinsol 3 — Use a nail art sticker for a quick manicure.

3.Da Vinci Bodyboard yoga
Kim’s third beauty secret is something that has yet to catch on here in Malaysia.

It is called Da Vinci Bodyboard yoga. Kim touts it as “a type of interval training which is famous around the world.”

The board has elastic bands attached to it for users to exercise and do their yoga moves.

Known to be an effective system which builds strength, it also works as a cardio exercise.

She added, “It creates a beautiful silhouette for your body. It also works out your thighs and bottom.”

Watch the full episode of Kim Jinsol in KBS’s Beauty Bible here:

Asian horror movies based on real haunted places

Published on May 8, 2018

Entertainment

Art imitates life, even in Asian horror movies, which shows how movie-makers draw their inspirations from their surroundings when making a film. And what more inspiration for a horror movie other than an actual haunted place?

Here are some Asian horror movies inspired by places with supernatural and unexplained histories:

1.Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum (2018)

The Movie: The crew of a horror web series go to an abandoned asylum for a live broadcast. In true horror flick fashion, the whole trip becomes their worst nightmare.

Watch the trailer here.

The Haunted Place: This South Korean movie is based on one of the freakiest places on the planet according to CNN.

Gonjiam Psychiatric Hospital in Gwangju was once a fully operational medical centre when suddenly, according to local legend, patients started dying mysteriously.

Now, it is an abandoned building filled with urban legends and ghost stories.

Urban legends vary, some claim there was a mad doctor who tormented patients and one of the more famous versions is that the owner himself was insane. He was said to be keeping his patients incarcerated until he fled to the US in 1996.

The hospital was forced to close seemingly in hurry because medical records, patients’ private possessions were still there.

A less exciting, yet equally grisly explanation for the condition of Gonjiam Psychiatric hospital is that it closed due to unsanitary living conditions along with a malfunctioning sewage disposal system and that its owner just fled the country instead.

2. Lawang Sewu: Dendam Kuntilanak (2007)

The Movie: A group of high school students from Jakarta are trapped in Lawang Sewu in Semarang, Indonesia. After one of them urinates in the complex but does not reappear, the rest come to look for her. One of them also happens to be menstruating when she enters the complex, which incurs the additional wrath of the ghosts and spirits within Lawang Sewu.

To their horror, they are haunted by several ghosts and angry spirits which include that of a Dutch woman, a man who had a ball and chain wrapped around his leg, and of course a Kuntilanak (an Indonesian version of a vampire).

Watch the trailer here.

The Haunted Place: According to urban legend, a Dutch woman is believed to have committed suicide in Lawang Sewu. On top of that, when the Japanese invaded in the 1940s during World War II, they used part of the building as a prison where apparently some executions took place. Five employees working there and Indonesian fighters also died when Dutch forces attempted to retake Semarang by sneaking back into the city through the building’s tunnel systems.

So if you’re the superstitious type, there’s a lot of potentially unsettled spirits in this building.

Despite its haunted reputation, Lawang Sewu is actually an intricate, colonial era building. Lawang Sewu itself means ‘thousand doors’ in Javanese which derived from the building’s numerous doors and about 600 large windows.

Construction started in 1904 and was used by the first Dutch East Indies railway company Nederlandsch-Indische Maatshappij in the Dutch East Indies in 1907.

Although renovations over the years have not returned the building to its full glory, the Semarang city government is still working on shedding Lawang Sewu’s supernatural reputation by repurposing it into an active social space.

3. Highland Tower (2013)

The Movie: Highland Tower (2013) is a Malay-language film directed by Pierre Andre. It follows a TV host named Shima working on a documentary based on the 1993 Highland Towers collapse.

Watch the trailer here.

The Haunted Place: The Highland Towers were three similar 13-storey apartment buildings in Ulu Klang, in Selangor, Malaysia.

Sadly on Dec 11, 1993, Block 1 of the Highland Towers collapsed resulting in the deaths of 48 people. The remaining two blocks were evacuated due to safety reasons.

This led to the two remaining buildings becoming a hideout for criminals and drug addicts.

4.Villa Nabila (2015)

The Movie: The film starts with a disappearance of a teenager at an abandoned house called Villa Nabila in Johor.

It is presented in documentary style in which a few people who claim to experience the supernatural were interviewed.

Watch the trailer here.

The Haunted place: Villa Nabila is an abandoned house in Johor Bahru, Malaysia overlooking the Straits of Johor.

According to local legend, there was once a wealthy Caucasian family that lived there. Tragically, somebody murdered the whole family.

Another tale shares a story of wealthy parents who died leaving a daughter named Nabila.

Allegedly, the maid killed Nabila and cemented her body in one of the walls of the house.

5.Karak (2011)

The Movie: Asian horror movies love to revolve around horrified students just like those in Karak (2011).

This film tells the story of four students heading back to their college in Kuantan after a night out in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

They encounter a massive traffic jam on the Karak highway and decide to use an alternative route.

And that is when the horror begins.

Watch the trailer here.

The Haunted Place: Karak Highway was built in 1970 and was opened to the public in 1977. One of the famous tragedies that took place there was a road accident in 1990 which saw 17 people killed.

The death toll includes 11 Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) police personnel during a collision involving more than 10 vehicles.

This 60km highway also carries a number of other ghost stories such as a yellow Volkswagen which disrupts road users and a wandering school boy looking for his mother.

6.Haunted Changi (2010)

The Movie: Asian horror movies, like their western counterparts, like to explore the terrifying experience of fimmakers or TV crew with behind-the-scenes or found footage concepts.

This is what you’ll find with Singaporean movie Haunted Changi (2010) which follows a group of local filmmakers investigating Old Changi Hospital.

Watch the trailer here.

The Haunted Place: The British government built this hospital in 1935. It was used as a military hospital during Japanese occupation in World War II.

Unsurprisingly, some said the souls of Japanese occupation victims roam this site.

Moreover, there have been reported sightings of homeless ghosts, patients who died in the hospital and a nurse carrying a baby.

Subway, the most famous sandwich in Korean drama-land

Published on March 15, 2018

Entertainment

Subway is one of the most famous product placement (PPLs) brands in Korean dramas.

You’ll see everybody eating it, whether they’re on a date, saving a life or taking a break.

No matter how many times they feature the sandwiches being elegantly devoured by flawless Korean actors and actresses though, the American sandwich still seems out of place.

As a viewer, I perfectly understand PPLs are important to generate income for dramas, but having a Subway sandwich turn up in almost every corner of an episode seems to be pushing it.

For example, how would you comfort a guy who attempted to commit suicide? Do you recommend he gets counselling or do you hand him a Subway sandwich like Kim Shin (played by Gong Yoo) did in Goblin (2017)?

My point is, the PPLs can get a tad ridiculous.

Nonetheless, I have to give credit to the writers for managing to insert an honest observation of the sandwich.

When Kim Shin tells Ji Eun Tak (Kim Go Eun) that she should have some while he himself is enjoying one, Ji replies “It’s expensive. How can we buy two?” Bingo!

Subway promotes itself in Korean dramas as the meal to have while on a break. You’ll see the Grim Reaper in Goblin eating alone at a Subway outlet after a long day at work.

What better way to end your day sending the dead to the afterlife by having an American sandwich right?

Who ate the most Subway sandwiches in Korean dramas?

Perhaps the people from a specific profession which had the most Subway sandwiches during their breaks in Korean drama-land are the doctors.

In Descendants of the Sun (2016), Dr Kang Mo Yeon (Song Hye Kyo) had a few subtle scenes enjoying the sandwich while Good Doctor (2013), Dr Cha Yoon Seo (Moon Chae Yeon) is seen having a sandwich break with her colleagues at Subway.

Meanwhile, Dr Jung Yoon Do (Yoon Kyun Sang), Dr Jin Seo Woo (Lee Sung Kyung) and a few other colleagues also had their piece of sandwich action (keep it clean, people!) in Doctors (2016).

On top of being a quick grab for lunch, Subway sandwiches are also being advertised as the perfect food for a picnic date.

Of course when you are as beautiful as Yoona and your date is as hot as Ji Chang Wook like in K2 (2016), even the grass looks enticing to eat.

Subway also starred in Prime Ministers and I (2013), Defendant (2017) and Big Man (2014).

The product placement seems to be working well for Subway though. A quick glance at their website revealed that there were 313 stores in South Korea alone, while Malaysia has 220 outlets. (The latter might be debatable though, as there are only 52 locations posted on the website.)

Do you agree this American franchise is overdoing it when it comes to PPL in Korean dramas? Or does their marketing strategy work and make you crave for a Subway while you’re watching a K-drama? Let us know in the comment box!

5 best award-winning dramas by Kim Eun Sook to binge watch

Published on March 7, 2018

Entertainment

Kim Eun Sook is a household name when it comes to the South Korean screenwriting scene.

First gaining attention with Lovers in Paris, she is known for writing iconic kissing scenes with romantic, almost borderline cheesy lines. These scenes would make you either swoon, cringe or even both.

One of the most standout examples being the famous ‘wine kiss’ in Descendants of the Sun (2016).

While its heroine Dr Kang Mo Yeon (Song Hye Kyo) is enjoying her wine straight from the bottle, she offers some to Yoo Si Jin (Song Joong Ki) who refuses, saying that dispatched troops are not allowed to drink.

Noticing that Yoo is watching her intently, Kang says “You look like you really want to drink this” and offers him the bottle.

Yoo then says, “I think I found a way”, walks straight up to her, grabs her by the chin and kisses her.

Who wouldn’t swoon?

Admittedly, some of the Kim Eun Sook’s plotlines can be pretty cliched. Poor girl falls in love with rich boy, with the universe somehow against them. In the end, they live happily ever after.

Nonetheless, they make good guilty pleasures especially if you want a quick escape from reality into the larger than life fantasy of Korean dramas.

With more than 10 projects under her belt, we break them down to five best award-winning dramas written by Kim Eun Sook you must watch for your K-drama starter pack:

1.Goblin (2017)

Goblin is Kim Eun Sook’s second collaboration with director Lee Eun Bok after Descendants of the Sun.

It was the second highest rated drama in Korean cable television history behind Reply 1988.

Perhaps contributing to Goblin’s success was lead actor Gong Yoo’s return to the TV screen after his blockbuster movie Train to Busan.

Kim Eun Sook revealed in a talk show ‘Signal’ last year that Gong Yoo was the actor that had rejected her the most often, refusing to work with her until Goblin came along.

Gong Yoo plays the Goblin or Kim Shin who needs a human bride to end his immortality.

Some criticised the huge age gap between the two lead characters Kim Shin and Ji Eun Tak (Kim Go Eun) – he’s 37, she’s 25 – but Goblin was a commercial success.

It was awarded the Grand Prize (Daesang) for Television honour during the 53rd Baeksang Arts Awards.

Watch the trailer here.

2.Descendants of the Sun (2016)

A -listers including Won Bin, Jo In Sung, Gong Yoo and Kim Woo Bin all said no to playing the male lead in this drama.

Some said they were uncomfortable playing the role of a soldier while others reportedly could not commit to the pre-production format of the show.

Most Korean dramas out there are shot in ‘live-shoot’ system. Meaning the storyline might be changed depending on public feedback but at the cost of long filming hours.

However with pre-production format, the drama is filmed entirely before broadcast allowing the producers to plan for its distribution better.

The risk is that if the audience ends up not liking it, there’s no way to go back to change the plot.

The pre-production format worked out for Descendants of the Sun. Being pre-produced allowed them to air it in China simultaneously with South Korea, bringing in more profits.

If you hadn’t guessed from the wine kiss, the plot is the love story between a soldier Yoo Si Jin (Song Joong Ki) and Doctor Kang Mo Yeon (Song Hye Kyo).

This was also Song Joong Ki’s first project after finishing his mandatory military duty.

Besides the script, another contributor to the success of this drama was the great chemistry between the ‘Song-Song Couple’.

And they proved their off-screen chemistry was real when they married in October 2017.

Descendants of the Sun earned Kim Eun Sook her first KBS Drama Award for Best Writer.

3.The Heirs (2013)

This is Kim’s first teen drama based on the love story between a rich kid (Lee Min Ho) and a poor girl Cha Eun Sang (Park Shin Hye).

Kim Eun Sook revealed that she wrote it specifically for Lee, calling it a teen romance for grown-ups.

She won Outstanding Scriptwriter award for The Heirs during the 2nd Asia Rainbow TV Awards in 2014.

The Heirs was the first Korean drama co-produced by American digital distribution platform DramaFever.

Watch the trailer here.

4.Secret Garden (2010)

This drama won numerous awards including Korea Content Awards: Prime Minister’s Award in the Field of Broadcasting and Korea Drama Awards for Best Writer.

Other awards were Seoul International Drama Awards: Outstanding Screenwriter and Baeksang Art Awards for Best TV Screenplay.

Another Cinderella story by Kim Eun Sook, the story follows Gil Ra Im (Ha Ji Won) a stuntwoman who falls in love with Kim Joo Won (Hyun Bin), the CEO of a department store.

This was Ha’s first project after taking 4-year break from dramas.

Secret Garden was so successful that the fashion items such as Joo Won’s sequined sweater and catchphrases were all the rage back then.

And who can forget the legendary ‘foam kiss’ scene? The scene probably inspired half of the men in South Korea to lean over and kiss their girlfriends while their lips are tainted with cappuccino foam.

Watch the trailer here.

5.Lovers in Paris (2004)

Speaking of catchphrases, no other Korean drama has sparked more trends and parodies than Lovers in Paris.

Even if you have never seen this drama, you have probably seen entertainers mimicking its lead role Han Ki Joo (Park Shin Yang)’s famous line “Let’s go, baby!” in variety shows.

Kim Eun Sook co-wrote Lovers in Paris with Kang Eun Jung winning the Best TV Screenplay award together in 2005 Baeksang Arts Awards.

It is another cliched story of the poor Kang Tae Young (Kim Jung Eun) working for the rich Han Ki Joo as his housekeeper.

The series became one of the highly rated Korean dramas of all time. It also won several high-profile awards including SBS Drama Awards: Special Award in 2005.

10 South Korean movies inspired by true stories you must watch!

Published on February 9, 2018

Entertainment

South Korean movies based on actual accounts started gaining attention in the beginning of the 21st century.

Of course, not all the movies have remained true to the actual story, but some of them were so thought-provoking, that they provoked public outcry, reopening criminal cases and even changing the judicial system.

Here are 10 South Korean movies based on (or inspired by) true events you have to watch:

1. Silenced (2011)

Also known as The Crucible, this 2011 film is based on the novel by Gong Ji Young.

It was inspired by actual events at Gwangju Inhwa School for the hearing-impaired where students were sexually assaulted by the school staff over a period of five years in the early 2000s.

The teachers were let off with minimal punishment. Worse still, four out of six of them were reinstated after they escaped punishment under the statute of limitations. The other two received jail terms of less than a year.

After the film’s release, there was public outrage over the lenient court rulings, prompting police to reopen the case.

A revised bill called the Dogani (Silenced) Bill was passed in late October 2011 to abolish the statute of limitations for sex crimes against minors and the disabled.

In 2012, the former administrator was sentenced 12 years in prison and ordered to wear an electronic anklet for 10 years following his release.

The movie stars pre-Goblin Korean heartthrob Gong Yoo and Jung Yu Mi.

Watch the trailer here.

2. Memories of Murder (2003)

Memories of Murder is based on the true story of the first known series of murders in South Korean history which took place in Gyeonggi Province.

Between October 1986 and April 1991, female victims ranging from 14 to 71 were each found gagged and murdered. Some have compared the murders to those of the Zodiac Killer.

While the film itself never mentions the total body count, authorities found a total of 10 similar murders. Forensic evidence indicates that the suspect was a man in his 20s, about 165cm to 170 with a B blood type.

Spoiler alert: Just like the film murderer, the real murderer has not been caught.

Watch the trailer here.

3. Han Gong Ju (2013)

The Miryang Gang rape which happened in a South Koreas middle school in 2004 saw at least 41 male high school students gang-rape a number of middle- and high school girls over the course of 11 months.

As if these incidents weren’t bad enough, the way the police managed the case sparked more controversy as they mistreated the victims and treated the offenders leniently.

In the end, the court sent only five suspects to juvenile detention centres. Additionally, none of them were convicted of criminal charges.

Loosely-based on the incident, the movie circles around Han Gong Ju (Chun Woo Hee) who loses her friend after both became victims of a terrible gang rape incident.

Watch the trailer here.

4.Hope (2013)

Hope is based on the infamous Nayoung case in 2008.

Nayoung is the alias given to a 8-year-old girl who was found nearly dead in a public toilet. Later, authorities convicted a 57-year-old man – who had a history of sexual assaults – for raping and beating Nayoung.

The court sentenced the perpetrator to only 12 years in prison which sparked an outrage in the country due to the brutality of the crime.

Nayoung sustained irreversible injuries to her genitals, anus and intestine. Initially she had to wear a colostomy bag to replace her missing organs.

As to why a movie about such a horrendous tragedy has such an uplifting title?

Hope’s director Lee Joon Ik told Korean Cinema Today that he wanted to make a happy movie that begins with a tragedy.

“I am going to present a human drama where hope blooms at the edge of happiness and desperation, after a series of ordeals and hardships.”

Watch the trailer here.

5. Children (2011)

When five boys went out to spend the national holiday catching frogs at Mount Waryong and never returned, it was bound to create a media frenzy.

The group disappeared on March 26, 1991 but their bodies were only found 11 years later.

The initial cause of death was believed to be hypothermia. Further investigation, however, revealed that three of the skulls showed blunt-force trauma and one had been shot in the head with a shotgun.

Not only does this case remain unsolved, but the statute of limitations on this case expired in 2006.

Besides Children (2011), the incident also inspired a 1992 movie called Come Back, Frog Boys.

Watch the trailer.

6.Way Back Home (2013)

In 2004, the French immigration authority arrested a Korean housewife named Jang Mi Jeong upon her arrival at Paris Orly Airport.

She claimed she was asked by a family friend, whom she had known for more than 10 years, to bring a bag of uncut diamonds to France.

That bag of precious stones turned out to be some 17kg of cocaine.

The movie follows the case which led Jang to serve two years in prison in Martinique, an island in the Carribean Sea.

The filming of this movie took place over three weeks at a women’s prison in Martinique. It features actual guards and prisoners as supporting characters.

Watch the trailer here.

7. The Case of Itaewon Homicide (2009)

When two friends are suspected of murder, it could turn into a “he said, she said” situation which is what happened in The Case of Itaewon Homicide.

In the actual murder which was called the Itaewon Burger King Murder, Arthur Patterson and Edward Lee were accused of fatally stabbing Hongik college student Jo Jung Pil in 1997.

Lee was freed a year later due to lack of evidence. As for Patterson whose father was a former US army officer, he was released on special amnesty.

After the release of this film, Jo Jong Pil’s family demanded the case to be reopened. DNA evidence discovered by authorities revealed Patterson as the killer.

Critics praised Jang Geun Suk who played Robert J. Pearson (character inspired by Patterson) for his first English-speaking role in this movie.

Watch the trailer here.

8.Jiseul (2012)

Jiseul is set during the Jeju Uprising or Jeju Massacre, an insurgency on Jeju Island following an anticommunist suppression campaign that lasted from April 3, 1948 until May 1949.

This movie, however, does not focus on the suppression but rather on the true story of a group of villagers who hid in a cave for 60 days to escape military attack.

They struggled with cold and hunger, surviving on jiseul (potato in Jeju dialect).

The movie was the first Korean film to have won the prestigious World Cinema Dramatic Grand Jury Prize at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival.

9.The Chaser (2008)

The Chaser is loosely based on Yoo Young Chul, a convicted serial killer and self-confessed cannibal.

Yoo admitted to killing 21 people, mostly prostitutes or masseuses and wealthy old men although he was only convicted of 20 as one case was dismissed on technicality.

His backstory or motives seem straight out of an episode of Criminal Minds as he says he hated the rich due to his childhood raised in poverty and his former lover working as a masseuse.

Ha Jung Woo who portrayed Je Yeong Min (the character inspired by Yoo) became The Chaser’s breakout star as he garnered high praise from local and international critics.

It even gained some props from The Dark Knight trilogy director Christopher Nolan who cited this as his favourite Korean movie.

Watch the trailer here.

10.Voice of a Murderer (2007)

This film is a fictionalised story based on the abduction of nine-year-old Lee Hyung Ho on Jan 29, 1991.

Although 87 calls were made to the parents demanding USD75,000 in ransom, Lee’s body was found 44 days after he went missing. What makes this even more tragic is that he was actually killed two days after being kidnapped.

Like some of the movies listed here, the killer was never caught.

In Voice of a Murderer, the boy’s name is Han Sang-woo, and it focuses on the haunting and emotionless voice of the kidnapper as he taunts the boy’s parents, who become restless, frustrated and angry day by day.

Watch the trailer here.

Korean actress Park Hana shares her beauty secrets

Published on January 23, 2018

Lifestyle

Korean actresses are well known for their smooth and translucent skin regardless of their age.

Park Hana, the lead actress in Apgujeong Midnight Sun, at 32 years of age has more radiant and flawless skin than an average teenage girl.

So how does she do it?

Here are some of Park Hana’s top daily beauty tips she shared on Beauty Bible on KBS:

The 32-year-old actress starts her day with drinking coconut water. — The 32-year-old actress starts her day with coconut water.

1. Start your day with coconut water

Coconut water is not a just a drink to quench your thirst on a hot day.

This clear juice found in young coconuts has gathered a large fandom among beauty enthusiasts as studies have shown that it helps in anti-aging, fighting acne and can also be used as a natural cleanser and toner.

Park starts her day by squeezing half a lemon into a mixture of coconut water and honey. She even prefers drinking coconut water over plain water.

It is also touted for its high potassium content, is good for fighting bloatedness, and great for hangovers. 👍

2. Sheet mask in the morning, not at night

As South Korea is the birthplace of the sheet mask, it is no surprise that Park included this in her beauty regime.

Most people put these masks on at night before going to bed but Park prefers to use it in the morning before she starts her day.

First, she applies a layer of ampoule – a highly concentrated serum to help the skin absorb the moisture from the sheet mask. If there is any leftover essence from the mask pack, she applies it like a lotion on her hands and arms as well.

Then she puts on the sheet mask for 20 to 30 minutes before spraying on the mask fixer to contain the essence.

There are so many types of masks out there; Park’s personal favourites are caviar and truffle-based masks.

It might sound like a strenuous beauty regime, but Park admits she is like everyone else: “I get so lazy in the morning, I don’t use a lot of toner or lotions.”

Instead of putting on sheet mask in the evening, Park prefers to wear it in the morning. — Instead of putting on sheet mask in the evening, Park Hana prefers to wear it in the morning.

3. Play with colour when it comes to lipstick

As for make-up tips, Park loves to combine two different tones on her lips.

“I put on darker matte lipstick first, then a brighter colour which matches my skin tone,” she said.

But she applies the second tone of colour only in the middle of her lips.

Park Hana loves to mix two shades of lipstick for her make-up. — Park Hana loves to mix two tones of lipstick for her makeup.

4. Cleansing oil for a cleansing regime

At the end of the day, she uses only cleansing oil to wash her face.

“I don’t use any cotton pads. I’m too lazy for that so I just use my hands to apply it on my face,” Park said.

According to Park, her skin doesn’t dry out that when she uses cleansing oil.

Again, she skips toners and lotions but only applies basic moisturiser before bed.

Park focuses on the driest part of her face, which is around her nose.

“Sometimes I just apply essence or other times just creams. Some days I only put on eye cream on my whole face.”

Watch Park Hana’s session on KBS’s Beauty Bible here.

8 Korean food blogs to follow for home cooked recipes

Published on January 17, 2018

Lifestyle

Korean food blogs for you to stalk and learn how to cook at home

aluminous-749358_1280 — KajoMag’s pick on eight Korean food blogs to follow. Credits: Pixabay.

With the rise of the K-pop wave, Korean food is getting more popular around the world.

More and more Korean food outlets are opening up, introducing Korean dishes such as bibimbap and bulgogi.

Additionally, Korean grocery shops are slowly popping up too, allowing more people to have access to Korean ingredients.

From gochujang to doenjang which are now easily available, there is no excuse not to whip up Korean food on your own.

Here are eight Internet gurus (aka Korean food blogs) to follow for delicious homemade recipes:

1.Maangchi

The New York Times called her Youtube’s Korean Julia Child.

Emily Kim who founded Maangchi has been enjoying cooking since she was young.

She posted a video of herself cooking on April 9, 2007 just for fun and the people on the net loved her.

Since then, she kept on making videos and now has a website to go with them.

Kim prefers authentic Korean recipes because that is what she raised on and that is what she knows.

If you do not know where to start when comes to cooking Korean food, fret not! Kim has written The Beginner’s Guide to Korean Cooking for all you noobs out there.

2. Seon Kyoung Longest

Seon Kyoung was a cartoonist and a belly dancer before she finally made her career change to a food enthusiast.

Her cooking journey began when she left home in South Korea and moved to the US in March 2009 after marrying her American husband.

With no friends and no job, Seon Kyoung turned to food to fill her free time.

Slowly, she improved her cooking skills till she won the competition for Robert Irvine’s Restaurant Express. Seon Kyoung was the only self taught home cook in the competition.

Her food blog has everything from appetisers, drinks to side dishes and main course.

Just in case you get lost while following her instructions, she has videos for you to catch up.

3. Korean Bapsang

What do you do if you try to cook something on your own and you get stuck?

You call your mum.

That was what inspired Hyosun Ro to create her blog called Korean Bapsang (table) back in 2009.

Her children always called her asking how to cook certain dishes. So, Ro put together her blog to teach her children her homecooked recipes.

Ro’s recipes are well-organised into various categories including appetisers, main dish, side dish, soup, stew, slow cooker, traditional holiday food and vegetarian.

4. My Korean Kitchen

Her husband suggested she start a food blog focusing on Korean food back in March 2006. So she did.

In My Korean Kitchen, Sue Pressey writes about her love for Korean food and fusion food.

The blog includes step by step instructions, cultural topics and even products and restaurant reviews.

She also understands your pain when it is hard to find Korean ingredients.

Having said that, Sue put up a list of 30 essential Korean cooking ingredients and tips on what replacements to look for if you can’t find the real deal.

5. Kimchimari

Screenshot from https://kimchimari.com/.

Here is another mother leaving a keepsake to her child through a food blog.

Lee Jin Joo started her blog in 2010 to share Korean recipes with her daughter as she went off to college.

She was a former computer scientist and now is a full-time blogger.

If you are planning to have a Korean food-themed party, Lee can guide you through her Korean Party Menu.

6. Aeri’s Kitchen

Check this out at http://aeriskitchen.com/. — Check this out at Aeri’s Kitchen (http://aeriskitchen.com/).

Aeri Lee’s passion was to teach so she studied education in college.

Since 2008, she has been teaching Korean cooking and a little Korean language along the way through her website.

She shares her recipes while adding her own personal touch to each post, sharing her experience making the dishes.

Many Korean food blogs are very interactive with their readers including Lee.

She accepts recipe requests from her readers and never fails to give special shout outs for those who requested them.

7. Beyond Kimchee

Holly has travelled the world and has even lived in Malaysia and Argentina before.

She credited her passion for cooking to the experiences she had travelling the world and the exposure she received from different cultures.

Beyond Kimchee is one of the many Korean food blogs which try to be a little experimental when comes to cooking.

So make sure you check out her Korean fusion recipes; there you can find east-meets-west cuisine such as Gochujang Sloppy Joe, Cheesy Rice Balls and Hambak Steak.

8. ZenKimchi

The Korean Food Journal. Credits: http://zenkimchi.com/

Finally, a man on the list!

Joe McPherson has been blogging about Korean food since 2004.

McPherson told The Korea Times in 2014 that he is living the dream and he has figured out a way to combine his love of food, writing, technology and history.

“When I started ZenKimchi, the plan wasn’t necessarily to make it something big. I didn’t know my little hobby could attract the mainstream media.”

Attract people, he did. McPherson had consulted popular show such as The Travel Channel’s Bizarre Foods and even got to hang out with Eric Ripert.

Relish in authentic Korean food at The Kimbap, Kuching

Published on April 30, 2017

Culture

Kimbap is a famous Korean delicacy made from rice, various thinly sliced ingredients like fried egg, sausages, cucumber and carrot rolled up in a sheet of seaweed.

The word ‘kimbap’ literally means seaweed rice as ‘kim’ or ‘gim’ means seaweed while ‘bap’ cooked rice.

Here in Kuching, thousands of miles from where kimbap originated, is an eatery dedicated to this famous dish.

Located at Brighton Square along Jalan Song, The Kimbap prides itself as a pork-free Korean restaurant providing a variety of yummy Korean food at reasonable prices.

Diners can enjoy all kinds of kimbap like tuna mayo, spicy tuna, bulgogi ssam (marinated beef cabbage wraps), garden salad, chicken among eight others.

My personal picks are the beef, kimchi and cheesy kimbap; great for light lunch takeaways or for a simple outdoor picnic.

Beside these rolled rice delicacies, you can also fill up your tummy on other Korean delights.

For those who are big fans of the Korean ramyeon, you can also choose what to order with your noodles.

Ramyeon is similar to Japanese ramen as both are believed to share their roots from China’s lamian (hand-pulled noodles).

The Kimbap serves kimchi ramyeon, cheese ramyeon, dolsot ramyeon (dolsot means hot stone pot) and crispy chicken ramyeon.

If you prefer a noodle dish more native to Korea, order some japchae. It is a glass-like noodle made from sweet potato, stir-fried in sesame oil together with thinly sliced carrots, spinach and mushrooms.

The Kimbap also adds thinly cut beef to their japchae, making it almost a balanced meal instead of a side dish.

Besides this classic Korean noodle dish, they also serve rice dishes like bibimbap, omurice (rice omelette) and soup.

Some Korean food outlets in Kuching offer bibimbap served in plastic or ceramic bowls.

At The Kimbap, you can choose dolsot bibimbap where your bibimbap will be served up in a stone bowl to keep it sizzling hot. It is perfect for those who like their food warm.

Are you a big fan of fried chicken?

With a choice of Crispy Fried Chicken, Daebak Chicken (‘daebak’ is Korean slang for jackpot) and Spicy Chicken to choose from, foodies can skip KFC or Ayam Goreng McD.

Don’t forget to keep those tissues within arm’s reach – the Daebak Chicken and Spicy Chicken are covered in a sumptuous, flavourful sauce.

The Kimbap has a well-curated selection of Korean teas – brown rice green tea, buckwheat tea, Solomon’s seal tea, aloe vera tea, honey citron tea, honey jujube tea and ginseng tea.

Solomon’s seal tea, for example, is believed to be helpful in repairing sports injuries and other acute physical traumas.

I found their honey jujube tea a bit sweet, but it is supposed to be rich in antioxidants and able to help with constipation.

Their list was made complete with the honey citron tea, a traditional Korean drink dating back more than 100 years.

Honey citron tea is great for coughs, relieving sore throats and is an excellent source of vitamin C.

Whether you’re there for the kimbap or tea, The Kimbap is one of the few food outlets selling authentic Korean dishes in Kuching.

Check out their opening hours on their Facebook page: The Kimbap.