.An interesting experience

I talked to a Korean yesterday.
Not my Korean teacher but the two guys that my korean teacher brought in to assist him.
They are personal trainers in the gym and they are 26 years old.
So they are BUFF guys.

My teacher said that they do help idols train e.g. Shinee! :O

Each guy was assigned to half the class and one of the in-class activity was to ask them verbs and phrases. We had to accumulate 30 in total.
They could understand basic English so it wasn't a trouble trying to communicate.
It was really cool because they are really friendly, we even took a photo after the lesson! :D

They will be coming for the next lesson as well~

.Old Airport Road

14th November 2011

Dakota –Old Airport Road

It somewhat felt like a huge disappointment when I heard the hawker centre was closed when we met up at Exit B of Dakota MRT. However the day didn’t turn out wasted.

The tour around Northlight School turned out to be really enriching and provided me with a new insight of how primary school drop outs can choose to get a new leash of life after failing their PSLE examinations.

The school is well set up to cater to the education to the students there, I was really surprised to see rooms resembling hotel rooms and provision shops.

The teaching methods of teachers seem different from secondary schools. Throughout the tour, I feel that the tour guide was right about allowing the children to feel the love instead of treating them harshly. They were allowing the students to learn in an environment where they won’t be looked down on, where their achievements and good behaviour are recognised.

When we went on to visit the garden the school has at the back, in addition the tour guide explained that the garden is there for students skipping physical education when they are sick.  It’s true that there’s no reason for a student to not do some gardening even if he or she is sick. This reminds me of my secondary school classmates skipping physical education because they were too lazy to work out, wasting their time slacking around. However in Northlight School students will not only be able to learn a new skill but also educated about those plants they are gardening. These can’t be learnt in the usual secondary schools or even primary schools. In the usual schools students are often spoon fed but the teachers, there are many a times when schools try to hold reward sessions to spark students to be more initiative and helpful however it’s difficult when students already take things for granted. This is not the case in Northlight school where most of the areas in their education system they are encouraged to be independent. These students may turn out to be outstanding in the future industry as compared to spoon fed students.

When we left Northlight school and headed for the old provision shop with 50 years of history; we passed by many of the the neighbourhood estates and I was fascinated by some of it’s interesting structure and local lifestyle. A block of flats that we passed by had many households hanging their clothes outside along the corridor; of course this is not uncommon in Singapore however what I’m fascinated by the fact that they had their linen hung on what seemingly looked like ropes and also thin sticks. I wonder why don’t they use bamboo poles that are more sturdy.

Another block of flats we passed by has only 7 storeys, and the lifts were located at the first, third and sixth level. This block of flats is one of the three that are located along the circumference of an “imaginary circle”. What I mean is if one is to stand right smack in the middle of this “imaginary circle” he or she will be able to see a block of flats on his or her right, left and back. It was interesting to imagine the possibility of good friends living in each of the flats, and they can all meet up in the middle to hang out when they have ended school or have finished their homework.

The provision shop was located under a block of flats –yet another charming block of flats. The blue signboard states Tian Kee & Co, which is unusual for a provision shop to be called as, different from the modern provision shops and econ-minimarts. I guess owning a provision shop back then was a really honourable thing and only richer people could afford to do so. Tian Kee & Co makes it sound like a company itself. The biscuits they sell bring back memories, the messy layout of the small shop’s interior makes me feel like I just walked into an antique shop. A bag of biscuits with icing sugar weighing 100 grams only cost me $0.80, a price hard to find. I gladly shared my biscuits with friends who didn’t want to take a squeeze in the small shop but in the end they were influenced to get some themselves.

Modest as they can be, the old couple declined to be taken photographs of and were kind to direct us to the nearest MRT station.

I hope I can find the chance to go back to Dakota, Old Airport Road to have a taste of the good food and walk around the neighbourhood of Dakota with a good camera in hand.

.Who's more popular?

I mentioned a few posts before that I quite like SNSD now and I bought their latest album- The Boys.

Well, it came with a poster and I got Yuri's one.

Which I intended to sell and I already got a buyer. Heh.

The album also came with a photocard and I got Taeyeon which I was hesitant to sell because I kind of like Taeyeon, but her picture wasn't fantastic. Anyway I sold it already.

The thing is, it was such an experience trying to sell away my poster and photocard because that's when I realised that there are really pretty drastic levels of popularity in SNSD.

Somehow I didn't think of that because SNSD seems popular as a whole and it became a natural assumption that they are all well liked, equally?

But that's not the case, from my experience.

Apparently I remember rather vividly of someone telling me that Taeyeon is the most popular in SNSD

(that was when I was not into Korean) and he/she showed me her picture and I was taken aback because she wasn't extremely pretty. I mean I kind of expected someone REEEAAAALLLYY pretty when my friend told me she's the MOST popular out of NINE girls.

At that moment back then, I didn't agree.

But right now I beg to defer, not only because I personally find her charming on stage but also because of how pricey her merchandise can be.

People are selling her stuff for a BOMB.

Taeyeon is like UP THERE and someone else is down there...

I'm not trying to be mean but this is what I gather from trying to sell my poster and photocard that.....

Hyoyeon is not very popular.

Everywhere I go there are people wanting Taeyeon's card, poster yadayada.

Taeyeon, Jessica and Yoona are like a package kind of thing, I kept seeing posts like:

Example 1: WTB Jessica, Taeyeon, Yoona Photocard.

Example 2: Buying Taeyeon's photocard.

Example 3: Trading Sooyoung for Yoona poster.

I know it's common for such popularity difference in idol groups but I actually thought that Sunny was the most popular, I mean I just had this impression ever since Invincible Youth started I think and she kind of became the talk of the town.

It turns out she doesn't seem as popular as Jessica, Taeyeon and Yoona...

And then there's Yuri, I thought her popularity went up because of Invincible Youth as well! OH~ I think I have this impression because I often see Sunny and Yuri on variety shows..

If I were to arrange them in order of popularity, based on what I have gathered from scouring for buyers on the net, I would say this:

Taeyeon

Yoona

Jessica

Yuri, Sunny, Sooyoung and Tiffany are all in the middle

Then there's Hyoyeon and Seohyun who are on par...

But I heard that Hyoyeon is really popular with ang mohs and she's a dance goddess.

Well after all the talk here are some pictures for you to seeeee.

Taeyeon

Yoona

Jessica

Sunny

Yuri

Tiffany 

Sooyoung

Seohyun

Hyoyeon

I think I have chosen pretty decent photos of SNSD off the net..

They all have a uniqueness to themselves and I think it's great. I think popularity not only depends on how versatile their looks are to the audience's taste but also how they present themselves on shows.

I personally think...

Taeyeon has a beautiful smile but it's kind of funny to say that since I think she did her teeth before.

She is the most charming on stage, her stage presence is very strong, possibly also because she has the most singing parts. I actually think she looks the most Korean in SNSD. (Btw my friend didn't show me this picture when he/she told me she is the most popular.)

Yoona is rather versatile in her expressions, she can give off a friendly face and also a stronger look. I like her in variety shows because she's not too afraid to show but doesn't go overboard.

Jessica, known for being an Ice Princess, looks better when she smiles. With her nicely threaded eyebrows, when she smiles it gives off a naive feel.

Sunny is cute. Okay I know it's more for guys to say that but, she does pull off cute poses well, sometimes too cute for girls to look at. Although she's the shortest but she don't seem to be shadowed by the rest, she shines by herself. Well, Sunny.

Yuri is really dorky, be it variety shows or on stage performances (especially when she makes a mistake) it makes me feel like she's very "real", showing her true self more than she puts on a facade.

Tiffany has a wonderful eye smile. Immediately you feel her warmth when she smiles and you subconsciously feel happy as well. What an awesome effect from an eye smile. And I think that picture I posted above is one of the best I have seen of her. SMILE~

Sooyoung has reaaaaaaaaaaal long legs. So slender and long~~ Sooyoung has really big eyes and a nice smile. Surprisingly her thin lips goes well with her wide smile. Her smile is very bright and her eyes kind of light up when she genuinely smiles.

Seohyun is that demure, sweet looking girl that probably every mother wants as a daughter in law but... she's too tight on principles and I think also of her own upbringing that makes her very "stiff". Even her smile seems programmed or maybe it's just because of the shape of her smile. It's small and gentle; but can look stiff as well.

Hyoyeon has a real tough look going on there, with her jarring dance moves, no wonder people call her the dance goddess but I feel that her stage presence isn't quite there, she can dance well but she doesn't attract me to look at her during performances. Even during solo dances she tend to not look at the camera. Looking at the camera actually connects with your audience, she tend to look down and immerse herself in her own dancing. I know it's like a "I'm feeling it, yeah this is how I dance" but she should be more of "This is how I dance, can you feel it"

Why am I commenting so much when I am a nobody here.

Please treat this with a pinch of salt. And sugar, be sweet and don't bash me.

.Blogs

I have been updating my blog these few days but it didn't really dawn on me that others might have been as well.
I haven't been reading blogs but I have been updating mine.
So what's the whole point in it?
Do people still keep blogs? It used to be such an 'in' thing back in 2006 but now it's like scrape.
People delete their blogs so that they won't look back some people keep them so they can hold their memories close.
Reading people's blogs evoke my memories like crap. You will be caught in this time wrap and you spend the rest of your week pondering.

I wonder if this blog thing will still be around when I'm 80, imagine me still blogging.

T-ara VS SNSD

I saw this photo of SNSD and it immediately reminded me of T-ara's recent photoshoot of iRiver.

SNSD's Japanese Gee Cover.

T-ara's iRiver's photoshoot.

The clothing are so similar, even the shoessss!
For a moment I thought that someone photoshopped the pictures or something.

If a Sone or a Diadem sees this and they start bashing each other, it's not worth it.
Come on, the one you ought to be bashing is not T-ara/SNSD and not me.
It's the wardrobe designer!
:/

.Black Eyes

T-ara has some really nice and catchy songs in their new album; which is their's 4th album- Black Eyes.
You should go have a listen :)

This is the tracklist.
1. Cry Cry2. Cry Cry (Ballad Ver.)3. Goodbye OK4. I'm so bad5. O my God
Their song title might not seem appealing but their songs are pretty good.

The album is not out for sale yet, but NO these songs weren't leaked.
Their company Core Contents Media decided to let them out on digital sale first.
Which means people can pay to download from the Mnet website.

The following are the links to their songs :)

1. Cry Cry (Original Version)
Listen here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_OAG0ASpeg&feature=related
Download here (for free; credits to Chermainetzy):
http://www.mediafire.com/?27p4k7v63ngoudu

2. Cry Cry (Ballad Version)
Listen here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lve1XeZIvPM
Download here (for free; credits to Chermainetzy):
http://www.mediafire.com/?dw1eeffjbnsk1s4
Download here to support T-ara:
http://www.mnet.com/track/2555869

3. Goodbye Ok

Listen here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wro1tGBKWXI&feature=related

Download here (for free; credits to Chermainetzy):

http://www.mediafire.com/?1bevbtu63xuvqtb

Download here to support T-ara:

http://www.mnet.com/track/2555865

4. I'm so Bad

Listen here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wwK05zKeAk&feature=related

Download here (for free; credits to Chermainetzy): 

http://www.mediafire.com/?4cghlza4ntjgtyb

Download here to support T-ara:

http://www.mnet.com/track/2555867

5. O My God
Listen here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4StwnJUDG4&feature=related
Download here (for free; credits to Chermainetzy):
http://www.mediafire.com/?6fdeg90bh6kygx8
Download here to support T-ara:
http://www.mnet.com/track/2555866

.Bao Today

Bao Today or also known as 包今天 is a dim sum restaurant that I dined at this evening :)
It is located at the basement level of Marina Square.

The staffs were friendly and efficient, and the most important thing is, they weren't so impatient like almost all chinese restaurants.
So this is how it works, you first tick the food that you want on a sheet of paper and then hand it over to the counter.
The food will first be served and you will pay for your meal after you have finished your food.
If you want to order dim sum you can also kindly raise your hand to get the attention of the staff, he or she will add it on to your order sheet.

The yellow filling is melted salted egg!!

The black filling is sesame! It tastes like those in sesame rice balls (Y)

Har Gao

Pork Belly cooked till it's so soft the fats melted in my mouth!

Shao Mai

Cha Siew Bao

Tu Di Ji (Ground chicken?) Not very fantastic.