иконографияikoniSometimes we feign that we are young all through these years, thinking that time stopped for us. Seriously though we are getting older, which we all cannot deny but are we wiser as we get older?

As time passes by and as technology emerged, many people seems to be caught up in the age of IT and technology. Not owning a smart phone these days felt out of place (nothing wrong with not owning one, but just that sometimes we have to keep abreast with the current technology in this world. It does not meant that it is a necessity but it is complimentary).

So did we actually get wiser as we start to use these tools of technology? Or did we get dumber because we use these tools to look for our answers? Does our brain malfunction or rather use rather less brain cells because we rely so much on the computer or smart phone or any electronic devices to help us find the answer?

What are the boundaries? What are the limits? Why then does the school do not allow students to use a PC to search the World Wide Web for answers during answers? Well, some people say we should not deprive them of the benefit of being able to access the internet to look for answers but why? Is it to boost memory strength? Though how come what we did previously does not apply in the working world since we get to have our hands on these gadgets to help us do all the work.

You must have been wondering!!!

“OH NO!!!! Not another one of those WEIRD DANIEL moments where he starts thinking of things and start telling and boggling other people’s mind“

Though sad to say, he (The Weird One) is back with a bang (not gangbang) and will relive what he does best on the blogging world. To blog about his thoughts and not just his travel log or photos to showcase.

Back to the topic, are we wiser as we grow up? In what sense? Is it because we have gadgets to help us, we are wiser? Or do we use these tools to help us when we cannot do anything else? So many questions, so few answers which I would expect later on.

Sometimes it is good that we have the capacity to think. Not everyone is fortunate to have time to rest on the beach and ponder on thoughts that boggle their minds but like I said, anywhere would do. In life, we ponder about things at times which does not concern us.

Why do we do that?

These are things which help generate our mind receptors and also to make sure that our brain is still functioning. Why do humans worry? Worry?? We all worry for a reason, but it is also subject to our ability as to how we handle our worries. Some do not even understand the reason of why do they worry. Well, things go and come as they like but there are many things which raises a lot of questions in our daily life.

I guess life has a lot of meaning. This topic can go on and on with so many questions to be answered but leave very little answers to be given. Perhaps right now, the person reading this blog does not even understand a word of what this blogger is trying to say. Some even think that this is gibberish. Some even think that this is too deep, not something which they could fathom at all.

Some also thinks that I am using big words. Well, once a while, let the blogger relay what is in his mind. After this post, he will be his carefree self again. I am sure that will bring cheers to a lot of folks out there.

Till my next WEIRD thoughts!! Adios.

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Православни икониHello and welcome to Myeong-dong 명동, a place, a shopping haven for girls to go gaga over cosmetics, clothes and more cosmetics. For guys, it is also a place to find food and to look at girls shopping and the shop promoters. Opps…

Like I was saying, Myeongdong or Myeong-dong (명동) is a simple place. Well, how come it’s only the third day and we are in Myeongdong. Well, as a matter of fact, we stayed in Myeongdong and that is why it is easy to go walk around here. Convenient, fast and efficient… (to find food – for me).

Want to see more of what actually Myeongdong has to offer, just look at the next few photos. I do not even need to elaborate and you will know how fun and enjoyable it is if you (girls… yes… I meant girls mostly) love shopping for cosmetics.

Exhibit 1 – Etude House | Nature Republic

Exhibit 2 -Nude Building Myeongdong

Nude????????? I believe they sell clothes to nudist. Opps.. bothering again.

Exhibit 3 – Laneige

Now the above are just a few of the cosmetics and places one could visit. By the way, noticed anything weird here?

Yes, people were using umbrellas. Why? Of course, it rained earlier and still with a bit of drizzle, people still flock the place. Now imagine it was raining, what about if there were no rain? Could you imagine the amount of people??

One good thing is that, unlike those days when I was afraid to go into these kind of shops, I am not ashamed of it right now. Gone were the days when I used to think that guys who go into these shops were more womanly. Why? That is because I (the man) has gone in. AHAHA!!

A shot of one of the place I am in. Guess where? Duh… FACE SHOP

Aside the cosmetics, there were also food to savor here.

Have you tried Samgyetang (삼계탕), well, not the ones that you see in Mid Valley. Imagine it was raining earlier and then we had something like this which is so warm and refreshing and good for the body.

Samgyetang is a variety of guk or Korean soup, which primarily consists of a whole young chicken and Korean ginseng. The dish’s name literally translates as “‘ginseng chicken soup” in English. Samgyetang is traditionally served in the summer for its supposed nutrients, which replaces those lost through excessive sweating and physical exertion during the hot summers in Korea.

Whole young chicken to be precise. What other dishes there is? Eating one like this cost about 6500 Won, that is like RM18-20. Expensive but definitely better than the ones I had back in Malaysia.

Another photo of the famous dish.

One thing about this place though, you can find things that usually you would not find in places like my home country in Malaysia. Things like Pork Knuckles (sorry if you cannot eat pork, this next photo is for those who can actually eat pork)

So how would you like some?

So that basically covers my small portion of Myeongdong, because there are many more places to go and with limited time well, there is always a next time to be there. Food is definitely a must try in every country. I am sure some of you remembered how I talked about eating the Beondegi (Silk Worms) and though it may look yucky to other people, it sure is a delicacy. People always say, try if it is alright to try. So why not?

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After a long lapse and a short weekend getaway, it is time to get off that lazy feeling and to blog about my Seoul, Korea escapades and this time in Yeouido 여의도. Shortly after being in Gyeongkokgung it was time to visit the famous park with lots of cherry blossoms along the walk and lo and behold, there were so many people when we arrived there.

Children and adults alike were amongst the figure there. There were children participating in CPR lessons. I am definitely impressed with the activities here. There are tonnes and lots of other activities on that day. It was expected to be a crowded day as it is on a weekend.

Of course, it was the day when Peter would be the last time he would accompany us on this trip. As he is staying quite far away, and he has to work we could say this was the last of the few minutes and hours we get to be around him.

Looking around with the excitement and games, Yen also decided to take part in it. Playing with the ring around the stick. Fascinated with sticks and hoops. Hehehe…

Of course, there are loads of other activities and other forms of entertainment on that day. One of them is we had a monkey on the loose.

Alright, not really a real monkey but the cosplay type. I am unable to read Korean, so anyway, at least there was a shot. Funny how happy Yen is standing with a person in a Monkey costume. *Escapes*

Actually what can one do in Yeouido? Let’s look at the wikipedia

Five parks are located in Yeouido. Notable among these are the Yeouido district of the Han River Public Park and Yeouido Park. Yeouido Park was formed in 1999 through the reclamation of a patch of land, known as Yeouido Square or 5/16 square, which had lain under asphalt for 27 years and was used for various large public gatherings. In addition, a terminal for excursion ferries stands on the Han River shore.

Seems like the best attraction are the parks and we were directly on top an old asphalt area. Superbly cool. Of course other than that, nothing much. Of course, the wikipedia does not really tell much. One has to use imagination and be more adventurous.

Ahh.. that’s Peter, he’s a friend of Yen in Korea and definitely good to see him around. We got a lot of directions and help from him since he was the only one who is able to converse well in Korean. This shot was taken when he was about to leave.

Hmmmm.. after analyzing the features of a Korean guy and comparing it to me, I must say there are some resemblance. Ahhhh…. I shall dream it elsewhere.

Of course, time for some shooting at Yeouido park. There are cherry blossoms along the park. So must stamp my mark on it and so I did. Let us look at how Yeouido city looks like from the park. It is amazing, simply amazing, the sky was perfect, the crowd was perfect and so I was with a nearly perfect lens.

The colors of the building overlooking the park. It was a bright sunny day with temperatures around 18 degrees celsius. Well, there are people bicycling, couples walking hand in hand, street vendors along the park, and kids playing around.

Pictures might not reveal the whole scene but this was how I picture it.

Finally time for some food which I am sure that you have seen me eating that Satay kind of food on the previous Korean post. There is something which Koreans do enjoy, and this is where I come in.

As Daniel Chew the Weird says,

What people can do, we can always try if it is safe.
What people can eat, we can also try

Of course not everyone shares the same temperament. I hereby give you a special delicacy where Koreans do eat other than the famous Tteokbokki, Bulgogi. I present to you, 번데기 or it’s equivalent Beondegi.
What is Beondegi?

Beondegi is a popular snack food in Korean cuisine. Literally meaning “chrysalis” or “pupa” in Korean, Beondegi are steamed or boiled silkworm pupae which are seasoned and eaten as a snack. Beondegi are often served by street vendors, as well as in restaurants and drinking establishments. They are also sold in cans in grocery stores and convenience stores, but they must be boiled in water before serving. 번데기 is the Korean spelling of Beondegi. Beondegi is not always sold in the market and is usually sold in packets from street vendors, although it is possible to buy the live variant for personal preparation.

No one dares to eat it on this trip, only person who did was truly this blogger, Daniel Chew. Sad isn’t it? No one wanted to share with me the whole cup which cost 2000 Won.

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Running is a sport, it is not something I would like to force anyone to take up, but unlike excessively playing video games and sleeping and wasting time on the couch too much, running should be one of the easiest sport to pick up. All one need is a jogging shoe and one can start running.

Well, so says me. Of course anyone can beg to differ but when was the last time you thought of running and when was the last time you thought you were fit? Years back during school days? Is one too old to pick this sport up? Giving excuses because you think you are busy doing other things?

Okay, back to my report. This is finally my third time in the Standard Chartered KL Marathon 2011 and running the half marathon on the 26th June 2011. It was worth it but with a bad timing compared to my previous records. Here are the timing and updates.

Judging from the above time, it is definitely worse than my previous timing of 2:48:43. What seems to be the problem?

Of course if it is based upon the Cardiotrainer application, I ran about 2:54:10 but let us see the current one that is recorded on the KL Marathon website. It is 2:50:31, roughly about 2 minutes slower than my run a year back.

What more can I say? This is due to lack of practice and sleep. Sleep plays an important part.

Here is how the medal looks like.

Of course, after that, I took my next course of action, which is to practice a little for the BHP Orange Run 2011 held on the 24th July 2011.

BHP Orange Run 2011

It was different this year with more food for the people. Of course, here is my report on what happened to me during that day. I woke up at 7:30am and left straight to the starting point at The Curve. To our bewilderment (yes.. it’s me, Mouse and Oon once again) the race has already begun like 10 minutes ago. We were there 10 minutes late which was 7:10am. So off we go to chase the pack (or rather part of the slow ones). Since we were running to chase up, I have pretty much used up a lot of energy in this run.

Why? Previous day, I had a team building event for the department in the company I am working with.

Of course, not wanting to skipped the whole running and to use this as an excuse, I went ahead with it. Lo and behold, maybe I have too much confidence in myself which has caused my downfall in the Orange Run this year.

I ran like nearly 20 minutes slower than usual. A run which typically I could aim to get around 1 hour has become a run which ended at about 1 hour 20 minutes give and take.

Nevertheless, the Weird One had fun, and it was mistakingly a good one. Along the run, I had like lots of rest by walking compared to the previous runs and cheering other runners and competing with some kid going ahead and he going ahead of me. Of course seeing my friends running ahead of me has somehow slowly demotivated me as it looked like they have beaten me in a run where I used to excel.

Off the record, after the run, it was time for some memories of the run.

It was worth it. So what were my split times based on the application?

My Split Time 6:12 | 6:27 | 6:05 | 6:58 | 7:13 | 8:24 | 7:26 | 7:37 | 8:00 | 7:30

What can be deduced? I grew complacent towards the end. It looks like my stamina has dropped and it is good to keep track of your split times to know which area to improve. More training for me for my next upcoming run which is Shape and Men’s Health Run 2011.

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Alright, I am on my way to pluck coconuts. Ahemz… it’s not those other “coconuts” you were thinking but authentic coconuts that grew right from the garden. How is this possible?

It is possible because I was using a ladder and my perfect balance skills. Alright the tree was only about 3 or 4 meters tall. So how do I pluck the coconuts, you do the twist and turn method. Coconuts? They are Pandan coconuts and during the time when everyone was so buzz up with the Bersih rally in Kuala Lumpur main town on Saturday, the Weird One was at home doing house chores and this was one of them.

Of course, plucking coconuts also has it’s own danger. As flowers bloom on top the tree, you will occasionally see wasps and bees around and they were very close. Well, not that I bother about it anyway.

Using my Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 lens, I decided to get upclose and personal with the flying buggers and wasted a few shots on them. This was the only clear shot with both of them around each other.

Of course, do not try this at home, or you may be stung by them. All one need is to have patience, while balancing their foothold on the ladder near the top of the coconut tree. Somehow I relish those times when I was a young boy climbing up trees.

Why the sudden update on me being the coconut man? Well, first and foremost, I am finally updating. Also there would be a revamp on what this site would be called in the future. You will see the great revamp after I am back from a trip. You will know where I go, all you need is to follow my twitter at http://twitter.com/danielctw or wait for an upcoming post by my guest blogger. Until then, got to go.

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