Explore a New Place: Yufuin City

Alright, call me lame or something like that but yesterday was my very first time I went to Yufuin City, one of the tourist attraction city in my prefecture in Japan while almost all of my friends already been there at least once in the past two years! I'd never visited Yufuin which is only take 1 hour by bus or train from my place, while I've been going to far places such as Kansai, Kagoshima and even Busan, Korea. How ironic, how ironic. 

My impression of this beautiful village is it is about three things. Artwork, food, and traditional village scenery! Basically it doesn't look like a modern city at all, instead, it looks like a Japanese old village in a very long road with bunch of shops, cafe, restaurant, art pieces shop, museum in the sides of the main road. Don't forget you'll also find so many Korean tourists in the way, yes you heard it. Korean tourists! I heard Korean Language like everywhere, in every inch and corner of this Yufuin City. I remember they have special advertisement about Oita being aired in television in train stations in Seoul. That's must be one of the reason why.

The Foods

I ate like a pig yesterday. I just couldn't help it. Yufuin full of desserts and foods! Super yummy Cheese Koroketto, Strawberry Choco Soft Ice Cream (it is really soft!), Honey Pudding with Soft Ice Cream, Fruit Mix Crepes, Cheese Soft Ice Cream, Yufuin Cheese Cake.. no wonder, all the cats that I met there were really fat! They must living in heaven lol If you've never eaten any of Yufuin desserts, put it on your have-to-do list before you die, seriously. When we are having lunch, how they put the foods were beyond artistic as well. I am nuts about foods in Yufuin! Next time, when I have a chance to visit again, I'll make sure I try Yufuin Burger that I heard very tasty!

The Art Work

If you love arts, you can find so many art work in Yufuin. Statue, art pieces that being sold in shops, or some decoration in the road. I mean, even the buildings are artistic as well! For me, who enjoying art work since high school, it was a hard temptation to not buy any of them. The price is freaking expensive for those tiny things! Well, it's just I didn't bring enough money to buy. Make sure you have enough money with you when you visit Yufuin lol

The Scenery

Not another word, but if you come to Yufuin, you'll enjoy Yufuin as much as I do. Eat Yufuin foods and desserts, enjoying (or probably buying) those art work pieces, and taking photos of its beautiful Japanese scenery all way along. Autumn is the best season for visiting Yufuin since it has so many beautiful maple leaves around. Well, I heard when it comes to winter, Yufuin also looks dazzlingly sparkling of white, because of the thick snow. You can choose though. Never forget to put this into your list whenever you got a chance to visit Japan!

Everybody Grows Up, So Do You!

Blame this drama for taking my sleep and study time for the past week! To be honest, I am not a big fan of Korean Drama, I prefer Japanese Drama because they have compact episode and more varies in genre and theme. While Korean Drama usually has longer episode and focuses too much in romantic aspect (try to watch it when you are broken heart; not the best thing to do). Anyway, why suddenly all of sudden I gave out this drama review, specifically this Korean Drama called Dream High?

I know lots of people watched this drama because all of the six main characters were played by famous Korean idols that I never heard of them before except one person! Actually, I didn't want to give it a try at first because of that reason, and I guessed the story line would be totally so-Korean-drama where there will be one decent girl fell for one decent boy, then there will be one other guy who will fall for that decent girl and another girl will try to get the decent boy. Well, it turns out something like that for this drama, but somehow, that is not the main point of the drama. And this is the first time where the decent girl doesn't end up with that decent boy, but with the other guy who always be there with her all the time. It takes the whole 16 episodes to show how the decent girl finally develop her feelings toward him, not something in a rush or forcefully. It's just comes out naturally, that's why it looks beautiful on screen.

The main story of this drama is about 6 students who enter Kirin Arts High School to achieve their dreams to become idols of Korea (reason why I didn't interested to watch it in the beginning; so typical). I don't know what makes me start to watch the first episode (maybe because I was bored?) and suddenly I couldn't put my eyes of the screen! Maybe because of the good songs they provided all the episodes along, or the story grows on me. It's not all about love story who makes me want to have boyfriends because of all those romantic or cute lovey-dovey scene, it talks about chasing your dream. A real dream. A forgotten dream. An endless dream. It reminds me of how important it is to have a dream, something that I'd forgotten for the past years.

“ Your drama has a long way to go before it’s over. So don’t force yourself to go quickly. If you go slowly, you can see a lot more, in more detail, than the people who go quickly. If you ask me who would grow more between those two, I’d say it’s the one who goes slowly and sees a lot. " - Kang Oh Hyuk

It is also interesting how the characters grew up throughout the drama. How the main character, Go Hye Mi, who was so cold and annoying in the beginning, became more matured as she had to face several problems and turned out to be the warmest character; how the weak boy, Song Sam Dong, turned out became the best of all and even confident to pursuit his dream; how the weak girl who has angelic voice but has obese problem successfully lose her weight and became the cutest among all, and how the most indecent teacher learnt from the students and grew up and became a very good teacher among the school. Well, maybe it sounds so cliche and so drama, but you should watch the whole episode of this drama to understand what I mean. Somehow seeing the characters growing up, reminds me of how things will change in this life as well. People change, people grow up, people come, people leave. That's so normal and that's we called life.

There are not a lot of Korean drama that gave me such a feeling when I finished watching it. How the characters grew up made me feel like I've know them for real and when the drama finished, I felt like losing some friends. I feel like growing up with them. As I said, watching this drama did remind me of my past dreams, all of the dreams that I already thrown away. Nobody knows I had a dream to become a script-writer, movie director, nor interior designer. Life laughed at me and forced me to throw away those dreams.. no, it's only me who were too afraid to break the walls and push the line. If I was given the chance to pursuit my dream, I might go to Art/Movie school or majoring in Foreign Language. I never regretting my decision going to APU though since it's the best thing that has ever happen in my life so far, but well you know what I mean, right?

Okay then, if you're free, try to watch this Korean drama! It is full with inspiring quotes and nice music, even though you're not really into Korean music (like me!). Have a nice week!

Literally Fell Down

When was the last time you fell off from your bicycle?

For me, it was yesterday.

As it hurt to fell to the asphalt road twice and had that heavy bicycle that even bigger than you fell upon you, you had to get up. Ignoring the pain you got from your knee that bleeding, you start to continue to walk without shed any single tears. 

That's how I face things in my life. 

White Angel's Voice

I did say I was lost. I did say I don't know what to do with my life. I did say that my future seems faded out from my sight. But, actually, all of them are the other form of what we called reality. Reality always messed up with us. Reality always made us kneeled down until we couldn't feel anything and think that fighting doesn't even worth anymore. Reality will always be there, in the corner of our life, waiting to simply get us and turn us down. That's true, but everytime we are down, we will always forget one thing. Forget that someone out there, there will always be those hands that will help us out, that will bring us back to life, to bring lights in the dark. Friends. That's who I am talking about.

" Just stop and look around. don't plan your life too much or else it'll laugh at you and take you somewhere else."

Someone told me that day that I need to take a break. I felt all of my life, I always run, run, and run. Run as fast as possible so I could make my parents proud. Run as fast as possible so I could be better than my big brother. Run as fast as possible so I could make my dream come true. Then, I realize. In some point of life, everyone needs a break time. I need to stop for awhile and see what I missed.

"..sometimes life's gonna hit you with a brick in the head. don't lose faith. don't waste your time living in other people's life." - Steve Jobs

Everyone has that moment when reality really hit them in head that makes you decided to give up things. Failed in audition, scholarships, part-time job, job-hunting or even going to the language school you really want to go that you spent the last 2 years to save money for it. Don't let the devil speaks to you, instead, go out and find those white angels' voices. If you really look around, they are everywhere. If you don't find any, look harder, it's not that they don't want to speak to you, but they are in disguise. Take off their invisibility cloak and you'll find them.

" I, I have a dream. I believe in that dream. Please watch over me. Standing in front of that cold wall called fate, I can firmly face it. One day I wil pass over that wall. And be able to fly as high as the sky. This heavy thing called life can't tie me down. At the end of my life, on the other day I can smile, let's be together."A Goose's Dream by In Soon In

.Say thanks to the problem. Say thanks to those difficult things that life offers to you. It will make you learn about what life really is and finally grow. And you'll understand about how those white angels always there with us all the time disguise as our friends. Never forget to treasure them.

Pocky Day! ポッキーの日！빼빼로 데이!

Today.
November 11th.
Yes, it's Pocky Day!Or in Korea, they called it Pepero Day (빼빼로 데이)!

Okay, if you have no idea about what is this Pocky thingy, it's actually a name of a snack. It's like a biscuit stick that dipped into chocolate or any other flavors. And about Pepero? It's just the Korean version of this Pocky Snack. Pocky is a Japanese snack established by Glico company while Lotte Company from Korea copied the idea of having the same snack under the name Pepero. But, the first one who starts this Pepero Day or Pocky Day was a group of high school students in Korea years ago. And seems Pocky also used the same strategy.

Why November 11th? Simply if we write it in number, it will be like 4 sticks of Pocky. 11-11. See? So, during this special day, everyone in Japan and Korea buy and give one pack of Pocky or Pepero to their friends, teachers, crush, anybody they meet in that day. Because this tradition first found in Korea, it is said that this Pepero Day in Korea seems like a very special day such as Valentine Day or White Day.

Especially last year, it was called a Super Mega Pocky Day or something like that because it was 2011-11-11. So many Pocky sticks on the date! I remember everyone holding a pocky in the campus last year. I also received two packs of Pocky from my partner RA and my building leader =)

This one was on November 11th, 2011. And the other one was taken on November 12th, 2011.
One word: Amazing. 

They really into this Pocky Day. Too bad, this year Pocky Day fell in Sunday. If it was on weekdays, I bet all the Pocky will gone really fast. 

It came to my curiosity how's the Pocky Day in such a weekend, so I just went out to take a look in several supermarket. It was not as crazy as in campus last year, but some supermarket used this special occasion to give a special price to make people buy. It supposed to be around 138 yen, but on this special day, they make it to be 111 yen. Another sticks lol

Because I am not an RA and not living in AP House anymore, seems I won't get any Pocky this year... that's what I thought lol But it turned out my Indonesian senpai (senior) gave me that big pocky balloon! Feel like being a child again but somewhat I am quite happy to get that balloon haha! And I do give some Pocky to my friends, especially this new Pocky flavor. It's Uji Matcha Flavor =) And it really does taste good. So wherever you are now, grab some Pocky today, just for today, and give it to your friends, brother, sister, crush, or your beloved one!

Happy Pocky Day!

For the First Time, I Lost My Way

Okay, to be honest, this post won't be a cheerful happy one that talks about sunshine and rainbow, so if you don't want to read it, just follow my advice, skip this. Yes, for the first time, lately I lost my way. It seems that I lost my dreams and goals and I don't know what to do. Things that I thought already in front of me, just waiting for me to grab them, suddenly blurred out and disappeared. 

I lost my youth. I read my high school friend's blog this afternoon and I envy of how she put a lot of life goals on her blog and actually pursuit them. I was used to be like her. Like a lot. But suddenly, I changed, and things that used to be exciting for me, it's just don't feel the same anymore. And whenever I think about future, it's like grabbing something that out of reach. I don't know what should I do for my future; whether I should go for my dreams or hold back for my mothers' sake. You must said that I supposed to live for my own life, even it means leave my mom behind, but trust me, you never met her. 

I got rejected just for finding part-time job, for like.. a lot already. Seriously don't ask me how many already. And now, all my friends that I knew for the last 2 years, had been graduating. It's really frustrating to go to campus to see unfamiliar faces. And I am not doing RA now, so I don't know how to get to know them. All my free times, I use to finish my assignment, assignment and assignment. I feel like a nerd now.

Life is complicated. Sure it is. And I'm lost.

Autumn Diary

Autumn.
Autumn.
Yes, it's autumn already.
I took this pictures when I was on the way for a part-time job's interview. The colors' change is just magnificent, don't you agree? It's not in Beppu, though, but somewhere in Oita City. Well, please enjoy! =)

"Just Friends"

"  Most girls have that one guy friend that they always talk to. They can hangout without being called boyfriend and girlfriend, they're their complete self around them. You tell them anything and everything, ask for advice, and call/text them all the time. At one point they fall for each other, maybe temporarily, maybe a long time, and maybe forever." Unknown