[Travelogue] Gardens by the Bay : Cloud Forest at Daytime | Singapore | sillyandordinarygirl

By Lasmarya Hadi Purwanto - January 09, 2018

0 Comments

[Movie Review] 'Before' Trilogy : Before Sunrise, Before Sunset, and Before Midnight | sillyandordinarygirl

By Lasmarya Hadi Purwanto - January 03, 2018

The "Before" trilogy: Before Sunrise (1995), Before Sunset (2004) and Before Midnight (2013) were written by director Richard Linklater, and the two main actors in the movie Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke. In which both of the sequels earned widespread acclaim, positive reviews, were nominated to a numerous amount of awards and even won some of them. All three movies gained the minimum rating of 8 in imdb and the average 95% in Rotten Tomatoes.

Soooo, I spent my year-end holidays binge-watching lots of movies, but this trilogy struck my mind the most. I actually have this "Before" trilogy in my "to-watch" list for quite a while now, ever since it's mentioned in the K-drama "It's Okay, That's Love" (episode 11, guys, if you are wondering!), and when I searched the information about it (yes, I'm that curious!, don't worry! I'm not a stalker, guyss!), I was intrigued. It's claimed as "the longest love story in film", because the story continues within the span of 18 years. And, finally during this holiday, I got a chance to watch the trilogy. On top of that, I'm happy that I watch all three of them consecutively, because I'm just that person who can't wait for the next episode to come out, especially 9 years? Come on! Haha I can't even wait for another week, yes, I prefer to wait until some dramas or series ends, then start watching back to back. But seriously, if you watch all of them in a row, the sensation is awesome, it kinda feels like you're being thrown over time, forward to 9 years later to each sequel, just like you're riding that spaceship and go through a wormhole. It's really FUN. So, let's get started, shall we?

ATTENTION: May include SPOILER!

before trlogy: before sunrise, before sunset, before midnight

as credited from onfoodandfilm

BEFORE SUNRISE (1995)

It tells the story of a young American man, Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and a young French woman, Céline (Julie Delpy) who meet on an Eurail train and get down together in Vienna, where they spend that night walking around the city and getting to know one another before Jesse's flight back in the morning.

That's all! It's really all, I mean, the main plot is really simple, the two main characters mostly talk while casually strolling around Vienna, sharing their thoughts about life and love as the night goes. It's really interesting how their "simply-talking" hooked me through the entire of the movie, and surprisingly, it's not boring at all (for a "romantic" me), their insights are so realistic and I love the way they interact, in which they both totally open up, and they can just talk about anything, there's not even a room for dead air. Their interaction is also not the kind of "trying to seduce for one night stand", but it's purely two strangers communicating through the night in a foreign city, being their true selves, because they know that it may be their last chance to see each other. And, the one that I love the most, is that the main actors play so so so so WELL, that it doesn't even look like they're acting, it looks like they're just being themselves, with all the witty dialogues seemingly unscripted, the words just flow from them, and it's as if we're not watching a movie, but like we're there with them in Vienna, following their stroll, listening to this couple of youngster talking and eventually finding attraction to one another.

Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke were once asked "How do you guys get into character?" in an interview with the Oscars, she answered, "We can't act, because if we act, it doesn't work, this film has to be..it's not that if we act, it doesn't work. If we sense we're acting, it just becomes fake."

It's really amazing how something so simple is developed into something so beautiful, and so real, I understand that maybe it is because the two actors are also involved in the script-writing(although they are not credited in the first movie), and I really love the idea that the director let the actors take part in it, but honestly, I do think that a good relationship between man and woman should be like that, it's where you can have a long conversation, you can talk about everything, staying awake the whole night, getting to know your partner better through communicating, instead of just the "get-laid" part. Oops, did I just say that?

taken from blu-ray.com

BEFORE SUNSET (2004)

continues the story in Before Sunrise, where Jesse and Céline meet nine years later in Paris, as Jesse has become a successful best-seller author, who writes a book called This Time, based on the one night he spent with her in Vienna. He is stopping by Paris as a part of his book-tour around Europe when Céline comes to visit him in a bookstore where he's having a book reading with a bunch of journalists.

This time, their encounter is supposedly brief, as Jesse has to (again) catch his flight just after sunset, so they only have a couple of hours "before sunset" to do the catching up, and the cool thing is, the whole movie is taken in "REAL TIME", so it feels even more REAL as we follow their rendezvous while walking around Paris, talking about how their lives have been all those years, how Jesse has been married with one son, but still feeling empty, how Céline becomes an environmentalist, and how lonely she feels, that she won't be able to fully love anyone, which leads back to that one summer night they spent together, and the heartbroken, (SPOILER!) as they foolishly decided not to exchange number, that made them lost contact for 9 years, which resulted in a stronger longing for each other.

I need not to say, (but I still want to say it!), that the two actors "again" showcase a very wonderful chemistry in this sequel, and I'm enthralled in their "another" casual conversation. OMG, how can they make something as simple as walking-and-talking become something so enchanting?

BEFORE MIDNIGHT (2013)

is set another nine years after Before Sunset, in which Jesse and Céline spend a summer vacation together with their twin girls in Greece. It is apparent that Jesse and Céline have been together since the event in Before Sunset. The movie begins with a scene where Jesse drops his teenage son, Hank, off to the airport for his flight back to U.S, after spending some summer time with the couple. On the way back to the place they stay, they start discussing their concerns about Hank having to grow up without enough "presence" of a father, and Céline's issue with her career, having to decide on a job that she doesn't like.

A little bit different from the first two movies, is that there's no clock ticking, a time limit in which Jesse has to catch a flight, and it includes some interactions between the couple with some friends, who are staying with them and also who pay for a hotel room for them to have a night alone. And it is in the hotel room, where they had the most fierce arguments, which they argue about their kids, parenting, familyhood, their present life and even their future together.

It is through this third trilogy, that we're hit by the reality that life is not always a bed of roses, that problems come and go in our life, there's no such thing called "love conquers it all", or maybe just like what Jesse said in the end of the movie,"If you want love, then this is it. This is real life. It's not perfect but it's real."

from amazon.com

Before Sunrise, is more about two people in their 20s who met by chance. both looking for that meaning of life, existence and love; Before Sunset is more about two people in their 30s who are yearning for that true love, realizing what they want in their life, and making decisions; while Before Midnight is totally a mature-up version, two people in their 40s with kids facing the kinds of problems that couples deal with in real life, about knowing that life is not always perfect.

There are a lot of dialogues that I love in these three movies, quotes that are soooo beautifully-written, but I guess there's no point in quoting them in this blogpost, (apart from making it even longer), if you don't watch the movies, experiencing firsthand the feeling they share through them,
which will let you understand and "connected" to the quotes even more.

"From Before Sunrise to Before Midnight,
the movies have given us major lessons on love, togetherness, separation, and life. " - scoopwhoop

But if you're curious about the quotes, click the link above ↑

Overall, I'm glad I took this roller-coaster ride, hitchhiking all through Jesse and Céline's 20s, 30s, and even 40s. It's really well-written, I love that it's simple but splendid at the same time, that it is somehow surreal but also realistic. It's been a great movie-marathon with the trilogy. ❤

2 Comments

Series

[Travelogue] Gardens by the Bay at Dusk and 5th Anniversary | Singapore

By Lasmarya Hadi Purwanto - December 23, 2017

0 Comments

Foodie

[Food Review/Recommendation] What to Eat in South Korea! | Part 2 : Meals (2)

By Lasmarya Hadi Purwanto - November 13, 2017

*drumroll

Here comes the final part of the recommendation series! Haha

Are you ready for the last foodporn? :P

SAMGYETANG

or Ginseng Chicken Soup, Sam comes from Insam (ginseng), Gye is chicken and Tang is soup in Korean. another "must-eat" in Korea if you are seeking for authentic Korean cuisine, especially in this land of ginseng. Samgyetang consists mainly of a whole young chicken, stuffed with ginseng, jujube, rice, garlic and spring onion plus sunflower seed sprinkled on top, then served pipping hot in a stone bowl. As nutritious as the ingredients sounds, this dish is believed to promote health, especially when eaten on the hottest and most sultry summer days in Korea. Though I still believe you can enjoy it at any time in a whole year. Imagine savoring a warm soup in the middle of the winter, doesn't it sound more appetizing? haha

The one place in Seoul that still holds the title of "the best place" to have this scrumptious dish is the very famous Tosokchon Samgyetang.
Tosokchon Samgyetang 토속촌 삼계탕
[Address]
5, Jahamun-ro 5-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul
서울특별시 종로구 자하문로5길 5 (체부동)
[Directions]
(Subway)
Gyeongbokgung Station (Seoul Subway Line 3), Exit 2
Go straight about 170m and turn left onto Jahamun-ro 5-gil Road.
It is located 10m ahead on the left.

It is of no wonder how this house earns its name, as they serve a very pleasing delicacy. The chicken was sooo tender, with the rich, but light broth, which is also refreshing and fulfilling, you'll dig in again and again for sure. :d

Tosokchon Samgyetang - KRW 16,000

Complimentary Insamju (ginseng wine)
Some says that the wine should be pour into the soup, while others have opposite opinion.
I don't know which is the correct way, but based on the instruction in the menu below, it's written down that we can drink it "before/during/after" the meal as we like, so I guess it's up to us.
I tried a sip, but it was too strong for a non-drinker like me, but I think I could still handle it if I pour it into the soup. *another reason to come back? *praying super hard

Tips: One bowl is the standard portion of one person, it is really enough to make you full, so just one simple tips, there's rice inside of the chicken already, so avoid ordering another bowl of rice, if you think the portion is quite big for you. Oh, and another tips, do have a try of their special-made Kimchi! It's really nice. I do think they have their own secret recipes. Haha

And while you are in Tosokchon Samgyetang, you can also order :

PAJEON

or Korean Pancake with pa (파) means scallion, as the main ingredient. It is made of a batter of eggs, wheat flour, rice flour, scallions, and sometimes added with other ingredients such as beef, pork, kimchi, or seafood as variety. Like the one available in Tosokchon Samgyetang is only Haemul Paejeon or Seafood and Green Onion Pancake. This is also a common home-made dish in Korean.

Haemul Pajeon - KRW 15,000 (with generous amount of seafood!)

SAMGYEOPSAL

"sam" (삼) = three, "gyeop" (겹) = layered, "sal" (살) = flesh

literally means three layers visible in the pork belly, usually cooked on a grill set up on each table, where customers can do the grilling themselves (or also ask the help of the waiters), and eat the meat directly. Some even grill the meat right on top of charcoal, or on a hot plate, so there are various ways of serving based on the restaurants. Lettuce, raw garlic, perilla leaves, and kimchi are the most common companion of this dish with ssamjang (쌈장), or a paste consisting mainly of chili pepper paste, soybean paste, sesame oil, and gireumjang (기름장) or sesame oil with salt, as the dipping sauce for the meat. It is widely known that the best way to enjoy this popular dish is to put a slice of cooked meat on a leaf of lettuce or perilla leaf, add some rice, and a bit of ssamjang, kimchi and garlic, then roll up the leaf and eat it as a whole.

We had our try of Samgyeopsal in Haha's 401 restaurant, and it is famous for serving the Black Pork from Jeju, which is said to have a better taste, and to be in higher quality compared to the usual pork.

(Haha is one of the permanent members of Running Man and Infinity Challenge, Korea's famous variety shows)

Hongdae

Seogyo-dong, Mapo-gu, 395-17

Metro: Hongik University , LINE 2 , Exit 9

Opposite building Sang Sang Ma Dang상상마당 building

Myeongdong

8FI, Champion bldg, 41, Myeongdong 10-gil, Jung-gu Seoul

Metro: Line 4 Myeongdong Station Exit 8

Grilled Pork Belly 400gr (KRW 33,000) + Grilled Pork Shoulder 200gr (KRW 15,000)

TTEOKBOKKI

떡볶이 or rice cake, Korean's favorite snack made from garae-tteok (long, white, cylinder-shaped rice cakes) cut in bite size, and boiled in spicy red chili gochujang sauce. Tteokbokki is easily found everywhere around Seoul, and mostly sold at snack bars or street stalls.

The one place that directly comes into mind when we mention "tteokbokki" would be "Muksi Myeongdong" or "Muksi-donna". Their tteokbokki is taken to a whole different level, like woaahh!

The gravy was so rich in flavor, and as you can see from the photo below, the gravy is more watery, compared to the usual thick sauce for tteokbokki, which also makes it as a good soup for the ramyeon noodle in it. The tteokbokki's texture is also chewy, which is very perfect, not to mention the odeng, or fishcake, so so good! Another "die-die-must-eat"!

And make sure not to forget to order the fried rice after you have finished with the tteobokki, cooked over the remaining gravy, on the same pan (remember not to miss out anything on the pan before you order, because you won't see them again when they fried the rice), which tastes just as good!

Oh, oh, one more thing! Mukshi Myeongdong serves its tteokbokki based on the customers' preference, so it's totally up to us what we want to have.

When we order, we'll be asked to:

– Choose from one of the 5 main bases of Seafood, Vegetables, Ham & Sausage, Bulgogi Beef, or Cheese. (KRW 6,500)
– Add one type of noodles from Korean Vermicelli, Ramen, Korean Noodles or Udon (KRW 1,000)
– Pick a topping or more which includes Boiled Egg, Tempura, Oden, Grilled Dumpling, Seaweed Roll, Or Ham (KRW 1,000)

(the detail information is from Danielfooddiary)

Tteokbokki Ramyeon

Fried Rice

Muksi Myeongdong 명동 明洞 먹쉬돈나

12, Myeongdong 3-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul 04534, South Korea

+82 2-754-0405

Mukshidonna Tteokbokki (Samcheongdong)
19-1 Anguk-Dong Jongno-gu, Seoul

Mukshidonna Singapore

Market Square @ Downtown East 1 Pasir Ris Close, E!Avenue #02-324 Singapore 519599

Tel: +65 63868562

Opening Hours: 11:30 am – 10:00pm Daily

Well, this one below is the recommendation specially for those planning to also visit Jeju, as it is known for its "fresh-from-the-sea" abalone, so I decided to put them into the list.

ABALONE

Where to find:
Any restaurant serving seafood dishes in the Seongsan neighborhood

Spicy Noodle Seafood Soup (small) - KRW 45,000
A very fresh seafood soup consisting of abalone, squid, clams, shrimps, some vegetables, ramyeon and chili pepper. The dish is cooked on the table, with the abalones still moving while the soup is boiling. There's not much seasoning but you could taste the freshness of the seafood and it is definitely good to have in chilly weather. Have it before you head to the Sunrise Peak as it might energize you for the climb. :)

the side dishes

Abalone Porridge - KRW 15,000

Well, here's the end of my "what-to-eat" list. I really do hope you enjoy reading it, and hope you get hungry because of it XD (*devil's smile) and also hope it helps any of you looking for a recommendation. This list is made based on our experience and there are a loooot more that we haven't got to tried yet while we were there, but one thing is for sure, there are absolutely A LOT OF GOOD FOOD in Seoul, so don't be afraid that you'll starve or you'll hate the food, because they have a huge range of choices from the local one to the international ones, so I believe you'll enjoy your culinary journey there :d

p.s.: If I get the chance to visit Seoul again in the future, (*pray hard), I'll make sure to update the list again, so it can be a more comprehensive recommendation list.

But before that, here are several links to others' lists that might help you with more information for preference:

[KOREA] FOOD GUIDE – WHAT TO EAT IN SEOUL by AnakJajan

14 Must Eat Street Foods When You Visit Seoul, Korea by SethLui

17 BEST RESTAURANTS AND LOCAL EATERIES TO EAT IN SEOUL

DANIELFOODDIARY - KOREAN FOOD

Do you enjoy it so far?

Should I do more post like this?

Thankyou for reading,

see you,

xoxo

0 Comments

The Days of a Silly and Ordinary Girl! :D

[Travelogue] Gardens by the Bay : Cloud Forest at Daytime | Singapore | sillyandordinarygirl

[Movie Review] 'Before' Trilogy : Before Sunrise, Before Sunset, and Before Midnight | sillyandordinarygirl

BEFORE SUNRISE (1995)

BEFORE SUNSET (2004)

BEFORE MIDNIGHT (2013)

[Travelogue] Gardens by the Bay at Dusk and 5th Anniversary | Singapore

[Food Review/Recommendation] What to Eat in South Korea! | Part 2 : Meals (2)

SAMGYETANG

PAJEON

SAMGYEOPSAL

TTEOKBOKKI

ABALONE

[KOREA] FOOD GUIDE – WHAT TO EAT IN SEOUL by AnakJajan

About Me

Popular Posts

Countries Visited

Blog Archive

Categories

Follow Me

Followers

Total Pageviews