26th Oct2011

Ubud, Bali Hotel – Komaneka Bisma

by Min

Komaneka Bisma – Total Bliss

While I was working for Microsoft, my only hope to survive the work stress was to daydream about where to go for the next holiday. My favorite destination is Bali. Till then, I’ve stayed only near Kuta, Seminyak so I decided to stay in Ubud for 2 nights before my friend joined me at Seminyak. After a long search for hotels in Ubud, (tell me about it.. so many hotels in Ubud!! ) I decided to stay in Komaneka Bisma.

Komaneka Bisma was slightly above my budget (my usual budget per night when traveling alone is USD 100-200), but it was my special treat for myself for working like crazy for past 3 years.

Upon my arrival, I was blown away with the view at the lobby area and its serenity. The hotel staffs were friendly and very welcoming for all guests. One thing to highlight during the whole stay, the service in this hotel was excellent.

Room

I booked ‘Bisma Suite’ and the room was spacious with a huge bathroom (which I love). The view was facing rice paddy and it comes with Apple TV. I ended up watching 2-3 movies a day without stepping out of my room.

Enjoyed the free movies and vast choices of music while taking a long bath

View from my bed next morning

Pool

Pool is important for a beach-girl like me. If you see any Komaneka pool photos by professionals, it is better, but this was what I took with my little camera.  It has two pools and Komaneka has this beautiful umbrella (or parasol?) and I was very happy and relaxed to lie down and enjoy the sun.

2nd Pool and it’s more for family and kids.

Food

You can have your breakfast in your room or restaurant on the first floor. So, one morning I had it in my room and the other morning at the restaurant. The interior design of the restaurant is tasteful and I really like the theme of door all around this hotel. Food was great, especially this Muesli and fresh fruit juice. Pancake was so-so and too thick for me. Muesli itself was very filling for me. Also, as many of Ubud hotels, Komaneka provides free afternoon tea everyday and it was great. If you are not a big fan of strong Bali coffee, go for Earl gray. Also, I ordered dinner in one night and Nasi Goreng was amazingly good!

Breakfast in my terrace

Restaurant

Restaurant

In room, free afternoon tea (You must try the cookies in the jar! So good!)

I enjoyed the afternoon tea by the lobby while watching the rain

What I Loved

The owner of this hotel is the owner of Neka museum. You can feel his appreciation of art all around the hotel. You can get free entry to Neka Museum. Attention to details in the hotel is something to highlight. In the closet, mosquito repellent, basket, and hats are available. The turn-down service at 8pm daily was something that I looked forward to. The room changed its mood to a romantic setting with candles on and Komaneka pajamas were laid out on the bed. I loved the pajamas! Silky and soft feel. I wanted to buy one but my size was out of stock.

Location

The only downside of Komaneka Bisma was the location. It is not located at Monkey Forrest road where most of shops, restaurants, and spas are. It’s slightly off road from the main road. The hotel has a frequent shuttle to Ubud Market and Neka Museum and other places. The shuttle service was nice and nothing to complaint about. You can walk to major spots but I would not recommend.

Komaneka now has 4 hotels in Ubud. If you must stay at a hotel at Monkey Forrest road, you can stay at “Komaneka at Monkey Forrest’. Komaneka Bisma is its 3rd hotel in Ubud. Now a new one, Komaneka Rasa Sayang, is open and it’s closer to Monkey Forrest road. You can see the locations of its hotels.

 (Map from Komaneka website)

Price

I recall the price per night was around USD 250 including taxes in Sept last year (2010). But as I check the prices these days, it seems the price has gone down slightly.  It’s ‘above budget’ price range for me, but I think it was worthy.

Agoda.com : Komaneka Bisma Room Rate

Zuji.com: ZUJI Singapore: Travel Your Way

Will I Go Back?

Yes, Definitely! I want to take my boyfriend here soon!

Check out more professionally taken photos from Komaneka Website.

Komaneka Website

 

 

 

26th Oct2011

Everyday Korean – How to say “Thank you”

by Min

감사합니다 – Gam Sa Ham Ni Da

In this episode, we will learn how to say “Thank you” in Korean.

감사합니다                              고맙습니다

(Gam Sa Ham Ni Da)     (Go Mahp Seum Ni Da)

Informal way of saying (to your friends or people younger than you)

고마워 ( Go Ma Wo ) (‘Wo’ pronounces as in ‘War’)

Please leave a comment if you have any questions!

Happy Studying!

 

25th Oct2011

F-22 Raptor

by Min

The Sexiest Aircraft on Earth Now!

Yes, some may disagree, but I think F-22 Raptor is the sexiest fighter on earth. Needless to say that F-22 is the most superior fighter at the moment. As a person who really wanted to work for Lockheed Martin, one of my dream is to actually see F-22 Raptor in person and watch its takeoff and maneuvers. So far, I haven’t had the chance yet, but I do hope that I can make it happen in future.

(Source: the U.S Air Force official site. www.af.mil)

You may find it weird but I like to read comprehensive reports about my favorite fighters. :-) There are so many awesome photos, videos, and so much information out there, but I found CRS Report the most reliable and comprehensive.

About CRS (Congressional Research Service) Report:

From Wikipedia…”Known as “Congress’s think tank”, is the public policy research arm of the United States Congress. As a legislative branch agency within the Library of Congress, CRS works exclusively and directly for Members of Congress, their Committees and staff on a confidential, nonpartisan basis.” More

CRS Report on F-22

Here is a report that gives a great overview/basics of F-22 Program.

Air Force F-22 Fighter Program-Background and Issues for Congress

Enjoy some of F-22 photos and videos! (Source: U.S Air Force website and Air Force Blue Tube Channel)

 

 

 

25th Oct2011

The Devotion of Suspect X : Brilliant Japanese Novel (Thriller)

by Min

Japanese Literature

I’m not sure how popular Japanese literature in other parts of the world, but in Korea, Japanese literature has been very popular since Korean government policy allowed the imports of Japanese films and literature in early 2000s. (It was banned before.) Murakami Haruki (very popular worldwide), Kaori Ekuni, Banana Yoshimoto and other authors are now popular in Korea and I hope many more of their works translated in English so that more people can enjoy the unique style of Japanese literature.

Brilliant Japanese Thriller Fiction

the Devotion of Suspect X

I can’t highlight this book enough that this is a must-read.  This book introduced me to the world of Japanese Thriller/Mystery fiction and I have been reading this author’s other works whenever available. Also, I’ve been reading other Japanese Thriller authors and I found that Japanese Thriller fiction has its unique and refreshing styles of storytelling. It is quite different from that of English or Western fictions and you may want to give it a try.

Lost in Translation???

When I heard the news that this book was to be translated in English, I was so pleased as a reader that now more people can appreciate this book and Keigo Higashino. BUT! at the same time, I was worried too that translating in English may ruin the beauty of this book and the simple style of Keigo Higashino.  But as per the customer reviews on Amazon.com, it seems that this book is widely-well read in English. I’ve just bought English-version and started reading the couple of chapters and it’s going to be my holiday read this weekend in Langkawi.

 

Still Contemplating?

I will not reveal any of the plot or twist in this novel.  But, I’ll just put it this way…

I read it in Korean but as I passed this book to 3 of my friends, all of them loved it! and… in Japan, a TV drama series and a movie were made from this book.

 

You can buy it from Amazon or Bookdepository.com. (I like Bookdepository.com because it’s FREE shipping to pretty much all countries worldwide.)

Amazon: The Devotion of Suspect X

Bookdepository.com: The Devotion of Suspect X

Happy Reading!!!

Please leave a comment what you think about this book…

24th Oct2011

Korean Study Guide – Survival Korean by Stephen Revere

by Min

‘Survival Korean’ by Stephen Revere

Best Korean Study Guide Book

For those who want to learn Korean language and wish to buy a Korean study guide, I strongly recommend this book. To buy a book for my boyfriend, I visited the biggest bookstore in Korea to select one and I found this. I think this book is the best Korean language study book for beginners from English-speaking countries or Western culture.

I’ve seen the author teaching Korean on TV many times and Stephen Revere is the first native English speaker with a degree in Teaching Korean as a Second Language from the most renowned university. One particular reason why I like this book is this book is not written by a native Korean explaining how to pronounce, etc. but it is written from a westerner’s perspective with many of English pronunciation references. Also, he explains certain things that Koreans would neglect while non-Koreans would find foreign.

Korean Cultural Tips

Another good point is that he spends one page per each chapter explaining some Korean cultural tips. It comes from his rich experiences living in Korea more than a decade. It is useful for Koreans like myself  to teach or explain certain cultural things to non-Koreans.

 

Contents & CD

This book comes with 2 CDs and as you can see the table of contents, it is not so overwhelming for beginners to learn Korean.

Be Careful!

It seems that there are other Korean study books named the same as ‘Survival Korean’, so please make sure that you buy the book written by Stephen Revere.

Amazon : Survival Korean: The Korean study guide written by the host of Arirang TV’s Let’s Speak Korean

Stephen Revere has written another book called ‘Survival Korean – Basic Grammar Skills’, but I have not bought this book yet. I will write a post about review of this book later.

 

Happy Studying! :)

21st Oct2011

Rainy Morning in Singapore

by Min

It’s a Rainy Morning in Singapore today

Good morning!!

Many of you are already at work, started your work day. I hated a rainy morning when I had to go to office, but these days, I really like a rainy morning. I can just sit down, listening to music with a cup of coffee and enjoy watching the rain.

Still, after living in Singapore for 4 years, I cannot get used to the lightening and thunder, except that, I really enjoy a rainy day. It’s quite different rain from Korea. In Korea, if it rains, it usually is not so heavy as Singapore and it rains for several hours.

This is a Korean song that I’m listening to now. ‘The Sound of the Rain’ by Younha. It’s not a well-known song but it’s a great song to listen to while driving in a rainy day.

- Korean Lyrics -

비오는 거릴걷다 수줍은 웃음이 나
비좁은 우산 속에 너와 내 모습
참 이상하지 비 오는 날이 좋아졌어
지금 내 옆에 널 만나

창문을 두드리는 수 많은 빗방울이
날 대신 사랑한다 네게 노래해
참 신기하지 비 내린 거릴 걷고싶어
좀 더 날 가까이 네게 둘래

입술에 키스해 기대봐 어깨에
내게 말해 이 빗소리가
숨을 꾹 참고서 용기내 말해보래
Love you Love you

발그레 물드는 내 맘은 너에게
어느새 나 라라랄라라
내리는 이 비에 어깨가 다 젖어도
Love you Love you 라라랄라라

입술에 키스해 기대봐 어깨에
내게 말해 이 빗소리가
숨을 꾹 참고서 용기내 말해보래
Love you Love you

비 오는 거릴 걷다 수줍은 웃음이 나
내 볼에 너의 입술 사랑은 빗소릴타고

21st Oct2011

Everyday Korean- How to say Hello

by Min

안녕하세요 – Ahn Nyeong Ha Se Yo

In this episode, we will learn how to say Hello in Korean.

We say 안녕하세요 or 안녕. If you have any questions or comments, please let me know. I’ll be happy to help you!

 

20th Oct2011

Korean Love Song – I’m in Love by Narsha

by Min

I’m in Love by Narsha

I love this song and I’ve always wanted to share this song and the lyrics with people.  This song was originally sung by a Korean male singer, Ra.D, but I prefer Narsha’s version and I think her voice made this song more beautiful.

Before I met my boyfriend, whenever I listened to this song, I always imagined myself being in Love with someone I wanted. (Someone like George Clooney or Daniel Henny.. haha ;) ).  After a while, my boyfriend showed up in my life and I’m feeling the same way just like this song.

Lyrics was translated by me in this video and at the bottom, it is the Korean lyrics.

Korean Lyrics

사실은 첨 봤을 때 부터 그댈 좋아했다고
말하기가 내겐 참 어려웠던거죠

먼저 연락하지 않으면 그댈 놓칠까봐
글자를 쓰고 또 보고 지우길 반복했죠

깊어지면 상처뿐일거라는 생각에
두려움이 앞선 건 사실이지만
간절한 맘으로 기도하고 바랬던 사람이
그대라고 난 믿어요

* I’m in love , I’m fall in love
두렵진 않네요 그대와 함께라면
세상은 너무 아름답죠

I thought I never gonna fall in love
But I’m in love
Cuz I wanna love you baby

사실은 첨 봤을 때 부터 내 맘속으로 부터
그댄 파도처럼 밀려 들어 온통 하루 종일 그대만 떠올려
I can be a good lover Wanna be your 네잎clover
세상에서 가장 행복한 여자가 된 것만 같아요

그댄 gotta believe me
Make you never gonna leave me
의심하진 않을래요 그댈 믿을께요

* repeat

그대는 너무 아름답죠

20th Oct2011

Everyday Korean

by Min

Everyday Korean Class

Teaming up with BananaMana TV, I decided to teach Korean on Video and here is the episode #1. This episode is just an introduction to this Korean class as I mainly focus on speaking to boyfriend, girlfriend, therefore, not so meant to be academic or professional.

More videos to come up! I still can’t get used to seeing myself on Youtube tho!

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