I thought I was going to have another flare up. My hands are constantly dry because of frequent hand washing and use of alcohol based products or antibacterial foams at work. I've been moisturizing my hands every after wash but my hands are still dry and cracking. It's painful. I was thinking,"What else would work?" Then I remember, when we do skin care to our patients we use creams that contain zinc oxide. But then, I don't think I'll use butt paste on my eczema. Then I remember the Queen Helene Mint Julep masque having zinc oxide! The first wash was really painful since some of the dry skin peeled off. I know it's bad but I scrubbed the rest of dead skins with the St. Ives Apricot Scrub. I find using cold water helpful with the burning and pain. Then, I applied the masque over it like how you'd normally apply it on the face. The mint was really refreshing on my hand. It didn't hurt at all. I left it to dry for few minutes then washed it with warm water then cold water. The itching was gone and the skin was soft and smooth to touch. I applied Aveeno oatmeal lotion over it and it stayed soft until my next hand wash. No itching or pain on the site. I've tried doing it three times a day. After couple of days, it was a lot better. The open weeping spots were gone. However, I don't recommend doing this. I just shared what I did and what worked for me. I needed a quick fix before going back to work. I'd normally go see my dermatologist but didn't have time. It's always best to consult with your MD's.
When I saw the drama Jang Ok-Jung, I was looking closely who the lead actor was. He looked familiar but I can't remember where I've seen him before. Then I searched for him and realized that he was the guy partnered with Song Joong Ki in Sungkyunkwan Scandal! How can I forget their bromance? lol Then I remembered him being in Wan-deuki (완득이) too. For some reason, he looked a lot better or cuter in Jang Ok-Jung. I think his role has something to do about it too. In his previous roles, he had to look a little rugged. Needless to point out but I think he'd definitely be one of those actors that we will be seeing more on screen longer because he's good! Plus, he seemed to be more on challenging roles than our typical Kdrama flower boys. Wish him all the best!







I've been hearing a lot about this drama, how good it is and how good the casts are. I tried watching it few weeks ago but stopped on the first episode after seeing some scenes that tells me it's gonna be a tear jerking series. I read some reviews again yesterday and everybody was saying that they cried their hearts out after watching the drama. I thought maybe it's really good! I watched it and the first few episodes made me curious. Initially, I thought the focus of the whole thing will be on how she'd succeed as a merchant and as a king's lover. I'm honestly quite disappointed of her tragic demise. I thought that the "hope" that she was talking about on the earlier parts of the show would turn into something positive. I thought she'd use her skills as a talented dressmaker or trend-setter. I guess I'm stuck in Jang Geum's story. She kinda reminds me of China's legendary Empress Dowager Cixi.

The Cast

I love love love the cast! The lead couple Yoo Ah In and Kim Tae Hee did pretty well! I love their scene where Yoo Ah In told her, "Look closely how the sky falls for you," followed by a kiss. Hahaha That was really sweet! Not too much chemistry, though. Not as much as Suzy and Seung Gi in Gu Family Book. Hehe




Gu Family Book (구가의 서), as far as I know, is a Kdrama that has just recently finished. I wasn't into epic or historical kind of shows lately but when I ran out of options, I gave this a try. I'd say it was great! It was good to see Lee Seung Gi again since "Shining Inheritance" with Han Hyo Joo. I know he was in "My Girlfriend is a Gumiho" but I'm not sure why I skipped it. Gu Family Book's story is something fresh or new. I don't really think I've seen this kind of plot where a legendary creature fell in love with a human, had a kid and so on and so forth. I haven't seen anything like this, at least in Kdramas. It kinda reminds me of Ghost Fighter. Remember Eugene? Half human, half monster? lol It's a kind of show where you just can't wait to see the next episode after seeing the preview. There were some parts that dragged a little bit like scenes in the gisaengs' house or scenes with the annoying villain Lee Sung Jae. I think I skipped most of those parts. I was hoping for Kang Chi (Lee Seung Gi) and Yeo Wool (Suzy) to have more magical and action scenes like in the first few episodes but since the focus of the story was for Kang Chi to become a human and be with humans, that part was probably cut short. The ending, although it was predictable, was something that I think most viewers also liked. For dramas like this, where the lead couple has good chemistry, an open ending is definitely not good. Kudos to the writers, producers and everyone who helped in this drama!!!!

About the couple Lee Seung Gi and Suzy. They seemed so comfortable with each other so most of the sweet scenes appeared really sweet! They have really good chemistry!

Here are some screenshots I took from one of the episodes:





June 25, 2013
Location: Crystal Cave, Sequoia National Park

My vacation was approved but I wasn't really planning of going out of the country this year. I ended up having this daily discussions and planning with friends about fun trips close to home. Few places on our list are museums, beaches and national parks. I've been talking them into going back to Yosemite. It's been a while since I've been there and the last time we went there, I didn't have a camera with me! How sad... Because of the triple digit heat, everyone was so lazy to do anything. Nobody wanted to go drive for 3-6 hours. Then, someone mentioned about this cave that's only about an hour and a half drive. Sequoia National Park has been our playground for the past few years but we've never been to Crystal Cave. We looked it up online and thought it must be cool! On the 25th of June, we went off early so it wasn't too hot. It was like as solstice where the sky is so clear and blue and the sun is huge and close. We got our tickets at their Visitor's Center and drove for another 45 minutes to the site. We were scheduled for the 1100 tour and we got there around 1030 so we had to wait for another 30 minutes. We were called to meet by the bookstore at exactly 1100 and were asked to disinfect our shoes by walking on a rough mat and stepping on a disinfecting foam/ mat. We walked on a steep and narrow trail descending to the cave for 0.5 miles.





Happy 4th, everyone!

It's a hot celebration of Independence Day. Our temperature reached 108 F today. I was invited to watch "Despicable Me 2" but I chose to stay home because of the heat. I've been wanting to watch the fireworks display tonight but most of my friends have work tomorrow. Yup, I'm stuck at home but it wasn't too bad. I watched a marathon of my favorite shows in ID Discovery. I slept off and on while watching the shows. I definitely had a whole day rest. The only problem with that is I didn't get to spend or waste my energy. Now, I'm wide awake!

Moving on... I'm sure you've noticed. I'm not really done fixing my blog yet. I just made sure that I have the area for my post ready so, at least,  I can start writing. I just wanted to take my time thinking on what to add on the rest of the links or pages.

Question for everyone... Have you been Yelping? I think Yelp helps a lot if I needed reviews for stuffs I wanted to know about. I'd say it's like an informal type of customer evaluation. I like how some people would describe their experiences in detail because I'd know what to look out for when I chose to purchase something or when I chose to avail services of a certain place. For movies, I use Rotten Tomatoes. Most of their reviews are pretty straightforward.

I feel like I've been checking Youtube a lot lately. It's crazy how you can find all kinds of stuffs in there. I often check on music videos for both old and new songs. When I wanted to try cooking something, I also browse for tutorials. I love love love DIY's! One of the tutorials I just found recently that I really like is about designing pens using polymer clay. They make these cute designs like the one you'd often see in stores that sell cute items like Artbox or Kawaii-land (online). I also love watching fashion or beauty hauls, just to stay updated on current stuffs in the market. I'm not an interior designer but I do love fixing our house, organizing things in the house and adding designs. I also check for those kind of videos. And my list goes on...

So, what kind of videos do you usually watch in Youtube?
It's good to be back! I've been blogging since 2006 but slowed down ever since I separated from my host. Work also kept me busy and decided to close my very first long running blog. When I found my new interest, Korean culture, I've started blogging again and found a very nice group of bloggers. I still keep in touch with them today. However, when I started school, i just didn't have time to blog. When I finally finished school, I can't think of anything to write. Now, inspired by young bloggers I've seen online, I have this urge to write again. I thought, "Why not?" I'd love to write more happy thoughts for a happy blog!

Ichigo Tempest

The very first title I've thought for this blog was "Bossa Chic Souffle." This title wasn't available anymore, so I came up with "Ichigo Tempest." The words were randomly chosen.

About The Author

Detailed info will be posted on the "About" section of the navigation area which I'm still working on. You can call me Miss E., Lady E. and Little Miss. Those are just some of the few nicknames my friends and co-workers called me. Yup, let's keep it short! I'll let you know my real name, eventually. Moving on… I just turned 28 this month. Still chasing my dreams and working on my visions. I love where I'm at right now and everything I have. I'm so thankful for all the blessings I've got, by far! I love people around me and wish to meet more nice ones.