I have to draw a poster to promote the Chinese News Year my association will be organising in Reims this february.
That gave me this idea of drawing a Chinese dragon, so I went to dear wiki wiki to learn a bit more about the subject. There are different types of chinese dragon, and I chose to draw the Huanglong (黃龍), namely the yellow dragon, or horse dragon ("Long" standing for dragon I suppose) as it is a divine messenger. I thought drawing a messenger of a dragon on an informative add would fit as, you know, message...
I used many references to draw this dragon. According to wiki wiki, a chinese dragon is composed of nine different animals: head of a camel, eyes of a demon, ears like a cow's, stag antlers, neck of a snake, paw of tiger ending in eagle claws, mollusc belly, body covered in carp scales. Well, I used many of those, but not everything (and especially not the head of a camel, 'cause that's sooo not dragon-like).
I also searched for references and found those amasing things on dear DA:
Au Japon, les mochi sont littéralement déclinés à toutes les sauces. Le plus classique est le Daifuku : un mochi tout simple fourré à la pâte de haricots rouges (anko). Au printemps, on trouve également les sakura mochi, dont la pâte de riz est parfumée à la fleur de cerisier et qui se servent entourés d’une feuille de sakura. Il existe même des imo mochi, pour lesquels de la patate douce a été ajoutée à la pâte de riz.
Ceux que je vous présente aujourd’hui sont des dango mochi à la sauce shôyu-caramel (dango). « Dango » signifie « petite boule ». On dirait des tout petits oeufs. Voyez plutôt :
Ingrédients :
1 parquet de sauce caramel au shôyu liophylisée (dashi (bouillon aux algues), sucre, miel, sauce de soja, maïzena et eau) OU du caramel fait maison si l'on n'a rien d'autre sous la main
des pics à brochettes en bois de petite taille (environ 10 cm)
1 paquet de farine à mochi OU 60 à 70 % de farine de riz gluant + 40 à 30% de farine de riz
Préparation :
Mettre de l'eau à bouillir.
Ajouter de l'eau tiède à la farine jusqu'à ce que la pâte ait "la consistance d'un lobe d'oreille" (il paraît que les recettes japonaises sont très imagées...)
Faire des trios de petites boules ("dango") de cette pâte (grosses comme une noix) et les lâcher dans l'eau bouillante. Lorsque les dangos se mettent à flotter et qu'ils ont pris une teinte luisante, les sortir de l'eau et les piquer par trois sur les brochettes. NB : Les dango, ça colle ! N'oubliez pas de les piquer immédiatement sur les brochettes ou vous n'allez pas vous en sortir... pas tout propre, en tous cas.
Faire griller les brochettes jusqu'à ce qu'elles dorent (environ 1 min).
Itadakimasu est l’expression que l’on associe à notre expression « Bon appétit ». mais n’a pas de traduction française. Littéralement, itadakimasu voudrait plutôt dire « merci pour ce repas ». C’est donc une expression que les convives disent au début du repas envers la nourriture ou envers celui qui a préparé le repas. En général, il s’adresse donc au cuisinier ou, plus abstraitement, à la nature. De sorte qu’au restaurant, il revient plutôt au client qu’à l’hôtelier de la prononcer.
Chris Patterson - Bass guitar and vocals Mike McCormick - Guitar and vocals Trevor Strong - Vocals
I think I love them.
Carrot Juice is Murder
Listen up brothers and sisters, come hear my desperate tale. I speak of our friends of nature, trapped in the dirt like a jail.
Vegetables live in oppression, served on our tables each night. This killing of veggies is madness, I say we take up the fight.
Salads are only for murderers, coleslaw's a fascist regime. Don't think that they don't have feelings, just cause a radish can't scream.
Chorus: I've heard the screams of the vegetables (scream, scream, scream) Watching their skins being peeled (having their insides revealed) Grated and steamed with no mercy (burning off calories) How do you think that feels (bet it hurts really bad) Carrot juice constitutes murder (and that's a real crime) Greenhouses prisons for slaves (let my vegetables go) It's time to stop all this gardening (it's dirty as hell) Let's call a spade a spade (is a spade is a spade is a spade)
I saw a man eating celery, so I beat him black and blue. If he ever touches a sprout again, I'll bite him clean in two.
I'm a political prisoner, trapped in a windowless cage. Cause I stopped the slaughter of turnips by killing five men in a rage
I told the judge when he sentenced me, This is my finest hour, I'd kill those farmers again just to save one more cauliflower
Chorus
How low as people do we dare to stoop, Making young broccolis bleed in the soup? Untie your beans, uncage your tomatoes Let potted plants free, don't mash that potato!
I've heard the screams of the vegetables (scream, scream, scream) Watching their skins being peeled (fates in the stirfry are sealed) Grated and steamed with no mercy (you fat gormet slob) How do you think that feels? (leave them out in the field) Carrot juice constitutes murder (V8's genocide) Greenhouses prisons for slaves (yes, your composts are graves) It's time to stop all this gardening (take up macrame) Let's call a spade a spade (is a spade, is a spade, is a spade, is a spade.....
The Last Saskatchewan Pirate
I used to be a farmer, and I made a living fine, I had a little stretch of land along the CP line But times were hard and though I tried, the money wasn't there And the bankers came and took my land and told me "fair is fair"
I looked for every kind of job, the answer always no "Hire you now?" they'd always laugh, "we just let twenty go!" The government, the promised me a measly little sum But I've got too much pride to end up just another bum.
Then I thought, who gives a damn if all the jobs are gone? I'm gonna be a PIRATE on the river Saskatchewan!
And it's a heave-ho, hi-ho, comin' down the plains Stealin' wheat and barley and all the other grains It's a ho-hey, hi-hey farmers bar yer doors When ya see the Jolly Roger on Regina's mighty shores
Well, you'd think the local farmers would know that I'm at large But just the other day I found an unprotected barge I snuck up right behind them and they were none the wiser, I rammed their ship and sank it and I stole their fertilizer!
A bridge outside of Moose Jaw spans a mighty river Farmers cross in so much fear their stomachs are a'quiver Cause they know that Tractor Jack is hidin' in the bay I'll jump the bridge and knock them cold and sail off with their hay!
And it's a heave-ho, hi-ho, comin' down the plains Stealin' wheat and barley and all the other grains It's a ho-hey, hi-hey farmers bar yer doors When ya see the Jolly Roger on Regina's mighty shores
Well, Mountie Bob he chased me, he was always at my throat He followed on the shoreline cause he didn't own a boat But cutbacks were a'coming and the Mountie lost his job So now he's sailing with us, and we call him Salty Bob!
A swingin' sword, a skull and bones and pleasant company I never pay my income tax and screw the GST (SCREW IT!!) Sailin down to Saskatoon, the terror of the seas If you wanna reach the co-op, boy, you gotta get by me!
Cause it's a heave-ho, hi-ho, comin' down the plains Stealin' wheat and barley and all the other grains It's a ho-hey, hi-hey farmers bar yer doors When ya see the Jolly Roger on Regina's mighty shores
(*spoken* Arrrr! Ya salty dog!) (*spoken* Arrrr! Ya salty gopher!) (*spoken* Arr.. ya.. salty bale of hay!) Well, Pirate life's appealing but you just don't find it here, I hear in North Alberta there's a band of buccaneers They roam the Athabaska from Smith to Fort McKay And you're gonna lose your Stetson if you have to pass their way!
Well, winter is a'comin' and a chill is in the breeze My Pirate days are over once the river starts to freeze I'll be back in springtime but now I have to go I hear there's lots of plunderin' down in New Mexico!
Cause it's a heave-ho, hi-ho, comin' down the plains Stealin' wheat and barley and all the other grains It's a ho-hey, hi-hey farmers bar yer doors When ya see the Jolly Roger on Regina's mighty shores...x2
When ya see the Jolly Roger on Regina's mighty shores...x2
Remember how I recently went into loving-asian-dramas-mood? No? Seriously? Come on, my life is just sooo interesting, I don't understand how you could not remember that. So, basically... just get out of my blog.
In order to investiguate Korean drama, I watched the Coffee Prince series (well, most of it actually, 'cause, let's face it, I got bored). It's about a tomboyish Korean girl, Go Eun Chan (the front one on the picture) who works hard to make ends meet. Someday, things get ugly and she finds herself in such need for money that she accepts to work for a wealthy man, Han Kyul.
Miss I'm-a-boy Go Eun Chan
At first, she pretends to be his lover to help him avoid meetings arranged by his grandmother, who really wants him to settled down before cancer gets the best of her (only she doesn't tell him she's sick, 'cause, you know, telling the truth might had had him actually give it a serious thought).
Mr I'm-whinny-but-rich-so-I-can / aka Mr Spoiled-brat Han Kyul
Then she accepts to waitress in the coffee parlour he's demanded to run by his (still dying) grandmother. The deal goes as such: if Han Kyul manages to regain three times the money his grandmother lend him for the renovation of the coffee shop, he'll get his share of inheritance. If not, said grandma will take his car, appartment and, well, that's quite enough for starters.
Only that Han Kyul is convinced that Go Eun Chanis a boy and recruited her at first because of this, pretending to be gay in order to avoid arranged meetings. So for the first part of the series, Go Eun Chan tries her best to hide her true identity (which works quite well as, let's face it, she's as disgusting a man as every man is -oh god, oh dear god, yes, yes she is).
But, of course, she eventually falls for her tyranical boss and therefore, you know, crap happens.
This is only the main storyline. On the other hand, we're happy to present to you the sappy lovestory of Choi Han Sun, a really nice music producer who's got a dog (I can assure you that is a very relevant detail to the plot) and Han Yoo Jo, a very pretty singer lady who's recently gotten back from the States. Han Sun and Yoo Jo were together, then she left him for the States, then she came back to Korea, but his poor heart was all broken, and blah, blah, blah.
Mr Nice-I've-got-a-dog-man Choi Han Sun
Now, tell me, what's the link with the main plotline? Come on, try and guess it. Here's a hint: cheesse with a "y". Yes. "Cheesy". Or "Y" is it that cheesy?" *and now start to cry*. So, have you guessed yet? No? Good, your brain's still not totally dead, you musn't be such an addict to Paris Hilton.
Miss Funny-to-be-with-yet-mindshifter-girlfriend Han Yoo Jo
Ready for an answer?
Go Eun Chan (aka: the tomboyish waitress)'s first crush is on Choi Han Sun (the nice music guy), while Han Kyul (the tyranical boss)'s first crush is on Han Yoo Jo (the pretty singer).
And, of, course, at some point, the nice music guy finds himself falling for Go Eun Chan, which reverts the "every male loves Han Yoo Jo" tendency to "every male loves Go Eun Chan". Dreamy.
If I were taking a degree in psychology, I would say that Music Guy represents Go Eun Chan's ideal of a partner, which is why she first falls for him, until she realises what a real man is like (whinny whimy, apparently) and accepts him as such, thus eventually falling for the tyrant. And, of course, Music Girl represents the tyrant's ideal of a partner until he realises [copy and paste previous sentence] plus that Go Eun Chan is actually a girl ('cause that's quite a serious issue for him at first, medium and almost always point of their relationship).
So that series would not only be a bunch of sound plus moving pictures kind of show but also a reflexion about what a real couple is like, and a comparison of ideals with reality. I mean, let's face it: Go Eun Chan is so disgusting at times that even her cute face isn't enough to resurrect the remains of lesbian vibes in me that her eating behaviour killed. And Han Kyul can be such a whimy bitch that it would turn any gay man straight. To sum it up, it's a lot about accepting the other as such, knowing that this person is far from perfect. Did I already say it? Cheesy.
But I'm not taking a degree in psychology, and telling all that would probably annoy you, so I won't. (Only that I already did. Do I deserve my degree in Annoying Skills or what?).
It would be lying to say that I didn't enjoy the show (I watched it up to the tenth episode over fourteen so there, it is entertaining). I mostly enjoy it when people are confused about their feelings and start emoing around about how they're falling for the wrong person -did I wrote that out loud? Great, now people will start thinking I'm a sadist. What I meant was that I enjoyed seeing how people are so in love with apparences and yet can't help off this huge pair of blinkers they were offered on their birth day.
I liked the fact that Go Eun Chan is a very strong minded little thing that doesn't let people step on her toes -only until she's supposed to act as a girl, at least. The fact that Han Kyul first believes that she's a boy actually allows their relashionship to start on an even status, the sad thing being that Go Eun Chan starts acting a bit girly (and teary) when her true gender is unveiled. But at least they're both equals in that relashionship from the start, which might explain why they get along that well. At least there is no gender gap between them as man and woman.
I also have to confess that the cheesy relashionship between the Music couple was kinda cute, and that it got me to decide to go buy a girlfriend that's as fun to be with as Miss My-fingers-are-wearing-little-boots-on-the-tip-and-they-travel-through-your-body Han Yoo Jo as soon as that is released for purchase.
I also liked to have a glimpse of nowadays Korea. I wouldn't take it as a documentary about this country, but it's still a series set in facts, so some of it must be true. For instance, the fact that one of Go Eun Chan's family small jobs is to sew eyes on a bunch of plushes (not real ones, come on!) made me realise how real the "made in Korea" business is. And the public baths made me realise that, well, people clean themselves. Maybe I should try that too, someday.
Oh, and I obviously enjoyed the fact that, you know, Kim Jao Wook.
Kim Jao Wook. Let's face it -he's gorgeous- and I'm such a huge fan of gorgeous.
His character's story is not very developped, but it's still one of the most interesting ones. And apparently, being (half)Japanese in Korea is not that well received. It's such a shame his character doesn't speak a lot. I suppose that he's of the "dark silent guy" type. Creepy, yet sexy. Kim Jao Wook is always sexy.
Here, I'm sure you could use some more convincing (I know I could): here's Kimy reading slash listening to music in front of a red sportscar.
The rest is silence.
But let's not end this review in such a fangirly tone. Let's say instead that through Coffee Prince I discovered a proper Asian series, something along the lines of, err... another romance show, I guess? Not a sitcom, but a nice, enjoyable stir of episodes. Something to watch if you're tired of thinking and are looking for a nice, non-american brainsoaping (beware! it might start to bubble).
To say it all, it was nice enough for me to consider watching it to the end, someday. You know, when it's not 3 a.m. anymore and if Kim Jao Wook promises to take his shirt off, then takes a picture of himself and sends it to me along with his best regards.
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La review en français pour les frenchies > cliquer ici. Ca ne sera évidemment jamais aussi drôle que si je l'avais écrite moi-même, mais j'ai vraiment la flemme de traduire -au moins autant que vous d'apprendre à lire l'anglais, apparemment. Par contre, je tiens à me laver consciencieusement les mains des opinions avancées dans ce blog - pour dire ça simplement, Mademoiselle Pancake et moi n'avons pas les mêmes.
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See online / Visionner en ligne > here / ici. (Or / Ou somewhere else / ailleurs).
Tagath got me into watching this, and boy, I don't regret it. Yet. The series is not finished; we'll see how it goes on.
It's about how a bunch of youngters doing community service get superpowered by a storm and then starts fighting crime... who am I kidding. And starts trying to save themselves from their enraged supervisor, murders, crazy other superpowered persons and more.
They all have interesting personnalities (Nathan for instance, being such an nuisance all the time, tor Simon, the geek who turns into a real heroe, Kelly who's just so cool with the coolest accent ever...).
The second season is ongoing, so we'll see how it turns out.
Another drama. 'Cause I'm in the mood for asian boys right now.
Apparently, Banjun Dramas are a series of unrelated stories. I found this one by random chance and the summary seemed fun, so...
It seems like the DBSK (a group of korean idols) are playing their own part in this episode. It's like a fanfilm made by the stars for the fans. (And we can actually hear the fans squill in delight almost all the movie long...)
On one hand, we have two boys lost in the woods because they decided to play socker at midnight. They're helped out by a girl who starts a romance with one of them, whereas the other one keeps trying to find out who's "haunting" her house.
On the other hand, one of the remaining boys is given to read a fancfiction by his friend starring them in a gay relashionship and starts having doubts about it being true. During the episode, he does his best to run away from it (and from a lot of insanely funny bunch of shonen-ai clichés).
So, to sum it all, I guess it's a load of crazy stuff made by crazy people just for the fun of it (and for the sake of fangirlism). And the twisted endings (especially the second one) was real funny.
This movie is based on a manga, and was also turned into an anime series (which I just couldn't bother to watch, as I didn't like the drawings).
It's about a rich parents' guy who resign from his top-noch job to open a deluxe bakery. He actually hate sweets and, from the beginning, we suspect that his running a sweet shop has something to do with his kidnapping when he was a child, which he forgot about. He recruits a very good gay baker, both very good at baking and very good at being gay, and a apprentice. They're joined later on by a slow and naive chilhood friend of the owner, and the four men go on running the bakery. Of course, the point of the whole thing is for the owner to understand what happened when he was a child and find his kidnapper, so the ads-up (Son Woo's being in love with the owner, the apprentice's issue about boxing, the terrifying dim-wits attitude of Chirose) are not solved at the end of it.
Here's what wiki-wiki has to say to the respect:
"The Korean adaptation was released on November 13, 2008, and drew more than 1 million moviegoers within its first two weeks of release, making it one of the most successful Korean movies ever made. Directed by Min Gyu Dong, the movie stars (amongst others) Joo Ji Hoon (Goong/Princess Hours and The Devil) as the owner Jin Hyuk and Kim Jae Wook (Coffee Prince) as the genius patissier Son Woo. The film was exhibited at the Berlin International Film Festival in February 2009. The action in the film has been transposed to Korea and the characters given Korean names; otherwise, the script follows the main plot threads of the manga closely."
Kim Jao Wook
Joo Ji Hoon
I didn't enjoy the story that much, even though the main character's intentions by opening Antique were very interesting, and that I looked forward the outcome of it all. On the very right side, most of the actors are GORGEOUS, especially Son Woo and the owner, which made me an happy fangirl.
So, basically, I watched it because of cute asian guys. And cakes. Cute asian guys and cakes. Sweet.
(I didn't use this one. I just think it's cute)
And I used this drawing of a paeony (the flower that symbolises China) for the background.
