Absolutely Fobulous

Human cloning has finally been discovered!  OK, that’s an exaggeration but seriously, there’s something a bit off with this year’s Miss Korea contestants.  South Korea has the highest rate of plastic surgery per capita according to the Economist, so you do the math when it comes to the picture below.

The photos sparked a fiery debate on Reddit, with users doing some serious bashing on how ubiquitous plastic surgery has become in Korea.  One user wrote, “I live in Korea, and older women complain how girls don’t look Korean anymore because of all the plastic surgery. It’s so common to the point if I meet a girl, I just assume she has had something done. Girls here consider eye surgery just like using makeup.”

Don’t get me wrong, these girls are very pretty.  But it’s uncanny how similar their chin, eyes and nose are.  I’ve actually heard that those three features often come as a “package” at many plastic surgery clinics in Korea.

(Thanks, Julie!)

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You have to meet my cousin, Howard, who looks like a certain dictator who’s been on the news a lot lately.  He’s definitely got a critical eye when it comes to inspecting the grocery store goods.  Hilarious!

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Recently, this picture of Korean kids indulging in a french fry buffet went viral on the internet. The kids ordered $250 worth of fries at their local McDonald’s and piled the fried potatoes over a few tables.

Turns out, the idea of a potato party originated in Japan. Because of a deal in Japan that sold fries for a low 150¥ (or $1.60) from Oct. to Nov. last year, students started organizing potato parties. These gatherings are serious business: attendees will order crazy amounts of fries and are required to eat it all before they get to leave the table. Seems like one of the few occasions when eating your plate clean might be a very bad idea. Here are some of the pics that were tweeted around by Japanese kids:

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Who says learning a new language is hard?  Koshik, an elephant in a South Korea, seems to have picked up a few words from his zoo keeper.  In the clip below, Koshik mimics his keeper, and says choah or “good” in Korean.  By sticking his trunk in his mouth and breathing out, the elephant has found a way to copy the timbre and pitch of his human friend.  Apparently, the elephant can also say the Korean words for “annoying,” “sit down,” “no,” and “lie down.”

Researchers say Koshik does this for social reasons, since he is the only elephant at the zoo.  Even elephants need to chat with a friend!

(Thanks, Hubie!)

Nevermind how they came up with the idea in the first place — this video is amazing.  The guys on the Korean TV show start by curiously placing the innocuous first rubber band round the watermelon.  As they add more elastic, the melon’s shell starts buckling to the pressure.  Water from the fruit starts seeping from the shell.  Then, finally, after about 1,000 rubber bands, the unfortunate watermelon implodes in all its anticipated glory.  Ka-boom!  Don’t you just love the random humor of Asian TV shows?

Um, seriously?  In South Korea, customs officials are on the lookout for smugglers bringing in capsules filled with powdered human flesh, apparently from dead babies and fetuses.

Since last August, about 17,500 pills were found to have been smuggled from China.  The “medication” is taken to supposedly boost stamina and cure diseases.

Besides being totally disgusting and unethical, the pills are said to be full of bacteria, posing a health risk.  Korean officials are stepping up inspections on shipments from Northeast China to quell this nasty illegal substance.

It truly baffles me how we Chinese people can even think of eating the most ridiculous and gross things, all in the name of “health.”  But then again, people have been known to eat placentas, so maybe this is a weird version of that?

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I just watched this super cute video of a Korean lady who turned one of her hands into a little karate master. She dressed her hand up in a tiny martial arts outfit, drew a face on her palm, and walked the hand around to make it seem like a black belter. See the video below:

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You know that slimy trail that snails leave as they slide across the ground?  Well, put that stuff on your face and apparently your acne, wrinkles, and scars will improve dramatically.  In Asia, snail creams have become the hottest phenomenon in beauty products. A Korean company, It’s Skin, recently launched a hugely successful product called “Prestige Cream d’escargo.” Able C&C, which owns the Korean beauty brand Missha, came out with their own snail cream last June.  In fact, since I moved back to Singapore last month, I’ve been bombarded daily by Facebook ads for “Snail Street: No. 1 Snail Cream in Japan.”

Obviously, I couldn’t help but click on this bizarre ad.  Here’s what I’ve learned about our slithering friends: You wouldn’t have realized it, but snail slime has incredible regenerative qualities — it’s what allows snails to regenerate their own shells when they get injured in the wild.  Snail creams started in 1980 when a Chilean family had a snail farm, and the farmers noticed how soft their hands were, and how quickly cuts healed without any scars.  The eldest son was a doctor, and did research on snail secretions.  Turns out, their snails produced a slime that could heal human skin.  Snail creams started selling in Europe years ago, but only recently has it become really popular in Asia.

Honestly, I’m torn.  I’m utterly curious, but even talking about snails makes me cringe.  I shudder at the thought of their slimy antlers feeling their way through the ground.  Ick.

What do you think — would you try this?  A jar of the cream costs about $43 here, if you’re brave enough to buy it!

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Nah, I’m still pretty sure pizza originates from Italy. But this hilarious mockumentary created by Mr. Pizza, a Korean pizza chain, is a clever ad campaign centered around the concept that this pie of cheesy goodness originated in Jinju, Korea. According to the ad, Marco Polo stole the idea from the Koreans.  He probably stole the concept of spaghetti from Chinese noodles, too.

As a die-hard fanatic of this Italian dish, I love to check out different cities’ and countries’ interpretations of it. It’s interesting to see how each place uses different toppings unique to its cultural cuisine. While I have to give it to Brooklyn, NY, for having the best pizza, I am a huge fan of the Japanese versions. When I visited Japan a few years ago, Emily introduced me to Japanese pizza that had mochi as a topping. While it may sound strange, it’s actually delicious and I crave it all the time! What country is your favorite pizza from?

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For all you busy people out there, grocery shopping is probably at the bottom of your to-do list (along with laundry). Well, for those living in South Korea, your life just got easier. Homeplus, a South Korean/British discount retail chain jointly owned by Samsung and Tesco, has put these awesome virtual supermarkets in subway stations around South Korea. Feel like grilling up some rib-eye steak for dinner? Just scan the QR code beneath your selection of meat using your smartphone, and your order will be sent directly to your house. Order in the morning and your items will be delivered to you by the afternoon. No worries if your train is delayed, that just gives you more time to shop! The only downside? No food samples.

Check out the video below of the innovative technology (the subway part starts at 0:48).