Check It Out! It's Sam Ku~

I know it's a very unfamiliar name to most Kpop fans.. But I think he's a hidden gem or should I say underrated? Some may disagree with me but I would suggest you guys to check him out.

Ok ok.. Let me back up for a little bit and brief you about him.. He was first appear on TV because of Mnet's 'Voice Korea'. He did very well in his audition and the first battle but I don't have the follow up after that. =P *Sawryy*

Name : Samuel Ku
D.O.B : 16th January 1988
Born in Seoul, moved to Chicago at 6 years old, moved back to Seoul at 19 years old.
He learned violin and piano since 3 years old. (What?! I think I was still confused which one is my hand and which one is my foot at that age..)

Honestly, this part is boring.. So I'm just gonna throw a link here and let you guys get to know him further yourself.

The exciting part! Here it is.. He has just released a new song which I fall in love with at the first 'listening' (instead of 'sight'). So CHECK IT OUT!

I know it sounds like a lullaby at first but once he hits the high note, "You gotta tell me what I did WROOOONNG~".. Gosh, it's just breath-taking.. Coz there's no way I have enough breath to sing that note.. =P Seriously, you need to let me know what your thoughts about him, his voice, the song, the MV, or whatever.. I would love to read it.

I would love to write more but my cold medicine has just kicked in and I'm starting to feel drowsy.. So go check him out and find his other songs.. Oh, before I end this, you need to see this funny video of him. Credit to the uploader and many thanks!

Who would have thought this singer with a sexy voice has a really shy side of him.. HAHAHAHA.. =D

Kpop Star 4 - TOP 10 performances

Note: I used to provide the video link for each performance but SBS deleted all the videos. Sorry!~ You guys have to search it online..

Finally, the top 10 finalists will battle each other to become the TOP 8. 100 panel audience were picked by Kpop Star production. It's always better to get opinion from the viewers. So basically, what happened is that the finalists were divided into Group A and Group B. There are 5 team in each group and two teams from each group would be the elimination candidates. The panel audience has the right to choose who they think did better and deserve to be in the TOP 8.

[Click on the link to download the song in mp3]

Group A

1-Seo Yae An (Hyorin - Closer)

She was extremely nervous this time around. She choose ballad over dance song. She said she will regret it if she didn't try out ballad and keep singing dance song. I guess she wants to prove to herself that she is a good singer. But the unfamiliar environment and pressure are too much for her. She end up tearing on stage before she even starts singing. Luckily the judges are so nice that they let her calm down first.

2-Esther Kim (2NE1 - Come Back Home)

#MyMonologue: Hang on a minute! Esther is much younger than Yae An?!

JYP commented that the only thing preventing Esther from winning is she can't express her emotions freely. Esther decided that she wants to show something new. This song is especially dedicated for her dad who has passed away when she was 11. Her dad died from a heart attack. Aww.. Knowing this already bring tears to my eyes.. That's ok, your dad is in a better place now Esther. Well, her performance is just amazing. She arranged the song really well.

3-The Best (SISTAR - Alone)

4-Lee Jin Ah (Own song - Rich in Winter)

5-Sparkling Girls (Whitney Houston & Mariah Carey - When you believe)

Results for Group A:
1st : Esther Kim

2nd : Lee Jin Ah
3rd : Sparkling Girls
*Seo Yae An and The Best were the possible elimination candidates

#MyRanking: 1) Esther Kim; 2) Lee Jin ah; 3) The Best; 4) Sparkling Girls; 5) Seo Yae An

Group B

1 - Seung Hwan Jung ( Kim Kwang Seok - Those Days)

He choose this song because his mother loves this song. It's the first time that his mother listen to him singing on stage, so he was excited to choose the song. But then he realizes that the song is actually hard to sing. He was still trying to figure out the feeling that the singer has when he sings it. I'm always impressed that he always try to understand the song by feeling it and not just singing it. I think he did a great job doing that. 

Jung Seung Hwan - Those Days

2 - Grace Shin ( Lee Hyo Ri - 10 Minutes)

Grace said she has been singing slow beat song before this, so she wants to show a new side of her by picking Lee Hyo Ri's song. She was praised by the judges. #MyThought: I don't really understand what so good about her performance though. Sorry, Grace.. Not that because I don't like her but her singing style is not to my liking =P

Grace Shin - 10 minutes

3 - Lily M. (2NE1 - It's Hurt)

She was asked since when she started music, and she said it was since she's 8 years old. That time, her neighborhood was affected by a massive bushfire. She lost some of her teachers and friends and some of her friends end up being an orphan too. It must be a terrifying incident for her. She said she was so scared to go out of her house especially when it's windy. So her mother said, she started singing because it helps her cope up with the healing process. Awww.. It's heart-breaking to know that under her bright image, there's a painful past. But I hope she don't think too much about it and try to move on with life, just like what she's doing now.

Lily M - It Hurts

4 - Katie Kim (G.O.D - The place where you should be)

Katie said she wants to redeem herself since the judges had commented that she seems to be lack of energy. She is really thankful to YG for giving her another chance and for believing in her. You MUST watch her performance! She did an amazing job that even JYP gives a standing ovation for her. 

Katie Kim - The Place You Should Be

5 - Park Yoon Ha (Yoo Jae Ha - Holding you in my arms)

What a bad luck she has.. She has to performed after Katie Kim so I can see that she starts  to doubt herself. Even she feels that she would be the last in the group, since Group B is filled with the most talented finalists. Well, the song that she choose is something that she always enjoy singing. Her living room is full with music instruments because of her mother loves for music. Her mother would play the piano while she would sing along. 

Park Yoon Ha - Holding You In My Arms

Result for Group B:

1st : Katie Kim

2nd : Grace Shin

3rd : Jung Seung Hwan

*Lily M. and Park Yoon Ha were the possible elimination candidates. 

#MyThought: Both of them did really well and even the judges had a hard choosing the last two places. But I think both of them would be saved by the panel audience.. hopefully.. Because I don't think they have to choose who to eliminate in each group, right? I hope not..

#MyRanking: 1) Katie Kim, 2) Lily M., 3) Jung Seung Hwan, 4) Park Yoon Ha, 5) Grace Shin.

THE LAST 2 TO JOIN TOP 10: Lily M. and Park Yoon Ha! 51 out of 106 voted for Lily! Yeay~

Kpop Star 4 - Lily M

Real Name - Lily Morrow
Nationality - Australia

Audition Round:

Ranking Audition:

Battle Audition:

Casting Audition:

TOP 10 Audition:

TOP 10 Rematch:

TOP 10 Performance

TOP 8 Performance

♪'Grenade' by Bruno Mars♪

TOP 6 Performance

♪'Love' by Keshia Cole♪

TOP 4 Performance

♪'I Do' by Rain♪

Special performance with Katie Kim:

♪'All About That Bass' by Meghan Trainor♪

She was then eliminated~

KPOP STAR 4: Lee Jin Ah - Ranking Audition

On the second episode, a short clip of Lee Jin Ah was shown. She said she was really amazed by the sudden interest in her when she checked her name online. Kekeke.. That's cute .. I'll be doing the same thing probably. She spent the whole day reading messages that she received (I think she referred to comment post). She even took 1st place in major music sites and reached 2 million views on Youtube! Waaahhh~ (* o *)

Then during the 2nd Audition, she sang her own song, called 'Follow Your Heart'. Check out her performance below:

KPOP STAR 4 - Battle Audition (Result Summary)

Episode 12, 13 & 14


*AM = ANTENNA MUSIC                        

1-Sparkling Girls [JYP] - Bruno Mars's Runaway Baby
2-Jung Seung Hwan [YG] - Lee So Ra's Please
3-Cheon So Hyun [AM] - Lee Juck's Lie Lie Lie      
 
1-Lee Jin Ah [AM] - Lee Jin Ah's Yum Yum Yum
2-Esther Kim [JYP] - Lee So Ra's I'm Happy
3- Ada Wong [YG] - Neyo's Because of You
   
1-Seo Yae An [YG] - Kim Wan Sun's The Clown Laugh Watching Us
2-Grace Shin [AM] - Park Hyo Shin's Yearning                          
3- Ji Yoo Min [JYP] - Eminem's Lose Yourself

*2-Three Siblings [AM] - Cho Yong Pil's Bounce
*2-Lily M [JYP] - Kelly Clarkson's Since U Been Gone    
3-Kang Pureum [YG] - Luna & Krystal's Calling Out
*Tied second place

1-Park Yoon Ha [JYP] - Toy's Is It Still Beautiful
2-The Best [AM] - Kim Hyun Chul's What's the Matter     
3-Na Soo Hyun [YG] - Cho Yong Pil's I hope it would be that way now
 
2-Park Hye Soo [AM] - Navi's I love you
2-Lee Bong Yeon [JYP] - Wheesung's With Me
2-Katie Kim [YG] - Zion T's Yanghwa Bridge

REMATCH
The Best - Yoo Jae Ha's Past Days
Lily M. - Katy Perry's Roar
Three Siblings - 2NE1's If I Were You
Park Hye Soo - RaD's Goodbye
Katie Kim - Kelly Clarkson's Because of You
Jung Seung Hwan - The First Day ft Naul's Eco Bridge
Grace Shin - Lee Jeong Hee's Faith
Esther Kim - Adele's One and Only
Lee Bong Yeon - Boyz II Men's End Of The Road

Guest House in Seoul

It's so overwhelming having to find an affordable (= cheap!) place to stay in Seoul.. There are so many of them! I am starting to get a headache already.. (@_@)

Things you need to know and consider:

◆ Private or shared bathroom
◆ You can add an extra bed or not (if you're travelling in an odd number)
◆ Different rate on weekends or peak season
◆ Discount for staying longer
◆ The place at a hill or have elevator (coz you don't want to drag your luggage uphill or lift it up the stairs)
◆ If you plan to cook, then kitchen is needed
◆ Curfew at what time (You don't want to get locked outside)
◆ Rules while staying at the guesthouse (Some don't allow food in the room)
◆ Luggage storage, you can keep your luggage there if you're early or after check-out; before you catch your flight
◆ Check with the guesthouse whether they have pets (i.e. dogs, cats) around as well. If you have allergic or phobia..

The fastest way to check the price is at Agoda.com. After finding the cheapest guesthouse with the room that you want, go to the guesthouse website to check if the rate is cheaper in Agoda. If not, you may want to make your reservation directly from the guesthouse website.

If you do not mind having less privacy, you could opt for the dormitory. A dormitory would usually have 6 beds and it only costs KRW16,000/night/person (~USD16). It's super cheap. You can choose whether you want a mixed one or a female/male separate one. I would NOT suggest this option to my fellow Muslim friends unless you are traveling with a big group of same gender friends or with your family, then you can consider having the whole dormitory room for yourselves. Or, you can check out INES INN and Malaysian homestay because they are own by Muslim. So, you don't have to worry about the kitchen, if you know what I mean..

I recommend you also check the review for the guesthouse that you are interested in. Whether the place is clean, spacious, comfortable, friendly, safe etc. If you have to pay KRW25,000/night/person (~USD25), that would be considered an average price and quite cheap. But it's always better if you can find a cheaper one but remember, there's always a catch. Probably the place is not as you would expect. So be careful when you choose a guesthouse. Read the guesthouse's website thoroughly.

I decided to make a list and take some time reviewing each and every one of the guesthouses. Different people have different criteria, so my list may not suit you. I'm looking for a guesthouse based on:

■ a room for 2 persons
■ the cheapest
■ preferably with private toilet
■ facilities such as WiFi, washing machine, dryer and ironing
■ near to a subway station
■ preferably in the middle of Seoul/near to attractions

Since I am travelling with just another friend, the budget for accommodation is slightly higher than travelling in a big group.  Plus, we want a room of our own but we do not mind sharing a bathroom, as long as female and male don't use the same one (coz we're just not comfortable with that). We end up choosing Girls' Generation Hostel because it's cheap and only girls are welcomed. *thumbs up* Although it's at 3rd floor, elevator is there and it's near to a few subway stations too. Plus, they provide rice and kimchi for free! 24/7! The only thing I would like to complaint is they have a pet.. A small, white, fluffy dog~ Unfortunately for me, I am scared of dog.. I just froze in front of ANY dog.

The table below is what I had summarized so far. The price may change (last update on December 2014), so be sure to check their website. You can get a rough idea how cheap or expensive a guesthouse is, then you can go to their website to see for yourself the room or the rates for other rooms. This list does not include ALL guesthouses in Seoul, though.

* If you see in the 'Comments' column below, Hanok means the traditional Korean house where you have to sleep on the floor.
* WM = washing machine
* P = private, ensuite
* S = shared
* I didn't write down all the facilities. Just the one that's important to me.

I don't know if my list would make sense to you, so if you have any question, feel free to leave me a comment. Also, this is the link for you to see where the location of the guesthouses and major attractions.

NAME	ROOMS	BATH	RATES/ROOM (KRW)	Comments
Alpha Guest House	Twin Double Double	S S P	42,000 45,000 (Fri,Sat) 42,000 45,000(Fri,Sat) 55,000 65,000 (Fri,Sat)
Anguk Guest House	Double Twin	P P	60,000 78,000 (Fri,Sat) 70,000 91,000 (Fri,Sat)	Modern Hanok Sleep on bed Near subway
Ann Guest House	Dorm	S	20,000/person
Apple Backpackers	Double	P	55,000	300m to subway *washing machine (WM) w/ dryer Baggage storage Common kitchen
Backpackers INSIDE	Budget Standard Double w kitc	S S P	44,000 50,000 55,000	Quite far from subway WM w/ dryer Iron Self-service bar Common kitchen
Banana Backpackers	Double	P	55,000
Bangrang Hostel	Double Double Twin	P S S	55,000 45,000 50,000	Near subway WM Hair dryer Iron Baggage storage Common kitchen
Beewon Guesthouse	Bunk Double Twin Ondol	P P P P	45,000 45,000 50,000 50,000	Near subway Near palace area WM
Bukchon Korean Traditional House 1	Twin Double	S P	70,000 80,000 (Fri,Sat) 90,000 100,000 (Fri,Sat)	WM Hair dryer
Bukchon Korean Traditional House 2	Double A Double B	P P	90,000 100,000 (Fri,Sat) 90,000 100,000 (Fri,Sat)	WM Hair dryer
Doo Hanok Bukchon 1	Semi double Double	S S	60,000 80,000	500m from subway Aircon/heater Hair dryer
Eugene’s House	Double/Twin Big Twin	P P	100,000 140,000	Hanok
Girls Generation Hostel  (Girls only)	Dorm for 2 Dorm for 2 Twin	P S P	45,000 36,000 50,000	Near subway Very narrow room Hair dryer
Golden Pond Guest House	Single Double Twin	P P P	60,000 60,000 60,000	WM w/ dryer Microwave
Guest House 201	Double	S	65,000	Hanok
Guest House 202	Double	S	70,000	Hanok
Guest House Korea	2 beds	?	19,000/person 21,000/person (Sat, Sun)
	Double	?	47,000 50,000 (Sat, Sun)
	Twin	?	47,000 50,000 (Sat, Sun)
HEY Backpackers 1	Twin/Double	S	50,000 55,000 (Fri, Sat)
HEY Backpackers 2	Double Double w kitchen	S P	50,000 55,000 (Fri, Sat) 65,000 70,000 (Fri, Sat)
Hi Guest House	Twin special Twin	S S	60,000 55,000
Hongdae Guest House	Double	P	100,000
Hongsi Guest House	2 beds (F/M)	S	70,000
Hostel Korea 11th	Twin	P	90,000
INES INN	2 beds	P	25,000/person	M’sian owner Itaewon
J-Guest House	Double/Twin Triple (2)	P P	60,000 70,000
JIN Guest House	Twin	S	54,000
Khaosan-Seoul	Twin/Double	P	60,000
Kimchee Guesthouse -Gyeongbukgong	Double Twin	P P	55,000 60,000	Luggage storage Laundry charged
Kimchee Guesthouse -Gangnam	Twin	P	60,000	Breakfast inc
Kimchee Guesthouse -Sinchon	Twin	S	50,000
Kimchee Guesthouse -Hongdae	Double Twin	S S	50,000 50,000
Kimchee Guesthouse -Dongdaemun	Double Twin	P P	55,000 55,000	Luggage storage Laundry charged Rooftop cafe
Kimchee Guesthouse -Dongdaemun 2	Double Twin	P P	60,000 60,000
Kimchee Guesthouse -Seoul St	Double Twin	P P	55,000 55,000	Luggage storage Laundry charged
Lee & No Guest House	Twin Double	S S	55,000 55,000	Microwave Breakfast inc
M’sian Homestay	2 beds	?	50,000	Malaysian owner Gangnam
Mama Guest House	Single Twin	? ?	30,500 35,000	Narrow room
Seoul Myeongdong Guest House	Double Twin	S S	55,000 55,000
Myeongdong Guesthouse	Double Twin Ondol	P P P	50,000 60,000 55,000	Hair dryer
Namsan Guesthouse 1	Double Twin Dorm	P P P	55,000 55,000 65,000	WiFi Egg Free b/fast WM
Namsan Guesthouse 2	Twin A Twin B	P P	60,000 65,000	Nice outdoor
Namsan Guesthouse 3	Twin	P	65,000	Rooftop area
Namsan Guesthouse 4	Double Twin VIP 3 Dorm	P P P S	70,000 70,000 60,000 30,000/person
Namsan Guesthouse 5	Double Twin	P P	65,000 65,000	Interesting dorm
Namu Guest House	Double B Twin C Double D	S S S	70,000 65,000 70,000
Seoul I Guesthouse	Twin	S	50,000
Seoul MyeongDong House	Twin/Double	S	55,000
Studio 41st	Double/Twin	P	90,000 @ 100,000
Tea Guest House 2	Double	P	80,000	w/ kitchen
Traveler’s A Hostel	Double/Twin	P	50,000	Hair dryer Laundry charged Fridge in room Need to take stairs w/ luggage
Windroad	Double	S	19,000	Review: dirty w/ bar
Yun Guest House	Double/Twin	?	50,000	Hair dryer