HALO-HALO

My mind is all jumbled up with thoughts now, but let me first greet everyone warmly with KURISUMASU OMEDETOU! Merry Christmas! I hope that in this season of giving and merrymaking, we won’t forget that the real reason for CHRISTmas is to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Today we remember the greatness of His love and we rejoice for He is God and He is alive. ^_________^

Well a few days ago, I went to Butuan City for the first time. I went with Hya to visit her family and to see the sights, although there really isn’t much to see. ^^`` I felt very happy because everyone welcomed me warmly. They made me eat a lot [LOL], took me to places, introduced me to people, and basically made me feel very relaxed and comfortable. I also enjoyed sharing secrets and burning CDs with Hya [hehe] and had lots of fun running after Hya’s nephews and nieces, meeting new friends and having new memories and experiences. Oh yah, they took me to a disco place! Hahaha. And it was fun because three of our classmates and Hya’s best friend also joined us. I realized though, after five minutes in the dance floor, that I CAN’T dance. LOL I guess I was really born with two left feet. Tonikaku, I felt very happy during my three-day stay in Butuan. THANKS SO MUCH HYA and TO YOUR FAMILY!! ^__^v

So now that I’m back home and yessss, I’m on OFFICIAL BREAK FROM SCHOOL (HA.HA.HA. – it feels so so so good to say that out loud! ^o^), I’m gonna devote a major part of my time watching the many series and many many many movies that I’ve been forced to set aside because of school. Err, well, a major part of my time should also be spent studying for the week-long exams that have already been scheduled once classes resume.. [makes face] .. but I don’t wanna think about that now, ehehe ^^`` Well, here are my mini-reviews of what I’ve watched lately….

HOW TO KEEP MY LOVE (Kim Jung Eun, Kim Sang Kyung)
“Beautiful women may make men swoon, and other women tremble at this,
But true love always keeps the faith.”
This is Kim Jung Eun’s latest movie. I don’t know if she did this before or after PARI. But it’s a heartwarming story about a 29 year-old woman named Hyeon Ju whose love life was “challenged” when her long time boyfriend, So Hoon, caught the attention and affection of a pretty and popular actress. Hyeon Ju, feeling insecure, tries various ways to hold on to her boyfriend, but it was only when she learned to trust in their relationship and believe in herself that she became a stronger and better person, and a more fitting partner for So Hoon. It was actually a nice story, it kinda reminds me of The Runaway Bride. I really think that it is important that we define our own individualities and learn to stand on our own first before we decide to “fall” in love and become dependent on someone else. (Yessss, more words of wisdom from someone who doesn’t know any better about romantic relationships, LOL ^o^) Anyway, SPOILER ALERT!! The most touching part of the movie was when So Hoon confronted the actress in the end.
Actress (forgot her name!): Did you ever hesitate because of me? Even once?
So Hoon: No.. I was scared…
Actress: of Hyeon Ju?
So Hoon: of losing her…
I cried from that part on till the end of the movie. I thought that it was really sweet how true love triumphed in the end. I’ve read a review which said that this movie gave a more conclusive and more fulfilling ending than PARI. I kinda agree with that, but I really don’t want to compare. I like this movie as it is and I like PARI as it is. ^o^

HE WAS COOL (Song Seung Hun, Jung Da Bin)
“True love requires no words…”
I was really surprised when Trina instantly became a SSH-ultimate fan after this movie. Song Seung Hun is just OK for me, I’ve never really liked his “malagkit” hairstyle and “sad” looks. ^^`` But my jaw really dropped (I had to pick it up, LOL) when I saw him here! WHAT HAPPENED TO HIS FACE!? WHEN DID HE BECOME THAT KAKKOI!?! [drools] He’s really so damn good looking in this movie!!! ^___^ Storywise, it was a sweet romantic comedy about a tough bully feeling love for the first time, and SSH really looked so cute trying to act all tough and all soft at the same time. All throughout the movie, I just felt a natural kind of high for him. Jung Da Bin was also cute in this movie. Lucky her, she got to kiss him.. wehehe ^^`` I also cried a bit at the part where Da Bin gets her birthday puresento which SSH worked so hard for, and then when she opens it, she sees the sketch he made of her. It didn’t look anything like her, but it’s really the thought that counts. ^____^ It has a sweet ending too, especially when SSH says “True love requires no words…” – KAKKOI!!! ^____^ He really looks so so yummy here… LOL

TAEGUKGI (Jang Dong Gun, Won Bin, Lee Eun Joo)
I watched this movie three weeks ago and already started to write about it, but wasn’t able to post that entry. Anyway, Taegukgi is perhaps the most popular Korean movie for the year 2004. The big names in the cast, plus a renowned director (Kang Je Gyu) and a heavy story is enough to make this a box office blockbuster. Set in the 1950s, Taegukgi tells the fate of two brothers forced to fight during the Korean War. While watching the movie, the very first thing that crossed my mind was that Jang Dong Gun is too good looking to be shining shoes. LOL But seriously, both Jang Dong Gun and Won Bin gave very extraordinary performance in this movie. And they did a splendid job of depicting the bitterness and hardships of war. In my mind I kept screaming, “PLEASE MAKE THE WAR STOP!” over and over as I see the soldiers suffering, being blown off or struck to their deaths. Let this be a lesson for all of us to love and understand each other, to make peace and not war. After two and a half hours, I felt so emotionally drained that I couldn’t even move from my seat. I just cried until the credits finished rolling (and by the way, the movie has really striking background music). In addition, Lee Eun Joo was also wonderful in this movie. The simplicity of her character makes her so beautiful. I’ve already watched parts of Firebird, and I must say I find her one of the most beautiful and talented Korean actresses. ^o^ Overall, this movie is a masterpiece, a must-see for every Korean and for everyone else who appreciates the true value of life and family.

STAR NO KOI (Kusanagi Tsuyoshi, Fujiwara Norika)
“There is a chair here,
And only this chair knows
The love story between two people.”
Hya has lent me this j-dorama quite some time ago, and she was quite excited to let me watch it. She didn't know the names of the cast, so she just kept referring to them as "Dolphy and Jamby" (don't ask! ^O^). Well, I finally got the time to sit and watch "Dolphy and Jamby", and yes, I was pretty amused! Star no Koi is a J-dorama which tells the story of two individuals of different worlds – Nakata Sousuke, an ordinary “salary man” who sells ham, and Kirishima Hikaruko, a confident and famous actress. They were brought together by an unexpected twist of fate and in the process learned more about themselves, about others and about the love that bears and overcomes all things. Although Kusanagi isn't your typical bishie, but he's quite sweet in his own way. He was a natural in his role as Sousuke. And at first I was pretty annoyed at Fujiwara's role, cos she acted like an irresponsible girl who didn't care for the feelings of others, but later on in the story, when she realized how she truly felt for Sousuke, I learned to sympathize with her. I like the flow of the story wherein the girl learned more about the simple but more beautiful things in life, while the guy learned to be stronger and yep, he learned to love. That's just so sweet! ^o^ Two of my most favorite scenes here are #1 - when Sousuke protected Hikaruko from the stalker and, #2 - the chapel scene, where Sousuke finally confessed how he truly felt for Hikaruko... "Boku wa anata no suki da...". [smiles] By the way, besides the sweet and simple love story - which actually kinda reminds me a bit of Notting Hill- I also like the sub-stories and the supporting characters, particularly Sousuke's officemates and Hikaruko's staff. They provided the funny scenes, but at the same time they were also good and supportive friends to the two main characters. ^o^

Now I’m watching STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN, and I’m on episode 7. So far, it has all the elements of a Korean tragic drama. I actually didn’t want to continue after the first disc, since it is too heavy on the heart. I wonder why I’m doing this, afflicting pain on myself. LOL Is a glimpse of Kwon Sang Woo’s face worth all these pain?! (I’m sure Hya will say YES with fervor! LOL She’s self-proclaimed KSW’s wife after all, and after finishing the series, she has been raving on and on how proud she is of her husband. ^o^). A friend texted me to say that GMA will be airing this drama soon, and today, I saw the ad for myself. [makes face, rolls eyes and with all sarcasm screams “YIPEE.”] I won’t be watching a single dubbed version of it, promise. And I think I probably won’t be ranting too much about it either, lest my blog gets bombarded again with requests, hehehe I guess I’m a little “traumatized” now. LOL Joke only. I’ll write more about Stairway when I’m done with the series.

Speaking of tagalized dramas, I really must release all these emotions I have over the tagalized PARI. I was never happy with the dubbed version and the edited background music. Everyone knows that. I’m a big supporter of subtitled animes and TV dramas, although sometimes I also watch Mandarin-dubbed versions. Anyway, I do commend ABSCBN for their good job. I’m sure it must be difficult to come up with good translations and have good timing; it definitely needs a lot of skill. I was even impressed at the part where Ki Joo and Tae Young went to buy a piggy bank, and when Ki Joo calls Tae Young as “ei gi” (is that the right term?), they dubbed it as “baby”. The DVD subs translated it as “honey” but I heard that the more precise translation is “baby” and I would’ve wanted Ki Joo to call her his “baby” (so cute!). So I was happy with that. BUT! BUT! BUT!!! [slams fist on the table] WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT SONG TRANSLATION!?! I was really furious when I saw it! No offense really to whoever made and sang that song, but the original version was way way way way way BETTER! The original Sarang Hae Do Dwel Gga Yo, if people would just care to look at how I have been devotedly promoting it below [points to past blog entries], speaks so much of the emotions Ki Joo has for Tae Young! And MY Park Shin Yang can sing well! In fact, he’s even considering making his own album. Why didn’t they just leave him be and just put subtitles for the song translations!? I don’t understand at all… How can they do that to me.. to MY Park Shin Yang!? Anyway, I furiously walked out of the room when I realized that they have dubbed that piano scene. I’m not watching the tagalized version ever again. Corny as it may sound but I was really disturbed with it. That scene was my most favorite in the series. I don’t want to see or hear any other versions of it.

Anyway, I guess PARI really made it big here, seeing that many people are buying copies of the series for themselves even though it still hasn’t finished its air time. I’ve even seen pirated DVD copies, which are really clear by the way. (sigh) I’m really proud of MY Park Shin Yang and MY Lee Dong Gun but at the same time I don’t want to share them. But let’s face it, they are now national commodities. They will probably be forever known as “Carlo and Martin”, and I hate that. (sigh) Anyway, I will have to set PARI aside and find something new to obsess over (note: I said “set PARI aside”, not my boys, hehehe). And something new to await for is THIS:



MY Lee Dong Gun and Kim Ha Neul in STAINED GLASS!! It’s currently airing in Korea now. I don’t have any feedbacks yet, but who cares!? It’s MY Lee Dong Gun (chokakkoi!!!) and it’s Kim Ha Neul!!! I can’t wait to get my hands on a copy!! ^o^ I also want to watch LOVE STORY IN HARVARD starring Kim Rae Won and Kim Tae Hee. I was able to download a very short clip, but it seems sweet! ^o^



Also, I just want to add that I really love SHINHWA now, especially DONG WAN!! ^o^ I’ve been watching their BRAND NEW music video over and over, and I still think Dong Wan stands out as the one who oozes with extra masculine charm! ^o^ I freak out whenever they take a close up shot of him, hehehe [sheepish] I also like Eric and Shin Hye Sung. Eric looks more and more kakkoi the more I see him in Firebird, and well I didn’t pay attention to Hye Sung when he performed as part of the group S (I was too focused on Lee Ji Hoon), but now that I see him with his original group, I feel very very impressed! But Dong Wan is my most favorite [huggles]. HEAR YE! HEAR YE! Let this declaration be heard that Dong Wan of Shinhwa will be referred to as MY DONG WAN from this day on. Hehehe Actually, I really feel proud of Shinhwa, especially when they took home a lot of awards at the M.NET KM Music Video Festival. They deserve it, they are really good. ^o^

I think that today’s blog entry is way too long already. I MUST stop now. hehehe

REPLY TO BLOG COMMENTS

Hello! I’m sorry it took me this long to reply to the comments on my blog… I have been quite busy lately… ^^``

To ANITA> I already replied to your comments in the commenting section… On an added note, I was able to see a Yurisangja performance on TV. They are really a Korean male duo – I wasn’t able to catch their names though – but they also look good and seem quite popular. Sarang Hae Do Dwel Gga Yo is from their fifth album. I don’t know if the PARI OST will be released in the Philippines, but you can ask friends to burn a copy for you if you want. I’m sure with the popularity of the series, many people already got hold of the OST. ^o^

To PCHAN> Stop “infiltrating” my blog with your Song Seung Hun comments!! ^o^ But in fairness Pchan, he was totally kakkoi in He Was Cool! I was so dumbfounded just looking at him!! I cannot explain how he could look that way – that kakkoi… 0__o
I don’t have any SSH news, but I’ll be sure to update you if I know something!

To EVAREI, CARLA, CATHY, PERSH> Thanks for your comments about my blog and about PARI. I guess a lot of people know now that MY Park Shin Yang and MY Lee Dong Gun are really bishounens (good looking boys). But then that’s an already established fact. ^o^

To BERNIE> Thanks for your comments. Nope, I don’t study in Katipunan.. Where is that?! 0__o

To THEENA, CRISTINA, JENNIFER MEDILO, AILEEN> Much appreciated if you write your fan mail to MY Lee Dong Gun or MY Park Shin Yang, and NOT TO ME... ^^``

To CRAZYCHINA> Sorry, I can't give you his addy... Because you see, if I give you his addy, the you would know where I live. Of course, we live together. He's my husband after all. (I know.. the joke is very lame.. hahaha ^o^)
I don't have his addy. Sorry!

To GRACY and PREPPIE> Whoops! No requesting for synopsis here!! Besides, I don't have any.. hehehe Sorry! I like it better when I watch series for myself than read someone else's interpretation of the series. But anyway, I hope you can find one. Good luck!

To YSABELLE> Umm... Much appreciated if you don't give spoilers in my blog please... ^o^

To KATH> Just copy-paste the "rough" romanization I made of the song (points at the entry below). For the "incomplete rough" translations (points way way below). For "super accurate" lyrics and translations.. ehehehe.. sorry I don't have any! ^^``

To LEI> Hey, that's a good idea.. writing to them.. hehehe (thinks about writing very long snail mail to MY Park Shin Yang and MY Lee Dong Gun.. and then they will reply.. GYAAaHH!! ^O^ I think I will die... LOL) I'll try to look for that, but you can help me too. I think they will like it if we send them our love thru mails. ^o^ I even want to put up a website for them (all my korean boyz), but then I don't have time and I'm terrible with computers... LOL

To MIYAKO-CHAN> I received your email (I found it in the bulk mail also) and will be replying to it soon (maybe later). ACK!! You like ShaoRan too!! (points at Miyako-chan) RIVAAaaaaLLLL!!! LOLz I used to be known (and still claim to be) ShaoRan no Miko. I love that kid so much, he’s just so adorable!!! (hugglez ShaoRan) ^o^

To POLLY, JOANNE> I have a supplier who sells me the VCDs. You can visit the tsinoy.com discussion board to find out more about them. Good luck!

To SHEILA MAY L. CASABUENA> Wow! You really wrote your complete name (kulang na lang ID number! *winks*) Well to answer your questions,
#1. XU as in Xavier U – Yep! Yep! (now everybody knows where to find me! ^o^) Perhaps you’ve seen me around the campus? LOL
#2. Sure, we can be friends… I’m always open to new friends… ^o^

To DENNISE> Gee, thanks! I’m flattered that you actually read my blog entries word for word.. (tries to cover up the typographical errors and the grammatically incorrect sentences.. ^^`` LOL). That part about my friend’s sister saying that MY Park Shin Yang has “banana legs” also got me laughing so hard, and until now we still joke about it. But of course, I love him despite that.. (huggles MY PSY) By the way, contrary to your belief, I am NOT Korean. I am CHINESE living in the Philippines. ^o^ And yep, if God is willing, I will be a doctor a few years from now. ^o^

To MIRA> Thanks for your links and for the willingness to share the OST to everyone else. I’m not very good with the internet so that’s why I cannot do things like that. Terima kasih. ^o^

To TAKZ> Ah.. another Japanese speaking fan… Hajimemashite! Dozo yoroshiku. ^o^ You can download the PARI pics from their official website at SBS. I can’t memorize the addy though. Gomen nasai!!! Sorry... ^^```

To AMBER> Hello!! I’m quite a big fan of Choi Ji Woo and Lee Byung Hun too, especially for their series Beautiful Days. In fact, I even wrote a fan mail to Mr. Lee Byung Hun a couple of months ago (sheepish). I forgot where I got the addy though. Why don’t you try visiting their official websites? I’m sure they would love to receive your mails. Korean actors are very friendly to their fans. Good luck! ^o^

To LYN> I actually don’t have pictures of MY Park Shin Yang with long hair. ^^`` And White Valentine is NOT a recent movie. I think it was filmed a few years back. But you can try checking it out at hancinema.net. Good luck! ^o^

To LIAN> I am at a loss for words when you said I am "great".. Ehek.. I am NOT. (embarrassed ^^``) But thanks anyway! Why don't you burn a copy of the soundtrack for yourself? And, if you like that episode where MY PSY plays the piano, you can burn that episode too... hehehe

To Anonymous> Finally.. someone who criticizes my romanization... ^o^ Close enough? YEY!!! THANKS!!! ^o^

Okay.. that’s all for now. (waves to “fans”.. JOKE! ^o^) I hope I have helped you guys in some ways. I hope I didn't miss out on anyone. I’ll write more later. Ja mata ne!! ^_____________^ And have a MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!