Life Update 2022

The past 2 years have been both unexpected and incredible for all of us. I mean, what a time to be alive!

Personally, year 2020 and 2021 was a also a sort of reset for my life. I took on a challenges and conquered fears, made new friends and reconnected with old ones, said a temporary goodbye and welcomed a new group into my Kpop loving heart. And because I never got around to tell stories for the past 2 years, here are some highlights from those years that I wanna remember forever through this blog.

WINNER Cross Tour in Manila

The last time I came gushing over WINNER was me waiting for 3 more days before the Cross Tour and yes ladies and gentlemen I had the best time of my life last January 25, 2020. The music was through a live band, the stage design obviously improved and well, the performances were top notch, Winner-only level. Grabe! We were up on our feet majority of the time dancing and singing along – the best 3 hours! Worth every penny 🙂

Looking back we were really really lucky to get to attend this concert because the next day, news of the first ever Covid case in the Philippines was all over the news. Even luckier was that even though we were coming to Manila from Dumaguete in the morning of Jan. 25, my matipid self booked us Cebu Pacific tickets instead of PAL (the carrier the Covid patient chose). Winner only had one other concert after this and cancelled all others after including their Seoul Encore & eventually became the first group to have an online concert (for free!) via VLive. The hyungs enlisted to the military in April 2020 after releasing their last album and Winner officially went on hiatus while Yoon & Mino focused on solo promotions.

I never once thought that I would be the kind of fan girl to collect albums but I guess 2020’s travel restrictions made me cope by buying albums of artists I really like. I started with “Page” (Yoon’s solo) and here I am still collecting (very sparingly I might add) until I can cure this Korea travel itch by actually flying to Seoul again.

The hyungs were discharged from military duty January 2022 and has been very much active releasing all sorts of content (esp. Aru’s tiktok), doing fan meets & variety shows but still no new album yet. Still patiently waiting though cause I’m sure I’d be buying 2 versions and 4 digipacks if this comeback materializes! 😀

Update: WINNER released their Holiday Album July 5, 2022 & yes oh yes I bought 2 photobook versions & 4 digipacks! lol

Museum “Gala” with Norman

You always have that one person in your college friendship circle who’s always too busy to hangout and one you have not talked to in a million years. Through the many things that happened since October 2011, most of us in that barkada have not really spent time with Norman to just hangout and catch up. We might have been too busy with life or our schedules never aligned before but finally after the concert, we made it to Pinto Museum to catch up on almost 9 years worth of stories.

I’m really glad we did because there’s been a lot of things to share and understand about each other. By 2021, with Covid making work-from-home arrangements possible, we actually had more chances to meet and spend a few days of vacation together.

Lockdown Stories

April 1 2020. That day when all of Dumaguete stood still. Everyone except very few essential workers were allowed to go out of their homes to work. Unfortunately for my anxious self, I had to report to work to keep our financial operations up and running. We had to collect all that we can and save wherever possible. Those were really stressful times. Mini panic attacks woke me up from sleep. I was restless, most of the time my heart & mind racing. Losing control over my plans, not being able to travel to Japan and Taiwan when I spent money, processed my visa and even planned my outfits for the trip, made me feel lost. I cope with stress by travelling and taking my mind off work but now stress just keeps on piling and were told to just stay put and WAIT. To stay safe we need to limit social interactions – no dinner with friends or a weekend w/ my cats and family or a quick beach trip. I guess we all felt this at some point – trapped with no end in view.

There was a lot to learn from this global pandemic. Personally, it taught me how I should prioritize my peace over anything. There are a lot of things that asks for our attention but it will never be selfish to give time to properly process our thoughts and emotions. Sometimes the work that sustains us financially will crush our spirits little by little if we let it BUT we were never defined by our Job anyway so its okay to let go and step back from time to time.

Treasure Debut & More of K-pop

What made me survive this pandemic without losing my mind? It’s K-pop for sure.

Lockdown started and Winner was on hiatus while iKON faced so much uncertainty after BI left. YG was a mess. But after so much delays, the Treasure boys were finally officially launched August 7, 2020! Oh the laughter and “so-cute” moments with Treasure. They give off so much positive energy and gives me reason to look forward to certain days – T-Map, Web Drama, Comeback – they kept this noona’s mind off Covid. They made my days bearable with their youthful music & inspire me to work as hard as the effort they put into their dreams.

I don’t know much about Got7 before but 2020 lead me to Jackson & Bambam’s Real Men episodes & all its hilariousness. I started watching their hardcarry episodes, drowned in all their crazy content & fell in love with the group. I cried when I thought they were disbanding only to comeback with Encore & now, Nanana. I’m so proud of Leader JayB (the sexy-cute cat-lover best friend I wish I have LOL) and the different directions the members are taking esp. Jinyoung who’s now working hard as an actor. They took on big risks for their careers and actually inspired me to take on something new for myself as well.

Enrolled myself in MBA

With lockdown came repetitive days – an endless loop with slim chances for variation or things to look forward to. After ending a relationship of more than 6 years in the 1st week of August, I figured I needed something to do to keep me busy and productive. I was bored from always being at home & I wanted to make something meaningful out of the time I have, now that I don’t have to worry about a cheating ex-boyfriend. Since I work in a University, I have the opportunity to enroll in the Masters program on a discount so I figured why not spend my Saturdays learning new things.

The MBA program introduced me to new people and professors from whom i have learned a lot. It made me busy on Saturdays & now without me noticing I’m finally on my last requirement before graduation!

Came home to Siquijor for Christmas

FINALLY!

Missing Christmas with family in 2020 made me realize how precious those 2 weeks mean to me. Ever since graduation I’ve been blessed to work for companies who give 2 weeks of straight vacation pre-Christmas til after New Year so I always look forward to a full rest every end of the year.

December 2021 proved to be kinder to us working far from home and IATF finally lift travel restrictions & allowed us to come home minus the RTCPR test! I admit – I didn’t do much during those 2 weeks but I guess this introvert’s true rest will always be books + movies/k-drama + home LOL

I just really hope things continue to get better!

Winner “The Circle” & iKON “Flashback” 2022

What to do when you can’t physically attend concerts? Attend online ones complete with lightsticks and your concert buddies!

WINNER’s hyung line Hoony & Jinu are finally back after serving the military! What a good way to welcome 2022! Being my ultimate group in the many groups I like as a multistan this is such a big deal. So big that I decided to book tickets for their comeback concert “The Circle” and invited Kyle & Abigail to join me too (& my new k-pop loving friend Ma’am Rona). Even my Cebu friends Jing & Wendy watched it too and I tell you it was the most sulit pesos I spent in a long time.

The setlist was so jampacked and the individual stages so well-thought of I couldn’t be more proud to call myself their fan. Their live vocals on point, stage presence eye-catching & fan service beyond what any other idol has done esp. Hoony who would come closer to the audience and interact. I just missed them so much! I just wish I was there listening live because I know I’ll be blown away again by how talented they are.

That ticket also came with 2 replay access which of course I enjoyed. I watched the concert again solo on my bedroom with lights out and only my lightstick blinking. It was the BEST still!

Because of Kyle, I was introduced to new friends who also enjoy K-pop & luckily they invited us to free concert viewing for their fave group iKON. I also like iKON and I’m excited seeing them perform again after all those drama from 2019. It was night of feeling sentimental (because I clearly miss Hanbin) and FUN – if there’s one thing iKON do so well, it’s to deliver YG flavored bops while enjoying on-stage.

Thank you technology for bringing our faves closer!

Things I Look Forward to

The world is slowly opening up again and with more relaxed rules came……CONCERTS!

Oh the this fan girl and her marupok heart! I am finally counting down days until I see Treasure!!! Although, only 10 members will be attending due to Mashiho and Yedam’s hiatus, I am still so excited to see my fave 0104 squad especially my baby Woo ❤ What more? That same concert (K-Pop Masterz in Manila – July 29, 2022) will also include Jackson and BamBam from Got7. Seriously, it’s the reunion of k-pop groups that saved me and my crappy 2020.

This Tita also made that impulsive decision to purchase airline tickets for Super Junior’s SS9 in Manila in August 6 (concert ticketing is tomorrow noon!!!! waaa!!!). This just means I’ll be Manila for 2 consecutive weekends becase I’m crazy like that and because YOLO! hahaha

I also have tickets and plans already for my Subic- Baguio trip come August 19-22, my first official ‘gala” after almost 3 years! For my 32nd birthday (puhon-puhon), I plan to treat my parents to a staycation in Bohol 3 years after our last travel together in 2019. Hopefully the brother will also sponsor some *wink wink*

And of course, because I’m really such a tita, Wylen, Franie, Kyle & I will be watchinh Westlife Live in February 2023. Got them air & concert tickets secured too! Waaaaa! I’m finally beginning to feel like myself again. That lady who has her calendar packed with plans for trips & treats. I just really really hope air travel would be possible for me soon because I’m just want to fly back to South Korea again soon or visit Karl in the US!

Cheers to better days ahead! xx

How K-pop Saved my 2020

Just yesterday, while chatting with friends on our K-pop chat group, I realized we have this common experience of parents, love ones and friends questioning our life choices LOL. I mean how can you not if you only know K-pop as a childish pop genre or a big industry of manufactured idols and persona generating revenue from mostly teens through kitschy merchandise and events.

As an adult woman in her 30’s I understand how most don’t understand why I would invest a huge chunk of my time listening to music in a language I don’t speak. And to think that I am now stanning a group of teens and early 20’s boys could be questionable. BUT! Have you ever felt literally saved by music?

I felt this the strongest when 2020 came. Covid-19 locked us in. I can’t go travel to ease the pressure of life & work. Work was SO STRESSFUL to the point where I don’t want to connect to the internet anymore and receive messages or calls. My 6-year relationship ended with a betrayal. I’m far from family and only saw pictures of them during important occasions. Living was hard.

To be honest, I might have been slowly slipping into depression. I had no motivation at all – I didn’t have the energy or the will to wake up each morning and face a new day. To me, everything was just an endless cycle – repetitive days of just existing and not really living. Then I stumbled upon that one funny video of Jackson and Bambam (Got7) from Real Men.

I knew Got7 from before but I never really seriously followed their content. I even almost went to their Keep Spinning Tour in 2019 had someone else from my friends came with me lol but because I didn’t I mostly just casually listened to some of their music I liked but never invested emotions. What happened after that recommended video was me watching the entire run of Real Men w/ Jackson & Bambam and me watching variety shows and I think majority (if not all) of Got7’s youtube content.

I really liked how they are as a team – loud and funny and oh so talented. From JackBam, I developed this liking to my fave – JB! I watched him before in “Hyena on the Keyboard” and developing a liking to Got7 only increased my respect for this man who works so hard for his team. In a way, Got7 gave a reason to feel excited again and look forward to rewarding evenings of fangirling. Learning about how much they endured inspired me to work hard and make new goals for myself. There was JB working hard to keep their team intact, looking into contracts he barely understands and trying his best to get them copyrights & trademarks – a broken but hardwoking Darlene shouldn’t be wasting her life and do something productive also! If not for that funny youtube video I don’t even know how I could have survived 2020.

2020 was also about another group I like so much – TREASURE!!

My 12 babies who waited long before YG decided to debut them in the midst of a global pandemic. These boys are so funny, chaotic and talented. they are going into their 2nd anniversary this August and I couldn’t be more proud, Their youtube content got me hooked – TMap literally made me look forward to Fridays! They are like my little treats, something to motivate me to work until Friday as silly as that sound lol. And their music…. sometimes fun, sometimes mellow with meaningful lyrics, oftentimes happy and lifts my mood 🙂

You see, K-pop is more than music for me. It was once a way for me to LIVE.

Do you listen to k-pop too? What groups do you like?

Siquijor – my island home

I’m finally writing about my favorite place in the world!

This pandemic has prevented a lot of plans from happening but there isn’t anything more frustrating than my inability to come home. It is very quiet as I am writing this and I feel at ease thinking about the leaps the world is taking to come to terms and live with Covid 19. Its been almost 8 months since I last visited the island, Summer has come and gone, the Rainy season pronouncing its arrival with heavy rains and thunder but I will always think of Siquijor as a beacon of sunshine – nothing else but happiness.

You see, no matter where I am, where I’ve been or where I want to go, there is no other place in the world that could give me such comfort and true rest than my beloved island province. Since this heart’s been longing for home (and the many home-cooked meals I dearly miss), here are the things I love and miss about SIQUIJOR.

1. Family

This is literally the last time the 4 of us are complete. We attended the wedding of my cousin in Cebu City (the very last travel I did outside Negros Oriental before the lockdown also) and had a few shots taken for souvenir. Who knew we won’t be seeing each other for this long? I normally come home for holy week (that trip was cancelled) or our annual fiesta (happening in less than a month but it seems I’ll be absent still) but this pandemic had taken much of my family time. Here’s to hoping I can come home SAFELY soon and see my fam again 💛

2. The Beach

Oh the beach! How I miss the sand in my toes, sunshine on my skin and salt water embracing me in comfort. I miss lazy afternoons spent staring blankly at the horizon with the wind blowing softly and waves crashing again and again into the shore. Or those early mornings spent with cousins looking for shells/food in the shallow waters during lowtide. To be in Siquijor means to live close to the water, having most celebrations of all kinds and reasons held beach-side. Oh , how I miss the sea!

These were taken in Tulapos Marine Sanctuary – a not so common activity among tourists but a very memorable one for me. The clams were unbelievably huge and deadly – the accidental cut on one tourist’s foot that day was terrifying enough to remind us that keeping a safe distance is an advice we must seriously take.

3. The Tour with Friends

We usually take our friends around the island as a complimentary service to their visits. I miss inviting my friends over the weekend, visiting friends in the island and just enjoying a day tour in wherever destination our time permits. Looking back, it was such a luxury we all took forgranted. The time spent with friends, maskless and laughing freely, sharing food, drinks and stories remain to be something I long to do the most.

When all of this is over, I look forward to creating a virtual tour of all the must visits in the island. Until then, stay safe and healthy!

Xx

Late Night Thoughts 05.12.2020

Do you dread your social media notifications? Or is it just my anxious self?

I never intended to make a permanent record of what I’ve been thinking or feeling lately but I felt like the very reason for the existence of this online journal would be defeated if I only choose the seemingly “blessed and happy” life to be published.

Honestly, I have this unexplainable, unfounded anxiety or fear whenever I turn on my mobile data and hear pings from apps. It isn’t so much as the fear of missing out but more on the fear of what worse could be happening. I feel like being on an extended quarantine cut off my ways to cope with stress – meeting friends and talking about things that bother me over a meal, a few hours singing my heart out in a Karaoke or a short trip away from the city. Seeing only very few people, having repetitive routines day to day, work stress, missing my home and family, and the uncertainty of the future turned me into an emotional overthinking mess.

These days I feel like there is too much noise in the world. Everybody has an opinion about everything! And whilst I cannot yet get away for a day or two to a quiet beach, I think a few days or weeks away from all social media apps would actually do me good.

So, why write this incoherent rambling here? Who knows?

XX

A Ripple of Kindness

A ripple of kindness in the midst of a pandemic. Idealistic but not impossible.

The tendency for self preservation is an automatic reaction embedded in our genes. The animal kingdom teaches us that the strong prey on the weak and the fittest survive. In our desire to keep ourselves safe, we don’t mind taking much more than we need (just in case) or using influence to get ourselves tested (just in case) when those who badly need it had to be in line, at least here in the Philippines.

But haven’t we learned anything from the great book of life? “Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it. ” In this time of crisis, the virus won’t easily kill us, it is our selfishness that will. Too selfish to share and letting others suffer in hunger as a result of poor food supply, high prices or inability to make money. Too afraid to run out of mask, alcohol, rice and toilet paper leaving others with no other choice but to face a battle defenseless and fearful.

They say sympathy isn’t necessarily a good thing. It is feeling sorry for others who are in worse situations than you and unknowingly feeling good about yourself. These days, we don’t need selfishness nor sympathy – we need action!

I feel guilty that I couldn’t do anything with much impact or be as productive as others while on community quarantine. I feel guilty that I only want to stare blankly at space or watch a drama or sleep. But I guess that’s just how I am and how I cope. These days I feel like I’ve been more prone to explode in a rage or cry over little things. I’ve become too sensitive and I have to literally drag myself out of bed. I’m uninspired! And anxious, fearful, worried – all those negative emotions coming out ugly all at the same time. Hay! What a time to be alive!

This fear is the reason why I applaud our frontliners – people who are willing to work despite fearing for their own lives to serve others. Thank you our dear medical personnel, supermarket staff, bankers, delivery guys, wet market vendors, pharmacist and many many others!

Though we may think that we are not doing enough, may we appreciate the effect of keeping away from others. This is the least we can do for others and ourselves. This is simplest act of kindness we long to ripple through.

Keep safe!

Camping under the Stars – Don Salvador Benedicto

When was the last time you tried seeing the stars?

Have you noticed how your days seem to be duplicates of each other? Waking up at the same time each day, going to work, answering emails, scrolling through people’s social media posts on breaks, calling it a day then rushing on our commute, going home relieved only to repeat it all over again the next day? The monotonous routine of an office worker’s life like mine is a dreadful cycle. Once in a while, I crave for a quiet moment in nature to inspire me, thus this trip.

In time for my 27th birthday, my friends and I decided to go on a short trip to Don Salvador Benedicto, Negros Occidental. We planned to do a simple camping under the stars and trekking to see the nearby waterfalls. Just a break we all needed.

Simple as it was, it remains my favorite trip in the Philippines so far!

Coming from Dumaguete, we took a 4-hour Ceres bus ride to San Carlos City. Since we were planning to cook our own meal like true campers, we bought our necessities at City Mall – rice, meat for grilling, hotdogs, drinks & wine, chips & chocolates, marshmallows (smores + bonfire is as cliche as ever) and even breakfast food. We then took another bus to Murcia. Our destination is just along the highway.

We stayed at Jomax Peak, a simple highland resort with overlooking view of the mountains, a sea of clouds and the majestic Mt. Kanlaon. It was amazing! The temperature was cool, the sky is so clear and scattered with stars and the company was great. The BEST.

We rented out tents for our accommodation and did a small bonfire. The staff, seeing that we bought our own supplies, also kindly cooked for us for a minimal fee. It was an amazing feeling to be sharing stories with people that matter, sipping cheap wine but feeling rich.

The next day, we hired a local guide to guide us to Malatan-og Falls. It was about an hour’s trek from our accommodation. If you plan to do this, remember to bring waterproof shoes with a good grip since slippers can be tricky given the trail.

We spent little to enjoy a little break but the memories were priceless ❤

Photo credits to mt friends Franie, Kuya Farley & Wendy ❤

The Best of Palawan – El Nido

There is something about Palawan that makes you automatically think about soft waves crashing, karst islands in turquoise water and teeming wildlife among colorful corals. Are you hearing the ocean? Is your imagination fired up now?

I have been to Puerto Prinsesa and Coron before and I thought El Nido would be a pricier identical twin. No one prepared me for this mind-blowing beauty!

 

To get here (the economical way), fly in through Puerto Prinsesa and take a 5-hour van ride to El Nido. If you have money to spare though, you can book a direct flight with Air Swift for convenience.

There are a lot of accommodation options available for you whether you prefer exclusive resorts with villas over water or is a budget traveler looking for a decent place to stay. I was travelling with 4 other friends and we got a  simple but clean hostel just a few meters from the beach front. As simple as it was, waking up to see karst islands in front of you is overwhelming!

We booked 2 days of island hopping, ate seafood in almost every meal and had best time of our lives! The beauty underneath El Nido’s emerald waters is beyond anything I have ever seen prior. The corals are alive, the fishes teeming and wherever you look, there isn’t any bad angle for a photo.

Experiencing the beauty of Philippines’ last frontier, I have never felt so lucky to call Pinas my home! XX

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Photo credits to my friends Franie, Kyle and Kuya Farley ❤

Gigantes Island: BIG on Beauty

NO filter beauty

Summer 2017 was that time I converted a friend into a budget traveler. What better way to introduce him to the budget-wise wanderer’s life than being in a seafood-filled, sunset-bathed island in the most affordable destination I have ever been.

Say Hello to Gigantes Island! Honestly, we’ve been spoiled rotten with the freshest sweetest scallops, “wasay-wasay” and fish that I thought none of these in the city will ever be good enough for me. And the sunset – oh the sunset – the most beautiful pastel colored sky I have ever seen in this lifetime. I kid you not, the blazing red sun is one you should never miss out while you’re here.

There is no direct flight to Gigantes island. We booked flights from Cebu to Roxas City, Capiz and took the Ceres Bus to Carles, Iloilo. There we rented out an entire “kubo” or native hut good for 10 people (though we were just 6) and paid 1500 per night. What a steal right?

For the island hopping tour, I coordinated with the place we were staying at and one of the staff arranged a small boat for us to rent the next day. That cost around 1,700 to 2,000. Still pretty cheap considering we visited 5 places. Lunch was purchased in one of the islands and for only P100 we got 100 pieces fresh and live scallops. The best! We got 1 heaping serving of wasay wasay (Looks like big mussels) for P200 and grilled fresh fish for P200. The best 500 peso meal of my life! Bonus: we had so much scallops we even had them til dinner. Talk about bang for your buck.

Scallops galore~

You see, everything we spent here was divided into 6 people and among us, we only spent less than 1,000 pesos each for the whole experience – including transportation, stay and food. AMAZING.

What are you waiting for? Even the cheapest of us will agree this is the MOST you can get for the LEAST moolah 🙂

 

WINNER and this Inseo

All smiles with Inseo friends Kyle & Abigail while lining up for Everywhere Tour – Nov 2018

 

3 more days! 3 more days to finish work (and work real hard to catch all deadlines) and I’ll finally live with a happy Innercircle’s heart!

Winner from afar

..still makes my heart flutter ❤

Mino-ya! Bias love ❤

Concert encore

Distance does not even matter!

 

WINNER, the K-Pop Boyband that I dearly stan will be coming to Manila this January 25 for their 2nd Concert. The Cross Tour will also be my second time to see them perform live having attended the previous Everywhere Tour last November 2018. I couldn’t be any happier! As in hearts in my eyes happy 🙂

 

Can’t you tell were ecstatic?

Excited is an understatement!

 

I know I seem like an eager teen fangirling over a Kpop BB at almost 30 years old (I’m 31 now in Korean age lol) but really, attending a Kpop concert is one of the most positive experience one can ever experience. I know it seems shallow and the peak of commercialism but my heart swells with so much joy seeing them live – even from afar!

My first ever Inseobong!!

Unofficial lightstick

Testing out my Inseobong – FINALLY!

 

Last November 2019, this fangirl went to YG Place in Lotte Young Plaza Myeongdong because I wanted to buy WINNER’s lightstick for myself and two of my closest friends who are Inseos (WINNER Fans) too. I braved the cold negative 2 weather and dragged/forced the friends I’m travelling with to come with me haha! We got lost after but I was too happy I didn’t even care.

 

Posing by Winner Wall in Lotte Young Plaza

..and tried not to feel too self conscious about it!

Looking too excited to care in YG Place

Winner Merch..

..take all my money!

Ngiting tagumpay! Freezing but not bothered coz I finally got what I came to Korea for

 

Purchasing tickets is also an adventure in itself. December 29 was the official ticketing date and luckily I was back in Dumaguete from Dec 27 to attend our college reunion. Living in Siquijor means poor internet connection and getting tickets would require you atleast 3 things: fast hands, reliable internet and a good credit limit in your card! We needed to queue online and make fast decisions to complete the transaction within the alloted 10 minute window! Wew! Got our desired seats after getting one transaction error! Cost of the same seat area we had in 2018 more than doubled but this fangirl is still the happiest! This is my personal Christmas gift 🙂

There wasn’t any seat sale that covered our plane tickets to and fro Manila from Dumaguete and we ended spending more than our concert tickets. The reality of living away form MOA 😦 Money well spent though. All for WINNER haha!

And then here comes me, waiting for 3 more days, writing my feels because I’m so excited to shout my fangirl’s heart out. Got our concert shirts ready, lightsticks tested & packed, flights checked in & boarding passes ready, accommodation booked and Cross Tour setlist on repeat. Saturday come faster already!

My Korean Heart

Hallyu or the Korean wave is known as the spread of Korean culture and products (food, make-up, fashion and music) all over the world. I first fell in love with Korean culture around 2005 when I started fangirling over Lee Dong Wook, the lead star of my then-favorite K-drama MY GIRL. Since then, I’d been that young high school kid who almost always gets an earful from my parents for staying-up too late to watch Filipino-dubbed K-dramas only to gossip over how cute the lead male is the next day with my friends. I remember Princess Hours, Full House, Lovers in Paris, Endless Love series, Coffee Prince and oddly Attic Cat.

Then came Boys over Flowers – that hit series everyone raved about in College. I spent a lot of money on internet cafes just to watch this drama and admire Lee Min Ho’s beauty! Money well spent if you ask me LOL. It was also around this time that Super Junior’s Sorry Sorry became so popular, almost every dance presentation in school included a cover of their choreography. Then 2ne1 debuted and I became aware of Big Bang’s existence! I confess I was never the biggest fan – buying merchandise or concert tickets or albums or light sticks. I wasn’t even really dreaming about going to Korea to fangirl. After college, I was just listening to K-pop acts I know from college while I move on to a little bit of adulting.

While working in Cebu I became interested in a lot of things – I liked hiking & was constantly walking a mountain somewhere with my friends; I liked fashion and lifestyle blogs (even before it became such a common job as it is now) and would spend at least an hour a day reading write ups from my favorite bloggers (local & international); I was engrossed in American drama series (which seems to never end btw lol) and basically K-Drama and K-pop took on the back seat. Of course I still watched a few notable movies and dramas but I was never really following any particular group or person  anymore.

Then came the decision to move back to Dumaguete City in 2016. 2016 saw a resurgence in Filipinos’ (and my own!) K-drama interest as Goblin, Descendants of the Sun, Scarlet Heart Ryeo, Legend of the Blue Sea and Doctors were released among many many other good ones. Living alone in a dorm, K-dramas became my stress reliever and outlet as I adjusted to my routine in a new job. As a natural progression, I loved their OSTs too and that lead me to artists and groups. I started following a few on Spotify, ended up listening to an entire album or an entire playlist of their most popular songs and eventually I found myself in a rabbit hole of Korean content. K-variety became an alternative night time entertainment and K-beauty dominated by shopping carts.

2018 was the year of answered fan girl prayers. I flew to Korea for the very first time and even attended my very first K-pop concert. No regrets at all. MONEY WELL SPENT 🙂 Winner is a favorite among all the other groups because I find their music mature and quirky enough for me. It’s such a bonus I like their personalities too. Then there’s BTOB, Mamamoo, EXO and Twice that I really wanna see live. Of course the Super Junior, Big Bang and 2ne1 fan girling continues to this day and it’s always my dream to attend even a single concert of theirs too.

And this year, though I failed getting Twice and EXO’s concert tickets (cause SM Tickets is a pain when you’re not living in a major city), or given up on RAMF to see Winner, Mamamoo, and 2ne1’s Bom & Dara or have basically cut-down on k-drama or k-variety consumption, this Korean heart of mine is excitedly looking forward to my November trip back to Seoul! Plus I’m diligently learning Korean reading, writing, conversational phrases and simple sentence construction so I can communicate better online (hello fan comments in Hangeul) and offline (Eolmayeyo? come in handy anywhere! haha). The dedication! haha

Thinking of injecting a little Korean content in this blog. What do you think? 🙂