Fangirl Day! January 7, 2011

Last Dec. 29, I went to my first ever Kpop convention.  I think this is the second or third time (?) it’s being held in Manila but I wasn’t able to attend the previous ones.  I was really excited to go because as big as this hallyu wave may seem, there’s really not much merchandise that you can easily get here and that’s what I was really looking forward too.

I went with my sister and my friend Ava–who confirmed her attendance with me more than a month in advance and who also came despite being slightly sick….awwww, kamsahamnida!  And once we arrived we met up with my friend from work Mere–a huge Big Bang fan.  I must say that I do admire her influencing skills because I’ve already started listening and becoming a fan of Big Bang as well!  (But the dillema still remains: GD or Top???)

There was already a line snaking around the entrance of the Megatrade Hall when we got there and an excited mood in the air.  As soon as we entered, our sense of sight & hearing were assaulted–to the right is the stage where they were holding dance presentations and to the left are the many tables selling Kpop goodies.  Everyone kept floating in and out of the many booths.  They were selling cds (regular and special editions), dvds (concerts & live performances plus special boxed sets), tshirts, hats, pins, magazines, banners, ID tags/necklaces, bracelets, photo books, posters, calendars and every possible and imaginable knick knack to delight any and every fangirl–whatever her budget maybe.  You name it, they probably had it there…no wait, cross that thought.  There wasn’t really any drama dvds being sold which I found quite disappointing because that’s what I really wanted.

Me, Mere and Ava...with Dara and Taeyang behind us!

Tickets for Super Show 3? Check!

My sister and Ava

Of course we couldn't leave without having our photo taken with Lee Min Ho

Anyway, here’s a look at the goodies that I bought.

You're Beautiful OST, BigBang's BigShow concert dvd (the poster came with it), Taeyang's Solar album, a Super Junior Donghae fan, a Jang Geun Suk pad (Ava tells me firmly: Buy it na!) and the hats are courtesy of my sister.

My friend Mere on the other hand got herself some Big Bang stuff like Taeyang’s special boxed edition of Solar (with free shirt to boot!), 2 ID necklaces (1 is for safekeeping and the other is to be used for work haha) and the one item I wish they had another copy of is Big Bang’s 2011 Calendar.

iCovet.

The dance competitions were going on as we made our way around the tables.  We weren’t able to check it out but from across the hall I did hear Ukiss’ “Be Quiet” being performed and receiving a lot of screams.

After taking some more photos and making several rounds among the booths, it was time to leave.  Mere had to report for her half day duty at work while the rest of us were off to a late lunch.  Much love and thanks to the organizers, KFest Manila Events Management, the folks at the concession stands and the many fan groups/clubs that participated.  You’ve made me and my friends a bunch of happy fangirls that day.  We’ll be looking forward to the next one.

 

Beautiful A.N.Jell August 27, 2010

A while back I wrote about ”Personal Preference”, Lee Min Ho’s last drama.  After going gaga over that series, I am now taking a ride on a new drama train…He’s Beautiful!

He’s Beautiful or You’re Beautiful (the title really depends on where you’re watching it from) is a Korean drama which ran from Oct. 07 to Nov. 26, 2009.  It is the story of A.N.Jell, a 3 member band headed by Hwang Tae Kyung (played by the…ehem…beautiful Jang Geun Suk), who despite being popular, is currently experiencing a career stand still.  Their record company decides to hold auditions for a 4th member and Go Mi-Nam successfully clinches the spot.  Unfortunately due to a botched medical procedure, he needed to fly to the US to be treated and to recuperate.  With the band’s latest album release being hotly anticipated by the fans and the press (and with no new vocalist to show for), their manager’s only hope is Go Min-Nyu, Mi-Nam’s fraternal twin sister.  Despite being a novice (think of her as a “sister in training”), their manager begs Min-Nyu to take her brother’s place.  Of course she refuses at first but realizing that she doesn’t want to jeopardize her brother’s dream, she eventually conceeds.

So, she poses as her brother Mi-Nam, with only the manager & the band’s stylist being fully aware of her true identity. Everything seemed to be going their way…that is until she got drunk at one of the band’s after parties. And have I mentioned that she starts living with the rest of the band as well? It’s not easy playing a dude when you have to play it 24/7 (insert image of Robert Downey Jr. here from Tropic Thunder: “I’m a dude, playing a dude, disguised as another dude!”)…it’s especially hard for her to do it in front of the band members–Shin Woo, who is always nice & caring towards her; Jeremy, who’s always suspicious of her actions and Tae Kyung, who has hated her guts from the very beginning.

And so begins the comical & romantic & dramatic adventures of “Mi-Nam”…and Tae Kyung…and Shin Woo…hay…this brings back all my giddy & kilig Boys Over Flowers/Hana Yori Dango feelings! Yes, I know, I know…the series technically ended over 9 months ago & I’ve only started seeing it on the Kapamilya network…but better late than never I say!  And since I’m not really particular with spoilers, I’ve already watched future episodes & even the finale on good ‘ol youtube & mysoju.com!

This surely deserves another excursion to *cough*recto*cough!

And now, let me leave you with a music video from Jang Geun Suk…*swoon*

video courtesy of youtube

Currently obsessing over… July 16, 2010

“Personal Preference!”

…the recently concluded Koreanovela of super cute actor Lee Min Ho.

Now, I’m only on episode 7 and I have 9 more episodes to go but I just can’t help gushing about how I’m absolutely loving this series!

Like most people, I first took notice of Lee Min Ho when he starred as Gu Jun Pyo in the Korean version of Hana Yori Dango/Meteor Garden entitled, “Boys Over Flowers”.  That was the first Koreanovela I ever watched, completed and fell in love with.  And despite the fact that he had the “most-annoying-fake-curly-hair-ever”, watching him made me feel like a giggling schoolgirl.

I hate this hair do...with a vengeance!

Personal Preference ran in Korean from March 31 to May 20, 2010. It’s the story of Park Gae In, the only daughter of a very well known and well respected architect who, like most Korean drama/comedy heroines, is absolutely clueless about a lot of things.  She’s not the most prettiest, the richest or the most refined girl in the story.  She’s clumsy, puts everyone else first before her and is a voracious eater. She takes in Jeon Jin Ho, the head of a small architectural firm as her new house tenant / boarder.  Before sharing a house together, several coincidental events allow their paths to cross…and these same events, unfortunately, also give Park Gae In the impression that Jeon Jin Ho is gay.  Eventually, Jin Ho finds himself renting a room at Gae In’s house, which was recently vacated by her ex-best friend who ran off with her then boyfriend.

For some reason, he keeps up the act of being gay and doesn’t really contradict her even when she has accidentally blurted it out in front of strangers…on numerous occassions.  Things get better (and funnier!) between them as the episodes progress…like the time he gave her a make-over and took her as a date to a work related party only to find out later on in the evening that she got her period.  After finding her hiding in the ladies room and discovering what happened, he rushed (angrily) to the nearest convenience store and bought her a pack of feminine pads.  Trust me, there are other elements involved in that scene which made it so funny and so far one of my favorites.

As I sit here writing this, relaxing at the spa while getting my mani-pedi on, I can’t wait to go home…post this…and continue watching this series.

And of course, it doesn’t really hurt that Lee Min Ho is pretty easy on the eyes too.

And since I’m shamelessly plugging him anyway, check out his commercial for dunkin donuts coffee…

video courtesy of youtube