Where in the world?

Where in the world can you find purple trash cans? :)

Can you guess? Send me a note! :)

SS501 Persona Tour Shanghai - Sidelights

The last fangirl trip in Shanghai has tested my fangirl skills and maturity. One of the things that fangirls do is STALK.

When we arrived in Shanghai, stalking was not discussed as a must. We were happy to look at Hongkou Stadium (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hongkou_Stadium) by day. Even if we were not expecting to see the men rehearse, we still went to the stadium on Nov 13th just to find our way and not to get lost on concert day itself.

In the light (or gloom) of day, Hongkou was buzzing with activity. We were sidetracked a bit by the sidewalk sale going on. In a short span of time, Ems was able to buy a pair of boots, mittens and other pasalubong. Another thing that fangirls does is SHOP FOR MERCHANDISE . I was surprised that we did not do that right away but checked out what the local vendors were offering. Is that a sign of maturity? :)

One of the things that we were happy to see was the big concert billboard beside the stadium. We realized that we were looking at the ticket sales window. The I realized that we forgot to get our photo taken below this big billboard. Many overseas fans especially the Japanese were taking photos earlier. Are my fangirl skills in CAMWHORING getting stale? :(

During concert night, we were so happy that we were very close to the center stage and catwalk. Julie and I studied past Personas and realized that many of our fave songs especially the ballads were sung in the middle stage and catwalk so we bugged my brother-in-law Ramon to make sure we get seats near that area. Wasn't that a very skillful move? :)

And of course let us not forget what fangirl do all the time - BUY CONCERT MERCHANDISE! Surprisingly I kept to my budget. I only got the official photobook. Did I just become a mature fangirl? :)

Fangirls usually go crazy over unofficial merchandise. I actually only bought the ecobag, calendar and green light stick. The rest of the stuff in the photo below are gifts from Ssangchu Chinese fans who we bumped into after the concert. Is this another sign of maturity? :)

Or not? Because I couldn't resist buying the Boys Over Flower OST, Dong Bang Shin Ki's Rising Sun concert dvd and Close to you single (because Yunho is the featured member photo at the back cd cover). So I guess I am not yet as mature as I thought I would be? :)

SS501 1st Asia Tour Persona in Shanghai 2009

Nothing beats a broken heart than a trip to Shanghai, China to watch the concert of my korean fandom flagbearers - SS501. Why I was broken hearted is another story though. It was basically the reason why I was not in the mood to post for quite a while.

Anyhow, last November 12th, I flew to Shanghai with fellow fangirls Julie and Ems. Our main objective was to watch the Persona Tour Shanghai stop of our favorite Korean group SS501. The 3 of us were adopted by my sister Teng and her husband Ramon.

As soon as we woke up the morning after we arrived, we embarked on our 1st adventure. Check out Hongkou Football Stadium, the venue of the concert. Despite this being my 3rd visit to Shanghai, it was my first time to take the Shanghai Metro. Nothing to it! We found the stadium without getting lost. :) We even had the time to shop for unofficial goods and crazy stuff like purple toilet seat covers (more on my next post). What we were not prepared for is the weather! 7 degC with high wind chill factor!!

So on concert day itself, Saturday, November 14th, we made sure that we were warmly dressed and ready for rain.

Hongkou Stadium at night is beautiful. The lights gave the place a commanding presence in the area with a capacity for around 30,000 people. Once inside the stadium, we were happy to see that our seats though not the most expensive, is the most strategic! We were near the center stage and catwalk! I couldn't contain my excitement because we will be able to see the boys without any difficulty.

Armed with our green light sticks, we braved the sea of chinese fans and found our seats. Our greatest discovery is that the chinese fans are so friendly and were surprised that foreign fans like us were in their midst. And they attempted to speak to us in English!

I have seen video clips of Persona from Seoul to Tokyo up to Taipei but nothing beats the feeling of seeing it live and in person. When the stage lit up with the opening number of Deja Vu, I couldn't help but scream by brains out. The boys, the boys are singing and dancing before my eyes. Well, almost before my eyes. Despite the welcoming smiles of the chinese fans, their concert viewing habits are not as welcoming. They were standing on the seats and we couldn't see the boys among the sea of light sticks, light boards and cameras.

We are not resilient Filipinos for nothing! With Julie's construction expertise, we put together a double-layer chair with yours truly precariously perched on top. I can now see everything!!!

I loved the numbers especially Four Chance and the tango arrangement of the song. I loved it that they sang half of their songs in the second stage and catwalk! They were so near!! And all of the boys were sooo pleasant and smiling. The energy level was so high even Kim Hyun Joong! :)

When Park Jung Min popped out from the riser at the edge of the catwalk, I screamed so loud that I think Jung Minnie heard it. He sang so well live especially the mandarin song wo de pengyou.

Another surprise was Heo Young Saeng. He exuded a quiet sexiness singing his solo song Nameless Memory. No wonder my other friend (and soon to be business colleague) Pin became enamored with his presence! :)

Of course maknae Kim Hyung Jun sings so well. He has the most distinct voice among the boys in my opinion. You will always know its him. He is still such a baby though even when he was trying to be manlier in his solo number.

My Kyu - my Kim Kyu Jong was the most hyper that night. Only later did we find out that he was sick. Way to go Kyu Jong! Among the 5 boys, Kyu is a "kyutie" that one will appreciate only when in person. His rapport with fans was so good. He seems to have lost weight but his solo number was still sexy. I can still remember his black wifebeater!

Of course the highlight for me was seeing with my own two eyes Kim Hyun Joong leader's solo Please Be Nice To Me. I did not expect him to show some skin but despite the freezing temperature and the plea of the chinese fans, he still did! That professionalism to stick to the show's flow despite the open air cold condition made me admire him more and made the trip so worth it.

The evening was even made more fun and memorable when the boys sang songs from their latest mini-album Rebirth. I was awed at the thought that I have seen them perform Love Like This live. Especially since the boys won their 1st Music Bank win for the song that day. We were screaming at the point of no return when the boys walked again to the center stage and sang Only One Day. They were soooo near!

My throat locked up when they even came nearer and sang Wang Du Ko. They were just a couple of meters away sitting on chairs that were slowly spinning for everyone to see them. Have you guys tried screaming with no sound coming out?! hahaha!

So when the encore part came and the boys came out in Persona in Shanghai t-shirts, I was dancing wildly in my chair - oops! I forgot I was perched on 2-levels. Without any care that my 43-year old body may fall anytime, I kept dancing to their classic hits Coward and Bye bye Baby Bye.

The memory of all of them running around near our area was so fresh still even after a week and now back to my daily life. Hyun Joong's pink ears was sooo cute, Kyu Jong's hyper dancing and running around with his Kyu's light board, Baby's funny animal headgear, Saengie in a red cap and Jung Min's bright smile, made me forget the chill of the Shanghai evening.

Congratulations to SS501 for a successful show. It made your 7,000 plus audience the happiest grean peas on earth. And it will surely make your TripleS grow and grow. Just keep being your happy and hard working selves and you'll go more places.

And I will most probably go with you..

SS501 Event Survey

Did you guys watch Boys Over Flowers at ABS-CBN?

Did you like Jihoo sunbae? Jihoo sunbae is Kim Hyun Joong in real life.

Did you know that Hyun Joong is a multi-talented guy and that he belongs to this really cool group called SS501 (pronounced Double S 5-0-1)?

Did you know that SS501 is one of the most popular groups in Korea? And if you watched Boys Over Flowers, did you know they sang one of the most popular theme songs of the drama called Because I'm Stupid?

Did you know that the rest of SS501 are also multi-talented guys who does a variety of things like host a radio program, MC variety shows and are now venturing into acting? They are Kim Hyun Joong, Heo Young Saeng, Kim Kyu Jong, Park Jung Min and Kim Hyung Jun.

Did you know that currently SS501 is doing their 1st Asian Tour called Persona and have already performed concerts in Seoul, Tokyo, Taipei and this week in Shanghai and Hongkong in December?

The fans of these guys are wishing that they'd make Manila one of their stops. Do you want it to happen too?

Then please answer this survey to see if we really can make it happen. You do not need to fill up all information but we will appreciate it very much if you do. And what's in it for you if you do spend time to answer the survey? - You will be the first to know the details, the first to buy tickets and therefore choice seats. It is the organizer's way of showing their appreciation for the help.

So here is the link:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=iHN4dVJEYeoERulcJzAxhg_3d_3d

Please send the link to your friends who are not really online much but like to see the group as well.

Thank you and here is our battlecry:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLt1FgujhSs

Growing Collection

It started with this...

And then these came along soon...

My collection is growing and growing. When I discovered SS501 earlier this year, I never thought I would be hooked as much as I was hooked with my other fandoms.

When the Solo collection cd came out, it was such good timing that Kai, one of my ohana was in Korea. Then my brother-in-law Ramon went to Korea during the time I was obsessing about Photo 501. UR Man was an additional blessing from him.

And then the Taiwan versions of older cds were released in the Philippines - all at the same time!

And the latest album, Rebirth just happened to arrive from Korea. I am waiting for the Taiwan version still. :)

The collection just keeps growing and growing...

SS501's Rebirth to be released in Manila too!!

Warner Music, the Philippine distributor of SS501 records is set to release one of the hottest KPop albums of this year!

Warner encourages all SS501 fans, BOF & JoongBo fans in the country to buy their copies of the group's RE-BIRTH Mini album locally as they'll be releasing both the Korean and Taiwan versions of these CDs.

Korean version: SS501 Mini Album - Rebirth (Special Edition) (Limited Edition) The Limited Edition comes with a 100-page photo diary and 2 posters. Only limited copies will be out so please contact tripleSph.com to reserve a copy for this version.

Taiwan Version: Taiwan Limited Edition
A SEA Release Date: Nov 17, 2009
This configuration comprise of Album CD + Chinese subtitled DVD + 28-paged photo booklet with lyrics + Chinese lyrics +New music video of “Love Like This”(Chinese subtitle)+ Making of New music video of “Love Like This” (Chinese subtitle) 3-5 minutes +Korean Teaser Spot

PLUS! Prior to releasing the Re-Birth Mini Album, Warner Music will also release 3 of SS501's albums namely Deja Vu, Find and SUPER HITS. Fans can expect to see these albums at their favorite local record bars within this week or early next week.

So what are you waiting for? Place your orders now at tripleSph.com.

Pan de Purple

Many will wonder... a purple bread?

Yours truly was of course ecstatic when I was given this pack by my sister-in-law Pam. In the Philippines, the bakeries of old have a staple bread variety we called "pan de regla" because the middle part of the bread is/was red. There are fewer and fewer of them who make these bread and in recent years, the middle part of the bread has become purple! Why? I have no idea. :)

The taste is not that fantastic. It's not too sweet and it is usually soft. But I love it and has loved this since I was young! And now I've rediscovered where to get my fix.

Oh and I have renamed it pan de purple. I even told the sales girls at Oven Maid (the bakeshop who makes them) that I call the bread pan de purple. And they don't seem to mind.

And the price? Per pack it costs Php 20.00 or roughly 50 US cents! What a steal! I can't wait for my next trip to my hometown in Paranaque for my next pan de purple stockpiling. Anyone care to try it? :)

SS501 CDs to be released in Manila!

Philippine fans of SS501 (read Double-S 501) is all abuzz as news of the release of their cds Super Hits, Find and Deja Vu came out. Although there is no official word from the record label carrying the boys' cds locally, the release is most likely to happen this month!

I am personally happy to hear this because I have been wanting to get the boys' cds since the Hongkong fanmeeting but only managed to snag UR Man in Seoul through the kindness of my brother-in-law Ramon.

The Super Hits cd was released in Taiwan and other asian countries like Hongkong and Singapore. Find and Deja Vu were also released in Japan. Our source also said that the albums will not be re-packaged so we will get similar looking albums as the ones released overseas.*

I hope that all fans of SS501 including the fans of Kim Hyun Joong (the group's leader) more popularly known in Manila as Ji-hoo from Boys Over Flowers support this great move.

The rest of SS501 are Kim Kyu Jong, Park Jung Min, Kim Hyung Joon and Heo Young Saeng.

*Note: Local packaging is usually horrible. :(

Back to the birdcage..

Since mid-September, I have been living in my sister's flat while my car is being repaired. For half a month, I was a privileged child living in an upscale place only 10 mins. from my office. I did not even feel the typhoon that flooded and devastated most of Metro Manila!

I do miss my birdcage and the comfort of my own little home. So with much gratitude and thankfulness for the generosity of my sister and brother-in-law, I now get ready to leave my haven and move back to my birdcage.

The purple luggage (of course!) has to be packed until its next trip. The purple Ikea blanket also has to go back home.

Thanks Teng and Ramon for a wonderful time at TRAG! :)

Random Gift

Nope, it's not a chair for moi...but for my BB! A colleague at work one day popped in my office and presented me with that little box. Opening the box and taking out this cute purple phone chair brightened my day. These past couple of months, bright days are far and few so one bright day is hard to forget.

The Blackberry is a bit too big for the chair but I can sit it sideways and doesn't fall so yey! :)

It's not my birthday. And Christmas is not until 3 months away so receiving a random present is probably the next best thing to Christmas....or even better. The level of surprise is so much more. During birthdays and Christmas, you have expectations. Even if one is trying to live under the old adage of "it is better to give than to receive", there is still that small expectation that you will receive something one way or the other.

Thank you so much Ms.O. :)

If all the raindrops were Coca-Cola Zero...

It's pissing rain here in Manila these days. I am always screaming expletives at the potholes especially along the EDSA, Manila's major highway.

Oh well, one of my consolation is my addiction to Coke most especially Coke Zero. And yay, I have a new purple Coke glass from the US. Thank you Elsa! :)

So to take away the niggling feeling of exasperation, let's all sing a Barney song with a little lyrics twist...

if all the raindrops were coca-cola zero, oh what a rain it would be
standing outside with my mouth open wide
ah,ah,ah-ah,ah,ah-ah,ah,ah-ah
if all the raindrops were coca-cola zero, oh what a rain it would be...

Keeping the Faith

I was going to post something purple because I have not done that in quite a while. But after watching this excellent fan made video, I've decided to post about this group that I love listening to.

In Korea where they were born and raised, they are called Dong Bang Shin Ki. In Japan where they are now a huge act, they are called Tohoshinki. The rest of Asia calls them TVXQ.

Personally, I love their Japanese persona so I think of them as Tohoshinki. I love their Japanese albums and have not listened through 3 of their albums - Heart, Mind and Soul, Five in the Black and T. I will soon start listening to their 4th Japanese album, The Secret Code.

The Toho boys are composed of Yunho, Jaejung, Xiah, Mickey and Max. I am not going to write about the boy's history. A quick search in the internet will give you months' worth of reading material and videos clips.

I will get a lot of arguments from their die-hard fans (around 800,000 of them who are official members) but the boys are not exactly the most gorgeous in this world. But I myself will argue that they have the best voices collectively assembled in a group. They have interesting personalities but what impressed me the most is their quick and fast way of learning Japanese. I was not impressed by the language learning per se but from their determination to be mainstream and thus not letting go of the goal until they can now converse like natives.

Tohoshinki is so prolific as a group having released albums and singles on both the Korean and Japan shores. Not to mention their forays in China too! Aside from their outstanding vocals, the boys can also dance AND do both showcasing their lung power.

The group is now facing probably the biggest challenge of their career. Biting the proverbial hand that feeds you is both an act of courage and a death wish. I can only pray that the boys will overcome this and life goes on for us fans. And since I am not as talented as the one who made this video, I'd like to show my support to them via this one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezvsD9HZv04

Goodbye for now..Kim Rae Won

He finally went in to serve the army as is the obligation of all South Korean men. I will definitely miss his work because this guy is one good actor.

So see you in a couple of years Rae Won! Serve well and take care. =)

Sign me up for life!

From cute...

...to smoking hot!!!

Kim Hyun Joong, leader-ssi of SS501 is going places. And it seems I'm signed up to tag along for life. Hahaha!

Photo credits: Kinghyunjoong.com and Baidu

President Aquino's passing and memories of a time..

The passing of former President Corazon "Cory" Aquino yesterday, August 1st, is a sad day for the millions of Filipinos who embraced democracy and is continuing its fight to keep it two decades later. I never thought that her passing would bring a flood of memories for me and not just memories of Edsa and People Power 1 but memories of my life stories that I never thought would come back.

I have always been apolitical and it has always been one of the things that I remember my own mother tried her best to change. I left De La Salle University in September 1985. It was one of if not the most turbulent times for Philippine politics. The month before, President Cory's husband Ninoy was just assassinated. Amidst all this I remember that I was pre-occupied with going out with friends and just plain having a good time because I did not have to study anymore. What I forgot and now remember is despite the turbulence of the times, I was never afraid even if I did not know what lies ahead of me and what career path should I take.

My own mother who we fondly called Maming at that time, I remember now was also unafraid and maybe that is why I wasn't afraid either. Despite the financial difficulties that we were having then - my father (Paping) has just retired and is only getting his income from teaching golf, I had 4 other brothers and sisters who are in school, the political and economic turmoil, etc - my Maming was calmy keeping the family together.

February 1986, I was officially a bum for 5 months. When the call for People Power came, I remember my Maming packing all of us into our old Ford Fiera and headed out to Edsa. It was just another family outing is all I remember but now I realized how strong her conviction was and without so many words just showed us. Even with a string budget that the family was on at that time, Maming passed by a grocery store and bought boxes and boxes of juice drinks and packs and packs of bread. I don't know about my brothers and sisters but now I remembered that I never even bothered to ask why she was doing that. I just watched and sat at the back of truck. Until we got to Guadalupe along EDSA.

I never would think of walking from Guadalupe to Camp Aguinaldo even now. Alipin ako ng kotse. Ayaw na ayaw ko noon maglakad or mag-commute. But now I remembered that my Maming made me do it without even asking us. She just went down the truck, made each one of us carry as much as we can and started walking towards the throng of people in Edsa and giving away food and drink. We just followed. And stayed.

By just being there, I remember now that I learned so many of my life's lessons. Oh there were many more to come as the next 23 years passed - career, marriage, etc. But those times my eyes just absorbed it all, buried at the back of my head and have now been resurrected as the icon of those times died.

I also realized now that my Maming must have felt a connection with that housewife back then. Like President Cory, my Maming was both mother and father to 5 children most of her married life because her husband's profession required him to be away 90% of the year. And despite all of her personal challenges, she still had time and chose to make a stand.

My Maming who is now in heaven too has not cured my being apolitical. Wala pa din akong interest sa politika. But if push comes to shove, I think I learned that very important lesson well from my Maming and President Cory too. Kikilos din ako. I will most likely do something. Because it is not anymore politics but life and the future.

Rest in peace President Cory.

Rest in peace Maming. I love you and will always, always miss you.

Staring at My Purple Desk...

Sitting in my office, yearning... yearning for my next plane ride... hahaha!

Since I will be stuck in Manila behind my desk for the next few months, I decided to share what I am staring at.... more purpleness!

Of course the muse of this photo is that yummy cupcake with purple icing from Sonja's cupcake in Serendra (sorry couldn't find an official website). I love this cupcake! But again, I cannot indulge all the time because of 'ye 'ol blood sugar.

Maybe when my sister Teng comes home in September. =)

Nothing Purple About This Trip...

You heard it right, this last trip to Hongkong has nothing purple in it. None whatsoever! I did not buy anything purple. That is a first!

But I was happy with my loot nevertheless. It shows how diverse and wide my love for asian entertainment has become.

From Korea, of course the main purpose of the trip was the SS501 Hongkong Fanmeeting. That little credit card looking thing was the most expensive purchase - it was the ticket to the event!!!

From Japan (well originally Korea..hehehe), I finally got my most coveted concert dvd of Tohoshinki, also known as Dong Bang Shin Ki or TVXQ. I have been wanting to get their T Concert DVD filmed in Saitama and to find a marked down Hongkong release was a blessing.

From Taiwan, I got the 3rd and latest cd of Jerry Yan, from the Taiwanese F4 (who fellow fangirls call our first loves). I was surprised and happy with this latest work of Jerry because he experimented with techno punk rock, a little hip hop and R&B.

And last but not the least from Hongkong and Macau, I got the latest cd of Soler and as an unexpected and added bonus, their 1st concert dvd. I adore their MV and would find a way to upload it for everyone to enjoy.

And okay, that little long thingy there with a photo is a bookmark of - - U-Know Yunho of Tohoshinki who I am giving a lot of love to these days as well. *shy smile*

My first taste of SS501 and finally Kim Hyun Joong in the Flesh!

I was supposed to post something else but could not concentrate much as I was getting ready and excited about this fanmeet in Hongkong. Several weeks back I posted about my obsession with Kim Hyun Joong and his reality tv show called We Got Married.

Soon after that I was on youtube whenever I am not working or sleeping and got to know his group called SS501 who debuted in 2005 and is now gaining a lot of popularity in Asia. I was lucky to be part of their 1st Hongkong Fan Meeting with the help of a friend. Here goes what happened as cross-posted from soompi forums (http://www.soompi.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=105&view=findpost&p=13835248).

Hello everyone!!I just came from the Hongkong Fan Meeting and here's my account of that glorious July 1 day.

The event was held at Hitec in Kowloon Bay. My friend and I went there on the evening of June 30th so that we know how to get there and not get lost on the day of the event! It was a very intimate venue and I was already telling myself that even if I sit at the last row, I would be happy because I can still see them clearly from 200 meters.

On the day of the event, there were tons of fans not only from Hongkong but saw from China, Canada, Singapore, Thailand, Philippines and Australia. Showing the Philippine flag, my friends (6 of us) and I were subjected to photos from the press and one interview by Arirang Showbiz News. When we got to our seats, we cannot help but scream!!! My seat was 6 rows from the front!!!! And what's more the stage has a mini catwalk, the end of which is where we are. I told my seatmate that if anyone of the boys dare go to the catwalk I would die!!

The show started around 3:45 to no fault of the boys. Seems there were fans who did not have seats and some are complaining they cannot see the stay from way right or left. While the commotion is being settled, mvs of the boys were played and everyone sang along. The boys came out after the promo mv of the Asia Persona Tour.This is it!!! I only knew about the boys since February 2009 and after only 4 short months I was blessed to be able to see them up close. I love their outfits. Of course I suck at taking photos but I tried my best to concentrate but I always fail everytime. I was especially happy to see that HJL's hair is not curly that day!! Young Saeng and Baby were the same in person and in pics. Jung Min has a very thin face and looks healthier on screen. My revelation for the day is Kyu Jong. The boy is absolutely, definitely more gorgeous in person. Photos do not do him justice at all!!

Leader's nose is a bit red so he must have caught a cold but his eyes are to die for! He seems to be wearing colored contact lenses. I do not know cantonese and korean so I only relied on my friend who is learning korean and can understand some of what they were saying. One of my most favorite parts is the interview where the boys seemed to have ganged up on Jung Min. They all were asked to say something good and bad about each other and when it was Young Saeng's turn to talk about Jung Min - hahahaha!!!

The boys were soooooo playful that day. Jung Min and Baby were pretending to fight. Kyu Yong was pretending that the X board he was holding was a gun and was shooting Baby, etc. Then host asked the fans what we wanted Leader to do and I heard everyone saying dance sexy back but what the heck next thing we knew there was a guitar being brought to the stage. Kyu Jong acted as the mic stand and patiently waited while Leader took of his gloves.

For some reason the rest of the boys solo thing became aegyos. Kyu did a cute wassup, Baby did a cute Song Calling for You dance, Young Saeng did his now famous Gee dance and Jung Min did his cantonese proposal. Then they were handed roses. We thought they would be going down the aisle and give to girls but instead they did a raffle. I am so unlucky at these things. So each boy picked a number to take a polaroid shot with the roses. I almost fainted when they announced Section 2 - that's my section!, Seat 9 - god that's my seat number!, Row H - WTF!!! That's 2 rows behind me!!! Oh well. I was happy to see the boys hamming it up when polaroids were taken. All 5 ladies were lucky. One of them got the surprise of her life as many of you already know. Jung Min suddenly lifted her for the photo taking!!!

The singing and dancing was great. I am so happy that I got to hear them sing live most especially A Song Calling for You. After the last song, the boys left the stage for a moment and got everyone organized for the photo taking. 10 people up on stage at a time. Five seconds of opportunity. When the organizers sceream 1-2-3 Cheese and Snap, you do your thing with the boys...I mean pose. And posing could be having your arms around them like one fan did with Baby to which he gave a happy thumbs up. Or handing banners and stuff to the boys to hold for you. Or put your head near them and do the peace sign. The boys seem to be game.

When it was our turn to go, I was so nervous. I could not remember what I was going to say to whoever boy is in front of me. This was their places before the photo op. When we got up the stage, I landed in between Kyu Jong and Young Saeng. I had eye contact with Kyu Jong and told him in English we are from the Philippines and before I knew it the blasted girl shouted the count and all I could do was hold on to Kyu's shoulder and bent a little. After that we were herded away but before we left Kyu turned around and said thank you and bye. Then I tapped each boy on the shoulder as we went down. They were all nice and waved goodbye most enthusiastically Jung Min who was last before you go down the stage.

Sorry for the long post but I had to get this done before I forget. I will be cross posting this post in my blog and will also try to upload the dismal clips that I took with my mobile phone.

I am forever hooked and is now starting to scrimp and save for any of the Asia stops. My appreciation goes to girls at Triple S Philippines board, the ladies of Fly with SS501 who adopted us (we even have sample Tony Moly stuff and giveaways!!!) and produced those awesome seats. Also a shout out to fellow members in soompi from Singapore who were a row behind us. It was great meeting you!

Fangirl on a Road Trip!

I basically spent the 111th Independence day of the Philippines sleeping.

So on the last day of the past long weekend, I was excited to have something to do...fangirling! Except I don't have to fly out of the country (yet) to chase after a celebrity I like.

So together with fellow fangirls, off we went on a road trip to a nearby province - Pampanga. We were intent on seeing local celebrity Gabby Concepcion who made a comeback last year to Philippine showbusiness.

The event was held at SM Clark in Angeles, Pampanga and SM San Fernando in where else but San Fernando, Pampanga. There were so many other events in Manila that we could meet him but well fangirls are always not concerned about the place or the venue. Our concern is if we will get to meet and greet.

While waiting for Gabby to arrive at the venue, fangirls resorted to an age old pastime - camwhoring. Pose here and there. We wanted to indulge in another pastime - shopping but there wasn't much time.

Of course we got our autographs and individual photos at the events! But what was cherry on the ice cream sundae was that we were allowed to follow Gabby and his entourage to their private dinner venue so we can do more camwhoring. Isn't that the coolest? I wish there is an opportunity such as this with my boys in Taiwan, Japan and Korea... sigh...

So anyway, the food was great. Lunch was good too even if Aling Naty's carinderia was just a second choice to Aling Lucing who closes her famous road side eatery on Sundays!

The restaurant during dinner is called C's and though the menu was a bit pricey for the average Filipino, it never is for a fangirl. After our super delicious risotto and pasta dinner, dessert was of course Gabby.

The company of fellow fangirls was great. The company of my playmate was great. A nice and accommodating artist (mabuhay ka Gab and thank you!) makes a really, really fun and fan day!!!

Purple Hunting!

I was in a management meeting last Monday when my friend Norman texted me and told me about the Purple Hunt promo of Yahoo Philippines (http://ph.yahoo.com). I was booked the whole day and was dying to see what the purple fuzz was all about.

Finally, I managed to register for the promo. Keeping in mind that I need to get to one of the malls soon. The opportunity came the next day. I had to attend a briefing on AH1N1 at the American Chamber of Commerce (http://www.amchamphilippines.com/). On the drive there, I was so happy that their office is right in front of Greenbelt Mall (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenbelt_(Ayala_Center). So right after the briefing, I took a quick detour and went to see the booth.

Of course you will not miss the booth as its purpleness was right smack in the lobby of Greenbelt 3. I asked how to join and they said if I had a printout of the registration (which I did..hehe) then I get to have a free purple donut and the rubics cube type key chain. Yes!!!

And then I was asked to play this game using this purple wall. I was supposed to find the drawing that I pick in 30 seconds and I get to win an item. The more I find, the nicer the prize.

My eyes were not as fast as it used to be... so I only won a cute purple post-it pad. The highlight of this promo is a raffle of a car with purple graffiti! I want, I want!!! I wish, I wish...

This little Honda Jazz (http://www.hondaphil.com/) is such a cutie that I had to take front and side shots. Can you imagine me speeding around Manila in this car? LOL! And then if you get assistance on how to use yahoo mobile on your blackberry, you get another giveaway, this time a purple lanyard! Woohoo!

I had so much fun in just a few short minutes. As soon as I got back to the office, I took a pic of my loot and munched my purple Krispy Kreme (http://www.krispykreme.com.ph/) doughnut with a huge grin on my face.

YAHOO!!!

Visit the Purple Hunt booths of Yahoo! Philippines until June 18th. Check out schedules at the website.

Black & White

Since April, my Mondays are Black & White days. This Taiwan drama is broadcasted every Saturday night, uploaded online every Sunday and subbed by a community of fans overnight ready for viewing online by Monday morning usually before noon.

I watch this over at vikki.net (http://www.viikii.net/channels/goto/blackandwhite). The concept of community subbing is sooo cool. Everyone who is a member and can translate may contribute to the project. The moderators have already timed the subs and left blank spaces for people to type the sub-title. How cool is that!!!

So anyway, I am so loving this drama. It's a police drama with Vic "Zaizai" Chou Yu Min (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vic_Chou) and Mark Zhao as leads. Zaizai is my favorite F4 of Taiwan. I have been following his career since I was introduced to F4 via Meteor Garden. From the broody Hua Ze Lei to the edgy and sexy Ling in Mars, the funny and quirky Xu Le of Wish To See You, Zaizai has evolved into the mysterious, multi-layered character Chen Zai Tian.

The series as of this post is at episode 18 with 6 more to go. Despite retaining his boyish good looks, Zaizai takes on a policeman with a mysterious past. The character of Chen Zai Tian is playful, loves women, he hates getting hurt, does not like shooting his gun but had a reputation for solving cases.

There are many new things that I've seen from Zaizai in this drama. Images such as sexy dancing on stage are memorable. But what made this one unique and worthy of an award is the depth of Zaizai's dramatic skills now. I knew he has a great comedic timing that is perfect for romantic comedies. Now I know that he can also make me cry!

Needless to say, this drama is one of those that I will be watching more than once. Aside from the great storyline, the cast is awesome and the direction and texture of the drama is very movie like.

I am excited for what Zaizai can do in the future. There is not one moment that I regret joining his fanclub as he is very good to his fans.

As Zaizai turns 28 years old tomorrow, June 9th, I wish him a Happy Birthday and all the best in this world. He deserves it. Zhu ni shang ri kuai le!!!

And watch Black & White everyone! =)

The Flip-Flop Update

I lost one of a pair of orchid Havaianas flip-flops a couple of weeks ago when we went to visit my parent's grave. It was one of my fave pair which I bought in Singapore. I already lost another blue pair of Havis a couple of years back when we stayed at 8 Waves Waterpark.

So suddenly I felt I need a new pair. When I got home and was fixing my shoe cabinet, I realized I had more than enough back-up pairs. There was still another pair in my car which I forgot to bring up to the birdcage. All in all 13 pairs!

I could not resist this new pair. Glow in the dark purple!!! Well, I practically live in them so I guess another pair won't hurt. =)

Though I have a mix of brands (Reef, Old Navy, Dupe, Nike, Billabong, etc.), my flip-flop of choice are still Havaianas (http://www.havaianasphilippines.com/main/)!! Oye!

Obviously a McDonald's fan...

I was going over photos to blog about when I spotted this photo of me in McDonald's Hangzhou, China with my nephew Joshua clowning around (or should I say declaring me the devil?) behind me when a thought (or should I say a theory?) dawned on me... I seem to have a McDonald's photo in most if not all of my travels.

So I tested this theory and revisited my travel folders the past 5 years and here's the result of all that sleuthing..

2009 March

Hangzhou, China

2008 October

Yokohama, Japan

I remember that day Kana, my friend Satoko's youngest daughter demanded that we eat at McDonald's. Apparently she does not get to eat as often as she likes because okasan does not think it's healthy food. Smart mother..

2008 September

Shanghai, China

In the old town of Puxi (read Pusi) where nothing in the area of food is familiar, seeing this McDonald's was a blessing when we needed sustenance for a bout of shopping. I realized that the pink tote from St. Kitts and Nevis (oh somewhere in the Carribean..) does not do anything for my color..haha!

2008 June

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

I died of laughter when I saw this because all the while I thought - no I missed out in Dubai! But no, not true. Trust my brother's friend Richard to take a pic wherever we stopped that day he picked me up at 7am to ride the bus and explore Bur Dubai and the Dubai Museum with me.

2007 November

Macau

I think this is the cutest of them all!

2007 October

Taipei, Taiwan

And no, we were not posing just because it's a McDonald's. This was the McDonald's were the last scene from the famous Taiwanese drama Meteor Garden was filmed. What can I do? I'm hopelessly a fangirl..

2007 June

Bangkok, Thailand

The most unique of all that I've been to. This one I did ask my Ena, my staff who travelled with me to take a photo of me and Ronald greeting everyone "sawadeeka".

2005 December

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

No photo from the exterior of the store, but the evidence is on the table. No doubting where me, Ochie and our Malaysian friends were.

2005 August

Fukuoka, Japan

And lastly, this photo from Fukuoka. My fellow geisha Vic took this photo to remind us that we were running out of money and can only afford a McDonald's meal. We were there to see SMAP's concert but did not realize that when the Japanese says their store is on sale..they really mean sale!!

All this talk about McDonald's is making me hungry. I wonder if someone delivers at 4am?? =)