Oh My Janey

WANNA ONE’s One: The World Concert in Manila

Wanna One: One the World in Manila

If you told me last year that I’d be watching a concert of a rookie KPOP group this year, I’d laugh at your face. I’m too old for rookies, I’d say. No one’s good enough to hold my attention, I’d add.

But guess what, I ended up watching Produce 101 Season last December, and it’s been a whirlwind of fangirl feels ever since. So I don’t know how to start this post without explaining how much I love Wanna One (and PD101 boys in general!), and how the past eight months have been a happy comeback to KPOP for me.

I didn’t really want to be too attached to Wanna One, because their contract lasts for only a year and a half. I had enough heartbreak over KPOP groups, and I didn’t want to have another one. But seeing them repeatedly on my Twitter and IG feeds, watching their variety shows, and having my sister become a bigger fan than I am, it was bound to happen.

It took awhile before I fully admitted that I love Wanna One! My top two Produce 101 trainees didn’t make the cut (JongHyun and YoungMin!), so even though I love the eleven Wanna One boys, I didn’t immediately get hooked. It was only these past few months that I eased my way into the fandom, getting to know the boys one by one, playing their songs on loop while I work, and eventually becoming a Wannable. This is actually the first time I called myself one! I love every member almost equally, and it was difficult for me to pick a favorite.

When they announced that Wanna One’s having a concert in Manila, I just had to see them live. Knowing it would be their last concert here before they eventually disband by next year and the last stop of their world tour, I wouldn’t miss it for the world.

I am so glad that I decided to see them live, because it was definitely one of the best concerts I attended so far. [Read more…]

My Korean Icon Contest

bb cream

It was KPOP that introduced me to Korean culture. It’s been almost a decade since that one faithful day that I first saw TVXQ’s debut music video on TV, and my knowledge of the Korean culture has expanded from simple KPOP to the sappiest and the funniest Korean dramas and movies. I have savored the experience of being a fangirl not just by watching and listening, but also by trying out their cuisine and falling in love with bulgogi and Melona. Using products from different Korean brands is an additional way of immersing myself in the culture. Korea is best know for its cutting-edge fashion and beauty industry for very obvious reasons. So now when I hear “Korea”, I also think of all those pretty clothes I see on the dramas I watch and the cosmetics, especially BB Cream (비비크림), endorsed by my favorites artists.

It was in the drama City Hunter (2011) that I first heard of BB Cream. In one episode, Kim Nana mumbles to the photo of her dead parents that she bought a BB Cream, something every girl should own. I raised an eyebrow and wondered what in the world she’s talking about. I am a girl, and I had never heard of BB cream.

After googling about the product, I learned that BB Cream is what Korean girls use for that flawless look. Well, I realized that if there’s a cream out there that can make a girl look perfect, Korea’s probably the source of that product. The country is known for many things, and for ladies everywhere, it’s their cosmetics that are very much coveted. After all, even those who do not follow their pop culture know that it’s THE country for the best cosmetics at an affordable price. I am miles and miles away from Korea, but after learning about BB Cream, I knew that I had to get my hands on it. Somebody fly me to Korea, quick!

It’s now 2013, and BB Cream is already a household name. Every cosmetic brand out there, Korean or not, offers their own version of BB Cream. In fact, BB Cream has become so popular it’s even one of the 27 icons on PSY’s Wiki Korea Dictionary! It’s a very informative website about different aspects of the Korean culture. I sure learned more about BB Cream when I dropped by the website.

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SeoHyun for The Face Shop

When I first got my hands on Etude House’s Precious Mineral BB Cream, I had this grand dreams of becoming as pretty as my favorite Korean actresses or maybe as flawless as the girl idols. Hey, looking as feminine and flawless as SeoHyun of SNSD doesn’t sound so bad! But alas, the BB Cream can sure hide all my blemishes but it still can’t make me look like the next KPOP star. Nevertheless, I’m still happy that there’s a product that can make me look half-decent even without makeup! I am not a beauty expert, but I understand enough the wonders it does to my skin. As long as you get the one

I’m on my second bottle of BB Cream (a Nature Republic, this time!), and I’m still not looking anything like Suzy. But I continue to use them anyway. Koreans surely understand beauty. After all, it’s not expensive jewelries or the most stylish clothes that make a girl prettier. Koreans understand that it’s good skin that makes a girl physically beautiful. It’s best that the rest of the world follow suit.

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* Hello dear readers! This is my entry for the My Korean Icon Contest! I chose BB Cream as my icon for the reasons I stated above. You can learn about the contest (and pretty much everything else about Korea!) on Korea Tourism Organization Manila’s Facebook page. Also, drop by PSY’s Wiki Korea Dictionary to know more about the Land of BB Cream (and how there’s more to it than BB Cream and KPOP)! 🙂

CNBLUE’s Blue Moon in Manila

a blue moon in manila

It was a lucky, lucky day when Ate Karen convinced me to watch YongHwa’s stint on We Got Married. If not for WGM, I wouldn’t have been properly introduced to CNBLUE. After the rather painful thing that happened to the old DBSK, I promised to never love another boyband. Heck, I even laid low from KPOP for awhile. Then there I go spiraling down another KPOP love. CNBLUE brought me back to KPOP, and I can’t be happier about that!

All biases aside, Blue Moon is DAEBAK! I seriously can’t think of another way to describe the concert. The boys are amazing live. I know they’re amazing live, I’ve witnessed it before. But they’re in a completely different element when they perform in a solo concert. It feels like they’re not holding back on anything. Maybe it’s because they know that the audience is full of Boices already, so they no longer have to think about upholding their image or even about gaining new fans. We’re wholly captivated already.

It’s such a precious memory to me, especially that Iris and I were moved from lower box to VIP. It upped the excitement and the level of experience by a mile! I just want to bottle up the entire experience and bring it with me wherever I go. And whenever I’m feeling bored with life, I can just re-watch the entire concert without having to miss a single detail! However I didn’t take a single video, but it’s enough for me to remember everything! The feeling of being there, anyway.

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Stalking CNBLUE in Manila

stalking cnblue

After months of hoping and anticipating, finally CNBLUE came to the Philippines. I remember filling up petition forms to bring CNBLUE in the country. I remember dreading that I didn’t have enough budget to get good concert seats. I remember pining to see them up close and not just in the concert venue. And after months of planning, I can say that Operation Stalk CNBLUE is a success!

In three days, (some of) my friends and I spent nothing but follow CNBLUE like sasaengs. Haha. No, we just went to the public places where it was sure that they would make an appearance. Because you see, I wouldn’t be contented on just seeing them in Araneta. I have to see them UP CLOSE (and personal but no touching because really mehehe). I am 23-years-old professional (weh), and there’s no shame in saying that I’m a fangirl through and through.

Anyway, I decided to compile in one post all the stalking I did instead of making separate posts for it. This way, I’ll have an easier time reading them months and years from now. Yes, when I miss fangirling I read old posts wehehe. So, here goes. [Read more…]

Lee MinHo in the PH: Airport Chase

On November 15, 2012, Lee MinHo arrived in the Philippines.

That day, I trooped to the airport with Iris, Eunise and my forever airport buddy, Ate Karen, and we waited for the Asian Superstar to arrive. Since everyone in the Philippine media outlets loves to call him the Asian Superstar, let me call him that, too. It’s no secret that I have so much love for Lee MinHo. City Hunter’s my number one obsession last year, and I seriously didn’t know what to do with my life when the series ended. But I moved on and eventually found other things to keep me occupied. But Lee MinHo stays in my heart.

So when he became a Bench endorser and they announced that he’s coming to the country, I made sure that I’d see him in the flesh. Month before his planned arrival, I already filed two days of vacation leave. I’m prepared you know. But we only learned of his arrival day before he arrived! I’m so glad I filed the right dates for my VL. Heehee. [Read more…]

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