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My Korean Icon Contest

July 5, 2013

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.

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

June 24, 2013

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

June 22, 2013

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…]

Project EDSA: Lakbay Para sa Kapayapaan

June 12, 2013

Project Edsa: Journey of Peace in Edsa is a project off AAI, AFP, DLF, OPAPP, and MMDA that aims to create the longest peace mural in the world. Well, that’s the technical definition. After joining the event for two saturdays, I realized it’s a lot more than just aiming to build the longest mural, it’s more about creating a masterpiece that’s not just done by a single person, but by different individuals and groups hoping to create change through a peace mural. It’s a lot more about the process than the end product.

I was a bit skeptical at first when I heard their goal. Raising awareness and stopping at that is something that I don’t really understand. Because really, what’s good with awareness if no action is done after? They aim to deliver the message of peace to mass public passing by EDSA everyday. But peace is such a vague concept. It’s something that everyone already knows, is raising awareness still necessary? We need more action because everyone’s already aware of it! Well, I’m not sure if the mural is enough to make anyone who sees it want to achieve peace. What I learned in college is that for every activity like this one, the goals must be something tangible. The goals must be clear, must be S.M.A.R.T. (simple, measurable, attainable, reasonable, and time-bound). I can probably understand it more if the project aims to promote art in public places. Now, that’s something I want to see happen in the entire archipelago.

Still, it’s a project I fully support because of the things it does to everyone who participated. I don’t care much if it’s the “longest peace mural” in the world. Because the longest or not, it’s a project that matters. However, I guess that’s necessary if we want to make a noise (a positive one). But I do care about every individual who believes that they can be part of something bigger than themselves. And I want to be part of something like that, too. It’s better than not doing anything. My participation and contribution may be small, but it’s really better than nothing. I’m just a photography hobbyist, and they still let me be one of the official photographers. I am often laughed at for my ugly doodles and not-so-artsy drawings, but they let me paint the walls. This project just goes to show that anyone, as long as they have the will to do so, can participate in change. And in this country where change is not something you can clearly see in the administration, it’s such a welcoming sight.

Well, let me stop talking here. Below are some of the photos I took. There are so many talented artists in the Philippines, and not-so-talented artists like me. Haha. But we all took part and below are some of the results.

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Saturday Swim at Pandin Lake

June 4, 2013

(09/06/2017: Pandin Lake budget and travel itinerary updated at the bottom of the post!?)

On my last day of being 22 years old, I spent it with friends at Pandin Lake in San Pablo City. Just a 30-minute drive from home, it’s nestled in an area surrounded by coconut trees. It’s one of the seven lakes of San Pablo, and in fact, its twin lake, Yambo, is just a couple of minutes away.

It was my second time at Pandin Lake, and the last one’s more than four years ago. I can tell that tons of things have changed (and increased!) such as the number of rafts in the lake and the amount of visitors coming and going on a weekend. But you know what hasn’t changed? The fact that it’s still so pretty, so pristine, so idyllic.

I cannot imagine a different way to celebrate the day before my birthday.

It was actually raining pretty hard that day, but you know what, I actually loved it! And I know I’m not alone because my friends also preferred that it’s raining. I know how vacations can be ruined when it rains, but in Pandin Lake, the rain is a welcome surprise! It made our swim a lot more fun.

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