I haz a new lens! Finally, finally! Remember how I said I wanted to buy an 18-55mm? That’s my old kit lens, the one I also broke about a year ago. But I decided to buy a Tamron AF 18-200 because I realized that if I’m going to buy a lens, I might as well upgrade to something better and with a longer range to do all my stalking, yeah? And it’s damn right better! I’ve been using it quite a lot these past few days. Yaaaay. I really hope I get my photography mojo back.

I bought my Tamron lens from Dbgadgets and I must say that I love their service! They’re incredibly easy to deal with, and I didn’t have any trouble in whatever aspect. I agreed to meet up with them last Thursday, and the kuya from Dbgadgets had to wait for me for an hour. Since it was my first time buying anything online, I got too nervous to go to the meetup by myself so I waited for Alex first. And that’s why I was late. I’m really sorry, Kuya from Dbgadgets. I know I’ve already said sorry about ten times but I still feel guilty. Anyway, thank you, Dbgadgets. Heh.

So! Here are some test shots. Can I say I’m in love with Yong Choding? Yes, I decided to name the lens Yong Choding because I’m still high on Goguma spirit. I’m so sorry.

Of course, Alex has to be the first subject. And of course, he didn’t want his picture taken.

Ate, watching We Got Married YongSeo episodes!

An Apple Jelly Drink that I don’t like so much but my sister loves a lot. Yes, that’s our usual set-up at home when she’s here. When she’s not here, I often take the bed. Being the bunso can be sad sometimes. Haha.

Today, I also went to May’s house and had her teach me how to bake. Hohohoho. I did all the stirring and mixing and she was just there to measure everything. I had fun and I would love to bake again. I’ll post the photos and the finish product on another post. I didn’t get to bond much with Fifi, though! Apparently, she already has a boyfriend.

For lunch, we went to Soledad and pigged out. And when I say pig out, I mean, really pig out. I’ve never been so full in my life.

Soledad has the best Adobo Flakes in the world. And the photo doesn’t give it any justice! May and I both ordered Adobo Flakes because it’s the main reason why we always come back. We also ordered Buffalo wing with potato wedges and Calamari with fries. It all tastes awesome so yes, I’ll also come back for that Buffalo wings, thank you very much.

The crew also gave us these hearts so we can post a message. It’s actually my first to try posting a message on a restaurant. I raved about my love for food, of course. I told May that she should just write how much she loves me but she didn’t really listen.

In my 8 years of fangirling, I have never shipped anyone this hard. I wasn’t even a fan of the groups they’re in (SNSD and CNBLUE) before I watched the show! But two months later, I’m a die-hard Goguma who is too obsessed with the couple for her own good. I’m trying to tone it down a bit but it’s difficult when I feel like wailing whenever I see a YongSeo photo. Whenever I’m getting bored at work, I look at YongSeo pics. So yeah, I am often tempted to just write about YongSeo for my write ups. Heh.

I know that two months is still too short compared to the two years other Gogumas have devoted in supporting the couple. But I hope it doesn’t make me less of a fan. I promise I love them with all my heart, too. (Ha! I’m also not sure why I’m defending myself here.) So far, I’ve only watched two WGM pairings and I am positive that I won’t like any other pairing more. YongSeo couple it is for me. I kind of hate myself for not gaining interest in the show two years ago. I bet it was awesome to be there from the start.

You see, I didn’t even like Yong Choding before I watched WGM. He’s just Jung YongHwa who played ShinWoo, the stoic OG in You’re Beautiful. He’s just LeeShin in Heartstrings, the actor who didn’t know how to act. (Please shoot me now!) But after watching WGM, he’s now THE Jung YongHwa who composes beautiful songs, who sings with that amazing voice. He’s Yong Seobang, SeoHyun’s husband who cares so much for her, and would go to great length to make things a lot better for her. He’s Yong Choding, the childlike leader of CNBLUE and one of the few people who can bring out Hyun’s true personality.

Before watching WGM, I didn’t even know SeoHyun’s name! Heck, the only one I knew from SNDS was Yoona and SeoHyun was just a familiar face. But I now know that she’s the girl who loves sweet potatoes so much that someone would even give her a sweet potato land for her birthday. She’s Hyun who has a lot of dreams in life and looks up to someone like Ban KiMoon. She’s someone who simply doesn’t believe in luck and instead, strives hard for the things she wants. She believes in hard work and perseverance. Her smile is precious because you can only see it when she’s with the people she’s close to.

A lot of people might find their relationship in WGM boring, but I like how Yong and Hyun took it slow. It’s nice to see them take things slowly and try to get to know each other first. They decided to be would-be-married couples first. SeoHyun suggested it and I am glad that Yong agreed to it. I know you’re not asking (heh) but I think why I like YongSeo so much is because I see a bit of my relationship with Alex in theirs. We took it slow and it really was frustrating especially for those people who are merely in the sidelines. But there’s a reason why people don’t instantly jump into making commitment. Some people need to make sure that they are ready first before they promise to commit to someone.

Some people may call me delusional for believing inYongSeo, but I don’t really care. I don’t think they’re in a relationship right now because their busy schedule keeps them apart. However, I still believe that they’re in constant communication with each other. How else is SNSD so close to CNBLUE in fancams and live broadcasts? I don’t know. I’m pretty sure that Yong and Hyun manage to keep in contact. And that’s enough to keep me believing in this couple.

I have so many YongSeo feelings and I don’t think I’d be able to say them all. I watched a few episodes earlier (birthday episodes!) and I don’t think I’d ever get tired of them. Even when people tell me it’s scripted, I have a hard time not rolling my eyes at them. Yeah, yeah, maybe I am a bit biased, but I see genuine care between the two. It’s Yong who helped Hyun get out of her shell and I don’t think a scripted relationship can do that. I am pretty sure their friendship is real, and that’s enough for me to say that YongSeo is real.

I don’t know until when I’d be a fan. But I’m just glad I am one now. I am also becoming a fan of SNSD, and CNBLUE has already climbed on my list of top 10 fave bands. I want to be there when Gogumas around the world celebrate their third and fourth and so on anniversaries. And if it would ever happen, I want to be there when Yong and Hyun themselves celebrate their anniversary with the rest of Gogumas around the world.

That sounds a tad too delusional but that also sounds just about right.

I happen to have tons of loved ones living in another country, and technology is oftentimes the only thing that connects me to them. My father worked in Italy for almost a decade and he lived with my mother’s siblings. My father decided last year to stay in the Philippines for good but more of my relatives are moving to Italy. My grandparents went to Italy last week. Though they’re coming back in March, some of my cousins who will go there in the next few months are staying there for good.

I sometimes think that only my sister and I will be the ones left in the Philippines. We both want to stay here, and when people asked us before why we didn’t move to Italy with our father, we just shrugged our shoulder. I just really don’t see any point in going there right now. Maybe for vacation, but not to stay there. I do not have the heart to leave the country, not yet, anyway. But I really think it’ll be nice to visit my cousins!

I digress. I digress, too much.

Anyway, Facebook, for a couple of months now, has the video call function and my cousins are using it all the time. It was only this weekend that I tried it by myself, though! I just used to go to my lola’s house whenever a video call is going on. It’s always such a riot! When we do videocalls, we don’t just talk to one person. Sometimes we end up talking to all the family members over there! Like this last sunday, my tita’s house was full of people. Oldies (heh) and youngsters alike hogged a little screentime.

It’s winter in Italy right now, and my lola, who just got there for the first time, is wearing her usual house dress and saying that it’s mabanas. Naks, sanay sa snow!

I take awful screenshots! But the one on the right side is Tita Nel and she’s one of the people living in that house. My lolo and lola are staying with her and my cousins. Also, my father used to live there.

The one on the left side is Nanay Conching and I think this was the time when she’s telling us how she met Coco Martin and even got to hug him. It’s not that obvious, but she was really happy. Like, over-the-moon happy.

Cousins! Ate Rachel, Renz, Ron and Bryan. Renz is actually my oldest grandson. Ha! He’s already the tallest in the bunch and he already has a girlfriend. Gah, I feel so old.

Blurred Rannie is blurred. Hi, Tin!

I have no idea how it feels to live in another country. I also have no idea how it feels to leave friends behind and to be away from some of your loved ones. I’m just glad that things like the internet and cellphone exist. How else can I constantly keep in contact with my awesome family who happen to be a couple of time zones away?Talking to someone in person may be better but if video call is all you got, then how can you complain about technology? It’s not like people really want to be apart.

I know this is a bit different topic, but since we’re talking about living abroad, lately, I am considering leaving Phils and working in another country. However, I really don’t think I can do it. I tend to complain that it’s tiring to go home to Laguna every week but I am pretty sure I will miss my parents if ever I’d leave. I also don’t want to be away from Alex for more than a month. Long-distance relationship is something I do not want to try anytime, soon. It’s quite tempting to take on that different path and to have an adventure. But I don’t think I really want to try it. There’s just so much at risk.

I know that working abroad offers more financial stability and career opportunities. Essa and I were talking earlier and we both agree that things really get more complicated when you get older. I guess that’s just something I have to deal with.

Here’s a picture from two years ago:

We take pretty cute wacky shots!  My father’s definitely a killer when it comes to wacky poses. Heh. I don’t have a soft copy of our photos for 2010, though. Too bad, I actually think those are the best ones!

For 2011, we took the photo on New Year’s Eve! I barely had rest that time but we had no other time to do it. I seriously don’t feel too pretty these days, and Alex said I look either sad or tired in most photos. I noticed that, too! But nevertheless, I wouldn’t dare skip on our yearly studio pic. When viewing the photos, we realized that our formal ones are too stiff! I don’t know. We don’t really project or anything. We’ve been doing this yearly and we still don’t know our best angles. Heh. I definitely think we take better candid shots.

I don’t have much to say so here’s our heavily photoshopped photos.

The last one is my favorite! We actually had it framed and it’s now sitting in our living room. I’m glad this is becoming a yearly thing. I’m just not sure where we’d be placing the future family photos.

Every KPOPCON, I plan on attending but there’s always something stopping me. It’s usually just because I didn’t feel like a big enough fan to join the festivities. But for the last KPOPCON, I decided that I wanted to buy some merchandise so there was nothing stopping me. (I actually wanted to buy a lot of things but it didn’t occur me that I would need TONS of money to buy everything. Yeah. </3)

I’m so glad I went! I was supposed to go back to Laguna that day and I didn’t really have anyone to go with. Alie wasn’t sure if she could make it, but I told myself that instances like this rarely happens. Besides, I was high on fangirl spirit at that time because of We Got Married. Heh.

Going to Ortigas was quite an adventure since I hadn’t been there by myself. It was quite scary but the KPOPCON FB page provided directions so I followed my heart (and my friends’ instructions) and prayed that I wouldn’t get lost. When I arrived at Megamall, I asked the guards for directions on how to reach Megatent. Apparently, I looked like a fangirl that other fangirls approached me! I guess I gave off a vibe or something. Hee. I made two friends that day, Jen and Louise! They were the ones who approached me in megamall. We went to Megatent together because they also didn’t know the way. Heh.

Do fangirls have this certain aura? Even the FX drivers know at first sight that we were on our way to KPOPCON. When we entered the FX, it was already filled with other fans. I am easily amused by things like this.

We lined up for more than hour! I couldn’t believe the number of people already there. It was still quite early and apparently, fangirls are early birds. But it’s not just fangirls, though, there were also fanboys. I was quite happy to see so many people wearing AKTF shirts! The last time I went to a fan gathering was back on 2007 and we were barely a hundred. Anyway, we lined up for more than an hour and everyone’s already turning grumpy because of the unbearable heat. I even saw someone faint and that’s pretty understandable.

It was quite a relief to finally enter the place. But alas, inside proved to be hotter than outside. There wereprobably thousands in the place. There were so many booths and every booth was packed with fans. It was quite amazing! I parted with my newfound friends because they decided to join the activities and I just really wanted to buy some DBSK shirts. Also, I couldn’t stay long because I had somewhere else to go. Huhu.

I saw Jimmy Kim from Mykoreanboyfriend.com!

I went to every booth just to see what’s inside. I couldn’t take much photos because I was sooooo tired. Also, there were too many people that taking photos only lead me to take photos of heads and arms and other bother parts. I was also carrying a bunch of plastic bags because I decided to go shopping. Lulz. By this point, I was already ready to faint from the heat, exhaustion, and hunger.

Going to KPOPCON all by myself didn’t stop me from taking photos with standees! I was all sweaty and gross but I didn’t care. It’s not everyday that I get to see life-size versions of my favorite boys. Also, I saw some booths selling mini standees! HOMG. I wanted to buy one but I didn’t have enough money. /sobbing

With Yong! and Jungshin. Heehee. CN Blue is my recent KPOP obsession. I am in love with their songs. The fact that they play instruments and compose their own music make me appreciate them more. I listen to their music non-stop, especially when I’m working.

But of course, I couldn’t NOT take a photo op with JaeJoong’s and ChangMin’s standees! Too bad I didn’t notice that I was blocking a part of ChangMin’s face. Huhuhu. I also registered in DBSK’s official PH fan club! I need to attend the 9th Cassph gathering so I can get my membership ID. Hee.

Kring!

I didn’t want to leave! The program started at around 1:30 and I had to leave by 2PM. Sigh. Sigh. And my favorite blogger in the world was hosting! I really had to drag myself out of the place.  I had a pretty good time, though, and I cannot wait for the next KPOPCON. By that time, I promise to like more boybands and to finish the whole thing.

Here are some of the merchs I bought from the event:

I wanted to buy so many other things! Like the High Cut magazines, CN Blue’s First Step album, Tohoshinki’s Best Selection Album, a YongSeo Couple shirt (that I didn’t see anywhere!) and a bunch of other things that didn’t fit my budget. Can the next KPOPCON come much faster? I cannot wait to be surrounded by so many fangirls agaaaaaain.

I’ve been a quitter for too long. It’s about time I stop.

Let’s just say that 2012 will be the year that I will live to the fullest and hope I won’t die from doing too much. I’ve always been so nonchalant towards everything. But this year, I promise to care and to interact more. To live more.

If the world will truly end on Dec. 21 of this year (I doubt it, though!), then I promise to stop spending too much time indoors. I just promise to stop holding back and to start giving more. More everything. Heh. I’ve been living far too long within my comfort zone. I’ve already mentioned here how even palm reading got a tad too boring for me. Apparently, even my palm agrees that my life is too smooth-smailing. I blame it on the fact that I rarely encounter anything challenging or unusual, though.

If life wouldn’t give me an adventure, then I will chase after it. I will go far and wide just to have a taste of a life on edge. Come on, I want to feel infinite, too!

I don’t even know what to call these things I plan on doing. Goals, maybe? I don’t know. All I know is that these are the things I really, really want to do this year. I realized that posting my plans online makes me commit to it more.

1. ON READING

I know, I know. I said I’ll spend less time indoors. But if the world would truly end this year, then I would love to read all the good books out there.

Read at least 30 books. I’m still aiming for 52 books this year. I did it last year! Yay. But since I want to be busy with other things this year, I don’t think it would be as easy. But I will keep reading. There are just too many good books out there.

Read more Filipino literature. Believe it or not, I still haven’t even read Noli Me Tangere. So this year, I’m going back to my roots and read more works by Filipino authors. I should remind myself that Bob Ong isn’t the only Filipino author in existence.

Read the bible. This is something I’ve been telling myself to do for the past 3 years. I hope this will be the year that I’ll be faithfully reading it.

2. ON WRITING

For some reason, this is probably the most challenging thing to do in this list. It’s the most accessible but for some reason, I always need to find some courage and motivation to do this. Let this year be the year that I won’t be afraid of rejection.

Blog more. Not everyday, though. That’s quite impossible. But I want to update my Asian movie blog more often and to document my life and thoughts more frequently, too.

Write fiction. Yes. Fiction writing used to be my life. I want it to be my life again.

Get published. I’m really not confident when it comes to writing. This year, I want to conquer my fears and try going beyond my limits. I want to see how far I can go. I wish to always find the courage to try again every time I fail. There’s no harm in trying and that’s something I must start believing.

3. ON BEING HEALTHY

If I haven’t informed you yet, I gained 6 kilos over the past year. I don’t intend to get rid of all those 6 kilos because I actually think I look better this way. Heh. I just want to lose the flabs!

Exerce more. I have been jogging after work since last year. I plan to do it more frequently. I am so out of shape. I’m not doing this just to lose weight but because I’m aware of how physically inactive I am.

Eat more fruits and veggies. I’ve been promising this every year but it’s just so difficult to commit to it. But I have such an unhealthy diet. I don’t want to die early. So Jane, eat more fruits and veggies for crying out loud. And less sisig. #brbcrying

4. ON LEARNING

For too many personal reasons, I gave up on my plans of applying for masters. Instead, I wish to learn more about things that I don’t really need but my heart desires so much.

Cooking. I’ve been trying my hand on cooking between months, and it’s not enough! I’ll try to cook as much as possible this year. If I’d have to enroll in a class, then I will.

Driving. Inspired by the YongSeo couple, I want to learn how to drive! I tried driving once and it was terrifying. But this year is all about conquering fears!

Film Photography. I’m such a frustrated photographer, okay. It won’t be cheap but I’m sure it will be worth it.

Korean. Of course. Of course. I’ve wanted to learn this language for the past 8 years. It’s high time that I really start learning the language.

5. ON EXPLORING

Before my passport expires on 2013, I want to travel as much as I can. I’ve been saving for this!

Travel alone. It doesn’t matter where. I don’t care if it’s just in Laguna or in the metro. I just want to try getting lost and eventually finding my way. My parents aren’t so keen on allowing me to go overseas alone so I’ll just try to explore my own country by myself as much as I can. I’m hoping I can do this every month.

Locally:

• Quaipo. I’ll try next week!
• Intramuros. Hopefully, with Alex.
• General Santos. With officemates, I think!
• Sagada. I really, really hope this pushes through. Ayessa, Mariel, Maren, and I have been planning since last year. I hope we’d find the time to visit Sagada. Huhu.

Internationally, lulz:

• Macau. This is actually the last option. If I couldn’t book a flight to Korea, then Macau will do.
• Thailand. ARGHHHHH. I really, really want to go to Thailand for personal and fangirl reasons.
• South Korea. I just really want to take my family to South Korea. I don’t even care if I’d spend more than half of my savings for this to come true. I just want to go to South Korea with my family.

I miss.

6. ON GIVING BACK

I’ve been saying this half my life, I’m much more blessed than I deserve. Well, He probably thinks I’m deserving of all these wonderful blessings, and I am more than thankful. So I think it’s a disgrace not to give back.

Sponsor a child. I believe I’m ready.

Donate. This is like hitting two birds with one stone! I need more closet space, anyway.

Volunteer. I don’t think it would be practical to follow my dreams of becoming a pre-school teacher. But I don’t want to give up on my dreams of teaching children ABCs and 123s.

7. ON DOING SOMETHING FOR THE FIRST TIME

I said I would chase after adventures, right? Well, this is how I think I’ll be able to do it. I promise to do something for the first time every month. No matter how trivial or silly it may be, I just want to keep experiencing things I’ve never experienced before. I’ll try to talk about it, everything about the experience.

 8. ON TRYING TO BE A BETTER PERSON

• Be more systematic.
• Speak up!
• Sleep more. Yes, this falls under this category.
• Stop hate-stalking blogs. LOLOL.
• Stop speaking ill of others.
• Stop being cynical towards everything. But never stop being critical.

Career-wise, I won’t even disclose anything here because I don’t want to jinx it! I’ll just do my best at work and just see what will come out of it.

Last year, I didn’t accomplish much on my list. Just managed to do 1, 4, 8 and 10. I swear this year will be different. I’m not exactly sure how I’d be able to do everything on this list. But I will try and I will give my 100%. I have this habit of doing things half-heartedly, but this year, I swear to give my all.

It had been such a good year for my obsessions that it would be a pity to not write about the things I obsessed over. I know I have a bunch of other things to write but this cannot wait. While my emotions are still running high, I present to you the things I went gaga for last year. I’ll start from the bottom to build up some suspense. Heh.

11. FOOD

You probably thought I’d be posting only about pretty boys, huh? But last year, food has taken over me. It controlled my life, my moods, and my actions. Food ruled my life and it’s still ruling my life. I’ve already mentioned quite a lot of times how much I gained weight last year, and it’s all thanks to my best friend, food!  I’m getting thinner (REALLLLY) but it doesn’t mean I’m losing my interest on food. I’m still its slave, and I don’t see it changing anytime, soon.

I stopped my 365 challenge last year when I realized that most of the photos I took were of food. Yeah.

10. BOOK HOARDING

I think it started last year? But I really cannot stop buying books! I’m actually implementing a book ban on myself for the next three months. I cannot buy another book until I read most of the books gathering dust on my bed. I have about 60+ unread titles! Told you, I just cannot stop buying, okay. I’ll try not to enter another Booksale because I often cannot say no when I see a book I like if it’s only P20 or less! But I still have tons I want to buy. Huuuuu.

Sigh. Nevertheless, 2011 had been a good year when it comes to reading. I succeeded in reading 52 books! Actually, it’s 53 but I’m still not sure if I’d include the graphic novel. Heh.

9. SHOES

Ah. Ayessa already called me Imeldific. I, however, think that I’m still not that addicted to shoes. This year, I managed  to buy 3 pairs of doll shoes, 5 pairs of heels, and 3 pairs of sandals! Oh, and 3 pairs of flipflops because my shoes/sandals failed on me thrice. Mini Stop to the rescue! Anyway, I got a little addicted, okay. In my defense, most of the shoes I buy aren’t expensive at all! Only two pairs of heels exceeded 500! Sadly, I have more pairs I want to buy. Huhuhu. If only I were as rich as Imelda, then I wouldn’t even think twice of buying all the pairs I want. But no, I’m just Jane who can’t even buy TVXQ’s best selection album. Heh. I just want to say that.

8. KIMI NI TODOKE

It seemed to be the year of Kimi ni Todoke for me! I watched season 2 this season and fell in love with Kazehaya and Sawako. Argh. Their love story is perfect in my eyes! I also watched the movie twice and loved it the second time. (Read my spazz here.) Sigh. Sigh. Sigh. I end up reading the manga because it doesn’t seem enough to just watch the anime and movie. And guess what? I fell in love with their story more! I’ve already mentioned here everything I love about the two. But you see, Kimi ni Todoke isn’t just about love. It’s also about friendship and honesty and courage and personal growth.

I don’t think I’d ever see another fictional love story that’s as innocent and warm-hearted as theirs. Wait. Let me rethink that.

7.  HARRY POTTER

It feels awful to place Harry Potter on the 7th position! Don’t get me wrong, I’m still in love with the series. I don’t think I’d ever get tired of it. I truly think it will be one of the constant obsessions in my life. In fact, it’s already the longest and I don’t see myself stopping from loving the trio in the near future. It’s one of the things that I really want to pass on to my future kids but I swear I won’t impose it on them.

With the last movie premiering last year, it kind of felt like the end of Harry Potter. But I don’t think so. It’s one of the things that will never end. Yeah, that’s why I keep saying that the “magic will never end,” even when others are already saying that it’s the end of an era. No, no, no, no. It will always be Harry Potter’s era.

6. GAME OF THRONES

It seems that every year, there’s that one book series that will captivate me and leave me helpless and obsessed for a few weeks or months. This year, it’s A Song of Ice and Fire. Last year, it was Hunger Games.

It all started with the series Game of Thrones. I’m not exactly why I loved it so much. I guess I just got all emotionally attached to the Starks children that I end up loving the entire thing. Learning that the books are just as good, or even better, inspired me to read the series!  My entire October and November were spent on the series. NO REGRETS. GRMM is a genius for crafting such an epic tale. He created a world that has its unique sets of tradition, culture, ethics, etc. I am so glad that I decided to conquer my fear of reading the intimidating thick paperbacks. It’s quite hard to finish one but it’s definitely worth it! I’m now waiting for the paperback release of Dance With Dragons, and it’s the only exception for my book ban. Heh.

(gif by superstarohmygirl of tumblr)

5. DBSK

THE GODS ARE BACK! It had been years since we last saw ChangMin and Yunho on stage, promoting their single. It’s nice that they are back to singing and just doing what they do best: being the best, of course. I know that there are two groups now, but I’m just happy that all of them are singing, still singing.

I know that we won’t see the 5 doing anything together anytime soon, but there’s nothing wrong with waiting, right? I may not be the fan that I was a few years ago but I still love them. They’re still the number 1 group in my heart, and I won’t let any group take their place. They’ve been my boys for the past 8 years and I don’t plan for that to change ever. I grew up with them. They were the only boys in my life during that stage when I didn’t even talk to boys in real life.

They will always be my boys. I cannot wait for the five of them to reunite, even if it’s not on stage.

4. THAI MOVIES

When I started my Asian movie blog, I thought I’d end up watching and writing about too many South Korean movies. BUT NOOOO. I ended up getting addicted to Thai movies, especially GTH ones! Ate Karen gave me a copy of Hello Stranger and that’s the start of my love affair with Thai movies. Of all the movies I watched this year, Hello Stranger and SuckSeed (and maybe Love of Siam?) definitely made the most impact. I don’t really have a top 10 favorite movies, but if I had one, the two would definitely make the list.

Oftentimes, I find myself looking for new Thai movies to download! I spend way too many times on Thai movie blogs, just looking for good movies to watch. I kind of hate myself for getting late into Thai movies. I really, really hate myself for this.

3. SUCKSEED

OMG THIS MOVIE. I feel sorry for Ayessa for having me as an office seatmate. She was the often the receiving end of my spazzy SuckSeed rants. I changed my ringtones, wallpaper, playlist, etc. into SuckSeed-oriented ones. I recommend the movie to everyone, even those not asking for recommendations. I am not sure how many times I’ve watched it. Not counting the ones I spent watching it while screencapping my favorite parts. I think I’ve fully expressed my love for it when I filled my blog with so much SuckSeed posts. If you haven’t seen this movie yet, please watch it immediately!!!! It’s the best movie about high school that I’ve ever watched, okay. Maybe I’m exaggerating a little but I’m still in love with it. Yeah.

Also, Kao Jirayu was probably my number 1 celeb crush last year? I don’t knoooooow. I obsess so much that I have no way of assessing my level of obsessions for each one but Ayessa said that I wasn’t that obsessed with ChangMin.

2. YONGSEO/GOGUMA COUPLE

I thought long and hard of whether I should include the YongSeo Couple on the list. It was only during the last week of December that I ended up loving them. But still. The emotions I felt while watching the We Got Married episodes of the Goguma couple were just as intense as the emotions I felt for the other TV shows/movies I watched and books I read last year.

I think my earlier post in my other blog about the YongSeo couple fully expressed my love for them. They made me laugh so hard, squeal so loud and cry so much. I think, of all my obsessions this year, Goguma Couple is the only one that made me cry. And when I say cry, I mean bawl like a baby. I just love Yong Choding and Seo JooHyun so much, okay. I’ve been memorizing the Banmal Song for the past three days (TAGAL) and I haven’t tried to memorize a Korean song since 2006. WHUT.

Right now, they’re probably just friends, but that doesn’t stop me from shipping them! I haven’t shipped anyone this hard. I am crossing my fingers that they end up really liking/loving each other. If they ever find it in their hearts to fall in love with someone else, then I’ll accept it. But with a heavy heart. I just want to see them end up together soooooo bad.

Sigh. I feel like I should say more about them! But I’m afraid the tears just might end up falling again. I’m thinking of watching it again, too. 60+ episodes, yo.

(photo credit)

1. CITY HUNTER

SURPRISE! Say hello to my favorite Kdrama. The Kdrama that stabbed my heart a couple of times then threw it on the floor and stomped on it a few more times. That’s how I felt while watching City Hunter. It’s not a bad drama, it’s actually really good in my opinion. But I was such an emotional wreck while watching this movie. There were moments when I was on top of the world because of Kim Nana and Lee YoonSung. Then my emotions would suddenly plummet to the ground because of City Hunter’s heart-breaking scenes.

Heuk. It occupied my daydreams the entire time it was showing so I guess that’s two months? And maybe more after that. Every weekend, I’d be so excited to go home just so I could download the latest episodes. I would repeatedly read (I still do!) the Dramabeans’s City Hunter recaps after every episode because just watching it isn’t enough. I kept listening to the soundtrack and singing ‘Oh, it’s alright!’ randomly. Some people say that City Hunter is overrated but when did I ever listen to criticisms when it comes to things I love? Heh.

Every drama or movie or just anything I watched (oh, and even books!) after City Hunter suddenly failed in comparison, okay. I had a hard time moving on from this Kdrama. I was at a complete lost after finishing it. I just didn’t know what else to do. Suddenly, I do not know how to function in society without anticipating for a new City Hunter episode. Heh. Ah, have I told you how much I love this show? I’m not exactly sure if it should take the top spot of my 2011 Obsessions list, but I believe it deserves to be number 1.

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This has been such a fun list to write! I always get overly hyper and emotional when I talk about the things I like. 2011 had been a pretty good year, indeed.

I am a happy fangirl, and I don’t want that to change this year or the year after and the year after that and so on.

I’m not that big on Christmas. I don’t really feel the Christmas ~spirit~ maybe because I don’t really know the meaning of Christmas. All I know is that Christmas is the time that we celebrate Jesus’s love and grace, and I do that by celebrating it with the people I love the most. It’s the time to give gifts and not to expect any in return. But that doesn’t mean it wouldn’t be nice to receive gifts! It’s really, really nice, actually.

We don’t really have a Christmas tradition. When I was a kid, I’d spend the whole day outside the house and going to different houses (even to strangers’ houses!) just to ask for aginaldo. “Mamasko po!” my cousins and I used to say together. We’d go to two barangays becuase even as kids, we love the smell of money. We may not have a Christmas tradition but I really cannot imagine spending Christmas without my family.

Last Christmas, we decided to go to Tagaytay and to spend the whole day eating and walking and just doing things together. We wanted to avoid the tons of Christmas carolers that start appearing at 8Am. As my mother put it, we spend more money when we stay at home during Christmas. It’s all about spending the day with your loved ones and you can’t really do that if visitors arrive all day loooong. So in turn, I didn’t really get to spend much time with my parents.

This is why it’s the best Christmas ever. Not only do I get to spend the day with my parents and sibling, but I also got to spend it with my cousins and grandparents! Last year, we watched an MMFF film, and I must say that I really prefer spending the day with everybody rather than watching a movie.

Miki was definitely the star of the day. Heh. Since it was really (REALLY REALLY) cold in Tagaytay, our cardigans weren’t enough protection from the cold. Miki would repeatedly say it’s cold, and one time, she even shouted “ANG LAMIIIIIIIG!” Heh. It was so funny. She’s also kind of bratty. The crowd was so thick that we had difficulty walking. Miki, being impatient, shouted, “TABI!” Ha. Like a boss.

The main reason why we chose Tagaytay is because of the zipline! I’ve tried the Megazip in Singapore and it’s one of the best things I’ve ever tried. That’s why I couldn’t wait to try it again. At first, only Ate, Ate Osai and I wanted to try the zipline. Our other cousins didn’t want to!! BUT WHY??? Then when the three of us were already in line, Kynan shouted for Ate Osai that he wanted to try the zipline, too. We’re so proud of him! Our brave little baby. Hee. Eventually, Tita Pepis, Bryan and the twins Arlene and Kathleen tried the zipline, too.

It was the first time I rode the zipline alone! Ah, it was pretty nerve-wracking but it truly is the best, okay. Worth every cent! I would love to go back and try it again. Since it was extremely windy, I got a little scared but it only added to the fulfillment of  finishing the ride. Wah. I cannot wait to go to Tagaytay and do it again! We all availed the back and forth tickets to fully capture the experience. Also, it was way cheaper than just trying it once and it comes with a souvenir photo. Heh.

Last Christmas would have been perfect if only I saw Alex. I know it’s not possible to spend every occasion together. Maybe someday. But he called me twice, and for now, that’s enough for me. Christmas was still pretty amazing, and I love my crazy family.

I would love to spend every Christmas like this, please.

But you see, I kind of like messy hair on me. Straight hair is okay, but when it’s too straight, I feel like it doesn’t fit me. So even when I go to the salon to have my hair straightened, I stupidly wish that it wouldn’t be so straight that it would look so flat on my head. I just want to get rid of my baby hair but I still wish that my hair would have… volume.

When I went to Tony and Jackey last December 10, I was hoping that their rebonding treatment wouldn’t make my hair look too flat. The whole thing took 4 hours! Good thing I had Roald Dahl’s Boy to keep me occupied.

The only reason I look so bothered is because I was thinking of the price of the treatment. Ha. I skipped on the haircut because that would be an additional 500! So yeah, no thanks. But hey, it was the most I spent on a single purchase. Ever. I am quite stingy and I usually have a hard time letting go of money. Hee. But this time, I just said, the hell with it. I should treat myself from time to time.

Almost every mirror has this weird-looking thingy. I’m not exactly sure what it is. I have a terribly eyesight but some customers seem to be surfing online using the thing. WHAT IS ITTTTT?? I didn’t bother ask, obviously.

Also, I am fascinated with the Korean hair stylists because they were wearing corporate clothes and about 6-inch high stilettos. I don’t know how they could do their jobs so well while wearing such uncomfortable clothing. Come on, they have to stand all day and move around a lot. Yet, they manage.

They used this scary-looking machine, which, I figured, is probably the reason why treatment is so expensive.

They applied tons of chemical (which they called medicine) and shampooed and blow-dryed and ironed my hair. In between, I saw how flat it would probably look and I was still praying that they’d do something else. I planned to have full bangs but I backed out at the last minute.

But it turned out quite nice, and I’m quite happy about it. It’s not so straight now, though. Hehe. I’m thinking of having my hair dyed next February. I’m already looking at different brands of hair dye. Yes, I’m planning to do it myself at home. I want to do all sorts of experimental stuff on my hair while I’m still young. Wouldn’t dream of doing it when I’m already in my 30s.

Sorting through 700+ photos is not a joke. Last saturday was fun and the photos (of us laughing like maniacs) proved how much fun we had. My office’s Christmas party took place last Saturday at Fiamma (or is it Fiama), a bar in Makati which I guess is famous since Phil Younghusband was there. Heh. I didn’t see him, though! (And I’m not a fan so…)

It was a really, really fun night, and I’m not exactly sure how to blog about it. We agreed to meet up at our office to practice our presentation that night. But instead of practicing our silly and random number, we had a little photoshoot instead.

Ayessa, Kimpee & Cy

I don’t know. Others took so long to arrive and the only sensible thing to do was take pictures! Best decision, tbh. We even had full-body shots that are Lookbook.nu material but of course, that’s just my opinion. Tempted to post the other photos here but Kimpee said I could only post it on Facebook, especially his model poses. Heh.

Super K, Kimpee & Ate Marco

We also spent a lot of time getting ready! I usually don’t wear make-up but everyone’s in the ladies’ room prepping up that I was lured to join in. Jinkee helped me with the make-up thingy by applying blush-on and eye shadow on my fez. She told me to put on mascara, too, but I was wearing glasses! Huhu. Ate Joycy applied some bloody red lipstick on me. I thank my image stylists (lulz) for making me look like a party girl that night. Kamsahamnida!

We took a cab to get to Fiamma. When we arrived at the place, our team was the first one there. We, of course, hogged the best spot in the bar (MAY: Club, Enj. Club. *facepalm*). Since the program took quite a while to start, another photo session began. The camwhoring never stopped.

Ate Anj, me, & Ate Karen. Lumilipstick.

The Going Bulilit Gang. Heh. Ate Ninay, Steve, me, & Iris.

Plus Ate Joycy (dressed like a Kdrama kontrabida) at the back. Hee.

I present to you the best department in the world our office! Not everyone’s in the photo but almost all of us were there, I think. We have a gazillion group pictures and I was tempted to post it all here. Hee.

This year, we didn’t have any games but we had a pageant. Our department’s representative is our resident fashionista, Essa! She has the grace, poise and charm I’ve strived for since forever. She won 1st place but I truly believe that she deserves to win all the awards! And I’m not saying that just because I’m her officemate and friend. She really deserves to win! GO ESSA!

Ate Des, Eunice, Essa, Ayessa, Ate Ninay, & Iris

Right after dinner, Ate Ninay and I already wanted to party! Haha. But we still had to wait for the pageant to finish. Ate Ninay and I decided to no longer wait for it to finish and just dance. I think it made Ayessa and Ate Karen uncomfortable but they soon joined the pseudo-partying, anyway.

Meet my seatmates! They’re the best seatmates ever. Ayessa often pretends she’s Iris’s mother. Let’s just humor her, yeah? But I truly understand Ayessa because it’s hard not to baby Iris. She’s the cutest in the history of cuteness.

The pretty girls of the Marketing Department! Chos. Please ignore the white space with silly squiggles.

I had a fun time editing these photos! Everyone was just trying to dominate the photo. They ended up crashing on the floor. I know I should feel sorry for the ones who got pushed but it’s just too funny, okay. By this time, we’ve also moved to the second floor to commence the partying. Tugs tugs tugs.

We all had a chance to show off our moves! We were partying in a huge circle and just pushing and shoving and no, not grinding. There was always one person pushed in the middle who was urged to show some dance moves. I also had my chance, of course. These photos are enough proof how annoyingly happy I was that night. But they also need to be censored for the sake of preserving my dignity as a human and as a girl who should seriously start acting like a lady.

I often said I’m no party girl, but partying with your friends can also be quite fun. We danced non-stop for two hours and obtained blisters but it’s worth it! I also said that dancing in a dance floor is not really something I like to do but I guess I have to take that back now. I just had so much fun last Saturday! I don’t mind repeating the experience but please not every week. I got a little sick last Sunday. Heh. But still! I haven’t had this much fun in such a long time. I definitely should get out more.

Everyone’s energy was quite amazing that night. I’m pretty sure that most of us didn’t have any alcoholic drink at all. But the way we partied and just had plain fun seemed as if we all had a drink. Well, I know I don’t really need to drink to get high.

Also, I once again got back into photography. It’s been a while since I really used my camera and just snapped, snapped, snapped. I don’t even mind that I’m almost not in any photo. I’m just glad that I started taking photos again. I have so much more to learn, and I wish to find the time to learn it all.

I’m not sure if I’d still be here next year. I’m not sure how long I’d be staying, but I’m glad that I’ve made friends. If I’d ever leave my job (that’s a big IF), I’d seriously miss my officemates more than the actual work itself. It’s starting to feel like family.