A Single Girl's Musings

New Adventures in the Land Down Undahhhhh

2012-01-23T21:10:00.001+08:00

Harro, harro!

Missed me? Hahah... I missed you guys as well. And I miss writing all those silly, borderline useless, stuff just to amuse you guys. I'm sure you're wondering where the heck did I go to?! I mean... for months there I was, posting regularly then all of a sudden boom! I disappear in thin air! Well... good news, I'm still alive, just a little bit restricted with internet access, haiz.. the price of being far away from your home and being a student on a tight budget.

Anyway... I arrived in Australia exactly a week ago. I am set to commence my classes on the 7th of February but I decided to head on over here earlier so that I can reacquaint myself with the town (I was here previously) and to settle in before school starts. I have been looking forward to this for months now, and haha... it's funny because the minute the plane lifted me off from my home city, I began to feel so darn homesick. I miss my family, friends and my cats terribly. I still feel homesick right now, but it's more tolerable and bearable than when I first got here.

Here are some of the things I've been up to since I've arrived:

Sporting a shorter 'do and bangs!

I've been waking up early *gasp!*

Found a distraction (it's been my way of coping with homesickness)

Trying to get fit

And FOB'ing it up at public transpo's haahah

Just a quick side-bit: The top I'm wearing on the first photo was a present from one of my dearest friends I met through blogging. Big thanks to Bessie of Bravoe Runway for the top! I loved, LOVED it!

On a serious note, life is definitely going to be a whole lot different for me now. I can no longer spend my time leisurely updating my blog like I used to because I have to work in order to support my studies over here. I will try, once in a while, but no promises. Inasmuch as I wish I could continue what I started over here, I'm afraid my circumstances are totally different now. But hey, I'll casually pop in once in a while, try and amuse you with my quick witty and humorous posts whenever I can.

Haizzzz.... It's going to be a very interesting 18 months ahead of me. A lot has changed, but cliché as it sounds, the only thing that's constant in this world is change and this right about here, are the monumental changes in my life. Wish me luck y'all, cuz I'll be needing lots of it.

Okay then, that was one very unstructured, disorganized post but haha... I hope you guys would pardon me for this.

Oh, and GONG XI FA CAI! Happy Year of the Water Dragon to y'all! Much love <3

Quick Update

2011-12-23T23:24:00.000+08:00

Hello, everyone! Did you miss me? Haha... I've missed you all, and I apologize for my extended, unexplained absence. The reason for my sudden disappearance in the blogsphere is due to my student visa application to Australia. I applied for one back in October and in late November, the embassy was requiring me to submit additional documents thus I could not spare enough time for blogging. It was a hair-raising experience because I truly wanted my visa to be approved. I didn't want to be haphazard with the documentation because if the embassy denies my application, then all would be in vain and I'd be very disheartened. And, thank goodness, things went smoothly after I submitted the additional documents.

So I guess now it's very safe to say that lady luck has been on my side all along! My application got approved and I am heading back to Australia this January! January 15, to be exact. Finally, all those months of preparation, waiting and sleepless nights has finally turned out to be in my favour after all. I was itching to share this with you guys, right after I lodged my application but I chose not to because I really wanted this to have a positive turn-out and I didn't want to jinx it, yes, I am very Asian and very superstitious.

After I finally got the visa, things went from anxiety-provoking to totally hectic. I had to book my flights, contact the school, make other arrangements and sigh... do some paperwork concerning the transfer of ownership of my shop. I didn't have the heart to close it down just because I'm leaving, so I decided to let my sister take over. I am still a part owner but for legal and tax purposes, we decided that I relinquish proprietorship to her. It's less complicated that way, plus the shop will continue its operations. Ahh... the bitter-sweet aspect of my joyful triumph but, that's life.

So that's about it, that's the reason for my unexplained and unannounced hiatus. Things are going to be a little hectic, with the Christmas holidays practically knocking on my window and I haven't finished tying up loose ends over here. But yes, I am bound for Australia by January, and that things are going to be very different for me come next year. I'm going to start anew on a foreign land, so wish me luck. I will need all your well wishes and your prayers for the success of this endeavour. And yes, I'm finally going to reunite with Sunshine. Let's hope he and I will be able to pick up where we left off haha :)

Oh... and just a little preview of what I've been up to (apart from getting ready for my big Aussie comeback). This was from a Cosplay-themed Christmas Party I attended last Monday. I chose the anime character Alice the Rabbit of Pandora Hearts. As this is the first time I EVER wore a costume (no kidding), I did the best I could with the hair, costume and make-up.

My Character

I did the best I could ;)

Like the wigs? hahaha

Yes, we went all out on costumes for this Christmas party because...

This is the last X'mas party I'll be celebrating with them for I'm leaving next year ;(

Don't be shocked by the bangs, it's a clip-on wig hahaha! Bessie of Bravoe Runway had a preview of it, as I was trial-running these bangs as my FB profile picture, and she prefers to see me sans the bangs lol. But it's cosplay, and I need to stay true to the character so I had no choice but to wear this blunt-cut wig bangs, oh and the thin braids on the side are wigs too.

I'll be posting some updates soon. I do owe you guys some posts. Will get back at you soon! I miss you all! If you have any questions, just leave them on the comment box below. And MERRY CHRISTMAS, everyone! <3

I'm Still Here :)

2011-11-29T00:05:00.000+08:00

I got a lot of explaining to do >.<" *yikes*

Please Accept My Peace Offering >.<"

I have gone M.I.A. on you guys for days, and I didn't even left you any notice whatsoever. Things just went crazy hectic over at my end since Thursday. I had to help out and prepare, not for Thanksgiving (we don't celebrate Thanksgiving over here), but for my brother's birthday last Friday. My sis, my mom, our house help and I had to clean up the house (it's a mess because there's a construction going on at our house at the moment), do grocery shopping and cook for the party. Friday, well, I couldn't get anywhere near my computer at all since we had to entertain guests, and of course, indulge in the meal we've prepared and clean up after the party.

I thought I'd be able to get back to blogging by Saturday but lol... that's a big no. My supplier sent me a text message early Saturday morning telling me to head to her shop because she has a new bundle of thifted clothes waiting for me to break in. My sis and I wigged out, because this was very unexpected and we're still a bit tired from the past 2 days' activities but of course, we couldn't pass that out. I was so beat that I literally shut down after dinner. Sunday... I spent it sorting out and pricing my newly acquired stocks.

So there ya go... that was my Thanksgiving weekend. Pretty crazy, but it was great :) Oh, by the way, thank you so much for the lovely comments on my Thanksgiving post. They were so touching. I hope you guys had a fantastic celebration with the special people in your lives.

I've noticed you guys were all baffled about that disaster I faced this year. I made a post about it, but you guys probably weren't following me at that time. So if you are up for a good read, do skim over my post, A Night I Will Never Forget...

So yes, I'm still alive, and no, I haven't quit blogging. Once again, I apologize for my unexplained absence. I will update my blog soon. After all, I do owe you guys especially my dear friend, Bessie, a K-pop Idol Feature. I'll do that... tomorrow. Right now, I need to catch up on some Zzzz's.

The Things I'm Thankful For

2011-11-23T23:33:00.000+08:00

It's almost Thanksgiving Day over at the US. I'm sure you guys are all excited to finally spend some time with your families and loved ones over good food. And even though we don't celebrate Thanksgiving over here, it doesn't mean I can't take a while to pause and muse about the things I am thankful for.

I am thankful for... The Gift of Life.

FOBbin' it up at Yeppoon, QLD

Though I wince whenever someone asks how old I am, still I am thankful to have lived this long. After having struggled and survived a natural catastrophe that had almost killed me and my family, I now look at my age as something to be thankful for, and not as something to be embarrassed about.

I am thankful for... The Gift of Joy.

With Orin the Cat who's all grown up now

Life is full of ups and downs. There are instances when the odds are so unfairly against us. But then again, life isn't always full of sorrow and pain. There's no single person in this world, living or dead, who did not come across struggles at least once in their lifetime. I am thankful that I see things in this light now because finally, I have found joy amidst the trials and disappointments I have faced. And now, when I look back, I had lived quite a colourful and carefree life; not everyone has the privilege to indulge in that.

I am thankful for... The Gift of Family.

Mi Familia

Though we are not a perfect family (I doubt if there's one), I am thankful that at the midst of our imperfections, they are my source of joy, inspiration and strength. They were there when I was at my lowest of lows, gave me the strength to stand up, and they were always there to cheer me on and give me a pat on my back during my triumphs. They have been supportive and always encouraging, and I know someday, I can finally give back and show my gratitude for all the things they've done for me.

I am thankful for... The Gift of Friends.

These girls have my back. Ancient photo, btw, circa 2003

When I was younger, I had tons of friends. But as I grew older, the number dwindled as my age flourished. Now don't let this sound off warning bells, this doesn't mean that I am a despicable person (lol). It simply means that I was able to separate the wheat from the chaff, and stayed with the better ones. And even though my circle of friends isn't that vast, I am confident that each and every friend within that circle are friends I can trust with my life.

I am thankful for... The Gift of Hope.

Someday I'll hug you again Koala ;)

Though I wish to elaborate on this, I would rather not. I am very superstitious and I believe that talking about things before they have ever come to realize might jinx it. In the past, I was never so optimistic, believing that this would save me from all the drama and the heartbreak in case things don't turn out the way I wanted them to go. But ever since I did a revamp on my perspective of life, things have been looking and going good so far. And I am so grateful that I was able to humble myself and let my Creator work his magic. I have done everything that's humanly possible, the puck stops there for me, it's all up to Him now and... let Thy will be done. And whatever happens, whether it's a yay or a nay, I can finally accept, without acting like a spoiled little brat, that things happen for a reason.

And lastly, I am thankful for... The Gift of Love.

See you soon, mate :)

Clichéd as it is, but we only seem to pray when things have gone awry. During those crucial times when things seem to be going nowhere but downhill for me, for the first time, I thought to myself: maybe I was praying for the wrong things. Then one day I sat down and prayed that my Creator send me someone who will make me happy. I wasn't really serious about it, I actually took it as one of those nonchalant prayer/conversation with Him. But boy was He quick to respond, and brought Sunshine into my life. Though our time together was brief for I had to go back to my home country, he still manages to make my life sunny and bright despite the distance. It's not easy as long distance relationships are a killer (I don't recommend it lol) but bottom line: I'm happy. And I know, soon, really soon, he and I can pick up where we left off and hopefully, move on and weave ourselves our happy ending. If it doesn't work out that way, well then at least he kept me focused on my journey and filled it with hope. Because without that hope he's injected into my life, I would've totally given up on my dream of going back to Aussie pies.

Haha... I know, I know... This was such a sappy post, sheesh >.<" But once in a while, It's good to sit back and take a moment or two to think of what we're thankful for. Sometimes, our heads are so full of what we yearn for that we don't get to appreciate the things that we have. There's so much to be thankful for; we just have to take time to see all the goodness surrounding us despite all the struggles we face on a daily basis.

Advanced Happy Thanksgiving to all of you, my dears. Hope y'all have a wonderful and memorable celebration with the most important people of your lives, whoever they may be. :)

P.S. Do share your 2 cents on this: What are you most thankful for?

Still Hung Over?

2011-11-21T00:30:00.003+08:00

I have to be honest, I am still hung over from that K-Idol post I did about Song Seung Heon. And I'll bet you are too. I mean, oh em gee... that was hotness overload! *fans herself* Every time I search for a picture of him to insert on my post, I am bombarded by picture after picture after picture of him looking sizzling hot, and I swear, everytime I key in his name on Google images, that epic towel picture of him ALWAYS shows up.

But ladies, he's not the only one with the killer bod. I haven't featured him on my weekly K-pop Idol Featurette just yet, but after this, hmmm I just might haha. I'm talking about, Choi Siwon from the boyband, Super Junior. Yes, he's gorgeous, and yes, he's got rock-solid abs. If I can be so bold, I'd say he's the younger version of SSH. Agree or not, I think we can come to a common ground that they both have amazing bods. See?

So for kicks, I thought I'd create a poll. Who's got better abs, the older, more matured Song Seung Heon or the younger stag Choi Siwon? Cast your votes on the poll below!

Now why did I do this? Well... I dunno really hahaha. I guess I just want to make things a little interactive over here (plus I think blog polls are just cool haha *nerd*), and not just receive pre-generated one-liner comments at the comments section from bloggers who wish to gain more hits and followers of their blogs (I'm sure y'all got those on your posts, aye?). But of course, you can still leave comments as I would love to hear the reason behind your choice.

Now ain't this just fun? Hahaha! Hope y'all had a lovely weekend, cuz I sure did! Ciao!

Late Afternoon Snacks with my 2 best friends last Saturday :D

Korean Idol Featurette: Song Seung Heon

2011-11-19T01:39:00.000+08:00

It's that time of the week again, folks... K-Pop Idol Featurette! And this week, I'm doing a request from Bessie to feature a drama actor she's been recently introduced. And of course, I couldn't say no to that haha :) So peepz, feast your eyes on Song Seung Heon!

Quick Facts:

Name: Song Seung Heon (송승헌)

Real Name: Song Seung-bok (송승복)

Nickname: Tough Guy

Date of Birth: October 5, 1976

Age: 35 years old

Education: Majored in visual media in Kyunggi University

Hobbies: Watching & collecting videos and playing sports (basketball, swimming, and skiing)

Song Seung Heon (SSH) started his career as a model for a jeans brand, Storm in 1995. Soon after that, he entered the world of showbiz with stints in sitcoms and TV dramas. SSH debut in television was in 1996 when he starred in the sitcom, Three Guys and Three Girls. His most famous dramas are East of Eden, Autumn in My Heart, Summer Scent and his most recently concluded drama, My Princess.

Apart from doing dramas, Song Seung Heon also starred in various movies. His first movie was Calla released in 1999. In 2002, he starred in the Hong Kong movie, So Close, along with Karen Mok, Shu Qi, Zhao Wei, in that movie he plays Yen, the love interest of Shu Qi's character.

In 2004, he starred in the movie, He Was Cool, a movie based on an internet novel. The movie didn't hit box-office though, because its release was scheduled along with Harry Potter and other box-office hits of that summer. (Sidenote: I had seen He Was Cool in the past, and doh.... I just found out whilst making this featurette that he was the lead actor, doh!!! >.<")

Song Seung Heon entered the compulsory military service in late of 2004. However, this has spurred quite a controversy because it was later found out that he feigned illness in order to avoid military duties. In the past, his claims to have high blood pressure and diabetes allowed him to avoid being drafted, unfortunately, he got busted so he apologized profusely to the public and his fans and immediately enlisted and served his 2-year term in the military. He was discharged with the rank of Corporal in November 2006.

It is but plain obvious that Song Seung Heon is a hottie. That piercing stare that makes you go weak in the knees, those killer abs, and manly charm captivates women of all ages. He's been linked to numerous actresses including Son Dambi, Sung Yu Ri, and his recent leading lady whom he shared much chemistry with, Kim Tae Hee.

Despite all of this, he is, single. Yes, you read it right, he's single. In an interview a day after My Princess was first aired, he was asked about his plans about marriage, and he replied that he wants to have a good family, however he finds that a bit difficult at the moment since he doesn't have a girlfriend. He stated that maybe one day, he will meet his soul mate and he would marry her. I'll bet you a thousand bucks every fan of SSH is wishing she is the soul mate he's been searching for.

Another tidbit I found whilst digging for juicy gossip about him. Apparently, this hottie not only steals the hearts of the ladies with his good looks and killer bod, he can croon his way into the hearts of women as well! In 2003, Song Seung Heon released a CD titled, Song Seung Heon Volume 1! The album contains 11 tracks including a collaboration with Shin Yeon-Ah from Big Mama for the song, I Love You. You can check out his album in yesasia.com.

And are you wondering what Song Seung Heon is up to these days? Well, he is currently busy working on a secret global project, Lucid Dream. Lucid Dream is a mono tailor-made especially for Song Seung Heon. He had started filming this project last month and is tentatively scheduled for release in the first half of 2012. So, ladies, stay tuned for that!

And to end this post, let us all pause and ogle at the 6-pack that convinced me to feature this hottie...

Source:
k-popped!
spcnet.tv
yesasia
Hancinema
allkpop
squidoo
koreanfilm.org
korea.com

1 is Lonely, 2 is just Fab, 3's a Company and 4... you're Tagged!

2011-11-16T06:00:00.003+08:00

According to Chinese Numerology, Four is an unlucky number because it is homophonous (in plain English: "sounds like" hahaha) to the word, "death" (死 pinyin sǐ). Being the superstitious freak that I am, I try to abide by numerology as much as I could but today... I'm breaking that habit to give way to tagging game.

I was tagged over at Facebook to write a note and answer these questions. But instead of posting about it and tagging people over my FB account, I chose to do it here cuz I wuv you guys and I wish to know more about you! And I wanted to stir some fun within this little blog circle of mine so here we go...

1 is Lonely, 2 is just fab, 3's a company and 4... you're tagged!

Just proving how gawky I can be ;p

Rules: Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with four things per question. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you.

A) FOUR JOBS I'VE HAD IN MY LIFE:

1. Accounts Receivable Clerk at a Hotel

2. Loans Processor

3. Nurse

4. Shopkeeper

B) FOUR MOVIES I WOULD WATCH OVER AND OVER AND OVER:

1. My Sassy Girl

2. Kung Fu Hustle

3. My Love (Korean Movie) *I highly recommend this

4. The Sweetest Thing

C) FOUR PLACES WHERE I HAVE LIVED:

1. Davao City, Philippines

2. Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia

I've only lived in 2 places all my life, so I'll just write 2 places where I holidayed/vacationed by myself for more than 3 days lol.

3. Sydney, Australia (briefly though)

4. Tsuen Wan, Hong Kong (again, very briefly)

D) FOUR TV SHOWS I LOVE TO WATCH:

1. The Challenger: Muay Thai (rooting for Mardsua ^.^)

2. I Am Legend (reruns via MySoju lol)

3. The Walking Dead

4. Kitchen Musical

E) FOUR PLACES I HAVE BEEN ON VACATION:

1. Shenzen

2. Macau

3. Hong Kong

4. Sydney

F) FOUR WEBSITES I VISIT DAILY:

1. Blogger (of course!)

2. Facebook

3. Twitter

4. Hotmail

G) FOUR OF MY FAVORITE FOODS:

1. Garlic Shrimps

2. Squid Rings

3. Pork Barbecue

4. Poky and Yan-Yan

H) FOUR PLACES I WOULD RATHER BE RIGHT NOW:

1. Rockhampton ( back in the arms of my "sunshine" sigh...)

2. Disneyland (at any country/continent/location)

3. Streets of Mongkok for some hectic shopping, (buy lah, Missy!)

4. Chicago, to hang out with my bestfriend, Maila and meet Bessie, my cosmic sister lol

I) FOUR OF MY FAVORITE PERFUMES/ COLOGNES

1. Escada S

2. Hugo Boss Woman

3. Ralph Lauren Romance

4. Bath and Body Works - Japanese Cherry Blossom

J) FOUR OF MY FAVORITE MUSICALS

I am not a big fan of musicals, really >.< But for the sake of this post, I'll just mention a few (a VERY FEW) musicals I have watched (I dunno if some of these count, really lol)

1. Miss Saigon

2. Hairspray (the movie lol, I can totally see the smirks and the shocked looks from y'all)

3. Chicago

4. Moulin Rouge

K) FOUR FRIENDS WHO I THINK WILL RESPOND:

1. Lizzy

2. Kim

3. Bessie

4. Punk Chopsticks :D

L) FOUR FAMOUS PEOPLE I WOULD LOVE TO MEET - DEAD OR ALIVE :

1. Cho Kyuhyun (doh! lolz)

2. Jay Chou

3. Stephen Chow

4. Stephen Yeun

M) FOUR THINGS THAT MAKE YOU HAPPY:

1. Good Food

2. The prospect of travel

3. Shopping

4. K-pop (again, that's a no-brainer)

N) FOUR PEOPLE THAT MAKE YOU HAPPY:

1.My "Sunshine"

2. My family

3. My friends

4. You, my dear readers :)

And now let the tagging games... BEGIN! Yosh! \(^.^)/

1. Lizzy of ~A little bit of pixie dust ~

2. Kim of SassyUptownChic

3. Bessie of Bravoe Runway

4. Punk Chopsticks

5. Jas of AdamAlexMommy

6. Nhya of Khaki, not cocky

7. Vee of Vee's randomness

8. Laura of The Blog of Worldly Delights

9. Debi of flysongbird

10. Kim of accidental encounters

11. Silvia of Piece of Me

12. Amanda of feast.fashion.faves

13. Bun Bun of Buttons and Bunnies

14. Ly of Eternal Optimist

15. Raman of Mannequins Dream

16. Thu of just tututiny

17. Kimchigirl111 of Rach.says.hello

18. The awesome gal (I wanna respect her anonymity lol) of Shiny Pretty Things

19. Little Ms.Fun of Raviolis & Waterworks

20. Sam of Frills and Thrills

21. LeeAnne of Style N Season

22. Joan of Dreamy Princess

23. Alvina and Anna of _Feed_Me_Nana_

24. Lhamo of Thoughts of a Silent River

25. Shirley of Shirley's Luxury Haven

I do hope you guys take time to join in the ruckus. I'd love to read more about you and get to know you just a liiil' bit more. Oh, and I'd like to rally up some lovin' from you guys (if it's not too much...). Please "LIKE" my post over at Tumblr. Just click on the picture below to take you straight to my post and don't forget to press the heart (LIKE) button! Thank's ya'll! Have a fabulous day!

Jump Start With Naughty Monkey

2011-11-14T08:00:00.013+08:00

Who doesn't love entering giveaways? I'm pretty sure 99.99% of us love a good giveaway, especially if the prize is something we truly love, like in my case, a pair of shoes. So I joined Gorgeous Glam's blog giveaway and whoa Nelly! I won! Hahaha! I was floored, for Lady Luck and I aren't exactly bosom buddies but lately, she's been kind to me. This was my 2nd of 3 blog giveaway wins; the first was from Aprilia Love Vintage for which I won a $75 gift voucher for her online site and my third was from The Cat Hag where I won a Siren Handbag. They say luck comes in threes, I hope this isn't the end of my giveaway win streak. Guess who's counting her lucky stars for reviving her blog and socializing with fellow bloggers now *beams*.

Okay, enough blah blah, it's time to show you guys what I won!

A sweet note from Amanda of Naughty Monkey

The minute the FedEx van pulled over outside my home, I was squealing with delight for I know my most coveted prize has finally arrived. I opened the box and there it was...

My very own Jump Start Boots from Naughty Monkey, all packed and shipped with TLC. I'm so happy it came with its very own dustbag, it makes storing and protecting the delicate material easier.

Naughty Monkey - Jump Start

Jump start is made of suede, and the insoles are cushioned so they're ultra comfortable and lightweight. No sacrificing comfort for style with these pair for sure! This is my first ever pair of heeled boots, so yes, I just can't help but love these boots even more.

I hope I did these fab boots some justice with my photos *haha*. Seriously, I am sooo awkward posing in front of the cam. If you guys noticed, I only have one pose so trying to devise a "creative" pose for this was such a challenge. After gazillions of trial shots, I finally found TWO bearable photos of myself. See this is why becoming a model never crossed my mind, I'm wayyy too gawky at posing for photos. I better just stick to my day job and continue on writing K-pop Idol Featurettes on the side.

I'd like to give my heartfelt thanks to Taj of Gorgeous Glam and Amanda of Naughty Monkey for hosting this fab giveaway. I absolutely love these boots! And to you my dear readers, please check out Naughty Monkey's Facebook Page (click here) to check out their awesome collection or follow them via Twitter (@naughtymonkey) to catch the latest buzz.

Korean Idol Featurette: Big Bang

2011-11-12T15:08:00.002+08:00

This weekend's K-Pop Idol Featurette is a tribute to the boys that recently made the Hallyu wave hit worldwide. I mean, c'mon.. 2011 MTV-EMA Best Worldwide Act? It's a no-brainer, this week, you guys definitely have to meet one of the most popular and talented boy band in the K-pop scene... BIG BANG!

Big Bang Quick Facts:

Members: G-Dragon, Taeyang, T.O.P, Daesung and Seungri.

Debut: August 19, 2006

Debut Extended Play (EP): Always (2007)

Latest EP: Tonight (2011)

G-Dragon

Postion: Leader / Main Rapper

Real Name: Kwon Ji Yong (권지용)

Birthday: August 18, 1988

Fun Fact: Has 3 tattoos, one on his back, which says: "Too fast to live, too young to die." 2 on his inner arms, which say (Right): "Vita Dolce," which means 'good life' & (Left): "Moderato," which means 'moderate,' a musical term. His 'arm' tattoos were done by Carey Heart (Pink's ex-husband) at the famous tattoo parlor, Hart & Hurington Tattoo Parlor, at Palms Casino in Las Vegas on May 2007.

Taeyang

Position: Vocalist

Real Name: Dong Yong Bae (동영배)

Stage Names: Tae Yang, YB, Tae Kwon, YBTK

Date of Birth: May 18, 1988

Fun Fact: Always carries his ipod, bible, and English vocab cards in his backpack and sometimes energy drinks.

T.O.P.

Position: Rapper / Beat Boxer

Real Name: Choi Seung Hyun (최승현)

Stage Names: Tempo, T.O.P

Date of Birth: November 4,1987

Fun Fact: Before the debut, he is very chubby, and because rejected by YG, he eventually tried hard to lose extra weight on a strict diet and exercise,At last he lose 20 kg in 40 days and finally he received by YG!

Daesung

Position: Vocalist

Real Name: Kang Dae Sung (강대성)

Stage Names: D-Lite, Delight

Date of Birth: April 26,1989

Fun Fact: Daesung has an obsession with Doraemon. He even has Doraemon chopsticks.

Seungri

Position: Vocalist

Real Name: Lee Seung Hyun (이승현)

Stage Name : Seung Ri (승리); V.I

Date of Birth: December 12, 1990

Fun Fact: Says if not for music, he would be a kindergarten teacher.

Big Bang is definitely one of the most influential boybands in the K-pop scene. They were named as one of the Top 10 Asian Boy Bands in About.com and was named as the icons of Korean pop music by Korea Times. Before the boys debut as a group, several of its members have already had their share of exposure in the music scene. G-Dragon and Tayeyang were under the YG Entertainment label since they were 12 years old and were known as GD and YB while T.O.P was an underground rapper under the stage name Tempo. The group made their debut on August 19, 2006 at the Gymnastics Arena in Seoul Olympic Park during the YG Family concert which catapulted them to fame.

In 2009 the group went on hiatus to pursue solo activities though they came back together on some projects. They briefly got back together to help promote 2NE1 with the song, "Lollipop".G-Dragon released his debut album, Heartbreaker, promoting it with the album's title track. Taeyang released two digital singles, "Where U At?" and "Wedding Dress", to promote his second album released in 2010. T.O.P also released a couple of solo singles as well and joined the cast of the Korean drama Iris, playing the assassin Vick. Seungri, on the other hand, also released his mini-album entitled "VVIP."

GD and T.O.P also created an album together, entitled GD & T.O.P The album was released on December 24, 2010, which was the first collaboration between the two away from their group. The duo promoted the album extensively, including a world-wide premiere showcase and numerous performances. Three singles were released for promotion: "High High," "Oh Yeah," (with Park Bom) and "Knockout".

In 2011, the group got back together as a unit and released their EP, Tonight. Fans have been waiting eagerly for this comeback and their single, Tonight, has met with success not only in Korea but it also is the first K-pop album to make the US iTunes top 10.

Fame certainly has a price and the boys certainly have been involved in a number of controversies. G-Dragon, in 2010 shocked fans and netizens when a photo of him "dry-humping" a dancer on a stand-up bed during his performance of the song “Breathe” at his “Shine A Light” concert. It caused such an outrage which had him charged with public display of inappropriate behavior and violation of the Youth Protection Act, however he was found not guilty but was fined 3,000,000 won ($2,650 US).

Apart from that, just recently, he is caught in a legal issue for smoking marijuana. GD stated that someone handed him a cigarette at a club in Japan and after taking 2-3 puffs, he noticed that the cigarette tasted funny and threw it away. Reports say that GD l took the drug back in May and after further investigation, a hair drug test came out to be positive in July. However, according to investigators, since the amount of marijuana was insignificant, and G-Dragon had no prior offences, they decided to give him a warning.

GD isn't the only one on the hot seat, as Daesung also had his share of scandal as well. Back in May 2011, he was involved in a freak car accident. Daesung was driving his Audi along Yangwa Bridge in southern Seoul at around 1 a.m., when he hit a taxi. The taxi driver was quoted as saying that he changed lanes in order to avoid hitting the motorcyclist who was already on the ground and bleeding even before the car accident happened. The taxi driver was said to have stopped the car in order to check on the motorcyclist when Daesung hit the vehicle.

The incident left Daesung stunned and withdrawn. He kept away from the prying eyes of the press and his fans while the case was being heard. In August 2011, the case was finally concluded and he was given the verdict of "not guilty". However, Daesung is still not as active as before, he remains sullen and withdrawn and in an interview, he stated, that despite his passion to sing, he still doesn't have the confidence to stand up before his fans as cheerfully as he once did.

Despite the controversies looming above them like a dark cloud, the group remained strong and worked hard. And all their talents have been given the credit and the recognition it truly deserves when they won this year's 2011 MTV Europe Music Awards Best Worldwide Act beating Abdelfattah Grini (Africa/India/Middle East), Lena (Europe), Restart (Latin America), and Britney Spears (North America).

Sources:
K-POP MUSIC

youoffendmeyouoffendmyfamily

Better Late Than Never - Rosee Waterproof Mascara Review

2011-11-11T00:41:00.004+08:00

"Better late than never, ika nga (like they say)," I remember my Filipino Language teacher uttering these words to me when I turned in my very late book report when I was in high school. I was expecting some stern words from him, but instead he accepted it and marked it fairly. Lucky brat *hahah*

For those of you who have been following me for a while now, you know about my midnight affairs with E-bay. Something about bid wars always gives me a rush and lol.. breaks my paypal account *yikes*. But like all addiction, I have reached the pinnacle and now I'm sobering up cuz I'm saving up for Christmas *haha*. Enough babble, I'm going straight to the point. This post is a review of one of my E-bay haul: Rosee Waterproof Mascara (about time =.=).

Product: Rosee Waterproof Mascara (Black), 7mL

Price: $1.95 (Free shipping, yosh!)

Description: (read text above, sry... I'm a lil' lazy today haha)

Just like all my Asian gals out there, my lashes are barely there and kinda stands out straight thus, curling and putting on mascara is a need, not a luxury. Below are photos of my lashes without any mascara on.

Without Mascara

I used two coats of Rosee on my top lashes and one on my bottom lashes. I don't usually apply mascara on my bottom lashes cuz... well, that's one aspect of make-up application I have yet to master. I need to practice in order to be gosu with that. And yes, I know my brows are messy, sorry about that but your single girl's a bit busy lately >.<".

Lashes looking thicker now...

Eek... red dot >.<

And yeah, they are a longer

I'm liking this so far....

Puppy eyes haha

Ok... let's get down and dirty with this product. It's an "okay" product. I mean, I'm not really raving about it, but I'm not disappointed with it either. I mean, c'mon it's $1.95, so let's just say, I got exactly what I paid for.

Pro's:

It's cheap (lol...)
Apart from being waterproof, it's actually smudge-proof as well
After application, it dries really quickly and doesn't leave those dreaded mascara streaks as you wait for the product to dry
It's scent-free so it's perfect for those who are overly-sensitive towards products with strong scents

Con's:

The product is dry; I was expecting it to be more viscous like most mascaras are
Perhaps because it's dry, it doesn't deposit that much of the product to the lashes with one application. Two coats look like one coat using the more pricey mascaras

What bothered me the most with it is that it's dry. I'm used to mascaras that are more liquid but this one's just a tad too dry for my liking. I checked the expiry date of the product when I first got it, and it wasn't anywhere near its expiration date yet so I was taken aback with it.

My verdict: It's... okay but I'm not going to go on a bidding frenzy for this product again. But then again, I'm not regretting I tried this out. It's a decent, everyday mascara plus its smudge-proof and waterproof features are an added bonus for something of its price.

And just a quick thought... Who among you dearies watch The Walking Dead? I am such a huge fan of it! Argh... I promise I'll do a post related to it soon so you'll know what the heck I'm yapping about. Especially Glenn (Stephen Yeun) hahahaha! That's him on the picture below, oh man, I want me some of that! lol! If you've seen this week's episode, boy does the plot thicken!!! I am so excited to see how Lori's dilemma unravels in the coming episodes *insert fiendish smile here*.

I DON'T mind being cooped up in a small hole
hiding from zombies if I was with this guy

'Til next time, my dears! K-pop Idol featurette coming this weekend so stay tuned for that. And if you guys have a tumblr account, please "Like" my entry. It would mean so much to me if you did and I'd truly appreciate the gesture. Just click the picture below to take you straight to my post, and don't forget to press the heart (LIKE) button! Ciao!

Click Me!

I Can Be Competitive Sometimes

2011-11-08T17:42:00.001+08:00

Hello, mina-san (everyone)!

Do you remember that photo? That was the teaser on my last post which I promised to unveil in the coming days, well.. the coming days happen to be today!

I don't own a DSLR camera, I've been ~~dying~~ wanting to own one but however... it's not in my top list of ~~splurging~~ priorities. And I know no matter how many times I put it up on my wishlist at E-bay, the chances of someone actually making that wish list into reality is on the scale of zero to none. And then just last week, I received an email from ChurpChurp that there's an ongoing tumblr contest and at stake is.... a Canon EOS 550D DSLR camera! Now isn't this a lovely coincidence?

I wrote a post and submitted it last night, and just this afternoon, it got published and stands a chance of winning a DSLR camera. However, the competition doesn't end with just submitting a content, I need to rally up some likes on my post. The mechanics include votes on my post which constitutes to 10% of the score and only people with a tumblr account can cast a vote. So if you guys have a tumblr account, I humbly ask you guys to cast a vote on my post.

Click the photo to vote!

It would mean the world to me if you guys would cast a vote on my post. Simply click the photo above to take you to my post, and on the bottom right corner of the screen, there's a heart (♥) icon or click here. Simply click that and voila! You've cast a vote for my post! It won't take you more than 5 minutes of your time, unless you wish to read my post *hehe* which is such a generous gesture, and I would highly appreciate it And if you don't mind and if it's not too much of a hassle, I would highly appreciate it if you reblogged it on your tumblr account.

I really, truly, absolutely want to win that DSLR. The competition ends on the 8th of December 2011, and if by chance I win this, then it's going to make my Christmas truly awesome!

Thanks y'all and have a great day! Cheers!

Smiles Come From Small Care Packages

2011-11-07T02:00:00.010+08:00

My best friend, Maila, from waaayyy back into my Elementary days moved to Chicago back in 2006. I haven't seen her for years until she finally was able to go on a short vacation last year. We're the only single ladies left in our group (two of our girls are already hitched) so it's a toss-up as to who's going to be the last woman standing.

With Maila on her brief summer vacation (April 2010)

Whenever I talk about her, I always get misty-eyed because I really miss her. She and I have gone through so much drama, and during all of our trying times, we always got each other's back. She was my confidante as I was hers. And she was always such a sweetheart, she was really thoughtful and she always gave me little gifts at totally random times. And true enough, I was so surprised to receive a call from her mom saying Maila sent a little care package for me.

Plastic full of goodies ^.^

She knows I love the Japanese Blossom scent of Bath and Body Works so she sent me the entire line which includes a body mist, lotion, shower gel and hand sanitizer. She even threw in a Pocketbac of my zodiac sign, Taurus (the little blue one).

My heart was pumping excitedly when I saw the Old Navy plastic inside her care package, and I squealed with delight when I finally saw the content of that plastic bag: a Rolling Stones Vintage Statement Tee! I remember chatting with her a few months back and while we were talking about random stuff, we discussed about clothes and I told her I've been searching high and low in the Philippines just to find this shirt. This one truly proves just how thoughtful she is.

People come and go, and as we go about living our own lives, it's inevitable that even the best of friends will have to go on separate ways. This holds true to me and Maila and our two other friends but distance did not make our friendship ebb away. She can still read me like how she did before, she still knows what would make me smile and what things would make me really happy. And this tiny care package from her absolutely brightened up my day.

This is a very late acknowlegement (my apologies), but Lhamo of Thoughts of a Silent River awarded me this blog award last October 24, 2011. Lhamo is a talented writer and she writes a superb blog that's very inspirational and motivates me to keep on going and Smile to Life. She's a very thoughtful, kind and sweet blogger, and I encourage you guys to check out her blog and follow her. Lhamo, many thanks for the award, you are too kind, and I'm very grateful.

I was feeling a little hearty-heart thus I cut my slice of Roast Beef Pizza into a shape of a heart. Haha... There are other reasons for that as well, which I shall unveil in the coming days. And before you guys deducing 1001 possible scenarios let me just say it's not love-life related, sorry to burst your bubble. But it's going to make me extremely happy so I hope I can rally some support from you guys *haha*.

Hope y'all had a lovely weekend. It's the long weekend for us here, but I don't get to indulge in the luxuries and privileges of long weekends, perks and banes of the job but hey, I'm not complaining :). Long weekends mean more customers for me, and I just restocked so I'm hoping for a boost in my sales tomorrow *fingers crossed*.

And don't forget to check out Thoughts of a Silent River! Thanks for the award, Lhamo! G'day!

Korean Idol Featurette: Park Min Young

2011-11-05T06:00:00.000+08:00

This week's Korean Idol Feature is the envy of all Lee Min-Ho's fans all across the world (including me >.<"). She's the young, lively and beautiful... Park Min Young.

Quick Facts:

Name: Park Min Young

Birthday: March 4, 1986

Age: 25 years old

Education: Dongkuk University (Major in drama & film)

Hobby: Horseback riding

Park Min Young's debut in the K-pop scene is quite unique. Her management company, SidusHQ was browsing through Cyworld minihompies ( a South Korean social networking site) and found her homepage by chance. They found her to be a charming person and decided to give her a casting call and the rest is history.

She began her showbiz career by going on a a six months contract with Korean Air as their airline model in late 2006. She captured the hearts of drama fans after her debut acting role in MBC’s sitcom, Unstoppable High Kick (2006) for which she won the 2006 MBC Drama Awards: Best New Actress Award, Sitcom Category.

She was also picked my Korean music artists to appear in their music videos. In 2008, Big Bang casted her in their MV, Haru Haru. It seems like everyone just can't get enough of her doll-like, cutie-pie image.

Park Min Young starred in various dramas after Unstoppable High Kick. Among them include the 2010 hit drama, Sungkyunkwan Scandal where she plays a girl who is troubled by her younger brother's worsening illness and their household in danger of being evicted from their home. Out of desperation, she enters the University under the guise of her brother's identity to save their household. Her portrayal of the role garnered her numerous awards including 2010 KBS Drama Awards: Excellence Award, Novella Drama - Actress and 2010 KBS Drama Awards: Netizens' Award.

Just this year, she was cast to play Kim Na-Na in the drama, City Hunter. It is based on world-famous Japanese Manga by Tsukasa Hojo. Lee Yoon-Sung (Lee Min Ho) works at the Blue House's National Communication Network Team and received his Ph.D at M.I.T. Kim Na-Na (Park Min Young) is a bodyguard at the South Korean President's residence, the Blue House. Na-Na lost her parents by car accident since then she made a living by doing part time jobs. She became a bodyguard at the Blue House and she falls in love with Lee Yoon-Sung.

We are all too familiar with stars meeting and falling for each other on set, and it holds true for Park Min Young and Lee Min Ho. Despite receiving some buzz for their recent project, the two previously denied any possibility of a serious relationship. Prior to the announcement from their agencies, the two were rumoured to be seeing each other after pictures of their frequent meetings surfaced on the Internet.The rumour mill continued as they were repeatedly spotted together on recent outings around Seoul, South Korea.

In August 23 of this year, the two openly admitted that they are dating each other. It is said that Lee and Park were attracted to each other during the filming of Korean popular drama, City Hunter, and immediately turned their romantic relationship into real life after the filming was concluded.

Sources:

All That Glitter and Gleam - Anjolee Review

2011-11-03T01:03:00.002+08:00

Whenever I hear the words diamond bridal set, this image comes to my mind:

Diamond Solitaire Studded Band Bridal Set

I get all doe-eyed whenever I imagine what my wedding ring will look like. Nothing too fancy, nothing too elaborate, just a simple yet very intricate ring that shows the intent and the willingness of my special someone to spend the rest of our lives with each other.

Searching for a bridal set over the internet may be a little too unconventional, but I was invited to preview Anjolee.com and take a peek at their wide selection of bridal sets and it truly sparked my interest.

Vintage Loves Matching Bridal Set

Anjolee is a jewellery company that has been in the business of crafting fine jewellery pieces in the United States for more than 30 years. They manufacture all the jewellery pieces displayed on their website, and they assure their clients a wide array of jewellery selection, the best customer service and prompt delivery. Clients also gets the chance to purchase bridal sets directly from Anjolee, allowing you to buy them at prices below retail. And the best part of it all, Anjolee offer their clients FREE SHIPPING and Insurance with Overnight Delivery on ALL items. All their fine crafted jewellery comes with FREE Gift packaging and a 30-day, 100% Money Back Guaranteed Return policy.

Princess Cut Diamond Splendor Bridal Set

Anjolee made the experience of designing my own custom-made diamond bridal set really pleasant. Their website is so user-friendly, providing clients with high resolution images of the jewellery you're designing. And best of all, clients can customize their own jewellery pieces, from the Metal Type (gold, white gold or platinum), the Total Carat Type, the Diamond Quality, and the Ring Size; and they make use of simple terms and understandable instructions.

Baguette Bridal Set

I am inviting you guys to go and check out their website. I'm sure your eyes will be delighted with their extensive selection of exquisite diamond bridal set pieces. Have fun, customize and get the perfect bridal set that's uniquely designed by you and within the price range that you set.

***This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Anjolee. All opinions are 100% mine.

Give Me The Creeps - A Hallow's Eve Special

2011-10-31T00:30:00.037+08:00

Single Girl's Hallow's Eve Special

Asian horror flicks are really creepy but boy how I love them. Back in the day, I couldn't get enough of them, to the point that my best friend and I watched one at the cinema, on the last full show screening, and guess what? There's only about 10 people watching the flick with us. We were like, uh-oh.. this movie's going to pwn us, and it did. I remember being teary-eyed, not because it was a touching scene, but because I was literally, about to cry out of fear. And my throat was so hoarse from all that screaming.

All throughout the course of the film, my friend and I kept asking each other, "why the hell did you pick out this film???" But in the end, we loved it, and thus started our strange fascination and love for Asian horror flicks.

Here are my top picks for a creepfest marathon on Hallow's Eve. I'm not sure if you, my dear readers, are a huge fan of horror flicks, I'm sure most of you aren't *lol*, but have you watched these creepy Asian flicks before?

1. Ju On (The Grudge) - Japanese Flick

Synopsis: An eerie tale of a family who is brutally killed in their own home leaving behind an evil spirit lurking in the shadows. When an unknowing homecare worker enters the spirit is awakened and a terrifying chain of events begins passing through all those who step foot in this dark house.

2. The Eye - Thai Flick

Synopsis: A blind girl gets a cornea transplant so that she would be able to see again. However, she got more than what she bargained for when she realised she could even see ghosts. And some of these ghosts are down right unfriendly. So she embarks on a journey to find the origins of her cornea and to reveal the history of the previous dead owner.

3. Ringu (The Ring) Japanese Flick

Synospsis: In this psychological horror story from Japan, a legend circulates among teenagers that if one watches a certain video at a certain time of the night, the telephone will ring right afterward, and one week later, you will die. When Masami tells her friend Imako this story, she scoffs -- but a week later, Imako dies in an auto accident. Imako's aunt, a television journalist named Reiko, hears that not long before she died, Imako was watching a strange video with her friends -- all of whom have turned up dead. Reiko tracks down a copy of the video, and as she watches its strange, spectral images, the telephone begins to ring....The next morning, Reiko begins a desperate search to solve the mystery of the video, convinced she has only seven days to live; assisting her is Ryuji, a mathematics expert and her former husband.

4. Double Vision - Taiwanese Flick

Led by detective Li Feng-po, a group of detectives use physical violence to get a confession from a suspected criminal. Meanwhile, several murders are occuring--a business man is found drowned in his office; a politicians mistress is burnt to death in her apartment, and an American clerk is eviscerated in his own church. Without a background in finding serial killers, the Taiwan authorties see fit to call the FBI. Agent Kevin Richter teams up with foreign affairs officer Huang Huo-tu , and the pair sets off on a surreal trail which leads them through psychedelic fungus and a strange Taoist cult fun by former-businessmen. Eventually, Huang's own inner demons are exposed and turned against him in a violent conclusion.

4. A Tale of Two Sisters - Korean Flick

This supernatural horror film from Kim Jee-woon is inspired by the ancient Korean folktale "Jangha and Hongryun." Set in an isolated lakeside house, it begins with two young girls, Su-mi and Su-yeon, returning home after a period of hospitalization following the death of their mother. In the meantime, their father Mu-Hyun has married Eun-joo, whom the girls obviously despise. Strange, violent visions begin to disturb Su-mi and she becomes convinced that Eun-joo is keeping a dark secret from the family.

6. Voice Letter - Korean Flick

While training after hours in her high-school, the aspirant singer Park Young-Eon is mysteriously killed and her body vanishes. Her ghost is invisible and trapped in the school, but her best friend Kang Sun-min, who broadcast in the lunchtime in school, is able to hear her voice. After the suicide of their music teacher, Sun-min, aided by her mate Cho-Ah, finds that another student, Hyo-Jung, died in the same elevator trunk some time ago. Meanwhile Young-Eon recalls details of her life, disclosing why she died. (The star of this movie is this week's Korean Idol Featurette)

6. Shutter - Thai Flick

A young photographer Thun and his girlfriend Jane discover mysterious shadows in their photographs after fleeing the sceen of an accident. As they investigate the phenomenon, they find other photographs contain similar supernatural images, that Thun's best friends are being haunted as well, and Jane discovers that her boyfriend has not told her everything. It soon becomes clear that you can not escape your past. And boy... the "burden" of the past is indeed truly freaky.

So there you have it, my dears. A run-down of some of my favourite Asian Horror flicks (yes, I have more, but I don't want this post to be uber lengthy lol). And to end this post, I would like to ask...

What's you're favourite horror movie?

Synopsis adopted from these sites:
Amazon (Ju-on)
IMDb (The Eye)
Rotten Tomatoes (Ringu)
Rotten Tomatoes (Double Vision)
Rotten Tomatoes (A Tale of Two Sisters)
IMDb (Voice Letter)
IMDb (Shutter)

Korean Idol Featurette: Seo Ji Hye

2011-10-29T02:32:00.000+08:00

There isn't much info about this K-Drama Idol which I'm going to feature this week. But I decided to feature her anyway since I truly enjoyed the character she played on her current drama airing in my country right now. She plays the wicked best friend to the lead actress. The drama I'm rambling about here, is 49 days. And the K-Drama actress in this week's featurette is... Seo Ji Hye.

Quick Facts:

Name: Seo Ji Hye

Age: 27 years old

Birthday: August 24, 1984

Hobbies: Games, Reading

Debut in Movies: Voice Letter (2005)

Most Recent Drama: 49 Days (2011)

Seo Ji-hye started her career in the drama world in 2003 with a minor role in the drama, All In. She starred in several dramas after that until her break in the movie scene finally came her way.

From a scene in the movie, Voice Letter

She was cast as a lead role in the movie, Voice Letter in 2005 as Seon Min, the best friend of the top singer at an all girls school, who is brutally murdered by a music sheet cutting her throat. Like most Korean horror movies, Voice Letter's plot is filled with a lot of twists and horrifying scenes in between. And on a side note, don't skip the credits, for at the end, there's a cut-scene that's going to surprise you. That same year, she won the MBC Drama Awards, "New Face Actress" (2005).

In 2008, she was cast in a romantic comedy drama I Love You. In I Love You, Seo Ji Hye played a lovely and agile schoolgirl. Accidently, she met and spent an one-night stand with an artist, played by Anh Jae Wook, who is 14 years older than her. She becomes pregnant after this whirlwind tryst and thus their lives becomes intertwined and they end up getting married. In an interview, she revealed that when she was in high school, she had a schoolgirl crush on Anh Jae Wook, claiming that she once fantasized that he was her boyfriend and this dream came to realize when they worked on the drama. A teenage-dream come true, right?

Her most recent drama is 49 Days. Seo Ji Hye plays Shin In Jung, Ji Hyun’s backstabbing best friend who is secretly having an affair with Ji Hyun’s fiancee, Kang Min Ho. She kept the facade of being the reliable best friend but secretly harbours ill-feelings towards her best friend, wanting to see how miserable Ji Hyun could become if she was left with nothing. And not only does she steal her best friend's man and secretly wish to see her best friend fall from grace, she is also conspiring with him to steal Ji Hyun's fortune and her father's business.

But in the end, she realizes that Ji Hyun was the only genuinely true friend, was filled with remorse and regret for everything she's done. She is so effective in her portrayal as In Jung, for I wanted to rip her eyes out whenever she comes to a scene. I highly recommend you guys find the time to watch this drama. It's a bit lengthy (and a little sluggish), but the twists of the plot will surely entertain you.

So that's all for this week, folks. Tune in again next week for another dose of K-Idol galore.

Sources:

Hallyuwood.com
flytotheskylover
darkice782
one talking cupboard

Express Suits That Best "Suit" You + $500 Suiting Makeover

2011-10-27T22:01:00.001+08:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Express for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

I always loved wearing suits. Nothing beats the feeling of looking sharp in job interviews, project presentations, and client calls when I'm wearing women's suits.

Express is one brand that I have discovered that offers a wide range of suits for both men and women. I find that their suits are versatile, comfortable, structured and they have the right type of suits that cater for every man and woman's needs. Just take a look at their Women's Studio Stretch Jacket & Editor pants and their Men's Stretch Wool Blend Modern Fit.

Express has suits that can take you from the office and immediately straight out to happy hour with your gal pals without too much of a fuss. Their suits are contemporary, and they are very form-flattering. Like this Women's Rouched Sleeve Jacket & Pants.

]Another thing that I love about Express is that their suits are easy on the pocket, and fits the average working girl's budget. I am a staunch advocate of looking your best without maxing your credit card's limit. And you don't have to compromise style for price because Express offers us have a whole variety of options for the right type of suit that fits your needs and your spending threshold! How's that for wise spending?

And now I shall unveil the biggest reason why I love Express. They are hosting a $500 suiting makeover for one lucky reader! Simply click the link and join the Express sweepstakes. The sweepstakes is open to ladies and gentlemen, so what are you gals and guys waiting for? Click the link and win yourself one fabulous chance of a wardrobe upgrade. Nothing would give me immense joy than to have one of my lovely readers win the Express sweepstakes, so go ahead ladies and gents, join now!

On an endnote, I am just curious as to which suits do you love and why do you love them? And where do you guys use your suits for? I'd love to hear your thoughts, so do leave them at the comments section.

"Just around the corner in every woman's mind - is a lovely dress, a wonderful suit, or entire costume which will make an enchanting new creature of her." Wilhela Cushman

Picspirations

2011-10-26T01:29:00.001+08:00

Lately, there's been a flurry of picture quotes flooding my Facebook homepage reposted by my gamer FB friends on my gaming account *gasp*. Yes, I have added random, unknown "friends" for my gaming frenzy back in the day. Told y'all I was a gamer geek chick, still am, but in small doses.

I created my blog's Facebook Page account under my gaming account so whenever I open up my blog's FB page, I stumble upon their reposts. Some of their reposts are quite charming. So I thought I'd share some of them with you.

Let's start off with the inspirational ones... The ones that make me zone out and muse....

Made me pause and ponder for a bit....

Couldn't have said it better myself.

Yet again... so true.

le sigh....

Something to think about when I question why I'm still with him....

The Cute, The Silly and The Funny ones.

Teach me how to plank, t-t-teach me how to plank!

Agree, ladies?

I wish Google can do this for me, for reals.

See, this is how you get pwned.

Poor Rexie...

Saving the best for last... This one's my ultimate fave.

Ohhhyeahhh baby, I'm L33T!

Hope these pics left you inspired, laughing, and with a ball-park range of your visual acuity.

P.S. Do like my Blog's Facebook page, A Single Girl's Musings, if you haven't yet. ktnxbye. ;) haha

Chinatown Finds + Purple Zebra!

2011-10-24T00:00:00.015+08:00

In my humble lil' thrift store, I don't just sell thrifted clothes, I also sell accessories to match and accentuate the thrifted pieces I display in my shop. I mix the old but still fab in my shop with something hip and new to go along with it. I guess the overly-diluted Chinese ancestry coursing through my veins urges me to maximize the profit and the potential of owning a shop (according to my dad, my grandma is of Chinese descent). Besides, not only does it benefit me, financially speaking, but it also saves my customers the trouble of having to find the perfect earrings, bracelet, or necklace to go with their newly-acquired thrifted piece.

I went to Chinatown (once again, hence the title), to fill my shop up with some chic yet easy on the pocket accessories. And of course, I just could not resist picking up some items for myself! I mean, c'mon... I can't represent my shop if I didn't wear fabulous ones of my own, right??? Just applying some basic principles of marketing here, and of course... justifying my splurging tendencies *haha*.

So here are some of the items I lovingly treated myself with.

That's two bangle sets stacked together, the first set, (first 3 at the top) $1.25
second set (7 piece) $1.47

Red wooden bangle $ 0.72
Brown wooden/2 metal bangle set $ 1.25

Aquamarine necklace with detachable floral brooch $ 1.81

Black Faux Pearl Choker also $1.81

White faux pearl and lace 3-tiered necklace w/detachable floral brooch $1.81

6-Tier Silver Bead Necklace $ 1.25

Turquoise teardrop earring $ 0.80

You're eyes aren't deceiving you, that's exactly how much I got them for. With rock-bottom prices such as that, I just can't help but give in to the temptation.

Yesterday, it was my dear friend's turn to hit the big 3-0. She invited me along with some of our elementary/high school girlfriends for a night of karaoke and cocktails. She wanted us to doll up for her big milestone event, so it was time for me to scourge my closet. I have a few dresses which I buy yet I set them aside special occasions so I don't wig out at the last minute for an outfit, and this came in handy for her birthday bash. I was about to slip into a dress I've been saving for later use, when I remembered I bought THIS dress a year ago, and it would be perfect for this ocassion!

Purple Zebra! Bought last year from an online seller

As usual, my penchance for dresses with pockets is so evident here

Notice the bangles? I wore just the metal ones from my Chinatown haul ;)

Pardon the poor-quality of these photos. I was testing out my lappie's webcam, and oh dear, this will be the last time I use my webcam for shooting photos. I took these shots indoors, with all the lights lit up, and yet the photos were dark and hazy! Good thing the ever-so reliable Picnik was able to fix the colours. A little bit of tweaking here and there made these photos bearable, though still hazy but hey... I am in no position to be picky *lol*. Just ignore the silly, blurred look on my face. I took these photos at an ungoldy hour, so hence, that's how my face turned out.

I guess I do have an animal-printed dress, after all. It just slipped my mind since this dress is about a year old *haha*; oops, my bad. ;p

Korean Idol Featurette: Kim Tae-Hee

2011-10-22T00:30:00.000+08:00

This week's Korean Idol Featurette is about a certain Korean actress who's dubbed as Miss Beauty and Brains. In 2010, a survey was done by KBS and she was hailed as the most beautiful woman in the Korean entertainment industry. Without further ado, let me introduce... Kim Tae-hee.

Quick Facts:

Name: Kim Tae-hee

Nickname: Angel, Headbanger

Birthday: March 29,1980

Celebrity Sibling: She's the older sister of actor, Lee Wan

Education: Seoul National University (Major in Fashion Design)

Kim Tae-hee is the total package. She's beautiful, talented and intelligent. As I mentioned earlier, she bagged the #1 spot as the most beautiful female celebrity in a survey done by KBS (a television company in S. Korea). Not only that, she's done countless CF's (commercial films), including LG, Laneige, Iriver, and Nestea. And when she was in junior high, she held the spot as her school's #1 student for three consecutive years. And even then, her beauty and charm was undeniable as male students would be up against the classroom windows to catch a glimpse of her during her P.E. classes.

When she was still a college student, she was spotted at the subway station by an ad designer who asked her to model for an ad campaign. During this time, she wasn't certain what she would do after college so she decided to do some modelling stint as a part-time job.

Kim Tae-hee debuted the entertainment industry in 2001 as a support role in the movie, "Last Present". She played the middle-school aged version of Lee Young-Ae's character, Park Jung-Yeon. She was then later cast in the drama, "Stairway to Heaven" wherein she played the role of Han Yoori the scheming stepsister. Her other successful stints in drama include, Forbidden Love, and Love Story in Harvard.

She was often criticized for her acting by critics and the public. She was regarded as a successful CF endorser, but not as a serious actress but in the drama, IRIS (2009), an espionage action thriller opposite Lee Byung-hun, she proved to her critics and the public that she is a talented actress. The drama was a huge success, both in Korea and all across Asia. She states in one of her interviews that IRIS marked a turning point in her acting career.

Her most recent drama, My Princess (2011), drew even more attention and awe to her stunning looks. My Princess is a romantic comedy drama wherein Kim Tae Hee plays an ordinary college student whose world goes from ordinary to crazy when she finds out she's a princess.

It is no surprise with her beautiful face, she catches the eye and the attention of men, and male celebrities are no exception. When Kim Tae Hee went to Taiwan to promote the drama, My Princess, and in one of her promotional activities, she visited a restaurant owned by Taiwanese singer/actor/hottie, Jay Chou. Jay Chou praised her for her youthful beauty, and stated that if there was a Korean remake of his movie, Secret, he would cast her as the lead female role.

Source:

YeinJee's Asian Journal
Drama Wiki
All Kpop
Korea.com

3 Awards... whoa!

2011-10-19T00:03:00.001+08:00

In the span of 3 days, I've received 3 awards from 3 lovely bloggers who are not only talented writers, but also really thoughtful and actually reads the posts I write. They don't come to your blog to advertise their own work, they actually take time to read and appreciate the effort I put in my writing.

Raman of Mannequins Dream gave me this award last October 16, 2011. She is a young and upcoming blogger who is talented in writing, and I love the photos she takes and posts at her blog. She may be young, but she has the passion to write about the things that she loves, and she's an aspiring model. With her height and her determination, I wouldn't be surprised if one day, I'll see her grace the front covers of magazines. Thank you, sweetie, for this award.

Kim of SassyUptownChic awarded this to me on October 17, 2011. Kim is one of my readers who I truly treasure. She's one of those bloggers who put such great effort in writing funny, interesting and helpful posts. I am so delighted whenever her new post is up because I know it will be a very good read. She is also very sincere and truly a delightful reader, for she ACTUALLY reads my posts and gives relevant and insightful comments, not those generic-borderline-automated one-liners. She's a really sweet and sassy gal, very fitting for her blog's name. Thank you, my dearest!

Debi of flysongbird gave me this award today, October 18, 2011. She was introduced to me by Bessie of BravoeRunway and I am so grateful for the introduction. Even though I have been following Debi's blog recently, it feels like I could totally relate to her. I love how she can totally come clean with her thoughts about life and society without so much as batting an eyelash and apologize for her views. I respect bloggers with that frame of mind. And she's a very talented writer, the way she writes her posts truly embodies her creativity. She takes great photos as well, so do check her blog out. Many thanks for the awards, love!

The conditions of the awards I've received includes thanking the person who awarded me such. So to Raman, Kim and Debi, my heartfelt thanks to you, lovely ladies. Do check their blogs out, I am sure you guys will enjoy reading their posts as much as I did.

Another condition is to write 7 random facts about yourself. I've already received the "Tell Me About Yourself" Award previously so to avoid redundancy, I'll just leave you guys the link to that post (click here).

And of course, cliche as this may sound, it's better to give than to receive. And I am a giver by nature, so I'm handing out these accolades to the bloggers who I think, truly deserves them. So today, I'm handing out, not one, not two, but THREE awards (Kreativ Blogger Award, Tell Me About Yourself Award, and Sweet Heart Award) to the following bloggers:

Nhya of Khaki, not cocky

Bessie of BRAVOE RUNWAY
Shirley of Shirley's Luxury Haven

Kim of accidental encounters

Aprilia of Aprilia Love Vintage

Amanda of feast.fashion.faves

Jo of Jo's Jumbled Jardinière

Momo of Let me dream

Y.M. of MoRy712

Soo of MU-토끼

Kat of Mystic Nymph

Silvia of Piece of me

Quay Po of Quay Po Cooks

Rosamond of Rosamond Writes

Pramudita of SECRETE INTERVIU

The awesome gal of Shiny Pretty Things

Tarah of Tarah and the city

Laura of the blog of worldly delights

Valentine of V a l e n t i n e .

Lizzie of ~A little bit of pixie dust~

And I give these awards back to the three lovely ladies who awarded it to me :)

Debi of flysongbird, Kim of SassyUptownChic and Raman of Mannequins Dream

I was going to end this post by posting a K-pop song that's been begging me to stop abusing the replay button, but I'll save that for my next post *haha*. Instead, I'm going to leave you guys a pic of this HK actor who has been around and is quite famous in the Asian action/comedy movie scene for quite sometime now, but who I've only grown to like lately. He's quite... matured (lol), very fitting for me to be fawning over, so you guys can't call me a cradle robber for liking him *lol*. But sadly, he only comes second to my dearest Kyuhyun of Super Junior. Ok now that's cradle robbing, but whatever. So here he is... Stephen Chow!

Luscious Red

2011-10-17T00:30:00.007+08:00

In the past, I envy looking at other ladies sporting red lips. Deep inside I wished I could paint mine with such a bold colour which I love. Sadly, my quest for those alluring red lips look was in vain. I could not find the right shade of red that would make me look pretty. The ones I tried either made me look old, made me look like a hag, made me look like a clown, or an old hag trying to pass off as a clown. Hideous *shudders*.

From the cheap-o ones to the pricey high end brands, nothing seems to work. So I just accepted the fact that red lipstick and I repel each other like two opposite magnetic poles. We are just never going to work things out. But hey, I still love red.

When I started blogging again and started following beauty and fashion bloggers, it seems like the quest to find the right shade of red was rekindled. I guess old flames can't be extinguished completely. But I didn't rush myself. I didn't scour the make-up counters like a horde of zerglings (see StarCraft); instead, I took my time.

Patience finally pays off at the end. I have found the right one.

I finally found The One

Skinfood Coffee Creamy Sheer Lipstick RD201 Rich Berry

Skinfood prides itself as a company that uses all-natural ingredients for their cosmetics and skin care products. That's wasn't my top consideration when I purchased this lipstick *haha* but it's wonderful, if what they claim is actually 100% true and not just some hype to jump in to the "organic" trend.

I'm not going to go in-depth in terms of reviewing this product, I'll just skim over a few pro's and con's. Let's start with the positive. What I like about this lipstick is that it's very pigmented. Just one stroke from one corner of the mouth to the other and back is enough to colour my lips. Also, it has a sweet scent and it doesn't "taste" like lipstick. It smells/tastes like tropical fruit. And lastly, it doesn't dry my lips out.

But not everything's perfect, there will always be flaws. One of which is that, since this product is all natural, the beauty consultant warned me that this product easily melts if exposed to direct sunlight and to high temperature for a long period of time. This is quite alarming for me because I live in the tropics, of course it's going to be hot and sunny especially during mid-morning 'til mid-afternoon. Another is that, it seems too creamy and soft that if I rough handled this (especially when I'm in a rush), I'm pretty sure it'll snap into two. Great. And it's quite pricey (for me, that is). But what can I do, it's the only shade and brand of red that finally suits me. So, just look the other way, my dear, a good thing does not come cheap.

Korean Idol Featurette: Son Ye-Jin

2011-10-15T00:30:00.000+08:00

In the past two K-Pop Idol featurettes, I have introduced you guys to singers. So for this week, I decided to bring the focus back to drama and movie idols. So my dear readers, let me introduce you to Son Ye-Jin.

Quick Facts:

Name: Son Ye-Jin

Birthdate: January 11, 1982

Profession: Actress and Model

Education: Seoul Institute of the Arts (Film Arts Degree)

Hobbies: Listening to music and reading books

Most Recent Drama: Personal Taste (2010) with Lee Min-Ho

Son Ye-Jin is a versatile actress who has taken on a variety of roles. Her career started off in film when she was cast in a supporting role Secret Tears in 2000. Her first lead role in a drama was in "Delicious Proposal" (2001). She stamped her celebrity status in the Korean Cinema industry when she won the Best New Actress Award in the 22nd Korea Movie Critics in "Lover's Concerto"(2002) for which she portrayed the character, Soo-In, who contracted leukemia since young.

Son Ye-Jin being the versatile actress that she was, she did not limit herself to portraying the typical innocent, nice girl characters. She starred in more mature and daring roles in her later films. She took on the role of a con artist in The Art of Seduction (2005), a femme fatale in Open City (2008), and a divorcee in the drama Alone in Love (2006). Her portrayal of a polyandrous woman (a woman having 2 or more husbands at the same time *a pretty busy woman, huh? lol*) in the movie My Wife Got Married (2008) in which she nabbed the Best Actress Award from the prestigious Blue Dragon Film Awards.

Her most recent work is the drama, Personal Taste (2010), based on the novel by Lee Sae-in of the same title, is a heartwarming love story between a charmingly clumsy woman, Park Gae-in (Son Ye-Jin) and her gorgeous roommate, Jeon Jin-hoo (Lee Min-Ho) a man who is only pretending to be gay in order to obtain information he’s certain is hidden in the Sanggojae (a traditional Korean house with modern touches).

Son Ye Jin's "scandalous" photo that circulated around the internet,
picture was deliberately cropped to avoid showing her delicate parts

In 2009, Son Ye-Jin was a victim of a malicious smear campaign. Photos of her sweet, smiling face wearing a sheer pink top with a nipple showing off started circulating around the internet. But of course, this was not really Son Ye-Jin’s posing in the photo but someone superimposed her face onto another person’s body. The editing was so flawless it, at first glance it looked genuine. Her agency, Barunson Entertainment, was quick to jump into her defense but the damage has been done, thanks to South Korea's high-speed broadband internet.

Sources:

Superstitions: Yay or Nay?

2011-10-12T23:44:00.001+08:00

Practically everyone, whatever cultural group we belong, all follow particular customs and traditions. Customs and traditions influence our behavior, our preferences and our perception. Now I'm not going to bore you guys with a lengthy thesis about it. I'm going to talk about something else.

Almost every cultural group observe their own superstitious beliefs. My culture is no exception to that. We are mostly Catholics and Christians but that does not mean we don't observe them. Now I'm not going to list every single superstitious belief we follow. I'll just list a few quirky ones. And here are some of them.

1. Do not sweep your house during the evenings; this will "sweep away" all your good luck. I dunno where this originated, but when I was young, my mom and my grandmother was very adamant about this. But I'm stubborn, so I sweep the house regardless what time of day it is. If I see a speck of dust, I sweep it out pronto.

2. When cooking, do not bang the ladle on the wok/pan; this will call on the bad spirits to enter your home. Again, the matrons of the familia strictly imposed this belief. And being the deviant that I am, and the rare moments I make an appearance in the kitchen, I really don't observe this. Whenever some bits of rice or meat sticks on my ladle, BANG! BANG! BANG!

3. Do not sleep when your hair is wet, you'll go blind. Okay, I have to admit, I am guilty of this. hahaha I mean, c'mon it's bad enough I'm almost legally blind when my contacts are out, I do NOT wish to test my luck on this one.

4. A person with a mole in their eye have the ability to see the paranormal. Okay, this is just some urban legend type of belief, but I actually believe this. I know some people who have a mole in their eye, and lemme tell you... They do see the unseen. It's so darn creepy and I am RELIEVED I don't have a mole in my eye. I am such a scaredy-cat to the point that it's borderline silly.

5. Brides should not try on their wedding dress until the wedding day or else, the wedding will not push through. In the past, brides-to-be only get to try on their wedding dress on the day of the wedding. Any alterations and adjustments are done in the 11th hour. But that's not practiced nowadays. And when the time comes when I'll be wed, this will not stop me from trying on my wedding dress for fitting. To me, it's even more bad luck if my wedding dress looks horrible on me.

6. If your palms get itchy, it means you'll receive money soon. It sounds silly, I know, but guess what? I believe this to be true. *hahaha*

7. It's bad luck to keep a broken glass or mirror inside the house or within your store/business. I remember my mom would freak out if any of us breaks a mirror, she would give us an earful as to how dangerous it is and how this will bring bad luck as she hastily cleans up the fragments and throws it out of the house. And this belief has passed on to us. I remember wigging out when my employee didn't throw out the compact mirror at my accessories shelf the minute the customer accidentally dropped and broke it.

8. Before moving to a new house, one should bring the following to the house in the following order: salt, rice, and water. According to the oldies, doing so will bring in good fortune and positive energy to the household.

9. The phase of the moon is very significant when planning very important events. In terms of career and in business, the moon's phase is very crucial in the make or break of a certain career move or business venture. We believe that it's good luck to engage in financial investments and career changes during the waxing of the moon rather than in the waning period.

10. When you meet a funeral procession in the street, throwing a coin will bring you good luck in gambling. The rationale behind this is that, meeting a funeral procession draws in bad spirits towards you, but when you throw a coin, it thwarts the bad spirits away from you and on towards you rivals or enemies. YES I KNOW IT'S SILLY, and I'm no gambler, but what the heck??? I have nothing to lose and more to gain, so yes... whenever I see a hearse coming towards my direction, I would be fumbling my coin compartment like a maniac and throw the first coin I get my fingers on.

Some of these superstitious beliefs may be similar to yours, or these may seem odd, incredulous, or just downright silly. Now why on earth would you write this sort of stuff, you might ask. Well, just recently, we experienced a loss in our family. My uncle passed away after years of battling and finally succumbing to COPD. And just this morning, we laid him to rest. So yes, that's about a week of observing traditions, customs and an overload of superstitious beliefs. And we're not done yet, there are a few more activities that we are set to observe in the coming days.

So my dearies, if you don't mind me asking: what sort of eccentric superstitious beliefs does your culture practice? Do you abide by them or do you simply ignore them?

Smoldering Stare

2011-10-10T08:00:00.002+08:00

Whenever I am inspired, be it by a person, a celebrity, a natural occurrence or simply just something that I happen to catch a fleeting glimpse of, it would compel me to recreate it. They say imitation is the best form of flattery, but there's a bold and defined line between imitation and recreation. The definitions of imitation, inspiration and recreation are usually mixed up but I would not dare cross that line.

Ok before I rant on an on and jump from one topic to the other in one post, let's me get back on track. As I have mentioned in my most recent K-Pop Idol Featurette, I am a huge fan of her dark, smoldering stares all thanks to her dark and heavy eye make-up. Though in reality, I cannot sport that look everyday, especially at daytime. The most I can pull off is putting on dark eyeliner. But there's a catch: I am quite inexperienced with liquid eyeliner.

Last week, Shiny Pretty Things wrote a post, Eyeliner Tutorial which is really helpful and very simple. She even teaches us nooblets how to wing out the eyeliner, which is something I have been itching to do, but unfortunately, could not.

Alas, my ongoing struggle with the liquid eyeliner is finally turning towards my favor. I was able to decently put on liquid eyeliner and woots woots, I'm winging it! Pardon the over excitement on my part, this is sort of a tiny triumph on my part, and since this is my blog, let me bask in my very short moment of glory *lol*.

Weapon of Choice: Etude House Oh m'Eye Line

For the sake of eyeliner drama, no smiles

Wings in Cross Process :D

This is what it looks like up close :)

Love how this defines my eyes' shape

So, my biggest thanks to Shiny Pretty Things' tutorial. I've always wanted to try this out, but I kept messing up the wing >.<" But her tips on how to create it really helped, a lot. And I'm really pleased with the end result. I always enjoyed putting my eyes on the spotlight whenever I do my make-up. And with this sort of eyeliner technique, it's all about the eyes, baby.