Almost November at nandito pa rin tayo, lockdown pa rin.
My bestfriend lost her mom and we lost our dear Uncle Nory. Losing a loved one is hard enough, but losing a loved one amid a pandemic is harder. I feel that one can't grieve properly for the loss of a loved one and friends & family can't even console you in person. Eto yung pagkakataon na kailangan mo ng yakap galing sa mga tao, pero bawal eh. Social distancing keme. I know my Daddy would want to go home and pay his respects but since he's already 77 years old AND immunocompromised, but we wouldn't want to take the risk of him catching anything in transit. Ang hassle nitong COVID na 'to. At mas hassle na parang walang linaw kung kailan talaga ito matatapos.
Nakakainis.
A lot are excited for 2020 to end, as if they know for a fact that 2021 will be much better. Sana nga pero I think it's better to expect the worst but be prepared for the best. We can only hope and pray for better things to come.
I'm just putting everything in His hands. My takeaway from yesterday's homily- Be still and know that I am God.
It's my birth month, yay! ♥ In fact, it is only two days a day away. I'm excited but at the same time, also frustrated. Everyone is frustrated naman, I think. And I have not been productive AT ALL. When this lockdown started, I've been meaning to make another loaf of cold-processed soap but five months after and I haven't done it yet. I already broke the hand mixer I bought solely for this purpose, so yeah good luck na lang if I'll ever get to make that batch of soap.
Anywaaaay... this post is about two K-dramas I recently finished watching- Hotel del Luna and Was It Love?
Hotel de Luna
I didn't watch this drama at first because it has ghosts in it. I stopped watching horror movies when my horror/supernatural-movie/documentary-partner got married and moved out. Plus, I do think it is true that you attract these energies the more you think talk about them or watch those kinds of shows. At bilang I sleep alone in the room I share with my sister most of the time (she stays in an apartment near her workplace on weekends), ayoko nang takutin ang sarili ko. However, since she's home during this five-month-long lockdown, I finally mustered the courage to watch Hotel del Luna. Maganda daw eh.
And, boy, I'm glad I did because I LOVED IT. It's a beautiful drama. Such a beautiful story. Consciously, I choose to watch feel-good romcoms because this world is so effed up and full of drama as it is, why would I want to watch about other people's misery? Well, Hotel del Luna is not straight-up drama, may bits and pieces of comedy and action.
Ang galing how they were able to build up the main story (the present) and how, little by little, they're also giving us the back story (the past). I'm more of a Man Wol + Chung Myung 'shipper, y'know the age-old tale of star-crossed lovers. That scene when Chung Myung and Man Wol were sitting together in front of the lake, right before things went haywire...
super duper love this song ♥
Ang sakit sa heart, besh. As in, I felt that. At face value, it may look like Chung Myung betrayed Man Wol or that he pretended to have fallen in love with Man Wol or that he befriended the band of rebels so he could have access to them and eventually be able to arrest them or suppress their plans. But I KNOW there's much more to what happened, I KNOW Chung Myung didn't befriend them just to betray them. I can see it in his eyes... (talaga lang, ha!) And that, my friends, is what made me press Next Episode...
I thought Chan Seong was Chun Myung's reincarnation. He's not and towards the end, I found what his role was in Man Wol's past life. Besh, eto yung perfect embodiment ng linyang pinagtagpo pero 'di tinadhana (they crossed paths but were never meant to be together). And that open-ended ending... just my cup of tea.
So this drama made me think if we do really die or we just get transformed into other life beings (bilang tayo ay energy and energy cannot be created nor destroyed, it can only be converted into another form). Seryoso.
Basta, this drama definitely makes it into my list of favorite dramas. I really should give all dramas equal chances cos just like this one, it might surprise & delight me.
Was It Love?
I waited until the drama ended before I watched episodes 15 and 16 para isang go na lang.
The ending was okay. After watching the last two episodes, I was slightly disappointed that Dae Oh chose to leave Ae Jong and Hanee. Maybe he was being selfless when he put Ae Jong and Hanee's welfare first before his happiness. I just don't get it why they chose not to keep in touch in those two years. Sabi nga ni Nadine, c'mon guys it's 2018 2020 na pala! Anon'ng ginagawa ng Facebook, Viber, Messenger, Line at Kakao? Maybe to give them both time to focus on their careers... ano ba ang two years? Kung si Man-wol at Chan-seong nga isang lifetime (rough estimate, LOL) ang hihintayin, ano ba naman ang dalawang taon? So yeah, maybe time and space are needed so they can work things out.
However, I just don't get it why they say that it was Dae Oh who abandoned Ae jong. I mean, it was Ae jong who left. Baka meron akong na-miss na detail. I believe Dae Oh didn't even know he fathered a child, so why is he being painted as the bad guy? Di ko naman gets yung mga tao, why would they be angry with an author whose novel was supposedly based on his life- sabi nga ni Kim Taehyung tawag jan ay artistic license.
What I learned about watching Kdramas is that the Kdrama world is like a box of chocolated, you never know what you're going to get.
This drama has gotten so much better. During the first few episodes, I was a little iffy whether I'd love love love it or drop it midway into the drama (like Oh My Baby). image source
Well I got into this drama because, um, FOUR HOT BOYS MEN AFTER OUR FEMALE LEAD and who's not a sucker for that?!?
Anyway, so midway into the drama more or less we already have a clue who's Ha-nee's real father is. I am 99.9% sure as to who he is, but I can be wrong and that's why I'm looking forward to episode 11 so I can confirm my haka-haka.
In episode 10, we sort of found out why they broke up Ae-jung left Dae-oh, but if that's the only reason why then I feel that it was unfair to Dae-oh because he wasn't given the chance to explain his side. And if he is Ha-nee's real father, it's more unfair that he was robbed of the opportunity to be a father to her. Although some might say that he might have not been a good father, but at least he should've been informed that he has a child, bahala na siya kung ano ang gagawin niya sa impormasyon na 'yun. It is also unfair to him that this child has been hating and blaming him for abandoning her and her mother when in fact, he doesn't even know that she exists. Ayun lang. Feeling ko lang unfair kay Dae-oh. Kung siya nga ang tatay.
At first, I was rooting for the younger guy, Yeon-woo, because I've always liked gravitated towards the younger guys (ajumma, FTW!). As the drama progresses, I've slowly shifted my allegiance towards Dae-oh. Yeah, he was angry at first because he didn't get the closure he needed (and wanted) when Ae-jung just upped and left; however, I understand where this anger is coming from. At hindi pa siya nakakamove on. Obviously, Ae-jung still has feelings for him but she's guarded herself from giving in for fear of getting hurt again.
For Ryu-jin, Ae-jung was his TOTGA (ang baho talaga haha) and what's difficult for him is Dae-oh is also his close friend. I've never rooted for him. Mabagal kasi siya. Ganyan 'pag mabagal, naiiwan sa kangkungan. I don't like him for Ae-jung but I still want him to be happy with someone else, someone like Ah-rin.
Ayan hanggang jan muna. I'm not sure if I would be able to post another entry about Was It Love? when it's already done. I'm so excited for the last six episodes!! Three more weeks!? Gaaah!
P.S. It's almost my birthday! Yay ☺☺ Counted ba this year?
So... anong petsa na? OMG I can't frakkin' bilibit- it's already the first day of the 8th month and we're still inside our houses. Still, I am grateful that I have a house where I can stay safely cooped in and I don't have to go to an office (being a home-based business). But my sister still has to go to work once a week and there's still that risk. I just distract my self with stuff... tutal jan ako magaling.
What have I been distracting myself with?
KDRAMAS PA RIN
Last time I blogged I was watching the ff- My Holo Love, Meow the Secret Boy, Oh My Baby and Dr. Romantic 1. I'm done with Dr. Romantic, struggling with Oh My Baby and dropped Holo and Meow. Here's my accomplishment report (Ha!):
Dr. Romantic 1
Teacher Kim reminded me of Dr. House. Okay lang din naman yung love angle which is the main reason why I watch these dramas- to experience kilig vicarously. Lelz. If there was no second season with Lee Sung-kyung as the female lead (FL), I wouldn't have finished this series.
My first saguek drama, I think. I did attempt to watch a few saguek dramas before but I got easily bored so I therefore concluded that sageuks are boring. 100 Days My Prince started out boring but thanks to the leads' impeccable chemistry.
I'm not sure if this was a romcom cos although there were scenes that were like that, the main feel of the drama was sad. I guess most sageuk dramas are tragic since these royalties live in fear of losing their seat, their power, their wealth at kung ano pa man yang puede mawala sa kanila. And almost always, they can't be with that someone they truly love. Medyo alam ko na kung bakit may kabit, haha!
I enjoyed this drama. Although the main feel was sad, it ended on a happy note ☺ And oh em gee, that scene where Won Deuk lay on Hong-shim's lap >>squeeeee<<
Main reason why I watched- V. Because my bebe boy is there, that's it. It was 20 episodes long which was torture for my ADHD brain. Not naman torture because the drama was exciting naman, although I feel they could have done this with fewer episodes. Ang daming flashbacks.
What a turn of events... but that's what I love about Seon-u, he didn't take advantage of the situation and he didn't let those people take advantage of him as well. At si Ate Girl A-ro kung bahagyang kinulang sa baba, eh yun naman ang ihinaba ng hair niya! That scene when the King would told her he'd willingly give up the throne if ever she chooses him over the other guy? MY GULAY.
And oh, I cried > S P O I L E R A L E R T < when Han sung died.
Just watched this after AC recommended it. Light lang and funny and every episode is only around 30 minutes long. Female lead is the same as in A Moment in Eighteen- though I don't find her pretty, I like her. I still don't get how she brings all the cute boys in the yard though. Lelz. This series is definitely my cup of tea- kilig kilig high school keme lang.
Another reason why I like this drama- Cha Eun woo. CHA EUN WOO ♥ Ang guapo nung bata! Haha #ahjummamode Maybe I'll give My ID is Gangnam Beauty another try (because, Cha Eun-woo).
Other Kdramas I'm currently watching are Was It Love? and It's Okay Not to be Okay. Eye candies galore and eye candies around my age ;) ;)
WEBTOONS
I got into webtoons when a highschool batchmate of mine posted something about a webtoon she follows. I have never been into animes, mangas, manhwas or anything like it (only Archie, Snoopy an Garfield comics), but True Beauty opened the gates for me. After I have devoured all the available chapters, I started scouring the worldwide web for other titles. Entonces, I am currently reading the following: One of a Kind Romance, Age Matters, Cheese in the Trap and Odd Girl Out.
screenshots of some of the webtoons I read
The con about webtoons is you get updates once a week (or every four days, if you're lucky) and the suspense is killing me. You really need to follow a few titles to get your mind off the other ones you're waiting for new chapters for. And now that we're in quarantine and don't have much to do, it's easy to obsess over these stuff because I have all the time in the world!
BTS
Still, my biggest distraction during these trying times- my boys ♥ Gaaahd, I'm always on YouTube bingeing on their music videos, fan-made videos and listening to their covers. I'm on weverse waiting for their updates. Ang lala!
And oh, my baby boy Jungkook just released a cover of the Bieb's 10000 Hours-
I'm one proud momma! I didn't even recognize it was him cos his English has improved tremendously. More practice pa sa dreaming, 'nak. Haha. Malala na 'to. Ganito yun kasi, 'pag nagka-anak ako gusto ko parang si Jungkook at dahil mukhang ang probability nun ay near to zilch, siya na lang anak ko HAHAHA.
And to document my first ever BTS/BT21 merch, here's a photo
I really wanted a pair of Chimmy slippers but only Cooky and Tata were available. Eh kay AC na si Tata (dahil siya naman ang original V fan and dahil siya rin ang nagbayad), Cooky's mine. I didn't want these Cooky slippers cos my feet are fangit LOL :P Lalo tuloy siyang umitim kasi fenk ang color. Anyway... they're so cute, no?
Watching a BTS live concert is definitely in my bucket list so I need to take extra precaution para hindi ako mashotayva ng corona.
Gotta go, sago. I have a scheduled video call chikahan with my peeps in a bit ;)
I've been looking for a crush for quite some time now and congratulations to me, I already found not just one, but seven. SEVEN!
Anyway, my almost-40 year-old-ass is a little embarrassed to say that I'm fangirling on BTS right now. I know I'm a little late to the party but late is still better than never, y'all! And I'm glad I am on the bandwagon. Ngayon na lang ako ulit kinikilig hahahaha! Leche.
So this is what happened... my ate and I are both bingeing on Kdramas, separately. She just watched Hwarang, a history/period drama; whereas I would not and have not watched any period dramas cos it's just not my cup of tea. Ayun after watching Hwarang she started watching BTS videos on YouTube. Endlessly. On loop. She asked me if I know any BTS songs- Boy With Luv and Fake Love lang kasi they play those songs on The Morning Rush and sometimes those videos play in between Blackpink playlists on YouTube. That's it. I wasn't paying much attention to them. Pre-BTS obsession, they all looked the same to me. The last boyband I 'shipped was Shinhwa and that was 15 years ago. Reason why my Ate got into BTS pala was because one of the casts of Hwarang (V!) was a member of the group, so that's how she discovered them. And in turn, I discovered BTS through her (with continuous BTS songs on loop the entire day). Ang laki pala ng nagagawa ng pagbra-brainwash. Haha!
So.. shet, no turning back na ito. And my BTS heart is excited for June 14! AC and I will be watching BTS Bang Bang Con: The Live on Sunday! HUZZAH!!! Potek kinikilig ako hahaha! Exciiiiited ♥
Anyway... my first bias was Jungkook. Tapos after watching videos of the group, si Taehyung na ♥ So adorable! Here are a few fave music videos of the group, for reference to my future self (sa kung anu-anong pinaggagawa ko)
Here's my pinaka-favorite sa favorites:
Mic Drop
and this one also is one of my most favorites because.. Jungkook ♥
DNA
and this one, too
Spring Day
Aren't they cute? Sobra, no? Every member has his own charm. Walang tapon. I may have my biases, but all seven members are equally important to the group.
Haay. Grateful for this- just one of the few things that is helping me get through this pandemic.
Start of the 72nd day of ECQ. Kahit anong uri pa ng community quarantine 'yan, the truth is we're still not free to go back to the way it was. Even if we're allowed to go to malls, I don't think I would unless very necessary.
So, what have I been doing to keep myself entertained? KOREAN DRAMAS. I've re-watched a few, finished also new titles. Dahil wala naman akong magawa, posting about it here, accomplishment report baga.
Akala ko romcom, serious pala. But I liked this drama's message- try and try until you die succeed. Loved the persistence of Saeroyi but of course I feel that the circumstances were too good to be true- o sadyang magaling lang si kuya magplano ng comeback niya. While most of the viewers prefer Jo Yi-seo over Soo-ah, conflicted pa rin ako. Sabagay, if Saeroyi and Soo-ah were meant to happen (and if they truly liked each other), they wouldn't wait that long. Daming nasayang na panahon. But all's well that ends well. Panalo din si Ate Yi-seo.
Watched this because of Ju Ji-hoon. I just recently found out that Shin Goon (Goong) is also the Crown Prince in Kingdom. Liked the chemistry between the leads, but I found it a bit lacking. Got bored at some parts while some parts were also exciting. I always liked it when the guy's more sensitive and vulnerable than the female.
I usually steer clear of dramas, especially kabit dramas but posts about this drama has been flooding my feed. Boy, was I glad that I jumped on this bandwagon because I enjoyed it tremendously. Medyo cathartic... yung gusto mong tirisin silang lahat. This drama is sad. That ending was sad, medyo true to life nga siguro na nobody wins in similar situations. I feel sorry for Sun-woo, but the person I feel most sorry for is Joon-young. Maybe what I didn't like in this drama is that Da-kyung was allowed to escape her predicament. If it were up to me, I will let her rot in sadness in that relationship with Tae-oh.
Watched this because of So Ji-sub, who I just found out, got married recently. Aside from the eye candy, I also enjoyed the action sequences. Although, I feel that they can't let Ae-rin just join in their operations without training her. She just lost her husband and she has two kids to care for, if she gets into an accident or if the bad people go after her, who will look after her kids? Even if will pay her lots of moolah, why in the world would she agree to it? So ayun lang. Guapo pa rin ni So Ji-sub ♥
A Moment at 18
Started watching this a few months ago. Stopped cos I got bored. Resumed again just cos I have the time. Then I got caught up in all the teenage love triangle and after a day and a half, I've devoured all 16 episodes :P It also helped that Joon-woo is such a cutie ♥ Basag-trip lang nung sinabing 37 na yung nanay niya sa drama, which is the same age as me. Leche. Haha. That ending was open-ended and I love it. So bittersweet.
Unti lang pala eh. Akala ko nakarami na ako although I'm not counting the dramas I've re-watched. Currently watching Oh My Baby! (Jang Na-ra) and so far, I'm enjoying it. Medyo too close for comfort lang pero I can manage LOL. Continued watching Dr. Romantic 1 because I want to watch season 2 with Lee Sung-kyung. Other dramas I started but can't get to finish are Meow, the Secret Boy (hindi ko kayang arukin na ma-i-in love siya sa pusa) and My Holo Love (super dragging).
I must document this very memorable time in my life, in our lives. And looks like I have the time. Ha.
This COVID-19 pandemic has caused so much stress, panic, loss and damages. Ang sarap sisihin kung saan nanggaling 'eto, yung source kasi they coud've nipped it at the bud or at least less damages when they've quarantined themselves earlier. Eh nag world tour pa sila! Ayun wala nang silbi ang sisi sa ngayon. Although I still believe that they should be fined.
I am in a state of panic cos I live with my parents who are both in their mid-70s. Both are super makulit at matigas ang ulo. Pre-community quarantine, they refused to stayput at home. Buti ngayon at wala rin naman silang choice, they stay home. But they still handle money coming from outside which should not be done kasi nga diba- virus carrier ang pera. Hay stress.
Aside from the community quarantine, we're also implementing a household lockdown- no one is allowed to leave the house, even to the sari-sari store, to minimize interactions to the outside world where every trip could pose a risk. I do the grocery run. I used to love doing the grocery but now, I dread it. I'm scared of the possibility of bringing something inside. Ayoko na.
Instead of worrying, I will instead channel my energy into doing a to-do list when this is all done.
La Traidora's Post-Pandemic To-Do List:
1. Offer a thanksgiving mass. My sister based in NY caught the virus and THANK GOD she's much much better now. Still praying for her full recovery. Bawal makampante. Baby, it ain't over 'til it's over.
2. Eat. Unlimited samgyupsal. Viking's. Frankie's Chicken Wings. Unli samgyup and especially Viking's I consider as luxury and only for special occasions. But after this, I will pig out. Kung may pera pa pala ako LOL.
3. Stock up on food. My sister made a go-bag for emergency purposes with a few canned goods, a pack of Skyflakes crackers and instant noodles. Ngayon alam na natin na hindi yun enough. At the very least, isang go-bag per person. Not one or two for the whole household. I realize that it is important to keep stock of food, alcohol and meds at madaming stock.
4. Take container gardening seriously. Never thought something like this pandemic would happen in our lifetime. Started container gardening just because there's a sense of fulfillment one gets when you've successfully grown something from scratch. Now, I see the importance of keeping a garden of edibles. When the coast is clear, I will buy lots of potting soil/mix and start trying to grow tomatoes, green leafy veggies and kung ano pang puede mapatubo dito.
That's it for now. With three more weeks to go before this extended community quarantine ends, in the event that it doesn't get extended further, I'm sure I'll think of more things to start doing.
Here are a few photos I've taken while in quarantine
