2009

2009, probably the most loaded year that i ever witnessed. aside from my personal experience with 2009, there are also a lot of things that occurred this year in the realm of politics, entertainment, etc.

well, if i remember correctly, did this year started with the inauguration of President Barack Obama? correct me if i'm wrong, the first quarter of the year was a blur to me since i'm bombarded with thesis and thoughts of college graduation. for me, the first half of the year is such a drag, i couldn't even remember things that occurred during that period.

anyway, the second half was the opposite. in Hollywood, there's the Kanye West outburst against Taylor Swift at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards. but the news of the death of Michael Jackson was the most talked about subject especially since he still a This is It concert tour that needs to be done. his sudden death really broke hearts of a lot of fans around the world. his death came along with the death of Farrah Fawcett and was followed by the death of Patrick Swayze, John Hughes, etc. the most recent is the death of Brittany Murphy.

our country also experienced great losses when Francis Magalona, the King of Filipino Rap, died on February. i personally felt so bad when i heard the news. he's like every Filipino's idol. not only did people admire his artistry in terms of music, painting and photography, but also his extreme sense of nationalism. in my opinion, nobody can hold a candle on Francis M.'s dedication in expressing love to the Philippines and the Filipino race.

the second great loss is the death of former President Cory Aquino. it's as if the Philippines have lost its mother. her death seems to have triggered the Filipino's desire for change. with the 2010 election just around the corner, her death did have influenced the events that has to do with it. one among them is the withdrawal of Mar Roxas to run as president to give way to NoyNoy Aquino.

on the positive note, there was the Mar Roxas-Korina Sanchez wedding that everybody talked about. too bad it was affected by typhoons, Ondoy and Pepeng - it's not that the wedding got flooded and all but the couple sacrificed their supposed-to-be extravagant wedding in order to help the people who suffered from the typhoons. another wedding that everybody talked about was the Judy Ann Santos-Ryan Agoncillo wedding. for me, it is the wedding of the year. the unexpected wedding, the unique concept, it's a wedding that will not be forgotten anytime soon.

but the biggest Philippine showbiz issue is the Hayden Kho sex videos which involves Dra. Vicky Belo, Katrina Halili, and other actresses and personalities. the issue was brought to the court, the senate, and the medical board. tsk tsk tsk. but the second biggest showbiz issue was the alleged affair of Manny Pacquiao and Krista Ranillo. honestly, i really find this one stupid. hahaha. good thing Paquiao's wife, Jinky, stood her ground.

aside from the Hollywood and Philippine showbiz, i'm also concerned with the Kpop world. well, for me, the biggest news there was when DBSK's Kim Jaejoong, Kim Junsu and Park Yoochun filed a lawsuit against SM Entertainment. the court was on their side as it abolished their exclusivity with the agency. right now, the case is still on-going. TVXQ is only active in Japan but the three take separate flights. moreover, it was said that, the three cannot talk with their fellow members Jung Yunho and Shim Changmin, and vice versa.

there's also Super Junior's Kangin DUI and hit and run incident. another news was 2PM's Park Jaebum's Myspace comment incident which led to his self-exile to Seattles, USA. Super Junior's Hankyung/Hangeng has also filed a lawsuit similar to that of DBSK just this month. aish. really stressful...

in just less than two hours it's bye-bye 2009, hopefully, 2010 will be a better year:)

October 31, 2009

October 31, 2009 may known to be as Halloween to most people in the world, but it is more important to the people here in the Philippines as a step to life-changing move for the country. it was the deadline for the voter's registration for the 2010 elections.

ever since the death of former President Cory Aquino, politicians have began to move their resources for next year's election. a lot has happened and President Aquino's death have changed a lot of what is to come for the Philippines next year. among those things is the decision of her one and only son Noynoy Aquino to run for presidency after Sen. Mar Roxas withdrew his candidacy for him. it was a noble move in the opinion of others but there are still some who are doubting his motives. anyhow, the two decided to run alongside each other where Roxas will be Aquino's vice president. on the brighter side of things, at least the anticipated Mar Roxas-Korina Sanchez wedding pushed through. haha.

next was former President Joseph "Erap" Estrada's announcement that he, too, will run for president next year. there were those who were supporting but there were those who are against it. i'm one of them. why? well, constitutionally speaking, he's no longer qualified. i don't care even if he say that he didn't get to finish his term as a president and the constitution only apply for those who did finish their term. whatever. also, i believe that the Philippines needs a new leader - the Philippines today is not the same Philippines that Estrada led back in 1998, things are way different now.

when i ask myself who am i going to vote, i still don't know. i'm waiting for the final list of candidates come next year. this will be my first time to vote and i'm so thankful that i didn't get to join the Oct 31 rush, haha (i registered way earlier, hahahaha). in my opinion, this year's registration is the most significant yet. i can't wait for the elections. i believe that change is gonna come this time around...

Ondoy

September 26, 2009 is probably the worst day of September in the Philippines. a super typhoon hit Metro Manila, Rizal, and Bulacan (i don't know about other areas, but this is where the typhoon really centered its power to destruct). it's rains and floods were unexpected, it redefined the Filipino's (and perhaps also the other people in other tropical countries where there typhoons) definition of what is a "super typhoon.

from what i've heard, the cities of Pasig and Marikina, and the municipality of Cainta were the areas that were badly hit. well, come to think of it, almost 100 of the people who died in typhoon are from Cainta alone. i live in Cainta and i must say that i agree to their conclusion. the water in our subdivision reached over the average height of a person (til waist inside our house). Cainta is known to be prone to floods but Ondoy's floods were really something. back then, we don't need to take our TV, computer and stove upstairs but this time, we did. our next door neighbors even evacuated in our house due to their lack of a 2nd floor.

then the electricity went our by lunch time and we all went frantic since none of our phones were fully charged. our scheduled trip to the wet market and the grocery store was cancelled since none of us can get out of our house. thus, we don't have enough food to eat. cellphone signals weakened until none of us can send text messages or call other people. by afternoon, the rain still continue to fall, and with our current situation, all we can hope and pray was that the water won't continue to rise because we honestly don't have any idea if there are people out there who can rescue us the moment the water reach our 2nd floor. good thing, it didn't reached our 2nd floor and we're still alive and we still have most of our stuffs.

the electricity got back on Tuesday but we still don't have drinkable water. the water from the faucet is even insufficient to clean the house from flood water and mud. the grocery departments on malls were also flooded (only one manage to start operating since Monday).

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo described Ondoy as a "once-in-a-lifetime" typhoon and i was not happy about it even for just a bit. it shows that the Philippine government is not prepared to respond to such calamity to think that she said in her last SONA that our country is prepared against national disasters. but as of the moment, we are continue to appeal to private sectors, organizations, and foreign countries for donations and aids. come to think of it, it seems that TV networks, GMA7 and ABSCBN2 was able to do a lot of relief operations compared to the government itself. actors and actresses who always put image and vanity before everything else forget that they are just made for acting as actors like Richard Gutierrez, Gerald Anderson and Jericho Rosales risks their lives to help people in flooded areas, and actresses like Maxene Magalona and Iya Villania, and host Bianca Gonzalez continue to call for donations and volunteers.

i know that global warming has a lot to do with Ondoy but i also think that the government cannot be free from blames on what has happened. in an article from Time.com, Filipino analysts stated that the national and local government failed to solve the problem of drainage systems in the cities and the likes. well, i agree, because they all spend a lot of time politicalizing themselves and one another. and i hope that the candidates of the upcoming 2010 elections will begin to see the amount of things that they have to take care of before they become elected.

[pictures from Yahoo! News]

Kpop in Philippines

the very first time that the Korean Wave set foot here in the Philippines is when GMA7 aired "Bright Girl" starring Jang Nara in their afternoon slot. this was followed by "Endless Love: Autumn Tale" starring Song Seunghun and Song Hyegyo in their primetime. in my opinion, GMA7 have mastered the "art" of picking Korean dramas because most of the Korean dramas they have shown have become a phenomenal hit here in the Philippines. after "Endless Love: Autumn Tale", some of GMA7's unforgettable Korean dramas are "Endless Love: Winter Sonata", "Full House", "Jewel in the Palace (Dae Jangeum)", "Kim Samsoon", "Jumong", and "Coffee Prince". but ABSCBN2 has also their own hits like "Lovers in Paris" and "Princess Hours" (sorry, i don't think i can consider "Boys Over Flowers" as a huge hit here in the Philippines).

as for Kpop songs, the first Kpop songs that were played here is Unee's "Answer the Phone" and Kiss' "Because I'm a Girl". that coincides with Sandara Park's rise to fame in the Philippine showbiz industry. if i remember it right, the next song that was aired was a song by Lee Jaejin - he even went here and performed with Sandara at ASAP Fanatic. then Roxanne Barcelo, i think, sang the first to songs in Filipino as her debut singles back then.

i don't bother myself up about the dramas, in fact i always wait what Korean dramas GMA7 will air next. in that way, i won't have to spend my time reading subtitles. however, as for Kpop songs, it's a different matter. truth be told, i'm against the releasing of Kpop songs here in the Philippines (especially those from the artists that i like...well, even those who i don't like) and i know that i'm not the only one who feels this way.

just this year, i was surprised that the song "Nobody" by Wonder Girls began playing in various radio stations and it was being sang by different actors, actresses and singers every week in variety shows. the first time i saw that is when Moymoy Palaboy and some others performed it in an opening number in SOP. it was fun then, why? because it was Moymoy Palaboy - the duo that are well-known of their funny lipsyncing of various songs in Youtube. but when the It Girls performed it in ASAP the following week, i start to realize there is something not right. then i finally hear it on various radio stations everywhere i go - while i walk in the streets, the malls, while i'm riding a tricycle, jeepney, taxi or an FX. i even hear three versions - the original, the English and the slow one.

i start to imagine what's going on with my friend who is a die-hard Wonder Girls fan. she told people before that she don't want them to get famous here in the Philippines. i understand what she feels (i'm sorry but i don't want TVXQ songs to start playing in radio stations and music channels, and i totally don't want local celebrities performing their songs). then i start to hear 2NE1, well, i already expected it since Sandara Park's part of the said group. i know that MYX (a part of ABSCBN) would really do everything to get a hand on 2NE1's MVs and songs. so, as for the 2NE1's case, i would let it pass since it is definitely inevitable that they won't get a hype here in the Philippines.

then Super Junior songs began to play in radio stations and music channels (even the Cebu inmates made a dance number of the group's "Sorry Sorry"!). i'm not a Super Junior fan so feeling their presence here is a horror for me. then i was told yesterday that Big Bang's songs are making their presence on the local airwaves felt but i haven't confirmed this yet (i've been avoiding listening to the local FM radio nowadays - i only listen to stations that are for the high class people, i'm not discriminating but there are radio stations that are only meant to play Western songs and OPM bands!).

the feeling of not wanting them here in the Philippines grew. when i was asked why, i don't know what to answer. i just can't say "i just don't like it" because that will appear that i - and other people who have known the Kpop industry way before their songs arrived here - am just selfish that i just want to keep them to myself (but there is also a great feeling when you're the only one or some few others who knew about it). but after analyzing the reception of the Kpop songs by the Filipinos by mere observation, i finally realize why there are people like me who don't want Kpop songs to be played here despite being a huge fan of it.

while it is true that if these Kpop songs are played locally, it can be easily accessible to all of us that are Kpop addict. after all, they're the songs that we listen in the Internet, the MVs that we watch in Youtube, and the artists we search over Wikipedia. but the way we treat Kpop is not the same compared to most of the Filipinos.

i have become a fan of Kpop since 2003 (that was months before "Meteor Garden" was aired in ABSCBN2). how? when i first watched "New Nonstop 3" in ArirangTV. where's the music there? well, i got addicted to the show the first time i saw it that i forgot to switch channels when it was over. it was followed by "Pops in Seoul" then i saw an MV by this beautiful guy with an amazing voice - "Confessions" by Kangta. since then, i went to the ArirangTV website to see the schedules of "Pops in Seoul" and music variety shows namely "Showking M" and "Music Tank". i also searched more about Kangta, that's when i learned about H.O.T, S.E.S and Shinhwa. and by searching the profiles of the "New Nonstop 3" cast, i learned that DANA is a solo artist and Lee Jin is part of Fin.K.L.

Kpop has something different compared to our own OPM and the Western music (even though it is patterned on Western music). i learned how the artists auditioned and trained. i learned the role of the talent agencies like the so-called Kpop's "Holy Trinity" formed by SM Entertainment, YG Entertainment and JYP Entertainment (because of this, i start to pity DSP Entertainment since back in the 1990s, they were the one who's up against SM). i learned that Kpop is a VERY serious industry in South Korea. through the variety shows, i learned about Baby V.O.X, Jewelry, BoA, NRG, Fly to the Sky, etc. the Internet also introduced me to disbanded groups like Click-B and Seckskies. before i know it, i seem to know everything about the basics of the Kpop industry. also, i learned about the Korean Wave.

then in my last two years of my college, when i made a thesis about Korean dramas, i learned how the Korean Wave came to be. i learned that the Korean entertainment industry is not always the way it used to be. i learned that it was only in 1990s when their entertainment industry began to revolutionalize. since that was the case, there's no doubt that the Kpop industry is the fastest growing and the most innovative music industry there is. foreign artists seldomly get the number one spot in South Korea because they have tight competitions against the local artists. they use the Kpop industry and the whole of their entertainment industry to protect their local culture.

however, when Kpop songs are being played here in the Philippines, it is not treated with the same respect as it is in South Korea. Kpop songs are treated the way like Filipinos treat the songs "Asereje", "Macarena", etc. and the OPM novelty songs by Sexbomb Girls. in Filipino slang, Kpop songs becomes "jologs" and low class. fans like me here in the Philippines are against this way of treatment. but we can't do anything about it, it's just that the Filipinos does not understand what Kpop is all about - the way the talent agencies spend tons of money to train their artists in singing, dancing, modeling and other languages like Japanese, Chinese and English; to produce songs that can go against Western songs; and to make videos with the newest technology possible (c'mon, compare OPM MVs with Kpop MVs, tsk). it irritates fans like me everytime the radio DJs and music channel VJs talk about these Kpop songs as if they know everything about it but in truth is that they do not.

"Nobody" is not just a "dance craze" that swept all over South Korea. i may be exagerating but after a decade it can be regarded as one of the Kpop classics along with H.O.T's "Candy" and S.E.S' "I'm Your Girl". take Sandara Park as an example, her songs here in the Philippines are novelty songs - "In or Out", "Walang Sabit" and "Ang Ganda Ko" - songs that are forgetable as time passes and songs that are laughed at (but it's just that novelty songs are the big thing back those years), but when she returned to Korea, she have a number one REAL pop songs - "Fire" and "I Don't Care" - with 2NE1 and just recently, she released a solo "Kiss" that is a technopop dance tune. but what can i do? the Filipino definition of classic songs are those jukebox songs that were in rage during the 1970s and, unfortunately, they are still being done today in the form of modern ballads (so thank goodness there is Eraserheads, Francis Magalona and Gary Valenciano).

comparing OPM to Kpop, it is obvious that the OPM industry is totally backward compared to Kpop's modern appeal. the only thing that OPM can brag to Kpop is that we have awesome rock and alternative bands like Eraserheads, Rivermaya, Parokya ni Edgar and Kamikazee (unfortunately, they have their own Gary V. and Francis M.). maybe the only downside of Kpop is that the artists are not good English speakers like the Filipinos but slowly but surely, the Koreans are going there. when i watched Jessica Soho's report on Kpop a month ago, a local music producer is against the way Filipinos embrace the Kpop songs. why? because, according to him, we have our own music which is the OPM. unfortunately, it seems that he doesn't seem to notice that our OPM industry does not have pop boybands and girl bands that are good-looking, amazing singers and awesome dancers. maybe if Gary V. decided to produce a boyband back then, things would've been different.

the reason why Filipinos listen to Kpop is that Kpop has something that OPM cannot offer. i don want Kpop artists to gain international recognition the way they are recognized in Japan, China, and the rest of Southeast Asia. but, as of now, in my opinion, Kpop should just remain off-limits here in the Philippines not until people here can understand or at least realize that Kpop is not some cheap novelty songs.

2009: Kpop girl band's up, boy band's down

i reentered the Kpop realm on August 2009. well, not really. i mean, ever since we lost our cable connection - the only tie that binds me to Kpop - in around 2005 to 2006, i had a very hard time keeping up with the Kpop industry. during that time, looking for Kpop news and downloads are really hard. thanks to the Youtube, i was still able to watch Kpop mvs but apart from that, i have nothing else to find out what's happening to the Kpop industry or the whole Korean showbiz itself. it was only in August 2009 when my friend showed me the webside Allkpop.com when i finally reestablished myself a connection to the world of Kpop. unfortunately, whatever happened from January-July 2009 was unknown to me so i went back to the archives.

anyway, from what i have noticed, Kpop girl bands are in rage! there are girl groups everywhere! well, there are already the groups who debuted before 2009, namely, So Nyeo Shi Dae/SNSD/Girls' Generation (SM Entertainment), Wonder Girls (JYP Entertainment), KARA (DSP Entertainment), Jewelry (Star Empire Entertainment), The Grace (SM), and Brown Eyed Girls (Nega-Network). then came 2009, when After School (Sony BMG), 2NE1 (YG Entertainment), T-ara (Core Contents Media), 4Minute (Cube Entertainment), and f(x) (SM) debuted [there are still others like 7size, Pink Hearts(?) and some others but they didn't made a very huge impact] and there are still others that are set to be launch - the most recent girl group that was launched was HAM (LeeYeon Entertainmen) and there are still others like Secret (YG) and Rainbow (DSP) who are waiting in line.

so, in my opinion, the "girl band invasion" has now turned into "girl band overdose." for me, after f(x), i think South Korea already has all the girl bands it needs. but the companies are unstoppable and i was surprised the YG will launch another (Secret) to think that 2NE1 has just debuted months ago. if i were to be asked, the company that needs a new girl band is JYP since Wonder Girls are kind of old already (i don't mean it in a bad way, it's just they could offer something new, right?). as for DSP, they have only relaunched KARA so they need to focus on them only.

however, it seems that the success and the shower of various girl bands are recieving comes with a price: the unfortunate events that are plauging the Kpop boy bands. as i went back to the old Kpop news, 2009 didn't seem to be a bad year:

- Super Junior (SM) dominated the first half of the year

- TVXQ (SM) gained more popularity in Japan that was certified by their Tokyo Dome concert

- SS501 (DSP) was able to step up their game when their leader, Kim Hyun Joong, played Yoo Ji Hoo in a hit Korean drama, Boys Over Flowers (a remake of Hana Yori Dango)

but since this summer, a lot of unfortunate things start to happen starting from common accidents like SHINee's (SM) leader, Onew, accident in KBS Music Bank and Big Bang's (YG) Daesung's car accident. Back in June, Onew was hit by one of the light fixtures that got loose during the closing of the show. Then in August, Daesung got into a car accident near Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province after taping for Family Outing. they may be unfortunate but it was in August when the biggest disasters began for South Korea's beloved boybands.

July 2009 ended and August 2009 began with the news that three members of the country's - also of the Asia's - biggest boyband TVXQ filed a lawsuit against SM. it began as rumors in July but unfortunately, it was not. Kim JaeJoong, Park YooChun, and Kim JunSu shocked the whole world (not an exaggeration!) with what they did. many speculations start to arise about what will be the outcome of the lawsuit and among them is the plaguing disbandment of TVXQ which is begin feared my their over 800,000 fans all over the world. the last hearing of the case was held in Sept 11 and up until now, the court hasn't released their decision.

however, before TVXQ's last hearing occurred, the biggest issue in South Korea was the Myspace scandal of 2PM's leader Park Jaebum. comments of Jaebum saying Koreans are gay was dug up by netizens and anti-fans alike. due to the nonstop harsh comments, Jaebum decided to leave 2PM and South Korea to go back to Seattle, USA. after that, Hottests, 2PM's fans' club, began various petitions and rallies to bring him back. they have began boycotting the band's activities and products - Korean fans even gave back their CDs to the JYP Entertainment. unfortunately, JYP still stressed that 2PM will still continue as a six-member boyband.

the same day that Jaebum left Korea came the news that Kim Hyun Joong was diagnosed with A(H1N1) while in Japan causing him to stay longer in the said country. fortunately, as of now, he has finally got back in Korea. however, came another news, Super Junior's Kangin was charged with assault causing him not to be able to join Super Junior activities. in addition, in amidst of those issues, G-Dragon, the leader of Big Bang, who had just released his solo album has been criticized of plagiarism nonstop.

so...everybody's calling it the "September curse" or the "2009 curse" and everybody's hoping that it'll soon be over (i do too).

the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards

the whole night was suppose to be about Michael Jackson. it was...at first. Madonna gave an awesome speech about the King of Pop. it was heartfelt and it can really drive people to tears. ever since Michael Jackson died, i've been wanting to hear her thoughts about the event. i know she gave brief comments and i know she gave small tributes to the King of Pop during her concerts but they were never seem to be enough. i mean, she rules the pop world in behalf of Michael Jackson, after all she's the Queen of Pop, so it means, she got more to say, right? good thing, her speech was worth the wait.

then there was a medley of Michael Jackson's songs and unforgettable dance moves - Thriller, Bad and Smooth Criminal. then Janet Jackson performed her duet with her older brother, Scream. IT WAS AMAZING! they even cut Janet from the music video that was playing behind her at the part when she and Michael were dancing. again, AMAZING!

to be honest, i expected them those performances and tributes. i mean, MTV is MTV because of Michael Jackson. but i must admit i wasn't excited that much. the last time i've been excited of watching the VMAs was during the year when Britney Spears performed Satisfaction and Oops! I Did it Again. so when twits about Kanye West, Taylor Swift and Beyonce began to appear on my Twitter homepage, i got so curious. i quickly opened a new tab and went to OMG!, i read an article on what Kanye West did at the VMAs and i have to say...THAT WAS SUCH A SHIT!

Taylor Swift won the Best Female Video award against Lady Gaga (Poker Face), Katy Perry (Hot n' Cold), Pink (So What), Kelly Clarkson (My Life Will Suck Without You), and Beyonce (Single Ladies). she was obviously shocked when her name was called and she was so excited when she got onstage to give her speech. just then, Kanye West appeared out of nowhere and took the mic from Taylor Swift, saying that Beyonce should've won the award. the camera went onto Beyonce and she was completely shocked as well. after that, Kanye took his leave but Taylor was not able to finish her speech anymore. nonetheless, the crowd gave her a standing ovation.


it was reported that Kanye was kicked out of the show after that. well...he should be! c'mon, that's just downright rude! even though Taylor may not deserve the award, she doesn't deserve what Kanye did to her. to think that it was her first VMA award, like what everyone has been saying, she should've had her moment. a lot of people were obviously turned off on what he did, Pink (it was said that she wanted to charge at Kanye but the security stopped her, haha, that sucks if that's true:p) and Katy Perry even cursed Kanye on their Twits (since i've been following them and Taylor, i was able to realize how much the two ladies love Taylor Swift). Kelly Clarkson also gave her piece on her blog (it can be seen here: http://www.rickey.org/?p=22610) and so far, i have to say that's my favorite yet.

Kanye also posted something on his blog but c'mon! does he really think he can be forgiven easily? maybe if he's an underage teen but no! he's a complete bully! to think that Taylor Swift is one of (or probably) the sweetest female artist there is! maybe if he did it to a total bitch, people may be able to let that slip (NOT!). he's also blabbing about loving pop culture blah blah. i've spent the last two years of my college life studying popular "pop" culture and it is a culture that appeals to the majority. Taylor may be a country singer but she was able to penetrate the mainstream and international scene! hence, Taylor is part of that pop culture...now i wonder, what pop culture is Kanye talking about???

honestly, all of his stints are getting annoying to the extreme already. he doesn't seem to get enough. he's been doing it ever since who-know-when. well, all the previous events can be excused - i mean, he just think that he should've won the award instead of those people. but this time, no way! he wasn't even nominated at the same category, for goodness sake! he loves Beyonce, fine! but that doesn't mean he already have all the right in the world to do that on a young girl who's just so happy that all of her dreams are coming true. to think that she's just 19!

even though i'm a Taylor Swift fan, i was also surprised that she won and if i were to predict, i may even think that Beyonce could've won that award easily. but the people voted for Taylor and so be it. even though i think Beyonce could've won that award, Taylor also worked hard to where she is right now and she still deserve all the things that she's been accepting for that hard work. shame on you, Kanye!

Beyonce won the Video of the Year award and it's so nice of her to give the stage to Taylor Swift. it was just so amazing, she called Taylor to come out of the stage and gave her the moment that she deserves. it was the sweetest thing ever! it was also cute that the two of them are wearing red dresses. haha. i'm not a huge Beyonce fan but i couldn't help but love her for what she did. after all, at that moment, she probably knows that she's the only person who can fix the mess that Kanye did. what a classy woman=)


now, all i know...Taylor will keep on going higher (Taylor may look like a pushover but she's a strong girl with grace and poise - her performance of You Belong with Me was amazing!)...

[picture from Yahoo!]

the departure of 2PM's Jaebum

i haven't heard a single song of 2PM (Korean boyband) yet but i know that their music is good - i mean, they are from JYP Entertainment (JYPE) (Wonder Girls) and they are one of the top Korena boybands along with DBSK, Super Junior, Big Bang, SS501 and SHINee. i'm planning to listen to their songs and watch their performances this coming weekend and all then the news came: 2PM's leader Park Jaebum (Jay Park) left the group and South Korea.

the whole quitting thing began just a week ago when netizens and anti-fans have dig onto Jaebum's Myspace and saw various comments in which he said that Koreans are gay. the said comments are exchanges between him and his friend from the US and they were posted in 2007. as a result, various haters have posted harsh comments about him on the net and a petition stating that Jaebum should just commit suicide surfaced. Jaebum was pulled off the variety show he's in and the activities of 2PM were cancelled. Jaebum even posted a public apology on the net. all things seem to be going nice until yesterday when JYP announced and confirmed that Jaebum has quit 2PM and that he will be going back to Seattles, US the same day.

even though i'm not yet a fan, i was deeply affected by the news. Jaebum became a trending topic in Twitter in the form of Jay, Jaebum, #jaebum, and Please Retweet. hundreds of 2PM fans, which are called Hottests, went to Incheon Airport to beg Jaebum not to go. various petitions were also circulated to make him stay. by the time that he was already at the airport, even Woohyung, his fellow 2PM member, become a trending topic in Twitter. on his last interview, Jaebum stated that he'll be studying music in the US. he didn't say anything about returning to South Korea and 2PM. moreover, all he constantly did was to bow down and apologize.

i realized that Korean fans and Korean detractors are really strong and dedicated. the fate of the Korean celebrities are in their hands. go against one Korean idol and hundred thousands are ready to go against you. however, this time, the detractors won against the fans, they were able to pull down a rising idol just like that. there are number of fans who are disappointed at JYP (the head of the JYPE) for letting all this happen, after all, Jaebum does deserve to be forgiven. fans posted various post-its on the entrance of JYPE after Jaebum's departure.

but my take on this is...Jaebum, though he is the leader of a boyband with seven members, is still a 22-year-old boy. going against such controversy at such a young age is really difficult and with his family living in the US, he can only do so much. the comments he made on his Myspace was also an expression on how much he has been missing his family, after all, he was just a teenage boy who is living in a country he is not yet familiar with even though it's his real roots. right now, he does need his family more than ever.

as of now, there are netizens, who caused this whole controversy, who are apologizing for what happened. there's also one who wanted to commit suicide (from an article i read at omgkpop). honestly? don't start something like this if you'll feel sorry afterwards. you should feel responsible of what you are doing, you should be aware of the consequences your actions might result to.

as for 2PM...let's just hope for the best. i may not yet know how's 2PM with Jaebum but i know that it will never be the same. that's always been the case...

[pictures from allkpop.com & omgkpop.com]

SM Entertainment's new girl band: f(x)

since the 1st of August 2009, when the news about three members of DBSK filing a lawsuit against SM Entertainment, i didn't give a damn about other Kpop bands and artists. i didn't care whether 2ne1 had taken a vacation and Sandara Park visited the Philippines, i didn't care whether G-Dragon has launched his solo album, i didn't care whether 4Minute has already released their full album and that they got banned from KBS just because of a particular song...so, okay, maybe i'm still pretty updated on the major events that are occurring at the Kpop music scene but, like i said, i don't care.

why? i'm totally waiting for the outcome of the lawsuit. i'm waiting to find out how SM and Kim Jae-joong, Park Yoo-chun and Kim Jun-su will be able to resolve the whole issue. i don't even give a damn about Jung Yun-ho's drama "Heading to the Ground", Shim Chang-min's "Paradise Meadow", and Jae-joong and Yoo-chun's "Color's - Melody and Harmony".

however, when the news about SM releasing a new girl band came out in August 23, i was totally curious. i mean, come on! you're in a middle of huge issue with your biggest talents and you still have time to launch a new girl band?! but i think this just shows that SM is a very strong company (well...if not, they should've gone down the moment H.O.T decided to break up, right? and since DBSK assures everyone that they're not splitting up, what's there to worry?) and that it does not entirely rely on DBSK (but of course, we cannot deny that the moment they lose their hold on the five boys, they will lose a lot!)

anyway, SM's new darlings are Krystal, Sulli, Victoria, Amber and Luna (based on their order on the picture below) - these five girls form the group called f(x). i don't want to talk about why they were called that because the whole thing doesn't make sense to me but i like their name which is pronounced as "effects".

but the real reason why f(x) got my attention is Amber who isn't anyone's typical girl band member. why? well, it's probably a first that a girl band has a tomboyish member (i mean, other people think that there's already 2ne1's CL and Mingzi but in my opinion the said two are not tomboyish but they are just not as sweet-looking compared to other girls in any girl bands) and f(x) knows that. so right now, because she appears to be one-of-a-kind, it seems that among the five girls, she has the most following (lot of female Korean fans are going lesbian over her already, i think). and she's a good rapper and she has a good voice (i mean, i know she only sang a very small line from their debut single but it's already enough gist to know that she can sing). i'm not impress on her English rapping skill, though, since she's a Chinese-American who grew up at LA, USA, therefore, it is expected that she can really use English properly.

but if i would be asked if who among the four other girls got my vote as the prettiest, i'll say it's gotta be Luna. i like her face and her voice too, really full and powerful. next will be Krystal (sister of Girls Generation's Jessica).

as for their carrier single, "La Cha Ta", i must say i do love it. other people doesn't though - they say it's not catchy enough, it's weak compared to "Mr. Boogie"(the group's unreleased single), etc. but for me, it's good enough - it does have a catchy tune and the girls' voices can really heard. people constantly compare to 4minute's "Hot Issue" and "Muzik" which are way overtuned, same goes to 2ne1's "Fire" specifically on Sandara Park's voice (oh yes, i can't be fooled. though i'm not a huge fan of hers, i've been watching her ever since she auditioned for Star Circle Quest and cried her way through the competition - she did sing during those times and she ever released a novelty album and some songs for a commercial and a movie). as for the video, i also do like it - i love the chereography, honestly, i love SM's choreography starting way back to H.O.T. and just awhile ago, i got to see their debut performance at Music Core and i must say that they are really good performers.

so, yes...i'm a fan=)

[pictures from allkpop.com]

Rep. Mikey Arroyo on GMA7's Unang Balita

i know this is not a laughing matter but seeing him trying hard to maintain his composure was really amusing. it's as if he doesn't know how to explain himself all throughout the interview. personally, he should've thought twice before agreeing to do this.



For the latest Philippine news stories and videos, visit GMANews.TV

as usual...the Arroyo family has been constantly bombarded with various controversies. just after former Pres. Aquino's funeral, the news about the expensive dinner that PGMA had with her entourage during her trip in the US is the talk - not just by the country - but by the whole world (oh yes, to think that the news was published by The New York Times). since then, the Arroyo's riches were being questioned - it was said that ever since she become the president, their family riches grew for more that 100%.

the Filipinos are no longer buying their explanations and with her son's - sorry for the word - clumsy interview, acquiring the Filipinos understanding will be much harder and may be impossible. the people who are siding with her are not helping her at all, one instance: this is from Bianca Gonzalez's Twitter dated August 10, 2009:

i can't believe the spokesperson of malacanan said "alangan naman sa hotdog stand pakainin ang presidente!" WHAT!??! that's your statement?!

talking about stupidity! goodness!

rush hour traffic

here in the Philippines, traffic jam is no longer a valid excuse for tardiness. traffic jam is already accepted by everyone as something that can never go away in this country. to avoid it, it's either you wake way early or you look for a place near your work or school.

despite that, i can't still help but rant about it especially if it mess up my daily plans and routines.

maybe because i can perfectly see what causes the daily traffic jam in our area and i feel frustrated that no one in the government is doing about it. i know no one should forever rely on the people in the office but what if they are the only one's who have the power and the authority to do anything about it? of course, you'll expect that they should get into action.

ugh.

DBSK vs. SM Entertainment

last Saturday, after i found out that Pres. Aquino has already died, i found out that my favorite South Korean boyband is in trouble with their talent agency last July 31, 2009.

oh yes, Dong Bang Shin Ki (also known as DBSK, DBSG, Tong Vang Xin Qi, TVXQ, Tohoshinki, etc.) filed a case against SM Entertainment - well, it wasn't exactly the whole boyband, it was just Kim Jun-su (Xiah), Kim Jae-joong (Hero) and Park Yoo-chun (Mickey) who filed the case, Jung Yun-ho (U-Know) and Shim Chang-min (Max) does not have anything to do with all of it. the case the three guys filed is to suspend their 13-year contract with SM Entertainment. some of the speculations also think that it has something to do with the company's objection of the three managing a branch of a certain cosmetic company called CreBeau to where the three have invested in. for this, the three guys wanted to remove the "non-exclusivity clause" in their contract.

other issues that have risen are the unequal distribution of money between the group and the company. according to the rumors, SM is receiving 80% of the album sales while the remaining 20% is given to the five boys to divide among themselves.

oh well, my first reaction for this "H.O.T.????"

i was referring to boyband, High-five Of Teenagers. a boyband also created by SM Entertainment back in mid-1990s. they were launched in 1996 and by 2001 the group was disbanded. after the disbandment, three members of H.O.T. - Jang Woo-Hyuk, Tony An and Lee Jae-Won - left SM while the other two - KangTa and Moon Hee-Jun stayed. according to the news and the rumors, the split was due to financial issues - KangTa and Moon Hee-Jun are being paid more compared to the other three. the group separated and it took several years for all the members to talk to each other once again (oh yes, i remember when JTL - a group formed by the three members who left SM - debuted and guested in a variety show hosted by KangTa, the fans were so excited of the somewhat reunion - yes, Moon Hee-Jun also guested in the show to promote his new album - and KangTa was so uncomfortable).

so, yes, basically i see this whole issue as a lame one. maybe history does repeat itself. but according to DBSK, they are not splitting up - the statement is definitely reassuring but what if the issue between SM and the three boys were not resolved? how will stay together? but i do hope this will end soon, i may have not followed their whole career but i saw them start and i know at that time that they're going to be HUGE. come on, they're in the Guinness Book of Records as the boyband with the biggest fanbase consisting of more than 500,000 people (i myself included) so they better not disappoint us.

as for SM, well they said that even though they do not give the whole money from album sales, endorsements, etc. to the boys, they do not let the five of them spend huge amount of money as they have already provided them with cars, houses, etc. if that is true, then that's good but maybe they should also look back to what is wrong with their system - maybe they should give the boys some little freedom? but anyway, i don't blame SM with everything of this, i'm sure that the boys also have their faults in this issue...(okay, kill me now! haha).

i just hope that things will be all okay...hope they should put an end to this and just go back to making music and performing.

[picture from Allkpop.com]

issues after the burial of Pres. Aquino

that photo was published in Manila Bulletin after the day of President Cory Aquino's burial. it was an honest mistake and, fortunately, people from Malacanang see it as that. but with a lot of issues being thrown against President Gloria Arroyo, people that are anti-PGMA are so loving it. but it is not only Manila Bulletin that committed the same mistake, writers in philstar.com and abscbnnews.com and news anchors from TV and radio are also guilty of the same error.

anyway, the biggest issue that is causing a buzz right now after the burial of Pres. Aquino is whether or not her youngest daughter Kris Aquino will run for office or whether or not her only son Senator Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino, Jr. will run for the higher office for the 2010 elections.

"Kagaya po nang pangakong iniwan ng Dad at Mom sa ating bayan, Noy, ikaw at ako ang nasa posisyon para ipagpatuloy ang lahat ng kanilang nasimulan."

[read the whole speech @ PEP.ph]

Kris Aquino said this before in front of all the people in the Manila Cathedral and in national TV before towards the end of the Requim Mass for her mother. with the 2010 elections just less than a year away, people are speculating whether the two Aquino children will run for the said elections.

critics have said that if Kris Aquino and Noynoy Aquino will run for in 2010, they have a huge chance of winning. with all the people who showed up in Pres. Aquino's cortege, it is obvious that the siblings have the whole nation behind them. besides, Kris Aquino have a very strong charisma that can drew a lot of attention towards her. whether people like it or not, whenever Kris Aquino has something to say, it always seems that the whole world listens to her. and i bet the number of people listened to her when she was interviewed last Sunday in The Buzz was larger than the people who listened to Pres. Arroyo during her last SONA.

[picture from a friend]

the final farewell to President Cory Aquino

yesterday was a very emotional day to the Philippines, it was a day when finally, former President Aquino was brought to her final resting place. hundred thousands of people went out on the streets to see the cortege despite the strong winds and rains. i may not be one of those people but i did my own sacrifices too - our village was already flooded but we didn't dare to turn the TV off despite the threat of the water getting inside our house. we were all glued to the TV from morning til evening and when Pres. Aquino's coffin was already sealed inside her tomb, i went up to the my room and fell asleep, feeling tired as if i was on the streets following her cortege.

the whole event was overwhelming - starting from the requiem mass to the almost-8-hour long procession from Manila Cathedral to Manila Memorial Park to the burial of Pres. Aquino. the whole event makes each and every Filipino proud that they had her as their president...proud that they are Filipino.

the homily delivered by Fr. Arevallo highlighted the love that Pres. Aquino had for the Philippines and for the Filipinos and it also emphasized the sacrifices she have given for this love. clearly, she have gone through too much as Fr. Arevallo stated that she have died a long time ago from the moment her husband was assassinated and that she have been repeatedly dying since then (when she was asked to run for the presidency, when she led the EDSA People Power in 1986, etc.). in truth, she could've just chosen a quiet live with her children after her husband's death but she stayed and fought for what her husbands has been fighting for - FREEDOM!

and for simply choosing to stay with the Filipinos, we thank her for that...for not abandoning us, for taking care of us...

the speech given by her youngest daughter, Kris Aquino-Yap, was another heartfelt and tearjerking event. despite all the entertainment controversies and scandals she involved herself into, she is still one of the people here in the Philippines that the people will listen to. she mentioned that her family don't know how to thank all the people who have went to her mother's funeral and to the people who have waited in the streets last Monday despite the rain and the hot rays of the sun...one of the people interviewed yesterday said that that is all they could do for the former president, according to her, the sacrifice that they have to do will only have to last for a day, it is nothing compared to the sacrifice that Pres. Aquino have done. i agree, nothing an ordinary Filipino could do that would be able to repay what has Pres. Aquino have given to everyone - she lost her husband because of the Filipinos and yet she stayed and fought for the Filipinos, it was just so overwhelming that the couple really proved to the Filipinos and to the world that the Filipinos are indeed worth dying for.

i'm sure that the Filipinos are also very grateful for the five children of Pres. Aquino. they were robbed off the time that they should have spent with their parents and yet, even after their father died, they continued to share their parents to the Filipinos. Kris Aquino may have said that they are clueless on how they can thank each and every Filipinos for the love they have shown for their parents but in reality it us, the Filipinos, who don't know how to thank their family.

again, Pres. Aquino made each of us proud to be a Filipino. when Lea Salonga was singing "Bayan Ko" as the Pres. Aquino's coffin is being taken out of the Manila Cathedral, i can't help but feel the love that the former president have showered to everyone of us. then when it was the APO Hiking Society along with all the guest singers singing "Handog ng Pilipino sa Mundo", i can't help but feel proud that Pres. Aquino became one of our presidents. though she may done much for the government, it was understandable, the Philippines was poor and is starting from scratch during 1986...all she could do is put the country back to the pedestal and she exactly did that. i'm proud to say that it was her who gave the Philippines a new life, a new hope, a new freedom...also, she put the Philippines under the international spotlight, she made other countries look up to us...

i may not have been born during the assassination of Sen. Ninoy Aquino in 1983 or during the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution but i don't need to live during those times to see for myself what an amazing woman she was. in fact, i wouldn't want to live during those times. it may be amazing to witness the People Power but i'm already contented with the period i'm living in...this is the period that she have fought hard for, the period she wanted for the future generations to live in, the period where freedom and democracy is running the country. though there are those politicians who are taking advantage of this democracy, she has always been there to defend the people from them...and now that she's gone, it's up to the Filipinos to fight for themselves.

Pres. Aquino is a woman of purity...she never wanted power, in fact, during her term, she couldn't wait for it to end...her life may seem amusing because whatever happened to her during her lifetime is something that she never imagined to happened but, nonetheless, we thank her for letting God's will take over her...isn't it ironic? the person who was able to epitomize what a president should really be is a person who never dreamed of being a president in the very beginning?

i'm a youth who didn't witness all of the dark events that transpired in my own country but is thankful for Pres. Cory for not letting me and my fellow youths to witness them...the freedom that we are experiencing, we owe it all to her...

once again...

thank you, former President Cory Aquino...

our president,

our mother,

our hero....

[picture from Yahoo! News]

the Cory Magic

students may have been continuing to go to school and people who have work continues to go to their offices but the feeling of sadness is definitely in the midst.

the Filipinos have lost a very important person in their lives...
the Filipinos have lost their mother...

the Philippines continues and will continue to mourn for the death of former President Cory Aquino.

yesterday, when her funeral was moved from La Salle-Greenhills to Manila Cathedral, thousands of people went to the streets and waited for her casket to pass. i was able to witness the prosession - i was at work, at the 42nd floor of our building and i saw the preparation that the City of Makati have undergone for her (traffic enforcers are dressed in yellow, yellow ribbons and cloths hang on the building, etc.). i saw how people began to fill the long street of Ayala Avenue and how they waited despite the unbearable heat of the sun in high noon.

the truck carrying the casket of President Aquino stopped in front of her husband's, former Senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino, monument in Makati. i saw how emotional was that event when i got home and see it on TV. but even though i was not down on the streets, despite the height and the glass window, i, along with my officemates, could hear the people praying, singing and chanting "Cory" with the "Laban" sign up in the air while yellow confettis pour from buildings.

i was honored to be there. i may not have gone down to the streets but seeing the whole thing happened while i was at a high place is enough for me - if i was not there, i would never see how people began to fill the streets, etc.

President Aquino may not have been groomed to lead a country but despite that, she was obviously the most loved president of the Filipinos. freedom and democracy are among her legacies and no other presidents - be it those who have already replaced her and those who will replace the current one - will be able to surpass her gift to the Filipinos and to the Philippines.

for the modern era, she have sacrificed so much for the Philippines and that sacrifice can never be surpassed by anyone - perhaps, in the next century or so but not anytime soon.

she is a president, a mother and a heroine to all the Filipinos...

the Philippines may be mourning right now but i, personally, can feel something else aside from the sadness and loneliness that is wrapping the hearts of the Filipinos. just like a child who have lost his or her mother, the Philippines will have to learn to stand on its own - the Filipinos must learn to stand on its own, it is already the time for the ordinary Filipinos to fight for the freedom and democracy that President Aquino have strived for the people. it's definitely clear that the Filipinos would not let that sacrifice go to waste...

unity is perhaps crawling back to the Filipino people, change is perhaps walking back to the Philippines' door...this is perhaps what the people is talking about after seeing the thousands of people who went out on the streets yesterday to give their respect, love and final goodbye to the Mother of Philippine Democracy - the undying "Cory Magic"...

[picture from Yahoo! News]

RIP Former President Cory Aquino

i slept at my friend's house and i woke up at 9am...my friend is already awake and she was watching TV with her mom and the reporter from the TV was talking about the details about Cory Aquino's wake.

"Patay na si Cory?" i asked, surprised while i followed my friend to the dining area.

"Oo," she answered, "kaninang 3:18am..."

the event didn't come as surprising (well, i was surprised because i didn't expect to happen now, but maybe i will never expect it to happen anytime) since she's been battling against Colon Cancer ever since last year (there are already several personalities here in the Philippines that had died because of Cancer and the most recent that i could remember are Rudy Fernandez and Francis Magalona). despite having progress and was able to be released from the hospital, she was once again brought back in and was said to be confined for an undefinite time, so i know that it will come soon (add to that is Kris Aquino's - her daughter who is a talkshow host/actress - absence from all of her shows).

obviously, the Philippines is mourning today and will be mourning tomorrow or so. i mean, people all over the country have been organizing various prayer mass for Cory Aquino's speedy recovery ever since she was diagnosed with Colon Cancer. besides, Cory Aquino is a very important person in our society. even though she's no longer the president of the country (ever since 1992), every word she says still weighs tremendous amount of importance and her opinions are always asked during the height of various political issues.

she was an awesome woman. i may not be born during the time when she led EDSA People Power back in 1986 to witness how she ousted the dictator rule of former President Ferdinand Marcos, but her every appearance in the media being interviewed because of various political controversies is enough to make me learn that she is a well respected woman in our country. and i bet, Cory Aquino is the only woman or president that the Filipinos respected this much.

she restored democracy to the Philippines - something that the present and future youths will forever be thankful of. i mean, children born after the reign of Marcos never had a chance to experience his dictatorship and his Martial Law. but of course, each and every Filipino is thankful for that democracy.

she became an inspiration and model not only to the Philippines but also to the whole world. the 1986 EDSA People Power became an instrument to other countries to sought freedom and democracy from the authoritarian, dictorship and communism rule they are under. leaders all over the world were also inspired by her and they highly respect her. women all over the world especially to countries where women are treated with not-so-much importance compared to men admired her strength especially when Cory Aquino's husband, Ninoy Aquino, was assassinated in 1983. when she became the Philippines' first female president, women from other countries also began to sought for the highest political position there is in their country, already believing that they can also lead their own country.

isn't awesome? that as a quiet housewife, she was able to create such a huge impact all over the world?

her death will be in the hearts of the Filipinos and her advocacy for freedom and democracy will be carried on - especially at this time when in just less that a year, the Philippines will again held their election in 2010. the Philippines is once again crying out for democracy, feeling that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo have robbed that off from everyone. maybe not all Filipinos look at Cory Aquino this highly (her regime was the period when various coup attempts occured and there are those who are against her because of her land reform law that she passed but is still not executed) but i'm sure that many of us, she is the Mother of the Philippine Democracy and now that she's dead, a lot of Filipinos would not allow anyone - even their current president who is also a woman - to deny them the democracy that Cory Aquino have strived for in order to give it to them...

thank you so much, former President Cory Aquino.

thank you for the sacrifices you have given our country...

thank you for the sacrifices you have given for us, Filipinos...

thank you for the freedom and the democracy...

thank you for everything...

may you rest in peace...

[picture from Time.com]

the new look of Ikuta Toma

after a long wait, Ikuta Toma resurfaced with a new look for his very first movie, Ningen Shikkaku.

[click picture to see video in Youtube]

there's still no promotional pictures for the movie but there's been promo in the form of a video from a showbiz news in Japan. the shooting for the movie have already began this month and so far, other details about the movie are still not shared to the public - all that are known about is the lead actor which is Toma and the location. anyway, i'm sure the movie will be phenomenal, the video showed some bits of the shooting and it can be seen that Toma's really working hard for it. from the video, it can be seen that Toma has really matured in his acting skills.

[pictures from Ikuta Toma @ Livejournal]

harry potter

as far as i could remember, Harry Potter books began its hype during the late 90s or early 2000. at first, i really don't care what the hell is Harry Potter but i was already hearing things that it was a bad book, etc. i didn't even know that it's a young adult novel. i didn't gave a damn about it because, as a kid, i don't like to read books - i was all about Animes, Backstreet Boys, Spice Girls and Britney Spears. hahaha.

it was only in 2001 when i found out what Harry Potter is.

that was the year the first movie adaptation was released. i was in first year high school and my friend invited me to watch it. i said 'yes' thinking that at least i won't have to read the whole thing. unfortunately, i failed one of my subjects and i got grounded. my mom didn't allowed me to watch it in the cinema so i just asked her for a compensation:p I ASKED HER IF I COULD BUY THE BOOK. after my mom talked to my teacher, we went to a bookstore and saw Harry Potter books all over. good thing i know what Harry Potter book that was being shown in the cinema during that time or else i would've bought the wrong book. i was unsure at first because the Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone book that was on display is different from the book that my friend has have different cover and size - she has the usual Harry Potter but what i bought was smaller and is blue all over.

anyway, before i read it i was, thinking that i may not understand it - its my problem about reading long stuffs. i began to read it and i think i read the first chapter for about three times before i got it all together. haha. but after that, everything went great! i think i finished the book after a week - i didn't brought it to school with me, i just read it every night. after i finished the book, i borrowed the second book, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. i even attempted to type it in a typewriter so that i can have my own copy. why not buy? well, i'm hesitant to ask my mom to buy. but when she found out what i was trying to do, she bought it anyway, hahahaha.

then i bought the third book, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, and i could still remember reading under the covers and with a flashlight at night. hahahaha. i think i finished the book in less than a week. then i bought the fourth installment, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - it was my favorite Harry Potter book.

then at the same year, my mom bought the VCD copy of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone as a birthday gift for me - that was actually the first time i watched the WHOLE movie [the first time was with a pirated VCD and it doesn't have the scene at the zoo]. yeah, i was such a loser! but it was okay, it's one of my important possession. but for the second movie up to the fifth, i watched it all in the big screen. i haven't watch the sixth yet but i'll make sure i would be able to.

i bought the fifth book, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, in hard bound but i borrowed one first. but i have to return it fast so i wasn't able to finish yet. since it goes against my Harry Potter collection (all my Harry Potter books are in soft bound), i decided to sell it to my sister's friend after a year since that's the only Harry Potter book she doesn't have - and all of her Harry Potter books are in hard bound. i didn't sold it close to the amount that i bought it - i had a small amount of cash but she gave me a huge Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire tarpaulin and she lent me Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. haha. it was fair enough.

as for the seventh book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, i read it in a PDF file since i don't have the money to buy the book that time. then i just decided to buy it in package in the future. [my salary's just week away, i can do the waiting...it'll be the first thing i'll buy!].

Harry Potter made me love reading. but i must admit that i don't read anything that goes out in the market - i didn't read Lord of the Rings and never will i read Twilight! it defined what i would like in a book - from the genre to how it was printed. hahaha. it's the book which also got me into writing my own stories - but i don't write magic and stuffs, i write simple young adult fics. it broadened my imagination as well as my vocabulary. hahahaha. it really did a huge thing to me. and i'm sure my mom was also thankful for the series - she's been dying to make me read books when i was young. hahahaha.

and i think it's the book that changed a lot of things. it made a lot of children read and even though the series is already over, those children are going to the bookstore to find new books to read. it gave literature a whole new life. it encouraged writers to publish their works since they know that people out there have gained their own passion of reading. it's a classic and it will be forever be read by a lot of people even in the future.

the boy with disheveled, jet-black hair, round glasses and thunderbolt-shaped scar on his forehead will be - and i think is already - one of the most memorable literary character ever.

[picture from Photobucket]

the michael jackson memorial

it was 10:00am in the US and already past midnight here in the Philippines. it was Tuesday morning in the US and it was already Wednesday dawn here in the Philippines. despite the huge time differences and the huge need for me to get some sleep, i still watched the Michael Jackson memorial live through GMA7 and ABSCBN2. i watched Ces Drilon interviewing Gary Valenciano (who is said to be the Philippines' Michael Jackson) but i watched the whole service in GMA7 because they were able to show the beginning and that ABSCBN has very poor reception and is delayed for a about two minutes.

anyway, there were singing and speeches commemorating the King of Pop. Michael Jackson was lying inside a pure gold casket and was placed in front of the stage. there were a lot of people in the Staples Center, LA. and just like what Pia Guanio said in her Twitter, Michael Jackson can still drew crowds even in death.

Mariah Carey had a hard time singing "I'll Be There" due to the uncontrollable emotions she has inside her. but her voice still soars through the song just like the first time she sang it in MTV Unplugged. he was dubbed as the "greatest entertainer that ever lived" and i'm sure no one can say anything against that. he was surely way beyond his time. it seems as if he had already done anything that can be done in the music industry, leaving other artists with nothing left to do. however, the people couldn't get enough of him.

and to remind everyone that his death was all to sudden, Stevie Wonder said, "This is a moment that i wished that i didn't live to see come." well, he was older than Michael Jackson, as well as Berry Gordy, who founded MoTown Records, and Smokey Robinson. even up until now, his death was a shock filled with a huge amount of disbelief, Smokey Robinson also said, "You don't think you'll live to see them gone..."

there were a lot of amazing performance - John Mayer's guitar performance of "Human Nature", Usher's "Gone to Soon" and Jennifer Hudson's "Will You Be There?" - and long, reminiscing speeches of how Michael Jackson was a friend and artist, the whole service came down to a very brief statement that came from Michael Jackson's daughter Paris.

the said statement that was done towards the end of the memorial service didn't even last for a minute. it was so simple and genuine. she just walked and stood before a mic, and said, "I just wanted to say, ever since i was born, Daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine and i just wanted to say I love him so much." after that, she was embraced tightly by Janet Jackson.

Michael Jackson was never a "Daddy" to the public eye. it was not because he's a bad father, it was just his parent side was never seen by the public and that everyone's view of him was limited to as the King of Pop or Wacko Jacko. though the latter is filled with so much negativity, the former conceives a perception of a legend, immortality, unreachable, etc. he was to the greatest performer/artist/dancer of all time to the eyes of all. hence, with Paris referring to him as "Daddy", it sorts of reminded us that Michael Jackson was still, indeed, human. it was new and perhaps, it is a name/label that he was most proud of.

i've read an article from New York Post entitled "Uncovering the Lives of Michael Jackson's Kids after His Death," it described how Michael Jackson as a father. though he was an unconventional father, he did his best , in his own way, how to be the best father to the eyes of his children. he taught them to be humble, he kept them well-grounded, he taught them good manners and respect despite all the luxury that they have experienced being the sons and daughter of the King of Pop.

thus, Paris' 12-second speech was perhaps the most unforgettable moment in the said memorial service. on the bright side, it was good that Michael Jackson left behind three adorable children that will still remind us of his existence. it was just sad that they have lost their father at such an early age...i hope they remain under Katherine Jackson's care.

[picture from OMG! and USMaganize.com]

automated elections might not be possible

i was sitting inside the FX when i heard the news from the radio. i don't really understand what happened but i'm hoping that the COMELEC and all the officials that are involved for the 2010 Elections can do something about it. i believe that Philippines serves like a laughing stock of the world every time the country held its election. why? most of the country around the world are using computers for their election - even countries that are poorer than the Philippines use computers during their elections.

i really can't help but think how stupid are the officials are that are working for this election and that ranges from the people in the COMELEC up to the Judiciary. before, COMELEC have already petitioned for an automated election, it was denied by the Judiacial branch because it only as 99% accuracy. WTH! 99%! nothing's perfect, duh!

i won't be surprised if the people will think that this is another of our beloved president's "pakulo" in order to get her term extended. i mean that's the talk of the country (aside from the Hayden Kho video scandal)! that's what the people thinks when the ConAss was assembled. and i really can't blame them. i really don't get it why those people in the high authority can't see how tired the Filipinos already are. they want something new and they want change. enough is already enough. the Palace also seems to treat the Filipino youth as human beings who doesn't have anything in their brain. they usually say that they (we) don't understand what we're protesting, etc. i pity them because they all seem so outdated - they don't understance and they couldn't accept the fact that the youth of today is the smartest people in the country right now. tsk tsk tsk.

ikuta toma

Hanazakari no Kimitachie (HanaKimi), a Japanese drama which was shown in 2007 (2008 here in the Philippines), only got to me recently. it was only before May ended when i watched the said Jdorama. it's not because i have no time to watch it back then and i'm curious about the story, i just got bored and i don't have any idea on what to do one particular May day. however, i must admit that i liked it.

even though i haven't watched it before, i've already preferred it over the Taiwanese version. why? the actors and actresses who starred in the drama. even though i didn't watch HanaKimi before, i know what the story is about - a girl who entered an all-boys school pretending to be a boy to get to her idol. hence, the very essence of the story is the girl. when there's a new Asianovela going to be shown here in the Philippines, i always get hold of the lead actress - for me, she should be pretty or cute. i check out the leading man the second. thus, compared to the Taiwanese lead actress, the Japanese lead actress is much cuter, for me:p i also don't like super good looking guys - guys to the point that they're almost looking like a girl. i must admit though that i like guys who are pretty enough to almost be a girl but that's only the case if the guy is born with it - in other words, if that aspect comes out naturally from him. for me, the Taiwanese actors are so pretty to be real that it's almost disgusting. another aspect is the approach and the treatment that will be done on the drama. since i also know that HanaKimi is originally a manga, i know that the drama should be filled with comedy and slapsticks and Japan is really good at that (see Gokusen), hence, Japan would be able to naturally capture the stories essence - they should! it's theirs (despite the Taiwanese version being the first to be aired)!

anyway, i just watch the series out of sheer boredom but i didn't expect to actually like it. more also on taking a liking on its actors and actresses. i didn't know that the one of the lead actors was Oguri Shun (Sano Izumi) - i didn't recognize him with his black hair and darker complexion. anyway, i like him better as Uchiyama Haruhiko in Gokusen. i also have a liking towards Mizushima Hiro (Nanba Minami), he's such a darling! i also think that the lead actress was really good. she kind of remind me of Yoon Eun Hye in Coffee Prince since they played the same type of character (the only difference is that Eun Hye's character in Coffee Prince, Go Eun Chan, is a natural tomboy). i just really think that Horikita Maki (Ashiya Mizuki) is very cute and funny all throughout the series. she just totally acted the part.

but the one who really blew me away was Ikuta Toma (Nakatsu Shuichi). he's not the typical pretty boy but he has this appeal that can really make you like him. he may have played the funny, silly Nakatsu but his portrayal of the said character showed his talent as an actor. he has the capability to build a connection between him and his audience through the TV screen. i have so many favorite scenes of him:

1) His kissing scene with Oguri!XD
2) His "Ore wa homo ja nai" chant with a bra and a panty (on his head):p
3) The whole of Episode 9:p
4) When Nakatsu finally told Ashiya his feelings towards him/her (it really melted my heart).
5) When he counted 5 to 1 and broke down after being dumped.

there were the five Toma scenes that i will always remember. i haven't watched any of his other dramas, but i'm planning to. i just watched the first 10 minutes of Honey & Clover and Akihabara@Deep, but since i don't have the luxury of time, i have to wait for the perfect time to watch them. i'm also planning to watch Maou, VOICE ~Inochi Naki Mono no Koe~ and Majo Saiban -Witch Trial- where he have much mature and daring roles.

i also believe that he's one of Japan's most hardworking and persevering young actors. i learned that he is under Johnny's Entertainment and was never really launched by the agency. hence, he has to work his way up to where he is right now. and hardwork really does pay off; i've read from an Ikuta Toma fan blog that he will finally get to star in his first movie! he'll play the lead character in Ningen Shikkaku (No Longer Human), a 1948 novel written by Dazai Osamu and is considered as one of the bestselling book in Japan. the movie is set to be shown in 2010 (i know i live in the Philippines and there's only a slight chance for me to watch it, but there's the internet and i'm sure nothing is impossible:p). this is a very huge role for him since the book is a very dark and heavy but is definitely a good opportunity to polish is talent as an actor.

[picture from Flickr]