BOYS OVER FLOWERS -- my latest addiction...

just finished watching boys over flowers... and i've just been under the spell of the gorgeous LEE MIN HO!!!! (^_^)v

luckily, i got a long break the past weekend so i had the chance to do a marathon of the most talked about korean drama today, Boys Over Flowers, the korean adaptation of the japanese manga Hanayori Dango. there has been previous adaptations shown years ago... the first one was from taiwan, Meteor Garden which starred the famous Jerry Yan as DaoMingSi and Barbie Xu as Sanchai... then came the japanese version, Hanayori Dango which starred Matsumoto Jun as Tsukasa Domyoji and Inoue Mao as Tsukushi Makino... and the most recent version, currently shown in ABS-CBN daily @ 6pm, Boys Over Flowers, starring Lee Min Ho as Gu Jun Pyo and Goo Hye Sun as Geum Jan Di...

having watched all three versions of it, i can say that i love the korean version the most! not only because of Lee Min Ho (though he's the main reason.. hahaha), but also because of the nice scenery and tourist spots shown in the drama. the part where they went to New Caledonia is my most favorite location. the story was pretty much the same since they based it from the same manga, but of course each one had its own revisions of several scenes and situations. below are some examples of the differences followed by the synopsis i got from wikipedia:

(taiwanese-japanese-korean versions of F4)

Differences between the other versions:

• In the Taiwanese version, Jan Di's character was an only child. In the Japanese and Korean version, she has a younger brother.
• In the Taiwanese version, the heroine attends college. In the Japanese version, the characters are in high school in season 1, but F4 (minus Domyoji) attend Eitoku University in season 2. In the Korean version, the characters are also in high school, but the F4 move on to Shinhwa University from episode 13 onwards. Shinhwa High School and Shinhwa University are located within the same campus.
• In Taiwanese and Japanese version, Jan Di’s character was already studying at the school for rich people. In Korean version, Jan Di was admitted after saving a boy for jumping off the roof of Shinhwa High School on a swimming scholarship.
• In both Taiwanese and Japanese version, the relationship between the two characters: Sojiroh and Yuki ( also known as Yi Jung and Ga Eul in the Korean version) is only hinted. But in the Korean version, the relationship between these two is gradually developed throughout the series, having their own significant plotline instead of acting as a subplot.
• Akira, the fourth member of the group, seems to be the youngest in Japanese version. In Korean version, Song Woo Bin seems to be the oldest of the four.
• Ji Hoo has a more significant role in Jan Di's life than the Taiwanese and Japanese version, more strongly depicted as a romantic companion for most of the drama.
• Woobin's family does not appear in this version, nor does he only have interest in older women.

SYNOPSIS
A second year high school, Geum Jan-di, becomes admitted to a rich, prestigious school known as Shinhwa. The school is filled with rich people who can afford to go there. She becomes admitted after saving a student from committing suicide. At the school, she meets people with various personalities. There are the mean girls, fake friends, and last but not least: The F4. The F4 consists of 4 people: Gu Jun Pyo, Yoon Ji Hoo, So Yi Jung, and Song Woo Bin. Gu Jun Pyo is the leader of the F4 and is also the heir of the Shinhwa group. At first, he insults and makes Geum Jan-di's life miserable after she humiliates him. The only person who seemed to have sympathy for her was Ji Hoo, who saved her numerous times. However, as the drama progressed, Gu Jun Pyo developed feelings for Geum Jan-di. It turned out to be a twisted love triangle between Geum Jan Di, Gu Jun Pyo and Yoon Ji Hoo.

o-0o0-o

there's one thing though that i didn't like much in this version.. the actress who portrayed Geum Jan Di -- Goo Hye Sun. she looks so ordinary (no offense GHS fans) unlike barbie xu and inoue mao who are both cute and pretty. but she acted great, infairness. she actually reminds me of Kim Jeung Eun, the lead actress in the drama Lovers in Paris. the lead guy who played Gu Jun Pyo -- Lee Min Ho, i actually didn't like him also at first... i was kind of annoyed of his perms and curly hair... but after seeing the episode where he had his hair straightened, i was blown away! he got me there! i realized that he's actually so freakin' gorgeous! and since then i haven't been able to take my eyes off of him... hehehe :D

overall, the drama was really great!!! although you can predict the next scene because of the older versions that were already shown, there's still something in it that makes you want to watch the next episode.. well, for me there was... i was always curious of the next episode everytime i was able to finish one.

once again, i was floating in a world of fantasy... a world where an ordinary girl meets a handsome rich guy who falls head over hills in love with her (and only with her...) -- the cinderella type story. that's quite far from reality, we all know that... but who wouldn't wanna be a part of that world? if only i could find such a guy... if only.. but i know i won't...

~grazhishu~
*lee min ho crazy*
*wu chun addict*
*forever loyal joe cheng gal*

the long wait was finally over...

the long wait was finally over... yesterday, the decision was finally announced...

i was transferred to m&m 6 months ago because my previous program, rolex, had to let go of higher level agents. i was sad of course, as that was the first time i'll transfer to another program after 3 long years. i had no choice but to transfer and move on... thinking that it actually wasn't that bad at all, since m&m is one of the pioneer and most stable programs in etel. i also looked forward to being one of their licensed agents and being able to level up to maybe csa 4 or even up to csa 5 (coz rolex has up to csa 3 only).

but due to the global economic crisis, which had the greatest impact in the US, m&m got engaged in an "ALL or NOTHING" battle with sykes. etel, of course, looked forward to winning all the business as they have been partners with ameriprise for eight long years already. the battle has already started when we were transferred last november and we were told the result will be announced in february 2009... until it was moved to march... then april.. then finally came may...

per our site director, the decision was announced last may 13, wednesday, but no one knew (i guess) besides the company vp, site director and the client manager. then the leaders met the following day, i think they were already informed of the decision, though they insisted they weren't that time (coz even though they showed poker faces, you'll see that their eyes say something different...) and said the final announcement will be made the next day, friday, by benedict hernandez (company VP for philippine operations). so how heavy is that? for a company vp to announce such decision, it's just either a very bad or a very good news...

then came friday... we were all waiting for the shift to end... announcement will be made @ 7am MLA, saturday. hours seemed so long this day... everyone was dying of anticipation...

(M&Mpire)

at last 7 o'clock came. we all went to the training room for the announcement. surprisingly, benedict is not there.. uh oh.. this is a bad sign.. i actually had high hopes that it was gonna be a good news because benedict is announcing it himself.. it was just fides (site director) and monica (client manager) inside the training room.. fides made the announcement and she was very straightforward.. "ameriprise chose 2 vendors... ACS will do the voice/phones and SYKES will do the back office..." everyone was silent.. i was actually hoping that someone, maybe one of our leaders will shout "JOKE!" and that they were just testing how we'd react... but there was none... there was just silence. so we were really the "NOTHING" in the "ALL or NOTHING" battle. then fides proceeded... she said the decision was purely because of the economic crisis. ameriprise had to change their business strategy and their budget cannot afford etel's price. she said they tried their best to bargain, there was even a proposal where etel had no more gain/profit but ameriprise couldn't afford it still. huwaaaaaaat?!?!?!?! now i can't even imagine how low the offer was from sykes.

oh well... that's life... m&m will be operating until august 13, 2009 only, 90 days from when the decision was given.. M&Mpire has finally come to an end.. sadly.. it's time to say goodbye...

now i have to think thoroughly of what i should be doing... i never really expected that my stay in m&m will end this soon... but it did. so for now, all i have to do is THINK... THINK... THINK...


~grazhishu~
*wu chun addict*
*forever loyal joe cheng gal*

hoping for a stress free saturday

off at last!!! after a long nerve-wracking week that i've just surpassed, now's the time to relax and unwind... i'm not planning to go somewhere else... i just want to rest my troubled mind and get a lot of sleep!!! zzz... zzzzz... zzzzz... zzz.... zzzzz... or maybe i'll cut some sleep and watch korean dramas instead... coz in that way i can divert my attention until i finally forget what happened...

while checking some dramas at mysoju.com, i came across this cute video in youtube entitled "froggy dance", a korean song. i actually have this in my phone for i think 2 years already. got it from my cousin who came back from japan. i found it so cute when i first saw it and eventually, i got so fond of it, there was even a time i watched it repeatedly for several times that day!

well, this can serve as my stress reliever for now... :)




credits: jane29jeng @ youtube.com

Froggy Dance lyrics:
gae eulga e olchangi han mari
ggomul ggomul hae umchi da
dweet dariga ssok~ appdariga ssok~
palddak palddak gaeguri dwetne~

ggomul ggomul (3x) olchangi ga
dweet dariga ssok~ appdariga ssok~
palddak palddak gaeguri dwetne~

{repeat all}


hope we'll all have a stress free saturday! :)


~grazhishu~
*wu chun addict*
*forever loyal joe cheng gal*

bad day

" i had a bad day, i'm taking one down, i sing a sad song just to turn it around.. i say i don't know, you tell me don't lie, i work on a smile then i go for a ride, i had a bad day, the camera don't lie, i'm coming back down and i really don't mind.. i had a bad day.. i had a bad day..."

- rephrased version of daniel powter's "bad day" (from the point of view of the person who had the bad day)


went home late today.. the sky was gray and gloomy.. same as my day.. i think the sky's crying with me.. sad that i had this terrible day..

sigh.. the atmosphere in the office earlier was so noxious.. my optimism went down after trying several times to keep it high by not dwelling too much on the topic.. but hearing discussions and reading from several emails over and over exhausted me a lot and made me so anxious.. i didn't think that one single mistake would be such a big deal... i tried my best to keep the bubbly positive me but i failed... faking my smiles didn't work either... my mood eventually turned upside down...

and i hate this because this makes me so vulnerable to negative thoughts... slowly making me cynical about certain things in life which further worsen my mood... the exact opposite of the sanguine me...

because of what happened earlier, i realized something that is so true about human nature.. that some, if not most, humans tend to be USER FRIENDLY.. this is a positive term when used to describe things like electronic gadgets. but when used to describe human beings, it is the exact opposite.. coz it only means that you're just nice to people if you benefit from them.. in other words, you only be-friend them because of the things they can give you..

but this doesn't only exist between friendships, this also happens at work, unfortunately.. bosses are usually fond of employees who perform and work hard, of course, because they contribute a lot to the business' growth and in return, they also benefit because they earn a lot (financially) from the business. but once you failed something or if you've made a mistake, though it's just one out of the hundred other good things you've done, they start ignoring you.. it's as if you've done the gravest dumbest thing in the world.. and sadly, this single fault can break you... with all your good inputs crumbling down into small pieces, like they have never existed at all.. leaving you helpless and lacking self confidence...

sad but true..
these USER FRIENDLY beings exist in this world..
i've met one in the office..


~grazhishu~
*wu chun addict*
*forever loyal joe cheng gal*

good good friday

today's good friday and i'm on leave... there were slots offered in the office and since i really don't want working during this day, i grabbed the opportunity. well, there's nothing really special that i planned doing today. no beach outing, vacation trip or something. i just don't feel like working at this day of the year when we should be praying, repenting and reflecting. i have nothing against those people who have always been going to the beach and other vacation spots during this time of the year, but that's not the way i want to spend it. so instead of going somewhere else to relax and enjoy, i'd rather spend my time at home for a peaceful good friday.

well for me, it's all set and all good.. a solemn good friday to everyone...


~grazhishu~
*wu chun addict*
*forever loyal joe cheng gal*

hot shot... really hot huh?!?

Hot Shot, starring Jerry Yan, Show Lo and Wu Chun, a taiwanese drama that i have been anticipating to watch for quite a while now due to wu chun and jerry yan's collaboration, has finally started airing in ABSCBN last monday, March 30, 2009. they say this is the most expensive drama produced last year in taiwan. well, it could be true since just by looking at the line up of the lead actors, you can already tell how high their talent fees could have been in total... hehe :D

i've seen a few parts of the first episode in crunchyroll before and it wasn't fun watching that time... it looked and sounded so plain... like there's nothing special... but since i wanted to see wu chun, i still watched it. surprisingly, everything was different when it aired last monday... i don't know if it was just because the lines were already dubbed in filipino that they sounded really funny or if the script was just good that i was laughing real hard while i was watching it, i really had so much fun, unexpectedly... :)

aside from hearing daomingsi's very famous voice (by benjie durango) and seeing wu chun (though his appearances are not that much), the other reason why i'm watching the series is show lo aka "Andy". he is really really funny! as in super! not as handsome as vic zhou but his humor is super duper to the nth level. having these 3 hotties make the show real HOT!!! :D

so i'll continue watching for my daily dose of fun and laughter, daily @ 5:15 pm in abscbn... :)

~grazhishu~
*wu chun addict*
*forever loyal joe cheng gal*

insomnia

emo time.. hehehe :D

"i don't have a sleeping problem... i have no worries, no fears, no nothing, just myself... but when i met a couple this morning, laughing together, holding hands tightly and looking through each others eyes... it's harder for me to sleep now. maybe they're right. I THOUGHT I'M BETTER OFF ALONE. maybe it would be nicer to spend your time with someone that you love. someone who means something or maybe even everything to you. maybe i'll try it... not for now, BUT SOON... soon enough when i find someone to share my life with..."

-- SINGLE'S JOURNAL


~grazhishu~
*wu chun addict*
*forever loyal joe cheng gal*

Love Story

just one of the songs i love listening to lately... :)

Love Story by Taylor Swift

we were both young when first saw you
I close my eyes and the flashback starts
i'm standing there on a balcony in summer air

see the lights
see the party, the ball gowns
I see you make your way through the crowd
and say hello, little did I know

that you were romeo, you were throwing pebbles
and my daddy said stay away from juliet
and I was crying on the staircase begging you please don't go,

and I said, romeo take me somewhere we can be alone
i'll be waiting all there's left to do is run
you'll be the prince and i'll be the princess
it's a love story baby just say yes

so i sneak out to the garden to see you
we keep quiet 'cause were dead if they knew
so close your eyes, escape this town for a little while
'cause you were romeo, i was a scarlet letter
and my daddy said stay away from juliet
but you were everything to me i was begging you please don't go,

and i said romeo take me somewhere we can be alone
i'll be waiting all there's left to do is run
you'll be the prince and i'll be the princess
it's a love story baby just say yes
romeo save me, they try to tell me how to feel
this love is difficult, but it's real
don't be afraid, we'll make this out of this mess
it's a love story baby just say yes
oh oh..

i got tired of waiting
wondering if you were ever coming around
my faith in you is fading
when i met you on the outskirts of the town,

and i said romeo save me i've been feeling so alone
I keep waiting for you but you never come
is this in my head? i don't know what to think
he knelt to the ground, and pulled out a ring and said,

marry me juliet you'll never have to be alone
i love you and that's all i really know
i talked your dad, go pick out a white dress
it's a love story baby just say yes

oh,oh,oh,oh...
'cause we were both young when i first saw you...


~grazhishu~
*a wu chun addict*
*forever loyal joe cheng gal*

Fated to Love You

after watching first kiss and romantic princess alongside playing with my pet bianca in pet society, i was busy choosing which drama would be next in my marathon... though i still have a lot of dvds piling up in my dvd rack, i ended up buying a dvd of fated to love you... i have heard from last year this really had high ratings in taiwan, so i thought i really had to see it for myself... i even anticipated which station will be getting the rights for this BUT it ended up with gma7... there is a word BUT there because i was hoping this will be aired in abs-cbn because they dub better than gma7... well i guess there's nothing else we can do as this is now airing in gma7 during daily @ around 10pm. i actually still can't watch it because i work in the graveyard shift, so buying my own copy is the only other option.

Fated to Love You SYNOPSIS from dramawiki:
A really unfashionable working class girl Chen Xin Yi has the desire to tie down her handsome boyfriend to be with her. Due to certain reasons, her boyfriend gets her to go on a love cruise and she started to ponder on how to lose her virginity and tie down her boyfriend. Xin Yi ended up taking cold medicine which made her drowsy and went into Ji Cun Xi's room. Cun Xi is the sole male heir to his family's company and has been in love with his girlfriend, Anna, for a long time. He planned to propose to Anna on the boat but she didn't turn up on the cruise. An island owner added drugs into Cun Xi's drink and Cun Xi became disorientated and returned to his own room. Xin Yi and Cun Xi end up having a one night stand. Xin Yi later finds out that she's pregnant and Cun Xi's grandmother forces them to get married. Will a couple forced to marry for the sake of their unborn child find love with each other?

Fated to Love You a.k.a Sticky Note Girl, Ming Zhong Zhu Ding Wo Ai Ni , Destiny Love... stars Chen Qiao En (Joe Chen) as Chen Xin Yi and Ethan Ruan as Ji Cun Xi. The plot was good, consisted of 24 episodes in total, lasted for almost 30 hours.

Here's my summary. At the cruise, where Cun Xi's girlfriend Anna did not show up for his marriage proposal and Xin Yi's boyfriend cheated on her, combined with the strange twist of fate, they shared a night together thinking they're with their own partners only to find out after doing IT that they were calling another person's name. After the cruise, Xin Yi is back to being the old sticky note girl and Cun Xi being the general manager of their soap corporation... they went on with their normal lives... until one day, Xin Yi found out that she's actually pregnant. Cun Xi being the only legitimate 9th generation heir who can produce the next heir for the family was pressured and forced to get married when his grandmom found out the thing about Xin Yi. Having such a situation, getting married just for the sake of the child, the couple agreed to get divorced after the child is born so Cun Xi can continue his life with Anna but will take full responsibility of the child's custody. But living together for 3 months under the same roof, of course, brought a change in both their hearts and lives. Cun Xi, though he has always been harsh and careless with Xin Yi who remained to be the quiet-and-not-complaining-whatever-happens despite everything he did to her, slowly developed feelings for her... not only because they will soon have a child, but because he really felt something for her. But confusion bugged him when his gf Anna went back to taiwan after being kicked out of the ballet troupe. Anna, feeling her bf is slowly taken away from her, created a fake agreement saying that Cun Xi wants XinYi to abort their child. Xin Yi was hurt and ran away and met an accident that made her lose the child.

Thinking still that Cun Xi didn't want their child, Xin Yi hated him the most, she went to Shanghai China with high hopes of starting a new life. Cun Xi never got a clue of what happened, he continued searching for Xin Yi, he went to Jiang Mu Island (Xin Yi's home) everyday to look for her but found nothing. She became a clay artist after 2 years and became a deciple of the infamous artist Zhong Shan Long. She created a replica of the horse (the toy that CunXi built for their child) and exhibited it in their art gallery one day. Just so happened, Cun Xi had to go to China to meet with company executives for the export of their soap INHERITANCE. He visited an art gallery and bought a figurine made by the artist named Elaine. On his way to the airport for a flight back to taiwan, when he checked the card given by the art gallery, he found out that Elaine was actually Xin Yi so he went back and postponed his flight. He spent more days in China to look for Xin Yi and do business at the same time. "Z" is a codename Cun Xi used when he bought the firgurine.. to represent his undying and silent support for "Elaine", Xin Yi's new name as an artist. Cun Xi decided to get help for the packaging design of the soap, so he coordinated with the famous artist Zhong Shan Long who turned out out to be so busy and ended up sending his favorite deciple, Xin Yi, instead for the project. So Xin Yi who was escaping from her past and was trying to build a new person for almost two years seemed to be back to scratch... no matter how she denied, the fact still remains.. she still hasn't gotten over Cun Xi.

Until they both returned to taiwan.. a vacation and soul searching time for Xin Yi and business as usual for Cun Xi. It was only this time that Cun Xi found out what Anna did 2 years ago (the abortion agreement). He was so angry that he canceled their wedding and decided to pursue Xin Yi again, now without anymore thinking or feeling guilty about Anna. It was also only this time that Xin Yi was able to listen to the iPod that Cun Xi gave her sisters 2 years ago. Inside it was a recorded confession of Cun Xi's true feelings for Xin Yi. Just when everything seemed to be okay and Xin Yi has decided to be with Cun Xi again, before engagement dinner, Xin Yi went to a medial clinic for a pre-marital medical check up. Unfortunately, results were unbearable.. Xin Yi was diagnosed to be infertile which made her give up the proposal because she didn't want to marry Cun Xi without the capability of giving him a child.. coz this would also mean the end of the Ji clan. But this of course did not hinder Cun Xi, he knew about the medical result when Xin Yi's mom personally came to talk to him after his rejected proposal. He then arranged a meeting with Xin Yi to talk about their divorce agreement that they have long been discussing. But he did not show up... the meeting turned out to be just between his attorney and Xin Yi.. and the conditions stated in the new divorce agreement didn't sound like divorce terms at all.. in the end, she found herself at the church where Cun Xi was waiting for her... and they were finally married instead of getting divorced.. but this did not end here. it turned out that health clinic where Xin Yi had her medical examination was all scam (they target engaged couples who are about to get married, diagnosing infertility so they can sell them drugs/medicine for fertility). She actually wasn't infertile. The ending scene was Cun Xi and Xin Yi with her 2 sisters and their husbands, all 3 of them pregnant and about to give birth while having a picnic.

So what can I say? The story was nice.. not like the usual cinderella story.. and not the usual drama plot where the lead meets an accident and incurs amnesia.. so this is a little refreshing. it's quite lengthy though, they could have ended it with the scene/episode in shanghai but they extended some more.. so it was a little dragging.. but they were able to pull thru till the end. they included some more twists and turns in the story so it turned out fine and I really had fun watching it. Yes, it was so funny I couldn't help myself from laughing in the middle of the night! :) I also liked the soundtrack, especially the song 99 Ci Wo Ai Ta by Shorty Yuen. And infairness, Joe Chen and Ethan Ruan's collaboration was not bad at all. In fact, I saw some sparks.. hehe :D and since this is their first team up, it really feels so fresh to the viewers' eyes.. (well at least to those who're not so familiar with asian dramas.. :p)

Overall, I liked it! Now, I have a new entry to my Top 10 Korean/Taiwanese dramas! :)


~grazhishu~
*a wu chun addict*
*forever loyal joe cheng gal*

what a girl wants..

got this one from lesley... nice one! :)

I want a guy who would move the hair away from my eyes and then kiss me... hold my hand in line at the mall and make all the girls jealous... someone who would sing to me at moments... who would let me sleep on their chest... a boy who would get mad at someone if they called me ugly or was mean to me. I want someone who would call me three times a day if he went away... someone who would let me gossip to him and would just smile and agree with everything I said... he would throw stuffed animals at me when I acted dumb and then kiss me a million times... someone who would make fun of me just to make me laugh... he would take me to the park and put his hands around my waist and give me big bear hugs all the time... he would tell all his friends about me and smile when he did it and we'd make out in the pouring rain... he would never be afraid to say "I love you" in front of his friends, and we'd argue about silly things then make up. I want a boy that would kiss me at midnight on new years and count stars with me... who would stay home with me on a Friday night just to help me make dinner and watch movies together under the same blanket... someone who would tell me I’m beautiful but not too often... who would make me laugh like no one else could... but mostly, I want someone who would be my best friend and would never break my heart.

I want to be the girl he’s scared to lose. The one he can’t walk away from knowing I’m mad at him. The one whom he can’t fall asleep without my voice being the last one he hears. The one he wouldn’t know what to do without. And simply the girl he has repeatedly told to himself and to other people that “she’s the only one.”

now the question is,
"is there really such a guy?" :D


~grazhishu~
*wu chun addict*
*forever loyal joe cheng gal*

torn between joe and chun

i know this is a little too late but i'm currently under the spell of wu chun! hahaha

he's been here in the philippines last july and i've been impressed by how he had interacted with his fans.. he seemed so kind and sincere unlike other artists who have nothing in mind but pure business. wu chun is different, aside from being a hunk idol drama actor (which is kind of rare for taiwanese actors.. hehe :D), he even created his own blog... reading his entries further astonished me. he seemed to be very caring towards his fans that some are already suspecting that it's a fake blog, meaning it's not directly him who's writing those articles. well, i actually don't care. i like him and that's all i care for.. haha :)

wonderin' why i suddenly got under his spell after almost half a year has passed from when he visited the philippines? actually, i've liked him a little since then... but now, i'm liking him so much!!! i'm slowly becoming an addict of him.. haha :D this is because i've finally finished watching my dvd copy of the taiwanese drama ROMANTIC PRINCESS. i didn't have the time to watch all of it when it was aired in ABS because of my shift in the office.

the story was quite simple and predictable as most idol drama series are but it was really fun watching. just like the usual cinderella story, the lead girl happened to be the long lost grand daughter of the richest man in taiwan and was found after 17 long years of separation. the grandfather, also known as EMP, being the richest man in taiwan holds the highest position (chairman) in their company consisting of several merged sub-companies. but since he's becoming old, he trained 4 youngsters, one of which will marry his grand daughter and become his successor. the favored successor nan feng jin (played by wu chun) turns out to have different plans for himself. because he didn't want to be the successor, he can't fully express his feelings for emp's grand daughter huangfu shan (played by angela zhang). that's where the story revolved... and for all those 13 episodes i've watched fom cover to cover, i wasn't able to take my eyes off of wu chun! hehehe i'm just so under his spell...

honestly, i think i'm now torn between joe and chun..
chun is stealing me away from joe... hahaha (as if!)
and hey, i just noticed, i have a lot of wu chun pictures in my cellphone lately... hehe :D

........

~grazhishu~
*wu chun addict*
*forever loyal joe cheng gal*

20 things girls should keep in mind

this is again one of the most beautiful articles i got from my email...
and one of the most essential of all i've read... i think. :)
this is for all girls, single or taken... have a look...

1. A man won't let go if he really loves you. Do not hold on to someone who has let go of you. He does not love you and does not value having you. Believe me, he will not let go if he really loves you. There is another reason he is not willing to tell.

2. Do not look for reasons why he ended the relationship. There is only one reason why he ended your relationship. He just does not love you. Do not waste your time thinking of reasons or what you should have done. Move on and be open to a man who will truly love you.

3. Do not get hang up on your past. Do not nag or distrust your current boyfriend just because your ex hurt you. Do not treat him or the relationship the same way. Do not compare. He will not react the same way as your ex. Do not be worried that your simple mistakes will cause him to look for another girl. What happened with your ex was not your fault. It was not because you didn't guard him enough or you didn't make him happy enough.

4. Do not look into images. How many times have you met a girl who didn't have the best image in school or at the office, but you get to know the girl and found out she was actually extremely nice? Do not rely on images. Oftentimes, it is far from reality. Do not fear men just because your 'supposedly' perfect ex-boyfriend mistreated you.

5. Always have your own set of rules. Set your limits on how far you will go for a guy. It's perfectly ok to give and do everything as long as its worth it. And it's worth it if the guy is treating you right.

6. Do not be scared to lose him. Don't be scared that he'll break up with you. Once you are afraid of losing him, you easily can be taken advantage. Be strong and if something is unacceptable, do not accept it and speak up.

7. Avoid calling your guy. It's a guy thing. The relationship will definitely be better if it's the guy who's calling, not the girl. He will get tired of you if you keep on calling. He will lose interest and challenge. More so, he will get annoyed. But it's a girl thing also that your fingers get too itchy until you dial his number. But avoid as much as possible. Call only if really needed (like checking if your suspicions are reasonable).

8. There is a guy who will value you. There is a guy out there who can make you feel valued, appreciated, and loved. And I mean, not just during your first few weeks together. So don't lose hope. Don't settle for a lesbian if you are not attracted to women. There is a man out there who can love you like a girl can (*wink*). Also, do not believe him when he says it's just the way he really is. He's not the sweet or expressive-type. Remember during your first few weeks together? Where has that sweet guy gone? He simply is not that into you anymore.

9. Always be the only one, no matter what. Do not ever fall for a guy who has another girl, be it his wife, girlfriend, or any girl that he says he just can't get rid of for whatever reason. If you truly believe that he loves you and for some reason, he can't leave or let go of another girl, then you are no different from any ordinary mistress.

10. He must respect you. No matter how long the relationship has been, he should always show respect towards you.

11. If he fooled you, end it. Philandering once is enough. You can never trust nor respect the person again.

12. Never start a relationship the wrong way. Do not steal another girl's man, for whatever reason. Nor should you enter a relationship for the wrong reasons (loneliness, on the rebound, getting back at your ex, man-dependency, etc.) it is bound not to last. You will only end up wasting more years of your life.

13. Do not force yourself into a relationship. Do not get into a relationship just because your friends are getting impatient with your dating escapades and the one hasn't come yet. Do not choose who to say yes to based on superficial things like money, looks, cars, etc.. If you are even thinking of these things, you have not fallen in love yet.

14. Do not settle. If you are not happy anymore with your relationship, break up instantly. He will not stay with you forever no matter how upright he might seem to be. Eventually, he will also want love and happiness in his life.

15. A relationship has to have love. Love is the only thing that will push you to give your efforts into making the relationship work. And believe me, keeping a relationship requires genuine efforts of both parties.

16. Don't be afraid to be single. It's fun to be single, try it. You can go out whenever and wherever you want. You are free. You can date whomever you want and you get to go out for free! Do not get a boyfriend just for the sake of having one. Do not settle.

17. Be a good girl. Be a good girl to attract a good guy. Enter the relationship with sincere intentions. Take the guy and the relationship seriously with the plan of spending the rest of your life with that person (of course, this is after you had your bit of fun in your younger years). If you compare your flings from your real relationships, you will know that the latter makes you happier and more fulfilled.

18. Love without limits. Whether you loved and gave everything or loved but held out for some things, if the relationship ends, you still get hurt. But if you gave your everything, you were happy and you could say that it was worth it. If you didn't give your all, you get hurt for nothing.

19. You will get over him. Love is over-stated. Love eventually ends and you are free to love another.

20. Be the one. Act like you are the one. Don't be a nagger. Don't hinder his gimmicks. Don't give in to him too easily. Make him treat you as important. Don't be easy. Don't be like every other girl he had in his life.

hmmm...
that's all i can say.. hihi :D

~grazhishu~
*wu chun addict*
*forever loyal joe cheng gal*

single ladies... cheers!

this is one of the emails i was able to dig when i was once sorting my files.

this was forwarded by my blockmate in college, way back december 2002. i loved reading this one a lot!!!! maybe because i'm a single lady myself, i can relate a lot and share the same sentiments too. so to all of you single ladies out there, hopefully by reading this article, you'll gain more confidence and see a new perspective in life... that being single lady doesn't necessarily mean being alone or sad... but simply being free to do anything and meet anyone you want! :)

i don't know who the author is...
but whoever you are, you rock girl! :)
here goes... read on...


WHEN you're 20+ years old, without a boyfriend or even a suitor, you are considered a freak in this world.

Yep, no matter how hard you explain it, you are the odd one out. Attending parties alone. Commuting alone. Spending Valentine's Day watching "Sleepless in Seattle" for the nth time. In family reunions you are always asked that one question: "Do you have a boyfriend?" That's because a lot of people think that a man is the be-all and end-all of a woman's existence. So over a perfectly good slice of chocolate cake, I considered the question: "Why do I choose to be without a boyfriend?" I do not completely understand men. It is not possible and I don't attempt to. But this is what I know.

First: I don't have to worry about gaining a few pounds. That's why I can enjoy a perfectly good slice of chocolate cake without guilt. I don't have to worry about trying to fit into a tube top for our (my hypothetical boyfriend and I) Saturday night date. I don't have to count the calories in a box of Oreo just to keep my boyfriend's eyes from wandering. I can indulge myself with a whole order of chicken cutlets from the Aveneto without worrying about my abs. You see, men are very visual creatures. It bothers them to see their woman even with a little fat. No such thing as unconditional love unless you go to the gym first.

Second: I'll be known just as me and not as someone's partner. "And hypothetical boyfriend" does not become my new last name.

Third: If all I needed was just someone to bring me home from school, there's always carpool, my dad and commuting. If what I needed was someone to carry my things for me, four males in my barkada can do it. True I can't expect much from them on Valentine's. But come on, it's just one day in a year. To quote Bridget Jones: "Valentine's Day is purely commercial, cynical enterprise, anyway. Matter of supreme indifference to me."

Fourth: Cliché and a truth: I had the privilege of knowing myself better. I have heard this a lot of times and it's true. People make the mistake of jumping into a relationship without knowing who they really are. You have to take time to learn even the simplest things about yourself. We're individuals. We're not extensions of another personality. You don't have to pretend you like R&B music because your boyfriend does. Or eat blueberry cheesecake even if you think it tastes like perfume.

Fifth: I heard this from the creator of the TV series "Sex & the City": Often, women look for that someone to complete themselves. But that just doesn't work because you alone should complete yourself. Before I chose to remain unattached, I had the illusion that there was 50 percent of me somewhere in the world. I would walk around expecting the next man to be that 50 percent. That's why it was so easy to believe that you were in love although you were really in love with the idea of being in love. Blame Jerry Maguire and his "You complete me" line.

Sixth: I can be friends with all the guys I want without anyone hounding or interrogating me. A friend told me what a great feeling it was to go to a party and mingle with all sorts of people. It's much better than sitting in the farthest corner of the bar with your boyfriend, watching everybody else having a good time. Being single gives you more freedom.

Seventh: With just too many assholes and perverts out there, this is probably a major reason I choose to be single. Every single encounter with an asshole reaffirms my commitment to remain unattached. A friend told me that assholes act the way they do because they think they're God's gift to women. I think assholes are the way they are because they can't accept the fact that women can be better than them. Believe me, I've met all kinds [darn! same here]: jerks, commitment phobic, chauvinists, players, liars, peeping toms, egotists, maniacs, etc.

Eighth: I don't have to listen to mushy songs, do mushy things, write mushy letters and say mushy words. I used to listen to Sunday Slowdown regularly, which fed my illusion of undying, unrequited and true love Now I only listen to a lot of guitar, bass and screaming. It feels much better.

Nineth: My life is complicated enough. I don't need someone to complicate it further. It breaks my heart to see my friends distressed over a guy. "He didn't call." "He didn't show up." "I saw him with another girl." "He spends more time with his friends than me." "He cancelled." "I think he's breaking up with me." "He thinks I should give him space." "But he just wants to be friends." "He wants us to get back together." "He's a bad driver." I have heard these and more. Thank God all I have to worry about is getting home by 8 p.m. on Tuesdays to catch "Ally McBeal."

Tenth: Cynthia Alexander, in her song "Walk Down the Road," could not have said it better: "I'm glad to be on my own. I have never been this free? I've never been so alive, so much in love with life."

So I'm fine just the way I am, thank you very much. I'm fine being alone, fine without a man. People tell me I'm just saying that because I haven't met my man yet. Well, I'm not holding my breath waiting because I like me just as I am. Being single isn't about not having a man. It's about having fun, knowing yourself and having a perfectly good slice of chocolate cake.

well, i honestly think she has a point..

there's just one thing though, that i kind of disagee with.. that is the idea of believing in true love... i still believe in a thing called true and/or unconditional love... i also believe in soulmates... but you don't have to find it coz it will eventually find it's way to you.. i once heard from a friend, "hindi hinahanap yan... kusang dumarating yan..". well, i think so too...

so for the mean time, when you still haven't found the one, just enjoy the freedom of being single and live a happy worry free life. see, there's no reason to be sad this coming valentine's day... cheers miss independent! :)

~grazhishu~
*a wu chun fan*
*forever loyal joe cheng gal*

first kiss

finally, i'm back to watching my korean, taiwanese and japanese dramas... after being so busy with the program transfer, phone lab and certification, and playing with my pet bianca in pet society.. hahaha :D

i actually have a lot lined up since i've missed watching for quite a while... dvds have piled up in my rack, so i decided to start watching one. japanese dramas, being the shortest compared to korean and taiwanese dramas, i thought will be the best option to start with since i've just gotten back... so i won't immediately be stressed to do a long marathon... kind of an adjustment... hehehe :D

so i started off with the japanese drama "FIRST KISS" which stars Inoue Mao who was also the lead star in hanayori dango 1 & 2 (makino tsukushi). here's the synopsis i got from dramawiki:

"A bitter-sweet and uplifting comedy drama about a young girl Mio and her brother Kazuki. To treat her illness overseas, Mio has been living away from her older brother Kazuki for the past ten years. After learning about the upcoming surgery, which she has only a fifty percent chance of survival, Mio decides to fly back to Japan to spend time with Kazuki. Looking forward to seeing his sweet younger sister, Kazuki anxiously awaits Mio's return in Japan. However, their reunion is nothing but full of surprises as Mio has transformed from the innocent sickly girl Kazuki remembers from ten years ago into a sassy woman with an attitude. Kazuki has difficulty dealing with his wickedly selfish younger sister, but soon learns about the truth of her medical condition and has a change of heart..."
credit to: groink @ http://wiki.d-addicts.com/First_Kiss

for me, after watching the entire drama which consisted of only 11 episodes (typical for japanese soaps), i can say it's funny and heart warming... but compared to the other korean and tawanese dramas i've seen, it's just a so-so... well, i'm not a big fan of japanese dramas (no offense to all the others who are... peace to y'all!). i did love watching hanayori dango, but i loved meteor garden more... hehe :D

this is basically about a 20year-old japanese girl,in los angeles named Mio, who was diagnosed to have a heart complication so she needs to undergo an operation with only 50% chance of survival. having this, she decided to go back to japan first to see her brother and create beautiful summer memories before undergoing the operation. this sweet young sickly girl 10 years ago then turned out to be a sassy girl with an outrageously wicked attitude... her brother, after learning her medical condition, wanted to create the most wonderful summer vacation for his sister by finding her a special someone (or a boyfriend, so to say...). but this girl who saw her life already ending, didn't want to find this love anymore since it's gonna end soon as well so why the hell even start it, she thought. but she had this doctor, Yuki, with whom she was so irritated and annoyed at first... only to find out later that she has been caught by her own heart and has been falling deeply in love with him. having a relation with a patient created a huge problem for the doctor since their head doctor prohibits having such relations between patients and doctors... Mio had to give him up because she didn't want him to give up his dreams for her... but this cute doctor didn't agree in ending their relationship, he'd rather resign and transfer to another hospital than leave Mio... but with the help of his mentor doctor, Takagi, he succeeded assisting in a major operation that lead him to staying still in the hospital and still have a relationship with Mio at the same time. Mio then went back to los angeles with the promise of going back to japan after successfully undergoing the operation.


that's it... a little short right? if i were the director, i could have shown a scene after the operation where Yuki went to US to make sure he's the first one Mio sees after the operation. then after, there should have been several sweet and romantic scenes of Mio and Yuki travelling to different places in the US. this is why i'm saying that this is just a so-so drama... besides being so short, it lacks several romantic scenes mostly found in korean and taiwanese dramas.


but if there's one thing that i liked most in this drama... it would have to be the cute doctor Yuki as portrayed by Hiraoka Yuta! i liked him a lot! hahaha he's soooo cute infairness! i think i'm gonna check more of his dramas in the coming days... hehehehe :)


oh, by the way, today is nick carter's 29th bday... time really flies so fast huh? i still remember the first time i saw him in MTV when i was still in high school... back in my teenie bopper days... hahaha he's just a thin blond teenager boy singing "quit playin' games with my heart"... now he's all grown up... actually, he's getting a little old, next year he's already 30..

well i guess we all are getting older and older as days pass by... who's getting younger anyway? nobody right?

~grazhishu~
*a wu chun fan*
*forever loyal joe cheng gal*

how did we survive?

yipeeeee! done with the certification at last! :) last wednesday, my 11th evaluation was sent by our friendly QA penny... i was so anxious when i arrived in the office that night. fortunately, the result was good... after crossing my fingers several times and praying everyday, i guess God really listened to eveything i said since the certification started. thank you Lord!!! i survived the cert luckily! :)

talking about survival, i found an aticle in my email about how the generations born in 60's, 70's and even 80's survived... so this includes me since i was born in 1983... and maybe some of you too... so read on...

How did we survive our childhood? If you were a kid in the 50's, 60's, 70's or even early 80's.. how did you survive your childhood?

1. When we were growing up we never wore seatbelts in the car, cars didn't have airbags...
2. Riding on the back of a pick up truck was an adventure that we still remember!
3. Our cribs were painted with bright colors (paint which was full of lead)
4. We didn't have childproof medicine bottles, nor did our parents ever childproof our house
5. When we rode our bikes we never wore a helmet.
6. We would drink water from the faucet or from a hose in the backyard (not bottled water).
7. We didn't have cell phones , so our parents were never able to reach us (awesome) .
8. We would get scrapes, bruises, brake bones , lose teeth, but we would never sue for these accidents.
9. We would eat cake, bread and butter, drink sugary drinks, and we weren't overweight because we were always outside playing...
10. Four of us would share a drink, we would all drink from the same bottle and that wasn't gross nor would anyone get sick.
11. We didn't have Playstations, Nintendo 64, X boxes, video games, cable TV with over 100 channels, VCR's, surround sound , cellular phones , computers , online chatrooms , instead we would have tons of FRIENDS.
12. Some of us weren't as bright as others but when one would get left back that was no big deal. They would not get taken to a psychologist, nor did they ever suffer from dyslexia, hyperactivity, ADHD, ADD, etc, they would simply repeat the grade until they passed.
13. We had freedom , mishaps, successes, responsibilities, and we would learn to deal with them.

The question is... How did we survive? and above all, to become the GREAT people that we are today? They will probably say that we were very boring, but I believe that we were VERY HAPPY CHILDREN!!!

well, i perfectly agree! (^-^)v


~grazhishu~
*a wu chun fan*
*forever loyal joe cheng gal*

world without engineers...

i'm currently enjoying my break... leave slots were offered since it's martin luther king's day today... it's holiday in US so there wouldn't be a lot of callers calling in... yey!!!

so here i am, inside my room updating my blog and playing pet society... hehehe :D two weeks have passed since my certification started... so far so good... done with 10 straight evaluations just waiting for the last one... hopefully, everything's gonna turn out fine... crossing my fingers for the nth time!!! :)

since i'm left with nothing to do for today besides relaxing and playing, i decided to sort my yahoo mails... i came across several emails... some are really touching, some are funny, but all worth sharing... so i will be posting several in the coming days...

let's start with this one... i got this from an email in the office entitled, "world without engineers". the pictures are so funny so i thought why not share it.. here, take a look:

without civil engineers...


without computer engineers...


without communication engineers...


without mechanical engineers...


without electronic engineers...


without aeronautical engineers...

hahaha soooo funny!!! (^-^)v
there's more to come...


~grazhishu~
*a wu chun fan*
*forever loyal joe cheng gal*