버릇이 없다

You know you're back in school when you walk around the hallways and keep bumping into people who don't seem to give a shit about exchanging greetings with each other. It's perfectly fine if the familiar face is over 5 metres away, marginally acceptable if the acquaintance is a couple long strides away (I'm guilty of this occasionally) but when the person is right in front of you and you decide to ignore him/her? Consider me appalled by your lack of manners. How rude can one possibly be, to ignore and walk by someone one actually knows by his/her first name? If you cannot even spare those few seconds and give the person the respect he/she deserves by acknowledging his/her presence, I'm afraid that the reciprocity rule kicks in here and you'll be equally undeserving of that basic respect.

What did I do? I found myself looking at said persons straight in the eyes and said a big friendly hello, giving them absolutely no chance of slipping away. I'm not sure why this matters so much to me right now (could it be the raised expectations of how people should treat each other after my Korea stay?) but people should treat each other with more respect.

Don't make this world any colder than it already is.

We all need one.

A reassuring presence.

Everyone needs a reassuring presence in their lives.

Have you ever met someone who has a strangely calming effect on you? Who is able to allay your fears? Who takes away your unhappiness and anxiety? Who silences the chaos in the mind? Who brings you a feeling of peace? Who makes you feel that the world ain't that bad after all?

The tranquility may not last for long but at the very least, it affords us some breathing space and gives us precious time for our mind and soul to heal and get ready for whatever's coming next.

Apart from my family members, I have had the fortune of encountering two to three of such special persons (miserably few, if you think about it) but sadly,.. it seems like the magical effect they have on people does not extend to themselves.. and they themselves are occasionally trapped in their own spirals of negative thoughts. With every spiral, their gifts naturally get buried a little deeper.. and if anyone happens to be watching, they will notice the worlds of the people around them grow that bit dimmer as well. I'm not sure which is more upsetting - or if they all equally are - but really, everyone deserves a break at some point in life. Everyone (subject to certain qualifications) deserves happiness. I can't bear to see the people I love (be it friends or family) in pain but at the same time.. I'm not entirely sure if I'm capable of taking that pain away from them... To those who have been my little guardian stars all these while, this heartfelt Thank You goes out to you. And to those whom I've been watching over, I will strive to become a better reassuring presence in your lives. Let's work together and make this world a better place for all of us, shall we?

Personal note:
Such people do not come by easy so if you do chance upon them, hold on tight and hopefully, strive to do for them, what they have done for you.

My Celebrity-spotting Adventures Continue!

I never expected for my celebrity-spotting adventures to continue when I'm back home but life is full of surprises! I may no longer be in Korea but that doesn't mean that I can't see Korean celebrities (at no expense, I must emphasise) no more. The very first opportunity came knocking approximately a week after my return and guess who - it was none other than my hubby! It's odd how I never got to see him during my five months in Korea, his territory, only to see him back in my homeland. Fate works in funny ways, doesn't it?

Thinking back, it was not an altogether pleasant memory but.. I realise that in life, we gain some and lose some in return. It may not have been the best decision to make that day but there's no point in living with regrets. We have to live with the decisions that we make, don't we?

On a brighter note, check out all my amazing pictures of my hubby :D As a determined 여보, it involved a fair bit of jumping, running about and screaming but.. it was worth the experience. The turnout that afternoon wasn't fantastic but we more than made up for it with our loud piercing cheers. The best part of that day? He heard me yelling goodbye and turned to wave (at everyone). He heard me! He turned! He waved at me (duh hahaha)! *starstruck*

 my adoraballs hubby <3

Next up, there's Kang Gary from Running Man! The initial plan was to go catch his performance at the NTU Fest last week (16 Aug) with my exchange friends but as it turned out, only one of them was willing to make the trip to Padang for Gary (and Jung In) and even then, he wasn't free that night. Grrr. I really dislike people backing out on plans at the last minute but in any case, I decided that "who needs company?!". I went with another friend in the end - coincidentally, he was planning to attend the festival as well - and we had a great time.

 I have to say that the NTU Fest was a huge success. 

Thumbs up to the organising committee!

Gary and Jung In

At the sight of Gary, the crowd went crazyyy. 

They weren't as 'high' as the Korean fans I've seen in Korean but it was so much better than the cheers given to the MediaCorp actors/actresses and Ch U Superstar contestants. I would have more accurately described it as a whimper. A frail cry from the crowd. Lol.

It must have rubbed off on Gary as well because he ran around splashing fans with water from his water bottle (did he drink from it?)

 987FM hosts interviewing the duo

Towards the end of the performances, Gary-the-monkey finally appeared!

(I can't upload the videos now cos the file sizes are too big.. maybe when I post them on Youtube or something!)

That's not all!

Just a couple of days ago (17th Aug), I went for another Meet and Greet session! This time, it wasn't a Korean star but was instead.. a Taiwanese singer! (yes, I do listen to non-Korean music) I've been a fan of his for years - when I was on exchange, I listened to one of his songs every single night before I slept - and although I've seen him from a reaaaallllly far distance before (that was.. five to six year back?), I've always wanted to hear him sing live and so.. there I was on the train to Bishan, humming along excitedly to his songs.

 I was busy doing stuff so I couldn't go early (ah, can't compete with all the xiaomeimeis there) and ended up somewhere near the back of the crowd. It was a terrible standing position; I was being squished from all sides by sweaty, sticky girls, some girl behind kept pulling my hair by accident and the view of the stage was nothing short of atrocious, as I will explain in a while. 

 One of my favourite Taiwanese singers, Aaron Yan (: 

 Charming everyone with his megawatt smile :D

Acting cool but oh so suave!

With all these obstructing my view - you can't see the fan signs and overzealous (read: irresponsible) fans perched on stools in this picture - I'm amazed that I actually got in some pretty decent shots -.- Through this experience, I've discovered a new use for the selfie stick!! No, that is not an umbrella handle right smack in the middle of the photo - that is an annoyingly long and immensely irritating selfie stick. There were at least 20 selfie sticks at the event that day and with all these crowding above our heads with huge fan signs and 'huge-r' fans' heads, I could hardly see a thing. I didn't even bother participating in the stage games because once their hands shot into the air, I couldn't even see the host anymore.. I had no choice but to use my extendabee-arms-and-tippity-toe skills (running the risk of spoiling my precious sports shoes) throughout the hour-long event. It was a draining affair but at least, I got to hear him sing a song live. Fine, half a song.. but better than nothing! :D He's coming again for A-Nation's concert, whatever that is, in October but I think I'll skip that and wait till he has his own solo concert in Singapore! \o/

Meanwhile, assuming that I do not forget about it after a long day at school, I will be meeting So Ji Sub at his press conference tomorrow! He's a very established actor and rapper (I would very much prefer the former) and I've been watching his dramas since I was a kid! My sister really likes him too so.. I'm just going so that she will tag along and get to see one of her favourite actors! :D Hope we get to be in front even though I can only reach about half an hour before it starts..! Doubt I can get the poster but.. who knows!

There's a trade-off for everything..

When even I agree that I look tired (what people would describe as cui, I suppose) + I feel tired = I really do need sleep soon.

(so this is when makeup comes in useful)

It doesn't help to have a nose intent on running away either (sniffs)..

I can't wait to go home! :D

就這樣

心情不好。

Control

Once you've tasted freedom, there's no going back.

It's taking a fair bit of self-restraint to stop myself from raising voices or slamming doors but.. what's new?