'Korea' drifts...=)

Have you heard about Michael and Jeanie’s love story in “It started with a Kiss”? Or heard about the story of the attractive Ken and sassy Shirley tandem in the sweet and endearing “Love Contract”. Maybe the funny show of the impish and feisty Jessie and the gorgeous Justin in “Full House”. Or the romance of Vivian and Carlo in Lovers in Paris. It might be the perfect combination of Julian and Jasmine in “My Girl”. Or the magnificent and endearing show about a prince falling in love with an ordinary girl in the well-known koreanovela “Princess Hours”. Well, guys, these shows come from the country of Korea.

Can anyone notice that we are actually addicted to koreanovelas (term used for shows or dramas from Korea)? Filipinos are really fond of watching movies or series of shows that can strike your heart like teleseryes, miniseries, and the most common and widespread show that Filipinos are really waiting for even if it is too late to watch them, the koreanovelas. Ever wonder why Filipinos are addicted to these kinds of series? And to think it came from the other side of Asia.

Koreanovelas (as what they are known here in our country) or Korean dramas Korean drama refers to televised dramas, similar to Western miniseries, produced in the Korean language for Korean audiences. Many of these dramas have become popular throughout Asia and have contributed to the general phenomenon of the Korean wave. Most popular Korean dramas have also become popular in Japan. It really influenced other Asian countries like the Philippines.

Korean drama clichés also appear in a comedic way, including the camera set-up style, constant replayed clips, melodramatic music, and the tragic love triangle. These skits were supposedly filmed by Korean drama directors.

Korean television (comic programs, dramas, news, and other genres) shares some similarity with Japanese television as opposed to American (Western) television. Some popular Korean dramas such as Dae Jang Geum ("The Jewel in the Palace") have also showcased traditional Korean ways of life, and often depict Confucian values.
I wonder why people here in the Philippines, especially the cebuanos love Korean dramas. I think it is because it is new here in our country. Of course, people love to try something new. And I also think that these dramas also have great and extreme mass appeal. Imagine, almost all the highest rating shows here are from Korea. No wonder I got addicted with it, especially in Princess Hours. It might also be that the actors and actresses are all beautiful and handsome. It is true. I got addicted with Princess Hours because of the unfamiliar but cute, charming and sweet face of the crowned princess Janelle and the handsome, captivating faces of Prince Troy and Prince Gian. I almost think that Korea wants to invade us, what do you think?! Seems like we are invaded by their dramas. But keep this in mind, whatever we watch, whoever we idolize; we are Filipinos and not Koreans so we should patronize our own products.

Unleashing the secrets of the Da Vinci Code...

Novels, short stories, pocket book. Just name it. I have already read each of them. In short stories, I have read about Cris and Sam tandem in “Send my love to Heaven”. For pocket books, I like “The Baby-Sitter’s Club” and “Sweet Valley High”. For the novels, to my greatest surprise and revelation, I found “The Da Vinci Code” as interesting as my favorite books. Well actually, I never got so shocked when I heard about the novel being one of the considered best-selling books in history. But I was extremely shocked when I heard that “The Da Vinci Code” was opposed and strictly forbidden by the Roman Catholic Church. Do you want to know why? Because there are ‘FICTIONAL’ secrets about Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene (the prostitute who is Jesus’ close friend). Wan to know what these secrets are? Here it goes… Just chill in!

* Was Jesus Christ Married?
Based upon what we have learned so far, it should then come as no surprise to learn that some would claim the outrageous—that Jesus and Mary Magdalene were married. A passage from the Gospel of Philip is often cited as proof of their union: “And the companion of the Savior is Mary Magdalene. But Christ loved her more than all the disciples and used to kiss her often on her mouth. The rest of the disciples were offended by it and expressed disapproval.
*Do they have a child?
Because it stated “in the book” that Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene were married, you might as well expect that they have children. In the book, it was stated that they had a beautiful daughter named Sarah. Mary Magdalene gave birth on her after Jesus had died and that after she was exiled in Jerusalem. You should have seen it in the movies, the way she gave birth, it was tragic! Instead of lying down, she was STANDING and at the same time holding a pair of ropes for support. Poor lady… I was so much surprised when I read the part that they got married, to be honest, I almost cried. I was mad on the author for not respecting our religion. But now, I think little by little, I began to understand the nature of the author. I think it is because Leonardo Da Vinci is not a Roman Catholic by birth. I think that was one of the reasons why the author connected our faith to the famous painter. It was also said that Da Vinci was famous for secret codes, which were hidden on his paintings like Madonna on the Rocks and his famous portrait of The Mona Lisa. Well, for my opinion, I think the Roman Catholic Church shouldn’t band the novel because it was so clear in the cover that it was just fictional. I don’t believe these kinds of speculations. I don’t think these could ruin my faith with God. I have so much faith on him. If you also have the same

Dancing as my Passion..=)

“Dance! Let the music take you over. Dance! Let the beat become your lover. Dance! You can’t stop us when we lose control…Oh…Just dance!” This line became my inspiration on pursuing what my heart desires: DANCING!
You know, when I was just a little girl, I don’t have any hobby or likes. Sometimes, I consider myself as a ‘girl-without-talents’ because it’s true, I don’t have any talents. I pity myself because I don’t certainly know what really makes me happy. In those days, what makes me happy could be a bunch of chocolate bars and playing all-day long. But one incident happened that changed my whole life through. It is actually the day when I realized that I have a talent and that I love to dance. All day, all night, all which was on my mind, was DANCING. I don’t know what happened on that day. All I remembered was that I feel like I was struck by cupid’s arrow and found myself in love with my passion, DANCING! Those times, I actually got positive comment from the people—that they like the way I dance because I was graceful, which made me flatter, of course and some negative feedbacks, which really helped me improve my dancing skills.

Dancing, for other people’s thoughts, is a kind of exercise to maintain the shape of ones body. For people who are quite heavy in size dance to get back to their natural and normal size. But for me, since I am not as big as an elephant and not as skinny as a skeleton, I dance because it is what my heart tells me. It tells me to dance as much as I want if I really wanted to be happy. Of course, there are many reasons why I should be happy and dancing is one of them. I really, really love to dance. I really thanked God fro giving me this kind of talent because not all teenagers of my age are gifted with dancing but are gifted with a golden voice, gifted to be a magnificent painter someday, or maybe a member of a famous band here in the country. Okay, back to dancing.

I really can’t wait to dance. It seems that ever time I hear dance music, which can really give you up to the beat and rhythm of the song, I can’t control myself. Sometimes, my classmates would notice that I would feel like dancing but just controlling myself because I might get embarrassed. But sometimes, whenever I can’t control myself, I would dance and to my surprise (I was shocked a little bit), some of my classmates would also feel that they like to dance to the rhythm of the song. I actually think it would be fun.

And without the support from my family, who are always there for me and will support me on where I would feel happy, and my friends, who are willing to help me improve my talents. Without them, I would have quitted my passion.

What if God was one of Us?!

“Yeah, God is great! Yeah, God is good! What if God was one of us? Just a stranger on the bus, trying to make his way home. Nobody’s calling on the phone. Except for the pope maybe in Rome.”(One of Us)

I know. Does the song seem familiar to you? Well, it was one of my favorite songs because it let us reflect what we would have done if God is just a stranger like one of us. I sometimes came to think: ‘What if God was one of us?’ Tough question, isn’t it? Yeah, I know.

God is so powerful that he would come down to earth or the world just to see if every little thing he has made was okay. See how caring God could be? But whatever God do to make us closer to him, why do some people still stay away from his grace and instead, commit themselves to other things. They thought that God couldn’t give them what they want in an instant like money, shelter, food, and other essential and necessary things. To get what they want, they just do things, which are not good enough for the people. They know that God is merciful, gracious and compassionate enough to forgive them because God has the power to forgive sins. But have you thought that maybe God would become tired for forgiveness, go down to the world of human kind and be like each one of us: just a person, maybe without power, but a person who would just sit by your side whenever you feel down and lonely.

I know a story about a person who thought she would have no friends and remain friendless throughout her life. But suddenly, someone just sits right by her side and just listens to all her feelings. I just thought right from the start that it was the Lord our God who comforted that lady. Every where the lady goes, someone always follows her to see if she is safe and sound. If she needs help, a person comes along and ready to listen to all her emotional problems. You see, we don’t notice God’s presence but we actually got close to him. It is amazing to see some people that don’t question the existence of God. I can’t actually picture myself hanging around with God without even noticing who he really was. Maybe he has already been with me but because of the busy streets I was in to; maybe I haven’t seen him and noticed him.

God is so merciful. I can tell that every time I pray and confessed my sins. I used to ask for signs from Him which would truly explain that He has already forgiven me. And guess what? Those signs came true. Since then, I never asked for any signs again because I know that God really forgives sins in spite of all the sins you’ve done. But we should also think that we shouldn’t abuse His gracious and loving nature. Instead, we should have grown close to him every time you feel that He is with you.

FALLACY… Fallacy is a statement which is proven to be untrue. You just need common sense to recognize it and realize that that statement is a fallacy. I could not actually tell what a fallacy really is. I never heard such word since I read the story, LOVE is a fallacy. Lies, dishonest statements, fake situations, unforgivable mistakes, not genuine emotions, are they also considered fallacies? I don’t know. But one thing is for sure: LOVE is not a fallacy.

Love is an unexplained phenomenon in which a human being feels as light as a feather, as happy as a clown and the feeling like you were brought to heaven—for quite sometime, of course! Love is any of a number of emotions and experiences related to a sense of strong affection or profound oneness. In ordinary use, love usually refers to interpersonal love, an experience felt by a person for another person. Love often involves caring for or identifying with a person or thing, including oneself. So why do people consider love as a fallacy. I really could not figure it out at first but now, I think it is time to react on this issue.

Love, sometimes, could be considered as a fallacy depending on a situation a person maybe situated in. For example, if you only loved a girl or a guy because of his or her wealth, even though she is not as pretty as Angelina Jolie, Jessica Alba or me (just kidding!) or he is not as handsome as Brad Pitt or Leonardo de Caprio, then love in that situation is proven as a fallacy. Why? It is because you do not love that exact person but his or her wealth, jewelry and other luxurious things. You can also tell that love is a fallacy if you are just forced to love that person. Maybe out of pity because that person loves you so much and he or she is willing to die for you, or maybe because that person threatened you that he or she would commit suicide if you can not accept him or her. See what love can do?

But what if you love that person for who she or he is right now, would you still consider love as a fallacy? Of course not! Loving can sometimes be the hardest thing you will ever learn yet the most wonderful and exciting thing that happened to your life. I really can’t tell if LOVE is true. But I can do tell that LOVE actually exists but people loved so much that they are ready to hurt someone and kill for their loved ones. Sometimes you will never wish to love because of the pain it might have caused you. But always keep this I mind that the heart would feel tired but will never stop loving. You will still love and hurt at the same time because pain is part of loving. And the heart will never stop to love until love becomes a fallacy...=)

A-N-I-M-E FEVER!...

Are you fond of watching TV? If you are not, then you might lose half of your life. Just kidding. If you are, then you must be an avid fan of ANIMES, am I right? Of course I am. I am so sure that teenagers who are fond of watching television are also fond of watching ANIMES. So you are familiar with that ninja-style anime called “Naruto” or the longhaired gorgeous guy named “Inuyasha” or the anime about basketball called “Slam Dunk”? If you are, then join the club. There are lots of animes to pick. Sporty and athletic category, romantic category, action category or the violent ones. So, check this out! This is my list of my 5 favorite anime shows. You might think that I must be obsessed because I really am…

Prince of Tennis
The manga is primarily set in Tokyo. Ryoma Echizen, a tennis prodigy, attends Seishun Gakuen or Seigaku for short, a school famous for its strong tennis club and talented players. Ryoma quickly defeats numerous upperclassmen shortly after entrance to secure himself a spot on the regulars team. In pursuit of their ultimate goal of winning the all-Japan junior high tennis championship, members of the team make new friends while learning and mastering increasingly complex techniques.
DN Angel7
The 14-year-old protagonist of the story is a typical school boy who has a crush on a girl at his school, Risa Harada. However, because of the Niwa family heritage, his special DNA merged with that of the famed phantom thief, Dark, when he was rejected by Risa. Daisuke, as a Niwa, has been trained in thievery all his life. He can dodge traps, pick locks, sneak past security, and break into almost any location. However, he prefers to create art, not steal it. Which makes him more like one of the Hikari's in a sense.
I love the way the story goes. There are adventure scenes paired up with romantic love scenes.
Inuyasha
The story centers around a time traveling middle school student and her friends (a half-demon, a lecherous monk, a kitsune, a demon slayer, and her nekomata companion) in the Sengoku Jidai who seek to restore the Shikon no Tama and keep it out of the hands of the evil Naraku. It’s so ramantic that you can’t even dare to take your eyes off the television!
Flame of Recca
Flame of Recca is about a highschool student named Recca Hanabishi, who aspires to be a ninja and is obsessed with anything ninja-related. After meeting a girl named Yanagi Sakoshita, whom he acknowledged to be his princess, and a mysterious woman named Shadow who apparently attacked him for no reason at all, he finds that he not only comes from a long-dead ninja clan of 400-years past, he also can control his personal Flame. I was the first anime which captivates my eyes when I first saw it!
Yugi-oh!
Capsule Monsters involves Yugi, Joey (Jonouchi), Téa (Anzu), Tristan (Honda), and Yugi's grandfather Solomon (Sugoroku) being pulled into a world where Duel Monsters are real. They find monster capsules that they can use to summon monsters. With their amazing effects and with the sight of their fearless monsters, you would surely love to watch animes FOREVER!

I really can’t wait for summer to come because it is the only time I can watch my favorite animes and to spend my afternoon with them. I might be exaggerating a lot due to my excitement. I really can’t wait for that time.

Summary: LOVE is a Fallacy

It is not often that one so young has such a giant intellect. Take, for example, Petey Bellows, my roommate at the university. Same age, same background, but dumb as an ok.
"Raccoon," he mumbled thickly.
"Raccoon?" I said, pausing in my flight.
"I want a raccoon coat," he wailed.
"Can you mean," I said incredulously, "that people are actually wearing raccoon coats again?"
"All the Big Men on Campus are wearing them. "I've got to have a raccoon coat," he said passionately. "I've got to!"
"Petey, why? Look at it rationally. Raccoon coats are unsanitary. They shed. They smell bad. They weigh too much. They're unsightly. They—-"
"You don't understand," he interrupted impatiently. "It's the thing to do. Don't you want to be in the swim?"
"No," I said truthfully.
"Well, I do," he declared. "I'd give anything for a raccoon coat. Anything!"
My brain, that precision instrument, slipped into high gear. "Anything?"
. I refer to his girl, Polly Espy.
Beautiful she was. She was not yet of pin-up proportions, but I felt sure that time would supply the lack. Gracious she was. By gracious I mean full of graces. She had an erectness of carriage.
Intelligent she was not. In fact, she veered in the opposite direction. But I believed that under my guidance she would smarten up. It is, after all, easier to make a beautiful dumb girl smart than to make an ugly smart girl beautiful.
"Where are you going?" asked Petey.
"Home for the weekend."
"Look," I said to Petey when I got back Monday morning. "Holy Toledo!" he repeated fifteen or twenty times.
"Would you like it?" I asked.
"Oh yes!" he cried, clutching the greasy pelt to him. "What do you want for it?"
“I want your girl”
"Polly?" he asked in a horrified whisper.
"Try on the coat," said I.
He complied.. "Fits fine," he said happily.
"Is it a deal?" I asked, extending my hand.
I took her first to dinner. "Gee, that was a delish dinner," she said as we left the restaurant. Then I took her to a movie. "Gee, that was a marvy movie," she said as we left the theater. And then I took her home. "Gee, I had a sensaysh time," she said as she bade me goodnight.
We went to the Knoll, the campus trysting place, and we sat down under an oak, and she looked at me expectantly: "What are we going to talk about?" she asked.
I winced, but went bravely on. "First let us examine the fallacy called Dicto Simpliciter."
"Then tell me some more fallacies."
"All right. Let's try Contradictory Premises."
"Yes, let's," she chirped, blinking her eyes happily. The evening passed and we spend the next evening discussing fallacies.
Seated under the oak the next evening I said, "Our first fallacy tonight is called Ad Misericordiam."
"The next fallacy is called Poisoning the Well."
"How cute!" she gurgled.
"Fire away," she said with an airy wave of her hand.
Heartened by the knowledge that Polly was not altogether a cretin, I began a long, patient review of all I had told her.
"Polly," I said when we next sat beneath our oak, "tonight we will not discuss fallacies."

"My dear," I said, "we have now spent five evenings together. We have gotten along splendidly. It is clear that we are well matched."
"Hasty Generalization," said Polly brightly.
"I beg your pardon," said I.
"Hasty Generalization," she repeated. I chuckled with amusement. The dear child had learned her lessons well. "My dear," I said, patting her head in a tolerant manner, "five dates is plenty. After all, you don't have to eat a whole cake to know that it's good."
"Ad Misericordiam," said Polly.
"Well, Polly," I said, forcing a smile, "you certainly have learned your fallacies."
"You did."
"That's right. So you do owe me something, don't you, my dear? If I hadn't come along you would never have learned about fallacies."
"Hypothesis Contrary to Fact," she said instantly.
"Dicto Simpliciter," she said, wagging her finger at me playfully.
That did it. I leaped to my feet, bellowing like a bull. "Will you or will you not go steady with me?"
"I will not," she replied.
"Why not?" I demanded.
"Because this afternoon I promised Petey Bellows that I would go steady with him."
"Poisoning the Well," said Polly, "and stop shouting.” “I’ll be going steady with Petey Bellows." I think shouting must be a fallacy too."
With an immense effort of will, I modulated my voice. "All right," I said. How could you choose Petey Bellows over me? Can you give me one logical reason why you should go steady with Petey Bellows?"
"I certainly can," declared Polly. "He's got a raccoon coat."