Love in the ice (acoustic cover)
02 Apr 2012 Leave a Comment
in DBSK, Music Tags: dbsk, DBSK/TVXQ/THSK, guitar cover, jyj, tohoshinki
I’ve been meaning to make a cover of this song for years now. I couldn’t find chords in the internet, so I just guessed them. Finally recorded one today. I tried playing the guitar with a pick to make the sound sharper, but I only succeeded on distracting myself and getting lyrics wrong. It’s not the best of covers, and I couldn’t control my voice very well through the high notes. *hides face in embarrassment*
I’m writing my own version with English lyrics. Almost done with it, though whether or not I’ll record it depends if I find time/confidence for it.
POV
25 Mar 2012 Leave a Comment
in Randomness
They say that there are two kinds of special bonds in this world— two kinds of strings that tie people together.
One of them is the red thread, the bond that signifies romantic love: True love, fated chance of two people destined to be together. It roots from the very core of a person’s heart. It is like an addicting drug, like fire igniting a passionate connection that can only be defined with hearts being bonded together. Most common but hardly ever unbroken, it is a bond that could either mean a person’s happiness or destruction. It is a fragile string that will either stand out the test of time, or simply be cut.
The second one is the silver thread, the bond that symbolizes a different kind of love. It signifies friendship: true friendship that forms from the very roots of the soul. It connects two strangers together by the essence of their person. It is like water— calm, enriching, warm and easily molded, adjusted and shaped. Most rare but hardly ever broken, it is a bond that becomes the definition of a person. It is a piece of string that is the hardest to find— but once tied, it remains timeless ly strong.
The red and silver threads are the strongest bonds a person could ever form in a lifetime…
But if you are forced to cut one to keep the other… which would you choose?
… Man, who writes prologues like this in a story that’s titled “Choices?” It’s cheesy, it’s corny, it’s against everything that I believe a good introduction should be, it has freaking similes! Similes!
I know I should just hack it away from my draft, but I can’t bring myself to. I love it, but I hate it. I love that I wrote it, but I hate that I wouldn’t even give it a second glance if I was the reader, not the writer.
I’ve been writing “Choices” since 2008, and I still haven’t managed to get it past the editing process. Four years of labor, and I still haven’t finished it, which is pathetic because it’s just a fanfic and it shouldn’t take this long, but it’s my baby and I’ve been developing it endlessly from a four-page drabble into an almost one hundred-page draft.
And now I’m having thoughts about changing the POV from first person to second person, except that I’ve written the entire thing in first person and though I hated it for a while, I relentlessly edited it until it worked. And it was fine like that. But then, recently, I rewrote a section, one measley section and changed it to second person, which turned out ten times better than it was. And the thought of rewiring everything is exhausting, and the first person POV is how I wrote it. I don’t know what to do.
Who said writing was easy? It’s like pulling a tooth. Without anesthesia. And with a plier.
I need advise. And a beta. Where can I find those?
Reactions to Koizora
15 Aug 2011 Leave a Comment
in Movies/ Dramas Tags: koizora, Movies/ Dramas
I’ve been hearing for a few years now about Koizora, and I’ve been hearing nothing but good things about it. Finally, I decided to sit down and watch it, wishing I was watching with a friend, so we could bawl our eyes out together.
…It couldn’t be more different from what I expected.
These are my reactions:
What I’m up to these days…
13 Aug 2011 Leave a Comment
in Life, School Tags: 100 days to heaven, asian, drama, jaejoong, nobuta wo produce, ouran high school host club, protect the boss
Got done with nursing school weeks ago, and am currently prepping up for boards. Just thinking of it sends my stomach twisting to knots, so I turn to a lot of things to amuse myself.
One of these things are watching Asian dramas (is that the right plural term?). In no particular order:
Protect the Boss — I started watching this purely to bask in Jaejoong’s gorgeousness, and I was determined to see this through for his sake. But seeing how gut-busting hilarious it turned out to be (episode 4 was the best), with the compelling plot, dynamic chemistry between the cast, superb directing, and great acting, this is turning out to be a wonderful watch.
I love the cast. I love the OTP. I love Jaejoong. I even love Jisung’s hair. Am I the only one who does?
I love this poster just because of the lulz! factor.
Yeah. Isn’t he just gorgeous? *melts into a puddle of goo* (ahem. Yeah, I have issues)
Nobuta wo Produce — This is seriously my second most favorite drama of all time, next to Sungkyunkwan Scandal (which I really need to blog about). I will forever remember the day when I randomly clicked on this drama while searching Mysoju.com for something to watch, and then totally falling in love with the group of misfits who defines friendship and making friends in its purest form. Yes, I love it so much that it makes me slightly poetic. Nobuta, Shuji and Akira (especially Akira, that adorable weirdo) will live in my heart forever. That ending is just perfect that I bawled my eyes out. This is my kind of drama. This is one drama that I’m never going to forget.
Quirky, loveable characters and solid plotline, but that’s not all. Cliched high school background, but differently executed and utilized. It’s one about friendship, capturing youth, forgetting about ephemeral things like popularity and building solid relationships around you, changing who you are, growing up into maturity, leaving childhood. Lies and sincerity. Shedding short-lived images. All that is good and bad in high school.
Here, a random fanvid to entice you into watching.
Watch. This. Series. Now. Kon-kon.
Ouran High School Host Club (live action) — I was a bit iffy about watching this because of Ouran’s pseudo-fantasy genre (what with all the impossibly pretty boys present here), but I was so pleasantly surprised. Yamamoto Yusuke (the actor playing Tamaki) doesn’t look like Tamaki at all, but he NAILED Tamaki’s character so well that you get absorbed into his world as you do in the anime. Kawaguhi Haruna makes a very believable Haruhi. I could continue on prattling about the cast and how well they do their designated characters, but that would be wasting my breath because you just have to watch to see for yourself. Of course, I recommend that you watch the anime-version first, but the live action is good enough, I think.
100 Days to Heaven — I firmly believe that this drama should be packed into a delightful package and shipped to everywhere else in Asia. This is an example of a premier Filipino drama that showcases Filipino culture, beliefs and values into a solid, engaging plot, and performed excellently by both veteran actors/actress and child actor/actresses. It’s about a ruthless, successful businesswoman, Anna Manalastas, who dies at the beginning of the series. She was given the chance to correct her mistakes and receive the forgiveness of those she had wronged on earth in order to be able to enter heaven. But in one condition: that she do everything as a child, and that she do it within exactly one hundred days. Coney Reyes and little Xyriel Manabat perform Anna Manalastas with unbelievable life and attitude. This little gem of a drama should be treasured.
Yeah. Four drama series. Hopefully, this list doesn’t grow even longer, or I’ll have to forsake sleeping in favor of watching.
Not Yet (self-composed)
09 May 2011 2 Comments
in Music, Poems Tags: acoustic, Music, original, self-composed, song
This is a song I wrote back in 2010. I finally had the courage to re-record it again after the first video I recorded was stolen along with my first laptop (sob. I still haven’t gotten over that). The lyrics might sound familiar, because they are, and I’ve written the same exact words before in a post here somewhere, which I then decided to turn into a poem. I wasn’t satisfied with it, so I turned it into a song. It was a hard, rough journey filled with frustration and much hair-pulling to get into this (probably lacking) final product.
Not Yet
With one last smile and one last laugh
ou’re leaving without going back
it’s hard to let go when it’s clear
it still remains that thing I fear
you said we’ll always be together
flying high to stars and skies
I’d rather us two fall together
hold my hand, baby, hold my hand
Not yet, not now, I plead and pray
so many words there is to say
and songs to sing, don’t go away
Not yet, not now, if only I
could turn the world around for you
I’ll carry you, I’ll carry you
It’s hard to tell myself it’s alright,
that our days are over
I won’t forget, I’m holding on
look back, look back, don’t go
Not yet, not now, I plead and pray
so words there is to say
and songs to sing, don’t go away
Not yet, not now, if only I
could turn the world around for you
I’ll carry you, I’ll carry you
You promised me forever
What is it but just a word
This essence so deeply imbued
It’s opposite cuts like a sword
Not yet, not now, if only I
could turn the world around for you
I’ll carry you, I’ll carry you
Not yet, not now, I plead and pray
so words there is to say
and songs to sing, don’t go away
Not yet, not now, if only I
could turn the world around for you
I’ll carry you, I’ll carry you
I’ll carry you, I’ll carry you.
.
Have mistakes, wrong chords and all. That was my third take, and my throat was getting sore, so I just uploaded the best take there was.
JYJ Impromptu Song
05 May 2011 Leave a Comment
in DBSK, Music, Randomness Tags: jyj
Yoochun on piano, plays a random tune. Junsu hums along. Jaejoong starts singing about Junsu, stringing up lyrics as he goes along. Junsu, delighted, sings along with him. The staff just helplessly laugh.
Jaejoong plays the piano and starts another impromptu song about… how cold he is. And their manager’s eating habits.
I bet there’s never an uninteresting day when you’re with these guys.
And it’s not fair how they can make a song in seconds when it takes me months (years even!) to come up with a good enough melody for one.
>.<
Soundtrip 4: Paano na kaya [Translation]
19 Apr 2011 Leave a Comment
in Music Tags: bugoy drilon, opm, paano na kaya, translation
Decided to try my hand out at translating OPM songs that I love. This is one of the songs that I’ve fallen in love with the first time I heard it. Bugoy Drilon’s voice makes me swoon and melt into a puddle of goo.
[video credits goes to jarish16 @ youtube]
Lyrics:
Paano Na Kaya
Paano nga ba napasukan ang gusot na ito?
‘Di naman akalain magbabago ang pagtingin sa ‘yo
Mula nang makilala ka, umikot ang mundo ko
‘Di na kayang ilihim at itago ang nararamdamang ito
Paano na kaya, ‘di sinasadya
‘Di kayang magtapat ang puso ko
Bakit sa dinami-rami ng kaibigan ko, ikaw pa?
Paano na kaya, ‘di sinasadya
Ba’t nahihiya ang puso ko?
Hirap na umibig sa isang kaibigan
‘Di masabi ang nararamdaman
Paano na kaya?
Kung malaman ang damdamin at ‘di mo tanggapin
‘Di ko yata matitiis mawala ka kahit isang saglit man lang
Paano na kaya, ‘di sinasadya
‘Di kayang magtapat ang puso ko
Bakit sa dinami-rami ng kaibigan ko, ikaw pa?
Paano na kaya, ‘di sinasadya
Ba’t nahihiya ang puso ko?
Hirap na umibig sa isang kaibigan
‘Di masabi ang nararamdaman
Paano na kaya?
At kung magkataong ito’y malaman mo
Sana naman tanggapin mo
Bakit sa dinami-rami ng kaibigan ko, ikaw pa
Paano na kaya, ‘di sinasadya
Ba’t nahihiya ang puso ko?
Hirap na umibig sa isang kaibigan
at baka hindi maintindihan
Paano na kaya…
Translation:
What Should I Do
How did I get into this mess again?
I didn’t think it would change, the way I look at you
Since I met you, my world started turning
I can’t hide and keep these feelings secret anymore
What should I do now? I didn’t mean to
My heart couldn’t confess
Of all my friends, why did it have to be you?
What should I do now? I didn’t mean to
Why does my heart hesitate?
It’s hard to love a friend
I can’t say what I feel
What should I do now?
If my feelings were known and you don’t accept,
I don’t think I can bear loosing you
Even just for a moment…
What should I do now? I didn’t mean to..
My heart couldn’t confess
Of all my friends, why did it have to be you?
What should I do now? I didn’t mean to
Why does my heart hesitate?
It’s hard to love a friend
I can’t say what I feel
What should I do now?
And if there’s a chance that you find out
I hope you will accept…
Of all my friends, why did it have to be you?
What do I do now? I didn’t mean to
Why does my heart hesitate?
It’s hard to love a friend
You may not understand.
What should I do?
Note: I tried to translate as accurately as I could. The phrase “Paano na kaya” is particularly hard to translate, I can’t think of an english word for “kaya.” The phrase can be used in context for ”What do I do now?” or “What’s going to happen next?” or “How will the situation go from here and what is going to be done about it?” It generally depicts helplessness about a situation or a circumstance. But I’m no expert, so if anyone would correct me or offer better translation, I appreciate it.
Duel!
19 Apr 2011 Leave a Comment
in Randomness Tags: anime, Yugioh
When my fandom of obsession is unerringly thrown to chaos and handling everything about it any longer might cause spontaneous Meriken combustion, where do I turn to? Of course, good ol’ anime. Oh, yes, overused plots, cliches-that-really-should-die-soon, ridiculous exagerations and disproportionate bodily statistics galore! What more could you ask for?
Ahem.
So I really thought I’m over my obsession for anime years ago… Which, I am, I guess. However, it has become one of those things that I keep coming back to for stress/boredom relief even though I often snort and find myself cringing at the plot ridiculousness (how many animes have I seen that has the protagonist stumbling to protect the world over something so trivial?), many exageration, and disproportionate body statistics (can you imagine having those unnaturally BIG eyes in the real world? I mean… they’re cute and all, but…). Of course, those things are what makes animes… anime. And I admit I do enjoy them very much.
The most recent anime I’ve watched and loved and am currently writing about is YuGiOh. More
