To KOB

I should start this post with : "Forgive me for I have...." Ok folks, before I started this blog I was a frequent visitor to KOB the Korean Online Board of BYJ's official site. It's there I found friends, became a member of this one big family and met new people and went gaga over projects we created. As what I have said to my other sis next door 'we were so courageous to even try organized a project for the Baeworld. But it's all worth it.

When was the last time I visited KOB? I'm sure I visited several times this year already and checked what's going on every now and then, at least a couple of times a week to say hello to long time family acquaintances who like me disappear then come back after a long hectic schedules. I really admire those who actually made so much effort to keep the family together.

It's an unusual feeling though. If I missed days of not being there, I felt that I had missed something and when I started feeling that way I knew it's time to come back again.

Now that I have this simple blog of mine which like the rose needed looking after, watered with love, dedication, and pruned once in a while, I still think of KOB and the many memories I had with the family. To KOB! Cheers!

the days ahead..

It's been a strange couple days and my head have started to run a mile while I am trying to catch up with it.. I must be excited or looking forward to the months ahead which will involve travelling, more travelling, camping and more camping.
Ah, that's the point! I was told about my birthday gift this year and that's a trip to somewhere here in Europe. You could pick up a country but think of the most romantic one. Course, I've already been to Venice so that's out.. We would like to go back there during the carnival next year.
That means I have to learn the language of this country. Oh dear they are not very friendly towards the English. Ouch! Hubby will have some issues but never mind will compromise.
So friends, the couple of months will be full of anticipation since I have to finish one more course and do my swearing then camping in spring and eventually travelling and end the year with another travel to this destination.
I only wish this would be a great year for us all and for BYJ of course ;-)

Now since I mentioned Venice I'd like to share to you this Italian group called Interpreti Veneziani. We watched the Vivaldi's Four Seasons concert when were in Venice at San Vidal Church which I thought was an awesome experience.

And this was them playing Winter in the same church..

MV-Please don't ask..

Would you agree if I say your moods affected by the weather? I think there is big relationship between these two. While my doggie is trying to get his ball behind the chair making noises in the background I leave you this MV made by Jelen.For those dreaming of YJ tonight..Martin Nievera is one of my fav singer so enjoy. I'm off.

postcards anyone??

Hi there!! I don't know why I'm smiling while writing this when I went to work this morning wearing a raincoat trousers. You might be familiar with it or perhaps actually worn one. It's a raincoat basically for your trousers in order to keep them from getting wet. Somebody said at work I looked like a muffin. ;-) Oh well, Alex's still in London so I had to walk to work when the sky decided to open its doors and windows..

Then I remembered this raincoat as we bought it for camping last year thinking it would rain in summer. I know, we forgot to buy sunscreen instead which made my hubby well and truly toasted after a five mile walk. Lesson learned.

So where was I? Ah the great Brit weather. When I went to London, I saw this postcard which I sent to some friends. If you wondered why I bought the rain gears in the summer, this postcard would tell you why..

New BYJ Collection

I was off for a couple of days for family reasons and must say glad to be typing again.. SO, so, so, the new Arnaldo Bassini lines featuring our dear Bae yong Joon has come out already. I mean the pictures have come out plus the clips.. To be honest I am happy to see him..
Sorry while typing this, I'm waiting for the AB site to upload..grrr couldn't go any faster. It's that time of the night.
What do we have in here????I will only talk about what I think and choose my favorite pictures as other dear sisters have posted them already plus you must have seen it hundreds of times. Thanks to Korachan and Maron of BYJ Gallery.
p.s. I'm still waiting for YJ's picture to come from the official site but nope..I must be looking at the wrong link..

YJ's good looking face and posture made this cardigan attractive plus the color is bright and cool. Would stand even better if he was having coffee in St. Marks Square or any Italian City or in any great coffee shop/library in the Pacific.

This one is fresh, casual/sporty.. Yes ideal for a carefree day or meeting out with some friends or going for a drink in a bar.






This one obviously works well for formal gathering.. A better backdrop would be going to a premiere/walking towards an event with photographers snapping pictures..Why not? They do that for big names here in the UK. It would make it more sophisticated and dramatic, after all it's Bae Yong Joon.

Since Arnaldo Bassini takes pride in putting Italy in their logo , I would expect them to put Italian style to their next campaign. BYJ in my opinion is the perfect endorser for Men's fashion, but the company needs to be more creative and passionate with what they're doing.

Majestic

Happy Lunar New Year to Baesisters across the world!!

Mamma mia..Are they all singing??

I forgot about this subject until I saw an article from the Times hailing how Britain started singing..Perhaps the writer was talking about the effects of the film Mamma Mia last year. But since we are officially in "recession" at the moment I think everyone should just start singing and looking at the brighter side of life otherwise we will all go potty..

What strucked me most was the line the "upper lip Britain"..oh yes I think so.. it's hard to notice when you are in this country what upper lip means unless you mingled with their highnesses and lordships. What the writer meant was whatever class you belong, this film managed to touch its viewers in different ways. If they haven't seen the film they are queuing to go to theaters to watch it. Another poignant thought was yesterday's Stevens Fry's idea of Britain. "When people say it's only in Britain, that means harsh, cold weather, economy going downhill, depression, and no you can't do it , etc. While if they say, "it's only in America" , it means hey it's a very good thing or yes it's good.

So back to singing bit. . One of my hubby's gifts last Christmas was a DVD of Mamma Mia thinking I love Abba..Oh yes I do but when I saw the film ....ahhhh...pause....ehhh....not sure....

So Britain is singing?? Better be, since we desperately need cheering up..

I still prefer the Dancing Queen of Winter Sonata.

What is he up to???

Well it's weekend and perhaps you have also wondered what BYJ is up to this time.. What do you think he's doing???

A. Having a lie-in , keeping in touch with family or you know who?









B. Still working at home..errr probably not in a suit but who knows he must be out somewhere but needed to check what's on and not..













C. Having a chilled afternoon with his favorite wine.. I think I am going to open one later.. That Rosemount 2006 Grenache Shriraz looks enticing.











D. Out in the field snapping subjects for his book...
E. All of the above

cruising...

Hi sisters! How are you this weekend? I hope everything is ok.. me, I'm fine just resting today.

I had to blog about this talk show I watched last night. The TV presenter Jonathan Ross just came back after being suspended by BBC for three months when he was involved in a radio prank with another famous DJ which was aired causing uproar from listeners and thousands of complaints. As for the other DJ he's not in the country anymore.

Ross is the highest paid TV celebrity in Britain and I think I know now why..

So here he is grilling Tom Cruise in a hilarious way.. You probably never seen such presenter interviewing an A list celebrity this way. Hope you enjoy it..

For the rest of the clips click here
and here

Today's Images..

So what's new in the Baeworld??? Our dear BYJ is probably busy finishing his book. Still working on a new CF perhaps?As a businessman himself he must be quite busy tsk, tsk, tsk what happens to the love life YJ??

Anyway folks amidst the wintry days of this dear old England never missing the rain, I therefore show you the images I collected today. I had to squeeze every little bit nature had to offer because it was raining most of the day
I also added some quotes by Shakespeare. "To be or not to be."


"I am constant as the northern star,Of whose true-fixed and resting quality

"Journeys end in lovers meeting,

Every wise man's son doth know."

"Love looks not with the eyes but with the mind".

There's always beauty around you , all you have to do is find it.

the art of making wine..

I was surprised yesterday when another case of wine arrived at our doorsteps. I completely forgot about it as the company supposed to send me a case quarterly. oppsss I immediately cancelled the next one since I have enough bottles and although I collect them(hope you don't think we drink every night) it's not my priority at the moment.

So while sorting them in my little rack I suddenly remembered the ones we made last year. I asked Alex how many bottles we have still. To my surprise we only have these out of 24 bottles. I don't know how many we have given away and relatives have had. We have 10 bottles which include the tea wine, cherry wine, and two lots of Cabernet Sauvignon.

We had to throw most of the wines from that German grapes we collected. That was the first one and obviously it didn't go very well. It was far too sour and although we put enough sugar it made it more alcoholic. Plus since it was the first batch, we didn't realize we used the wrong type of cork hence the wines weren't fermenting properly. It was a disaster cause the cork didn't fit the bottle well as we thought and air turned the wine sour.

However the Cabernet Sauvignon mix was a success and surprisingly the tea wine. Many commended on the taste as you wouldn't expect a wine out of tea but it did work. The taste was sweet enough and you wouldn't notice the tea aroma as much but a bit more of the acidity. However the black cherry wine was really good..smooth on the pallete, drinkable, and you could smell hints of cheery.

We still have these bottles in the outhouse waiting to be used for the next batch. They were leftovers from the holiday season and don't worry we didn't drink all that. Alex is still concocting on what to do next but he's got a definite name to call it 'Sweet Revenge II' You could probably guess now what the taste would be. So what's the next challenge??? I am contemplating on Merlot and Port unless you have another suggestion..

one for the lady..

Since we are in a mixed heritage atmosphere at the moment I have been wanting to talk about a certain Filipina-British singer, entertainer, model, pianist, radio and TV presenter- Myleene Klass. Her father is English-Austrian while her mum's Filipina(music please) She was a former member of the band Hearsay and launched an album called 'Moving On' which was a compilation of classical music. Up to these days she's been doing TV presenting and modelling. One of the major ones are the campaigns for M&S together with top models in the UK and Pantene. Now to know more about her just click here.

What I like about Myleene apart from her looks(she reminds me of my friend's young child who's also a Fil-Brit), attitude and style is her talent. The bonus part is she could play my favorite musics which include Cinema Paradiso, Toccata and Fugue, and Moonlight Sonata to name a few. So here she is enjoy.. ;-)

The New US Chief..

Wow!!! I spent the whole afternoon watching the inauguration of the new US President Barack Obama.. We had live coverage as well as early as 2 pm to 10 pm at night. I agree that this is one of the most anticipated inauguration in history after all he's the history man.. So change has come into the modern world. Let's hope and pray there will be an end to war, discrimination, racism and may peace reigns.

Blue Monday

I woke up today and it was dark, rain was pouring so hard that I felt the conservatory roof would collapse and it's cold.You could almost guess what it felt like.. Oh what a horrible day! Since I have time to look around for some stuff in the net I found out that it's Blue Monday. Yep, today the 19th of January. Hurray!! now that explains something. This si the first time I am so looking forward to summer. Gosh! I must have lived here long enough to feel that way.

Winter in England is miserable..it would have been fine if we get a lot of snow. At least you can play or feel it but nahhhh it's too logical if we have it. Perhaps the Highlands are more blessed than us down here. But to be honest I wouldn't complain much as snow could cause a lot of problem.

So, while writing this I saw the sun has slowly come out and the sky is getting clearer. I hope it stays the whole afternoon as I intend to go for a walk with my dog and go to a friend's house.

To brighten up our day let's look at some pics of BYJ in blue.. something to brighten up the mood. ;-) Take care and eat well.

Casual, youthful, elegant and means business...lifted from Joanne of Quilt.

I keep thinking he's holding The Financial Times on this one.. don't know which country though. Although I suspect it's the UK paper..if so, how did it get in there?? or could it be the NY Times, Korean, etc. etc.. One person I know insist it's the UK one cause of the color..your guess is as good as mine.

BYJ in bluish..me thinks it's grey actually but nevermind the weather is.

Busy at work or whilst doing work like most of you on a Monday.

CM Making- SPTV

Ok, you must have seen this hundreds of times excluding me hehehehe. Anyway, I can't get hold of this Sky TV tribute for BYJ and the programs they air so I couldn't relate as much.. Just love to see his new looks, pictures, antics during filming which seem to be fun filled experience for him.

Wouldn't you wish you were the stylist sorting his hair out or at least the person who offerered him coffee???

Me, don't mind doing the technical bit.. the usual dream of actually working with him /taking his photos.. That's probably my dream job!! Dream on...

Now let's watch it again.. You would never get bored watching him , wouldn't you? He looked funny, professional, (charming) and loved to get involved in the making.. At first you would think he's directing it. Anyway folks..enjoy coz it put a smile to my rainy Monday morning.

Video courtesy of Yasai21.

I didn't know I was looking..

Just come back from work and fancied some Filipino food.. we were talking about different ways to cook fish at work and since we don't get to cook a lot of fish here, we could only share on how we used to cook it. Of course everyone got their own favorites..
So when I came home (I know I'm still working on this diet) I took the fish out of my fridge and just decided to cook it.. truly satisfied. The only thing was the flavor was different from those fishes you get from the Pacific.

By the way I just remembered this conversation of me Alex last night about things that we always look back but never get around to buying it/getting it. Have you got a similar experience?

And I just realized if it's material thing I couldn't justify buying what I want.. (especially a Tiffany ring..I know it's the most affordable compared to Damiani and other branded makes) It's always a problem. I torture myself for weeks, months or even a year until I completely forgot about it. It's a silly thing to do though.
With Alex, he likes camping equipment and trust me the garage and the attic contain more of camping stuff than anything else. But like me, he could spend some time looking at various equipment not that he needs them. Men sometimes!!

OHH I was looking for MV to go with this post and I stumbled on this one from Akoni0829..The Taster's Choice bit was one of those I missed within the four years of seeing BYJ for the first time.. That's a lot of time to catch up, don't you think? It's not that I'm still looking..

Only in Britain

Since moving to England I was introduced to different ways of life which includes the food, culture, tradition, etc.

One particular aspect which surprised me in the beginning was the British humor. Personally I think it's bizarre. For one thing comedians in this country aren't afraid to speak up and of course take pleasure in making fun of anything under the sun.. if you are new and don't understand you will find it surreal or offensive. Well I suppose it's not everyone's cup of tea isn't it?? I'd like it to share this with you as at first I couldn't stomach it myself.

Let's look at some of the weirdest/funniest I come across.

1. I don't know if you heard about the 'Vicar of Dibley' but this sitcom about a female vicar was created by Richard Curtis who's also responsible for films 'Four Weddings and a Funeral', Love Actually', and 'Nottinghill'. I find this funny and worth watching although the character is far fetched sometimes however religion in Britain is viewed/practiced differently compared to other countries after all the monarch is the head of the church of England except for Catholicism.

2. Another program I follow is 'Have I Got News For You' which includes a panel of comedians in a question and answer program. It's hilarious when comedy wits gets thrown here and there and sometimes censorship..well ignored. Courtesy of BBC.

3. Nevermind the Buzzcocks is also a satirical quiz program with a panel of musicians and celebrities. I just saw the best ever episodes earlier and found out it's still so funny.

Click here for some familiar celebrity guest.

This is obviously a glimpse of British humor. If you are new , you will find it strange and simply offensive but if you live in this country and understand the culture you would just take it or leave it or perhaps take it with a pinch of salt.

My Joon Bear

Welcome to the UK my little friend.. you're so cute but precious.. I finally have one of these. Courtesy of a very special and thoughtful friend from Japan. I have never thought I'll get hold of BYJ stuffs. Thank you very much. I'm so grateful.

I hope you will enjoy your stay here, your Highness.

And yes, your suite has been prepared your grace..

err...you must be thinking I've gone dullaaly..oh well, just very happy..

Sorry I'm in a silly mood ;-)

BYJ's sunglasses-to wear or not to..

I wrote about BYJ's Hasselblad's last year and found out how much better it is compared to an ordinary DSLR. However we have seen him in pictures with this mega kit using his sunglasses.

Point 1. He always wear them in or out so I could only suspect they are prescription sunglasses otherwise he would have a big problem focusing on things around him.

Point 2. I take pictures myself with a DSLR and I have taken pictures with sunglasses during the day. But I tried the other night photographing the moon using shades just out of curiousity.

Exhibit 1. This picture was taken by me wearing sunglasses during the night using an Olympus digital camera so I relied on the LCD monitor to capture the moon. Result's fine.

Exhibit 2. This photo was taken using my Canon EOS using a 35-80 mm zoom lens at ISO 800.

Exhibit 3. The following photos were all taken during a bright sunny day wearing sunglasses

Point 4. Hasselblads are far sophisticated and it actually has the ability to correct any errors whilst taking the photo. It has ultra focus digital feedback and a monochrome LCD display on camera top-plate. 3in

TFT screen containing 230,400 pixels on digital back. Therefore looking at taken photos would be a lot easier and clearer with less distortion.

Point 5. For more concrete evidence please follow this link to find out more about the effects of sunglasses in photography.

Conclusion: These were all based on my personal experience using a digital single-lens reflex camera.

Findings may vary:0)

BYJ MV..

Dear Naomi came out with a new MV of the MBC awards.. Thank you so much.. Really cute this one..

Something French

A Polish friend of mine who is more mad about the arts, black and white photography, classical music and anything about culture (I remember he took us to a Wagner concert performed by Halle which made Alex appreciate classical music more, strange enough.) sent me this video of 'Mon Amie La Rose' performed by a Belgian singer Natascha Atlas. To be honest I don't know who she is but the English translation of this French song seem to be very meaningful that I'd like to share it with you. If you want to read about her just click here.

Mon Amie La Rose English Translation
We are truly insignificant
And that's what my friend the rose
Told me this morning

Verse 1:
I was born at dawn
Baptised in dew
I blossomed
In the rays of the sun
Happy and in love
I closed my petals at night
And when I awoke I was old.
Yet I had been beautiful
Yes, I was the most beautiful
Of all the flowers in your garden

Verse 2
See, the God that made me
Now makes me bow my head
And I feel I'm falling
And I feel I'm falling
My heart is almost bare
I have a foot in my grave
Already I am nothing
You admired me only yesterday
And I shall be dust
Forever, tomorrow
Chorus 2:
We are truly insignificant
And my friend the rose
Died this morning

Verse 3
Last night the moon
Kept vigil over my friend
And in a dream I saw
Her soul, dancing
Dazzling and naked,
Above the heavens,
Smiling on me.
Let those who can, believe
But I need Hope
Or else I am nothing.

Since I'm on this French subject already let me share this video of Carla Bruni. Surprise? I just like the melody plus she's iconic..what can I say.

Into the woods..

We went for a walk this morning in a cold, windy day. We visited the local nature reserve in our area. Since it's winter the greeneries were all gone. The pond was frozen and even the little pockets of water on the ground was frozen too. The plant below was underneath the frozen pond.

Reflection on ice...

Don't Forget...

I have become a recent fan of Annie Leibovitz after developing the enthusiasm for photography. If BYJ admires Bresson's work I personally admire Leibovitz with no less respect to the very respectable man..I am not going to discuss Annie's life since she's still around and you could read all about her everywhere but one of her works called 'Women' depicts what I feel at the moment. Unfortunately I am in a grieving state because Grandma passed away a couple of days ago which I'd rather not discuss in here openly but I hope that writing this post would hopefully ease what I feel at the moment.

I live in England and yes with my partner in life and new family but of course I do miss the Philippines especially my family and friends and what is sad is being away from them. Up to all these years I thought I have been strong but in times like this it's really difficult..

What made this day even more painful was when hubby and I came to visit his aunt. She is now in a Home to be looked after by carers because she is suffering from Dementia. If you don't know it, it's an illness of some old people wherein the memory becomes so bad that one starts to forget people, events and recall of the past get distorted, not only that one may have little strokes which could eventually cause death in the end. It's like a waiting game really.

We came to see her today after she has been moved. That's the thing here in England, if you are old and incapable to look after yourself you are place in a Home or a Unit where people could look after you. The problem is many families get used to it that they forget to visit their relatives and unfortunately see them when they are in a box.. It's harsh but it happens a lot of times.

It was difficult leaving her in there with a memory which seem to be shattered. She even forgot who I was and had a vague idea who Alex was. But it's a fact of life and although I was upset I have to start thinking she is well looked after and perhaps we, who are still able should never forget although we have been forgotten.

photos by Annie Leibovitz

Dream High!

I lifted this post from Suehan of Quilt about BYJ's newest project. Thank you very much.

BYJ & PJY's powers definitely!! Overwhelming Interests from AbroadInvestment proposals pouring in from the US and Japan on the co-production drama news
2009/01/08 07:11:14
Sports Hankook, Reporter Lee Jae Won jjstar@sportshankook.co.kr

Investment proposals are coming in continually from the US and Japan since Yonsama, Bae Yong Joon and Park Jin Young connected.
Signs of positive investment proposals are in the air as the news about their cooperation to produce the drama, Dream High (a tentative name) was reported. An official of Dream High said, "Investment proposals are coming in from abroad. It seems like it isn't necessary for us to worry much about the funds including production costs."

BYJ and PJY hit it off, and it resulted in joining their 4 bases in Korea, China, US, and Japan. Cooperation from Japan (BYJ), US and China (PJY) including Korea caused synergy effect since they had decided to produce Dream High jointly while both of them are major share holders of Keyeast and JYP.
Funds from overseas, which believe in PJY was approved his composition ability in US and BYJ standing at the top in Japan, starts to show their interests as they revealed their intentions to combine their strengths to produce Korean style killer contents. It'll be released not only in Korea, but Japan and China, even in the US when Dream High is being produced.Both plan to participate in casting and training of actors/actresses, sound, writing, composition, and arrangement jointly, and they even aim for the profits of additional business such as copyright of MD sound, filming sites, etc.
This makes overseas funds to expect more profits than their investments.An official of Dream High said, "They are the same age, born in 1972, meet quite often and empty their various ideas. From the creative ideas, to arrangement to divide profits reasonably, everything is processing rapidly without any problems." Dream High is aiming to be aired the first part of next year and is expected to start shooting within this year.

All the while I was thinking this is a new production and yes it is for BYJ but could it be an Asian version of High School Musical? I read the first post of Suehan and got the idea that new talents, singers and entertainers are to be recruited. Since it's a drama I expect funny spills, conflicts and much interesting plots.
Couple of months ago there was a launched of Britannia High here in England and if I'm not mistaken.. Take That's lead singer was one of those who did some scouting for young British actors.. Here's a trailer.



I expect BYJ's would be a lot, lot better ;-) and a bit from High School Musical.

under the weather

Hi folks... been under the weather again..one blow after the other but we move on ..don't we? Anyways glad Yong Joonssi is back.. Sometimes me and many sis probably worry where he goes and what he does. We become protective of this man but that's just being part of this one big family.. So there's a wedding this weekend??? yes, no?? pretty sure someone's getting married in a weekend so looking forward to seeing him out and about I suppose and take note sisters I like the new hair.. Is it me or it was cut short? It was short, was it.?? ok I have to get back under the duvet and get myself wrapped warm.. thank God the central heating got fixed today considering there was no problem according to the engineer.. I don't know.. Just thought this MV from a 'great gal' would lift the way I feel today after being given by my GP a big dose of anti... till then sisters. ;-)

A picture.. a picture

This is just one picture of him in the airport posted by Suehan in Quilt.. From the look of it the person who saw him meant he/she went back to Seoul on the same plane so BYJ must still be in Guam.. Sounds clear to me now.. just waiting for some more pics from somewhere but to be honest I don't mind not seeing a lot of him if he is resting ;-) OK???

winter wonderland????hardly

Hi sisters! It's been a cold week here in England and the ice from the previous teeny weeny snow, days ago didn't budge at all... Now that's saying something. Where I am at the moment we didn't have snow last year and when it did, it melted away .This time seem to be different. Apparently it was -10 degrees last night and we are expecting more cold nights ahead.Not that I complain too much since other countries really have piles of snow and harsh weather condition than us. We love to snow hard but it's never good anyway for transport and businesses. I suppose we couldn't have everything. I have to get active though otherwise I get lazy ;-)

So we went out today for food shopping and had to be careful since it's still slippery. After, we headed off to our favourite restaurant. Frankie and Bennys, a New York Italian Restaurant and Bar. The description made me wonder too...But never mind it's cozy and the food is very tasty.

I got myself a Mozzarella and Tomato Salad (feeling healthy). Not until I ordered a Barbecue Baby Back Spareribs with chips and had Cinnamon Wafer with ice cream.. I love it ;-) So not feeling the cold now.. just have to take it easy dinner time. Oh, wait a minute is the central heating on??? no wonder.