A few weekends ago, some of my closest friends joined my family and me on a little getaway. We booked an overnight stay at Retreat & Training Centre of Siar Beach, Lundu. I'm glad that we took some time out despite our piling assignments and upcoming midterm tests back then. I felt like we really needed to unwind for a short while.
Before checking in at the resort, we stopped by at Lundu Town to have lunch. We also visited the park for a short while.
Taking a stroll along the beach was calming and refreshing.
My friends and I played soccer at the sand-field provided there. It was all of us girls against the goalkeeper.
During our BBQ session, we made a surprise birthday celebration for two of our friends.
After an overnight stay, we checked out with tired bodies but happy faces.
I hope that there will be more chances for getaways like this to take place in the future. It's refreshing, fun, and uplifting.
I'm sure a lot of us, if not all, have come across many different versions of the quote above. Each person may interpret life in his or her own way. Sometimes, the closest interpretation that we can relate to depends on a particular situation or event. Therefore, there is no right or wrong interpretation, only relatable and non-relatable ones.
So, one of the quotes about life that I can personally relate to is "Life is like a roller-coaster.". One day, we're so uplifted that we feel like we're on top of the world, another day, we may feel so down as if there's no possible lower ground than the one we're at.
Therefore, I would like to share this brilliant quote by a pastor/ preacher/ author named Charles Rozell Swindoll (a.k.a Chuck Swindoll).
"Words can never adequately convey the incredible impact of our attitudes toward life. The longer I live, the more convinced I become that life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we respond to it." - Swindoll, C.R.
In a nutshell, it's not what happens to us that matters the most. It's how we respond to it.
I'm writing this post because there's something related to my personal interests (fandoms, to be exact) that has been bugging me. Well, it's more like something that some other people have done or portrayed. I'll be as fair as I can in elaborating and I'll keep the anonymity of the individuals or groups of people involved, but each event or incident that I'm going to mention here is for real.
So....my friends and family would most definitely know that I enjoy learning foreign cultures, particularly Asian cultures. To be even more specific, I absolutely adore Japanese and Korean cultures. Yes, both Japanese and Korean. Now, don't jump into conclusion and assume that I don't have the slightest care about my own culture or country. If you think so, man, you're dead wrong! I am proud of my country and constantly pray for its continuous growth and harmony. How can I easily turn my back on a land that has given me a chance to grow up in a peaceful and welcoming surrounding? Therefore, my interest in other cultures doesn't change my root as a Malaysian. It's simply that my interest (or you may call it hobby) is to learn about other cultures, especially in terms of languages and lifestyles. I see it as a positive thing as it helps me to expand the horizon of my knowledge and awareness on other parts of the world. It prevents me from being 'katak di bawah tempurung' [Literally: a frog under a coconut shell; Interpretation: someone who has absolutely no idea about the things outside of his or her own secluded space].
And let me tell you here that the hardest part about learning foreign cultures is not the unfamiliarity of the foreign cultures. The real hardest part to me is being bugged by skeptics or antis. Some people are just full of hatred, aren't they? Even worse, they choose to grow that hatred inside of them and eventually show it out to the public. How uncivilised! You might say that if the antis are being a pain in the neck, why not just ignore them? That's exactly what I had been doing in the beginning. I figured that those antis are definitely not worthy of my time and attention. But I'm sorry, my patience isn't as high as Mount Everest or as wide as the Atlantic Ocean. I can tolerate some rudeness or unprofessionalism but not when it's too much.
Now, let's get to the specific incidents that I would like to address, shall we?
--Haters at Public Performances--
It's usually not an issue at all when the event is by only one act or many acts from the same genre. In fact, you can see the warmth and unity among the audience members at this kind of event. The problem arises when it's an event with a mixture of acts, genres, or places of origin. Let me ask you this. What is the original purpose of going to a concert? The most sensible answer would be to enjoy the show, right? That's why organisers hold concerts in the first place. It's for music lovers to unwind and see the performers live on stage. It's really unfortunate to see how low someone can act just to express his or her dissatisfaction towards others who haven't even done anything wrong. If someone doesn't like a particular performance during a concert, that someone should just clench his/ her fist and bear it throughout the performance. But to 'passionately' shout "boo~", show thumbs-down, throw garbage or other items towards the stage, all WHILE the artists concerned are performing...that's just so thoughtless and childish. Nobody forces anyone to like every performer. Just keep your basic manner. It's as simple as that.
--Antis on Social Network--
This group of people are, without a doubt, attention-seekers. First of all, being an anti (or hater) is already a negative thing that shows one's narrow state of mind. Please be clear here that antis are those who truly HATE someone or something, not those who harmlessly DISLIKE them. Secondly, these people, knowingly or unknowingly, call out for attention from the whole world by bashing or insulting whoever they're dissatisfied with on social network. Sadly, some of my own acquaintances are like this. I've seen posts and comments like [*rephrased/ translated but with the same meanings*]"...plastic idols...", "...go back to your own place...", "...waste of money and time...", "...delusional fans...", "...pretty faces with no talents...", etc. Those are pretty accusative and presumptive words, don't you think? Shame on those who have stated such things on public platforms! What bugs me more is that all of the negative comments are proclaimed based on the antis' substance-less ASSUMPTIONS only. I mean, have you actually checked out their full performances, trainings, and documentaries? Have you done your research on what they had to face (and for how long) before debuting? Have you tried to see and greet them in person? Have you surveyed why their fans support them so much? And...do you even know who they really are? (i) Expressing your honest opinions and (ii) recklessly mortifying others are two different things that every mentally sane human should be able to differentiate.
--Disfavouritism by Influential Personalities--
Influential personalities refer to individuals who have regular followers, supporters, or fanbase. They can be celebrities, socialites, gurus, bloggers, and such. What these people have that is so valuable is power in their words and actions. The public listens to what they have to say and watches their actions. Good things are great to share but controversial and sensitive things are better discussed in more private platforms. Just because you're angered by certain incidents, that doesn't give you the right to forcefully retaliate against specific people (or country?). Are you expecting your followers to blindly fight your fight along with you? It's just so unprofessional to go as far as badmouthing others even if there have been past incidents that may have made you feel irritated or upset. You have good intentions, I believe so. But how you choose to act or react mirrors your depth of rationality and your heart's true content. Especially when you're a public figure, your simple words or actions can greatly influence other people, particularly the youngsters. So, please please please be more aware of your choice of words before attacking a particular person or group of people.
It's tiring to keep telling my side of the story with regards to the assumptions and perceptions made by non-fans of particular individuals or groups. I usually let it slip but when someone is far off track, I feel that I have to do something in my attempt to save his/ her soul from further demonic-like sentiments. *Dramatic word-usage mode, on!*
If haters at public performances act the way they do with the so-called reason to protect their country's own music industry, what does that make me? Am I a liar when I say that I love my country even though I'm a big fan of J-pop and K-pop?
If antis on social network claim that so-and-so is not worthy of our support, what does that make me? Am I oblivious for finding joy and comfort in foreign entertainment?
If influential personalities who are supposed to be the wise and knowledgeable ones show obvious disfavouritism towards a certain genre or even culture, what does that make me? Am I the foolish one for liking to learn a foreign culture, left alone at least two foreign cultures?
Just stop with the aggressive or passive-aggressive hating and choose the more mature actions. I like what I like, you like what you like. I don't ever want to put you down for what you're interested in, so please don't bring negativity into the picture. Just stay away from the subject matter if all you have to say is your spirit-breaking, fun-killing, conclusion-jumping opinion. Don't rain on someone else's parade. It's shallow. You're better than that.
♪ 이젠 널 지울게.. 다 버릴게.. 지난 추억에서 보내줄게.. I don't know why-y-y-y.. Please tell me why-y-y-y.. 왜 넌 항상 또 그 자리에.. ♫
[My rough translation:] I'll erase you now.. I'll throw it all away.. I'll send you away from past memories.. I don't know why-y-y-y.. Please tell me why-y-y-y.. Why are you always there..
The lines above have been playing in my mind over and over again for a few days. They're from a new song called 'Sadness' by a K-pop/ Mandarin pop group called Mystical Formula (M4M). The one I'm particularly referring to right now is the Korean version. There's also a Mandarin version of the song. I don't exactly know why but this song has been on my playlist since the day it was released. In fact, my phone is playing the exact song on repeat as I'm typing this now. I have also been listening to this song while driving to campus and back home. You can say that I've been intoxicated by this song. Haha...it's kind of true. The song is catchy and upbeat in a way that intrigues my musical interest. The official music video for the song is in Mandarin. A few days after the release of the music video, M4M performed the Korean version of the song on Mnet's M!Countdown. The group also performed the Korean version at its debut showcase the day before. When I watched a video of the M!Countdown performance, I was blown away by how good the group performed the song live, along with the dancing routine.
The official music video in Mandarin version
Live performance of the Korean version
Considering that this group is a fresh rookie group, the members seem to have tremendous talents as well as charm. The fact that this new group has been diligently trained by Cube Entertainment, my favourite entertainment agency, adds to its charm. Of course, I can't simply like a group or a soloist just because they come from my favourite agency. I usually check them out first and give them a chance. I think it has a lot to do with personal preferences on the styles and concepts of music. Cube's style just fits me. It is important to mention here that this group is not completely under Cube Entertainment. It's a collaboration between South Korea's Cube Entertainment and China's Starry Sky Entertainment.
I've been considering to purchase 'Mystery Formula', M4M's first mini album, but I don't think it has been released as physical album in South Korea yet. I'm not even sure if there will be a physical release of the album in South Korea. They would probably release it in China only. But then, I can't be so sure about this yet since M4M hasn't had its official debut showcase in China. Very soon, though. The members will depart to China and debut there. I don't know how often they will promote in both South Korea and China, but I hope that they will promote in South Korea actively too because I want to see them on South Korean music shows. ^^ All the best to Mystical Formula!
And guess what...?
It's BTOB's first anniversary~~~!!
Weddings are amongst the most joyous events ever. When you attend a friend's or a relative's wedding ceremony or reception, you can't help but to feel happy even merely as a guest. Imagine how happy the bride and groom are! Of course, as happy as the bride and groom may be, at least one of them would feel nervous for some reasons, and having to deliver a wedding speech in front of the guests, for instance, can be one of the good reasons. As the bride or (more typically) the groom, one might get the tingling feeling of having butterflies in the stomach before delivering your speech.
So, for Tom Fletcher, who is the frontman of McFly, a boy band from the U.K that I adore, his turn was in May last year when he got married to beautiful Giovanna. Tom isn't the kind of person who looks forward to public speaking, so instead of saying out his speech, he sang it. And he did it wonderfully.
Tom uploaded the video of his wedding speech on his YouTube channel about two months ago. I finally got to watch it and I couldn't help but to smile and also go "aww..." for these reasons:
1) I smiled because Tom creatively made a rendition of six McFly's songs as his speech by using the songs' tunes but wittily changed the lyrics to express how he really felt.
2) I also smiled because some of the lines that came out were funny yet fitting.
3) I went "aww..." because Tom's words through his singing really reflected his gratitude towards everyone who had been there for him.
4) I also went "aww..." because Tom was able to be so sincere and on-point when he reached the parts about his band mates (Harry, Dougie, and Danny), his parents, and parents-in-law. :')
Tom made use of the songs 'Obviously', 'Star Girl' 'Sorry's Not Good Enough', 'Room on the 3rd Floor', 'The Heart Never Lies', and 'All About You'. My top favourite McFly songs are in the list! I think McFly's fans are able to relate to the video more meaningfully since the song tunes are familiar to us, but non-fans will be able to see the beauty of this special wedding speech too.
This is the video of Tom's wedding speech:
0:25 - 1:37 --- Rendition of 'Obviously' as the opening of Tom's speech
1:38 - 2:43 --- Rendition of 'Star Girl' as the speech to Tom's ushers, Gi's brother, the tailor, McFly's manager
2:44 - 4:56 --- Rendition of 'Sorry's Not Good Enough' as the speech to Gi's bridesmaids, sister, Tom's sister
4:57 - 6:50 --- Rendition of 'Room on the 3rd Floor' as the speech to fellow McFly members
6:51 - 10:17 --- Rendition of 'The Heart Never Lies' as the speech to Tom's parents and Gi's parents
10:21 - End --- Rendition of 'All About You' as the speech to Giovanna the bride
Here are the music videos for each of the mentioned McFly's songs:
Obviously
Star Girl
Sorry's Not Good Enough
Room on the 3rd Floor
The Heart Never Lies
All About You
So, what do you think of Tom's speech?
I personally adore it. He was being sincere, creative, and funny throughout his song-speech. How lovely!
Now, I feel like heading to the music store to buy more McFly CDs or DVDs. I hope this amazing band will receive more attention and love from people all around the world.
In term of their personal lives, I hope that they're always happy with the ones they love. So far, two of them (Tom and Harry) are married. Tom tied the knot in May 2012. For Harry, it was in December 2012. Even if they face hardships, I hope they'll stay strong and shout out "Aaa...I'll be okay~" like one of their songs.
I'm on one of the articles on MSN Malaysia! Hahahaha...
Well, it's not a big deal since it's a brief article that compiles some of the entries for Golden Disk Awards (GDA) in Malaysia last time. As one of the sponsors of GDA, MSN held a contest, where K-pop fans were asked to impress them through creative photos and prove that they're the biggest K-pop supporters. I wasn't one of the winners. The odd of winning was low considering that only three out of over 500 participants were to be chosen. But there was another benefit of joining apart from the mere chance to win, in my personal view. By participating, I felt like it was one way to channel my passion for K-pop with a touch of creativity. Plus, it was fun! But the clearing up part was not too fun since it was way past midnight when I completed my 'photoshoot'. LOL I almost decided to just sleep in the midst of my K-pop albums and merchandises on the bed. Nevertheless, I'm glad I participated because I see it as a way for me to polish my talent skill as a fan.
Since MSN was so impressed (They said it la, not me.) by the passion and creativity of K-pop fans in Malaysia, MSN compiled a number of the entries (24 entries, to be exact) and show them in an article entitled "MSN readers impress with K-pop love for GDA contest".
I screenshot the part with my submission to show that I participated and that MSN was freakin' impressed with my submission that they decided to show it to the world.
I captioned this picture as "...and the princess lives happily in her prosperous K-pop kingdom". I snapped this in my actual room.
As you can see, clearing up the items from my bed and keeping them back in their respective boxes wouldn't be easy.
2012 Asia Super Showcase in Malaysia [Fan Account included]
Remember that I bought a V.I.P. Zone ticket for this showcase last time? The time was finally coming! BTOB in Malaysia~~~! Woohoo~! You know what? I think I'll make a short fan account on the showcase, then include a few pictures below. I never got to make my fan account. Yup, terribly busy!
[FAN ACCOUNT] 121211 - 2012 Asia Super Showcase (Melody's POV)
Since the venue of the showcase was in Kuala Lumpur (KL), I had to take a flight from Kuching to KL. I (with my family) had to go for an afternoon flight on the same day of the showcase. It would be better to depart earlier but I had a presentation in the morning. So, right after the presentation at campus, I dashed back home to change and my uncle sent us to the airport. We weren't late for boarding at all. In fact, the flight was delayed for almost half an hour! >.< I usually wouldn't mind a slight delay but that day was different. I needed to rush to claim my showcase ticket as soon as possible. I tried to remain calm because freaking out wouldn't make me magically transport myself to KL in a blink of an eye, would it?
So, when we reached the airport in KL, dad and I went to the taxi ticketing booth while mom and my sisters went to get our luggage. When we got in the taxi (which was a van, actually, since a taxi could carry maximum four passengers only and there were five of us) and directed the driver to bring us to Kenanga Wholesale City, the venue of the showcase. I wasn't in a rush to actually enter the showcase venue yet because I bought a ticket with numbered seating. However, I needed to get my showcase ticket first. After getting my ticket, we were sent to our hotel by the driver to check in. A funny (and quite stressful) incident happened when we were on our way up the elevator. The maximum capacity of the elevator was three people but all five of us got in with our luggage, thinking that it would be alright. The next thing we knew, the elevator doors wouldn't open when we reached our floor. Dad called the receptionist and seconds later, the doors opened. Without resting, right after we dropped off our stuff at our room, we rushed back out to go to the showcase venue. (Yes, my family members went to the showcase venue too just to have a walk around because the venue was also a shopping mall.) This time, we didn't go by taxi but we went there by monorail. Rushing to the nearest monorail station without slowing down was tiring but we had to keep going.
This is the fanboard that I made and brought along to the showcase.
It reads "I only know BTOB", derived from BTOB's song, 'I Only Know Love".
Once we reached the venue after walking non-stop, I was so drained but I got some of my energy back when I saw the V.I.P. entrance. I waved goodbye to my family members and went in. There were already a lot of fans in the venue. Even though I got a V.I.P. seat, it was quite unfortunate as the seat number that I got was among the furthest from the stage within the V.I.P. Zone. Oh well...I just got to live it. So, I waited patiently along with everyone else as there were minutes left to the start of the showcase. We could hear occasional screaming from the audience whenever they thought they saw glimpse of idols backstage. LOL I can totally relate.
The audience waiting for the showcase to start
So, the first group to go on stage was the group I went there for. BTOB!!! OMG OMG OMG... BTOB members were really on stage in front of my freakin' eyes! They appeared on the stage with their intro song, 'Born to Beat'. I screamed so much but I tried to cool down so that I could enjoy their performance as much as possible. I swear I was crying in joy inside, but on the outside, I was far too excited. I could see BTOB! I could see sweetie Eun Kwang! The boys sounded so great live. Even their presence was beyond amazing.
After their intro song, the music for 'I Stole Those Lips (Irresistible Lips)' was heard. They performed that song so energetically.
Then, the upbeat feel was halted for a while as BTOB performed their balladry song, 'Imagine'. The meaning behind the song is just honest and disturbing (in a strangely good way). Click here to see the meaning of 'Imagine'.
'Imagine'
The next song was 'I Only Know Love (Lover Boy)'. The song has such catchy chorus and mid-verses [*I just confidently created this term.*], in my opinion. I like the choreography too.
After 'I Only Know Love (Lover Boy)', BTOB had a talk session. Each member introduced himself. One of the fanservice-like thing that made fans squeal was when Min Hyuk was about to introduce himself. The boys were sweating so much after the dancing and partly because of the humid weather. Just as Min Hyuk started to speak, Chang Seob who stood next to him wiped Min Hyuk's sweat. Aww...how sweet! They then smiled and laughed. Peniel, the English speaker of the group, stated that Malaysia is just so beautiful and he would love to visit Malaysia again for a non-performing-related vacation. Min Hyuk also stated that Malaysia is a country that he would always go back to. The MC asked BTOB to sing an acapella, so they sang the chorus of 'Monday to Sunday'.
BTOB's talk session
The next song by BTOB was 'My Girl'. OMG I love this song! It's an easy-going, love-confessing song and it has a beautiful acoustic guitar intro music. The song doesn't have a particular choreography, so the boys walked around the stage to get closer to the audience. Of course, fans started to scream so much and the screaming could be heard even with the song's music being played. From my place, I could see Peniel taking a selca on stage using a fan's polaroid camera. *Not jealous, not jealous* The members looked straight into some fans' eyes when they got closer. Towards the end of the beautiful song, Eun Kwang even sat at the edge of the main stage and swayed his feet like an adorable child. Why?????!!!!!! *Mental breakdown*
Then, BTOB performed their debut title track, 'Secret (Insane)'. Malaysian fans must have been most familiar with the fan chants of this song because they chanted so loudly and clearly. *Proud* At the second last chorus of the song, there was a technical problem and the music suddenly stopped. BTOB kept singing and fans' chanting accompanied BTOB's singing, making the rest of the song sound seemingly better that the one with background music.
BTOB Hyun Sik: "You make me go insane.."
Fans: "Sane!"
BTOB Hyun Sik: "Give me so much pain.."
Fans: "Pain!"
BTOB Hyun Sik: "I won't be back again.."
(While BTOB Min Hyuk rapped..) BTOB Sung Jae: "I wanna hate you.."
BTOB Eun Kwang: "You make me go insane.."
Fans: "Sane!"
BTOB Eun Kwang: "Give me so much pain.."
Fans: "Pain!"
BTOB Eun Kwang: "I won't be back again...~~" *Then, he stopped and giggled.*
*Even more proud*
The MC came out and BTOB had an interview session. BTOB answered a few randomly picked questions from a box. An interpreter was on stage too.
[P/S - I might rephrase the sentences but the points remain the same.]
Question: How would you spend a day in Malaysia?
BTOB Eun Kwang: "One day wouldn't be enough. I would spend two days here." *Fans, including me, screamed and cheered.*
BTOB Sung Jae: (To audience) "Would you like to spend a night with me?" *WTH Sung Jae! Don't even start! You're the youngest member!*
Question: What is your ideal type of girl?
BTOB Hyun Sik: (In English) "Beautiful girls!" *While moving his hand in the audience's direction with a wide cheeky-ish smile on his face*
The MC asked Il Hoon to do his famous Kiyeomi Player (Cutie Player). Three fans, who were selected way before the showcase started, were called on stage to do the Kiyeomi Player with him. You can watch how Il Hoon's Kiyeomi Player looks like in a fan-recorded video of the showcase below.
Cute, right?
BTOB then performed their last song for the night, 'Wow'. It was "wow" indeed. There were still EXO-M and the main act, Super Junior-M left for the rest of the showcase but I already used up my energy on BTOB. Haha... I enjoyed EXO-M and Super Junior-M's performances too. Oh ya, I was standing on my chair throughout the showcase. So, my legs were absolutely sore and aching. Other fans did the same. I met a new friend, an Exotic (EXO's fan) whose seat was next to mine.
Fans went crazy because of the three groups.
The full song list of the showcase
After the showcase ended, I waited for a while with my new friend because a lot of people were waiting for the elevators. When we reached downstairs and went out, I met my family members who were waiting outside. It turned out that there were quite a number of parents and family members waiting outside the mall throughout the showcase. Mom said that they could hear fans' screaming even though the showcase venue was 15 floors above and in an indoor location. We made our way back to the hotel. I was beyond tired. To add to that, I had to complete my university assignment and part of my degree thesis. How hectic, right? I just have to be strong and keep going.
After the showcase ended
My showcase ticket
.. [End of Fan Account] ..
My flight back home was two days earlier than the rest of my family. I had to go back early because I had so many university stuff to do. Back at home in Kuching, grandma and my little cousin stayed over.
The rest of my family went to shopping malls around KL while they were still there.
Dad saw BTOB's standee in one of the malls, took a picture of it, and WhatsApp'ed me the picture. He even posted the picture on his Facebook wall, making people think that he's a fan too. LOL
Victoria's Early Birthday Surprise
It's like a customary among my circle of closest friends to hold surprise birthday celebrations. It's getting harder to come up with a potentially successful surprise each time. For Vic's birthday, we planned to make an early birthday surprise.
Vic is a huge fan of Manchester United. So, that explains the theme of the cupcakes and gift.
Christmas
Our area's Catholic community went from one house to another for Christmas carols.
Christmas tree
Christmas carol at our house
Bambi, Our New 'Family Member'
My sister's friend had quite a number of dogs and puppies at her home. She was giving away a few puppies. Bambi, a playful and unladylike female puppy, was given to us. She was born in October 2012. Her favourite food is fried chicken.
Meet Bambi.
Family Gathering Dinner
My uncle, who's my dad's youngest brother, was coming to Kuching after a while with his wife and son. We had a family dinner at a restaurant since it's hard for all of us to gather together at other times.
My uncle, aunt, and youngest cousin
Yes, this picture is blurry and can't be fixed.
My nephew (cousin's son) didn't want to stay still. Haha...
