K-Pop fandom as one unity

I've been thinking of writing about this topic for a while now and now hopefully after writing this post I hope a lot of you can relate or learn something as K-pop fans. Whether you just got in K-pop or you've been a fan of it for a while, you probably have faced (or heard about) this issue , that is a fan war.

Here's what I first think of when it comes to fan wars. I hate it. It's like the online version of World War II. People would just storming down the comment section with hatred on K-pop groups aside from their favourite ones. I especially feel hurt or annoyed when I see non SuJu fans saying that Super Junior doesn't deserve to be in the nomination list on an award event or in even win in an award event. It's like they think that the K-pop group/ artist they love is the best in the world and the others have to run away or bow down before them. Yes, there are competitions but you don't have malign on the other artists who have worked as hard as your group.

In fact,  I see fan wars as a form of cyber-bullying.

I see some negative posts from fans of a certain K-pop group who criticize (more like insult) on other K-pop groups. How did this happen? Why can't they just respect one another? Just because the K-pop group have achieved something doesn't mean they're the one who should be blamed for. You can't even blame the fans because they've worked so hard voting as many times as they can to support their favourite Korean stars.
I was indeed in shock when I saw this screenshot.

There's even "black ocean" that has happened to Girls' Generation, Lovelyz, and Seventeen.
Girls' Generation talks about their infamous 'ten minute black ocean' incident
Seventeen were the victims of the notorious 'black ocean'during their 'MAMA' performance?
Lovelyz fall victim to the 'black ocean' during their performance at the Pepsi concert?

0.0 What on earth happened to these groups??? It's like a blackout! Don't you love them in the first place? Don't you want to light up your sticks till the end of the the concert? What? What the heck? D:

I mean every star in the K-pop industry has given everything they got to create new, unique and entertaining content for us to enjoy. And this is what you're giving in return? Is this what you want? Is this what they want? Both K-pop groups and fans don't deserve to be treated like this! Every one deserves a chance to win something! To get credit! To make history! Why would you create an anti fan group to destroy other talented artists? That's just immature and disrespectful! K-pop stars, young and old, have looked up to one another as role models and mentors. They like to see one another climbing to the peak and carve their names in the sky so that people can know them and cheer for them.

What's even worse is that negative criticism can hurt the celebrity himself/herself and eventually his/ her spirits will be torn apart. Bullying other fans can also turn physical. Like what happened with this poor Super Junior fan (ELF) shared online.

"I was scrolling through my twitter and someone re-shared a post about a group of EXO-l at a school who has been physically abusing ELF who said that SuJu is still standing strong in the Kpop world and that they made Kpop that big.

I am so tired of hearing & reading about ELF getting tortured" (Facebook, 2016). 

Seriously?? She's voicing out on what she believes in! She's standing her ground! Why would you beat her up? The K-pop group have good qualities and you're proud of them. Why don't you be happy for others too?

And hey! It's a 100% fact! Without Super Junior, K-pop won't even exist today!

K-POP FANS. WE HAVE TO STOP THESE KIND OF BEHAVIOUR. EVEN IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT, THE KOREAN STARS WHO HAVE GONE THROUGH THICK AND THIN WON'T BE HAPPY IF YOU TREAT OTHERS LIKE GARBAGE. 

Instead of finding out that we've lost a competition, we should be happy for the winner. We should show good sportsmanship. Like the video above when Super Junior carried Huh Gak, the soloist, and bounced him up and down happily. This is what we are missing nowadays.

I've come across a recent article on Kim Heechul and this quote touches me.

“I don’t pay attention to the number of people who like or hate me, and I will continue to show my candid nature like I have up until now,” Kim Heechul firmly stated. “I believe this is the basis of how I can bring joy to everyone" (Kang, 2016). 

Kim Heechul Talks About How He Approaches Fame + Increasing Number of Fans and Haters

Damn! That's some wise advice there! He loves doing his job and he knows he has fans who love the things he do.
Yeah! That's right! You go, Cinderella! Just be you! :D

I figure that those who start a fan war are those who are afraid of letting their favourite K-pop artists down. I mean, we all do, right? We all want the best for the Korean singers we choose to love and cheer for. But, what I mean is that those who plan a fan war are hating on other K-pop stars to the extreme. They would fight for which K-pop star(s) is the best and attack each other with spears of malice. What's next? Presenting a Korean sensation's comeback with a blanket of darkness?What happen to the colour of pride and harmony? If fan wars affect someone, what happens to the unity of K-pop stans who share their interest, passion, enthusiasm, and curiosity in Korean culture?

Instead of being cynical, we should at least say congrats to the winner. And don't be sarcastic when saying it! That celebrity has been on a rocky journey, undergoing a transformation from a clump of gas into a shining star. And if the artist you're rooting for didn't win, there's loads of opportunities ahead with the trophy waiting for him or her to have. You don't have to bad mouth about the winner.

In fact, not all people in this world choose K-pop as their kind of music. You should be blessed that you got introduced to K-pop. Whether you got to know about this music genre from friends or YouTube, you should be happy that you're welcomed to the K-pop fandom.

So, let's stop the hate. And spread love. 
Yes. Love. 

And I do not mean by cupid-shot, intimate love. I'm talking about a simple, positive gesture or attitude that puts a smile on a person's face and ease at heart.
In fact, here's a crazy idea.
Try saying "I love you" or "Saranghae" or any other languages translated from these three English words to a fan from another fan club. You may have said "I love you" before to your friends or fellow fan-mates or even to your favourite K-pop group or even your bias, but I don't think not many of you got to say "I love you" to fans of a different K-pop group or solo artist. The reason why you can do this is because those people commit their time and energy to love a person who was once a nobody. Thanks to a large group of people called fans, that person is recognized and respected in the K-pop world. That person represents Korea as hope for the future of music.
If "I love you" is a little too mushy for you, then "thank you" would be a better phrase to say to a different fan. K-pop fans should be thanked for being with the artists all this time, just like how they've thanked us fans for believing that they can achieved something.

Yeap! You say it, Shindong!

Toes curling! But hey, it does feel good!

We're humans. We're different. We have our own opinions and preferences. We choose that talent to be a part of our lives. We shouldn't be brainwashed by jealousy or anger or any other negative emotions. Because K-pop fandom is pretty intense, it is guarded by a Libra that will either balance or collapse. Let's not battle. In turn, let's celebrate. Celebrate for more things our K-pop kings and queens, princes and princesses, to come.

Cheers!

***

Works Cited

 J. (2014, March 17). Girls' Generation talk about their infamous 'ten minute Black Ocean' incident.           Retrieved November 20, 2014, from http://www.allkpop.com/article/2014/03/girls-generation-             talk-about-their-infamous-ten-minute-black-ocean-incident 

 J. (2015, December 6). Lovelyz fall victim to the 'black ocean' during their performance at the Pepsi         Concert? Retrieved November 20, 2016, from http://www.allkpop.com/article/2015/12/lovelyz-           fall-victim-to-the-black-ocean-during-their-performance-at-the-pepsi-concert 

 Kang, E. (2016, November 17). Kim Heechul Talks About How He Approaches Fame Increasing             Number of Fans and Haters. Retrieved November 19, 2016, from                                          
      http://www.soompi.com/2016/11/17/kim-heechul-talks-approaches-fame-increasing-number-fans-       haters/ 

 S. (2015, December 4). Seventeen were the victims of the notorious 'black ocean' during their                   'MAMA' performance? Retrieved November 20, 2016, from                                                                   http://www.allkpop.com/article/2015/12/seventeen-were-the-victims-of-the-notorious-black-               ocean-during-their-mama-performance 

[110930] Huh Gak WIN Super Junior Celebration Kyuhyun Sing Hello(Huh Gak Song) @Music              Bank [Video file]. (2011, September 30). In YouTube. Retrieved November 20, 2016, from                  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zd1ejlbGrj0

Creativity in Teaching (Inspired by Yoriko Sensei and Prince EA)

“I call school to the stand and accuse him of killing creativity, individuality and being intellectually abusive.” (Spoken Word Artist "Sues School Systems in Viral Video", 2016). 

I was blown away with this Teens React video about Prince EA's "I Just Sued The School System" video. And I was blown away again when I watched the original. It was definitely an eye opener.

The school system hasn't changed. This is true. Kids are forced to learn the same subjects through hard-copy textbooks and the traditional exam concept (e.g. multiple choice and essays). And the teachers would just follow the format of using the textbooks. Even for students like me who hate subjects like math, science, history and so forth, are forced to insert information into their brains from a typical classroom setting. And in the end, those knowledge will either wither away or remain. This is just boring. Teachers need to come up with different ideas. They need to come up with their ideas.

Our brains are linked with our hearts. Every human wants to fill their minds with the things they're passionate about and they want to learn more from the things they're interested in to improve their skills and to prepare for their ambitions. They need unique ways to remember and apply what they've learnt for their ideal plans for their future. If you're a nursing student but you need an English literature prerequisite, that just makes no sense!

In fact, teachers are encouraged to explore creativity for students. They should try not to use textbooks (even though college textbooks are upgraded every year or two) and focus on new ways to make students understand about a topic or anything else. For example, my former Japanese teacher, Yoriko Sensei, ditches the Genki textbook (Japanese textbooks used in most colleges here in Canada) and encourages her students to learn new Japanese words and grammar just by asking her or be involved in conversation practices. Whenever a student asked Yoriko sensei on how to say a particular question such as "how to get there?" or "how much is a piece of candy?", she would immediately give the answer to the whole class and allow them to practice asking the question and answering it. Students in her class are inspired by the way anime characters speak, but in real life, Japanese people don't really speak like anime characters do. So instead, Yoriko Sensei is happy to teach her students the correct way of speaking specific lines.

Genki textbooks include different ways of speaking to people. For example, the second Genki textbook teaches us certain words or phrases to speak in front of people with high status or speak about people with high status. It's like another set of etiquette to talk with Japanese people. I mean, I get that Japanese speech is categorized into formal and informal speeches, but with these extras rules of speech...is just so frustrating! The Genki textbooks also include characters and we are forced to learn about the lives of the characters in the printed text. It's like the writers of the textbooks want their words to be inscribed into our minds. What are we? Zombies?

Yoriko Sensei, to my relief, changed the old teaching method. She assigned her students to draw their own manga so that they can use Japanese words and grammar to describe or tell stories about their own lives instead of using the characters' stories from the textbooks. I love that she uses art to help students to memorize and apply new Japanese words.

That is why Yoriko Sensei inspires me to create my own teaching methods when I get to teach English after I graduate. I'm thinking of using Youtube videos like vlogs from Simon And Martina's channel.

Simon and Martina 

This lovely Canadian couple has lived in Seoul for 7 years, and they have recently moved to Tokyo, Japan earlier this year. They have posted amazing videos on food, travel, K-pop, anime, games, cooking tutorials, and a whole lot more. They even got to experiment a long list of weird Asian products! In their "Eat Your Sushi" segment, they shared their stories on their days in Japan and tested their Japanese knowledge through little challenges/games. So their videos give me an idea for Yoriko's class. I wonder if she'll let me to use my idea of showing Simon and Martina's videos in her class...because I'm volunteering to help out with her class starting this Wednesday and I want to at least contribute something.

Oh! And I just remember this video posted by my favourite Malaysian Youtuber 'Jinnyboytv". It's called "The Class Clown" and this is a great example of what an unforgettable teacher is supposed to be.

The Indian teacher, who is the protagonist of this short film, drops the textbook and dresses up as historical figures (mostly Malaysian ones). This is a unique way to teach students about history! This is embarrassing, but awesome! Students like humourous teachers! Such role model can change a student's view on a subject as well! The protagonist even says, "Nowadays students may forget what they see, but they'll never forget how you make them feel" ("The Class Clown", 2012). He even asks his students to call him by his first name!

What the students won't forget the most is how the teacher shows them about something instead of how he tells them. Show instead of tell!

Anyway, I can see why teachers are valuable in this world. It's not fair that teaching is one of the world's low-paying jobs. Prince Ea said in his video that "a great teacher can reach the heart of a kid". A student's job is to be built and inspired by a teacher to be inquisitive and inventive. They need to learn things that will help prepare them for the next step of their life, i.e., college, career, intimate relationships, and family. "Students may be only 20% of the population, they are 100% for our future", and I totally agree ("I Just Sued The School System, 2016).

Schools don't teach everything so students have to learn a lot of stuff on their own. I remember my sisters talked about my grandfather telling them that you won't be applying the stuff you've learnt from school in real life because schools only teach certain things but there's still a galaxy of knowledge you have to know.

And even until now, students would still study Spartan style, especially in Asia. Cho Kyuhyun, who is my favourite member from a K-pop group called Super Junior, reflected on how much he had suffered from studying too much and being a genius in his school. Since his dad is an education representative and founder of institutions in Korea and Taiwan, Kyuhyun felt that he had to score straight A's including math. Even when he gradually struggle in math back in high school, he still tried his best to score the best mark he could obtain. And even he has become a celebrity (singer, MC, idol judge, musical performer, etc.), he still applied for a Masters degree program back in the year 2014. That was just impressive.

But what I'm saying is that every student has "different strengths [and] dreams" (Prince Ea, 2016). You can't just squeeze as many lemons as you can in one jar, because it eventually will overflow. "One size [doesn't fit] all" after all (2016). "Common core" should be abandoned and debates on whether "art or dance" is important should be forgotten (2016). It doesn't matter what interest a person has. Art or dance? They're both important! People need to express themselves through creativity to inspire others! Every field of interest is important in order for each individual to make a change.

Like he said, "if we can customize health care, cars, and Facebook pages, then it is our duty to do the same for education to upgrade and change" (2016).

Prince Ea's view on education, in my opinion, should be known by teachers today. "Every child has a gift", and we should allow them to use their talents to create something that will shape the future of this world ("Prince EA React to Teens React to The School System", 2016). We, in fact, are teachers ourselves. Teachers don't have to be from schools. Teachers can be parents and friends. We have to teach kids to have fun learning as a way for them to understand the world better and to allow them to have visions in order to craft solutions for the next generation. We wouldn't want to see them as "fish being judged by how well they can climb a tree", but as fish that can use their own abilities to survive and inspire others.

I hope you would be inspired by this post as well. I'll see you in the next post! :)


References

Chow, Andy. "Spoken Word Artist "Sues" School Systems in Viral Video." Wksu.org. N.p., 8 Oct.

           2016. Web. 31 Oct. 2016.

I JUST SUED THE SCHOOL SYSTEM!!! Perf. Prince EA. N.p., 26 Sep 2016. Web. 31 Oct. 2016.

Japanese House Tour! Perf. Simon and Martina. Simon and Martina, 6 May 2016. Web. 31 Oct. 

           2016. 

Prince EA Reacts to TEENS REACT TO THE SCHOOL SYSTEM. Perf. Prince EA. N.p., 31 Oct.

           2016. Web. 31 Oct. 2016.

TEENS REACT TO THE SCHOOL SYSTEM. Perf. Anahita, Darius, Makena, Sydney, Alicia,

           Bryson, Brooklin, Luis, Nora, and Eric. Fine Brothers Entertainment, 30 Oct. 2016. Web. 31

           Oct. 2016.

The Class Clown. Perf. Prakash Daniel. Jinnyboytv, 13 May 2012. Web. 31 Oct. 2016.

The Aesthetic of Asian Culture (How K-Pop Has Influenced Me)

Aesthetic. I first approach this word not only from K-pop fan pictures on Twitter on comparing idols to food, but also from this semester's lectures and readings. But in this post, I'm not gonna talk about art itself. Instead, I'm gonna share my view on how K-pop has caused me to embrace my Asian self as well as acknowledge that Asians are now taking over the world and we need a lot more to make Asian culture noticeable.

Back when I was a kid, all I wanted was to master in English. Not anything else. Just the English language, including writing. I hated learning Chinese and Malay more than anything, because to me those languages didn't sound as beautiful as English. I was also into Japanese anime back then, and I was picky with those that interested me. Even with Malay dubs, I would still watch them because they looked interesting such as Hatsumai Boy Kanipan, Petite Princess Yucie, Super Doll Licca, Mahou Shonjo Lyrical Nanoha (these are underrated ones) and last but not least, Cardcaptor Sakura which was my absolute favourite. I watched Cantonese dramas too but that was a long time ago and the Malay subs somehow helped me with understanding the plots.

But most of all, I hated the fact that I was Chinese. And not just Malaysian Chinese, but Chinese in general. I wished that I could be white. There was one story from American Chinese author, Doretta Lau called "Little Miss International Goodwill" and the protagonist's wish of being white instead of yellow reminded me so much of my dream back when I was her 8-years-old self. I wanted to have blonde hair, blue eyes, speak English smoothly like a waterfall, and outspoken.

So now that I've been living in Canada for five years, my Mandarin and Malay have became so rusty that I find it a little hard to converse with my relatives and friends who are more comfortable with speaking Mandarin and Malay. Honestly, I feel a little guilty about it but I know that being separated away from my home country for this long turns me into who I am. A foreigner. More like an alien. XD

My dream of learning Japanese came true when I'd finally got myself in a real Basic Japanese course back in Douglas College two years ago. I was really enthusiastic in getting all of the grammar and vocab right as well as learning about Japanese culture. All those years, I thought that Japan was my dream destination to go to...until Korea came in. Once I stumbled upon Super Junior's "Sorry Sorry" music video after years of occasional listening to it and not knowing the group itself, I was immediately attracted to the members and everything they do. And after a few weeks of familiarizing myself with Super Junior, I fell head over heels in love with them. Like seriously. XD I can't blame them for being too hot, adorable, and talented at the same time.

Now that I've been their fan for more than a year, I realized that Korean entertainment has made me appreciate Asian culture. Korean stars are not just Korean. There's literally like a gigantic mix of them. From locals to Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Filipino, even German, French, African and a lot more! (Watch Abnormal Summit, a Korean reality where people from all over the world speaks fluent Korean and talks about world issues and stuff!) And Korean star immigrants put their whole heart in learning Korean. They've made the K-pop world phenomenal. With K-pop fans' ability to communicate in other languages for international fans to understand their purposes and feelings, that's just a whole new Guinness World Record. It's cool to see that K-pop stars don't have to be Korean only. Super Junior is the world's first K-pop group to have members from overseas. Hangeng and Zhoumi from China. And also Henry Lau from Canada. And then this becomes a trend in the K-pop star formation, which is adding foreigners and training them to become a part of the Korean community. Even though Hollywood music is still big now, I think the K-pop industry is going to catch up in the future. I'm just saying. Just look at it. K-pop songs have made it to the iTunes charts, American awards like Teen Choice Awards when Super Junior became the first Korean artist group who have won back in 2015, and even Billboard! K-pop has even reached out to Hollywood celebrities like Jimmy Fallon and heck yeah the Obamas (psst...Girls Generation! Not a fan of them but still they've appeared on American television!).And don't forget Jackie Chan who visits Super Junior on set and Mike Jagger who praises on Super Junior's song "Walkin"! And since K-pop spreads all over YouTube like wildfire, more new fans will be born.

Earlier this year, I created a second Instagram account, a Vyrl account (Instagram-like app for K-pop fans), and a Twitter account dedicated to Super Junior and ELF (Super Junior fans-Everlasting Friends). And along the way, I'm involved in a whole new community. Now I've just reached 4000+ followers on Instagram, 400+ followers on Twitter, and close to 300 followers on Vyrl. I'm overjoyed to have made so many, and literally so many new friends across the globe who share the same heart-pounding and ecstatic feeling about Super Junior. As I scroll my phone for updates, post on social media every day, and squeal internally with other fans through comments and retweets, I grow to love Korean culture (surprisingly a little more than Japanese culture. Maybe it's because K-pop recent and bigger for me to be so intrigued about) and I've made a pledge to myself that I want to travel to Korea and Japan as soon as I finish my studies at Capilano University. I've got to get out of here. I guess this is what I'm gonna do. I can't just ditch my interest in both cultures. I wanna explore and experience in Korea and Japan.

Asians are now stepping up their game by showing off their skills and confidence outside of their origins. One thing that I'm super proud this year is the appearance of Asian Americans as the lead roles on television. Fresh Off The Boat and Dr. Ken are now dominating Asian entertainment history (bye bye second lead roles). And now there's "Kim's Convenience" which is Canada's first ever Asian lead drama/comedy series! I just love that Asian actors now sharing their culture on screen. Even though I see negative reviews and ratings of these shows (tsk...racism...), I'm happy to see that these shows are still ongoing.

I once think that K-pop stars are like slaves. They have to go through a long period of training. And then they'll go for debut after a year or so (or even two years or more). I remember seeing short clips or reading bios of Super Junior going through some intense, tough training. They went through thick and thin, shedding blood, sweat, and tears just to become the perfect, professional Super Junior we admire and idolize today. And then as years fly by, new K-pop groups come in and steal the spotlight from old ones. But from what I see, Super Junior is still slaying the K-pop world because of their loyal fans (shout out to all ELF! ELF unite! Ayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!), their 10 years (oh wait it's 11 years now) of achievement, and their down-to-earth personalities that warm hearts of other idols and TV audience.

So what I'm saying is, people in this world should appreciate what K-pop artists have done for us. They've gone through so much just to do what they love, to deliver new and exciting music for us, to represent Korea, and to enlighten our lives with a little charm (#aegyo or #killersmile) just to make our days brighter.

Learning Japanese and loving K-pop carve into a whole new me. Sometimes, I'm surprised that I've become a Korean culture enthusiast. All those time I thought I would stick to Japanese culture and English language more than anything else. But now...things change. I've learnt Japanese and now my goal is to learn Korean. Which reminds me...I need to get started before I graduate. XD I've got to get help from my younger sister who have taken Korean classes as well as online sources...or maybe I can take a Korean course? Not sure if that's gonna work because I wanna finish my Bachelor of Arts program before summer 2018. Hmm...I don't know...hopefully I can find a way to learn Korean.

The popularity of Asian culture is just beyond my expectations right now. Asian language classes are available everywhere in North America (and I guess South America, Europe, and Australia) which is pretty cool because I've seen non-Asian people who are Asian language/culture enthusiasts. Back in Japanese class, half of the class was white and black people, which was pretty interesting to see. Asian entertainment has influenced all sorts of people to be curious about the language. That's what I meant by aesthetic of Asian culture. Learning the Asian culture shapes a person's view about the world (and technically life) in a whole new way.

P.S. Sorry that I haven't post on my blog in a while! Not gonna lie...I don't like the courses I take this semester because there's just too many lectures that I have to try to stay awake to jot down as many notes as I can despite the fact that the lecturer speaks too fast or too long sentences that I can't even break them down into points. Even with the powerpoint slides uploaded in the student site, I still can't get all of the extra details/ explanation of the definition. But I'm surviving. XD See you in the next post! (Oh! And I'm still working on the pre-draft for Modern Prince sequel! Stay tuned for updates!)

Modern Prince LAST CHAPTER (Chapter 12:A Second Chance)

Chapter 11 Recap:
Craedon wished that Phelia would send him back to the story world with a smile. The couple then wrote a sentence each to complete the notebook. A portal appeared and Craedon said his goodbyes to Bobby, Jordan, and Phelia. As Phelia was about to say her last words, Madame Cyprine who was not dead yet appeared and kidnapped Craedon, escaping through the portal. Phelia went after them and found herself in Sun Yang kingdom. She was about to chase after them but they vanished up to the sun palace. As she seek help by untangling the reigns of a horse, the rider, Suk Jae decided to give her a ride up to the palace. She was then stopped by the guards, but was excused by Seul Eun herself. Seul Eun revealed her feelings of letting Joo Yoon go and was happy that he had chosen Phelia as the girl he loved. They suddenly heard noises from the prince's bedroom and found that he was under attack by Madame Cyprine. 

Modern Prince
Written By: Michele Hii
Chapter 12: A Second Chance

Craedon gripped hold onto the bind that choked his neck. His eyes widened when he saw us.
"Stay away!" Madame Cyprine roared and put out her good hand to aim a lightning bolt towards us.
"Duck!" I screamed.
"What?" Seul Eun looked at me.
"Get down!" I rephrased. She understood and we ducked away from the attack.

I watched as the witch glared furiously at him. She was holding the ball of black energy higher. Her eyes were scarlet, "Say that you'll make me your queen, or I'll brainwash you with my dark spell."
"Never!" he managed to speak, "Phelia is mine, not you!"
This made her brow furrowed even more and she clasped her other hand tight to command the bind to choke him more. I watched in horror as he looked like he was running out of oxygen.
"SAY IT! NOW!" she boomed.

I quickly scanned around the room and saw a neatly folded red and gold hanbok sandwiched between piles of silk cloths on a shelf. A thought immediately came to me, Hmm...maybe we can make her not to cast a spell on him. 
"Psst! Seul Eun!" I whispered. She looked at me darting my eyes to the shelf and nodded, seemingly understand my plan.
"You get the hanbok. I'll get some cloths." I clarified.
Seul Eun nodded again and tiptoed to the corner. Madame Cyprine was too busy to focus on Craedon who was wiggling like an earthworm, grunting as he grabbed hold on the bind to break it off.
 "It's no use, prince!" she cackled, "Good thing your girlfriend hadn't destroyed the whole crystal ball because I now still have half of my powers with me. The bind is under dark magic, only I can control it."
"Then release me!" he growled.
"Not until you make me your queen, and we can rule this kingdom together!"
"Not gonna happen!"
She squeezed her empty hand into a fist to make the bind even tighter. This time, he hooked his hands on the floor that his nails clawed on the wood. He squinted his eyes super tight, and I tried to concentrate of reaching out for the cloths without making a loud noise.

"If you don't say it now, then I'll have to make you say it." she said and raised the black orb higher.
I quickly passed a cloth to Seul Eun as she wrapped it around the bottom half of her face like a mask.
"NOW!" I signaled.
Like the speed of light, she sneaked behind the witch and spread the hanbok onto her head. She yelled in shock as she dropped the orb and yanked the long outfit off. As the ball of dark energy vanished in a poof of smoke, the bind burst off from Craedon and he inhaled gratefully.
"Oppa!" I approached in front of him and wrapped a cloth all over his nose and mouth.
"Phelia?" he muffled, "Wh...what are you doing here?"
"Not now! We have to stop Madame Cyprine once and for all!" I replied while tying the ends into a knot at the back of his head.

As I was about to put on mine, the room was polluted by the smoke. It thickened rapidly and I suddenly felt my throat was on fire.
"Phelia!" I heard him crying aloud.
I couldn't even breathe. I collapsed on my knees, holding my neck as I felt my eyes grew hot and a different soul was inserted into my body.
"Phelia! Are you okay? Phelia!" he knelt down and shook me hard. I only kept my head hanging low.

"Looks like someone's finally under my evil magic." Madame Cyprine smiled wickedly.
"Huh?" Craedon gasped.
"She has inhaled my hypnotic cloud." she explained, "She no longer the girl you know."
In that instance, my eyes turned into a shade of red and a devilish grin curled on my lips.
Wh...what's happening to me?
"Phelia...Phelia no!" Craedon's eyes widened. I looked at him sharply and suddenly pushed him against a wall with a powerful force.
Oppa! I didn't mean to! It's like my body is being controlled!
I watched him shaking away from the aches in his body. He kept calling my name, but something was blocked in my head from responding.

"Your Majesty! We have to get out of here!" I heard Seul Eun called from a corner of the room. My head swiveled to her direction like a robot and charged towards her. She gasped as I brought my right hand into a fist, aiming to punch her.
Nonononononono! Stop it! Stop it! 
I hit her left cheek as she fell onto the floor.
NOOOOOO! Seul Eun! I didn't mean to hurt you! 

The witch's cackle echoed in the room. I couldn't even fight the satanic-like aura that overcame my brain. I suddenly felt a cold shadow leaning close to my ear. Her voice sent chills to my spine, but my face remained emotionless.
"Phelia, the prince is the one to be blamed." Madame Cyprine said, "He's the one that caused your heart to ache. He makes you suffer from indecisive, childish thoughts about love."
"No! Don't listen to her, Phelia!" Craedon yelled.
"Who needs happiness when you create a man out of a messed up fiction?" she crept her bony fingers on my shoulders, "You don't love him. You only pity him."
Craedon's eyes widened in fear and shock. He held on to a chair to help himself up.
"You want to know how to make the pain in your heart go away?" she asked purposely.
"I do." I automatically replied.
NO! Don't do it! Darn it...why can't I shake this spell off??? My body isn't even listening to me!
The witch went super close to my right ear and ordered, "Kill him."
"Yes." I nodded and immediately grabbed a sword that hung from a wall.

Oh...this is bad! Drop it! Drop it! 
My body still refused to respect my inner command. I held the sword up front and charged towards him. He ducked away and grabbed the second sword from the wall.
Oh no...he did not just take the sword! Can he fight? Oppa!
My sword was immediately blocked by Craedon's blade with a loud clash.
Huh...he's a prince after all. 
I quickly released it and swung it swiftly to the other side, but his eyes caught my move like a hawk and blocked it again.

I then pretty much tried every direction I could think of like a compass to stab him, but he kept on shielding himself with his trusty stead. From my eyes, I couldn't care less of him growing tired of protecting himself from my robotic behaviour. However, from my heart, I could feel my heart being slashed into shreds of hopelessness.
"Phelia!" he finally said, "Wake up! You're under a spell!"
I can't! I feel like I've become a puppet! 
"Phelia please!" he begged, "Phelia!"
My vision suddenly seemed to clear up. "O...oppa?" I stammered.
"Finish him off!" Madame Cyprine's voice snatched me back into her wrath.
I couldn't even bear to see with my burning eyes, but my hands kept finding their way to pierce the metal at Craedon.
"Phelia!" he tried again.
My hands were shaking that my sword vibrated. He could see tears streaming down from my hypnotized eyes.
"You weak woman!" the witch noticed my wet face too and snapped her fingers. My eyes, this time, became the temperature of boiled water. I couldn't even close my eyes, and the forceful pain caused me to push his sword away from his grip. He fell down and I held my sword at a 45 degree angle, ready to strike at his chest.
No! NO! NOOOOOOOOO! 
More tears poured down. He seemed to realize that I was trying to stop myself.

"Say goodbye, prince!" Madame Cyprine guffawed.
"No! Phelia! Your Majesty!" Seul Eun screamed.
My hands trembled but I was still grasping onto the handle of the deadly weapon. He immediately grabbed his which was lying a few feet away.
"What are you waiting for?" the witch yelled, "NOW!"
He swung his sword and successfully struck mine away that I lost my grip. Both swords collapsed down. He then untied his mask, got up on his feet, pulled me close to his body and smashed his lips onto mine.

To my relief, my eyes immediately cooled down and a clump of black smoke evaporated off from my body. I gasped, breathing hard for air, and looked up, "Oppa!"
"I knew you're still here." he smiled.
I couldn't hold back from crying. I buried my head onto his sweaty shirt. He squeezed me in the teddy bear hug I thought I could never get once more.

"You fools!" the enemy hissed, "How could you..."
"Shut up!" I suddenly snapped. I faced at her sharply as my heart was beating in fury.
"You pathetic human," she squinted her eyes disgustedly, "I could have just killed you first."
"You can't kill me OR Craedon," I stated, "because we can defend ourselves with our connected feelings."
"It's called true love, you evil witch." he nodded and held my hand tight.
"Go ahead and worship your innocent tales!" she gnashed her teeth and summoned two black orbs, "I can just kill two birds with one stone."

"Oppa! The cloths!" I reminded.
We quickly wrapped our mouths and noses with our masks. She shook her head and she looked at us as if we were playing around. "Even with your faces covered, these hypnotic clouds are more powerful than before."
"Nothing can make us fall into the darkness," I stepped forward, "because our love is strong."
"Stop your blabber," she barked, "and join me."

We stood our ground, holding each other's hands securely. As I felt the fast pulse in the veins of his wrist, I could tell that he was afraid. I squeezed his hand gently, beckoning him that we would not be affected by her spell.

She was about to throw them when suddenly a bright gleam of light illuminated from the left. I quickly recognized the positive energy that radiated and turned to see Seul Eun opening the notebook. The whole thing was bursting out rays of gold, and an echo which sounded like Craedon's voice made me jump,

I want Phelia to know that she'll always be my one and only love. Forever.
Oh! And one more thing...I wish whoever who is behind all this...will no longer torture us. 

It immediately glowed like the brilliance of a sun. The pair of orbs was weakened by the light and vanished in thin air. Madame Cyprine suddenly covered her face with the collar of her cloak and screamed like a banshee. The rays pierced all over her body like spears and her skin faded into smoke. Instead of rising in the air, the smoke was absorbed right into the book like a vacuum cleaner. Her screech was so deafening that my ears were about to bleed. We stared as the last remaining skin around her face melted like wax and disappeared into the book. Seul Eun who was still grabbing onto the book hurriedly closed it.

"Is it over?" Craedon asked.
"I think so." I replied.
"Omo!" Seul Eun gasped and dropped the notebook. Her fingers shook and her eyes bulged out of their sockets.
"What? What is it?" I walked to pick it up.
"T...the cover..." she quivered.
I couldn't believe my own eyes when the melted, shocked face of Madame Cyprine was on the hardwood cover. A skull-shaped lock was also at the edge of the book.
"Oh...my..." I remarked.
Craedon who walked by, nearly missed his step when he craned his eyes to look over.

"Her face...why is it on the cover?" I exclaimed.
"Don't ask me!" Seul Eun stammered as she got back on her feet, "I was trying to help! I thought she would be trapped in there."

I quickly flipped through the pages which were completely blank. Ordinary, greyish white, fresh paper!
"The notebook has erased all of its contents, just like it's supposed to be."
"You're right."
"I guess since Madame Cyprine is the one who puts a curse on me to write on this notebook, she's the one who responsible for what she has done. So the notebook must be her prison." I predicted.
"Or deathbed." Craedon mumbled.
I giggled and gave his arm a playful squeeze, "Even her own creation despises her by shutting her down."
"So you're saying?" Seul Eun still looked confused.
"You did it, Seul Eun." I smiled, "You've sealed her. I believe she's trapped in the empty notebook forever. Serves her right for creating it for her secret plan."
The chef sighed in relief and smiled in return.

"No," Craedon said which caught me in surprise, "WE did it."
I couldn't agree more. I then walked to her and handed her the notebook, "Here."
"What?"
"You've saved us. So you should keep it."
She shook her head, "But it's your notebook, Phelia!"
"Yes, it was mine." I smiled, "But now the notebook is waiting for the next owner. You've made it emptying the pages, so now you own it."
"But I..."
I sighed and pushed it gently into her hands, "Seul Eun, I really thank you for letting me being with the prince. And you've helped me to stop the witch. I want you to keep this notebook. Protect it from damage so that no one can play with its magic."
"Can I even use it?"
"Well, the notebook still holds Madame Cyprine's corpse so her powers are trapped as well. If the book is opened or the pages are written, her powers will probably be activated. But I want you to keep it safe for everyone's safety. Is that alright?"
Seul Eun finally nodded and tucked it under her arm, "I'll lock it in a safe place."

A familiar swirl of light appeared before us and a portal flashed on the wall.
I looked at him sadly, "So...I guess..this is goodbye...for real."
"Well you can't just leave!" Seul Eun chipped in, "You can stay back for tea!"
"I'd love to, Seul Eun." I sighed, "but this is probably the last time the portal exists."
"Phelia..." Craedon held my chin up, "This is not goodbye."
I stared in surprise, "What are you talking about? You belong here! In Sun Yang! I can't just drag you back to LA! You'll disappear again and I hate seeing you suffer!"
"But Madame Cyprine is gone for good." Craedon argued calmly, "I can assure you that I won't disappear this time."
"How can you be so sure? I don't want to lose you again, but I have no choice but to let you go." I lowered my head as I broke into tears.
He quickly hugged me and kissed my head. I couldn't bear the knives that shot all over my heart.

"Phelia, can you look at me?" his lullaby voice melted in my ears. I reluctantly looked up, knowing that he hated seeing my swollen eyes.
"Aigoo! Who would make a pretty girl like you cry?" he held my face dearly.
I couldn't speak as my hiccups and sniffles were unbearable. He wiped my face before combing a part of my hair which helped me to relax in his touch.

"I don't know about you two, but I think you two should go." Seul Eun suggested.
I turned my head back and saw her smiling. "What?" I asked.
"I say you should take him with you."
"Back to the 21st century?" I exclaimed, "But..."
"Why are you so worried? Just because he's brought alive by magic doesn't mean he'll be under a spell for like ever. Besides, he needs you. And you need him."
I immediately felt his sleek fingers caressed my cheek. I looked back at him profoundly and wrapped mine to interlock with his.
"She's right." he said, "Besides, as long as I can touch you and see you every second of my life, I'll be happy living with you as long as I want to."
"Y...you really think so?" I asked.
"I really am." he replied, "Phelia, can I go back to the modern world with you? I'm sure I won't disappear this time. Everything's okay now, right?"
I thought for a minute as I studied the eager looks on their faces.

"Okay," I smiled back, "but if I see a change of colour on your skin, I'll kick you out of my house."
"Hey! You wouldn't do that, would you?" he laughed.
"Well, I just hope you're happy with your decision."
"Phelia," he sighed, "I want to be with you, that's what I've always wanted."
He was taken by surprise when I pulled him close to peck his cheek, "Let's go then."

"Wait!" Seul Eun suddenly walked by and did a 45 degree bow. We both looked at her as we didn't expect her to do so.
"Thank you. Kamsahamnida." she said.
"Seul Eun." Craedon shook his head, "It is us who should thank you."
Seul Eun stood straight again, "Still, I'm relieved that you'd decide to believe in me, after all the drama."
"Oh! I've faced a lot more drama than you!" I laughed.
"Is it because of me?" Craedon pouted.
"Let's...not talk about it right now." I patted his arm. I then threw my arms round the brave, helpful chef which made her mouth hung open.
"I thank you," I stated, "for helping us."
She hugged back, "I'm glad."

The portal seemed to be diminishing, but we managed to squeeze into it.
"Annyeong!" I shouted for one last time before watching the ancient world vanished in a glint of light.

In seconds, I found myself rolling on grass. When I stopped, I opened my eyes to see a circle of people gathered around. A couple of familiar faces got me overjoyed.
"Bobby! Jordan!" I squealed. I got up and hugged them.
"Phelia! Thank goodness you' re okay!" Jordan hugged back.
"Phew! I thought you're trapped in that notebook forever!" Bobby sighed in relief.
"Well...I'm still in one piece!" I laughed. I shortly lose my smile when four policemen approached towards us.
"Umm...did you just call the cops?" I exclaimed.
"Well, we thought you're gone for good, so we gave them a call." Bobby scratched his bald head.
"We were sucked into a whole new dimension, and you thought calling the cops would be helpful?" I shook my head, "Oh geez! You two!"
Jordan went and explained to them. They were all frowning, thinking that they came here for nothing.

"What's going on?" Craedon who came behind me stared at the crowd and the police in surprise. Bobby immediately saw him waving and almost dropped his iPhone 6. "I got this.", I stepped forward. One of them who was a little taller stopped opposite me with his arms folded. I assumed that he's the head of the squad.
"Hello, sir! How are you today?" I gave my friendliest smile.
"Fine." he humphed, "So you must be the missing girl those two guys are worried about."
"I guess I am." I nodded, "and I'm really sorry for causing you all the trouble but..."
"I don't have time for an explanation, ma'am." he put out one hand, "We're just glad that you're okay. And your boyfriend too."
I looked at Craedon. He bit his lip to restrain himself from laughing. I tried not to laugh too and faced the officer again, "Thank you, sir. We just...came back from a...wild ride somewhere outside of this world."
"Geez...not another whimsical garbage, huh?" he groaned, "We have another case to solve, so we're leaving right now. Unless you have anything else to report?"
"Nope. Not at all, sir."
"Good." he retorted and the troop followed him back to the parking lot.

We finally held our stomachs as we burst out laughing like crazy. Bobby nearly lost it; he knelt on his knees and punched his chest to stop himself from sounding like Goofy's. Jordan sneezed twice as he kept on laughing. Craedon shortly had tears trickling down as he grabbed hold onto my shoulder to keep his balance.
"Oh man!" Jordan wheezed, "Did you all see his face?"
"Don't even get me started!" Bobby shook his head as he kept on laughing.
"Oh! That reminds me!" my face lit up, "After all that happened, I have an idea for a sequel!"
The other three froze, looking gobsmacked. I giggled, enjoying looking at them got mentally slapped in their faces. "I'm just kidding!" I stuck out my tongue.
"Why you evil woman!" Craedon chuckled and wrapped his arms round my waist.
"Hey! Craedon! I thought you're going back to your throne." Bobby asked.
Craedon shrugged and rocked me happily, "My life as a human is not over yet. There's so much more for me to experience here."
"So you're saying?" Jordan asked in a hopeful tone.
"I'm staying here. With you all." he winked.
"No way!" Bobby grinned and slapped on his back, "Well, then I guess the little farewell party we did last night was useless after all."
"Hey! So what happened back there?" Jordan asked.
"I'll tell you ALL about it, boys." I giggled, "Let's go to IHOP! Breakfast is on me!"
"Oh really?" Jordan smirked, "Well how about this? Whoever is last to Phelia's car pays the bill!"
"Well what are we waiting for? Let's go!" I started sprinting.
"Hey! Not fair!" Craedon laughed and tailed after me. We raced to the parking lot and slammed our hands on the hood of my car, leaving Jordan half-squatting a few steps away.
"Thanks Jordan!" Bobby hooted as he gleefully skipped to the back seat.
"Argh!" Jordan lifted his head up, "I need a rematch!"
"We'll have a rematch next time, buddy." Craedon smiled cheekily.
We laughed and enjoyed the rest of our day, sharing every single detail of our adventure.

                                  *                              *                            *
August 28 2016

Where the hell are they??? They were supposed to have picked up the pizzas by now!
I was like the only person who guarded the potluck laid on the picnic mats. The rest of the movie staff were strolling round the lake and chatting under the afternoon sunlight. While waiting for Craedon who carpooled with Bobby and Jordan for the late pizza delivery, I scrolled through the photo gallery on my phone and noticed the latest date under five photos Craedon and I took this morning while trying out a new omelette recipe.

As I remembered the first two weeks of wackiness, I counted that it had been a year since we first met, since we knew a whole lot about each other, and since we started to find each other. I still couldn't believe that we were together for this long. Every day, we would play a round of kai bai bo
(Korean rock-paper-scissors) to see who would give a good-night kiss first before turning off the lights of our separate rooms. I know what you're thinking. Why won't we just share a room? Or a bed? Well, we're not gonna do that after we got married. :P

Anyway, whoops of happiness from the three musketeers finally dragged me away from screen time.
"You're very very very late!" I shouted while putting my hands on my hips.
"Well, nothing can be blamed just because we got stuck on a school afternoon traffic." my boyfriend giggled and stretched his hand out to give me a hug while carrying a bag of cardboard boxes with his other hand.
"Still, you three could have taken a shortcut." I teased.
"Let's just say I'm still not familiar with the roads even though I passed the road test two months ago, Jagi."  
"Can you two save your lovey-dovey chit chat later?" Jordan cut through our hug, "Our pizzas are getting cold as f***!"
"Hey! Says the jerk who can't give us a minute!" I hissed.
"Whatevs." Jordan retorted. He then snatched the bag away from Jordan and called the others.
"You know him," Bobby who came by sighed, "he hates traffic."
"Of course." I nodded.

We all gathered round the picnic spot, sharing the pizzas and homemade-cooked food. Jordan suddenly stood up which caught everyone's attention.
"First of all," he announced, "I would like to congratulate us all for winning best film of the year for our latest project 'The Sapphire Key'!"
"Whoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!" we all pumped our fists (or pizzas in our greasy hands) in the air.
"Second of all," he continued, "I have a request from one of us. He wants to give us an important speech."
He immediately gazed at Craedon who shortly stared back while in the process of chewing a bite of pepperoni pizza. He gulped it up and cleared his throat, "Oh! Right!"
I watched in confusion as he took a few steps and turned around to face us.

"Obviously you all don't know about this but..." he started, "today is our one-year anniversary."
My mouth hung slightly open. Everyone went ooh and aah while clapping in unison. I bit my lip so that I wouldn't blush. A voice of regret screamed at the back of my head, "What the hell, Phelia! You forgot to jot it down on your phone again!"
"And...uh..." he placed his right hand on his head as he looked up in the sky, "I was thinking of planning something...extravagant but...so far I'm running out of ideas. I've been listing our ideas for this special day but all of the places I plan to reserve are fully booked so...I guess I'm stuck here."
I raised my eyebrow. Is that why he was on the phone these few days?
"Anyway...at the last minute, with the help of my two friends, Bobby Allen and Jordan Matthews," he addressed them, "I've come up with something. Phelia, can you come over here for a minute?"
Bobby and Jordan grinned as they motioned me to walk over. "What's going on?" I asked impatiently. "Just go!" they gushed. "Okay okay!" I got up and walked off the mat.

Craedon had this naughty-kid-like smile that not only made me want to laugh but also to shake him for telling me what's on his mind. As I stood in front of him, I noticed that he was hiding a decorative paper bag. He fished out a medium aquamarine box with a satin bow on top.
"F...for me?" I asked in surprise.
He nodded. His dimples look like they want to explode.
As I lift its lid, a silver necklace with a key-shaped pendant made up of an expensive-looking sapphire stone sparkled proudly before my eyes.
"Wow!" was all I could respond.
"Just like in the movie, but it's a lot smaller."
"Geez, Craedon, are you doing this just to show off?" Edith who was sitting at a far corner of the mat rolled her eyes.
"Well, I wouldn't want to exclude you all for our anniversary." Craedon chuckled, "but wait! There's more!"
"Oh boy...hooray..." Edith sulked.

He took out another box, but this time it was a silver embroidered one with a keyhole in the middle. I  noticed that the bag shrunk because of the big jewelry box.
"Phelia, can you use your key to open this?" he winked.
I traced my fingers on the necklace string before reaching the pendant. Curiosity swirled all over my head as I inserted it into the hole. Once I twisted it to the right, I slowly opened the box to see a black fountain pen and a mini square box tucked in a sea blue bed of forget-me-not flowers.

First of all, I couldn't believe that he got what I wanted. The fountain pen had my name carved in gold close to its tip and I could imagine myself writing with it already. Smooth and sophisticated black ink on paper. I could even try calligraphy art with it!
And second, I wonder what could be in that little box. It was light blue so it shouldn't be a ring box...or was it? Ring boxes are supposed to be red! Right???

I was about to say something when he took the box away from me, fished out the box of mystery, and put the big box down. Then, before I knew it, he slowly knelt down on one knee and opened it to reveal a diamond ring!

"Phelia Song Hyo Won" he blushed as he looked sincerely at me, "We've been together for a year and still counting. You're my best friend, my guide, my support, my mood boaster, and my treasure. But most of all, you're the love of my life. I've thought about this for a while now and...I think it's time to ask you a very important question..."
I covered my mouth with my hands as tears spontaneously sprung from my eyes.
"Nalang gulhun hajuleh?" he asked, "Will you marry me?"
The setting was completely still. No one made a move.
My vision was blurry that I finally blinked to let more tears wet my cheeks. I shakily nodded and replied, "Yes! A million times yes!"

He happily slid the ring through my finger. He then bounced back up and pulled me into a super tight hug. I wasn't aware that my wet face stained on the white T-shirt he bought yesterday. I was just incredibly joyful and blessed to be engaged to the guy I long to be with forever.
Okay! You got me! Oppa proposed to me was the thing I'd always wanted. ^.^ And it happened.
Fountain pen came in second. XP

The whole staff stood up, clapped, and cheered. He kissed my head which made me blush harder and I gripped hold onto his shirt. After I calmed down, we thanked them all who congratulated us with bright smiles and warm hugs. Even Bobby who got so touched cried a little and blew his nose on Jordan's pizza-stained napkin. I giggled as Jordan chased the teary-eyed bodyguard down the park.
"You owe me a new napkin, you butt hole!" he yelled.
"I'm sorryyyyyyyyyy!" Bobby yelled back, "I'm just so happy they got engaged!"
Craedon and I couldn't help giggling. We soon look into each other's eyes and glued our lips together. As I sank into the kiss, an unfamiliar voice suddenly whispered in my ear, "Time! The time!"

I gasped and pulled back. Who's that?
"Is something the matter?" Craedon looked concernedly.
"Huh?"
"My mouth tastes like onions, doesn't it?"
I shook my head and gave a little laugh, "Nope, it's not you. It's just that...I heard a voice in my head. Or was it someone just passed by to whisper."
"I didn't hear anything." he cocked his head to one side.
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"Never mind." I smiled, rubbing his arms, "I'm just hallucinating, I guess."

I was about to kiss him again when suddenly my left eye spotted a man dressed in a dark red hanbok standing on a branch of a tree. Like a ninja, he hopped away and leaped from tree to tree till he faded away from sight.
"Oppa!" I squealed while pointing.
"What?" he turned his head.
"I...I saw a man jumping on trees!"
"You mean a ninja?" he raised his eyebrow, "But there's no ninjas in America."
"T...that's not true!" I stammered, "I really saw him!"
He chuckled and wrapped his arms at the back of my head, "You're probably still overwhelmed by my surprise that your head starts playing tricks."
I shortly relaxed myself as he caressed my head. Maybe he's right...I didn't know what was wrong with me. Guess it was just my imagination.

As the sun made its way down to Slumberland, we sat together with the team while watching God's creation painting its last hues of colours for the day.
"Oppa," I called softly, "How are you feeling?"
"Me?" he smiled, "Haengbokhaeyo! And you?"
"I'm the happiest girl ever, because of you." I smiled back.
And that's the truth.

Sometimes I wonder what will be the obstacle that will approach to us next. But no matter what happens, we'll always have each other.



WHOA! DON'T CLOSE THE BROWSER YET!!!
Hey all! Hope you enjoy reading "Modern Prince"! So now...I have a special announcement! Drum roll please!

I'll be writing a sequel for Modern Prince! I've come up with an idea for it ever since I review through my outlines and that's why I've included a couple of clues in this last chapter. Without further due, here's a sneak peek on what the sequel will look like! 

Phelia and Craedon will be having their wedding ceremony in Seoul, South Korea! Since most of Phelia's family are still in her hometown, Phelia decided to take Craedon to experience living in Seoul for two weeks before going back to LA. Things were going well for them until the man in the dark red hanbok kidnapped them both and took them to an ancient Korean temple which was now a museum. They found the notebook which caused Seul Eun to appear. But this time, Seul Eun acted evil and aimed to kill both Phelia and Craedon. What on earth happened to her??? And why the notebook is in the 21st century once again??? Find out in Modern Prince's sequel (still thinking of the title)! :D 

Michele's TOP 3 PLACES IN SUMMER VACATION 2016

Hey, all! I've been wanting to post something like this ever since I came back from my three weeks trip to Korea and Japan last month but since I got distracted by my novel writing, I hardly had the time/ heart to review the entire trip. But now that I've come to the last chapter of "Modern Prince" which I will definitely finish before September, I've come up with three places that I've found the most tourist-worthy places to visit.

Keep in mind that this is just based on my opinions and it's not according to online reviews or ratings!

3. Busan, South Korea

Even though at that time I didn't take a lot of photos because I forgot to save most of them from Snapchat, I still think that Busan is a city tourists must go to when in South Korea.
Reasons?
a) The temples in Busan are a kind of tourist attraction you wouldn't want to miss! I took the picture above from Haedong Yonggungsa. It's a Buddhist temple "built in 1376 by the teacher known as Naong during the Goryeo Dynasty" (Wikipedia). The temple is different from the others I've seen because it's located near a beach. That moment when I passed by statues of the 12 Chinese zodiac animals and the steep steps up a hill to reach to the cliff where the view of the gigantic religious institution was revealed, the whole place was literally packed with people and I had no idea what was the special occasion that day. Still, it was a beautiful, mystical place.
b) The beaches in Busan are clean with white soft sand and blue rolling waves. And again, I took some photos of a couple of beaches on Snapchat, but I forgot to save them. :P

c) This Lotte Duty Free mall (Gwangbok branch) has a wide variety of stores you'll definitely get lost into. From "domestic and international brands" of clothing and accessories to the latest "high-tech gadgets", you'll definitely shop till your drop (Wikipedia).
Fun fact: The mall has the "world's largest indoor musical fountain", and you can find it once you went through the entrance of the mall (Wikipedia)!The only place I remember going to in this gigantic building is the food court! Speaking of food court...

d) Korean food in KOREA ITSELF is a must! And that includes black bean sauce noodles, Jajangmyun! If you quickly mix the sauce that was on top of the clump of yellow noodles, you'll definitely savour it in no time! I've been a big fan of this dish for a while now and eating this in Lotte Mall is just a dream come true. :P

e) Korea is famous for Naengmyeon (cold noodles) and Busan is known as one of the cities who has the best Naengmyeon in the world! You wouldn't want to drop the opportunity of slurping the icy cold thin glass noodles with a kind of red paste on the side for a spicy kick to it! Trust me! It's the best!


2. Osaka, Japan
Of course! I have to choose at least one city from Japan since I was there for about two weeks so Osaka would be my best pick. Why? Well, let's say the food and tourist attaction are one of the best I've ever seen in my life.

a) On my first night in Osaka, I met up with a friend and we went to this famous Okonomiyaki (Japanese savoury pancakes) restaurant called Okonomiyaki Momoji in Tanimachi area. It was just a few minutes by transit from the AirBNB apartment my family and I stayed in Uehonmachi. The reason why the okonomiyaki in this restaurant is different from the ones I have tried back in Japanese restaurants in Vancouver is because the pancakes are made out of egg batters mixed with yakisoba noodles! Whoever came up with this idea is genius! I mean, just look at the finished products done by the chef in the photo above! Your mouth will sure water!

b) The next afternoon, my family and I passed by this One Piece themed store selling curry with rice dishes (Coco Ichibanya)! It looked inviting so we thought we should give it a try. And we didn't regretted it because the curry was delicious enough to satisfy your taste buds together with the various add-ons like the potato croquettes in the photo above! You should try at least once! It's a    no-miss! Unless you're a big One Piece fan and you only want to drool over the anime characters on the menus...=.=

c) Behold! Shinsekai! Also known as "new world" if translated in English.

There is a creepy yet interesting story behind this tourist attraction! It was once known as the most dangerous city in Osaka! Here's the link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shinsekai

Shinsekai is a small, unique city with gigantic signboards on stores (from seafood restaurants to the sumo-size served restaurant) that accompanied the one and only Tsutenkaku Tower!

This tower was special because once you went in, you would find yourself in a whole new world! The tower was a Glico product paradise! Glico! Sound familiar? Hint: Pocky!

Again, I'd taken a lot on Snapchat but I forgot to save them all. The photo above was literally a Pocky stick! The longest size green tea Pocky stick! That's insane!
Anyway, the tower included a souvenir/merchandise store at the first floor, then a museum of a Japanese superhero called Kinnikuman (I had no idea who he was) with souvenirs to buy. And then, you would be led to an elevator where you would go up to the observatory at the fourth floor and a museum at the fifth floor.Not only you could see the whole of Osaka, you could also get to know the story of Japan's god named Billiken. This little statue with a smiling baby face was Osaka's good luck charm in a lot of things like career, family, and love. There was also a Pocky museum and cafe at third floor where you could finally sit down and relax with some of these super-long Pocky sticks!

d) MATCHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!! And more matcha!!!!!

That's right! Japan is the world's green tea paradise! There was literally matcha-flavoured ice cream and snacks/desserts EVERYWHERE! I was thrilled when I got this matcha soft-serve ice cream while walking up to Osaka Castle through the spacious park (which we didn't go in because there were too many people) and it was OMG the best one I had ever tasted in my life!

If you're interested, here's the link about Osaka Castle: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osaka_Castle

e) And last but not least, Namba city! also known as the "Minami" (south) city of Osaka (Wikipedia).

Namba is known for lively night atmospheres with brilliant lighting (including gigantic signboards at Dotonbori and Shinsabashi area) and lots of good food! It was hard to pick one, but we managed to go in this special ramen store where you can pay at this coin machine instead of paying after your meal with a waiter! (and again I forgot to save pictures :P).
http://theculturetrip.com/asia/japan/articles/the-top-10-things-to-do-and-see-in-minami-and-namba/

And finally, I've saved the best place for last!
1. Seoul, South Korea

Even though we were only in Seoul for two days, I had to put this at the top of my list because I saw my favourite K-pop group, Super Junior, on signs and stores wherever I went! The Jeju Samdasoo mineral water commercial signboard was the first one I saw. :P

Okay..I know what you're thinking. Why would I pick Seoul because of just K-pop and not the food or tourist attractions or scenery. Seoul, to me, is one of the most unique, gorgeous places I'd ever seen in my life! No joke! Not just that it's a vibrant urban city, but also a food paradise, convenient transportation, affordable shopping, and gorgeous landscapes.

a) If you a K-pop fan like me, you definitely wouldn't want to miss the endless merchandise here! I forgot the name of the area but my family and I were walking up a hillside residence called Bukchon Hanon village while looking for the iconic palace scenery and we passed by some stores that sell K-pop stuff. As I passed by one with Descendants of the Sun merchandise displaying proudly on a table near the entrance, an old lady immediately appeared, like she knew that I was a Korean entertainment addict, and persuaded me with the Song Joo Ki (pardon me if I say his name wrong because I'm not a fan of that drama), "Do you like Song Joo Ki?". I shook my head and giggled, "Not really." She then put it down and I quickly pointed out, "Super Junior?" Her face lit up and led me into her store. From underneath a K-pop poster stacked table, she pulled out a box of Super Junior merchandise and showed me a 2016+2017 calendar, notebooks, file holders, posters, and stickers. Since I didn't want my room to be all glued up with huge pictures till it'll end up like a gallery museum, I decided to buy a notebook (see pic above) and paid 5000 won for it.
I was about to leave when she persuaded me to buy more. She bargained the calender for 10000 won and I hesitated a little because even though I had enough money to spend for my four-day trip in Korea, I wouldn't want to overspend. Still, she kept pointing at the notebook with a convincing smile. And in the end, I gave in and bought the calendar. I mean, hey, it's Seoul! The birthplace of K-pop!
After making the two Super Junior stationery as my own (WEEEEEEE at last!), I bowed and said, "Kamsahamnida" and she waved back. Even when I turned back after catching up with my family from a few stores ahead, she was still there waving at me. How sweet was that? ^^

And so now I have three Super Junior souvenirs. :P The postcards in the pic above were a birthday gift /I got last year.

Links for more info on K-pop merchandise:

•          http://kdramapod.com/k-drama-merchandise-in-seoul/
•           https://www.tripzilla.com/a-kpop-fangirls-guide-around-seoul-south-korea/26980
•           https://www.trazy.com/theme/kpop_goods

b) Faces of K-pop stars were literally everywhere. And I mean, EVERYWHERE! No matter where you go, you will recognize the Korean idols in advertisements and posters that highlight the global popularity of Korean culture.
I found this poster of Hammock Nap Cafe after I finished bibimbap for lunch at a restaurant downstairs. It turned out that Super Junior M's Eunhyuk and Donghae were in this cafe upstairs for a Chinese/Korean variety show called "Guest House"! I'd watched that show before! And I regretted for not noticing the poster earlier! :( I should have gone upstairs to check it out! And yes...to take a nap. :P
Link for more info on the Hammock Nap Cafe: http://dwaejiinseoul.blogspot.my/2015/03/cafe-nazzzam-hammock-cafe-gyedong.html

c) Oddly, I can't find the photos of food I'd taken in Seoul, so this is the only photo I can share to represent Seoul.(Yes yes I know, I am a terrible travel photographer hehe XP)
Anyway! The drink in the photo was a barley drink called sikhye (shik-hay) . It's perfect to cool your throats down on a hot summer day! You will love its cool, refreshing, sweet taste! I heard it takes days to make this and Koreans serve this on special occasions. Trust me! This is a Korean specialty you would not want to miss!

d) Finally! For K-pop fans! If you have done research on your favourite Korean stars doing their own business in shops, cafes, hotels, gyms, schools, or any other leisure places in Seoul, you have to drop by to visit! It's an experience you would not forget!
Boy! K-pop stars sure are productive! :D
After months of dreaming of going to Kyuhyun's "Mom House" hostel combined with "Deete Espresso" cafe, I'd finally (and I mean FINALLY) visited it! It was located around Myeongdong and it was a short walking distance from the train station. Once I noticed the colourful sign on top of the hostel building and then the black-walled cafe at the bottom, I squealed like crazy! I tried to collect my composure, but as my family rolled their eyes and went in the cafe to grab something to drink, I knew exactly where to drop by first.
You see, if you'd followed me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Vyrl, you would know that I planned a fan project for Kyuhyun, my ultimate bias in Super Junior. And within a week before the dateline, I'd received about 20 (or was it 30?) messages from fans in Mexico, Egypt, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore. A week before my flight, I used Google Translate to convert from English to Korean. Copying the Korean characters was actually fun. With each message written down on folded papers, I hoped that Kyuhyun would receive them with a happy heart.

Anyway, I had a funny, embarrassing moment when I was in the cafe AND up the rooftop of the hostel while slipping my envelope with the fan project in Kyuhyun's mailbox! I'll leave the links of Kyuhyun's fan project details as well as my story at the cafe here:
From ELF to Kyu's Mailbox (June 2016)
The Day The Fan Project Is Delivered

Long story short, after I got the Matcha Frappe (pic above), I got distracted by the giant screen on my right where Kyuhyun's "A Million Pieces" MV was shown. I suddenly looked down and saw a familiar woman with black curls. I gasped and realized that it was Kyuhyun's mom! And then when I found out that my black polarized shades were missing, I checked all over the rooftop again but couldn't find it. So I went down the elevator and at the 2nd floor, a man in a black suit and glasses came in. I went out when he called me that it was not ground floor yet. So I went back in and realized that the man who just warned me about the wrong floor was Kyuhyun's Dad! His phone buzzed out "A Million Pieces" ringtone, and he just went out to answer the phone call...
Yeap, I was super blind...and I didn't even say to them that I'm a big fan of their handsome, adorable, talented son...GODDAMIT!
Oh well...at least I saw his parents in person! And the cafe was really nice! There were literally a whole lot of Kyuhyun's gifts and fan art all over the display cases, shelves, and bulletin boards!

And...I sneaked my iPhone to take a pic of his mom...XP...sorry Kyuhyun! Fangirl goals...hehehe!

I'll definitely will come by to Korea and Japan to visit again! These whole two months were an exciting series of fun and relaxation!
And who knows? I might come up with another Super Junior fan project? ;) So, my fellow K-pop followers, watch out! :D XD
Hope you enjoy reading this post and have a good day! <3