12/31/2012

Happy New Year!!!

                           It is that time again, leaving one year and beginning another...
                                           2012 was a year was a pretty great year but also of firsts for me.


1. I have my very first car-Toyota Corolla- and I love it!!! Its the cutest thing ever.
2. Started my first college semester. I'm really enjoying the college experience and can't wait for what the next school year has in store for me.

3.  Aaaaaaaaand I officially became an adult!!!



 I hope everyone has a great New Years and lets ring in 2013 with a BIG BANG!

12/29/2012

My Top 3 Dramas of 2012 Part 2

My Top 3 Dramas of 2012 Part 2

Ok, after my last post I honestly didn't think it would be that detailed but hey can't help it....so there's going to be 3 parts now as I find I cannot talk about my dramas without getting into the particulars of them. Hehe.

Drama # 2 goes to..........King 2 Hearts!!
Starring Yoon Je-Moon, Ha Ji-Won, Lee Sung-Gi, Lee Yoon-Ji,  and Jo Jung-Suk

If Gaksital had me on an emotional roller coaster King 2 Hearts had me by the heartstrings. To put it bluntly it broke my heart. This was a beautifully put together drama that had everything right, the chemistry, acting plot, and overall feel of the drama. The only thing I disliked was the American actors- or non-Americans, they did an awful job and at times it was laughable but since they were a minor role it didn't ruin the show for me. Thank God!

Starring the pompous prince/future king played by the lovable Lee Sung Gi.

Captain kick-butt Ha Ji Won
 the lovable earnest bot Jo Jung Suk
 best hyung/father figure Lee Sung Min
 Bubbly princess Lee Yoon Ji
and evil/creepy villain Yoon Je Moon

This drama has been on my radar since hearing about from recap blogs like Dramabeans.com What made me watch it in the beginning was Ha Ji Won, yes I am huge fan of her. I haven't watched all her dramas yet but everything so far has been great! So I thought why not, after the disappointing "Nice Guy" drama I was ready to be psyched to watch something again. Glad I did because this drama will have you laughing your guts out one moment and crying buckets of tears the next. As I said before the chemistry is on par, everyone from the lead actors to the supporting ones really had great harmony with each other and it really showed on the screen.

Usually in dramas I tend to be drawn to only the lead couple as they are the most interesting but for the first time I cared a bit more for Jo Jung-Suk & Lee Yoon-Ji's relationship then the leads. Their love was such a poignant, pure kind of love. It was heartbreaking because of what could have been, if not for his death (more on that later) they could have sung their love song together. Their time together was cut to short. I could sit here and blog all night about their relationship but what I do want to say, is that if I could find a love like theirs (and/or Darcy & Elizabeth's) I would snatch it up quickly. They fit like yin-yang where she was the outgoing, bubbly type versus his quiet, stern personality and they made it work...or started to.

When the Princess is watching the video Shi Kyung made for her he said "From the moment we first met I liked you." and then he goes on to say that when he comes back he'll be a better man...at that point I was already balling tears. I HATED that he died, still to this day I don't understand why they killed the most endearing person and all for what..?? Nothing that's what! Earnest bot was a one in a million kind of guy, you got what you saw. He was so honest and wore his heart on his sleeves, making everyone fall in love with the character. Shi Kyung loved and respected his king standing by him til the end. ..
I want to share what he said to the (newly) appointed King Jae Ha, "You don’t need to be swayed by the words of others. Believe in yourself. You are already strong. The king that I’ve seen is very sensitive, and hates sincerity. But he knows the real world only too well, and has deep scars, which keeps him from leaping out ahead. So he wears a mask of laughter. I’m asking you to take off that mask now. Though you have complexes and people perceive you as weak, your highness is, to me, the most powerful king in the world. Please be fearless, your majesty." Beautiful words from a beautiful soul and that's what Lee Shi Kyung was.

Next up is the partnership between King Jae-Ha and Hang-Ah.
Melted like a schoolgirl at this scene..
It wasn't only a romantic relationship but also one based on mutual trust and partnership. They were each others companions first then lovers. Their union from the beginning was always who would have the last line to say, or who could be the most stubborn. You could tell how comfortable the actors were together no doubt about it, theirs was a chemistry that rivaled Ha Ji Won's and Hyun Bin's in Secret Garden.

The process that Jae Ha went through to transition from the conceited playboy to the King that became even greater then his own brother, was such a moving example of what happens when you suddenly have to grow up and be an adult.
But what helped Jae Ha along the way were the people surrounding him that shaped him into the man he became.  He was an arrogant, conceited person and I think he put up that front to hide his fears from everyone. His fear I believe was having to become King, there's a scene after everyone learns of Jae Kang's death where Jae Ha is standing on the bridge shaking and trying to hold back his tears. And then he seems to shake himself and gather all the strength he has to step into the role and that is just the start to his changing and growing as a person.

I cannot forget the character of Hang Ah as she is the most important person in Jae Ha's development.

She was a woman yearning to be seen as not just a fierce warrior but a lady. And with Jae Ha she found love for the first time. What I loved so much about this character is she always put the King first doing what was best for him, anything to protect him and show him how she felt. When she went in front of the public hearing to proclaim her loyalty to the South you couldn't help but applaud her courage. It takes a lot of gumption to go in front of a crowd of a country that hates you because of what you represent and for her especially because of the things they've said about her. Hang Ah is probably one of the most fierce women in drama history and the writers did a great job writing out her character.

King 2 Hearts was a well written all around wonderful drama. I can't say enough of how awesome the roles were from Shi Kyung's loyalty to Kim Bong Gu's evil villainy. The relationships and turn of events were portrayed realistically as with the North/South disputes. So go and check out this drama you won't regret it!


.....I forgot to mention that I watch most Korean dramas on a this site Dramafever.com

* Photo credits from Dramabeans*

12/28/2012

My Top 3 Dramas of 2012 Part 1

As we are nearing the end of 2012 I thought I would make a list of the top 3 dramas I've enjoyed this year.. It was extremely hard to narrow it down to just 3 picks because I've watched soo many dramas this year. I first started watching Korean dramas around this time last year (amazing right!) and I've already covered alot so here it is my top 3 dramas of the year 2012.

In first place is... Gaksital ( Bridal Mask)
Ahhh what can I not say about the best drama of the year...from the multiple deaths of key roles in the same episode to the uncovering of Shunji's inner evil to the tragic death of Mok Dan this show had you on the edge of your seats in suspense. In plain English this show was epic! It wasn't just the lead actor(s) but also the supporting roles who brought this drama to life.
Starring Joo Won
 Park Ki Wong
 ...and Jin Se Yun.
It had suspense, drama, and romance to keep me enthralled with what was going on. I enjoyed all the actors/actresses performances but it was Joo Won's and Park Ki Wong's talent that shined through every time they were on screen together and separately. Their tight-knit friendship/bromance had me in tears when it started as two young guys fooling around with each other, enjoying life together, to it slowly dissolving into bitter enemies.

During happier times...

It's always sad to see that happen in dramas but this particular one was far worse because of everything they went through together only to fall apart because of Shunji's brothers actions. If there were many jaw dropping-tear inducing scenes like the death of Mok Dan etc, the one where Kang To discovers not only his brother being Gaksital but his mothers death probably rates as the most heartbreaking/uncomfortable feeling ever.

I say uncomfortable because the sound coming from him in that moment were sounds I've never heard a human make and I just wanted to stop the drama and give him privacy. It was that uncomfortable but in a good way because it showed the actors depth of emotion he brought to the scene.

While I enjoyed the sweet romance between Lee Kang To & Mok Dan at times-and please don't hate me, I didn't feel the chemistry between them at all...BUT the wedding scene after they were pronounced man and wife was a truly beautiful scene....you could see how much they loved each other after being apart for so long.

 ...making her tragic demise even more heartbreaking.

Loved the role of Ueno Rie/Lala played by Han Chae-ah as she presented a strong female character to me. She was the kind of character who wasn't sure who she wanted to be and that was the inner conflict that had her bound. I liked that she tried to mend the relationship between Kang To & Shunji because of their history together she didn't want to see that end....



Liked how even though Kang To was her enemy she was still devoted to him for saving her life and her love never waned. The 'undefined' relationship between Shunji and Ueno was compelling. It wasn't love but it wasn't hate either, (after reading another bloggers views on this) I think it's more like a family relationship. I can't tell you how I wished for her to be able to save Shunji, in that moment when she knew he was going to do something.  But then again maybe he thought he was too far gone to be saved. Something to think about.

I really REALLY wanted her and Katsuyama to end up together, I wanted her to fall for such a great man as loving as he was but I respected her saying 'no' instead of leading him on. And speaking of Katsuyama how great was he! 

  Katsuyama might have been the quiet in the background kind of guy but he always stood by Ueno Rie's side protecting her like a knight in shining armor should. He barely had any speaking parts (he really doesn't need to speak just look at the guy!) but when he spoke in the final episode saying "How he wanted to be her shadow," that part hit me hard. Despite knowing she wouldn't love him, he still wanted the chance to be with her even if that meant being in the background. And when she claims her true identity by telling him her name for the first time...wow that was good!

And finally the end scene where Gaksital is walking with the villagers showed not a happy ending but a new beginning that the people were not gonna sit and do nothing, they were to keep on fighting for their freedom. Hwaiting! Not wanting to make this too long of a review I'll end it here by saying that Gaksital took you on a journey through pain, suffering, and betrayal, but it was the hero figure that Gaksital presented to give the people hope is something we all can relate to on a personal level. So I hope you enjoyed this review and if you haven't yet, go watch this ah-mazing drama. You won't regret it.



*I'll have to make a part 2 for my review as I didn't think this was going to be soo long. So please be waiting for Part 2 coming soon. *

*Photo credit to goes to Dramabeans*

12/26/2012

Merry (Belated) Christmas

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas spent with family and friends alike. I had an WONDERFUL day filled with lots of love and laughter...and got this sweet looking satchel bag which was by far my favorite present.
I love anything that pertains bows, buckles, and strings that I can play with, so this was the perfect bag for me!! The tone looks a little faded in the picture but its a whole lot brighter then what's being shown. Its nice got some room for me to put my stuff ie iphone, lip balm, lotion, wallet..maybe my water bottle I haven't tried it out yet though. I've been lusting after different handbags with a variety of colors because I'm expanding my closet to include more colors. Soooo next up is buying even more stuff !



There are many places that sell these type of satchels bags for one, Yesstyle.com. It has quickly become my go-to for Asian clothes (if only I could afford to buy something every month!) and they have a nice selection of satchel bags like the one above-or handbags in general. Another mention is a wholesaler clothing site called Sammydress.com.



These are just a few examples of the various handbags, clutches, and canvas available on their site. The prices are pretty cheap like less then $20 for their stuff but it is a wholesaler place so the products might not be as the pictures show. I haven't personally shopped at Sammydress, so I can't tell you how good a quality their products are, but going off on the reviews its either hit or miss. The only thing I would say is to take extreme caution like with any other online store you buy from. I've been on a hunt for affordable accessories as well as clothes with the Asian style so if anyone knows of other places to buy from please let me know.

12/19/2012

Break!

Hey guys....

I know I've been away from the blog for a couple of days, but that is because I was studying for finals and am now done for the semester!!

YAYYYYYYYY!!! That's right do the happy dance Stephen!

Anywhooo, after getting that out of my system....lol. I'm now going thorough the painstakingly hard task of registering for next semester. But at least I get a 3 week vacation and can enjoy the downtime of doing absolutely nothing! So look for my next post coming up soon...as I have all the time in the world hahaha.


12/16/2012

Nillili Mambo

Today while playing around on my laptop, the latest song from Block B called "Nillili Mambo" came on my playlist. This is one fabulous video check it out here!



I am in LOVE with this song!! Everyone should go listen to this catchy, fun song. It goes without saying that its probably one of their best songs ever. If you don't know who they are, its time to..


 Block B is an boy group from label Brand New Stardom that has roots in hip-hop but combines it with various genres of music. They first debuted in 2011 with their single "Freeze." For me though, it was when the second album Welcome to the Block came out, is when I first took notice of them with the song "Nanrina."

At the time I was only watching and obsessing over Big Bang's music so I 'shunned" other K-pop groups, but that's another story in itself. Anyway, they got on my radar because of their GORGEOUS leader Zico. Besides his smexy deep voice and charisma, he's one of the best rappers in the hip-hop industry.

This guy is siiiiiiiiick, his raps are breezy and engaging. He's an wonderful lyricist with his compositions always coming across as deep and meaningful. I tend to shy away from hip-hop acts as I was never into that genre but both Big Bang and Block B have such talented rappers that you just can't stop listening to them. I came across Zico by accident, when I clicked on Hyuna's (from 4minute) Just Follow Me performance.


What's most impressive is that Zico wasn't the original rapper for the song (It was a rapper called Dok2) and so he wrote all his own parts in the song except for the chorus. That performance alone made such an mark on me, I immediately went looking for more songs with him featured on it.

So here is another one for you guys to hear called "Turn Around" feat. Park Kyung.




Another honorable mention is Zico's writing partner/fellow rapper Park Kyung who you just heard in "Turn Around."
I soo want to steal these glasses!
 Usually he's overshadowed by Zico's talent, but that doesn't mean he's not as good as him. I think Kyung's just as gifted and you can see that here with his song "Hot Track."

Block B will be around for awhile as they are not only multi-talented but aren't afraid to be different from all the other acts. There are many groups that don't have that 'spark' that distinguishes them from the next big thing coming out, but Block B does. So take a chance and check out this amazing group!

Hello World!

Fall/Winter whichever weather forecast you are having at this moment is starting, and so are new beginnings....Ahh I just love the sight of leaves falling down and changing colors..

Winter 2012
 Heeyy guys the name is Tiffany and I'm super excited to be entering the blogging world.   As someone who enjoys writing, I decided what would it hurt to start a blog showcasing my passion for all things Asian-esque and fashion wise. I want to use this blog to show all my fave kdramas and kpop idols and also my opinions on them. You will see a lot of my undying love for shoes (yes what girl can't live without em!) and current obsession with bags and watches. I don't care what color, I love them all..lol! So join me as I venture out into the world of blogging with no experience just my weird obsessive self, my laptop, and you guys! One thing you'll learn about me is that I love love love using quotes in anything..essays, journals, blogs (teehe) you name it I'll put it. So to end this entry I leave you with this...

"Begin, be hold and venture out to be wise." by Horace

12/15/2012

YesStyle!!

Hey guys, so a couple of months ago I stumbled upon an online Asian fashion store called YesStyle. This place is awesome!! I have been looking for an affordable place to shop for cool Asian type clothes as I wanted to expand my own personal style. Well, this place is it. It's got everything you would want and need for prices ranging from about $5 & up. Most of the time it depends on the brand...like say the Korean brands might be more expensive then the Taiwanese brands and so on. I've got a wishlist of over 100 items because it's sooo vastly packed with a variety of things to buy.
Clearly Cyber Monday has past but you see what I'm doing here ...right!?            
They have absolute gorgeous bags- You will come to find out how much I LOVE handbags. Like these here -

Dual-Pocket Satchel/Skyblue
Faux-Leather Buckled Bag with Strap/Herz
Studded Flap Clutch/Cutie Fashion

...and shoes-
My personal favorite are theses Lace-Up Buckled Platform Boots by Grace Candy
Lace Up Sneakers/59 Seconds
Lace-Up Wedge Boots/Smoothie
 Wanting to buy anything yet?

 I personally ordered from here about a month ago...it took 3-4 weeks for me to get my stuff as (hello!) its coming from Hong Kong. I bought just 3 things to see how the process would go, and I can say everything came nice and wrapped tight (but not too tight) and nothing was broken or damaged.  First thing I got was this gorgeous purple dress from Jack Grace ( my new fave Asian brand)....
Pleated Padded-Shoulder Dress/Jack Grace

Which also comes in.. Army Green

and Red!

I cannot say enough about this number. There were some threads sticking out a little but nothing to cry home about. I got a lot of compliments on it and purple is now my new fave color to wear! The second item bought was another dress from a brand called BBon-J. I know the red version is no longer available but there should be other colors to choose from.
Scoop-Neck Sheath Dress/BBon-J

I guess I didn't look at the part where it says "sheath" because when I tried it on it was pretty thin and see through, but I remedied that problem in time lol. All in all, I was completely happy with my purchases and would gladly do it again. I would recommend YesStyle to anyone looking for affordable and chic Asian clothes to go and please check this place out.