I tried to find the image that was sent to me when I took a photo in this interactive display at the airport. Unfortunately, I couldn't find it anymore. 😢

Traveler mode. 😂

The most common things make me happy here in South Korea (in general). Just look at these luggage trollies. I wish I could take them home.


Upon arriving home, I unloaded my things.

This was the spread I got from that store I randomly passed by in Hongdae.

Of course, my travel from Korea won't be complete without buying skincare products! Back then, I was a religious user of Skinfood's Peach Sake line (because it really helped clear up my acne scars).

Each episode is less than 30 minutes long, and I think this is one factor why it was easy for me to squeeze it into my busy(?) schedule each day. I'm glad that this is not a live-action series, because I think I wouldn't be able to stomach watching it given the events in the story. I have to commend whoever did the editing of the episodes- each one was cut in just the perfect moment to leave the audience in conflict and utterly disturbed. It's a different type of a cliffhanger. The Philippines was repeatedly mentioned throughout the series, and according to the plot line, the country also was struck by that same huge earthquake. I am well aware that I am a worst-case scenario thinker, and I think the anime series depicted well everything that I imagined if "the big one" hits my country, most especially the capital and the neighboring city areas. For sure, I would be one of those people who would be dead during the first few seconds of the earthquake, might it be because our house collapsed or I was just clumsy and weak. If this is indeed my fate, I wish for it to be quick and painless. And please, I don't want to witness anyone die in front of me (might it be due to being squished by a huge piece of concrete or eaten by birds).

Since my last log, the site has drawn in some unexpected guests. But I guess I should have seen this coming. They came here uninvited, so I guess I'll have to entertain their curiosity. Just like what they say: ask and you shall receive. Knock and you will be opened for.

Yup, quarantine life is starting to get to me. When the virus was just an arm's length away, I felt nothing. It seems like I don't care anymore. If things get fucked up, then so be it. I'm also in the process of coming into terms with some recent realizations that came to me. Some things I presented and offered felt unappreciated. I realized that I couldn't really help anymore those people who won't let me help them.

I guess this is also the effect of binge-watching Japan Sinks:2020.😅 I'm planning to add to my Netflix queue similar titles like Save Me and Dark. I don't know where my mental health would be after seeing these.😂 I guess I'm trying to desensitize myself from these negative emotions. I wonder if this would indeed help.

Do you know what's worse than being alone? Today, I felt a glimpse of that emotion, but I'm still choosing to leave and cut off (temporarily) because I know I needed a break. Let's see what I would find in this whole new level of isolation.

Although currently there are lots of gray clouds in my head, I am trying to remind myself that the blue peaceful sky is still there - I just have to choose to see it. ☁

With everything that is happening in the world, this one hits extra hard. I haven't seen his face for years and I never thought I'd see and read his name again on the news, because of his death. And it struck me differently all because of the manner of his death. And we're of the same age. I don't know, I just felt really really sad.

I knew I had to pour these feelings out. I went to my piano and these melodies just started to flow out of me. This is my first ever composition, and I am proud because this is for Haruma. 

Thank you for inspiring me since Bloody Monday. Thank you because you encouraged me to watch something out of my comfort zone. I only knew you as an artist, and I'm sad realizing those cute smiles that you've shown the camera actually had shadows of lingering sadness. I will never know what things you went through to arrive at this decision, but I just hope and pray that you are in a better place now.

This is my send off to you. The melodies drum like the ticking of the clock until it slows down to a stop in the end. I pray for your soul's peace. 'Til the next lifetime.

I randomly stumbled upon this movie while was I scrolling Netflix today. This movie came out before I was even born, but I kinda had the idea that this is one of those iconic movies in the 80s. After watching the movie, I now know why.

The brain. The athlete. The basket case. The princess. The criminal. The film showed these different stereotypes of how teens are in that generation, and I think the film became a big hit because the audience resonated well on how these personalities were represented. Although these teens have very different characters (and sure they had a lot of conflict initially) they still were able to bond with each other as they have discovered that they all share the same issues related to the pressures of society specifically with friends and families.

The movie had a simple premise and plot, but what made this movie really special is the conversations that transpired between the five teens put into that weekend detention. Sure, there were scenes that would leave you in tears, but most of them gave me a big laugh. 

Here are some of the scenes that I really liked:

It was a feel-good movie. All those pairing up was a surprise, and 'til the end I still did not understand why they called themselves "The Breakfast Club" though. 🤷

The goal is to create a chain of people. They don't know each other. No one knows where it starts or where it ends. All they know is this: they will receive information of their task. They will be given two pieces of paper: one, which they can open and will have the instructions for them, and the other one, sealed, to be passed along to the next person in the line. They don't do stuff online because it will leave traces. That's the basic rule that everyone should follow. The pieces of paper are burned after the mission has been accomplished. 

This is the scheme of that dark side of the world. Everyone is oblivious of the boss or of the goal, so what can they tell to the police if they get caught? The mastermind will never get caught, and the process will still continue even if people get pulled out of the chain. Because inside those letters, there would always be a plan B.

Every person is driven by fear. Even if their task just doesn't make sense to them, they still do it anyway. They've been given the condition that if they fail to do their mission, they will suffer the consequences. And if they show any hint of resistance or hesitation, they will be killed. 

You've been told: a huge sum of money will be in exchange of carrying out the task. A very tempting offer, this one is, especially for people from the slums. Do you accept it or not?  Unknown to you, there's no choice to make really. After executing your mission, you attempt to go back to normal life and release yourself from the chain's burden. But no one really gets out. One day, an unknown man approaches you and slits your throat. Remember the basic rule of this line of business? There should be no traces left behind.

I spent my time walking around and looking at every nook and cranny of the plaza. The overall structure of this building is so unique it feels so futuristic.

For years I have been an advocate of meditation because I have seen its benefits firsthand. Although I admit that I don't get to do this as frequently as I wanted to, I strive to do it regularly to train my mind and reap the maximum benefit in the long run. 

It's been four months since I started completely doing work-from-home, and all those times of solitude really provided me to perform self-introspection about a lot of things in life. Those inner voices can become so loud and harsh, but almost always there's no truth to what it's saying. The funny thing is, the mind believes what it wants to believe. Sometimes I succumb to these messages knowing well that I shouldn't be. And so I resolve to this method: if you can't control your conscious mind, tap into the subconscious.

I use this app called Headspace for my daily meditation. It has always been my go-to meditation app because it's very simple and the courses are very intuitive. The guided meditations are very easy to go through and you can meditate for as short as 3 minutes! For my daily meditation, I do the 10-minute option.

One of the things that I learned recently is that if you want to build a habit, make that activity part of your routine. And so I incorporated my meditation time in the morning, after I wash up. They say that morning is the best time to meditate - and I agree because it sets the tone and the mood of the mind for the day. I have been doing this consciously for weeks now and I am proud to say my habit tracker is showing improved results.😀 

After a few days of doing this, I noticed that my head feels clearer and less distracted. I don't hit the snooze button anymore during the morning and in some days I even wake up earlier than my alarm. For me, that's a good sign. 

And that's just after a 15-day-streak of morning meditation. What more if I continue this for a longer period of time? As of this writing I am on my 17-day streak. I don't know how long I could constantly do this, but I do know meditation is already embedded in my lifestyle. 🧘

With everything that is going on in the world, looking after our mental health has become more relevant than ever. Let's take care of ourselves and of each other. 💓

First and foremost, I was instantly enthralled by the animation in the beginning of this episode. It strikingly reminded me of Tim Burton's style. I was amused by the fact that the girl in the animation, the child actress, and Seo Ye Ji all look alike, especially with the eyes. And this is one aspect that Kim Soo Hyun highlighted himself during his first few encounters with Seo Ye Ji.

I know mental health issues have such a great stigma in South Korea, so kudos to this drama for revolving around this theme. I hope this show indeed brings some awareness and acceptance to these topics, not just in their country, but also to all audiences of this show. Apparently this is not the first time that this has been done in a drama and I hope important conversations would continue because of dramas like this. For me, this is my first time to watch a drama (as far I could remember) wherein a main character works in a psychiatric hospital. And so we see a glimpse of what the day-to-day job of a mental health worker is about. 

The hospital setup kind of reminded me of that escape room I went to a year ago. Although this is a fictional setting, we have to admit that there is still some truth on how the condition of some patients are being portrayed, and it's a sad realization really.

Shifting to some lighter notes, it's entertaining to see Kang Gi Doong again in this drama, the same actor that played PM Koo's secretary in TKEM. Park Jin Joo is another familiar actor here. She is also present in Her Private Life, another drama I'm watching (and which I will go back to soon...?). Aside from them, there are a number of familiar faces in this drama, which is one an evidence that I've seen a number of KDRAMAs already in my life. 😂

Another highlight of this episode is the long airtime dedicated to Kim Soo Hyun's post-military physique. 😍 This kind of reminds me of that same scenario with Song Joong Ki in Descendants of the Sun. The drama PDs really know how to give some quality fan service to the audience.😆 This drama also is a nice change of scenery. If TKEM showed South Korea in all its autumn glory, for this drama spring has come! I am very much looking forward to lots of scenes with cherry blossoms, my most favorite flower in the world. 🌸 In another note, Seo Ye Ji's outfits kind of remind me of IU's style in Hotel Del Luna, and I am living for her every outfit change. For sure, her dresses and accessories will become a mainstream hit because of this drama!

Seo Ye Ji plays the role of a children's book author, but are these stories really for children only? One of the aspects that I especially liked in this drama is the artful way of narrating human experiences and emotions through children's stories, and the amazing animations for sure added life and magic to the narration.

I love the animations and the stories! They perfectly set the tone of this drama.

Slowly but surely, we see the connection between our two leads begin to form. Kim Soo Hyun's character -- Moon Kang Tae, sure remembers the girl he used to like through Ko Moon Young's eyes (Seo Ye Ji's character). We also begin to slowly get to know KMY. Based on forums that I saw over Reddit, some users said that her portrayal of a person with anti-social personality disorder is pretty accurate. It made me contemplate if I have actually encountered a personal like her in real life (My thoughts went to one person, but I will never be able to confirm this, because I am no doctor).

One recurring theme of this drama that I have noticed so far is the numerous fairy tale references. For this episode, the story alluded the symbolism of The Red Shoes, a short story by Hans Christian Andersen, the same author that wrote The Little Mermaid. I realized that this "fairy tale" has such a morbid and disturbing plot, and it's hard to believe that this story is for children. 

My most favorite scene in this episode is when MKT rested his head on his brother's shoulder while on the bus. that scene is just so heartwarming. Also, through this episode, I discovered that KSH is left-handed like me! Hehe this really made me happy because I have something in common with him. 😅

I really do think that child actress is just perfect for this role because she has such creepy eyes. 😨 In the narration of the Moon brothers' backstory, it led me to this disturbing conclusion that it was actually KMY who killed their mother with a pen. Oh no, I really hope this is not an accurate deduction.

I'm living for this drama's scene transitions! Very creative and artistic!

This is such a great start for this drama. I never thought I needed some Kim Soo Hyun content in my life right now. 😊