Puppy love or true love?

All of us have someone who is hidden in the bottom of the heart. When we think of him, we feel ummm always feel a little pain inside but we still want to keep him. Even though I don't know where he is today, what is he doing. But he is the one who makes me know this. A little thing called LOVE.

-excerpt from the Thai movie, First Love (Crazy Little Thing Called Love)

Puppy love or true love?
photo credits here

It was only yesterday that I was able to see the movie after a former officemate recommended it to me last Monday. Disclaimer: I won't make a summary or criticism of the movie. I'll just share my thoughts about it. I'm not much a sucker for love stories but I believe that this topic will always have a soft spot in every girl's heart.No, everybody's hearts. We like watching drama, action, comedy, and horror movies but it's undeniable that we stop once in a while to catch a feel good movie...that we usually find in love stories that offer happy endings. 

The movie is your ordinary teeny bopper film complete with these essential ingredients:

1. popular guy in school

2. an "ugly duckling" who is head-over-heels with this guy

3. mean girl in school

4.popular guy secretly likes "ugly duckling"

5. ugly duckling does everything to be noticed by popular guy

6. ugly duckling gets a makeover

7. ugly duckling turned into a beautiful swan. eventually, guys swoon over her but her heart remains loyal to popular guy

8.  popular guy's bestfriend likes beautiful swan

9. popular guy and bestfriend made a pact that they will stay away from each other's prospects

10. beautiful swan confessed her love finally to popular guy. popular guy, meanwhile, ignored her but deep inside he's happy yet hurt because he can't say his true feelings for her.

11. popular guy and beautiful swan will part ways

12...and met after a year or so.

13. the ending? 

Of course it's predictable! Almost 95 percent of love stories lead to happy endings right, so this one's a give-away. In addition, it's your usual TEENY BOPPER film, hello!If fairy tales capture every little girls' imagination that *sings like Snow White here* someday, my prince will come, teeny bopper films give hope to adolescent girls that they can experience or even find their true love once they hit their puberty stage. Agree or disagree?

Ugly ducklings of the school
credits here

I won't pretend that I didn't enjoy the movie because I actually did---from start to finish. The punchlines, the cute dance movements of the female protagonist (she really looks and acts like Kim Chiu!), everything including the songs! The plot is very simple and everybody can relate to it easily, except if you haven't experienced falling in love which is impossible. Almost all of us at some point in our lives did crazy stuffs for that one person to notice, accept, and eventually love us.Those  pasimpleng sulyap (stealing a glimpse of him or her everytime you get a chance), pasimpleng papansin (making a "scandalous scene" just so you could be noticed by that person like singing or laughing in a very loud and unusual tone), and pasimpleng stalker moves (giving him or her an anonymous love letter or tracking where will he or she go next after her 9:45 class) are the "intial steps" for him or her to notice you. And when all of them fail, we have the plan B or the desperate tactics :-) 

Labdublabdub: close encounter of P'shone and Nam ;p
credits here

Admit it, once in your life you did consider making love potions. Eh, still in denial?hahaha Once in your life, it did cross your mind to follow the different love rituals or superstitions that you watched on TV and claimed to be effective (I heard this once when I was young. To make your beloved fall in love with you, write his or her name on a paper, put it in a glass filled with water, and place it under your bed. During midnight, you will recite a chant and your beloved will fall in love with you.) Funny isn't it?Once in our lives we made fool of ourselves, gamble with destiny, and risk our dignity so that we would be loved back.And what do we get?

Just like many girls, I am guilty of exerting effort to look beautiful in front of that "one person" in hopes that that it would pay off. It did...only for a short time, though. And that's when I realized that I don't need him or his complements to feel that I am beautiful. I know I am beautiful. Although I'd be honest that I would, of course, love to hear his praises once in a while.

Nam's about to get her first kiss!
credits here

I am also guilty of being his online stalker checking his fb everytime I log in. I am guilty of making pacute once in a while when we're talking on the phone or see each other. I am guilty of all these things, even the love potion thingy, it did cross my mind. Worse, the pikot! Hahaha but of course, I wouldn't resort to those kind of things. I love him too much that I won't do such a thing that would ruin his future. I would tease him though that I'd love to have a child with him but I'll vanish and he will never ever see me and his child. He'd just laugh at my silly idea. I'll join him. I was 75 percent joking and 25 percent serious though haha!

Just like any movie under the same genre, the joys and pains of falling in love was also shown.And let me put emphasis on the pains of being in love since I can relate with it more, I guess haha!

Say it!Say it Nam!
credits here

It feels shit when you're being lied to. It feels shit when all the while, you thought that that person will keep his promised word, a pact that you both made with each other. It feels shit that after you've given your all, it's still not enough for him to love you just like you do. But you know what's the shit-est of them all?

It's when you're almost there...yes, the two of you...yet in the middle of everything, he chose to let go of your hand. WITHOUT TELLING YOU.

For the record, I am not that bitter about love, lovers, happy endings, and even him. In fact, even if things didn't work out as I expect it to be (ayan, assumera kasi haha), I am still thankful to him for everything---good or bad. I'm still thankful that I was given the chance to be happy, to experience love and maybe be loved in a very very short span of time. I was happy. I am still happy. And I know that someday, I will be happy.

The movie gave me an obvious lesson about love and life. There's hope that true love really exist! That someone is really meant for you. That no matter how long you've been away from each other, no matter how many relationships you had with other people, if you are really meant for each other, the world will conspire for you to be together again. Such a cliche, I know haha But love stories are supposedly cliche by nature right?Bleh;p

This is one of the cheesiest entries I made hahaha! And I blame the movie for that haha. Though once in a while, it feels good to be cheesy because I get acquainted with my romantic side. Lol

Happy endings: for real or reel?
credits here

ShangHIGH Trip Day 2: The Conclusion

 I can't believe that it's our last day in this beautiful city :'-(

View from the top

We started our day at eight in the morning since our day will not be that hectic since we only have two more destinations left. After fixing ourselves, we went down to have our breakfast.

The experience became worse! The food was either hard to chew, cold, or totally gone!Although it's our fault to take our "late" breakfast, still the staff should refill the food because there are many guests in the hotel. Agree?

 Besides, the food wasn't that good. Their sausages were hard as rock (no kidding) and they served spring roll with a filling similar to that of buchi's. Their bacon looks raw.I know I'm complaining too much but hello, we paid for the
 food!Or maybe authentic Chinese food is really not for me?Hmmm....

Lastly, I was totally surprised that they stopped serving coffee at 9:30 am!What the heck!

Empty tables and chairs

THE GRAND buffet

Entrance to the resto

Don't get me wrong, I love the place because of its nice interiors and elegant look. The moment we arrived in the hotel,  the revolving door impressed me right away hehe. The lounge area looks classy. The giant painting at the lobby is a beauty. The rooms and bathrooms are also nice.It's just that the food and staff need MAJOR improvements!Anyway, after our breakfast we decided to take photo ops at the hotel since we don't have our souvenir pics yet.

The giant mural at the lobby

Lounge area

One of the beautiful spots in the hotel

Art piece

Lobby of the 5th floor

Room 515

Our room

Mommy at the lobby

FCD shot: Grand Mercure Baolong Hotel, Shanghai

Joyce arrived minutes after we have checked out. After putting our luggage on the vehicle, off we go to the
Shanghai Art Exhibition Center. There's nothing really to see in this place except jade hehe

Inside the Art Exhibition Center

Jade Happy Buddha

FCD shot: Art Exhibition Center

Left the place at around 1 pm to have our lunch in a resto we didn't know haha. Anyway, the food was just right, however there's one dish that's alien to us. It's still yummy though.

FCD shot of the resto

Pork, beef, or chicken? we're clueless

Whoa!chicken head is also included

Going healthy? try this fishy

Our last stop was the Yuyuan Garden. I thought it was just an ordinary garden with different kinds of flowers and maybe a butterfly house too but the trip exceeded my expectations!The place was huge, beautiful, and very relaxing.In addition, it's  a mixture of traditional and modern Shanghai with the presence of the structures that were built 400 years go, toy store, Starbucks, and Dairy Queen. Hehe. Souvenir shops are also everywhere.

A quick information on this garden:


Yuyuan Garden is a famous classical garden located in Anren Jie, Shanghai. The garden was finished in 1577 by a government officer of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) named Pan Yunduan. Yu in Chinese means pleasing and satisfying, and this garden was specially built for Pan's parents as a place for them to enjoy a tranquil and happy time in their old age.

Serene place

Mi familia @ the Yuyuan Garden v.1

Mi familia @ the Yuyuan Garden v.1

At the Dragon Wall

 It was 5:30 pm when we decided to call this whole trip off.Yes, we'll be leaving Shanghai...this city I fell in love with immediately. I wish I could spend more time here. Oh well, maybe some other time. I just hope that we'll be able to book a cheap flight going there again.


We arrived at the airport before 7pm and had our pictures taken with Joyce before we parted ways.She was nice and hopefully, we'll meet her again...oops, problem is, she's moving to Beijing and will start a new career. I just hope that she will offer us a free tour if ever the trip will push through haha!

Ready to go home

Joy and Joyce ;p

Pudong International Airport

Last min. photo op @ the airport

We arrived in Manila at around 4am and was lucky that we got our luggage immediately. Hay, a much needed vacation :)

Breather

All by myself, I wandered in the woods

the hissing of snakes made me feel I'm no longer on my own.

Walking slowly in a dark and long alley

I am clueless of what awaits me at the end of the road.

Then there was a beautiful light, shining so bright

I'm almost blinded to see what's on the other side.

I swim a river, although I do not know how to, and managed to get to the other side

without getting drowned.

Jumping tirelessly from cloud to cloud, my feet feeling its soft and cotton-like texture

though it's just suspended droplets of water, I did not fall to the ground.

Then suddenly everything went black...and red..and black.

Running as fast as a cheetah,

I tried to elude---

shadows chasing me;

faceless creatures going after me;

silhouettes grabbing every part of me

until I become their capture- restless, weak, powerless.

Blurred image of a man appeared out of nowhere

then he grabbed my head and buried his sharp fingernails in my scalp.

He kept on whipping me and I can feel the gushing of my blood.

I cried in pain. No voice came out from my mouth, though.

Then I suddenly realized I'm free and started to run for my dear life.

But I can hear his loud and deep laughter

getting closer and closer.

I am still confused with what is happening.

I keep on running and running

until my supply of air becomes scarce.

Dead end.

Face-to-face

me versus him.

I am already tired;

ready to give up;

deal with my fate.

My fate that now rests on this blurred image.

As he lift his hand for a final blow

I shut my eyes tightly hoping that when I open them again

I'll see rainbow, waterfalls, butterflies, and flowers.

But I can feel his hands squeezing my neck tighter and tighter,

strangling me to death.

I struggle to get past him,

thinking of hundred ways to get his hands off me so I can breathe normally.

But he's too powerful. I accepted my fate. I am doomed. This is my end.

Everything remains black and dark.

My eyes are still shut hoping by doing so, I'll be numb

but I can still feel every pain and every struggle to live.

And I continue gasping for air...I'm running out of air.

Oh, God. Please let me live longer.

I made up my mind.

If this will be my end, might as well see the face of my unidentified perpetrator up close.

Regardless of what or who he looks like, I want to know his face.

I want to remember every detail.

And so I opened my eyes...

to the sound of voices gathered around me and waking me up.

And I started to breathe normal again.