Not Just Silly Thoughts

The Moon That Embraces The Sun: In defense of Princess Min-hwa

2012-02-25T06:41:00.000+08:00

WARNING: It's a full-blown rant below so I suggest skipping this if you hate the character so much and won't listen to a different perspective. This is why my sister says I tend to overanalyze things. Haha!

"Let he who has no sin, cast the first stone"

The Princess Min-hwa hate is starting to irk me. With the way people are going at it you'd think she was the instigator as to why Yeon-woo was expelled from the palace eight years ago. People are railing at her for keeping her mouth shut when really, if you were in that situation would you not have done the same thing? It's easy to say why not tell the king? Why not tell her brother? Why not tell it to Yeom?

Who would have believed her then? Let's see:

BROTHER (Hwon) - was dismissive of her presence and her intellectual capacity
FATHER (The King) - doted on her, yet refuses to let her make her own decisions.
YEOM - was still cautious of being in her presence since he was the Crown Prince's teacher and she was a princess.

One has to understand that the ball was not on her court. Granny Dowager and her cronies controlled the council at that time. Heck, they are still even there eight years after! These ministers hold power over the king because their support makes it possible for him to remain on the throne. This is precisely why the king himself did not take any drastic action against his own mother (or minister Yoon) for what happened to Prince Uiseong many years ago. He does not wield enough power to go against the majority. Life as a monarch during that era was like being caught between a rock and a hard place.

When I read comments saying how the Heo family should kick Min-hwa out once the truth is revealed makes me sad because they're clearly underestimating one of the most noble and level-headed families I've encountered in saeguk dramas.It would be simply out of character for them to kick someone out, no matter how angry or hurt they are because they know how to listen to reason. That's what makes them stand-out as a family and probably the very reason why two royal siblings wanted to marry into it.

Episode 16 was all about revelations but I did not appreciate the way Nok-young revealed Min-hwa's involvement in the plot. I felt like she threw the princess under the bus to deflect Yeon-woo's anger over causing her father's death. Is it wrong that I can't really find any reason to hate her at all? I pity her instead. Her reaction as shown after the ritual did not exactly portray one who was praying/begging for the death of another. Had she really wished for Yeon-woo's death? We know Nok-young said so. But what really went on inside that chamber, before granny opened it up to reveal Min-hwa shaking in fear? /rant over

Call her selfish, call her immature, call her spoiled... it doesn't matter. I can only hope that they resolve her arc by next week's episodes. Another week of "We Hate Min-hwa" rants all over the forums is just too much to handle. This is much, much worse than those anti-Ginny Weasley rants after she was revealed to be Harry Potter's love interest and future wife.

Welcome to the crazy world of fandom, everyone!

TVD’s The Originals are here to stay!

2012-02-19T00:35:00.001+08:00

Got this off YouTube today. If they’re planning on making a spin-off for The Vampire Diaries then this should be it! I love, love, love The Originals. Who doesn’t want to be a Mikaelson? :) The guys are gorgeous, the girl is feisty. I’d take them over the perpetual damsel-in-distress Elena and the brooding Salvatores these days. Oh and yeah, Mystic Falls got 10x more interesting when they came into the story.

I hope we’ll see more of them in the upcoming episodes. I want to know where Esther and Finn went to. Is the bond still in effect? Will she have a change of heart over killing her own children? Kol needs to be back, and so does Elijah.

I know I said Kol was my favorite brother… but after seeing Dangerous Liaisons, I’m switching to Finn. His backstory is interesting if they chose to explore it. Call him a mama’s boy if you want to, I just want to see how his relationship was with his family before they were turned. Was he also Mikael’s favorite?

Lots of interesting possibilities, huh. Do share, fellow TVD viewers… who’s your favorite Original?

The Moon That Embraces The Sun: It’s a week of filler episodes!

2012-02-12T00:25:00.004+08:00

I’m on #MoonSun detox. This week’s episodes basically did nothing for me plot-wise. I don’t know when Wol will regain her memory as Yeon-woo, but I cannot wait for that episode to happen. Yang-myung needs to get a life and stop being mopey because he got rejected, unknowingly, by the same girl twice. Hwon is… still Hwon. What’s there to praise about Kim Soo-hyun that hasn’t been sung in other forums? ^___^

And while I get it that the main OTP has to be developed hence the majority screen time per episode, I hope the writers haven’t forgotten about the supporting characters as well. Will they address the Seol/Yeom/Min-hwa love triangle? I want those three fleshed out because it would be a waste to have them as mere fillers each episode. At least Woon gets enough screen time. Ahhh, the perks of being by the king’s side!

The ball is on the writers’ side now. I trust they’ll do right by Min-hwa with regards to her character development in the series. She’s unpopular, I know. But I just can’t help but root for her. I think the character hate is blown out of proportion blaming her for all the misfortunes suffered by the Heo family because of Yeon-woo’s “death” when truth is, they were marked men the moment YW was chosen as the crown princess. If I can magnify hate a thousand times, I’d direct it towards granny dowager and her minions. Oh well, everyone’s entitled to their own opinion.

I shall not dwell on the conflicts any further unless I want to stress myself out, right? ^___^ Hopefully they pick up pace with the last 8 episodes otherwise I’m setting myself up for another disappointment after the train-wreck that was Boys Over Flowers. K-dramas that I follow always tend to have a so-so ending. Will #MoonSun rise above that generalization?

Photo Credits: dasom @ MoonSun IMBC site

TVD’s The Originals: Vampire Royalty.

2012-02-08T16:41:00.002+08:00

Life at Mystic Falls just got interesting with the introduction of Klaus’ (last) two brothers, Kol and Finn, in last week’s episode. Who knew the Originals were so damn hot? Lucky Rebekah. Too bad daddy dearest is now all ashes. Would’ve been nice to see a little family reunion now that Mama Original is back from the dead as well.

What an elegant shot! And I almost didn't recognize Finn w/ the short hair.

I love how the TV siblings have been casted. Aside from their accents, they all possess the aura that truly befits vampire royalty. I can’t wait to see how the siblings will play out in Klaus’ plans knowing that they all have their beef against him. Hey, if I was daggered by my brother I’d be after his neck too. Just don’t kill Kol again, will you TPTB? ^___^

My new TV crush, Nathaniel Buzolic a.k.a. Kol. Isn't he a dream? <3

Tremor-landia.

2012-02-08T15:54:00.001+08:00

When the earthquake struck last Monday, I was currently surfing the internet. I found it weird that the laptop was shaking. The next thing I knew, my siblings rushed out of their rooms confirming what we all feared the most. It lasted a good 10-15 seconds. Not that destructive but still stronger compared to what the city has usually experienced in the past.

I thank God we were all safe. I wish I could say the same for those who were severely impacted by it in the Negros area. We’ve been experiencing aftershocks every now and then. Sometimes I feel it, sometimes I don’t. I woke up twice this morning after I felt my bed shaking. I guess you can say we’re pretty used to it by now.

So there… back to happy thoughts! Good vibes, everyone.

Meet Mockie.

2012-02-07T23:29:00.005+08:00

One of my bestfriends, Reah, was in town over the weekend. I love how my friends pop-up unannounced these days! Haha. She was godmother to her former college dorm-mate’s baby and squeezed in some time to catch up with me and Isa.

Bonding over dimsum just like the good ol' days...

It’s been two weekends now that I’ve had a busy Sunday that it’s starting to feel like I have only one rest day. Kidding! As it turns out, she was in town to also claim a long-overdue puppy she had been asking from a college classmate of ours. Why she was bestowed that favor and not me, that I do not know. They have their reasons. ^__^

Mike's assistant carrying Mockie to the vet. Yes, it's not just you... we also thought he looked like Pacman.

Reah's new adorable baby boy

She decided to name him Mockie. My sister wanted to name him Skywalker. But would you believe the original plan was to call him Piolo instead? Don’t ask. Now I want to have a new puppy. I think it’s high time that Gwen gets a playmate because she’s too spoiled here at home. LOLs. Too bad I don’t know any friends who have one that I can adopt. PAWS should seriously consider setting up an office here in Cebu, don't you think?

SoT: The Moon That Embraces The Sun–Episode 10

2012-02-06T00:58:00.003+08:00

It’s a very, very delayed reaction from me for MoonSun’s episode 10. So sorry. Real-life got in the way. This show is like crack to me these days. I can’t stop blabbing about it that I end up wishing it was Wednesday and Thursday once again. Weekends have officially been bumped off my favorite days of the week.

How can this kid be so freakin’ charming? I’m not on the Kim Soo-hyun love train but I have to admit, the guy knows how to charm your socks off. It would’ve taken every ounce of self-restraint in every fangirl not to jump him if they were in Ga-in’s shoes at that moment.

Who screamed “FAN SERVICE!” when they showed scenes between Yang-myung/Jan-shil and Woon/Seol? I did. And those were awesome plot developments. Jan-shil is now suspected to have clued in Yang-myung on Wol’s real identity (that she is Yeon-woo). Guess ‘utang na loob’ (debt of gratitude) is not just with Pinoys, huh? Seol, on the other hand, risked exposing herself as a link to Wol’s past life by being caught lurking outside the Heo household by Woon himself. Can we expect a longer swordfight in future eps? That confrontation was awesome!

The bigger question remains… do both brothers now know that the woman they love is still alive? Because I’d hate for them to be beating around the bush now that we’re already halfway into the series. It’s time for the bad guys to be punished! But what does it take to overthrow a power-hungry grandma queen dowager?

That said, I wish Princess Min-hwa’s character would be developed already. Three episodes now and she still seems like a filler character. I adore her scenes with Yeom but I’d love for her to be more than just a lovelorn princess. She could be the key to the GQD’s downfall if Nok-young’s word isn’t enough to bring evil grandma down. It is the only way she can redeem herself to her husband’s family after staying silent all these years. And that is something I wish the book had expounded further because I believe the princess isn’t necessarily evil for her to incur all these hate just because she got herself married to her childhood crush.

Is it 1999 again? TPM in 3D!

2012-02-05T22:02:00.005+08:00

No words can ever describe the excitement I felt after seeing a tarp of The Phantom Menace in Ayala a few weeks back. Nope, we’re not flashing back to 1999. The movie is set for re-release this year… in 3D!!! Isn’t that great? I know only a few of my friends can relate with my Star Wars fascination. No one among my officemates even knows I love that fandom. It’s like my secret world that only a selected few are privy about.

The world that George Lucas created started my fascination with fraternal twins. Luke and Leia were a kick-ass brother and sister tandem. I was glad they were revealed to be siblings in Return of the Jedi. And to think some were ‘shipping them in A New Hope! (Ewww…) But then I had always wondered about the tragic backstory behind their parentage. Who was their mother and why was she rarely mentioned after everything that happened? Who was Darth Vader before he succumbed to the power of the Sith? So despite the criticisms and backlash, I was one of the few who appreciated the prequels being made.

Now I get to relive the time I was so giddy over the release of The Phantom Menace back in 1999 I had to drag my uncle to the cinema at 7PM (on a school night!) just to watch it. I’ve already made plans with my sister and Isa to watch it together so that we can fangirl afterwards. Hurray for geeks!

SoT: The Moon That Embraces The Sun–Episode 9

2012-02-02T00:35:00.003+08:00

Who hates the evil grandma even more after this episode? *raises hands* The witch is on a roll driving wedges between families. After ordering the hit on her son’s half-brother many years ago, she’s now playing devil’s advocate between Hwon and Yang-myung… who are both her grandsons! Absolute power corrupts, eh? Can’t blame any of the grandkids if they chose to stay away from the palace just to avoid running into her at any time. Min-hwa might have stayed away as well ever since she got married.

The writers are taking their sweet little time building up the reunion between Hwon and Yeon-woo. Now we have the poor king confused because the shaman sent to be his human amulet stirs some feelings in him that he hasn’t felt since YW was around. Bo-kyung sure isn’t happy with these developments. She’s starting to go paranoid and the episode today ended with her going to the king’s chambers. Will she get an idea that Wol the shaman girl is actually her ‘long-thought—of-as-dead-by-everyone’ rival, Yeon-woo?

My heart broke for the Heo family in this episode. Clearly, they are still not over what had happened to their beloved YW. The mom still grieves for her daughter. The brother misses his sister. What I’d love to see is how MH’s guilt (the past is slowly catching up with everyone!) over her indirect role in the incident will affect her attitude and relationship with the Heo’s who are now her family as well. I’d like to see her evolve from being a spoiled princess who dotes on her husband, to someone who owns up to her mistakes and learns from it. I have no doubt the writers have something in store for her. So far, drama!MH is tolerable than her book counterpart.

Yeom’s slowly stepping up as a character too. Yayyy! I love him more and more with each episode. <3 And who says SJH is too old for the role? For a character who’s been through so much, I say he fits right into the role perfectly. Haters can just scoot over to the left. ^___^

And hurray, they actually released a video preview after tonight’s episode? At least this will be enough to tide us over until the next episode airs in less than 24hrs.

Chick Lit: No Strings Attached

2012-01-28T21:38:00.001+08:00

Meet Carla. A 29 year old administrative assistant who’s too efficient in her job she can probably get things done even when she’s half-awake. She’s pretty, educated and most of all very witty. The only downside, at least according to her friends, is that she’s still single.

Then there’s Dante. Carla think she’s finally found THE ONE. He’s sexy, single, smart and not to mention a hot college professor… at twenty-four! What’s a love match to do in a society where age difference is frowned upon when it’s the other way around? Will their decision to keep things simple between them be a boon or a bane for their relationship?

Such is the premise of No Strings Attached, a chick-lit by Mina V. Esguerra from Summit Books. I was drawn to the story because I could relate with what Carla was going through. Her predicaments exactly mirrored mine, minus the Dante part, of course. I may not have my own Mary and Tonio but I’ve been blessed with four wonderful friends who have stuck with me since college. With them I get to have those honest conversations about anything under the sun. Reading the book made me appreciate how important it is to have a strong support group. When everything else fails, you can always count on them to have your back and they won’t sugarcoat their words to knock you back into your senses.

I was done reading in two days. Would’ve finished it overnight if only I wasn’t too sleepy. Right now I’m reading another MVE book, Interim Goddess of Love, which I got off the Kindle bookstore for free. Yayyy! Hurray for paperless reading.

SoT: The Moon That Embraces The Sun–Episode 8

2012-01-27T13:58:00.005+08:00

Thank goodness I have a flexi schedule otherwise I would've risked coming in late for work last night. All for the love of MoonSun. Maybe I should just call in sick every Wednesday and Thursday for the next two months, no? LOLs. Just kidding, of course. ^___^

Episode 8 partially answers what many viewers have been wondering this week... will H and YM come to realize that YW is very much alive and is just around the corner? Will YW actually remember her real identity? Both brothers are drawn inexplicably to the grown-up YW, but neither has confirmation that this was the same girl they both loved as kids. YW, on the other hand, seems to have truly believed she's endowed with the mystical capability of being a shaman. It is this "supposed" ability, and her association with the former head shaman, that accidentally lands her in the palace after the king falls ill.

What I loved was that this episode had fan service written all over for each of the main characters. Except for BK, I think. All she did was seethe in anger every time she sees H enjoying without her by his side. Is she intentionally written this way? No matter how hard I try, I can never be sympathetic to her plight.

To be fair to Princess MH, her scenes with Y actually make me smile because theirs is a breather from all the angst surrounding the story of the main love square (H-YW-YM-BK). I believe she genuinely cares for the family of her husband despite her immature streaks. To quote Fanderay from Soul’s Rebel…

“She’s (MH) not very smart or particularly good at anything (that we’ve seen) so her charm is definitely her innocent and open heart. I think she generally gets overlooked by everyone, so I found it quite touching that Y’s mother seems to genuinely care for her despite her many flaws.”

I know she’ll eventually pay for her participation with what happened to YW but I’m glad they’re not writing her to be such a biatch like BK is.

And again, LOLs at the rumors circulating in the palace that the king uhhhmmm… bats for another team? W’s chiseled jaw no doubt fueled those intrigues. Haha! Poor BK, not only does she have the memory of that “dead girl” to contend with… now you have the pretty bodyguard as well. Kidding!

It’s a long seven days to go before we get Episode 9 next week. Who spazzed upon seeing that final scene? Damn MBC for knowing which buttons to push to get viewers excited!

SoT: The Moon That Embraces The Sun–Episode 7

2012-01-26T00:04:00.005+08:00

This isn’t really a recap but rather an attempt to cohesively string together my thoughts for tonight’s episode of TMETS a.k.a. MoonSun. Episode 7 is monumental because this marks the first full episode where the grown-ups take over the reins from the young ones who have been smashing in their first four episodes. It hard to measure up to the chemistry of youngsters who basically move in the same circle and know each other’s work attitude (they’re the ones usually tapped for younger versions of lead characters in a series). Now the adults (Ga-in and co.)… well, let’s just say this is their first time working together. There is always that air of awkwardness especially on the first shooting day. I’ll give them an episode or two as their honeymoon period. After that, I’m sure they’ll pretty much settle into their roles and own it.

The episode tonight was intense, if the preview was any indication. Hwon (H) and Yeon-woo (YW) finally crossed paths but no one really knew who each other was in reality. Yang-myung (YM) thinks he saw a grown-up YW but missed her by a hairline when he (and the guards) started chasing her. I wonder how their first meeting would actually be like? Would he still recognize YW in Wol, the shaman girl? Bo-kyung (BK) was being her usual annoying self. I have this urge to tune out any conversations she has with H because this only leads to arguments and snippy banters. I am forever amazed though how good H switches moods… from serious to playful to sarcastic… every emotion is conveyed really well. No wonder viewers say he’s the strongest link in this series.

Min-hwa (MH), on the other hand, was there for comic relief. Which I don’t mind, really. It’s just sad ‘coz right now we all know Yeom (Y) married her out of gratitude. I just want their story treated right in this adaptation since her book version received a lot of flak for being selfish and all by keeping mum on her involvement regarding what happened to YW. I’m on Team Y/MH though regardless of what will be the outcome in this series.

Special mentions to Woon and Seol. I can’t wait for these two to have interactions since they’re the ones always behind the shadows of our leads. And both are very protective of their wards! ^___^

The episode tomorrow should be interesting. My thoughts might be a day late since I go back to work already and I’m on the GY shift. But let’s see how far my interest in MoonSun will take me into continuing these string of thoughts.

Kitchen Chronicles: Penne Rigate w/ mandarin sausage + sun-dried tomatoes

2012-01-25T19:26:00.001+08:00

If you’ve been following me on Instagram (username: esoradiam), the first thing you’d notice is that I usually post about food. Whether it’s about our latest kitchen experiment or a recent food discovery, food photography is an interest I’ve grown to love these days. Allow me to share the most recent one I’ve posted which I’d like to call pasta ala shrimp and mandarin sausages w/ sun-dried tomatoes. Not creative, I know. I suck at naming anything. ^___^

This was different from the usual cream-based sauce which was a perennial favorite every time we use penne rigate. The mandarin sausage gave the dish a distinct sweet-salty taste which blended well with the shrimps and the sun-dried tomatoes. Funny thing was, this was another modification on our part from a recipe I found in Yummy magazine. I have yet to try a recipe where we followed every ingredient as instructed. In one way or another, we always find ways to modify it on our end especially if it’s not readily available.

Next up: Creamy Beef Rice Topping. Wish me luck!

Summit Books, an attempt to save my sanity.

2012-01-23T15:37:00.001+08:00

I’m juggling two books to read as of the moment. And yes, I decided to settle for chick-lit because I feel that my brain deserves a break after being over-utilized for the past few weeks. Summit Media is a lifesaver. The stories they publish are situations every Pinay can relate to. Ohhhkaaayyy, some of them are bordering on over the top makjang-ness but hey… suspension of disbelief, anyone?;)

My ultimate favorite remains to be Wandergirl by Tweet Sering and it breaks my heart to admit that I actually lost my copy! Some officemate borrowed it a few years back and I simply lost track on who has it by now. Oh well, I hope they’re happy with that extra book they’re getting.

These days I’m trying to finish No Strings Attached and Popped Too. The latter, I bought simply because I had the first book and just wanted to see how the story concludes for Andie and her friends. All for blog content. Haha! I went for NSA, on the other hand, because I had some extra Zinio bucks that I didn’t know where to spend on. I’ll try to post a cohesive review of both books once I’m done with them.

Someday, I hope to be able to write my own chick-lit book as well. It’s definitely up there on my bucket list.

Kitchen Chronicles: Chili Coconut Cream Pork.

2012-01-18T21:23:00.003+08:00

Here’s one thing I love about Zinio on my iPad – I get to download all the Yummy magazines I want without having to worry about shelf space.:) I adore that magazine. It inspires me to cook and plan meals especially during weekends. But you all know I’m more on the planning side, right? It’s my sister who’s the whiz in the kitchen.

Last Monday though, I decided to do a dish I found on Yummy all on my own… from the chopping of ingredients down to the cooking itself. It was a huge risk since people here at home know that I don’t cook. Hehe! I had to improvise since we lacked some of the ingredients (no time to do the groceries) at that time. Good thing it worked. My brother even loved it!

A far-cry from the original, but still as good! ^___^

Now I’m inspired to keep on cooking. I’ve already set my sights on my next recipe and I shall be blogging about it real soon. Hopefully with less palpaks this time. Haha!

Heo Yeom and Princess Min-hwa: My MoonSun OTP

2012-01-12T13:40:00.002+08:00

Now aren’t they cute? And these are just the child actors for the role. Can’t wait to see if the chemistry would still translate once the grown-ups (Song Jae-hee and Nam Bo-ra) take over. Please TBTP, let my luck change in my fandom OTPs for once.

You must know that having me spazzing over some drama definitely means I have to own a copy of it once it’s done airing. Heck, I’m even posting again in Soompi because I want to find fellow Yeom/Min-hwa‘shippers or even just Yeom fangirls… something I haven’t done for quite sometime (again, the last one being QSD).

And because I worship the ground the author of this novel walks on… I will also watch Sungkyunkwan Scandal (also an adaptation of his novels) one of these days. Hah! Bring on the k-drama spazz-fest! ^___^

Drama I Love: The Moon That Embraces The Sun

2012-01-10T05:52:00.000+08:00

It’s been years since I got excited over a Korean drama. The last time was probably during Queen Seon Deok days where I painstakingly visited every DVD stall just to score all six discs(?) of the series. Saeguks (historical dramas) fascinate me. I am always amazed how Koreans manage to create such breath-taking fictional adaptations of their history. The titles they choose are also something. Translated into English, they seem so literal… but when in Hangul it sounds so romantic.

Just recently, I came across a new drama to be released by MBC this year (they’re two episodes in as of this writing) based on a famous novel Haereul Poomeun Dal (The Moon That Embraces The Sun). The gist of the novel is about a love story between a fictional king of Joseon and a shaman girl, who is unknowingly his former betrothed (she “died” under mysterious circumstances). Complicated, huh? Just wait until the ‘ships of this series are full-blown once the adult actors take over.

For a brief background on the characters, Koala’s Playground has the best write-ups for it. Here’s a link on the main characters, and the supporting ones. For now… I’m on Team Yeom/Minhwa. Unrequited love in saeguks is just too hard to resist. Plus, Yeom’s (Song Jae Hee) a pretty guy. Haha! I hope the flow of the story doesn’t disappoint so that I can get this on DVD from Goks.:)

Welcome, welcome!

2012-01-08T16:29:00.001+08:00

After years of switching blogs (from Blogger –> Wordpress –> Blogger), I decided it was time for a fresh start. Blame the epiphany on my experience during New Year’s Eve. I almost ended 2011 miserably, no thanks to a work-related issue, that I even contemplated on switching careers as well. It was then I decided that 2012 will be all about changes… and I’m taking baby-steps towards it.

It took me quite some time to think of a new blog name. My previous one, I Am No Fangirl, was too juvenile and not catchy enough. This predicament further sealed my belief that I will never succeed in the world of advertising. Hehe! After hours of staring non-stop at my computer screen, playing Fruit Ninja and consulting blog-name generators… BOOM! Not Just Silly Thoughts was finally born.

So welcome, welcome!:) I hope you’ll continue to visit this site from time to time for anything that might interest you.