~~~

Two years ago, my daughter bugged me relentlessly to buy her this book Hunger Games. Based on the title alone, I knew it was full of violence and I didn’t want to feed her mind (she was just 12 then) with such things. But, as I said, she did this relentlessly until I, well, relented (only after I researched what the book was about). And now everyone knows that it’s such box office hit. I watched it with her on its 1st day of regular showing (only because it was her exam week, if it were not, we would have one of those who watched in the midnight screening the night before), and I really liked it. Not really enjoyed it as I believe the premise of the movie can stand for a lot of things. At first, I thought it could be a great reference movie for my BroadComm class for when I explain camera work, but then as then as the story progressed, I discovered the Hunger Games is a TV show and it can be a better reference for the whole Broadcasting industry. At this point I was thinking that I have to get a DVD of this movie when it gets out. Then I felt a deep pang of sadness when Katniss volunteered for her sister and I realize that the Hunger Games may also be about life and how our children are launched in to it when they graduate.

Life, is like one big Hunger Games.

And all of us are Tributes in this Hunger Game of Life. We can be like the Careers, who spend their whole life training for the Hunger Games. They are expected to win. They are better fed and in the battlefield, their strategy is “to get hold of all the food early on and work from there” (Collins, 2008). Or we can be like Katniss and Peeta, whose goal is to just stay alive until the end. But is that all we want to be? Mere survivors than winners? Should we be like the Careers and spend our whole life training for it? As parents, should we train our kids like Careers? Feed them, spoil them, give them all they want and then expect them to win?

I am now reading the book and am happy with all the helpful tips it offers about surviving this Hunger Game called Life.

In training center, trainer Atala points out not to ignore the survival skills and how the ability to ANTICIPATE will determine who the winner is. To anticipate is to expect, predict, be aware of something that will happen. It requires that one actively looks forward to something.

Before the games, the Tributes were fed well with food, were given more than just comfortable rooms to rest in and the tribute enjoyed this while they can. Learn to appreciate the good things happening to you, take in all the happy thoughts you can from the experience because you’ll never know when it’s going to end.

The best advice I got from the movie was from their unlikely mentor, Haymitch Abernathy:

“They’ll put all sorts of stuff right in front. Right in the mouth of the Cornucopia. There will be a bow. But don’t go for it… They’re trying to pull you in and it’s not your game. Turn. Run. Get to high ground and then find some water.”

That’s the heart of life right there. How life will dazzle you with what you think you want, but not with what you need. You might scramble, even hurt yourself in the process of getting what you want. But… don’t go for it. They’re trying to pull you and it’s not your game. Turn. Run. Get to high ground. High ground. Look up to get to your high ground. Pray.

I also love it that most of the words of wisdom here are from an unlikely, to the point of being repulsive, character, Haymitch Abernathy. Yey! for unlikely mentors! Find your Haymich Abernathy, he may not be perfect, trained his whole life for it perfect, find someone that has actually lived life, committed mistakes and learned from them. And yes, Woody Harrelson was perfect for this role.

And the best advise from him?

“Make sure they remember you.”

And that, my dear, is how you win, and not merely survive this hunger game called Life.

~~~

The original piece can be found here. If you liked it, your comments, thoughts or messages to the author would be very much appreciated. I felt like the whole world needed to read this and I do hope you’d share it around as well. Thanks, madam for writing this! *hugs* Love you!

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So apparently, many of them have a lot of misconceptions (and even negative thoughts) about the Philippines before they go here. Like this:

LOL. I’m sure even tribes people have shampoo and such!

But of course, once they go here, they soon realize how awesome we are. Especially in singing and in the arts. Also, they realize that we’re a bunch of beautiful people! And that’s exactly how I got my boyfriend… through my beauty. WAHAHAHA!

Goo Hara or Charice? I thought so.

Continue Reading >>

The post What Do Koreans Think of Filipinos? appeared first on Funny Sexy | Kring Elenzano | Funny is the new sexy | Director|Producer|Actress|Host|Writer|Vlogger.

A book about Kpop. Hmmm… That’s interesting (and a first in the country, I believe).

So this post is not a review of the book. I haven’t even read it yet. As someone who has been in the fandom for seven years, I am curious to read the contents because you know, it’s close to home. Summit also released the Kpop lifestyle magazine, Sparkling, which in fairness was well-researched and didn’t disappoint the fans. But this is another platform altogether and may be a make or break for Summit. From the back cover alone, it almost talks about what being a fangirl is and if you’re in the fandom, you’d know that FANGIRLING IS SRS BIZNIS.

Many purists went batshit crazy and pee’d their panties when Kpop songs started to get played on the radio and on MYX in 2009. There are those who boycotted the buying of albums and voting on countdowns because “I don’t want them to be popular here I buy my expensive shit at Myeongdong ewww people will start selling their fake merch in Divisoria demmet THEY ARE FUCKIN MIIINNNEEEE, YOU JOLOGS NOOBS!!!! DNW /wrist”.

True story. Anyway, going back…

The book was written by Chinggay Labrador (who also spearheaded Sparkling) and she shares, “it was inspired by a trip I took to Tokyo and also largely influenced by a trip I took to Seoul with my best friends. We ran into a lot of unexpected adventures there – I didn’t expect to have such a great time learning about K-Pop, seeing new places, meeting random strangers and making new friends.”

I don’t know Chinggay and I don’t know how much of a Kpop fan she is. The story in the book, however, revolves around the character of Andie and her friends, who are self-confessed Kpop fangirls, who I suppose are the fictionalization of Chinggay and her friends. But will ordinary Kpop fans who can’t go abroad be able to relate to this? Does the story give justice to the passion and dedication of real-life Kpop fans? And is ‘fictionalization’ even a word?

I can safely say though that Andie’s story does happen in reality and I have many friends who are super duper hardcore fans and have probably been through the same adventures as the lead character. Some of them have even lived and studied in Korea and immersed themselves in the culture while many others have enough disposable income to constantly travel to different countries and stalk their idols *coughPaoMegMeliMishJulieALLOFYOUcough*.

But reality is that majority of the fans are the younger ones who even have to save up their allowance just so they could attend the local fan-organized events by the Philippine Kpop Committee, Inc. LOLZ (I see what ya did tharr, Kring!)

Super Junior has warned you. It is srs biznis.

Anyway, problem is, I personally kind of couldn’t relate. You see, I believe I’m not the kind of fangirl that they talk about in the book. Sure, I went to Korya with the intention of seducing Big Bang’s TOP and having sexytime with him at the back alley of the YG building but I ended up just allotting one day for fangirling and spending the rest of the week learning more about my boyfriend’s culture (the real one, Yong Jin, not TOP). And I’m seriously too kuripot to buy merchandise. Also, the last time I’ve posted a poster on my wall was in 1997 – and it’s of the Backstreet Boys.

In fact, at the back of the book, they have this Kpop Fan Girl Essential list:

1. Stack of Korean drama DVDs to chase heartbreak away – I only watch K-movies because their production teams are brilliant and I worship the path that Gwak Jae Young gamdoknim treads on.
2. Pick-me up playlist of Kpop songs to dance to in the shower
   - I like Korean alternative songs more, actually.
3. Shots of soju in times of celebration (or depression!)
   - I was bordering on alcoholic but have since cleaned up! And soju is for dinner, isn’t it?
4. Korean hangout (A must: yummy bibimbap)
   - My boyfriend’s condo.
5. Office BFF who fervently believes she is destined for the lead singer of the hottest K-Hip-Hop band in Asia
   - my officemates know more about the scientific names of trees than they do Kpop.
6. Ticket to watch the biggest Kpop concert to ever hit Japan
   - I can only think of DBSK and uhm, haven’t they disbanded already? (I was in Seoul during the JYJ concert though and didn’t even watch it!)
7. Fellow Kpop fangirls who become your closest friends
   - They come and go but the real ones stay. Shoutout to nana, Mishi!
8. Tons of cute Korean keychains and stationery
   - NONE dear gawd.
9. The hot boy you met in Korea who looks just like your Kpop crush -
   sorry to burst your bubble but many, if not most of real life people in the streets of Seoul DO NOT LOOK LIKE IDOLS kthnxbi.
10. Your very own kilig happy ending to rival any K-drama
    - MY KOREAN BOYFRIEND… a real-life Koreanovela. Bow.

What. 2/10? I’m probably not the primary target market of the book but most Kpop fans that I know will get at least 8/10, with the exception of the last one. And you’re probably waiting for this part… should you buy the book?

Yes, why not? It’s only Php150 and available in leading bookstores nationwide. It doesn’t matter if you haven’t been to or can’t go to Seoul and Japan to stalk your idols AND find true love in the end (lucky, bitch!). That’s exactly what the book is selling – a fantasy! A grand Kpop fantasy (have you any idea how hard it is to get a Japanese visa?)!!! It’s aspirational, just like many of the Koreanovelas you watch on TV and who knows, you might see your self in the character of Andie.

Happy reading, guys!

ps: No, bitch. I wasn’t paid to do this.

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