Wisdom Teeth Pains and Swelling

My wisdom teeth are killing me. My gums near those teeth are swollen and feel like pillows (not in a comforting way), and I can barely even close my mouth. Especially with my case, my half-erupted wisdom tooth requires a surgeon to slice my gums and then extract the tooth bit by bit, which sounds painful and absolutely undesirable.

First Day of Cross Country practice!

Wish me luck! :) Even though it's only practice.

The original It Started With A Kiss

I'm watching bits and pieces of Itazura na Kiss, and it's not bad! The series just got uploaded to Youtube, so I checked some parts out, and I liked how the Zhi Shu/Irie character is so hot (for a 1996 drama), and the way the japanese was spoken was cute as well. Plus it's chinese AND english subbed, so that was awesome too! Just didn't like how the female lead acts overly cute/stupid, and didn't like how her ears stuck out like a monkey haha. I don't know if that was supposed to be cute or what. Having her hair all pulled behind her ears.

My GF is a Gumiho thoughts.

First impressions. The camera work is fast and the visuals are superb, likewise to all of Hong sisters' productions. Dae Woong is hilarious, and Miho is soo cute! I really like how the story is going, lighthearted and interesting.

Famous chinese fiction written by a 23 year old?

Wow, so I'm excited. It's so close to starting school, but I couldn't help to share some of the new dramas I'm into, as well as relate recent happenings, etc.

Struggle couple reunion!

First things first. I've joined Cfensi's new book club thing, where we read chapters of online version of the same chinese book, and then discuss it in a week's time. This is in our first week, and the book we are reading is Guo Jing Ming's famous Tiny Times 1.0... Interesting read so far, even though I'm usually the type of person who glances at a bunch of chinese characters, then look away because it's too much to take it in all at once. But I do find that reading a chapter a week, and anticipating a discussion every week really gets me going for that chapter-a-week goal! So that's been great :)
Also, on top of that, I downloaded a copy of 步步惊心, which is similar to Yang Mi's new drama Heartlock jade! So I'm excited to start reading that as well, love time traveling stories mixing modern city life with dynasties. Love em.
On a final note, not only I get to see Playful Kiss in less than two weeks, there's an unexpected interesting drama I'm out for now! It's called 婚姻保卫战, and I don't want to translate the title lest the meaning sounds completely awkward, but it has something to do with marriages, guarding, and battles. Best of all, we get to see a Stuggle cast reunion (at least with it's main couple), and Yuan Li (du xiao yue from iconic Qing dynasty comedy, Eloquent Ji Xiao Lan)! Excited yet? I know I am! Especially because the director is the same one who directed Struggle and Who Controls My Youth, which means.. guarenteed witty dialogues and humor!

Playful Kiss and School Anticipation!

How exciting! Counting days until school starts!

     So how do these two relate? Love with school! Not really. But I'm starting to anticipate the new school year as much as I want to watch korean drama Playful Kiss! The first trailer for the drama came out, so cute. Jung So Min is just like a korean Xiang Qin. Yesterday I went to Back to School check-in and that felt pretty awesome, though it was really hectic with all those familiar and new faces circulating about in the commons. Got a great picture for my ID though! So much better than the one I took last year, which was a mom cut, and makeup caked on my face. To be honest, it wasn't that bad, but still lots worse than having straightened, freshly washed hair and an Au Naturel face (minimalist look). Currently, I use a ghd hair straightener that I got on my birthday. I remember being introduced to the world of hair straighteners only last September! I've been using the ghd flat iron for almost a year, and although it's pricey, I do like how it doesn't jerk on my hair, it heats up super fast, and I love how it makes my hair sleek and straight. On the other hand, I've just been introduced to the Sebastian professional flat iron from itsjudytime on Youtube, and from her review, it sounds like a great choice for a quality straightener as well! Now, I'm a little disheartened to know that the Sebastian straightener is actually almost 1/3 the price of the ghd! Maybe I should've waited a year and tried to look at more reviews because that might have been a better investment. But I love my ghd, so it's all good. But for those of you who just want a flat iron that does it's basic functions, then get the Sebastian one.
     On a another note, I am quite certain that choosing to join cross country this year is going to be like jumping into a dark tunnel on purpose. Running is not only not one of my favorite sports, I hate everything about running on forest trails. Especially when the average mileage per day is around four miles. Thinking about it, I can't even run two miles without feeling blood rushing towards my mouth, loose hair from my ponytail waving in front of my face, and needing to blow my nose. I'm so unathletic, yet I can still look skinny and fit. Well that's a good thing in itself, but I hate running, exercising so much and I join cross country just to force myself into getting a little exercise.

From Dork to Hunk - Joseph Gordon Levitt

To be honest, I never cared for 500 Days of Summer until Inception changed my mind. Of course, there was all that hype about the romantic flick, but the guy seemed too boring, and the girl did too. Plus the story didn't sound anything more than a cliche. But oh did Joseph's character in Inception changed my view. Genuinely handsome, nice sexy voice too, is what his character Arthur made me think. So I went to youtube and checked out the trailer to 500 Days of Summer again, and indeed. I'm loving his husky voice. Haha, yes. I will watch it. Along with Julie & Julia.

Interesting Brand-New Productions...

Here are some interesting new dramas to really look out for by this year's end and early next year!

(宮鎖心玉) Heartlock Jade: It's a time-travel series with a girl from the 21st century back to China's Qing dynasty. Stars Yang Mi as female heroine and Yang Kuan as guest, sounds like a must watch for me! Love time travel series.
You're Beautiful: Not the korean drama, China is doing a remake of it in chinese version, and the hot dude from 8090 Jiang Chao might be the male lead here!
Huan Zhu Ge Ge: "Updated version", with some really cute idol stars, and Li Sheng (from Calling Big Star as Xiao yan Zi). Also Er Kang is going to look much nicer! Shallow me, but yay right?
Melody: A Super Junior and Dream of the Red Chamber teen cast collab. The story is modern and supposed to be chic.
Playful Kiss: Everyone should know about this one, Korea's remake of famous Taiwanese idol series, It Started With A Kiss. The new cast looks..adorable, Jung So Min is an exact replica of Ariel Lin when she giggles, it's uber sweet. It seems like they are improving on the original story, so I'm looking forward to cute moments?

My Fu Kang An...

Eloquent Ji Xiao Lan arguably introduced the seven-year old me into the world of asian dramas. It was probably one of the most addictive historical, intellectual dramas, because even at that young age, I marathoned a dozen episodes of it until 4 the following morning. And I fell in love with one of the antagonists of the show, Fu Kang An. He was a young military leader during Emperor Qianlong's reign, and often participated in He official's mischievous schemes against the scholar Ji Xiao Lan. All of what I just said must sound really confusing if you haven't seen this drama yet.

Fu Kang An (R) He's a cutie.

The point of this entry is that one of my first drama crushes was the charismatic and a tad evil, Fu Kang An, played by the now-professor at Beijing's prestigious film academy, Xiang Neng. There's always something about him, his voice, distinctively sharp and his face always alert. He doesn't seem chummy even when he's in love scenes (Pervert! I meant in scenes where he's showing love emotions). I googled this guy up, and found some of his recent idol series he's been in, and went on to preview his idol series from 2008, 凭什么爱你 (where he stars as the main supporting actor). As soon as he's on screen, I instantly flashed back to his Fu Kang An image. His voice, tone, facial expressions all resemble Fu Kang An, back in the day. Actually 8 years ago, in 2000 to be exact. I'm in love once again, haha. But I really dislike the slightly ruffled hair and goatee he sports in this drama. I have a hunch that the director purposely did that so that his true good-looks (minus ruffled hair and goatee) would overshadow even the main guy. Aishhh... such a waste of a true talent. Even though this guy is probably in his early thirties right now, he can still shine as a main lead if somebody gave him a chance! Like say, Peter Ho and Huang Xiao Ming for instance.

He's in love. That fu kang an.

Highly Anticipating Next Episodes of Unbeatable!!

Huang Kai with Ma Jia Li

Unbeatable episode 22 is driving me crazy with it's suspense, and for the first time since starting this series, I'm beginning to feel like I don't know who to trust - God's Hand, Lu Xiao Xiao's memories, or her cousin Ma Jia Li. Also for the first time, it seems like the drama has almost reverted into it's suspense/mystery aspect (just a tad). I want our cuddly romances back!! Huang Kai and Ma Jia Li forever! Yep, my favorite couple in Unbeatable. They're adorable.
And for those waiting for my drama review of this series, please be patient! It'll be up as soon as possible.

On dramabeans today... My Girlfriend Is A Gumiho gets it's first episode recap! I'm off to take a look at the series now!

Announcement of Upcoming Review and Reminiscing Pasttimes

The title says it all. I'm going to be doing a full review for Unbeatable, which I have mentioned several times previously. I love this drama, I'm my addiction is still going strong! :) Everyone should check it out on vikii! I'm one of their translators and we've subbed quite a number of episodes already, so go look for this drama!!

I really miss those days in grade school when it seemed like we had all the time in the world, and those were the times when I could watch tons of dramas, without having to skip any scenes because we had the time and energy to watch them... Now everything is so hectic, even though it's summer break...

Dramas Watched Today: Meteor Shower 2 (ep 1-2) Unbeatable (ep 15-20) Da Nei Di Shou (ep 1)

August Favorites!

Yep, I'm doing a blog version of the famous Youtube beauty guru video - the monthly product picks!
I got these items from my local drugstores and from target when I went to pick up some school supplies, and treasures they were! Now my makeup minimalist routine is just mascara + jelly balm! In case you're wondering, my previous routine was vaseline and eyelash curler, minus mascara because I've always disliked mascara for their bristley application and tons of other reasons - the mascara liquid make my lashes block my vision, and the removing eye makeup part is just icky. But I'm in love with my new Covergirl's lash exact! So I'm actually starting to use mascara again..

Meteor Shower 2 episode one thoughts

一起又看流星雨, also known as meteor shower the sequel, has finally emerged on mainland television and on internet streaming sites, so I got a peek at what's to come. So after watching their episode premiere, three things ran through my mind. First of all, the show is just as exaggerated like I remembered from the original Meteor Shower. Second, I love the hairstyle changes and outfits of the H4 (Duan Mu looks a thousand times better now). Also I noticed that both Yun Hai and Yu Xun's mothers have changed - like they actually switched actresses for both of these characters. I like this change in the sense that these actresses are more likeable, but at the same time, they'll seem a little less "caring" as the previous actresses because they haven't worked together with the leads as long.
       Shang Guan Rui Xi (from the H4) is definitely a character worth investing time to watch, because this dude, he's tricky, cool, adorable, funny, and a bad boy who isn't really bad. I think he is going to be the interesting factor that will get me to keep watching Meteor Shower 2, even though he's not one of the main leads.
      If you were wondering about the new female antagonist, aka Yun Hai's new 'arranged' fiance, I don't like her one bit.
      Finally, I want to point out that the drama makers are getting lazy with their soundtracks because they still kept the same theme song and insert songs. Maybe they just wanted viewers to have nostalgia and familiarity with the show?

Very snippy short post.

As a summary for those impatient individuals who can't even bother to read my 'quick reviews' entries, here's a shorter (even!) gist of dramas/movies I've sampled, and my verdict for them!

• Lover - ordinary korean tragedy, except it's with chinese people. Don't watch if you don't like sad dramas.
• Unbeatable - a MUST WATCH. Not just for the cast, but for good plot, tight pace, stunning visuals, love stories, the works.
• Si Si Xin Dong - It's ordinary, but the girl is super pretty and while the story is bubbly... it's still a bit addictive and entertaining.
• Oishii Man (movie) - Snore-worthy. Boring.
• Heavenly Sword and Dragon Saber 2009 - Good scenery, but just an updated version of the same HSDS.
• Driverless (movie) - Love, love some scenes with Wang Luo Dan and the cute guy, but otherwise, draggy and goes off in no direction.
• Renting a Girlfriend - Seems...interesting. The girl looks korean. :) Haha. 
• Dulala's Promotion - Fun watch, even if it's just for Wang Luo Dan's witty remarks and her love life woes.
• Dwelling Narrowness - Dark, in a sense. Draggy.
• Fashion Kingdom - Old women in wigs and fakey makeup, no thanks. Plus the story is not interesting.
• Youth Stage - Just dancing and another one of those 'my dreams will come true' dramas. Han Geng's fans might want to watch though.
• Always Smile - So idol-drama. Ming Dao's bang curls are annoying too. Not my cup of tea.
• Madam Chin - Enchanting, exciting story. Intricate plot... romance wise.
• Entertainment Has No Circle - Not much plot, but I did like Han Xue's cheerful dialogues and gestures.

Quick Review: HSDS 2009, Dwelling Narrowness, and Renting A Girlfriend

Since school is starting in less than a month's time, I decided to go ahead and do another one of these.

Intro - Heavenly Sword and Dragon Saber 2009. I've seen the 2003 version with Alec Su and Alyssia Chia, so I'm going to compare them a little bit. In the 2009 version, you'll immediately notice 3 things: the backdrop visuals are absolutely stunning, CGI effects for the wuxia fighting have improved, and the story of Zhang Wu Ji is exactly the same as the 2003 version, even specific dialogues. The actors are arguably hotter, most scenes are less ambiguious to the viewer, but this series lack sincerity (and has bad acting), which I had no problems with the previous version. So unless you want to see a different set of actors preforming the same story all over again, I would skip this drama. Also, another thing I absolutely dislike from this version is how they distroyed the epic episode 17 fighting competition of the six sects.

Intro -  Dwelling Narrowness, I'm sure, was advertised as the next Struggle drama to sweep china. Unfortunately, silent, emotionless moments filled up most of the episodes, and the dialogues are sparsely placed, not witty at all. Even though we like how the show does reveal another part of china previously unrevealed in broadcasting series, one thing that really irritated me throughout was that strange, and somewhat haunting male narrator. Would not finish this series.

Intro - Renting a Girlfriend. In the beginning, I thought, wow this drama is quite boring and the guy in the glasses looks ugly, so I'm not going to be interested. Getting through episode one however, I found myself laughing my ass off at the failed blind dates the leads got themselves into. Conclusion... might be interesting, so I'll probably keep watching. By the way, is it just me, or does the girl lead look so korean, and the guy, if he takes off his glasses could possibly look like Deng Chao?!

Quick Review: Lover, Youth Stage, and Fashion Kingdom

So I'm on a roll in my new Quick Review series, so might as well do some more. This time it really going to be short, so I'm not doing an audio version of this post.

introducing... little cute university boy!

Intro - Lover aka 恋人 is a brand-new mainland drama, sort of on the meloromance side of the spectrum. It's been promoted as one of the first mainland-produced "korean drama". Which translates to a beautified

Quick Review: Always Smile, Unbeatable, and Oishii Man

Unbeatable - yes, yes it is.

To listen to this entry... Quick Review #1

Always Smile, with an idol cast including Jenny Zhang and Ming Dao should've been interesting and fun. The premise, especially after seeing the title and poster, should've indicated to a cheerful and light watch. Instead of enjoying the first 2 episodes, I found myself skimming

Si Si Xin Dong...more ridiculous yet exciting?!

I'll name 2 things I hate from this drama, and 2 things I purely enjoy. First off, I think it's really silly that Si Si Xin Dong in particular is so keen on it's product advertisement aka product placement. I mean, really? It just ruins the mood sometimes when Xiao Rou or some guy always points out that she needs to use her 'special weapon' again - which is nothing other than a Rejoice leave-in conditioner. It's practically all over this drama. Another thing is how everyone gets so exaggerated, and on top of that, I really dislike some of the female characters such as the lady boss of the television company. And omg, when the "other girl" Tian er comes into the picture, I know we'll have another character to get annoyed at.
Soem great things about Si Si Xin Dong are that in recent episodes, Chen Ge is already in a relationship with Xiao Rou, and they're super sweet to each other! Also, throw the director (Xiao Rou's filming director) into the romantic loop, and you've literally got a once-solemn and arrogant man getting it on with the female lead. No, I'm kidding, but spoilers ahead. The director went to save a roped Xiao Rou from a 35 feet tree - as she was up there interviewing a tree doctor for a show - and he catches her, they both twirl around in midair, while he kisses her unexpectedly. Outrageous funny, and I'll have to admit, it was the most adorable thing. Gotta love our exaggerated dramas.

Edit: Later, Tian er comes back. She's actually more likeable than I imagined, but Xiao Rou's still the best. So cute, even her hurt expression when Chen Ge goes up to Tian er with a pained look. But the most ridiculous thing in this episode? Xiao Rou confides in Da Mei that she thinks Chen Ge liked her was "only because I have the same long and shiny, straight hair as Tian er. He only liked me because I was like a shadow/mirror image of his beloved Tian er." Stupid! Don't think that omg. I'll bet Chen ge really likes Xiao Rou best, but this sudden encounter with Tian er is just so surprising that he has to first figure out why she left him all these years. Another Rejoice reminder most likely.

Fashion Staples and how to get Hai Lun's look!

Okay, so I'm going to start off with high school fashion. We have a ton of asians at my school, so fashion staples (not really trends) have been: high-waisted skirts, dark skinny jeans, Uggs boots, plaid buttonup shirts, and the lauren conrad bang braids.  

陈彦妃, or Yedda Chen, whatever. So this little side character who is always there for Dulala as a friend at the DB company... has an amazing fashion style! And I love it!

'Hai Lun', the sweet, always cheerful little sidekick to Dulala

I mainly watched the show for Wang Luo Dan (because her acting is so adorable and clever), but I've begun to notice Yedda for her character's fabulous sense of fashion! She appears to be a sweet and girly side character who does not like to get on the bad side of others, and her fashion really pairs that personality well! Kudos for the fashion stylist at the production of Dulala's Promotion! So here, I want to post some of Yedda's (or Hai Lun, her character) outfits I thought were really creative and cute, and then I'll make some fashion pointers for each outfit... so enjoy, budding fashionistas!