The First Day
Side Note: English conversations will be italicized.
*Beep...Beep...Beep* The alarm clock rings, waking Fala, Niki, and Amy up. It was their first official day of school, so the three of them quickly got out of bed to get ready. After breakfast the three girls decided to walk to school, they didn't want to attract any unnecessary attention.
On the way to school Niki and Amy were chatting happily while Fala was admiring her surrounding. While looking around, she noticed Theo walking on the opposite side of the street. Curious, she examined him for awhile. His uniform seemed too long and baggy for his small, thin frame. *That's right!* she thought *It's Adrian's old uniform* She saw the small "A" on the cuff links and knew it must be her brother's. Adrian loves to personalize his things just to stress the point that not only is he one and only, but also his belongings.
Fala barely recognized him from class, but she remembered seeing him talking to her brother once.
Theo noticed someone looking at him and gave a quick glance in Fala's direction. Which made Fala blush with embarrassment and looked away. Theo, thinking nothing of it looked back ahead. In class Fala and Theo locked eyes again. Fala still feeling embarrassed look down quickly to avoid his eye level. Theo's eyes were narrow and sharp, making Fala feel like she's angered him.
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In the hallways Danny and Adrian bumped into each other on their way to class.
"Hey, Ad. you know you sister is pretty cute, why don't you introduce me to her?" Danny said as he makes his way to his friend.
"Sure! How about I arrange a date in your dreams? And don't call me Ad." Adrian said sarcastically with a smile.
"Great! I think I'm free tonight." Danny replied enthusiastically.
"You're better off sticking to your precious Symphony. As for Fala, she's mine." Adrian said.
"Symphony is still shy about our relationship. What do you mean she's yours? Don't tell me you have a crush on your sister. That's messed up." Danny asked
"You're messed up. I meant she's my little sister, so you can keep your hands off her. And is Symphony shy or unaware of your relationship?" Adrian teased.
"Hey! She knows she likes me, she just haven't admit it to herself yet since she's the teacher. And you can't just keep her all to yourself, even if she is your sister. You should introduce her to someone. How about Theo? You say your sister is into playing piano and Theo is a little piano playing maniac. Plus he is so introverted, maybe having a girlfriend would help." Danny said sincerely.
Adrian smiled and looked at him, "You finally said something right! Better Theo than you, at least I know he won't get all grabby. Of course there's a difference between girlfriend and girl friend."
"You call it grabby, I call it showing enthusiasm towards like-minded peers. Don't be so uptight," Danny said wrapping his arms around Adrian's shoulder.
"Yes, I'm uptight and your like-minded peers are monkeys and apes." Adrian said shaking Danny's arm off, he hates to be touched.
"Aren't monkey and apes the same thing?" Danny asked innocently
Adrian gave him a 'did you really ask that?' look and shook his head.
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When they entered the classroom a girl came running up to Danny.
"You're here! I thought you were absent again!" the girl whined and pouted, trying to look cute.
"How can I leave my Sarah alone?" Danny said playfully. The girl led Danny to a table where her friends continued to fawn over Danny.
Adrian smirked and continued walking to his desk. He was used to Danny playing around with girls, though he himself, don't quite understand the purpose or benefit in doing so.
Niki watched in annoyance as Danny fooled around. She hated guys who fooled around with girls.
Danny was now being pulled by Sarah towards his desk. While walking backwards Sarah bumped into Niki's desk.
"Excuse me!" Niki growled.
Sarah looked down behind her and said, "Oh, you're excused" in a sarcastic tone.
Niki looked away trying to control her temper. Danny came up and wrapped his arms around Sarah's shoulder and smiled down at Niki, "Come on, lighten up! Everyone is friends here."
Niki stood up, annoyed she said, "I don't know who your friends are, but I am definitely NOT one of them."
With that said she sat back down and crossed her arms.
Fala and Amy looked at each other, they knew that Danny was pushing her a bit too far. But Adrian and Theo, on the other hand, were amused by the sight. No girl had ever refused the "handsome" Danny before.
Sarah broke the silent and said, "It's okay, I'll be you're friend. Just ignore her."
She gave Niki an evil look and walked over to Danny's seat.
About 5 minutes later the bell rang for class. Ms.Yu came in for the English lesson.
"Hello Everyone!" Ms.Yu said smiling brightly.
Danny saw her and straightened up while Sarah scowled.
"Hello Ms.Yu" the class greeted monotonously. Danny pushed Sarah away and she returned to her seat.
"Okay, so today we're going to practice talking and discussing in English! You'll all partner up and have a little discussion with each other. Doesn't that sound fun? You'll be graded on your participation so don't slack off! The topic is...." she paused for dramatic effect and continued again, "Your favorite form of art! Since this is an art school I'm guessing there will be some passionate views! I look forward to tuning into some of your conversations!"
With that said, she started naming off the couples. Danny with Niki, Amy with Adrian, and Fala with Theo.
Niki looked over and saw Danny staring at Ms.Yu dreamily, she made a face and unwillingly started walking towards him.
Amy cringed slightly when she heard her name being called with Adrian's. She would've been fine with anyone, and she meant ANYONE except Adrian. Fala shyly turned back to face Theo, who was sitting behind her. She was still embarrassed from this morning and was nervous to talk to him.
Danny wasn't exactly listening to what Ms.Yu was saying, he was busy admiring her new hairstyle. *She's so pretty and nice. Her hair is up today, she should do that more often it looks so nice. But it looks nice down too! sigh She just looks good in every way! She's perfect!* Niki walked up to Danny and tried to get his attention. After failing at several attempt she got annoyed and slightly mad. She took her notebook, rolled it up into a stick, and whacked Danny in the head. Danny let out a blunt yell at the impact.
"Hey! What was that for?" he yelled.
"For being an idiot! We're supposed to be working on a discussion." Niki said annoyed as she grabbed a chair and sat down.
"Aww did you choose me as your partner?" Danny said teasingly.
"I'd choose talking to the grim reaper than to you any day." She said smiling sarcastically.
"Now we're supposed to be discussing in English about what our favorite form of art is." Niki continued in a serious tone.
"Okay...um... I like...uhh......guitar....you know?" Danny said struggling to think of the right words.
Niki stared at Danny, confused by his English she took a deep breath and prepared to do most of the talking.
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As Niki and Danny were talking (sort of), Adrian and Amy's conversation was heating up. "What do you mean ballet isn't a real sport?" Amy said angrily.
"It is a sport, but I personally don't think it should be one. I mean all you do is spin around in a frilly dress and act pretty don't you? It just shows how vain girls are, even in what they call 'exercise' they have to look pretty." Adrian retorted.
"That's called presence and elegance. Unlike you men who wrestle and hurt each other over a ball. I'd rather look frilly than look like a neanderthal. Besides who's fault is it that made women so vain? Men judge us like we're produce at the market! She's too thin or too fat, too tall or too short! If it weren't for you chauvinist pigs would we have to try so hard?!" Amy was now boiling mad, she stood up to yell at Adrian.
Adrian followed suit and stood up, he stared straight back at Amy.
"It's called expressing your opinion. You don't have to care, but you do, so it's your fault."
"Well what about you and your big ego? You're always worrying about your pride and because of your selfishness women has suffered your oppression for centuries on end. What right do you have to criticize us?!" Amy yelled, her eyes glued on Adrian.
Ms.Yu noticed the rise in tension and came to intervene.
"Alright you guys!" She said as she chuckled nervously.
"Wow, your English are both so good. So serious too! But um... Why don't you guys take a break." Ms.Yu said gently, she went over to Amy trying to coax her. "Let's sit down."
Amy listened and took her seat. For the rest of the day she tried to avoid direct contact with Adrian. Just knowing that he sat behind her was enough to fuel her flames.
Adrian was seething mad, but he was also impressed. He didn't know Amy had so much guts. No one had ever stood up to him like that, even Danny had to back down when he got serious. Now he's even more interested in Amy.
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After school, Ms.Yu called Niki aside.
"Hey! Come sit down." Ms Yu said smiling gently.
"Did you want to talk to me about something?" Niki said respectfully, but trying to get to the point.
"Oh, well, I wanted to ask a favor from you. I noticed that you and Danny got along pretty well during the discussion." Ms. Yu replied.
"We did?" Niki asked. "Didn't you see me whacking him every time he tuned out? I wouldn't call that getting along well if I were you," Niki continued.
"Well in Danny's case it is. People are either scared of him or swooned by him." Ms.Yu said truthfully.
Niki gave a slight nod in agreement, then said, "Well what does that have to do with anything?"
"I want you to tutor Danny for me. It's his last year and I really want him to go to college. You're the only one who can keep him focused." Ms.Yu said
"Does it have to be me? I just came and I don't know him that well. You could ask the others. Adrian or ...Sarah." Niki flinched slightly when she said the last name.
"I know you just came, but with your grades there shouldn't be a problem of keeping up. And this will be a good opportunity for you to get to know him. Sarah can never tutor Danny without getting distracted, and I tried asking Adrian before, but even he gave up on him. Niki, you're my last chance, I'm begging you," Ms.Yu said trying to make a cute face in order to convince Niki.
"Alright, I suppose I could try..."Niki said softly as she felt bad for her teacher.
Ms.Yu was delighted and let out a high squeak before she pulled Niki into a hug. Feeling embarrassed by her teacher's enthusiasm Niki pulled away smiling uncomfortably.
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Fala and Amy went their separate way home as Fala wanted to stop by the music room. Amy let her be and went ahead, she was still annoyed by Adrian to care about anything else. As Niki started making her way out of school as well, the three girls reflected on their first day. It seemed like there was a lot of commotion and drama already. They were all over whelmed and hoped for the weekend to come quickly.
Author's Note:
This chapter included a bit of every character.
I really enjoyed writing the dialogue between Adrian and Danny as they tease each other back and forth. Wasn't our teacher smart for pairing up our couples? xD In the next chapter it'll probably be focused on Fala and Theo a bit more. The relationship between Amy and Adrian will gradually get better soon and hopefully they won't be at each other's throats anymore. Stay tuned for next time!
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Fan Video Spotlight: Ruco Chan & Tavia Yeung
While watching TVB related videos on YouTube, I came across these two fan videos of Ruco Chan and Tavia Yeung, which were both made by the same person, TracyYang89. I have to say, I'm utterly impressed! There is plot and the video editing skills are near seamless and flawless. The scenes are chosen perfectly and fit together so well despite being taken from different series. They are both completely different and offer something unique. One is a lighthearted and cute love story while the other is a tragic one.
"Love Story Between Ah Bin and Tsui Siu Lai"
A cute and short video that will definitely make you smile, the first fan video is a sweet love story between Tsui Siu Lai (from "Mysteries of Love) and Ah Bin (from "Burning Flame 3"). As much as I hated these two series, the scenes of the two characters fit together very well to make this sweet love story. Although Siu Lai was an idiot and Ah Bin was a jerk, the video makes Siu Lai simply seem like a sweet girl and Ah Bin a charming guy. The dialogue between the two is just too darn adorable. My favorite part? When Siu Lai declines to kiss him and Ah Bin reacts with disappointment. His reaction is too cute. The ending where they say "I love you too" to each other made the Ruco and Tavia shipper in me made me smile like a crazy person. The background music was very lighthearted and fitting too. How the user came up with the idea of creating a love story between these two originally annoying characters is beyond me, but it worked, and it worked spectacularly.
"Tears in His Eyes"
If the first video impressed me, this one blew me away. While the first was a short and cute love story, this is an extended tragic love story between Ruco and Tavia. Unlike the first one, the creator took scenes of the two from numerous series. The color tone fits the sad tone of the video. The song choice was also superb. This has the most plot I've ever seen in a fan video, and it is executed very well. It is emotional, tragic, yet beautiful. While I loved the first one, I loved this even more because there is so much more complexity, emotion, and angst. I never thought a fan video would evoke so much emotion in me and make me almost tear up!
TracyYung89 did an amazing job with these two fan videos and managed to once again revive my love for Ruco and Tavia as an onscreen couple. Bias for the two aside, the videos themselves had such wonderful editing you could barely tell they were actually put together. Even more respect for creating fan videos with plot. Kudos to you!
"Love Story Between Ah Bin and Tsui Siu Lai"
A cute and short video that will definitely make you smile, the first fan video is a sweet love story between Tsui Siu Lai (from "Mysteries of Love) and Ah Bin (from "Burning Flame 3"). As much as I hated these two series, the scenes of the two characters fit together very well to make this sweet love story. Although Siu Lai was an idiot and Ah Bin was a jerk, the video makes Siu Lai simply seem like a sweet girl and Ah Bin a charming guy. The dialogue between the two is just too darn adorable. My favorite part? When Siu Lai declines to kiss him and Ah Bin reacts with disappointment. His reaction is too cute. The ending where they say "I love you too" to each other made the Ruco and Tavia shipper in me made me smile like a crazy person. The background music was very lighthearted and fitting too. How the user came up with the idea of creating a love story between these two originally annoying characters is beyond me, but it worked, and it worked spectacularly.
"Tears in His Eyes"
If the first video impressed me, this one blew me away. While the first was a short and cute love story, this is an extended tragic love story between Ruco and Tavia. Unlike the first one, the creator took scenes of the two from numerous series. The color tone fits the sad tone of the video. The song choice was also superb. This has the most plot I've ever seen in a fan video, and it is executed very well. It is emotional, tragic, yet beautiful. While I loved the first one, I loved this even more because there is so much more complexity, emotion, and angst. I never thought a fan video would evoke so much emotion in me and make me almost tear up!
TracyYung89 did an amazing job with these two fan videos and managed to once again revive my love for Ruco and Tavia as an onscreen couple. Bias for the two aside, the videos themselves had such wonderful editing you could barely tell they were actually put together. Even more respect for creating fan videos with plot. Kudos to you!
New Banner: Valentine's Day!
Niki: We've put up a new banner for February. In honor of Valentine's Day Iris and I have chosen four couples to be on the banner. My choices: Gain & Jo Kwon, Nickhun & Victoria - These two couples are from the previous season of "We Got Married," a South Korean variety show. These two couples are my personal favorite couple from the show and thought they were so cute. Even though their "marriage" ended last year, I still wanted to put them on the banner.
Iris: My choices were Vincent Wong & Yoyo Chen and Bosco Wong & Myolie Wu.
Vincent and Yoyo met on the set of "War of In-Laws II" where they started dating and recently got married on 11/11/11. How romantic! Bosco and Myolie were a famous on-screen couple who started dating in real life while filming "War of In-Laws" together, and have been dating for 7 years. The picture is from a promotional wedding ad, and I hope to see real wedding pictures of them soon!
Niki: We've also changed our layout to match the banner and spirit of Valentine season! Hopefully you guys enjoy the new look and banner! We want to extend our support for the couples (real and onscreen) and wish everyone a happy and romantic Valentine season.
Iris: Thanks and congratulations to Niki for making this beautiful banner and customizing the layout all by herself. The site looks lovely. Like Niki said, we wish everyone the best. Have a great Valentine's Day, everyone!
Iris: My choices were Vincent Wong & Yoyo Chen and Bosco Wong & Myolie Wu.
Vincent and Yoyo met on the set of "War of In-Laws II" where they started dating and recently got married on 11/11/11. How romantic! Bosco and Myolie were a famous on-screen couple who started dating in real life while filming "War of In-Laws" together, and have been dating for 7 years. The picture is from a promotional wedding ad, and I hope to see real wedding pictures of them soon!
Niki: We've also changed our layout to match the banner and spirit of Valentine season! Hopefully you guys enjoy the new look and banner! We want to extend our support for the couples (real and onscreen) and wish everyone a happy and romantic Valentine season.
Iris: Thanks and congratulations to Niki for making this beautiful banner and customizing the layout all by herself. The site looks lovely. Like Niki said, we wish everyone the best. Have a great Valentine's Day, everyone!
Monday, January 30, 2012
A.E. Insights: TVB 2011 Report Card
Asian Entertainment Experience introduces its first special feature, A.E. Insights! A question or topic relating to Asian entertainment will be proposed, and the two web mistresses (Niki and I), will give our own take on it and discuss the subject with each other. Since C-Pop and TVB are the two things we are both familiar with, this feature will have a heavy focus on HK entertainment. There will be occasional K-Pop discussion as well. This will hopefully open up our readers to interact with us by voicing their opinion on the proposed matter too.
TOPIC: Report card for TVB in the year of 2011. How did they do?
Niki: First off, going into 2011, what were the most anticipated series of the general public?
Iris: "Forensic Heroes III", "My Sister of Eternal Flower" and "When Heaven Burns". FH3 since it was a sequel to such a beloved series, Eternal Flower for Charmaine's mentally challenged role, and WHB for its unconventional theme. They were all met with different response though.
Niki: Forensic Heroes fared very well with viewership. Personally, I liked the series itself, but didn't view it as the continuation of Forensic Heroes and would've appreciated a different title.
Iris: I agree. I love how the new cast worked together, but the original cast had something special and was so beloved. Ironic how so many people complained about the existence of a third one and said they wouldn't watch it, yet it became the highest rated series of the year. And while I anticipated MSOEF when the sales presentation clip came out, it immediately turned me off when it actually came out. Too silly I guess? The HK audience wasn't as nice and the series was panned.
Niki: I felt the same. I thought MSOEF was cute, but I didnt't think much of the storyline. I also wasn't used to seeing Charmaine in such a role and it wasn't convincing to me. I believe the HK audience felt frustrated by Charmaine's role as well.
Iris: Meanwhile, WHB was just way too different. I appreciate a little uniqueness, but WHB was so unlike any other series it felt like a culture shock to TVB viewers. I watched the first six episodes, and while I applaud Producer Chik's effort, it was just too slow and draggy. I'd like to think I'm pretty open minded, but in the end the problem wasn't the unconventional style, but the snail pace. What a shame, because it was so anticipated for so long.
Niki: WHB for me felt draggy at some parts and picked up in others. Some of the philosophy in it was interesting while the rest I didn't bother to pay attention to. This resulted in me skimming through the series and tuning in at random times. Though, I found the ending pretty interesting as it shows Charmaine changing the past in her own mind and making an alternate ending for her and everyone else.
Niki: So, besides the three above which other dramas did you personally anticipate?
Iris: "The Other Truth"! I was ecstatic to hear Ruco would get to be lead for the first time ever. I love Raymond Wong as well. It had my two favorite actors as leads and I like lawyer dramas. I was also looking forward to "7 Days in Life" for its cast and original storyline.
Niki: My anticipated dramas were rather peculiar as I looked forward to seeing "Super Snoops" and "Curse of the Royal Harem". "Curse" seemed interesting to me because of the cast and mainly Myolie. This was the first that I've seen her in a "bad" role. As for "Super Snoops", the promotion videos were extremely silly and weird, so I was curious as to what the actual series would be like.
Iris: Haha! You're probably in the minority for looking forward to "Super Snoops". For me, it just made me not want to watch it right away. As for "Curse", I just dislike palatial dramas. Hm, what were your favorite series of the year?
Niki: My favorite dramas of the year are "Ghetto Justice", "The Other Truth", and "Forensic Heroes III". In TOT, I really enjoyed Ruco's performance and wish he had more cases like his first one. I also liked Raymond Wong's performance and thought his acting was cute as the rich guy. "Ghetto Justice" was good as well and I really liked Sharon's character as well as Myolie's.
Iris: Those are my three favorites as well! I absolutely loved Ruco and Raymond in TOT. The series itself was average (above average in terms of recent TVB series), but I loved watching the cast, particularly Ruco. "Ghetto Justice" was overall a well written and well acted series that was very enjoyable. FH3 wasn't anything amazing, but was definitely entertaining. I also really enjoyed "7 Days". Steven and Sonija were a drag, but the rest of the characters were so fun and colorful. The comedy was unique and genuinely funny.
Iris: Now here's a question that we can go on and on about: What series were disappointing?
Niki: The disappointing series for me were "River of Wine", "Yes Sir, Sorry, Sir", and "Men with No Shadows". I couldn't even get through half of the first episode of River of Wine. No matter how hard I tried, I was still uninterested. "Yes Sir, Sorry Sir" was boring and nothing special, if not silly. Moses' acting was too exaggerated and became annoying after a while. As for Men With No Shadows, it was just plain weird, I was confused as to what happened when Bobby and Raymond crashed their cars. Apparently, Raymond learned hypnosis in order to trick Bobby into believing he's the Devil, but then they both confronted with the Devil in their coma state. So was there a real devil, or was it just an illusion? If it was an illusion, then why did they have the same illusion? The graphics were also very fake and tacky.
Iris: Ugh, don't get me started on MWNS. Hands down the most disappointing series of the year. Even ratings king Bobby couldn't save this stinker. It started off tacky with the overdone graphics, then became quite enjoyable, then became the most aggravating piece of junk I watched all year. Then again, I only watched a handful of series this year. The "plot twist" is what made it turn from enjoyable to terrible and confused people like poor you. Raymond Lam also went from being one of the top contenders for Best Actor to not getting into the top 5 to not even being nominated for My Favorite Male Character. Talk about a downturn! As for "Yes Sir, Sorry Sir"...I couldn't even get past the first two episodes due to Moses' annoying exaggeration, which was the producer's distorted idea of "comedy".
Iris: Before we keep rambling on and on about the numerous ways TVB has disappointed us (we could go on forever), what series were just simply bad? Besides the above three of course. For me, it was "Links to Temptation". I expected a mystery drama, but at first got lighthearted comedy. I didn't mind at first, but then it reached its "climax". It was all downhill from there. Poor writing, poor plot, poor characters. Every last character was literally stupid. Just talking about it makes me annoyed...
Niki: For me is was Home Troopers, the series was boring and there didn't seem to be much in the storyline. The characters didn't have much depth to them either.
Iris: I actually enjoyed the first few episodes. I thought it was funny and sweet, they showed the collaboration of the family well. It was all downhill after that though. Bernice's character started off so bubbly and cute (much like herself in real life), but the abrupt characterization change ruined it.
Iris: Any series you're in the middle with? I have mixed feelings about "The Rippling Blossom". I loved watching Chilam and Myolie, they were so cute! Damien was hilarious too in the first comedic role I've seen of his. Such an underrated supporting performance. However, I couldn't stand Michael Tse and Tavia. The scenery of Japan was beautiful though.
Niki: I feel the same about "Rippling Blossom" and I was also tired of watching sushi making because of my mom's job. The series I was neutral about was "The Life and Times of a Sentinel". I enjoyed Steven and Selena's performances in "Life and Times", they were cute. I was disturbed by Selena's unnecessary and sudden death at the end. But besides that the series was nothing special to me, though I don't hate it either and it was decent to pass time with.
Iris: Oh gosh, I can't comment on that since I skipped so many series this year. What about overrated and underrated series? "Lives of Omission" wasn't my cup of tea and I only watched a couple of episodes, but I won't say it's a bad series. There was just so much hype though. For underrated, I thought "Wax and Wane" wasn't given a fair chance by viewers. It was labeled as a "Moonlight Resonance" rip off so quickly it ended up becoming the series with the lowest viewership of the year. In my opinion, it was more toned down than MR. There were its draggy or over the top parts, but overall it wasn't that bad. Roger and Kate made it worth watching for me. "7 Days in Life" started off with great ratings but I feel it still wasn't recognized.
Niki: Lives of Omission was decent indeed, but I don't get why they put Fala back into the story line as Michael's look alike girlfriends just to kill her off in the end again. I would have to agree with you on the underrated and overrated series. While "Wax and Wane " for me was another neutral drama, it definitely deserved more attention.
Overall 2011 was a compilation of both pleasant surprises and disappointment, with a few hidden gems as well. With another year gone, let us see what TVB has in for us this year.
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Authors' Notes:
Iris: That's a wrap on our first collaboration post! I've always wanted to do something like this, so it's great I finally get to do it with my best friend. We had a hard time starting this off, but it became easier and more fun to do after we settled in. It was a great change to be more interactive and work with another person on a post as opposed to doing a formal write up myself. There will be more of these on different topics. Do share your opinion on the topic and give us feedback on this new feature!
Niki: This post was surely something different for both of us. We've been talking about this for a few days already and finally got to doing it! We want to do this regularly and hope for your support. Since this is our first collaboration post we weren't really sure of how we should do it, therefore it came out as something formal when it's supposed to be more fun and lighthearted. Hopefully next time we'll relax a bit and show you guys more humor. Feel free to comment and join in on our conversations and tell us your opinion of the topic as well!
TOPIC: Report card for TVB in the year of 2011. How did they do?
Niki: First off, going into 2011, what were the most anticipated series of the general public?
Iris: "Forensic Heroes III", "My Sister of Eternal Flower" and "When Heaven Burns". FH3 since it was a sequel to such a beloved series, Eternal Flower for Charmaine's mentally challenged role, and WHB for its unconventional theme. They were all met with different response though.
Niki: Forensic Heroes fared very well with viewership. Personally, I liked the series itself, but didn't view it as the continuation of Forensic Heroes and would've appreciated a different title.
Iris: I agree. I love how the new cast worked together, but the original cast had something special and was so beloved. Ironic how so many people complained about the existence of a third one and said they wouldn't watch it, yet it became the highest rated series of the year. And while I anticipated MSOEF when the sales presentation clip came out, it immediately turned me off when it actually came out. Too silly I guess? The HK audience wasn't as nice and the series was panned.
Niki: I felt the same. I thought MSOEF was cute, but I didnt't think much of the storyline. I also wasn't used to seeing Charmaine in such a role and it wasn't convincing to me. I believe the HK audience felt frustrated by Charmaine's role as well.
Iris: Meanwhile, WHB was just way too different. I appreciate a little uniqueness, but WHB was so unlike any other series it felt like a culture shock to TVB viewers. I watched the first six episodes, and while I applaud Producer Chik's effort, it was just too slow and draggy. I'd like to think I'm pretty open minded, but in the end the problem wasn't the unconventional style, but the snail pace. What a shame, because it was so anticipated for so long.
Niki: WHB for me felt draggy at some parts and picked up in others. Some of the philosophy in it was interesting while the rest I didn't bother to pay attention to. This resulted in me skimming through the series and tuning in at random times. Though, I found the ending pretty interesting as it shows Charmaine changing the past in her own mind and making an alternate ending for her and everyone else.
Niki: So, besides the three above which other dramas did you personally anticipate?
Iris: "The Other Truth"! I was ecstatic to hear Ruco would get to be lead for the first time ever. I love Raymond Wong as well. It had my two favorite actors as leads and I like lawyer dramas. I was also looking forward to "7 Days in Life" for its cast and original storyline.
Niki: My anticipated dramas were rather peculiar as I looked forward to seeing "Super Snoops" and "Curse of the Royal Harem". "Curse" seemed interesting to me because of the cast and mainly Myolie. This was the first that I've seen her in a "bad" role. As for "Super Snoops", the promotion videos were extremely silly and weird, so I was curious as to what the actual series would be like.
Iris: Haha! You're probably in the minority for looking forward to "Super Snoops". For me, it just made me not want to watch it right away. As for "Curse", I just dislike palatial dramas. Hm, what were your favorite series of the year?
Niki: My favorite dramas of the year are "Ghetto Justice", "The Other Truth", and "Forensic Heroes III". In TOT, I really enjoyed Ruco's performance and wish he had more cases like his first one. I also liked Raymond Wong's performance and thought his acting was cute as the rich guy. "Ghetto Justice" was good as well and I really liked Sharon's character as well as Myolie's.
Iris: Those are my three favorites as well! I absolutely loved Ruco and Raymond in TOT. The series itself was average (above average in terms of recent TVB series), but I loved watching the cast, particularly Ruco. "Ghetto Justice" was overall a well written and well acted series that was very enjoyable. FH3 wasn't anything amazing, but was definitely entertaining. I also really enjoyed "7 Days". Steven and Sonija were a drag, but the rest of the characters were so fun and colorful. The comedy was unique and genuinely funny.
Iris: Now here's a question that we can go on and on about: What series were disappointing?
Niki: The disappointing series for me were "River of Wine", "Yes Sir, Sorry, Sir", and "Men with No Shadows". I couldn't even get through half of the first episode of River of Wine. No matter how hard I tried, I was still uninterested. "Yes Sir, Sorry Sir" was boring and nothing special, if not silly. Moses' acting was too exaggerated and became annoying after a while. As for Men With No Shadows, it was just plain weird, I was confused as to what happened when Bobby and Raymond crashed their cars. Apparently, Raymond learned hypnosis in order to trick Bobby into believing he's the Devil, but then they both confronted with the Devil in their coma state. So was there a real devil, or was it just an illusion? If it was an illusion, then why did they have the same illusion? The graphics were also very fake and tacky.
Iris: Ugh, don't get me started on MWNS. Hands down the most disappointing series of the year. Even ratings king Bobby couldn't save this stinker. It started off tacky with the overdone graphics, then became quite enjoyable, then became the most aggravating piece of junk I watched all year. Then again, I only watched a handful of series this year. The "plot twist" is what made it turn from enjoyable to terrible and confused people like poor you. Raymond Lam also went from being one of the top contenders for Best Actor to not getting into the top 5 to not even being nominated for My Favorite Male Character. Talk about a downturn! As for "Yes Sir, Sorry Sir"...I couldn't even get past the first two episodes due to Moses' annoying exaggeration, which was the producer's distorted idea of "comedy".
Iris: Before we keep rambling on and on about the numerous ways TVB has disappointed us (we could go on forever), what series were just simply bad? Besides the above three of course. For me, it was "Links to Temptation". I expected a mystery drama, but at first got lighthearted comedy. I didn't mind at first, but then it reached its "climax". It was all downhill from there. Poor writing, poor plot, poor characters. Every last character was literally stupid. Just talking about it makes me annoyed...
Niki: For me is was Home Troopers, the series was boring and there didn't seem to be much in the storyline. The characters didn't have much depth to them either.
Iris: I actually enjoyed the first few episodes. I thought it was funny and sweet, they showed the collaboration of the family well. It was all downhill after that though. Bernice's character started off so bubbly and cute (much like herself in real life), but the abrupt characterization change ruined it.
Iris: Any series you're in the middle with? I have mixed feelings about "The Rippling Blossom". I loved watching Chilam and Myolie, they were so cute! Damien was hilarious too in the first comedic role I've seen of his. Such an underrated supporting performance. However, I couldn't stand Michael Tse and Tavia. The scenery of Japan was beautiful though.
Niki: I feel the same about "Rippling Blossom" and I was also tired of watching sushi making because of my mom's job. The series I was neutral about was "The Life and Times of a Sentinel". I enjoyed Steven and Selena's performances in "Life and Times", they were cute. I was disturbed by Selena's unnecessary and sudden death at the end. But besides that the series was nothing special to me, though I don't hate it either and it was decent to pass time with.
Iris: Oh gosh, I can't comment on that since I skipped so many series this year. What about overrated and underrated series? "Lives of Omission" wasn't my cup of tea and I only watched a couple of episodes, but I won't say it's a bad series. There was just so much hype though. For underrated, I thought "Wax and Wane" wasn't given a fair chance by viewers. It was labeled as a "Moonlight Resonance" rip off so quickly it ended up becoming the series with the lowest viewership of the year. In my opinion, it was more toned down than MR. There were its draggy or over the top parts, but overall it wasn't that bad. Roger and Kate made it worth watching for me. "7 Days in Life" started off with great ratings but I feel it still wasn't recognized.
Niki: Lives of Omission was decent indeed, but I don't get why they put Fala back into the story line as Michael's look alike girlfriends just to kill her off in the end again. I would have to agree with you on the underrated and overrated series. While "Wax and Wane " for me was another neutral drama, it definitely deserved more attention.
Overall 2011 was a compilation of both pleasant surprises and disappointment, with a few hidden gems as well. With another year gone, let us see what TVB has in for us this year.
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Authors' Notes:
Iris: That's a wrap on our first collaboration post! I've always wanted to do something like this, so it's great I finally get to do it with my best friend. We had a hard time starting this off, but it became easier and more fun to do after we settled in. It was a great change to be more interactive and work with another person on a post as opposed to doing a formal write up myself. There will be more of these on different topics. Do share your opinion on the topic and give us feedback on this new feature!
Niki: This post was surely something different for both of us. We've been talking about this for a few days already and finally got to doing it! We want to do this regularly and hope for your support. Since this is our first collaboration post we weren't really sure of how we should do it, therefore it came out as something formal when it's supposed to be more fun and lighthearted. Hopefully next time we'll relax a bit and show you guys more humor. Feel free to comment and join in on our conversations and tell us your opinion of the topic as well!
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Artist Spotlight: S.H.E.
Biography:
S.H.E. is a three member, Taiwanese girl group. The group consists of Selina Jen Chia-Hsuan, Hebe Tian Fu Chen, and Ella Chen Chia Hwa. In 2000 the three of them entered the record label HIM International's auditions and later participated in the Universal Talent and Beauty Girl Contest. The three girls all passed to the final round and in the end Selina was announced the first place winner. Later HIM International had contacted all three girls and they received a contract with the company.
Their first album Girls Dorm sold 150,000 copies and enabled them to be nominated for Best New Artist at the 13th Golden Disk Awards. Following the success of the their first album the girls went on to release numerous other albums as well as holding live concerts and tours. They also acted in several dramas including The Rose and Reaching for the Stars together. Ella and Hebe had starred in other dramas separately as well. Being in the industries for about 10 years now, the girls have a very solid foundation and had achieve several honors.
Discography:
Girl's Dorm: September 11, 2001
Youth Society: January 29, 2002
Genesis: August 5, 2002
Superstar: August 22, 2003
Magical Journey: February 6, 2004
Encore: November 12, 2004
Once Upon A Time: November 25, 2005
Play: May 11, 2007
FM S.H.E.: September 23, 2008
SHERO: March 26, 2010
Selina's Accident:
Recently S.H.E. had been promoting on their own because of Selina's accident back in 2010. While filming for her new drama I Have a Date With Spring, Selina was badly burnt by a stunt malfunction. She had to receive long term treatment and therapy. During her recovery Ella had pursued her acting career while Hebe had released her own single tracks. It was revealed that Selina was making good progress in her recovery. Earlier this year she had finally tied the knot with her fiance Richard Chang. Her wedding was held on October 31st, which happened to also be her birthday. Ella and Hebe had served as her bridesmaid along with her little sister. Many celebrities attended the wedding to give Selina their blessing and you can see the bride was smiling through her tears.
Lately the three of them had gotten together again for some commercials and endorsement. Selina had also released her solo EP, Dream Another Dream, on December 16th. The three song included in the EP were written for Selina by Jay Chou, Wang Lee Hom, and JJ Lin.
Critique
S.H.E., to me, is one of the most unique bands not only because of their personalities but also their voices. Though their voices aren't the strongest nor do they have the widest range, but they're sweet and moving. From Ella's deep tenor voice, to Hebe's full and fresh vocals, to Selina's sweet soprano voice each of the girls have their own style that compliment and support each other's when put together. Since their first concert, where the girls were criticized for their off-key singing, S.H.E. had improved immensely throughout the years. Their hard work and dedications is what makes me one of their fans. I also admire their never changing down-to-earth attitude as well as close relationships with each other. I look forward to seeing them continue their journey through the music industry and expand their horizon even further.
Song Recommendations
The girls were so cute in this, the locations and scenery were beautiful. The lyrics are playful and fun, while showing of the pride in their nationality.
I love the Victorian and Gothic style for the MV as well as song. I'm a sucker for fairy-tale themes and this song was addicting to me when I first found it.
This is the long version of the MV, it doesn't show much of the song, but the story between the couple was so touching I decided to add this.
This is the short version, one of my favorite song from them.
A touching ballad, though it's not one of my favorites, but I do like it and even more when I found out it was written by Hebe.
One of their more whimsical songs. I love this song, it always manages to cheer me up. The M.V. was overflowing with cuteness and made me reminisce of Ella and Wu Chun's Hana Kimi days. This song was used as the opening theme for the drama Hana Kimi which Ella starred in as the lead.
A collaboration song between S.H.E. and their label mate Fahrenheit (I love them <3). This super cute song was used as the theme song for Gong Zhu Xiao Mei (Romantic Princess). I love the chemistry between the two bands and they looked like they were having so much fun.
P.S.: Beware of the ear melting beep in the beginning Dx
This song was written by Ella to commemorate their days living together. The lyrics are so sweet and the girls are so cute ^^.
I love this song and album and this is arguably my favorite album from them. I love everything from the style, MV, lyrics, song, to simply how beautiful the girls looked in this. I feel like they have matured so much as well as change(for the better of course) in this comeback.
Other songs:
Author's Note: Hey guys! I'm so excited, because this is my first artist spotlight. Since this is my first I wanted to do it on my favorite girl band/artistes, S.H.E. I got sort of carried away while doing the song recommendations, because I love so many of their songs. Hopefully you guys enjoy them as much as I do. I want to take this chance to congratulate Ella on her future marriage and Selina on her road to recovery and wedding. I wish the girls the best in the future and hope to see them in a new album xD.
Girl's Dorm: September 11, 2001
Youth Society: January 29, 2002
Genesis: August 5, 2002
Superstar: August 22, 2003
Magical Journey: February 6, 2004
Encore: November 12, 2004
Once Upon A Time: November 25, 2005
Play: May 11, 2007
FM S.H.E.: September 23, 2008
SHERO: March 26, 2010
Selina's Accident:
Recently S.H.E. had been promoting on their own because of Selina's accident back in 2010. While filming for her new drama I Have a Date With Spring, Selina was badly burnt by a stunt malfunction. She had to receive long term treatment and therapy. During her recovery Ella had pursued her acting career while Hebe had released her own single tracks. It was revealed that Selina was making good progress in her recovery. Earlier this year she had finally tied the knot with her fiance Richard Chang. Her wedding was held on October 31st, which happened to also be her birthday. Ella and Hebe had served as her bridesmaid along with her little sister. Many celebrities attended the wedding to give Selina their blessing and you can see the bride was smiling through her tears.
Lately the three of them had gotten together again for some commercials and endorsement. Selina had also released her solo EP, Dream Another Dream, on December 16th. The three song included in the EP were written for Selina by Jay Chou, Wang Lee Hom, and JJ Lin.
S.H.E., to me, is one of the most unique bands not only because of their personalities but also their voices. Though their voices aren't the strongest nor do they have the widest range, but they're sweet and moving. From Ella's deep tenor voice, to Hebe's full and fresh vocals, to Selina's sweet soprano voice each of the girls have their own style that compliment and support each other's when put together. Since their first concert, where the girls were criticized for their off-key singing, S.H.E. had improved immensely throughout the years. Their hard work and dedications is what makes me one of their fans. I also admire their never changing down-to-earth attitude as well as close relationships with each other. I look forward to seeing them continue their journey through the music industry and expand their horizon even further.
Song Recommendations
The girls were so cute in this, the locations and scenery were beautiful. The lyrics are playful and fun, while showing of the pride in their nationality.
I love the Victorian and Gothic style for the MV as well as song. I'm a sucker for fairy-tale themes and this song was addicting to me when I first found it.
This is the long version of the MV, it doesn't show much of the song, but the story between the couple was so touching I decided to add this.
This is the short version, one of my favorite song from them.
A touching ballad, though it's not one of my favorites, but I do like it and even more when I found out it was written by Hebe.
One of their more whimsical songs. I love this song, it always manages to cheer me up. The M.V. was overflowing with cuteness and made me reminisce of Ella and Wu Chun's Hana Kimi days. This song was used as the opening theme for the drama Hana Kimi which Ella starred in as the lead.
A collaboration song between S.H.E. and their label mate Fahrenheit (I love them <3). This super cute song was used as the theme song for Gong Zhu Xiao Mei (Romantic Princess). I love the chemistry between the two bands and they looked like they were having so much fun.
P.S.: Beware of the ear melting beep in the beginning Dx
This song was written by Ella to commemorate their days living together. The lyrics are so sweet and the girls are so cute ^^.
I love this song and album and this is arguably my favorite album from them. I love everything from the style, MV, lyrics, song, to simply how beautiful the girls looked in this. I feel like they have matured so much as well as change(for the better of course) in this comeback.
Other songs:
- Ru Guo Ni Shi Nu Hai (If You Were A Girl): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5c4tstuDwws I love the lyrics as well as quirky beat of this song. It makes me happy and being a girl, I completely agree with the lyrics.
- Chao Ke Neng (Very Possible): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qPU0G-qcdA&feature=related This song is one of my favorites as well, it has a very strong message and is very empowering. At first I was a bit disappointed in the amount of lines Ella had in this song, but then I got to her solo near the end and fell in love with it.
- Bo Si Mao (Persian Cat): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7oPBYygnVM I like this song mainly because of the interesting theme. The song itself is catchy and is not something you come across daily. Sadly there are no English lyrics, so I don't understand the lyrics Dx.
- The Story of Romeo and Juliet: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kexlwWj7nt0 This song has a eerie and haunting melody as well as lyrics. It is another special song from S.H.E. that I adore. Sadly this is not one of their more popular songs, so I don't know if there are English lyrics, but I came across the Vietnamese translation and fell in love with the lyrics. The beginning creeps me out a bit though.
- Xie Xie Ni Men Ai Wo De MeiYi Ge Ren (Thank You, Everyone Who Loves Me) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2Mpt6Na4Ks&feature=related A touching song from Selina's EP. I hope for her to fully recover soon.
- Mo Gui Zhong De Tian Shi (Angel Among the Devils): http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=w6gYqWE4XLY A haunting song from Hebe's newest solo album My Love. This song is my favorite of her solo works, her voice is amazing in here and the music video was interesting as well.
Author's Note: Hey guys! I'm so excited, because this is my first artist spotlight. Since this is my first I wanted to do it on my favorite girl band/artistes, S.H.E. I got sort of carried away while doing the song recommendations, because I love so many of their songs. Hopefully you guys enjoy them as much as I do. I want to take this chance to congratulate Ella on her future marriage and Selina on her road to recovery and wedding. I wish the girls the best in the future and hope to see them in a new album xD.
Monday, January 23, 2012
Happy Chinese New Year from the Staff of Asian Entertainment Experience!
Hey Guys! Today is Chinese New Year!
It's the year of the dragon. The dragon stands for wealth and good fortune, so hopefully this will be a good year for everyone.
Wishes from Niki:
I hope everyone has a year filled with happiness, success in all you do, good luck and good fortune. Remember to strive for the best but also give as much as you take! xD
For all the Viet families: Chúc mùng năm mới!
(Tried to write this on Google translate and the accents were killing me. I wrote more, but apparently the format gets messed up.)
Wishes From Iris:
I also wish this year will only bring everyone more success, happiness, good fortune, and of course, good health. Let this be a year where all you want to happen happens! Remember, the year of the dragon is supposed to bring a lot of luck and fortune, but you are still in control of your life. :) Happy Chinese New Year, everyone! Gung Hay Fat Choi!
It's the year of the dragon. The dragon stands for wealth and good fortune, so hopefully this will be a good year for everyone.
Wishes from Niki:
I hope everyone has a year filled with happiness, success in all you do, good luck and good fortune. Remember to strive for the best but also give as much as you take! xD
For all the Viet families: Chúc mùng năm mới!
(Tried to write this on Google translate and the accents were killing me. I wrote more, but apparently the format gets messed up.)
Wishes From Iris:
I also wish this year will only bring everyone more success, happiness, good fortune, and of course, good health. Let this be a year where all you want to happen happens! Remember, the year of the dragon is supposed to bring a lot of luck and fortune, but you are still in control of your life. :) Happy Chinese New Year, everyone! Gung Hay Fat Choi!
Le Prodige (Conte d'un Pianiste) - Chapter 1: Her Past
This is a story I made for fun, i know it's not Asian and the title's french but I hope you like my story. Please don't correct my grammar I know it sucks.I welcome all comments. My story is not in 3rd person, it is by character's P.O.V (point of view). I hope you like this story.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Alicia's P.O.V.
My name WAS Alicia Kaine. My father is a successful businessman, and yea he was rich. My mom had died due to cancer when I was 2, but my dad told me my mom loved me very much. We were a happy family just me and my dad, up until I was 5, he became to lonely and remarried. I was happy for him, he finally found a someone to be with again that can make him happy, but as he spent more time with my stepmother and her son, my younger stepbrother, he forgot my existence, he sometimes forgot my name. But I still loved him.
I spent 3yrs a Heartful orphanage. I'd described myself as a fragile girl, crying about why my family abandoned me here, and reasons why they didn't want me. was it because I reminded my dad of my dead mother? with my blond hair and blue eyes? Or was it because my stepmother thought I didn't look nothing like her or my father? or was my father happier with my younger stepbrother? I was 6 when my stepmother dropped me off here, she told me that she would take me out to do some shopping. She dropped me off here, after awhile I knew she wasn't gonna come back. I cry every time I think about this. But I don't cry in front of others. I know its self-pity and I'm pathetic and weak on the inside. The only comfort I had was that I would run to the church nearby and listen to the hymns and the organ as mass begins. I'd calm down after listening to the music then go back to the orphanage, going back to the place where I was alone, with no friends, and being bullied by the other kids. I decides to change that routine by running away.
I never got far, considering the orphanage was near a police station. The officers managed to contact my orphanage, they didn't want me, claiming they didn't know who I was. I was shocked. I remained silent the entire time. the officers couldn't do anything for me, they thought I might be troublesome, so they had sent me to a school for troubled kids. It was like a normal elementary school. There classes bore me. Only music class enthralled me, not the poorly played, plastic recorders that every other student has played, but my music teacher's piano playing, Ms, Hayden. She was a nice, modest french woman, she tied her wavy brown hair into a bun. Every time she played the piano, I would close my eyes and get lost in her music. One afternoon, I was going around the school for a walk, and the music room was unlocked. I walked in a saw the piano before my eyes, I went over and touched the keys, I tried playing what I heard Ms. Hayden had had played, it was called "Fur Elise" the music just came out as I heard it, I played it perfectly I thought, as I finished i heard clapping, I turned to see, it was Ms. Hayden.
"Ms. Hayden! I'm sorry for touching your piano" I said panicking.
"Alicia look at me, have you played he piano before?"
" I shook my head " No ma'am , it's my first time touching one"
She seem shocked for a second, then smiled at me " Your a gifted child, a prodige"
For next several years, Ms Hayden had adopted me and raised my as if I was her real daughter. She took me took me away from the U.S. to France, there I toured around France as Alicia Hayden, the piano prodigy. I was well-known as the young (now 14 year old) girl would played beautifully on a piano. I was happy for once. But one accident ended it all. On my way to one of my concerts with my mom, a drunk driver hit our car, and our ride flipped over, I ended up with a broken writs and several burns on my hands, but my mom, Ms. Hayden had died. Ms. Hayden's last words to me were " Don't cry Alicia.. I want you to live and do what you want to do..I know you played the piano for me, and now I want you to do something for yourself in life" as she gasped for air. I tried not to shed a tear, just as she told me. She hugged me tightly " Alicia... I .. love you..." as I felt her hug on me loosen its grip, she smiled and closed her eyes.
The fire department, police, and ambulance came, but not fast enough, she left the world. My hands were patched up, the doctor told me that my hands would heal in months, but playing the piano wouldn't be the same without her. I received condolences from my fans and people I work with, but I didn't want to play the piano without her, So I quit, I abandoned the fans, the audiences, the fame and concerts. Alicia Hayden, piano prodigy had abandoned the piano.
I returned to the U.S. with Ms.Hayden's parents, to forget this incident, the kind elderly couple treated me the same as Ms.Hayden did, as family. and so i began freshman year at a public high school.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Alicia's P.O.V.
My name WAS Alicia Kaine. My father is a successful businessman, and yea he was rich. My mom had died due to cancer when I was 2, but my dad told me my mom loved me very much. We were a happy family just me and my dad, up until I was 5, he became to lonely and remarried. I was happy for him, he finally found a someone to be with again that can make him happy, but as he spent more time with my stepmother and her son, my younger stepbrother, he forgot my existence, he sometimes forgot my name. But I still loved him.
I spent 3yrs a Heartful orphanage. I'd described myself as a fragile girl, crying about why my family abandoned me here, and reasons why they didn't want me. was it because I reminded my dad of my dead mother? with my blond hair and blue eyes? Or was it because my stepmother thought I didn't look nothing like her or my father? or was my father happier with my younger stepbrother? I was 6 when my stepmother dropped me off here, she told me that she would take me out to do some shopping. She dropped me off here, after awhile I knew she wasn't gonna come back. I cry every time I think about this. But I don't cry in front of others. I know its self-pity and I'm pathetic and weak on the inside. The only comfort I had was that I would run to the church nearby and listen to the hymns and the organ as mass begins. I'd calm down after listening to the music then go back to the orphanage, going back to the place where I was alone, with no friends, and being bullied by the other kids. I decides to change that routine by running away.
I never got far, considering the orphanage was near a police station. The officers managed to contact my orphanage, they didn't want me, claiming they didn't know who I was. I was shocked. I remained silent the entire time. the officers couldn't do anything for me, they thought I might be troublesome, so they had sent me to a school for troubled kids. It was like a normal elementary school. There classes bore me. Only music class enthralled me, not the poorly played, plastic recorders that every other student has played, but my music teacher's piano playing, Ms, Hayden. She was a nice, modest french woman, she tied her wavy brown hair into a bun. Every time she played the piano, I would close my eyes and get lost in her music. One afternoon, I was going around the school for a walk, and the music room was unlocked. I walked in a saw the piano before my eyes, I went over and touched the keys, I tried playing what I heard Ms. Hayden had had played, it was called "Fur Elise" the music just came out as I heard it, I played it perfectly I thought, as I finished i heard clapping, I turned to see, it was Ms. Hayden.
"Ms. Hayden! I'm sorry for touching your piano" I said panicking.
"Alicia look at me, have you played he piano before?"
" I shook my head " No ma'am , it's my first time touching one"
She seem shocked for a second, then smiled at me " Your a gifted child, a prodige"
For next several years, Ms Hayden had adopted me and raised my as if I was her real daughter. She took me took me away from the U.S. to France, there I toured around France as Alicia Hayden, the piano prodigy. I was well-known as the young (now 14 year old) girl would played beautifully on a piano. I was happy for once. But one accident ended it all. On my way to one of my concerts with my mom, a drunk driver hit our car, and our ride flipped over, I ended up with a broken writs and several burns on my hands, but my mom, Ms. Hayden had died. Ms. Hayden's last words to me were " Don't cry Alicia.. I want you to live and do what you want to do..I know you played the piano for me, and now I want you to do something for yourself in life" as she gasped for air. I tried not to shed a tear, just as she told me. She hugged me tightly " Alicia... I .. love you..." as I felt her hug on me loosen its grip, she smiled and closed her eyes.
The fire department, police, and ambulance came, but not fast enough, she left the world. My hands were patched up, the doctor told me that my hands would heal in months, but playing the piano wouldn't be the same without her. I received condolences from my fans and people I work with, but I didn't want to play the piano without her, So I quit, I abandoned the fans, the audiences, the fame and concerts. Alicia Hayden, piano prodigy had abandoned the piano.
I returned to the U.S. with Ms.Hayden's parents, to forget this incident, the kind elderly couple treated me the same as Ms.Hayden did, as family. and so i began freshman year at a public high school.
Our Little Heaven Chapter 2
The Prince and The Pauper
As Amy was walking to her room she was thinking about her ballet routine and was spaced out. Adrian saw her waltzing (almost literally) down the hall. She looked so cute that he couldn't resist teasing her. He purposely walked in front of her, blocking her way. Amy bumped into Adrian and looked up at him.
"Did you steal some wine from the kitchen after you ran off? You look drunk." Adrian said looking down at her.
She snapped back into reality and growled at him. "Who are you calling drunk?!"
"The one that was stumbling down the hallway."Adrian said staring down at her attentively.
"I was not stumbling!" Amy exclaimed defensively.
"Well then the one who was imitating a geyser during dinner." Adrian continued teasing
"Oh yeah? Well you're a bug-eyed, vain, narcissistic jerk!"Amy yelled angrily at Adrian.
"At least I don't act like an over-grown, whiny, little child." Adrian said calmly with a smirk.
Fala opened her door to see Adrian and Amy standing inches away from each other, locked in a death stare.
It was completely silent, Fala could feel the awkwardness and tension rising.
"Ahem!" Fala said hoping to break up the tension. The two looked at her and broke away from their staring contest.
"So... What's going on here?" Fala asked curiously
"Nothing!" Amy and Adrian replied simultaneously before going back to their respective rooms.
Fala smiled when she saw not only Amy blushing, but her big brother turning pink as well.
_______________
In his room Adrian picked up his book and sat down on his bed. He laid back on the pillow stretching his legs out comfortably and opened the book. But instead of reading he was think about Amy.
*Amy Wu....What an interesting girl, she hasn't changed at all. She still has the same long, wavy, dark brown hair, and big, round eyes. She sure has grown a lot though. But she doesn't seem to remember me. I guess I can keep on teasing her and see where things go. Things are about to get very interesting.* He was smiling gently to himself while he reminisce of when he first met Amy.
_______________
In Amy's room she was on her bed punching her pillow pretending that it was Adrian.
"Stupid bug-eyed jerk! Think you're so great making fun of me? You think you can do anything just because you're rich?! Take this!" Amy punched the pink pillow multiple times before throwing it across the room. She sunk down into her bed with a loud sigh.
Thinking of Adrian made her even angrier, ever since they left school Adrian had been picking on her.
First he purposely bumped into her when she was looking for her luggage, causing her to lose her balance and fall face first into the trunk of the car. Worst of all her hair got stuck on the suitcase zipper, Fala and Niki had to help pull her out. Everyone, including the neighbors passing by, were staring at her.
Then he kicked her during dinner when she was drinking her water, which made her do an embarrassing spit take across the table. She could see Adrian smiling his haughty smile every time she made a fool of herself because of him.
Suddenly her thoughts were disrupted by a growling sound. She clenched her stomach and pouted.
*If it wasn't for that stupid jerk making me embarrass myself in front of everyone I wouldn't have to spend dinner hiding in the bathroom.* She thought annoyed.
She decided to go down to the kitchen to check if there was any food left. Even though his door was closed, Amy carefully tiptoed across Adrian's room to avoid anymore collisions with him.
_____________
After what seemed like forever, Amy finally found her way to the main staircase, which led to the living and dining room. "I swear Fala your house is bigger than the White House!" Amy whispered to herself, relieved that she was no longer lost.
Thankfully the living room was linked directly to the kitchen and dining room so Amy was able to get there quickly. While rummaging through the refrigerator she found various condiments and products, but no dishes. Just when she was about to close the refrigerator when she heard a voice.
"Miss Amy do you need something?" Amy jumped and quickly turned to see who was asking. She saw a tall young man with ruffled hair looking at her curiously. She faintly recognized him from dinner, he was one of the chefs.
Seeing Amy's surprised look, the young man smiled and said, "It's okay, if you're hungry Miss Amy, then I'll cook something for you to eat. There's no leftovers since we make sure that every meal is perfectly portioned."
Amy relaxed at his friendly and reassuring tone and said, "I'll be troubling you then."
The guy nodded and asked, "What would you like?"
"I want..." Amy thought and answered with a smile, "Ramen!"
The young man let out a surprised expression and smiled, "Okay, It'll be ready shortly."
Amy went out of the kitchen and into the dining room, she sat where she did earlier. But she couldn't help making faces while she stared at the seat across from her, which happened to be Adrian's seat. Not long after the young chef brought out a covered dish. He gently set it down and uncovered it.
"This dish is called Golden Treasure of the Sea, a noodle soup recipe that compose of premium egg noodles, a light beef broth, greens, shitake mushrooms, and an egg yolk."
Amy stared bright-eyed at the bowl, "Wow! You make late night ramen sound and look like it should be should be displayed in a museum."
The young chef blushed and said shyly, "Please enjoy Miss Amy"
Amy happily dig into her ramen and within 20 minutes she finished the entire bowl, including the soup.
The young chef watched Amy eat with delight, her face was smiling and she was savoring every bite she took. He had never seen someone enjoy a dish, none-the-less ramen, that much. He brought out a cup of water for her after she finished.
"Thanks for the meal. Sorry to bother you so late." Amy beamed taking the cup of water.
"Please don't say that Miss Amy. It's my job to serve you after all. Seeing you eat so happily made me take pride in being a chef. " he smiled back at her and replied respectfully
"Don't call me Miss Amy, sounds so formal just call me Amy. And I wouldn't be able to enjoy the food so much if you weren't a good cook. By the way what's your name?"
"My name is Zheng Si Ke, but I go by Ah Ke." Ah Ke replied blushing at her comment.
"Ah Ke. What a cute name!" Amy said smiling brighter than ever causing Ah Ke to turn even redder.
"Thank you for your compliment" he replied bowing slightly.
"You're so nice and you made me dinner even though it's so late. If only somebody was more like you" Amy said making a face.
Ah Ke innocently asked, "Who?"
"Who else but that stupid, vain, narcissistic jerk!" Amy replied in an upset tone
Ah Ke smiled gently and said, "You mean young master Adrian? He can be a bit cold, but deep down he's a good person. After all he IS the only son in the family, so it's expected that he acts a little princely." Ah Ke looked down and softly said, "If it wasn't for him I would still be in the streets."
"No kidding, he acts like he owns the entire island!" Amy said angrily, but then noticed Ah Ke's last comment and her expression softened.
___________________
After talking with Ah Ke for a while longer Amy returned to her room. She couldn't stop thinking about what Ah Ke had said. "If it weren't for him, I would still be out on the streets." Was he really talking about Adrian? The same Adrian that had harassed her all day? She collapsed onto her bed and closed her eyes. Today had been a long day, she had come face to face with two guys, a haughty, sharp-tongued prince and a kind, thoughtful pauper. Not long after, she was fast asleep.
*******************************************************************************
Author's Note: This chapter was mostly focused on Amy and her developing relationship with Adrian and Ah Ke. I wanted to introduce her character along with Adrian's a bit more. At first I didn't plan on introducing Ah Ke so soon, but felt like it'll be a nice time. I've put some foreshadowing about their past in this as well. I wasn't sure how to write this chapter and had a difficult time trying to think of what Amy and Adrian was fighting about. Hopefully the next chapter won't take as long to write. Next time I'll try to focus on Niki more because she seemed to have disappeared for a while. Comment and tell me what you think and stay tuned for chapter 3! xD
As Amy was walking to her room she was thinking about her ballet routine and was spaced out. Adrian saw her waltzing (almost literally) down the hall. She looked so cute that he couldn't resist teasing her. He purposely walked in front of her, blocking her way. Amy bumped into Adrian and looked up at him.
"Did you steal some wine from the kitchen after you ran off? You look drunk." Adrian said looking down at her.
She snapped back into reality and growled at him. "Who are you calling drunk?!"
"The one that was stumbling down the hallway."Adrian said staring down at her attentively.
"I was not stumbling!" Amy exclaimed defensively.
"Well then the one who was imitating a geyser during dinner." Adrian continued teasing
"Oh yeah? Well you're a bug-eyed, vain, narcissistic jerk!"Amy yelled angrily at Adrian.
"At least I don't act like an over-grown, whiny, little child." Adrian said calmly with a smirk.
Fala opened her door to see Adrian and Amy standing inches away from each other, locked in a death stare.
It was completely silent, Fala could feel the awkwardness and tension rising.
"Ahem!" Fala said hoping to break up the tension. The two looked at her and broke away from their staring contest.
"So... What's going on here?" Fala asked curiously
"Nothing!" Amy and Adrian replied simultaneously before going back to their respective rooms.
Fala smiled when she saw not only Amy blushing, but her big brother turning pink as well.
_______________
In his room Adrian picked up his book and sat down on his bed. He laid back on the pillow stretching his legs out comfortably and opened the book. But instead of reading he was think about Amy.
*Amy Wu....What an interesting girl, she hasn't changed at all. She still has the same long, wavy, dark brown hair, and big, round eyes. She sure has grown a lot though. But she doesn't seem to remember me. I guess I can keep on teasing her and see where things go. Things are about to get very interesting.* He was smiling gently to himself while he reminisce of when he first met Amy.
_______________
In Amy's room she was on her bed punching her pillow pretending that it was Adrian.
"Stupid bug-eyed jerk! Think you're so great making fun of me? You think you can do anything just because you're rich?! Take this!" Amy punched the pink pillow multiple times before throwing it across the room. She sunk down into her bed with a loud sigh.
Thinking of Adrian made her even angrier, ever since they left school Adrian had been picking on her.
First he purposely bumped into her when she was looking for her luggage, causing her to lose her balance and fall face first into the trunk of the car. Worst of all her hair got stuck on the suitcase zipper, Fala and Niki had to help pull her out. Everyone, including the neighbors passing by, were staring at her.
Then he kicked her during dinner when she was drinking her water, which made her do an embarrassing spit take across the table. She could see Adrian smiling his haughty smile every time she made a fool of herself because of him.
Suddenly her thoughts were disrupted by a growling sound. She clenched her stomach and pouted.
*If it wasn't for that stupid jerk making me embarrass myself in front of everyone I wouldn't have to spend dinner hiding in the bathroom.* She thought annoyed.
She decided to go down to the kitchen to check if there was any food left. Even though his door was closed, Amy carefully tiptoed across Adrian's room to avoid anymore collisions with him.
_____________
After what seemed like forever, Amy finally found her way to the main staircase, which led to the living and dining room. "I swear Fala your house is bigger than the White House!" Amy whispered to herself, relieved that she was no longer lost.
Thankfully the living room was linked directly to the kitchen and dining room so Amy was able to get there quickly. While rummaging through the refrigerator she found various condiments and products, but no dishes. Just when she was about to close the refrigerator when she heard a voice.
"Miss Amy do you need something?" Amy jumped and quickly turned to see who was asking. She saw a tall young man with ruffled hair looking at her curiously. She faintly recognized him from dinner, he was one of the chefs.
Seeing Amy's surprised look, the young man smiled and said, "It's okay, if you're hungry Miss Amy, then I'll cook something for you to eat. There's no leftovers since we make sure that every meal is perfectly portioned."
Amy relaxed at his friendly and reassuring tone and said, "I'll be troubling you then."
The guy nodded and asked, "What would you like?"
"I want..." Amy thought and answered with a smile, "Ramen!"
The young man let out a surprised expression and smiled, "Okay, It'll be ready shortly."
Amy went out of the kitchen and into the dining room, she sat where she did earlier. But she couldn't help making faces while she stared at the seat across from her, which happened to be Adrian's seat. Not long after the young chef brought out a covered dish. He gently set it down and uncovered it.
"This dish is called Golden Treasure of the Sea, a noodle soup recipe that compose of premium egg noodles, a light beef broth, greens, shitake mushrooms, and an egg yolk."
Amy stared bright-eyed at the bowl, "Wow! You make late night ramen sound and look like it should be should be displayed in a museum."
The young chef blushed and said shyly, "Please enjoy Miss Amy"
Amy happily dig into her ramen and within 20 minutes she finished the entire bowl, including the soup.
The young chef watched Amy eat with delight, her face was smiling and she was savoring every bite she took. He had never seen someone enjoy a dish, none-the-less ramen, that much. He brought out a cup of water for her after she finished.
"Thanks for the meal. Sorry to bother you so late." Amy beamed taking the cup of water.
"Please don't say that Miss Amy. It's my job to serve you after all. Seeing you eat so happily made me take pride in being a chef. " he smiled back at her and replied respectfully
"Don't call me Miss Amy, sounds so formal just call me Amy. And I wouldn't be able to enjoy the food so much if you weren't a good cook. By the way what's your name?"
"My name is Zheng Si Ke, but I go by Ah Ke." Ah Ke replied blushing at her comment.
"Ah Ke. What a cute name!" Amy said smiling brighter than ever causing Ah Ke to turn even redder.
"Thank you for your compliment" he replied bowing slightly.
"You're so nice and you made me dinner even though it's so late. If only somebody was more like you" Amy said making a face.
Ah Ke innocently asked, "Who?"
"Who else but that stupid, vain, narcissistic jerk!" Amy replied in an upset tone
Ah Ke smiled gently and said, "You mean young master Adrian? He can be a bit cold, but deep down he's a good person. After all he IS the only son in the family, so it's expected that he acts a little princely." Ah Ke looked down and softly said, "If it wasn't for him I would still be in the streets."
"No kidding, he acts like he owns the entire island!" Amy said angrily, but then noticed Ah Ke's last comment and her expression softened.
___________________
After talking with Ah Ke for a while longer Amy returned to her room. She couldn't stop thinking about what Ah Ke had said. "If it weren't for him, I would still be out on the streets." Was he really talking about Adrian? The same Adrian that had harassed her all day? She collapsed onto her bed and closed her eyes. Today had been a long day, she had come face to face with two guys, a haughty, sharp-tongued prince and a kind, thoughtful pauper. Not long after, she was fast asleep.
*******************************************************************************
Author's Note: This chapter was mostly focused on Amy and her developing relationship with Adrian and Ah Ke. I wanted to introduce her character along with Adrian's a bit more. At first I didn't plan on introducing Ah Ke so soon, but felt like it'll be a nice time. I've put some foreshadowing about their past in this as well. I wasn't sure how to write this chapter and had a difficult time trying to think of what Amy and Adrian was fighting about. Hopefully the next chapter won't take as long to write. Next time I'll try to focus on Niki more because she seemed to have disappeared for a while. Comment and tell me what you think and stay tuned for chapter 3! xD
Saturday, January 21, 2012
"Finding Life's Sweetness" Chapter 6
It was Friday night again, a time for working people everywhere to relax.
Simon was tending to his bar when Ethan walked in. "Ethan, good to see you! What are you doing here?" he asked.
"I wanted a drink, and who better to patronize than my old friend?" Ethan replied. "One beer please."
"Coming right up", Simon said, and decided to spark up another conversation. "So how are you and Ella?" he questioned.
"Pretty good. We're going to the beach to watch the sunrise tomorrow", Ethan told him. "Hopefully she doesn't fall asleep or get bored", he added a bit nervously.
Simon laughed at the remark and handed him a beer. "That sounds like something she would enjoy. She needs the relaxation", he said.
Ethan nodded. "I think the peace and serenity should be great", he noted. "Also, if things go along like I hope, we might spend the whole day together."
"Sounds interesting", Simon replied. "What are you going to do and where are you going?"
"I don't know yet", Ethan shrugged. "I want to plan it as we go, see what she'd like to do."
"Aw, if I was a girl I'd be so swooned by your thoughtfulness", Simon joked, poking fun at his friend.
"Har har", Ethan replied, sarcastically.
"So what's going on in the great Simon Ng's love life?" he moved on.
"Like a desert experiencing an extreme drought", Simon replied.
Ethan wrinkled his eyebrows. "Really? A young good looking guy with a lot of money who's surprisingly not a jerk isn't getting any love? What's wrong with this picture?" he made fun of Simon. "Maybe your magnetic attraction force that seems to surround every rich young guy is broken", he added with a laugh.
"Very funny", Simon sarcastically replied.
"Here's a weird story though", he started. "I am currently the fake boyfriend of someone", he straightforwardly said.
Ethan choked on his beer. "I'm sorry, what? What made you agree to do that?" he asked, curiously.
Simon shrugged. "I'm doing it as a favor to her", he replied.
"You must like her if you're willing to do that", Ethan smiled. "So who's the special girl?" he probed.
"Kristy, the assistant manager at my dad's agency. And I find her interesting, I don't exactly like her", he defended.
"Come on, Simon. We're adults now. If you like someone, just say it. We're not kids anymore", Ethan teased.
"I'm not even supposed to tell you about this", Simon replied, but then his face softened.
"She's different though. Ambitious, tough, intelligent, and a feisty and fiery spirit unlike any other girl I've met", he talked about her fondly. "Very stubborn though", he added with a chuckle.
Ethan started pointing at Simon. "I've never heard you talk about a girl like this, you are definitely in love with her", he said.
Simon laughed. "I guess I am", he replied.
"Be careful though, she sounds like a potential heartbreaker", Ethan warned, jokingly.
"We'll see about that", Simon said.
Quinn and Vince entered the bar in commotion.
"Why did you drag me here?" Vince complained.
"So you can have a little fun! You've been so boring lately!" Quinn complained back in a huff.
Simon and Ethan looked up and caught sight of the two. "Quinn, hey!" Simon called.
"Hey, Simon!" she yelled. She nudged Vince. "That's the handsome son of the owner of the agency I was telling you about", she told him and skipped over to him.
Vince followed Quinn over to the two guys and took a good look at Simon. "Hmph, what's so special about him? I'm just as handsome as him", he thought to himself.
Simon pointed to Vince. "Your boyfriend?" he asked Quinn in a friendly tone.
Quinn looked appalled. "He wishes! This is Vince, my good friend and flat mate", she introduced.
"Nice to meet you", Simon and Ethan said to Vince and shook his hand, who appeared annoyed at the "He wishes" comment.
"So what are you two talking about?" Quinn asked, enthusiastically.
"Our love lives. Or in my case, lack of it", Simon joked.
"Interesting", she replied, intrigued. "I still find it hard to believe you wouldn't have a girlfriend", she pondered.
"That's the same thing I said to him", Ethan agreed.
"How hard is it to believe? You've made several of my girlfriends run away", Vince teased her.
"Whoa, Quinn, what did you do?" Simon asked in deep interest.
"Nothing! Girls just don't like the presence of another girl at their boyfriend's place", she replied, defensively.
"I can see how that would cause some problems", Ethan laughed.
A guy from the other side of the bar came over beside Quinn. "Hi there, what's your name?" he asked, flirtatiously. Clearly, it didn't take him long to take a liking to her cute and fun personality.
Simon and Ethan watched without much reaction, but Vince's nose flared. What was this chump doing talking to Quinn? Looking for a quick hook up?
"Quinn, what's your name?" she replied with a smile.
"Johnny. May I buy you a drink?" he shot Quinn a smile.
"Sure!" she said with her usual enthusiasm.
Another guy came over, ready to sweep Quinn off her feet as well. "I'm Daniel, I couldn't help but noticing your cute face from over there", he said with a smile.
Vince's eyes widened. Another guy?! he yelled to himself.
He reached over and put an arm on a grinning Quinn's shoulder. "Hey, Daniel, can't you see she's with me?" he told the guy.
Not wanting to pick a fight, the guys simply left.
"Huh, cheap and undetermined", Vince said about them, satisfied.
Quinn threw his arm off her shoulder and yelled "What did you do that for?"
"They were obviously trying to hook up with you!" Vince replied.
"So? I wasn't going to follow any of them to a hotel room!" she said, angrily. "They offered me a free drink!"
"If it really means that much to you, I'll pay for your drink", Vince offered.
"That's not the point!" Quinn screamed. "But you can definitely pay for my drink", she added.
"Ok then, everything's fine", Vince said.
"No, everything's not fine! Why did you ruin my fun?" Quinn whined.
"Nothing good was going to come out of that! Who knew what those guys were really like?" Vince claimed.
Quinn groaned. "Who are you to say that? I know you've picked up girls at bars before. I've seen you do that once, and it was not much different from what they did!" she said.
"Yeah, but you know me and what I'm like", he answered.
"I wasn't trying to find a boyfriend here, Vince. I only wanted to mingle a bit", Quinn rolled her eyes.
"I'm going to go to the restroom", she said, and left in a huff.
Vince bit his lip. Ok, maybe that was too much, he thought. But who knows what they could've done to Quinn?
Simon and Ethan had been observing the two's bickering in amusement the whole time.
"So what's up with you and Quinn?" Simon asked, curiously.
"We told you. We're friends and flatmates", Vince repeated.
"That didn't just look like an argument between two friends", Ethan said.
Simon nodded. "Somebody seemed jealous", he noted.
"Rich boy, what are you talking about?" Vince grumbled.
"It's pretty obvious. Why else would you have such a big reaction?" Ethan questioned.
"She's my friend! I have to look out for her", Vince said.
"Even if you're just looking out for a friend, you don't have to look like your eyes are going to pop out of your head at the sight of her with another guy do you?" Simon joked. Simon and Ethan both burst into laughter.
Vince faked laughter. "Har, har, har, are you two done laughing at me yet?" he asked, annoyed.
"Ok, sorry, Vince. We aren't trying to make fun of you", Simon apologized after he managed to stop his laughter.
"Yeah, sure you didn't", Vince rolled his eyes. "I'm going to go to the restroom", he said and left the two guys.
He turned the corner to where the restrooms are and saw Quinn standing there talking to...another guy?! Seriously?
He hit his head against the wall. Come on, Vince, why do you care? he thought to himself, extremely annoyed.
Aw, poor Vince! He seems to be in denial that he loves Quinn, doesn't he? :P I love writing their scenes, hehe.
Preview of what's coming up: Ethan and Ella go on their first real "date".
Simon was tending to his bar when Ethan walked in. "Ethan, good to see you! What are you doing here?" he asked.
"I wanted a drink, and who better to patronize than my old friend?" Ethan replied. "One beer please."
"Coming right up", Simon said, and decided to spark up another conversation. "So how are you and Ella?" he questioned.
"Pretty good. We're going to the beach to watch the sunrise tomorrow", Ethan told him. "Hopefully she doesn't fall asleep or get bored", he added a bit nervously.
Simon laughed at the remark and handed him a beer. "That sounds like something she would enjoy. She needs the relaxation", he said.
Ethan nodded. "I think the peace and serenity should be great", he noted. "Also, if things go along like I hope, we might spend the whole day together."
"Sounds interesting", Simon replied. "What are you going to do and where are you going?"
"I don't know yet", Ethan shrugged. "I want to plan it as we go, see what she'd like to do."
"Aw, if I was a girl I'd be so swooned by your thoughtfulness", Simon joked, poking fun at his friend.
"Har har", Ethan replied, sarcastically.
"So what's going on in the great Simon Ng's love life?" he moved on.
"Like a desert experiencing an extreme drought", Simon replied.
Ethan wrinkled his eyebrows. "Really? A young good looking guy with a lot of money who's surprisingly not a jerk isn't getting any love? What's wrong with this picture?" he made fun of Simon. "Maybe your magnetic attraction force that seems to surround every rich young guy is broken", he added with a laugh.
"Very funny", Simon sarcastically replied.
"Here's a weird story though", he started. "I am currently the fake boyfriend of someone", he straightforwardly said.
Ethan choked on his beer. "I'm sorry, what? What made you agree to do that?" he asked, curiously.
Simon shrugged. "I'm doing it as a favor to her", he replied.
"You must like her if you're willing to do that", Ethan smiled. "So who's the special girl?" he probed.
"Kristy, the assistant manager at my dad's agency. And I find her interesting, I don't exactly like her", he defended.
"Come on, Simon. We're adults now. If you like someone, just say it. We're not kids anymore", Ethan teased.
"I'm not even supposed to tell you about this", Simon replied, but then his face softened.
"She's different though. Ambitious, tough, intelligent, and a feisty and fiery spirit unlike any other girl I've met", he talked about her fondly. "Very stubborn though", he added with a chuckle.
Ethan started pointing at Simon. "I've never heard you talk about a girl like this, you are definitely in love with her", he said.
Simon laughed. "I guess I am", he replied.
"Be careful though, she sounds like a potential heartbreaker", Ethan warned, jokingly.
"We'll see about that", Simon said.
Quinn and Vince entered the bar in commotion.
"Why did you drag me here?" Vince complained.
"So you can have a little fun! You've been so boring lately!" Quinn complained back in a huff.
Simon and Ethan looked up and caught sight of the two. "Quinn, hey!" Simon called.
"Hey, Simon!" she yelled. She nudged Vince. "That's the handsome son of the owner of the agency I was telling you about", she told him and skipped over to him.
Vince followed Quinn over to the two guys and took a good look at Simon. "Hmph, what's so special about him? I'm just as handsome as him", he thought to himself.
Simon pointed to Vince. "Your boyfriend?" he asked Quinn in a friendly tone.
Quinn looked appalled. "He wishes! This is Vince, my good friend and flat mate", she introduced.
"Nice to meet you", Simon and Ethan said to Vince and shook his hand, who appeared annoyed at the "He wishes" comment.
"So what are you two talking about?" Quinn asked, enthusiastically.
"Our love lives. Or in my case, lack of it", Simon joked.
"Interesting", she replied, intrigued. "I still find it hard to believe you wouldn't have a girlfriend", she pondered.
"That's the same thing I said to him", Ethan agreed.
"How hard is it to believe? You've made several of my girlfriends run away", Vince teased her.
"Whoa, Quinn, what did you do?" Simon asked in deep interest.
"Nothing! Girls just don't like the presence of another girl at their boyfriend's place", she replied, defensively.
"I can see how that would cause some problems", Ethan laughed.
A guy from the other side of the bar came over beside Quinn. "Hi there, what's your name?" he asked, flirtatiously. Clearly, it didn't take him long to take a liking to her cute and fun personality.
Simon and Ethan watched without much reaction, but Vince's nose flared. What was this chump doing talking to Quinn? Looking for a quick hook up?
"Quinn, what's your name?" she replied with a smile.
"Johnny. May I buy you a drink?" he shot Quinn a smile.
"Sure!" she said with her usual enthusiasm.
Another guy came over, ready to sweep Quinn off her feet as well. "I'm Daniel, I couldn't help but noticing your cute face from over there", he said with a smile.
Vince's eyes widened. Another guy?! he yelled to himself.
He reached over and put an arm on a grinning Quinn's shoulder. "Hey, Daniel, can't you see she's with me?" he told the guy.
Not wanting to pick a fight, the guys simply left.
"Huh, cheap and undetermined", Vince said about them, satisfied.
Quinn threw his arm off her shoulder and yelled "What did you do that for?"
"They were obviously trying to hook up with you!" Vince replied.
"So? I wasn't going to follow any of them to a hotel room!" she said, angrily. "They offered me a free drink!"
"If it really means that much to you, I'll pay for your drink", Vince offered.
"That's not the point!" Quinn screamed. "But you can definitely pay for my drink", she added.
"Ok then, everything's fine", Vince said.
"No, everything's not fine! Why did you ruin my fun?" Quinn whined.
"Nothing good was going to come out of that! Who knew what those guys were really like?" Vince claimed.
Quinn groaned. "Who are you to say that? I know you've picked up girls at bars before. I've seen you do that once, and it was not much different from what they did!" she said.
"Yeah, but you know me and what I'm like", he answered.
"I wasn't trying to find a boyfriend here, Vince. I only wanted to mingle a bit", Quinn rolled her eyes.
"I'm going to go to the restroom", she said, and left in a huff.
Vince bit his lip. Ok, maybe that was too much, he thought. But who knows what they could've done to Quinn?
Simon and Ethan had been observing the two's bickering in amusement the whole time.
"So what's up with you and Quinn?" Simon asked, curiously.
"We told you. We're friends and flatmates", Vince repeated.
"That didn't just look like an argument between two friends", Ethan said.
Simon nodded. "Somebody seemed jealous", he noted.
"Rich boy, what are you talking about?" Vince grumbled.
"It's pretty obvious. Why else would you have such a big reaction?" Ethan questioned.
"She's my friend! I have to look out for her", Vince said.
"Even if you're just looking out for a friend, you don't have to look like your eyes are going to pop out of your head at the sight of her with another guy do you?" Simon joked. Simon and Ethan both burst into laughter.
Vince faked laughter. "Har, har, har, are you two done laughing at me yet?" he asked, annoyed.
"Ok, sorry, Vince. We aren't trying to make fun of you", Simon apologized after he managed to stop his laughter.
"Yeah, sure you didn't", Vince rolled his eyes. "I'm going to go to the restroom", he said and left the two guys.
He turned the corner to where the restrooms are and saw Quinn standing there talking to...another guy?! Seriously?
He hit his head against the wall. Come on, Vince, why do you care? he thought to himself, extremely annoyed.
===================
Author's Note: A very dialogue driven chapter with several character interactions. I am slowly developing the relationship between Simon, Ethan, Vince, and Quinn. These four will quickly become close friends in the near future, while the three girls will under go more bumps.
It was pretty fun writing lines for Simon and Ethan, as the two are supposed to be good buddies who make fun of each other a lot. :)
Aw, poor Vince! He seems to be in denial that he loves Quinn, doesn't he? :P I love writing their scenes, hehe.
Preview of what's coming up: Ethan and Ella go on their first real "date".
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
K-Pop Artist Spotlight: Inspirational IU
Stage name: IU
Real name: Lee Ji-eun
Birth date: May 16, 1993
Birthplace: Seoul, South Korea
Label: LOEN Entertainment
Albums: Growing up, Real, Last fantasy, Lost and Found, IU....IM
IU is a South Korean singer. She debuted on September 18, 2008 on the Korean music show M countdown.
Her first mini album "Lost and Found" had a famous track "Missing child". However, the album itself was not widely successful. Her first full album "Growing up" was launched on April 16, 2009, with a promotional number "Boo." This song did very well on various music charts. In 2009 for the drama Queen Seon Duk, she sang the ending title song "Araro."
In late 2009, IU recorded MC Mong's song "Love Letter for You" which featured SHINee's Key as the rapper. For the T.V. show "We Got Married", IU recorded "Nagging" with 2AM's Seulong. She won her first award since her debut on SBS Inkigayo for her song "Nagging" on June 27, 2010. She won another award for Music Bank K-chart on July 2, 2010.
For the MBC drama Road No. 1 IU was chosen to sing the main OST song "Because I am a Woman." For her third mini-album REAL, released in December 2010, IU worked with some of the most famous South Korea's musicians. Her album REAL also had a winning song "Good Day", which she won three SBS Inkigayo Mutizen awards for. IU's recent song "You and I" had a similar concept to "Good Day" but had its own unique style and message.
Critique
IU is a very talented Korean singer. She is very cute and has a beautiful voice. Her voice is high but also very soft at the same time. My favorite song from her is "Good Day". In that song, I find it amazing how she hits three high notes perfectly. She also holds the notes out for a long time which shows that she has lungs of a singer.
I ABSOLUTELY ADORE HER!!
Song Recommendations
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
"Finding Life's Sweetness" Chapter 5
"Excuse me, I have a package for a Ms. Ella Yeung", a delivery man said to Quinn, who was dozed off at her desk.
Quinn jumped up quickly. "What?" she looked up in confusion to see a bouquet of roses infront of her. "Oh, sorry. Ella!" she called.
Ella stepped out of her office. "What are you yelling about Quinn?" she asked and caught sight of the roses.
"Someone sent you roses", Quinn said with a mischievous smile. Ella signed off on the delivery and opened the card that was hidden in the roses. The card simply read "From, Ethan".
Quinn peeked over Ella's shoulder to look at the card. "Is it from the guy who was waiting for you outside the bar the other night?" she asked, curiously.
"Yes", Ella bluntly replied, not sure what else to say.
"Get back to work", she told her, and took the roses into her office. She stared at them as she thought hard. She and Ethan had only met twice, but he had managed to leave a heavy impression on her. He was the only one who had ever challenged her in such a way, and she wasn't sure what to think about that. She agreed that there were some things that she should change in her life, but didn't want to listen to someone so easily. Was he worth listening to? Only time would tell.
Quinn jumped up quickly. "What?" she looked up in confusion to see a bouquet of roses infront of her. "Oh, sorry. Ella!" she called.
Ella stepped out of her office. "What are you yelling about Quinn?" she asked and caught sight of the roses.
"Someone sent you roses", Quinn said with a mischievous smile. Ella signed off on the delivery and opened the card that was hidden in the roses. The card simply read "From, Ethan".
Quinn peeked over Ella's shoulder to look at the card. "Is it from the guy who was waiting for you outside the bar the other night?" she asked, curiously.
"Yes", Ella bluntly replied, not sure what else to say.
"Get back to work", she told her, and took the roses into her office. She stared at them as she thought hard. She and Ethan had only met twice, but he had managed to leave a heavy impression on her. He was the only one who had ever challenged her in such a way, and she wasn't sure what to think about that. She agreed that there were some things that she should change in her life, but didn't want to listen to someone so easily. Was he worth listening to? Only time would tell.
**********
Kristy sat impatiently at her desk. For some reason, she felt...unfulfilled.
Her eyes landed on the plaque sitting on the front of her desk. It read "Kristy Wong - Assistant Manager". All of the sudden, the words seemed to stare at her in the face. She had been working as an assistant manager for about a month, but was already growing impatient and yearning to get higher up. Ella was alright, but she wouldn't be satisfied until she found herself at the top, over Ella.
That wasn't the only thing bothering her though. Her mom had visited her last night. She wasn't nearly as angry as she had been on the phone the other day. Even so, their encounter last night managed to be even more unpleasant than their phone call.
Knock, knock! Kristy ran over to look through the peephole at who was at the door. Who could possibly be looking for her?
She saw her mom (Mary Hon) standing outside and froze. If there was someone who managed to even come close to slightly frightening Kristy, it was her mom. She wasn't intimidating, mean, or scary in anyway. However, Kristy had gotten her bluntness from her mother. Only, she was an entire different kind of bluntness.
"Sweetie, it's so nice to see you!" she said after Kristy hesitatingly opened the door for her.
"Mom, what are you doing here? It's Friday night, how did you know I was home?" Kristy asked, trying to feign politeness.
"Who are you trying to kid, Kristy? You're always home", she answered, making fun of her.
"That's not true, I went to the bar with a couple colleagues a while ago", Kristy attempted to defend herself.
"Oh, a bar isn't the best place to meet men, sweetie", her mom said. She paused and added "Then again, I'm happy you're going out at all."
"I didn't go there to meet men, mom. I just went to blow off some steam", Kristy replied.
"I didn't realize you knew how to do that", her mom laughed. "Anyway, I was just in the neighborhood meeting up with some friends and decided to stop by.
"That's very nice of you, mom", Kristy said, biting her lip to keep herself from saying something rude.
Kristy's mom proceeded to sit down and pulled a couple of pictures from her purse. "Many of my
friends showed me pictures of their sons. Some are quite handsome and seem to have good character", her mom informed her.
Her daughter replied with a groan. "How many times do I have to tell you I don't want to be set up?" Kristy complained.
"You and I both know you're not going to find a boyfriend any other way", her mom stated. Before Kristy could get too offended, she quickly added "It's not because you're not pretty! You just never put yourself out there."
Kristy squirmed in discomfort. Getting a boyfriend wasn't in at all in her interest, but she'd take any opportunity to prove her mom wrong.
"I will find a guy, mom. You'll see", Kristy said. Her mom didn't look too convinced.
Kristy walked into the pantry to pour herself a cup of coffee.
What was she going to do? Even if she could find a boyfriend, she didn't want to deal with having one. Too much baggage, like she needed anything to keep her down. She stood there pondering while slowly sipping her coffee.
"Hello, pretty girl", Simon greeted her as he came in. Kristy cringed at his greeting and suddenly thought of a brilliant idea.
She nudged him and straightforwardly asked "Do you want to be my boyfriend?"
Simon dropped the cup he had been holding, feeling shocked, then smiled. "My charm finally got to you, huh? You really don't beat around the bush do you?" he asked.
"Don't be so flattered", Kristy scoffed. "I'm asking you to be my fake boyfriend to prove to my mom I can find my own", she cleared up.
"So you're using me?" Simon feigned offense.
He thought about it for a moment. "Okay, I'll do it. Then again, technically that means you can't find a boyfriend on your own. A real one anyway", he joked.
"Whatever", Kristy rolled her eyes.
"Fake or real relationship, you will fall for me eventually", Simon stated.
"Yeah, keep thinking that", she replied, sarcastically.
"I have a few conditions", she proposed. "You can not say a word of this to anyone, you may refer to me as your girlfriend, and you most certainly can not touch me when my mom's not around."
"Why don't you just tie strings on me and control me like I'm your puppet?" he joked.
"If everything goes my way, I will be able to do that", Kristy added in a sneaky tone.
Simon looked slightly taken aback. "So...when are we meeting your mom, sweetie?" he asked.
"Don't call me that", Kristy grumbled.
"You said I can't call you my girlfriend", Simon defended. "Well, now you can't call me any other pet name that makes me want to vomit either", she added, and started to walk away.
friends showed me pictures of their sons. Some are quite handsome and seem to have good character", her mom informed her.
Her daughter replied with a groan. "How many times do I have to tell you I don't want to be set up?" Kristy complained.
"You and I both know you're not going to find a boyfriend any other way", her mom stated. Before Kristy could get too offended, she quickly added "It's not because you're not pretty! You just never put yourself out there."
Kristy squirmed in discomfort. Getting a boyfriend wasn't in at all in her interest, but she'd take any opportunity to prove her mom wrong.
"I will find a guy, mom. You'll see", Kristy said. Her mom didn't look too convinced.
Kristy walked into the pantry to pour herself a cup of coffee.
What was she going to do? Even if she could find a boyfriend, she didn't want to deal with having one. Too much baggage, like she needed anything to keep her down. She stood there pondering while slowly sipping her coffee.
"Hello, pretty girl", Simon greeted her as he came in. Kristy cringed at his greeting and suddenly thought of a brilliant idea.
She nudged him and straightforwardly asked "Do you want to be my boyfriend?"
Simon dropped the cup he had been holding, feeling shocked, then smiled. "My charm finally got to you, huh? You really don't beat around the bush do you?" he asked.
"Don't be so flattered", Kristy scoffed. "I'm asking you to be my fake boyfriend to prove to my mom I can find my own", she cleared up.
"So you're using me?" Simon feigned offense.
He thought about it for a moment. "Okay, I'll do it. Then again, technically that means you can't find a boyfriend on your own. A real one anyway", he joked.
"Whatever", Kristy rolled her eyes.
"Fake or real relationship, you will fall for me eventually", Simon stated.
"Yeah, keep thinking that", she replied, sarcastically.
"I have a few conditions", she proposed. "You can not say a word of this to anyone, you may refer to me as your girlfriend, and you most certainly can not touch me when my mom's not around."
"Why don't you just tie strings on me and control me like I'm your puppet?" he joked.
"If everything goes my way, I will be able to do that", Kristy added in a sneaky tone.
Simon looked slightly taken aback. "So...when are we meeting your mom, sweetie?" he asked.
"Don't call me that", Kristy grumbled.
"You said I can't call you my girlfriend", Simon defended. "Well, now you can't call me any other pet name that makes me want to vomit either", she added, and started to walk away.
"I'll tell you when we'll meet her", she called out. She said that as if their "relationship" was just another business deal.
Simon admired her as she walked away. Something about her blunt, feisty, and headstrong personality was (to him anyway) very attractive.
"I'll get through to her eventually", he thought to himself. "She's one tough cookie though."
==========
Author's Note: There was so much more I wanted to include in this chapter, but decided to leave it for the next one to keep the length consistent. It seems a lot more easier and organized to focus on specific characters each chapter as opposed to trying to squeeze in a scene with each person.
We got to see what Kristy's mom is like, and it's rather clear where she got her bluntness from, heh.
I used (attempted to anyway) a couple instances of foreshadowing, especially with Kristy. I'm not too good at it though, so it isn't too clear but I have some of you will be able to catch it.
More of Ella and Ethan soon, I know I haven't focused on them much. I'll do my best to not make it as boring and underdeveloped as it has been.
Preview of what's coming up: Focus on all the guys and Quinn, as well as Quinn and Vince. :D Really looking forward to writing this chapter. Stay tuned!
Simon admired her as she walked away. Something about her blunt, feisty, and headstrong personality was (to him anyway) very attractive.
"I'll get through to her eventually", he thought to himself. "She's one tough cookie though."
==========
Author's Note: There was so much more I wanted to include in this chapter, but decided to leave it for the next one to keep the length consistent. It seems a lot more easier and organized to focus on specific characters each chapter as opposed to trying to squeeze in a scene with each person.
We got to see what Kristy's mom is like, and it's rather clear where she got her bluntness from, heh.
I used (attempted to anyway) a couple instances of foreshadowing, especially with Kristy. I'm not too good at it though, so it isn't too clear but I have some of you will be able to catch it.
More of Ella and Ethan soon, I know I haven't focused on them much. I'll do my best to not make it as boring and underdeveloped as it has been.
Preview of what's coming up: Focus on all the guys and Quinn, as well as Quinn and Vince. :D Really looking forward to writing this chapter. Stay tuned!
Monday, January 16, 2012
Hello Kitty's World Domination
There is no doubt that Hello Kitty is a familiar face to everyone. Today you can easily find Hello Kitty's picture in just about any store you walk into. This simple yet cute little kitty continues to captures the hearts of people across the world.
Hello Kitty House
The Hello Kitty house in Shanghai, where every room is your pinkest dream come true.
Hello Kitty Maternity Hospital
The world's first and only Hello Kitty-themed hospital was opened in 2008 in Taiwan. This hospital can brighten your mood, no matter how painful the experience is. After the baby is delivered he/she is wrapped securely in a warm blue/pink Hello Kitty blanket by kind nurses dressed in pink uniforms and hello kitty inspired aprons. You will also receive a birth certificate with a hello kitty stamp on it. Don't you wish you can brag about being born in such a happy place?
Hello Kitty Dental Office
Is your tooth hurting from all those sweets at the Hello Kitty cafe? Have no fear, you can always go to the Hello Kitty dental office to get it fixed. All the pretty decorations should get you distracted from all the drilling.
Some other products below:
A Hello Kitty toaster and Kitty imprinted toast is just what you need to make you mornings a little less groggy. So start your day the right way and go buy yourself a Hello Kitty toaster! ;D
Sanrio came out with the Hello Kitty wine collection in 2009 with the tagline "Our favorite little girl is all grown up." The collection include four bottles: Angel & Devil Pinot Neros, Bubbly Brut Rose, and Sweet Pink. Proving that Hello Kitty isn't just for kids anymore. (How does she drink without a mouth?)
Besides wine, our feline friend also has her own luxury bottled water. Each bottle is cutely decorated and has its own special theme. Red (friendship), Pink (cute), yellow (heartful), green (wish) and lavender (sweet). But alas, cute doesn't come cheap, because the bottles costs $100 each!
Hello Kitty was developed in Japan in 1974 by Yuko Shimizu for Sanrio. It is said that she resembles the Maneki Neko, who stands for fortune and good luck. She made her first appearance on a vinyl coin purse. She was soon introduced to the U.S. market in 1976, a short 2 years after being produced. Originally she was supposed to be the target of children and pre-adolescence, but she was able to captivate teens and even adults.
Background/Profile:
Even though she is a cartoon, Hello Kitty has a detailed as well as realistic profile. Which includes her height, weight, family, background, and personality. Surprisingly Hello Kitty was not born in Asia, but was born in London, England on November, 1. Her real name is Kitty White, she has a big family who carries the same last name (White). Her family includes: her mom Margaret, dad George, grandpa Anthony, grandma Mary, twin sister Mimmy,and her pet Charmmy Kitty (I personally think it's weird how she has a pet cat, when she is a cat). She is said to weigh three apples and is as tall as five stacked apples. She has a sweet, bright, and kind personality. She enjoys cooking and collecting all things cute!
Endorsement:
Throughout the years, Hello Kitty has gone to endorse a wide range of products. She's appeared on clothing, jewelry, electronic products, food/snacks, and even on airplanes. There's also been a lot of Hello Kitty-themed establishments being opened. Such as Hello Kitty cafes/restaurants, theme parks, houses, and even maternity hospitals.
Below are Pictures and Examples of such establishments:
Hello Kitty Cafe
Hello Kitty Cafes can be found spread out through Asia. Inside you can find sweet dishes inspired by Hello Kitty, they usually come in the form of her face or they have her face printed on. Everything from the walls, seats, decorations, to employee uniforms are pink and girly.
Hello Kitty Cafe
Hello Kitty Cafes can be found spread out through Asia. Inside you can find sweet dishes inspired by Hello Kitty, they usually come in the form of her face or they have her face printed on. Everything from the walls, seats, decorations, to employee uniforms are pink and girly.
Hello Kitty House
The Hello Kitty house in Shanghai, where every room is your pinkest dream come true.
Hello Kitty Maternity Hospital
The world's first and only Hello Kitty-themed hospital was opened in 2008 in Taiwan. This hospital can brighten your mood, no matter how painful the experience is. After the baby is delivered he/she is wrapped securely in a warm blue/pink Hello Kitty blanket by kind nurses dressed in pink uniforms and hello kitty inspired aprons. You will also receive a birth certificate with a hello kitty stamp on it. Don't you wish you can brag about being born in such a happy place?
Hello Kitty Dental Office
Is your tooth hurting from all those sweets at the Hello Kitty cafe? Have no fear, you can always go to the Hello Kitty dental office to get it fixed. All the pretty decorations should get you distracted from all the drilling.
Some other products below:
A Hello Kitty toaster and Kitty imprinted toast is just what you need to make you mornings a little less groggy. So start your day the right way and go buy yourself a Hello Kitty toaster! ;D
Sanrio came out with the Hello Kitty wine collection in 2009 with the tagline "Our favorite little girl is all grown up." The collection include four bottles: Angel & Devil Pinot Neros, Bubbly Brut Rose, and Sweet Pink. Proving that Hello Kitty isn't just for kids anymore. (How does she drink without a mouth?)
Besides wine, our feline friend also has her own luxury bottled water. Each bottle is cutely decorated and has its own special theme. Red (friendship), Pink (cute), yellow (heartful), green (wish) and lavender (sweet). But alas, cute doesn't come cheap, because the bottles costs $100 each!
Overall:
Throughout the years Hello Kitty has managed to become a popular icon that surpasses any restrictions, It is clear to say that Hello Kitty is making her way to world domination. Hoping to make the world a cuter, pinker, and more wonderful place!
****************
Author's Note:
For the first Creative Commons place I was inspired by an article on the new Hello Kitty Dental office, to write this post. I thought it'd be a good idea to start out this page with a post on one of the most popular and successful Asian products on the market today. Growing up, I've always been a fan of Hello Kitty and is both delighted and surprised to see how much she's grown!
Throughout the years Hello Kitty has managed to become a popular icon that surpasses any restrictions, It is clear to say that Hello Kitty is making her way to world domination. Hoping to make the world a cuter, pinker, and more wonderful place!
****************
Author's Note:
For the first Creative Commons place I was inspired by an article on the new Hello Kitty Dental office, to write this post. I thought it'd be a good idea to start out this page with a post on one of the most popular and successful Asian products on the market today. Growing up, I've always been a fan of Hello Kitty and is both delighted and surprised to see how much she's grown!
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