When my close friend, high school classmate, and my dearest darling, Feli went to visit here, she booked a villa for us and for our high school friends to come. She migrated to the US about 6 years ago, and I only met her again last year when their family went on a vacation here in the Philippines. 

So I created a group chat and invited our closest friends and classmates to attend. It was a little stressing going back and forth with everyone, and of course, checking their availability took up so much time lol Everyone is already busy with their lives and it's understandable. 

We got the Mini Villa of Saglit Private Villa. The place can accommodate 10-12 pax. They got bunk beds, a pool, a grilling station and an entertainment room with karaoke. The whole place costs Php22,000 for 22 hour's stay. A bit pricey tbh but it's within the Metro, pretty accessible to everyone. 

Fast forward to the day of our stay, I got there first with my best friend, Bill. We rang the doorbell a couple of times but no one was answering. The weather was so hot and the sun was burning our skin. The rest of the gang would follow at night, and so was my darling. I shot a message on their page to open the gate for us, also tried calling their phone number but no one replied or answered. Mind you that it was already past 2pm, we were there 10 minutes before. I was getting a little pissed because of the heat so I shouted outside and called out to the people inside and FINALLY someone greeted us and we were finally ushered inside the villa. The caretaker still wasn't done cleaning when we got in but we were just so sweaty from waiting outside so we turned on the AC while we rested. It was such a plus that they had a strong AC. 

After an hour, I started ordering our food while Bill dipped in the pool.

1000/10 for the massage chair!

The entertainment room sure was cool but they only had one mic, which was a bummer coz this bunch consisted of frustrated singers!!

As night approached, one by one, everyone showed up. 

My darling came with her whiskey and red wines from the US. 

Alfer got us some rotisserie chicken. 

Charlon got us some hotdogs and rice, and also did the grilling job for our pork liempo

Bryan came with our water supply

Maning arrived with her Bluetooth speaker. 

I was so happy they followed their tasks and brought what was asked of them. As someone who was basically in charge, it made my heart happy lol

We had Ambers, 24 Chicken, Pork liempo, Hotdogs, Pitchi Pitchi, Munchkins. there were so much to eat! 

Spent the whole night catching up on each other's lives. We sang our hearts out, laughed, and cried. We hadn't seen each other in a decade but it felt like we barely missed anything at all. And I'm just so proud of these people!!

We stopped the karaoke at 10 pm, opened the Bluetooth speaker, and listened to some songs by the pool. 

At around 2 am, I was feeling a little sleepy from the booze so I washed up and went to bed. 

I don't know when am I going to see these people again, but wherever they may be in their life, I hope they are winning. 

Now let's dive into the pros and cons

Cons

- water supply gets weak at night, which means bidet and flush barely do their jobs

- only one mic was available (at the time of our visit)

- wireless mic kept on getting disconnected (even with the slightest movement)

- page and the contact person were not as responsive on the day of our stay

- still a bit expensive 

- pool is a bit small 

Pros

- Ate Tere, our caretaker was really approachable and easy to talk to

- the place is close to everything (alfamart, paresan, fast food chains etc.)

- accessible since it's around the Metro

- good lighting and ventilation

- regardless of the mic problem, they have a good & loud sound system 

This is a special blog to me so I want to be as detailed as possible and with that being said, here's a timeline of how I got to know Jannabi up until the concert day.  

I first heard Jannabi a couple of years ago when I was still living at the office during the lockdown. It was from a K-indie playlist I randomly clicked on YouTube. PLAYLIST LINK HERE I didn't become an instant fan right then. I was more hooked on the song, "Everything" by The Black Skirts, which was also on the same playlist, I got addicted and played it day and night for months. The whole list was just a chef's kiss! I remember the song, "She" by Jannabi was there too and I even used it as a background music to one of my Manhwa edits on TikTok lol back when I was super hibang sa Manhwa! but that was it. I just thought the song was giving off "The Beatles" vibe.

A few years later, once upon a broken heart, I came back to the same playlist because I knew what songs I wanted to listen to and this was it. Gave myself a good cry!! Get this, all the lyrics were in Korean but true enough that music knows no language. If it hits you, it hits you and that's what it did to me and I'd often put this whole playlist on repeat, for days on end. While healing a broken heart!

This is where I started to get curious about the bands I was listening to. This was also when "For Lovers Who Hesitate" became a fave from the playlist. It was one of my go-to songs whenever I'd feel all sad and shit again. This time though, I looked them up and watched a live performance. 

and my initial reaction was

"WHAAAAT GANITO KAGWAPO YUNG VOCALIST????" LOL

how come I missed this????

No BS but Choi Jung-hoon is def my type!

And as if to confirm, I watched his performance on the Killing Voice. Dumbfounded for the whole duration, literally. I thought he was some old man in his 40s, but what I got was an extremely attractive guy.

Did this solidify my decision to stan them? You bet your sweet ass, yes HAHAHAHA

I remember being so addicted to him, I even edited a photo of us together and set it as my wallpaper on my old phone! Di ko na makita sayang!

but after a while, the hype died down. A lot of things happened blah blah blahh

I was in a much better place that time compared to when I first stumbled upon that playlist. I'd still listen to "For Lovers Who Hesitate" but it got less and less until it got removed from my YouTube most played songs playlist. I no longer cry too. 

Fast forward to April last month, I saw on Facebook that the Korean Cultural Center was going to bring Jannabi here in the PH for a special performance in celebration of the 75th anniversary of friendship between Korea and the Philippines. The best part was that it was a free admission!!

I immediately asked my friend, Yoyo to come with me and she agreed. Note that she has 0 idea about the band and I love her for saying yes to this despite being clueless. To be honest, I was supposed to go to Circuit Music Festival on the same date and was contemplating for days if I should get myself a ticket. I'm so glad I didn't!!

On May 4th, I met her at the Mall of Asia. It was around 2pm and we had a late lunch. I remember bugging Yoyo if we could finish our food early so we could go to the Music Hall where the event would take place and she was getting a little pissed at my nonstop bickering lol 

but we went anyway. people were starting to flock near the stage. It was past 3pm. We only got a snack we could munch on so we wouldn't have to leave our spot - just a couple of feet away from the stage. As much as I'd like to enjoy the booths that were there, I got to secure our spot!!

feet was hurtingggg!!

After listening to the speakers, and sponsors, and just before the sun sets, Jannabi was finally called on stage!

quick setup and sound check again. I found out that night that they did an initial sound check around 2pm - WHILE I WAS EATING!!! and Jung Hoon and went out and sang a few songs. Including "A Thought on an Autumn Night", "Dream, Books, Power and Walls", and "Hong Kong"!! Di pala sayang ang bickering ko! It was my gut feeling telling me "bhe lunukin mo na yan nag ssound check na sila don"....

Everyone was just shouting and cheering and I, on the other hand, shed a tear out of sheer disbelief that the band that I was just listening to was standing just 20 feet away from me. It was a moment, I will NEVER EVER FORGET.

They kicked off the stage with "Together". 

This was also my first time, hearing their song, "Baby, I Need You", and I truly regret how I didn't find this song sooner because I came to love it. Every live performance of this song slaps! Def a banger!

After two songs, they introduced themselves, and then sang "Summer". which was also in my top five. I kid you not, I was bawling my eyes out while watching. It was such a surreal experience that I was only crying to this song in front of my computer before but here they were now singing to me. And I couldn't help but get overly emotional. 

After that, they sang "Good, Good Night", and of course, their most famous song, "For Lovers Who Hesitate". If you're expecting me to have stopped crying by then, you are wrong haha. This was where I reached my maximum sobbed pro max lololol literally, just tears after tears. "For Lovers Who Hesitate" was the song that really got me into this band. My eyes were red and puffy and the woman next to me kept on glancing my way because she could hear me sobbing like we were at a funeral. Sorry ate, nag eemote lang ako!

Never have I ever cried this much while watching a live concert. It was a mixed feeling of hurt, acceptance, and surrealness. I was reminded of the time that I was heartbroken. and longing. And of course, the feeling of gratefulness that I made my way out of that darkness. 

my "I WAS HERE" moment!!!! at this point, I'm just thankful my eyeliner didn't smudge. 

I wish I was fluent in Korean, Jannabi's lyrics are like poetry and there must be some beautiful nuances lost in translation that I'll never know. English translations don't deliver the full emotions that come out of the lyrics. :(

After the 3 depressing songs lol they played upbeat ones like "Tell Me", "Colorful" and "Jungle". We were all jumping up and down and that made me so tired lol  whew gotta work more on my cardio!!!

I'm being a complete delulu but I see his eyes on my camera on this shot! 

They also did a cover of Four Non Blondes' "What's Up". Which made everyone jam and sing along! 

It had been almost an hour but Choi Jung-hoon never showed any hint of tiredness, the dude was never out of breath. And he was out there hyping the crowd and doing adlibs at the same time. I know he'd been doing this for over a decade but man.. to be able to see it live. It was astonishing. His charisma on stage is unmatched. I like men who sings lolol nevertheless, I admire the dedication of every artist out there. It's not a piece of cake, memorizing lyrics, talking to the crowd, and of course, getting all the timing right. 

He came back for an encore and sang, "Monkey Hotel", and they thanked all of us who attended. I guess they never expected to be well received here in the Philippines, BUT THERE WAS A CROWD Everyone knew the lyrics to their songs and cheering them on on stage. It was a bittersweet goodbye. I cried to Yoyo because, at the back of my head, I just know the chances of me seeing them again are small - heck, I wouldn't even see them if it wasn't for KCC but I will hold on to that promise that they will be back as soon as they can. I will pay to see you guys again!

If I were a fan in Korea, I don't think I'd be THIS NEAR to the stage as I was. They already played huge stages, stadiums if you will and you'd probably have to pay a couple of bucks to be this close, so I'm really thankful I got to see them live and for free!!

Do Hyung and Jung Hoon!

Thank you Korean Cultural Center for bringing Jannabi here in the Philippines. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I'm grateful to be one of the few hundreds who witnessed their first live performance in Manila. 

Thank you, Jannabi for the awesome performance! you guys rock! Balik na kayo dito!!! :(

ctto Jannabi

and to you who's reading this. thank you for staying. I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoy writing and reliving that day. Please give their songs some love. I will recommend you some!

1.) For Lovers Who Hesitate

2.) Summer

3.) Good Good Night

4.) Dolmaro

5.) Dreams, Books, Power and Walls

6.) A Thought on an Autumn Night

7.) Baby I Need You

8.) She

Ending this lengthy blog with a screenshot of me ugly crying.

Ps. for some of you who like this kind of music, you can check out my playlist on Spotify

 Hi everyone, today we will talk about my top faves from Tay's newest album, It's been a month since it was released and I was able to choose my top picks after some thorough listening - if this is a term lol

On my first run, the one that struck me the most was "Down Bad". I like the beat, it wasn't something you'd have to listen to a couple of times to love it. Also the lines, "Now I'm down bad crying a the gym" and "Fuck it if I can't have him" slaps!!!

The one I found a bit odd at first was "But Daddy I Love Him" because she was so unserious putting "I'm having his baby, no I'm not but you should see your faces" lol

The one that shook me the most was "Who's Afraid of Little Old Me", it was bold, and fearless and just goes to show how Taylor matured being in the music industry for so long. 

The one that I could relate the most was, "I Can Do It With A Broken Heart", "I cry a lot but I'm so productive, it's an art" That line alone won my heart!

The saddest one was "loml". Because the lyrics changed from "you're the love of my life" to "you're the loss of my life" and if that doesn't make you sad then idk what is. 

To sum it all up, these are the ones who struck me on my first run

1.) Down Bad

2.) Fresh Out The Slammer

3.) The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived

4.) Who's Afraid of Little Old Me

5.) loml

6.) I Can Do It With A Broken Heart

To be honest, I find most of the songs' melodies a bit repetitive and recycled. I guess I was looking for a new sound. But if we're talking about the whole album lyrically. yall better sit your ass down, because Taylor writes so poetically. I often wonder how her brain works., she's a genius! She could easily be a successful author if she pursues that path. Her lyrical skills will forever be unmatched and regal. 

After a few more runs, my top picks have changed a little

1.) Fornight - love how Post Malone's voice complimented Taylor's voice!

2.) Down Bad - still slaps no questions asked

3.) But Daddy I Love Him - grew on me over time!

4.) Who's Afraid of Little Old Me - have you seen the live performance????

5.) I Can Do It With A Broken Heart - simply because the lyrics speaks to me

Bonus Picks:

"Peter"

"Guilty as Sin"

 Hi kids, this is Mom and today I'll be talking about how my April went.

As you may have probably read in the previous posts, Yo momma went to the beach in hopes of finding your dad but no luck. I guess we'll just have to go to the ends of the Earth to find him lol

but this is Bora in a nutshell

If there's one thing I realized about this whole trip, was that no one gives a shit about what you wear. I was so anxious about wearing swimsuits there but everyone was busy minding their own business and enjoying the beach. That actually made me feel confident in my own skin and I bought that confidence back in Manila!

Oh, and I FINALLY enrolled myself in a gym. So far, it's going so well but I'm not gonna lie, it's not motivating every day but I show up, Even on days when I don't feel like it. Slowly but surely, I've been feeling good and stronger, still a long way to go and I'm just so happy to be able to do this for myself.

Eating healthy is just so damn expensive!!! No wonder people would often just resort to fast food because it is cheaper and well....it tastes better lol tell me I'm wrong

On the third week of April, I met up with my friend, Yoyo and we had lunch at Rockwell. 

Also tried this cafe, Simple Origin where we had drinks and desserts. 

That actually sums up my April, aside from gym and home, I didn't go out that much. 

Random camera roll snaps!!!

Taylor Swift dropped her 11th Studio Album, "The Tortured Poets Department" which was actually a secret double album. So yes, she released the second one, TPPD: The Anthology. I barely memorized the vault songs from her previous releases and now I have 30 songs to memorize lol 

I'll make sure to do a separate post for my faves!

Going to my Netflix Department. 

First, we have probably one of the best crime shows I've ever watched, "Homicide: New York" a 5 episode documentary that tackles true crime stories that happened in the city that never sleeps, I applaud all the investigators, detectives who devoted all their time to solve these crimes. The episodes were hard to watch and I feel for all the innocent people who had lost their lives. 

The second was "Files of the Unexplained", which was a compilation of bizarre disappearances, eerie real-life events, and haunted stories. Pretty similar to their other series called, Unsolved Mysteries. I enjoy these type of shows tbh I hope Netflix keep these kinds of documentaries coming!

The third one was the breath of fresh air, "My Love Story with Yamada-kun at Lv999". I gave the anime a try because I started the manga a few years ago and was hooked on the story. Never really went back on reading and forgot where I left off lol but pls give it some love! 

Top Songs of the Month

 To everyone who works remotely, we all know just how important stable internet and quiet and peaceful working space are. When I brought my laptop to work in Boracay, I was a little hesitant and nervous at the same time. I was currently training an offshore colleague for work so I needed a quiet space/room and I desperately hoped the reception in my hotel was strong enough to hold a virtual meeting for hours. It was alright but it would fluctuate from time to time and I didn't want it to interrupt my work.

Of course, I came prepared I brought my own router for situations like this, and it was working well tbh but the second issue I had was my nephew's nonstop yapping lol 

That's when I decided to look for a co-working space around the area and I found two

1.) Mahogany Lounge at The Strand Boutique Resort

2.) Musyon Co-Working Space

I first reached out to Mahogany Lounge and they were easy to talk to. The space rental was also cheaper at Php300. However, when I checked their page and saw the lounge which seemed only like a balcony of a big nipa hut, I had some second thoughts. Coz I would be up all night outside with just nothing but trees and darkness. I wasn't sure of course if it was really the co-working space they offered but it was also a bit far from the hotel I was staying so I went with the second option. 

Second was Musyon Co-Working Space. This one was voted top-rated, they have quiet rooms for meetings, an unlimited supply of water and coffee, and of course a stable Wifi. A bit pricey for Php700 but not bad. Above all, it was like a 15-minute walk from our hotel so I contacted them right away.

Packed my stuff and put my faith in Google Maps!

I got a little lost when I was near the area because none of the people I asked knew what was Musyon whatsoever. Little did I know, it was the tiny cafe to my left lol 

So I went in and no one was there, not even the staff at the reception. 

see? no one.

I contacted the person I spoke to when I booked and he made me aware that the staff in charge won't be there the whole time, and would just check on me in between. It was weird but I was okay with it. 

So I was basically alone!!! I honestly liked it because I had multiple trainings I needed to conduct so it worked in my favor. 

However, though, the restroom was located in the lobby of the apartment next door and the walk there was fucking creepy. It was dark and I had to go outside of the streets and, leave all my stuff back at the co-working space Even the inside of the the restroom was scary. I felt like I was being watched or something would jump out at me out of nowhere. There was no one at the reception, the lights were off and it looked a bit run down tbh. As a small girl with a small bladder, this was a nightmare!

But the staff who would check up on me was nice. He would make sure I was safe and taken care of before he left again lol

I loved the whole place, it has everything a freelance worker could ask for. They offer extra monitors, mouse, laptops, etc. for additional charge of course. 

little miss stress sa training

I think the meetings kept me preoccupied and distracted from being scared and alone. 

When morning came and realized my time at the co-working space was up, I packed my stuff and decided to do the rest of the workload back at the hotel. 

Pulled up my Google Maps and off I went!

Selfie while walking and because no one was looking!

Passed by a Jonah's branch!

before I knew it, I arrived back at the hotel. 

The overall experience turned out better than I thought. It was only scary because it was my first time traveling somewhere with my laptop. I'm so used to working at home or some other place but not as far as this. I guess I have yet to maximize the perks of working remotely but honestly, with all my heart, I'm so grateful to be able to do this. 

Thank you, Universe!