Libera me, Domine, de morte æterna, in die illa tremenda

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(stealing the idea from moth5dream)

My travel list is ridiculously long. Here are some of the ones that first came to mind.
(I've wanted to visit Egypt since I was a little kid. Sadly, when I was finally able to travel, it was no longer quite safe enough to warrant travel. I'm hoping in the future I will be able to visit)



( Several more )

One of the first things I see on the internet today. I love when I wake up to good news.

I love it. It reminds me of something, but I'm not really sure what right now. Either way, I find it fabulous. I love Big Bang mixes in some rock in their music. Like, in "Oh My Friend", or "She's Gone". My favorite genre of music IS rock (post-grunge).

Also, TOP being like "How you doing ladies?". I laughed. And am I the only one that gets a little teary when they do the "BIG BANG" thing? Probably. And goddamn it, GD. Why do you have to be so amazing and make me love you SO much. Because I do. Very, very much.

Anyway, the song~



*Replays over and over and over and over and over and over and over ∞*

Geez, I've actually made it a full week! I can't believe how awesome my commitment skillz are right now!

Anyway, today was/is another beautiful day here in winter-ravaged north east. I will never get over just how lovely it is here, when sub-tropical Taiwan was so grey and rainy. Despite being cold, it was a perfect day. The sky was amazingly blue, and the sun was shining. Of course, it's supposed to snow later this week, but I'm not going to worry about that right now ;P

I took this at the end of my driveway. I wanted to show the white birch tree up against the amazingly blue sky.





BONUS PICTURE

This is my brother's amazingly sweet Doberman, Siggy. It's hard to get a good picture of him, since he's constantly moving.

I always tell people it's too hard to pick a favorite song of theirs. It's like choosing a favorite child. But... but I think I've always know, deep down in my heart, that this is my favorite. And while technically it's not a BB song, I'll count it as such, since it's by a BB member.

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

It's such an assholey song (especially GD's version - YB's version is less douchey), but OMG do I love it. Love, love, love, love, love it. Whenever I sing it while driving, I get really into it. I must look insane.

This is from yesterday (an ongoing theme, apparently).
I took this picture at Qianshui Bay up in San Zhi on the north coast of Taiwan. San Zhi is known in popular culture as the place where the (now demolished) Pod Houses once stood. As it is, Qianshui Bay is only about a little over a mile to where the Pod Houses once stood.

It was very beautiful there. It was a rare warm and sunny day (winter on the north coast of Taiwan is neither sunny nor warm), but because I went around 5pm, and it was a Monday, there were not a lot of people there.

The water was chilly (not COLD, but not warm either), the sand was a beautifully soft mix of white and black, there were seashells, coral, seaweed, and sea glass everywhere. It was not, thankfully, like the previous Taiwanese beach I visited in the south (that beach was infested with crabs, was relatively rocky, and not terribly pleasant to spend a night on, which is what I did). This beach was for relaxing.

Anyway, here's the picture!

Flotsam and jetsam on the beach in Qianshui Bay

I... can't. I won't be able to watch if there is a series 4.

( vague spoilers )

( This is long, and about makeup, so skip if you would like ;P )

Also, a disclaimer. (This is not because of anyone else, it's because of me.)
Regarding Japan - I sort of feel shitty posting about other stuff when there was such a great tragedy. But at the same time, it's better to think about happier things. I found out around 2 hours after the earthquake. It was around 3:30pm Taiwan time. I heard that there had been a horrible tsunami, and that it was probably going to hit Taiwan around 5:30pm. So for two hours I was scared. I've never been in that situation before, and I didn't know what to make of it (we don't get natural disasters where I live - the worst we get are the occasional blizzard, but that's it). Plus, I was just SAD. All the pictures and videos coming in from Japan were heartbreaking. I watched the news for HOURS, trying to find out if Taiwan was going to be hit, and then how bad it was hit. I wasn't scared for me, really. I was scared for Taiwan. I love Taiwan. So so so much. I didn't want to see a disaster happen here too. Luckily Taiwan was spared. Unfortunately Japan wasn't. So yes, I am posting about silly stuff, but after being in a state of sadness and anxiety for quite a long time I'm cool with being silly.

I've been in Taipei for four days now. I love it. I was stupid to worry about it, honestly. It's comfortable here. Taipei and I are old friends. It's almost like I never left.

The bad part is I'm still sick. About every other day my body's like "HEY! Guess what! You're getting better!", and I feel great. And then I wake up the next morning feeling like shit. Stop being an asshole, body.

( Yesterday in Taipei! )

Anyway, have some pictures I took here!


Flowers are blooming at Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall / Liberty Square park, the prettiest place in Taipei proper.

( More here )


On a separate, random note - I started watching Secret Garden. I'm halfway through with it, and while I like and enjoy it, I am also baffled at how they're going to sustain it for another 10 episodes. I am also desperately obsessed with Director Jong Soo. I love him so so much. Also, it is really reminding me a lot of Bali, which is probably mostly because of Ha Ji Won, but also because Joo Won reminds me of a less crazy version of Jae Min. Kdramas make me hate rich people SO MUCH.

( This is longer than I expected it to be... )

TL;DR
- I left Korea.
- I am sad I am not in the same country as Big Bang anymore.
- I am now in Taiwan.
- It is cold here.
- I do not like the cold.
- I am also sick.
- Being sick sucks.
- Patata is good.
- Yonghe has no Family Marts that sell inari.
- I am pleased at myself for not hiding inside all day.
- Tomorrow IDK what's happening.
- There are tiny ants on the walls of my room.
- Now I have to sleep!

So I went to Big Show. I went two days - the first and the last.

I had an amazing time. In between my trips to Korea, far away from kpop and Big Bang's influence, I tend to forget just how much I love them, just how much I am devoted to them. Forgetting is good. It's healthy. I try not to love things too much, because that can only bring pain, especially when the thing you love is unreachable.

( blah blah blah more )

I can't find words for the concerts because they were too good. Too impressive. Too amazing. I wish more than anything that they would come to the US. Coming to Korea each year is hard.


SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS FROM MY CONCERT-GOING EXPERIENCE

1. On day 1 I was sitting in the front row of section 10. During the show, security started to line up along the front wall of the section. I knew SOMETHING was going to happen, but I wasn't exactly sure what. Then Big Bang got on the moving platform, and went by my section. Since I was in the front row, I was basically about two feet from them. I was waving like a dork, but GD saw me, and pointed directly at me. I was also filmed by Dae's camera. Soooo.... I MIGHT be on the concert DVD? I did get a weird fancam of the even. Like, you can see them coming, and then when they came close I freaked out, so the camera only shows their feet. I was literally, LITERALLY shaking. Seriously, I could barely hold my phone to get the video.

2. Also on day 1, these two guys kept passing in front of me going back and forth from their seats to some other area. One of them looked really familiar, but I wasn't exactly sure it was him until I heard the Korean fans next to me talking about him. It was Seung Ho, one of 2NE1's stylists, and GD's friend. So yay! Slightly famous person spottage! Down below, on the floor, there was a guy who was also attracting attention. I don't know exactly who it was, but because he was wearing a hoodie I kinda automatically assumed it was Teddy.

3. On day 2, I didn't attend the concert, but I went to the venue in order to buy stuff (and of course I got them right after they stopped selling). I was hanging around when an official looking guy with a huge camera stopped me, and asked me for my picture. Soooo.... I might be in the concert photobook? Either that or some random guy wanted a picture of me. Either way, FLATTERED. I probably also looked like a huge dork in the photo. I don't photograph well...

4. On day 3 I was standing. Which was decidedly unpleasant, but a thing that must sometimes be done. On this day, they had changed the show a bit from the first day. The platform, which didn't pass by section 008 on the first day, passed by it then. Most of the members were looking away, but AGAIN, GD ended up looking directly at me. I was horribly excited. Later on in the show, when Baby was suspended in the air, he also looked directly at me. It was surreal.

5. Also on day 3, I was in a very good position to see TOP walking on the stage. He was wearing these skin-tight red pants, and I watched him slowly walk away. And I can tell you he has an AMAZING ass.

6. Again, on day 3, Young Bae was doing the thank-you's at the end, and he thanked Japan, TAIWAN, and China. Which confused me. They didn't thank the USA though. Which made me sad. But yay for Taiwan! Maybe someday they'll go there. I want Taiwan to be more recognized, even if it is only by kpop.


SOME RANDOM PICTURES!

I WAS able to fancam a little. And I audio-recorded the entire show. However the internet here at the hostel I'm in isn't the greatest for uploading, so sadly I fear the videos will have to wait until I get to Taiwan.
( cut because of size )


So, in conclusion, I basically need to go to every single Big Bang show ever. EVEN IF IT KILLS ME. And believe me, it will. I'm basically dying right now. You forget just how hard Asian beds are until you have to sleep on one after having slept on a nice soft mattress for a year. I feel like the bed is bruising me. Also, I hate stairs so much. Transferring subway lines means many many stairs. My thighs are on fire.