K-Pop, What??

While YouTube-ing recently, I came across a Korean pop group called Shinee. Made up of five youngens who depict the "triple threat" factor, I first became curious when I saw one of its members, Onew, do a rendition of James Ingram's "Forevermore" on the stream site. Good lord, the boy can SING! He has such a soulful voice that is rare from most Asian singers. This, then, led to endless searches for more youtube vids and needless to say I've found my new obsession. It's not that I've never heard of Korean Pop, I've just never bothered to listen. The majority of Shinee's songs are in Korean, but the melodies of their songs are catchy, easy and makes me want to shake my moneymaker (LOL!). At this moment I'm listening to "Kiss, Kiss, Kiss." Thank goodness for subtitles or else I have no choice but to make my own words up! heehehehe:)

http://youtu.be/JiB442KxVI0

Let It Be

I was listening to Wilson Philips' "Greatest Hits" today and they talked about their song, "You're Inlove." According to the trio, they wanted to look at love from the point of caring for someone deeply by having their best interest at heart. "If you know that they are better off with someone else, no matter how much you love them, then you have to let them go so they can move on." Boy, did this hit a nail with me. It almost opened a flood gate, but i didn't let it happen. I know I should be happy for he-who-shall-n0t-be-named, but it still pains me that the dream I held on to for so long is never going to come true. There will always be a twinge of pain knowing that he chose to spend the rest of his life with someone else. But nonetheless, this is what I prayed for. His happiness means the world to me and I'm glad he's found it. Here's the link: http://youtu.be/P7gYii2unkg

My "Aha" Moment"

Happy Single Awareness Day! Okay, it's really Valentine's Day, but since I'm single, my Valentine is myself:) Honestly, I think Valentine's Day, or Love Day as I call it, is overrated. I don't mean to be a grinch about it, but I'm not one of those girls who likes roses or chocolates on this day. It's to0 predictable and b-o-r-i-n-g-! If I had my choice of "gifts" for Valentine's Day, it would be a book or CD. For me it's more sentimental and meaningful. Atleast, a book or CD won't wilt or melt like the "traditional" presents above. I'm a word nerd and music lover, so for my future valentine, this is a hint for you (hehehe).

Valentine's Day, in my opinion, isn't just about demonstrating love for your significant other, but rather, appreciating who they are and what they are in your lives. For many of you, that special someone is, as the song, "Beautiful" goes, "your once in a lifetime, a treasure near impossible to find." You may see the future when you look in their eyes and dreams that are yet to be. However, please don't forget that apart from that person, you shouldn't forget the dreams you have for yourself. Love is a wonderful thing and often times we get so caught up in it that we become blind or oblivious to everything around us. Some of us have the tendency to put all our hopes and dreams on that one person and when the relationship goes south, it can be difficult to bounce back from it. The best gift you can give yourself is to find a passion outside of your couple-dom and nurture it. I, too, placed my hopes and dreams on one individual once upon-a-time. However, it wasn't meant to be and as a result, I wasn't just crushed, I felt lost and didn't know what to do. The sadness also affected my previous work environment and because of it, depression set in. I was in a funk for some time and I"m grateful I got over it. I turned over a new leaf and became a massage therapist and health educator. Going through the process was enlightening and empowering because I found myself again. I met people from all walks of life and each of them taught me lessons that I will remember for the rest of my life. In each of them I saw what I can become and in the end, I found a community where I belong. My life has been enriched and improved because all of them were in my life, albeit short as it was. They were my light at the end of what seemed to be a dark and unending tunnel. I've found joy in what I do and hope to only flourish. I know what it feels like to be in the present now and why it's called a "gift." I've also found a sense of peace and newly-found appreciation for being able to dream and hope, thanks to the "angels" who have come into my life. Oprah always talks about her "Aha!" moment and this is mine. I"m going to conclude this blog from a passage from Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist: "Wherever your heart is, you'll find your treasure." I've found mine and I hope each of you finds yours. Happy Heart Month!!!

Adele - Someone Like You (Live in Her Home)

Someone Like You

When I heard you were engaged, I went numb. At first I thought it was nothing, but the following day, I woke up with an overwhelming sense of sadness and indescribably broken. I cried an ocean that day, finally coming to terms with a dream that can no longer be. I held on to the dream of a happily-ever-after life with you, always having faith that you and I were destined to be together. I knew you were "the one" when I first laid eyes on you and held on to a potential what-could-be. Over the years, I have thought about you, never losing hope that one day, you'd be back in my life. But I know that it's time to let you go and move on. I will always be grateful that you were in my life once-upon-a-time and wish you all the best! May the new chapter in your life be filled with love, laughter and joy!

Here Comes the Bride, But Who's the Groom?

I had the weirdest dream this morning. I was getting married (complete in my bridal regalia of a white v-shaped dress with a princess skirt, veil and a very long train with silver earrings and a tinge of blue on the bow of my dress for my "something blue" effect) to a tall guy with a slender frame. There was only one problem: I didn't see his face! I've had many a dream like this and I'm very baffled as to why those dreams are the way they are. Would you want to kiss a groom with a faceless identity? It makes me want to bust out a crystal ball just to see if I can figure out who the mystery husband is. LOL! However, I did the next best thing: I took out my handy dandy book entitled 10,000 Dreams Interpreted or What's in a Dream and here's what I found:

Bride: "For a young woman to dream that she's a bride foretells that she will shortly come into an inheritance which will please her exceedingly, if she's pleased in making her bridal toilet." Toilet, in this case, according to the dictionary, means "to dress or groom one's self."

Veil: "For a young woman to dream that she wears a bridal veil denotes that she will engage in some affair which will afford her lasting profit and enjoyment."

After reading the analysis, I've come to the conclusion that it was a positive dream even though the groom's face couldn't be seen. That's okay, I guess. Isn't a wedding always about the bride? J/K!

Pushing it to the Limit

I have a bone to pick with Asian American parents. I understand that many of you came to this country to have a better life for you and your children, but can you please not be so narrow-minded as to the types of careers you want your children to have? Not all Asian American kids want to grow up to be a doctor, nurse, lawyer, judge, etc. These are all wonderful jobs, yes, but please understand that you need to let your children choose the careers they want to have for themselves instead of you picking it for them. I understand your need for success and to live the American Dream, but when you're telling your child that they have no choice but to become what you want them to be, you're stripping them of not only their potential, but their own dreams. Not only that, but you're also putting a lot of pressure on your offspring's shoulders. Sure, some Asian American kids will be more than happy to heed their parents' wishes, but there are also some who will do it to please their parents and when they do, the idea of failing you can become a burden that can become too much to handle. What if they try to be the people you want them to be, but are unsuccessful despite their efforts, are you going to scream and rave and tell them what a disappointment they are to you? Perhaps you should take a step back and let your kids do what makes them happy.

i'm such a spaz

It's funny how one comes across things that they've forgotten about. As I was walking around in my room this morning, I stepped on a folded piece of paper and when I opened it, I started laughing. It was a copy of an excerpt from a book by Kent Nerburn titled Letters to My Son. Lo and behold, it was about falling in love. I'm such a dork when it comes to these things--in other words, I'm a hopeless romantic whose in love with love. Is that a crime? Anywho, it's pretty long, so I'm just going to include some of it here.

It's a mystery why we fall inlove.

It's a mystery why it happens.

It's a mystery why it comes...

Sometimes, hopefully at least once in your life--the gift of love will come to you in full flower

and you will take hold of it and celebrate it in all expressive beauty.

This is a dream we all share.

More often it will come and take hold of you, celebrate you for a brief moment, then move on...

If you find yourself in love with someone who does not love you, be gentle with yourself.

There is nothing wrong with you.

Love just didn't choose to rest in the other person's heart...

How you deal with love is how you deal with you,

and all our hearts feel the same pains and joys,

even if our lives and ways are different...

Remember that you don't choose love, love chooses you...

Love has its own time, seasons, and its own reason for coming and going.

You cannot bribe it or coerce it, or reason it to staying.

You can only embrace it when it arrives and give it away when it comes to you...

Love has always been and will always be a mystery.

Be glad that it comes to live for a moment in your life.

If you keep your heart open...it will come again.

Where My Heart Is, Will It Be My Destiny, Too?

Fate: "the will or principle or determining cause by which things in general are believed to come to be as they are or events to happen as they do."

A month ago, I rented the romantic comedy, "Serendipity," which stars John Cusack and Kate Beckinsdale as two individuals who reunite years after the night they first met, fell inlove and separated, convinced that they would one day end up together. It was my second time watching the movie, but since it had been years since I last saw it, I didn't mind watching it again. The movie was cute, but what blew my mind was how much the plot resembled my own life. It was very surreal. I felt the chemistry between Jonathan (Cusack) and Sara (Beckinsdale) and the pain of not knowing if you'd see each other again after your first meeting. More than anything, I related to how both characters had the feeling that they were going to end up together; it was depicted through "signs." Among them, Sara walking down the street and seeing a poster for a performance of Jonathan's favorite band and Jonathan getting into a cab and hearing the name Sara. Jonathan and Sara were in relationships in the movie, but it was obvious that their hearts, no matter where they were in their lives, were with each other. In one scene where Jonathan goes to see Sara in San Francisco days before his wedding and is outside her home, he asks his best friend, "what am I doing here?" The best friend answers: "Maybe you're here because you don't want to be standing somewhere else." I won't spoil the ending for those who haven't seen "Serendipity," but after watching it, I was convinced that the movie was a sign that what I"ve known in my heart for all these years is going to happen. To this day, there isn't a time when I'm not reminded of the one that got away. Sometimes I wonder if someone up there is playing a cruel joke on me. The more I try to forget this person and let him go, something always pulls me back. No matter where my own journey in life takes me, I know he'll be there at the end--even if it's not in this lifetime.