CNBLUE Can't Stop Tour 2014

The guys are coming back to Manila and I need to be there!!! I caught their Blue Moon concert last year and had so much fun. Possibly one of the best concerts I've ever been to. Not only because they sounded flawless live, but also because of how much effort they had put into connecting with their fans. The endless banter they exchanged with the Filipino audience was endearing because they endeavored to speak not just in English but also in Tagalog. And even when they spoke in Korean, most of the fans could still understand.

One of my favorite moments from last year's concert was when bassist Jungshin noticed the audience responding even to their banter in Korean and so reverted to his native tongue to ask the audience a few things.

Jungshin: 재밌어요? [Are you having fun?]
Fans: 네! [Yes!]
Jungshin: 여러분 재밌어요? [Everybody, are you having fun?]
Fans: 네! [Yes!]
Jungshin: 한국말 알아요? [Do you understand Korean?]
Fans: 네! [Yes!]
Jungshin: 대박! [(Daebak) Awesome!]
Fans: /screaming/
Jungshin: 필리핀 대박! [The Philippines is awesome!]
Fans: /more screaming/

And who could even try to forget the entire conversation the 3 other guys had in full Tagalog as they conspired with the fans to surprise Yonghwa for his upcoming birthday? It was beyond fantastic.

It's not flawless Tagalog (or English), but still. They're the only foreign artist I've watched live who dared to speak this much Tagalog. Ever. Sandara Park totally does not count.

So, even though I'm not exactly rolling in cash right now (what with my upcoming trip to Seoul), I kind of really want to catch the boys in concert again. Especially now that my appreciation of them goes way beyond just Yonghwa and Jonghyun. Jungshin and Minhyuk have totally stolen my heart as well. And my love for their music is a given. Ugh. I'm such a fan right now.

The tickets are not exactly cheap, so I'm crossing my fingers for a miracle.

Because I'm in a CN Blue mood right now, here's a bunch of awesome live performances. Just because I can.

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[Update] 2NE1's Sandara Park arrives in the Philippines and #WelcomeHomeDara trends world wide

Days prior to 2NE1's All or Nothing concert in Manila on Saturday, Sandara Park arrived in the Philippines for some solo promotions and prompts the hashtag #WelcomeHomeDara to trend world wide. Needless to say, the entire country is beyond excited to have the National Krung Krung back on Philippine soil. The other girls - CL, Bom, and Minzy - don't arrive until Friday morning, just in time for a press conference and a meet & greet in the afternoon.

In the meantime, Dara has been shooting TV guestings and the first of which was a pre-recorded episode of Gandang Gabi Vice which is scheduled to air this Sunday evening. Apparently, Dara's friends from Star Circle Quest joined her on the program, including ex-boyfriend Joseph Bitangcol. I hear Ryan Bang was on the show also.

As I'm writing this, I'm waiting for her appearance on daily noontime show Showtime. It's probably gonna be a short stint, but it's bound to be funny. Dara's also scheduled to drop by the Big Brother House today as a celebrity guest on Pinoy Big Brother. Which means I will have to rush home in time for the primetime telecast.

Late last night, Dara also guested on Aquino & Abunda Tonight. One of the hosts, Boy Abunda, shared that Dara had requested that the interview be conducted in mostly Tagalog, much to the delight of Filipino Blackjacks - myself included. In the interview, they discussed several topics including 2NE1's upcoming concert, Dara's trainee days, and little brother Thunder.


{ROYALACES} 140514 Sandara Interview on Aquino... by YGSRASubs
Dara will, indeed, always have a special place in the hearts of Filipinos, k-pop fan or not. And the concert this Saturday is bound to be very special. Not only will 2NE1 be celebrating their 5th anniversary, Dara is also celebrating her 10th year in the entertainment industry this year, and she's in Manila for all of this. Add to that the fact that freaking Winner will be joining them as a guest act, can you imagine how much I'm kicking myself for not having tickets to watch the show??? I hate my brokeass self so much right now.

I guess I'll just have to drown in all news 2NE1-related in the next few days. Gah.

UPDATE:

Dara's short guest stint on Showtime was adorable and her Tagalog is still as awesome as ever. Below are several videos from the variety show.

Dara performs her first single in the Philippines, the 2004 hit "In or Out"

A couple of 2NE1 fans join Dara in dancing "I Am The Best"

Two lucky fans receive free concert tickets to this Saturday's show

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Hallyu stars send prayers to victims of Typhoon Haiyan

I've been gone for over a week but worry not, I'm safe and sound. Manila wasn't directly affected by the super typhoon that hit central Philippines late last week and I was actually in Vietnam when all this started to happen. By the time I got back, the typhoon was already making its way over to Vietnam. Imagine how lucky we were.

However, not so many people were as lucky. The devastation caused by the typhoon is immense and thousands of people have been affected. And here I thought the food poisoning that caused me and my sisters to worship the ceramic god was bad. Nothing is as bad as what's currently happening in Tacloban, Leyte, and other provinces affected by Haiyan. The fact that CNN's very own Anderson Cooper is in town to report on the disaster, well, that says something.

As this is not my personal blog, but a Hallyu-related blog, I'll keep things on the lighter side and share with you all the positive words and prayers my country has received from some of our favorite Korean stars. 

2NE1's Sandara Park, who grew up in the Philippines, took to Twitter to send out her thoughts on the typhoon. She also wished her Filipino followers well in Tagalog.

Jay Park

Flowsik of hip-hop/R&B group Aziatix

2PM's Nichkhun was actually in Manila during the typhoon for a fanmeeting, and he shared how he already was planning on visiting the Philippines after a 7.2 magnitude earthquake had hit the country awhile back. "A part of me was already here in the Philippines so when I heard about the earthquake, it really shook me," he said. 

Regarding Typhoon Haiyan, the Thai k-pop star shared, “It’s really heartbreaking to be a victim of something like this. I hope all the people in the Philippines are safe and those of you who are the victims, I hope you guys stay strong and keep your hopes up and never give up. I’m sure that when everything clears up, everything will go back to normal, for better.”

Kevin Woo of U-KISS

Model/actor Ricky Kim

Actor Lee Min-ho took to his official Facebook page, and cross-posted to his Twitter, his well-wishes for the Filipino people.

Their support and prayers mean a lot to us - especially since they're bringing attention to what is currently going on here. For more information on the typhoon and on how you can help, click here.

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