I just found this clip that someone put together in regard to Joanne’s journey up until now. Well, for the most part. But it really brought back lots of memories. She had gone a long way, worked really hard, and now becoming an established artist. I’m so proud of her.
NOTE: The video clip has been deleted so it’s not there anymore but still an amazing video highlighting Qiao Qiao’s journey over the years.
Oh joy, I’m bringing this back since it’s another year of madness. How did it go? Let’s check the number first, lol. Yes, before I start bragging and realized it wasn’t worth bragging over, lol. But before I actually go into the stats, I would like to thank The New World and iHero for making some of the impossibles happen. Because if it wasn’t for the dramas, I wouldn’t have updated so much or kept it so consistent for the better half of the year. Also, anyone wanting to check out the stat report from WordPress, click here.
Total Posts in 2015:
365 (35% of all time). Yes, I took the challenge of trying to keep up posts for 365 days SO had to brag here. It wasn’t easy and some posts were less impressive than others. However, I think it was already tough that I managed it all year long. For this year, will I be continuing on this pattern? I want to but I would say no. Since quality trumps quantity so I’ll still be updating, still be my random self at times, but I won’t force it as an everyday thing. If it happens, it happens. Now, moving on to the breakdown of different categories.
Times Updated on People on the Poll:
284 (78% of overall). I took out Ady and Hu Ge early on so I didn’t feel like I needed to include them in this section. Anyway, because I did the 365-day challenge, everyone benefited–one way or another. However, Achel had a surge, leaving Jun Ya behind with only 22 posts, because Wallace, Joanne, Bianca, and Jacky ended up having more posts than him for the year. That knocked him off top 5 for the year yet didn’t damage his overall record too much. Talking about that, he was the reason why I held off so long of not publishing this post since I needed to calculate some of the posts again. Yet I decided to gamble and take out some and possibly double back next year to correct it all. Oh yeah, I didn’t count general updates for some people, especially those with higher numbers already. Wallace Huo: 26 (9% of the year) Janine Chang: 16 (6%) Vic Chou: 12 (4%) Joanne Tseng: 25 (9%) Nicholas Teo: 18 (6%) Xiu Jie Kai: 12 (4%) Angela Chang: 12 (4%) Zhao Jun Ya: 22 (8%) Yvonne Yao: 7 (2%) Penny Lin: 16 (6%) Achel Chang/ Zhang Xin Yu: 34 (12%) Sophia Chou: 6 (2%) Ruby Lin: 16 (6%) Van Fan: 9 (3%) Eric Suen: 5 (2%) Bianca Bai: 25 (9%) Jacky Chu: 23 (8%)
I will say that I was both proud and also a bit ashamed because I was cheating for several dramas by inserting placeholders. I was trying to motivate myself to watch faster and/or fill the spaces yet things got in the way and I fell behind once again.
I think that it was too obvious that it was a Phil Chang year for me. Yes, I love that guy. Okay, mostly his songs, lol. But he is funny. Getting back to this, totally outdone myself on some levels. Overall, I translated 51 songs. OMG, that’s like a major achievement for me in this area. The previous year, I only did 12, but that was because I didn’t really take it as a challenge. I think this number will drop the upcoming year since I won’t be forcing myself to update every day.
130 posts – My randomness seriously has gone way past normal. I didn’t count some of the side stuff. But The New World and iHero obviously dominated the scene for the beginning of the year.
For this year, I hope to bring out more quality posts, like I said earlier. I also hope to finish up the placeholder posts that I haven’t previously. Wish me luck and see you all next year!
Key: Bold = Chinese Maroon = Pin Yin Blue= English
你那時候的溫柔 變成此刻的狂風 ni na shi hou de wen rou bian cheng ci ke de kuang feng Your gentleness at that moment has changed into this moment’s fierce wind 傷捲進胸口 好痛 shang juan jin xiong kou hao tong The wound has traveled through the chest, very painful
你最後的笑容 縱放過後迎來寒冬 ni zui hou de xiao rong zong fang guo hou ying lai han dong Your last smile has released to welcome winter 背影揉進眼眸 散成惡夢 bei ying rou jin yan mou san cheng e meng Back view brushed past the eyes, turning into a nightmare
回憶像荒蕪的樂園 觀笑聲逃出從前 hui yi xiang huang wu de le yuan guan xiao sheng tao chu cong qian Memories are like uncultivated gardens, sounds of past laughter unleashing 海盜船廢 摩天輪斜 木馬不旋 hai dao chuan fei mo tian lun xie mu ma bu xuan Pirate’s abandoned ship, slanted Ferris wheels, unrevoling wooden horses
離開痛 學著走 li kai tong xue zhe zou Leaving pain, learning to move forward 往事太重我再也背不動 wang shi tai chong wo zai ye bei bu dong The past is so heavy that I can’t even lift it 不能逗留 人越是回頭 越有漩過 越往上游 越向下落 bu neng dou liu ren yue shi hui tou yue you xuan guo yue wang shang you yue xiang xia luo Don’t stop, the more one looks back, the more one will go in circles; the higher one tries to go, the more one will fall 想小時候 學著走 xiang xiao shi hou xue zhe zou Reminiscing of childhood, learning how to walk 第一步總是擔心害怕和惶恐 de yi bu zong shi dan xin hai pa he huang kong The first step always is worrisome, full of fear, and living in fear 時間回伸出變手 抱往我別難過 shi jian hui shen chu bian shou bao wang wo bie nan guo Time stretches and changes hand, surrounding me so don’t be sad 淚水中找彩虹要勇敢的像孩童 lei shui zhong zhao cai hong yao yong gan de xiang hai tong Finding the rainbow within tears, be courageous like a child
(music)
心是個拉圾掩理場 收集著件件破爛 xin shi ge la ji yan li chang shou ji zhe jian jian po lan The heart is like a garbage dump, collecting pieces of rags 半個永遠 斷句誓言 情感碎片 ban ge yong yuan duan ju shi yan qing gan sui pian Half of forever, broken promises, fragments of love
離開痛 學著走 li kai tong xue zhe zou Leaving pain, learning to move forward 往事太重我再也背不動 wang shi tai chong wo zai ye bei bu dong The past is so heavy that I can’t even lift it 不能逗留 人越是回頭 越有漩過 越往上游 越向下落 bu neng dou liu ren yue shi hui tou yue you xuan guo yue wang shang you yue xiang xia luo Don’t stop, the more one looks back, the more one will go in circles; the higher one tries to go, the more one will fall 想小時候 學著走 xiang xiao shi hou xue zhe zou Reminiscing of childhood, learning how to walk 第一步總是擔心害怕和惶恐 de yi bu zong shi dan xin hai pa he huang kong The first step always is worrisome, full of fear, and living in fear 時間回伸出變手 抱往我別難過 shi jian hui shen chu bian shou bao wang wo bie nan guo Time stretches and changes hand, surrounding me so don’t be sad 淚水中找彩虹要勇敢的像孩童 lei shui zhong zhao cai hong yao yong gan de xiang hai tong Finding the rainbow within tears, be courageous like a child
離開痛 學著走 li kai tong xue zhe zou Leaving pain, learning to move forward 孤單變成我最好的朋友 gu dan bian cheng wo zui hao de peng you Loneliness has become my best friend 帶我看懂 愛那時候的風 那年的冬 那傷的錯 那黑的夢 dai wo kan dong ai na shi hou de feng na nian de dong na shang de cuo na hei de meng Letting me understand, that time’s love storm, that year’s winter, that pain’s mistake, that darkness of dreams 想小時候 學著走 xiang xiao shi hou xue zhe zou Reminiscing of childhood, learning how to walk 下一步會讓不知所措變成熱 xia yi bu hui rang bu zhi suo cuo bian cheng re The next step is to let the loss turn into familiarity 日曆飄出了窗口 過去己經去過 ri li piao chu le chuang kou guo qu ji jing qu guo Time flies out the window, the past is already gone 你不再愛我忘記疼痛要像孩童 ni bu zai ai wo wang ji teng tong yao xiang hai tong You don’t love me anymore, forgetting pain like a child
Key: Bold = Chinese Maroon = Pin Yin Royal Blue = English Red Violet = Vietnamese
停在街頭 吹吹風 ting zai jie tou chui chui feng Stopping at the intersection with wind blowing Dừng chân tại ngã tư nghe gió thổi rì rào 好像找機會到國外走走 hao xiang zhao ji hui dao guo wai zou zou It seems like searching for an opportunity to take a stroll abroad Giống như đang tìm cơ hội để ra ngoại quốc đi dạo 停下來 問一問自己 在忙什麼 ting xia lai wen yi wen zi ji zai mang shen me Stopping, asking myself a question, “What are you so occupied with?” Dừng lại, tự hỏi chính mình: Đang bận chuyện gì đây? 選夢想或工作 愛或自由 xuan meng xiang huo gong zuo ai huo zi you Choosing dream or work, love or freedom Chọn lựa mộng tưởng hay công tác, tình yêu hay tự do 選擇越多 越迷惑 xuan ze yue duo yue mi huo The more decisions there are, the more baffling it is Có càng nhiệu sự lựa chọn thì sự việc trở nên càng mơ hồ 害怕自己 己被掏空 hai pa zi ji ji bei tao kong Fearing that I would be emptied out Sợ bản thân sẽ bị trống trải đi
男生是應該溫柔 nan sheng shi ying gai wen rou Men should be gentle Là nam nhi thì phải nên ôn nhu 還是該獨立 靠自己行走 hai shi gai du li kao zi ji xing zou And should be independent, relying on oneself to move forward Còn phải tự lập, nhờ chính mình để tiến tới 世界對我們的期待那麼多 shi jie dui wo wen de qi dai na me duo There are a lot of expectations the world has for us Thế giới đối với chúng ta có rất nhiều kỳ vọng 不管堅強能夠維持多久 bu guan jian qiang neng gou wei chi duo jiu It doesn’t matter how long perseverance could hold up strength Không cần biết rằng kiên trì có thể bền vững được bao lâu 總有疲憊的時候 zong you pi bei de shi hou When the moment of exhaustion comes Khi sự mệt nhọc đã kéo đến 可不可以 允許脆弱 ke bu ke yi yun xu cui ruo Is it possible to allow weakness? Có thể nào cho phép được yếu đuối không?
每次 遇見要自己放棄 的我 mei ci yu jian you zi ji fang qi de wo Each time meeting up with the part of me that wanted to give up Mỗi lần đối diện với sự muốn bỏ cuộc của bản thân anh 我總是聽見 你說 wo zong shi ting jian ni shuo I always hear you say Anh lúc nào cũng nghe được em nói rằng 勉強自己是 幸福的 mian qiang zi ji shi xing fu de Forcing oneself is happiness Miễn cưỡng bản thân là một sự hạnh phúc 每次浮現了 渴望愛的念頭 mei ci fu xian le ke wang ai de nian tou Each time memories emerge, the desire for love also occurs Mỗi lần ký ức khơi dậy thì khát vọng tình yêu cũng khơi theo 不管我會往哪走 bu guan wo hui wang na zou It doesn’t matter where I go Không cần biết đi tới đâu 我想這都是該改變的時候 wo xiang zhe dou shi gai gai bian de shi hou I think that those are the times that I should’ve changed Anh nghĩ rằng những lần đó là những lần anh nên thay đổi
擁抱身邊 的朋友 yong bao shen bian de peng you Embracing friends by my side Ôm lấy những bạn bè bên cạnh 大家都有被羨慕的理由 da jia dou you bei xian mu de li you Everyone has a reason to be envious Mọi người đều có lý do để ghen tỵ 卻難免 有各自的不安出沒 que nan mian you ge zi de bu an chu mo Yet what is unavoidable is the occurrence of each haunting instability Nhưng chuyện khó tránh là khi mỗi lần sự bất an lại lai vãng 愛上了一個人 或者分手 ai shang le yi ge ren huo zhe fen shou Falling in love with someone or breaking up Yêu thương một người hay chia tay với ai đó 不管充實或寂寞 bu guan chong shi huo ji mo It doesn’t matter substantial or loneliness Không cần biết đó là sự dồi dào hay lẻ loi 我想我們會幸福的 wo xiang wo men hui xing fu de I think that we will experience happiness Anh nghĩ rằng chúng ta sẽ được hạnh phúc mà
每次 遇見要自己放棄的我 mei ci yu jian yao zi ji fang qi de wo Each time meeting up with the part of me that wanted to give up Mỗi lần đối diện với sự muốn bỏ cuộc của bản thân anh 我總是聽見你說 wo zong shi ting jian ni shuo I always hear you say Anh lúc nào cũng nghe được em nói rằng 受點傷害實值得的 shou dian shang hai zhi de de Enduring a little pain is gaining Chịu được chút đau thương là đã được lời 每次浮現了 相信愛的念頭 mei ci fu xian le xiang xin ai de nian tou Each time memories emerge, the desire for love also occurs Mỗi lần ký ức khơi dậy thì khát vọng tình yêu cũng khơi theo 不管我會往哪走 bu guan wo hui wang na zou It doesn’t matter where I go Không cần biết đi tới đâu 我想這都是該改變的時候 wo xiang zhe dou shi gai gai bian de shi hou I think that those are the times that I should’ve changed Anh nghĩ rằng những lần đó là những lần anh nên thay đổi
我應該更開心 wo ying gai geng kai xin I should be happier Anh đáng lẽ phải rất vui 做想做的事情 zuo xiang zuo de shi qing Doing things that I love Làm những chuyện mà mình thích 盡量少說不可以 jin liang shao shuo bu ke yi Give it your best and saying less of impossibility Nên làm hết sức mình và bớt nói tới chuyện không thể 我也許可以改變自己 wo ye xu ke yi gai bian zi ji Perhaps, I could change myself Có lẽ anh có thể thay đổi chính mình 不管未來 有沒有榮幸 bu guan wei lai you mei you rong xing It doesn’t matter, in the future, if I would have the honor Không cần biết rằng sau này anh có còn vinh hạnh 遇見你 yu jian ni Of meeting you again Gặp lại em hay không
每次遇見要自己放棄的我 mei ci yu jian yao zi ji fang qi de wo Each time meeting up with the part of me that wanted to give up Mỗi lần đối diện với sự muốn bỏ cuộc của bản thân anh 我總是聽見 你說 wo zong shi ting jian ni shuo I always hear you say Anh lúc nào cũng nghe được em nói rằng 在等待一下是對的 zai deng dai yi xia shi dui de Waiting a little more is right Đợi thêm một chút nữa mới đúng 每次浮現了相信愛的念頭 mei ci fu xian le xiang xin ai de nian tou Each time memories emerge, the desire for love also occurs Mỗi lần ký ức khơi dậy thì khát vọng tình yêu cũng khơi theo 不管我會往哪走 bu guan wo hui wang na zou It doesn’t matter where I go Không cần biết đi tới đâu 我想我都該改變 wo xiang wo dou gai gai bian I think I should change Anh nghĩ rằng anh nên thay đổi
每次遇見想要遇見你的我 mei ci yu jian xiang yao yu jian ni de wo Each time meeting up with the part of me that wanted to see you Mỗi lần đối diện với sự muốn gặp mặt em của bản thân anh
每次浮現了相信愛的念頭 mei ci fu xian le xiang xin ai de nian tou Each time memories emerge, the desire for love also occurs Mỗi lần ký ức khơi dậy thì khát vọng tình yêu cũng khơi theo 不管我要往哪走 bu guan wo yao wang na zou It doesn’t matter where I want to go Không cần biết muốn đi tới đâu 我想這都是該改變的時候 wo xiang zhe dou shi gai gai bian de shi hou I think that those are the times that I should’ve changed Anh nghĩ rằng những lần đó là những lần anh nên thay đổi
This topic came forward because of how I had this conversation with Vanadia about the recently popular boyband “Super 131.” She was saying how they seemed to have dropped off the radar or disband or possibly just moved on to other things. She was really getting unease with not having a boyband to chase after. She wants me to give her a band? I’ll not only give her one but many more to think over! In an attempt to bring forth the right atmosphere to discuss this topic, I decided to use JPM’s catchy song “365 Days” to emphasize my point. (Go here for lyrics translation.) Anyway, without further ado, here are the Taiwanese boybands worth mentioning:
First off?
Mayday (五月天). Probably one of the longest formed bands and still active to this day. Ah Xin’s really talented with his songwriting and I really love his style. Although ironically, I like it more when Ah Xin writes songs for other singers, lol. But I must admit, they’re a strong band. With all the awards and recognitions they received, I don’t think they need me to praise them, lol. So yeah, they’re one of the coolest bands around.
F4/JVKV. Although they have sort of scattered in the previous years to do their own thing, they still haven’t officially disbanded yet. Their last performance together was in 2013 for the Spring Festival. Who knows? Maybe they will get together again to bring out another album, if not another round of performances.
5566. They’re still around. Even if they are not as active together. They’re actually quite strong during their more active years so they still have a solid fanbase regardless.
Chemical Monkey. I will say that I’m not really a big fan of them, because I have my weird moments, lol. But I think that they’re a genuine, artistic band. Indeed very talented in their own way.
SpeXial. The ten-male members’ band. YES, there are ten members in this band. All male. What’s amazing about them is the ability to harmonize so well. You could get addicted to them by listening to just one song. They bring a refreshing feeling to the pop genre. (And yes, there are two members missing from the picture, because they’re busy right now so can’t join in with the recent album.)
831 (八三夭). Another band that brings forth a refreshing feeling to their music. I especially love their “Why I Cried” song. They lean toward the rock and roll path more than the usual pop so it might take getting used to. But they have their own uniqueness.
io Band (io樂團). Rock band. They sure have style. If you like rock, it’s a must check out.
Gentleman. Their name tripped me since it’s more than one person so it should be “Gentlemen.” But other than that, I guess I’ll live, lol. Seriously though, they could be fun to listen to.
MIXION. Max and Steven. Looks and voice. Nice? They do have some fun songs as well.
Last but not least?
JPM. Yup, I saved them last on purpose. I will tell you that I’m already past the age that I could listen to loud music and enjoy it. LOL! But JPM’s one of those bands that I could enjoy both heartwarming songs and at times, like the song at the beginning of this post–upbeat, uplifting, energetic ones. I will also say that I wasn’t into their previous bands that much, mostly because of the number of bands within the industry so it was SO hard to keep up. But what got me into listening to them was none other than the drama I had followed for several months and fell in love with, True Love 365. If you want to get a sample, you could go hunt them down on YouTube (i.e. click on the credit and it should take you to their official channel) or check out my review of their second album.
Okay, SO not all of them are eye candies, considering some of the new bands. But they make up in talents and variety. Some of the coolest bands out there aren’t considered all that “hot” either but are known for their music.
*Images were either scanned by DTLCT or were collected around the net hence belonging to their rightful owners.
I know I already covered their relationship in the other post. But I couldn’t help bringing out another post regarding them. The other reason is I want to clarify some matters.
First of all, I had mentioned a lot of how Bi Ting was often rescued by Yu Xiang, whether because they were stuck together in the most unbelievable situations or because he was just teasing her. Or even later into the story when they finally became good friends. Yet that wasn’t the sole reason why I ended up loving them together. Because the whole rescuing formula often created the whole “prince in shining armor” that I had made fun of so often on this blog.
What I do like though was how Yu Xiang had rescued Bi Ting WAY before even acknowledging that she was actually quite cute in her own way. At times, even if they were in disagreements, he still steered her along when they were chased by those thugs that one time in the earlier parts of the drama. Even if he didn’t like her that much, he still chose to help her that one time during the awkward encounter with Shu Xin. Although he’d said later that he was just helping his brother, he still did it.
Not to mention that this drama finally took back the balance with allowing the male lead to do all the rescuing instead of just letting the second main guy shined throughout and let the viewers scold the main guy for not doing anything. It wasn’t like I needed the main guy to prove himself so much by doing those glorified acts while the female lead stood by helplessly. This one allowed Yu Xiang to be both hateful and likable at the same time, without tearing him apart or giving him too much credit by creating unrealistic characteristics out of him. Yet I liked it that there were many sticky situations also that the second main guy was going through as well so that was one of the reasons why it didn’t work out. No one was perfect. But their decisions had impacted the outcome of the story in the end, just like how life should be. So after the initial rescuing that Jun Jie did at the beginning and had caught Bi Ting’s attention, he was no longer active in that area, because of many other situations that he was pulled into.
What I also liked and was fascinated after the whole frustration subsided was how much Yu Xiang changed through time. It wasn’t like a change but like a sense of maturity. Because from the start, he wasn’t a bad person. He seriously wasn’t a bad person. It was his attitude that was terrible, even during work and having to communicate with some of the most renowned businessmen. He was too arrogant and had stomped on too many feet. He learned to curve that later. However, he wasn’t becoming all dull either. He was still funny, he was still running his mouth. But he became more appreciative of those around him.
Then there was Bi Ting. She wasn’t so passive or so ignorant of matters like other female leads often were portrayed with being cute and innocent and all. In some ways, she was still inexperienced. Yet she wasn’t too clueless about other matters in life. After all, she had been living alone for a long time now, supporting herself and working toward her ultimate goal. So she couldn’t be that naive. She also got mad at times, not just plain silly mad to attract viewers either. Yes, there were senseless banters with Yu Xiang from time to time, but that was different. From her serious conversations at times with Yu Xiang, she knew too well about realistic expectations and what might not work out, like her relationship with Jun Jie from the start. Even if she had dreamed of being with him and was somewhat silly at first but after the initial silliness wore off and obstacles started to present itself, she realized the reality of it all. It wasn’t like she wanted to give up, but after some attempted communications and persistence that went nowhere, she couldn’t just ignore those signs so blindly.
One last item, but probably there were some topics left untouched, lol. What I really liked about this drama, aside from all of the other aforementioned reasons, was the time the main couple spent together. Sometimes, especially in recent dramas, I felt like the main couple never spend enough time together. Sure, they fell in love somehow and then were torn apart by scheming, jealous people and then the female lead ended up crying in the second male lead’s arms while the leading guy was too stubborn to work things out or was helpless because of other side matters. (What I just described sort of fell into what happened between Bi Ting and Jun Jie in here, lol. But at least it got reversed a little this time, NOT just following on that same path.) Then somehow along the way, things fell together again, but the main couple just didn’t spend enough time together. This one, whether when they were in disagreements or the developments of the story, Yu Xiang and Bi Ting spent a lot of time together. They worked together later on helped, but at least the scriptwriters were aiding the main lead guy’s cause in a way that didn’t seem too WAY over. It at least convinced viewers more as to why they should be together, not just throwing stuff in randomly to let it be dramatic and toss the reasoning of the plot out the window like the more popular dramas often like to go on a tangent.
I think I beat the topic to death already with how I don’t like triangles in dramas, except for very rare cases. Then there are also times when I feel like I can’t choose who the main lead should be with. Sure, I usually root for the main couple or possibly just plain don’t care and then give up on the drama. But this is actually one of those dramas where I wouldn’t be too sore to see if Yu Xiang had ended up with one of the three women in his life. And yeah, I meant to do this topic ages back when I was done with the drama itself. Other things got in the way, hence the delay. So anyway, back on topic. All the female characters surrounding him somehow made it funny in their own way. It helped heaps that he looked quite compatible with all three.
Wu Meng Xuan liked Yu Xiang and tagged him in the earlier parts of the drama when he was still trying to rebel against his parents and didn’t want to accept their terms. He wanted to break out on his own and Meng Xuan just happened to be one of the persons that could help make his career move forward. Her father was a powerful figure helped.
However, Yu Xiang couldn’t bring himself to go through with using Meng Xuan’s connections. Meng Xuan still tagged him regardless, convinced that she could change his mind later on. That didn’t turn out in her favor. After a misunderstanding with how she thought he was really involved with Bi Ting (or was just plain a player, I forgot since it was a while now, lol), she left.
She even deleted his picture and information from her phone to prove her determination in forgetting him. That had ironically worked against what Yu Xiang’s goal was at that point since he was getting a little more desperate than before and was thinking of seeking out Meng Xuan’s father for help. Or so was still thinking about it. So when he wanted to get rid of her, he couldn’t. Yet when he really didn’t, she left. Nice?
I think given time, they could develop into something much more if he had given her a chance. Not just because he was reconsidering about the whole connections thing to help his business. She was indeed quite cute in her own way. Even if he had claimed she wasn’t the type he would fall for. (Hey, he ended up with someone he thought he would never like, so there…lol.)
Then there was Yang Min Ling, Yu Xiang’s cute assistant. She claimed to be in love with him since the beginning. As if things weren’t complicated enough in his life, he had to fend off Min Ling’s obsessing over him from time to time. Yet she wasn’t so aggressive that he had to chase her away by firing her or anything like that.
She actually quit her job at the Lai’s company to follow him when he wanted to venture out to the world and prove himself to his father. Surely a very rash move for a crush on him. Yet she proved to be quite helpful with his venture. She was good at her job and was also hardworking. She was also quite intelligent. It was just that her obsessive episodes at times that might lead others to misunderstand her capabilities.
She even followed him to “Happiness Began” and also continued to support his hared-brain ideas. Although she supported him yet wasn’t blinded to the fact that no one in their right mind wanted to talk about a certain subject while planning for their blissful day. When he wasn’t listening, she still continued on with making the goal as best as they all could.
What cracked me up even more about them was how Yu Xiang kept saying he was too old for her. Perhaps true. Yet they didn’t seem to be too off. He kept reminding her that young girls shouldn’t utter words of affections so easily. Or expressing their love so loosely like that. She disagreed, of course, lol. It was a constant struggle between them.
What was different about Min Ling from other jealous, scheming female supporting characters was that she wasn’t jealous of Bi Ting. Sure, she had stated that at various points, but she was mostly teasing Yu Xiang and Bi Ting. The fact that she openly admitted it made the difference. She wasn’t fake about it either. She wasn’t just getting along with Bi Ting for the sake of it. Yet she truly found some common grounds with Bi Ting and soon become good sisters. What was hilarious about the situation was how Bi Ting had clarified that she didn’t have any link to Yu Xiang so Min Ling could pursue Yu Xiang all she wanted. The funniest bit was how Yu Xiang was present during the scene and pointed out that they were treating him like a dead person when he was like right there.
What was ironic about the situation regarding Yu Xiang and Min Ling was how he had to use Min Ling as a shield, later on, to convince his brother that there wasn’t anything going on between him and Bi Ting, because he was dating Min Ling. What was so ironic about it? Well, she was thrown off her game and even had on a surprised expression after Yu Xiang blurted out of their supposed relationship. Though she soon reacted and went along with it, stating that since Yu Xiang already said it, she should admit it.
Which led to this scene. They had a talk in a restaurant and he finally accepted her proposal of starting a relationship and giving her a chance. She was so happy yet he was beginning to regret his choice. It was too late to back out though.
He later admitted that she was indeed “loved by everyone who met her” (人見人愛), lol, a phrase he’d only used for himself in the past. It was when she once again supported him and left the agency together. Yes, the part where Yu Xiang refused to go against his father so he left, not wanting to be manipulated any longer.
Min Ling was indeed lovable. Not just because she’d chosen to let go of Yu Xiang. She knew too well what was going on between Yu Xiang and Bi Ting, it was just that the two refused to admit it and was hiding. Min Ling went even further with convincing Bi Ting to think it over by telling Bi Ting that she was just idolizing Yu Xiang. Perhaps that could be true, considering how her gestures showed at times.
In the end, Min Ling went to the U.S. She and Yu Xiang met up and they exchanged the usual farewells and good wishing, etc. It was a nice meeting, a closure for them both. Also, Min Ling continued to urge Yu Xiang with pursuing Bi Ting.
Now finally, the main female lead and the person Yu Xiang ended up marrying. However, it wasn’t because of the contract that his parents put forth for them all, but it was because he knew she was the one whom he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.
Yu Xiang and Bi Ting’s start was full of rough patches. Believe me when I say I never hated the main guy more than him. It wasn’t just because he was picking on her for the initial misunderstanding, which she was indeed in the wrong (and that the other incident was really a scam). He was seriously petty. It wasn’t because I was rooting for the second main lead either. I felt that the second lead guy was just too good to be true so I was steering clear of him too. I was waiting desperately for Yu Xiang to become more likable. But I soon realized it wasn’t all for nothing, and it wasn’t that hateful as I so felt strongly against and was so impatient to see some changes.
Regardless of their encounters, she was always able to fight back, not showing him that he had won. Even if she’d lost ground on several occasions, but she wasn’t beat down by those setbacks. She strived on, not letting him affect her life. Or at least whatever that was she was able to control.
And regardless of how senseless his teasing was, she didn’t ignore him when he actually needed help. Well, he didn’t ask her yet she was willing to cure him. Even if that ended up being another disaster.
And his teasing did become one of the hallmarks for their relationship later on. Not to mention how it wasn’t all in vain. It had become a shield for disarming many intense situations that Bi Ting found herself in.
It wasn’t until he once again helped her out of a certain awkward situation that their relationship improved. At least regarding how much they’d known and loathed one another thus far. She visited his workplace and thanked him for helping her the other night. It was also then that he realized how Bi Ting wasn’t all that annoying like he had initially thought. She was actually quite cute.
They became the best of friends as the drama progressed. He continued to rescue her out of sticky situations and comforted her time after time. Because of the strengthened trust, she soon shared a lot of stuff, like her family growing up, being independent, and even her dreams. Even if he had teased her about it, but he silently tried to help her in achieving her goals.
Interestingly, she even became the boss of him at times, managing to get the upper hand in making him drink a certain weird med to cure some symptoms. Or it was the whole trying out various strange dishes at small shops alongside the streets.
He even went to the extremes of fulfilling some of her wishes, shedding away his pride. That ended up touching her more than they both realized, considering how no one had ever done any of those things for her. It wasn’t like she wanted to keep scores. But it was so unexpected that she couldn’t believe someone could’ve done that for her.
Because of those little bits and pieces along the way, it had ironically brought them closer together and had complicated matters even more in regards to her relationship. That was the sole reason why it took them forever to get together in the end.
It was like so ironic, because they fought senselessly since the beginning, seeing each other every single day, but they had interacted without any hesitation. Now that they had grown quite fond of one another, they couldn’t step forward.
So when they finally got together, it was seriously worth the wait and so cute. (For even more cuteness from them, go here.)
You know what? I’m beginning to feel like the year in review from WordPress doesn’t even justify my accomplishments, especially this past year. So I decided to go all out on the rebellion and make my own post. It might not look as glamorous as WordPress’s version but at least it doesn’t make me look that lazy, lol.
Starting off with some general stats.
Total Posts in 2014: 139 – Yes, posts ONLY. But the number would have gone up if I counted the pages since I usually use ‘pages’ for fanfic updates, except if it’s a one-shot.
January: 19
February: 16
March: 13
April: 14
May: 6
June: 12
July: 8
August: 10
September: 7
October: 9
November: 8
December: 17
Times Updated on People on the Poll: 63 – Looking at the breakdown, it goes to show that I update on whoever I feel like, not having to do with the who is leading the polls, etc. It’s nothing new, it’s like what I said before. It’s not that I placed in the poll just for kicks or just messing with people. But it’s more like I was curious (like I mentioned in the past already) and try not to put myself on pressure as to update according to votes. What I do feel bad about is not updating on Vic and Janine or Nic more like I should have.
Wallace Huo: 8
Ady An: 1
Hu Ge: 1
Vic Chou: 4
Joanne Tseng: 4
Janine Chang: 2
Angela Chang: 1
Xiu Jie Kai: 1
Nicholas Teo: 1
Yvonne Yao: 3
Zhao Jun Ya: 16
Achel Chang/ Zhang Xin Yu: 5
Sophia Chou: 3
Van Fan: 1
Eric Suen: 3
Penny Lin: 3
Jacky Chu: 10
Bianca Bai: 1
Music Reviews: 13 – Not bad, right? I managed to empty the majority of the list I had up. So it’s something to celebrate here.
Fan Fiction: It has been a sad case here since I don’t know when. But I really do apologize for all those waiting for certain stories that have been lagging for the past few years now. It’s just that I didn’t find inspiration to do work with it and didn’t want to end up ruining it more than I already did.
Side Updates: 41 posts – YUP, these have been occupying my time as well. At times, I cheated and posted pictures only, but I swear, some of them were kind of too secretive to talk about. Or some were adaptations that I hadn’t read about yet.
Fu Rong Jin: 5 – It’s going to show like next year, right?
Favorite Scenes Saga: 1 post, but I did have a lot to work on so it wasn’t like I was slacking on purpose
Worth Watching Saga: Managed to publish all 3 I have in the background for the recommendation posts. Plan to launch another one this upcoming year.
Seasons in the Sun: 5
Love Knows No Distance: 2
Gold Pretty Girl/Dan Shen You Yue: 3 – Seriously, been waiting for this to air.
Dong Jiang Heroes: 6
Never Ending Love: 2
Royal Tramp/ The Deer and the Cauldron 2014: 4
Yuan Yue Wan Dao: 1 – Seriously, when is this airing?
Shen Yi Da Dao Gong 2013: 4
Throwback Thursday Saga: 3
Reasons to Stay Positive Saga: 2
What do I want to focus on for this next coming year? More on Couples posts and pages. Not to mention the “Special Profiles” pages that I had suddenly abandoned. There’s also the “All About” saga that I halted all of a sudden as well. So are these my New Year resolutions? No. I seriously don’t want to force myself into that, considering how this is just a blog to share all the randomness that I like. So putting pressure on that would lose the purpose of the blog itself even more. I’m just bringing it up because I want to say I’m not abandoning those completely yet. Although what I would want more is to finally finish some fanfics that I have been lagging since whenever. Wouldn’t that be something?
All right, have a great year next year, everyone! Happy blogging or stalking if you don’t blog! (LOL) See you next year for another random update of the wrap-up from me!
So I was doing my usual stalking of people on FB. Then I found out that Qiao Qiao’s finally in a new drama. It has been a while since the addicting True Love 365 so I really need something to watch of Qiao Qiao’s. This time, she’s supposedly portraying the second sister from a family of four siblings–of which all are female. Her name in here is Li Yi Wan (黎一彎).
As I watched the trailer and tried to search for more information on it, I realized that it is a daily drama. So how long would it be? Like 60-80 episodes? Hopefully, it’s not as disappointing as people had said about her previous daily drama with SETTV.
With the four female leads, of course, there must also be four male leads. I didn’t want to read too many spoilers or watch too many trailers to reserve some sort of mystery for me. So I will wait and see how the story will go this time and who will end up with whom.
In other somewhat related news, Zhao Shun had passed away recently. I learned of it through Nicholas Teo’s Facebook–to which he said some good words about the lovable and comical actor who had given a lot of advice during their collaboration in Smile Pasta. Zhao Shun, if fans of the drama The Magicians of Love remembered, portrayed Qiao Qiao’s father. R.I.P. to the late actor.
*All images were collected around the net hence belonging to their rightful owners.
The other album that I got because of True Love 365. However, not a single regret, just like the other one.
1. Static Electricity (靜電). The thing about this song is the mix is all wrong. I swear! I wanted to forward it so many times. Yet I tried to be patient for the lyrics. The lyrics are good, but I think if the music was better mixed/composed, it would be even more appealing. Or it’s just me.
2. Change It Over (改變 – 偶像劇 求愛365 片尾曲). A very good song. It was the ending theme of True Love 365 for the latter half of the drama. (Since the ending theme was a different song at the beginning of the drama.) Very suitable for the drama as well. Like how some of them were already breaking out on their own or independent individuals trying to survive each day and work toward their goals. Sometimes there are ups and downs, wanting to give up, etc. Yet somehow, they managed to work past that, etc.
3. Silly Tango (傻瓜探戈). Catchy. Why wasn’t this one the first track? Or perhaps if they changed the mix for the first track, I felt it would be better for the opening. Anyway, this song is the one responsible for the title of the album. Lived up to it!
4. Could We Make It? (我們會不會). It’s hard to believe that this songwriter would actually write a bad song. So yeah, I wasn’t disappointed. Nice, thoughtful lyrics. Like always crafty.
5. My Smiles Belong To You (微笑的人). This song takes a while to grow on you. Seriously. Well, that was what happened to me. At first, I was like nothing special. But it got better as the song continued on and even the mix helped.
6. Step Forward (學著走 – 偶像劇 求愛365 – 插曲). The sub-theme of True Love 365. First played when Bi Ting fell asleep in Yu Xiang’s car. It was the first time he even considered draping his jacket over her. Love the song. Possibly loving it more than the 2nd track.
7. Away From Home (離家以後). A very uplifting song. Encouraging and urging one forward. Mostly have to do with those leaving home and striking out to be independent, being strong, etc.
8. Love, One Meter Away (愛情離我一公尺 -韓劇 浪漫滿屋2 片頭曲). Nice.
9. Black Frame Glasses (黑框眼鏡). Another nice song.
10. Always You (一定有個妳). A nice and slow song. Somewhat meaningful, but I wasn’t into it. No idea why. Maybe it was too slow for me.
What can I say about Hu Xia? He has a very unique and addicting voice to listen to. In fact, quite warm and sincere the way he sang the songs. I couldn’t like all the songs. But he made ’em better for some reason.