JOYCHEWTHEWORLD: Fiction

Audiophile:Red Ninja Production's Year Ender 2018 Pre-Party

10:18:00 PM
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Fictional Friends: Book Haul at the Big Bad Wolf Book Fair

Pinoy bookworms, are you ready to huff and puff and blow the house down? Big Bad Wolf Book Sale is finally here in the Philippines. The Big Bad Wolf is the grandest book sale in the world, offering 60%-80% discounts on all books. Since 2009, they have been touring the world and reached countries such as Thailand, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and its home country, Malaysia. This year, the Philippines get to have their first "huff and puff" experience, Big Bad Wolf style.

It already started last February 16th and will run until 25th of February operating 24 hours a day (231 hours non-stop). The sale has over 1.5 million books covering 20,000 high-end English titles across all genres, may it be fiction, non-fiction, children’s books and rare collector’s titles.

I get to experience it last February 19, Monday morning. From Batangas, I head straight to Pasay.

Here is my book haul. (PS. All of these are for my son):

Compton Valance Books by Matt Brown

Sammy Feral's Diaries of Weird Books by Eleanor Hawken

Puppy Academy Books by Gill Lewis

Horrid Henry Books by Francesca Simon

Animal Magic Books by Holly Webb

Beast Quest Books from Orchard Books

I really enjoyed book hunting and it was a nice experience. All the staff were accommodating and nice.

I am satisfied with my purchases plus the books I got are not available in the Philippines. I availed all the books for only 3,600 Pesos, such a steal right? (not literally, lol)

Since I had a good time, I went back last February 22, Thursday morning. Here are my last book haul:

The Diary of Dennis the Menace by Steven Butler

The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins

Wizarding World Movie Magic by JK Rowling

This time, all the books cost P2,610.

If you are planning to come, here are some of our survival tips:

1. Come in early. Since they are operating 24 hours, it is much better to book hunt during midnight or early morning. Less people and less traffic. I went here early Monday morning since I figured most people are at work.

2. Come in prepared (physically, mentally and financially). Thus, you need to come wearing comfortable clothes, bring bags or luggages to carry your haul, have enough sleep, has full stomach and most important thing is to bring cash or credit card with you. take it from me, I came in tired, sleepy and hungry so I wasn't able to focus.

3. Take your time. Again the sale runs 24 hours so take as much time as you need. Believe me, you'll be in awe of how huge the place is.

4. Make a new friend/Bring a friend. If you are planning to scout and hunt a lot of books, you need someone to help you for the place is huge. Also, you will meet a lot of bookworms like you so this is a great venue for meeting new buddies (or maybe your forever)? In my case, I met some moms like me scouring the plethora of books for their respective kids. #MommyDuties

5. Take good care of your belongings. The books are overwhelming plus there are ample of bookworms like yourself. The Management won't be responsible for any lost personal item. Trust me, I almost lost my bag but luckily, the attendants were kind enough to look after it.

What are you waiting for? You still have couple of days to experience the Big Bad Wolf Book Sale. The sale is happening at the World Trade Center, Pasay City. Great deals, great experience, hoping to experience it again in many years to come.

BONUS: Here's Reese Lansangan's original song about Big Bad Wolf Book Haul called "You Can Never Have Enough Books" aka "The Book Haul Song". Enjoy!

12:05:00 PM
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Fictional Friends:Ang Kwento Nating Dalawa

Fiction

Finally, my partner and I were able to watch the award winning Indie film by Nestor Abrogena since we missed it last year. It was just the day itself that I found out that the movie's english title is "The story of us that never was" so behold, this is not your usual love story with happy ending.

Here is a summary/spoiler so if you intend to watch it, skip this part:

The story is about a complicated relationship between Sam (Nicco Manalo) a talented movie-maker and Isa (Emanuelle Vera) a student struggling to manage her studies and love-life. Slowly, the story reveals all the details about the main characters: Isa has a boyfriend named Frank, Sam is the third party and Sam is a professor and Isa is her student (which is against the school policy). Both are trying to fix the relationship even tho both are aware that it was wrong from the very beginning. In the end, they moved on and went separate ways.

What I love about this movie is it's mysterious plot and twist, how it slowly reveals the facts thus keeping the viewers curious and imaginative by drawing assumptions, filling the unanswered gaps in the plot.

Tho I find some scene a little boring (where Sam accompanied Isa on her way home) where it should have a background music and less dead-air, I realized maybe it's the indirect message of the story. Like the lead character's dilemma, in every relationship, we need to have some quiet time, listen to the silence, reflect, ponder and be patient.

I love how they feature the busy streets of Manila (train ride, traffic, some city architecture). It must have been hard to shoot those scenes at the bust LRT/MRT train where people are curious and crowded. The coloring which gives melo-dramatic color really suits the story which adds impact to the emotions of the characters.

Acting wise, the lead characters were really excellent, both Nicco and Emanuelle. The supporting leads, Luke (Brian Corella) and Karen (Sari Estrada) were also a fun addition to the story, giving the viewers a break from the emotional scenes from the leads. As always, Ramon Bautista never fail to make everyone laugh even on a cameo appearance.

The movie's sound track is also a must-hear, featuring several Filipino musicians and songs by Nicco and Emanuelle. I am currently on LSS mode with the songs and added them already on my play list.

Over-all, I will give this movie an 8/10 rating. I was not in awe nor amazed, but I was impressed. Most of the viewers may not relate to the story but it was an eye opener indeed that love sometimes has a funny way of presenting itself: wrong place, wrong time, wrong person. Love is a matter of choice and in the end, your happiness is in your hands.

There will be a sequel on 2017 entitled "Tayo, sa Huling Buwan ng Taon". I can't wait to see what will happen to Sam and Isa.

4:15:00 AM
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Joy Meets World:KidZania Manila

Arts

It's a Saturday afternoon and there's pretty nothing much to do on a weekend due to the gloomy weather the past few days so my partner an I decided to take our kiddo to Kidzania to also celebrate his up coming birthday.

If you aren't familiar with what Kidzania is all about, it is a place for kids to have a glimpse of what they want to be when they grow up. From being a doctor, a lawyer, up to a scientist, our kids just can't have enough of their "what they want to be when they grow up". Kidzania is here to help your child with what they want to be in the future days to come.

KidZania's vision is to ignite the hearts and minds of kids everywhere by empowering them to make the world a better place.

One of the world’s most inventive, most awarded and fastest-growing kid’s educational entertainment concepts, KidZania has 16 locations in 13 countries as well as 12 new sites under development across the globe, including in the Philippines.

KidZania, Inc., headquartered in Mexico, was founded in 1997, opened its first park in 1999, and is privately held. KidZania is locally franchised by Play Innovations, Inc., a subsidiary of ABS-CBN Corporation.

Excerpt from: https://www.facebook.com/KidZaniaManila/about/?entry_point=page_nav_about_item

Kidzania is located at "Park Triangle North, 11th Ave, Taguig, Metro Manila". You do not need to worry about not finding it because their sign is easily visible even from a distance.

You may opt to buy your tickets online or you could just purchase as walk-in guests. Ticket prices increase on weekends and national holidays so if you want to save a little amount for it, go on a weekday.

There are two (2) shifts or batches everyday - morning (9am - 2pm) and afternoon (3pm - 8pm)

Weekdays (Monday - Friday)

Kids (4 - 14 years old) = PHP 900
Toddlers (1 - 3 years old) = PHP 500
Babies (below 12 months) = FREE
Companions (15 years old and above) = PHP 630

Weekends (Saturday - Sunday) + National Holidays

Kids (4 - 14 years old) = PHP 1,100
Toddlers (1 - 3 years old) = PHP 600
Babies (below 12 months) = FREE
Companions (15 years old and above) = PHP 770

You may purchase tickets in advance at KidZania Manila during these schedules:

Mondays to Fridays: 10AM-2PM

Saturdays to Sundays: 10AM-12NN and 2-4PM

We purchased our tickets as walk-in guests and we did not expect that there will be a lot of visitors that day (mostly kids from various school having their field trip) so I suggest you purchase your ticket ahead of time.

Upon purchasing our tickets, our kiddo was given this Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) cheque that needs to be encashed to Kidzo (Kidzania's currency) to be used at any activity at Kidzania. We were also given a magnetic bracelet paired to our kid. This is to ensure that kids cannot exit the premises with their paired guardian. In this way, you can let your kiddo roam around Kidzania without you worrying about them.

Our kiddo's first money worth 50 KidZo

Instructional guide around Kidzania

Signs all over the entrance so you'll never get lost.

A wonderful statue of Kidzania's mascot upon entering the city.

On every activity, there is a census plaque where the activity information is listed such as age restriction, number of kids allowed per session, duration of the lesson and if they'll be able to earn or spend their Kidzo.

Speaking of economy in Kidzania, in each activity, kids could either earn, pay or get to try it out for free (no earnings, no payment). If you see the plus (+) sign on the economy, it means that they'll earn a certain amount after they completed the lesson. Should a minus (-) be displayed, they need to pay a certain amount in order to proceed. And for free, it's pretty self explanatory.

By this, kids would be able to learn how to save and how to spend their money wisely.

Kids at work. Do not disturb.

During the course of their lesson, only the kids are allowed to enter the academy. Parents or companions are opt to stay outside the academy. So while waiting, you could either take a picture of them thru the window or come back later.

If there is an activity that could allow guardians to join with their kids, I'd choose this Magnolia Ice Cream Factory. As a person who loves ice cream, I'll definitely take a scoop of each flavor.

There are certain activities that let kids take home what the products they have prepared. At Magnolia, kids will have an ice cream while at Lady's Choice, they'll be able to take away the sandwich they'll make and at Goldilocks, they'll be able to grab the mamon/cupcake they decorated.

Should you hear sirens all over the place, then these kiddos are definitely at work. They are trained to be fire fighters and nurses and/or doctors riding an ambulance. Note that these two activities are most queued so be sure to line up early.

For the guardians or companions, you need not to worry about getting bored because guardians are allowed to participate on some selected activities and there's a special lounge just for you. The "Parent's Lounge". You can let your kids be by themselves as you sit and relax. Your kids are safe as they cannot leave the premises without their guardian. To assure that they are with their "real" guardian upon exiting the premises, the magnetic bracelets will be validated first before they can exit.

Kidzania offers a lot of activities and one day is not enough to finish all of it. On the other hand, you may check out their website and check their activities so you and your kid may plan ahead of time which academy/activity to join.

The activities our kiddo participated were the Arts and Craft Workshop, Bake Shop, City Tour Bus, Home Finishing, Cooking School, Ice Cream Factory, Vet Clinic and Supermarket. He enjoyed the Vet Clinic the most.

Since we took the morning batch, we ended our Kidzania adventure at 2PM. I remember back in the days where we play with dirty as a form of excitement and learning but now, look at these kids. They are already being trained for what they wish to be in the future days to come.

And with that, today's generation are getting even smarter at a very young age. Thanks to the likes of Kidzania, kids are now having a feel of what they want to be when they grow up.

Address: Park Triangle North, 11th Ave, Taguig, Metro Manila

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KidZaniaManila/

Website: http://manila.kidzania.com/

Photo Credit: Pinoy Secret Files

6:49:00 PM
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Fictional Friends:My Love from the Star

Fiction

Yes I am 2 years late but still, I watched it. When it was aired by GMA 7 in the Philippines, I was in graveyard shift plus I don't have a television in my condo. (lame excuses) Thankfully, I saw a Facebook page that has compilation of old Korean TV series.

My Love from the Star is is a South Korean television series about an alien who landed on Earth in the Joseon Dynasty and, 400 years later, falls in love with a top actress in the modern era starring Kim Soo-hyun and Jun Ji-hyun. We all know Jun Ji-hyun from the hit Korean movies My Sassy Girl and Windstruck. It is rarely that Ji-hyun accepts TV series for she was focused on her Holywood dream and modeling career. It is a breathe of fresh air to see her again on-screen doing a romantic-comedy series.

Fun fact: One of the reasons why I am into KPop/Hallyu is because of Jun Ji-hyun. I looked up to her since 2004.

For those who haven't watched, you may skip this par as l try to summarize it:

The show revolves around the main character Cheon Song-yi, a Hallyu top actress who fell in love with her alien neighbor and professor, Do Min-joon. Do-Min-joon landed on Earth during the Joseon dynasty. He possesses various powers such as teleportation, pausing time, telekinesis, bionic ears, electromagnetic field and random vision of the future. He saved a poor 16 year old widow girl's life once, he missed his flight back to his planet, she fell in love with the widow girl but then she died soon after. Do Min-joon can't do anything but to wait for the next flight back home. While patiently waiting, he spent his 400 years living different lives and professions under different names. Fast forward to 2002. Do-Min-joon had a vision of a girl who looks like the widow girl 400 years ago being hit by a truck. He saved the girl's life using his powers not knowing someone witnessed it. Came 2014, their paths crossed again. Cheon-Song-yi became an in-demand Hallyu star who went back to school for publicity stunt where she met his alien professor and neighbor Do Min-joon. Do Min-joon was unaware of Cheon Song-yi's celebrity status, acted mean to her but always there when she gets in trouble. Cheon Song-yi's was surprised by Do Min-joon's odd treatment since she is used to having the VIP treatment because she is a celebrity. Little did she know, she was slowly drawn towards the mysterious professor and made her way in to his life. Cheon Song-yi's childhood friend who has an unrequited love for her, Lee Hwi-kyung is also in the picture. Lee Hwi-kyung's greedy older brother, Lee Jae-kyung framed up Cheon Song-yi for the killing of his model secret girlfriend and nemesis of Cheon Song-yi. In lieu to this, Cheon Song-yi's career went downward spiral causing her to be depressed, bored but willing to clear up her name. Unbeknownst, Cheon Song-yi's best friend, Yoo Se-mi is in love with Lee Hwi-kyung and their friendship was tested when Yoo Se-mi decided to go against Cheon Song-yi by getting all her projects. Do Min-joon ended up helping her which made them closer to each other and latter began falling in love with each other. Do Min-joon on the other hand has only 3 months left before he comes back to his home planet. Through the span of 3 months, Cheon Song-yi and Do Min-jook developed a mutual feeling but Do Min-joon was not vocal yet he expressed his love through actions. Finally, Do Min-joon admitted his feelings and his true identity to Cheon Song-yi. They decided to make the most out of his stay on earth until his departure comes. The fact is, Do Min-joon's body is slowly deteriorating and he can't use his powers properly and may result to his death thus he cannot stay longer on earth even if he wants to. The time has come, Do Min-joon disappeared. Cheon Song-yi was totally devastated and thought she's getting crazy. She randomly see or hear Do Min-joon making her more miserable. It turns out that those were actual sightings of Do Min-joon who was on a warm hole recharging himself to make a comeback on earth. Three years has passed, Do Min-joon came back and they live happily ever after. (PS, Do Min-joon occasionally disappears to recharge and comes back thereafter)

Here are the list of characters:

Main:

Jun Ji-hyun as Cheon Song-yi

A top Hallyu star who is very blunt and believes that she is every man's type, until she meets her stoic neighbor, Do Min-joon. She soon develops feelings for him and tries to make him fall for her.

Kim Soo-hyun as Do Min-joon

A very cold and distant being, he loved a girl who lived during the Joseon Dynasty for liking him as his true self, an alien. After the girl dies from saving him, he waits to return home. Living a lonely and isolated life for centuries, he one day meets Cheon Song-yi, a girl who, at her young age, looked exactly like the one he cared for 400 years ago and whom he once saved.

Park Hae-jin as Lee Hwi-kyung

Song-yi's childhood friend who has an unrequited love for her. He believes one day she will love him, but decides to back down for a while, supporting her through thick and thin as a true friend.

Yoo In-na as Yoo Se-mi

Song-yi's childhood best friend. Underneath her sweet smile, she is actually very envious of Song-yi and has had a crush on Hwi-kyung for a long time. She later becomes famous after Song-yi's fall from the entertainment industry.
Supporting:

Shin Sung-rok as Lee Jae-kyung

Hwi-kyung's older brother, the potential heir of S&C Group. The main antagonist of the series, willing to do anything to silence Song-yi for a secret she knows about him.

Ahn Jae-hyun as Cheon Yoon-jae

Song-yi's younger brother, who first disapproves of her relationship with the neighbour but grows to likes Min-joon because of their shared interest in astronomy.

Kim Chang-wan as Jang Young-mok

Min-joon's lawyer. When he was young, He was saved by Min-joon from a suicide attempt and found out about his identity. He has been a loyal friend of him ever since.

Na Young-hee as Yang Mi-yeon: Song-yi's mother

Oh Sang-jin as Yoo Seok: Se-mi's older brother

A young and enthusiastic prosecutor looking into the Han Yoo-ra case. He gets to know about Do Min-joon's real identity.

Kim Hee-won as Park Byung-hee

A detective, who works together with Yoo Seok on the case of Han Yoo-ra. Knows about Do Min-joon's identity.

Jo Hee-bong as President Ahn: CEO of Song-yi's talent agency

Kim Kang-hyun as Yoon Beom: Song-yi's manager

Hong Jin-kyung as Bokja: comic book store owner/Song-yi's school friend

Kim Bo-mi as Min-ah: Song-yi's stylist

Lee Jung-gil as Lee Beom-joong: Jae-kyung's father, the chairman of S&C Group

Lee Il-hwa as Han Sun-young: Se-mi's mother

Sung Byung-sook as Hong Eun-ah: Hwi-kyung's mother

Um Hyo-sup as Cheon Min-goo: Song-yi's father

Lee Yi-kyung as Lee Shin: Lee Jae-kyung's secretary

Jo Se-ho as Chul-soo: comic book store customer/unemployed neighbor 1

Nam Chang-hee as Hyuk: comic book store customer/unemployed neighbor 2

Jo Seung-hyun as young Lee Hwi-kyung

Kim Hyun-soo as young Cheon Song-yi

Kim Hye-won as young Yoo Se-mi

Jeon Jin-seo as young Cheon Yoon-jae

Source: Wikipedia

What I liked about this Korean series is it's fun, light but also heart warming theme. Since the story is a fiction, the special effects were decent and almost as good as Hollywood made.

The original sound track were also pleasant and eargasmic.

All the actors channeled their characters well. Jun Ji-Hyun never fail to crack me up with her funny antics. Her character is quite different from My Sassy Girl.

Cheon Song-yi is considerate, loving and knows how to fight for her love. She definitely knows who she wants and did not settle for someone she treats like a brother even if that person showered him with all the love in the world. She patiently waited for his love to come back and only loved him even on his absence. Jun Ji-hyun also showed she's not only good at making us laugh but can also make us cry. I am always carried away whenever she cry, shouts and act like she will loose herself.

Kim So-hyun was not bad at all. It was my first time to watch him and I find him effective. His character was stiff at first but when his inner Romeo was finally on, he swooned me. His poker face acting is priceless (I wonder if he's like that in real life). And oh, did I mention that he gave us a peak of his toned body. HAHAHAHA.

The antagonist Shin Sung-rok, is totally hateful to watch. His sharp eyes and his aura totally made me hate all about him. He nailed being a psychotic-evil brother who will do anything for power.

My favorite scene from the series were:

1. When Do Min-joon and Cheon Song-yi spent time fishing and ended up laying down on the snow. It reminded me of a scene from Eternal Sunshine of the spotless Mind.

2. When Cheon Song-yi was purposely left behind on the film set and Do Min-joon patiently waited for her. He lit up all the lights, flew Cheon Song-yi towards him then kissed her.

3. When it's time for Do Min-joon to leave the earth. This scene is devastating. They were both wishing on a wishing star and when Cheon Song-yi open her eyes, Do Min-joon was gone.

4. When Do Min-joon finally came back after 3 years. Cheon Song-yi was finally back on her feet after clearing her name. She was back again on the spotlight but still missing her love. Do Min-joon made a grand entrance. Cheon Song-yi was in disbelief but glad that the love of her life was back.

Over all, this Koream drama series is worth watching. If you're tried of heavy drama and wants a mix of light, fun and romantic drama, I suggest you must watch this. Here is a preview of the story:

Video and images used: CTTO

9:36:00 AM
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Audiophile:Red Ninja Production's Year Ender 2018 Pre-Party

Fictional Friends: Book Haul at the Big Bad Wolf Book Fair

Fictional Friends:Ang Kwento Nating Dalawa

Joy Meets World:KidZania Manila

Fictional Friends:My Love from the Star

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