QOTD

 QOTD #29: The simple little things in which we find joy... and a lot of 'cheese'.

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by PAM

"...small things are the big things. The good things only happen from all the hundreds of  tiny steps you take along the way."

- David (Tyler Hynes), "It was always you" (A Hallmark movie)

Can you keep a secret? I have a confession to make. Ah, uhm... I'm a Hallmark TV movies junkie! Shhh... don't tell.  Haha... 

Of course, I always appreciate beautifully produced full-length 'Oscar-worthy' cinematic films, especially those that are superbly directed and edited; and with excellent cinematography and musical scoring, too. Sometimes though, especially when I'm dealing with complex matters, mind-boggling films are simply not appealing.  I just want to be entertained with some light, feel-good, wholesome, uncomplicated and family-oriented 'bite-size' movies that takes my mind away from complexities. And that's what Hallmark usually offers... and they have tons of movies to choose from, albeit formulaic and very predictable.  In that pile of 'cookie cutter' movies, there are a good number that are worth watching and re-watching with deliberate plan to enjoy rather than just to mindlessly decompress.

While I 'seasonally' like sappy movies, I remain to be that 'tough little cookie' who wears that engineer's hat underneath the big Higher Education admin hat that's humbly decorated with a passionate teacher's tiny golden apples and a (wannabe) scientist's magnifying glass. There is always room for 'simple little things' that bring enormous joy in a world where people expect you to be constantly busy thinking deeply, critically and analytically. *eye roll* Haha...  In fact, I make room for simple little things in my own life... no matter what! So, whenever time allows, and especially during holidays, my favorite thing to do is to curl up in the big chair in my bedroom with a bag of chips, a bowl of hot chunky salsa dip and a tumbler of soda... and go on a Hallmark movies marathon like there's no tomorrow!  And when the situation chooses to be stingy with personal downtime, I wrestle it to make time!  

I particularly love the heart-warming Christmas themed Hallmark TV movies that revolve around family and loved ones.  I have soft spot for those that involved cute and smart kids, and/or pets, especially dogs.  I love how Hallmark movies show that nuggets of beautiful lessons in life can be picked up from these movies without the disturbing images of violence, sex, and the lust for material things... or some 'so called documentary' of a royal family's lives from the perspective of one (supposedly) love-stricken 'royal' who refuses to grow up, tirelessly tries to invade everyone's universe while (supposedly) begging for privacy because wailing on media is so much easier and obviously more lucrative than doing actual work. *sigh*  As to how one tries to heal from mental health issues by publicly humiliating and inflicting pain to one's own family members - incredibly mean and hypocritical, and I imagine, effectively burns all bridges - is terribly confusing for me. But I digress... back to wholesome Hallmark movies!  Haha... I know, I'm too 'old-fashioned'... but I do enjoy the peace of mind that being 'old-fashioned' brings. So, old-fashioned is good for me.

I have many Hallmark TV movie favorites.  Some are really old, and mostly the inspiring and tear-jerker kind... and I've watched them like five times each! And I cried each time! Hahaha... I do have one relatively newer fave that came out in 2021 - "It was always you". It stars the fabulous Hallmark 'heavy weight', Erin Krakow (Elizabeth, or Lizzy), and the always-fascinating, Tyler Hynes (the globe-trotting David).  With two of the most reliable crowd-drawer stars of Hallmark collaborating, I knew it's going to be great.  And, nope, they did not disappoint because, as usual, they both did a beautiful job! 

Erin made Elizabeth to be this funnily conflicted highly organized predictable dentist who has a deeply guarded 'adventurous side' that wants to explore the world. Her predictable Elizabeth side fits well with George (David's eldest brother who is a dentist, too), a childhood friend with whom she was engaged. Her adventurous Lizzy side, which is the one she really prefers and what makes most of herself, fits with a 'zing' with David - another childhood friend with whom she had a 'cat-dog' relationship since they were kids. A bridge mishap that cut-off George from their island town left Elizabeth to be stuck with David to tick-off her wedding plans checklist. Their new-found closeness empowered Elizabeth to muster the courage to let her true self come to the surface, and to be true to the desires of her heart.

To make the not-so-long a story short, Elizabeth broke off her engagement with George, and set out to fulfill a childhood dream to travel the world with the hope of 'rediscovering herself' and finding out what she truly wanted, one tiny step at a time, before following a meticulously 'planned' life that strictly adheres to checklists and stern focus on her dentistry practice just like George. She came back home, resolved to follow her heart, and that led her, one tiny step at a time, to David. 

It turned out that David has been pining for Elizabeth since the day he discovered her written travel wishes and lists in between the pages of a travel book in his family library when they were 13 years old. It was this that inspired his globe-trotting adventures later. He then wrote a note for Elizabeth, expressing his affection for her, and his hope to travel with her to the places that she wished to see. He put the note between the pages of another travel book.  He hoped she'd find it but Elizabeth never did until he showed her much later when they met again upon her return from her one-year travels.  Romance bloomed... you know the rest.  

This made David's family happy as they saw from the very beginning the 'zing' between Elizabeth and David even in their teenage days when they can't seem to get along.  On the other hand, George discovered 'zing' with a co-worker that he always had a soft spot for because of shared values and passion for their profession.

Tyler's David was hilarious, adorable... and extremely charming even when he tries to be annoying. He has that effortless good looks and easy acting talent - so relaxed and natural - to pull off the combination of adjectives that befit a perfect Hallmark romcom hero, too. I like Tyler a lot. I love the characters he played in every Hallmark movie that I saw him portray.  Five of the more recent ones are his remarkable team up with Lacey Chabert in "Winter in Vail" and "Sweet Carolina", the very deliciously emotional "Time for him to come home for Christmas", and the hilarious "An Unexpected Christmas" and "Three wise men and a baby".   He has such a commanding presence on screen. He either appears to have that man's man aura about him that positively fits every damsel-in-distress' vision of a knight-in-shinning-armor, a moody and distant fellow but with a heart of gold appeal, or simply, that guy that treats a woman as his equal and challenges her to discover her many strengths in a no-nonsense, humorous and supportive way without being patronizing.

Erin's own engaging acting talents and picture-perfect cuteness fit so well with Tyler's. She has grown so well to be that highly effective actress - from lots of practice in "When Calls the Heart" for sure. She can be funny, awful, funnily awful, moving, the sweetest thing... she's just captivating.

Tyler and Erin's acting timing together was always perfect in this movie, and with just the right amount of seriousness, humor and, of course, romance. It's so adorable how they banter relentlessly only to warm up to each other, one tiny step at a time, in the end - everytime.  Their screen chemistry is fantastic, too. They didn't have to try hard to make falling in love with each other so believable. And the gorgeous location of the movie adds to the sweet atmosphere that's made for falling in love.  In the end, I was fretting that the movie was too short!

So, if you are looking for uncomplicated entertainment that makes you laugh, teary-eyed... and can provide you with your fix of falling giggly in love, this movie is highly recommended. You'll find yourself 'grinning that silly grin' without knowing it - promise. Go for it!

"...you can't force 'zing', and you can't deny it when it's there..."

***

Image credit: All photos featured in this post were screenshots from watching the featured Hallmark movie. Thanks, Hallmark.

Video credit:  The video featured in this post belongs to Hallmark Channel.  Thanks, YouTube, for the video link.

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Wednesday Nostalgia

 ...at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

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by PAM

A souvenir from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, OH

Finally, a little time to slow down... after that critical deadlines galore, big meetings here and there, a long string of speaking engagements, a peppering of 'painful' just-suck-it-all-in-it'll-be-over-soon events that introvert people like me dread, the release and live performance of JK's 'Dreamers', the release of RM's first album, 'Indigo'... and the 2022 FIFA World Cup where the phenomenal Lionel Messi - my idol - emerged victorious with his Albiceleste side.  He can finally be crowned now as GOAT of the beautiful game (a long post to come soon! ⚽😭🎉) with no plausible objection from anyone, too!!  Whew!  

It has been a lot of sleepless nights - literally. How did I survive the last 30 days? No clue... perhaps, just the sheer force of determination to make it through to 'the other side'! I took a deep breath, focused... and just sprinted with all my might - real and imagined... and a lot of prayers!! 

Anyway, I am putting finishing touches on our Christmas tree just a few minutes ago... in time for the 'big day' and tidying up my room as well.  Now, I gotta admit that tidying up my bedroom is a bit of a challenge that I am hoping I'd overcome somehow... especially that I keep pausing to reminisce on things that should already have found their way in the trash bin a long time ago.  I'm such a sentimental hoarded!  Just a few minutes ago, I found a box of unopened stuffs hidden behind 

Up close and personal...

a framed picture on the floor and leaning against the wall... and my heart started to beat faster. As I peeled off the thick wrappers of each little item, my heart kept skipping a beat with my mouth and eyes wide open with surprise!  Ahh... I love that feeling - being pleasantly surprised! I found items from my travels to Rome, Florence, Shanghai, Seoul and various parts of the US just before the pandemic. I didn't realize I still have these things unopened. I thought, I have all my travel stuffs unpacked a long time ago! 

I will talk about those experiences in another post. I just want to drop by here to make sure that I have something written up about the unexpected finding of this long-forgotten beautiful Christmas tree ornament - a souvenir from my first visit to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio sometime in July 2019. It was a well-spent 'free time' as I visited my research students who were working on our project on 3D printed food at the Case Western Reserve University (CWRU, or simply 'Case') that time. I did stay for a week in Baltimore, Maryland before that for the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) series of meetings and a few networking activities with our alumni in the East Coast. 

I remember spending the weekend browsing the

A bagful of souvenirs from the Cleveland
Museum of Art, including a set of coasters
designed with the work of some of
my favorite impressionists.

Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA) at the Case campus, which has a superb collection!  The lawn was very pretty, too, and the walk from my hotel to the CMA was so interesting.  I kept finding mini monuments of guitars in the gardens.  I wondered about it... little did I know that I was going to find out in a big way!  

Anyway, after a couple of hours at the CMA, I wanted to do more. So, I ventured in the City Center with my students, and visited 'The Rock  & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum'. I studied for a year at the Ohio State University (OSU) in Columbus, OH sometime in the mid-90s, and I visited Cleveland a couple of times.  It never occurred to me then that  the 'Rock Hall' was located in Cleveland!  Apparently, it was established there to honor the man - a disc jockey named Alan Freed - who referred to the music genre that was making waves in the 1950s as 'rock and roll'. I am glad that I finally had a chance to check it out.

We saw an incredible amount of exhibits from the likes of Elvis Presley, The Beatles and The Rolling Stones to the likes of Michael Jackson and Oasis, and many more in between and beyond!  Being a big R&R fan, I had a 'field day'!  But after half a day, I was so overwhelmed that I was going dizzy.  Surreal!  It's a good thing that the 'Rock Hall' is adjacent to the Great Lakes Science Center, too, where famous Ohioan astronauts, John Glenn, Neil Armstrong, Jim Lovell and Judith Resnick... among other cool science and engineering stuffs were featured. So, we went to visit that as well... while we waited for a show at the Rock Hall to come on.  It was an INCREDIBLE experience! 

Anyway... I need to take it all in again. So, I am taking a little break. And, what better way to take a break than to drop by here in this blogsite for a few minutes to reminisce and share the experience? 

Until then...

***

Photo credit: The photos featured here belong to me, and were processed for the sole use of this blog. They may not be used elsewhere.

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"Jack in the Box"...

 ...four months hence.

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by PAM

One of the most important tests to establish the timelessness of a work of art is longevity. When the work remains relevant for a long time... then it becomes a classic.

Jack in the Box:  A work of art that spells daring and
stunning revelation from J-Hope.

j-hope is the first BTS member to launch his solo album, "Jack in the Box"(JITB), just a month after the 9th anniversary of their debut as a group this year. It was a daring move... but j-hope was ready. He is an epitome of hard work. He usually spends a grueling amount of time to iron out the tiniest wrinkle in his work in painstaking detail - it's just his nature. He commits to perfection with the brute force of discipline and hard work. He's got extraordinary combination of talents, too:  he writes, he raps in powerful and/or rhythmic verses, he sings and he dances like no other. Therefore, he can slay the heck out of any live performance even those that require death-defying moves!  These give him 'wings to fly'... and land on the ground solidly with both feet.

Now, four months after its launch, and inspired by the release of a behind the scene video of J-Hope's stint at Lollapalooza 2022 on Bangtan TV, I decided to revisit JITB. 

"Yeah, I'm thirsty... I want some more!"

JITB hit the ground sprinting with "More", which unveiled a completely different side of the cheerful and sunny Hobi. The opening tune is so 'menacing' that a listener's heartbeat quickened... pushing the heart on the verge of exploding by the time Hobi finished the first verse. And then, the heartbeat got into the rhythm... the senses were filled with j-jope's patent rapping in a powerfully hoarse voice... only, this time, he was 'rap ranting', luring the listener to the edge of the ledge... and by the time j-hope screamed, "I want some more!" all hell broke loose! And we jumped with him, flew with him as he took us to a different level in his musical power while opening his heart on how he views the exhilarating but chaotic success of BTS. In no time, we were all headbanging with our BTS Sunshine... commiserating with him in his frustrations, and joining him as he lets out more of himself... more, more, more! 

Whew, what a way to launch a solo album!

"Arson" is an excellent follow-up single. It kept the energy high, and the curtain that hides the other side of Hobi continued to roll down... and ripped to pieces!  My goodness, what a revelation this song is regarding the life that he leads as a K-Pop superstar. It just tears an ARMY's heart to pieces. Any ARMY who listened to this song became more understanding of his plight, and of their plight as BTS. And the admiration for them deepened as our eyes were opened to the gigantic challenges that they had to overcome... and the pain that they had to endure to keep the superstardom ablaze - mostly not for themselves anymore these days but for others. j-hope reflects, and looks into his and BTS' future in this song, and it's exciting to think what that future might be... if a future together is still in the cards, that is.  But they kept assuring ARMY that they are coming back together as a group again in 2025 after their military enlistment.  Well, we shall see then.

"My dream, done..."

JITB shows what a fantastic story teller j-hope is.  He showed this in "Pandora's Box". He revealed the origin of his 'pseudo name', j-hope, and revealed his thoughts with a beautifully made rhythm in the background.  "STOP", "Future" and "What if" are all deliciously introspective... honest, no pretenses, no annoying preaching that hides behind 'artistic license'. j-hope gave it to us raw, like a person opening up to a trusted friend. We don't usually hear the innermost thoughts of Hobi. His role in BTS allows limited chances to take a peek into his soul. In "Safety Zone", he went all out in telling his story and his thoughts regarding his celebrity world from his vantage point. It is absolutely stunning, I love it!  In the entire JITB, he invites us into his soul... and we were very pleasantly surprised!  After JITB, we never look at Hobi the same way again... especially after he performed JITB solo at the iconic Lollapalooza 2022 in Chicago..

"Music Box: Reflection" allows some respite from the stunning surprise of  new discoveries in Hobi's head. The sound of the winding music box seems to allude to a time of wait as they undergo military enlistment... a time to 'lull to sleep' professionally, but, perhaps, not artistically. But the moment we listened to "=(Equal Sign)", our 'familiar Sunshine' is back. This is where the 'longevity' of JITB is hinged, I do believe. 

j-hope with IU at "In The Palette"

JITB is the current state of mind and heart of j-hope, and it shows his depth and daring as an artist, too.  It shows j-hope as the fearless rapper and indomitable song writer, whose artistry is influenced, but not changed, by the phenomenal success of BTS.  Four months hence, it is still refreshing to listen to JITB... "More" still quickens the heartbeat, and "Arson" and "Safety Zone" still leave us open-mouthed by their honesty and openness to vulnerability.  One day, j-hope's circumstances will change... and he will have a new story to tell.  In my humble opinion though, the song that is not time-bound in JITB is "=(Equal Sign)".  The message is timeless, and the rhythm is easy and beautiful, too.  This will resonate for a long time:

"Hate'll paralyze your mind
"Gotta see the other side
"It costs ya nothin’ to be kind
"Not so different you and I
"Lookin' for love in a different light
"Until we find that equal sign"

Alright, I'm off to watch Spain vs. Germany on World Cup 2022. Will go running afterwards. I have my playlist with me, and it starts with "More" and ends with "Arson" with "=(Equal Sign)" as encore while I do final stretch.

***

Image credit:  All photos are borrowed from the IG account of j-hope.  Thanks for the loan, Hobi.

***

The boys who reside in my heart...

 ...and many more!

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by PAM

TGIF! 

The week has been incredible... challenging for the most part at work, but there are a lot of things that deserved to be celebrated, too.  I guess that the more challenging things are, the sweeter 'victory' tastes when it's achieved... regardless whether it's fully or partially achieved, actually achieved or merely imagined.  After all, 'victory is a state of mind', according to a World Cup-related social media post where Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are featured. I think that, for our sanity, we should always look at the bright side... of course, with our eyes wide open, too, to see the gloomy side.  When we focus on the bright side, it is easier to imagine how to extend the brightness to lighten the gloomy side.  When we see the big picture, there is always a way to do this.  When we see none, there is also such thing as 're-thinking priorities'... and 'regrouping' to plan the next best strategy.

Whatever it is... the week is over, and it's time to loosen up a bit... or, a lot!  

***

The bright side       

I had three critical meetings and an important webinar this week that went so well.  Questions in my head were answered, things that were vague were clarified; and new possibilities rose in the horizon, and, boy, don't they look amazing!  I have yet to figure out a lot of things still, and the work does not get easier... but it gets interesting - very interesting... and exciting!

But what is truly interesting and exciting was a message that I received from my youngest sister.  She sent me and our sisters photos of the art works of my nephew - the eldest of her two kids, and that boy who resides in a huge space in my heart.  Let's just call him "LA".  He is now in the first grade at the Ateneo de Manila Grade School where his own father studied, too.  He obtained straight A's in the first quarter of the School Year (SY), and we are, indeed, very proud of him!  He has always loved Mathematics since he started schooling at age 3 years... but his Mom and Dad have been doing a great job motivating him to give all subjects equal attention.  So far, so good.  But what is amazing is how he has been doing so well in his Arts subject, too!  Obviously he has such rich imagination and terrific creativity.  

LA celebrated his 7th birthday last month,
went trick-or-treating as Batman for the first time after two years
since the pandemic, and have been showing excellent job
in his art works (photos 1 to 4, clockwise starting
at the upper left hand side) besides Math and Science.  

LA is a gamer - a very good one!  Hehe...  His parents (and us, aunties) let him play because we see him gaining confidence in talking to people, suggesting creative solutions to practical problems, and strategizing to master his school works the way he tries to master his games.  His mind is fast developing to a tactical mind... strategic and naturally a problem solver.  I like that because my fervent hope is that he becomes an engineer like, uhm, ahem, yours truly (and his Dad, too, actually!).  Hahaha... I am okay that I don have kids of my own, but I cannot deny that I often wish that one of my nephews and nieces would become an engineer someday.  All are grown-up now... except LA and his younger sister.  So, my hope is alive and well!  Hehe...  #meddlingauntie mode.

Anyway, sometimes, we see LA playing online with teenage gamers as well as older gamers (including my brother-in-law, actually)... and he manages to win!  Unlike other kids, he does know when it is time to study... and to babysit her little sister, or entertain adoring aunties and uncles, and his doting grandparents!  When I got sick last year, he set aside time to pray for my recovery everyday.  His Mom would message me, and there was always a video greeting from him... always telling me how much he loved me, and that I should eat well to get well soon.  And that gave me the biggest reason to keep fighting for my life.  With God's grace, I did survive... and that deepened my love for this boy.  In a way, I owe him my life now... of course, along with other family members... and the fabulous doctors in my University.

If there is another young man that I adore more than JK (the son that I never had), it will definitely be my dearest LA - I love him to bits, and I will always do.  He speaks in almost the same manner as JK... with sweetness and in such adorable voice. I have another nephew that I love fervently, too - JPM.  He is tall, sporty, and a very good-looking young man... like JK, too, of course.  Hahaha...  but I think that he (and his girlfriend) will totally cringe if I feature him in this little blog of mine.  Hahaha...

***

'Offside'

In football, 'offside' is one of those things that we, fans, always debate about (with the referees!  Hehehe...)!  It is probably because, most often, decisions in football matches related to the offside rule tilt the favor (or odds, depending on whether you are in the losing or winning team) of the game... and often critical to winning or losing.  

So, JK has been working on the soundtrack of the FIFA World Cup 2022 (WC2022) hosted by Qatar.  He has been working on the Opening Ceremony performance on 20 November 2022 as well. Of course, there have been many issues on the supposed 'unsuitability' of Qatar to host the "Mecca of Football" that is the World Cup, in which 32 of

JK, on his way to Qatar, in preparation
for his performance at the FIFA WC2022

 the best of the best teams from about a hundred national teams advance to compete for the pride of taking home and keeping the 'holy grail' of football for four years.  People bring up Qatar's alleged human rights violations and its aversion to diversity and inclusion. I do believe that that is fair.  When something is questionable, by all means, queries must be raised and answers have to be pursued until provided, and with accuracy and clarity, too - whole truth, and nothing but the truth.  

However, the WC2022 is about football though.  The players work on the mastery of their skills in painstaking discipline and commitment as professional footballers just to be able to have the rarest chance of representing their respective countries in their lifetime in this awesome event!  Many living legends of football, such as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, no matter how mesmerizingly successful they are in the football clubs where they play and played, cannot be fully considered by some passionate football fans to be 'complete' legendary footballers because they have not won the World Cup yet. And, we, football fans always look forward to watching our favorite teams and these legends of the 'beautiful game' to compete in the biggest football stage in the world... and when our teams do not win, we wait for the next four years to get yet another chance.... and the next three years and 11 months will be a long and painful build-up to the next World Cup!  

In any case, win or lose, we enjoy the process of seeing the countries come together... chant and cheer - united as one in the spirit of sportsmanship, if that is the only remaining set of virtues that this world has.  So, to disrupt this beautiful process due to political agenda is just very, very disappointing.  I believe that not everything should be turned to politics and global gatherings a venue to push for personal beliefs and agenda.  That leaves us with no space to breathe... and just enjoy life, and each other's company - as human beings... say, in this case, human beings that are enjoying the 'beautiful game' that we love. We can promote awareness of our cause while enjoying the game and observing mutual respect... but we do not need to turn it to an impassioned 'crusade' at the World Cup.  It's too stressful, and it takes away focus on the 'beautiful game'... and miss the chance of coming together peacefully, learning about each other and from each other.  Then again, that just goes to show how important the World Cup is.  People choose it as a venue to express passionate advocacy.

These days, many ARMYs (or people pretending to be ARMYs to breach this powerful fandom?) are guilty of violating the 'offside rule' in fandom etiquette

'Dreamers', soundtrack of the FIFA WC2022

as they publicly lambast JK for moving forward in his performance at the WC2022 Opening Ceremony.  I imagine it must be very toxic for JK... that can gnaw on his mental health. They compare him with artist/s who supposedly declined the invitation to perform, citing Qatar's Human Rights record in their press releases.  Everybody is entitled to his/her own opinion, of course.  And yet, this/these artist/s and the many critics of the World Cup 2022 come/s from and perform/s in countries where people are abused, disrespected and/or treated unfairly on a regular basis, if not everyday, due to the color of their skin, their gender, and/or their ethnicity, or due to the social class in their society where they 'belong' that is perceived to be inferior compared with others'.  I'm sorry, but I find the actions and the justifications to be contradicting. If we don't try to reach out to one another in peace and without judgment, cross the understanding divide and extend a hand in peace, and influence each other positively - through our reconciliatory actions, professions and/or artistry, how do we achieve harmony, peace and mutual respect?  As a football fan for decades now, for me, the World Cup is one of the global events where I can feel optimistic about us, humans.  The passion shown by the players and their coaches, their impressive skills that are mastered through hard work, the unbreakable determination to bring honor to one's country through strategy and innovation, teamwork, humor - lots of humor and camaraderie among fans and players... there are so many uplifting and inspiring things that can only be found and experienced at the World Cup.

And so, I applaud JK for his courage to 'walk the talk' in his (and his brothers' at BTS) commitment to make this world a better place - where people are united as one - through music.  Consistent to his values and his adherence to mutual respect, he did not retaliate in any way to his detractors and haters, nor did the smile on his face was wiped out by disappointment or rejection.  He 'turned the other cheek'... and just went on, and tried to create a beautiful music that he, obviously hopes others would appreciate - for its worth and message, and not for anything else. 

And so, I wait, in great anticipation of the release of his song, 'Dreamers'.  I have no doubt that it will be awesome because that's just the way he does things, the BTS way: the very best... or nothing at all!

***

Image credit:  (1) The collage of photos belong to my sister, borrowed just for this post. (2) JK, on his way to Qatar - borrowed from Big Hit IG account.  (3) As an update to this post on 19 Nov 2022, the 'Dreamers' poster is borrowed from the Big Hit IG account - thanks for the loan.

***

Wednesday Happy Pill...

 ...and more!

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by PAM

Yesterday, I worked from home.  For the first time in many weeks, I let the sound of the chirping birds lure me away from my desk to wander around our little 'urban garden' at the front yard after my first cup of coffee.  It was good... it's like breathing fresh air for the first time after being in a 'processed oxygen chamber' (a.k.a. my room) for days and days... and days!

Beautiful morning... the sky was concealed by the canopy
that's the mango tree, fortune plant, and the overgrown yellow bells.

The brightness of the sky, partly concealed by the canopy of thick leaves above my head, put me in a beautiful mood.  I returned to my desk full of enthusiasm, ideas... and the determination to make the day good and productive.  I found my way back to the online library of Penn State University... and there, my enthused brain feasted on highly informative reading materials. I also visited the online reading resource of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), which was teeming with very good materials, I must say.  By the middle of the day, I have browsed about a dozen journal articles, two of which I read from Abstract to References.  A good day, indeed!

I spent almost the entire daytime in front of my laptop with just a small break to eat, and play block puzzle to decompress my brain muscles. I managed to climb to #2 in the leaderboard merely one week after I joined, starting at #128!  Hahaha... yep, even my playing was inspired yesterday!  By 5:00 pm, the birds started chirping merrily again outside.  I closed my eyes... and they stung so bad!  That was it, I was done for the day.  I walked out, and saw the beautiful colors of the late afternoon sun...

My phone camera refused to re-create what my eyes were seeing,

which was a beautiful late afternoon sky.

I automatically changed into my walking shoes... I just had to enjoy the beautiful moment!  I walked along our street towards the west.  Although I was unable to see the setting sun itself, I got to see the beautiful colors it left in its wake in the sky...

My phone camera was being the smarty a*%, refusing to bear witness

to the beauty of the sunset sky... but even it was unable to 

fully resist the loveliness.

I walked about a kilometer before turning back east towards our house.  The sky was turning quite dark in that direction but, as I turned to my left in the northern direction, it was lovely, too.

The lovely northern tropical sky, echoing the beauty

of the eastern sky at sunset.

So, yeah, it was a lovely day... reminiscent of the past days that were all very productive and exciting... albeit exhausting.  At least, we have little joyful moments to cheer us up... small mercies, small surprises... we just have to pay attention, and indulge ourselves a bit - nothing wrong about taking care of ourselves especially our mental health.

As I was walking, this BTS song put a spring in my steps, "Outro: Wings" from their album "You Never Walk Alone" released in 2017. 

"Take me to the sky
If I can fly, if I can run away forever

If my wings could fly

Piercing through the air that's getting heavier

Flying, flying

Higher than, higher than... the sky."

It didn't feel like I walked alone, indeed... I had, and will always have, this loyal 2nd (or, is it 'third'?) family, always making my day good and bright... even if they are not aware that they are doing so.  They make me fly, fly... fly... higher than the sky!

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Photo credit:  All photos in this post belong to me, and they were taken and processed for the sole use of this blog.

Video credit:  The owner of the video featured in this post is indicated in the video itself - Brilliant.  It is, indeed, a brilliant edit! Thanks, YouTube, for the video link.

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"Run bulletproof, you gotta run..."

 ...and the fandom went berserk!

===================================================

by PAM

Nope, this post does not need any introduction.  Let's get right down to it... or I'd collapse from excitement!  Besides, I'm in a hurry... I have work to do!

Yes, yes, and YES!  The song, "Run BTS", that ARMY jokingly describe as a BTS song with its own fandom just got a choreography... and it debuted live at the "Yet to Come in Busan" concert!  The said concert is the campaign for S. Korea's bid to host the World Expo in 2030.  Needless to say, it gloriously lived up to everyone's expectations!  By "it", I mean the choreography... but I gotta say, a choreography can be awesome but if the performers are less than awesome, it will not work.  But we are talking about Bangtan Sonyeondan (BTS) here - the most phenomenal music group since the Beatles!  Except that, well, Beatles didn't dance the way these guys do.  Then again, no one, and I mean N.O. O.N.E., dances in spectacular grace, swag, energy, and synchronization with a capital "S" quite the way these seven young men do - while singing LIVE, that is!

Alright, as that old adage goes, "the proof of the pudding is in the eating".  So, here, help yourself...

"Not losing our spirit, make it move left and right
No matter who you are, make it move, left and right
Two bare feet are our gasoline, yeah, yeah..."

I was one of the millions of ARMY who missed many parts of the live concert in Busan because of less than outstanding service of the platform (whose name will not be mentioned here) that carried the live streaming worldwide.  To be fair, perhaps, any platform can collapse from the sheer force of BTS ARMY - all 45 million of us tuned in all around the globe -

Always creating a pandemonium in purple...
...that's BTS for ya!

including a platform from the Most Innovative country in Southeast Asia, East Asia and Oceana, and #6 in the world, according to the Global Innovation Index of WIPO... well, S. Korea, of course!     

While I was quite disappointed, at least, I can say that I saw the choreography of "Run BTS" on its inaugural performance - live.  The minute that screeching intro of the song sounded, and SUGA, saying "okay, let's go" in his hyper-attitude tone... I literally, hyperventilated!  Hahaha...  Also, I got to see them open the Busan concert with one of my biggest FAVORITE BTS songs, "Mic Drop".  So, that is more than enough for me.  Besides, I saw them perform live in their "Permission to Dance on Stage - Las Vegas" last April 2022.  It was not a 'privilege' nor an 'entitlement' because I saved up from my meager scholarship as a Hubert H. Humphrey Fellow to pay a considerable amount of money to see them perform live.  And, I travelled from State College, Pennsylvania to Las Vegas by foot, by automobile, and on red eye flight.  So, I'm good.  One of these days, I will post my AWESOME experience of seeing them perform live... with lots of photos and videos that I took in the concert.  Hehe...

But yes, the "Run BTS" choreography was beautiful, and the guys' performance was outstanding per usual.  Forgive me, but I have to say that JK did extra-awesome though -

JK - a TOTAL performer through and through!
And utterly gorgeous, too. 

both in his dancing and singing, and everything in between.  Excellent!  He has really grown to be such an incredible performer, my goodness me!  At mark 0:51 to 0:57 min, he just prowled through that performance like a human dynamo - relentless, fearless, flawless!  He just slayed left and right, up and down, and inside out!  And he never lost a single ounce of gorgeousness while doing so.  Who does that?? Man, this JK!  There simply is no suitable word to describe the talents of this young man.  He was impressive at mark 0:10 - 0:24 min - pitching, and setting the tone for the group - so very talented, seriously.  In all the synchronized dancing, he was absolutely captivating, especially at 2:02 - 2:08 min, and then... again, at 2:56 - 3:02 min.  He seemed to have expended enough energy to send a space ship to orbit!  His blending with Jimin at mark 0:34 min - 0:48 min was beautiful.  Aww, these 'Busan brothers' are just the most loveable performance duo that you'll ever find on the face of this planet - so overflowing with talents, those two.

Speaking of Jimin, aah... he left me open-mouthed and ready to drop - face first - at mark 0:57 - 1:03 min!  Dang, very smooth - too good!  He just oozed pure awesomeness.  At mark 1:57 min in their group synchronization down to his feature move where he simulated driving a motor bike at 2:23 - 2:28 min mark, he was on fire!  His concentration and energy was reflected on his face, and it swept me off my feet!  Right there and then, my heart just gave way... and I felt like crying. I just realized how I missed Jimin's live performances on stage.  That sweet young man that he is... simply gets transformed to attitude and swag, swag, swaaag on stage - nothing like it, no one like him!  Saranghae, Jiminaah!   

Worth focusing on is how our beloved J-Hope's dancing got to an even higher level of awesomeness - if that is at all possible, considering how out-of-this-world great he is already.  All the solo and collab performances

The formidable BTS Rap Line 'Trinity'
(L-R:  J-Hope, SUGA and RM)

that he's been having over the past months have obviously raised his confidence level - unleashing the 'growling' artist in him.. and he keeps 'growling' these days, indeed!  And, like JK, he does work soooo hard to perfect his craft - wonderful role models for young (and not-so-young) people, truly.  At mark 1:03 - 1:15 min, he gave the choreography an unforgettable character.  When I think of this choreography, that J-Hope move will be my mental reference  And his rapping at mark 2:28 - 2:53 min was pure 'muscle rapping' that only he can ever do.  Tough, tough, very tough - loved it!  Way to go, Hobi!

Oh, and speaking of 'muscle-rapping'... man, that SUGA! @a*k8%r485*&... aah, nooo... I can't type - I'm shaking. That 'little guy' with muscled throat and 'muscular rapping voice' just owned that stage everytime the spotlight was on him.. and even when it was not.  At mark 1:15 - 1:28 min, he just sprayed the stage and the universe that's watching the live stream with deadly rap bullets - almost as fast as a flying bullet, dang!  And his hair was sinfully gorgeous, too... and he moved like a 'criminal cat'.  He just slayed, slayed, slayed!  No mercy whatsoever!  So, naturally, ARMY just completely dropped dead in love!  I will admit... I was one of the fatalities.  "Marry me, Yoongi!"  Hahaha... (kidding... he's like a nephew to me.  Hahaha...)

At first glance, I almost did not recognize RM.  He cut his hair just before the Busan concert.  It worked... he looked like a young man having fun while pouring his heart out on stage rather than a distinguished CEO of a multinational bank as he looked at the TMAs.  He was dancing with energy,  agility and a touch of athleticism - yes, agility... and we are talking about RM!  He was matching the "3Js" energy, and successfully, too, I must say.  But the moment he caught the rap ball passed by SUGA at 1:29 min mark... all hell broke loose!  The patent RM baritone sliced through the digital signals from the livestream feed worldwide, and it was beautiful!  It was awesome that, perched up the pedestal, he closed the performance of the song, too.  Awesome, leader!

Speaking of 'closing'... as usual, I wish to close this post with a tribute to V but I think that the 'man of the hour' is Jin, so, I'll reserve the closing for him.  So, it's Tae, it is at this point.  Let me

Tae and his antics - always fun!

begin by saying, Tae did fantastic - I mean, f.a.n.t.a.s.t.i.c.!  After getting a bit concerned with him at the TMAs with less than perfectly timed breathing that sent some notes flat, he completely obliterated this performance in Busan!  He had all cylinders firing!  From dancing with gusto, to drawling his parts of the song with a roar of an engine... and keeping the charm at full blast, too - very, very effective, affective and affecting.  I loved his voice blending with JK, and those moments with Jin, especially with that vandana moves at 1:41 - 1:56 min mark... reminiscent of his 'card tossing' with JK at the Grammys.  Tae is so awesome in stuff like this... he gets the job done in ways that are jaw-dropping, memorable, and unforgettable - so artistic and creative!  And, I completely love that he performed looking like he was enjoying himself.  Watch him, and without you knowing, you are smiling!  That's our Tae - borahae! 

And now, Jin... ahh, Jin, Jin, Seok-Jin!  I had to replay the video and focus on Jin... because when will be the next time that we shall see him doing something like this with the other six members?  2025?  Man... but he did well in this performance.  He totally hit those high notes with his usual artistry. But... there was something in his dancing in this particular performance... which I can't put my fingers on quite accurately. Hmmm... at 0:51 - 1:15 min mark, his concentration seemed tremendous; at 1:41 - 1:53 min, he seemed to be having fun

Indeed, the best is yet to come...
we'll be waiting.

but you can tell he is being diligent in nailing the performance; 1:57 - 2:10 min, he was obviously watching everyone and moving with everyone in such painstaking accuracy; at 2:45 - 3:00 min mark, his concentration was almost tangible; and, in his solo vocals at 3:02 - 3:08 min, he just ripped through the air waves like a bullet train!  Towards the end of the performance, at 3:15 - 3:20 min mark, Jin was obviously giving his all in the choreography, stealing the scene altogether!  Damn, Jin, what did you just do?!  Tryin' a kill us all?  But we survived that... 

...what we're not sure we'd survive is the announcement later, after Busan, that Jin is enlisting for military service this coming December 2022... where he will remain in active service for the next 18 months.  The rest will be enlisting one by one, but with the maknaes all together in 2024.  They will return as a group in December 2025.  Three years and two months... it feels like three decades.   Oh, well... as we are ARMY, we trust BTS.  Therefore, we are certain that, indeed, the best is yet to come!

Alright, that's enough Vitamin B(TS)... for now.

***

Video credit:  The video featured in this post belongs to BangtanTV - thanks for the loan.

Photo credit:  All photos belong to Big Hit music except the second to the last, which belongs to an BTS OT7 fan site - thanks for the loan.

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Saturday Photo, er...

 ...video, or, videos... and photos!

============================================

by PAM

Life has been incredibly busy with-a-capital-B over the past few weeks.  My calendar was a chaos with-a-capital-C, too!  But there were so many milestones achieved, too... and I am very happy, indeed! 🙏  However, I will probably need a month to chronicle all the favorable things that has taken place over the past four weeks or so.  One of the 'giddy happy' moments that I've had was two Fridays ago when my Executive Assistant and I paid our new campus in Sta. Rosa City, Laguna, Philippines a visit. The site is about 45 km south of the City of Manila, and it takes about 45 minutes as well to travel from the main campus to the new campus. 

I was happy to see that the first building to rise in that 44-hectare second campus of the University of Santo Tomas (UST, or "USTe" to its alumni) is almost complete now.  As the Sta. Rosa campus will be the Innovation Campus of UST, that first building is the Innovation Center.  It was donated by two of our alumni at the UST Faculty of Engineering through the Jollibee Group Foundation. We hope for it to operate next Academic Year.  By then, we hope that another building (or, maybe two) would begin to rise as well.  

I took a few photos and short videos, and tried to quickly stitch them to an 'amateurish' video just to remember that visit.  Here it is...

This was just a dream...

So, surely, dreams do come true!

The campus is located among beautiful and well-designed communities of Sta. Rosa - away from the signs of environmental neglect of the city.  When one stands at the rooftop of the three-level building, it's all green as far as the eyes can see.  And, from afar, one can see Mt. Makiling, Mt. Banahaw and the Laguna Lake.  It looks like its in the 'middle of nowhere' for now just because it is so vast and the subdivisions around it are just being developed, too.  But is only about 10-minute drive from Nuvali and about five-minute drive from the City Center of Santa Rosa City.  Surely, there's plenty of opportunities for Namjooning for students, faculty, staff and other stakeholders in the future.   

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BTS:  BIG Winners at the 2022 TMA

That was a very inspiring visit to our new campus.  It reminds me of how dreams can actually come true... and, as BTS keeps reminding us, we must live our lives thinking everyday that the best is 'yet to come'.  Naturally, on our way to Sta. Rosa, we listened to BTS music.  

And today, they just won massively again at the The Fact Music Awards 2022 (TMA 2022), winning the GRAND PRIZE... five years in a row!  Woohoo! 💜🎉 And they won many more! 💜🎊 I hope to talk about this in another post.  For now, here they are at TMA 2022...

 

🎜 "Dream and hope, and go forward!" 🎝

I will admit, they left a small room for improvement per their own sky-high standard, after

These two... 💓

several months of working on separate projects... but still awesome, no doubt!  I have to say though that JK was spot-on, totally right-on-the-money in every note he sang - juuust beautiful! Per usual, his voice was on 'autotune' - so gifted!  He is very reliable in his vocals and stage presence, harmonizing with others so well, helping to bring out the very best in his hyungs' voices - 'born singer', indeed.  In fact, I do think he got better again - the raspy quality of his voice is on another level! This evening he was extremely good looking, too.  And, RM nailed.every.single.point.in.his.verses - that distinct power baritone of his and that crystal clear enunciation... my word, KING!  That pick-up at 1:41 min in the video was fantastic - it can be my meal for a month, and I'd be totally healthy!  And he was looking even more distinguished than ever before with that tall stance, heathy-looking dark hair in no non-sense style, and that confident aura about him that makes you want to invest your life's savings in whatever it is he's building - a worthy leader of the BEST group in the world. 'Fine wine getting better with age', and all that! Ahh, these two... really! 💓 

And, of course, J-Hope was himself - always a reliable and a delightful performer who knows when to adlib to get the performance to a higher level of energy.  He oozes more confidence

Seven icons of this generation -
simply phenomenal! 💜

on stage these days while looking relaxed, more so this evening at the TMA - 'the JITB effect'. The continuity he provided at 1:52 min mark just brought a smile to my lips - too good! Aw, Hobi... how to be you?!  Yoongi took a little while to hit his stride but when he did, it was awesome.  This was evident at 2:05 min mark... and then he just went on to slay the whole performance with his usual coolness!  Genius, and the rampant bias wrecker - that's SUGA for ya!  Jimin struggled a bit... perhaps, from emotions. But he has become very skillful in his singing, he can recover his grip of the tune quickly when it is slipping from his vocal grasp due to emotion (or flirtations!  Hahaha...), covering gaps swiftly - smooth, Jimin-aaah! He had special moments, too, and his singing was touching - full of emotions. I'm sure ARMY can feel that Jimin missed them... I sure did, aaaww!  

Jin was calm and steady. I don't think there's anything in this world that can perturb Jin these days when he's performing - such a professional singer he is, indeed. He connects well with ARMY when he is performing with that perfect balance of beautiful singing, charm and unmasked hints of emotions.  It was just lovely to watch and listen to him - the perfect hyung with his committed and professional approach to singing, performing... and anything BTS!  Goosebumps, Jin! 💜 Tae sounded so well, as usual, of course!  That deep voice of his sounded like it's coming from a reservoir in his chest seemingly made of stainless steel that returns a million 'mini echoes' as the notes collided with the wall of the reservoir - unique sound that only Tae can make.  Is there a scientific explanation to this?  He seemed out of practice with his breathing though... or, perhaps, too excited this evening? He was very busy with so many things that did not require singing the past days.  So, I hope that he can find enough time to practice making those 'mini echoes' take Busan by storm.  We love him, of course... always!

All did their best, and it is MORE THAN enough for ARMY, really!  We are overjoyed... and we cannot wait for Busan!! 

Great job, ARMY!  CONGRATS, Bangtannies!  💜💜💜💜💜💜💜 Woohoo!

***

Video credit:  (1) I own the first video, and (2) the owner of the second video is indicated in the video itself.  Thanks, YouTube, for the video links.

Photo credit:  (1) JK and Namjoon: Grabbed from the IG account bts_daily.news, (2) Collage: (i) screenshot from TMA, and (ii) grabbed IG account bts_daily.news.  Thanks for the loan. 

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