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Hyvää Joulua!

Merry Christmas, everyone. :)

I’m really happy that the laptop I ordered after Thanksgiving arrived just a week ago. Lovely screenshot here…beautiful wallpaper, eh? I’m loving Windows 7 and FireFTP, which I installed on the laptop and is a million times better than FileZilla, which I currently use.

Not to mention that in addition to December 25 being Christmas, it’s also the birthday of Nightwish’s Tuomas Holopainen (♥) and the sixth anniversary of DBSK (♥)! WHOOOOOOOOOO!!!

So to celebrate, here comes a couple of DBSK performances from Tokyo Dome!! My gods, look at Cassiopeia, the red ocean!! And the rising gods of the east on stage!!! Flawless performances. You can see the beads of sweat on their faces, their soulful eyes as their pour their hearts into the songs…plus Love in the Ice is sorta winter-themed and therefore relevant to Christmas, eh? Enjoy and shed tears. :)

[HD] Love in the Ice
[HD] Mirotic and Heart Mind and Soul

As for holiday games…well on Wednesday I played Apples & Apples in Latin for the first time! And lost because I only got three cards. The adjectives are supposed to describe you…well, mine were: responsible, filthy, and cold. Whooo. Since I lost I had to clean up. :P But then at yesterday’s fantastic Christmas party I totally wiped the floor. My cards were: inspirational, wild, sultry, hot, healthy, explosive, demanding, sweet, lovable, hostile, spunky, wicked, rich, and glamorous (courtesy of a useless good memory). Yay me. Plus I got to meet a 24-year-old grad from my high school who graduated from Cornell in financial engineering and now works on Wall Street. My dream too, perhaps? His parents’ house is actually diagonally behind mine, and I never knew. Haha. He plays hockey (my hockey card sure helped me win the healthy card in Apples & Apples while he was judging) and from far away looked like SuJu’s Siwon, though up close not really. :P

Well, now I have seven college essays left to write, whoo. And I’m still having trouble picking specific departments/colleges/majors. Darn. I’ll just have to think of the encouragement of my two double 2400 friends from CC. :P Since I got deferred from Y, I’ll have to work hard on these essays. And if worse comes to worse I’m going to study abroad in Finland, get a job at Nokia, marry a certain Finn, and live happily ever after (joking about the second to last one). :P

I also got tons of homework, although the Lit poetry journal assignment seems scrumptious. And I want to start writing my new sci-fi novel. Never finished my three previous novels, haha.

The Usual Life

My life is an epic mess at the moment, and I’m seizing the sunshines of life at every opportunity as I’m becoming further inundated with…work, what else? Mediocre senior grades so far, ridiculously late bedtimes, along with a horrendous three-week wrist injury from violin. Now that SATs are done (whoo for retaking in October and getting a nearly perfect score), an Early Action application sent (whoo they won’t look at senior grades), and an acceptance to Penn State under my belt, it’s that sort of purgatory of endless waiting and inner torment, and of course lack of motivation. A dozen hours of homework on the weekends and lots of college essays to write = not fun.

And when I don’t pay attention in class…well, I count male-female ratios instead. It’s quite fascinating, actually… in Physics the male-female ratio is 2:1, in Gov it’s 3:1, in Comp Sci it’s 4:1, in my wonderful invincible hockey team (which will sadly switch a bit come Monday) it’s 5:1, and in TECS club it’s 6:1. Lucky me? :P

And obviously, what’s a blog post from Sherry without some celebrity oogling? I’ve felt a bit more distant in my obsession with Junsu oppa lately, although his birthday happens to be December 15, when Early Action decisions come out! I pray that he’ll…bless me? :) And I’ve told myself never to stray from DBSK, because other boy bands just can’t compare…that is, except for Super Junior-M! I do find some Super Junior songs catchy (like It’s You), but I’m only a fan of Super Junior-M. The four Korean members’ Chinese pronunciation far exceeds that of DBSK members…but then again, there are three Chinese members to help them out. Kyuhyun (Prince Kyu to me ♥) is my favorite, although I certainly like Donghae and Siwon as well! This has led me to conclude that my criteria for absolutely favorite celebrities are:

1. Insanely cute
2. Heavenly voice
3. Talented with languages

Kyuhyun and Junsu match them all, plus some – they both have superb senses of humor and are just SO adorkable! Yes, adorkable!! I’m bursting with glee that adorkable isn’t underlined in red on my browser! Yep, Kyu and Junsu are both the wonderfully innocent type who can transform from adorable boys to mature and downright mmmm men in the blink of an eye. Now that’s enough drooling and swooning from MVs, live performances, and interviews.

Too much work + drool = crazy me, of course. Surprise surprise!

Damsel in Distress

I’ve always felt fiercely independent in academics. But senior year has started and I’m already trapped in a vicious cycle of homework-study-tests. Nothing’s a picnic anymore…although I knew what kind of abyss I was prepared to fall into by taking five AP classes.

I rarely ask for academic help from anyone. Frequently I give help to others, or more likely I keep to myself. But from the looks of it, for the first time in my life I have become that dreaded “damsel in distress.” In my intimidating gym class I cannot tie knots on ropes or properly put on the jumble of belts and harnesses to save my life. Literally – otherwise I’d fall off the terrifying, freakishly high climbing wall. It seems like I need some serious instruction from a knowledgeable guy who helped me yesterday, or else I’d likely fumble and fall off the wall and break a few bones. :P

I knew that Computer Science wouldn’t be a breeze either, and I expected my class to cover much more difficult Java material than the (X)HTML, CSS, and PHP that I taught myself for five years. So far I’ve been able to create a face, a math calculation, a red cross, a bull’s eye, and a moving black box. I’ve only been able to accomplish the last three thanks to hints from the guy next to me. In Physics, I have three assigned lab partners – all of them guys. And being the Excel-inept person that I am, I had to get help from them concerning writing proper equations for my misaligned cells.

Ah…I’m a total failure. At least I became a National Merit Semifinalist…yay…but that doesn’t mean I have any common sense or practical smarts in the least. :P

Today was terribly rainy…suddenly I became everyone’s best friend to cross the street with, and my umbrella was showered with compliments (well, it does have a very pretty blue floral design, since it was quite expensive and bought in China, but my silly dad happened to vacuum off parts of the bottom handle when it was on the ground, grr).

Oh, and somehow I have a taller twin (similarly obsessed with dramas and wuxia and DBSK boys and hot actors) whose rhyming name gets mixed with mine a lot, as well as a long-time friend who is somehow now considered my short Hispanic twin. Great. :P

Also, new note to self – never get hooked onto those FictionPress stories. There are so few stories worth reading, but I also stumble upon the longest ones, and they are a wonderful marathon read – but also a major source of procrastination. Since I don’t ever get enough sleep, I’d better stop. But it never happens…it’s just like saying my love for Junsu and DBSK will die. NEVERRRR. Keep the faith, DBSK forever. <3

DBSK 3: Promotion

Yeah, this is my first 3-post blogging marathon. DBSK deserves the praise.

Today I discovered the UFOs – and too late to sign the SM Town English UFO petition. This is one of those moments when I wish I were physically closer to them. Korean and Chinese (and often Japanese) fans can have a direct way to communicate with any/all DBSK members, and through quite an intimate method of contact – texting. I spent all morning reading through translations of UFO replies on Cassiopeia Family (though I always had to post in order to see them). To ask the DBSK oppas for encouragement on school exams, to confess their love, to tell a joke…this is even better than Nightwish’s Nightmail, because fans and artists communicate through phone texts, and the right fan could get replies from several members and even initiate a conversation. Let me express my envy. So Chinese fans who don’t know any/much Korean, who probably can’t even pronounce the members’ names correctly, get to text them and receive replies in either Korean or Chinese (from Yunho) or English. All that simply on the basis that they reside in China. No fair. I’d get a phone (yes, I don’t have a cell phone) just for UFOs if it were possible.

Now time to promote. I’ve spent far too much energy drooling, so I’m afraid I won’t be able to post URLs. After all, I’d have to keep typing target=”blank” for new windows, and already one of my favorite videos has disappeared, and I definitely don’t want to waste effort on dead links. So here goes my selection of the best DBSK MVs, performances, covers, dramas, shows, and DVDs. Check out any/all of them on YouTube.

MVs:
Mirotic
Doushite Kimi wo Suki ni Natte Shimattandarou (Why Did I Fall in Love With You)

Performances:
Bolero
Mirotic
Love in the Ice
Wrong Number
Don’t Say Goodbye
Are You a Good Girl
You’re My Melody
Doushite Kimi wo Suki ni Natte Shimattandarou and Summer Dream (A-Nation 2008)
Choosey Lover

Covers:
I Can’t Put it Into Words
Lion Heart

Mini Dramas:
The King’s Man parody
Unforgettable Love
First Love
Dangerous Love
The Masked Fencer
Uninvited Guest
Finding Lost Time
Tokyo Holiday

Guest Appearances:
Rainbow Romance (Yunho)
Golden Fishery (Yoochun and Jaejoong)

Upcoming Dramas:
Paradise Meadows (Changmin)
Headbutting the Ground (Yunho)
Heaven’s Postman (Jaejoong)

Vacation:
Cassiopeia (Yunho)
Beautiful Life (Junsu and Changmin)
The Way U Are (Jaejoong)
Eternal (Yoochun)

Shows:
Star Show
Star King
Come to Play
Cooking Variety Show
DBSK BigEast 2nd/3rd Fanclub Event
Fantastic Partners (Junsu, Yoochun, Changmin)
Music Japan Special
Family Outing (Junsu and Yunho)
Shin Dong Yup and Shin Bong Sun’s Champagne

DVDs:
DBSK “Bonjour Paris”

I would say that the most worthwhile shows to watch are DBSK’s appearances in Star Show, Star King, and Come to Play (downright hilarious during the first half, but more deep the second half). DBSK in Paris is a rousing adventure; I was vicariously experiencing Paris through them. Sooo many great and funny scenes:

Junsu’s butt hurts, they sing a capella, Jaejoong gets attacked by tree branches, Yunho yells “everybody put your hands up” and “Korea fighting” to whole crowds of people, Jaejoong’s mission to get 5 people to wave back to him on boats and buses, Junsu drunk on sugary beverages, Yunho slapping horse’s butt on merry-go-round, Yoochun pretending he’s Jamaican, Yoochun’s dog showered, bowing pharaohs, Junsu’s gibberish, little girl scared of Yoochun in playground, Junsu food snatching, Jaejoong’s UFO trick, Micky & Minnie, Jaejoong’s diagonal run, Junsu and Yunho fly kicking and handstands, naming myths of fountain, Yunho’s prada wears the devil, Yunho still thinks Paris is a country at the end of the trip, Paris to Yunho = party, Paris to Junsu = mosquito, Changmin being the only sane person, but narcissistic enough to check his reflection in the glass display of a movie poster…wow that was the longest sentence ever. But, watch “Bonjour Paris” and support DBSK!

Aja aja hwaiting, oppas!

As for the lawsuit issue that started at the end of July…I fully support Junsu, Jaejoong, and Yoochun oppas! SM Entertainment has gone too far with a 13-15 year contract, letting each member get 0.4-1% of the total profits, and tiring the boys out with so many events that they only get 3-4 hours of sleep each night. Today (August 21st) was the first day in court…and darn the SM lawyers for implying that Junsu’s advance payment last month (to settle his account for income taxes) was used to file the lawsuit. And why on earth would Junsu, Jaejoong, and Yoochun becoming owners of a cosmetic company violate the “exclusive” contract with SM? I support DBSK all the way and hope they pass through this crisis with SM soon without conflicts among the members. And Cassiopeias always remember that 5-1=0!!

DBSK 2: Junsu ♥

This will be a continuation of my last post, because I want to start afresh in promoting DBSK. After watching DBSK’s “Bonjour Paris” DVD about their photoshoot vacation in 2007, I can see why the five have set a Guinness World Record for the celebrities with the most number of pictures taken of them…around 500,000,000 and going up. This of course includes individual and group shots, whether for MVs, commercials, photobooks, or other purposes. The next Guinness World Record DBSK set was having the largest fan base, around 800,000. Today I made myself one of those crazy Cassies – a member of Cassiopeia, DBSK’s eternal supporters (and 99% female, haha).

First I’m going to shamelessly declare my devotion to Kim Junsu (stage name Xiah), my favorite member of DBSK. I’ve gone perhaps the same route as more than half of DBSK’s fangirls – paying attention to only Jaejoong when first introduced to DBSK, but gradually loving one of the other four. I still think JJ has the largest number of fangirls, but that’s good news to me. There are so many reasons to love Junsu, and no reason to not love him. Here goes:

- He has a very warm personality and is almost always smiling. He said himself that he’s a nice person without a tendency to get jealous. Very charismatic.
- He has the most unique voice in DBSK. Very sweet and angelic, hence giving way to his reputation as the “angel” and the “dolphin.”
- He composes absolutely beautiful ballads, like Rainy Night and White Lies. Since the pains of love in the songs are based on experience, he reveals a very deep heart.
- He can play piano and guitar, whoo!
- He’s very talented at soccer, and the second best dancer in the group, after Yunho. His bouncing hips, pelvic thrusts, and duck butt give me a nosebleed. He does awesome handstands!
- Even in the eyes of the other members, Junsu has no “Casanova potential.” When his chair plummeted in the game in Come to Play (representing his 5th place playboy status), I was beside myself with joy. Yeah, playboys are cool in dramas, but I prefer someone like…Junsu! Haha that was obvious.
- He’s a cute eater; because he has sensitive teeth, Junsu eats ice cream by sticking out his tongue first. He’s also an incredibly fast eater; he even drinks coffee in one shot. After returning to Paris from a brief commercial-shooting trip in Brazil, he receives such a warm welcome from the other DBSK members, but can only say in response, “I’m hungry.” Haha, he’s Changmin #2. Junsu can’t cook very well, but I would eat his messy natto takoyaki any day!
- Junsu’s a book lover; if he’s not at home, school, or SM, he’s usually in the library or bookstore. This was before he turned into a superstar with no time on his hands, of course.
- He has no alcohol tolerance. Which means he’ll never stay out all night drinking! It also means Junsu can get high on any sugary beverage…as demonstrated in Paris.
- He has fewer celebrity friends than the other members, mostly communicating with his older fraternal twin brother. When there’s an attractive, unattainable guy, girls always think “If only he had a twin brother I could snatch!” Well, his brother Junho (this would also be the name of a potential DBSK couple, Junsu & Yunho, but unfortunately there’s only Yoosu) would be the one, but there’s no one like Junsu!
- His mom is a former Miss Korea, who is also vocally talented. Beautiful voice and appearance must run in the family then! (Imagine a former Miss Korea as a mother-in-law…I’m going to get a nosebleed soon if I don’t stop hallucinating.)
- He’s the most predictable member in DBSK; according to the others, even if he disappears no one worries about him, because they know Junsu is probably in the PC room playing video games. :D
- Junsu isn’t the best at buying matching clothes…so while the other DBSK members fuss over what to buy, Junsu just gets whatever is on the mannequin! I’m a careless shopper too. We’re shopping soulmates! Ahem.
- He likes girls who wear turtlenecks, and especially likes girls who are intellectual (and wear glasses), with no make-up, and girls who are active and work out. (YAAAAY!!)
- He wears glasses and looks mega hot in them, as do the other four members.
- He can speak Kenyan – or a gibberish form of it. He’s shown off his “Kenyan” on two shows before, and I could’ve sworn he repeated the same phrases when they were in Paris discussing dogs to buy (Junsu was set on Pomeranian).
- His “sexy look,” as demonstrated on Star Show, consists of piercing eyes and licking his lips. Mmmm.
- His “killer smile” with his six-year-old mini version on Star King is the cutest spectacle I’ve ever witnessed. Two angels…and then a kiss!!
- Although the little gymnast girls on Star King were really pervy, three out of five picked Junsu as their favorite. Good to know that the youngest (who got Yunho to hug her and Jaejoong to sing to her just because it was her birthday) wanted to marry him. Back off my Junsu and wait at least ten years to be my age before you start dancing suggestively at Junsu, pervy girl.
- Oh, and also, Junsu is not a camwh–e like Jaejoong and sometimes Changmin, Yoochun, and Yunho (who’s the “surprise camwh–e”).
- He believes that flowers make better presents than movie tickets; he can’t express himself honestly to the girl he loves; he would choose music over love; he believes it shouldn’t just be the face that counts, but also the body. (Although I was slightly surprised, I understand his reasoning. His “type E” girl turned out to be very pretty, although Jaejoong, who picked the same for everything except the face counted more, got the prettiest actress in Korea. Haha, then I’m glad about Junsu’s choice.)
- I will never forget how cute Junsu was when he cried out “Ow, my butt” on the double-deck tour bus in Paris. :P
- Along with Jaejoong, Junsu is one of very few men who can get away with wearing earrings and man purses and still look unbelievably hot.
- He speaks Korean (duh) and Japanese fluently. He sings English beautifully and his Chinese pronunciation is better than that of the other members.
- He is the shortest member at 178 cm (5’10″), and exactly a foot taller than me. Mmmm.
- He’s the second youngest member. I get to celebrate his birthday all the way from December 15 to New Year’s! Junsu was born on December 15, 1986 but was registered on January 1, 1987, which means party all the days in between!!
- His message to his future wife is: “Sweetie~ If you become my wife, I will make you the happiest person in the world. I will sing for you whenever you want.” (From Star Show…all five members’ messages memorized word-for-word after watching it three times.) :P

Okay, in all seriousness, how do I know all this about him? I’m not even a stalker. …Or am I? Maybe all Cassiopeias are stalkers.

DBSK 1: Intro

So, as I’ve lamented in my previous post, computers have been hating me viciously this past week. I’m doomed for my internship posters…and I haven’t really done anything this summer except reading too much Chinese and attempting some Korean. Oh, and I also attempted to type up one of my favorite books that is going out of print, which I got through an interlibrary loan, but I only typed around 20,000 words and gave up. Now I shall only think happy thoughts. Yes, happy DBSK thoughts. The only reason I survived mowing the lawn for an hour and a half two days ago in 88-degree weather was because I was keeping my mind busy replaying a DBSK performance of Hey! (Don’t bring me down), in which Junsu’s pelvic thrusts and duck butt drove all the girls wild. Of course, that made me burn up in the heat even more, but at least I had DBSK’s “angel” in mind so that I wouldn’t go crazy and do something stupid, like cut off my foot (if that’s possible with a lawn mower).

This post is more or less going to be a love letter to DBSK, haha. It’s been only two months and my opinion of these five singers has changed drastically. At first I thought only some of them were smoking hot performers, with Jaejoong the only one worth drooling over. I was so wrong. ALL of them are not just hot and talented, but also caring, funny, smart, and oh-so-lovable! And the lead singer Jaejoong isn’t even my favorite any more. Junsu oppa is! <3

Everything about them makes me drool bucketfuls. From gorgeous live performances to parodies/mini-dramas to variety shows, DBSK exerts their 110% effort with brilliant smiles.

Here’s an intro to the DBSK members, in the order they perform, from left to right:

Kim Junsu (Xiah) – my darling <3
Park Yoochun (Micky) – best at English
Kim Jaejoong (Hero) – lead singer, pretty boy
Shim Changmin (Max) – youngest, tallest
Jung Yunho (U Know) – leader

More fangirliness to come later.

Two Phoenixes?

Looks like the domain crashed again, so this will be the second blog phoenix reborn from the ashes. All posts from April-August 09 have been saved, but comments have been lost this time around. It just so happens that my Vista computer also decided to literally die, so I can only pray for my many gigabytes’ worth of files to be intact. My luck just keeps getting better and better, eh?