Drama - Heartstrings

Official poster.

"Heartstrings " is a youthful melodrama about the main characters' love, friendship and dreams, in a University of the Arts in South Korea. It is about the efforts of the students to realize their dreams back and students between friendship and love. The story takes place in music, dance, theater performances and many other professional art schools, and the younger generation positive atmosphere.

Korean Title: 넌 내게 반했어 / Neon Naege BanhaesseoEnglish Title: Heartstrings / You've Fallen for Me 
Previously known as: 페스티벌 / FestivalGenre: Romance, Music
Director: Pyo Min Soo
Producers: Lee Jin Suk, Kim Yang
Screenwriter: Lee Myung Sook
Episodes: 15
Release Date: June 29, 2011

Story line

Lee Shin is a university student majoring in modern music. He is also the vocalist and guitarist of the band "The Stupid." Shin is known for his good looks and strong passion for music, but in reality he is cold, lacks interest in anything unrelated to music and has neither dreams nor plans for the future. He initially likes Jung Yoon Soo, a dance professor at university, but this all changes when he meets Lee Kyu Won.

Lee Kyu Won is a bright and outgoing student who was born into a prestigious family and is majoring in traditional Korean instruments, especially the gayageum. Kyu Won's grandfather, Lee Dong Gun, is one of the top 3 traditional musicians of his age and his biggest wish is to see his granddaughter become a traditional music prodigy. Trying to live up to her grandfather's expectations, Kyu Won immerses herself in training and becomes a university student who knows nothing outside of her studies. 

As her friends are fans of "The Stupid", she was forced to go to the band's concert with them. There she saw Lee Shin performing live, and is immediately captivated by him...

The main character in the drama.

The Main Cast

Jung Yong Hwa as Lee Shin

Park Shin Hye as Lee Kyu Won

Song Chang Ui as Kim Suk Hyun

So Yi Hyun as Jung Yoon Soo

Woo Ri as Han Hee Joo

Kang Min Hyuk as Yeo Joon Hee

Lee Hyun Jin as Hyun Ki Young

Im Se Mi as Cha Bo Woon

Chart of Heartstrings

Heartstrings Teaser + Season 2 Description

Personal Review:

Throughout this drama, the actors and actresses taught me that we our own must run towards our dreams in everything that we wanted. Do not fear on chasing our own dreams and  be brave to face any difficulties. If one's want to success, they must move forward. 

We live for our own, we dream our dreams. One's must be firm enough and do not give up easily in order to succeed. Of course, the process are not easy and do not expect it is easy to achieve. but you will be happy for what you do, why not? 

Therefore, Fight for your future!

Written By: Tan Yee Thuan

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Festivals in Spain

Landscape of Spain

Spain means passion, hospitality and originality. Spanish likes to share their history and culture with an open smile to all the visitors.

Torrevieja is famous in Spain for
many fiestas firework

Spain is one of the most diverse countries in Europe, from beautiful landscapes to charming towers, from fascinating sights to amazing historic heritage cities. Spanish people have a zest for life that can be seen in the varied and exciting activities, day and night, in all major cities.

The last bull fighting in Barcelona, 2011

Fiestas are a major part of Spanish life. Each city and region in Spain has its own special fiesta, often honoring a patron saint. One of the most popular traditions in Spain is bull fighting.

According to Associated Newspapers Ltd (2011) “Now the controversial sport has been declared 'an artistic discipline and cultural product', protecting it from mounting pressure by animal rights campaigners who want the practice banned.”  The ban takes place on 1^st January 2012. On September 2011, Catalonia celebrated its last bull-fight after 624 years of bull-fighting. The tradition is already illegal in Catalonia after a law was passed against it because of making animal cruelty and danger.

The Pamplona bull running takes place on July every year. This celebration takes place on the balcony of the Casa Consistorial in Pamplona. 

Bull running in Spain

Thousands of people dress in white and red, playing music, dancing the mayor's official announcement that the fiestas have begun. The actual run stretches from the corral at Santo Domingo where the bulls are kept, to the bullring where they will fight that same afternoon. The length of the running is 825 meters.

Another best known fiesta in Spain is a group of people throwing tomato over each other as known as La Tomatina (Tomato Fight).

Most of the Spanish and visitor are played with tomato

La Tomatina tomato fights in Bunyol near Valencia happen every year on the last Wednesday in August. During the forties in Bunyol main town square, a number of friends started a tomato fight for a unknown reason. It is unclear whether the initial volley was aimed at city official or simply pedestrians unlucky to be in the line of fire. However, everyone was having a great time, in fact, from the day forward; the fiesta has been celebrated annually.

Apart from these, Spanish have other weird fiesta that celebrate in the country. There are The Baby Jumping Festival, Fiesta de Santa Marta de Ribarteme (Near Death Festival), Las Fallas (Festival of Fire) and so on.

The Baby Jumping Festival 

A men who dressed like a devil to jump across the baby

Since 1620, this festival is part of the celebrations held all over Spain for the Catholic festival of Corpus Christi. The origins of Baby-Jumping Festival are vague, but the event is an example of the mix of traditional Spanish folklore and religion. In the Baby-Jumping Festival (El Colacho), anyone who has a newborn addition to their family can bring their baby along to this festival which has taken place on an annual basis in June. 

The man jumped across the baby who laid on the street.

In this fiesta, the babes are laid on the ground in swaddling clothes and grown men incarnate devils jump over the infants. They believe this is supposed to cleanse the infants of all evil doings. Anyone who is not blessed with receiving this protection during their early childhood and has lived life looking over their shoulder waiting for bad things to happen or illness to strike can, in their adulthood, choose to take part in an exercise of jumping through fire on 21st December in Granada, known as the Hogueras. This is intended to protect them from illness.

Fiesta de Santa Marta de Ribarteme 

The people were get into to the coffin and carry by
their family and friend
 and walk to the church

Fiesta de Santa Marta de Ribarteme also known as Near Death Festival. It usually takes place on July 29th in the town of Las Nieves, Pontevedra in Galicia, Spain. The purpose of this festival is to appreciate the Santa Marta for saving their life. This festival is honors by Catholic tradition because Marta was travelled to Galicia to spread the Christian faith and she was performed lifesaving miracle and finally became Santa Marta (the Saint of resurrection). 

The parade to the church- Virgin Santa Marta

For those who had near death experience, they have to attend the festival with the coffins. They will get into the coffins and it will carry by their family members and friend. Opposite, they need to carry the coffin if they do not have any family members and friends. And they will walk all the ways to church- Virgin Santa Marta.

Spain is rich in the mixture of distinct regions with strong identities. Other than the flamenco, bull-fighting, bull-running, La Tomatina, The Baby Jumping festival, Fiesta de Santa Marta de Ribarteme and Festival of Fire, there are plenty of other events that can be discover.  Spain features one of Europe’s most beautiful and varied landscapes, incredible history, language, food, music, festivals, lifestyle and so much more.

Written by Leow Bee Lian

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Movie Review - Safe House

Guns, Bullets, and Bloods. Fair Enough.

Producer: Universal Pictures
Director: Daniel Espinosa
Duration: 1 hour and 54 minutes

The latest in-theatre movie of one of the best rated actor, Denzel Washington, Safe House.

Summer blockbusters are always the best compare with current movie season. Low budget films are expected to show during this season. However, it is surprising that Safe House did a good job on the box office. (Its Denzel Washington, why not?)

The film is about a rookie safe house keeper and a former CIA as well as fugitive that was selling deadly information.

Ryan Reynolds (The Green Lantern), did way better compared to his previous work. While, Denzel Washington did as good as always.

No 3D graphics, totally real shooting scenes gets our adrenaline rush. The movie hits its top gear in 10 minutes, yet it barely touches the brake for two hours. You wouldn't have any chance to get bored.

This is not a fresh movie genre, similar with Bourne, the story isn't the main point, acting is more important when you see guns and bullets. Storyline is expectable so just save your brain's energy, simple enjoy the action.

Rating: 6.5 out of 10

Written by: Leo Kan Yoke Loon
Editted by: Leo Kan Yoke Loon

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Gamers Will Save The World

How Video Gamers Can Save The World?

Good day readers! Here is one thing I want to share. If you think your good-for-nothing-boyfriend, hopeless brother, and even hair-pulling son don't do anything except gaming, you should encourage him to play more!

Why? The world is changing, it is a new era.

Now, watch this video and learn. 







In general, other than all the wild statistics and facts. These are the EPIC points that she pointed out.


Urgent Optimism


What the heck is it - After decades of gaming, (writer's a nutcase when it comes to games.) optimism level of gamers are fairly greater than the others.
First, one must understand the concept and the thinking of gamers.

1. Logic (Reason)
2. Desire
3.Extreme Self-Motivation


Gamers have their own logic, they believe in it, they exercise it and they apply it. If you tell a gamer that it is not possible to achieve the things that he believes in, make sure you have the evidence.

Desire is the passion that propels gamers to an "epic win" situation. Gamers spend most of their life not only playing, they also have the passion to solve problems.

Problems such as team management, people, the gameplay, the game mechanics. Best of all they share the problems so that billions of people will fix the problem themselves.

What really distinguish us gamers than the rest of the average people are our motivation. When gamers fail in real life, they climb back up very very fast. They know that in which point they fail and they can quickly reset from that point.

This is what we got if we spend more than 5 hours per day gaming. I am slowly applying my principles of gaming to this so called "mortal plains" and it worked so far.






Social Fabric


What kind of cloth material is that? - 


No, it is not a cloth material. Gamers excelled in the social world better than any average person. It takes a lot of trust to cover a teammate's back when you are playing a game. And for every game finished, we will trust our teammates more.

Now imagine, we (average gamers) have been through at least 10,000 battlefield that require trust, glory and pride. We have evolved to a level when confronting problems, trust is not an issue, glory is for everyone and pride is given to each of us.

We commune not through orders but through trust because we know the situation so well and all of us value the same goal.





Blissful Productivity


So, working is a blissful thing?Is that what you are implying?-

Yes. There is one day I remember that I need to finish up 2 assignments by the next day. Despite the tight schedule, I managed to finish all of them by playing video games at the same time. Why and How come? Those are the two million dollar questions.

Because I was given the correct assignment. Freedom - based assignments that must be attached with creativity and originality. In the end, Voila! A video game review article reek of distinction.

Gamers do extra well than any average person if been given the correct work. They find the best way to entertain themselves and to have fun no matter what they are working on.



Epic Meaning

How meaningful?

Very. Look at GameFAQs, look at Gamespot and the billion dollar industry itself. How can an industry be so free and yet still manage to make billion of dollars every year? Because it is meaningful.

GameFAQs is a resource guide for gamers. In other words, if you got stuck in a game at a specific level. Just go to this website and gamers from around the world will teach you how to overcome that obstacles.


The End

Are you kidding me? Of course, gamers will save the world. No doubt. Scientist have invented that save the world, comedian, politician and likewise. But why not gamers?



Written by: Yeong ZiWen

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Homemade Sponge Cake

Most of the girls are like to eat dessert especially cake. We can see all the beautiful and delicious cake sell in the bakery shop like Secret Recipe, King's, Bread's Story and so on.

All are look delicious but expensive. Now, it's your turn to make a cake for yourself or the loved one.

It is very simple to make a cake in a lower cost.

For the beginner, you may start with the sponge cake first.

A fresh and delicious sponge cake.

Ingredients:

Eggs                        5 nos
Sugar                   125gm
Cake flour            100gm
Corn flour               25gm
Corn oil                  25gm


Methods:

1. Beat the egg and sugar until fluffy.
2. Fold in gently with the cake flour and corn flour. (Before fold into the mixture, you must sift them together, the cake will look smooth after you baked.)
3. Lastly fold in corn oil into the mixture and beat until smooth.
4. Put into a tray (whatever shape you want) and bake at 180'C for 25 minutes.

P.S. The temperature can adjust depend on your oven. Some oven need to use 150'C or 160'C. So, you can try the 150'C for 25 minutes if the cake does not baked properly then you may add another 5 minutes or 10 minutes.

Happy baking :)


Written by Leow Bee Lian

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A Trip to Malacca – Historical City in Malaysia

Malacca is one of the historical cities in Malaysia. Although it is the third smallest state in Malaysia, they are many historical site clustered around the city. Therefore, as a Malaysian, who have never been to the historical state of Malacca is not a complete Malaysian. In another word, tourists visiting Malaysia is not complete too without going to Malacca.

I visited the place for the very first time with my friends at the end of the year 2011. I was excited to visit the place as my impression on Malacca was just what I studied in the history book but not experience it by my own.

Malacca was founded by Parameswara, a Hindu Prince from the Kingdom of Srivijaya in Sumatra in the year 1403. Malacca vacation is not complete without visiting the following attractions: The Stadthuys, Christ Church and Jonker Street, all of this are nearby to each others at the town center and can be easily accessible with walking distance. Do not forget to take the trishaw and make sure you take a good picture as you ride as a souvenir for you to bring home. Last but not least, not to be missed is the 45 minutes cruise along Malacca River.

The Stadhuys in Malacca

The Stadthuys also known as the "Red Building" and it is a venue you can never miss when you visit Malacca. Your trip is incomplete without visiting this iconic tourism spot of the city. This massive building was built in 1650; it is believed to be the oldest Dutch building in the East. It was once a center of the Dutch administration in Malacca. It would be interesting to know that the building was not originally painted red in color. This building like all the other Dutch administration buildings in Southeast Asia was originally painted white. After the Dutch handed over Malacca to the British in 1826, the British were the ones who painted the building salmon red in 1911.

The building is now the home of the Historical Museum of Malacca also known as the Museum of History and Ethnography. In the museum, they display lots of Portuguese and Dutch memorabilia, historical maps, stamps, paintings and lithographs together with information on the history and cultures of Malacca’s various ethnic groups. A visit to this museum is like a journey to the past, walking down the historical path of Malacca. People who went to Malacca without visit this building as if you never had been to Malacca. It is a must go place. 

Christ Church - Red You’ll always remember

The Christ Church building is located just beside The Stadthuys. When the Dutch took over Malacca from the hand of Portuguese, they built several buildings for their own purposes. This church was built as a place of worship for the people at that time. This church is painted in coral red with huge white cross at the middle and surrounded by beautiful landscape with greeneries and flowers. When the British took over Malacca, the building was converted to become an Anglican church where a bell tower and weathercock were added and remain until today. You can visit this place by getting the permission from the church officials.

The interesting part to the construction of Christ Church that everyone has to know is the ceiling beams. The Dutch with their superior architecture skills had constructed the beams of the church by using huge tree trunk with no joints between each other. While you are walking, mind your step on the floor, as there are old tombstones with engraving of Armenian script integrated in. And take a slower and smaller step so that you can have a closer look at the valuable and unique tombstones. The church is located opposite to Stadthuys.

The Queen Victoria Fountain 

In the middle, you can see a beautiful fountain and that is the Queen Victoria Fountain built by the British. Further, there is a windmill that faces the fountain. In such a small area, one can experience the art of architecture that brings you back to the olden days. This building is a must when you come to Malacca.

The windmill adds to the uniqueness of the church nearby.

Jonker Street is another tourism attraction spot of Malacca. It is known as worldwide among famous antique collectors as one of the best places to hunt and bargain for antiques. They are defined as a heaven for antique collectors and bargain hunters. It is actually a long and straight street with old shops along the street. It is a place you can find various kind of unique antiques, statues, fashionable clothes, household products, colorful accessories and also various souvenirs. This is a place you can spend hours of walk and shop around. If you are too tired of walking, you can stop by at the eateries here to enjoy the famous baba cendol or any other local delicacies of your choice. 

Jonker Street at Malacca

Along the street, you may see a lot of antique buildings.

Olden days Tailor Shop

Jonker Walk World Heritage Park

Various kind of unique accessories and souvenirs.

There is something unique and unusual that you might not be able to get in everywhere but only in Melaka – the colorful decorated trishaw! It is the best way to enjoy Malacca in a slow and laid back manner. The trishaw will take you through streets and corners of Malacca that you could easily miss out if you travel by own. Around the compound of the Stadhuys and Christ Church, you will notice a lot of heavily decorated trishaws lining up ready to fetch the tourists to the spot of their preference. It can be rented on hourly or distance covered basis. These flowery trishaw had become one of the tourists’ attractions for the city of Malacca as well.

The colorful trishaw that you can take while you are here.

Flowery and colorful trishaws

You can also see the fascinating Malacca River view when you visit to the city. It is just across the road from the Stadthuys. If you are not satisfied enough by just watching the overall scenery of the river, you can choose to take the river cruise which will bring you to see the scenery along the river more closely and specifically. The Melaka River Cruise is one of the latest attractions in Malacca. The jetty is located opposite the police station near the Stadthuys. The ticket costs only RM10 for adult and RM5 for children. The boats depart every 30 to 45 minutes from morning till late night on a daily basis. On this river cruise, visitors get to observe the city surroundings by the riverside. It is recommended to take the river cruise at night which is when most of the structures and buildings along with fountains are lit with colorful lights.

The Malacca River's signboard.

The Malacca River

Author’s Review:

It was a nice experience visiting historical city with a lot of thing to see and feel. Although is a short trip but I truly enjoy it a lot. Thanks to my friends for making the efforts to make this trip a success. Do not forget to take along your camera to snap interesting pictures of the old shop houses, bridges and historical buildings. Remember to bring along your cap or hat or umbrella whichever you prefer when you visit the places which are not sheltered and you will be directly exposed to the hot sun. It is better to prepared before you get the sunburn.

Group photos taken in front of the Stadhuys.

Written by: Tan Yee Thuan
Photos taken by: Tan Yee Thuan

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Drama Review - The Secret Circle

The Secret Circle played in The CW every Thursday

Story line

Cassie Blake moves to Chance Harbor, Washington to live with her grandmother after her mother died in mystery fire. 


She was slowly accommodate to the new town as she copes with the loss of her mother, but still tries to live normally. But her hopes was ruin when she is recognized by a few of the townspeople and their children- Adam Conant, Diana Meade, Faye Chamberlain, Melissa Glaser and Nick Armstrong. 


The five of them seem strangely interested in Cassie and reveal to her that she comes from a full-blooded witch. She refuses to believe that herself is a witch until Adam helps her to unlock her powers.


She is uncertain until she discovers an old leather-bound book of spells left to her by her late mother- Amelia. Inside the book had a letter to Cassie for explaining why she kept the secret- to keep her safe; as the circle soon finds out, their powers attract dark and dangerous attention that constantly puts them in danger.

The Secret Circle official poster

What is the point to watch?


The drama is based on the book series from L.J. Smith novel. It is talking about the witches' romance and the friendship between them. 


The ways they were solved the problem when the situation was really killed them.


After few scene, we can find that they are really treasure about their friendship and the family love.


In additional, the drama was played in a complicated love relationship between Diana, Cassie and Adam, and Cassie, Adam and Jake. How they deal with the relationship?

During the danger, they were find out the important of cooperated between six of them.

The scene in The Secret Circle- Adam, Cassie, Jake and Diana

Apart form this, the drama is focus on Cassie Blake who have incredible power inside her which is dark magic that could kill her and other people. How could she deal with her dark magic? 


Please keep an eye on the drama on every Tuesday at 9.30pm in 8tv.




The Series preview

The main cast 

Adam Conant acted by Thomas Dekker

Cassie Blake acted by Britt Robertson

Melissa Glaser acted by Jessica Parker Kennedy

Diana Meade acted by Shelley Henning

Faye Chamberlain acted by Phoebe Tonkin

Nick Armstrong acted by Louis Hunter

Jake Armstrong acted by Chris Zylka

Written by Leow Bee Lian

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Do Witches exist?

A painting condemning witchcraft and traditional magic in Rila Monastery, Bulgaria

Historically, witchcraft is the use of various types of magical or mystical powers to harm people or to grab their property. It is also known as witch. In many cultures witchcraft were in league with Devil. Witchcraft is commonly characterized by its applying of magic such as spell, cursing or other black magic that could harm people. 
Witchcraft in essence can be roughly defined as the power of a person in which a force or matter is used to harm or influence nature through supernatural means. It has been believed in by most known cultures. 
There have different legend about the witch in different culture. In mid-20^th centuries, people believed those “bad” and “good” witches were somehow distinguished, the later often involved in healing.

How it works?

Witchcraft symbol

A spell is an act of powerful and focus on the desire that meets all the emotional and mental energies combined with prayers, spells and the ritual steps that directed to achieve some positive or negative goals. 
A spell may be in the form of a prayer, writing, speech, action, drawing or sketching. Magic or spell is a creative and transformative performance. It involves intense, powerful and the concentration over thoughts, intentions, emotions and incarnating them into reality. 
They had many symbols to represent the different spells.

The Spell book

A witch takes a huge responsibility upon herself when they were using the spell. As a Witch, she should know the basic credendum of witchcraft, which is what they do and the wrong or failure spells would send back threefold to them. 
A constant meditation, practice, worship and performance of rituals penetrate the psyche of the witch with that magical spell that is reflected through their persona, physiognomy, especially their eyes and voice. 
There were wise women in ancient cultures and there are many even now who are honored and respected for their service to the community through spell casting, healing, mentoring and providing succor to the suffering.

Novices in spell casting need guidances, both verbal and written, in performing the rituals. Once they have gained sufficient experience and success, they can devise their own system.

Writer’s review

In fairy tales, there were stories about witchcraft. For example, Snow White, the evil queen was envy with the pretty princess so she made a poison apple. And Sleeping Beauty was cursed by the witch when the witch was not being invited for the princess birthday party.

Nowadays, there are a lot of  TV dramas and novels that uses the witch or supernatural as a theme such as The Secret Circle, The Vampire Diaries, Dark Vision, Supernatural and so on. These are the series of supernatural dramas and novels that involves the witches stories, but are they really exist? If they were existed then how they would extinct since they had an extraordinary power? 

Written by Leow Bee Lian

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