LONDON

Bonjour,

I meant to write this last week but eh I got lazy and kept putting it off. Which I now realise was silly, because I won’t have as fresh a memory of London if I had written it sooner. Aw well.

I mentioned in my last post that Emma and I were going to London for the weekend! So yes, I have returned and much to share about our travels. I shall summarise each day now...

FUN FRIDAY

I had intended this trip to be stress-free, and if you know me at all, that wouldn’t be easy. Alas, this was not meant to be! Sean the Sat-nav refused to work to navigate us to the airport. Thankfully through trial and error, Emma remembered her bearings and we arrived in plenty of time. 

After arriving at Southend round 10am, we took the train in to London and found our way to the hotel. After dumping our suitcases we tubed it to Baker Street, where we went to Sherlock Holmes’ house! 

Following that we took a tour on an open top bus and saw all the sights, in comfort. A lot of the areas and buildings were under maintenance, presumably for the Olympics. Generally the city didn’t seem as busy as it usually would so we booked at the perfect time. 

That evening, we met Amy and her friends, Matt, Hannah and Jeremy in Piccadilly Circus. We caught up and ate pizza, and then Emma and I went to see Phantom of the Opera. The show was pretty amazing, despite our odd seating. (We were basically looking directly down at the stage?) Definitely a great night out though. 

SHOPPING AND SEOUL SATURDAY

First stop on Saturday was Covent Gardens - which is definitely the place to visit over the weekend. Market is open and the place was buzzing that morning. The stores are so cute and there were musicians and performers entertaining the busy shoppers.

I had the bright idea of making Saturday the ‘big Korea day’ so suggested we should eat in a Korean restaurant. After researching online, we discovered a little place off Soho called Seoul Bakery - a dingy little cafe which served Korean dishes. What brought this odd little place to our attention was the fact that both SHINee and Super Junior’s Siwon had ate there, and signed their names on the wall. Not only wanting to see that, we also both lived in hope we would accidentally bump into EXO too.

It certainly was a strange place to eat, and we felt both super awkward going in but were warmly welcomed by the friendly waitress. I ordered some kind of spicy soup and Emma ordered an egg dish - both were yummy. It was bizarre to be eating out and 2NE1 playing in the background, haha.

Before we left, we were given pens and sticky notes and left our memories on the wall, a common practice in Korean cafes. It was a lovely and enjoyable lunch! For the record, no, we didn’t meet EXO.

Next stop was Harrods and Hamleys - both crucial places that must be visited!! Harrods was outstanding, of course. Hamleys - not so much. Emma was convinced she saw Robert Pattinson walk past on Oxford Street, but after following him...yeah it wasn’t him. To my delight, after four years of waiting, I finally visited the Irregular Choice store, it was wonderful! We went to HMV and gasped at the amount of K-Pop CDs they sell now, and I bought Heartbreaker by G-Dragon and 2NE1’s Second album. (In celebration of the holiday.) After wandering about for a few hours, it was soon time to get ready for the concert!

MBC KOREAN CULTURAL FESTIVAL

We took the tube to the O2 Arena and got some weird looks from other K-Pop fans, who were maybe unsure if we were actually fans or not. Not meaning to be stereotypical or anything, but it’s very easy to recognise fandoms. K-Pop fans are an unusual crowd - often spotted with vividly coloured hair, multiple piercings, light-sticks, high-tops etc - and that’s just the girls. The rest of the audience consisted of mainly gay white boys, asian girls and asian girls’ boyfriends. I’m just observing and making assumptions here! Surprisingly Emma and I were some of the more average-looking people there. We dressed to impress! What if we bumped into EXO?? Surely we needed to TRY to look decent beside flawless Kai?

We stood in the line for what seemed like hours after a tasty burger in the arena, talking to a group of girls whom we met at the burger restaurant. Wye Zhi and Leanne, both DBSK fans, were the two Emma and I made friends with. It was so SO bizarre talking to other people about K-Pop though?!? Unfortunately we didn’t get to see any of the girls after the show and didn’t think of getting our photos with them at the time.

FINALLY we got into the indigo2 arena and THE SHOW HAD ALREADY STARTED! After a stressful period of trying to find our seats, we soon realised we only missed one 4minute song - who opened the concert. (I would be more pissed off about this because it was up to o2/concert organisers to open the doors earlier, but again if we cared THAT much we would have been in the queue earlier.)

The atmosphere was tense - the whole building was going CRAZY. Like I’ve seen in shows and live performances how much the audience screamed, but it’s so different when you’re in the crowd. You can’t help but join in. (I lost my voice the next day, whoops! I’m surprised I didn’t go deaf either.)

4MINUTE opened with four songs: Volume Up, Mirror Mirror, Huh and Hot Issue. The girls had stunning silver and black matching outfits on with a shiny jacket and fringed skirt. 

In-between the K-pop artists performances, traditional acts kept the audience occupied. The first guy performed stunts and the second was a modernised traditional music group called Queen. They played a variation of beautiful and contemporary songs.

Following that, more traditional male dancers appeared, called the Samulnori team, who skillfully whipped back and forth tassels which were attached to their head? It sounds strange but I was enthralled! Afterwards, a combination of the cultural entertainers performed the classic song, Arirang, wearing traditional Korean dress robes.

Next act up was NORAZO - a comedic and eccentric duo who isn’t the most well-known act of the three, probably gained at least 2000 new fans that night in the U.K! Emma and I were flabbergasted at how awesome these guys performed live. It was a blast - and our hearts melted when we saw how incredible Lee Hyuk’s voice is! They performed Happy Song, Curry, King of Sales and Superman.

Dae2Baek Movement starred next - a dance group who psyched the audience up dancing to songs by Wonder Girls, BAP, T-ARA, U-KISS and of course, BIGBANG. The crowd went MAD when Fantastic Baby played! So awesome! Two of the male dancers teased the audience and the response was wild.

4minute members returned wearing Hanboks (traditional Korean dress) for a fashion show. Other models wore hanboks designed by Park Su Nyeol - who was present in the audience and made an appearance at the end. Although this was very enjoyable I was itching to see EXO, lol.

It was clear I wasn’t the only one, the audience couldn’t contain their excitement and at the end of the fashion show people were chanting “EXO EXO EXO!” Cue a blacked out arena and video titles. What’s funny here is I’m not even a big EXO fan, but I couldn’t help but join in with all the screaming! We were both giddy with excitement! 

The boys strutted on stage and History immediately started playing. After much trouser-flapping, sweet moves and lets face it, obvious lip-syncing, they introduced themselves. Well, I THINK they did. Girls were screaming so hard it was hard to decipher what was being said. And I wasn’t quite able to tell them apart, but that’s okay - because my eyes were focused on Kai and his sparkly red vest.

After a stunning performance of Angel, incorporating some sweet-ass ballet moves from my man Kai, EXO finished with MAMA, their debut track. It was absolutely fab! But alas, it was over in a flash - I was expecting them to do another song, but Emma explained that they usually do two, so it’s a surprise they sung Angel. Didn’t mind though because the three they played were absolutely perfect! My ears were ringing and my throat was killing me but heck, it was worth every minute! *adds day to favourite days of life list*

SLEEPY SUNDAY

We took it easy on Sunday - we visited the National Gallery - which was okay for a while then I got bored and began hallucinating that all the paintings were the same (I think I was still on an EXO high so everything else other than Kai just wasn’t worth my time.) I saw Van Gogh and Claude Monet paintings though which was very exciting and caught my attention.

We headed across to the National Portrait Gallery after which focused on modern art and, well portraits. And I saw my first ever real Andy Warhol painting, so it certainly was the icing on top of the cake! 

Then basically we had to head home - although it was just a weekend, it was a weekend of epic proportions, squeezing in so many fun happenings, making many fond memories for both of us.

I only have one thing to say...when’s BIGBANG touring?

H is for...

Heroines

So this post is going to be about women, who inspire me in one way or another. Enjoy.

Jaamela Jamil

I see this woman in Look Magazine all the time, and not only do I applaud her for her amazing fashion sense, she’s absolutely stunning! If I was a size 6/8 I would LOVE to look like her- her eyes are so beautiful! *Aims to look as pretty as her*

Selena Gormez

For some reason. I adore this girl. I’ve watched her on “Wizards of Waverly Place’ (yeah, I know) a few times and think she’s as cool as a cucumber. Her bold and brash nature is brilliant in that show, she is a talented actress. And she’s dated Taylor Lautner, lucky girl!

Lady Gaga

Honestly, where do I start? Probably the most amazing woman in the world, no, the universe!

Not only an inspiration to me to be individual, but so many others too. It’s difficult to describe how great she actually is because she’s too amazing to describe.

Her style: Unreal. Seriously. Despite having a figure to die for, Gaga goes beyond all limits in the fashion world. She wears outfits that other normal pop stars wouldn’t dare to wear, and that originality is copied by fans all over the globe.

It’s said that she’ll be remembered for her fashion more than her music: this I don’t totally agree on because they are both equally phenomenal.

And the best bit is she IS talented, no matter what critics or haters say. Trust me, I saw her live, she is an ARTIST.

Love her or hate her, this lady is going to be around for a very long time.

Audrey Hepburn

The most beautiful lady ever. ever EVER. This awe I’m feeling over my heroines is very difficult to explain! I think Audrey is the definition of a perfect woman: she’s beautiful, cultured, elegant and ever so stylish. Through her life these qualities never faded, they matured with age. Audrey showed the world that you can still be perfect and work hard.

And even though she’s not with us, she’s still in our hearts today.

Paloma Faith

I more than likely have never announced this to anyone before, but I really like the singer Palmona Faith. Her style is so quirky and her voice is stunning.

Emma Watson

If you have been living in a bucket this last nine years, Emma Watson is the girl who plays Hermione in the Harry Potter films. Only after recently rewatching the films did I realise how amazing this girl can act. Lately she’s been in the papers publicizing Deathly Hallows (Which I still haven’t seen, drat) sporting a new hair-do. My own opinion: I usually loathe boy cuts on girls, but Emma Watson can work it! She looks even more glamourous than before. Miss Watson is on this list for being a super role-model and fashionista for ladies everywhere in 2010.

Sunny from SNSD

No idea why, but Sunny is my favourite in Girls Generation. She’s looked at as one of the least pretty members so I look up to her for ignoring all the haters. She’s so cute and naturally looks adorable. If I looked Asian, I’d so want to look like her!

Hacker Girl

Oh my goodness, where do I start! Well firstly, Yang Mi Jung is a character in my Korean Drama IRIS, which I have spoke about before, so I won’t bore you to tears again about it. We affectionately called her Hacker Girl, because she is a wizz-kid at hacking into CCTVs, programs...basically anything and everything. So that skill amazes me, because she’s so intelligent and is a master of computing- something I’ve always wished I could do!

In the show, she’s so funny. She’s got brilliant lines and her and 70s Guy (Hyang Tae Sung: he looks like he’s been imported from the 70s) made a superb team at the NSS!

Hacker Girl’s style is amazing! She wears the rarest clothes! Which I love because she’s being so unique. She’s very distinct looking but so gorgeous.

And then, she gets better still. She dates T.O.P (Assassin Vick). It’s only later in the episodes do we begin to see their relationship. It’s so sweet: she’s completely fallen for him! I don’t want to give too much away, because Emma’s likely to read this and she still has to watch it...

Marlene Freimanis

I have used Marlene four times as my artist in my school artwork. Honestly, she is the best artist I have ever come across, and she isn’t even that well known. I found her on DeviantArt, where she is active at posting her pieces for seven years now. She’s a bit like myself: she goes through obsessions focusing on different things, but unlike me, posts AMAZING pieces of art relating to it. She is interested in macabre, zombies and gory, gothic things, as well as a fanatic Gaga monster. Lately she’s been into Florence and the Machine (No way as good as Gaga, I gotta admit) When I get my own house, I want to order a print of hers to hang up on my wall.

If I had 100th of her skill I would be delighted.

Christina Hendricks

Christina Hendricks is known for playing a part in a show called Mad Men: I’ve never watched it, but you see this lady all the time in the newspaper and magazines.

She’s been in the media so often because of her incredible curves and bust size. This year she’s been voted Sexiest Woman Alive.

I love this woman because even she, like myself, is a size 14, and struggles to find designer clothes that fit that body shape properly. She won’t alter her size for designer clothes or conform to other Hollywood size 0 bodies either. People online have sneered and criticised her for not doing this.

Well girl, you’re a true beauty, so don’t worry what they say!

Yay that was a fun post.

- Claudia

LADYBOYS!

"Think Fantasy, think feathers, think fantastic!"

Right, you may think I’ve gone mad firstly to the fact that I’m blogging at 1.30am (which may mean the English grammar is atrocious, sorry) and secondly, to the wacky title I’ve given this post!

Well today has been one of the most erratic but best days of 2010: and trust me, I’ve had so many good days: but this is close to topping it. It would be more sensible to blog about Gaga, but it’s gonna have to wait another time because this performance is so fresh in my mind.

So, has anyone heard of the Ladyboys? Gosh it sounds so weird typing it. It’s basically transvestite Thai men who travel around the world performing as women. It so happens that tonight ‘The Lady Boys of Bangkok’ were performing in Belfast and I went to see it. ‘Why?’ I hear you ask. And no, my adoration with Asians wasn’t taking a step too far. My Uncle got free tickets from work and since we were all down in Victoria Square shopping, he phoned us asking if we wanted to go.

Of course, when I first heard about it, I was a bit iffy. Like, these were foreign guys dressed as girls, it just sounded really really really disturbing and tacky. Like the cheap crap acts you saw on holiday in the hotel. Then he said many of his workmates said it was unreal, so we might as well, right? So after we went out for tea we headed over to Custom House Square.

The place was packed. It was then that I got to read through the leaflet about it. It said “Fantasy and Feathers is performed by 16 of the world’s most beautiful show-girls (who just happen to be men) it’s the glamourous fun filled show everyone is talking about!” and “One of the most fabulous cabaret shows I have ever seen!” We had the very front seat too! When the curtains opened I was struck with awe: we were so close! I was a little bit frightened at first, you were afraid to make eye contact incase they winked or something! So I took many photos...which might help me explain it a bit better before my brain turns to mush.

This was just a random decoration I took a photo of when I came in.

The show has begun! This is the second song, I can't remember the title of it. But LOOK at the guy on the right- seriously he was gorgeous. And that girl there? SHE'S A MAN WTF. And yeah, I KNOW they are all men: you would too if you had my view of the stage. O_O

First attempt at taking a photo of the oh-so-attractive male dancer. Fail. Well..it's his chest. Maybe not a fail. The stage smelt funny: like a sweet smell. We thought it was like perfume or body spray they put on to hide the sweatiness. Whatever it was, I have become so addicted to it while everyone else hated it. It's on my clothes and coat and I hope it doesn't go away!

This guy's skills were wicked! He had a bathtub below him and he swung right above us! His muscles were so big!

Here he is again. Doing some stretches. He eventually got in the bath, but soaked us all below.

Yes. A man. Gosh, I can't get that into my head.

They done this X-Factor/Britain's Got Talent act. It was very funny. There was a midget who played Simon. Tough little guy.

They also included some acts too: Jedward! This was again the super cute guy- he soaked me with the water pistol!! haha! Cheeky!

One of the guys being Susan Boyle. It was hilarious when medical people came in and took her away in a strait jacket!

Also a Cheryl Cole act.

This was at the interval. You could go up and get your photo taken with them. I managed to catch a picture in-between. The one on the far right was definitely the most beautiful. (What am I saying??!?)

Woman in feathers.

This one sang 'Barbie Girl' She switched sides of her body when it was Ken's lines- very amusing indeed.

So much Gaga recently! An excellent rendition of 'Poker Face.' Dance moves were flawless.

This was Grease! Sorry, I couldn't help taking photos of these guys when they were just so so close to me! *attempts to stretch arm closer*

Oh! How I love this photo! I just set it as my wallpaper because it's such good quality. It's Grease again. That cutie at the end makes me melt.

If the show couldn't get ANY better, they also mimed 'Summer of '69' and look who their front man was?! *takes 100 more photos*

Random drummer guy. Nobody in the show sung or played at all. They mimed everything. It worked though.

All you single ladies, put your hands up!

This guy was a great Michael Jackson impersonator. It said on the background "This Isn't It" It surely was not.

He performed 3 songs: This was during 'Beat It' Some of the guys banged their chests together! My gay radar didn't function well tonight because I just couldn't decide if they were or not.

This was at the end when all the cast came on stage for the encore.

And I sneaked this little photo hehehe.

So anyway, by looking at that, it looks like the most perverted, disgusting, unethical thing I've ever been to, and yes, it probably was. But it was a fantastic evening and I loved it. So please don't shun me! It was an experience that shouldn't be missed! They are performing until Saturday 20th November, I highly recommend that you go to see it. (And take me again too!!)

- Claudia