Bowling for Columbine..

Hi everyone~!
I just finished watching "Bowling for Columbine".. It's quite a moving documentary..
^^ The DVD was actually for free.. that's why I got it..
Let me explain.. XP

It all started when I went to "Fame", a music/DVD/entertainment store, where I bought 2 Korean movies, under the label of "Quality Film Collection".. That label thingy was having an action.. They both had codes and when I would enter those codes on the website I could pick out a free DVD of choice (the choices were limited though..)
So I picked "Bowling for Columbine", because we had watched a part of that documentary at school and I found it interesting at that time..

^^ I was actually very lucky.. because:
1). "Bowling for Columbine" was a free DVD
2). One of the Korean DVD's had an extra DVD in the cover (which I found out later X'D)
3). There was a second DVD in the cover of "Bowling for Columbine" too!! O_O..

Conclusion..: I paid the price of 2 DVDs, to receive 5!!! ^^ Ain't I lucky now? =D
And those 2 DVDs were very cheap too! =X

But... to get back on the documentary I watched..
I think there's lots of things wrong with the perception of the gun-issue in the US.. O_O Mannnnnnnn, I'm soooo happy guns are illegal in the Netherlands.. XP
In the Netherlands it's like this: Owning a gun = risking a high fine or penalty ... We're not even talking about the usage of a gun.. ^^"
Also.. I feel safe, as is..

I feel kind of weird that people would actually have a loaded gun in their home to "protect themselves and their family", while there is no actual danger they expect..
Having guns would only make it easier for unauthorized people to do some bad things.. like youngsters taking their dad's gun to school to show it off and then having it stolen, or worse, used..

~~~~~X~~~x~~~X~~~~~
*~Maria

^^ HI~

Hi everyone~! ^^
How have you been? =)
I have been away for a few days (away from my blog, that is.. ^^ㆀ)..
..but now I'm back with a new entry! *yaay!*

As always.. I forgot something! *shame on me!*
About me forgetting.. it's not something I don't do often.. as stated before.. ^^ㆀ
I'm kind of a "serial forgetter" X'D or actually more like someone who'll always get things mixed up..
Last week, at the end of our school project, when the winner was going to be announced, I mixed up the dates.. We were nominated and the 17th february was going to be the day they revealed the winner.. on the 16th I said to Bas (a classmate) that it was that day.. ^^ㆀ but it was the 16th, so..
On another day that week I had printed and brought my English reader (the printing almost caused me to arrive too late at school) to class, but we didn't have an English class that day.. -_-ㆀ So very typically my behavior..

^^ㆀ And there was me.. wondering why they would call me "blond".. since I'm a natural brunette (with almost black hair!)..

I have some ideas for my hair..
.. but I can't decide (also something I'm very bad at.. ^^ㆀ)

~ The first choice is to get it permanented, like Acha Septriasa's hair in "Love is Cinta"..
I really like to try curls, not very small ones, but curls like her's.. ^^ maybe a little more ^^ The thing is, will it ruin my hair? Or will it stay like that for only 2 hours or so? ^^ㆀ

~ My second choice is to cut my hair kind of very short.. *waits for the shock effect XD* .. keke, I'm not kidding.. I might want to cut it shorter than shoulder length, with a fringe.. Something like Park ShinHye had when she filmed the drama "You're beautiful" (I'm talking about the female hairdo ofcourse! ^^)

My current hair looks like this:

^^ㆀ I look weird, so just look at my hair please! X'D

I don't know what I should do... curls, or short??
*doubting*

I'll go now, you can comment to help me make my choice! ^^ I would like to hear your advice on this! =D
~ I'll be back later!!
Byebye!! *waves*

~~~~~X~~~x~~~X~~~~~
*~Maria

Valentine's Day! ^^

Hi~ everyone~!

Today is Valentine's Day! =) So I wish you all a happy Valentine's Day!
For everyone with a boy- or girlfriend: ^^ I hope you have/had a great time together today! May it be ROMANTIC! =D
For everyone single: I hope you have/had a great day too, because there's always family and friends! ;) By the way, I'm single now too and I've had a great time today! =D I've done nothing special, but I still felt loved today ^^

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Some announcements: they're really off topic, but heck, maybe it's nice to know X'D ^^"
~ I finally found a Dutch DBSK Fanclub! =D ^^ Now I'm part of Dutch Cassiopeia!! *jumps excitedly*
~ I watched "You're Beautiful", a K-Drama with Jang Geun Suk, Park Shin Hye, Jung Yong Hwa (from CN Blue!) & Lee Hong Ki (from FT Island!).. ^^ A great Drama!! If you haven't seen it, let me just say this: WATCH THAT DRAMA! Keke.. =P Personally I think it's on the same level as "Boys Over Flowers", which is VERY GOOD! ^^
~ I've just put the whole first album of FT Island on my mp3 (XD I'm still using my mp3 more often than my IPod..) I know they have made a lot more.. but since I'm just starting to listen to their songs, I thought I should start with their first album and then the others.. ^^ That way they can only get better! XD

^^ So that were my announcements.. and they were REALLY OFF TOPIC! XD


^^ Yep.. this is the album cover of FT Island's first album: "Cheerful Sensibility"..
And with this said, I'm going to start my review! ^^ Always wanted to do one! XD Although the album is from 2007 =X

Tracklisting:
~ 1. Love Pains
~ 2. I Am Happy
~ 3. Thunder
~ 4. Only One Person
~ 5. Cling
~ 6. A Man's First Love Follows Him To The Grave
~ 7. They Said To Stop
~ 8. F.T Island
~ 9. Reo Reo
~ 10. Primadonna
~ 11. Meeting
~ 12. Because I Don't Know How To Love
~ 13. First Kiss

#1 - Love Pains - 사랑앓이
This song has a great feel.. It starts off with soft sounds and has a certain curious sound in it. When the chorus started I thought: "YES!", very powerful and at the same time full of feeling. ^^ Very powerful vocals of HongKi! =) The muffled shouting was less, but it brought a good change in the music.. and still it fitted! ^^ Overall a very good song! ;)

#2 - I Am Happy - 행복합니다
This song didn't directly catch my attention when I first listened the album.. It's a very average song in my opinion, but it a surprisingly relaxing song! ^^ Again very powerful vocals of HongKi completed with the others vocals in the background halfway the song! ^^ The rap part was sweet and a nice flow from HongKi's singing to WonBin's rapping and back to HongKi's singing! Not very outstanding musical composition, but it's nice to listen to! =) Overall a nice song!

#3 - Thunder - 천둥
The first thing that catches my attention is the unusual combination of the drum sound and the electric guitar sound. I know these instruments are not unusual together, but the sounds they make in this song are refreshing together.. =) The vocal part is beautiful, it starts off softly and then builds up to a strong vocal in the chorus and then goes back to being beautifully soft! ^^ I like it very much! Although this is not so catchy that it stays in your mind after hearing it once or twice, and you don't sing along after a few times.. but this song is a little jewel!! ^^ =D A wonderful song!

#4 - Only One Person - 한사람만
"Oh beautiful" is what I thought after hearing the first tunes of this song, then HongKi starts singing and it greatly flows from flute solo into guitar based ballad into powerful song. I like the variety of instruments used in this song.. I hear flute, clarinet, acoustic guitar, piano, violins, drums.. ^^ I like it! This song might not be a song you listen everyday, but it's a beautiful song, definitely! ^^

#5 - Cling - 집착
It starts off being a peaceful song, then it builds up a tension with rap (I think it's WonBin who raps), which is beautifully interrupted with a feelful vocal of HongKi, then the rap builds up the rest of the song into the chorus which is again sung by HongKi.. The switching between rap and vocal continues during the whole song and beautifully ends with a rap full of soul.. Very nice to listen to, also a catchy melody and a lot of feel! =) Personally I think this song is one of the best on this album! I like it a lot! ^^

#6 - A Man's First Love Follows Him To The Grave - 남자의 첫사랑은 무덤까지 간다
Long title.. especially when you include both the English and the Korean title.. ^^ The song has a groove to it.. ^^ First I thought it was a Reaggae-type of song was X'D Listening to it now, it sounds very good. It's different and that's great! ^^ The feel of this song is very relaxing, the vocals are at some part seducingly low and attractively sung.. ^^ If I didn't know the title in English I might have thought it was a seducing love song.. but.. it's not.. XP (I'll post the lyrics later! ^^ I'm curious too! XD)

#7 - They Said To Stop - 하지말래요
This song builds nicely and the feel is very good. I like to hear the chorus is sung by more voices than just HongKi's, it adds nicely to the song! With this song HongKi has proven to me that he really is a very good vocalist, besides singing powerful, he is also very talented in singing softly.. The guitar sound is very good too! As I said, the feel of this song is very good, without knowing the the meaning of the title and lyrics, it will still be clear as ice this is a sad song! And a beautiful one at that! ;)

#8 - F.T Island
^^ A promotional song for their band! =) Lots of bands have them.. Think 1TYM - 1TYM, BIGBANG - BIGBANG, etc. where's DBSK's?^^" This one's very nice, but a little basic.. ^^ "F.T... I.S... L.A... N.D., LET'S GO!" =) Very catchy! Although I get a little tired after hearing it a few times in a short time period..

#9 - Reo Reo
Nice start! ^^ Directly powerful and a very catchy tune! The drum really caught my attention, the rhythm is really refreshing and nice to listen to! ^^ The sound of the lyrics is very easy to catch on (at least, at the chorus), even non-korean speaking people will be able to sing a piece of the song! ^^ This song get's me happy since the first time hearing it! =D Great song!

#10 - Primadonna
^^ My favorite song from this album! =D Slow and lazy intro (in the good sense), but then it stops and get's tense before the really hyper drums begin to play.. Then the song just drags you in! Great to hear JaeJin sing a part of the vocals! ^^ Catchy as crazy and very tempting to shout out "Pe-ri-ma-do-nna~!" along with the song! Their Konglish way of pronouncing "Primadonna" in the song is actually very charming! ^^ An addicting song! Written in dedication to their fanclub "Primadonna"..

#11 - Meeting - 마중
A ballad alike start with interesting melody when HongKi's vocals start.. It really pulled me into the song! The instrumental basis is very beautiful, together with the vocals it makes the song sound really sweet and thoughtful, almost like a lullaby to a loved one.. Very sweet to listen to! ^^ One of my faves from this album. =)

#12 - Because I Don't Know How To Love - 사랑하는 법을 몰라서
Again a long title, but it doesn't matter, because the song makes up for it XP. The song is a ballad, the intro and first couplet did not really impress me, but the chorus DID! O_O very powerful! =) after that, the second couplet suddenly impressed me a lot more! ^^ A suprising ballad, but a beautiful one! ^^

#13 - First Kiss - 첫키스
The last song of the album.. The song didn't catch my attention at first, but when listening it very carefully now, I realized how sweet it sounds. The song is sung with a certain tenderness, like precious memories are being told.. The title does not deny it either! ^^ When listening to this song, images of summer and spring come to my mind! ^^ A very dreamy feeling.. I like it a lot! Picking this song as the last song of the album also is a very good choice! ^^ It stays in my mind, until (and that is soon!) I will listen to the album again! =D

My conclusion:
A very good album, nice songs and a lot of variety between up-tempo rock songs, pop songs, ballads and everything in between! Every song of the album has a lot of feel to it.. especially because of HongKi's powerful and soulful vocals! A must have for every k-pop listener! ^^

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I have to go now, it's getting late, but I'll post the lyrics of the songs and a biography of every member of F.T Island soon~! I can't promise tomorrow, because I might be really busy (in fact I know I'm going to have only a little time..) but I won't forget! ;)

ANNYONG~! =D *waves*

~~~~~X~~~x~~~X~~~~~
*~Maria

THIS or.. THAT!

Hi everyone! ^^

I was just browsing Winglin, then got to Shredded Hearts (request site)..
Until I found this thingy! XD
A list of "this or that".. ^^ I so wanted to do that too XD, so here is my list!
(I used the same options... I commented each question too!)

[x] Be 4′1
or
[] Be 7′9?
because: I the shorter I am, the more guys are taller than me, which I feel is a MUST!

Would you rather...
[] Live without music
or
[x] Live without TV?
because: I always listen to music, yet I hardly watch TV..

Would you rather...
[] Eat a bar of soap
or
[x] Drink a bottle of dishwashing liquid?
because: I think it's easier downing it when drinking than having to chomp it first.. XD

Would you rather...
[x] Be called a racist
or
[] Be called a traitor to your country?
because: the first is least bad.. ^^ㆀ

Would you rather...
[x] Lose your legs
or
[] Lose your arms?
because: *thinks of having to do everything with her feet..* =X having arms is just much more convenient..

Would you rather….
[x] Have a beautiful house and an ugly car
or
[] Have an ugly house and a beautiful car?
because: A car is not everything.. XD I'll spend more time in my house.. I'll have a beautiful bike! X'D

Would you rather...
[] Be blind
or
[x] Be deaf?
because: a blind person has a more difficult time living without help, a deaf person can at least take care of him/her-self..

If in a fire, would you rather save a...
[x] Sibling
or
[] Stranger?
because: .. that's only natural, unless you have hatred for your sibling, but I don't...

Would you rather...
[] Be spanked
or
[x] Be put on restriction (on your favorite thing to do)?
because: I can live with being unable to do something I like for a period of time, but I don't like pain.. X'D

Would you rather...
[x] Eat sushi
or
[] Eat liver?
because: I've never tasted Sushi.. but I guess I'll like that better, because liver is just gross!! O_O

Would you rather...
[x] Live in Antarctica
or
[] Live in Death Valley?
because: It is practically impossible to survive in the Death Valley if you would plan on living there.. XD So, I'll live in Antarctica then..

Would you rather...
[] Have 3 eyes
or
[x] Webbed Feet?
because: You can't tell when you see me first.. T_T

Would you rather...
[x] Find true love
or
[] Get $ 1,000,000?
because: aaah.. this is the classical "this or that"-question! XD I'll choose true love! =P Although I don't really believe in soulmates and true love.. but, since it's granted then.. It'll be true then, right? ^^

Would you rather...
[x] Always have to say what’s on your mind
or
[] Never speak again?
because: =X I already say what's on my mind..

Would you rather...
[] Be gossiped about
or
[x] Never talked about at all?
because: When they don't talk about me, then there won't be rumours about me, true or false.. but who says they don't THINK about me? XD *grins evilly*

Would you rather...
[x] Have stars in your eyes
or
[] Eyes in the back of your head?
because: I'd rather be as normal as possible.. soo.. NO EYES IN THE BACK OF MY HEAD!!

Would you rather….
[] Have X-Ray vision
or
[x] Bionic Hearing?
because: with X-Ray vision you'll see things you might not want to see.. *hint* but with bionic hearing, you can get a lot of knowledge (social knowledge XD)

Would you rather...
[x] Be able to hear any conversation
or
[] Take back anything you say?
because: If you can hear all conversations, you won't need to take back your words, because, you'll know what to say better.. ^^

Would you rather...
[] End hunger
or
[x] End hatred?
because: when hatred is gone, people will start to care for each other more, which means we can take care of the hungry people together! =)

Would you rather...
[x] Publish your diary
or
[] Make a movie about your most embarrassing moment?
because: My most embarrassing moment is not written in my diary, by the way, the most recent entry is from 5 years ago or something! XD

Would you rather...
[x] Get caught singing in the mirror
or
[] Get caught spying on your crush?
because: I can sing well enough.. but my crush will remain a secret at all times! (I don't have one at this moment though ^^ㆀ)

Would you rather...
[] Be a dog named Killer
or
[x] A cat named Fluffy?
because: hahaha XD I'd always be a cat rather than a dog! ^^ Dogs are known to respond to their name, but cats don't always have to.. ^^ So the name "Fluffy" would cause me not to react! Keke..

Would you rather...
[] Be stranded on an island with someone you hate
or
[x] Be stranded on an island alone?
because: Ehm.. just to keep it peaceful.. ^^

Would you rather...
[] Get even
or
[x] Get over it?
because: things can't be that important to fight over.. ^^ and if they are, the best will win! XD Getting even always means a friction between me and someone else..

Would you rather...
[x] Always lose
or
[] Never play?
because: Playing is more fun than winning! ^^

Would you rather...
[] Be forced to tell your best friend a lie
or
[x] Be forced to tell your parents the truth?
because: Although it might be more difficult to tell my parents the truth than telling my best friend a lie, I'd still rather tell the truth than a lie! ^^

Would you rather...
[x] Know it all
or
[] Have it all?
because: When you know it all, you'll never get called "stupid" or "brainless".. When you have it all, people will just assume you must be "dumb"..

Would you rather...
[] Give bad advice
or
[x] Get bad advice?
because: In that way I won't be the one to blame.

Would you rather...
[] Have sand in your shorts
or
[x] Have water in your ear?
because: No real reason.. XD Sand is just much more annoying than water!

Would you rather...
[x] Forget your sunscreen
or
[] Forget your sunglasses?
because: I don't always need sunscreen.. XD but I need my sunglasses!

Would you rather...
[] Kiss a jellyfish
or
[x] Step on a crab?
because: the injury seems similar.. but I'd rather be injured on my foot than on my mouth!! ^^ㆀ

Would you rather...
[] Own a ski lodge
or
[x] Own a surf camp?
because: Surfing is way cooler than skiing! XD I suck at both! =X

Would you rather...
[x] Forget who you were
or
[] Forget everyone else and who they were?
because: If I forget myself, people can tell me about myself.. but if I forget other people they will be hurt.. and I'll only remember myself, so I'll only have myself to tell me about other people... which won't work! ^^ㆀ

Would you rather...
[x] Have one wish granted today
or
[] Have 3 wishes granted in 10 years?
because: I'm impatient! =X besides, one wish now means there's nothing said about the 10 years that still have to come.. 3 wishes in 10 year means there are just 3 in the following 10 years! XD

Would you rather...
[x] Give up your computer
or
[] Give up your pet?
because: My little rabbit means more to me than a computer.. only the fact a computer can be replaced and a rabbit can't, says it all!

Would you rather...
[] Be the sandcastle
or
[x] Be the wave?
because: I like to be water, more than sand! XD Keke..

Would you rather...
[] Write the worst book in history
or
[x] Record the worst song in history?
because: If I have the title "worst book in history" on my name, I can shake it with my dream to become a writer.. I have never wanted to be a singer (at least not for real!), so having the title "worst song in history" on my name would not make a difference! XD

Would you rather...
[] Get free chocolate for 1 year
or
[x] Get free potatoes forever?
because: Potatoes are more healthy! by the way, free chocolate for a year means I get seriously addicted, which wouldn't do me any good! X'D

Would you rather...
[x] Have half days of school everyday
or
[] Have no homework forever?
because: half days, which means I will always have time to do the things I like best! =)

Would you rather...
[] Wear all pink to school
or
[x] Wear all purple to school?
because: I like purple better! =) I already wear a lot of purple, although never all purple!XD

Would you rather...
[x] Take a math test
or
[] Do a lab in science?
because: I suck at science!! O_O I'm good at maths! ^^ 8) So the choice is easy!

Would you rather...
[] Have a mansion in the middle of nowhere
or
[x] Share an apartment with 10 friends?
because: Good company is better than luxury! =) So this one is easy too! ^^

Would you rather...
[] Bake cookies in cooking class
or
[x] Do art projects in art class?
because: Did I mention I LOVE ART? ^^ ~Again, the choice is easy!! Art class of course! (^-^)V

Would you rather...
[] Have a pie-eating contest
or
[x] A wheelbarrow race?
because: I dislike binge-eating! X_x That's so gross to see! Racing with wheelbarrows seems to be a lot of fun though! ^^ㆀ

Would you rather...
[] Have a big group of friends
or
[x] One very close friend?
because: I'd rather have a friend that I can open my heart to and with whom I can share my secrets than be part of a large group and feel like a sheep.. ^^ㆀ If you get what I'm trying to say here..

Would you rather...
[x] Be nervous, but excited
or
[] Be relaxed, but bored?
because: A little adrenaline is good for a person, besides being excited is much more fun than being bored.. although it's nice to be relaxed too! XP

Would you rather...
[x] Wear a school uniform
or
[] Last year’s Halloween costume?
because: Probably because I've never wore one! ^^ To me it looks a fun experience.. XD although it might be really boring too! =X

Would you rather...
[] Spend the day surfing the Internet
or
[x] Surf the ocean?
because: I think it's much more fun to be outside surfing (and meeting people)! ^^ㆀ If only it's a place in the ocean where there are no sharks and where it's warm! =) Than I'll go happily!

Would you rather...
[x] Be an actor/actress for a big movie
or
[] Be the director of the big movie?
because: I think being an actress seems much more fun! XD This one's tough on me by the way, because I would want to be a director too! ^^ㆀ

Would you rather...
[] Have an ugly, loyal dog
or
[x] A prize-winning, snobby cat?
because: TOUGH ONE!! XD I like cats a lot more, so that's my final reason for picking the snobby, prize-winning cat.. although appearance does not matter to me and personality does matter to me.. ^^ㆀ

Would you rather...
[] Be saved by Superman
or
[x] Meet Winnie the Pooh?
because: Although Winnie the Pooh is not real, Superman is not perfect either! XD Since being saved by Superman means I have to be in danger first, I would rather like to meet Winnie the Pooh! ^^

Would you rather...
[] Go to an amusement park
or
[x] Go to a family reunion?
because: I love my family more than rollercoasters XD ^^ㆀ and why shouldn't a family reunion be held in an amusement park! Keke..

Would you rather...
[] Be rich with an unhappy job
or
[x] Be payed less with a job you like?
because: ^^ My job might then pay less, but I at least I can be happy doing what I love! =) Basically it's the same classical question, in other words (love or money?) ^^ㆀ

Would you rather...
[x] Not be able to use your phone
or
[] Not be able to use your e-mail?
because: I use e-mail more than my phone.. so not being able to use my e-mail is a bigger problem! ^^ Easy!

Would you rather...
[] Snowboard in the winter
or
[x] Swim in the summer?
because: I LOVE THE SUMMER! AND I SUCK AT SNOWBOARDING!! ^^

Would you rather...
[x] Pick your own nose
or
[] Pick someone else’s?
because: Ewww.. I'd rather pick mine than.. ^^ㆀ that way it's my own filth.. X( Though it's nasty.. I don't think it makes any difference, it being mine or someone else's, but if I have to pick someone else's 2 people are going to feel disgusted.. X'D

Would you rather...
[] Be a tree
or
[x] Live in one?
because: ^^ Then I get to be a bird.. .. and pick worms.. *throws up*

Would you rather...
[x] Write a mystery
or
[] Write a poem?
because: That's just more exciting! ^^ and a better challenge! =) I've written poems before..

Would you rather...
[] Be popular, but mean
or
[x] Be nice, but unpopular?
because: popular, mean girls don't have real friends.. only empty headed, fame-struck followers.. a nice person at least has real friends, maybe not many, but at least they'll be real!

Would you rather...
[x] Eat rubber
or
[] Eat plastic?
because: that seems easier to digest.. X'D It doesn't seem such a good idea to eat though! ^^ㆀ

Would you rather...
[x] Be shot
or
[] Shoot someone?
because: Hm.. If I get shot I'll live short, but enter heaven soon (at least there's a chance).. If I shoot I'll live longer, but don't enter heaven.. XD My choice is easy! =)

Would you rather...
[x] Be stranded
or
[] Get kidnapped?
because: If I'm stranded people will have to search for me, but I won't be in the hands of bad people, if I'm kidnapped people still have to search for me, but I'm also in the hands of bad people.. Hm... ^^ㆀ stranded then?

Would you rather...
[] Skip Christmas for a year
or
[x] Skip your Birthday for a year?
because: Christmas is a celebration for everyone, my birthday is just a celebration for me.. ^^ㆀ Christmas is always way more sociable too! =) So I'd rather skip my birthday for a year!

I know.. a long post! ~~ㆀ but I'm finished writing it! =D

I'll go now! *smiles* =D Byebye!! (^-^)*

~~~~~X~~~x~~~X~~~~~
*~Maria