...No real title XD...

I'm going to cut my hair.. DRASTICALLY!...... Just saying..

& I'm going to make a vlog before I cut it...... Just saying..

& I'm going to make an appointment to cut my hair on Friday.. THIS Friday...... Just saying..

& And I'm sleepy...... Just yawning..

Xx Bye~

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

New idea vlog + piano workshop

^^ It has been some time, but I'm back with a blog entry!

First of all: Lately I've been feeling better! =)
Before I felt a bit depressed.. not like I was down or something, just really tired and not motivated to do things, but that's been going better now! =)

Reasons why my mood lifted:
~ I recently got into contact with an old friend again ^^
~ I've been creatively productive again
~ My exams are over and I passed both of them
~ I've been listening to K-pop day after day XD
~ I discovered more songs of Ayumi Hamasaki (of whom I am a fan occasionally..)
~ My sister send me a few songs over the phone! =D Now I don't have low quality, self recorded crap as ringtone anymore! XD

As the title says.. I have a new idea for my vlog.. well.. YouTube channel.. I rather don't call it a vlog, since I might do comedy and skits as well in the future.. =)
Anyway, you can expect a new vid soon, which I will place here too! ;)

Oh, ^^ I just want to say I had a piano workshop today (and I also played in front of public after wards).. =D It was fun! ^^ That's all I wanted to say.. X'D

^^ Byebye! *waves*

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

My day..

You want to know how my day was? YOU WANT TO KNOW HOW MY DAY WAS?!
*pulls own hair*

^^" No, I'm just kidding! =)
I'm not thát annoyed with the happenings of my day..
Lot's of things did happen though..

Today, I woke up at 6:45 am.. which is wayyy~ to early for me! XD
I don't have a bad mood in the morning, I just don't like mornings that much.. XP
Anyway, I woke up so early because I had an English exam today!

^^ I actually didn't study much for that exam! XD I figured.. it's English.. my English is okay.. Nahh, I don't need to study!
I think I did well, though.. =)

When I went home again, after spending a few hours relaxing in the sun with friends, I found out someone has been messing with my bicycle! :@
Apparently, someone thought it was "funny" to release the air out of one of my tires and then pull the rubber aside.. -_-"
Mann~, I was pissed when I saw what they had done!
I had to walk the whole 15-minute drive (it takes 40 minutes to walk)!
I'm not a person who gets blisters easily, but for some reason both of my heels have blisters now too!
It's just NOT FUNNY! Do these people have problems with the definition of 'fun' or something?!

When I got home, things got better..
I finally realized I had time for my own now! =D There's absolutely nothing I can do for school! ~ lalalala~ FREEDOM! =D Just 2 days though.. after the weekend begins a new semester, equals a new project, equals new work, equals business.. should I continue?...

..and now I have to clean my room.. T-T
My mum has started to ask me again and again ^^"

^^ Byebye for now~! TTYL~!

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

Photobucket//// *sigh*

Oops.. I exceeded Photobucket's monthly uploading allowance.. I uploaded too much MB on photo's...
..and now Photobucket has temporarily blocked all my photobucket images until the 16th of April, when all the monthly MB rates drop to zero..

T-T I have too many images from Photobucket.. and now my blog seems empty.. =X

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

~ I'm bored and I don't feel like sleeping.. ~

What to do when you're bored... *sigh*
To me the white sheet of an empty blog message is very alluring.. it makes me want to fill it with interesting stories! ^^ but it's usually not that interesting..
Just to make it more interesting, all types of games and question lists have been made by people who understand that blogging is very difficult when nothing big really happens in your life.. *breath in, breath out* ..but to be different from all the other blogs, you have to be unique.. *question mark, troubled expression* .. so you make your OWN LIST! X'D *slaps forehead*..

*cough* So that's what I'll do.. ^ー^"
It'll have only 3 questions..

1) What are you happy about?
Right now, I'm happy that my parents approve about me auditioning for the Film Academy next year.. ^^ I'm also happy that my photo camera (yes, I use a PHOTO camera to make MOVIES! XD) works with an file extention that is compatible with my computer! =D In that way I don't have to move mountains to get my vids done! ^^

2) What are you unhappy about?
I'm unhappy about my parents disapproving about my plans for the next year.. because I can't audition for the coming year at the Film Academy, I figured I wanted to spend the coming year going to Indonesia, stay with my family there, work a job and making vids during my free time.. (a great plan! ^^ At least, that's what I think).. but my parents think I should stay in my current study, to finish 2nd year of MIC, although that wouldn't get me a higher educational grade.. but I guess they have a point when they say I should finish 2nd year, because it's not sure I make it through the audition, so might I be rejected I can start at 3rd year of MIC.. *sigh* I just really hoped I could go to Indo~

3) What are you going to do?
Right now, I'm going to post this, log off and sleep.. Tomorrow, I'll be waking up early, start making some homework, maybe think of some script and leave for school.. When I get back, I'm afraid I have to play piano and then STUDY, STUDY, STUDY! =( I so dislike school now.. I'm not really motivated anymore.. but, I'll finish this year well and then I'm going to enjoy my summer vacation! ^^

That was my question thing..

I read one of my previous posts and in that post I was ranting about my stress for the Pitch I had to do.. I figured I should also tell you how it ended! ^^
I made a powerpoint presentation and I kept a paper with me, so in the end I was able to do well! =)
I really improved and that should count! ^^ Actually, I still was nervous like crazy and when I started my voice shot up from the nervousness! =X
Luckily nobody noticed, because I started my pitch with reading a small piece of my own story, which started with the word "Hey!" XD and that was exactly when my voice decided to octavate.. Keke!

Now I'd better go to sleep.. =)

*ANNYONG~!* (v^ー°)

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

Question - Answer! =)

A small list of questions! =)
I promise it to be small! ^^v ᆿᆿᆿ
Since last time it became a #R*&^#$ long list! ^^"

1. Name people who made you smile today?
~ Mom, my sister, ChiHo, Bas & Esther

2. What were you doing at 8:00 this morning?
~ turning around in my bed ^^"

3. What were you doing 30 minutes ago?
~ browsing through someone else's blog.. (that's where I found this list!^^"

4. What is something that happened to you in 1992?
~ That year I got a little sister! ^^ And I turned 2 that year.. much more hasn't happened I guess XP ^^ Oh, wait, my mum gave me my first vocal lessons! XD ᆿᆿᆿ

5. What is the last thing you said aloud?
~ "Just get the CD from the orange package downstairs..!"

6. How many different things did you drink today?
~ Ehm.. I drank tea, chocolate milk, again tea.. That makes 2 different things! =P

7. What color is your hairbrush?
~ Blue..

8. What was the last thing you bought?
~ Lunch, or better said, pre-dinner, since it was almost dinner time and I was still far from home X'D..

9. Who was the last person you met?
~ My entire class.. ^^ but if you count the last person I saw.. it has to be ChiHo, he left last, before I left.. ^^"I'm such a nerd XD

10. What color is your front door?
~ Bright red.. It truly is, but yeah.. that's what you get when your father's favorite color is red.. ~_~

11. Where do you keep your change?
~ In my wallet, like everyone else.. I think! X'D

12. What's the weather like today?
~ Sunny and clear, but chilly since it still is the end of winter..

13. What is the best ice cream flavor?
~ Chocolate and Coconut! =D

14. What is something you are excited about?
~ K-POP!! Especially TVXQ, Super Junior and F.T Island!! =)

15. When was the last rainbow you saw?
~ Far too long ago.. I can't remember exactly.. T^T

16. What size shoe do you wear?
~ 39, sometimes 40.. I DON'T HAVE LARGE FEET!!!ᆿᆿᆿ ^^"

17. Are you a cheerful person?
~ Definitely! ^^ I like to laugh and I don't know what PMS, depression or chagrin feels like! ^^"

18. Do you want to cut your hair?
~ YEAH!! ^^ Well, I want curls first.. and when that has worn out, I'll cut it.. (see a few posts earlier..^^)

19. Do you talk a lot?
~ Not really, I'm more of a writer.. ^^

20. Does your screen name have an "x" in it?
~ Nope.. No X is in CherryChocol8! ^^ =]

21. Do you know anyone named Steven?
~ Uh.. Yeah, but I never see/hear from that person.. ^^" He was a classmate in the first grade of High School.. I'm now in college.. It's been about 8 years that I've last seen him.. but we were never close, so that's not a problem ;)

22. Do you love your friends?
~ Now tell me, who wouldn't? XP Isn't that why you're friends with certain people, because YOU LOVE THEM! So YEAH, I LOVE MY FRIENDS! =)

23. Are you typically a jealous person?
~ I'm not really a jealous type of person.. Maybe that's because I've never really had a reason to be jealous..

24. Name someone whose name starts with the letter "R":
~ RyeoWook! ^^ =D

25. Name a friend whose name starts with the letter "A":
~ Anne!

26. Who's the 1st person on your received calls list?
~ My mom! ^^" ᆿᆿᆿᆿᆿᆿᆿᆿᆿ

I'm sleepy.. GOOD NIGHT!! =D

BYEBYE! Xx

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

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

Quick update! ^^

Just a short entry this time..
I don't have much time now ^^" that's why! XP
In just 2 hours I'll be playing the piano on stage!! =D
Well, in 2 hours it starts, I'll play as last which means I'm the best! =X orrrr... I'm just the oldest ^^"

Anyway, I'll play by heart again, so no books or papers! ^^
I know I said that I would put it on YouTube (because my dad has filmed it), but that still hasn't happened! =( (because my dad did not put it on his computer yet..)

^^ After playing today, I'll go to Amsterdam with a friend and we'll go ice skating there (if it's not too late)! After that we'll have dinner in an Indonesian restaurant! ^^ I'm looking forward to it!! =D

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

New lay-out! =D .. ^^" Again..

Hi everyone! =D

As you can see I changed the lay-out of my blog again! ^^
Not much change, but I saved a copy of the lay-out, so if there's many of you who want the old lay-out back.. ;) Just let me know and I'll change it back! =D

This new lay-out has some advantages.. ^^ Pictures won't get cut any longer!! =D
*YAAY~!*
..but I agree it's less easy to read, since the sentences will walk all over your screen now! XD Keke..
LAZY ME!

You know.. the thing I really want now is to change the background into one that isn't a plain color.. so, I'm going to &%$*#@ some more and see if I can get it the way I want it! XP

^^ Anyway~ I noticed how I hardly blogged about my own life anymore! ^^ㆀ
Agreed, the life of K-Pop stars is just SO MUCH MORE INTERESTING!! ^^ㆀ

But since yesterday evening I had a really memorable and nice time.. I'll blog about it! =)

Yesterday I went out with my class mates! =D
At 6:00 pm we ordered some Italian pasta! Mine was Lasagne! ^^

We went to a broadcasting studio in Amsterdam and we were part of the audience at a live show 'De Wereld Draait Door'.. (In English translated as: 'The World Keeps Turning', but there's a Dutch pun in it, so it also means that the world goes crazy.)
For everyone who doesn't know that live show: it's a live talk show and they cover topics such as politics, culture and art.. The program is mostly focused on being entertaining, the topics are often kept light and approached with humor.

So much fun! *remembers it and smiles again*

I don't have time anymore.. I have to go~! O_O Piano lesson!! ^^ㆀ
I would have forgotten if my mother didn't remind me of it! X'D

Byebye!! ^^

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

Tests, tests, tests...

BOOOH!!
I'm having exam-like tests this week.. actually, I've had one already and I need to do 2 more..
━ ━ㆀ
I'm totally DISLIKING them!! =/
The one I've just made (today) was about "Media & Society" and it was the easiest out of the 3..
The next is going to be "Marketing Communication" and the last is "Professional Economy"..
O_O That last one is really the Cherry of the test-cake! X'(

That was all for today!
Byebye~! *goes to sleep*
It's getting late already and I have to wake up early tomorrow! O_O

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

It's been a while.. again.. ^^ㆀ

I'm seriously slacking in my new year's resolution.. ~~ㆀ
.. but you know what~~ ^^ I have a new solution for my blog =P like.. a new goal ^^
And that new goal is:

...................................
.. BAM BAM BAM ..
...................................

.. writing more entries than the previous month! =D
That's good enough too, right? (^-^)=b

'Cause.. obviously, I don't have much time.. since I'm busy with school now..

~~~~~~ *goes crazy* ~~~~~~

So, that was actually all I can post right now..

I'm out of inspiration, out of time and out of energy...
I sound toooooooo depressive right now,, and believe me I AM... NOT!!! XP

^^ Anyways.. byebye! ^^ㆀ

*Leaving too soon, and knowing it*

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

At school~

I'm at school right now..
So it's just a quick update! ;)
I have no class right now, I'm killing some time..
Actually class starts in an hour...........

BORED!!

^^'

Anyway.. last Sunday, on my mother's birthday, I was playing the piano on stage! =D
I made not a single mistake! ^^
Although I thought I made one..
I was doubting whether I had repeated something.. XD (I played by heart, so without books)..
Buuut, it turned out I did well, without unnecessary repetitions.. keke..

My dad filmed my performance, I'm going to put it on YouTube! XD
When I do so, I'll make an entry with the YouTube movie! =)

I'll be going now! ^^
Byebye!! *waves*

~~~~~X~~~x~~~X~~~~~
Always keep the faith.. DBSK FIGHTING! *~Maria

^^ Looking forward to tomorrow!! =)

Tomorrow is not "just a Sunday" or "just a day" even..
No, it's my mum's 49th birthday, or in Korean her 50th birthday ^^..
So, if I had lived in Korea, it would be a big party! ^^' but since I don't, it's going to be a big party next year.. XD
Anyway, it's still her birthday and I bought her a great present! xP

^^ I bought her a book where she can write down her own receipts in..
That's not all, I also bought a little something where you can grow seeds in, from a little plant you can eat.. called "tuinkers" in Dutch, but I don't know the English translation ㅡㅡㆀ
It has a specific design so you can cut the greens off clean without bits of soil coming with it..

I have made a card for my mum, drawing it with aquarel pencils.. (I hope it's correct English) ^^'

My English lacks when I have to describe specific objects I don't use often.. ㅡㅡㆀ
But hey, I'll learn from trying (and failing ㅡㅡㆀ).. ^^'

~~ That's it for today, or now at least.. XP ~~

BYEBYE!! =)

~~~~~X~~~x~~~X~~~~~
Always keep the faith.. DBSK FIGHTING! *~Maria

Ghost Train.. XD

Today I went to pick up my present..
Long story short: I forgot my present when I got it on Saint Nicholas day, so I had to fetch it later XD

(A) If you had read my blog, you could have known.. and if you know me well, you could have known either.. ^^'

On Sunday (the day after Saint Nicholas day) I had called my aunt that I was going to visit to pick up my present this week.. but I didn't really told her when.. ^^'
She said it was okay and there would always be someone at home..

So today I went all the way to my aunt's house (which is a 2,5 hour journey by public transport).. When I finally arrived at their house, nobody was at home.. except for the cleaning lady.. ㅡㅡㆀ
Luckily she let me in to wait for my uncle (who had JUST left). ^^'
After I told her that I was a niece/cousin of the family... XP

Anyways, an hour later my uncle came back =)
I had spend the hour very happily behind my own laptop, writing at my fanfic! ^^
That to the side XD
So when my uncle came back he offered me something to drink and prepared me a piece of almond pastry letter!! yumyum.. =D

When we were just relaxing on the cough and talking about Maurice (my cousin) playing at a friend's house, Elousise (my other cousin) came back from school! =)
^^ So we started relaxing on the cough with the three of us.. XP

And then I was going home again..

After taking the bus back to the Central Station of Leiden, I had to take the train to Amsterdam Central Station..
.. but that train was:
1) crowded, so I had to stand.. (not overly crowded, but all seats were taken..)
2) creepy.. *bites nails* .. okay, not that creepy XD

I was standing near the doors, at the top of the little stairs that go down..
(For the people who know Dutch Railway transport; it was a Intercity train, the ones that make almost no noise and drive without shaking that much)..
Above the stairs was some sort of cabinet (probably for the electrician, to be able to fix errors and such), but from that cabinet came weird unhuman snores..
Sometimes it sounded like someone with a cold breathed in and out and at other times it sounded more like the flushing sounds of a toilet, but then with air instead of water..
Those sounds would come in rushes, sometimes they couldn't be heard, but they weren't the only weird things..
Throughout the whole journey, between two wagons (on my other side) was the annoying sound of scraping metal..
There was this third creepy thing.. when the announcer spoke, it was too soft to understand anything she said, you could only hear her voice..

Then there was the most normal, yet important factor: it was getting dark, I couldn't see what was outside any longer..

XD So that factor makes the experience creepy
ㅡㅡㆀ
If it was on the midst of the day, I wouldn't even think anything of the sounds..
I'm now already laughing about my fantasy of a "Ghost train".. but if the train had been completely empty.. well..

NO, SORRY.. NOT BELIEVING IT! XD

I'm too much of a realist.. I can't be scared about something like that.. =P

Anyway.. I'll be going now! XD

Byebye!! *waves*

안녕! ( = annyoung! )

~~~~~X~~~x~~~X~~~~~
Always keep the faith.. DBSK FIGHTING! *~Maria

Saint Nicholas! W-WHAT IS THAT?! XD

An exclusively Dutch holiday..

So far, many of you could have known.. since I already told you about that ^^'
But let me research a little and share with you a bit of information on Saint Nicholas and why it became a holiday with the tradition that comes with it..

Saint Nicholas:
The name Saint Nicholas in Greek is : Agios ( = saint ) Nikolaos ( = victory of the people ).
Saint Nicholas was born in the third century, around the year 270.
He was born in Patara, in the province of Lycia, in modern-Turkey.
He came from a rich family (his father was a salesman) and his parents raised him with Christian values.
His parents died in an epidemic when Nicholas was still young.
Following Jesus' words to "sell what you own and give the money to the poor" Nicholas spend his whole inheritance on the needy, sick and suffering people.
Nicholas dedicated his life to serving God and became Bishop of Myra, Turkey.
He became a known man for his care to the needy, his love for children and his concern for sailors and ships.
Under the Roman Emperor Dioclation, who persecuted Christians, Bishop Nicholas suffered for his faith and was brought to prison. Along with many more bishops, priests and deacons.
The prisons were so full they didn't even have enough room for real criminals like murderers, thieves and robbers..
Eventually he got released and joined the Council of Nicaea in 325. A few years later, in the year 343 on the 6th of December, Bishop Nicholas died in Myra.
Bishop Nicholas was buried in his church Cathedral in Myra, where a relic, called Manna, formed in his grave. This liquid substance, said to have healing powers, fostered the growth of devotion to Bishop Nicholas. Years after his death he was claimed "holy", therefore he was called Saint Nicholas from then on.
The anniversary of his death became a day of celebration, Saint Nicholas day, December 6th.

Legends of Saint Nicholas:
There are quite some legends about Saint Nicholas' life. Here are a few:
~ There lived a poor man with three daughters. In that time, a father would have to pay a dowry to have his daughter get married. How larger the dowry, the more chance the daughter was going to marry well.. This man was very poor, so his daughters had no chance to marry and were destined to go into slavory. On three different occassions a bag of gold appeared in their home, providing the needed dowries. These bags of gold, tossed through the window, were said to have landed in stockings or shoes left before the fire to dry. That is how the costume started of children hanging stockings and placing shoes near the fireplace.
~ A story that took place long after Saint Nicholas death. The townspeople of Myra were celebrating Saint Nicholas on the eve of his feast day when Arab pirates from Crete came into the district. They stole treasures from the Church of Saint Nicholas. As they were leaving town, they snatched a young boy, Basilios, to make into a slave. The emir, or ruler, selected Basilios to be his personal cupbearer, as not knowing the language, Basilios would not understand what the king said to those around him. For Basilios' parents, devastated at the loss of their only child, the year passed slowly, filled with grief. As the next St. Nicholas' feast day approached, Basilios' mother would not join in the festivity, as it was now a day of tragedy. Meanwhile, as Basilios was fulfilling his tasks serving the emir, he was suddenly whisked up and away. St. Nicholas appeared to the terrified boy, blessed him, and set him down at his home back in Myra. Imagine the joy and wonderment when Basilios amazingly appeared before his parents, still holding the king's golden cup. This is the first story told of St. Nicholas protecting children—which became his primary role in the West.
~ Another story tells of three theological students, traveling on their way to study in Athens. A wicked innkeeper robbed and murdered them, hiding their remains in a large pickling tub. It so happened that Bishop Nicholas, traveling along the same route, stopped at this very inn. In the night he dreamed of the crime, got up, and summoned the innkeeper. As Nicholas prayed earnestly to God the three boys were restored to life and wholeness. In France the story is told of three small children, wandering in their play until lost, lured, and captured by an evil butcher. St. Nicholas appears and appeals to God to return them to life and to their families. And so St. Nicholas is the patron and protector of children.
~ Several stories tell of Nicholas and the sea. When he was young, Nicholas sought the holy by making a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. There as he walked where Jesus walked, he sought to more deeply experience Jesus' life, passion, and resurrection. Returning by sea, a mighty storm threatened to wreck the ship. Nicholas calmly prayed. The terrified sailors were amazed when the wind and waves suddenly calmed, sparing them all. And so St. Nicholas is the patron of sailors and voyagers.

Saint Nicholas has multiple names, given to him through the times, here are a few:
~ Bishop of Myra
~ Saint in Bari (his bones / relics were shipped to Bari, a town on the south coast of Italy, 1087)
~ Gift giver
~ Patron Saint (he became a patron to: mariners, bankers, pawn-brokers, scholars, orphans, laborers, travelers, merchants, judges, paupers, marriageable maidens, students, children, sailors, victims of judicial mistakes, captives, perfumers, even thieves and murderers!)
~ Wonder worker

Dutch tradition on Saint Nicholas day nowadays:
We Dutch people are (together with our Southern neighbors from Belgium and a part of Germany) the only country that celebrates Saint Nicholas day this commercially loaded..

We celebrate it on the evening before the 6th of December.
About a week before the 5th of December, Saint Nicholas arrives in the Netherlands (a national show!). That event will really take place (of course it's all a set up with actors!) and it will be broadcasted on television and watched by children and everyone who's interested in watching. =)

Saint Nicholas will arrive by steam boat. He will be wearing a white bishop's robe, including a red cape and mitre. With him he takes a bishop's crosier.

Along with him he has lots of mischievous assistants, black-skinned Moorish-clothed (from two centuries ago) young fellows, who help bring the presents to the families.

These assistants are called (translated) "black petes".

Saint Nicholas also has a beloved white horse, which is nowadays called (they made it up some time ago) "Amerigo".

On the evening of the 5th of December the families with children gather.

It is traditional to sing "Sinterklaas"-songs together and then open presents that Saint Nicholas has brought all the children that have been good in the past year (practically every child gets a few presents).

The bringing of presents is often done by placing a sack with presents outside the house or living room, after which a neighbour or parent bangs the door or window, pretending to be Saint Nicholas' assistant. Another option is to hire or ask someone to dress up as Saint Nicholas and deliver the presents personally.

When the children are small (to the age of 8) the children usually believe Saint Nicholas is real and exists.

When children no longer believe in Saint Nicholas being alive and bringing the presents for real, the tradition shifts to 'making surprises' for each other.

A month before the 5th of December, the family (or group that will celebrate together) will come together and "draw lots".

On each lot is another person's name with their wish for a present.

A budget is then decided and each person will buy a present for the person that was on their lot.

Then they'll make "A surprise", which is like a box decorated to the style of the persons hobbies for example, with the present somewhere in it. A poem has to be written too. The "surprise" has to be anonymous, so no hitting it's your product!

On the evening of the 5th of December the group will join and then the "surprises" will be gathered.

One by one the persons will get their "surprise", read the poem and find their present.

At the end of the evening the makers of the "surprises" will be known.

History of the Dutch tradition of Saint Nicholas:

Saint Nicholas hasn't always been celebrated the way as it is right now.

In the Middle Ages Saint Nicholas was celebrated on the 6th of December, by pupils.

One of the pupils would be chosen bishop, he was then assisted by his fellow pupils, who where boys (at that time only boys went to school) who painted themselves black and they got food and presents.

Sometimes they got a day off and money to celebrate Saint Nicholas day.

Later on they started to treat poor children too. That's how it became a national holiday.

The shoe became the place to find presents in.

On the evening before the 6th of December small presents and candy where placed at the fire place mostly for the small children.

In the 17th century Saint Nicholas had become the invisible child friend, educator and marriage maker. Up till 1845 Saint Nicholas didn't "show himself" in public nor in family circle. "Black pete" isn't even known yet.

Only after 1845 Saint Nicholas shows up in public, dressed like a bishop. Slowly in time "black petes" make their debut along side Saint Nicholas.

Another origin of Saint Nicholas day:

To make things even more confusing for people who have not known anything about Saint Nicholas..
There is a second reason for Saint Nicholas day as it is celebrated in the Netherlands.
In the Middle Ages a lot of people were converted to Christianity.
To not provoke the Dutch people, the leaders of the convertion let the Pagan celebrations slowly turn into Christian celebrations and replaced the Pagan gods with the Christian saints.
Saint Nicholas seems to have taken the place of Pagan's mightiest god, named Wodan.
Wodan was a fierce man with a wide cape, hat and a long beard. He rode a white horse through the air and held a spear in his hands.
He was assisted by two black ravens that informed him about the attitudes of the people.
Wodan was worshipped a lot and it seemed only a popular saint like Saint Nicholas was able to replace him..

Wodan, the Pagan's mightiest god.

I can see some resemblance, although Wodan looks scary ^^' but yeah, some think Saint Nicholas looks scary, so I'll keep it objective now! XD

Saint Nicholas, the original Father Christmas:

As many of you might not have thought; Santa Claus comes from Saint Nicholas..

I stumbled upon a comparison between Santa Claus and Saint Nicholas, which I thought was very good! =)

Here it is:

Santa Claus belongs to childhood;

St. Nicholas models for all of life.

Santa Claus, as we know him, developed to boost Christmas sales—the commercial Christmas message;

St. Nicholas told the story of Christ and peace, goodwill toward all—the hope-filled Christmas message.

Santa Claus encourages consumption;

St. Nicholas encourages compassion.

Santa Claus appears each year to be seen and heard for a short time;

St. Nicholas is part of the communion of saints, surrounding us always with prayer and example.

Santa Claus flies through the air—from the North Pole;

St. Nicholas walked the earth—caring for those in need.

Santa Claus, for some, replaces the Babe of Bethlehem;

St. Nicholas, for all, points to the Babe of Bethlehem.

Santa Claus isn't bad;
St. Nicholas is just better.

—J. Rosenthal & C. Myers

Just know that I like Saint Nicholas, and Christmas should be about celebrating the birth of Jesus, not the visit of Santa Claus! ^^ But that's just my view, I respect others thinking other wise! =)

Sources used:

~ http://www.stnicholascenter.org/

~ en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Nicholas

~ http://www.sintkleurtdestad.nl/

~~~

I know lòòòòts of information above.. ^^ but I like to share my own Saint Nicholas day celebration from this year with you!

My cousins were just in the age that they no longer believed in Saint Nicholas, so we have done the "surprise" thingy with the whole family (from my mother's side).

That's me, my sister and parents, my 2 cousins (they're siblings) and their parents, my aunt and my unofficial uncle and my grandma.. ^^ One happy family, small but happy XD

The only one missing was my uncle.. but he is really not a party person, besides he was playing Saint Nicholas at the house of one of his friends!^^

I had made a "surprise" for my cousin =) and my other cousin had made me a piano ^^ (because my hobby is playing the piano ^-^)

He got me a dummy (an empty booklet) and ink cartridges in the colors red, turqoise and black! ^^ I'm really happy!! =)

^^' but being me.. I left my presents at my cousins, because I thought my parents had taken the presents to the car already.. but they hadn't.. ㅡㅡㆀ

So now I'll have to go there myself on Thursday, because I have no other day off except the weekend XD but then my free travel pass is not permitted, so I have to pay for travelling.. ^^' I have thought this through already! ^^'

Buuuuuuut.. it'll be okay, cause I love to see them again! ^^

Byebye!! ^^ Write to you all.. LATER!! =D

~~~~~X~~~x~~~X~~~~~
Always keep the faith.. DBSK FIGHTING! *~Maria

Time for some Korean! ^^

As some of you might know, I'm trying to learn some Korean! =)
I already know how the writing system works! ^^
I'll explain it! =P So you can learn too!

There are 14 consonants and 10 vowels.. that means the Korean "alphabet" consists of only 24 "characters"! ^^ of course those "characters" can be combined to make all sorts of sounds..

The 14 consonants are:
ᄀ = G (pronounced as in [good])
ᄂ = N
ᄃ = D
ᄅ = R/L (pronouciation depends on whether it's the end or the beginning of the syllable; begin = R, end = L)
ᄆ = M
ᄇ = B
ᄉ = S (sometimes it's pronounced as SH)
ᄋ = - no sound
ᄌ = J (pronounced as in [jacket])
ᄎ = CH (pronounced as in [China])
ᄏ = K (pronounced as in [Kettle])
ᄐ = T
ᄑ = P
ᄒ = H

That were the 14 consonants, this are the 10 vowels:
ᅡ = ah (pronounced as in [Cheetah])
ᅣ = yah
ᅥ = oh (pronounced as in [wrong])
ᅧ = yoh
ᅩ = eo (pronounced as in [go])
ᅭ = yeo
ᅮ = oo (pronounced as in [book])
ᅲ = yoo (pronounced as [you])
ᅳ = eu (pronounced as in [new])
ᅵ = ee (pronounced as in [leave])

The basic rule of writing Hangul (Korean language writing system), is that each syllable should at least contain 1 consonant and 1 vowel..
As you noticed there is a consonant that has no sound value.. That one is used to form a syllable that has only the sound of a vowel.. Like "ee" or "ah"..

Reading a syllable in Hangul is generally done from left to right and then up to down. Depending on the consonant-vowel combination, there are a few combinations possible.

I'll take my name to demonstrate how the Hangul system works.
My name is Ma-ri-a, devided in syllables.
The consonant for M = ᄆ and the vowel for a = ᅡ
putting ᄆ andᅡ together like this 마 you'll get the character for "ma"
The same goes for ᄅ and ᅵ = 리 => "ri"
The last syllable, which is "a", consists of only one vowel in English, knowing that there must be 1 consonant AND 1 vowel to make a character, we have to add the ᄋ, which has no sound value..
The last character will be = 아
My name written in Hangul = 마리아

Now I'm very lucky, because my name only uses one of the simplest structures!! ^^
I have an idea, I'll write the names of all TVXQ members in Hangul, as examples on how to write in Hangul! =)

TVXQ, or DBSK:
Dong = 동
Bang = 방
Shin = 신
Ki = 기

The leader U-Know of TVXQ, Jung Yun Ho:
Jung = 정
Yun = 윤
Ho = 호

Hero of TVXQ, Kim Jae Joong:
Kim = 김
Jae = 재
Joong = 중

Micky of TVXQ, Park Yoo Chun:
Park = 박
Yoo = 유
Chun = 천

Xiah of TVXQ, Kim Jun Su:
Kim = 김
Jun = 준
Su = 수

Max of TVXQ, Shim Chang Min:
Shim = 심
Chang = 창
Min = 민

As you may have noticed the romanization can be very misleading to the pronounciation.. that's why learning to read Hangul makes it easier to know the exact pronounciation! =)
Another thing you may have noticed is that the last Hangul constructions (as shown in the picture) aren't used in the names of TVXQ members, that's because they are more difficult..
^^ Anyway, I hope you've learned something, =) I'll be going now! ^^

Byebye!! *waves* 안녕! ( = annyoung! )

~~~~~X~~~x~~~X~~~~~
Always keep the faith.. DBSK FIGHTING! *~Maria

My sibling... the writer..

This morning my sister surprised me with this sentence (more or less):
"I have a great idea for my fanfic"

I was like this --> O.O
Maria: "What? Cool! So you write too?" *mixed emotions*

I thought I was the writer in my family! ㅡㅡㆀ
^^ Well, I can't help but being very curious about her writings!! =)
Her plot and story is promising! ^^
I might support her on my blog.. and when she posts, I'll give you the link! ;)
The story is about a fictional girl who's childhood friends with JiYong from Big Bang, but she then meets T.O.P and they become friends with the three of them..
JiYong thinks there's more going on between them, but that might not be true..
The story will be written from JiYong's perspective and it will be a drama ^^ , not the sickness-and-death kind of drama, but the tears-will-drop-for-certain kind of drama! =P

Something completely different..
Today I visited my family and we have pulled straws (is that the right term?^^') for Saint Nicolas (a national holiday in The Netherlands) ^^ I'm going to prepare a present for... I can't tell, my sister reads my blog too!! XD
I'll tell afterwards.. ^^
Saint Nicolas is celebrated on the 5th of December, so the 6th or later I'll be able to tell you! ^^'

For now.. BYEBYE!! *smiles*

~~~~~X~~~x~~~X~~~~~
Always keep the faith.. DBSK FIGHTING! *~Maria