Tara Na Sa Malaysia!

I am but optimistic about what 2014 might bring. Like any other year, this is about starting anew. A time when we’re moving onto another unduly expensive, Starbucks planner like we’re even gonna use it. Although starting strongly is highly evident, it’s as though the focus just won’t last longer than a fiscal year would. – Y’all get that. And while this might not be alarming to a particular, “younger” segment, it actually is to a bazillion more whose predetermined goals are still far from materializing.

Admit it, there ain’t nothing like year-ends to cup-off the former’s laziness and reclaim our control over goals and thus, our lives like a driven and mentally strong person with healthy habits would. And THAT is exactly what’s wrong. A tradition of endless anticlimactic mantra. Year after year, goals left undone. TIRING! Disappointing even. - Don’t get stressed out on me yet. LOL So as I pull out one of my planners, I decide to act on it.

Focusing on personal departments that I’m sort of heading south to is something I’ve been preparing to work on. Writing the goals down in succession, I realized that I’ve never really put much thought on how exciting it would be to travel. You know, like travel travel. Letting you in on a little secret, I’ve never flown. Ever! Say a product of futile, unestablished urge?? – Mortified. Anyway, it was early February when fate lead me to grace the 2014 PTAA Travel Tour Expo on the 14^th and thought, “A sign!” to pursue my plan to travel.

It was a pool of blur after “Tara Na Sa Malaysia.” - Sure a tagline as warm for a campaign can never fail to be this inviting. That aside, I’ve always wanted to see Malaysia for myself being one of the most accessible destinations from the Philippines. Also, I could recall from history class back in high school something about an unending historian debate regarding what-came-from-where thingy. It would be interesting to see how regardless of the claims, have this entirely different population grew as a nation with only figurative lines distinguishing the two countries.

Visit Malaysia Year 2014 Kicks Off in the Philippines with the launch of this tagline’s holiday package brochures featuring special Malaysia tour packages that have been put together with the help of valued local travel agents from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. It marks its grandest tourism celebration dubbed “Visit Malaysia Year [VMY] 2014” with stepped up efforts to attract more visitors to the bubbling, energetic culture, melting pot-filled with endless wondrous events, amazing festivals and exciting activities all year round. With its theme of “Celebrating One Malaysia Truly Asia,” these efforts would position the country as one of the premiere destinations in Southeast Asia co-existing with the Pearl of the Orient, Philippines and many others.

Just when I needed more reasons to go for Malaysia, Datò Mohd Zamri Bin Mohd Kassim, Ambassador of Malaysia, Manila, reiterated the invitation with this message: “There are numerous reasons tourists will find Malaysia an irresistible must-visit holiday destination. Whether it's rich and colorful multi-cultural heritage, exciting shopping malls, theme parks, fabulous food, great mountains and rivers, lush green parks and gardens, idyllic tropical islands, palm-fringed beaches or million-year-old rainforests - you can find all these attractions here in Malaysia.”

Senior Assistant Director of Tourism Malaysia, Mr. Mohd Akbal Setia enjoined the media and the thousands of attendees to come rediscover Malaysia and, for those who still haven’t visited the country, to finally experience its wonders for the first time. – Raises hand.

For those planning their next travel with Malaysia in mind, the “Tara Na Sa Malaysia” Holiday Packages Brochure is the perfect guide to help you see, feel and experience Malaysia at its best! It also puts into focus the wide range of activities available to visitors in Malaysia from theme park visits, shopping, nightlife, gastronomic adventures, honeymoon and romantic getaways, golfing, beach, cultural immersions and many others.

The brochures will be inserted on major newspapers, as well as selected magazines nationwide so make sure to keep one as it will sure come handy!

Dream KPop Fantasy Concert 2

As a happily, I’ve-done-a-bit-of-KPop, time-to-move-on kind of guy, I’m seemingly still left under the compelling spell of their porcelain like, almost dull-in-a-good-way, white skin. To gawkily drool over how illegally good looking they can be. - At least most of them. I’d probably be one to shoot a chance down though when asked to go to a concert and not be heavy-hearted ‘cause even at its peak, I guess I was never the No. 1 fan. That was until I read about a concert coming up. Then there, my domineering subconscious whispers. - “Why not?”

True to being a treat, Smart Araneta Coliseum’s system went all go for the much anticipated Dream KPop Fantasy Concert 2 last Sunday, February 2, 2014 as the grandest stage in Metro Manila housed yet another smashing, slam dunk event. And with no less than the deviously charming KPop groups – Super Junior M, A-Jax, A-Prince, Block-B, BPAP and BTOB, the night was a promise of nothing but cloud 9-ish, good stuff.

The crowd went wild with endless blow of screaming and god knows what as the dome came to life with eerie, heart-pounding beats and glaring lights.

Kick-started by an exalting vacuum of local talents, Dream KPop Filipino Champions owned it - BIG TIME! I just knew the rest of the night was gonna be epic.

Six KPop groups in a night of the impossible’s thrill drove the fans NUTS. - Trust me there's a reason I chose the word. Eunkwang, Hyunsik, Minhyuk, Changsub, Ilhoon, Peniel and Sungjae of BTOB, came up first to officially open the concert. Dome - Pitch-black. Light starts to crawl in towards the platform paralleled by a familiar logo projecting on the 3D screen – BTOB! And the crowd goes wild. The former performed “Insane,” “Wow,” “2nd Confession,” “I Only Know Love” and “Thriller.”

Seconded by A-Jax, I was out of my league. The only A-Jax I know my entire life was a dishwashing paste and there, everyone was cheering at the top of their lungs whilst I sat quietly on my princely, diamond VIP seat, clueless until they sang “Angels Brought Me Here” by Guy Sebastian. – Okay, THAT I know! Amongst the line up were SS501′s “Love Like This,” “2MYX,” “One 4 U” and “Insane.”

Zico, B-Bomb, U-Kwon, Kyung, P.O, Taeil and Jaehyo of Block B was up next with a handful of songs entitled “Very Good,” “Nalina,” “Nice Day” and “Be the Light.”

A highlight I considered was when A-Prince came out to raise the stakes. Sungwon, Minhyuk, Siyoon, Seungjun and Woobin awed the crowd killing “Nasa’yo Na Ang Lahat” by Daniel Padilla followed by a whopping “Otso-Otso” by Bayani Agbayani. The extra mile they went through studying the songs sure paid off as the fans went berserk mode. – LOL For the sake of, A-Prince also performed “Mambo,” “Hello,” and “My Lady.”

Up next were “Excuse Me,” “No Mercy,” “One Shot,” “Warrior” and “Bad Man” by B.A.P. composed of Himchan, Yongguk, Daehyun, Youngjae, Jong Up and Zelo. The group worked it up on stage, it could make a fan from even the most unbelieving of KPop. – Coughs.

Does “Save the Best for Last” ring a bell? Last act and what closed the concert was Super Junior M’s. – Just when I thought I heard the loudest, I was wrong. I literally had ringing in my ear. The songs were alien-ly good. Most of which I’m not familiar with. – Comes as no surprise of course. Nevertheless, it was a total experience I’m glad I didn’t miss for more hours of sleep.