daniel henney loves cheese

Korean-American star Daniel Henney is currently starring in his own reality series “Daniel Goes to Outback”. On April 9th, the series followed him to farms that have expertise in making quality cheese in Western Australia. The sexy face of American chain, Outback Steakhouse is on a mission to find fresh ingredients for new dishes. In the show, they found that cheese and onions made all the difference.

Who knew Daniel was the domestic type? He is an actor, model and he cares about the preparation of food! He is the whole package, right ladies? Women are finally liberated from the kitchen!

During his time in the outback, Henney commended the farmers for their hard work, especially that the cheese was “delicious”.   Australian ladies, the way to Daniel’s heart is through cheese!

“Daniel Goes Outback” airs Fridays at 10:00pm on Olive TV.

*Whoo.. he really is Mr Perfect!! I have only seen one site that has videos of his show.. i better watch it before it's gone! Unfortunately, I can't download the videos (for my copy) and it doesn't have any english subs :( Oh well, I'd still happily watch it anyways even though i wouldn't understand half of what he's saying :)

castle v. mentalist

two shows i'm avidly watching are Castle and The Mentalist. There are several similarities between the two shows and I can't decide which one i like more. So i thought I'd do a side by side comparison.

Show description

Castle - When someone starts using his books as the blueprints for brutal murders, a mystery novelist begins assisting the NYPD with some of their homicide cases, whether they want his help or not.

Mentalist - A man, once a fake TV psychic until a personal tragedy, has an uncanny ability to read people. He now uses his powers of observation to help the police solve crimes.

Lead Hero

Castle - Nathan Filion stars as the charming, wealthy and witty mystery novelist, Richard Castle. I find him very cool, funny, sexy and handsome. He is not super smart, but uses his skills as a mystery writer to think like the suspects and most of the times, his analysis and thinking is a great help in solving the crimes. He is also a great dad to Alexis and son to Martha. Castle is happy-go-lucky and sensitive and caring to his family and his colleagues.

Mentalist - Simon Baker stars as the charming, intelligent but troubled ex-TV psychic, Patrick Jane. I find his intelligence really impressive, he can also be funny and charming (esp with that sexy smile). However, his know-it-all attitude sometimes border on arrogance (and his observation and analysis is almost always never wrong), though once you find out his tragic past, you somehow get to understand why he is that way. I guess it's his way of coping with his loss and hiding from the pain. He is mostly intense and a bit quirky and loves showing some of his "magic" skills and hypotizing people.

Win: Castle. If given the chance to go out with both of them, I think I would go for the charming and funny Rick Castle. He's sure to give the ladies a great time! (and I love guys with a great sense of humor). Jane is also hot but he's too mysterious and too cynical.. I would probably go out with him if I wanted some angst in my life. hehe.

Lead Heroine

Castle - Stana Katic is Detective Kate Beckett (and Nikki Heat). She's smart and beautiful, is a perfect match to Castle. I love the chemistry between the two and i love how the writers are slowly developing their "love story". Beckett is usually very business-like and it's nice to see her sometimes show her girly side (when we find out she's a huge Castle fan, when she was fangirly over Joe Torre, or when she went out on a date with the fireman). It's also cute to see her little jealousies over Castle's women. Even though I want them to get together, I think the possibility would still be far away (maybe in Season 4 or 5). For the meantime, i dont mind them continuing with their playful banter.

Mentalist - Robin Tunney stars as Detective Teresa Lisbon. She's also smart and tough. Like Beckett, she also has a past (something to do with her childhood. In Beckett's case, her mom was murdered). I've only seen her break down twice. I think she comes off as a more mature and serious detective (kinda like Jane) that's why they also work well together. Jane can sometimes do unorthodox things and even breaks the law but it's surprising that Lisbon is okay with it. I don't feel any sexual attraction between the two (though they hinted at it once or twice). While Castle and Beckett comes out as a love story, Jane and Lisbon feels more like a great partnership.

Win: Kate Beckett. I find her prettier and more "human" than Lisbon's too serious character. Also, I think Beckett solves the cases with Castle, while in the Mentalist, it seems like Jane is usually the one cracking the case. And while Beckett solves the case with logic and analysis, Jane and Lisbon usually performs tricks and playacting (based on Jane's hunch) to solve cases. So hands down Beckett.

The Team

Castle: Detective Esposito and Detective Ryan. Great members of the team. They're usually the ones checking out leads, talking to the people. I like them both, they seem like goofball detectives, the ones who will always be fun to have around but also good with what they do. They seem to keep the office mood light and cheery. It's also nice to see them being good friends with Castle, and ganging up and teasing Beckett.

Mentalist: Detectives Rigsby, Cho and Van Pelt. Also great members. Unlike Castle, they seem to have more personalities. Cho is usually the lead inteviewer, he's tough and doesn't smile much. He seems to be the closest to Jane. Rigsby and Van Pelt are the ones searching for evidences and going after clues. I love their side "love story". It's funny that they think no one knows about them but I'm sure everyone knows about them (Jane has been teasing them, Rigsby confides to Cho and I'm sure Lisbon knows what going on).

Win: It's a tie. I love all of them. They're all smart and good detectives and provide great support to Castle/Beckett, Jane/Lisbon.

The Boss

The Boss is the head of the unit where Castle and Jane works. They don't always come out in the episode and when they do, it's usually just to ask for status updates on cases. I think both of them are very bosses and very supportive of the team, though i think I like the boss in Castle more because he comes off as more less serious and more relaxed boss than the one in Mentalist who seems to take his job seriously and very strict.

The Family

The one thing that makes Castle more enjoyable is the presence of Castle's daughter and mom on the show. They provide some laughter and loving support for Rick. Sometimes they also show some logic and smartness that helps Rick solve the cases. Of course, in Mentalist, the main story is Red John killed Jane's wife and daughter so he is filled with anger and wants to take revenge.

I'm so happy Castle got renewed for a third season! Haven't heard about Mentalist but i'm sure it will be renewed too!

red car

Loading our bodies into the red car and leaving on a vacation, just the two of us
Turning up the volume of the radio and singing along with it
Under the blue sky, it’s just the two of us
I am so happy cause I stay your life

I love you (oh beautiful)
I need you (oh wonderful)
When I’m together with you, I feel so happy
I can feel your love

I love you (oh beautiful)
I need you (oh wonderful)
Sweetly, my love’s melody
I can feel your love

The hot summer ocean, the song of the blinding sun
Doo-loo-doo-loo-doo-doo-doo Oh beautiful sun
The wind is singing along sweetly, this love song
Anything so good tell with me

I love you (oh beautiful)
I need you (oh wonderful)
When I’m together with you, I feel so happy
I can feel your love

I love you (oh beautiful)
I need you (oh wonderful)
Sweetly, my love’s melody
I can feel your love

To the sky, to that ocean, even more, to the top of the moon just the two of us
Let’s fold up our worries and enjoy this moment
On a car, on a train, on a plane to a boat, just the two of us
I’m really fine with going to a deserted island

I love you (oh beautiful)
I need you (oh wonderful)
When I’m together with you, I feel so happy
I can feel your love

I love you (oh beautiful)
I need you (oh wonderful)
Sweetly, my love’s melody
I can feel your love

I love you (oh beautiful)
I need you (oh wonderful)
When I’m together with you, I feel so happy
I can feel your love

- Lee Hyori feat Kim Gun Mo

100 books challenge (Q1)

i'm proud to be called a bookworm.. hehe.. i think i will die at the possibility of not being able to read anything..


so here's a list of what books (and e-books) i've read since jan 2010 (in no particular order):
1.) sarah dessen - just listen

Annabel Greene seemingly had everything: cool friends, close family, good grades, and a part-time modeling career in town. But it all came crashing down, and Annabel has spent the summer in shaky, self-imposed exile. She finds herself dreading the new school term and facing, well, everyone again. The last thing she wants to do is revisit old friendships while the losses are painful, the secrets behind the rifts are almost unbearable. Her solid family seems fragile, too. What happened to cause the stiff silences and palpable resentments between her two older sisters? Why is no one in her loving but determinedly cheerful family talking about her middle sister's eating disorder? Annabel's devastating secret is revealed in bits and snatches, as readers see her go to amazing lengths to avoid confrontation. Caught between wanting to protect her family and her own struggles to face a devastating experience, Annabel finds comfort in an unlikely friendship with the school's most notorious loner. Owen has his own issues with anger, but has learned to control it and helps her realize the dangers of holding in her emotions.




2.) sarah dessen - someone like you

Halley has always been close to her mother, a therapist who publishes books about adolescent behavior. But the summer before her junior year of high school, Halley begins cutting the umbilical cord. She and her best friend, Scarlett, start hanging out with Ginny Tabor ("a cheerleader with a wild streak a mile wide and a reputation among the football team for more than her cheers and famous midair splits"); Halley dumps her nerdy boyfriend (the son of her mother's best friend) and becomes involved with reckless Macon, a boy her parents have forbidden her to see. Then Scarlett discovers she is pregnant two months after her boyfriend Michael is killed in a motorcycle accident. Walking a line between childhood and adulthood, the two girls turn to each other instead of their families for support. Together they explore the meaning of love, sex and responsibility. 


3.) sarah dessen - dreamland

Strange, sleepy Rogerson, with his long brown dreads and brilliant green eyes, had seemed to Caitlin to be an open door. With him she could be anybody, not just the second-rate shadow of her older sister, Cass. But now she is drowning in the vacuum Cass left behind when she turned her back on her family's expectations by running off with a boyfriend. Caitlin wanders in a dream land of drugs and a nightmare of Rogerson's sudden fists, lost in her search for herself.
Why do so many girls allow themselves to get into abusive relationships--and what keeps them there? In this riveting novel, Sarah Dessen searches for understanding and answers. Caught in a trap that is baited with love and need, Caitlin must frantically manage her every action to avoid being hit by the hands that once seemed so gentle. All around her are women who care--best friends, mother, sister, mentor--but shame keeps her from confiding in any of them, especially Cass, her brilliant older sister, whose own flight from home had seemed to point the way.

4.) sarah dessen - the truth about forever

When asked how she is coping with her father's death, invariably seventeen year old Macy Queen's answer is "fine," when nothing could be further from the truth. In actuality, she is drowning in grief while maintaining a flawless façade of good grades and unblemished behavior. Though she feels lost when her boyfriend heads to "Brain Camp" for the summer, she finds herself a job with the quirky Wish Catering crew, and meets "sa-woon"-worthy Wes, whose chaotic lifestyle is in direct opposition to her own. As the two share their stories over the summer, Macy realizes she can no longer keep her feelings on ice. Though it feels like her future endedwith her dad's death, Macy's learns that forever is all about beginnings. 


Rating: 5 Stars for all of Dessen's books. Wow! All her stories are so powerful and poignant! She's such a great writer. I recommend her books to everyone, she will touch your heart your soul!


5.) nicholas sparks - dear john

An angry rebel, John dropped out of school and enlisted in the Army, not knowing what else to do with his life--until he meets the girl of his dreams, Savannah. Their mutual attraction quickly grows into the kind of love that leaves Savannah waiting for John to finish his tour of duty, and John wanting to settle down with the woman who captured his heart. But 9/11 changes everything. John feels it is his duty to re-enlist. And sadly, the long separation finds Savannah falling in love with someone else. "Dear John," the letter read...and with those two words, a heart was broken and two lives were changed forever. Returning home, John must come to grips with the fact that Savannah, now married, is still his true love--and face the hardest decision of his life.


Rating: 5 stars - I'm not a sparks fan.. but this is the book that really made me admire him. I love the beautiful but heartbreaking story between John and SAvannah. Can't wait to watch the movie! I heard they changed it to *spoiler ahead* a happy ending.


6.) julie james - just the sexiest man alive

Chicagoan Taylor Donovan is driven to succeed, and her track record in defending corporate clients against sexual-harassment lawsuits is unsurpassed. On loan to her firm’s Los Angeles office, she reluctantly agrees to coach big-name actor and sexy heartthrob Jason Andrews for his upcoming role as a lawyer. His attitude irks her, while her insistence on maintaining a professional distance intrigues him. 


Rating: 4 Stars - typical romance novel but the characters and writing are fresh and light that it's an easy summer read. I can imagine Jen Aniston or Kate Hudson as Taylor and George Clooney as Jason Andrews.






7.) julie ortolon - drive me wild

With the face that launched a thousand newscasts, drop-dead-gorgeous TV anchor Brent Michaels returns to his Texas hometown--to be the "bachelor" in a Dating Game fund-raiser. He can't refuse his old friend Laura Beth Morgan's request. And soon, he can't refuse the shy do-gooder anything. The tomboy he remembered had blossomed into a beautiful woman. An irresistible challenge for the man every woman wants...
Laura Morgan yearns to break free, just as Brent Michaels did. He'd come a long way from the boy who grew up on the wrong side of the tracks, the friend who kissed her once, then ran. But even as he warns her he's incapable of love, he's not running now. For Laura was stirring him like no woman had before, making him consider the "M" word for the first time, leaving him certain of only one thing: Laura Morgan could be his undoing....
Rating: 3 1/2 stars - the plot was interesting but for some reason, it was hard for me to finish this novel as quickly as i would have liked it to be.


8.) libba bray - a great and terrible beauty

Gemma, 16, has had an unconventional upbringing in India, until the day she foresees her mother’s death in a black, swirling vision that turns out to be true. Sent back to England, she is enrolled at Spence, a girls’ academy with a mysterious burned-out East Wing. There Gemma is snubbed by powerful Felicity, beautiful Pippa, and even her own dumpy roommate Ann, until she blackmails herself and Ann into the treacherous clique. Gemma is distressed to find that she has been followed from India by Kartik, a beautiful young man who warns her to fight off the visions. Nevertheless, they continue, and one night she is led by a child-spirit to find a diary that reveals the secrets of a mystical Order. The clique soon finds a way to accompany Gemma to the other-world realms of her visions "for a bit of fun" and to taste the power they will never have as Victorian wives, but they discover that the delights of the realms are overwhelmed by a menace they cannot control. Gemma is left wi! th the knowledge that her role as the link between worlds leaves her with a mission to seek out the "others" and rebuild the Order.


Rating: 3 1/2 stars - what a really out-of-this-world tale of fantasy. Some parts were a bit scary but there were so many questions left unanswered and unresolved plots that i think i need to read the 2nd and 3rd book before I can appreciate the entire story. but overall an okay book.


9.) nancy collins - vamps


When the sun goes down, New York's true elite all head to one place: Bathory Academy, where the young ladies of the finest vampire families are trained in shapeshifting and luring their prey. Bathory's reigning queen, Lilith Todd, is the daughter of a powerful vampire businessman, and she knows exactly what she wants from life. She wants to look beautiful for eternity and party till the sun comes up with her gorgeous boyfriend, Jules. And she doesn't want any New Blood upstarts standing in her way. Enter Cally Monture, an unexpected threat from a trash zip code. When their first meeting leads to tragic results, Lilith is hungry for revenge.


10.) nancy collins - night life

Fashion victim just got a whole new meaning. When vampire heiress Lilith Todd decides she wants a modeling career, she won't let her father stop her—even if he does threaten to cut off her credit cards. Lilith's rival, Cally Monture, is in a different kind of hot water. Her boyfriend, Peter, is a vampire hunter—a sexy, sensitive soul mate who just happens to be sworn to destroy her entire race. With the Rauhnacht Grand Ball fast approaching, both girls need the same things: a handsome escort and a dress to die for. But in a sea of shifting and dangerous loyalties, there's no telling who will betray them next.


11.) nancy collins - after dark

What good is a designer dress if someone puts a stake through it? It's the most important event of the season in New York's upper-crust vampire society. The Rauhnacht Grand Ball has everything you need for a night of scandal and intrigue: gala dresses, stolen boyfriends, forbidden love . . .Then a team of vampire hunters shows up and ruins everything! The surprise attack by Van Helsings is the worst gate-crashing ever. In the aftermath, half sisters Lilith and Cally scramble to regain their footing at the exclusive Bathory Academy—and in the world of high fashion, where both have star potential. When new suitors turn the romance up a notch, it's almost enough to make the half sisters forget their intense rivalry. Almost. But shared blood between vampires is not easy, and before long Lilith and Cally find themselves face-to-face again.

Rating: 4 Stars each - this book is more gossip girl than blue bloods. the first novel was just fluff, but the 2nd and 3rd book had better plots. a quick YA read.


12.) rachel gibson - true love and other disasters

Gorgeous Faith Duffy has been a lot of things in her 30 years. She started as an exotic dancer at 18, then became a Playboy model, a devoted wife to her 81-year-old husband Virgil, and now, a widow and business owner. Virgil Duffy owned the Seattle Chinooks hockey team and left it to Faith in his will, even though she knows nothing about the sport. Determined to prove she’s more than just one of Hef’s bunnies, she dives in, learning all she can about hockey and her new team. The only obstacle is the team captain, Ty Savage. Brooding and intimidating, Ty has led his team to the NHL playoffs, and he’s not about to let some gold digger of a widow ruin his chances. The press build up the initial rivalry between Faith and Ty, but the pair may not be as acrimonious as everyone thinks. A steamy story with plenty of fast-paced action on and off the ice.
Rating: 3 1/2 stars - this is a good read, but the plot was not fresh - i felt like reading a watered down version of Susan Elizabeth Phillips' It Had To Be You (which was such a great romance novel)


13.) rachel gibson - daisy's back in town

Thirty-three-year-old Daisy Lee Brooks possesses a rare maturity for a romance heroine. She has been a wife and mother for 15 years and now, as a widow, she has returned to her hometown of Lovett, Texas to set things right with the one person she has terribly wronged, Jackson Parrish, her former lover and the unwitting father of her 15-year-old son. Jackson, however, has never forgiven her for abandoning him the week his parents died and marrying their mutual best friend, Steven, and he's determined to avoid her—a task made difficult by Daisy's persistence and his still intense attraction to her. 
Rating: 3 1/2 stars - this book was better than Lola Carlyle reveals all, but i didn't love the whole premise. other wise, this was a good read.


not bad for someone with a 9 to 5 job and spends the night playing facebook games, chatting with friends, catching up on the latest kpop gossip and downloading tv shows, k/j-dramas and listening to k/jpop! i am thinking of blogging the books i've read every month just to keep track and see if i can read 100 books by dec 31, 2010.. i don't think it will be a problem for me since i've got my kindle! (am thinking of naming my kindle Kaye..but i'm still thinking of some cooler names for her).. so let's start counting shall we? :)

chocolate truffles

Hey, sun's setting down
get ready for a delicious dream
Close your eyes
I'll put magic spells
those comfy cotton candy like clouds
and teddy bears, look out the window
Since chocolate truffles fall
Real chocolate truffles fall
Hey, sun's setting down
get ready for a delicious dream
rose gardens and jelly trees
with a stream of caramel flowing
what a beautiful scenery
it probably all feels like a dream
Baby, trust me really happening to you
that sweet scent
is so heavy
Since chocolate truffles fall
As you say, there
Real chocolate truffles fall
Chocolate truffles are falling down
Since chocolate truffles fall
As you say, there
Real chocolate truffles fall
Close your eyes

- Clazziquai

the busy pirate

so what have i been upto lately? believe it or not, downloading tv shows night after night after night can be pretty tedious.. so at the start of feb 2010, have decided which shows i'll stop watching and which shows i'll continue to watch..

currently watching --
grey's anatomy season 6
castle season 2
the mentalist season 2
10 things i hate about you season 2
zettai kareshi

finished downloading but haven't watched --
meichan no shitsuji
JIN
tokyo dogs

currently downloading --
pasta

still completing --
family outing season 1
wild bunny
idol army (2PM)

next attraction --
chuno
wish upon a star
oh! my lady
true blood season 3

coming soon (depending on ratings) --
cinderella's sister
personal taste

replay

here's what my top 30 songs in itunes look like:

okay.. so my top replay songs are not diverse.. hehe.. i listen to my ipod every morning on my way to work at at night going home.. during these times, i want fun, upbeat and catchy songs.. that's why girl groups and fast songs rule my playlist. in mid-2009, my no. 1 song was Crazy (which is currently no. 2).. again and again was my no. 2 song during the mid to late 2009, but abracadabra came out and love it so much (you see the remix version is in no. 17) but in less than one year, it has become my no. 1 song.. what's surprising my no. 9 song "because of you" by after school, i only started listening to that song in early jan 2010, but in less than 3 months, it reached my top 10. another interesting songs are no. 16 "geuraedo dwilgga" and no. 24 "caution don't bother me".. these songs came out during the late 90s (at the height of s#arp and T's fame) and they're still on my top songs!! i love listening to them at night. Tasha is just so fierce!

so, let's see what happens in 6 months.. if there are new songs to reach my list or not!!