Witchy Ghosts, Murderers, and Shia LaBeouf | Recent Film Projects

TIA HERE with some videos for you! I've been doing a lot of stuff lately, but haven't had much to show for, unfortunately. It sucks when you put a lot of work into something, like a project or a paper, and then it sort of disappears into oblivion to later become a part of your GPA. But the good thing about videos is that you can hold onto the evidence that you did something and actually show it to the world. So that said, here are the films/YouTube videos/music videos I've been creating lately, both WIP (unlisted) and completed:

September & October | Favorites

TIA HERE with a slightly late duo-monthly favorites post. To excuse my lateness: I am currently in the craziest part of the semester in terms of papers/big projects/work/club activities, so finding a free hour for Duo Diaries has been a challenge. But you'll never find time if you don't make time! So here I am, making time.

MUSIC

Justin Bieber was never one of my favorites, but as of late, I've become a huge fan of his music, namely: "Sorry," "Where Are Ü Now," and "What Do You Mean." I'm seriously hooked. I've always thought the Biebs was a good singer, but I never cared much for his lyrics or sound. These new songs, though, tell a different story. I feel like his lyrics are more genuine now, and the embracing of the sorta unique electronic sound is doing him well.

Summer Favorites | Honeymoon, Broken Monsters, and Lemonade

TIA HERE with my summer favorites, covering everything I've been digging from May through August. Enjoy!

MUSIC

Hayley Kiyoko is a singer and songwriter who is best known for playing Velma in the live-action Scooby Doo movie (YES, that was her). But I've also found that I really dig her EP, This Side of Paradise. Her song "Girls Like Girls" has one of the most awesome music videos I've seen in a while, too, so I hope you check it out! Gotta support my fellow half-asians.

DoubleBooked | AFTER DARK vs. KAFKA ON THE SHORE

THE DUO HERE, with something new for you! Introducing, DoubleBooked: a novel collaboration comparing our latest reads, lit-erally. Each month (hopefully), in an effort to read more, we will be reviewing two trending titles so you know what to check out next.

Review | "Jupiter Ascending" is a Beautiful Disaster in Space

TIA HERE with something a little different. You're probably wondering, why is she reviewing this movie that came out months ago? Well, this is a review I happened to write for my "Writing and Editing for Online Magazines" class that I took last semester. I didn't want my blog posts for that class to go to waste, so I figured: What better place to put them than here? I hope you enjoy these upcoming short posts, which are a bit sassier in tone (since they were written for a fictional magazine for my class), while I am currently finishing up my internships and preparing for my penultimate semester at Cornell.

13 Reasons Why Every Swiftie Must Attend Taylor Swift's 1989 World Tour

TIA HERE and recently returned from an insane Saturday night, MetLife Stadium, Taylor Swift concert!!! (Okay... Maybe not so recently. Because believe it or not, it didn't take me five days to travel home, although the train ride back felt like an eternity.) Some backdrop: I've been to MetLife Stadium before to see Beyoncé and Jay Z, I've seen Taylor Swift in concert in the past (for the Speak Now tour), and I was and am obsessed with her album 1989.

But rather than just blather on about my own experience at the concert, I thought I'd give you all some reasons why you should consider dishing out the (insane) amounts of money needed to see Taylor Swift at a distance with 60,000 other people. Doesn't sound worth it, right? Well, it is.

Here are my thirteen reasons why you should see Taylor Swift in concert for her 1989 World Tour if you have the chance:

What's It Like to Intern at a Production Company? | Guest Post

QUINCIE HERE—Wait, what?! Not who you were expecting, right? My buddy Tia, who you all know and love, asked me to write a guest post about my summer internships. Of course, being the good friend that I am (*insert sassy hand flip girl emoji*), I agreed. I previously appeared on Tia’s other post about internships, but here are some more specific details and tips about the industry I am working in, which is… *drumroll*... the entertainment industry!

Top 15 of TWENTY FIFTEEN (so far) + Playlist | a kpop roundup

VICTORIA HERE supplying you with my top Korean pop hits from the first half of 2k15! Though I do not consider myself an obsessed kpop fangirl, I do definitely stay up to date on the latest releases and there are a lot of great ones this year so far! This list is based on my own personal preferences rather than how popular each song actually was on the charts. Even so, I think kpop newbies and extreme fans alike can enjoy these songs and I encourage you to take the time out to listen! You might just find your new summer jam~

15. Taemin - Danger
SHINee's youngest member, Taemin, is all grown up in his solo debut. Danger is not too far a cry from a typical SHINee song which, of course, means it is a great pop track. Check out the MV (linked in the title) to awe at Taemin's Michael Jackson-esque dance moves (and his spectacular style)!

5 Netflix Shows You Should Be Binge-Watching Right Now

TIA HERE and now that it's finally summer, it's time to get working, sleeping, and, most importantly, binge-watching Netflix. Here are five shows that you must start watching on Netflix (with plenty of opinions):

1. Orange is the New Black (Season 3)

The most obvious, of course, is Orange is the New Black, season three. It just came out on June 11, so it's still pretty fresh for those who didn't devour it on the first weekend (as I am currently doing, writing this on the 13th). We're back following the story of Piper Chapman (who is trash this season, more than usual) and the backstories of many other interesting characters that are inmates at Litchfield Penitentiary. This show never fails to tug at heartstrings, while simultaneously bringing the laughs, so I recommend it for anyone who hasn't seen it yet. While the third season isn't super life changing in the context of the whole series, it's not bad and I was really feeling Soso's vibe this season (that half-Asian thing, you know).

Mad Max, Moving, & Mangoes | Diary

TIA HERE, now with a crazy week under my belt. After days of packing, I finally moved my six boxes from the old apartment to the new one (in Ithaca) and nearly broke my arms in the process. I definitely didn't do it all alone. Victoria had her fair share of boxes as well and we would've gotten nowhere without the life-saving assistance of my friend Sarah, a wonderfully talented < 3 A Cappella member and grad student with a big car. You're amazing, Sarah!

March & April | Favorites

TIA HERE and it's that time again! (Time for a bimonthy favorites post.) Here is what I've been particularly enjoying for the past two months.

MUSIC

Ukulele tunes are all I care about right now, and that is in part due to Steven Universe (see below) but mostly because I've been really enjoying playing my ukulele lately! It's basically free accompaniment for any song you would ever want to sing, in any key, at your own pace. Ukutabs and other chord-listing websites are all I need to feel like I can finally sing along to the songs I love. Recently, it's been mostly Steven Universe and stuff from Bioshock Infinite and The Hunger Games. A very strange combo, I know.

Review | Netflix's New Comedy: "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt"

the official poster for Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

TIA HERE, slipping in a blog post amidst the chaos of classes (a lot of which are requiring I write blog posts, which is why DD has been on hiatus—I'm tragically using up all of my blog ideas for class and clubs).

January & February | Favorites

TIA HERE and although it's been a little while because of the toils of Cornell classes and clubs, I thought it was a good enough time to talk about my monthly favorites—or, rather, my bimonthly favorites.

January and February are crazy, cold, ambitious months, when people start and end their New Year's Resolutions and trudge through miles of snow. This is the wildest time to try to hold onto sanity, but also the most important. Here is my list of things that have kept me sane in the past month or so:

MUSIC

Rachelle Dyksinski is a wedding singer with a soothing voice that is perfect to listen to when doing homework or taking a break. Check out her YouTube channel and thumb through her music if you love acoustic guitars, the occasional ukulele, and a lovely female singing voice.

Review | "This Is Not A Test" & "Please Remain Calm" by Courtney Summers

TIA HERE with my first book(s) review of the year, and of Duo Diaries... ever. And there is no better way to kick off the book reviewing than with the book I just finished yesterday—Please Remain Calm, the novella sequel to This Is Not A Test by Courtney Summers. Because the two go very much hand-in-hand, I thought it'd make sense to throw them all together into one nearly spoiler-less post (don't worry, there's a bold, all caps warning for when you get there).

10 TV Shows You Should Already Be Watching

TIA HERE and it's January, which means all the shows you love are premiering, or are returning after the big holiday break. If you're wondering what's on, what to watch, or what you might like—this list is for you. Here are ten TV shows that you should already be watching:

So You Wanna See Celebs in Korea?

VICTORIA HERE with an epic compilation of all of the famous people I saw while I was in Korea (yup, past tense! I am sadly back in the States now). Korea's entertainment industry is pretty expansive these days considering the amount of new idol groups being debuted every week, the rising popularity of Korean dramas, and the overall rise in acknowledgment towards the little peninsula across the world partly because of that damned Psy video. In this post, I list all of the events and places I have gone to ranging from music shows to film sets where I saw some of Korea's stars. I hope my little adventures help navigate you on your own journey in celeb-spotting! Remember that Korea has a lot more to offer beyond what I have done. If you are on a serious hunt for idols--visit their entertainment companies or strut around the streets of Gangnam. Korea is so small, you are bound to see someone!

Review | What "Mockingjay - Part 1" Got Right

TIA HERE with lots to say on The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1, which came out today (Wednesday the 19th) in Europe. (To all you Americans: enjoy it on Friday, suckas!) Because I'm sure there are already countless reviews out on the web by people hired to watch movies early and write about them, I'm going to take a bit of a different approach. I'll be attempting to avoid movie spoilers, but not book spoilers, so if you're looking for basic fact appreciation without going into too much detail—I'm your girl. For all those who read the books (hopefully I remember them as well as I think I do), here's the breakdown of some of my favorite moments that they got right, or just used in fantastic ways.

How to Listen to Taylor Swift's "1989" Album

TIA HERE and this time it's not something abroad-related. Like so many (young) (Western) (female) people, I am obsessed with Taylor Swift's new album. After listening to it nonstop for many a day, I think it's finally time for me to lay down my track-by-track notes for how each song hits me—and could hit you—in the best way possible. It's all about context (yours, not Taylor's), which affects how you enjoy each song. Here's what I came up with on which situations best suit each track:

Les Misérables, Heathers, Once, and If/Then | The Musicals I Saw in NYC

the heathers musical stage

TIA HERE with a song and dance for you to enjoy! This summer I had the amazing opportunity to see three Broadway musicals and one off-Broadway musical. The verdict: J'ADORE! Let's go through the list, but keep in mind that all of the pictures you see here are from when I saw Heathers: The Musical, as it is generally frowned upon to film during a musical (and is illegal, I think) so I did not bring my camera (or camera mindset) with me to most of the shows. I did happen to have it on the day I saw Heathers however, which is why I have a couple photos here of that!

I Was in the Same Room as Beyoncé

TIA HERE with all the power of Beyoncé and Jay Z flowing through my veins. My dear friend Winnie and I were able to snag somewhat cheap tickets (around $50) to see Beyoncé and Jay Z as they stopped by MetLife Stadium on July 12 as a part of their On The Run Tour. I can't believe it's been a month since it happened! (If you haven't noticed, these posts are quite backed up/scheduled, so by the time you see this, I'll already be in Denmark, but still uploading posts about New York City. Crazy!) Anyway, how to summarize the experience of seeing Beyoncé in the flesh? Let's start at the beginning, shall we? When things went all wrong...