FANTOPIA 2020

Fantoipia 2020, the biggest gathering of our favourite BL and Non-BL actors from Thailand's leading production houses GMMtv and Nadao Bangkok, a two-day fan meeting/concert event dedicated for all the fans last November 21-22 at the historic Impact Arena. 

As a BL fan since 2016, it's a dream for me to see all of my favourite BL actors in one event and interact with them, I always imagine myself talking, touching hands and having a close encounter with my favourite BL actors in Thailand. Luckily, this ain't a fantasy no more as I am one of the thousand fans who waited for this fan gathering to happen. The two-day event is fully loaded with activities wherein you can have a 3-minute eye to eye game with your favourite actor or play an X.O.X.O game. Aside from the many activities, you can choose from, there's a special concert with performances from the actors themselves.

The concert is jam-packed with fantastic production numbers from famous BL couples from GMMtv such as Bright Win, Tay New, Peraya and Babii. Group performances from The Grandsons, Jaylerr x Paris, SB Five also gave a jaw-dropping number which left the crowd kept wanting for more. You can check my IG (@darelnation) for videos during the show.

The most exciting part in Fantopia 2020 was the fan engagement in the challenger hall 1 venue. The artist themselves has their own booth selling different kinds of merch from bucket hat to shirts and many more. This is also the chance for fans to interact with the artists. In the two days that I was in the challenger hall one for the exhibition I really maximized my time in taking selfies to all the BL boys that I follow! You can check my IG (@darelnation) for videos during the show.

The two-day event was indeed an amazing experience for all the BL fans. I hope that they will also organize another event like this for the international fans in 2021. I do commend also those artists who were in their booth and interacting with fans whether they're going to buy their merch or not. This kind of fan gathering is a once in a lifetime experience that I am sure I will treasure forever. 

Until We Meet Again: Until You Fan Meet 2020

I was one of those UWMA (Until We Meet Again)  fans who did not like it in the first episode so I decided not to finish the entire series during its run in 2019. It's not a typical Y-Series (BL series) because the characters are not Engineering students (yes, its very common in Y-Series since SOTUS era) instead, the plot was about past life and reincarnation. I really hated myself for liking the series at a very late time I started watching it again around June 2020 and got hooked with how they tackle culture in Thailand without going away with the BL narrative. This series is really a gem and a lot of people should watch it! I highly recommend this to all of my BL friends. 

Since I got so fascinated with the series, I really fell in love with the characters and that pushed me to go on and buy the ticket for the UWMA: Until You Fan Meet 2020. Just like in 2gether Live on Stage, there were many freebies in the event and most importantly there's a group photo and high touch with all of the characters. High-touch means you get the chance to touch the palm of the actors. 

The opening production started with the scenes from Episode 1of the series, the rain scene, the gun-shot scene the dying of both P'Korn and Intouch, it gave me chills while watching it live. I can still remember how heavy the first episode was when I first watched UWMA and watching it live brings out more emotions from the fans.

 

After that heavy and intense opening production, the whole cast performed with extravagant and fun production numbers. I witnessed how Kao and Ohm showcased their amazing dance skills together with the other UWMA boys.

UWMA has the best OST for me, I can still remember how I managed to memorize the lyrics of the song by watching romanized lyric videos on youtube. To my surprise, the entire cast sang the UWMA ost live with a different arrangement and the tears started falling on my eyes the moment I heard the first tone of the song arrangement.

For the fan benefits, everyone got the chance to have a group picture with the cast but for platinum and silver ticket holders, we got the chance to do the high touch with the cast. The fan activities were conducted prior to the show.

The show ended with all of the cast giving a speech thanking all of the fans who supported UWMA since day one. If you still haven't watched Until We Meet Again the series, I do recommend it for you to watch and appreciate how they created the story by incorporating Thai culture without going away with the BL narrative. 

2gether Live On Stage 2020

OOTD first, I wore the 2gether shirt for this event. This is the first time I wore this shirt because I said to myself that I will only wear this for the concert and will ask Bright and Win to sign my shirt. Sadly, it didn't happen.

I became a fan of BL (Boys Love) in 2016 when I watched the first season of SOTUS the series. But, I have always dreamed of living in Thailand since 2010 when I watched the movies of Mario Maurer such as Crazy Litle Thing Called Love and the critically acclaimed love of Siam. These movies were my early introduction to Thai culture and since then, I fell in love with Thai Popular culture. In 2016 I was introduced to BL series by my colleague in the academe and that was SOTUS and that's when my fascination to Thai BL became not just fandom but part of my research interest in the academe. Fast forward to 2019 I got the opportunity to work in Thailand as an ESL teacher and I am fulfilling my dreams of fangirling with the Thai actors (BL actors in particular). 

In late February this year, 2gether the series premiered starring Bright Vachirawit and Win Metawin. A few weeks later, it became one of the trending topics in Thailand and also in the Philippines, probably because of the Covid situation and all the people are stocked at home and were able to catch all different kind of series/shows on the internet. The series became really popular not only in Thailand but also in neighbouring Asian countries. It was the talk of the town in all social media and the main characters Sarawat and Tine are always the trending topics on Twitter and Facebook. 

2gether the series paved the way for other BL series to be loved by fans (both BL and non-BL fans) all over the world. Last October 17, 2020, the whole cast of 2gether The Series had their first-ever major concert as a way of giving thanks to all the fans and I was one of the lucky fans to witness this in Thailand. Many global fans are wishing to come to Thailand to see the concert, however because of the pandemic travelling abroad is not a possible thing. 

It was a surreal moment for everyone, imagine seeing all of the stars of your favourite series performing in front of you! They also re-enact all of the most unforgettable scenes from the series. 

The highlight of the event was the group photo with all of the cast of 2gether the series. It was a nerve-wracking experience, imagine you are there, you breathe the same air with all of the actors and you feel like you are really part of the show. I got so excited talking with Bright and Win on what post they will be doing but this is the best thing that I can do.

The show ended at around 9;30PM (we were there at the venue starting 9:00AM) we also had the farewell time with all of the stars. It was indeed a very fun experience, I wish international fans can also experience this once the pandemic is over.

Germany In Style

Always remember, travel in STYLE!

2019 was my travel year! Last April I went to Malaysia, it was my very first out of the country trip. 

In September, I had an opportunity to travel again, hello Germany!

I have always imagined doing layering on a normal basis, coats, boots, jackets and more jackets! These are the things that I always want to wear whenever I think of winter or going anywhere in Europe or in US. 

The idea of layering outfits to look fashionable during cold weather excites a person like me who lives in a tropical country because it's not everyday that we experience this level of cold weather.

On this blog I want to share to everyone my journey in Germany, how I styled my looks and the inspirations in my OOTD's.

I work as a teacher and I'm having my Masters in Media Studies, I have been doing research and attending conferences in and outside of the country. Last November 2018 I submitted my paper in an international conference in media studies which will take place in University of Bonn, luckily I passed the peer review and was invited to present my paper. I was so excited because it's Germany! One of my dream country to visit.

So how did I prepare for my trip? Visa application is a very tedious process good thing I have my best friend who works in a travel agency (maybe I will upload a blog about it) and he made sure that everything will be done smoothly.

It's very important that if you will visit a country you research about the weather of the country you will visit so that you will be able to prepare what clothes to wear, especially if you want to FASHOWN lol! For me, I prefer wearing more jackets and blazers, it is more comfortable and not difficult to style with any kind of clothes I have.

Also, when you're aiming for a fashionable look during your vacation, prepare all your OOTD's prior to your trip. 

For me what I did was, two weeks before my trip to Germany, I have planned already all my clothes so that it will be easier for me to pack my things. When I say I prepare, it means all the things that I will wear each day was completely planned! From shoes, inner wear, jackets, color palette, everything was planned!

I only stayed in Germany for 4 days so I made sure that I have at least 2 OOTD's each day, for blog content and OOTD! LOL! 

I also wanted to visit Paris because during this time it was Paris Fashion Week, however my time is not enough to visit Paris, so I just imagined that I am attending Paris Fashion Week LOL!

When I arrived in Bonn after a total of 16 hours, I immediately changed clothes and my sister and I went to the Bonn Central Market to experience being a local there. It was freezing cold but I have to conquer it and stay fab and fashionable! 

Clean and beautiful, these are the two words that came out when I first step foot in the city of Bonn. Amazing city indeed! Postmodernism meets the modern lifestyle of everyone. 

Here are my ensemble for our first day. My peg for this day is Anna Wintour! Jackets, shades, blazer, work it!

We also tried eating their staple food, fries and German sausage. Plus we had pasta and waffle! Super delicious! I don't know why, but their ketchup has a different taste, it’s so delicious! 

For my second day in Germany, my peg is Daryl Chang. Chic, clean, class and stunning. Daryl Chang will always be my fashion icon! I love how she pulls off simple outfit and make it look extra fashionable.

We went to the National Museum of Bonn, there were many exhibits that you could visit but what I love the most in this museum was the Queer Liberation exhibit.

It showed pictures during the first gay pride parade, the stone wall tragedy and many informative insights about the queer liberation. 

These pins are stament pins about Queer movement

For our third day in Germany, my sister and I went to Cologne. My peg for today is Heart Evangelista. Category is: Crazy Rich Asian.

We went to the Cathedral of Cologne and the old central market, it really feels like I am inside a Christmas village souvenir. Amazing view, I could just imagine how beautiful it is when it's Christmas season.

Cologne is more modern also compared to Bonn and it has more tourist.

The structures of the building and museums in Cologne are more contemporary compared to what you can see in Bonn. I also love how Cologne has preserved their city, cobbled stone streets, old houses and what's interesting is that everywhere you go you can see the Cologne Cathedral, I mean the structure of the cathedral can be seen in any streets. Amazing!

Our fourth and final full day in Bonn was more relaxed. The peg for today is David Guison. Category is: Menswear Realness! 

Classic, menswear, sleek. These are the words that I describe David Guison as well. He really is influential when it comes to menswear. I've seen his looks since his day 1 in lookbook and since then I became a fan. For this day I prefer a more casual look but still being in style. 

Instead of wearing leather shoes, I wore a chunky white shoes to make my look more edgy but still making it casual and formal.

Aside from the museums, great Instagram-able locations, food is also a must try in Germany. Here are some of the pastries and sumptuous food we had during our trip in Bonn and Cologne. Food can be very expensive, I suggest you can take on a flat (book through airbnb) and do grocery so you can save your money for other adventures and trips around the city.

Being in Germany for a few days was a fashionable experience for me. I get the chance of doing layering without sweating (you know what I mean LOL), food was delicious, people in Bonn and Cologne are very friendly, the weather is fantastic!

Here are some few tips if you plan to visit Bonn and Cologne.

1. If you're living in a very tropical country like me, prepare more jackets and heat protection clothes to be able to conquer and adjust to the weather.

2. Bring hydrating cream and drink more vitamin C, since the weather is different your skin might get dry so have a cream to fix it and also drink more vitamin c so you will be in good condition while you are in Germany.

3. Book airbnb rather than hotel, our flat was complete with all the things that we need, kitchen was complete with everything you need for cooking.

4. Asian foods are expensive, specially Japanese and Korean food, try eating more local foods in the local markets. Chocolate crepe is 1 euro only, I ate a lot of it during our stay.

5. Prepare yourself for a lot of walking, though the transportation is very efficient, walking is still the best option to explore the city. 

6. In addition to number 4, since you booked a flat in airbnb it means you can cook, so make sure to buy your food also in the supermarkets if you have a tight budget. Lidl supermarket is where we bought some of our foods and chocolates.

7. If you want to visit to visit the Bonn Museum, you can wait for the happy hour from 4PM - 6PM, you can get 50% off for your ticket during this time. The normal price is 16 Euros each but we got our ticket for only 8 Euros. I'm not sure if it applies to all the museums in Bonn. 

8. Download the Bahn train app, the app shows the detailed schedule of each train coming in and out of Germany. It's very useful!

Traveling is fun but don't forget to be in style while you travel! Prepare ahead of time and do some research. I hope the things that you have read here can help you in your future visit in Germany. Like and share!