I'm backkkkk!!!  You've missed me haven't you?  Sorry for not blogging in a while - truth is, once people started telling me they actually read this dumb blog, I became too self-conscious to write.  I'm shy!

Although I've always have had a love/hate relationship with journaling/blogging (like whiskey dick, it's hard to keep it up :/), I've been trying to get back to doing more active self-reflection again.

Recently, I decided to go back and read my old entries. Oh boy are some of them unintentionally hilarious, while others are interesting windows into my beautiful, genius mind.  Here...I'll share some snippets, one from each age starting from when I was 18.  For extra gravity/hilarity, imagine my voice while reading.

Nov. 20th, 2008 - 18 years old
"When will my life get extraordinary? I'm sure this is a question many people ask themselves, including me. But the real thought is that, what does it mean to have an extraordinary life? I guess the first idea that pops into my head is 'a great adventure and an even greater love.'"
ed. note: LOLZ...watch as this romantic idealism slowly shrivels and dies

Dec. 1st, 2008  - 19 years old
"I'm 19!!!! yay? hahaha...My imaginary blow out candles wish? To meet someone by next year, hahaha. I don't necessary want some kind of relationship, just that feeling, for once."
ed. note: HAHAHA...who am I laughing at? also...that "feeling" LOLZ x 2

June 9, 2010 - 20 years old 
"I used to have (and maybe still do) strict beliefs on cheating.  If someone were to cheat on me, that would be a complete deal breaker: no second chances, no forgiveness, no lingering relationships.  But as I have learned, cheating is not a deal breaker for everyone.  And although I have spoken like I’m on some superior higher moral ground, who knows, maybe it will be me that slips up and cheat…humans make mistakes and I can’t say that I’m not human."
ed. note: Woahh...20 year old me got deep

March 30, 2011 - 21 years old
"What I really mean:
haha/lol - conversation filler
hahahaha/LOL/lololol - that was actually funny
:P - I’m playful
:3 - My face literally looks like a cat/I want to fuck you."
ed. note:  :3 :3 :3

February 14, 2012 - 22 years old
"Roommate Shmeric: What do think about 'Someone Like You?'
Alex: I like the song, but it is pretty dumb.  Why would you want someone like the person who dumped you and moved on and has a better life? I would want someone that is opposite if anything to spite the person before.  The song is so needy, ugh, just as bad as when Jennifer Hudson sang 'And I’m Telling You' from Dreamgirls.
Roommate Shmeric:…you would think that."
ed. note: This is still true, who disagrees with me?!

July 11, 2013 - 23 years old 
"And while you’re young, you get to spend a few fruitless years hanging on to sad romanticism and hold out for a Mr. Darcy I guess.  At least for a few more years right?  Because we all know that your (social & love) life is dead when you hit 26 and you should be literally be holding on for dear life anyone foolishly enough to be around your vicinity to prevent ending up miserably single forever."
ed. note: I'm turning 27 in December

July 12, 2014 - 24 years old
"Let’s say you were dating two people.  One person is passionate, emotional, wears heart on sleeve, lives life through feelings.  The other: stoic, emotionally reserved, doesn’t articulate feelings, lives life through logic.  Now one day, both people turned to you.  The first person exclaims, “I love you! I love you!”  While the second person quietly whispers, “I…love you…”  Now the questions are…1) Are both declarations “worth” the same? 2) Is one more meaningful than the other? 3) Can you trust one declaration more over the other?"
ed. note: The answer is...why are you dating 2 people at the same time you ho?!

September 12, 2015 - 25 years old
[Reflecting on my recent move abroad] "This journey is of my own...I will have to take an active approach to my personal development, don’t think it will just come."
ed. note: Wow 25...much deep...such wise...many amaze

There you go, a sneak peak into the mind of a tortured, complicated soul who deep down inside is just looking for a great adventure and an even greater...love (barf...but also :3).

Hello, this is Alex Hai Tran, your local Asia correspondent coming to you live from Singapore with the latest and greatest Asian Trends.  This week, we explore the emerging industry that is Vietnamese Pop (VPop).

A few weeks ago, while in HCMC/Saigon, I had the chance to go karaoke-ing with a few localized Viet-American expats and their friends.  They started putting on Viet songs, but to my surprise these weren't the old, slow songs I knew from my parents.  Instead,  the songs played featured young, attractive people singing modern songs in fancy music videos.  And that was how I was introduced to the new world of VPop.

Now VPop for sure is a total ripoff of KPop, but they say imitation is the greatest form of flattery.   No matter, I was already hooked.  You know how it's really amazing for Asian-Americans to see Asian representation in western media?  Now take that down one level - in some circles, Vietnamese and Southeast Asians are seen as not as attractive or even just inferior to your typical East Asians.  Yes, Asians are not immune to racism within our own community.  So I was in complete awe to see these confident, attractive Vietnamese stars rocking it as hard as any KPop idol.  Makes me so damn proud!!

So without further ado, here's my review of some of the top VPop idols based on their songs/music videos.  I'll give them ratings based on Attractiveness (because we all know beauty is the most important trait when judging people), Earworm-ness (how catchy is the song AND how they can make the Vietnamese language not sound like someone's gargling their last dying breath), and MV production value.

Sơn Tùng M-TP (don't ask me what M-TP stands for) is basically the Jay Chou of the VPop world currently.  One of his Youtube music videos has 70 millions views (Vietnam only has a population of 90 mil...).  As for this video, it has that long, melodramatic story element that's popular in a lot of Asian MVs.  He's definitely idol pretty and leading man material.  The song is a so-so ballad.

Attractiveness: 7/10
Earworm-ness: 4/10
MV production: 7/10

If Sơn Tùng is the Jay Chou of VPop, then Tóc Tiên is the Beyonce/Rihanna/Miley/Madonna of VPop.  Actually, I just made that up.  Whatever, she's hot and her name literally translate into "Angel Hair."  How badass (and stripper-y) is that?!  Also, this video has everything: ninjas, geishas, house of flying daggers shit,  OMG IS THAT THE DEAF WINNER FROM AMERICA'S NEXT TOP MODEL?!?  Come for the typical dance-pop, stay for the sick trap beats.

Attractiveness: 9/10
Earworm-ness: 7/10
MV production: 9/10

This MV features a pop-ballad duet between singer Ngô Kiến Huy and pop diva Sĩ Thanh.  He has nice boyish charms, but gosh she needs to wash that heavy makeup off her face.  Diva fosho.  The real star of video though is the amazing direction and cinematography.  It captures the beautiful cities of modern Vietnam gorgeously.  Makes me want to go back! The song is also catchy and the first to make me feel that Vietnamese can sound sweet and pleasant!  It's also basically a long cellphone commercial, so there's that.

Attractiveness: 5/10
Earworm-ness: 7/10
MV production: 10/10

365daband (or just 365) is the hottest VPop boyband apparently.  First there's Jun & Will aka the Lance/Chris/Joey of the group.  We don't care about them.  Then there's ST or basically JC.  And like JC, he had potential but then they went and gave him a really bad dye job that fucked up and damaged his hair. Wow, give the guy some deep conditioner for god sake.  So basically the Justin of the group is Isaac a.k.a. Mr. Turtleneck.  He's the true star here.  I mean look at his solo song here:

#SWAAGGGGG.  No ratings needed, Isaac wins.

For more info on VPop, check out this blog www.vpopfan.com.

Okay, that's it for this installment of Asia Trends.  Tune in next time when I'll go deep undercover to first-hand find the newest, hottest STDs of Asia.