[To. ASTRO]My ASTRO Story + Anniversary Message: Better Late Than Never ๐ฉ
์์ฑ์RachelleA์์ฑ์๊ฐ22.02.22์กฐํ์204 ๋ชฉ๋ก ๋๊ธ 0The Better Late Than Never Nuna ๐คย with regrets of not knowing ASTRO a long time ago.
ย
๐ค โโAnniversary Message at the bottom ๐ค
ย
Posting this as early as today because I know it will be flooded with anniversary messages on the 23rd. I hope the 6 get to read my boring-ass story. ๐คย
(This part is not that connected with ASTRO just yet but my message at the end for them will make this intro relevant.)ย
From 2016 to 2018, I was busy living life, traveling with my husband, eating delicious food, and making more than enough money for me and my family, whom I help financially. ย I love tv series, movies, and music and all of them during that time were English. I have known about Korean entertainment for a long time but did not think I would like it. Because I am not fond of reading sub ti tles and songs I do not understand. I love to sing along with songs so English and Filipino songs were mostly what I listen to.ย Fast forward to 2018, still thought that way about the whole K-Industry.
BUT in 2018...ย
Something happened in my life that drastically changed the way I lived and learned a lesson the hard way.I got depressed for more than 6 months at that time. I lost everything financially because of a so-called "friend" in 2018. I never knew that helping a person and her family her would badly affect me and my future. That person never bothered to pay me back until now. I did not tell my husband what was happening because I did not want to disappoint him. She kept on borrowing money for 2 years, promising to pay me back all the time. ( To clarify, it was the money I was making and not the money my husband and I were saving. So, we have separate finances and money that we share/save.)For months, I kept it a secret, endured the pain and frustration by myself because I was still hopeful. Then one day, I just told my husband that I lost all the money I earned for 2 years, cried a lot and said sorry. Of course, he was disappointed but because I was crying, he did not get mad at me anymore. But he said if the money I lost was the money from our joint account, he would be furious. So, weeks after I just gave in, took long deep breaths, and said karma will do its job. Even if I am not a religious person, I was praying that I left it all in God's hand. I stopped worrying about it and moved on, I was still frustrated, sad, it kept creeping back in my mind, but I was always saying no, move on, move on, karma will happen.
2019... 2020...ย
I wanted to keep myself busy, keep my mind busy from thinking about that big regret.ย I watched a whole lot of things and worked just to keep my mind off it. I started saving again, little by little, slowly. YouTube, movies, tv and music were something that helped a little because I was in front of the computer most days. For 2 more years until 2020, this dreadful thing kept on coming back into my mind and my dreams (where I fought this "friend" shouted at her so many times, punched and kicked her so many times Haha) . Even those English movies/series that distracted me were not working as much and were like only a daily thing.ย So, to cap this experience, even if I already let go, until now I just want something to distract me from it. Those 4 years where I was in denial that I would like Korean entertainment plus the problem that I had to deal with. Maybe if I had not gone through that problem, I would have known ASTRO then? I do not know.ย
2020, we got our SK Visa but because of covid, my husband and I were not able to go to travel in April 2020. We already had our plane tickets, itinerary and everything ready. I was frustrated to travel, that was when I started watching YouTube videos of Korean food, places to see etc. Of course, we all traveled virtually then, and we prepared for South Korea and still preparing. That was when Korean content was already showing in my Facebook and YouTube Feed. Then, at last, I started with k-dramas/shows with my first ever Korean movie - Parasite because of the buzz it made in Hollywood. K-drama: Sweet home - drama, right? Haha.ย Then I saw True Beauty.ย
It has been just a year since I knew about ASTRO.I was not much of a fan, to tell the truth, because my mind was still in denial to like K-pop hahaha. I knew and searched for CEW because of course, CEW " the face that can launch a thousand ships", (long ago was Helen of Troy) . So pretty much I knew about the group he was in but that was it. I never searched for the other group members, did not even bother looking them up on YouTube. I was just focused on the beautiful young man CEW that was on True Beauty.
Quarantine living, eating, cooking, working, Netflix, YouTube, Spotify English music on repeat every day, even 90-00s songs which I grew up with especially NSYNC.If I remember correctly, it was April 2021 when I missed seeing CEW because the series was done. I started searching for him on YouTube, then came out, the group ASTRO. I was thinking hmm should I listen, should I watch? I was that one person in this world in denial if I should like K-pop or not because I could not understand their songs. I was still having second thoughts about whether I would be interested. Sure, I listened to Black Pink, BTS because they were on the radio most of the time, I did not understand their songs as well, but their songs were catchy.
So, I gave it a go, listened to ONE, then Crazy Sexy cool, then another, then another. Then came All Night - From then on, I was hooked!I was looking at all these beautiful men and the CEW who looks prettier than a girl haha! I am so jealous of their skin and their handsome beautiful faces. I was suddenly watching their dance practice videos almost every day during my break time at work then after work, then while my husband was preparing to go to work in the morning, our TV was on YouTube playing their dance practice videos haha. I love seeing them in their dressed-down outfits, just shows how normal they can be. Then this one person stood out against CEW, the way he dances was sexy that I could not take my eyes off him, even if everyone dances as good as him. My eyes were then shifted to MB. I still love everyone, but BIN got me. He got me good.
ย
I watched a whole lot of ASTRO reaction videos and others after. I just adore all of them!
> I love the their energy, their fun family atmosphere, their talent, their hard work and just them being handsome, crazy, sexy & cool ๐.ย
> All are such talented performers and you can't deny the visuals are a plus.
> I actually prefer them being cool and sexy rather than being cute or aegyo - โ๐ผ. Without all the heavy makeup. They look good without makeup anyway.
> I also love them dressed-down or in their casual clothing or what they typically would wear or would choose to wear. You will see how they are as people. They look more relaxed and cool just the way they are, just their normal selves.
> I would love to be their friend, their Nuna, maybe someone they can depend on. I just love looking at them and it seems my husband quietly gets jealous haha! ๐
ย
ย
I was a quiet fan, couldn't say that I was an Aroha, I could not claim that just yet. But I was obsessed. While at work, since you will need to watch and read subtitles on their channel, I instead tune into Spotify and looked for their songs, created my own Spotify playlist with just their songs and every weekday, I listen. It has been my daily thing, every time I am on my computer working. If there was a day that I did not listen to even just one of their songs, it is like my day would not be complete. I now have something to distract my mind from the past problem. I lose myself in their music and just forget about โthat thing.โ I do not get to think about the "friend" anymore.
For a fan who mostly has expenses at home, I do not get to buy merchandise, albums because of my priorities and I live in a minimalist way, I buy important things that I need or use, so the albums etc. are out of the question. Money is particularly important to me in a way that I do not want to spend it on just things. I want to spend the money I earn and save on travel, food, family and for the future. So, the only way I think I can support them is by streaming or voting online those free stuff to do. But I already tried to purchase tickets for online concerts/shows and hopefully a live concert that I can attend here in the Philippines. Because moments and not things are what is most important to me. So that is what I want to save for. I even told my husband that if ASTRO were to have a concert here, I will go. Then he sure, go. :) I do not have albums or anything else besides these ASTRO logo stickers that I bought cheap haha. Which I put on my helmet and the back of my phone.ย
Last Christmas, my older sister who is an adult army, asked me if I wanted a robong. I politely said no because I told her โWhat would I do with it?โ ย It will just be kept in the box and not used unless I go to a concert/show right? The thing I did not know is that she already ordered it for me. When I got it last Christmas, I was thinking, where will I put this, keep this lol! I need to buy batteries; I hope it was a rechargeable stick etc. So now it is still in a box haha, I do not have a place to put it.ย
ย ย
But of course, it is still precious to me even if I do not have the use for it... Yet.
So here now in the Feb Anniversary, sure I want send gifts to ASTRO as well, but I thought, I think I would need the money more than they need the gifts. I think I could spend my money on me and my family's necessities than give things to them. It surely would be special to give them gifts and it would make them feel loved as well. But they have way more money than me anyway Haha! If I win the lottery though, I was dreaming of producing a small concert for them here haha! Of course, I would be the most VIP! I would have the money to pay them for their talent fees hahaha!ย
So that is my long-ass boring story of how I got into ASTRO, just in time for their 6th anniversary. Which I hope I can enjoy celebrating with everyone yearly from now on even if I become older.ย
ย
Now my Part 2 message for the group. Part 1: GRATITUDE is here...ย
To my boys, oh my men, my 6 special men, my 6 beautiful souls
(Read this as if I were talking to each one of you)ย
ย
If you are sad or upset, get angry, cry but be strong.
If you are happy or excited,ย laugh, go crazy.
Be scared but do it anyway.
Be messy & imperfect, but show up.
If you find love, LOVE. Love sincerely.
Most importantly LIVE LIFE, do not give a sh*t.ย
Do not give in easily into what other people say.
It may be difficult because of strict rules or other reasons.
But it is still your life.
Fight for your choices. Stand by your decisions.
(Unless you signed with the devil then you can't hahaha joke)ย
Live the life that makes you excited, that makes you content.ย
Live the life you want; live the life you need.ย
Find and cherish the moments that will make you appreciate life.
Be the best version of yourself.
Do not ever forget: You cannot fill from an empty cup. ย (Relevant to my story above)ย
Meaning - we cannot give to others if we are not taking care of ourselves. If you keep putting others first, you'll soon find that you don't have anything left to give them. Sometimes looking after yourself is the best gift you can give to others.ย
Travel, eat, work, especially rest .
Take the time to look after yourselves.
The same as me, we shoulder so many responsibilities
and we all deserve to be taken care of. ย
You are not only ASTRO, not only idols, not only actors, or whatnot.ย
You are Human beings too.
You all deserve to put yourselves first.
It will all be alright.
All will be just fine.
ย
I love you guys, I wish you the best.
And THANK YOU, THANK YOU for being with me, for keeping me sane.ย
I look forward to the day I get to meet you and hang out with you in person (with a translator okay? lol)
ย
From your favorite Nuna
Cheche Astrero