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I am Ulyssa Elaine - Travel, Food and Lifestyle Blogger

What a year it has been! Thankfully, today is the second day of the year, 2019. I would like to look back at the best, worst and most significant moments of the year, and look forward to this year 2019.


With that in mind, I'll be sharing my 2018 highlights.

Owned a Best Seller Specs Reagan in Rose Gold - January

I started wearing eyeglasses last 2017. From 50/75 vision, it turned out to be 100/100 with astigmatism this 2018. I won't be surprised because of the nature of my job (constant exposure to gadgets such as laptop and mobile phone). 

I'm still hesitant to try out Lasik eye surgery just like what my sister went through but I won't consider it from now. I don't think it will be worth it due to the nature of my job. I will give it a try when I get older or if I will change my career.

Travelled to Hong Kong and Macao - February

My mom and I have been to Hong Kong when I was 18 years old (we celebrated my debut there). Eight years after, we went back and we were complete. My dad and my sister were with us. 

Last February was our 1st out-of-the-country trip sponsored by me, yours truly. 😁

Sold out my first Honda Jazz car - February

I love our family car so much but it's time to let it go and move on. I won't much elaborate on why we sold it. I'm still thankful that my childhood dream came true even though it was a short one. 💖

I'm not closing doors and I'm looking forward to own and have my 2nd car soon.

First time to be a Speaker in a Tech Event - February

It was an unexpected one. I was invited to speak in 1st Swift Ladies Meetup (Philippines). I was one of the speakers though. Never I imagined that I will speak in front of people (because I'm introvert) and talked about tvOS app development. Thank you SwiftPH for trusting me. 👌

First time to watch PyroMusical competition - March

Thank you Eunice, my sister, because she won 5 event tickets. I've been wanting to experience it since 2013 and it came true. Thank you also to my aunt and my uncle for the support.

Travelled to Taiwan - April

This trip was a memorable one! Imagine traveling with family of 10. We experienced bipolar weather when we got there. It was cold on the first day. On the second day, it was very hot and sunny. On the third day, it rained so hard. On the fourth and fifth day, it was windy. 

MY LONG-TIME DREAM CAME TRUE - May

I won't elaborate this one because it's a secret for now. I will reveal this on May 2019 so watch out for that.

Got a new iPhone - June

I was torn if I will purchase iPhone 8 Plus or iPhone X. In the end, I chose iPhone 8 Plus and will wait for stabilized Face ID.

Watched KZ Tandingan's first concert "SUPREME" - June

It was my first time to watch a concert in a Lower Box portion (I watch concert once in a blue moon). Congrats KZ! I love her voice... 👏

My 26th Birthday - August

Haha! I'm not afraid to reveal my age on my blog because I'm not ashamed of it. 

I had many plans prior on my birthday but I chose to have a simpler one. Simple lunch and simple dinner with family are the best, right? 💞

Invited as a Speaker in the school's IT event - August & September

If you will be invited by your former school to be a speaker, will you say no? For me, it's an honor. 

I was invited last August 29, 2018. I was updated last September 1 that the seminar will be on October 13. It's Saturday so I'm really available and I won't need to file a VL for that. 

A week after (September 7), the seminar will move on November 9. I have to check my schedule and then I filed a VL for that. 

A week after (September 13), the seminar will move on November 16 because of the Sports Fest. I cancelled my VL and filed another date.

October 1, I was given a heads up that the final date will be on November 14 because they have to prioritize other department for the venue. I then cancelled my VL and filed another date.

I still became optimistic on the upcoming event.

ACHIEVED ONE OF MY GOALS - October

Again, I won't elaborate on this one. Huh? What the heck I'm sharing this but I won't mention it. By the way, it feels so good to achieve your goal one step at a time.

Heartbreaking sequence of events - November

After my sister's birthday, we had a family (including uncle, aunt, cousins, etc) dinner at Tagaytay. After that day, my uncle died due to heart attack. It was very painful to my family. 

I also cancelled my scheduled event. Due to the emotional breakdown, I felt sorry for my Alma Mater school because I really can't go to be the speaker on the IT event. It was a roller coaster ride experience. I felt that I'm not a professional individual. I put myself down. It was a depressing one. 

Then, I reflected to the past events. Maybe it's not meant for me. Maybe God put me in this situation to test me, whether I will choose my family or will I go on my own (so called professionalism).

Featured in Acienda Designer Outlet's Facebook and Instagram page - December

Thank you Acienda for including me on chic and stylish shoppers! 👸 It's been a while since I fix and style myself.

How about you? How's your 2018?
Wednesday, January 02, 2019 No comments
The last time I posted about Korean dramas was last December 2017. Guess how many I watched since then? 

Lo and behold, I have watched 19 K-dramas since then!!! But wait, I still have 5 K-dramas on-going so that's total of 24!!! Don't get me wrong, huh. I can still balance my work and my other lifestyle / hobbies. Watching K-dramas makes me feel happy and alive. 😀



Without further ado, here's my top 24 (in ascending order by date):

1. Evergreen

- Starring Lee Jong-hyun (Oh Soo) and Kim So-eun (Seo Yoo-ri).

Release Dates: March 5 - April 24, 2018
No of Episodes: 16
Genre: Fantasy, Romance Comedy

AsianWiki Rating: 85%

Poster from AsianWiki

2. Tempted

- Starring Woo Do-hwan (Kwon Shi-hyun), Park Soo-yeong (Eun Tae-hee), Moon Ga-young (Choi Soo-ji) and Kim Min-jae (Lee Se-joo).

Release Dates: March 12 - May 1, 2018
No of Episodes: 32
Genre: Romance, Melodrama

AsianWiki Rating: 87%

Poster from AsianWiki

3. Switch: Change the World

- Starring Jang Geun-Suk (Sa Do Chan) and Han Ye-Ri (Oh Ha-Ra).

Release Dates: March 28 - May 17, 2018
No of Episodes: 32

Genre: Legal drama



AsianWiki Rating: 88%

Poster from AsianWiki

4. Suits

- Starring Jang Dong-gun (Choi Kang-Seok) and Park Hyung-sik (Go Yeon-woo).

Release Dates: April 25 - June 14, 2018
No of Episodes: 16
Genre: Legal drama

AsianWiki Rating: 87%

Posters from AsianWiki

5. Lawless Lawyer

- Starring Lee Joon-Gi (Bong Sang-Pil) and Seo Ye-ji (Ha Jae-Yi).

Release Dates: May 12 - July 1, 2018
No of Episodes: 16
Genre: Legal, Thriller

AsianWiki Rating: 87%

Poster from AsianWiki

6. Rich Man, Poor Woman

- Starring Suho (Lee Yoo-Chan) and Ha Yeon-Soo (Kim Bo-Ra).

Release Dates: May 9 - June 28, 2018
No of Episodes: 16
Genre: Romance comedy

AsianWiki Rating: 87%

Poster from AsianWiki

7. About Time

- Starring Lee Sang-yoon (Lee Do-ha) and Lee Sung-kyung (Choi Michaela).

Release Dates: May 21 - July 10, 2018
No of Episodes: 16
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Melodrama

AsianWiki Rating: 87%

Poster from AsianWiki

8. Miss Hammurabi

- Starring Go Ara (Park Cha Oh-reum) and Kim Myung-soo (Im Ba-reun).

Release Dates: May 21 - July 16, 2018
No of Episodes: 16
Genre: Legal drama

AsianWiki Rating: 87%

Poster from AsianWiki

9. Are You Human?

- Starring Seo Kang Joon (Nam Shin) and Gong Seung Yeon (Kang So Bong).

Release Dates: June  4 - August 7, 2018
No of Episodes: 36
Genre: Romance, Science Fiction, Mystery

AsianWiki Rating: 88%

Poster from AsianWiki

10. What's Wrong with Secretary Kim?

- Starring Park Seo Jeon (Lee Young-joon) and Park Min Young (Kim Mi-so).

Release Dates: June 6 - July 26, 2018
No of Episodes: 16
Genre: Romance Comedy

AsianWiki Rating: 87%

Poster from AsianWiki

11. My ID is Gangnam Beauty

- Starring Lim Soo-Hyang (Kang Mi-Rae) and Cha Eun-Woo (Do Kyung-Seok).

Release Dates: July 27 - September 15, 2018
No of Episodes: 16
Genre: Romance Comedy

AsianWiki Rating: 87%

Poster from AsianWiki

12. Let Me Introduce Her

- Starring Nam Sang-Mi (Ji Eun-Han), Kim Jae-Won (Han Kang-Woo) and Jo Hyun-Jae (Kang Chan-Ki).

Release Dates: July 14 - September 29, 2018
No of Episodes: 40

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Romance



AsianWiki Rating: 86%

Poster from AsianWiki

13. Still 17

- Starring Shin Hye-Sun (Woo Seo-Ri) and Yang Se-Jong (Gong Woo-Jin).

Release Dates: July 14 - September 18, 2018
No of Episodes: 32
Genre: Romance

AsianWiki Rating: 87%

Poster from AsianWiki

14. The Ghost Detective

- Starring Choi Daniel (Lee Da-il), Park Eun-Bin (Jung Yeo-woo) and Lee Ji-ah (Sunwoo Hye).

Release Dates: September 5 - October 31, 2018
No of Episodes: 32
Genre: Horror, Thriller, Mystery

AsianWiki Rating: 87%

Poster from AsianWiki

15. Devilish Charm

- Starring Choi Jin-hyuk (Gong Ma-seong) and Song Ha-yoon (Ju Gi-ppeum).

Release Dates: September 5 - October 25, 2018
No of Episodes: 16
Genre: Romance comedy

AsianWiki Rating: 87%

Poster from AsianWiki

Update: Below are the K-dramas I watched and currently watching this 4th quarter of the year:

16. The Third Charm

- Starring Seong Kang-joon (On Joon-young) and Esom (Lee Young-jae).

Release Dates: September 28 - November 17, 2018
No of Episodes: 16
Genre: Romantic comedy

AsianWiki Rating: 85%

Poster from AsianWiki

17. The Beauty Inside

- Starring Seo Hyun-jin (Han Se-gye), Lee Min-ki (Seo Do-jae), Lee Da-hee (Kang Sa-ra) and Ahn Jae-hyun (Ryu Eun-ho).

Release Dates: October 1 - November 20, 2018
No of Episodes: 16
Genre: Fantasy, Melodrama, Romance

AsianWiki Rating: 87%

Poster from AsianWiki

18. Where Stars Land

- Starring Lee Je-hoon (Lee Soo-yeon), Chae Soo-bin (Han Yeo-reum), Lee Dong-gun (Seo In-woo) and Kim Ji-soo (Yang Seo-koon).

Release Dates: October 1 - November 26, 2018
No of Episodes: 32
Genre: Romance and Melodrama

AsianWiki Rating: 87%

Poster from AsianWiki

19. Mama Fairy and the Woodcutter

- Starring Moon Chae-won (Sun Ok-nam), Yoon Hyun-min (Jung Yi-hyun / Immortal Izy / Deer), Seo Ji-hoon (Kim Geum / Immortal Daube / Bausae), Jeon Soo-jin (Lee Ham-sook) and Kang Mi-na (Jeom Soon-yi).

Release Dates: November 5 - December 25, 2018
No of Episodes: 16
Genre: Romance, Fantasy and Comedy

Viki Rating: 8.5 / 10

Poster from AsianWiki

20. The Last Empress

- Starring Jang Na-ra (Oh Sunny), Choi Jin-hyuk (Na Wang-sik / Chun Woo-bin), Shin Sung-rok (Emperor Lee Hyuk), Lee Elijah (Min Yoo-ra) and Shin Eun-kyung (Empress Dowager Kang).

Release Dates: November 21, 2018 - February 21, 2019
No of Episodes: 48
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Action, Romance and Comedy

AsianWiki Rating: 86%

Poster from AsianWiki

21. Clean With Passion For Now

- Starring Kim Yoo-jung (Gil Oh-sol), Yoon Kyun-sang (Jang Seon-kyul) and Song Jae-rim (Choi Ha-in / Daniel Choi)

Release Dates: November 26, 2018 - February 4, 2019
No of Episodes: 16
Genre: Romantic comedy

AsianWiki Rating: 86%

Poster from AsianWiki

22. Encounter / Boyfriend

- Starring Song Hye-kyo (Cha Soo-hyun) and Park Bo-gum (Kim Jin-hyuk)

Release Dates: November 28, 2018 - January 24, 2019
No of Episodes: 16
Genre: Romance and Melodrama

AsianWiki Rating: 86%

Poster from AsianWiki

23. Memories of Alhambra

- Starring Hyun Bin (Yoo Jin-woo), Park Shin-hye (Jung Hee-joo / Emma) and Park Hoon (Cha Hyung-seok)

Release Dates: December 1, 2018 - January 20, 2019
No of Episodes: 16
Genre: Fantasy, Suspense, Sci-fi, Romance and Melodrama

AsianWiki Rating: 87%

Poster from AsianWiki

24. My Strange Hero

- Starring Yoo Seung-ho (Kang Bok-soo), Jo Bo-ah (Son Soo-jung) and Kwak Dong-yeon (Oh Se-ho)

Release Dates: December 10, 2018 - February 4, 2019
No of Episodes: 32
Genre: Romantic comedy

AsianWiki Rating: 87%

Poster from AsianWiki

How about you? What K-dramas have you watched this year? Share it here. :)
Friday, December 28, 2018 No comments
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I'm Ulyssa Elaine, a skinny girl from the Pearl of the Orient Seas, Philippines.

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