March has been a month of self-refection for me, I talked about my struggles with creativityand while I feel like I'm gaining that spark back, it had be questioning other parts of my life. It's been almost a year since my trip to Berlin and I've visited somewhere new so I'm hoping April will bring me some new adventures and ease my troubles, because I feel like a change of scenery is always a good way to gain a new perspective on life. If you're a GOT7 fan then make sure to check out my Twitter and Instagram for a special birthday giveaway and for all you Marvel fans they'll be something special coming up soon....
Blackpink are one of the few Kpop groups I have loved since debut, ever since seeing Boombayah I just really loved their energy, their fierceness and their styling and over the years of getting to know them through various interviews, lives and variety shows they are just the cutest, sweetest, down to earth and kindest girls, and so hardworking, seeing them live in concert was always one of my goals and I finally got the chance to see them on not just their first concert in Bangkok but their first international stop on their first world tour!
I almost missed my chance to see them as their first 2 shows sold out in a heartbeat, Blackpink are incredibly popular in Thailand and you can hear their songs played everywhere. Lisa hosted a fan meet with Moonshot back in August and the shopping malls were so full of fans it looked like a concert not to mention the top spender spending close to $6000 on make-up just to meet her up close for a few moments! Luckily a 3rd show was announced and this time I managed to snag my ticket just moments before that concert sold out to.
One of the things I've really started to love about Kpop concerts is how much of an event they are from the moment you step out to the venue there are people handing out photos and stickers of their favourite members and billboards funded by favourite fansites to show their support for the girls, there's also all sorts of sponsored events happening where you can win merchandise and take photos as well as the official and unofficial stores selling all sorts of merchandise. I bought my light sticks a few weeks before the concert as I know how crazy the official merch booth can be, my advise if you want anything is to get there at least a couple hours before it opens because everything sells out super fast!
Most concerts I've been to in Thailand I've been in the standing section and one of the things I like most about standing tickets in Thailand is how they give you a queue number when you purchase your ticket so there's no need to camp overnight to try and get a good spot, you can just show up on the day when the line opens and claim your spot without problems. My number was 400 so I managed to get a spot a few rows away from the end of the extended stage which is always a good spot to see them up close. While I will admit it was a tight squeeze people aren't pushy in Thailand compared to a lot of other places and they give you as much room as they can, so if you're worried about being in the pit don't be because you won't get pushed around in fact I've seen small children in there running around so that pretty much shows you how safe it can be although I still wouldn't recommend bringing kids into standing as it can still be quite dangerous for them with excited fans jumping around.
Blackpink have achieved so much and I'm so proud of them making a name for themselves not just in Korea but worldwide and selling out venues all over the world, they really deserve all the love in the world they are such sweet and hardworking girls and I really can't wait to see what the future holds for them, I'm not sure when I'll ever get the chance to see them again but I'm glad I got this chance because it was just so amazing and reminded me of why I fell in love with them and how much they inspire and bring joy to me. Good luck with the rest of the tour Blackpink I hope you have the best time and get to meet many more loving Blinks on your journey.
Who is your favourite girl group and have you seen them in concert?
Last year I took a trip to Berlin to see GOT7's perform one of their first European concerts on their World Tour, I had hoped London would be on the list as I had already planned my trip to the UK but unfortunately it wasn't but being the crazy fangirl I am I still wanted to show my support for them after travelling all that way and as I had never visited Germany before I thought this was the perfect opportunity to do so. I was working with a really tight schedule so only had one full day to explore the city as I was leaving the next day right after the concert, ideally I would have loved a few more days to explore but looking back I'm kinda surprised at just how much I was able to see in such a short time...
As soon as I arrived in Berlin I was greeted by these wonderful colourful bears, and also a packet of complimentary gummi bears at the hotel, which was when I realised that bears are the symbol of Berlin and gave myself a mission to find as many around the city as possible. I loved the bears that much I also brought back a bunch of cute bear souvenirs for my friends and family, I mean they're so cute right?
My hotel was near Alexanderplatz which was a great place to stay given our limited time as there were so many things to explore around the area and lots of great shops and places to eat it was also with walking distance of a lot of places and well connected to the bus and train lines so easy to reach from the airport. There is also the Berlin TV Tower (Fernsehturm Berlin) right in the center which is a great place to start as not only can you see the whole of the city from above but it gives you a good idea of where things are so you can plan out your day and of course take in the spectacular views of the city and its surroundings while you're up there.
Within walking distance from Alexanderplatz is Museum Island, which I actually suggest you spend more time exploring if you can, or just dedicate a whole day to visiting the museums there. We really wanted to go inside the museums and had planned to go back later in the day but ran out of time from all the other sightseeing, but at least this gives me a reason to go back and visit again. The buildings are so beautiful to and have a lot of history, you can still see the gunshot holes in some of them. There's so many interesting exhibitions and artworks there to so one day I would love to visit them properly.
Of course Berlin's most famous sight the Brandenburg Gate is a must see and I heard it's even more spectacular at night, this wasn't too far a walk from Museum Island (we did a lot of walking that day!) so worth making a stop just to see it in person and taking those iconic photos.
The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe was something I didn't know much about but it's a really interesting place, some think it resembles a graveyard but all art is open to interpretation and walking through it can be a dizzying experience as the blocks increase and decrease in height and you struggle to find a way out, it has its own beauty though and it was nice to see families sitting there enjoying the sunshine, in the same way The East Side Gallery has been transformed from something painful to something inspiring I see this memorial the same way to.
A hidden gem I found while on my way to the GOT7 concert which wasn't in the guidebooks was this park, Volkspark Friedrichshain. From the moment I stepped through the gates I felt like I had walked into a fairy tale with all the beautiful statues and dreamy fountains, it was just so beautiful I had to mention it! There was also a restaurant in there to which we grabbed a quick drink at and of course places barbecuing sausages and other traditional German treats. If you visit when the weather is good then I would definitely recommend a stop here, it's the perfect place to just relax and enjoy life.
Finally I would totally recommend a sunset river cruise around the city to end your day, it was one of my favourite things we did and a nice way to see the city and end our adventures in Berlin. We didn't initially plan this, we just happened to be walking past, eating our ice cream when we noticed the last boat was due to leave so we thought we might as well hop on board and rest our feet from all the walking we had done that day.
We actually visited a lot more places in our short time there but my battery started to run out on my cameras as well as my internal battery gaining drained from so much walking in the summer heat, luckily there was lots of delicious food there to energise me! I really do hope I get the chance to visit again one day as I really enjoyed my brief time there and would love to explore more of Germany.
What city would you love to visit if you only had 24 hours?
Honestly, I feel like I lost a bit of my confidence when it comes to creativity, whether it's crafting things, photography or writing my creative outlets were always somewhere I could meditate, relax, pour out my heart and rest my mind but as life got busier I had little time for art in my life and eventually just lost all my confidence for it....
Art has always been important to me, it's how people express their true selves, it's inspiration and it's pain, it's something that makes you wonder and something that brings you home, it comes in many mediums and it's everywhere, sometimes we just need to open our hearts and pay a little more attention. This place The East Side Gallery is the perfect example of that.
While going through this struggle of finding my passion again I remembered my trip to Berlin and walking along these brightly coloured walls, a wall that divided a nation and kept families apart for decades, where people lived and died. Now it's a beautiful place where people can freely express themselves and it made me realise I've built my own wall that I need to break down.
So I'm pushing forward, blocking out the noise and finding my confidence and passion again because I realise that creativity is something really important that I need in my life. Even if the gains don't bring me success financially the most important thing is the emotional and mental gains I make. This is something I need to do for me, something I need to give me the strength and passion to fight through each day.
