Just like every other month, we’re once again highlighting a regular member in Part 1, and a Soshified staff member in Part 2.
In Part 1, we profiled yoong900530, or Zayra Louise. In Part 2, we turn to miss mirror monster, or Enu. Though a Soshified Stylist, Enu’s screenname did not come about because of that, but rather because of her personal habit of making sure nothing is wrong with her appearance. In what might be a complete surprise, Enu is actually an engineering student during the day. However, she has had a strong interest in fashion, which led her to be recruited to be a Stylist, especially since she constantly sent in tips to SoShi Styling before being hired.
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What is your first name?
I’d rather not say my full name but you can all call me Enu.
How did you find out about Soshified and why did you decide to join?
I actually joined Soshified because of the infamous pink subs. I enjoyed watching Invincible Youth Season 1 back then, and couldn’t find any site that subbed the show. Fortunately I found Soshified and immediately tried to earn 50 posts in order to watch the show with subs. I kind of ignored the site for quite some time after Yuri and Sunny left IY1 (the prime reason I watch the show), but now that I’m a staffer, I check the site almost everyday.
How did you come up with your screen name?
It was actually my username for another subbing squad forum. I was actually choosing from littlemisswicked and miss mirror monster. In the end, I liked the “alliteration effect” of the latter.
What does “miss mirror monster” mean? After reading your explanation, I take it it has nothing to do with Styling?
Actually, I do have an explanation as to why I came up with miss mirror monster but it just sounded so ridiculous. I’m actually very conscious of my appearance so I always have a pocket mirror with me at all times. I even get in trouble at school sometimes because of it.. And, no, before you go on and think that I’m conceited, please don’t. Some would call it vain, however that’s not the case, it’s nothing but consciousness. So, with that reason, I came up with miss mirror monster. It can be loosely translated to a girl obsessed with mirrors? LOL I don’t even know if that made sense at all. I better go with the alliteration reason. )
And it really has nothing to do with Soshi Styling. Like I said, I registered at Soshified (2008/2009) way before I became a Stylist. I was only recruited a year ago, so I just stuck with that username instead of signing up with a new one.
Where are you originally from, and where do you currently reside (city and country for both)?
I’m a proud Filipino but I grew up in Doha, Qatar. For those who don’t know where that is, it’s a tiny country in the Middle East neighboring Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. For soccer fans, it’s where the 2022 FIFA World Cup will be held.
I came back to the Philippines for university since I lived my whole life in Qatar and wanted to experience independence in my motherland. It was a huge culture shock when I got here two years ago but I’m slowly getting the hang of it. I miss my hometown but thankfully I get to go back to Qatar during the Christmas holidays.
How did your family end up in Qatar in the first place?
My parents worked abroad for more than 20 years already. They first ventured to Saudi Arabia where I was actually born, in Jeddah particularly. My family went through a lot in Saudi Arabia. Back then, the life of an expatriate was difficult – dealing with the Islam religion and all of its strict beliefs. I even remember my mom telling she even had to wear an Abaya (which was the black clothing that Arab women wear to conceal their whole body and barely an opening for the eyes) just to take the trash out. After a few years in Saudi Arabia, my father was offered a position in a very renowned company in Qatar. So, ultimately, we packed our bags and flied to Qatar, where it’s more “liberated”. We never went anywhere else since then.
If we were visiting you where you live for one day, where would you take us? Why are these places so significant?
Well, it really depends on what you want to do. If you want the active and fun stuff, I have to say the beaches. We’re known to have beaches of powdery white sand. First on the list is definitely Boracay. It’s a favorite for both locals and foreigners, even Sooyoung (I think Taeyeon and Yuri, too) went. Beaches in Pagudpud, Batanagas, and Palawan are also on the top of the list.
However, if you enjoy just hanging out or partying, I could take you to Taguig City where every corner is a hang-out spot so you’ll never run out of places to go. Some other choices are Tomas Morato (my favorite), Makati (where the socialites are), or down south (more bars than clubs).
If it’s shopping, I’d be more than glad to accompany you to Greenhills or the SM Mall of Asia. If you’re looking for the luxury brands, we have Greenbelt or Glorietta. But you have to experience the crowd, so I really recommend going to our so-called “tiangge”, it’s like a bazaar with remarkably good bargains (you just have to be good at asking for discounts).
Tell us a little about your life. What do you do full time and in your free time?
I’m a full-time student majoring in Computer Engineering. I’m currently in my last term of my second year. Everyday I face circuits, equations, and calculators. As of now, my worst enemy is programming and all that crap. It’s definitely not my favorite, and sadly I’ll be with it for the rest of my life (unless some things turn out like that plan I have). So, yeah, I’m working my butt off to get my precious diploma.
I’m pretty much a typical adolescent. In my free time, I go out with friends and go food-tripping, watch a good movie, shopping, or have coffee. Call me lame but I’m really not a fan of the party scene. I drink, sure, but I’d rather be in a bar and catch up with some friends than in a club crowded with strangers and ear-blasting music.
Of course, I also have my cyberlife (is that what they call it, life in the internet). I frequent at Twitter and Tumblr, I do have Facebook but I really think it’s just too crowded in there already. I enjoy reading so I occasionally visit some fanfiction sites and read a couple of them. Oh, and I love YouTube! I have a few vlogs that I’m subscribed to, so I watch them every night during little breaks from “studying”.
For people who are first meeting you (like most of us), how would you describe yourself?
Physically, I stand 170 cm tall and tower over most of the girls (and some guys) I know. In terms of my personality, I’m a bit shy around new people but once you get to know me, I’m the complete opposite. It may sound so cliché, but that’s how people are. Even though I love making new friends, I tend to choose who to be friends with. I’m a close-knit type of person and try to get to know my friends well as opposed to being familiar to everyone else. I just value my long-time friendships where I’m totally comfortable. Plus, it really takes time for me to trust a person because I’ve learned a lot of lessons from trust issues. And I also have this habit of analyzing people, I don’t know how to get into details about that one, but I tend to do it especially on new faces.
Tell us some things that most people don’t know about you that you think they should.
I’m a competitive person, especially in things I know I do well in. But I also have my insecurities and my self-esteem just drops down in seconds. I can be a perfectionist at times and a grammar freak most of the time. I used to dance and do ballet, but now it’s just a passion I regret abandoning. I love to draw but it’s just so-so next to people with amazing skills. I really like men with a sense of sarcastic humor, like Ryan Reynolds and John Krasinski.
To be more random, I’m allergic to cats and dogs (the hairy and fluffy kinds) but I love them dearly. I hate tomatoes; I pick them out of my burgers. I really like spicy and sour tasting food (so Korean food is just love). As for sweet food, I don’t indulge on them – but I love chocolates! My favorite ice cream flavor is mint and chocolate chip (the one from Baskin Robbins <3). I sleep with four pillows. I’d like to learn how to drive but traffic in the Philippines is scary.
What do you do with four pillows?
I have one for my head, another to hug, and the third in between my legs. The last one would be at my side, against the wall since it can get so cold at night. I know it’s a lot, that’s why I’m planning on buying a huge body pillow that’s U-shaped. That could decrease the number into just one.
Is there anything big in your life that you’re working on? (This can be related to school, career, hobbies, family, friends, etc.)
As of now, I’m working really hard to graduate from university. After that, I’m probably going to pursue fashion design for a few years because I’m really passionate about it. If all that goes well, I’m thinking of opening my own line of bags or clothing. At least, working for a renowned designer is more than enough for me.
If all that won’t happen, then it’s time to work my way into the corporate world. I’d like to get married at the age of 27 and have a family of my own with four kids (preferably two boys and two girls). I want to open a small-scale restaurant for my mother and a supermarket for my father.
If you do enter the corporate world, you’d also want to open the restaurant and supermarket as well?
Definitely! My father had so much plans in opening a Filipino supermarket in Qatar just to cater the needs of other Overseas Filipino Workers (a.k.a. OFWs) who miss the taste of home. He just couldn’t push through with it because of the tedious requirements and the work he had to juggle. For my mother, I’d like people to get to taste her cooking by opening up a little restaurant. She would always whip up a feast and it leaves us bloated every time. I just love the idea of possessing a recipe from my mom that’s sought after by people who eat her food.
What are your interests outside of Girls’ Generation?
I enjoy music of pop punk genre. My personal favorites are Mayday Parade, All Time Low (only the first two albums, the recent ones are just a let-down), Yellowcard, etc. I like reading books too, especially series (stuck in the last book of the Hunger Games series thanks to stress at school). I love watching TV series like Gossip Girl, Pretty Little Liars, How I Met Your Mother, The Big Bang Theory, and so much more. Finally, I love writing but I avoid the political topics and focus more on the brighter side of things. I have a folder in my laptop full of my stories but I’m too shy to post them online. I tried doing so using an anonymous profile, but my friends tracked it down and got so shy afterwards.
How did you first become a fan of Girls’ Generation?
I actually had my first encounter with them while I was layouting for our school paper back in high school. One of our editors nagged another layout artist to play one song. Then, Gee was on maximum volume and my editor was dancing like crazy. Curious me watched what the ruckus was all about and found these young ladies dancing around and there was color everywhere.
However I didn’t become a fan immediately after that. I was more interested in the Wondergirls back then. Suddenly, SNSD released “Tell Me Your Wish” and I just fell in love with them after that. I even remember waking up one weekend and found the news about the release, I watched the MV and probably replayed it ten times consecutively.
Who is your favorite member and why?
When I watched the Gee MV, the first person that caught my attention was Sooyoung. She looked so different from a typical Korean girl and her height and smile just blew me away. Then, at around 2:11 of the MV (go see for yourself if you’re curious enough), the deep and full voice of a cute girl surprised me and found out it was Taeyeon. I fell in love with those two right away. Plus, they’re the humorous ones in the group so I love that about them.
Few years passed, I found a news article that CNBLUE’s Jung Yonghwa and SNSD’s Seohyun will be a couple for a show called We Got Married. At that time, I was in love with Yonghwa (after seeing him in You’re Beautiful) and gave that show a try. And I found Seohyun’s peculiar personality very adorable. She’s very unique and upright, a refreshing sight among the cutesy girls. Some may call her boring but that’s just her charm. She’s now my current favorite along with Sooyoung and Taeyeon.
What is your favorite Girls’ Generation song and MV and why?
For the music video, like I mentioned earlier, it’s “Tell Me Your Wish”. I really liked the concept, it’s not too cute but it still captures their appeal. I liked the song because it brought out their talented voices. The dance was just epic with that iconic leg move.
As for songs, ironically, I love their songs that are not title tracks. On my list are: Oscar, Trick, Mistake, Star Star Star. From the Japanese albums, I absolutely love Great Escape and Time Machine. Honestly, I haven’t heard every song in all of their albums, but I shall when I get the time.
What is your favorite Girls’ Generation moment and why?
I love every moment where they display their so-called “Soshi Bond”, but there’s definitely one that touched my heart. It happened two years ago at the 2010 Golden Disk Awards. In a certain fancam, there was Seohyun and Taeyeon seated beside each other. At that time, it was time to reveal the winner of the Daesang. Seohyun was mouthing “Super Junior” and Taeyeon looked like she was expecting the same thing. Then, the MC announced “So Nyeo Si Dae” and the shock on the girls’ faces were epic, most especially Taeyeon’s. It was very moving.
What do you like most about Soshified, and why? Any section in particular you’re attracted to?
I’m the only one who’s interested in Kpop out of all of my friends. So I really like the fact that I can resort to Soshified and get to interact with SONEs around the world.
I really like lurking around the Photos section and just browse around. I can be updated with photos of the girls at some events and find some random photos of the girls.
Why did you decide to join the Soshified staff, and why the particular job you have now?
I actually didn’t apply to be a Stylist at Soshi Styling. There was a time where I sent tips almost consecutively to Soshi Styling. Then one summer ago, I received an e-mail from cream, in-charge of Soshi Styling, inviting me to be a Stylist. I accepted the offer and here I am now.
You say that you didn’t check the site for a while after Yuri and Sunny left Invincible Youth, but you say that you also continuously submitted tips to SoShi Styling for a while before you became a staff member. Did you check Styling and ignore the rest of the site, or how did that work?
I just directly go to the Soshi Styling site and browse through the posts. I also follow Soshified on Twitter so every time they tweet a “Style” post, I just click on the link which directs me to the site right away.
What exactly do you do? Do you enjoy this position? What do you like about it?
Most of the time, I look for the clothes the girls were seen wearing, the bags, shoes, and all that jazz. I also help with other projects along with my fellow Stylists. I really enjoy what I’m doing. Being very passionate about fashion, this job is my gateway to heighten that love for fashion more.
What is your favorite project that you’ve ever been involved in?
Currently, I’m in charge of the Outfit of the Week posts at Soshi Styling and I really enjoy writing those kinds of articles. I get to write about the girls’ outfits and critique about them. I also love reading the comments from readers.
Any interesting experiences when interacting with members?
We have this little corner where we can spazz about fashion and I love reading posts from other members about the SNSD fashion or their personal style. We also have a thread dedicated to bashing the SNSD’s stylists for letting them wear horrendous outfits. It’s definitely fun and the conversations can be very delightful.
Is there anything else about you that you would like to add?
A HUGE THANK YOU FOR THE PEOPLE RESPONSIBLE FOR SOSHIFED SPOTLIGHT. It’s an honor to be part of this feature and I’m glad I get to share a little about myself to the hundreds of Soshified. Thank you again!
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Huge thanks goes out to Enu for participating in Soshified Spotlight this month. As usual, you can submit nominations for future Soshified Spotlights if you’d like to participate or if you’d like to get to know a fellow member better. Instructions on how to do so can be viewed at the Soshified Spotlight Solicitation announcement.
You can also read past Soshified Spotlights by clicking on the “Soshified Spotlight” tag below.
Compiled by: residentbenchwarmer@soshified
Graphic by: cioco@soshified
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whoa.. noypi’s are the coolest… good job kababayan.. i’m from philippines also…
Ooh a ‘Kababayan’. This is great! Thank you for sharing your experiences esp. about how you knew SNSD. :) Mabuhay! Hwaitingg :)
This is great! Now I see a lot of Filipinos operating as staff members at SSF.
Mabuhay ka!
Hwaiting!
Wahh it’s nice to see Filipinos in ssf … I hope So nyeo shi dae will visit our country someday.
it’s only very heartbreaking that i can’t watch snsd’s upcoming concert here in the philippines. i’m only 18 years old. don’t know where i could get all that money to buy a ticket. :(