What Would the Rooms of The Umbrella Academy Look Like?

Are you a fan of 'The Umbrella Academy'? I've been a fan of the comics since I was in college. I had soft copies, a hardbound version, and even a figurine of The White Violin. I loved her so much - as much as I loved Death in 'The Sandman'. Add to that the fact that I loved Gerard Way, and absolutely everything about 'The Umbrella Academy' simply fit so nicely into my college life.

Fast forward to 2019. I was given the opportunity to watch the very first episode of 'The Umbrella Academy' on Netflix before anyone else. It was the un-finalized version, but I already found myself falling in love with the action, the music, and the cast that when I got to meet, interview, and hang out with Robert Sheehan and David Castañeda in Singapore; it was the highlight of my year.

Channeling my inner Numbers 1, 7, and 4.

Photo by Mimai Cabugnason.

When I finally watched the entire Season 1, though, I was a little disappointed... Granted, I was comparing it to the comics far too much. Rumor didn't look the way I had imagined and wanted her to look. Number 7, when she finally became the White Violin, was nothing like the figurine I had had on display for more than a decade. And there were moments in the show that I was unsure how to feel.

But I have learned to separate the comics from the series since then. And with that mindset, having been given the opportunity to watch Season 2 before anyone else, I finished it on an ultra high note. IT WAS AMAZING. (That's all I can say for now, but wait for my review when we're finally given permission to publish it. :p)

For now, here's a throwback to a Netflix event I attended last year for the launch of Season 1. The event gave us the chance to delve into the rooms of The Umbrella Academy and what those rooms might look like:

The Common Room

Special thanks to Netflix, PLDT, and Smart for this awesome experience!

I got to take home one of these masks from the Singapore press con.

Pick a door. Any door.

Number 1

As you might know, Number 1 spent a lot of time on the moon. As such, the entire room is pretty much space-related with some workout equipment lying around. Number 1 is ripped for a reason, after all.

Gear for moon living.

I'm not entirely sure why everything was kind of... tiny. Was it to make us feel as big as Number 1? :p

Number 2

 

I have a special place in my heart for Dave, but for his character in the show... not so much. :p

Being the bitter justice-seeking guy that he is, the room has cut-out cardboards of people for target practice.

Photos of Hazel and Cha Cha can be found in the room, too - also for target practice?

Number 3

The main character I was a bit disappointed by in Season 1, Number 3 is a famous star.

Records adorn the walls for this reason.

She also has a beauty corner for all of her prettifying needs.

My face pretty much shows how I felt when I saw her in the show.

Me, still unsure about how I feel about Allison. :p

Number 4

This is probably MY FAVORITE ROOM OF ALL TIME. Hahaha. In true Klaus fashion, the entire room looks like a bar.

With the ability to talk to the dead, it really isn't no wonder why his room is a bar, though.

The poor guy needs this.

 Add to that everything he went through during the war, and it really isn't no wonder why he needs booze so much.

 I feel you, Klaus. I really do.

I also feel the need to point out that Robert is the nicest and most humble celebrity I have ever met and hung out with so far. Love. Him.

Number 5

 

My general love for baby boys aside, Aidan Gallagher is my favorite actor in 'The Umbrella Academy' series. He is such a great actor. His character is amazing (especially in Season 2). And if you follow him on social media, you'll see all of the causes he supports and speaks out about. I love people with values.

Since Number Five is actually much older in age, the room is a mixture of his intelligence and his young looks.

Gamer and movie posters are on the walls alongside skateboards. Different time zones are on the clocks, as well, to signify his time-traveling abilities.

The blackboard is filled with scientific calculations (for space-time manipulation, perhaps?)

Shoes on the bed. Oops!

Of course, Dolores is here, too!

Number 6

I don't think this is really a spoiler, but Ben is dead in the show, so I guess that's why the room looks like this. I wish they had put more of Ben's actual personality into it instead. :(

Number 7

And now for my dream room! Vanya is a bit of a loner, having been isolated from the rest of her siblings. Thus the very loner, very me vibes.

Books everywhere! And spot the violin!

A typewriter! (I swear this room feels like it was built for me.)

I love how Netflix reused their set for their 'You' event for this. :p

I also spotted a photo of her siblings, which made me tear up a bit.

In my element.

Mimai and I walked up a very dark, very sketchy set of stairs to get this photo. :p

But we also got to drink unlimited wine, which I took complete advantage of. :p

Which room is your favorite? :)

'The Umbrella Academy' Season 2 starts streaming on Netflix on July 31, 2020. And trust me when I say that it's even better than Season 1.

And if you haven't read the comics yet, PLEASE DO IT NOW AND THEN GEEK OUT WITH ME. :D

Sleeping with the Devil

How I date now is radically different from how I used to date. I used to date for the mere fun of it. I loved getting to know someone new, falling in love with the littlest thing about him, egging him on to do or watch things I liked, and convincing myself he could be molded into a version of himself that would live up to a certain idea I had in my head.

I used to dress guys up, give them better hairstyles, take them to fancy places, and try to turn them into that perfect man I envisioned in my head. But the thing is: no matter how much time or money you spend on a person's appearance so that you have a hot piece of eyecandy to strut around with, they'll still be shitty people if they were shitty people to begin with.

If they want to cheat, they will still cheat. If they enjoy the perks that come with being your lover or your friend, they will enjoy those perks for their enjoyment without taking your feelings into consideration. If they love the Philippine government, they will defend the Philippine government to the death.

All of that is all well and good if you are a cheater, a user, and a supporter of the Philippine government yourself; but if you're not (i.e. if you're like me), then those are all just red flags. And I am proud to say that I not just notice those red flags now; I rip them apart and burn them. More than anything else, I prioritize people's values now.

I'm a pretty forgiving person, in general, and I'd like to think I'm pretty patient and understanding. I'm also willing to educate people on what's right from wrong - something I wish someone had done for me when I was younger. I've grown as a person and I've changed a lot, and one of my goals in life is to help other people grow and change for the better, as well. Unfortunately, in order to become a better person, you need to want to become a better person. Some people simply have zero interest in doing that.

The last guy I dated was actually pretty awesome. He was passionate about things. He had plans for the future (which I still hope materialize for him someday). And man, did he make me laugh! At one point, I thought there was potential for a relationship there - and a good one, at that.

Unfortunately, his values were for shit. And nowadays, that's all that really matters to me: values. I've unfriended a lot of people and removed a lot of people in my life because of this. If you have a shitty heart and a shitty outlook in life, it's pretty much game over.

I've given so many people the benefit of the doubt in recent years, just to find out that they were liars, scam artists, rapists, cheaters, homophobes... the list goes on and on. But I am proud to say that I break ties and no longer tolerate shit like that.

The same goes for relationships. In fact, I haven't been in a relationship in a while now - and that's mostly because I want to make sure that the next person I end up in a relationship with has good and strong values - and that he defends and stands up for those values, no matter what.

black off-shoulder swimsuit from Mesmeraize PH / lipstick from Maybelline / photos by Gizelle Caoile / shot at The Auhana Boracay

I can forgive mistakes when they happen and I can overlook bad taste in movies and music, but I can't be with someone with crappy values anymore. Heck, I can't even be friends with someone with crappy values. I'm done sleeping with the devil. You should be done with it, too.

6 Ways 'Train to Busan' Has Upped My Standards for Men

Woo! Three years late to the party. I know. The thing is: I wasn't into the Korean world when 'Train to Busan' came out in 2016. And when I did finally become addicted to Korean dramas, the movie wasn't available on Netflix. Well, now it is. So here I am.

Now y'all know that 'Train to Busan' is an awesome action-packed adrenaline rush from beginning to end. But my biggest takeaway from it is that I will now never settle for less than a man than Ma Dong-seok.

Y'all can have Gong Yoo... Ma Dong-seok is my man.

Here's why I love him:

1. He didn't rush his wife in the bathroom.

Ah. Such a minor thing. Yet still... I've been pregnant. I've peed a hundred times a day once upon a time. And I've had people get annoyed by me peeing a hundred times a day once upon a time. But this guy... this guy didn't just check on her and tell her to take her time. He even told the kid not to wait because he knew how long it takes for pregnant ladies to pee. He was supportive. He took other people into consideration. And he even waited outside of the bathroom door for his wife to finish. My man!

2. He's a strong gentleman.

Dong-seok isn't just a gentleman, either. He's a strong gentleman. And he's no coward. Not by a long shot. This guy saw zombies running towards them and he literally just picked up his wife's pregnant ass and ran to safety. Most guys would grab their woman's hand and run with her. Others might even just run ahead and save their own asses. But not Dong-seok. No, sir. This guy picked up his pregnant wife off of her feet and ran. Ergh. I LOVE HIM.

3. He's refreshingly honest.

Just coz you're a gentleman doesn't mean you have to be polite all the time. In 'Train to Busan', Dong-seok tells it like it is. When Gong Yoo locked him and his wife out, he called him out and asked for an apology. Later on, he calls Gong Yoo a jerk. He tells that kid with a bat not to put the bat in his face, too. He even points out that Gong Yoo never has time for his kid... but then makes him feel good about it, reminding him that his daughter will understand once she's older.

4. He always puts other people first.

Yes, he picked up his wife to save her. But beyond that, he also saved a lot of other people and put them first, even though they were complete strangers. He saved the kid after my heart raced like crazy because I was so sure she was gonna die (you know, having such a negligent father and all). He put other passengers first when he held the doors closed at the train station and the train was departing for Busan once again. I love me an altruistic man.

5. He kicks ass.

Before they get back on the train, he saves Gong Yoo's ass. And then, when they actually make it onto the train, he starts fighting zombies... WITH HIS BARE FUCKING HANDS. And he stops all of these zombies and puts his own life at risk despite having to work with careless people (like that dude who stepped on a can! MY HEART COULD HARDLY TAKE THIS MOVIE, I SWEAR!). And when that student kid was trying to smash the door with his bat, you just knew that Dong-seok could have smashed that door's glass in a heartbeat.

6. He thinks with his head, not with his heart.

Despite all of the craziness going on all around him, he plans out how to rescue his wife using his head instead of his heart. He is the first to point out that the zombies can't see them in the dark (but fine, I'll give Gong Yoo a point for that cell phone plan of his). And until the very end, he thinks about what's best for his wife instead of trying to save himself. He even makes sure to tell Gong Yoo to take care of her and tells her what to name the baby BEFORE HE GOES BACK TO THOSE ZOMBIE BITCHES AND FIGHTS THEM - WITH AN INFECTED HAND, I MIGHT ADD. He even carries some of those assholes. Heroism. At. Its. Bad-asserest. And when they finally make it into that train car thar vthey were trying to get into and those fuckers tell them to get out, you just know that Dong-seok would have kicked everyone's ass in there and punched them all in their faces.

On a more serious note, I believe I watched 'Train to Busan' at the perfect time. I mean, with COVID and all. Some scenes hit a bit closer to home than it would have if I had watched them three years ago. And I love how it shows us the realities of what people would do to survive and just how different some people really are from others. Some people only care about themselves. Others only care about their loved ones. And me, right now, I just care about Ma Dong-seok. Hahahahaha. Ergh. I LOVE HIM.

Now excuse me while I find a man with this new criteria and teach Syrena how to defend herself from zombies. You never know what August 2020 will bring, after all.

You can watch 'Train to Busan' on Netflix here.