Videos of a real mermaid spotted in South Korea have gone viral. The same mermaid appeared in Scotland speaking of the exact same message. Find out what she said in the videos. Here is my second entry to the National Geographic's #PlanetOrPlastic Writing Contest. There is a statue of a mermaid on the rocky beach of Dongbaek Island in Busan, South Korea. I have seen the statue four times and every time I see it, I feel sadness. When I stare at the mermaid's statue, I imagine the her coming to life and talking to me. I imagine it telling me why she is sad. My story is inspired by that mermaid's sadness.

Betinna is looking for her dog on the beach when she sees a creature buried in the sand. Find out what question the creature asks Betinna. Here is my entry to the National Geographic's #PlanetOrPlastic Writing Contest. This is an allegory of my environmental awareness, negligence and lack of consistency. I promise to do more for our environment because I love my dogs. They are my children and they play a huge part of my future. I promise to bring an eco bag with me at all times and a metal tumbler. Here in Korea, banks, post offices and cellphone retail stores have water dispensers. I can just walk in to refill my tumbler with hot or cold water. What can you promise to save our planet?

I thought that Mama's death was the worst thing that ever happened to me. I was wrong. Mama had secrets. It angers me that she kept secrets from me while she knew everything about me.

May secret si Lea at kailangan nya ng friend na mahihingahan nya ng loob. She has been wishing to meet a friend she can trust with this secret. One day at Starbucks, she met Emma. Her mom was also a Filipina and she can understand Tagalog. Now that she has found a friend, she is having second thoughts. Can she really trust Emma?

Sam was on her way to South Korea to teach English when she met Toby in Narita Airport. Sam got into trouble because of Toby and she wanted him to pay for it cost her. It was not easy to get to Toby because he was an actor with an ongoing drama series. Sam would go out of her way to make Toby pay for what he owed her. She found herself doing things she had never done before just to get to him.

I saw a video of Lea Salonga and Il Divo singing A Whole New World on Youtube. I loved it so much I watched it again and again till I memorized all the words. It became a daily ritual for me to watch the video and singing along. Then I got sick. I had pneumonia. I coughed and coughed. I thought I was going to die. I was watching Lea Salonga's videos on my Iphone, when I had a vision. I saw myself and Feb, the guy I am secretly in love with. I saw us kissing. We were in love. We were Italians in the 17th century. How can that be? How is it possible that I lived before? How is it possible that the boy I am secretly in love was in love with me in the past? How could we be in love again in this lifetime?

I love you. I love you. I love you. I am sorry. Please forgive me. I will repeat these words a million times till time rewinds and changes what just happened. 88888888

I have been living in and out of Korea since 1999. I got my Korean citizenship in 2003 and it is embarrassing that after living in Korea for so long my fluency in Korean is stagnant at intermediate level. I have many friends who visit Korea three to five times a year because of KPOP and KDRAMA. I never understood the fascination until I watched and fell in love with Gong Yoo in The Goblin. The Goblin is the first Korean drama series I have ever watched from start to finish. Now I push myself to watch Korean movies and other series. I am so overwhelmed by all the Korean series available on Netflix. Pushing myself means being determined to watch the first episode. Usually I give up watching after ten minutes. Now I push myself to finish the first episode and decide if the series is worth watching till the end. I want to tell my stories as autobiographically accurate but I don't want to embarrass my friends and family. I will share good stories and nasty stories. There are still more good people in the world than bad people. But it's a fact that bad tragic stories are more entertaining and interesting. These stories are based on my personal experiences, opinions and realisations. I cannot promise that every chapter is a hundred percent accurate. I have to change names and locations but I can 99% promise the anecdotes will be 95% based on true events.

Meet Mahalla, the daughter of Datu Sikatunna of Bohol Island. Her mother was from Cebu who raised her speaking Cebuano. One of the servants who took care of Mahalla was from Lanao and spoke the Maranao language. Her father was Datu Sikatunna who spoke Bolanon. Mahalla grew up speaking three languages. At the age of three, she had been exposed by her mother to different events involving royal visitors from other islands. Mahalla would listen to her mother's visitors and would easily absorb languages. She could acquire fluency in just a few minutes. Mahalla's linguistic skills made her famous all around Visayas, Mindanao and neighboring islands in Indonesia, Borneo and as far as the islands of Guam and Vanuatu. Datu Sikatunna's political ties was strengthened by Mahalla's translation skills. International Sanduaguan pacts mostly require Mahalla's participation. These blood compacts sealed important treaties and major business deals between datus and diplomats. Mahalla's services were costly. Even Datu Sikatunna had to shower Mahalla with gifts especially pearls. She loved pearls. She wanted to have all the pearls in the world. She used her linguistic skills to expand her collection. She collected pearls and made them into jewelry, clothing, hair ornaments and even her shoes were decorated with pearls. Her interpretation skills come at a price. When wealthy businessmen visited Bohol, she would ask for rare pearls in exchange of her interpretation skills. Mahalla was very valuable to the kingdom of Bohol. Words. Sentences. Languages. Languages were music to Mahalla. Once she learned the words, the melodies come innately. But languages are not the only skills Mahalla possessed. When foreign men landed on the shores of Bohol, Mahalla had to use powers that she had been kept hidden for years. Trouble was demonstrating her powers meant trouble for her father and her people.

Something mysterious has happened that changed Mark First. He used to be shy and he used to be Emma's best friend. Now he has become a serial kisser who is offering to give Emma kissing lessons. Will Emma accept the offer from her ex-best friend knowing there will be no emotions involved? PS I love love Lizquen! Hi Lizquen fans and other readers. Please guess what the chapter acronyms stand for. Enjoy. Kisses!!!