Meteor Garden (Taiwanese) had me in an intense chokehold when it aired in the Philippines back in 2003—I was absolutely obsessed. I remember begging my family to buy me all sorts of merch, from posters and keychains to photo cards and T-shirts—every member of my family can attest to this. It was such a huge part of my childhood, shaping my early teenage daydreams and giving me my first taste of Asianovela fever before I even knew what that was! So, finally getting to see National Chung Cheng University (Ying De in the series) in person—one of the most iconic filming locations—felt so surreal that I almost wanted to cry. Continue reading →