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- Mar 26, 12
[Warning: SPOILERS ABOUND!]
I’m a stickler for consistency when it comes to movie adaptations of novels that I read and loved so it comes as no surprise that I’ll be pinpointing some things about The Hunger Games movie that don’t agree with the novel. Still, those who made the film did a great job of squeezing the story into less than two and a half hours while still managing to make the plot understandable to the majority of moviegoers who probably haven’t read the book before going to the cinema (just like my parents, heh).
The Good: It managed to stick to the story. Hey, that’s the most important thing to consider about movie adaptations, yes yes? Jennifer Lawrence as the protagonist was great. I was one of those people who, at the thought of a voluptuous and sexy woman as Lawrence to play the starved and thin District 12 Tribute, believed that she was miscast as Katniss Everdeen. It was a stupid preconception because disregarding Katniss’ physical attributes (which really doesn’t match with the actress’ tall, curvy frame), Jennifer Lawrence played Katniss with such ferocity that I don’t think anyone else could have acted the role better. Her Katniss was precise: she trembled when things got scary yet masked all that fear with determination and courage to protect herself. Whatever fight scenes shown were also excellent, and the overall ambiance of the movie just spot-on with what I had in mind while reading the novel.
Oh, and how awesome is it that they gave the movie a little spin by giving us an inside look on what’s happening in the Capitol and how Seneca Crane operates the entire Games? I loved that part.
The Meh: The story behind where Katniss got the Mockingjay pin was a little…meh. While I was a bit peeved that they didn’t go with the real story (that Katniss’ friend, Madge Undersee, gave it to Katniss after she volunteered to take her sister’s place at the Reaping), it’s understandable that they’d go for the easier and infinitely quicker route to the Mockingjay pin by having a more important character give it to Katniss rather than someone who doesn’t really have much to do in the story, plot-wise, except for giving that one sole pin that inevitably becomes the sign of the rebellion. I did like that the movie changed the pin from being a tribute token (meaning: something that Katniss wore in the Games as a reminder of her District) to something that Cinna made her wear without the permission of the Gamemaker or the Capitol itself. It makes Cinna much more of a badass.
The Bad: Well…not particularly bad, but one of the things I didn’t like about the movie was that some parts of the Games itself were deleted. These are scenes that aren’t really important so they didn’t add it in the movie, but parts that I think are essential to getting at how smart Katniss is in the Games, and just how much she and Haymitch understand each other that Katniss is able to realize what Haymitch wants her to do in the Games without any sort of communication between them. One of those scenes is the first obstacle Katniss has in the Games, which is finding water. In the novel, she had a hard time finding a water source–the biggest and most obvious source being the lake (absent in the film) close to the Cornucopia, which was hogged by the Career Tributes. I get that the movie was able to show Katniss’ ability to live in the wild and find a clean water source by looking around her and finding damp leaves and damp rocks, but it makes the Hunger Games seem a wee bit lenient when it comes to dehydrating Tributes, which I’m pretty sure they’re not supposed to do.
Also: how come there’s not a lot of bloodshed shown? Hmm. While I understand that the Hunger Games is no Battle Royale in brutality, I remember reading a fair bit of bloodshed in the books that I feel I wasn’t able to see in the movie. Maybe it’s because the movie producers wanted to rake in more money so they decided to give up the gore in place of a better movie rating (Note: they managed to push it into PG-13 territory). Still, I was eager to see a little more of what was happening instead of glimpses of…yunno, dead bodies and bloody weapons used by the Career Tributes. The reason why the Hunger Games is dreaded by everyone in the districts (except for the Career districts) is primarily because of the extreme violence they get to see being enacted by 24 teens each year, and how brutally the children they know die as sacrificial lambs to the whims of the Capitol. I wasn’t exactly hoping to see gore like Ninja Assassin (ugh, that was just gross *shivers*), but at least give me something to wince about while watching the Games! It’s not fair for me to have read all this vicious fighting and imagine it all, only to be given half-baked fighting scenes in the film adaptation.
And then there’s the whole Katniss-Peeta arc in the story. They kept the important bits in the movie, which is great, but they showed very little of what’s in the books. I understand that they can’t get every single detail in, but those who watched the film can’t get sold on the Katniss-Peeta ship, not like how they’d probably get into the Katniss-Gale ship. I’m not saying I rooted for Katniss-Peeta immediately into the novel (I didn’t; I was always skeptical of Peeta’s motives–is he for real, or is he just another calculating bastard wanting to outwit Capitol and the sponsors?), but keeping both sides of the love triangle in equal footing makes for a better love triangle, yes? We don’t want one side getting ahead of the other this early into the game. *winkwink*
Another thing I didn’t like was that Peeta wasn’t extremely hurt near the end of the Games. The importance of the medicine Katniss got for Peeta during the feast wasn’t underlined–in the books, he was near death from blood poisoning. Katniss was extremely desperate to get hold of that little medicine that she was willing to go to Cornucopia to get it even if it means risking her life. Even Peeta’s injury during their final battle was underwhelming; he only gets a little knocked out by Cato, unlike the scenario in the novel where Peeta is in another near-death situation due to blood loss, ultimately resulting in him losing his leg (…and gaining a new prosthetic leg in the process).
In short: why is there not a lot of Peeta, why?! Josh Hutcherson’s not my best choice for Peeta Mellark, but I have to admit I’m willing to compromise if only they’ll just give me a lot of Peeta in the film. (As a side note, I did like that they kept Gale’s presence into a minimum. Even just a few glances and shots of Gale was enough to show how much of an important person he is in Katniss’ life.)
Long story short: Despite a few things I want to change, it was a good movie–and a pretty good adaptation at that. It managed to stay true to the story without taking a lot of the important parts away. I think any person who hasn’t read the books yet can still watch the film and enjoy it without a fan explaining every particular detail. Overall, 4 stars.
- Mar 15, 12
This little blog has been admittedly more stagnant than I hoped it would be, so to keep the ball rolling (I think the better phrase would be to set things in motion, since the imaginary ball hasn’t even begun rolling, heh), I’ll be doing the same thing I’ve been doing in the past which is to randomly enumerate things, happenings, whatnot that are (somewhat) significant in my life right now.
1. Trip home!
The entire month of February was spent
entirelymostly in the Philippines, yay! The last time I was in the country was sometime in April 2008, so it’s been almost four years since I left. I felt a rumble of emotions before going home: excitement, anxiety, fear, longing, et cetera, only for those things to fade into the background once I boarded the plane to Manila. I swear, the next time we fly home I’m going to discourage Mama from buying PAL tickets. Our flight was canceled on the 31st of January and got on another flight the next day, which meant that instead of arriving early in the morning and having the entire 2nd of February all to ourselves, we wasted a day and arrived late into the day (or early into the 3rd of February?).I was surprised at how moderately hot Manila was. I was expecting sweltering heat and shirts sticking on my sweaty back, but that didn’t happen as much as I anticipated. I still carried a fan around just in case the weather became too unbearable, though I didn’t use it as much.
It’s weird how much things can change and yet not change at all in a span of a few years. The house seemed smaller and dimmer than I remembered, the surroundings a lot dirtier than I expected. My orthodontist’s clinic is now a rice store. The closest malls look different from what I remembered them to be. TV commercials show some foreign, unknown brands. A lot of women wear skinny jeans, regardless of whether they look good in them or not. The base tricycle fare is higher than the base jeepney fare by fifty cents. Yet there’s still Koko Krunch, gravy and macaroni salad in KFC, melon milk sold in one liter bottles. The trains are still packed like sardines most of the time. There’s still no toilet paper in most restrooms. I still feel home.
February passed by so quickly–one moment I was just arriving, tired from the 16-hour plane ride in which I watched seven and a half movies and slept not a wink, and then the next moment I’m buying junk food and supplies we’d bring back to California. I didn’t get to meet a lot of my friends, and neither did I manage to visit a lot of new places. It’s kind of a waste, really, when I think back to my recent trip home. Maybe I should have slept less and traveled more, met more of the people I knew and asked how things have been for the past four years.
I didn’t think I’d cry on the way to the airport, but I did. I cried not because it’s going to be a while until the next time I visit, but because of the thought that once, roughly four years ago, I lived there and it was really my home. During the times I’d go to the airport with packed bags, I’d be leaving for a few weeks’ vacation. This time it’s the vacation I’m leaving, not the home. Or can it be both a vacation and my home?
2. City Hunter
Our arrival was greeted by no mobile phone lines, no internet, no TV. We would have spent almost four days of nothing but silence inside the house had it not been for City Hunter. I already watched this last year but I wanted my sister to watch it. Papa, for lack of anything better to do, watched it with us and liked it. It wouldn’t be a huge thing if it were just your normal drama, but since this is a Korean drama, it’s quite surprising that he’d like it, enjoy it, and actually put up with subtitles. My mom joined in somewhere around the later episodes, but she’d sometimes complain of how she can’t really keep up with the subtitles. I always knew watching shows with subtitles is something of a talent (heh) that not everyone has. Guess now I know which parent we got the subtitle-loving gene from.
3. A Song of Ice and Fire
I’d been reading this series for a while now but in all honesty, I couldn’t really enjoy the first parts of Game of Thrones. The beginning felt a little too foreign and emotionless for me. I stopped, then gave it another chance, and read and read and read until it hits me that for the past few days I’d been reading it every chance I got. I carry my Kindle with me wherever, so whenever I have a spare moment or two, I’d take it out of my bag and read some pages. I’m glad I did give it a second shot, because I’d been missing out on such an amazing story.
My favorite characters so far are Jon Snow, Tyrion Lannister, and Daenerys Targaryen. The Starks Bran and Arya are close behind the three, but I already have Jon in my top three, so I’d rather not put so much bias on the Starks. I’ve only finished the first book so I don’t know a lot about their world (yet) but I’m thinking the one who wins the Iron Throne would be a Stark or a Targaryen, seeing as the title of the series is A Song of Ice and Fire. I’m not hoping for the Lannisters because like it or not, Tyrion is the best out of all of them and I don’t really see him as someone who would reign the entire Seven Kingdoms.
4. Chihayafuru
I swear I’ve read about this series before, perhaps during the time when I was so obsessed with the Hyakunin Isshu (百人一首). Don’t know why I never gave this series a chance, though. Hmm.
Anyway, this series is just. Guh. Beautiful drawing and really good story so far! While there are hints of romance going on around the oblivious protagonist Chihaya, they remain as just that–hints. It doesn’t go overboard with the drama either and keeps all the characters likeable (although to be honest I was side-eyeing Chihaya’s older sister, Chihase, for most of her scenes). Also, I can’t help but feel torn between the two guys. Who do I root for: quiet, serious and passionate Wataya Arata who showed Chihaya his love for competitive karuta or smart, athletic yet easy-going (and at times cocky brat) Mashima Taichi who helped Chihaya build the karuta club she so wanted for her high school? Tough question, really.
- Dec 17, 11
…so I guess I’m starting over with a new blog? To be honest, although I’ve been wanting another blog since my LiveJournal kind of experienced a slow, painful death this year, I had no real, solid intentions of ever setting up another blog. Why? For one, I just don’t seem to have the patience to write long entries anymore. I think twitter has a huge effect on my kind of blogging style, since now whenever I want to express something on the internet, I either make it really short or not write it at all.
But I miss it. Blogging my thoughts and just rambling and ranting whatever I want. Heh. And it just so happened that my sister so kindly gave me the subdomain I was hoping for, which is i–it’s short and makes perfect sense, if you add the domain she picked.
I’ve been blogging since…*looks at first blog* August 2004. Seven years, starting from my junior year in high school. I don’t know how many times I’ve switched blogs, but aside from my first ever blog, only my LiveJournal one stuck around. I hope this one does, too.
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Posts
- Aug 09, 12
- Aug 09, 12
- Jun 16, 12
It was a regular day out and my parents and I were out for a drive—I was the one behind the wheel. The feel of the accelerator and brake pedals were different against my foot, the same feeling I would get whenever the seat was adjusted too far from where it was supposed to be. My eyes were glued to the road, but I could sense Papa sitting beside me as he told me where to go. Even then, as I was driving on the freeway, he was still the Boss of the Road, but I didn’t mind. Papa would always be Boss to me.
He told me to exit on the next one we see, so I did. Mama complimented how smooth my driving was. I smiled and told her how technology was amazing. I had a computer clone of myself on the road, running down the streets while I drove the car. The clone was like a GPS system, and the GPS “I” looked around for traffic accidents and red lights, things that would stop us from getting to our destination quicker, and would alert me of them through the little screen in the car, so we end up avoiding anything big on the streets. I knew that Mama was scared of the new technology. Another “me” was there outside, alone. Anything could happen—the new “me” was virtually attached to the real me: anything it felt would in turn be felt by me; anything that happened to it would happen to me. But I didn’t really care—I liked technological advancements.
I watched on the little screen as “I” ran outside. “I” turned on a corner, and so in the car, I signaled right and turned. Papa told me I was headed the wrong way from where we were supposed to go, so I retorted that he should drive instead if he had complaints about my driving. Papa told me to pull over, so I parked the car by the street curb. We were about to change seats when something unexpected happened.
“I” ran into a huddle of people when all of a sudden, a large man–no, a giant of a man thrice the height of any man I had ever seen—grabbed “me” and pierced an incredibly long sword straight through my chest. I gasped at the sight before me. A few moments later I felt my shirt getting wetter and wetter; I knew without looking that I was slowly soaking in my own blood.
Papa looked at me and told me to quickly scoot over to the passenger seat as he released his seatbelt and quickly got out of the car. I could hear Mama’s cries in the backseat as I struggled to switch seats. It felt like an hour or two passed before I was able to go to the other seat.
I saw Papa outside, running straight to the commotion on the street. There were no more than three men on a killing spree, and I saw “myself” skewered on the long sword. I knew the hundreds of dollars I spent on it were long gone—but that wasn’t the least of my concerns then. Papa was outside and he was completely vulnerable.
I knew what Papa was trying to do. “I” was still there on the street; my “body” was still there. Papa wanted to retrieve “me.” In my mind I wanted him strapped back to his seat and we would drive away as fast as we could. I wanted to shout for him to return, but I knew that screaming for my father to come back would only put much attention to him, so I shut my mouth as I fought for every breath. I didn’t know getting hurt felt this bad.
I heard the car door open. Papa was holding “me” and brought “me” to my lap. I was surprised at how light “I” felt, given that my real body was too heavy for my liking. I looked at the scene before us—they were still killing people who were on the streets by chance. Papa went to the driver’s side as quickly as he could. He locked the doors and was about to start the engine when I noticed the giant man looking straight at us. I knew the three of us were looking back at him.
He was quick on his feet, but every step he took felt like a minute, as if he were enjoying the thrill of seeing new prey. I hugged my “body” closer as my ragged breathing turned into scared panting. I was scared, scared out of my wits, too scared to say anything, too scared to even jump out of the seat and run for my life.
Just when Papa found the strength to start the engine, the giant went to the front of our car and ripped out the engine as easily as if it were mere bread. My eyes were glued to his expression: his lips were smiling, yet his eyes were devoid of any emotion known to man. He was going to kill us—all three of us—and I knew we had no chance of surviving.
I only heard one thing then. “Run,” Papa said as the giant went straight for the person on the driver’s seat. I could only watch as he grabbed Papa’s head and—
Then I woke up crying.
-
It really happened…in my dream. *winkwink* It was an awful dream, mind you. I don’t think I did the dream justice with this little story, because it was really vivid and horrible and just plain scary. Anyway, I wrote this two years ago for a writing class, and my professor said the title was misleading. But it did happen! Just…not in real life, heh.
- May 29, 12
Was in a DBSK (or is it more proper to say JYJ since I like those three more than Yunho and Changmin?) mode just a few minutes ago and remembered that I wrote a short Jaejoong scene about two years ago. Heh. I miss DBSK pre-breakup. They were awesome as a group.
–
the beginning.
The patio, Minseo’s house; 7:56 PM
Jaejoong took out another cigarette and lit the end with his lighter, his actions quick and effortless as he’d done the same thing over and over again many times before. Minseo looked as he took one puff, inhaled the smoke for three or so seconds, and slowly exhaled. Wisps of smoke came out of Jaejoong’s nostrils and she was quick to smell the smoke. Minseo wasn’t a smoker, and she couldn’t see what was appealing about cigarettes.
“Do you know many you’ve smoked today?” She asked. Jaejoong’s eyes flitted toward her, a questioning look on his face. He shrugged and said, “I don’t know. I don’t count.”
Minseo held out a hand. “Five sticks—and that’s just here, in front of me. You must’ve smoked more.”
A small smile slowly made its way onto Jaejoong’s lips. “You’re worried?”
She raised an eyebrow. “I can’t be?” There was an obvious incredulity in her voice, something that did not escape Jaejoong’s keen senses
“Well…I never said you can’t.”
“But you’re implying that I can’t.”
Jaejoong chuckled and took another puff. Ah, cigarettes and Minseo: two things that made his life better.
Minseo pouted. “Why—are—you—laughing?” She snarled through gritted teeth; before long, Jaejoong was already in a fit of rambunctious laughter. Seeing Minseo get mad for the smallest things amused the 24-year-old much more than anything else, yet she wasn’t amused by his reactions.
Irritated by his making fun of her expressions, Minseo continued to glare at the man as she crossed her arms and changed the subject. “You really should quit smoking. The smoke’s already getting in your head.”
He smiled and took another long puff from his cigarette just to spite the girl. Minseo’s right eye twitched as Jaejoong took his time with the cigarette, keeping the smoke in his body far longer than he usually does. He released the smoke from his mouth into the air and gave another smile to the pretty girl sitting across from him. “Make me,” he challenged Minseo.
“Hah. Fat chance that’ll ever happen,” Minseo said, admitting defeat before the game even began. “I don’t have any influence on you.”
Jaejoong suddenly had an idea. “Call me oppa and I won’t smoke in front of you.”
It was Minseo’s turn to give a derisive smile. “That’s not enough to make me call anyone besides my older male cousins oppa. Go ahead and smoke your lungs out, then. I don’t care.”
Jaejoong sighed and gave a shrug to himself. Oh, well. At least he tried.
Minseo picked his pack of cigarettes and opened it. There were only two cigarettes left. She took out one and carefully studied it while Jaejoong eyed her carefully. Before long, she already put one end of the cigarette between her lips, her hand reaching for the lighter on the table—but Jaejoong was quicker. He snatched the cigarette in between her lips and took his pack with the other hand.
“No smoking for you.”
“Tsk. And why not? You smoke, so why can’t I?”
“Because I don’t like my girl to smoke.”
Minseo glared at Jaejoong. “I’m not your girl.”
“You will be.”
She snickered. “You’re so full of yourself.”
“How about this then?” Jaejoong leaned closer to Minseo, the fingers of his left hand interlaced with the fingers of his other hand. He had a serious yet playful expression on his face. “Go out with me—and I mean seriously go out with me—and I’ll quit smoking.”
Amused, Minseo smiled. “You’d do that just to get in my pants?”
“Oh, I can get in your pants without resorting to these schemes, no problem,” Minseo laughed at his cockiness, while Jaejoong continued, “but I want something more than just casual sex from you.”
“A…relationship?”
“You sound surprised.”
“How can I not be? You’re Kim Jaejoong.”
“And…?”
“And Kim Jaejoong equates to Mr. I Don’t Do Relationships, Only Fine Females.”
It was Jaejoong’s turn to glare. “I’m serious.”
“You’re serious about what? Wanting me on your bed?”
He chuckled. “Lee Minseo, for a nice girl, you think too much about sex.”
“Don’t joke around with me, I’m being serious here.”
“And so am I. When I proposed that you go out with me, I was being serious. I like you, and I like you for more than your body, alright?”
It was a few minutes before Minseo spoke again. “…Are you gonna quit smoking for me?”
“…I’ll…try. If you want.”
“Don’t. I actually like that about you.”
Jaejoong blinked twice. “What, smoking?”
She nodded and smiled. “Just a bit.”
“Then why are you making me quit?”
“Because it’s harmful to your health, why else? It may seem as a surprise for you, but I do care about you.”
“…So are you my girlfriend now?”
Minseo let out a hearty laugh. “For someone so suave, you still have to ask the girl that kind of info?”
He grinned. “I just want to be sure.”
“Fine. As long as you don’t bug me to start calling you oppa, I’m your girlfriend.”
–
the nag.
Public streets near Park Yoochun’s house; 9:42 PM
“Jaejoo—Jae. Jae—KIM JAEJOONG, wait up!”
Minseo mentally cursed her high heeled sandals as struggled to keep up with Jaejoong’s long strides through the neighborhood. Jaejoong left the interiors of Yoochun’s house thirty minutes into the party; Minseo apologized to the guests and excused herself to catch up to her obviously angry boyfriend.
“Jaejoong…my feet hurt from too much walking, so can we please stop?” Jaejoong stopped and turned to face Minseo. Yes, she thought. Kim Jaejoong never could stand to walk away from his hurt girlfriend, and she, being the girlfriend, knew it.
“Why in the world do you wear those horrendous heels, anyway? You’re already taller than all the women in the party without it!” And with a huff, he quickly went back to walking.
…not the kind of reaction she was hoping for.
This outburst from Jaejoong angered Minseo. What was he angry about, anyway? Just a few minutes ago, they were laughing along to a joke someone had made—and then, BOOM, he went off without any prior warning.
“What is your problem, Jaejoong-ah? I don’t even know why you’re mad!”
Jaejoong turned to look at his girlfriend once again and clenched his fists. Why was he mad, she asked? Any man in his place, Jaejoong thought, would be mad—and would have every right to be so!
“You wanna know why I’m mad? You really wanna know?” She continuously nodded with a look of irritation and worry in her eyes. “Fine, then I’ll tell you.”
Taking a deep long breath of air, Jaejoong quickly said, “You called Yoochun oppa.”
“What?”
“You called Yoochun oppa. You called him oppa but you don’t call me oppa!”
“That’s it? That’s why you walked away all of a sudden, out of that party, because I called Yoochun-oppa oppa?”
“See? YOU DID IT AGAIN!” The look on Jaejoong’s face was murderous.
“Jae—”
“—And you’re not even calling me oppa! And I’m your boyfriend!” He said, then added in an afterthought, “And I’m even Yoochun’s hyung!”
“Jae—”
“I don’t get it! I was just about to introduce you to him and then you go—Oppa!—to him without even thinking about what I’d feel! Lee Minseo, did you even stop and think of me?”
“Jae—”
“I agreed that you don’t need to call me oppa, only because I thought there really isn’t anyone apart from your cousins that you called oppa—and don’t even tell me Yoochun’s your cousin, because I’ve met all of your cousins when we went to that family reunion of yours months ago!—only to see you get all happy and surprised to see Yoochun and call him oppa, oppa, oppa!”
“Jae—!” There was already an irritated edge in Minseo’s voice as she called out her boyfriend’s name yet again, but he still wouldn’t listen and continued to talk.
“You know what, if you didn’t like me at all, you could’ve just said no when I asked you to date me! That way, I wouldn’t have looked like an idiot in front of everyone when my girlfriend—who doesn’t even call me oppa—calls someone oppa in front of me! How could—”
“YAH! KIM JAEJOONG! WILL YOU PLEASE JUST LISTEN FIRST?!”
Jaejoong closed his open mouth and nodded to let her proceed, even though he looked skeptical at whatever it was that she was about to say. She glared at him, as if daring him to speak, but he only sighed and let her speak.
“Yoochun-oppa is my oppa.”
“What?! That reason won’t work with me, Lee Minseo! I told you, I met all your cousins from that reunion—”
“I TOLD YOU TO LISTEN FIRST!” Minseo shouted again, which led to Jaejoong shutting up again. He wasn’t used to this shouting version of Minseo yet. She always seemed to be a little more graceful than this.
Minseo sighed and continued. “Like I said, he’s my oppa. He’s not a relative, yes, but he’s my oppa. We were neighbors when we were little, and—LISTEN FIRST—” she said loudly, as Jaejoong opened his mouth to say something again. “—and I had no brothers, so this irritable girl with an ugly older brother kept saying how lucky she was that she had one and that she felt sorry for me for not having one. She said that that over and over and over again, and kept laughing at my face because I didn’t have an oppa. Then Yoochun-oppa came to my rescue and told that bully of a girl that I did have an oppa, and that he was my oppa…and he was cooler and a lot more handsome that her oppa, so she couldn’t really say anything and just stood there with her mouth open. After that, she never bothered me again.”
She cleared her throat after the long speech. “So…Yoochun-oppa has been my oppa ever since then.”
It took a while before Jaejoong finished processing the story. His mouth was unconsciously kept a little open while he was thinking, as if he still couldn’t believe what he had just heard.
“And don’t even think of asking me not to call him oppa,” Minseo warned just as Jaejoong was about to ask her that very thing. “I’ve been calling him that since I was a little girl. He’s been a better oppa than any of my cousins ever were, so he’s earned that name fair and square.”
He closed his mouth and nodded reluctantly.
–
Coffee shop; 3:12 PM, the next day
“I hate you.”
“Huh?”
“I really hate you.”
Yoochun blinked and stared at Jaejoong with raised eyebrows. “…What? H-hyung, what did I do?” asked Yoochun. It was such a sudden outburst that the younger man didn’t know how else to react.
Jaejoong took a few minutes before answering in a very casual voice, “Just because you’re you.”
- Jan 14, 12
He is not supposed to be there but he is
like a ghost who can’t rest
like a stain that won’t come off
He is there where he shouldn’t
in the middle of a conversation
about the weather, the new hit TV show
or anything random like that
He pops up like a thought that comes
zooming fleeting sweeping right by
just when it’s least expected
like some random information that’s
supposed to be buried deep within
He’s in a movie a song a picture a feeling
He’s everywhere–
in every face seen in every voice heard–
in everything
He’s there when he’s least expected
creeps up in unlikely places
but never really there not at all not at all
Never really there at all
- Oct 01, 11
Part One: The Decision
Ryuunosuke the Revered and Righteous woke up at the sound of his growling stomach. He was groggy, perhaps due to waking up unexpectedly at the wee hours of the morning, or maybe because he hadn’t eaten anything for almost two days. Two days! It was an abomination. Certainly the son of the Rat Emperor should have been able to eat luxuriously, but no—Ryuunosuke was, just like the rest of the rat population living in Japan, starving. There had been very little food to harvest from the humans in the past few months owing to the war.
Tsk, humans and their wars! It was shameful how these pitiful creatures kept on killing each other when they could live harmoniously together like the rats do—or did. Now, however, even the Rat Empire was at a state of great discord due to the food shortage. The humans no longer left even one crumb of bread alone, and each grain of rice was greedily taken.
And so, it was a time of great suffering. To make matters worse, the Rat Emperor, Ryuunosuke’s father, was severely ill. If the Emperor were to die at this very critical time, the advisors said to Ryuunosuke, it might mean the end of the Empire—other rat nations were inching closer, awaiting only the fall of the great emperor and the ascension to the throne of the heir apparent, Takahiro the Trusted and Tender, Ryuunosuke’s older (and more timid) brother. Takahiro, despite his years, was not ready for the task. He was too weak-minded to be the Emperor, and everyone knew that fact—especially Takahiro himself.
“My dear brother,” Takahiro said to Ryuunosuke that day, “I cannot bear the thought of our dear father the Emperor perishing in this time! It is not yet time! I am not ready, I am weak! What will happen to our vast empire, then?”
“The Emperor will not die anytime soon,” Ryuunosuke firmly said, but his own voice betrayed him by cracking. “Do not fear your position, brother. You are meant to become our next Emperor, and when that time comes, you will be ready.”
Takahiro fidgeted, his entire body trembling with anxiousness and fear. “Perhaps I shall renounce my claim, and then you will be Emperor! You will become a mighty emperor, Ryuunosuke—”
“Do not speak those words, I beg of you!” Ryuunosuke cried in anger. “I will not be the Emperor—that is not my fate.”
Ryuunosuke went away before Takahiro could even say anything else.
Two days later, after having a few morsels to share with the entire Imperial family, the appointed rat healer looked at the Emperor, with disappointing results. He turned to both princes and said, “The Emperor is very weak, I’m afraid. What His Majesty needs is more good food—”
Ryuunosuke frowned. “Food? But the Emperor is being given a bounty of food. Surely that cannot be the only cure? Medicine, perhaps?”
“Your Highness, the Emperor is growing very weak each day and the amount of food that is being given to His Majesty is highly inconsequential. What matters as of this very moment, really, is of the quality of food His Majesty regularly eats…and what our Empire is able to harvest certainly is not of the highest quality. We need to get the Emperor the best food—that is the only thing that can save him.”
“The best food…?” Ryuunosuke repeated the healer’s words and gasped. “Surely, you cannot mean…”
The healer nodded gravely. “It is our only hope.”
Takahiro looked at his brother and at the healer, with a curious expression on his face. “I have absolutely no idea what is being hinted at by our healer here. My dear brother, kindly explain to me in detail what this is all about.”
Ryuunosuke ignored Takahiro and continued arguing with the healer. “That is impossible. No one in our Empire will come forward of their own accord and sacrifice their life for such a suicidal mission! Not even I!”
“Your Highness, it is our only chance to keep our dear Emperor alive—and our Empire intact.”
“No! Such a preposterous suggestion, Healer, and I thought the better of you!”
Takahiro could no longer take it and shouted. “Enough! What is this you two are talking about and why is it suicidal?”
Ryuunosuke turned to look at his helpless brother and shook his head. “What the healer means to suggest is that someone from our Empire must go to the humans and harvest the most exquisite food there is, something that has not been available to our empire for quite a long time, because it is, I hear, very difficult to make in these difficult times. To procure it is a highly dangerous journey and is tantamount to throwing one’s life away.”
“And what is this ‘most exquisite food,’ may I ask?”
It took a few moments before Ryuunosuke answered.
“Cheese.”
That very same day, the Imperial Household ordered for an announcement to be made in all parts of the Empire, calling for anyone who would be courageous enough to go on a quest to harvest cheese from the Tokumatsu Bakery, the only place near the entire Empire where cheese was available. It was not a long journey, but it was believed that monsters existed inside the bakery, created to protect the treasures of cheese inside. Takahiro believed that a few noble mice would rise to the challenge; Ryuunosuke, on the other hand, thought differently.
Sure enough, Ryuunosuke proved to be right as after two days, nobody seemed keen to hand over their life for a few morsels of cheese, even if it were the most exquisite food in existence, even for their beloved Emperor.
The healer once again warned the princes about the Emperor’s deteriorating health. “There is an urgent need to act now; otherwise, it would be too late.”
Ryuunosuke took a deep breath and sighed. He did this another time, and another, as if he were trying to take in all the air available in that room. Afterwards, he spoke in a deep, final voice: “I will go.”
It took only a few minutes to prepare the prince for his journey, as he insisted he needed nothing except something to eat along the way and a sack for the cheese. Ryuunosuke said his quick goodbyes to his family and friends, as well as to the entire empire. He was scared of his future—or perhaps the lack of future that came with volunteering for this task. But he needed to do it, and he was the only one who was even half willing. He knew he cannot fail.
With a final wave and a promise to return to the citizens of the Rat Empire, Ryuunosuke scampered on to the streets, alone.
To be continued…
Note: This was written for a Humanities class about making a story using Joseph Campbell’s format of a quintessential hero’s journey. It was supposed to be a short story, taking one or two pages at most…but this one ended up being soooo long that I decided not to turn it in. I highly enjoyed writing this though, so I decided to post it here instead. XD
- Apr 18, 11
I.
If only I could
recite my feelings out loud
then you’d understandII.
Your hand is so cold
and so small and so fragile.
I hold it in mine.III.
How I love to see
you wake up in the mornings
lying beside me.IV.
There’s nothing in the
world that I love more than you.
I hope you know that.—
Note: Did a few haiku for extra credit on my Humanities class. The haiku I made are lame (obviously) as I have no talent for poetry, but…as long as I get the extra credit, everything’s good…
- Feb 07, 11
It wasn’t supposed to end this way, he thought with regret as he looked into the coffee shop’s glass windows from afar. She was sitting at her favorite table, the one at the far corner of the shop where she could be alone with her thoughts, or even a book or two.
Yet that day she wasn’t alone. There was a man sitting opposite her. He wore a smile so wide it was as if he won the jackpot in some lottery.
And he really won, he thought.
He won when I gave up my claim to the grand prize.
- Dec 25, 10
I look at his photographs every now and then. Some of him alone, his eyes looking at the camera, a somewhat serious expression on his face; some of him with his new friends, his eyes crinkling with fun that I wouldn’t know; some of him with his new love (or old love? first love? everlasting love?), the end of his lips showing the smallest trace of a smile. Endless photographs that all look new to me; photographs without me in it.
Sometimes I think I’m becoming quite a masochist for doing this to myself. Why do I continue to look at his face, when the mere thought of him would send a small ache in my chest—a small, teeny, tiny ache, but an ache nonetheless—that I would sometimes forget how to breathe? Why do I keep doing such things, if all it would ever do is force me back into my 13-, 14-, 15-year-old self, back to a time when he mattered and very little of anything else?
It seems stupid to carry on with this little habit, but I still do. I look at his pictures every now and then, perhaps to remind me that once upon a time, I liked him—a lot—to a point that I would pray and cry for him to be mine, mine, mine, that I would cherish even the pen he used (a black PaperMate), take note of his favorite player in some sport (Green, #5, the geeky-looking one), and even remember all these tiny little details about him to the point of obsession (that he ruffles his hair every so often, that his dimples show even with the slightest smile, that his handwriting is a little chubby, just like him).
Obsession. Yes, that just might be it. I don’t think I ever loved him—I just thought I did. It was never about love; I hardly ever even knew him. He had a lot of faults and I noticed much of his, but aside from what I saw on the surface, I didn’t know him any better than everyone else. Perhaps I liked the image of him that I had in mind, but in reality I might have hated him. For not being like what I imagined him to be. For being ahead when (I think) I was smarter than him. For not noticing me, when all the while I took constant notice of him.
But still I look at his photographs. Every now and then, no matter how much I try not to. I still look at his photographs.
- Nov 01, 10
“Let’s talk about past loves.”
“Pass.”
“Why don’t you want to talk about it?”
“I said, pass. I pass.”
“I don’t accept your pass today. Talk about your past love.”
“None. There. Happy?”
“None? Impossible.”
“Are you mocking me?”
“No. I’m asking you. I’m sure you’ve had some prior experience.”
“What makes you think that?”
“I don’t know. Well…you’re already twenty years old—that’s two decades—”
“You are mocking me.”
“I wasn’t, and I’m not. Seriously. No first loves, first kisses, first fight…?”
“If you’re talking about reciprocated love, then none.”
“None?”
“None. No one’s liked me enough to love me back.”
“But I’m sure there’s someone who told you they liked you. Right?”
“Well, yeah. But that’s different, because it just so happened that I don’t like that person back.”
“Well then, tell me about your first love then, even if it wasn’t really…”
“Reciprocated.”
“Right. Yeah.”
“Well, I liked this guy who I thought likes me back. Turns out he likes my friend, not me.”
“And?”
“That’s it. What, you want me to say that I stole that guy away from my friend?”
“No. Did your friend like him back?”
“You really know how to re-open a girl’s wounds, huh?”
“Oops. Didn’t mean to. So that means…?”
“Yes, they got together and I was hurt. Blah, blah, end of story.”
“Was there any other love besides that?”
“Sure. I’ve got tons of crushes and loves.”
“I meant real love. You know, when you really feel it.”
“There’s one.”
“Spill.”
“Well, this one’s that one love I thought would be mine. He liked me back.”
“Wait. I thought there wasn’t any you liked who liked you back?”
“Fine, he’s an exception. The exception. But just because he liked me back doesn’t mean it was any less hurtful than all the other ones.”
“What happened?”
“Well, it just turned out he was in a relationship with someone. I was the one meddling in.”
“Whoa.”
“I know, right? Back then, I didn’t really care. I mean, that was my shot, right? His girlfriend…well, she was pretty and outgoing and could have any other guy aside from him. And then there’s me. I mean, look at me!”
“You’re beautiful.”
“Shut up. Seriously, that’s not funny. I didn’t even know why in the world he’d like me, but he did.”
“So he broke up with his girlfriend?”
“No.”
“What?! That’s sick of him.”
“What can you do? He doesn’t want to hurt her.”
“And you think that by not breaking up with her he’s not hurting her? What about you? Did you ask him to break up with her?”
“No, I couldn’t do that.”
“Why not?”
“Because I didn’t want him to leave me.”
“What?! Stupid girl.”
“…”
“You should have said something. If he liked you enough, he’d do it.”
“I know, right? Stupid, impossible girl.”
“Hey…are you…crying?”
“…I really did love him, you know. That’s why I couldn’t ask him anything else, because I knew he was already torn up inside. It wasn’t like we were kissing or doing anything…bad, honestly, but we just kept seeing each other. That was enough for me.”
“No, that’s not.”
“Huh?”
“Enough–that’s not enough. Not for anyone, including you. What you need is someone who will give you more than enough. Someone who will leave everything to be with you. Anyone who can’t do that doesn’t deserve you.”
“You make me sound like I’m some super special girl. I’m not.”
“You are.”
“You say that as if you know me. We hardly know each other.”
“Well then, I’d like to.”
“Like to what?”
“Know you.”
Note: This has been in my WordPress drafts since the 11th of May, 2010. I don’t know what made me write it, or why, but I’m posting it now just because, well, this place has been dead for a while. It needs more ideas, even lame ones (well…almost all my stories are lame, but whatever).
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Posts
- Jul 07, 12
Reading a novel in another language is somewhat a laborious process. Because there are a lot of words I don’t know and have only encountered for the first time while reading 냉정과 열정사이, I had to keep checking for definitions in Naver Dictionary (thank God for this extremely useful online dictionary!).
My reading process:
- Read a couple of paragraphs and try to understand as much as possible
- Underline unfamiliar words and grammar using a pencil
- Write down the sentences with unfamiliar terms on my notebook, and underline the same words
- Look for definitions (or explanations, in the case of unfamiliar grammar) online (or using a grammar book)
- Write down definitions on notebook
- Read the paragraphs again
It takes quite a long time if one paragraph has a ton of words I don’t know, but for some reason I quite like it. I don’t know if my brain has retained any of the new vocabulary that I’ve learned from the novel, but it’s certainly an enjoyable process. Maybe it’s because I actually like what I read–unlike the dry text and conversations in textbooks, a novel has forward-moving plot, so if the story is engaging enough, it keeps me reading and at the same time keeps me learning. I still like reading textbooks, don’t get me wrong, but sometimes it’s just not the most fun way to learn Korean. /shrugs
냉정과 열정사이 can be translated as Between Calm and Passion (hence the title of this post). I’ll be posting some translations of parts I liked throughout the book, just because I really like the plot. Do note, however, that because I’m learning Korean and nowhere near proficient, my translations will probably not be accurate, heh. I’m merely using translating as another tool for learning Korean, and, well, it’s fun to translate!
Anyway, the plot of Between Calm and Passion circles around two individuals, Aoi and Junsei, who made a promise to each other when they were 20 years old that on Aoi’s 30th birthday, they would meet again at the Duomo, located in Florence, Italy. The novel is separated into two books, Rosso and Blu, with each book written by a different author and focusing on the point of view of a main character (Rosso for Aoi, Blu for Junsei), so it’s best to read the books alternately to get the feel for Aoi- and Junsei’s feelings and thoughts. My plan is to read Rosso first, then once I finish a chapter, go to Blu and read Junsei’s point of view.
Between Calm and Passion is originally written in Japanese, so what I’m doing is translating a translation of a work. If I studied Japanese really hard years ago I probably would have wanted to read this in Japanese, tsk. Ooh, and Between Calm and Passion has a movie adaptation which I have yet to see. I’ve been stopping myself from doing so before actually finishing the novel. Realistically speaking though, it would take a long while before I get to finish both books, so… D:
Meh, digression aside, here’s a translation of the introductions (I do not know what to call those short lines written before the first chapter. Introductions? Prologue? Erm…) of both Rosso and Blu. These are really short passages, but since I haven’t finished much of Rosso’s chapter one, there isn’t a lot of translation I can do at the moment. :/
Rosso
Agata Junsei was my everything. Those eyes, that voice, even that smiling face that suddenly flickers with a shadow of loneliness. If Junsei were to die somewhere, I will probably know. However far a place, even if we will not meet again…
Blu
I believe that although a person may not remember everything that happens every day, the precious things will never be forgotten. I don’t think Aoi completely forgot what happened that night. Even though it’s uncertain whether I’ll be able to meet her again…
- Jul 03, 12
(Originally posted on my 비행기 Tumblr account)
The package my sister and I ordered from Korea (which took quite a while to get here) was supposed to be delivered yesterday, but for some strange reason we missed the mailman. Today we went and picked it up from the post office, so now my Korean novels are here!
(From top to bottom: 냉정과 열정 사이 – Rosso & Blu minibooks; 사랑 후에 오는 것들; 엄마를 부탁해)
!!!!!
Picking those books from a list of the many books I wanted to have was a chore. At first, I wanted to read Guillaume Musso’s 당신, 거기 있어줄래요, but thought that if I should read a novel in Korean I should start with novels that are originally written in Korean (Musso’s French, so naturally, his novels are originally written in French). But guess what? I bought a mix of translated works and novels originally in Korean. 엄마를 부탁해 is written by Shin Kyung-sook, and one of the books making up the novel 사랑 후에 오는 것들 is written by 공지영, but the other three books are by Japanese writers (Tsuji Hitonari wrote half of both 사랑 후에 오는 것들 and 냉정과 열정사이, whereas Ekuni Kaori wrote half of 냉정과 열정사이).
I wanted to buy 내 이름은 김삼순 as well, but apparently it’s already out of print? Hmm. There could still be some copies lying around somewhere, but I didn’t get to buy it. I should’ve bought 커피프린스 1호점 too since it’s quite cheap (it’s sold at Libro for 4900 Korean won–if converted, that’s less that $4.50!). Ah well, maybe I’ll just try and get them some other time.
I’m happy about my purchases, for the most part. I’m giddy to start reading 엄마를 부탁해 in Korean–I wanted to read it for so long (it’s available in English with the title Please Look After Mom) but didn’t because I wanted to get it in Korean first. 사랑 후에 오는 것들 is a novel that wasn’t actually high up in my to-read list, but…I dunno, I just wanted to get it. And when I found that there’s an available set of that plus 냉정과 열정사이 (originally 冷静と情熱のあいだ or Calmi Cuori Appassionati, which I’ve wanted to read ever since finding out about the plot) in mini format, I grabbed the chance to buy it. The minibooks are cute and tiny, about the size of my smartphone and smaller than my Pilot pencil.
Words cannot express just how ecstatic I am at just seeing my books. I’ve always loved reading stories and I love learning Korean, so to have those two things collide is just incredible for me. Of course, it won’t be easy to read these books; I looked at 엄마를 부탁해 and was floored at how many words I don’t know (yet). But it’s okay. I’m going to read everything in my own pace and just enjoy the idea that I’m reading a novel in a language that, for the first…18 years of my life (I think? I don’t really know when I actually really started learning Korean), was something entirely foreign and something I had no care for.
- Apr 26, 12
Above is the cover for Guillaume Musso’s novel, Seras-tu là? which has been translated in Korean. The cover is gorgeous, and even the introductory text draws you in. I swear this will be the first novel in Korean that I will finish.
Here’s the author’s introduction:
누구나 한 번쯤 생각해보았으리라.
시간을 되돌릴 수 있다면 인생을 어떻게 바꿀 것인지에 대해.인생을 다시 쓸 수 있다면 우리는 어떤 실수를 바로잡고 싶어질까?
우리 인생에서 어떤 고통을, 어떤 회한을, 어떤 후회를 지워버리고 싶을까?진정 무엇으로 우리 존재에 새러운 의미를 부여할 것인가?
그렇다면 과연 무엇이 되기 위함인가?
어디로 가기 위함인가?
그리고 누구와 동행하기 위함인가?
- Apr 19, 12
I’m probably one of the best examples of what a self-studying person should not be. After progressing a little, I take a long, long break from studying and enter this…hibernating phase where I don’t give a care about my head slowly losing the vocabulary and grammar points I’ve studied in the past. This happened when I finished Beginning 1 and lasted about a year and a half (or so) before I went and picked up Beginning 2. After finishing Beginning 2, the same thing happens.
Language learning will never be easy for me, that I am sure of. To progress in any language, you have to devote huge amounts of your time. I remember when I started reading Beginning 1, I maintained a strict schedule, allotting three to four 1-hour blocks of Korean study in between studying for my exams. I didn’t do much of anything else–no computer, no reading novels, although maybe a teeny, tiny bit of Korean drama watching (heh). Looking back, I can’t believe I managed to keep up with the schedule, because I’m really not a stickler for schedules of any sort.
…But maybe I diligently kept with it back then because learning Korean at that time, compared to studying for my exams, was just so fun. Not that it isn’t anymore (it still is), but really, the best days of learning anything are right in the beginning, when you fawn at every new word and every new grammar point and delight at forming the most basic of sentences. Those are the fun times. And then you reach a certain point when you start to think, I should know something else by now. I should be able to write more complicated stuff right now. Why am I not learning anything new? Why am I not progressing at all? That’s when it gets less fun and more of a chore. I hate thinking of language learning as a chore because it definitely isn’t and by all means it shouldn’t be, but sometimes it becomes exactly that. It becomes nothing but a set of hurdles to jump through and really, what else can take away the fun out of language learning other than that?
Right now if there’s one thing I wish while studying Korean, it would probably be for me to go back to the mindset I used to have in the earliest stages of learning Korean: that language learning is fun. That every new word is 신기해. That I don’t have to rush it all because every moment I soak up the language I’m learning something new–and that in itself is wonderful.
- Nov 30, 11
With Ojakgyo Brothers (오작교 형제들) already past 30 episodes, I have to say I’m really late in the game. The upside of that is that I don’t have to wait so long to get to the next episode since I’ve got 34 episodes waiting for me–that’s double the length of a 16-episode miniseries!
Let’s get one thing straight first: these few past years of drama watching, I look through the list of airing and/or upcoming dramas to see which ones I’m going to try. Aside from currently airing shows like Tree with Deep Roots, A Thousand Days’ Promise, and Flower Boy Ramyun Shop, I had a line-up of older sageuk dramas and other shows I wanted to watch (see list)–Ojakgyo Brothers wasn’t even on my radar of interesting shows.
Then I saw this clip.
*squeals*
Yes, I got interested after seeing a cute Joo Won clip, not some meaty, tear-inducing scene about character struggle. I’m shallow, I know. ^^
Anyway, I like UEE but didn’t like her character in You’re Beautiful where all she did was glare. I think maybe UEE just isn’t made for a role that’s too snobbish. Here, as Baek Ja Eun, she’s cute and fun and despite her character’s flaws, I rooted for her right from the very beginning. Baek Ja Eun is a little too vain and thinks she’s super pretty (well…she does have a point) and was brought up wanting for nothing, so at first glance you’d think she’s the stereotypical princess who grew up pampered and spoiled. In a way that’s right, but in a way it also isn’t. Ja Eun also lived her life longing for a mother and loving no one as much as she loves her father. She wants nothing more than her father to be happy, which means that even if her (third) stepmother treats her differently when her father is not in the room, as long as her father is happy and wants her in his life, she takes it all with a smile.
These little character snippets I’ve seen of Baek Ja Eun made me immediately take her side when she’s in her most trying time: her father goes missing in China, the debt collectors take away all their possessions, her stepmom throws her out, and all that’s left for her is a contract that states her father owning a land which he rented out to his friend almost ten years ago. She’s ecstatic to have money for her expenses and school fees and immediately goes to that place with the intent to sell it, only to find herself against the family of her father’s friend: the Hwangs who are living in Ojakgyo Farm. After ten years of cultivating the bare land and making a living out of it, the mother, Park Bok Ja (played by the wonderful Kim Ja Ok), is unyielding. She’s made the farm that stands on that land with a decade’s worth of sweat and tears, so why would she leave? In her eyes, it’s her land, and no one–especially not a spoiled young girl like Ja Eun–could take it away from her.
While I could totally understand where the mother was coming from and despite Ja Eun’s insensitivity and seeming lack of real empathy for the Hwangs’ predicament, I felt more for Ja Eun that for Bok Ja. While they are both at a point where they can lose everything once the other gains the farm, it’s Bok Ja who’s the more fortunate of the two in that specific point in time: she’s got a family who cares for her, whereas Ja Eun is all alone with nothing but the farm to support her.
I don’t want to say anything more about the plot since from here on it’s going to be all spoilers, but so far, I really like the series. The characters are all very flawed and feel real. Although they make bad decisions (really horrible ones–like stealing a contract and throwing out the rightful owner of a farm, or getting a news scoop without confirming the facts, thereby broadcasting misinformation in national TV, which leads to very, very bad things) the drama makes the viewers see why they decided to do whatever they did, so even if the viewers don’t agree with what a certain character did, they can see where (s)he’s coming from. It’s not cackling evil here, but normal people who make mistakes.
And and and can I mention how adorable Joo Won is as the third son, Tae Hee?
He who kicks ass as a
hotpoliceman chasing suspects…turns into a pile of goo when voice calling his grandma!
And let’s not forget the rest of the family, from Grandma, whose word is the law; Father, who shows that he cares a lot for Ja Eun’s well-being; Mother, who took care of the farm for ten years; and the three other Ojakgyo Brothers: from first-born Tae Shik who, at nearly 40 years, still isn’t married; second-born Tae Bum, who’s a rising news reporter, able to get exclusive scoops when no one else can; and the maknae, Tae Pil, who goes from one part-time job to another.
The family is the core of this drama, and the scenes at the farm were the ones that I think are most effective at tugging the heartstrings of the viewers. From bickering and too much shouting, Bok Ja and Ja Eun slowly grow to care for and love each other, and it’s wonderful to see them go from strangers to enemies to treating each other as if they were mother and daughter. Their scenes together are so sweet and painful and I love watching them tend to the ducks and the orchard. I dread the time when the truth gets out and their relationship is destroyed.
- Nov 22, 11
My sister was looking for translations of Standing Egg’s song, 사랑한대, and couldn’t find one online, so I decided to try my hand (again!) at translating. Please note that this is a rough translation; I’m still learning Korean so there’s bound to be mistakes. :D
제발 stop 누가 날 좀 붙잡아줘
Please stop, someone please catch me
이러다 넘어 지겠어
With the way things are, I’ll fall
내 떨리는 맘이 세상을 흔들고 있어
My trembling heart is shaking the world이제껏 한번도 느껴본 적 없어
Not once have I ever felt this until now
살면서 누구도 내게 가르쳐준 적 없어
No one has ever taught me this, either
내 심장이 터질 것 같아
I think my heart is going to burst
더이상 못 참겠어
I can’t hold it back any longer사랑한대 아껴준대 지켜준대
He says he loves me, he says he’ll cherish me, he says he’ll protect me
원하는 걸 다 준다해도 나 하나 가지는게 더 좋대
Even if he’s given everything he wants, he says having just me is much better
오직 나만 한 사람만 바라볼래
He says he’s going to look only at me
온 세상을 가진다해도
Even if he’s to have all the world
내가 없는 세상이라면 아무런 의미 없대
he says if I’m not in that world, it wouldn’t mean anything제발 stop 누가 날 좀 꼬집어줘
Please stop, someone please pinch me
꿈에서 깨라고 해줘
Please wake me from my dream
내 떨리는 눈이 세상을 흔들고 있어
My trembling eyes are shaking the world이저껏 한번도 느낀 적 없어도
Even though I have never felt anything like this before now
살면서 누구도 가르쳐준 적이 없어도
Even though no one has taught me this, either
알 것 같아 사랑이란 건 하늘을 나는거야
I think I know, the thing called love is taking off into the sky사랑한대 아껴준대 지켜준대
He says he loves me, he says he’ll cherish me, he says he’ll protect me
원하는걸 다 준다해도 나 하나 가지는게 더 좋대
Even if he’s given everything he wants, he says having just me is much better
오직 나만 한 사람만 바라볼래
He says he’s going to look only at me
온 세상을 가진다해도
Even if he’s to have all the world
내가 없는 세상이라면 아무런 의미 없대
he says if I’m not in that world, it wouldn’t mean anything네가 아닌 것 같아 장난을 치는 것 같아
I think you’re not it, I think you’re making fun of me
너무 꿈만 같은 걸
This all seems too much like a dream사랑할래 아껴줄래 지켜줄래
I’ll love you, I’ll cherish you, I’ll protect you
원하는 걸 다 준다해도 너 하나 가지는게 더 좋아
Even if I’m given everything I want, having just you is much better
오직 너만 한 사람만 바라볼래
I’l look only at you
온 세상을 가진다해도
Even if I were to have all the world
네가 없는 세상이라면 아무런 의미 없어
If you’re not in that world, it won’t mean anything
- Oct 27, 11
I think my randomness is going to make this blog filled with, well, really random entries. Such as this one. I love the trailer, and I’m really excited to watch the movie (will it be shown in the US? I’m thinking yes since there’s an English trailer going around). ^^
I am still amazed at how much Yoo Ah In’s face can change depending on his facial hair (or lack thereof). With facial hair, he looks so manly and gruff. Without, he looks like a boy. Either way, he’s gorgeous.
- Oct 23, 11
Damn. This show is something. I initially watched this without really giving much thought to the plot–heck, Jang Hyuk is the protagonist, it’s sageuk, and to top it off, Song Joong Ki has a short (but AWESOME) role in it–that’s enough to make me want to watch, right? But boy oh boy do I enjoy this drama.
Song Joong Ki definitely improved on his acting. I first watched him in Triple, a disappointing drama that I still somewhat enjoyed. There I saw he’s got potential. A small role in Will it Snow at Christmas?, then Sungkyunkwan Scandal (I haven’t seen Obstetrics and Gynecology Doctors…yet). It was in his role as Gu Yong Ha that Song Joong Ki really showed quite an acting range. He flaunted, pranced, sneaked, schemed, laughed and cried his way on to becoming a solid actor in that role, but nothing prepared me for this revelation. Song Joong Ki was amazing as the young Lee Do. I felt each bit of fear, despair, frustration, weakness, and growing strength in every frame and every scene that had Joong Ki in it. It’s a shame that he only had a few episodes in the drama, but he acted with such ferocity that it feels as if young Lee Do were the protagonist in the entire story. Not a lot of actors can manage that.
One of my biggest misgivings about dramas where a character’s past is shown is when the younger and older version of a character don’t seem like one single entity with the very same personality. I felt that with East of Eden‘s Lee Dong Chul (played by Kim Bum and Song Seung Heon)–Kim Bum played Lee Dong Chul with a lot of rawness and brilliance, but Song Seung Heon’s Lee Dong Chul was different and well, different. I couldn’t really convince myself that he was playing the same character that Kim Bum did. The same thing happened with the main characters in The Duo: by the time the adult versions of the characters appeared in the story, Chun Doong was no longer Chun Doong and Gwi Dong no longer Gwi Dong. The transition from the younger to the older character must be seamless in order for the drama to work. As one of the audience, I should be able to reconcile the younger character with the older character and see them as the very same person, only older. The curious thing about Tree‘s Lee Do/King Sejong is that I actually felt that Song Joong Ki’s Lee Do grew to become Han Suk Kyu’s Lee Do. The way Han Suk Kyu spoke in certain scenes, the way he walked, even the way he felt despair and frustration in the latest episode was reminiscent of Song Joong Ki’s Lee Do. Now that is excellent acting right there. And while I admittedly haven’t watched Han Suk Kyu in anything, I swear I’ll get around to watching his dramas (and one film) once I can get my hands on it, especially Eyes of Dawn.
Oh, and Jang Hyuk! My reason for watching this drama. I love how his character bumbles in front of Muhyul and Lee Do, whereas his real tenacity shows whenever he’s alone or he’s investigating. Some people might say that his role is a little too alike his previous role in Chuno as the vengeful nobleman-turned-slave hunter Lee Dae Gil, but I say otherwise. Kang Chae Yoon may have some baggage just as Dae Gil had, but Chae Yoon went up the ranks instead of going down. He’s a lot more calculating than Dae Gil–instead of being all about brawns, Chae Yoon hides his strength and intelligence in the guise of a regular investigator. Oh, and while Dae Gil wants revenge for his family and for being betrayed by the girl he loved, Chae Yoon wants to avenge his father’s death by killing the man he thought was the reason for his father’s death, the King himself (!).
Initially, I thought the visuals of Tree was lacking, but after watching a few more episodes I think my initial remark was wrong. I began to appreciate the vibrant and rich tones and colors in each scene. The sets are also to die for, especially the ones in the palace. So are the costumes. (Meh, I am always in love with sageuk costumes.) The plot is outstanding, with twists and turns that gets the watchers thinking about what’s going to happen and wondering which character is plotting what. While I normally go for more romance in the dramas I watch (hence watching The Princess’ Man, which, despite also being about the politics after King Sejong’s reign, is centered on the love story of two people from warring families), Tree doesn’t have a lot of it (yet). It’s an action-packed thriller more than anything, and yes, I love it. I do hope Tree carries on with its brilliant start, because I am loving every bit of it.
- Oct 01, 11
I haven’t been studying a lot of Korean these days, textbook-wise. The Integrated Korean book I borrowed from my sister is now back to its hiding place, as I haven’t touched it since school started–now that I remember it, I actually did, and I even brought it to school. Alas, I never read it; I just slept inside the library (I do it all the time now T-T).
Textbook studying aside, I am doing some sort of studying…if we count drama watching (heh, can it really be counted?) and comic reading. I’m still learning stuff, although it’s a different sort of learning. Comics give me new words and the casual kind of speaking style people use in everyday stuff; the bad thing with reading comics is that sometimes the artist doesn’t really use the correct spelling and instead write out the dialogs the way they’re said (e.g. 용 at the end of a speech instead of 요 to make it cuter, etc.).
As for dramas, I know some people don’t think one would learn anything in dramas, but there is something there. If you try to not just watch a drama for the sake of watching and try to catch whatever a character is saying, your brain gets to try and decipher the sentences as you watch it! Of course watching dramas tends to be easier than having to listen to all Korean podcasts like the 이야기 series of Talk to Me in Korean (which I love listening to) because there’s clues you get from seeing what they’re doing or knowing what the plot is, but you get some kind of practice nonetheless.
And culture points! Culture points! I once did a culture/language post while watching 추노 (Slave Hunters), dealing with the Joseon-era speaking style (more deference, less casual style). Now, while watching 공주의 남자 (The Princess’ Man–a short digression here, but isn’t the Anglicized title a little…weird-sounding? To me it’s not as fluid as the Korean title…), I noticed that unmarried women style their hair in long braids, whereas once they get married they switch to low buns with that hairpin decorating their hair. I don’t think I’ve ever noticed that before, but I do now!
Here’s the change, from when Princess Kyeong Hye is still single
to when she’s already married.
See? I’m actually learning stuff! XD Not huge stuff, but it’s still fascinating to see these things.
A few more things I learned:
소자 = means I, me, myself, used when speaking to parents. Naver’s English dictionary doesn’t say whether this term is explicitly for sons or if it can be used by daughters, but I’ve only ever heard the male characters say this in 공주의 남자. The daughters use 소녀 when speaking about themselves to their parents, mostly–at least, from what I’ve understood from watching.
송구하옵니다 = I didn’t find the right term in Naver Dictionary (only found 송구스럽다, which is kind of the same, I guess, but not really) but as I searched through the web I found that someone out there wants to know what this means (just like me!), and asked this question at Nate 지식, which is kind of similar to Yahoo! Answers. Someone gave this answer:
송구는 두려울 송(悚), 두려워할 구(懼)를 사용해 ‘두려워서 마음이 몹시 거북하다’는 뜻입니다.
미안하다, 죄송하다란 뜻이죠.
Hmm…what else? I kept a list of them somewhere but it seems I’ve lost it. D:
Anyway, yay! I updated! I was feeling a little disappointed with myself for not updating this after I said I’d move to WordPress. I’m glad I did.
- Aug 27, 11
“Kolik jazyků znáš, tolikrát jsi člověkem.” I found this Czech proverb through the internet—it means if you know only one language, you live only once. It’s a very profound way to think about the importance of learning various languages: that we live another life for every language we can speak, and I quite agree. Having been raised in another culture and language, I have, throughout the years, come to appreciate the importance of understanding another language—and through studying different languages, learned to appreciate my native tongue.
My first language was not English, although it was a very close second. I’m not quite sure what my first words were, but I remember speaking Tagalog (a regional language in the Philippines) ever since. Before I went to kindergarten, my mother taught me how to write a few words on paper, which were, surprisingly, not in Tagalog; instead, the first words I have ever written (apart from my own name) were apple and boy—English words. My schoolbooks from early on were written in English; so were the children’s books and dictionaries and most other things I read. Even though we spoke Tagalog most of the time, the medium of instruction in school was English. Before I graduated from elementary school, I was already as comfortable using English as I was using Tagalog. By the time I entered high school, my preferred language was already English. It was apparent that in our impoverished country, only the people who could speak and write in English well were considered to be the well-educated—the elites. Students who could barely utter an English sentence without stuttering and mixing the p’s and the f’s (and the b’s and the v’s) were laughed at, mocked for not being able to speak English. Back then, I strongly believed that English was the only language that was worth using. Sure, it was perfectly fine to learn another language if you can, but English is the best. Why shouldn’t it be, when the movies I liked watching were all in English, and the novels I so fondly read were also in English?
My perspective on things started to change when I began to study Japanese and Korean. I had been fond of Japanese anime ever since I was a kid, but I was only fascinated with the drawings and not the language. Then I began to watch Korean and Japanese movies with subtitles, and everything started from there—there was a subtlety and poignancy in the movies that I never really saw before, and I wanted more. Before long, I wanted to learn the languages so I could make do without subtitles. After all, there’s only so much subtitles can do to translate the meaning, the nuance, the subtleties, from one language into another.
Fast forward to 2011, and here I am, fascinated not only with East Asian languages but with other languages, including my very own. I am still far from being fluent in the languages I am learning, but I have come so very far from the English-centered person that I was before. Whenever I look back to who I was then, I realize how narrow my perspective was. It was like I was looking at a wide world with tunnel vision: I think I’m seeing a lot because that’s what I see every single day, yet in reality I am only seeing very little. Learning a new language makes me understand and appreciate another culture, and I think that’s what this world lacks: a better understanding of the myriad of cultures around the world and the beautiful differences that we have from one another. It’s like looking at the various colors of the rainbow: the range of colors is what makes the rainbow beautiful. Imagine a world made up of only one hue, wouldn’t that be boring? It’s the very same with languages and cultures—if your world was only made up of one language and you only know your own culture, your world is infinitely limited to what you’re exposed to, when there’s still so much you can see of other people’s lives and their world.
I think it’s a shame that some people think it’s unnecessary to learn another language apart from their own. I’ve met a few people who are astounded that I’m even trying to learn, given that it’s a difficult process to study a new language; I’ve met some who tried learning another language but stopped after a month, thinking that they’re not actually learning anything. But language learning was never meant to be a simple thing. Learning a new language is like going back to preschool: you have to re-learn everything from scratch—from simple, kindergarten words like dogs and cats to politics and philosophy—everything. It’s not as simple as learning a few phrases such as “how much is this?” or “where is the bathroom?” Learning a new language is building up an entire life, an entire culture, block by block, and the minute you learn something new, you realize that there is still tons more to learn. It’s a tough road to take…but it’s very rewarding.
Now I shall go back to that Czech proverb I mentioned at the beginning: Kolik jazyků znáš, tolikrát jsi člověkem. If you know only one language, you live only once. How many lives are you living right now?
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Posts
Fangirl challenge - [2/7] actors
James McAvoy
james mcavoy is so cute omg
How is a 921-square-foot, 44-level house possible? Witness Tokyo architect Akihisa Hirata’s mind-bending, shape-shifting solution to small-space living. At the top of the house, the twisting staircase sequence culminates in a compact galley kitchen, followed by an elevated dining area.
(via TVアニメ「ちはやふる」の投稿画像)
OMG Arata in a Hakama yes please!!! Make him a Meijin challenger SOON!!!
A few highlights from PixelDrip’s “I’m the art show deal with it!” In between meeting a bunch of great artists and fans last night, I took a few photos. It’s amazing to see all the different interpretations of the characters. It was a really great show with a lot of really great talent. Thanks so much to PIxelDrip for organizing and hosting and thanks to all you fans who shared your art and continue to be inspired by the show!
Nice shots, Mike!
Yes. Oh yes. I have heard it indeed.
I get such great joy just from listening to the sound of Zuko saying—
I did fall in love with Katara. And I’ll probably always love her.
(x)
DEAREST DANTE BASCO,
YOU ACTUALLY GAVE THIS MAJESTIC GEM OF AUDIO TO US
BUT THAT IS ONLY ONE…
i tried to write about your eyes
but i ran out of cliches
i tried to say you plainly
but there wasn’t enough truth
whoever invented this language
didn’t anticipate youEast Village Studio
Jordan Parnass Digital Architecture has designed the East Village live work studio in New York. With such a small amount of space to work with, they managed to excel in the organization and layout of this cool NYC condo. A sculpted wood-paneled central service core holds the kitchen, bath, closets, and sleeping loft.
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Posts
- Flower Boy Next Door and the Flower Boy concept
So cute, so sweet, and having way more depth than most rom-coms—those are the descriptions that immediately come out of my head after thinking of Flower Boy Next Door. To be honest, I was expecting over-the-top situations and acting à la Flower Boy Ramyun Shop: cute, frothy, and crazy, but something that needed to be taken in small doses occasionally or you end up getting sick of it (like ramyun). But FBND was not like that: it’s more muted, more thoughtful, so much better than FBRS, and I loved it.
Love love loved it.
The character development, the cute chemistry between Dokmi and Enrique, Jinrak’s bittersweet unrequited love, the editor and Donghoon (they’re hilarious and awesome and awww I like them together!), and everything else that was thrown into the mix—and yes, that even includes Do-hwi, who was hilarious in her schemes to win Jinrak over, even when she was such a bad friend (the worst friend ever?) to Dokmi.
(And can I just point out how cute I find Go Kyung Pyo is? XD Cannot believe he’s a 90er.)
What I also liked about the show was the small snippets of prose that we get from the characters. The FBND world is made up of characters who have talent in the arts, so obviously it’s going to be a huge part of the drama. There’s Dokmi’s little snippets of writing, at the very end, she has three documents, one about That Woman, another about That Man, and another about That Woman’s World. It was like a little pensive diary she kept, and I really wish I could write a little like that, in Korean and in English, hah. I really wish we could’ve seen more of Jinrak’s webtoon and the words he wrote in it, because I really felt a tug at my heart whenever we get glimpses of his creation. That webtoon speaks whatever he couldn’t say outright to Dokmi, and I felt for him
because I’m a little like him in that way. *ahem ahem* In the last episode, there’s a particular Dokmi and Enrique voice over that I liked:사랑은 자신의 절반을 내어주고 그 자리에 그 사람의 절반을 채우는 일이라 생각했다. 그 여자는 자신이 내어줄 절반이 어둡고 부끄러워 사랑을 밀어냈다. 부족한 절반이 모여 완성을 향해 가는 것이 사랑이라는 걸 그 여자는 이제 겨우 깨닫는다.
사랑은 태엽 감는 시계다. 빛나는 새 것일 때는 정확한 시간을 알려준다. 세월이 흐르고 태엽 감는 일을 잊어버리면 시계는 고장나고 멈춰버린다. 그 남자는 오랜 시간이 흘러도 멈추지 않도록 태엽을 감기 시작했다.
If there’s a concept of drama series that totally works, it would have to be this, the Flower Boy series of TVN. They started with the quirky Flower Boy Ramyun Shop, and yes, while I did eventually get sick of it, I was so addicted to it beforehand—it was beyond crazy. Shut Up! Flower Boy Bandwas thematically different—gritty, raw, and dark, it focused on friendship and grief and loss and growing up and was one of the best dramas of 2012 in my book. It’s great that while all three Flower Boy dramas are completely different, there’s heart in each of them, and you can’t go wrong with a drama that has a heart.
I can’t wait to see what’s next for TVN (Nine: Time Traveling 9 times, obviously!) and for the Flower Boy series—as long as they keep making really good shows like this one, I’ll keep watching ‘em.
- [Review] A Werewolf Boy
When I first heard of the movie A Werewolf Boy over at Dramabeans sometime in 2011, I was a little skeptical over the idea of Song Joong-ki playing wolf boy, not because I doubt his talents (I definitely don’t) but because I’m pretty sure the first thing I thought of was Twilight, which was such a godawful movie (the sequels were better, I admit). Seeing the gorgeous posters and the trailers did well to make me immediately forget about that comparison, though.
Here’s the subtitled trailer, just because:
Twilight talk aside, I think it was last month when I found out that the movie’s having a US release and that there’s a showing at a cinema near us, so naturally I (along with my sister) jumped at the chance to watch it. There are a few reasons why I wanted to watch this at the big screen instead of just waiting for the DVD release: first, I’m a huge Song Joong-ki fan and wanted to support him; second, the stills and trailers being shown were just absolutely beautiful; third, because this is the first time I know of a Korean movie playing anywhere near us (but that’s because I’m kind of clueless when it comes to these things); fourth, because I adore Park Bo-young; and fifth, because I’m a huge Song Joong-ki fan and purposely watched it to ogle at his gorgeousness (yep, he deserves two reasons—or he’s the MAIN reason…or the ONLY reason? XD). I have tons of reasons to watch it and there’s a cinema nearby that’s showing the film—what’s to stop me from seeing it, yes?
And see the film I did. I got up abnormally early to see it on the first show time yesterday. Seeing as I watched a 10 AM show and it’s a foreign, subtitled film to boot, I can’t really gauge the popularity of A Werewolf Boy with regards to its non-Korean American audience by the amount of people that were in the cinema with me, but I can safely say that there were a few non-Koreans (including me and my sister) who watched the film at the same time I did.
The film starts with a Korean family living in the US. Grandma Sooni, who was expecting a phone call from her granddaughter living in Seoul, gets a surprise call that immediately sends her packing for a short visit to South Korea. She and her granddaughter make their way to an old house located in the province, something that triggers Sooni’s memories from 47 years ago, back when she was around her granddaughter’s age and needed the fresh provincial air for her weak health. It was there that she and her family unexpectedly encounters a feral boy whom she trains and eventually falls in love with.
Of course, not everything goes smoothly, both in training the boy to become more human and in both Sooni- and the boy’s path to love: it takes a while for the boy (named Cheol-su by Sooni’s mother) to learn how to properly eat instead of wolfing down (heh) every morsel that comes his way, not to mention a third wheel in the form of Ji-tae, the unpleasant young landlord who aims to make Sooni his future missus. There’s also the itty bit about Cheol-su’s uncanny strength and reflexes that begins to tear apart the idyllic haven that Sooni’s family has begun to foster with Cheol-su.
The film is really visually beautiful, although to be honest the wolfy bits somewhat made me return to reality with its cheap effects and cheap-looking wolfy costume. I also think the English title is a wee bit misleading; Cheol-su is not a werewolf in the same way werewolves have been portrayed in the past, so that little tweak is a nice change. However, it wasn’t fully explained in the movie how Cheol-su became what he is, so I’m a little frustrated with that. But since the story is more about the growth of relationships between Cheol-su, Sooni, and the people around them, I do think it’s fine not to dwell too much on what made Cheol-su and instead focus on the excellent stuff, which is in Sooni teaching Cheol-su and her learning from him as well.
While I do know that Ji-tae’s character is important in the storyline, I really think his over-the-top jealousy and unpleasantness was absolutely unnecessary. I’ve read online that the alternate ending for the film has more bits about Ji-tae’s background, though, so I’m really hoping to watch that.
Aside from that, both Song Joong-ki and Park Bo-young acted really well. I loved them both before watching this film and love them even more after. Joong-ki managed to show a whole range of emotions for the entire film without speaking much. Yet once he speaks his first word, boy, I cry a river of tears.
A Werewolf Boy is very heart-warming and also a little heartbreaking. I do suggest that anyone who plans on watching this bring some tissues; I had to resort to wiping my tears using the sleeve of my jacket because I didn’t have any on me. It’s a great film, and I definitely recommend it.
- On Nice Guy's Ending
I haven’t been writing about my Korean learning and drama escapades these days, but I figured I should at least write about Nice Guy, which I’m pretty sure a lot of Korean drama watchers are also watching (or finished watching, since it ended last Thursday).
I like this drama. Really do. Right from episode one, it exceeded my expectations. It didn’t drag out plot points and the pacing was great. There were a lot of times that I watched it fully expecting something to happen, but Nice Guy switches gears and does something wholly unexpected that I like.
The acting was also brilliant. I already knew Song Joong Ki was brilliant
the moment I laid eyes on him in Tripleafter his stellar performance as young King Sejong in A Tree with Deep Roots (and of course, his role as Gu Yong-ha in Sungkyunkwan Scandal), but here he carries the drama as the lead role, and he did it flawlessly.I’ve only ever watched Moon Chae-won in the sageuk drama Princess’ Man and the 2011 movie Bow, the Ultimate Weapon, and while she was really good in both, I had reservations for her sageuk speak in Princess’ Man that stopped me from loving her completely. Here though, she came out as an excellent actress.
And Park Shi-yeon…wow. As I haven’t finished A Man’s Story yet, I only had My Girl as a gauge of what her acting is, and well, she wasn’t exactly great (far from it, actually) in My Girl. Here in Nice Guy, I could see leaps and bounds of improvement in her acting. Even if Han Jae-hee did absolutely absurd and cruel things, in moments she was down, I felt for her. That I actually care about Jae-hee instead of just wishing her to go to hell is a testament to both Park Shi-yeon’s acting and the fullness of Han Jae-hee as a character.
The supporting cast weren’t half bad as well (ahah, they were awesome). Lee Sang-yeob, where have you been? (EDIT: Now that I look at his filmography, he’s in 6 Years in Love???? But I watched that and…did not notice him…) So awesome, so gorgeous. That teardrop in Episode 17 was all kinds of precious. Also, I liked the fact that Kim Young-chul played Moon Chae-won’s father here after playing the same role in Princess’ Man. He was awesome there, still awesome here. Gwang-soo and Lee Yoo-bi were the cute Maru-sidekicks, and I’m really happy that at the very end, their characters were given more emotional stuff to work through instead of just being (the very much needed) comic relief to the show. Kim Tae-hoon as Ahn Min-young was really effective as one of the antagonists, and I like that his character grew from being patiently by Jae-hee’s side to growing more and more possessive as the episodes trickled by. The others—Secretary Hyun, Jae-shik, etc—also did their roles really really well.
And the visuals! Nice Guy was such a feast for the eyes. Even the intro to every episode was captivating, and the quiet moments when the camera pans slowly to show one scene are just absolutely breathtaking.
With all these amazing things, I really would have loved to call it one of my favorite dramas. It’s right there at the veerrry top…if not for the ending. Not the last episode, mind you, because the first 49 minutes or so of Episode 20 were just as effective as the rest of the 19 previous ones. It’s the epilogue, the 7 years later, that kind of…well, I’m not gonna say ruined it, but somehow unbalanced everything. Earlier this year, when there was an onslaught of dissatisfaction among fans when Queen Inhyun’s Man ended with a deus ex machina just to give the leads a happy ending, I rolled my eyes because I was satisfied with the ending and I found it somewhat fitting. It is, after all, a drama where a guy from the 1600s was able to do a series of round trips to 2012 all because of a talisman, so why can’t a phone be a talisman? The intricacies of the talisman and how and why it works weren’t known in the first place. Now, after watching Nice Guy…I kind of understand what those complaining viewers felt.
Eun-gi, don’t tell me you can’t see the blood on his right hand!!! It’s right there!I mean, I get it. Maru, a person who had the worst luck in the world and made one bad decision after another, is inherently a good guy through and through and he needs to have a happy ending. My entire stomach was in knots when Maru got stabbed and he was wobbling along a dark, empty street. I was shouting at the screen, “DAMMIT YOU SHOULD HAVE TOLD EUN-GI YOU GOT STABBED YOU IDIOT!!! GO TO THE HOSPITAL STAT!!!!” I wanted a happy ending for him. I hoped for a happy ending for him, but in reality I wasn’t expecting one.
So then, I got one. Maru lives, gets to practice medicine, gets to start a new life with Eun-gi in a place where no one knows their past, just like he wished it to be. So what am I complaining about? Well, that epilogue, while indeed making my hopes of Maru’s survival come true, was such a disconnect from the rest of the drama. Even though I’m happy that it ended with everyone getting what they deserve, I’m not satisfied with it. Is that possible? Honestly, I would have liked it if it ended when Maru collapsed at that empty street because it would have been thematically fitting with Nice Guy. But this…feels like I’m being given a happy ending just for the sake of making me happy, but it turns out I ended up not being as happy about it as I thought I would be. Ugh. The discontent is killing me.
But all in all I still like this drama. Despite the tears, frustration (at the characters for their wrong decisions), all the various flaws and yes, that epilogue, I really honestly enjoyed and loved this drama. It’s far from perfect, but perfection is really something impossible to achieve. Like Maru, who had a flawed and imperfect life but still ended up being thankful and happy, I think I’ll accept this drama for its flaws and love it for the things it did right. To the cast, staff, and crew of this drama, thank you! 저도 지금 행복합니다.
- I was looking for the japonese movie/drama Calmi cuori apasionati and I ran into your posting. I was expecting some japonese thing and instead it seems that it began with a korean book. Anyway I don't know your nationality but it's great trying to learn a foreign language!
Can you kelp me with finding the movie? The English book online version would also be great but I guess it doesn't exist, except for your partial translation?Hi, anonymous! The movie Calmi Cuori Appassionati is based on a 2-volume Japanese novel, but as I’m currently not studying Japanese and whatever Japanese I learned in the past cannot help me in reading a Japanese novel (too many kanji, unfortunately), I decided to give the Korean translation a shot instead. :)
The only online sources I can think of (for the movie) are torrent tracker sites, especially dedicated Asian trackers like AsiaTorrents and Asian DVD Club. AsiaTorrents is invite only, but I’m pretty sure Asian DVD Club is an open tracker, so you can register and try downloading the file from there (Note: if you’re getting the file from there, try searching for it using its English title, Between Calmness and Passion *winkwink*).
As for an English translation of the novel, I’ve been trying to find one myself but I don’t think there is any. =/
Hope I was able to help, and thanks for dropping by my site!
- Cutie sighting on drama Faith: Yoon Kyun-sang
Who else is watching Faith? While it didn’t live up to my initial expectations (of sheer epicness), it’s still a very interesting drama to watch. There’s lots of political machinations and Ryu Deok-hwan (God’s Quiz!!!) is doing such a fantastic job as King Gong-min so far. Seriously, I don’t give much care for Lee Min-ho in this drama—sorry, but to me, you’re still City Hunter.
Anyway, I’m not here to talk about Faith’s awesomeness (or lack thereof, whichever way you think), but of the interesting and unexpected sighting I had in the recent episode of Faith. Maybe he’s been there the whole time, but I’ve only noticed him in the last episode.
This guy:
윤균상. Yoon. Kyun. Sang.
Here’s a better look:
And another:
And another:
EEEEEKKK.
He plays the role of Deok-man, one of the Woodalchi warriors, and he is positively cute. :D I swear he needs more screen time just because of his face.
There’s not much I can find about him online—he’s obviously a new actor as Faith is his first drama. BUT I hope there will be tons more info about him soon enough. :D
Yoon-je comes to Si-won’s workplace and becomes a replacement guest for the show she’s a staff of. While making small talk with everyone, Yoon-je suddenly takes Si-won’s drink and sips from it.
Yoon-je: You’ll be in front, right?
Si-won nods.
Yoon-je: I’ll just look at you and talk, then.
Staff: But…the two of you…what’s your relationship? What smooth talk did Writer Sung Si-won do that Judge Yoon even postponed a trial to come here immediately? Are you relatives? Classmates?
Si-won: Oh, we’ve known each other since we were kids—
Yoon-je: I’m her boyfriend.Si-won coughs. Everyone stares, mind boggled at the revelation.
Si-won: Ahahahahaa no!
Yoon-je: I’m Si-won’s boyfriend. That’s why I even postponed a trial and came here.Me: AHAHAHA SO COOL. But seriously, who does that? Postpone a trial to do an interview at your girlfriend’s workplace just so the show doesn’t get effed up. Aww.
- Thoughts on Episode 15
Now after seeing episode 15 as well as the preview for 16, I’m pretty sure the reason why the title for Episode 16 is 첫사랑이 이루어지지 않는 이유 is because it’ll focus on Joon-hee’s unrequited first love towards Yoon-je. That’s the only plausible explanation after seeing the preview—and I need some closure (and happy ending) for Joon-hee, okay???? Boy needs some love after being such an awesome friend to both Yoon-je and Si-won through and through.
Episode 15 is really touching. The relationship parallels between Papa Sung’s Dad and Uncle and Yoon-je and Tae-woong, how much both hyungs in each relationship loved their younger siblings and said sorry even though they both didn’t do anything wrong. T-T
And I KNEW that Tae-woong would give up for Yoon-je’s sake—there’s just no way he won’t. His character has been like that all throughout—always giving (even to charity), so it doesn’t make sense for him to be selfish about this one thing especially now that he knows Si-won has feelings for Yoon-je as well. I think when he confronted Yoon-je about it, he was still in shock about what he found out, how Yoon-je never told him (Yoon-je’s one big mistake), and how Yoon-je’s every excuse during the past six years started clicking into place, the reason being: he liked Si-won too, and he gave up for Hyung. I cried when Yoon-je read that one text message: 형이 미안하다. There’s just so much said in those two words, so much.
Yoo-jung and Hak-chan’s part in this episode was so short, but again, like the scene on the bus, this scene takes the couple full circle. From 아는 여자 in episode 11 to 여자친구 in episode 15, yay! At least this time around Hak-chan knows how to address Yoo-jung hahaha. And is it just me or is the mom’s way of greeting Hak-chan weird? I don’t really know how Korean moms greet their sons/daughters when they coincidentally meet on the street, but it just sounds a little off to me to hear a mom greeting her son, all, 야 반갑다! Or maybe that’s just how they really do it. ^^
The one thing I didn’t like about this episode is that for some reason, I think there’s so very little that happened in this episode. In other words: WHY IS IT GODDAMN SHORT? It’s not even that short (~56 minutes, with advertisements), but it felt short to me. Somehow, watching two back-to-back episodes every Tuesday made this seem so lacking in comparison. D: Now I’ll have to wait a week—A WEEK—to see how it all ends.
The last scene with Papa and Mama Sung outside the delivery room felt like a last-minute wedge thrown to confuse us as to who the baby’s father really is, but it’s obviously Yoon-je. There’s no way it can’t be Yoon-je (although to be honest my heart dropped when Hyung was the first one to show up). Tae-woong’s there because he’s family too (they’ve always been one big happy family, the Sungs and the Yoons) and I don’t think he would’ve missed seeing his younger brother’s first child for the entire world.
The songs used are gems once again. 또 한번 사랑은 가고 by 이기찬 and 널 위한거야 by 미스미스터 are standouts for me, as well as 사랑했잖아 by Lyn, which I already knew through Lee Seung-gi’s cover.
Can’t wait for next week!
시원: 생일 선물…안 주나? 내…얘기 한 거 같은데…작년 내 생일 때…
시원: 니 까먹었제? 작년부터 계속 얘기하고 당겼는데.
윤제: 그거 니 형한테 받아라.
시원: …
윤제: 그 선물…나한테만 아니면 되는 거 아이가?
시원: …
윤제: 하아…니 진짜 잔인하다. 니 지금 그걸 나한테 달란 소리가 나오나?
시원: 왜? 나 머리가 나빠서 잘 모르겠다. 니가 설명 좀 해도.
윤제: 내 니 좋아하잖아. 니 억수로 좋아하거든.
태어나는 순간부터 옆에 있었고 하루도 안 본 날 없었고…니 첫 생리 터진 날 기억하는데…그래도 여자로 보이더라. 고등학교 입학식 날 난생 처음 니가 이쁘다고 생각했고 그 이후로 니 주변에서 계속 티 냈다—니 좋아한다고. 내 좀 좋아해 달라고.
근데 니 모르데. 하아 그래…그 동안 우리가 너무 오랫동안 친구로 지내니까 그럴 수도 있겠구나. 그래서 고백해야겠구나.
그래서 수능 보는 날 내가 보자고. 학교 운동장 8시에 만나고 말했잖아. 그 날이 내 D-Day라고. 근데 형이 10분 먼저 말하대—내 한테—니 좋다고.
내 어떻게 하까? 세상에서 내가 가장 사랑하는 사람이 딱 두 명이 있는데. 한 명은 우리 형. 나 때문에 모든 걸 포기한 우리 형이고, 다른 한 명은 니. 닌데…우리 형이 니가 좋단다. 그것도 많이. 내처럼.
내 어떻게 하까? 어떡하면 좋겠노? 어떡하냐고 가시나야?!
시원: 윤제야. 우리 다시…예전처럼 편한 친구로 지내면 안돼? 니 말처럼…우린 태어나면서부터 항상 같이 있었잖아. 내가 머리 좀 나쁘다, 니도 알제. 근데…니가 세상에서 제일 소중한 친구라는 거는 안다. 그래도…내랑 계속 친구는 해줄 거제?
윤제: 사내 새끼가…짝사랑하는 가시나한테 구질구질하이…여기 있는 걸 다 털어놨다는 거는… 다신 안 볼 생각인기다.
…친구?
지랄하네.1998년 1월 30일
시원: 이게 뭐꼬?
윤제: 생일 선물. 잘 읽어 봐라. 그 안에 있는 거 다 해주께.
시원: 같이 시리즈가? (같이 있어주기… 같이 떡벆이 먹기…) 근데… 이게 내를… 내를 위한 기가, 니를 위한 기가?
윤제: 둘을 위한 기지.형 때문에 시원의 마음 안 받아주는 거야? 형이 시원이 선택했으니까? 누구를 좋아하는 건 선택의 문제가 아니야. 가슴이 시키는 거라고.
시원이 너 좋아해. 그리고 너도 마찬가지고. 시원이 피하는 너 이해하는데 시원이가 무슨 잘못이냐? 너의 형제가 마음대로 좋아해놓고 왜 이제와서 시원이 눈치를 보는데 걔가 무슨 죄야? 네가 오래전부터 시원이 좋아했는데 시원이가 몰라줬어? 그게 무슨 잘못이야? 모를 수도 있어. 살다 보면 누가 나를 좋아하고 있는지 모를 수도 있다고.
너 아직도 시원이 많이 좋아하지? 그럼 그걸로 이미 게임 끝이야. 네가 아무리 고민하고 머리를 싸매도 답 없어. 이미 좋아하는데 무슨 선택을 해? 무슨 결정을 하니? 나중에 후희하지 말고 형 핑계 대지 말고. 가슴이 시키는 대로 해.
Is it because of your hyung that you’re not accepting Si-won’s feelings? Because your hyung chose Si-won? Liking someone is not a matter of choice—it’s the heart that tells you that.
Siwon likes you. And you feel the same. I understand why you’re avoiding her, but what wrong did Si-won do? You brothers liked her and Si-won grasped the situation now, so what crime did she do? That you liked her for a long time and she didn’t know? Is that her fault? It’s possible to not know. In life, it’s possible that I’m unaware of someone liking me.
You still like Si-won a lot, right? Then the game’s over with that. However much you worry and rack your brains, there is no answer. You already like her, so what kind of choice are you making? What decision are you making? Don’t regret it later on and don’t use your brother as an excuse. Let your heart decide.
Joon-hee, you always have the best, most loaded words. ;____;
- What happened yesterday while watching 응답하라 1997
- 시원: 대답해도 지금. 니 아직도 내 좋아하나... 지금도 내 좋아하냐고?
- 윤제: 너는? (한숨) 그런 너는 왜 나한테 그런 걸 묻는데? 넌 날 좋아하니?
- 시원: ...응.
- 시원: 내 니 좋다. 친구가 아니라 남자로...좋다.
- 시원: 내 대답했다. 니는?
- 시원: 니 아직 내 좋아하나? 대답해라! 당장.
- Me: ACKKKK YOON-JE ANSWER NAOOOOO
잠시만 안녕 - MC the Max
I didn’t even know X Japan’s Tears had a Korean version until I watched 응답하라 1997 yesterday (this song was played during the car scene between Si-won and Yoon-je before Si-won finally, finally told Yoon-je her feelings, ack). Gah, love this song (but I love the original more)
- Songs in 응답하라 1997
I was making this long list of the songs played in the drama, literally watching and re-watching scenes just to catch some lines that I can then feed on to Naver’s search engine to look for the songs. I found some easy ones, like songs by H.O.T and Sechs Kies and Fin.K.L, but looking for EVERY song was such a painfully long process that I decided to see if someone on the internet was crazy enough to have successfully done what I’ve been trying to do, which is when I discovered two things:
1. tvN’s YouTube channel has uploaded clips of the scenes with the background songs and they made things easier for the viewing public by putting in the song title on the video clips’ title. Just click on the 응답하라 playlist and look for the songs (Do note that the titles are in Korean). For example, I had a particularly hard time searching for NEXT’s 날아라 병아리. I couldn’t quite catch the lyrics, both because Siwon’s voice was overpowering the background song too much and I couldn’t understand the word right after goodbye—which turns out to be 얄리 (I’m not sure, but it’s supposed to be the name of this yellow chick that was the inspiration for the song?). I managed to find it, but if I looked at tvN’s YouTube channel things would have been easier.
Here’s that particular clip with the really nice song, 날아아 병아리 (Fly, Chick)
2. There are actually quite a number of people on the internet who are either compiling the songs or searching for it (hah, I’m not alone!), and so I found this awesome awesome blog post (Note: written in Korean!) listing most, if not all, the songs used in 응답 (from episodes 1-12, for now, which means it’s being updated as the episodes come). The kind soul who made the post also wrote the particular scenes in which these songs were played, so if you can read Korean, you won’t need to find anything else as it’s really organized. :D
I have particular favorites though, which I have listed below.
- 우리는 - 송창식 (sung by Si-won’s dad in Episode 1)
- 날아라 병아리 - NEXT (the clip found above)
- 고백 - Deli Spice (aka the song in the movie The Classic)
- 슬픈 우리 젊은 날 - UNO (the song playing when Si-won and Yoo-jung were going home after seeing H.O.T live)
- 애송이의 사랑 - 양파 (the song during The Kiss!)
- Cry Baby - Priscilla Ahn (playing when Yoo-jung was calling Si-won and saying sorry about liking Sechs Kies, heh)
- 암연 - 고한우 (the dramatic moment when Si-won and Yoo-jung were standing in the hallway with the same hairstyle)
- 소유하지 않는 사랑 - K2 (1004!!!!! ㅠㅠ Joon-hee!)
- 슬프도록 아름다운 - K2 (sent by 1004 again)
- 널 사랑해 - 김정은 (the hospital scene between a sleeping Si-won and Yoon-je, who takes advantage of the situation, heh)
- 눈물 - 리아 (Eeek, the interview practice Yoon-je and Joon-hee had, where Yoon-je asked if Joon-hee likes someone and he said yes, eeeekkkk)
- 챠우챠우 - Deli Spice (played when their first day at high school was being shown—Yoon-je being both the rebel who stood up to the teacher and the smartest guy in class. No wonder Joon-hee liked him.)
- 취중진담 - 전람회 (gah, love this song—the song playing at the end of episode 10, during Joon-hee’s confession)
- Please - 이기찬 (the song playing while Yoon-je was in the park after leaving the house when Si-won came)
- To Heaven - 조성모 (the song Sung-jae said wasn’t going to be a hit)
- 금지된 사랑 - 김경호 (song playing when Si-won and Yoon-je narrated about a man-woman relationship)
- 행복한 나를 - ECO (“계란 터뜨리지 마라고” accckkkk it wasn’t the egg that burst, but Joon-hee’s heart!)
- Memories - 사준 (the song Yoon-je sang—but I like Seo In-guk’s voice so much more…heh)
- 어디선가 나의 노랠 듣고 있을 너에게 - O15B (post Yoon-je confession song)
- 다시 만난 너에게 - Pinocchio (the song playing when Yoon-je and Si-won met again, eeek)
So, the song list turned out to be far longer than expected, heh. Goes to show how much I love 응답하라 1997 and the songs played in it. :D This show is slowly taking over my life—I’m practically re-watching it daily, no joke. OTL But how can I not? It’s awesome and I love love love it.
1997 봄—
나와 그 녀석의 2차 성징은 시작된 지 오래였고 우리 분명 달라져 있었다. 그리고 난 확인하고 싶었다. 지금 이 솟구치는 아드레날린이 쭉 똑같이 살아왔던 서로에게 달라진 모습을 들켜버린 부끄러움 때문인지, 아니면 소꿉친구를 향해 시작해버린 내 첫사랑에 대한 설레임 때문인지.
“확인.”
인간 성정의 법칙: 소년은 남자가 되고 소녀는 여자가 된다. 하지만 남자가 되어버린 소년과 아직 덜 자란 천방지축 소녀. 문제는 그 속도가 다를 때 발생한다.
—윤윤제, 응답하라 1997
Such a beautiful promotional video from KTO (Korea Tourism Organization). The colors, the flowers, the ambiance…so much to see!
I also like that there’s a smattering of Korean words written on the screen as well as that one word the girl says in the video: 업어줘. Hee, it’s so reminiscent of Korean dramas, where the sight of a person piggybacking another is so prevalent.
- My heart, my heart, how it breaks!
Ah, 응답하라 1997. Why do you keep hurting me so? The good kind of hurt, by the way, but hurt nonetheless.
It’s easy to relate to any of the situations experienced by the characters in this drama. Say, for example, Yoo-jung staying up all night to study on basketball, which Yoon-je likes, just so she could show off her knowledge and impress him. Or Song-joo wanting to have everything her beloved has touched. Or Si-won’s mom pestering the makjang drama screenwriter for her husband’s sake. Or Joon-hee, dear Joon-hee, who secretly likes his best friend.
I love all the relationship threads in the story, of course, but Joon-hee’s stands out in particular (and hurts the most). It was heartbreaking how his confession got laughed at by the person he likes (who thought he was joking! ㅠㅠ) even when he was being so serious and sincere about it. And Joon-hee’s smile after that, like he’s saying, Oh well, what did I expect, really? was all kinds of painful.
And Joon-hee’s voice-over at the end was just a really nice closing remark. It ties in with the central theme of that episode, which is the question asked by everyone who has ever liked someone or been liked by someone: Why do I like you? Why do you like me?
당신이 좋은 이유? 그저 그 사람이라서. 바로 너라서. 이거 말고 다른 이유가 또 있을까? 차라리 이유를 알 수 있었으면 좋겠다. 그럼 널 좋아하지 않을 방법도 찾을 수 있을 것 같은데. 정 피할 수 없다면 원하는 건 딱 한 가지 뿐이다. 오래 두어도 진정 변하지 않는 사람으로 남길 바랄 뿐이다. 가슴 시린 우리의 사랑을 위하여.
If the preview is any indication, I think my heart will be breaking into smaller pieces next week. Oh, Yoon-je—while I hated how you treated the people who liked you (there’s been…*counts*…three so far, I think?), I still feel for you.
And this is a side note, but I love the background song used in episode 10’s last scene, titled 취중진담. Really nice song.
- "I Love You"
In Japan, there are 3 ways to say ”I Love You”:
Daisuki - for friends and persons you like.
Aishiteru - for a more serious relationship.
Koishiteru - for the person you want to spend the rest of your life with.Hmm. From my limited knowledge (heh) in Japanese, here’s what I know about this topic.
Daisuki (大好き) can be said for anything—your pet, your things, your friend, whatever—so long as you like it. And usually girls are the only ones who actually add the ‘dai’ (literally means big or great) in front, because the term is taken as sounding too girly, so boys usually don’t add it to suki (好き).
As for aishiteru (愛してる), I don’t think it’s usually said by people to other people (I think I heard about this from JapanesePod101, but I can’t be too sure; I haven’t studied Japanese for so long =.=”) Also, I remember that the kanji ‘koi’ used in koishiteru (恋してる) is more…selfish than the kanji ‘ai’ used in aishiteru, which has the nuance of unconditional love. ‘Koi’ takes, ‘ai’ gives. ‘Koi’ is temporary, ‘ai’ is eternal. So I don’t think koishiteru can be used for someone you want to spend your whole life with.
…and this is supposed to be a blog about Korean. *sigh* I just can’t help but blog about this. That and I also haven’t blogged about anything for a while now. D:
Title: 기생
Reference Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4What I realized after drawing this:
- Hair is a pain to draw. Each “bundle” of the 기생’s hair has a life of its own and it’s hard to make it look seamlessly like one big clump of (fake) hair.
- I hate drawing noses. D:
- Hair ornaments are easily lost in the hair. D: I need to be careful not to make the ornaments too dark.
- I missed drawing. A lot.
Heh, a little unrelated to learning Korean, but it’s a drawing of a 기생 (gisaeng), and they’re a part of Korean history and culture (are there still gisaengs today, though? I’m well aware of geishas still in existence especially in Kyoto, but gisaengs…hmm). And it’s not everyday I get to draw something. :D
온종일 손에 잡히지 않는
일을 붙잡고
컴퓨터 앞에서 멍하니 하루를 보내
아직도 나지막이 네 이름 불러보곤 해
나 이렇게 살아 나 이렇게 살고 있어이렇게 살고 있어 - No Reply
Such a sad sad song.
- 온종일 손에 잡히지 않는일을 붙잡고컴퓨터 앞에서 멍하니 하루를 보내아직도 나지막이 네 이름 불러보곤 해나 이렇게 살아 나 이렇게 살고 있어 이렇게 살고 있어 - No Reply Such a sad sad song.
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I have long wanted you
to be within my orbit,
circle of warmth and desire.
But you would veer away,
bereft of gravity, weightless,
whirling among the planets and stars.
I have devised ways to attract you:
a planetary collision,
or better yet—a black hole.
But you have gone far away
from my love’s magnetic core.
Farthest to absence
and oblivion.
I have searched for you
Among the constellations
But you are not there.
All I can do now is spin,
spin like I have never spun before
Until I fall,
light-years away
With neither orbit nor universe
My debris going nowhere.- Orbit, Felino S. Garcia, Jr.
Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.
What I Talk About When I Talk About Running, Haruki Murakami- On faithfulness
…and here’s the best bit: It’ll make us stronger, she said, as if what she’d done was a good thing. But tell me something—how do these things ever make a relationship stronger? It’s not like a broken leg, where the bone actually grows back thicker, is it? If your car breaks down, you may get it fixed, but it doesn’t suddenly become faster or safer as a result of the breakdown, does it? Quite the opposite; you’re always slightly nervous that whenever you drive it, it’ll let you down again. Or to take a more extreme example, if you’d had cancer, and beaten it once, you’d always be worried that the cancer might come back, and worse than before.
Because that’s what unfaithfulness is, isn’t it? A cancer that’s always there in the back of your mind, eating away at the foundations of the relationship. It’s happened once, it could happen again, so you’re always looking for telltale signs or symptoms to show that it’s reappeared.
—The Ex-Boyfriend’s Handbook, Matt Dunn
Every fall into love involves the triumph of hope over self-knowledge. We fall in love hoping we won’t find in another what we know is in ourselves, all the cowardice, weakness, laziness, dishonesty, compromise, and stupidity. We throw a cordon of live around the chosen one and decide that everything within it will somehow be frew of our faults. We locate inside another a perfection that eludes us within ourselves, and through our union with the beloved, hope to maintain (against the evidence of all self-knowledge) a precarious faith in our species.
On Love, Alain de BottonIf you asked most people whether they believed in love or not, they’d probably say they didn’t. Uet that’s not necessarily what they truly think. It’s just the way they defend themselves against what they want. They believe in it, but pretend they don’t until they’re allowed to. Most people would throw away their cynicism if they could. The majority just never get the chance.
On Love, Alain de BottonThe telephone becomes an instrument of torture in the demonic hands of a beloved who doesn’t ring.
On Love, Alain de BottonFor those in love with certainty, seduction is no territory in which to stray. Every smile and word lead to a dozen if not twelve thousand possibilities. Remarks that in normal life (that is, life without love) can be taken at face value now exhaust dictionaries with their possible meanings.
On Love, Alain de BottonWe’d said we’d keep in touch. But touch is not something you can do from a distance. Touch is not something you can keep; as soon aa it’s gone, it’s gone.
How They Met, David LevithanSome people find happily ever after in being a part of a couple, and for them, I say, good for you. But that’s no reason we should all have to do it. That’s no reason that every goddamn song and story has to say we should.
How They Met, David LevithanPeople fall hard for the notion of falling, and saying you want no part of it will only get you sent to the loony bin. C’mon, you’ve seen the movie: As soon as the headstrong girl announces she’s not going to fall in love, you know she’ll be falling in love before the final credits.
How They Met, David LevithanThe trouble with flirting with someone at a cash register is that your time together is bound to be fleeting.
How They Met, David Levithan- Questions for Captain Li Shang by the Fa family
- Mulan: Would you like to stay for dinner?
- Grandma Fa: Would you like to stay forever?
The flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all.
Emperor, Mulan- Late Night
Late night and rain wakes me, a downpour,
wind thrashing in the leaves, huge
ears, huge feathers,
like some chased animal, a giant
dog or wild boar. Thunder & shivering
windows; from the tin roof
the rush of water.I lie askew under the net,
tangled in damp cloth, salt in my hair.
When this clears there will be fireflies
& stars, brighter than anywhere,
which I could contemplate at times
of panic. Lightyears, think of it.Screw poetry, it’s you I want,
your taste, rain
on you, mouth on your skin.-Margaret Atwood
I’m not a fast reader. I like to linger over each sentence, enjoying the style. If I don’t enjoy the writing, I stop.
Kafka on the Shore, Haruki MurakamiPeople soon get tired of things that aren’t boring, but not of what is boring. Go figure.
Kafka on the Shore, Haruki Murakami[A hug is] like an emotional Heimlich. Someone puts their arms around you and they give you a squeeze and all your fear and anxiety come shooting out of your mouth in a big wet wad and you can breathe again.
Chuck, Pushing DaisiesNot forgetting is hard. I have to work hard to not forget. Remembering is different than not forgetting. It is the opposite of. Remembering is a like a little movie that comes back to you. It is something special and unexpected. Like when I remembered the first time Gramp took me sailing. A little movie.
Not forgetting is business. Like you have to not forget that your laundry is in the dryer or not forget to pay your bills. Remembering is fun. Not forgetting is hard.
-Lottery, Patricia Wood
