From my end

Park Shin-hye has not done any acting since her last series Sisyphus the Myth (I’ve written this prior to her wedding and pregnancy announcement) wrapped up production in early December 2020.  With Squid Game lighting up Netflix in the US, the UK and the world and so many dramas being shown, made and announced, her absence from any K-production is heartbreaking to her fans. I don’t watch Kdramas anymore. Even before I’ve heard of the racist incident involving the only Filipino actor in Squid Game but I reckon it was my rewatch of that episode in Hello Counselor  where Jung Yong-hwa was a guest and one of the stories was a guy who was being treated so lowly by his fellow Koreans for looking like a Filipino. Anyway, I only watch Korean shows these days if Park Shin-hye is a cast member.  I don’t follow Kpop but I enjoy dancing to the tunes. 

Korean works such as #Alive and Space Sweepers made it to the Top Ten in the UK but none made it to number one on the streaming service like Squid Game.  My husband likes watching it again and again.  I’m not really fond of this type of genre.  Its very essence doesn’t strike a chord with my free time.  But that is me.  All others enjoy this kind of pursuit.  Sometimes I wonder if it is popular amongst my husband’s friends because they like watching East Asians engaged in this killing competition?  Are they like those men in suits in the series looking through the games via a monitor ?  Or was it through a window?  I couldn’t really decipher, I just passed by during the penultimate episode. 

The series catapulted its stars to the sky, the female lead is now the hype of social media, amassing followers to rival Ariana Grande.  Let’s see her next pursuits, would she continue to be hot for the years to come? 

Hiatus

It has been almost a year since I have been writing that I have forgotten how it feels to write in a blog. Well, the scourge of the Pandemic is an ever -pressing concern in our lives. As an introvert, I like the staying home bit but as a front liner, I was never given a chance to stay home. I’m right in the middle of “saving lives, trying to stay alive” crew. There was and there is no reprieve, you try to be sick for feeling symptoms of the virus and you get derision and a lengthy interrogation process by the powers that be in my work universe.  

I don’t think I will ever get away with taking time off for Stress. Or working from home when there are call bells to answer at the actual site. Despite the vaccines, there are variants out there lurking and ready to claim thousands of human lives. People should be wary of huge gatherings. 

Lockdown gives space. There is far less traffic in the busiest roads and it saves me from confrontation with highly-paid class acts in the Tube on day shifts. Sir, whatever you say, it’s still not prudent to take that seat beside me. I’ve wrapped up dead bodies in full PPE due to Covid.  

Should we still social distance? It’s such a double standard since people love gatherings. There is no social distance in parties. December was lockdown month, yet people were dressed to the nines for parties.  Cases ballooned in January, cold weather and viruses, eh?  It’s summer now, but there it seems the most dreadful of times. 

Pandemic or no pandemic, we are still busy at work, just made more complicated by the ever threat of this health emergency.  At least there was a vaccine to at least minimise symptoms or prevent us from succumbing to the virus’ worst effects.  For now, let’s pray there are no more waves and there is a cure for the deadliest of variants.

‘Twas a Hot Day

I don’t know anything about the new normal. Everyday there are changes to routines and policies at work that we do not know anything anymore. Masks are mandatory in all corners of the workplace. The general public should be wearing masks really, anywhere they go, social distancing or not. During the lockdown, only joggers and dog walkers plus those who work with the police headquarters walks around our residential street (minus social distancing). But these days with everybody back to work (Is everybody back to work?) and with school about to start, we have to ask, why do a few believe everything is back to normal? 

However the threat is still there. There is no vaccine, no treatment yet for Covid-19. There is spike here and there, in South Korea, in Spain and just anywhere. We shouldn’t be attending large gatherings including family reunions and the likes, or even go to pubs. But humans are social creatures. They like having their interactions. They cherish being with other humans. They like the gossip and noise. In the solemnity of calm and quiet, they get bored. 

Perhaps I should be grateful that there is still no live audience for sports events. Sports losing money means our household saves a bit. Stadium sports can only be enjoyed through the magic of television. Tottenham Hotspur’s new ground is the best I have ever experienced, dwarfing Wembley Stadium and North Greenwich Arena when they were completely new (those were the days).  But it was empty when the last season resumed and it’s going to be not even near capacity when the new season commences. I mean let’s see, how is the new lifestyle going to work out. But I would love to watch Spurs live again. 

I just hope none of us becomes sick, not even a little fever nor a little cough this winter. Let’s not get out much, except for essential travel? School would be a nightmare for me, all those mothers and their Yakkity yaks. Plus just based on social media photos of my friends and colleagues, do people actually think there is still a Pandemic? 

to watch or not to watch

There are a few K-dramas I have viewed that were quite chill.  I was into Kong Hyo-jin (she prefers it spelled with a K) for a while after I watched  and re-watched It’s Ok, That’s Love.  So I went through the gamut of her work, Don’t Dare to Dream, Producers, Master’s Sun and Greatest Love.  She does a lot of romcoms, they’re quite light. Something to wallow into in times when you want to de-stress.  KHJ was quite stylish when she dropped by London as seen in her instagram two years ago.  Then she unfollowed Park Shin-hye on her insta (while Memories of the Alhambra was still on air or right after?)  and I lost interest in her dramas including my constant rewatch of It’s Ok, That’s Love (some good writing therer from Noh Hee Kyung).  But I still follow her on that social media platform, I just do not take a peek at her account anymore nor watch her latest series on Netflix. 

Then there is  the hardworking Jang Nara in the remake of Fated to Love You/You are my Destiny and One More Happy Ending, they are very enjoyable dramas.  She has a series every single year, so there are loads of choices, it depends on the genre and story. I’ve seen Seo Hyun-jin in Temperature of Love.  It’s  good, although I haven’t done any rewatch in full It’s all about gourmet cooking and scriptwriting but the break- up in the middle ( or is it near the end?) to keep the story going, is a breaking ball. 

As you can see, I’m from the school of si Nura, si Velma; Maricel, Sharon, etc., who doesn’t care much  or swoon after male leads.  Stan is the operative word these days (I didn’t hear this word when I was  writing for the school paper).  So I stan the nominees for the Best Actress award, as in the Filipino penchant for their movie aueens — from Amalia to Judy Ann.  I’m into that fandom. In celluloid, smart tv or smartphone, I want to watch empowered women as central characters or characters portrayed by actresses with a whole lot of charisma. 

But in Kdrama or in life, men usually gets the top-billing.  Women are just there for decoration.  I couldn’t say It shouldn’t be like that because for some, drooling over Lee Min-ho or Lee Jong Suk is their alternate reality.  Their escape from the dreariness of life. Or these days, their escape from the dreariness and hardship of a pandemic. 

Lockdown for Now

This is the time of war. Lockdown is a cruel phase in the battle against Covid-19. But thank goodness, my small nuclear family have no symptoms. I might have one cough when talking on the phone or writing on the bed board and I would get called out by a consultant doctor or a well-meaning friend. “Is that a cough?” they would query. But we all have these crazy paranoia and sometimes fear take over. There is no vaccine. There is no cure for Covid-19. Words such as desaturation and low blood pressure bring such trepidation. It’s a nasty pestilence, fatal to the weak leading to a shortage of body bags. I know I’m being morbid but it’s not like measles nor chicken pox where there is an inherent natural immunity once afflicted. It is oh so cruel to the lungs. It might have hit you already, you recovered and it will hit you again. 

We are terribly exposed at work. The battle for safe Personal Effective Equipment is real. The deaths of front liners; of doctors, nurses, health care assistants, porters, bus drivers particularly hurt not only because they are colleagues but the powers that be ignore the high-viral load associated with any positive and suspected patients. Please, protect people and front liners from death. 

South Korea has these massive and rampant testing and contact tracing that is  keeping the figures down whether infection or death rates. Or so the reports say. Germany as well have the capacity to test more people. Here in London, as I observe so far, you only get tested once you are admitted to a hospital and on the brink. Even if you self-isolate, you don’t get tested unless you are top of the pyramid in the hierarchy of humans. 

Social distancing, as in not seeing people, is bad for business and bad for mental health. Imagine not seeing friends and family and not going to McDonalds or a theme park? Well, there are no McDonald’s, theme parks and restaurants or clothes shops as they are now closed. Entertainment is staying home. The world works at home. School is all a series of computer exercises and homework. My husband is correct, I won’t have the time and energy for home school as we both work on the battlefield. I’m grateful for the key worker incentive. Because unlike those who work at home, us from the lower tier, have to go to work (and take the tube at my end) and face this cruel infection face to face with flimsy protection. So I couldn’t do much in terms of homework and learning from home bits for my seven-year old. No energy on day offs. None at all. I’m so tired. This would be my classic refrain. 

Memories of the Alhambra

A year ago today I was engrossed in my first live K drama series starring of course, Park Shin-hye and it opened up to a large troll following of female stars. Others are so male-centric in their approach to watching shows that it makes me ponder the motivations in their lives. 

The first few episodes of Memories of the Alhambra is set in Granada in Spain. Prior to watching MOTA, I sat through episodes after episodes of Hyde, Jekyll, Me and Secret Garden. Did I enjoy them? There were moments of wavering emotions. Both series are a hard sell for my acquired taste, makes me wonder why drama writers think those plots are good for the soul. Yes, I don’t think the element of body swapping is kind of passé even at the start of the last decade. 

MOTA itself is a hard re-watch. As I watch through Netflix and engage in My Drama List conversations to defend the Park Shin-hye character Jung Hee-joo and Park Shin-hye herself, I could not embrace the fact that trolls are trolls, and there are certain forums I should just avoid. Why watch Park Shin-hye if you don’t like her at all? Oh, they are fans of Hyun Bin and he is ever so dreamy. I swear the guy sitting opposite me on the tube on a random day was far better looking than him and he doesn’t have to sing A Star is Born’s “Shallow” on repeat. 

MOTA makes viewers think and come up with theories on dungeons and viruses and why technology is so cool. But it also doesn’t make sense. Sci-Fi doesn’t usually makes sense. But I enjoy the love angle in this drama. Those who have seen Heartstring or You’ve Fallen For Me would in all likelihood say, this is Park Sin-hye’s best kiss. I may not have binge-watch the entire 16-episode arc after the series finished its run but Episode 11 is hot, that it is the only episode I watch on the MOTA timeline. They should definitely star opposite each other

Now Hyun Bin’s has another Netflix drama corrupting my page on Netflix. I would not ever watch. But why could not Park Shin-hye star in another drama? Or Flower Boys Next Door to stream in Netflix or have her film Call and Alone break box office records and win awards? It is of course possible

updates

Before I will give my thoughts on Memories of the Alhambra, the first Kdrama I followed in real time.  I’ll talk about my diary first. It has been a while since I’ve been writing about myself.  Nothing’s changed really, I remain deeply an introvert, not really going out much, unless it’s an invite to a kid’s birthday party. I still hyperventilate whenever I bring Chichi (my nickname for my daughter, I’m the only person who calls her Chichi) to ballet class and during school runs.  Ah, those parents and their judgments and arrogance. 

After my surgery last year, my Bradford Score has improved.  I haven’t been writing. I haven’t been reading or tidying up the house. All I seem to do is watch Kdramas or these days, Chinese Dramas and a bit of Japanese Dramas. As I observe the Far East lenses, they seem to be affluent in Asia, at least in the Chinese and Japanese dramas I am watching. They have these amazingly high-tech gadgets at home and talking, touch screen computers, facial recognition with doors. 

As it’s such a mess in my literal surroundings, I need to breathe in, simmer down.  In the larger scale, health is wealth.  I have to take care of my health as I grow older.  My hypertension is such a killer.  I view life with trepidation when it comes to health.  Career and stuff are not the most vital thing in perspective (a loser’s mantra, but really, no one is a loser in this world).  Working with the salt of the  earth are what keeps us growing as a human being.   At my age, I should be chilled.  I know sometimes, it gets really annoying but what could we do about the condescending attitude of the powers-that-be’s, the holier than thou’s. 

Plus, too much gossip sullies perspectives.  I try to to avoid social media, a lot less Facebook. Instagram is helpful when it comes to celebrities, those who share anyway. No posts from me. Yet? But for those who prefer life in private, they don’t update as much, they prefer their publicity and promotions in hashtags. For C-ent, (imagine that, me following C-ent when I depend on subtitles), there’s Weibo, which is being translated for Twitter users by very kind souls.  I follow K-ent  and most news through Twitter. Love Twitter for the news and the translation.