A healthy helping of K drama

It's unlikely, as any K drama watcher worth her (usually her :-)) salt knows, that one will have to go without K drama for a week because we get a pretty generous dose of it here each week. It appears to have become a staple on Channel U, there are, as far as I know, 3 serials on Channel 55 and, as some of us have happily discovered, we suddenly have access to KBS World, on which we can watch current serials.

The last show I blogged about was Wedding, which has ended its run on Channel 55. I think I would have preferred it as a movie. 18 episodes is way too long for going over the same issue (accepting each other’s past) again and again, and not taking up other potential issues (e.g. age gap, socio-economic gap, different expectations, letting go of their own past, etc). Unless, of course, you are a fan of Jang Nara (JNR) or Ryu Shi Won (RSW), or a die-hard romantic (this show is a very mushy love story).

JNR is convincing but RSW, who is experienced enough in the field to be considered a ‘veteran’, seems to be just reciting his lines in many parts. Maybe it was the script that did him in. Maybe his character is supposed to be inexpressive. The other couple is one big yawn but, unfortunately, they are essential to the story. They are completely upstaged by the minor couples, such as the two in these pictures. Best couple: JNR’s parents!

Well, if you are neither a fan of the leads nor a die-hard romantic, you may perhaps consider watching the show for the following reasons:
YLovely soundtrack – including songs by JNR and RSW (one saving grace for him! By the way, some of you will know the song ‘My Memory’ from that old weepy Winter Sonata, which was sung by him and which I’m sure my friend, X-tongfang, can play very well on the piano!)
YLovely clothes and bags – check out JNR and her friends’ togs!
YLovely houses and environs – especially the house JNR’s parents give them, RSW’s out-of-Seoul family home and his office, which is like a suburban house and I don’t know why because he works in the Foreign Affairs Ministry!
YPicking up cheesy lines like ‘I knew from the start that my mum would like you.’

So, I’m pleasantly surprised by Wedding’s replacement, Foxy Lady (but boy, do I hate that title), a more low-profile show, which turns out to be a faster-paced, quirky story. There are no big stars in it, no super gorgeous actors or actresses, and the acting is far from spectacular but I think the casting is excellent. Everyone just so looks their part.

It is quirky almost to the point of being dysfunctional. The girl, 33, is going out with this doctor who has had 14 girlfriends, but she will end up with the 24-year-old. Her 25-year-old sister will go out with a 42-year-old. And their mother looks like she may go out with her young colleague. What’s more, the 33-year-old and the 24-year-old were childhood friends, i.e. they knew each other from the time he was a newborn! Now, how weird is that?!

Wedding pics from here
Foxy Lady pic from here

By the way, I don't like all the permutations of the title - Foxy Lady, What's Up Fox?, Fox, What Are You Doing?

Going without shopping

I was at Page One the other day and realised that it's much bigger than I thought it was. But that's not really what I'm writing about today. Well, I was there and there was really quite a lot to look at and when I had to leave, this title caught my eye: My Year Without Shopping. Ha! I thought. Who is so wu liao as to write this kind of book? What about 'My Year Without a Bonus/Promotion/Car/Boyfriend/Chocolate/Watch', etc... Or maybe Bear Hugs and I can team up and write 'Our Week Without Korean Drama'. I mean, is it so easy to come up with a book? Are there hordes of readers out there who are interested in this kind of story?

I suppose it can't be that simple, right? Some publisher must want to publish and market your 'Year/Month/Week/Day Without whatever' story. Anyway, this reviewer doesn't find it too bad. I didn't actually look in the book myself. Just the cover, as is my habit... ha ha...

I'm sure if I had the time to read it (probably never), I would identify with some of it. After all, I'm now on my third year without salary and I can tell you shopping is not the same. Can you imagine, I walk in and out of some clothes shops without even touching the clothes...

Anyway, Shopaholic and Baby has been out for some time and I'd really like to read it. It's already the 5th book in the Shopaholic series and I've only read the first. If only I had the time...

OK, time to bring out the greenie in you

Starting next week, remember to bring your own bag when shopping on the designated Wednesdays.

Aiyoh, surely we can do better than that! What about bringing our own bags as often as possible, whenever we go shopping, all the time, etc?

I was rather amused by this comment from the news report:

'Well I guess you would have to remember to bring it all the time. That's one. And I wonder how big it is as it may be a bit inconvenient if you bring it along with you all the time, especially if you're on a bus or on a MRT.'

This person makes it sound like it's so difficult to bring your own bag. A bit of shopping planning will not do us harm, and, instead, will prevent us from further harming the environment. Either just bring your big bag on Wednesdays or don't go to the supermarket on Wednesdays, lah!

Let me quote this bit from LKY's From Third World to First, also on the environmental theme:

(it was about planting 'millions of trees, palms and shrubs'):

'Perseverance and stamina were needed to fight old habits: people walked over plants, trampled on grass, despoiled flowerbeds, pilfered saplings or parked bicycles or motorcycles against the larger ones, knocking them down... A doctor was caught removing from a central road divider a newly planted valuable Norfolk Island pine which he fancied for his garden. To overcome the initial indifference of the public, we educated their children in schools by getting them to plant trees, care for them and grow gardens. They brought the message home to their parents.'

Perhaps we need to get children to bring the message home once again. (btw, I like that part about the doctor helping himself to the public plant)

Or perhaps people could invest in some cool shopping bags, so they would be more motivated to bring them along when they hit the shops. Remember, people in other countries have been doing this for YEARS.

I quite like this cheery Marc Jacobs bag. Do feel free to get me one to hold my shopping. From here! Apparently, it has 'adjustable side buckles that change the size of the bag from smaller to larger' so it will be useful to those who are worried about lugging a big bag around on the right days.

Doing some sums

I, being a scaredy-cat, am not adding any comments online to the fiery debate about pegs and salaries and such stuff. There are many who have spoken, written and blogged, some rather bravely and eloquently, about whatever can be said about it, so let's just leave it to them.

I just want to say that I was struck by the staggering amount earned by those 48 top earners. You can do various permutations with these top people, e.g. include the ministers and everyone else between them and the top 48 (since the ST says that 'even after revision, leaders' annual salary is nowhere near what the top earner in private sector got last year'), or add the top few earners of maybe another 2-3 professions (e.g. doctors, since they are not included in the current peg), etc, and the figure will still be staggering. Then, you factor in what they earn from investing their millions (I doubt they just save their money in a regular POSB account)... wah... can die...

And this is just from the persective of an average person. I'm not even thinking of it from the low-wage or no-wage points of view...

Oh, by the way, all these figures make for interesting math or stats exam questions, don't they?

For the beauty of the earth...

Someone sent me this link. You all take a look at this girl's art. She's so talented.

This piece she did at the age of 6 called 'Rainbow River' is so beautiful. I can't 'copy and paste' it so you have to look for it at that link.

When I was 6, I think I could just manage stick figures decently. Of course my art never improved very much...

Thoughts on Holy Thursday

I heard a new hymn yesterday evening (Holy/Maundy Thursday) and I just can't help but put some of its lovely words here:
I, your Lord and Master, now become your servant.
I, who made the moon and stars, will kneel to wash your feet.
This is my commandment: to love as I have loved you.
Kneel to wash each other's feet as I have done for you.
(from As I Have Done for You by Dan Schutte)

It was sung so beautifully, too, and made me think of many, many things...

Hope those of you who celebrate Easter are having a holy weekend!

When (do) boys become men

Let me use this rather celebratory shot here, though you can't quite see the face of this surely-very-happy nineteen-year-old. Well done, young man! Somehow, he reminds me of Henman - understated, no flasy attire, no histrionics, no racket-flinging, no ranting at umpires and linesmen, etc. Well, I hope this final augurs well for men's tennis. It was getting rather boring, with the same old thing happening again and again in the various finals.
(pic source)

As for these two... er... boys, I shall call them, I don't know what to say. The whole of the TODAY article is here. A summary: 2 S'porean swimmers at the recently concluded World Championship reportedly 'pointed at the "DSQ" (disqualified) listed next to the United States on a television monitor and smiled' at the end of one of the heats.

Some reactions:
'We have zero tolerance for mistakes in relays. Why should the boys be smiling when they understand the severity of those mistakes?' (S'pore swimming official)

Yes, why indeed...

'What baffles me is why didn't the reporter ask our swimmers why they were smiling? The reporter should not have singled out any team, for any form of emotion or reaction. Different people will interpret those emotions and reactions in different ways.' (S'pore swimming official)

How would the boys have answered, I wonder...

And from the horse's mouth:
'The swimmers say it was all a misunderstanding... (one of the boys) said he smiled "in shock" when the decision was flashed on the scoreboard. "We were both smiling, not because we were happy that the Americans were disqualified — it was really hard to believe, that was all it was."'

Excuse me? SMILING in shock and disbelief?