Shopping For A Fresh Start

(Didn’t get this, but got something similar)

Changes are inevitable, but never knew they could be this difficult. Learn from my mistakes and what I went through as I went house hunting in Seoul.

An Abrupt New Reality

I honestly didn’t know what to title this post since I was mostly going to talk about the pandemic. I wanted to ask – what has 2020 meant to you? How would you sum up all the events of this year in just a few words. My title was my answer. This virus pulled the rug out from under the world. That idiom is very apt to describe the months of February and March in particular. It’s taken every ounce of will to stand up again and go on, tested every definition of strength out there, but even this virus couldn’t hold back the human spirit for resilience. We’ve come back from wars, diseases, natural disasters, and other calamities before so nothing could keep us down for long. Just look at all the creative ways people tried to stay connected through lockdowns. They sang from their balconies, got their voices heard on social media, and did every little thing they could to make all these months bearable.

Uncontrollably Fond: E20

I walked into this with my eyes wide open. I have no one to blame but myself. I knew this melo was going to have a death at the end so for nineteen episodes I prepared myself, but I left my guard down tonight. I was hoping for some twist, some miracle last minute cure, just anything that wouldn’t separate Joon Young from everyone he loves and from everyone who loves him. If his dog came back I would have lost it even more so thank goodness for small favors. I was on the edge of my seat wondering how will they do this? How will they let us see this character go? How will they find a way that won’t leave us reeling from shock and sadness? The answer was as simple as some of the quieter moments in this drama. The scenes where the cinematography spoke for the characters as they enjoyed the silence and beauty around them. There was nothing dramatic about Joon Young’s death. It’s what he would have wanted. It was when he was the happiest and most content. More importantly, it was when he was ready. It was also when he had some closure. At least he got to say a proper farewell to his mother. That’s the funny thing about death. The body might be gone, but the essence of the person he was remains in the hearts of everyone who loved him. I liked the way his mom described it best. She would see the every day beauty around her and know her son came back to visit with her. It was a way for her to communicate that she would never forget him. It’s a beautiful thought and the best way to remember this drama. I don’t think I will ever view cherry blossoms the same way again without feeling a bit of melancholy and hope.

Uncontrollably Fond: E19

When Eul told him it wasn’t his fault, you could see how her words made the years of piled up guilt crumble. It doesn’t matter if he forgets this moment – what matters is that he is finally forgiven for something he never meant to do. He never dreamed she would get hit by that car and almost die when he stole that USB. It was a desperate attempt to protect a dad he didn’t know yet. He never imagined that he would almost kill the girl he loved over a man he now despises. He never forgave himself and held that secret in his heart next to his love for her. It’s like her words finally freed him from a prison of his own making and it didn’t just relieve his guilt, it released his soul and made him feel whole again.

Uncontrollably Fond: E18

I bet it was quite a relief for Joon to finally reveal everything he had been withholding from Eul. He knew what the price of his truth would cost him, but he did it anyway. As if there weren’t enough reasons to admire his fortitude, he surpasses himself for finally telling off Choi in such a way that even Choi was left speechless.  Evil shouldn’t win or escape punishment for its crimes so it’s going to be interesting to see how things will turn out for the sinister characters, but thank goodness we will have a little bit of reprieve for the good guys next week before everything gets resolved.

Uncontrollably Fond: E17

Everything is coming out in the open -not just feelings, but hidden agendas, threats, and intimidations, but more importantly revelations. Joon Young finds the courage to speak the truth and he manages to do so in a way that no one expected. I had my doubts about how Joon was handling his scheme regarding JE, but now I see his actions for what they were all along – clever and honorable. By exposing JE and her crime, Joon had no choice but to expose his own. He fell on that sword knowingly and with full knowledge that it could turn Eul away for good, but he did it cuz it was the right thing to do. In a way, Joon behaved like an honorable prosecutor the way Choi had dreamed of becoming, but never had the courage to become.

Uncontrollably Fond: E16

I know this feeling all too well. When you ask questions you already know answers to. You brace yourself for the truth, but it still crushes you to hear the words spoken aloud. You knew something was wrong so you came for confirmation, but hearing it only serves to shatter whatever hope you had that this wasn’t happening. Now you have nothing to hold onto. Now you are forced to accept that the person you love is going to die. People describe this moment as having the rug pulled out from under you, but it’s really the other way around. It’s the moment you want to pull some protective covering over your head to drown out all the hopelessness and overwhelming desolation. It’s the moment you feel bereft, even before the person you love dies. The way Eul kept it together to hear what the doctor said to her, it has to be her bravest moment yet. She didn’t flinch or shy away from the truth. She managed to do something even Joon Young doesn’t have the guts to do yet; she was facing the inevitable.