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.

Cantabile Tomorrow E2

Despite great screenshots like this, through no fault of its own, I am not clicking with this drama. This brand of humor isn’t having the intended effect and only makes me cringe at times. I don’t understand where her character is coming from. If Nae Il fell in love with a guy cuz she got to know him better, that would be one thing. But at this point she is no different from all the other girls swooning over him on campus – except for the one fact that she doesn’t seem to value herself that much. I literally scowled during each scene she chased after him and threw herself at him. If there was a genuine basis for her adoration, I could understand, but she is falling over herself for a guy who shows her disdain. I just don’t get why she has to be this naïve and throw herself on him time and again just to be rebuffed. Was talent the only gene she inherited from her parents – did they never teach her to have pride and self respect? On a musical level, she is talented enough to stand her own against him, but on everything else, she falls short – especially the maturity to differentiate between love and infatuation. I get that he will eventually start to have feelings for her once he realizes that she matters to him and that’s why he went out of his way to cook and clean for her, but right now this relationship is tipping way too much over to her end. Problem is she doesn’t have all that much to hold onto cuz he is too intent on avoiding capture. A few episodes down the line, if their mutual respect for each other’s talent is the only foundation for them to base their relationship on, it makes me wonder what kind of future they would have together. As it stands, I’m not sure I will be around to find out what happens next.

*Sorry but I won’t be recapping this show anymore. DB’s recaps are posted next day and subs are super quick for this I heard so I’m certain fans will not have to wait that long to enjoy new episodes.

Cantabile Tomorrow E1

After watching this first episode, part of me was kicking myself for not watching the Japanese version to prepare. If quirky campy humor is your taste, this is right up your alley. As for me, it’s no secret why I am recapping – there is only one reason why I tuned in and you are looking at him.

The Good Doctor E3

I debated all weekend whether or not I had the energy to recap two dramas for the next two months and my immediate answer was “heck no.” Then I had to remind myself this is Joowon we are talking about. He is on a drama that could easily surpass how amazing he was on Gaksital. I’m sure he was great on Level 7 as well, but I don’t want to compare serious roles with light hearted ones.  If I had to pinpoint one main deterrent – to put it bluntly, there are just too many names to memorize on this show and I hate subjecting readers to my abbreviated ones. Problem is, some of these characters are so despicable, I just don’t want to bother memorizing their names. I don’t blame the show at all. In fact, this drama is very well received here in Seoul. Friends who rarely watch dramas are tuning in to catch it cuz they really love the acting and story. There are no action scenes and nothing scary jumps out on the screen, but this show has something else going for it aside from Joowon – a story with possibility to go beyond what’s just on paper. This is the big question for me though – how much corporate back stabbings  must we wallow through to see the good come out victorious in the end. After watching E3 just now, I have my answer.

The Good Doctor E1-E2

This drama is sort of like S’s heart – sincere and genuine, but not appreciated. There are some really great character building scenes and I can already see a few episodes ahead – the cracks that are forming in shattering some of the mistrust and misunderstanding regarding S. If any of these awful doctors have any soul left in them, they will let S set an example and lead the way in patient care. D called his behavior robotic and accused him of only caring about saving lives, but being methodical has its advantage sometimes. You can have a cooler head and carry out your duty more efficiently. More importantly, D would never have said that if he hears S quietly thanking each kid for surviving. Sometimes it’s not enough to just perform the surgery, you have to care from the start to be sincere about saving lives. In real life, kids do this all the time. Their honesty makes the grownups stop and realize their faults and mistakes. That’s what S is doing at this hospital one case at a time. He might be burning bridges left and right accidentally now, but give him some time and I bet when he leaves this hospital, he won’t be going out as quietly as he came in. He will have a crowd of patients and staff gathered around him in tears.

Gu Family Book at Joonni’s

It’s one thing to lay down your life to save a boy you consider your son, but a whole different story if you know the truth that the boy is half gumiho. I can’t help but wonder if the dad would have given up his life so graciously to save KC if he knew who KC really was. To him – all this time KC was the boy who brought him luck and fortune and grew to love him as his own son, but I feel like a part of him would have hesitated to take the sword for KC if the dad had known KC’s true heritage. That’s why I am really grateful that the dad didn’t know anything when he made his ultimate sacrifice. As a father of two children of his own, he owed it to them to be their father first and foremost, but he endangered his life to save another man’s son. If he had known the truth about KC, I don’t think he would have done the same thing. Even KC’s own mother needed time to come to terms with who KC might grow up to be and she chose not to live out her life with him. By being in the dark as he made his sacrifice, this one monumental act of love might end up being that beacon that will light up the moments of darkness KC will have to face in the near future as he learns about who he is and come to terms with it. Whatever happens now – no matter how many friends and loved ones end up turning their backs on him, KC will at least have this moment to hold onto for comfort– proof that at least one man genuinely loved him enough to die for him.