2mwnevercomes

Finding Mr. Destiny

2011-08-03T00:23:00.003+08:00

Was interested to watch this movie because it was Gong Yoo first work after his stint in the army. That's it. Never thought I would connect with the heroine Ji Woo in her fear of commitment and getting hurt. But I was not as bad as her though... if I like the cookies I'll eat it to the last crumb nor can I stand not knowing the end of a story be it movie, novels or anything (I hate it when somebody said to you, they got something to tell but in the end they said never mind, forget it. arghhh!) Yeah, the end might not be what I expected but I still want to know how it'll end.

Anyway, the movie is about a stubborn and meticulous Han Gi Joon who started his own business of "Finding Your First Love" after he was fired from being a travel agent. His first client is Seo Ji Woo, messy-appearance stage director who was still hung up on her first love. She met him while she was vacationing in India ten years ago. In her naivety, although he had given her something to find him and sort of a time and place to meet when they were back to Korea, she tempts fate and said she believe in destiny, 'if they're meant to be, they will meet again'.

Well, actually she has no interest in finding her first love, Kim Jong Wook, it was rather a front to get her father off her back; stop arranging blind-dates for her and pushing her to get married. She was not cooperating at first but the persistent Gi Joon who's gonna track every Kim Jong Wook in Korea, got her curious and participate in the search. Spending a lot times together, make Gi Joon starts to fall for her... then he got a call from a prospective client who wants to find his first love on his trip to India....

The movie, make me feels good inside - make me forget that I have an interview tomorrow!.And I love dorky Gong Yoo as the bumbling Gi Joon as much as the dashing Gong Yoo as the 'supposed to be stranger' in India. and the girl, apart from being too skinny, she's extremely likeable as the girl next door. And after watching City Hunter, I like Chun Ho Jin (Ji Woo's father), I think he'll be forever branded in my head as a good father-figure. Can't believe that I watched so many dramas where he was casted also and never really had his character stuck in my head.

Anyway, the part where I think that really hit my bull-eyes (twice) was during Ji Woo conversation with her dad, when he asked her whether she's going to go meet Kim Jong Wook now that she know where to find him.

Ji Woo: I'm not sure. I don't know if he's the one
Dad: There you go, all scared again. You won't find out unless you give it a try.
Ji Woo: What if he isn't? Then it'll just hurt.
Dad: So you're not even going to try?
Ji Woo: But what about fate and destiny? If it's meant to be, I wouldn't have to try so hard.... Dad: That's why you still have so much to learn. When fate gives you a chance yo have to grab it

Haha... It was almost similar to my repetitive conversation (or argument) with my friend Yanti. She's always getting frustrated by my point of why wasting energy and time, in the end it'll just hurt and if it's meant to be, then you wouldn't have to try so hard. Yes, I do get her point, but I'm just stubborn and maybe whimsical as Ji Woo?

Ohooo... now that I mentioned my friend, I think I got another similarity with Ji Woo. Just like her using Kim Jong Wook to ward off every man interested in her; Yanti accused me of using HIM as an excuse to ward off every guy she wants me go out with.

The Path Not Taken,,,,

2011-07-12T17:19:00.002+08:00

Was listening to this song while fetching my niece at my previous college... it brought back so many memories...

...that got me thinking, if I did things differently, I could be married already like my friends and have kids!!! But much as I would like a baby of my own, it still didn't make me regret faking ignorance, turning my back or spurning... its those darned romantic novels that I read! It makes me expect something 'different', that I don't have to make a lists of likes and dislikes... your heart just know IT, the right answer INSTANTLY without much deliberation. Are those things only happens in novels, movies and korean dramas, and not real??? Should I wake up and 'settle' for a 'consolation prize'? Once my sociology lecturer told us she don't like the word 'compromise'... and as far as I know, she is still single ^^

People are just weird....

2011-05-28T12:35:00.002+08:00

They don't want to hand out something to those who wants it, but rather choose to give the oppurtunity to those who hate it. Helloooo... do you think I'm faking it???? I don't like to travel overseas if its work-related (maybe with the exception of South Korea), I'm not good at marketing and I do not intend to improve on that. I'm anti-social (not to the extreme though) and I don't intend to change myself.

So yeah, I'm nominated to be the team leader for the Japan trip next Sept; what would you said if your boss asked you; would it be alright for you to go on this Japan trip? I wanna reply, "HELL NO! I AM NOT ALRIGHT WITH THAT". That one I have to fake a smile, "Oh, there's no one else available? Oh, okay....sure"

Then my other colleague who's on maternity-leave sms-ed me last week, whats my plan this June... I know what she have in mind, really wanna reply I already applied for leave, but I know that lie can be uncovered easily and surely. So I just reply, let me be the last resort, nominate OTHER PEOPLE first. But hell no, she don't want to bring the people who really likes to travel, who really wants to go... Now, I'm gonna be the one to be jeling and given cold treatment again. Maybe, I should just show an attitude, and not be a yes-ma'am companion then maybe I won't get stressed when my name is put down for overseas. or maybe just fake how iski I am to be travelling...

well, now I feel lighter after I vent out my frustration for people in general and my office-mate in particular

Daemang @ Great Ambition

2011-05-17T18:37:00.008+08:00

I've been hunting for this drama far and wide (even Singapore and Kuala Lumpur) for years....after my obsession with Jo Hyun Jae starts. Alas, the only set available then were without english subtitles... Yeah, at that stage I would even buy an original set which would cost me a lot like Jumong...haha but then last month chajatta! and I think it cost around $30-40 only....but I hesitate not because I don't wanna see it anymore but because I had so many dramas to watch!!!! and rewatching Family Outing and Running Man doesn't help reducing the number either...nor new interesting drama keeps airing every month to add to now three hard discs. But last week, while waiting for my mom 1 hour massage; roaming around the shops at The Mall, I couldn't resist anymore and had to buy it...

Oh yeah, you would think that with my obsession with Jo Hyun Jae, he would be the lead characters in this drama... haha no, he's just one of the supporting characters. My interest was piqued to watch this drama cause I read he attracts attention from this drama even in the few scenes he was in...with his good look and charismatics aura. Well, no wonder...he's the most good looking namja in this drama! (Sorry Jang Hyuk fans)...just like how Bae Soo Bin attract attention in Sea God, Jumong and Painter of The Wind.

Well anyway, the story starteed with a woman roaming the woods about to give birth and she stumbled upon a hunter. After she gave birth, he couldn't just leave her there, so he brought her to an abandoned village and there he helped her to get the house she had chosen in order. He's getting attached to her and the baby but she get another idea, she didn't want her son to be just another runaway-slave baby, so while he was hunting she brought her baby to the father, a successful merchant in the city. That bastard said to his wife he would deal with this problem and told her to go back to sleep but the kind wife said she's willing to raise the baby as her own -for she was barren - if the girl was to disappear for good. When she stepped out of the house - minus the baby - she confronted by the hunter who was hurt by her defection, tossed her her belongings and walked away....

Several years later, the child grew up to be Park Jae Young (Jang Hyuk) and as it turns out the merchant had secretly adopted another son beforehand Park Si Young (Han Jae Suk). Jae Young was a warm-hearted person and befriended many low-born commoners while Si Young is what we could in today's world a psychopath - someone without feelings and empathy. Anyway, Jae Young falls for Yoon Ye Jin (Lee Yo Won) since she tended to his broken arms when they were kids, not knowing at first that she's someone out of his reach, of noble-higher-class status.

When he ran away from home, abandoning even his own name after his greedy father and heartless brother manipulations that results to his friends death, his path crossed again with Choi Dong Hee (Son Ye Jin), a daughter of another merchant who masquerade as a man to move freely and through her prodding and her father wisdom, he finds a will to live again and get involved with other people. (I kinda predicted she would fall or him... but the way they end her story and him kinda left me unsatisfied. Haha I was hoping that Si Young got to married Ye Jin and Jae Young falls in love with Dong Hee too, but remain loyal to Ye Jin but in the end Ye Jin died and the living have to go on living right?) ANYWAY, through some chance encountered and these people Jae Young was involved with the politics and helps the handsome-can't-be-missed-Crown Prince (Jo Hyun Jae).

In that time, his brother also encountered Ye Jin and might be because of the cold shoulder she gave him, and she of higher class, he was intrigued by her and wants to possess her eventhough he knows she only loves Jae Young. Ye Jin knows about his 'illness' or lack of feelings and for Jae Young sake wants to cure him... haha! like how? even the modern medicine with all the available drugs cannot cure that kind of person methinks... Oka y maybe I'm a bit bias against Lee Yo Won, she's beautiful and all, but she's like a doll - so lifeless (that's why she so perfect as the zombie-Yi-Kyung in 49 Days).

Oh yeah young Jang Geun Suk whom I almost didn't recognize and Jo In Sung cameo in this drama too... I'm trying to rack up my brain though who/where I've seen Jae Young birth's mother before...

Now on my hunting list is The King and I, please...please...can someone subbed it....

Hunger Games Trilogy

2011-04-07T00:38:00.003+08:00

When did I borrow this books from my niece ah? I can't remember, but I borrowed it for the purpose of elevating my boredom when manning a booth for some fair which I can't recall what, was it the recent Islamic Tourism Exhibition? Well, I finished off the first book while vacationing in Korea, mostly I read while on the plane or bus - cause when we reached the hotel room I crashed on the bed - slept, only after a brief nap then I had energy to eat, watch tv, pack or wash my hair; which remind me I need to wash my hair later! Then, the second book the day before I'm went back to work and would've finished the third soon after that if I didn't save a few chapters for my last shift at the above mentioned expo yesterday. I wouldn't be able to rein in my patience of finishing the book if my curiosity didn't overwhelmed me after I finished the first book and I peek in several last pages of Mockingjay to see whose name was mentioned in most of the pages hehe....

As it turned out, I was so busy giving away freebies the whole morning that I couldn't even manage to get the book out of my bag. Darn B%^*#ians with their freebies... sometimes they wouldn't really wanted the thing but they just sapu... What irritate me during my last shift was they were hordes of school children came with their teachers herding them, so I purposely brought some mouse pad and fan for the schoolchildren - though some of the uniforms people on duty also comes by wanting one or two for themselves. Anyway, we had only so much stock and there's a limit on what I can carry, so in no time at all... I'm all out of stock except for the pens. Then this teacher comes by asking for a mousepad, I said all gone... and she went whining "Aiii...nda tah ku ampit" so??? it's not the end of the world kali ah... you won't die... thats the words running in my head. Then one of her students mengalah gave her her mousepad, "Nah 'cher" she said, and the teacher just simply put it her handbag. I was like OooooooMmmmmmGgggggg... well, I salute the student, for being so kindhearted and well I know teachers are the highest profession that should be respected, so yeah she should value her teacher... but the teacher for accepting it without so much as "eh nda payah tah... biar tia for you"

Okay back to the book before I rant some more on some ppabo people. My intention -before I get sidetracked to ranting -on mentioning the expo was because I put the first book in my bag during the expo with a bottle of mineral water which leaked - I ruin my niece's book so I bought a new one to return to her in Singapore, and when I was paying for the book I thought to myself what the heeck, just buy the second and third book also, to complete my book collection. Anyway the setting was somewhere in the distant future in a land formerly known as U S of A I think - malas to check back the book - where the country was rule by president who reside among the privilege people in the Capitol. They ruled over 12 districts and to rein in control and fear over the districts they hold an annual Hunger Games where the contestant are two children from each districts who must fight in an Arena - to the death. The author said and that she got the idea from flipping thru tv channels and on one channel there was a group of young people competing for money- she thinks - and on the other channel a group of young people in an actual war.

And that what she's trying to convey in her books - I think - of the decaying moral values of civilization today, we could be the people in those books, who thoughts of nothing seeing other people's suffering, taking another lives - survival of the fittest.

I know I will also flipped out like Katniss did if I went through the same thing she did, maybe even much worse. My niece said she didn't like the ending, but I find the ending is just nice... both Gale and Peeta still alive and though she didn't really made a choice, it's what life really is... the decision just fall into place on its own. Yeah, at first I don't like Katniss's 'confusion' state, Peeta or Gale, Gale or Peeta; then okay cut her some slacks she's in her teens and yeah even me in my old age I'm not sure what I want either... but before the her second reaping she did chose Gale though what her heart's want doesn't really matter because she intend not to marry and bring an innocent child into the harsh world - which I salute her for... why bring in more misery for a moment respite?

I like the conversation Katniss eavesdropped Peeta and Gale had when they tried to get into the Capitol, in which Gale admitted on how much Peeta loves Katniss in which he gave 'everything' for her... well that what made me fall for Peeta anyway, that he loves unconditionally. I hope I like the guy they would cast as Peeta in the movie...

Family Outing

2011-04-06T01:50:00.002+08:00

I just finished watching 85 episodes of Family Outing over the period of around 2 months!!!!

When I went for a week vacation to Korea last month, whats in my head was - it's useless to bring my brand new laptop along since I won't have the time and the energy to watch FO - I'm gonna miss Family; Kook Jong, Daesung, Chun Hee, Ye Jin etc etc... And to think that I scoff at this show when I first tried to watch it before saying it was boring and not funny! Hehe... Can I collect back my words now?

The Family's song

I think I know what I did wrong the first time around. Then, I was picking the episode randomly by choosing the episode with guests that I like. That way, I don't really get to know the family, how their relationship grew over time, their group dynamics, each unique personalities. I don't know what makes me start watching from the first episodes afterward, but as the laughter erupts so my addiction grow... I need to watched at least one episode per night before I go to sleep.

Well, if you don't know what Family Outing is, it's a Korean variety show (SBS) where on each episode the "Family" travels to different parts of South Korea and takes care of the house of an elderly family while that family goes on a vacation. The "Family" then accomplishes the tasks left for them by the house's owners... and in between the tasks they had childish competitive games among themselves.

The Family consist of:

Yu Jae Suk - the Nation's MC. Though in this show, he really shows a pitiful characters that keeps on getting bullied and orders around by the other family members. But you can see that the others are really comfortable with him, even the guests in that he almost always get picked to do chores along with them. I think he took care of them so that they would not feel awkward by... well making himself looks stupid...hehe

Lee Hyo Ri - the Nation Fairy. A former member of a famous girl group back in the 90's but I think she's still pretty popular even now. Like Jae Suk she really discard trying to maintain a good and pretty image for the sake of bringing the laughter. There are times I really wants to hate her personalities but without her the show will lack luster.

Yoon Jong Shin - the elderly. He's a veteran singer, the eldest in the family. Sometimes his jokes could be so lame and his facial expression so creepy.

Kim Soo Ro - the Game Devil. He's very competitive and before Kim Jong Kook joins the family, was the most intimidating family members. The one he ordered around the most was Chun Hee, but I think he's a softie behind the camera cause Chun Hee still regards him fondly outside of the show and he's one of the guy that cried hardest when Chun Hee have to leave the show. He even tried to hide his emotion from the camera which made that more sincere.

Kang Dae Sung - the cute maknae. He's one of the member of Big Bang, and I think feeling a little bit inferior in terms of looks and popularity compare to the other good-looking member. He's cute because of his personalities, he maybe 22 but the girls took care of him like he's a little kid and the guys don't dare to bully him much scared of the outlash of the Big Bang's fans.

Kim Jong Kook - trainer Kook. I first saw him in Running Man (among the latest variety show), though he seems harsh in there, but there's something that not quite right of painting him so mean. Then I saw when he first joined FO, he's mostly a silent spectators and very shy to 'silly' himself. The earlier episodes when he was so awkward with Hyo Ri was so cute then when they started to get closer and constantly bickering, it's cute too haha... If he doesn't have such amosquito voice I would be smitten by him... I do hope he have a good ending with Ye Jin ^^

Park Hae Jin - the delicate boy. Fall for him in East of Eden, tried to watch Hot Blood because of him, but the storyline was so ridiculous that I had to stop wasting my time. He maybe tall and good-looking, but he was really unlucky in terms of games and usually get chosen for chores. Kook Jong points out that he lacks strength in his lower body and train him a few times on the show for strength. Oh yeah, during the girl group dance face-off where the man dress up as a girl, wow! ipo...

Lee Chun Hee - the clumsy chunderella. he really is a good guy, no matter how others bully him, he doesn't answer back, just "Ne, hyung" unlike Hae Jin who retorts back (but still I like that about him, he stood up for himself). He was so comfortable with Hyo Ri, his same age chingu that I kinda hoping there's something there, but then I think he needs a girl who respect him which I doubt Hyo Ri will. Then last month he got married with a fellow actress and I was so happy for him. What I will remember whenever I saw Chun Hee will be the time he washed radish with soap haha!

Park Ye Jin - sweet, savage lady Ye Jin. I watched a few episodes of My Princess before I watch this and I sooo hate her woody spiteful character there. But in this episode she was so sweet and at times cute, with abilities to handle any kind of animals. Despite her small skinny stature, don't underestimate her strength!

Park Shi Yeon - city girl. I don't have strong feeling for her either positive or negative from watching her dramas. I don't think she stand out much in this show - well with the limited episode she had because of her health issue.

So there you go a brief intro to the Family... I'm gonna miss the show... Well, better get back to my korean drama now. I don't think I want to watch Family Outing 2, its only got 17 episodes so i guess it didn't get much viewership although some of the members are idols.

I am an empath...

2011-02-03T22:39:00.004+08:00

... and trying to hide it. Usually I will just pretend that I'm sleepy and fake yawning very now and then; for those who know me knows that I also tears up when I repeatedly yawns - over active tear duct I say.

Haha (sarcastic laugh)...and it's just getting worse these day. A sad story and someone crying their hearts' out and my eyes start to tear up! and it's not really that sad actually - like take for example those who walked away from American Idol auditions empty handed, I felt sorry for them and I tried very hard not to put myself on their shoes,;feel their sadness and hopelessness, so that my 'inner contentment' won't be dragged down too by them. If that happens, then I will surely don't feel like doing anything but sleep and stop thinking. So yeah, forgive me if I don't want to watch sad story even it has some morale lesson in it cause once watching Pondok Buruk ruined Hari Raya for me -all I could think of whenever I smile or laugh or eat and drink is that someone somewhere are down in the gutter, starving. So yeah, I tried not to think of sad things like starving people in Africa and the malnourished kids; it does make me felt grateful and blessed, but it also make me felt hopeless, sad, guilty, selfish at the same time.

So how do I cure this? Sorry Raven, for me empathy is not a power but can become a burden... and I hate visiting sick people at the hospital, it makes me feels extra more awkward and uncomfortable. How could my ambition when I was 6-8 years old was to be a doctor or a nurse? I must had not known many other occupations...

I need Korean variety shows to lighten up my mood...but all I had left unwatched is SBS's Family Outing which I watched some episodes is pretty boring :(

Heaven's Postman

2011-01-29T15:32:00.003+08:00

The dvd catch my eyes when I was rushing through the shops at Limbang, had only seconds reading the synopsis at the back..before I put it back on the shelf and dashed ahead. I made a mental note to look for it at the local stores someday. And last night while after a late-night duty shift, stop by the nearest dept store to buy grocery and what the heck went inside the cd store... ending up buying 2 movies and 2AM cd ^^

The movie first brought us to large grassy field where a red post box was located. This is a special post box; letters were posted here by loved ones for their loved ones who has departed. ( I wonder where and how do all these people who posted those letters know of the existence of this special post box????). This was where Jo Ha Na (Han Hyo Joo) first met Shin Jae Joon (Hero Jaejoong) when she was posting a letter to her dead boyfriend. He introduced himself as a ghost whose duty was to delivers those letter to the dead. Ha Na laughed it off, she didn't buy it and asked him to shows her proof like fly or something to the sky. She chased him all the way to a cafe where he read the letters he's supposed to deliver. He said among all the letters that was posted one was different; an angry letter to the dead - isn't that cruel he said to said cruel things to the dead? And the one who wrote that letter was her. She defend herself by saying, so by being dead it's automatic that all is forgiven? I agree with her, that being dead does not erase all your bad deeds from others' memories. Yes the dead cannot defend themselves; but what she's doing was just writing a letter to him - not broadcasting it to the world of his bad deeds - so she's not really a bad person.

She asked if the waitress there can see him and the waitress said yes; confirming her belief that Jae Joon was just pulling her leg. He offers her job as his assistance doing errands to help the remained loved ones to let go and regain peace. She rejected it at first but later on after she couldn't find any job decided to accept the job.

Together they helped others healed the pained of being left behind, of forgiving themselves and goes on with life... and as expected they fall for each other. The thing is, Jae Joon is not really a ghost since he's technically not dead - he's more like a spirit that let loose from the body and the only people who can see him is the people who had not let go of their loved ones that had departed... and Ha Na is letting go of her dead boyfriend and thus her vision of Jae Joon is getting blurry... I was like NOOOOO! don't give me a bad ending movie!!!! I'm not in the mood to have a sad ending......

I don't really find Hero Jaejoong handsome but those wide shoulders.... or is it the kinda of clothes he wore in this movie make his shoulders so wide.

Next Song Joong Ki's movie though it involved dogs but it appears to be light-herated comedy...

Hold to the magic to dream...

2011-01-01T01:50:00.002+08:00

I was watching 2 Days 1 Night, KBS Entertainment Variety Show when the sound of fireworks remind me oh yeah... the number in the last digit of the year has changed again- another 365 days had passed (I'm immune already to the karaoke sounds from the neighbouring houses, sometimes I didn't even notice it). No new year resolution still for me thank you, haha! why would you disappoint yourself at the end of the year with another failure?

Hmmm...that got me thinking, I am planning/hoping in Mac I got to join my friend for a holiday in Korea since my nieces have lost their zeal already...does that count as a resolution? "a decision to do something or to behave in a certain manner" -that's the definiton I got when I google resolution. So yeah, Korea trip seems like a resolution to me, cause I do decide I wanna a vacation in Korea. But, darned.... the more I watch 2d1n, the more I realised that a one week worth of trip won't be enough to go to places I wanna visit as featured on the show. Sigh! If I believe in life reincarnation, I would have wish that for my next life I wish I'm reincarnated as a korean, a second-generation chaebol if possible but I might settle for middle-range class hehehe...

2011, will my kdrama obsession continue? Yeah, I think so... but I might not have enough time to blog what I think about them. So for those 9 followers who was hoping to get an insight on kdrama feels free to unfollow anytime ^_^ no hard feelings; in fact you're better off following my niece at www.diyhb.blogspot.com since she express things better than I do. Right now, I have several drafts collecting dust in my dashboard cause it's all jumbled up. Only when i'm rambling that I let it all jumbled up, that's why it get posted wakaka.....

Not like everything I do depends on you....

2010-12-29T01:42:00.006+08:00

Just the other day I was reminded of the guy I think I had the longest crush on and tonight I met another guy who was a diversion for the former guy. He had two little girls with him whom I assumed are his daughters. I was like what??? Then I count back the years after uni... yeah it's been like 6-7 years since graduation - even my friend's son is already in kindergarden. Where does the years go?

What I found funny was then back in uni days, we were like ignoring each other when we passed each others by, but when the other was not looking... But tonight, my eyes were focused on the shelf of strawberry - hoping it was imported from Korea, since the one I bought before was so sweet - so I didn't really see him until we were close and our eyes met. I think we both simultaneously smiles at each other whereas before our eyes would sometimes met then we look away. I guess it's just knowing there's 'nothing' in it anymore makes it less awkward and we can smile neutrally at each other.

That was my intention - just polite smiles, since I'm no big in socializing and exchanging small talks but I guess he had other intentions since when I really pass him by, he turn as if wants to say something but I was continuing walking. Sorry! I had no intention to be stubborn or snobbish or anything but I guess I'm thankful that I didn't expect him wants to exchange news and naturally continue walking. Imagine him asking where I work now, and am I married like the normal questions former acquaintances ask each other. Then I have to ask him also some polite questions that I'm not really curious about the answer. I wonder sometimes if I'm self-absorbed, like people who I met for the first time are always curious, asking this and that but I'm not curious about them. Sometimes, I just felt awkward and felt like I had to ask the same thing. Hmmm... I rather think that I'm not a busy-body; respectful of others privacy...cause yeah some of the questions I would like to ask them back; why do you wanna know? what is it to you? errr...can you mind your own business?

I really hate talking to strangers, and its even worse now in adulthood - people expect you to be 'peramah' and not a surly-teenagers-who-wants-to-be-left-alone. Last week I was accompanying my dad for his clinic's appointment and the only seat left was next to an ahjumma (you know the type who expect you to chit-chat with them). I think its rude for people my age to plug my ears with music in that environment, so the next best thing to discourage conversation was to whip out my handphone and play games. She made some comments about it's really takes a long time waiting... I just look up, smiles briefly and get back to my game. She moved to another seat not long afterward I think when another person was called in and vacated a seat.... The next person who sat next to me was lady bout the same age as me and she was also busy fiddling with her handphone...so no worries there...hehe

Back to him, he wasn't my glass of pepsi so I didn't notice him at first, furthermore I was adamant that I was hanged up on the other guy - but then through the glass wall of the uni's first floor library I could see people going in and out of the library on the ground floor and I saw him bumping into a long-time friend of him I guess; I like the way he respectfully shakes hand. (Yeah! I had a short-crush on this guy because of the way he shakes hand... I found it unbelievably-funny-weird myself) So from then on it I was like having a radar and can spot him when he was near or within visions. But still, I got 'bored' noticing him... and get back to noticing the former guy. Wonder how he looks now after 7 years? Does he gain weight? Is he married and have family already? To my bestfriend Yanti (I'm not sure if this automatically posted on multiply still since I didn't check multiply anymore), yeah...yeah... don't get riled up, my passwords no longer consists of a reminder of his name... but I still use his reg. no :P haha... I forgot what mine and yours were but I still remember his....

Personal Taste

2010-11-28T04:17:00.006+08:00

Park Gae In (Son Ye Jin) just got dumped by her boyfriend, HAN Chang Ryul (Kim Ji Suk) who's getting married to her backstabbing-mean-bitch-bestfriend/housemate Kim In Hee (Wang Ji Hye). As if she wasn't hurt enough, her other bestfriend not only try to take advantage of her when she was drunk but also mortgage her father's house for a loan (I don't really understand how they can legally do this when it's not their own property... is it really possible in ROK?)

With limited financial resources- her furniture design was not selling- she had to rent out one of the rooms in the house. And Jeon Jin Ho (Lee Min Ho) came knocking. Jin Ho was in a competitonal bid to design a big construction project and he learned that the project's owner would prefer Park Shul Han to be the designer but since he rejected halfway through the project...it's now open to bid. Park Chul Han is the mostly absent father of Gae In and it was told that the house she currently live in was an unfinished 'prototype' of the design of the art gallery. The house was 'forbidden' to outsiders (huh? I see people coming and going through the front door and some were not even invited in) so Jin Ho option to study the design of the house was by being a boarder. Gae In would not even entertain the idea of having a male housemate (she's very conservative) but because from her previous encounters with Jin Ho she assumed he was gay.... and that wrong assumption leads to several comical situation.

I do understand how Gae In could fall for the perfect but albeit cold Jin Ho, but why does he fall for her? yea...yeah I know... I always questioning why the hero fall for the heroine while it's easy to comprehend why the heroine fall for the hero (hell yeah, if I'm the observer could "fall" for him, then it's really logical that the heroine fall for him right? So is it because even though she was hurt before but she still hadn't install various protective software around her heart; she still so trusting, understanding and forgiving (Pbabo!).

Then there is other female characters; I don't understand how they chased after and cling to a guy whom they know are not into them. Their love alone is strong, big enough for the two of them? Puhleeez... I wish that Jin Ho would show more disgust to the calculative and manipulative In Hee rather than just giving her the cold shoulder... So as not breed more ambitious and materialistic bitches out there ^^

Do I like this drama? yeah...but I don't see the chemistry between the two leads (there's more chemistry for their two bestfriend, too bad Young Sun is already married). though the kissing scene was sizzling. Is it because it's Son Ye Jin that the kiss was not as chaste as usually were in kdramas? do I nomu-nomu like it and will rewatch anytime soon? Nah... for me a really good drama was when I would want to rewatch it someday and got me addicted to watch another drama ASAP.

p/s: I do like the feeling of the house; the privacy it gave but not really the open design...

Sungkyunkwan Scandal

2010-11-19T21:50:00.006+08:00

I'm not really anticipating this drama when I first heard about it but after watching the first 3 episodes I was hooked. Keep checking if everyday on the hour if the subtitles are ready and thankfully I found another site that subs it quickly like 5 days after the show then the subs is available...so thankful! To all subbers everywhere god bless you and may your good deeds be rewarded a thousandfold.

The last two episodes I had two wait like 2 weeks after the episodes' aired, not because of the subbers become tardy :( but I was outstation for a week and the hotel I stayed a does not provide free internet (Internet cost GBP15 per day - like I'm gonna waste my precious money on that and furthermore think of it as the practice time for me to stretch my patience level). And I was also very tired every day, with my bodyclock still not used to the different timezone, so I had stamina to stay up for 1 episode of We Got Married before sleep claimed me so it really was gonna be a waste of GBP 15.

(DIY! DON'T READ ANY FURTHER IF YOU HAVE NOT FINISHED WATCHING)
I can't remember what I write in my prepost of SKKS. Did I write of how much I adore the Jalgeum Quartet? the handsome Sun Joon, the charismatic Jae Shin, the cute Yong Ha an d Yoon Hee... I don't know really what addicted me to this drama, because maybe you don't know where the story gonna lead so you just wanna keep on going watching the next episode to the next... and even though it's not historically correct to have the female status raised during that era, you just kinda hoping that the drama make a fantasy-turn that Joseon era was the first to recognized that the female species do have a brain too.

Anyway what I wanna say was the last two episode was a let down for me, too many ties unravel quickly while some completely dissolves into thin air... I know that they are not the main character but still I'm curious how they end up... "End it up yourselves in your head"? Hello... if I do that then I don't need to wait for 2 months and a half for the drama to air from start to finish, just watched the first few episodes to get the story premises and get your own storyline continuation and ending in your head. Hmph!!

Like what was that Yoon Hee was also teaching at SKKS alongside her husband, Sun Joon; and her students seems to have a crush on her thats leads to Sun Joon's jealousy but she was still using her brother's name?!

Then Jae Shin was like a police detective? I though he would be more productive in the political side. Though his hiccups against the female is still cute as well as ..."it may become a habit" speech.

Or Yong Ha, a merchant (and a playboy still ^^) after all the pains to get into SKKS and get the "noble" education? Arghhh....

I have no strong feeling for the character Ha In Soo played by Ha Ji Won's younger brother... enough with the glaring already! It does not make me scared of you or even hate you, so get more acting lesson (hehe...that was mean), but I wish that he have a closure like somehow Cho Sun opens up her heart to the possibility that he's a decent man if he had a decent upringing.

Do I wish for a sequel for this drama? not really because I fear that they won't be as fun as this one... :(

p/s: What I found 'funny' was my sister was so addicted to the drama that even after she finished watching the entire drama she's doing rerun all over again... I try to get her to copy other drama in my hard drive to her brand new one (that she bought just because she want to watch SKKS too at the same time I wanna watch the dramassss in my hard drive and watch it but she was not interested...not hooked like she was with SKKS. Hehe...it was irritating she asked every day if the subs for the new episode are there yet when I told her repeatedly already the day when we can expect the subs to be ready tsktsktsk...

We Got Married (Season 1)

2010-11-19T21:08:00.006+08:00

It's a korea variety/entertainment show, in case you don't know. I started to watch the first eight episodes months ago; after I finished watching Pasta but then I stopped because the most romantic couple with the most possibilities was just reconciling again after a brief separation and their awkwardness towards each other were not as cute as before. Then I started watching it again after watching Playful Kiss because I found Kim Hyun Joong robot-like character so cute in that drama (unlike his character that I've seen so far in BBF) and wonder if his true character has any similarities with Baek Seung Jo. Yeah, he's the same robot as in that drama but with more cuteness; he's blunt and a bit sarcastic methink.

So anyway, the show basically a match-maker of celebrities whereby the celebrities that they match together had to enter a make-believe marriage (I think for 2 days in a week). For starter they had 4 couples; Andy (Singer) and Solbi (Singer), Seo In Young (Singer) and Crown J (Singer), Alex (Singer and Actor) and Shinae (Model and Actress) and HyungDon (Comedian) and Saori (?).

Andy and Solbi was so sweet together although with Solbi the more aggressive one and Andy the shy guy.

In Young and Crown J both with strong personalities and high taste in fashion and posssession but with Crown J being the most considerate one and seems willing to take a step back for In Young, their marriage survive (the longest if I'm not mistaken compare to other couple).

Then there's the romantic Alex with the shy and reserved Shinae, there's attraction there I think but somehow in real life it just didn't work out, Shinae married another guy.

Saori and HyungDon marriage were doomed to fail - I find Saori cutesy voice and attitude irritating (I dont know why I can tolerate In Young bitchy one compare to her) but even more so if I have a husband like HyungDon too I will cry divorce the first chance I get. I applaud her for sticking through it for that much episodes at all. I think they do research on each couple on who will be most compatible with whom, for I think if they try to match In Young with Hyung Don fo

r sure they will be war world 3 and somehow even Solbi or Shinae with Crown J wouldn't be so right.

After the 'divorce' of HyungDon and Saori and 'separation' of Alex and Shinae (due to Alex's busy schedule) they introduce 2 more couple; Hwi Jae (host/MC) with Jo Yeo Jeong (actress) and Kim Hyun Joong (singer and actor) and Hwang Bo (singer).

Not much fun watching the first couple, wonder if that's why their married life was so short...there's no divorce or anything shown just that they are not there anymore and Hwi Jae become the MC of the show again. But Hyun Joong and Hwangbo were a barrel of laughs to watch. I don't want to say much, if you're curious to know more watch it yourself (though I don't know where you can find it; I got the hardsubbed video from my beloved niece who got it from her friend).

I brought my sister's mini laptop during my work trip to London and no...it's not for work. It's for me to watch videos I have in my hardisc. I do think the other airplane passenger's (to and from London) thought I'm weird, you have many available movies and shows to select from the airplane's show list but I went to the trouble getting my laptop out, connecting the hardisc and the earphones just to watch this entertainment show. I did try to control my laughter so that I would not call out more attention, so I did hope I didn't really laugh out loud, it's just so funny. You see I do finds sitcom like Friends, Big Bang Theory and so on, funny - but it's just merit a smile from me, but korean entertainment show makes me laugh.

But alas the battery for the laptop only last for around 2 hours and it's 16 hours flight. Arghh!!! why did RBA's planes don't have electrical socket like some of the plane I'd been on like Cathay Pacific? At the remaining time, I watched the available movie on the plane and ended up falling asleep.... zzzzzzzzzzzz. When we stop for an hour transit at Dubai, I was lugging my laptop and the wires around, hoping I had the chance to recharge the battery while waiting for boarding again, but double-arghhh! at the boarding-waiting area, they don't have socket also! I guess I was scowling or pouting and my collegue asked me whats wrong and I told her, she laughed outloud, she recommended a movie to watch on board said it was funny, but still I fall asleep - bored. I even make a tsking sound when the steward was asking me if have the seatbelt on underneath the blanket when there's trubulence; that's how surly I am that I am rude to the man who's just doing his job... I guess the cabin crew must have gotten used to cranky passengers right? It's a long flight that I had to endure in a crampy seat, with nothing interesting to do... and there's two small children who's bawling their hearts out at the seat infront of me. I am grateful though that I did not have to be tested with smelly odour...

I digress again, rambling....

Back to Kim Hyun Joong, if the age gap is not so big between him and Hwang Bo, I MIGHT wish that they can be more emotionally invested in their 'relationship' (I capitalized the might there in case I want him for myself hahaha!)

Spoiler!!!!

Truthfully, I've no intention of blogging that I've watched this show at first, but last night I watched the episode where each couple were given a choice if they want to continue be in the show or not. They were not given the oppurtunity to confer with their partner but both partners must be willing to continue for them to continue. Maybe reading wikipedia of the show a long time ago, spoil my surprise of who will continue but still I'm crying my eyes out for Andy and Solbi (Most people -female, though I'm not sure of Hwang Bo- in the show were not dry eyed watching it I think). They both bow out. I think it's not surprising that they both want out because although the show said In Young and Crown J were the most realistic couple but it seems Andy and Solbi were more invested emotionally in their fake-marriage; so before they fell any deeper they would like to crawl out now while they still can. Any rational people would do that right? See if the 'the ties that bound' are still there without the camera... and if it does, pursue it; if it don't then it don't.

Then, for when the Lettuce couple bow-out in the much later episodes, yeah I'm not that teary-eyed... I do smiles though that they make a promise not to do the same thing with their future-real-spouses because it would remind them of their 'brief-fake-marriage' and it's kinda funny for Kim Hyun Joong later drama his honeymoon island is Cheju Island... don't Korea have other beautiful domestic honeymoon destination? Sigh! But it's okay, it's a drama-honeymoon not a real one... for our honeymoon's lets go to Prince Edward Island.... wakaka! hey, a girl can dream right?

Playful Kiss

2010-11-03T10:16:00.006+08:00

This drama is not an addictive kind (though KHJ is ^^) ; it's just sweet that you kinda pulled into continue watching.

Am not a fan of Hyun Joong (before We Got Married), the few scenes I had seen him in Boys Before Flower, he was so blank-faced that yeah I'm not looking forward to really watching this drama. But I like the girl that's why I doggedly download it and now and then while waiting for SKSS episodes and subs, watching a few episodes.

This drama was about this adorably sweet girl but not the brightest, Oh Ha Ni (Jung So Min) who has been so long having a crush on the school's genius, Baek Seung Jo (Kim Hyun Joong). Her brand new house just crumbled to the ground after a mild earthquake that she ends up staying with her father's bestfriend who is none other than Baek Seung Jo's father.

Before this, since she always get tongue tied in front of BSJ that she decided to write a confession-love letter to him and left it in his locker. The socially inept BSJ ended up correcting her grammar and spelling, and the whole school knows about it and her unreciprocated feeling, so she swore not to receive any helps whatsoever from him. Haha... If I were in her shoes; I would ask my father's to move me to another school - well, not that it is possible for me to write a love letter and leave it in a guy's locker... but still I dont think I can endure the embarrassment of facing the whole school day by day even though it will become old gossips to them soon but still they would remember....

I think that BSJ character was really suited with the real Kim Hyun Joong in that he doesn't really came across as awkward and over the top playing the robot BSJ. The few smiles he bestow on or because of Ha Ni, really like pierced to your heart....or is it just my heart?

The other character for the love triangle; Boon Joon Gu (Lee Tae Sung), well his dedication and steadfast love was so sweet but such a pity for him to not realised earlier that even without BSJ's presence, Ha Ni has no romantic interest in him. But then, if he didn't have the drive to win Ha Ni's heart, he would not have found out what his talent in life is. Lee Si Young as the genius beautiful Yoon He Ra, was also sweet. Haha... I don't know why I never found her annoying even when she played the annoying character... She's know what she wants and she strive to get it but she also know when the time to bow out... Wonder if I'm gonna hate her if her character was the normal manipulative-always-get-what-she wants-or-no-one-else-can-get-it-either bitch

My most favourite scenes are when they were on a picnic and BSJ teases her with the sock, she ran after him and stumble, he went back to her to ask if she's okay and ran again when she get up. she stumbled again and he went back to make sure she's okay and then ran again. Ah.. there are so cute together. Then there was this scene when Ha Ni went back to live with them again and she went out to sit at the steps with Seung Jo after she done the dishes. It's so sweet how they are stealing glances at each other and look away when the other turn...

I think what I like about BSJ's character is that he wished for Ha Ni to have more self-focus, self-motivation and goal apart from him. I like how he encourage her to pursue her career (though it's kinda disappoiting that her career are somewhat related to his, but you can't expect a person to have a personality overhaul 100%) - whereas maybe other guy (or real guy) will be satisfied that being her 'sun' - 'centre of her universe'. Anyway, does his hair reflect the tumult of his mind? When he wasn't 'sure ' of his feelings for Ha Ni, his hair was like below - curly and messy, but when he made up his mind - it got straighten again.

Would I rewatch this drama again? Yeah, sure ^_^ for Kim Hyun Joong's sake. But first I need to finish watching BOF...

Dong Yi

2010-10-26T00:26:00.011+08:00

I remember started watching this early July when my parents and my sisters were going to London for my niece and nephew's graduation day. So I had to stay at my sister's house to drive my nieces to school... and I think to put my sister and brother-in-law's mind at ease with another adult in the house. (Haha...me an adult?!). Anyway,at that time I was really juggling many dramas at one time, there's this Dong Yi, Bad Guy, Coffee House and Grudge of the Gumiho Child. I finished up Bad Guy and Coffee House, did I post something on them? I think I remember writing something for Bad Guy but I don't remember writing any on Coffee House... but hey if you're not a fan of any of the CH casts please don't waste your time watching....it's not something I will recommend. Now, Grudge of Gumiho Child, I haven't finished watching it... I don't know when I'll pick it up again with all other dramas (which might be more interesting) to pick on.. but it's just I hate the thought I have not finish watching something that I had watched over 50% of.....

Dong Yi, what can I say about Dong Yi?..... I've watched other period drama... sageuk dramas they called it... and to me Dong Yi fall under the same class as Yi San... it's not as addictive as Jewel in the Palace, Ballads of Seo Dong Yo or Jumong. They were some suspense episode ending that made you wanna continue watching another episode but it's still resistable since you need your beauty sleep and you have to work tomorrow morning. But for the above-mentioned korean drama... wah! I don't care, I went with no sleep to class (in the case of Jewel because I was still in Uni then) and to work for the other two. If I could escape class and work, I might doggedly continue til I finished watching all...

Dong Yi (Han Hyo Joo) , is a about a child who slipped in to the palace to work as a slave in order to find the culprit who framed her father and brother that resulted in their deaths. I don't remember the details of the drama, lets just say that Dong Yi befriended the King Sukjong (Ji Jin Hee) while he was travelling incognito and helps solve a case. She was then promoted to be the palace maid of Jang Hee Bin (Lee So Yeon), the king most favored mistress. At first she was in the mistress's camp against Queen Inhyeon (Park Ha Sun) but later she became the Queen's loyal supporter.

She also met her brother's bestfriend, Cha Chun Soo (Bae Soo Bin) who she hopefully hope she had not lost along with her father and brother. I think it's slightly obvious that he had feelings for her apart from brotherly affection, but she remain clueless to the end. I do wonder though if she's really in love with the king or she was just feels affectionate for him... (I don't think Han Hyo Joo's here merit a daesang for the MBC 2010 Dramas Award), now the king we know how much he loved Dong Yi, he's willing to give up the throne for her...but the drama tries to show Dong Yi has the bigger heart of not willing for him to give that up but dreaming of a grander dream beyond 'their love'.

I know sometimes I'm a romanticist, sometime a cynical... like Joo Won (Hyun Bin) said in Secret Garden, if he gave everything for Ra Im (Ha Ji Won) now, he's not confident he won't resent her for that later, he's not confident that they will live happily ever after. Still, I wish that Dong Yi would express some yearning how they could live happily as a normal couple beyond the public's eye....

I know that I wouldn't be fair to the person who prepared the costumes on how much I love Jang Hee Bin's costume especially her skirts. There are so beautiful and eye-catching. While Dong Yi and Queen Inhyeong pastel colours went unnotice by me. My niece said it was because only the villains wear bright and daring colours while the humble heroins wear subdued ones.. but I think even subdued colours can be beautiful right?

Sungkyunkwan Scandal Pre-post

2010-10-16T16:47:00.006+08:00

Currently watching this drama (among others) and gosh! I can't wait for the continuition... thank gods I've found a site that subs quickly!

So basicly Sungkyunkwan is a university of the Joseon era... for men only! and Yoo Hee impersonating her brother ends up enrolling in there along with the uptight self-righteous Suh Joon, who is also her roomate with another devil-may-care guy Moon Jae Shin. The room next to them occupied solely by the cheeky Go Yong Ha.

So I really found Park Min Young cute in I am Sam, and I don't think she overact her gender-impersonation too much (but she was tooo cute that for someone in reality to not suspect her true gender - that person must be dense!).

Then there is Micky Yoochun who seems so wooden at first but as the episode goes on you kinda started falling for him and he started to get more handsomer.

Yoo Ah In, I don't know why there so many Moony faction at dramabeans, yeah I like his character and his crush on Yoon Hee is so adorable, but much am I always rooting for the second guy, but now I'm rooting for Suh Joon (kiss her/him already!).

And last but not least the cheeky, mischievious, mysterious Go Yong Ha...how can you not find him cute (though a bit annoying)? Sigh!.... Wish I can fast forward the days.... I wanna knw how the story ends. Hehe...if it's in english or malay, would have bought the novels already!

I had a dream

2010-10-03T14:55:00.002+08:00

I dreamt last night that I received a love letter cum proposal from the first guy I had a 'crush' on when I was in primary school. The content was not wishy-washy-yucky romantic, it was just sweet and... sweet (hehe but his handwriting could be patented to be a hallmark font) I don't remember all the content, but what lil' bits I could remember "In 19XX, we happened. When two stubborn prideful children collide..." and thats quote per quote that I remember only, the others....thats for me to know and for you to wonder ^_^ ( I know only one of my niece read my blog- if she still does - and the others are strangers; thats why I wrote it here, not much publicity compare to other options)

My crushes tends to be shortlived; with him it ended when I realised height does matter to me - he was more on the midget side (Oh, before Harry Potter the movie came out, before Harry Potter is synonym with Daniel Radcliffe, I always imagine HP was more like him only with green eyes hehe... but that image was now shattered). Sometimes I think that I had a crush on him because in the small village primary school we were both the shining stars; effortlessly getting the best grade, always competing to get the first place. So among the numerous boys, he stands out. But then when I entered the overcrowded secondary school, I realised I'm only just the average street lamps, shining but not enough bright to shine afar. Him, I heard his grade were even worse than mine... Even after hearing so, after finishing secondary school I was still anticipating to see him again in the only college at that time in the country...but no, he was not enrolled.

They say what you dreamt of is what is on your mind before you sleep. But he had not been in my thoughts for ages... The only time he ever pass in my mind was when something or someone reminds me of him; then I wonder where he was now and how he was doing. That's it. I wonder too ever since we split school, I've never met him anywhere whereas I seldom met my other classmates. Is he still alive or did he change so much that I might have not recognize him?

Hmmm... now I'm off to continue watching Syungkyunkwan Scandal. Does this drama set off the dream?

Baker King, Kim Tak Goo

2010-09-28T15:43:00.009+08:00

When the drama had two time dimensions; one when the main casts was in their childhood and the other when they had become adults, I almost always intrigued by the storyline and the children-cast - except maybe for Ballad of the Prince (Seo Dong Yo) and Dong Yi, the intriguing part was in the adulthood. Then like the case of East of Eden and Fashion 70's, the adulthood storyline was so dragging and the adultcast was soooo not intiguing - I kinda lost interest and the reason I continue watching was because at that time I was so strict with myself - watch one drama from start to finish, then I can watch another one.

But then it was easy to discipline myself before cause to watch kdrama i had to buy the boxset, so all I had to do was not go into a cd shop and buy one; but nowadays I'm downloading them so I'm kinda drama hopping from one drama to another, depending on which one I was most curious to know the continuition of the story and the availability of the subtitles. At the moment I'm excited to watch Sungkyunkwan Scandal, I think it's because of Song Joong Ki's character and I'm still kinda guessing who will discover her real identity first and who's gonna fall for her (I hope not all three!) and so not in the mood to continue Tale of the Gumiho's Grudge.

I digress again, I wasn't planning to watch this drama cause the title seems so boring, King of Baking? (Ugh..not another lesson in cooking/baking, if it could improve my skills baik jua but it just further dissuade me to start learning cause they make it only special people could do it the right way) but I caught the first episode and it seems interesting haha...the fortune teller foretold that no matter how hard she prayed, how many times she tried she will never begets a son with her husband but she could get a son with another man. So isn't that the husband's fault? but then again he foretold that the husband's getting a son with another woman too... So what did she do? She went away to seduce her husband's right-hand man and left her husband behind with her daughters' nanny, and to top it off the nanny used to be one of the candidate that her husband wants to marry. Still you blame fate...

The children casts for the role of Kim Tak Gu and Go Ma Jun were also appropriate; Oh Jae Moo as Tak Gu with village upbringing, though he was loud and he was brash but he was frank and pure-hearted; and Shin Dong Woo as the never-knew-hardship Ma Jun - you do want to hate him because he was so spoiled and pampered all his life but there's just some kinda vulnerability in him that you want to shield him too from being hurt. He was pulled three ways from his father, mother and grandma who wants different things from him and nothing he does will ever enough for them.

So when Tak Gu was brought home and presented to be his older brother, it's natural that he feel resentment. The expectation of everyone else was already hard to bear, now he had to compete with this kid who came out of nowhere and seems to hold his father's heart already. Moreover, he overheard his mother's secret on who his true biological father is - what a burden for a child whose worry should only be of his studies and his playing time.

Haha..the way I'm going on the title should be XXX Gu Ma Jun. But seriously, his character was more interesting (and realistic) than Tak Gu. Tak Gu seems 'superhuman'; after tragedy happened and he ran away from home, he made it so simple and easy to live on the street, roaming by himself and he basically raised himself from childhood (of maybe 10 years old?) to adulthood. But then again, I'm always drawn to the silent-wounded-underdog...

The brothers met again in a bakery shop with Ma Jun hiding his real identity from everyone including Tak Gu. They also met Shin Yoo Kyung, Tak Gu's former classmate whom he had a crush on. But Ma Jun intervention and manipulation keeps them apart again for 2 years... you wonder what's the real reason for that? Is it to hurt Tak Gu or for his own sake? And I wonder too why they cast Eugene as Yoo Kyung, couldn't they find an actress with the same age as Yoon Shi Yoon and Joo Won? or they just want a famous name as a pull to the drama since both of them are a newcomer in the dramaworld?

I'm not gonna spoil any further about the drama but lets just say that compare to the recent drama that I've watched (Coffee House, Bad Guy) this one was interesting from start to finish. And Ma Jun's mother, though she was an evil witch but she was a fashionable-beautiful-evil witch ^_^

Casts:

Yoon Shi Yoon as Kim Tak Goo
Oh Jae Moo as Kim Tak Goo (child)
Eugene as Shin Yoo Kyung
Jo Jung Eun as Shin Yoo Kyung (child)

Joo Won as Goo Ma Joon

Shin Dong Woo as Goo Ma Joon (child)

Goo family
Jun Kwang Ryul as Goo Il Jong ( Tak Gu and Ma Jun's dad)
Jun In Hwa as Seo In Sook (Ma Jun's mom)
Choi Ja Hye as Goo Ja Kyung
Ha Seung Ri as Goo Ja Kyung (teen)
Choi Yoon Young as Goo Ja Rim
Kim So Hyun as Goo Ja Rim (child)

Other people
Jung Sung Mo as Han Seung Jae (Ma Jun's biological father)
Jun Mi Sun as Kim Mi Sun (Tak Goo's mother)
Lee Han Wie as Heo Gap Soo

Yang family (The Bakery Shop people)
Jang Hang Sun as Oh Doo Yong / Master Pal Bong
Park Sang Myun as Yang In Mok
Hwang Mi Sun as Oh Young Ja
Lee Young Ah as Yang Mi Sun

Bad Guy

2010-08-27T02:29:00.008+08:00

An eye for an eye, leave the whole world blind - that what Gandhi had said. In a sense it do make sense that if everyone seeks vengeance for the wrong done to them and then the other party or the loved ones of the other party will also seeks vengeance after that, and on and on, the cycle keeps on turning and the sphere of person getting hurt becoming wider - thus the world will be full of wounded people. Unless of course they have the heart (or lack the heart) to eiminate all possible revenger in the first place; so the revenge-cycle will stop with them. But then if we let it be; let the ones who wronged us scott-free without consequences of their actions - I don't want to live in that world either.

Hmmm...nowadays I've been watching so many drama with so many potential, or maybe I've more discerning eyes these days so I can detect so many weaknesses in a drama....

Bad Guy is such a drama. I was hooked at first with Kim Nam Gil's wounded look but as his past reveal themselves slowly, I was like hmmm... I was okay with him seeking revenge on the parents, but why seek to hurt the children also. Like him then, there were merely children - just watching what the adults were doing without the power to do anything to change the course of events.

He was at first Choi Tae Seong, living happily with his adoptive(?) parents when suddenly he was ripped away from them to live in gilded house and was told that President Hong was his real biological father. President Hong had a wife with a son and 2 daughters already. Then, suddenly when he was celebrating his 10th (?) birthday comes the news that they had made a mistake and he was not the son and as if he was merely a lost puppy he was put outside the door for his former set of parents to pick him up while President Hong went to pick up his true son. What a heartless bunch of people, couldnt they just tolerate him a bit more and let him wait INSIDE the house rather than out in the rain? Anyway, his former parents didnt have the chance to pick him up because they died in an accident on the way. That leave the little boy to roam the streets, until Seo Yeong save him from other bullies kids and take him to the orphanage with her.

Now, he's all grown up and become Shim Gun Wook (Kim Nam Gil) and Seo Yeong died either from suicide or murder after she was dumped by Hong Tae Seong (Kim JAe Wook) the kid who replace him in the Hong's family. Gun Wook used his flair as the stuntman for a movie to attract the attention of Hong Me Ne (Jung So Min), President Hong's youngest daughter and get Hong Tae Ra (Oh Yun So) hot and bothered in the bargain.

Another character is Moon Jae In (Han Ga In) who works for Madam Shin (President Hong's wife) and who just got dumped by her boyfriend because his mother thinks her social status is not good enough for her son. This puts ambition and greed in her head, so she went to pursue Hong Tae Seong. At first she mistakenly believe Gun Wook was Hong Tae Seong and Gun Wook meanly didn't correct her.

I think the middle episodes I kinda lost interest cause I see no sense in Gun Wook's actions, snorted that all available and of age female characters fall for Gun Wook, and I started to sympathize with Hong Tae Seong and lil' bit of hatred of Jae In (come on make up your mind! or is it your heart?) then the last episodes start to get interesting again with the evil character was reveal and this is not merely just a misunderstanding-goes-big-awry. But then again maybe because of the rushed production, they are so many scenes that makes you go what???? And I always find Korean court scene (either in sugeuk drama or modern ones) that doesn't make any rational sense, based on what evidence? just heresay would be concrete proofs beyond reasonable doubts? Arghhh!!!! And the cops here is just waiting to be spoonfeds that it makes you want to strangle them. Okay, maybe they were just 'props' for the storyline, but couldnt the writer(s) makes them not so dumb....???

[Spoiler Alert!!!!]

I do think that Gun Wook death is a reasonable ending because I can't be satisfied if he's left alive and chosen neither Tae Ra nor Jae In nor if he chose one of them, so he's better off dead. What I don't like is how the remaing characters had in some level nothing changes in their lives. Madam Shin was let out on a bail just after a brief moments in prison and she get what she wanted, Tae Ra as the president of the company. Mo Ne continues with her pampered lifestyles. Tae Ra and Jae In not knowing of his deaths continue with their lives although mooning for him and wishing he was happy. I think the only change is Hong Tae Seong who left travelling to be indepent, be what he can be with his own merits.

Oh yeah, much as I'm trying to get use to the pairing with Noonas?Ahjummas in korean dramas, couldn't just the writer just slip in that Tae Ra was a bit uncomfortable with the age gap between her and Gun Wook? Her only concerns about Gun Wook was she's married already and Gun Wook is her sister's boyfriend...

I'm looking forward to Mischievous Kiss because of Jung So Min, she's so adorable with happy-go-lucky attitude but not so much as hell-hath-no-fury-like-a-woman-scorned. Shim Eun Kyung would probably wish that she had gone for that oversea study rather than waste time acting in this drama, also she's cute here too - but totally forgetable character.

Coffee House

2010-08-16T14:36:00.005+08:00

Lee Jin Soo (Kang Ji Hwan) is a successful thriller novelist - to the whole world he's a gentlemen but to those who's clsose to him, he's a bit weird with sarcastic tendency and strange habits. One day while evading his publisher Seo Eun Young (Park Si Yeon) arrangement for an interview with some reporters he stumbled in Kang Seung Yeon's (Ham Eun Jung) family coffee shop and as a favor to one of his buddy who had a crush on Seung Yeon, hired Seung Yeon to be his secreatry (cum. slave) while he was writing his new novel.

Anyway, there is some history between Jin Soo and Eun Young ever since their universities day and then now Eun Young's ex-fiance (Jung Woong In) has come back into her life and acts as if it was heaven blessing that he still want Eun Young. He blames Eun Young for being so confident and independent that is why he strayed to another woman. Huh! Man and their ego! Jin Soo and Eun Young can barely tolerate him, but they have to because he was their sunbae... I guess it was the easy way, suffer a few hours of person's dreadful company rather than make a big scene. In reality, we do tends to that....

I think even half-way through the drama the audience was left guessing who Jin Soo will ends up with; his best-friend or his secreatry... many have chosen camp, but me I couldn't care less because there's simply no chemistry between him and the two female characters. It's an okay drama, but it just does not make you feel addicted that you foregone everything else, actually maybe if it wasn't for KJH, I'll give up watching in the early episodes stage, it was that draggggggggingly slow. It's a drama that overtime I'm gonna forget the storyline but will not rewatch again just to remember...

The only character that I find engaging is Kim Dong Wook (Park Jae Jung), one of Eun Young employees who has a crush on Seung Yeun. It's sad how the drama actually does not explore more on his character.....

Jung Woong In is also wonderful, I choose him in Last Scandal rather than the main hero but now, if he's real-life person I'm sure I'll avoid him at every oppurtunity....

A Day in the Life of Me

2010-07-15T01:26:00.003+08:00

I always knew when I'm gonna get sick, the first thing to go was my throat. Then came the blocked nose, the constant sneezing and the headaches. The last thing to return to normal was also my throat, although the flu and fever was gone, my throat will still be sore and I keep on coughing. Maybe its got to do my drinking habits -ice-cold drinks I mean; not alcoholic.

So there I was, not feeling 100% and had to attend a meeting and this co-worker keeps pointing at me, that it was my task and all so almost everyone eyes were on me, maybe waiting for a response, any reply at all on my part. Without a word; witholding a itchy cough from erupting, just walk out of the meeting room, went back to my desk and print-out the tasks list. With a smile - I think - still pasted on my face, ahem... here's the tasks and the person who's assigned to the tasks. That silence that person up though not before that person commented she also had printed out the list but she lost it. Uh?? what are you trying to say? the list given to you is different from mine? or i amended the list I had printed ? but i dont like to argue pointless things that result in pointless things also; so whatever...lets move on. What I felt bad was when I went back to my room to print the darned list, another colleague was also there and I snapped at him. I hope he knew that I was being a shrew to him not because of him personally. After 5 years of working together he should've gotten used to my sarcastic-self emerging when I was in a bad mood ^_^ but I guess I should still apologize to him on Saturday...

In the evening, went to my cousin's place for tahlil fo my late aunt and uncle 'death anniversary'. Its been 3 years and I thought how life would've change with her gone from my life, but surprisedly life goes on. I still remember her now and then, here and there. A simple thing like what a mess my room was in and before I had to clean and tidy up my room once a week before she came to stay - but now I just let it be... it's only me who enters there anyway. Well, upon occasion my brother use it to to change clothes when his room was otherwise occupied - and my bras hanging on the door! Anyway, tahlil events sometimes makes me feels jaded? bitter? disillusioned? I dont know how to describe it... Maybe we do remember her -or whoever it was for - during the event but we just dont feel comfortable discussing it, so we talks about current matters, daily mundane and other things that does not correlate to the purpose of the event. Life is something to be cherished and grateful for, hence the birthday celebration while death although inevitable prefers not to be discussed but only remembered. Plus maybe when we are with loved ones we should enjoy the moment, fill it with love and laughter rather than sadness and regret memorablia right? If year after year, we might have said the same thing all over again, repetitively, boringly to each other on how much we missed our departed ones - whereas now we sincerely remembered them lovingly in our hearts and not trying to 'bested' one another. Now, I put that in writing, I can see a different perspective and feel much better now. no more feeling jaded etc etc as mentioned above ^_^

Talking about "jaded"; hmm... staying at my sis's house, sending her daughters to school remind me of my schoolhood days; youthful enthusiasm, colourful ambition, promising future. But now I think I've become jaded, the future only have limited possibilities and some of the possibilities...errr I don't think I wanna take that path. I'm a patriotic kinda person, I love the country I was born in and can't imagine living in any other place but I also realise its limitation. Future here is very limited, ask a schoolkid what he/she wants to be when they grow up, most likely the answers be Teacher, Doctor, Nurse, Pilot and maybe some imaginative kid might dreams to be an astronaut one day. And as they grow up most of them will have less definitive, vague ambition because the only career they are told to aim for any just as long as its in the public sector. I used to defy convention before, I would like to be in private sector, be working in the hotel industry. Being a hotelier just fascinate me but alas in this country, I don't want to own a hotel - just give me a headache or work in one - not enough pay and job satisfaction. So I'm glad I quit the degree course that I've chosen during the time I still used rose-tinted glasses. I do envy though several of my colloegues who used to work in a hotel in another country. Maybe someday when money poured down my lap like rain from the sky, I would like to open a boutique hotel or maybe B&B where the guest will be served like a royalty but still be comfortable as living in their own home... the only time you will stop dreaming is when you meet your maker, so jsut dream on..............

But my eyes still can't sleep; maybe I've vampire blood in my vein! for I feel very sleepy during the day - shove me a piilow and I can steal a 5-min nap but now I'm wide awake. Okay, maybe the early episodes of Dong Yi can help me sleep or if that fails I can always continue my reading of The Lost Symbol

Pasta

2010-07-10T01:54:00.009+08:00

Because of the great review of Pasta, this is a cooking-theme korean drama that I wanted to watch and when I happen to window shopping (it's always never is just window shopping really!)at one of the dvd shop and saw the boxset and the subs is not so bad until the ends episode... I say what the heck; just buy it eventhough I got so many downloaded dramas yet to watch. Haha... If my former deputy director read the previous sentence who would be more likely to send me to Dewan Bahasa for writing so long a sentence.

Paste is the story of a young woman Seo Yoo Kyung (Gong Hyo Jin) aspiration to became an elite chef at La Sfera, an Italian restaurant. She started as a kitchen assistant and after 3 years finally had a chance to hold the pan when the chef promoted her, but alas the chef was fired before she was officially promoted and a new chef Choi Hyun Wook (Lee Sun Gyun) was brought in. It didn't help matter when the new chef was a chauvinistic pig who don't believe his kitchen hold a place for a woman. One by one he found reason to fired all the female chef with only Soo Kyung being the thisk skinned and stuborn one, still reporting for work in the kitchen. I really want to kick Hyun Wook ion the shin when he proposed to Yoo Kyung to start dating him after callously treated her like a foot mat in the workplace. I don't care that he's a widely recognised chef in korean and maybe other countries too, or the fact that he had betrayed and hurt by a woman before - that doesn't give him an excuse to be a jerk.

See, when he was learning the culinary arts in Italy, he had a realtionship with his fellow student Oh Sae Young (Lee Honey/Lee Ha Nui) but in a competition she cheated him and was named the winner. Oh yeah, Sae Young was a close friend to Kim Sam (Alex) who was really the invisible owner of La Sfera and who has a crush on Soo Kyung ever since she mischievously manage to get a job there

Anyway, after the females were fired the only remaining cook were Geum Suk Ho (Lee Hyung Chul), Jung Ho Nam (Jo Sang Ki), Min Seung Jae (Baek Bong Ki) and Han Sang Sik (Heo Tae Hee) and thus dubbed the Korean Team. Chef Hyun Wook who had prepared in advance for counter strike against his firing move, has brought in his chef team from Italy consists of Sun Woo Duk (Kim Tae Ho), Philip (No Min Woo) and Lee Ji Hoon (Hyun Woo) thus dubbed the Italian Team. The competition between these two teams torn not only the ignored Soo Kyung but also the new kitchen's assistant (who was brought in to replace Soo Jyung) Jung Eun Soo (Choi Jae Hwan).

So Hyun Wook was torn between professionalism and his personal feelings for Soo Kyung, Soo Kyung was torn between Hyun Wook and her secret admirer who as she later finds out to be Kim Sam. Then the rivalry between the Korea Team and the Italy Team, how will it end? Do I like this drama? Yeah, I remembered feeling happy after I watch this drama. Would have rewatched it if there is nothing nothing else to watch (is that possible?), Hyo Jin and Sun Gyun was adorable together though I wish Hyo Jin would just darken her eyebrows a bit, she seems a bit like Whoopi Goldbergh to me and then there is Kim Sam, who any sensible girl would fall for rather than the overbearing perfectionist Hyun Wook. He makes me wants to restart my obsession with cactus but unfortunatelt I have the opposite of green thumbs. Plants would florish better if I ignore them.

Oh yeah, I post the 2 pics below because I found it funny that the dorky Eun Soo has more muscular body than the three other handsome/cute Italian Team. And if you have watched My Girlfriend is a Gumiho would agree with me that No Min Woo should keep his hair like this.

I don't know who Alex was before this drama and now after watching this drama and a couple of We Got Married episodes I have a couple of his songs in my track list. Love his voice...

Oh! My Lady, The Birth of The Rich, Cinderella's Sister

2010-06-14T12:15:00.011+08:00

First of all, would like to apologize for the 3-in-1 post, its not that the drama not worth a post of their own; its just I don't have the time. Hehe...the time I have infront of the pc better spent on watching more drama right? furthermore I will only be long-winded rambling uninteresting facts... lets see if I'm not long winded now :P

I lurvvvvvveee late March and begining of April!!!! It was the only time when my workload is lighter. Usually I was bored filling my time surfing the net but this year, oh my! I was busy watching the recently airing of kdramas; one part after another; one episodes after another; one drama after another... I was blissfully content eventhough I didn't go out for lunch (like today!). Back then, I was watching Cinderella's Sister, Oh! My Lady, Personal Taste, Dong Yi and after stumble-watching Birth of A Rich Man, my curiosity make me follow up on that drama also. But alas, reality intrude.... I had to drop Dong Yi (because it's such a long drama so I'm gonna wait for the boxset or asked my niece for her downloaded files) and Personal Taste cause at the time the streaming linkages were broken so I gave up!

Why I decided to watch OML? I don't really know myself... Got enough of older females who falls for younger male also, but I like Chae Rim so maybe I thought I gave the drama a chance. At first, I don't know why the vikiii viewers go gaga over Choi Siwon (from reading the comments above), I don't find him that cute... I continued watching because I got time to kill... but then cute Ye Eun (Kim Yoo Bin) comes into the picture and I was hooked. It's getting better when I start to see Siwon in a clearer picture as well, his facial expressions are so adorable. He make me a converted Super Junior's fan!

Ok, more about the drama. Sung Min Woo (Choi Siwon) is a top star, a singer and an actor; albeit not such a good actor but his fans still love him no matter what he do. While Yoon Gae Hwa (Chae Rim) falls on hard times, financially broke that she had to send her daughter to live with her ex-husband with his new wife and she herself had to stay in sauna bath house (don't know if they have a special name for this kinda place, to lazy to surf and find out). Well, on that note I just dont understand why cant her bestfriend (the doctor) helps her out and bring her to live with her and her family, the sofa living room would be better than that public place right?

Anyway, she found a temporary job as a maid and she has to be secretive about employer because he's a well-known celebrity. That employer tends out to be Min Woo but she cant hold n to the job long because she made many blunders with Min Woo. She tries to find job elsewhere and find one in the Show Company but the thing is she only get the job if only she can get Min Woo to sign up with the company's production. I think it was during this trip to grovel to Min Woo to sign up that she stumbles on Ye Eun, who was sent by her mother by taxi to Min Woo's apartment. The taxi driver and the front guard of the building was only too happy to left silent Ye Eun in Gae Hwa's care for Min Woo was not home. So it was Gae Hwa who encounters Min Woo incredulousness when he was presented with Ye Eun who in the note that was in her luggage was told to be his daughter. To cut the story short, he hired Gae Hwa to be the nanny cum maid in return for her silence and his cooperation to sign up in the Show Company production.

Ye Eun is so adorable! Make me wants to adopt a Korean baby!!!!

Will the two fall in love? What about Show Company's manager, Shi Joon (Lee Hyun Woo) who seems to care of the welfare of his newest staff and whose wife is having an affair. Min Woo's first love (Park Han Byul) -the girl who only being polite to him when he was a nobody but now flirting with him now he's popular- also there to remind Gae Hwa what is her position.

Ok, there's no chemistry between Chae Rim and Siwon maybe because despite Chae Rim child like face she still has the aura of an ahjumma and Siwon still looks so young compares to her, but still it was enjoyable to see these two interacts. And I like the above refrigator-kiss scene; maybe because the way Siwon puts his hand on Chae Rim's waist (faint! Gentlenment Siwon) ^_^ then there's Ye Eun and Siwon.....melts! Spoiler! Its a happy ending but still I felt like the ending was kinda wrap up so quickly and you felt like 'that's was the ending???"

Get ready for a little bit of Siwon-expression spam!!!!

Now, Birth of the Rich was not something I planned to see also. Not only the synopsis does not perk up my interest but apart from Lee Bo Young - which I mildly like because she was Jo Hyun Jae's heroine in The Ballad of Suh Dong - I never watch the other 3 lead casts works before. But I caught middle of ep.1 and watch full ep.2 so my curiousity kicks in...who's the father????

The synopsis is like this Choi Suk Bong (Ji Hyun Woo) was in search of his father. His mother had a one-night stand with a stranger after being dumped by her boyfriend. The thing is after waking up in a hotel with a nearly-total stranger and then move to the hotel's restaurant, she didn't have the chance to ask his name and his hers? The guy look like he's falling for her but then an emergency call cut their breakfast short and all he had time was to scribble his phone no on his favourite book and told her to call him. When he was gone she asked the Concierge who was he, and get the answer that he's the heir of a chaebol family. Really, get a name girl!!! Sure enough many months later she found out she's expecting so she hesitantly make a call to him on a phone booth but then she saw and elderly lady falls and rush out to help her and the book was left on the phone! When she came back for it later it was already gone. So Suk Bong had grown up with only the tale that his father is a chaebol, no name, no face to identify him with except for the pendant necklace his father had given to his mother saying it was one of a kind.

Suk Bong was working at hotel own by Lee Shin Mi's father. Lee Shin Mi (Lee Bo Young) although born rich, but she was being stingy to a fault. Her stinginess and strictness personalities clashed with Suk Bong, even after Suk Bong saves her life in a car accident, she still wary of his intentions; was he searching for his father because he is his father, or because he was told that his father is a chaebol?

The second lead couple is Bo Tae Hee (Lee So Young) who also the daughter of a chaebol and has been in love with Choo Woon Suk (Nam Goong Min) for a long time. The only problem is he's pursuing Shin Mi. What I don't get is if he's really pursuing Shin Mi because he like her better than Tae Hee or simply because Shin Mi's father is much richer and more powerful compare to Tae Hee's? ^_^ My niece said she found Tae Hee's character annoying but I rather find her adorable and refreshing... she does not hide what she feels or what she thinks, such a rare open book that soon Woon Suk can't help fall for her too. (p/s: Shin Mi's and Tae Hee's personal assitant are beautiful also... so maybe this drama is to attract more on male viewership than female for really the male lead is not such an eye candy at all, though I like Ji Hyun Woo's facial expression)

So who is Suk Bong's biological father? Is it Shin Mi's father? Or Tae Hee's father? or another person? Well, I like that the pace of the drama keeps you guessing one episode after the next who is the father and why did he not come in search of Suk Bong's mother. How did the 'book' end up with Shin Mi and the phone no. on the book is Shin Mi's no.?

Btw, I'm trying to find the song that keeps playing I think ep. 15-16, when Suk Bong is thinking whether to keep seeing Shin Mi or not when he found out the REAL story...so if anybody knows let me know...

Now, Cinderella's Sister was on my watchlist the minute I learned about it and when it aired I really really lurve it, the modern twisted version of the famous fairytale. I was non-commital when Moon Geun Young was praised for her acting talent but now yeah I have to agree she was pretty talented for such a young actress ( she should keep her hair long cause that was when she was most beautiful).

Eun Jo (Moon Geun Young) was living with her mother Kang Sook (Lee Mi Sook) with her mother's boyfriend and his nephew (I think) Jung Woo. The man was always abusive when he was drunk so Eun Jo thinks it's only a matter of time before her mother left him and sure enough a fight ensued and Eun Jo grabs her mother and ran away from the house. But alas even if the man itself cannot catch them so he calls for help. Part of the reason why he wants them back is that Eun Jo also manage to "pack up" the diamond engagement ring he intends to give to her mother. The chase party manage to get to them when the train they are boarding stop at the next station and Eun Jo tries to hide in the toilet cubicle but inside there's already another girl. Eun Jo then tell the girl to keep the ring safe for her and the girl name was Go Hyo Sun (Seo Woo).

On a different note, Lee Mi Sook is a beautiful and talented lady. When I first saw her in this drama, her face seems familiar to me but I can remember in which drama I've seen her before only in the 2nd or is it 3rd episode did it dawned on me she is the stern mother in East of Eden. Much as you want to hate her in this drama I can't seem too, I rather hate her in East of Eden....I wish I will age gracefully as her when I get older hehehe...

Go Hyo Sun was a pampered daughter of a well-off businessman, Go Dae Sung who lost his wife to cancer when Hyo Sun was only 6 years old. So when Kang Sook came in search of Hyo Sun for the ring and saw the estate and the servants of the makguli producing business, she set her cap on Dae Sung. She easily anbd fastly access the situation and became the motherlike figure Hyo Sun wants her to be, the demure charismatic woman Dae Sung wants to see. When finally her traps get caught, Dae Sung sent Ki Hoon (Chun Jung Myung) to get Eun Jo to live with them. (I'm not really sure what Ki Hoon relationship with Dae Sung is or how they met, is it because Ki Hoon's has a hidden agenda or just coincidence that he found a safe haven).

So there, the beginning of the drama, an emotionally-impaired-with-high-fortress-around-her-icy-heart Cinderella's Sister that is Eun Jo and Hyo Sun the-pampered-and-indulged Cinderella. Will Ki Hoon be the prince charming? but how can he be when he's the black sheep of his own family? Then there is Jung Woo (Taecyeon of 2PM) whose heart he had given to Eun Jo all along when she was he one who feed and care for him when they live together... I thought his character was so wasted in the earlier part of the drama cause he only stood on the background and watching the drama revolves around the family plus then my eyes are so glued to CJM. But then when the prince charming CJM turns dark and cloudy, loses his charming smile.... I was kinda hoping that Eun Jo will finally see her shadow as a man. Sigh! I'm rather dissapointed with the ending of this drama or even the storyline of it halfway through this drama. So maybe I should finished watching a drama before recommending it to anyone right?

Love Me Not

2010-04-28T22:59:00.004+08:00

Have no opinion about Moon Geun Young before cause I think with her childlike face she had limited characters to choose from but then she blow me away with her Eun Jo in Cinderella's Sister (will talk about this in another posts when I finished watching the drama). So when I saw her earlier movie in the dvd shop I just have to buy it.

The story first started with Julian who just got out of jail for something that we were never told. Anyway, one of his men was dead in a car accident and only one of his remaining hunchmen was there to greet him. Julian was a manager for a night club, but he has ambitioned to become his own man and managing his own business so he loaned a huge sum of money from a loan shark. But now his own boss founds out he wants to go out on his own and his business venture went up in smoke. To top it off the loan shark only gave him a month to pay off or else it was be his life cut off short. He tries to lure money telling sappy story from his rich female customers/lovers but only comes up with small change.

Then, he found out that his guy that died in the car accident was the heir of a fortune whose father also dies recently. So there he went to claimed to be the long lost runaway son. Luck was on his side when the only family relative that can identify he's a fraud or not is the sister, Min who had turned blind because of some kind of tumour.

There the two lonely, coldhearted souls met, understand each other and fall in love. I think Min had guessed that he's not truly her oppa but let the charade continues on because like she told her aide, she likes him. But when all the lies laid on the open, she had to send him away - with a fair sum of money to pay off his debts.....

Will he continue with his past life???? What about Min whose tumour has return again endangering her life... will she survive another surgery???? Truth to tell I know how the story ends but I don't know...somehow the end of the end I don't really understand.

You're Beautiful

2010-04-21T15:03:00.008+08:00

Finally, I finished watching these drama. I was up to date streamwatching it several months ago, but worklife happens and I got behind and has to console myself with reading the recaps at dramabeans. (But now no more reading recaps before watching the drama! I'll try to restrain my curiousity). The reason I manage to finished it after much debating with myself I finally bought the boxset eventhough I have the downloaded episodes in my hard disk, hehe.. if I'm infront of the pc, the internet connection distracting me from fully concentrating in watching.

Anyhow back to the series Go Min Nyo has lived a sheltered life in a chapel/orphanaged - a soon to be nun in training (I don't know to be a nun you also need to be train...). Her life changed when her twin brother's agent approached her and beg her for her brother's sake to stand in as her brother, Go Mi Nam. See, Go Mi Nam is an aspired singer and just his luck as a popular boyband A.N.Jell casts him as another lead singer of the group, he had a bothched eye job. Min Nyo might not considered the charade if the agent did not mentioned that one of the reason her brother is chasing fame is to find their unknown mother.

At first it was just signing the contract but one thing lead to another; she had to live in the same house as the other three male members, performed on stage, records her own single... The other three male members are Hwang Tae Kyung - the surly, egoistict but still popular among the girls (teenagers love bad boy image); Kang Shin Woo - the kind, calm and understanding guy and Jeremy - cute, adorable, happy-go-lucky.

Kang Shin Woo was the first to finds out she was a she because he was the quiet and observant kinda guy, so he sorta put 2-and-2 together and at times help her to keep her disguise without her knowing. Then, Tae Kyung finds out accidently and threatened to expose her for the fraud she is but underneath that gruff exterior actually beats a softie heart. He keeps on saying fine, go ahead with her charade but don't involve him; he doesn't care if she was found out or not - but he's a liar cause he did go to the trouble to protect her even pretending to be the boyfriend of an actress he does not like.

To cut the synopsis short all the three members fall for Mi Nyo (why? I even wondered that), even Jeremy who really thought Mi Nyo is a guy and was in agony because of it. However it was clear where the winds blow...

If it was me who will I choose? Though I found Jeremy is sooo adorable, but he's not a candidate for a life partner; not only he was a bit slow on the uptake but who would want to marry a child? I do want Jeremy's "treasure bus" though, if only it was possible to leave every bad thoughts, anger and worries behind and only focused on the positive things in life. My kinda "treasure bus" is my room; my bed but the thing is it's kinda opposite of Jeremy's - for mine when I'm in it I can forget the world and the worries but when I leave it, they all returns to hound my small brain.

Shin Woo? Yeah, he's kind and thoughtful and romantic but it's kinda irritating overtime don't you think? I probably shake him when he's slow to act... Stop looking at the world! Live it!

not a fan of pigly things but this pig-rabbit is kinda cute aint it?

Tae Kyung? Hmmm... yea he's mr.grumpy and arrogant to the hilt with an ego the size of mountain, but he's close to real life person as it is. What important is not the sound he made but the cares he gave. But still, I will not tolerate his condecending tone like Mi Nyo did; huh! give me a permission to become his fan...puhlease! Am not your door mat or someone to boost up your sense of self-importance, I will give as much as I got... but that what makes a relationship alive and interesting isn't it, a fair share of giving and taking...

Cast:

Jang Geun Suk as Hwang Tae Kyung

Park Shin Hye as Go Min Nyo/Mi Nam

Lee Hong Ki as Jeremy

Jung Yong Hwa as Kang Shin Woo

UEE as Yoo He Yi

Temptation of an Angel

2010-04-05T00:15:00.004+08:00

She watched the horrific deaths of her parents because of Shin Woo Sub's greed and machinations. She was on a revenge path. Like the legend of Troy, the best way to crumble down a great and strong fortress is from the inside. Only that she doesn't need a wooden horse to infiltrate enemy's camp; just her beautiful self cause the enemy has a son with marriageable age to her. That was Joo Ah Ran plans to get her revenge. She marries Shin Hyun Woo with the intention of bringing down the family. She had insider help, the family's doctor and also her lover Nam Joo Seung who have also an ulterior motive to bring the family down. Its not hard to decipher to whom his hatred was on.

Han Sang Jin as Hyun Woo (before)

However, their plan crumble early when Shin Hyun Woo found out about their affair. Dring a car ride with Ah Ran where he confronted her with the evidence he had found and Ah Ran confess everything, they had an accident. Ah Ran who was on the driver's seat, moved the unconscious Hyun Woo to that seat to take the blame while she went to Joo Seung for help. Ah Ran was relatively unscratched from the accident while Hyun Woo was in a coma. She was safe to go on her revenge's plan.

She get the family's consent to move Hyun Woo to secluded villa promising he will get the best care from a foreign doctor. But the truth was she only hired a nurse to tend to the basic necessity of caring for a coma patient and not to do anything to help him awake. It turns out the nurse was none other than the girl from the orphanage Hyun Woo and his mother had sponsored throughout her life and even get her to graduate from university. What a small Seoul isnt it? That was what I thought at first, lucky that his mother sponsored the girl but it turns out it was not mere coincidence at all. The nurse, Yoon Jae Hae was none other than Ah Ran's long lost sister Joo Kyung Ran, who also happen to be having a crush on Hyun Woo since who knows when. Oh don't worry I'm not spoiling anything if you haven't watch this drama and happen to stumble on my blog. It was all made so obvious in the drama. Anyway, Ah Ran get so desperate when she found out Hyun Woo was gaining conscious and all, so she set up the villa on fire. She thought she had killed her husband but if she succeeded then who then be the hero right?

So Hyun Woo only suffer a minor burn on his face but decided to go for a full body plastic surgery. He wanted to become a different person, he wanted to Ah Ran to taste her own medicine; he will make her so madly in love with him and thrust a knife on her back - just as she did to him. The story get more interesting towards the end, and it all not appears as it should be.

If I were Ah Ran I will hate the perpetrator of her parents' death but also her irresponsible uncle and aunt who make her life miserable. But she seem to let them go off easily. I do like this drama, but the actor just seem lacking 'chemistry' with each other. If I didn't already adore Bae So Bin I would not have fallen for him in this drama. They should have build more story on how Hyun Woo who should be wary of falling in love again fall for Jae Hee. And how could Ah Ran falls so deeply in love with the cold Ahn Jae Sung? He should be more romantic and suave so that it understandable that she would abandon Joo Seung for him.

Well, anyway the acting to be applause for would be Lee So Yeon for potraying such a deceitful and pityful Ah Ran and maybe Kim Tae Hyun, I just "felt" for him even from the first episode. But I'm still rooting for Bae Soo Bin!

Bae So Bin as Hyun Woo (after)/ Ahn Jae Sung

Lee So Yeon as Joo Ah Ran (she's so beautiful! even when she's being ugly)

Kim Tae Hyun as Nam Joo Seung the pitiful lover and ....

Hong Soo Hyun as the sweet and devoted nurse Yoo Jae Hae

Han Jin Hee as Shin Woo Sub the man who raised himself from below and became the president of a big company. He may be brash, uncouth and uneducated but he's loyal.

Cha Hwa Jun as the the submissive wife Jo Kyung Hee

Lastly, I will like to quote Shin Hyun Woo at the last episode after the revenge was all wraped up "one person is dead and one person live in misery. So why am I still unhappy? If I had entrusted the sins of those two to God back then , would our lives be different now?"

So making two wrongs won't make everything back to right.

Grey's Anatomy S6

2010-03-14T00:15:00.002+08:00

Out of the blue (I passed that age/era where I keep up to date with the western celebrities' life)my fingers tune in to Entertainment Weekly; Izzie Stevens will no longer returning to Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital as Katherine Heigl has been release from her contract. Yeah kinda expected that as there's no stories development for her except she survived cancer and left her husband who won't take her back because he deserves better than a-wife-who-thinks-he-only-merits-a-note.

Well, even the best (ahem... not that I claimed to be a "best") must eat our words. Didn't I wrote before that I won't be watching Grey's anymore because there was no George? Again, my curiousity get the better of me. I wanna see how the remaining cast will cope with the death of George, how many more episodes will he be remembered? Not many, I think... I forgot to count hehe...

I was planning to stop downloading, but the merger with Mercy West, and the new residents got my curiousity going to watch more. Now I think I watched till episodes 15, hmmm... yes, the Dr. Jackson Avery (Jesse William) is "pretty" as he called himself, but there's still no umph in his character so does Dr. Reed Adamson (Nora Zehetner) with her big bambi eyes staring at Karev (the other two residents irritating!) ... but I still miss George with his 'dorky' ways... sigh! we'll see if we continue watching...

Jesse Williams

Nora Zehetner

Percy Jackson

2010-03-01T22:12:00.003+08:00

Watched the movie Percy Jackson - The Lightening Thief with my nieces and nephew. Never notice about Percy Jackson before. I noticed Pendragon, Artemis Fowl, Darren Shan etc etc on the teens bookshelf before but never PJ. So not surprisingly, I was not really enthusiastic about watching this movie, than my friend (who 'mostly' I can trust her taste hehehe) published in FB on how she love the movie. So there I was at the weekend can't wait to see the movie, but since my cute baby nieces were at home I did not have the heart to leave them. So I asked my grown-up furitbabies who wants to join me the next day but they had to arrange their own transport to the cineplex since I'll be going straight from the office. (And argh! an officemate also have the same idea, but we pretended not to see each other at the cineplex... haha how funny!).

Anyway, I love the movie also (it was not a bore as Avatar), and I can't wait to know how the stories end... want to wait for the next 5 years for the movies adaptation? No way! So the next day at lunch time, zoom I went to the bookstore that I had previously called to confirm that they do have the books in store. Lunch? Karipap and Pepsi from the bakery next door is enough. But I refrain from buying all the available 4 books at once, what if I found the narration of the book boring? I just bought 2. Hmmm... Maybe I should do something to discipline my 'curiousity', its draining my wallet and takes so much of my time that I should spend being a better person... but how????

I finished 2 books in 3 nights and rushed off the next day to buy the next 2 books which I also finished just before I went for my trip to KK. Thank god, I had a trip planned, or else my nails will be my victims for my impatience. First shop I frequented at KK (of course after breakfast at McD) was Harris, but arghhhh!!!!! they didn't have any stock left of The Last Olympian. So hehe.. I convinced my friend to take the free shuttle bus to Warisan, lets shop at 1Borneo later. But double arghhhh!!!! Times @ Warisan also don't have stock, but they do have stock at Suria Sabah. It takes RM 20+ to-fro Suria Sabah and Warisan, and I heard the shops are still limited there, so its kinda hard to convince my friend now to go then and there. My mood was turning sour on my first-away-day just because I couldn't get my hand on the book. So just as I was just following my friend as we flit from shops to shops at Centrepoint, I remember another bookstore at the top Popular! So I told my friend to wait for me while I run upstairs and check the bookstore. I was so happy, they have The Last Olympian and at around only BND 11!!! Shesh! If I waited to buy all the previous 4 PJ books at Popular I would save around BND 20!

So what do I find intriguing about PJ? I don't know... its not in the same level as Harry Potter but I still find it enjoyable. I know tidbits here and there about Greek Gods Mythology from movies and tv series (Hercules, Xena).

The Ligtning Thief

We are introduced to Percy Jackson, a normal kid only that he always get into trouble and that has dyslexia (a learning disorder that manifests itself as difficulty in reading and spelling) and ADHD (Attention- Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder). As it turned out he was one of the demigods half human, half god. Life is dangerous for the demigods for the monsters (who got good tracking senses on demigods) purpose of life is to killed them. So the 'responsible' gods set up a camp, Camp Half-Blood to train their offsprings to better defend themselves.

There are 3 super-powerful gods above all gods, the leader Zeus of course, Poseidon and Hades. Whereas there are other powerful gods and there are minor gods. Minor gods' offspring are not so powerful so mostly they don't have a place at camp (the monsters also seldom go after them anyway). So when Percy got to camp and befriended Annabeth (daughter of Athena, goddess of wisdom etc) and Luke (son of Hermes, god of thieves (what a give-away!), traveller, messenger etc etc).

Because the offspring of the Big 3 are always so powerful so the Big 3 each take an oath not to produce anymore, but ironically Zeus and Poseidon broke their promise, only Hades keep his words. Since Zeus's daughter died and he turned her into a tree to guard the camp, so Zeus deduce that Poseidon planned to overthrow him by having his son to steal his lightning spear. So in this adventure Percy along with Annabeth, and his best friend Grover the satyr tries to prove Poseidon's innocence and save his mother from Hades' cluthches.

I don't like Hades movie version but I like Hades book version ^_^ and oh! the guy playing Poseidon is Kevn McKidd the guy who played Dr. Owen in Grey's Anatomy or the fiance I think in Made of Honour, he's not handsome per se but he's so 'manly' plus he has like sad eyes. Logan Lerman as Percy Jackson is okay (though his eyes kinda remind of that Lost/Vampire Diaries guy, Ian Somerhalder) but can't Alexandra Daddario dye her hair blonde to fit the image of Annabeth in the books? Apart from the colour of her hair and eyes she fits my mental imagination of Annabeth udah :(

Don't ask me how Uma Thurman's Medusa is, I closed my eyes when she take off her turban!

Sea of Monsters

Someone poison Thalia-the-tree that protects the magical border of the camp that keep the monsters and mortal alike from entering. The only thing that can cure the tree is The Golden Fleece which thanks to Grover they found out was in the safekeeping of a dangerous cyclops. And oh yeah, Percy also found out he has a half-brother, only that he's not half-human.

Titan's Curse

Annabeth is missing! but Percy believes she's still alive. There's a prophecy that the offspring of one of the Big 3 is gonna make a decision that could destroy and protect The Olympian. And it does not help that Thalia has now returned to life, so now the prophecy is either her or Percy. They also encounters Bianca and Nico, a powerful-unclaimed-demigods... whose offspring are they? And why there are many blank pages in their memories?

Battle of The Labyrinth

They suspect the enemy tries to find another entry into the camp, one that does not have to go through the magical protection. So Percy has to go underground to get ahead of the enemy and getting navigation know-how of this 'entry'.

The Last Olympian

Finally, the full prophecy is revealed. I don't want to spoil the ending so that's all I'm gonna write

As an adult, you smile with the thought of the fate of the world rest on 16-years old and his friend. But hey, this is a story where there is many gods and they are all bickering and have many faults. So it's not a something to be taken oh so seriously (not that I taken Harry Potter seriously), just do not disect is so much. I don't know what make me can't really wait to know the ends of the story, maybe its to know the meaning of the prophecy (which I don't 100%ly understand) or maybe its just Percy and Annabeth non-expressed- feeling that got me going ^_^ these two are so cute, that it makes me almost wish that the author would give them an ending like Harry Potter where they are grown up and have their own kids... almost.

Grey's Anatomy

2010-02-28T04:08:00.004+08:00

Just finished season 5 of this darn series - though I think I borrowed the dvds from my niece like eons ago - and I can't sleep. My brain are full of thoughts and can't switch off. I decided before to quit this series because I got sick of all the on-and-off, to-and-fro and the changing-partners relationship of this series. Then my niece wrote in her blog of how they killed off George O'Malley character... what???!!! Of all the residents, all the interns, why do they killed off O'Malley?! That got me curious enough to borrow the dvds but not curious enough apparently to watch it immediately.

I have 3 favourite doctors in this series and then I have to bump Izzie Stevens off because she also is a scatterheart in which she skipped from Alex to Danny to George then back to the dead Danny and Alex. Arghhh!!! Enough already... I understand that life happens, people move on but still how could people be superficial like that? So one moment in life you're gaga over this person than the next moment you broke off brokenheartedly, then the next moment you're gaga over another person and completely oblivious to the fact that before you're so in love with another person. And that person is also okay seeing you going gaga with another person. Doesn't a remnants of that strong feelings remain, to make you at least uncomfortable being so in love with another person infront of the other person you used to love?

Now that George is no more, I might be put off watching this series entirely... might be. Apart from T.R. Knight (I was disappointed when I learn he was gay; not because that zeroed my chances with him!, it was already zero anyway, but more like owh! there is something wrong with the wiring) what I like about this show is that loyalty among friends, how they were there for each other when they are needed the most. And they were not even blood-related so its a conscious choice, not duty-bound. They might not like each other most of the time, but they are someone you can depend on. And it constantly remind you how short life is, how precious one moment is.

And how I like Bailey strong character, her husband gives her an ultimatum - her career or her marriage - and she give a decision to him; a divorce!

Btw, I got this idea to start a new blog that no one would know about, so I can go rambling about whats going on in my head without editing much, but I don't know.... nobody read my blog anyway except for my friend and my 'eccentric' niece (eccentric because she read my blog)

Heroes and Villains

2010-02-17T23:29:00.006+08:00

I managed to get through from ep 30-51 of Queen Seon Deok's bad subs. Now Mi Shil is dead and Deok Man becomes the Queen. She acknowledge that the road she had taken was a lonely one, she could not trusted anyone but herself. Everyone is selfish, out for their own gain ... but even Yu Shin??? He pledge he gave all he had to give for her while Bi Dam pledge he would do all to get back what he had lost. Darn! Can somebody remind me of a story, of a legend, of any myth where the strong female lead get the 'career' and the love? Why does women have to choose either one and man can easily get both? For a woman, if you're so successful then most likely you would end up being alone.

And argggggh! I wish Bi Dam does not have to become the 'dark prince' now that the lead 'dark princess' had died... how wish that Mi Shil had lived longer, so that something stronger can develop beween Deok Man and Bi Dam to overcome the dark force of his greed and ambitions.

Nature vs Nurture; the old debates came to mind. Yes, Bi Dam is selfish, who didn't?, and he courgeous and brave enough to fight for what he believes is his. Isn't that a positive character? Everyone is greedy, the only difference is the extent of that greed would govern your action; would that motivate you to strive harder, would you let go of all your principles just to have what others have? or would you just smirk to yourself and chant be grateful with what you have now?

Bi Dam could become a greater man if it wasn't for those evil minions that feeds his greed and ambitions; made him wanted more, made him believes it was rightfully his in the beginning. Yes, maybe DNA plays a part in moulding his character - he is Mi Shil's son after all - but if only he was brought up with proper upbringing, feel love and wanted, maybe he would not turn be this 'disjointed' person. I'm gonna take a break from QSD for now and wait for the dvds with good subs... Right now, I got Percy Jacksons to read (watch the movie and interested to know more about the Greek Gods myth so I bought the book! It was intended for childrens so guaranteed an easy read), other series to watch, and other korean dramas to better spend my time own (compare to wasting my time trying to deciper what exactly the subs trying to translate!)

Talking bout korean drama, there are 2 currently airing Korean Drama that even just reading the recaps make me feel 'bubbly'. The dramas are Wish Upon A Star and The Woman Who Still Want To Marry. This two dramas didn't pique my interest when I read the synopsis but because Javabeans personally doing the recaps, I'm curious enough to read the recaps of the first two episodes and...getting sucked in!

Wish Upon A Star, is a stroy of a flighty 25-years old woman who had not have a care in the world. Her aim in life was to dolled herself to caught the interest of the love her life, the cold hearted prince. But life takes a turn for the worst when she lost both her parents in an accident making her the sole guardian of her 5 adopted siblings and worst still the villains in this drama made them lost their home too. She could have taken the easy way out and turned the kids to foster homes, but she squared her shoulder, cut her hair and bear the burden. I like reading about her growing as a person, and the kids sounds adorable too! Kim Ji Hoon might be dashingly andsome in Flowers For My Life, but in this drama his hairdo seems weird, though that does not mean I'm not itching to see this drama!!! Cause I am, but I just don't have the patience to watching streaming nor the time.

My first impression of reading the synopsis of The Woman Who Still Want to Marry was arghhh... another Dal Ja Spring? What's Up Fox? A much older woman being paired up with a younger man. Really really this drama was not in my list of dramas-to-watch but I didn't know how Javabeans suckered me to read one episode recaps to another, making me even more "in love" with Kim Bum. First saw Kim Bum in the widely known BBF and then love him as Dong Chul in East of Eden but here I think I'm gonna fall deeper into the pit.

I thought Jang Geun Seok is cute, Chun Jung Myung is cute, - who else ah?- but nothing compares to Kim Bum who makes me wish that I was born a little bit more later. (Snort! Like that would make my chances ending up with him greater!) Haha... if I was Shin Young I would jump headfirst with him regardless of the consequences, of society... ( Double snort!)but I'm not Shin Young and Min Jae is not 'real' - only the cute Kim Bum is real - so yeah me jumping would n-e-v-e-r happen.

Okay ready for lots of Kim Bum's pics from the drama (courtesy to dramabeans.com) .... swoons!

Hmm... now that I see back the screen recaps, I realised that its not his physical appearance that I find endearing and cute, though his eyes are really 'feeling'. Its his romantic gestures that pulled the string of my old heart! I think lah... haha I don't like to overanalyse things... makes you see thing you better off not seeing I'm sure. Yawn! I better get some sleep....

The Legend of The Seeker

2010-02-01T21:02:00.005+08:00

I wasn't exactly enthralled by The Legend of The Seeker when I first watched the first 4 episodes, but I continued buying the dvds because 1. because I'm stingy, 1 dvd cost $4 but if I buy 3 its $10, so whats extra $2 for 4 episodes of whatever story right? and 2. because my brother like it. So anyway, I buy the complete first season dvds and didn't watch it until (my brother tired of waiting for me to buy the new second season, bought it himself) I was literally drop on my brother's bed from sheer tiredness and that time he was watching the second season episodes. Wah! They add another permanent character into the series, and the story development become more interesting; more twist. So here I am, after finally finished watching the entire first season, second season up to the 8th episode and now waiting for for the 2 other episodes that I'm currently downloading... haha QSD you have to wait...

The story was taken from the book by Terry Goodkind, The Sword of Truth (gonna search for this book and if the flow of the language seems okay, gonna buy it!!! but if its like Tolkien... think I'll save my money and stick with the tv series). As you could see from the cover of the tv series its more of 'fantasy' story, where the world was separated into 3 provinces: Westland (where normal people live and no magics), the Midlands (lead by a coucil of representatives called Confessors) and D'Hara (ruled by the tyrant Darken Rahl). Westland is separated from Midlands by a magical boundary- to prevent any magic from entering Westlands,but a gate was opened by a Confessors in search of the Seeker to help the Midlands from being overtaken by Darken Rahl.

Richard Cypher led an ordinary life as young wood guides living a town in Westland. It was as much a shock to him to find himself as the prophesied Seeker as the Confessor, Kahlan Amnell to discover he was the seeker. Her role is to protect the seeker with her life in his quest to defeat Darken Rahl and his minions and in their journey, they fall in love with each other. It was the fate of the Confessor not to marry the person they love for their power can magnify their love to totally enslave the person they love; that their only thought will be of the Confessor's well being and benefit. Which Kahlan cannot let happen or else it will diverge Richard's main quest. Hmmm.... maybe I was fascinated with the theme of forbidden love, fighting the longings, resisting the temptation to be selfish, standing firm on what is right and should be...

In the ending of the first season, there's a twist which I did not expect, something that connect Richard and Darken Rahl. The sins of the father...

And becoming a permanent cast in the second season, Cara the Mod-Sith. I once teased my brother that the reason he like watching LOTS is because Bridget Regan (Kahlan) is soooo beautiful.

But he denied it and said he did not find her beautiful. I did not know if he lied or not, but most probably he did! Hello, how can any man called her not beautiful??? But this brother of mine do have weird taste in his previous girlfriends

Anyway this new blood into the series adds more spice, not only she is a beauty also but her beauty is in contrast with Bridget where Bridget is so kind-looking and an open-book, Tabrett Bathell looks so dangerous and mysterious. Bridget in white silk (pure), Tabrett in red leather (seductive). And that pouting lips...

The Producers did not forget feast for the eyes for the female viewers as well, every chance they get they let Craig Horner take off his shirts and shows off the sinewy muscle. Thank god, his muscle are not overly bulging or else I will cringe everytime I watch him not fully dressed. He's good looking enough but so far don't have the 'charms' of Bradley James and Colin Morgan in Merlin me think,.I mean he did not make me wonder what he's like as a real person outside of this series. And his eyes did not 'twinkle' when he smiles, tease or make a joke...

And I don't think his chemistry with Bridget onscreen was 'sizzling' just mediocre... and his smaller stature compare to broad-shouldered Bridget does not help either

Talking about stature, Bruce Spence looks like a giant walking amongst these three. He looks so tall... He's Richard grandfather by the way, his eccentric neighbour when he was growing up, the wizard of the first order who travels with him and Kahlan in his quest to defat Darken Rahl... Now, Zedd sometimes can be funny... I'm not asking for humour like in Hercules or Xena, but a bit more humour to lighten up the 'world is doomed' theme please...

Hopefully, I can resist myself from searching for the books tomorrow or the day after or in these few months, I stll got my nieces' novels to read, dvds to watch. How I wish I could stop time...

By the way, you might think my life is so lame, so boring, zero social life but I kinda like it that way. Though I'm not anti-social as my sister called me, I just like my quiet, simple, calm, organized life

Road to be a better person

2010-01-04T13:41:00.005+08:00

2010 has come for 4 days now, but since this is the start of the working day for 2010, it seems as if everyone starts their greets with "Selamat Tahun Baru" or "Happy New Year". I was feeling disgruntled just now when a collegue greet me thus, an automated reply just slips out of my-lidah-tak-bertulang "whats so happy about it?". To me its just that I have to remember the change of the last number of the date when I write a letter- it wont change for the next 365 days(haha! I usually only get the hang of writing the correct year by Feb-Mac).

Sigh, I'm having a bad January this year, my fuse are getting shorter and sensitive. Well, actually I didnt mean to snap at people but it just *shrug* - should I feel guilty? Its not as if they had not snapped at me before when they're having a bad day...but I just swept it under the rug and not childishly giving them a silent treatment... ahhh, bleh blah lah - no skin off my back.

The work and the collegues make me wanna pull my hair, bang my head against the desk, yell on top of my lungs, wail like a crazy lunatics, laugh like a banshee... The attitude of some people who constantly bemoaning their so-called-non-existence-workload just make me wanna yell at them shut-the-hell-up!!!!!! I would love to switch workload with you! Thank god, my bad mood recede after a few hours at home, where any thoughts of work is forbidden from entering my brain zone - thank you korean drama! my escapism from the suckness of reality. Its 5.30pm and the office is nearly empty, I called up the officer who preached that we need to put extra hour and extra efforts for this month, but it was unaswered - *snickered* u went home already? where's your "extra-ness"? You must be wondering, if I'm busy what the heck I'm wasting time writing this? Well, I want to vent out my bitterness thats what! I feel my heart has turned to black this couple of months, the smiles and calmness are all fake... Life IS an act

But really, whats with the upbeat about new year anyway? What's so speacial of Jan 1st? Begining of new hope? What about the unfulfilled hope of last years? Forgotten? My hope has no beginning and no ending... they say to change the world, you must be willing to change yourself... hellooooo! thats the hardest part!

This January whats in my head are February please come soon!!!, my plans to go to UK and/or South Korea in 2010-2011, thinking to buy a laptop so that I can watch korean drama streaming without peeking if my brother's is using his laptop and lists of korean dramas to watch! Gosh, the reviews from dramabeans blog just keep making those lists longer and longer. How do I find the time??????!!!!! Oh yeah, the how-long-has-I-been-proscratinating plan to spring clean my room! Need to do it soon!, there's so much stuff littering on the floor that I cannot bear to see someone goes in lest they step on something important! - like a cockroach hahaha!

But top priority- NOT TO MISS MY 5 DAILY MEETINGS!!!!! ON-TIME!!!! NO EXCUSES!!!

AIM - Ke arah Kesempurnaan Insan

Wife's Temptation

2010-01-04T12:24:00.004+08:00

Yipee! I finally finished watching 129 episodes of Wife's Temptation! I don't know how long it takes me to finished it cause when it gotten me so "argggghhhhh!" I switched to other modes of forget-real-life entertaiment such as english tv series that I had downloaded, current movies and a novel or two....

I try to write a better synopsis than in dramawiki. The drama intertwined the story of 3 families; The Gu family, The Jung family and The Min family. At first, the story of the Min family are separate that there's no linkage with the other 2 families. Anyway, Gu Eun Jae's had to marry Jung Gyo Bin since he impregnanted her. Like he said, at that time he actually trully loves her that he went to all means to made her marry him. But alas his roving playboy eyes evaporates bit by bit with 7 years of marriage and he let Eun Jae be humiliated and treated as an unpaid-maid by his mother who saw her beneath their status because she came from poor family.

Then, her best friend- Shin Ae Ri; the daughter of her parents' best friend that they had treated as if their own daughter came back from Paris. It turns out she was out to get Jung Gyo Bin, she had a 7 year-old son with him! That was like when she and Gyo Bin was newly married! At first, Gyo Bin just wanted to treat her as his many other affairs and maintain Eun Jae as his wife but he's no match to her manipulative mind. So in the end, he divorced Eun Jae and to ensure that his father's wont leave a huge chunk of his inheritance to Eun Jae's unborn child, he threaten to drown her if she wouldnt abort the child. The current was so strong, that he let go of his grip on Eun Jae and like a coward and jerk he was swam to save his life. When Eun Jae was declared committing suicide by drowning herself, he married Ae-Ri.

But Eun Jae didnt drown. She was save by Min Gun Wu who was looking for his adoptive sister who did try to commit suicide by drowning herself. She later met Gun Wu adoptive mother - who sympathize with her story and had a hidden vendetta against the Jung's family herself - who let her assume the identity of her lost daughter Min Soo Hee. Eun Jae remake herself to become a confident successful career woman and shed her humble-housewifey attitude, to get her revenge claws on Gyo Bin and Ae Ri. Then, the story become more complicated when the real Min Soo Hee comes back to life and claim her identity... I wish her mother would just send her to a mental institution!

What makes me go arghhh! is that the evil-characters in this drama, raised hell when something bad happened was done to them, but they didn't realise that they, themselves had done that to another person - but its okay. And when once in awhile it was brought to their attention, they blame others for making them do that! THEY JUST NEVER REPENT AND REGRET THEIR ACTIONS!

The ending, well... I think I cry because of Nino... its a good ending, just satisfactory - it ties all the story. Do I recommend it to another? I think not... I wants to watch it in the first place because people's keeps mentioning it or refering to this drama plus Bae So Bin is gonna be in a drama that a spin-off from this one. Sigh! When will I learnt my lesson?

When you're king you can change that...

2009-12-20T00:32:00.003+08:00

I first bought the Merlin's dvd because I hate the thought of being cheated even for merely $2. And me being me, always been intrigued by stories of magic, time-travel, life reincarnation and -now because of the twilight frenzy to my embarassment -vampire. So among all the available TV series, Merlin caught my interest as well as Legend of The Seeker but I choose Merlin.

Once I watch Merlin, I kinda like it. Colin Morgan as Merlin was so cute, funnily-sarcastic and dorky, and his smiles are so endearing with a mochievous lit to his eyes. While Prince Arthur though he was a "royal prat" to quote Merlin, he really has a good heart; it shows how much he cares for the people's of camelot and especially for his trusted manservant Merlin that he would risk his life for him

Haha...among the first thing I notice about Bradley James was he had a plump backside but that just it. I continue watching Merlin for the sake of Merlin and Colin Morgan. However, now in season 2, I kinda fall for Prince Arthur too, when he started wearing his heart on his sleeves. First on the Once and Future Queen episode where he started to know Gwen more, than during the Lancelot and Guinevere episode where Lancelot and Arthur came to Gwen rescue (Btw, I'm disappointed with chosen female casts). That was the point where I began to rewatch the first season again and begin to appreciate the camaderie between Merlin and Arthur. If I have to choose now between Merlin and Arthur, I couldnt make up my mind whereas before I would not have to think at all and answered without hesitation, Merlin

Then now, as I was tumblring and surfing the net about the show, the legendary Arthur, Camelot and Merlin. I have come across some site about the "gayness" of the show... and it makes me go urghh! about the dirtiness about some people's mind, how they could see subtext -whether the writer intentionally put them in or not- in the show. But alas, I'm gonna still watch the show, but I think their opinions will gonna ruin my enjoyment of this show. Now, I'm gonna "see" what they "see" also. Why can't men be so close to one another without being thought of as gay?

Short Break...

2009-12-02T00:12:00.003+08:00

Was done watching Queen Seon Duk Vol.1, I should have waited until Vol.2 was available cause now I'm frustrated to know the continuation of the story. To watch streaming will be to slow... Argh!!! I only browse wiki to get to know the casts and get a general gist who's gonna end up with whom...makes me curiouser to knw who falls for who, Yoo Shin and Duk Man? Yoo Shin and Chun Myung? Duk Man and Bi Dam? Fudge! Please be soon....

Was not really a fan of Go Hyun Jung before. I do like her but she didnt make a lasting impression, although I read praises of her acting everywhere. But now after watching QSD, I was blown away by her. I love-hate her Mi Shil characters, every nuances she utter, every lifts of her eyebrow (yes, no 's', a single eyebrow - I can do that too!), every subtle movements of her eyes is just so ... I cant find the perfect word to describe it. She's just perfect for the role of Mi Shil, a beloved-feared-ambitious character.

I am also currently watching Cruel Temptations aka Temptations of Wife, a revenge drama so its sorta depressing, and the casts are not that great looking so... I'm taking a break for the moment.

Last night, just watch the latest eps. of Supernatural that I had downloaded. Thanks to my eldest noece, now I know how to d/l english series. Am not keen to d/l kdrama at the moment, the thought of hours sitting infront of the pc...just not appealing to me. Anyway, Jo died?????!!!!! Why?????!!!!! I thought she would be Dean salvation, who brought him back to his charming-carefree-devilmaycare-funny former self. Would she be back alive? Only in Heroes and Supernatural can they be back alive -i think - in other show if you're dead, you're dead. Only chance you came back is as another character with similar features...

I should have sleep early tonight, tomorrow we got a meeting in the morning and the documents are not ready yet, so have to arrive at the office bright and early. Okay,I'll just watch 1 ep of Glee for a cheerful dose before calling it a day.....

Queen Seon Duk Vol 1

2009-12-02T00:05:00.007+08:00

Lady Mi Shil (Go Hyun Jung) broke her promise, betray the love of her life, the man who gave her everything and wants nothing in return except her happiness - to gain name and power. She serves King Jinji steadfastly and loyalty and what she got in return? Her ordered her to be put to death when he himself was nearly at death's door, for he could see her greed for power would destroy Shilla and the royal family once he's gone. The thing is, he ordered Mi Shil's lovers to carry out the dirty deed. So they planned to ambush the palace and forced the king to drink poison, alas they were too late, the reaper was already ahead of them so the poison was unnecesary.

Jin Heung was not the chosen heir to the throne, although he was the king's own son. The king passed down the throne to his still young nephew Jin Pyeong but the only one who knew this was Mi Shil. So she went to Jin Heung and strike a deal, she help him to become the king and he would soon make her his queen. Jin Heung agree and was soon enthroned to be the king. However, even after Mi Shil borne him a son, he still refuse to marry her and make her the queen. So Mi Shil abandoned the baby who is no longer usefull to her and began to plot to dethrone Jin Heung and thus making Jin Pyeong the king. However, there is only one glitch in her plan, Jin Pyeong is already married to Princess Maya - him so much younger than her was no even considered an obstacle. So they tried to do away with her but she survived Mi Shil scheme and come back alive heavyly pregnant.

But 'heaven' were on her side then, Princess Maya was carrying a twin and there is a prophecy passed down for hundred of years in Shillla that once a king have twin children than the male line of the royal family will come to an end. So when the moment twin was born the king in order to save his wife and one of his baby girl had to forsake the other twin. He gave her to his personal maid and told her to take the baby away from Shilla so that she can survive too.

Years later....

Mi Shil still look as beautiful as ever, while King Jin Pyeong and Queen Maya aged faster than her, that it seem they were much older than her....

Fudge, its gonna be a long post if I continue to summarize the story. Lets just say the abandoned twin Deok Man come back to Shilla to find who she really is. She posed as a man and become one of the trained Hwarang. She thought no one knew her secret - how could it be possible no one catch on??!! even in this day and age with private washroom and everything it will be hard to posed for a long period of time with person who are you in close proximity of -as in sharing the same room, sleeping beside you.

Anyway, one upon another began to know that she really is a woman, and then they began to find out she was the other princess. So Mi Shil wants her captured as evidence that the Queen does gave birth to twin and thus eliminating the Queen and make it possible for her to take the Queen's seat. I also asked myself, why dont she just simply kill the Queen and make it look like an accident? Haha..then the story will be simple and short and uninteresting. So Deok Man have to run away from the palace, and Yoo Shin accompanied her, since she wasnt really good at defending herself even after years of Hwarang's training.

Anyway, to cut the story short. Yoo Shin know all along that she was a she and even aide her without her knowing to keep her secret so that she can remained by his side. He gave up his family, his tribe and his country for Deok Man. He wished to run so far away and live as common people. However Deok Man didn't, her heart was full of hatred and revenge now after all that Mi Shil had done to her and her family. She wants to weakened Mi Shil power and take over the throne.

Yoo Shin: For me, serving a king requires everything from me and loving you also requires everything from me. But I do not know how to divide my everything. That is why from now on...my personal feelings for you... I am ending my love for you as a man. I can serve you, help you, and lead you, but I cannot love you as a man. I chose you but you chose the throne. That is why I have chosen you as my ruler. Other than that, there's no other way for me to give you my heart so other than that there's no no other way for you to accept my heart. Don't misunderstand. From now on, even though I'm by your side, we cannot give each other comfort as common people. We cannot do that for each other. You said you are afraid to think of me as a pawn on a chessboard, but compared to my suffering your own suffering will be greater.

Haha... if Iwere Deok Man rather than standing like a statue with tears running down my face. I will grab hold of him and tell him I've changed my mind. Lets live like common people. Lets forget the palace and the family I never knew I have. Why does it matter then that my name will not be recorded in history, to me that's not living forever. I only get one life to live, so lets make it as happy as possible, with less strife and struggle just to hold onto a cold hard throne.

Sigh! I knew Yoo Shin ended up marrying someone else later. but its okay, maybe if its someone else other than Uhm Tae Woong I will trully be dissatisfied but I didnt find him as 'yummy' as dramabeans do. And there's Bi Dam, hopefully something flourish there, I like Bi Dam's character - smart and reckless ^_^ I remember I wrote on my previous post that I will wait for the boxset of the next volume. Wont watch it online. But I cant help myself. I dont whether its out of impatience or curiousity. Form the previous 4 paragraphs before this one, I watch the ep. on viikii but now I'm gonna stop - exercise self control; dont wanna end up as a panda. Please come soon Vol.2, or the cds shops will get sick of seeing my face visiting everyday but not buying LoL!

Casts:

Lee Yo Won as Princess Duk Man, later Queen Seon Duk
- Nam Ji Hyun as young Princess Duk Man
Ko Hyun Jung as Lady Mi Shil
- UEE as young Mi Shil
Uhm Tae Woong as Kim Yoo Shin
- Lee Hyun Woo as young Kim Yoo Shin

Extended Cast

Jo Min Ki as King Jinpyeong (Duk Man's father)
- Baek Jong Min as young Jinpyeong
  - Kang San as child Jinpyeong
Yoon Yoo Sun as lady Ma Ya (Duk Man's mother; King Jinyeong's wife)
- Park Soo Jin as young Ma Ya
Park Ye Jin as Princess Chun Myung (King Jinpyeong's 2nd daughter; Kim Yong Choon's wife)
- Shin Se Kyung as young Princess Chun Myung
Seo Young Hee as So Hwa
Park Jung Chul as Kim Yong Soo (King Jinji's eldest son)
Do Yi Sung as Kim Yong Choon (King Jinji's 2nd son)
Yoo Seung Ho as Kim Chun Chu (Kim Yong Choon and Princess Chun Myung's son)
Park Eun Bin as Bo Rang (Mi Shil's granddaughter; Bo Jong's daughter; Kim Chun Chu's wife)
Im Ye Jin as lady Man Myeong (Jipyeong's sister; Kim Seo Hyun's wife)
Jung Ho Bin as Moon No (the 8th leader of Hwarang Warriors)
Im Ho as King Jinji (cameo, ep1)
Lee Soon Jae as King Jin Heung (cameo, ep1)
Kim Nam Gil as Bi Dam (Mi Shil's son)
- Park Ji Bin as young Bi Dam
Jung Woong In as Mi Saeng (Mi Shil's younger brother; the 10th leader of Hwarang Warriors)
Dok Go Young Jae as Se Jong (Mi Shil's husband; the 6th leader of Hwarang Warriors)
Jun Noh Min as Seol Won (Mi Shil's lover; the 7th leader of Hwarang Warriors)
Kim Jung Hyun as Ha Jong (Mi Shil and Se Jong's son; the 11th leader of Hwarang Warriors)
Baek Do Bin as Bo Jong (Mi Shil and Seol Won's son)
- Kwak Jung Wook as young Bo Jong
Qri (큐리) as Young Mo (Mi Shil's daughter; Kim Yoo Shin's wife)
Ahn Kil Kang as Chil Sook
Song Ok Sook as Seo Ri
Kang Sung Pil as San Tak
Kim Dong Soo as Hyeop Seong
Jung Sung Mo as Kim Seo Hyun (Kim Yoo Shin's father)
Lee Moon Shik as Jook Bong
Ryu Dam as Go Do
Jung Ho Geun as Seol Ji
Joo Sang Wook as Wol Ya
Moon Ji Yoon as Si Yeol
- Shin Tae Hoon (신태훈) as young Si Yeol
Jun Young Bin as Gok Sa Heun
- Jung Hyung Min (정형민) as young Gok Sa Heun
Park Young Seo as Dae Pung
- Lee Suk Min (이석민) as young Dae Pung
Go Yoon Hoo as Ho Jae (the 14th leader of Hwarang Warriors)
Hong Kyung In as Seok Pum
- No Young Hak as young Seok Pum
Lee Seung Hyo as Alcheon
- Ho Hyo Hoon (호효훈) as young Alcheon
Kang Ji Hoo as Im Jong
- Kim Suk as young Im Jong
Suh Dong Won as Deok Chung
- Lee Do Hyun as young Deok Chung
Jang Hee Woong as Bakui
- Seo Sang Won as young Bakui
Lee Sang Hyun as Pil Tan
- Kim Tae Jin (김태진) as young Pil Tan
Choi Sung Jo as Seon Yeol
- Oh Eun Suk (오은석) as Young Seon Yeol
Kim Dong Hee as Wang Yoon
Ryu Sang Wook as Dae Nam Bo
- Kim Sang Bin (김상빈) as young Dae Nam Bo
Choi Woo Sung (최우성) as young Wang Woo
Park Jae Jung as Sa Da Ham (Mi Shil's first love; cameo, ep13)

Fate

2009-11-15T01:21:00.001+08:00

My sister lends this book to me about a wk ago, but i have not got the time nor the interest to read it then, but then last night heavy rainfall accompanied by kilat and guruh so nda boleh online or watch tv, so i grab the novel that i toss under the bed. Thought i’ll just read til i feel sleepy….but by the time i feel sleepy i’m already hook on the storyline, curious to knw the ending.

The novel is about this average girl who fall in love with a man beyond her means, in looks and also social circle. But she knw herself, she dont dream to be anythng to him, just adore him frm afar - he dislike her. However, circumstances change when a black heart forced them to get married, the guy hates her more - thought she had engineered it so that she can live in a lap of luxury, so he makes life as his wife hell and goes to all means to take away her dignity… I dont want to go into details but basically somthng bad happens to him and he turns a new leaf and realise what a gem he has for a wife. I get it that she forgive him, but to return back to him???!!! And then he doesnt 100%ly change, he still the arrogant, egoistical hot -tempered jerk when he wins back her heart - so he hurts her again; still she loves him???!!! Argh!!!! I get it that when you love someone you accept their good and their bad, but if their bad was sooooo bad - hw cud you love them in the first place???

But I sure cry a tumbler over this novel, waking up with swollen eyes…

Dunia yang melalaikan...

2009-10-29T19:45:00.006+08:00

Haha... I know there are so many better things to do with the limited time we are given. I know I should resist temptations but I couldn't help it... Gimme stength, gimme courage -_-

Well, currently I'm watching You're Beautiful at dramaclick.com whenever I have the time... at the moment only til eps.3!!!! whereas now they have uploaded til ep. 7 already! i was also planning to watch Smile, You; Angel Temptations and Iris after I have watched all the uploaded eps of YB (in that order!). Home-viewing time is ltd nowadays, my niece always sleep late so only after 11pm onwards I'll be able to turn on the pc by which me, myself are already tired and sleepy :( Office-viewing? darn, not only workload is piling up, the wireless membuat perangai tia jua... Can't even relax and watch kdrama during lunch hour :( Haha...turns out by the time I finally able to finish all the drama, the boxset will be available at the shop tia karang!

You're Beautiful, although a common theme udah, a girl masquerade as a guy (Coffee Prince!) but the way the story develops, the characters - I can't remember the last time I watched a drama I was really laughing at loud! Thank god, that time at the office- I was watching when one of Mi Nyeo marbles fall off and she and the stylist was putting it back in place- it was during lunch hour and no one stayed back but me... or else kedapatan tia streaming, or my office mate will think I'm losing my 'marbles' LOL! At home, my brother was also commenting how I was giggling every now and then infront of the pc... And this even after reading dramabeans review before I even watched the episodes; spoil jua udah tu but I still found the scenes funny!

I can't decide at the moment who Mi Nyeo should end up with...

Tae-Kyung (who knows she's a she and Mi Nyeo knows that he knows) cause there's a good and caring guy underneath that tough-I-don't-care-exterior

Shin Woo (who also know she's a she but lost the oppurtunity to tell her, so he's just content to be her 'hyung', for now?) cause he's so darn schweet

or even Jeremy (the only one yet who doesn't kow she's a she but feels an attraction to her anyway) ^_^ cause he's just simply Jeremy! cutay!

Brilliant Legacy @ Shining Inheritance

2009-10-21T02:18:00.004+08:00

This could be a modern, korean version of cinderella story. A step mother who mistreated her step daughter when her husband has passed away while protecting and lavishing her own daughter.

But Go Eun Sung is no helpless Cinderella. She don't wait for fairygodmother to conjure her a large coach, beautiful dress and glass shoes nor does she wait for prince charming to find her, recognize her and swept her off her feet. "She work hard for the money, so hard for it honey, she work hard for the money, so you better treat her right!" :D

After her father died, her step-mother, Baek Sung Hee, saying that all her father's asset was used to pay his debts; even their house had to be sold. She gave Eun Sung a small amount of money, for her and her autistics brother, Eun Woo to fare for a little while. She said the room she rented was too small for the four of them.

Just as she was trying to make ends meet, misery come her away again, her younger brother disappears! This wont be much of a spoiler, not long after you'll find out it was because of the step mother. When Eun Woo runs into trouble, he recite his sister's handphone number but at the time someone damaged her phone so she can't be reached, so he recite his stepmom's number. Sung Hee come to take him away, that was then she realised Eun Woo's special capabilities to almost memorize anything, any numbers he had seen or heard. She knew that if she let it be, she'll always be burdened when her stepchildren runs into trouble. So she took him away, far away from Seoul and told him not to say anything or else he wont be able to see his sister again; and left him there.

Despite this heartbreak, Eun Sung preserveres and never gave up, she works hard to find enough money, she works hard to find Eun Woo. Her true friend was also there to help in these trying times; Lee Hye Ri (Min Young Won) and Park Jun Se (Bae So Bin). Although she was also having a hard time, she did not a hesitate herself to help Jang Sook Ja who suffered from temporary amnesia. She was really a president of a large food company and the grandmother of Sun Woo Hwan(Lee Seung Ki), who she crosses many paths before with and were not in good terms because of several misunderstanding.

Jun Se confessed that he had developed stronger feelings for Eun Sung but Eun Sung told him she was not ready, she wants to find her brother first. Jun Se said he will wait, it wont be hard waiting since he's gonna always be by her side anyway. But Eun Sung put in close proximity with Hwan and the misunderstanding cleared, started to develop tender feelings for him when she started to get to know him better, same goes for Hwan . And Hwan got Seung Mi- Eun Sung's step sister- who he kept close because of habits; he knows of her feelings for him but choose to ignore the issue and kept her hanging and hoping (Men!)

It took me a long time to finish this drama not only because it was hectic time (Raya!) but because I know Park Jun Se will be heartbroken in the end. Atypically, the second guy do not went to all means to get the love of his life while second gal;Seung Mi did, she who at first was against her mother's machinations and manipulations went along and even aid her, in her effort to keep Hwan to herself. Maybe, this is what happen in reality, people do bad things not because they want to be mean, but it's just the way to survive. Sung Hee who can't live in poverty anymore, Seung Mi because she think can't live without Hwan... but for Sung Hee to be so creative and strategic... haha I do think it takes a mean-smart-mind... or am I just too complacent, easy to give up, take whatever life throw at me, too lazy to fight that my brain can't conjure up such thinking? Cause I don't claim to be un-mean. HAHAHAHA!
This drama raise Bae So Bin's name that he's offered the lead role in Temptation of Angel - currently airing! But I don't like watching online, the slow buffering! :( then there's You're Beautiful, Smile, Iris and not to mention new season of Supernatural, Heroes, Leverage, Merlin etc. where can I find the time?

Casts:

Han Hyo Joo as Go Eun Sung
Lee Seung Ki as Sun Woo Hwan
Bae Soo Bin as Park Jun Se
Moon Chae Won as Yoo Seung Mi

Kim Mi Sook as Baek Sung Hee
Min Young Won as Lee Hye Ri (Eun Sung's friend)
Yun Joon Suk as Go Eun Woo
Jung Suk Won as Jin Young Suk (Hwan's friend)
Han Ye Won as Sun Woo Jung

South of The Border

2009-10-21T00:11:00.004+08:00

I wouldn't pick up this dvd if it wasn't because of Cha Seung Won, and this movie wouldn't make an impression to me if I have watched before I watch City Hall.

The movie plot follows Sun Ho (Cha Seung Won), a bumbling kind French horn player in a North Korean propaganda band, who falls in love with straight talking museum guide Yeon Hwa (Jo Yi Jin). Unfortunately, just after he asks her to marry him, his family receives news that their communist hero grandfather is not actually dead, but is alive and well in South Korea . Terrified that the government will send them to a concentration camp, the family flees across the border. Sun Ho wants to bring Yeon Hwa with him, but Yeon Hwa asked him to go ahead first and then send someone to fetch her and her parents later when he reached his grandfather; as his grandfather is well off there it wouldnt' be hard to hire someone.

Unfortunately, as they finally arrived safely in South Korea, they found out that the grandfather had already passed away. So Sun Ho had to work hard and saving and scraping to pool up funds to hire someone to get Yeon Hwa. Luck was not on his side, when he finally save enough and loan some, he got swindled by some gang who targeted people like him who wants to bring family from the north. He had to start from scratch all over again, which takes years. His sister seeing his gaunt face, told him to just forget Yeon Hwa but he stubbornly refused so she hadto tell him that she heard from a passing missionary that Yeon Hwa was already married.

After some tears, beers and years later, Sun Ho married the kind lady who had helped him. They modified her restaurant to cater to north cuisine delicacies. Just as Sun Ho was settling in to be a husband, he received good news - some north korean refugees has seek asylum in third countries and now have reached the south, among them is Yeon Hwa.

What was he supposed to do? In one hand he still can't forget his first love and feels guilty of the hardship she had to endured to get to him on the other hand, he was a kind and responsible man, how can he just abandon his wife and family now for his selfish heart?

I know this is typical, separated lovers who believe the other half is dead or had moved on so they too had moved on but later find out it wasn't so. So that person had to make decision which path they would choose, the path that hurt many or the path that hurt two? Hmmm... would I hate Sun Ho character for being so weak in deciding his life if it wasn't played by Cha Seung Won? I don't know, haha...I'm soooo a-little-too-much-into him now, darn City Hall's Ju Gook.

You would think that from the title it will have some demoralising view of one country's politocs and lifestyles over another, but I found none, just human tragedy without any finger pointing on which regime is wrong or right. I do find it funny though when Sun Ho point out similarities in religious preaching in the South and propaganda speeches in the North.

City Hall (4.5)

2009-10-19T03:09:00.006+08:00

Isn't it ironic the reason I hesitate to buy and watch this drama was because not only I'm not a fan of Kim Sun Ah but mostly because I don't think the hero was good looking enough? But now he's the reason I love this drama so much from his expressive eyes to his goofy laugh. Anyway, City Hall as you can deduct from the title revolves around the world of politics (which I have no interest in and clueless about)and include some romantic comedy elements.

Shin Mi Rae is a level 10 civil servant (the lowest level in the hierarchy), at Inju City Hall while Jo Gook is a young elite government official who was raised by a single mother, with the ambition of someday becoming the President of South Korea after he successfully passed all civil service and law exams. He was sent over to Inju City Hall by his mentor to pave the way for this mentor of his to get back to the politics world. He was told to get rid of the current mayor and put his own "puppet" mayor for Inju City.

Shin Mi Rae, learn earlier on that life consists of making choices and the best choice sometimes is to remain neutral and the safe policy to remain in the background. She work her way to support her single mother and lend a hand to whomever needed her help. When she heard that the Bandaegi Paegent organized by the city hall will give a huge sum of money to the winner, she summarize this would be the ideal way to pay off her debt - left by her jerk of ex-boyfriend - and spare some to help the needy ones. Thus, she had to appeal to Jo Gook the new deputy mayor of Inju City who was left in charge of the paegent.

Well, one thing led to another....Shin Mi Rae ended up as the youngest mayor of Inju City, and though Jo Gook and Mi Rae bicker constantly, though they know they have different principles,; huge ravine separating them because of Jo Gook's ambition, they ended up falling in love.

Though I have finished watching the drama, I still wanting to read the episode recaps by dramabeans' guest blogger, but what to do she's currently preoccupied with her nearly coming baby. I'm gonna buy if there's another boxset with better subtitles that the one I've got! cause trying to make sense of what the bad subs means to convey is really irritating!

Name: 차승원 / Cha Seung Won
Birthdate: 1970-Jun-07
Height: 188cm
Weight: 80kg

Not bad for a 40 years old! Read somehwere he got 2 kids and the eldest was 20 years old already! I'm gonna search high and low for his other works (my niece already bought me South of The Border, gonna watch it tomorrow!) cause I simply fall in love in his character here. I was not envious of Kim Sun Ah, for having acted beside Hyun Bin or Gong Yoo before, but now I'm turning Incredible Hulk. Hmm... come to think of it I dont think I've bristled over any actresses starring beside a handsome actor even Jo Hyun Jae. Maybe, because Cha Seung Won seems like a 'man' while the others just a handsome guy. Sigh! are all korean guys as loving as potray in movies and dramas? or is this just another myth? Oh yeah, read also somewhere someone commented his eyes remind them of So Ji Sup, nah....I think he got better eyes!

I like also Mi Rae's best friend and supporter Jung Boo Mi (Jung Soo Young - she always play weird characters), and Choo Sang Mi, the 'lating' opponent of Mi Rae. She has many adorable facial expression and when she cries her heart out, it makes me uncomfortable. Oh yeah she was born on the same date as me also! Now I have found 3 Korean celebrities with same birthday as mine ^_^ The there is Lee Joon Hyuk, Jo Gook's personal assistant, he's also adorable in this drama, wish there was romantic ending for him in this drama also.

I'm trying to find the song that keep playing over the entire dramas but couldnt find it. But these MVs could speak better than the words I written above.

Loving, Loving You - Park Sang Woo

My Heart, I'm Sorry - Lee Ji Hoon

Can You Hear Me _ Tae Yeon

If- Tae Yeon

on a happier note....

Sorry Sorry - Super Junior

Tsunami at Heundae (Where had the time gone?)

2009-10-09T21:14:00.007+08:00

One of the supernatural powers that I wish to have is the ability to freeze time. How time flies by nowadays even if you're not having fun...its already nearing the last quarter of 2009, and ahead I know busy work schedule awaiting; I had my normal workload, then there is the big national meeting my dept was organizing early Jan next year, the new budget preparation, and finally by tomorrow our hectic preparation for the ministry's hari raya celebration will be done with.

Talking bout the Ministry's Hari Raya preparation, haha for 2 weeks in a row I woke up early, earlier than I normally woke up during normal working days to go to Tamu Kianggeh. Today, met up my collegues at Sheraton by 0730hrs and we went to Kianggeh, done our shopping in jiffy but somehow we went to get breakfast at 0830hrs...hmmm, maybe its the walk from the parking lot to the tamu that takes a lot of time. So arrive at the 0ffice around 9ish and then straight to decoration tasks. Tick tock tick tock, the next time I look at the watch its already 3.30pm and I had to pick up my niece from her tuition class at 4pm. Me and my one remaining collegue start to clean up the mess we had made and I drive like a candidate to F1 to pick up my niece. Haha...I know she wont mind waiting a few minutes, but we had a date to watch the 4pm Tsunami, Korean Movie - but I didnt tell my collegue that...so SHUSH!

Now my right arm hurts cause for more than 12hours I wear that arm-glove-thingie cause my sleeves are short, therefore lack of blood circulation made my arm feels numb, but i still manage to play FB's Treasure Mania and harvest my Farmville, and wrote a few words here hehe... I've been meaning to write abour korean drama Brilliant Inheritance (Bae Soo Bin!) that I have finished watching weeks ago, but couldnt find the time....maybe sometime next week lah. At the moment I'm watching City Hall which I had hesitate to buy at first cause I'm not a fan of Kim Sun Ah and the hero does not look dashing from the cover of the boxset, but heck dont judge the guy by his look alone! haha...I'm falling with his character bit by bit (though his assistant was much cuter), he was this arrogant, ambitious, self-righteous jerk but underneath he's just a softie who dont want to wear his heart on his sleeve. I like that scene when he asked Min Rae if she can handle the truth? He doesn't ask her to go on the overnight trip because to ask her about 'this' but he use 'this' as an excuse to go on a trip with her. More on that later in another post....

Back to the movie, Tsunami starring what some well known actors that I know like Ha Ji Won (What Happened in Bali), Lee Min Ki (Dalja's Spring) and Uhm Jung Hwa (The Man Who Can't Get Married), we saw lots of disaster movies from Hollywood so I was intrigued to see how South Korea would do it. Like most good movies from Korea,Tsunami at was full of drama, comedy, romance and now a disaster scenario.

I think we missed out around 15mins of the beginning of the movie (I'm gonna find the dvd with good subtitles!), but I think it concentrate on Korea's most popuilar beach resort that have around a million visitors each year. The movie revolves around three main couples, there is no hero here just story of people's lives before and after the aftermath, so there's more attention given to the characters and their emotion.

Couple no 1, Choi Man-Shik (Sol Kyung-gu), who lost his best friend at sea during the earlier 2004 tsunami and has never returned to deep-sea fishing since and his deceased friend's daughter Gang Yeon-Heui (Ha Ji-won) who runs a small seaside fish eatery who has been dropping him hints and waiting for him to propose. Though Min Shik also have feelings for Yeon Heui, there something about the 5 years ago tragedy that keeps haunting him.

Couple no 2, Man-Shik's handsome lifeguard brother Hyeong-Shik (Lee Min-Ki) on the other hand, gets more than he bargained for when he rescues drowning university student Hee-Mee (Gang Ye-weon) and has to deal with her crazy stalking ways. Lee Min Ki as always was adorable in his dorky ways....

Couple no 3, a divorce couple, a marine geologist Kim Hwi (Park Jung-hun) tries in vain (it's always the case, isn't it?) to persuade the Disaster Prevention Agency to issue an evacuation following an undersea earthquake that he suspects will trigger a mega-tsunami. He also stumbles upon his ex-wife Lee Yu-Jin (Uhm Jung-Hwa) who's in town with the seven-year-old daughter he has never met.

With so many characters, you feel pushed and pulled with their story, and trying to catch up how one relates to another, and the special effects!, it can really compete with Hollywood's, sitting in the cinema seat I feel like I want to cowered back from the incoming waves or dashed to save the little girl while the huge wave was so near!

And the ending..... I shed a few tears (really just a few!) but my niece had to wipe her face and her eyes are a bit red. The movie will be more umph! I think if they depict how the survivor struggle to survive rather than they were being swept away by the water and then they were on top of a roof waiting to be rescued. And I dont understand how could the couple who are on one of the highest building couldnt survive while the one who just around 4 storey up could? And isnt when you are at sea, you can feel the wave of the tsunami but it was not as huge as it was coming to land? I'll give it a 3.8 stars lah because of the ending...

Bae Soo Bin

2009-09-16T14:16:00.005+08:00

I have so many 'oppas' not only because they are so good looking but also because they are so good at what they do - acting. They are on my watchlist. Well, my no.1 is still

1. Jo Hyun Jae

2. Yoon Kye Sang

3. Kang Ji Hwan

4. So Ji Sup

5. Oh Man Seok

6. Gong Yoo

7. Ji Jin Hee

Well, now move over So Ji Sup and make room for Bae Soo Bin! He already caught my eye in Jumong, then Emperor of the Sea, after that Painter of The Wind... and now Shining Inheritance aka Brilliant Legacy. Who wouldn't fall for Jun Se Oppa then? His name rise up after this drama, even get noticed by that weird designer Andre Kim. But I was so sad for I know in this drama he won't get his happy ending, the heroine falls for that spoiled brat! Maybe that is why I've been taking my sweet time watching this drama, cause I know his sad moment will come soon :'(

didn't he look good with specs? frankly his eyes are what caught my eyes...

I think most guy with long locks at the front are good looking...

Or some facial hair hehe...

Boiling Point!!!!!! Soon.....

2009-09-12T14:58:00.005+08:00

I was so close to boiling point today, not only have tons to do, it doesn't help that everyone is knocking mengusut they need this and that urgently. Helllllllooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! I'm only human, with 1 brain and 2 hands as well as equivalent working hours as YOU! Well, a little bit more in fact if you count that I didn't go home on time or before time!

Exactly 2pm today, when my office-roommate had gone home, I close the door. If terasa why, then terasa..... STOP BOTHERING ME! I DONT CARE BOUT YOUR PROBLEM, I HAVE MY PROBLEM TOO!

I hate it when someone said 'can you please look into this matter'? as if I don't want to do the damn job! If I could I would like to do it from A-Z so that I know it is done, but hell...not only my time is ltd, if I would do that someone will be getting gaji buta. I'm not a perfectionist but pleassssse some people who can easily shrug off their duty make me want to kick their behind! Allah grant me patience, understanding and endurance!

When I was on leave, I promise myself I would take it easy, if it didn't get done by the time office hours end for the day, then continue the next day. Other people do the same. They still get the same salary they supposed to have. The same performance appraissal (maybe even more!). So just let it be... But then I can't help it when every outstanding comes back at me! ARGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! Now that I vent my frustration here, I'm going home now....hopefully with a better mood so that I won't blow innocent people's heads off at home

East of Eden (3.9)

2009-09-07T23:24:00.005+08:00

I started watching this drama early in July and just finished it yesterday. So I might not remember all the details frm the early 2 volumes. I remember the story start off in a small mining town. The mining general manager Shin Tae Hwan ias an ambitious power hungry man. While Lee Ki Chul was just another ordinary miner, but he was the leader of the labour union fighting for the welfare of the miners. Shin Tae Hwan wants to prove himself to his father-in-law who's the real owner, he decided that to getting rid off Ki Chul would made the mining problem go away.

Oh yeah, before he got rid of Ki Chul, both their wives gave birth to a son in the same hospital on the same night. A nurse at the hospital, who Shin Tae Hwan had seduced, impregnated, forced to abort her baby and then abandon wants to seek revenge. At first, she wants to murder the innocent baby just like Shin Tae Hwan has stole the lives of her own but then she couldnt bring herself to do it. In a burst of panic, she switched the two babies instead, not knowing the war brewing between the two families.

So even after Ki Chul's death Shin Tae Hwan made his remaining families' live a living hell and several times nearly played a hand in the torture that nearly end his biological son's life. Maybe he would forget about Ki Chul's family if only his widow would led a quiet life and not raised her sons to hate him. That's is just what I don't' understand, how could a mother do that to her sons, to make their purpose of life to seek vengeance on the death of her husband and their father. A mother love would seek that her son would live a happy life, and raised him to be a better man, not to lead a life full of bitter hatred and vendetta.

Myung Hoon was the first to discover about the switch, he was so torn to find out the man call father is the monster who killed his real father and the harsh treatment he had given to his real mother and brother in the past. Then Dong Chul finds out the brother he raised, protect and love had his sworn enemy's blood running through him. He live his live for this brothers of his, was all his sacrifice and preseverance before useless? Can he stop loving Dong Chul now that he know he's the enemy son? I think all will remain intact if only Myung Hoon was satisfied with where he was now as STH's son, but he's not. He disagree with STH's way and longed to have a brother like Dong Chul. Dong Chul tries to push him away at first for the sake of Dong Wook but he can't stand to know that his family is suffering so he lends a hand.

Even from the start I don't like Dong Wook, he was such a self righteous selfish brat. In this last volume I hate him more, if my tv can project a 3D figure out, I would stand up and beat Dong Wook whenever he comes on screen. How could he accuse of Dong Chul to be selfish for his grand love and abandon him and his carreer. He was so hypocrite! What worth saving more, the lives of others (even if she is not someone he love) or your damn career. If not for al Dong Chul's sacrifices in the past, your career will be non-existence in the first place. And to top it off, how dare he say that he never asks for all that from Dong Chul! He and his law and his justice, he only sees what he wants to see, but turns a blindeyes to what won't serve him best. Argghhh! the last few episodes make me so emo to the point of boiling. Haha...maybe I'm also emo because its the time of the month.....

I don't think I can watch other Yun Jung Hoon's work without feeling hatred for his Dong Wook. And Ji Hyun, Myung Hoon's wife...oh how I wish I could strangle her. How could she think it was the same, Dong Chul's hatred for STH for murdering his father and her hatred for his mother for saying harsh words to her. Laughable! How I wish Myung Hoon don't love her so much, therefore can live without her. I can't remember clearly how Myung Hoon look like in Vol 1 & 2, but here how I feel for him. Thats the thing for korean actors (good one that is), you just can feel their emotional state from the look of their eyes.

There are so many characters here that I don't think are necessary, the most obvious the character of Hye Rin, did they get the famous Lee Da Hae to sign in and just casts her wherever they can slot in? If she isn't such a well known name and put on the drama's poster it won't stand out much that her characters lack substance in this drama... I hate how this drama ends, if thats how Rebecca intends her vengeance to end why don't she just do it right from the beginning and save lots of people from heartache...

Casts:

Song Seung Hun as Lee Dong Chul
- Shin Dong Woo as Dong Chul (5 years old)
- Kim Bum as Dong Chul (15 years old)
Yun Jung Hoon as Lee Dong Wook
- Park Gun Tae as Dong Wook (10 years old)
Park Hae Jin as Shin Myung Hoon
- Won Duk Hyun as Myung Hoon (10 years old)
Han Ji Hye as Kim Ji Hyun
- Nam Ji Hyun as Ji Hyun (10 years old)
Lee Da Hae as Min Hye Rin
Lee Yeon Hee as Gook Young Ran / Grace
Dennis Oh as Mike Packard

Jo Min Ki as Shin Tae Hwan (Myung Hoon's father)
Lee Mi Sook as Yang Chun Hee (Dong Chul and Dong Wook's mother)
Lee Jong Won as Lee Gi Chul (Dong Chul and Dong Wook's father)
Jun Mi Sun as Jung Ja (Gi Soon's mother)
Jun So Min as Lee Gi Soon
- Jin Ji Hee as Gi Soon (9 years old)

Yoo Dong Geun as President Gook / Gook Dae Hwa (Young Ran's father)
Jung Hye Young as Janice / Jae Hee
Shin Eun Jung as Yoo Mi Ae / Rebecca
Hwang Jung Eum as Kim So Hyun
Lee Suk Joon as Father Han
Kim Hyung Min as Wang Geon
Go Yoon Hoo as Dok Sa
- Kwon Se In as young Dok Sa (10 years old)
Park Chan Hwan as Chaeng
Park Geun Hyung as President Min (Hye Rin's father)

The Big Bang Theory

2009-08-20T17:53:00.004+08:00

Our whole universe was in a hot dense state,
Then nearly fourteen billion years ago expansion started. Wait...
The Earth began to cool,
The autotrophs began to drool,
Neanderthals developed tools,
We built a wall (we built the pyramids),
Math, science, history, unravelling the mysteries,

That all started with the big bang!

"The History of Everything" by Barenaked Ladies

My niece(s) recommended for me to watch this show a long time ago, but at the time I was on a kdrama frenzy so anytime free time available was only for kdramas. This moment of hiatus of kdrama I think largely contribute to the last 2 dramas that I watch came in volume installation, so while waiting for the next volume to come out...i just simply lost my drive to continue. Maybe this Ramadhan month, I will finally watched the Kingdoms of The Wind that I bought last month, but only 1 episode or 1 disc per night! Hopefully...

Anyway, this show started with 2 super-smart nerd- but socially inept and awkward -have a new nieghbour move in to the apartment across their hallway, a hot beautiful blonde. Leonard and Sheldon's geekiness are contrasted with Penny''s social skills and common sense. I rather like how they try to 'stereotype' you to think that Penny would be cast as the usual dumb blonde bombshell, granted she's not a genius like the others, she do have a brain between her ears, however she does have difficulties differentiating between good man and jerks; she got history of picking lousy boyfriends. There's two equally geeky friends of theirs, smarmy Howard and girl-shy Raj who brighten the show also.

You might be lost with all those advanced physics theories and scientific references but it doesn't affect you getting the jokes and enjoying the show. The slapstick comedy with quick wit comeback, the subtle humours and the obvious jokes just make me laugh out loud. I was not sold for the first few episodes, though I do admit it was funny but then I fall for Sheldon after this scene...

Leonard: What did Penny mean, "you'd make a cute couple"?

Sheldon: Well, I assume she meant that the two of you together would constitute a couple that others might consider cute. An alternate, though somewhat less likely interpretation is that you could manufacture one. As in, "Oh, look, Leonard and Leslie made Mr. and Mrs. Goldfarb! Aren't they adorable?"

Leonard: If Penny didn't know that Leslie had already turned me down, then that would unambiguously mean that she, Penny, thought I should ask her, Leslie, out, indicating that she, Penny, had no interest in me asking her, Penny, out; but because she did know that I had asked Leslie out, and that she, Leslie, had turned me down, then she, Penny, could be offering me consolation - "That's too bad, you would have made a cute couple..." - while thinking, "good, Leonard remains available."

Sheldon: You're a lucky man, Leonard.

Leonard: How so?

Sheldon: You're talking to one of the three men in the Western Hemisphere capable of following that train of thought.

Leonard: Well, what do you think?

Sheldon: I said I could follow it, I didn't say I cared.

Wouldn't it be nice if we all could be frank and honest like Sheldon? But what a world will it be if there is no Leonards to tolerate our brutal honesty and self-centered-egoistical (though not selfish) pursuit. Wakaka...I also like Sheldon's views on birthday gifts (sorry, cause that what I think when I found it hard to find a perfect birthday gifts or any gifts for that matter)

So many quotes I wanna quotes but lets just settle for this two ^_^

Leonard: (talking about him and Penny) Our children will be smart and beautiful.

Sheldon: Not to mention imaginary

--------------------------------

Leonard: Sheldon, we have to do this.

Sheldon: No, we don't. We have to take in nourishment, expel waste, and inhale enough oxygen to keep our cells from dying. Everything else is optional.

Diy, Season 2 ada udah at the stores?

Tarikh Luput Cinta

2009-08-12T17:09:00.003+08:00

I'm not much of a malay-novel reader, but I was following this Malaysian novelis because I like her first novel sooooo much. Maybe "dekat dengan diri". So out of the blue I remember her while surfing the internet, and google if she have written a new novel. She have a blogspot of her own now and there I found out yes, she have her third novel out already. While reading her blog, she posted about this novel and the writer's blog - though the writer is not her friend nor have she read the novel herself -I was pulled by the title of the novel, very unique and when I read the synopsis on Lynn Dayana's blog I was even more pulled.

So when I go out to buy Leeya Myra's third novel, I also bought this novel. My intention was to read Leeya's first but I somehow left it in the office, so that night I read Tarikh Luput Cinta. I thought I'll just read a few chapters before turning down, but as usual when I really like the flow of the story, I can't let go... I read until early in the morning, the result with only about 1 hour sleep - I was a bit unfocused during the day, unmotivated to do any work hehehe....

This novel in my opinion is a bit different from other malay novel I read so far (mind you that I didnt read many), yes of course it's a romance novel so should have an element of love in it right? but it also slip in a bit of mystery - though not as thick as well known english novelist such as Sandra Brown, Lisa Kleypas, Sidney Sheldon etc... I kinda can guess who the bad guy is right from the first time his name appear in the novel. But nonetheless I like this novel very much. Maybe the humourous sarcastic humour of the lead characters ^_^ oh and maybe because I also like stories where the hero and the heroine hates each other but in the end the chemical component change to love. Or could it be possible that they really like each other from the start but because of pride, ego, differences, whatever that feeling gets cloudy and disguise as hate? Hmmm...

Basically one of the three strangers chosen are eligible to inherit 22.5 million, after some kind of business challenges they had to sort through ( a bit like The Apprentice lah). They don't know what they had in common to be chosen out of other millions of people by this Tuan Haji Kamarul guy who is old, dying, childless but filthy rich. But as life has turned suddenly harsh on them they decided to try it out, nothing to lose but 22.5 mils to gain. Rezzal, Airel and Imanina - from strangers they became fast friends who trust each other, though between Airel and Imanina there is some friction, while I wish someone like Rezzal could be real (is there a guy who's as forgiving and kind and smart as him? cause I'm not the forgiving type - forget no insult, forgive no injury - thats me ^_^ but I respect those who can forgive easily).

So as they goes on with the task set for them, disaster upon disaster starts to befall them, though a small percentage they began to suspect each other, but stil they trust each other more as they get along fine and get to know each others' family. I love the 'bonding' between these 3 characters. There seem to be another entity who don't want them to win... Could it be Hilman the young, handsome attorney who arrange everything from the start? Hilman who stole Imanina's heart to the disgust of Airel and sympathy of Rezzal for Hilman was already engaged and soon to be married. Thoigh I know, Hilman just an extra character, I don't really mind him, then he said to Imanina if she's willing to have him, he will ditch his fiancee. Hellloooo.... firstly he wants to dump his fiancee for you which is not a good sign, if he can do that to her easily without regret and guilt, he can do that to you in the future as well, secondly, he will only dump her if you commit to him...hah! show how much he cares for you right ? that if you won't he just stick by her then. Men!

Haha...maybe i became too jaded and cynical as age keeps piling up. Just the other day watch The Proposal with my sis and nieces, it's a chick flick so I don't have that high of expectation. But still the movie does not make a good impression on me, no chemistry between Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds, she looks old for him, and most importantly he hates her for 5 years and in 3 days could fall in love with her? Urgh!!! I do like Ryan Reynolds, he could be funny, a jerk, sensitive and macho at the same time

Anyway, back to Rezzal Airel and Imanina, what will become of them? Will they survive the challenge? Who will win? I won't spoil the ending here. Hmm...wouldn't it be nice if this novel get turns into a movie? Malay movie nowadays are so stereotypely boring :(

Spoiler don't read!!!

What I don't understand is in the end we know that Kamarul's motive is revenge. But what is his overall plan if someone didn't mess it up? Surely not truly giving them 22.5m right????

I also finished Leeya Myra's Critera Rindu tonight, it don't do much for me. It also has a revenge motive, it sorta predictable and although the hero character is nice (especially cute when he's jealous ^_^) but his name spoils it for me, cause it's the name of my collegue at work, so I can't help but envision his appearance as him. and what's up with the name Imanina anyway? Leeya was also using that name for the heroine of this novel....

Rereading Harry Potter

2009-07-29T16:52:00.010+08:00

Was watching the latest Harry Potter movie installment a fortnight ago, and it makes me realize that I can remember the storyline of the Philosopher's Stone, Chambers of Secret, Prisoner of Azkaban and Goblet of Fire quite clearly, but the later three - Order of the Phoenix, Half Blood Prince and Deathly Hollows, I draw many blanks... So I decided to reread the entire series again during my so called "summer vacation" haha.

The three Weasley brothers

At first I found the movies so gloomy, but somehow after browsing throug some post from bewitchthemind.tumblr.com I rescind my opinion, or maybe reserve it until I found time to rewatch the movies again.In her tumblr (where most of the pics here are taken from), the scene are full of colours. I like most of the casts in the movies, most of it is dead-on of what I imagine them to be like Rupert Grint, Evana Lynch, Emma Watson but some like Daniel Radcliffe...I don't know, in 2001 he was cute but as he grow up he's not a Harry to me...though a midget he still is compare to the other casts.

Evanna Lynch - isn't she simply has out-of-this-world-kinda-look?

Oh yeah, would it be possible to banned those who have not read the books from watching the movie(s)? It's cheating us who had showed support and dedication by reading it (and loving it!) but also cheating themselves from knowing the better story by reading it and getting to know the characters better. And it also irked me sometimes to hear words how boring it was and how long was the movie, and they kinda don't get the story... Hulloooooo! exercise your brain, read the books!

Anyway, moving on back to the back to the book, Harry Potter has not lost his magic on me, I still snort with laughter every here and there, wet my pillows for the last four volumes and eventhough I already know the ending and the storyline I can't let go of the book! - I foregone eating, sleeping, facebooking and watching korean drama (17 days of leave and not a single drama watched!). Even now, after finishing Deathly Hollows I feel like I want to start all over again... but sigh! but time is limited, there are other things to do; other novels to read; other dramas/movies to watch,;sleep to catch up on... maybe soon I'll revisit Ron, Hermione and Harry again.

The scene below, always crack me up everytime I read it; Harry's wand in the troll nose, Ron's hanging in the air, in stupor of what he had done... ^_^

Reading it in one go also make me realize the something 'weird' in the story, remember in Philosopher's Stone the three Dursleys was laughing their heads off when dropping Harry for the first time to Platform 9 3 / 4 saying there is no such platform and then in Hallows it showed in Snape's memories where Petunia and her parents were sending Lily off at the Hogwarts Express. Hmmm, maybe Petunia just wanna pretend infront of her husband and son that she dont know nothing whatsoever about a magic school...

I'm not that overly sad when Professor Dumbledore dies, it was not much of a shock really nor does Sirius's, but I was sad thinking about the LIFE of Severus Snape and Sirius Black. Everybody has happy moments in their life, Lupin and Tonks found happiness together though cut short, Fred has a life full of laughter, but Sirius, he had such a sad life, the only happy moments maybe when he was at Hogwarts with his bestfriend. Born in such dark family, then he was framed and spent 12 years in Azkaban, worrying about his god son, and then ending up dead. Whereas Snape, misunderstood, hated, untrusted, though through his own fault, but still ... to have loved someone so deeply, then to continue living as advised by Dumbledore as to continue what his love's has sacrifice herself to protect...

Hehe, there was this friend of mine who after borrowing the three HP's book from the university's library in 2001 I had started calling her Snape - not that she was hateful character as Snape - but I do not know why ... maybe the character Snape linger longer after reading Azkaban then, so since changing her name a few vowel and consonant here and there closer to Snape ...

Anyway, would not it be nice to have a sidekick like Harry? The wise-cracking Ron, who would boost up your mood even during abysmal time. The smart Hermione, who you can depend on no matter how much she was against the idea. Wonder if it was Seamus, Dean or Neville that befriended Harry on his first train ride to Hogwarts then would that person be Harry's bestfriend? Just like Mr Weasley said it was lucky day indeed that Ron decided to sit in the same compartment as Harry during their first Hogwarts Express ride. Yes, we do need to like that person to become friends like the case of Malfoy whom Harry first met, he grate on his nerves. But Harry does not have a problem with his other mates Gryyfindor right? so anyone of them could be his best buddy like Ron does. So do we choose our friend or are we friends by chance? Did I already mentioned that in my favorite character is

Ron? (and maybe a lil' bit of Hermy)

Gred and Forge second and then ...

Snape.

Oh and I hate how the romance blossomed between Harry and Ginny. For Ron and Hermione, there is a build up from Volume 2, whereas Harry as if hit by bludger noticed Ginny in Vol.6 and Ginny who has a crush on him from the start just easily accept him...

See doesn't this two scene from Chambers a little telling?

Then when Ron's was accidentally poison...
While Harry and Ginny have only this awkward moment on screen. Why couldn't they just use their first kiss from the book?????

And I want to know more about what makes RAB turns side? Surely not only because Kreacher was being mistreated by his master?

There are lots of moral lessons in HP, mostly diced out by Dumbledore.
Philosopher's Stone
-"to the well organized mind, death is but the next adventure. ... humans do have a knack of choosing precisely those things which are worst for them"
-"the truth, it is a beautiful and teribble thing and should therefore be treated with great caution"
-"there are all kinds of courage, it takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to your enemies but just as much to stand up to our friends"

Chamber of Secret
-"which give to show that the best of us must sometimes eat our words'"
-" it is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities"

haha..after that I was too engrossed reading the book to note down that phrases that I like

Do you realise what repetitive in stories that involve "Prophecy"? By knowing the propecy it makes the prophecy comes true, if only Voldermort does not know about the prophecy he would not hunt down Harry and give him defences involuntarily to defeat him. I remember an old Malay movie about a Queen who never got old and always be beautiful. She gave birth to a son who was prophecised will marry his own birthmother. Shocked, she and her husband order the baby to be killed. However, the person they ordered to do it didn't have the heart to kill such an innocent baby, so if I remebered correctly he just put the baby in a small boat and let the river carry it wherever (which is cruel also! Imagine if nobody found the baby!) However, the baby survived and adopted and grew into a handsome man...and not knowingly marry his own mother. See, if he the Queen didn't basically throw him away and raised him herself, he would know she was his mother and thus making the prophecy false, but because she hears the prophecy, it governs her choice that led to making the prophecy comes true.

To summarize, I love Harry Potter! Haha...that's an understatement. The talented author depict normal people, (except maybe for Dumbledore, if he's real, he might be surpassing Einstein, though as he himself admit he did many mistakes) not perfect - they have their flaws, envy, anger, revenge (not like some other novels that is the talk nowadays with its on movie where the hero is super perfect, super selfless..hmph!)

This would be a perfect birthday gift for me. You can have your turn on Sheldon-Leonard-Howard-Raj's time machine, just give me this....

Lost and Found aka Sweet Lie

2009-07-06T22:23:00.010+08:00

Ji Ho has a big crush on Min Woo ever since their high school days, but she was a nobody and he was the most sought after boy in school. So her feelings remain known only to her and her bestfriend. Now 10 years later a clumsy TV writer, she still can't get over what she called her first love; she stil has his high school picture in her wallet. After a night of binge-drinking, she wakes up to face the worst day of her life; she got fired, her shoulder bag was snatched, and she was run over by a car when she try to run after the thief. But the chain of unfortunate events turned out to be God-sent present. The man who hit her with the car turns out to be none other than Min Woo! the very man she’s been in love with all these years.

With fast thinking, after she wakes up in the hospital Min Woo has taken her into, she pretends that she doesn’t remember anything and Min-woo is left with no choice but to bring her back home with him.

Ji Ho lives with her brother, the only family she has left but they also have a caring neighbour; her childhood friend Dong-sik. He was worried as Ji-ho doesn’t come home for two days. He goes out on search and miraculously finds her and brings her back home. Learning that Ji-ho is suffering from amnesia after the accident, Dong-sik is determined to help her get her memories back. And then, he got a called that someone found Ji Ho's snatched bag, so he go to get it. When he tries to check if it's really hers or something missing, he saw the picture of Min Woo in her wallet. He somehow connect two-and-two together. So when he saw, Ji Ho with Min Woo again, he declares that Ji Ho is his girlfriend; they have been dating for the past 2 years. Ji Ho although knows this was not true, can't dispute his claim since she was supposed not to remember anything. Min Woo starting to like Ji Ho asked Dong Shik to let her go, since he was the one who could make her happy; Dong Shik was her past, he is her future.

As it turned out, Dong Shik is not really pretending to be Ji Ho boyfriend to annoyed her, and foiled her plans. He really cares for her, ever since they were kids. The day he was supposed to leave to UK to see his father, he sent her his past unsend love letters to her along with other paraphenelias of her growing up. Ji Ho was touched by all this and try to catch him at the airport but he was gone...

Dong Shik told Ji Ho's brother that he didn't fall in love with her because he was always with her, he stays with her because he loves her.

She said she can't think of a moment when she was in love with him (as he always teased and played pranks on her), he said there was not a moment he was not in love with her...

I always thought that it would have been nice to fall in love with your bestfriend, skipped the flirting ritual, the getting to know stages; the part where you try to show only your good sides and hides the unfavorable. Maybe there will be no hidden mysteries that would keep you intrigued but isn't that better rather than being spring up with nasty surprises? Where's my Gilbert Blythe??????????