South of The Border

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)

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?)

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

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...

.

East of Eden (3.9)

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

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

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....