Pandemic Watch - Hwarang

"You can catch ten thieves hiding in the mountain, but you can't catch the one thief in your heart." -  Sam Maek-Jong 

Introduction

 

Image source

First impression — 2016

When Hwarang first came out in 2016, I watched the first episode but did not finish the entire season. I think it was partly due to my ignorance of Hwarang’s historical background and the fact that I thought the producers of the K-drama came up with the idea as an excuse to bring together a group of handsome actors and singers in one show. On hindsight, even if that were the case, that should have been okay too. I mean I did watch Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo that year :P

Second impression — 2020

Fast forward four years later and in the midst of the COVID-19 lockdown, as usual, I was channel surfing to see if there was anything interesting to watch. It so happened the KBS channel was showing the first episode of Hwarang and perhaps out of boredom, I decided to check it out since I had watched it before. Strangely enough, I found the first episode intriguing enough when I watched it the second time. The disclaimer at the beginning of the episode must have contributed to the experience as well: “This drama is a work of fiction based on real facts of Hwarang in the era of King Jinheung of Silla.” I had heard of Silla as one of the kingdoms of ancient Korea, so the fact that the drama is based on history made me curious.

I need to figure things out myself

The COVID-19 era we are all going through at the moment has made us yearn for the good old days without social distancing, various SOPs and travel restrictions. I'm sure I'm not the only one who seeks nostalgia for a less stressful time. I have been watching old K-dramas and sitcoms (some as old as 10 years back back to the ones that are more recent, like five years ago). Once there was nothing to watch, I searched for a book that would transport me to a magical place and this naturally meant Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings.

Umareru Negai (生まれる 願がい)

Performed by: Uta Airi
Fruits Basket 2019 Insert Song
Lyric credit: Alice

くらやみのなかをさまようあるいて
I wondered aimlessly in the dark

こきょうさえわつれていた
And even forgot how to breathe

いっぽうのみちじゃないって
Even though I know there’s not a single path

わかってもみょうことで
I could take, I still felt lost

どうまわりさいもなつすかしい
I miss the days of when I could still go for a detour

だれもがおもいえなくしあわせにみるれなくて
Everyone wishes to be touched

なみだしては、またすすんでいく
While crying, I’ll continue to move forward

やさしいそのことばで
The words of kindness

ここらがあたたかくて
That makes your heart feel warm

かんじてるよ
I can feel it

ひとりじゃないこと
That I am not alone



ちっぽうけなせかいまどのむこうにわ
Beyond the small, window of the world

ひかりがひろがっていた
Light is pouring out

こんなんをのりこえて
Overcoming the difficulties and then

えがおにかえていける
Turning into something you can smile about

そんあきみにあえてうれしい
I’m glad I met that kind you

うまれるねがいのなか
Inside this wish that’s been born

かがやきをますすえき
An even brighter future is waiting

みにくいかんじょうも
Even the ugly feelings

ほらきえていく
Are disappearing, you see?

このてにみちびかれて
That hand that guided me to reach

たどりついたこたえば
The answer I was looking for

しんじられる
I’ll believe in it

どこにもいかないと
That even I “can go anywhere”



なんかいもなんかいもしゅっぱいしたって
Failing over and over again

どれもぜんぶたいせつなおもいで
Even those were precious memories

だいじょうぶそれそれのしあわせがまってるから
It’s okay, because a whole lot of happiness is waiting out there

ここからまたはじまる
I’ll start all over again from there

だれもがねがいいえなくしあわせにふれたくて
Everyone wishes to be touched by the kind of happiness they hope to feel

なみだしては、またすすんでいく
Even as they cry, they’ll keep moving forward once again

やさしいそのことばで
Your kind words that

ここらがあたたかくて
Can’t help but warm my heart

かんじてるよ
I can clearly feel it

ひとりじゃないこと
That I’m no longer alone.

Ever the stargazer

Photo by Casey Horner on Unsplash.

Photo is for illustration purpose only.

I actually woke up (on my own) at 5.33am today. I had set my alarm at 5.40am to wake up to see the Lyrid meteor shower but in the middle of the night I figured I might not wake up early. Since I was up, I played with my phone for a while and then went to the see the night sky from the vicinity of the study room. The sky was cloudy at the bottom part close to the horizon but the upper-middle part was clear. I did not see any meteors no matter how hard I strained my eyes but I did see some planets and stars.

Little Forest

Source: IMDB.

I came across this Korean movie as I was channel surfing. The synopsis said something about nature's power to heal. The story seemed to be about a young woman who returned to her mom's hometown which is a village in the Korean countryside. The sight of rice fields, mountains and forests instantly took me back to Minamiuonuma, the small Japanese town I resided in for two years when I did my postgraduate course.  

Pre-Halloween Scare

Photo by Bekir Dönmez on Unsplash

Sometimes we scare ourselves by seeing things that aren't there. Or sometimes, we are scared by the lack of a crowd. This applies to me, particularly in a new parking spot.

In the middle of this week, instead of driving to my usual MRT parking spot, I decided to park at the one in Bandar Utama. I had planned to meet up with former college mates there the next day and thought I could save time on traffic by taking the train straight from my office to 1Utama. The rush hour jam is particularly bad these days because its usually exacerbated by evening thunderstorms.

Remembering Sulli

Photo credit: SBS

I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw #RIPSulli trending on Twitter on Tuesday. I thought it must be some kind of a sick joke or prank. Sadly, it wasn't. Former f(x) member Sulli passed away on Monday, 14 October 2019, from apparent suicide.

From reading the tweets by her fans, it seemed like she was a victim of cyber bullying. I really could not fathom how people would want to direct mean comments to someone as sweet as Sulli. Of course I don't know her personally but I did watch her on variety shows and listened to some of f(x)'s music (being the nerd that I am, I like the band's name, f(x)). From what I had seen of Sulli, she seemed like a genuine, cheerful, playful girl with a hint of tomboyishness. She was not quite the typical feminine K-pop princess, which is what I liked about her.