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Open Thread #166


 

Last reminder to enter the BlogHer/Intel giveaway for a $250 Best Buy gift card (as well as an Intel-powered laptop), which ends next week! Refer to the review post for infor.

SONG OF THE DAY

Girls – “Heartbreaker” [ Download ]

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My plea to RB

O Joo Won, O Joo Won. To get a good woo on
Stop acting self-centered, you Rat Bastard jerk.
You’ve had hits and misses with insults and kisses,
But extravagant gifts for Key Lime just won’t work.

Give her a part of you, no, make that all of you.
When true love’s involved, nose high are the stakes.
You keep talking shellfish, or mermaids, it’s selfish!
Give up to her something, but this time, don’t take.

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Lol Key Lime :) I call her that too.

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Can someone please explain the keylime thing? Sometime the simplest things confuse me. *shakes head at self*

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Gi Ra im = Key Lime

When you run the Ra im together into one syllable, it sounds kind of like 'lime'

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If you are listening with English ears on, "Gil Ra Im" sounds like JW is saying Key Lime.

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Thank you both for replying! Rofl! Key Lime! :)

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Or if you listen with Korean ears -> Killah(Killer)-im ;)

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Every bit as awesome!

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LOL! cool

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LOL. Joo-Won even caleld her "Gil Tang Ja" :D in episode 10. tang ja is also a bitter citrus similar to lime. ;)

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Awesome! Totally agree too!

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Love this poetry! And, yes, that's the advice I'd give him too, just less well said.

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Someone please bonk him over the head.

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Happy Friday to everyone!
Is the Binnie banner new? Anyway.... I´ve never expected me to say this, but i´m really looking forward to Sunday to read the new SG recap :) how much addicted am I?

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Finals are over. The air is colder.

And I miss (SBS) Giant more than ever.

(Ok, I was just trying to rhyme. But yeah oddly I miss Giant today for some reason.)

Congratulations to all who finished their final! :)

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BOO! i still have my finals week next week. am i the only one going so long?? seems like everyone is already on winter break but me. :(

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@ twin

it's winter for you with your 27ft of snow... but no winter break. boo.

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One more final left today for me. T_T I hate having an exam on the last day at the last time.

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same situation here....only 2 finals and they are on the last day...but at least ur done today...i have to wait till the middle of next week...until then im on a drama hiatus...by then i'll have 5 eps of MSOAN and 4 of SG to catch up on

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@ dannaluk

a fellow late/lacker of winter breaker just like me!! my finals go up until Christmas Eve Eve (Dec 23). BOOO!!!!

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I have my last exam today tooo!!! I m so nervous! I m not sure whether I wanna laugh for joy(since I ll be finishing) or cry and tear my hair out since I m seriously dooooomed for today's exam!

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27 ft. of snow? really?

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@brookeve

it was actually 13" in an 18 hr period. but we already had 3-5" on the ground, so we're at about 20" total so far... and we're supposed to get more snow this weekend and next week.

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LOL! I totally thought that there was 27 ft. of snow! 20" is nothing to sneeze at, though! I hope that you stay safe and warm!

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is Giant really good? what's your ratings on it? it had high ratings so i might check it out later

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I give it a 8.5/10.

Simply because really I think it brought on that warm image of family and concentrated on the essence of human relationship. Honestly though, there were parts were the political/business deals got a bit hectic--- however I have to say, even that to some extent was enjoyable and quite informative, and this is coming from someone who normally has no interest in politics whatsoever.

It really depends on what genre of drama you usually enjoy. Personally I am more into the family dramas and sometimes historical dramas (rarely though). And Giant has both embedded within its storyline. I specially adored the sibling relationship and this could be also because I have a strong bond with my own siblings.

Anyways, :) that's my take. For me Giant was a drama that really drew an image of the lifestyle of people in past Korea and the humanistic natures we all have within us.

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Happy friday! Today's my first day as a college graduate! Woo real world. :)

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Congratulations!!

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CONGRATS!!!

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YAY for marypeg!! hope yolu enjoy the real world. i prefer to live in kdramaland tho. lol.

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Congrats! Way to go! =D

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Congratulations!!!

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Congratulations! :) Woops that's the real world...

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Congratulations :D

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Yay for graduating! Now run back! Flee to the halls of academia, as the real world is no where near as fun!

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Me too! Congrats! :)

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TGIF...Yeah....fianlly weekend is here which means I can see my Binnie and HJW and then MSOAL...life is good. SG rule!

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I want to watch Athena but I want to wait till it's fully subbed and I'm tempted to read the recap :'(

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Last day at school today! Christmas is looking white at the moment. Yay :) The tree is decorated, mince pies made and the presents are wrapped. All I need now is is to get over my cold. Perhaps a mulled wine might do the trick?

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You got everything ready? Already? I'm so far behind everyone else! I don't even have the shopping done! 'Fess up, you have elf slaves, don't you?

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elf slaves! rofl unnie!

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Don't talk about elf slaves unnie! Do you want the Darklord of the Elves, (Philip Lee) knocking on BritfromBlighty's door, and asking her pointed questions about why she is holding some of his people as unwilling guest!

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OMG! Phillip Lee does look like an elf in SG. LOL.

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Philip Lee is secretly Titania.

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@ lb_tmi: Philip lee look more like an elf in The Legend. But he is in Story of A Man that got me hooked. his legs just...what legs!! *imagine he is in half of lying down position on car seat and his legs are put till they go through the open side window - is not sexy mind you? not until you see Philip Lee doing it jaw drop*

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@pohenphee

random.. but when i see your name.. it reminds me of 'ghost' in thai. lol.

Philip Lee was HOT in SOAM. i liked him a lot better there than i do in SG. he's kinda nonexistent in SG to me.. like he's not really an important character.. but he was pivotal in SOAM.. at least up to eps that i've watched he's been a very integral part of the story. (tho i can't bring myself to watch the rest of the drama yet.. but i plan to someday.. i miss Park Yong Ha too much right now to be able to watch him.)

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We know which elf slave you want :P

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Ok, I'll fess up. I have some elve slaves. But I treat them really well so when Philip Lee came over to check on them, he was really grateful for my kindness. Good job there was some mistletoe around at the time.

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you lucky lucky girl!! :)

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I finally sat down and watched Secret Garden. All I can say is: Hyun Bin, where have you been all my life?! When I got to the part with him doing sit-ups, my brain nearly exploded.

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ditto =D

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When I got to the part with him doing sit-ups, my brain nearly exploded.......THIS!!!

That has got to be one of the hottest scenes I have seen (so far) in a K drama. Whew!!

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Happy Friday everyone! :)

The thought just struck me that I would like to take over the world. My reason being that I really really want to say this while stroking a white, Persian cat:"In place of a Dark Lord, you would have a queen! Not dark, but beautiful and terrible as the dawn! Treacherous as the sea! Stronger than the foundations of the earth! All shall love me, and despair!" Muhahhaaa Muhahaa!

. . . . *chirping of crickets* . . . .

*looks down at the empty cans of redbull* What is IN this stuf?!!

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Are you the viola from Yeh.net? whatta random question

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Not as far as I know! But, I make no promises about there being no evil twins... :P
You are not the first one to ask me this, now I have to go look up yeh.net. :)

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looks like you have a mini-you. :) dr. evil elf?

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Violadrielle is having issues today I see.

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Rofl!

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Bahaahaa~! Apparently, it's not horns of a bull that is making you think this.

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Is the world flipped or what?

Keke~

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Admit it, when you say All shall love me, you actually have specific people pre-selected.

Who are the he's who shall be named?

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Jomo darling, do you even need to ask?! There is only One he for me, and you all know who he is. ;)

.....*small voice* and maybe Philip Lee as well...
But, no! I will remain steadfast and faithful to my husband! My heart just wavered for a moment when watching The Lgend. That is all. It took me a long long time to watch the episodes, 'cause I was stopping every two minutes to take screen shots. :)

Diadda forwarded the idea that there is no way that Philip Lee is human, because a human just can't look like that. Brookeve, Lessaofpern and I agreed.

We came to the conclusion that he is an Elven dark lord, come to earth to seduce mortals into Faery. He stole me for a moment but Siwon got me back!
Are you familiar with the story of Tam Lin? The gender role was reversed in our case. Siwon acted the par of Janet, instead of rescuing the beloved from a fairy queen, he got me back from an Elven King! XD

Brookeve unni came up with this interpretation, isn't she brilliant? :)

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he isn't human. No flipping way! He is elvish or alien. no other explanation for how he looks.

http://www.megavideo.com/?v=7MSJ0BB7

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Be careful of looking at others that are not Siwon! Remember what happened to me because I momentarily admired someone who wasn't TOP? Remember?!

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eep! T.O. P kissed Hyori and the other girl from Iris just to get back at you!
O_0........ Noooooooo!

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i miss lotr....=D galadriel ftw!^^ <3 <3 <3

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O.K. Who gave Viola the Red Bull?!? She is already hyper and High on Happiness. Now she had turned Evil. Also how could you kidnap Noh min Woo's cat Yodah? Just wait till the Asianstalker finds out. Unless, it is a plan to lure him over here, then she wont mind. :P

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@lessaofpern
'Cause a white cat is a requisite for any would be world domitator with the least pretension to greatness! Then I thought No Min Woo has one, and if I take it he is bound to follow so Theasianstalker can nab him in turn. I get a white cat to lend me some villainess street cred and my little sis gets her I lub you. Two goals accomplished in one stroke! :P

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@Viola... At every OT I get a kick out of your comments^^

I guess I'll be your evil right hand maiden... lol... I shall enforce your rule, and make sure no one touches your human boy toy, if they should then let death be their punishment...

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Deal! No one takes a world dominator seriously unless they have an evil handmaiden. So, Thank you for offering to be mine. I pay in cookies. :P
*pleased grin* I am happy I can amuse you dear. teehee :)

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:) I finally watched Story of a Man. Amazing.

Also watched Ahjusshi last night and I almost died from shock. Not because of Won Bin, but because the spoiled, psychotic baddie was Secret Garden Joo Won's secretary. It was completely bizarre.

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Ah! SoaM is so good! Yay for finishing it! It's one of my favorite dramas ever and one day, when I have time, I am going to re-watch it. But it was pretty intense, right? (I mean intense in a good way)

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Awesomely intense.

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i still can't bring myself to finish watching SOAM (RIP PYH *sobs*) i want to.. but it's still too fresh.. but i love the story, action and the acting so much... i do hope that one day i'll be able to finish watching it, as it was PYH's best work ever. EVER.

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Yeah. It hit me after I was done watching that this was PYH's last work. I was pretty blue.

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am about to watch Story of a Man. thanks for the positive feedback. =D

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Secretary Kim is in Ahjussi?? haha i <3 Secretary Kim..he's hilarious. but I'm kind of scared to watch him as a psychotic baddie.... maybe after SG is done :) that way it won't ruin my current image of him hehe

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I LOVE secretary kim! He is awesome and has such beautiful eyes! :P

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I love his eyes too! they're so puppyish! Out of all the people in Secret Garden, in real life, I would totally date Secretary Kim!

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me too!!! he kinda looks like MY JONGHYUN from SHINee.. and i adore him for it!! Secretary Kim is so fun to watch in SG!!

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His eyes are the like the doey deers! Probably that's why he omo-d when JW suggested eating the deers!

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:DDD His eyes are adorable.

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It's like a complete 180. I just thought it was hilarious because some aspects of Secretary Kim's character in Ahjussi reminded me so much of Joo Won. It was the tracksuit and the bite your head off attitude mixed with childishness that was eerily so much like Joo Won.

But more violent.

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All aboard the Secretary Kim love train!!

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present!

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Me too! He's just too sweet :D

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here!! :)

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TGIF Peeps!

Finally, this week I can feel Winter in my parts of the hood. The air is very thin while keeping fit jogging outdoors for my cousin's wedding New Year's.

Let's celebrate that Winter Break is finally here. Woob~woob!

Stay warm, live well, and be safe this holiday peeps.

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i was NOT gonna watch Secret Garden until there were more subbed eps out because i'm so impatient and can't wait the weeks (actually days) for the subbing to be completed.. so i was gonna just marathon it.. but then i started it.. and now i'm at ep 7 and LOVING IT!

i totally agree w/ Rexy: Binnie!!! why have i not watched you before? where have you been all MY life? i didn't get Samsooki's claims before, but since Samsooki is MIA, i'm totally calling Binne MINE MINE MINE!!! take that! :-P

i totally love Binnie's Key Lime.. even more so than HJW's Key Lime. and i'm thoroughly enjoying HJW.. philip lee is nice to look at, but he's falling thru the cracks.. not much presence. but i adore Yoon Sang Hyun's Oska.. and secretary Kim, and action school sunbae who still hasn't been named.. can't wait to go home and finish watching the rest of the subbed eps that are out at dramafever.

shout out to dramafever and all the subbers who've worked so hard on getting these dramas out.. YOU'RE ALL AWESOME!!

personal update: I'm borderline gestational diabetic.. so i have to go in for more testing next week, BOO! baby is doing well, 160 bpm heartrate, very VERY active. tummy is growing every day. i finally gained 2 lbs!! so i'm now at -3lbs from my starting weight. LOL. already having braxton hicks contractions keeping me up most of the night. BOO! 3 months to go til D-day!!

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Too late!! Sorry! I saw an opportunity in the absence of Samsooki, and claimed Binnie in the first article JB ever posted about Secret Garden! :P I can show you the proof too if you like. :)
But since you are preggers, and I want to see pictures of the baby, I am going to be nice. I will give him to you for an indefinable amount of time, but I still reserve the right to call him back! Off course this all becomes moot if Samsooki comes back. :P

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i do kinda feel like i have no right to claim Binnie since i've only just encountered him due to SG, but i'll gladly take him as i can. and you can have Binnie when i'm having contractions, delivering baby, and napping after baby is born. how's that? (that's a way awesome deal for you since i seem to have contractions quite a bit recently)

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Wow you go to school/collage while pregnant that's hard...Hope the pregnancy and school are doing good.

Though Mom with gestational diabetic has risk having a overweight baby but you have to keep gain weight in normal range for mom in pregnancy. Don't be so worried about the test, as long as you eat good, and check your pregnancy regularly it will be fine. My friend had gestational diabetic too, and she has 2 healthy babies now.

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i work part-time, go to school full-time, have 2 kids, am a wife, am preggars.. and in January, i'll be interning also... up until i have baby in March, that is. oh, and don't forget i'm a full time obsessor of kpop and kdramas too!! LOL.

need to get more dairy and calcium in my body.. and stop munching on the xmas goodies. damn the awesomeness of pumpkin bars w/ cream cheese frosting!!

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Another wow for you.... :)

Housewife mother is awesome, working mother is more awesome, being student and working mother is the most awesome, being pregnant, student working mother is beyond awesome.

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hey thanks!

have i told you lately that i love you??? and not just because you're bringing me my SuJu members.. just cause you're awesome too!!

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Thank you for loving me :)

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How about we just call you Superwoman? :P
*hugs* Take care of yourself and the little darling! :)

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wow you are amazing!

(and who needs pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting when you've got hyun-bin. Every time you have a craving for those pumpkin bars, watch Secret Garden!)

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ooohhh.. throw in some Woongah w/ that Binnie and i'm sure i won't even remember what it was i was craving.. pumpkin what? who cares!!! i gots me a Woongah Binnie sammich. YUM-ME! haha

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lolz. This is exactly why we need a Like button.

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@ hunterbear

skip the "LIKE" button and just get the "LURVE" button. ha!

cuz really, what's not to lurve about a Woongah-Binnie sammich?

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I second Hunterbear!
@lb_tmi
Will you like a piece of tiramisu instead? The one they are serving today is Heaven! :)

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OMO get some rest in there too. Put your feet up and watch a Kdrama :D

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oh twin.... first of all, you're gonna make Samsooki come bursting out from oblivion if you do that.... secondly, i still can't believe you haven't watched MNIKSS.. i thought i was the last one in kdramaland who hadn't watched it and i marathoned it last year haha! Binnie's Key Lime is just friggin awesome.. his facials and girlish ways. i LOL everytime i think about it.

and as far as you and baby - take care of yourself!!!! no more kbbq and squid and octopus and whatever else you've been eating. :(

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but twin.. remember we decided i was gonna watch MNIKSS when i'm taking the month off after baby is born?? you were only the last person to watch MNIKSS in 2009.. i'll be the last in 2011. LOL.

yeah, gotta give up them pumpkin bars w/ cream cheese frosting. but.. but.. i'm SO CRAVING them!! it's the ONLY craving i've had that has actually been able to satisfy me. and it's not like i'm gaining 50lbs or anything.. i should be able to have half a pan all to myself. LOL! more exercise this weekend.. cuz i'm gonna finally START my xmas shopping. heehee...

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haha oh yes. MNIKSS during your month off would help you stay sane.... :) and you'll fall in love with Binnie even more haha

pumpkin bars w/ cream cheese frosting sound fantabulous... where can i get THOSE?! or do you make them? i have to make Magnolia's banana pudding this weekend for a Christmas dinner with friends...

and be careful when you take walks - it's slippery out there!!!!!

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haha.. you should have tasted my FAIL at thanksgiving in making pumpkin bars. take that back.. i'm glad only two ppl tasted my FAIL at thanksgiving.. my niece ended up scraping off all the cream cheese frosting and putting it on her cupcakes but we trashed the pumpkin bars themselves.

the wonderful receptionist at work made the pumpkin bars JUST FOR ME because i told her last week i was craving them.. Gramma Bev IS SO AWESOME!! and she told me i can take half the pan home for tonight :)

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HUGS Be careful of what you eat and do as much walking as possible. It helps with the diabetes as well as the delivery. :D

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thanks for the hug :)

i do need to walk more.. couldn't do it earlier in the pregnancy because of some things.. but now i should walk more often. altho this kid is constantly kicking my bladder so i can't walk to far.. you know what i mean? lols.

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Merry Christmas!!! :)))

I'm so happy happy happy coz The man from nowhere is already up for download and it has a sub too! Really want to see why Won Bin got 3 awards for the best actor.

Also, I really don't know what to watch right now, there are plenty of good dramas. I can't decide! My choices are Secret Garden, It's alright daddy's girl, Athena, Daemul and QOR. HELP ME PLS :))

2010 is wayyyy too fast, I didn't even feel it. :)) Happy New year! :))

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Hi there, Audrey! May i know if you could provide the links to the movie Man From Nowhere for download with subs? Thanks so much!! :)

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I am a Singaporean Chinese-Malay Muslim and have been following Korean dramas for 2 years now and i have several questions that i hope kind folks visiting Dramabeans can help to answer… ;)

1. Why do Koreans like drinking? And many Koreans start drinking from an early age. It has been medically proven that drinking can destroy our health and in the documentary ‘Vitamin’ that airs on KBS World, statistics have shown that Koreans’ health issues have been connected to drinking and eating too much meat, esp considering the very high prevalence of different kinds of cancer among Koreans, young and old, men or women. The documentary also said that Koreans has a genetic predisposition which hinders the secretion of insulin which is needed to digest alcohol, thus contributing to the health-related problems connected with alcohol consumption among Koreans.

As a teacher, I am very concerned to see young men and women drinking so young and so frequently and it is widely depicted in Korean dramas.

2. Do most Korean men smoke? I have read somewhere that 1 in 2 Korean men smoke but fortunately most of the dramas do not reflect this fact for obvious reasons. It is another habit that contributes to health-related problems among Koreans.

3. Why do the characters in Korean dramas have a tendency to just OPEN a bedroom door (or any other door to the rooms of a house) without KNOCKING first? That would be considered extremely rude and totally unacceptable in my country and home.

4. Why do the characters in Korean dramas just DIP their soup spoon into the soup pot to scoop the soup? That is also considered to be exceedingly disrespectful and unhygienic to do in my home and country because the spoon has touched our mouth and thus should not be dipped into the soup pot that is meant for the consumption of all the diners at the dining table. I have been taught to use a soup ladle and scoop the soup into a separate soup bowl for my personal consumption.

5. A recurring theme in almost all Korean family dramas is the label ‘Chaebol’ for the families of conglomerates and how they seem to look down on those who are not of their social class, so much so that the impression a foreigner watching Korean dramas may have is that Korea has replaced the class society of the era of the Korean monarchy (which has ended) with a class society based on economic and maybe even political prowess. May I know how ordinary Koreans feel about this impression of their society? If you are Korean, have you ever been affected by this reality? And how do you deal with it?

Also, may I know, how do Koreans socialise? Do Koreans mix only with people from their own social class?

Those are the most pertinent questions i have so far and apparently a few other visitors to this blog have asked me to post these questions here because they have been wondering about the same thing for a while now and wish to also know the answers to the questions. ;)

Thank you in advance to those who are kind enough to answer them in my effort in understanding Korea and the Korean people. ;)

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i'd like to ask you a question.
Is that true chinese people are flying from tree to tree just what we see in the movie "Crouching tiger, hidden dragon"?

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My apologies. As I have never watched the movie 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' and I am thus unable to answer your question.

I am a Chinese-Malay Singaporean because my mother is Chinese (and was adopted into a Malay-Muslim family at birth and has no contact with her birth family) and my father is Malay but I was brought up in a Malay-Muslim family and thus have no knowledge about whether it is true 'Chinese people fly from tree to tree' as depicted in the movie.

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I once saw a singaporean movie that has scenes men hitting muslim girls. is it common that singaporean hit muslims and men hit girls?

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Can you tell the title of the movie? Then perhaps I could find a reference point at to what exactly you are referring to.

As a born and bred 40-year-old Singaporean, i have yet to come across any case of "Singaporean hitting muslims" as you put it. I do not fully understand your question, perhaps you could elaborate.

As for men hitting girls, i believe it is a mental and social problem the world over regardless of race, religion or background. Just a few days ago, i saw a documentary that showed how 1 in 2 women in China get beaten up by their spouses because it is a way for the men to show that they are the 'boss' in the relationship. And some of the women put up with it because the stigma of divorce is still a deterrent. I was shocked beyond words!!!

Anyhow, it looks like my questions have yet to be answered... ;)

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Hahaha, I think "koreandramalover" will get the point here.
Drama is drama, don't get confused with the drama and real life.

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haha...which is why i asked the questions, because if it is not REAL, then why are they portrayed in the dramas?

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because dramas are not supposed to be an accurate portrayal depiction of real life...

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i agree that to a certain extent, the creative license gives the drama writers the avenue with which to portray the characters in their dramas, thus not EVERYTHING in the dramas should be deem as an accurate depiction of the society in which the drama is based...

however, if the drama depicts the life of ordinary people in ordinary settings, should not the scenarios reflect AS MUCH of the reality as possible so that the dramas can be seen as credible portrayals of life of the society that it portrays?

i am not talking about purely fantasy-based dramas here. I am talking about countless dramas that depict the EXACT SAME THINGS that i have included in my questions - the way Koreans conduct themselves in ALL the dramas are EXACTLY the same whenever they open the doors or eat at the dining table...

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Salam Sister. Most T.V. shows, movies and dramas do not depict what happens in real life. They are for entertainment purposes only. Things are exaggerated. I'm from Pakistan and I can tell you that the movies and most of dramas there are are not true to real life either. If you saw an Indian Bollywood movie you would say the same too.
My husband was in Korea a while back and he did see a lot of drinking and smoking. He said that the people there are workaholics and very driven. They work crazy hours and they drink after work to relax. He also said that they were very polite and respectful people.
You will just have to take your Korean, Japanese and Taiwanese dramas with a grain of salt. Enjoy your time in Kdrama land. It's just like watching a Harry Potter movie. We know none of that stuff is real, but it does not stop us from enjoying it :D

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Salam (Peace Be Upon You) dear lessaofpern... ;)

Thank you so much for responding to my questions lessaofpern.

I totally agree with you that so many aspects and elements in dramas and movies are put in purely for entertainment purposes and need to be taken with a pinch of salt.

For instance, i know that at times when the characters open the doors without knocking first, it was because if they HAD knocked, then their presence will be known by those in the room and if those in the room were having a conversation, the conversation would have stopped for them to respond to the knock on the door, which would mean that the person knocking on the door would not be able to EAVESDROP on the conversation, which could otherwise lead to the revelation of certain information vital to the drama's plot/story.

In fact, each time such a scenario happens, although i would cringe inwardly in protest, i understood why it had to happen but i still wish the writers/PDs would have used more creative and refreshingly new ways of making the revelation of information more palatable than having the characters opening doors without knocking...

it is just such a cop-out, in my humble opinion, and also an insult to the intelligence and sensibilities of the viewers...as if the writers/PDs think that viewers are brainless morons and thus can be easily fooled...;)

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That's why you will hear Javabeans and Girlfriday also complain about the writers too. Sometimes they can be very inconsistent or sometimes downright unbelievable. We would love it if one of our Goddesses ( Javabeans or Girlfriday) would write a Kdrama for us :D

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Yes!!! My sentiments exactly!!

Wonder if we holler that request loud enough,
our divine Goddesses of the Blog would respond and fulfil our deepest desire - to read and watch a one-of-a-kind-awesome-beyond-belief of a Kdrama written by them?? heheh ;)

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It's cool that you are asking questions, because without questions we remain ignorant. I'm going to use a lot of my culture as back reference to answer your questions, and I'm half Mexican, half Native American.

1 First of all, the 'alcoholism' you are referring to is prevalent everywhere in the world. We have huge problems with it on Native American Indian Reservations and in the inner city. It is unhealthy and unwanted, but it happens. It is shown in Korean drama most often as a literary device, but it is probably no more common than any city in America.... or wherever you live. I know that the Muslim community does not smile upon drinking alcohol, but as I live in a highly multicultural community I can tell you that the Baptists and the Muslims drink side by side here, and then deny it whenever their religious leaders are around. Also, a very small amount of alcohol is good for you, something like 2 beers a day is good for the liver and one glass of red wine a day is good for the heart, but if I personally were to drink that it would mean that I would be constantly drunk because I have the tolerance of a flea.

2. I have not read any current statistics on smoking among Korean males... or females for that matter. None of my Korean friends here smoke... but lots of my Japanese friends do. Is that because of some sort of racial predisposition? I think that it probably has something to do with personal choice.

3. I don't know about knocking on bedroom doors. In Native American culture, it is the height of rudeness to interrupt someone speaking, but I see it all the time outside. Does this make everyone else wrong? No, it just makes them different. If I was offended by it, I probably wouldn't be able to operate in the outside world.

4. Different cultures eat differently. I once saw a mother pull a piece of meat out of her child's mouth and put it into her own. I nearly puked. I can't remember what culture it was, but I remember thinking that just because it is not something that I would do, there's no need to comment or even think about it because it is normal to them.

5. Social structure is common in every society, even if that society doesn't wish to acknowledge it. You mentioned that you were a Muslim: my friend just got back from Iraq and he said it wasn't all that different from America at all. The shopkeepers hung out with the shopkeepers and the lower class hung out with the lower class, so on and so forth. There aren't millionaires coming over to hang out at my house, but I don't have street rats coming into my living room to play video games with my son, either. It's not a pretty part of society, but it is real. It might be exaggerated in KDrama, but I don't think that it is any more of a sign of an elitist society than people being able to drive different cars.

I hope that this answers some of your questions, and if you want me to clarify anything I'll do my best to help you out!

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This for drinking habit, as living in the country that most of its population are muslim, I never see my friends who are muslim drink alcohol in public. I believe there are muslims in my country that drink but they doing it at peculiar places. the ones whom usually I see drinking in public are my non muslim friends, they respect their muslim friends by asking permission or telling us if the drinks that have been served are contained alcohol. We, muslims, mostly understand them, and just see it as different cultural thing based on different religion that we believe in. Alcohol are sold in restricted places, but there are some illegal alcohol selling too. We don't have many drinking scenes in our drama. if we see people drink alcohol in public, we tend to think them as non muslim, thus we believe they can be muslim too, but religion is not something you can read from somebody face and this something personal, how good someone in her/his religion only he/she and God who know it. I think that also what happen in Singapore, if it is not much alike, it is not much different too. Thats why asiankdramalover was asking her question about drinking habit in Korea. :)

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It's cool, I live right off of a military base so there's a lot of different cultures here... I have a neighbor family that is Muslim and they don't drink at all. But I know that there are Muslims in the community that do drink, 'cause I see them when I go run designated driver duty for my in-laws and their friends from the bar.

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I think drinking, as in all other things, is based on the choices of an individual. I am Muslim and I don't drink, my next door neighbor, she is Muslim too and three years younger than me, drinks like a fish.*shrug*

I think the idea is that while a blanket generalization is is consider the "normal" state for a group of people, the individuals within that group are going to deviate greatly from the "standard" pattern of behavior. It's a bell curve. :)

Also, I think a certain amount of flexibility and cultural relativism is necessary to function in a multicultural society. Eating with your hand is considered extremely rude in America, but it's considered almost an insult to the food if you refuse to touch the food you are eating in some South Eastern country, or at best, they just think you are putting on airs. I eat with chopsticks at Asian restaurants, use knife and fork at Western ones, and eat with my hand at home. It's no big deal. :)

My friends are as diverse as they come, they run the gamut from vegan wiccans, Jewish-pagan (don't ask, it's complicated) ;) vegetarians, I, who keep Halal, Christians who needs to vary their diet during Lent, to people who can not feel satisfied unless they have a big mac.

Somehow, we all manage to go out and eat together without compromising our essential values, granted, it takes a certain amount of planning. But the key thing is I don't feel offended if they order wine, and they don't care if I just order a soft drink and salad. It works out :)

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Salam, Viola. Thank you very much Viola for your kind response to my questions. ;)

I concur with every point that you have brought up and truly appreciate your perspective and opinions.

However, perhaps I should have framed my questions more clearly because it seems that the slant to my questions have been misunderstood.

Please let me clarify. When i asked about why Koreans like drinking, it was not to question WHY they drink, but rather why they LIKE to do it so much that, in my humble opinion, the associated health- and social-related problems are not given the attention that they deserve. I was not asking the question from a religious perspective but from a medical/health-related perspective because i have seen first-hand (as a teacher and a volunteer emergency room medic) how DAMAGING drinking REALLY is to our body.

Even though i stated that i am a Muslim, that in no way meant that i was asking the question from a Muslim's perspective because i do not presume to be qualified to judge the actions of others based on their beliefs (or non-belief) in a higher power.

I was asking strictly from a secular and medical/health perspective out of my deep concern for what i have seen in the Korean dramas so far and from what I have read up on and heard about pertaining to Korean culture and society.

After all, the mass media is a powerful tool for communication and i am concerned that perpetuating the drinking culture as good or acceptable as perennially shown in Korean dramas is not just detrimental to the health of the drinkers but to the health of everyone else because the reality of alcoholism is that it is a massively pervading problem that permeates every level of society and affect EVERYONE, NOT just those who drink and commit all manner of trangressions.

The same case with the other questions that I asked in my post. I did not ask the questions from a Muslim's perspective but from a universally secular perspective and am in no way questioning the morality of the Korean people but rather I am simply asking (not questioning) for clarification on certain aspects of Korean society as depicted in Korean dramas out of a sincere concern as a fellow human being. ;)

So, i hope whoever wishes to respond to my questions would have a clearer picture of the kind of responses i was hoping to receive. ;)

Thanks so much again Viola for your kind response! ;)

I hope we can continue to communicate here in Dramabeans for i have benefited a great deal from the exchanges here. ;)

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Eating with your hand is considered extremely rude in America

Just to demonstrate the dangers of overgeneralizing, let me point out that I'm totally shocked by this statement. I totally think of Americans as eating with their hands.

Hamburgers, hot dogs, french fries, pizza, sandwiches, wraps, fried chicken, hors d'oeuvres, etc.

:)

Actually, of course it'd be extremely rude to dig into a salad, mashed potatoes, pasta, ice cream, or a piece of filet mignon with one's hands.

In America, there's definitely finger food and definitely food that calls for forks, knives, and spoons.

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@ asiankdramalover:
I am a Singaporean Chinese-Malay Muslim and have been following Korean dramas for 2 years now

My question is why did you wrote this at the top of your post if you intentionally just want to ask some K drama cliche in relation to a medical/health-related perspective?
I think if not everyone, it did mislead me.

BTW patient cultural and religion background have some part in giving influence to a doctor 1st action toward patient chief complaint. Like if a doctor practices in a developing country with most its population is muslim, she/he will do screening 1st for virus or bacterial infection, and alcohol drinking habit for the next when a patient comes with hepatic related symptoms. It doesn't mean he/she closed the possibility, she/he will still do screening for alcohol impact on liver but it is not her/his top priority. The question about alcohol drinking habit is still asked. This will be different if the doctor practice in developed country where at it alcohol drinking is common, she/he probably will do the opposite. Knowing patient cultural and religion background will give a doctor great help in diagnosing patient disease and giving the best treatment for the patient in the most efficient time.

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thanks so much pohonphee for your reply here and the one above! ;)

i am really sorry i forgot to reply to your earlier response... ;)

i apologise for the misleading intro abt myself because that is how i always introduce myself and also because i wish to provide some info abt myself before asking the questions in the hope that the info could help to highlight how someone like myself, or a different race and religion, can absolutely love Korean dramas, even though i do not know a word of Korean. ;)

It is my silly way of saying -

Hi, I am not Korean and a Muslim and I love watching Korean dramas (which is why I have been following them for 2 years) and having watched the dramas, I have some questions to ask. I hoped that by stating that a Muslim can appreciate the dramas portraying non-Muslims, I could express how wonderful Korean dramas are because they have reached so far beyond its shores to appeal to an international audience, regardless of race or religion. ;)

I appreciate your response here abt a patient's racial and religious backgrounds being crucial information in medical-related situations so that medical practitioners can make informed decisions about the most appropriate and effective treatment and care for patients. ;)

Thanks once again, pohonphee, for your invaluable input! :)

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Thank you so much brookeeve for your kind, detailed and highly informative response to my questions. ;)

I am deeply grateful for your take on the situations using your racial and cultural background as a reference.

Pleased to make your acquaintance here in Dramabeans, brookeeve. So you are of mixed extraction yourself. ;)

I feel so blessed to have found Dramabeans for I feel so blessed to be given the opportunity to get to know people from all over the world through this medium, which would not have been possible 10 years ago... ;)

Now, to your response to my questions :

1. I absolutely concur with you that alcoholism is a disease prevalent the world over and no country, society, community or religious group is immune to it, not even the Muslim community in any country. In fact, in my own country of birth, Singapore, the prevalence of drunk-driving and other alcohol-related transgressions is at an alarming rate especially considering the tragic fatalities attributed to such transgressions;
what is more alarming to me personally is the prevalence of drinking amongst the Muslim youth and Muslim community and the corresponding problems that occur as a result, which negatively affect every social strata.
Which is why, when i watch the drama segments depicting drinking amongst the young in Korean dramas, the alarm bells ring so loudly in my head, which prompted me to ask the question.

The way i see it, it is such a huge problem and thus should not be treated so flippantly by drama writers/PDs by liberally depicting this life-threatening habit in every single drama/movie...

Just as smoking has been eradicated from being depicted in the dramas, for obvious reasons, SO should the drinking aspect, in my humble opinion. ;)

2. Smoking is also a worldwide problem and it is a perennial problem in the community that I am a member of - the Malay community in Singapore - because 1 in 3 Malay men smoke and more and more women (of all races) are picking it up. Which is why when i read up on the statistic in a newspaper on smoking among Korean men, once again the alarm bells ring real loud.
At least it is no longer acceptable to depict smoking in the dramatic realm, so that is something positive... ;)

3. Abt the knocking on doors, kindly refer to my response to lessaofpern at 14.4.1 above. ;)

4. As for the eating culture, i agree with you that every culture has its own definition of what is acceptable or unacceptable and what is considered normal and appropriate in one society may be the height of inappropriacy in another society.

However, to me, the soup spoon dipping into the soup pot habit is really more of a health/hygiene concern than a cultural one, and thus should be viewed as more of a universal concern than a cultural one. ;)

5. A colleague of mine who is a Singaporean and married to a Korean man told me that what is depicted in the dramas is what she sees happening in Korea - the rich scion marrying another rich scion and the poor steering clear of them because the rich steer clear of them as well. And so I am interested to know if what she has ssen is a true reflection of Korean society from the perspective of native Koreans themselves...;)

And i do agree with you that social interactions the world over is more similar than dissimilar, regardless of race, culture or religion, especially so in multi-racial and multi-religious urban societies and cosmopolitan cities with large immigrant populations, contributing to the blurring of the lines between the haves and the have-nots...

but the extent to which the blurring of those lines differ from society to society and the simplest way to identify the extent/degree of the blurring, in my humble opinion, is by looking at the society with the naked eye, as well as, obtaining the perspective and personal experience of the native inhabitants of each society, as they are the ones directly affected by the extent of the blurring of those lines...thus my asking the questions to the native Koreans... ;)

Once again, thank you so very much, dear brookeeve, for the kind response... ;)

I hope we will continue to exchange ideas and opinions here in Dramabeans because i have thoroughly enjoyed myself interacting with you here... ;)

Take care and God bless you! ;)

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Dude I miss spell your name koreandramalover/kdl, sorry for typo :)

See, it's just right for you to ask these question again at OT, or probably you have another question? just share them and let's others OTers have their head spinning looking for the answers. :D You and people with questions like this bring k drama discussion to another level.

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no problem with the typo, 'cause I do it all the time ;)

thanks for your motivating words! very much appreciated! ;)

bless you! ;)

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Please let me clarify the way the above questions were framed.

When i asked about why Koreans like drinking, it was not to question WHY they drink, but rather why they LIKE to do it so much that, in my humble opinion, the associated health- and social-related problems with drinking are not given the attention and concern that they deserve.

I was not asking the question from a religious perspective but from a medical/health-related perspective because i have seen first-hand (as a teacher and a volunteer emergency room medic) how DAMAGING drinking REALLY is to our body.

Even though i stated that i am a Muslim, that in no way meant that i was asking the question from a Muslim’s perspective because i do not presume myself to be qualified to judge the actions of others based on their beliefs (or non-belief) in a higher power.

I stated that I am a Muslim simply as a way of introducing myself because that is how I always introduce myself to others, but not because I am asking the questions from a Muslim's perspective.

I was asking strictly from a secular and medical/health perspective out of my deep concern for what i have seen in the Korean dramas so far and from what I have read up on and heard about pertaining to Korean culture and society.

After all, the mass media is a powerful tool for communication and i am concerned that perpetuating the drinking culture as good or acceptable as perennially shown in Korean dramas is not just detrimental to the health of the drinkers but to the health of everyone else because the reality of alcoholism is that it is a massively pervading problem that permeates every level of society and affects EVERYONE, NOT just those who drink and commit all manner of transgressions that can forever alter people's lives in the most tragic ways.

The same case with the other questions that I asked in my post. I did not ask the questions from a Muslim’s perspective but from a universally secular perspective and I am in no way questioning the morality of the Korean people but rather I am simply asking (not questioning) for clarification on certain aspects of Korean society as depicted in Korean dramas out of a sincere concern as a fellow human being. ;)

So, i hope whoever wishes to respond to my questions would have a clearer picture of the kind of responses i was hoping to receive. ;)

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You're cool, just want to reiterate that.

I think that some of the people here who responded strongly were probably Americans, and we tend to get a little testy when people are questioning others about an unfamiliar culture. We have a very bad history... who am I kidding? We have a very bad present in our race relations and we tend to not want anyone to be offended to the point that we react badly when someone questions another culture. We don't want anyone to be hurt or offended and so therefore take a defensive position when simply answering a question will go a lot further in nurturing an understanding and concerned world citizen.

I don't tend to react as strongly than others because of my personal background: people are shocked that I know how to fire a gun and not a bow and arrow (although I do know how, I just don't tell them that), people ask me where my horse is when I drive somewhere, people ask me how I keep a tiipii warm during the winter. It isn't that they are being mean (some of them are) but it's more bewilderment that my life isn't how they see it on TV. Your questions are legitimate, and I don't think you had nefarious purposes when asking them.

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where is the awe button? :)

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Little sister, don't be like that! I'm not all that cool, I'm a big dork who reads too much. I think you are much cooler!

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You think I am cool? * pleased as punch smile* teeheee . But, I am not budging from my " Brookeeve is way awesome" position! :P *hugs*

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people are shocked that I know how to fire a gun and not a bow and arrow (although I do know how, I just don’t tell them that), people ask me where my horse is when I drive somewhere, people ask me how I keep a tiipii warm during the winter.

Are you effing kidding me? People actually ask you that? Wow. I know how to string a bow and shoot an arrow (thanks to having attended a very posh East Coast college where the most "pedestrian" sport we had was soccer) and fence. Wonder what that makes me.

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No, people actually ask me that. Sometimes they stop me on the street to ask me that. There's just not enough of my people left to counter stereotypes in America anymore... we have less than half a million of us left in the United States. Perfect strangers stop me in the middle of the mall to ask me questions about my people... I no longer am shocked by any question ever. When my students get comfortable with me, they ask me all sorts of questions, too. Their parents tell them some of the craziest... anyway. I had one of my Taiwanese history professors in college ask me even crazier questions, but I haven't taken anything personally since I was twelve years old... and I got kicked off the school bus for that for two weeks.

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@ brookeeve :

your experience with the crazy questions
- unbelievable but sadly it is all true... ;)

so sorry to hear about how you have had to undergo such challenges...

how the experience must have made your facial skin grow so thick even without you realising it just so you could deflect or cause the questions to bounce back to the originator... ;)

I empathise because of the endless questions I have had to face throughout my life about my physical appearance that is neither here nor there (neither Chinese- nor Malay-looking) and then about Islam and Muslims after September 11 2001.

What does not kill us, makes us stronger, right, brookeeve? ;)

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While i do not believe i deserve to be called 'cool', kindly accept my deepest appreciation for it, and kindly also accept my deepest appreciation for YOUR coolness, brookeeve, in your cool and calm responses to my posts. ;)

I am truly appreciative of the time and effort you put in to provide me with your perspective, opinion and insight on the matter at hand with such honesty, clarity and forthrightness. There are really no words that can adequately express my appreciation but i am sure you understand, right? ;)

With regard to the kind of responses that Americans may have the tendency to give pertaining to queries abt other cultures, i appreciate your take on that because i have no knowledge of that as my interactions with Americans are limited now. It has been more than 10 years since i last worked with Americans when i was in the private sector and thus have no memory of how they would and could react to such questions.

So thank you very much for that perspective ;)

However, i do remember how warm, generous, accommodating and kind the American personnel i had the honour and privilege to work with and i fully agree with you and understand about the automatic impulse in Americans to defend others if and when they see the need to do so. It is an admirable trait when utilised with tactfulness and grace - a trait which should be emulated by everyone. Americans should be proud of that aspect of their psyche. ;)

As for your personal anecdotes on your interactions with Americans, i have to say how amusing it is that people's mindset can be so set in a certain mould/perspective that they fail to realise how absurd their queries to individuals of a different extraction/parentage/race/culture can be.
Now I am the one who has to reiterate how cool YOU are by the way you have been handling such scenarios. Way to go, brookeeve!! Bravo!! ;)

Having said that, i have to also say that i understand why and how we are the way we are because not all of us have had the opportunity or privilege of learning about the world from books, with esteemed academics at institutions of higher learning or from the Internet. Thus, a certain mindset is formed by certain factors, as well as, by certain forces at play that are beyond our control, that may limit and hinder us from obtaining greater awareness or understanding about matters of the world. And this scenario is not limited to certain groups of people but cuts across the board, beyond borders and boundaries. ;)

However, at the end of it all, we still have a choice - to choose to bother enough about the world to want to know what we do not know and then to do something in order to gain the knowledge that we need, or,
we can choose to remain ignorant and react accordingly - with ignorance... ;)

The choice is ours to make... ;)

Which brings me to the crux and motivation behind my queries in this thread - the sincere quest for knowledge... ;)

Thank you once again, dear brookeeve, for this lively and highly educational interaction! ;)

See you around in Dramabeans for the next opportunity to crack our brains for inspiration and thought-provoking discourse! ;)

Take care and may God bless you always! ;)

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I'm going to take the bite here. I debated for a while whether to respond, but hopefully I can shed some light on both your answers and the reactions your questions have generated.

1. Koreans and drinking - In trying to clarify your original question regarding Koreans drinking, you say that you want to know "why they LIKE to do it so much." The responses you've gotten - both straight and snarky - have been trying to point out that you've started from a false assumption based on a distorted representation of reality in Korean dramas.

To be frank, growing up, I didn't know many Koreans who drank much at all. My parents are generally teetotalers, though my dad can drink quite a bit if he chooses. I've seen my mom drink once, and I can assure you that she wasn't drinking when I wasn't around since she really didn't have much of a social life. Most of their acquaintances were Christians and they didn't drink either.

Also, my parents don't swear much. Yes, I've heard the nyun (년), nom (놈), and other words that can be used derogatorily, but actual swears? No. I grew up not hearing Korean adults not swearing much, so much so that I've been learning Korean profanity and impolite expressions for the first time through Korean dramas. For example, jjok pallida (쪽팔리다). I get that means it's embarrassing. To this day, I don't really understand why selling jjok is embarrassing. Or ssagaji eopda (싸가지 없다), which I get means rude but again don't quite know why. Nevermind the Korean equivalents of the F word, which I had to do some serious googling to figure the spelling of even, since I've heard it uttered only by characters in films and dramas and not by an actual person.

I've heard that Koreans do drink hard core. I've never witnessed it, not even when I went back to Korea. So the point is that, while there may be some truth to the stereotype, it's only that.

As to why, they drink for the same reasons other people drink. Alcohol affects a person's dopamine levels, which allows people to let go of their inhibitions. As to why people seek substances in order to let go, though there may be some commonalities across particular populations, "Koreans" is too big a category to be useful.

2. Korean men smoking - dunno. Googling may yield statistical, rather than anecdotal, info.

3. Opening doors - Again, too much of a generalization to be useful. Notions of individual right to privacy, though identified as a Western concept, is not foreign to Koreans since all people desire some degree of privacy, be it physical or psychological. I remember being told by a Crow friend that closing doors was considered unfathomable for various reasons (what have you to hide? we're a family. we're a community), but I'd believe equally if another Crow person told me that that ain't so (ergo, rather than a Cultural practice with a capital C, it may have been a practice more limited to my friend's family or relatives or smaller community).

4. The spoon dipping - I'm sure if you pay close attention, you'll see the dramas depicting meals at which spoon-dipping or some equivalent table manner is frowned upon. I think the dramas use this as a shorthand for the intimacy between characters, a character's down-to-earth personality, characters' socioeconomic class (positively or negatively), etc. I'm sure some Korean families do double dip and some others frown upon doing so.

5. Classism in Korean society - Yes, Korean is definitely classist, and there is certainly less social mobility there than in the United States, for example. However, again, as others have said, people like to hang out with other people like them. Even people who like to hang out with people unlike them also hang out with other people who like to hang out with people unlike them. And also, classism exists in all cultures. One of my ex-beaus is an Anglo-American with a very prestigious background. When his rebellious and troubled older brother impregnated his then-girlfriend now-wife who didn't even go to college, his mother offered to pay for the abortion and basically pulled a rich Chaebol matriarch move. However, when the baby came and the new grandmother felt grandmotherly pangs, you can imagine how fun family gatherings must have been.

So, all in all, folks are trying to suggest that you are allowing your viewing of Korean dramas to lead you to overgeneralize about people who are just that. People, like people elsewhere. I'm sure there are folks in Singapore who double-dip, walk in without announcing themselves, who smoke and drink, etc. who'd be surprised by your characterization of Singaporean culture because their particular localized cultural norms don't jive with the norms you are familiar with. And let me point out that you went to the trouble of identifying the multiple dimensions of your identity. Similarly, Korea - though a small country - is very heterogeneous because of its geography, as can be gleaned from just the diversity of dialects. If you dropped me off in Busan, for example, I'd be desperate to find someone who spoke with a Seoul accent/dialect cause I cannot understand most of that dialect. Same with Jeju dialect.

Hope this helps.

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Thank you very much, anais, for your highly informative, frank and helpful response to my questions! ;)

I am so happy to gain so much from the questions that i put up! ;)

Please allow me to respond ;)

Firstly, even though I did say that the spoon-dipping and door-opening-without-knocking are considered extremely rude and unacceptable in my country, I did not say that my countrymen are not guilty of doing them.
Definitely there are Singaporeans who did all that and more, drink and smoke, even take drugs, and a whole host of other transgressions - you name it, there are Singaporeans who have done them.

As I have mentioned in a post above, perhaps because of the way the questions were framed - short and stark - some of the respondents/readers of my post may have the impression that perhaps I am of the opinion that my countrymen and women are somehow better than Koreans. The thought never even cross my mind.

In fact, the reason I started following Korean dramas is because I have heard wonderful things about Korea and the Korean people from my colleague whose husband is Korean, as well as, from friends who have lived, worked and/or studied in Korea or visited Korea. Which is also why I use 'koreandramalover' as my post-name in this blog because I have fallen in love with what I have seen in the dramas - the culture, the people and the country of Korea. ;)

I did not in any way wish to highlight what is wrong/negative about Korea or the culture or the people but rather was motivated to seek a better understanding and greater awareness about what the truth is.

Actually, as a Singaporean, I have too many grouses about my countrymen and women to say here and how I am increasingly mortified by the deterioration of moral, religious, cultural and social values in subsequent generations of Singaporeans.

And as I haven't had the opportunity or pleasure to visit Korea, one way for me to get a picture of Korea is through the dramas, which I could get from the cable tv service. However, I am fully aware of the fact that using ONLY the dramas as a window into the world that is Korea is myopic at best and grossly inaccurate at worst.

But what I did not say is that I do not ONLY use dramas to gain the knowledge that I am seeking because of the other avenues available to me in the form of friends, books and others.

I asked the questions here because this blog focuses on discussions/discourse on Korean dramas and so I thought this is another avenue through which I can obtain the information that I seek.

I sincerely apologise to the readers of my questions if they find the questions offensive or inappropriate in any way. Even though it was not my intention to offend anyone but if my action and questions have indeed caused such negative feelings, I sincerely apologise. ;)

As for the snark responses that were posted to my questions, I say - bring it on! ;)

After all, variety is the spice of life and what is life if not with both the pros and cons, good and bad, nasty and nice? ;)

It is not what happens to us that matters,
but how we REACT to it ... ;)

We should not live because people are nice to us,
and we should not die because people are mean to us.
;)

Do unto others what we wish for others to do unto us
;)

We choose to do what we do and if certain people chose to respond snarkily, it is their prerogative.. ;)

As it is my prerogative to absorb any and all responses, be they nasty or nice.. ;)

Thanks again, anais, for your invaluable input. ;)

It has been a really meaningful ride, right here in Open Thread!! ;)

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I didn't think you were trying to say "my" people are better than "Korean" peeps. No. That never entered the picture. What I was trying to say is that the way you phrased your questions made it seem as if you were overgeneralizing and not realizing that you were overgeneralizing.

And I do realize that your questions are well-intentioned and that you do very much love Korean drama and associated cultural products. So I didn't necessarily take offense but did want to point out that you might want to step away from attributing what may be or are particulars to some monolithic Korean identity, which - as I'm sure you know from living in an ethnically diverse place such as Singapore that - doesn't exist. Even a force as foundational as Neo-Confucianism doesn't play out uniformly throughout all of Korean society. Some Koreans live their lives so that Neo-Confucian values don't figure predominantly whereas others may as well be stuck back in 16th or 17th century Joseon Dynasty.

You might have gotten a different set of responses had you begun with a different set of questions:

• not "why do Korean like to drink so much" but "do Koreans drink as much as the hype would lead people to believe? Are there generational differences? Gendered differences? Or certain demographic segments? Are there demographic patterns at all to drinking habits?" (BTW, I get the impression that Koreans tend to be very well aware of the damaging effects of vice, including the fact that many Koreans lack the enzyme necessary to process alcohol. But Koreans aren't the only ones who lack this enzyme. Most Far East Asian populations do.)
• how accurate are the tropes depicted in K-drama?
• not "do Korean really only hang out with others of the same socioeconomic background?" since it makes it seem as if Koreans are the only people in the world who do so, but "how classist is Korean society / in which ways is Korean society classist, and how might classism play out in people's everyday lives?"

I do respect your interest in Korean culture. What I do want to avoid is the sort of gross generalization that can lead to damaging stereotypes. Let me just leave by sharing something that happened in Britain's colonization of India as an examples: inadvertent institutionalization of suttee/sati, which still gets defined as "an Indian" custom in which a widow burns herself to accompany her recently deceased husband. The British, out of a desire to be attentive to local customs, debated for a long time about whether to ban the practice. Some Brits understood it as a Hindu custom (meaning, practiced as a religious custom by ALL Hindus) and thought that banning it was tantamount to misuse of Britain's power/imposition of British cultural hegemony. It's been a long time since I studied this but I vaguely remember reading primary material documenting some Brits' insistence on further institutionalizing it in one way or another, rendering what was local into something erroneously assumed to be true for all of India. Well-intentioned but misguided.

As I become more and more aware of the diversity of Dramabeans' readers, I find myself becoming more wary about statements I make, because I'm realizing we just don't have the same context and may easily misconstrue without even realizing having done so.

Anyhoo, it's late for me here. Good night.

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Anais, how do I express my deep appreciation for your time and effort in helping me gain so much just by posting a few questions here in Open Thread? ;)

I thank God for this opportunity to learn so much from the kind, kind souls here in Dramabeans, such as yourself, anais, as well as, brookeeve, pohonphee and viola. ;)

I feel truly blessed because as I see life-long learning as an integral part of my journey to become a better human being, I am truly appreciative of what I have learnt from your knowledge and wisdom, anais. ;)

I am floored by the intelligent responses that I have received here and in the other posts here in Dramabeans, that I wonder how I ever went through life before I discovered Dramabeans... ;)

Thank you so much once again, anais, for your input above at 14.7.1.1. I hope you know how grateful I am for giving me the feedback and advice that I believe would enrich my life as I continually seek to improve myself in every way that matters. I totally agree with you on every point that you have made and I shall bear them in mind the next time I decide to post more questions. ;)

Thanks again, anais! ;)

Have a good rest tonight. You deserve it after dealing with someone like me. ;)

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wow KDL! you've got a discussion going here. :) it's so nice to read your post and the comments as well. I've learned a lot. :)

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hi there, izzie dear!! ;)

sooooo glad to have you here, my dear Moony Loony noona!! ;)

miss you so much!! ;)

how's the vay-kay so far? mind if i ask where you are?
if you can't answer its ok ;)

have a great time!! ;)

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it's goin' great. :) thanks for asking.

I'm in the northern philippines. ;) it's quite cool here and i've been having a food binge since I arrived. glad to have that 3-week time from work. :) I squeed when I found out that internet connection here is good, which means I won't have to have kdrama withdrawal symptoms. :D (which could defeat the purpose of "going away from the usual things you do for a while.") LOL.

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wonderful to hear you are enjoying yourself! ;)

take care when you binge though, so you won't spoil your vay-kay... ;)

take care! ;)

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WOW! I did not mean to check out the open threads...but I'm now glad I did.

Hi izzie and kdl! Moony loony sistahs....how have you been?

Izzie, you are in the northern part of the Philippines?Your hometown, you said. That explains why you are so funny, creative and expressive (I'm a big fan!). :-) How's the vacation going?

KDL, hiya there! Was wondering where you've been hiding :-) cos we missed you a lot. Looks like you've been watching a lot of documentaries lately on Korean culture to supplement all the kdramas you've been watching. And wow! You got some seriously deep discussion going on here...

I have friends and have worked with lots of Koreans and I know that although there are some similarities to those depicted on-screen, there are also some that are just have exaggerated mostly for the purpose of comedic or tragic effect and also because of creative license by the writers.

In fact, just a week ago I have a close friend from Korea who visits here every now and then and since she's married to a foreigner (non-Korean) I asked her if there is any truth to the married lives of mixed cultures in Korea as depicted in one of their TV shows and she said the show features mostly those from lower economic class in their society and so do not completely depict those who are from the middle to upper economic level. What she means to say is that her own experience may not be appropriately depicted in said show.

This got me into thinking that as many as the sand in the seas, there are as many possible perspectives and life experiences that are out there which differentiates each one of us from one another but there are also so many commonalities that exist that bind us together as part of one human race.

What I discovered in my travels is that we are all so different and yet we are all the same. Whenever I meet someone for the first time a picture of that person's culture as far as I know gets retrieved from my rusty brain and voila! I am either biased into thinking of this or that about that person. But I try to keep an open mind and are most of the time pleasantly surprised that that person cannot be boxed into the picture I made of him/her based on my preconceived notions. That there are other factors also at play...like their family, social, educational, economic and even personality backgrounds to mention a few.

About the drinking, I would have to say that most Koreans Ive met enjoy a bottle or two...and even girls drink like what we see in most kdramas when they have time off from their work/concerns. But this is not as surprising to me cos although I dont consider myself a drinker except for a glass of wine from time to time, Ive known lots of my own countrymen who enjoy alcoholic beverages, too...both male and female...on a more regular fare. But it differs as you go from different demographics, if you want to be more specific about it.

And smoking? Most Korean men I know smoke but this is not usually depicted in many kdramas. I dont know why. Perhaps the writers just did not get around to using this element yet to work in their storytelling. So using this as an inference, I would say that if one thing (example: drinking) is prevalent in kdrama and yet not as prevalent in real life, then perhaps I should not assume easily that another thing (example: smoking) which is so prevalent
in real life (in the context that I find myself in) should also be always existent in kdrama.

So, again, we go back to the writers of said kdramas. It is their realities, motivations and inspirations that ultimately shape the world that they create in their kdrama. And since it is an industry/business, most of the time it will be driven with how much interest/appeal that they can generate from their market: the kdrama-viewing public. At first certain elements when used initially if successfully received (e.g. piggyback rides) become mainstream (when others copy them) but soon loses its appeal when every other writer already uses this same element over and over again. Perhaps it is the case for the drinking, smoking elements.

Sometimes you will think that maybe it is now truth copying fiction instead of the other way around. That is the power of the creative writers. They can actually help create new worlds that the real world can aspire to if they use their power well. :-)

KDL, as always, you're inquiring mind has set off our minds to seek answers likewise. Thank you for always keeping that spirit alive! Glad to have had the privilege to participate in this wonderful discussion....

Cheers to you!

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ahoy, KDL and samgetang! :) vacation's going great. :) esp. now that I'm done with my take-home report and was able to e-mail it to my boss. now I can focus more on food binging. :D and photography. ;)

and watching kdramas. :D I just turned everyone here into kdrama addicts coz of my downloaded videos. :D now I have to set up my laptop for viewing sessions every night. Now Showing: SKKS. ;)

@samgetang: I dunno what to say, but thank you. :) I'm a fan of yours as well - your writing, how you handle your time, your career, and doing the society good at the same time. :) you and KDL give the society far more benefit than I do.
hehe. you must have met a lot of funny peeps from the north? :)

re: smoking... I couldn't remember seeing a single person smoking when I was in Korea. I saw a lot of drunk people though - even at broad daylight. I've seen a couple of ahjussis slumped on sidewalks, drunk, at noontime. however, I think no place beats my workplace in terms of the sheer number of smokers per square meter, so Korea is still in good state. at my workplace, there's this walkway that my friends and I dubbed as "Diagon Alley" - it's where the smokers at work hang out. Now it shouldn't be a problem if it weren't the walkway to the gate. From morning till evening, that walkway doesn't run out of smokers. You arrive at work fresh, you walk through Diagon Alley where smoke puff from left and right, and you get second&third-hand smoke in your lungs and on your clothes. I don't hate smokers - as long as they don't pass their poison to me. I've been bringing this issue up with management, but it seems they haven't really considered re-assigning the smoking area. Sometimes I want to bring a water gun.

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Hahaha! Izzie :-) diagon alley...isnt that from Harry Potter fame? Woahhh! I also hate being on the receiving end of second-hand smoke...i used to be asthmatic when i was young so you would imagine my horrors on anything remotely "smoky" hehe (except when it involves smoky eye shadow, haha!...not for me, by the way...i do it for others for stage make-up, hahaha!)

I can imagine the scene now in your home.. indeed you have turned your family and friends there to kdrama-addicts, too...complete with drama marathons that result to sleepless nights, dark circles around the eyes, etc...LOL! we had that at home when we first discovered Coffee Prince and Goong/Princess Hours.. my mom and sisters all had this insane first experience in kdrama addiction...it was hilarious! ;-)

Since you hail from the northern part of the Phils, I presumed you are Filipino. Am I right? :-) Well, if so, then that explains why you are so funny, creative and expressive...izzie, pls dont be embarrassed, but i think you are oozing with raw talent. I already had the feeling even before...

Im a Filipino and Ive seen so many of our countrymen just spew out creative talent like nothing, in different fields. This is not to brag...pls forgive me. Just stating the obvious. Because in life, I know its not just about talent. So Im just making a neutral statement that even other races also say about our race. It is nothing to be proud of if it does not translate to progress and quality of life:-) As you can see in our current state of affairs, we have to learn a lot by harnessing our raw talent to serve our country well. We should learn to be humble and ask God's help so we can use the gifts He gave us for the benefit of our race/country and to contribute to the world at large :-)

Big words, I know. Maybe we need to back it up with big actions, too :-)

Just my humble opinion, by the way. Being around kids and always dreaming that they will grow up to be great individuals inevitably make me curious about all the people I meet and what makes them tick and hope to encourage them to their highest potential :-) Id say that's the occupational hazard of being a teacher, hehe. Im not one professionally, just volunteering, but you get a teacher's heart nonetheless...

Thanks for bearing with this long post ;-) and hope you have a great time with your family. It looks like my hope to meet you in person when the right time comes is not to far off :-)

By the way, some of us in my family will spend Christmas also in the northern part, in Baguio, for a few days only. :-)

KDL....where are you spending your Christmas vacation?

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KDL! wow! (well i'm not so sure that you or anyone else will read my comment this late, but i did kinda promised you that i'll show up and meet you here in open thread, so... here i am! :) )

once again, wow! what a discussion you've got here! phew! seems like it took me ages to read - and try to comprehend :) - all these intelligent comments, answers, and points of view.. very very interesting responses to your questions! and they opened my mind a lot more. to be completely honest, i never expected some of them. i truly expected an answer from the historical side (especially on the drinking part), and i actually did a little searching myself in the net but to little avail. All i got so far is the history of korean cuisine (which is VERY fascinating, by the way), including dishes, beverages, dining etiquette, etc. And THAT... made me hungry and ended my little research early haha :)

Well there is this article that states that unlike china and japan, korea was never a tea-drinking nation coz historically, china and japan (and probably many other countries as well, including mine) had to boil their water for it to be fit to drink, while korea's water was pure, which led them to discover other beverages, i.e wine. Which maybe has nothing to do with anybodys drinking habit, but i find this piece of information very interesting (for me) :)

and oh, i really admire the way you (and others likewise) respond to others in this thread... calm and cool... i've learned a lot from these exchanges... thank you! ;)

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hi there, my dearest Moony Loony sistahs, samgetang and izzie!! ;)

I have missed YOU so so much too... ;)

just the other day i went into the thread about Gong Yoo (after izzie told me about the word 'Yoo'r' that you gals come up with) and i realised that you gals went into serious Gong Yoo-mania, i see... hehe... ;)

and i saw then some of your queries to me... :(

i'm so sorry i couldn't answer them cos i didn't go into that thread at all because i was busy with family events (parents' wedding anniv, siblings' bdays, religious events) ;)

also, i'm not too enamoured of Gong Yoo, sorry... ;)
now, if it is Go Soo...i am definitely in... ;)

anyhow, back to your posts here samgetang and izzie :

first and foremost, let me just add something to what i said in my earlier post at 14.7.1.1.1. :

"I thank God for this opportunity to learn so much from the kind, kind souls here in Dramabeans, such as yourself, anais, as well as, brookeeve, pohonphee and viola."

my dearest sistahs, samgetang and izzie,
i really hope you both know that the reason i did not include both of your names, plus pastmidnite and sumee, is that sentence is NOT because i am not thankful to you gals... ;)

in fact, IF NOT for you gals, my dearest moony loony noonas, i would have stopped posting comments here in Dramabeans long ago...

whenever i post comments, the names i look for first are you gals...
and let me tell you, how ECSTATIC and THANKFUL i am EVERYTIME i see your post/replies...
so much so, when i don't see any of your posts in any of the threads,
i would feel soo sad and will keep checking as many threads as possible just to find your posts... ;)

now i, sincerely, honestly, from the bottom of my heart,
cannot imagine life without seeing/reading/meeting you gals here... ;)

YOU gals, with your infinite, boundless, limitless, priceless warmth, generosity of spirit, hearts of gold, and not to forget, hilarious, creative, expressive and out-of-this-world wackiness,
have made me your MOST AVID fan... ;)

seriously, if any of you were to publish a book of your mind-blowingly inventive ideas,
i would be the first to be in line to buy tonnes of copies of your books so that i could share them with my loved ones, pupils, friends and colleagues... ;)

in fact, there are really no words adequate enough for me to express how truly blessed and thankful i feel because God has allowed me to get to know you gals... ;)

samgetang and izzie (plus pastmidnite and sumee) -
you gals are some of the finest examples of human beings i have ever known in my life... ;)

and your reply to my questions here is just another example of how truly fine you gals are... ;)

thank you so so much, from the bottom of my heart, dear samgetang and izzie ;)

i just couldn’t say all that in the 14.7.1.1. post above because at that time,
both of you did not get to respond to my post yet... ;)

______

now, please allow me to reply your reply to my post ;)

my dearest samgetang and izzie,

how can i begin to express the depth of my gratitude for your replies?

i am in absolute agreement with you on every one of your ideas,
which have been expressed in your trademark style :
full of heart, warmth, kindness, grace, compassion and empathy ;)
i am so grateful and humbled by your replies, samgetang and izzie ;)

grateful and humbled to God and to you,
samgetang and izzie,
for your replies that, as usual, have helped me to learn so much from both of you ;)

firstly, kindly allow me to respond to samgetang’s reply :

samgetang, how right you are in your comments ;)
and how beautifully you have written them below ;)

“we are all so different and yet we are all the same”

“there are as many possible perspectives and life experiences that are out there which differentiates each one of us from one another but there are also so many commonalities that exist that bind us together as part of one human race.”

yes, samgetang, we may have our differences but if we look deep down into our souls,
we have a lot more in common than we can even imagine ;)

and that we can all learn from one another all the time
which is why i follow Korean dramas to begin with ;)

and after following the dramas for 2 years now,
as well as, from the sharing/perspective gleaned from the people around me who have either worked, lived or studied (and are still working/living/studying) in Korea,
i have fallen in love with the Korean people, culture and country,
and thus i was motivated to find out more about the Korean people, culture and country ;)

and as much as i have been affected by the malaise in my community and country,
i am deeply concerned about what i saw, heard and knew about the Korean people, culture and country – which was also the motivation for my queries in Open Thread here ;)

______

i cannot agree with you more on your opinions below :

“I know that although there are some similarities to those depicted on-screen, there are also some that are just have exaggerated mostly for the purpose of comedic or tragic effect and also because of creative license by the writers.”

“the writers of said kdramas – it is their realities, motivations and inspirations that ultimately shape the world that they create in their kdrama. And since it is an industry/business, most of the time it will be driven with how much interest/appeal that they can generate from their market: the kdrama-viewing public.”

Yes, samgetang! You are so spot-on!! ;)

And like you said, we have to keep an open mind about everything that we see, hear, know and experience as you have beautifully said below :

“But I try to keep an open mind and are most of the time pleasantly surprised that that person cannot be boxed into the picture I made of him/her based on my preconceived notions.
That there are other factors also at play…like their family, social, educational, economic and even personality backgrounds to mention a few.”

______

And the same applies to the drinking and smoking issues ;)

“Sometimes you will think that maybe it is now truth copying fiction instead of the other way around.”

Yes, samgetang, how true!!! That is why there exists the following sayings :

art imitating life;
truth can be stranger than fiction ;)

______

thanks so much, samgetang, for your immeasurably valuable input/sharing and for your kind appreciation of my clumsily-handled posting of questions for the first time in Open Thread ;)

i look forward to ‘seeing/reading’ your posts in other threads soon ;)

btw, what are you doing presently and where are you? Are you on vacation? ;)

keep in touch ok, my dearest moony loony sistah? ;)

*********************************

now, izzie dear, please allow me to reply to your reply ;)

yahoo!!! congratulations, my comrade-at-arms, Moony Loony Noona, for successfully completing your task and so now, you can focus on binging on food and dramas to your heart’s content... ;)

______

:I saw a lot of drunk people though – even at broad daylight.”
But i think no place beats my workplace in terms of the sheer number of smokers per square meter, so Korea is still in good state.”

Hehe...i didn’t know THAT, izzie... ;)

______

“there’s this walkway that my friends and I dubbed as “Diagon Alley” – it’s where the smokers at work hang out. Now it shouldn’t be a problem if it weren’t the walkway to the gate. From morning till evening, that walkway doesn’t run out of smokers. You arrive at work fresh, you walk through Diagon Alley where smoke puff from left and right, and you get second&third-hand smoke in your lungs and on your clothes.”

Wow, izzie!! How terrible for you and the other non-smokers to be subjected to such unhealthy conditions :(

______

“Sometimes I want to bring a water gun.”

Hehe...i CAN imagine you walking down the alley, firing your water gun at those people, all the while smiling in your cool, kickass style...hehe ;)

finally...i have reached the end of this excruciatingly long post.. ;)

my sincerest apologies, my dear Moony Loony noonas,
to subject you to this torture... ;)

my dear soul sistahs, samgetang and izzie, i hope we get to see each other, along with sumee and pastmidnite, in another drama recap real soon, cause i am really missing our interaction in the posts... ;)

i am faithfully following MSOAN cause it has won me over so completely...but i know both of you are following Secret Garden, which i am not... ;)

enjoy yourselves and take care!! ;)

may i wish both of you a Merry Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!! ;)

may God's blessings be upon both of your fine souls and your loved ones always ;)

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hi there, my dear Moony Loony sistah, pastmidnite! ;)

miss u so much!! ;)

how are u? hope u r doing great!! ;)

thanks so much for your kind time and effort in reading thru the long, long posts as replies to my questions ;)

"All i got so far is the history of korean cuisine (which is VERY fascinating, by the way), including dishes, beverages, dining etiquette, etc. And THAT… made me hungry and ended my little research early haha"

haha...pastmidnite!!! i am so tickled by your experience... ;)

and i agree with you that the answers to the questions yielded so much and i have learnt so much from the commentors' inputs too, including YOUR input, pastmidnite ;)

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"korea was never a tea-drinking nation coz historically, china and japan (and probably many other countries as well, including mine) had to boil their water for it to be fit to drink, while korea’s water was pure, which led them to discover other beverages, i.e wine. Which maybe has nothing to do with anybodys drinking habit, but i find this piece of information very interesting (for me)"

thanks so much, pastmidnite, for sharing the info... ;)
it is really interesting...something else i have learnt! ;)

so glad to hear from you, after soooo long... ;)

r u celebrating Christmas? if so, may i wish u and ur loved ones a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!! ;)

take care and keep in touch ok, pastmidnite! ;)

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@ samgetang dear... ;)

i do not celebrate Christmas but i have plans to visit my Christian/Catholic friends who have invited me to their Christmas get-togethers... ;)

i feel so blessed to have some of the finest friends who are Christians/Catholics, Buddhists, Hindus, Sikhs, and non-believers... ;)

what about you, samgetang dear?

what are your plans for Christmas? ;)

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hi pastmidnite and kdl!!!! wooohooo! so happy, giddy, crazy to see you both here (izzie and i have been creating some kind of a havoc somewhere else in a certain Secret Garden so Ive already been so privileged to exchange ideas and wackiness with her more than the two of you!)

pastmidnite....how are you? long time no hear err read from you :-) i see that you got an awesome research going on with the korean culture...i did not know that myself about the tea-drinking tradition. so glad you brought it up! ;-) wow! amazing piece of trivia...im soo interested...will try to look that one up myself ;-) thank you so much!!! hows your translation work going? and the baby-project? hehe :-)

kdl....woooohooo! been a long while, too...i will try to watch MSOAN so I can catch u there...been meaning to but even with SG I always had to catch up cos DB is putting up recaps so fast (javabeans and girlfriday are really amazing at what they do!). But Im really glad I caught you here at the open thread. also my first time here so not sure how this works, hehe. i did not plan on posting anything until i saw your post/query. im still here in my same corner of the world...although in a few days my family will spend a short vacation somewhere up North, where the weather is cooler...maybe 12 to 15 degrees C or even colder up in the mountains. Its called Baguio and during summer season when the weather is scorching hot in the cities down south, the weather here is comparatively lower so many people go up there to cool down. Up, down...this post is quiet confusing, eh? hehe...We do miss you a lot, too! and we look for you every chance we get. But alas, you are staying out with Mary :-) I cant blame you JGS is just a charmer! ;-) The last episode I saw of it was episode 3 where the craziness is just starting to boil :-) I was always meaning to continue watching the next episodes but just did not have time to do it. But will do now during the vacation, now that I know you are there :-) See yah soon, my dear moony loony sistah :-) and thank you as always for yr heart-warming words :-) you are our one and only koreandramalover :-)

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@samgetang dear ;)

"By the way, some of us in my family will spend Christmas also in the northern part, in Baguio, for a few days only."

sorry, samgetang, because i missed out on this info that you gave... ;)
do enjoy yourself with your loved ones during the holidays :)

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"my mom and sisters all had this insane first experience in kdrama addiction…it was hilarious!"

hehe...so funnnnnnyyy...
how wonderfully united you and your mom and sisters are... ;)

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"izzie, pls dont be embarrassed, but i think you are oozing with raw talent. I already had the feeling even before…"

here ye, here ye, samgetang!! ;)
i absolutely concur!!! ;)
hail, izzie, the raw talent, the diamond in the rough... ;)
but you are the same to me, samgetang... ;)

so, hail, izzie and samgetang, the diamonds in the rough!!! ;)

_______

"Im a Filipino and Ive seen so many of our countrymen just spew out creative talent like nothing, in different fields. This is not to brag…pls forgive me. Just stating the obvious. Because in life, I know its not just about talent. So Im just making a neutral statement that even other races also say about our race. It is nothing to be proud of if it does not translate to progress and quality of life:-) As you can see in our current state of affairs, we have to learn a lot by harnessing our raw talent to serve our country well. We should learn to be humble and ask God’s help so we can use the gifts He gave us for the benefit of our race/country and to contribute to the world at large
Big words, I know. Maybe we need to back it up with big actions, too"

Wow, samgetang!! I really salute you for your deep humility, utter honesty and heartwarming humour... ;)

and i personally think that every culture/race/country needs to think and act the way tt you have said, because no one culture/race/country is superior to others... ;)

and the biggest room in the world is a room for improvement, don't you think? :)

________

“Just my humble opinion, by the way. Being around kids and always dreaming that they will grow up to be great individuals inevitably make me curious about all the people I meet and what makes them tick and hope to encourage them to their highest potential Id say that’s the occupational hazard of being a teacher, hehe. Im not one professionally, just volunteering, but you get a teacher’s heart nonetheless...”

Oh, samgetang, please don’t belittle your contribution as a nurturer and educator of the young because in my opinion, every volunteer deserves the highest recognition and appreciation because not everyone can be a volunteer and especially becoming someone who is such a dedicated and committed volunteer like yourself, samgetang, that makes you are all the more AMAZING!! ;)

Your students are truly blessed to have you nurturing and educating them ;)

I wish i had you as my teacher when i was growing up, along with the amazing teachers that i had in high school...
part of the reason i chose teaching is because of those exemplary teachers...they are unforgettable... ;)

Keep up the great work, samgetang!!! Bravo!! ;)

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@ samgetang ;)

hehe...yup! has been staying out aaallllll nite, with Mary Christmas...beeeecause of JGS firstly and because of Mary aka Moon Geun Young as well... ;)

those two, plus Kim Jae Wook, had hooked me to MSOAN, even though i did not have the intention of following the drama to begin with because of personal reasons actually... ;)

if you wish to read the whole story, you could try reading the posts i put up abt it in the following link, which was in response to izzie's questions :

http://www.dramabeans.com/2010/12/mary-stayed-out-all-night-episode-12/#comments

thanks for the info on your holiday plans...so good to hear you will be spending time with your loved ones... ;)

enjoy yourself and take care!! ;)

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kdl, thanks for that! you are always so detailed and patient in recapping the comments :-) if not for you we will be lost in this large sea of words, hahaha! :-) thank you so much.

and for your kind kind words...thank you for the umpteenth time. :-) you are truly a rare gem here in DB!

i will keep this short for now and hope to find you in other threads/recaps/posts ;-) because if we keep this going this might rival the 600+ comments for the YAI Esquire photo-shoot post, hahaha!

love you to bits, kdl!!!! :-) trying to watch MSOAN now....and later MGIAG, just as I promised you before...haha! Im really so slow :-)

by the way, did u check out the 2010 beanie awards that JB put up here a few weeks back? :-) if not yet, you should...and add more votes for our beloved SKKS, hehehe! ;-)

catch u soon! take care!

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@ samgetang ;)

the Beanie awards? oh yes!! i voted very early on...

and of course, whichever has SKKS at the option, which do you think i chose? ;)

see u in MSOAN... ;)

enjoy watching MGIAG...you won't regret it... ;)

take care! ;)

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@kdl…

“thanks so much for your kind time and effort in reading thru the long, long posts as replies to my questions ”

well… i wanted to know the answers to your questions too, remember? so its thank YOU for posting them in the first place, and reading thru the long train of intelligent posts was an enlightening experience ;)

and no, i do not celebrate Christmas, but two of my best friends are Catholic and I usually visit them and enjoy the delicious spread prepared by their families :D

@samgetang…

hello! hello! :) actually I’ve been reading comments from you, izzie, kdl, and sumee around dramabeans (am I a stalker that way? hehe). i haven’t watched any of the newly discussed dramas so i cannot comment on them.. yet… I’m planning to catch up very soon by doing a marathon!

so both you AND izzie are in the Philippines right now? you two should arrange a meeting!! and why am i the one so excited about the possibility of you and izzie meeting each other in person for the first time ever? i hope the meeting place will be clear of smokers so that none of you have to bring your water gun.. ;)

i am giving myself an end-of-year-break so that means no translating work for a couple of weeks for me! YOO hoo! i wish i could travel to Singapore, or the Philippines, or India, or Korea, or Japan, or... the list may never end... but well.. there're, you know, domestic duties... and the baby project and everything... so international travel must wait a little longer :D

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oh. my. goodness! :D where do I start with my reply? LOL!

I should have checked this thread out earlier coz now there's a mountain of things to reply to. I've read your conversations and I ended up in a mix of guilt and jealousy for not being able to keep up with it. :( Sorry for the late reply... and... waaah!!! I feel so left out! :'(

(okay now self, calm down...)

first off... vay-kay/food binge/kdrama obsession doin' just great. I just feasted on native cuisine (longganisa and paksiw) for dinner, and who knows what's in store for midnight snack. ;) I'm bloated like an overfed puppy. Every three hours, food is being served here, which doesn't leave much time for proper digestion. It's sooo nice to be back after a looong time! :)

yep, my roots are Filipino (born to a part-Chinese, part Spanish father and a part-Japanese, part-French mother) - but it's the part of me I love the most for the same reasons samgetang has mentioned. ;) (sending good vibes to my chinese ancestors who might be the most pissed about this declaration. ;) ) I was born here, but my then-schooling and now my work has been keeping me away from home. (okay now, before I go melodramatic here, I'm changing the topic.)

re: smoking issue... just like samgetang, as a kid I had weak lungs. they (lungs) may have grown healthier, but not any friendlier to cigarette smoke. And it just irks me to end up with an awful smell after all that effort to come to work fresh. still, I haven't scratched the water gun idea off my plans. ;)

Hehe…i CAN imagine you walking down the alley, firing your water gun at those people, all the while smiling in your cool, kickass style…hehe

I'd have to invoke the KDL kickass teacher aura for this. ;) coz i'm gonna have to teach a lot of "dragons" a lesson. :D

re: drinking in Korea... I think it's either a cultural thing or a way of fighting the very low temperature (or both). I was in Korea in March and it was the tail end of winter, but the temperature was punishing. I've had layers of clothes on me, but still the cold wind seeped thru. I've had breath clouds and numbed face, I kept slapping my cheeks to encourage blood flow. at any rate, I believe drinking issues/fests aren't only widespread in Korea, but in many other countries as well - way up above the equator or not. (remember, the Germans invented Oktoberfest. the Drunken Master was from China. j/k! and the Irish definitely love their beer/ale. and don't get me started about the toma (drinking) sessions in Manila.) I used to be able to drink a lot when I was a teenager. I could down bottles without having the "I was out of my mind, I forgot what I was doing, or I'm crawling coz of drunkenness" after-effect. These days, I try to avoid liquor as much as I can. I don't know when it started, but I don't enjoy the taste of alcoholic beverages as much as I used to, and neither the after-effect. Give me coffee instead, and I'd swill gallons. And I have recently acquired an addiction to fried seaweed. I can consume them in bags on a daily basis - no diggy!

(LOL! I really have to scroll up and down this page to check which ones to reply to. not so easy to do with a small netbook. :P should have checked this out a lot earlier. my apologies if you have mentioned something that I have failed to reply to. if I have, please let me know.)

it's great to see everybody here: KDL, samgetang, and pastmidnite. (oh, where's sumee?) this has become Moony-Loony thread #2, I suppose? :D

well, see/read y'all around here in DB. :) Merry Christmas! and for you guys who don't celebrate Christmas, have a great season. ;) And advanced Happy New Year as well.

a little more than two weeks to go before I'm back to the rock. :( okay I'll stop watching the clock now. back to food binge. ;) at this rate, even before new year comes, I think I'm gonna end up doubling my body weight. :D

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@ izzie

thanks so much for your reply above, and no apologies necessary for your late reply because we all have our lives to live, commitments to fulfil and so coming here can only be done once all of that have been taken care of... ;)

anyhow, thanks for your replies on the smoking and drinking parts...

am so happy for you to hear that you are trying so hard to stay away from alcohol...it is for your own good... ;)

i am so thankful i have gained so much from asking so few questions...thank God and kind souls such as yourself, and the rest who were kind enough to post their replies even though i know everyone is busy with their own lives... ;)

good to hear you are enjoying your time on your vay-kay...do take care not to overdo anything, for too much of anything is never a good thing... ;)

oooh, so you are of mixed extraction - and an interesting/intriguing mix just like samgetang...i am in awe...i am sure you are very good-looking because most people who are of mixed extraction such as yourself look really good...;)

and yes, i suppose you are right - this is like a 2nd Moony Loony noona-thread...aaaahhh... how i miss our chat over at the Moony Loony headquarters...hehe ;)

and i agree with you - we really should set up a special site just for our group of Moony Loony noonas to convene and chat to our hearts' content... ;)

take care and have a great holiday! ;)

see you again in another thread soon ;)

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While waiting for the next edition of SG & Mary, decided to watch last year's Heading To Ground. I liked the idea of a soccer theme, but just never got around to it last year. I watched the entire thing in 2 days, and totally feel it was underrated. Don't understand why it did poorly in viewership. After watching ep1, I thought all the reviewers might be right, but I pressed on to ep2 & found an enjoyable series w/main characters I wanted to know more abt. OK, it wasn't a Coffee Prince, but well worth watching.

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Good to know. Thanks! haha

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My Girlfriend is a Gumiho:

I haven't watched it yet, or read any of the recaps, so I am wondering why is it so good?

The acting? The chemistry? The plot? The dialogue?
Does it have heart stopping moments like SG?

I think I may be ready to commit my week end to it, but I need a little encouragement.

Thanks!

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You MUST watch MGIAG. The chemistry is off the charts. And if anything, Miho is ridiculously adorable.

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Omg, MGIAG is short of amazing. To me, it was one the best drama of the year. You've got to watch it! Once you start, you won't be able to stop loving Woong.

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I loved MGIAG and I also adoooore SG.
They are quite different, but I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

- It is funny and cute - in a good way (unlike MSOAN... sorry, watching that too, but not really into it).
- The main characters have wonderful chemistry.
- the story is different from your typical kdrama.

I say, go for it! You won't regret it :)

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Very very ADORABLE from beginning to end. Acting was flawless. story arc was satisfying.

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Gasp!! you haven't watched it yet? You MUST watch it!! If you do watch it and inevitably fall in love with Lee Seung Ki and want him for yourself, Girlfriday has promised to give us all a puppy that we can call Seung Ki! She utterly utterly refuses to give the real one up! :P

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It's very good ---- one of the best I've ever watched because it's got it's fair share of cute, but also genuine, heartwarming, beautiful moments. I had no idea what I was in for when I watched it but I fell head over heels in love with it. For me, I think it's better than Secret Garden because a couple of eps of Secret Garden floundered a little for me so far, but every one of MGIAG's episodes are strong. It's consistently good. It's set up isn't very grand but it's got the mystical/gumiho element which throws in heart-stopping moments.

I watched Sungkyunkwan Scandal after that and I thought I was going to love SKKS better because of grander set up, but toward the end SKKS had a couple of disappointing episodes.

And MGIAG has one of the BEST finales I've ever seen. I sobbed my heart out for half of the finale.

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@ Jomo

MGiaG is so far my favorite kdrama of all time. Yes, it even trumped MNIKSS... the acting from the 2 leads were awesome, the chemistry was so so so cute and seemed so real, the plot was pretty nicely driven and totally had heart-stopping moments for me. it was one of the best rides ever hehe. hope you watch and enjoy it!!!

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This calls for a Marathon!!!!!! :D You wont regret it :D

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I now have the perfect rationale for watching the show.

I will tell my family that kou, hunterbear, viola, crazy4kdramas, Pat, lessaofpern, Natalie, lovenyc52, commanded me to spend 16+ hours watching the TV on the interwebs this weekend and I am unable to disappoint them.

Thank you thank you!

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Oh, I think you might want to up that to about 20 hours to make room for when you need to pause the show to cry your heart out and rewind and watch again, etc.

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That sounds about right. Also she is going to need some extra hours to cuddle the Seung Gi puppy too! :)

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LOL In mommy mode " You must watch it, or else". :P

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I finished it last night! Highly recommended!

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Happy Friday everyone!! Hope everyone is staying warm with a nice cup of hot chocolate, drama and maybe s'mores.

I'm surprised by how much I've loved MGIAG, and loving SG, even though I hate fantasy elements. Le sigh. They're adorable!!

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hello dear! How was you week? Isn' it beautiful outside today? Cold but sunny and no sign of that bitter, cutting wind! I practically skipped to work! :P

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Lol. But I'm presently in New York's weird cousin - Philadelphia, where it's snowy, slippery, and for some strange reason not plowed, or salted.

But still, the weather gods seem to be smiling. Yay for hot chocolate!

My week was awesome! And hopefully my weekend will be even better. I'm ready to try ice skating and fall on my butt, just like I do every year :).

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I am also in Philadelphia/dramabeans land. The actress in MGIAG was as good as Kim Sun Ah,able to convey a lot of emotions AND comedy.

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I'm drinking hot chocolate too :D

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Yay. Cheers! Is it acceptable to spike it at work? Hmm, I wonder.

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just let me know which bowl you spike so i stay away from it until March :D

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Depending on your work place, spiked hot chocolate is generally frowned upon. I know in some places it is cool, if you work in a bar or hotel, or in the Budweiser Factory... but if you're a traffic cop or a teacher or you're working in the office... you have to get your boss drunk first, and then you can drink. (That was a joke, don't get your boss drunk, this has very negative consequences.)

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Haha. Nah, most labs contain beer in their cold rooms, and we're no different :P.

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Afterthought, beer+hot chocolate sounds gross.

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I agree. Beer + anything sugar = gross. However... might I suggest spiking the hot chocolate with a little liqueur? Just a little, as that stuff is strong.

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never. I say never get your (male or lady) boss drunk. :D it can lead to very ugly consequences. or at the very least, if you want to keep your respect for your boss/mentor, keep the liquor away. :D *cough*sawmybossdancinglikeaheadlesschicken*cough*

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LOL! Cannot stop laughing at you watching your boss dance like a headless chicken. I cannot get the idea of you just sitting back with a bowl of popcorn and simply watching this display! Maybe making a comment on it like a football play... LOL!!!

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LOL. brookeeve! :D I was more like a stupefied spectator with mouth agape while I watched him get on his ritual - while clutching a wine bottle. And it was a company party. :P My respect for him was reduced from a mountain to a molehill.

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*cough*sawmybossdancinglikeaheadlesschicken*cough*

hehe...haha...ROFL!!! ;)

izzie!!! what an experience!!! seeing your boss let his hair down so... ;)

soo...your molehill of a respect for your boss - is it STILL molehill? ;)

has he managed to redeem himself in some way after that? ;)

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soo…your molehill of a respect for your boss – is it STILL molehill? ;)

has he managed to redeem himself in some way after that?

yep. it's still a molehill. so nope, he wasn't able to redeem himself after. :D but I still am grateful of the learnings that he imparted on us, his subordinates - one of which is to hide the liquor from boss during corporate events. ;)

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@izzie

LOL! well, there is a saying - every person we meet, we can learn from, teach and share something with...or words to that effect cos i can't remember the saying exactly... ;)

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i feel anxious yet excited.buhaha the weekend is found i get my secret garden fix coz this addiction is killin me the rest of the dramas dnt appeal to me at the moment n am blaming it on hyun bin ....so HB r u going to take responsibility..?

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Anyone know where I can get a full copy of the song from Secret Garden episode 3 that Yoon Sang Hyun is singing at around the 36:00 mark?

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Can't wait for my day-off just one more night to go, yaaaah graveyard shift is so hard especially going through the last stretch.

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HUGS make sure to get some rest soon :D

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I just finished watching Runaway Plan B. I saw dramabeans' recaps and like they said, eps 1-8 were all fluff (but really fun fluff) and 10/11 was the turning point and it really picked up after that.

I had major issues with Jin Yi's character for a while but after 10/11 I really got into her character. Couldn't stand Kai at all. Also, what is up with all of the English? I don't expect Chairman Yang and all the other random characters to be able to understand him in English!

I liked the series... to a certain extent but what was up with the finale?? They literally tied up everything within 20 mins, AND THERE WAS NO KISS. AT LEAST GIVE ME ONE NICE, ROMANTIC, DECENT KISS. COME ON.

oh and how could they do that to Do Soo/So Ran. Seriously.

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*Like*. But I'm willing to forgive all that if Rain just stripped down to nothing.
I'm flexible :).

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Dude... what? 'Cause... wouldn't that just make everyone happy anyway?

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Brookeeve, I thought you told him not to do that for anyone other than you :P

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Well, I decided that my life expectancy would be exponentially elongated if I kept that little opinion to myself. Fangirls are crazy scary.

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Plus, I'm not crazy jealous over him as I am TOP...

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Happy Friday!!!!

It's been a tough week, but glad it's coming to an end. TRON LEGACY tonight - woop!!

Nothing else really...can't believe it's a week till Christmas. Where did my year go?! At least I got some good dramas in this year :) Looking forward to starting Athena after a few more eps are out as well. Just 4 more days of work and then I'm out until the next year! Hurray :D

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what? christmas is next week? how can that be when i'm just starting my shopping TOMORROW? LOL.

i have 4 more days of FINALS and then 3 more days of work, then i'm off for the rest of the year. you know, that one day before the new year i'll have off. ha!

i haven't heard of Tron legacy.. is that a new movie? game? kclub?

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Tron is a sequel to an old movie, also called Tron. My husband and his friends are going gaga over this movie... but I really can't bring myself to care about it. It's about these people who get stuck in a video-game type universe...

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I used the original TRON as a pop-culture reference in one of my classes once to be met with blank eyed stares and the sound of crickets chirping. Are the undergrads getting younger, or am I just getting OLD?

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LOL! I have been told that by simply asking the question 'am I getting old?' is a signifier that I am in fact, getting old. I was told this by someone my own age. I just think that the undergrads are coming to college with a different knowledge set than what I and presumably you went with. It's okay, just smile and go with it.

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I'm seeing TRON: Legacy tonight, too! It's actually the only movie I care to see in 3D. And also, Daft Punk! I've been listening to the soundtrack non-stop for the past 24 hours and I can't get enough. I only wish some of the tracks were longer (I'm looking at you, "Derezzed").

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@ Do-ra-ma

i contemplated watching in 3D and feel it really SHOULD be watched in 3D... but i can't bring myself to spend the $16 in order to do so at this time... so 2D it's gonna have to be....

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happy friday....its the week before finals here...im on drama hiatus and going crazy here...gluck to all the other students here and happy holidays in advance...i realize next OT will be on Christmas!!...did anyone watch The President yet..if u did hw ws it?

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Good luck on your finals :D

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So its two more weeks till the new year and I'm having my end-of-the-year crisis where I start worrying about what I have and haven't done with my life. I've only knocked out like 2 items out of my life of 25 things. And since trying to beat off my slight caffeine addiction (my body gets addicted to it way too easily.) is leaving me too headache-y and tired to do anything else, I ended up watching all the episodes of Secret Garden over again (and some scenes, I rewatched like 5 or 6 times)!

I remembered how in the most recent javabeans-girlfriday podcast like 2 weeks ago abt how the way kdramas try to get the 2 main characters to meet can be so contrived (example: Full House-- your friends sold your house away to some movie star) and can require a huge suspension of disbelief, but afterwards, the development of the relationship can be pretty organic...

..well I just noticed in episode 1 that Joo-won, a sketchy guy in a funky tracksuit, just came up to Ra-Im and said "You know Oska, right? Let's go. Oska wants to see you". Ra-Im goes with him! And then next shot is of them driving through a road surrounded by trees with very few cars driving. And then they go up to a hotel room!! How does she know he's not a serial killer??!! The tracksuit makes him even more sketchy looking. I can't imagine climbing into a car with someone who claims to know Hyun-Bin.

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i love how your issue is that Key Lime goes w/ a dude in a funky sparkly tracksuit w/o question. that is just WIN right there.

however, i would definitely go w/ some sparkly tracksuit wearing ax murderer if he told me he know Binnie. what if he really did know him? insane, i know, but that's just me. :D

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I can not stop laughing!!! How much do I love you both?!! Mommy and unni you are both awesome.

Really mommy, you are so thoughtful! How can there be a shotgun wedding without a shotgun! :)

Brookeeve is right, I would so climb into a car for Siwon and drive around for hours!! It is a real sacrifice, but I am willing to do it! :P
"And really, how discreet can the three of us be? Even in a minivan? With a shotgun? This scenario is silly because you think that we can be discreet, not for any other reason."

hahahaha ! This is priceless unnie! lurvee!

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You know, if someone approached Viola and said "Do you know Siwon, right? Let's go. Siwon wants to see you". Do you think she would hesitate even for a micro second before she got into that car? NO! I don't think so! She would also be interrogating the driver until she got to the hotel. Then she would be all over the room checking out everything ( With a Cheshire cat grin on her face). Of course, Brookeeve, Diadda and I would be discreetly following her in my minivan ( with the Imam, Priest and Rabbi in the back seat. just in case Siwon was actually there) ( Oh, I forgot the shotgun. You cant have a shotgun wedding without a shotgun). Diadda would do the wedding video. I would give the bride away. Well, if the person turned out to be a serial killer, Brookeeve would take care of him with her explosives. So, no worries. :D

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Viola gets carsick. I don't think she'd get into a car for just anyone, but Siwon would be the one she would do it for.

And really, how discreet can the three of us be? Even in a minivan? With a shotgun? This scenario is silly because you think that we can be discreet, not for any other reason.

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O.K. I should have said ATTEMPT to be discreet :P As long as the guys in the Black Suburbans are not hot on our trail, we can hide from anyone. Plus Viola has the Dramamine you gave her in her purse. She wont get drowsy either, cause we know she just had a can of Red Bull :D

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LOL! Love you!

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That's what learning self defense is for...
=D

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Tiramisu, is one of the greatest human achievement ever!!! And I just ate a piece of it! :P

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*Like*. You should try the one at Costco.

And yes ladies and gentleman, Costco has Tiramisu for a couple weeks every YEAR during this time. And finally it's BACK! It's beyond heaven.

Sigh. I can't believe I waited a whole year, and stalked every single store in the tri state area.

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we have an Italian restaurant in town that makes the pasta from scratch.. and has a pretty awesome Tiramisu. i've only had it once, but i remember it fondly :)

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I just love COSTCO!!!!! Tiramisu here I come!!!! Have you tried Walkers Shortbread? COSTCO also sells a big tin of it around this time of year. I love it with my tea or coffee :D

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I hope you don't mind my asking, but are there going to be any more pop culture posts? I loved those.

And my finals are done! Nearly died on the last one (please let eeny meeny miny mo work) but free!!

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Congrats on the done finals! lulz at the eeny meeny miny mo approach to test taking :)

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Well it worked before, but those exams were more memorizing and this one was more application. But a girl can hope.

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Just came out of one horrible final only to dive into another in an hour. Then a mad dash to catch a friend's wedding, complete a 10 page paper due Monday....

Then and only then, can I say my winter break has finally begun!

*keels over from exhaustion*

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HUGS Here is a hot cup of cocoa for you with extra marshmallows. Good luck on your final! Hope you have a great time at your friends wedding. :D

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Aww thank you lessaofpern...every time I see your name I keep reminding myself to read that series lol.

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Wishing all my OT family Happy Holidays. *HUGS* May God watch over you all and keep you safe. I pray that your year to come is blessed with health and happiness. Ameen.
Here is one of my favorite Christmas songs : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ute8EIyU9KE

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Watching Kim Sam-soon completely for the first time. Loving every minute and it's scary how much I can identify with certain situations. Only problem is, I'm watching it with my mother who is completely sold on the idea of it being permissable to beat the living day lights out of your adult child. Every episode finishes with her going, "Why aren't we Korean???!! You know how I'll trash you and your brother!". LOL!!

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You can hit her back and tell her it's HER fault, after all!

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LOL, my husband tells our kids that he is going to be like the Haroboji from Smile, You :P

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Going to have a very stiff drink at my company's annual holiday party. Been having one hellofa month...TGIF!

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HUGS We love you :D Hope your are felling better after you got rearended by that crazy old lady. HUGS

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TGIF dear! *hugs* Are you enjoying Hyori's house arrest in your houese? ;)

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smiles evilly. she better not come out.

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*raises brow* TWO cans of napalm and THREE cans of gasoline unnie? Really? Just for that little peck? Do I even want to know what you did to the girl from Iris for that full on French Kiss? On second thought don't tell me, plausible deniability. Still, if I am going to be your alibi I better go practice my judge-pout-wiggle. God knows I will need it!

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Little sister... if I have napalm... gasoline is a little redundant... it's the main ingredient in napalm... but you don't need to know such things.

One day, I will teach you the ways of the dark side.

You really don't need to know what I did with that girl from Iris, not that I did anything at all... 'cause of course I'm innocent and wouldn't hurt another person ever.

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It came out this week and I cannot stop listening to it.

GHETTO ELECTRO!

I love my husband.

http://www.youtube.com/user/BIGBANG#p/a/u/0/N1M0UKcq8ro

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I'm loving his hair. Not too many people can pull off that look :D LOL it's totally like an add for Playboy. Brookeve your hubby is not behaving. You need to go discipline him. :D

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Aw... he's just having himself some fun. Long as he don't come home with something that don't wash off in the shower, we're all good. His hands were nowhere inappropriate, and his lips are clean. I can't let him not have a good time, now can I? Plus, I think that most of the girls know what will happen now if they even think of getting close... you saw how nervous that one girl was when she was dancing with him, didn't you?

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That's because she saw you standing off to the side giving her an In Sooish glare. :P

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are they saying "I am so high" ? ROFL!

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High on life, little sister. There was no peace pipe ceremony in that video, so they were obviously talking about being high on life.

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OK, I gotta admit the white hair is growing on me.

No, no, I promise I am not poaching on your hubby miss Brookeeve, I just... appreciate the aesthetics. Yeah, that's it - aesthetic appreciation. *wink

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All should appreciate his aesthetics. They are simply appreciable (I am shocked that spell check sees this as a word, but gave me crap about 'dialogue' earlier... and again). I must say, you have discerning tastes when you appreciate my husband's beauty. Anything more than appreciating is grounds for incineration.

His new album is coming out Christmas Eve. You should buy it 'cause its going to rock.

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lulz. I promise, hands off *crosses heart*
And, no, my promise has nothing to do with the fact that you seem to know the composition of napalm. ;)

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LOL! Earning friends 'cause I know the composition of incendiaries... wow, this could totally give me a power trip. I'd give the recipies out online, but that usually causes sedans with tinted windows to drive back and forth in front of my house and I'm just not in the mood to offer those jokers lemonade anymore... I'm too old. None of the stuff I know is all that rare, you could probably find the same information with limited library access.

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I am now tempted to watch everything the Binnie has been in. Oh *swoon*

Happy Friday peeps!

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Good morning everyone and Happy Friday!! <3
I used to stalk the open thread and never commented because I always have nothing to say. ): But I've finally thought of a question for you guys lol!

What you guys eat for breakfast??
Okay, now back to rewatching Secret Garden for me. hehe ^^~

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Nothing for breakfast! My tummy doesn't wake up fast enough, so I never eat breakfast.

Welcome! And you should have spoken up sooner! We're really not as crazy as you think we are... kind of.

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*sigh* I know I should not be surprised, but it is a little strange unnie. I don't like eating breakfast, cause I am just not hungry in the morning. Usually I just eat a slice of fruit, or half a glass of milk.
Welcome to OT Minah! *hugs*

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I love hugs. Aw, thanks. And I've never really thought of you guys as crazy ..just hyper... in the morning which I find crazy/ridiculous because I'm always so groggy in the morning. :|

Alsoooo.... despite my love for Kim Jae Wook <3 I've officially decided to drop MSOAN. I will always remember that drama as a hot mess now... (:

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You just think we are uh ...hyper? *raises brow* Darling, what a delightfully diplomatic way you have with words. Please accept my profound admiration. :)

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Hyper? HAHAHHAHAHAH!

And if you're not liking MSOAN, it's 'cause you're watching it wrong. If you drink, turn it into a drinking game... one shot for every cliche, two if its done well, one shot every time something completely nonsensical happens... etc....

If you don't drink, I have also found that turning off the sound, playing a favorite CD or Youtube Playlist (I have Big Bang on constant repeat) while making up your own script is infinitely entertaining. The actors are just too good to not appreciate their performance... they're pulling off whatever the director is telling them to do... even if it is: ACT SAD! NOW ACT MAD! HAPPY AND CUTE HERE! It's got to be really hard to do that!

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They changed the writer hopefully things will improve. I personally stopped watching it after the second episode. I just read the Dramabeans recaps now and watch Diadda's Badgirl videos :D It would be mad funny if we uploaded it and put our own subbs in it. (We could make it a Badgirl drama) :P

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HUGS welcome minah :D ( I'm the only one who admits that she is crazy):P For breakfast on OT days, I usually have a bowl of yummy oatmeal with a large cup of coffee. Caffeine to keep me wired and the oatmeal to keep my tummy from rumbling (like Pooh Bear), that way I can chat longer :P

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Just when I thought I was done buying Christmas gifts, I remembered that I still have to get my aunt and one of my friend's their gifts and I have no idea what to get them...

Maybe a gift certificate to a bookstore for my aunt and I'm drawing a blank on my friend...great.

Anyone have any ideas? She's 20 (which scares me a bit because her idea of music is Justin Bieber, The Jonas Brothers, Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus, etc). She's getting the stuffed Belle doll (Beauty & the Beast's Belle) from one of my other friends, but I have no idea what to get her.

And I need to get it before the Dec 22 when we're exchanging gifts. All I have is jewelry, but that seems too generic/cliched.

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I love giving art as gifts. If you don't know a local artist, I would suggest giving a box of crayons or paint. Maybe even a coloring book. If you're really feeling experimental, give her a sketch pad and a box of pastels. I love getting art supplies and giving art supplies as gifts.

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Thats not a bad idea. I'll have to see, when I'm out shopping tomorrow, if I can find anything good.

If not, it's the even more clichéd gift certificate.

=D

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Get her a Big Bang or DBSK DVD and then she will never go back to the Beiber. Just think of it as you are doing her a very good deed :D

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She can't stand the Asian music I listen to. Apparently, she can't "understand" it.

Last I checked I didn't speak any Asian languages...so other than googling the english translations for the songs I'm as last as she is. Though, Big Bang, DBSK, and everyone else are so much better than her idea of good music.

I'm going to Target tomorrow so I'll probably circle the store a hundred times just to find something for her.

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Lol, I can't 'understand' most music I hear on the radio, which is actually generally a good thing. When I stop to really listen to the lyrics of most music (like the stuff you mentioned she likes), I end up cringing or blushing to think people are saying that stuff out loud. Especially when they are teens!

On a side note, I learned the hard way to investigate lyrics fully before attempting songs at karaoke. Yup, there's just no time nothing like when you are standing in front of a room full of strangers to realize that that catchy hook is actually the singer telling her lover to*ahem* go down, go down, go down.

Does your friend have some fun quirk? One of the most popular gifts I ever gave was a basket of yummy-smelling (lemon-verbena) cleaning supplies to a friend who was a neat-freak and liked perfume. It was a little outside the box, but she LOVED it.

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She's a child at heart, so I've decided to buy her a few coloring books and some colored pencils or crayons.

I might even end up getting some for myself to amuse myself during winter break.

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What about one of the Glee soundtracks? Or even the DVD of the shows?

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Give her a giftcard to Bath and Body or the Body Shop. DSW works too! ;)

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I'm gonna assume this was to me. =D

Thanks for the idea! If I can't find any good artsy stuff then I'll probably end up with a gift certificate to some random store I know she'll go too.

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Hey guys! I have a question.. How come I've never heard of this drama called Jungle Fish 2? Just heard that one of the T-ara girls was it..

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was in* it

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Jungle Fish 2 is a short drama, and therefore not in the realm of normal Kdramas. Most Kdrama-watchers aren't even aware of the different short dramas going on at any one time. :)

You can read about it here: http://wiki.d-addicts.com/Jungle_Fish#Season_2

And Soompi probably has a thread about it, if you want to go download the episodes and see what other people think about it. I don't know if there will be subs, but I'm sure the Soompi thread could tell you. :)

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Thank you!! :)

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It's official. I'm addicted to recaps! Help me! I'll read an episode/readisode and go: "Wait! One more! ONE MORE! IT'S SO GOOD!!!"

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Welcome to our world. Please, keep your hands in the moving car at all times and remember to pick up your sanity on the way out.

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"Pick up your sanity on the way out"? Can you direct me to the exist? I have a feeling plucking a star from the sky would be easier than recovering my sanity.

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*exit

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Dude, if I could find it, don't you think my husband would have demanded that I take it by now? LOL!

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Welcome monkepoo :D Bow down to the Goddesses along with us.

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Indeed. I have no offerings to give though, except my fangirling attacks (yes, fangirling about a recap).

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Song of the Day today has me smiling (which should be odd given the lyrics, but oh well...)

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Happy Friday dear fellow Beanies. Happy Friday Open Threaders. Happy end of finals school goers. Happy beginning of Winter Break (American school goers). X)

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Deciding to kidnap the cat? *shock*

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My other daughter Viola has him. See her back is turned and she is doing Muhhha Haaa as she stokes Yodah's white fur.

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my new sem just started this week. so, more classes, assignments, quizzes, exams and fyp ahead. XD

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Nooo! Only I can resort to such means as kidnapping his cat.

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She's trying to lure Noh Min Woo in for you by kidnapping his cat. So, be nice to your sister. In return you should be planning how to get Siwon for your Unnie :D

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What a good mother!

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I know what I'll be doing over Christmas vacation. I'll be catching up on the decadent delicious trash that is Flames of Ambition. (Or Flames of Desire, whichever.) This is Jackie Collins/Harold Robbins bad. The kind of TV that turns your mind to mush, so naturally I must watch. In just the four episodes I've seen so far there's already been a drug overdose, a couple of rapes, a couple of murders, a secret baby, and a fake pregnancy. Shew!

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Holy crap. Seriously? That sounds like pure melodramatic crack. I'm going to check out Flames purely for the WTF factor!

I mean I'm still reeling from the Yoo Seung-ho/Seo Woo pairing. I wonder if this is one of those situations where Seung-ho's parents don't allow him to watch his own show. *snickers*

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It's also fun to pick out the mistakes the show makes. For instance, Episode 5 is supposed to take place back in 1997, yet some characters walk in front of a business that proudly proclaims it was established in 2006. Also, the characters living in America are supposed to be in the New York/New Jersey area, yet the episode begins with a scenic view of the San Francisco pyramid.

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Omg! You just made me spit out my tea! too young to watch his own show? ROFL

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Happy Winter Break!!! Whooo!! :D

...Which means that I'll have plenty of free time. Does anybody know if Cyrano Dating Agency has been subbed in English yet? I've been DYING to watch it since forever! I have the raw video, I just need to find some lovely soft subs...

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Javabeans told us about the 4 episode drama called ROCK,ROCK, ROCK about the singer Boohwal. Does anyone know where I can watch this with English subs?

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hey everyone!^^ happy friday!^^ i've gotten addicted to dramabeans and check it more than five times a day when i'm on my computer and check it when i'm on my phone. haha.XD

my mom's gonna kill me. i asked my aunt to buy me five kpop cds which will be sent to me before christmas. my mom shouldn't really care but she hates my kpop/kdrama addiction. she's the crazy father if i'm her jung-in like kid (msoan reference for those not watching). i hope she doesn't order me to destroy my bonamana version A & C... they came with posters!XD XD XD

i've been wanting to post on an open thread for a couple of months now but i don't have the guts. but i've been wanting to know this one thing so here i am posting:

do you guys know what that doll key lime has on her bed? the big one that she hugs/lies on all the time? she also has a smaller one on her desk beside it. i wanna know cuz i have the sam soon piggy and i want key lime's doll too....XD

p.s. i'm not really a crazy brat who spends all her money uselessly. i don't buy anything (not even clothes or make up) unless i have to EXCEPT kdrama/kpop stuff.=P

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HUGS! Welcome to the OT dear. :D You might be able to find it on yesasia they usually have Kdrama collectibles. I know that the tracksuit is already available on-line.

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The made the tracksuit available?!?!?! *takes cover*

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Wow! I want the magenta lace one.

By the way, eBay eventually gets most of the K drama toys, too. I was this close to buying the pig rabbit from YB, but did not think how I could explain it to my husband.

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i have absolutely no idea about the doll that Key Lime has..

i just wanted to ***LURVE*** your post. cuz you are totally me.. and my husband is totally your mom. LOL.

and there is no way in H-E-double hockey sticks that i am giving up my obsession with Kpop/Kdrama or my ThaiPopIdol Bird for my husband. he's not as important as my obsessions. my daughter agrees w/ me too! LOL!

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hehehe.... *hugs* thank you!^^

i really want that doll though....=D

at least you're on even footing with your husband so it's okay to defend yourself. i can only nod meekly and apologize. it doesn't mean i'll stop. it just means i'm sorry my hobbies are not to her liking. which makes me feel kinda really bad.... but still.... kdramas are like an anchor. otherwise i might turn to other things.

hope everyone's well!^^

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LOL My husband used to complain until I brought him over to the dark side. Now we watch one episode everyday after dinner :P We just finished Smile, You. Next I think we will watch It Happens at Night. I like to watch older dramas with him, so I don't have to worry about the subbs being ready yet.

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my hubs has a 180 radar.. that he automatically hates whatever it is i like, even if he is the one that introduced me to it.. once i like it, he'll hate it. it makes for a very interesting relationship. LOL. but i have my kids backing up my obsessions, cuz i make them obsessed just like me :)

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Ahjusshi was really good, I love Won Bin even more now.

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High High and Oh Yeah are officially stuck in my mind now...

This is going to be interesting, hopefully sleep tonight will take care of the problem as long as I don't start humming "high high" and "like this" in my sleep.

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Is 'Oh Yeah' on YouTube officially now? I'm buying the CD as part of my Christmas present to myself, but I'm listening to "High High' on the Big Bang channel so that they can have all of the listening points clicker thang properly and whatnot.

I've listened to 'High High' only about a million times now.

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I downloaded both songs off ihoneyjoo after seeing them on Youtube although the 'Oh Yeah' was a subbed video.

I'm going to be buying the CD too =D

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***LURVE*** this post!

i need to dl both songs. so much talent, so small a world for them to conquer.

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Happy weekend everyone! Xmas break for the most of us . Using my friends iPhone for the first time!!!!! It so awesome Just trying to get use to it. Excuse all the errors. Hehe^^

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