I never thought I'd be interested in table tennis but...

The Olympics have always been incredibly important. They represent the best of the best in varied sports, and watching the feats of skill, strength, and agility displayed during the few weeks of competition has always been extremely exciting to me. Usually I save my enthusiasm for the gymnastic or swimming events - but this year, my favourite Olympic moment has been watching the women's table tennis semi-final between Singapore and South Korea. Tomorrow is the final - between Singapore and China...AHHHH!

Either way, I'm pretty stoked. Singapore's guaranteed at least a silver this Olympic Games - this is going to be our first medal since we became independent!

Couch Potato

Last night, I started the very popular Taiwanese drama "fated to love you" which was recommended by a friend of mine whose girlfriend loves the show. She's an ISWAK fan as well, so I assumed we had similar tastes. I watched the first six episodes last night, and while its not the worst drama I've seen, I'm not the greatest fan. Up till episode five, I actually hated it and wondered why I was putting myself through such tv drama (answer: i am an idol drama addict...*sigh*).
The story is about a "sticky note girl," Chen Xin Yi, who is very passive and is always taken advantage of. She's the girl in class who always shares her notes - even with those who skipped class to go out drinking or something silly like that. At work (which is where the drama starts), she ends up doing everyone's projects for them because she just can't say no. She's always dreamed of meeting her prince charming - and thought she had when she met the office stud, Gu Chi. She takes him on a cruise, intending to sleep with him to prove her love, but due to an unfortunate comedy of errors, ends up not only in the wrong room, but also in the arms of the wrong man. This (hot) fellow is Ji Cun Xi, the successor to a business empire in Hong Kong. Madly in love with his long-term girlfriend, Cun Xi intended to propose to his Anna on the cruise and arranged a lavish proposal ceremony. Anna doesn't show - but Xin Yi does. Cun Xi later helps Xin Yi get rid of her money grubbing boyfriend, while Xin Yi pretends to be his bride at the cruise party. They part ways...

Five episodes later, it turns out that Xin Yi is pregnant, a fact that is revealed on the news. Cun Xi's grandmother, who desperately wants a great-grandchild, forces her grandson to marry Xin Yi. Xin Yi agrees so that the Ji family will save her hometown (long complicated business drama). Cun Xi is extremely reluctant to get married but does so when his grandmother threatens to tell his Anna (who is a ballet dancer in NYC) about the whole sordid affair. Illogical to say the least. Cun Xi treats Xin Yi like crap. However, in episode six, he begins to unwillingly fall for Xin Yi - he gets extremely protective when she befriends another guy, and hangs up on Anna to make sure Xin Yi is alright. Which redeems the series....but still.

FTLY seems to be a derivative work of ISWAK. The relationship between the two main leads is similar: the main male character is smarter, wealthier, and more independent in every way, while the female lead is a "sha" (silly/brainless) girl who is tied to the main lead in some random way. I have to admit that I do like the female lead in this show - she's smart except for her doormat tendencies, and I love that she does community service (volunteers at an orphanage). She's a good actress - she's not overly girly, and just really quite lovable. But the male lead pisses the hell out of me! He's arrogant and demanding. This is somewhat due to the direction of the drama - Cun Xi is a decent actor. I feel like the producers/directors of the show should have made us more sympathetic to the character in the beginning so that when he started acting like a complete jerk, we wouldn't be so annoyed. They try to do this by introducing the Anna love story and revealing his romantic proposal idea, but I feel like this isn't enough, especially since they put this sub-plot right after the REALLY REALLY FREAKING ANNOYING intro to the series.

Of course, I still have 75% of the show to go. I'm hoping I end up liking it - I think the actors are all really sincere, but that the direction and script drag it down...but there's still hope right? Off to check out episode 7....

Hwaseong Fortress

Yesterday, my dad took us to one of UNESCO's World Heritage sites, Hwaseong Fortress in Suwon, Korea. Hwaseoung is around 30 km from Seoul, and is basically a walled city built by King Jeongjo between 1794-1796.

Hwaseong Fortress was built over two and a half years, from 1794 to 1796. Designed by the architect Jeong Yak-yong, who was a leader of the practical learning movement (Silhak), the fortress walls incorporated aspects of Chinese and Japanese architecture as well as Korean. Yak-yong really encouraged the use of science and industry in his plans, which lead to the use of brick, instead of just traditional stone, as a building material. Furthermore, Hwaseong's walls were also built using cranes and pulleys. I've heard that King Jeongjo actually wanted to make Suwon the new capital of Korea instead of Seoul, but I'm not sure if that's true.

The city was really pretty though. There are four main gates to the city, as well as myriad other "water gates". This is Paldalmun, the south gate of the city.
the top of the gate...
a better view from the Hwaseong official site.


After wandering around the south end of the city for all of 10 minutes, we decided that we were too hot to actually walk around the circumference of Hwaseong as we had planned, and returned to the car to drive around the city. Right beside the car, people were drying chilis. Nice.

mmm. if only i liked chili...
sightseeing by car - so much more comfortable than sightseeing on foot!

After making a loop around the city, we paused at a particularly picturesque gate, Hwahongmun, which is one of those water gates that I mentioned earlier.

so pretty!!! Supposedly one of the top 10 views in Suwon.
kids playing in the stream. the little boy was hunting for his sister's flip-flop...adorable!
hwahongmun from the front.
the stream cuts across the entire city. i'm guessing it was the main water source back in the day.

After gazing at all the pretty greenery and walking around the gate, we returned to our car - only to discover that the battery had completely died on us! My dad tried to start the car up multiple times, only to be met with a somewhat spluttering noise. We called the car company to come jumpstart the car for us, but it took them ages to find us since we weren't actually in Seoul. Luckily we managed to entertain ourselves fairly well while waiting...

we found a small general store near the road, and immediately bought ourselves ice-cream. Mine had solid lumps of sugar in it...
waiting for the car company...we were excited by the motorcycle guy stopping by our car, but he turned out to be a random passer-by who needed to make a phone call.
the dragon train tour of hwaseong. the 3 cars in the back are designed in the shape of sedans, which were the main mode of transport for the King.
that's what's under the hood. fascinating isn't it...NOT.

afterwards we drove home as fast as we could.

你

I am obsessed with this song. It's one of the theme songs to "They Kiss Again" sung by the female lead, Ariel Lin. LOVE LOVE LOVE this song!!! It's so beautiful - I hope one day I find someone that means this for me.

here are the lyrics:
風輕輕 我聽見你聲音
你對著我叮嚀 要注意自己的心情
雨輕輕 我聽見你聲音
你拿著傘靠近 為我遮著風擋著雨
一點點想哭泣一點點想著你
你的愛很珍惜 我總依賴著你的記憶

你就像風在說話 順著我方向
你就像海中的波浪 堆著我成長
我明白你的回答 溫柔的對話
愛情其實沒有辦法 不被感動吧 我不說謊

pin yin:
feng qing qing wo ting jian ni sheng yin
ni dui zhe wo ding ling yao zhu yi zi ji de xin qing
yu qing qing wo ting jian ni sheng yin
ni na zhe san kao jin wei wo zhe zhe feng dang zhe yu
yi dian dian xiang ku qi yi dian dian xiang zhe ni
ni de ai hen zhen xi wo zong yi lai zhe ni de ji yi

ni jiu xiang feng zai shuo hua shun zhe wo fang xiang
ni jiu xiang hai zhong de bo lang tui zhe wo cheng zhang
wo ming bai ni de hui da wen rou de dui hua
ai qing qi shi mei you ban fa bu bei gan dong ba wo bu shuo huang

english translation:
Wind gently blows and I can hear your voice
You have advised me to beware of my own emotions
Rain gently falls and I can hear your voice
You draw near with your umbrella to shield the wind and rain for me
A little bit wanting to cry, a little bit thinking of you
Your love is being cherished, I am always relying on your memories

You seem to be talking like wind, following my direction
You seem to be the waves in the sea, making me grow up
I understand your answer, a gentle dialogue
There is no way for love to not be touched, I won't lie.

ISWAK 1 Notes

So I'm back to my ISWAK madness - I'm skimming through the entire first season again and summarizing the episodes so everytime I want to watch a specific scene, I know exactly where to go. And this time I'm doing it without subtitles. My Mandarin is going to be so awesome!!!

While rewatching the first couple of episodes - when Xiang Qin and Zhi Shu are still in high school, I noticed a couple of interesting things. Firstly - I LOVE that the cool kids in high school aren't the ones who dress a certain way or act a certain way - the cool kids in this drama are the ones who study hard and follow family values. Zhi Shu is one of the few rebels in the drama, for though he's incredibly intelligent, he has few qualms when facing down his parents. But even so, he values his parents' every opinion very deeply and goes out of his way to make sure they're happy. In comparison, in American TV shows, filial obedience isn't even a factor in many shows.

Family is also a larger part of the Taiwanese TV serial (of any Asian drama series actually) than in shows filmed in the US. In every single Asian TV show that I've watched - and believe me, I've seen plenty! - family is an integral part of the show. While in many serials, the younger characters are the focus of the show, parental drama and involvement is always a given. And in many other drama shows, older characters are given equal footing in the serial. It is implicit in these shows that family will always be involved in each other's lives. Family connections and interactions are the glue that holds most Asian drama shows together (and of course, a love story).

In comparison, family isn't even an issue in most US TV shows - rarely do parents or siblings even appear in such serials. Take one of the most popular comedy shows in the US right now, "How I Met Your Mother". The show revolves around the lives of five fast friends in New York. All are independent and live without their parents. In fact, through the 3-4 seasons that have already been released, the only times family has appeared has been for the holidays or special occasions.

Interestingly, because of their intimacy, younger members of the family don't hide their character or habits from their parents. Xiang Qin and Zhi Shu aren't afraid to go drinking with their parents - even in high school. In fact, it is Xiang Qin's father who is most aware of Xiang Qin's inability to drink. Conversely, in "Friends," Monica tries desperately to hide her drunkenness from her parents at her surprise 30th birthday party. While it is appropriate to share the occasional glass of wine together, American families - at least those on tv shows - do not go out to drink and enjoy each other's company.

I have totally meandered off topic. I guess I'll have to gush about the two later :) I end with one of my favourite Xiang Qin and Zhi Shu pictures. Gosh, I hope Ariel Lin and Joe Cheng get together some day :)

To sleep, perhaps to dream...

It's official! I'm moving home to Singapore in a week. I have mixed feelings about the move; Singapore has always been familiar to me, since it's been one constant in a life of uncertainties, but I've never had the chance to really live and settle there before. Fortunately, I don't have to go through the arduous process of looking for an apartment, a roommate, etc, as my family has a place there already.

Which means of course, I finally have a permanent room. I haven't had one since Bangkok, so I'm looking forward to having a room I don't have to move out of after a couple of months or so. There's furniture in my room already - some of which I'm not fond of - but I'm going to (as Tim Gunn says on PR) "make it work!"

So there's already a bed, a mini-sofa, a table, and a bookcase in my room, as well as built in closets. I want to get a lamp, curtains, a rug perhaps, a throw and cushions for the sofa, maybe another desk (and get rid of the one I have), and another bookcase. Now anyone who knows me knows that I am a huge fan of IKEA - so I trolled their singapore website today looking for potential furniture for my room...i love this Gustav desk! it's really picturesque, and has an old-fashioned and feminine feel that I love! I wish it were in white (I have dark wooden floors and a small room, so lighter colors would work better), but its so pretty! unfortunately, it's like, $429, which is a little out of my price range.

But I'm probably going to end up getting this Mikael desk instead. It's functional, the right color, and relatively inexpensive at $99.

I also love this chair!! It has such personality, and looks so comfortable. The print's a little kitschy, but it's so adorable. Too bad I already have a chair...

Back to stuff that I actually need.
I've wanted this lamp since I first saw it at Ikea two years ago. It was impractical to get it when I wasn't sure if I was staying in NYC post-college, but now I can! I thought about getting a more colourful floor lamp, but then I realized that this was going behind a blue couch, so it makes more sense something neutral.

I also want gauzy purple curtains, but I can't seem to find them at Ikea...guess I'll have to check out the friendly neighbourhood store. I'm being called to dinner now, but I'm definitely going to continue looking at furniture etc once I get back. I'm going to miss Bed, Bath, and Beyond ...

Muah!

For the past week, I have only had one thing on my mind - the Taiwanese drama series 惡作劇之吻 (It Started with a Kiss) and its sequel 惡作劇2吻 (They Kiss Again). I adore the two leads of the show, played by Joe Cheng and Ariel Lin - though I am constantly frustrated with them as well. I think that's what I love the most about the show - it's so human.

So the show is about a girl named Xiang Qin and the love of her life, Zhi Shu. The story begins when they're both in high school - XQ is a somewhat simple and blur girl who is the lowest class in her grade. On the very first day of high school, she falls madly in love with the smartest boy in the school, ZS. She harbors this secret love for two years, but finally decides to tell him about it in a letter. ZS completely rejects her in public, and the two become the talk of the school. That same night, an earthquake rocks the city, and XQ's new house is completely destroyed. Luckily, XQ's father's friends offer to house the forlorn family (the friends are super rich :P).

Surprisingly (not), the lovely couple who houses XQ and her dad are ZS's parents! and so the story begins. ZS is a strong arrogant jerk who values intelligence above all things. XQ, on the other hand, is an open, affectionate child, but lives in constant confusion; she's just a little stupid and slow to understand things. ZS is really really cold to XQ (I seriously almost cried, he was that mean) to XQ...but XQ hits it off with ZS's mother, and the two of them hatch a plan so that ZS and XQ will get married. Several disasters, and many years later, the two of them start unofficially "going out". Despite competition for ZS's love, XQ prevails, and in the middle of their college years, the two of them get married. The scene where ZS finally reveals his love for XQ was -so- touching, though he was a complete bastard up to that point.

I am such a sap.

Anyway, that was the end of ISWAK. In the sequel, the couple explore married life together as ZS studies to become a doctor. After deciding to be a teacher and failing miserably, XQ decides to follow ZS and become a nurse. Separations, harsh words, and love making ensue. The drama series ends with the two re-affirming their love for each other.

Lol, I can feel how stiff that summary is, but its actually really hard to describe this drama without going into too much detail! I loved this drama - at first I thought it was overacted, but after a few episodes, I got really into it. Joe and Ariel have amazing chemistry, and the director does a great job of drawing people in. The show was really well received when it came out, and I give major props to everyone involved in the series for keeping everyone interested, since the "type" of show changed so drastically. It started out as a high school love story, switched into college mode, and was briefly filmed in an office - before the second act! In the second part, the series started with them back in college, and then abruptly switched into a hospital drama.

Screw it, I think I'm going to have to do multiple gushing posts about how amazing this drama is. I learned so much about Taiwanese/Asian culture and values. And I think I got some life lessons out of it too...like how important it is to set goals (and work hard to achieve them). I also relearned how important it is to be open and honest and sincere about everything you do - that keeping your feelings bottled up inside isn't always the way to go. And that brains aren't everything.

I'll gush about some of my favourite moments in the series tomorrow :)