Protected: It was much easier…

18Oct09

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Partner

29Aug09

I had wanted to write about this Kdrama the moment I finished watching it, but well there were other things to do (like train for the x-country run and hmm watch other dramas…) so I’ve procrastinated till now. It being the fasting month, I’m at home 24h on weekends and I hardly have anything to do. Running under the hot sun is out (although I used to undergo even more strenuous stuff when I was training during fasting month way way back when I was in school). New episodes of dramas I’m watching will not be out till next week. So the only thing to do is to look back at dramas I’ve watched in the past couple of months. And among those I’ve watched recently, I think Partner reigns supreme. (Brilliant Legacy aka Shining Inheritance and City Hall were good too, but today I shall just focus on one drama.)

Actually, I can just field one reason and I’d be done with justifying why the drama was superb. Lee Dong Wook. Period.

But well, to stop there would make me seem so shallow. Moreover, a good-looking lead does not make a drama. At least not all by himself. So I shall talk about other reasons why the drama got the thumbs up from me. I really wonder why the audience reception back in South Korea wasn’t that good. Maybe people still prefer the overused rags to riches template or the conventional romantic comedy genre but I am proud of myself for gradually moving away from those kinda dramas. Well, occasionally they still entertain me but well, something like what Partner offered is what I look for in a drama these days.

Not that there wasn’t even an ounce of romance in this drama. In fact there were numerous touching moments that tugged at the heartstrings. Like the part where Lee Taejo (LDW’s character) held Kang Eunho’s (KHJ’s character) hands in the car when she’s sleeping (especially when this come right before the poignant scene in which Eunho expresses her gratitude in front of a sobbing Taejo who had just found out how her husband’s death was connected to his family’s law firm’s evil deeds). Another instance would be the scene at the hospital when they were accompanying a lady to confirm the death of the latter’s husband. But the good thing about this drama was that it didn’t let the romance between the leads overshadow the main story (which to me wasn’t the romance between Taejo and Eunho) and it constantly reminded the viewer that after all, it’s a legal drama.

Which brings me to the main point. That the intensity of the cases handled by the leads really got me glued to the screen, no matter how disappointed I was that the whole drama only lasted for 16 episodes. In all the cases, the writers would make it seem that the defence party would lose the case, making the viewer feel so uneasy and irritated at the fact that the guilty party would be let off scot-free. But just at the right moment, there’ll be new evidence or witnesses to settle the case once and for all. That the smart Taejo was usually the one who discovered something new made it even more thrilling. It just showed how smart this lawyer was even though he usually acted like he didn’t care. And the little expressions of victory on his face were enough to make me squeal like a teenage school girl haha.

Also, unlike previous legal dramas I’d watched where I’d feel like I’m watching mutually-exclusive cases episode after episode, the overriding theme of truth vs the corrupted nature of some large corporations in the business world really gelled well with the court cases. The extent to which the two big industry players, Jinsung PNC (God knows what they produced that they had to pollute the environment to such an extent) and Haeyoon Law Firm went to cover up their misdeeds was just classic. As in I can imagine it happening in the real world (dunno if it has anything to do with my Sociology background but the dirty world doesn’t surprise me as much anymore). Thank goodness there are still sane people around who believe in the truth which makes you feel there’s still hope.

Of the sane characters in the drama, I like Taejo the best. Well, apart from his dashing good lucks, his passion and more importantly, his belief in the truth makes him such a lovable lawyer. He always acts like he doesn’t care, especially earlier in the series but working with Eunho really brought his character to life I think. LDW was so good at expressing his feelings, most of the time with just his eyes. People who have watched the drama would know that there wasn’t even a single scene in which the two leads say the conventional ‘I love you’ or ‘I like you’.

Instead, they subscribed to the idea that action speaks louder than words. Protecting and defending each other…The chemistry between the 2 leads was just so perfect that people may forget they were just acting. And well, having Eunho defend the man she loves in court was brilliant, especially when early in the drama, she came across as someone who did not fit the bill (as a lawyer) because she was too human in that she tended to care too much about her clients’ feelings that she sometimes lost her sense of objectivity. I would think that in the real world, lawyers probably can’t survive that long in the profession and she’s probably better off as a social worker but hey she grew from strength and became more astute in looking for the right avenues to solve her cases.

Having said that, the people who made me cry were the other 2 lawyers whose love affair is actually just so wrong and makes me wonder why I even cried for them. Basically the guy (Taejo’s brother) is a husband who cheats on his wife and the girl is one who keeps seeing the guy even though her good friend (Taejo) tells her not to continue with a relationship that will just cause her to hurt even more. But along the way, bits and pieces of their personal flaws and their sad life stories are told to the audience and you get a sense of why they became like that. Still, I’m not one who approves their kind of love story. I just wish they were a bit braver in the past, especially the guy. That way they could have been happier people…But it’s good that he finally got his act together and did something for his brother at the very end of the drama. Shan’t say more about what he did cos the effect is best felt when you don’t know what’s going on. That one scene in the last episode just made my tears roll down all the way till the end.

So yep, Lee Dong Wook was not the only reason why I enjoyed watching Partner. The other supporting actors and actresses were just brilliant at bringing their characters to life. The evil father of the 2 guys, the evil Jinsung PNC people, the evil lawyer who capitalises on the helplessness of the poor, the evil witch who ordered for her husband’s supposed mistress to be killed…the list just goes on. You’ve just gotta watch the drama to understand how the intricacies and complexities of life can all be laid bare in court. Jealousy, insecurity, love, hate. Almost everything the human form is capable of feeling.

Of course, having LDW act as the witty lawyer ups the enjoyment level. He looks attractive in almost anything. As Han Jung Won (the female half of the adulterous pair) mentioned when she visited LDW in prison, how could it be that Taejo looked good even in prison garb? Haha and I just love his hairdo in the drama. He’s been having long hair for a couple of years and guys with long hair are not just not my cup of tea, even if they are good looking. Well he was cute in My Girl but what can I say, he was charming, smart and capable all rolled into one in Partner. It must be the lawyer persona hehe…

I can’t seem to end this post but before I spill the beans on the whole drama, I better end off. So, legal drama fans, watch it. LDW fans, watch it even more. And did I mention that the OST is good too? Nice songs played at the right moments. The song featured below is just one example. I even teared when listening to this song.

It’s just too bad LDW has just been drafted into the military. We’ll need to wait a couple of years to see him back in action. Hopefully by then his acting will be even more polished and he’ll probably be more macho too. :)


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Protected: Tu me fais sourire

26Aug09

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Letters to Sam

06Jul09

Before I go any further, I must clarify that this post has got nothing to do with my previous post entitled Letter to Mr. SFX, though both are written to people who matter =)

When I wrote that post, I had forgotten that I actually bought this book called Letters to Sam. I know I’ve bought several books over the last few months but I never had enough energy to finish reading one. But since I was going to have a long weekend this time around, I resolved to finish at least one book. And as I browsed through the unread books, I decided to read Letters to Sam. But seriously, when I wrote Letter to Mr. SFX, I just titled it so, without the knowledge of Letters to Sam being somewhere in the dark corners of my cupboard.

I’m not going to try to sell the book because I think many other people can do a better job. But to me, it’s just an honest account of what life means to a grandfather and some lessons he wants to impart to his grandchild. The best part is he doesn’t come across like he’s trying to teach anything. Instead, he encourages and empowers the child. He lets the child know about the troubles he may face because of his condition without omitting any of the ugly details but he also teaches the child to be strong in facing all the challenges that may come his way. Btw, I have a soft spot for story lines with illness as its backdrop, not because I’m a sadist, but because I feel reading such stories tells me about hope, faith and the tenacity of mankind in times of difficulty.

Another thing about the book that I love is the form. Writing it using the first person pronoun endears this grandpa not only to the grandson (to whom the letters are addressed), but also to the reader. It makes the reader feel for and with him. My tears fell just after reading a few letters, and I’m not even sure why. Maybe I was shocked at how honest he was? Maybe cos I suddenly miss my late grandpa? Maybe cos I’d just realised a simple letter could have so much impact on the addressee? Could be a bit of everything.

Anyway, there so many quotable quotes that I may end up copying the whole book here. But haha due to my respect of IP rights, I shall not do that. Instead, people who are interested in the book may preview it here.

My favourite letter happens to be one that appeared in Part V: What’s Ahead for You. It’s entitled What Does Happiness Mean?, a question I always ask. The writer is spot on about people’s views on what constitutes happiness. And being someone who graduated not too long ago, I could relate to the answers given by the Lincoln University graduates at their commencement ceremony. A fat paycheck gives you financial independence, a sense of security and gives you a lot more choices but happiness is much more than that. I’d just like to quote a couple of paragraphs from that letter, cos it aptly describes what happiness means for most of us.

What are we really hungry for? Security and happiness, yes. But the kind of security we yearn for is a feeling of security that cannot be attained by acquisition. If we can buy big houses and powerful cars, we may be able to achieve the illusion of security, but it is still just an illusion. If we can do well at school or work, we may get a sense of accomplishment, but there is always something more to accomplish — happiness will always be around the next corner.

Real security only comes when we are comfortable with who we are (and the feeling is enhanced when we are in a relationship where there is mutual love and understanding). Real happiness is a byproduct of a life well lived…

… “Find someone you love, and feel that love in every pore of your body. Love that person even more tomorrow. And then the next day, love one additional person; and every day after that, increase the number of people you love”…

…I told them the longer the list of people they love fully, the happier they will be. That, I said, is true success. That is an essential adult responsibility.

That is what I’ll try my best to do. It’s such a challenge, but I’ll try my best.


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Roger Federer Back at No.1

06Jul09

Only because I was going to be on leave today, I decided to stay up and watch the Wimbledon finals till the end. If I was working today, I would have switched off the TV at 12pm, gone to bed and missed out on one of the longest games in tennis history.

Boy was I glad I stayed up. Anyway, tennis is like my latest squeeze. Last year, although I read tennis news every now and then, I never actually followed live matches. Then early this year, I started watching Rafael Nadal sweep practically every trophy that came his way, until Roger Federer came into the picture again. Think he really got Robin Soderling to thank for disposing of many of the strong contenders at Roland Garros but wow yesterday’s final was just great. I really don’t know who else gets more than a century of aces in one single match.

Anyway, I was actually rooting for Andy Roddick. I watched a good part of his semi-final match against Andy Murray and I thought: wow he’s performing quite well. When I last watched him play, about a few months, I thought he just relied on his powerful serve and was lazy to stretch for the ball, especially those on the base line. Suddenly, when I watched him play against Murray, he seemed like a man transformed. He actually could combine some good strokes with that thunderous serve of his to good effect. So when he won the semis and set himself up for a match against Federer, I thought this must be a good game to watch.

And the underdog did not disappoint for most of the match. Some critics may say that there wasn’t much tennis to watch cos both players didn’t play rally games. Half the time we’d be seeing Federer or Roddick serving an ace and from what I remember, there were very few long rallies, with the longest consisting 20 strokes in total. But the way that Roddick could hold out for 4h 15min was just admirable. You’ve got to give it to him for not giving up when he lost 2 straight sets to tie-breaks. Whenever he got to serve, he never allowed Federer to break his serve until that last game in the 5th set. In fact, he actually led by a few games in the 4th set. And even when he could have the second set comfortably instead of letting Federer get back into the game, I thought he really gave Federer a run for his money, until he started showing signs of crumbling when he slipped in the last couple of sets.

Still, every time he got back his serve in the last set, he’d keep the pressure on Federer so that the latter wouldn’t have a runaway lead. 1-1 it was, then 2-2, 3-3 until both players reached 6-6. As there is no tie-break in the last set, either of the players would have to get a 2-game lead over the other to win the championship. They went on and on but somehow I wasn’t sleepy. It was already 1 in the morning but cos I had to find out who’d be the ultimate winner, I had to stay up. Every time Roddick held on, I’d squeal in delight. But the time came for the game to end once and for all and it was Roddick who made mistakes in that 30th game of the last set. He failed to protect his advantage when it came to a deuce, and handed Federer the win after an epic 4h 15min-long game of tennis.

Ok I realise the emphasis put on Roddick here doesn’t really match the title of this post but well, I was really hoping Roddick could win cos a lot of people were there to witness Federer win a record 15th Grand Slam title. Even though they applauded when Roddick got an ace or won a rally, I think 2/3 of the stadium wanted a Federer win. Haha I bet I was one of the few people who wanted the underdog to win. Haha even Federer said that they could have gone for another two hours so you’ve got to give it to Roddick for matching his opponent’s tenacity and endurance until that fateful 30th game in the last set.

Anyway, with this win at Wimbledon, Federer is back at the top. Judging from his victory speech last night, he must be really happy to be the reigning king of tennis once again. I have nothing against him and his ability to keep his composure throughout the whole match was just pure class but well, I believe Nadal won’t stay quiet for long…

I’ll certainly be tuning in if it’s Federer vs Nadal…


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Protected: Letter to Mr. SFX

02Jul09

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Beautiful Istanbul

19Jun09

This is the first of possibly many more entries about my recent trip to Turkey. Decided to write about Istanbul first as it’s one of the most beautiful and intriguing cities that were covered in the itinerary. No trip to Turkey would be complete without a tour of Istanbul and even with the inclusion of the city in our itinerary, I felt like I needed more time to explore this city by myself. I actually don’t mind travelling to Istanbul again…

It’s just amazing that the city was home to so many great empires of yesteryear. And what’s even more amazing is that the symbols of these empires actually co-exist within 1km of one another! The Sultan Ahmet Mosque (better known as the Blue Mosque), the Aya Sofya, the Roman Hippodrome and the Topkapi Palace are all within the vicinity. That the whole area is surrounded by gardens full of colourful flowers makes it even more surreal. When you see things like that, you start to wonder why so many wars are still going on. Oh well, you may say these are just buildings built by different people at different times. Still, building a new empire without destroying symbols of the empires you defeat is quite an admirable act. Also makes it easier for first-timers to Turkey to get a quick snapshot of the history of the country =)

I do not know enough about architecture to actually critique the buildings but I’m quite intrigued by the intricate patterns of the mosaics and stained glass windows in all these buildings. How does one go all the way up to the interior of the dome to pattern the mosaics and glass such that verses of the Quran are arranged so beautifully and neatly? I also love the generous use of marble for pillars and other parts of the interior.

The Topkapi Palace is another wonder in itself. Before I stepped into Topkapi Palace, the palace is just known to me as an untouchable place that kings and queens live in. I’ve never actually dreamt of standing on palace grounds myself. Anyways, the palace is huge and to look at the different rooms and exhibits, we had to join many snaking queues. It’s really good that Turkey is nowhere as hot and humid as Singapore, so even if we had to wait for our turns, we didn’t perspire.

Anyway, our time in the rooms themselves were very brief, cos there were so many people that we can’t afford to stare at the beautiful jewel exhibits but more importantly, there was no point in staring at these jewels cos we can’t own them. We can’t bring them back home, so haha quick glances at the riches of the Ottomans will do.

What I didn’t particularly enjoy was the time at the Grand Bazaar and the Egyptian Spice Bazaar. They have a variety of things but some of them can be quite pushy. And they will pull a long face and cease to be friendly when you bargain or just walk away from their store after asking the price. Not all are like that, but some of them can really put you off. The concept of having an indoor bazaar selling almost everything and anything is marvellous and I would liken it to Shin Sai Bashi in Osaka, Japan,

Shin Sai Bashi Osaka

but wandering through the alleys and browsing through the shops at Shin Sai Bashi was a more relaxed experience. Also, the target groups are different for these two shopping areas in Istanbul and Osaka respectively. While Shin Sai Bashi is frequented by both locals and tourists, the two bazaars in Istanbul are touristy shopping areas. Many centuries ago, there were indeed markets where people would get their supplies from, but ever since they turned into tourist attractions, it seems like they have lost a bit of colour and soul as a trading market. I could have done with less time in the Grand Bazaar and Egyptian Spice Bazaar and more time taking photos of the streets and buildings in the city.

The bazaars aside, I would say the landscape of Istanbul is breathtaking, to say the least. The hustle and bustle of the city can be captured by the activities of the man on the street while the beautiful soul (that sounds seriously familiar, ain’t it? haha…) of the city lies in its works of architecture. At one glance, you wonder how modernity and antiquity can coexist but Istanbul shows the way. That progress doesn’t need to get in the way of preservation.

Walking along the streets can already keep you busy with your cameras but well, nothing beats the cruise ride along the Bosphorus Strait. Reminds me of my distant dream of owning a waterfront house…

Given time, I would really wanna explore Istanbul on my own. Try out the little eateries and take more pictures of people. Maybe can go to Istanbul again if I decide to go some of the countries around the region like Greece or Bulgaria. Not in the next few years, but Istanbul’s definitely one of my top choices for the future honeymoon =) The traffic is crazy and in the heart of the city, you get to your destination faster on foot but if you think about what you can get out of walking through the streets, I guess it’s worth it.


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Relief

13Jun09

I do not need to go to the office till 22 Jun. How cool is that huh…On leave till Wednesday and on course for the remaining two weekdays.

Shall make the most of the free time. Read a book or two (there are many still untouched in the cupboard), go for a jog or play badminton with my siblings, watch tennis on TV, help my brother in his O level revision….whatever that provides relief.

The much needed relief…


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Protected: The Green Umbrella

11Jun09

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Open Your Eyes to Love

09Jun09

Such a cute song…

Me likes to play it over and over again…

Makes me feel hopeful =)


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