It’s all because of Super Junior.

And why do I say ‘accidental love’?

Because I really CHANCED upon them. The thing is I can’t remember how…

I can’t recall which was the first video of them that I watch, simply because I’ve watched too many. Likewise, I can’t pinpoint which SJ song I first listened to, because I listen to their songs day and night.

I started watching Strong Heart on Viki quite some time ago, but guess what, I had no idea Leeteuk, Eunhyuk and Shindong are SJ members. And believe it or not, when Heechul appeared as a guest in one of the episodes, I laughed so much but I didn’t know he was part of SJ. Super Junior KRY sang one of the OST for one of my favourite dramas ‘Partner’, but even when I keep rewatching the music videos, I totally didn’t know Super Junior KRY is actually a sub unit of SJ. Even as I kept repeating their song ‘Dreaming Hero’, I was just thinking: nice song, nice voices. But I had no idea who these guys were…

It’s a bit like how I came across Sung Si Kyung, which I had also blogged about (more than 2 years ago!)

The only thing I remember now is that I’ve been in love with them for the past 4 months or so…lol~ Frankly, I’d never thought that I will come to like a boyband at this age. After the Backstreet Boys, N’sync and Westlife days were over, I thought that was the end of the boyband era. But somehow, South Korea has managed to revive that love for boybands, and I’m inclined to think that they’ve actually done much better than their Western counterparts. BSB was big with their larger than life music videos and Westlife wowed then school girls like me with their soothing vocals, but Super Junior is really something else. In my view, at least.

If I were to list all the reasons why I love SJ, I can probably write a book, haha…so I’ll just focus on a few…

1) Powerful vocals
Before I go any further, I admit that not all members of SJ have powerful vocals. But as a group, they do sound good. I’m not sure whether the sheer size of the group is a contributing factor, but everybody’s voice comes together to provide an interesting blend. Of the interesting blend, it can’t be denied that Kyuhyun’s, Ryeowook’s and Yesung’s voices stand out the most. Ryeowook’s voice is sweet and Yesung provides a bit of rock ‘feel’ with his hoarse vocals…and what can I say about Kyuhyun? That boy’s voice just melts me…

2) Diverse Talents
A lot of k-pop stars nowadays don’t just sing and dance, so you might think SJ is no different here. The thing is, they are also really good at what they do which is not singing or dancing. Some of the members have gone into acting, while others excel at hosting. And they even have radio DJs who run their own shows on the airwaves. Sometimes, when something is not our main job, we tend to put less effort in it. But in the case of SJ, I see them putting in as much effort as they do in making music. If you didn’t know their background, it’s really easy to mistake them for being actors, DJs and emcees, instead of singers. Which is probably why I never thought the Teukigayo gang in Strong Heart were actually SJ members. Frankly speaking, I thought they were comedians!

3) The Power to Entertain
Being a follower of K-pop for some time now, I realise a lot of idol group members try their best to maintain their idol image. Most of them are easy on the eyes and some can sing pretty well. They sometimes make people smile with their cute idol antics but that’s about it. I’m not sure if I’m saying this because I’m biased, but SJ is able to entertain without just being cute. Their power to entertain on variety shows are almost second to none. Their witty remarks never fail to make me laugh. Especially that man, Kim Heechul. He’s really out of this world…

And while they seek to entertain the audience, you can also feel the sense of camaraderie amongst the members. When I watch the shows in which all the members (or almost all) are present, I enjoy the friendly interactions they have with one another. When they do shows like that, it feels like I’m watching a class of students who are on a school trip and enjoying their time together. Maybe it’s because I’d been in a quite tight-knit team of my own during my days in school, so I can relate to the issues they face being in a team of very different people with different preferences and different personalities.

I can go on and on about Super Junior but because tomorrow’s a working day and my eyes are giving way soon, I shall wrap this up with the most common activity that fan girls engage in. CHOOSING their favourites…

Actually, I like the whole of Super Junior. I find that they complement one another very well. Only when some people stand at the back can others take the lead. The interesting thing about Super Junior is they let different people take the lead at different times. Even then, I still have my favourites.

The 1st one is undisputable. Kim Heechul. He really doesn’t fit in with the idol image. But that’s what I like about him. He is so witty and dares to speak his mind. But even though he always look like he doesn’t care a hoot about everything, if you’ve seen enough shows of him, you can see through his interactions with others that he’s actually a very caring person.

My 2nd favourite guy is none other than Kyuhyun. For the simple person that his voice melts me, haha…And actually, I find that his character is a bit similar to Heechul’s. Very nasty with his remarks sometimes, but he can be very serious when he wants to. The fact that he has managed to sooth countless hearts with his voice after going through that near-death experience is testament to his talent.

I can’t really do the whole ranking thing for the rest of the members because actually they are all lovable. They have their own strengths and weaknesses, and there’s something I like about everyone. For e.g. Siwon’s fitness (woohoo~), the ‘friendly neighbourhood guy’ feeling that Ryeowook exudes, Sungmin’s sexiness when he plays the guitar etc. So it’s very hard to come up with a ranking, and that ranking will probably change every now and then.

But for Heechul & Kyuhyun, their positions can never be traded. Lol~

To end off, I really hope Super Junior will continue to exist for a long long time to come. Their group name may sound weird if they continue to use it when they turn like 30, but I hope they’ll continue to touch hearts then. Just like how they’ve touched my heart over the last 4 months and made me into a fan girl.

Micro-blogging has its own merits but I feel that my thoughts are penned in such a disorganised manner. I get so caught with sharing my latest thoughts that I hardly have time to actually process those thoughts before penning them down.

In contrast, writing a proper blog post on a particular topic forces me to organise my thoughts before writing as well as during the writing process itself. It’s like writing a school essay where there’s some sort of structure.

So, for my own good, I shall try to blog more often. I should really make better use of my time…

To me, what’s most important is that I try to complete my tasks to the best of my ability given the resources available to me. But there are times when I get frustrated because I am not able to give my own standard of ‘best’. Sometimes, I get worried over something so trivial when I could channel that worry to something more serious. I have no idea what’s the best formula of marketing oneself at work anyway.

But well, somehow it is working out, isn’t it? It has shown, at least for now, that as long as you put in your best effort, the path to greater heights will present itself to you.

Watching Smile, You was really accidental. Accidental in that I didn’t set out searching for this drama because of some hot actor or pretty actress whom I wanted to follow. (It’s different in the case of Lee Dong Wook though…I’d purposely search for dramas that he’s acted in, hehe…) Was just browsing through the Net and chanced upon Smile, You. Read the synopsis and thought: hmm perhaps it’ll be a nice family drama to watch over the weekend. I checked out the trailer. Exciting stuff but I never thought it would turn out the way it did.

Watching that trailer alone would never tell you how much of a heartwarming drama it would be. It would never tell you how cute the leading couple is. And it would never tell you of the effort that the scriptwriter(s) put in to explore all the characters in the family and give everyone adequate screen time such that we understand the feelings of the character. A lot of short drama series don’t do this bit very well, because all the screen time is given to the leading couple and everybody else is well, just the supporting character. Well, you may say that Smile, You had the luxury to do this because the whole series was 45-episode long. But hey, if that’s what it takes to be comprehensive in the exploration of the drama characters, then I say, yes do it. I’d rather watch a few good dramas than a whole lot of half-baked romantic comedies.

Apart from the scriptwriter(s), you really have to hand it to the actors/actresses for bringing every bit of the script to life. They are so good at what they do that sometimes, you forget they are just acting. The chemistry between Jung Kyung Ho and Lee Min Jung is explosive. Btw, when I saw Lee Min Jung in Boys Over Flowers, I didn’t expect her to get a leading role of this sort. The transition from haughty princess to humble girl who cares about her family more than herself was really superb and with that, Lee Min Jung convinced me that she’s not just another pretty girl.

Moving on to Jung Kyung Ho, woah what can I say man. This actor was virtually unknown to me before this drama came along. In the opening episodes, you wouldn’t actually think that he’s an actor you’d fall in love with. The spotlight was on Lee Min Jung, with all the focus on her character’s family going bankrupt and their need to find a roof over their heads. But wow, as the drama goes on, you find yourself falling in love with Jung Kyung Ho’s cute facial expressions and mannerisms. Then when you start thinking that maybe this actor is just capable of acting cute, he shows you another bag of tricks. He shows you the serious side of him. He shows you that he has more substance than his thin frame may suggest. Ok that expression is a little awkward but haha I wish he had a little bit more flesh…

Hmm, actually I shouldn’t be singling out Lee Min Jung and Jung Kyung Ho because all the supporting characters did well too. Jung In’s (Lee Min Jung) father was epic because he’s practically incorrigible…that was until his whole family ended up staying with his late dad’s former driver’s family. But even as he started repenting, he was struggling to make the right decisions for himself and his family…and the way he struggled just left me in stitches. The grandfather was awesome too. His interactions with his family are so touching and now and then, he reminds me of my late grandfather. Strict disciplinarian but caring and actually very generous. I wish I can dwell further on all the characters but the eyes are kinda giving way right now.

So, before I go to bed, I shall just highlight one scene which left me in tears. I’ve seen so many Korean dramas, but Smile, You is the first to have a proposal scene of this kind. A proposal is usually a private affair involving just the courting couple and even if the guy (or girl) makes a public proposal, the people around them would just be bystanders. They would clap or ask the couple to kiss or something like that. But in Smile, You, the guys in the Kang family took turns to propose to Jung In. Before anyone starts having weird ideas about this, I must clarify that Hyun Soo (Jung Kyung Ho’s character) was of course the only one who’s marrying Jung In. He brought his whole family with him i.e. parents and grandpa. He steps up and proposes to Jung In. You would think that’s all. Everybody’s happy and yay the proposal scene is over. But no…Hyun Soo’s dad suddenly steps up and also kneels before Jung In and says: “Would you be my daughter-in-law?”. By then, I was pretty shocked. But just then, the grandpa also steps up and says: “Would you be my granddaughter-in-law?” That scene touched me so much…I could feel the happiness and sincerity of all the 3 generations of man in that family. I couldn’t stop crying even though it’s a happy scene. And because of that scene, I have this little wish of having such a privilege too. To know that you are blessed by all in the family must be such an indescribable feeling. But well, there’s still a long way to go.

I’d just like to end off with a fan video I found on Youtube, featuring my favourite song from Smile, You. Enjoy!

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.

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 and second person pronouns endear 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.

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…