Well, I learned about many amazing dramas, I learned that going back to college after taking a break is possible, and you can still be amazing at it. I learned that life is insanely short so we must live each day to the best of our abilities. I have lost many people I know this year, and one woman who was like a second mother to me. Life is hard and not fair, but things must happen for a reason, even if it means losing someone in the process.
I’ve learned that we must grow stronger from our experiences instead of wallowing in them. I’ve also learned that no matter how old we get, it is always good to keep some of those youthful hobbies in our lives in order to stay sane, normal, and ourselves. I’ve learned that I should never be ashamed of liking something different, or being afraid to let my freak flag fly.
But in this new year, there are many things I want to accomplish and I hope to use this as a contract to follow my goals, and make them come true.
There are quite a few things I would like to do this year so I will sort them out in categories as I see fit.
Crafting:
Make my own crochet pattern
Get better at knitting
Get better at sewing
Crochet a sweater
Perfect making travelers journals
Sell a traveler journal
Sell a scarf
Fill my etsy with lots of things!
Try 2 new crafts
Traveling:
Travel to a new city
Try a local food that I normally wouldn’t try
Fitness:
Lose 100 pounds
Run/Walk at least 4 times a week
Eat right five days out of the week and fast 2 days of the week
Blog:
Post at least once a month
Post about drama’s
Post crochet patterns
Post obsessions
Post Recepies
Ok so maybe it’s not that long of a list, but they are some long term goals that I hope to achieve by the end of 2017. Another big one is to save money, and get organized because after moving over 3 years ago, I am still not completely organized. Nothing is where I want it and as I live here, my crafting supplies seems to only be growing.
My life is still a bit hectic, and I only expect it to become more hectic, so I hope you all will bear with me and hopefully we will be able to get through this year together!
I know it has been a while since I’ve written anything for you all, but I guess you could say I’ve been stuck in a funk. Not really feeling excited for anything, let alone to put on a smile and be cordial to those around me. Bad I know, but I figured that maybe after a year of putting off being friendly, maybe it was time to try again. Maybe it was time to put myself together again and try to make a better me. I hope you all will join me in this journey of finally enjoying life.
I really hope to be doing this with a combination of exercise, music and probably some dieting. I know I know, dieting is supposed to only make a person cranky, but maybe a change will be good for me. We can only try, right?
But on to why I am writing this in the first place! Korean pop a.k.akpop & Korean Dramas a.k.akdramas. While I’ve been in my funk I’ve gone to two concerts, and watched three dramas. The two concerts were B.A.P (Best Absolute Perfect) and Got7 which of course were amazing, and the dramas were MoorimSchool, Oh My Ghostess, and Oh My Venus.
So let’s talk about the concerts first, shall we? B.A.P, one of the many groups I’ve followed since their debut and I can honestly say considering it had been over two years since I had last seen them, they still were so very impressive it’s hard to top them. Just as last time, they spoke English more or less the entire time, and I have to say my favorite part was Daehyun telling everyone in the audience to “sit down and relax” for his solo. I’ve been to quite a few concerts (6) and none of the idols ever told us to get comfortable. It was refreshing to hear he wanted us to enjoy ourselves as he sang.
I think that has to be one of the reasons why B.A.P holds a special place in my heart. They always seem to be thinking of their fans even if it hurts them (Like Yongguk and his most recent medical issue). I feel like there was only one downfall to this concert series and this was the change of song line up for each state. I remember in, maybe it was, Texas Youngjae sang in English, and I was so excited when they came to Chicago to hear his beautiful voice in English. But he didn’t. None of them did. In fact they didn’t even sing Take You There which they said they had written for their BABY’s. This surprised me, with it being one of my favorite songs off of their Young Wild & Free album; it was a bit of a disappointment.
And only about two months later, GOT7 came. This was my first time seeing them since I missed their mini concert the last time they were in Chicago. I went with a friend of mine as usual, but this time it was my turn to buy the tickets. To say I was nervous would be an understatement. It was almost like going through hell and back to get these damned things that I had to settle for a pair of tickets I wasn’t sure I was happy about. Oddly enough, they wound up being the seats directly where GOT7 entered the theater, and we got to shake Jackson and Yugyeom’s hands. To say I flipped out, once again, would be an understatement. As probably none of you know, Yugyeom is my bias in Got7 and just meeting him like that was enough to check
The only downside occurred after the concert as I’m sure any Kpop fan heard, BamBam said a BIG no word on their trip to Cali. It almost made the hype of the concert null. I will not give an opinion on the topic because it is such a sensitive one.
I highly recommend going to either concert if they are ever in your neck of the woods~!
Ok Ok on to dramas. If you’re new to Korean Dramas, I will make a list and post it in a day or two for some that you may like! Heck, because I loved most of them so much I’ll even give you a rating and a very brief description.
BUT MOVING ON.
Moorim School 3.5/5
I personally like to think of Moorim as the butt kicking version Hogwarts. Have I caught your attention yet? It stars Hongbin of VIXX, and whats his face , seriously having a blank right now but will insert his name later (Lee HyunWoo), who was in To The Beautiful You as the second leading male a.k.a the guy who didn’t get the girl. Hongbin plays a privileged rich boy who literally would throw himself off a cliff rather than attend Moorim & HyunWoo plays an idol who finds himself suffering as he begins to go deaf from this strong ringing in his ears that literally pain him. The plot thickens, as it usually does, where both attend the school only to find out there is some evil source searching for a way to gain control of not only the school, but all of Korea.
In my opinion, I was most impressed with the fact that there were SO MANY non-Korean Actors & Actresses in this drama. It really impressed me that they went into a level where race didn’t matter. Where as in many other dramas, it is more often the case where the one Caucasian male is actually a violent jerk that beats women for kicks and giggles. But not this one and that impressed me the most. The reason I gave it this middle rating is, the plot seemed to move far too fast for my liking. One minute Hongbin and Hyunwoo are enemies and the next they are buddies. I felt if they slowed it down, and worked on the camera work, over dramatic spinning it not fun, it could have looked more professional.
Oh My Ghostess 4/5
This drama tickled my funny bone in so many ways, and it seemed to go a very different course than many dramas. Most of the dramas I have watched tend to try and stay very clean. However, in Oh My Ghostess, they tend to push the envelope by making the one main female role a ghost who is eager for her first time, believing that it will help her move on to the next realm. Do accomplish this, she convinces a young culinary student to allow her to possess her in order to fulfill her goal, and get closer to the man they both adore. But of course, things begin to take a turn as the ghost’s time on earth is counting down, she begins to turn into an evil spirit.
When I first watched this drama, I felt a strong connection to the characters, as I have worked in a restaurant before and know what it’s like to take all of the blame even though it is not your fault, as well as being the punching bag for those that have had a hard day. But I would have to say what I liked most of this drama is the mystery aspect that starts to appear just past the middle of the drama. I am a big fan of any form of murder mystery and I can easily say that this one is perfect. The only negative part I can say is there are quite a few characters in this drama and it can occasionally be hard to keep track of who is who.
Oh My Venus 5/5
This drama seemed to be a part of the trend that occurred in a string of drama’s such as “She was pretty” that discuss growing old, and losing the beauty of our youth. Our once perfect figure that one would kill for is now one with age or stress, leaving us with a new version of ourselves. It is about this girl who in highschool was the “Venus” of Degu, and had it all, including an Olympic swimmer boyfriend, but wanting something that didn’t involve her looks, her goal in life was to become a lawyer. Many years later she achieves her goal, only to find herself in a loveless relationship with said Olympic Swimmer, and realize that being a lawyer doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be fighting for the right side of a case. Realizing that she was no longer the “Venus” of Degu, she runs into John Kim a name known worldwide as the man who can change lives.
Ok right off the bat, I will admit, I only wanted to watch this drama for Henry Lau. Cause really, who doesn’t love Henry, right?And I was right, it’s amazing. Henry brings in his English speaking charm throughout the entire series, always opening his mouth at the wrong times, or being insanely sweet to our leading “mam” as he would call her. And hearing the other cast members impersonate him made me want to roll around in laughter. Honestly this drama does have its dramatic points, but in the end it’s evenly balanced by the comedy so generously provided by Henry.
Now I don’t want to make this too much longer, but if you have your own opinion on any of these drama’s, whether it be conflicting or in agreement, let me know! I’d love to hear what you all have to say, and maybe even hear any Drama recommendations!
I hope you all didn't think I forgot about you. Cause really, I haven't. I've just been really busy going back to school, and getting promoted at work, my hands have been full. Not to mention I got back into writing fan fictions so this has been taking up some of my spare time. BUT I am ready to come back to you all with some fun new crafts I've been playing with in my spare time. This includes: metal stamping, fauxdori making, and some insanely kawaii crochet projects I've been dying to work on! I hope you all can welcome me back with open arms!
Let’s start off with Modern Farmer. I had been wanting to
watch this drama for the longest time, mainly because of Lee Hongki the lead
singer of FTISLAND and Park Min Woo who was in Flowerboy Ramen shop and the
reality show Roommate.
I will try my best to not give any spoilers but with how it
ended, I am not sure I can contain myself. But of course I will warn you.
Plot Line: The band members of Excellent Souls (ExSo, yes Exo
fans were pissed at this name) were on their way to stardom until an
unfortunate accident. Several years later, the boys have either settled for
dead end jobs, going to medical school, a full time student, or being a bum.
MinKi (Played by HongKi) was the lead singer of ExSo and the bum of the group.
He found himself getting into trouble with a loan shark and in hopes to pay
back his debt, he moves onto the farm his grandmother left to him, in hopes of
growing cabbage and selling them. Of course he cannot do this alone, so he
manipulates his friends into joining him. Their main goal being, to release an
album and becoming famous.
My Opinion on
Characters:
There are so many characters in this drama that I am not sure
if I can name them all but I will try!
Minki: HongKi played this character very well. He is a little
over the top but he is very selfish when it comes to what he wants. There are
times when you love him, and times when you want to smack him in the face with
an eel….watch the show you’ll get it.
Hyeok: MinWoo! I loved loved loved his acting in this. His
character was so sad, but so loveable that I really wish he would have gotten
the girl. Damn that secondary male role!
HanCheol: This goofy character really stole my heart. He was
so sweet and innocent and much like any other ordinary person, the worst
possible things seemed to happen at the worst possible times for him. I was so
happy with how the story ended for him.
KiJoon: This was definitely a character I wish I could have
had more time with. SPOILER: he falls in love with an illegal immigrant from
North Korea who is trying to earn money to save her sick mother. He tries to be
the tough guy but secretly is so sweet to her that when she gets deported it
broke my heart.
YoonHee: This is a role Ha-Nui was born to play. This tall,
strong women was Minki’s first love who back then, was a dainty flower who is
now the chief of this little farming villiage. She is spunky and strong.
HyeJung: This women is the best comedy of the whole show. I
swear. She is this very beautiful middle aged women who believes she is perfect
in every way. But she is not. She cannot cook for the life of her. Examples:
Seaweed Chocolate Fondue and Ramen Popsicles.
MinHo: MinHo is YoonHee’s son. Minho is so adorable and looks
up to MinKi as a father figure. It was cute.
InKi: A strange man who speaks in grunts that can only be
understood by his daughter SangEun. He turns out to be a very good character
and I was very happy to see the actor return in Sensory Couple.
SooYeon: This girl, my god, she was a character I loved to
hate. HanCheol just wanted to get to know her and she would repeatedly shoot
him down.
SangDeuk: The village drunk, he was quite funny. Whenever he
would be waiting for someone (who would always be late) he would always have to
pee, so he would go in the middle of the street only to have the person he was
waiting for pop up behind him. So random, but so good. Lol.
ManGoo: This man also appears in Sensory Couple. But in
Modern Farmer, he is a very odd strawberry farmer who is very wealthy and is
married to a very beautiful foreign woman. He is stubborn and what is the best
part is because of his looks, they assume his mother is his wife, and his
sister is his daughter.
HwaRan: An illegal North Korean Immigrant that works on one
of the farms to earn money to send back to her family. She is very sweet,
quiet, and shy and I think I loved her most of all.
YooNa: >.> Dis girl. Oh man, I don’t think I have ever
hated a character more than I have hated her. Seriously. Any villain in any of
the drama’s or movies I have ever watched cannot compare to her. She uses Minki
because if she cannot get what she want’s nobody can. She want’s everything and
will do ANYTHING to get it. It’s disgusting.
Honestly, the ending was terrible, they got what they wanted,
and yet it failed. I would recommend it if you want something with TONS of
slapstick comedy, but the ending was terrible.
I give it a 3.5/5
Now onto Blood. Blood I wasn’t sure about. Mainly because
it’s about vampire doctors. Now, I don’t like to admit it, but I was a twilight
fan when I was in High School (Don’t hate me I was young and stupid). But I was
curious about how they would portray vampires compared to all of the hype of
the last few years. So, my friend Katie and I picked Blood to try to watch
together. I “accidentally” zoomed passed her in the episodes and finished
before her. So now I will give my opinion on the show!
Plot Line: Park JiSang is a pure blood vampire who was raised
by his mother after his father was killed by evil vampires. His parents being
scientists, trying their best to cure the vampire disease VBT, only to have
research stopped after his mother was also killed by evil vampires. In Present
day, JiSang lives with his human friend HyunWoo and together they work hard to
find a cure, and discover who these evil vampires really are. In order to do
so, JiSang must work as a surgeon in a hospital.
Honestly, the show wasn’t bad. But like most dramas, the
ending sucked. Once again I will try my best to not give away any spoilers and
I will warn you if I cannot help myself.
My Opinions on the Characters:
JiSang: Ahn JaeHyeon played this role very well. He was
straight faced even throughout the funniest moments. Thank god he was not a sparkly
vampire. Nope he was a tough vampire. Just how I like them.
RiTa: This spunky girl is JiSang’s love interest and rival
when it comes to performing surgeries. She is feisty and rather funny. She
tries to be like any other girly girl, but knows she fails when Ji-Sang won’t
play along.
JaeWook: One of the Hottest vampire villains ever. Just
saying. He is so evil, he makes Voldemort look like Mary Poppins.
HyunWoo: This boy made me cry and scream at my television. I
cannot tell you why because Katie will kill me if she reads this and finds out
I spoiled it x.x. The torture is real.
Luuvy: LUUVY omg Luuvy is HyunWoo’s perverted robot that
loves to take down women’s measurements and record things he probably
shouldn’t. He is the best! More shows should have robot sidekicks.
GaYeon: >.> NOPE can’t even get through describing her
without giving everything away. Let’s just say she rhymes with Knievel…
KyungIn & SeokJoo: I put these two together because they
are the aunt and uncle of RiTa. These two are so messed up it’s not even funny.
The actress who plays KyungIn also was in Pinocchio so you might recognize her.
I liked her better in Pinocchio.
SooEun: SooEun is a trusty sidekick to one of the other
doctors of the hospital that join forces with JiSang. She is cute and bets that
if JiSang is a vampire, her boss will have to run around the hospital naked.
IlNam: Making him a main character was pointless. They
started to go along with this idea that he faked his way through medical
school, only to drop it. His story line went nowhere absolutely nowhere and
made no sense what so ever.
All in all, the entire series was good. The first episode
really turned me off because it was big on the twilight vibe, but after that it
was an interesting plot line with twists and turns that made you scream in
shock (you have no idea how many times I scared my dog when she was sleeping by
screaming). HOWEVER, the last episode was so rushed, it made no sense. When I
asked others about it, they are hoping for a season two. Not sure if that will
happen because my Korean sources tell me it was not very popular in Korea. BUT
either way I enjoyed the plot of the show very much.
Slang:
헛물켜다--To make fruitless efforts/chasing rainbows.
Romanization: heotmulkyeota
Pronounced: haut-mool-kyo-ta
Examples: If someone is trying to hit on someone who is
already married.
