K-Drama

SITUATION 1
An 'ahjumma' divorces her current husband who is having an extra-marital affair with another woman. This 'ahjumma' now lives her own life, doing what she enjoys to earn money. Her effort caught the eyes of the prince of the company she is working in. That prince falls in love with her. They got married. Her ex-husband regrets his past actions...

Sounds familiar? Of course it does! Several K-Dramas include this in their story lines. I don't know about you but it makes me feel that all of these 'princes' like older women. And it also suggests that only rich people can get romantic. On top of that, it is funny to know that the poor men always get involved in extra-marital affairs.

SITUATION 2
A woman (I don't know why, but it's always women) starts coughing, or maybe things like medical check-ups are mentioned. I can bet that it must be cancer or some kind of deadly disease. That woman changes. She starts to become bold and brave. And 95% of the time, she meets a man who comes to fall in love with her...

Introducing a new actor: Cancer! When the plot can't seem to push the story to the desired ending, writers begin to induce deadly cancerous cells into the lead actors or actresses. People around them regret their actions, they reconcile. Most importantly, love gets sprayed into the air. And why must it be cancer? There are so many other diseases like diabetes, osteoporosis, etc. Owh, I get it! Only cancer can attract tears (get my tone?).

SITUATION 3
A woman (again!) acts terribly cruel to a boy. They boy seems to be patient enough to endure every reprimand coming his way. As the story progresses, the woman finds out that the boy is actually his long-lost son. That woman starts to act kindly towards him...

Why are these babies always get 'banished' by their parents? And 100% of the time (from all the K-Dramas I've watched), they all get to see each other again when these children grow up. Are they magnets?

SITUATION 4
A man falls in love with a woman. Very coincidentally, the man's first love returns from the US (most of the time it is the US). Then you can expect a fierce triangular battle...

And now, you are saying, "Yeah, I noticed that." Why do the lead actor's first love always have to appear out of nowhere (meaning from the US) when he is about to fall in love with the lead actress. It is so unrealistic! Try writing things like the lead actress is the lead actor's first love! Owh, then the writers are going to make the lead actress' first love appear.

SITUATION 5
Two pairs of couple are introduced in the drama. The older couple sees the younger one dating outside (maybe in a shopping complex or in a cinema). The older man recognises the younger woman as his younger sister, and the older woman recognises the younger man as his younger brother. And so, the older couple does not allow the younger couple to proceed with their relationship...

Hmm... I don't know what to say anymore. Things get complicated, the older siblings beat up their younger siblings (in a comedic way) to stop them from dating one another.

So, these are a few of the situations often found in K-Dramas. I would like to make it clear that I intend no offence against the Koreans, it's just that most of the time (when I am not watching CSI), I watch Korean Dramas. Well, some of the Korean dramas do stand out from the crowd (though they do include some of the situations above in their story lines)...

1. My Husband Has Got A Family (KBS) -- Situations 3 and 5

2. My Name Is Kim Sam Soon (MBC) -- Situations 2 and 4

3. Scent of A Woman (SBS) -- Situation 2

all EARS on deck

"As long as we are willing to keep quiet now and then, storytelling will go on..." 

- Henning Mankell

Very often, when we sit together with a group of friends (during a party, reunion, etc.), we will notice that everyone is so eager to tell his or her own story. Other people pretend to listen and when the story ends, another friend snatches the chance to tell his own story. So we can easily come down to the conclusion that people are just self-centered and they don't really care about what is happening to others. They just want to tell their own stories, get a standing ovation from their audience and walk away.

Having friends who are willing to listen is a big blessing one can get. Now, you might want to argue that my previous post stated that if we face any problem, we should write them down instead of pouring them into other people's ears because they also have their own troubles to be worried about. Come on! I didn't say anything about telling people problems you are facing! Your stories can include funny things that you have witnessed, great stories that you have read or even riddles that you have had a hard time guessing. In other words, telling stories can help to spread joy!

However, the greatest blessing goes to the receiving end. Why? Because the listeners get to receive seasonings to spice up their lives. They get to listen to great tales, understand your feelings (and preferences), gain knowledge and experience, and spend quality time with you. With all these advantages, why don't you want to be a part of them (listeners)?

HOW?

It's definitely as simple as E, A, R... When your friend is telling his story, open your ears, listen to every word he says carefully, understand what his feeling is according to his tone, and ask him questions to guide him. And before you even realise it, you have been through (and return from) a wonderful journey alongside your friend!

So, why don't you save up your saliva for food digestion and get ready for great fairy tales? ◼

Cures for the Wounded

Have you ever felt lonely after a hectic day at work (or school)? Or ever felt like your life is meaningless, and nobody cares for you? And things didn't work out the way you planned? And you discovered that there is no more joy in life? And you decided that it is time to give up hope? Or are you feeling it now?

The good news is, everyone feels the same thing at one point of his life (which means you are perfectly normal). And the bad news? Sometimes, you need to find the cure for yourself. Here's a list of possible remedies that you could try. So what are they?

• Cry. Yes, free your tears from their pouches. Cry as hard as possible. Let your emotion dive into the sea of your tears, let them become one, and be gone from you. Breathe hard, and after a while, you should feel light (as a feather). And when you do, congratulations, you have reached the end of your therapy session. (Tip: Do not care about your makeup, or your appearance, while you are crying. It will just make you feel worse!)

• Laugh. That's right, laugh! Laughing makes you feel more optimistic. It gives you the feeling that there is still hope for you. It's important that you don't perform fake laughs, for it makes you feel empty. To get a good laugh, you can browse through the humour-equipped pages in Reader's Digest, or watch funny television channels, like 'Gag Concert' on KBS. (Tip: Do not proceed with this form of therapy directly after you have tried crying. People might think you have gone mad when they see you cry and laugh!)

• Music. Have some favourite songs? Go listen to them. Doing something you like helps kick away the sadness thriving in your heart. It makes you feel that life is meaningful and that there are plenty of things that you can enjoy doing. (Tip: Come on! If you broke up with your lover, don't listen to songs about lovers breaking up! Go listen to light-hearted songs.)

• Write. You might want to talk to someone else about your problems so that you will feel better. But bear in mind that other people have their own problems to be worried about. So why not try to write them down? It allows you to release your feelings onto the paper you are writing on. Seeing your problems written on a piece of paper convinces you that your problem is not as serious as expected. You will be more positive in finding the solutions to your problems. (Tip: Do not be so naïve and burn the paper you have written your problems on. It doesn't solve your problems and it leads to air pollution!)

I want to make it clear that the above solutions and explanations are based on my personal experience. So, for professionals (doctors or counsellors or equivalent), do not attack my mailbox with reprimands. Anyway, good luck, if you want to try these methods out!

Funny Kisses

Again, I apologise for this long inactivity. Just consider me hibernating due to lack of ideas (instead of food) all this while.

Owh, come on! Don't go on labelling me as uneducated (if you will, read my post on 'Misjudging People') just because I am posting about 'kisses'. One of my (best) friends gave me idea about writing 'disgusting' stuff that could happen when people kiss. I decided that putting the word 'disgusting' in the title is the best way to fend my readers off this post, if not my entire blog.

I will make it super clear that I am not experienced in what I am about to write. Now, ready to chuckle?  Read down:

1. Guy sneezes into the girl's mouth when they are kissing. If you are not laughing hard enough, it means you are not imagining it hard enough.
2. Guy smiles before he kisses the girl, and the girl saw parsley stuck in between his teeth. Laughing now?
3. Guy is too excited to kiss the girl and accidentally farted. Boom!!! Indeed, the power of love is sometimes stronger than the nuke.
4. Guy burps when he is kissing the girl, and the girl could 'taste' the guy's breakfast. I know, yucks!
5. I found this from a website: Guy charges the girl with his tongue sticking out (like a frog).
6. Guy inserts his tongue too deeply into the girl's mouth when their lips touched. His tongue prevented oxygen entry and the girl is gasping for air. 

I will stop here. You know, I am laughing like a mad man when I am writing this. Insanity got me! 

Observing Valentine's

Happy Valentine's Day! I know, I know, it's been quite a while since I last updated my blog. So for those who are regulars here (and always support my posts, either by believing in what I believe or giving me a lot of 'Likes'), I apologise.

Now, the story. As you all know (for those who don't, now you do), I am single and available. Naturally, I do not have a lover to spend this year's Valentine's Day with (and next year's, and the year after next's, I am quite sure). So, I took on the job to observe how people around me celebrate this adorable day.

Nah, you definitely would have guessed this, but I will just say what I saw. Lovers had their arms locked together. If the girls (no offence, as usual!) had worn police uniform, I would have really believed that they were indeed fierce policewomen chasing after bandits. I mean, the arm-locking they performed was such that the boys will have zero chance of escaping. But of course, the girls all had their best smiles carved on their faces.

I don't know about you, but I nearly vomited when I saw a boy (definitely a boy!) helping to wipe the bread crumbs off his girlfriend's lips (at Kenny Rogers). Maybe because I have never fallen in love with somebody before, but that incident really got me covered in gooseflesh (I am not exaggerating!).

The air smelled of money, money and ... just money. Old and young, regardless of their genders, spent like armageddon has arrived. Some flash their cards, some flash their purple notes (for those of you who are not Malaysian, our RM 100 note is purple in colour. Note that RM 100 = USD 32.362 @ February 14, 2013, 7.30 PM UTC +08:00). I am sure some of them spent beyond their limits.

Well, to be frank with you, I was starting to get sick of the whole Valentine's Day thingy until I saw an adorable couple with adorable clothes on. The boy wore a black tee with 'I LOVE HER' written on it while the girl wore a matching tee with 'I LOVE HIM' on it. That shy couple didn't walk hand in hand. They were, as I can see, quite conservative. I can't help but wish them a sincere Happy Valentine's Day.

Now, how did you spend yours?

PEACE ☮

It is disheartening to know that mankind failed to learn something from the two previous world wars. No matter how we look at it, someone is trying hard to trigger WW III with all the online attacks, verbal fights, weaponed battles etc. It seems that 'PEACE' is a word which is only allowed to appear in dictionaries, and not in real life.

ONLINE ATTACKS

We very often come across news of hackers breaking into various systems to steal vital information. Some of them steal information from government systems all around the world. This shows that these hackers (of course, I am only talking about those with bad intentions, I am fully aware that there are many hackers who hack for the 'greater good') have no respect towards people's privacy. This clearly jeopardises global peace, as the attacked countries tend to point their fingers towards other countries. Everyone suspects everyone else...

VERBAL FIGHTS

This usually happens everywhere and anytime, in the bazaar, during a traffic congestion, during a tournament, you name it. But bear in mind that hurting someone with brutal words is a terrible action. People often say that the pen is mightier than the sword, well I prefer, the tongue is more lethal than the nuke. 

WEAPONED BATTLES

Hmm... you can call me a coward but I do not dare to pinpoint anyone here. But I guess you will have no trouble to understand what I am talking about. You see, in the past decade, not many countries got into war, and you get the idea...

So, why all the bleeding? Why can't someone do something about it? The answer, I think, everyone knows it already. Everyone has to play his or her part to promote peace. I know, I know, it's always easier said than done.

HEAL THE WEAL

People make mistakes. It is natural. But the important thing that decides the future is whether or not they are willing to admit and apologise for their wrongdoings. It is hard to ask for forgiveness, but to be honest, the feeling of relief that follows after that is so sweet...

ZEAL FOR LEAL

No man is an island (except if you are Robinson Crusoe, that is). To achieve peace and prosperity really requires everyone working hand in hand. Unfortunately, many people are still very self-centred. They do not deem helping people a necessary action, some even find giving other people a Judas kiss enjoyable. But what was the idiom? Do unto others as you would have they do unto you. Lend a hand to others when they need you, and you will find them to be at your side when it is your turn to ask for help. Everyone has to have the passion to uphold loyalty towards other people. Let betrayal be thrown down the deepest abyss.

SEAL THE DEAL

When all of the above are done, I would like to invite you to read the happy ending in the last chapter of humanity. I think it goes, "And mankind lived happily ever after..."

TEENAGERS, challenges

So, here I am. A teenager with my one foot stepping into the realm of adulthood and the other foot reluctantly following.

- Eric Egong @ ericegong.blogspot.com -

I attached the source of the beautiful quote above, otherwise my brother might kill me (for plagiarising his idea). Anyway, today, I would like to share a little bit about challenges that come our (teenagers') way. 

When I was young, I sometimes witnessed my elder brother having occasional emotional tantrums. Now that I am a teenager myself (now approaching the finish line, I am going to be an adult, soon), I behaved exactly the same way as he did. If you ask me, I don't know why. In fact, ask any teenager, and you can expect a long eerie silence after that. We teenagers are just emotionally unstable (very, very). 

It seems like teenage life marks the start of a bloody battle against a string of unending challenges. Homework, school activities, chores... these are just small players on the battlefield. The big players, or fighters, are usually those that float to us without a physical body. For instance, failure. People have the saying 'failure is the mother of success' dangling from the edge of their lips (sometimes stuck in between their teeth), but do you think it is easy for us? Do you think that we, who are emotionally rocky, can say, "Hey, I failed. I am so glad, it means I will succeed soon. Failure is the mother of success. Blah blah blah..."

Failure is like a big slap on our cheek, and when combined with a sudden unpredictable low mood, they can spell death (that's why sometimes we come across news of students committing suicide after scoring low marks in exams etc.). How to fight this warrior? I really don't know. 

Next, seeking one's own identity is also a big challenge faced by any teenager. Of course I know my name, but as a teenager, I sometimes question my own existence, I sometimes deem my life as an unworthy pawn in a destined chess game. When I come to my senses, I get terrified. I just do. And I feel even worse if I happened to cause troubles. It's not like I want to create troubles, I am not even aware of creating one, until I get an earful from adults.

Yes, challenges are planted all along the path we take... but it seems the first few that we face during teen age are the hardest of them all...

Ushering in CNY 2013

I went shopping with my family just this morning in another town approximately 80 km from ours, not to prep for the coming Chinese New Year (since my family will not be inviting anyone to our house, we are going on a vacation~), but to escape from the hustle and bustle of our own town (only to get ourselves caught in the flooding crowd when we arrived in our neighbouring town) and to purchase new toys for my cute little poodle.

Obviously, the crowd was shopping to get ready for the celebration of the coming Chinese New Year. As a keen observer (DO NOT LAUGH!), I took the opportunity to scan through the people around me to see just how colourful our world is. Along the process, I discovered some funny stories:

• Mummy wanted to buy some new shirts, she picked a couple of them and went to the fitting room. As usual, I obediently followed her to wait in front of the fitting room (she will always open the door when she is done with putting on the garments she picked to ask me whether she looks OK in them, which means she trusts me more than she does the mirror). A girl came out from the neighbouring room and asked her boyfriend if she looked pretty in the miniskirt she put on, to which he answered, "Yes, you are." She took a long moment staring herself in the mirror (from the outside) and said, "No, I think it's too long." What?, I thought. Her boyfriend, like me, found her statement incomprehensible and replied, "Why do want anything shorter than this?" Her answer was equally ridiculous to her first statement, "I look cuter in very short miniskirts." If you ask me, I would say what she put on wasn't a miniskirt, it was so short that you can call it a belt!
• We went to a computer shop, mummy wanted to buy a new CPU to replace the old one at home. We overheard a conversation between two unoccupied saleswomen who were standing at the counter. Let's call them A and B. A said, "I had diarrhoea this morning," to which B replied, "Really? Mine was so hard that I had to sit in the bathroom for nearly ten minutes." I don't know how your expression looks like when you read this, but for us (daddy, mummy and I), we were completely stunned and stupefied, not knowing how to react. This episode ended with the salesman serving us approaching them to shut them up. Naturally, mummy didn't get to buy a new CPU, guess she needs to bear with the old one for a few more weeks, then.
• I was at the counter to pay for a few pairs of socks I bought. The lady in front of me had her bill paid and started to fumble coins from her bag, lots of them. The cashier was frowning at her mysterious action and asked her what she was doing. The lady replied, "Can I change these coins for a piece of RM50 note (now you can imagine just how much coins she brought)?" The cashier, no doubt, denied her requests, politely. 
• This happened at a restaurant. We were enjoying our lunch when the waitress brought one more dish to our table. We were sure we didn't order it and so we told her to take it away. She did, but after a few minutes, she came back (with the dish, still piping hot), and told us that she accidentally recorded the dish when she was taking our order and asked if we could finish it (obviously, so that she didn't have to be scolded). Well, she got a good lecture from daddy. 

'Colourful', isn't it? People tend to lose their rationality at some point (especially when they are under pressure to prepare for festivals, in this case, the Chinese New Year), but definitely, these are too much!

As the countdown continues, we are destined (and blessed) to witness even more bizarre incidents...