New song

Was fiddling with sonific when I came across this track “Settling“ by Aaron Espe. Nice.

(Scroll down to access the sonific ‘player’. Enjoy!)

Poster for 1st Shop of Coffee Prince

Yay!!! I got a poster of the 1st Shop of Coffee Prince! I think both Yoon Yun Hye and Gong Yoo look really good together.

(Source: chn.chosun.com)

Latest update: First Shop of Coffee Prince

My wife came across the latest update on the much anticipated K-drama – First Shop of Coffee Prince. What’s more is that there are photos from the sets! We only grabbed this photo cos’ it showed how our idol Yoon Eun Hye looked like in the drama. Read the full post here and here (HOT OFF THE PRESS!!!)

(Source: Popseoul)

Snow Queen Music Video

Just uploaded a Snow Queen Music video at HelloHallyu. The fan, Mackie, who made the video did a great job. The quality is so good that I initially thought it was released by KBS.

Work till 70?

“They” are at it again. News articles, interviews and comments by senior garmen personnel revolving around the issue of hiking the retirement age to 70. They say that with Singaporeans enjoying longer lifespans, people should consider working longer, to stay economically productive, engaged, and able to provide for themselves.

To me, retirement already seem to be so far away at 62, and market talk is that the garmen will now push it to 65. 70 is something which they are seriously considering, or something which has already been decided, but yet to announce. It’s not surprising since politics and governments, especially those in office, are deaf to voters once they are snugly in power.

Anyway, all this talk irks me. Perhaps it irks me more due to the fact I am in a job which I have absolutely no love for, and to think that I would be at my desk at the grand old age of 70 doing what I am doing now is a nightmare which I have no wish to comtemplate on.

Personally, I think no one should ‘retire’ from their ‘job’ if it is something they enjoy doing. Everyone should find themselves a job which fulfills their talents and dreams. The sad truth is that most people, I am generalising here, really hate the work they are currently doing. I, for one, work to ensure that I have a roof over my head, the bills get paid, and I get to dine in a nice restaurant once awhile. This sort of existence is bearable. But to last till I am 70, the garmen must be dreaming.

Anyway, this is how I would envision my “retirement” years…

Grand-daddy Teddy comes home from his photography studio to a his 2 room apartment where his wife is putting the finishing touches to her latest oil painting. Going to the kitchen, Teddy would start dicing and chopping the vegetables and meat for dinner as he chats with Yupgi about how their grandchildren are doing at school and how they are enjoying learning about the things which are not taught in the schools. After dinner, Teddy and Yupgi would sit down and talk about what a great day they had at work. Teddy would share about an interesting session with a family who wanted their portrait done, thinking how nice it would be to have his family portrait taken. Putting a dvd into the home entertainment unit, they would enjoy another episode of their favourite Korean drama.

And this is what the garmen thinks is best for me…

Frustrated Teddy, in his late 60s, goes home to a crummy expensive 2 room apartment. Stepping into his home, he’s mind still thinking about how he ended in this so called work and remembers the huge loan he still owes the garmen via CPF for his home. He suddenly remembers that he has yet to give the $600 pocket money to his child who’s now in university and laments at the costs of living in Singapore. Going into the kitchen to prepare dinner, he hears his wife opening the door as she comes home from work. Over dinner they lament about the cost of living, about why they have to drag themselves to work each day even at this ripe of age. At this moment they hear over the TV that the garmen just hiked the retirement age to 75.

Think I gotta start plotting my “retirement” as soon as possible and go into something which I never want to retire from. That’s the life I would like to have, not the 8.30-6 farce which I am living in now.

The Sound of Music!

Bless the souls in WordPress! Thanks to their ingenuity, my blog now has music. Scroll all the way down, after the Platial Map Kit and you will find Sonific Songspot. Click on the “play” button and you will hear my favourite classical piece. Sit back, enjoy the music and read my posts.

Flowers for My Life

Flowers for My Life is the new KBS drama which I am currently watching. This is one K-drama which is absolutely delightful. My short review of the 5 episodes, which I have seen so far, can be found at Hello Hallyu, a blog for which I am one of the contributors. Do drop by and take a look. K-drama fans will feel at home there.

Btw, it is still business as usual here. Just that my Korean drama/entertainment related posts will be published in full over at Hello Hallyu. So, do still drop by and support the ole Fieldmarshal.

One Fine Day

I mentioned in my previous post that I just completed a new, actually it’s rather old, drama starring Gong Yoo. The drama series I am referring to is One Fine Day. Starring Song Yu Ri (The Snow Queen) and Gong Yoo, this story is of a similar vein to Autumn in My Heart. Yup, Song Yu Ri and Gong Yoo take on the, now all familiar, role of blood-unrelated siblings. The story is about how they discover their love for each other and overcoming all odds to be with each other. Pretty standard korean drama fare. That’s it.

Personally, I think Snow Queen is a much better drama than One Fine Day. One Fine Day promised much, but sadly, it delivered little. On a scale of 10, I give it a 6. Watch it only if you are a fan of Gong Yoo or Song Yu Ri.

You can read more about One Fine Day at Yupgi’s blog.

Male Lead in Coffee Prince’s First Shop (Coffee Prince , Shop No. 1)

Just an update on Coffee Prince’s First Shop. I know it is kinda dated, but I just found out that the male lead starring opposite my idol – Yoon Eun Hye, is none other than up and coming Korean hearthrob, Gong Yoo! Actually I know nothing of this fella till I watched, well actually still watching, a new series who he’s starring in. Do look out for a post on the series come next week or so. Anyway, this dude exudes plenty of macho x-factor and his acting is pretty decent. I am really looking forward to the airing, or more accurately, the release of Coffee Prince’s First Shop dvds in S’pore.

Till then, here’s how the ‘prince’ in Coffee Prince will look like. Think Gong Yoo and Eun Hye will make a lovely couple.

The Snow Queen

The video below was my only conduit to my favourite Korean male actor – Hyun Bin – since I watched My Lovely Samsoon some time last year. Made a point to catch this advert whenever I walked past the Beauty Credit outlet at B1 Vivocity. Yes, I have to admit it was kinda pathetic.  It was barely an adequate Hyun Bin ‘fix’ till I discovered that he is helming a new KBS drama – The Snow Queen.

READ ON FOR THE REAL POST ON THE SNOW QUEEN. . .  . . . 

I patiently waited for the release of the dvds in Singapore since I found out about this drama some months back. My patience paid off on Monday when I saw it lying among other dvds of just released Korean dramas. My heart pounded as I held the immaculately sealed dvd boxset in my hands. Yes! Yes! Yes! There’s finally life after Alone in Love! Whoop! Hyun Bin! Hyun Bin! Hyun Bin!

Ok, enough with the dramatics. As if there’s not enough of that stuff in the Korean dramas.

Frankly, I have no, abolutely zilch, idea of what The Snow Queen is about. I only knew that Hyun Bin is in it. Heck, I don’t even know the female lead – Sng Yu Ri – is such a stunner, er, till I started watching the series.

I absolutely love the way this scene above was filmed. Took me ages to capture the still on the PC. But as you can see, it is well worth it!

As with all, if not most Korean dramas, The Snow Queen come in 16 episodes. Filmed using a style more akin to what we get in movies, the colours, costumes were vibrant, rich, colourful and wonderfully sharp. My only gripe with the series was that Hyun Bin spotted a goatee, so “un-him“, for the entire series! That aside, The Snow Queen is a depressingly bittersweet drama about a boy genius, 泰雄  (Hyun Bin) giving up his dreams, of becoming a mathematician, after the death of his best friend. Intermeshed in this tragic tale was a girl 宝珞 (Sung Yu Ri).

泰雄 and 宝珞 share a beautiful yet tragic fate with each other. Meeting each other while in their teens, they shared a special bond, one which saw 泰雄 becoming a special 大哥哥 to 宝珞. Unbeknowst to each other, 泰熊   best friend is THE brother of 宝珞. In a weird twist, both of them never got to know each other’s name. 宝珞’s brother committed suicide on the day when 宝珞 was supposed to meet 泰雄, and the opportunity to know each other’s exact identity was lost.

8 years passed before a chance encounter allowed 泰雄 to 宝珞 meet once again. However, 泰雄 , unable to bear the loss of his dearest friend entered into a prolonged period of depression, one which saw him giving up his dream and even his name. Now known as 得九, he goes about his life as a trainee boxer as he tries to fulfil his friend’s dream of being a professional boxer.

As the story unfolds, 宝珞 realised that 得九 was actually 泰雄 . If you expect the teenager’s crush to bloom into a real relationship, you are mistaken. Love in Korean dramas are seldom easily, nor always, fufilled. Firstly, 泰雄 is still wallowing in depression as he believed that he was the cause of his best friend’s death, which I felt is totally ridiculous. Thankfully, they managed to overcome their emotional baggage and initial objections from their respective families.

SPOILER AHEAD!!! STOP READING IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO KNOW THE ENDING!!!

Overcoming familial objections was the simple part. Having tested their love with everything it can throw at them, fate decided to unleash it most dreaded weapon – THE CRITICAL ILLNESS!!! Yup, scriptwriters are evil-creatures. Instead of giving us the good ending which all of us pined for, and deserved after 15 episodes of grieve and tears, it gave us, as always, more grief and tears. 宝珞 was diagnosed with cancer – yawn… Anyway, 泰雄 must be wondering what has he done in this previous life to deserve all this. First his best friend died on him, now he is going to lose the only person who can give him happiness. Life can be so cruel sometimes.

At this point, and after surviving the pervious 15 episodes dry-eyed, tears finally flowed as 宝珞 ‘faded’. It was heart wrenching to see 泰雄 having to go through the pain of losing, yet again, a loved one. And this time he will indeed carry the pain with him for life. You will understand when you hear 泰雄’s last lines in the series.

This is a seriously depressing series. Not recommended for people prone to depression, or are currently undergoing great stress in life. Watching it will only add to the burden one is carrying in real life. I recommend it to those who yearn for a touching drama. But don’t expect it to be as great as Alone in Love. It’s a drama with a great premise. A pity that it was let down by poor story and character development.

I will leave you with one of the more ‘happy’, or should I say, non-depressing, scene from The Snow Queen. Oh yeah, my new banner was also specially custom-made, by yours truly, from a scene in The Snow Queen.