I love him in “Coffee Prince Number 1 Shop”. He looks smashing and wears absolutely divine clothes. I am currently trying to transform hubby’s wardrobe to look like his in the “Coffee Prince”. Charming dimples and great chemistry with Yoon Eun Hye!

Ryu Si Won

I know he has been in the circuit for a long time and is apparently an “auntie killer” along the likes of BYJ. Nevertheless the show I had seen him in, which was “Beautiful Days” did not leave a strong impression of him. Recently I completed a series “Wedding” that had him acting opposite Jang Nara, and I fell hook, line and sinker! He is really really cute as a die hard nerdy and virginal (prior to marriage) romantic with a good dress sense! I like very much! haha. Also he has droopy eyes like hubby - so cute!

Sorry for the long absence - but life has a way of taking up your time such that you don’t even know it had flown by. No excuses really for being away - a combination of work, family, lethargy, lack of inspiration, becoming addicted to facebook, contributed to to this long lapse.

I turned 33 recently by the way. Strange enough it went by without me feeling too angst about it. I actually like the number 33 - sounds great and I should really make the most of this year - I will only be 33 once in anycase. I am still waiting to get preggers though - I think it will only make being 33 all the more memorable if it should happen!

There are still many things left to be done in my life, if only I can overcome that inertia I can still achieve many things! My greatest fear is to finally snap out of my rountine daze and find out that I am 63 and still unaccomplished! I really pray that this does not happen!

Take care in the meantime and cheers to anyone who happens to drop by!

Mrs Boo

Sigh. The end. Finito. Since I first picked up my first Harry Potter in 2000 (or was it 2001??), I have been faithfully following the series, both books and films, and am very much part of the mass hysteria each time the new books come out. And now, the Harry Potter phenonmenon finally comes to a close. I feel so close to tears!

It was a great read - the Deathly Hallows. Complicated, but JK Rowling tied up all the loose ends brilliantly. Although I must confess that I actually started re-reading the previous books to actually appreciate what Rowling had achieved over the course of the 7 books. How innocuous things, like Harry’s wand, the Invisble Cloak, Harry’s previous encounters with Voldomort, etc. all came together in the final Good vs Evil showdown.

Although there were plenty of discussions and speculations about the plot even before Rowling put down her pen, and some of those speculations turned out to be correct, epecially on the major plotlines e.g. Snape was good, and Harry was a Horcrux - it did not spoil my fun of actually reading the book. I felt very much part of the story, and it was especially touching how Rowling wrote about Harry’s fears of sacrificing himself for the greater good, it was moving, and it felt real. How Rowling chose to reveal Snape’s story was also almost matter-of-fact, but no less poignant as we read between the lines of his undying love for Lily Potter. Do we need flowery romance in this instance to be moved? Heck, no!

Many people have commented about the epilogue of the book. I guess this being ultimately a children’s book, it should have a nice round happy ending. Personally I did not like the thought of Harry ending up with Ginny - ewww - but it did offer us some sort of closure. I would have prefered Rowling ended with Harry, Hermoine and Ron at age 17, looking forward to a Voldomort-less future. Another small point of disatisfaction was how Albus Dumbledore was popping up all over the book to assist Harry even though he was dead!!! This takes away the sadness and grief one feels when a person died, since they can always come back to life!

Nevertheless it was an excellent book. I will definitely miss Harry. Bye Potter!

Rating: 4.5 boos out of 5

Well, I guess I am just too damn lazy, not that anything exciting is happening in my life, but it will be soon…I am going to Greece next month! Maybe I will update my trip when I get back, if I am not suffering from post-holiday depression.

Watched any good shows lately? From the derth of my reviews, as you can tell, nothing has been inspiring me to get off my lazy butt to write anything. If you guys have something good to recommend, please drop me a line!

Until next time!

It has been a while since I have reviewed any k-drama, although I have watched quite a number of them. Something always came up and I just couldn’t find the time to write, and by the time I had time, I had forgotten half the story, moved on to another drama, or lost that initial fervour to give a 2-cents worth review.

Palace “Goong” or Princess Hours has been spared the above fate because both Mr Boo and I are crazy over the show’s soundtrack which is playing on a daily basis in our brand new car (Is “Perhaps Love” a great song or what??). It was also while watching this drama that I cemented my determination to learn and master the Korean language, so I have now more or less memorised the Korean alphabet and also started learning some basic words and Korean curses and insults - haha.

There is this Goong craze going on around the region. It is infectious, and I am one of the infected ones. Already our local tv is broadcasting the drama in prime time slot (just one month after I completed the series on VCD), and whenever I can, I try to catch it (again). It is currently one of the highest rated shows in my country, and currently my biz partner is also hooked on the VCDs that I have lent her. Internet boards are filled with pages and pages of endless discussions, youtube videos of anything related to the series abound. And guilty as charged, I know because I have been surfing!!

Goong’s producers hit a goldmine in translating a cult Manhwa (”comics”) series onto TV. The premise is scintillating. If you love “Jewel in the Palace”and “Full House“, you would LOOOVE Goong because it combines the elements of a traditional, historical setting with modern contractual love. For history buffs like Mr Boo and moi, it is an interesting supposition of “what ifs”, ie what if Japan did not conquer Korea and the Choseon monarchy survived till this day? How would the monarchy have evolved? How different would it be from the Japanese monarchy, or the British?

This modern monarchical setting thus allowed Goong’s producers to let their imagination (and expenses) go wild, and I would give them full marks for their glorious set designs, props and costumes. It made the viewing so much more colourful and intense. Money well-spent I would say.

Nevertheless, once you strip the story down to its very basics, well then, what we have is a VERY TYPICAL Korean drama, with a done-to-death love story, ie two young - VERY YOUNG persons (Crown Prince, Lee Shin and Commoner Princess, Shin Chae Gyung - CG in short henceforth) forced to marry even as they have their own dreams and loved ones, and after much fighting and making up, they realise that they have fallen for each other despite all obstacles, and ta-da, they live happily ever after. Of course, since the series is 24 episodes long, there is also a sub-plot involving some imperial politics of the evil ex-empress trying to regain the throne for her son, Lee Yul, who is also yearning for the love of CG, but really, at the end of the day, who cares! Give me more cute and romantic scenes of Shin and CG anyday!

Perhaps for a change, let me start with my grouses regarding this series:

1. Because our main characters are all still in high school, suffice to say, watching the show, especially their schooling antics, made me feel VERY OLD. Of course, much younger viewers will beg to differ and ask me to retire to my rocking chair instead of writing asinine reviews like this.

2. Imperial politics are lame - nothing like the detailed and conniving plotting in “Jewel”. They are more of a distraction from the main storyline rather than anything else. By the middle of the series, I am getting impatient with the “dragginess” of the show, and I have to suffer until Episode 23 before the BIG Declaration and Kissing scene (Ooo la la!). Cut the damn thing to 16 or 20 episodes, make it snappy, because I don’t want to hear the Emperor or Empress or Empress Dowager moaning incessantly about basically nothing - Is the Emperor really dying? He looks fine to me.

3. Illogical characters - Look, I am not trying to nitpick, but the swiftness in which Min Hyo Rin (Shin’s first love) morph from ambitious ballerina (”I can’t be Crown Princess, I cannot give up my lifelong dreams!”) to scheming Korean version of Camilla Parker boggles the mind. (”I cannot accept her ie CG as your wife” - duh, too late sucker.) And of course, Lee Yul suddenly decides to destroy his entire reputation by taking on the blame for his mother’s plots defy logic. But I suppose we are not suppose to care right? Right?! No logic = good show.

Now, having vented my frustrations (which is really not a lot), what I LOOOVE about Goong:

1. The two leads Shin, played by yummy newbie Joo Ji Hoon, and CG, played by cutie pie Yoon Eun Hye. Like all other successful dramas, a combustible chemistry between the key lovers is essential. Likewise here, you CANNOT help but root these two young urns in their meandering quest to true love and marriage. Ji Hoon as the cold, princely Shin is a perfect foil for the oh so cute and bubbly Eun Hye (like Rain and Song Hye Gyo in “Full House”). They are so good together in all their scenes, particularly the kissing ones!! that you cannot imagine them partnering anyone else.

Sigh, doesn’t Shin and CG make a gorgeous and cute couple? But damn, we would not see this pairing anytime soon, as they would not be appearing in Goong 2 (sob, sob, sniff, sniff). Why???? I see so much more potential material for exploration - the maturing of young love, parenthood perhaps, yada yada - tsk, tsk. Legions of Goong fans are vastly disappointed to say the least. Fame came way too fast for the 4 leads, hence they probably did not feel the need to follow up with another season to cement their status.

2. The second leads, Lee Yul, played by Kim Jeong Hoon and Hyo Rin, played by Song Ji Hyo, despite their not so great acting, are good eye candy that fit into the overall setting of the show. If you can’t really act, you better look good right? Don’t ask me why, Kim Jeong Hoon consistently remind me of a young Leslie Cheung (yep the dead, gay HK star), and he’s really quite cute, though not as cool as Ji Hoon.

3. The other minor characters, like CG’s family and high school friends are quite a funny bunch as well, providing much comedic relief even as the leads become more and more depressed as time passed.

4. Did I mention how much I love the sets? Also it tickles my funny bones to see the imperial servants decked out in modern finery but spouting classical language, and comparing that to what I see and know from other historical Korean dramas.

5. “Fish out of water” scenes - How CG tried so hard to adapt to palace life in the first few episodes was a complete hoot.

6. And did I mention I love the soundtrack?! The title track “Perhaps Love” fits the love theme to a “T”. I swoon everytime it comes on, like when Shin puts on the shoe for CG at the palace party. It puts you in the mood for love, baby!

7. Costumes - it is almost like playing Barbie Doll. CG’s “princess” clothes and shoes are to die for.

8. All the Shin and CG scenes - when they slept together in her old bedroom, frolicking at the beach, their “consummation night”, their hot and passionate kisses - right on!

For all the girls, no matter how old we eventually become, I believe, even as we become grandmothers, in our heart, we will always harbour the fantasy of being swept away by a REAL prince (of course a handsome, make that drop dead gorgeous and charming one), becoming a true princess, and live happily ever after. Goong taps into those dreams, and allows us to live vicariously through CG for 24 episodes, so that we can sigh and be happy for her and WITH her, even as reality is so very far from the fantasy.

Rating: 4.5 boos out of 5 (Alas, no matter how much I love the show, it does not speak to me as much as My Lovely Sam Soon does - generational gap! ) BUT 5 boos out of 5 for compulsive, addictive TV!

I have heard that Korean is a very scientific language, and once you have grasp the basic concepts, it is actually a very easy language to learn. So I figured, since I have some talents in languages, I can teach myself, and occupy my time while in the shop when there are no customers. I estimated, within 3 months, I should be conversant enough in the language to pick up good-looking Korean men (rather than just sprout “Sarang-hae!”). Easy-peasy.

Two weeks later, I am still struggling to memorise the Korean alphabet, and it takes me 3 - 5 minutes to decipher “Kim Sam Soon” in Korean syllables. So o - k. But I have picked up a number of new words and I am re-watching “Kim Sam Soon” on local TV to acquaint myself better with the manner of speech. But I am revising my timeline - maybe it will take me about 6 months to master basic Korean…but I am not pressuring myself. Not yet anyway!

Nevertheless, I am enjoying myself. It is good to have the brain working again. There is a new personal goal to work towards to other than being obsessed about my business! Hooray!

That’s all folks, for today. Annyeonghi kyeseyo.

And the best part is, they (the Koreans of course) are all sooooo young and act so mature! (with the exception of Rain). My darling Mr Boo is coming to 33 and acts 13 sometimes - arghh (gash teeth). The Korean men, they absolutely ooze masculinity and maturity, you just want to throw yourself into their arms and be protected by them. And it helps that Korea continues to churn out sappy romance dramas that highlight all these features of their male species to make my head turn to mush and write such drivel on my blog.

In any case, Mr Jo Hyuen Jae, take a bow. Another gorgeous specimen, age 26. Leading man in drama “Only You”. Played the devoted lover/father to a hilt. The writers hit gold in creating this perfect man - steadfast, trustworthy, faithful, and blindly and passionately in love with a oft mule-headed female lead. Let’s hope we will see him more often in the future. And I would have to adjust my top 10 chart soon…..

Imagine my exhilaration when it was announced that my beloved Keanu would be starring in the Hollywood remake of “Il Mare”. How perfect could it get? Ok, and Sandra Bullock would be starring opposite him, which I don’t really care. I haven’t seen him since his last vehicle, “Constantine” (drool), and I was sooooooo excited to watch him again. Never mind that the reviews lambasted the movie, and even it they rate the show zero, I would still go to watch him. Wild horses could not drag me away.

So Mr Boo drooled through half the movie, unfortunately (or fortunately!), not over Keanu, but he fell asleep. To give him credit, we watched a late show and he had been up very early. Keanu still looked very yummy considering he has already hit the big 4-0. Admittedly he looked older than he did in Speed or Matrix, like, oh, previously he looked 25 and now he looked 30. But well, I digress. Honestly, I never understood those critics who always slammed Keanu for his wooden acting. I mean, hallo?! not that he was given a lot of opportunity to emote in more than half of his movies, which required him to look cool and devastatingly handsome (and I am soooo not complaining). But in the Lake House, I think Keanu did really well. The scene where he realised that his father loved him and broke down after his father’s death was moving. The parts when he was with Sandra Bullock and he couldn’t tell her who he was - you could see and feel his frustration and pain. Give that man an Oscar!

Oh I almost forgot - the plot: A couple who lived two years apart in the same Lake House gets somewhat connected by a time-machine mailbox and started corresponding across time and fell in love as a result. The themes are all about human connection and waiting, waiting for the right person, and waiting for the right time. The Lake House is quite faithful to its original, except for the ending, which was actually more logical and better than “Il Mare”. However, “Il Mare” has a whimisical air which the Lake House could not quite re-create. In addition, Sandra Bullock, while she is good in the show, is not Jung Ji-Hyun. Still Keanu and Sandra work up quite a good chemistry, and all in all, I like the adaptation! So go see it!

Rating: 3.5 boos out of 5! (and 10 for Keanu!)

Well, I have a perfect excuse, for the lack of upkeep of this blog - plain Laziness. Look, I am working now 6 full days a week, rotten retail hours, and I’m dead tired at the end of the day, and I just want to do mindless things like watch my korean soaps. On my precious off days, I would like to spend the day with Mr Boo and family, and not get stuck here (like I am now) at the computer banging away. So well, sue me.

Well, at least blogsome didn’t close down my site, to which I thank them. As and when I am struck by some inspiration, or guilt, expect to see some new posts, but if you are looking for something more regular than that - I AM SORRY! There are roughly 50 million blogs out there that are more regularly posted, and visited (sniff) than mine, including Mr Boo’s….. (yes sour grapes, I know.)

So what has happened over the almost two months of silence from yours truly??

1. Elliott made it to the final 3 of American Idol and got booted out, and I was majorly depressed.

2. My free hit counter on the blog stopped showing the number of visitors to my site and I felt depressed and uninspired.

3. Mr Boo went to serve his country for 2 weeks and I almost died of depression.

4. I was immersed in the very touching and depressing new Korean drama by Kwon Sang Woo - Sad Love Song (hopefully I will review it sometime soon!).

5. Then World Cup started…….

Hmmm boring eh? I wished there was something more exciting in my life BUT!!! guess that is just the way things are at the moment!