My picks for entertainment ~ suggested movies, TV shows, music, and books ~ so you can enjoy some quality ME time! (ATTN Korean drama addicts! This blog has lots of K-drama love.)
This
article was published by a fellow writer on Read.Cash. He combined 2
topics, but I am only interested in his picks for James Bond. 5 James Bond Contenders and 5 Femme Fatales
My choice ~ one choice ~ for the next James Bond is completely different from the 5 choices of my fellow writer! Although I am certain that even though this guy has the "perfect look", nobody would ever even consider him because he's a Turkish actor.
Nevertheless, I
feel very strongly about this. Only because the first James Bond ~
Sean Connery ~ was introduced during my generation, in the 60s. IanFleming published the first James Bond novel in 1953 and died 10
years later in 1964, having published a total of 16 Bond books; and
all of his books were adapted to film. I feel like we owe it to Ian
Fleming, the creator of Secret Agent 007, to honor his Bond
tradition.
"Small Island" is a two-part drama adapted for television, included in the BBC Masterpiece Classic Collection, based on a novel by the same title written by Andrea Levy.
*
“Small Island” is a BBC Masterpiece Theater presentation. The name of the main character is Hortense, an idealistic “proper” young Jamaican woman who dreams of living in England and she will fulfill her dream! It may take a little bit of conniving but … she will make it happen!
The setting is the 1940s; during and after the World War II - Jamaica and London.
* Naomie Harris plays Hortense. She is something else!!
If the name Naomie Harris sounds familiar, it should. She starred in the James Bond movie, “Skyfall”. At the end of the movie, she is finally formally introduced to Mr. Bond as “Miss Moneypenny”.
Here's the plot in a nutshell.
Hortense has a friend who has a fiancé and that fiancé is in the military and intends to take the friend, who will be his wife, with him when he goes to England. Uh huh. That was the original plan. But Hortense figured out a way to get the guy to ditch the friend and take her to England instead. As I said: She is something else! :)
* David Oyelowo plays Gilbert, the fiancé, scratch that ex-fiancé … dot dot dash … husband of “convenience”.
David Oyelowo. That name sound familiar? It should. He was “Danny” in the popular BBC spook TV show, “MI-5”. Also chosen for the role of “Dr. Martin Luther King”, in the Oscar-nominated film “Selma” about the Civil Rights Movement in America.
“Small Island” is a love story and you will love all of the characters; the ones in the starring roles and the supporting roles. They are very realistic and you will feel like you're a part of their lives.
Authentic costumes, great scenery, believable dialogue, stellar performances, and quality entertainment!
My one word to describe this masterpiece? Delightful!
Most memorable line? “Gilbert! I'm perishin' in this bed!” :)
A listing of my five (5) favorite female violinists, along with a few bio facts and a little bit of background information on how I discovered these fabulous musicians.
(1) British Violinist Vanessa-Mae
Vanessa-Mae Vanakorn Nicholson is a British violinist known simply as Vanessa-Mae (?? Chén Mei). She was born October 27, 1978, to a Singaporean mother and a Thai father, but she was adopted by a British citizen and was raised in England. At the age of 4, she started playing the violin. My discovery of this talented violinist was accidental. Several years ago, I joined a music club so that I could buy world music at discount prices. I heard her play a song that was very popular during my teenage years. In fact it was one of my favorite pop songs and hearing her play it brought back a joyful memory for me. The name of the musical piece was “Classical Gas”, which was composed and originally performed by Mason Williams. When I heard her play it, I became an instant Vanessa-Mae fan. So I bought some of her albums to add to my music library. Her album sales were so phenomenal that in 2006, she was considered one of the wealthiest entertainers under 30 in the United Kingdom. Ms. Mae calls her musical style “techno-acoustic fusion.” I call it mind-blowing!
(2) American Violinist Karen Briggs
My late husband introduced me to the new age music genre and one of the best selling artists in this genre is Yanni. While listening to a televised Yanni concert that he was video taping (his hobby) so we could re-watch the program over and over, I was introduced to this fantastic female violinist: Ms. Karen Briggs.
Ms. Briggs is also known as the “Lady in Red”. She was born on August 12, 1963, in Manhattan, New York. She was blessed to come from a family of musicians. She started playing the violin at age 12 and at age 15, she decided that she wanted to play professionally. I had never heard of this virtuosa until I watched her solo performance on Yanni’s Live at the Acropolis concert. I could say she was splendid or even magnificent. But if you saw her perform you would say the compliment was insufficient. There are no words to sufficiently describe her. She toured with Yanni for thirteen years. Her latest performance was in 2019. She was invited to perform in Iraq and she was the only woman in the ensemble. Unfortunately because of COVID-19, her 2020 live performances have been canceled until further notice.
(3) Irish Violinist Máiréad Nesbitt
In America, we are fortunate to have a PBS station (Public Broadcasting Service) which airs most of the Celtic Woman concerts. I love these remarkably talented female singers. They voices are magical, even heavenly. Máiréad Nesbitt (pronounced like “parade” with an “M”) does not sing. However, this adorable violinist appears as a solo violinist at all of Celtic Woman concerts. Her parents are both music teachers and all of her siblings are musicians. She has been playing the violin since the age of six. The NY Times describes her as “A demon of a Fiddle Player.” I know they mean that as a compliment. However, I think the best word to aptly describe all of the performances that I have seen is … electrifying! She lights up the stage and literally dances all over the place while she’s playing. You can’t take your eyes off of her. Fans are encouraged to follow her Twitter feed (@MaireadNesbitt) to keep up with her activities.
(4) American Violinist Lindsey Stirling
My youngest daughter told me that it was impossible for me to say that I liked female violinists and not know about Lindsey Stirling. So I looked her up on YouTube. OK! So now I can say that I like female violinists. Ms. Stirling was born on September 21, 1986, and attended junior high and high school in Arizona. She is not only an excellent violinist, be she is a composer and a dancer.
According to her true life story, she said in an interview with NewMediaRockstars, an online magazine which shines a spotlight on successful YouTubers, “…ever since I was a kid, I’ve always wished that I could dance, but my parents said, ‘You [can] choose violin or you [can] choose dance, but we can’t afford both’”. She chose the violin, i.e. her parents paid for and supported her violin playing. However, when it came to being a dancer she didn’t give up her dream. It’s just that her parents didn’t pay for dancing lessons. Her YouTube music videos are enchanting; especially the Christmas videos. She started her YouTube channel in 2007 and she presents her very own choreographed violin performances. The YT channel is the best way to keep up with her.
(5) Lebanese Violinist Hanine El Alam
Once again my late husband gets the credit for discovering this jewel. He was searching for either Arabian music or Arabian artists (another hobby) and found Hanine El Alam. Words to describe her performances? Exotic. Exciting. Exhilarating. In a 2017 article published by Scene Noise, she is described as follows:
“Hanine El Alam is a fiercely talented and diverse violinist from Lebanon. Her “performances” are hardly just that; they are dazzling, larger than life spectacles, featuring adorned dancers, magnetic collaborations and a full band blending techno, Latin and Arabic flavors — not to mention the razzle-dazzle wardrobes. Her music videos are equally as dramatic and extravagant.”
That quote says it all. I could not have said it better. For more about her, she has an official website and you can find her on YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.
Bad and Crazy is a K-drama series released in 2021 that incorporates the topic of multiple personality disorders in its storyline. But it is not based on a true story and should definitely not be construed as mental health advice.
That being said, if you like detective shows you should add this show to your watch list. It's very entertaining.
Lee Dong-Wook plays Ryu Sool-Yeol. He’s “The Bad”.
Although he’s not really a bad guy. He just wants career advancement in the law enforcement agency he works for and figures the best way to get a promotion is to overlook or cover up crimes that have been committed. All he has to do is neatly wrap things up, close the cases, and file them away. This way he gets promoted collects a steady paycheck, and does not upset the “higher ups” in the police department or in the government who could make his life miserable or even kill him to get him out of their way! He’s not bad. He’s just realistic. I mean … he’s no HERO! Or is he??
Wi Ha Joon plays “K”. He’s “The Crazy”.
When viewers are first introduced to this character, they might think that he’s possibly a ghost who decided to occupy Ryu Sool-Yeol’s body in order to make him do the right thing. But as time goes on, “K” is revealed as Ryu Sool-Yeol’s alter ego; a justice-seeking HERO! Whereas Ryu Sool-Yeol would get down on his knees and grovel at the feet of a corrupt politician he knows committed murder and agree not to expose his wrongdoing, “K” would publicly kick that politician in the face. slap him around, and call him a murderer, out loud in front of several witnesses who just can’t believe what they’re seeing. I mean … is he CRAZY??!!! “K” may act crazy, but “K,” says … he’s a HERO!!
So? Does Ryu Sool-Yeol have a split personality? Yes! Yes, he does.
But what happened to him to cause this mental health condition?
Recommending a Korean historical period drama: “The King's Affection” (2021-). It is set during the Joseon Dynasty
and this series started on a very serious note. Twins were born to the
royal princess: a boy and a girl. The king wanted to kill the baby girl
and ordered a massacre. All of those who knew about the birth of the
twins had to be killed, and the twin girl who was born had to die!
Like any loving mother would, the royal princess hatched a plan to
save her child's life. The mother faked the death of her daughter and
had her taken away to grow up elsewhere. But there was a fire, and the
child lost the home that she grew up in an her caretaker also died.
Consequently, she took to begging on the streets. A woman took her into
the palace and she became a maid.
She was outside doing her chores and her brother, the crown prince
was outside doing whatever princes do. Accidentally, she, a lowly maid,
crossed paths with her twin brother, the crown prince, and that's where the story begins.
It's a Netflix series; 20 episodes for Season 1.
I am already in love with the main characters.
The first episode was dynamite!! I can't wait to finish it!!
I did my review after the first episode, because I am always afraid I
might give away the ending and spoil it for those who have not watched
this series.
Are you a fan of Tommy Lee Jones? Many people know him for his comedic role in “Men in Black“ (1997). He co-starred with Will Smith and they were a team tasked with the responsibility of ridding of the world of bad aliens. He was an adorable good guy.
By contrast, Mr. Jones can also be a really scary bad guy. In the movie “The Executioner’s Song”, he was a heartless cold-blooded killer! Ever saw this movie? Remember that scene where he robbed the gas station and what he did to the gas station attendant? He was a very convincing bad guy. So convincing that he earned an Emmy Award.
There are some actors who, in my opinion, can only play good guys. Tommy Lee Jones can be either good or bad. But I prefer him as a good guy. I really liked him in “The Fugitive” (1993) with Harrison Ford and the sequel, “U.S. Marshals” (1998), where he was paired with Wesley Snipes. I also liked him as the villain Two-Face, in “Batman Forever” (1995).
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This Viki Original series is binge-worthy: “The King Loves” (or “The King in Love”) (2017). This series is based on the novel of the same
name and is set during the Goryeo Dynasty
historical period.
What's
the major theme of this series? Simply put, IF you have to choose
between power, friendship and love, which would you choose?
There are very intricate relationships that were developed in this
series: between parents and their child, between BFFs (best friends
forever), and between people who fall in love. You know what? It doesn't
matter if you're a seriously wicked and evil scheming conniving person,
or a ruthless murderous assassin, you still have a heart and there can
still be room for somebody in your life that you truly love who can
reach your “tender spot”.
The 3 main characters are:
~ Wang Won (played by Im Siwan), the Crown Prince, heir to thr throne and future king;
~ Wang Rin (played by Hong Jong Hyun), his BFF since childhood, who
is also of royal blood which means he could be chosen as king, instead
of the Crown Prince, if the conniving power-monering people who plot and
scheme behind the scenes have it their way; and
~ So Ha also known as Lady San (played by Yoona), the woman who completes the love triangle.
Of course, Wang Won and Wang Rin are both fall in love with her.
Crown Prince Wang Won's parents are King Chungnyeol, 25th king of
Goryeo (played by Jung Bo-Suk) and Princess/Queen Wonsung (played by
Jang Young-Nam). The mother is Chinese and she is the daughter of the
Chinese emperor, Kublai Khan. The royal marriage was clearly arranged to
form a strong political alliance between the kingdoms of Goryeo and
Yuan.
(REAL HISTORY NOTE: I had to do research to understand the
significance of the royal marriage. Kublai Khan (Born 1215 – Died
1294), was also known by his temple name as Emperor Shizu of Yuan. He
was the fifth khagan-emperor of the Mongol Empire, reigning from 1260 to
1294. He founded the Yuan dynasty of China in 1271, and ruled as the
first Yuan emperor until his death in 1294. From 1231 - 1273, Goryeo
(Koryo) was invaded six times by the Mongols. Goryeo became a tributary
of the Mongol Yuan Dynasty ( 元朝) in China. Goryeo was under Mongol Rule
but this ended in the 1350s when the Yuan Dynasty itself began to
disintegrate and King Gongmin of Goryeo seized the opportunity to begin to reform the Goryeo government by removing pro-Mongol aristocrats and military officers.)
The Crown Prince's parents make the mistake that most royal parents
make. Instead of loving and nurturing their son like any parent should,
they use their child as a pawn in a power play. It does not make for a
loving parent-child relationship and the very objective they want to
accomplish, i.e. raise their child to one day become a great ruler who
cares for and protects the people, gets lost in all the vicious palace
intrigue and infighting. Interactions between either parent and the
child were always INTENSE!!
So! Here's the PLOT. The Crown Prince is a HALF-BREED!! A child born
from the union of a Goryeo king and a Chinese queen. Some of the folks
in Goryeo don't like that! There is a clear divide. Those who will be
loyal to the monarchy no matter who reigns as long as it's a good person
who cares for and protects the people AND those who want a “pure-blood”
Goryeo person to be the leader of the nation, as if only a
person born without mixed heritage would possibly be the best person to
rule the kingdom. Their excuse is that they fear the land of Goryeo will
be taken over by a strong foreign power, Yuan, and they will cease to
exist as “the true people of Goryeo”. That means they need to get rid of
Wang Won, the half-breed. But how do they do that? Can it be done
using:
~ Plan A: Place a pure-blood king on the throne without incurring the
wrath of the Chinese Emperor and causing a bloodbath ... OR ...
~ Plan B: If they do make the Emperor angry, can they stand against
him with their own military might? There will still be blood … but it
will be worth it in The End because it will result in a Goryeo nation
free from Chinese domination.
The series is 20 episodes. Definitely binge-worthy. I agree with the rating of 8.8 out of 10 stars reported by Viki.com viewers.
To be honest, even though the king is the main person, if it were not
for the character, Wang Rin, the king's BFF (best friend forever), I
would not have been interested. From the moment of being introduced to
this character, I wanted him to be my best friend forever! I liked him
that much! So I had to follow this series through to The End because I
needed to know what was going to become of him. Was he going to be
killed OR would he survive the power struggle?
Growing up during the 50s and the 60s was the best of the times! We did not
have cable TV or online streaming back then, but most of the local
stations always showed cartoons on Saturday from early morning until around
noon. My siblings and I would watch them together. My youngest daughter
is an adult now but when she was little, we often watched animated
movies on Saturday mornings. It was “our time”. I would go to the local
library and check out videos. They had a great collection of animated
videos for kids.
One Saturday morning I was really tired. I went into her bedroom,
popped the tape into the VCR, laid down on her bed, and fell back to
sleep! When I woke back up my daughter was singing “Everybody … everybody … everybody wants to be a cat!”
LOL. That movie had her full attention. She did not even notice that I
had fallen asleep. Later on, I watched the movie by myself. I was
curious because my baby girl clearly enjoyed it. After I watched it I
knew why.
A one-word description for this Walt Disney film? Adorable!
Also, it's a great movie for jazz music lovers!
"Scat Cat: Everybody wants to be a cat / Because a cat's the only cat who knows where it's at.
Image credit: * Happy 50th Anniversary, The Aristocats! by RichTheVoiceTrumpet: deviantart.com
The voice actors were well-known entertainers from my generation that I have always loved; such as Eva Gabor (“Duchess”), Scatman Crothers (“Scat Cat”), and especially Sterling Holloway (“Roquefort the Mouse”). I would recognize his voice anywhere! His voice was used in the “Wizard of Oz”, “Winnie the Pooh” and so many other animated films I watched as a child. His voice is memorable!
PLOT: The butler did it! A wealthy retired opera singer leaves her
money to her cats. But the woman's butler drugs the cats and abandons
them in the countryside so that he can inherit the fortune himself. The
pampered cats meet up with a street smart easygoing alley cat who
decides, with the help of his other cat friends, to help them return to
their rightful home in Paris.
If you want to watch a delightful animated film with your child or children, I highly recommend The Aristocats (1970).
“Lovers of the Red Sky” (2021) is a Viki Original TV series which stars Kim Joo Jung as Hong Cheong-Gi. Her leading man is played by Ahn Hyo Seop as Ha Ram. This young man is a singer and an actor who was born in Canada. The two of them made a lovely loving couple.
This series is based on the novel of the same name. It is a Viki Original Series, 17 episodes, and to be perfectly honest, it was sort of lacking. But since I like Kim Joo Jung so much, I was willing to overlook the script’s flaws and shortcomings. Also, Ahn Hyo Seop, who played her love interest, is strikingly handsome; even with red eyes.
It’s a a historical fantasy romance drama. There is a wicked demon, good spirits who fight against it, shamans who advise the crown princes, and a goblin who happens to have excellent taste in art. He doesn’t kill people. He just steals paintings.
Hong Cheong-Gi (Kim Joo Jung) and Ha Ram (Ahn Hyo Seop) are caught up in two vicious webs: the human politics and power games AND the eternal power struggle of good versus evil within the supernatural spirit world.
What will be the fate of these two lovers?
Two words for this series? Delightfully entertaining!
Watching Korean dramas is my guilty pleasure. I especially like the
historical period dramas, during the Joseon period. I have published a
few detailed reviews of K-dramas here on Read.Cash. But I also shared some quickie reviews on its partner site, Noise.Cash, which I am recapping below.
If you have not watched these you should add them to your watch list.
If you have watched them, let me know if enjoyed them too!
The main character is a feisty little innocent girl who is fiercely
loyal to her family and friends, but has the courage, inner strength and
determination to break with tradition, and find her own way in a cruel
world that is not a very nice place for a low-born; especially not a
low-born young girl.
This series is 60 episodes, with an extraordinary cast, and based on a
true story. It is a real life love story between a king and a woman he
took to be his concubine: Dong Yi (played by Han Hyo-joo) and King
Sukjong (played by Ji Jin-hee).
It's a love story with a bold and daring hero who is not only an
expert swordsman, but knows how to handle a pistol and a rifle. His love
interest is an intelligent woman whose father is a scholar and allowed
her to learn (although she had to dress up like a man to attend school).
They both dream of their country, Joseon, as a land that will one day
be populated with free people. His enemies thought they had killed him,
but he was saved and taken to another country. He returned to Joseon
with a new identity, and determined to settle old scores. The first time
his beloved sees him again, she faints. He may be wearing different
clothes and using a different name, but he still looked to her like the
man she loved. She thought she had seen a ghost.
A baby who was born in a prison turns out to be a princess. But
before she learned her true identity she was taught by a martial arts
master and first learned how to kick butt!! It's a handy skill to have
if you're going after the bad guys who caused your mother's death. The
main character is Ok Nyeo played by Jin Se Yeon who is on my list for
favorite Korean actresses.
A young prince witnesses horrific bloodshed and commands that it be
stopped. Since he is a small child, his command is disregarded and he is
returned to his father; only to learn that it was his father who
ordered the bloodshed. To add insult to injury, his mother is
“accidentally” killed (really she was murdered). From that day forward,
he not only hates his father, HE HATES EVERYBODY! Everybody except his
close friend. He was forced into a marriage of convenience. His wife,
the princess, becomes pregnant by another man. In an effort to cover
this up, the father-in-law (the father of the princess) attempts to kill
the prince. The attempt fails. Trying to escape his assassins, the
prince falls down a slope and hits his head. A poor man finds him, takes
care of him as best he can while he is unconscious. When he regains his
consciousness, he does not remember who he is. The poor man tells him
that he is his daughter's husband-to-be and that they must marry
immediately or his daughter will be flogged.
For 100 days, he lives the simple life of a commoner and falls in
love. He is found by his father-in-law and brought back to the palace.
His memory has not returned. But slowly bits and pieces of incidents
from his past, like puzzle pieces, begin to come together. His story
begins … AGAIN! He realizes who he is and what he needs to do. He also
knows what he wants to do. He wants to marry the woman he fell in love
with as a commoner, who is also the little girl he met when he was a
child and had promised he would marry some day.
A young prince meets and makes friends with a nobleman's daughter,
when they were children. An accident happens on a boat and the girl he
met is tossed overboard. Her father believes that she drowned. Her
sister grows up and the prince, now king chooses her to be his bride;
not realizing that she is the twin sister and NOT the girl he met when
he was younger. Corrupt officials arrange to have both King Lee Kyung
and his queen, Kang Eun Bo, assassinated on their wedding day. They
succeed in killing the sister but the king miraculously comes back to
life. The people are terrified of him. How can he possibly come back
from the dead? The twin sister realizes that her sister has been
murdered. She takes her sister's body and secretly buries it. Then she
returns to the palace AS IF she has also risen from the dead, just like
the king. The king not knowing that she is the young girl he had met as a
child, also believes his wife has come back to life. However, the twin
sister's main purpose for returning to the palace is to discover who
murdered her sister. For all she knew, even the king may have been
involved. But she eventually realizes his innocence and falls in love
with him. The problem is that she has already deceived him into
believing that she is the one who died. This makes their personal
relationship very complicated. As if life in the palace wasn't already
complicated with all of the scheming, conniving, ruthless, greedy
politicking that was going on. Oh! Did I mention the prophecy?
Goo Hae-ryung is a female historian. Prince Dowon (or Yi Rim) is a
young prince who has been sheltered from the outside world. These two
main characters are adorably cute! But they have had some tragedy in
their young lives. They both lost their fathers through violence. Of
course, the adults around them try to hide the truth. But the two of
them trying to uncover the truth makes for a good plot.
The time is during the transitional period between the end of the
Goryeo dynasty and the beginning of the Joseon dynasty, which is why it
is “The New Age”. A king, princes, military leaders, all engaged in a
power struggle to build a new country. Seo Hwi and Nam Seon-ho are two
childhood friends have the power of their friendship “tested”. Things
happen to them, they get separated, and become enemies due to a
misunderstanding about "my country." One of them decides his country is
“the country of the abandoned”.
“'Bossam' in the Korean title refers to a customary remarriage
procedure that took place during the Joseon period. At that time, a
widow could not remarry. A single man or widower would kidnap the widow
and marry her. Some of the kidnappings were agreed upon in advance and
others were by force.” (Quote Source: https://asianwiki.com/Bossam:_Steal_the_Fate)
Here's the story. Two friends earn their living by kidnapping widows.
It's a steady paying job because … evidently, a lot of widows want to
be kidnapped and remarried. However, there is one widow who does not
have this on her mind. She just happened to be sitting outside and the
kidnapper happened to go to the wrong house and … uh oh! … she is
accidentally kidnapped. You think this problem is easy to solve. The guy
made a mistake, so all he needs to do is take her back home. Right?
WRONG! The lady who was kidnapped turns put to be a princess. Her
father, the king, wants to see her. Since her father-in-law did not know
how or why she disappeared or where she was, HE LIED! He told the king
his daughter committed suicide, having died from the grief of being a
widow. The king finds out that his daughter is alive and wants to use
this fact to trap the father-in-law and get rid of him for treason. The
father-in-law also finds out she is alive and the entire series is him
trying to have her killed so that he doesn't get caught in his LIE!
I like to think that music makes the world go round and brings people together. That's why I enjoy world music. I especially like the
African sounds. There used to TV program in the USA that aired every
Saturday when I lived in Maryland. It was a mixture of Caribbean and African artists. But then they took the show off the air. Now I have to hunt
for new music on YouTube and other music streaming services. Here is an article by a fellow writer named Jumper. He saved me the trouble of having to find
these two guys ~ NICO and VINZ ~ by writing an awesome introduction.
Two thumbs up!
NICO and VINZ two Afro-Norwegians from Oslo, Norway. The name “BLACK STAR ELEPHANT” coined from two words BLACK STAR which is an Alias for the Ghanian Football team and THE ELEPHANTS which is Alias for the Côte d’Ivoire football team. ... Read on: Music Album: Black Star Elephant
My
exposure to Asian films has been gradual. Mainly because ... how can
one watch what one does not have access to watch? Growing up in
America, were it not for Bruce Lee, I am not sure I would have ever
started watching real Chinese movies. Because I don't know if
Chinese movies would have ever come to America. Before Bruce Lee, I
watched movies about Charlie Chan but the guy who played Charlie Chan
was not Chinese. I was in my twenties when I started watching Shogun
theatre which exposed me to Japanese cinema. But
times have changed and the ways and means of making entertainment
available to the masses has opened doors wide. Now there is
streaming and the world is put right in front of you on the
television screen.
Even
though I started off watching mostly Chinese films and some Japanese,
thanks to Netflix I was introduced to Korean films; mainly Korean
drama.
“Commitment” (2013) was the first Korean film I watched. It is a
spy thriller and it is intense!
STORY: The
young man's father was a Korean secret agent. But the government
betrayed him and branded him as a traitor. The agent's kids, the
young man and his sister were thrown in jail. The wicked corrupt
government officials tell the son, if you want erase the shame of
your father and save your little sister, you have to work for us. So
they train him and he is so good at his job that he becomes the best
secret agent on the planet!! But of course, he's driven to be the
best because he wants so much to save his sister. The wicked
government officials figured that once his mission was completed they
were going to screw him over the same way they did his father and
kill him. Did I say that he became the best secret agent on the
planet? It turns out, he wasn't so easy to kill and he was going
to make sure that he saved his sister. That movie was HOT!
The
young man who starred as the secret agent was Choi Seung-hyun, who
was a member of a popular Korean boy band even before he started
acting.
The
young girl who played his sister was Kim Yoo-jung. She has been
acting since she was very little. I like to call her the Korean
Shirley Temple.
If you
have never watched a Korean film, I recommend you watch “Commitment”
(2013).
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for friends to share you love for movies, music and books? Have fun
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English words are fun! Don't you think so? Even if English is not your native tongue. When I was in elementary school as a method of enriching our vocabulary and improving our word skills, the teacher would send us home with a list of about 10 words. The homework assignment was to look up the definition of the words in the dictionary, write down the word and the definition, and write a sentence we made up using the word. Thinking back on it, I realize that it was a very good exercise.
What I Learned Watching Korean Drama
Several years back I watched a historical period Korean drama about a king who had a dream. He dreamed of a nation where everyone could read and write. Even poor people! It was a radical move! The nobles and scholars vehemently opposed him. They were willing to kill people over this! Can you imagine? To say that others disagreed with his ambitious endeavor would be the understatement of the century. Nevertheless, because he was fiercely determined, he accomplished his goal. He devised a system of 28 alphabets and from those letters, all words could be created. Sounds marvelous, doesn’t it? Watching that series really made me appreciate the ability to speak, read, and write in my native tongue, i.e. English.
— Joie de Vivre Magazine (formerly My Fox Nooze) (@FoxMarks_ATX) December 24, 2019
What I Learned When I Had No Internet Access
What do you do when you don’t have the Internet? Oh! I don’t know! Clean your house? Read a book or a magazine? How about … learn some new words? Where’s my dictionary? (Actually I don't have a dictionary. I have a lexicon.)
Unlike the Korean alphabet, our American English alphabet is 26 letters. Our words are derived from the languages of various civilizations: French, Latin, Greek, languages of the Native Americans, etc. The creation of most of the words we speak rest on 5 of the 26 letters, which we call vowels. A – E – I – O – U. Sometimes the letter Y is considered a vowel. But for purposes of this discussion, we will count it as a consonant.
Entertainment and Education
I started out entertaining myself by scanning pages of my old lexicon and honing in on words I didn’t know. Then I thought to myself, many members of online social communities where I am an active member, are non-English speaking. Why not share my treasure finds with them? There are also some members who speak “the real English”. Per my late husband, there’s real English and then there is the English that Americans speak. Those community members who speak “the real English” might enjoy my findings as well.
So I’ve published this series of short posts. Why isn’t the series longer? Well because I got my Internet back. LOL. I looked up the meanings of “5 English words” for each vowel. The pattern if you can’t detect it is the first vowel in the alphabet paired with the first consonant in the alphabet; second vowel with the second consonant; third vowel with the third consonant, etc. Similar to my homework assignment from elementary school, wrote down the word and the definition. I did not, however, use the words in a sentence. Why? Like I said, I got my Internet back! LOL.
Anyway … as I only wrote down the word and the definition in the posts, maybe the reader can go the extra step and use it in a sentence.
One last note. Keep in mind that some of the words I found, you probably won’t use in casual everyday conversation. But if you love to play word games like Scrabble, they might come in really handy!
Treathyl Fox aka Cmoneyspinner – Home Business Entrepreneur. Think. Dream. Focus. Believe in yourself? Hire yourself! Be your own boss! Do it! Self-employed and loving it! ♦ DISCLOSURE: In compliance with FTC rules and guidelines, be advised that some links shared via this websites might contain affiliate referral links which means commissions might be earned if product sales resulted from your click-through to the vendor’s website.
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