MAKING: Time for family before I leave Uganda. I am cooking with my nieces and nephews. We are slowly getting used to each other again, and creating our routine . Tis the season! I am banishing the bad and the worry for the rest of the year. No...nope... they are not welcome here. Four days ago, I started my new job; I was going to get on a plane and go spend Christmas in a new country, probably on quarantine in a lonely hotel room, but the pandemic had other plans; There is a new Omicron variant and like the super bug that COVID 19 is, it is spreading fasting than the Delta variant. I have been granted the opportunity to work remotely till January. Now I guess we wait and see how this latest wave will treat us...so I am here.
DRINKING: water, peppermint tea, home-made dawa tea... I am just trying to keep myself hydrated in this sticky stifling Kampala heat.... also ginger works amazing wonders on my hay fever allergies!
READING: All About Love by bell hooks, Kololo Hill by Neema Shah, This is Marketing by Seth Godin and Red Dust Road by Jackie Kay
WATCHING: The Smart Money Lady, Start Up, Mystic Pop Up Bar and The King's Affection. Dear Netflix, I apologize for not appreciating you until now.
LISTENING: Christmas Carols!!! What else would we be listening to this time of year? "Santa baby, so hurry down the chimney tonight, Santa cutie, and fill my stocking with a duplex and checks..."
WISHING: No wishes, just being present this month and blocking the triggers of stress.
LOVING: My new matching fancy pajama suits that I will be rocking for 2022 < insert that awkward red dressed dance emoji... >
EATING: No favorites at the moment.
KNOWING: I am still learning that I can't fix everything for family members...no matter how much I want too. It's a whole process this learning thing. I remain committed.
THINKING: Officially starting my masters degree in January. Wow. I am actually going to do this!? I am not going to procrastinate any more.... eh. Dear Mum, I finally enrolled!
GIGGLING OVER: On Selling Tampa the ladies look professional but they didn't capture much of the listed houses being sold, yet on Selling Sunset it's all about the personalities, the fashions and the office clashes but the houses are selling. Atleast they show us that 'sold' clip more often. Can someone tell me why? For the record I enjoyed both shows.
In the comments share what you are taking stock of....
It's nearly the end of 2021...can you believe it?!
photo credit: Unsplash
Read The Fear Fighter Manual by Luvvie Ajayi Jones - Four Gems/ Takeaways!
Thursday, 2 December 2021
I haven't written about a book in ages on this blog.
My love for reading books temporarily dwindled in 2019.
Books keep being acquired, but they sit in neat TBR piles on the floor
Grief and general life duties expend all my energy and time.
This book rekindled that passion and spirit for reading
( I hope it isn't fleeting)
I wanted to read The Fear-Fighter Manual: Lessons From A Professional Troublemaker by Luvvie Ajayi Jones, because I enjoyed her first book and I am a fan of her blog too.
I finally bought the book from Mahiri Books on the first week of November this year.
Decided to read a few pages, but five days later despite my ever-increasing workload and other demanding adulting tasks I was done....with the WHOLE BOOK!
And Wow...wow..wow....I so needed to read this book at this stage in my life, cause I am always scared. Sometimes it's a loud fear and sometimes it is a quiet fear. Either way it is always there in the background humming away as I live my life or at least try my best too.
When I think I have resolved something, with the hope that the fear will go away, my brain thinks of more future scenarios to be frightened about. I have just made a huge life changing decision. The whole process triggered a lot self of doubt.
I believe God sent this book my way, at this time, for a reason.
Here are my four takeaways:
FIRST TAKEAWAY - IMPOSTER SYNDROME
"Imposter syndrome tells us that we need to be perfect; otherwise we are failing""Imposter syndrome is the cousin of fear. Both are boundless bastards."
I want to make perfect decisions all the time. I want to be the 'nice girl' who always does what's right and expected. Taking risks in life is hard for me, yet I know sometimes one needs to take some if one wants to reap high benefits.
I question my decisions all the time. I can win a ruminating competition on any day! I stress about the best career steps and how to manage my personal life too. Should I do my masters now or later? Which masters should I do? How far should I stretch myself for my family? Aren't I already stretching myself too much for work?
SECOND TAKEAWAY: STOP APOLOGISING FOR YOUR PRESENCE
"No mistake was made. You're dope. You're in the room. Own it""We actually say sorry for our presence, as if we exist as some sort of transgression to others.""Speak of yourself and your work with exclamation points not question marks."
I was one of those always-apologizing-colleagues. I got told off by my boss and another stern colleague for it. Being more confident and speaking out on my technical expertise is an area of personal growth within myself that my boss has been monitoring for the last three years. We discuss it annually. I have improved. Greatly! But most times I feel like I don't deserve the good things that happen to me. Sometimes, I find myself waiting for the universe to fall apart.
Luvvie's words reminded me to own the good and not spend time doubting. That's an area of my life I continue to work on.
THIRD TAKEAWAY: HOPE ISN'T ONLY FOR FOOLS
"We fear having too much hope"
In the last 9 years while I have made some great strides, Life has walloped me with some 'grown up' blows. Deaths of loved ones, burnout, betrayals, setbacks, toxic relationships etc...I don't want to get disappointed... so I don't allow myself to hope. Luvvie, I will be working on reviving my hope in 2022.
FOURTH TAKEWAY: YOUR SELF-WORTH
"I also learned that I can be proud of my work, but I can't tie my worth to it, because it can be fleeting. While we should own our dopeness, we can't let all the outside praise we get go to our heads. People will love us one day and HATE us the next."" We've been told that our goodness in this world is directly tied to how much of ourselves we sacrifice for other people.""We have to learn how to change and how to grow without guilt."
When my Dad died in August 2019, I lost my workaholic spirit. It died with him. It was a learned behavior. My parents put so much passion and commitment into the work they did; I wanted to do the same in my career.
Swallowed up in grief, I accepted my soul just didn't want to work like that anymore. I need to change my productivity system and style, I need to work smarter.
I have been sooooo ashamed to say out loud what I just wrote above in case I appear ungrateful and entitled. I love my job, it has provided so many opportunities and lessons, but I can no longer be up at 3.00am trying to finesse another social media algorithm. Time to work smarter. Burn out is not an achievement!
In the comments share your key takeaways from the book. I would love to hear them.
Watch 100 Days My Prince - A Heart Warming Korean Drama with Intriguing Plot Twists & Turns
Saturday, 13 November 2021
All these #kdramas are having a healing effect on my bitter & skeptical heart, I keep finding myself reluctantly believing in love again...what is happening!? Is that part the #Kdrama newbie initiation?
I binge watched this drama, and then got everyone around me interested in how it was going and how it ended. My brother could hear my loud reactions from the TV room. I was gasping, shouting, screaming and laughing at the screen. I even tweeted about it. It was too much in a good way!
This Korean drama, also known as Hundred Days My Husband, stars Do Kyung Soo aka D.O as Lee Yul the crown prince and Nam Ji-Hyun as Yeon Hong-shim our heroine. It was written by Ni Ji Sul, and directed by Lee Jong-Jae and Nam Sung Woo.
It is the 11th highest rated series on cable television in South Korea...(Wikipedia says so...)and rumor has it Season 2 will be out in 2022...
Basically the story starts with our onscreen couple being childhood buddies, both from noble and wealthy families. Yeon Hong-Shim family ends up being massacred in a merciless coup, in order for Lee Yul's father (Jo Han-chul) to take the converted royal throne.
Years later Lee Yul is still traumatized by the onslaughter he witnessed and how much his life changed as the heir to the throne. During an unsuccessful attempt on his life, he losses balance after being shot at by a deadly arrow and tumbles down a hill where he is discovered by Yeon Hong-Shim's adoptive father, Mr Yeon ( Jung Hae Kyun), Yul is unable to remember who he is, and is given the new identity of Na Won -Deuk and married off to the willful and independent Yeon Hong-Shim to save her from corporal punishment .
From this point on, there will be SPOILERS all the way through this post.
Stop now if you haven't watched it!
Then return when you have, so we can discuss in depth how entertaining it was....
1. The Oh-Sooooo-Many Suspenseful Plot Twists & Turns !
It caught me off guard, but this drama had just the right amount of mystery and political intrigue. It didn't take away from the comedy or the romance, instead these elements added some zest and zeal to the storyline. Each character had their own story, and each story moved the overall plot forward.
Its very clear from the beginning that both our hero and heroine remain deeply disturbed by their shared childhood experience . Lee Yul reluctantly becomes crown prince and is frustrated by the duties and demands of the kingdom. He is in a loveless arranged marriage and the country is suffering through a drought. The people believe that if the prince 'sleeps' with his wife, the crown princess (Han So-Hee) it will balance the yin and yang energy in the country, and rain will finally fall. To avoid consummating his marriage, he writes a royal decree that every single person who is eligible for marriage should be married by the end of the month or be punished severely.
The vice premier, Kim Cha-eon (Jo Sung-ha), who lead the massacre that killed all the noble families when Lee Yul was a child, happens to be the crown prince's father in law, and coincidently wants his son in law dead.
The crown prince is sent to preside over a rain festival by the King, and on the way there, with the help of his trusted bodyguard escapes death. As I said earlier, Yul is found by the Hong-Shim's adoptive father, who wants to save his unmarried daughter from punishment so he creates an identity for the crown prince and succeeds in getting them both married on the very last day of the month.
From episode eight onwards, fire after fire after fire gets dropped! Every thing and every one is connected somehow. Things just continue to get fantastically complicated. Hong Shim's brother, Yoon Seok-ha (Kim Jae-young ) who we thought was dead/missing, is in fact alive and well, working as an assassin for the evil Vice Premier.
Now to add to this whoooooole story, the crown princess is pregnant with Seok-ha's baby... WHAAAT!?
Also at one point some one was supposed be dead...well he isn't two or three episodes later...
All these many many many plot twists and turns in a drama I thought would be relatively predictable....!?!
2. Sloooooooooooooow Burn Romance
I think this is what they call 'slow burn romance'... right? It took too many episodes for them to fall for each other, even though they had very nice chemistry.
Neither of them can recognize each other from childhood. Hong-Shim must hide her real name and the fact that she's of noble blood from those around her and Yul can't remember who he is.
The prince is cold, stubborn and unfriendly....which isn't attractive but makes for comical situations. It shows rather that tells us the contrast between a life of privilege and a life of relative poverty.
Our heroine is independent, she didn't want get to married and is planning on abandoning her husband when she reunites with her long lost brother.
Eventually the prince confronts and heals his traumas then remembers who he is, and we warm to his personality as he realizes the value of his friendships and life lessons from his village life identity. Our heroine also realizes she is worthy of love and that love is worth fighting for.
3. The comedy of the Aaaaaawesome villagers!
The supporting characters are the glue. They may not be the stars of the show, but without them the sky would fall. They bring this drama to life and make it believable and hilarious.
As a dotting father Mr. Yeon does everything he can to support his responsible and hard working adopted daughter, including marrying her off to a man he found unconscious in the forest.
Hong-Shim's best friend, Kkeut-Nyeo (Lee Min-Ji) and her husband, Gu-Dol(Kim Ki-Doo) are committed to ensuring that Won Deuk and Hong-Shim have a successful marriage including advising them on how to consummate it .
Then there's the spoilt entitled aristocrat/Yangban Park Seon-do(Ahn Suk-Hwan) who is upset that Hong-Shim refused to be his fourth or fifth concubine, so he makes it a goal to ensure the newly married couple's life is miserable and full of struggle .
The town clerk, Park Bok-Eun ( Lee Jun Hyeok) is just trying his best to do his job, and ensure all the villagers follow the rules and abide by the laws of the kingdom; he is stuck in the middle because the villages are his dear friends too.
Lastly we have Jang Jae-Yonn (Kim Seon-Ho) a trusted civil servant in the palace who gets promoted to become the Magistrate of our beloved village. He helps the crown prince regain his memory and keeps Hong-Shim safe as the chaos ensures in the Kingdom.
I repeat the villagers are the glue..
And who are these people? I don't recognize them...lol
There's not much I didn't like in this drama .
I think the episodes were cut well and used the time to tell the story efficiently. The costumes and the setting spoke to the time and characters and didn't distract us. I am not a historical expert so there isn't much value in my critic in the above areas.
My only question is.... why isn't Hong-shim enraged at the King for killing her family?
Maybe season 2 will answer it.
100 Days My Prince will be added to my all time favorites' list, just for making me laugh and shout s0 much.
Please...Pretty please go watch if you have not already.
If you have, in the comments below share your favorite story twists? I need to know.
Photos from Hancinema
Dear Dad,
It's Sunday afternoon, the grass has just been cut.
Thanks to Paul the compound is neat and tidy just the way you used to like it.
The mid morning sunlight is flirting with me through the kitchen windows of the house.
It is playing with the gentle breeze and leaves of the flower bush outside
making the faint shadows dance and leap across the chairs, table and walls.
A perfect time for me to reflect , type and share my thoughts and recent adventures with you.
Remember when I wrote to tell you I was changing.
Then, I thought it was limited to personal areas of my life,
However it has quietly and willfully seeped through into others.
At first I fought it.
I felt it was best.
But now every cell in my body wants the change too.
I can no longer to be meek and fit boxes that make people comfortable.
I have outgrown playing small and pleasant.
I have outgrown hiding the 'intimidating' parts of my personality.
I can't cower in the corner so as not to trigger someone's insecurities.
I can't be afraid.
I have outgrown the masks and the covers made to camouflage myself.
In 2018, I said I was done making vision boards for a while.
It is the end of 'a while'.
This is a woman who will manage successful campaigns and programs.
A woman who will create a viable, beloved and credible award winning blog/brand that people enjoy.
A woman who will build some houses and bequeath her children an estate.
A woman who gets married and becomes a mother of two (or four if you listen to bae)
A woman who will continue to travel the world and
visit historical sites she dreamed of as a child.
A woman who gets multiple masters and credentials that build on her passions
A woman who will paint and create art that sells.
A woman that continues to tell wonderful and impactful stories.
God always told me that at my core I am a storyteller
Do I want to write some books ?
Yes I suppose I do!
It is a given since my legacy will include a library.
I want to do this before I die Dad.
Before they dress my lifeless embalmed body in a colorful Gomesi.
Before my family members say their last goodbye,
lock it in a fancy coffin
lower it into the ground
and seal it with concrete.
Stay well, I'll be writing again soon.
My love always.
Dear Reader,
What have you outgrown in this season of your life ?
Did you embrace the change?
Did you make a vision board this year?
What areas did you focus on?
Share in the comments, would love to hear from you.
The Skin Wars: 5 Korean beauty skincare habits that changed my skin for the better!
Tuesday, 19 October 2021
Now that there is a nation-wide curfew at 7.00pm and I spend majority of my time working from home, the pandemic and it's lockdowns continue to provide opportunities for me to appreciate and optimize my personal time.
One of areas that my online-content-curiosity-consuming-evenings has taken me down, is improving my skin care habits, in particular my face. I haven't always had the best relationship with my skin. After talking myself into trying just one more time at the end of 2020, I committed to dabbling in the Korean beauty/ #Kbeauty product trend for a period of six months, after which I would review and decide if it was a trend worth sticking too.
Korean beauty skincare requires dedicated T.I.M.E out of your daily schedule. There are people who have up to 15 steps in their routine...I know...I know...I am tired just thinking about it.... but if one wants to see incredible results ...one may need to be devoted...lol! My routine is at most five steps... that's all I can manage for now.
Once I was decided, I started looking for Korean beauty products in Uganda. Honestly I think Instagram was just reading my mind or stalking me online because out-of-the-blue Instagram Explore recommended Skinfix, Aiolaug and hbeauty on my newsfeed. I tried a lot of products for combination skin. I learnt A LOT from my premature-over-excited-skincare-product-junkie ways and now I have some wisdom to share. BIG DISCLAIMER, I am not a dermatologist or an esthetician. This is not an area one should experiment in without expert advice so enjoy reading my blog post but pretty please consult a professional before purchasing or using any new skincare products.
Here are the six new habits that have REALLY generated serious
positive results for me in the last year....
1. Sunscreen every day! Apparently no amount of skin exfoliators and treatments will show results unless you protect your skin during the day. I was one of those people that thought because I was black I didn't need sunscreen, I used to believe that wearing shea butter was as good as wearing sunscreen. I know better now. When I started to use these Korean products almost every video I watched stressed the importance of wearing sunscreen to help with pimple scaring and hyperpigmentation. Since buying these products is quite an investment, sunscreen became an essential part of my daily routine! My favorite product is EltaMD UV Clear Broad Spectrum SPF 46, but I have also used Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry Touch Sunscreen Broad Spectrum 45 and Cosrx Aloe Soothing Sun cream SPF50 . Watch the videos to learn more information on how best to incorporate sunscreen into your life.
Lab Muffin Beauty Science's Sunscreens Do's and Don'ts
Dr Alexis Stephen's Best Sunscreen For Darker Skin
Dr. Vanita's Rattan's Mineral Vs Chemical Sunscreen For Skin of Color
2. The miracle that is Snail Mucin! Yes I know when you think about those slimy slow gooey things that make your body curl in disgust as you pass them along the road on a rainy day, or accidently squash with your car wheel when you're not looking... how could they be so useful!? But the stuff that's bottled and packaged comes from snails that live in a clean area and are bred just for skin care product production(whether it is ethically is another discussion all together). Hands down , it is the most amazing ingredient I have used on my skin. My favorites are the Cosrx Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence and the Advanced Snail 92 All in One Repair Cream. I saw results within the first week of using these products. When those occasional-monthly-period-induced-stubborn-breakouts happen, they help soothe the area and my scars are less pigmented, some marks disappear after a few weeks. One thing I am learning is the formula of the product is really important, don't just believe the hype! It's your skin, you need to take care of it and understand what you are using and how it can work for you. Below is where you can learn more.
Dr Gray's Cosrx Advances Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence
Dr Vanita Rattan's COSRX K skincare Review
Odile Monod's Snail Mucin Debunked
3. Using a BHA product two to three times a week! No matter how much I clean my oily skin with my cleanser it just won't get deep down into my clogged pores like a good BHA product can. BHA in long form is Beta Hydroxy Acid. You need to understand the difference between BHA and AHA products and you need to visit a doctor who specializes in skin care before adding one to your routine. Different skins types use different acids, and different products have different percentage concentration strengths for different skin type treatment needs. We are talking about acids here, and we want to never cause permanent damage on this journey. Please do ask a professional. Skin exfoliates help with my mini breakouts. As I wrote in a blog post I have learned to see salicylic acid as a friend rather that a foe. My favorite product right now is Cosrx BHA Blackhead Power Liquid. From the videos below you can learn more about what may work best for you.
Beauty Within's Beginners Guide to Exfoliating Acids
Doctorly's How to Exfoliate Your Skin
4. Retinol every other day! I am from the generation that watched recorded movies and music videos on cassette tapes. Those who know know, so my anti-aging routine was over due. It takes a while for the effects of the retinol to show. I only noticed when others started telling me how plump and glowy my skin looked. My favorite products are Cerave Resurfacing Retinol Serum and Cerave Skin Renewing Retinol Serum. When I first used them, they irritated my skin so I had to start slowly, applying a teeny tiny amount every other day after applying my moisturizer at night. I still put it on top of my moisturizer but I use the recommended amount now. It requires time and patience but I feel it is worth it. Here's where you can find more information.
Dr Vanita Rattan's Beginner's Guide To Retinol for Skin of Colour
Dr Gray's Best Retinols for hyperpigmentation and anti aging
The Style and Beauty Doctor's How to Use Retinol + Retinoid 101
5. Double cleansing every night! I have combination skin. I was one of those people who struggled with keeping my face clean, no matter how many times I used my normal cleanser. There would always be some dirt or grim somewhere that would result in an uninvited pimple a few days later. Adding an oil cleanser changed my life! All my makeup especially the lipstick, eyeliner and mascara melted and dissolved in seconds and the tenacious daily sebum and sweat just gave way without leaving my skin tender and dried out. The second cleanse just focuses on removing the remaining guck and pores. I use the Inkey List Oats Cleansing Balm followed by the Cosrx Salicylic Acid Cleanser as part of my night time routine. My daughter will gain all this wonderful knowledge for sure, unless she has perfect skin like her late grandmother then she will need nothing! Below are more videos for you to watch and learn.
Hyram's How to oil cleanse
Dr. Vanita Rattan's Mistakes When Double Cleansing
Dr Gray's How to double cleanse
So those are my five....for the first time in many years I have a regular morning and night time skincare routines. Each routine consists of different products catering for different needs. Honestly taking the time to follow them is really the best self care gift I could give my self. It is a REAL treat! My own-everyday-home-spa-time. If you haven't already you can still start this journey too, but once again, I repeat, ensure you seek professional advice a long the way.
In the comments share your skincare wisdom with us too.
Thank you for reading and too-da-loo! Till next time.
I binge-watched Netflix's the Next in Fashion and need to write about it....only took me three days, each episode is roughly 30 minutes long. It is the type of show you can play in the background while tidying up, organizing or cleaning your home/space.
Next in Fashion debuted in January 2020 and was hosted by Alexa Chung and Tan France. It received mixed reviews and as of now will not be returning for a second season. It features eighteen contestants hailing from Mexico, India, China, South Korea, England, USA, Scotland, Puerto Rico, Canada and Italy. All competing to win a cash prize of $250,000 provided by Net-a-Porter.
I didn't have a Netflix account in 2020; now I do... so I obliged myself ....
Disclaimer: I am not a fashion expert, been a fan of Project Runway since season one and I have continued to watch it even after our beloved Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn left the series. It remains one of my favorite old school reality shows, and I can see how it inspired Next in Fashion.
Here's what's different about the Netflix show...
1. I like the way all the filming remained in the design studio. We never followed the designers back to their shared accommodation. The audience never delved deep into their personal relationships or emotional triggers. We watched them working and creating their work and any time they shared any internal insights it was related to their designs and passion for fashion. We never see them fighting over food, beds or bathroom time.
2. There is a live audience when they present their designs at the end of each episode. Some how this prevents the judges from performing in front of each other and showcasing their own personalities. The guest judges are not singers and movie stars, they are people who actually work in the fashion business Monique Lhiuiller, Prabal Gurung, Philip Lim, Kerby Jean Raymond from Pyer Moss, Adriana Lima, Christopher Kane, Adidas, Public School, Tommy Hilfiger, Elizabeth Stewart and Eva Chen
3. Before any of the outfits hit the runaway the judges know who each outfit was made by. What I adore about this is that the judges judge the design and the design aesthetic not the contestant. They are never too harsh to permanently damage the contestant's esteem. In fact episode five one of the contestants, Claire Davis, is clearly upset and emotional when the hosts approach her and her partner to discuss their process, instead of confronting her on camera Alexa and Tan show some profound emotional awareness, they give her space, they don't bring it up later on, and even when she eventually gets eliminated it is never held against her.
4. An intense and interesting discussion that arose across the first four episodes about 'ghost designing' and stolen 'swag' ideas from black designers. The issue is highlighted by the design duo Farai Simoyi Agbede and Kiki Peterson. Kiki is a living legend who has created for famous black-owned fashion brands like FUBU and House of Dereon. However through out the series their talent fails to translate on the runway and they struggle, most of their designs scored low, and the one time they get given the chance to shine in the 'streetwear' category episode, they end up almost being eliminated. Guest judge Kerby gives them another chance by refusing to agree to their elimination. Emotional moment for him, emotional moment for the co-hosts and for the participants. Fame in fashion can be fickle, and may not always translate into long term success, even legends can get unintentionally disrespected. As Heidi Klum says "One day you're in, and the next day you're out!"
5. The designers never visit a fabric store, they have access to an on set stock room but they don't seem to have a budget or a restrictive time limit when choosing items.
6. I have to say the show sometimes needed a 'Tim Gunn.' They could have benefited from someone to guide, mentor and challenge the designers through the creating process while encouraging them to stick to their personal unique brand. Although the hosts are engaging and fun with a dynamic and intuitive understanding of fashion and the latest trends, they are not technically skilled in garment construction and it shows.
7. It's great how the contestants were free to design for men and women under the same category!
8. The contestants work in pairs and until the semi final, when a partnership failed they got eliminated together. Working in twos worked well for some designers namely Minju Kim , Angel Chen, Angelo Cruciani Carli Pearson, Daniel Fletcher and Charles Lu but seemed detrimental for Hayley Scanlan, Nasheli Ortiz-Gonzalez and Julian Woodhouse.
9. Although contestants' family members becoming emotional in the final episode happens on Project Runway too, when Minju's Dad starts crying as her wedding-dress-finale-piece comes down the runway and performs it's WOW-moment ...the tears...so many tears...it just warmed my heart.
10. They use different body size fashion models without making a 'big' thing of it, it is just a normal part of the show.
Dear Netflix please re-consider your decision and make season two!
Pretty please...
Nothing can replace Project Runway, but I enjoyed watching this.
P.S: If you are looking for an informative review about the fashion business, as said earlier I am not the one but Haute Le Mode does a great review which you can click here to watch.
Watch Her Private Life - A Cute Korean Romance with an Obsessive #Kpop Fan Twist
Saturday, 18 September 2021
I had no idea this #cdrama and #kdrama world existed, nor did I expect to find it so entertaining. I am glad I stumbled on it. Honestly, it feels like discovering an alternate TV universe, a well kept secret that everyone knew about except me. This, in my humble opinion, is the beauty and genius of the internet and social media apps.
Unfortunately this nouveau-addicting-hobby is now competing with my love and time for reading. There are twenty neglected-brand-new books waiting for my attention and consumption.....I am sure when my enthusiasm levels dip, everything will eventually balance and accommodate each other like it did before.
Ironically my latest mini review is about the Korean romance series, 'Her Private Life' which stars Park Min Young who plays Sing Doek Mi and Kim Jae Wook who plays Ryan Gold. Sing Doek Mi is a secret fan girl and a curator at Cheurm Museum of Art, Ryan Gold is an artist and renown art critic who joins the museum as the newly appointed Art Director in the midst of a financial scandal. The series was produced by Studio Dragon and Boon Factory Worldwide and according to Wikipedia is based on the novel Noona Fan Don Com.
This is the second Korean drama that I watched this year. Just what I needed; a world to enter and temporality forget about our current pandemic reality and be like a fly on the wall in a make believe romance.
So lets get into it! Here's what I liked about this sixteen episode series.
1. I didn't know you could be a hard core fan girl beyond the age of 16 years old. Did you know you could? I thought those sort of things ended once your adolescent hormones organized themselves and stopped trying to betray or embarrass you. Also....I don't think I was ever that obsessed with my favorite superstars. Sing Doek Mi, has spent the whole of her teenage years and her twenties being a dedicated and passionate fan of Chi Shian (Jung Jae-Won also known as One).
She spends her limited time off, dressing in black incognito, going to events, taking pictures and posting on a competitive fan-girl community social media site. She has a huge camera which to me seems like a significant investment...I mean the lenses are items you see professional journalists use to capture top notch award winning photos. This is NOT a cheap hobby. I remember watching Backstreet Boys, Take That and Boyzone concerts on TV and seeing young people being carried out of the stadium, because they fainted from shear excitement. So now I wonder was I ever truly a fan? Probably not, compared to Sing Doek Mi. I never invested in high tech equipment, I didn't have a sudo account to only share my dedication, and I didn't spend my evenings painting and pining the finished portraits on my walls. This is a secret that only her family and loyal best friends Nam Eun Gi(Ahn Bo-Hyun) and Lee Soen Joo (Park Jin Joo) know about, she is ashamed of it and it makes for some funny misunderstandings and entertaining moments of conflict in the beginning episodes.
2. Sing Doek Mi parents are my favorites! Go Young Sook (Kim Mi Kyung) and Sang Geun Ho (Maeng Sang Hoon) each have their personal obsessions disguised as wholesome hobbies, but they can't seem to understand how their daughter inherited hers!? They are a lovely representation of family. I enjoyed watching them become elated upon discovering their daughter was 'dating a very eligible bachelor' ..... they immediately decided to get over-involved to help their beloved only child not ruin her chance at a reputable marriage with her fan-girl-ways.
3. I love the sound tracks that play when the lead couple start to fall for each other!!! I was humming and singing along to every hook of every song every single time. Even now as I write this my head is bobbing as the songs play in the background... whoever wrote them is a master at creating catchy tunes.
4. Sometimes... well... most of the time I didn't understand Ryan Gold's fashion...maybe I'm old fashioned...I don't know.... what do you think?
6. The disgraced art director of Cheurm Museum of Art, Uhm So Hye (Kim Sun -Young) and her toxic relationship with her daughter Cindy (Kim Bo Ra).... well her toxic relationship with everybody in her life. She reluctantly hands over management of the museum to Ryan Gold because her husband is going through an embezzlement scandal. Though she's never far away; always spying on everyone and trying her level best to stay in control of the museum and her former employees. Uhm So is so funny that I couldn't stop laughing at the ridiculous tantrums! I agree with soompi she's a scene stealer for sure. She even goes to the extent of sending her daughter to be an intern/spy in the museum, which backfires because Cindy starts to discover her own career potential aside from being a being a fan girl...yes Cindy is a fan girl too!
As I said earlier, I liked this series but I have some questions about some story points in the plot.
1. When Heo Yoon Je /Ryan Gold (Choi Go) first goes missing nobody reported it to the police. Why? Sing Doek Mi's mother watches her children playing with this boy late into the evening, even takes him home for a few days when she learns his mother is missing, then abandons him at an orphanage. Even Heo's mother didn't report to the police when she gained consciousness from the accident. I am guessing Heo was between the ages of eight and ten years old, surely they could have asked him where he stayed and who his mother was? At that age I knew our home phone number off by heart in case of an emergency, I knew the name of the road we lived on, I even knew our car registration number. If you know the answers to any of the above questions or you have a different perspective please comment below.
2. My last question is... what happened to the whole 'fan girl' aspect of the story? It just fizzled out towards the end. There's no big reveal, Chi Shian never discovers who she is. Fan girling was such a huge part of the beginning episodes. It was a hobby that was jeopardizing many areas of Sing Doek Mi's life . Even Cindy was thrown out of her home and cut off from her 'rich- kid' lifestyle because of this obsessive hobby and yet they never learn that they are actually online rivals...we needed a proper climax!
In the comment section below,
tell me if you are or have ever been a 'true' fan girl like Sing Doek Mi .
I need to know. 😆😉
Dear Queen,
It's been a long while.
Not sure if this letter-writing-thing will become a regular activity again,
but I just wanted to say well done for unintendedly discovering yourself once more.
Isn't that the funniest thing about getting older?
You can still surprise yourself.
Who knew that a peaceful internal revolution and transformation could be triggered by
simply having control over one's own physical space?
You woke up early in the morning and started your weekend by cleaning.
No one forced you too.
You set your mind to it.
You were halfway through mopping the floor with a divinely Lavender scented soap,
when it dawned on you that you were having fun chugging back and forth across the slippery surface while loudly singing along to Tiwa Savage's and Davido's Park Well song.
What!?
Enjoying doing chores!? Your mother is laughing in heaven.
The awkward teenage who avoided such responsibilities...
Eh....times have really changed.
Intrinsic actions like organizing your desk, your cupboard, your bedside table give you joy.
Quiet joy.
Quiet joy effortlessly emanating from your heart.
It started slowly.
You sat down to go through your jewelry and accessory boxes
You put your earrings here.
You put your necklaces there.
And on and on till everything had it's place.
The old and discolored were finally thrown out.
A chore became a metaphor of what you were doing with your whole life.
Simple inconsequential activities help boost your self-confidence.
You got to decide, on your own, by yourself.
Imagine such facile daily actions helping get you back on track!?
Sooooo satisfying to the soul.
Your mind is clear like a polished quartz crystal.
Queen, feel some secret pride in yourself for flourishing at this adulting aspect,
because it is encouraging you to pause,
in a world that often doesn't like it when you hesitate.
Take this time to pause and reflect.
You are still attempting to tackle your habit of constantly sacrificing yourself.
So yes ....pause and reflect cause
you can't save everyone.
Still endeavoring to create physical and mental boundaries?
Yes....pause and reflect.
Let people handle their own disappointment.
They will be fine.
Wow....growing pains are a very real thing,
not so perfectly experienced like in the popular coming-of-age-movies .
Once again well done Queen!
Let's celebrate the wins while we can.
I am observing and appreciating this time in your life.
That's why I wrote today.
In the future I will come here and read this again,
So I that I can remember to cheer you on.
Until next time
All my love,
M
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