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Open letter to my friend, Giein

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Early this year during my youngest daughter's winter break from college, we accidentally stumbled upon the AZN (Asian) channel showing an episode of Coffee Prince. Funny how my daughter was drawn to it as she my husband watched it mesmerized (I guessed you have to be if you have to read the hardsubs to be able to understand what's going on). Though I was in the room with them, I was so busy with some other things in my computer that I didn't pay attention to it. Strange indeed for I am one who is most of the time drawn to such kind of shows (together with my eldest daughter, Karrol) while youngest daughter, Dominique, is very much like her dad who is not into this sentimental and emotionally charged activities.

Dominique like the story line that she watched the rest of the Korean drama (as we later found out) on the internet and tried to finished watching the 10+ episodes before she went back to school. Of course, knowing her own mother, she told me to watched the show cause I'll definitely like it.

True enough, when I started watching it, I fell in love with the drama; hook, line and sinker. Though I was able to watch it for free on the net (check it out and other K-dramas on mysoju.com) I still had to have a copy of the dvd just in case so I bought a copy.

And that's how I was introduced to anything Korean. Suddenly, Korean way of life was filling in thru my consciousness. It became a frenzied obsession for awhile there, watching k-dramas late into the night, vowing to learn to use chopsticks (Mind you, I'm the only one in the family who does not know how), searched the web so much for anything I can find on k-dramas, loved the ost's (official soundtracks) from the shows and learned how to download them since this is the only way I could listen to them as they cannot be found in mainstream radio. Discovered Pucca and Garu along the way and now they are my favorite cartoon characters.

One of the best thing that I can say came out of this was when I met online Giein of Koreanpaper Arts. My friend, Giein, is an artist from South Korea who is so talented with the traditional Korean art using hanji as her medium. However, I found out later on that she also paints and is great in photography. I discovered her website while I was searching for hanji dolls which I first saw in one of the Korean movies that I saw called "Unstoppable Marriage". The first time I watched the movie I didn't really pay much attention to the dolls that the main character supposedly was doing as a primary pre-occupation. It was only after I saw the movie the 2nd time with Dominique that I really fell in love with these dolls. So I ventured for a search on the web and though there were some sites it was not as widely blogged about or nothing is sold which I am interested about.

After weeks of search, I finally discovered Giein's site and we started corresponding after that. I think that in her, I have found a kindred spirit. Her website is truly a work in progress for she not only displays her works of art but also takes the time to introduce and explain the process of how she works on her material to her readers and visitors. We have shared the same sentiment that her art should be preserved and we both are hoping that the next generation will find an appreciation for an art that is truly a part of one's own cultural spirit.



Words are not enough to express how I feel looking at these dolls. For me, they are not your ordinary Barbie, Bratz or stuff dolls.... I guess that you can call these dolls more like figurines wherein they are meant to be looked at and admired rather than played with. The way they are created by the artist makes them alive. It is like a 3-dimensional scenery or a diorama. I guess that this what appealed to me the most since they evoke life and spirit when I look at it. At right is a sample of Giein's work which she calls "medicine girl". This doll is actually part of a bigger scene and you can see it on her website if you want to see more of it.

Most of the doll arts are presented depicting everyday Korean way of life and this could run the gamut of the mundane to the humorous.

This in a nutshell is how I came to find a new friend from so far away in South Korea without leaving the country. I believe that this only goes to show that we are all connected in ways we might never realized and humans really do share something that makes us want to reach out to each other.

Dearest friend Giein,


I thank you for your well-wishes. Our family had a good time that day: having a good meal and doing a little shopping. The long week at home was a welcome treat for us since we do need this once in a while to get out of the office frenzy and to renew our spirits before the new school year starts.


Our daughter, Dominique is back at her dorm and has set up her room. Karrol is presently working temporarily at her dad's former office.

I apologized that the Korean flag flying at our school is upside down... please forgive the ignorance. I will request the person in charge with the grounds to set it up properly.

You speak of the fall coming soon in your country... fall is also upon us here in Massachusetts. We never had much of a warm weather here since there were more cooler days than hot this summer of 2008.

Even though I haven't received your gifts yet but I am so indebted to you that I do not know how to return the favor. I will always be forever in your debt for your kindness and for sharing your God-given gift/talent. I wish to tell you that whatever you have to give whether in person or just sharing your work on the web is already a blessing and a gift to anyone who enjoys art.

I hope that your mother is well and is feeling better nowadays. My prayers are always with you and your family.

Also, I hope that the rest of your family is well and in good health. Are your sons back in school too? I wish them success in their daily and future endeavors.

As always, I wish you and your husband more good times together.

If a mountain trip is calling to you, I hope that your trip will also help renew your spirits. We do need this in our lives every now and then.

Hope to hear from you again.

Cheers,

Serey

Spandau Ballet's "True" or PM Dawn's "Set Adrift in Memory Bliss"

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I had Spandau Ballet featured before in my blog early on and also featured some of my fave music from the band. True being my top choice always brings some sort of nostalgic feelings that would automatically make me stop on my tracks or whatever it is that I'm in the middle of and just drift towards the time when the song became known to me. Hmm! right now I can't think whether something significant was going on during that time in my life. Maybe, I'll have to ponder on that some other time but for now, let this video take you back in time...


Song lyrics | True lyrics


However, in the early 1990s, a hip-hop/R&B group P.M. Dawn sampled Spandau Ballet's True and titled it Set Adrift in Memory Bliss. I guess that with this version, there was not any quarrel on the remake since Tony Hadley, Spandau's front singer even appeared in a cameo role in their video. I'm glad coz I also love this version, too. Watch for Tony near the end of the video. He still is eye candy although what's with the mullet? (Okay! okay! I had to back track myself, that must be the fashion, I guess, during that time.)



Whatever your drift is, the music and the sound is undeniably soulful. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Good Vibrations

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I haven't had music in my blog for sometime now. Might as well start with this dance tune by Marky Mark released in 1991 called "Good Vibrations". This brings back good music in the early '90s.

Marky Mark Wahlberg - Good Vibrations (1991)
Found at bee mp3 search engine

and then the fight started...

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When I got home last night, my wife demanded that I take her some place expensive....
so, I took her to a gas station.

And then the fight started....

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After retiring, I went to the Social Security office to apply for Social Security. The woman behind the counter asked me for my driver's license to verify my age. I looked in my pockets and realized I had left my wallet at home.
I told the woman that I was very sorry, but I would have to go home and come back later.

The woman said, 'Unbutton your shirt'.

So I opened my shirt revealing my curly silver hair.

She said, 'That silver hair on your chest is proof enough for me' and she processed my Social Security application.

When I got home, I excitedly told my wife about my experience at the Social Security office.

She said, 'You should have dropped your pants. You might have gotten disability, too '

And then the fight started.....

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My wife and I were sitting at a table at my high school reunion, and I kept staring at a drunken lady swigging her drink as she sat alone at a nearby table.

My wife asked,' Do you know her?'

'Yes,' I sighed, 'She's my old girlfriend. I understand she took to drinking right after we split up those many years ago, and I hear she hasn't been sober since.'

'My God!' says my wife, 'Who would think a person could go on celebrating that long?'

And then the fight started....


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I rear-ended a car this morning.

So, there we were alongside the road and slowly the other driver got out of his car.

You know how sometimes you just get soooo stressed and little things just seem funny?

Yeah, well I couldn't believe it.... he was a DWARF!!!

He stormed over to my car, looked up at me, and shouted, 'I AM NOT HAPPY!!!'

So, I looked down at him and said, 'Well, then which one are you?'

And then the fight started.....

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Earth Shots Photo of the Day
Photobucket     K-Dreams. . .



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Big hugs and lots of kisses to my daughter, Karrol, for re-designing my blogsite. She is responsible for making my blog look cool... If you want to check out her own blog, visit K-Dream Palace and her contributing articles at AATheory.