Round Here: June

It's summer, the weather is beautiful, and my garden is going crazy.  Almost literally.  I have had training and other school-related work for the past couple of weeks, and my tidy veggie garden has turned into a jungle.  There's a lot of work to be done to get it back under control, but I'm still really enjoying it.  Here is a sample of what's growing...

From bottom left to top right, there is:

1.  Climbing rose, "Mermaid," also known as "Barracuda" in my family because of how aggressive the rose gets.  Mine is currently about 10 feet tall, and small for its variety so far.

2.  My first tomatoes!  I've been waiting for tomatoes for 6 months...

3.  Morning glories.  These are basically weeds in my garden...and I love them!

4.  A miniature variety of zinnias.  I planted them to help with attracting pollinators to my garden, but I'm enjoying their sunshiney faces.

5.  Rue.  I'm sure this herb has wonderful healing properties, but darned if I can remember what they are.  However, I've been enjoying the star-shaped blossoms, and the bees like them too.

Music Monday: "Always with Me, Always with You"

So, in looking back at my previous Music Monday selections, I noticed that there seems to be mostly Korean music.  While that is definitely what I'm listening to a lot right now, it isn't my favorite music at all.  Sure, I have a few Korean favorites (CN Blue, anyone?), but overall I am NOT a K-pop fan.  Unless the K-pop stars are acting in Korean dramas.  Then they might be my favorites.

But I digress...

Anyway, that got me thinking.  Awesome and I are about to celebrate our 7th anniversary, which I'm still having a hard time believing.  The time has FLOWN, and yet sometimes I wonder how we've only been together for 7 years.  It seems like we've always been together.  Not in a bad way.  It just feels to me like my life really started on the day that he and I became friends.

While Awesome and I aren't exactly your typical couple, we do sort of have a song, "Always with Me, Always with You," by Joe Satriani.  This song is actually special to me because of all the times I heard Awesome playing it on the guitar during the time we were dating.  And while Joe is a phenomenal musician, personally I don't think he's anywhere near as fun to listen to as Awesome.  But again, I may just be a fangirl who's a little biased.  Anyway, I hope you enjoy it!

Photo courtesy of www.superbwallpapers.com

Beach Photo Shoot

Awesome and I spent a beautiful day at the beach with our dogs, Taffy and Sam, last weekend. We brought a picnic and were a little concerned because our golden retriever puppy gets REALLY excited when we go on trips. In the past we haven't been able to eat on our beach trips because he gets really annoying. Thankfully, this time after a walk down the beach, he settled down enough to lay down while we ate.

Here're the results of a selfie (that's selca in Korea) photo shoot with Awesome and Sam. You'll see the conditions I have to work under.

Cute, right? Look at that hottie I married! 

And then, it got weird. 

See?

Sam felt left out. "What about ME?"

Dog successfully wrangled out of the picture.  Husband definitely done with the photo shoot.

And this is what I have to work with.  Unusually, Taffy is the only one of my family who wasn't annoying.  Go figure.  

But finally, I got one of us I really like!

Music Monday: "If You Come Into My Heart"

Ever have a bad day?  Today was a doozy.  I keep thinking that things at work will start calming down...but they don't.  Anyway, when I've had a really lousy day I start listening to all my favorite music and rewatching my favorite tv shows.  In my attempt to make myself feel better and relax, I came across this song...and it made me feel happy.  It's not a great recording, since it's live--on the tv show anyway--but it's so pretty!  This song is a cover of the song "If You Come Into My Heart," sung by Lee Jong Hyuk from "A Gentleman's Dignity," one of my many favorite Korean dramas.  I hope it brightens up your day like it did mine!

Photo courtesy of www.kdramastars.com

Tips for Getting into K-drama

If you're one of those unfortunate people who have not discovered the charms of Korean drama (outside of my blog, that is), let me give you a few tips.  Kdrama is different than what we are used to here in America.  You probably won't see tons of violence, sex, or bad language. There may be some plot developments that have you rolling your eyes at the cheesiness of the writing--evil step-mothers, amnesia, and people who were supposedly long dead suddenly being discovered alive and well. However, there will be lots of romance--Kdrama is all about the love story, which is why I love it!  So take a risk, jump in, and visit an exotic locale with beautiful people.  You'll find the drama that makes you glad you did.

1.  Give the drama time.
Like the first season of an American sitcom, often the first episode or two of a Korean drama isn't very good.  Because the series are so short (usually 16-20 episodes in total), the dramas have to develop a lot of back story and introduce characters in a short amount of time.  This sometimes doesn't work very well.  Give it time and let the story unfold.  If you still aren't into the show by the third episode, move on to something else.

2.  Never get attached to the second lead actor.
Sorry, but he just ISN'T going to get the girl.  No matter how amazing and wonderful and perfect the supporting guy is, he will get his heart broken.  It's not fair, and sometimes it will make you really mad, because no one that nice should get shafted, but it will happen.  He will get dumped, rejected, used, abused, friend-zoned, and that's just the reality of Korean dramas.  I hope someday I discover one where the main girl falls in love with the second guy, but so far it hasn't happened, so I just plan on feeling sorry for him but not getting emotionally involved.  It's a lot safer that way.  Believe me, when, in my first drama, the "right" guy did not end up with the girl, I thought my heart was going to break into a million pieces.  Now I know that's just how it goes.

3.  Don't expect tons of PDA.
One aspect of Korean culture seems to be that they aren't very touchy-feely as a rule, at least in public.  In contrast, Americans hug people they barely know and sleep with people they completely don't know (at least on TV), so be ready to be a little surprised by the lack of physical affection.  This doesn't mean that Koreans are prudes or unemotional--their culture is just different.  If you give it time, you will find that, because the physical aspect of relationships is not exaggerated, it actually means a lot more emotionally. Take hand-holding, for instance.  When the main couple hold hands for the first time, it's seriously exciting, because of the investment that you've put in to the development of their characters and their relationship.

4.  Don't compare Kdrama to American TV.
Ok, I know that I was just comparing, but seriously, don't do it.  We just don't really have the same genre here in the States, so it's better not to compare.

5.  Do some research before you start a show.
I've found that it's better to have an idea what the show is about before I start it.  There are a few series out there that had seriously bad endings, which made even die-hard fans really angry.  If you've ever watched a show here where the main character gets "killed" in a season finale, and then over the summer the show gets cancelled, you'll understand how important it is to know that a show ends well--it can make a big difference!

Also, there is the mood of the series.  Some shows are light and fluffy, and not too serious at all.
Some are made targeting teenagers--they're still lots of fun, but if you aren't into that kind of thing, you may hate it.  There are also melodramas, where bad things happen and everyone dies in the most beautiful, heartrending way possible.  You may want to know that a show is a tear-jerker before you start.

I also have found my favorite actors and so I tend to start with watching the shows they have been in.  It gives a good place to start, because there just are so many dramas out there.  It can get pretty overwhelming just knowing where to start.

Maybe that's a future post--Best Dramas for Beginners--hmm...

Anyway, I hope you take the plunge and give Kdrama a try.  It's worth it, believe me!

Favorite Korean Dramas...So Far: Part 1

Yep, I'm obsessed.  I love Korean drama!  I've lost all interest for American television--it's so boring!

But Kdrama--the romance, the story-lines, the actors, the exotic locale (to me at least)--it's irresistible. Thanks to Netflix, I've fallen head over heels.

However, as my one loyal reader keeps reminding me (thanks, Awesome!), my addiction has caused me not only to neglect the housework, but blogging as well. And, while I started this post about my favorite dramas three months ago, the list grew so quickly that I gave it up.  So here I am with a [very] abbreviated list of my favorite dramas.

1.  Heartstrings (aka You've Fallen for Me)

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia

A talented young rock guitarist at a performing arts university, Lee Shin seems much more cold and aloof than he really is.  This is partially because he is constantly bombarded with disgustingly adoring fans of his band, The Stupid, and also because his sole passion is music.  This all changes, albeit gradually, when he meets Lee Gyu Won, a Korean traditional music major, who not only doesn't scream and swoon when he's around, but who thinks his music is soulless and boring.  Their clash leads to a music battle to see which genre will win, rock or classical.  A lot of music, conflict, and cuteness ensue, all in the setting of a university campus.  

This drama is my all-time favorite.  I watched it 3 times in a row, then bought the DVDs and watched it again.  The initial allure was definitely the actors.  Jung Yong Hwa and Park Shin Hye are my favorite Korean actors to date, and I loved them both in You're Beautiful, where they were adorable together, but didn't end up as a couple (which basically broke my heart).  Seeing them again in this drama, where they fall in love, was very sweet and satisfying.

I also loved the music.  Both leads perform several songs, and some of the other actors sing and play as well.  This series was my first introduction to Korean traditional music.  I had no idea it was so beautiful!  There are also some fusion pieces with Korean instruments and electric guitars, which were strangely enchanting.

Since this drama, I've watched many, many others, several of which I would totally own.  However, Heartstrings continues to be my absolute favorite.  It's a little akin to my favorite comfort food.  Even the intro music makes me smile and get warm fuzzies.

2.  You Are Beautiful

from koreandrama.org

A nun-in-training, Go Mi Nyu pretends to be a boy to temporarily take her twin brother's place in an uber-famous boy band.  Drama happens as all three fellow bandmates begin to discover she's really a girl and consequently fall in love with her.

As I've mentioned before, this was my first Korean drama, and will always hold that special place in my heart.  It was definitely my favorite actors that made this series pop for me, along with the love story.  The show is probably not recommended for a first-time viewer, because it is incredibly cheesy and over the top.  Still, it was a lot of fun, and it remains the only Kdrama, other than Heartstrings, that I have watched more than once.

3.  Dream High

from FanPop.com

Dream High is about a group of misfits who join a snooty performing arts high school in the hopes of becoming the next big star.  Only one student will be chosen.  As they develop their musical ability, they experience some of the bullying and prejudice that can be rampant in high school, especially because they are all so darn talented that it threatens several of the other students.  This show is packed with music, dancing, and surprising friendships, as the students discover themselves and, for several, love.

I love voices, and this show had the most great singers.  I frequently look up some of the songs on YouTube because I like them so much.  This show also had a love triangle among the lead actors where, surprisingly, I would have been equally happy where either guy ended up with the girl.  That is a pretty unusual occurrence in Kdrama-land.


So there you have it: a few Korean dramas that I love.

Obsessed with Korean Drama

Well, I'm a little embarrassed by how long it's been since I posted.  I have lots of excuses--work, health problems (not mine or Awesome's), the holidays--but the honest truth is that I discovered a new obsession.

Korean television.

Right now your eyebrows are probably raised up into your hairline as you try to understand that.

I am addicted to Korean dramas, and it has been as surprising to me as to everyone else who knows me.

No, I'm not Korean.  I'm not Asian of any kind.  I don't speak Korean.  I don't even have any Korean friends.  Up until about four months ago, my sole exposure to Korea was summed up by serving kimchi in the cafeteria at college.

It all started when Netflix recommended a show for me with 5 stars.  Nothing ever gets recommended with 5 stars.  For me, anyway.  I read the synopsis and was intrigued by the storyline. Captain Awesome happened to be out for the evening so I knew he wouldn't be offended by any cheesy girly-ness.  So I started the first episode.  

(Looking back, I don't even think I realized the show was Korean or subtitled until it started.  Not that either of those things would have stopped me.)

I was hooked within minutes.

It started with curiosity about how the storyline would play out, but quickly became about the characters.  The main girl was so sweet and pretty, I couldn't look away.  Actually, all the characters were pretty, girls and boys.  But what really held my attention was the love story that started growing quickly.


                                                                                                                         Image courtesy of www.dramanut.com

This is the cover picture for the drama, "You are Beautiful," my first Korean drama and the beginning of my obsession.  While it is almost embarrassingly cheesy and the acting is terrible, this drama was where I got started, and there are elements of it that are just about perfect.  One moment I was cringing at the ridiculousness of the writing, and the next I was fighting back tears at the sweetness of a portrayal of genuine unconditional love.  Like I said before, it was a surprise.

And that's basically why I love Korean dramas.  It's all about the love stories.  They tend to be really sweet and intense.  There are tons of cheesy moments, including plenty that make me roll my eyes or blush in embarrassment.  But then there will also be the sweetest, most poignant scenes.  I've laughed, cried, gotten angry, shouted at my computer screen, and completely fallen in love with the genre.  

I have a feeling that there will be many other posts about Korean dramas in the future.  I can't wait to share my favorites!  Until then, I will try to not be quite so silent...

Weaning Off Coffee

Kicking the coffee habit has been a beast.

I had no idea I was so addicted.  I see myself as a person with few vices (chocolate doesn't count, right?), so realizing how deep my dependence on coffee has been has shaken some of my personal confidence.  I want a cup of coffee more than a lot of things, and that's saying something.

That being said, I have been off coffee for about a month now, and I feel like I have finally broken the physical dependence.  The mental/emotional need for coffee is still strong, and I'm anticipating it will be a few more months before I can get through a full day without longing for a cup, but physically, I'm fine.  Not happy, but fine.

I didn't research weaning off caffeine until late in the weaning process, but my progression was some of what I read.  Here is how I weaned off coffee:

Days 1 and 2:  1/4 decaf and 3/4 regular coffee.

Days 3 and 4: 1/2 decaf and 1/2 regular.

Days 5 and 6: 3/4 decaf and 1/4 regular

Days 7 and 8: 100% decaf

Day 9 and beyond: cold turkey! 

This formula is not for the faint of heart.   I still had some headaches, and my energy was very low.  However, I got through the process quickly, which was what I wanted. 

Keep in mind that your body will be going through a tough time during this approach (or any weaning time).  Make sure you drink extra water, get lots of rest, and eat well.  Your body will need some babying as it is working hard!

My Breakup with Coffee

Hi, my name is Allison, and I am a coffee-holic.

There, I’ve said it. 

For fifteen-plus years, coffee has been my flavor of choice, my love, my muse.  Every morning has seen me with a large, steaming cup in hand.  My favorite time of day centers around coffee time.  One of my favorite places is a cute little vine-covered coffee shop from my college days where I spent time studying and socializing.  Ask me if I would prefer coffee or chocolate—well come on, of course I need coffee with chocolate in it! (That was probably a bad example).

But coffee has its downside too, at least for me.  There are the jitters if I don’t eat something with my second cup, or the insomnia if I drink a cup after 5 pm.  There is the awful hotel coffee to suffer through when we go on trips, and the horrible, brain-crushing headaches if I skip my morning java. 

The time has come to break up with my coffee.

Why?

There are many reasons why I’m curbing my coffee habit, but the simplest is that I’m tired of being so physically dependent on anything. I want to get through a stressful day without thinking I need to visit a coffee shop in order to function.   I want to be able to visit non-coffee drinking friends without bringing a coffee stash with me.   I want to take back that corner of my kitchen where the coffee pot lives.

I want my life back. 

So I’m breaking up with coffee. 

Forgive me, my friends, if I get grumpy.  I’m sorry if the withdrawal symptoms make me do crazy things.  But eventually I’ll be a healthier, calmer me, if slower and quieter too.

Goodbye coffee, my delicious dark friend!