Monday Blues and Happy Halloween!

 My dear,

How are you today? I feel very tired! Yesterday I couldn’t fall asleep, even though we changed the clocks to winter time. How did your surprising weekend trip go? I am waiting for photos!

Since yesterday I couldn’t post anything, today will be the day to say some words that were intended for Sunday.

After the long post on Friday, which I must confess, was written for several days, I felt exhausted. I consider making the Neverending Sunday posts optional, because it’s difficult to write something (even personal stuff) after such long music Friday publications.

So, a little bit of what I have been doing lately… Not so many great things happen to me, except that we were preparing ourselves for the upcoming winter. Last week we had the firewood delivered to our home and the weekend before I had to help granny with the flowers – we usually put them in the basement, when the weather becomes really cold.

Petals from cascading geranium

Photo made by my cousin

So, you can see that, apart from writing about music and wise quotes, I couldn’t find some time to write about other things. Even now I am writing from work and I will finish the post at home (I wrote most of my latest posts during  breaks, because at home the only thing I can do is to edit them).  And recently I have a lot of work to do in my daily job, which is very tiring.  Anyway, I will stop complaining now.

Speaking about flowers, there is a new addition to my collection of orchids! The fifth one (I call it the maknae, meaning “the youngest” in Korean) is a mini-orchid with a deep purple colour, accompanied with some leopard pattern in the middle.

You can’t see clearly the purple colour, because my phone cannot catch it, as many cameras can’t as well. It is so tiny and sweet! How could you resist this charm?! I hope that our home is not so cold for the little one, because its petals will fall off.

Apart from the (mindless for some) flower shopping, I found Korean cosmetics! I have long heard that there are some masks in the DM store, but recently I found spare time (and money) to look for them. And I must say, there are plenty to choose from!

As you can see, I bought two types – a sheet mask with Korean red ginseng and under-eye mini sheet masks with green tea. The ginseng mask, which is a bit expensive, is only one in the package and I haven’t used it yet, but the under-eye treatment turned out to be very good! There are 30 sheets, 15 for each eye and they are very easy to use.

Interesting Article

My dear, last week I happened upon a very interesting photo article on the BBC site. It shows some very old photos from Shanghai. I personally liked the one with the wheelbarrow taxi driver who disassembles his rig to avoid paying taxes for crossing the bridge with his wheel.  Clever trick, haha!

Movies and Dramas

There is not so much to say about new dramas at the moment. Recently granny and I concluded Coffee Prince, which is a very sweet (and old) 2007 drama. The main actress, playing a girl disguised as a young man, was very impressive. From all clichés that I have seen, this role felt very suitable for her.  The drama is very light and funny and makes you feel comfortable. It is perfect to watch when you have some time during the cold and rainy days.

Recently I began watching Scarlet Heart, which will end this week. Maybe I will write a review after completing it, but for now I can only say that the music in the drama is the one thing that still excites me the most. The story was interesting at first, but now the plot is diluted and chaotic, weakening the whole concept, I think. Apart from the good acting of some of the princes and older actors/actresses, it feels like a teen – oriented drama, filled with famous idols (some who are still learning how to act) just for the fan-service – a fact that can easily disappoint, even though everyone seems so beautiful. Beauty is not always the main point after all. 

Speaking of dramas, there is a movie I watched recently. It’s called Hot Young Bloods and it is very energetic to watch. I personally wanted to see it, because of Lee Jong Suk at first, but the whole acting team did an amazing job. The vibes I get remind me a lot of Punch – another coming-of-age movie, with another favourite actor, Yoo Ah-in. Well, I began writing about one movie, but ended up praising two. Of course, I am not going to compare these films; I will just recommend you to watch them both. You will like the energy, the humour and the simple wisdom and truths about life, especially in Punch.

Photo taken from hancinema.net

Destination for Motivation

Dear, there are so many places I want to visit in this world! Apart from my dream to celebrate my birthday in Australia (not only because it matches Australia day, but it is also summertime in January there), my eagerness exceeds to making travel my way of life! I feel so alone some days; like a person with no connections and no companion to share the same interests, like a person that lives in another country. I sometimes feel more connected to things that happen abroad, than in Bulgaria. I am not even a real patriot in my own country….

Anyway, today’s destination is a place in South Korea that I saw in the first episode of the drama mentioned above (Scarlet Heart). The place is Cheonjuho Lake in Pocheon and, from what I have seen in the drama and Google, the view is very beautiful!

Photo taken from visitkorea.or.kr

Some Monday Music…

Dear, I think that my admiration for BTS is growing with the speed of light! They turned out to be very interesting and fun! The excitement I have for them these days reminds me a lot of my first SHINee days. As an unofficial Shawol, now I can say that I am turning also into an ARMY. (Although I am using these labels only to express my fondness and support for the groups, but I distinguish from both fandoms’ behavior.)

Here is a song, released in 2015, which is sooo good to listen to! I also like the choreography, the dance made me watch the whole video several times, can you imagine that, haha! There is this sound in the chorus that reminds of Flo Rida’s G.D.F.R. song, (which I know you didn’t like so much), but Dope has a lighter feeling that you will definitely enjoy more!

[MV] BTS(방탄소년단) _ DOPE(쩔어)

          So, that was my Monday post. I am currently at home, finishing and editing this post and I will probably read s few documents for tomorrow, because I have a lot of work to do these days. It was a very long Monday…

         Tomorrow my aunt and little cousin will come for one night and two days to stay with us. No more K-pop for me, only My Little Pony, hahaha!

Till Wednesday, my dear!

Hugs,

R.

My ears at work today. This is really embarrassing, haha! I hate selfies! I am only doing this for you. Happy Halloween! Meow!

Neverending Sunday - 16 October

My dear Oli!

Thank you so much for your letters! This means a lot, considering how busy you are these days. And you added so many photos of me (blushing). I cannot believe that you left exactly two months ago. It feels like forever… And today the rain is pouring, trying to wash away all sweet memories from our summer... That’s why I wanted to make a sad selfie with your presents, while eating ramen – to show you how much I miss you. But today I had to change all clothes in my wardrobe (that’s why I am writing so late today), because the weather recently really wants to see my sweaters and warm clothes. So, maybe the selfie with the dress will wait for now. How is the weather there? Is it milder in Angers?

It is alright if you can’t listen to every song I share. And it is absolutely normal if you don’t like them at all, haha! Actually, as you may have noticed, recently I do not write about all the songs of each artist’s album. It is really difficult for me to follow everything, too. The only time in which I can listen to all new songs is when I come back from work, so I choose to write about only my favourite ones. It is sad you don’t have time to listen to some music… And your neighbourhood is quite noisy, eh?

Wooow! I have never visited the historical museum in the capital! Indeed our country is small, but has so much history! You were very busy being a tourist while you were in Sofia as I remember. You went to many places in a very short time. Aah, happy days! And the photos from your small holiday with Swann and Ira are very…how to say, delicious, haha! You are definitely a gourmet specialist, your love and taste for good food is marvelous!

As a part from the Neverending Sunday topic I wanted to share something that impressed me from the last week. It is an article from the BBC news site. As you may have heard, recently Samsung had a lot of issues, regarding the new Galaxy Note 7. At the beginning of the past week the company officially halted the production and selling of this device. I remember the same evening when I heard the news on the TV (because I usually don’t watch television and if something happens I can hear the news while my grandmother is watching the evening broadcast), I thought that sometimes we are not the only country that exhibits all its bad features in front of the rest of the world. This, of course, is not something to gloat about. Usually the news always shows the negative side of our own country and we could easily think that we are the only nation that lives in a badly organized community and even worse – the other nations can see this, too. This creates a negative view of your own country. How to explain it?... Feeling of national shame, I guess?

So, among the many commentaries and articles that I happened to hear or read, this one caught my attention, simply because it tackled the issue with national pride and presentation in front of the whole world – a trait we also share. It is very well written and interesting and it will be useful if you can read it. As it is mentioned, “this row is not just about a smartphone”.

I guess this will be the only thing that could be put in a rubrique. A lot of things happened during the last week, some good, some – not very pleasant. But now, after I have read your letters, my heart feels lighter and I think I am ready for the new week. I hope that you feel the same way. To hear that my words from the Wednesday Wisdom rubric make you feel better is an honour. Staying in touch is sometimes difficult and if my letters make you happier, stronger and motivated then I feel like a complete person. Thank you very much for being my friend! :)

With all my love and respect,

Rali

 

Throwback: 2012

Friday Music Favourites – 7 October

My dear,

My intention today was to write about Shinee’s new album, but I will have to postpone it for next week probably. First, I didn’t have the time to hear the album. Second – I was bewitched by another voice.

His name is Park Hyo-shin and he is like a veteran in the Korean show business, if we look at his discography (of course, he doesn’t look like a veteran literally). I happened to read about him in the Yonhap News Agency site. Recently, the site introduced a new section, called Korean Wave, which consists of news and interesting articles about the entertainment business in Korea. Very smart, indeed!

So when I opened the site last Thursday, I read the above article and decided to hear the song that was mentioned. In addition, the image jacket filled my curiosity even more. I am a fan of black and white photography and this blurred melancholic image incited my desire for good autumn pieces of music.

Breath is simply a splendid song! I dare to say, it is the best for these days’ bad weather! So cozy, so warm, and at the same time it refreshes the soul. It begins calm with soft piano tune at first and then develops into a burst of emotional and deep singing. Park Hyo-shin’s voice combines in a melodic unison with the tones of the piano. A marvelous tandem! This is a song for the soul, the lonely soul that wants to start anew; a song that delivers the sweet sorrow which you sense when you realize that you are not so alone and the positive days of your life are just beginning. And you sense it with all your heart – that feeling of thrill that goes in your whole body. I have never felt so connected with a song in my whole life. Even after I checked the lyrics (I usually have no interest in the lyrics at first, and even after then I don’t always pay attention to them), the message was the same.

            The second promotional song released was Beautiful Tomorrow. Here we have a different approach to the story, but the same melodic sequence, although a bit more dramatic. More like a confession than a reproach, entangled in gratitude towards the beloved one that once was a part of his life. A hint of hope for a new meeting at the end of the song describes the beauty of tomorrow.

            My dear, I am still in the process of listening of his new album I am a Dreamer and I’m a bit sad that I couldn’t give him much of the attention I wanted in this post. He definitely deserves all the fans he has! Since I am a newcomer, I have a lot to catch up, but it feels like I have found a hidden treasure! His mellow voice, with some husky notes, is like a fine hourglass that lets you feel the falling grains of sand on your skin and afterwards – with your soul. Marvelous sensation!

            As I read in another article on the Yonhap News site, the album “depicts stories of life, rather than more universal themes like love and emotions”. The singer said that he hopes the album will give “consolation, hope, and courage to people in their lives”. You already do it, Mr. Park. Message received!

R.

Image taken from Yonhap News Agency