Adventures in Asia

Oh, would you look at that, another amazing Korean drama that aired in 2011! My housemates and I just finished watching “Lie to Me,” directed by Kwon Hyuk Chan (who also directed “Secret Garden”) and starring Yoon Eun Hye (of “Coffee Prince”) and Kang Ji Hwan (of the tragic “Hong Gil Dong,” which I’ve been advised to never watch). Basic premise: a white lie hits gossip central, and after a series of ridiculous and hilarious events it becomes mutually beneficial for two strangers to pretend they’re married. The fake bride is Gong Ah Jung, hardworking yet hot mess civil servant (meaning she works for the government). The fake groom is Hyun Ki Joon, perfectionist and wealthy hotel heir/owner (I mean, what kdrama male lead isn’t?). Side characters include Hyun Ki Joon’s adorable little brother and classy former fiancé, and Gong Ah Jung’s first love and vicious frenemy. “Lie to Me” starts as a romantic comedy and develops into a full-fledged romance. Midway thr...

“We all have the same dream.” “No, we all have the same job.” I laughed. I was having coffee with some fellow foreigners and our Chinese friends, the Idealist and the Realist. Later that same evening, I asked, “What’s the most important thing to a Chinese person?” “Making money.” On a different coffee date with a different Chinese friend, I heard a similar statement: “Money controls my life.” Making money is important to us Americans, too. The U.S. is pretty much the capital of materialism. But the way my Chinese friends say it, it’s different. And the more I hear their stories, the more I understand what they mean. China has a collectivist culture, where the group is more important than the individual, and the family is the most important of all. Which is really beautiful to see. Each of my students have their two parents and four grandparents all looking out for them, investing in them, concerned about their wellbeing. There’s only one child, ...

After a couple of moody, intense, recently-aired dramas, I decided to watch something funny from a few years ago. Thus, “Protect the Boss”! Has anyone else noticed that 2011 was a ridiculously good year for kdrama?? “City Hunter,” “Dream High,” “Secret Garden” (technically a 2010 drama, but it finished in 2011), “Heartstrings,” “Protect the Boss”… All of the dramas in my top five are from that year (except for “Heirs”). Maybe I should just watch all the dramas from 2011… What was I doing back then, anyway? Oh yeah, college – studying and not enjoying hilarious, heart-warming, Korean TV. Anyway, “Protect the Boss”: Chaebol Cha Ji Heon (I know, another heir) is an OCD slacker who avoids work and can’t keep a secretary. His cousin and rival for the company, Cha Mu Won, hires an unqualified but determined Noh Eun Seol to be Ji Heon’s new assistant. Perfect setup for a love triangle. An ex-girlfriend eventually shows up, and we’ve got an even more comical love...

I can’t even… my feeeeeeeeeeeeeeels! I don’t usually watch recently aired Korean TV shows, but after thoroughly enjoying “Man from the Stars” I decided to go ahead a watch another drama from within the last year: the highly-anticipated, star-studded, the one, the only, “The Heirs”! Written by Kim Eun Sook, who also wrote “Secret Garden” (my favorite drama), and starring Lee Min Ho of “City Hunter” (also another favorite). Also starring… a ridiculous number of Korean celebrities. Where to begin? Here’s my rendition of the cast list: Mr. Terrible Sweater (Kim Tan): Lee Min Ho (LMH) of “Boys Over Flowers” and “City Hunter” Miss Lost Puppy (Cha Eun Sang): wide-eyed Park Shin Hye of “You’re Beautiful” and “Heartstrings” Creeper (Choi Young Do): Kim Woo Bin – Okay, IDK where he came from, but he should def stick around (Apparently he’s a model) Best Friend (Yoon Chan Young): Kang Min Hyuk of “Heartstrings” and band CN Blue Miss Ditz (Lee Bo Na): Krystal Jung of ...