“Real Time Is Slower Than Social-media Time, Where Everything Feels Urgent. Real Time Often Includes

if tumblr was person I’d hug the shit out of them. ❤

"Overthinking is a habit that we create when we feel unsafe. It's the the mind's attempt to predict the future. It's the illusion that we can 'think' our way into security. The truth is we cannot control anything external. Mantra for overthinking: I am choosing peace in this present moment. ❤

- Dr. Nicole @the.holistic.psychologist

~ My favorite quote from ‘I Am Not A Robot’. I think Ji Ah and Min Kyu make one of the cutest, prettiest K-drama couples.🌼  ~

~ Favorite stills from Episode 2 of Traveler (S2). I think I fell as hard for Tango as the three boys and for some reason, it was so believable that Kang Ha Neul would shop a turquoise charm necklace and carry it like it belonged to his body. ❤ ~

~My Thoughts on ‘Gohoubi Gohan’~

In a line or two: This one will make you want to live better and fall in love with food again.🥟

The Story: 

Ikeda Sakiko, a 22-yr-old young-adult, has moved to Tokyo for her first job in a stationery company. Sakiko’s first love? Food. The show is about Sakiko’s journey as she navigates the ups, the downs, and the learnings of her work life. For her hard work, Sakiko rewards herself every week with ‘Gohoubi Gohan’ a.k.a. ‘Rewarding Meals’.

Thoughts:

1. Nobody does food dramas like the Japanese. No offense to the ‘Let’s Eat’ series fans (I am one too). They have this stupendous knack of combining life lessons, positivity, and love for food in a show. It’s almost reverential.

2. I think Sakiko’s character is so amicable. She’s a newbie at work but she’s also sure of who she is. Her colleagues tease her playfully for her incessant thoughts around ‘what should I eat next’, and Sakiko unabashedly acknowledges her passion. She’s kind but not meek. She’s polite but that doesn’t stop her from being assertive or sharing her thoughts. 

3. Sakiko has 6 colleagues and I absolutely love how every episode is crafted around her getting to know one of them over a meal. From awkward moments to relishing chilled beer after a long work week, friendship springs from sharing grilled skewers, cheese-oozing burgers and piping hot ramen. 

4. I especially loved Sakiko’s solitary food-date. She decides to head to a Taiwanese restaurant by herself in the spirit of exploring new food. Her enthusiasm at the amount of soup in the ‘soup dumpling’ is adorable. 

Watching her eat with thorough love, the owner steps in and recommends local suggestions which Sakiko devours. The gusto with which she opens her mind to an entirely different palette is to me, as a foodie, so inspiring.

5. I love female friendships. The one between Kominato-san and Sakiko is endearing, fun and comforting. 

The former is a lover of all things bread and on their first meal together, where they randomly meet at a hamburger restaurant after work, we see the two bond over deliciousness. Kominato then offers to take Sakiko to eat her hometown food specialty, and over a grill teaming with hot food, the two have heart-to-hearts. 

6. When she’s not exploring food outdoors, Sakiko cooks her Gohoubi Gohan at home. These are equally excellent to watch. From her first French toast experience, to enjoying sushi like her family back home would, Sakiko takes utmost care to prep and enjoy her meals. 

When she cooks, there is an overpowering tenderness in the way she treats the ingredients. Her monologues are joyful, intimate and wholesome. They make you smile and make it hard to stop doing so.

7. A favorite moment of mine was to watch Sakiko spend her bonus on getting premium ingredients to cook herself a lavish ‘Hot Pot’ as her Gohoubi Gohan. I love how she even brought an ‘ingredients manual’ to pick her choices from. 

8. I’m not against ‘hard shelled’ male characters, but I think Isogai’s was a bit too anal for my liking. He’s Sakiko’s senior and one of the most sought-after employees in the product development team. He may not have the intent to communicate harshly, but his words are often demeaning, sexist, and condemning. He does make up for his behavior, but I can’t say I’m his fan. 

9. I watched this drama as my break time between work, and I think it taught me so much about how to approach situations at a workplace, how to choose the right time to say what you feel, and how, there are so many kinds of people out there, all trying to live life in the best way they can. 

10. I am the biggest fan of food commentaries and Sakiko provides an ample amount of them. I love how descriptive, detailed and warm her thoughts on food are. She takes her time to savor various flavor combinations, cherishes the classics, deeply respects the ways of cooking and eating that she’s brought up with, is constantly looking for ways to step out of her culinary comfort zone and expand her taste buds.

11. Another favorite episode of mine was the one where Sakiko steps into this fancy bar. The bartender, a cool, helpful man in his late 60′s, introduces her to the charming world of cocktails. From fresh seasonal fruits to drinks with floral notes, Sakiko learns to treat herself without guilt. The two share a comradery where Sakiko confesses her newness to the world of liquor flavors and the bartender careful guides her to unique, enjoyable ones. 

The show is filled with heart-warming moments and makes you want to hug every character for having the ability to enjoy food so well. I couldn’t have asked for a better ‘Gohan’ drama to the start of my J-drama explorations for the year.

Favorite Learnings:

1. You have your own place in this world. You don’t have to fit it. 

2. Life can get hard sometimes. During such moments, going back to what you love will reconnect you with joy. 

3. Never stop trying new things, even when they feel scary and challenging.

Last Words: If you love food and you love watching people enjoy what they eat while learning kind, lovely things about life, you can’t miss this one.🥞🍛🍜

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Image Credits (www.aitado.blogspot.com) : 1, 2, 3, 4, 9, 11, 12, 17, 18, 19, 24 ,25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30,31, 32, 33, 37, 38, 39, 

~ Details from an old spread ~

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Sometimes I don’t feel like clicking the whole page. At such times, I really wanted to appreciate the individual stickers, prints, washi and sequins through my photos.

~ The Rainbow-Lookalike Mediterranean Platter ~

Quite honestly, I fell in love with clean eating courtesy the Vegetarian Meal Bowl at Farmer's Cafe. 🌈

But it in no way meant that I was going to leave rest of their menu untouched. On exploring, I chanced upon their Mediterranean Platter (a very happy discovery, indeed). 🌈

Housing three different kinds of hummus -- the beetroot, the chickpea and the olive and black bean -- there's a generous serving of lavash, carrot and cucumber sticks along with 3 piping hot falafels. 🌈

My favorite among the three is that beetroot hummus. Sweet and earthy while imbibing a wonderful coolness, it goes beautifully with the crunchy carrots. The robust earthiness is balanced by salt and a hint of chili to cut through the natural, beet sweetness.🌈

The olive and black bean one comes as a total surprise. Lavash'd up, it is creamy with thick savory notes of black beans, chili and ground spices.🌈

Break open a falafel ball and the aroma of singing cumin and coriander wafts out. Quite frankly, you could eat these plain, they're that good. But they also pair up really well with the classic, chickpea and garlic hummus. I have to constantly remind myself to be a gentlewoman and share these with the person across the table.🌈

If you love unhurried, easy conversations and the idea of slow lunches, this Mediterranean Platter makes for the perfect background score. How you can nibble and spoon something so simple yet tasty and have the joy of sharing it with someone makes for a delightful experience! 🌈

I am not a huge fan of their lavash sticks. They have a weirdly tangy and bitter taste which is unpleasant if you eat these individually. 🌈

Lastly, the fourth mound is the most heavenly ensemble of cauliflower couscous. It comes with notes of vinegar and fresh coriander. This provides immense relief from all that hummus creaminess. 🌈

Bro-Tip: Try the veggie sticks with all three hummus's. The cucumber goes really well with the black-bean rendition. Also, the lavash isn't unbearable if you pair it up with the beetroot hummus. 🌈

My Thoughts on ‘Our Beloved Summer’

In a line or two: 

Our Beloved Summer was such a healing, therapeutic watch that did not hide the 'humanness' of love.

The story: 

The drama is about two exes--- Kook Yeon Soo and Choi Woong (high-school students when they began dating) who had a 5-year relationship and broke up. They meet 5 years later and agree (fact: are forced) to shoot a documentary similar to the one they shot in high school. What starts from a '100 Things I Hate About You' turns into an introspective, messy yet heart-warming return to each other.

My Thoughts:

1. I love the layers in Kook Yeon Soo's personality. She's smart, socially inadept, deadpan, and more sensitive than she lets herself acknowledge. I love how the flaws in her character actually make her more endearing and relatable.

2. Kim Ji Woong, our male lead's best friend, is actually the prettiest one here, according to me. He's at constant war with himself, but I also love how he returns to the camera to shoot people's raw selves and finds comfort in it. 

I especially love his friendship with Choi Ung, who despite knowing that Kim Ji Woong has feelings for Yeon Soo, doesn’t push him away.

3. I thought the drama would come to be overwhelming given its storyline. But surprisingly, I couldn't keep away from it because of how comforting I found it to be. 

4. Then we have K-pop idol NJ. She's such a fireball. She's funny, adorable, and yet so trapped and defined by people's idea of her. I love how Choi Ung and she decide to remain friends, comforting each other when things aren't going their way. 

5. Okay, I love Choi Ung's parents so much! Honestly, the idea of running a restaurant and feeding people good food is the definition of a beautiful life for me. However, their care for Ung and his art is so cute and heart rendering.

6. It was through NJ that I realized how joy-crushing fame can be. You forget who you are and try too hard to become someone else's expectations of who you should be.

7. I think Choi-Ung's definition of happiness: "To do lie down and watch the sunlight stream through leaves" was when I first fell for him. 

I love how he's never glorified 'living big'. He's so content with his wants. He knows exactly the kind of people he wants to be around and isn't afraid to go for an unconventional way of living if it makes him peaceful and happy.

8. When they all head for a 3-day trip for the shoot, I got really emotional watching Yeon Soo enjoy herself. It was so nice to see her smile and laugh and let herself free. 

That was the first time I realized how lonely she must have been all these years, handling responsibilities and pushing people away to avoid hurt.

9. My favorite moment of the series was when Ung is waiting for Yeon's answer: will she travel to Germany with him as he enrolls in the architecture program? They meet at Sol Yi's restaurant and Yeon Soo chooses to stay back in Korea because that's what feels right to her. 

There is this amazing moment where they know what they have to do for themselves and yet are so supportive of each other, without letting go of the love they've fought so hard to come back to.

10.Then we have Sol-Yi. I mean, who cannot love her? She's Yeon Soo's 'Reality Check Provider' and also her soundboard + BFF. I have to say I absolutely enjoy watching Park Jin Joo on screen. Even with her supporting role in 'Her Private Life', she was fabulous. 

Here, Sol Yi is spontaneous, has a I-am-the-love-guru vibe and is atrocious in her choice of men. She cooks mediocre food but she doesn't give up on her dream. She's sassy, rude, amazing, and absolutely honest.

11. Lastly, I want to say I came to love Chae Ran so much. She's assistant produce to Kim Ji Ung and is also his unmistakable 'soulmate'. She possess so much sensitivity and yet is so calm and cool. 

I love how she decides to wait for Kim Ji Ung to be in a better headspace before she confesses her feelings for him. That was such a mature, soft, 'ah' moment.

Learnings:

1. When the Universe gives you second chances, grab them with both hands and work to give them your all. People do not come into your life accidentally. Each one is there for a reason.

2. Love has a funny, soft, ridiculously amazing way to make itself known. Allow yourself to feel it when it knocks your door. (P.S: Open it wide and let love rain in your heart.)

3. Love is a fairytale, with all the sparkles, the imperfections, the laughs, the tears, the growth, the support, and the gooey-warm feeling you get when you're with someone right for you.

4. Forgiveness is hard. But regret is worse. 

5. Whoever you were has made you who you are today. But you can always change if you don't like who you've become.

Last Words: 

Oh, please watch this show. It is absolutely adorable, warm and mature.💕💕

Bruch at Juco Cafe | 10th May, Saturday

~ Iburagurashi ~ Ep.2: Favorite Moments (Part 1)~

~ Watching Meguru and Yori enjoy simple moments of daily living makes me want to have someone special to share them with too ~ 

* There’s so much I learn from J-dramas. So many beautiful, positive things that help me live life more fully, with fresh perspectives to look at things. That’s my favorite part---most, most favorite. 🌸

* I love this rule Meguru and Yori have--- to say one good thing for each time you share your complaints. How simple but how powerful. Often, I am so absorbed in all that’s ‘not supposed to be this way’ that I forget to count the innumerable blessings I’m surrounded with. :) 🌸

* I think having someone who loves food and eating as much as you do, and to share everyday meals with them is one of the biggest blessings in life. The first picture of Yori and Meguru quietly working in the kitchen warms my heart. 🌸