Latest Posts by anvisdays - Page 5

~ He Buzui and Lu Weixun from ‘Instead of Tipsy Why Not Get Drunk’ (2019) ~

~ you owe yourself the love you crave for ~ . since we were children, we've been conditioned to see love as some thing outside of ourselves. We associate it with a soulmate, friends or family. . hence, to feel loved has always been a waiting game for someone's care and attention. To feel nourished, an external dependency. . often, we forget we are love-incarnates ourselves. We are independent lighthouses of love and are fully capable to provide ourselves with the detailed care we crave and need. . healthy companionship with ourselves or others can never exist if we keep seeking the love we need from an external resource and expect it consistently. . if we can just reconnect to that sweet spot which tells you what you need from time to time and ask ourselves how we can provide the same, love becomes an active force in our day-to-day living. . it stops being a dormant, passive energy that only springs up with external association. . loving ourselves isn't a choice, really. Come to think of it, it is a very primal need on which rests the very core of our being. . here's to hoping we look at ourselves a little differently today.🌼

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Picture: @llamacafe 

“Y’all treat 30 like our lives will be over by then. 30 is extremely young. Some people just start new dreams in their 30s. Most are finally figuring out how to live fully in their 30s. Our 20s are not the peak. Not even close.” - Kaya Nova

‘Dinner Mate’: One Of The Most Underrated K-Dramas Of 2020

My first access point to K-dramas has been Netflix, so it was quite a while later when I realized there are thousands of great dramas not listed on the platform that I could probably access elsewhere. Of course, there were a lot of trials involved in stumbling upon a high-quality, free streaming platform, but I managed.

The Story:

'Dinner Mate' a 2020 drama, fit the bill for my next watch. Two strangers share a meal coincidentally and what follows is a relationship where they refrain from sharing personal details as they continue meeting over dinner to enjoy food.

I came to love this drama SO much. Every element in the story has a purpose and a place. 

Dr. Kim-Haeyoung, a psychiatrist uses food therapy to heal his patients while Producer Woo Do-Hee breathes and slays B-Class tacky content at 2N Media Box. Both of them have survived terrible heartbreaks from long relationships.

What unfolds is not just a story of healing but also of how the acceptance of our pasts can allow us to make the most of the present moment. While their ex-lovers show up, demanding a place back in their hearts, it is wonderful to watch Kim-Haeyoung and Do-Hee let go of residual pain and hurt, as they begin to accept and flourish the love that's blooming between them.

I love badass characters, especially female leads and Do-Hee is one of them. She's bold, fierce, proudly weird and says exactly what's on her mind. Kim Haeyoung is calm, composed and yet bears a childlike curiosity that always leads him to unexpected adventures.

Jin-Eol and Jae-Hyuk, the ex-lovers of our protagonists map a trajectory that begins with entitlement to the love they once walked away from, to fighting a one-sided fight and finally, understanding the beauty of letting go. There's my favorite Nam A-yung, the 43-year-old CEO of 2N Media Box. She's as wild as her wardrobe but has a heart that's more open than any of the lead characters we see.

The story is simply beautiful with elements of humor, heart and emotion seamlessly supporting and elevating each other. Every episode is a delight to watch, every moment dripping with insight and meaning. 

This is one of those underrated wonders which I'd proudly download and re-watch over and over.

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Pictures | IQUI & Doodle App

GIFs | 1&2 - Dramabeans | 3&4 - Soompi Forums

“Literally just romanticize your own life. What’s stopping you. Who will care. Commit to enjoying things.” - @trainthief​

~ it's okay to bloom at your own pace ~  . Blooming isn't a competition. It doesn't have a predefined pace. . Often, our social media feeds may make us feel "slow" about our personal growth but may we know that the obstacles and curves in our path are only known to us. . Nobody else can determine your healing or its pace. Nobody else has a say in how you grow and what your growth should look like. . The courage it takes to show up day after day, isn't a visible thing. It happens only within. . So the next time we get tempted to compare our '3' to somebody's '20', may we stop ourselves and acknowledge the beauty of our own inner journey. 🌼

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Picture | @11990904

“It is okay if you are slowly becoming the person you want to be. Real growth takes time. The things that stick and the things that stay are often the things we put together gradually, with heart and soul and effort. What arrives too fast often leaves that quickly, too. What arrives slowly is often what we savor most, because it is what we placed all of our love into, it's what we made space in our lives to hold. Please do not think you are falling behind just because your growth is not happening as fast as you thought it might. Seasons don't turn overnight, but always arrive just in time.” - Brianna Weist

~ Quote from: More Than Friends (2020) ~

~ May I live today as it comes.~ . May I surrender my expectations of how it "should be", with all my "what ifs" and "buts".✨ . May I be present to this day, with an open mind and a loving heart.✨

~ Because, it was always about Nok-du and Dong-joo’s love.~ 

- The Tale of Nokdu (2019) - 

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Credits | 1 - @weguttersnipe, Tumblr | 2 - Omana, They Didn’t Live Journal | 3 - KpopMap | 4 & 10 -Tumbral | 5 - Amino Apps | 6 - @thingskateknows​ | 7 & 8 - Pannchoa | 9 - Soompi Forums | 11 & 13 - Tumgir | 12 - Bitches Over Dramas 

~ 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.

~ My First Period Drama, 'The Tale Of Nokdu' Was Everything I Could've Hoped For And More ~

'The Tale Of Nokdu' was the fourth K-drama I picked up. Prior to it, I hadn't come across any period dramas and hence, this became an introduction to a whole new genre. I can't think of a more perfect one, to be honest.

My curiosity spiked up when I read the tiny Netflix summary of the show: "While on the run for his life, a young man discovers that the best place to lie low is in a village of widows -- disguised as a woman."

I was in.

The Story:

As the summary suggests, the story revolves around a young man, Jeon Nok-du, whose home is attacked by a bunch of assassins. Burning to know who wanted him & his family dead, he heads out to track the group of killers. His trail leads him to a widows village where he disguises himself as a woman to seek refuge and investigate further.

It is here he encounters Dong Dong-Joo, a trainee Gisaeng (with a secret agenda of her own), Lord Cha Yool Mu (a royal chef) and the Muwoldan, a sect of widows-turned-assassins.

Amidst political unrest in Joseon, we see Nok-du come to terms with his real identity, snoop around to find a political uprising against king Gwange-He underway and unearth secrets of those around him, both enemies and friends.

While all of this may sound extremely serious (and to a large extent, it is), there are regular pockets of delight, humor and a deep, powerful & healing love story.

What I particularly loved in the show was:

🥦  Nok-du's (Jang Dong Yoon's) gorgeous female avatar  🥦  Dong-Joo and Nok-du's infallible, solid love for each other     🥦 Tiny, sassy and fun Aeng-Du  🥦 Vice Curator Yeon Geun whose humor makes him absolutely huggable 🥦 The widow-assassins of Muwol who break a lot of Korean drama stereotypes very satisfyingly &  🥦 Lord Cha Yool Mu who plays a spectacular villain. 

The entire drama and its telling is woven with sincerity, depth and beautiful detailing. The story intensifies as the show progresses but it is totally worth the watch. In fact, the show holds a sweet spot on my 're-watch' list as well.

🥦 And here are my 3 favorite learnings from the show:🥦

1. You get to decide the kind of life you deserve to live. It is beautiful to watch the belief Nok-du places and nurtures in his life-values. It is his confidence in them that provides him the courage to craft a life that aligns with his heart.

2. Above all, love is the greatest healer. Dong-Joo's tale is brave, unique and filled with a lot of ups and downs. But it is her choice to allow love to free her heart of hate and revenge that speaks of immense courage and healing.

3. Even when the days are dark, your friends can be your anchors of light. No drama is complete without its side-cast and I personally believe that in this particular one, it is Nok-du's friends and family who bring in sunshine, laughter, warmth and presence on the dull, heavy days.

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Images | Netflix & Doodle App

“It’s okay if every weekend doesn’t lead to big moments and campfires and laughter that carries on for hours and hours. Some weekends maybe quiet, still, with plenty of room to contemplate. And in that contemplation, there is room to grow. So hold those weekends dear. Don’t see them as less or as threats to the more exciting times. There is beauty and truth even in the seemingly mundane.” - Morgan Harper Nichols

~ When the Camellia Blooms ~

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Images: Netflix | Doodle App

“Miracles don’t exist. It’s the little heroes inside us working together. The donations that quietly pile up. The small acts of kindness done by kind people. It’s just the result of all the good deeds you’ve done. You just think it’s a miracle.” ~ When the Camellia Blooms ~

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Credits: GIF 1 - Tumgir | GIF 2 - Giphy | GIF 3 & 4 - Soompi Forums | GIF 5 - KStar Live | GIF 6 - Bored Homebody, Wordpress 

With 'When The Camellia Blooms' I Learned The Beauty Of Owning Who I Am

Early on in my drama journey, curious about having 'When The Camellia Blooms' pop up on my Netflix feed, I tuned in. (Good job, Anvi.)

The Story:

The story revolves around a small Korean town, Ongsan and its residents. A fishing county, Ongasn's citizens are mostly fishermen who pride on their freshwater crabs.  In comes a single, young mother, Dongbaek with her 2-year-old son Pil-Goo. She decides to start a new chapter of her life and opens a small bar named 'Camellia'.

We then have Hwang Yong-Sik, a junior cop who's looking for his “Princess Diana”. With a heart of gold, he falls head over heels for our Dongbaek at first sight.

What follows is not just a love story between the two, but also a thriller mystery involving a serial killer who calls himself 'Joker'. We have Dongbaek's old lover, Kang Jong Ryul, return (who's now married with a child of his own), have her find comradery in the oldest badass of Ongsan, Mrs. Kwak and see her battle stigmas around single parenthood, objectification and bullying.

Not your typical male-female-lead Kdrama, this one is about: - the power of community, 🌼 - badassery (with some FANTASTIC female characters), 🌼 - real love standing the test of time, 🌼 - female companionship, 🌼 - healing 🌼 - and the pains of growing up in a society that prescribes 'two' parents as a requisite. 🌼

Each character has shades of grey versus your typical black and white. Each one, a poignant element, without which the story would have been lacking. The drama was a thorough delight to watch. And I am sure a lot of you who've watched this can nod your agreement when I say that it is legit a world in its own.

I don't know how to sum up a possible thesis of what moved me in the show, but here are my top 6 learnings from 'When The Camellia Blooms':

1. If you love someone, tell the whole damn world about it.

My favorite trait about Yong-Sik apart from his drop-dead gorgeous confidence, is the way he keeps choosing Dongbaek every.single.time. He taught me that love wasn't limited to a three-word confession. That was just the beginning of the beginning. Love meant showing up and choosing the person I loved, every single day.

2. Bravery often comes in surprise packages.

As we see Dongbaek own the person she is, an element we least expect to find is her bravery to stand up for herself and the ones she loves when the time arises. She taught me that often, we negate certain people as 'walkovers' and 'pitiable' only to see them outgrow their thick skin and show immense courage. At such times, one realizes the futility of boxing people up with permanent labels.

3. Wisdom and maturity have got nothing to do with age.

Bare with me as I prove my point by citing the stark contrast of EQ levels between Kang Jong Ryol, a father and his 8-year-old, Pil-Goo. While the former could pass for a bratty toddler, our Pil-Goo is too wise, profound and caring for a child his age. More often than not, he is the rock Dongbaek leans upon when she's too tired to fight the world alone.

4. Community is belongingness.

That's my favorite part about Ongsan. The town's committee is a motley of women who're there for each other through thick and thin. With stay-at-home trophy husbands, we see them battle their own regressive social stigmas and come to terms with inclusivity. It is here, in this communal space that DongBaek finally finds a home away from home.

5. We all just need someone who believes in us to start believing in ourselves once again.

Sometimes, without knowing, when we're lost, somebody's belief in us can help us find our way back home to ourselves. It's that person's belief that helps us reignite the belief we need in ourselves to grow and bloom. To rest my case, I give you Dongbaek's unconditional belief in Choi Hyang-mi.

6. Every person is a universe in their own might.

Each character's narrative in the drama made me realize how each of us are a whole, separate world on our own. Our ideas, our beliefs, our daily lives are individual universes colliding with one another for brief moments in eternity.

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Credits: Images 4 & 15: dramabeans | Image 5: kdramaclicks | Image 14: coffeecaramello.wordpress.com | Netflix | Doodle App

“needing the type of hug where you bury your head in their shoulder and they just hold you tight and there’s this mutual need to keep holding on.” - @constellatedlove

©anvidoshi

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Image 1: @duxuebing 

~ Some GIF-love from Hyori’s Bed & Breakfast (Season 1) ~

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Credits: GIF 1: MyDramaList, GIF 2, 3 & 4: Amino Apps

~ Sometimes courage is listening to that quiet, inner voice rather than the hundred loud ones surrounding you. ~ 🌼

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©anvidoshi

~ Over the last few months, I’ve been enjoying more minimal spreads. A funny connection that I’ve observed: the more I declutter my space (clothes, books, stationery, etc.), the more cleaner and simpler my journal pages turn out. I love how content they make me feel. And here’s to the tiny sushi stickers to whom my heart belongs. ~

~ ‘Hyori’s Bed & Breakfast’ Reaffirmed My Love For A Simple Life ~

A lot of folks on my IG feed kept posting stories of them watching reruns of ‘Hyori's Bed & Breakfast’. After a point, curiosity got the better of me and I decided to add it to 'My List' on Netflix. It took a while before I actually got down to watching the first season, but man, when I did, I had to stop myself from falling head over heels for it.

A bit about the story:

The show revolves around K-Pop sensation Lee Hyori and her house on Jeju Island where she lives with her husband Lee Sang-Soon and their pets. The couple decide to open their home for a 'bed and breakfast' experience to selected guests.

Introverts by nature and unaccustomed to company, Hyori and Sang-Soon are initially quite apprehensive about the idea. But as the days go on, we watch them turn into beautiful caretakers to every single guest they host. 

Their pets are whole different level of cute. There's Mi-Mi the cat who's stoically disdainful of human beings, there's Sam-Sik who's so fat that she gets mistaken as a pillow most times, and then there are 5 dogs, among which Mocha is my personal favorite.

As the B&B opens, we watch people from all walks of life come in and make a home here. From college friends, to old couples, to high-school siblings and even scientists and explorers, the guests have a wonderful charm of their own.

If you've watched this show already, you know how IMPOSSIBLE it is not fall in love with IU a.k.a. Ji-Eun. 🐼💕

Even though I don't listen to K-pop music, knowing IU for the first time onscreen through the show felt like finding a kindred spirit. She's warm, kind, cool, extremely talented and humble. I love how she took over Sang-Soon's coffee duty at the B&B.

I've learned a gazillion things from this show but here's listing down my 4 favorites:

1. As we watch Hyori make peace with her super successful past as a K-Pop superstar, we also watch her in love with her present. Choosing to lead a life that feels right to her is what brings her immense peace and satisfaction, even if it isn't a life everybody (her fans, more specifically) would have her choose. Living in her own authentic way, I took pride in the way Hyori stayed true to herself.

2. Sometimes, discomfort is a pathway to new adventures. This is beautifully proven when we see Sang-Soon and Hyori open themselves up to other people, other ways of thinking and being, through the show. Initially awkward, we see them grow more confident and then even excited, to welcome new folks home.

3. When you watch Hyori and Sang Soon with each other, it just reaffirms the fact that the right kind of love will always find you if you allow yourself to be found. I felt my heart soar as I watched the ease, comfort, honesty, care and affection the two showered on each other without the need for words or loud actions.

4. Last but not the least, this show's taught me that we should laugh, as much as possible and be kind, as often as we can. Be it absolutely terrible jokes between Hyori and Sang-Soon or the camaraderie between IU and the guests or just our pet babies faffing around the bonfire for a piece of meat, the house was always filled with sounds of laughter and quiet, steady, care.

Picture Credits | Korea Boo, Netflix, (Art) The Doodle App

~ I get goosebumps each time I hear Mei Zuo say these words to Li Zhen ~

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Quote | Meteor Garden,  Picture | Netflix, Doodle App

~ Do you feel nourished, restful and calm with the people you surround yourself with? Or do you feel depleted, tired and often find yourself as a human soundboard for their thoughts and feelings? ~🐏  . Does your close circle uplift you, push to towards growth, or does it thwart your progress by belittling your ideas and work through constant negative judgment? 🐏  . Do you feel loved, seen and cherished for your heart, your mind? Or do you find yourself hiding your quirks and true feelings because there is no room for honest heart talk? 🐏 . May you choose those who choose you because we are conscious partakers of the energy we allow in our lives. 🐏 . And this beautiful little life, this sweet, fleeting existence requires you to choose people who are good to you + for you. 🐏 . . Love always, Anvi

~ Secondary Character Love: 1~

Drama: Meteor Garden (2018)  Character: Huaze Lei   Actor: Darren Chen  

I became a hardcore Huaze Lei fan right off the bat. Warm, kind, suffering from a mild case of childhood autism, Lei spelled f.r.i.e.n.d.s.h.i.p. for me.✨

Even though he's part of the F4 and Ah Si's best friend, I totally ship the course of his friendship with Shancai, through the drama.✨  

Like a shadow, he was there exactly when she needed him and vice versa. They leaned on each other, picked each other up, pushed each other to grow and displayed this pure, unconditional love reminiscent of soft, glowing stars.✨

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Picture Credits | Netflix Picture Art | The Doodle App

~ Meteor Garden (2018) ~ 

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Credits | GIF 1: Bookwyrming Thoughts | GIF 2: Guidie Dyshen | GIF 3: We Heart It | GIF 4, 5, 6: Tumblr | GIF 7: Tenor | GIF 8: @optimisticgirl

“serious transformations begin with two commitments:

the courage to try new things and act in new ways

the honesty needed to no longer hide from or  lie to ourselves.” 

~ @yungpueblo

~ I Found A Long-Lost Part Of Myself While Watching 'Meteor Garden' ~

Here's a fact: you can never get over the first drama you've watched. 

Every drama-lover I know confesses this lovingly. So, as I waited for being lovestruck yet one more time, I was drama-struck by Cupid instead.

My very first drama happened to be 'Meteor Garden’ (2018) a Chinese remake of the popular K-drama 'Boys Over Flowers'. Like the blink of an eye, I didn’t realize when I was already forty minutes into the first episode. 

That's how the drama bug got me.

The Story:

Meteor Garden revolves around the story of two Ming De university students, Daoming Si (Dylan Wang) and Dong Shancai (Shen Yue). While a typical rich brat meets a poor but badass girl, the story also pans out to accommodate a great cast of secondary characters. 

Beginning with the 'F4', Ming De's most popular boy-group starring its leader Ah Si (fierce, smart heir to the Daoming Group of industries), Huaze Lei (musical genius), Ximen Yan (tea god) and Feng Meizuo (art lover with an unbeatable memory).

There’s Dong Shancai's adorable mother and father, her best friends, Chen Qing (banana expert) and Xiao You (bubble-tea partner).

Over a span of 49 episodes, we watch Shancai and Si's unexpected love bloom, we celebrate the spirit of 'family' -- both in blood and otherwise, we cherish friendship as true as the color of a clear sky and we come face to face with a bounty of life-lessons as we fall deeper and deeper for the characters that make the show.

My favorite learnings from the drama:

1. Dong Shancai's character is a far cry from your typical C-drama heroine. She's strong, confident, boisterous and unafraid of speaking her mind. I absolutely love the way she teaches you to own who you are. To own your whole person --- your strengths, your weaknesses and to keep going exactly when you want to give up.

2. Meteor Garden celebrates love in different forms. The love between a mother and daughter, that between between two lovers, two friends, two almost-lovers-but-now-lifetime-BFFs, the kind of love that hurts because it isn't yours to claim, the kind of love that teaches you how to love with a big heart and then, the kind of love that you must let go of so that you can meet a love you deserve.

3. The F4 sum up the following sentence: find your tribe and love them hard. Their lifelong kinship reminds you that 'family' goes way past DNA and some of the best people in your life today, could have once-upon-a-time been complete strangers. They support, encourage, guide and hold each other up.

4. As a typical C-drama lead, you'd expect Daoming Se to totally own his privilege without acknowledging its side-effects. But Si's transformation from exactly this sort of person to someone who is open to changing for the better is refreshing. What blows my mind is how Si shows courage to write his own story, not the one that's expected of him.

5. While we're used to 'voicing' our opinions, Shancai taught me it's better to let your actions and virtues do the talking. Because, a pure heart may not always be a loud one but it will be seen nonetheless, since it is true to itself.

6. And then you have my favorite learning of all time: LOVE IS WORTH IT ALL.

It is worth growing into, growing for and fighting with every ounce of your soul. 

I've watched many love stories and read quite a few too, but I am unabashedly biased towards Si's pure, magical love for Shancai and vice versa.

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Image Credits | Netflix 

Image Art | Doodle Shape (Android App)

“Oh, the comfort, the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person; having neither to weigh thoughts nor measure words, but to pour them all out, just as they are, chaff and grain together, knowing that a faithful hand will take and sift them, keep what is worth keeping, and then, with a breath of kindness, blow the rest away.” 

~ George Eliot ~

But art has no name, Neither yours nor mine. It is divine energy Claiming the heart, body and mind. It is love itself, Talking through us, To us.

~ Anvi Doshi