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

Forever mood.🍜🍜🍜

Ramen

~ Someone please bury my heart with this show because I just finished watching it and I can’t. I just can’t. ~

‘Hotel Del Luna’ Showed Me That Sometimes, You Get To Choose Who You Call ‘Family’

I wasn't ready to see IU on screen. I wasn't ready for that killer walk in a purple high-slight gown with a rifle in hand. I wasn't ready either for a drama world filled with magic, humor and sass. But it happened and there I already adding 'Hotel Del Luna' to my 're-watch' and 'favorites' lists.

The Story:

The story commences with Jang Man Wol, a 1000-year-old woman for whom the flow of time has stopped. As a manager of 'Hotel Del Luna' (a pit-stop for souls to rest and move on from the earthly realm to afterlife), Man Wol is snooty, obsessed with money, high-end fashion and the latest cars.

In comes Koo Chan Sung, a Forbes-listed hotelier who's bound by a curse to work for Del Luna and hence, he comes to be the 99th caretaker (private secretary) of Jang Man Wol.

We now enter the world of spirits and their stories that deal with our deep attachment to the past, need for revenge, the beauty of letting go and the very scientific bearings of karma. These are wonderfully conveyed in the drama through humor, sensitivity and wisdom.

The hotel staff consists of 3 primary ghosts: Kim Sun Bi, a misunderstood Joseon scholar with a tainted name, Choi Seo Hee, a wronged mother seeking vengeance and Ji Hyun Joong, a brother who is waiting to step into the afterlife with his still-living baby sister.

What I loved:

~ Man Wol's potty mouth + impeccable wardrobe + kind heart 🎃 ~ Beautiful stories of spirits' healing  🎃 ~ The bubbly deity Ma Go Shin and the superbly deadpan Grim Reaper Sa Shin 🎃 ~ The interplay between past and present of each character's story 🎃 ~ Korean mythology and magic 🎃 ~ Man Wol & Goo Chan Sung's love 🎃

Learnings:

1. "Do not judge a book by its cover."

The saying particularly fits Man Wol's character which on the surface, seems selfish and self-centered but actually houses a lot of compassion and justice within. With every episode, through Koo Chan Sung, we come across various layers of Man Wol's personality which seem otherwise absent. This taught me to look beyond what I perceive people to be and allow myself the chance to really know them.

2. Choosing what's best for the one you love is an act of deep courage.

This is my favorite part of Man Wol and Koo Chan Sung's connection. They choose what is the best for the person they love and help them bloom into the best versions of who they are. While it seems like the obvious thing to do, it is far from easy but this is exactly why true love is termed 'selfless'.

3. And while you're here, live. Do not simply exist.  Time and time again, whether it is through the stories of the ghosts or through Man Wol, I learned the power of living each day to the fullest. Which includes lots of laughter, walking your own path, ticking of that wish-list of dreams and loving people deeply.

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GIF Credits: | GIF 1: Quora | GIF 2: @foriu​ | GIF 4: J’Marei, Soompi | GIF 5:  Shine Smile | GIF 6: Bir Otakunun Dunyasi | GIF 7: Tumblr | GIF 8: Aghasewatchtv | GIF 9: Giphy | GIF 10: El Blog de Wendy

~ 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 

“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

~ We give so much of our time to things that do not benefit us. I realize this as I struggle with staying off my phone. But becoming aware each time we’re giving away our time to what isn’t good for us, and pausing to reflect and change is a practice. 

🌸 I hope we keep practicing making better choices, to feel and live better. 🌸 ~

- a note from today

Heartwork 06.02.2020

Find more journaling inspiration @anvijournals

A Small Guide on How to Sit with Yourself

My Teacher said, "Sit with yourself for 15 minutes everyday. Take this time to reflect and just enjoy your solitude."

It's the best advice on self-love I've received. I do this every morning, with a cup of coffee alongside. Here's a tiny guide I'd like to share for you to experience this joy too:

* Choose your favorite spot (at home, a café or even the metro)

* Not mandatory: It's good to have trees or the sky to look at

* Put your phone away for the next 10-15 minutes

* Consciously pause all the mental to-do lists and planning of activities or goals that's surprisingly always running in the background, even when you're not aware of it

* The minute you do this, you might hear yourself exhale or sigh a bit louder than usual. (It's a good sign)

* Feel free to have a coffee or a mug of tea for company

* Notice the most predominant feeling present inside you in that moment

* Allow this feeling and any other ones to fully move through you without stopping or analyzing them

* Once you've felt all of them deeply, allow yourself to talk to yourself or the Universe about things that feel too tough to solve, hurtful or confusing

* You may feel a sense of release, even if the answers aren't coming to you yet (don't worry, they'll come. Answers have a unique way of showing up when we least expect them.)

* Right now, notice if your breathing has softened and slowed down. Enjoy this state of presence with yourself

* Talk aloud to yourself if you'd like. (I find this particularly comforting.) It doesn't have to be profound talk. Even a regular catch-up with your thoughts, something that changed your perspective yesterday, a new learning, a meal you'd like to eat again, all are good.

* You may want to chill with yourself past those 15 minutes. Go on, it's a fine idea.:) 

* For some, it may be discomforting at first-- the silence, the weirdness about meeting yourself-- and that's cool. 

* Try to keep coming back to yourself everyday if you can. Mind you, it can get addicting. :) 

P.S: I'd like to thank you my wonderful Teacher who made me meet myself in this soul-easing way.

~ A very proud moment for me. I completed a 100 blog posts of original, heartwork yesterday evening.

This blog has been a source of comfort, creativity, fulfillment and a space where I’ve learned the joy of putting in consistent work to build something from scratch.

The feeling is indescribable and for everyone here, supporting my journey, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. 

Turning this into a beautiful memory today.🌼🥑 ~

⁓ Favorite Stills: Midnight Diner: Episode 1⁓

A bit about Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories - 

This is a collection of short stories that happen in a diner in Tokyo, Japan. The owner of this diner is called ‘Master’ and he becomes a catalyst in either bringing people together or tying lose ends of a tale. Often serving as the voice of wisdom, his diner opens at midnight and shuts shop at 7 each morning. 

The stories in themselves are beautiful depictions of human emotions. They are positive, light and simple. Food serves as a connector between the people who visit the diner and is often the reason for new friendships and love interests. 

Here are a few favorite stills of mine from the Episode 1, Season 1. 

All images here are screenshots from the show and are owned by Netflix. I don’t own any copyrights to them.