~ I Made Coffee For Myself This Morning And It Tasted Perfect-- Bitter, Nutty. Slightly Sweet. It Was

~ Today, I want to share something very dear to my heart, something that's become my Golden Mantra of sorts. I recently learnt and experienced that whenever you feel you're at a dead-end, lost or have 10% of clarity on a subject: . a) Pray: Take that 10% clarity and go ahead with it rather than wait for the remaining 90%. With that 10%, head to the Universe or to whichever divine energy you believe in and ask for help. Pray: about your worries, your hopes, your want for guidance and rest all of it on the Universe. Let it be there for you. . b) Act: Once you've teamed up with the Universe, pinpoint areas where you can start taking immediate action. What is the work you need to put in and in which areas? Prayer is one half of the Divine Teamwork, taking action is the next. It solidifies your hope and makes you feel actively responsible for your path. It makes you feel like a thriving part of it rather than a passive onlooker. . c) Surrender: Once you've acted in the best way you could, however minimal your actions might feel at times, surrender the outcome to the universe. Trust the divine plan and trust its timing. It is never wrong. Let go of your mind's need to control the result and trust the universe's splendid, ever-caring magic. . . P.S: Most often than not, we are the only ones in our way. Let's open our hearts to help (both divine and human), and let's learn to get out of our own way. 🌼 ~ . . ~ notes from everyday ~

~ Another day, another flashback to a mini journal spread ✨~

~ Embracing fall and a tiny bit of Halloween in today's page from my Reflections Journal. ~ 🍂🎃

Don’t Let Your Past Dictate Your Present Is What  I Learnt From ‘Chocolate’

For every drama I've loved so far, there's an inner Anvi screaming "O, my god! What a show! Go watch it!". It's screaming very loudly for this one as well.

My third drama to be precise and my first Korean one, ‘Chocolate’ (2019) had my heart in a knot and made me weep like a baby. It took every broken piece inside me and took its time in gluing it back with a little bit more magic and love.

Man, this show. Oh man, this show.

A tale of two childhood sweethearts, Dr. Kang and chef Moon Cha Young, the two reunite after nearly two decades with only Cha Young recognizing her first love. Dr. Lee Kang, an illegitimate heir of a big medical institution, lives with his step-family who wants nothing more than his inheritance. A boy who once dreamed of becoming a chef, Kang now seeks revenge for his mother's death.

Moon Cha Young has had it rough in life. A survivor of a terrifying building crash, she finds solace in food and cooking. Suffering from post-traumatic disorder, Cha Young keeps to herself, until Kang's best friend falls for her.

(I won't spill the beans further because that would just unravel the plot making it pointless to watch. Which is precisely what I don't want --- I want you to watch the drama and fall head over heels for it and cry buckets just like I did.)

Kang and Cha Young cross paths once again in a hospice for terminally ill patients and it is here, amidst stories of love, death, family and friendship that they begin to know each other.

The drama is tear-jerker, NGL. But I didn't mind that one bit. It isn't a light watch, it is mature and heavy and worth every minute of your precious time.

As is typical of drama male leads, Kang's initial treatment of Cha Young pissed the shit out of me even though I could understand where his attitude stemmed from -- Cha Young after all, broke the heart of his only and best friend. Still, I wanted to punch the man in his face a lot of times. And I also wanted to shake the hell out of Cha Young for returning to him time and again like a wounded puppy. Thank god she stopped after a while, thank god for some self-respect.

I also love, love the side-cast in this show. What freaking cool actors and boomers. I particularly love head nurse Ha Young Shi who's totally cool, gives zero shits about gender stereotypes and goes all in with her heart. Then there is Lee Joon who's narrative I particularly enjoyed, especially the way he chose to let his own heart guide him rather than his family's expectations of him. I loved Director Kwon Hyun Sik, a father figure to Kang and an absolutely beautiful man.

My learnings:

1. Some people are worth those second chances. 

Some people are worth placing your trust back into and trying once more. Some people are worth the fight. 

2. Don’t let your past dictate your present. 

Let your present dictate your choices, your heart. The past is long gone and if something from it comes revisiting, it is worth looking at in a brand new way.

3. It’s never too late to open your heart again.

For me, 'Chocolate' still remains one of my favorite dramas till date. I love the slow-paced nature of the show, I love how it wrings out all kinds of emotions from you and how it heals you in ways you don't even realize.

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GIF Credits: | GIF 2  - Soompi | GIF 7: Tumgir | GIF 11: Netflix 

Image Credits: Hancinema.net

It’s the middle of a working Tuesday and here I am, sharing a little love note from the beautiful Japanese (YouTube) series ‘Kitchen for Singles (2019)’. 🌸

Hope it makes your heart warm.

~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, 

“Though you have changed a thousand times, He has not changed once.” ~ @thehoneydesignco

Bruch at Juco Cafe | 10th May, Saturday

“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

~ ‘Little House In The Forest’ Showed Me The Joys Of Mindful Living ~

I feel K-Variety shows have a way to help you tap into your Zen. My encounter with them has made me fall in love with how positive, uplifting and fun they can be.

'Little House In The Forest' is a special one among the litter. I received the link for the first episode from my friend who'd just stumbled upon the show and was already head over heels for it.

I won't lie, she had very good reasons to be.

What the show is about:

The central theme of the show is around how simple, mindful living can actually boost people's happiness.

We have 2 celebrity subjects in the show: 1) Subject A: Park Shin Hye 2) Subject B: So Ji Sub

The subjects are brought to individual cabins, set in different parts of a forested area and they are given various tasks through the days. These tasks are actual experiments in helping them discover happiness and calm in the everyday.

Our celebrity subjects are then required to do these tasks and share their honest experiences on how effective these experiences were for their overall well-being.

The tasks are simple yet really soothing to watch, but what makes the show fun is the distinct personalities of the celebrities.

The Guests:

Subject A, Park Shin Hye is cheerful, likes playing music when she's cooking, loves to eat and is a thorough maximalist (her weekly pantry that she gets from the city is proof of this).

USP: Park Shin Hye's attention to food is superb to watch. She thoughtfully plans her meals and ravishes them with respect and contentment. She cooks up the coolest menus and is quite proud of her flavors.

Subject B, Ji-Sub is a quick contrast to Shin Hye. He's quiet, unintentionally funny, likes to eat but isn't ballistic about it and needs very little to live well (his luggage i.e. a medium sized rucksack is proof that he's probably a modern day monk in hiding).

USP: Ji Sub surprises you with his sensitivity to things. At first, I did confuse his introverted personality for aloofness but he's brilliantly creative. He has this knack of building things out of thin air, such as a simple towel rack, a footstool and my favorite, a hammock.

I love him more because ramen is his favorite meal in the whole world (*take all the brownie points*)

We also have some random cuties who appear on the show. One of them is Bong, the cloud-white dog who will only follow human orders if there's food involved in the bargain. He's shamelessly selfish and won't chill around with the guests even when they ask him to stay for company. He likes sunny, windy days while sitting in grass and is also quite fond of flowers.

Side note: He has a hilarious first encounter with Ji-Sub where the two of them take offense and depart with sorry disappointment.

Then there are the cows. Yes, cows. These creatures of the nearby forests wander into the meadows that surround our guests' cabins and they often take a liking towards the camera.

However, when our guests get friendly with them, they find themselves and their homes surrounded by an entire herd that refuses to leave (oops).

And last but not the least, the narrator that comes in with a calming synopsis of the tasks, explains their meanings and pulls you in to try them as well.

The Tasks:

I especially enjoyed the experiments of happiness our celebrities received. A few of my favorites among them were:

1. Decorating a part of the cabin with your own unique art: Shin Hye painted a flower meadow around her window ❤

2. Taking 3 hours to prep, cook and enjoy lunch: Ji-Sub had a slow, barbeque style meal outdoors and enjoyed it with the surrounding mountains and clouds.

3. Capturing the colors of the rainbow through photographs of objects around them: The two of them traveling through the surrounding woods to notice flowers, dew drops and streams to capture these colors is very beautiful to watch.

4. Building a little something for the cabin as a goodbye gift: I loved Shin Hye making a cute bird nest outside hers for creatures to come and give the cabin company in her absence.

5. Turning off your smartphone post 6 p.m.: Ji-Sub was a stud as had switched his off from the morning itself (lol) while Shin Hye almost had a panic attack without hers for the evening. 

6. Going for a solo picnic.

There were a total of 44-46 tasks that the guests performed and there were glimpses of the omitted ones in the last episode (the director's cut).

What I Liked:

1. I loved the theme of the show in itself. It is positive, nourishing and very beautiful to see simple living in action.🌼 2. The celebrity guests, who with their contrasting personalities make the tasks so much more fun to watch. 🌼 3. Bong the doggo.🌼 4. The various happiness tasks that can be done even when if you're living in a city. 🌼 5. The resourceful nature of Ji-Sub who lives calmly even when he spends a winter night without electricity. 🌼 6. Shin-Hye's meal combos and her manner of eating. 🌼 7. The beautiful, simple and well-structured cabins in the woods. 🌼 8. The woods. 🌼

What I Didn't Like:

1. I feel they could have shown more tasks rather than just the select few.

My Learnings:

1. Happiness is not faraway. It is right here.

This is the biggest message that the show gives out. It displays how happiness is day to day affair and how we can welcome it where we are, without needing to head off to a cabin to look for it.

2. Who you are is enough and you deserve rest.

Both our celeb guests warm up to the idea of rest which for them, is such a stark contrast given their hectic lifestyles. I love Ji-Sub's evolution through the show: how he slowly gets more comfortable showing who he is onscreen, sheds off much of his shyness yet is naturally himself.

3. Listening to yourself requires you to sit down with yourself first.

If you really want to get in touch with your feelings, you have to let go of the mental clutter of thoughts and sit down with yourself. Letting go of excess to focus on what's important enhances your time and gives it an enriching, peaceful quality.

My last thoughts: 

This is a BEAUTIFUL show. One that deserves your time and one that is perfect if you want a feel-good watch. It adds value and purpose and helps you make better choices to live more fully.💕

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Image Credits: 1 - burnsocial.com | 9: Channel Korea |