Home Again / Reply 1988
I’m sitting at the dining room table in the Oxnard house writing while I munch on some tortilla chips. It’s been a very straightforward week. One of those straightforward, monotonous weeks where every day seems so similar you forget exactly how it went down. I don’t mean this in a bad way.
This week actually felt great. A very idyllic, relaxing Southern California week. Lots of sunshine. A good amount of walking the neighborhood. Mom’s still in Korea so I spent most of the time with Dad and Harry. Unexpectedly due to Mom’s absence I find myself hanging out with Dad more and enjoying his company.
There was a line in Reply 1988 where a documentary crew asks the main character if she’d go back to her childhood. Deuksun replies she would go back just to see parents. Back when they were “young and seemed as big as mountains.”
I think I’m catching myself in that transition between the past and the future. Before I was too young and focused on myself to notice or care that time was passing by, that all of us were growing older. Now—in my mid/late twenties—I feel more aware of this than ever before.
I used to be very anal about time passing. Even last year there were moments when I’d constantly feel a ticking clock. A countdown pressuring me to stop wasting my time and focus on the “right” things before it’s too late. Fuck that sheeeeit.
If I worry too much about running out of time I’ll never properly focus on the present. Always looking behind or ahead but never in front.
Also I get the feeling that life may be longer than I currently expect (hope hope hope hope hope so). Right now I expect to live to maybe 80-100 but I’ve been watching David Sinclair’s talk on reverse aging in my spare time at work. It looks pretty promising. Maybe we could hit 150 no problem. Wouldn’t that be a great age to live to? Have like three different careers. Live in all the different countries you want. Good deal.
Anyways, some notable moments of the week:
Went to Texas de Brazil with Harry and Papa. This was my second time going to a Brazilian barbecue spot. This place was great. $50 all you can eat Brazilian meats. Really liked the scalloped potatoes and the lobster bisque (was there a hint of honey that I tasted? Will have to go back to confirm 🌚)
Hung out with Yang! He, Harry and I played a board game (Here to Slay) and rode around the neighborhood.
Went back to Ozeki Noodle for Soba and Gyudon. Reminded me of all of last Summer when I was living alone in Brooklyn in the midst of Covid and made cold Soba on a near daily basis. What a time.
I would love to learn how to make Gyudon some day. I’m so lazy when it comes to cooking that I’ll probably get around to it in a few years.
neighborhood cat stalks its prey. What a handsome cat.
back at it with the sardines. Ortiz was great. Very rich but not overwhelmingly so. Haven’t tried Nuri yet but am excited to try after watching this.
Reply 1988
Hands down one of the best three K Dramas I’ve seen in my life (others currently include Misaeng and Hospital Playlist).
A slice of life historical drama about 5 neighborhood kids (and their families) as they finish high school during the late eighties in Korea.
Something that fascinated me while I watched: I couldn’t remember the last time I watched a show with so much love. There are no deep conflicts or even much drama. It’s mostly love and kindness and sacrificing for the sake of others.
Another fascinating aspect was the community. The show focuses on a neighborhood with a core of 4-5 families. They eat together, drink together, walk into each other’s apartments unannounced, babysit for each other, study together, play together, shop together, gossip together, go to funerals/wedding/birthdays together. Almost every aspect of life submits to this sense of community.
That kind of community doesn’t exist anymore (unless you happen to live in a really small town or something?) but how wonderful would that be? To live on the same street with 4-5 of your closest friends. College was the best shot you had at something like this. How do you do this as an adult?
Overall loved this show. Watched almost every episode alone because I’d cry so much while watching (the beauty and sadness in life and love!!). Cry so much to the point my tear ducts almost felt fatigued. Cry so much I start to wonder at how many tears my eyeballs can produce. Maybe I’m just overly sentimental.
Was also great for absorbing the pop culture and historical context of Korea in the 1980s. Political protests. Crushing on Chinese actresses (Joey Wang?? Maggie Cheung). Lee Moon Sae. Discotheques. Studying your ass off for college entrance exams. Also apparently there was a law where you couldn’t marry someone with the same last name as you…
Music Update
Been diligently practicing singing. Walked into the last session with Michelle all confident that I’d hit the high notes. I half debated walking in with the announcement that this week’s song would be one and done. Boy was I wrong. I ended the session super tired (physically and emotionally). Michelle semi-enthusiastically said “good job this week” and gave me a lollipop as I walked out the door. That made me feel slightly worse (enjoyed the lollipop though).
But maybe I'm being overly pessimistic. Maybe I had indeed done a good job that week.
In any case I think I’ve improved significantly since my first lesson.
This week’s practice leaves me a little anxious about tomorrow’s performance. I can hit the high notes, just not consistently. I can sing the notes but not with ease or style.
Also the vocal runs in this song are D A U N T I N G. I can’t even tell which notes are being hit for some of them. I listened to this one at least ten times (even at 0.25 speed) and I honestly cannot tell what notes are sung at what time, much less replicate it.
Well, so it goes. The road ahead is unclear but I’ll trust the process and trust that I’ll improve over time.