Quarantined Korean Drama Life: My Mom Discovers "Stairway To Heaven"

A year ago, at the height of the enhanced community quarantine, my mom discovered the Korean drama, My Golden Life on Philippine television (read blog here). Lucky for her, KBS, the Korean broadcaster that produced the drama, has a Youtube account which contains all the episodes with English subtitles. She was able to binge-watch all the 52 episodes!😱

("Stairway to Heaven" poster 

featuring the cast of the drama)

This year, she's watching another Korean drama, Stairway to Heaven, an old drama that aired in 2003. My mom is 18 years late. 😜

How did she discover Stairway to Heaven when it's not even shown on the local channels? It's on a digital channel included in GMA Affordabox! She was able to win one by just watching the One Western Visayas newscast every afternoon!😂

On GMA Affordabox's Channel 3 - Heart of Asia, several Korean dramas dubbed in Pilipino are being shown, most of which must have been watched by Korean drama fans in the Philippines, including my friends whom I call the Seoul drama queens (read blog here). 

These 'Seoul drama queens' visited Korea every year before the pandemic to discover the Korean culture and explore the locations where their favorite Korean dramas were filmed. My mom would surely benefit from their knowledge of Korean dramas, from plots to the difficult names of actors and actresses, and of course, the film locations.

But for now, I'll let my mom enjoy the dubbed episodes of Stairway to Heaven over Channel 3 of the GMA Affordabox. Then, maybe later I'll ask for her reactions and write about it for Korea.net, like the piece I did about her on My Golden Life (read here).

So, thanks to One Western Visayas and GMA Affordabox for the thrill and amusement my mom gets every time there's a 'kilig' moment between Cholo (the character of Kwon Sang-woo) and Jodi (the character of Choi Ji-woo, who has a statue at Nami Island with Bae Yong-joon, read blog here). 

These days when we have to avoid going to crowded places even when we're vaccinated, entertaining ourselves with what's on TV can be one way to avoid stress, or even depression. 

And watching Korean dramas dubbed in Pilipino and aired over Channel 3 of GMA Affordabox can be a source of such fun and entertainment. 😊

(My mom in front of the Lotte World Tower

 in Seoul, Korea. I told her the Lotte World 

Adventure where the some scenes were 

filmed was just across the street.😊)

A Korean Drama Class at the University of the Philippines and Why I Can Probably Teach That Class 😊

Last week, I stumbled upon a piece of online news on Philippine media that I immediately thought would bring a lot of excitement to Korean drama fans in Manila:  a class about Korean drama at the University of the Philippines (UP).

 

But it wouldn’t be easy signing up for this class though.  Only students enrolled at UP were allowed and, worse, only 26 can attend per class.

 

Looking at the course information on UP’s website, I saw the enumerated requirements for the students before enrolling:  must have access to the drama online, must download video conferencing apps on their laptop or gadget, and pre-class reading, or shall I say, pre-class watching of the dramas. Each student must watch beforehand the dramas Crash Landing On You, Chicago Typewriter, and Misaeng: Complete Life.

 

Although I am not familiar with Chicago Typewriter, the other two dramas have been popular with their genres I am very familiar with.

 

First, Misaeng: Incomplete Life.

 

This drama is about an intern’s life in a Korean office, and although I lived in Seoul, I never knew about it as I didn’t watch the local television. It was only when my Korean colleague and friend Dong-Eun told me about it because the drama was being shot at Seoul Square, the building where he worked.  Seoul Square is the huge, brick orange-colored building across Seoul Station (read blog here).

 

(During breaks at my office in Seoul, I enjoyed 

my hopia from the Chinatown in Manila brought by visiting friends from the Philippines)

Dong-eun also told me that, even before the drama aired, some cast members visited their office to research about the typical Korean workplace.  He even met Im Si-wan, the lead actor, and had a selfie with him (he showed me!). I told him that I only saw Im Si-wan dancing and singing onstage as a member of the boyband ZE:A during the K-pop concerts that I was invited to as a blogger for the Korea Tourism Organization (read blog here). 

But speaking of the typical Korean office, in my decade-long of working for a corporation in Seoul, I have learned the dynamics, politics, hierarchy, and the culture of the Korean office and its workers. And aside from the regular employees, I met and made friends with our office interns, the character played by Im Si-wan in the drama. 

Most of these interns were in their late teens as they were still in college and were just on a break from their studies.

I observed that these interns were the most energetic (they could do chores without getting tired the whole day!), the most enthusiastic (they were willing to do anything to help!), and the most dependable (you were always sure any chore you assigned to them gets done!).😎 

I don’t know what chores Im Si-wan was made to do at the drama but I think the interns at our office could have easily outdone him.😆 

And yes, it’s true that Korean employees don’t even try to leave if their bosses are still around and that nobody turns down an invitation from the boss to drink after work! One would have to give up an internal organ for a promotion!😄

 

(An afternoon in a Korean office wouldn't be complete without coffee. For me, it's iced cafe mocha. Always! Coffee shops around offices are full of Korean office workers during lunch breaks because everyone wants to get a hot cup of cafe americano.☕)

And what about Crash Landing On You?

 

Well, it’s about an incredible story about a billionaire’s daughter who paraglided at the border with North Korea but was blown northward and landed on the wrong side of the demilitarized zone or DMZ. In my case, I didn’t have to paraglide into North Korea. I simply rode a tourist bus (read blog here).

 

(At the Mount Kumgang resort standing 

in front of a meticulously created giant mosaic 

of two known figures at the north)

About 14 years ago when the mountain resort in North Korea's Geumgangsan (or the Diamond Mountains) was still open to foreign visitors, I joined a group of Korean and international tourists in crossing the border for a weekend.

 

It was surreal to pass a small immigration office, cross the two-kilometer South Korean side of the DMZ by bus, and then cross another two-kilometer portion of the DMZ’s northern side. 

Upon arriving in North Korea (at first I couldn't believe I was actually there!😱), we were herded to a tent where we quietly passed through passport and security checks (during this time the talkative people in our group were unusually silent knowing we were no longer in SK!). 

Our bags were inspected for cellphones and reading materials as we were not allowed to bring these in. And knowing we were being watched everywhere we went at the resort, my friends and I were careful not to do the things we weren’t allowed to do, like taking photos of the locals and the military outposts.

 

(The mountain resort has trails for the visitors 

and it was simply breathtaking to see 

the unique stone structures of what 

the locals call the Diamond Mountains.)

There, I was face-to-face with soldiers from the north, who, I assure you, didn’t look at all like Hyun Bin. And the billionaire’s daughter who paraglided? Well, let’s just say she and her free-flying glider would have been turned into a target for practice shooting by North Korean soldiers even before she could crash land on Hyun Bin.😂 And if you read the news about the physical and mental state of soldiers from the north who endured everything just to cross the DMZ just to defect to the south, you might not be at all amused about all the romanticizing about the way of life north of the border.

 

Yes, it would be fun for Korean drama fans to get together in a class where their grades would probably be based on how much they fell for those actors and the characters on the screen. But I think studying these dramas would have been deeper and the class discussion more fun if the teacher and students have actually lived the experience, knew the culture, and are able to tell what’s drama and what’s reality.

 

Now, shall I also teach my own Korean drama class?😊

The Quarantined Life: My Mom Got Addicted To 'My Golden Life' Drama

All this free time that we are required to stay home was all that was needed for my mom to be reunited with her Korean dramas.

Years before, when I flew home to the Philippines from Korea during vacation from my work in Seoul, I found my mom watching Korean dramas every night on Philippine television. These dramas were dubbed in Pilipino, which made the dramas understandable for her.

I remember her watching Goblin a few years back (read blog here) when I was home in the Philippines, a drama I never attempted to watch when I was in Seoul but was a big hit everywhere else. I felt like I didn't need to be entertained by those dramas because, after all, those characters were just like my neighbors or my colleagues at work, or even my Korean friends.😊

And over the years, when my Filipino friends came to Seoul (read blog here), one of their reasons, aside from shopping, was to visit the shooting locations of their favorite Korean dramas.👭 

For my mom, her daily dose of the Korean drama, 'My Golden Life', started when she saw an episode over a local Philippine channel. But when I learned that she had to wait for another day for the next episode, I searched whether it was available online. And it was! All 52 episodes!😄

(I told my mom that this scene shows the NSeoul Tower 

that we visited when she toured Seoul a few years back)

Thanks to the Korean channel KBS World that uploaded it on their Youtube account, she parlayed through the episodes non-stop, enjoying the scenes and dialogue as it had English subtitles.

Of course, a few times, I sat down with her and reminded her on scenes where she had been at during her visit to Seoul a couple of years back (read blog here).

And while she was watching the drama, I asked her why she liked it. Her reasons: the actors were good-looking, the story was very interesting, and everyone dressed up nicely.

Those were the most obvious reasons why Korean dramas are popular. Their productions are well-financed that they don't scrimp on budget: they fly to other countries to shoot, they get tons of fashionable wardrobe for the cast, and leave no strand of hair uncoiffed. Of course, it also helps that their make-up are impeccable to make sure their faces and skin looked flawless on the high definition, wide-screen TVs they are watched on.

And when my mom got immersed after watching a few episodes, she wanted to continue watching even if it was late at night. I had to remind her that she could always watch the next episodes the next day. She reasoned that she couldn't wait to know what happened next. 

What happens now to Do-Kyung after he got banished from home by his grandfather?😀

Would Ji-an end up with Do-Kyung?😃 Will her father get well from his sickness?

What kind of tasty bread they make at that bakery?😋

And since it's a drama, she enjoyed how Ji-an and Do-Kyung (the good guys) had a happy ending they deserved, and that the bad guys (the grandfather and kidnappers) and bad girls (Do-kyung's mother) finally met their fate, including the catfight with her mayordoma.

(I reminded my mom that the monument at the background is Sungnyemun, 

in front of which she posed when we visited the Namdaemun Market.)

Things happen for a reason, they always say.  And if this quarantined life caused by the pandemic didn't happen, my mom wouldn't have been able to religiously watch and enjoy the drama 'My Golden Life', learning more about the Korean life as each episode passed and grew fondly more as each character revealed themselves, played by actors who captivated audiences, other than my mom, through portrayal and stories that transcend nationalities, cultures and languages.😍

Now, what's the next Korean drama should she watch?😎 

From Manila to Seoul: The Korean Drama Fans from the Philippines

Though there are millions, I have met only a few, and among the few, I am happy to introduce to you four of the most loyal and enthusiastic Philippine fans of Korean dramas. These ladies always know the latest Korean dramas and films, and of course, the names of the actors and actresses who star in it!

Meet Cielo, Itchay, Jenny and Marlu. I call them the Korean drama queens of the Philippines. Although they’re not related by blood, they call themselves ‘Seoul Sisters’, having been brought together by a common love for Korean dramas and films.

Even before Hallyu, or the Korean Wave, reached the Philippines in the early 2000s, Koreana, the Korean quartet that sang ‘Hand in Hand’ in Korean and English during the opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games in Seoul on September 17, 1988, was probably the first Korean group and the first Korean song that was seen and heard by the most number of Filipinos as the ceremonies were broadcast live in the Philippines that day.  Many years later, in 2003, came Bae Yong-joon and his Winter Sonata drama that swept the Philippines. And the rest, they say, was not only history but a flood of Korean dramas, Korean celebrities, and K-pop artists and music that couldn’t seem to satisfy the hunger of the millions of shrieking Filipino fans.

And just like any devoted fan, these ladies flew to Korea to visit locations of their favorite Korean dramas and realize their dreams of being in an actual Korean drama scene wearing Korean traditional costumes. Of course, shopping for Korean cosmetics was also in their hectic itinerary. 

The ‘Seoul Sisters’ visited the popular Gyeongbukgong Palace, Changdeokgung Palace, Deoksugung Palace, Insadong, Namdaemun, Myeongdong, Dongdaemun, Gangnam area and Hongdae in Seoul as well as Nami Island and the MBC Dae Jang Geum Park, a very popular location for Korean dramas that also offers drama tours in Yong-in City in Gyeonggi Province. With the help of the official website of Korea Tourism Organization that provides helpful information to tourists in different languages and their ‘man on the ground' (as Marlu called me), they had fun touring Korea and getting up close and personal with their favorite Korean dramas. 

According to these ladies, these Korean dramas are fun to watch because they are well-made and feature exotic locations, and the lead characters are always perfectly coiffed and impeccably attired even when they’re lying on their deathbeds. The dramas’ storylines always appeal to a wide audience as these are always about love, family and friendships. And as they hardly feature any violence or sex scenes that may be inappropriate for some audiences, they are generally viewed as wholesome.

They also said that another feature of these Korean dramas that makes them likable is that Korean actors and actresses have perfected the art of restrained acting. I think I understand what they mean. Having watched a lot of Philippine television, I noticed that Filipino actresses have a habit of going hysterical in every other scene like they just found a rat in the kitchen. Korean actresses, however, remain calm and just let tears flow even when such rat ate all her kimchi fried rice.

     (Photo courtesy of the Korean drama queens)

After their first visit to Korea a few years ago, the ‘Seoul Sisters’ have returned almost every autumn when their schedules allowed them to. They said that every time they’re here, they found the experience magical and so much fun. Although every time they fly back to Manila they feel the time spent in Korea seems not enough, they’re happy that, not only is their luggage full of Korean goodies and presents for loved ones back home, it’s also full of fun memories that would only make their watching Korean dramas more enjoyable.

The Philippine-South Korea Trade Agreement: Bae Yong Joon for Ensaimadas

Television dramas from South Korea are a hit everywhere! From Japan to China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Southeast Asia, North and Latin Americas, and even in the Middle East, Africa and Europe! Dubbed in the local languages of the importing country, Korean dramas have become so popular it now has legions of fans addicted to these series reflecting the Korean culture and society, loaded with fast-paced writing, beautiful sceneries, latest fashion and whose lead characters are always played by good-looking actors with perfect set of teeth and skin.

Hallyu and Bae Yong-Joon

The Korean Wave or 'Hallyu' as they call it here in Korea, is the term used to describe the popularity and influence of Korean entertainment and entertainers overseas: Korean pop music and singers, movies, television dramas, Korean actors and even products.

One of the most popular Korean dramas that ever hit the Philippines was Winter Sonata, whose lead actor, Bae Yong-Joon, has achieved god-like status in Japan, where women of 'a certain age' (you know what I mean) worship him like, well, a god! They call him Yon-sama, a name that denotes the highest respect. He was the face of Faceshop, which I think, made Faceshop one of the biggest brands of Korean cosmetics that time.

The success of these Korean dramas usually results in a windfall for its lead actors who are offered lucrative endorsement contracts for products marketed in Korea or in another country where he or she has won fans through the drama.

In Seoul, even if you're not a fan, you would still know if the current TV drama is a hit because the lead actor's face is all over the city. Lee Min-Ho, who played Gu Jun-Pyo in Boys Over Flowers, was on posters plastered at donut shops. Other successful actors would be seen on TV selling products ranging from coffee, clothes, make-up, cell phones, apartment units and, of all things, insurance.

K-Pop Music

And aside from the dramas, Korean pop music also has its own following, although it's mostly for the younger generation represented by grade schoolers, teenagers, and fans in their 20's, who I'm sure can always pronounce the tricky Korean names of the individual members of the girl and boy bands. Some solo artists though have unique names: Rain (or Bi in Korean), Se7en (yes, the number) and BoA (not the reptile); and members of boys bands as Big Bang (not the theory) such as G-Dragon and T.O.P., which are easier to remember. I guess since the real Korean names of these entertainers are very common in Korea, they opted for foreign-sounding ones in order to stand out.

And when it comes to naming a group, the talent management companies have to come up with unusual names like Mblaq, SS501, Super Junior, Big Bang, FT Island, CNBlue, TVXQ for boy bands; and Girls Generation, Wonder Girls, Jewelry, Secret, 2NE1 (Sandara Park's group), and T-ara for girl groups, to name just a few, because with so many bands (one debuts almost every other week!), the fans should be able to remember the ones with unique names; although I'm not too sure as to the logic behind the naming of the two boy groups, 2AM and 2PM. I guess they were created within 12 hours of each other.

And when they have cute names, these members should also look pretty and handsome because that's what the screaming fans like. With these boy groups trying to outdo each other in terms of costumes, hairstyle and make-up, they almost look androgynous; while the girls compete as to who has the biggest hair, thickest make-up, shortest skirts, sexiest choreography and catchiest tune. And with some groups having eight or more members, they look like cheering squads on stage, instead of singers. And did you ever notice that all members of these girls bands seem to look the same? In addition to their vocal coaches, costume designers, choreographers and make-up artists, they also have their cosmetic and dental surgeons to thank for.

And speaking of k-pop music, who can forget that song, Nobody, Nobody from Wonder Girls, which was played everywhere? One time, I was on a bus in Seoul when that song played over the bus' radio when I noticed a girl in her high school uniform on the front of the bus moving to the tune while seated with her hands dancing to the choreography. The song was almost over when she realized she missed her stop! She frantically pushed the 'Stop' button and loudly asked the driver to let her off. She did get off, but didn't finish her performance.

Let's go back to the dramas.

Korean drama fans

And just like most of the drama fans in the Philippines, the ones in Korea never forget theTV time slots of their favorite dramas. They either watch it at home, in their cars, at restaurants, at the gym while on the treadmill or at their mobile phones while on the bus or in the subway on their way home.

And for the international fans who can afford, they travel to South Korea to visit locations where the dramas were filmed. Nami-seom (Winter Sonata), Hongdae (Coffee Prince), Namsan Park (Lovers in Paris), and of course, Changdeokgung (Jewel in the Palace) are just a few locations where fans head to. And most of them also visit Namdaemun Market where they buy their Korean drama souvenirs to bring home.

The Philippine-South Korea Free Trade

But one fan in Manila, Cielo, who happened to be a good friend, could not get enough of her idol, Bae Yong-Joon, that she had to ask me to buy his poster and have it sent to Manila in return for a dozen Mary Grace ensaimadas, which she learned was my favorite. I told her the ensaimadas were enticing, but buying the poster would involve a certain amount of embarrassment for me since I was a guy and was worried how the shopkeeper at Namdaemun Market would think of me as I buy another guy's poster. She immediately doubled the quantity of the ensaimadas! And in return, I bravely bought the poster and had it flown to Manila!

With this, I realized that all these years the trade between the Philippines and South Korea actually does not just involve tourism, agricultural products, manpower, cars, electronics, minerals and English lessons. With the involvement of Hallyu, new trading partnerships are created! Though not between huge corporations, it's still a trade! 

While Cielo was ecstatic with her Bae Yong-Joon poster, I enjoyed the Mary Grace ensaimadas, which she sent through a friend flying to Seoul.

There may have been other countless trading partnerships between the Philippines and South Korea involving k-pop boy and girl bands, and some Philippine delicacies. The two countries have been friends since 1949, and that friendship, strengthened by economic, cultural and social exchanges throughout the decades, has been even made stronger by Hallyu, Bae Yong-Joon, and some yummy ensaimadas.

(This article was first published by AIM Leader Magazine in January 2011.)

Seoul Spot: Gangnam Station's Exit 11

Gangnam Station is one of Seoul's busiest stations. During weekdays, commuters crowd this station on their way to their work at buildings and establishments located near the station. 

          (I forgot the name of this K-pop girl band)

On weekends, couples and friends wanting to meet up at cafes and restaurants in Gangnam pass through Gangnam Station as well, although some would also get off at Sinnonhyeon Station, which is right next to Kyobo Building. 

                 (Gail, Therese and some Korean guys 
                     giving away free t-shirts)

But with the addition of the Shinbundang Line that connects the Green Line through Gangnam Station, this station even gets more pedestrian traffic every day! And night!

And speaking of traffic, that spot at the main Gangnam intersection, the one next to Exit 11 where Psy's silhouette stands under 'GANGNAM STYLE', the words he made famous with his monster hit, has become a venue for marketing events. 

          (A very crowded Gangnam Station spot)

A few years back, when I toured my friend Maria around Gangnam one early morning, it was only Psy who welcomed her to the spot. But last week, when I toured my friends Gail and Therese, there were some upcoming Korean actors, and K-pop boy and girl band members, who were promoting an advocacy and giving out t-shirts. And since we were already there, why not join the crowd and get some freebies as well? Ha-ha-ha!  

Gail and Therese had fun mingling with the celebrities (we didn't even know their names!), asking for photos with them and their autographs on the free t-shirts. I also got a t-shirt but I didn't have it dirtied with autographs as I plan to wear it during weekends and I don't want my neighbors to think that I don't know how to wash my shirts. Ha-ha-ha!

                        (A mime in orange)

So, if you're passing through Gangnam Station this summer, you might want to swing around Exit 11. Who knows? You might get a free shirt, too!