Material Queen

拜金女王 Episode 1

I watched a really good taiwanese dramas and it took place in Paris.

It's about a material queen, who wants to get married only to rich people.

This is the lyric on what her thoughts is.

"我知道你們一定很討厭像我這樣的人。但我不在乎。

"I know that you guys definitely hate a person like me. But, I don't care.

因為你要過什麼樣的人生﹐ 是你自己的選擇。

Because, what kind of life you want, it's the choice of yourselves.

就像每個女人都會遇到的難題。愛情還是麵包?"

It's the same for every woman, they will meet a difficult question, love or bread?"

Yes, which way you wanna choose, that's your choice.

It is also you the one who will gonna lead your life.

Actually, I've been thinking about that kind of similar question these days.

Well, I bet, every woman does.

Have you? I have never thought about "love or bread" before. However, it's true that love can't feed you. This means that sometimes, you also need to think from both side.

"當兩者只能二選一時﹐ 我只要選擇不太狼狽的人生。原因很簡單。

"In the hesitation of two choices, I could only choose to have a life which is not embarrasing.

The reason is very simple.

沒有愛情的生命﹐ 只是活得平淡。

但沒有麵包的生命﹐ 卻活不下去。"

A life without love, is just a plain life.

But, a life without bread, you can't even survive."

We've seen so many fairy tales about love. Sometimes, the guy even throws away his weatlh for the sake of love. I can give you an example, Secret Garden (korean drama). I really like the way writter Nim makes the whole story. I like how she can makes such a really lackable man like Kim Joo Won becomes so brilliant in my eyes. He dares to throw such a huge heritage only for the girl. At first, he said that he won't put away his hands from his wealth and status. But in the end, it ends up like that. Well, doesn't it make sense?

Both love and money should go along together. When you earn lots of money, but you live without love, then your wealth is not worth it to trade for love.

"是的﹐ 我不需要愛情。我只需要向上爬。

"Yes, I don't need love. I just need to climb up.

碰上了機會就要牢牢抓住。

When you find an opportunity, you will have grab it tightly.

沒有機會就自己製造一個。

If you don't have the opportunity, then find a way to make it.

有人說我虛榮﹐ 現實﹐ 拜金。我會說這叫做向上爬。

Some people might say that I am vain, realistic and materialistic.

I can just say that this is called 'climbing up'

我﹐ 林楚曼﹐ 28 歲. 嫁給有錢人﹐ 這就是我的選擇。"

I, Lin Chu Man, 28 years old. Getting married with a rich man is my choice."

You want to be rich, but does it really mean to be rich by marrying a rich man?

Well, I don't know how to talk about this point.

I'd be very happy if I met a man like William Norman, whose assets can't be estimated.

However, if he doesn't love me, then what's the real point for me to be happy?

"從小﹐ 老師就告訴我﹐ 做人要努力。 長大以後才會出人頭地。 我也很努力。

"From I was young, my teacher told me that a person must work hard.

So that when you get older, you can be outstanding. I also work hard.

就在今天﹐ 一切的付出贏來了終極勝利。因為我現在就在巴黎。"

Just like today, everything goes very smoothly. Because, now, I am in Paris."

I like this the most, to accomplish a great thing, you have to act and work hard.

No matter what, you have to work hard to achieve your dream. But, this doesn't mean that you can do anything to get what you want. Please don't be fraud! lol

However, my dream is not reached by having someone as my key.

I wanna success by myself. Success in my career, love and family.

"這世界上不可能有十全十美的事。那時奇跡﹐ 而儿我不相信。"

"In this world, there won't be a perfect thing. That is just a miracle and I don't believe in it."

I believe in miracle, just like I believe in faith.

But yes, I also believe that there won't be any perfect thing.

Nobody is perfect. But....in fact, I have friend who gets someone who is young, handsome, rich and kind. Isn't it the real miracle?

I wonder whether those kind of miracles really can come true.

"我只想要一顆人造加工的鑚石。也不要一句真心誠意的我愛你。

I just want a handmade diamond ring. I don't need a sincere word of I love you.

因為我愛你﹐ 是世界上最廉價的禮物。

Because, I love you, is the cheapest present in the world.

沒有ID卡證明真偽﹐ 沒有保固維修服務﹐ 無法保值﹐ 只會跌價。

There's no ID card to prove it, there is no warranty,

can't be preserved, and will only decline on its value.

愛情﹐ 只是氣味。終會灰飛煙滅。

Love, is just a scent. It will eventually be wiped out.

但鑚石 卻能天長地久。

But, diamond ring will remain last forever."

This point really makes sense. That's true, I won't deny it.

Love is without any guarantee, you can't even prove it that you love him/her.

It's just a word that can describe it. Maybe, now you love him/her.

But I believe that you even can't ensure for your love in 50 years time.

However, this is, again, like a faith,

whether you believe that such thing exist between two people who know how to cherish each other and put their true feeling and faith on it.

You may see it when you believe it.

"有錢﹐ 單身﹐ 年輕帥氣﹐ 又不是神經病﹐

Rich, Single, Young, Handsome, also not crazy.

這世界上﹐ 不會有這種十全十美的男人。因為我不相信奇跡。

In this world, there won't be a perfect man like that. Because, I don't believe in miracle. "

You know, this is what I always dream of.

That kind of white horse charming prince comes all the way to rescue me from loneliness.

I always thought that every couple, of course, has their own love story.

I also know some love stories.

But, do they really exist? Well, if yes, I really wanna experience it :)

49 Days - Life or Death?

Life or Death?

Sometimes, there are people who wish to die, while there are people who wish to stay alive...

Isn't it too cruel?! 

There are people who wish to live on, 

but there are people who don't want to live anymore.

Do you know? A wish to stay alive is really too hard to be true.

The more you wish, the more it is impossible to have it. 

I just realised how pitiful it is to wish for staying alive.

Perhaps, If it was me who don't have chance to be alive, 

I could trade something in return for me to be alive. 

We, as a human, usually will live in this world without thinking that we are gonna die. 

However, when you thought that you have your time limit in this world, what would you think?

I saw a korean drama called 49 days. I don't really know how I will describe this drama

It's really such a good must-watch drama.

There's a girl, named Shin Ji Hyun who got an accident and she is in coma, 

but the Grim Reaper said that it's not the date where she should die.

So, God of Death gives her a chance, a 49 days journey to get her life back. 

The rule is very simple, 

If she got 3 sincere tears who cry for her in her journey of 49 days, she will be alive. 

Do you know how much afraid you are when you are the one who is on that position? 

You only have two choices, alive or death?

It's a choice that no matter what you are afraid of, you only have one choice in the end, 

If the choices are about what candies you want, 

I think, you won't be that afraid to go on with your 49 days.

Shin Ji Hyun, such a really brave, honest and sincere woman went on in her 49 days journey and in the end, after going through so many hardship, she can live. 

However, her destinied time, which was given for her from she was born is one week after her 49 days journey. That means, she will die in one week after her 49 days joruney.

She can live on but in the end she has to die?! 

Such really a pitiful life. 

She cried and said, 

"Who should I get angry at?! Who should? No matter how sad it is, no matter how cruel it is, no matter how unfair it is, no matter how upset I am....there's nothing I can do. No matter how I beg for, this is something that is out of human's control...."

When she said something like that, 

I understand how she feels, life or death is not something that we as a human can control it.

No matter unfair you feel, if it's your time to go, then nothing you can do.

We usually live without think that we are going to die, 

but seeing her, with her bravery and her effort to smile until her last minute,

I really want to tell you guys that, although we still live on in this live, 

but we have to live as if it's 49 days.

Live is precious, life is beautiful, so love like there's no tomorrow. Live in this world without regrets and leave this world without regrets. - 49 days

There's someone who makes a brief thought about how 49 days was wrapped up perfectly,

Kang's last line in front of the graves:

"So for the ones living, let's gather strength from that comfort and live our lives putting in our all. As if our lives are like a compressed version of the 49 days"

The last ep can be seen as a farewell between the ones who die and the ones who live, and also as an elegy

(as ji hyun's mum said "it's as if she woke up to say goodbye to us")

In the last ep, ji hyun cleaned her room, made kimbap with yi kyung, went on a picnic with kang, and said her last goodbyes to her parents.In this way, she wrapped up everything she felt was necessary and provided them with comfort. For yi kyung, she discovered the key to yi soo's practice room in the box of things and she was surprised because she thought the place wouldnt be there anymore since it was in a demolished building. Just like her memories which she had locked away, the key opens the door again to this world and she discovers the bank account that yi soo opened for her. Through his msg from the passbook, Yi kyung is consoled in the same way that ji hyun attempted to do with her family and friends - yi kyung knows how much yi soo loved her and that she must go on. In this way, even after the ones who die have left, the ppl who remained living were consoled and were able to gather strength to continue living.

As i said there's also a take which made biblical references. Ji hyun's mission to find the 3 teardrops was compared to Sodom. Sodom was a city of evil which God had decided to destroy. Abraham asks Yahweh, if there are 10 righteous people in the city would he spare the city? Yahweh answers that he would. Ji hyun's mission to find the 3 teardrops is likened to finding the 10 people in Sodom in order to save it.

During ji hyun's 49 days, she realised that the people she thought had loved her did not really love her, and that what she thought was good will ended up hurting others. During this time, she looked for the people who truly loved her but also tried her best in trying to make up for the things which she had caused. These 49 days were not just a time for her to get her life back but a time for her to discover what life really is from a 3rd person point of view. During this time she was able to truly live, developed wisdom, forgave others and repented for her sins - it is as if this time was a time given to souls who could not go to heaven, to cleanse their soul, repent for their sins and pray for eternal life.

If 49 days is analysed in this way, then when scheduler was about to call the elevator on the last day, ji hyun had already completed her 'mission'. (This is compared to the 40 days during which Jesus was tempted by Satan and him having to prove his divine power) By that time, ji hyun had learnt to throw away greed and obsession (집착) and had been enlightened. So in the remaining 6 days which she lived, she is spreading the gospel to a world full of lies and hypocrisy.

The last scene with kang and yi kyung in front of the graves is also seen to do the same through - spreading a last msg to the viewers

credit to cecilia@soompi

So everyone, please remember that our life is precious and cherish your life.

Be a good children to your parents and love them like there's no tomorrow!