Little House on the Prairie

Laura's family moves in Indian Territory in Kansas, following the government promise to give land to settlers in the west. Pa and Ma build their log house and a stable. Pa sells hunted animals' fur and buys necessities and a plow. He helps cowboys herd cattle and gets a calf.
Indians occasionally appear and Ma and the girls are scared, but Pa says Indians are not bad people. The family gets along with neighbors and has a simple, but heartwarming Christmas dinner together. One day a wild fire broke out across the prairie and the family successfully protect their property from it. All the Indian tribes gather together and make much commotion several nights in a row. The family worries a lot about it and can't sleep well. The nocturnal disturbance recedes and Pa hears that the Indians had a rift over a war against white people. The Indians leave their territory and laura's family reluctantly moves out because of the government's new policy.
초원의 집 is a TV series I liked watching when I was in elementary school. I reminisce about the carefree happy days of my childhood. I could picture how hard the life back then was and how diligently the settlers lived to build a community against all odds. The puritanical parents who are moral, frugal, and down-to-earth impressed me a lot. Their life plays a role in shaping my so-called pro-Americanism and made me think how I have to lead my life.

This is Melissa Sue Anderson who played Mary Ingalls in the TV show. I felt sorry for her when she became blind.
It's pleasant to see the girls running down the hill. Ouch, the youngest tumbles down.



The Call of the Wild

I've always wanted to read this book. I don't know why, but it seems to do with unrestricted freedom  in nature. The book is just like what I imagined.  I pulled the sled when Buck did. I ran fast when Buck did. I felt free and thrilled when Buck was running through the wind and howling with his nose pointing in the sky. Living in the wild is far from being comfortable, but life gets more exciting when something adventurous brings in.
A domesticated dog named Buck lived a comfortable, langorous life in California. But he was stolen/sold to serve as a sled dog in the Yukon. Strong sled dogs were in high demand because of the 19th century Klondike Gold Rush. Buck struggled to adjust and survive the cruel treatment he received from humans, other dogs, and nature. He was so smart that he soon became the lead dog. A kind man rescued Buck from his ill-natured owner's harshness and he was faithful to the man until the man was killed by greedy gold diggers. Now Buck responded to his primordial instincts. He ran at the head of the wolf pack through the moonlight as a respected and feared leader in the wild.

Rabbit-Proof Fence (The journey home)

I vaguely remember watching its movie adaptation at a teacher training program a decade or so ago. It was part of cultural exchange between the two countries. I had neither prior knowledge nor subtitles about the movie. The film looked gloomy and I wasn't quite interested.
For the past ten years, however, I've evolved into a person who is able to value diversity along with much better English proficiency.

The fence was built in southwest Australia in 1907 to keeep the rabbits out of the farmlands of white settlers.

It's an inspiring true story about three aboriginal girls' courage and determinition. The half-caste girls (aboriginal mom and white dad) were forcibly taken away from their families to a camp where mixed race children were educated. They escaped the prison-like place and walked to return to their home, following the fence which is about 2,000 kilometers long. They had to fight cold, hunger, and fear. Due to the oldest girl's wise decisions, they weren't caught by the trackers and eventually held in their moms' arms.
This story reminds me of the ordeal when my mom's generation had to endure under the Japanese colonial rule. Koreans were deprived of the Korean language and culture. We even had to change our names into Japanese ones. Linda Sue Park's book below is a good resource to learn more about what happened during the hard times. I hope Japan shows sincere penitence about their wrongdoings and cruelty and build a future-oriented relationship.

Reply 1997 + Dawson's Creek



응답하라 1997 OST 우리 사랑 이대로

응답하라 1997 OST All For You

It was on the first day of the freshman year at high school. Joonhee's unrequited love started with Yoonje's courageous rebellion at school. It could be viewed as a common teenage defiance, but it was different; Yoonje is one of the smartest and brightest. Being a top student and broaching a sensitive topic against the school rules can't be compatible in Korean high school.
On the wall in the corridor is there a list of students' names and their academic scores. Students have to sit in the order of their performance. All the students look embarrassed and disturbed.
Yoonje stands up against a strict teacher, who announces a student's happiness is completely up to his/her academic achievement, strongly saying that posting up each student's academic score in public is infringement on human rights. He then insists that teachers, in return, should be treated likewise by making the name of their alma mater public. Because of the hierarchial system of higher education, the college name directly refers to the graduate's academic success.
Going into his classroom, Joonhee turns back to look at Yoonje who will soon be severely punished alone by the angry teacher and gets impressed by this weird student. Joonhee is wondering who takes up the empty No. 1 seat right next to him. Joonhee is surprised when Yoonje comes and sits there. He is dumbfounded when Yoonje borrows an English dictionary from him and uses it as a pillow. What a quirky No.1 student!

Dawson's Creek is the American counterpart of Reply 1997. The boy (Pacey) knows the girl (Joey) better than anyone else, even the girl herself. They're good friends; too good a friend for the girl to be aware that she is in love and the boy is developing their friendship into love. Pacey is always there. He has been faithful to Joey. They go through ups and downs of adolescence and finally ends up being together.

 

Romance (2002)

Year 2002.
The whole country was pleasantly raucous along with the Red Devils in the streets over the World Cup matches. I was a rookie teacher who was struggling at work.
And...
I was hooked on Romance and was on cloud nine with the brightening killer smile. The season of cherry blossoms fluttering down .
In about a decade I've seen it again. I can find some scenes of a little bit poor acting, which are bearable, though. 김재원 looked sparkling in the show. And once again he looks dazzling in "Can you hear my heart?" and reaches the 2nd peak in his career. I'm happy for him.