You Who Came from the Stars: Episode 13

별에서 온 그대: 제13회

Song-Yi continues to pursue Min-Joon despite his confession that he is an alien. He then recalls the many instances in the past when he admitted the truth to friends and acquaintances alike, all of which ended up shunning him, with the significant exception of lawyer Jang. Making an agreement with Hwi-Kyeong’s brother to get all the blame for his crimes in exchange for Song-Yi’s safety, he successfully drives her away. She is heartbroken at first, but bounces back rather quickly in preparation for her comeback movie in which she would be playing support to Se-Mi. She is not the only one to get to know Min-Joon’s secrets, though, as Se-Mi’s brother the prosecutor does some digging and discovers that Min-Joon and the supposedly dead owner of the pen found at the crime site where he was attacked are one and the same. Hwi-Kyeong’s brother’s goon sabotages the harness Song-Yi would use for a stunt. As Min-Joon prepares to confess a crime he did not commit, Song-Yi leaps, apparently to her death.

Wait Until Dark (Repertory Philippines)

♣♣♣♣/♣♣♣♣♣

Susy Henderson (Liesl Batucan) is one resourceful woman. In spite of an accident which leaves her blind, she is able to get by even when husband Sam (Arnel Carrion) is not around, relying on her other senses to figure out what to do best in certain circumstances. Even so, she still counts on the help of Gloria (Dani Gana), the girl from upstairs who helps her with random errands such as buying groceries. While they do not always get along, the two form a good team against a trio of con-men searching for heroin hidden in a doll, which is supposedly in Susy’s place. Mike (Joel Trinidad) and Croker (Robbie Guevara) break into the house when Susy comes back unexpectedly. A complex game of pretend then follows as the two guys are joined by Roat (Jamie Wilson), the owner of the said doll who would do whatever it takes to retrieve it, by hook or by crook. How is a blind woman to survive such an ordeal with three men ganging up on her?

You Who Came from the Stars: Episode 12

별에서 온 그대: 제12회

Just before an ambulance arrives at the scene, Min-Joon manages to teleport back to his apartment, albeit still bloodied and weak. Song-Yi rebukes Se-Mi and dismisses her tirades as rants of jealousy. She then breaks into Min-Joon’s apartment and finds him on the floor unconscious and drenched in his own blood. Lawyer Jang immediately comes to the rescue and warns her that Min-Joon only has two months left, after which he would be leaving for good. As he recovers, Min-Joon dreams about happy moments with Song-Yi, them as a couple, and her carrying his child. On the other hand, Hwi-Kyeong is having more and more doubts about his brother after overhearing his conversation regarding Min-Joon, and then finding out that he just established a one-man agency for Song-Yi. He then begins to investigate. Song-Yi tells the detective who comes to question her that Hwi-Kyeong’s brother is the guy Han Yoo-Ra was secretly seeing before her death. Fully recovered, Min-Joon arranges a date with Song-Yi and brings her to the museum where the hair accessory of the young Joseon widow is displayed. There he tells her all the truth there is about him, concluding it by shattering glass to show her his power.

You Who Came from the Stars: Episode 11

별에서 온 그대: 제11회

Min-Joon renders Hwi-Kyeong’s brother unconscious but not without revealing his abilities and getting hit with a tranquilizer. Song-Yi sneaks into his house only to sneak out again after almost being attacked by one of Hwi-Kyeong’s brother’s goons. Distressed, she calls Min-Joon, who immediately teleports at her doorstep to make sure she’s alright, but then he collapses right there. Infatuated, Song-Yi continues to badger him with attention, but he ends up rebuffing her saying that he does not love her and is only helping her because she is pitiful. Not used to the idea of being rejected, Song-Yi breaks down, leaves, and is fetched by Hwi-Kyeong, whom Min-Joon called to pick her up. Apparently, the two guys had a short talk; Hwi-Kyeong insists that Min-Joon is the same guy who saved Song-Yi 12 years ago, but he brushes this off and warns him instead to protect her against his brother, who has found a new way to coerce them into handing over the USB by using her mom. Se-Mi pays Song-Yi a visit and drops clues here and there that Min-Joon is that guy from 12 years ago, just right as he lays motionless on the street on a pool of blood after being run over by one of Hwi-Kyeong’s brother's goons.

Manila, Manila, We Keep Coming Back to Manila

2014 January 12 – 18

Manila, Manila, We Keep Coming Back to Manila

ihcahieh says:

Finals week at last and the grades are all in. Had this been junior high school, I would be throwing a tantrum right now, but I guess being grade conscious is no longer an issue when you are in your late twenties and back at school. Thinking about it now, I am here to improve my Mandarin Chinese, not to finish a master’s degree or anything major. I am just glad that the semester is over because even I have to agree that it has been hectic. Even so, I cannot help but love the pressure. Every morning when I wake up I feel like I have a sense of purpose. I know that it is going to be a busy day, and I try to make sure that my mind is up for that challenge, and I end up accomplishing more. What the human brain is capable of doing if you just focus is awesome, without exaggeration. I am definitely coming back here next semester. I am so happy that this is finally happening. I have dreamed about this for a long time, and now everything is just falling into place. Perhaps two more years would suffice for me to be able to make money out of Mandarin. The future shines brightly ahead.  I could not help but be torn about a lot of options, though. Now that my professional life and finances are doing well, there are many alternatives presenting themselves for my consideration. If I could divide myself into three, I would go for all of them, but since I am not in a science fiction flick, I know that this would remain but a dream. Still, all is good, and I would be leaving Xiamen this Saturday with a strong desire to come back.

You Who Came from the Stars: Episode 10

별에서 온 그대: 제10회

Both Song-Yi and Hwi-Kyeong confront Min-Joon about their suspicions about him but he obviously denies any involvement, and convincingly so because the circumstances simply do not add up to make any logical sense. Hwi-Kyeong’s brother is also hot on his trail, exhausting all the possibilities as to how he could have got down from the 23rd to the 1st floor in less than a minute without using an elevator. Song-Yi is losing money fast, which leads her to sell her luxury apparel and giving Min-Joon’s number for contact. She does not stop there, however, as she drags him around to play her manager and legal counsel. She then starts making excuses to go to his place and realizes that she is falling for him. She eventually admits it to him, but he says nothing. He contacts the prosecutor to hand over Yoo-Ra’s USB, but Hwi-Kyeong’s goons get to him first. Provoked, they end up in a car chase where Alien is lead to a cliff for his orchestrated death. As Hwi-Kyeong’s brother pulls the trigger, though, Min-Joon suddenly disappears only to reappear behind him, telling him once again that he could not kill him.

You Who Came from the Stars: Episode 9

별에서 온 그대: 제9회

30 years ago, Min-Joon saved Lawyer Jang from jumping off a building and since then, he has been his only friend. That was also the time when a jealous co-worker spat in his coffee. After drinking it, he was sick for a week. The fact that his saliva could not mix with that of human beings, as it could quickly take a toll on his health, is exactly the reason why he literally gets sick after kissing Song-Yi. Hwi-Kyeong’s older brother is now certain that he is protecting her and a confrontation ensues between the two men when the former is caught by the latter sneaking out of her apartment. Hwi-Kyeong’s brother decides to drop all pretenses and threatens Min-Joon upfront telling him to hand over the USB and that the only reason he and Song-Yi are still alive is because he is letting them live. 23 floors down as the elevator door opens, he finds Min-Joon in front of him despite not coming along for the ride; the latter threatening him back, saying that he could never kill him and that he will expose his identity to the world if he does not leave them alone. Hwi-Kyeong tells Se-Mi that he could not love her, but he wants her to remain as his friend. Se-Mi shows him the photo of Min-Joon saving Song-Yi 12 years ago.

Wait, What, It’s 2014?!

2014 January 5 – 11

Wait, What, It’s 2014?!

ihcahieh says:

Intensive reviews had to be rescheduled to accommodate more shifts. I must say that the pressure is on but it is that very same pressure that really gets me going. With two jobs and scholarly affairs having to share the 24 hours that limit an Earth day, I feel more energized and productive when I know that I have a lot of things to accomplish before the day ends, or in some cases, before the new day begins. In any case, what I have learned so far is to surrender and admit that I could not do everything and this admission, in my opinion, is what triggered this new mentality in which I put logic first before ambition. I used to think that my brain is one mean war machine, and to some extent it still is, but the host body could just not keep up. Even so, I am determined to acknowledge these limitations and maximize the time available for me to accomplish everything. That is the most important consideration for the New Year, I guess. While intensive German review has been stalled for a while, there is no abandonment on my part, and everything will resume once vacation starts, what with the absence of school work. I have proven many times that I could do this, and do this I shall. The week ended with the HSK 4 exam. My expectations are not that high, but if I am to assume, there is a 50-50 passing rate after careful evaluation of what I was able to answer and what I just guessed. I admit having been more lax this week, but only because my plans were mostly hijacked by the two other entities with which I have to co-exist.

You Who Came from the Stars: Episode 8

별에서 온 그대: 제8회

Song-Yi could not shake off the image of Min-Joon stopping her car from falling down the cliff. Coming back from the hospital, she finds her apartment in shambles, which leads him to let her stay in his apartment for a while. She then recalls various instances in which she thinks she saw him save her: seeing him in the car before coming out of nowhere to dodge the falling fishbowl; saving her from falling off the cruise ship. To her, all these instances don’t make any sense to be true, yet they seem so real to be dismissed as a dream. She consults a psychiatrist, who tells her that she could be suffering from visual hallucinations brought about by stress, as well as her subconscious dependence on him. Min-Joon has developed feelings for Song-Yi, even though he does his best to hide this. Curious as to why he does not seem attracted to her, she subjects him to the 15-second test, owing to her charm as a bankable endorser who needs just 15 seconds to make any guy fall for her. She sets the timer on her smartphone. Before the fifteen seconds run out, Min-Joon pulls her closer, ending with their lips locked in a kiss.

You Who Came from the Stars: Episode 7

별에서 온 그대: 제7회

Song-Yi turns down Hwi-Kyeong’s marriage proposal and convinces Min-Joon not just to be her manager, but also to replace his beeper with the latest mobile phone model. The ratings of the drama where she is replaced by Se-Mi skyrockets, prompting the latter to admit her true feelings of hatred towards her, confessing that she never really considered her as a friend. A demented Yoo-Ra fan drops a fish bowl on Song-Yi from above as she leaves the tailor shop where this conversation happened, but she is saved by a teleporting Min-Joon. Se-Mi sees them afterwards and recognizes him as the same man who saved her friend 12 years ago. Min-Joon leaves Song-Yi at the hospital to interrogate the suspect at the police station. The guy admits that he has been responsible for sending the death threats, but not the bear with an embedded camera, which was actually sent by Hwi-Kyeong’s brother, who sends one of his henchmen to the hospital to render Song-Yi unconscious. The next thing she knows, she is in a car rolling down a cliff. As she helplessly sets her gaze at the cliff which would witness her life’s end, she shouts Min-Joon’s name, right as he falls down from the sky to stop the car.

Thanks Anyway, 2013

People would probably be pelting me with eggs if I concluded that 2013 sucked. If anything, I could even go as far as to say that it has been the most exciting year of my life so far, with a lot of good stuff that happened. Even so, I still could not help but think that there has always been something missing, and perhaps as human beings we are just programmed in a way that we tend to look for what is not there instead of appreciating what is. In any case, it is always good to look back and be reminded of how life has treated you for the past year or so. While such past events could no longer be modified to suit the ideal concept of a life well-lived, they could always be used as reminders so as not to repeat the same mistake, or better yet serve as an inspiration to achieve something on par or even greater for the future. Looking back, here are the 10 highlights of my 2013, both good and bad.

You Who Came from the Stars: Episode 6

별에서 온 그대: 제6회

A young Se-Mi watches in horror, and later amazement, as she witnesses her friend Song-Yi get saved by a young man from a speeding truck. Camera at hand, she snaps a photo. 12 years later, she sneaks into his brother’s (the prosecutor) room and sees the Yoo-Ra case files, along with a picture of the same guy aboard the cruise ship. Min-Joon is invited by a police officer for questioning regarding his appearance on the cruise ship, but had to flee after sensing that Song-Yi is in trouble. Hwi-Kyeong’s brother pays her a visit, but no harm comes her way because he is just probing what she knows, and she appears to know too much. A few days after, she receives a birthday present, a photo of her with her eyes gouged out. To make matters worse, her agency has decided to postpone her contract renewal days before her birthday. En route to class, Min-Joon saves her again from the paparazzi. Later, she asks him to be her manager. Hwi-Kyeong rents out an entire amusement park to surprise her for her birthday, and later proposes, again, while on the Ferris Wheel. Eavesdropping from down below, Min-Joon temporarily stops motion and walks away, not wanting to hear her answer.

You Who Came from the Stars: Episode 5

별에서 온 그대: 제5회

It is obvious that Hwi-Kyeong’s brother is responsible for Yoo-Ra’s “suicide” after Min-Joon overhears an ambiguous conversation between him and a hit man while on the cruise ship. If proven otherwise, then Older Brother gets away unscathed as Song-Yi is blamed for the depression that supposed to have prompted the suicide. Still hounded by reporters camping outside her door, she gets to spend more time with Min-Joon, and attempts to get to know him better despite his reluctance. She even gets to meet his lawyer friend who ends up pretending to be his father while they have a meal together. Having a talk at his balcony, she tells Min-Joon how she often stares at her billboard across the street, said to be the most expensive advertising spot in Seoul, to feel better every time she is down. The very same billboard is brought down, her endorsement deals back out one by one, and she is axed in her own drama, the lead role being passed on to her best friend Yoo Se Mi (유인나), who’s been playing support to her for the longest time. It also turns out that the new prosecutor in charge of Yoo-Ra’s case is Se Mi’s brother, and he is still hot on the tracks of Min-Joon after recognizing him in the salon CCTV footage.