Affirmation: 

~ Changing into a Personal Blog ~

Hello,

Firstly, I just want to say thank you for being here. I haven't really uploaded in a long time and I have been unsure about what I want to do with this space.

After much deliberation, I've decided to convert my blog from a journaling/K-drama blog to a personal one, where I record my daily memories, photo notes of things I am recently loving, and any quotes or pictures that inspire me.

I know this may not be anyone's vibe but mine, so please feel free to unfollow if that's what you'd prefer. :) Thank you for sharing this space with me, and now it's unto a new blog chapter.💙

'Over cake and coffee'

v. (verb) ~ to talk about the big & small things with someone you love, over a slice of cake and a cup of warm coffee. ~

I have sorely missed writing over the past couple of months. God only knows when it became a part of my being, but writing this is already making me smile.

I was telling my friend today morning that one of my favorite things to do was head to a quiet coffee shop, with a friend or a lover, settle ourselves with our respective cups of coffee and a slice of cake to share (always a good idea), talk for hours as we watch time slowly slip by, and people come and go. Those are my most, most favorite kind of dates.

So I was wondering, why not pair little notes of love, light and all the good feelings with pictures of coffee mugs and cake? :) The thought made me so happy that I had to write it down. :)

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Photo by: Masaki (IG)

‘Dinner Mate’: One Of The Most Underrated K-Dramas Of 2020

My first access point to K-dramas has been Netflix, so it was quite a while later when I realized there are thousands of great dramas not listed on the platform that I could probably access elsewhere. Of course, there were a lot of trials involved in stumbling upon a high-quality, free streaming platform, but I managed.

The Story:

'Dinner Mate' a 2020 drama, fit the bill for my next watch. Two strangers share a meal coincidentally and what follows is a relationship where they refrain from sharing personal details as they continue meeting over dinner to enjoy food.

I came to love this drama SO much. Every element in the story has a purpose and a place. 

Dr. Kim-Haeyoung, a psychiatrist uses food therapy to heal his patients while Producer Woo Do-Hee breathes and slays B-Class tacky content at 2N Media Box. Both of them have survived terrible heartbreaks from long relationships.

What unfolds is not just a story of healing but also of how the acceptance of our pasts can allow us to make the most of the present moment. While their ex-lovers show up, demanding a place back in their hearts, it is wonderful to watch Kim-Haeyoung and Do-Hee let go of residual pain and hurt, as they begin to accept and flourish the love that's blooming between them.

I love badass characters, especially female leads and Do-Hee is one of them. She's bold, fierce, proudly weird and says exactly what's on her mind. Kim Haeyoung is calm, composed and yet bears a childlike curiosity that always leads him to unexpected adventures.

Jin-Eol and Jae-Hyuk, the ex-lovers of our protagonists map a trajectory that begins with entitlement to the love they once walked away from, to fighting a one-sided fight and finally, understanding the beauty of letting go. There's my favorite Nam A-yung, the 43-year-old CEO of 2N Media Box. She's as wild as her wardrobe but has a heart that's more open than any of the lead characters we see.

The story is simply beautiful with elements of humor, heart and emotion seamlessly supporting and elevating each other. Every episode is a delight to watch, every moment dripping with insight and meaning. 

This is one of those underrated wonders which I'd proudly download and re-watch over and over.

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Pictures | IQUI & Doodle App

GIFs | 1&2 - Dramabeans | 3&4 - Soompi Forums

~ In the little joys, the daily joys, happiness awaits to hug us with arms open wide. ~ 

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~notesfromeveryday ~ 

~ Secondary Character Love: 1~

Drama: Meteor Garden (2018)  Character: Huaze Lei   Actor: Darren Chen  

I became a hardcore Huaze Lei fan right off the bat. Warm, kind, suffering from a mild case of childhood autism, Lei spelled f.r.i.e.n.d.s.h.i.p. for me.✨

Even though he's part of the F4 and Ah Si's best friend, I totally ship the course of his friendship with Shancai, through the drama.✨  

Like a shadow, he was there exactly when she needed him and vice versa. They leaned on each other, picked each other up, pushed each other to grow and displayed this pure, unconditional love reminiscent of soft, glowing stars.✨

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Picture Credits | Netflix Picture Art | The Doodle App

Got out my Mini Journal after over a year. Couldn't figure out my own style to create in this one for the longest time.

But today, my heart is very happy about not giving up on this baby. 🐥🥺

I love the little shiny quotes that bring in good energy.🥰

~ My Thoughts on Yumi's Cells: Season 1 ~

I usually avoid ongoing dramas because I am more of a 'will watch once all episodes are out' person. But I couldn't wait to watch the show and so, I decided to go for it despite its bi-weekly episode releases. I am glad I did; I felt connected to the story for a longer period of time and it also gave me the room to let it ruminate and settle in my mind.

1. More than Yumi, I love her cells. I thought they were absolutely cool, amazing and it also made me realize how much work they put in to make a human function efficiently. I loved, loved the animations--- they were so funny and yet so human at the same time. I could totally relate to them, every single time and I laughed SO much.

2. My favorite cell hands down is 'Hunger'. I love the little ttetkeboki sign on its head, and I love how Yumi's palette and taste-buds are so in sync with her definition of happiness. 

3. Yumi is such a cool character. She is sure of who she is, is so no-nonsense when she deals with people and I love how she's still hopeful about love, despite her devastating heartbreak. It was so nice to see Kim Go Eun in this story setting because as much as I love her in 'Sea of Hope', I was waiting for her persona to translate into an onscreen one. I fell in love with the Yumi I watched.

4. My heart also goes out to her because the way she deals with her romantic relationships is very similar to how I dealt with mine. However, I love how she arrives at the conclusion that she should be her own priority and not a secondary character in her own tale.

5. I loved the pace of the show. There was no hurry to any aspect of the story. The progression was so natural, so comfortable and so detailed, yet smooth.

6. This also happened to be the first drama that I've watched which is so honest about the strength, the insecurities, and the beauty of human relationships.

GIF Credit: Tumgir

7. I could also related hard to the 'Emotion' cell because I know how it dictates my own life, lol.

GIF Credit: Ahgasewatchtv.com

8. Despite the fact that he is super unfair to Yumi as a partner, I like Woong. He's crystal clear about what he likes and what he doesn't. He's hardworking, a good friend. and also has a vision for where he wants to be professionally. I personally loved how non-floofy he is. I like his simple and straightforward way of being in the world.

9. I also love Goo Woong's natural and easy connect with Yumi. This is why it bothered me to see him not share what was on his mind with her, or to run away from difficult conversations. This is also why I understood why it was better that weren't together, as much as I'd wanted them to be otherwise.

10. With Bobby, initially I found him to be pitiable. He was struggling to keep his relationship alive, one-handedly. He was also fascinated with Yumi but maybe couldn't approach her because his heart was elsewhere. I loved how he was a cheerleader that brought back Yumi's writing cell from the graveyard, and how Yumi and him become friends more than colleagues.

11. There is a sensitivity to Bobby that was very tender to see. From noticing Yumi's talent through her social posts, to spotting the missing 'couple' photo on her desk, to telling her how he'd noticed her at the café the night his girlfriend broke up with him, there was no sense of judgment that I could find in him. He was open, vulnerable and invited Yumi to be the same.

GIF Credit: Ahgasewatchtv

12. Yumi's 'Writer' cell also has my heart, haha! I can totally relate because I write for a living and the creative ups and downs were represented so nicely. I also loved her heart-filled captions that she shared via her social posts.

13. Chae Woo Gi was another favorite of mine. I would have liked to see more of him.

14. As much as Woong and Yumi's breakup sucked, I loved how Yumi learnt to choose herself because of it. I loved how she decided to see a breakup as an option to step out of a dead relationship, an unhappy one, where she had to fear losing out on someone each time she voiced what she wanted. I loved how she appreciated her time with Woong, still loved him but loved herself more to let go.

15. It was one of my favorite drama watches of this year. There is one moment that stands out in my brain--- Yumi's fake reaction to the 'battery' birthday present by Woong. Hahaha, sure she discovered a lovely necklace in it, but her initial reaction was priceless.

~ When we have a constantly active inner critic that thrives on self-hate, try as hard as we may, it becomes extremely difficult to move towards positive self-growth. . The negative self-talk from such an inner critic instantly demotivates you and since that's all we hear, we begin to see ourselves solely from the eyes of this critic. . This propels us to second-guess the nourishing choices we've decided to make and stops us from taking regular action to back these choices, hence causing us to stay in this same toxic loop of self-caused pain.  . If we get down to the root of this, we realize, that in order to back ourselves up, we need to trust ourselves. Due to loop patterns of self-destructive behavior (both conscious + unconscious), without knowing it, over time, we lose trust in our self and our power to make healthy choices. . The way out, I've realised over this past year, is to back the promises you make to yourself by regular, consistent actions.  . This weakens the negative self-talk the inner critic often thrives on and suddenly, there opens a tiny space where you start seeing yourself minus this toxic lens of self-hate (which is the primary cause of self-hurt and self-sabotage).  . Slowly, by backing the words + choices we tell & make for ourselves with regular, positive actions, we invite buds of self-trust to bloom once more. 

~ You must create a habit to make time for things that nourish your soul ~ 🌼

Forever mood.🍜🍜🍜

Ramen