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Showing posts from September, 2017

Faith Like Children: Inspirational Innocents in Korean Dramas

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For the first time in a very long time, an American drama is coming that has actually caught my eye: ABC's The Good Doctor . Just from its premise, this drama already strongly appeals to me. In a media sphere seemingly filled with dystopia, The Good Doctor promises heartwarming inspiration: Dr. Shaun Murphy (played by Freddie Highmore) is a young genius with autism who must work his way uphill against prejudice in the hospital where he is working as a surgeon. However, on top of that, there is another reason why I am excited for The Good Doctor . It also happens to be an American adaptation of one of my favourite Korean dramas: KBS2's 2013 production, Good Doctor . (Note: to minimize confusion, I will use The Good Doctor to refer to the ABC show, and Good Doctor for the KBS2 show.) Now, I have not yet had the opportunity to watch The Good Doctor , so I don't know if it will adhere strongly to Good Doctor 's story-line. From the show's trailer,

Seoul's Beauty in Stillness (Part 2): Urban Oases

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As the capital of South Korea, Seoul is inevitably a bustling metropolis with vibrantly hip shopping areas, bright lights at night, and crowded streets, buses and subway trains. If it's not locals, it's crowds of tourists. And even if it's not crowded, you are still surrounded by a plethora of signs, advertisements, the calls of shopkeepers, bursts of K-pop music...it's sensory overload. So it may come as a surprise that there are some places in Seoul's urban centre where, during my visit there a year ago, I found some sense of stillness and tranquility. However, as a large city, Seoul does offer up spaces for rest and relaxation - and maybe some nature as well. And even when those places get crowded, they can be quite enjoyable for those wanting some peace and quiet as well. Cheonggyecheon This is probably one of Seoul's most iconic cityscapes: a man-made stream running down the downtown core. In reality, this was originally the site