Sunday, November 13, 2011

Pure Love (My Version)

I said I would blog about the Korean drama 49 Days also known as Pure Love.

I saw this accidentally on local television one night while I was waiting for the late night news during the months I was very sick and felt like dying...I got attracted with the beautiful execution and got curious about the story. So I searched for it at the net and found it on you tube. I got hooked to it and watched it continuously till the last episode for two days. I cried a lot while watching and since it is Korean and English subbed only, I could not get the dialogues sharply but understood the story well. I wanted to get the exact dialogues so I watched it again and searched about the story and deconstructions in the net. Luckily, there are good ones and I was amazed that the drama is being shown one after the other in almost all of Asia. Netizens were commenting from all over the region. No doubt, this is a winner though it is actually my first time to watch a Korean drama. I am not a drama fan even locally though I also watched Kristine, the production was sacrificed in part two although part one was superb. I felt cheated by the producers after hooking viewers in part one. Well, this is almost always the case in our country - I wished they did it so well till the end. The actors were very good though but the writers and the production fell short of expectations at the second half.

(What you are about to read is an analysis of the drama 49 Days that contains mostly of the thoughts of this writer which you may or may not agree with because our level of understanding is based on our life experiences and predispositions in life.)

Back to Pure Love, it was a story of life and death - crossing the lines. What was being centered on was the life of a rich, naive, cheerful or carefree and immature woman about to get married but fate took its course because her life would be shattered if she continued to marry her fiance anyway. So God took her life back even pre-maturely or before her pre-determined fate to deliver her from the suffering she is about to go through and which she surely would not be able to handle and that may result to suicide anyway. Because she led a relatively good or meaningful life all her 27 years, she was given a gift to spend 49 days more as a soul on earth and that she could go back to her body if there will be three friends excluding blood relatives who would cry for her sincerely within that given period because they love her. That is because it is not her time to die yet and her car accident was caused by another person wanting to take her life due to depression  caused by the untimely death of her beloved that she could not overcome. To achieve that, she had to possess the soul of the person who caused her death which was also some sort of punishment to her but above all, she was actually related to her as her kidnapped sister when they were very young kids but both were not aware. The 49 days was not counted as part of her number of days to be on earth though. But after accomplishing the mission, she actually had only six more days to live according to her fate. So, the car accident which left her comatose in the hospital was only six days away from her very fate of real death here on earth. Why did she have to be in that car accident? It was to prevent her from marrying her fiancee because her real fate was to die a day before the actual wedding and if that was pursued, she would not have had the chance to see the truth of her life.

She was actually set up by her best friend to her fiance and he agreed all for the love of money and power. Because of jealousy of her life status, her best friend asked his boyfriend to pull her down by stealing her father's company so they would fall and she would go down so she would know how it is to be down there where her friend is. Although she should not feel so because it was this very girl who helped her go to college by letting her stay at her home in a plush village and whose father employed her as her secretary after they all finished university. Greed however consumed the fiance and even though the situation is already being given to him in silver platter because he is about to inherit the company anyway from the girl's sick father, he still wanted to control his fate thereby leading to his own down fall.

When the body cannot take the pain, the body collapses because the soul temporarily leaves the body so the body won't feel the pain, isn't it? So the soul left her body through the car accident to relieve the body from feeling the physical pain and the emotional suffering she is about to undergo but allowed to possess another woman's body to be able to witness and see the whole truth behind her life as a gift for her. How lucky!
The writer was brilliant I should say and I commend all the actors except for one thing that I noticed after watching the drama several times to get the exact dialogues which contained meaningful passages for real life lessons that is why I was so attracted to this drama. What I am talking about is the acting of the other actress who was being possessed by the spirit of the girl. I noticed that when being possessed, she was acting the character her own way instead of studying the first actress how she was acting because she was the main character in the story - the story being her own life story!  I noticed that because she was a senior actress, and an awarded one at that, the director so believed in her own interpretation of the character or was it one of her conditions in order to accept the role? Because I learned she was the last one to sign the contract and that it took her a long time to do so despite accepting the role. In one of her interviews, she accepted that it was her first time to act a role in a present society and that she was doing her acts like in a trial and error method. How come she did not act more like the other girl when she was possessed by her spirit? She was interpreting the character in quite different way - clearly showing that she wanted to be recognized as she is rather than as the main character inside her body! In another making film video, the lead actor was being asked who he wanted to watch the cherry blossom festival with - the first or the second actress and he answered that it was both. The second actress butt in and said: "It's the same woman!" From this alone, I could deduce that she was equating her possessed self to the other woman. What I mean is that her idea is that: Her possessed self is the same as the other woman. Should it not be that when the other woman possesses her, her body is driven by the other woman therefore, should 100% be the other woman just using her body? Therefore all her ways must be that of the other woman i.e how she moves, emotes, and so on? But it was different in her case. I feel like this: when she is possessed she acts herself as the main character. I don't know if you get me here. It is just a relief as the main character is very much around in the whole drama because she was acting as ghost if not possessing the other woman who also has her own story in the drama. I fell in love with the honesty, simplicity, beauty, and loveliness of the main character. In fact, in one of her videos in making the film, the possessed actress should sing and play the piano as the main character did back in their high school days. The main character was there watching her and it was clear  from her face that she was a bit astonished at how the other actress was doing it although she was being shown a video of the first actress doing it. I say she would have a better chance of winning as best actress had she studied more how to go about her acting and had she acted more like the main actress although she was new in the acting world she is a respected singer from a girl group and gone solo and had been awarded the new star award in her previous drama. In fact, her latest work, an MV for a popular coming back male group band is spectacular acting as a robot and looking stunningly pretty and beautiful at the same time projecting what I say a highest form of fine acting. She was justified by earning the highest popularity after acting as ghost in this drama - 49 Days that even awarding bodies and film fest organizers recognized her to grace their occasion as presenter. Well, that is more than enough prize for her and she deserves it!
Lastly, even the lead actor commented that the main character worked hard in everything and the second actress who happens to be her friend was at ease in everything...when asked how he felt about the success of their drama that ended number one in it's time slot.

The story is also known as Pure Love because the lead male here had loved the girl from their high school days but because she was so young and naive, could not express it to her for he too was immature but had a grown up body. They were separated without having the opportunity to patch up petty quarrel about a white lie the girl made in a tarot card table they manned as a fund raising activity for their school. The girl was transferred to the big city before the boy could give her large bouquet of roses as peace offering. On that same day, the boy was sent to America to his father to continue his studies for the next ten years. He had with him her bracelet which was actually given to her by his own mother as a prize for making him eat his birthday soup and food her mother brought to school that he earlier refused to take. The mother and the girl became close without him knowing for he was a rebellious kid who left their home to live away from his mother that prompted her mother to send him to his father in the States the year she died of cancer. The bracelet plus his memories of their close encounters kept him company during all those ten years growing into a longing to search for her when he comes back. He has developed his pure love for her and would listen to a version of the song he watched her sang with the piano without her knowledge. Coming back after ten years, he need not even search for the girl was the very girlfriend of his best friend and room mate in the US who went there for his two years MBA. Worst, they were going to be engaged and eventually be pressured to be married by her father in just a few months after he met them again as a couple together with her two best friends who were their high school classmates.
The girl never knew about his love and longing to see her again for he kept it secret inside his heart and could only whisper the words I Love You behind her back all this time. He only allows himself to express his love to her bracelet and loosens himself in the comfort of his private quarters amidst her song. He camouflaged his true feelings for her by acting nastily to her giving her an impression of a bad tempered person of him. He felt he could do nothing as the girl's father grew to love her fiance as his own son and was grooming him to be his heir to take care of his daughter and her mother, and their company when he's gone.

Her car accident turned things to his side however as he was fated to take care of her and help her when she came back for her  49 days. Because of his sincerity and his feelings towards her, he was the first one to recognize her in the other woman's body. At first, sensing her within the other woman till he confirmed it by himself. It is therefore true that feelings goes through and connections do not end in death. He fought for her and was determined to win her and help her live again to be by his side but it was not her fate. Although they fell in love while she was using the other woman's body, they could not express and acknowledge it explicitly in actions or in words for it was forbidden to reveal her identity during her 49 days journey. Thus, they hide their knowledge of her identity and do what they have to do to put things in order. They succeeded and she was able to come back to her body except that she was to learn that she only had six days left to live. She prepares for her real goodbye for she knew she couldn't do anything about her fate. Fulfills her parents' wish of being able to eat together, smile together; then cleans her room without her parents' knowledge. With the help of the other woman, the lead actor knew of her fate the night before she surprises him with their one day date before she leaves this world. Again hiding their pain from each other, they enjoyed their one day together as boyfriend and girlfriend. Although he knew of her impending death, the moment still pained him deep inside for she spent her last day with him and confessed to her mother it was her happiest just before she died suddenly as a result of her car accident injury in the aorta. All her 49 days was managed by an angel of death who took care of her and who is incidentally the dead lover of the other woman. So here, you can see the intertwining of lives. It all boils down to fate and destiny. I do believe that our lives, with all its details and twists, were written even before we were born. Isn't that the truth in our genes that contain this program? Many meaningful passages were used in the dialogues here like: Life and death is beyond the control of humans. Growing old and dying is law of nature and is not achieved by human effort. The human heart changes all the time...hot then cold, sad then happy, loves then hates...it is its specialty. Be happy wherever you are. Because we have met you and you left our lives beautifully, we are happy.

The lead actor was successful in projecting true love to the girl in this drama using his eyes and caring ways above his manly, determined, and handsome character. It is felt more than it is said or simply actions speak louder than words. The lead actress has a very lovely style - this was from the lead actor himself in his post drama interview. I agree very well and this made me continue to check the girl's career up to present. I wish her a beautiful life in reality and I wish I could witness it.

I guess I was attached to this story in many ways. First, it gave me clear insights about life and death during the time I could almost feel death. Second, the high school days scenes reminds me of my own that was 35 years ago. Third, I believe and feel I am also having a pure love from my high school days up to the very present. Similarly, my source was not able to express it during those years for we were too young and innocent. We got separated without a word - we lost contact. We also had our own close encounters that we never forgot till now. We have crossed paths again a year ago and have shared each other's story of those 35 years that passed. We both exist now in our own present worlds yet connected somehow by a thread of special care for each other and yet cannot be acknowledged. Our fate...or destiny...continues as long as we live... 


Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Hillsong: "Yahweh" Worship and Praise Song featuring David Ware (HQ)

Healing by The Father Through The Son

Yeah, I Believe in God, the Holy Spirit, and the Lord Jesus.

I began to really know them when I read my Bible way back in 1987 after my marriage broke and I was alone working in the Metro. It was a very revealing years and I continued to learn more about Him through the years. However, it was only in 2000 that I really can say that I was born again and I continue to experience Him more in my life as time goes by.

Last April, after coming from a week long holiday break with family, I suddenly felt chest pains at the left lung and heart area. I easily get fatigued and can't breath deep clearly feeling some kind of blocking in my air passage way to my left lung. At the same time, felt a gentle tremor in my upper heart area one night. I felt like my left lung is getting heavier everyday but was relieved when I use hot pack on my chest which I did every night. It was slowly going worse for more than a month so I did as I do when I get sick. I worshiped with a Hillsong live worship on my player and prayed to the Father for healing through the Son.

Being a biologist gives me a clear understanding of my body systems and functions. I have always been amazed at how the heart could function so well all through a man's lifetime. But after understanding the Bible, I came to understand clearly what the body is in relation to the soul and spirit. The body functions are patterned in the universe; the body organs are a magnification of the body cells' functions and even the micro things are the same. Everything is a mirror of some hidden truth about life.

The night, the Holy Spirit in me led me to ask healing from the Father, I prepared my self through active listening to live worship, then prayed to the Father and submitted myself for his healing process and power and really I felt the inner pain being brought to the fore and bursting as it reached the main air duct! Followed by a smaller one. Gone is the blocking and deep breathing was immediately possible. I gave my life to the Father at that instant to let Him heal my body and He did it in the name of Jesus! I prayed to my Father, my Provider, and Healer and Everything to operate on me to remove the block and He just did for His name's sake!

I am not saying this is true for all. I think you must reach that level of faith and understanding but we all read that Jesus did heal ten lepers who didn't know much about Him even. And only one came back to thank Him. That is why I am writing this blog because I wanted to share this to others as my way of thanking the Father and the Son for my healing. Now I know I will die one day as it is our destiny but for now, I want to think that I am living my second life in preparation for the next.

During all this time, I was even allowed to watch, enjoy, and study a Korean drama about life and death titled 49 Days. That is why I was so attached to this story. I will be blogging on it too.

For now, I just want to thank Father - mirrored by our Sun, and the Lord Jesus - mirrored by our moon here on earth, for everything that they have done in my Life! Thank you Father in Jesus' name, Amen.

Water is one magnificent creation of our Father...it also symbolizes life.
Photo from Ben Soriano's shots of our Beach Shoot