Sunday, January 29, 2006

My Name is Sam-Soon


It is a good thing to have a long break in this Chinese New Year season. It means I have more time to watch a Korean drama series. Lately, I watched this funny show called My Name is Sam-Soon. The main protagonist, Kim Sam-Soon is a patisseur who was trained in France and got a job in this French restaurant owned by Hyun Jin-heon who gets the kick out of insulting her about her looks and size whenever he could. The funny part was when he got Sam-Soon into a contractual relationship by getting her to be his pseudo-girlfriend. The story got complicated when an ex girlfriend, Yoo Hee-jin came running back to Jin-heon after disappearing on him for 3 years. Of course, I am not writing a synopsis on this drama series, I am just filled with thoughts about her character and her thoughts about life.

It feels like Korean dramas like to take the "ugly duckling" girl and give her the most heart-renching relationship a man from this universe can ever offer. In this story, the fat girl is actually desirable and being pursued by two men, an ex boy-friend and the current beau. She is seen as quirky but unique, blunt but honest, brash but spicy! What can I say? I am a sucker for stories like that. It makes me root for the underdog when she was challenged by the ex girl friend. It makes me cry when she says how tired she feels every time her heart is broken by the selfish men in her life. It makes me say,"don't give up!" whenever she meets another heartache in her life.

Perhaps the most amazing thing is that she liked the story of Momo, a book written by Michael Ende which I love very much. I couldn't believe my ears when she read from the book in the show. When I first read the book, I fell in love with the character of Momo. A girl who never spoke a word but spoke through her acts of love to the people around her. Momo was a nobody. But she could listen so well that her friends would go to her to settle their arguments and differences. She had time for her friends. She cared for simple things. She knew what was most important to focus on. Most of all, she was not even sure about her mission but she tried her very best in saving the hour-lilies.

What is the most important thing to a woman in this century? Her identity, family, life partner. friends, or career? It seems like her career since the women I know would spend most of her waking hours at work. Family seems to be second in line. Then comes the life partner... which may seem elusive for many single plain-looking women out there. This is what I gathered from this show about those men who are still available:

1. They are already taken. (ie. engaged /married/cohabiting)
2. They are poorer than the women.
3. They are not as educated as the women.
4. They are probably gay.
5. They are not attracted to plain-looking women.
6. Their looks are plain too.
7. They behave badly in front of potential mother in-laws.
8. They lie about everything.
9. They cannot think without their other head.
10. They are sexually dysfunctional.

It seems like a desperate cry for help in the many voices out there for single average looking women. Am I like them? In Sam-Soon's world, she had her father encouraging her on. No matter how tired she is of this world, she would imagine her father talking to her and sharing with her his nuggets of life and truth. That kept her going... kept her fighting for another day of finding true love. Like her, sometimes I wonder if there is such a person as Mr Right (who got probably lost along the way of finding my house)?

In the past two years, I learnt to be aware of the love of God and the extent of this love. I am thankful that I have my God who loves me as I truly am. Isn't it amazing that it is not a human being that makes me realised how loved I am. It is my Jehovah God who shows me I am loved by providing the sunlight that greets me in the morning, the gentle breeze that caresses my face when I walk to my work place and forgives me of my past sins and assures me of His Love despite of my potential to hurt Him again through my future actions. So I am not in need of having to be loved by someone, but rather I am allowing God to help me to be ready for my life partner. Allowing Him to refine my character, my heart and my soul... allowing Him to refine him as well while he makes his way into my life.

Last night, someone asked me why do I bother to find out about herbs, medication and natural healing food, I said without a blink of an eye,"I am getting myself ready to be a good wife!" Ha! where did that come from? I don't even believe my ears when I heard myself. Today, I choose to change that line of thought... I want to be more than just a good wife... I want to be made useful for His healing purposes!

So this is it. All that I wanted to say after laughing, crying and getting excited over a Korean drama series of a simple girl. Rantings after the show!!!!!!!!!!!!


BLESSED CHINESE NEW YEAR, MY FRIENDS!