# 1 Pop Quiz, #2 Something to Think About!

Special Note: Initials-of visitors w/correct answers. KG

#1 This is a screen capture from La Belle. Question: Is there something funny about the picture? Answer on the right hand side at the Poll just under the Bulletin Board.

If you do see something funny, and you want to describe it, leave a comment at the bottom of this entry where you see the word, "comments".
Click image to enlarge.


#2 Something to think about.
The photo below is also a screen capture from La Belle. For my new project, I have been slowly picking up screen captures from the movie. My objective is to post a collection of unedited/uncensored pictures at a different blog.

This blog is set up for everyone to enjoy. Because it is so, I avoid using too many swear words, and try to keep it tasteful.

The La Belle blog is set up for consenting adults. You must agree to a statement regarding your understanding of the contents, and click a button to get in. The only thing that does, is keep me from being harrassed about nudity, etc.

If a visitor has been warned they might see a buttock, he/she can't really go screaming to Google because I showed them said buttock. The photo below has been edited by cropping. It will be at the other blog in it's entirity.
Click image to enlarge.

Publicity

...always a good thing.

An article from The Korea Times

New Types of Husbands to Sneak Onto TV Screen
The Korea Times
03-10-2009 15:34

MBC brings the story of passionate wives and clueless husbands through new drama ``My Wife Is a Superwoman.'' The series starts March 16 at 9:55 p.m.

Courtesy of MBC

By Han Sang-hee
Staff Reporter

Marriage requires many things-- from caring and understanding to sacrificing and communicating. MBC's new drama ``My Wife is a Superwoman'' showcases the role of Korean wives when they were traditionally the ones who had to endure sacrifice and completely support their husbands, also known as ``naejo '' in Korean.

Starring Kim Nam-joo, Oh Ji-ho and Lee Hae-young, the 16-part series will feature the stories of three couples tangled up in different relationships and situations.

The 37-year-old Kim, who has returned to the spotlight after an eight-year hiatus, will be the ``superwoman'' Cheon Ji-ae who struggles to regain her own status and also her husband's.

``As a mother of two and an `ajumma,' I thought this was a perfect role for me. Times are difficult these days, and I liked that the drama is bright and upbeat,'' Kim said, referring to the Korean term that means married middle-aged woman, at a press conference.

Cheon, who was once the most popular girl in high school, marries the smart Ohn Dal-soo, played by Oh, dreaming of the perfect marriage. But when she realizes that Ohn is an underperformer at work, she is determined to support her husband and help him climb the corporate ladder. The determined Cheon meets her match, however, when she discovers that Ohn's boss is the husband of her childhood enemy, Yang Bong-soon.

Promising ``naejo'' was primarily the role of wives when men were the main breadwinners. Wives would stay home, take care of the children and finish up house chores before the husbands came home to rest and prepare for another busy day ahead. The traditional belief was that the more fit the wife was for ``naejo'' culture, the better off the husband would be out in society.

A short conversation between America's former first lady Hillary Clinton and her husband Bill also shows how the current Secretary of State believed in the importance of her role as a wife. The couple stopped by a gas station only to find Hillary's former boyfriend was the owner. When her husband told her she could have ended up as the owner's wife, she replied that then the gas station owner would have become the president. Incidentally, South Korea's first lady Kim Yun-ok also defined ``naejo'' as the ``opposition party,'' for sometimes you must harshly criticize your husband's deeds.

As many women nowadays often choose their careers over staying at home and solely supporting their husbands, the drama will try to bring back the passionate wives who supported their husbands, though with a modern and more aggressive twist.

``In the drama, Cheon follows Yang and helps her with house chores, shopping, and sometimes even cooks for her, which is harder to do when the person is someone you hate. For me, I think the best `naejo' is to help the husband feel comfortable, which is necessary to go out and work well,'' Kim said.

Married to fellow actor Kim Seung-woo, she also added that her husband didn't need the help, or naejo, because he was nothing like Ohn in the story.

Kim's husband made a cameo appearance in the drama, making a ``wejo'' move, referring to the husband's version of ``naejo.''

``I decided to appear in the drama just to support my wife, who is returning to the television screen after many years,'' Kim said, smiling at the shoot.

With high expectations in bringing the tactics and strategies for supporting diffident husbands to the small screen, `` My Wife Is a Superwoman'' will start airing March 16 at 9:55 p.m. on MBC.

LINK to original article.

From La Belle

The writer still able to work before his life goes to hades in a handbasket.
Click image to enlarge.

Oh Ji Ho in Japan

This is not a good picture. It came from a Japanese newspaper online. It was taken during the fan club visit/photo book promotion trip in February. Nice ensemble...he wears gray well.

Spring cometh...

Sorry I've been off line for a while. I'm not feeling well. However, a couple of mentions.

You may or may not have noticed there's a little bulletin board in the sidebar to your right. Keep your eye on it, because I will be updating it, adding quick new info and deleting the old.

The Tremolo Spring catalog is up now, but I'm feeling too lifeless to bring you photos at this time. The link to Tremolo is on the bulletin board. You can drop in if you wish.

Meanwhile, a teaser...
Click image to enlarge. It's huge.

Dream Girls

Oh Ji Ho on Opening Night (I think. It may also be a preview special performance as these photos were taken on February 28th. It is my understanding the show is slated to open in March, but I could be wrong. At any rate, he attended.)
Click images to enlarge.




"Dreamgirls" will open in Korea at Charlotte Theater in Jamsil-dong Seoul next March before moving to Boston to start its U.S. tour.

Is it ever easy? No.

You can call this the After Single Papa Syndrome.

Single Papa was a nightmare. After having watched the depressing ratings that seemed to go nowhere but down, a case of pre production jitters hit me. I even dreamed last night about the making of the upcoming drama.

The dream was absurd.

Oh Ji Ho was walking the dog in a park, and decided to allow it to run a bit without a leash. The dog looked up at Oh Ji Ho, Oh Ji Ho looked down at the dog in disgust because he didn't like walking him for bathroom purposes.

Then the dog took off like a bat out of hell.

They were both running full speed ahead, but the dog, being younger and a non-smoker, had the advantage, and left Oh Ji Ho in the dust. Finally they both slowed down, with Oh Ji Ho gasping and swearing at the dog, and the dog giving Oh Ji Ho amused dog looks.

He lay in the grass panting slightly as Oh Ji Ho wheezed his way toward him. Just as he was about to dive onto the dog and attach the leash, the dog took off again.

By this time Oh Ji Ho was out of patience. Any concern for his image went out the window. He let loose a stream of rant, finishing off with a statement along the lines, the dog farted too much, had bad breath, shed hair all over the place, peed on his favorite shoes, and wasn't even fit to eat, let alone be on TV.

Of course there was a large audience for this mini comedy/drama. The inevitable cluster of ajummas were scandalized to the extent they started yelling at Oh Ji Ho, and saying, "Boycott the new drama. This man is not nice to dogs!"

I woke up with the thought in my mind..."I'm going to go kill myself..." Then I started laughing in wary relief. "It Was just a dream", I said.

HOWEVER, there is a rumble in the land:

Media Workers Launch General Strike
Thursday, February 26, 2009 18:59:40

The National Union of Media Workers has launched a general strike in protest of the ruling camp’s introduction of bills seeking revisions to media laws.

Starting at 6 am Thursday, unionists of the Munwha Broadcasting Corporation, one of the nation’s major TV networks, began boycotting production. Nonunion members are filling the vacancies left by workers who are on strike.

Unionized members of the Seoul Broadcasting System also decided they will join the strike if the media bills make their way to a plenary session of the National Assembly. Unionized workers at EBS, YTN and CBS are also deciding when to join the strike and what their level of participation will be.

Union workers at KBS who withdrew from the National Union of Media Workers last year also denounced the GNP's unilateral introduction of the media bills. In a statement on Thursday, the KBS union said it will hold a vote on March second on whether to join the strike. The statement said it will immediately launch a general strike if the GNP puts the bills to a vote at a plenary session of the National Assembly.

The 22 media reform bills would allow major newspapers and conglomerates to own broadcasting companies, including cable TV networks. They would also be allowed to own between a 30 and 49 percent stake in news-only cable channels and other cable networks that will offer a complete range of programming, including news and entertainment.

The GNP says revisions to media laws are necessary to respond to the changing media environment and to create jobs. But opposition parties and critics of the media bills say they would result in the monopolization of media markets by a handful of conservative newspapers and conglomerates.

Reported by KBS WORLD Radio LINK

Let's all keep our fingers crossed, and be nice to dogs. March 9, 2009 was a bad day astrologically. March 16, 2009 is much better. I want to believe things will work out well. I have a feeling that it will, but after Papa, I, as I said above, do have the jitters.

And to all, a good night.

Queen of Housewives Verification

The opening date for Queen of Housewives has been verified as March 16, 2009 at 21:55.

While you're waiting...

This is a picture of the official Oh Ji Ho fan club home page. When you enlarge the photo, it will fill most of your screen depending on the size of your monitor.

Click image to enlarge, then stand back. It's big.

I strongly suggest you visit the site. Even though you are not a member, you can still access some photos by clicking on "GALLERY". It's fun. You'll like it. Get to the site by clicking HERE.

POSSIBLE ERROR

The new show may in fact be opening on March 16, 2009, not March 9, 2009 as previously posted. There appears to be a discrepancy in listings.

East of Eden is currently in the MBC 21:55 time slot on Monday and Tuesday. Queen of Housewives will be the next drama. If I see any other data regarding scheduling, I'll post at once.

Meanwhile, my final Harry Potter book has arrived, and I'm dying to read it. So, I'm off for now.

The Queen in Ascension

From the promo shots, this has a definite look of female in ascendancy. Please note, the Queen is comfortably positioned to whack her husband on the head with a skillet.

Click image to enlarge.

Catch you later. Have a bright and shiny day.

Pix

If you want to see more promotional pix for the upcoming Queen of Housewives, you can go directly to MBC for them. They are gigantic. Wallpaper size. See them here.

What I do or don’t know…

The new MBC mini drama/comedy Queen of Housewives, apparently centers around three couples. One couple, played by Oh Ji Ho and Kim Nam Joo, brings the pair together again after nearly a decade.

They were co-stars in the movie I Love You, an intense story which brought out a lot of angst in the characters.

I felt they worked well together, and look forward to seeing them in an entirely different setting.

Oh Ji Ho will be playing a spouse who dabbles in infidelity, which is bound to outrage some, and drive others to engage in wild fantasizing. Whatever rings your bell.

Rather than being the weighty and critically moralistic vehicle Autumn Shower was, it’s possible this work will put a lighter spin on the cheating heart (and other parts, etc.) factor since it is a slice of life, and who among us hasn’t been lured or tempted by one thing or another?

There is a description of the show which I just came across at K-popped. I would call it a pretty good short synopsis, written with wit. Check it out. LINK

So far, Dramawiki has minimal data other than cast listing and scheduled time.

Are we having fun yet?

Here's something for you.

This article below would probably serve as a synopsis of 'Queen of Housewives' if you can read it in the original language.

2009-02-20 11:45
[뉴스엔 송윤세 기자]

“너무 편해 연기가 안 되면 어쩌죠?”

‘내조의 달인들이 펼치는 맛있는 비빔밥 같은 이야기’를 표방하는 MBC 새 월화 드라마 ''내조의 여왕''(극본 박지은/연출 고동선, 김민식)에서 남다른 인연의 김남주-오지호-이혜영이 만났다.

배우들은 작품에서 좀처럼 다시 만나기 힘들지만 이들은 셋 다 반가운 인연으로 한 작품에서 뭉치게 돼 ‘너무 즐겁다’는 반응이다.

김남주와 이혜영은 평소 또래 여성 연기자들과 함께 친목 모임에 참여하고 있는 두말할 나위도 없는 ‘절친’관계. 1999년 MBC 드라마 ‘왕초’에서 같이 출연한 이후 두 번째 만남이다.

또 오지호는 두 ‘여인’과 남다른 작품 인연이 얽혀 있다. 김남주와는 2001년 영화 ‘아이 러브 유’에서 이루지 못한 사랑을 간직한 연인으로 만났고 이혜영과는 2004년 시트콤 ‘형사’에서 연인으로 호흡을 맞췄다.

김남주는 “워낙 둘 다 편안하게 보았던 친구와 후배다 보니 오랜만에 복귀한 촬영장 분위기가 너무 든든할 것 같다.”며 환하게 웃었다. 오지호 역시 “두 여자 선배들과는 마치 패밀리 같다”며 “처음의 어색함이 없이 바로 호흡이 맞는다는 점에서 출발 느낌이 좋다”고 전했다.

이들은 포스터 촬영 때도 서로 남매처럼 친구처럼 반가움을 보이고 편안하게 촬영에 임하면서 찰떡 호흡을 과시했다.

한편 ‘내조의 여왕’은 고교시절 학교에서 한 미모하던 퀸카 천지애(김남주 분)가 서울대 출신의 훤실한 매력남 달수(오지호 분)와 결혼에 성공했지만 사회 조직 적응력이 ‘제로 맨’에 가까운 달수가 백수로 지내면서 화려했던 천지애의 수난시대가 시작되는 코믹한 내용이다.

김남주와 오지호가 부부로 등장하고 이혜영-최철호 커플, 선우선-윤상현 커플이 펼치는 드라마 ‘내조의 여왕’은 3월 9일 첫방송된다.

Got that? No? Oh, well try this then:

Google Translation: Korean » English

[Songyunse nyuseuen News]

"If you're not too comfortable smoke What do we do?"

'Wife of the master of the story unfold like a delicious Bibimbap' to stand for wolhwa MBC new drama queen of''wife''(a play Park / director godongseon, gimminsik) in the unique bond of gimnamju - ohjiho - yihyeyoung met.

Actors work hard to meet again, but rarely in the clot in all three works have a good relationship 'so fun' is the reaction.

The usual age and yihyeyoung gimnamju with female actors in the mixer and goes without saying that no 'jeolchin' relationships. 1999 MBC Drama 'padrone' a film together is the second meeting.

The two ohjiho 'woman' and the outstanding work that he is involved. With gimnamju in 2001 for her love, unfailing love in the unfulfilled lover yihyeyoung met with the 2004 sitcom 'criminal' as a lover in the hit breathing.

Gimnamju the "so both hubaeda friends and I saw a comfortable atmosphere for a long time back too deundeunhal is set." He smiled brightly. Ohjiho too "with two women like you are family," the "first right of breathing without awkward start in the right to have a good feeling," he said.

When they shoot each other poster said bangaum like friends, like brother and sister comfort each other breathing and had to shoot imha.

The 'Queen of woman's beauty in high school, the school was kwinka cheonjiae (gimnamju minutes) from the Seoul National University hwonsilhan charmer dalsu (ohjiho minutes) and the marriage was successful, but the social organization, adaptable to the' zero-Man dalsu close to the going to the unemployed, the colorful era to the beginning of heaven and earth, the sufferings of a child is comical.

Gimnamju and as a couple and ohjiho yihyeyoung - choecheolho couples, seonwooseon - despite a couple yunsanghyeon Drama 'wife of the Queen's March 9 is the first broadcast.

Now I know it's all clear for you, I feel so much better. Here are two photos to go with the text.

Click images to enlarge.

What's doing?

Hillary Clinton visits South Korea, North Korea rattles the saber, and Oh Ji Ho is working on 'Queen of Housewives', a new comedy/drama, or drama/comedy. (As you prefer.)

It will air in early March on MBC.

The title is open to perpetual change, of course, along with misinterpretation, and all the other South Korea to oddities we find so endearing.

I found a bunch of photos via the news when I finally wandered up to check it out yesterday, but will only post this one because it strikes me as amusing.

The rest of them will glut the web before long. I'll do my share of glutting I suppose. Just not today.

Meanwhile, check out the matching hairstyles. I love this.

Click image to enlarge.