Protect the Boss Episode 17 and 18 Link

Last two episodes of the series!
Episode 17: http://joonmedia.tv/videos/play/41359/5
Episode 18: http://joonmedia.tv/videos/play/41380/5

Musings for the Day...

I just got done recapping A Thousand Kisses Episode 12, and I must say, I'm liking the pace of the drama. The slow yet steady development of Woo Jin and Joo Mi's relationship is a joy to watch, especially as they start to bring out certain romantic and playful aspects of each other's personalities. For instance, Joo Mi's never made a doshirak for a man before and Woo Jin...well, let's just say that he's doing everything remotely associated with romance for the first time. And he's SMILING! LAUGHING!~

I know many of you, including myself, weren't that hooked on the Woo Bin/Joo Young couple storyline, but I've got to hand it to Ji Hyun Woo. He's doing a solid job of making Woo Bin appear likeable as he pursues Joo Young. As for the constant cold shoulder Joo Young's giving Woo Bin now that his feelings are known, I appreciate how she's realistic about their circumstances, thereby grounding their storyline. I didn't include this in the Episode 12 recap, but during the conversation at the park, she asks Woo Bin what his reaction would have been had she been the first one to confess. She astutely surmises that he would have run away from her as fast as he could. Needless to say, I'm curious to see how this relationship progresses, especially once Woo Bin's mother (the status-conscious woman who loathes anything and everything to do with Woo Jin's stepmother) finds out about her son loving a divorced single mother who also happens to be the older daughter of Woo Jin's stepmother.) Who knows when she'll find out, but this being dramaland, we know she'll eventually find out. The only question is how and who's going to be the one to spill the beans and open the proverbial Pandora's Box.

So much more I could post, but I'll stop here. On a side note, I plan to post links to Protoect the Boss (last two episodes this week) and keep updating my High Kick 3 episodes link post, so for those of you looking to watch the episodes, you'll know where to look. :) As for The Musical although recapping can be a bit time-consuming at times, I'm having so much fun providing you all with recaps that I've decided to recap my beloved The Musical. :) So keep up the hard work, staff of The Musical! Despite the low ratings, you have legions of fans enjoying your work! :)

All right...enough silliness for now. Have a blessed day! I hope you all get to enjoy at least one simple yet wonderful aspect of this life today! I know I'm going to try to appreciate the meaningful conversations I have with my students today. :) Until next time....

A Thousand Kisses Episode 13 Teaser

Recap of this Saturday's teaser:
1. Tae Kyung lies in wait for Joo Young at her house until Woo Bin drops her off. You hear Tae Kyung briefly entertain the suspicion that she might be dating again but quickly rejects the idea. He then shouts "Who were you holding hands with?!
2. Chan Ho has disappeared and Joo Young and Woo Bin search for him.
3. Yoo Kyung asks Woo Bin what his relationship is with Joo Young. He replies that she's the woman he loves (Love his directness!)
4. Grandmother's scolds Joo Mi(?) over the phone that she already told her she can't get married; why is she over there? However, in seems as though the wedding will happen after all since both sides of the family are seated at the wedding preparation dinner (Korean dinner in which the elders of both sides meet)
5. Joo Mi's mother thanks her ex-mother-in-law for giving her permission.
6. Tae Kyung returns home with the bouquet of flowers he didn't give to Joo Young. Yoon Hee sees it and thinks it's for her. Tae Kyung's mother's voice is heard in the background asking why he would bring Yoon Hee flowers.
7. Woo Bin meets Yoo Kyung, who's waiting for him at his house...yet again. (Dang, that woman needsd a reality check!) He asks her to please stay out of his life.

Hope you're all looking forward to Saturday's episode! :)

High Kick 3: Counterattack of the Short Legs Episode Links (Week 2)

Episode 5: http://joonmedia.tv/videos/play/41289/5
Episode 6: http://joonmedia.tv/videos/play/41323/5
Episode 7: http://joonmedia.tv/videos/play/41352/5
Episode 8: http://joonmedia.tv/videos/play/41375/5
Episode 9: http://joonmedia.tv/videos/play/41403/5

A Thousand Kisses Episode 12 Recap and Link

Episode 12: http://joonmedia.tv/videos/play/41274/5
Recap: (note: to avoid confusion, I call Joo Young and Joo Mi's biological mom "Woo Jin's mother" and I just realized that Yoon Hee is actually Joon Hee...I miswrote her name in the previous recap...sorry.)

The episode opens with Woo Jin’s mother calling the grandmother and asking her for a meeting to discuss Joo Mi’s situation. Meanwhile, Joo Mi and Woo Jin visit the traditional Korean restaurant to plan Saturday's dinner. Joo Mi's surprised by the price ($350/person) but Woo Jin calmly tells her that they need to first try the meal to see if it's tasty. Joo Mi replies that at that price, she knows it's going to be tasty. (LOL) She tells him that she's afraid her lips will bloat because the meal is so expensive. He reassures her that her lips won't. (LOL so cute how he's starting to joke with her.)

Grandmother and mother meet, and the grandmother assumes that the mother doesn’t want the wedding to happen either. She’s surprised then when the mother asks her for permission for the wedding to happen. Although her husband knows about her past, since Joo Mi thinks of her as dead, she asks the grandmother to please give her permission to the wedding; nothing can be gained from objecting but giving the couple heartache. The grandmother refuses, saying that a mother cannot be a mother-in-law. With tears welling in her eyes, the mother begs that since she’s already dead to her girls for abandoning them, she doesn’t want to add to that sin by becoming a mother who's blocked her daughter’s marriage and chance at happiness. She then explains that since Woo Jin lost his mother at such a young age, she’s rarely seen him smile. Joo Mi’s changed all that, and she doesn’t want to take that away from him. The grandmother refuses to budge in her objection to this marriage and tells the mother that she’s going to object, citing the extreme differences in their family background as a reason.

Leaving the meeting with her ex-daughter-in-law, the grandmother visits her son’s grave and tells him that she can’t allow this marriage to happen after what his ex-wife’s done: break up the family when she had an affair with one of his students.

Woo Jin's mother walks back and recalls the conversation and the past. The grandmother had told her to leave the house and never look back after what she did to the family; never contact them!

Joo Young and Chan Ho shop, and Joo Young buys Chan Ho a skateboard (rip board?) because he begs her for one (ah, children and their begging...). As she watches him learn to skate, she receives a phone call from Woo Bin, which she promptly ignores. He then sends her a text message telling her to answer his call. She ignores that one, too. He sends another one telling her that she won’t be able to avoid him. (good thing he's a good guy, or I'd be screaming, "Stalker!" right about now.)

At Tae Kyung’s house, Joon Hee brings in a wedding dress and tells the mother that she and Tae Kyung will be getting married. The mother promptly gets upset, wondering if her son is that reckless and a cad.

Joo Mi comes home and excitedly tells her two grandmothers about the restaurant for Saturday’s dinner meeting.

Meanwhile, Woo Jin’s mother returns home to an angry husband, who’s upset that his wife came home so late without any word; she didn't even bother to call. Startled, she tells him that she lost track of time while looking at wedding gifts and meeting with a friend. (She looks so anxious...sigh...what a sad life she leads) Soo Ah comes down and plays mediator between her parents and mentions that she didn’t know her mother had any friends (how sad…the mother doesn’t have any friends...wonder if she lost them all when she had the affair and then as penance just never made any new ones). The mother goes into the kitchen to prepare dinner since her husband had refused to eat earlier without his wife.

Tae Kyung comes home for the evening and is surprised to see a wedding dress hanging in his room. He reminds Joon Hee that he’s still not officially divorced and even then, he refuses to marry her. Joon Hee says they will. When he stalks out of his bedroom, she mutters, "We'll see..." (scary woman...what can she possible be planning...anyone else thinks she's lying about the baby and trying to trap Tae Kyung in a speedy marriage before she's found out?)

Woo Bin texts Joo Young good night, a text message that she ignores once again. (Got to hand it to the guy, though...he's persistent)

The next morning, Joo Mi prepares a lunch for Woo Jin. She asks her grandmother to taste test the rice ball and give her some points, but the grandmother refuses. Joo Mi, oblivious to her grandmother’s mood, then brightly says that she will prepare the meal without any help so that she can claim she made it all by herself. She then tells the grandmother that she would have been in despair if Woo Jin’s father had objected to the marriage. She’s so happy right now. She hopes nothing takes her happiness away. At Joo Mi's words, the grandmother worries, knowing that she's going to have to take her granddaughter's happiness away soon.

Hye Bin calls a matchmaking company and then tells her mother that she’s decided to get married and get out of her mother’s hair. She just needs the money now. (LOL. I really don't know what to think about this irresponsible older sister...oh wait, I just did. LOL I-R-R-E-S-P-O-N-S-I-B-L-E. I wonder who the writers are going to use as her love match...Woo Bin's older assoicate?)

At the shoe company, the staff gather around to judge the submissions.

On the grounds of KJResort, Woo Jin is seen jogging toward Joo Mi in his suit. He is pleasantly surprised with a homemade (doshirak) lunch from her. Looking at her skeptically (love how he’s learning to tease her), he asks if she didn’t buy this from the store. She insists that she made it. With a bit of an anticipatory look, he opens the case. Fishing for a compliment, Joo Mi asks, “Doesn’t it look pretty?” He replies, “What’s important is the taste.” As he tastes, Joo Mi concludes by his look that it’s tasty. When he asks if she really made it all by herself and without any help from grandmother, she utters a shocked "It must be that good." He tells her to eat, too, or he’ll eat it all himself. She tells him that’s all right; she can make more when she gets home. He then gently places her chopsticks in her hands, and they share a tender look. Joo Mi savors the moment (so cute how she holds onto her chopsticks) and doesn’t eat. Woo Jin, seeing this, feeds her a riceball. (Looks like Joo Mi’s dreams of romance are slowing becoming a reality with the “Ice” man. LOL) They then talk a bit more about possibly living by themselves once they marry and then Joo Mi feeds Woo Jin a riceball to which he’s pleased. (a first for both of them...)

Joo Mi returns home happy from her date but quickly panics when her grandmother tells her that the grandmother can’t accept this marriage on the pretext that their family backgrounds are too different. Joo Mi asks her grandmother to explain a bit more clearly so that she can understand. Woo Jin’s family isn’t one to care about a wedding dowry. The aunt-grandmother doesn’t know what’s going on and Joo Mi desperately tries to find a solution, suggesting that if Woo Jin’s parents are all right with her bringing no dowry, then it will be all right. The grandmother insists on objecting and Joo Mi goes into her room to cry.

Joo Young walks home from the grocery store to find Chan Ho and Woo Bin playing soccer at the local playground. (He’s a man, all right. LOL. When the woman ignores him, he goes to her.) Sending Chan Ho home so that she can speak with Woo Bin alone, she tells him to please leave her alone and not come by anymore. Woo Bin asks, “Do you really not like me? Don’t you know I’m a pretty good catch?” (heh heh) He then tells her that he’ll keep coming. (Persistence, baby! that's how my friend's husband got my friend to marry her, too!) At his stubbornness, she lists all the reasons why she doesn’t understand his interest, specifically leaving out her motherhood and divorced status since he claims those don't matter: she’s short, not that pretty, not smart, etc. He agrees, which deflates her a bit. (LOL) Then taking her grocery bag, he runs to her house and gives the bag to her grandmother. He then drives Joo Young somewhere, telling her that he's forcing her to spend time with him; otherwise, she won’t give him the time of day. He then takes her to a dance club and leads her onto the dance floor. He meets a friend there, and when the friend asks about Joo Young, he simply replies that he’s in the process of wooing. (LOL). When the music changes to a ballad, Joo Young leaves him on the dance floor. Instead of accepting the rejection, Woo Bin sees the chance for an unprepared event. He gets on the microphone and confesses to the clubbers that he apologizes for the interruption but that he’s grabbing this chance, an unplanned event, to try to convince the woman he loves that he loves her. She doesn’t seem to believe him. Announcing to her over the microphone that he thinks he’s become addicted to her, Woo Bin starts to sing and play his guitar.

Driving her home later that night, he asks if he sang well. At her silence, he wonders aloud what he should do next if she doesn’t like his singing. Joo Young says that she knows he’s a great guy, but she can’t go to him and that she won’t change her mind. Woo Bin retorts that he won’t change his mind either. He’s decided not to calculate and rationalize. He knows all her shortcomings but still likes her, so he’s decided to stop trying to make sense of his feelings.

Joo Young returns home to a crying Joo Mi. She comforts her and tells her to not cry when nothing’s been finalized. The grandmother will relent once she hears from the elders on Woo Jin’s side.

The next day, Joo Mi meets Woo Jin and tells him the situation with the grandmother. He tells her not to worry and that he’ll explain everything, especially since his father had told him to relay the message that they don’t need to prepare a dowry. (Isn't it adorable how Woo Jin doesn't like her crying?)

Meeting the grandmother, Woo Jin explains the situation. The grandmother still refuses, saying that that’s Woo Jin's side. She still doesn’t want them to marry, but if they are determined, perhaps they should take some more time to get to know each other better.

Outside Joo Mi's house, as Woo Jin gets ready to leave, he asks Joo Mi if her grandmother will really insist on objecting to this marriage to the very end. He’s confused since his family’s not that rich. He wonders if the grandmother would cease her objections if his father resigned from his chairman position, which is unrealistic. At his ridiculous mutterings, Joo Mi tells him to go home. A bit put out, he asks her if she wants him to leave so early. Surprised by his questions, she bashfully looks at him and says no. At her reply, he smiles. (Ha! Their romance is so sweet.)

Back home, Woo Jin explains the situation to his parents, but his father suspects that there is another reason other than their family background. (smart man. There's a reason why he's the chairman.) However, he agrees to postpone the marriage meeting.

As Woo Jin’s mother’s about to sleep, she gets a call from the grandmother to meet the next day. At the meeting, the grandmother tells her that she can’t allow this wedding to happen, so the mother needs to do her part and reveal all. This way, Joo Mi and Woo Jin will finally accept her objections. No biological mother can be a mother-in-law. The mother begs her to allow this marriage since she’s a dead person to her girls. The grandmother demands how she can think of the mother as dead, refusing to forget what she’s done to her son, a woman who drove a stake through his heart. The mother begs, saying that she was only Joo Young’s age when she made that mistake. She was young and reckless, not knowing what was really important. She’s lived the past 20 years or so regretting. The grandmother leaves, reiterating that she can never accept this marriage.

Back at home, Joo Young tries to convince her grandmother not to object to Woo Jin; she thinks he’s a good guy and that she hopes her failed marriage doesn’t affect the grandmother’s stance regarding Joo Mi’s wedding. As they talk, Tae Kyung unexpectedly comes to visit with a wedding preparation gift for the grandmother. When Joo Young asked how he heard, he mentions that the aunt-grandmother came up. Not wanting to spend any more time with him than necessary, Joo Young shows him to the door.

The two grandmothers and Joo Young fix some side dishes in the kitchen when Joo Young gets a phone call from the shoe company telling her that she’s won the grand prize. The family celebrates.

At around the same time, Woo Bin is at his office, pouring over the results to the shoe contest. Abruptly getting out of his seat, he lifts his hands up in the air and announce “Grand prize! Grand prize!” (So cute! I know I love Woo Jin and Joo Mi couple, but Woo Bin’s slowly starting to worm his way into my heart with his cuteness towards Joo Young) Surprise, his employees ask what’s the grand prize. However without answering, Woo Bin tells his associate to take care of the afternoon schedules and leaves for the day.

After confirming that she’s the winner of the grand prize, Joo Young sits down for the awards ceremony. Meanwhile, Woo Bin grabs a bouquet of flowers and drives to the ceremony. Running into the building, (gotta love the way he takes the stairs 3 or 4 steps at a time…dang! The man has long legs!) he congratulates Joo Young with flowers and a bear hug, saying softly in her ears that he shouldn’t lose an opportunity. (LOL) Yoo Kyung, thinking that he’s there with flowers for her, is rudely surprised when Woo Bin congratulates, hugs, and drags Joo Young out. She’s so surprised and baffled that she follows them all the way to the elevator. (Is it just me, or is her character that unbelievable?)

Outside, Woo Bin ushers a reluctant Joo Young into his car while Tae Kyung, arriving late to congratulate his ex-wife with flowers, sees them leave in Woo Bin’s car. The episode ends with a frozen shot of his shocked face.

A Thousand Kisses Episode 11 Recap and Link

Episode 11: http://joonmedia.tv/videos/play/41237/5

Recap:
As Joo Young slowly and a bit unsteadily walks back into the emergency room, Woo Bin runs and envelops her in a bear hug. He thanks her for being alive and that he must have imagined the worst case scenario. Rebuking her lightly for how scared he was when their phone call was abruptly interrupted on a scream, he asks what happened. She briefly explains that a motorcyclist side-swiped her and that she’s all right. He then urges her to get some sleep and leaves when she says that she can’t while he’s there. (He’s so adorable how he’s so distracted yet willing to do anything she asks.)

Joo Mi leaves to go visit Woo Jin’s house to visit with his parents and answer some questions they have for her. Meanwhile, the grandmother opens a cardboard box and worriedly looks over her savings accounts to see if she’ll have enough to help pay for Joo Mi’s wedding.

Outside the hospital, Woo Bin answers a call from his employee and then apologizes for not calling him to explain that things with Joo Young are all right. When the older brother comments that from Woo Bin's reaction, he thought that she had gotten into a major accident. Woo Bin gets all huffy-puffy that the co-worker seems disappointed that she’s all right. (Gotta love his state of emotions right now. LOL)

Joo Mi meets with Woo Jin and his parents at their home and answers some questions about her parents. As she talks about her father who used to work as a professor at a university, Woo Jin’s mother looks startled and silently tells herself that what she suspects can’t be true since Joo Mi has a different name than her daughter. But she’s left reeling when Joo Mi talks about how her parents divorced when she was 3 and that she doesn’t know her mother’s face since her grandmother got rid of all the pictures (only the grandmother knows about the one remaining photo had the father had kept tucked inside one of his old books, perhaps an indication that he still cared for his ex-wife and wished he had forgiven her so many years ago.)

While doing dishes, Woo Jin’s mother asks Joo Mi about her sister. Joo Mi tells her that her older sister’s name is Joo Young and that her name used to be Joo Ah but that her grandmother changed her name to Joo Mi at age 6 so that she can get stronger (since she was such a sickly child). The mother is shaken to know that her younger daughter had been sick and asks if she was sick a lot. Joo Mi says yes and that that even now, she has a slight case of anemia but is all right. When the mother presses her to get treatment for the anemia, no matter how minor the case (love the motherly concern still), Joo Mi explains that she’s all right. The mother then asks what her father’s name was. When Joo Mi mentions her father’s name in the honorific form, the mere mention of her ex-husband’s name causes the mom to collapse and break a teacup. As she struggles to pick up the broken pieces, she cuts herself and excuses herself to go get it bandaged. Once safely inside her bedroom, she tries to calm her tumultuous feelings.

Woo Jin comes into the kitchen and tells Joo Mi that his aunt and uncle will be joining them for dinner. When she expresses anxiety, he tells her it’s probably better to just get the meeting of elders over with; otherwise, they have to meet them anyhow at a separate time. The mother’s surprised at the sudden invite since she wasn’t prepared for dinner guests. (dang, how like a man to spring surprise dinner guests on his wife at the last moment).

Meanwhile, Woo Bin’s mom, while getting ready to go to Woo Jin’s house, speculates on what type of girl has changed Woo Jin’s determination to not marry. The dad simply smiles and says that when a man falls in love, it’s only natural that he wants to marry. (LOL) Then Woo Bin’s father sternly warns his wife not to make things awkward by sticking her nose in the wedding by asking about a dowry, family background, etc. She gets miffed that her husband won’t let her ask anything. He then tells her to try to forget what happened with Woo Jin’s stepmother so long ago. He mentions that even Jesus says to forgive and forget. He asks her to please forget the past.

Joo Young returns home to the family’s surprise at her wound. She minimizes the event and says that she got into an accident. (No mention of the motorcycle or hospital so that no one worries needlessly).

Hye Bin and Yoo Kyung visit a shoe boutique and Yoo Kyung buys her one of her company’s shoes. Over drinks at a local coffee shop, Hye Bin asks why Yoo Kyung called her for drinks that one time. Yoo Kyung finally confesses in vague terms that Woo Bin misunderstood things between her and her old boyfriend. (I so dislike how she leaves out how Woo Bin caught her making out with her old boyfriend…how is that a misunderstanding?!)

Woo Jin’s family (minus Soo Ah) and Woo Bin’s parents gather for dinner and share pleasantries over dinner. Woo Bin’s dad says that since he’s going to be her “small father-in-law” (Korean term for the father-in-law’s younger brother), he’ll just call her Joo Mi rather than the polite term to call strangers. (This shows how they're really quick to accept her into the family.) They talk of wedding plans and arrange to have the meeting between the two families that weekend much to the mother's increasing concern.

When Joo Mi returns home, she tells her family of the weekend’s meeting. They are surprised that things are getting so rushed but then laugh when the aunt-grandmother mentions that the bachelor Woo Jin must really want to marry Joo Mi quickly.

In the quiet of her bedroom while her husband sleeps, Woo Jin’s stepmother looks over her only picture of her two daughters and sheds silent tears as she reflects upon the day’s events and her feelings. When her husband calls from the bed, asking if she’s not sleeping, she wipes her tears, tucks away the photo in a case and then inside her vanity drawer before retiring for the night.

Seated outside on their porch, Joo Mi and Joo Young talk about the upcoming wedding and how Joo Young has such a hard time believing that her little sister is getting married. Joo Mi comments that she can’t either, and Joo Young tells her that she must make sure to be happy. She teases Joo Mi about her childhood nickname: leech. Because she stuck to her like a leech, Joo Young was often late to school. Joo Mi wonders why she bothered her small older sister when she had her grandmother. Talk then turns to their mother, whom they haven’t seen since their childhood. Joo Mi wonders where their mother is and why grandmother won’t let them talk about her or ask about her. She asks if Joo Young still hates her mother. Joo Young answers that when she became a mother, she understood that a mother can’t abandon her child. She then reassures her younger sister that she’ll act as her mother and help her with the wedding plans.

Woo Jin’s mother lies in bed deep in thought.

The next morning, Woo Jin and Woo Bin meet over coffee. Woo Bin wonders who this woman is to have changed his older cousin’s mind so drastically. Woo Jin comments that she makes him laugh and smile while he mentally reminisces about her efforts to make him laugh. Woo Bin asks to see her today, but Woo Jin says that he has to go down to the resort so they’ll have to reschedule for another day. Woo Bin then asks him for advice on love; what does it mean that he thinks rationally one minute and then emotionally the next? Woo Jin tells him that that seems like a difficult question for him, at which Woo Bin concurs and rhetorically asks what he thought he could possibly learn from his older cousin who just recently changed his own mind about love. (LOL…it's so cute how the drama is showing more of their cousin relationship)

As Woo Bin returns to his office, he can’t seem to get Joo Young off his mind. His older employee/manager asks what the deal is with Joo Young because when Joo Young first broke the celadon vase, he was embarrassed by how stingy Woo Bin had acted and then yesterday, Woo Bin was acting like a crazy man. Woo Bin tells him to give it a rest since the guy already chewed him out over the phone yesterday. Then just a few minutes later, Woo Bin catches himself smiling like a lunatic again with thoughts of Joo Young so excuses himself to go exercise…(LOL. he's only been in the office a few minutes! Talk about distracted!) His office staff is left in shock over his erratic behavior.

Joo Young, while dressing her head wound, thinks back on yesterday’s events as well. With a resolved expression, she tries to remind herself not to think such wayward thoughts.

Meanwhile, Woo Bin tries to physically work out his thoughts and emotions out on the racquetball court.

Joo Mi and Woo Jin drive down to the resort, Joo Mi asks brightly what she’s to do at the resort. He tells her to play until he gets off work. She asks if she’s only keeping him company then so that he won’t be bored on his drive to and from work, and Woo Jin says that’s only in part. Then he smoothly turns on his CD, which has a radio DJ narrating a listener’s radio note to the station. Joo Mi thinks it's actually a radio program. Listening to the story, Joo Mi comments that this sounds just like their story. (Love the look on Woo Jin’s face when the radio announcer reads that the listener wondered what kind of weird woman would run backwards right into a man…as if to say that’s you! LOL. I love how his playful side is starting to slowly emerge.) She then gets an inkling that this is something Woo Jin sent and listens with excitement and emotion. The radio DJ continues to read that the guy “doesn’t know much about love but feels as though this woman can teach him about love. She’s a magician who’s cast a spell over his heart. She’s gotten him to think seriously about marriage. Joo Mi, will you marry me, Jang Woo Jin?” Squealing, Joo Mi reaches over and hugs Woo Jin while he’s driving. (Ack! So cute! Woo Jin's surprised expression is priceless!~) She then asks how he was able to think of such an unexpected and romantic event. Woo Jin truthfully answers that he didn’t send a note to the radio station. (Drat the man for his honesty!) Ejecting the CD and handing it to her, he tells her that he contacted an events company because he knew that she liked romance and events. They planned this for him. Joo Mi announces that she’s been duped. However, she quickly rebounds and says that she’s still touched by his gesture and reaches over to give him a quick peck on the cheek. (Yes, the man is definitely liking spending time with her and receiving "skinship" LOL)

Back at Woo Jin's home, his stepmother is sick with worry as she anticipates the upcoming family meeting this Saturday. She knows that she has to do something to prevent a major disaster with her ex-mother-in-law.

Later that night, Joo Young meets Woo Bin outside her house and asks why he’s here out of the blue. Woo Bin asks her why she’s followed him all day long. (Really?!  Is he seriously using that old pick-up line? LOL I have to admit, though, that it sounds cute coming from him in that way) Without his permission, why is she running around freely in his head? He wants to hold/hug her. Startled, Joo Young asks him to not be like this. With tears welling up in her eyes, she reminds him that she’s Chan-Ho’s mom and an divorcee. Woo Bin demands what other reason she can give that he doesn’t know. Is the fact that she’s 3 years older than him an issue? He tells her to leave that out since he already knows that, too. He demands that she give him a reason he doesn't know. At his stubborness, She leaves and says she has nothing to say to a man who refuses to understand her.

Once inside the safety of her front yard, Joo Young leans against a wall trying to calm her racing heart. Woo Bin goes for a drink to deal with her stubborness and how he's going to convince her to date him.

The next morning, the aunt-grandmother goes to visit Tae Kyung’s mother and says that despite the situation with the kids, they’re still friends, so she came to visit. She then starts to brag about Joo Mi’s future husband and how he’s rich and better looking than even Jang Dong Gun (LOL…so she went to brag...and nah, Ryu Jin is more handsome!) While they talk, Yoon Hee comes in and claims that she’s the new daughter-in-law. When Tae Kyung’s mother denies it, Yoon Hee insists it's true since she’s bearing Tae Kyung’s child. The aunt-grandmother leaves in a huff, spitting on the floor to signify she's finished with the family. Yoon Hee then tells Tae Kyung's mother that despite their wish for Joo Young and Tae Kyung to reconcile, she is going to be the future daughter-in-law.

The aunt-grandmother goes home to vent about the unexpected development, leaving Joo Young with new thoughts to consider.

Yoon Hee visits Tae Kyung at his office and drags him out to see and select a wedding dress. Tae Kyung shouts that he’s not even officially divorced yet (they’re in the waiting period) and even if the divorce becomes official, he has no plans to ever remarry.

Joo Young does laundry out in her frontyard, and her grandmother comforts her to not be bothered by how many children he has. Joo Young tells her she's not bothered and then gets a phone from Woo Bin.

Meeting outside at their usual park bench, Woo Bin confesses that he doesn’t know why his emotions are like this or how they came to be like this, but he tells her to not avoid him since he’s going to be meeting her now as a man. (Appreciate that he's so direct and truthful with her) She tells him that she didn’t meet him as a man. She met him because he was a kind neighbor to her. Woo Bin tells her he’s not going to be meeting her that way anymore to which she replies that she won’t able to meet him then. Woo Bin asks her to give him a reason other than her being Chan-Ho’s mom or divorced. She get up to leave and tells him that she won’t have any reason to meet him in the future then. Frustrated, he can only watch as she walks swiftly from him.

While Joo Mi’s on her laptop working on an article, she receives a call from Woo Jin’s mother asking for a meeting. As they walk through a historical Korean site (love the painting on the hanok--traditional Korean--buildings), the mother asks Joo Mi questions about her family and whether her sister’s married. Joo Mi answers that her sister got married. The mother confirms and is sad that Joo Mi doesn’t have any memories of her mother. Sitting at a park bench later, the mother asks Joo Mi for her home phone number since she’ll have to contact Joo Mi's grandmother for the Saturday meeting and wedding plans. (So sad how the mother was barred from ever contacting her children and the phone number was changed to prevent any contact. And she has to use subterfuge on her daughter to contact the ex-mother-in-law) The mother then asks permission to touch Joo Mi’s hand (kill me softly…how heart-wrenching that the mother so gingerly yet oh-so-tenderly treasures her daughter’s hand. She's been through a lot over the past 23 years...how tragic that one event can so drastically alter a person's life...lesson learned!) Commenting on how beautiful Joo Mi’s hands are, the mother asks if Joo Mi “really likes, no loves, Woo Jin.” She reassures Joo Mi that she asks this without any hidden motives. She’s just concerned that things are happening so quickly; Joo Mi had acted as Woo Jin's fake girlfriend and now is making plans to marry him. Does she love him enough to weather any storms that may test her feelings for him? Joo Mi reassures her that her feelings won’t change even though she doesn’t know what the future holds for them. (I love how the mother is trying in her own way to confirm if her daughter is really happy and marrying for the right reasons.)

Driving Joo Mi back to the house, the mother takes in all the details of the small road leading up to Joo Mi’s house. When she returns home, she’s startled to find her husband home from work, indicating her frail state of mind right now. He tells her that reservations have been make to meet this Saturday at a well-known traditional Korean restaurant. Inside her bedroom, she debates whether to call and then makes the dreaded phone call to her ex-mother-in-law. When the mother-in-law tries to hang up, she urgently asks her not hang up; she’s calling about Joo Mi!

The Musical Episode 4 Link and Thoughts

Link to Episode 4: http://joonmedia.tv/videos/play/41176/5

I want to encourage those who are looking  for a drama to check out The Musical, starring Goo Hye Sun, Daniel Choi, and Ok Ju Hyun. It airs only once a week, so it should be easy on anyone's viewing schedule. :)

Today's episode (episode 4) contained a number of cute scenes, all of which I won't recount right now, but a few that stood out in my mind are the Hong Jae Hee and Ko Eun Bi scenes:
1. At the playground where Eun Bi exclaims that Hong Jae Hee's actions are why artists gain a bad reputation (LOL)
2. His earnest efforts to protect and give her the spotlight in his musical and her subsequent actions to avoid favoritism and instead earn the part on her own merits with an open-audition
3. Her audition. I loved how Hong Jae Hee curls up in his seat as if to savor the performance...love the way he swings his knees to accent his enjoyment of the performance (LOL). The dramatic pause (Eun Bi's interpreation) is inspired and really changes the energy of the drama as well as the audition scene. Every single judge is startled and then amazed at how she's brought life and realism to the song with that one dramatic pause. The judges who hadn't recognized her potential before then start to get an inkling of why Hong Jae Hee is pushing for her to lead. She's definitely starting to show the beginnings of her star power as a future musical actress. Not only is she maximizing on the fact that the piece was written with her in mind, she's adding her own artist interpretation to the musical in order to make the performance that much more believable...and she's trying so hard to get to her rightful place in the musical world on her own merits, not on someone's shirttails...LIKE!
4. Hong Jae Hee's quietly uttered "Bravo, Ko Eun Bi" packs a whole lot of meaning. (So adorable) Bae Kang Hee had better watch out. Her coveted top spot in the musical world is about to be challenged! LOL
5. The short scene in which all the finalists are waiting for the results and Eun Bi has her head stuck between two plush theater seats. (definitely a Kodak moment)
6. This last one isn't a Eun Bi or Jae Hee moment but rather a Bae Kang Hee one. The last scene when she turns, tears up her score sheet and then declares that if the scores are tied between Ko Eun Bi and the other finalist, then her answer is...and then the episode ends on that note. I love how Ok Ju Hyun's charismatic character adds a palpable level of conflict, grudging acknowledgment of Eun Bi's skills and fairness, etc. without sacrificing her role as the antagonist. She's doing a fabulous job of presenting a conflicted and dynamic character in Bae Kang Hee. I especially appreciated the glances she threw Hong Jae Hee's way during the audition to gauge his reaction.
Overall, this series is getting better and better with each episode. I wasn't so sure when it first started, but with each subsequent episode, I'm liking it more and more. Check it out! I just wish more people in Korea would give it a shot. That's all for today...I'll write again probably Sunday night with the recap of A Thousand Kisses Episode 11. Until then, have a blessed weekend!