Second Time's a Charm

Back when I first watched the Chinese drama You Are My Glory I wasn't all that impressed; I liked the actors and the romance but felt a lot of peripherals got in the way. Since the lead actor is gorgeous but has always been a little controversial, and lately is getting slammed by his critics for the poor quality of his performances and other issues (which frankly seem pretty contrived), I decided to watch it again.

I came away from it thinking better of the entire series. Part of that has to do with me becoming more accustomed to Chinese productions and the usual problems with them, just as I eventually got used to most Japanese dramas being overly arty, pointless and depressing. The other is I'm stepping away from my Westerner point of view and trying to see these series impartially -- which, I admit, I'll never be able to do completely -- and take away more about the story and less about the politics.

The story remains unlikely, but I liked it better this time. I ignored what bothered me during my first viewing and focused on the characters and how they were portrayed. I also followed the romance a little more closely and watched for signs that I might have missed. One thing I did notice this time is how conflicted the lead male is over nearly every aspect of his life outside aerospace engineering (and even at work he has a couple of moments of doubt and fear.) Since I've lived with the same barrage of conflicts with my work I sympathized more with him this time around.

The series still has the same problems, but it is well done, and if you can ignore the annoying elements is very absorbing. Available on Viki.com.

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Stuff

After finding this Caron one pound skein of lovely peach yarn in my thrifted lot I raided my stash for two cakes of Mandala in Pegasus, which matches it perfectly. For practice and hand therapy I'm going to make another Worth Street Afghan with this free pattern , but this time I'll use the yarn that was recommended for it plus the one pound skein. I'm not quite ready to do the vintage/recycled linen quilt I had planned (still a bit too nervous about the idea), so I'm going to use some color therapy and make a quilt from these thrifted green fat quarters. I considered doing another Yellow Brick road patchwork pattern, but I might go with a split rail fence like this one.

Best Thrifts of the Year, Part Two

Today I'm looking back at my best thrifts of the year to date in fabric. #4 is this collection of quilt kits, as it's the one that was the biggest surprise and also made me very happy, as I'd missed out on a similar lot that ended up going for a lot more at auction. #3 is this box of scrap fabric which I bought for $3.99 last month. I didn't post about it on the blog, as I just got around to sorting and measuring it. All together it's 54.35 yards, which works out to seven cents a yard. #2 is the lot with which I won my thrifting challenge bet. It was in brand new condition and will be making some local quilters very happy at this year's guild show. #1 is of course the enormous 103+ yards lot I bought for $15.00, which is still the largest and best thrifted fabric haul I've made to date.

Fasten Your Seatbelt

Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds is an epic, dazzling film that hurls you into the Korean version of the afterlife while showcasing some of the most impressive special effects I've ever seen in any movie. The story begins with the death of firefighter Kim Ja-Hong (Cha Tae-hyun) who jumps out of a burning building with a child in his arms. The kid lives, but he dies at the scene. Two strangers inform him that he has passed away right on schedule, and toss him into a vortex that takes him to the world of the afterlife, where he meets his three guardians: Gang-rim (Ha Jung-woo), Haewonmak (Ju Ji-hoon) and Lee Deok-choon (Kim Hyang-gi). At the gates of the afterlife Ja-Hong learns that he is considered a paragon (an exemplary person who lived a noble and self-sacrificing life) and is eligible to be reincarnated -- but there's a catch. First he has 49 days to make it through seven hells in which he will be judged on his sins. His three guardians will help and defend...

Rayen

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