Bullet Point Review: Doctors

• In one of the initial episodes of Doctors, Kim Rae Won's character, Ji Hong states that, "The feelings associated with like and dislike are produced by the amygdaloid nucelus in the cerebrum. The amygdaloid nucelus is also responsible for fight or flight response and aggressive behavior. Falling in love causes people to become more simultaneously more combative."; in other words, falling in love is the matter of the brain and not of the heart, and our doctors here are neurologists, physically tending to matter of the brain, and at the same time battling what their heart desires.
  
• The premise is strong, the characters are fun but something still felt amiss in Doctors. There is a lack of direction in the plot - Is it about Hye Jung getting her revenge?, Is it about Ji Hong helping Hye Jung's with her insecurities?, Or is it a love triangle between Ji Hong, Hye Jung, Yoon Do and Seo Woo? - there are bits and pieces of all this, but never one main focus that could steer the drama forward, and create some anticipation for the future episodes.
• Many medical cases come and go, but not many hold interest, and neither do they become an instrument through which the characters relationship grows or deteriorates or even become a reflection of the (similar) problems they seem to be facing. This causes an odd disconnect in the story, making us feel like the hospital and the doctors don't co-exist together.
• Park Shin Hye is the star here. She is rough, tough, bold, and can she kick some ass in those black leather pants. It was fresh to see a female character who is strong, independent and then worries about losing that independence when she gets close to Ji Hong. In a small scene, Ji Hong asks her if she will be willing to operate on her friend, to which she confesses that she is scared, and hence she won't. Such scenes don't make her a hero, but rather more human.
• Hye Jung's relationship with Ji Hong is what stands strong throughout the show. It is rare to see a relationship blossom beyond the acknowledgement of two people's feelings in a drama, yet here we see them fight, argue, talk about their problems and encourage and stand by each other. That being said, Ji Hong is one of the best K-dramas lead characters till date. It would be wrong to tell that he doesn't have any flaws, but that's the way the show treats him. He isn't possessive nor demanding, but gentle, smart kind and understanding. He is a loving son, always supports Hye Jung, and acts like her sounding board at times of distress, and tries to talk sense into her hatred driven goals.
• The same though can't be said for Lee Sung Kyung's Seo Woo and Yoon Gyun Sang's Yoon Do, whose character don't develop after a certain point. Lee Sung Kyung tries earnestly to make us sympathise with Seo Woo, but she is given so little that it is to no effect. Both characters were introduced to create some tension and drama between the lead couple, but get reduced to much smaller roles, only appearing when the plot finds it convenient. Even characters like In Joo seem to appear with a purpose, but fail to do anything concrete to the story line.
• Hye Jung's fight sequences, and Seo Woo's expectation to inherit her father's company - a small but significant change to female characters especially when such arcs are generally given to a male character. 

A Roman Holiday: Part Two, Pastel Facades

Here are a few photos of the beautiful apartment and other public building facades that I clicked while I was in Rome. Compared to the greys, whites, and greens of Budapest, Rome chose a much more cheerful colour from the palette, resulting in a city filled with warm hues of yellows, oranges and red along with the contrasting blue and green for its windows and doors. 

There were ornate columns, thick doors as tall as fifteen feet, crosses and emblems of Virgin Mary engraved on some, faces on pediments, and sometimes a (simple) flower pot on the balcony.

Scroll down and click on the pictures to view them in large!

A Roman holiday: Part One of Rome

Towards the end of July, my family and I visited Italy (mainly the cities of Rome, Pisa, & Florence). The time leading up to the visit weren't too great, so I am not going to dwell on them too much, but hovering over Rome, watching it approaching closer, bigger, and more in focus from the small plane window was more a sense of relief than of joy and excitement. 

To describe Rome in a few words, or even in a mere paragraph is hard, but I shall try.

The city is ancient, not in the sense of being old, but more as an working and breathing antique shop, filled with treasures, dusted, maintained, and occupying a large importance in this world filled with tall glass towers. 

To me it was European with its architecture, food, language, the laid back ease of life, and Asia with its large multicultural tourists, small Indian & Bangladeshi restaurants right outside the railway station, selling a poorer version of the Italian pizza, the homeless sleeping on the benches at a tram station, the rattling noises of the dusty dark green trams, the graffiti on walls, buses, trains, drug junkies asking for a cigarette from any passer by, and warnings from strangers and sign boards alike to be aware of pickpockets. It's similar to the clockwork cities of Budapest and Vienna, but still as interesting, unpredictable and fun as cities in India.

The nights are magical. The incandescent street lights give out a warm yellow light, and twinkle on the hard surface of the cobbled stone, while the pink, yellow and orange buildings nearby bask in them. 

On the day we arrived, we took a train directly from the airport to the city central. As our hotel was said to be close to the station, we dragged our suitcases and walked around looking for our hotel. Most Italians hotels are apartments converted into one, so it is easy to miss out it's name in the list of residences and offices listed on the building. So we walked around for half an hour or so, till Google found us a fifth floor apartment, which turned out to be a part our hotel but not the one we booked, which was evidently across the road. (I would really like to thank Europe for letting us master the art of getting lost and and getting found, as we walked around with maps unlike most of our travels, where there has always been a hired car with a driver to show us around.)

Also, here's a photo of the elevator in the apartment we stayed,

It can be assumed that these were a recent addition, built in between the stairs, hence they were extremely narrow and claustrophobic. 
Hence, I also chose not to use elevators throughout the duration of the trip.

We started sightseeing the evening itself, in those red double decker tour buses, which were very helpful in taking photos of the buildings at eye level, or a little closer to the tall ones, and watch the streets down below. Here are a few snaps,

There will be more photos from the Colosseum, the Vatican Museum, the Pantheon etc, but in the next post, as I felt they deserve a spotlight of their own. 

The weather fluctuated between warm and hot, and was bright, but thankfully not humid.

But we had a fix to the heat,

Gelatooo! Creamy, milky, no ice, as fulfilling as a meal and so.many.flavours! It was next best option after water to cool down in the heat.

Other things my brother and I devoured (keeping a checklist at hand) - spaghetti, fettuccine, ravioli, calzones, square pizzas bought by the weight, and triangular ones, sometimes with a healthy dose of aubergine, which I didn't know was allowed on a pizza.
My brother tried espresso too, while I preferred to stick to the sweet variety of croissants, and buns stuffed with chocolate or berries with cream. 

Part two coming soon!

Have a happy weekend!

G for Geeks, G for GoT

Sitara and I participated in a Game of thrones quiz this morning and lost.

The quiz was insanely hard, mainly asking of the names of characters in the show, but it felt good to be seated among people who obsess enjoy and appreciate the same things as you and heatedly discuss it with a feverish enthusiasm. Basically for once, it felt good to be a geek.

More of Budapest

I really miss Budapest.

I miss the bright, crisp weather, the cobbled walkways, the trams, the looooong hours of daylight - perfect for squeezing more things to see in a day, the rows and rows of tall buildings, the cyclists, the long slices of pizzas bursting with so.much.cheeeese, the basil leaves the Europeans use in their burgers, and of course these two,

   plus one who was busy in the office, while I was busy being a tourist in my own city.

While I was here, we climbed up the Citadel,

visited Margit Island, 

It's a beautiful island situated between Buda and Pest with its own small zoo, gardens, musical fountains, a water park, and statues and a chapel too!

It was refreshing to see families cycling together, friends playing together, and dogs chasing frisbees, with no sign of photos being taken, or anyone's face stuck up on their phone.

We paid Buda Castle another visit,

This time around, my brother and I visited the History museum, located in one section of the castle. Do me a favour, and go to the basement of the museum first. It's feels like

being inside a time travelling contraption, where all bits and pieces of history are concised into one. You enter into a large majestic room, filled with information about the construction evolution of the Castle and you can see huge stone columns, ornamentation displayed, which were recovered from the old structure, then walk downstairs, under thick brick arches, and enter the older part of the castle with a nip in the air, the grey stone walls and the dim lights.

Then re-enter into the newer refurbished part, with artefacts displayed from the Ottoman rule, WWI and WWII. I personally appreciated the war posters, and the small salt and pepper shakes filled with different smells from items sold in the market.

I also (finally) got a decent enough shot of both the Parliament and the Chain Bridge,

A wholesome month filled with good food, laughter, adventure and loads and loads of love.
Can someone send me back please?

'Tunnel'....A power packed thriller, with a slow start.

A few episodes into Tunnel and you can't help drawing comparisons with TVn's hit 2016 drama 'Signal'. In both you have the unsolved cases leading to a connect between the past and the present (in Signal it's the radio transmitter, in Tunnel it's...well you guessed it), 1980's Korea and the sweet and innocent girlfriend/wife of the past who brings out the hero's sweet and vulnerable side. But while Signal concentrated on resolving most of its cases through both the past and present, Tunnel only concentrates on the one serial murder case which becomes responsible for bringing Detective Park Kwang Ho from 1986 to 2017.

The story starts in the town of Hwayang in the year of 1986, where a serial killer is on the loose, targeting only young women, and the police is frustrated with no clues to who it could be. A faceless encounter with the killer in a tunnel lands Park Kwang Ho in the year of 2017, and then follows the story of catching the criminal in the present, to fix the past and the future.
Kwang Ho finds himself working with Kim Sun Jae (an excellent Yoon Hyun Min), an arrogant no-nonsense cop, and Shin Jae Yi, (played by Lee Yoo-Young, a delightful surprise!) a stoic criminal profiler, both with personal ties to Kwang Ho that unravel as the story progresses.

The series develops leisurely in its initial episodes, giving us time to understand Kwang Ho and his longing to go back home, - a feeling that is a bit problematic to explain when you are from the same city but belong to an entirely different time. Alongside, the team solves a number of cases together - one robbery, one case of impersonation, one murder case in the style of Agatha Christie's Orient Express, where the suspects are locked in an inn due to a storm and one of a fire accident; each one bringing the loggerhead cops together, and closer to discovering the truth of the culprit of the past. 

Amidst so much going on and sharing a very similar plot line to a recent hit show, the drama works because of its strong cast, and the idea that revolves around the why and not the who. Throughout you watch investigations being carried out in methods that the characters see fit - Kwang Ho walks from door to door to investigate; Sun Jae pulls out CCTV footages, call histories, credit card details within minutes and Jae Yi pours over old newspapers and photographs from crime scenes. The one aspect I would have enjoyed being explored would have been Kwang Ho's opinion on some of the cases he works on, especially in the case of impersonation, a crime unheard of in the 80's. Instead of laughing at his inability to understand or use modern day technology, a more novel idea would be an opinion of an outsider on crimes being invented because of these advancements. 

All the fight sequences also deserve a mention. Most of them mask an emotional struggle in the form of the physical one, making them seem real. Take the scene where Sun Jae finally gets hold of Jung Ho, whom he believes has killed his mother. He starts punching him, while crying and shouting hysterically. He falls down, trips, and at times misses is aim, but his outburst of frustration, anger, sadness, a certain weariness and guilt manifests in those punches. 

The reveal comes sooner than expected, and it brings with it a quick trip to the past, a cat and mouse chase and a lengthy, emotional and heated interrogation sequences, with plenty of flashbacks. Emotionally draining,yes, but a very very satisfying watch.

Cheering on Annabelle

Go watch a movie in India. Go for any one, of any language, but try go on the opening weekend, when the theatre is packed, and the opening credits roll out with cheers and whistles.

Last night, along with a large bunch of my classmates and juniors, I watched Annabelle Creations, another long awaited movie from the Conjuring universe, or as my friend Sitara described it, - the prequel of the prequel.

A weird combination of anxiety and excitement filled the room, and as soon as the lights dimmed, a wave of cheer rose from the seats, and a few whistles followed soon enough.

We gasped together, screamed together, trembled and jumped in our seats together, or at least the few of us who were actually scared, like the guy right in front of my seat (and me, of course), who sank deeper and deeper into our seats, and slowly covered very inch of our faces and ears by the end of it.

Jokes erupted from a few corners, and comments were made, and whispers of 'Idiot! Don't go into that room!' or 'Why is she going in there? Can't she just go back to sleep?' were heard. And the memorable moment was when laughter and whistled roared in whenever the doll popped up, with it's poker face slash sinister smiling face appeared behind the characters, in the oddest of moments. Just a glimpse of it, and the crowd went wild.

So I invite you. 

Come watch a movie in India.
Claps, cheers and whistles will be blown at dialogues, and sometimes questions will be answered from the seats behind you. Witty insights will be produced, but I guarantee you, you will enjoy. Even if not the movie, the company you share in that dark theatre.