#but it's fine it's not mandatory to know that bonus story (and it’s not translated at all for now)

[sack-thing]

A Bad Dream

A little scribble, 1,654 words. Not new actually, but I edited it slightly and it's time to repost it!

It's a bonus that would happen during chapter 10 of Year 3, focusing on Luu Kah's pov (I wanted to write him breaking down alright) but Weylin's in it too.

I wonder if I should post it on AO3? Anyway there we go~

---

The past two days felt like they had no end. Luu Kah went and checked on Délia one last time before leaving for the night. Only Roy would stay in the room, at her side, in case something went wrong; he had volunteered for that even though the doctor said things should be fine.

Délia was asleep, but she seemed to be in a stable state indeed. It felt better to see her resting like that than breaking down in the desert like the day before because of her injury. And because of the news that Ramsey had been petrified by a basilisk—a monster apparently known in Leuda to turn its victims into stone forever.

Luu Kah left the medical house, leaving Roy with Délia, and decided to go for a walk in the village. The rare Selkies he saw on his path seemed to look at him in curious ways. But whatever the reason was, he didn’t have time to bother with them.

He was thinking about what Délia had said when they were still in the Lynari desert. Before she fainted, she wanted to go and look for Ramsey, even if his body was currently turned into stone. She argued that they couldn’t leave him like that, that he’d be left alone in the middle of the miasma if the petrifaction was to dissolve. At that point, Luu Kah reluctantly said that it wasn’t supposed to… But if it did, the thought was actually terrible. He wouldn’t survive. The team chose to go back to Leuda because Délia’s state was critical, but they did leave Ramsey like that after all. He was still in the middle of that damned desert, all by himself, surrounded by miasma and probably monsters.

Luu Kah reached the end of his walk path and stood there at the top of a cliff, facing the ocean, only half paying attention to his surroundings.

Délia was right. They needed to get Ramsey out of there. Délia couldn’t do that in her current state, but he… He could do it. The thought of leaving Ramsey like that was unbearable. Now that they had made sure Délia would be fine, Luu Kah could do it and, at the very least, bring Ramsey’s body back to a safe place.

- - -

Luu Kah was sharing a tent with Weylin that night. There was no way he could fall asleep even if he wanted to, which was convenient since he was about to leave anyway. He had waited for a good hour to make sure Weylin was asleep; she hadn’t moved nor made any sound in a while now. Luu Kah set into motion. He grabbed the crystal pendant, the desert’s map, his clothes and his weapon with as little sound and friction as possible. He was ready within a minute and left the tent.

The air was surprisingly cold at this hour compared to the heat they had to endure during the day, but he could bear with it. It was time to go back to the Lynari desert. He wasn’t with Ramsey when he got petrified, but he remembered Weylin and Linitaa’s explanations and would find the place again thanks to the map. For now, his first destination was the village’s exit. There he would wake their papaopamus, Sally, and maybe he could borrow a cart or something to have her drag it. He was going to have a day of travel before reaching the desert, and he needed something to carry Ramsey when going back.

Luu Kah made it to the caravan and Sally near the village’s exit. He put a hand on the animal’s head and stroked her fur gently to wake her up.

“Sorry girl, I’m gonna need you for a while.”

He barely started to get her ready that he heard steps coming close. He knew those steps and didn’t bother to look back.

“Where are you going like this?”

It was Weylin’s voice. Of course. It would’ve been too easy. Luu Kah closed his eyes; he knew she already had the answer to her question.

“Please, don’t tell me not to go.”

“Do you really think I can simply let you go and have you too turn into stone?” Weylin asked.

Luu Kah shook his head. “I’m not gonna get petrified. If I get there tomorrow night, maybe the monster won’t be around.”

“You don’t know about that. I’ve never heard of monsters leaving their usual area at night.”

Luu Kah gritted his teeth before turning to face her. “What I know is I can’t leave Ramsey there like that!”

Weylin clenched her fists. The gesture sent back a few memories to his mind, of when he was a new caravanner with Ramsey and they sneaked out at night one time, only to get into serious trouble against some monsters.

“I am not happy with that either,” she retorted, “but what are you planning to do? Drag a stone body, in the middle of a desert, surrounded by monsters? There’s no way you’ll be fast enough to avoid the countless threats there.” Luu Kah couldn’t see her face under the helmet, but he was pretty sure she was sending him a death glare. She raised her voice. “That desert is dangerous enough as it is. Letting you go there and take the risk to end the same way as Ramsey is out of the question. We have nothing to protect us from that curse.”

Luu Kah felt himself boiling. “Who cares what happens to me, it doesn’t matter! Right now, just as we're having this useless conversation, Ramsey is—“

Before he could finish his sentence, Weylin stepped toward him to grab his shoulders and shake him. “Stop that, Luu Kah! What do you think you can do if something happens to you? You won’t save anyone like that!”

He froze, as if she’d just made a point on something he hadn’t thought about. He didn’t like that. Sometimes he hated Weylin’s rationality. And apparently, she wasn’t finished.

“Do you hear yourself talk? I’ve already told you before: your life is your priority! And what about Ramsey, what would he think? Do you think he’d be happy to hear you say that? Would he be happy if you sacrificed yourself for nothing?!”

Weylin was yelling. It was unusual. That’s right, she was the caravan’s captain. And as she had told them in the past, she had responsibility over their lives, at least to some extent. What happened to Ramsey probably shook her more than Luu Kah thought.

Weylin was still holding him as he stared at the ground and felt his eyes becoming hot and wet, despite the cold air blowing on his face. He tried to mutter a response. “But… I just wanna bring him back to a safe place… What if we never saw him aga—“

Luu Kah suddenly felt like he couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t speak. He could barely manage to bring his shaking hands to his face, even though he didn’t know what he wanted to do with them. He didn’t get what was going on. It felt like he wasn’t there anymore.

A monster that turns its victims into stone forever. He had tried to block the thought so hard. Or rather, his brain understood the words, but that was it. He hadn’t truly registered them within their current situation, and he realized it was for a good reason. Now that he just said what it meant out loud…

It couldn’t be. It just couldn’t. Ramsey was always with them, always with him. They couldn’t lose him like that.

“Luu Kah… Breathe,” Weylin said, her tone softer than before. “Focus on your breath. Slowly.”

He heard her voice. Maybe she already tried to talk to him before and he didn’t hear. He was breathing again now, but it was fast and unsteady, and he still couldn’t properly take in enough air as sobs made their way into his breath. Weylin made some space between them but still held him, hands on his shoulders. Tears rolled down on Luu Kah’s cheeks as he hid his face in his hands.

It was awful. That wasn’t part of his plan. He’d never wanted Weylin to see him like that. He’d never seen himself in that state either, actually.

“It’s going to be fine, Luu Kah…”

He didn’t know what to do with those words. It wasn’t fine. Not if Ramsey was gone.

Weylin gently moved him until his back rested against a rocky wall, and now held him with only one hand. His whole body was shaking along with his sobs.

“Listen… Even if we’re not looking for Ramsey right now, I promise that we aren’t giving up on him.” Weylin said. “Monsters won’t have interest in him as long as he’s in that state.” Luu Kah felt her hand grab his shoulder with a little more strength before she resumed. “And then… Surely a cure must exist, even if no one around here has discovered it yet.”

Luu Kah wasn’t sure if it took a few minutes or an eternity before he managed to stop crying and somewhat find a regular breath again. After that, he felt completely empty and weak. Weylin didn’t speak much more; she just stood by him. Then after a while—he didn’t know how much time had passed again—she placed a hand behind his back to make him walk to the tent with her.

Once they got there, Luu Kah was exhausted and crashed on his cot. His mind was still blank and he couldn’t process coherent thoughts anymore. Weylin said a few words, something about how he should rest, before she turned off the oil lamp.

Luu Kah couldn’t stay awake even if he wanted to. Before falling asleep, the only coherent thing that crossed his mind was his wish that those past two days were only a very bad dream.

[hopetofantasy]

Culture, parallels & meta - S2 E6

Zaterdag 18:12

C is for culture: “Because we’re going to Angèle” - Angèle is a Belgian singer-songwriter. She's one of the biggest breakout acts in French and Belgian pop, with the hit ‘Tout oublier’ ft. her brother 'Roméo Elvis'. In April 2020, she performed for ‘One World: Together At Home’, the global broadcast to support healthcare workers and the WHO for COVID 19, hosted by Lady Gaga.

Hello from the outside: The singer did have a concert in ‘Vorst Nationaal’ Brussels that night, which the actresses both attended and put on their characters’ insta. 

Perfect parallel: Zoë jokingly saying “I started being afraid that you thought we were official or something” in a previous episode, Jana’s sarcastic “There is nothing going on between you two anyway” now.

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Zoë has a vintage tin box on her desk.

°

Zondag 11:53

C is for culture: “When I arrived back at the polling station, ..." - In Belgium, voting is mandatory for anyone of legal age and Belgian nationality. Not showing up for polling station duty or voting itself, could cost you a fine or even a lawsuit. Exceptions are illnesses, working abroad, being jailed, etc. The election always happens on a Sunday morning, so that (almost) everyone can cast a vote on a non-working day. Due to the complex political system, some elections are grouped together. Every five years, it’s the one for the European parliament, the Federal government and the regional governments (Flanders, Wallonia, Brussels). Every six years, the municipal and provincial council election. It’s entirely possible to vote ‘blanc’ if you want to, then it simply doesn’t count.

Perfect parallel: Zoë asking for a break in their relationship in the exact same spot as the start of it - their first kiss in an earlier one. 

That’s character: Throughout the seasons, Senne has shown that he has got some anger issues. Whenever he feels frustrated, scared or incapable of things, it often results into physical violence. From slamming doors and punching walls to threatening Viktor with a knife. This is a consequence of his own insecurity. He often feels incompetent about the situation he’s put in (due to his past) and wants to change that by ‘being the bigger (tougher) guy’. 

Hello from the outside: After this whole Zoënne ordeal, Jens posted a picture to his insta claiming that he ‘lost his bike last night due to heavy drinking’. He provided a vague location and the fact that his number was attached to it. This resulted in an actual search for the fans around Antwerp. Eventually, someone found it, called the number and the actor Nathan Bouts showed up to collect.

°

Maandag 10:14

Perfect parallel/Funny coincidence: The principal thinking about cancelling FreeFest due to the Beat Boys’ violence in S2, then cancelling it due to COVID-19 in wtFOCKDOWN.

Oopsie: You can clearly see that Senne’s black eye is smudged with white make-up at the borders, making the whole thing look fake. 

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Zoë mouthing ‘Wat?’ (= What?) to Jana, her answering ‘Ik weet niet’ (= I don’t know).

Bonus: The fact that they put ‘Sound of da police’ by KRS-One underneath the image of the police officers going outside. Brilliant!

°

Dinsdag 13:50

Perfect parallel: 

Zoë having a conversation about what to do with Senne in the same classroom as her making up with him in an earlier episode.

Yasmina vaguely revealing a (former) crush in this episode and later on in S2, Robbe trying to pry information out of her about that someone, without result, in wtFOCKDOWN. 

How ‘meta’ of you: Yasmina saying “That I have to wait” about the feelings for the boy, but it’s also a hint that we have to wait for her season to explore that storyline. 

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Senne gifts her a ‘Huawei Psmart 2019′. Zoë needs to finish her Biology report, as the subject is a red thread in this season like Psychics was Jana’s.

°

Woensdag 13:45

Perfect parallel: Milan saying “I think you’re looking for excuses to be angry at Senne” in this episode and Zoë doing exactly that in the episodes before their first kiss. 

Lost in translation: Milan saying “Dat is geen huiswerkge-ijsbeer. Dat is boyfriendgebanjer”. The words ‘ijsberen’ and ‘banjeren’ both mean nervously pacing around, but the last one is only used in the Netherlands. Milan wants to make an alliteration, so he chooses that to rhyme with ‘boyfriend’. 

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Some of the Grindr profile names include ‘Power bottom XL’ and ‘Sex now’.

°

Donderdag 13:45

C is for culture: Why aren’t Zoë and Amber in school on a Thursday? Well, it’s the holiday weekend of ‘the Ascension of Our Lord into Heaven’. In Belgium, when a holiday falls on a Tuesday or Thursday, the schools and some companies have an extra day off in between that holiday and the weekend, thus extending the weekend.

Perfect parallel: Zoë confessing her relationship with Senne to Amber in S2, in the same location as Jens confessing to Jana that he smokes weed in S1.

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: The coffee cups have the sentence 'I’M a big HOT cup' on them and are instantly forgotten during their conversation. 

°

Vrijdag 21:42

That’s character: Viktor’s manipulative behavior is starting to get apparent here. At first, he’s being nice, offers help and invites her in. Then he throws her off by saying things like “Did Senne tell you that? Typical”, “Our Senne doesn’t like it when his friends get to know his family” and “And I don’t think he’ll be sleeping alone either”, while he acts like he’s doubting, insecure and wounded.

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: The hardened look on his face right before he calls Senne, a sudden change from his (fake) nice face.

°

Vrijdag 21:53

That’s character: Senne’s big brother keeps controlling this entire conversation, not only by the words he’s saying, but also his body language and timing. He already gained some trust in the previous clip, by helping her out and acting innocent. Now he put a glass of wine in her hand, compliments her, waits for the moment that she’ll ask more about Senne and makes up a sob story. Then he digs into Zoë’s insecurity by stating "He saw a lot of women trying to change him and getting hurt". At the end, adding the final blow to make her believe that he’s cheating. And viola, Viktor has an intoxicated victim he can prey on. 

Perfect parallel: Viktor lying that Senne has an undiagnosed MI, doesn’t want people to find out and that all sorts of women tried to change him in S2, while Sander actually has an MI, wás scared that Robbe found out and Britt somewhat tries to change him in S3. 

Blink-and-y’ll-miss-it: Zoë doing shots of ‘Pisang’.

[summertime-children]

mandatory aged up detective au headcanons

Yesss. Oh boy, you know how weak I am for it.

(But first I’d like to apologize in advance for them being westernized and not accurate… Full disclosure, I didn’t do the research and everything I know about police work is from tv shows which shows… But with that being said please enjoy!)

 - they 👏 are 👏 partners 👏  - Kano is a laid-back kind of cop that follows rules as pleased, but it doesn’t mean he’s not reliable! Even considering his past… When he was a child his mother was murdered by a burglar and he was then taken in by one of his relatives who, to be straightforward, didn’t care much about him. As a teenager he ended up getting into bad companyand many troubles. His skills and his background (+ some of his old contacts) make him the best for undercover missions.

 - Kido unlike her partner is a more serious detective that always sticks to the rules. (Listen, I always call herpunk, but that’s because she treats being gang leader seriously. And she would take her job as cop just as seriously.) She is great in the field as she can kick butts when needed, but she’s also very subtle in her actions, she can unnoticeably sneak on anyone. When there’s an important arrest or maybe task force to lead she’s the first choice.    

 - Their peculiar set of skills makes them perfect for infiltration missions. Y'know if you need someone to pretend to go on a date 👀

 - They went to the same police academy together with Seto!

 - Kano’s heart stops every time Kido kicks out door, just saying.

 - Whenever Kano goes on the undercover mission Kido is especially worried because he contacts her way too often than necessary. He is really good at them though, so he never gets caught.

 - Kano is often making inappropriate jokes about handcuffs. Like Kido would be cuffing up some perp and he’d be like “Aw lucky~”. Kido would then just continue with a procidure and say to perp, but really at Kano, “You have the right to remain silent.” (Those jokes would eventually pay off *cough* >.>)

 - (… I really shouldn’t drag this on, one last I swear) Kano: “Does it still count as roleplay if we’re actual cops?”

 - secret 👏 dating 👏

 - basically fake dating -> secret dating lol

 - There’s a rule against dating. Don’t blame me, blame their captain, Azami.

 - I’m just so weak for scenarios where they have to keep their relationship secret, but it interferes with their police work.

 - Like, imagine them having a case they can solve by simply using camera footage that (probably) captured the culprit. But oops it’s not the only thing the camera ~probably~ captured, as they were kissing in the same place (minutes) before. So now they have to solve it without using the footage in a certain time interval (before someone else from the precinct notices the camera/they get warrantor whatever).

 - “Dammit, Shuuya, I told you not to show affection in public!”

 - Bonus points if it’s Seto who leads the case. (He’s their closest friend, but ironically that’s why they don’t want him to know about it the most.)

 - Maybe they’d ask their IT specialist, Takane, for help with covering up their kiss. (Another thing Takane learns about first huh.)

 - Another story like that (that I would like to write someday, wouldn’t it be for my disability to write two coherent sentences, let alone story with criminal undertone) is them having a date (maybe even the fisrt (un)official one?) in some fancy restaurant that, what a bummer, changes into hostage situation when some group of bad guys barges in to rob the restaurant and costumers.  

 - Of course their top priority is to keep civilians safe and to help their friends from the precinct resolve the situation from the inside, buuuuut it’s also importat to them to keep their relationship secret.

 - “We have a couple of cops here-” “COUPLE AS IN TWO. TWO COPS.” “Nice safe, Kido.”

 - Like seriously, I need to say it again, I love these scenarios so much and one of the reasons is that Kido, who normally always is rightous cop that never breaks any rules, in these scenarios is desperate to keep her relationship with Kano secret so they can continue being together in both work and private life and for the sake of it she makes an exaption and, well not exactly breakes them (as she says) but sliiightly bends them (not that dating a coworker is breaking the rule itself).

 - Ugh, but imagine them being secretly dating and then they get another case for the sake of which they have to “pretend” they’re a couple again. On the one hand it’s nice because they get to freely show their feeling for the other, but on another they need to be careful to not get too carried away and still look like they’re just faking.

 - But back to other headcanons, I imagine Kano to smoke in this au and I imagine Kido to not be happy about it.She tries to make him quit and he tries to hide him smoking from her, but in th end she mostly succeeds.

 - You know how sometimes when they’re in the field they would use hand signals to communicate? Kano probably adds some sweet and unnecessary things at the end, like make hearts or something.

 - *translated series of signals from one of their actions*“Seto- right. Momo- left. Kido- me, dinner, tonight.”(yup, this is post-reveal-and-everything-working-out-just-fine-in-the-end)  

 - bonus (because every pair of helplessly in love detectives deserves their Boyle): Kano to Mary (who is medical examiner in this au): “Do you have the results yet?” Mary: “Yes, here’s my diagnosis.” *hands Kano a piece of paper* *there’s “you and Kido should bang” written on it*

(Soooo *cough* I wrote these headcanons as part of my so called MCPD AU that I created like, I don’t even remember, three years ago, but never really shared before… I wrote once a fic from it for kanokido week though, if anyone’s interested~)

{Yo ask me kanokido questions!}

[redscullyrevival]

Kristie’s Kdrama Recs

Big honkin’ list of my favorite Korean Dramas for @teatime-brutality​ (a newbie) and @deadlikedisco​ (a seasoned pro) but all are invited to sneak a peak! Come, peruse my recommendations and judge them against your favorites or perhaps even find a new one!

Before we start please know that Korean TV shows, once translated, tend to have various titles. I’ll do my best to address show’s multiple names but when in doubt google can help sort it out. Also, this is super long lol

Seonam Girls High School Investigators (aka Detectives of Seonam Girls’ High School) (aka Highschool Detectives)

Sure, Seonam Girls has fantastic emotionally real female friendships...

And sure, Seonam Girls is often times surprisingly funny and wacky...

But Seonam Girls don’t play!

With a mini arc format tucked inside a long game mystery this is a series that is never boring. 

This is also a series that attempts to tackle subject matter the overwhelming majority of Korean television is afraid to touch with a 10 foot poll.

These wonderful and delightful girls don’t inhabit a black and white world and the subject matter they’re often faced with divides the group’s opinions and doesn’t give viewers necessarily easy answers or easy understandings on human behavior and relationships. 

There is never really a consensus on how the girls feel about all that they learn, but over time they grow in their respect for one another and come to respect the journey their detective work takes them on, and life.

WHAT A RIDE!

Loves it.

Reply 1997 (aka Answer Me 1997)

Yeah yeah yeah here we go go go

Its 1997 and the height of kpop’s first wave of idol boy bands is at it’s peak!

Intense fan devotion; unrequited love; family drama; friends being there for each other!

The Reply (or Answer Me) series are some of my personal favorite kdrama titles.

What blows me away about this show is the back and forth dynamic of the teenagers understanding what they value about each other and what makes them likeable within their isolated spaces versus the outside/real world values of adulthood - and then figuring out how to bridge who they are and their adolescence into who they want to be within the wider community. 

Like, the main female character Sung Shi-won is regarded for her devotion to boy band H.O.T. by fellow students (including those who support opposing boy bands) but is chided by her teachers and parents for her fanatical choices; within her space she’s passionate, cunning, and resourceful, but when she looks up and around at the larger space she occupies she is unreasonable, goofy, and occasionally creepy. 

This zooming in and out of spaces until a balance distance is found is what makes this series hard hitting (if not a little manipulative lol) drama gold.

TAMAGOTCHI PETS!

MYSTERY HUSBAND!

GOAT BLEATING!  

Age of Youth (aka Hello My Twenties) 

I love this show so muu-uu-uuuuuuch.

The young women of Belle Epoque are some of the most intensely relatable characters I’ve ever witnessed assembled - individually as well as with their group dynamics. 

It’s about five women who share a house and they grow as people. 

Pretty simple.

BUT this show is still outrageous!

High octane unique and personal emotions mixed with universal domestic shenanigans are the building blocks of Age of Youth’s total charm:

Somehow this series fantastically walks the line between being complete melodrama while also being one of the most honest depictions of female friendships I’ve ever seen.

And oh boy, it is downright magic to witness female characters so different from one another co-exist in the same narrative space with each of them being individually flawed yet fighting; scared yet willing; growing yet complete.

The cast’s performances are knock out masterclasses on ensemble work.

The show has it’s storyline pitfalls but what it excels at it does very, very well - especially nuanced character work and visual set ups.

An Example: The landlady of the Belle Epoque building is a mysterious, fascinating, and terrifically simple addition to the series’ overall feel and visual style of story execution. She isn’t a Greek chorus character but rather, I guess you could say, an oppositional force shown to combat life’s tribulations. She’s a constant reminder that independence and the self can and will win out strife and self-hate if we tend to ourselves and others properly. 

lol sorry, got all meta on ya’ll there. I can only be me.

ANYWAYS

This is a addictive, unpredictable, deeply funny and ambitious series.

Oh my god please watch this show. 

Signal

Wibbly wobbly timey wimey walkie-talkies! 

Haha, actually this is a really intense and somber show - magical radio phones aside.

Who would have thought the magical realism I’ve been searching for in TV would come from police trying to solve crimes through time? 

Its a case of simple premise with calculated execution; it’s pretty neat that the only thing that time travels is information and that our cast of characters (and their choices) is what carries the entire series along rather than deep focus on the mystery of how they’re communicating. 

This show is, I dunno, I feel like it is best described as “hypnotic”.

I don’t want to go into the show that much as it’s one of those experience best met with as little expectation as possible.

I will say though that Signal is darker (visually and thematically) than a lot of other kdramas but still manages to broadcast it’s own brand of hopeful optimism.

The acting in this show is phenomenal so that’s a tight bonus as well. 

Boys over Flowers

Mandatory suggestion; I think by law you have to suggest Boys Over Flowers because it’s such a classic.

Geum Jan Di works her butt off to attend a exclusive school that happens to be ran by the notorious F4, a group of over privileged pretty boys. After she lands on their shit list hilarity (and love) starts to bloom... 

This is one of those shows where people either jive with it’s juvenile offerings or are offended by it’s crooked seams. 

I happen to think it is a delightful product of its time; over the top, unbelievable; and completely charming!

Although, to be fair, Boys Over Flowers is considered frustrating among even it’s biggest fans as the teens tend to rapid fire misunderstand each other and are the root of all their own problems. 

Buuuuut that’s kind of shojo manga’s deal and this is an adaptation of a immensely popular shojo title.

Boys Over Flowers is entirely in it’s own goofy style of teenage camp and if you’re not too serious and ready and willing for all the ups and downs (and ups and downs) it can be a really fun ride.

Gaksital (aka Bridal Mask)

Based on the iconic manhwa by Huh Young-man, Gaksital is an amazing amalgamation of popular culture; a big budget kdrama adaptation of a popular comic book seeking to tell a difficult and painful national story through genre convention and subversion.

Lee Kang To is a local cooperator in Japan’s oppressive colonial rule and a proud member of the imperial police, to the horror of his mother. Kang To is vulgar in his desperation to rise in the ranks of Japanese society and abolish his Korean heritage but especially within his obsession for the rebellious figure of Bridal Mask; a masked individual seeking to spark the nation into resisting colonization. 

As Gaksital takes place during the Japanese occupation of Korea this series is far more politically charged and violent than all others on my list.

And as the series is being told from the Korean perspective for a Korean audience be prepared for reflections on national scars and a lot of difficult subject matter the production assumes it’s viewership will have context for. 

Which isn’t to say the production is not comic book-y (it is) or that it is aiming for the highest level of historical accuracy (it isn’t) or a non-Korean audience won’t “get it” (they will).

But, Gaksital does make the effort to be complex with it’s themes of power and choice by deeply embedding them into a historical (and emotional) backdrop and in having the context of the era be the key motivating factor in character’s choices and behavior - all of which relies heavily on the Korean concept of “han”.

Not an easy watch but most certainly an addictive one - as well as the longest clocking in at 28 episodes.  

Reply 1988 (aka Answer Me 1988)

Here it is, the best; the favorite; the Korean broadcast record holder.

This is straight up one of my favorite TV shows of all time.

All the known working parts of the Reply series are here:

Pin point cultural accuracy! 

Heartfelt stories of family and friends! 

Sung Dong-il and Lee Il-hwa as the parents of the main female protagonist! 

Fantastic soundtrack! 

Mystery husband!

GOAT BLEATING! 

You’d think that these shows that have so many common threads would be boring by the third iteration but the exact opposite is true. 

Naturally, you don’t have to watch Reply 1997 or Reply 1994 to enjoy Reply 1988; just pick one and go. They all work amazingly well if you’re just walking into them unbeknownst that they have a shtick and Reply 1988 is the best of the three so by all means go to town, highly encouraged in fact.

But SOMEHOW 1988 is almost enhanced by it’s shtick, by it’s known parts that viewers have come to expect. With the third go the series has really nailed it’s rhythm and writer Lee Woo-jung has really fine tuned what she is doing and has subdued the franchises’ least-working parts.

As always the ensemble acting and storytelling is dead on with the addition of a great balance this time around between the youths, the adults, and their ever evolving lives. Everyone gets their screen time and their stories and you’ll be pressed to find more believable and relatable characters. 

What’s so fascinating about this show (and, again, the Reply series in general) is how it’s both a very culturally specific type of nostalgia as well as a complete acknowledgement on how truly universal so many aspects of the human experience really is.  

Tomorrow’s Cantabile  (aka Naeil's Cantabile)

Almost didn’t list this series because while it’s near and dear to me it has enough eyebrow raising action that I’m not 100% comfortable suggesting it as a “everyone” title.

This is one of those shows that has so many good things about it that the parts that are frustrating are made all the more glaring. 

Overall the series is a wonderful adaptation of Tomoko Ninomiya’s manga about music nerds suffering and growing into their potential. 

There is a lot of soul and a lot of fun in Tomorrow’s Cantabile but out of all the titles I’ve listed this one (and lets be real, Boys Over Flowers) is most like what non-watching folks generically assume when they think of “Korean Drama”.

But, then again, sometimes kdrama is kitschy melodrama and fart jokes with questionable means of displaying romance.

If it’s goofy and occasionally wince worthy ways don’t throw you off course then this show can really wiggle deep under your skin. 

It’s easy to start to care and root for these orchestra nerds and the series will absolutely knock you flat with both it’s humor and drama when the time comes.

Goblin The Lonely and Great God (aka Guardian: The Lonely and Great God) (aka The Shining Lonely Goblin) (aka Goblin)

This show feels like it’s made for me personally: A melancholy gothic-y romance fantasy series about death! Oh boy!

Kim Shin is an immortal goblin who longs to end his life but only when he finds the ‘Goblin’s Bride’ will he be able to end his immortality and return to dust...

Oh, and a grim reaper is his housemate! Talk about awkward.

Goblin is an odd but very welcome diversion from a lot of what kdrama offers year after year.

This series surrounds itself in the creation of it’s own rich mythology for a very intense and interesting narrative drive.

Hilarious and devastating.

Challenging yet comforting. 

Unique but grounded.

OMG I love it so much.

And since you can’t not mention it, Goblin is BEAUTIFUL. The cinematography on this show is bonkers. 

But, I’ll be up front with y’all: 

If you are someone who places a LOT of importance onto the ending of a story then it doesn’t hurt to know that this is a series whose ending seriously divides its viewers.

So, invest with caution I suppose.

Solomon’s Perjury  (aka The Trial of Solomon)

BUCKLE THE FUCK UP!

When a student from an elite high school falls to his death among suspicious circumstances a frustrated student body decide to hold their own mock trial. Each student has their own role to play, from the prosecutor to the defense attorney. 

Facts assembled; secrets exposed; truth discovered; Solomon’s Perjury is an exceptional thriller filled with wonderful characters struggling to be wonderful people from within confusion, pain, and suspense.

Solomon’s Perjury isn’t an easy watch as it doesn’t shy away from difficult subject matter like broken school systems, corruption, abuse, and mental illness stigma. 

The strength and maturity of the teenagers is contrasted against the cowardice and weakness of the adults with both groups opening up to understanding as the show progresses. 

And progresses it does; this series has an exhausting pace that never lets up for long on moving it’s characters (and the audience) towards it’s fulfilling denouement.

With a tight script and a phenomenal young cast Solomon’s Perjury is perfect for binge watching and getting completely emotionally wrecked. 

Which, if you’re like me, makes for a good time! The best time!

Clear your schedule.

Coffee Prince (aka The 1st Shop of Coffee Prince)

Easily the most popular and enduring title on this entire list, Coffee Prince is a forever favorite for a lot of kdrama fans; so popular that it is probably still the #1 hook bringing folks into the kdrama world. 

A handsome and hard working girl in need of a job is mistaken for being a boy, which she capitalizes on to start working at a coffee shop as part of it’s attractive male staff.

As the shop owner starts to fall in love with our androgynous lead he begins to question his sexual orientation within a wave of hilarity, heartbreak, and intensity. 

As time wears on Coffee Prince’s production flaws actually enhance it’s character driven successes.

Sure, we can sometimes hear background street noise and there is bad lighting design and obviously this show didn’t get a budget even close to what dramas do now - but it’s still sooooo gooooood! 

You want to insert yourself into it’s world just so you can sip coffee and observe all that’s around!

The series makes a lot of choices that seek to help push acceptance within Korean society and media but the fact of the matter is that often times LGBTQIA themes and plots in Korean drama seek to be coy and subversive so as to avoid the Korea Communications Commission and as such have more than a few similarities to the kind of innuendo found in pre-Hays Code Hollywood films.

Taking on LGBTQIA themes and plots head on isn’t common by any means, not today in 2017 or in 2007 when this show aired.

And as ambitious as the show tries to be it does, of course, negate away from the “repercussions” of displaying a true gay lead couple on Korean TV.

With a quick and addictive story and characters written as whole people brilliantly performed by a talented cast, Coffee Prince excels at being the definition of enjoyable entertainment and it’s very easy to understand why it has such a lasting legacy.

It is, however, potentially equally frustrating as it is endearing due to the show’s insistence on exploring big themes in completely safe waters - it really just depends on you as a person.

But I personally can’t not suggest this show. 

WAFFLE GUY!

W (aka W Two Worlds)

This friggin’ weird ass show.

A woman goes into her father’s popular comic series “W” and starts messing with his narrative and things get seriously complicated.

There ya go, that’s the show.

W is an odd package that works surprisingly well given how wacky it is.

What helps is the show doesn’t try to over extend; it knows what it is and what it is is a playful series that likes to tease and challenge viewers just as much as it likes to give pay offs. 

What really stands out about W is that it isn’t just about the nature of writing and the idea of narrative responsibility, oh no. 

This series goes hard on themes of what it means to be a recipient of art, of storytelling. Of being an audience. 

Who has more power, the creator or the reader? Who truly defines the characters? Whose in control?

It’s a clever show that plays with meta ideas and isn’t afraid to get big and bold with pointing out common failings and tropes in serialized storytelling (both within comics and Korean dramas themselves). 

One of my favorite things about the series is how the characters explore and take advantage of the ‘rules’ within the crafted narrative space, within the world of “W”, for their own benefit.

A wild and fun ride that goes up and down and all around that certainly works best with viewers who can go with the flow, laugh along with the in-jokes, and don’t mind being messed with.

49 Days

Using this image is kind of sadistic but it’s the best I could do. 

I mean, the cast looks so happy right? What’s this drama about, huh? A family getting by? Maybe a group of friends finding love and happiness? Certainly it’s not about a dead woman inhabiting the body of a depressed woman in an effort to save herself by finding three people outside of her family who will cry sincere tears of grief for her within 49 days, right?!

No one is happy and everything hurts.

This right here is some Grade A melodrama - you know it’s good when you have to make a relationship flow chart with notes.

49 Days takes it’s premise from a Buddhist concept of death: The period between death and rebirth lasts 49 days and involves three bardos, which are the intermediate or transitional states that mark an individual’s life from birth to death and rebirth.

Twists and turns and reveals define this show and yet it doesn’t feel rushed. In fact, one of the bigger complaints I’ve read online is how it’s a little slow and long.

Which is fair criticism! I think 16 episodes would have been the sweet spot instead of the given 20.

But what’s so enjoyable about this series is how it tries to be SHOCK and AWE emotionally just as much as it is story wise, and not only in a sad fashion. 

Because while, yes, you are going to cry, 49 Days is still a uplifting and occasionally very funny title that seeks to express the complexities of human emotions and the choices we make due to those complexities. 

White Christmas

Isolated in the mountains of Gangwando there is a prestigious private school that’s harder to get into than Seoul University, a place where students compete fiercely and endure strictly enforced punishment. The only vacation days are the 8 days from Christmas Eve to the first day of the New Year. Seven students who receive anonymous letters remain at school over the winter break...

White Christmas is a series that approaches the simple query of nature vs. nurture with complex intensity with a green cast of newcomer actors left in the more than capable hands of fan favorite screen writer Park Yeon-Sun and veteran director Kim Yong-soo. 

As paranoia descends we dive deeper into the duality and struggles of each student as they deal with the immensity of their fearful situation on top of their own personal histories and identities.

And as each day wears on the teens strip down closer and closer to the bone.

True empathy and true cruelty; the lies we tell others and the lies we tell ourselves; the savagery that can be inherent in survival and the monsters we can become when others are monstrous to us. 

White Christmas is at all times understandable but imperfect, pretentious but real, clever but unsophisticated - clashes that make the series ripe for a cult following.

My favorite thing about this show is that it’s setting and style is as important as it’s plot and characters which is a common element that threads a lot of my personal favorite psychological thrillers together in the tradition of Shirley Jackson or Suspiria.

The school our fated teens find themselves trapped in is as much as a character as our flesh and blood cast. Architecturally crisp and clean during the day while jagged and sinister at night, there is lot of non verbal story telling and thematic evidence rippling through White Christmas and is also in part what cements it’s cult classic status.

Totally not an “everyone” title but idgaf, I have to let you know it exists!

Hwang Jin Yi (aka Hwang Jini)

I really enjoy sageuk (historical) dramas but a lot of them are too long for me to commit to. 

Thank god this amazing series based on the life of the famous gisaeng (performer/courtesan) Hawng Jini who rose to influence during the Joseon Dynasty is only 24 episodes long!

A historical and cultural icon known for her music, dancing, poetry and tragic love life; Hwang Jin Yi is a series that takes this enigmatic figure and elevates her to legendary status. 

Which of course makes her struggle and pain all the more devastating.

With lush costumes, amazing set designs, beautiful dancing, and brilliant performances this isn’t a series to brush aside just because it’s “old” and historical. 

Hwang Jin Yi is frustratingly relevant on what it has to say about women who dare to create art and how society views and treats them, within their lifetimes and after.

Back in the day there were a lot of great discussions on livejournal about how guarded Jin Yi was becoming as the episodes wore on and how towards the end she became more of an object in the drama instead of it’s subject - which was some of the most interesting fannish discussions I’ve had the pleasure of experiencing.

Because it’s true!

People either seem to really love or really hate this series and that divide usually comes down to how the show presents it’s famous leading lady within the last few episodes. 

Was Ji Yi boxed in by production missteps or is the character shutting herself off? Is her status in history that of a cultural object or lived subject? What about within her own life due to her social class and gender, did she feel in control or like an object? Does her art reflect her true self or only as much as the time period would allow?

Good shit.

Arang and the Magistrate

HAHA YESSSSSSS!

This show is about a ghost who harasses a government official into finding out how she died. 

‘Cause we all know if you want the government to do anything you gotta haunt their ass.

Arang and the Magistrate comes from a famous folk tale called “The Legend of Arang” which this series expands upon exponentially.

I don’t want to get into it too much because I honestly think knowing less is an advantage but one thing I wasn’t expecting going into this show was a fleshed out multilayered high fantasy world.

Honestly I was expecting a ghost here and there peppered throughout a historical drama, so it’s safe to say I was totally blown away. 

Arang and the Magistrate is seriously fun, hilariously dramatic, and action packed with believable emotions wrapped within some truly fantastic world building.

If you’re feeling flirty and adventurous please consider this series. 

DO IT.

DON’T QUESTION IT.

WATCH THE WILD GHOST SHOW.

Misaeng (aka Incomplete Life)

The biggest complaint about Misaeng is that it’s “boring and stressful”.

And, uh, that’s true.

HEAR ME OUT!

Misaeng is measured, deliberate, understated, and painstakingly realistic to the point where, yes, it’s borderline stressful to watch at times. 

Based on the popular web comic by Yoon Tae Ho, the lives of the employees at a fictional trading company isn’t high stakes entertainment. Its completely mundane.

So then why does the heart race so often when watching it?!  

Misaeng is intense to watch because it’s not about overcoming workplace and life unfairness - it’s about enduring it.

And therein lies the intense audience response.

The heart racing intensity of Misaeng seems out of place within it’s methodical pacing and “boring” subject matter but this series taps into one of the most universal of all human experiences: The pounding relatability of feeling like your life is incomplete or inadequate. 

Office politics with all the bullying, favoritism, sexism, and gossip that goes on affects all involved yet no one can really do any one thing about it. They all have company roles to play, social norms to follow, and personal situations to consider. 

As the kids say, “the struggle is real” - and in Misaeng that’s pretty literal. 

What’s optimistic is that we see everyone’s hardships. We get to know and understand all of these characters very, very, well very, very, slowly.

We also get to see them win their small victories and grow together and find a coherent peace even if it isn’t flashy, mighty, and grand. 

Even though it will be difficult on your heart I honestly can’t recommend this show enough.

Chicago Typewriter

Chicago Typewriter is about a trio who lived during the Japanese colonial rule of Korea in the 1930's who are reincarnated and find their lives intertwining yet again in 2017.

Sounds intriguing, right? It is intriguing!

A typerwriter is a character.

Yeah, I don’t even know where to begin.

This series is INTENSE, okay? Very, very INTENSE. 

There is always a lot happening; almost every scene is crammed with literary, art, and cinema references; the editing is nuts; the cinematography is glorious; the characters are over the top; and it’s overall presentation is pretentious to the point of being gut wrenching hysterical - and YET!

Why is this trash fire so goddamn fascinating?

Why do I care so much about EVERYTHING IT EVER DOES?

Even when it hits its more mellow stride???

If I have to try and explain it; Chicago Typewriter is kinda like LOST but with bigger and better ownership over it’s bullshit (which is a compliment, I swear).

This is a show for those of you who want to be run over by spectacle, like chasing the coat tails of plot theories, and thrive on visual thematic pay offs. 

Joseon X-Files (aka Joseon X-Files: Secret Book) (aka Secret Investigation Record)

YEAH BITCH. 

This is EXACTLY what you think it is.

Joseon X-Files is a historical kdrama sci-fi thriller based on the American cult classic, The X-Files.

And, yes, before you even ask - of course there are UFOs, monsters of the week, sexual tension, and a Smoking Man.

I could go into tedious details but I’ll spare you and just get down to it:

Joseon X-Files is similar to the American series but it is mostly different.

You will not spend your entire time comparing and contrasting this show with the original. It will let you know when you should be doing exactly that, but most of the time you’ll be plenty wrapped up in it’s own fantastic brand of paranormal investigation. 

You’ll invest in these new characters and new setting. You will see them as they’re presented and not just through a misty smoke screen of expectation, I promise. 

Joseon X-Files is deeply impressive as it’s own series AND as a homage show and I say that as a hardcore X-Files fan. 

And then if you’ve never really seen the original series, well, you’re in for a gigantic freaky treat!

Because this show doesn’t look or narratively flow like the bulk of kdrama it does take some getting use to. It’s shakey, harsh, plays long games, is visually dark, has long periods of no dialogue, and it isn’t overtly romantic. 

What Joseon X-Files does have in spades is a consistent output and a intrinsic desire to be different. Which in my opinion are two of the hardest things to find in dreamland.

I’m the first to admit that there is a lot for me to personally enjoy about this series, but please give it a shot; it is the most unique title on this long list and yes I understand how funny that sounds since it’s a remake-thingy but you’ll see what I mean. 

ALSO my absolute favorite thing about Joseon X-Files is how much it accomplishes on a budget of, like, five bucks. They had no money. None. But that doesn’t stop this series from being rewarding, fascinating, and creepy.   

[charllieeldridge]

One Month In Lockdown: Update from Portugal

We’ve now officially been in a State of Emergency for a month here in Portugal (although, we self-isolated a couple of weeks before that).

And, while the world has been completely flipped on its head, we’ve somehow found our footing and a sense of calm during the chaos. 

Currently, most of the world is at a standstill. 

Wild animals are taking over cities. 

Pets have their humans home with them fulltime. 

Kids aren’t in school.

Couples and families are spending 100% of the day together.

Jobs have been lost.

Lives have been lost.

Wow.

When has this ever happened all at once?! Certainly not during my lifetime. So naturally, it’s a mixed bag of emotions. 

It’s been really interesting to witness the stages that Nick and I have been going through. When I read back on the last update that I wrote, it’s amazing how much has changed in just one month.

Maybe you can relate? 

Nick enjoying a coffee on our balcony – empty streets below

Fear and Panic

In the beginning, for us, there was a lot of fear, panic, and uncertainty — most of which was put on us by third parties.

The Canadian Government called back all citizens. You must return home. 

Flights were cancelled. 

Borders were closed.

Insurance companies stopped coverage. 

Freedoms were being taken away right before our eyes. 

A lot of words were thrown around — pandemic, lockdown, isolation, quarantine, stranded, cancelled, virus… 

Our 90-day allowance in the Schengen Zone would expire in 1 month, and we weren’t sure what would happen when that date rolled around (overstaying can result in fines, and problems returning to the Schengen zone again in the future). 

Travelling anywhere during this time would be hectic, stressful and potentially dangerous to our health and the health of others. 

What should we do?!

We decided to stay put in Portugal and hoped that the rest would figure itself out.

Stress and Frustration

As the days went by, and the coronavirus started to rear its ugly head in Canada and Grenada, we were both getting more concerned about the health and well being of our loved ones in both of our homes.

I had heard nothing back from the immigration office here in Portugal regarding extending our Schengen stay. 

Our travel insurance company was insisting that since it’s a Global Pandemic and because we decided not to return to Canada, that we were no longer covered under our current policy.

Even though we have “expat” insurance that was purchased well before any of this happened, and were on the road months before anyone was even talking about Coronavirus. 

Nick walking to an empty church

Businesswise, our website traffic was abysmal.

No one was searching for travel-related things — but rather, panicking and looking up ways to make hand sanitizer and face masks at home, or how to make meals out of nothing. 

People were worried about what would happen to their jobs and livelihood, so it’s no surprise that they weren’t spending money on our online courses and products during a time of financial uncertainty.

Advertising spends were almost zero, we lost a couple of clients who paid us a set monthly fee, affiliate sales were way down (again, no one was booking tours or hotels), and sadly, we too had to (temporarily) let some of our team go.

Receiving a 65% drop in website traffic, which ultimately translated to an income drop, was definitely stressful. 

But, this is the norm right now for many people around the world, and we’re confident that things will pick up again!

Calm and Clarity

Finally, we came through the fear, panic, stress and frustration stages.

…all within just a couple of weeks!

Currently, for the past week or so, we’ve found ourselves in a place of calm and gratitude. 

Everything worked itself out, as it always does. 

Date nights now look like this!

Our Airbnb host let us know that, due to the pandemic, he had cancellations and we could extend our stay — months if needed. Staying in the same apartment that we had been in for the past 4 weeks is comforting during a period of turbulence.

After much back and forth with our travel insurance provider, they sent us amended terms to the expat policies to include: 

“…if you are already at that destination on the date a warning is issued, coverage will remain in effect until your policy expiry date.”

So, we’re still covered!

All of the uncertainty surrounding overstaying our legal allowance in the Schengen Zone was answered as well.

The immigration offices here announced that all documents relating to the stay of foreigners in Portugal will be automatically extended until June 30, and we received confirmation from the Canadian embassy in Lisbon as well. 

Yes!

Businesswise, while we’re still earning less than pre-pandemic days, things have already started to pick up, mostly in the remote and online work section of our website. 

I think (similar to us), people have gone through the roller coaster of emotions and have found a place of clarity. It seems many are now ready to turn lemons into lemonade.

We’re now seeing many people utilizing this downtime to earn a side income, and start projects they didn’t have time for in the past. 

Which is actually what we’re doing as well!

We have a couple of new websites on the go and feel really good about them. Nick is also adding weekly videos to our youtube channel and we have another idea in the works as well. 

We’re feeling focused and more productive than ever. 

Health and fitness-wise, we’re so grateful that here in Portugal we’re able to go outside to exercise. There’s a nice walk to a leafy green park that we do twice a day, and friends of ours invited us to workout online with them. 

Being able to get fresh air and move our bodies each day is so important.

It’s nice to get fresh air, and we’re loving the warm spring weather!

There’s a large selection of healthy (and not so healthy) food at the grocery stores, and shopping is a very relaxed, civil affair.

And actually, due to the cost of living being much lower here, we’re spending 75% less than we were on groceries in Grenada. 

High-quality Portuguese wine is available for €2.50/bottle! If you’ve been following us for a while, you’ll know that we are red wine lovers, so this is a nice bonus during isolation.

I believe we definitely made the right choice in staying in Portugal. 

Digital Nomads and Full-Time Travellers Abroad

When the governments were calling back their citizens, many travellers were unsure of what to do. 

We hold Canadian passports, but we aren’t residents of that country — we don’t have a home there, no healthcare coverage anymore, etc. 

Grenada has been our home, but during all of this, they closed their borders.

We know so many people who are in similar positions as us — they don’t have a set “home” and temporarily live in different countries around the world, or they continuously travel. 

We know a few couples who hold a different passport than their significant other, so they’d have to split up if they were to return to their country of citizenship right now. Which isn’t an option.  

It’s been interesting to hear from our friends, followers, and fellow digital nomads about their current situations. Here are some of their stories from around the globe. 

A Filipina and British National in Mexico 

Good friends and digital nomads, Tom and Anna, are in Mexico. Here’s what they’ve said:

“We are currently located in Playa del Carmen, Mexico and they have only started implementing quarantine laws. You’re no longer allowed to go to the beaches and wearing face masks is now mandatory.

Some grocery stores only allow one family member inside and have staff disinfecting the carts as you go in.

The beach Tom and Anna used to walk along. Now, they’re not allowed

We decided to stay in Mexico as both Tom and I hold different passports.

My visa for the UK had expired and he couldn’t fly to the Philippines either. Mexico gives 6-month tourist visas so it isn’t a huge problem for a lot of people. We haven’t heard if they are doing extensions just yet.”

A Canadian and An American in Hungary

Fellow bloggers, digital nomads and friends Sarah and Nathan say:

“We landed in Budapest after fleeing Sicily when the country went into lockdown thinking we’d just be here a week. Then the whole world shut down and we had to decide where to go.

“Home” wasn’t an option as we’re nomadic, plus we’re from different countries (Canada and USA) and the borders were closed. The best plan seemed to be to stay put so we found a nice apartment to ride it out.

We’re allowed out for essentials and for exercise but as we’re in the city center the nearest green space is a 30-minute walk away.

Basically, we stay home other than to grocery shop on Tuesdays and to go for a 2-hour walk on Thursday. Luckily wine is cheap and there’s Wolt food delivery for the occasional pizza!

Sarah and Nathan out for their weekly walk in Budapest

We’ll be making an appointment at the immigration office to extend our stay in Hungary, but for now, we have more than a month left on our Schengen stay.”

An American in The Philippines 

Our good friend Justin lives in the Philippines, and this is what’s going on there right now. 

“I’m currently on the island of Negros Oriental in the Philippines and have been since before lockdown. Supposedly our city, Dumaguete, had the first Coronavirus death outside of China, so officials acted much faster than the west and locked us down.

All travel to and from the island was stopped, both flights and ferries, and eventually, we were ordered into mandatory home curfew on April 3rd.

The navy did come around to take out tourists that were stuck and wanted to go home, but I decided to stay, for various reasons.

The first reason is that I’m married to a Filipina, and although we can travel most of the world together, she hasn’t yet received a green card or tourist visa for the States.

The other reasons are that no place is really safe, and at the time, my home country of the USA was not taking it seriously and I figured it would get much worse there. I was right.

Now we are in home lockdown, and we get a color-coded day pass that says when we can go outside, for food only.

The pass Justin and Judia need to leave their apartment in the Philippines

Each pass allows for 2 specific days per week, during the hours of 8am to 1pm. It’s a pretty small window but as there are no cases here now, it’s working.

There have been no rushes on grocery stores (the only businesses open), and they have plenty of food and toilet paper available.

When the lockdown was about to happen I went to immigration to extend my visa, and they said that people that overstay their visas because of the travel ban won’t receive penalties or charges.

They said to just stay home and visas would be sorted later. Which is great.”

Americans in Colombia

Fellow digital nomads and blogging colleagues Sasha and Rachel are currently in Medellin, Colombia. Here’s what’s going on there:

“We had planned to leave Medellin on March 30th to take the boat trip to Panama through the San Blas Islands. Everything happened so fast – the islands closed, the borders closed, my Spanish school closed, and then suddenly everything shut down in Colombia.

We decided to stay instead of adding to the panic as we had already paid rent and we like it here.

The lockdown has been extended and gotten more intense, though. We can only leave the house one at a time (based on the last # of your ID) for essentials. 

Sasha and Rachel on their deck during lockdown in Medellin – can’t leave the apartment unless it’s a shopping day

They are rotating the days people can go out to give people fair access to banks. This week we can each go out twice but next week only once.

Pretty much everything is closed here except grocery stores, banks, and pharmacies. Many restaurants are open but strictly for delivery.

We are not even allowed outside for exercise. A fellow nomad was recently fined 900,000 COP ($225) for being out in the park across from their apartment! 

Apparently, they’re not going to make a big deal about overstaying visas — after all, there is nowhere to go! But we are very much in a “wait and see” situation at the moment.”

UK Citizens in India

One of our readers has reported this from India:

“We are stranded in Goa, India. At first, the lockdown was terrible. It was implemented with four hours’ notice, given at 8:00 pm in the evening to come into effect at midnight.

All shops were already closed and so it wasn’t even possible for people to buy food to get them through the lockdown.

For the first few days, people were out looking for food and water, they had no choice. If the police caught anyone out, they were beating them with sticks.

After five days of that, the lockdown was relaxed enough to allow small shops to open, however, it was only the small shops, most of which carry only basic items such as rice and lentils, and they very quickly ran out of stock.

It’s better now. The stock supply line has been restored, shops are open again and the police have stopped beating people.

It’s still not easy though. Only one person per household is allowed out, there is no provision for exercise — essential shopping only.

The UK has started evacuation flights, finally, but they have approximately 30,000 people to evacuate from all over India, and the flights are prohibitively expensive.

Plus, there are not going to be enough seats for everyone so it looks like we could be stuck here for a while.

We were able to extend our tourist visas until April 30th. Hopefully, they will extend tourist visas again and we can wait it out until commercial flights resume.”

A Canadian in Thailand

One of our readers, and full-time traveller, made the decision to hunker-down in Thailand where he was when things broke out.

On Koh Samui island, the beaches, essential shops, and grocery stores are open. Bars and restaurants are closed, but takeaway is allowed. He can cycle and walk around. And, Thailand automatically extended foreign visas.

Americans in Costa Rica

Diane and David, house and pet sitters and readers of ours, found themselves in Costa Rica during the pandemic, here’s what they say:

“We were only supposed to be pet sitting/housesitting for 5 weeks, but now we’ll be here for 90 days — maximum of our visa.

Costa Rica has been a really good place to be during this time. They took Covid-19 seriously early on. We feel quite “safe” here and are not necessarily looking forward to returning to Arizona.

We’ve been able to go out and take walks. If we go to pass someone, each stays at least 6 feet from others as a courtesy. Everyone seems to be following the dictates.

Everything is closed except for food stores and pharmacies. Even the weekly farmers’ market was closed for 1-2 weeks, but now is open for two days instead of just one, with every other stall occupied. Admittance is monitored and foot traffic within is one-way.

Every store employee is continually cleaning things off. Hand sanitizer in spray bottles with paper towel on rolls everywhere. Most store employees wear masks and hospital-style gloves

Between now and the end of April they have cut driving by 20%; cars with license plates ending in “1 or 2” can’t drive on Monday, ending with “3 or 4” can’t drive on Tuesday, and so on.”

Australians in Grenada

Our close friends, bloggers and travellers, Vivien and Aaron, are currently in Grenada. Here’s their story:

“We’d just spent three days travelling from Australia to Grenada, arriving only two weeks before Coronavirus started affecting flights. Our plan was to be based around the Caribbean for the year anyway, so in our minds we were where we wanted to be.

At present, the island is in full lockdown mode.

No one is allowed to walk outside of their homes except for designated shopping days (2-3 days per week).

Last week, shopping times were separated into surnames. People from A-M could shop between 8am to 12pm and surnames N-Z from 12pm to 5pm.

Shopping rules have now changed to everyone going at once.

Petrol is limited to one day per week.

Except for one parish (state) you have to remain within your area as there are police barricades between them.

Everyone must be inside at home between 7pm and 7am.

There’s no socializing allowed of any kind, so we’ve been pretty restricted. Last week there was no sale of alcohol allowed on the island, but this week you’re allowed to purchase on shopping days and consume at home (without others).

Vivien and Aaron might not be able to go out for walks, but when you have a view like this, it’s not so bad! 

It has been pretty intense, but at least we have a great little apartment with a view of the sea (even though we can’t go down to swim in it). We’ve been focusing on our blog, doing some gardening and staying connected via online chat platforms.

There has been talking of “easing” the restrictions next week. But we’re not sure what that will mean just yet.

In terms of extending visas, we are not sure that’s on the government’s radar just yet. At this point, there are no flights in or out of the country for the foreseeable future. So, no one is going anywhere, even if their visas have expired.”

Canadians in Portugal

Finally, what’s it like here for us Goats?!

The State of Emergency has been extended a further 2 weeks in Portugal (they can only extend in 2-week increments), to bring us to May 2, 2020.

The President is saying they will hopefully start opening up businesses slowly after this 2 week period is up.

Currently, we are allowed out for daily exercise, can go grocery shopping (any day of the week), and the weekly farmer’s market is open again.

We can visit the pharmacy, take public transportation, go to some bakeries and butchers, and order takeaway food directly from restaurants, or on apps such as Uber Eats.

We don’t need any passes to go outside, and we’re allowed out together.

No social gatherings allowed.

Fingers crossed things open up soon! But for now, we’re thankful for the freedoms that we have. 

We’re grateful for green spaces in the city that we can walk to

Going Forward

So, there you have it. One month down, who knows how many more to go!

Thankfully, Nick and I have found our groove during isolation.

We’re comfortable working online from home. We’ve been doing it for years, so it’s normal for us. We’re completely used to being with each other 24/7, as that’s what we’ve always done since we quit our jobs and started travelling back in 2008. 

But, I know that’s not the case for many people during these strange times. My best bit of advice is to just do what feels right for you, and what you need in each moment.

If you feel like sleeping in and watching Netflix some days, do it.

If you need some time away from your spouse and kids, go have a bath, or close the bedroom door and read a book.

If you feel like Spring cleaning your entire house, great.

If you want to research and plan for your next trip, go for it!

If you’d rather start a new side business, project, or creation, then that’s perfect too.

Mental, physical and emotional health is so important during this time. Check-in on others, help out where (and if) you can, and be kind to yourself.

As always, thank you for being a part of our Tribe!

Stay happy and healthy!

We really enjoy sharing our story with you, and love hearing from you as well. So, please feel free to email or comment on this post.

Stay safe and well. 

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