Hey everyone!
We’re having guest posts from the lovely folks on Patreon, to help us take stock of our drama years, kinda-sorta like what we had last year, woot! 🥳
We’ll be seeing about 2 guest posts per week, and this will unfold into January 2023, and that’s perfectly ok. AND, my annual year-in-review, which usually comes out in December, will also come out in January (or thereabouts 😅), after all the guest posts have been published.
If you missed phl1rxd’s post, you can check it out here!
Today, I’m pleased to announce that j3ffc is sharing his drama year, YAY j3ffc!
If you’ve been around the blog for a while, you probably already know that j3ffc’s a super good-natured, humble dude who is as humorous as he is modest.
j3ffc doesn’t seem to know this, but he always manages to brighten up my day and make me laugh, with his comments. Thank you j3ffc!
I hope you guys enjoy!
KFG ❤️
Confessions of a Drama Slacker
by j3ffc
First and foremost, congratulations to kfangurl on an auspicious 2022 – 10 years and 10M views to boot! Wow doesn’t do it justice (although @seanfletcher came close), and I would be lying if I didn’t admit that it’s a little intimidating to step onto this big stage.
But thanks to our host for providing the platform and congratulations on a distinguished career of dedicated drama scholarship.
My own drama journey began on February 8, 2018.[1]
An inveterate fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, I was casting about for something to watch and came upon a clip of a show featuring a tiny superhero with serious attitude – and a stylish sense for outerwear – called Strong Woman Bong Soon.
Hmm, sounds familiar and fun! Oh, it’s Korean? Cool.
I decided to check it out and that led to Oh My Ghost and that led, eventually, to now.
While I wouldn’t now put SWBS in the top tier of all time, it drew me in with many of the features that have led me to cherish the entire K-drama our e: an appealing cast, a peek into another culture, shiny production values, and an off-kilter, goofy, but wholly original sensibility (of course you would ask a superhero to prove her mettle in a chicken fight!).
My early drama watching was informed by a New York Times article “A Starter’s Guide to Streaming Great Korean TV”.[2]
Fast forward a couple of years when I insisted on finishing Pretty Noona Who Buys Me Food[3] despite all kinds of warnings from various drama blogs.
In need of serious drama therapy, I found kfangurl’s review and noted it had an extensive “Thoughts on the Ending” section. Right there and then, I knew that I’d found a drama home.
I love romantic comedies and that’s still my drama happy place, but I appreciate any genre that’s done well. Not so much of a procedural or action fan but have enjoyed those as well.
In real life, I teach and do research in science at a reasonably well-known university in the United States.
I’m much closer to the end of my career than the beginning of it, but I feel privileged to have had an opportunity to do work that I find meaningful (more on this later).
Unfortunately, this means that my drama watching time is relatively low and often improvised. My wife is not a fan and we share prime TV time together, so I usually watch my shows later at night (providing a convenient excuse for being slow on the uptake on character ID and plot recognition), weekends, or in the gym, or on airplanes – you get the idea.
I have also chosen to enroll in the entirety of our Group Watch seminars,[4] which lowers the number of optional shows I get to see, selectively cutting down on current series.
I’m now enough of a seasoned watcher to have earned a little slump[5] and it showed up this year. A lot of the shows I ended seeing lately had lost the sheen I’d come to expect and I’ve become less tolerant of common tropes and conventions.
On the other hand, through the group watches I’ve gained a much greater appreciation for genres I might not otherwise have sought out (e.g., sageuks and makjang), even branching out to Taiwan and Japan, and when something special comes along (like My Mister) I appreciate it even more.
Sincerest thanks to all of you who participate in the watches and suggest shows.
So, without further ado,[6] my picks for the categories of the year.[7]
Dramas of the Year: First Love, Our Blues, Twenty Five-Twenty One
One short/sweet, one sprawling, and one with two timelines – and [SPOILER] not a perfect ending in sight. [END SPOILER]
But each of these shows presented flawed but realistic characters in drama worlds that I’d love to visit. I loved the artistically stylish feel of FL, the lived-in community of OB, and the nostalgic melancholy of 25/21.
I didn’t regret a moment I spent with these characters.
Actor of the Year: Park Eun-bin (Extraordinary Attorney Woo)
Park Eun-bin portrayed an indelible character in Age(s) of Youth 1 and 2, a fascinating force of nature with an unexpectedly dark story (a drama must, in my opinion).
In recent years she has since proved to be a sturdy character actor to reemerged with another show-stopping performance in 2022 as Attorney Woo.
I am aware that just playing an autistic person nets an actor style points and for this reason alone her portrayal would have “Oscar” written all over it in Hollywood.
Apart from that, I thought Ms. Park empathetically created a believable character with panache and style.
And for this same actor to touch my heart in a much more conventional role in a show that I finally got to this year (see special category), this pick was a no-brainer for me.
OTP of the Year: Ko Du-shim & Kim Hye-ja (Our Blues)
There are many kinds of true pairings and the love between lifelong friends can be as compelling as the deepest romance.
Supporting Actor of the Year: Syo Hye-won (Business Proposal, Alchemy of Souls, and Extraordinary Attorney Woo)
She was hilarious in BP, tragic/creepy in AoS, and even stood out in a very short role in EAW. This may be more of a “keep an eye on” award for a future leading role.
Razzie Award: The Sound of Magic
I love music and musicals and was sooooo looking forward to this. And the first episode was really good. And the rest was really, really….not-good.
And to add insult to injury, the most energetic song-and-dance number was in a coda that came after the show’s final credits.
I would love to see more actual musical performances in K-dramas (like the lovely duet that ended episode 2 of Be Melodramatic). But this was, sadly, just not magical.
Special Awards
Award for Drama Longevity and Overall Excellence: Hong Jung-eun and Hong Mi-ran
In 2022, I finally completed a very slooooow watch (over a year!) of Delightful Girl Choon Hyang.
Although pretty much a trope-fest, even in that first outing one could see the playfulness and genre-mixing that would make the Hong sisters famous.
And along with many here, I am enjoying Alchemy of Souls, already in the running for next years’ top drama awards.
I respect craft and originality – especially in writers – and even though it’s too much to expect a hit every time or to appeal to everybody’s palate, the Hong sisters have done good work for what has got to be a lifetime in this business.
I hold a special place in my heart for My Girlfriend Is a Gumiho and, although not beloved in these pages, really enjoyed and was even touched by the non-love story that was Hotel del Luna.
Show That Hit Closest to Home: Do You Like Brahms?
Thanks to all, including kfangurl, who recommended this slight gem of a show. I would have eventually watched it because, you know, Park Eun-bin (see above), but this turned out to be much more compelling than I expected.
From a strictly drama perspective, it was the first straight Korean romance show that I ever watched, i.e., it’s a proper drama and not a rom-com.
Everyone acted like real people in real situations. And one of those situations cut very close to home.
If you haven’t seen it, Brahms is largely concerned with a young woman who loves music and has skills but is not (unlike a certain attorney) extraordinary.
She’s just a normal person with some talent and a lot of passion – just enough to get into the orbit of some high-flying folks in her field.
She is forced to come to terms with exactly what she can realistically accomplish, while being in all-too-close proximity with superstars who have a much higher ceiling.
The drama does something nearly miraculous in showing not only our heroine’s plight (and she is a heroine), but also demonstrating how the superstars have their own issues.
She comes to learn where she fits in this world and navigates the tough gulf between professional ambition and personal happiness.
Now imagine a viewer who is in a competitive field and had dreams in his youth. And did OK.
He got by, did some nice things, and made the world a little better place than how he found it. And did well enough to regularly cross paths with others who were, in fact, extraordinary.
They did amazing things and were highly rewarded for their efforts, maybe even winning a really famous prize that everybody in the world knows about.
But there is an uncrossable line between this viewer and that top tier, or even a tier or two below that one. How to navigate that gulf?
By doing what Park Eun-bin’s character did.
Learn to appreciate what one can accomplish while accepting one’s limits. Embrace service to one’s professional community, knowing that that can have impact, too. Realize that one’s life has value apart from what happens at work.
Prioritize family, friends, and community. Take pleasure in art! Do your best while not giving up.
Fighting.
Coming from a genre that many dismiss as slight, that’s a pretty good lesson to go along with the Pretty and the Fun and the Wacky.
Thank you all for sharing your stories and your thoughts throughout the year. And, as always, thanks to kfangurl for founding our feast. And best wishes for a happy 2023.
~j3ffc
[1] Netflix has a scary useful feature where you can download your exact viewing history of all time.
[2] www.nytimes.com/2018/02/07/watching/k-drama-streaming-guide.html. I’m still working through their list of shows and have enjoyed them more than not.
[3] July 25, 2019 is a day that will forever live in drama infamy.
[4] If other drama sites are drama colleges, The Verdict is Drama Graduate School.
[5] KFG has good advice on this topic, too: thefangirlverdict.com/2022/02/27/dear-kfangurl-how-do-i-deal-with-drama-fatigue/
[6] As there has been ado a-plenty…
[7] I’m limiting these choices to 2022 dramas in a futile attempt to show that I’m keeping up with y’all. I’ve watched a total of six new shows this year! Whoo whoo! Watch out!!
Is there such a feature on Netflix! I should go check it out..Thanks for mentioning..
“She is forced to come to terms with exactly what she can realistically accomplish, while being in all-too-close proximity with superstars who have a much higher ceiling.”
That right there was the essence ..well said.
🙏
j3ffc – Like so many others, I appreciated your reflections on Do You Like Brahms? I enjoyed the show, but also felt a certain unease/chafing throughout my watch that I couldn’t quite put my finger on. And now, this moderate overachiever may know why. If we’re lucky, the mantra “I am good enough” will sink in eventually, with deep self-respect and appreciation for what we are, rather than what we’re not. (Cue New Age music, or some such.)
Thank you for making time to share thoughts on your 2022 drama experience. What you may feel is a lack of quantity, makes up for the quality of your contributions on the blog!
Long live, Buffy!
Leslie, I think the New Age music is entirely a propos (for the genre, I am most disposed to George Winston), and your insight equally so. I was impressed to see this kind of question thoughtfully addressed in a drama and am glad that you responded to it as well. Thanks so very, very much for your kind words – they mean a lot.
As per Buffy, I always come back to the words
Haha to your spoiler alert. 😂
Seasons greetings, j3ffc! I did not know Netflix had such a scary / useful feature… Well, as no doubt mentioned every time you mention it, I too am a diehard Buffy adoree 😊 a writer / artist of no repute 😟 and so naturally agree with everything you’ve said here! xx
Hiya, Ele. Yes, Beware of the Netflix Button of Truth. Also, I wanted to thank you for hanging in there with @Eda Harris and me through the end of Autumn’s Concerto this year….
Thanks for commenting and all the best for 2023!!
I’m nothing if not committed – fingers crossed for more group watches!! I’m hoping for another Wuxia / historical cdrama like Nirvana in Fire where more people got involved, although it’s always great hanging out with you and Eda 😘 Our opinions naturally are worth sharing 😆
PS I am yet to check out the Netflix Button of Truth… 😨
Hi j3ffc, thank you so much for your year-end-review. And most importantly, your bonus life lesson. Thank you for being so open and honest, and in doing so, articulating so clearly what I’ve been struggling with this past couple of years.
To quote j3ffc:
“But there is an uncrossable line between this viewer and that top tier, or even a tier or two below that one. How to navigate that gulf?”
I am still trying to find the right answer for myself, but thank you for providing an additional piece of the puzzle with your sharing! Time for me to complete “Do You Like Brahms?”, I watched up to about episode 8 or 9 but then lost steam, cos I felt the angst storm about to brew between our main 4 characters. But kfangirl and others have assured me it is a worthwhile watch to the end, and now with your endorsement that there are important lessons to be found, I will finally get to it!
@Elaine, thanks for checking in. I do hope you will finish Brahms. Yes, there is
but also thoughtful consideration on how to integrate life and work. To expand a bit, I really liked how they dealt with all sorts of career issues, from various perspectives: the young enthusiast who is recognizing the ceiling between youthful dreams and ambitions, aging prodigies who are coming to terms with what the future holds, the tension between mentors and mentees, and how to respect colleagues as people, regardless of their standing in the profession. Other shows have handled workplace issues well (I’m thinking Stove League and Misaeng) and I think this show belongs in they company. Plus it’s a cracking love story, even without all that.
Please let us know what you think….
THANKS SO MUCH to kfangurl for the opportunity, formatting, and the lovely introduction and to each of you who took the time to respond. I’ll be getting to responses in between gift wrapping and hot toddies (it’s Korea-cold where we are!) today, but wanted to wish everyone who celebrates it a Merry Christmas and peace to all. 🕊
Great post! Have just finished Our Blues and it would also be my drama of the year! One thing I’d like to say about Something In The Rain, though: I have a good friend who was an emotionally neglected child and is a pretty successful official now. A lot of dramas that most here don’t like (and I am at best lukewarm about) like SITR or Annarasumanara really resonate with her, so I sometimes think there’s more to them than meets my eye, at least. But it’s good there’s something for everybody.
Thanks, ngobee! You make an important point: everyone sees these shows differently and through their own lenses. It’s what makes the world go round and it enriches our conversations here and at Patreon. I think one of the things that made Our Blues special was the it covered so much emotional ground and did so unflinchingly. And for the record
Thanks so much for your kind comment and look forward to hearing more of your thoughts next year.
Hello dear – Many thanks for writing in about your friend. Actually my story (emotional neglect part) is similar to that of your friend and in that context Annarasumanara did resonate a lot with me as well. I could genuinely empathise with Choi Sung’s character and her lost dreams and growing up too soon. Also I had a lot of academic pressure growing up and living up to expectations like Hwang In’s character and I loved the way “Curse of Asphalt” was done. Though mine wasn’t an asphalt road laid out still the pressure was real and identifiable. Thank God today people are at least talking about these things and making stories on the same because back in the 90’s it was all way too messed-up and brushed under the carpet.
Trivia – I used to love carousel a lot even in my 30’s as it always appealed to the “missed-out” child in me. Only over the last few years I was able to outgrow that and especially this year the song “Merry Go Round” (with carousels, horses flying, song etc) from Annarasumanara really satiated that love.
I have not watched “Something in the Rain” but since you mentioned about it I am going to give it a try sometime next year.
Hi @Princess Jasmine, sorry for overlooking your comment until now! Strangely, I was not notified by email 11 days ago when you posted it. Thank you for your comment as it further enriches this whole discussion. The thing is, you still might not like Something the Rain, as you are well aware of, I know. But it really struck me how my friend, also in regards to Forecasting Love and Weather which so many disliked and she thought was “just like real life”, always insists that this is how far you come when your childhood has been so problematic. What you get is a chance to try, and try again, even if it may not feel wholly right. But parts of it may be and that’s how you move forward towards self-agency and healing. Take care!
@ngobee – I really wanted to clarify my comment about Something in the Rain as I was not very clear in my original comment about Something in the Rain. Thanks for making your comment about your friend and glad they enjoyed Something in the Rain.
I loved Something in the Rain until the end when I thought it all fell apart and was totally rushed ending. And the other maddening thing was the song choice they used over and over and over “Stand By Your Man”, it became painful to listen to in the Show. I thought the Show did an excellent job of showing a real relationship fraught with real challenges and difficulties. And then somehow everything fell apart at the end after all that emotional investment. It was tough. I think thats most people’s complaint about the Show was the ending for the most part.
@JJ: No worries – I feel the same as you and it takes an effort on my side to validate my friend’s point of view. But I do feel it’s worthwhile to try and do that. Sometimes dramas that do not convince as a whole still have interesting things to say. Thank you for taking the time to clarify your comment!
@ngobee – Sometimes we rush in our comments thinking every word is getting down or people might remember when we discussed a Show before, so I thought it was very important I clarify my comment 🙂
Your friend is lucky to have you! And I sooo agree with you there are Shows out there that dont grab everyone but they do have something for someone out there 🙂
You are welcome 🙂
Great post, j3ffc!! I did not get into SWDBS, but I did love Oh My Ghost and found a love for Park Bo Young and Kim Seul Gi there. Syo Hye-won really shone to me in Business Proposal and Alchemy.
A number of shows you mentioned are still on my list — Age of Youth and Do You Like Brahms. I also feel like going back and watching more of the Hong Sisters dramas now too…
P.S. your footnotes are so great, I see the academic coming out 😆
@uyen, many thanks for reading the post and your kind comment. Isn’t it funny that, no matter how many shows we’ve seen, there are still good ones to catch up on? I still think very fondly of OMG and would re-watch it if I didn’t already have so much on the plate.
Your post is a pure delight, j3ffc. Your expose on Park Eun-bin is a fine tribute to such a talented actor. If you ever get the chance (if you haven’t already) take a look at her performance in Stove League – a different and very mature performance. Outstanding, actually.
Yes, Syo Hye-won is developing as a little tour deforce all on her own. I even liked her performance in May I Help You.
I like the idea of perhaps being a post graduate of The Verdict. KFG as chancellor and you as faculty chair has a nice ring to it. Perhaps phl could design the diploma. Trent and JJ could write the verbage 😂 The alumni is amazing in any case.
I am looking forward to seeing you around The Verdict faculty hallways in 2023 👨🎓👨🎓👨🎓
Sean – will do sir!
Thanks so much, Sean. And I loooooooved Stove League! It was such a well-written show with a unique premise plus, as you note, yet another great performance by PEB (not to mention Namkoong Min and Oh Jung-se, et al.). On the other hand, it might have also “won” an award for Worst Performance By a Presumably Professional American Actor (even beating out the vaunted competition from Squid Game in this category).
However, though I’m more than happy to learn from my colleagues here at Verdict U, and contribute when I can, I’ve long given up any administrative ambitions….😂
I appreciate your kind words and look forward to continued exchanges in the new year!!
You’re very welcome, j3ffc 😊 Stove League is in my all time Top Ten. This kdrama is the closest thing to what it takes to transform an organisation and not the usual chaebol, entitled, cranky or super young Adonis who is also a clever and intelligent CEO undertaking such a task 😱🤣 NMK was a standout and testament to the type of role I would like to see more of from him.
As for SITR – I loved this show until it betrayed itself and I stopped. I haven’t been able to go back to it.
So, it is Christmas Day here. We have had lunch, are chilling out for the afternoon until the next family onslaught tonight. This has been the most mild Christmas Day ever – 81F with a sea breeze instead of the usual 100+F. Tomorrow, it will be 73.
Lol re Verdict U. See you around the hallowed halls…
Merry Christmas to you and yours…we are having a heat wave today, already up to 19 F (-7 C). Enjoy your cool spell….
@seankfletcher – Ill just put a “🦄 ” on all the diploma for my verbiage contributions 😇
@j3ffc – Ops! I forgot to mention, I cannot believe you watched and made it through “Something in the Rain/Pretty Noona Who Buys Me Food” Ughh where were we to WARN YOU!!!!!! Buuuut, at least it led you here 🙂
I know, right?! I think it was one of those slow-moving accident things, where you know it is not going to end well but can’t seem to just stop out of of nowhere. It was the first drama I saw where I was virtually yelling at the screen “Hey, you two, why don’t you just break up already??!” KFG will correct me if I’m wrong, but I seem to recall her saying that this was one of the most accessed reviews at the blog, so I must not be the only one who turned to The Verdict seeking closure. 😬😂
@j3ffc – Slow moving accidents is so appropriate….ugh. I am glad you found KFG and the crew then even if it was a painful journey.
I love it you yelling at the screen!!!
That sounds about right one of the most accessed reviews. This Show had two camps if I remember correctly those who loved it and those……
….like us!
j3ffc — As expected, you highlight some of this year’s excellent dramas! First Love, Our Blues, and 25-21 are all very very good, very worth watching, each in their own way. And agreed on Park Eun-bin–such a good actress. I have yet to see a role in which she doesn’t shine, if not carry the entire production on her shoulders.
Here’s hoping for a great 2023 year of dramas for you…maybe even a few more spare minutes to slip in a few extra episodes here and there…
Thanks for sharing!
Thank you, Trent, for your comment and well wishes. I’m so looking forward to the Winter Sonata watch and water-coolering dramas in 2023 together!
@j3ffc – OK, so I have to confess that I had zero clue about the scary Netflix feature that lets you request your exact viewing history of all time – so – of course I just had to do it. Now I await the email that proves I watch too much KDrama. 😅🤣😂
I 💖💖💖 your longevity award and it is richly deserved. The Hong Sisters have co-written 14 dramas and I have seen all but three. many of their dramas are on my Classic List. In fact, I just re-watched A Korean Odyssey. Still good after all these years.
I would like to paste Fangurl’s words here as I feel the same way – “j3ffc doesn’t seem to know this, but he always manages to brighten up my day and make me laugh, with his comments. Thank you j3ffc!” I appreciate the little blurbs and song titles (that I always start singing to) that appear out of the blue in your comments – Hey Ho Let’s Go being one.
Loved your OTP selection and I also perked up when I saw your Supporting Actor of the Year: Syo Hye-won. I am mesmerized watching the expressions on her face in AoS. She emotes so much emotion without saying a word. She is quite talented. Good choice j3ffc!
I know what it feels like to have to watch these shows alone. 😪 The Patreon Drama Exchange is great for folks like us because it is like watching with friends. That being said, last week I received a call from 2nd sister (I am 3rd sister) that she has recently discovered KDrama and is on a mad Netflix binge. So yes j3ffc – miracles do happen.
I have had Do You Like Brahms on my to-watch list for the longest time but I am sure 2nd sister will love this and I will mention this to her right away. Thanks for the detail you provided on this as that helped me realize it was for her.
I applaud your 6 dramas and I loved your EOY review. Good job you!
I am looking forward to more KDrama talk in 2023!
@phl1rxd – Oh you absolutely must watch Brahms!!! I think I have completed three rewatches so far. The OST is on my playlist and makes me smile each time!
OMO! I love The Korean Odyssey, too ! I watched that one I believe before I found KFG and the Community here. That ensemble is fantastic! Zombie Girl forever!!!
Thanks JJ – another recommendation so this is most definitely for 2nd sister. I had to laugh as she just finished Because This Is My First Life and she wrote me a long email on how great it was so I sent her Fangurl’s review. She is on that just-in-love mad KDrama binge stage. Oops – do not let me speak too soon – I think I am still in that stage…
phl1xrd — Ahh, Because This Is My First Life was really quite an interesting show, in its way. Cool that 2nd sister enjoyed it!
Trent – what a year 2022 has turned out to be – I got 4th sister to watch Crash Landing on You, 2nd sister is off to the KDrama races, now, if only I can get son-in-law to sit with me through Nirvana in Fire. I have been asking for years to no avail but maybe someday…🤞🤞🤞
You are spreading the love, for sure! Will have to add Because This Is My First Life to the Neverending list…..
Yes JJ – Zombie girl is an iconic character.
@phl1rxd Thank you, so so much, for your comments and for being so welcoming in The Exchange and in our group watches. I’m happy that my attempts at humor sometimes hit home and that I’m not alone in enjoying the little musical call-outs, which of course sometimes the shows ask for by reappropriating names of popular songs (I’m looking at YOU, I Heard It Through the Grapevine!).
Time will tell, but right now Syo Hye-won seems to be approximately where Yoo In-ah was in Secret Garden and just before Queen In-hyun’s Man. I feel vindicated by you, JJ, and seankfletcher thinking that she is a good choice.
I’m impressed that you are able to spread the word and certainly hope that Second Sister (and you) will check out Brahms. In my case, you and JJ have just moved Korean Odyssey up on my own watch list; feels like it may be a good follow up to Alchemy. And how can I resist a Hong sisters drama featuring a character called Zombie Girl???!
Thanks again for taking the time to comment here and look forward to seeing you, as they say, on the flip flop.
@j3ffc – FELLOW BUFFY FAN!!!!! Woo Hoo!!!! Omo did I love your post and wanted you to keep writing many more words. Maybe we will get a Part 2? 😉
Well, now everyone needs to up their post game because you included footnotes 😂 Love it !
YAY!!!! First Love: Hatsukoi made it on your Favorite Dramas of the Year!!! I, too, love Our Blues! Kun and Trent’s excitement over 25 21 was such Joy to read on Patreon that I followed along because of them, but then 25 21 won me over by the end !
And Sound of Magic….At least, we will always have “Once More With Feeling” !!!
YAY! Brahms made your post! Such a gem. I have been mulling over another rewatch on that one 🙂
SQUEAL – I love you gave a shout out to Syo Hye-won!!!! I like her ever time I see her even if she is behaving badly in Alchemy 🤭
I love love love love love love love love that you picked your OTP Ko Du-shim & Kim Hye-ja ❤️ Stellar performances from these two in Our Blues. I loved when they were on screen together. ❤️
Well, I am going to have to check out Hotel De Luna and Strong Girl since you liked them both and we share Buffy Fandom AND we seem to like similar Shows.
Great post! Looking forward to Pt. 2
p.s – I agree with KFG, always love when you pop over and make an appearance in the Deep Dive Zone or anywhere on KFG’s Patreon. Makes me smile 🙂
JJ – j3ffc is raising the bar for real.
Hmmm, still looking for the “blushing” emoticon…😉
Thanks so much, JJ, for the kind words! I thought you might like some of these choices. I should have pointed out that part of why I liked our elders from Our Blues so much was that the relationship was very realistic insofar as so much was left unspoken. If you ever do check out Strong Girl or Luna please let us know what you think. And thanks to you, and everyone else, who makes me feel so welcome over at KFG’s Patreon.
Hi j3ffc, what you wrote about yourself and the drama Brahms really resonated with me. I am finishing up my PhD in science in the US and thinking about my next steps. Though I really love science, I am not sure if I am talented or hardworking enough to keep doing research in academia. I am still unsure about what path I will end up choosing but I found your advise really helpful.
Anandita – I found it quite helpful as well. Real life, sound advice, Best of luck to you in all your future endeavors Anandita. 😘
Anandita – I’m glad that this hit a chord with you. I was a little worried about over-sharing, but decided to tell this story because it was the most personal to me. If you are finishing up your PhD, you are obviously capable and talented enough to have a career in science. The good news is that there are many fulfilling ways to do science besides academia. I find that most students land in the spot that makes the most sense for them by focusing on what feels right and ignoring external value systems that might not apply to them. I wish you all the best as you find your own path. Thanks so much for sharing.