It may still be cold but spring is just around the corner. This year, 2024, spring will officially start on March 19. I always thought it was always the 21st of March. Apparently, it shifts or is movable. Not a moment too soon, I say. Although, we have had a relatively mild (but erratic) winter, having more of the sun is always something to celebrate. Bring on more warmth. Also more Vitamin D, which, as per my family doctor, people in the Northern hemisphere usually lack. Time to bring out my gardening tools, prep up my indoor plants for some rejuvenating, and saying good-bye, for now, to my winter stuff as I merrily prepare to store them. Yehey!
According to the Farmer’s Almanac….
“On the vernal equinox (March 19, 2024), the Sun will cross the celestial equator – an imaginary line in the sky above the Earth’s equator – from south to north. This instant marks the March equinox everywhere on Earth.”
The Almanac goes on to say that….
“The word equinox is derived from two Latin words – aequus (equal) and nox (night).
The equinox is famously the time of balance, with theoretically 12 hours of sunshine and 12 hours of non-Sun.”
Notwithstanding the science behind spring — All I can say is, the sun is most welcome in more ways than one. I am all for anything that brightens up life.
DAILY DOSE OF SUNSHINE
Speaking of the sun and its glorious benefits…I chanced upon a 2023 K drama series on Netflix which I find timely and heart-warming. Just what we could use in this day and age of conflict and seeming inhumanity – a bit of sunshine, so to speak, amidst the rise of mental health issues, not only in Korea, but globally as well.
DAILY DOSE OF SUNSHINE is a 12-episode Korean drama series. The title in Hangul is literally translated as “morning comes also to psychiatric wards”. It is based on a webtoon by Lee Ra-ha, a former nurse, whose real-life experiences inspired her to write this story.
The lead stars are not so well-known but are excellent actors. I have encountered, though, the male lead Yeon Woo-jin who was in a 2014 Korean rom-com “Marriage, Not Dating”. He was quite engaging and charming then. He still is in his role in “Daily Dose of Sunshine”.
Noteworthy is the review of Pierce Conran, the Korean drama critic for the South China Morning Post in Hong Kong recently. Here are quotes from his review….
“The love triangle that unfolds is an engaging one – but make no mistake. It takes a distant back seat to the show’s raison d’etre.
Daily Dose of Sunshine’s exploration of mental health in Korea and its attendant stigmas is relevant and necessary…..
Other recent shows have touched on it – Our Blues and Move to Heaven come to mind – and while the treatment of mental health here is deeper and more impactful, it remains broad and at times sentimental. Given the TV series is a commercial undertaking with a wide intended audience, this was probably unavoidable.”
Mr. Conran’s views are on point. I believe, though, that this series opens up one’s mind to the realities on the ground when it comes to mental health. Or, at the very least, it piques one’s interest or curiosity. I myself, while watching this series, learned a lot about the different mental issues which are bandied about everywhere. You may want to check this out yourself.
Another K-drama series which you may want to check out is “Doctor Slump”. The downside is that it is still ongoing on Netflix. Unlike “Daily Dose of Sunshine” whose 12-episodes are complete. “Doctor Slump” stars 2 top K stars, Park Shin Hye ( I love her. She is so simpatika.) and another cutie , Park Hyung-sik.
The series touches also on mental health issue like depression but is more of a rom-com than a medical drama. Nevertheless, it still makes one start thinking about the effects of what is going on in one’s life and the world and how they affects us mentally.
There are 8 more episodes to go, so we shall see how the story unfolds.
Let us welcome the first day of spring on March 19 and look forward to brighter days ahead!
Tessie O. Taylor
