Whoah! There is such a thing as conscience after all. Or is there?
The website of the United Nations, under the U.N. event “International Day of Conscience April 5” contains these timely thought-provoking words…
“The task of the United Nations to save future generations from the scourge of war requires transformation towards a culture of peace, which consists of values, attitudes and behaviours that reflect and inspire social interaction and sharing based on the principles of freedom, justice and democracy, all human rights, tolerance and solidarity, that reject violence and endeavor to prevent conflicts by tackling their root causes to solve problems through dialogue and negotiation and that guarantee the full exercise of all rights and the means to participate fully in the development process of their society.
Conscious of the need for the creation of conditions of stability and well-being and peaceful and friendly relations based on respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language or religion, the General Assembly declared 5 April the International Day of Conscience.”
Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that “all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights and are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood”.
Whew!! That is a gargantuan order, seeing as how chaotic and violent many places in the world are now. Still and all, I believe that this is a timely reminder for all of us to reflect on getting back on track to real meaningful peace and to the timeless words of the English writer and Anglican cleric John Donne in his poem “No Man is an Island”.
I really desire that the substance of these words come to pass sooner and not later. Hopefully, the United Nations does not give up on this seemingly Sisyphusian task of successfully making all human beings “act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood”.
On a lighter note, I hope this task of the U.N. does not imply wrongdoing, which I doubt. In Greek mythology , Sisyphus was a king of Corinth, an infamous tyrant, who, upon his death, was sent to Hades (hell) by the gods. He was given the laborious and futile work of rolling a massive boulder up a hill only for it to roll back down every time it neared the top.
Against seemingly all odds, I still believe that things will change for the better. After all, as the 17th century English poet Alexander Pope wrote “hope springs eternal in the human breast”. Life is a cycle. When winter is here, can spring be far behind?
DOCTOR SLUMP SLUMPS AFTER ALL
Last month, I mentioned a Korean drama series “Doctor Slump”, which I thought looked promising, judging from the first 2 episodes. Alas, I found the ending or perhaps the development of the story or script to be lackluster. I would have still watched it though, if only for Park Shin-Hye and Park Hyung-Sik, both of whom I find “muy simpatico”.
It’s not their fault if the storyline or the development of the story was sort of shoddy. The going was good during the first half of the series. Somehow, towards the second half, I was starting to have my doubts. But, as I said, the male and female leads kept me going. Not to mention that I found the style of some of the clothes of Park Shin-Hye eye-catching. Not in a flashy way. They just look so casually elegant but not too high maintenance. Just like the feeling of my favorite Japanese brand and my preferred Canadian brand. Ha ha! No mention of brands.
Check it out for yourself. The series is on a popular streaming site.
HUNGRY FOR VICARIOUS ADVENTURE?
If you are, then there is another Asian drama series on the same streaming site which is outstanding. I kid you not. It can be violent and gory at times. Just close your eyes “na lang” during those scenes. That’s what I do, at least. But the rest of it is pure, unadulterated, exotic, exciting, gritty adventure. The fight scenes are breath-taking. Beautifully choreographed, as far as I am concerned. And the lead roles are casted well. Plus, they don’t seem to use doubles in many scenes.
It’s not a big name series but they are excellent actors. Chinese actor Zhou Yi Wei plays the main role of Di Ren Jie, while Wang Li Kun plays his love interest Cao An. Support roles played by Ji Ta as Quao Tai and Zi Ling as Ma Rong are equally topnotch performers. I must not forget to mention also Zhang Ruo Yun, who played a guest role as Diao Xiao Guan. Zhang Ruo Yun plays lead roles in many Chinese wuxia costume dramas. Great actor! Good-looking too.
Title of the series? JUDGE DEE’S MYSTERY. This is a Chinese costume drama set in the Tang Dynasty (618 -907) which is considered as a golden age in Chinese history and reunified China after almost 400 years of fragmentation.
Interestingly enough, this series is based on a Chinese 18th century novel translated into English by a Dutch diplomat and China expert Robert Van Gulik. It is said that “Van Gulik’s books are regarded as a cultural bridge between East and West”.
At this point, I cannot but quote a review written online…
“Judge Dee’s Mystery loosely adapts nine cases from Van Gulik’s novels for the small screen. This drama has notably high production values with lavish sets and costumes designed to create an immersive and visual experience. The cases are well crafted with meticulous attention to detail and pay homage to Judge Dee’s reputation as a people’s hero: a champion of truth and justice for the common people. The cases highlight the discontent at some of Empress Wu Zetian’s policies and shortcomings of the Tang Code, China’s earliest legal code. Di Renjie gained many insights on the struggles and aspirations of the common citizens as magistrate of many important provinces across the empire. This shaped him into a great statesman and reformer in his later years; a chancellor often known to stand up to the formidable Empress”.
No wonder, while watching the series, I felt like I was watching an Indiana Jones, Lawrence of Arabia, Rise of the Phoenixes, The Long Ballad, Zhang Yimou and many other Chinese period genre dramas, rolled into one. It was exhilarating, to say the least. I can’t wait for the rest of the episodes to unfold next week.
There are a total of 32 episodes in all in this series. But you can take your time. That is, if you can be patient enough. I wasn’t. I found it so exciting that every chance I got (thanks to the sudden cold spell this spring), I did so, with great relish.
Don’t take my word for it! Check it out yourself. Hurray for good old-fashioned adventure! Unfortunately, with more than a touch of gore.
LOTS OF SWOONS. LAUGHS AND TEARS FOR QUEEN OF TEARS
My last, but not least, word for now is — Kudos to the Korean drama on the same streaming website), QUEEN OF TEARS. I am not surprised at all that in its first few episodes aired in Korea, the series garnered a double digit rating of 17 right away. It is still ongoing, both in Korea and in the streaming site.
For now, there is a lot to write about this engaging rom-com/drama series starring top Korean stars Kim Ji Won (Descendants of the Sun and others) as Hong Hae In and Kim Soo Hyun (It’s Okay to Not Be Okay and others) as Baek Hyun Woon. But I think it would be wise to wait until the rest of the series unfolds lest it turns out to be a disappointment like DOCTOR SLUMP was. I really pray it does not.
Happy April Fool’s Day and Happy International Day of Conscience to all!
Tessie O. Taylor