FILM REVIEW: THE CLASSIC (2003)

As the film title suggests, almost everything in this film is classic. It is classic in a way that many could utter: “Just another mawkish Korean film!” But also, it is the way Kwak Jae-yong, the director, put such elements together to create a splendid tale.

Ladies are likely to be dragged to the screen. The romantic scenes and the graphic elements are laid out like a perfect dream picture of love that one could possibly imagine. That is not to say, though, that one cannot learn from the humanity side, since the film touches upon war, separation, faith, sacrifice and reunion.

The Classic starts off by the present story of two students who both falls for a young talented man in their college. The way Ji-hae, the main character, looks at her love interest, Sang-min, dreamily while he directs his drama club takes us back to our old days. High school sweethearts and that sort of things. Ji-hae even helps at her best friend’s request by writing love letters to Sang-min. How could anyone be so kind? Classic, of a pure heart. No doubt we would expect something for her in return.

The film would be too mediocre if it wasn’t for the intriguing intertwining of the past and present. Ji-hae discovers love letters of her mum, Joo-hee, also played by the same actress. Viewers are captivated by the coincidental love life of the two generations.

Joo-hee fell in love with Joon-ha, who actually was helping his noble friend by writing love letters to her. Although there are some comic moments of silliness, the drama is heart-wrenching. Another classic is depicted through an incomplete love impeded by social classes. Devastated Joon-ha returned from war with blind eyes. The utmost act of sacrifice is classically moving. Joon-ha pretended to have been married so that his faithful Joo-hee would be able to marry someone else, in this case, his noble friend or Ji-hae’s dad. Only when Joon-ha passed away, leaving a son, did Joo-hee find out the hurtful truth. Not unrequited, only unblessed.


The Classic couldn’t end without a classic happy ending, only that this one is for the present. Perhaps the surprise factor is even more prominent. The circle of life is miraculously completed; Ji-Hae finds out that she is in love with the late Joon-ha’s son. The two best friends’ offsprings are reunited, within them a déjà-vu feeling of yesterday.

The cast couldn’t be any more excellent in delivering such emotional twists. Classics make a classic.

No news is good news, or is it?

Imagine a day without journalists...Apart from the apparent fact that less oxygen would be consumed on Earth, the world would probably see less of a magical force.

Journalism is more or less a form of witchcraft in the modern days. It discreetly runs in the vein of our daily lives, pumping a different kind of drug every other day. One day it is the exuberant celebration of human race that lifts up the mood of every single person. No wonder kids get their ice-cream bought without having to pester and listen to a dental health lesson from parents. The next day it is the credit crunch that drags down the outlook on life of even women who have just trimmed down their bodies following a crunchy diet of Special-K.


Forget about the argument of active audience, no matter how independent we are, no matter how we endeavour to resist, we are still subject to some kind of influence. Not necessarily being persuaded, just a tempting interest. It is like being exposed to a sensuous woman. You might be just about to manage to say no but that doesn’t mean you can’t look, or talk about her.
Say, a colleague asks you what is going on around the world. Even if you don’t really follow the news, a little bird inside tells you that it is all doom and gloom, and sooner than you realise, you start arguing as if truly convinced by the idea. I guess the only way to avoid is to turn a blind eye to current affairs and accept the label of being “behind of time” or something like that.


“If you don’t read the newspaper, you are uninformed. If you do read the newspaper, you are misinformed.” This exaggerated quote somehow summarises the point above. If you cannot fight against the drug, then don’t attempt to try it. But in this digital age, to be immunised from journalism is much as politicians sticking to their promises.


Journalists are definitely crafty, which could be understood in either meaning. Someone once said if we see the world going into crisis, then don’t panic yet, it might just be that journalists are working extra hard. It is unfair to discredit good and responsible journalism though. That is not to say we only acknowledge the work of broadsheets’ reporters and sneer at red-tops’ journalists. They know their place and know to combine different seasonings to make a perfect dish for the audience.


Would it be a bit too banal having to read or watch serious news every day? The human instinct wouldn’t allow it. It is against our nature to not engage in some sort of gossip, for women or discussion, for men. Indeed journalism is “organised gossip”.

I find the triangular relationship of journalists, PR people and writers rather amusing. PR consists of failed journalists, because they cannot be as concise and to-the-point. Journalists are failed writers, because they cannot be as flowery and literary. Writers are failed PR, because they cannot publicise and appeal to the public.

Journalists are neither God sent people, nor devils from hell. They are there because we want them to be. Until the day we stop the thirst for information including trivial pursuits, we are yet to see the last of journalism.

A Life in the Day: Linh Dao

The 17-year-old Vietnamese student has been living in North Wales and is among thousands of others waiting for her A-Level exam results. It is her second summer in the UK. She lives in quite an “international home” with a British landlady and two Indian housemates.

YES I FEEL HOMESICK AND LONELY SOMETIMES, BUT I SHOULD REMIND MYSELF THAT I’M STILL LUCKY ENOUGH TO EXIST AND HAVE A SHELTER.

Now that college is over, I usually get up at 9am, sometimes 10 if there is a good film the night before. Still sitting on my bed, I try to recall my dreams, always series of weird adventures making no sense at all; but interesting enough to give me new energy for the day.

Then I look out of my big window to enjoy the glorious view of the coast, if it’s clear of course. I tend to have my camera nearby in case I feel the need to capture the scene. There is an odd attraction of such natural beauty that I can’t help taking photos, resulting in similar pictures in my collection afterwards. At least that is a plus point of living uphill. I don’t mind walking down the muddy path on rainy days in exchange for a tranquil environment.

Breakfast is simple: cornflakes or muesli, 2 slices of toast and tea. I don’t like my tea bitter so I put milk for half of the cup and 2 teaspoons of sugar. Back home I would have different food for breakfast, most of which are made from sticky rice, but the basic elements are the same. After all, we need carbohydrate.

It will be a waste if on a fine day you don’t go walking as that’s what the place is for. Thus, with my camera and MP3 player, I set off for fresh air. Whether I head for the shore or the mountain is directed by the spontaneity of my feet. Tourists flock around the popular attractions, which gives me a strange sense of pride, as if this was my second hometown. I enjoy just sitting on a bench staring into the unknown. The colour blue is everywhere: sea and sky; I like blue, though blue is “blue”-sad. Yes I feel homesick and lonely sometimes, but I should remind myself that I’m still lucky enough to exist and have a shelter.


Once I was caught in the rain whilst venturing up the Little Orme. There were just me and the goats; I couldn’t see the way in such poor visibility. So I huddled under the umbrella, imagining a helicopter would come to a rescue. Fortunately I “survived” after several attempts to find the path down the foot. It was a memorable trip that I proudly told my friends about.

I return home for lunch, which comprises of sandwiches and a mug of hot chocolate. I might skip it if I stay in all day. I don’t think I need that much energy for being lazy. Being abroad means the only way I can communicate with my family is via the Internet. I spend about 2 hours talking to my mum and sister. Mum makes sure that I don’t overspend or underspend, while my dad writes me words of wisdom in his emails. I can’t wait to fly home, it’s been nearly 10 months and I sure have missed out on a lot of fun. My friends also chat with me using instant messenger; “Cheer up”, “We’re always besides you” are frequently said whenever I feel down.
I cook dinner at 6pm. I’m not really keen on stuff that can be eaten instantly using the microwave or oven. I like it fresh, since it’s more nutritious and delicious. Not that I’m a good cook, but my stir-fries are okay.

TV is the main source of entertainment in the evening, whether it’s news or competitions, I feel connected with the outside world. I think Newsnight is just as exciting as X-Factor. Then I sit back and write my diary. It’s not something “sensational to read” like Oscar Wilde said about his, but at least it’s my own world I can reflect on.

I turn in at 1 or 2am. Recounting events of the day, I gently enter my dreams.

A typical day of the summer before entering university - 2008

Court report

A man with a schizophrenia background was given a suspended sentence yesterday at Bournemouth Crown Court amidst the “escalation of violence” related to knife crime.

Simon James, 32, was charged with possession and production of a knife in public place, which was “serious” in the words of Mr. J. Fuller Q.C.

On July, 23 last year, the defendant was overheard quarrelling with his girlfriend in a flat in Poole, Dorset. Close by were the car wash facilities, said Miss Carolyn Branford Wood, prosecuting. On that Wednesday afternoon, James, holding a knife with his right hand, entered the premises and pinned a man against the wall. A witness said: “I could see terror on the lad’s face”.

The police arrested James and seized a number of knives including the kitchen knife he used. Mr. Chris Gair, defending stated his client’s act was merely to show that he had a knife.

Miss Wood mentioned the drunken state of the defendant after drinking gin. James was so drunk that he could not remember anything when interviewed afterwards.

In 2003, James was arrested for drink-related disorder. Two years later, he was sentenced at Southampton Crown Court for dishonesty offences.

The man suffered from “spontaneous, irrational thinking”, “high anxiety”, some schizophrenic symptoms listed in his psychiatric report. Mr. Gair said James was caught in a “vicious circle” where he was disadvantaged because of his mental illness. The defendant was said to have tried to “get his life back on track” as well as seeking medical advice; “It was not his bad.” However, James did fail to attend his appointment due to family entanglements.

The judge announced a suspended sentence of 6 months with an operational period of 18 months. Mr. Fuller Q.C. stressed the public concern with the growing knife culture, which had just been highlighted by this case.

Nightmare before Christmas

Two bears from a vandalised Christmas theme park have been shot dead by Dorset police.

Superintendent Deb Daubery said the public was no longer in danger from the wild animals. Kirsty and Phill – 2 North American brown bears - escaped from Tinsel town theme park, Bournemouth after their cage was tampered with in the vandalism today. Mr Bob Statten, the owner, discovered the damages to the theme park first thing when he went to work at 8am.

“It is a sad ending but we had no choice” – Mr Daubery said. The bears did not react to the tranquiliser in the first place and ran away into the area of residence. They have now been removed from a garden on Glenferness Avenue, near Bournemouth University where the incident took place.

Police also arrested an animal rights activist, who dressed up as a bear to distract them from capturing the real animals.

One member of the Bear Unity movement – Sky, 14 said “I’m here to take the bullet for them”. The police risked shooting one of these people but none were injured.

Sky said the bears should have never been kept in Tinsel town. “People need freedom. The bears need freedom”, he assimilated the captivity to Guantanamo Bay prison. “We need to stop the exportation of animals.”

“We would die for our cause”, the activist wanted to send his message across to the owner of Tinsel town that “the bears should live unmolested by people”.

During the course of the search, a man was bitten by one of the 2 bears. Steve Bond – a worker for Meyrick Park - suffered from a minor injury to his shoulder while in a kebab shop at 1:30 am the previous day. “It’s a natural thing” – said Sky – “If the bears are brought to the urban and suburban areas, they will attack people”.

It will take a couple of weeks before the theme park could be reopen to the public. “It has ruined Christmas for the children”, said Mr Statten.

NATIONAL YEAR OF READING SCHEME BOOSTS BOURNEMOUTH BOOK BORROWERS

The National Year of Reading has recruited 12,506 new borrowers to Bournemouth libraries since its official public launch in April this year.

This adds to the existing number of active borrowers, which is 53,835 – around a third of Bournemouth population. Ms. Gerardine Bodey – Area Manager of Bournemouth Libraries said the increase was significant. In the same period of time last year, only 8,653 people took up library membership.

The National Year of Reading, led by the National Literacy Trust and the Reading Agency, is a government-backed scheme with the slogan “Everything starts with reading”. There are a number of monthly themes all embracing the core values of promoting reading in wider communities.

In Bournemouth, as part of the initiative, the Frankenstein novel written in 1817 by Mary Shelley was picked for ‘The Big Bournemouth Read’. The aim is to encourage everyone in the borough to engage in reading and discussing about the book. This latest theme, chosen for the connections between the author and Bournemouth, was set to take place from October to December. The writer - Mary Shelley - was buried at St Peter’s Church, Bournemouth in 1851. Her son was living in Boscombe Manor not far from there at the time.

The book stock in Bournemouth libraries up to April this year was 313,308. If aligned by length, the books would form a line of around 42 miles, that is 6 times the length of Bournemouth‘s golden sands. Last year, the average number of visitors to Bournemouth libraries each day was 2,890.

Drinking during the credit crunch: what Bournemouth has to say

By Linh Dao and Vicky Meadows

The British Beer and Pub Association reported a slump in beer sales of approximately 1.8 million pints a day.
So have the government awareness campaigns been effective in making people drink less? Or are we simply drinking less beer and turning to cheaper types of alcohol due to the credit crunch?

A random sample of 10 people on the streets of Bournemouth is asked to give opinions on what is responsible for the decline in beer sales.

Sociology student Amy Bryant, 20 from Norton Road, Winton blamed the credit crunch. She said students have to start saving for necessities and cannot afford expensive alcohol.

Amy Bryant


Ms Holland, from Boscombe, said “It’s definitely a money issue”. She only drinks once a year but said that when she does, it’s from cheap supermarkets.


“The credit crunch has nothing to do with this”- said Perkins David, a retired councillor from Parley Road, Winton. He said the Government’s actions to cut down on youth drinking culture were really helpful.

Perkins David

Dave, a 24-year-old student from Lansdowne said: “Just because beer sales are down, doesn’t mean people are drinking less. They just buy booze that’s cheaper than beer” .


Lewis, who works in the Old Fire Station - a popular student pub - shared Dave’s view. He said: “I go out less because I can’t afford beer, not because I think I should drink less.”


An unemployed chap from Elgin Road, Winton commented, “The government hasn’t really done anything has it?” Jeremy Canning said that finding a job was already hard, let alone affording binge drinking.

Jeremy Canning, unemployed


Regular drinker Alix Traynor from Boscombe believes that it’s the price of beer that puts people off, claiming; “I buy cheap spirits in the supermarket. Gets you wrecked, don’t it?”


Nani Leung, a non-drinker from Knole Road, Boscombe, attributed the sales slump to the credit crunch. The 30-year-old carer said the fall also affects other commodities, not just alcohol.

Nani Leung, non-drinker

Paula Castano, a student from Christchurch Road, Lansdowne, solely blames the increased tax on beer for the lack of sales. “It’s too expensive” she said.

Whilst most people appeared to blame the current financial climate for the falling beer sales, Gerard Howell, a lawyer from London believed the government’s measures have had just as much impact. “Government alone can’t stop people from drinking, there’s got to be a real squeeze from the credit crunch.”

Gerard Howell