Mudarse a otro paÃs en medio de una crisis mundial es doble reto. Asà es como comenzó mi aventura. Esto lo escribà 10 dÃas antes de partir de Guatemala hacia Australia, para poder tener un récord de todas las lecciones que esta aventura me ha ido dando a lo largo del camino (de la incertidumbre, jaja). Después de una divertida y al mismo...
It's funny how life drives me around this adventure path, which of course I follow eagerly to see what's the next crazy experience it has prepared for me. This time it was a quite spontaneous, colorful and fun trip to Busan, South Korea. While working on my computer, a Google's doodle of the day popped open, and as curious as I am, when...
Today, the cold weather of this Sunday afternoon convinced me to stay inside my dorm and watch a movie. And guess what? Since I want to learn korean language, I thought I may start by watching some korean movies!
Everyone here talks about korean drama and film, and I had no idea what to expect of it. So I chose a movie named: "Miracle in Cell No.7"... hands down, one of the best movies I've seen so far. It is definitely an amazing movie, with great actors and a plot, so well designed and mastered, that it takes you to the center of each moment and breaks all your "macho" defense walls. And I tell you, I'm writing this with still really puffy eyes, 'cuz I cried from beginning to end.
I was so into the movie, that didn't realize my dorm cafeteria was going to close in 10 minutes. So I stood up, fixed my face a little (not so lucky with that), and went outside to catch some dinner. Everyone worrying and me explaining that nothing was wrong, is something I will remember later as a funny part of my trip.
So getting back to the plot of the movie. I can only tell you that it's about a mentally-challenged man, named Yong-Gu, whose life revolves around his only daughter, named Ye-Soung and their unconditional love. He is unfairly accused by a crime he didn't commit, and is immediately sent to jail, not being able to say goodbye to his daughter. His cellmates, which were criminals unlike him, help sneaking her daughter into their prison cell. The story evolves as they try to hide the little girl from the police officers and they become like a family, helping each other with the things that were most important for them.
And... you have to see the rest for yourself, because it is definitely a must-watch if you are looking for a true heart-melting story.
As I was watching the movie, I couldn't stop thinking about the unfairness of it all. How the little girl who was trying to help Yong-Gu died accidentally and unpredictably. How Ye-Soung, the other little girl, was so abruptly snatched away from her dad's arms, leaving her all by herself. And especially, how the justice system gave Yong-Gu a death sentence, changing his life forever.
Seeing the true innocence and actions of love of these 3 characters, I wondered, ¿God, why is life so unfair? And while I was asking myself this question, I remembered a quote the professor from 'Understanding Globalization' gave us in class (as he likes to give weekly quotes to his students)...
I believe, most of the times we don't understand the difficulties we have to go through in our lives. Because we are only able to see the gray back of the clouds. We don't realize the sun is shining on the other side, painting a beautiful lining around, as God or Life, as you want to call it, draws a perfect master plan. We never know, how is life using us, for the big picture, and the big picture for our own life."Every cloud has a silver lining"
Why is the movie called Miracle in Cell No.7? I believe a miracle is just a shift in perception. As you see the movie, you realize, that little girl is a beautiful miracle for the lives of the whole population of prisoners in that jail, and even police officers. The way she inserts innocence and love inside the seemingly dark prison bars, and lights up their cell is astonishing. Her mentally-challenged dad Yong-Gu, and her are able to unconsciously spread and even show the innocence in the other prisoners too.
I recommend the movie with all my heart :). You can watch the trailer here, although it doesn't do justice to the movie itself.
Finalmente llegó el dÃa de emprender esta aventura de 4 meses, lejos de todo lo "conocido" para mÃ. Tres meses atrás probablemente ni siquiera me hubiera pasado por la mente esta idea. Pero la verdad es que nunca sabemos los planes que la Vida tiene para nosotros. Asà es que, el sábado 27 de febrero del 2016, puse pie en un vuelo de...
So, the day finally arrived. I couldn't believe I was leaving my country for 4 whole months, to go all the way to KOREA! Three months ago, I would not have even thought about it. But you never know where life is taking you next... Anyway, February 27, I set foot on a 30-hour flight from Guatemala to South Korea. I arrived Monday...