Journalist, Author & Syndicated Columnist
Marie Myung-Ok Lee’s linguistic skills and travels play a prominent role in her latest novel “The Evening Hero” (Simon & Schuster, $28.99), which centers on a septuagenarian doctor whose past in Korea threatens to upend his perfect American life.
Here’s where to start on your K-drama journey — including the one romance everyone seems to be talking about.
“I may be biased but I swear every time I go to Puerto Rico, I keep finding new things to see and do,” said “The Time Traveler’s Wife” actress Natasha López. “If you are staying in the San Juan area you must visit El Yunque National Forest and Old San Juan.”
“Military Prosecutor Doberman” explores some of the same themes as last year’s superior “D.P.” — but with more fight scenes, comedy and shirtlessness, courtesy of the series star Ahn Bo-hyun (“Itaewon Class”). It also stars Jo Bo-ah as his kickass colleague who’s as full as vengeance as he is.
Boy bands generally don’t get a lot of respect from journalists regardless of what language they speak. But if BTS was a white boy band singing in English, I’m positive their songs would get more attention and radio play.
At the time of our Zoom interview, AleXa had no idea that she would win NBC’s “American Song Contest.” “I’m just grateful for this experience,” she said. “I performed for a huge American network in front of a live audience. Hopefully, I can take this positive energy and move forward with it.”
Actor Lee Byung-hun told me, “I experienced touching emotions, and found consolation and hope ever since I read the script for ‘Our Blues.’ I hope that this drama will be able to comfort all wounded souls.” My cover story for Rolling Stone Korea.
“My father really pushed me to travel the world,” photographer/musician Isné Bobo Nuyent recalled. “He said, ‘You need to train your mind and understand other people and cultures and what they go through. So go travel.'”
“Thirty-nine” is a reminder that while we’ve all made mistakes in our lives, we can’t continue to punish ourselves forever. Life is short. There is no guarantee of a tomorrow. Be honest and live your best life.
For 15-year-old actress Aria Brooks, playing Libby in the Disney+ film “Better Nate Than Ever” was like being with a good friend. “I think Libby and I are similar in a lot of ways. We stand for a lot of the same things, like feminism and Black power. I feel like my self-confidence developed more after playing Libby.”
“When I was 12, I went on a trip with my mom to Disney World,” said “The Fallout” actor Will Ropp. “Her health was failing and it ended up being the last trip we would take together. And in that way, it was both the best and worst (vacation).”
In this review, writer Jae-Ha Kim unpacks the Apple TV+ series Pachinko, its faithfulness to the book by Min Jin Lee, and why unnecessary plot changes can serve an adverse purpose.
“My husband and I plan to visit Krakow and make the trip to Auschwitz (this May),” said singer/songwriter Rain Perry. “It’s almost too awful to conceive that our visit to a site of such atrocities depends on the status of a war with many similarities raging just a few hours away (in Ukraine).”
“Vermont is one of my favorite places ever,” said “The Hyperions” actress Indi Star. “I was born in and lived on the East Coast in Massachusetts for eight years. We had an amazing ski house at Mount Snow in Vermont. It always feels like home whenever I think of it. I miss visiting there.”
The Angad Arts Hotel is one of the more unique properties I’ve stayed at. Located in a vibrant theatre and arts district, it’s equal parts art gallery and trendy hotel. It’s also the first hotel of its kind where guests select their rooms not just by the number of beds they’ll need, but by the color and emotion they want to feel during their stay. No, for real!
“I was flying from Los Angeles to Florida a couple of years back and they had to make an emergency landing at an airport in Lubbock, Texas,” said “Tall Girl 2” actress Johanna Liauw. “The plane was nose-diving and it was the most terrifying experience I’ve ever had on a flight.”
“The United States is an immigrant country,” said chef Martin Yan. “Only native Americans were here first. We all came over to fulfill a dream and maybe get away from political or religious persecution. Basically, America is a melting pot. I think of it as a hot pot, where you can put anything in it and the more you put into it, the better it is.”
The burgeoning romance in “Twenty-Five Twenty-One” is based on a strong friendship. But some viewers have pointed out that the story would’ve been more effective if the female lead character hadn’t been underage when they met.
“I’m biased, but I love going to Spain for a vacation,” said model Tasha Franken. “I grew up there. Ever since I left, I realized how amazing it is and wish I appreciated it more while living there.”
“Hello, Me!” is about Ha-Ni, a high school beauty who seemed destined for success. Instead, she grows up to become a mouse-of-a woman who has lost her drive, popularity and — seemingly most importantly — her looks. Through some miraculous force, 16-year-old Ha-Ni appears in modern day Ha-Ni’s life, causing confusion for everyone concerned.