The group chat was on fire that day and, like most all-girls chat, it started out so innocently. All I can say is that if the group chat was a podcast episode that day, we would’ve been on the noisy list. Too bad (or not) we aren’t into podcast creation, though. For posterity’s sake, I created a what would have been a magazine cover instead. And vintage, to boot! Now before I dive into the heart of this post, I’d like to thank Template app for this wonderful, wonderful creative accompaniment to this post. What started as a random inspiration for my Instagram story soon turned into a blog post. I love it when creativity breeds creativity. I am all for it.
But yeah. The others’ reactions that were brought to light on that fateful chat: I never knew Greek mythology was like that! You’re telling me “The Little Mermaid” never had a happy ending? “Hellbound” gave me chills for a number of different reasons. Also, you told me I wasn’t getting out of the house so I dressed like this.
The “Everygirl’s” wardrobe: pandemic edition
Spill the tea. When the pandemic has just started and we were resigned to living like hermits for weeks, even months, what clothes did you wear at home? Save for the occasional grocery runs, what could your outfit at home be best described as? I know ours was You said I wasn’t getting out of the house.
Personally, I utilized large shirts. Some of them were threadbare but oh so comfy-cozy! Nothing beats that kind of shirt, not in my book. Don’t at me. Pair it with some equally loose shorts and I’m feeling like a million bucks. I feel like I can knock down all those to-do items at work and successfully declare inbox zero at the end of the day. That is, until there’s a meeting that involves cameras being turned on. I don’t think it’s very business wardrobe savvy to wear a shirt full of holes and already so sheer from years of use that I look like a survivor from a zombie apocalypse.
The language of lingerie
Somewhere between rapid fire replies on Greek mythology and the grim origins of fairy tales, the talk of lingerie popped up. I admit without shame that I was the one who brought it up. Guilty as charged. 🙋🏻♀️ And then we pondered on a question: Which was better — red or black lingerie?
Majority agreed black was sexy. (I was on the minority of favoring red over black but eh. I am known to be the oddball, so no surprise there.) But I’ve seen some gray ones that looked utterly beautiful. And so I therefore conclude that all lingeries are beautiful and it really comes down to how you wear it: with confidence. Someone suggested a so-called lingerie rehearsal, which was to wear it before the actual day of reckoning. (Heh. 😏) I can’t wait for the day when my friends receive my gag gifts for them: lingeries. And I’m not even sure if the styles I ordered for them could be considered “conservative.” 😂
Things we wished we didn’t know: Greek Mythology edition
I don’t know why I’m so squeamish about gory scenes in some kdramas. I mean, I read some Greek mythology and I survived. Those guys got some grisly stuff going on and I didn’t even bat an eyelash back when I was in third year high school, Literature class, seat near the doors. Greek mythology wasn’t created with light-hearted glee. There were incest and brutal killings. One time, a mom even killed her own children. (Medea, I am looking at you.) But this scene was forever burned in my 16 year-old mind:
The family is cursed because an ancestor, Tantalus, a son of Zeus who often visited Olympus, mysteriously decided to kill, cook, and serve his son Pelops to the Olympians.
Spark Notes: Mythology, Edith Hamilton
After learning about the nitty gritty of Greek mythology, one of us said she will never look at films like Percy Jackson the same way again. Who could blame her, though?
The dark side of fairy tales
Have you guys read “Bluebeard”? At the age of seven or eight? No? Consider yourself blessed.
As a child, I was a voracious reader. I would read anything I could get my hands on. The writings at the back of household items, like lotion bottles and even instructions on the pancake mix boxes didn’t miss my eager eyes. So imagine my delight when I unearthed two hardbound books of fairy tales, ones that were gifts to my older brother when he was born. I started reading them like crazy. All was going well, even when I was taken aback by “The Goose Girl.” Until. UNTIL I got to “Bluebeard.” Even now, I remember the feeling of dread and anticipation at the scene when the female lead finally opened the door to the forbidden room. When I got to the part where she found out what was hidden in it, why her husband had been so insistent about her not even daring to go near it, I was… more than taken aback. I couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that something so sinister and scary was included in that magical book of fairy tales. It then dawned on me that not all fairy tales were good and held a happy ending.
“Bluebeard” scared me but “The Little Mermaid” broke my heart. And it was only years later when I found out the meaning of the ending of “The Little Match Girl.” Fairy tales really do come with warnings, one that wraps itself around your heart and head as you read it little by little.
Noteworthy kdrama: “Hellbound”
A charismatic leader of a religious group, an insane group of followers (Arrowhead), and citizens subjected to the dreaded decree — a phenomenon where some individuals are given their time and date of death. Their deaths are always violent and painful in the hands of unearthly creatures.
Having watched other kdramas in a similar vein, it invariably leads to this conclusion: Humans are the scariest creatures of all. Sure, there are good people. Even kind ones. But in these kdramas, the problematic ones tip the scales in their favors and starts the domino effect of things getting worse than before. “Hellbound” is a great watch, though. With its six short episodes, it managed to deliver an impression that’s packed with a punch. If you’re after a kdrama that’s taut and tense, with some action and violence on the side, you can give “Hellbound” a try.
This group chat convo in gif:
And that’s all I have right now, folks. I hope you enjoyed today’s ramblings. I am getting ready for my next newsletter issue of Paranoid Tiptoe. It’s a newsletter on kdrama and life. If it’s your cup of tea, I hope you’ll subscribe to it. It’s free and there won’t be any spam in your inbox, eternal scout’s honor.
