Wednesday, October 13, 2021

The daily

 
That photo of a Clinton Hill cafe was taken by my niece, also my goddaughter, who lived with us for her first year and a half out of college, riding out the pandemic lock down with her old aunt and uncle. She has a wonderful eye, and is crushing it as the digital editorial coordinator and social media manager of a travel and lifestyle website. Her job, but for the first two months, has been entirely conducted during the time of Covid, most of it remotely, but her bosses have seen enough of her creativity and diligence to have promoted her not once, but twice in that time. That's our former roomie in her no longer new Brooklyn apartment. I swiped the pics from her Insta. She doesn't mind.


In other news, our daughter flew in for a quick turnaround for a work event yesterday. She arrived just before midnight on Monday evening and left to catch her flight back to Boston at five thirty this morning. She went into her office in midtown after her client meeting yesterday, and was pleasantly surprised by how much she enjoyed seeing her co-workers in person, including a couple of new ones with whom she's so far only interacted remotely. How the world of work has changed. Our girl has been back home for hours already, putting in a regular workday.  

She and I had fun last night, ordering in dinner and catching up on Survivor and then binge watching Squid Game on Netflix while my husband read on his Kindle. My girl and I finished the whole series, the two of us going to bed at 2 AM. The story is brutal and horrifying, but also compelling and thought provoking, and once we made it to the second episode, we couldn't turn away. There were definitely characters to root for, social hierarchy questions to engage, and villains you were happy to see get their comeuppance. One scene in particular, between Lee Yoo-Mi and HoYeon Jung, the two young actresses pictured below, was the standout of the entire eight episodes, and moved me to tears.

Do I recommend the series, which in three weeks has become the most-watched show on Netflix ever? Yes, I do. It mostly stands up to the hype, especially if you go into it blind, as I did. I didn't love the final episode, however, and wished for a different outcome, though the ending they gave us is probably setting up a second season. And now it's back to work for me. I have written 24K words of a manuscript that is contracted to be 85K words in length. I still have a long way to go, and many more interviews to do, but I think the channel through which the story will flow is finally open.



17 comments:

  1. How is it that ALL of your kith and kin are not only gorgeous people but also incredibly talented, hard-working, and artists at whatever they do?
    I love how you put that last sentence- the channel finally being open. Perfect way to describe that process.

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    1. Darling Mary, possibly I am quick to shine a light on my kith and kin who are doing good works. Knowing that this world doesn't make it easy for most of us humans, I am so very proud of them, and a bit in awe of them, and I want to give them their props however I can, because they deserve it. I certainly have kith and kin who are doing less well, but it doesn't help them for me to call them out here, so I don't, although sometimes if I need to process for my own sanity around these situations, I will write about them, as in the past I have. Suffice it to say we are a family like every other, a large one at that, and so our stories run the gamut. But these young people who are making their way so purposefully right now, who I have watched since they were little kids, and whose unfolding has been for me a thing to behold, yes, they are talented, hardworking, artists all, each in their own way. Thank you for indulging me in cheering them on.

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  2. I too did not love the last episode of "Squid Game," but otherwise we LOVED it. Very compelling! You're right that they're probably setting up another season. I hadn't really thought of that.

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    1. Steve, I read that the second season will likely be the backstory of the front man, and my daughter has a theory that he's the older son of the man who started it all (I wont say who so as not to give spoilers). Also, as she says, if a person dies off screen, meaning it's implied but you don't actually see it, they might not actually be dead. I'm sure you know what I'm getting at!

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  3. I always love seeing photos of your beautiful family. So much love and joy emanates from every photo.
    I have a dear friend who also recommended Squid Game, but mentioned the violence. I wish I could handle shows with violence, but I can't. They push too many buttons and make me want to turn away. Maybe I'll work up the courage to take a look... maybe.
    Glad you're getting work done on the manuscript and the channel is open! Yay!

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    1. robin, curiously, the violence in Squid Game is secondary to the psychological gut punch. The goriness doesn't go much beyond red paint, but the revealing of humanity in such dire circumstances is what truly compels. I actually think I'm going to watch it again as I can't stop thinking about it. I don't enjoy gratuitous violence either, yet there are shows on my top 10 list, like Breaking Bad and Outlander, that are definitely brutal in places, but some other aspect of the show compels me more, usually the psychological aspects of humans surviving each other. I actually stopped watching Squid Game fifteen minutes in the first time I tried it, because the violence DID at first seem gratuitous, and I didn't yet know any characters well enough to root for them. But once the game began, I was like holy hell, how does one survive this? I truly wanted to know. That said, you know yourself best, so I'm not trying to convince you to watch. Just sharing.

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  4. It is so nice to read news of good things happening in your family. We so often are bombarded by such sad and upsetting news.
    I couldn't watch the Squid game because of the violence. I have heard that a lot of people loved it tho. Just not feeling it right now.
    Glad you are making good progress with your writing.

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    1. Ellen, Squid Game is violent. I'm intrigued that I was able to get past that myself and watch the whole thing. On the other hand, I've had people tell me The Wire is the best TV series ever made, and I can't seem to watch it, though I've tried several times. To each her own, I say. Thanks for the warm response to my lovelies who are making life work. May they go from strength to strength, and you and I, too!

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  5. I love the photo of the cafe, the colors are wonderful. Yup, your daughter and niece are talented and gorgeous. Happy to hear your channel has opened up.

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    1. Allison, that photo just popped for me, too! The glorious pinks and blues. My goddaughter is an artist all right.

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  6. My but the women in your family are brainy and talented...I am in awe and not for the first time.

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  7. I imagine we'll eventually get around to watching squid game. and what Mary said. glad that the channel is open for both of us.

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    1. ellen, fellow Taurus creative, it is such a relief when the channel opens, and we finally know how to move forward!

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  8. It is a joy to see the young women in your family thriving and to know that you've come to that turning point where the creative channel is opening again. Sending love always.

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  9. What incredibly beautiful young women they are. And accomplished. Does my heart good.

    I watched Squid Games and pretty much binged it, too. An allegory for our times, yes? So much storytelling going on there, on the surface and below. I have friends who cannot watch any kind of violence, so they won't be watching, but I just closed my eyes during certain parts and reminded myself "it's just a movie."

    I know I've been absent a long time...just dipping my toe in again and very happy to read your blog.

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  10. I read your response to Mary and to be honest, it's a relief to know that not everyone excells in your family:) Families are hard I find. I had lunch with my sister while I was on Vancouver Island last week and it turned out to be a nice visit. My sister has a brain injury and she's in her seventies and can be racist, although she did say she wished she had lived among a more diverse group of people during her life. She got over her snit about indigenous languages and we had a nice visit after that.

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