Is Grandma happy?

[sandy]

It was so sad to see Grandma living in a nursing home, but happy to be there. She claimed that she was nothing but a "kitchen-maid" taking care of her family. She let her family know how she really felt. Grandma has seemed to make friends there, but will she ever want to return home? If she does return home, will she become, as she said, a servant to her daughter-in-law and her son who never seems to work?

Her grand-daughter weighs heavily on her mind because of her fertility problems. I still think that Min-Sup was adopted, raised as her own child, so Grandma has a lot in her past. I hope it all works out well for her because she is a much loved and cherished character in this drama.

[humble]

I think her son is part of any affair her husband had many years before, and she took him and rasied her as her own. I think grandma does not want it to be leaked out when she is not in her right mind that is why she is in that nursing home.

[jenny]

Grandma does seem happy there, playing games with Miss Kim and having her meals prepared for her. But I think the Big Secret she is keeping, and the fear of her slipping up and telling it, is ruining her fun.

[sandy]

In this last episode, it appears that Grandma is on the brink of telling Min-Sup that he is not her biological son. I like Ms Kim because she gives Grandma a lot of attention which Grandma was lacking in the busy lives of her family. Grandma, like many elders today, is part of an older generation which might feel stigmatized by raising another woman's child or even having a child out of wedlock. I think Grandma is happy having women around her who actually relate to her. Ms Kim gives her good advice. At home, she seemed more like a housemaid, always feeding and cleaning up after her family.

I think this is why Grandma was so insistent that her grand-daughter, Jae-Hae, and Jae-Min get a divorce. She must know, from experience, that being infertile will mean that a husband will look to other women for children. Maybe she doesn't want to see Jae-Hae have to raise a child conceived by her husband and another woman.

Min-Sup is so intense and hyper that I fear what his reaction will be if he finds out that Grandma is not his real mother. To make matters worse, I wonder what is wrong with the daughter-in-law who comes home from work, tired and stressed, with a nosebleed. She is the bread-winner of the family while Min-Sup spends time teaching Jin-Soo to paint when he's not in the bar.

[sandy]

It was such a touching scene seeing Min-Sup hugging his mother fearing that she won't be loved if she says things such as him not being her son. Min-Sup told her that she's the only mother he'll ever have. I really think that Min-Sup's wife suspects that he was adopted from an illicit affair between his father and another woman. I think Min-Sup is beginning to suspect this. His mother will still try to make him think that she's speaking from dementia, not from reality.

I worry about Jae-Hae who is supposed to have surgery to correct infertility problems. She made some remark as this being their "last supper" together which Jae-Min didn't find amusing. Maybe this will be the next cliff-hanger, so to speak, of Jae-Hae not doing well, even in critical condition.

[Lucy]

To make matters worse, I wonder what is wrong with the daughter-in-law who comes home from work, tired and stressed, with a nosebleed. She is the bread-winner of the family while Min-Sup spends time teaching Jin-Soo to paint when he's not in the bar.

I was wondering why no one was commenting on Sun-ae's frequent headaches. I missed the episode where she had a nosebleed. I missed all of last week, in fact. But anyway, I think either she has a brain tumor or very high blood pressure. Probably a brain tumor, so then she, too, can have her tiresome "hospital" storyline like everyone else.

Isn't it funny how they say "receive surgery" rather than "have" or "get" or "undergo" surgery? Sounds like a present.

[PhillyDen]

Yes, Lucy, it does sound weird to say "receive surgery". Another poor translation, like "man!" and "are you stupid"? and transposing last and first names.
Anyway, I would have thought it would be more interesting to make Lazy Boy the nosebleeder, then the non-connection by blood to his mother (implied only) would have maybe been relevant if he needed a transfusion, etc. HUH???

[sandy]

Yes, I find some of the translations kind of funny such as the use of "man" which is an old colloquial statement by English standards. Probably an expletive would mean more. Beyond that, I find this drama fascinating.

I think more will come from her nosebleeds, maybe high blood pressure from the stress that she's under. In reality, Min-Sup's wife is the main support of the family while he wiles his time away, mainly at the tavern. My thoughts on future episodes is that Jae-Hae, their daughter, will either die or have an unsuccessful surgery, Min-Sup will realize that he's adopted, and his wife will face a medical crisis. My own mother has been in a nursing home for over 4 years, so I know how stressful it is to keep visiting them. Grandma seems to be physically all right since she can still walk and is not confined to a wheelchair. By American standards, she is still too young to be in a "nursing home" because she seems to be in some kind of "retirement home". I think her secret will be revealed in future episodes. Miss Kim is a good room-mate who will let Grandma reveal her inner-most thoughts. Grandma, in her final years, needs to tell others about her past life.

[toranaga]

In my opinion the reason that they use "receive surgery"instead of let's say "undergo"surgery is that they learned english as a second language so they are using a dictionary term that is the most similar to the korean word,translation is very difficult,for many reasons but one is many words do not have a direct translation so you have to use your knowledge of both languages to choose what you think most closely convey's the meaning that the speaker intended.

also forms of usage change over time,there are words that although we do not use in everyday language are still in the dictionary but are being learned by english language students.
and of course, most native english speaker's don't know is, english is the most difficult language in the world to learn,we are burdened with a whole lot of grammatical rules and since english is an amalgam of many different languages, we have many words that are spelled the same and pronounced differently "seem" "seam"or are spelled differently and pronounced the same but to a non native speaker this may be confusing ,such as "scene"
now if you were a non native speaker how would you tell the difference btw.seem,seam and scene,by definition and by usage of course, but how would someone who has learned the language tell the difference.I have a lot more to say but I will stop here,I am sorry to be so long winded but I could not resist.

[sandy]

The differences in culture and language exist, but human beings, wherever we come from, can understand emotions and difficulties in relationships.

What makes Korean dramas so fascinating? I'm American, not Korean, but maybe it's because they show the fabric of human life.