진심으로 살아간다

This is Tancheon (탄천,炭川) stream. To get there, I have to take the subway all the way to the suburban Jeongja (정자, 亭子), the last few stations of the Bundang line. There is really nothing special about the stream and the fact that I was there has something to do with the Korean drama "Alone in Love". "Alone in Love" is perhaps one of the most underrated Korean drama. I don't usually watch drama but this is one drama which I manage to complete. In particular, the narration by Eun-ho (the female lead in the drama) in the final episode, left a deep impression in me. The narration is about Eun-ho's interpretation of a "happy" marriage life and it is definitely not a bed of roses.

"Daily life is as dull as calm water but when there are "ripples", small as they may be, we tend to suffer and would begin to yearn for the dull (but peaceful) daily life. Good or bad luck are not something that are within our will to decide. They are always hidden in time, waiting to "pounce" upon us. Our life is as fragile as a toy. "Change" and "end "are inevitable parts of life and looking back in time will only give us a sense of emptiness. As such, we can only learn to treasure the present. In spite of all the sorrow, joy and impatience, we still wish for happiness, above other things. No matter how bad the time may be, time being time, it will eventually past. That is why we can manage to come all the way to this point in time. Sometimes we may quarrel, hate and feel bored about each other, but more frequently, we live to feel pity for one another. I can say that "I am happy" without being ashame but since I have not come to the end of my life, I cannot say that it is a "happy ending" for us."


Because I so like this drama, I found my way to Tancheon, the place where the ending scene was filmed. In specific, I was searching for the lawn which Eun-ho sat on while Dong-jin played with their daughter. It is a scene of "bliss" to me and it looks beautiful in the drama. I managed to find the lawn and took a picture (see photo below) of it - a proof that I have been there and done that :)

I have attached the video clip of the ending of "Alone in Love" and the narration by Eun-ho. I am not translating the narration word-by-word as my Korean is still not up to mark. Nevertheless, I am placing the narration here so that anyone, who can read Korean, can follow what Eun-ho is saying in the video clip.



일상은 고요한 물과도 같이 지루하지만
작은 파문이라도 일라치면 우리는 일상을
그리워하며 그 변화에 허덕인다.

행운과 불행은 늘 시간속에서 매복하고 있다가
우리의 의지와는 상관없이 달려든다.
우리의 삶은 너무도 약하여서
어느 날 문득 장난감처럼 망가지기도 한다.

언젠가는 변하고, 언젠가는 끝날지라도
그리하여 돌아보면 허무하다고 생각할지라도
우리는 이 시간을 진심으로 살아갈 수 밖에 없다.

슬퍼하고, 기뻐하고, 애달아하면서
무엇보다도 행복하기를 바라면서.

고통으로 채워진 시간도 지나고
죄책감 없이는 돌아볼 수 없는 시간도 지나고
희귀한 행복의 시간도 지나고
기억되지 않는 수많은 시간들이 지나
우리는 여기까지 왔다.

우리는 가끔 싸우기도 하고,
가끔은 격렬한 미움을 느끼기도 하고,
또 가끔은 지루해하기도 하고,
자주 상대를 불쌍히 여기며 살아간다.

시간이 또 지나 돌아보면
이 때의 나는 나른한 졸음에 겨운 듯
염치없이 행복했다고 할 것이다.

그러나 여기가 내 시간의 끝이 아니기에
지금의 우리를 해피엔딩이라고 말할 수는 없다.