Food and film: Bread of Happiness and Kimchi Family
Movies are food for the eye (and ears, and brain, or whatever else you like). I watched Bread of Happiness on the plane ride from Houston back to SFO, and it made me happy that whole day. It also strengthened my resolve to study Japanese. The breads shown in this movie don’t seem particularly complicated, their presentation doesn’t sparkle, but they perfectly suit the gentle atmosphere that flows through the plot: looking at the steam rising as you break a fresh loaf in half, you can smell a sincere love.
Something that I learned from the main guy, a baker, in Bread of Happiness: do you know the literal meaning of “compagnon”?
Also designed to make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, the Korean drama Kimchi Family hits the spot on days when I feel down (and also when I’m eating my cup noodles). It’s another string of small stories of how food made with heart can touch people’s lives in positive ways. If you don’t watch it for the plot, watch it for the kimchi! So many kinds of kimchi that I haven’t thought of being possible before. You can watch it on Hulu.com.
Kimchi Family has a lovely song that I can’t find the lyrics anywhere: “Take a drink. This drink is not alcohol, this drink is our mother’s tears, this drink is our father’s sweat…” UPDATE: Thanks to the author of Following KPop, I now have the lyrics of the drinking song, printed below.
Tonight I actually cried watching its 8th episode. But at least I was at home. For Bread of Happiness, aish, I had to sink into my seat so that the guy sitting next to me didn’t see my eyes turning all red…
발효가족 권주가 가사 (Fermentation Family – Drink Offering song lyrics from Daum Music)
Listen to the song on YouTube and sing along 🙂
| Hangeul잡수시오~ 잡수시오~ 이 술 한잔 잡수시오 이 술은 술이 아니라 우리 모친 눈물이오 우리 부친 땀이오니 쓰다 달다 탓말고 마음으로~ 잡수시오 명사십리~해당화야 꽃~진다고 서러마라 명년 삼월 봄이 오면 너는 다시 피려니와 가련한 우리 인생 잡수시오~잡수시오 오동추야 밝은 달에 새벽서리 찬바람에 님에 소식 알았더니 |
Romanizationjabsushio jabsushio i sul hanjan jabsushio i sulreun sulri anira uri mochin nunmulrio uri buchin ttamioni seuda talda tatmalko maeumeuro jabsushio myeong sasibri haetanghoaya kkot jindago seoreomara myeong nyeon samwueol bomi omyeon neoneun tasi piryeoniwakaryeonhan uri inseng bburiobneun bupyeongchora jabsushio jabsushio otongchuya balkeun tarae saebyeokseori chanbaramae nimae soshik aratteoni |
TranslationHave some, have some Have a cup of this wine This wine is not wine This wine is our mother’s tears This wine is our father’s sweat Don’t say it’s bitter or sweet Have a taste with your heart Don’t be sad The myeongsasibri rose buds fall When spring arrives next year you will bloom once againOur pitiful life is like a floating rootless weed Have some, have some The paulownia tree I hope for news of my wife |
Thank you so much for the drinking song lyrics. 발효가족 is so wonderful and I really want to learn that song.
1My pleasure! Glad you enjoy it, it’s one of my favorite drama OSTs. ^_^
2I enjoyed reading this. It’s clear and well-written.
3