A memoir about discovering a ‘new world’ away from the pandemic

The global pandemic has caused immense grief, pain and stress among people. Many have lost their loved ones and their sources of livelihood. When we lose anything we value in life, our mind undergoes a process of grief. While there are people who openly express their emotions, there are others who prefer to mourn silently.

Mental health challenges are escalating due to the COVID-19 crisis; thus, it is essential to maintain our sanity during this difficult time. One way of achieving this is by being with our families at the comfort of our homes. I said in an online discussion that sanity is home because it is where love and happiness flourish. I have been staying at home since the beginning of the quarantine. I have cleaned every nook and cranny of our home many times over. I have become very close to our house, I talk to the stairs, windows and furnishings like they are friends. It’s fun. I also have become closer to my niece Lanie, our house staff and my partner Bong. I am also now very good friends with myself and our neighbors.

Interestingly, there are people who discovered new hobbies like home gardening, baking, cooking, painting and crocheting during this quarantine. Others also got hooked on Korean dramas like Crash Landing on You, Itaewon Class, Hotel del Luna, When the Camellia Blooms, Hi Bye, Mama!, It’s Okay to Not Be Okay, Memories of the Alhambra, Moon Embracing the Sun, A Korean Odyssey, and Doctor Stranger, among others on Netflix. K-dramas are one of the most watched in Asia, if not around the world.

My friend Ma. Angelica Cabahug has turned her passion in Korean entertainment and culture to her advantage. As a first-time author, Angie has recently published a printed book and e-book titled Life in Lockdown: I Caught the K-Fever (The First Wave) on Amazon/Kindle (also on Lulu, Kobo, FNAC.com and bol.com).

Angie is now based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia with her family. Aside from doing social media and traditional media marketing on the side, Angie writes for and manages her crowdsourcing travel blog. She was traveling a lot before the lockdowns.

Life in Lockdown: I Caught the K-Fever (The First Wave) is a memoir about her discovery of a “new world,” an escape from the morbidity and paranoia brought about by the pandemic, and eventually turned her into a fan of the global pop culture phenomenon known as Korean drama (K-drama). She said that writing her first book about her newfound enthusiasm in K-drama during the pandemic helped maintain her emotional and mental health.

Angie, who is using a pseudonym, Se (Korean for “three”), wrote how she staves off the anxiety amidst the lockdown season, getting by with a lot of help from Netflix and friends but with a little bit of twist. Angie narrated how she first got into the habit of watching K-drama and listed down the titles she enjoyed viewing with her reviews on some of them.

The succeeding chapters contained testimonials of people from all over the world who are also hooked on K-drama, the Korean recipes and dishes that Angie cooked while on lockdown, her studying Hangeul, and an interview with her Korean Hangeul teacher about K-drama and K-pop genres. She also gave readers a glimpse of what is to come in her second book tentatively titled Life After Lockdown: Off to K-Drama Land (The Second Wave).

Angie was inspired by the character Ten, an author, portrayed by Choi Siwon in the South Korean romantic comedy series She Was Pretty. Siwon is a member of the famous global boy group Super Junior that previously staged successful concerts in the Philippines.

Life in Lockdown: I Caught the K-Fever (The First Wave) is a quick and light read for fanatics of K-drama, and those who are just starting. I am sure those who got hooked on K-dramas can easily relate to the author’s experiences. In fact, K-dramas have influenced the entertainment, music, food, language, fashion and beauty preferences of a large number of Filipinos.

The paperback and Kindle editions of the book are now available on Amazon. E-book copies can be purchased from Kobo and Lulu.