30. uninspired

This series is about a 19 year old girl, Yoo Min who was being abandoned after the death of her mother. She lives alone with her adopted brother, Kang Pyo. She accidentally meets Seung Jae, the younger brother of Min Jae. By chance, Yoo Min actually had a crush with Min Jae, a doctor who treats her brother illness for a long time. To fight off his mother demand, Min Jae gets in an engagement contract with Yoo Min and they all end up living at Min Jae's house. Unexpectedly, Yoo Min and Seung Jae are going to the same high school. From there, Seung Jae secretly loves Yoo Min. On the other hand, Yoo Min's father who got amnesia from a car accident is looking for her again after 15 years old she had been abandoned by her neighbors. The conflict comes when the people who living in Min Jae's house are actually related to Yoo Min's abandonment. They are the neighbours who stole the inheritance and abandoned her when she was four year old.

Cast

Cash-strapped parents spoke in unified protest Saturday, blasting an MTA proposal that could yank free MetroCards from the hands of students.

"Please, please, please don't take this away," begged cleaning lady Barbara Harris, 43, whose 11-year-old son, John, is one of about 550,000 schoolkids who currently gets a free or discounted bus and subway pass.

"I am speaking for part-time working parents and we need this," Harris said. "A lot of us aren't making much money. It will mean some kids just not going to school."

The Daily News Saturday revealed exclusively that the MTA is toying with the idea of eliminating free MetroCards for hundreds of thousands of students.

Under the plan, students would have to fork over half-price fares beginning next year, and full fares starting in 2011, sources said.

"It's really unfair, half of those kids are from low-income families," said mom Lorraine Ayales, 47, from Kew Gardens, Queens. "The economy is really bad, rents are high and people are strapped for cash."

The state and the city used to cover the entire cost of the student MetroCard program, but slashed their combined funding to $90million a year in the mid-1990s.

The beleaguered MTA has been left to make up the shortfall ever since, and pays at least $70 million out of pocket to keep the program going. But with the agency's budget gap predicted to balloon to about $500 million, officials have been forced to find other ways to make up the difference.

"It's stupid," said Brittney Rojas, 13, as she walked down Bushwick Ave., in Brooklyn, with her three sisters. "If you live far away it means you can't afford to go to school."

"Some kids just won't go to school," her sister Chelsea, 12, chimed in. "Or some might have to walk outside in the winter and get sick."

The elimination of the freebies is just one of many budget-saving measures being discussed by MTA officials, including proposals to eliminate 21 local bus routes with low ridership.

"It would be a catastrophe," said Nateria Cannon, 17, an 11th-grader at Manhattan Village Academy who lives in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. "I think it's crazy. Parents are losing their jobs and the fare went up. They would have to work overtime."

Eligibility for a free or discounted MetroCard is determined by a student's age and how far he or she lives from school - not income.

Mayor Bloomberg's education reforms, which include eliminating neighborhood high schools in many parts of the city, mean the proposal will likely hit high school students hardest.

"If you're going to eliminate neighborhood high schools as the mayor has in most of the city, it's absolutely critical to have free transportation for kids, especially because children are required by law to go to school," said Clara Hemphill, author of a New School report on the city's new system of smaller high schools.

"Some kids are traveling up to 90 minutes by public transportation," Hemphill said. "There's absolutely no way to get there without the subway and bus."

"The MTA faces critically important budget challenges. But we cannot look for fixes by hurting the most vulnerable."

This ish such fcked up. why are they makeing kids pay full fares for MTA. It sad enough the fares have all risened and taht we paying extra more cash into the government. yet we wonder why..why why..? Metrocards for kids are lifesavors esp for those who are able to qualify for freebies and not payying most of the price in full. but yeah. it just messed up...=/

Jang Nara in New Film “Sky and Sea”

Yoo Ah In, Junie, and Jang Nara for the film "Sky and Sea."

“I only had several acting roles in the early days of my career but my onscreen image became so fixed I was perplexed. But now, I’m not. I don’t choose drama roles for the sake of changing my image. More important is the quality of the script and whether I am able to do it.”

Jang Nara (28 ) returns to the big screen in the film “Sky and Sea,” her first movie role since her last 2003 film “Oh! Happy Day.” In a press conference at an Apgujeong club Thursday, she was responding to a question on whether she was wary of an image transformation.

Jang shot to stardom upon her debut with her cute and jovial image. She is now 29 in Korean age but still maintains the same adorable look. She plays a pure-hearted 23 year old in the new movie “Sky and Sea.”

“I turn 30 next year. I needed makeup to look younger in the film. Looking at my made-up appearance in the mirror was embarrassing (laugh). I think staying young at heart is most important. Staying away from excessive dieting is also a key to looking young.”

“Sky and Sea” is the story of friendship and love between Haneul (Jang), a homebody since losing her parents in a car accident, Bada (Junie) who is kicked out of her home by her stepmom and orphan and pizza deliverer Jingu (Yoo Ah-in).

Jang has been working in China for a long time now. About her new Korean film, she said, “I’m happy and I will give it my best.”

She continued, “I worried about my lack of acting experience. It’s been a long time since I did a film. I’m more nervous than my debut days. I had difficult times over the years because some projects didn’t bear fruit. But I’m comforted by the fact that many are struggling these days and it’s not only me.”

About marriage, she said, “I feel sad when my mom tells me to get married. I want to live with her longer.”

Singer-turned-actress Junie, who attracted the spotlight for her role in the recent hit music drama “Beethoven Virus,” has finished filming director Kim Yong-hwa’s film “National Athlete.” She says she is under pressure because of her starring role in “Sky and Sea.”

She said, “My biggest worry is that another rebellious image, just as in ‘Beethoven,’ will become attached to me. I will try to portray the role as uniquely mine.”

Junie plays “Bada,” a rock band vocalist. She said, “There are not many singing scenes, but they will take up a big portion. It’s identical to my real life situation of pursuing both singing and acting.”

“Sky and Sea” is directed by Oh Dal-gyun, who also made “Heart is….” The filming, taking place from Febuary to April, cost W1.5 billion. It will hit theaters later this year.

Source: KBS Global
Credit: seoulfull.wordpress.com

Comments : As a Jang nara fan, I support her in both music and acting. She under her fathers' agency and had been doing well since she started back in 2001(I think) Till then, she started to learn to speak Chinese. I was quite bitt suprised that she can even speak sing and act using chinese and it was pretty good. It also was cute that she acted quite well in her other series as well. The best series I seen so far where she participated was the kdrama series : My Love Patzzi. It was cute the way she played like a tomboyish role. But yeah. Anyways hoping to see her launch soon in the movies and music industry I hope she does really well..Support Jang Nara! LOl *Fighting!*