I’ve just started watching Sweetness in the Salt and so far I’m quite enjoying it. I think Tavia’s pretty cute and I started warming up to her character quite quickly.

The story revolves around salt where it is pretty much monopolised by rich business men (e.g Raymond Wong‘s father). In hope to help the poor by providing cheaper prices, Tavia’s parents became the chief salt smugglers and the government continuously attempted to arrest them and shut down their operations. During an anti-smuggling operation, Tavia gets separated from Steven Ma (her lover) and her family, but luckily she gets saved by Raymond (who unfortunately has health issues) and they become friends.

I really felt sorry for Tavia in the scene where she sees the dead bodies of her mother and father hung on the tower walls and found out that it was actually Steven who has betrayed her!

He is actually an official, working on the anti-smuggling campaign. In order to track down their secret operations, he got close to Tavia, pretending to be a helpless, injured scholar whom she saved. He gains her trust and sympathy and in the process, the two eventually fall in love. However, for what he believes is ‘right’, he betrays Tavia and arrests them. Despite all this, I still can’t bring myself to hate his character. I just think it’s very tragic.

I don’t think he is doing it for promotion/money etc but for what he believes is right. He strongly believes smuggling is wrong and against the law. As a ‘cop’, it is his duty to arrest the ‘thieves’. He works really hard in his job and seems pretty righteous- which makes me wonder why he doesn’t have any sympathy towards what Tavia’s family were doing. Is he really a Black and White person- with no gray?

I really like how Tavia and Steven’s relationship is revealed in the story and its interesting to see how this love-turned-hate relationship will work out. I’m most interested in this love triangle between Tavia, Steven and Raymond (because I like all three characters) but the other minor/supporting side stories/character  don’t really appeal to me.  I hope they won’t drag out the story…

Time for some screenies and some commentary 😀

Episode 1

Raymond wanted to commit suicide after he could no longer take the pain he suffered from his illness. Tavia managed to let him see that life was still worth living and offers him some sweet potatoes 🙂
Sometimes it makes me wonder why Tavia doesn’t seem to have any grudges against Raymond and his family since they’re part of selling pricey salt.

Episode 2

Tavia sees the dead bodies of her parents and confesses the truth and her real identity to Raymond.

Tavia confronts Steven and attempts to kill him to avenge her parents but was unable to defeat him (I loved this fight scene despite it being quite short) He tells her that he didn’t kill her parents and that he offered her parents to surrender but they didn’t, and killed themselves. He stands firmly that what he did is right and knows she is innocent and not involved, so hopes she could continue to live on happily.
After he leaves, Raymond comes to find Tavia who is crying in the rain. Steven watches the two from a distance.

Raymond takes Tavia back to his home but she won’t eat and wanted to seek death as life was meaningless to her.

Steven goes to find Raymond and it turns out they are friends. Raymond requests to take back Tavia’s parents’ bodies and Steven agrees and then asks Raymond to take good care of Tavia for him and not let her know they had this conversation.

Raymond convinces Tavia to eat again by taking her to see her parents for her last time before burial. She is really grateful towards him~

Tavia at her parent’s funeral. She finally sees things through- to live on looking forward. Raymond tells her that he’ll always be there to look after her 🙂
Episode 3

When Steven was at Raymond’s house, being forced into an ‘arranged marriage’ to Raymond’s sister by his mother, Steven openly rejects her confessing that there is already someone whom he loves in his heart(despite fate not allowing it). Tavia is there and overhears.

Steven confesses to Tavia that everything he said back then was true and that his feelings for her were real. However, Tavia claims they are all lies and leaves.

Title: The Greatness of a Hero 盛世仁杰

Cast: Kent Cheng, Sunny Chan, Sonija Kwok, Bernice Liu, Wayne Lai, Rebecca Chan, Leila Tong, Lee Heung Kam, Rebecca Chan, Raymond Cho, Claire Yiu, Stephen Wong, Queenie Chu, Matthew Ko, Stephen Huynh, Tracy Ip

Episodes: 20

Released: 9th February 2009- Warehoused Series later released in HK

Producer: Leung Choy Yuen

Scriptwriter: Kar Wai Lam

Genre: Ancient/Politics/Drama/Mystery Case

Official: Purchase @ YesAsia.com (English Subtitles)

Synopsis:
TIK YAN KIT (Kent Cheng Jut Si), one of the most celebrated chancellors, is greatly trusted by Empress MO TSAK TIN (Rebecca Chan Sau Chu). TIN’s nephew MO SHING CHI (Wayne Lai Yiu Cheung) is jealous and he seeks every opportunity to frame him up. CHI accuses KIT for colluding with his daughter TIK CHING LUEN’s (Bernice Liu) husband SUNG TING YUK (Sunny Chan Kam Hung) of treason and an attempt to subvert TIN’s throne. KIT is left speechless and his family members are all seized in order to TIN has been incited to action by CHI. KIT escapes in chaos but CHI threatens to kill his second wife CHO YUET (Sonija Kwok). The incorruptible and intelligent KIT is miserably caught in a dilemma and he feels helpless in every way. Would KIT be able to conquer the traitors eventually and help restore order from a tragic turnaround?

Credits: Astro On Demand

Kung Hei Fat Choy!!

The Lunar New year is here!! ^_^ haha, I think its so awesome we get to celebrate New Year twice and for both- there’s a whole different atmosphere and feel to it XD

Here I’d like to wish everyone a prosperous new year and may you receive lots and lots of lucky red pockets ^^

I’d also like to share this song with you guys, a new Chinese New Year celebratory song that Raymond Lam takes part in singing with the EEG group (along with Charlene Choi, Vincy Chan, Steven Cheung, Sherman Chung, Wong Cho Lam, and William Chan) for 2009! It mixes all different Chinese New Year melodies together and has catchy lyrics hehe~ Enjoy!!

Warning: Ending Spoiler!! [All my posts contain spoilers, but this is the ending, so an extra warning message ^__^]

Last night I finished watching the last episode of “When Easterly Showers falls on the Sunny West” and I’m left with one of those bittersweet feelings. I thought there were two particularly touching scenes of confession which were basically a look back into the whole series, reflecting on Joe’s character and everything he went through, making him who he was today. He became corrupted by power and greed. All the evil things he did which he claimed was for the sake of the “Poon Family” becomes pointless in the end as so many people died in the process. He loses his friends, family and loved ones just for the family’s name. On a wider scale, the Japanese people started invading and the war broke out where they lose everything…it leaves that empty feeling inside, but I guess its for the best. Only when Joe loses everything could he finally let go and find himself again, with no more baggage..and that he could finally start a ‘new’ life with Charmaine and their son 🙂

—
After finding out Raymond’s death, Liza couldn’t accept the fact and ends up losing her memories of it, returning back to her memories 5 years ago (the start of the series). She mistakens Joe as Raymond and Joe tries very hard not to let her regain her memories. However, one day she sees a photo of Raymond…

Liza’s Confessions

Liza: Do you remember that day? Because you wanted to catch that fish for me, you took off your suit and rolled up your pants and when into the water. At the end, you even injured your toe and it started bleeding. When I saw it, I was very hurt.
Joe: Mother, you remember me?
Liza smiles and nods.
Liza: You are ‘Cherk Hing’, not ‘Cherk Wah’ (Raymond)
Joe becomes really scared and slowly steps back. Liza smiles and holds onto him.

Liza: I also remembered how I abandoned you in the past and then later met you again. After that thing happened to you, I tried everything I could to get your father to save you. Later you came into the Poon family. I haven’t taught you well, so I used a lot of effort to teach/raise you up. You did a lot of things for me and the Poon family and suffered a lot up. When your grandfather and father passed away, the Poon family was left for you to be responsible for. Under your influence, our bank was also doing very well and getting better and better.
Joe: Mother..
Liza: When mother has lost my memories during this time, you’ve taken really well care of me. I know. I remember everything.
Liza: There’s something I’ve kept within me that I’ve always wanted to tell you but never got the chance. You and ‘Cherk Wah’ are my everything. To me, you two are both as important. I love you both the same.Joe: Mother…I’ve waited for this for a very long time. *They two embrace each other* awww…so touching!!

A Japanese man attempts to shoot Joe from a distance but Liza sees and covers for Joe, getting shot herself. Joe kills the man..but it was too late.

Joe: Mother, you have to hang on! I’ll take you to the hospital, come.
Liza: No- it’s useless. I can’t wait til then.
Joe: Mother..
Liza: I owe you, so just think of it as returning it to you.
Joe: No, there’s no need. I don’t want mother to return anything. I don’t want you to go! The country said they’ll give me an award, I want you to see the Poon family receive the-
*Liza dies*

—

Joe’s Confessions

You are right…I’m wrong. If mother didn’t help block the bullet, if it weren’t for her saving me, she wouldn’t die. It’s all my fault. Since little it has already been like this. Everyone who are nice to me will leave me- godmother is like this, now mother is like this. Why? Why is it that when things are the best, they have to take them away from me? Why does god have to do this to me? Is it because I’ve done the wrong things? Punish me then..From the country side to Guang Zhou, I only hoped for shelter and three meals. I never thought that I could recognise/reunite with mother and father, but lucky I did. Mother said she had a reason which was why she didn’t want me. I never blamed her because being able to reunite with my father and mother, and having a family I was already really happy. I worked really hard at the bank, not because I wanted to climb to the top…I just didn’t want to disappoint them. I never thought about becoming in charge of the family. Before Grandpa died, he said I was the eldest son, so gave me the position, but the responsibility and burden of the position is so heavy. If I do anything wrong, I would become the Poon Family’s criminal. So everything I did was for this family..it was also because I wanted mother’s acceptance, Cherk Wah’s acceptance, Grandfather and father’s acceptance. I just hoped that they would treat me as one family…But Uncle died, Cherk Wah died,..why couldn’t I be the one who died? Why doesn’t anyone understand me? All the things I did, I only wanted a family. Why would I want them to all leave me one by one? Why is it that everything I do end up hurting them instead? Now mother is gone too, everything I do now is meaningless. No one cares how I do. Everything I do will be meaningless…’Hern Cheng'(Charmaine), I know you will never forgive me. Leave, but I want to tell you, no matter how you treat me, I will still love you.
*Charmaine hugs onto Joe*

Charmaine: You’re not alone. You don’t have nothing left, you still have me.

Why is Charmaine wearing clothes..?

Charmaine convinces Joe to leave behind all the Poon Family matters and burden, and to start a new life with her in Hong Kong. He agrees and she leaves to Hong Kong first as he said he’ll catch up to her once he finishes off little things. However, Joe gets tempted by fame/power again and changes his mind, staying in Guang Zhou to fight against the Japanese people with the government…

— 15 years later after World War 2–

Ending

Charmaine and Evergreen (her brother) have once again opened up a restaurant. Charmaine’s 15 year old son returns from school and Evergreen gives his nephew some money to get a haircut …XD

Boy: How come you only have nine fingers?
Joe: I was abducted back then and a finger got cut off.
Boy: Er.
Joe: There’s no need to be scared. It’s nothing, later I was really great and even opened up a bank.
Boy: Is that true?
Joe: Of course. Later the government also gave me some financial position, was very awesome. Later a war broke out and then I lost everything. I can only blame myself for being stubborn and couldn’t let go. But now is pretty good isn’t it? I am full every meal and I’ve got clothes to keep me warm…don’t have to think so much, more happy, more free.
Boy: Ouch!
Joe: Sorry, I only started learning some haircutting when I came from Guang Zhou. It’s all good..
Boy: My mum is from Guang Zhou too and she as a ‘Sai Guan Siu Jie’
Joe: Really!? Don’t look at me now like this, I’m also a ‘Dong Sang Siu Yea’ *The boy starts smiling, amused* I also dated a ‘Sai Guan Siu Jie’ and she was so beautiful. But it’s a long time ago, now we’ve both gone our own ways. I don’t think she’ll want to see me again, so it’s pointless if I go bother her. Everyone has their own choice right?
Boy: Ah-
Joe: You’re so small you won’t understand. Finish cutting.
*The boy gets and has a look in the mirror*
Boy: It’s so ugly. (he looked so upset LOL, so cute XD)
Joe: It’s neat and tidy, so its fine. It’ll grow back quickly. Ok..I’ll charge you cheaper. $1.
Boy: Now that’s more like it, thank you!

As Charmaine was walking down the stairs, she sees her son upset about his haircut, and he starts telling her the things the hairdresser was ‘bluffing’ about. As she runs down to find the hairdresser.. she calls out to him ^^

The family finally reunites…

(Charmaine somehow reminds me of her ending in Return of Cockoo XD)

Overall Thoughts

The series was quite interesting and a lot better than I had expected. It has a great storyline which kept me wanting to watch the next episode to see what happens. There was also a lot of character development in the series which I liked. We journeyed through 30 episodes with the characters and there were characters I liked and hated of course lol But in the end, I pity all the evil characters…The ending is satisfying and I’m glad Joe was able to reunite with Charmaine.

A great series. Recommended 🙂

What do you think of the series?

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Continuing on from my last post, I’ve watched another 20 episodes (ep26-45 so more than half way through the series already!) and I was a little disappointed with what happened shortly after my previous post. The series got a little dull again afterwards, but luckily the love plots starting picking up in the more recent episodes, and I’ll pick out some major events to talk about…onto the love plots :)!

Maggie(Sylvia) |   Bowie(Calvin) |  Kenny (Sunny)

When Maggie confronted Kenny and he confessed his feelings for Bowie to her, I felt it was such an awkward moment! They were both love rivals for Bowie but she didn’t want him to leave. She wanted them to stay as friends, and pushed him to tell Bowie his feelings instead of torturing himself like that. Bowie has always thought Kenny was upset because he also liked Maggie, but didn’t have a clue it was him that he liked. Kenny tried to tell him, but couldn’t bring out the courage.

Bowie wants to keep his girlfriend and best friend. He challenges Kenny(who trains very frequently) in a boxing match and hopes that it would help release his anger and that if Bowie was able to withstand it all, Kenny would have to stay.

Luckily, Maggie was able to persuade him to stay nevertheless and that she would not tell Bowie about it so it wouldn’t ruin their friendship.

One day, when Maggie accidentally got some flower powder on her that Bowie was allergic to, Bowie started having major asthma attack and she didn’t know what to do. Luckily Kenny was there just in time and took care of him…It’s weird when you watch it now and you know Kenny actually loves Bowie XD He’s so attentive towards him ~  Love the chemistry! <3Maggie started to feel she wasn’t a good girlfriend, or perhaps wasn’t willing to put in the extra effort to be more careful.

I was so disappointed that Maggie and Bowie’s relationship ended so quickly shortly after and it felt so sudden too. I couldn’t understand what really went wrong because they both seemed happy, but after Lee See Kei told Maggie that she knew Bowie was not the right person for her, she broke up with him after having dinner with his mother. Taking her to have dinner with his mother showed how much he really loved her. It didn’t seem like a reasonable explanation was given except she wasn’t happy being with him. Was it because she felt she wasn’t giving him as much as he deserved? (after comparing herself to Kenny?) She also seemed frustrated by Bowie when he put his business/career before her, always having her to wait for him. But I thought she would understand..?And so, Maggie broke off the relationship despite Bowie not wanting to and I thought it was a pity. Bowie was also able to “pass” Maggie’s parents (i.e Lee See Kei and John Chiang) too. Luckily, Maggie is a career- focused person and did not let her love life affect her work. She knew Bowie is a good boss and there were plenty of opportunities for development in career path so continues to work for him. I like watching the three of them working together 🙂

Screencap on the left: Maggie breaks up with Bowie.

I started getting interested in this love plot again in the more recent episodes where it became more obvious that Bowie and Maggie still had feelings for each other, and Bowie continued to do things for Maggie because he cared a lot about her. He still cared about how she saw him and didn’t want her to feel uncomfortable/upset, for example, giving more attention to another woman. This is when Florence “Catherine”, their potential business partner enters the story and she falls for Bowie, becoming very dependent on him. I think Florence is pretty cute in this series with all her eating habits but I feel sorry for her because it seems like they’re just using her feelings for him to help them out etc. She’s not a very strong woman, but her brother had to pass on the business to her because he as very ill.

Bowie was not interested in her and when his intentions became obvious to her; this affected Florence and she didn’t want to work with them anymore. Maggie kept pushing Bowie to apologise and keep her ‘company’, so Bowie deliberately pretended to have spent the night with her, making Maggie extremely jealous XD It’s a love square now! Or shall I say- love pentagon!

After ‘Joey’ (Maggie’s assistant) got rejected by Kenny after her advances towards him, she wanted to prove to him there was nothing wrong with her, and it was his loss. She ended up getting involved with some guy and then getting dumped after tricking her money. After seeing the terrible misery she was put through, Kenny decided to give her (and himself) a chance by dating her.

I think he felt sorry for her and wanted to make up to her while giving himself a break away from Bowie.

Maggie surprised that Kenny’s car is all pink and fluff XD Decorated by his girlfriend

That didn’t last long though as he kept thinking about Bowie. Kenny still cared a lot about Bowie and when he noticed him having a few coughs, Kenny bought heaps of packets of cough lollies for him. His girlfriend, Joey thought they were for her and kept test tasting them, throwing them in the bin when she didn’t like a taste of some. He got really irritated by her (I did too) and finally she broke off her relationship with him when she noticed him sending/receiving sms from ‘someone’ (i.e Bowie) and he denied it was the person he ‘used to like’. I don’t really get it. He could have told her it was just from Bowie, she wouldn’t suspect he was gay right? Maybe he didn’t want anyone suspecting him at all..hm…he couldn’t let go of Bowie <3

This love triangle is still my favourite at the moment. I love watching all three of them together XD Love the chemistry!!

Title: Sweetness in the Salt 碧血盐枭
Cast: Steven Ma, Tavia Yeung, Raymond Wong, Kwok Fung, Halina Tam, Ngo Ka Nin, Joel Chan, Kara Hui, Cheung Chi Kwong
Episodes: 25
Released: 5th January 2009(Overseas only)- Warehoused Series
Airring on TVBJ Australia: 16 February, 2009 8:30pm after The Gem of Life
Filming Date: December 2007
Producer: Lee Tim Shing
Scriptwriter: Lau Chi Wah & Kwan Chung Ling

Series Synopsis NIP CHI YUEN (Steven Ma), who works in the anti-smuggling camp, is determined to wipe out the Tau’s Fort, which is the stronghold for salt smugglers. He pretends to be a down-and-out scholar. TAU SING SUET (Tavia Yeung), daughter of the chief smuggler, sympathizes with YUEN and puts him up in the village. Later, they even become fond of each other. During an anti-smuggling operation SUET is badly hurt and has since been separated from YUEN and her family. Fortunately she is saved by WU TING HIN (Raymond Wong), son of salt merchant WU KIN (Kwok Fung). HIN takes her home. One day, SUET is horrified to see the dead bodies of her parent being hung on the wall of the city tower, and that the official standing on the top of the tower telling the public not to sell smuggled salt is none other than the man she misses day and night. She is heartbroken, and her love for YUEN turns into hatred that moment on.

HIN finds a job for SUET at the salt company his family runs to help her get over her unhappiness. To repay him, she devotes herself entirely to the job. As time goes by, HIN starts to fall in love with her. However his critical illness making him hesitates to express his love for her. SUET’s real identity comes to light when her younger uncle reappears out of the blue. HIN, for fear that his family will report SUET, proposes to her.

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• Episode 1-3
• Episode 4-6
• Themesong Lyrics-downloads-translations

Credits: Astro On Demand

When Easterly Showers falls on the Sunny West is coming to an end this Saturday on TVBJ Satelite in Australia, and I thought the new upcoming series that was going to replace it as going to be “Page of Treasures”, or perhaps maybe even “Sweetness in the Salt”. I was  shocked when I saw the trailer on TV to see “I Do?” XD I think  its a joint Taiwanese series or something because the voices seemed dubbed and the only recognisable TVB actor is Maggie Shiu lol I guess it will be kind of refreshing since the actors are unfamiliar to me (as I really don’t watch anything other than TVB lol)

Onto the series info!

—

Title: I do? 幸福的抉擇
Cast: Annie Liu, Lan Cheng-Lung, Michelle Lin, Shiu Mei Ki, Maggie, Yang Kuei-Mei, Sasa, Figaro Zeng, David Chen
Episodes: 20
Released: January 2009
Producer: Michael Mak Dong Kit
Scriptwriter: Ella Chen

Since HA YIK SUM SUMMER (Annie Liu), a wedding gown designer, met her first and true love, LEE HO CHIT (Lan Cheng-Lung), on that very night five years ago, she has been praying for him during dawn and dusk. Even though TAM YIU CHUNG JOAN (David Chen), the photographer is so concerned about her but SUMMER is wholeheartedly gets involved with her career only. Yet SUMMER could never expect that her job brings her the connection with CHIT again after years. The worst thing is CHIT dramatically runs away during his wedding ceremony, leaving his fiancee KAN MEI LEI (Michelle Lin) alone and pulls the bridesmaid SUMMER along with him. Both of them run away to somewhere far and get married.

CHIT’s mother FU MING CHU (Yang Kuei-Mei) and his step-mother YAM LING LING (Shiu Mei Ki, Maggie) both are clueless to this unmanageable son. After the passion has gone and the romance vanished, in addition to that, LEI has been seducing CHIT all the while. Their marriage only stays 100 days. When things seem to be settling down, both are astonished to find that there is an intangible bond between two broken hearts…

Credits: Astro On Demand

The statement “can’t live without him, can’t live with him” exactly described the young couple’s short-lived marriage. They overcame tremendous obstacles to be together. Yet, their love was not enough to save their relationship from the stress of actually living together and his ex-girlfriend’s sabotage. So they got a divorce. But, separation only made them even more miserable. With their families and friends’ intervention, the couple decided to give each other a second chance.
Source: http://tw.sugoideas.com/drama-2008/i-do/

Purchase “I do?” Photo Book from YesAsia!

Download: Themesong | SubThemesong sung by Fish Leong

Hey everyone!

It has been a long while since I left a message here- how have you all been? =) For the past month, the TVB online community seems kinda quiet. Is it because everyone is busy? Affected by the financial crisis? Or because not many people are interested in the current TVB series which are airring? Hopefully its because everyone is excited with the festive season coming up and have been spending lots of time with friends and family away from their computers ^^; hehe

I guess for me, it was a mix of the factors I’ve mentioned above. I tried to updates, but yeh. Simply haven’t been in mood for it… I will try to bring up my spirits soon 🙂

The year is approaching an end soon. For me, 2008 has been quite a fruitful year and has left me many good memories, but after reflecting what has happened around the world and especially for China/Hong Kong, the “lucky year 2008” has had many unfortunate incidences which is quite sad. Hopefully with Christmas and New year around the corner, we can put any negative things behind us, and spread the positive energy around 😀

Thanks once again for your continuous support for K for TVB 🙂 Here, I really want to wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! =D

-Kerry aka KTVB