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
    뿌리없는 부평초라

    잡수시오~잡수시오
    이~술 한~잔 잡수시오

    오동추야 밝은 달에
    님 생각이 새로워라
    님도 나를 생각하나
    나만 홀로 이러한지

    새벽서리 찬바람에
    울고가는 기러기야

    님에 소식 알았더니
    창만한 구름 속에
    빈소리 뿐이로다

    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
    isul hanjan jabsushio

    otongchuya balkeun tarae
    nim senggaki saelowuora
    nimdo nareul senggakhanda
    naman hollo ireohanji

    saebyeokseori chanbaramae
    ulgokaneun kireokiya

    nimae soshik aratteoni
    changmanhan kureum sokae
    binsori bbuniroda

    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
    Have a cup of this wine

    The paulownia tree
    in the bright fall moon
    reminds me of my wife
    and saddens me
    Does my wife think of me?
    Or am I alone in this thought?
    In the morning’s cold frost,
    the wild goose cries and leaves

    I hope for news of my wife
    The overflowing clouds
    are empty of noise

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