Lockdown

Had the most boring weekend ever . . . and loved it.

On Friday I suddenly became obsessed with watching Prison Break. I’d heard good things about the show, and I have a fetish for bald guys (don’t ask!) and convinced myself there would be some hot guy-on-guy action (sorry).

The next day I found it at Kyobo bookstore, but for $90. This is quite a bit for me, as I’ve grown accustomed to downloading and pirating music and movies here in Korea. So, as when I’m faced with any crisis, I called my mother.

Mom: Huh? What’s wrong?? Where are you?

Pia: I’m at Kyobo. I really need your help.

Mom: Where is Kyobo? Are you okay???

Pia: There’s this television show I really want to see, Prison Break. I just found it, but it’s 90 American dollars! Mom, are you listening?

Mom: . . .

Pia: Mom, that’s a lot of money for a DVD, isn’t it.

Mom: Maybe.

Pia: I know it’s early in the morning over there, but there’s only one copy left in the bookstore! I’m dying to see this series, but if I buy it here and find it for less later, I. Might. Die. Can you look it up online?

Mom: (Sighs.) Okay.

Needless to say, she didn’t call me back that night. Sorry for calling so late early, Mom. After agonizing about it for an hour–and promising myself I wouldn’t get manicures for a month–I decided to buy it.

Pia: Shit, 93,000 won for one TV series. This better be a good show.

Shelly: Oh it is.

Pia: I mean, there aren’t even any cute Korean guys in it. I better get some hot guy-on-guy action.

Shelly: What?

Pia: Well, it is a prison show.

Shelly: There isn’t. There are some hints, but nothing’s shown. Nothing romantic. But it’s a good show, Pia, with a good story and good acting.

Pia: . . . Then why did I just spend 90 bucks?

On the way to What The Book in Itaewon, Shelly suddenly started giggling. I looked over, and one of the pirated DVD sellers had displayed Prison Break. All of season one and five episodes of season two for twenty bucks!

So I went back to Kyobo, returned the set and bought it off the street in Itaewon. Pirated movies are surprisingly good here, as long as you buy films that have already been released on DVD. If you buy a film that’s just come out on theaters, then it isn’t going to look so hot. Anyway, the quality of this particular DVD set was super, with the exception of its sound, which was a bit soft. Also, there were no English subtitles, which I like when I’m on the treadmill.

Anyway, the show itself was good, despite of the lack of guy-on-guy action. A brilliant, head-scratching story with in-depth characters; awesome action sequences; nail-biting cliffhangers and one or two romances that didn’t leave me gagging like love scenes usually do. The acting wasn’t top notch–I though Wentworth Miller was actually the weakest link (like, take off that smirk, you’re in prison!), but he was very, very pleasant to look at so I didn’t really mind.

I bought enough food for two days and locked myself in my apartment. Watched all of season one (but fell asleep in the middle). Because as you can see, I tend to get a bit too obsessed with certain things.

Will watch season two this week. Still holding out for at least one hot gay love scene.

Anyway, it wasn’t like being in Thailand but it was nice enough. It’s been a while since I’ve laid down with crappy junk food and watched television. Even longer if you consider I haven’t watched an English program in months. Sometimes I get a little anxious about wasting my time here, because who knows–these could be my last weeks in Korea.

But it’s always nice to just take a break and do nothing.