Odds and Ends: A day in the life
by javabeans
javabeans: So, here’s a question we get asked a lot: What is a typical day of work like for Dramabeans?
girlfriday: I don’t know why anyone would want to know what my work day is like, but it’s strangely one of the most common questions we get when we meet people.
javabeans: I think it’s hilarious when we think the question is “What is your creative process?” and the question-asker is usually all, “No, no. I mean, what happens after you sit down at your desk? What do you do next?”
girlfriday: Well let’s see… after I sit down with my giant cup of coffee, I surf the internet.
javabeans: And I’m pretty sure we mean surfing for stupid, useless things, not for actual things to write about.
girlfriday: Yes, silly videos of cats.
javabeans: I generally have two types of days: recapping and not-recapping. So if I’m recapping, basically I get to my computer, I recap all day, and then the day is over. Not much description needed. Sometimes I remember to eat.
girlfriday: Oh right. Those days there’s no internet surfing or dillydallying with funny pet tricks. We just write about the episode all day long, and then it’s night and we’re hungry.
javabeans: If girlfriday is recapping all day, I’ll try to get the jump on the fresh news cycle, to pick out what we want to write about for the next day. That entails surfing Korean news sites for hours and clicking refresh a lot, which is a lot like the fun surfing part of the day, except not as fun.
girlfriday: So then we convene after both reading through all the news for the day, and then discuss which ones we want to write, and decide who writes what.
javabeans: The picking stories can be a rather strange process, actually — there are literally hundreds (thousands?) of entertainment-related headlines that get churned out by the media daily, but some days it feels like there’s just nothing to write about.
girlfriday: Those days feel really really really long.
javabeans: It’s because if we don’t want to write it, we generally don’t write it. There’s a huge personal motivation element in play here, ’cause otherwise it’s just too much work to do all that for stories we don’t actually care about. Maybe if we had a staff of thirty news article writers we’d have less angst about what to choose… but then we wouldn’t be Dramabeans, would we?
girlfriday: Yeah, I think the angst is an inevitable part of the process for us. And I think being choosy about the stories we do write keeps us from phoning it in.
javabeans: To contradict what I just said, it IS nice to have awcoconuts onboard though, to write news articles for things we don’t get to. Generally we’ll give her a list of preselected articles and she picks from those.
girlfriday: We love her. She makes our day less angsty.
javabeans: Plus, girlfriday and I will regularly convene to discuss and plan (and fine, also just talk about how hot Lee Jun-ki was in today’s episode), so we’ve always got some kind of line of communication open.
girlfriday: Often we have three lines open, and we’re typing while skyping.
javabeans: What about social events and friends? you may ask.
girlfriday: What are those?
javabeans: Can they be had over the internet?
girlfriday: Okay, so sometimes we do leave the house for things, because groceries don’t buy themselves and our friends would disown us if they didn’t see us on birthdays and holidays.
javabeans: Although honestly, I don’t see why they couldn’t just send a card.
girlfriday: Oh, and I do have to visit my mother, because she’s a Korean mom and if I didn’t go to her house, she would barge in unannounced to mine.
javabeans: You’ve all seen dramas. You know what that’s like. It’s love, expressed as breaking and entering.
girlfriday: Um… what else do we do?
javabeans: See, I told you we aren’t interesting. Everyone wants to know the answer until they hear the answer! And now aren’t we all just a little depressed?
girlfriday: I guess we should just be thankful that we find it entertaining to talk to each other, because that’s pretty much what our normal work day is like. Javabeans, girlfriday, and the internet.
javabeans: And also that we get to talk about dramas all day as “work,” because there could be worse things.
girlfriday: Yes, like having to put on pants and leave the house every day.
javabeans: Now, that really would be depressing.
RELATED POSTS
Tags: conversation post, Odds and Ends
Interview with Kim Yoo-jung
Hello Dramabeans series
![[2022 Year in Review] The Bean Count](https://www.dramabeans.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/beancount_2022.png)
Required fields are marked *
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
1 john
August 2, 2014 at 2:21 PM
Yeah, what is day to day life like for Internet Blog Superheros?
Do y'all have a Bat Cave or sumpin? Cool cars?
Well, you do have the best helpers, (minions makes you sound like evil overlords, unless of course you are evil overloads, then minions it is)
Have fun at the upcoming KCON !
Required fields are marked *
S
August 2, 2014 at 9:25 PM
Seems like a lot of work just for recaps and stuff. I hope you guys get paid.
Required fields are marked *
2 darcyM
August 2, 2014 at 2:22 PM
I'm sure you guys just find it boring because you do it each day. To you it's just your life. For me, I'm always interested in how people use the Internet for a job like this. It beats being a waitress anyway. So thanks for all your hard work!
Required fields are marked *
3 Sam Sergio
August 2, 2014 at 2:26 PM
Interesting process. Boundaries well defined. What about guys you two meet? Have you ever come to blows over one?
Required fields are marked *
4 Arhazivory
August 2, 2014 at 2:32 PM
Hmmm.....I don't want to be rude and pry but I can't help wondering how managing DB allows you to make a living.
GF and JB Fighting~!!
Required fields are marked *
trisha
August 2, 2014 at 2:48 PM
Hey, you read my mind. I only know that many can make cash from maintaining webs. But, they hv to ensure the (hundred of) thousands visitors/day click the ads, right?. But again, I dont think that's only way, there most be other ways to do so. *a thought of mine*
Btw, DB is great can survive through many years now tho.
Required fields are marked *
a_diva
August 2, 2014 at 4:03 PM
I wondered that too. I got bored one day & went back to some of the first pages of posts and I saw that JB had a job. There was also something about a donate link I think I read, which I thought may have supplement income??
Since then I assumed they both had other jobs but it seems they only do DB, which is probably why it's so awesome. When I thought they both worked outside of the blog, I was always very curious (& confused) as to how they had time to work and put out so much material here. I now realize it's a full time job--that does not surprise me.
I think recapping & maintaining a blog like this takes way more time than I can fathom but they unluckily do it so well that it looks easy.
Anyway, JB, GF, and the rest of the staff--thanks for the hard work!
Required fields are marked *
elle
August 2, 2014 at 4:53 PM
i think they earn a lot from their website, considering the hits from one-time visitors but especially regular visitors, and the ads, etc.
i also have a blog about asian dramas, and it's such on a smaller scale since i only post short/concise reviews (think 3-5 paragraphs) per drama and i don't do any recaps, but i earn quite a lot from it.
the best thing about my blog is it's a hobby, a way for me to talk about stuff i want to in a place where i can easily access my thoughts. it's like a personal scrapbook about dramas i watch but i earn quite a lot from it.
i think what' great about blogs, in my experience, is that the earnings are exponential in a way. for instance, my reviews for dramas from 2004 to 2008 are still getting a lot of views from many people since then up to now, and if many people are still curious about said dramas in the future, they can still visit my blog and i'll still earn from that in a way.
sometimes though, when i look over all the dramas i've watched (which is quite a lot), and the posts i wrote about it (which takes a lot of time, honestly, for such short articles), i am sometimes taken aback with how much time i've wasted on my hobby. so the earnings are kind of a welcome surprise, and kind of helpful in mitigating the guilt and regret i feel for "wasting' time on my hobby.
Required fields are marked *
5 RockPaperScissors
August 2, 2014 at 2:34 PM
In the word of Billy Joel, 'I love you just the way you are'...
...and pants are overrated.
Required fields are marked *
6 kanz
August 2, 2014 at 2:35 PM
Thank you so much for sharing your daily lives to us. It's still interesting nonetheless. I dream a job where I don't need to care about the work time, I can do it on my own and with internet connected. I don't like to work as office worker with routines because I hate those.
"It’s love, expressed as breaking and entering."
So, it's actually Korean culture to barge unannounced? I think I only see that in kdramas when hero and heroine has to meet everyday to keep the plot going.
Required fields are marked *
trisha
August 2, 2014 at 2:58 PM
Kanz, you can try either copy writer, review blogger, translator, or any type of job needed in market places. Or sell things online. Youtube is also another place to make a living. there are just many ways to start.
Required fields are marked *
kanz
August 2, 2014 at 9:14 PM
Trisha, yeah I actually try some part time jobs now. Translator and article writer for a Kpop kdrama website.
I don't know if I will end up doing job as writer or not as I just graduated from college and there are many opportunities.
I have quite self-discipline and I can manage my time when to eat, sleep, etc. But of course it would be different if I only doing it as my full time-job.
Thanks for your recommendations!
Required fields are marked *
blnmom
August 2, 2014 at 3:36 PM
Working at home is not for everyone. I used to think it would be awesome but quickly found out when I tried it that I spend way too much time on the surfing part and not enough on the working part if no one is watching me. Also, javabeans forgets to eat when she's working, but with me, I eat ALL DAY if I'm home. The no pants part is awesome, though.
I think the trick is that JB and GF really love what they do, and are also motivated by appropriate amounts of angst -- lucky for us readers!
Required fields are marked *
alexis
August 2, 2014 at 5:29 PM
Hello there twin. I came to the exact same conclusions. I don't have the self discipline to work from home either, and I eat all day too if I'm home. I also progressively go to sleep later and later and wake up later and later until I'm waking up at noon. My self discipline is horrendous.
Required fields are marked *
memyselfandi
August 3, 2014 at 5:25 AM
Way back when I was in graduate school I got blocked in my writing so I decided to move everything home to see if a change of place would loosen things up. After a while I noticed that I was buying a lot of cleaning products when I went grocery shopping. I realized I had been mostly watching soap operas on TV during the day, and the advertising was having its effect on me. This was at the dawn of the internet. Thinking of this reminded me that I had access to an early form of the internet at my school. Things have changed so much I can't really remember how it happened!
Required fields are marked *
osmanthustea
August 4, 2014 at 8:01 AM
wow, you must be pretty self aware! Interesting observation!
Required fields are marked *
LollyPip
August 3, 2014 at 10:47 AM
I find myself doing the opposite, and more like how JB and GF work. When I'm working in a recap, I also forget to eat, or sleep, or you know, rest. I'm trying to learn some better time management so I don't wear myself out on days I'm writing recaps!
Required fields are marked *
7 cantthinkofahandle
August 2, 2014 at 3:10 PM
Haha, this was awesome. Thanks guys! Definitely one of those who has been curious what goes on behind the scenes of the awesomeness of Dramabeans. :)
Required fields are marked *
8 Agi
August 2, 2014 at 3:39 PM
Aaaaargh!
Here I was reading happily… until you blinded me completely with Lee Jun-ki’s hotness. Didn’t register anything after that.
Have to admit though, I have never seen anyone make the clerk type so hot – Hanjo’s smirks and suits are killing me :D
Ok, I’ll give reading another try… hmm... later :D
Required fields are marked *
jomo143
August 2, 2014 at 6:04 PM
He's so freaking hot.
In every frame.
No matter what he wears or his hair is arranged.
if he is crying, or smiling or frowning or yelling.
Or hugging or longing or everything.
Required fields are marked *
9 thursdaynexxt
August 2, 2014 at 5:08 PM
Thanks, girls, that made me smile!
Just had a mental image of "The Filming of A Day in the Life of Dramabeans" BTS footage, with jb and gf sitting by their desks, surrounded by cameras - plenty of NGs, and rolling on the floor laughing! Been watching too many dramas, for sure!
Jokes aside, reading your recaps and everyone's comments always enriches my experience of viewing a drama, so I really appreciate having a forum like this where we can exchange views on our love for k-drama (and everything else in between, from bad hair days to rice cookers)!
Great job, and thanks to the whole team!!
Required fields are marked *
10 ahsaem
August 2, 2014 at 6:07 PM
" but some days it feels like there’s just nothing to write about.
girlfriday: Those days feel really really really long"
Those days feel really, really long to us too- when we don't find a post or two from you guys.
Required fields are marked *
11 Marisa
August 2, 2014 at 6:08 PM
I'm so suprise to hear that recapping and all of those is ur daily life and you can earning money from it.
I always visit your website for knowing the progress of my shipping drama despite my college's life as undergraduate student. For me, watching drama or reading recap is so freshing for my mind. I hope i can doing work like you two do, doing what's your love and earning money from it. :)
Required fields are marked *
12 riarallahssi
August 2, 2014 at 6:45 PM
Your job guys is probably one of the coolest writing jobs out there. If you actually decide to get published for "best-reviewed dramas for era so and so" (or something more creative that I'm sure you guys have more than the capacity to vome up with), I have a feeling your royalties can more than just keep you afloat. The publishing world must not underestimate the number of KDrama viewers out there. You can turn into an independent circle of drama viewers choice and hold your own awards night or something. Heh. I'm overeaching for your future aren't I? Anyhow, keep doing what you're doing because you're doing a great job at it and a lot of people actually bank on their hobby on your site. As for the groceries, luckily in my part of the world we can have those delivered ;)
Required fields are marked *
13 millipede
August 2, 2014 at 7:06 PM
I'm confused. Since they work together and at home (I assume since pants aren't involved), do they live together then? Or do they have meetings on the phone or something?...
Required fields are marked *
canxi
August 2, 2014 at 9:05 PM
They said they use Skype with each other, so I think they are in two different places.
Required fields are marked *
14 Lynx
August 2, 2014 at 7:55 PM
Strangely disconcerting ~ that what's my leisure is someone's work ~ yet doesn't that capture the entertainment industry?
I've to say I like DB cos you guys care about what you right. I like to hear what people's opinions are on something as 'frilly' as dramas cos its like ~ I like digging in on thing.
Shoes. Shoes. Those heels. Way way way overrated. Males should wear them to work. .
So now that it's out of the way. ~ what's the next most asked qn? ;)
ps: about Korean culture ~ I'm insanely curious ~ do overseas Koreans have to go for match-making sessions? Are wedding celebrations as wacky as the one in FTLY ? I'm like whoah ~ karoke? Swinging ahjummas??
Required fields are marked *
RyeBlossom
August 2, 2014 at 11:21 PM
Match making is acceptable in other cultures, too. It doesn't mean necessarily that the couple is forced into anything- it's like blind dates set by friends, only it's set by parents ;)
And I've heard of wedding traditions from Taiwan (never ending celebrations where the couple gives gifts to others), and India (beating up the groom before the wedding ?!?!?!), and other places, too.
I can't attest to what is happening in Korea, but I can assure you that reality is sometimes more dramatic than drama ^_^
Isn't it amazing to see things in a drama from a foreign country, and to realize someday that some of the things you overlooked as "must be only a drama thing" are actually part of life there? ^_^
Required fields are marked *
divyrus
August 2, 2014 at 11:42 PM
Ha ha, I am from India and let me clarify that we don't beat up grooms :'D
Yes, ours can be conservative, but beating up doesn't come into that ! :D :P
Required fields are marked *
RyeBlossom
August 3, 2014 at 12:19 AM
Well, *that* indian groom had friends who said they went easy on him, but promised that other grooms have it worse.
They said it was tradition. Though, they said it with such delight that I suspect they really were going to make him suffer. LOL.
Required fields are marked *
15 Jossy
August 2, 2014 at 8:23 PM
I love this site so huge thanks to the DB team!
Side note; How long ago now has it been since the Red Face Dramabeans of yore?
Also, I loved that house in Personal Taste, I want a similar home, heck yes open courtyard in the middle of my home, no need to put on pants when stepping 'outside' for a stretch and a beersie.
Required fields are marked *
16 canxi
August 2, 2014 at 9:07 PM
How does one go about making money from a blog? I've always wondered...
Required fields are marked *
17 RyeBlossom
August 2, 2014 at 10:42 PM
Iiiiiinteresting... So Korean mothers do such things for real?!
I hope you realize that the perfect solution for socializing with friends would be--- (drum roll, please):
Having Lee Jun Ki as a friend.
Also, getting dressed pretty, and getting out of the house, won't be a problem at all ^_^.
And let's not forget about the cool factor ^_^.
Required fields are marked *
18 korfan
August 2, 2014 at 11:03 PM
So many thanks to both of you and the the entire team for all you do!
Thank you for giving us a little glimpse into the daily DB life. ...... Your dedication, passion and effort are clearly evident in this oh-so-fantastic site we are so fortuntate to be able to enjoy, thus enriching our Kdrama experience.
On a side note, I'm so glad you do get out to buy groceries! Heh!
Thanks once again to all of you.
Required fields are marked *
19 thereelpacman
August 2, 2014 at 11:27 PM
"I don’t know why anyone would want to know what my work day is like, but it’s strangely one of the most common questions we get when we meet people."
Guilty as charged. I guess its cause I figure if you guys are running such an awesome site, you'd have awesome work days to go with it? In any case, I'm so grateful you guys do work on this site and recap and share your views. Dramabeans Jjang!
Required fields are marked *
20 awcoconuts
August 2, 2014 at 11:30 PM
Love you gals! Such an honor to play a tiny part--thanks for letting me!
Required fields are marked *
21 Pony
August 3, 2014 at 3:04 AM
Hey guys, you didn't finish about your love life. What do you do for it within the circle of your surfing parts? Sure not Skype for love, right?
Thank you for your job that I love to know the forth dimension: kdrama
Required fields are marked *
22 cheekbones
August 3, 2014 at 5:47 AM
I totally envy you, girls. Making a living by doing your hobby. :)
Required fields are marked *
23 neneh
August 3, 2014 at 7:45 AM
Well, I say you gals are pretty interesting. I am all the way over here in Sierra Leone, West Africa and refilling my unit on my phone so I have enough to read whatever is new on dramabeans, has kept me from freaking out about the Ebola outbreak. Geez! That was a mouthful. Also I have been a longtime dramabeans addict. My day hasn't started until I check for updates. Keep up the good work.
Required fields are marked *
Shiku
August 3, 2014 at 8:39 PM
I can't imagine the horror you are going through with the outbreak. I hope you and your family remain safe and healthy and I hope a cure is found.
Required fields are marked *
24 dfwkimchi
August 3, 2014 at 9:06 AM
JB and GF (and all the other recappers/contributors) - u folks ROCK!!
DRAMABEANS is the only place I go for drama recaps and reviews. U folks are funny, witty and wonderful drama lovers whom I've learnt a lot from in the last 2+ years since I have started watching kdrama regularly. Your reviews/recaps/comments never fail to amuse me in various ways.
BIG HUG and BIG THANKS to you all at Dramabeans! Ya'll (and also lurkers and regular commentors on this site) make Kdrama watching so much more fun!
Required fields are marked *
25 katasu1996
August 3, 2014 at 10:33 AM
Hi! I always really enjoy your posts and this was cool to hear about your everyday life! My question is: How did others like awcoconuts and gummimochi get involved in Dramabeans as recappers, and how can one become a recapper for this site? What if you wanted to be a volunteer recapper for example?
Thanks!!'
Required fields are marked *
26 owl
August 3, 2014 at 5:03 PM
Thanks for doing what you do (and don't do) to make recapping happen for us!
So there's RL, and kdrama life, and recapping kdrama life in RL? It really is all the same thing after all.
Required fields are marked *
27 Mekdi
August 3, 2014 at 5:32 PM
we really appreciate for all your recaps, thanks to you guys i can now understand kdramas with no problem and most of the time it is much more entertaining and exciting than seeing the drama itself. I am from Ethiopia(in africa)and i found your website on my birthday last year( the best birthday present ever!! :-) )anyways keep up the hardwork, you guys are awesome!! <3
Required fields are marked *
28 osmanthustea
August 4, 2014 at 8:25 AM
So cool! I've always liked these personal stories.
Just wondering - do you guys stay in the same city? When you say convene, are you talking about meeting in person? Or online?
Also, didn't realise that DB is your full time gig now!
Required fields are marked *
29 kiongna
August 4, 2014 at 8:41 AM
I just love you all at Dramabeans and thank you so so so much for doing what you do and loving it! I love K-dramas so much and you gals and everyone that comes over to participate and read your recaps makes it so much more gratifying - and gives me daily reassurance that I am not alone in my addiction and that I am very normal ha ! ha !
Saranghe, chincha chincha
Oh and Fated to Love You - AIGOOOOO please cheybai NO AMNESIA for Gunnie aigoooo - Such a fantabulous show hitting me at all the perfect cords to my bimbotic heart like my Lovers in Paris days...
*sighs* aja-aja hwaitin' !
Required fields are marked *
30 joykim
August 4, 2014 at 8:41 AM
Kamsahamnida! I may not watch kdramas everyday but I need to read dramabeans everyday. Thank you for your entertaining blog and hard work.
Required fields are marked *
31 redfox
August 4, 2014 at 12:36 PM
hi thanks
btw are you going to recap Faith II a.k.a. Night Watchmen? though it looks slightly better judging just by 1st ep
just cause we really need new Jung il Woo screencaps. Ok?
Required fields are marked *
32 Rainchaser
August 4, 2014 at 11:25 PM
I enjoy you both so much and on a very regular basis. I read you faithfully since becoming a devotee of Korean dramas for a few years now. I have laughed till I cried, and hung on your every word. I learn from you. This is my chance to say thank you. I love how people show they care and are interested in your lives (Yeah, your creative process figures in!) and your well being. Me too! Fighting!
Required fields are marked *
33 Song Song
August 5, 2014 at 12:22 AM
We don't celebrate Thanksgiving here in my country, but I'd like to thank the day I found dramabeans.
It's like finding a group of new good friends since I was a loner here without friends or family to share about kdramas related stuff.
Thanks again for making my life colorful, full of laughter and much less boring.
Love you all in DB and commenters. Cheers to all of you..
Required fields are marked *
34 Sundazzler
February 24, 2016 at 7:34 PM
I love Dramabeans! You're my go to site for drama recommendations and recaps! Thanks JB and GF for all the hard work that you do for us viewers and readers of your site. I can see that you do this out of passion and love coz it shows in your meticulousness and level of discourse in your blog posts. Both of you write so beautifully and it is also a pleasure to read your thoughts, even if I don't agree 100% it's fine, I'm just so entertained by your good writing and humour.
Please keep it up and I hope you get lots of love and money for keeping this site alive and awesome!
Required fields are marked *