K-Wave Update
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K-Wave Update
Jennie's "My Name is Gabriel" Rustic Retreat: From K-pop Stardom to Italian Farm Bliss
Imagine trading the world of sold-out stadiums and screaming fans for a serene Italian farmhouse. Join us as we uncover the unexpected journey of Blackpink's Jennie, who left behind the glitz of K-pop for 72 hours of rustic bliss near Rome. With no prior information, Jennie dives into a world of fresh pasta, vineyard views, and heartfelt connections. This episode reveals the untold stories of Jennie's love for nature and animals, offering a genuine look at her life beyond the spotlight.
From forming an unexpected bond with Bambi the horse to reminiscing about holidays spent on a New Zealand horse farm, Jennie's experiences on the Italian farm are both touching and enlightening. We also highlight her beautiful interactions with Maria’s mother in the kitchen, where laughter and homemade gnocchi bring to life the simplicity and joy of authentic human connections. Don't miss this special episode that showcases a different, more personal side of Jennie, reminding us all of the beauty found in life's simplest moments.
Okay, so get ready, because we are diving deep into something that I think you are going to like a lot. I mean, you sent this over about Blackpink's Jennie on. My Name is Gabriel.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I've been thinking about it ever since.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's really something.
Speaker 1:It's really stuck with me.
Speaker 2:It's not your typical celebrity appearance on a show, is it?
Speaker 1:Not at all. This is not like seeing a pop star trying to, you know, do a scenario right. This is like jenny trading the entire k-pop world for 72 hours on a real working farmhouse and b&b near rome vineyards, rolling hills, homemade gnocchi, I mean, she is living it. But here's the thing they set this whole what if?
Speaker 2:scenario in motion right from the jump right, and it's so interesting how they do it too. They give her almost zero information beforehand.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:It's like here's a car, here's a phone, with a picture of a horse and a dog on it. Oh, wow, and that's it.
Speaker 1:And just throws her in. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:Into being Maria, the owner of this like charming farm.
Speaker 1:Can you imagine going from sold out stadiums with screaming fans to making fresh pasta with an Italian grandmother?
Speaker 2:I know it's such a change of pace.
Speaker 1:So wild and you know what's interesting Is, this whole farm life thing might not even be that far off from a path Jenny has actually considered.
Speaker 2:Right. The stuff that we found said that Jenny has actually wondered about like a totally different career path.
Speaker 1:What.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and it's not even that crazy. She loves fashion and she's really into planning. She's even said that she thinks she would be a really good event planner.
Speaker 1:OK, but hold on. Before we get too deep into Jenny, the event planner, can we just talk about how much this episode reveals about her like as a person?
Speaker 2:Oh, for sure.
Speaker 1:We are seeing a side of Jenny that goes way beyond the glamorous K-pop star Right.
Speaker 2:Totally, and I think that that's what makes this episode so interesting. It's not just about Jenny doing something different. You know, for the cameras, you know it's like you get to see a deeper side of her. This is someone with a real love for animals and nature.
Speaker 1:And it really shows.
Speaker 2:You could tell Like, remember that scene with Bambi the horse.
Speaker 1:Oh, so sweet.
Speaker 2:You could tell it was totally genuine. Yeah, that wasn't put on at all, not at all. And remember when she was talking about how she actually used to spend holidays at a horse farm when she was studying in New Zealand.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:I mean come on.
Speaker 1:That's not something you fake.
Speaker 2:Exactly. It's those little details that tell you so much more about someone than any performance could. And it's not just the animals either, like her connection with Maria's mother, who stayed at the bed and breakfast during filming. That's where things get really interesting. You have this global K-pop star, like someone used to this whole other world, all right, just hanging out, you know, in a rustic Italian kitchen learning how to make gnocchi with this sweet older woman.
Speaker 1:I know, and that scene, I have to say, really got me.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:What I loved about it was how simple it was. They're literally picking fresh ingredients from the garden.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:They're laughing, they're sharing stories, and it's like this quiet reminder that sometimes the most genuine connections happen in those really simple everyday moments.
Speaker 2:It's so true. And you know what else we can't forget about discovering? Yeah yeah the cat who comes and joins them for dinner oh my gosh, yes like even wild animals, love some homemade gnocchi, but really that whole scene with its warmth and simplicity it kind of gets to like a bigger point of this whole deep dive right, finding joy in those unexpected places, the connections we make when we step outside our comfort zones.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:It's like what Maria's mom says later in the episode, and this line gave me chills.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:She says love is a choice. You could go elsewhere, but you choose not to.
Speaker 1:Wow, okay, unpack that one for me, because that is loaded.
Speaker 2:I know right.
Speaker 1:On the surface, she's talking about choosing to stay in the countryside, but knowing everything we know about Jenny and this whole, what if scenario the show is creating, it takes on like a whole other meaning.
Speaker 2:Right. It makes you think about, like all the choices we make in our own lives, the paths we take, the ones we don't. And yeah, all those secret, what ifs we keep hidden away.
Speaker 1:And the courage it takes to choose differently, you know, even when it means like going against what people expect of you.
Speaker 2:Totally, and I feel like you can almost see Jenny dealing with that during the episode. Like here, she is at the top of her game in one world Right and she seems so at peace with being totally anonymous on this farm. There's even that scene toward the end, where she's driving guests back to the farmhouse and one of them says you look really familiar, like hinting that maybe her cover is going to get blown.
Speaker 1:Oh, yeah, Total cliffhanger. It also made me wonder, though, like does part of her actually enjoy those little moments where she gets to be incognito?
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:Like, maybe escaping the spotlight is part of what makes this whole experience so appealing to her.
Speaker 2:It's a really interesting thought and it kind of speaks to that thing we all want right that connection to something real, something authentic, even when it feels like our lives are constantly being watched and shared with the world.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and it's like maybe true luxury isn't about fame or fortune, but about those moments of peace and genuine connection, even if it means just being Jenny for a for a bit I love that and I think that's something this show even though it wasn't a huge hit in korea like ratings wise yeah, it really did capture that beautifully it really makes you think right, like this show wasn't some huge hit, but people online were really talking about this stuff right, about choices and, you know, following your passions being real, all that yeah, like it kind of proves that point that sometimes the best stories, the ones that make you really think yeah, they're not always like the most popular ones.
Speaker 2:It's not always about how many people are watching, and more about those ripples a story makes the questions that stick with you even after it's over. Yeah, and speaking of questions, this whole thing has got me wondering okay, tell me. What about you if you had to pick a totally different life for 72 hours? What would your Maria moment be?
Speaker 1:whoa, that is a good question and you know it's not just hypothetical, is it right? This whole time we've been talking about what ifs, but, like, maybe it's about actually going forward in our own lives.
Speaker 2:Absolutely Like tapping into those things you've always wanted to do, those passions you've maybe ignored because life gets in the way you know.
Speaker 1:Oh, yeah, for sure. I feel like everyone has that story, you know.
Speaker 2:What if?
Speaker 1:I had become a reef, and maybe it's not even about like this huge change.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:You know, maybe it's just about finding those small ways to bring a bit of that what if energy? Into your life right now.
Speaker 2:I love that. So for you, what would it look like to make even a tiny part of your Maria moment real?
Speaker 1:OK, so this is going to sound kind of random, but yeah. I've always loved marine biology.
Speaker 2:Really.
Speaker 1:I even took some oceanography classes in college, just for fun.
Speaker 2:No way yeah.
Speaker 1:So maybe my Maria moment is actually booking that scuba diving trip I've been thinking about forever.
Speaker 2:See, you're already halfway there, and that's what this is all about, right. Yeah, we might not all be K-pop stars hiding out on Italian farms.
Speaker 1:It'd cool though.
Speaker 2:It would be pretty great. But we all have those passions right, those other paths waiting for us.
Speaker 1:So, to everyone listening, we'll leave you with this what's one small thing you can do today to reconnect with your own? What, if? What will you do with your 72 hours?
Speaker 2:Until next time, keep asking questions, keep exploring and keep diving deep.