Hi hi! I’m Raine or Lisa Espinosa in real life. I’m a blogger, journalist, and correspondent about anything and everything Hallyu and Korean culture. I started out as just a blogger on the good ol’ Dichotomy in 2011 and over the years I’ve expanded to doing so many fun things.
In 2013, I joined HanCinema as a drama and film reviewer and have been there ever since. In October, 2015 HanCinema sent me as its representative to Korea for the Korea Joa 2015 program. I experienced the culture, food, and language as well as attend the 2015 Busan International Film Festival, Gangnam Music Festival, One K Concert. I sat down for interviews with the Director General of KOFICE, two Yonhap journalists, Dabit, and SISTAR.
In January 2016 I joined team Soompi writing about K-pop, and creating fun quizzes and polls about everything Hallyu.
Hallyu has me on an amazing journey. Follow me on Raine’s Dichotomy, on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to see where my journalistic adventures lead me! Also expect to see a few things about my real life including cello, classical music, learning Korean, and anything else that strikes my fancy. That real life includes my cellist pursuits, my day job in a publishing company, and my very lovely role as a kitty mommy of two.
Lisa Espinosa 
17 responses to “About Raine”
Your cat’s adorable! I’m guessin’ Shi Hoo’s you’re fav actor? I remember his being mentioned on TV before, that he’s the actor who takes the most self-shots (pics of himself). Thought that was an interesting tidbit about him then. Very nice blog ya got here, Raine!
Hi Raine,
Just stopping by to say “Hello!” Your blog seems fun and I LOVE your smile on the first picture. I will have to stop by another time to actually read some of of your stuff. I am glad I now know you have a blog, I have it bookmarked 🙂
Ivoire! Welcome!
I must say I love your name! I say it in my head with a French accent. Not that I have much of a French accent anymore after 5 years of nonuse…but anyway!
Thanks for bookmarking me! And thanks for the kind comment about my smile! I LOVE smiling.
Good luck with the interview!
Hi Raine,
Sorry I missed your birthday last week. “Joyeux Anniversaire! en retard” (Happy belated birthday!). I hope you had a great time. A plus tard! (Talk to you later).
Merci beaucoup! Mon anniversaire etait tres tres tres tres tres genial et amusant et cool et on a recu de beaux cadeaux.Euh..j’ai pas parler le francais depuis longtemps…
Hello Raine. In the top picture there is a blur to the left – is it an incoming slice of cake that was thrown by someone trying to get it into the wine glass?
I didn’t realise that Korean drama was a genre as such but I find it quite fascinating because it seems so specific. I may search out Bulgarian police crime procedural dramas, if such a thing exists.
They were actually trying to get it down my shirt. (A popular past time from highschool that has persisted through the years.)
K-drama is a scary, scary thing. I am both a raving cynic and a starry-eyed fangirl because of it.
Bulgarian police crime procedural dramas, I’m sure there is are fangirls of rotund 50-something men with bushy beards solving plenty-o-whodunnits.
PRINCESS RAINEEE!!
Bipolarize away! (It’s a word if I want it to be)
It’s a word now! Wee, me likes being a princess
Hi Raine,
I am Hottie .We met in Thundie blog , sweating out about our love for The Princess Man and Park Shi Hoo.
I just can’t get enough of the man and am hoping to read what you are writing about him in your mini series. I am going to hang around this blog for more of him.
Thanks, dear.
Hottie! I’m glad you stopped by because you inspired my Shi-hoo mini-series. The next installment comes out probably tomorrow night. I’m still working on finding all the pictures for it…its going to be eye candy GALORE!
I’ve only seen three of his dramas so hopefully over the next month or so I will be learning, learning, learning in order to keep adding on!
The next is on bromances. Who would you like to see him paired with? Who have you enjoyed seeing him paired with?
it’s not written yet and the posts are liquid and in constant editing mode throughout each week!
Hi Raine! How did I inspire you to start ypur Park Shi Hoo mini series? I had thought you were kidding when you mentioned that in Thundie’s blog !
The TPM is my first TPM drama and after that, I gobbled up Queen of Reversal, Prosecutor Princess and Iljimae in less than a week. I am not at Eps 3 of Family Honour- my 5th PSH drama.
Amongst all his female leads, I think he has he best chemistry with Moon Chae Won in TPM. His great acting and chemistry with MCW made TPM unforgetable. He deserves the Best Actor and Best Couple award for TPM.
As for bromance with a fellow male, hmm…..let’s see…….frankly none so far. All the male leads in his past dramas are his competitors in love.
It’s not like the bromance we see in SKKS between Crazy Horse and the Playboy character where they acted so well, they received a Couples award from KBS in DEc 2010. It was hilarious when I saw the award ceremony.
In any case, I enjoy your writing and am looking forward to whatever you dish out.
I totally wasn’t kidding. I really adore PSH and I don’t know too much about him. I felt like this would help me get to know him and share that knowledge with other people who are fans and who don’t yet appreciate him.
I plan on starting How to Meet a Perfect Neighbor and Iljimae and marathoning them next week after this stress period is over.
Thanks for the support. I’m actually working on tomorrow’s post. I can’t believe I gave myself a deadline…ACK!
Raine, I am sorry I made alot of typo mistakes . But I know you’d understand what I was saying.
Did you watch Queen of Reversal and Prosecutor Princess? If I may suggest, you may like to watch QoR to see why he got the Excellence Award for this show.
His Iljimae role was good too.But the main lead Li Jun Kee also did a great job and could hold his own.
I am looking forward to your writings. Raine,fighting ! Liek what the Koreans would say!
Hello Raine, we meet again. I have many WP K-drama junkie friends. You are welcome to get to know them. Although you already know one – the Villager.
Bitter – I will take a peek at your friends. Just so you know, I’m a forever optimist. I can’t help myself. I drive myself crazy with it sometimes. But I can appreciate the arugula (the most bitter thing in the world to me!!!) in life.
MadDino – I’m gonna sick Timmy on you!
*pokes cat*
*cowers in fear*