Waching daily May 28 2017

Have you been well?

(Episode 24)

Well...

Can we talk for a while?

Who is it?

What are you doing here?

I need to talk to your daughter.

What do you have to discuss with my daughter?

If you have something to say, say it here.

It's not something I can say here.

I want to go somewhere and talk.

How dare you take my daughter out to talk?

You show up at my place

this early in the morning, completely unannounced.

Talk here or just go home.

I'm sorry

for showing up so early unannounced.

I know it's rude, but this is really urgent.

Please let me talk to your daughter briefly.

Mom, I'll be back soon.

Come back quickly. You need to go to work.

Okay.

Miss.

You keep in touch with Jeonghwan, don't you?

No, I don't.

You really don't talk to him?

No, I don't.

We broke up.

If you do talk to him, please let me know.

I just can't go on like this.

I said that I broke up with him.

Just like you wanted.

If you don't know, either,

then where did Jeonghwan go?

You really don't talk to him?

You still must keep in touch.

What is this about?

Jeonghwan has disappeared.

He changed his phone number.

He applied for a position in Vietnam,

and I can't reach him anymore.

You really didn't know?

Then where did he go?

Well... Well, miss.

Miss, please find my son for me.

He's been gone for 4 days,

and no one knows where he is.

He must not want to see us anymore.

He sold his apartment and disappeared.

But you must know where Jeonghwan

might be now.

Please, please find my son for me. Please?

I... I'm sorry.

I shouldn't have done what I did 8 years ago.

I was worried about my son,

so I said those heartless things to you.

I'm sorry about that.

So please be understanding and forgive me.

And please find my son for me.

You must know where my son

might be now.

Nothing bad could've happened to him, right?

Please find my son for me.

I can't live without my son.

Please...

Okay.

I'll look for him.

I'll call you, so you should go home.

Okay. Please, please find him for me.

Come here.

What was it? Why did she come here?

Jeonghwan disappeared.

He changed his phone number

and applied to be transferred abroad.

She asked if I knew where he might be.

She asked me to look for him.

Why is she asking you to find her son?

I guess she was desperate.

She begged me, crying.

She begged you, crying?

Yes. It made me a bit uncomfortable.

I guess her son really did disappear.

I can't believe that she begged and cried.

You reap what you sow. She brought this on herself.

Mom...

Do you know where he might be?

How could I?

I'm going to work.

Hi, Jongbeom.

It's me.

I'm sorry to call you so early.

Where are you right now?

Really?

Can I see you before you go to work?

I'll come over.

Did you meet with her? What did she say?

She doesn't know.

She didn't know that he was gone.

She didn't?

So you just came home?

You didn't apologize and ask her to look for him?

You didn't?

Your son has disappeared, but you didn't say that

because of your stupid pride?

I did! I was desperate,

so I got down on my knees and apologized

and asked her to find our son,

crying and begging.

Oh, you did?

Good job.

So is she going to do it?

She said she'd look for him.

She told me to go home, so I did.

Jeonghwan, where are you right now?

Hyeyeong.

What is this about Jeonghwan disappearing?

He applied to be transferred to Vietnam,

handed his files in, and went on vacation,

but we can't reach him.

We thought you might know.

You're saying you don't know?

No, we don't.

Oh, this is frustrating.

I had no idea he wouldn't call you.

You really don't know?

You should know, don't you think?

If it were me, I wouldn't have let him disappear.

Right. If it were you,

he wouldn't have loved you enough to disappear.

You're his ex now. You broke up with him twice.

You have no idea when to shut up, do you?

You want me to remove your brain?

Okay. Bye.

Bye, Hyeyeong.

If you reach him, let me know.

Let's go.

- Really? / - Yes.

So Hyeyeong went to work early.

I guess that woman really cares about her son.

Even when she framed me for stealing,

she never apologized and held her head high.

But she showed up here so early, looking dejected,

and she apologized to me.

I guess that guy is really heartbroken.

Hold on a second.

You're making pasta for breakfast?

Junghui wants this for his hangover.

He drank a lot last night.

He did?

I'll finish after I go and wake him up,

so get the pasta dishes out for me.

Junghui.

You need to wake up, Junghui.

Does your stomach hurt a lot?

I made you honey tea. Drink it.

Maybe later.

Okay. Drink it and come downstairs.

You need to have breakfast and go to work.

You're not in pain, are you?

You were grimacing in your sleep.

No, I'm not.

Really?

I was just worried.

When you get old, you worry a lot.

Drink this and come down.

Huh? Italian?

Dad, why are we having pasta for breakfast?

Father, did you want to eat this?

Here.

I have vanilla ice cream and pasta for a hangover.

I had a lot to drink last night.

Oh...

So that's why he went to buy ice cream so early.

You should eat. Let's eat.

Thank you.

Dad's pasta is really delicious.

I'm glad. Eat up.

What a weird hangover ritual.

I got used to it.

Different countries have different hangover foods.

When I went to Spain,

people there have churros and chocolate pudding.

What will you have for lunch?

Should I pack you lunch?

You don't have to, dad.

We're getting gift lunches today.

What's a gift lunch?

Oh, it's like a gift

that fans send to their stars.

Mr. Jin Seongjun's fans are sending lunch boxes.

Oh, Jin Seongjun is a huge star.

Mom, the fans these days send lunch boxes

to the stars they love to encourage them.

Oh... They do things like that?

Get in.

Let me tell you what's on your schedule.

Your shoot starts at 3 p.m., so you can stop by

the beauty salon on the way to the shoot.

Okay.

I have a personal question.

How did last night go with dad?

He made you pasta and got you ice cream.

You're closer now, right?

No comment.

Go.

Okay!

Why are you so conventional, Cha Jeonghwan?

Requesting an overseas transfer and disappearing?

I mean, must you

advertise to the world that we broke up

and that your heart is broken?

You're the one who broke my heart. Okay?

You're the one who wanted to break up.

You dumped me, saying you couldn't handle me.

Why would you disappear like this?

You're really making me worried...

Look.

That big one is called jewfish.

The ones with stripes? Striped beakfish.

Also rock bream, because they live among rocks.

The pointy ones are filefish.

The fish jerky ones? Whoa!

That's flounder, and that's halibut.

This is how you tell them apart. Halibut, flounder.

Halibut, flounder, halibut, flounder...

Halibut, flounder.

Halibut, flounder. Right.

But how do you know? You're like an expert.

It's all your fault.

What? My fault?

When you dumped me 8 years ago, I went

to the bed and breakfast where we went in college

and went fishing for months.

It must be there!

(Bed and Breakfast)

You want a room?

Ah, hello.

Is a man named Cha Jeonghwan staying here?

He's in his 30s.

Man or woman,

we don't have anyone staying here right now.

Nobody?

No.

I see.

- Hello. / - Hello.

Hello.

- Hello. / - Hello!

- Hello. / - Hello.

Hello.

- Hello. / - Junghui, you're here.

Can you do well today? Did you rehearse?

Yes, I rehearsed a lot.

Okay. Let's do this.

Let's go!

We're starting!

Standby.

Uh, I'm sorry, but can I get some water first?

Sure.

Mr. An Junghui's manager?

Yes.

- Is this quince tea? / - Yes.

It's going to take all night. We haven't begun yet.

Maybe they should get a different actor.

That's what I'm saying.

It's wrong for an actor to be that bad at acting.

My script...

Junghui, when you're ready, we'll go.

Everyone, standby!

Give your phone to me.

Okay, just a second.

Is the shoot going well? (Byeon Hansu)

How is your stomach?

When are you finishing today?

I'll make dinner for you. See you at home,

Junghui.

I'll make dinner for you. See you at home,

Junghui.

I'll be back.

Scene 34. Take 1.

Ready, action!

It seemed like you didn't want to look for father.

Why the sudden change of heart?

Just because. It wasn't really all that sudden.

I think I prepared for about 20 years.

Do you need to prepare for something like that?

If you wanted to see him,

you could've just come.

If I had the chance to prepare myself,

you think it would've been easier?

It was like you came out of nowhere

and demanded me to share father with you.

It's harder than I thought.

Now you're being honest.

I thought maybe you were a little slow.

You were so welcoming.

How could I be?

When I see you,

I hate my father and feel sorry for my mom.

I really, really hated to accept you.

But...

This isn't your fault.

I thought you might be a victim here.

Cut!

Wow, who do we have here?

- Seungwu is finally here. / - What?

Okay. It was amazing.

Good job, Junghui. Wow!

How can you change overnight like this?

Let's maintain momentum and move to the next scene.

Wait, are you sure it was okay?

Of course.

Seongjun, let's just try yours again.

The beginning was a bit shaky.

- Yes, sir. / - Okay.

Junghui, you were seriously amazing.

You caught me off guard.

It wasn't all that...

I should go and prepare for the next scene.

Mr. An, you were fantastic.

It was like...

Watching Seungwu and not you.

I got goosebumps. I was so moved.

Oh, don't overreact.

Let me go to the restroom.

- Sure. Go ahead. / - Okay!

Yes. Good job.

Good job. Good job!

Good job, good job.

Thank you. Thank you so much.

I knew he could do it. I did.

My actor is awesome!

I'll be home around 8 p.m. (Junghui)

(Republic of Korea, Travel Certificate, Passport)

(Byeon Hansu)

Huh? You came home early.

Why are you looking at that?

This is the only photo left of Hansu.

Though half of it was burned...

I wish I could show this to Junghui.

To be honest,

I want to show this to him and tell him the truth.

"I'm not your father."

"Your father didn't abandon you."

Honey...

I drank with Junghui last night,

and he asked me why I didn't come to see him.

Why I never once came to see him,

saying I should've come, being his father.

He said he waited for me so long.

Junghui's stepfather must be a foreigner.

He asked if I knew how it felt

to have a stepfather of a different race.

Every birthday and every Christmas,

grade school, junior high, high school graduation...

He asked if I knew how much he waited for me...

I couldn't say anything.

I didn't even have the heart to say I was sorry.

It never even occurred to me

that what I did

could cause so much pain and suffering for someone.

I only thought about protecting my kids.

But you didn't know that Junghui existed.

Now I know, and I'm still deceiving him.

Acting like I'm Hansu,

acting like I'm his real father.

I don't have the heart to look him in the eye.

I feel so guilty and ashamed.

I'm sorry.

I talked you into it when you didn't want to do this.

But it was me

who chose to live as Hansu.

It's my own sin.

I shouldn't have

reported that fight.

I should've just lived as an ex-convict.

I should never have met you.

Mom, it's me.

I told you to go home and rest.

You must be tired from working all day.

I'm not tired at all.

Ta-da! I got your favorite vegetable buns.

Sit up and have some, okay?

They're still warm.

Yum.

Oh, and have some water, too.

Here.

You have some, too.

I will. You eat first.

Yunseok, come here. Can you help me?

What?

Grab here, and I'll grab there.

Right here.

Good job.

- Don't drink so much. / - Okay.

- Next. / - How much am I getting paid?

- Good job. / - Thank you.

You'll get yours next week. Next.

Captain, I need to get paid tonight.

I have to pay my mother's hospital bills.

I don't have any money. Next.

If I don't pay now, the hospital will kick her out.

I'm begging you.

You're an ex-con,

so how dare you lay your hand on me?

I'm sorry.

Please pay me. My mother will die.

Do you want to get fired here?

Stop whining. Next.

- Good job. / - Thank you.

You should work harder.

Ma'am.

Please give me until the end of this month.

She's so sick, so how can she go home?

Our hands are tied at this point.

Please, ma'am.

How can you let a sick person go home?

I'm sorry.

No.

If my mother leaves, she'll die.

I'm begging you.

I'm very sorry.

Ma'am!

Nurse Na?

How did you know where I live?

Here.

I brought some medicine for your mother.

If she takes her medicine, she'll feel better.

Take it.

I want to help you somehow,

but this is all I can do for you.

Thank you.

Compared to how you helped me when I almost

got pickpocketed on the bus, this is nothing.

How is your mother doing?

I'm an ex-convict.

Please don't come here anymore.

Thank you for the medicine.

Here. I forgot.

I got some tangerines for your mother.

They're not for you, Yunseok.

And...

I'll come again.

You scumbag! It was you, wasn't it?

You stole money from this sack, didn't you?

What? What sack? What are you talking about?

You come with me, punk.

I put $1,200 in the sack,

including today's pay.

But this ex-con took it!

No. Please believe me.

I never saw that money.

I never went near his office.

I checked his name.

He did 3 years for manslaughter, not for theft.

Manslaughter?

You're not just any ex-con. You're a murderer?

It wasn't me.

I never touched that money. I didn't kill anyone.

You scum.

You killed a man, but you claim you didn't?

- Lock him up. / - Yes.

I didn't steal the money! There's no evidence!

How can you do this to me with no evidence?

How can I steal money that I didn't know existed?

Detective, it wasn't me! Detective!

Yunseok?

He wasn't home last night, either.

Did he not even come home?

Does that mean his mother is home alone?

Mother?

It's me, Yeongsil.

Mother.

Mother?

Mother.

Mother!

Mother!

Lee Yunseok, come out.

Nurse Na...

Where, where is my mom?

I said where's my mom?

That's not my mom.

That's not my mom.

Mom...

Mom!

But where's Yuju?

Shouldn't the daughter-in-law being doing this?

I'm sorry, mother. I overslept again.

What's this?

You came just in time to eat? After we finished?

I'm sorry. Mother, what should I do?

It's okay.

Miyeong and Rayeong can help. Go get ready.

What? How can you say that?

What kind of daughter-in-law

makes her mother-in-law cook for her?

Scoop the rice.

I feel the same way, Rayeong.

Yuju, are you okay?

I'll do it, so get out.

It's okay. I can do it.

See? You can't. Get out.

- Give that to me. / - I should do this,

but I keep getting morning sickness.

Man...

Junyeong, you have morning sickness again, too?

Some husbands get morning sickness, too.

That's what happened to Junyeong.

He keeps getting morning sickness like I do.

It was okay for a while, but it came back.

I'm okay. I can do it.

Forget it. I'll do it, so get out.

Hurry up.

- I'm sorry, mom. / - Get out.

I'm sorry. Are you okay?

Unbelievable.

I can't believe those two.

Be quiet. Don't be so rude to your brother.

You don't know what it's like to be pregnant.

Man...

Perfect.

Oh, I'll be late.

You're not going to work?

Oh, what's all this?

Did you just have a fashion show?

Mom, do I look like I tried too hard?

You do. Do you have a blind date?

You look like you tried really hard.

I do? A lot?

I'll be embarrassed if he knows I did this for him.

Maybe I shouldn't have gotten a haircut.

Should I get changed?

Oh, stop being silly, and go to work.

Hello.

Why are you suddenly saying hello?

I'm sorry about calling you last night.

I drank too much and did something stupid.

Oh, that?

It wasn't all that stupid.

Ms. Byeon, when are you having lunch?

Later, I'm sure. Why?

Would you like to have lunch with me?

I have plans. I'm sorry.

How about coffee on your break?

I have a full day today.

What are you doing after work?

I'm sure I'll go home.

I'll wait for you until you get off work.

Why?

Why would you wait for me?

Oh...

I told you that I like you,

but you never gave me your answer.

Oh, that?

That answer?

Yes.

A caramel macchiato, half a shot, extra drizzle.

Excuse me?

At the bench at 4:56 p.m.

Shot... What about it?

Half? Shot?

(Half shot, caramel, dribble...?)

One with caramel...

Oh, that one.

Caramel macchiato with half an extra shot.

And there was something else.

Dri, dribble?

Oh, extra drizzle?

Yes, that. That, please.

You want it iced?

She never told me.

- Give me both. / - Sure.

3 minutes.

You didn't say hot or iced.

I want...

Hot.

Do you really like me?

Yes.

Since when?

I don't know since when.

I came to, and I was already liking you.

What about me do you like so much?

You're kind, pretty, and cute.

I just like everything about you.

Coach Park, you're kind of brazen.

Is that a turnoff?

No!

I like you, too, Coach Park.

Okay...

That's all?

What?

You're not even going to ask me out?

Then let's date.

Okay.

Thank you.

Wow, your face is so unfair.

Why do you keep smiling? You're embarrassing me.

It's because I like you so much, Ms. Byeon.

How experienced must you be, to be this brazen?

I've never dated before.

What? Not even once?

No.

Is that bad?

No, it's not bad. It's just that...

It's weird.

How is it that someone like you has never dated?

I was never interested.

And my coach said that

dating would affect my performance badly.

Actually, I've never liked anyone

more than I like soccer.

So you like me more than soccer?

I can't compare you to that,

but yes, I do.

Why do you keep staring?

Because you're pretty.

Wow, that was so straightforward.

(Green Room)

You're going in?

- Hello. / - Come in!

Thank you.

What's that?

Lunch.

I came to eat with you. Is that okay?

Oh, the gift lunch.

Intern, join us.

Sure. Why not?

Hey, why do you keep glancing at her?

Because she looks familiar.

How is that possible?

Did you ever do judo?

Huh? I did. How do you know?

So I'm right!

Bronze medal at the 2004 National Sports Festival?

I competed there, too. I won a silver medal.

Don't you remember?

Huh? Incredible!

I think I remember.

I watched the men's matches, too.

I watched the final match.

I watched all the women's matches.

That match was really impressive.

A win by one full point at the end.

Thank you.

That was actually the best match of my life.

Right? It was so impressive.

But I never saw you at matches after that.

Was it because of an injury?

Yes. The same old story.

Oh, I'm so tired.

Too bad.

Do you know Coach Bae Jinhyeok, by any chance?

Huh? You know Coach Bae?

Incredible.

He was my coach in junior high,

but then he transferred to a girls' high school.

Yes, that's right.

He was my coach in high school.

Incredible. This is so weird.

What? I'm going to the restroom.

- Okay. / - Stay and chat.

- Okay. / - Go.

So when did you quit judo?

I got injured right after that game, too.

Judo, how could you do that today?

Excuse me?

I was extremely tense because of the shoot,

but you were smiling and talking.

And you call yourself my manager?

Excuse me? I did?

Yes, you did. You think it was me?

And who else is in this van but you?

When an actor is shooting,

he gets really tense and agitated. You know that.

So how could you smile like that? Huh?

And this field is very small.

If you smile like that to just anyone,

bad rumors will go around really quickly.

When you act like that, do you know who they blame?

Me. They'll all blame me.

Hey, Judo.

They call this field a zoo.

And I can't have my manager act like that.

I just can't.

Okay...

But I don't understand what you're saying.

If you can explain it more specifically...

How? How can I explain it more specifically?

You don't understand Korean?

I'm sorry.

You always make silly mistakes like this.

Behave yourself.

Don't make me worry about you. Okay?

Okay. I won't.

But Mr. An...

I'm going to take a nap, so be quiet.

Okay.

Wow, what's up with him? What did I do?

When he does this,

I can see why all his former managers quit.

Seriously, what's wrong with him?

Whoa, your eyes must be fuzzy.

If you stare, your eyes will ache.

I wonder how his interview went.

Oh, you're home.

- I'm home. / - Come in.

So? How did your interview go?

I did have an interview,

but you shouldn't get your hopes up.

They were looking for someone young.

You're saying there's no hope?

Not really.

I wonder how 48-year-old experienced photographers

make a living these days.

Mom, how do other people make a living?

If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.

If you keep trying, you'll make it eventually.

Don't feel too anxious.

Start with a part-time position.

The pizza place downstairs wants help.

It's okay.

If I get a part-time job now,

I'm afraid I'll never get a full-time job again.

And I can't work part-time at my age.

It'll look weird.

What kind of creative nonsense is that?

Unemployed is okay, but a part-time job isn't?

It's a hundred times better than being unemployed.

But mom, part-time jobs pay minimum wage,

so the money's not good.

But the photography studio only paid you half wages.

It's on the first floor, so it's really close.

You can eat lunch here, so you can save money.

Go and interview with them tomorrow.

Yes, she's right.

But I can't work at a pizza place.

I'd rather do hard labor.

But you'll end up in the hospital.

Don't be too proud.

Go interview at the pizza place tomorrow.

But I can't really do this...

You're off the clock now?

You won't even talk to me after work hours?

As if you have the right!

Was I crazy?

Behave yourself? What was that all about?

What was I thinking?

Judo must be mad, right?

Yes, she's mad. Look at how she ignored me.

But why did she have to smile like that?

You expect

your manager to look sour on the shoot?

Right...

What will I do?

Why is he mad at me again?

I just don't understand Mr. An.

I mean, the shoot is going well,

and he was praised for his acting.

So why?

To the rooftop. (Mr. An)

Sit down.

Are you sulking?

No.

You are sulking.

I'm not sulking. I'm just a bit angry.

Sorry.

I told you to behave and stuff.

I think I was a bit hard on you

because I was tense and agitated

about the shoot. Sorry.

Well, if you say so...

You're not mad anymore?

By the way, why did you say those things?

I'm wondering what made you upset.

Oh, I should know why,

so I can be careful in the future.

Hey, I told you.

I said I was feeling

tense and agitated because of the shoot.

Okay then.

I'll pay more attention from now on.

Oh, so you won a medal? A bronze medal?

Yes, just once.

At the National Sports Festival.

And you quit because of an injury?

Yes, I hurt my shoulder pretty badly.

After I was done with physical therapy,

I couldn't do judo anymore.

That must have been really hard.

Yes, it was hard.

I did nothing but judo since grade school.

"What will I do now?"

What could Byeon Miyeong do

outside judo? I kept thinking that.

I wasn't doing anything,

but I felt pathetic about

not doing anything.

But I'm okay now.

It's all in the past.

What is it?

Well... So how is it?

Your shoulder? There was no permanent damage?

It's okay.

I can't move as freely as I used to,

and I get aches sometimes when it rains.

And I can't lift anything too heavy.

Other than that, I have no trouble at all.

Oh, there's one thing.

What is it?

It's lop...

I can't tell you.

Why? What is it?

I said I can't tell you.

Cheers.

Cheers.

Cheers.

That must have been hard.

No.

Time has gone by,

and now it's a fond memory.

What are you doing here?

Hi... I was in the neighborhood.

Do you remember the bed and breakfast we went to

when we were in college?

You were the financial manager.

Well...

There might be a record of it.

Why do you ask?

Jeonghwan has disappeared.

He said he went to that bed and breakfast

when we broke up 8 years ago.

I want to go and check.

What will you say if he's there?

He left in order to get over you.

I understand how you feel,

but if you're not going to marry him,

maybe you should leave him alone. Don't you think?

Still, just see if you have a record.

Okay.

It's late. Go home.

Call me if you find it.

What will you say if he's there?

If you're not going to marry him,

maybe you should leave him alone.

Huh? You're home.

You look tired. Do you have a lot of work?

I guess you could say that.

You look happy.

I do?

It's nothing special,

but Mr. An's acting ability improved a lot.

The director praised him.

And that made you happy?

Yes, it did.

When my actor does well,

I feel really proud.

When he does badly, I get really anxious.

Is this how parents feel about their kids?

You sound like a real manager now.

I guess I do.

I'm glad.

It looks like the job is a good fit for you.

Yes, for now.

I'm not sure if it really suits me,

but it's fun and interesting. I want to do well.

After my internship, when I become a full-timer,

I can get transferred to another department,

but for now, I think I could keep doing this.

Good.

But you should really think about it.

You're not the only one being evaluated.

You're evaluating the company, too.

You're seeing if the job suits you

and if the company is worth staying at.

But isn't it great?

With jobs, you have internship,

so you can test it out and decide.

There's no grace period or safety net for marriage.

It's all or nothing.

You're right.

I wish there were marriage internships, too.

I forgot, so I'm sending it now. (Gyeongju)

I found the list.

I'm going to work early.

Tell mom that I took her car.

Jeonghwan, please be here.

Yes, yes, yes.

There's no way I can catch any fish.

Oh, he can't even do it right.

Empty-handed again today.

I should quit.

Jeonghwan.

Oh, you said you were great at fishing.

But you're not!

Why are you here?

I came because I was worried.

Isn't this unfair?

How can you change your phone number?

I'm not grateful at all.

I still need a lot more time

before I can face you again.

How much time?

I'm not sure.

Maybe about 8 years this time as well?

Go. Don't ever come to me again.

I can't imagine my future without you, either!

Just like how you can't imagine

our future without marriage.

Fine.

Let's get married.

Marry me.

Just for a year.

For more infomation >> My Father is Strange | 아버지가 이상해 – Ep.24 [ENG/IND/2017.05.28] - Duration: 1:06:00.

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Is Menstruation A Social Justice Issue? | Features | Refinery29 - Duration: 15:30.

I just started my period and

I don't have a tampon.

I know all of us have been in this situation

but today it's got me wondering.

Is access to menstrual hygiene a social justice issue?

Let's find out.

If you're some kind of coupon clipping champion,

you might get away with only spending $70

per year on tampons and pads.

But the average uterus is doing its thing

from age 13 to age 51.

And that's about 456 periods over the course of 38 years.

So even if you're only buying the cheapest tampons–

and you're probably not–that's still about $3,000

over the course of your lifetime to absorb blood.

Maybe that doesn't sound expensive but the

fact that these products aren't freely available

in public like toilet paper, is an inconvenience.

To me, to you, to a lot of people.

This is Chelsea.

She helps people who have a really hard time

getting a hold of a tampon.

About two years ago she saw something that

she couldn't ignore.

I was driving one day and I got stopped at a red light.

And I saw this homeless woman at the corner

and she started crossing the street.

And I noticed that her bottoms were stained in blood.

She was so exposed.

I mean, it was broad daylight.

I just started looking around even more.

Is anybody else seeing this shit?

If we don't have these products,

our health can be in jeopardy.

STDs, STIs, urinary tract infections,

toxic shock syndrome.

But menstruation is necessary for humanity.

People think like,

"Oh, it's just the 5 to 7 days that are important."

No! It's every freaking day!

It's a health issue.

She was angry and she got curious.

If you are homeless, where do you go

when you have your period?

She called every homeless shelter in Los Angeles

until she finally got through to someone.

She answered, "We don't really have something

directly for that specific moment or need."

Since then, she has been in touch with a number

of shelters and she agreed to come with me

to Midnight Mission in Skid Row.

This is the men's recovery floor.

These are our dorms.

Lady on deck! Lady on deck!

Are we dressed?

Say, "Hi!"

Hey! Woo!

Hey!

That's right.

We have an excellent gym and a workout room

so they can start working on their physicals.

When these shelters were founded in the early 20th century,

homelessness was a man's problem.

But now among the 47,000 people living homeless

in LA County, about one-third are women.

Here we go.

This is the lovely women!

They have to come see you guys.

Hi ladies!

Hey!

Shelters like Midnight Mission are racing

to meet women's needs but public understanding

of homelessness hasn't kept pace.

When people donate to these shelters,

they normally think about men cleaning up for job interviews.

They don't really think about women managing their periods.

Is that good? I just don't want my tattoos showing.

That's great.

What's your tattoo of?

Oh my gosh, well...

I got it when I was incarcerated.

This is Rita Richardson.

She's a program manager at Midnight Mission.

Where do your sanitary napkins, tampons...

where does that come from?

Well, that's a good question.

A lot of it's donated and then we have somebody

through gift in-kind,

that does seek out different sources

to help keep with the overall functioning.

And to keep that going.

Because that can become very expensive, as you know.

You know what I mean?

Yes.

It does help when people love to...

a wish list, per say or something like that.

So basically they rely on donations.

This is Janice Johnson.

She lives in a tent on Skid Row and she stops

by Midnight Mission occasionally.

What has it been like for you when you get your period?

What do you do?

Well...

If the store is closed, I would have to

go to the restroom.

Get some tissue, roll it up, make a pad, a liner out of that.

You got to be secure about what...

If you don't have the real thing,

you gotta make your own.

This is Barbara.

She's been in the shelter for six months

after being homeless for 20 years.

She wants to become a drug counselor.

A lot of the missions will pass that out to you,

if you don't have it.

If you don't have it.

But if they don't have it and you don't have it,

you have to hustle for it.

Shelters like Midnight Mission do what they can for periods

but their supplies can be hit or miss.

And only about 25% of the homeless population in LA County

is in the shelter system anyway.

That leaves a lot of people underserved,

and under-wicked.

Chelsea wanted to fill the gaps in the shelter system,

so she decided to do something.

Over here, really quick.

The kids are doing six of each thing.

So six pads, six tampons, six panty liners.

We're doing wipes.

She started Happy Periods simply by calling

her friends and asking them to donate tampons,

pads, panty liners, soap, underwear.

Pack them up and deliver them to people on the street.

It was that simple.

We know that tampons and pads and all of that

stuff is important to our health, and sometimes

expensive and hard to come by.

But did you know that on top of all of that,

these items are taxed?

Yep.

They call it the "tampon tax."

But before you get all up in arms and take to Twitter,

you have to understand that the

tampon tax isn't just on tampons.

And it doesn't specifically target feminine

hygiene products at all.

It's just sales tax.

You're like, "Who cares? Lots of stuff has sales tax."

But state-by-state, a bunch of items

are exempt from this tax.

Stuff that's considered necessities.

But do you know what that includes?

In California, where I am now, Assemblywoman

Cristina Garcia co-authored a bill that she's

trying to push through state legislature

to exempt feminine hygiene products from sales tax.

She tried this before in 2016 and it was unanimously

approved until it got to the desk of Governor Jerry Brown–

where he vetoed it.

He called it a tax break.

And in a state strapped for cash,

that just wasn't gonna fly.

What a buzzkill, right?

If menstrual hygiene products can't be exempt from sales tax,

then how did all those other things become exempt in the first place?

I thought it would help to consult an expert in economics.

I was wrong.

My name is Christopher Thornberg.

I'm a founding partner of Beacon Economics.

I'm also the Director of the Center for Economic Forecasting

at the business school at UC Riverside.

Well I'm curious about how all of those exemptions

get determined.

Because, I mean, I've thumbed through the exemptions in California.

Where do those come from?

Well, obviously it's based on political decisions. Correct.

It's a game that gets played.

Every sector likes to pretend that somehow or other

it provides a product or a service that is

at some sort of morally higher level

than other products and services.

So many interests are benefiting from the politicization

of these tax exemptions. Why can't menstruating women

also benefit?

But that's not an argument to the positive.

That's an argument for why all these other exemptions should go away.

These exemptions, in general, are not logical.

The point here is that exemptions are wrong.

The reason you're here is to discuss logical arguments,

not emotional arguments.

The problem is I'm painting you into a logical corner and you're frustrated.

I, no, I...

And let me go to the next step.

You're not even allowing me to fully construct my argument.

Construct the argument.

Let's go back to the argument.

—The argument that you're trying to make is... —Sure.

Okay. Tell me the argument I'm trying to make.

That menstruation is a female issue.

By and large, yes.

Okay.

If you're wondering what my face looked like during this interview,

it was kind of like this.

I'm sorry. If you're focusing your records on this tiny little thing,

you're wasting your time.

Because we have big issues in the world around us.

Real issues.

Things that we should talk about.

And that's what your people need to hear.

Fine. Women don't deserve these tax exemptions because

no one deserves these tax exemptions.

Feminine hygiene products shouldn't be exempt from sales tax

because nothing should be exempt from sales tax.

But I wasn't mad at this guy.

I was mad that, of all of the things worthy of sales tax exemptions,

it's like nobody could admit that tampons might be one of them.

And the message that this sends to women is,

"We need you to deal with your problem.

So stuff some toilet paper in your coochie and shut up."

It doesn't change what's happening on the ground.

Do you think people ever think about a woman who's homeless and has her period?

Do they ever consider the fact that you still might have your period?

I don't think they even give a damn.

How did you deal, in-between panhandling and prostitution,

how did you deal with your period?

Oh, we had to get...

make tampons out of toilet paper.

A clean sock.

And a lot of times I resorted to

stealing.

Hi! Do you need any feminine products?

Thank you so much.

Do you need feminine products?

Feminine products like pads, tampons, wipes.

You can grab one of these too, it's the same stuff.

Okay, thank you.

You're welcome.

After someone suggests that you might be wasting your time on an issue,

I think you're obliged to seek out a second opinion.

I'm about to call Jennifer Weiss-Wolf,

the woman who's credited as making the tampon tax an issue worth talking about.

Hello.

Hey Jen! How's it going?

Good, good.

By day, Jennifer Weiss-Wolf works at New York University's Brennan Center for Justice.

But by night and on weekends and in basically any spare moment she has, she's an advocate

for what she calls, "menstrual equity."

Menstrual equity means, to me,

if their body menstruates,

they need access to these products.

They're not able to participate equitably

and equally if they can't access these products.

Jen was one of the first people to make a

big fuss about the tampon tax in the US.

The tampon tax isn't really the solution or the relief.

What's great about it, is it got people talking.

But here's the thing: we do have a system right now

that allows for exemptions and,

like I said before, nobody ever raised the

question of menstrual products and that's

why it was never included in the exemptions that were offered.

Wait.

Did you all hear that?

The existence of the so-called "tampon tax"

has less to do with the necessity of these items,

and more to do with who has a seat at the table.

And who does not.

Would you consider access to menstrual hygiene

a social justice issue?

Yeah.

I consider access to menstrual hygiene both

a social justice issue and a human rights issue.

Why?

It can actually be a real crisis.

And it's not just a crisis of dignity, although that should

be enough for any of us to be concerned.

But it's a crisis in health.

Here's the rub.

Whether or not there should be sales tax exemptions,

there are.

Menstrual products are left out of that simply

because when a group of people met up to decide

what was worthy,

no one raised their hand for tampons.

And this sends a message about how we, as a society,

see menstruation and whose problem we think it is.

Clearly it's not this guy's problem.

Unfortunately, we still have the tampon tax.

But...She's a rookie bike rider.

I can tell!

Sorry.

We're in Venice.

About an hour drive from Skid Row, depending on traffic.

Handing out tampons works a little differently here.

Well, it's Saturday so there are some individuals

who just look homeless but they're not.

So we gotta be a little careful.

Hi!

How are you doing?

I want to ask

do you need pads or tampons?

No, but thank you.

—Okay. —Thank you!

As I watched Chelsea hand out tampons,

tampons that she and her friends bought,

sales tax and all,

I wonder who else is going to step up.

Who else is going to acknowledge that periods

are not just a women's issue?

Hi!

Oh yeah. Sure, sure.

I'm living on 3rd Street for the first time, due to a heartbreak.

You're on 3rd Street?

Yeah.

In Venice?

Yeah.

Oh, word.

3rd Street.

Do you want all of these?

You're free to take them.

Yeah, sure.

Do you want some tampons?

Oh wait, let me see.

I'll just open this box.

Tampons would be better.

I mean, either one. Either one.

My aunt told me when I was 13, she's like,

"Don't use tampons 'cause you're going to pop your cherry.

And you're not gonna be a virgin anymore."

I'm like, "Okay."

That's funny!

When we go out and we're passing out kits,

overall, it makes me happy.

However, I know that I'm privileged.

I'm not here to judge. I'm not here to bother.

I'm just here to help.

Look at that. Didn't even know. Where's Jacki?

I'm right here.

Oh! My shadow.

All over the country, this is an issue that's hiding in plain sight.

It's important to understand that fixing

access to menstrual hygiene, if that's even possible,

is not just about handing out supplies on the street.

And it's not just about changing tax policy

or electing diverse public officials.

It's a combination of everything in-between,

starting with a radical acknowledgement that

menstruation isn't just a women's issue.

It's a public health issue.

You don't have to be a woman to care.

Thanks!

And every single one of you came out of a uterus!

Don't pretend!

Thanks for watching.

If you were born of a menstruating human,

tell us about it below in the comments.

If you want to see more videos like this,

click here.

And if you want to subscribe to Refinery29,

click here.

Cool.