So, B2ST (pronounced beast, because 2 in korean is 이 which is pronounced like the hard e sound), just released their music video for 숨. I initially wasn't a huge B2ST fan, just because I always thought I could only like Big Bang, but now I've really been expanding my horizons and I've discovered that B2ST is actually pretty dope, in spite of the fact that some of them have really horrifyingly bad hair (see HyunSeung, who happens to be a former member of pre-debut Big Bang, and has always had really terrible hair-- you'll know who he is because he's the one with god-awful hair). Anyways, they're new video is posted below.
BUT, before we get to that, I'd like to point out that B2ST is a group under Cube Entertainment, which is an affiliate of JYP. JYP's newest girl group phenomenon, Miss A just released their new single, called Breathe.
I only mention this because 숨 (pronounced Soom) is the Korean word for breathing or respiration. So within one week of each other, two JYP-affiliated groups released songs called, essentially, 'Breathe'. I mean, coincidence, I guess, right? The songs really aren't about the same thing: Miss A's is about first love and someone 'taking your breath away' as the saying goes. B2ST's is about feeling suffocated by the losing your love. So clearly kind of opposite. However, in the chorus of both, they say (miss A): No, I can't breathe" and (B2ST) "I can't take my breath...I can't hold my breath" Okay, pretty similar. But the videos? They're totally different right? I mean Miss A is all spunky and bright and reggae, and B2ST has Prepix's characteristic choppy choreography and is really dark and sad. Well, they have more in common than I noticed at first. My first observation is that they both use gas masks. GAS MASKS? In both videos? That's a bit strange. Also, the choreography in both has kind of stop-action type moves (I'm not sure if it's actually stop-action film editing or if it's the choreography, or a combination there of). Anyways, the songs are obviously different, I just thought it was interesting to see the two songs have some similarities.
Watch both of them now! With English subs!
xoxo
A
Thursday, September 30, 2010
LOL
I almost wet myself I was laughing so hard. My spasms of laughing induced a hip cramp and caused tears.
ENJOY!
ENJOY!
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Korean things, not k-pop
So this post will be brief, but maybe it will give you a better look into my life here in Korea, apart from my weird obsession with korean pop music and its stars.
I just read this article in the New York Times Style Magazine. Published just under a week ago, it is still fresh, but already hidden under the slew of Milan's Fashion Week updates. I don't often read the Style Magazine (with the exception of the rare click from the nytimes.com homepage), but I found this linked on a twitter account or blog of another ex-pat living in Korea. It's an interesting analysis and assessment of how Korea has developed in the shadow of centuries of rigid control, and how the author imagines how Seoul's booming growth will play out. Much of the article is pretty spot-on, in my experience.
For those of you who don't know, Seoul is, as far as sprawling modern metropolises go, amongst the most uninspired in the world. The architecture is mind-numbingly plain, consisting primarily of high-rise apartment buildings, mid-rise shopping centers, and more restaurants per capita than anywhere in the world. The greatest features of the Seoul "skyline" (if you can even call it the skyline) are Namsan Tower, an unimpressive tower that sits upon Seoul's South Mountain (Nam=South San=Mountain), the 63 building, a golden highrise in the financial district of Yeouido which sits at an unsurprising and uninspiring 63 floors (the tallest in Seoul), and the Samsung tower, a 1990s sci-fi film gray building with a section lifted up on support beams. The city also lacks Green Space almost altogether. Aside from Chonggyecheon Stream, which environmental scientists have claimed provides no significant environmental benefits as far as urban greening goes, there are very few parks, tree lined walkways, or plants at all, especially in the central parts of Seoul.
Similarly, Korea is very much homogeneous, ethnically, in that some 90% of people fall into one of the following categories: a) Korean, b) Chinese-Korean, or c) foreign English teacher.
However, Korea is taking steps towards making their gem of Seoul a more inhabitable (Korea has the highest suicide rate in the world), more modern, and more progressive. Seoul was recently named the 2010 World Design Capital (WDC), and projects are going on citywide to update the design, appeal, and appearance of some of the most important (and ugly) parts of the city. The Han River has various beautification projects going on alongside various environmental protection and rehabilitation projects. Dongdaemun is the site of the WDC emphasized constuction of Dongdaemun Design Plaza, which will house a library, shopping areas, and expansive (by Seoul standards) green space.
Going on now is the Seoul Design Fair, which has operated for two years before as the Seoul Design Olympiad. I attend the design olympiad last year and thought it was fascinating. This year, they are expanding the focus to heavy emphasis on green technology and green design, a popular trend in design circles worldwide. I plan on going to the Design Fair in Seoul next Monday, as my school has randomly given us a day of vacation for no apparent reason. Last year's olympiad was mostly a hodgepodge of impressive, elaborate, modern, and often un-implementable design spattered across Jamsil Sports Complex with little rhyme or reason (at least in my linear mind). Hopefully, this year's designation of Seoul as the World Design Capital will enable the Design Fair to achieve new heights and really be something impressive and real. We shall see. Information on the Design Fair can be found here. I'm certainly impressed by the much improved website as compared to last year's IE-only website.
So it goes.
xoxo
A
I just read this article in the New York Times Style Magazine. Published just under a week ago, it is still fresh, but already hidden under the slew of Milan's Fashion Week updates. I don't often read the Style Magazine (with the exception of the rare click from the nytimes.com homepage), but I found this linked on a twitter account or blog of another ex-pat living in Korea. It's an interesting analysis and assessment of how Korea has developed in the shadow of centuries of rigid control, and how the author imagines how Seoul's booming growth will play out. Much of the article is pretty spot-on, in my experience.
For those of you who don't know, Seoul is, as far as sprawling modern metropolises go, amongst the most uninspired in the world. The architecture is mind-numbingly plain, consisting primarily of high-rise apartment buildings, mid-rise shopping centers, and more restaurants per capita than anywhere in the world. The greatest features of the Seoul "skyline" (if you can even call it the skyline) are Namsan Tower, an unimpressive tower that sits upon Seoul's South Mountain (Nam=South San=Mountain), the 63 building, a golden highrise in the financial district of Yeouido which sits at an unsurprising and uninspiring 63 floors (the tallest in Seoul), and the Samsung tower, a 1990s sci-fi film gray building with a section lifted up on support beams. The city also lacks Green Space almost altogether. Aside from Chonggyecheon Stream, which environmental scientists have claimed provides no significant environmental benefits as far as urban greening goes, there are very few parks, tree lined walkways, or plants at all, especially in the central parts of Seoul.
Similarly, Korea is very much homogeneous, ethnically, in that some 90% of people fall into one of the following categories: a) Korean, b) Chinese-Korean, or c) foreign English teacher.
However, Korea is taking steps towards making their gem of Seoul a more inhabitable (Korea has the highest suicide rate in the world), more modern, and more progressive. Seoul was recently named the 2010 World Design Capital (WDC), and projects are going on citywide to update the design, appeal, and appearance of some of the most important (and ugly) parts of the city. The Han River has various beautification projects going on alongside various environmental protection and rehabilitation projects. Dongdaemun is the site of the WDC emphasized constuction of Dongdaemun Design Plaza, which will house a library, shopping areas, and expansive (by Seoul standards) green space.
Going on now is the Seoul Design Fair, which has operated for two years before as the Seoul Design Olympiad. I attend the design olympiad last year and thought it was fascinating. This year, they are expanding the focus to heavy emphasis on green technology and green design, a popular trend in design circles worldwide. I plan on going to the Design Fair in Seoul next Monday, as my school has randomly given us a day of vacation for no apparent reason. Last year's olympiad was mostly a hodgepodge of impressive, elaborate, modern, and often un-implementable design spattered across Jamsil Sports Complex with little rhyme or reason (at least in my linear mind). Hopefully, this year's designation of Seoul as the World Design Capital will enable the Design Fair to achieve new heights and really be something impressive and real. We shall see. Information on the Design Fair can be found here. I'm certainly impressed by the much improved website as compared to last year's IE-only website.
So it goes.
xoxo
A
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
September/October is the best ever
NEW SE7EN MUSIC VIDEO. WITH PARK HAN BYEOL, HIS GIRLFRIEND. OMG OMG OMG OMG I LOVE THIS.
Also, I understood all the Korean in the acting sections. NICE.
Also, I understood all the Korean in the acting sections. NICE.
Wax & Herbal T: AMERICAN MUSIC Y'ALL
This is fucking ridiculous. I can't even explain how dope these two dudes are. I would kill to see em live. I wonder if they'll ever come over to Korea with DFD? That would be cray cray.
Sorry for spamming your shit with youtube vids. I got my lesson planning done a bit earlier than anticipated.
xoxo
A
Sorry for spamming your shit with youtube vids. I got my lesson planning done a bit earlier than anticipated.
xoxo
A
Media overload
So perhaps I'm overwhelming you readers with shit these days, but HOLY CRAP! BoA's newest video for Copy and Paste is glorious.
October is gonna be a tight race between BoA and Miss A, I think. BoA is way more beautiful (read: perfect in every way), but the choreography on Breathe by Miss A is more innovative (just my opinion, I know some jumpingBoAs will not be happy with that analysis, sorry y'all). Let's see, staying power vs. rookie power.
October is gonna be a tight race between BoA and Miss A, I think. BoA is way more beautiful (read: perfect in every way), but the choreography on Breathe by Miss A is more innovative (just my opinion, I know some jumpingBoAs will not be happy with that analysis, sorry y'all). Let's see, staying power vs. rookie power.
아이돌스타 육상선수권대회: Idol Star Track and Field Championships
So I finally got around to watching 아이돌스타 육상선수권대회, or the Idol Star Track and Field Championships, which aired on MBC over Chuseok. I didn't watch in live for two reasons: 1) Taeyang Concert and 2) I don't actually watch t.v. But anyways, it was the funniest thing I've watched in at least a year. It was awesome.
For all my friends who read this blog, and don't give a shit about kpop or Korean idols, please, hear me out this one time.
Regardless of whether you know these people or not, this shit is funnnnnnnnny. Basically, they took a bunch of celebrities (over 100) and put them on 7 teams and had them compete in hurdles, 100 m sprint, 4x100 relay, high jump, and javelin for no real reason or purpose except winning these arbitrary medals. This would never, ever, in a million fucking years even be considered in America, but they are already planning a New Years' swimming pool event for the early Spring. Some of the idol athletes are quite impressive, while others are just fucking funny. Hurdles, 100m, and high jump were my favorite. GOD DAMN THAT SHIT WAS FUNNY. People were falling like crazy. It was awesome. It's like unscripted slapstick comedy.
Anyways, at least watch the first two videos because they are the best, and if you like them, watch em all!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA It slays me.
xoxo
A
For all my friends who read this blog, and don't give a shit about kpop or Korean idols, please, hear me out this one time.
Regardless of whether you know these people or not, this shit is funnnnnnnnny. Basically, they took a bunch of celebrities (over 100) and put them on 7 teams and had them compete in hurdles, 100 m sprint, 4x100 relay, high jump, and javelin for no real reason or purpose except winning these arbitrary medals. This would never, ever, in a million fucking years even be considered in America, but they are already planning a New Years' swimming pool event for the early Spring. Some of the idol athletes are quite impressive, while others are just fucking funny. Hurdles, 100m, and high jump were my favorite. GOD DAMN THAT SHIT WAS FUNNY. People were falling like crazy. It was awesome. It's like unscripted slapstick comedy.
Anyways, at least watch the first two videos because they are the best, and if you like them, watch em all!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA It slays me.
xoxo
A
Fall is Here!
The weather is simply gorgeous these days. Today's high is 66 degrees Farenheit, and I couldn't be happier. It makes work more bearable because I'm not trapped in the hottest room in my school, sweating and fanning myself while teetering on the brink of consciousness. My room is still on the warmer side, but it's certainly bearable, and for that, I'm thankful. However, it being cooler does mean winter is also inevitably coming. And this means a struggle with students and staff opening all the windows in the hall and classroom in spite of the sub-freezing temperatures. Moreover, my school is having a sort of budget crisis and so heating will probably be scarce. Alas.
Anyways, in addition to the glorious weather, there is a glorious new music video out. Miss A's Breathe from their upcoming album Step Up. It was written and produced by JYP himself, and it is PURE gold. Also, the dancing is downright baller. Enjoy!
Anyways, in addition to the glorious weather, there is a glorious new music video out. Miss A's Breathe from their upcoming album Step Up. It was written and produced by JYP himself, and it is PURE gold. Also, the dancing is downright baller. Enjoy!
Monday, September 27, 2010
Taeyang Solar Concert Review
As I mentioned, I went to Taeyang's Solar Concert this weekend. He had two concerts, one on Saturday, Sept. 25 at 7pm and another on Sunday, Sept. 26 at 6pm. I attended both, sitting on the first floor, 21st row on Saturday and second floor 14th row (?) on Sunday. I thought the concerts were both really amazing, but too short.
The set list and a short review of the performances will be posted below.
A few preliminary notes: The Sunday show was supposedly sold out, and I almost arrived late. The shows were both at 경희대학교 which is a beautiful university campus (Kyunghee University), and I highly recommend any potential Seoul visitors to go there and look around. It's incredibly scenic, with beautiful buildings, especially peace hall, which is where the concert was actually held. It's also quite hilly, so it's good for a bit of walking exercise. Also, as I've mentioned in previous posts, I'm totally YB-, BigBang-, YG Family-biased, so probably the review will come off exceedingly positive (although I do have a couple complaints). Last, the concert on Sunday was 18+ so the things that were different (which were fewer than anticipated) will be noted in a different color. Also, this was Taeyang's second and third solo concerts, not his first as many mistakenly say. He had a solo concert for HOT a while ago, but it wasn't a full length concert because it wasn't a full length album.
Pre-show: Before the show began, beside the main stage were two large screens showing various Taeyang videos, as well as a couple 2ne1 videos (at least one). My seats on Saturday were a bit stage left, and my seats on Sunday (which I barely made it to on time) were a bit stage right, which was intentional so as to best enjoy the full experience of the show. Sitting on the second floor was actually really great because I could see the whole stage, and the venue was still quite small so I was rather close.
Intro: The show began with the house lights dimmed, the intro music for Solar playing, and an artistic video of Taeyang preparing to enter the Hall playing. Then, as the intro picked up in the middle, suddenly Taeyang began his descent from above the stage in a white circle lit from all around. All the lights were on him as he stood posed and ready while the circle descended to a few steps when he officially began the concert. He was wearing an all white ensemble with aviator sunglasses. He had on a white vest with the very large collar that is eternally popular amongst celebrities here in Korea. The vest was heavily studded with silver and was quite blingy.
기도 (Prayer): His first song was 기도 which he went right into after descending from the circle thing. The performance was pretty standard. Since it was one of his singles, the choreography wasn't much different for the performances. I had been keeping my fingers crossed that Teddy would come out and do his rap verse, which would have been really awesome. Unfortunately, at neither did he come out. Instead, they played the vocals for the song and Taeyang danced enthusiastically. This seemed to really stand alone from the rest of the choreography as particularly impressive. I really enjoyed it.
I'll Be There: After 기도 Taeyang transitioned very smoothly (props to the music and sound techs who organized what appeared to me to be a very very clean sounding concert, with the mild exception of a mic problem on Sunday) to I'll Be There. He sang, as expected, the Korean version, which I happen to like better. The primary stage prop was a circular set of all white stairs. The stairs ascended and wrapping around the stairs from the bottom right to the upper left of the stairs was a sort of slope quite similar to rock cliff that appears in Taeyang's I'll Be There music video. Just as he does in the video, Taeyang climbs the sloping white stage prop and drops to his knees as he sings. It was nice, but I did happen to think the glistening white stage didn't quite create the same effect as the overgrown graveyard in I'll Be There provided. See below for a reference on the slope thing.
Imagine this scene but minus the graveyards, cloudy skies and overgrowth and add a glistening white veneer and a live band.
죄인 (Sinners): After I'll Be There, Taeyang performed 죄인, which happens to be my favorite song off his first mini-album, HOT. Also, I happened to MUCH prefer this performance to the performance in his first solo concert for HOT promotions. In the old performance, Taeyang dances with a girl who has ugly clothing and is only kind of pretty and it involves some weird shit on a table and it doesn't really make as much sense. This time, the girl is only somewhat involved, and Taeyang really got into singing this song. He moved around the stage quite a bit and got on his knees and really sexed it up for us. This time instead of a table, they used a plush armchair. The sexiest part was when the dancer bent over at the waist and touched the ground and Taeyang came from behind her, grabbed her hips and did a mild body roll towards her. This was the moment when all sanity kind of left me on Saturday and I was mesmerized. Taeyang also did his favorite move when singing where he turns sideway giving his most popular profile view, spreads his arms out wide and throws himself back from the hips and just hits the note with full on intensity. He loves that pose. And frankly, so do I.
After this, he talked briefly and a little dolly rolled out and on it was a white jacket (he had removed the bedazzled vest earlier, perhaps during I'll be There or Sinners, I can't entirely remember). The new jacket has his face bedazzled in silver studs on the back. I bit much I thought, but so goes it. He introduced himself, and welcomed all of us to the concert. Then he introduced his next song, Just a Feeling
Just a Feeling: I thought this performance was just okay. I also think this song is just okay. Perhaps my lack of enthusiasm regarding the song inhibits my ability to fully appreciate the song, but whatevs. It was good, but really there was nothing special here. Just a lot of dancing and such. kind of standard I though.
Move: Now this song is when Taeyang really starts to bring the sexy. Again, no teddy, but his rap section is included. The stage prop had turned at some point between I'll Be There and Sinners (I can't seem to remember it actually turning around) and it revolved once again to reveal the steps. However, this time, on the steps were three stripper poles extending upwards from the stairs. As the stage thing revolved, two dollies which also had stripper poles attached moved onto the stage creating a five girl stripper triangle of sorts, with Taeyang as the sixth on the bottom center. The girls were dressed in white button down dress shirts, black panties (of the cheeky boy cut variety), stockings and black heels. They were dancing really suggestively on the pole both on Saturday and Sunday. The dance was pretty much the same both days. This song really ramped up the sex factor. The girls were almost half-naked and dancing as glorified strippers while Taeyang walked around staring at the girls and sang lyrics like "move move, baby don't stop it" On Sunday the girls took their shirts off to reveal black satin lingerie. On Saturday, this did not happen. Additionally, on Saturday, parts of Teddy's rap lyrics were censored. The words censored were body and play, which seemed odd, because it was in the lyric: "You're body is my wonderland, I can play all night" and the lyrics: "I'm so vicious like Sid with my sex pistols" and "Niagra Falls, baby girl I got you wetter than" were not censored. Clearly the censors were not native English speakers and didn't grasp the excessive sexual nature of the latter lines. On Sunday, from my seat I could see the girls prepping for this song in the brief couple seconds between songs, and I was really impressed. This one girl came tearing across backstage and lept onto her stripper pole while buttoning her shirt just in the knick of time. The stage prop thingy rotated around at just that moment. Nice work lady.
Then there was a video. This (and the shirtlessness during Move) was the biggest difference between Saturday and Sunday. The video showed Taeyang dressed in white lying asleep on a big plush white bed. Then, his opposite, that girl, she is shown kind of looking for him. Also, between scenes of Taeyang in bed and the girl looking for him, there are images of him in his You're My get-up but more gripping, with focus largely on his hands. On Sunday, the video featured the two of them together in bed, snuggling and touching each others faces and holding hands and even at one point Taeyang rolling over and climbing on top of her. Also, there was even more focus on his hands, specifically the ring he always wears. At the end of the video, I could be mistaken, but it appears that the girl removes his ring from his finger, although I'm not clear what that was supposed to signify (holding onto his love, or ending the love...?)
Ma Girl: Then he said Ma Girl, which was pretty good. I thought the video graphics for this song were kind of eh, subpar. I thought they were pretty tacky. Otherwise, the performance was great! Ma Girl is one of my favorite performances because it's always really sexy. He sort of humps the ground and then lays on his back and body rolls and omg, it's so wonderful.
You're My: I hate this song. A lot. However, Taeyang was super super super super sexy when he sang this song because he was in a full suit and just look unbelievably handsome. Just impeccable, really. Plus, the live version of this song wasn't quite so high, because that would be difficult in the one opportunity he has on stage. It could strain him a lot. Still, this wasn't my favorite. I can't help but be reminded of the shitty English that I see everywhere else in this country when I listen to this song.
Talk: Taeyang talked briefly here about some things. And then said he'd be doing I Need a Girl.
I Need a Girl: totally one of the highlights. Taeyang went out into the crowd. On Saturday I was really close to him, but he still didn't see me (darn you security guard in my way) and he was singing to various audience members and I was jealous. But, I got even more jealous as he made his way across the hall and chose a girl near him to come up onstage with him. He held his arm out and escorted her to the stage and had her sit on a chaise lounge. Then he danced around behind her and gave her a gift box, which she opened. Upon opening the gift, she discovered that it was a bra and panties, pink satin (On Sunday it was some kind of animal type printer and WAY sexier...) and then he sat next to her and proceeded to basically serenade that stupid little annoying girl (she wasn't stupid or annoying, I'm just jealous), while brushing the hair off her face and looking in her eyes. Then he turned sideway, and laid down and put his head on her lap!!!!! >.< And THEN he held her hand and he got back up and kissed her cheek!!!!! >.< >.< >.< On Sunday he also picked up the girls legs and sat near her waist and leaned in to kiss her. She leaned away (CRAZY GIRL) and he ended up kissing her kind of on the neck. I was incredibly jealous. Then, as the song ended, he took her hand and they walked together off stage through a walkway cut out into the turned-around stage thingy.
니가 잠든 후에 (After You Fall Asleep): I hated this performance. Except for this cool horse gallop dance that Taeyang did, I thought this performance was really dumb. There was this big ugly looking bed that came out and Ji-Hye, his main dancer, is in the bed, and I was sure that something interesting was going to happen, especially at the Sunday performance and given the sexy bed scene famous in G-Dragon's solo concert, but ALAS, no such luck. He just stood on the bed and stepped over JiHye awkwardly. I hated this.
Connection: An all-English song which initiated a lengthy series of English songs. This song was on his solar international release album. I thought the performance was okay. The four main male dancers had little square risers that they set up in different groups and which Taeyang jumped on top of and sang from in various points across the stage. Meh. I was more entranced by the video in the background which had all the lyrics in a kind of interesting presentation, with the words dropping onto the screen and scrolling across is strange orders. It was pretty cool.
GUEST PERFORMANCE
Slow Jam (by Usher): Taeyang sang a duet of Slow Jam with IU. IU's voice was gorgeous. On Sunday, I thought her dress was really really beautiful. It had more flare from the hips and was all black and had this really cute big flowery bow on one shoulder. It was cute I was really impressed by IU
Better in Time (Leona Lewis performed by IU): Beautiful. I really liked that I knew all the English songs that they sang. IU is also super adorable and I love her. She's only 18, Korean age (so 17 everywhere else).
Baby I'm Sorry: Taeyang came back to sing this song, which I don't know well. He was wearing jeans and a black jacket now, if I'm not mistaken. I liked his jeans, but felt kind of neutral regarding the jacket. However, this song is gorgeous and beautiful and perfect. I LOVE THIS SONG.
Wedding Dress: Another classic. But, for some reason, probably the clothing, the performance just didn't do it for me. The back-up dancers kind of outshined Taeyang on this one. I might get crucified for saying that, but it's just my opinion.
Super Star: OMG I LOVE THIS PERFORMANCE. I keep wavering on how much I like this song, going between meh, it's just so-so and liking it pretty well (it's never been my favorite, but on good days it breaks the top five on Solar). The performance, though, was really great. It was based on a drumline type style, not too unlike the After School Bang performances, except without the drums, and without the ripped choreography. It was really fun.
Breakdown: Also with sort of the drumline feel. I LOVE THIS SONG. And the performance was just so upbeat and fun and so that was really nice. I enjoyed this. Their outfits were all red and the girls had cheer skirts on and those drumline hats with the poofy white feathers. And in the part where he says Elevator 저럼 let's go up and down, Taeyang jumped into the arms of the male dancers and the lifted him up in the air and back down a couple times. It was cool if not a bit too literal.
I Want You Back (MJ tribute): Taeyang did I want you Back and it made me happy. I love that song, it's so classic, and he actually sang it really well all in English. Taeyang really is a lovely performer. It was at this point that I just kind of thought, wow, I love him.
Closing Comments: Taeyang said a few last words. At the concert I didn't understand exactly what he was saying. On Saturday, it was quite a long speech. He seemed really moved and really sad. It turns out that was correct. Translations of portions of his speech: "The journey of my Solar album... as with all journeys, there were difficult and lonely times, but all of those times taught me great things" and "I think my next solo album... I think that it will have to take a long time. Because I think I'll only be able to put together a new album after searching more of myself and knowing more of who I am." "And I would like all of you to really be happy...and I want to say that I am truly thankful. Thank you so much." He cried, like seriously cried during this speech and I couldn't help but cry too. It was beautiful. It should be noted that he didn't cry at all on Sunday and his speech was much shorter. He didn't seem nearly so sad. And I'm glad for that.
나만바라봐 (Look Only at Me): I cried my way through this song. Taeyang was a little choked up singing it so he let it go for the audience in the first verse a bit, and the audience really impressed me with their enthusiasm and supportive singing. This song really isn't very nice lyrics-wise (Baby, even if I cheat on you, don't you cheat on me. Even if I forget you, don't you forget me. Even if I don't call and a I go out and drink and I meet eyes with another woman, only look at me). But, he did a remix at the end, and I'm fairly certain (although not positive, given my shaky on spot translating skills) that it was sort of an attempt to rectify the questionable lyrics. It seemed to me to be like, I love you more than anything type stuff. But it was really good.
Encore:
Where U At: Hoodies and baseball caps were worn for the encore performance. A side note about encores. When the fans shout for an encore, they all pronounce like N-core, N-core. Which I find quite annoying. But, so it goes. When in Korea, do as the Romans do. This performance was good. Standard Where U At.
Take It Slow: I'm so happy that he saved this song for the end. This is the song he wrote and composed and it's beautiful. This is my favorite song on the album and I think it's a perfect conclusion to a wonderful concert. I LOVED this performance. He did another of his hands out wide and back bend thing and I wanted to cry again. I loved it.
Note: On Sunday there was a secondary encore performance that Taeyang did of 나만바라봐 and Take it Slow. For 나만바라봐 the audience sang the whole chorus and it was awesome. I LOVED it. And then Take it Slow AGAIN. A lot of people left before hand, but I was able to catch it AND take a video. So here's that video of 나만바라봐. I had to cut it off suddenly at the end because a security lady was coming over to scold a group of us for recording and I slyly hid it away just in the knick of time. For your viewing pleasure:
xoxo
A
Breakdown: Also with sort of the drumline feel. I LOVE THIS SONG. And the performance was just so upbeat and fun and so that was really nice. I enjoyed this. Their outfits were all red and the girls had cheer skirts on and those drumline hats with the poofy white feathers. And in the part where he says Elevator 저럼 let's go up and down, Taeyang jumped into the arms of the male dancers and the lifted him up in the air and back down a couple times. It was cool if not a bit too literal.
I Want You Back (MJ tribute): Taeyang did I want you Back and it made me happy. I love that song, it's so classic, and he actually sang it really well all in English. Taeyang really is a lovely performer. It was at this point that I just kind of thought, wow, I love him.
Closing Comments: Taeyang said a few last words. At the concert I didn't understand exactly what he was saying. On Saturday, it was quite a long speech. He seemed really moved and really sad. It turns out that was correct. Translations of portions of his speech: "The journey of my Solar album... as with all journeys, there were difficult and lonely times, but all of those times taught me great things" and "I think my next solo album... I think that it will have to take a long time. Because I think I'll only be able to put together a new album after searching more of myself and knowing more of who I am." "And I would like all of you to really be happy...and I want to say that I am truly thankful. Thank you so much." He cried, like seriously cried during this speech and I couldn't help but cry too. It was beautiful. It should be noted that he didn't cry at all on Sunday and his speech was much shorter. He didn't seem nearly so sad. And I'm glad for that.
나만바라봐 (Look Only at Me): I cried my way through this song. Taeyang was a little choked up singing it so he let it go for the audience in the first verse a bit, and the audience really impressed me with their enthusiasm and supportive singing. This song really isn't very nice lyrics-wise (Baby, even if I cheat on you, don't you cheat on me. Even if I forget you, don't you forget me. Even if I don't call and a I go out and drink and I meet eyes with another woman, only look at me). But, he did a remix at the end, and I'm fairly certain (although not positive, given my shaky on spot translating skills) that it was sort of an attempt to rectify the questionable lyrics. It seemed to me to be like, I love you more than anything type stuff. But it was really good.
Encore:
Where U At: Hoodies and baseball caps were worn for the encore performance. A side note about encores. When the fans shout for an encore, they all pronounce like N-core, N-core. Which I find quite annoying. But, so it goes. When in Korea, do as the Romans do. This performance was good. Standard Where U At.
Take It Slow: I'm so happy that he saved this song for the end. This is the song he wrote and composed and it's beautiful. This is my favorite song on the album and I think it's a perfect conclusion to a wonderful concert. I LOVED this performance. He did another of his hands out wide and back bend thing and I wanted to cry again. I loved it.
Note: On Sunday there was a secondary encore performance that Taeyang did of 나만바라봐 and Take it Slow. For 나만바라봐 the audience sang the whole chorus and it was awesome. I LOVED it. And then Take it Slow AGAIN. A lot of people left before hand, but I was able to catch it AND take a video. So here's that video of 나만바라봐. I had to cut it off suddenly at the end because a security lady was coming over to scold a group of us for recording and I slyly hid it away just in the knick of time. For your viewing pleasure:
xoxo
A
A Video
This is for my friend Words Run Dry.
Maybe she's seen it, maybe not. But now all of you can see it.
Maybe she's seen it, maybe not. But now all of you can see it.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Taeyang Solar Concert
OMG IT WAS AMAZING.
AND I'M GOING AGAIN TONIGHT.
YES YES YES YES YES.
The full details about the concert will be up tonight or tomorrow morning, korea time. ^^
AND I'M GOING AGAIN TONIGHT.
YES YES YES YES YES.
The full details about the concert will be up tonight or tomorrow morning, korea time. ^^
Friday, September 24, 2010
BoA on Music Bank
BoA absolutely killed it on Music Bank today. Everyone says she looks tired, but I think maybe that dead eye thing is intentional? Okay, that's maybe a bit hard to believe, but the way she so non-chalantly executed that choreography is pretty much mind-boggling. She's gorgeous and her hair is great, and her singing is fantastic and this song is beautiful.
Oh, and my Chuseok was really good. Full update later. TOMORROW = TAEYANG
Oh, and my Chuseok was really good. Full update later. TOMORROW = TAEYANG
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Kitchen adventures
Since I've been around the house a lot the last few days, I've had a couple opportunities to mess around in the kitchen and attempt to make things. For those of you who do not know me, I really really really like cooking. I like baking desserts and cooking meals and thinking about cooking meals, and tweaking recipes, and all that jazz. It's just fun for me. Back at UF, the roomies and I had family dinners 3-4 times/week. Each of us would cook a meal for four (or more) once a week, and we'd share with each other. It was super efficient and enabled us to get a wide variety of foods, expand our personal recipe books and enjoy each others' company (which reminds me, to the old roomies: can someone send me the recipes for a) cheesy chicken, b) chili, c) chicken soup, and d) crepes? Kthanks)
Yesterday I made mac & cheese from the box. Nothin special there. I added too much butter and milk (you see, the butter here comes in bricks approximate 1 kg in weight, which is just over 2 lbs. It is difficult to guesstimate 4 tablespoons of butter. As for the milk, I don't have measuring cups here, and so I had to eyeball it. not a good idea) but it was tasty nonetheless.
Today I experimented with 도시락 or doshirak. Doshirak is like the Korean version of bento boxes. It is a Korean lunch box of sorts. The tendency these days is to make it a regular rounded meal of different food groups and such. But, the origin of doshirak is quite humble. Doshirak used to be stigmatized as the food of poor rural workers. Doshirak typically consisted only of rice and kimchi, often a fried egg added when money presents itself. If you order a doshirak at a restaurant that doesn't specialize in doshirak, this is pretty much exactly what you will get, a fried egg, some rice and kimchi. Not much, but it's pretty much the three staples of the korean diet. They have become more elaborate, but they remain largely the same, with a base of rice, a side of kimchi, usually an egg. these days, though, they often add some meat to make it more filling.
I tried to make a version of doshirak for myself. I diced up some garlic, and sliced some mushrooms. Sauteed them in a pan. Microwaved one hot dog, sliced. Prepped rice and fried up an egg. Mashed it all together, and there was my late lunch. It was pretty mediocre, I'm not gonna lie. It was wildly underseasoned, and desperately neeeded the kimchi it was lacking. The hot dogs were a great add, but the garlic overwhelmed the dish. If I make this again, which I probably will, I will 86 the garlic, keep the hot dog and toss in some kimchi to round it out. Also, I'll be more careful to season the egg while it's frying (something that I forgot all together).
I have made a particularly fantastic bulgogi doshirak before. I wish that was what I ate for lunch.
I'm thinking I'll make a meat sauce spaghetti tonight for dinner since I didn't last night. ^^
Anyways, tomorrow is D-day. Keep your fingers crossed, say a pray for me, light a candle for me, or do whatever it is you do to protect someone from its downfall. Thanks!
xoxo
A
Yesterday I made mac & cheese from the box. Nothin special there. I added too much butter and milk (you see, the butter here comes in bricks approximate 1 kg in weight, which is just over 2 lbs. It is difficult to guesstimate 4 tablespoons of butter. As for the milk, I don't have measuring cups here, and so I had to eyeball it. not a good idea) but it was tasty nonetheless.
Today I experimented with 도시락 or doshirak. Doshirak is like the Korean version of bento boxes. It is a Korean lunch box of sorts. The tendency these days is to make it a regular rounded meal of different food groups and such. But, the origin of doshirak is quite humble. Doshirak used to be stigmatized as the food of poor rural workers. Doshirak typically consisted only of rice and kimchi, often a fried egg added when money presents itself. If you order a doshirak at a restaurant that doesn't specialize in doshirak, this is pretty much exactly what you will get, a fried egg, some rice and kimchi. Not much, but it's pretty much the three staples of the korean diet. They have become more elaborate, but they remain largely the same, with a base of rice, a side of kimchi, usually an egg. these days, though, they often add some meat to make it more filling.
I tried to make a version of doshirak for myself. I diced up some garlic, and sliced some mushrooms. Sauteed them in a pan. Microwaved one hot dog, sliced. Prepped rice and fried up an egg. Mashed it all together, and there was my late lunch. It was pretty mediocre, I'm not gonna lie. It was wildly underseasoned, and desperately neeeded the kimchi it was lacking. The hot dogs were a great add, but the garlic overwhelmed the dish. If I make this again, which I probably will, I will 86 the garlic, keep the hot dog and toss in some kimchi to round it out. Also, I'll be more careful to season the egg while it's frying (something that I forgot all together).
I have made a particularly fantastic bulgogi doshirak before. I wish that was what I ate for lunch.
I'm thinking I'll make a meat sauce spaghetti tonight for dinner since I didn't last night. ^^
Anyways, tomorrow is D-day. Keep your fingers crossed, say a pray for me, light a candle for me, or do whatever it is you do to protect someone from its downfall. Thanks!
xoxo
A
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Chuseok Vacation part 3
I've rediscovered Saves the Day. That's what my vacation has become.
I went to E-Mart and bought the fixings for meat sauce spaghetti (with 한우!!!) as well as mac and cheese. That should keep me fed for a couple days.
I bought cakes for 부's family. I need to come up with a good English nickname for him. Anyways, I'm going to his grandmother's house on Thursday. I'm only moderately terrified, which is an improvement from utterly terrified which is how I felt when he initially asked me. You see, this is a big step, and I don't want to fuck it up by saying the wrong thing to his parents or grandparents or aunts and uncles and cousins while I'm there. They will all be judging me and not only do I have no idea what I'm going to say or do, I also have no idea what to wear, and no idea what they will think of me.
It's pouring outside. I'm listening to the Through Being Cool album. FML.
On the bright side, I found the oven I want to buy at E-Mart. It's bigger than all the others I've seen (but still maybe 1/4 the size of a regular american oven), and it's about 300 dollars. And I may have found the perfect first baked good on the Cupcakes Take the Cake blog:
Chocolate Chip cookie dough cupcakes with cookie dough inside and a cookie on top. HOLY HELL I MUST EAT THESE ASAP.
xoxo
A
I went to E-Mart and bought the fixings for meat sauce spaghetti (with 한우!!!) as well as mac and cheese. That should keep me fed for a couple days.
I bought cakes for 부's family. I need to come up with a good English nickname for him. Anyways, I'm going to his grandmother's house on Thursday. I'm only moderately terrified, which is an improvement from utterly terrified which is how I felt when he initially asked me. You see, this is a big step, and I don't want to fuck it up by saying the wrong thing to his parents or grandparents or aunts and uncles and cousins while I'm there. They will all be judging me and not only do I have no idea what I'm going to say or do, I also have no idea what to wear, and no idea what they will think of me.
It's pouring outside. I'm listening to the Through Being Cool album. FML.
On the bright side, I found the oven I want to buy at E-Mart. It's bigger than all the others I've seen (but still maybe 1/4 the size of a regular american oven), and it's about 300 dollars. And I may have found the perfect first baked good on the Cupcakes Take the Cake blog:
Chocolate Chip cookie dough cupcakes with cookie dough inside and a cookie on top. HOLY HELL I MUST EAT THESE ASAP.
xoxo
A
Monday, September 20, 2010
Why I hate Chuseok, more specifically
Because something like this actually is the highlight of my night. He's in FT Island for those of you who don't know.
FML
xoxo
A
FML
xoxo
A
추석 Chuseok
So, I'm kinda sick of Chuseok already, and it's not even officially Chuseok yet. I'm bored out of my fucking mind. Seriously. It's only 5:40 on Monday and I have the whole rest of the week off and no plans. I can only watch so many episodes of Big Bang Theory, Glee, and How I Met Your Mother. I mean seriously.
I was really excited for Chuseok because I figured I could take a rest and do whatever, but my friends are all out of town for the holiday and my boo is busy with his family.
I think I hate Chuseok.
On a happier note, t-minus 5 days till I see Taeyang's Solar Concert. Today I bought some papers and glitter and other craft supplies in order to make a sign for my beloved. ^^
Seriously though, I hope his concert is awesome enough to save my shit Chuseok.
xoxo
A
I was really excited for Chuseok because I figured I could take a rest and do whatever, but my friends are all out of town for the holiday and my boo is busy with his family.
I think I hate Chuseok.
On a happier note, t-minus 5 days till I see Taeyang's Solar Concert. Today I bought some papers and glitter and other craft supplies in order to make a sign for my beloved. ^^
Seriously though, I hope his concert is awesome enough to save my shit Chuseok.
xoxo
A
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Cake Wrecks
So some of my more internet adept friends and readers have probably already seen this blog, but it's called Cake Wrecks and it's over at www.cakewrecks.blogspot.com
HOLY CRAP it's hilarious.
This is my favorite picture I just found while browsing.
My friend showed it to me about 4 months ago, and I got on infrequently, but I just about pissed myself laughing at the above one. It's so damn funny.
So yeah, check it out.
xoxo
A
HOLY CRAP it's hilarious.
This is my favorite picture I just found while browsing.
America, fuck yeah.
My friend showed it to me about 4 months ago, and I got on infrequently, but I just about pissed myself laughing at the above one. It's so damn funny.
So yeah, check it out.
xoxo
A
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Internets
I'm on the internets. In my apartment. BAM.
It's really fast and I'm hell stoked about it.
For a brief time it didn't work when I was at home last night, but it got problem solved by my boyfriend. ^___^ Hooray!
Today I'm going to Coex Mall.
Next week I have no school. Chuseok Vacation ftw.
It's really fast and I'm hell stoked about it.
For a brief time it didn't work when I was at home last night, but it got problem solved by my boyfriend. ^___^ Hooray!
Today I'm going to Coex Mall.
Next week I have no school. Chuseok Vacation ftw.
Friday, September 17, 2010
VLOG!
I'm gonna start vlogging because I think it's cool.
I hope you enjoyed it. More to come!
xoxo
A
I hope you enjoyed it. More to come!
xoxo
A
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Haesa Go
First off, sorry for being a pretty mediocre poster these days. I'm just really really really effing busy.
Anyways, today I have a free moment so I figured I'd post an update.
Like I said, I moved. I still have no pictures up of my apartment because I've been so busy. I still have to order a desk from gmarket (I picked out out and then ie crashed and I lost the page and I've been lazy about it). I still have to buy some shelves/drawers to store my purses/sweaters/winter hats/scarves. I still have to determine if my ant problem is gone or if they come back. I still have to get internet in my apartment. Once those things are finished, I will take some pictures and then I will post those pictures. k?
My apartment is great besides the ants and the strange humidity and lack of circulation in the apartment. I have two rooms, and my a/c is in the bedroom which makes the living area/kitchen a bit stuffy. But oh well. My refigerator is perpetually empty but I swear that one day I'll fix that. Currently my fridge contains: two pre-made steamed rice bowls, two natures valley salty&sweet chewy granola bars, three hot dogs, a bottle of water, a bottle of strawberry/veg juice, and a bottle of apple/carrot juice. And that's it. I swear I'll start cooking again.
The main reason I'm not cooking these days is because four days a week I am not home until 9 p.m. or later and I eat out.
Monday through Wednesday I'm teaching English at a nearby maritime high school (imagine a technical school specializing in ship navigation and mechanics) from 6:30-9:15 each night. I get to the school everyday at about 6 p.m. and me and the other English teachers eat dinner there at the school. On Thursday nights, I eat in 구월동, which is the arts center area, because I have Korean class near there. There is a donkasu place I like there. Maybe I'll take a picture of the donkasu I eat one day. Who knows.
Teaching at Haesa Go (that's the shortened form of maritime high school) is a trip. It's all boys. All my students are grade 1 (so they are 16 years old, roughly). They like to talk about sports and music and insulting each other, but it's a whole different world from teaching my girls. I've learned to become really intense. About a third of each class is terrified of me, the other 2/3 thinks it's hilarious. I find those proportions to be satisfactory for my needs. The students have very low levels, but they are hilarious.
I teach three periods a night, the same three classes each day. My first period class is my favorite, and my second period class is my least favorite. My first period class has taken to calling me 누나 and I think it's really funny. I didn't like it at first, but now I think it's cute and endearing. For you non-Korean speakers out there, 누나 is noona, and it's a word that boys use for girls who are older than them, but not a ton older. It really means older sister (only for boys to use to girls, not girls to girls). It's a semi-respectful word, but it shows a certain level of closeness, usually. My second class is like a living hell. The boys are bored and disinterested and disruptive. I hate it. My third class is just kind of mediocre.
Anyhow, I'm teaching those classes and they are quite a toll. Yesterday at the very beginning of 3rd period, I had a student (not mine) come to my classroom and hand me a little chalk box and he said, "present". I took it and knew it wasn't chalk. I opened it and it looked like there was something wrapped in a leaf. My students all said, oh teacher, 곱등이! I didn't think that was it, but that's what they were yelling. 곱등이 (gopdeungi) is this bug native to japan, Korea and Taiwan. It's a jumping bug and it's pretty nasty looking. I dumped the box out and it turns out it was just this really fat long bright green caterpillar. He was actually pretty cute. He's skin/shell/whatever it is was meant to look like a leaf so he could blend in. He was super bright green. I wish, in retrospect that I had a camera with me to catch a picture, but I didn't. My boys were pretty afraid of it, but I dealt with it. I put it back in the box and figured we could release it after class finished. After class, I took the box and pretended like I would throw it on one of my students. He subsequently freaked out and ran away terrified. Then I gave the box to another student and told him to take it out, and he took the box and pretended he would throw it on me. I freaked a little too. Eventually another teacher took it and we brought it outside.
It was pretty awesome.
Another student told me about how a grade 2 student beat him with a tennis racket. It was horrifying. The reason he got beat? Because during dinner he made eye contact with the grade 2 student. >.< omg, crazy. Then, later that class, that same student got a text message that his best friends father had died. Most depressing day ever.
Anyways, a friend of mine who teaches at the school just got admitted to the hospital for gastro issues. That sucks a lot, especially because he was supposed to plan today's lesson so now I'm a bit up shit creek in that respect. I hopefully will go visit him today or tomorrow, depending on my schedule.
That's it!
xoxo
A
Anyways, today I have a free moment so I figured I'd post an update.
Like I said, I moved. I still have no pictures up of my apartment because I've been so busy. I still have to order a desk from gmarket (I picked out out and then ie crashed and I lost the page and I've been lazy about it). I still have to buy some shelves/drawers to store my purses/sweaters/winter hats/scarves. I still have to determine if my ant problem is gone or if they come back. I still have to get internet in my apartment. Once those things are finished, I will take some pictures and then I will post those pictures. k?
My apartment is great besides the ants and the strange humidity and lack of circulation in the apartment. I have two rooms, and my a/c is in the bedroom which makes the living area/kitchen a bit stuffy. But oh well. My refigerator is perpetually empty but I swear that one day I'll fix that. Currently my fridge contains: two pre-made steamed rice bowls, two natures valley salty&sweet chewy granola bars, three hot dogs, a bottle of water, a bottle of strawberry/veg juice, and a bottle of apple/carrot juice. And that's it. I swear I'll start cooking again.
The main reason I'm not cooking these days is because four days a week I am not home until 9 p.m. or later and I eat out.
Monday through Wednesday I'm teaching English at a nearby maritime high school (imagine a technical school specializing in ship navigation and mechanics) from 6:30-9:15 each night. I get to the school everyday at about 6 p.m. and me and the other English teachers eat dinner there at the school. On Thursday nights, I eat in 구월동, which is the arts center area, because I have Korean class near there. There is a donkasu place I like there. Maybe I'll take a picture of the donkasu I eat one day. Who knows.
Teaching at Haesa Go (that's the shortened form of maritime high school) is a trip. It's all boys. All my students are grade 1 (so they are 16 years old, roughly). They like to talk about sports and music and insulting each other, but it's a whole different world from teaching my girls. I've learned to become really intense. About a third of each class is terrified of me, the other 2/3 thinks it's hilarious. I find those proportions to be satisfactory for my needs. The students have very low levels, but they are hilarious.
I teach three periods a night, the same three classes each day. My first period class is my favorite, and my second period class is my least favorite. My first period class has taken to calling me 누나 and I think it's really funny. I didn't like it at first, but now I think it's cute and endearing. For you non-Korean speakers out there, 누나 is noona, and it's a word that boys use for girls who are older than them, but not a ton older. It really means older sister (only for boys to use to girls, not girls to girls). It's a semi-respectful word, but it shows a certain level of closeness, usually. My second class is like a living hell. The boys are bored and disinterested and disruptive. I hate it. My third class is just kind of mediocre.
Anyhow, I'm teaching those classes and they are quite a toll. Yesterday at the very beginning of 3rd period, I had a student (not mine) come to my classroom and hand me a little chalk box and he said, "present". I took it and knew it wasn't chalk. I opened it and it looked like there was something wrapped in a leaf. My students all said, oh teacher, 곱등이! I didn't think that was it, but that's what they were yelling. 곱등이 (gopdeungi) is this bug native to japan, Korea and Taiwan. It's a jumping bug and it's pretty nasty looking. I dumped the box out and it turns out it was just this really fat long bright green caterpillar. He was actually pretty cute. He's skin/shell/whatever it is was meant to look like a leaf so he could blend in. He was super bright green. I wish, in retrospect that I had a camera with me to catch a picture, but I didn't. My boys were pretty afraid of it, but I dealt with it. I put it back in the box and figured we could release it after class finished. After class, I took the box and pretended like I would throw it on one of my students. He subsequently freaked out and ran away terrified. Then I gave the box to another student and told him to take it out, and he took the box and pretended he would throw it on me. I freaked a little too. Eventually another teacher took it and we brought it outside.
It was pretty awesome.
This is 곱등이
What was actually in the chalk box, more or less.
Another student told me about how a grade 2 student beat him with a tennis racket. It was horrifying. The reason he got beat? Because during dinner he made eye contact with the grade 2 student. >.< omg, crazy. Then, later that class, that same student got a text message that his best friends father had died. Most depressing day ever.
Anyways, a friend of mine who teaches at the school just got admitted to the hospital for gastro issues. That sucks a lot, especially because he was supposed to plan today's lesson so now I'm a bit up shit creek in that respect. I hopefully will go visit him today or tomorrow, depending on my schedule.
That's it!
xoxo
A
Saturday, September 11, 2010
2ne1: To Anyone CD Review
Well, I've done reviews of Se7en's and Taeyang's recent comeback cds, so it's only fair that I complete the YG circle by doing a review of 2ne1's album too. Now, let me be clear, I like Taeyang and Se7en more than 2ne1 so those reviews were really biased. I still really like 2ne1, but I think this cd review will be my least biased.
Also, I will be posting up the lyrics to all the songs on the album by the end of next week on www.reallykpop.com Check that out for Korean and Romanji lyrics (and hopefully English before September is out, but I can't make any promises).
To Anyone Album Review
I'll start with a review of the overall packaging and image of the cd, because that is an extremely important aspect of the cd here in Korea. Packaging is usually over the top and larger than just a standard square plastic case. The cd came in a silver reflective rectangular case. It's pretty bold and shiny, but maintains a certain class with only the word 2NE1 emblazoned across the front in a sort of 반짝반짝 print. The cd case opens like a book and on the right is the cd, printed with some beautiful flowers. I really really like the actual cd. I've seen some really cool cds (Taeyang's deluxe edition cd is really good) but this one takes the cake. It's beautiful and it's a bit of too-infrequently shown soft side of the girls. On the left side is the photo book which doubles as the cd insert and contains all the lyrics. The pictures are bold and brazen, like the group. CL sports some intense red leather & metal platform heels. Minji wears a Jeremy Scott exclusive bright blue sweatsuit, with 2 inch spikes protruding all over the hood. In this picture, Minji is also wearing some intensely blue contacts. Other notable fashion pics: Minji's leather spikes corset-dress. It's super-provocative and hard as shit. The girls all wear pink haz-mat type suits with CL in the font wearing another Jeremy Scott exclusive: Black pants with white zippers on the shins, and a black top with some intense white piping through the neckline and shoulders. Sandara park in a black feather collar and smoky sexy eye make-up, Bommie is a green military style jacked and red red red hair. It also came with a 2ne1 family card.
1. Can't Nobody
The intro of this song is very very bass thumping like a 80's club hit. I like the end of the first verse, and the chorus is undeniably catchy with the combination of Minzy's English and Bom's voice. 2ne1 probably has the best English in the kpop industry as far as lyrics go (and up there in general english skills as a group). This song is heavily auto-tuned, with the strict exception of Bom's portion of the chorus. I also think CL's first 5 lines of the second verse are dooooope. The rest of the song (Dara's parts) are pretty much forgettable, in my opinion. Sad but true.
2. Go Away
Another song that is heavily auto-tuned. This will turn a lot of people away as people viciously attack the use of auto-tune as a crutch. I am of the opinion that some artists use it as a tool instead of a crutch. 2ne1's producers are one of them. T-pain and Kanye West are also among the people who use it as a tool to create a certain mood or theme. This album of 2ne1's is based on an idea of being extremely futuristic (something 2ne1 has always embodied) and the robotic auto-tune fits that. Plus, we already know they can sing. They have beautiful voices. Other groups like Kara, SNSD or even Son Dam Bi or Lee Hyori have infamously used the auto-tune to alter their artist's voices to make them perfect tonally when there are imperfections. That is not the intention in Go Away. Anyways, this is a slower song, which CL calls an upgraded version of I Don't Care. Frankly, I'm not crazy about this song. It's just kind of mediocre to me. There are points where you can see tremendous potential, but the lyrics and melodies fall just short. It's not an upgrade (except in tempo) from I Don't Care, which is the perfect moving on song. However, the video for this song is a huge huge upgrade from I Don't Care. It's a story video and holy shit, it's awesome.
3. 박수쳐 (Clap your Hands)
This song is my favorite of the three title tracks they are promoting. It's also probably the least favorite of my students. It's super interesting. The intro is club ready with the heavy bass beat, and the repetitive chorus commanding you to clap your hands. Minzy's line: 오늘 하루는 잠시 미미미쳐봐 욕심 따위는 모두 이이잊어봐 우리 신나면 ayo Walk Like a Champion 모두 준비 됐어 is a freaking perfect lead-in to the clappy chorus. Again, heavily auto-tuned, I think it's perfect for the club. My only complaint is the weird tempo change in the middle right before CL's rap. I don't like the tempo change, I don't like that weird racing sound that djs use so much. I don't like the rap very much. I don't like that scene in the m/v. It's just weird to me. However, I do fucking love the shit out of the second tempo change right after the rap where Dara says "I wanna rock your body, I wanna make some noise" It's so sexy and brings the song to a different level. Also, the "eh eh eh eh" part at the end is dope and it has an easy dance move in the m/v
4. 난 바빠 (I'm Busy)
My favorite song on the album. If you're looking for the electronic side of 2ne1, here it is. HOLY SHIT THIS SONG IS FIRE. Some people hate it like the author of the www.allkpop.com review, who said, "If the HAL 9000 computer from "2011: A Space Odyssey" decided to quit his day job, get a sex change and become a pop star, this would be the result." So some people don't like it? Well, fuck em, I love this shit. The electronic feel of this song is thorough and freaking awesome as hell. This is the one song that I cannot get out of me head. From the first word to the last one. SHIT IS FIRE.
5. 아파 (It Hurts)
This is a nice change of pace from the electronic feel. This song is nice. It's a said song about love. I really like this song, but I don't love it. It isn't edgy enough for 2ne1. I just look for a different level of showmanship from them and this doesn't quite cut it. This is most of my Korean student's favorite song. Granted, their voices are across the bored, beautiful here. I can appreciate this. I just don't think this will be the song I'll be singing it two weeks from now.
6. 사랑은 아야야 (Ouch Love is pain)
This is my preferred slow song off the album. Really this song is freaking perfect. The chorus picks up tempo just enough to make it really catchy, but their voices are really great. The song is auto-tuned in the chorus, but the verses are not clearly auto-tuned (although I'm sure it's used) and so the majority of their voices are clear and beautiful and I love love love love love this song. It's sad, but it's the song I'd listen to if my boyfriend broke up with me (oh god, please don't) but it's also still a song I can listen to when I'm happy and my relationship is fine. Again, the English, however infrequent is also impeccable.
7-9. You & I (Park Bom), Please don't go (CL&Minji), Kiss (Dara)
These songs were released a long time ago so I'm going to group them together. You & I is sugary sweet and cutesy, not unlike Bommie herself. The singing is lovely and the chorus is catchy. Please Don't Go is harder, fast tempo and intense, not unlike CL & Minji. There is no hiding the fact that Please Don't Go is easily one of my favorite songs of 2009. So, obviously I like this one. Kiss by Dara has one of the catchiest choruses of 2009. However, Dara is easily the least talented in 2ne1, so what her song lacks in raw singing talent is made up for in over-production of the song. The chorus is infectious, but aside from that, totally forgettable.
10. 날 따라해봐요 (Try to Follow Me)
It's unfortunate that the rest of this album isn't as perfect as this song. Seriously, this song is the best written, and best produced song on the album. It's obvious why this one was chosen to be released so much earlier than the album. It's got so many quotable lines, from "I got that bang bang if you know what I mean. It's goes bang a bang a bang a bang" and the chorus itself, plus like a zillion others. This song is audio perfection. Eh eh eh eh eh eh brrrap.
11. I Don't Care (Reggae Remix)
This song also came out a long time ago after fans requested a remake with G-Dragon and the girls collaborated with him and it became a super hit last fall. It was released digitally back then and it got tweaked a bit in the studio and was released for this album. I had heard this version of the song a long time ago when it was first released almost a year ago. It was change a fair amount. It's now a little less reggae-ish (if memory serves, I don't have the actual mp3 on hand to compare), and a bit more bluesy with the occasional steel drum. But still, it's great.
12. Can't Nobody (English Version)
HOLY SHIT I haven't heard an English version of a Korean song as good as this one ever in my whole life. Most times when an artist remakes a song into English, it gets completely changed (see Taeyang's Wedding Dress for the perfect example) and the English is pretty mediocre. However, whoever did the English writing for this song (I don't have the cd insert at the coffee place where I'm writing this) did an impeccable job. The lyrics fit the tempo and the feel of the song perfectly. Really, this competes with 날 따라 해봐요 as far as production and quality goes.
All in all, I'd say that the cd is pretty decent. On a scale of 1 to 5 (one being BahaMen's Who Let the Dogs Out and 5 being Michael Jackson's Bad) I'd give it a 3.5 It's not the best cd YG has put out this year (I think Taeyang's Solar blows this cd out of the water, but I am biased) but it's not the worst cd to come out in Korea this year. A lot of people are disappointed, but keep in mind this is easily the most highly anticipated album of the year. I think the expectations were for the girls to release an album where every single song was as good as Fire. I think very few cds have ever lived up to those kinds of expectations. My recommendations: If you can't afford the 14-16 bucks this cd will run you, at least download 난 바빠, Can't Nobody (Eng & Korean), 사랑은 아야야, and 날 따라 해봐요 on itunes and support the group. They are extremely talented. Also, I recommend watching the videos for their three singles. They are dooooooope. Well, at least the first two are. The third one got pushed back until Sunday at 10 a.m. I can't read the whole letter because it's long and all in Korean, but I got that much from their website: www.yg-2ne1.com
xoxo,
A
Also, I will be posting up the lyrics to all the songs on the album by the end of next week on www.reallykpop.com Check that out for Korean and Romanji lyrics (and hopefully English before September is out, but I can't make any promises).
To Anyone Album Review
I'll start with a review of the overall packaging and image of the cd, because that is an extremely important aspect of the cd here in Korea. Packaging is usually over the top and larger than just a standard square plastic case. The cd came in a silver reflective rectangular case. It's pretty bold and shiny, but maintains a certain class with only the word 2NE1 emblazoned across the front in a sort of 반짝반짝 print. The cd case opens like a book and on the right is the cd, printed with some beautiful flowers. I really really like the actual cd. I've seen some really cool cds (Taeyang's deluxe edition cd is really good) but this one takes the cake. It's beautiful and it's a bit of too-infrequently shown soft side of the girls. On the left side is the photo book which doubles as the cd insert and contains all the lyrics. The pictures are bold and brazen, like the group. CL sports some intense red leather & metal platform heels. Minji wears a Jeremy Scott exclusive bright blue sweatsuit, with 2 inch spikes protruding all over the hood. In this picture, Minji is also wearing some intensely blue contacts. Other notable fashion pics: Minji's leather spikes corset-dress. It's super-provocative and hard as shit. The girls all wear pink haz-mat type suits with CL in the font wearing another Jeremy Scott exclusive: Black pants with white zippers on the shins, and a black top with some intense white piping through the neckline and shoulders. Sandara park in a black feather collar and smoky sexy eye make-up, Bommie is a green military style jacked and red red red hair. It also came with a 2ne1 family card.
1. Can't Nobody
The intro of this song is very very bass thumping like a 80's club hit. I like the end of the first verse, and the chorus is undeniably catchy with the combination of Minzy's English and Bom's voice. 2ne1 probably has the best English in the kpop industry as far as lyrics go (and up there in general english skills as a group). This song is heavily auto-tuned, with the strict exception of Bom's portion of the chorus. I also think CL's first 5 lines of the second verse are dooooope. The rest of the song (Dara's parts) are pretty much forgettable, in my opinion. Sad but true.
2. Go Away
Another song that is heavily auto-tuned. This will turn a lot of people away as people viciously attack the use of auto-tune as a crutch. I am of the opinion that some artists use it as a tool instead of a crutch. 2ne1's producers are one of them. T-pain and Kanye West are also among the people who use it as a tool to create a certain mood or theme. This album of 2ne1's is based on an idea of being extremely futuristic (something 2ne1 has always embodied) and the robotic auto-tune fits that. Plus, we already know they can sing. They have beautiful voices. Other groups like Kara, SNSD or even Son Dam Bi or Lee Hyori have infamously used the auto-tune to alter their artist's voices to make them perfect tonally when there are imperfections. That is not the intention in Go Away. Anyways, this is a slower song, which CL calls an upgraded version of I Don't Care. Frankly, I'm not crazy about this song. It's just kind of mediocre to me. There are points where you can see tremendous potential, but the lyrics and melodies fall just short. It's not an upgrade (except in tempo) from I Don't Care, which is the perfect moving on song. However, the video for this song is a huge huge upgrade from I Don't Care. It's a story video and holy shit, it's awesome.
3. 박수쳐 (Clap your Hands)
This song is my favorite of the three title tracks they are promoting. It's also probably the least favorite of my students. It's super interesting. The intro is club ready with the heavy bass beat, and the repetitive chorus commanding you to clap your hands. Minzy's line: 오늘 하루는 잠시 미미미쳐봐 욕심 따위는 모두 이이잊어봐 우리 신나면 ayo Walk Like a Champion 모두 준비 됐어 is a freaking perfect lead-in to the clappy chorus. Again, heavily auto-tuned, I think it's perfect for the club. My only complaint is the weird tempo change in the middle right before CL's rap. I don't like the tempo change, I don't like that weird racing sound that djs use so much. I don't like the rap very much. I don't like that scene in the m/v. It's just weird to me. However, I do fucking love the shit out of the second tempo change right after the rap where Dara says "I wanna rock your body, I wanna make some noise" It's so sexy and brings the song to a different level. Also, the "eh eh eh eh" part at the end is dope and it has an easy dance move in the m/v
4. 난 바빠 (I'm Busy)
My favorite song on the album. If you're looking for the electronic side of 2ne1, here it is. HOLY SHIT THIS SONG IS FIRE. Some people hate it like the author of the www.allkpop.com review, who said, "If the HAL 9000 computer from "2011: A Space Odyssey" decided to quit his day job, get a sex change and become a pop star, this would be the result." So some people don't like it? Well, fuck em, I love this shit. The electronic feel of this song is thorough and freaking awesome as hell. This is the one song that I cannot get out of me head. From the first word to the last one. SHIT IS FIRE.
5. 아파 (It Hurts)
This is a nice change of pace from the electronic feel. This song is nice. It's a said song about love. I really like this song, but I don't love it. It isn't edgy enough for 2ne1. I just look for a different level of showmanship from them and this doesn't quite cut it. This is most of my Korean student's favorite song. Granted, their voices are across the bored, beautiful here. I can appreciate this. I just don't think this will be the song I'll be singing it two weeks from now.
6. 사랑은 아야야 (Ouch Love is pain)
This is my preferred slow song off the album. Really this song is freaking perfect. The chorus picks up tempo just enough to make it really catchy, but their voices are really great. The song is auto-tuned in the chorus, but the verses are not clearly auto-tuned (although I'm sure it's used) and so the majority of their voices are clear and beautiful and I love love love love love this song. It's sad, but it's the song I'd listen to if my boyfriend broke up with me (oh god, please don't) but it's also still a song I can listen to when I'm happy and my relationship is fine. Again, the English, however infrequent is also impeccable.
7-9. You & I (Park Bom), Please don't go (CL&Minji), Kiss (Dara)
These songs were released a long time ago so I'm going to group them together. You & I is sugary sweet and cutesy, not unlike Bommie herself. The singing is lovely and the chorus is catchy. Please Don't Go is harder, fast tempo and intense, not unlike CL & Minji. There is no hiding the fact that Please Don't Go is easily one of my favorite songs of 2009. So, obviously I like this one. Kiss by Dara has one of the catchiest choruses of 2009. However, Dara is easily the least talented in 2ne1, so what her song lacks in raw singing talent is made up for in over-production of the song. The chorus is infectious, but aside from that, totally forgettable.
10. 날 따라해봐요 (Try to Follow Me)
It's unfortunate that the rest of this album isn't as perfect as this song. Seriously, this song is the best written, and best produced song on the album. It's obvious why this one was chosen to be released so much earlier than the album. It's got so many quotable lines, from "I got that bang bang if you know what I mean. It's goes bang a bang a bang a bang" and the chorus itself, plus like a zillion others. This song is audio perfection. Eh eh eh eh eh eh brrrap.
11. I Don't Care (Reggae Remix)
This song also came out a long time ago after fans requested a remake with G-Dragon and the girls collaborated with him and it became a super hit last fall. It was released digitally back then and it got tweaked a bit in the studio and was released for this album. I had heard this version of the song a long time ago when it was first released almost a year ago. It was change a fair amount. It's now a little less reggae-ish (if memory serves, I don't have the actual mp3 on hand to compare), and a bit more bluesy with the occasional steel drum. But still, it's great.
12. Can't Nobody (English Version)
HOLY SHIT I haven't heard an English version of a Korean song as good as this one ever in my whole life. Most times when an artist remakes a song into English, it gets completely changed (see Taeyang's Wedding Dress for the perfect example) and the English is pretty mediocre. However, whoever did the English writing for this song (I don't have the cd insert at the coffee place where I'm writing this) did an impeccable job. The lyrics fit the tempo and the feel of the song perfectly. Really, this competes with 날 따라 해봐요 as far as production and quality goes.
All in all, I'd say that the cd is pretty decent. On a scale of 1 to 5 (one being BahaMen's Who Let the Dogs Out and 5 being Michael Jackson's Bad) I'd give it a 3.5 It's not the best cd YG has put out this year (I think Taeyang's Solar blows this cd out of the water, but I am biased) but it's not the worst cd to come out in Korea this year. A lot of people are disappointed, but keep in mind this is easily the most highly anticipated album of the year. I think the expectations were for the girls to release an album where every single song was as good as Fire. I think very few cds have ever lived up to those kinds of expectations. My recommendations: If you can't afford the 14-16 bucks this cd will run you, at least download 난 바빠, Can't Nobody (Eng & Korean), 사랑은 아야야, and 날 따라 해봐요 on itunes and support the group. They are extremely talented. Also, I recommend watching the videos for their three singles. They are dooooooope. Well, at least the first two are. The third one got pushed back until Sunday at 10 a.m. I can't read the whole letter because it's long and all in Korean, but I got that much from their website: www.yg-2ne1.com
xoxo,
A
Friday, September 10, 2010
Thursday, September 9, 2010
2ne1 is baaaaaaack!
I just watched the new 2ne1 video like 500 times. Ok, not 500, but a bunch. Here it is. I'll be doing a full analysis later. I promise. Initial thoughts: OMG, I love the the hair color changes, I love the dance for the chorus. I love the part where it's really slow in the forest scene, I love when they are in the martial arts studio type place (their make-up/costumes are gorgeous beyond words) and I think the forest scenes are generally really weird. I'm not crazy about the paint on the faces/arms.
Enjoy, and tell me, what did you think??
xoxo
A
Enjoy, and tell me, what did you think??
xoxo
A
Monday, September 6, 2010
Photo Update
I moved into my new apartment. I don't have pictures of that yet. I'm waiting till I get some furniture. I'm in the market for a table and two chairs (or a desk) and a comfy-ish chair for my bedroom. I have a ton of space and I figure I might as well do something with it. ^^
The real photo update is this. Today, as I was browsing through a plethora of Taeyang pictures, as is my usual no class pastime, I discovered this shot from a GQ shoot. I think a little piece of me died seeing this because it only confirmed that he is so far out of my league that I shouldn't even fantasize about one day making sweet sweet love to him.
xoxo
A
The real photo update is this. Today, as I was browsing through a plethora of Taeyang pictures, as is my usual no class pastime, I discovered this shot from a GQ shoot. I think a little piece of me died seeing this because it only confirmed that he is so far out of my league that I shouldn't even fantasize about one day making sweet sweet love to him.
xoxo
A
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Typhoon Kompasu
So, as a native Floridian and multiple Hurricane survivor, I feel like typhoons really aren't that big of a deal. Also, Typhoon Kompasu is named after a compass? What the fuck is that? Not intimidating at all (but then, Katrina isn't particularly intimidating, but you saw the damaged she did).
Yes, last night at about 4 a.m. I was woken up by mildly howling winds and light window shaking. But compared to the hurricanes I slept through in 2003 and 2004, I'd have to say it was nothing. The winds were strong, with gusts clocking in at nearly 60 mph. However, in August and September of 2004, the string of hurricanes named Charley, Ivan, Frances and Jeanne (cat. 4, 5, 4 & 3 respectively) all made landfall in Florida (Frances, the strongest, just skirted my hometown creating only some relatively minor damage, as did Charley). Ivan and Jeanne, however, hit dead on.
For meteorologic date regarding storms of that size, a category 3 hurricane has SUSTAINED winds (not gusts) of 110-130 mph and a cat. 5 hurricane (capable of causing what is called "catastrophic damage) has sustained winds of over 150 mph. As such, 60 mph is childs play by my standards.
Perhaps some of my fondest memories as a child were receiving hurricane days in elementary and middle school and being allowed outside during tropical storms or the outer bands of low category hurricans (usually cat. 1) and flying those little parachute toy soldiers across our two-acre lot by standing on a small concrete wall and releasing them from a height of perhaps 10 to 12 feet. They flew shockingly far, and it was never my job to retrieve them, which made releasing them that much more fun. Category one hurricanes has sustained winds of 75-95 mph.
However, this typhoon was a bit frightening as it seems no one really prepares for them in any noticeable manner. In Florida, you will see windows boarded up days before the hurricane hits, and grocery market shelves are stripped bare of water, batteries, and non-perishable food items and attempts to prepare oneself for the possibility of days without electricity (I remember my senior year of high school having no electricity for the whole of one week, and with it, no running water to speak of. Imagine that, combined with several inches of standing water in your front yard providing a perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes, plus unforgivingly hot and sunny post hurricane weather, and only triscuits and chef boyardee to sustain you for one week). Here, no one boards up windows, no one protects their crops (granted, there are no crops to speak of here in Incheon) and no one creates any fuss at all.
Understandably so. It's just a real bad thunderstorm.
But that damn thunderstorm sure was a pain in the ass. At about 6 a.m. I woke up to the strongish winds and rain on my window. Then, as I was preparing for my day, the door connecting to the air conditioning utility room to the rest of my apartment blew open with a crash and a sudden woosh of warm humid air, thoroughly scaring the shit out of me. I lept up out of my desk chair and pushed it forcefully shut whereupon it immediately blew open yet again.
"Hmph," I thought, "This will not work"
And I pulled out the packing tape and I had used to save the day the last time this very thing happened to me. Alas, this time, it did not suffice. A mere 5 minutes later, the wind blew the door crashingly open again.
So, I decided enough was enough and moved my coffee table against the door, and then put my desk chair behind that, wedged between the coffee table and my bed. Problem solved.
That's it for now.
xoxo
A
Yes, last night at about 4 a.m. I was woken up by mildly howling winds and light window shaking. But compared to the hurricanes I slept through in 2003 and 2004, I'd have to say it was nothing. The winds were strong, with gusts clocking in at nearly 60 mph. However, in August and September of 2004, the string of hurricanes named Charley, Ivan, Frances and Jeanne (cat. 4, 5, 4 & 3 respectively) all made landfall in Florida (Frances, the strongest, just skirted my hometown creating only some relatively minor damage, as did Charley). Ivan and Jeanne, however, hit dead on.
For meteorologic date regarding storms of that size, a category 3 hurricane has SUSTAINED winds (not gusts) of 110-130 mph and a cat. 5 hurricane (capable of causing what is called "catastrophic damage) has sustained winds of over 150 mph. As such, 60 mph is childs play by my standards.
Perhaps some of my fondest memories as a child were receiving hurricane days in elementary and middle school and being allowed outside during tropical storms or the outer bands of low category hurricans (usually cat. 1) and flying those little parachute toy soldiers across our two-acre lot by standing on a small concrete wall and releasing them from a height of perhaps 10 to 12 feet. They flew shockingly far, and it was never my job to retrieve them, which made releasing them that much more fun. Category one hurricanes has sustained winds of 75-95 mph.
However, this typhoon was a bit frightening as it seems no one really prepares for them in any noticeable manner. In Florida, you will see windows boarded up days before the hurricane hits, and grocery market shelves are stripped bare of water, batteries, and non-perishable food items and attempts to prepare oneself for the possibility of days without electricity (I remember my senior year of high school having no electricity for the whole of one week, and with it, no running water to speak of. Imagine that, combined with several inches of standing water in your front yard providing a perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes, plus unforgivingly hot and sunny post hurricane weather, and only triscuits and chef boyardee to sustain you for one week). Here, no one boards up windows, no one protects their crops (granted, there are no crops to speak of here in Incheon) and no one creates any fuss at all.
Understandably so. It's just a real bad thunderstorm.
But that damn thunderstorm sure was a pain in the ass. At about 6 a.m. I woke up to the strongish winds and rain on my window. Then, as I was preparing for my day, the door connecting to the air conditioning utility room to the rest of my apartment blew open with a crash and a sudden woosh of warm humid air, thoroughly scaring the shit out of me. I lept up out of my desk chair and pushed it forcefully shut whereupon it immediately blew open yet again.
"Hmph," I thought, "This will not work"
And I pulled out the packing tape and I had used to save the day the last time this very thing happened to me. Alas, this time, it did not suffice. A mere 5 minutes later, the wind blew the door crashingly open again.
So, I decided enough was enough and moved my coffee table against the door, and then put my desk chair behind that, wedged between the coffee table and my bed. Problem solved.
That's it for now.
xoxo
A
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