The Hot List

Since Summer is finally here, and it's legitimately HOT outside (or has been until today), I figure it's time for another Hot List. I should do these more regularly, but I don't. This edition will run the gamut of topics, so hopefully you will enjoy:

1. The Rub: I literally discovered them today via the Johnny Cupcakes blog. This DJ crew is composed of DJ Ayres, DJ Eleven and Cosmo Baker. The threesome has been working together for about 8 years, and they are based in NYC. They spin full-time and make mixtapes basically for a living. I haven't been listening to them for long, but I'm already hooked. They mix hip-hop, funk, soul, rock, and other genres to make truly interesting mixes. They also are currently producing a series called the History of Hip-Hop. This series basically puts a group of the hottest songs from a single year into a single long-ass mix. The series starts with the year 1979, which was posted on their site back in December of 2007. Their most recent addition is 2003, which is a throwback to high school for me. I'm listening to the 1993 mix right now, which contains classics like Tribe's Award Tour, Wu-Tang's Protect Ya Neck, Method Man and Wu-Tang Clan Ain't Nothin to Fuck With, Snoop's Gin & Juice, TuPac's I Get Around, Cypress Hill's Insane in the Brain, and Souls of Mischief's 93 to Infinity (which Dumb and Wax sample in 2010 to Infinity), along with 39 other joints from that year. While I was only 6 years old in 1993, and certainly had never heard Wu-Tang, Snoop, or delaSoul when I was in first grade, my respect for these artists is immense. To hear them all on one track is pretty epic. All of their shit is available for download on their website. I really hope I can see one or more of them spin when I go to NYC this summer. Hopefully Diane/Amy/Sarah/someone will be down to check them out with me.

2. Rain: It's monsoon season here in Korea. Now, being from Florida, I'm no stranger to summer rains. In fact, in my personal experience, it (thus far) has rained far less here in Korea than it does each summer in Gainesville or Wellington. But, I appreciate much more here for various reasons. 1) my classes are no longer outdoors (LA classes at the ELI are outside and thus were moved every single day due to midday rainshowers). 2) it makes it significantly cooler in my un-air-conditioned classroom and office. 3) The students like rain a lot and are thus much happier/animated in my class. Plus, I just really like the rain. It's messy and wet and cool and it totally encourages casual behavior/dress. The only really unfortunate thing is that in my perpetual forgetfulness, I manage to consistently lose/leave at home my umbrella. So, in the last two weeks, I've bought three umbrellas. T_T

3. R16 Bboy Championships- OH MY GOD. It's this weekend. I've been on the website every day for the last 5 days just looking at the links and watching videos and checking out the pictures. I'm so stoked for this. I'm going to the pre-party with Words Run Dry and Dre. I'm also going with WRD to the bboy championships. I don't know if she knows it, but we are going eaaaaaaaaaarly to get good seats and be as close to the action as possible. I'm stoked as fuck. There will be an Urban Arts Festival at Olympic Park with graffiti exhibitions and bboy circles, along with a street market. Then, popping/locking battles on Saturday and Crew battles Sunday. ^______^ Tickets are still available at www.r16korea.com

4. FUEL- I just received a bunch of my FUEL gear from BoBo/parents. Everything is really great. It's unfortunate that I just now get the sweatshirt since it's really hot here. Also, more importantly, FUEL released their highlight video on youtube this past weekend and it's fucking awesome. Filled with layouts and skies and nasty d's (I've never seen so many handblocks in a highlight video in my life), it makes me so proud to be a FUEL alumna. Anyways, you watch the video here, and check out their other highlights which I've posted here but deserve more hits.

5. Taeyang's Solar Album: My Young-Bae is dropping his first full-length solo album tomorrow. I've got my copy reserved at ShinNara Records at the Shinsegae near Arts Center. I'm the 60th person in Incheon to reserve it. Clearly I'm a superfan. Anyways, YG has been releasing a 1 minute sample of songs every day since Sunday, and they are all super fresh. I loooooooove it so far. Tomorrow evening you can expect a full review of the album. I will listen to every song like 10 times and then really late at night, after I obsess for a few hours, I'll tell you all just how fucking amazing it is. I mean, jesus, have you seen my Bae lately? SEEEEEEX. See below for one of the audio previews released to youtube. Other previews can be found here, here (this one is really gooooood) , here (see previous parentheses), here, and here.



xoxo
A

FUEL

These girls mean everything in this world to me. If there is one reason I would not stay in Korea another year, it is because I will miss these people too much. Also, please watch how FUCKING SICK they are.



personal favies:
1. Dani score; 00:55
2. Pav rip; 1:02
3. Jenna D; 1:22
4. Kate Lay-D; 1:26
5. Dani flop; 1:38 hahahaha
6. back to back layout grabs Jackie and Kate; 1:40
7. Kate huck to Meg deep; 2:46
8. The pretty pretty flow starting at 3:18
9. PAV CALLAHAN; 3:44

DREAM CONCERT!!!!

I got an outfit to wear to Dream concert this weekend. So it's only moderately embarrassing and lame that I got a brand new outfit to wear for this concert. I decided that for the concert, which is the 15 biggest Korean groups/singers right now, it is only appropriate that I get Korea'd out. As such, I got a new oversized plaid shirt (3/4 length rolled up sleeves, blues and browns, hits below the hips). I am going to get some khaki colored converses tomorrow to rock, and hopefully a pair of brown leggings to top it off. The brown leggings seem like a sretch because I'm so tall, and it will be difficult to find a good length. I'm thinking an x-large might do the trick. Anyways, I have to figure out a sweet hair pin to wear, and I got a necklace this weekend at Forever 21 that will be PERFECT!!! *^__^*

Additionally, I really wanted a plaid shirt. Plus I really wanted to buy some clothing from the underground. Success on all fronts! The shirt was from the underground in Dongincheon. It was a bit pricey (20,000won) but it's because it was made in Korea (that's what the lady said). It's moderately warm, which is clutch because if it's cool Saturday night (likely) I'm gonna have to keep warm somehow. Taeyang will keep me warm after the show, but for the actually couple hours the show lasts, I'll need something.

I got to talk to the whole fam via skype tonight, which was LOVELY. Tomorrow I have to pack my things for the concert/frisbee and get ready to go to Seoul.

Reading a Bill Bryson book I borrowed from Beth. Pretty good so far. Recommend.

Got a massive gas and electricity bill today. That was a bummer. Good news is I officially turned off my a/c for the rest of the calendar year (hopefully). If everything goes according to plan, that will save me a few bucks on gas/electric, which is mad expensive here.

FUEL goes to Itchfest this weekend. First season I'm not there. SO SAD. T.T I am cheering for everyone. I hope I get updates often.

xoxo,
A

The Things I Miss:

1. FUEL- frisbee here is wonderful. Really, it is. I can't even really tell you just how much I am loving ultimate here. The people are amazing and friendly and fun. I spend every weekend with them (thanks Bekah for your couch). But it's still not FUEL. Skype me everyone! Plus, what I wouldn't give for a BoBo, Dani, Kelly house party...

2. Alison Stolow- gossiping on the couch. giggling on the couch. studying on the couch. crying on the couch. watching shitty t.v. on the couch. drinking on the couch (and not on the couch). spending every waking moment of our lives on the couch.

3. Gossip Girl & Greek- along with this, I mean I mean the shows and the people I would watch them with (Paigey, Ali again, Sarah, etc.) Hulu does not work here, so I have no idea what is going on. I am seriously considering spending money to download them on itunes.

4. the LOEF- I have my quilt, and it makes me feel that much closer to each of you. I love you girls lots.

5. Pretzels- I discussed this with Paige, but seriously, wtf, Korea? Why do you not have pretzels? Seriously. All salty foods here are either not salty (the potato chips are either mad spicy or slightly sweet) or seafood flavored (I do NOT want squid chips). I didn't even eat pretzels that much, but seriously, I need something.

6. The 'Bu- public transportation is good for the environment and all, but it is somewhat inconvenient when your bus takes 15 minutes to get to your stop, and then you have to wait for the subway another 15 minutes, just to get someplace that would really only take 10 minutes by car. Plus, the malibu was like my child.

7. My sissy- Mel. That's all there is to say. She's hilarious. Skyping helps.

8. Mochi- ice cream here is good, but not as good as Mochi, and certainly not as good without Sar-bear and Nickipants.

9. the ELI- that job was cake. No disciplining students (they actually wanted to learn english), relatively similar levels, relaxed atmosphere, 10 hrs/week, COFFEE TALK

10. baking- I do not have an oven here, and I have been craving fresh, chewy cookies for the last month. I WANT BAKED GOODS.

In spite of these 10 things I really miss (and trust me there are more, I just can't think of them right now), I would not go back to the USA anytime soon. You would have to bribe me to come back. I'll take squid crackers, kupa, ShinHeung Girls Middle School, and ice cream from the familymart any day.

I fucking love the shit out of this place. Seriously.

Writing down the things I miss, oddly enough, made me realize how much I love it here. There aren't that many things to miss, really. I don't mean to sound callous, or uncaring or cold, although it may seem that I am. Frankly, the people I care most about will stay in my life, and those that don't matter, will exit quietly. I am grateful for that which I have in the United States and in Korea.

Up next: A subway commentary, complete with pictures. Look out on Thursday or Friday.

xoxo,
A

My first real live blog post.

So I'm not gonna lie, this feels a little bootleg to me, starting this blog before graduation. Frankly, though, I'm doing it because I'm avoiding work that I clearly should be doing, and I'm terrified to think that college will be over soon and I have no job prospects (not yet, at least) and no fucking clue what I'll be doing come August.

This week has been hell in the sense that I've made it hell for myself. I have a paper due Thursday in a class that I am no longer doing spectacularly in. I have an audioblog, a paper and blog commentary to take care of for a Spanish class in which my grade seems to be sliding downward before my very eyes. My other Spanish class, however, seems to be going rather well, in comparison.

Frisbee, as always, is busy. I enjoy every moment, but my god. I seem to find myself with frisbee people nearly every moment of my waking life, and although I love them all, it is not particularly conducive to getting work done. Take last night for example. I worked (read: played volleyball at UVS for 2 hours) and then played double disc with Carlo, Darin, Greg, Dan Reed, RSS and Glenn until we got rained out. At this point I was planning to go home to work on that paper due Thursday. However, I instead chose to go to Ale House for food with the guys and then we went to Darin's house for some Nintendo64, basketball and crossword puzzling. Ridiculous, but fun.

I can't even fathom my life without FUEL in it. This weekend, I actually cried at the prospect of not having FUEL girls with me in Korea or wherever the hell I end up. I am terrified at the possibility of never finding a set of people I get along with so well and loving as much as I love some of the girls on FUEL right now. Stacy, Alisha, BoBo, all of them are so real for me, and I am literally anxiety ridden about not having FUEL to occupy such a large part of my life.

Lame, right?

That's all for now.