The Kpop Image

So just about a month and a half ago I made my first twitter account. And already I find myself making surprising connections with some of my followers, who in turn I also follow back. But I am noticing this trend among them all, let me add that they are also all K-pop fans such as myself, that they are being too harsh on themselves for not looking like Hyorin, Dara, or one of the girls from SNSD. And this is not something that is subjected to just the girls, guys are also feeling the pressures in this day and age to look and dress like the K-pop idols from SHINee, B2ST, or from a variety of drama studs who flaunt their fashion and amazing good looks. Because I have that  "lean on me/ motherly" character, I feel like I should in my own sake of morality, reach out to these girls (and guys) who I know are probably just a few years younger than me, and help them to realize that K-pop celebrities, just as any celebrity caught in a culture that sells beauty as an image, is an illusion. But who am I to say anything?

Dara (Kiss MV)

Hyorin

I too am caught in this illusion trap. I actually get my sense of style from what I see in Korean dramas and strive to look and be as fashionable as those actresses, such as Han Ga In in 나빤 남자 (Bad Guy). So I have no real right to tell my twitter followers or even my friends that "its an illusion and you should just except yourself this way." I am contradictory to my own advice. But one thing that does separate me from most other girls is I do have a sense of love for myself. I like to dress up nice not because of an insecurity, well not entirely, but because I have a love for myself that makes me want to take care of me. Think about it. If someone is depressed, they will initially spend less time taking care of themselves. Maybe skip out on meals, bathing, and yes... their clothes will turn into a mesh of frumpiness, a wardrobe taken from the laundry hamper. Why? Because they most likely gave up on themselves. 

Supporting the EYK Family

If there is one thing I love about the internet, its amazing bloggers and video vlog artists like Simon and Martina who are the hosts of Eat Your Kimchi at Eatyourkimchi.com. Yesterday morning when I got online I saw a post from the two Canadians, now living in Korea, that they were in need of help. They announced that they will be continuing their website and will be building a EatYourKimchi  business in Seoul, about 15 minutes from where they are currently living. However, they needed to buy a townhouse studio to make it work, and as for foreigners living in Korea, making a business there is way expensive on top of the expenses to purchase a living space in what is one of the top busiest cities in the world. So they gave a shout out to their viewers stating that if only half of their 200,000 subscribers were to donate even $1 it would be more than enough for them to get the townhouse studio.

Check It out Here:

Help! K-pop Addict Exposure Syndrom?

So the new semester has started here at my University in Long Island. And It's great to see all the returning students come back into the swing of things greeting each other in ample excitement, because for us 3 months of not seeing one another is just too long. We love each other. And while new faces pop up within our residence dorms we upper grads take special interest in getting them feeling like this is their new home.

But with new comers always comes a certain measurement of uncomfortableness, unfamiliarity. Because right now you don't know how each person is going to judge or make opinions based on the things they perceive mixed with their own experience or inexperience. So how would a recently graduated high school boy from the Bronx, whose just been admitted to college, come to a sense of understanding me? A white American K-pop and Korean cultural enthusiast, who makes aims to move to Korea to teach English?  How could I even make someone who is straight out of Korea understand me?

G-Dragon is One of a Kind

Hey! Have you checked out G-Dragon's new single MV? This guy is really something. I feel like there is nothing G-Dragon can't do without making it golden. Just my opinion though. I love how he is reverting back to his earlier days style in this video by sporting the cornrows, baggy clothing, and rapping.

Now the atmosphere, dancing, and look of the cast seems rather masculine, so how does GD add in cuteness to capture his female fan's attention without shattering his "Bad Boy" look? Answer: Baby Animals! Not like kittens and puppies... no no, but fierce and exotic baby animals. The opening of this video featured a baby tiger and later introducing a black baby bear cub. WHAT! My heart nearly melted into my rib cage when I saw this.... God GD... *sigh. Nice call. But I have to say my favorite part? SPOILER ALERT! When Tae Tae (My way of saying Taeyang) came out and did a brief cameo in the end. Ahhhhh! I Love him!!! ^0^

Parody God

So as you know I am Gangnam Style crazy and love this video and song so much. I mean I have the song as my current ring tone! OPPA GANGNAM STLYE!!!! <(^0^<)

And what I thought was more hilarious than the epic itself was the following videos that spun off from it's amazing originality. Tons of video uploads featured on Youtube that tried to poke more fun at the song. Problem though... How do you make fun of a song or video that is already poking fun at itself? (As also said by Simon & Martina @ Eatyourkimchi.com) Not to knock the makers of these videos but when in comparison, PSY is the master at his own creation. No one else has been able to match up.

Except one man.

David So.

Happy Anniversary Big Bang

In South Korea, today would be August 19th. This day Marks the 6 year Anniversary of one of the most popular boy bands in all of Asia. BIG BANG!

It's been six years already and these guys have gone through so much and have over come some trying times in their careers from legal copy right issues, such as GD's "Heart breaker" having the same back drop beat as Flo Rider's "Right Round" or the run in with playboy corporation for using the bunny icon which was being used to promote TOP's and GD's collaboration, to even overcoming a tragic car accident involving Daesung, who was so personally destroyed emotionally that he spent weeks locked up in his room. Along with other hardships that I cannot actually say, but believe me they're there.