Yikes!

I just had a chocolate binge. It lasted all of 10 seconds, but oh my gosh, all that chocolate is gone now. 

Ok, ok. Maybe it was just a mini-binge. But still! Oh, life.

Passion

Pen meet paper. Because I also like to doodle.

Hump day

"Just keep swimming, just keep swimming"...at least I'm keeping my head above the water.

In the midst of working, I'm glad that I'm motivated enough to push through the icky stuff. Well, except for that minor breakdown on Monday and almost decided to give up. But what's life without its road bumps?

Bridging the gap

GT makes some very insightful points on what I like to refer as the Asian American condition. He specifically refers to apathy in his vlog and I think it rings all too true. Yes, there may be demonstrations protesting outrage at how Asians are misrepresented in Hollywood films or under-exposed in the music industry. But can we honestly say that there is indeed a market for Asian American artists and entertainers? Who is really to blame for their lack of success?

Generally speaking, Asian Americans have not actively supported the work of Asian American artists, entertainers and filmmakers. This may have to do with the duality of living as an Asian American, which can be a life full of compromises and feeling stuck between two worlds. In my personal experience, I kept both worlds separate. I did not appreciate how Hollywood films portrayed Asians so I decided that if I wanted to see Asians on screen, I would watch a Korean movie instead. There, problem solved, or so I thought. I quickly accepted that Asians and Asian Americans won't find mainstream success or earn respect in the entertainment industry. In other words, I went around the issue instead of helping to resolve it.

I believe that many Asian Americans feel or have felt this way. But it's important to realize that the power to enable change also depends on our actions, not just our words. Although Asian American artists seem scarce, they are out there and need recognition and support. The ability to venture out and connect online is tremendous, and I think we should use it to our advantage to seek them out. Otherwise, everything will remain the same and we will continue to be stuck living in two separate worlds. We need to bridge the gap and allow new voices breathe some fresh air into American society.

And now for something different...

"Zettai Kareshi" kind of sucked my soul the past 72 hours. Didn't read the manga so my disappointments were few. 

And the tears would NOT stop falling. Geebus.

A few words about Kpop

My involvement in the Kpop world has become a love-hate relationship. And these days, Kpop has been a whee bit frustrating.

Why the love? Because for me, and for many others I can imagine, it can be a great escape from real life. Plus, some of my favorite songs are by Korean artists/idols. I admit that one of my guilty pleasures is watching idols/artists on variety shows because some of it is just too priceless. Oh, and let's not forget sexy spreads of TOP. Why? Because he is HOT.

Why the hate? Well, I'm grinding my teeth at the ever-increasing style of music (auto-tune, repetitive lyrics and beats, fluff, fluff and more fluff) being produced and released en masse. Many songs being performed by our beloved idols are catered to follow the latest trends and increase sales instead of reflecting any dedication to the craft of making good music. And when I say "good music", I'm not trying to sound elitist. It's not about disliking a particular style, it's about hearing the true intentions and feelings behind a given song. Lately, some of Kpop's most popular songs seem a bit empty to me. I'll give any song a listen with an open mind, but I can't imagine listening to today's music 3-5 years from now.

I'm also very wary of the internet culture that comes with Kpop. Many fans and anti-fans take Kpop way too seriously. I am so, so tired of reading self-righteous and hateful comments. I have a growing dislike of petitions for the sake or downfall of an artist or group. It also baffles me how fans spend an obscene amount of money to share their love for idols, and I'm not talking about ordering every single calendar and picture book. I'm talking about buying freakishly expensive birthday and anniversary gifts, and frankly, it makes my stomach churn. I do, however, love how fans pool their money together to donate to a charity on behalf of their favorite idols.

As you can see, there are many factors in the industry I wish would change. I miss fan-girling over the music, not just magazine spreads and variety programs. 

[e]

I shall be waiting patiently for my copy of their 6th album. ^^

Internet culture in Korea and how it matters

Words, videos, images...a faceless person behind a computer screen can post or upload any of these on a blog, forum, or social networking site and unknowingly wield a certain amount of power  and influence. While the internet has definitely opened up the lines of communication on a global scale, the backlash of being connected come in many forms, whether it's online solicitation of minors, murder, or copyright infringement. In Korea, netizens can also create a backlash with harsh comments and thus hurt the recipient immensely. The power of netizens is a double-edged sword and they demonstrate time and time again the power that they have in Korean society.

Korea is one of the most wired nations in the world and their internet culture has fascinated me for years. I'm a big believer that communication and debate enriches people's lives, so I used to think how great it was that so many people cared enough to contribute their thoughts and opinions regarding various news articles and public figures. Then came the suicides that suddenly became more frequent during the past couple years, to the point where it was no longer surprising. Fascination with Korea's internet culture turned into dread when I realized the internet was heavily used as a vehicle for spreading hatred, not just an open forum for communication and understanding. My question was simple: why the hate? Well, the answer may be found upon examining Korea's media system.

I can't read every single Korean news article out there (anything longer than 2 paragraphs gives me a slight headache), but I've noticed that most are a bit wishy-washy and geared towards a more positive light, sometimes even bland in their unwillingness to expose certain truths. Just to compare, the U.S. has MANY news sources out there that critique anything and everything; almost nothing is hands-off and people are always openly debating. Yet, in a country where respect and image are huge factors, it seems easier for Korea to have its netizens be the real critics, share the "bad news" and expose public figures to be picked apart from all angles.

2PM's Park Jaebeom is just one example of the backlash of internet culture in Korea.  Choi Jin Shil, Unee, and Lee Eun Ju are a few other examples on the extreme end of the spectrum because they committed suicide due to antis going too far. 

Despite the damage netizens (not just in Korea but all over of the world) can cause, the open lines of communication are still there:

International forums, YouTube, blogs and minihompys are being utilized from people all over the world: Korea, U.S., Canada, Malaysia, Philippines, France, Australia, just to name a few. Park Jaebeom, you have some amazing fans and admirers.

*Edit 9/10/09: This isn't to say that I fully support those who are fighting for Jay's existence in 2PM and Kpop--that's a different matter altogether, especially the new updates/rumors regarding JYPE and the personal feelings for those who are intimately involved. 

After Labor Day...

This Labor Day weekend was interesting to say the least...I spent most of it with my family and chilled with a friend yesterday afternoon. After deciding that my low-key and relaxing weekend was just what I needed to kick off the work week, I went online to get my Kpop fix. You know, for some excitement that doesn't require a whole lot of effort. Surprisingly, and in other ways not so surprisingly, the drama that is the 2PM-Jaebeom-MySpace-fiasco hit an all new low and now he is coming back to the States. I admit that I spent most of last night reading articles first in Korean and then in English by clicking through international blogs, all the while wondering how could this happen so fast. 

Despite my real-life woes, I've given a fair bit of attention to the Jaebeom-MySpace controversy, but not because I'm a fan. As a fellow Korean-America, Jaebeom's situation both saddens and frustrates me because it touches on the subject of how Korean natives view Korean-Americans, and vice versa. Although the controversy seemed to divide Korean natives and Korean-Americans, after reading so many positive and supportive messages and articles, I'm hopeful that this is also breaking barriers for a more complete understanding of Korean culture, American culture, and the in-between.

화이팅!

Even when you fail/pick yourself back up again/show them what you got

Dilemma

Once I started all this talk of vacationing and visiting other countries, I became a bit sad because I realized that food is such a huge part of travel. While many people live to eat, I tend to eat to live, which is funny because I love watching food programs on the Travel channel or Food Network, even on YouTube (mainly because it involved 2AM):

(Ok, so I just wanted to mention 2AM for the heck of it because they're so funny but don't get as much attention as their other half).

My main point is, I don't get excited thinking about yummy morsels tantalizing my taste buds, but I enjoy watching other people light up and connect over something delicious. How weird am I?

My mental list of where I want to go, now on "paper"

Just to solidify and make my travel plans more real. Let's start with places I've always wanted to visit!

• The great land of 대한민국. Need to visit 충청도 and 서울, amongst others. (S.Korea)
• Japan is for when I make more money... ㅜ_ㅜ
• Paris, Metz and Mont-Saint-Michel (France)
• Rome and Florence (Italy)
• Athens, Meteroa, Mykonos and Crete (Greece)
• Madrid and Barcelona (Spain)
• Vienna (Austria) 
• Vancouver (Canada)

It just occurred to me that my mind automatically thought of destinations outside the country. I haven't been out of California very much, only Reno (thanks to my parents, hahaha), Vegas and Washington, D.C. 

Places in the U.S. I want to visit:

• Hawaii
  
• New York
• Chicago 
• Boston