MV Monday: Sistar's Alone

I love this song. And the semi-scandalous dancing in the music video. The vocals (those who ho hoos) and the piano chords that are repeated throughout the song are effective, and I love its disco sound.

The group debuted in 2010, and I think one thing that sets them apart is they definitely go for sex appeal. Even though their So Cool was cute, it definitely had a bit of the overt sexuality you can see in Alone.

Anyway, here are the lyrics for Alone:

Whoo .. (I don't wanna cry)
Whoo .. (please dry my eyes)
Whoo .. (I'm fallin' down)
Whoo .. (without you I'm fallin' down)

Do you have as many memories as me? What are you up to?
I'm still the same, just in case you come back
I'm really not this kind of girl, I've never done this
But love is too potent, I guess I still can't wake up

Deceived by your oh so sweet words
Now alone, I'm falling down, I'm falling down
I shouldn't have even met you, i didn't know it would be like this
Are we finished so easily?

Why am i eating alone again, watching movies alone
Singing songs alone, like this i cry and weep
You left and you're not here, even if i regret it there's no use
Today alone I...
Whoo .. Whoo

I walk the streets alone, I watch tv alone
I try to get drunk alone, like this everyday I cry and weep
Your love was so sweet, inside the shadow of separation
Today again I can't sleep
Whoo .. Whoo

Don't tell me it's over
Embrace me, why are you being like this to me?
Oh ma boy (whoo whoo whoo)
Today I sit through the night in tears again

Deceived by your oh so sweet words
Now alone, I'm falling down, I'm falling down
I shouldn't have even met you, I didn't know it would be like this
Are we finished so easily?

Why am i eating alone again, watching movies alone
Singing songs alone, like this I cry and weep
You left and you're not here, even if I regret it there's no use
Today alone I...
Whoo .. Whoo

I walk the streets alone, I watch tv alone
I try to get drunk alone, like this everyday I cry and weep
Your love was so sweet, inside the shadow of separation
Today again I can't sleep
Whoo .. Whoo

I was deceived again by your frequently blatant lies
I was bewitched by your cheap smile, did you have fun playing with me?
Now what can i do? I'm locked up in yearning all alone
You dumped my heart and now it's blank, it feels like an empty street

Whoo .. (i don't wanna cry)
Whoo .. (please dry my eyes)
Whoo .. (i'm fallin' down)
Whoo .. (without you i'm fallin' down)

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Since the lyrics are so repetitive, I think I should try to memorize them. It would be good for my Korean, and also fun for noraebang ^^

Another Example of Why the Chosun Ilbo Pisses Me Off

I try to read news sources from both sides of the political spectrum (which in Korea is kind of right and further right), but everything I read on the Chosun Ilbo really rubs me the wrong way. Like this article that popped up on my reader today:

Single Women in Korea More Likely to Drink, Smoke

Single women in Seoul smoke three times more than the average, and seven out of 10 drink alcohol regularly. Since single women tend to pay less attention to their health, three out of 10 of them assessed their health as "bad" and 40.6 percent they do little to take care of their health even though they are worried about it.

The figures come from a survey released Monday by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Seoul Foundation of Women and Family of 550 women between 25 and 49 who live alone.

Some 22.7 percent of the respondents smoke, more than three times the 7.2 percent of women nationwide. Also, 69.6 percent said they drink alcohol, with 24.3 percent saying they drink at least nine times per month.

Just 54 percent of single women went to hospital for treatment for women's illnesses, with cost being the main hindrance. Seoul has a high percentage of single women who live alone, accounting for about 10 percent of the city's population.

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 Is it just me, or is this just straight up patriarchal? Is this some kind of scare tactic against women who live alone? If you live alone, you are going to be a drunk who smokes all the time and drinks 9 times a month? I don't mind looking at statistics comparing single women with women who live with their parents, but why not try comparing them to single men who live alone? Where are those statistics? More than 40% of adult men smoke, which is almost double the statistic given about women. More men drink alcohol than women, and I'm sure everyone in Korea can attest that they consume far more on their nights out. I would love to hear how many times a month the average Korean male drinks. Koreans drink the most spirits of any country in the world. Now this statistic means that the average Korean drinks 2.5 shots a day (probably of soju). I would imagine most of these shots are drunk by men. Oh, you dangerous single ladies!


Then we have the last paragraph noting that only '54 percent of single women went to hospital treatment for women's illnesses'. Not exactly what they are referring to here... maybe gynecological exams? Is this a shockingly low number? I'm not sure.

Another article in the Chosun Ilbo that shows how not falling into the norms in society will worsen your life. Women who don't follow Korean society's strict norms face this type of scolding all the time. If they aren't living quietly with their parents searching for a good husband, they are going to become chain smokers and alcohol abusers. Right. 

I think if someone just had a blog analyzing all of the Chosun Ilbo's articles, it could be a riot. They would just need to be a better writer than me :-p

Pride Weekend and Thoughts on Homosexuality in Korea

This past weekend was AMAZING! Pride was great, and I met some cool people at the parade as well as saw some friends I hadn't seen in a while. I went back in 2010, but this year was a LOT bigger. As in they will need to change the venue next year because it was too packed to see the stage.

Thanks Kelly for this awesome picture

Korean society is slowly but surely changing toward acceptance of sexual minorities in Korea. The younger generation in particular actually talks about gayness (even though some of it may be to mock their fellow students). I just get a little worried about the growing strength of the religious right in Korea (see this great entry by Gordsellar on how textbooks will be dropping aspects of evolution in schools). There is a very vocal extreme religious right in Korea that wants society to view homosexuality as dirty and a perversion. Isn't it great to pick and choose certain verses of Leviticus? How about this one? Leviticus 20:9 If anyone curses his father or mother, he must be put to death. Man, a lot of people would be executed if we followed the 'word of God'.

Other religious leaders just want to argue that there have never been gays in Korea. Ha. At least aspects of Korean media realizes this is ridiculous. There have been gays in a couple of historical Korean films (The King and The Clown and The Frozen Flower), and I hope most people take what random pastors spew on TV with a grain of salt.

That was kind of a tangent, when I really just wanted to say that pride was GREAT. A celebration of love and acceptance for who we are as individuals, regardless of what the greater society thinks. We'll see how big it is next year ^^

MV Monday: Big Bang Monster

나이스! Big Bang released a new song yesterday... and here is the music video!

G-Dragon's hair is different of course. I was hoping it was going to be a bit more dancey, but I'm still enjoying it.

It’s been a while since we’ve met
Your face looks good
You got prettier, you were always beautiful in my eyes

But today you look a bit different
You look especially a bit cold
Your eyes that look at me are filled with pity
In front of you, I seem smaller

I tried to be fine, trying to change the subject
Though I had so much I wanted to ask you
You cut me off right away
Your long hair flowing
As it hit my cheek and passed away
You turn away and left right away
If I try to catch you here, would that be too ridiculous?

Nothing comes to my mind
As you tremble, you take a step, two steps back
You say that I scare you now
You’re like a moon that makes me go crazy

I love you baby I’m not a monster
You know how I was in the past
When time passes, it’ll all disappear
Then you will know baby
I need you baby I’m not a monster
You know me so don’t leave like this
If even you throw me away, I will die
I’m not a monster

No matter what happens, let’s be forever
When we’re sad, when we’re happy, let’s go till the end
You don’t say that tomorrow
Let’s love like today is the last

A life without you is like an imprisonment for life
An extinction from the world to the point where I’d go crazy
Your existence is a chronic disease, a repitition of pain
You’re a lingering attachment in my heart

The people of the world have turned their backs against me
The corners of their eyes are all twisted up
The greatest pain to me,
Is the fact that you became the same as them

I love you baby I’m not a monster
You know how I was in the past
When time passes, it’ll all disappear
Then you will know baby
I need you baby I’m not a monster
You know me so don’t leave like this
If even you throw me away, I will die
I’m not a monster

Don’t go, don’t go, don’t go, don’t leave me
Don’t do it, don’t do it, don’t do it, it’s not like you
Getting farther away, love is breaking apart

Don’t find me, don’t find me, don’t find me, don’t look for me
The last, last, last image of me in front of you – remember that
Don’t forget me

I love you baby I’m not a monster
You know how I was in the past
When time passes, it’ll all disappear
Then you will know baby
I need you baby I’m not a monster
You know me so don’t leave like this
If even you throw me away, I will die
I’m not a monster

I think I’m sick
I think I’m sick
I think I’m sick
I think I’m sick

음식!

Dalk galbi (I've been obsessed with sticking out my tongue lately)

LGBTQ Film Festival After Party Snacks

Golbaengi (snails). Soooo delicious

Kimchi jjigae!

Mackerel with makkeoli at 피맛골

칡냉면 -> pretty much mulnaengmyeon but with arrowroot noodles

Pho (my personal haejangkuk)

Stir-fry at home with Sheng and Magaly

Some pics from a wandering in Seoul

Since I didn't have to work on Tuesday, I decided to go for a long walk near Daehakno/Mia area. I was trying to find another way to get from Jongno to Suyu, but just ended up hiking up a bunch of hills and slowly being re-directed to the subway. Regardless of my failed attempts to discover something new, I enjoyed seeing some of these neighborhoods (and constantly reminded how I'd probably be happy living in any neighborhood of Seoul). I might be living around here next year, but hopefully not at the top of one of the MANY hills in northern Seoul.

Slightly north of Hyehwa

I loved the construct of this building

Lots of huge apartment complexes

Sprinkled with some cute villas and green spaces

Who doesn't like random graffiti?

WTF

This video is making rounds with the foreign community in Korea right now. It is ridiculous xenophobia at its worst. Note, this is on MBC, which is one of the big networks in Korea.

So many baseless assumptions and false claims in this video that I can't even begin to talk about it in an effective manner. I know other more well-spoken bloggers will be writing about this ridiculous piece of yellow journalism, so I'll try to link to their articles when they are available.