Kpop Highlights #3 (SoYou and Junggigo, B1A4, Apink)

Yayyy! Christmas holidays are one of the best aspects of my life and currently I am very much enjoying it- no homework except to read up to chapter 19 of Great Expectations (now up to chapter 9, but got two weeks to do this so no stress here!), and nothing else really. That means I can blog 24/7!
The only thing that is bothering me right now at this exact moment is just that I am waiting for a very important letter- a college offer from this prestigious private school. The deputy head of my school actually broke the news to me that the college has offered me a place and that with a scholarship, when she announced it in assembly. I was quite shocked and when I phoned my mum after school, she said she hasn't received any official letter, and even now, I'm about to die of anticipation because the postman hasn't come yet. AGHHH! Plus the deadline for acceptance of offers is in January and its already the 22nd of December for crying out loud!

OK OK, let me just move on to Kpop...

SoYou and Jung Gigo - Some 

I heard this song vaguely when I heard this in an ICT lesson ( surprise, surprise!) but I didn't realise that it stuck in my head before I heard it again in Flower Grandpa Investigative Team (I've finished watching this and it's a really nice drama to watch. You should definitely try it). But at that time, I had no idea what it was called or who sang it. So I was pretty much in despair. That is until, I came across it again by accident and completely fell in love with the song! There is also a little story within the music video and I have seen both actors in Kdramas before (SoYou's bandmate Dasom from Shut up Family and Baro (a member of B1A4) from God's Gift: 14 Days). 

B1A4 - lonely 

I heard this song from a non-Kpop fan to be honest. She asked whether I knew B1A4 because her other Kpop friends recommended it to her and she came to love their song lonely. The problem was that I have only heard of their song Solo Day because of EatYourKimchi. So when she told me, I was like 'Woa, hold on, how come you know more about Kpop than me? This ain't happening.' Then, I listened to it and I understood exactly why she loved it. It is a very good song! I even think it's better than Solo Day. Note: who came up with the idea of a  floating girl in the music video? Ingenious!

Apink - LUV 

I am a bit confused. Why is it called 'LUV' and not 'Love'? It really doesn't make sense because in the song Apink actually spells it out as L-O-V-E as part of the chorus and yet the title is 'LUV'. Strange...

The main thing is though, that I have mixed feelings to whether I like the song or not. I usually like Apink's songs and this isn't too different from their other songs- no actually, this song kind of reminds me of a slower version of NoNoNo's soundtrack. The actual lyrics are fine but the soundtrack to this song somehow reminds me of a broken, scratchy record? I don't know how to describe it. Also, the part when they sing, 'Never forget', to me, it sounded like something out of a Disney Princess Movie. I have never heard anything like this before. But, I have to admit, I think I like it overall. Well done, Apink!

Kpop Highlights #2 (T-ara, Hi Suhyun, AOA, K.Will)

T-ara and Chopstick Brothers - Little Apple 

Wait, wait, hold on. How come there are only 4 members from T-ara present in this music video? Where is the rest? Lord knows... It's got a very catchy tune and I have to say, it's very Crayon Pop-y. OK, I know they existed way before Crayon Pop and that they were originally like that and that it was them who inspired CP...blah blah blah. But why now? I mean I really like T-ara especially from Roly Poly (check that out, it's awesome) and Crayon Pop- it saddens me sometimes when fans begin to clash. I have to say though, the Chinese in there is a bit out of place and funny- it sounds like they're saying 'shopping mall'. Just listen to it...

Hi Suhyun - I'm different 

This is a good song to listen to. The meaning on the other hand is the typical, girl meets guy, girl wants guy, girl justifies it by saying she's special. However, Lee Suhyun and Lee Hi, both their vocals combined is amazing. They are very good musicians. 

AOA - Like a Cat 

First when I started to listen to it, I was in awe because it was utterly WEIRD. However, I actually got into it because of the amazing chorus- 'Lalala la lalalala...' Ok I can't really sing it out to you. Normally I don' t like songs that are too sexy but this is an exception because it's a good song.

K.Will - Day 1

This is unmistakeably a love song and usually I just think...cringe. But this is a sweet and warm-hearted song of a guy wanting this girl to fall for him even though he is out of her league. The guy is shown to be a bit vain but in a good way when he says that he's the best looking out of all the bad looking guys. That's just...(shakes my head and sighs). And I recognised the actor from My Flower Grandpa Investigative Team that I am currently watching. 

Kpop Highlights #1 (High4 and IU, Teen Top, Park Boram, Super Junior)

It's been a while since I've actually blogged. Well, I think it's fair to blame it on my mock exams in school that engulfed me in a state of a weary-looking, half-zombified little student who got her head super-glued onto her revision notes even though her mind was already saturated with dates to remember for the Nazi Germany and statistical equations. Nevermind that, they're over now and I can finally continue to live my life! yayyyy! I got pretty good results too- 30 out of 30 on my German writing exam and and only one mark away from full marks on my S1. I'm pretty gassed right now but that's just irrelevant so let's focus on kpop...

High4 with IU - Not Spring, Love or Cherry Blossoms

This is a very very good song to listen to- absolutely sensational! The song is not of the usual crazy, over-dressed and exaggerated kpop but one of those very few that show genuine talent and entails a good meaning, that is someone who is expressing how awfully lonely they are at the start of spring when everyone else has that someone special in their lives. Awwww. I have never in my life heard of High4 or IU before but they have left me with a very good impression- the whole song is simply so sweet and all-good. Love it!! : )

Teen Top - I'm Sorry 

OMG! This has become one of my favourite songs of all time right from the very first time I heard it in one of my ICT lessons, slyly listening to Kpop when I should be trying to catch up with my coursework deadlines - lol! It is a song that tells the listeners how a man deeply regrets not giving up time for his girl and is trying to apologise to get her back. Teen Top is honestly amazing with their vocals especially the high notes (it's always fascinating to hear guys sing high notes!). 

Park Bo Ram feat. Zico - Beautiful 

This girl, Park Bo Ram, mind you, has a story behind this song I'm presuming. She was on Super Star K and gained a lot of recognition and a couple of years later she came back with Beautiful, after losing a whopping 30kg over the course of 2 to 3 years (ok it's not really that shocking). But...

yep! the same girl- before and after

In her song, she is basically telling the listeners about how much hard work she had to put in (with her banana diet and stuff) in order to become beautiful like she is now. But, that's not it. She is trying to say that 'yes, I did lose weight and changed myself, but it wasn't for anyone else but to satisfy my own self and to build up my confidence'. Of course, I think most people would agree that good-looking people tend to have more confidence in themselves. I think she is the most genuine Kpop idol that I have ever come across with her true feelings and thoughts about the real world. Let's be real, in an immensely competitive field like Kpop, where everyone has staggering beauty and looks with extraordinary voices and talent, it is only natural for her to want to work hard like all her unnis and succeed. You can't blame the girl; in fact, you should really applaud. Park Bo Ram could be the Korean Adele...but with a mannequin body.

Super Junior - Mamacita 

The song begins after an introduction to all the members of Super Junior, with a very jazzy and equally cool tune, creating a very relaxed sort of feeling. Then it builds up and everything just becomes as entertaining as ever! I was quite confused as to what on earth Mamacita meant so I searched it up. It is a Spanish word and Latin American Slang for babe or a hottie (an attractive woman). A bit strange...but very catchy and cool, especially the dance to the chorus (honestly?). Plus, I can't get over the fact that they said, 'Shut your tongue!' LOL! How on earth can anyone shut their tongue? Gosh that's just hilarious...

catallena parody

I remembered that I made this ages ago and thought  I should share.

The videos that I used do not belong to me!

just the editing was done by ME!!

Kim Jong Un declares war on Sony!

Okay, my very first reaction to this was LOL. I know, it's crazy.

Anyway, Sony Pictures' newest American action-comedy film, The Interview, that was about to be released on December the 25th this year (ooh, a little Christmas treat!) have created an uproar in the world of international politics and the tensions between the Korean-American conflict. When I say, this has the potential to cause serious problems in the near-future, I mean it! Why don't you see for yourself...

The trailer to The Interview

Starring Seth Rogen and James Franco (seems like a lot of money has been spent on this), it is a 

comedy where two journalists travel to North Korea to interview Kim Jong Un but takes an unexpected turn of fate when they are instructed by the CIA to...assassinate (this is absolutely crazy!) Kim Jong Un. 

Of course, the patriotic Democratic People's Republic of Korea aka North Korea (it's simpler that way), would have found this despicable and an outrageously offensive act. 

Wikipedia said:

On June 20, 2014, in an interview with The Daily Telegraph, the Executive Director of CFKAP (Center for Korean-American Peace) Kim Myong-chol criticized the film about North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un and said, "There is a special irony in this storyline as it shows the desperation of the US government and American society". 

 He also said, "A film about the assassination of a foreign leader mirrors what the US has done in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and Ukraine. And let us not forget who killed Kennedy – Americans. In fact, President Obama should be careful in case the US military wants to kill him as well."

 He added that British films were far better and more realistic than Hollywood movies (full of assassinations and executions). 

Oh, thanks for the last comment, Kim Myong-chol! On a more serious note, it also said:

 "Making and releasing a film that portrays an attack on our top-level leadership is the most blatant act of terrorism and war and will absolutely not be tolerated", KCNA said, citing a government spokesman. The administration warned of a "decisive and merciless countermeasure" if the release of the film went ahead. 

Indeed, that is precisely what happened just recently. On 24th of November, a computer virus called the Shamoon Malware infected the Sony Pictures Entertainment company computers and 3 days later, several Sony films were leaked, including Fury, Annie, Still Alice and many more. But, unsurprisingly, The Interview was not leaked. I think it's obvious who was behind this- but North Korea's denying it. 

At the end of the day, this is actually a very controversial matter- who knows, if this could lead to WWIII? Okay, I think it is a bit over the top today, to declare the film as 'an act of terrorism' and 'a declaration of war' but, I think we need to step into the shoes of the North Koreans and understand that it may be a light-hearted joke for most of us, but it's offensive to the minority who would willingly give up their lives for Kim Jong Un. It's a bit like (okay, this is an extreme example) making fun of God. I agree that Kim Jung Un isn't exactly the ideal version of a leader in our eyes but for some people he is.

But, to be honest, I'm not sure what to think of the whole situation, except that I would watch it when it comes out here in the UK- even Kim Jung Un claimed he'll be watching it.  

On a lighter note, I'm guessing South Korea is secretly laughing away in tears...

Finding Nemo is literally Finding No one

I came upon this amazing discovery in one of my recent English lessons in school. We were each given a whole booklet, containing extracts of 19th century literature for us to analyse and after the usual moaning and groaning, we reluctantly picked up our pens. Okay, it wasn't that dramatic.

It was then that we came across- actually, out teacher pointed it out- an extract from 20000 Leagues Under the Seas by Jules Verne (1870), in which Professor Aronnax is invited to a banquet where all the foods are 'products of the sea', by Captain Nemo, who is the son of  an Indian Raja and a scientific genius. Then at the very end of the extract, there was a small writing in the bottom right corner of the page, which said,

'Latin: nemo means "no one." Ed.' 

Suddenly, the animation, Finding Nemo, comes straight to my head. I was like, ' OMG! Finding Nemo is actually Finding No one.' WOW! So I came up with two theories.

THEORY 1:  maybe the clown fish dad never actually found Nemo. It was all an illusion- there was no way he could have got his son back. He was looking for 'no one'. 

THEORY 2: maybe the name Nemo was meant to be metaphorical and meant to represent how hard it was for the clown fish dad to find his son because, it would have felt like he was looking for 'no one', which seems like an impossible thing to do.

Actually, there is a THEORY 3: Not many kids would not have known latin so would have been completely oblivious that Nemo means no one. Therefore, Disney didn't bother thinking all this through but just randomly chose it because it was a good name. 

A bit of History: Votes for Women in Britain

Had things changed for the better for women between 1850 and 1900?

In other words, was it a 'Golden Age' for the women of Britain? Well, there were good news and bad news:

• London and Manchester Universities now accepted women
• New employment opportunities like teaching and nursing were available
• Women could bring divorce cases against their husbands for cruelty. desertion and bigamy (being married to more than one person at the same time) except adultery if it cannot be proved.
•  Women could now keep their own property after marriage
• Women would lose all rights over her children after a divorce
• Women had to resign after being married from their jobs (this is just so sexist- people thought a married woman with a job was keeping a man out of work and would not be able to look after her family properly.)
• Women were paid a lot less than men (this is still the case but the difference in pay is not as great). 
• Women could not vote

The last point mentioned above became a major, hotly-debated issue between 1900 and 1914 though women had already began to raise awareness of the Women's Suffrage (right to vote) before the 20th century by various campaigns across the country. 

Women had strong opinions about the whole issue:

Votes for Women

FOR	AGAINST
It was a way of getting rid of inequality within other aspects of a woman’s livelihood.	Women and men have separate spheres – they’re ‘guided more by their womb than their brain’, suggesting they were too emotional and credulous to make decisions.
To change the sexual behaviour of men by reducing prostitution.	It was believed that only a minority of ‘frustrated spinsters’ wanted the vote.
Other countries like USA and New Zealand had already given women the vote.	Women could still be active citizens without the vote.
Many women, despite being teachers, doctors and owners of land, could not vote even when illiterate working class men could.	Women are meant be represented by their husbands.
Britain could not be considered a true democracy if over half its population could not vote.	Women do not fight for their country so did not deserve the vote.

What is the message of this cartoon? 

The Dignity of the Franchise, taken from Punch, 1905

Summary:

• It shows a working class man heading off to the polling station to vote.
• His manner suggests that some men were strongly against women voting.
• It illustrates the idea that even literate and wealthy women were considered to be beneath illiterate and crude working-class men just because they were women.
• 'When it comes to votin', you must leave it to us men!' suggests that regardless of a woman's social status, she still cannot be equal to men as they don't have the right to vote. It highlights the need for women to get the vote in order to eliminate the social injustices.
• The 'Franchise' is ironically given to the undignified man instead of the dignified woman, which supposes that the reason for not giving women the vote is invalid. 

(to be continued)