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February 09, 12:15 AM
idiotape - 11111101

idiotape: increasing my productivity by 200% since 2011.  

seriously though, idiotape's music is the greatest thing to do anything to. try it. laundry? oh yes. cleaning your room? yes yes. STUDYING? awwwwww yess.

I can't normally listen to music with headphones when I'm studying - I find them too distracting. But with some good lyrics-less electronic music with a kick-ass beat I get everything done twice as fast. so obviously idiotape's 1st full-length studio album 111101 was a godsend to my troubled, distracted soul. if you remember, I included it in my albums of 2011 that could have been list, and darn I wish I've really checked this album out sooner because it's so full of awesome. all the songs that were on their previous EP are on this album and the whole album is extremely consistent so there weren't any huge surprises, but I simply can't get enough of this album. I automatically play this album when I'm studying with headphones on... so don't be surprised if you see me in the library doing stiff bodywaves in the chair while writing a paper on buddhism. I'm probably listening to Even Floor, my favourite track from this album (and from idiotape).
February 09, 12:16 AM
this is a story about decadence.

finally! eAeon released his solo album Guilt-Free last week, and although it's not a Mot album, it's still genius. seriously, it's so awesome, I almost cried. (that is a lie. I cried.) the album consists of 2 CDs, second being a collection of instrumentals of songs from the first CD. (hence thoroughly revealing eAeon's music - it's like he wants you to analyze and pick apart his music)

eAeon's music is hard to describe; it's so complicated, it's so dense, it's so dark, it's so awesome. there are a lot of good reviews and analyses of his music floating around online, and one of them says that listening to this album too much makes you go insane - and that's true. the music gets hold of you and doesn't let you go.

there's certainly a sense of loneliness, emptiness in his music, which goes really well with the destructive electronic sound. it's just really great. so great. i had so much expectations for this album and i wasn't let down at all. although this album literally had me down because i was floored with emotions...

i tagged this as 'rock' but that just doesn't cut it. it's significantly more. there's definitely the electronica element, the glitch pop element. it's really something completely different. can't be defined.

the song that really caught my attention at first was of course the title track Bulletproof ("I wish I had a bulletproof soul..."), a gorgeous and tragic song. but all the other songs got to me as well soon enough: SCLC ("mix them up and drink it down") with its addictive, strangely danceable beats; 5 in 4 with its abnormal rhythm that just had me speechless with its complexity. 무슨 일이 일어났는지는 아무도, narration-track reminiscent of 다섯개의 자루 from Mot's 2nd album Strange Season. Lovely track.

basically a flawless album that holds a lot of things you can dig through. you discover something new every time you listen to it - the music is just so intricate - and it's amazing. really. go listen to it.
January 30, 10:44 PM
무너질 것이 남아 있다는 것은 얼마나 즐거운가.
오후 4시의 희망
기형도


김은 블라인드를 내린다, 무엇인가
생각해야 한다, 나는 침묵이 두렵다
침묵은 그러나 얼마나 믿음직한 수표인가
내 나이를 지나간 사람들이 내게 그걸 가르쳤다
김은 주저앉는다, 어쩔 수 없이 이곳에
한번 꽂히면 어떤 건물도 도시를 빠져나가지 못한다
김을 중얼거린다, 이곳에는 죽음도 살지 못한다
나는 오래 전부터 그것과 섞였다, 습관은 아교처럼 안전하다
김은 비스듬히 몸을 기울여 본다, 쏟아질 그 무엇이 남아 있다는 듯이
그러나 물을 끝없이 갈아주어도 저 꽃은 죽고 말 것이다, 빵 껍데기 처럼
김은 상체를 구부린다, 빵 부스러기처럼
내겐 얼마나 사건이 많았던가, 콘크리트처럼 나는 잘 참아 왔다
그러나 경험 따위는 자랑하지 말게 그가 텅텅 울린다, 여보게
놀라지 말게, 아까부터 줄곧 자네 뒤쪽에 앉아 있었네
김은 약간 몸을 부스럭거린다, 이봐, 우린 언제나
서류뭉치처럼 속에 나란히 붙어 있네, 김은 어깨를 으쓱해 보인다
아주 얌전히 명함이나 타이프 용지처럼
햇빛 한 장이 들어온다, 김은 블라인드 쪽으로 다가간다
그러나 가볍게 건드려도 모두 무너진다, 더 이상 무너지지 않으려면 모든 것을 포기해야 하네
김은 그를 바라본다, 그는 김 쪽을 향해 가볍게 손가락을
튕긴다, 무너질 것이 남아 있다는 것은 얼마나 즐거운가
줄거운가, 과장을 즐긴다는 것은 얼마나 지루한가
김은 중얼거린다, 누군가 나를 망가뜨렸으면 좋겠네, 그난 중얼거린다
나는 어디론가 나가게 될 것이다, 이 도시 어디서든
나는 당황하지 않을 것이다, 그래서 나는 당황할 것이다
그가 김을 바라본다, 김이 그를 바라본다
한 번 꽂히면 김도, 어떤 생각도, 그도 이 도시를 빠져나가지 못한다
김은, 그는 천천히 눈을 감는다, 나는 블라인드를 튼튼하게 내렸었다
또다시 어리석은 시간이 온다, 김은 갑자기 눈을 뜬다, 감자기 그가 울음을 터뜨린다, 갑자기
모든 것이 엉망이다, 예정되 모든 무너짐은 얼마나 질서 정연한가
김은 얼굴이 이그러진다

by ki hyung do.
korean poetry. grotesque realism.
some of the best stuff I've read in korean.
he passed away, after publishing one book of poems, at the age of 29.

it's a shame that people try to cover up the fact that he was gay, because it really had a huge influence on his works and his life. the moment you realize that, the poems mean something more. because he voiced his anguish, his hatred toward himself and the city - things he could not get rid of because they were who he was - in his words.

it's extremely fascinating. i can't wait until i get back home and read some more of his works.


무너질 것이 남아 있다는 것은 얼마나 즐거운가.  
how delightful it is to still have something that could be destroyed. 



January 24, 11:43 PM
remnants of winter

over-priced restaurants are not really my thing


it's much colder home and i don't miss the weather
but i do miss the place. 5 months until I'm back again! I can do it.
January 24, 12:57 AM
album reviews all-in-one; glen check, miracle on han river and others.

I was in a "new music" phase a couple of weeks ago and basically listened to a lot of new music. I'm still going through all the music I found, I have so many albums to go through! Here are a couple I've listened in the last few weeks. I'll start off with the singles and the EPs and move onto the full-lengths. Glen Check, 한강의 기적 (Miracle on Han River), 망각화 (Manggakwha), Summer Here Kids, Monolead. 





Glen Check - Au Revoir 
I was sort of blown away when I first listened to Glen Check's Disco Elevator. It was so fresh, so young, so hip. Glen Check - a rising star in the Hongdae electronica scene - sounded like something you'd hear on one of those cool e4 shows. The digital single they released late last year, Au Revoir, contains yet again very catchy and polished beats. Compared to Disco Elevator though, it sounds bolder, even somewhat in-your-face. The songs are more aggressive and show a more house-oriented tune.  Au Revoir is a repetitive electro track that might sound just decent at first listen - but it really stays with you, and you are bound to hum the song through the day. However, the real gem out of the two tracks is the second track, 60s Cardin. This track is a super good representation of Glen Check's sound - suave English, catchy beat, danceable tune. The claps throughout the song adds a nice touch as well.

Monolead - Monolead Teaser Sound 4/11 
Monolead is my newest discovery. I don't know if you follow the k-indie tumblr but a member requested Monolead and I ended up checking them out, because I've never heard of them. I'm so glad I did because they're quite excellent. A once-anticipated modern-rock band, they re-grouped recently and released a "teaser EP" called Monolead Teaser Sound 4/11. They have a very mellow sound similar to various other popular Korean modern rock bands. Different from them though, Monolead has a certain jazz sound to their music, perhaps from the more prominent usage of the bass sound that can be heard in a couple of their songs. The layering of the voices are very effective as it gives the songs a dreamy feel. The best track on the album is definitely Almost Blue, which masterfully incorporates the jazz influence. Another excellent track is Film 2-607, a nostalgic song layered with electronic sounds, beautiful string orchestration and keyboard that fits the more well-known Korean modern rock genre to a tee (and sound awfully like a Nell song). I wouldn't say the vocals aren't anything amazing, but the songs compliment them extremely well. I'm really anticipating their next release.


망각화 (manggakwha) - 몹시 용기를 내어 (with great courage) 
망각화 is a band that I've heard so many good things about but never had the chance to really give a listen. 몹시 용기를 내어, their first full-length album, is an album full of stylish guitar riffs, youthful vocals and modest pop rock melodies. Actually, if I could describe this album in one word, it would be modest. There's nothing grandiose about their sound or lyrics; but it's a very listenable sound, easy on the ears. I was really impressed when I first started listening to this album. The first track (and also the title track), 너는 날, was a beautiful song that instantly drew me in. However, the rest of the album   sounded quite different from that one track. I still enjoyed the album thoroughly, but it's definitely not something I'll avidly seek out.


Summer Here Kids - Summer Here Kids 
Summer Here Kids! If you remember, I listed this album on my albums of 2011 that could have been list. Thus I was extremely excited when I finally got a proper opportunity to give this album a listen. Like I mentioned earlier, I really loved the songs Fish & Chips and 자니, the two title tracks of the self-titled debut. They were cute electro pop-rock songs that were catchy and funny, just the kind of stuff that's perfect for a sunny summer day. The rest of the album is also pretty amazing, although it's not as bright as I expected it to be. I initially anticipated an up-beat, electro pop-rock album full of cutesy lyrics and melodies. But there are some songs on this album that are quite melancholy, even slow. I love it though; I really like how they mix the electronic sounds with the guitar-heavy alt rock sounds. Other than Fish & Chips and 자니, I really like Radio Signal, an experimental electronic track, and 부럽지 않아, a nostalgic rock song.

한강의 기적 - 한강의 기적 (miracle on han river) 
한강의 기적's self-titled debut album was also on my albums of 2011 that could have been list. Although I'd say Summer Here Kids' album might have just missed the top 10 albums of 2011 and maybe made the honorable mentions, 한강의 기적's album would have definitely made it. This brother-duo's debut album of 10 pop-rock tracks is exactly what I'd love to listen to when I'm bored: fun, light, cute. Their songs are just downright adorable - something that I really appreciate. (I love my cutesy music!) Their lyrics are refreshing and fun to listen to. The melodies of the songs just bounce, bounce, bounce - they almost make me want to run out to a playground and let my inner child roam around freely in pure gleeful innocence. The title track (track 3) with the awfully long title is my happy jam at the moment! It's so much fun. Other songs like 해파리 and 물로켓, 글라이더, 고무동력기 are also equally fun songs that have me bopping my head to the beat. They are all such feel-good songs! It's such a feel-good album! Love it.


January 19, 07:19 PM
Nell. coming soon.



My favourite band in the whole entire universe is coming back. Nell. Whenever someone asks me what my favourite band/musician is, I always know my answer. Because I have Nell. It's been 3-4 years since they went on a hiatus and my feelings have stayed the same all throughout. There were many other bands that I discovered, fangirled over, and supported, but in the end it was always Nell.

The teaser track is beautiful; it's exactly what I would have expected from them. The snare drum sound is perfect for the dramatic mood of the song, and I'm hoping that it's a part of a full track because the song sounds gorgeous. Gah. I basically have a lot of feelings when it comes to Nell. A lot.

I don't know when "soon" is but I'm hoping that it will actually be soon... school is hard right now, it'd be nice to have something to look forward to during the days.



I have a feeling that this album will be amazing.
January 13, 03:37 AM
oh, Montréal

pictures from my two-day Montreal trip few weeks back! I bussed east with a friend to surprise-visit a high school friend at McGill. She was still in midst of finals so we didn't get to hang out much, but she was genuinely grateful for the surprise visit & that was worth it. following are few pictures I managed to snap while wandering around Montreal.


Montreal is a nice, cozy urban city - which can be hard to be, especially when the city is big. There are tons of hip hangouts, a great art scene and some nice eateries. I feel like I'll eventually fall in love with it if I stayed there for a while. Perhaps in the future?
The McGill residence hall we stayed in (the second last picture) was awfully nice. It used to be a hotel, so the rooms were big, had their own washroom, and had really comfy beds. The food was pretty great too, although the dining hall was extremely small. Overall a seemingly great dorm, but for the atrocious price (it's almost double what I'm paying for my college housing! ridiculous.) - not worth it.
January 24, 12:57 AM
roman polanski: wanted and desired

I watched a documentary last week called Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired and it was definitely an interesting watch. I put the DVD in expecting a huge revelation (as promised by the DVD sleeve) but oh, not really. I did learn a lot about Roman Polanski as a person and what went on with his trials after the event, which were basically what the whole movie was about anyway.




The promotion on the back of the DVD promised that it will change the way you view Polanski's stance and I sort of expected it to, because I'm probably one of the easiest people to persuade. On my view on Polanski going into the movie - you could say that I have the "American" opinion of him. "American" opinion being the one that condemns him and thinks he deserves to be severely punished. "European" opinion standing on his side, saying that he should be forgiven. I'll be frankly honest, I don't know how people think it's okay to rape a 13 year old girl and say it's okay, but. I don't know how people think a lot of things.

the list of punishable acts that Polanski committed.
The movie promised to reveal what people didn't know about the whole fiasco. It's a well-made documentary, I'll give it that, but it barely skims the surface - most of the time it's going over the trials, on how Polanski was mistreated in his trials, and how he deserved a better treatment. It even goes to justify his escape from the States to Europe. It interviews various people, from friends of Polanski to the victim herself, providing intensive insider information on the cases.

But consequently, I felt that the documentary didn't change how I thought about Polanski. Yes, he should have been given the chance in his trials. Yes his judge was not fair. But what about the crimes he has committed?

There were also few interviews in the documentary that really angered me - Polanski's friends who blamed the mother of the victim for letting her child stay with Polanski. Excuse me? Is that really a viable reason for Polanski's actions? Also... I'm not familiar with Polish culture but someone who spoke said that maybe it was normal where Polanski came from. I don't know man, maybe it's normal to rape a 13 year old girl in Poland, but it sure isn't in America. And he was in America when he did that.

It's well-known that Polanski is a genius director and his movies are significant in the development of cinema - but this incident also makes me think a lot about how one's talent can be used to forgive one's unlawful behaviour. Does Polanski's artistic talent makes it okay for everyone to turn a blind eye to the crime he has committed? If you are famous and talented - does that give you the right to do whatever you want?

Something else I took away from this documentary was that Roman Polanski is one creepy dude. He seems so gullible and helpless in many instances through the film - at points I even felt sorry for him - but man, the things he did to that girl. So damn creepy. 

January 10, 01:10 AM
hello inspirations #003


i'm drawing more!
while listening to my "i'm so sad" playlist (109 songs. yikes.) 
i might post a lot of doodles and things soon,
if my scanner works. (I haven't tried it yet.) 



*(hedaa, or 한경찰, is probably my biggest influence when it comes to drawing. i fell in love with her style, and for a while all i did was copy her sketches, haha. if i ever had my own 'style', i'd like it to be like hers.) 
January 17, 11:37 PM
last post about chicago I swear.

...not! No one can stop me from loving that city. And good news: I will be shadowing at Energy BBDO in Chicago in March as part of my school's honors program. I am so excited! BBDO is one of the world's top advertising agencies. I'll be either shadowing in the creative department or the production department. Either way, I feel like I'll learn a lot. Everything is paid for, too! Oh man, I love my program.


but really. This post will conclude my never-ending posts of pictures I took over Thanksgiving break in Chicago. It feels good to have that out of the way now, because I have lots I want to blog about - whether I will actually blog about every single thing is a mystery - and I'll probably do a lot of that in the next one week or so.


from various places in chicago; millennium park (the bean!), chicago cultural center, museum of contemporary art chicago. 
January 30, 01:22 AM
nightly musings on plays, books, and the pixels.
when will I stop posting photos from thanksgiving? probably never. 

With school starting in less than two weeks, I feel like I should be making the best of the last week of my winter break. And at times I feel like I should just crawl into bed and sleep through it.

Made some changes to the blog over the last week or so. A fancy favicon (I didn't know what it was until today!), a banner I put up a few days ago, a 2012 page to kick off a new year, other minor layout changes... and quite possibly a resize of images. I've been using 800px for the photos, but I feel like 750px looks better? Not so sure. I'll have to experiment a bit more. but not too bad, right? Not gonna lie, I am a bit in love with how this blog is looking at the moment. (let me bask in some self-loving for once, yeah?) oh, and I dropped the hello from the titles. It was getting a bit cheesy.

Maintaining this blog is easy because I am comfortable with English. On the other hand, I've been quite shy with my posting at my Korean blog because my writing skills are not so great. But still, I need practice.

Not meeting the 20-books quota in 2011 I am determined to go over 20 this year. I've already finished reading Arthur Miller's After the Fall. Enjoyed it tremendously. I haven't read that many plays in my life (and half of them being Shakespeare surely doesn't help) but I am really beginning to like Arthur Miller's works. I've read The Crucible for school (and "because it is my name!" scene from the movie version will always stay with me, it was so memorable) and Death of a Salesman on my own - but After the Fall is by far the strangest. It could be because the characters so utterly surreal. The fact that it is based on Arthur Miller's life is extremely fascinating. I enjoyed it though, I really found the characters approachable, despite the confusing narrative. I'd like to see it on stage one day.

Another play I read before reading After the Fall was Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? by Edward Albee. An interesting work, featuring only four characters, characters that slowly starts to self-destruct as the play progresses. It was horrifying at times, because I kept expecting someone to physically harm someone, or something. Apparently the movie version is really good, so I might see that soon. (Although I have so many movies I have to watch still)

I was initially planning on reading The Iliad which I have to read for a class (thought I'd get some stuff out of the way early) but... I think I'll rather wait until I have to read it. I think I'll try Milan Kundera's The Unbearable Lightness of Being again. I started it in the summer before my trip, and never finished it. I think I got through a few pages. I want to finish the Hunger Games trilogy as well. I also want to read some more Herman Hesse books; Steppenwolf is something I've been meaning to read for a while, and Demian a book I've wanted to read properly since I read the abridged version in Korean. Speaking of Korean, I still can't find my copy of Lucid Fall's 물고기 마음, although both my mom and I have been looking for it, and also I want to read some more Korean poetry in my mom's collection before I leave for school.

I wish I could bring more books with me to college but I know that I don't have room for them (I'm already bringing the A Song of Ice and Fire box set back with me, along with my Mad Men DVDs) and I'm not going to have time to read any of them. But I really want to finish at least another book at home before I leave.


January 24, 12:58 AM
korean indie in 2011; part 3



at last. the final installment of my lackluster 3-part series, korean indie in 2011. I actually enjoyed making these lists, not just because I normally enjoy making lists but because I got to talk about some albums and artists that I really enjoy. And I realized that I should probably listen to more recent korean indie music, which is good. Let's hope that I don't give up on that & the end of year lists for k-indie in 2012 would be much, much better.

this will be the post where I will talk about k-indie albums of 2011 that could have been. This topic sounds like a vague one, and it is - so I divided it into two parts: albums that were disappointing considering the talent behind them, and albums that I wish I gave a listen to because they seem to be promising. Yes, this is where I rant about albums that were less than spectacular, and lament about albums I wish I've remembered to listen to / had a chance to listen to. These lists are not in any order, unlike the previous posts. And a warning beforehand - this is perhaps the messiest jumble of nonsensical writing out of the 3. So let's move on: 8 k-indie albums of 2011 that could have been.




4 disappointing k-indie albums of 2011.


장기하와 얼굴들 (Jang Kiha and the Faces) - 장기하와 얼굴들
Who'd knew. Who'd expect that the oh-so-great Jang Kiha and the Faces' second album - and self-titled, no less - would be such a let-down. This album is so forgettable and so boring. Excluding that one song I really liked from this album 그렇고 그런사이, I don't have any recollections of this album, despite listening to it numerous times. It's still a decent listen, but I'd really rather listen to their first album over this one. I don't know, maybe it will grow on me, maybe I'll realize its greatness one day, but I just was not excited about this album, and still isn't. Disappointing, because it's getting lauded by everyone. Maybe it's because they don't excite me like they used to. To tell you the truth, I think it might have something to do with the fact that Jang Kiha lost his 'stache and glasses. Now he looks too suave. I miss his glasses.  and the Mimi Sisters.

Mimi Sisters - 미안하지만 이건 전설이 될꺼야 
Speaking of Mimi Sisters... They are next on this list. From the beginning days of Jang Kiha and the Faces, I really liked the Mimi Sisters. I thought they were really, really cool. They made Jang Kiha and the Faces really great, and fun to watch. So obviously I was sad when they announced that they would be going separate ways. And rightly so, because their first album wasn't exactly the legend its title promised to be. (title roughly translates to: sorry but this will become a legend) in fact, it was far from being a legendary album. They still look great, and the album packaging seemed awfully nice, but... Sorry. Your music isn't quite there yet.

10cm - 1.0
I suppose this is cheating a bit because I was never a huge fan of 10cm, but here it is anyway. Maybe it's because of all the hype that they are on the list, but I really didn't enjoy their first full-length album, 1.0. I like the simplicity of their music, and they're cute and I like their sound in general, but Kwon Jung Yeol's voice is something I just cannot, simply cannot warm up to. I can stand it, in songs like 사랑은 은하수 다방에서 or 오늘밤은 어둠이 무서워요, but his voice is not something I'll avidly seek out and listen to willingly. I'm not a voice expert so I don't know how to describe it, but I'm sure anyone who's ever listen to 10cm will know what I'm talking about - just the way he sings, the way he sounds (as awful as that may sound). Which is really a shame,  because I think other than his voice, 10cm can be quite nice.

Pia - Pentagram 
Pia is a great band. Otherwise they wouldn't have lasted so long in the industry. They are absolutely fantastic live, and super fun. I thoroughly enjoyed their 3rd and 4th album, Become Clear and Waterfalls, and I absolutely adored what they did with their 2008-release Urban Explorer. I liked their sound a lot on those three releases. Unfortunately, their follow-up, 4th album Pentagram, doesn't really live up to those albums. I liked how they still had a certain progressive, experimental sound that they had in Urban Explorer, but overall, they failed to achieve the effect they had in that EP. It's not a bad album, but it's just not as good as it could have been.



enough of me ranting. now
4 k-indie albums of 2011 that I missed but still need to check out because I have a feeling I'll love them 

Deli Spice - Open Your Eyes 
Deli Spice. Another veteran that cannot be ignored. I'm ashamed to admit that I completely missed their 7th album, released in 2011 after 5 years of no new albums since their 6th Bom Bom in 2006. There I was, listening to 챠우챠우 like the usual, not realizing that there was a brand new album I could be fawning over.
Anyway. I really liked Deli Spice's previous albums, so I'm sure I'll like this album too.



Idiotape - 11111101  
Did I miss a one there? No, the more important question is, how did I forget about Idiotape's 1st full-length album? I was always dying to find out when it was going to be released! I even tweeted about it, and the band tweeted back saying that it'd be released in early fall. (It was sort of exciting..) And then. I forgot about it. It's my fault, really. Similar to Deli Spice above, Idiotape is a group that I have listened to before and really liked. I've listened to their EP, 0805, and loved it. I was so excited for their 1st full-length, but when it was actually released - I missed it. And just managed to remember it when I was coming up with this list.
I should be embarrassed.

Summer Here Kids - Summer Here Kids 
Summer Here Kids is a band that consists of musicians that have been around for a while - Kim Won Joon from Pony, Choi Young Hew of Cheezstereo, Kim Mi Sook of Look & Listen, Choi Ook No from Seokyo Group Sound - and from the little I have heard from them, they seem to sound amazing together. Of course, I have only listened to the songs with the music videos, Fish & Chips (first k-indie MV in 3D) and 자니. I really liked their sound though, and I've been meaning to listen to their first full-length album for the longest time, but I simply didn't have the opportunity to do so.


한강의 기적 (miracle on the han river) - 한강의 기적 
Isn't the cover so great? When I'm looking for new artists, I tend to look at their album covers first. Although the quality of the album art isn't reflective of the content, most of the time it's easy to get a general idea of what the album - or the band - will sound like. Take Mot, for example. One look at the Non-Linear album cover and you know that it's going to be dark. Or Kwon Milk's album covers - you know it's probably gonna be some silly retro fun. So when I looked at the album art for 한강의 기적, I got an idea of a simple, maybe acoustic, but definitely low-key sound. Exactly the stuff that I normally enjoy so much. And the face. So adorable! I really should have checked this album out, because I had a good feeling about it when I first came across it.


I have access to all 4 albums on the second list of this post, so I'll probably post a review about them one of these days. I'm so excited! And in the future, I think I'll try to keep up with the recent stuff.

And that concludes the 3-part k-indie in 2011 series! Let's hope that in 2012 I listen to more k-indie and have lots to choose from when coming up with the lists.
January 24, 12:58 AM
korean indie in 2011; part 2

oh gee.
so I originally said that I would be doing a top 5 k-indie albums of 2011 list... well, I was going over it earlier today and I ended up turning it into a top 10 k-indie albums of 2011 list. Five was just too limiting. There's still some stuff that overlaps from the previous list, since many of the songs on my top 10+3 list are from albums on this list, so bear with me if it gets a bit repetitive. I already have a feeling that it's going to be way too long, so let's move on: top 10 korean indie albums of 2011! 

before we move onto the actual top 10... honorable mentions, a.k.a. they were so darn close! 


얄개들 (the freaks) - 그래, 아무것도 하지말자 
얄개들 (a.k.a. the freaks in English) was my new discovery of 2011. they are a relatively new band, 그래, 아무것도 하지 말자 being their first album. They have a lot of potential, as can be heard through this album. They have this laid-back, chill rock sound that's really easy on the ears. This album's great for just chilling and lounging on your own; not too odd, not too boring. Their sound here is extremely uniform; only reason it's on the honorable mentions instead of the actual top 10 is probably because there aren't any songs that really stand out. But it's the consistency that makes it so great!
favourite tracks: 메주, 우리 같이 

전기 뱀장어 (electric eels) - 충전
 My other new find of 2011! Electric Eels have been around for some time, but this is their first release. They're a really fun band, with song titles like Steak and Your Teeth, and their songs are extreme fun to listen to. I wish this was a full-length album, because an EP of 6 tracks was certainly not enough.
favourite tracks: 자외선, 스테이크 








검정치마 (the black skirts) - Don't You Worry Baby (I'm Only Swimming)
Ah. The Black Skirts! I believe the song Love Shine was on my top 10 song list earlier. I have a soft spot for The Black Skirts - they were one of the first k-indie bands that I got into, and I always appreciated how catchy the songs were. I was basically in love with all the songs on the album 201. So I suppose this particular album was a slight let-down, since I only really liked two or three of the songs. Now those two or three songs were really great songs - but the rest of the album was - unfortunately - forgettable.
favourite tracks: Love Shine, International Love Song, 날씨 






Now onto the actual top 10! 

10. 정준일 (jung joon il) - Lo9ve3r4s 
#10 on the list is Jung Joon Il of Mate's solo project, Lo9ve3r4s. He maintains a sound familiar to the Mate fans in the couple of songs on this album - but also branches out to other genres. There's a great ballad track (and also the title track) 안아줘. There's a solid Bosa Nova track, 그 계절의 우리. He also experiments with electronica in a couple of songs as well. The experimental sound of the album is really great because it really shows his potential. (And he has a lot of potential.) Lovers is a great track, trying to guess all the featured artists on that one track is really difficult but fun! all-in-all, a great album, full of different sounds.
favourite tracks: 안아줘, 그 계절의 우리, Love (Intro)


9. 짙은 (zitten) - 백야 
I talked about this album before in a previous post so I won't get into it much. But yes, Zitten makes great music, everyone should check them out, and this EP is quite good, thanks to the nice balance between the usual Zitten sound and the experimental rock sound. And such a beautiful album cover!
favourite tracks: Moonlight, 백야, March 






8. Ynot? - What the Funk? 
(this album cover's not included in the quilt above. 13 didn't really work out and I don't care much for this cover anyway. apologies.)
#8 is Hongdae veteran Ynot?'s What the Funk?. I probably wouldn't have listened to this album if I didn't see them live over the summer. And I'm so glad I decided to listen to the whole album, because it's really amazing. Ynot? is a great band that manages to be both consistent in their sound but also maintain different colours in each of their songs. This album is full of songs that are catchy, songs that you could bop your head to.
favourite tracks: Run You'd Better, 낙오자의 노래, Livin' in Today


7. 구남과여라이딩스텔라 (gunamguayeoridingstella) - 우정모텔
A much anticipated 2nd album of Gunam, released 4 years after their fantastic 1st album. 4 years! The wait was worth it; this album is gold. They maintained the strange-but-likeable sound they had on their 1st album. This is actually so alike to their first album, almost like a continuation from it. I think Gunam might be a bit of an acquired taste, but I really, really like their sound. To me, they sound  like some sort of lo-fi electronica with a hint of grunge and a hint of garage rock. And such fun lyrics! I really love their lyrics. A great album by a great band.
favourite tracks: 귀여워, 남쪽으로 간다, 아침의 빛




6. Mongoose - Cosmic Dancer 
ohhh. Mongoose. I think I can sum up Mongoose and their 4th album Cosmic Dancer in one word: cute. Yup. There's no other word that fits them better. How a band that's been around since 2002 and has released 4 albums can be this adorable, I have no clue. Anyway, their cuteness has grown on me since my first encounter and I sort of fell in love with Cosmic Dancer over time. It's just so cute, and such danceable beats! Most of the songs (all the upbeat songs, anyway) are so easy to sing along to. Things like "Mon amie!" or "우리는 하나!" or "밤밤밤!" or even "로라"... this album is a hell of a ride. A ride that sparkles and is purple and has gold stars all over it and shoots rainbows.
favourite tracks: 우리는 하나, 로라, 서울의 밤 청춘의 밤



5. 몽니 (monni) - 단 한번의 여행 
Monni's 2011 release was initially an EP, which was then re-released as a limited edition full-length album. The version I have is the limited edition. It's a fantastic release; although not as good as their first album. (it'd be real difficult to top their first album, actually. it's so great) The reason why it's so high on the list is probably because my copy of the album is autographed by all the members, haha. (I didn't seem them in person - I was just lucky to come across it as a special event in one of the stores in Hongdae.) Even without the superficial reasons, though, this is a great album. Great vocals, and an amazing featuring by Nine on track 단 한번의 여행, really emotionally beautiful songs like 영원한 여름... a really beautiful album.
favourite tracks: 단 한번의 여행,  눈의 여왕, 영원한 여름 


4. Lucid Fall - 아름다운 날들 
4th on the list is my love Lucid Fall's 5th album, 아름다운 날들(beautiful days). Befitting to the title, it is a gorgeous album. I don't think you can ever go wrong with a Lucid Fall's album (unless he decides to really.. change) because you don't really listen to it for the melody or the beat - it's all about the lyrics. The lyrics on this album are simply stunning. So beautifully written, with so much heart, and the sincerity in Lucid Fall's voice adds to the overall quality of the album. I'll tentatively add that I still like his 4th album Les Miserables the best, but this is a great, great follow-up.
favourite tracks: 불, 그 밤, 어부가 


3. Gogo Star - Black Comedy 
Forever a favourite! Gogo Star! GOGO PARTY! I have the biggest bias when it comes to Gogo Star. I don't know, it's something about them - the crazy antics? costumes? the catchy tunes? - that I just simply cannot turn away from. I absolutely adored their first EP, and their first album, so I had high hopes for their later releases. Their EP following their 1st album - 성난 인형극, was a bit of a disappointment. So naturally I didn't expect much from their 2nd album - after all, they have such a specific sound, how can you create another full-length album that still won't be boring? But oh, how wrong I was. Black Comedy is perfect. The band said that they really put a lot of effort into producing this album and you could tell, every track sounds so polished, so danceable, so awesome. Gogo Star, you've won me over all over again.
favourite tracks: 서울의 달, 블랙 코미디, 회전목마

2. The Koxx - XXOK 
cream of the crop! from #3 to #1 are the albums that really stood out to me this year. And #2 is from my love-hate band, The Koxx. Their 1st full-length album, XXOK was really anticipated on my part and really lived up to it. It's such an excellent album, with songs that I can really rock to. At first I wasn't sure about this album - there was just too much wrong English, I didn't know how to handle it! But I kept coming back to this album. I listened to it, and then listened to it again, and then again and again and again... until I started to love the album. It's really well-produced, and all songs are so solid in their execution. The English still throws me off (perhaps the reason why it's not #1?), but they all sound really amazing. Still sad that I didn't get to see them live. Still so sad.
favourite tracks: Access OK, 12:00, 술래잡기 


aaaand.... the number 1 album of 2011 is....

**NUMBER 1** 테테 (tete) - Romantico 
did it surprise anyone, after my declaration of love for tete and his song Romantico in the previous post? probably not. Not only the song Romantico extraordinary, the whole EP is flawless. At first I wasn't sure if I should make this number 1 - it's only an EP with 6 songs, after all. But no, this is the album that really got to me in 2011, and the album I listened to the most. (I really did listen to it a lot.) So here it is, number 1: tete's romantico. This EP could be described as the lovechild of a hopeless romantic and a sex-god. It's romantic, it's sexy, it's melancholy, it's beautiful. Every time I listen to it I'm overwhelmed with emotion. The image of the album is a complete change from the previous characters of Tete - the bassist of electronic rock group Telepathy (that really knows how to rock) & psychedelic rock group Nastyona - and that makes this album so much better. It's generally an acoustic album - but there are elements that throw you off with their electronic sounds, like the last instrumental track, Last Scene (and it's so awesome). I'm not gonna pretend like Tete's the greatest singer or has the best voice - but his voice works extremely well with all the songs, and the music is really hard to get sick of. No, really! I've listened the heck out of this album, and as I am listening to it now again, I'm falling in love with it all over. A really wonderful album. It's especially great when you listen to it late at night by yourself.
favourite tracks: all of them. every single one of them... but especially Romantico (duh), Instant, Last Scene.
(I'm so excited for what Tete will come up with next. And also fearful, since I'm not sure what it will sound like. But since he's decided to go solo for sure - I'm hoping that he will release something of a full length soon!)

aaaah. so long. and this post took me forever. coming up next: k-indie albums of 2011 that could have been. the next-and last- post of this 3-part series will be short...probably!

January 24, 12:58 AM
korean indie in 2011; part 1



I'm a big fan of korean indie music. been so for the last 4 years. it's a really hard thing to be a fan of, because the music is just so damn difficult to come by. especially when you don't live in the country. but over the years I somehow managed to acquire really great albums, songs, and learned about so many amazing artists. of course, most of my korean indie library on my itunes or on my shelf is all probably considered the more 'popular' side of korean indie; artists that are often featured on radio shows, used in tv shows, belong under well known indie labels. I wish I could listen to more obscure stuff, budding musicians who are really really obscure, but their music is extremely hard to come by and ... it's tragic, really. (I'm still looking for Summer Here Kids' first album uguguguuu they sound great but I can't find their album anywhere)

anyway. since I got into korean indie I've been really active in promoting it, and running a k-indie comm on lj and a k-indie tumblr really helped set my image as someone who listens to a lot of korean indie music and unfortunately that's not always true. yes, I listen to it, but recently less and less of it, and last year in 2011 I really didn't listen to much of it.

in 2011 I really started to become distant from korean indie, I think. I listened to a lot more western music, or tried to at least. the little k-indie I listened to was stuff from artists I was already familiar with - Casker, Telepathy, Jang Gi Ha and the Faces - so whenever someone brought up a new artist that was hitting it big in recent times (artists like Urban Zakapa, Dalmoon, Standing Egg) - I drew a blank. I simply did not care.

So here is a very limited - and biased - summary of my k-indie listening of 2011. I'll divide it into 3 posts:  top 10 songs of 2011, top 5 albums of 2011, and the albums of 2011 that could have been. Here is the first part of the series - top 10 songs of 2011. Mind you, it's a very limited and biased list, because I didn't listen to too much new stuff, so the songs/albums on the list are from whatever I've listened and still remembered in 2011. here we go!




top 10 k-indie songs of 2011

(click on the artist-title to listen to the songs!)

honorable mentions a.k.a. the songs that were almost there but not quite:
Transfixion - 너를 원해 : this song was initially on the list - but I had to take it off. the song is fantastic live, but the recorded version on the album is... not as good. I actually listened to this song for the first time when I saw them live, and they were so awesome, but when I listened to the album version.. it lacked the oomph it had when they were performing it live. the vocals lacked the roughness that made the song so great live, and sounded almost too smooth. here, take the album version (and the questionable music video). and compare it to the live version above. such a shame.
Ynot? - Livin' In Today : great song! barely off the top 10.
Mot - 매일 그대와 : anything by Mot should be on all! the list, even if it's just honorable mention. honorable mention because it was part of a compilation and not an official single/original song.



10. 장기하와 얼굴들 (Jang Kiha and the Faces) - 그렇고 그런사이
such an addictive song. I really quoted this song a lot last year (a lot of people did too, I think) and the music video is just so much fun!
9. Glen Check - Addicted
ah, Glen Check. I discovered them in 2011 and they're quickly becoming a staple in my "what do I listen to with my white friends?" playlist. they have a certain sound that's not quite Korean, but not quite Western that's really fascinating. Their EP Disco Elevator was quite good.
8. Casker - 47 (ver.2)
oh boy Casker! I love this group. I really do. They always manage to amaze me with their music. Yoongjin is a goddes, and Juno is a god. and I worship them. anything they release is probably high up on my list. Their single that they released not too long ago was only 2 songs, but gah they are both so wonderful! 47 (ver.2) is my favourite out of the two, though. I really like Casker's sad songs, and this song really tugs at my heart. I'm hoping that they'll release an EP or an album soon in 2012.
7. 강산에 (Kang San Ae) - 떡 됐슴다
it actually hasn't been that long since I discovered Kang Sae Ae, and I'm itching to listen to more of his stuff, he is so awesome! this song is my favourite on his 2011 release, Kiss. The song's quite simple; it talks about how he is embarrassed of how drunk he was when he first met someone and would like to meet again when he's sober. lol. I feel like a lot of people can relate to it. and the beat is just so damn catchy! it's a really fun song.
6. Lucid Fall - 불
I have a lot of feelings when it comes to Lucid Fall. Another artist that I missed this summer (he started his concert tour the day before I left Korea. I almost cried.). I really think I'm in love with him, no joke. HE IS PERFECT. But I digress. His album Beautiful Days which was released a few weeks ago (I think. late december) is really beautiful. Not quite good as the preceding Les Miserables in my humble opinion, but good nonetheless. This song is my favourite from Beautiful Days, and quite possibly one of my favourite songs by Lucid Fall. It has a beautiful, low-key sound, and the lyrics are magnificent:
난
내가 두려워
나를 삼키는
뜨거운 불길
세상은 두렵지 않아
난 내가 두려워
난 내가 두려워 
5. The Koxx - 12:00
The Koxx!!! yet another musician I managed to miss during my time in Korea over the summer and hated the world for it. a great band, and their 2011 release Access OK was a gem. Really loved the whole album, despite the poor English, and loved loved their single, 12:00. It's a really fun song, with a beat you could move your shoulders to. damn, I'm so sad I didn't get to see them.
4. Mongoose - 우리는 하나
하나! 우리는 하나! 결코 둘이될수 없는 하나! 친구! 영원한 친구! 해어져있을때도 하나야~! ahh. the song of my life circa 2011. this song so smartly sums up my year, it's amazing. I met some really great friends in 2011, and said good bye to many too. but in the end, we are all one, even if we might be far away. and the beat! and all the cute! I'll probably never stop listening to this song, even if I can't stand Mongoose sometimes. (Mongu is just way too cute, and he knows it too! that cute bastard.)
3. The Black Skirts - Love Shine
There's something so great about The Black Skirts. I think he really makes amazing music, music that you can always go back to. His songs are addicting, comforting, and so sincere. His second album, Don't You Worry Baby (I'm Only Swimming) (how awesome is that title!?), released in 2011, was an interesting listen, and had a couple of really great songs. Love Shine is one of them. I really liked this song a lot.
2. lucia with epitone project - 안녕안녕
they say that epitone project is the next toy and that really is accurate, I think - he writes such beautiful songs. this song really got me hooked, and I started listening to Epitone Project more seriously afterward. and lucia's voice is just simply magical here!

and the number 1 k-indie song of 2011 is.... *drum rolls?*...

1. Tete - Romantico
10-2 on this list could chance places with each other any moment and I would probably not have anything to say about it - but number one on this list is definitely - without a question - Tete's Romantico. I won't get into the details much (because it's quite a long boring story) but I came across Tete's music in July of 2011, around a month before his song became super famous thanks to Super Star K. I saw him perform when he was still part of Telepathy, and fell in love with him (he was just so sexy and ugh. I have a huge thing for bassists), came back home and looked him up and - voila! He also had a solo project (full-time now) and had an EP out earlier that year! I decided to dig in further and listened to his single, Romantico. and oh boy.  I was blown away. the song was extraordinary, so unlike the leather-wearing rock star I saw in person, but so romantic and so catchy. the lyrics are sexy as hell, too. I didn't have to listen further, I just went ahead and bought the EP. as I was falling in love with Tete, Two Months performed Romantico on Super Star K, and the song hit it big! Now there's two versions of the song I can cry over (I really love Kim Ye Rim's voice and Two Months' version is equally good as the original)... and life is good.

coming up next: top 5 k-indie albums of 2011.
December 31, 05:23 AM
hello to-do list: movie version!

December 31st.
I didn't watch that many movies the first two weeks of winter break but now I am in full movie-watching mode and I want to watch all the movies! Specifically Korean movies, because I never watch them...
so here is a list of movies that I have available that I should watch in the next week or two.

Korean movies:

  • Oldboy (it's about time, really.)*
  • A Bittersweet Life*
  • A Reason to Live (aka Today/오늘)*
  • Bleak Night (aka 파수꾼)*
  • Busan 
  • Oki's Movie 
  • Hahaha 
  • Tokyo! (can you call this a Korean movie? to be honest the only one I want to see is Bong Joon Ho's... :x)
Other movies:
  • Boy A
  • Elephant*
  • La Mome / La Vie En Rose
  • The Hours 
  • The Town
  • True Grit
  • Mulholland Drive
  • Waltz with Bashir
  • I'm Not There
  • Brick*
  • Drive*
(*movies that I actually feel like watching) 

of course, I probably won't watch all these in the remaining weeks of my precious winter break... because I have other things to do (like reading and watching tv harharhar) and other movies that I actually want to watch (like a lot of Korean movies that I just need to find).... but I'll get through all these eventually.

p.s. today on a whim I created Movies From Korea, a tumblr for... pictures and other pretties from Korean movies, I suppose. Not sure if I even want it to be an actual thing (which probably means I should promote it a lot in other places) or just a private collection. for now, I'm leaving it open-ended. Majority of the stuff on there is mine anyway. 
December 26, 09:16 PM
hello christmas. goodbye christmas.

merry christmas.

it was a quiet one for me
but then christmas was never my thing

January 24, 12:58 AM
hello album review: Zitten - White Night.
빛나는 하늘과 떨리는 두 손과 
나를 바라보는 너의 그 깊은 미소가
난 울지 않을래 피하지 않을래
어둠 속의 빛으로 넌 내게 머물러
I am a huge fan of Zitten; their first album is one of my favourite albums of all time, and their song Rock Doves and 그녀 are some of my favourite songs of all time. Their latest album is certainly different from their previous releases - it's definitely more experimental, more variety. The title track, 백야, is a great song that stays true to the sound we are used to, but the song that immediately follows it, March, is an upbeat piano rock song. (Sooryun of The Koxx participated on the song) and Moonlight is a similarly rock-ish song that sounds super great. The other songs on the album are okay at best I'd say, but still a good listen. But the album is definitely worth it because of the fast songs and the title track ... which is simply just beautiful. perfect for winter. both the orignal version and the piano version. I really like the piano version, which is an instrumental track. I definitely recommend this album. 
December 19, 12:07 AM
hello chicago, part 3.


December 15, 09:45 PM
hello update; home. and other things.

  • I'm finally home! it's good to be here.
  • marks are slowly rolling in and I'm beginning to fear that I didn't do as well as I thought I did. not sure how I feel about this yet, but I'm bracing myself.
  • school-wise, not too happy at the moment. 
  • getting through A Song of Ice and Fire series, finally. finished Game of Thrones yesterday, started on A Clash of Kings, hopefully I'll finish this soon too. it's exciting. loving Dany's, Arya's, Jon's and Sansa's POVs the best. had to skim through most of Catelyn's. As much as I love Robb (oh. Robb.), Catelyn just bothers me. Liking Tyrion's POV as well. 
  • speaking of reading, still need to read 3 more books before the end of the year to meet the 20 books per year quota.
  • started on Mad Men. Hoping to go through season 1 (which I have seen before) and get started on season 2. 
  • learned how to knit. I know, I know. but I really want to make a scarf. 
  • I desperately want to pick up drawing again but I'm sort of scared to. 
  • plan on starting that korean film marathon I never did... 
  • life is somehow busy, with all the reading, knitting, watching tv, watching movies... hopefully I'll be able to get a lot of that done though, I have a feeling that I won't be able to do much of that during the school year.
  • a lot of things I've been pushing off, too... 
December 26, 01:22 AM
hello update; last week of first semester of university
things happen when you stay up on a friday night writing sociology papers while partying it up with the residence desk clerk.

ooh before I go, let me give you a quick run-down of school-related things. I've been extremely lucky this semester, all my courses have been fair / too easy (shh don't tell my teachers that though), and the only final I have that is actually during the official finals week is on the first day of the finals: this Friday. which means I could go home a whole week early. crazy, huh? 5 weeks of winter break. I am so excited to get down and watch some movies, finish some Criminal Minds seasons, and read. read read read.

academically, I think I've done pretty well this semester too.

  • ART 191 (Intro to Graphic Design) - surprisingly challenging course, not because of the difficulty of the content but because of the overwhelming amount of work we had to do for each class. Every day we had this class it was a struggle to be there for class on time after printing things last minute, etc. Also, surprisingly expensive...? I don't even know how much money I spent on printing things for this class. I think I did pretty well though, hopefully I'll be able to score an A. My mid-term grade was an A-, and on one of the two big final projects we had I got an A, so. I'm hoping. One thing is certain: I'm not taking another art class (unless it's something like... drawing) in university ever again. this was definitely too frustrating for a 2 credit hour class. 
  • CHLH 206 (Human Sexuality) - super easy class, meeting only once a week, and really, really fun. The exams were difficult though, because multiple choice always gets me! :( But I met some great people in this class. Didn't like how late the class was though. Definitely taking earlier classes from now on. Late night classes get in the way of everything.
  • MACS 104 (Intro to Film) - definitely my favourite class this semester. Loved it a lot, although at moments it was frustrating (really? you expect me to stay up during an experimental black-and-white french film?) and every Wednesday and Friday morning I was struggling to get to class on time. (I always came on time though, which was good.) The course seemed tough at first, but it proved to be quite fun and easy. I did pull an all-nighter for the mid-term though, because I only started studying that night, but... I ended up getting an 104% on that exam. I didn't even know that was possible. And the grading for the papers were pretty awesome as well, thought my paper was garbage and ended up with a 96%. Not really sure if I'm just naturally good at cinema studies (still so sad I can't minor in it. such a tragedy.), or my Andy Samberg lookalike instructor's just a really easy marker. I still have to write another paper and have the final on Friday, which I'm sort of worried for. Anyhow, looooved this class, and I can't wait until I can take more film classes. 
  • MDIA 100 (College of Media orientation) - easy, just forgot to do the homework once and got a zero out of five on it which really sucked. group project was meh, liked some people in my group, didn't like some. learned that a lot of people in my major are idiots but I guess that's okay. 
  • SOC 100 (Intro to Sociology) - oh boy where do I begin. I'm currently studying for the final for this class and I don't even know how I'm going to do on it, it's sort of difficult. I thought sociology was totally going to be my thing, but oh how wrong I was. It definitely isn't. I find it really hard to understand some concepts; most of the time I'm just memorizing straight off the notes. Midterm was hard and I didn't do so well, and not looking forward to the final on Wednesday either. Apparently everyone gets an A in this class but.. oh. Not so sure. But I had some fun in the discussion classes. And our prof has a great, fantastic beard. It's so great, it almost makes up for how boring and useless his lectures are.
  • TRST 201 (Intro to Translation Studies) - don't get me started on this class. this course and the graphic design class were the main source of my academic frustration this semester. I don't really know what I learned in this class, really. But I met some awesome people in this class, and the teachers were super nice. the midterm was easy, and we don't even have a final. I just wish the content was a bit more... relevant.

Okay! hopefully I'll be able to finish the remaining week off with a bang & go home happy. 
December 06, 02:51 AM
hello chicago, part 2.

long-overdue photos from my amazing week in chicago.
Downtown Chicago at night. it's a shame I only had my point-and-shoot (which is awful for night photography, if you can't tell by the pictures) because it was absolutely beautiful. I truly love this city.


November 28, 04:09 AM
hello first american thanksgiving.

these are sort of out of order (black friday before thanksgiving...?) but here are the pictures from thankgiving dinner anyway. first american thanksgiving, and it was a blast... the food was so good. even the pictures came out really nicely, I'm really pleased with them. didn't touch most of them.

the ham was the highlight I think. I just love ham so much. 
(and obviously.. those aren't wine glasses... but hey, it wasn't even real wine.) 
I'm hungry now... 
November 26, 02:27 PM
hello first black friday.

yesterday was my first Black Friday ever and, well, I went a bit crazy with buying things.
the day started a bit before midnight online. I spent roughly $66 on gap.com, buying two sweaters and one pair of jeans. then I moved onto urban outfitters' website, where there weren't much sale but - oho! - free shipping! so I ended up buying a pair of brown oxfords for $19 including tax. they were originally 70 dollars! such a deal.
then we got up in the morning and headed to salvation army to do some thrifting. I was a wee bit skeptic but gee, how wrong I was. I guess the quality of thrift stores depend on what kind of city you are in. the salvation army we went to in Chicago was amazing, with such great hidden gems. infinitely superior to the one I went once in Ottawa. definitely.
anyhoo, I ended up buying 9-10 items (I can't remember all of them) and ended up spending $18. I didn't try on all of them, but the sweaters I bought are grand... except the ugly christmas sweater which I ruined by putting it in the washing machine. oops. oh well, it's still wearable. I'll post pictures of all my thrifted clothes later.
in the afternoon we went to downtown Chicago. it was packed! we dropped by the h&m and I got 2 lace bras (one black, one nude), 1 kimono top and 1 loose black top all for $20 + tax. it was amazing. I am especially in love with the bras, it's been really hard to find bras that actually fit (I blame my small boobs...) and these are sexy and super comfortable.
we didn't even bother with forever 21 because I sorta have a thing against them now. earlier on in the day, right after I purchased things from gap, I went on their website and spent about an hour (AN HOUR) building up a shopping car of $50 (hey, I had to get free shipping..). it was really difficult because I couldn't really find things I liked other than this one dress and a shirt. and when I finally fill up 50 dollars and is about to check out - they tell me that my address is incorrect and won't let me. damn you. so I gave up on that, and didn't even bother going to the store in person because frankly, f21 is not worth my money.
we came home after h&m. I wasn't satisfied though, so I went on some more online stores. at american eagle I managed to buy a pair of jean shorts for $12. I needed jean shorts so it was all good. and then I went to aldo because I desperately needed more shoes. they had  a huge sale, and I ended up getting 4 pair of shoes (one pair of drogues, one gladiator sandals, one wedge sandals, and one nude pumps) and a messenger bag, all for 150 dollars. jesus christ. I was first planning on choosing between the nude pumps and the wedge sandals but I really couldn't, they were both cute in their own ways, and I ended up getting both. so in the end.... black friday shopping ended with me spending around 290 dollars. sigh. no more shopping for a while now, I suppose.
the following are just my online purchases that I'll be getting in the mail next week! so excited.



top to bottom, left to right:
gap 3/4 sleeve sweater 
gap grey lambswool sweater
gap grey skinny jeans
american eagle jean shorts 
urban outfitters oxfords 
aldo bag 
aldo nude pumps 
aldo wedge sandals 
aldo gladiator sandals 
aldo drogues 


December 06, 02:52 AM
hello chicago, part 1.

on a week-long stay in Chicago. it's been good so far, hopefully I'll get some shopping done tomorrow and Saturday.



1) chicago cityscape (the best I've seen in North America, hands down) 
2) waiting for the orange train at pulaski 
3) getting off at cermak chinatown 
4,5) in a park in chinatown
6) downtown chicago at night, getting ready for christmas


January 24, 12:58 AM
hello movie review: 50/50


I went to see 50/50 yesterday by myself. First time going to the theatre here alone! It was pretty dark so I was a bit on edge at first, but it wasn't that hard. (Hey, first movie seen alone in the states. awesome.)

50/50 is an admirable movie about cancer. It somehow manages to be lighthearted throughout the whole movie about such a serious topic; there are numerous comedic moments where the whole theatre was laughing out loud, but it also has its heavier moments. Because it's a movie about cancer, and no matter how hard you try to be positive about it, it's just simply so hard to do so.



I guess the most well-known scene from the movie is the scene where JGL's character Adam shaves his head, which was featured heavily in the marketing for the movie. And rightfully so. It's somehow funny, mostly thanks to Seth Rogen who goes full-out with his crude sense of humour, but the grim atmosphere is still there.


Joseph Gordon-Levitt truly shines in this movie, mainly because he is so well-suited for the character of Adam. Adam is a well-off neat freak who's maintained an almost too-perfect lifestyle. He runs every morning. He always waits for the crosswalk signs to turn green until he crosses an empty road. He is meticulous about his project at the radio station. He doesn't smoke, he doesn't drink, and he recyles. He doesn't even drive because there's a high chance of dying in a car accident. Obviously, he is hit really hard when he finds out that he has a rare kind of cancer - and his odds of living are 50/50. At first, he is in denial. No, he says, no, that can't be. But the truth is clear; he has cancer. And he might die from it. 

The rest of the movie follows Adam as he copes with his life as a cancer patient, and JGL's doe eyes draw out the sympathy from the audience during his hardest times - starting chemo, going through a break-up, the ugly realization that he might die. There's a sense of raw somberness in JGL's acting that really brings his character to life. 



And then there are the other people in Adam's life. His best friend, Kyle (performed by Seth Rogen who goes full out with the humour and sometimes is almost unbearable); his worrying mother (Angelica Hutson) and his father who has alzheimer's (Serge Houde); his redhaired artist girlfriend (Bryce Dallas Howard); and his psychiatrist who is still working on her doctorate, Katherine (Anna Kendrick). All these people circle around Adam and influence him in different ways during his time with cancer. Some characters are better developed than others, but as a whole cast, they work together really nicely .

In the end, it is a sincere movie that makes you feel good about the world. It's not perfect, nor extremely good. It's not heavy enough to make you think about it for long after, but touching enough to make you feel thankful for your life and for those around you. Perhaps I will completely forget about this movie 10 years from now. Maybe I'll pick another movie up over this one when choosing something to watch. But perhaps I might pick it up, when cancer isn't such a foreign subject. And perhaps I'll cry watching it.  

Rating: ★★★☆

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