Top 5 Laotian Street Foods To Try

Spicy Green Papaya Salad – Tam Mak Huong

The name itself may sound like it is a weird combination, but having fruits involved in a tasty salad is no new combination. In fact, numerous European cuisines also utilized fruits in the same manner. It is all about accessibility when it comes to cooking. And this is a fine example of such principle. Due to its tropical environment, papaya is one of the primary fruits that exist in Laos. Hence, it should serve as no surprise to find papaya sneaking into a couple local dishes. The papaya salad, also known as Tam Mak Huong, is made from shredded papaya. The primary ingredients besides papaya are tomatoes, sprouts, basil, and peanuts. There are several versions of this dish, but the core element that glued the ingredients together remains constant. The main ingredients are then soaked with hot chili, sour lime, salt, fish sauce, and sugar. This is a refreshing take on the salad which is perfect in a hot climate. Be warned though, the spiciness of this dish may vary from vendor to vendor.

Larb – Laap, Larp, or Lahb

When it comes to Laotian cuisine, “spicy” is the name of the game. Following the main theme of fiery flavors, larb is another popular dish that one can find on the streets of Laos. In short, it is a type of meat salad. This dish is so popular that many deemed it as the national dish of Laos.  This special cuisine can be made from various sources of protein. Chicken, beef, pork, duck, fish, or even mushroom. The protein source is heavily flavored with lime juice, fish sauce, and fresh herbs. It is commonly accompanied by raw vegetables and sticky rice. One can even go as far to say that such combination is a match made in heaven. With its potent flavors from larb itself, balanced out with mild scent from the herbs on top of the neutralizer rice is simply a dance inside the mouth that one cannot be ignorant to.

Lao Sausage – Sai Oua

Sausage making has been revered as one of the many epiphanies in the culinary world. Packaging various parts of meat into a condensed cylinder package is often revered throughout the world. Hence, it should come as no surprise that Laos has its own interpretation of sausage.  In Laos, sausages are made from chopped pork. It is heavily seasoned with ginger, lime leaves, garlic, fish sauce, and salt. It is often accompanied by a side dish filled with fish sauce. Though it may not be easily accepted due to its scent stemmed from the fish sauce, its flavor is undeniably rich. And one should definitely not judge the sauce before trying it.

Lao Noodle Soup – Khao Piak Sen

Unlike the western hemisphere, there are numerous types of noodles which are rice based. Khao Piak Sen is a descendent from the family of rice noodle dishes. It is part of traditional Laotian cuisine, often seen as comfort food. The closest Western equivalent would be the infamous chicken noodle soup. Much like chicken noodle soup, Kaho Piak Sen does not require many ingredients, hence it is cherished as the perfect dish with its simplicity. In fact, this rice noodle soup is often consumed at breakfast time. The bowl comes with beef or chicken broth, which is then poured over rice noodles that are accompanied by various herbs.

 

Lao Barbecue – Sindad

As you now know, concepts of some of the most popular dishes in the world are shared at different corners of the globe. Hence, allowing the cultures to inject their own identity into it and present the world with their own interpretation. Barbecue, revered as the salvation of Western cuisine, also exist in Laos. The traditional Lao barbecue includes a round metal dish and a cooking platform where one can take a slab of fat and coat it before the grilling process. Many sources of protein are available to choose from, but chicken and pork are the two most popular protein sources. Locally, Lao-styled barbecue is known as Sindad. What stands out the most in Lao-style barbecue is the sauce that accompanies the content of the dining experience. Unlike the popular Western BBQ that usually accompanies the meat and sauce prior to the actual cooking process, Lao-style bbq does the opposite: The sauce accompanies the meat after it was cooked. Due to its simplicity in preparation, it is very easy to find Lao-style BBQ on the streets.

 

—-Joe Pengachu

Warning: Some YouTube comments contain course language that may not be suitable for some readers.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, there’s a group trying to break into the K-Pop world called EXP Edition (formerly EXP). The Columbia University thesis project by Bora Kim has been generating buzz since 2015 when news broke that a non-Korean group would be trying to debut in Korea as a K-Pop idol group. In April 2017, the training, Korean language-learning, and fundraising finally paid off as EXP Edition released “Feel Like This” as their official Korean debut song.

Now a four-member group, EXP Edition improved greatly since their first release “LUV/WRONG” to include stronger musicality, tone, and harmony. “Feel Like This,” while not up to the processed standard of the typical K-Pop track, is a nice throwback to the 1990s American boyband-era thanks to mature vocals and stylization. With many K-Pop songs recalling past music eras and genres, “Feel Like This” fits right in with the current trend, so its release comes during an appropriate time.

With their Korean debut, EXP Edition had different opportunities open to them including appearances on Music Bank and I Can See Your Voice. For all intents and purposes, they’ve been treated no different than any other K-Pop group promoting now, so they have a chance to experience what other K-Pop groups get to experience during their debuts.

Unfortunately, EXP Edition have come across ridiculous amounts of hate from K-Pop fans both domestically and internationally. Exploring their Instagram and YouTube pages, in addition to the number of dislikes the group receives, messages wishing for the group to disband or to “die” far outweigh positive messages at the time of this writing. There’s no clear reason why all the hate exists at this point, but one thing for sure is this: It is uncalled for and unnecessary.

Different Training is Still Training

Even though EXP Edition is a project group, they’re really no different from other K-Pop groups. While EXP Edition’s training is different from the years of training and sacrifice Korean K-Pop groups endure, training did occur to help them groom for this moment. Just because training was shorter and differed from the methods used in Korea, this shouldn’t minimalize the hard work EXP engaged in to get to this point.

Time frame aside, why is it assumed EXP Edition did not train as hard as other groups? Does years of training trump effort? Effort is what counts. Watching the group’s growth through YouTube videos and Instagram snapshots, the members had to learn how to carry themselves to cater to a Korean audience along with improving stage presence, choreography, appearance, and overall performance and they have improved since “LUV/WRONG.” Each member comes from a different musical background, so there is a period of also learning how to mesh different styles to have a more cohesive piece. This takes time and effort. Just because they didn’t train for seven, eight, or 14 years should never take away from the effort behind the act. There isn’t a medal of honor that comes from length of training. In the end, quality is better than quantity, people learn at different rates, and years of training doesn’t necessary mean attention and riches.

Yes, those who’ve trained for years do have an edge, especially in the Korean music industry where precision, finesse, and graciousness can make a break a group. Even so, there are sometimes up to or over 50 groups that debut each year in Korea (in 2015, over 75+ groups debuted), and maybe 10 to 15 get to survive for further releases while others disappear without their names ever being known. Even with years of training, there are groups that can’t keep it together enough to be cohesive and perfect in an industry that demands absolute perfection. These are groups that train for years, sacrifice their lives and childhoods and even their health for a chance for stardom, but many just don’t have what it takes. This could be due to lack of support, and it could be due to lack of quality training, so quantity does not always mean “the best.”

EXP have a lot riding on them too. Not only do they have the pressures of training like other K-Pop groups, they also have the added pressure of being a project. As a project, failure isn’t an option even if the group, as some eloquently point out in comments, exists for collecting data. No matter the reason, the group worked hard to get to this point, and minimalizing their efforts is an insult to anyone who’s ever worked for anything.

The Nuances of Language

Additionally, the members had to learn Korean to prepare for their debut and connect with the Korean audience. Yes, their Korean is not smooth, but Korean is not their first language just like with Korean idols who learn English: English is not their first language. Furthermore, they learned Korean as adults, which, linguistically, is considered a much more difficult task than learning another language at a young age. This involves the Critical Period Hypothesis, which is one of many language theories that suggests second language-learning occurs best between the time a child can speak until puberty. During this time, there’s a higher chance of fluency and natural flow, which is something that doesn’t come easy for adult learners.

Speaking as an ESL instructor and tutor, learning a second language is difficult for anyone no matter the language. For adult learners, it’s not going to come easy and it’s not going to flow naturally. Yes, EXP has American-sounding Korean; that’s to be expected. Unless they’re going through an immersion program, natural flow and cadence is not expected, and those who criticize their Korean are just looking for another reason to complain.

The fact is this: EXP took the time to learn Korean to sing, perform, and communicate. While it’s not perfect, it’s still effort that should be commended because they’re not blowing into Korea expecting everyone to speak English to them as if they’re superior beings. For those who have and are learning a second language, take a moment to recall what the learning period was like and the awkward missteps that occurred. No one can learn a second language perfectly overnight. No one can expect perfection all the time. On the same coin, aren’t there K-Pop fans and even non-fans who make fun of K-idols and their English-speaking and singing missteps? What about the unnecessarily cruel remarks B.A.P’s Himchan endured for pronouncing “roof” as “loof” in “Hurricane” (of which caused B.A.P to re-record the song to correct pronunciation and prevented Himchan from singing his lines for a period)? What about the awkward English used in Super Junior songs? A second language is difficult if one is not fluent; even K-artists aren’t an exception to this rule and saying otherwise is hypocritical.

K-Pop: Is it Korean Language or Only for Korean People?

Dissect the word “K-Pop.” It is short for Korean Pop. The K in K-Pop refers to the language used, not just the people in the genre. If the K only stood for Korean, then Asian artists from Japan, Thailand, China, Taiwan, the Philippines, and any other Asian country represented in K-Pop should be banished for not being Korean.

One of the arguments used against EXP is that they are not Korean. Over the years, there have been many non-Korean artists infiltrating the Korean music scene, yet no one bats an eyelash. Perhaps this is because these artists have stereotypical East-Asian features that help them pass as Korean artists. Yet, these artists are in K-Pop because they are in Korean groups singing songs in Korean, which is the K in K-Pop. With this, the K also stands for the country of Korea. Here again, we have non-Korean artists who live in Korea making Korean music.

K-Pop is what is because it is performed using the Korean language. When Little Mix released the Korean version of “Wings,” the song became a Korean Pop song despite them being a Western group, whereas if it remained in English only, it’s a Western song. If a song is primarily Korean and promoted in Korea, it is a Korean Pop song regardless of the artists’ backgrounds.

Double-Standards

EXP Edition’s Korean debut brings forth the important topic of double-standards since the concept is strongly rearing its ugly head.

As mentioned, K-Pop fans call out EXP as non-K-Pop artists because they are not Korean. Yet, there are already many non-Korean artists in the industry. These individuals like BP Rania’s Alex, CLC’s Sorn, GOT7’s BamBam, Jackson, and Mark, f(x)’s Amber, and CrossGene’s Casper and Takuya among other idols are not Korean, yet they’re embraced and loved by fans.  If the K in K-Pop is for Korea and Korean, then non-Korean group members should be immediately removed from their groups because they don’t embody what people think K-Pop should be.

Over the years, fans—especially International fans—have called for more diversity in K-Pop. However, when diversity does exist in the form of other Asian artists and mixed race artists, it’s not diverse enough for some because the artists still have the stereotypical East Asian appearance. The same fans who cry for diversity are the same fans who show disgust when it actually appears. With the introduction of EXP, diversity appears, but people hate them because they are white in a Korean market. For fans, diversity is only acceptable if it is a certain type of diversity.

During the same time EXP made their Korean debut, the African American duo Coco Avenue also released the Korean song “Eottae.”

The reactions to both releases are vastly different: While EXP gets hate, Coco Avenue receives praise and positive comments (with a few calling the Koreaboos) for adding diversity to the K-Pop tapestry. This is not a slam against Coco Avenue because they do deserve praise for their sexy single and efforts. The truth is, both groups add diversity to the K-Pop scene because both are non-Korean and non-East Asian in a primarily monoethnic industry and homogenous country. The same works in reverse: In a country that’s primarily Caucasian, any time a non-White person is represented, that is diversity. In terms of the Korean music industry, different races—regardless of it black, white, Hispanic, and even South Asian— making an impact is diversity.

The reactions to Coco Avenue (top) and EXP (bottom) are vastly different.

EXP’s negative responses are due mostly to them being white. Comments for both “Feel Like This” and Coco Avenue’s “Eottae” point to this as K-Pop fans suggest diversity only exists if the singer or group is ACOW (Any Color Other than White). Arguments for this include how K-Pop uses elements from the black music and fashion scenes.

The truth is, K-Pop doesn’t just use elements from black culture as it uses elements from Western culture as a whole just like Western music pulls inspiration from various cultures and countries. Music—as well as food—is one of the great equalizers as it is one of the true societal melting pots. K-Pop does borrow from black culture, but it also uses EDM and other club influences that were developed by white people. Music is diverse because it does seek influence from everywhere, so no one group is more influential over another when it comes to the whole music scene. Music adapts and changes as it always has for centuries as different influencers come around.

With that said, both Coco Avenue and EXP have the right to partake in the K-Pop scene regardless of race or influence. One shouldn’t have more of a right over the other, and suggesting that one group does have more of a right is part of the problem today. Everyone, regardless of race, socio-economical background, or culture should have an equal shot of getting somewhere. Believing otherwise creates issues on top of tensions that already exist.

“It’s a Project. Don’t Take Them Seriously”

Another reason EXP Edition receives hate is due to their thesis project status. To K-Pop fans, the phrase “thesis project” is a turn-off because they feel the group doesn’t take the hardships, training, and promotion process as seriously as true K-Pop groups do. K-Pop fans can speculate all they want, but what actual proof do they have suggests EXP and its creators do not take the process seriously? A project doesn’t necessarily mean this is “for fun” or that it’s not taken seriously.

EXP and the IMABB crew worked hard to get to this point. Fundraising, promotions, and, of course, the aforementioned training and language learning made this project happen. That takes time and money. Even if the project is there to collect data as many commenters suggest, how does that influence the time and energy taken to make EXP Edition happen? The group debuted under non-traditional circumstances, but they debuted nonetheless showing that they were and are serious about the direction the group takes and what comes out of the debut. Even if they disbanded tomorrow, the effort it took to get to Korea still existed and should be noted. Why shouldn’t they be taken seriously with everything considered?

Trendy Haterade

With the overwhelming dislikes, it becomes clear people want EXP to fail and that it is a trend to hate them. Instead of sipping the tempting haterade the K-Pop fans, bloggers, and vloggers lay out, why not give them a chance and cheer them on? It’s one thing to dislike something because a song may not be your cup of tea, but to blindly hate something because it’s different and not what’s considered “normal” by industry standards is cruel.

Even if the non-Korean K-Pop experience laid out by EXP and others like Coco Avenue doesn’t pan out, they should be praised. At the same time, their experiences open the door to the necessary conversations we need to be having world over about diversity. Diversity isn’t just an issue stateside, but a global issue. Instead of hating and fueling tension, why not talk about both in the respect of diversity and what needs to be done to improve it globally? Regardless of where the EXP Edition experiment goes or if other non-Korean groups break into K-Pop or even if Asian artists break into the Western world, the lesson should be that we need to talk and work toward accepting people’s differences instead of hating on people because of their skin and background. Otherwise, what’s the point?

 

—-Joelle Halon

 

Like any music genre, there are some K-Pop tracks that are not original and are remade. While some songs are from other Korean artists, others may be from international artists. It’s fun to see each artist adds their own unique flavor to old tracks. Here are eleven Western songs and their Korean remakes.* Which do you prefer?

En Vogue “Don’t Let Go (Love)” (1996) vs. Bella “Don’t Let Go” (2011)

En Vogue sang “Don’t Let Go (Love)” for the Set it Off soundtrack in 1996. The song was En Vogue’s last number one hit and last top ten hit before member changes prevented the group from reaching their former glory. In 2011, Bella released the track as their debut song. Both groups have similar tone and arrangement, so Bella didn’t really make the song their own despite it suiting their voices beautifully. Both groups gave justice to the lyrics without one outdoing the other.

Monrose “Hot Summer” (2007) vs. f(x) “Hot Summer” (2011)

   

Monrose’s “Hot Summer” was a popular hit in Germany when it was released. The track even had commercial airplay in the US. Monrose’s rendition had more sex appeal that matched the lyrical content. F(x)’s version had a stronger poppy-but-feminine feel. Monrose’s instrumentals feel noisy compared to f(x)’s SM-produced processing that makes it more appealing, but both tracks have unique flavor.

Salt ‘N’ Peppa ft. En Vogue “Whatta Man” (1994) vs. I.O.I “Whatta Man (Good Man)”

 

 

“Whatta Man” is an essential 1990s song that perfectly encapsulates the era. Salt ‘N’ Peppa and En Vogue were among the hottest groups in the US. The track was a chart-topper and an award winner. The song is sexy, edgy, and cool. I.O.I’s version lacks the edginess and has more pop flavor. While it’s a nice rendition, nothing compares to the original.

Justin Guarini & Kelly Clarkson “Timeless” (2003) vs. Junsu & Zhang Liyin “Timeless” (2006)

Featured in the movie From Justin to Kelly, American Idol alums Justin Guarini and Kelly Clarkson released the popular track “Timeless.” The song features beauty and emotion and was popular in Asia at the time of its release. In 2006, Zhang Liyin and Junsu released their own version that had stronger delicacy and sweetness. Their vocals were better suited for the song, especially since Guarini and Clarkson were almost in a shouting match at the end of their version.

Maroon 5 “This Love” (2002) vs. G-Dragon “This Love” (2006)

     

 

In 2002, “This Love” was one of the biggest songs of the year and helped to enhance Maroon 5’s career. Adam Levine’s vocals have the strength and uniqueness to make the song memorable even 15 years after its release. G-Dragon, while being one of South Korea’s most internationally known artists, didn’t quite have the chops to carry the song. His version incorporates rap elements that make the track sound harsh in spots. GD’s pitch doesn’t fit the tone and arrangement, while Maroon 5’s version hits all the right spots.

will.i.am “I Got It from My Mama” (2007) vs. PSY ft. CL “I Got It from My Daddy” (2016)

    

“I Got It from My Mama” has plenty of sexual tones as it objectifies the female body. PSY’s “I Got It from My Daddy” spins the concept on its head as it parodies will.i.am’s song as PSY flaunts around as an older gentleman in his version’s MV. Unfortunately for will.i.am, his version sounds one-note while PSY’s fun take, lyric shift, and modern twist makes the track more enjoyable to the ear.

Corbin Bleu “Deal with It” (2007) vs. SHINee “Juliette” (2011)

While not a direct remake, SM Entertainment bought the rights to Corbin Bleu’s track; Jonhyun and Minho penned the “Juliette” lyrics to the track to make the song their own. The arrangements are exactly the same without much difference between the tone and harmonies. Both songs have their own unique lyrics to make both tracks equally decent.

Aly and AJ “Potential Breakup Song” (2007) vs. Tahiti “Love Sick” (2011)

While J-Line Entertainment never fully admitted Tahiti’s “Love Sick” is actually “Potential Breakup Song,” the similarities are there and quite prominent. Tahiti’s version has tinnier instrumentals that give it more pop nuances, while Aly and AJ’s version has more rock influences. The lyrics to both songs are different with Aly and AJ being angry over being jilted and Tahiti’s version covers a female stringing her partner along. As Tahiti’s third single and track with a different member lineup, the vocals lacked power despite the song being fairly decent. However, Aly and AJ win this round because their version has more power.

    

  

In 2001, Jennifer Lopez was one of the “it” artists and “Play” was one of the “it” songs. As a popular track on MTV’s Total Request Live and on several radio stations, it was hard to escape the song and its catchy beat and chorus. Three years later, Baby V.O.X released Korean and English versions of the track as a remix. Unfortunately for Baby V.O.X, their version didn’t reach its potential since it was released following the “Xcstasy” controversy where the group sampled content from Tupac (the rights to the content were unclear at the time). While “Play Remix” fit Baby V.O.X’s image, their version was more repetitive while Jennifer Lopez’s had clear verses and chorus.

Blazin’ Squad “Flip Reverse” (2003) vs. Jang Woo-Hyuk “Flip Reverse” (2005)

English hip-hop group Blazin’ Squad released “Flip Reverse” in 2003 on cassette! The track, which was widely popular in the UK with airplay in the US. Years later, it’s one of the group’s most remembered tracks. H.O.T’s Jang Woo-Hyuk’s version appeared on his No More Drama album as his first solo release. Jang’s version lost a little something without a whole group behind him and with the higher pitch. He does Blazin’ Squad’s track justice, but Blazin’ Squad’s rendition is the stronger of the two.

Luis Fonsi “Keep My Cool” (2002) vs. BoA “Spark” (2004)

Puerto Rican singer Luis Fonsi’s “Keep My Cool” appeared on his 2002 Fight the Feeling album. The original’s masculine vocals fit the lyrical content, while BoA’s feminine charms and power enhanced the track nicely. Both tracks kept the Spanish influences to make it recognizable, and there wasn’t a lot of change from the original in BoA’s version. Both tracks are strong and have different tones to make them stand out for both artists.

 

—-Joelle Halon

 

*Tracks are singles or side tracks released by Korean artists. These tracks are not cover songs.

China, being the most populated country in the world, never runs out of talent in any field. Bboying is not an exception. With its rich gymnastic achievements and history, Chinese bboys adopted an unique style that showcases their understanding of the human physique. However, developing such style is no walk in the park. Although China was exposed to the Hip Hop culture around the same time other Asian countries were exposed, it took its time to absorb the culture and the dance. It was only until recently that Chinese bboys started to attract international attention with its homegrown bboys having strong showings in international events.

Bboys​ ​and​ ​bgirls​ ​on​ ​this​ ​list​ ​are​ ​mentioned​ ​because​ ​of​ ​their​ ​achievements​ ​from​ ​2016​ ​to the​ ​time​ ​when​ ​this​ ​article​ ​is​ ​published.​ ​The​ ​ranking​ ​is,​ ​by​ ​no​ ​means,​ ​a​ ​definite​ ​way​ ​to​ ​measure each​ ​individual’s​ ​skill​ ​level​ ​in​ ​relation​ ​to​ ​one​ ​another. 

Bboy Devil

Representing the Mental Fusion Crew, bboy Devil is a rising superstar of his region. With impeccable flow that demonstrates his understanding of his body and awareness, he skillfully combines both powermove and footwork into one powerful style. Power combinations after power combinations, injected with a hint of footwork, is perhaps the surest way to dedicate his youth. This bboy has demonstrated that he is no stranger to international stage when he participated in the battle Hustle and Freeze, a competition which attracts bboys from all over the world. Though he fell short in the competition, his presence echoed deeply in every person’s mind.

 

Bboy Boss

As his name suggests, there is no better word to describe this man other than the the word BOSS…followed by numerous exclamation points. Bboy Boss, representing the Force Crew, is an iconic figure in a new branch of bboys we refer to as “strength type” bboys. Strength type bboys specializes in feats that are seemingly impossible to execute unless, of course, he or she possesses inhuman strength. Bboy Boss’s signature move is the very definition of this genre of bboys: Flare to an elbowless airbaby stall is nothing short of herculean feat. But that is not his only weapon. He is also equipped with flavorful footwork transitions that can take advantage of his musicality. Combined with his unique power that illustrates his strength, his presence on the floor is not to be underestimated.

 

Bboy NoName

Ironically, bboy NoName is a bboy who has made a name for himself. Considered to be one of the older generation bboys that hail from China, bboy NoName’s name has been embedded into Chinese domestic bboys mind as a god-like individual with insurmountable skills. He is the very epiphany of a bboy that has it all: Power moves, footwork, flow, freezes, musicality, and battle attitudes. Putting aside his skills that stood against the test of battles, it also stood against the test of time. Bboy NoName is considered to be one of the bboys from the older generation that helped the dance to prosper to this day. Representing the STO Crew, bboy NoName had brought nothing but honor to his motherland. Having high level understanding of every single category of bboying, bboy NoName is a lethal presence on the floor. Countless times he represented the yellow-starred flag of blood on international stages and achieved satisfactory accomplishments.

Bboy Marbles

Among the countless rising stars and young talents that China has to offer, Bboy Marbles is one of those cases where he managed to make a mark on international stages early on in his bboy career. Unlike many famous bboys, bboy Marbles currently has no known official affiliation with any other crews. However, that is not to say that one can underestimate this man. Bboy Marbles is a powermove specialist that emphasizes primarily on tricks and power moves. His unique signature power moves and transitions happens where one would least expect them to happen: In motion. Those added details painted the perfect impression that describes this beast of a man. His dominance was shown in the most recent Mounfund Jam in a heated battle against Venezuela. Everyone counted China out, as the Chinese did not have many bboys on the international stage. However, what bboy Marbles and his partner put out there are nothing less than astonishing.

Bboy Lil-Chao

Deep embedded in the Chinese society is a philosophy that truly reflects its cultural beliefs of balance. Bboy Lil-Chao is the bboy embodiment of such concept. He demonstrated his skillful fundamentals through his musicality while also putting up a show with an injection of power moves to put an accent to his rounds. Representing the STO crew alongside with bboy NoName, he had numerous opportunities to test his skills against international competitions. Though he recently had not taken any titles, he always achieves a standard of excellence on the floor. There is no telling what the future holds for this bright young man.

 

—-Joe Pengachu

For some reason, fans have become obsessed with the idea of their favorites winning on music shows and have begun to idealize the concept. The highly sought after win for some means a group has ‘made it’ and have lowered their risk of forced disbandment. Others have pure intentions, like wanting to give their favorite group a tangible sign of their support. Either way, there are some misconceptions about the ‘winning’ process.

First off, groups are not usually eligible to win during the first week of their comeback. That means they will appear on the show, but not be up for nomination. Most shows will display the full list of groups up for nomination on their website or voting list.

Music shows all use a point system to decide the winner for the week. For example, Mcountdown’s point breakdown is as follows:

10% – Broadcast Score/Live Voting

10% – Popularity Score

15% – Social Media Score

15% – Physical Album sales

50% – Digital Music sales

As you can see, digital music sales weigh extremely heavy in determining the group’s weekly score. Digital sales are considered the plays and downloads that the song gets on the Korea music sites, the most popular of which is Melon.  On most of these music sites, you are able to monitor what are the top 100 songs every hour.

If your group does not have enough of a following to get places on any of the music charts or the song is not well liked by the public that uses the sites, it will be extremely hard for them to win on most shows. Even more so if they cannot make up for it in the other categories.  What this means is no matter how much you insist their comeback is better, if another artist ranks higher than your favorite, that artist will win. I repeat, no matter how much you rant and rave about your group’s song being better, if another scores higher, your group will not win.

Winning is nice, but it is not everything. Supporting your group is not a bad thing, but attacking others under the guise of support is not the way to do that. International fans in particular have to accept that there is only so much you can do to help a group achieve a win. Even further, some music sites and voting are only available for Korean residents, so there is nothing you can do to help sometimes. Some groups will win extremely fast and others have not gotten a win in their entire career.  As long as they are able to continue releasing music for their fans, they are a success!

Groups like UKISS and GOT7 have toured all around the world, performing for thousands of fans before getting a win. Does that sound unsuccessful to you?

Groups’ popularity can rise and fall in an instant and a music show win does not stop a group from having problems or even disbanding. What can help is supporting your favorites in healthy ways and not spreading negativity.

 

—-Ke’Anna Bullard

With so many comebacks, the music charts are becoming more competitive. Despite the large fandom, it all comes down to which music is more appealing to hear without the age gap. Due to kpop being popular among all age groups, songs with high quality and catchy rhythms seem to win the battle. The recent successful comebacks include:

IU

IU has recently released her 4th album ‘Palette.’ This album not only comes with great quality of songs, but it also gained some extra attention when fans heard about the collaboration between Big Bang’s G-Dragon, and Hyuk Oh. As soon as the album was released, she “killed” the entire music charts with all her songs. It is very rare for a solo female artist to gain such success with their comeback, but because IU is known for her composing skills, people take a listen without hesitation.

1. Dlwlrma
2. Palette- ft. G-Dragon
3. Ending scene
4. Can’t love you anymore- with Hyuk Oh
5. Jam Jam
6. Black out
7. Full stop
8. Through the night
9. Love alone
10. Dear name

BTOB

The title song ‘Movie’ is composed by one of the BTOB’s members, Ilhoon. This song consist of a unique and funky style that is not often used in kpop. Not too many are familiar with this group due to their label not giving them enough push in the industry, but this album really contains one of the best kpop songs. 10th mini album ‘Feel’eM’ features 5 songs:

1. Movie
2. Someday
3. Just tell me
4. About time
5. Rock N Hiphop

Red Velvet

Although two months has passed since their comeback, the song itself is so addictive that it is still standing high on the charts. This was their 4th mini album called ‘Rookie.’ After finishing off their last successful ‘Russian Roulette’ album, the Rookie album received even more love. It is one of those songs that once you listen to it once, you cannot get it out of your head.

1. Rookie
2. Little little
3. Happily ever after
4. Talk to me
5. Body talk
6. Last love

 

Taeyeon

After her first two mini-albums, Taeyeon is back with her 1st full-length album called ‘My Voice.’ In this album, you can really hear her vocal capabilities, as it contains various genres such as pop, R&B, ballad, etc. It takes a lot to become this successful as a solo artist outside SNSD, but she has proven that through her hit singles: I, Rain, Why, and several of her OST songs.

1. Fine
2. Cover up
3. Feel so fine
4. I got love
5. I’m OK
6. Time lapse
7. Sweet love
8. When I was young
9. Lonely night
10. Love in color
11. Fire
12. Eraser

Highlight

Former ‘Beast’ members created their own label after leaving their previous company, Cube Entertainment. Because their group name is owned by Cube, the members came up with a new name, Highlight. This album is very special to the Highlight members because they have “re-debuted” with a new name. The ‘Can You Feel It’ mini album contains 5 songs:

1. Plz don’t be sad
2. It’s still beautiful
3. The beginning
4. Dangerous
5. CAN YOU FEEL IT?

Also be sure to check out upcoming comebacks including: PSY, Twice, Lee Hyori, Roy Kim, KARD (although they have not “officially” debuted), and many more.

 

—-Juyeon Oh

On April 12, 2017, B.A.P brought their Party Baby Tour to the Rosemont Theatre in Chicago. The colorful spectacular showed the fun and sensual sides to B.A.P through a medley of songs that had the fanbase pumped despite the empty seats that dotted the venue. Even though the venue wasn’t as full as it was in 2016 due to BTS performing weeks earlier and the Party Baby Tour coming through right smack in the middle of midterms season for many colleges, spirits were not dampened.

With this being B.A.P’s fourth tour in the United States, expectations were high for an amazing show. For the most part, B.A.P performed well and delighted fans with their signature sound. The boys were full of energy and smiles, especially Bang Yongguk, whom many worried about following his hiatus for anxiety and depression. The boys gave their all and pulled off a wonderful, memorable show.

The concert opened with a live DJ, DJ B.Shoo. B.Shoo’s energy filled the theatre as fans started to dance and blow their whistles. He was a nice opening act to get everything started. B.Shoo used a good mix of familiar, remixed tracks to assist with creating the pumped, energetic atmosphere that lead to the countdown to B.A.P’s appearance on stage.

The opening segment was fun while “B.A.P” opened the show, which is reminiscent of 2014’s tour. The opening featured a camera going backstage to find the boys before they went on stage. Looking at them during the intro, it was clear the boys were ready to rock!

When B.A.P appeared, they opened the show with EDM remixes of “Hurricane,” “Badman,” “No Mercy,” “Bang x2,” “That’s My Jam,” “How I Feel,” and “Dancing in the Rain.” The 18-minute set was reminiscent of 2016’s EDM set with a few songs added. The energy and joy B.A.P had during the set should have gotten the crowd more into the show, but Chicago fans were reserved despite B.A.P’s efforts. With headbangers like “Bang x2” and “That’s My Jam,” B.A.P pulled out all the stops: Zelo, who was pretty extra all night, showed off his goofy side, while Yongguk rocked hard. Himchan, who is still nursing a rib injury, moved about the stage with his signature smile etched on his face, while Jongup showed off his moves. The dance portion of “Hurricane” had B.A.P’s usual precision. When Yongguk started to rap, he appeared larger than life and like he didn’t miss a beat during his hiatus.

Following the EDM portion, the lucky fan event took place. Daehyun was the host for the B.A.P Lounge portion and he selected 27-year-old Rachel as his lucky fan. Rachel was dressed to the nines in Daehyun’s rose theme. While on stage, B.A.P asked her questions and took photos before handing her the SD card of her experience. Rachel was adorable and held her composure well while on stage (I, personally, would have been freaking out and trying to figure out a way to smuggle Himchan off stage and into my purse). Over on her YouTube page, My Rara Pop, Rachel discusses her experience, so check it out!

Following the lucky fan event, Jongup and Zelo performed their solos “Try My Luck” and “Shining Star.” Unfortunately, Daehyun did not perform his solo for the Chicago stop. Jongup and Zelo performed their solos beautifully! Jongup’s soft sweetness contrasted with the strong arrangement of the track. Jongup even incorporated some rap portions into his track which surprised fans and added more dimension to Jongup’s ability. Meanwhile, Zelo showed another side of himself by singing a ballad instead of performing a rap. “Shining Star” shows Zelo’s softer side and depth as an artist. What was also surprising is that “Shining Star” is entirely in English, so Zelo catered well to Western Babyz.

One of the most anticipated portions of the concert were the performances of “Fermata,” “I Guess I Need You,” and “Body & Soul.” For “Fermata,” B.A.P’s vocal line shined brightly. Daehyun has better control over his vocals as he effortlessly slid between high and low notes. Youngjae provides a strong middle ground to Daehyun’s strength and Jongup’s innocent vocals. The depth and layers in “Fermata” were enhanced by the vocal line’s live performance to make the song memorable.

“I Guess I Need You” and “Body & Soul” had effortless sexiness without the “Body & Soul” crotch dance that entranced fans in 2014. The body rolls and more mature dancing actually made the songs more appealing because they were sexy performances without being over-the-top. Unfortunately, it was during these performances where it was evident Himchan wasn’t fully recovered from his rib injury as he did wince during a few of the moves.

Youngjae then performed his solo, “Lie.” Youngjae has improved nicely as a vocalist also. His power has improved to show his vocalist potential. He, like Jongup, has a sweetness to his vocals that help him tell the story within the song he’s singing.

Following Youngjae’s solo, the finale of the main concert exploded with “Skydive,” “Young, Wild, & Free,” and their latest single, “Wake Me Up.” “Skydive” showed B.A.P’s strength and prowess, while “Young, Wild, & Free” got the fans riled up again. However, “Wake Me Up” was one of the fan highlights of the night with the sounds of whistles and chorus.

The boys wrapped with a one encore performance of “Check On,” which recalled the dance from the 2014 tour, and “SPY,” “Feel So Good,” and the fan-favorite B-sides “Be Happy” and “Carnival.” Even though at this point it was clear the boys were tired, they still performed with strength and energy and interacted with fans with enthusiasm before wrapping with “B.A.B.Y,” which made a few fans emotional as the concert came to a close. There were supposed to be two encores, but due to Chicago’s curfew, the city only experienced one.

Following the concert was Hi-Touch and the photo op fans had a chance to purchase to round out the evening. Like last year, the Hi-Touch was a quick hi-five with the B.A.P members. For the photo op, groups of ten got to take photos with the group to preserve their memories, which was a really cool option have this year. Along with the package, fans got a t-shirt, album, whistle, and a slogan which made up for the cost of the package.

The Nitty-Gritty: Good, Bad, and Indifferent

Like with past concerts, B.A.P really know how to perform. When it comes to performances, they’re among the true professionals in the industry. Going to one of their shows always prompts the “they eat their CDs for breakfast” phrase. This was the case for this year’s tour as the boys gave their all into their performances.

What was nice about this year’s tour is that there were solos from Youngjae, Zelo, Jongup, and Daehyun. It’s great to be able to hear the boys show what they can do individually, even though it was a bit disappointing that Yongguk and Himchan didn’t have solo stages. Perhaps this is due to Yongguk’s anxiety disorder and Himchan’s injury, but it would have been cool to hear “Pray” live or even their collaborative track, “Sexy Clap,” which is a cult favorite in the B.A.P fandom.

While B.A.P had a good song selection this year with their party-esque songs and performances of old and sexy favorites from past tours, there was something missing with fan-favorite tracks like “Warrior,” “Power,” “One Shot,” and “1004” excluded from the setlist. These are B.A.P’s iconic tracks and serve as crowd-pleasers that are guaranteed to get fans’ engines revving despite them not fulfilling the party vibe. Groups do need to change their setlists year-to-year so shows don’t get stale, but a little taste of these tracks in a form of a remix medley would have been a nice touch.

For the Chicago show, the talk sessions were the longest out of all the stops. With B.A.P and Chicago, there seems to be a strong connection between the group and the fans which is why talk sessions go on longer for any other city. This was the case in 2014 and in 2016 also. At one point, Youngjae spent several minutes discussing a sign a fan had, which really took longer than it should. The talk session length was probably one of the reasons why Chicago didn’t get a second encore. Talking is fine, and it gives the boys a chance to connect with fans; at the same time, there are fans who prefer more show than chit-chat, so it takes away from the mood of the concert.

The next bit of criticism comes with the scheduling of the show. The Chicago show was on a Wednesday in April, which is bad timing in the Midwest given how it is a weeknight. There is a curfew to contend with, people still in school, midterms occurring at area colleges, and the evils of rush hour traffic in the city. With K-12 school still in session and college midterms ongoing, not to mention how B.A.P came after BTS and HyunA, the venue had a lot of empty seats. TS Entertainment and the promoters need to figure out a better schedule for 2018 to avoid issues like this. I doubt fans would object to a summer tour.

With the above considered, Chicago fans did try their best to encourage the boys even though the general crowd was more subdued compared to past years. However, Chicago Babyz came through with several fan projects including the Himchan birthday project by K-Pop Fans of the Great Lakes, the green ribbon project by #ForeverBAPsBabyz, and several smaller banner and bias heart projects individual fans came up with to show love to B.A.P. Despite the small turnout and reserved nature, Chicago fans made up for it with the love they sent to the group.

Other issues were reported by various fans at the venue after the show with some saying Powerhouse staff were rude, pushing people, and rushed fans too much, while others claim that Rosemont staff were just rude. These incidents were reported on various social media outlets by more than one fan. If this is the case, professionalism failed at various points throughout the concert and need to be addressed by next year.

Overall

B.A.P’s Party Baby tour was a worthwhile experience. The show was fun and exciting with nice fan interaction. The Chicago stop could have been better if there was a better fan turnout, but we tried our best. In relation to 2014 and 2016’s tours, Party Baby comes in second in terms of experience and quality right after last year’s Awake Tour. Hopefully, next year will be stronger—with a better turn out—so B.A.P can show their prowess!

 

—-Joelle Halon

Asian tourism is getting more and more popular, as it offers foreigners totally different experiences with affordable budgets. It may be useful to learn local customs before visiting a country. Reasons are various: for a more comfortable trip, to show respect to local people and avoid any kind of unnecessary conflicts. Every Asian country is different from one another as for their unique customs and culture. While at the same time, many traditions are shared in common because of a connected history and/or geographic adjacency. For example, being low profile, avoid touching children’s head, and not opening gifts in front of the giver are typical Asian customs that most countries follow. Here, we are going to look at some examples: what you should do or not do when visiting Asian countries (this list is non-exhaustive and can be studied further).

Singapore

Don’t chew gum, smoke, litter, graffiti, jaywalking or spit in public. Singapore is famous for its cleanliness and strict laws. Since gum used to bring inconvenience to public transportation and people, the gum ban was introduced by Lee Kuan Yew in 1992, to achieve perfection in the country. It is legal to carry some for personal use but illegal to sell gum. If you do any of these mentioned above, you might face a several-thousand dollar fine plus a few months in prison.

 

Don’t walk naked or look at pornography, even at home. It is strictly banned to show your naked body in public or in private places while exposing to the public. This law was released on February 1996. If you are caught doing so, you might face a fine up to $2000, a three-month prison stay or both. Officers can enter your room without authorization and use force to arrest you.

Do reserve a table with tissue. Singaporeans like to reserve their seats with their belongings like tissue or umbrellas. If you notice something like a pack of tissue on the table in a crowded restaurant, seriously better not take that seat. There might be people coming after and kicking you out. So do as the Romans do, take a seat before somebody else, leaving your own tissue on the table.

 

 

Do bring two oranges when visiting families on Lunar New Year. Something special with Singapore New Year is that everyone brings two oranges when visiting each other. You give two when the host opens the door and they will give you back two when you leave. Orange in Chinese is “Ju”, which sounds similar with “Ji”. “Ji” means luck in Chinese. Two oranges mean double luck. Singaporeans exchange their best wishes to each other with two oranges instead of any expensive gifts.

South Korea

Don’t refuse food or drinks. Koreans like to receive guests with coffee, tea or non-alcohol drinks and guests must accept. When you are invited for a meal, the host will serve you more than once. If there’s no more rice in the pot, they might even take rice from their own plate and put in yours. The more you eat, the happier your host will be. Never refuse food or drinks from your host. If you are full or don’t want any more, it’s even more polite to leave some food in your plate.

Don’t enter the kitchen for if you are a male. Koreans are still very traditional in this case, thinking that women are inferior to men. Men would go first when entering the door and women are obliged to serve their husbands in public or at home. People take it as a dishonor to see men entering the kitchen. If you are a foreign woman married to a Korean man, don’t let your husband enter the kitchen to serve you in front of your mother-in-law, otherwise you’ll be in trouble. Please, note that some of these traditions are slowly changing.

Do wait for others to pour drinks for you. If you pour and drink on your own, people would think you are depressed. It is considered as politeness to pour drinks for each other at the table. Normally you pour drinks to your own glass, give it to your friend, your friend drinks it, pour another one for you, and then you take it back and drink. Married women can only pour drinks for her husband and herself.

 

Do remove your shoes before entering your host’s house. Koreans stay a lot on the floor for eating and sleeping. It will be extremely impolite if you walk in with your shoes and dirty their floor. Make sure to wear clean socks without any holes in them. Many restaurants would also require the same.

 

 

China

Don’t stick your chopsticks in the food. Sticking chopsticks in the food, especially a bowl of rice, is considered as an extremely impolite behavior in China, as well as some other Asian countries like Singapore and South Korea. Chinese like to burn incense to pray for God or mourn the dead. Therefore chopsticks in the middle of the rice bowl would look like the incense for dead people, which will bring bad fortune to the people doing this.

 

Don’t cut your hair in Lunar Calendar’s January. In North China, if you cut your hair in the month of January under the Lunar Calendar, people would think that misfortune, and most likely death, will happen to your uncle (mother’s brother). This goes back to Qing Dynasty when people were forced to have a special haircut. People from Ming Dynasty tried to fight against it but they failed. To keep hair in January became a way in memory of Ming Dynasty. To remember the past is called “Si Jiu” in Chinese, which shares the same sound as “dead uncle”. This is some kind of blind belief that lasted over three hundred years.

Don’t wear green hats. When the wife cheats on the husband, people say she makes him wear a greet hat. There are legend stories connecting green hat with wife’s infidelity, even prostitution. If you don’t want to be laughed at on the street, don’t wear a green hat.

Do prepare a lot of “Hong Bao” for big events such as weddings and Chinese New Year. Chinese have a heavy tradition of gifting. When someone does a favor to them, they return double. On weddings, every guest will leave a Hong Bao at the reception. The amount of money inside can vary from 100 to 1000RMB, or much more, depending on how close you are with the receiver. On Chinese New Year, the elder people will give Hong Bao to young children and babies. Other events include the celebration for births of babies, birthdays of the olds, teenagers going to universities, and most happy events.

 

 

Do insist to treat and pay the bill, even if people decline a few times. Chinese don’t like to share bills between friends or family. People would always offer to treat after going for a meal with them. You can accept for a few times but make sure to return the favor next time. Very often your offer would be declined, but please insist strongly and pay the bill, they will be happy to see you understand the tradition.

Vietnam

Don’t eat dog, duck, squid or shrimp in early January according to the Lunar Calendar. Dog meat is very popular in Vietnam. However, it is considered as unlucky to eat it during the Vietnamese New Year. The black color of the meat or the homophonic meanings in the names are the reasons for this phenomenon. Don’t ask the locals to go try dog meat with you during this time of the year. It will make them feel very uncomfortable.

Don’t rush people when they take too much time. Vietnamese don’t like to be rushed. They take their time to do things. Sometimes you would have to wait for a while before you get your food in a restaurant. This also works for business. Make sure to take your time talking about irrelevant things such as the weather or your personal matters, before you seriously get down to business. Vietnamese are famous for not being punctual so keep calm when they break their promises.

Do avoid any physical contact that is too intimate between lovers. Holding hands is common in public, but kissing is not. About ten years ago, Vietnamese people thought kissing was very sacred and private, which should not be seen in public. It is still very new and inappropriate to kiss on the street nowadays.

Do ask permission before taking someone’s photograph, especially military related. Many ethnic groups believe that taking a photograph of them will take away their soul, like some tribes in Africa and some Native Americans. Some Vietnamese are happy in front of cameras but it is always more polite to ask for permission before you take the picture. Do not insist or try to offer money if you are rejected. Just accept it and go. Otherwise some locals may find you rude and get really upset.

Have you experienced any of these traditions?

 

—-Lizzy Ren

Netflix is the movie lovers’ paradise because they can find the best of the best. In this article we talk about the best 15 Asian movies on Netflix.

15. Fist of legend:

The movie takes place before the outbreak of World War 2 as the Japanese troops threaten the existence of one of the masters of martial arts in Shanghai.

14. The Beauty Inside:

This Korean movie is the remake of an American film that bears the same name. The movie is a romantic comedy that talks about a man who wakes up in a different body with a different life every single day. The only thing that doesn’t change is the girl he loves.

13. Internal Affairs:

This Chinese masterpiece actually inspired “The Departed” by Scorsese. The story is about a police officer who goes undercover in order to become a part of a gang. At the same time, a gangster joins the forces in order to know their secrets. If this sounds familiar then you might want to watch the original piece.

12. Nobody Knows:

This Japanese heart wrenching tale is made more tragic because it is based on a true story. It tells the story of a 12 year old boy who is forced to care for his 3 younger siblings when their mother chooses to abandon them. It tells the story of feelings and hardships as the boy grows up before his time.

11. House of Flying Daggers:

This Chinese movie marked the entrance of China to the world of Academy Awards by being nominated for the award of best cinematography. The story revolves around 2 policemen who try to find the secret behind a gang with the help of an exceptional blind dancer who masters martial arts. The motion on the screen can be a mixture of dancing and fighting but is exceptionally beautiful to watch.

10. The Host:

Due to the dumping of toxic waste, a large mutant amphibian appears in the Han River of Seoul. It kidnaps a little girl and the whole city goes into chaos as her father starts to look for her. He goes on a quest to find where the monster hides with the authorities trying keep him away.

9. Moebius:

This is a dark and disturbing movie that was first banned in Korea then was accepted later on. It mainly talks about the desires of a father and how they affect his son who follows his footsteps. The film doesn’t involve much dialogue but is still one of the darkest productions out there.

8. Rigor Mortis:

The movie is really scary as it follows the life of a depressed actor who suffers after his wife leaves him. He decides to hang himself only to be greeted by 2 ghosts who try to possess his body and a vampire who competes for his soul.

7. The Housemaid:

This classical triangle has more than what the name implies when a man has an affair with the housemaid not knowing that his wife knows of the affair. While the maid tries to maintain her name and reputation, the wife seems to know more than what she tells.

6. The Five venoms:

The movie tells the secrets of the world of Kung Fu when a dying Kung Fu master sends his student on a quest to find 5 of his late students to know which one of them has forgotten about the rules of Kung Fu and has gone evil. The movie is especially popular with martial art lovers who know that nothing beats Asian Kung Fu.

5. The Midnight after:

The movie is a real intellectual horrifying experience for movie lovers who like to experience something of the extraordinary. It talks about a minibus that is full of passengers and arrives at a new dimension where a strange virus infects everybody in the city.

4. The phantom of the theatre:

The movie is set in the glorifying 1930s of China where everything was elegant and mystical. It tells the story of trapped souls that perished after a fire that took place 13 years ago in a theatre and currently waiting to haunt more victims when the new show opens.

3. Miss Granny:

This comedy movie has been a success since its release and this is why it is so popular on Netflix. The movie tells the story of an old grandmother who has pushed her family away with her bad attitude but one day she has her photograph taken to realize that she has returned to her 20 year old body.

2. Miao Miao:

This romantic movie tells the story of a young student who develops an attraction for another colleague and the funny situations that arise from this new found romance.

1. The Divine move:

Asian movies are all about honour and revenge and this movie says this best. After being wrongfully imprisoned for a crime he didn’t commit, a Go player joins forces with a Go master in order to seek revenge.

—-A. Licia

Produce 101 is back with Season 2! If Season 1 was all about forming a girl group, Season 2 is all about a male idol group. Looking back to Season 1, so many were against Mnet running another audition show (former shows: Unpretty Rapstar, Show Me the Money, The Voice of Korea, Superstar K, etc.). Although some of these shows had some successful seasons in the past, as the seasons continued they received less popularity. To the fans, Mnet is known for their editing skills, meaning they only focus on those who bring drama/interest to the show. Lack of talent won’t stop them from airing those individuals, as long as they can bring the attention from the viewers, especially those that are receiving hate or respect. This especially became an issue for Produce 101 Season 1, as one of the members named Kim Sohye remained in the top positions for votes. She was the only member from F group to debut as I.O.I and there is still a lot of controversy today as to why she was the one to debut. During the show, Mnet spent majority of the episodes only focusing on very few members, and that included Sohye. The reason why it became such a big issue was because she was taking other members spotlight. There were plenty of other girls who had what it takes, but they were no where to be found in the episodes. Sohye improved magnificently as the show got closer to the end proving she is capable of becoming an idol but some still say she should not have been the one.

Who knew there would be another season of Produce 101? Let’s just all agree that Season 2 can never be as good as Season 1 unless some miracle happens, and that was why most were raising eyebrows at Season 2 of the show. Only 2 episodes have aired, and yet people are already beginning to change their minds. Just like how they never thought of watching Season 1, but began to love it as it went on, that is exactly what’s happening for Season 2. People seem to have a much higher expectation for this season, which is why many were disappointed.  They imagined more talent and competition because it is an all male competition.  After watching the first two episodes myself, I am also one of those disappointed people. Not only were many lacking talent, but they had no desire to win. To those who have watched the episodes can all agree that there is less talent in Season 2 than 1. It almost feels as if Mnet rushed into finding trainees that they didn’t even care about what they show to the viewers. Current idol groups even came on the show but most of the members did not even show ambition towards winning. Those who actually had talent were barely shown. Now, it has only been two episodes so we cannot judge too soon, but this is how things are going. Hopefully it will get better as the episodes continue! If you don’t want to miss out, make sure to watch Season 2 every Friday night.

—-Juyeon Oh

We at Kcrush enjoy introducing you to products and services that help you to get to know Korea even better, especially in the world of music and beauty! This is why we’re excited to introduce you to Inspire Me Korea, a subscription service shipping adorable gift boxes filled with Korean goodies to people who enjoy Korean culture or just want a taste of what South Korea has to offer. Based on our experience, each box is carefully put together, from the presentation to the monthly themes and hand selected goodies! We definitely feel the love and passion that goes into creating each box shipped across the globe. After having a chance to review one of their fabulous box options, we can honestly say Inspire Me Korea will bring joy to anyone who subscribes to the service.

First Impressions

The package comes in an aesthetically-pleasing box, we love the calming colour palette, the crisp white and blue hues and minimalist design is very attractive and makes us excited for what is inside! The packaging is sturdy with a flip-lid that gives the box a keepsake feel. The box itself is worth saving for gift-giving or even to store items, keepsakes, or crafts – it’s too nice to throw away.

Let’s Open the Box!

Inspire Me Korea neatly packages the box contents. Everything arrived in great condition, so there’s a lot of love and care put into the packaging to ensure safe arrival. I like how the packaging makes everything inside feel more special, like it came from a small, artsy boutique. I’m a fan of aesthetics, so the packaging and protection pleased me greatly. The contents lie nestled in tissue paper with their branded stickers sealing the contents. I received the K-Pop Box which contained the following goodies:

• An EXO Pepero box (Cookie flavored: My favorite!)
• Inspire Me Korea monthlymagazine
• One cookie rice cake (addicting!)
• A strawberry snack pie
• Secom Dalcom peach candies
• A “K-Pop is Life” shirt (in size medium)
• One rose Nature Republic face mask*

For around $17 USD (£13.99), you’re getting a neat package that gives subscribers an immersive and all rounded experience of Korea through its variety of products. The high quality t-shirt itself makes up the cost here, so the box is a nice deal.

The Products

While everything received in the box was lovely, my favorite item is the monthly magazine. The magazine is printed on nice, high-quality paper and packs a punch despite its stature. The articles published in it are informative and fun, highlighting different aspects of Korea related to the theme of the month. My favorite part of the magazine is the section that provides Korean language basics like the Hangul alphabet and pronunciation guide and useful sayings. Since this is the K-Pop box, the language in this issue was geared toward the K-Pop crowd, but the section is useful nonetheless. The magazines are worth collecting!

My second favorite items are the rice cake and snack pie. After having both and sharing with my niece, we immediately went on a search for more because they are totally addictive and delicious. The strawberry pie has a rich strawberry and chocolate flavor that almost heavenly, while the rice cake has a delightful sweetness.

The Secom Dalcom peach candies are tangy, sweet and refreshing! A great candy for on the go, or travelling. While they are good, for those with capped teeth, they’re not as fun to chew. The flavor does pack a punch and tastes refreshingly peachy, so they are worth a little inconvenience.

The Pepero is a must-have in any sort of gift item like this. Pepero is a well-known, signature snack that always brings a sense of excitement. What’s nice is that the Pepero received arrived fresh with a nice crisp cookie and tasty coating. Sometimes, ordering Pepero abroad means long waits and no freshness guarantee, so it’s nice to receive a product that is fresh.

Unfortunately, I didn’t get to use the rose mask due to allergies (I’m allergic to certain flowers, cucumbers, and melons), but it is a nice token in box to introduce someone to Korean skincare. Sheet masks are fantastic because they are user-friendly, even for beginners. The refreshing qualities they have do wake up tired skin and make for glowing skin. The mask is an excellent beauty item that was included.

Finally, the “K-Pop is Life” t-shirt is made from a 100% cotton, it’s lightweight and breathable. The bright white is crisp and makes the black slogan pop and it definitely speaks out to many Kpop fans!

Overall

The Inspire Me Korea box is a box of fun! It has a nice introductory mix of products that will give subscribers a taste of the different products Korea offers. The price is an attractive point – such a wide variety for a reasonable price, so subscribing won’t break the bank. Besides the products, the overall presentation is attractive and will make the goodies feel even more special. For this reason, the Inspire Me Korea box would make an excellent gift! With the offerings, presentation, and overall value considered, the box earns a 4/5 with the deduction being the shirt size as it isn’t inclusive to different body types. However, this is a small issue as the overall value and product lineup makes up for any flaws.

Buy the March KPOP Box here while supplies last!

And if you enjoy Korean cuisine, grab their April COOKING Box today!

Subscribe and get more boxes delivered to your door monthly, such as May’s MOTIVATION Box and more. You can find Inspire Me Korea subscriptions on their website. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

 

—-Joelle Halon

With the social and technological progress, the demand of entertainment is growing at a rapid speed. Games, considered as a very important way of entertainment, has a large group of loyal fans. This includes many Korean celebrities, who are under a lot of pressure. It is said that South Korea has a much higher rate of suicide for celebrities than the United States, Japan or Europe. Hard training and competition during intern period, the hope for fast investment return from their companies and the pressure from public opinions are among the reasons causing some suicides. It will be very interesting to know more about the favorite games of some Korean celebrities, what indoor/outdoor or video games they play when they are free, to relax or to simply spend some time.

Kim Soo-hyun – Bowling

Kim Soo-hyun, height 180cm, weight 65kg, was born February 16th, 1988 in Seoul. He has been a very popular actor in both Korea and China for the last 6 years. His TV dramas “Dream High”, “Moon Embracing the Sun”, “My Love from the Star” have brought him numerous awards for best acting. Although most of the time he plays pretty serious roles, in reality, he has actually a very mischievous personality. He used to set fire and flew tens of paper airplanes out of his classroom window when he was in high school, which caused fire of a flower bed, and of course got a “well-deserved” punishment.

What is also really well-known about Kim Soo-hyun, is his passion for bowling. After three years of training, he participated in 2016 to the “22nd Korean men’s professional bowler trials”, together with Lee Hong-gi. Both of them passed the qualification round easily and played well until their luck ran out at the final. They had an average score of 192.3 and 172.3, with a highest score both at 278. Kim’s talent and devotion to bowling has amazed many of his fans, which attracted the attention of many more. Besides bowling, Kim also loves to play badminton and go skiing during his off time.

Nam Gyu Ri – Video Games

Nam Gyu Ri, height 165cm, weight 46kg, was born on 26^th April, 1985 in Seoul. Graduated from Kyung Hee University, she became a member of the girl group Seeya. After leaving Core Contents Media, an entertainment company, Nam started to pursue a solo career in both acting and singing in 2009. She is very often called “Barbie Doll” for her cute face. She ranked 58^th at “The 23rd Annual Independent Critics List of the 100 Most Beautiful Faces.”

Under her prettiness is hiding a crazy fan of video games, especially arcade-style ones. She challenged Knee, a professional player, on a Tekken 7 show match, and proved her experienced skills.  She beat Tekken 7 world champion Bea Jea-min and even became a model endorsing the game to the public. From her Twitter page, you can find pictures of herself playing video games in front of a large game machine in her dressing room.

Talking about lovers of video games, besides Nam, there is a long list of names of Korean celebrities you can find. Choi Seung-hyun (known as T.O.P), the rapper from Big Bang, loves video games and swimming. Jisook, a main vocalist from Rainbow group, is also a fan. She sang the Korean version of the introduction song for video game “Atelier Sophie”.  Kim Hee Cheol from Super Junior is known to be the king of games in the entertainment industry. As a huge “League of Legends (LoL)” gamer, Kim takes Lee Min-Ho as his eternal game rival. Both of them are on the top grade tier at Diamond 3 and 4. Other famous gamers include JungKook (BTS), GongChan (B1A4), HongBin (VIXX), Niel (TEEN TOP), JaeHyo (BLOCK B), LE (EXID), BaekHyun and Chanyeol (EXO), playing the game Overmatch, LoL, RPG and Tekken.

Jisook and Kim Hee Cheol  @blog.naver.com

Yook Sungjae from BTOB – Fishing

Yook Sungjea, born on 2^nd May, 1995, is the vocalist and youngest member of the boy group BTOB. He is a singer, actor and host. Graduated from Hanlim Multi Art University in 2014, he debuted in 2012 under Cube Entertainment. Many of his songs are interpreted in Japanese. Sungjae is a very funny and outgoing person. The Internet is full of funny moments in which he is making funny faces, blowing bubbles with his nose and even breaking a watermelon by hitting it with his head.

When he was interviewed by the TV show “Happy Together 3” about his favorite games, he admitted to be a big fan of fishing. He goes four to five times a week. Sungjae became the first idol star to be on the show “Sports Fishing Decode” in 2016. He joined then a new SBS show “Clench Your Fist and Blow the Boat Horn” in January 2017, in which he went on a 12-hour fishing challenge. The show will be broadcasted on 15^th April. Sungjae is very skilled in terms of precision and distance, using his left hand to fish. He claims to have some special connections with fish. Going for a fishing party has the power of healing him and shaking all his stress off as soon as a fish bites. Besides fishing, Sungjae also enjoys going snowboarding from time to time.

Would you like to know more about what your favorite artist enjoys in their sparetime, let us know who!

—-Lizzy Ren

Six Bomb’s “Becoming Prettier” a Failed Gimmick

If you’re a nugu girl group, what would you do to try to gain relevance in a cutthroat K-Pop industry? Naturally, many would “train harder” or “release better music” or “come out with better concepts to get noticed.” If you’re Six Bomb, a group that debuted in 2012 with “Chiki Chiki Bomb,” you’ll do the latter.

Six Bomb returned to the K-Pop scene in 2016 with the panned viral song “Wait 10 Years, Baby,” the track that only went viral thanks to their gimmicky, raw chicken-colored body suits. Internationally, the MV solidified stereotypes that anything that comes from Asia is quirky or weird. The gimmick worked as the group is still around and they earned some international attention. Fast-forward to 2017 and the group, which now consists of leader/rapper Soa, vocalists Dain and SeulBi, and rapper Gabin, released two songs: “Becoming Prettier Before” and “Becoming Prettier After” which have, once again, generated international buzz.

In “Becoming Prettier Before,” viewers are treated to a song with a split-personality as the beat and tempo change jarringly. The MV, however, caused people to notice as it documents the girls getting consultations at a plastic surgery center and practicing in the studio before wrapping up with the girls getting gussied up in makeup for a photoshoot.

As the video unfolds, it could be interpreted two ways: The girls are literally going to have plastic surgery, or—based on the ending—they decided to love themselves enough to not go through with it. The lyrics for the track also hint that the interpretation could go either way with the song mentioning that the girl got her hair and nails done and bought new clothes following a breakup. The plastic surgery-angle isn’t hinted at strongly, but this could be due to overall poor-lyric writing.

Unfortunately, with the follow-up MV, “Becoming Prettier After,” the former interpretation of “going under the knife” became true. The second MV shows the girls with their new looks—which are estimated to have cost around $100 thousand USD—and practicing for their comeback while wrapped in bandages.

For the “Becoming Prettier After” comeback, the girls returned with enhanced busts, double-eyelid surgery, and some refinements to their jaws and noses. The transformations are not too dramatic, but they are noticeable, especially for Dain whose eyes appear too Westernized post-op. The return has polarized fans and casual observers with some praising the girls’ dedication to a concept while others felt disgust the company made them undergo the changes, especially in light of Soa saying during a BBC interview that she had to think hard about changing her looks because she “really liked and was satisfied with [her] previous eyes.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01aE2qBIDFA

While the “Becoming Prettier” plastic surgery concept isn’t too shocking due to many K-Pop idols undergoing some sort of plastic surgery and with South Korea being one of the leaders in plastic surgery, it is shocking as Six Bomb are one of the few groups to openly detail their plastic surgery in a music video (Brown Eyed Girls once parodied Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face” with the SNL Korea skit “Plastic Face” where they poked fun at their own procedures). This is where the problem lies as the video showcases everything that’s wrong in society and in the Korean entertainment industry which mostly targets young people.

Today, many societies try to promote self-love and acceptance regardless of appearance and body-type. However, all the images we see of perfectly coifed and sculpted celebrities tell people the opposite: A certain look is required to be successful. In Korea, this is the message sent daily with plastic surgery tours made available to foreigners, plastic surgery ads on the streets, and certain appearances being peddled in advertisements as perfect and acceptable. Double-eyelid surgery is one of the most common procedures in South Korea and is often gifted to young people. For many, plastic surgery equals potential success.

For Six Bomb, the plastic surgery concept must have been synonymous with success, especially from a company standpoint. To a degree, they gained some notice in Korea and plenty of international coverage; but long-term, it’s a gimmick that won’t help the girls be successful in the K-Pop industry. With poorly written songs, low-quality music videos, subpar vocals, and badly arranged songs, the group still risks slipping off into obscurity much like they did after their debut. Unless the group wants to be pigeon-holed into weird and outrageous concepts much like Crayon Pop did following their viral hit “Bar Bar Bar,”  there isn’t an upward movement for Six Bomb because their company doesn’t promote them well or give them the material they need to truly be successful. The money spent for the plastic surgery—a possible one-time gimmick—could have gone into better videos, vocal training, and music to help the group try to gain some ground.

The truth is this: Gimmicks only go so far and grow old quickly. In the case of Crayon Pop, 2013 was their year with “Bar Bar Bar.” Helmets became a trend and non-Kpop fans recognized the song and piston dance. Following “Bar Bar Bar,” it’s viral success, and even some of the music show wins, Crayon Pop failed to stay relevant because their company tried to continue the gimmicks over promoting their obvious talents and strong vocals.

Even PSY, who was and is still immensely popular in Korea, faced a similar gimmick dilemma following 2012’s “Gangnam Style.” Internationally, PSY went from a hero with a cult following to someone to be mocked thanks to subsequent “try-hard” songs like “Hangover” and “Gentleman” which, while racking up YouTube views, were panned more than praised. This is not to say that PSY lost popularity in his native country, but it is pointing out how trying to duplicate the success of a song and MV that grew larger-than-life can prove problematic. In PSY’s case, he wasn’t hurt in Korea, but internationally, his act grew tired.

In Six Bomb’s case, the attention received for the “Becoming Prettier” tracks will more than likely be short-lived. Because of this, instead of spending thousands trying to enhance their looks for a one-time concept, their company could have stepped outside the box of what’s expected for Korean females (plastic surgery) and promoted self-love and natural beauty. They could have sent a message to girls that they are fine as they are and they don’t need to change to be accepted, which is what was hinted at in “Becoming Prettier Before” when the girls had their makeup done. There isn’t anything makeup can’t do these days, so going “under the knife” was wholly unnecessary. This was a chance for the group to set a principle and be empowering, but they failed to do so.

The concept was done for all the wrong reasons and further the message that one’s natural looks are not good enough. Six Bomb and their company passed on a golden opportunity to send a different message: You’re beautiful as you are. Instead, the shallowness of beauty standards and faux-perfection in the entertainment industry are further enforced, but the imagery and message will not help Six Bomb succeed in the long run.

 

—-Joelle Halon

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Lives Up to Hype

On March 3, 2017, Nintendo released The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (BotW) for the Nintendo Switch and Wii U. Months prior, Nintendo hyped and teased the game in spectacular fashion, appeasing the appetite of gamers and longtime Zelda fans alike. Nintendo delivered as the game is as beautiful as promised with enhanced game play, an expansive world setting, and nice features that bring BotW to life.

Pros

For starters, Nintendo created a beautiful, expansive land that is absolutely breathtaking. The rich, lush landscapes are lively and teeming with activity from the different wildlife to the monsters that hideout throughout Hyrule. It’s easy to get lost in the landscapes because there is so much to see. Grass blows in the breeze; animals hide in the woods and wander about; trees waver in the wind; mountains are slick when it rains; each landscape has extreme temperature changes. The waterscapes, too, have realism with their ripples and light play.

There is a lot happening in BotW, so players can expect to be entertained for long periods of time. Besides the main quest—defeat Calamity Ganon—there are several shrines, puzzles, and side quests to do that will make the game last a while. Players can do these quests in any order, and there’s an active quest list in the menu that helps players keep track of side quests they’ve completed or yet to complete. For the shrines, the puzzles really do keep a player on his or her toes as many do require thought and planning. The game will make you work for its various perks like spirit orbs and enhanced weapons, but it is worth it.

The game is more realistic in that weapons break [a lot]. Unlike other Zelda games where you have the same weapons throughout, there are a ton of weapon upgrades available within BotW, but weapons tend to break during the worst moments, especially early on. This is a mix pro and con because it’s horrible mid-battle when a weapon decides a shatter, putting the player at a disadvantage until weapons are swapped out. However, it makes for an interesting dynamic when the player has a mix of weak and strong weapons.

One of my favorite elements of BotW is the shrine quests. Some of the shrines involve critical thinking skills to solve them, so it’s nice that BotW isn’t just a mindless action game. There are puzzles within the shrines that are fairly easy to do, but there are others that are downright frustrating. Without revealing any of the shrine names, some of the more frustrating shrines involve tilting the Wii U controller and trying to aim it perfectly to get balls to move about accurately. Prepare for some swear-fests because they are unavoidable.

For this game, Nintendo also gives players credit for being able to craft their own gameplay experience. Unlike other games on the market where “hand-holding” exists and story and play is more linear under the guise of having free-range gaming, BotW truly is free-range. Players can do quests in any order they please. Players can wander the grounds freely without issue. Gamers can do what they please to make the experience their own.

Link, although he is silent in the game, has some personality. If he’s standing around, he’ll pass time by flexing his muscles. When he’s getting upgrades from the Great Fairies, he reacts to whatever kiss they give him. Even his dialogue text is a mix of straight-forward responses and impishness to add depth to his character.

Overall, the characters including villagers, travelers, and villains have more character. Some of the dialogue has innuendo that will go over a young player’s head but will cause adults to chuckle. Some of the background characters are stars in their own rights, like Bolson who seems to be a stereotype of someone from the LGBTQ community, and Magda, who will cause harm if you step on her flowers. There are a few Easter egg characters like the travelers that look like Robin Williams and Satoru Iwata, so be on the lookout for the background characters that will definitely breathe extra life into the game.

Middle Ground

There are some elements that are neither pros nor cons. Here are some elements that could go either way.

First, the game features voice acting within various cut scenes. A few characters have voices fitting for the characters. Mipha and Revali’s characters, especially, have voices that match their respective sweet and brash natures. Meanwhile Zelda comes across as a bit over-dramatic and stilted. The pitch of her voice is awkward and doesn’t match the tone or mood of the game. Her voice is just weird to listen to, so there is a slight failing here. Overall, the voice acting adds another dimension to BotW to enhance the epic feel of the game.

Some of the lesser bosses and monsters are more difficult than the main bosses. For example, a Savage Lynel takes more time and resources to beat than even the main boss, Calamity Ganon. This is a bit of a letdown because it’s expected that main bosses would be difficult. As Link gets stronger and collects more power and better weapons, the main bosses are fairly wimpy. Since the game does allow for the player to craft their own gaming experience, players can attack Ganon without all the enhanced weapons and powers if they are looking for a challenge.

Cons

For our review, we played the Wii U release of the game, so we can’t speak on behalf of Switch users. However, we’re assuming the cons may be the same for both systems as it is the same game. With that said, the cons we experience as Wii U players may not be the same for those playing on the Switch.

One of the biggest cons for BotW is a common issue for many games available on the market today: Camera angles are TERRIBLE. It is difficult to find consistent angles that enhance game play because locations and character position play a role. For climbing or enemy combat, camera angles stand between Link and death a lot of times. The controls don’t really allow for good views, and when there is a good view, it’s like the heavens open. Otherwise, the camera feature has not improved over time for Nintendo games and can lead to some issues with dizziness and motion sickness in some players. I experienced headaches and dizziness long after I stopped playing, so if you’re like me and have motion sickness or certain movements, graphics, colors, or lighting triggers migraines, exercise caution while playing due to camera issues.

Another con is that the game utilizes the entire controller. Different buttons do multiple things (for example, the right movement button is the camera, the Sheikah scope, and switches gear in the menu), so it’s easy to make a mistake during a battle or side activity when trying to switch weapons, shields, shoot arrows, or adjust camera angles. For younger players or those who are less coordinated, the controls may be a source of frustration. It does take a while to memorize the different button functions, but this becomes second-nature with time.

One issue I had during gameplay was that I experienced lag at various points. For example, battles against more than four monsters caused the game to slow down or glitch out, or battles that use up substantial graphics like Fireblight Ganon cause delays of more than five to ten seconds during gameplay. This could be due to my Wii U not having enough memory, but it is noticeable and annoying. I also noticed that the menus sometimes cause the game to flash or crackle. At times, I thought my TV was getting ready to go out, but it was just the game. I cannot confirm if this is an issue only with the Wii U or with both the Wii U and Switch.

Overall

BotW is stunning and breathtaking and, perhaps, one of the best games in the Legend of Zelda series. There’s a lot to explore, but it’s not without its pitfalls. Once the controls are figured out, game play feels more natural, but camera angles will certainly trigger motion sickness and headaches. With those issues aside, BotW will entertain for a long time and earns a solid 4/5.

 

—-Joelle Halon

The Korean-Cuban history is still nowadays, a subject which is not widely spread, although these two nations share in common, an important past. It all starts in 1905, when 1,033 Koreans left their home to Mexico to search for a better life. They set sail from Incheon in South Korea, arriving in Mexico’s Yucatan after one month, only to find that their dream land was a poor field with hard labor work. Among the demographic of this large group, there were 31% of children (below 20), 68% of adults (20-50) and 1% of old (above 50). Rising another hope, in 1921, 288 of them set sail for Cuba and arrived on May 25^th.

Korean immigration to Mexico

According to the research made by Hea-Jin Park, Koreans were having a rough time in the late nineteenth century, when Japanese influence on the Korean peninsula was increasing day by day. Years of floods caused years of food crises, bringing its flow of plagues over Koreans such as disease outbreaks like cholera. Monetary instability, economic inflation, tax burden as well as government corruption and crimes added up to a situation which was already painful to live. This motivated Koreans to massively immigrate towards Russia, northeast China at first and then Hawaii in 1902. Due to the rising interest of Mexico henequen plantation owners in recruiting Asian labor, the emigration company turned their target toward Koreans, after facing failures in China and Japan because of rejections from both governments. They put up exaggerated advertisement that attracted around one thousand people to join.

Although the emigration company failed to get any legal permission, while this was well known to Korean officials and there was no one actually in charge, the cargo ship managed to depart from Jaemulpo Harbor and sailed for Mexico. While Koreans expected a new prosperous life, a field of slavery was waiting for them upon arrival. Few people died on the trip, many more passed away due to the harsh work, the extremely hot temperature, the diseases and the lack of treatment in the fields of henequen. Losing their freedom became the price for this long trip over the ocean. Trying to escape would indeed be charged with cruel punishments.

After the completion of their four-year contract, most Koreans had no money, nor resources to go back to their homeland, and Korea was still under the control of Japan. Hawaii, where Koreans had a better living condition, could have been a solution, but that solution failed. Instead, they decided to travel to Cuba, leaving the port of Campeche in 1921.

Hard Settlement in Cuba

Cuba was a Spanish colony for almost 400 years until 1898. At the beginning of the 19^th century, half of the population is black and two third of them are under slavery. Although Cuba won its independence in 1902, it was under the control of the United States until 1959. They controlled their Sugar, Tobacco, Shipbuilding industries, built factories and occupied the lands. As a result of dependence on American economy, Cuba had suffered from a heavy strike during the Great Depression (Black Tuesday) from 1929 to 1933. Cuba is very often called a “stew” of multiple ethnicities. In the mid eighteenth century, many workers from Japan, China, India, Syria, Turkey, Lebanon, Mexico, in addition to other Caribbean nations, went to work in Cuban sugarcane fields. Koreans were the last ones to arrive in 1921.

Among the 288 who went to Cuba, 94 were from the original 1,033 Koreans and the rest were their children. They stayed 17 days in the boat, refusing to be recognized as Japanese, before accepted as “Coreanos”. Again to their biggest disappointment, the sugarcane business was deep plummeted because of overproduction. The Koreans had to return to henequen farming, where they gained experience, to work as hard labors. They had to work from 4am to 5pm under the heating sun. Many people became trainers or supervisors afterward because of their good skills.

Emigration became immigration. Korean-Cuban community started to grow in the place called El Boro, where schools and churches were built up. It birthed the youth and women’s society of the Korean National Association through the liberation movement. The older generation preferred to live in a separated community which created a kind of self-discrimination. But the Cuba Revolution soon broke the boundaries by giving all children a free education.

Korean Legacy in Cuba

The Cuba Revolution we are talking about, was in 1959, led by Fidel Castro. He became the leader of Cuba until 2011 and Cuba became a one-party socialist state under his administration. Many Koreans fought with Castro for the revolution. Because of the overturning changes in economy, politics and society, approximately one million Cubans moved to the US over the last 50 years, mostly in Greater Miami, Florida. Some of their descendants now moved there too, because of many reasons such as to get a better education.

Today, around 800 descendants of Korea are still living in Cuba. Five generations on, most of them have lost their language, although there is a true blood connection. Most of them are still poor, while only a few became doctors, teachers and engineers. Similar cases are observed with Korean-Mexicans. Korean-Cubans are celebrating every Independence Movement Day on March 1^st, gathering and sharing Korean food. With the rebuild of diplomatic relations between Korea and Cuba, Korean soap operas, K-pop stars, Korean music, festivals are entering the land of Cuba, getting more and more popular. Many of the Korean-Cubans aspire to go to Korea one day, to search for their roots.

 

Five Generations On, Mexico’s Koreans Long for Home, 2007
http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2007/08/16/2007081661018.html

More on this facinating subject can be found at the following link: https://koreaexpose.com/koreans-cuba-jeronimo-lim/  A full documentary will be coming soon.

—-Lizzy Ren

Taiwan is an archipelago resides across from China. Though small, it packs quite an impact on the international bboy scene. While its Asian competitors, such as Korea and Japan, have undergone what we refer to the “phoenix” metaphor years ago, Taiwan has just begun to experience its boom. Unlike Korea, which is now known as the country that produces machines with inhuman execution of power moves, or Japan, now known as the most innovative country when it comes to originality, Taiwanese bboys do not aim to be the best at just one thing. Instead, the bboys in Taiwan observed and absorbed all the best qualities of their neighboring scenes and molded into their own. Because of the fact, Taiwan has a wide variety of bboys they can offer to the table.

Bboys and bgirls on this list are mentioned because of their achievements from 2016 to the time when this article is published. The rankings are, by no means, a definite way to measure each individual’s skill level in relation to one another.

Bboy Power Sour

Bboy Power Sour is one of the most iconic representations of the level of power moves that Taiwan has to offer. In his early teen years, he was scouted out by the Reformerz Crew as a young talent that not only learns quickly, but was willing to go ridiculously crazy. With his daring attitude and dedication to the dance, he became one of the first, if not the first, bboy that managed to execute a airflare suicide transitioned straight to elbow flare. His level of power moves began to echo across the world as he often times traveled to Japan to compete, where the majority of international bboy spots tend to gather. Eventually, he was invited to participate in the Silverback Open World Final in 2016, where his popularity soared. He continued to demonstrate that Taiwan can compete with the best of the best when it comes to insane power moves and seemingly impossible combinations. At the young age of twenty-one, this bboy has yet to show the world his true potential.

Bboy Taower

Though the scenes in Taiwan are relatively young in comparison to that of Japan or to that of Korea, it does not mean that Taiwan does not have its pioneers that planted the seeds to grow the scene. In fact, many of its Hip Hop pioneers, often refered to as the OG (Original Gangster), are still making noises in the competitive scene. Bboy Taower is a prime example. Representing the Future Crew, bboy Taower could be considered as the pioneer of a power style which Taiwanese bboys represent. With insane freeze stack combos one after another combined with inhuman muscle control required to execute such powerful combinations, bboy Taower always has a powerful presence on the floor. Although due to his involvement with teaching and judging, his participation in battles has dimmed as of late. However, no one doubts his skills whenever he emerges from the cipher.

Bboy Harrien

Bboy Harrien is steadily becoming one of the most recognized bboys from Taiwan on an international stage. Together with bboy Sin, bboy Boris, and many former members of Double Kill Crew, they were putting Taiwan on the map for the world to see. Unfortunately, many core members of Double Kill left the crew in pursuit of different goals. Bboy Harrien became the leader of Dream Runnerz Crew, and he led Dream Runnerz to success on various international floors. From winning the World Bboy Classic Taiwan qualifier to winning Respect Culture X Challenge Cup Crew vs. Crew category, Dream Runnerz is a force to be reckoned with. Under the tutelage of bboy Dyzee of the Supernaturalz crew, Dream Runnerz became a crew that has not only diversity, but also battle-hardened camaraderie, which is the foundation of a successful crew. Bboy Harrien has an unique style that displays his personal interpretation of basic power moves. With the addition or an alteration of a minute detail, a basic move suddenly transformed into something nobody has ever seen. It is exciting to see what the future holds for this bright young man.

Bboy Louis

A rogue bboy as former core member of the Double Kill crew, bboy Louis is another shining star in the Taiwanese bboy scene. Currently representing the Wuxiaz crew with other ex-Double Kill members, bboy Louis refined his style both within and outside of the domestic bboy scene. In his time in Double Kill, he was often overlooked. Not because he is not an astounding bboy whose intricacy in his movements and flow are second to none, but there were simply so many stars that shone so brightly on the international stage. The height of his fame in 2016 came about when the Double Kill squad encountered the notorious SkillBratRenegade squad, consisted of colossal line-up: bboy Casper, bboy Luigi, and bboy Kid David. After rounds of fury, Double Kill executed a humongous upset over the SkillBratRenegade squad and emerged victorious. Nobody expected Taiwan to win over a squad that are equipped with such weight behind its name. With Wuxiaz crew earning momentum, it will be no surprise to see more of bboy Louis on the international stage.

Bboy Drummer Man

Bboy Drummer Man is said to be a hidden gem among the bboy community in Taiwan. Originally represented the Boyz in the Hood Crew, his recent departure from the crew often leads to questions for the motives. However, there is no doubt in anybody’s mind that bboy Drummer Man has the skill to make it on his own. With a lethal combination of insane freeze stack combos and extremely powerful power transitions, bboy Drummer Man brings forth the kind of pressure that can only be found on the ace of the team. Though he does not have many solo titles under his belt, it is only a matter of time before bboy Drummer Man climbs the ladder of fame on the international stage.

 

 

—-Joe Pengachu

Top 5 Fashion Trends in China

“Your fashion style defines who you are.” If we give fashion a definition, it can be divided into 18 different styles under 5 catalogs: Liberal, Classical, Casual, Natural and Regional Styles. The top 5 fashion trends nowadays in China, among a total of 18 styles which include Hippie, Bohemia, Gothic, Lolita, Hip-hop, Mori girl, etc. Most of the time these styles don’t show up alone, a combination of styles gives an extra taste of flavors.

 

No.5 Baroque style – classical and luxury

Baroque style can be originated back from 16th to 18th century in Europe. During the Dutch-centered period, people were into “long look”, “lace” and “leather”. The French Baroque has added much more lace, ribbon to strengthen female body shapes. There is a strong religious character and luxurious keynote of this style, giving people a feeling of distance that can hardly be approached. The patterns of its decorative design are of all different kinds, which gives a soul to this form of art called movement and life force.

The most representative brand for this style in fashion world can only be Dolce&Gabbana. Their 2016 autumn/winter collection was released in Napoli, giving its fans a magnificent image of Italian royalties and a dream of fairy tales. The painting printing, east-Europe embroidery, golden woven and shining jewelries, makes people wonder if they were in a royal theme party “A Midnight Summer Dream”.

If you look clearly in China, you may find a lot of elements that comes exactly from Baroque: a pair of thin frame glasses, a lace design on the shirt or a small leather bag. You can find Baroque elements in almost all the popular brands in China, which sells extremely well in the last several years.

Baroque style used to be seen as the fashion of reactionary, its romantic mood and fantastic expressions explain the chase of freedom. When combining with the pure and rich Chinoiserie, producing a life-altering feeling, it gives a surprising extra beauty. This mixture of styles brings an unusually brilliant result both in Milan and Shenzhen Fashion Week.

No.4 British style – implicit and yuppie

A simple understanding of British style is “style from the Briton”, which originated from the Victoria’s period. The typical specialties of British style nowadays are a well use of tartan, a delicate cutting and a simple fitting design, natural, elegant, implicit and noble, to embody the gentility and nobility temperament. Unlike the traditional style, fancy and intricate, the new and classical British style has formed into three common kinds, the MOD, Tweed Style and Preppy Chic.

Take Preppy Chic as an example, Burberry would be the most representative brand. With a history of 156 years, it is a synonym for high class, quality, creative and forever classical. Burberry is famous for its tartan pattern, unique fabrics and elegance. Their 2017 spring/summer fashion show shaped their models into many Preppy Chic artists. If you remove their coats, you will still see the very basic British elements.

As Hong Kong is a former British colony, this British wind started from the school uniforms. Preppy Chic has always been loved by young girls. Fan Bing Bing, Yao Chen and many other Chinese actresses have shot photo albums in Preppy style. With the release of movie “Kingsman”, the typical super elegant British suit has attracted more and more fans, even men’s wear is becoming a fashion. The most common clothes match is consisted with a blazer suit top and Scottish woolen pants, gray suit pants or the classical chino pants. With some decoration like bags, scarves and watches, British style makes its wearer look younger and more rebellious.

No.3 Athleisure style – relaxing and comfortable

When athleisure started to be trendy, the American magazine “Vogue” was doubting if yoga pants could be worn outdoor. Actresses couldn’t wait to take off their high heels and athleisure became such a hit all of a sudden in 2016. More and more sportswear brands released their new athleisure collections in China, even some fast fashion brands like ZARA and H&M created their sportswear series. Athleisure is no longer only a style for sports, but also becoming a fashion daily wear. The specialty of athleisure is relax and comfort. With a half vast or short T-shirt, a comfortable sports pants and shoes, you can easily dress up in athleisure style.  From what we can see in all the fashion shows in 2017, athleisure elements are still on every designer’s inspiration list. Lively colors are highly used in sports suits, no matter Rag & Bone, Versace or the French athleisure brand Moncler Gamme Rouge. As you can see on the pictures, waist lace is taking an important role in the design.

Rag & Bone (left), Versace (middle), Moncler Gamme Rouge (right) 2017 Spring/Summer

At the same time, a hooded coat is becoming a new trend.

Versace (left), DKNY (middle), Yeezy (right) 2017 Spring/Summer

When you remove the gender line, athleisure can also be sexy.

Stella McCartney (left), Chanel (middle), Chanel (right) 2017 Spring/Summer

There are also other common used elements like holes and cutouts that décor body muscles.

 Fendi (left), Alexander Wang (middle), Vetements (right) 2017 Spring/Summer

Take a good look at Chinese fashion, athleisure style is so trendy that you see them everywhere. No matter if you are going to a work out, having an afternoon tea, going shopping, a date or even going to work, this style applies in almost every case. The barrier of dressing between work and exercise time is disappearing that sports itself is becoming a fashion.

Fan Bing Bing (left), Yang Mi (middle), Yang Ying (right)

No.2 Korean style – star-leading and fast-changing

For the last several years, with the introduction of Korean TV series, more and more K-pop groups and Korean stars are seen on Chinese commercials. Korean fashion style is like a hot wind, blowing into the Chinese market, that becomes an indicator for Chinese and Asian fashion trend. It is extremely popular with young generations, very often called “little fresh (小清新)” and “stupid but sweet (傻白甜)”. The speed of changes is pretty high that most popular Korean brands are a fast-fashion type.

Spain has ZARA, Japan has UNIQLO, while South Korea has “8seconds”. Founded by the subsidiary company Cheil Industry of Samsung, 8seconds was made to compete with all the foreign brands. 8seconds represents the time period “now”, which is commonly considered as eight seconds. Their boutiques always display lots of colors and creations, which are part of the most worth-going shopping places in South Korea.

Another example is Lucky Chouette, coming from the designer Kim Jae-Hyun. It has a large variety of collections, inspired by high street fashion with affordable prices. Coming from Seoul, Kim is one of the most promising young designers. His studio is always crowded with Korean celebrities thanks to his success in Jardin de Chouette collections.

Korean fashion has been deeply inserted into Chinese culture. The fascination for Korean stars has made the cultural interaction very easy. An over-sized coat, a candy color, a lower body sweater and a pair of casual jeans will make you look cute and delicate.

No.1 Chinoiserie – witty and elegant

Chinoiserie is a Chinese style established on traditional Chinese culture, containing a large quantity of elements that are adapted to the fashion trend of the world’s art form and lifestyle. Chinoiserie clothing uses Chinese elements as a form of appearance, combining with the global fashion trend, to create a unique cultural attraction and a strong personality. It has an immortal image for Chinese fashion and its elements: Auspicious Dragon, Cheongsam, Embroidery, Blue and white porcelain decorative pattern…are more and more a fascination for the world’s leading designers.

In Paris fashion week, Heaven Gaia 2017 released their spring/summer collections under the theme of “Old Summer Palace”. Light traces of blue flowers, Chinese paper fan, round mirror, dragon tattoo, switch grass, painting brush, embroider, chivalrous woman…are all mixed in the series. Even the most common Chinese red that can be easily interpreted as tacky, has a very poetic feeling.

You can also find Chinoiserie in Prada (Left) and J.W. Anderson (Right) 2017.

Chinoiserie is the heritage of the 5000-year Chinese history. Today it runs through all kinds of Chinese fashion shows, entertainment celebrities, local brands, and everywhere on the street in people’s daily life. From architecture to interior decoration, from art objects to daily wears. Chinoiserie has presented the fashion world a strong national feature and awareness.

2017 Shenzhen Fashion Week

Chen Yan Xi (陈妍希) – a famous Chinese actress

 

 

—-Lizzy Ren

Being a big fan of SHINee for about 8 years now I was very excited hearing about their upcoming concert. The atmosphere was great from waiting outside talking with more Shawols (SHINee fanbase name) till in our seats moving our heads to the music. The following songs were played at the concert in order below:

1. 01. Hitchhiking
2. 02. Why So Serious
3. 03. Juliette
4. 04. Prism
5. 05. Replay (remix ver.)
6. 06. Hello
7. 07. Odd Eye
8. 08. Feel Good
9. 09. Sherlock (clue + note)
10. 10. Goodbye (taemin solo)
11. 11. Ring Ding Dong
12. 12. Lucifer (remix ver.)
13. 13. Selene 6.23
14. 14. Aside
15. 15. 투명우산(Don’t Let Me Go)
16. 16. 잠꼬대(Please Don’t Go) (jonghyun / onew)
17. 17. View
18. 18. Ready Or Not
19. 19. Savior
20. 20. Everybody
21. 21. 1of1
22. 22. Dream Girl
23. 23. 재연(an encore)

From hearing their comments on the stage the boys were pretty excited as well and wanting to give it all they had to make sure we enjoyed the show. Loving our energy and singing every song with them, a few comments were made from Onew wishing the stage was bigger wanting to show off more and having fun with us. I couldn’t pick a favorite performance from this concert, every song, dance and vocal kept me on my feet and also the other Shawols. There was never a boring moment in the concert and just being able to see them was still shocking.

When the concert was over for me personally I still couldn’t believe it SHINee have come a long way from 2008 even if you weren’t there from the beginning and came in around 2013 or even 2015 you still feel that overwhelming fact of how hard these boys work not just as one group but each of them individually from solo albums, k drama appearances and modeling. SHINee have so much more in store for us Shawols and this American tour was just a milestone of what they want us to see.

—-Ali Johnson

VARSITY is a new K-Pop group consisting of 12 gentlemen including 7 Korean and 5 Chinese (one of them is a Chinese-American hybrid). Recently launched on January 3, 2017, VARSITY works under a joint partnership with both Korean Global K Center Entertainment (GKC) and Chinese Hi Media Ltd. To make their debut more official, they released their first, and so far the only single “U R My Only One” just 2 days afterwards, alongside with individual and group images, dance practices, biographies and a bunch of teaser trailers. Active news can be found on their Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Fan Café.

As a rookie boy’s group, VARSITY is facing competition from some other K-pop groups such as EXO. Same, in a way that EXO debuted as a 12 member group with multinational backgrounds, EXO has been quite successful since their debut in 2011. VARSITY is also doing well so far as a rookie group. They promised to deliver powerful performances completed with acrobatic dance moves, and they did. “U R My Only One” is very easy to listen to with a nice instrumental to back their soothing vocals. Their debut track will make you sway your body back and forth because it’s the perfect mid-tempo song. They performed this song on a music show, met with fans, who came out in the cold weather, and gifted them with Valentine’s Day hugs and chocolates. This was a very smart move as they see their fan audience growing fast.

By naming the group “VARSITY”, they targeted an international audience and are already on most fans’ radars. With these 12 multinational members, VARSITY is able to communicate with their fans in a variety of language such as Korean, Chinese, English, Arab, even French. It is very well-known that K-pop Stars are mostly famous for their outstanding appearance, and in that case, VARSITY is no exception. All of them are handsome and they all have their own unique charms, each taking a place in the group with different talents. We are going to give you a more detailed introduction of the 12 members: Kid, Bullet, Damon, XiWeol, Xin, JaeBin, SeungBo, RiHo, Anthony, YoonHo, DaWon, and Manny.

 

Kid (키드) – vocalist

 

Kid was born on October 26, 1995 in South Korea. He has been training for 6 years, which is the longest in the group. His deep voice stands out. He was supposed to debut in the group “New World” but they disbanded unfortunately. Kid and Damon are the VARSITY’s fashionistas. Kid jokes that if ever he was a girl, he would live alone rather than dating any one of his group members.

Bullet (블릿) – leader, vocalist, rapper

Bullet was born on December 2, 1995 in South Korea. He just graduated from university in 2017.

Damon (데이먼) – dancer

Damon was born on July 2, 1996 in China. He used to be a dance teacher and worked as a professional dancer in many dance crews.

XiWeo (시월) – main vocalist

XiWeol was born on October 21, 1996 in South Korea, talented in instruments like piano and guitar. His birth name is Kang Minseok (강민석). He was supposed to debut this year with the group A to Z, together with Riho, but same as “New World”, the group disbanded. His ideal girl type is like “Kim Sojung”.

Xin (씬) – vocalist

Xin was born on November 10, 1996 in China. His favorite singer is THE ONE.

JaeBin (재빈)

JaeBin was born on February 13, 1997 in China. He is very good at both Chinese and Korean as he is currently studying at Konkuk University’s Korean Language Institute, which puts him in an important position, the language bridge of the group. He also likes to be known by his nickname Kobin or Nosebin.

SeungBo (승보) – mood maker, vocalist

SeungBo was born on November 1, 1997 in South Korea. He speaks Arab, English and French besides Korean since he moved to Dubai at the age of 10. With the name of “Mood Maker”, he is actually the creator of PPAP’s Indian version. He is also very good at swimming besides his music career.

RiHo (리호)

RiHo’s birth name is Jin Seungwook. He was born on March 1, 1998 in South Korea. RiHo is not a stranger to the public, he used to be a child actor. Moreover, he appeared on KBS2 “The Clinic for Married Couples: Love and War”.  RiHo is famous for his six-pack abs.

Anthony (엔써니) – vocalist

Born on December 3, 1998, Anthony is a Chinese-American vocalist who plays very good piano.
YunHo(만니) – dancer

YunHo was born on April 15, 2000 in South Korea. He is very good at street dancing and urban choreography. As what he shared, he would date SeungBo if he was a girl.

DaWon(다원)

DaWon was born on May 12, 2000 in South Korea. He is the tallest member in VARSITY who calls himself the beagle of the group.

Manny(만니) – rapper, Maknae

Manny is the youngest member in VARSITY, who was born on November 17, 2001 in China. Becoming a singer and a popular idol in South Korea has always been his dream. He has a talent for acting and is described to have a unique personality. His Muslim background has always been a discussion topic to the public.

We’d like to know your thoughts on VARSITY.

—-Lizzy Ren

Top 5 Chinese Pop Artists

Chinese Pop has taken in a lot of influence from the American and western countries. It is a reflection of the growth of culture, economy and politics, which has a very strong national feature. These top 5 Chinese Pop artists that I am going to recommend, no matter where they were born or grown up, are the most talented pop artists that have or had a career in China and revolutionized Chinese Pop.

 

No.5 Faye Wong (王菲 Wang Fei) – the diva of pop

Faye Wong was born in 1969 in Beijing. She is a Chinese singer-songwriter and actress. She has been recognized as the Best Selling Canto-Pop Female by Guinness World Records, the Most Popular Female Singer in HK, Singapore, Malaysia, alongside with many top awards from Taiwan and Japan, and was the first Chinese singer featured on the cover of Time Magazine.

Faye Wong tries new ways of singing and/or adds new elements to her music at all time. In 1992, her album “Coming home”, combining Chinese and western style, was her first time trying to accentuate her vocal performances the same way Whitney Houston would have done, or as Adele is known for nowadays. She added rock into her Cantonese album “No Regrets (执迷不悔)” in 1993 and tried English alternative music style in “Random Thoughts (胡思乱想)” in 1994. The cover version of the Irish song The Cranberries’ “Dreams” was her first trying to apply the skill that consist on swallowing the sound. She added Brit Pop and part of Dream Pop into her album “Fickleness (浮躁)” in 1996, and again in 1998, skills of bel canto, vibrato and falsetto have been found in her album “Sing and Play (唱游)”. Her bold versatility and strong personality were also reflected in the way she oriented her career towards different audiences, from Cantonese to Mandarin market, then from mainland China to Japan. After a hiatus period of four years between   2005 and 2009, Faye came back and remained active since then. Some of her most popular music are: “Red Bean (红豆)”, “Because of Love (因为爱情)”, “To Youth (致青春)”, “Legend(传奇)”, and “World (人间)”.

Sincere, sensible and quite straight forward are some adjectives that describe her personality and can be found in her music. By successfully inserting elements like special female voice, Brit Pop, electronic music, she managed to overturn the HK pop trend, changing the taste of the large audience. Whatever music she sings, it has a taste of difference. Because of the influence of western and Japanese pop culture, Faye captures the fashion trends and applies them in her work. Her delicacy, vogue and temperament has gifted her with large recognition in mainland China.

 

No.4 Beyond – the most memorable Cantonese band

Beyond is a Hongkongese rock band composed of four members:  Wong Ka Kui (黄家驹),Paul Wong(黄贯中), Steve Wong(黄家强), Yip Sai Wing(叶世荣). Considered as the most influential Cantonese music group of the former British colony, they were awarded Jade Solid Gold Best Ten Music Awards, RTHK Top 10 Gold Songs Awards and RTHK Lifetime Achievement Award.

Beyond was founded in 1983 and after three years of collaboration, they released their first album “Goodbye Ideal (再见理想)”. In 1988, the Cantonese album “Modern Stage(现代舞台)” was a true reflection of the society they were living in and  the lyrics were as a matter of fact, quite critic towards it. After getting some notoriety in Hong Kong, in 1991, they started to target audiences in Japan and Taiwan. As the key figure of the band, Wong Ka Kui has united the group into a harmonious team. His strong belief and confidence was always the inspiration of their creations. His brutal death while on stage in 1993, brought the group to somehow, lose its soul. His companions continued playing and the band officially disbanded later in 2005.

Beyond’s music is full of power and life, focusing on reality, sensible to the society, culture, even politics. The deep and genuine thoughts in their music were rarely found at that time. “Glorious Years (光辉岁月)” was a music written to eliminate barriers between races, “Amani” was against wars, “Boundless Oceans, Vast Skies (海阔天空)” was for the chase of freedom. It was their spirit, the strong love and hope that have resonated to millions of fans.

 

No.3 Jacky Cheung (张学友 Zhang Xue You) – one of the “Four Heavenly Kings” in HK

Born is Hong Kong in 1961, Jacky Cheung is famous for being a singer and an actor. He has won many awards, including Best Mandarin Male Singer by Golden Melody Awards, two Best-Selling Chinese Artist by World Music Awards, Outstanding Young Persons of HK, Outstanding Young Persons of the World, and was awarded the most popular Asian singer of Channel [V] Billboard in 1994. Besides numerous other music awards, Jacky has also gained remarkable recognition in his acting career.

Starting in 1984, Jacky is a rather productive singer who has released over 50 personal albums in about 30 years of career. Jacky’s most notorious time is from 1993 to 1999 when his album “Goodbye Kiss (吻别)” broke records in several regions with over 4 million copies sold, and is one of his best-selling albums of all time. His most popular songs included “Miss Each Other in the Wind & Rain (相思风雨中)”, “With You All the Way (一路上有你)”“You Are the Only One (你最珍贵)”, “If This Is Not Love (如果这都不算爱)” and many others. He was recognized by Time Magazine as Top 25 most influential people in the New Hong Kong in 1996. In 2004, Jacky published his first entire single–joint album “Life Is Like A Dream” in memorial of his deceased elder daughter, wife and many friends. Among hundreds of his world tours, “Jacky Cheung 1/2 Century World Tour” in 2010 was the biggest, by which he broke his own Guinness World record that included 146 shows in 77 cities with 2,048,553 tickets sold.

Jacky succeed in opening up a worldwide market, his fame spread among the whole Southeast Asia and Chinese communities all around the world in the 1990s. The huge sales of his records have attracted the attention of the international pop music world and many foreign media. Somehow it was thanks to him that Billboard discovered HK pop. Jacky’s glorious peak is still considered as the period that saw HK pop contributing the most to the growth of the world pop.

 

No.2 Teresa Teng (邓丽君Deng Li Jun) – a worldwide legend

Born in 1953 in Taiwan, Teresa is a legend of the Chinese pop. Her influence goes beyond music, becoming a cultural symbol that has affected people’s daily life. She was recognized as the Top 20 World’s Most Famous Music Artists in 2010 by CNN, Top 7 World’s Female Singer in 1986 by Time Magazine, and was invited for performances in Lincoln Center, Los Angeles Music Center and Las Vegas Caesar’s Palace in the 1980s.

From 1967 to 1988, Teresa experienced several phases of her singer career. After an active 3-year start-up in Taiwan, she carried out a tour in Southeast Asia including Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippine, Thailand and Vietnam and was very welcomed in Hong Kong. Since 1974, she officially entered Japan market. Her second single “Airport (空港)” broke the sales record of her company. She was a super star favored by Japanese awards and media. After 5 successful years, Teresa left Japan because of a passport issue and went back on stage in Taiwan and Hong Kong, as well as many other Southeast Asian countries. In 1983, the album “Light Exquisite Feeling (淡淡幽情)” was published and it became the first work using ancient poetries as lyrics in Chinese. She returned to Japan in 1984 and again was a big hit, breaking records in every TV shows. Teresa started to stop her singing career in 1988 due to health issue. She passed away in 1994, but her afterlife influence is ever-lasting. Some of her most popular songs include: “I Only Care About You (我只在乎你)”, “Honey (甜蜜蜜)”, “Memory in Water (在水一方)”, “The Moon Represents My Heart (月亮代表我的心)”.

Teresa’s voice was described as “seven parts sweetness, three parts tears.” A well-controlled breath and a powerful weeping voice were parts of her specialties. She was the first Chinese music singer that had a worldwide influence.  By combining Chinese and western elements and mixing national folks and pop characters, she created her own music style, which had inspired the music creations of many later generations.

No.1 Jay Chou (周杰伦 Zhou Jie Lun) – New king of Asian pop

Jay Chou, who was born in 1979 in Taiwan, is known to be one of the most revolutionary and leading singer-songwriter in Asian pop music since 2000. He is crowned as “the King of Asian Pop”. His most famous awards include fifteen Golden Melody Awards, four Best-Selling Chinese Artist by World Music Awards, alongside with 20 various awards per year. He was listed on Asian’s most influencing 25 people in 2009, Most Creative People 100 by Fast Company in 2010, and No.1 of Forbes China celebrity in 2012.

As a musician, songwriter, singer, record producer, film producer, actor and director, Jay Chou is an all-around developed talent. After his songs being rejected many times, in 2000, Jay started to sing his own music and published his first album “Jay”, which was written and directed mostly by himself. It combined many music styles including R&B and hip-hop. In 2001, the album “Fantasy” came out and established his record style. The Chinese-western style music “Nun Chucks (双截棍)” became a representative Rap work of him. In 2003, he was the cover story of Time Magazine (Asian version). From 2000 to 2016, Jay released almost one album a year, 14 albums in total with 30 million album sales so far, as well as performing in many world tours and movies on the side. His music “In the name of the father (以父之名)”, “East Wind Breaks (东风破)”, “Common Jasmin Orange (七里香)”, “Faraway (千里之外)”, “Blue and White Porcelain (青花瓷)”, “Red Dust Inn (红尘客栈)” are typical works of his representative Chinese style.

One of Jay’s specialties is that there are Chinese style songs in every single of his album. He has localized R&B into a total Chinese style, by combining eastern and western elements such as jazz, blues, rock, folk rhyme, hip-hop, country and electronic music. The bold application and combination of all kinds of instruments, create an unexpected effectiveness and differentiate his music from any common style.

 

—-Lizzy Ren

As a country with over 5000 years of history, China has always been a mysterious existence for the rest of the world, the flying Kong Fu, the Chinese food, the culture and the old architecture has attracted millions and millions of tourists every year. Here I am going to recommend you the top 5 places to visit while in China, to discover the beauty in the biggest eastern country.

 

No.5 Shanghai – an oriental pearl in the east

Shanghai is a very modern international city with a lot of Chinese traditional culture. For hundreds of years, it has been the center of Chinese economy, transportation, technology, industry, trade, exhibition and shipping. As a national famous historical and cultural city, Shanghai hosts many world famous landmarks. From the Yu Garden and the many ancient streets, passing by the French concession, to the new Disneyland, Shanghai brings you from the most traditional Chinese spirit to the most modern and opened entertainment.

Because of its phenomenal western style architecture, Shanghai is also called “the Eastern Paris”. Walking down the Bund, you can explore a group of 52 buildings inspired by influences coming from the old occidental world. The Bund, this architectural jewel nowadays, used to be a track road where boatman and hard labors were once working on. On the other side of the Huangpu River, facing the Bund, the scenery offers a complete different experience made of modernity: the Oriental Pearl TV Tower, alongside with the Jin Mao Tower, and the brand new Shanghai Tower…gifts its tourist with one of the most magnificent skylines.

Shanghai becomes a destination for fashion, a shopping paradise and a connection with the world. With the successful World Expo in 2010, the foundation of the free trade zone in 2013, Shanghai is walking toward the world with the “Chinese dream”.

 

No.4 Jiuzhaigou – a jade pool in men’s world

Jiuzhaigou is a national park, located in Sichuan province, which gained the prestigious title of UNESCO World Heritage Site. Wild panda and golden monkeys are among these very rare animals that you can spot in this natural ecological environment.

Jiuzhaigou, in mandarin, means “the nine villages in the valley”. According to the legend, nine smart, brave and beautiful daughters of a powerful god, decided to help the locals by defeating the Snake Demon poisoning the villagers’ water. As they succeeded in their quest, they married nine local men and built families. Generation after generation, nine tribes mute into nine villages, renamed “Jiuzhaigou”.

“When you return from the nine villages, you don’t look at water the same way.” Water in every form is a major attraction in Jiuzhaigou. You can find 108 springs, waterfalls, rivers and rapids, building colorful jade pools. There are six famous scenes: Changhai, Jianyan, Nuorilang, Shuzheng, Zharu, Heihai, which are distributed in a “Y” shape. The jade green sea, cascading waterfalls, colorful woods, snowy mountains, cultural feeling of Zang minority and blue ice are the six extraordinary beauties. The best season to enjoy this wonder at its fullest is during autumn when the landscape covers itself with the gold color coming from the trees. Reflected by the water combined with the mountains on the background, this will be a second to none experience.

 

No.3 Yunnan – the cradle of the minor nationalities

Yunnan, province in southwest China, could be translated as “south of the colorful clouds”. It is one of the provinces with the most tourism resources in China. There are three UNESCO World Heritage Sites, twelve national parks and tens of other famous tourist attractions. Out of 56 minor nationalities in China, there are 52 in Yunnan, 26 of them are long-dwelling nationalities, which accounts for one-third of the whole population in Yunnan.

As one of the two old towns which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites in China. Old town of Lijiang was built near hills and beside streams. Numerous two-storeyed, tile-roofed, timber-framed houses combining elements of Han and Zang architecture and decoration in the arched gateways, screen walls, courtyards and carved roof beams are representative of the Naxi culture and are disposed in rows following the contours of the mountainside. Old town of Lijiang is a place where you forget time. It can be a peaceful home of small bridges and rivers, a busy ancient street or a city of beautiful romance.

Beside Lijiang, Tiger Leaping Gorge in Northwest Yunnan is a place for adventures, the majestic and precipitous Yulong Snow Mount, Haba Snow Mount, Meili Snow Mount have attracted worldwide mountain explorers. The city Xishuangbanna in Southwest Yunnan is as gentle as water, it absorbed the elegance of the Dai girls. Jianshui in Southeast Yunnan has built the meaning of culture into the cornices and brackets of the old town…When you walk into Yunnan, you walk into the Naxi Dongba culture, the Dali Baizu culture, the Dai Beiye culture, the Yi Beima culture…you walk into a local custom where myths, musicals, paintings and ancient music all come together.

 

No.2 Tibet – a holy land where you dream to be

Tibet, with an average height over 4000 meters, is a pure pearl on the biggest and highest plateau in the world. 90% of the population in Tibet are Zang people. Tibet is famous for its best snowy scenery and unique plateau culture. Tibetan Buddhism has turned this place into a mysterious existence.

The Potala Palace, in most people’s eyes, is the symbol of Tibet. It contains over 1000 rooms with the White Palace, Red Quarters and their ancillary buildings. It’s a museum for the art of ancient Chinese architecture and Buddhism. The beauty and originality of the architecture of these three sites, their rich ornamentation and harmonious integration in a striking landscape, add to their historic and religious interest.

As the development of tourism, Tibet has formed into four tourism areas with different specialties. Lhasa area includes Lhasa, Yangbajing, Damxung, Jiangzi, Shigatse, Yangdork lake, the local temples are the highlights there. Western Tibet area is the roof of the world, all the believers would bring their pure heart and sincere respect to come to see the beauty of the holy mountains and lakes. Southwest Tibet has the world’s highest peak, Mount Everest, which is covered by snow all year round. And the Southern Tibet is centered by Nyingchi, where there’s amazing sites and the weather is always comfortable.

The local customs are also amazing attractions. The unique local events, festivals, ceremonies and Zang people’s daily life are attracting millions of tourists every year.

 

No.1 Beijing – a golden treasure in Chinese history

If there is only one place that you can visit in China, Beijing is definitely the must-see. As a city with over 3,000 years of history, capital of six dynasties, it has seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites, which ranks first in the world.

There are over 200 sights, 7,309 cultural objects, 144 museums/galleries and 20 national parks. Among the best known sites, the Forbidden City, with its landscaped gardens and many buildings (whose nearly 10,000 rooms contain furniture and works of art), constitutes a priceless testimony to Chinese civilization during the Ming and Qing dynasties. The Great Wall, with a total length of 8851.8km in Ming Dynasty, is believed to be the only work built by human hands on this planet that can be seen from the moon. There’s a famous Chinese saying: “If you have never been to the Great Wall, you are not a real man.”

Other well-known sites includes: Tiananmen, center of Beijing; Temple of Heaven, representation of heaven and earth; Ming Tombs, biggest imperial mausoleum for 13 kings; Summer Palace, Beihai, masterpieces of Chinese gardening art. Under the modern atmosphere of the city, the real spirit of Beijing is deeply pure and nostalgic.

In Beijing, there are many local customs and traditions which you can’t miss: the Beijing Opera, Cross talk, Cloisonn, Grasshopper competition, Sugar blowing, Dough figures…Don’t forget to go to the restaurant, Quanjude, and enjoy a nice Beijing Duck!

 

—-Lizzy Ren