Horse Racing in Asia

Horse racing is now one of the most ancient sports in history. It is not only considered as a popular sports competition or a way of entertainment, but also as a social event, involving many business activities. The raising and training of horses vary depending on breeds, age, genetics and race type. And every race applies to strict rules regarding the age and weight of the horses. There are different kinds of races including flat racing, jump racing, endurance racing and harness racing. Flat racing is often open to the public for gambling, and gambling is definitely the biggest economic support to the whole horse racing industry.

Japan

http://japanracing.jp/en/

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(Deep Impact, center, picture from CNN website)

When talking about horse racing in Asia, Japan is definitely one of the first ones to think of, as it is the owner of the best events with the highest rewards in the world. There are two main organizers: JRA (Japan Racing Association) and NAR (National Association of Racing), together hosting more than 20 racing hippodromes all over Japan. Japan Cup, among many other famous horse races, is one of the richest and most prestigious race in the world. Total prize for the race can reach as high as $5 million. There are many famous horses such as Deep Impact and Sunday Silence. In 2016, Deep Impact won $60 million rewards, becoming the No.1 stallion in the world, far ahead the No.2.

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(Japan Cup Audience, picture from CNN website)

The way how Japan developed its horse racing industry was very impressive. In the 1980s, Japan set up the high-rewarding Japan Cup to attract top international participants. At that time, out of 10 races, Japan was only winning 2 of them. During 1990s, Japan bought Sunday Silence from the United States. A better breed plus a strong economic support made Japan better and better, starting to win 5 races out of 10. In 2006, Deep Impact won its first race and for 10 years in a row, no other countries were able to compete with Japan anymore. The love and passion from Japanese people contribute to Japanese gambling industry. While the betting money goes back to the rewards, Japan Cup remains the most attractive race in the world.

Hong Kong

http://www.hkjc.com/home/english/index.aspx

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(Hong Kong Shatin Day Race, picture from author)

$C:\Users\JOSER~1.NAC\AppData\Local\Temp\ksohtml\wpsFD0C.tmp$ The United Kingdom was the country of origin for horse racing. When Hong Kong became the colony of the United Kingdom, horse racing was introduced to Hong Kong in 1846. As the level of races and horses gained continuous growth along the years, Hong Kong races are now among the top in the world. There are two main hippodromes: Happy Valley and Shatin. Every year from September to next July, there is one weekly event held in each hippodromes, mostly Happy Valley on Wednesday evening and Shatin on Saturday/Sunday afternoon. Every event consists of 7 to 10 races, lasting 3 to 5 hours. Visitors can buy magazines on site, for the information of race distance, horse ability, condition, specialty, recent scores, and every little detail of the races on that day.

$C:\Users\JOSER~1.NAC\AppData\Local\Temp\ksohtml\wpsFD1C.tmp$ Compare to Shatin, Happy Valley has much more fun and social event atmosphere. Many more young people are spotted there with beer in their hands, sharing a cheerful moment with a group of friends. However, unlike the United Kingdom, the culture of horse racing in Hong Kong is much less in the sport itself, but more into gambling. If we look at the yearly amount people spend in horse racing gambling, these two hippodromes are comparable with the whole United Kingdom. Horse racing is not only affecting the common public, but also very attractive to the celebrities. To become the owner of horses is definitely a representation of wealth and high social status. In some ways, horse racing has long been a part of Hong Kong culture, you don’t necessarily need to be a celebrity to participate, but if you are a celebrity, you don’t really have a choice.

The introduction of horse racing in Asia thanks a lot to the United Kingdom. Besides Japan and Hong Kong, many other countries and regions including Singapore, South Korea, Macau and Malaysia have horse races and each of them has a unique cultural background. The meaning of horse racing went far beyond the sport, becoming a tool for social activities, economic development and diplomacy.

—-Lizzy Ren

UP10TION

This Wednesday only series will provide English subtitles on select videos. We hope you will enjoy.

UP10TION – pronounced “up tension”- is a Korean boy group formed by T.O.P Media. T.O.P Media is an entertainment agency founded by K-pop group, Shinhwa’s member Andy.

The meaning behind the name, UP10TION basically indicates that the 10 members of the group will “upgrade your tension.”

UP10TION consists of ten members listed here in the order of the eldest first: Jinhoo, Kuhn, Kogyeol, Wei, Bitto, Wooshin, Sunyoul, Gyujin, Hwanhee and Xiao. Currently, UP10TION is active with its 9 members since Wooshin left the group temporarily after stating to have health issues.

In 2015, UP10TION made their official debut by releasing a mini album titled, Top Secret.

Their latest single released this month is called “Going Crazy” which we recommend our readers to watch, if you haven’t already.

We’d like to express a massive “thank you” to the UP10tion members for taking their precious time for this interview. We wish them all the luck in all their future ventures.

Hello, could you please introduce yourselves to our readers?

Jinhoo: Hello! This is Jinhoo. I am the Banjang (leader) and spokesperson of UP10TION.

Kuhn: Hello, guys! My name is Kuhn from UP10TION! I am the vice leader of the group. I’m so glad meet you. J

Kogyeol: This is Kogyeol, I’m currently 22 years old and the vocalist of UP10TION.

Wei: I’m called Wei and I am the rapper (high part rapper) of UP10TION.

Bitto: How are you? This is UP10TION’s Bitto. I am the main dancer of the group.

Sunyoul: Hello, this Sunyoul of UP10TION! We are back wearing cool suits. Please check out our M.V for “Going Crazy.”

Gyujin: Hi!! This is Gyujin, the sub-vocalist of UP10TION.

Hwanhee: Hello, I’m Hwanhee who is the second youngest from UP10TION and the main vocalist.

Xiao: Hello, this is Xiao ~ the cute and attractive Maknae (youngest member) of

UP10TION. ♡

Tell us how you got into this group?

Jinhoo: A close friend of mine suggested I should dance at his dance academy, and there I got asked to be in this band.

Kuhn: I was casted while out and about on the street!

Kogyeol: I was able to debut after working three years as a trainee.

Wei: I am the one that trained for the longest in this group, then I was able to debut by progressing and working hard.

Bitto: I was the last member to join. I think I was chosen because of my dancing skills.

Sunyoul: I was living in the countryside and decided to take an audition for the first and the last time. I got casted on the spot and became a member of UP10TION.

Gyujin: I was performing on stage at an end of the year festival, and loved the experience. That’s how I decided to become an idol.

Hwanhee: I was a trainee since my last year at secondary school, by chance I got to meet with the UP10TION members and later got put into the group.

Xiao: I uploaded my picture on an internet café and got casted to become a member of UP10TION.

We assume you are very busy due to your recent comeback. How do you deal with stress that comes with work?

Jinhoo: I release stress by working out a lot.

Kuhn: I make time to watch movies and like to shop online. When I’m fatigued, I eat large meals and take naps afterwards.

Kogyeol: I usually relieve stress by playing games.

Wei: I enjoy my leisure. If I can’t make time for any leisure, I talk to myself.

Bitto: I usually play games or listen to music to deal with stress.

Sunyoul: I get up early in the morning and take a walk. I go to the bookstore and purchase books to read. I shop for clothes often as well.

Gyujin: I go to the cinema by myself to watch movies, I exercise or clean out my room.

Hwanhee: I release stress by looking at our pretty fan club, “HONEY10.” ♡

Xiao: Because our fans have been so supportive, we don’t get stressful at all and doing pretty well, thank you. ♡

What would be your favorite color?

Jinhoo: Black, white, beige!

Kuhn: Black.

Kogyeol: Black!

Wei: Blue.

Bitto: Blue, black and purple.

Sunyoul: Black and cobalt blue!

Gyujin: Black and white.

Hwanhee: White!!

Xiao: Black and red.

What kind of person is your ideal?

Jinhoo: Someone who is caring and considerate.

Kuhn: A person who has a pretty smile.

Kogyeol: A female with a good sense of style.

Wei: Someone who suits the color blue!

Bitto: A very cute person.

Sunyoul: A bubbly character who has passion for their work.

Gyujin: Someone with big eyes and a beautiful smile!!

Hwanhee: I like someone who is very kind that I can connect well with.

Xiao: A person who likes me a lot.

Which song or album do you listen to most frequently?

Jinhoo: I listen to Taemin’s Move very often.

Kuhn: Signals by Nicole Millar.

Kogyeol: Yoon Jong-shin’s Do you like it? And I like Adam Levine’s Lost stars.

Wei: The songs I listen to often are Try Again by Rumble Fish and Don’t call me by UP10TION. I also enjoy listening to the album, Funk War Bounces vol. 1 by Calvin Harris.

Bitto: I listen to Jetlag by Woo Won-jae frequently. I also like to listen to Stay by the artist Zedd.

Sunyoul: Clean Bandit and Zara Larsson’s Symphony! I also like to listen to Charlie Puth’s Attention a lot as well.

Gyujin: Park Won’s Try. Troye Sivan – Youth, Sam Smith – Too Good at Goodbyes.

Hwanhee: Artist by Zico.

Xiao: Taemin’s Move is so cool to listen to!

Which artist do you admire the most?

Jinhoo: I admire Bruno Mars for his stage presence and style of music. And I think Jay Park, Taeyang, Taemin are all very admirable artists.

Kuhn: Beenzino, Big Bang and Drake.

Kogyeol: Justin Bieber.

Wei: Michael Jackson. I learned a lot from watching him perform and I aspire to be like him.

Bitto: Michael Jackson.

Sunyoul: IU and Taeyeon! For oversees artists, I admire Sia and Ariana Grande.

Gyujin: I really admire Park Won and Lee Dong-wook.

Hwanhee: Lee Hong-ki. ♡

Xiao: Taemin and Niel! I will try to become a singer like them.

Do you have any skills or specialty?

Jinhoo: My dancing, singing and facial expressions.

Kuhn: I can rap powerfully.

Kogyeol: Since I am a singer, my specialty is singing.

Wei: Being crazy…and playing alone.

Bitto: My skills are in composing songs, so I am currently working hard to make further progress.

Sunyoul: My specialty is that I can sing both vocal ranges for male and female.

Gyujin: I creating crafts and do calligraphy.

Hwanhee: I love to sing, so my skill is singing.

Xiao: My skills are being lovable and performing well on stage.

Where would you like to perform in the future?

Jinhoo: At the Opera House! We will do our utmost wherever we are invited to perform.

Kuhn: All around the world!!

Kogyeol: At the Super Bowl!!! It would be really great to perform in front of such a crowd of audience.

Wei: Wherever in the world, if I had to pick one location – it’d be the Time Square!!!

Bitto: I wish to perform in many different nations.

Sunyoul: I want to go to see performances by other artists in diverse countries rather than doing the performance myself.

Gyujin: I want to perform and introduce our album in front of Time Square during Christmas season!!

Hwanhee: I want to perform at bigger venues in the future!!

Xiao: If we can meet the fans all over the world; we’d be happy to go anywhere to perform.

Please let us know about your plans and goals for the future.

Jinhoo: We want to become a group that frequently communicates with fans from all over the world, stay around for a long time and showcase great music.

Kuhn: My goal is to become an all-round entertainer who composes, writes lyrics and acts.

Kogyeol: In the future, when our band becomes successful, I would like to start my own business if given the chance.

Wei: I want to become an artist who loves everyone and is loved by everyone.

Bitto: I want to perform as much as we can to make the public more aware of our songs.

Sunyoul: First, my goal is to be able to sing well until I’m satisfied. And whatever the job might be, I want to do music-related work all my life.

Gyujin: We want to keep releasing albums and hope to take on diverse challenges!

Hwanhee: I wish UP10TION will enhance more in the future so both the group and our fan club, HONEY10 can be very happy and content.

Xiao: We will make HONEY10 very proud of us, and will work to become all-round entertainers for you!

Thank you so much for taking the time for this interview. Could you say something nice to your fans?

Jinhoo: We will showcase better stage performances and great music to you soon, so please look out for us. We ask you to take interest in our latest single “Going Crazy” as well. I love you!

Kuhn: Thank you to all the fans around the world who have supported us. We promise to show you greater performances in the future! Thank you in advance for cheering us on! ♡

Kogyeol: Hello, everyone. Nice to meet you! Wait for us just a little bit and we’ll try our best to see you soon. Thanks.

Wei: Hey, HONEY10 in the U.S.A! I’m glad to send greetings to you guys through KCRUSH America. Thanks a lot for showing support and love from so far away.

We’ll perform to repay you for the love you have shown us~ XD

Bitto: Hi, I miss you a lot HONEY10! Thank you always for the love you show us.

Sunyoul: UP10TION are back with a brand new single, “Going Crazy.” Please stay with us as we do activities both in Korea and abroad. Thank you to HONEY10 for your continued support.

Gyujin: I’ll do my best on stage! Please send us lots of support and thank you very much for listening to our music. See you soon! I love you~ XOXO

Hwanhee: HONEY10, let’s always rise up together. ♡ We trust you’ll come and

join us ~ We’ll show you a prettier side of us in the coming future…

Xiao: We will keep our HONEY10 safe until the end. We’ll work hard to make you guys proud to be supporting us. Thank you for being there, HONEY10!

—- J.Chung.

K-pop culture has over the years influenced the development of popular music in Korea, K-pop is a musical genre shaped and characterized by a range of elements from rock, experimental jazz, Latin, hip-hop, reggae, electronic dance, etc.

Modern K-pop witnessed an evolution and explosion in the 1990s, the emergence of Seon Taiji and boys were revolutionary in K-pop culture’s history, as well as the huge strides by the H.O.T boy band in 1996. The rapid influence of K-pop culture has transformed into a modern K-pop “idol” culture, a subculture that has gathered massive fandom in adolescents and adults.

Dorothy is a product of K-pop modern “idol” culture; it is a five-member girl pop band under Leek Mill (a Korean entertainment/musical record label). They debuted on August 16, 2016, with a digital single “A Day M – Purple Lips.” The name “DOROTHY” derives its origin from Greek mythology, which literally means “GOD’s GIFT”. Jiyu, Boyoung, Youna, Hanbyeol, and Danbi kick-started the group.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZw4tLGgyjU

After their debut in August 2016, the group on February 13, 2017, via their official Instagram account announced that Danbi had left the group, citing personal reasons. Subsequently, they announced the introduction of a new member to the group, in the person of Sunbi, to replace Danbi. However, Danbi has been seen with members of the group since leaving, which is an indication of a healthy relationship between both parties.

The group has been described by some fans as one with huge potential, but underrated. A fan on aminoapps.com lamented thus;

“I fear that Dorothy will be one of those groups that have so much potential and talent that goes unnoticed, and then they disband, and that would make me so so sad because I LOVE these girls. They really do deserve success, and I hope to see them get it one day.”

Another fan (Kendall) stated thus;

“I heard snippets of purple lips, and I really liked it, so I think I’ll check them out! ( I’m a sucker for super underrated groups )”

Fan reviews and expectations for the group are positive.

Their debut single “A Day M – Purple Lips” is a song with wordings that runs deep through the thoughts of a heartbroken lover, it describes the condition of someone in love who is hurt, but finds it difficult getting over the perceived hurt. The person finds it difficult burying memories of their shared love, lamenting how lonely, pale, dried, chilly she/he is, and wishes her/his lover returns to make things right. Below are the lyrics of their debut single “A Day M – Purple Lips.”

Purple Lips Lyrics:

You Are Cold

Everything Is Ruined

Go Away Say Again

My Lips

My Lips Are Dried

My Face Is Pale

My Body Is Cold

Tonight Is Chilly

Why Did You Dump Me?

Why Did You Shake Me?

You Know It All Anyway

That I Cannot Live Without You Even A Second

Your Lips Your Scent Your Temperature

I Remember You Need You

I Love You

Killing Me Killing You Its Over

(Purple Lips Purple Lips)

Your Lips Your Scent Your Temperature

I Remember You Need You

I Love You

Killing Me Killing You Its Over

(Purple Lips Purple Lips)

You Turned Your Back On Me

I Have Contradictory Feelings

I Don’t Know What I Want

So Please Tell Me Where You At

Where You At Uh

It’s Even Hard For Me To Bury All Those Memories With You

What Can I Do?

I Know I Am Pathetic

The Love Is Gone Now

Look At Me Its Funny

Look, Look At Me Its Funny

You And Me

Come Back To Me Please

Take My Pain

Don’t Go Away Uh

Remember Me

I Can’t Live Without You Even A Second

Your Lips Your Scent Your Temperature

I Remember You Need You

I Love You

Killing Me Killing You Its Over

(Purple Lips Purple Lips)

Your Lips Your Scent Your Temperature

I Remember You Need You

I Love You

Killing Me Killing You Its Over

(Purple Lips Purple Lips)

Kiss Me On My Purple Lips(X3)

Kiss Me (Kiss Me)

Your Lips Your Scent Your Temperature

I Remember You Need You

I Love You

Killing Me Killing You Its Over

(Purple Lips Purple Lips)

Your Lips Your Scent Your Temperature

I Remember You Need You

I Love You

Killing Me Killing You Its Over

(Purple Lips Purple Lips

If you have not listened to DOROTHY, they are recommended to you.

—-E. Mily

BOYFRIEND

This Wednesday only series will provide English subtitles on select videos. We hope you will enjoy.

Kim Jong-un (born 8 January 1982 or 1984) is the Chairman of the Workers’ Party of Korea and supreme leader of North Korea. He is the second child of the former country’s leader, Kim Jong-il and Ko Yong-hui, a Japanese-born dancer who was Kim Jong-il’s mistress.

Scarce information on Kim Jong-un’s life comes from North Korean defectors and those who encountered him during his school attendance in Switzerland from 1993 until 1998. Please note that the stated period of the years may not be accurate since much information has been contradictory, perhaps confusing him with his two brothers who also received education in Switzerland.

Kim Jung Eun attended the private English-language International School in Gümligen, under the name “Pak-chol.”

The school’s authorities confirmed that a student from North Korea was registered as the child of a North Korean ambassador. He was chaperoned by another North Korean student, who served as his aide and bodyguard.

Kim’s former classmates have described him as a shy individual, overly obsessive about sports; in particularly basketball and that he regularly came to join class late, during the afternoon. And that he would spend many hours drawing Michael Jordan. His overall grades and attendance rating were revealed to be poor.

From 2002 to 2007, Kim Jong-un attended Kim Il-sung University in Pyongyang, North Korea.

In 2013, Forbes named Kim Jong-un the World’s 46th Most Powerful Person.

Kim Jong-un’s net worth is estimated at US$5 billion.

On 17 December 2011, Kim Jong-il died of a suspected heart attack while travelling on a train near Pyongyang. However, it was later reported in December 2012, that Kim had died “of rage” over construction deficiency at a power plant project in Jagang Province.

Following his father’s death, Kim Jong-un was hailed as the “leader of the party, army and its people” and was made chairman of the Kim Jong-il’s funeral committee.

On 27 March 2012, Kim was elected to the Fourth Conference of the Workers’ Party of Korea. The conference also elected him as the leader of the party under the new title, “First Secretary.” This position replaced the post of “General Secretary” which was awarded “eternally” to deceased Kim Jong-il.

On 15 April 2012, Kim Jong-un made his first speech to the public. He adopted his grandfather’s style of speech which was a break from the approach of his father; Kim Jong-il was known to have a speaking disability and never televised addresses during his 17 years of ruling.

Kim Jong-un’s eldest half-brother, Kim Jong-nam, had been the most likely son to succeed his father – but after an embarrassing incidence when he was caught attempting to enter Japan with a fake passport a few years back – his chances of becoming the heir fell short. As soon as his younger brother took control of the state, he was unable to return to North Korea.

Kim Jong-un is believed to have ordered his half-brother to be assassinated. As of February 2017, Kim Jong-nam was murdered in Malaysia by suspected North Korean agents.

On 12 December 2013, North Korean news reported that due to alleged “treachery,” Kim Jung-un ordered the execution of his own uncle, Jang Song-thaek, who had previously acted as a prominent political figure in North Korea. Jang is known to have been executed by firing squad.

Under the country’s founder, Kim Il-sung, North Korea has continued to illegally develop nuclear weapons for decades. North Korea presently possesses a dozen or more nuclear bombs. It is also estimated that North Korea will own sixty nuclear warheads by 2020.

On 31 March 2013, Kim Jong-un announced that North Korea will adopt “a new strategy in carrying out economic construction and building nuclear armed forces simultaneously.”

During the 7th Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea in 2016, Kim Jong-un stated that North Korea would “not launch nuclear weapons first unless aggressive hostile forces use nuclear weapons to invade on our sovereignty”.

However, North Korea has since threatened nuclear attacks against the U.S.A several times.

In December 2015, in a release from the official Korean Central News Agency, Kim announced that his country had developed a hydrogen bomb.

As of 2016, the U.N has enacted five cumulative rounds of sanctions against North Korea for its nuclear program and missile tests.

2017 has been a definite year of progress for North Korea’s missile program. North Korea continues to test their missiles without warning and threatening to start a war if hindered by other nations.

North Korea has fired 22 missiles since February 2017, including launched missiles over Japan on August 29 and September 15.

When it comes to testing missiles, Kim Jung-un has proven to be far more aggressive than his father and grandfather. Less than six years of his reign, Kim Jong-un has tested more missiles than his father and grandfather combined.

Currently, there also have been numerous reports claiming that Kim Jong-un is not physically healthy. He’s known to be a diabetic and a heavy smoker since his teenage years. As of late, he’s been seen limping on a walking stick.

There are claims that the reason behind so many missiles being tested and developed is because Kim is scared for his well-being and health. Whatever the causes are, the North Korea’s leader needs to halt his missile ventures and come to some terms with sound reasoning.

J.Chung.

Gulf

Unlike other sports, golf is a sport that does not restrict itself to a standardized playing area but in fact involves different terrains with obstacles to overcome in every course. Although largely male dominated, women have made a huge impact in world rankings. Following is a list of the world’s top five female Asian golfers.

1. Ai Miyazato
A Japanese golfing icon, Ai Miyazato has topped women’s golf rankings in the world not once, not twice, but three times in 2010. She turned pro in 2003 and since then has 11 JPGA wins to her name. The first time she claimed the world number 1 ranking was in June 2010 after she won the ShopRite LPGA Classic and then the second time in July, 2010. She is set to retire this year following the season’s completion.

2. Jiyai Shin
Hailing from South Korea, Jiyai Shin became the first Asain and also the youngest athlete to ever claim the top ranking in the Rolex Rankings at the tender age of 22 after the retirement of Lorena Ochoa. Her rule lasted for 7 weeks until her health forced her to sit out of 2 tournaments. Following her victory over Evian Masters, she reclaimed her number one spot. She has 32 wins to her name which includes 7 LPGA titles.

3. Yani Tseng
Yani Tseng is the youngest golfer to have won 5 major championships with 3 LPGA majors to her credit at the age of 21 after winning the British Women’s Open by only one shot. Hailing from Taiwan, Tseng turned pro in 2007 and was crowned rookie of the year in 2008. She also is the fastest player in LPGA history to have crossed the $2 million threshold in career earnings. She ranked number 1 from 2011 to 2013 in the Women’s World Golf Rankings.

4. Na Yeon Choi
South Korean golfer, Na Yeon Choi rose to fame at the age of 17 when she defeated golfing icon Se Ri Pak at the DT-CAPS Invitational on the Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association Tour. She lost the rookie of the year title to Yani Tseng in 2008 but managed to collect her third win at the LPGA Tournament in 2009. In July 2012, Na Yeon Choi won the U.S. Women’s Open for her first major championship.

5. In Kyung Kim
Hailing from South Korea, In Kyung Kim is a familiar name in the world of golf. She finished second at the Irish Open in 2010. In the European Tour’s Dubai Ladies Masters, In Kyung Kim landed the winning position making it her 3rd professional title. She was named runner up for rookie of the year in 2007 owing to her 4 top-10 finishes during the LPGA tour and has also managed to snag a position in the money list amongst the top 40. As of 2017, Kim has emerged victorious thrice on the LPGA tour and has also successfully won the Women’s British Open.

—-Denise Coley

This Wednesday only series will provide English subtitles on select videos. We hope you will enjoy.

Over the past three years, health and fitness trends in the Philippines did not change significantly in terms of its overall target. According to two out of the top five HMOs (Health Maintenance Organizations) in the country, Filipinos are going for a healthier change. Let’s look at what these trends are.

A rise in the opening of gym franchises over the country can point to the awareness that, apart from taking one’s health into one’s own hands, needing a guide and a venue for activities like exercising is desirable, too. Corporate partnerships with gyms, such as discounted membership rates, have allowed company employees for access to better healthcare in the form of physical activity. Gyms, for their part, have offered an assortment of services, taking into consideration the varying needs of their patrons. Evolving from the then notion of gyms as simply having weight-lifting and treadmill machines, classes in Zumba, Pilates and Yoga are now offered, as well.

Body weight training, through planking, burpees and push-ups are becoming popular workout routines, being easier to do and requires little to no equipment. With an aim for cardio boost, increase in metabolism and burning of body fat, this workout has short rest period in between routines.

HIT or High Intensity Interval Training, on the other hand, also becoming a trend, utilizes pencil squats, sprinting in place and some exercises for the core. As it name implies, burst of intense activity is sustained for a short period of time. Its aim is for a more toned body.

Running, still being one of the best exercises, is still a rising trend. It has become a common item for some people’s bucket list – to run in a marathon, for example. Many companies have used running or marathons as a way to support an advocacy, such as “Running for Cancer”.

In terms of eating healthy, prepared or pre-packaged meals have seen a rise in the past three years. With a common goal of preparing nutritious, calorie-conscious and tasty meals, these “food for delivery” has provided a better, healthier alternative for people in the corporate world. They offer a set menu for a week or for a month, and take orders on either a weekly or monthly basis. One can even choose how much calories one needs and the price of the meals are even dependent on the caloric requirement per day. Some offer purely vegan alternatives, but almost all adhere to the definition of balanced nutrition divided into 3 major meals and 2 snacks.

Finally, with the realization of value coming from having one’s own health card, a rise in the purchase of prepaid health care plans have also been noted. Most HMOs are now offering prepaid health care packages. For those employed, or those with dependents also entitled for health care coverage, having a health insurance is surely a benefit for days when illness strikes.

Health consciousness is an endeavour for every person. Taking up physical activity and choosing to eat healthy will always remain as the basic ingredients for any lifestyle change towards a better health.

—-Im Malixi

First Annual WAXACON is Coming Up: Here’s What You Can’t Miss

The first-ever WAXACON is slated for November 18th and 19th in Waxahachie, Texas. Dubbed “your friendly neighborhood comic con”, the highly anticipated event is drawing in guests from around the country. Since this year marks the very first WAXACON, many people are wondering what they can expect when it comes to this all-new comic con experience.

WAXACON is being carefully curated to deliver a completely unique experience for everyone involved. The two-day event is going to feature a wide range of exciting events that you simply won’t find elsewhere. In this article, we’ll fill you in on everything you won’t want to miss at WAXACON 2017.

1.Cosplay Contest

Free to enter, contestants can win Visa gift cards, t-shirts, and free passes to next year’s WAXACON. Mashups, original designs, and costumes from every genre will be permitted!

2.Unique Artists and Vendors

BlackWolf Armory, Comix&Beyond, Gansta Comics, Stonehenge Ocarina, Scott Harben, Brian Chuck, Rhonda Eudaly, Serena Hartfield, and Kary Cooper are among the highly talented artists and vendors who will be on-site during WAXACON.

3.Tabletop Gaming

Get up close and personal with your favorite characters – and your foes! WAXACON is going to feature several tabletop gaming stations where guests are invited to immerse themselves in their favorite games.

4.Celebrity Panels

Exclusive celebrity panels are going to give you a closer look at your favorite sci-fi actors and actresses, who will be discussing various aspects of their roles while answering questions from the audience. You won’t want to miss this exciting opportunity to chat with your favorite sci-fi characters!

5.Miltos Yerolemou

You know him as the First Sword of Brauds from Game of Thrones. Miltos Yerolemou will be at WAXACON, where he’ll be talking to fans, signing autographs, and even hosting a swordsmanship class!

Some of the other guests will include Olivia Hack (Family Guy and Clone Wars), Chuck Huber (Star Trek Continues, Borderlands 2, and Dragonball Z), Corin Nemec (Star Trek Renegades and Stargate SG-1), Christopher R. Mihm (writer and director known for his work on Cave Women On Mars, Destination: Outer Space, and The Wall People).

If you’re looking for the comic con experience of a lifetime, we highly recommend checking out WAXACON 2017! Tickets are now available and can be purchased on the WAXACON website at www.waxacon.com.

—-Denise Coley

Although the name Vinicius (Vinny Precious) sounds very fresh to most k-pop followers, Vinicius is famous as a South Korean music producer already for a while. In 2010, he produced Jazzy Ivy’s album “Ill Vibrative Motif LP” and became a producer since then. In 2016, together with Junbeck, lanca and Cokejazz, Vinicius works as a producer for Kim Ail’s album “Elbow” and contributed to the completion of five tracks, including the single “Mango”.

After 6 years of waiting, November 2016 witnessed a big change for Vinicius that from a producer, he became a singer-songwriter. Under label “Greater Fools Records”, his first music “Sailing” was announced directly to the public in a very unique style. From November 2016 to June 2017, Vinicius completed a total of 10 singles. His first album “사이Sai” was published on 1^st of July, included the 10 singles. He released another track “Easy” on June 9^th, and that makes the 11^th and newest single from Vinicius so far.

What impresses us the most is that almost all the music tracks were composed, arranged, written, performed, mixed and mastered by Vinicius himself, except “Breathe” which was written and performed by Qim Isle. Unlike some K-pop music, his tracks start often with a bass guitar, then an upcoming mix with all kind of instruments. It gives people a strange but comfortable feeling. Vinicius knows how to use instruments to control his music and create magic effects. His tracks sound like jazz in some ways and he manages to add his soft and warm voice, which fits perfectly well in the mix.

According to editor Moon Dong-myung, the name of the album “Sai” can be interpreted into “relationship” and “balance”. The track itself expresses the story of two people, starting from acquaintance, walking side by side, to a point that they become intimate. The relationship between the two people is endless. Vinicius is always looking for the balance of style, elements, lyrics and emotions. There’s no absolute strong feelings like happiness or sadness that you can find as the music flows.

Why don’t we have a look to the track list, try out some of his music and get a sense of what his style really is!

Track list:

1. 걸어오는/ Walk
2. Sailing
“Feel like I’m Sailing, sailing with love. We go up and down.” They have kissed each other, for one, when they kiss, it’s like the smooth part of the sailing.
Inv 1

3. 숨/ Breathe
“Can not fight with love. Do not mess with love.” They shared their stories to each other. They forgot their sadness and started to breathe again. They became each other’s home and escape.
Inv 2

4. 아마/ Purple
“I love you love you. Oh I want to have you girl.” He is falling in love. And the romantic memories are overwhelming. He is thinking about her and guessing her thoughts. Thinking that probably she doesn’t know.

Inv 3

5. Interlude
6. Holiday
“We can leave the town today, in each other’s arms.” They want to spend more time together, just the two of them, to create more experiences.

Inv 4

7. 오늘너 / Blue
8. Satisfy
“I got to satisfy you.” “I gotta do it for you.” They are becoming much closer with each other. One wants to do more for the other’s happiness.

Inv 5

9. 춤/ Waltz
10. 가까이있어 / Close
“I want you closer, closer to my soul.” The eventual intimacy has come.

(Full track)

Inv 6

Vinicius’ new song “Easy” got a lot of attention when it was released as the 11th song on SM STATION SEASON 2 on the 9th of June, not only because of SM STATION’s high reliability and popularity, but also because it was the first public appearance for Vinicius himself. “Easy” was released through most popular South Korean music channels such as Melon, Ginny, Naver Music, YouTube SMTOWN and Naver TV SMTOWN. The MV was published at the same time with Vinicius in it. Before the release of the full single, SM STATION published a sound teaser on the 7th and a music video teaser on 8th to give some expectation to their fans.

Again, “Easy” was written, composed and arranged by Vinicius himself. This song is medium speed electronic music, combined with a soft and sweet voice. It tells the frustration and anxiety of not being able to keep the relationship between the two people. They want to let it go easily but they still miss the beautiful memories together. Although the lyrics are kind of sad about two people growing apart, the sense of rhythm truly gives you an “easy” feeling and you don’t have to bear the burden of letting go.

Let’s listen to it together and enjoy the story as well as Vinicius’ dance!

Inv 7

Picture from BELLBOY MAGAZINE
Information from www.melon.com

—-Lizzy Ren

20. Okja
Okja is a science-fiction and drama film that was launched in 2017. Directed by Bong Joon-ho, the story is about a little girl (young Mija) and her big animal friend Okja, which is a superpig. One day, her pig is taken by multinational conglomerate Mirando Corporation and shipped to New York. Mija, without a defined plan, she embarks on a journey to save her dear big friend.

19. Bahubali 2: The Conclusion
Bahubali 2: The Conclusion is a continuation Indian movie released in 2017 after the Bahubali: The beginning (2015). Directed by S.S. Rajamouli, it is a historical fiction movie that revolves around the fictional kingdom of Mahishmati. After defeating the Kalakeyas, Bahubali was named the future king of the kingdom and Bhallaladeva, the commander-in-chief. Bahubali falls in love with Devasena, princess of the Kuntala Kingdom. But, Sivagami causes a rift between Bahubali and Bhallaladeva when he asks the latter to ask Devasena to marry him.

18. Confidential Assignment
Confidential Assignment is a comedy and drama North Korean movie released in 2017 and directed by Kim Sung-hoon. It is about Hyun Bin (Korean detective) and his partner Yoo Hae-jin (South Korean), who are in quest to bring down a crime lord, Kim Joo-hyuk. Kim Joo-hyuk is hiding out in the south and Hyun has come to look for him.

17. Hindi Medium
Hindi Medium is a 2017 Indian comedy-drama directed by Saket Chaudhary. Raj is a successful business man who sells bridal wears in downtown Delhi. Despite his riches, his wife (Mita) does not see him well-fit for the high society she yearns for because they attended a Hindi medium government school. Mita wants her daughter to have a rather different life from theirs with the high society people. She requests her husband to enroll their daughter in one of the top five schools in Delhi.

16. The Handmaiden
The handmaiden is a 2016 South Korean erotic-thriller movie directed by Park Chan-wook. It is based on the novel Fingersmith in a Korea setup, under the Japanese Colonial Rule. A Korean man, Count Fujiwara, plans on marrying the mysterious Japanese Lady Hireko. He hires a pickpocket, Sook-hee, to become the maid to the Lady Hireko so that he can seduce and swindle her of the inheritance she has.

15. The Mermaid
The Mermaid is a 2016 Chinese fantasy, romantic and comedy movie directed by Stephen Chow. It tells the story of Deng Chao, a playboy businessman who falls in love with a mermaid (Shan). The mermaid has been trained to disguise itself and hide among humans. She is meant to seduce Deng Chao then murder him. However, things take a turn when the two fall in love and Shan saves Chao from the merpeople who want to kill him.

14. The Great Wall
The Great Wall is a 2016 chinese film directed by Zhang Yimou. The movie is about a monster that attacks some European mercenaries, who are in search of the secret of the gunpowder. They are exposed to harsh bandits known for killing, and a murderous monster. They hid away from the bandits in a cage, but then, they were attacked by the monster. On their second day, as they walked along the great wall, they get arrested by a secretive military Chinese sect led by General Shao.

13. Fan
Fan is an Indian thriller film that was released in 2016 and directed by Maneesh Sharma. It is about a man (Guarav) who develops a bizarre obsession to a movie star (Aryan) whom he closely resembles. Both roles are played by Shah Rukh Khan. He embarks on a journey to meet his look-alike superstar. However, things do not go well as Aaryan gets Guarav after beating up one of his fellow actors. After his release, Guarav gets rid of all memorabilia he had of Aaryan and decides to seek revenge.

12. The Last Princess
The Last Princess is a South Korean bibliography-drama movie directed by Hur Jin-ho and released in 2016. It is based on the best-selling novel by Kwon Bi-young about a princess (Deokhye) who was forced to live in Japan when she was only 13 years old. It is based on the princesses’ life story, her will and attempt to get back home to Korea.

11. Sultan
Sultan is an Indian romantic sports drama that was released in 2016. Directed by Ali Abbas Zafar, it revolves around the life of a wrestling champion (Sultan Ali Khan). His wrestling capabilities were driven by a state level female wrestler (Aarfa Hussain) who would only marry a wrestler as good as she was. Determined to win her love, he trained until he won a state level wrestling tournament. He won Aarfa’s love after the win and the two conquered the wrestling world.

10. The Wailing
The Wailing is a South Korean horror movie directed by Na Hong-jin and released in 2016. It is about mysterious deaths from a rare disease that starts happening after a strange man arrives in the village. Jong-goo is a police officer who investigates the happenings and meets a young woman (Moo-myeong). The lady, is the possible suspect for all the unfolding events as she herself is odd and mysterious.

9. Alice: The Boy From Wonderland
Alice: The Boy From Wonderland is a 2015 South Korean romance, mystery and horror movie directed by Huh Eun-hee. It revolves around the life of a girl (Hye-Joong) who experiences dreadful nightmares since she was 4 years old. She seeks advice from a shaman who tells her to go back to her family villa (Wonderland) and find what is missing. In her quest, she meets a boy (Hwan) Soo-Ryun and a white rabbit. She has fifteen days to find what is missing and her nightmares will be over.

8. Mr. Six
Mr. Six is a 2015 Chinese crime-drama film directed by Guan Hu. It is about a 50-year old street punk who has been running the Beijing streets for many years as the neighborhood Kingpin. His son, Xiaobo is in deep trouble with a drag-racing street gang leader and his father attempts to help. However, he does not succeed and both of them end up being in more trouble.

7. Singham Returns
Singham Returns is a 2014 action movie directed by Rohit Shetty. It is a follow-up of the film Singham, launched in 2011. Bijarao Singham is the name of the lead role player who is transferred to Mumbia. After finding out that one of his friends died in a tragic incident, he plans on finding the truth behind his death.

6. Night Flight
Night Flight is a 2014 film directed by Leesong Hee-il. It is a drama based on three teenage boys who fall apart after joining high school. Yong-joo and Ki-taek are still friends, but one of the boys, Ki-woong, becomes estranged from his two best friends. He gains fame in the school and starts hanging out with the school’s powerful and mighty gang (Sung-jin’s gang). Yong-joo develops feelings for Ki-woong and when Ki-taek finds out, he too joins the Sung-jin’s gang.

5. U Ri Sunhi
U Ri Sunhi, also referred to as Our Sunhi is a 2013 romance-drama movie directed by Hong Sang-soo. It is about a lady (Sunhi), a graduate from film school, who wants to pursue further studies in America. She goes back to her school to request a recommendation from her professor. At first, he is hesitant, but decides to write the letter anyway. He writes it and warns Sunhi he will write with an honest view, so she can choose to use the recommendation letter or not.

4. I Saw The Devil
I Saw The Devil is a 2010 South Korean action-thriller movie directed by Kim Jee-woon. It is a revenge story that is fueled by the murder of the fiancé of an NIS agent who goes by the name Kim Soo-hyun. The murderer, Kyung Chul, is a taxi driver, who finds the agent’s fiancé stranded with a punctured tire. He pulls over and instead of helping, he kills her and scatters her body parts.

3. Twilight Gangsters
Twilight is yet another South Korean comedy-crime movie released in 2010. It is directed by Kang Hyo-jin. Three grandmothers save up for a holiday vacation in Hawaii but their dreams are cut short when a crook steals their savings from the bank. In seeking revenge, they go after the gang robbers and find one of them. Unfortunately, he was tricked by the rest and has no money. The three determined grandmothers ask the robber, Joon-suk to train them how to rob. They become bank robbers and they find funds to sponsor their vacation.

2. Ju-On: The Grudge
Ju-On: The Grudge is a 2002 horror movie about a vengeful spirit that kills one person after the other. it is a Japanese movie directed by Takashi Shimizu. It starts off when Takeo murders his wife (Kayako) for having an affair with another man. He then kills their cat as well as their son. This prompts a curse in their home and the ghost of Kayako kills Takeo. From then on, anyone who enters in that house suffers from the curse and dies a horrible death.

1. Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon
Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon is a 2000 film featured in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and America. It is an action-drama film directed by Ang Lee with a setup of the 19th Century Qing Dynasty. It is based on the Wuxia book series “Crane Iron Pentalogy” by Wang Dulu. The story is about a sword, Green Destiny, owned by a warrior known as Chow Yun-Fat. It gets stolen as his lover (Michelle Yeoh) takes it to safety, and the hunt is on to find it.

—-A. Licia

Co Ed

AAA (triple A), is a Japanese mixed-gender group with six members. They debuted with originally 8 members in September 2005 under the record label Avex Trax, which belongs to Avex Group, one of the biggest entertainment companies in Japan. Since their first release “Blood on Fire”, they have received numerous recognitions including seven continuous years of Outstanding Work Award for “Japan Record’s Biggest Award”, making them one of the most popular co-ed groups in Japan.

At first, in 2005, among the eight members, there were three ladies and five gentlemen: Takahiro Nishijima, Misako Uno, Naoya Urata, Mitsuhiro Hidaka, Shinjiro Atae, Shuta Sueyoshi, Yukari Goto and Chiaki Ito. All of them are talented in Singing, Rapping, dancing, modeling or acting, which explains their name, “Attack All Around.” From 2005 to 2017, they released almost one album a year. Their very first album “Attack” was pretty well ranked for a new group. As being used in the movie “Initial D”, “Blood on Fire” got a lot of attention and won them Best New Artist Award for “Japan Record’s Biggest Award”. After the albums “All” and “Around”, their fourth album “Departure” in 2009 ranked for the first time No.4 on Oricon charts. The fifth one “Heartful” was even more successful that some of the singles ranked top three. Since 2010, their singles and albums continuously ranked No.1 on Oricon charts such as “Dream After Dream” in 2010, “Call/I4U” in 2011, “Gold Symphony” and “Eighth Wonder” in 2014, which brought them to a bigger stage step by step. Their first arena tour “AAA ARENA TOUR 2014 -Gold Symphony-” has made a new record of 200,000 fans present in the audience. One year afterwards, their stage went beyond border to Singapore, Hong Kong, Taipei and Jakarta, with the “AAA ASIA TOUR 2015” and “AAA ASIA TOUR 2016”.

Co Ed2

Besides music and group activities, AAA members also contribute to TV shows, movies and theater play since 2006. Each of them have a solo career (except Goto, who left the group in 2007 due to health issues). Uno starred in the Hollywood movie “The Grudge 2” in 2006 and sang its theme song. Nijishima played main role in Japanese movie “Love Exposure” in 2009 and won Best New Male Actor and New Talent Award. Urata’s single “Dream On” in 2010 ranked No.1 on Oricon charts. AAA seven members have also played together in the drama Mirai Seiki Shakespeare in 2008. Their solo and acting success did not only bring attention to the members themselves, but also contributed to the growth of AAA as well. In January 2017, Ito announced her departure as she was getting married and had the marvelous milestone of expecting a baby. Since that moment, the group counts six members.

AAA’s music style went through several stages. In their early years, they were working with different composers which turned their music into all kinds of styles. Their songs were mostly very positive, targeting teenage fans. In 2009, their style was more into electronic music, which was later transformed into Japanese pop style in 2010. During the period of 2012 to 2013, many of their songs were slow rhythm, expressing the loneliness in love. Their performances are always composed of different elements such as ballet, acrobatics, gymnastics and play. Up to today, after 12 years of practice and experience, no matter their mixed-gender character, different music styles, different stage performances or all members becoming lead singers, they never forgot their key core: Attack All Around. That is also how they managed to grow, remained so unique and successful. 2017 was their “Way of Glory”, let’s look forward to what they will bring next.

Member Profile

Takahiro Nishijima – Orange

Birth Date: 9/30/1986
Birth Place: Hokkaido
Height: 170cm
Blood Type: O

Fun Fact: As the main singer in the group, Nishijima has a really good voice and all his live performances are really well done. He loves looking at himself in the mirror and he hates cucumber, because bad cucumbers made him sick when he was a kid. Nishijima also knows how to sell his cuteness, he likes going around and kisses the other group members.

Coed2 Misako Uno – Purple

Birth Date: 7/16/1986
Birth Place: Tokyo
Height: 160cm
Blood Type: O

Fun Fact: Uno’s singing skill is also on the top tier. She came from a lovely family and her ideal type of boyfriend is someone like her elder brother. She is a sweet girl who loves smiling and people who smile. Uno loves Peko-chan and she has a big collection of her which dates back to her primary school.

Coed3 Naoya Urata – Green

Birth Date: 11/10/1982
Birth Place: Tokyo
Height: 178cm
Blood Type: B

Fun Fact: Urata is one of the three main singers at the early stage of AAA. As he is the oldest and group leader, one of his nicknames is Urapapa, which means he is the father figure of the group. He eats a lot of chocolate during practice. Urata loves the color green, when Nishijima broke his arm, Urata draw a lot of cute symbols with his green drink on the plaster cast of Nishijima’s arm.

Coed4 Mitsuhiro Hidaka – Yellow

Birth Date: 12/12/1986
Birth Place: Chiba
Height: 173cm
Blood Type: O

Fun Fact: Hidaka is the rapper in the group. You can find a part of his rap in most of their songs. He is also good at beat-boxing. Hidaka wanted to be a football player when he was a child, but due to congenital hearing disorder of his left ear, he couldn’t always follow what the coach said. Because he can hear a different sound than the others, he chose his second love, music, to be his career. He has also played as a baby model in Kao Merries’ diaper advertisement.

Coed5 Shinjiro Atae – Blue

Birth Date: 11/26/1988
Birth Place: Kyoto
Height: 171cm
Blood Type: O

Fun Fact: Atae is the youngest member in the group. You wouldn’t find him to be the best singer but his dance is definitely outstanding. He is not someone who makes a lot of jokes. He doesn’t really feel comfortable when taking photos but he would still do it for his fans.

Coed6 Shuta Sueyoshi – Pink

Birth Date: 12/11/1986
Birth Place: Nagasaki
Height: 167cm
Blood Type: A

Fun Fact: Sueyoshi is very good at acrobatics, dancing and sports. His dances, movements and energy give people a very manly feeling. He loves drinking fruit and vegetable juice. He said that once during a live TV broadcast, he forgot to wear his undershorts, which he didn’t even realize in time.

—-Lizzy Ren

*All pictures from AAA official website: http://avex.jp/aaa/

Samsung Group began as a trade business in 1938, and has evolved into the largest Korean business conglomerate, today.

Samsung is comprised of several businesses; most of them united under the same brand, which includes insurance, securities, retail, electronics industry, construction, shipbuilding and etc.

Jae Yong Lee – a.k.a. Jay. Y. Lee – is the son of Kun-hee Lee, the C.E.O of Korea’s Samsung Group and the grandson of the company’s founder, Byung-chul Lee.

Lee was born in Washington D.C, educated at the most prestigious schools in Korea, attained his M.B.A degree from Japan’s Keio University and was educated at Harvard Business School; although he didn’t get to graduate.

You could say Lee was strictly educated and molded to take over the family business from the time he was born. He is the first-born and the only son in his family. He is currently a divorcee with two children.

According to Forbes, Lee ranks as the 40th most powerful person in the world, with a net worth estimated to be 7.5 billion U.S. dollars; making him the third richest man in South Korea.

Lee officially became Samsung Group’s president in 2009, after working at the company as the Vice president of strategic planning since 1991.

In 2013, Lee was made vice-chairman of Samsung Electronics, the division that produces smartphones, TVs, cameras, hard drives and the various.

Lee has been considered the sole heir of the Samsung group since his father suffered a heart attack in 2014.
On February 16, 2017, Lee was arrested and charged for his alleged role in a political and corporate scandal related to Korea’s then president, Park. Lee is currently behind bars.

Charges against Lee are bribery, embezzlement, hiding assets abroad, perjury and paying two non-profit foundations run by Choi Soon-sil, a friend of Ms. Park, in order to gain political support.

The favors included backing for a Samsung merger which helped Lee become the head of the conglomerate; a deal that needed support from the government.

However in court, Lee denies all these charges. He admitted to making donations but denied that he expected anything in return.

It was reported on August 7, 2017, that prosecutors demanded a twelve-year sentence for Lee.
On August 25, of 2017, after being found guilty of corruption, the convicted Samsung’s heir was sentenced to prison for five years.

Lee’s lawyers claimed they will appeal – but this probably will lead to an extremely difficult case of scenario – because even the president Park got impeached and is imprisoned. Her trials are still taking place.

In court, Lee described his knowledge of Samsung’s operations as limited and that he is still in the learning process.

J. Chung.

Kcrush

There are many Asian movies that have been on the top of the chart at Netflix Asian shows. Asian movies are full of drama and loved by the people worldwide. On the basis of different categories we have differentiated some of the movies and created a list of top 20 Asian movies made for Netflix Asian shows that you cannot afford to lose out on.

1. Red Cliff
The Red Cliff is one of the top 20 movies on Netflix it is an epic war film. The plot of the movie has been taken from the battle of Red Cliffs that took place in 208 A.D. It is said that 50% of the movie is based on actual events that took place during the war. Some part of the movie has been twisted to suit the audience. It will give you a complete feel of the entire war scene that actually took place years back.

2. Internal Affairs
The Internal Affairs is a movie about a cop and a gangster undergoing cover at the respective opposite places to know the truth. It is somewhat a copy of The Departed.

3. Tai Chi Master
Tai Chi master is yet another Chinese movie. It is also known as Twin Warriors. It is a story of two kids who grow up in a Shaolin Temple and learn martial arts. Due to undesirable conditions they always end up getting into trouble. Finally, they are thrown out of the temple to live their life on their own. This is a story of how they survive in the outer world and how they find their Final Destination.

4. Cemetery of Splendor
This is a story of a group of soldiers who are dealing with a very unusual disease that is sleeping illness. The entire plot is about how the doctors help the soldiers using different therapies to help them overcome the troubles. Through all the different therapies, Jinn get’s more evolved as each day passes and she becomes aware of the world that surrounds her.

5. The Beauty Inside
The beauty inside is a South Korean movie. The movie is quite interesting as the hero of the movie wakes up in a different body every day. He has to figure out the way to get back to his old body and to his girlfriend.

6. Jafar Panahi’s Taxi
It is a comedy docufiction movie where the travelers telling their opinions on life as the filmmaker drive through the streets of Iran. He wants to know the view of the people that will help him create a movie

7. The Housemaid
The Housemaid is a story about a man falling in love with his house maid. It is a love triangle that takes a very destructive shade as the wife knows the affair between the man and the housemaid but reveals nothing.

8. IP Man
IP Man is a movie based on the life of IP Man and it is his biographic movie. The whole story revolves around the episodes that took place in the life of IP man.

9. 13 Assassins
A group of Assassins is brought together to fight against Evil Lord. As the hunters make their way through a mountain and get lost. They find a person who they name as their leader and makes him the 13th assassin.

10. Old Boy
Old Boy is a mysterious thriller movie about a man who is kept captive in a hotel room for 15 years. The boy who is captive does not know his captor or his motivation. He keeps taking revenge and finally falls in love.

11. House of Flying Daggers
The House of Flying Daggers is a romantic movie. Flying Daggers is one of the rebel groups that was formed after the Tai dynasty. To catch the leader of the group a girl is arrested. But the Police captain helps that girl break out of the prison but things start getting difficult.

12. Train to Busan
Train to Busan is one of the most famous movies lately. It is a story about a man and his daughter trapped on a speeding train during a zombie attack.

13. Kagemusha
This is the story of a man who is a thief and imposters himself as a warlord so that his rivals stay off guard.

14. The Host
It is a story between the aliens and humans where the aliens take away the humans and erase their previous memory. It is how the set of humans stand strong against the aliens and push them back.

15. The Silenced
It is a horror movie that was released in 2015. It is a story about a girl who is given admission in to a boarding school, which has had a history of missing students. The girl tries to find out the reason of these missing students.

16. Rigor Mortis
It is a story about a man who has suicidal tendencies and who tries to commit suicide in a building that has supernatural activities in it.

17. Venus Talk
It is a story of three best friends who support each other during the different phases of a relationship.

18. Nobody Knows
This is the movie about the four kids who survive in Tokyo all alone. After being treated so badly and being abandoned by their mother they are left to learn from the world about the hardships of life.

19. Cross
Cross is a fantasy drama movie where a man hands down evils. When they accidentally come across one of the evilest immortal the hero of the movie, Mr. Cross has to play his final game to save the world.

20. The Look of Silence
The Look of Silence is a documentary. This is a story of a man who is an optician confronting another man about the killing he witnessed to one of his brothers.

—-A. Licia

Previously known as Rocket Diary, We Are The Night is a South Korean all-male band who reformed themselves in 2012. To emphasize their transition from rock music to electronic pop, or EP, for short, the group traded in the use of their electronic guitars and crash cymbals for lighter equipment, like an IMac computer, for example, in one of their performances, and synthesizers. With the release of their single, Tiramisu Cake, the band re-introduced themselves to their fans.

Composed of 5 members, they are: Chong Won Joong (Guitar/Chorus), Kim Bo Ram (Drum), Ham Phillip (Synthesizer/Chorus), Ham Byung Sun (Vocal) and Hwang Seong Su (Bass/Synthesizer). Originally making up Rocket Diary in 2005, the members knew each other way back in high school. They decided to disband in 2009 in order to comply with South Korea’s mandatory service for the army. To the amazement of their fans, they came back as We Are The Night, showcasing music fit for the changing times.

The group has received a mix of reviews, both positive and negative. For those waiting to hear again their previous inclination to high energy-infused music, surprise came due to the appearance of some of the group’s more paced songs in their album. Entitled, Star, Fire, Night and Such Things, it was released in October 2015. However, the group is not one to disappoint entirely. Being known as a multi-producer band, they not only make their own music, they also create their own music videos. Their single, Tiramisu Cake, even came with a social media-referencing video. From an interview by blogger SumGyeoJin Gem, the band members explained that Won Joong and Byung Sun are in charge of making the music videos while Seong Su does the recording and mixing.

While being compared to other bands who have joined a genre employing the use of synthesizers and electronic pop, We Are The Night has managed to remain distinct with their own music style. With music alluding to emotions produced by the night-time and even nature, their music videos have also been created artistically and visually, presenting various fitting locations and elaborate lighting. Drawing from their own personal experiences, like their travel to Jeju Island or eating cakes, they are able to make music which people can relate to.

Based in Seoul, the band has performed in famous local festivals – SoundHolic Festival Exit, Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival, and Greenplugged Seoul Festival – to name a few. They joined a UK tour in London and Liverpool in May 2016 right after the release of another single, Dial. Much like the evolution of technology today, this band was able to recreate itself very timely and was successful at it.

The Philippines is a country in South East Asia. Historically called the Pearl of the Orient, the country has a rich culture that resulted from a fusion of many different foreign influences.

Seven thousand and a hundred islands compose the Philippines. With these many islands to explore, travel would definitely be at the top of the list of “Fun Things to Do in the Philippines.” Beaches abound in all the three major geographic divisions of the country, namely Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. Some of the most famous ones being El Nido in Luzon, Boracay in Visayas, and Siargao in Mindanao.
El Nido
El Nido

Apart from the many beaches one can swim in, the Philippines also boast of rare tourist spots. To name a few, let’s start with Mayon Volcano. Located in the Bicol Province of Luzon, it is famous for being able to maintain its “perfect cone” shape despite volcanic eruptions. Another volcano, fondly described as the “volcano on an island within a lake within an island”, Taal Volcano is the smallest active volcano in the world. The Banaue Rice Terraces, ranked 19 among the 100 Wonders of the World, is also found in Luzon.
Mayon
Mayon Volcano

Traveling a lot can make one definitely hungry, so going on a food trip to complement one’s travels is a must for better immersion into the Filipino, or Pinoy culture. Adobo is the viand most famously associated with Filipinos. Each region has even come up with varying versions of it. Basically, it is any meat, but mostly pork and chicken, cooked slowly with vinegar, soy sauce and lots of garlic. One has never been truly to the Philippines if one has not tasted Adobo. Drawing from Spanish, American, Chinese and Malayan influences, the Filipino food best represents this country’s culture that has been enriched by its past conquerors.
Abodo
Chicken Adobo

Filipinos are great and talented musicians. So much so that another fun thing to do in the Philippines would be is to attend a live concert, watch a musical play, or even be part of a live audience in one of its afternoon primetime shows. Attending a fiesta during the summer season, typically in the month of May, could also be a unique alternative. The Filipinos, mostly belonging to the Catholic Religion, celebrate fiestas, which are colorful events with various activities aimed at honoring saints or the Blessed Virgin Mary, the mother of God. In fiestas, processions take place where the patron saint of a particular locality is paraded, usually ending in a celebration of Mass inside a church. Talent shows for singing and dancing are mainstays of fiestas. It is here where some of the country’s famous talents got a break to start their careers. Carnivals and flea markets are also known to sprout up, allowing the common folk a breather from their daily routines. Videoke machines are a hit business during these times because the Filipinos love for singing will always be part of any celebration.
Celeb
Festival Mass

Travel. Eat. Participate. – Three fun things one can do in the many islands of the Philippines.

—-Im Malixi

Hwang Chi Yeul is a South Korean singer who was born in 1982, the third of December in Gumi, North Gyeongsang province of South Korea. In his teenage years Hwang Chi Yeul was obsessed with dance especially B-boying; however, he always wanted to be a singer. In the ninth month of 2004, he moved to Seoul where he started singing. He did spend his twenties as a part time worker and a teacher in music schools where he taught vocals and idol bands like Hello Venus and Infinite among others.

Hwang Chi Yeul competed in the fourth season of “I Am A Singer” where he was number three in the finals which were held in China. He took on the challenge to capture the audience with a combination of Korean and Chinese songs. Hwang Chi Yeul went ahead to showcase his other talents such as dancing and b-boying all through his performance on the stage. His introduction was resonating and motivating to upcoming artists, he explained how he taught vocals as his way of making ends meet and the tough patch he went through which almost made him give up. He, however, did let go of his dream of becoming a singer yet he believed someday he would sing before many people. The fourth season of “I Am A Singer” was among the platforms which gave him the opportunity to sing before many people (Cheung, 2017).

In 2007, Hwang Chi Yeul made his official debut where he released a single digital album named “Chi Yuel” and another full-length studio album named “Five Senses.” In March of 2015, he made an appearance in the song named, “I Can See Your Voice” on “Mnet” in Korea. His performance on the show was great and a big success, it became the turning point in his life, since that time, he started appearing on other shows on TV such as “Knowing Bros,” “Happy Together” and “Radio Star” among others. He also became an advertising model, and he actively participated in brand ambassador positions. Among the best performances of Hwang Chi Yeul include a Chinese version of BIGBANG‘s “Bang Bang Bang,” and Wang Lee Hom‘s “Change Me” among others.

Image of singer Hwang Chi-yeul performing on the fourth season of “I Am A Singer” in China.

The 33-year-old, Hwang Chi Yeul proved that age is just a number as he did not only show his sleek dance moves throughout the “GOKpop” Malaysia concert but also the cute and sexy side of him at his fan meeting on the 21^st of January at Arena of Stars, Genting Highlands.

—-Beverly Wang

Aliife is the first French pop band that draws its identity from Asian pop which is characterized by dynamic sounds. Nonetheless, the band gathers influence from worldwide pop music as well. Regardless of the fact that Aliife might enjoy presenting their music of the South Korean origin, popular K-pop, or Japanese J-pop which has a more colorful flavor, the band’s inspiration is drawn from the jolly morning electro or R&B rhythms. The Aliife band has four members consisting of one girl named Dorelie, and three boys named Bkey, Kyyron and Murphy. The four members met in 2010 to cooperatively realize the project of Aliife; all the four members had passion in dance and music ever since they were young.

Kyyron, one of the band members whose real name is Etienne Kai Krill is originally from Ho Chi Minh in Vietnam. At the age of three, Kyyron arrived in France where he grew up, together with his childhood friends; he started rapping at age of twelve. In 2011, Kyyron was spotted by “NegusWorld,” he joined the group Aliife as a rapper and leader of the band. In 2012, he cooperatively worked with Bkey, Murphy and Dorelie to release “4Life.” Bkay’s hometown is Toulouse, among the people who inspire him musically include Chris Brown, Usher, Trey Songz, Neyo and Bruno Mars among others. Hong Kong is Murphy’s home town while Dorelie’s hometown is Reunion.

The first music video single released by Aliife was called “Peace & Love.’ This single had a cheesy message and melody which was so much influenced by Korean pop. The current success of the group is inspired by hard work, team work and collaboration. The group is very dedicated to the success of their music career. Aliife is not just a group; rather, it is a dream come true. This dream has been made concrete by four years of investment from the four young and talented artists. In 2016, the group had a real race with the release of its single named “TLM.” Some of the unique features of this single include its saturation with the K-pop universe while retaining its French musical identity.

—-Beverly Wang

Ozuna

Born with the name, Juan Carlos Ozuna Rosado, from Puerto Rico, Ozuna is a Reggaeton and Trap singer. The name Ozuna is a common Spanish surname, which this singer chose as his stage name. His launch to fame took place via Youtube with the music video, No Quiere Enamorarse Remix. Of Dominican descent, Ozuna was born on March 13, 1992 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Signing his first recording contract in 2014, Ozuna has been in the music industry for quite some time. He has been writing songs since he was 12 years old. His first hit song, Si No Te Quiere (If He Doesn’t Love You), gained for him popularity across Latin America and was a hit on the radio. His very first album debuted much later in 2017, entitled Odisea and contains 16 tracks.

Reggaeton is a music genre with roots from Puerto Rico back in the 1990s, while Trap music is a sub-genre of dance music now slowly gaining popularity with origins from the South Americas. Trap music also dates back to the 1990s, and is an evolved form of Southern hip hop. Ozuna is a singer and songwriter who has become popular with this type of music. With a propensity for containing explicit sexual meaning, Ozuna’s lyrics, on the other hand, refrain from objectifying women as sex objects.

During the early part of 2016, Ozuna collaborated with other artists, DJ Luian, Mambo Kingz, De La Ghetto, Arcάngel and Anuel AA for the single, La Ocasion (The Occasion). His appearance for this single became a hit and reached top number 22 on the Hot Latin Songs chart. Thereafter, other released songs and remixes of Ozuna made it to the Billboard charts, the highest of which, Dile Que Tú Me Quieres (Tell Them That You Love Me), made it to number 13. The latter song is his most popular single to date.

In 2017, the single Te Vas (You Leave), part of his debut album, Odisea, reached 400 million views in YouTube. This song has become Ozuna’s most popular one on social media. With this list of songs that have reached fame and made Ozuna remarkably successful, the music industry has come to recognize this singer as one of the best Reggaeton artists of his generation.

He had continued numerous collaborations, as well. Apart from his stint with Daddy Yankee for No Quiere Enamorarse Remix, which made him famous, they had another partnership for La Rompe Corazones (The Heartbreaker). In terms of awards, Ozuna has received the recognition as Best Breakthrough Artist at the Premios Juventud (Youth Awards for Spanish-speaking celebrities) for 2017. Today, he is as a successful and popular artist across Latin America.

—-Im Malixi

Snuper

SNUPER (which means “Higher than Super”) is a Korean boy band formed by Widmay Entertainment in the year of 2015, as the first pop group from the label.

The six members of SNUPER who are called Suhyun, Sang-il, Taewoong, Woosung, Sangho and Sebin made their officially debut on November 16, 2015 with their first single, “Shall We Dance.”

All the members are born and raised in Korea, except Taewoong who was born in Japan. He’s also worked as a child actor, prior to joining SNUPER.

Since debut, the group enjoyed a moderate success as a band; they were especially well charted in Japan by reaching No. 2 on the Oricon daily chart.

SNUPER is also well-known for their exclusive events and fan meetings. Their fan club is named Swing, and it is evident from this interview that the members really care for their fans.

We would like to thank the boys for the great interview and wish them all the luck with their career.

Would you all like to introduce yourselves, please?

Taewoong: This is Taewoong and I am the leader of the group.

Sang-il: Hello, my name is Sang-il and I am the vocalist of SNUPER.

Suhyun: Hello! I am the oldest member of the group and a vocalist.

Woosung: This is Woosung, the jewel of SNUPER! I love you all!

Sangho: My name is Sangho and I’m a vocalist in SNUPER.

Sebin: Hello! I am the rapper of this group. I was born in 1996 and my full name is Jang Sebin.

How was each of you become a member of SNUPER?

Taewoong: I started off as a child actor and when I watched other idol groups perform and wanted to be one myself.

Sang-il: I was working at a restaurant and luckily I was casted on the spot.

Suhyun: I always enjoyed performing in front of the family and naturally wanted to become a singer.

Woosung: I was introduced into the group by Taewoong.

Sangho: I started dancing since I was in High school and enjoyed being on stage that got me dreaming of doing it professionally.

Sebin: I decided that I wanted to pursue this career because I loved to sing and perform on stage.

Do you have any specialties or special interests in anything?

Taewoong: My specialty is speaking Japanese and rap making. My hobbies are traveling and acting.

Sang-il: I love to sing, but I also love drawing cars since I wanted to be a designer.

Suhyun: Composing was always an interest that I’ve had and I’ve also done DJing since I was young so interest in music has come naturally for me I think.

Woosung: My specialty is speaking. And my interests these days are Overwatch, Pocket monster and bowling.

Sangho: Nowadays, I like to look up and listen to songs. Since the weather is cooled down, I tend to listed to calmer songs.

Sebin: I am into badminton and tennis. My specialty is Taekwondo.

Which SNUPER song is your favorite?

Taewoong: I think it has to be “Shall We Dance” which was our first single.

Sang-il: There is song called, “Polaroid” and I have special affection for it because I led the song.

Suhyun: Our current single, Yuseong is my favorite.

Woosung: “Angel” is a great song that boosts my energy.

Sangho: ”Shall We Dance” is my favorite because since it’s our single I think I have a special affection for the track.

Sebin: For me, “Shall We Dance” is my favorite as well. If it wasn’t for that song, we wouldn’t be where we are today. So that track is precious for us.

Who do you respect and admire the most?

Taewoong: I respect Bang Hyung-sik sunbaenim, because I admire how he does music, acting and everything else so well.

Sang-il: I would say I respect my mother the most.

Suhyun: I respect both of my parents.

Woosung: My parents are the ones I admire, because they raised me so I could come this far.

Sangho: Taemin Sunbaenim from SHINee.

Do you have any color preference?

Taewoong: I don’t really have any colors that I dislike particularly but I like white, black and red.

Suhyun: I like colors blue and black. I dislike yellow.

Woosung: I like red, black and white. I don’t have colors that I hate.

Sangho: I like red. I don’t have color I hate but green is probably the color that I least find it attractive.

Sebin: I don’t have any colors I don’t like. Orange, mint and red are the colors I like.

Tell us what you like and don’t like to eat or drink.

Taewoong: I like meat and sushi.

Sang-il: I like to eat gopchang, and I dislike rice with peas.

Suhyun: I like to eat burgers, pizza and chicken. I dislike sundae, seonji and sujeong-gwa.

Sangho: I like tteok-bbokki, pasta and chicken. I don’t like to eat paprika.

Sebin: I like any type of food except burdock.

Have you had time to go to the cinemas lately? Have you read any interesting books or been to a musical that you’d recommend?

Taewoong: “Josee, The Tiger and The Fish” is a movie that I watched recently. It featured the unique side of Japan and the story concerning love was impressive.

I recently read a book that can be translated as “A Book Is An Axe.” I learned that Humanities have a big impact on creativity, and decided that I should read more books on Humanities.

And I wasn’t able to see this musical recently, but I am a big fan of the musical Lion King. With the African prairie as the stage, the artsy effects were the best for a great musical.

Suhyun: I love to go to the cinemas to watch great movies. But my all-time favorite movie is “Begin Again.” Please watch it when you have the time. The music and everything is fabulous.

Woosung: The book I read is, “Visual Intelligence” by Amy E. Herman. It’s based on people’s perception. I think it would be very helpful for its readers. This book enabled me to look around my atmosphere rather than to just move forward.

Sangho: I watched “My Annoying Brother” on the plane. It features actor Jo Jeong-suk and D.O. and it was very entertaining.

Sebin: I read a book called, “Murder Case Without The Criminal” by Higashino Geigo. It’s a mystery novel which is extremely captivating.

Please recommend us a song that you like and or listen to frequently.

Taewoong: Mac Miller’s “Dang!” You’ll be able to start the day in a good mood if you listen to it.

Sang-il: Rain’s “Bad Guy” is a great performance song.

Suhyun: Childish Gambino’s “Sober” would be the song that’s been my favorite for a long time.

Woosung: I would recommend you to listen to Yoon Jongshin’s “Do You Like It” because it expresses the weaker side of the males very well.

Sangho: Park Won – “All Of My Life.”

Sebin: Justin Bieber’s “Sorry.”

Do you have any habits that you want to get rid of?

Taewoong: Sometimes, I can’t organize my sentences when I speak; so I want to be able to reduce unnecessary words that come up.

Sang-il: I have a habit of opening my mouth too wide when I sing, so I want to fix that.

Suhyun: I am always grateful to my parents, but I tend to speak to them coldly sometimes. I think I need to learn how to speak to them more warmly in the future.

Woosung: I don’t have any habits.

Sangho: I want to fix the habit of getting up late in the mornings.

Sebin: I want to change the way I get tired out every time I feel tense or nervous.

Do you have episodes that you had to go through that were difficult or funny?

Taewoong: When I was rapping a bit of pollen got into my mouth. Fortunately, I was able to keep rapping but the taste of the pollen was just too much.

Sang-il: When we were promoting the single, “Back-Hug,” I was suffering from a cold that lasted about two months. I really went through a hard time.

Suhyun: One time we were performing, my inner piece fell out and it practically got wrapped around my neck. I was relieved because the camera didn’t catch it.

Woosung: During a performance, I got very nervous when pollen got into my mouth. The camera had caught it and it went on air.

Sangho: I usually only wear one piece of the inner ears; one in one ear and the other which I put behind my shoulder. One time, I was performing and I forgot about putting one ear piece over my shoulder. It got twisted around my neck and then over my head so I couldn’t see very well. Luckily, it was Taewoong’s part to rap so I turned around and got myself fixed. Thankfully, the incident wasn’t seen on air.

Where would you most want to perform?

Taewoong: We would perform anywhere we are asked to but I would especially like to perform in the States.

Sang-il: We want to perform in New York.

Suhyun: The SNUPER members want to perform anywhere that our fans want us to perform.

Woosung: New York, Washington and L.A for the American Dream!

Sangho: If given the chance, we would like to perform in all countries to promote ourselves.

Sebin: America, Malaysia, Dubai and China.

What are your plans and hopes for the future? Could you leave a message for your fans as well? Thank you very much for the interview.

Taewoong: Half a year has already gone past so quickly. I would like to wish the members and our fan club the best time this year. Love you, Swing!

Sang-il: We will work hard to make this year a very meaningful one.

Suhyun: We’ve been working hard non-stop since our debut and we are in hope that more people will notice us as a group. We also thank our fan club for their support and we will work to do you proud. Love you!

Woosung: We want to become a group that is loved all over the world. I would like to be with our members forever!

Sangho: Our goal is to promote ourselves to those who do not know us yet and to be able to mature as artists. There isn’t much left of 2017 now, I hope that the members of SNUPER, our family and our fan club Swing would end the year well without any difficulties. Thanks for always being there, friends!!! Let’s stay in love forever~

Sebin: I want to spend the last days of 2017 with the SNUPER members and Swing!!! We love our fans!!!!! Heart and kisses…

—- J.Chung.

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