Who Said What Wednesday!

B A P 2018학년도 수능 응원 메시지

With B.A.P always being concerned with their fans, they took time for those taking their college entrance exams to wish them well. Unfortunately, the exams were postponed when a 5.4 quake hit Korea on exam day.

Even though there are some changes in society and even in the traditions of Vietnamese people nowadays, the wedding is still one of the most important events in one’s life. Fortunately, I’ve had the chance to attend weddings in Vietnam and in America, so I’ve noticed some differences in the way each start a relationship and the way they prepare for a happy ending-the wedding.

In Vietnam when you are dating a girl and you are thinking about having a serious relationship with this girl, what you need to do is to ask for her parent’s permission first then if they say yes, good for you, but when they say no, you will have a really hard time proving your love for their daughter. The wedding is planned about 6 months to 1 year ahead. During that time they will have the engagement ceremony which is about a few months before the wedding ceremony. They pick out the outfit for the wedding and will take a beautiful wedding album, pick out the rings and they do everything together. This is a huge difference compared to Western culture that the groom is not going to see the bride in her dress until the wedding day as well as taking wedding photos.

Vietnamese Engagement Ceremony

Traditionally, the groom’s parents will lead a procession to the bride’s family home where the groom and his family will ask for the bride’s hand in marriage.

Gifts are carried by family members in odd numbers and stored in a Mâm Quả, or red tin baskets, and covered with a traditional red cloth (They believe that odd numbers and red color will bring good luck to the bride and groom).

The gifts are different but basically here are some things that would appear in any engagement ceremony. They are a special kind of wedding cake (Bánh phu thê), betel and areca, fruits, a roasted pig.

After receiving approval, the groom and his family are invited inside to exchange gifts and proceed with the wedding ceremony. After a few formal introductions, the groom will present his gifts to the bride’s family before receiving permission to see his bride-to-be. The bride will be escorted, often by her mother, where she will meet her groom who will be ready to greet her with a bouquet in hand. The two will then make their way to the Vietnamese alter to begin the Tea and Candle Ceremony.

Vietnamese Wedding Dress

One of the most iconic symbols of the Vietnamese Wedding is the Vietnamese Wedding Dress or the Ao Dai. The Ao Dai is often in red color and worn by both the bride and groom during the Vietnamese Wedding Ceremony and/or during the reception as the couple makes their rounds to greet and thank their guests. In modern weddings, the bride can wear the Western white wedding gown if she wants to but Ao Dai is still the best choice because they are very simple, comfortable and easy for them to move around during the wedding. The Ao Dai has a fitted top with floor length panels and a pair of accompanying pants. With Ao Dai, the bride and groom will often wear a circular headdress called a Khan Dong.

The Reception

They serve all kind of different foods in the reception. Many couples choose to have the reception at a nice restaurant but some of them still want to have the reception at their house with the help of their family members.

Boiled chicken, steam sticky rice with green beans or our traditional cake Banh chung, salad, soup, spring rolls, Vietnamese ham are the main dishes of the reception. The drinks for the receptions are various too. They do serve alcohol like beers and wine for adults and soft drinks for kids. Another tradition that happens at most Vietnamese weddings receptions is the table visits. As a thank you and sign of respect, the bride and groom will make their way to each table and greet their wedding guests. The most significant family and friends will be visit  ed first and a toast will be given acknowledging the most important person of each table. It is traditional for guests to give the bride and groom envelopes filled with money at this time. Once the bride and groom have made their rounds, the party officially begins!

Wedding gifts

Traditionally, gifting is made in the form of money or gold, a symbol of prosperity, health, and happiness, in a card/envelope. The money is referred to as “money warding off evil spirits” and is believed to protect the person of younger generations from sickness and death.

The wedding cake

You will see wedding cake in every wedding nowadays. Wedding cakes come in a variety of sizes, depending on the number of guests the cake will serve. Cake designers use various ingredients and tools to create a cake that usually reflects the personalities of the couple. They are decorated beautifully with flowers and messages that couples want written on their cakes.

There will be differences in different areas of Vietnam but they all share something in common in the wedding day. I hope those above information would help you understand more about Vietnamese Wedding traditions and Vietnamese tradition in general.

—-Lucy Le

ALIIFE ”Rumpum” Clip Officiel – English Subbed

Vietnamese food is my favorite food in the whole world! They are so famous for being fresh, healthy and delicious. Today I am going to show you how to make a super simple but awesome Vietnamese dish- Fresh Vietnamese Spring Rolls!

Ingredients:

• 200 grams of meat of your choice (pork belly or beef tenderloin).
• 100 grams of prawn
• 50 grams of fresh or dried noodle.
• 1 big carrot, 1/3 pineapple and 1 cucumber, cut into very thin and small stripes.
• Lettuces, fresh mints, cilantro: Wash and rinse, set aside.
• 1 Avocado- remove the seed and skin, slice into small pieces.  (This is optional but avocado will help enhancing the flavor of your rolls so much. Plus it’s supposed to be really good for your heart and your health so why not add avocado into your recipe!! )
• Fresh or dried rice paper

-Bean sprouts (optional)

• Crushed peanuts

Serving: 2-4 people

Preparation:

– Meat:

• Pork belly: Boil with water until the meat is no longer pink. You can use the meat thermometer to check. If the temperature reaches between 145° and 160° F, the meat is done cooking. Slice the meat into very thin slices, set aside.
• Beef tenderloin: Slice the beef in to very thin slices. Marinate with some soy sauce, ginger and black pepper (please do not add any salt now as it will make the beef very chewy). Brown some garlic and stir the beef for about 3 minutes, set aside when it’s done.

• Prawn: Remove the heads, boil about 2 cups of water, bring it to a boil, add the prawn with the shell on and cook until then turn to pink. Remove the shell and the vein from the prawn, set aside
• Noodles: For the dried noodles, boil them in water for about 6-8 minutes until they are cooked through and soft.

Let’s roll!

– If you are using dried rice paper, pour some drinking water in to a big bowl, before you start rolling, dip the dry rice paper into the water for about 3 seconds to make it wet. If you are using fresh rice paper, please skip this step.

  

– Use your cutting board or a big flat plate to roll your spring rolls. Basically yo u just need to toss everything together then roll them up in the following order:

Here are the final results of the Fresh spring rolls: 

Making the sauce:

Apparently, people have different versions of the dipping sauce. My favorite one is peanut-hoisin dipping sauce. In a sauce pan, heat up one can of coconut water (it’s optional so don’t worry if you can’t find this). Add about 3 tablespoons of cr  eamy peanut butter, and about 6 tablespoons of hoisin sauce. Whisk until all the peanut butter melts. Let it simmer to your desired consistency – the sauce should have a consistency like gravy.. (Taste it & add more hoisin or peanut butter to suite your tastebuds). Cool before serving. Top with crushed peanuts and we are ready to roll! Enjoy!

—-Lucy Le

TRCNG TRACKING EP 2 ‘Spectrum’ M V Making Film Part 1

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

Korean singer, Park Hyo Shin was born on December 1, 1981 in Chungcheongnam-Do, South Korea.

Park was a gifted singer from an early age and as a youngster, he used to frequently perform foxtrot music at his family’s restaurant, where people would visit the restaurant just to hear him sing.

Being an introvert, Park never considered becoming a professional singer but one of his friends talked him into competing at his school’s song contest; Park competed and was awarded first prize. This paved a way for him to win numerous Grand Prizes in other singing competitions.

As he enrolled into High school, Park became a trainee at a certain entertainment company and started recording his first album. Within a few months, the company had to shut down due to lack of funds. Park took an audition and relocated to another agency where he was faced with more disturbing issues.

It was revealed that his new company was a scam and Park was pressured into paying all the expenses incurred from recording his demo, rooming fee and the various.

The company demanded a large sum. Park asked to be let off from the contract because he had never even signed a deal with them. His parents had just divorced and he wasn’t in a good place financially.

This unfair incident caused injury to Park’s feelings and made him reconsider pursuing his dream of being a singer.

Then his friend introduced him to composer, Hwang Yoon-min and Park resumed recording again under Hwang’s guidance.

Park trained for almost a year until his debut on November 4, 1999, through a radio program. Later in the same month, his first album, “Things I Cannot Do For You” was released.

He received a mass of media attention, after appearing on a popular music show, Lee Sora’s “Propose” on KBS.

Approximately, 440,000 copies of his debut album were sold and placed 15th on 2000’s Music Sales.

Park was honored to be awarded the Rookie of the Year award at the 15th Golden Disk Awards. By this time, he was already settled down as a great talent to be reckoned with by the Korean public and critics.

The album “Second Story” was released in February 2001, its first single, “Longing” became another massive commercial success.

This album was specially produced by prolific producers in Korea, Yoon Sang, Kim Dong Ryul, Jo Kyu Man and Yoo Hee Yeol.

The next album, “Time Honored Voice” was released in September 2002 with 470,000 copies sold. Its title song “A Good Man” ranked top of the charts for two weeks in SBS Inkigayo and he was given Main Prize from the 17th Golden Disk and Seoul Music Award.

His fourth album, “Soul Tree” was released in 2004, which was extremely well-received. In November, Park sang “Snow Flower” which became the original track to K-drama, “I Am Sorry, I Love You.”

This song for the K-drama, is thought to be the piece that brought Park the most fame. “Snow Flower” was originally sung by Japanese singer, Mika Nakshima and since has been covered by many others.

But it is of popular opinion that Park’s version is the most critically acclaimed due to the song delivery.

Park released his 5th full studio album, “The Breeze of Sea” in 2007 and for the next few years, he had to deal with several intricate lawsuits regarding his agencies.

In October 2009, to celebrate the 10th anniversary, Park held a series of concerts at the Olympic Fencing Gymnasium.

For years, he has been famous for bringing his A-game to every one of his concerts.

On September 15, 2009, Park released his 6th album, Gift-Part 1.”After Love” also made it to the top of the charts.

From 2010, Park began his mandatory service at the Korean military and was discharged on September 24, 2012.

In 2014, Park released a song called, “Wild Flower” which became a great comeback song for him.

The same year, Park released a digital single, “Shine Your Light” where he utilized a very mellow singing technique that he rarely used before.

Since 2000, Park took leading roles in several musicals, including Mozart! and Phantom.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3JWree2dJk

Park’s trademark would be his husky voice.

Park’s singing technique has vastly improved and altered over the years; he is also known to have the ability to project different moods and feelings depending on the song.

This unique style of sound he projects has made him one of the most loved ballad singers; as well as being one of the most highly praised performers in Korea. This is evident as he was asked by the Blue House to perform in front of the U.S. President during his visit on November 7^th.

-J. Chung.

The Reality of LADIES’CODE EP #07

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

During a night filled with laughs and music, DAY6 brought their special brand of rock to Emo’s in Austin, Texas.  Fans began lining up many hours before the doors opened, braving the rain through the night for the best possible view during the show. Once inside, you could feel the excitement from the crowd singing along and dancing to the tracks playing before the group hit the stage.

DAY6 came out individually to choruses of screams before diving into their first song of the night, “I Wait(아 왜)”.

From the start, it was apparent that the club venue was the perfect place for DAY6’s brand of music. The coziness of the club made their performances of “You Were Beautiful” and “Letting Go” all the better to hear.

DAY6 were also enigmatic during their talk and game segment. Fans were able to ask the group questions via post-it notes on a board and the members gave many amusing answers. Most memorably, a fan asked what they wash first in the shower and member Jae’s response of “Ya’ll don’t wanna know…You can’t handle the truth!” had the venue ringing with laughter.

In a vlog made by Jae, DAY6 were shown eating and exploring Austin and discussing things about Austin, including the annual SXSW festival.

Other songs performed included “Congratulations”, “Man In A Movie”, and “I Smile”. During the final song of the night, “Free”, members left the stage and got up-close and personal with a few lucky fans.

Personally, as a casual fan, I expected to enjoy the show. However, I was blown away by the energy and passion DAY6 put into their live performances. DAY6 is a must-see group, no matter their set list.

Thank you to JYP Entertainment and Subkulture Entertainment for bringing the group stateside!

 

—-Ke’Anna Bullard

Boy Story is a creation of JYP Entertainment, established by South Korean record producer and singer Park Jin Young. Given the influence of K-pop culture in Asia and the seeming wide audience of youths and adolescents, Boy Story can be adjudged a good business move, to tap into the Chinese pop culture market, following the success recorded by TFBoys pop band in China.

JYP Entertainment subsidiary; NCC Station Entertainment on August 2017 announced via their weibo page the imminent launching of a new Chinese pop boy band “BOY STORY.” The group (BOY STORY) is believed to be the first juvenile pop combination created by JYPE China (NCC Entertainment) and Tencent Music Entertainment Group (TME).

It is widely reported that the boy band will have four pre-debut singles and music videos commencing from September 1, 2017, through August 2018, and an official first mini album will be readily released afterward. The boy band (BOY STORY) is comprised of six members; Han Yu, Xin Long, ZE Yu, Zi Hao, Ming Rui and Shu Yang, with an average age of 12 years.  They launched their first single, titled “HOW OLD ARE YOU” in September 2017. The planning, song writing and music video production is credited to Park JY a renowned South Korean and Asian producer.

At the launch of Boy Story’s single; “HOW OLD ARE YOU,” it topped most charts, swiftly throwing up a debate among the general public. Its emergence has signalled the expansion in number and range of musical genres available to Chinese adolescents.

The group is depicted as the most promising hip-hop boy band in the Chinese music space as well as the youngest. Expectations are high from fans, given the display of immense talent by the band; members have a good knowledge of hip-hop and have developed excellent dance skills over the course of their continuous training. They aren’t far from becoming an iconic group in today’s music in the near future.

Boy Story is bound to be in China’s mainland entertainment circle as a formative force for the juvenile music type, offering a range of choices and possibilities. The strength of young people in hip-hop will be prominently increasing like wildfire as time goes on.

Boy Story’s single; “HOW OLD ARE YOU” is a song that is appealing to a large audience; it offers a perfect blend of appropriated pop beats that fit into the “ratchet” and “twerk” in the dance routine. It delivers a suitable mixture of the teenagers’ youthful behaviour, creativeness as well as depicting the strong energy and vibes inherent in the song.

Mixed reactions have trailed the emergence of the Boy Story boy band; some are amazed by the talent of the boys, their near-perfect delivery in their debut single “HOW OLD ARE YOU.” A fan on aminopps.com stated that:

“Their song and music video was good to me, I love the colors, and I love the whole message and video in general. Also, their dancing was terrific; they are some good dancers.”

Another fan with a different view asserted that:

“I have nice things to say and also a negative view about this group; bear in mind these are my opinions, everyone’s judgment is different. Now don’t get me wrong these boys are talented and super cute; however, they are too young to be starting a career already. They are just about 10-12 years old, I’m not sure if they really should be K-pop stars at such an adolescent age, it would be different a little if they were under tutelage but no they are becoming stars soon and I’m worried that these children will be over-labored and they’ll be missing out on their childhood, they should be home or on the street playing like other kids do and not becoming grownups. The children are in an adult world, and I’m scared for them. If they were mine, I would have declined it or had JYP keep them as trainees till they were older.”

Similarly, a fan questioning the ages of the boys opines that:

“Omg, I found them a few days ago, and I was so stunned about how gifted they were and absolutely agree with the fact that they are too young to be stars. They’re still babies for me. They’re making them grow up so fast. It’s not right. However, I’m still pleased to see people appreciating them.”

The age of the band appears to be a very worrying factor for most fans; serious questions are thus posed from the comments of some fans. Will the boys not be overworked as idols, considering their ages? Some even think their status (idol) might cost them their childhood experience.

 

—-E. Mily

IN2IT, an 8-member boy group, released their debut album “Carpe Diem” on October 26^th and had a press interview to discuss their new album at a café located in Gangnam on the 30^th, attended by a number of major entertainment news reporters, such as Top Star News, Newsen, and Aju New. The members said in the interview that they could hardly believe they actually made a debut and held a showcase.

IN2IT include Hyun-uk, Inho, Inpyo, Iasaac, Jian, Jinsup, Sunghyun and Yuntae, the final line-up of a survival audition program “Boys 24.” The group name, a combination of “intuit” and “into it,” was made in hopes of “making the public intuitively get into the group through their charms.”

Although IN2IT are a new group, they are not new to a stage. They have already accumulated more than a year of stage experiences, performing as many as 260 gigs. However, as the group stated in the interview, they are still not used to being filmed for TV shows: “We have lots of stage experiences, so we are not afraid of performing on a stage. But being on TV still scares us.” Nevertheless, the stage experiences definitely helped the “new” boy group.

Then, what makes IN2IT so special? The members said “stage experiences” and “sincerity.” The group aspires to show off their performance skills when they are on stage, and when they are not, they hope to capture people’s hearts through showing their artless, sincere appearances. Also, unlike other groups, IN2IT does not have a “leader,” and members have an equal say in decision making.

Moreover, well-known composers participated in IN2IT’s debut album “Carpe Diem,” which includes five songs in total: the title song “Amazing,” “Paradise,” “Cadillac,” “Rising Star,” and “Tomorrow.” The title song “Amazing,” a tropical themed dance-pop song, was composed by Double Sidekick, a heat song maker. The lyrics talks about a boy’s feelings for his cute girlfriend, and the chorus has a nice hook.

“Cadillac,” composed by Cha Cha Malone, the hottest music producer these days, and “Paradise,” composed by Paul Reign, a leading Swedish song writer who worked with Victoria Beckham, Mandy Moore, and Christina Aguilera, are worth noting. In addition to the well-known producing team, Sunghyun, a member of IN2IT, also participated in writing rap lyrics, showing his enthusiasm.

In addition to that, Hyojae Choi, who was in charge of choreography of TVXQ, EXO, and NCT, created IN2IT’s choreography. Also, interestingly, the music video of the title song “Amazing” was filmed in Kazakhstan. No other K-pop groups previously visited Kazakhstan for music video making. The M/V not only captures vast nature of the central Asian country, but also features the group’s powerful choreography.

IN2IT, as they stated in the interview, aspire to hold a dome tour in Japan in the future. The group will soon start appearing on music shows.

 

—-J.K. Lim

B A P ‘HONEYMOON’

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

The Plot:

Pinocchio stars Lee Jong Suk as Choi Dal Po and Park Shin Hye as Choi In Ha. The series follows young reporters around as they seek to broadcast the truth. The twist to this story and the reason why it’s titled Pinocchio is that in this world there are people diagnosed with the “Pinocchio Syndrome.” These people cannot tell a lie because every time they do, they hiccup. Choi In Ha has the “Pinocchio Syndrome,” and it makes viewers anticipate the antics that she will perform while being a reporter who can only tell the truth.

Main Cast

Lee Jong Suk as Choi Dal Po/ Ki Ha Myung Park Shin Hye as Choi In Ha

Kim Young Kwang as Seo Bum Jo Jin Kyung as Song Cha  Ok

Lee Yoo Bi as Yoon Yoo Rae Lee Pil Mo as Hwang Gyo Dong Min Sung Wook as Jang Hyun Gyu Kim Kwang Kyu as Kim Gong Joo Byun Hee Bong as Choi Gong Pil Yoon Gyun Sang as Ki Jae Myung Shin Jung Keun as Choi Dal Peng Kim Hae Sook as Park Ro Sa

My Review

This drama has got all the needed ingredients for a successful Korean drama: A conflict, Amazing actors and well planned story. First of all you may think it’s all about answering the question “Can someone with Pinocchio syndrome live in a world where lying and cheating are common?”  But no, it has more depth than I even thought. Reminds us not to be ignorant of the truth, It’s where Ki ha myung turns the point to “Can a small lie completely destroy someone’s life”?  Let’s see it through eyes of rookie reporters!

I was never bored, the story is well-written and the development is great. I never felt like any of the episodes were meaningless. It felt like I couldn’t blink my eyes.

I really like the fact that the drama is all about honesty and justice and how these reporters are willing to investigate and report only the truth and it helps when the heroine actually has a Pinocchio syndrome where she hiccups whenever she lies. Our Choi In Ha will hiccup if she has the feeling of “this is not right” It also challenges journalism to its core.

Would we only report happy news or must see news? Would media be able to report the truth and not influenced by the rich? The message of the drama is to always deliver the truth, even if it’s painful, than try to hide it because the truth will come out eventually. As Hwang Gyo Dong said, “No matter how you try to hide it, the truth always has a way of coming out.”

And let’s speak about the chemistry! There’s nice chemistry between Lee Jong Suk and Park Shin Hye and it made me instantly love this couple. Dal Po and In Ha OTP are the most important factors in this drama. There are really likeable from the beginning. Their love without saying, their support for each other, and how they stand by each other. I was so impressed when In Ha defended Dal Po against her mother. They were completely adorable that I wish I can see them together again.

Kim Young Kwang as Seo Bum Jo and Lee Yoo Bi as Yoon Yoo Rae feel adorable second leads from the first time they appear. I’m glad their characterizations are different from standard nice second male lead and evil second female lead.

A bunch of wonderful supporting characters on the news stations like In Ha’s mom, their directors/managers/team leaders, Chan Soo and their family, etc. The show did a good job to make everyone shine.

Speaking about the villains! It’s not as simple as black and white to categorize the villains here. They’re in grey areas and it makes the watching experience even more interesting. Sure, they’re villains, but they’re not completely pure evil with no slight hope towards repentance.

Conclusion:

Pinocchio is a great series because it moves away from the cheesy Korean drama dialogue to real and genuinely scenarios and relationships in family, among co-workers and friends making many of the emotions relatable to viewers.  4/5 rating.

 

—-Hagar Lotus

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/

 

(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.

 

(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

 

(Hong Kong Shatin Day Race, picture from author)

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.

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.

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