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Kristen Chase over at Motherhood Uncensored gives some perspective to the perception of Dads and our roles as Moms. (Did you know she's a Kimchi Mama? Probably explains her HAWTNESS.)
Speaking of sexy: I guess women of colour aren't sexy anymore? According to VS we're not . . . When I grow up I want to be Jen and Diane at Disgraisan.
Is the kid in this video Kimchi? Someone help me out here.
I *heart* this video because:
1. I love Green Day - don't care what you say, takes me back to high school and college
2. I love that this kids gets to play on stage with the band
3. I wish I had muscical skillz...
--Angie in Texas is going to practice her trumpet now. (Because trying to learn a new instrument at 30-something is FUN and not TOTALLY FRUSTRATING, okay?!
American Idol's Heejun Han is the Korean American zeitgeist. He is showing the world how funny, charming, thoughtful, and kind our boys can be, and why we love them so much. He is goofy, but with a palpable gravity that shows incredible character and depth. And his voice? He can do soulful, he can do gravelly, he can keep up with the smooth R&B operators. Most of all, he sings like a red-blooded male. He sings with REAL BALLZ. Yes, with a Z! Check it out:
I honestly couldn't contain myself while watching that clip. I squealed like a schoolgirl seeing him laughing and dancing with those special needs children. And when he told the audience how he fell into a deep depression, and those kids helped him recover, my heart shattered into a million pieces, and I turned into a puddle of goo. A big pile of LOVE GOO! OPPAAAAA!!!
Ahem, sorry.
It also broke my heart when he kept dogging on his looks. I'm all for self-deprecating humor, but I think he really believes he's not good-looking, which is total BS. Just look at this screenshot:
He looks like any Korean actor in a Maxim coffee commercial! Heejun, this ajumma gives you the Kimchi Cougar Sleazy Eyebrow Raise of Approval!
Sorry, Jeremy Lin, but Heejun has stolen my heart. I hope this doesn't go down as another turnover. Hoo-ah!
(Jeremy, I'm actually just kidding about the turnover thingy. I still love you. Call me!)
"American Idol" featured a Korean American contestant yesterday named Hee Jun Han. With the goofy music playing in the background, the extended interview, and the overenthusiasm, I didn't know what to expect. But Hee Jun, who hails from Flushing, NY, definitely gave "American Idol" some motherland flavor, from complimenting Ryan Seacrest on his small face (even comparing his face to his fist, which is SO KOREAN!) to his insistent self-deprecation. He was super-endearing and gracious to the judges, and I think he's destined to become a fan favorite!
There seems to be a lot of milestone birthdays in Korean culture.
There's baek il or 100 days.
There's dol, the 1st birthday.
If I recall correctly, there's something when you turn 20 or somewhere around there, where you are officially an "adult."
There's hwan gap or 60.
There's chil soon or 70.
There's pal soon or 80.
So, traditionally, hwan gap or the 60th birthday used to be celebrated elaborately. My grandmother had a huge 60th birthday party in Korea. It's kind of like a "Yay, you made it to old age!" kind of thing... but since people are living longer and longer, I hear that pal soon is the new hwan gap. You heard it here first ladies and gents. My grandmother had another huge 80th birthday party in the USA. Good thing she had it for her 80th... she's now 92 and has major dementia.
Just read The Korean's post about how Arirang belongs to Korea (sorry, the post seems to be down at the moment), in response to Roboseyo's post about how nobody owns Arirang.
Roboseyo posted this on his blog and I found it so moving, I had to share with you. The New York Philharmonic performs Arirang in North Korea.
Thank you for sharing that Roboseyo.
In regard to whether or not Arirang is Korean, I don't even know why this is a question. It seems to be more about whether a national entity can claim to own a culture, than about if Ariring is really Korean. The former issue seems, to me, to be a bit silly. I mean, if the Korean government is spending money to promote Korean food, doesn't that, in some sense, mean that the culture is inextricably linked to the country? Culture is ever changing in this age of globalization, but just because cultures are being combined and spreading outside the national borders, doesn't mean that all of a sudden, it's not the originating nationality's culture.
Arirang is Korean. Period. Does Korea "own" Arirang? I guess not, since anyone who wants to can sing it and play it and perform it, but no doubt about it, it's Korean.
I am the LAST person on earth to be posting about a rapper but here I am. Dumbfounded, a Korean rapper, is rather good, I must say. Hubby agrees. What do you think?
I have a hard heart when it comes to reality television, but even I couldn't stop the tears from flowing when I watched this:
Orphaned at the age of three and left to fend for himself starting from the age of FIVE, Sung-Bong Choi sold gum and Bacchus drinks on the street to survive. He did not attend school until high school, and during his many nights wandering alone through the city, he listened in on vocal lessons to learn how to sing.
I hesitate to call him Korea's Susan Boyle, not because of any lack of talent, but because there is too much tragedy staining the transcendence. In his pre-performance interview, Mr. Choi stated he entered this competition so he could be normal like other people, not famous or rich or notorious. I find that very telling of his strong character, and since he had been let down in such a profound way by his government and fellow citizenry, I hope his appearance on this show will at least cement a sure and stable future for him, never lacking in comfort or company.
I will readily admit that I was at first interested in Priscilla Ahn because of her undoubtedly Korean last name. Korean American musicians were rare at the time (of course, still rare now, Far East Movement notwithstanding), and so I bought her album mostly as a gesture of cultural support. It turns out, however, that she is a talented folk-pop singer-songwriter with a voice from the angels, so although I'm still a bit embarrassed by my patronizing gesture back then, I am so excited to nominate her to our Kimchi Mama Honor Roll!
Kay Hartranft [Priscilla's mother] sang regularly in choir and encouraged Priscilla to participate in a Christmastime recital.
“It was fun,” Priscilla recalls. “It was my first time singing in front of people, and I remember liking it a lot. I was 8 years old, and I was like, ‘I can sing! People like my voice!’“
Well, time has passed since then, and her debut album, A Good Day, has earned high acclaim and the lead single, "Dream," has appeared on various movies and TV shows. I even heard it playing at a quirky little sweet shop at Shibuya Station when I was in Tokyo a couple years ago. Here's my favorite version of the song, played live and shot beautifully by La Blogotheque. It really showcases the sweetness of her voice and her musical chops:
Now it's time for album #2, coming out in May. In the fanciful, charmingly-produced title track, Ms. Ahn asks the question moms everywhere have asked of their children: "When you grow up, what kind of person will you be?" You can listen to the whole track here, and even download it for free!
Okay, that's not a very catchy band name, but I like it a hell of a lot more than Harajuku Girls! Shakira performed her new single on "Saturday Night Live" with Korean 삼고무 (samgomu) dancers accompanying her.
I appreciate the fact that the dancers remained traditional in their moves and their garb in such a futuristic-sounding song, and when Shakira joined in the fun, it was so cool!
In this clip from "Dancing with the Stars," some 장구춤 (jangguchum) drummers were featured as well.
Ah, takes me back to my Korean School days when the prettiest girls were hand-picked to dance the fan dance and the drum dances, and the doughy schlubs had to take art. :P
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