Author: Denise Coley
Mountain climbing or hiking is one of my oldest hobbies and probably the most relaxing way to spend my free time. For this article, I will be inserting some of what I’ve personally experienced as a frequent hiker. I don’t recall exactly when it was the first time I went mountain climbing; but since 70 percent of the Korean land is mountainous, you get to see mountains practically everywhere. People hike to spend time on the mountains for leisure, to lose weight, in order to be healed from physical and mental stress and for various other reasons. I have two…
On July 2, 2015, Hyeonseo Lee’s book, The Girl with Seven Names, hit bookshelves and quickly captivated readers. The memoir focuses on Lee’s journey from North Korea’s Ryanggang Province to coping with life as a defector in China and beyond. As her story unfolds, readers get a chance to experience her escape, why she made her choices, as well as how she became the person she is today. Lee’s book is well written and wrought with simplicity which makes it easy for readers to get absorbed in her tale. From the get-go, it’s made clear that Lee and her mother…
EXP (left to right): Frankie, Sime, Koki, Hunter, David, and Tarion /Cr. EXP, Facebook In early 2015, the K-Pop world was turned upside down when news spread that a group of Americans would be working toward entering the Asian music scene with their own brand of music. Social media was flooded with confusion and anger due to the foreigners daring to penetrate the sacred circle of K-Pop, and this was later followed up by messages of hate toward the group. EXP is that group, and they began as a Columbia University thesis experiment by student Bora Kim. Since the initial…
Five Indonesian Gems Indonesia is one of Asia’s most magnificent countries full of natural wonder and adventure for backpackers, honeymooners, surfers, or anyone looking for new experiences. Part of the excitement lies in the country’s many nooks and crannies. While some just visit Jakarta, Bali, or Surabaya, there is so much more to see and do. Check out some of these spots if you ever visit Indonesia! Kawah Ijen Volcano In 2015, the Kawah Ijen volcano received plenty of attention from the Internet community due to French photographer Olivier Grunewald’s photos depicting the volcano with blue lava. However, the “blue…
KCrush interview with a Foxtrot and Latin musician/singer, Luis Kim Luis Kim is a Korean foxtrot and latin pop singer who released his debut album, ‘Platonic Love’ in 2007. Other than being a singer and performer, for the past years Luis has been involved and responsible for various kinds of businesses including managing a club, planning and holding events, festivals and etc. In 2008, he received an award from Korea Singers Association for his humanitarian work. Luis grew up in a very musical environment since he was very young, because his mother was a singer well-known in the 70’s era.…
Let’s Cook: Tapa (The Philippines) Tapa is a Filipino dish made from cured meat like venison, mutton, and beef. Tapa is part of the dish tapsilog which is made of tapa (the meat), Sinangag(fried rice), and itlog (eggs). Tapa is a dried meat that can be cured or uncured, grilled or fried. The dish is easy to make and doesn’t have a lot of prep work involved, making it a dish anyone can prepare from the absolute beginner to the seasoned pro! Ingredients Lean Beef (round or flank steak works best) ½ Cup of Lemon Juice ¼ Cup of Soy…
In a summer full of comebacks and debuts, GOT7’s 4th Korean release has stood out the most for many. After waiting 7 long months and spending time on Japanese releases, GOT7 returned with “? ??(Just Right)”. The music video was released on July 12th and the album charted well on Melon, Bugs and several other streaming services. The music video features miniature versions of the group singing and assuring a young girl that she is “Just Right”. The rest of the album is just as good, if not better than, the title track, with the song “Mine” most popular behind…
One of the most interesting shows from the Korean entertainment industry of late is The Genius. It is a game of strategies, alliance, double-cross, and more, which runs every week eliminating one contestant each week through a regular match and then a death match to decide who goes home in the end until there is no one left but only the champion. The games that are created are so genius and brain wrecking that a U.S. entertainment media licensed its right to replicate the same kind of game show. It ought to be a welcoming change for the U.S. audience…
Anda, who was formerly known as Andamiro, is a Korean singer, model and actress who made her debut as a Korean pop singer in April of 2012. Anda dreamt of being a performer since her early teens so she experienced countless auditions until she finally got a deal with a record label. As soon as Anda released her debut single “Hypnotize,” which was an upbeat and European style of electronic dance music, she shocked the audience with her unique sound, highlighted visuals and diverse dance and performance. Even the outfits she and her dancers wore on stage drew a lot…
The Big Bang concert is hitting Los Angeles area again in just over a month from now. The Kpop popularity is soaring with splashes from both boy bands and girl groups left and right. In their dashing movements are some of the amazing skills that we don’t often see from other parts of the entertainment industries. The not-so-well known secrets of their success is probably the power of choreography along with other visual enhancements. Not too long ago, the new music video released by 2NE1, Come Back Home, was so reminiscent to the graphic illusion of the famous movie The…
Jeju Island’s largest resort, ‘Jungmun Resort’ has created an entertainment and media tech museum called, ‘PLAY K-POP’ for K-pop lovers and enthusiasts. The museum was launched on June 25th of this year and this kind of concept of ‘entertainment meets the latest technology’ has never been introduced to the public before. The museum has a live hologram concert hall, where K-pop stars emerge and greet the visitors with the latest digital tech; the ‘PLAY K-POP’ audience can get a close-up experience of being at an actual performance of K-pop artists in a ‘Live hologram concert.’ You can also meet the…
KARA’s Gu Hara made her solo debut July 13 with “Choco Chip Cookies.” The song is about a couple who enjoy making and sharing cookies with each other. Given the sweetness of Hara’s vocals and the track’s soft music, the song—on the surface—is sweet and innocent and a cute love song. As the song unfolds, the chocolate chip cookie treat shifts to become a metaphor for romantic relations, especially when Giriboy’s rap is introduced. The video has plenty of cute summer romance between Hara and her partner. The soft filters help provide the romantic, nostalgic feelings that may cause a…
KCON 2015 is quickly approaching and having experienced the beast last year first hand, I can tell you, you WILL need to prepare ahead of time…
In what was one of the most highly anticipated KPOP concerts to ever take place in Dallas, BTS (방탄소년단) brought the house down with a 24 song long set and…
‘Berry Good’ is a five-member K-pop girl group who announced their debut on May 22th of 2014 by releasing their first single, ‘Love Letter.’ The group is..
2PM made their return June 5 with No. 5, an album that focuses on their more mature sound. 2PM’s vocals did improve as there are stronger harmonies.
If you are in Korea from June to August and know which festivals or events to attend, the summer season can provide immense fun and entertainment you can…
On Thursday July 16, 2015, BTS held their first US concert for their 2015 Red Bullet tour at Best Buy Theater in New York City. According to fan accounts…
For foreigners, 2009 was one of the better K-Pop years. With debuts by After School, 2NE1, 4Minute, T-ara, f(x), BEAST, Secret, MBLAQ, and Rainbow, it was …
For this week’s Flashback Friday, we revisit 2007 to explore KARA’s debut song “Break It” from their first album The First Blooming. When they debuted, KAR…