Drive by Ranting: Dongdaemun

While at Dongdaemun this weekend, I asked a saleswoman IN KOREAN, "세-트예요?" ("Is that a set?") I was trying to pronounce "set" with Korean parum, so I think the word came out sounding loud and awkward.

The woman replied with a patronizing gleam in her eye "세-트않이에요," mimicking my choppy and hesitant Korean accent. I know that I tend to be overly sensitive, but I'm pretty sure the woman was mocking me. She could have meant it in a more good natured way, but there was definitely some mocking going on.

Unless you know a person fairly well, it's so not cool to make fun of a person's accent, especially when she is still learning a language. I know that some teachers promptly correct the English pronunciation of their Korean students. I try to avoid doing this because I figure that it's more important for students to get the words out and speak, rather than obsess over proper pronunciation -- something I always struggle with when I attempt to speak Korean.

Alex: My Vintage Romance

I wanted to share my latest CD purchase. It's rather ironic that I buy CDs in a land where it takes less than 10 seconds to download an MP3. I don't usually buy albums, but I've been a fan of Alex's vocals since I first heard him as part of Clazziquai. I also like the presentation of CD albums in Korea. Is it too weird to admit that I like the fancy paper used in album booklets? Most Korean albums also come with a little extra something for the fans. Alex's album, for example, comes with a "photowall." Too be honest, I don't know what I'll do with these photos, but I appreciate the option.















Nowadays, Alex's popularity has skyrocketed with his participation in a celebreality show called 우리결혼했어요 (We Got Married).

Alex's overly romantic TV persona is a little too much for me, but I am definitely enjoying his efforts on his first solo album My Vintage Romance.


Alex's first solo album fits nicely within the Korean ballad genre, but also flirts with a little more rhythm and soul. In addition to a couple of featured rappers, the album includes a few songs most likely inspired by Stevie Wonder. If you've ever been to a noraebang, you know that Koreans love Stevie Wonder. (As does most of the world.)

I think that My Vintage Romance would make the perfect OST for some sad, romantic K-drama (Is that redundant?). Half of the songs are perfect for that requisite scene when the male and female protagonists ride their bicycles blissfully through the country side. The rest of the songs would play in the background as the protagonist sits in front of a rain splattered window, reminiscing about key moments in the drama (for the umpteenth time).

If you'd like to sample Alex's album, check out Cyndi's "Alex" playlist on imeem. My favorite songs thus far are 화분, 기분좋은날, 그대라면, and Waltz Lesson.

mysoju.com

If you would like to watch Korean movies or dramas with English subtitles, you should check out mysoju.com, a website that aggregates links (of streaming video) to popular Korean, Japanese, and Tawainese dramas.

Special thanks to JIm for the link!

Ask a Korean

Not me. I don't really know anything, but this guy does. Ask a Korean is a fascinating blog where a twenty-something lawyer in NYC (who was born and raised in Korea) welcomes and answers all questions about Korea or Korean culture. His responses (at least what I've read so far) are thorough, well-written, and sometimes quite humorous.

He seems to get questions from a variety of readers, who inquire about a range of topics including the current protests in Korea; what a non-Korean should do when dating/marrying a Korean; why Koreans are such bad tippers; and why Koreans are so into church. I'm sure those are all topics you've been wondering about...

Annalog is an Olympic Gold Medalist!

I'm not sure if you're aware of this but I am a Beijing 2008 Olympian... for Nintendo Wii that is. The Nintendo Wii has finally been released in Korea, and Heng got one. Yay!

As far as I can tell, aside from the Hangul, the Nintendo looks the same as the one that folks camped out for back in 2007. The only other difference is that Heng's controllers each came with a snazzy silicon cover. Are they now including controller covers with the sets back home?

Heng also purchased the "Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (Beijing 2008)."


The Olympic game is more physically exerting than the Wii Sports games. After hours of swimming, running, rowing, and other track + field events, we looked like we had run an actual 100M race.

I don't mean to boast-- Okay, yeah I do. Despite my ineptitude in the physical world, I'm pretty darn awesome as an athlete in the virtual world.




I managed to earn a number of medals, including a couple of gold.














Look at mii in my little track suit. Aren't I intimidating?

Break Out: Another Korean B-Boy Show

After enjoying Jump!, a comedic martial arts "sitcom," we decided to see Break Out, also featured in the IBK Theater in Jong-No.

Here's the premise: A ragtag group of prisoners are fixing up an old car in the prison yard when a mysterious glowing object falls from the sky. This object turns out to be an unearthly book that impels all in its vicinity to burst into spontaneous dance or beat box. (No, I am not making this up). This fallen object leads to a huge explosion that allows the five convicts to escape. Thus, the show follows the convicts as they try to evade the relentless prison guards.

Had I known the storyline beforehand, I would have thought twice about seeing the show. Unfortunately, the brochure was deceptively vague, so all I knew was that the hip hop infused show was about prisoners on the run.

I'm just going to cut to the chase and say that the show was disappointing. Unlike Jump!, which had a consistently entertaining albeit cheesy story line, Break Out is all over the place. There were a few entertaining gags (I especially liked the bit involving puppets), but the humor was sporadic and gimmicky. The show also tried to get more profound in the last act, but the drama and emotion felt forced.

I probably could have excused the ridiculous storyline, if they delivered on the hip hop. The generic 90s hip hop beats were also pretty awful. If you want a taste of what I mean, just check out the music on the show's website. I'm not an expert on dancing, but after watching America's Next Best Dance Crew the choreography in Break Out seemed lackluster and amateur. The beat boxing also seemed monotonous and interminable.

We took a couple of visitors to Break Out and they seemed to enjoy the show, so I think I'm being overly critical.

I highly recommend Jump!, but if you are still curious to see Break Out, you should note the following discounts:

• Students with a valid school i.d. get a 50% discount off of shows on weekdays
• If you wear stripes, you get a 10% discount.
• If you have your ticket stub from Jump!, you are entitled to a 20% discount.
  

Import Bacon, Not Beef

Protests against S. Korean President M.B. Lee and the importation of mad cow ridden American beef still rages on. According to the NYT, the S. Korean Cabinet has offered to resign in the face of such heated protests.

I'm shamelessly ignorant about the whole ordeal, so I can't say anything educated about this issue. I will, however, offer up my two cents anyway.

Perhaps if S. Koreans learned that America has things like Bacon Salt to offer, Koreans would more inclined to dampen anti-American (government) sentiments, and allow FTA discussions to resume.

Slate's Recap of the Democratic Primaries

In case you've been watching kpop videos on MNet instead of following politics back in the Homeland, here's Slate's overview of the democratic primaries in just eight minutes.

A fist pound goes out to Slate Magazine.

Everybody Likes Kugfu Fighting...Pandas

SYNOPSIS
The zoological residents of the Valley of Peace have waited a thousand years for the prophesy of the Dragon Warrior to come to fruition. According to legend, when the time is right, the kung fu master selected as the Dragon Warrior is entitled to the mysterious scroll that holds the secret to being an invincible warrior.

Po, the unlikely hero of the story, is a tubby Panda who secretly dreams of becoming a kung fu master, despite his lack of any martial arts skills whatsoever. With his "father's" exuberant assurance that noodles are his destiny, Po resigns himself to serving noodles as his "father" and "ancestors" have done for generations.

To the surprise of everyone, especially Kung Fu Master Shifu and his team of highly trained fighters, Po is singled out by Master Oogway, the ancient turtle sage (no relation to the Ninja Turtles) as the Dragon Warrior.

Reluctantly, Shifu is forced to take Po under his tutelage and prepare him to defeat the menacing Tai Lung, an extremely powerful tiger fighter who holds a deep grudge against the noble Shifu and poses as a great threat to the peaceful valley.

ANNALOG'S REVIEW
I'm usually skeptical when it comes to CG animated films that are not produced by Pixar, but after reading a positive review of the film on the Frederator blog, I decided to check it out. Now, if you've read any of my other movie reviews, you know that this is the point when I would usually get all "snarky" ala TWP and mock the movie. I have to tell you, I have nothing to mock. I thoroughly enjoyed the film.

First of all, I found the animation in the film artful and innovative. Though I enjoyed the Shrek series, I've found the animation customary to Dreamwork's films to be too sharp (especially their disturbing depiction of human characters). In contrast, the character animation in Kung Fu Panda was either adorable or vibrant and pleasing to the eye. The facial expressions on the characters were particularly impressive, and really helped make the characters interesting.

Speaking of the characters, the voice actors were perfectly casted -- well, everyone but Lucy Liu and Jackie Chan. Their talent and personality were wasted in the film. They barely had any lines! They were obviously casted because of their ethnicity. I'm sure the producers would have casted more Chinese actors except a) there are only a few well-known Chinese actors b) the other semi-famous Chinese actors were used in Mulan and Dreamworks ain't interested in Disney's leftovers. The film also features the voice talents of Seth Rogen, David Cross, and James Hong, the actor who's been in practically every American film involving Chinese culture since Hollywood first figured out that Chinese people can speak English.

Jack Black as Po was simply lovable. Jack Black can be a little obnoxious when he goes full throttle, but he was equally endearing in both the comedic and emotionally tender scenes. I'm not certain what sort of animal Master Shifu was, but Dustin Hoffman was perfect as the old Kung Fu master. I was especially grateful that he didn't put on the Chinese accent that often afflicts most actors who are cast as the wise Asian elder. I was also grateful to hear a non-sexualized Angelina Jolie. She's usually forced to vamp it up and jut out her lips in every role that she plays (e.g. sexy fish, sexy battered woman, sexy forensic scientist), but as Tigress she was focused and pensive. Aside from Jack Black, I think the standout star of the film was the ferocious Tai Lung, voiced by Ian McShane. I literally gasped (out of fright) when he appeared on screen. He was seriously one intimidating villain.

Actually, I take that back. I think the star of the movie was Po's belly. I laughed at every joke involving the rotund Panda's belly.

Given its star-packed cast and Dreamwork's propensity to stuff their animated films with hip pop culture allusions, I was afraid that the film would be sidetracked by gimmicks. This time around, however, I think they've managed to pull off what Pixar is so adept at doing, producing an animated film driven by an engaging storyline and compelling characters.

The movie also takes advantage of the CG animation technology and produces some highly entertaining action sequences. Some of the humor of the verbal banter and Jack's uttering of the words "awesome" and "bodacious" may have been lost on the Korean audience, but they definitely enjoyed all of the physical gags. I know that obesity is a serious problem, but there's just something so hilarious about a fat panda. I totally heart fat animals.

I read on Popseoul that Cee Lo's version of "Kung Fu Fighter" was selected over Rain's version for the end credits of the film, so I was surprised (though I shouldn't have been) to hear Rain singing during the end credits. That's when I decided to stick around for the conclusion of the end credits, because I vaguely remember reading online about a bonus clip.


I actually enjoyed watching the end credits, because it was accompanied by illustrations of the various characters in the film; a sort of "Where are they now?" The end credits were followed by a very brief clip of Shifu and Po that follows through with a metaphor introduced by Master Oogway. I'll just go ahead and use my superior skills of literary analysis and interpret the symbolism in the concluding image. The concluding image implies..."sequel."

I highly recommend Kung Fu Panda. In fact, I'll even go so far as to say that you should watch it on the big screen because in my opinion, it's deserving of an "A." As my students will attest to, it's hard to earn an "A" from Teacher Annalog.

Though the promotional display outside of the Kung Fu Panda theater has me looking forward to seeing this summer's next big animated film, Wall-E, Pixar better watch their backs, because as the Dreamworks people have learned, "Everybody likes Kung Fu fighting" (also, people tend to hate bumbling robots).

This post has nothing to do with the Motherland.

I was hopping around youtube, when I came across this compilation of openings from popular cartoons in the '80s. I have a tendency to get very nostalgic and say that things were SO MUCH better when I was a kid. However, after watching this video I realize that I'm wrong. Cartoons from the '80s aren't superior to today's selection of cartoons. They simply hooked me at a time when I didn't know any better. In retrospect, cartoons from the 1980s seem like bizarre, overly complex commercials. Don't get me wrong. I still love my '80s cartoons. This realization wouldn't stop me from buying any of these cartoons on DVD. Rather, I'd just think twice before I made any of my future children watch these 'toons.

Who am I kidding? I'm so going to make them watch Jem.



There's also a video for cartoons from the '90s I'm not going to lie. I was still watching cartoons in the 1990s.

It's kind of ironic. Today, it's all about translating comics and animated series to the big screen. In the '90s, it was all about transforming popular movies into a cartoon.



I will conclude with three words for my sister: Samurai...Pizza...Cats...

Also, check out this guy's rendition of one of my favorite theme songs.

Me Like Monster Diary

My friend Anonymous Monster Boy would like you to check out his Monster Diary. It's primarily intended for younger readers (so feel free to pass the link on to your homies still in elementary school), but it may be enjoyed by all readers -- at least, those who don't mind a little silliness and bad grammar.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

The new Indiana Jones film premiered today in Korea. I've been a fan of the Indiana Jones films since my dad bought the VHS tapes at Burger King (Yeah, I know. Random.), so I definitely had to see Kingdom of the Crystal Skull in theaters. Perhaps Indiana Jones is just much more exciting on VHS, but I must regretfully report that the fourth installment was quite a disappointment.










Here's my synopsis (I don't know what you've read online, but I may reveal a few spoilers. Don't worry though. I won't reveal anything big):

The film starts off in Nevada, 1957. Soviet soldiers overtake a U.S. military base that has conveniently been evacuated for top secret weapons testing. The soldiers pop open the trunk of one of their vehicles to reveal Dr. Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford, duh) and his British cohort, George "Mac" McHale (played by an actor that I don't recognize). Both men are bound and bruised. The Soviet agents, led by a raven-haired Cate Blanchett, force Indy to track down a particular crate in a warehouse of thousands of crates. With the help of a mysteriously strong (yet selective) magnetic force, Indy manages to track down the crate. The crate reads, "Roswell" and contains a metal coffin. They open the coffin, and unfortunately, it's not Max Evans. Instead, within the coffin lies a mangled non-human corpse. Then, cue the theme song, and it's time for Indy's first big action sequence. Indy eventually manages to evade the grasps of those evil Commies thanks to a NUCLEAR BOMB!?!

Indy survives and is taken in for questioning by government agents in suits. Thanks to the big Commie Crackdown of the 1950s, Indy is suspected of being a Communist sympathizer and as a result, is asked to take an extended leave of absence from his teaching position. Now, this plot point I just described isn't very important, but they seemed to make a big deal out of it in the film, so I thought I'd mention it as well.

On his way out of town, Dr. Jones is stopped by a greaser on a motorcycle, named Mutt Williams (Shia LeBeouf; BTW, this kid is a total star.). Mutt tells Jones that Indy's dear friend, Professor Harold Oxley (John Hurt) is in trouble. Oxley, or as Mutt calls him "Ox," has been on the hunt for a mysterious crystal skull, but has gone missing -- but not before sending out a cryptic letter c/o of Mutt's mother. Indy looks at the cryptic message and quickly discerns that Ox went to Peru, possibly in search of El Dorado, the mythical city of gold.

Now, hold on to your hats. This is when the story gets a little more convoluted. Basically, Indy & his snappy new sidekick, Mutt trek through Latin America in search of Ox and his big secret find. Of course, you can't keep Cate Blanchett or the Commies down, so they are hot on Indy's trail. Essentially, all of these folks are after a creepy quartz skull that is supposed to be the key to all the knowledge in the world. Or something like that.

Cue the music, Mr. John Williams!

- End of synopsis -

As I mentioned at the start of the post, the movie is disappointing. Don't get me wrong. It was entertaining. The humor, action, and structural puzzles were all there. You should definitely see it. It's just that everything seemed over the top. Perhaps I'm waxing nostalgic, but the previous Indy films were fun, yet still maintained a sense of drama and historical resonance. Crystal Skull just seemed silly and rife with implausibilities (even more so than the previous Indy films).

I will probably continue to watch any film in the Indian Jones (especially if the rumors about Nathan Fillion are true), but I have to ask: Spielberg & Lucas, what were you thinking?

Here are my top 10 gripes about the film (in no particular order):
1) The font of the opening credits. I almost missed the title due to the lame typeface. What happened to the bold "Indiana Jones" font?

2) Harrison Ford is old! I know that it's been awhile since the last Indy film, but DANG! He's old. He did his thing during the action sequences, but I better not see him as the lead in Indy 5.

3) An uninteresting villain. Cate Blanchett was wasted on such a shallow villainess. First of all, what's the deal with a Stalin loyalist that's heavily into the paranormal. What is this? Hellboy? I thought that the villains in the first film were much more interesting. Remember the bald guy that pulled out people's hearts? Or, that conflicted blonde Nazi woman? They were dastardly, but interesting.

4) Mutt's hairdo. I understand that it's the 50s, and that lead characters need some sort of idiosyncrasies, but Mutt's excessive hair primping was distracting and cheesy.

5) Crystal skull? Enough said.

6) Creepy CG animal creatures. The gophers I could tolerate. The ants were kind of interesting. But, the monkeys? Oh, no you didn't. The monkeys were wrong. Like Jar Jar Binx wrong.

7) Three waterfalls? Can a boat-car of five people really survive three waterfalls?

8) The mythology. It was a little difficult to keep the facts straight. There were too many crystal skulls.

9) The big crystal skull scene. I don't want to reveal any more, but I'm sure you'll be rolling your eyes after the big scene. You sort of know where the film is heading, but when it finally gets there, you'll find yourself asking, "Really? This is it?"

10) The romantic ending. Gag me with a spoon. So out of character, Dr. Jones.

I will always be a fan of Indiana Jones. I'll just have to rank Crystal Skull as number four on my Indian Jones list.

Cyndi Gets Lasek

It's been two days since her LASEK surgery, and Cyndi still seems to be experiencing some significant discomfort. She was instructed to keep her eyes closed as much as possible. That means she either sleeps or listens to the ambient noises of Bundang.

Cyndi eyes are quite swollen; probably because tears seem to flood out of her eyes every time she cracks them open.

I feel bad for Cyndi, though not bad enough that I didn't pester her for an interview immediately after her surgery...





One more note about the surgery: the doctor and nurse did not wear shoes while in the operating room. The nurse just simply wore her stockings. Is that typical in Korean operating rooms?

Iron Man

Sometimes I’m a bit baffled by the choice of American films released in Korea. For example, the Don Cheadle flick Talk to Me has just made it to Korean theaters – a year after its original release date! Meanwhile, I have yet to find Forgetting Sara Marshall or Baby Mama on the streets of Kagnam. Fortunately, you can always count on mega blockbusters like Iron Man to pervade Asian theaters in a timely manner.



Iron Man was a pleasant surprise. For those of you who are living under a rock, here’s a synopsis:

Tony Sparks is an ingenious inventor who’s made millions of dollars selling his weapons of mass destruction to the military, or so he thinks. (BTW, He is also a 바람둥이). During a business trip to an arid (Is it politically incorrect if I say the Middle East?) terrorist country, he’s captured by an ethnically unspecific group of insurgents. The terrorists give him an ultimatum: Build us your latest missile, or you die. Of course, Sparks agrees to build the missile. However, while cleverly pretending to build the weapon—actually, he doesn’t even pretend. Rather than building the missile, he openly builds a protective suit that surpasses anything that Inspector Gadget could ever build.

I should also mention that during his abduction, Sparks had shrapnel lodged in his chest. Fortunately, an adorable little doctor manages to save Sparks by installing some magnetic generator thing in his chest, which Tony later replaces with a glowing orb. Anyway, I think the point of the glowing yo-yo in his chest is to power the iron suit.

Ok, let’s fast forward. With the suit, Tony manages to escape and set off a lot of bombs. The U.S. military then finds Tony. Tony returns to Malibu with a complete change of heart. He no longer wants to make weapons that will be used to kill people. Rather, he decides to build a titanium suit that will enable HIM to kill BAD people. As Tony tries to perfect his new suit, the terrorists back in the desert get a hold of Tony’s original designs (Dude, you couldn’t even burn the designs for your suit?) and set out to build their own iron suit.

I’ve sort of simplified the conflict a bit, but I don’t want to give too much away. All I have to say is, it is a general rule of thumb in action movies to be wary of bald men.

In case you’re not into action films, the movie also features a love story between Tony Sparks and army colonel Jim Rhodes, played by Academy Nominee Terrence Howard. Jim Rhodes is in charge of the weapons division for the U.S. military, yet Tony Sparks has sworn off creating weapons for the military. Will Tony’s newfound pacifism tear the bros apart? Will Tony’s secret push Rhodes away?

The film is quite entertaining. It’s humorous and action-packed, and features a winning cast. I especially like the robot characters. I’m normally not a Gywneth Paltrow fan, but she was quite likable as Tony Spark’s indispensable assistant. Her outfits were also killer. Though, I wish they did a better job with her hair color. Robert Downey is how he usually is: sardonic and charismatic, yet looks like he needs another stint in rehab. My only gripe about this film, and I suppose most other action films, is the big battle sequence. I hate it when the hero tries to save the world, while devastating half of the city in the process.

If you stick through until the end of the incredibly long credits, you’ll see a teaser for the next film. I’m not going to tell you what I saw, because, dagnabbit, if I had to sit through the whole credits, then, so must you! All I’ll say is this: Samuel Jackson.

I’m looking forward to the sequel.

Fan Mail?

Yeah, I'm as surprised as you are.
Cyndi recently got this email from a fan back home. Admittedly, he's still in elementary school, but obviously he's wise beyond his years, and knows a good blog when he reads one.

---------------

Dear Cyndi,

Please tell...ahem...Annalog,that america didn't get leona lewis cds as soon as she did and that she should try listening to chris brown. he's awesome!how is piggy?He/she is sooooooooooo adorable! XD Oh and tell Annalog to try using a cd player for the love is a song cd.hope u feel better after the hot laser(s) attack...her blog about the lasers was funny but i should'nt be laughing...and i could go on and on about her blog but just one more thing...please ask her if she likes the song bleeding love by leona lewis.

Toodles!

Cutie B

P.S. still laughing about piggy's video and the armpit pain(which i shouldn't be laughing at)and your addiction to those picture taking machines.

----------
Dear Cutie B,

• I read that the Leona Lewis album is flying up the U.S. music charts. I also heard that her U.S. album featured a couple of new songs. I guess I'll have to get a copy of those songs through my dear friend, Mr. Lime Wire. I do like "Bleeding Love." I even tried to sing it at the karaoke, but then, people's ears started to bleed, so I had to stop. My favorite Leona song is "Better in Time."
  
• I don't have a CD player in Korea, so I haven't been able to play the mini CD. :(
  
• We've fully recovered from the laser attacks, but we do have to return next month. (Yikes!) Sometimes it's hard to be a hairy girl. For future reference, if your future wife or girlfriend has hairy armpits, please do not judge her.
  
• Piggy is doing well. She'll see you in September. In the mean time, maybe you could start learning to sew some dog clothes ;)

Thanks for reading my blog. Other than my uncle, I think you just might be my #1 reader. Cyndi & I will be sending you a few Korean trinkets in a few weeks. Hope you're studying hard and having fun!

:) Annalog

Sticky Pic Time!

We're kind of obsessed with these sticky pic machines. The Japanese machines are especially cool because they have platforms that widen the posing options. Unfortunately, we can never seem to get the hang of the editing options, whether the instructions are in Korean or Japanese. There are just too many options.

I'm determined to master one of these machines before I head back to the homeland...

Coming Soon to a Blog Near You

CD Freebie

I recently bought Leona Lewis' album Spirit, and received a nice little freebie, a mini cd featuring songs from Chris Brown, Alicia Keys, and Mario. I don't recall ever getting any freebies back home. Perhaps freebies are the solution to stopping illegal downloading.

Yeah, you're right. It's not.
















Unfortunately, I can't play the mini CD because I have a MacBook. I guess the mini CD is Sony BMG's way of telling me that I need to buy a Sony VAIO.

The album also came with a Korean translation of all the lyrics.















I'm enjoying Lewis' album, lots of catchy RnB songs with a pop flare. I'd give it a B+.

Bandit & the Snowball

Bandito is now available for performances in the greater Seattle area.


Random note: I was trying to switch over and share my videos with Vimeo because it has something to do with HD and its interface and design are visually pleasing. But, to my horror, it was going to take 340 minutes to load my little "Bandit" video because Vimeo was very "busy." What's the deal, Vimeo? This is why I'm now back to Jumpcut.

Shout out to my sister

Happy Birthday Stacy! from Annalog on Vimeo

We brought back the hats just for you.
We're brining sexy back. Yuh. Yuh.