Kpop Goes Global

Pop Quiz #1:  Which all girls music group shares the same label as Lady GaGa; had a hit song produced by the same producer as Michael Jackson; and made $300 million USD over 50 days for this hit song in Japan alone?

Answer:  Kpop Group - SNSD/Girls Generation.

I am not making this up - here's the source:

Pop Quiz#2:  Which band won MTV's 2011 World's Best New Band award as voted online by fans from all over the world?

Answer:  Kpop Group - 2NE1

Source:

In November of 2011, Sydney Australia played host to some of Korea's biggest Kpop names with huge success.  The turn out was massive and the screaming fans were one of the most diversified I've ever seen.  I have always made fun of these boy bands for their somewhat questionable attire and hairstyles, but this video (see below) clearly shows screaming, young teenage girls of all ethnic backgrounds who are enamored by the Kpop boy band appeal.  I must concede and admit I was wrong.  If the mass of screaming female teen fans isn't proof enough, I actually saw a mid-30-something white dude in the audience singing along - this did it for me;  I am convinced.  Kpop is no longer just an Asian phenomenon.  It's now gone global.

Here's the full video of the Sydney concert.  Enjoy.  Perhaps you'll see the mid-30-something white dude I was mentioning.

For those of you who have never heard of Kpop (Korean Pop [music]), I am sure you're wondering why this Korean "wave" has traveled outside the geographical confines of Asia and exactly how it makes its impact in other parts of the world.  Well, Bloomburg Monocle inquires and reports on this very big question mark.  This is a very interesting video report.

Although I am far from being Korean, it still makes me proud to see so much success Korea is having exporting it's popular culture.  We all know Samsung, LG, Hankook Tires; but, the acceptance of Kpop - and Kdramas - all over the world from the unlikeliest of fans is both flattering and and honour because it validates the Korean culture as one that is pretty damn cool!

Rants from Abu Dhabi - Part 4

Here is the long awaited part 4 of the Rants from Abu Dhabi series, as described by my friend D.  Enjoy!


**email cut/paste start**

So gents, I'm in a cab right now heading down to dubai for the day. Gonna run some errands and hit the mall.

Anyway, thought I would take this opportunity to tap out another email update for your friday easy reading. 

The topic today, which I know I've covered before, is cabs (sorry).
So, I have yet to buy a car here and frankly, I really have no motivation or incentive to. I literally cab it everywhere I go. The cabs are cheap. It's about a CDN$4.00 dollar cab ride to my work (that's about the cost of parking for the day if I had a car). Plus, I'm too lazy to drive. 

The cab service is the most efficient thing about this place (nothing is effin efficient here, trust me). There are a bazzillion cabs and I call for one in the morning and it's at my place in 5 mins.
Anywho, I've had whole lots of different experiences in cabs and made some observations, which I thought I'd share with you guys. They are set out below:

1) The thing here is that local men here generally sit in the front seat beside the driver. Dunno why that is. I suspect it's based on the idea that local women are supposed to sit in the back, and men in the front. I think the locals think that sitting in the back is subordinate somehow..it's like calling shotgun in the cab.  I thought that was interesting. Anyway, I always sit in the back.
(Note that in Saudi Arabia, women aren't even allowed to take cabs without a male family member with them..but that's a topic for another day.)

2) As soon as you call for a cab and the system books one, the cabbie gets your cell number and you get his. I always thought this was interesting as you guys know, this would NEVER EVER FLY in Canada. Noooo way would folks allow for some cabbie to have their cell. Neh enh. But it makes sense here. Makes it real easy for me to call up the cabbie, and ask where the heck he is.

3) Cabbies here are mostly either, Indian, Pakistani or other middle eastern nationality. I once had an Egyptian cabbie that was real animated and funny and he started going into his views on Indian and Pakistani drivers. He went on to imitate them for me.."Indians he said drive like this". He then put both hands on the top of the wheel, leaned in and pushed his face up against the windshield and proceeded to drive, break and start, break and start, break and break.. Guess they're the nervous nellie type drivers. He said that in his company, the most accidents were caused by Indian drivers. 
He then said, "this is how Pakistani's drive". He then leaned back, pressed down on the peddle and GUNNED it, then swerved into the next lane then sped past this truck and swerved back and gunned it again. The difference too me was interesting. I thought this must have something to do with the problems between those two countries. 

In fact, when I mentioned in an earlier email, that some of the cab drivers I've had, have 'insanity in their eyes', I was actually referring to some of the Pakistani drivers. Seriously, I'm not being racist. Those are just some of the ones I've encountered. I'm actually convinced some of the Pakistani drivers I've had are ex-Taliban. I'm pretty sure that I had one the other day who had a picture of himself taped on the dashboard..of him back home...holding a rocket launcher.

Was interesting actually. Had a Pakistani driver the other day, and when we were at the lights, this guy gets out of his truck (he was wearing the traditional Pakistani long white collared shirt that goes down past the knees) and comes up to my driver's window and starts asking my driver directions in Pakistani. They're talking for like 2 mins super fast in Pakistani. All I hear though, interspersed throughout their convo, is blah blah blah, "left!" blah blah "Left!!" Blah blah blah "Right!" "Left! Right! Right! blah blah "left!"

I thought, hmmm, I guess there's no words for left and right in Pakistani.

Then, at the very end as the guy was about to get back into his truck, he yells out "Thank you!" And, my driver is like "you welcome!". I was like wtf?!? No words for thank you and you're welcome in Pakistani???

My cabbie right now is this dude from Nepal. A real gentleman. He drove me last week, so I called him to drive me again. Real nice dutiful type. Way too smart to be a cabbie (as so many I've dealt with are).

Anyway, like in Toronto, the cabbies here have their names and pictures on their licenses.
My cabbie the other night was named, Mo-boob (not lying).
I concurred with his name.

:O)

Have a great weekend gents!

**email cut/paste end**

"Somebody That I Used To Know" - Gotye (Feat. Kimbra)

Now and then I think of when we were together
Like when you said you felt so happy you could die
Told myself that you were right for me
But felt so lonely in your company
But that was love and it's an ache I still remember

You can get addicted to a certain kind of sadness
Like resignation to the end, always the end
So when we found that we could not make sense
Well you said that we would still be friends
But I'll admit that I was glad that it was over

But you didn't have to cut me off
Make out like it never happened and that we were nothing
And I don't even need your love
But you treat me like a stranger and that feels so rough
No you didn't have to stoop so low
Have your friends collect your records and then change your number
I guess that I don't need that though
Now you're just somebody that I used to know

Now you're just somebody that I used to know
Now you're just somebody that I used to know

Now and then I think of all the times you screwed me over
But had me believing it was always something that I'd done
And I don't wanna live that way
Reading into every word you say
You said that you could let it go
And I wouldn't catch you hung up on somebody that you used to know

But you didn't have to cut me off
Make out like it never happened and that we were nothing
And I don't even need your love
But you treat me like a stranger and that feels so rough
And you didn't have to stoop so low
Have your friends collect your records and then change your number
I guess that I don't need that though
Now you're just somebody that I used to know

Somebody;
I used to know
Somebody;
Now you're just somebody that I used to know

Psychology Today - Why We Hurt The Ones We Love

This article was beyond interesting.  I shared it with some close friends.  Here I share the highlights with you.

"You always hurt the one you love, the one you should not hurt at all;
You always take the sweetest rose, and crush it till the petals fall;
You always break the kindest heart, with a hasty word you can't recall;
So if I broke your heart last night, it's because I love you most of all." (Mills Brothers)

I do not want to say, as Oscar Wilde did, that "each man kills the thing he loves"; however, hurting one's beloved is frequent. Since the beloved is a major source of happiness, this person is also a major threat to our happiness: more than anyone else, the beloved can ruin it.

Hurting the beloved on purpose indicates the presence of conflicting perspectives, such as short term and long term perspectives, or partial and comprehensive perspectives. Cancelling a date with a married lover may hurt her in the short term, but might be beneficial in the long term, as their short-term separation could facilitate their long-term relationship. In such cases, the hurt caused to the beloved at this moment for the sake of her comprehensive well-being in the future can emanate from love. 

Hurting the loved one can also be a last resort which the lover takes to bring this dependency to its appropriate proportion. Mutual dependency has many advantages, stemming from the fact that two people are joined together in an attempt to increase each other's happiness. However, a sense of independence is also important for each person's self-esteem. Sometimes lovers hurt their beloved in order to show their independence. Other times, however, hurting the beloved expresses an opposite wish: the lover's wish for more dependency and attention. Indeed, a common complaint of married women, far more than of married men, is that their partners do not spend enough time with them. Hurting the beloved by stopping, for example, communicating with him, may be the last alarm bell that warns of the lover's difficulties; it is an extreme measure signaling urgency. If the relationship is strong enough, as the lover wishes it to be, it should sustain this measure. 

Lord Shin Recommends: Indie Artist - Gotye's "Somebody I Used to Know"

I was shown the cover of this song - the cover was performed by a Canadian group called Walk Off the Earth.  The song they were singing hit a chord with me.  I had to listen to the original by the composer and singer, Gotye - and I am so happy I did.  What an awesome song.  It's just so...deep and yet musically catchy...hear it for yourself.

See below for the two top covers I've found for this song:

This one is my favourite of the two covers.  The artist is Ingrid Michaelson and she is living proof that I am right when I say artsy chics are smoking sexy/hot! ;-)

Here, in 3rd place, is the cover version by Walk Off the Earth:

Zara - Asian Fit!?

Source:http://www.zara.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product/ca/en/zara-W2011-s/163081/489512/CHECKED%2BSHIRT%2BWITH%2BCONTRASTS 

I couldn't sleep so I was surfing for dress shirts for work on Zara.ca when I noticed the shirt I was viewing was categorized as "Asian Fit".  What the hell is an "Asian Fit" shirt?  I know Oakley has Asian fit glasses - for obvious reasons, but seriously, Asian Fit button down dress shirts?  When have you ever heard me bitch and complain that I can't find shirts that fit me b/c they just don't make "Asian Fit" cuts?  Last I checked Asians come in all sizes and shapes, like any other race...so what gives us this "honoured" distinction of needing an Asian Fit label?  Why is there no Afro-Fit line, I wonder?