Hong Seok Cheon’s Chinese restaurant catches on fire in Itaewon. Apparently the suspect is a US military soldier named “Corporal G”.

What a way to start the new year. At least it looked like the fire wasn’t started as a homophobic agenda. Instead an intoxicated GI decided he needed some warming up to do. Well that’s one way to start the year with a bang.

I’m glad there weren’t any casualties. Hong doesn’t need any more stress like that!

Tags: glbt, hong seok cheon, itaewon-dong, military, restaurant, seoul, south korea, yongsan-gu

Happy New Year, Ningin!

I celebrated it with my parents, the first time in years. All my friends were occupied, and it was too cold for me to just wander around the city by myself at midnight. (-8 degrees C? Yes, it’s cold!) I came home, went out and bought some HOF chicken for my mum around 11:15pm. Came back home and asked Dad to pop open a stubborn bottle of vino. Luckily, after he took a wench to it, he did, so all three of us enjoyed the vino.

Then we watched on MBC the famous Bosingak (pictured here) being banged upon amongst the crowds who came to watch this occasion. Every year, I want to go there with a friend, but that plan never falls through. Perhaps next year . . .

Anyway, after we cheered for 2009, I was leaving the living room, and Big Bang came on the broadcast to do a show. I made a noise of displeasure, and my mum said, “But these guys are popular!” I retorted with, “I like Dong Bang Shin Gi better!” Mum said, “Ahhh, yes, you’re right. They are better.” HAHAHA! I rule. JK!

Anyway, Happy New Year!

Tags: big bang, bosingak, dong bang shin gi, hof, mbc, seoul, south korea

Right now, I am currently addicted to the main theme from the film Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence composed by Sakamoto Ryuichi. To me, it’s one of those songs I hear all the time, and I know I have heard this somewhere . . . but regardless, this song is so pretty. I just discovered the composer and the title of this song mere few weeks ago, and I’m glad I did. Just in time for the end of the year. This song has this hopeful and optimistic feel to it that it actually lifts up my spirit. Right now, the world’s all suffering from the financial troubles. I hope by the end of next year, it will be somewhat stabilized.

Anyway, I hope 2009 will be a great year for everyone! To the world and to us at Ningin!
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Tags: film, music, sakamoto ryuichi

Or so says this article. But then I read this article and go HUH . . .

I can understand the reluctance from South Korea’s side. I can sort of understand how some South Korean officials do not want everything to be “Japanised”. However, I can’t help but think, uh, sorry South Korea, but Japanese mangas, novels, and etcetera intrigue me more. Heck, even this entry just sort of proves from my side of the world that Japan rocks in certain areas. I admit that I am more biased towards Japanese product and media than I will of South Korea’s, but I’ll blame that on my Japan-oriented hobbies.
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Tags: china, great britain, japan, manga, nintendo, sony, south korea, the beatles, video game

I’ll never forget the first time I played Pump It Up! Pump and DDR were the fad, but since Pump is a Korean-made machine, they were more abundant in arcades than DDR. Because of that, I was exposed to Pump more than DDR, so I’m more biased towards the machine. I remember for about three years, I was addicted to that game. I’d go spend 300 to 1000 won to play this at various arcades. I wanted to master some of the popular songs, but some were just too much for me. However, I enjoyed it!

Now with my new job, I’m at a place where they have a Pump machine, where I can play for free. For the last two months, I have been playing the songs I played before with fondness. Slowly, I’m able to make my legs and body get used to playing the songs I like as many memories come flooding back to me.
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Tags: banya, clon, ddr, japan, novasonic, pump it up, sechs kies, south korea

Considering all the recent Korean celebrity suicides, especially those who came out as GLBT, I’m glad Hong Seok Cheon didn’t take that route. He’s still alive and kicking, and the most recent news about him is that he published a book. The book’s called Design Your Own Restaurant, and it “celebrates his successful transformation from suddenly-out-of-work actor to restaurateur”.

Hong, an actor back in the 90s, came out gay in 2000, and not surprisingly, his sexual orientation wasn’t accepted among the general Korean population. That affected his acting career, so he began to open a series of restaurants — the first one being “Our Place” in Itaewon.

It’s a shame how he gave up acting to do this restaurant business, but from what I read, he’s happy with his current life, and that’s all that it matters. I just hope more GLBT Koreans can see that suicide isn’t the only option for being who they are. Actually, what I really hope is for Korea to become more accepting of GLBT, but considering recent events, the light in the tunnel’s really dim. However, like Hong, I’d like think a bit more optimistically about my home country — even if I am a natural pessimist!

Oh and one of these days, I shall check out “Our Place”. I live in the area, so I may as well go!

Tags: book, glbt, hong seok cheon, itaewon-dong, restaurant, seoul, south korea, yongsan-gu

This article is about how the US State Department considers Hongdae and Sinchon, two famous clubbing and bar hopping districts in Seoul, “dangerous areas”. This article brings out two clashing viewpoints from me. One is bewilderment and the other is anger.

I am trying to see why the US State Department would even consider those two areas dangerous. For a city where crime isn’t huge as some major cities, I just cannot fathom what could be listed as dangerous. I mean, yes, since it is a bar district, running into drunkards is not my idea of safe, but it just makes me wonder what they mean by “dangerous”. Yes, crime will always exist, but is it really high in those two areas or is it just another way to prevent Americans from going there? And by Americans I mean those who are affiliated with the US military.
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Tags: discrimination, hongdae, itaewon-dong, mapo-gu, military, seodaemun-gu, seoul, sinchon-dong, south korea, united states, united states state department, yongsan-gu

This article is what led me to discover this new Amerasian (1/2 Korean and 1/2 Caucasian I assume) singer. Born Priscilla Natalie Hartranft, she decided to change her last name to her Korean mother’s native name to reflect her Asian heritage. Born in Georgia and after a stint in Korea, she grew up in Pennsylvania. After high school, she was encouraged to expand her musical skills, so she went to Los Angeles, California.

She independently made an album, Priscilla Ahn, and Blue Note Records discovered her talents and took her in to their company. Her next album, A Good Day was released earlier this year, along with her first single, “Dream”. That song’s received more attention when it was used for season four finale of Grey’s Anatomy.

Amazingly, enough, she will actually be on a tour in Seoul, at Hongik University (Hongdae) on December 4, 2008. I actually took the time to listen to a few of her songs and discovered that I like her style. She’s like Norah Jones on the guitar, but better. I like her voice. It’s really pretty. It’s a darn shame that I can’t go to the performance, though. Something called work is my first priority.
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Tags: amerasian, california, georgia, grey's anatomy, hongdae, los angeles, mapo-gu, music, new york, pennsylvania, priscilla ahn, south korea

Several years ago, a video blogger by the name of Josh Wolf was imprisoned for not handing over his video to the federal authorities. The video dealt with the G8 protest in San Francisco, and Wolf wanted to protect the people in the video, so he refused to give the video. He spent seven month in prison before he was released.

His story captured Donna Lee’s attention, and she decided to make a documentary out of it. The documentary is called Adventures of Josh Wolf: Activist Video Blogger. The documentary was shown last month at the Mill Valley Film Festival and received great reviews. This is Lee’s first film project, a project she decided to do for a class.

In the future, she plans to submit this documentary to Korean film festivals next year. Who knows? Maybe we’ll see and hear about this like at Pusan International Film Festival!

Tags: california, donna lee, g8 protest, josh wolf, korean-american, mill valley film festival, pusan international film festival, south korea, united states

A man in Iowa has been arrested for being in possessions of “obscene mangas”, those of lolicon and yaoi in nature. His trial will happen on December 2, 2008, and who of all people’s backing him up? Neil Gaiman is, that’s who! He happens to be representing the Comic Book Legal Defence Fund.

Big kudos to Gaiman, who has the strength and the courage to speak out against such violations like these and for supporting someone who’s probably being trialled for all the wrong reasons. Yes, children and youth needs to be protected, but unless this guy actually did molest children and copied the acts he learned from these mangas, by owning such obscene mangas doesn’t automatically make him a “bad” person.

I will admit that I love my yaoi mangas. This news frightens me in ways that shouldn’t be possible. This kind of news makes me realize just how oppressive the world can be on individual freedom. I understand the reasoning for having these obscenity laws. I work with children and youth, so I understand completely! But should they be applied to comics? To literature? To arts?

Tags: comic book legal defence fund, iowa, lolicon, manga, neil gaiman, obscenity law, united states, yaoi