Sunday, October 23, 2011

SNSD / Girls' Generation - "The Boys"


Sooooooooo, if you know me at all, you know I really, really, REALLY adore this Korean girl group. I just could not wait for their new songs.

     I listened to both versions right when they came out (the video looks pretty awesome, woo!) and listened again this week as they started making their appearances live on music programs.

     The good news is: the first "comeback stage" (the Koreans seem to LOVE the "comeback" word LOL) ROCKED. Mostly because, unlike many live appearances on TV, you could actually hear the voices clearly. That made my day, believe or not :P ... when you look at all their live performances, it's hard to find one with clear vocals (... and "good" because let's face it, while they're talented, when you get tired and move a lot, it's noticeable) .

     So of course today I thought "Heh, I forgot to watch subbed versions" and went to look for them. At first I figured I would not need them, because the song was released in English and Korean, and usually the lyrics sortof match. First problem for me: save for Tiffany and Jessica's parts (duh) , I don't get what the girls are saying in English. 

     I have to admit I LOVED the message of the song in Korean. I also LOVED the voices, especially considering Yoona sounds excellent here AND Sunny made some progress too. 

      And then I listened to the English version. Someone was kind enough to listen and transcribe. And, well... dear SONEs of the world, I would like to apologize right now, but to me, the English lyrics SUCK. That's the only thing I can say while being polite enough. The voices are still superb, there is no problem here, but... whoever wrote those lyrics needs a smack in the head. Hard. Very, very hard.

Message in Korean: hey boys don't be scared, you can be strong, don't be afraid
Message in English: haha I know you saw me, I am HOT, oooh yeah

...

Yeah right. I will support my favorite group and buy their album because I am sure there's good stuff in there. But honestly, I am very disappointed in whoever wrote those lyrics. :( Thankfully, the Korean version is made of awesome, so I can listen to the girls without feeling weird.

(Sorry, fellow SONEs. At first I loved the English version but I could not understand half of it and when I realized what the lyrics actually were my jaw dropped and I couldn't pick it back up :( )

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

So, I took my first phone calls yesterday.

Yeah, you know, being a CSR and all... calling it that in English seems to be pretty accurate, so I think I'll just keep using it (Customer Service Representative, for those who don't know) .

(Yeah, no picture today, because... because I am random that way :P ) .

We still studied in the morning, and in the afternoon came the Big Moment. Headphones! Computers! Desks!

.............CALLS.

Eeeeeeeeeeek!

Yeah, that was pretty much the feeling up until I got my first call. I was nervous as heck. Good thing I have good phone behavior (and a good phone voice too, it seems, judging by my "classmates" commenting about that in training, AND a compliment I got on my third call) , because it basically saved my ass.

And then... I got that feeling again. You know the one. "Wait, what ? THIS is what almost made me sick ? Whew. I feel like an idiot now."

I may stress again a little, just for the heck of it, as time passes by and we learn more and need to answer more questions.

But I'll tell you one thing: no job is worth getting sick over. This one is no exception. And I know I won't get sick over it because it seems interesting, and I can't let anything get to me (I mean apparently customers can be reaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaallly bad, but yesterday I was spared that) so I'll just do my best.


Sunday, October 16, 2011

Kpop Opinion Piece : Chocolat - "Syndrome"


Photo originally found on : http://kpoprockshd.blogspot.com

Group pictured : Chocolat

Their first, current and only song out so far : "Syndrome" (embedded video link after the jump)

I have to be honest. I LOVE this song. Wait, let me scratch that. I AM FRIGGING ADDICTED TO THAT SONG.

It's got everything I want. It's fresh, it makes me want to move (yes, really) , nice vocals, and overall the group seems rather good. But South Korea had a very, very weird way of promoting them. If you have stumbled upon Allkpop (www.allkpop.com) , you probably have read about them. So, are they the next Kara or SNSD ? Are they epically awesome ?

Naah. See the three girls from the right ? Don't they look a little... different ? Slightly "less" Asian ? BINGO. And voila, they were being marketed as a "bi-racial" group (those girls are half-American) . I thought this was slightly odd until I remembered that hey, we're speaking about South Korea here, soooo... not a surprise, I guess, but also disappointing.

I've seen the live performances. I've seen a video where they interview with a reporter that speaks so fast you wonder how he's not guzzling down liters of water, and with proof that the girls can sing (Julianne, the last girl on that screencap above, being the exception. The lives are constructed so that it looks like she never sings her "high note" [that high note concept seems to be very, very important in Korea] ... but in the original music video it does not even sound like she should be singing that note in the first place. This would explain why she never ever ever sang it in any performance, despite being filmed mouthing the note. Many girl group members do that even if it's not their part, so no biggie in the end.

Argh, sorry, rambling here. This group has potential. The girls are very young (ages start at 14 O_O) , and I am looking forward to seeing what they have to give in the future. I mean, come on, for girls that age, they are pretty good compared to more "senior" girl groups (and I like a LOT of groups :P ) .


Thursday, October 13, 2011

Sometimes, it's all about thinking YOU are worth it.

Random image of kpop singer G.NA because, as much as I LOVE the group SNSD, I may or may not have a huge fangirl crush on this girl :P .

First let me just warn you that yes, I will probably use random pictures with my posts. I'm a little crazy that way :P. 

Now to today's point. As I posted the other day, I just started a new job. Still in training, and very happy about it, as I did not think I was made to be a CSR, even though destiny has apparently decided that's what my life will be about :P .

With the new job comes something I've felt everytime I had to try something new: the "OMG I CANNOT DO THIS" stress phase. You know that one. You are in training, everything goes fine, and before you actually get sent to do the job on your own, you flip out, get scared, even though it's been established that you know how to do the job and merely need to practice to feel comfortable with the whole thing.

Sometimes, it's not just even about being on a job. It can be about friendships or family things. New software, new game, new book, new adventure, it's up there in front of your eyes, and you're afraid to jump because you think you are going to fail or someone is going to think you're a failure, or some other variation of this.

If I was in front of you, I would probably either hug you or try to motivate you. YOU are worth it. YOU are a good person. Just because you've faced hardships does not mean you do not have the strength to overcome them. Just because you were or are unhappy does not mean nothing can ever make you happy. Just because you failed at something once does not mean you will always fail.

Yes, you can do it, and yes, it does get better. I have faith in you.

Sunday, October 2, 2011

On possessiveness in friendship and love and why I don't get it

That's for the little nostalgia bit because last year around this time that's where I was :D .

     Your laptop, cellphone or even teddy bear does not have a word as to where it goes, or to whom. You get in, you buy it, bring it home, and voila, you're done. Newflash for over possessive people: humans do not work the same way.

     I've seen it playing out in various ways. In friendships, it's often the person who gets jealous everytime you see or talk to someone else more, and who tells you (because feelings are feelings after all) every chance they get. I saw that at school when I was around 14. Recess time, this girl is yelling at another because *gasp* that other girl had been talking to someone else. Talk about a ridiculous scene, especially at that age.

      Sad thing is, it does not end at that age! As an adult, I've also heard many stories about instances when a so-call friend guilt trips you or yells at you because you've been to a party without them, or to a movie with someone else. I have felt sad about friends doing this before, but it was more because I had the impression of being left aside more often than not, rather than because they were "mine" .

     That's actually the reason why I find this whole possessiveness so absurd now. I used to feel so lame about things and one day I woke up and realized that HEY, just because I cannot do certain things with certain people does not mean I cannot do anything at all. And that's when I became more at peace with it. If, say, your friend goes to a party without you and you're sad about it, offer something like a picnic, a movie somewhere, you know, something else that they can do with you with pleasure. 

     And then, you have relationships...