Super Junior vs. Indian Music

My mom does not understand why I have a fascination with all things Korean. (She does not read my blog and I'm OK with that.) She thinks that if I'm going to learn another language then it should be what my family in India speaks. She believes that I am some how being disloyal to my heritage by having such a fondness for Korean things. But Korea is CUTE! While India is fascinating and deeply moving. Korea is CLEAN and India is not. Korea has Super Junior and India does not. She really, really doesn't get why I prefer Super Junior to any popular singers in India. But maybe you will get it.

I've done a bit of looking around on youtube to see what I could find of great Indian music videos. I looked for the best singer -



I really didn't like that at all. In fact I could only watch/listen for about 30 seconds before I had to make it stop. Then in the spirit of giving it a fair chance, I watched the whole thing and it wasn't too bad. One thing that seems to be common among all Indian singing is that it's kind of twangy and I'm not into twangy.

Then I thought I'd look for the top hits. This is what I found and it is the best of the best -



For sheer pageantry it is really good and it's a great song. However, most Indian music videos come from their movies and while this is not a bad thing it does mean that the people that you see singing are not the real singers. It makes it hard to follow the artist if you never see his or her face. One would have to believe that in India you can either sing or act but you can't do both.

This is the most viewed Indian music video on youtube -



What a catchy tune! If you watched the entire video I will bet it is deeply embedded into your brain. And those dance moves? I can so do that! But I'm not sure I want to (well, maybe if I'm home alone). In fact this is such a catchy tune that Super Junior took notice and incorporated part of it in a performance. Here is the practice video but you have to wait for the end to hear part of Tunak Tunak Tun -



That was awesome! I especially love Sungmin's little pony tail on the top of his head. It's cute. He's cute. They are all cute. And the slow-mo cartwheel? Nice!

Here is one of Super Junior's less viewed videos -



All of them singing. All of them dancing. All of them awesome. How could I not like this?

Finally, this is Super Junior's most watched video (which has not has as many views as Tunak Tunak Tun, go figure) -



How could I not get swept away by that? The music is so good. The dancing is so awesome. Everything about it makes me want to get up and move. And it's the getting up and moving that has really changed my life for the better. And since my life has been changed for the better, then I must always feel grateful for the zest they have given to my life. Thanks guys! You are THE BEST!!!

Eat Some Kimchi and Call Me in the Morning

I have been battling a nasty cold for the last several days. By nasty cold I mean that my nose has become a snot spigot with my sinuses groaning in pain from the mucus over load and having sweating spells every two hours. And by battling this cold I mean that I have been prostate in my bed, smearing vick's menthol rub under my nose, blowing though a large box of Puff's Plus in 48 hours, and watching one and a half seasons of Psych.

Early in this battle I realized that I actually felt better when the snot could flow freely. And so to that end, I had some weird ideas of what would ease my symptoms -

1  Inhaling chopped onions. I did this as I put dinner into the crockpot before I allowed the cold to win. Several
    healthy whiffs of the onions cleared out my sinuses for a good five minutes.
2  Participating in my tae kwon do class. Working up a really good sweat made me feel like a new person for
    the duration of class. The buzz lasted until I drove out of the parking lot.
3  Putting Korean red pepper flakes in my hot chocolate. I was really onto something with this one. The
    steaminess of the beverage coupled with the fieriness of the red pepper flakes made me feel better for at
    least an hour. Note to self - use at least half a teaspoon of the red pepper to get the desired result.
4  Chicken tortilla soup from Rubios. This was a really good idea, better than plain old chicken noodle soup.
    There was enough spice in the soup that it kept my sinuses from clogging up, it was nice and steamy, and
    the chicken almost melted in my mouth (which is nice when your face feels like it has a drum beating
    inside of it).
5  Drink plenty of fluids. At first, my fluid of choice was orange juice, but then I started to crave something
    fizzy. Orange juice mixed with Perrier was OK but even better was lemonade, orange juice and Perrier
    mixed together. I look forward to my next cold to enjoy that happy blend of tastiness.
6  Kimchi hot pot. This is absolutely better than all the above remedies. Steamy and spicy. Lots of flavor and
    vitamins from the kimchi, a good dose of protein from the pork and the tofu, and the goodness of garlic
    mellowed by slow simmering. Just smelling the stuff made me feel better -

So here's a big thank you to my family who has taken good care of me and especially to The Crafty One who accompanied me on my excursion to the Asian market to buy a bucket of kimchi and who ultimately made the delicious soup that has eased my pain.

Perfection Again

Today this video of my beloved boys finally showed up on YouTube. I've seen pictures for it but now that it's out I'm just lovin' these guys even more. It's Eunhyuk, Donghae, and Kyuhyun giving us a dance tutorial for Perfection. In just seven minutes they have taught me something, made me laugh, and revealed their cute personalities. Nice!


Uploaded by RaiBaka

And now that you have enjoyed their instruction, here's the music video. Ah, sweetness!



They so rock my world!

Mother's Day

Ah, Mother's Day. Did you have a good one? Was it all that you hoped for? Did you get nice gifts? Did you feel loved , honored, and cherished by those you love? Or maybe you felt guilty for not being all that you think you should be? Did it bring up feelings of conflict with the mother figures in your life? Maybe you are sad because your mother is no longer with you or because you have never been a mother yourself. How lucky we women are to have a day devoted to us that can make us feel so loved and crappy all at the same time. Thanks what's-her-name (Anna Jarvis - by the way, she later became a protester of what the day had become and she said that she, "...wished she would have never started the day because it became so out of control ...".)

In case you can't tell, I'm not a big fan of Mother's Day. And I think that's OK.

I noticed a really strange phenomenon this year. As I made purchases this weekend the checker would wish me happy Mother's Day. What the what? I don't know any of these people. What is the point of this kind of salutation? It's a sad day when it's only in a public setting that motherhood is acknowledged. On TV there are ads and shows that evoke maudlin emotions. Stores are filled with books and cards full of tender stories and
over-emotional sentiments. Gag me with a spoon!!!

For me, the very worst is at Church. Some years all the talks are about the glories of motherhood. Sometimes the talks are tributes to moms who are the best friends of their children. I am so happy for people who have warm, loving relationships with their mothers. Actually, I envy them. My relationship with my own mother is not close. Or warm. Or... We are always very cordial  but we lack any real connection. Mother's Day serves as reminder of what I am missing. And I miss it a lot.

Then there are the talks about super awesome moms. Some do heroic things, others do small things in big ways, and still others are tireless workers, or generous to a fault, etc, etc, etc. I do not measure up. I am a perfectly acceptable, ordinary mom. And I'm OK with that. I see my faults and I try to do better. Except on Mother's Day. Some people lay on the praise so thick that I feel immobilized by it. A voice in my head shouts, "You are not like that! You are the opposite of that. You are a fraud!!!" I really hate that voice.

I wish that there were no talks in church about moms on Mother's Day. And that the Hallmark channel wouldn't have a tear-jerker movie. I wish that it was more personal. And more low key. And I wish my mom wouldn't call me later tonight to ask me what I got for mother's day.

The Boy wrote me a heartfelt poem. Moli gave me a package of Oreos (which I have been craving lately).  Dude-Man and the kids gave me the game Just Dance. All of these things were great presents and I was happy to get them. But when Mom calls tonight there will be disappointment in her voice. It kills me every year.

Anyway, I think Mother's Day should be a day when kids try to be nicer to their moms. Maybe they could cook dinner or make breakfast. And mostly they should just tell their moms that they love them. Because all a mom really wants is to know that her family loves and appreciates what she does for them.

Check out Kyuhyun's tender message to his mom last Christmas. For those of you who don't want to watch the whole thing, it starts at about 1:04 give or take a second.

subs byprincekyuteam
What a sweet boy. Almost as sweet as mine.

English; Korean Style

Waaay back in February I started taking tae kwon do classes. I had recently gotten my blood pressure checked and it was a little high. This bummed me out because one of my goals is to get off blood pressure medicine. As I walked to my car (which is really a mini-van) I determined that I needed to add something to my exercise routine. At that precise moment I spied the local tae kwon do center. Perfect!

Tae kwon do is Korean martial arts and it is awesome! I can punch, kick, use nun chucks, and even break a board with my hand. AND my blood pressure has gone down. Yeah, I rock.

But the real (secret) reason I love tae kwon do is because my teacher, Master Kim, is from South Korea. Every class is also a learning session of Korean language and culture. Oh how I love a two-for-one deal. I can now count to eight in Korean with real confidence.

Master Kim has lived in the United States for ten years. He has an American wife. He has American kids. He runs a business. He deals with Americans on a daily basis. He speaks English. Really. He does. But I have the hardest time understanding him. Giggles and The Boy go to class with me once a week and they don't understand him either.

I found this video of Leeteuk speaking English to some American fans at his radio show. As I watched and listened I realized that he sounds a lot like Master Kim.....



Uploaded by YesungCenter on Apr 20, 2011

The funny thing about this is that Leeteuk avoids speaking English when ever he can. When Super Junior was in LA last September he didn't even say "hi" in English. I thought they could all take some English lessons. Well, it turns out they all know enough English to get by.


And as I have learned from Master Kim, you cannot tell how much a person has mastered a language just by talking to him. You have to get to know him. And understand him. And really listen to him. And have a conversation with him. 


I think that would probably work with any person you are trying to communicate with. Don't just talk to them. Know them. Understand them. Really listen to them. And have a conversation with them.

Let Me Explain...

Oy! This month is more than half over and I've only posted once! What's wrong with me?

It's called being in a funk.

My definition of being in a funk - going through life in a state of withdrawal, kind of like depression but not so severe. Over a period of time you realize that you are no longer doing the things that bring satisfaction to life.

Yup. That would describe this month. And it's not like there haven't been things to be happy about -
1  I got my yellow belt in Tae Kwon Do
2  My front yard is (mostly) cleaned up and flowers are blooming
3  We had Spring Break
4  The Crafty One and Moli are done with finals
5  Ummm.....  I guess there is no 5

So what's the problem?
1 Dude-Man is always working. And when I say he is always working what I really mean is he works 6 days a week and is there at least 15 hours/day. Yeah, ALWAYS working.
2  My daily routine has been thrown all out of whack. But that's probably because I'm in a funk, it didn't cause the funk. Although it has made the problem worse.
3  The freaking sun NEVER shines!!! Aha! The root cause of  The Funk has been revealed!

Darn you CLOUDS! and RAIN!! and WIND!!! and COLD!!!! even freaking SNOW!!!!!

Spring time in Utah = the worst season ever, anywhere, anytime.

Sharing Faith

As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints I am often encouraged to share my beliefs with those who are not of my faith. When I lived in Chicago this was pretty easy to do since most of my family members, friends, neighbors, and acquaintances were not of my faith. Now that I live in Utah nearly everyone I come in contact with is of my same faith. I find it difficult in this environment to share what I believe. Actually, I think this is a little strange since most conversations tend to revolve around shared topics of interest. Hmm... something for me to ponder.


Anyway, Donghae recently posted on his cywold account an encounter with a man named Michael that he and Siwon met on the street as they made their way back to their apartment in Taipei, Taiwan. This is a translation of that account that I found on the internet -

Donghae and Siwon at an unrelated press conference

Title: Pray for Michael…2011.4.1 AM 3:13

Hi. This is Super Junior Donghae. I’m doing well in Taiwan. Doing hard with my members on the album, Extravagant Challenge with Siwon…for the drama I’m working hard. Today at 12:30am I was on my way back to my room with Siwon from the Bible study that I have it everyday with my members, and I saw one Chinese man drinking alone on the street. So I asked him why he is drinking alone…He said he has laryngeal cancer. We had a conversation for about an hour and a half. The doctor will tell him whether he can live or not by having a surgery on April 3rd. So the man told me he’s too upset, tired, and scared. Siwon and I told him to stop drinking and put the cigarette on his hand down, and pray together. Michael said he doesn’t know God and praying is useless. He said he would spend his last minute with drinking and smoking only because he will die soon anyway. But Siwon and I told him to go to a church together and pray, think positively and leave bad thoughts away. Michael said such pretty words and good thoughts…anyone can say like that. He said he really thanks us, but we are not him or not in his situation, so we cannot understand him or how he feels now. So I told him about my dad who passed away. My dad had cancer too. During 3 years at the hospital he found God and was willing to become God’s son. (He was really a Christian.) I lied to Michael…that my dad is fine now…so pray and stop drinking and smoking. I can see Michael is afraid and feeble through his eyes. So I wanted to give him a hope, and also wanted him to get well soon and then we can have a meal together as friends; I believe this lie was good, which gives a hope to someone. Michael is very successful. He kept telling us to go and take a rest, but we didn’t leave him and kept talking. In front of us, Michael throw the drink and the cigarette away. He said he really thanks us for telling him a good story and giving him a good message, and he will pray and think positively. But surely we walked heavily… He said his wife is home and it’s too late, so we asked him to come to our house. He told us it’s okay, and he’s too happy to meet Super Junior and make two good friends, and he will invite us to dinner. I believe if we just said hi and passed him, he would have worse thoughts. The old saying, “Even a graze creates karma”…is right. We’re proud of being God’s sons who can be a hope of someone and encourage others. Though everyone lives each one’s life, hope we get easy, and look around ourselves to give a hand to others, and that will be a huge help. Do not just pass someone because you don’t know him or her, but say hi with a smile. If someone doesn’t say hi to you, you go to the one first and say hi with a smile; I’m sure the one will like you and you can make a new friend. I ask you to pray together. For Michael …April 3rd is the date he will receive a test result. Please pray for Michael to get healthy and the light will shine his way. And because this writing is in Korean …I don’t speak English…And I cannot speak Chinese fluently. If anyone who saw this and is able to translate, please translate it, so one becomes ten, ten becomes a hundred, and more people will be able to read this and pray for Michael for at least 30 seconds. I don’t think a success nor money is important. The importance is in other stuffs… Thank God who trained me again today. And thanks to Siwon who leads my members to God everyday, for us to be able to come to God closer. Good night, Michael…

Source: http://minihp.cyworld.com/62000821/211798335 (@donghae861015)
Translated by @ASHKooKoo
Posted by: reneee (www.sup3rjunior.wordpress.com) 

When I first read Donghae's story I was reminded of how missionaries from my church go out two-by-two and try to awaken a love and trust in God in the people that they meet each day. Missionaries talk to people on the street, knock on doors to share their message, and generally try to share the gospel with anyone they come in contact with. I think it's so cool that Donghae and Siwon do the same thing.

Another thing that struck me is that they were on their way home from Bible study. It is so awesome that even in a foreign land they are keeping up their religious worship. When I was in India I did not attempt to go to church at all because I did not want to inconvenience my family. I also felt uncomfortable with the thought of attending services in a language that I did not understand. I wish that I could go back and make a different choice. But since time travel is not possible, I must go forward with a determination to make a different choice in the future. My faith is so important to me and I should not let a vacation or language barrier keep me from worshipping my Heavenly Father and his son, Jesus Christ.

Finally, this story reminds me of myself when I lived in Chicago. I could not keep myself from sharing the good news of the gospel with those I came in contact with. I was a teenager back then and sometimes lacked a sense of tact. Now, I have an over developed sense of tact and I am usually reluctant to share the reality of God's love for all mankind. This makes me sad because I wish that all people had the opportunity to know that there is a purpose to this life, that they are spirit children of our Heavenly Father, and that He loves them very much.

Once again I am grateful to the example the Super Junior boys. Today they have given me the courage to live my convictions even when it is inconvenient or unpopular to do so.