Where The Hell Am I?

Monday, February 5, 2007

Kimchiman - Arirang Canada Guy

This is too funny...

A man who goes by the name of Kimchiman has uploaded a couple of videos to YouTube where he speaks and sings Arirang.

Now Koreans seem to think that foreigners just can't comprehend their culture, so when you speak two words of Korean you get "oh, you speak Korean very well." To which I say I don't. Then you go back and forth with the person because they say you do.

Anyway, here is some info lifted from Wikipedia on Arirang just in case you don't know what it is.

First, "Arirang is arguably the most popular and best-known Korean folk song, both inside and outside Korea."

And here are the lyrics:

Hangul (Korean)

아리랑, 아리랑, 아라리요...
아리랑 고개로 넘어간다.
나를 버리고 가시는 님은
십리도 못가서 발병난다.

Romanization

Arirang, Arirang, Arariyo...
Arirang gogaero neomeoganda.
Nareul beorigo gasineun nimeun
Simnido motgaseo balbyeongnanda.

English

Arirang, Arirang, Arariyo...
I am crossing over Arirang Pass.
The man/woman who abandoned me [here]
Will not walk even ten li before his/her feet hurt.

In the first one he just speaks Arirang:

In the second one, he speaks a bit and then sings a really bad version of it with his wife (not sure but probably wife since she addressed him as "yobo"/"여보" - the Korean equivalent of "honey" or "darling" which is used between marrieds):

Short translation by me -

Kimchiman: Hello. My name is Kimchiman. I am Canadian. I speak a little Korean. Therefore, I want to sing a Korean song. I will sing the song "Arirang"*

Kimchiman and woman sing Arirang (see above)

Kimchiman: Thank you!
Woman to Kimchiman: Thank you!
Kimchiman: You're welcome
Woman to Kimchiman: Honey!
They kiss...

*The last two lines of the part before the song I needed someone to verify if I was right or not (I was close, but not completely right). I'm so lame. Thanks Michael.

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SeoulGlow

Well, here is a new website created by my friend Michael, the Metropolitician.

It's a new site called SeoulGlow. Instead of paraphrasing his words, I'll let him speak for himself. This is from the About section of the SeoulGlow site:

This is the video podcast that will break new ground in mixing different segments – from vox pop to social documentary, from trips to cool places to interviews with society’s movers and shakers, and including pieces submitted by you.

Our podcast is subtitled in Korean and English. We will not be making the mistake of believing that the interests of 20- and 30-something Seoulites are inherently different because of mere language barrier. We will break new ground by showing that regardless of nationality or race, young Seoulites merely want smart, fresh information that tells them something new about this great city.

We don’t pull punches, we don’t condescend, and we know what you really wanna watch. And if we don’t, we’re gonna ask. Along with our own segments, we will also be encouraging user submissions as we build the most truly dynamic video podcast the world has ever seen!

And don’t forget to “let your Seoooooul glow!

Yes, I'll probably be behind the scenes and/or featured in one. I'll let you know when that happens.

In the meantime, here is the first episode: SeoulGlow #1 - Resolutions/결심 It was shot on New Year's Eve.

Enjoy!

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Saturday, February 3, 2007

Black History Month Eve and Whitey Gras

Hahahahaha!

I'm up late, and I just finished watching The Daily Show (International Edition).

One piece featured Larry Wilmore who suggests that we should just celebrate Black History Month Eve on January 31st and have "Whitey Gras." It was so funny that I have to share it.

It's pretty funny in a very un-PC way, so brace yourself.

Enjoy!

I'm all for the casinos solution too...

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Friday, February 2, 2007

Where The Hell Am I? On A Warming Planet

Treat the earth well: it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children. We do not inherit the Earth from our Ancestors, we borrow it from our Children... - Ancient Indian Proverb

Here we go. I was chatting with a friend today who works at the United Nations in Bangkok. She had to go off to a meeting to watch this report. I'm watching it from home on CNN International. Right now, Dr. Susan Solomon, the IPCC's working group co-chair, going over why they've come to the conclusion that global warming is "unequivocally" due to human action.

What does this mean? Well, those who have been calling for scientific evidence have it. It means those arguing that global warming is just an upswing in a natural cycle are going to have an uphill battle. I've seen these guys on CNN, and I wonder if they'll be on later today or tomorrow? I'm sure they will be. I've already seen attacks on the report.

However, I believe, that there is simply no reason to risk the results of inaction at this point.

For people like me, it means there is no reason for anyone to not curb their wasteful behaviors. I always got bent out of shape seeing friends purchase an SUVs when, like me, they lived in the big city where a compact car, mass transit, a bike or walking would do. However, I got to Korea and purchased a compact car that I honestly could have done without. BTW, I got rid of it before I moved to Seoul. Anyway, I know I've slipped as I've gotten older, so it's time for me to get back to being mindful of conserving more.

However, that applies to everyone. It's not just individual choices and changes, but we're going to need to lobby our governments to react to this news. Also, we're going to have to force businesses to react by changing our consumption habits and preferences. Business leaders were mobilizing last week at the World Economic Forum in Davos. This report will only propel their actions forward and now governments have no choice but to respond in kind.

This requires knowledge, so folks, stay informed because we can't just sit back and rely on those in power. Also, don't feel like the science is too much to take action. We know things are getting worse, therefore, we must act.

To that end, I'll step down from the soap box and provide you with some links: