Free K-Pop Concert in LA!

It was announced back in February that KBS and the Korean American Federation of Los Angeles were teaming up together to put on a FREE K-Pop concert in Los Angeles on April 12th at the LA Memorial Coliseum. Yes, you read that right. I said "FREE".

They weren't much details at that time, but today they sent out an update via social media that tickets were going on sale via Ticketmaster starting Saturday, March 29th at 10am PST.

Do the groups SHINee, 2PM, CNBlue and SISTAR sound familiar to you? They're just part of the lineup for the concert!

So if you live within the greater Los Angeles area or are willing to drive down to watch the concert, make sure you get your tickets before they run out!

Get your tickets while they are hot on Saturday, here!

Good luck all you lucky people!

Source: All K-Pop

2PM's Taecyeon Voices His Thoughts on Change in 2014

Where did the rest of 2013 go? It seems like the last half of the year just blew by so fast for me! But... I am very happy that 2014 is finally here. Happy New Year everyone near and far!

If you've been checking up on this site, you will see that I haven't been posting for quite a while. So my apologies to all since I pretty much kept whatever I was working on hanging in limbo.

As with any new year, we aim to start fresh and new. And, somehow, try to make any changes for the good.

One person that would like to see more changes for good is 2PM's Ok Taecyeon. You may remember his handsome face as one of the grooms from last year's "We Got Married Global". He was "married" to actress/singer, "Gui Gui".

He started the new year by taking to his Twitter account and voicing his opinions on showing appreciation for employees that actually work hard and put in a lot of effort. By not acknowledging hardworking staff/individuals and praising those that didn't help or put in real work is not fair to them. He believed that there needed to be "internal stability" within the company in order for it to continue to be one of the top 3 entertainment agencies in South Korea.

Honestly, within any company, if you don't acknowledge the hard work of individuals and employees see you elevate or praise individuals that relied on others to help them get through, you will only breed dissatisfaction. Immense dissatisfaction. Seeing the worth of your peers and other employees in your company and helping them get the recognition they deserve raises self-esteem, happiness, company growth and pride in work. Hopefully, the management and employees of JYP think about what Taecyeon has said and are willing to make some changes.

Well said, Taecyeon!

Source: AllKpop, Taeceyeon's Twitter

2PM's Nichkhun Turns 25!

To cap off a weekend of birthdays, or rather start a week with, 2PM's Nichkhun has hit a milestone by turning 25 on June 24th! Yes, that's the quarter century mark folks!

He thanked his fans on his personal Twitter, and that catapulted more birthday wishes to come in.

Happy birthday, Nichkhun! Hope you had a blast celebrating your birthday and that you have a year filled with blessings!

Review: We Got Married Global Episode 3- The Rules and First Meal

All right, they've met their husbands/wives, they've kind of gotten to know each other a little better, they've moved into their new homes, what's next?

It seems you can't just move into a place without some sort of rules or guidelines. And they've got to eat at some point, too, right? Having that infamous "first meal" as a married couple is special. It tells you a bit of what the person likes/dislikes, their types of taste, etc. It looks like episode 3 begins moving in that direction. (Pardon me if I miss any details. I am trying to give an overview. And I watched this almost two months ago, so my apologies.)

Hong Ki and Mina
To start off their period of wedded bliss, Hong Ki has listed a few things that he thought Mina should know about him. He called it the "How to Handle Hong Ki Manual". In it he asked that she would "love him more than he loves himself", he welcomed "skin ship" from her first (meaning touching. Not groping! But holding hands and hugging, all the G rated stuff.) and to not be too surprised when she sees how hairy he is. (Hong Ki is extremely shy about his hairy legs and doesn't like to show them very often.)

When it is Mina's turn, she tells him she prefers the hairless male, especially with no facial hair and that she hopes he will be the first to initiate skin to skin contact. Whoops! Sorry HK! She went on to say that she likes "plain" things (I think she meant simple, as in with no adornment. Non-flashy.). This pretty interesting because Hong Ki is known for his flamboyant attire. Mina loves to read so she also suggested that he read an entire book at least once a week. (Hmm..this sounds familiar. YongSeo couple ring any bells??)

Later they attempt to have their first meal together. Since Hong Ki lost a game earlier, he got to make dinner. As he is prepping to make Korean style spaghetti, Mina pointed out that she still needs to tell him her wish. Hong Ki let her have anything she wished so she requested that he sing a song for her. A special song. To this, Hong Ki agreed and points out that he is a very good at singing. (Hmm...someone bragging again?)

When the "spaghetti" is done, Mina comments that it isn't spaghetti, but ramyun. LOL. Much to Hong Ki's chagrin. He re-collects a little bit of his cool by showing Mina how to fold the lid of the ramyun cup into a little bowl that you can eat ramyun noodles from. Mina jokingly says that they are really a newlywed couple now, and it feels like they're poor. Again, much to Hong Ki's embarassment.

Mina wishes that they would be comfortable enough to call each other by nicknames and they decided to make up nicknames for each other. Hong Ki suggested "ramji", the 2nd part of the Korean name for squirrel (daramji). Umm..no, Hong Ki, she wasn't having it. I mean really, would you want your husband to call you a squirrel?? She suggested a romantic one, something like "yeobo". Hong Ki didn't seem to like that one. Guys, so picky when it comes to endearments! Since they are in a younger man-older woman relationship, he remarks that he should be calling her "nuna" and Mina seemed accepting to that. Especially if he says it "winningly". However, Hong Ki isn't the type to call older women that, but he still tried it out. Eventually they settled on "Hongchan" for Hong Ki and "Nuna" for Mina.

As Mina is unpacking the suitcases, Hong Ki decorates their room. Once it is ready, he asks Mina to change and he brings her into the room with his hand held against her eyes so she wouldn't be able to see. At the unveiling, she gasps out loud, in front of her is a fairytale like campsite with two billowy tents, bedrolls and stuffed animals all in white. They fall asleep across each other under the "stars".

Cut to the next day and they are at the market. Here, they are shopping for all of their essentials for the house. Hong Ki has Mina trying different types of food like "duck". As they shopped around, they proclaim to everyone that could hear that they are "married". This was a little like bragging since they seemed to like each other so much. Hong Ki confessed it was nice to hear people say to him that they thought "his nuna"  was pretty.

They look around some more and Hong Ki found....a squirrel! Of all things, a squirrel in a market?? Hong Ki leaves Mina for a little bit to "use the restroom". Ha! He in fact circles back around and buys the squirrel for Mina as a little present. I couldn't read Mina's expression here. She looked happy, but she also looked like she didn't want it? Maybe it was the personal reference??

Regardless of how she felt, she accepts Hong Ki's present and they shop around for a TV. The come across the Samsung Smart TV, which to me, looks like a humongous Wii. They fool around on it a little while and Hong Ki ends up purchasing the TV. But as he is paying, he asks if he can split up the bill into monthly payments. LOL, it looks like even idols have to be mindful of how much things are!


Taecyeon and Gui Gui
While Hong Ki and Mina are enjoying their new home, Taecyeon and Gui Gui are settling into theirs. They pull out their individual Ten Commandments and share them with each other.

They go through their commandments and almost instantly hit a snag. Gui Gui is a morning person and wanted Taecyeon to have breakfast with her. However, Taecyeon isn't having it. He'd much rather sleep in than eat breakfast, especially if he has a busy schedule. (I'm totally with him on that one!) Despite Gui Gui's pleading, he didn't budge and they agree to not agree.

After a fiasco with Taecyeon's robot models, Taecyeon shares a pair of couple mugs with Gui Gui. The mugs are supposed to help the couple share their feelings with each other. They have a pair of mugs for different expressions: happy, sad, mad. Taecyeon, I must admit, did a pretty good job with his. I think he must have watched a lot of anime when he was younger and must be pretty artistic because he drew pretty well. I couldn't tell what the heck Gui Gui was drawing. It was a pretty far stretch.

Later that evening, they unveil their ingredients for their first dinner together and Gui Gui unveils her...chicken! (She waved it very happily in front of Taecyeon.) She would be making chicken soup. And despite the fact that she bought the chicken, she didn't seem to know how to make it. She had trouble cutting the chicken so Taecyeon kindly stepped in to butcher it. When they are done, Taecyeon reveals a nicely presented platter of kim chee fried rice complete with a fried egg on top. Gui Gui, on the other hand, is still cooking and had asked Taecyeon to taste her food. And this is how bad it must be, he instantly made a face and walked away saying that she wasn't "good at cooking". He adds a bit of seasoning to her soup, and finally they are ready to partake in their first meal as newlyweds together.

I can't even describe the hilarity when they start to eat each other's food. You will have to search for the We Got Married Global channel and see part 2 of this episode. Poor Taecyeon! It's like he's being tortured! He changes between the feeling mugs so quickly as Gui Gui tries to poison him, I mean feed him. LOL!

After dinner, they both bring out presents for each other that they brought to the house. Taecyeon unveiled his present....the shoes that Gui Gui wanted from the Shoe Cafe! And she called him a "scrooge". She was extremely happy! So happy, she calls him "yeobo". LOLOL! You don't call a guy that unless you are extremely comfortable with them or they are actually yours. Taecyeon was caught off guard! He exclaims, "where does she learn this??" Umm...Korean dramas dear...

She gives him her present and it is pajamas of her favorite character from Toy Story. Don't ask me to remember what it was called. But I have never seen adult pajamas like those before. =P Poor Taecyeon, whose so used to being so masculine, watches as his masculinity is stripped away as she donned the pajamas on him. They took a photo to capture the moment. LOL! End!

Oh yea... My thoughts: I loved this episode. I think there could be a whole discussion on skin ship in different cultures. Whether it would be as accepted if it were the girl who wouldn't mind being the first one to make contact. 

I really feel bad for Taecyeon. I feel he's gotten the short end of the stick. Gui Gui is gradually stripping any amount of masculinity away with each of her antics. But he's such a nice guy, he lets her. It's almost like a parent trying to entertain a child at times. It will be interesting to see how long he will last.

Review: We Got Married Global Episode 2- Home Sweet Homes

After a short week away from each other, the global couples meet up to check out their new homes where they will be living together while they are "married". (Note that they haven't gone through a ceremony yet, so they aren't "married" yet.)

At Home- Hongki and Mina

Taecyeon and Gui Gui fool around on the piano playing "Heart and Soul".

Their home is a two story condo equipped with a stage, skull designed accessories and a unicycle that Mina demonstrated to Hong Ki. Not to be upstaged (because he's so competitive), Hong Ki shows that he can be good at something too, like spinning a tray. Mina countered with a toy (not sure what it's called exactly) where you try to catch a ball on a string into a little cup. 


The stage was to represent a neutral zone where one would be able to talk freely to the other person and let out any grievances.


Their bedroom is a cute size, but it was empty. Hong Ki explained that he wanted to decorate it together, but Mina was clearly expecting it to be furnished.


They later take out little albums they have brought along of themselves. It is cute to see how little Mina had changed over the years. Hong Ki likened her face to that of a chipmunk. Hong Ki shared family photos and a photo of himself when he had done Taekwando.

They each shared little things they have brought to help warm up the house. Mina brought her little dolls she had handcrafted herself. Hong Ki had brought all the important trophies he and FT Island have won over the years along with a suitcase full of shoes, and clothing that looked more appropriate for appearances than everyday wear. He also brought his favorite energy drink so Mina could try it, but it didn't seem she took it very well.



At Home- Taecyeon and Gui Gui
Taecyeon and Gui Gui arrived at their home full of expectation. Gui Gui asked Taecyeon to carry her like they do in the dramas to the bedroom. (Awkward!) There she asked Taecyeon to join her on the bed. And after a lot of hesitation, he did. Both went through a photo shoot of sorts to fulfill popular romantic scenes from dramas.


They continued their photo shoot downstairs and even managed to get outside to play in the snow. Without any protective layering. Yes, I know. Crazy.


Once back inside, they opened up their suitcases and began to share what each brought to warm up their home.


Gui Gui brought some goodies/snacks from Taiwan for Taecyeon to try. (He politely refused since he wasn't that hungry yet.) She also brought couple aprons, which was very cute. One was a Wonder Woman design and the other Superman. She asked that Taecyeon use the Wonder Woman one, but he wasn't having any of it, so they switched. And finally, she brought out her pajamas of her favorite character from Toy Story. (I still do not know who it is, but it's the blue and green alien one.) And she made them wear the pajamas. LOL, this was a must see!


Taecyeon shared his toys that he turns to when he gets super stressed. These aren't actually toys, but they're collectible models that you put together. They were models of robotic planes from Gundam (at least that's what it looked like to me). And no, I didn't mean Gangnam. As Gui Gui had been marveling at these models, she accidentally broke a limb off of one, twice. Oh the look of horror on Taecyeon's face when he saw that! He looked like he was going to have a meltdown! Eventually though, he did calm down and managed to put the models on the side. But not before he told the crew to keep an eye on them. =)

Thoughts: It was interesting to see the difference in layouts for the two homes. Hong Ki and Mina's were two stories, with the bedroom and kitchen right next to each other. Whereas Taecyeon and Gui Gui's home, although also two stories, the bedroom was upstairs. That's a lot of carrying to do! 

Hong Ki and Mina's home feels more like a home fitting a bachelor like Hong Ki. It was very entertainment centered. I didn't get any girly touches at all in there, which I for one would have liked if I were Mina. You could tell that she was disappointed that the room was empty.

I absolutely love the piano in Taecyeon and Gui Gui's home. I always dreamed of having a keyboard as big as that. It looks so much fun to play! And the living room was right next to the yard where they could see the falling snow. I wouldn't have wanted to play out there in the cold, but oh well.

Hong Ki and Mina's photos from their school days are so cute. Mina really does look the same, whereas Hong Ki...well...he did look a little chubbier back then. But he looked more normal back then. Less like the "fashionista" he is now.

Taecyeon and his models. Wow. I never would have thought. I was surprised, yet found it endearing, despite my first thought of "isn't he too old to be doing models?". And Gui Gui and her alien pajamas! OMG! The fact that they even sell pajamas in a size for adults is absolutely hilarious. Poor Taecyeon! After the shoes, the hot chocolate, the igloo, the bridal carry and "oppa's", I can already see that he is in for a rough time. My heart goes out to him.

Aliens? Really?

Next up: Married life rules/requests and their first meal together!


(I do not own any of the images. All credit goes to their rightful owners.)
     

Review: We Got Married Global Episode 1- The First Meeting

Ok, I've seen people searching for Lee Hong Ki and his marital status on Google. And I must say that there are lot of you interested in him. (Myself included.) And, yes folks, he is "married". On a reality show called "We Got Married Global Edition" that is.

He is part of a pair of celebrity couples that are filmed in dating and married life situations. The series originally started with just Korean couples, but now they have branched out even further to Japan and Taiwan. You may recognize this show as a lot idols have participated in it. CNBlue's Jung Yong Hwa paired up with Girls Generation's Seohyun as the "Goguma Couple" or "YongSeo Couple". And 2PM's Nichkhun had paired up with f(x)'s Victoria as the "Khuntoria" Couple.

Global Pair #1: Ok Taecyeon (K-Pop Group 2PM) and Wu Ying Xie aka Emma aka "Gui Gui" (Taiwanese Actress/Singer)

Global Pair #2: Lee Hong Ki (K-PopRock Band FT Island) and Fujii Mina (Japanese Actress)

Their First Impressions
Of Mina- she had sent photos of different parts of her face and legs to Hong Ki's cell phone as a way of giving him hints about how she looked like. Hong Ki was very intrigued and thought she had a very nice smile. And her eyes turned down exactly the way he liked in a woman.

Of Hong Ki- for some reason, Mina already knew her who her husband was going to be. She's a fan of FT Island. While she was at the salon getting her hair done, she even sang a bit of FT Island's song, "Love Love Love" (Sarang Sarang Sarang) to the stylist helping her get ready for their first meeting.

Of Gui Gui- it was a first time for everything for Gui Gui. It was her first time to Korea and her first time getting "married". She was dressed in all white for her first meeting and showed up with a very bright expression. She doesn't really understand Korean, but her English is not bad, so she was able to converse somewhat with Taecyeon (He understands English since he was raised in Boston, Massachusetts for about 7 years.)

Of Taecyeon- Taec was very nervous meeting Gui Gui and he hoped that they would like each other. Gui Gui found him handsome, but misunderstood him a little bit at their first meeting.


First Meeting
The Bookstore- Hong Ki and Mina
Hong Ki arrived at the bookstore earlier than Mina and explored a bit. After buying a drink, he sat down to write a note to his soon-to-be-wife.


When Mina arrived, she tiptoed gently towards him so she wouldn't startle him. When they realized who the other was, they both hid their faces in embarrassment as they greeted each other.

Hong Ki was very surprised to find out that Mina could converse in Korean since she is Japanese. He was also very surprised to know that Mina knew of him (even though he didn't know her) and that she was a fan of FT Island. Mina surprised him with a little off-key rendition of "Love Love Love" (Sarang Sarang Sarang) and he was touched that she knew the words. He thought that she could've easily just said the lyrics, but instead, she sang it to him. (Side note: Some artists are particular about their songs and don't like people singing it to them. I'm glad that Hong Ki wasn't like them.)

Hong Ki had challenged Mina to a game of skills by presenting her with a postcard puzzle. He told her that if she put together the puzzle, he would grant her one wish. Mina blazed through the task and put it together in no time. Plus, she read the warm message he had written on the back. Her wish? To have him sing to her, which Hong Ki politely declined at the time since they were in a bookstore.

They found that they had many interest together and that Hong Ki could have had a special "sense" about her tastes. (He ordered her a caramel macchiato, which happened to be a favorite of Mina's. It also happens to be a favorite of Hong Ki's.) Overall their first meeting was very nerve wracking, but very pleasant.

The Shoe Cafe (Chougabi Shoe Cafe)- Taecyeon and Gui Gui
An intrigued Taecyeon arrived at a shop that sold shoes and coffee?? Eh? I guess anything goes in Korea. When Gui Gui arrived, it is apparent that there would be a language barrier. Although Gui Gui can speak English, she can't speak it very well. Not to mention, most of her knowledge of the Korean language and culture came from watching Korean dramas. For example, as they sat at a table getting to know each other, Taecyeon ordered a warm drink for the both of them. Gui Gui was puzzled as the hot chocolate was placed before them. She thought that it was strange for Korean's to be drinking a drink so large at that time of the day. She thought that the mug of hot chocolate was to be drunk in the same way one would take shots of liquor. She kept on saying "one shot" to Taecyeon and proceeded to down the whole drink. She encouraged Taecyeon to do the same. And a befuddled Taecyeon, who didn't want to be impolite, downed his hot chocolate. Later, Taecyeon explained that it wasn't supposed to be downed, but rather sipped at your leisure.

Another example was when they had moved to the shoe room floor. Taecyeon had asked Gui Gui to "window shop". Not understanding what "window shopping" was, Gui Gui's eyes fell on a pair of silver flats that she loved instantly and immediately asked Taecyeon to buy it for her. Taecyeon had to disappoint her by explaining that "window shopping" meant you could only look, not buy. And a disappointed Gui Gui felt he was being tight with his money. Overall, it was a very hilarious episode of Taecyeon trying to explain to Gui Gui in English so she could understand, and Gui Gui trying to get used to the Korean way of things.

After the kerfuffle regarding the shoes, they hit the slopes for some fun in the snow.


The couples had a short hiatus away from each other and return a bit later to find their new homes.

Thoughts: I have to say that these couples are so cute! Gui Gui can be a little annoying with her "oppa" name calling, but she is still adorable. And it's interesting to see how Taecyeon and Gui Gui communicate with each other. I'm glad that Taecyeon is so patient with her. He really breaks down English so she can understand better.

As for Hong Ki and Mina...isn't this kind of cheating? I'm sorry, when I think of Global couples, I think of couples that don't know the same language. Where's the fun in actually being able to converse in the same language? I'm just kidding. I'm not upset, but just surprised. There will be cultural differences that I'm sure will come out down the road. Although I must say...as a FT Island fan, my heart is breaking. Mina is one of the lucky girls that will actually get to know Hong Ki personally.  *Sigh* Ok, I'm over it. I am thoroughly enjoying the series so far and can't wait to see it through to the end.



More to come! Hwaiting!

(Images are not owned by me. Credit goes to their rightful owners.)

Get Ready for 2PM!

2PM (Don't own this pic)

Sorry, I haven't been able to blog as much as I would like to, but every so often I see some things that catch my eye, so in case you all miss it, I'm relaying it to you. =)

If you are a fan of 2PM's music, or even a "HOTTEST", you are already in the know. But here's the news...

Fresh off of their "What Time Is It?" tour, they announced that they are making a comeback as early as January 2013! Yay!

This is awesome since they are now in pretty much full force with Nichkhun back to participate in their promotional activities. I like Nichkhun, I've been a fan of his ever since he was on "We Got Married" with his partner, Victoria. (Funny as heck series that you should really Google, by the way! All of the seasons!) It was a shame when he had that DUI earlier this summer, and I'm glad it wasn't too serious and that he has had time to reflect.

So anyways, fans get ready, stay tuned for when their comeback date is! You don't want to miss them!

Source: AllKpop

Nichkhun Returns!

Fans all over have been waiting patiently for 2PM's Nichkhun to return from his voluntary leave of absence these past few months following his minor traffic incident.

Nichkhun has been reflecting deeply on his actions, but now, it looks like he has made some peace with himself and will now begin making his return to the public eye through a reality show called, "KOICA's Dream".

"KOICA's Dream" is a reality TV show that follows volunteers as they help those that are less fortunate.

The production staff specifically requested to have Nichkhun be a part of the show after hearing about his volunteer work at a children's hospital.

Nichkhun, along with 23 volunteers and five celebrities, are now in Tanzania shooting for the program. They will be helping residents in the area that have no electricity and no running water. Talk about survivorship!

I am happy for Nichkhun. It must've been hard to live with the scrutiny from his mistake. Hopefully he continues to reflect on his actions and make wiser choices.

Fans rejoice!

Source: AllKpop

Nichkhun Tweets to Fans

After settling on his DUI charges last month, 2pm's Nichkhun tweeted from his personal twitter account his love.

"Thank you always and forever"

This is in response to all the support Hottest and thousands of adoring fans around the world have shown to not only Nichkhun, but the rest of 2pm as they celebrate their 4th anniversary together!

See you soon Nichkhun!

Source of image: Nichkhun's Twitter

Nichkhun to Return?

I know fans have been anxiously waiting for 2pm's Nichkhun to return to full time performing status. The group has had to perform without him for the past couple of months. They were originally supposed to do their comeback in September, but decided to wait until Nichkhun was available.

Today, it was announced that he will be paying a settlement fee to the injured man.

This basically means that they investigated as much as they could and both parties have come to an agreement.

For Nichkhun, this means that he has the chance to get into his normal routine and get his life back. Whether he is up to it is his call and his agency.

One thing is for sure, he will definitely use this as a learning experience and hopefully matures and grows wiser from this.

Khunnie, your fans miss you! Won't you give a shout out?

Nichkhun's Regret

Although I just posted about how great soju is, I felt the need to speak my mind about an accident involving 2pm's Nichkhun recently.

If you haven't heard, Nichkhun was involved in a minor accident when his car had bumped into a motorcyclist.

I don't think it would have been sensationalized so much if it weren't for the fact that he was an idol.

Apparently, he had just finished having a couple of beers with his group members and company staff and was driving home to his dorm not too far away when this happened. The motorcyclist is in the hospital with minor injuries and Nichkhun had his license suspended.

My questions are... If he was having drinks with people from his company, and they knew he would be driving, why in the world would you offer a drink to him? And if they had seen him drink, why let him drink another beer? And why wouldn't they have someone make sure he was ok to drive?

To me, it's not entirely NichKhun's fault. (note: his company did take part of the blame in this) He shouldn't have been put in such a situation in the first place. What is his company doing? They are not taking care of their stars properly.

As a result of this, Nichkhun is being edited out of commercials and shows.

Now I understand it's bad PR, and I'm not saying he should get off scot free without consequence, but isn't this a little extreme? He's human, he makes mistakes and he's really sorry. He's playing it low and reflecting on his actions, and his company is making sure the motorcyclist is recovering comfortably.

I hope fans stick by him through this. Poor guy. Best thing for him to do is learn from his mistake and not repeat it. Nichkhun hwaiting!