Reposting this mix I made from back in 2008. It’s slightly old, but if this mix was like gum that fell on the floor, it would still be within the “5s rule”. From the original readme:
2008 was a big transitional year for me as I moved from California all the way to Beijing, China. To honor this fact, I had to include S.H.E.’s 中國話 (Speak Chinese) in my mix. =D
This is the third mix in the series, so the formula should by now be familiar: A mixed-language mix consisting of some the mainstays on my playlist this past year. This time around, I had a harder time including Japanese and Mandarin songs, as I wasn’t able to keep up as much with the JPop and CPop scene as I have in the past. I haven’t even had time to listen to the new Jay Chou album, and that’s already been out for awhile!
Thanks to my friend Khoi for suggesting some of the songs. They were all good choices and they all fit right in.
I’m currently abroad in China, pursuing new and exciting ventures. But being abroad makes me miss my friends back home. To ensure that they don’t forget about me, I’ve made another mix for them to listen and be addicted to, which should serve to remind them constantly of me!
This KPop mix actually started out as Fobulous Megamix IV, which would have been my fourth mixed language mix. However, the Japanese and Mandarin songs I had initially wanted to throw in the mix were ballads, and after awhile, I just wasn’t feeling the slow stuff.
Luckily, I had a collection of new(ish) KPop songs that were more upbeat, and hence, this mix was born. Put it in your iPod, burn it to a CD to play it in your car, hum it in your head while you work, whistle it while you go to the bathroom, and sing it in the shower! You can enjoy this mix anytime, anywhere!
Ever since we were little kids, we were taught by the all-knowing G.I. Joes that “Knowing was half the battle”. But they never told us what the mysterious other half was.
Well, with this new t-shirt, the world will finally know what the other half is… and it involves lasers. You can’t ever go wrong with lasers.
Needless to say, I ordered this shirt immediately, even though it won’t be released until mid August, and I had to ship it to the US so I won’t be able to get it until the next time I go back to Cali. But for this, this is worth it!
I’m a huge sucker for old school video game music, especially when they involve the Mario or Mega Man franchises. Thanks to these guys and their string-instrument skills, I now have a new appreciation of the Super Mario Land (GameBoy) theme.
For the past week or so, I’ve been unable to access YouTube from here in China. YouTube has been rendered inaccessible by the Great Firewall of China before, and as it turns out, China has banned YouTube once again, which is where the irony comes in…
In the image, a screenshot of my Facebook page, there’s a sponsored ad to become a fan of the Internet-famous “Back Dorm Boys“. The boys, who are from China, are themselves products of the YouTube generation, where videos of them lip syncing to famous Backstreet Boys songs were watched millions of times by people all over the world. Though their videos had already spread virally before being on YouTube, I still find it slightly ironic that the symbol of the very platform helping propel them to instant Internet celebrities and meme is often banned in the country where they are from.
Untouchable is a new male KPop duo (Out of a long list) and their new MV features race queen Kim Ha Yul, who proceeds to prove that it ain’t the cars that make her look good. In the video she shows off a wide repetoire of looks from the over-sized-sweater to the sexy librarian (Complete with glasses). But those who know me will know immediately that the only that matters to me is when she is wearing a hat… =D
Untouchable (Feat. Song Ji Eun) – Give You Everything
Lost in the KHY hype is that Song Ji Eun (Who’s new to me) did a really good job on the song, and, as reallycuteasians points out, KHY is just lip syncing to her in the MV.
Khoi: dancing cats omg dancing Khoi: the dancing cats Me: lol Me: it looks like animal abuse to me Khoi: totally Khoi: but they’re dancing, so it’s too awesome to complain Me: hahahha Me: they’re forced! Khoi: they’re not forced Khoi: they’re assisted
I don’t really think anything else needs to be said.
The China Beat has an interview up with Professor Bonnie Nardi, a researcher who conducted a comparative study into WoW players in China and the US. In the interview, Professor Nardi talks about the social differences (both virtual and real) caused by US gamers playing mostly in the privacy of their own homes, vs Chinese gamers who play mainly in the more social environment of an Internet Cafe.
Some of the most interesting insights are the common reasons for playing between both Chinese and US gamers (Visually stimulating, very polished, attention to small details, teamwork, challenge and sense of mastery), and how male players who choose to play as the opposite sex virtually in China are referred to as something similar to transvestites, while research shows that 23 percent of male gamers in the US play as females.
Lastly, it’s interesting to note that while the US players consists of a vast array of age groups and backgrounds, in China, “responsible adults” don’t play games.
I guess I better not tell people here in China that I brought all three of my gaming consoles and still play WoW.