31 de des. 2009

Top 10 K-Pop 2009

After half year living in Seoul, I couldn't manage to escape from all this K-Pop stuff. It's everywhere, everytime! So, I tried to become 'friendl'y with it. And now, I like it somehow.

Here is my Top 10 list of best K-Pop songs of this year.



10. Kara - Mister
Their hips and live shows made them appear on this list. It was hard to choose between Wanna and this Mister.

9. 2ne1 - I Don't Care
One of the bands of the year couldn't be out of this list. Even though I don't think this is theuir best song, it's the played of the year.

8. Outsider - Loner
Some rap in this list. That man is the fastest rapper in Korea. He deserves a place in this Top 10!

7. 2PM - Again & Again
Some people say they're the band of the year. Some other say this is the song of the year. Well, for me it's ok. They worked hard and quite popular, so, here they are.

6. T-ara & Supernova - Time to Love (T.T.L.)
This song reminds me a bit of Timbaland. It was one of the most played songs on this second half year, along with its other more dance version  TTL Listen 2.
Maybe he likes himself too much. But he's got talent. The leader of Big Bang prooved that as solo he has so much to offer.

4. SNSD a.k.a. Girls Generation - Genie
This 9 charming girl band showed their best with this song that was everywhere during the summer. Of course they deserve a place in this ranking.

3. Baek Ji Young Feat. Taec Yeon (2PM) -My Ear's Candy
Very good collaboration. Vocoders, synthethyzers, words in many languages... A good pop song!

2. Son Dam Bi - 토요일밤에(toyoil pame) - Saturday Night
Great Son Dam Bi! This song was playing before I arrived to Seoul. And I have really good memories with it. It was hard to decide between this one and the powerful song  AMOLED

1. Brown Eyed Girls - Abracadabra
 The song of the year. They really deserve the first place with that great song that rocked everywhere and everybody knows. Good beats, nice video, sexy dance and lots of TV performances. Congratulations Jea, Ga-In, Narsha and Miryo!


23 de des. 2009

Fi de classes, ara vacances!

Ja tocava una mica de tranquilitat! Les últimes setmanes han estat bastant intenses. Molta matèria de coreà, presentacions a classe, exàmens. En fi, el més normal quan s'acaba un quadrimestre universitari, però amb uns aires totalment diferents dels que estava acostumat.

Finally, some relax! The last weeks have been pretty intense. Many Korean language homework, class presentations, exams. Well, the usual stuff when a uni semester ends, but with totally different than I was used to.
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Sembla que aquí a les classes s'els dóna molta importància a les relacions amb el professor. He tingut bastanta sort i a la majoria d'assignatures, com que erem poca gent, hem pogut gaudir d'un bon ambient a classe. Molta interacció amb els companys, dels qui no hi ha dia que no deixi d'aprendre alguna cosa. I uns professors molt interessats en els seus alumnes i els seus futus. És per això que després de l'última classe o després de l'examen, es va a sopar amb tot el grup, i convida el professor. Sí! Els grups no són massa grans, els preus no són elevats, i els sous dels professors deuen estar prou bé, així que he pogut gaudir d'uns quants sopars a diferents llocs ben bons pagats pels professors.

It seems that here there is importance to relations with the professor. I've had quite a lot of luck because in most of subjects, since we were a few people, we could enjoy a good atmosphere in class. Lots of interaction with colleagues, of whom I never stopped learning everyday. And some professors very interested in their students and their future. That's why after the last class or after the exam there was a dinner with the classmates and professor. Yes! The groups are not too big the prices are high and the salaries of professors might be quite good, so I could enjoy a few good dinners at various places well paid by teachers.
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Ara toca descansar, no deixar de repassar el coreà, i disfrutar una mica de les dates nadalenques en aquesta gran ciutat, que tot i haver sentit que no celebren gaire el nadal, està plena de llums, arbres i altres motius nadalencs.

Now it's time to rest, without stopping reviewing Korean, and enjoy a bit of Christmas in this great city, even though I've heard it's not very celebrated, streets are is full of lights, Christmas trees and other stuff.
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Jo de moment tinc una cita el proper dia 24 a la nit. On estaré fent de DJ a una Christmas Eve Party al meu local preferit dels voltants de la uni.: El Sunbabara, al qual li penso dedicar algun bon article ben aviat.

I currently have an appointment the next 24th at night. I'll be doing DJing in a Christmas Eve Party at my favorite place around university: Sunbabara, that I'll write an article about it soon.

Christmas Eve Party

16 de des. 2009

10 trends in journalism for 2010

10 Interessants tendències les que el noi ens augura pel proper any...

10 Interesting trends that the guy preview for next year...

10 trends in journalism for 2010 from Adam Westbrook on Vimeo.


Vist a: lola como mola

13 de des. 2009

Les noves remescles dels Clazziquai - Clazziquai's new remixes

Han passat uns mesos des que el trio d'electrònica Clazziquai Project van publicar el seu quart àlbum d'estudi: Mucho Punk. Ara tornen amb l'esperat disc de remescles Mucho Mix. Un disc on la majoria de remescles no arriben al nivell de l'original. La remescla de Love Again que obre el disc no destrueix la original, manté l'escència i li dóna un aire més clubber, però el Kiss Kiss Kiss de Capsule no està a l'altura. La remescla de Back In Time amb el tempo relentit entra prou bé, perquè l'original era massa repetitiu. I arribem a la meva perla preferida del disc: el remix de Tell Yourself a càrrec del japonès Daishi Dance (molt recomanable tota la seva discografia, especialment l'àlbum The Piano Set). La resta de temes no criden gaire l'atenció: una trallera remescla de la bonica Affection, i les dues últimes pistes, acústiques. Una fluixeta versió de Chocolate Truffle, i Lazy Sunday Morning sense cap canvi apreciable respecte la original. I trobo molt a faltar alguna remescla de The World Of Oz...
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It's been some months since the electro trio Clazziquai Project released their fourth studio album: Mucho Punk. Now they're back with the expected remixes album Mucho Mix. A remix album where most of tracks don't reach the quality of the original. The remix of Love Again, which opens the album doesn't break the original, keeps the essence and gives a more clubber feeling, but Kiss Kiss Kiss by Capsule is not that good. The remix of Back In Time with the slowed tempo is quite good, maybe better than the original, it was too repetitive. And here it comes on my favourites: Tell Yourself remix by japanese Daishi Dance (I strongly recommend all his albums, especially the album The Piano Set). The rest of the songs will not attract much attention: a hard beat remix of the nice Affection, and the last two tracks, acoustic. A not really good version of Chocolate Truffle, and Lazy Sunday Morning with no appreciable change from the original. And I'm missing so much some remix of The World Of Oz...





Amb la publicació de Mucho Mix, també s'ha aprofitat per donar a conèixer el mini disc promocional Mucho Beat, que conté 2 temes inèdits i la versió d'Affection en coreà. Els Clazziquai actuaran en directe els propers 24 i 25 de desembre en el anomenat Real Live VOL7.
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With the release of Mucho Mix, the promotional mini album titled Mucho Beat was released. It contains 2 previously unreleased tracks and Affection Korean version. Clazziquai will be performing live the next 24 and 25 December in the Real Live VOL7.





Seoul Lantern Festival 2009

Entre l'11 i el 22 de novembre es va cel·lebrar al llarg del Cheonggye Plaza (el petit riu que recorre part d'alguns dels districtes més famosos de Seül) el Seoul Lantern Festival. La trobada acollia un gran nombre de fanalets i llums de tot tipus. Des de dissenys més tradicionals que recorden les costums i cultura coreanes, fins a robots o vehicles mecanitzats passant per símbols d'altres cultures i països.
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Between November 11th and 22nd took place in Cheonggye Plaza (the stream that runs through some of the most famous districts of Seoul) the Seoul Lantern Festival. The meeting welcomed a large number of lanterns and lights of all kinds. From designs that recall traditional Korean customs and culture, to robots or mechanized vehicles through symbols of other cultures and countries.

Seoul Lantern Festival 2009

대문 Lantern

Elefant hindú

Moai

Em vaig trobar amb el festival de casualitat. Un dia al vespre tornava del Museu d'Història, on des de fa uns mesos s'hi pot veure una espectacular maqueta de Seül (on uns panells interactius permeten buscar localitzacions exactes i uns focus mòbils il·luminen el lloc desitjat, una passada!).
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I found the festival unexpectedly. One evening I was coming back home from Seoul History Museum, where since some months you can see a spectacular model of Seoul (where some interactive panels help to find exact locations and some moving lights point the desired location, great!).

Maqueta de Seoul (@ Seoul History Museum) 1

Maqueta de Seoul (@ Seoul History Museum) 5

Algú em va dir que totes aquestes maquetes, havien d'estar al popular festival de Jinju, però es va cancel·lar a última hora a causa de l'alerta de grip A en aquella zona. Total, que es va traslladar el festival a la capital, i probablement el va acabar veient moltíssima més gent. És igual l'hora que sigui, sempre hi ha gent passejant per la vora del riu Cheonggye.
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Someone told me that all these light models, should have been in Jinju festival, but that was canceled at the last minute because of the swine flu alert in the area. So, the festival moved to the capital city, and probably ended up being seen for a lot more people. It doesn't matter the time of the day, there are always people walking alongside the Cheonggye stream.

Colors.like.no.other

Lantern wall

Asimo

Bambis