Here’s a recent mix I put together. I’ll be starting to play out this autumn. Pretty exciting stuff.

Track list.

Satisfaction (DiscoTech Remix) - The Rolling Stones
Jeffer - Boys Noize
My Adidas (Pilotpriest Remix) - RUN DMC
Heartbeats Extended Mix - GRUM
Might Like You Better (GRVRBBRS Remix) - Amanda Blank
Taken Away (Gooseflesh Remix) - Digitalism
Skeleton (Pance Party Remix) - Felix Cartal
Day Off - Xinobi
House of Jealous Lovers (Tenderloins Remix) - The Rapture
Jump (Funkanomics Planet Cross Remix) - Kriss Kross
Dirt Off Your Shoulder (Elroy Vanderlay Dirrty Edit) - Jay-Z
Medicine Teeth - Public
Rave is King (DISCODUST Edit) - FUKKK OFFF
Sound Reaction - GRUM
Harder Better Faster Strong/Lava Lava (Mr. Gaspar Mashup) - Daft Punk vs. Boys Noize
& Down (Disco Trash Music Edit) - Boys Noize
Throw it On Me (The Bloody Beetroots Remix) - Timbaland
Phantom II (Boys Noize Unreleased Turbine) - Justice
Gay Dentists (JFK Edit) - Mr. Oizo

Download link (ZIP)

The reason for my weekly visit however, have been because I’ve set up a computer to my dad’s big-screen television in the living room, so that he can stream some Korean television programs off the net. I went back 3 times because each time I ran into a bunch of problems, and needed to regroup, and get new parts, or cables, etc.

I also gave my parents my digital camera, seeing as I barely ever use the thing anymore. So I taught my dad how to use Picasa, and import his photos, and email photos, which as it turns out came really handy.

It wasn’t even 30 minutes that I had left the house, finally satisfied with the new setup I had left my parents. Computer in the living room, wi-fi connection, and a new digital camera. But just 30 minutes later, I got a call from my dad. These days, a call from my dad usually means he needs some tech support.

“Something’s happened to ‘the firefox’” my dad says on the phone.
“Can you describe it?”
“Well, you know those quicklink things you setup for me, I can see that, but the picture is covering it. I can’t see anything” he said.

Totally confused, I tried to hash out what happened for about 10 minutes before giving up. “Sorry dad, I don’t know what the problem is. I’ll have to fix it next week” I said much to his dismay. Because it meant for another week he could use the computer on the big screen. After I hung up, I had a revelation.

I called my dad back and told him to take a picture of the screen, so I can see the problem. I was happy with my genius idea until 5 minutes later when he called back because he forgot how to email a photo already

I finally manage to receive a photo from my dad of the screen and here’s what I got.
It turns out my mom had played around with the computer managed to 1. disconnect the wi-fi connection, and 2. resize the firefox window really small so they couldn’t see anything. The picture covering the firefox window, was just the background picture.

It then took me a good 10 minutes to get my dad understanding the concept of borders, and resizing, and moveable windows. It was cute actually. I’ve been impressed how much my father is adopting technology.

“They’ve surpassed me!” my brother exclaimed when I told him I was installing a computer on our parents tv. It’s true. My dad checks his emails and uses the internet more frequently than my brother does.

Never have I ever been confused by my own doppelganger.

I found the video thanks to Arleen:

BOOMBOX from Ely Kim on Vimeo.

Watching this video has definitely been one of the strangest experiences in my life. I’ve been known to, on occasion, dance with similar intensity. Hell I like most of his t-shirts. And the song selection. Hell I’m even gonna steal some of his dance moves. But wow. If this video gets more popular. I have a feeling it’s going to effect my life somehow, if only for a little while.

“Are you the dancer?” the guy goes, with his female friend in tow.

I had no idea what they were talking about, and I’m pretty sure my face said. The strangers I had been talking to are looking at me now, wondering ‘is he famous?’

“um. What? I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

It crossed my mind that because it was a birthday party, maybe they had ordered some ridiculous male stripper dancer. Except, I’m definitely not the stripper looking type. And I found it all the more peculiar that I would even suggest that idea knowing very well what I do, do not look like.

“You’re the dancer. I know you are.” The guy said this as he passed, and patted me on the shoulder, his friend wide eyed as she passed. His tone was confident, so sure that he knew I was right, and he passed on without making a fuss as if saying ‘don’t worry dude, your secret is safe with me.”

He leaves, and my friends like “What the fuck?”

My notion exactly.

***

Later on I’m back in the front room, having a little dance, having a good time, when the guy comes back to me, putting on his jacket. He came over to say goodbye like he was my friend, and I reciprocated his brotherly handshake, only realizing after we’ve locked hands I didn’t know who he was. I had already forgotten what had happen just earlier.

“Have a good night. I know you’re the dancer.” His friend is standing a few feet behind, smiling.

“Dude, what is this you’re even talking about? What’s this dancing shit?” I ask him.

“You’re that guy in the video, you’re that dancer man. I know you are. what’s your name?”

“Jason.” I show him my belt buckle for proof. For the first time the buckle has had a purpose other than holding my pants up. I show him my belt buckle thinking he’d for sure believe me, that I wasn’t whomever he was talking about.

“Aww, I know you’re the guy. You have a good night man. Good night dancer.”

So what’s a guy to do? I said goodnight, and I woke up this morning scouring the vast archives of YouTube with various search iterations trying to find some intriguing video of a large asian guy dancing.

This was the closest thing I could find.

If they didn’t mean that one, they probably meant this one.

I’m second from the middle left right side.

The only time I ever encountered any kind of racism was during my hockey career. Occasionally, members of the opposing team would shout ‘Hey Chink’ as I pass by their bench.

When I lived in Korea, I blended in nicely. But my poor language skills, and my obviously awesome English language skills again made me stick out a little. But again, I rarely felt any discrimination. Usually the stories or funny, or interesting.

This past weekend I traveled out to Lindsay, Ontario to visit a buddy for the night. Walking the streets of Toronto, you really notice the interesting make up of it’s demographic. You drive no more than 50 km out of the city, that can change drastically, depending on where you go. Markham is notorious for being a China-town. A lot of my brown friends from university all lived in Malton. Lindsay however, has pretty much one colour.

I’ll be honest, it was in the back of my head the moment I left the city. “I wonder if I’m going to have deal with anything tonight.”

There’s no reason for that thinking. I never struggled with being Korean, but it was still in my thoughts.

–

So we’re in this bar, fairly busy place. I’m the only Asian guy there, and we’ve got our group of people on the dance floor, and we’re all having a good time. As with any dance floor, you got the people traveling from A to B, which can be frustrating if you’re standing in what seems to be a freeway for dance-floor pedestrians.

One guy who’s going through, talking and meeting people as he goes, meets eyes with me and stops in his tracks. I had a big hood on so maybe he was surprised when he saw me. But in my, out loud he goes “Whooaa”.

I couldn’t help but laugh. He laughs uncomfortably realizing his faux pas, and goes “It’s cool man.” and pats me on the back and proceeds onward.

It was cool with him that I was Asian. That’s good to know.

Wrote a Christmas song this year. Check it out here.

Anyways, I’m going to put out a mix tape once a week I hope. My plan is to work with a set of songs for a whole week, doing one set a day, and practicing with that group of songs until I get really good at that set.

So here’s this week’s set:

TRACKLIST
Call Me Up (KILL THE NOISE Remix) - Chromeo
Phantom II (Boys Noize Unreleased Turbine) - Justice
Kiss Kiss (feat T. Pain) (A!AN AST0R Remix) - Chris Brown
I Am Not Drunk (The Bloody Beetroots Remix) - Benny Benassi
Yr Mangled Heart (Guns N Bombs Trashbags Remix) - The Gossip
American Boy (feat. Kanye West) (Kill The Noise Remix) - Estelle
I Get Around (Midnight Juggernauts) - Dragonette
Pool Party - SHAZAM
Beautiful Fighters (MSTRKRFT Remix) - Ayumi Hamasaki
Can’t Give You Up (Kill The Noise Remix) - Cryptonites
Let’s Make Out - Does It Offend You, Yeah?
Old Yellow Bricks (Cryptonites Tease The Monkey Remix) - Arctic Monkeys
Standing In The Way Of Control [Soulwax Nite Version] -The Gossip
Bounce (Extended Version) - MSTRKRFT Feat N.O.R.E. and Isis
Kavinsky - Testarossa Overdrive (SebastiAn Remix) - Kavinsky
We Are Rockstars - Does It Offend You, Yeah?
Hands of God - Cryptonites
Black Gloves (The Bloody Beetroots remix) - Goose

Length: 42:06
Size: 57.8 MB

Download Here (Right-Click and save)

jj.

Our reactions were mutually excited, and it was good/great/strange to meet someone again after…(counting)…7 years.

She had said something really nice to me though. What’s interesting is how my lasting memory of her is also her lasting memory of me.

“…just keep an open mind.” is what I said to her, encouraging her to get involved, and attend a leadership conference that in the previous year, had a big effect on me.

“So that’s what I think about every time I have to tackle something new.” she said to me. My words, ringing in her head, all this time. I was almost…moved.

So I gave her another piece of advice.

“Sometimes, you’ve got to do things your own way.”

Whether that goes hand in hand, contradicts, or is irrelevant to my advice from 7 years ago is up for debate. However, … that’s just the kind of mindset I’m in these days.

I’ve graduated Korea. “How do you feel?” says everyone and anyone. It’s definitely a mixed bag of emotions. I have been here three years. I’ve established a life here. And off I go again with my life in boxes Let’s start with the first bag.

Why I’m going home

“Time in Korea stands still.” That’s my number 1 favourite way to describe it.

I don’t hate Korea. I love it for many reasons. No tipping, cheap eating, no last call, comfortable lifestyle, rent paid, flights paid, hours paid, paid paid paid. Working as an English teacher in South Korea certainly has it’s monetary benefits. Whether you’re looking to save, or to live it up. (I was the latter, for sure.)

I’m not in love with Korea, however. Not being fluent in the local language can often get frustrating. My korean’s not that bad, but I often get weird looks mid conversation as soon as the topic goes to anything slightly complex. “Is he a foreigner?…or retarded?” is the look I often get. I also miss diversity, and the subsequent effect it has on the culture around me. Teaching English is also soulless, unfulfilling work. I won’t generalize. Perhaps it was only at my work place that it was this way. I crave progress, and I felt I was just standing still.

The biggest reason for going home, however, is to pursue a music career. I’ve spent years now cultivating my skills. My confidence is at an all time high, and I’m prepared to tackle it.

The next 6 months of my life will be spent narrowly focused on my art. I won’t go into detail of what kind/genre/style/sound/etc., I’ll be going for, because frankly, I’m not sure yet. I dont’ think any artist puts his brush to the canvas with the any absolute foresight of what he/she is about to create. I am prepared to do it wholeheartedly. That’s the best any artist can do, no? Do it with absolute love and maybe someone else will see that, feel that, hear that, and love it too.

6 months in the future, it will be spring, and I hope to be prepared to bring my work to the public. Then it’s full steam ahead.

And yes, I will be getting some sort of job. Money is the source of all life, isn’t it?

And now the second bag.

What I’m leaving Behind

I’ve certainly grown as a musician. Even developing something of a fanbase. I felt all warm inside Wednesday night, on my last open mic night, as people sang along as I performed one of my own songs, Snow Day.

Sidenote:
I also wonder if I’ve got the wrong idea, going back to Toronto to pursue music. It’s all about who you know, and I know people there…but I know people here too. The music industry here in my opinion is flawed, but it’s also very fertile ground. TonyB a local rapper in Daegu came up to me one night and said “I get what you’re doing , going home. But you know there’s cool shit going on here too. Really cool shit.” I tell people if I fail as a musician back home, I’d be back in Korea, and people laugh. BUt peopel doesn’t realize that I’m serious. TonyB is right. The ground isn’t fertile yet, but with enough (bull)shit piled on top (i.e. Every pop song in Korea) the soil underneath will be ripe for sowing and planting. Maybe in 2 years time, if I’m back, Korea will be ready for me.

More than anything though, it’s the friends I’ll miss most.

“Life in Korea can be tragic.” That’s my second favourite way to describe life in Korea. Moving to a foreign country, meeting other people, other foreigners, locals, and sharing awesome experiences with them; The whole time knowing, that you’ll probably have to say goodbye to these people again within the next 12 months. Whether they’ll be back again for another contract is always up in the air, but going away parties are always due.

I’ve had the benefit of meeting some very good people. People that have changed me, helped me, and who have even grown right with me.

Now I find myself close to welling up over and over, as I think of this, and that, and you and him, and her.

I call leaving Korea ‘graduation’, and this my commencement address because I find myself stirring with the same kind of excitement and anxiety as I did when I finished high school, and University. Gathered I am, amongst all of those closest to me, having spent numerous years together. Gathered, to say our goodbyes, to have our last drinks, last meals, last last last.

“HAPPINESS ISN’T REAL UNLESS IT IS SHARED.” –Jon Kraukaer
And it feels like I’m leaving behind those I want to share it with.

Wish me luck.