Giant Robot Store and GR2 News
Park Jae-Sang, better known as Psy, and his hit song “Oppa Gangnam Style”has taken the world by storm without any sign of slowing down. As the newly deemed King of Kpop joyously revels in his newfound fame, it might come as a surprise to some that he wasn’t always so congenial towards America. A video surfaced from a concert in 2004 where he smashed a miniature model of a tank on stage while the crowd raucously cheers, coupled with the lyrics: 싸이 rap : 이라크 포로를 고문해 댄 씨발양년놈들과 고문 하라고 시킨 개 씨발 양년놈들에 딸래미 애미 며느리 애비 코쟁이 모두 죽여 아주 천천히 죽여 고통스럽게 죽여 Translation: Kill those fucking Yankees who have been torturing Iraqi captives Kill those fucking Yankees who ordered them to torture Kill their daughters, mothers, daughters-in-law, and fathers Kill them all slowly and painfully. This song may have come around the time of the U.S.’s internationally maligned invasion of Iraq, but there’s an older context beneath all this. South Korea adhered to the Sunshine Policy towards North Korea up until Lee Myung-Bak’s presidency. The policy was intended to improve relations between the North and South with the (partial) aim of (eventual) reunification. Critics say that the downside of such a fool’s crusade is that the South opted for the North’s interests over the former’s closest ally, the United States. This included, as B.R. Myers alleges in his book The Cleanest Race, “encouraging an anti-American line in education and urging the media to ‘finlandize’ their coverage of the DPRK.” It doesn’t stop there. On June 13th, 2002, a military vehicle accidentally killed two teenage girls in what would later be deemed the “Yangju Highway Incident.” The tragedy sparked a greater wave of anti-American sentiment along with Apolo Ohno 2002 Winter Olympics controversy. The Korea Herald ran a story in Dec. 2002, on “Socially Active Celebrities” supporting the ROK’s Anti-American ’cause.’ Guess which celebrity’s name pops up? Flight of the Kiwi posted more excerpts from the article. This is all the more reason why its so curious that he’s beaming with America’s affection towards him. As of right now, the best defense on his end is that he was merely pandering to popular sentiments of the time. Either that or he could just be an opportunist as this one CNN iReport suggests. Nevertheless, the important question is how Americans will receive it if news of his previous opinions go viral.
Continue reading
The Japan travel tips continue. Is it peak travel time to Japan? The yen is still high and the simple travel tips are helpful but in the end, it’ll save you a few dollars out of the hundreds you’ll be spending just to get around. This tip by CNN is about the subway system. It won’t help you really get anywhere, but it’ll explain how things can work. You can also buy a PASMO card instead of the SUICA card. (CNN – Tokyo subway)
Continue reading
photo by Thomas Nakanishi Things stay true throughout the generations of blogging about Japan. Here’s what one CNN reporter says about Japan, and it falls under “travel surprises”. In a nutshell. 1) Stylish kids everywhere. Yes, those expensive haircuts are everywhere. 2) Both tech and old school together. Yes this happens when a country has been around for much longer than the USA. 3) Tokyo is big. So big, you can a little of everything. 4) Expensive but also not. Yes melons can be $100, but you can eat udon for $4. 5) Clean. Not Singapore clean, but clean. (CNN – Japan)
Continue reading
Jeremy Lin interviewed on CNN! 5 minutes long. [youtube]OtiyQFqkXQM[/youtube]
Continue reading
200 kinds? This is news to us. There’s surely been 30 or so, but 200? We’d like to see a list of the flavors! Anyone have one? A quick search yielded no list. From CNN: “Running with that tonal advantage and tapping into Japan’s love of novelty, Nestlé has produced over 200 special edition flavors of the chocolate bar since 2000, often sold as gifts rather than snacks bought on the go. From wasabi and green tea to flavors specific to regions of Japan (Hokkaido roasted corn flavor, anyone?), Nestle has kept up the innovation to make it a mainstay on the shelves of stores across Japan, even making souvenir editions around holidays and events.”
Continue reading