Events, Featured, Featured Article, Just for Fun, Musings of a K-pop Fangirl, Random Zombie Thoughts, What's New

Zombie’s Adventures in San Francisco: RM x SFMOMA

Leave a comment

Have you ever sent a text message to a friend so outlandish that you knew there was no way on Earth she’d ever take you seriously? But instead of her just laughing it off like you expected her to, she replies with, “Hmm… I think you’re right,” and the next thing you know, you’re booking flights and making hotel reservations and buying tickets to a museum half a continent away? 

Yeah, I hadn’t either. At least not until about a month ago. 

Now here I am, sitting at my computer, not entirely convinced I actually took such an insane little trip, because it all happened so fast, it was like I blinked and it was over! However, the hundreds of photos sitting in my camera roll, all prove that I did, in fact, fly to San Francisco on little more than a wish and a whim. 

So what could possibly inspire such a last-minute, whirlwind trip? You mean, other than the natural draw of the California coast and the chance to not be at work in dreary ole Wisconsin for once? 

Why the RM x SFMOMA exhibit, of course! 

Well, that combined with the fact that I’ve recently been suffering from a severe case of Wanderlust, and have never been to San Francisco, and saw this as a perfect opportunity to not only see an exhibit I’d been dying to see since I first heard about it, but also get out and scratch that need-to-travel itch. Isn’t multi-tasking wonderful?

While I could very easily dedicate an entire post to my non-RM-related adventures, I’m not sure there are very many people who actually want to read about them. I mean, San Francisco is an amazing city and I really did cram as much quintessential SF into my trip as I possibly could. But the entire point of the trip was to visit RM’s Between You and Me exhibit at the city’s Museum of Modern Art, so that’s what I’m choosing to focus on.

I will say, I have no desire to walk anyone through this exhibit piece by piece; in part, because I know there are plenty of people out there who mean to experience this exhibit for themselves and I don’t want to spoil this exhibit for anyone, and in part because my experience will not be the same as anyone else’s. Art has this incredible ability to speak to anyone who takes the time to listen, and the funny thing is, even if we all stopped to listen together, we’d all hear something different.

Because art speaks to us in uniquely personal ways, my experience at this exhibition is mine and mine alone. What spoke to me, moved me, made me smile, made me laugh, made me think, etc. did so because I brought to this exhibit an entire framework of existence that is uniquely me. That’s not to say that there aren’t others out there who laughed at the same silly sculptures or felt something pulling on their soul as they stood in front of Yun Hyon Keun’s paintings, I’m simply saying that my experience is merely one of many. 

What I’m sharing in this post are the things that stood out to me, for no other reason that they just did. Because like RM says, “Sometimes you just like something, and you’re not really sure why.”

Nothing in this post is in any specific order, neither are they in the order in which they’re on display at the exhibit. This is more a journey through my stream of consciousness as I reminisce over the bits and pieces of an exhibit I thoroughly enjoyed. 

That being said, I’ll start things off as one would when walking into the exhibit, just to give you a sense of beginning. Right away, you’re encouraged to scan a QR code that brings you to an audio tour of the exhibition, recorded by RM himself, or Namjoon, as he asked to be called while exploring the exhibit. (Something I will attempt to do as I write this though, I have to admit, it feels really strange to do so. I blame the journalist part of me, using stage names is ingrained in my brain.)

If Namjoon’s request to use his given name doesn’t give you an idea of just how personal the nature of this exhibit is, I honestly don’t know what will. Whether you listen in Korean or English is entirely up to you. I chose to listen to the English recording as I was wandering my way through the rooms, just because it was easier for my brain to process in the moment, but I did go back and listen to the Korean recording later. 

I will say that walking into this first room of the exhibit (the BLUEWATER room, for those who are curious), while having Namjoon speaking directly into my ear, was honestly a lot to process all at once.  I suppose most of that shock comes from the fact that I wasn’t really expecting the experience to feel so very intimate. I’m sure that’s a reflection of my own naivety, more than anything. Knowing Namjoon to be who he is, it was silly of me to expect this exhibition to be anything other than incredibly personal, and yet I did it anyway. Needless to say, walking through the exhibit with noise cancelling earbuds made the entire experience feel like Namjoon was personally walking me through the exhibit. I suppose that’s exactly why this audio guide was recorded in the first place, it just… He was… I don’t have… It… It was a lot, okay? 

Once I finally caught my breath and sort of mostly pulled myself together, I found myself settling into a very easy rhythm. Wandering at a pace that allowed me to listen, read, think, and feel, I made my way through the exhibition, stopping at anything that really caught my eye. Needless to say, I stopped a lot.

Walking through the FRIENDSCAPE room, I found myself thinking how nice it is to know I’m not the only one filling my house with odd little animals. Sure, Namjoon’s collection of silly critters are priceless cultural artifacts from bygone centuries and mine are things I’ve picked up at second-hand stores, but whatever. The sentiment is the same and that makes me smile.

I’m a little jealous that Namjoon’s wooden duck collection outnumbers my own, but it’s fine. My ducks get to chill on an overflowing bookshelf, alongside tin frogs, slightly neglected houseplants, and ceramic cats, while his gets to swim through a museum as fish fly overhead. And yes, you read that right. At this exhibit, the fish fly.

The fact that a school of funny little fish hangs just above the FRIENDSCAPE “duck pond” brings me no small measure of delight. Because what do you mean there’s a little school of fish flying over a pond filled with swimming ducks? The placement of these two pieces is so hilariously ironic, it’s nothing short of brilliant and I’m still chuckling over it, days later. What can I say, it doesn’t take a lot to make my silly little heart happy.

Living in the Chicagoland area, I’ve visited my fair share of museums, art and otherwise, so I’m pretty familiar with Georgia O’Keeffe’s Sky Above Clouds IV, an absolutely massive piece that graces one of the stairwells at Chicago’s Art Institute. I’ve always liked her work, so discovering this little petunia painting just chillin’ in Namjoon’s exhibit did something funny to my brain. Maybe it was just being reminded of the breadth of an admired artist’s work that did it, or maybe it’s just that I really like purple petunias. I don’t really know. Whatever the reason, I spent a lot of time looking at this single flower, marveling at how something so small can make you feel so much. 

For anyone freaking out over the fact that RM owns a Georgia O’Keefe, that’s valid because holy crap, that would be amazing! However, this piece isn’t one from RM’s personal collection. Who knows if he even owns one? I suppose I wouldn’t mind asking him some day but when would that ever actually happen? (The answer is, NEVER.) Still, I do have an ever-growing list of questions I’d love to ask someday. Things like: Do you own an O’Keeffe? Have you ever read Michael Ende’s The Neverending Story and/or been traumatized by Wolfgang Petersen’s 1984 film adaptation? (A question I’ve been dying to ask since the release of “moonchild”. IYKYK) Soju or beer? Snorlax or Pikachu? If you stood in front of Ivan Albright’s That Which I Should Have Done I Did Not Do (The Door), would you walk through or run from it? (A question I still can’t answer for myself.) Would you…

HOLY FREAKING RABBIT HOLE, BATMAN! 

Back to the Petunia painting… This particular painting is one of the pieces pulled from SFMOMA’s collection, exclusively for this exhibition. Did Namjoon choose to include this piece himself? I’d like to think so, after all, isn’t that what curators do? Maybe someday someone will ask him that question and then we’ll know for sure. Until then, it’s fun to let the brain fill in the blanks in whatever creative way it wants. Don’t you think?

While we’re still on the topic of Georgia O’Keefe, I very much appreciated the collection of quotes Namjoon put together from artists that inspire him, particularly this one from one of my favorite Wisconsin natives:

“I’ve been absolutely terrified every moment of my life, and I’ve never let it keep me from a single thing that I wanted to do.” 

I’m not sure I’ve ever read a more relatable quote. Then agan, listening to Namjoon talk about the life and struggles of Park Re Hyun was equally relatable. A mother of four, who carried the weight of her family on her back, using whatever time she could manage to scrape together at the end of the day to pursue her passion? Hmmm… It’s so hard to imagine why that would hit hard and deep… Once again, the words of the artist herself struck a chord with me:

“Woman and domestic life! This is a world only those who’ve lived it can understand…”

She’s not wrong. Looking at her piece, aptly entitled “Work,” I felt her struggle to find the balance between living up to the unreasonable expectations placed on all women who take on the role of mother while simultaneously struggling to satisfy the need to be true to her authentic self. Because let’s be real. How many mothers out there have put their true selves aside in order to raise children, run households, and support another individual’s dreams? I spent 25 years trying to cram myself into a tiny box just to fit the ridiculous expectations of a man who didn’t deserve even a fraction of what I gave him, while simultaneously raising four children on my own and nearly losing every last bit of myself in the process, so much so that it took years and years and years to get even a fraction of myself back. So yeah, I feel Park Re Hyun’s struggle in every way possible and deeply admire the fact that despite everything, she was able to create not just a name for herself but a legacy.

Because apparently I was just meant to identify with all of the artists Namjoon decided to showcase in PASSION, I keenly felt the quotes of Louise Bourgeois:

“I have been to hell and back, and let me tell you, it was wonderful.”

While I can’t say my own journey to hell and back was wonderful, I can say that life on the other side absolutely is. Seeing as how that’s not something I ever thought I’d be able to say, because my hell was deep and dark and borderline deadly, I’m happy to report that it is, in fact, true. 

Namjoon also chose to highlight another quote from Louise Bourgeois:

“I need to make things. The physical interaction with the materials has a curative effect.”

And once again, I found myself agreeing with her on a very personal level. Despite spending the majority of my life as a creative soul, my personal need to create was something I lost while clawing my way through that deep, dark hell. All energy during that period of my life went into simply surviving. Creativity in all its forms vanished and even after I managed to pull myself out of that darkness, the creative side of myself refused to return. I spent years convinced that part of myself was gone for good and only within the past year have I really started to see it return. Needless to say, I’m extremely happy to have it back!

Walking through the HOME collection of Namjoon’s exhibit brought me so much joy. A quick glimpse at my Pinterest boards will tell you I have a deep affinity for pots, pitchers, cups, kettles, and any other form of pottery that strikes my fancy. There’s something about the lines of a well-sculpted pot that makes my brain so happy. Needless to say, seeing that this love is shared by others, Namjoon included, made me smile. I particularly love that his affinity for small creatures is carried over into his collection of pottery and knick-knacks. The little frog guy on this pot is one of my absolute favorites! He just looks like he’s having so much fun, living his best little froggy life.

When you walk into the PEOPLE room and stop to read the introduction, Namjoon admits that he doesn’t have any photographs of himself in his home which, I totally get. For him, it has more to do with living a life in the public eye whereas for me, it has everything to do with my life-long struggles with self-esteem. (Something I’ve gotten a lot better with over the years, but I still can’t get myself to put up photos of myself. It just creeps me out and I don’t like it.) 

For one such as Namjoon, it’s easy to understand why having a place to escape the scrutiny of the world would be essential. But walking in the PHOTOBUDDHA room, past a TV watching Buddha whose camera is always watching you does cause one to wonder a few things; especially when one stops to consider where this TV Buddha resides when it’s not entertaining the masses at an exhibit in San Francisco. Maybe I’m just thinking too much here, but I do have quite a few more questions I’d like to ask him about this one piece in particular. 

One of my favorite things about seeing paintings in person is being close enough to see all the little details you miss in a photograph: the brush strokes, the layers of paint, the texture of it all. Seeing the texture in Oh Chi Gyun’s Untitled (Walking) had all the little happy chemicals in my brain firing at once! I swear, I could have stood in that room, absorbing every little detail of this one painting for a very, very, very long time. It’s just soooo good!

As an occasional quilter, sometimes felt doll maker, and random cross-stitcher, anytime I come across a piece of textile art, my little sewist heart does a jaunty jig. Needless to say, Lee Shin Ja’s Image of City made me very, very happy. I’m gonna say it’s that whole texture thing coming back into play here. There’s just something about the way textile art looks and feels – the heft of a finally pieced together quilt top, all raw edges and exposed seams or the back of a cross-stitch piece, the chaotic threads revealing a much different story than the neatly placed stitches one sees on the other side – that is so freaking satisfying. So yeah, finding bits of textile art throughout this exhibit made my heart swell with joy.

Another one of my favorite things about walking through an art museum is how often you inadvertently stumble across a piece of yourself. I’ve found bits and pieces of myself in all sorts of different sculptures and paintings over the years, but never in a million years would I have imagined I would find a piece of art so literally me that it would make me laugh out loud. And then I found Antony Gormley’s Meme in Namjoon’s I DON’T KNOW BUT I LIKE IT collection and I just lost it. 

Anyone who practices yoga on a fairly regular basis knows, stretching in random ways and places is basically second nature. You don’t really even think about what you’re doing, you just get the urge to stretch and the next thing you know, you’ve got a room full of people looking at you funny because you’re tree posing while sipping your strawberry matcha. Because I try to be cognizant of where I am and who I’m around, I try to keep my weird stretching confined to my house; which is why only my children could really appreciate my reaction when I sent them a photo of this sculpture with a message that simply said, “It’s me!” To which they all responded with a unanimous laugh-til-you-cry emoji because this silly little sculpture is, in fact, me, in my hallway, legs halfway up the wall, just chillin’ because I’ve spent 8 hours confined to a desk and if I don’t un-shrimp myself soon, I may actually turn into Quasimodo. Is this weird? Maybe, but not any more weird than Namjoon doing handstands in the green room before a concert. (Or that’s what I’m telling myself anyway. Honestly, does it matter if it’s weird or not? I’m nothing if not fully committed to living my best weirdo life from now until the rest of forever.) 

As much a reader as I am a writer (and yes, that is actually my day job), I absolutely fell in love with Namjoon’s collection of book boxes. Learning that each box was made for one specific book absolutely delighted my little library-loving heart. Of course, that knowledge immediately sent my brain a’wanderin’. What books did these boxes hold? Were they great teachings of Confucius? A collection of recipes from the palace’s head chef? A secret diary? A collection of household bills? I mean, the possibilities are endless! I may have been doing just a little side-eyeing when Namjoon admitted that he used at least one of these boxes as a display stand for an entirely different piece of art. Because seriously, my dude? Only you would be able to use priceless antiques, that are in and of themselves beautiful works of art, to display other priceless pieces of art that, I have no doubt, are equally beautiful and priceless. Oh, to be so lucky! 

Meandering through the last room of Namjoon’s exhibit, aptly entitled UMBER, I soon found myself standing before a painting that pulled so hard on my soul, it felt as if an invisible hand had wrapped itself around my heart and tugged. If I could have found a way to crawl into Yun Hyong Keun’s Umber-Blue, I absolutely would have; just to see where this path of light might lead. I don’t know why this particular piece pulled on me so hard, it just did. Even now, reminiscing over the experience from nearly 2,000 miles away, I can still feel that tug on my soul. Like there’s a part of me, somewhere in that combination of dark and light, that wants to be found, or possibly remembered, and I think I could spend a very long time standing in front of this piece, looking for whatever it is my soul clearly recognizes as its own.

Sitting in the dark, with this one solitary painting in front of you, while listening to Namjoon’s final recording was honestly the most perfect way to end this experience. With so much to process, being invited to just sit and put yourself back together before walking back out into the big wide world, was something I very much appreciated. Sometimes being allowed to just sit and breathe is exactly what we need. Especially when you’ve just had your heart and soul served to you through the brushstrokes of an artist who, up until a few minutes ago, you didn’t even know existed.

Did I sit in this darkness for a good long while? Yes, yes I did. And it still felt like I wasn’t quite prepared to leave, when I finally convinced myself the time had come for me to move on.

If you have a chance to visit the RM x SFMOMA exhibit, you should definitely go. The thought and care Namjoon put into this exhibition is overwhelmingly obvious. From the pieces of his life he chose to share, to the hand-written notes scattered throughout the exhibit, to the audio guide he recorded in both English and Korean, the entire exhibit is a testament to how much this collection means to him and to an extent, a testament to just how much he loves ARMY. I can’t think of any other celebrity who would be so willing to give fans such an intimate look at the man behind the fame. 

Perhaps that’s really what this entire exhibition is about. Maybe it’s one man’s attempt to connect with a world he’s both a part of and a stranger to. Maybe it’s just as much a reminder to him as it is to us that at the end of the day, he’s just as human as the rest of us. Perhaps this is a reminder to us all that despite our differences, there are still things that bring us together, that make us uniquely human, and that are worth celebrating.

Whatever the motivation, this exhibition was absolutely worth the whirlwind cross-country trip I took on a whim and I just want to say thank you to RM for sharing something so precious with us. Once again sir, you have played a significant role in the healing of my very broken soul and given me memories that I’ll carry with me for a lifetime. 정말 감사합니다!

#TBT, Featured, Featured Article, K-Pop, K-Pop Ate Her Brain, Music, Musings of a K-pop Fangirl, What's New

BBC, Follow Me: A Little Trip Down Memory Lane

Having spent the entirety of my summer in a shameless BTS spiral, my current Apple Music Replay numbers are a bit… skewed. In an effort to bring a little variety back into my music listening, I decided to let the ole app choose my music for me and I’ve gotta say, while I hate handing control of my music decisions over to the corporate overlords and their mindless machines, the ZombieMamma station this dumb app has created is fairly on-point.

I can honestly say that I have been enjoying the crap out of this odd mix of 80’s rock, alt rock, J-Rock, pop-rock, 4 generations of K-Pop, feminist rage, and random crooners. It’s definitely an eclectic mix of music but it has been such a treat for the ears! I’ve especially been enjoying all of the 2nd & 3rd gen K-Pop, which have brought with them such a happy flood of memories and emotions, it almost brings a tear to my eye.

Which got me thinking… How many fantastic songs are out there in the world that new K-Poppers have never heard of? The truth of the matter is, far more than I could ever possibly write about. But what if I took a minute to shine a little light on an old favorite? Would it be worth it? Does it even matter? 

The simple truth is, it matters to me, which is all the reason I need. 

That’s why I’m presenting, for your listening enjoyment, one of the songs that was recently brought back to my attention. Not that I ever really forgot about the song, more it just got lost in the vast collection of music I’ve amassed since its release, back in 2016. Are you ready for this? 

Drumroll, please!

짜잔!

So why did Block B’s “Toy” stand out so much to me, both now and back in the day? One simple reason: Singing. Rappers.

Yup, that’s right. Rappers who sing. 

Now I know that in this modern age, “all-rounders” are all the rage and I totally get that. Logistically, it just makes sense for companies to put together groups of talent that can do it all, mostly because they don’t have to worry about filling holes, should a member need to take a step back, or let’s be real, quit altogether. And you know, the marketing perks aren’t bad either.

But back in the day, when groups had very defined roles for their members, it was rare for a rapper to have a chance to show off their vocal prowess. Which meant that when they did, our collective jaws would drop to the floor. 

BECAUSE WHAT DO YOU MEAN THIS MAN CAN RAP AND SING!?

Talk about a life-altering experience! Not only was your brain rushing a million miles an hour to try to process the fact that this ridiculous rapping machine could also sing like a canary, but your heart was trying to decide whether it was going to switch biases or just flat-out explode. To say it was a lot to deal with would be a HUGE understatement! 

At least I can say in all sincerity that ZICO has always been and always will be my Block B bias, but I swear, every time he sings, my knees get all sorts of weak and I find myself fighting off a serious swoon. *whisper screams* Because what do you mean this man raps and sings!?

Honestly, it’s the timbre of his voice that sends me. Good lord! That deeper, gravely growl that he does so well in his rap turned into buttery velvet when he sings? Are you freaking kidding me!? To be fair, he doesn’t sing all his lines at this register but that opening line? I could listen to it from now until the end of time! (And yes, there have been days when I have tried.)

With Block B being one of my favorite groups of the early 2010s it feels a bit wrong to only mention this one song when they have so many good ones. If you love this singing Zico as much as I do, you definitely need to check out “Movie’s Over” and “Be the Light.” Both are fantastic songs that perfectly highlight just how well this ridiculous man sings. 

If you prefer songs with a higher BPM, Block B definitely has you covered. Bangers like “Jackpot,” “H.E.R,” “Nillili Mambo,” “NalinA,” “Very Good”(the Rough Version will always be my favorite), will all have you up and dancing or at the very least, would make a fantastic addition to a workout playlist. And yes, I am speaking from experience on this. “H.E.R” actually sits near the top of my running playlist and I always enjoy the boost it gives my mid-run tempo.

Like many K-Pop groups, Block B didn’t just perform as a single unit. They had a couple of sub-units, including my personal favorite, BASTARZ. Was the unit created by pulling random member’s names from a hat? Yes, yes it was. (Well, that was the story at the time anyway.) Did that matter to any of us? Not even a little bit! U-Kwon, B-Bomb, and P.O made a fantastic trio and “Zero for Conduct” still tops my list of favorites. (I’m adding the MV here but you’ll have to watch it on YouTube because the world is dumb.)

Of course you can’t forget about the group’s other sub-unit T2U, which was good, but never really took off the way anyone hoped it would. The same could be said of the members and their solo work. Most of them gave it a solid try but none were as successful as ZICO. Which does make sense, considering he’s not only a rapper but also a singer-songwriter and producer. (Yes, other members have production credits as well, I know, but I’m trying to keep this somewhat short so let’s just agree to leave it at that and move on.)

While I do love a lot of ZICO’s solo work, including “Boys and Girls,” “Eureka,” “I Am You, You Are Me,” and “She’s a Baby,” some of my all-time favorites are the collaborations he did with other artists. When he and Winner’s Mino teamed up on Show Me the Money 4, to bring us “Okey Dokey,” I lost my ever-loving mind! The same thing happened when he, Dean, and Crush teamed up as FANXY CHILD to bring us “Bermuda Triangle.” There’s just something magical that happens when ZICO and other artists pair up!

I know that there are a lot of us older K-Pop fans out there who can look back on these “older” days with fondness and a reminiscent smile. Those were good times, weren’t they? Collaborations were fun and collaborative performances were a genuine treat! Like the time Block B & BTS stormed the stage of the 2014 Mnet Asian Music Awards with a song and dance battle that will forever be engrained in our little brains.

If you were a fan of Block B, you remember the struggles the group faced, really, from the very beginning, and how every time they caught a bit of momentum, another tragedy of one sort or another seemed to strike and they’d have to start all over again. Honestly, being a BBC was always so difficult! Not because of the group, but because it seems like they just couldn’t ever catch a break. Still, their music was fun, their performances were fantastic, and they brought so many of us so much joy. To this day, my signed copy of Jackpot is one of my most prized possessions and I will forever have memories of the times I saw them live (and a very specific look from ZICO), floating around in my brain. *happy sigh*

For those of you who have no idea who this group is, please, go look them up! They might have been slightly rebellious and maybe a little too much for some people but honestly, that was exactly why the rest of us loved them. There’s just something about that edgy, bad boy persona that’s just so hard to resist, ya know?

As for those of you that loved Block B as much as I did, (BBC follow me!) I have to ask, which albums/songs/MVs/performances were your favorite? Who was/is your bias? Let me know! I’d love the chance to reminisce together! 

Exploring Chicago's Korean Side, Featured, Featured Article, Just for Fun, Restaurants

Go Goo Ma: A Taste of Korea in Chicago’s Northwest Suburbs

If you ever find yourself in Chicago’s Northwest Suburbs (or anywhere within a reasonable driving distance) and you’re hit with a sudden craving for Korean food, you might want to give Go Goo Ma a try.

Hidden in a strip mall off Algonquin Road, this little Hoffman Estates restaurant might not look like much, but believe me when I tell you, the food more than makes up for any lacking curb appeal. Walking in, the place feels very much like a typical suburban Chinese restaurant, with booths and tables filling the bulk of the room while photograph-filled wall of menu items surrounds a large marble counter at the back.

For those who aren’t as familiar with Korean dishes or their sometimes intimidating-looking names, (or for those who are like me and can read Korean but have a brain that shuts down every time they try to speak), each item on the menu is conveniently numbered, so once you finally figure out what you want (which, believe me, is no easy task as the temptation to order one of everything is real), ordering is a breeze. The owner/chef/order-taker/master-of-all-things, is a very nice older gentleman who has no problem helping you navigate the menu, should you find yourself struggling. 

The restaurant is built around a self-serve model, so once you place your order, it’s up to you to grab your drinks and find a place to sit. (You also have to pick up your food from the counter, once it’s ready, and return your trays/dishes prior to leaving.) Visiting on a Friday night in the middle of June, there was no shortage of open tables, which was a nice switch from the hour-plus lines that one is typically forced to suffer through at some of the area’s more popular all-you-can-eat Korean BBQ restaurants. 

Visiting a Korean restaurant with a friend who shares your affinity for spicy food is always a good idea, as you never have to worry about skipping your favorite dishes in favor or something a bit more mild. However, letting your shared love of spicy food dictate your entire order does mean your need for drink refills increases exponentially. Luckily, Go Goo Ma offers unlimited refills on iced tea, which I’m not gonna lie, made our dining experience far more enjoyable than it might have otherwise been. But more on that in a minute.

Because I couldn’t justify ordering everything on the menu (despite how badly I wanted to), my friend and I settled on those few things that really caught our eye. Starting our meal with an order of tteokbokki (떡볶이) and a bowl of odeng-guk (오뎅국), I knew we’d discovered a real gem of a restaurant when that first sip of broth drew an utterly inappropriate noise from somewhere deep inside me and that first bite of tteokbokki brought a literal spice-induced tear to my eye. 

Believe me when I tell you, this tteokbokki is not for the weak; but for those who can handle the heat, it is an absolute treat! The rice cakes were perfectly chewy, the fish cakes were absolutely delicious, the sauce was spicy but well-flavored, and despite the fact that it made my mouth burn, it wasn’t in any way unpleasant. In fact, the heat did absolutely nothing to keep me from coming back for more, and more, and more. As for the odeng-guk, the broth was incredibly flavorful, the fish cakes were delightfully chewy and as equally delicious as those used in the tteokbokki, and honestly, between the two dishes, I felt like the only thing missing was the hustle and bustle of a busy Korean street behind us as we snacked on these iconic street food staples.

Of course, to make this a true food adventure, one has to order more than two items, which is why my friend and I followed up these street treats with an order of yangpun bibimbap (양푼비빔밥) and chulpan ojingeo bokkeum (철판 오징어볶음), to share, of course. Both dishes came with a side of radish kimchi and a salad, and the stir-fried squid was accompanied by a bowl of rice as well. As delicious as both dishes were, I will admit that having that little bit of salad on the side was a nice way to cut through the richness of the squid. 

For those who enjoy Korean food but don’t want to suffer through the heat of a spicy dish, several of the dishes at Go Goo Ma have either a sweet, mild, or spicy option, so you only have to suffer through a burning mouth if you want to. I personally went with the spicy option for my stir-fried squid but something tells me the sweet and mild options would have been equally delicious. Of course, there are non-spicy menu options like my friend’s bibimbap, but I will warn you now, the sauce that accompanied that bibimbap was anything but mild! I swear, I don’t think I’ve ever eaten a bibimbap sauce that spicy in my life! It honestly made my squid seem mild!

I really wish I could have tried more dishes during this first visit to Go Goo Ma (the bibim naengmyeon (비빔냉면) was really calling my name). Alas, my stomach can only hold so much food at a time and my friend and I still had more adventures to embark upon that evening so we had to call it good (at least for the moment). That being said, I would very much like to go back and do a bit more menu exploration. I’m sure I’ll make it back eventually, but in the meantime, maybe you can do a little exploring for me and let me know what you think? I’d love to hear about any dishes I might need to try, the next time I visit!

Concerts, Events, Featured, Featured Article, Just for Fun, Musings of a K-pop Fangirl, Recent Articles, Release The Fangirl, What's New

Zombie’s Adventures in Vegas: Day 4 – All Good Things…

One would think that after three incredible days in Vegas, there would be nothing left to say, especially not about the day I flew home. Oddly enough, adventure still managed to find me one last time…

Waking up far too early yet again, my friend was out the door before I was even dressed, off to drop her daughter off at work and bring back a life-saving cup of strong black coffee. While she was away, I reluctantly started packing. Despite not buying much, I still had to get a bit creative with my packing. I was very glad I decided to bring my big backpack because dang! By the time I was done, that sucker was full!

With packing complete and coffee consumed, it was time to check out of the hotel and head to lunch. Breakfast? Dinner? I’m not really sure what it was, but considering it was the only meal I had that day, does it really matter what it’s called?

Having consumed absolutely zero Korean food over the past few days, it only made sense to end our adventures with a little Korean BBQ. And what better place to scratch that itch than by visiting BTS’ favorite Korean restaurant? In all honesty, we weren’t going to bother going because the place had been packed all week and neither of us really felt like waiting in line for ages to eat a meal that would cost us way too much, when we could just as easily get something similar elsewhere. But then, as we were loading up the car, I started thinking… (A dangerous thing to do, I know!)

Here I was in Vegas, with one of my dearest friends, enjoying a BTS-filled week of wonder and joy. When would I ever have another chance to do something like this again? When would I be in a place where I could eat a meal at a restaurant known to be one of my favorite band’s favorite places, with dishes that were actual member favorites, with a friend who would appreciate it all every bit as much as I did? The answer was obviously never, so then I started thinking some more… Why would I let something as silly as a price tag keep me from enjoying this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity? Sure, the meal set was ridiculously overpriced but so what? My friend had done so much to make this week possible, covered so many of our expenses herself, it would be absolutely wrong of me to not do this one little thing in return. So I did the only thing I could do, I offered to make this one last hurrah my treat. Because why not? It’s Vegas, baby and you really do only live once!

I’m happy to say it didn’t take her much convincing to join me on this little adventure, so off we went! It was early enough in the day that we were one of the first in line at the restaurant, which was great because it meant we got to sit on the bench right in front of the storefront, under the awning and out of the sun. I guess the K-Pop gods were still looking out for us! Little did I know just how much! 

Being one of the first in line, we were very naturally one of the first to be seated. Not long after seating us, one of the older gentlemen working (and by older I mean my age, so not actually old at all) came over to talk to the ladies at the table next to us, before working his way over to us. While we chatted, he casually asked if we liked BTS, to which we casually replied in the affirmative, adding that we’ve been fans for a very long time. When he wrapped up the conversation and walked away, we figured that was the end of it but about halfway through the meal he came back, as servers usually do, to check on how we were doing and start up a little more chit-chat. This time, as we were chatting, he happened to just casually throw out that BTS had been in for dinner at around 02:00 that morning. My friend and I were happy to hear that, as it’s not every day you occupy the same space as your favorite humans within such a short amount of time. But that little tidbit of news was just a teaser for what he was about to tell us. 

Turns out, not only was BTS eating dinner in the same restaurant we were now dining, mere hours earlier, but they were sitting in the exact same seats we (and the three ladies at the table to my left) were now sitting. To say our collective minds were blown would be a bit of an understatement. I asked my friend if she had any idea who might have been sitting in her seat but in the end, she didn’t have to guess because the same gentleman came back again and told us exactly who was sitting where. The woman closest to me at the table next to us was sitting in RM’s seat, across from her was where Jin had been sitting, and next to her was where J-Hope had been sitting. My friend, turns out, was sitting in Suga’s seat and I was sitting in Jungkook’s. 

Now, I’m not one to go absolutely bat-shit crazy, just because I’m breathing the same air as my favorite idols (I might get a little excited every now and then but nothing too crazy, I swear!) but finding out that you’re sitting in a seat that was occupied, only hours before, by BTS is an unexpected surprise, to be sure! I mean, when you think about it, what are the freaking odds? The restaurant wasn’t small, they could have seated us anywhere, but they sat us right there, at that exact moment, with no chance of anyone else having sat there since BTS left… It’s just one of those things that’s too crazy to really comprehend and yet, it happened. We sat in their seats, eating foods that they love, at a restaurant they love, right after seeing them give us a show we all loved… Talk about a surreal moment! And to think we almost missed out on this weird and random happenstance because of something as ridiculous as money… It’s wild, man. Absolutely wild!

Had the K-Pop gods really been smiling on us this entire time? I don’t know but there had been plenty of moments over the past few days when it felt like they had been and that was definitely one of them!

From the restaurant we went around the corner to visit a pretty groovy K-Pop store where I spent way too much money buying albums I should have owned years ago but somehow never got around to buying as a physical copy. I would say don’t judge me but really, I don’t care if you do. Life was rough in those days and I’m just happy I have the means to make up for lost time now! Bringing home five albums wasn’t on my things-to-do-in-Vegas list, but considering out of those five albums, three of them had Jimin’s photo card in them, I’d say it was totally worth it! (And yes, for those of you who don’t already know or haven’t been able to figure it out by now, Jimin is my bias and has been for a very, very, very long time.)

The worst part of traveling is knowing that eventually, you have to go home. With the day quickly getting away from us, there were just a couple more stops we had to make before we headed for the airport. Luckily, one of those stops was next to a cute little cafe that just happened to be advertising a BTS-themed drink on their sidewalk sandwich board. Unable to resist one last little treat, we stepped inside and I walked out with the cutest little ARMY-themed latte which, coincidentally enough, was also quite tasty. Drink-in-hand, it was time to head to the airport, my heart overflowing with joy so intense, I had to fight really hard not to just break down and cry.

To say this trip was unforgettable feels like such a ridiculous understatement. Spending four days with people who heal your soul is always a good thing, but doing that in a city full of fellow ARMY who are overflowing with an abundance of joy that rivals your own, is something else entirely. The city felt alive with this overall sense of community and camaraderie that I’m convinced you could never find anywhere else on earth. I mean, I suppose if BTS takes over another city like this, you might be able to experience the same thing there, but I don’t know… There’s just something about Vegas. It has an energy all its own and when you pair that with the love and devotion of tens of thousands of ARMY, it’s really nothing short of magic. 

Concerts, Events, Featured, Featured Article, Just for Fun, Musings of a K-pop Fangirl, Recent Articles, Release The Fangirl, What's New

Zombie’s Adventures in Vegas: Day 3 – Coffee is a Necessity, Concerts are Life!

With one concert behind me and another beckoning, I knew this third day in Vegas was going to be another one for the history books. I just had no idea how memorable this day was actually going to end up being! Which, at this point, seems to be par for the course…

This is NOT the coffee we had but honestly, does anyone really want to take photos of the world’s worst cup of coffee???

After two full days of Vegas shenanigans and only three hours of sleep (again), one could hardly blame me for taking my third day in Sin City a little easy. Up far too early (yet again), there was only one thing to do: HUNT. DOWN. COFFEE. Sadly, the closest coffee was a friggin’ Starbucks which was hands-down the most disappointing experience of my entire trip. Having spent three agonizingly long years working as a barista/trainer, I do have to marvel at this location’s ability to royally screw up 6 shots over ice. Standing there, watching my shots die (twice), I really wanted to cry. (Talk about depresso espresso!) Miraculously, I pulled myself together long enough to gather my sad, pathetic coffees and trudge back up to the room. 

It’s truly wondrous, the magic that happens when you’re with a good friend. Despite the god-awful coffee, the vibes for the day picked up as soon as I walked into our room. Agreeing that neither one of us actually felt like doing much, we decided that the best way to spend the day was to order room service and chill. Naturally, when you’re hours away from a BTS concert and a dedicated fangirl for life, “chill” really means “spend the entire day making more freebies.” Which is exactly what we did.

Of course I had to make a little something for myself! And no, I’m not biased at all!

Armed with more beads than my grandparents at Mardi Gras (and yes, they absolutely DID go to Mardi Gras and the amount of beads they brought back for us grandkids was so impressive it lives as a core memory in my brain to this day), we got to work. Our goal: to make as many lightstick charms as we possibly could while my friend’s daughter worked. (Poor kid, having to work when BTS has claimed the city… Boo!) Combining our creative energy, we spent the next few hours crafting as we talked and laughed and just enjoyed a peaceful moment spent in each other’s company. 

While sitting around in a hotel room for hours, making BTS crafts might not seem thrilling to a lot of people, I can tell you with absolute certainty, it’s exactly what my soul needed. There’s something so cathartic about pouring creative energy into something you love and when you get to do that with a friend, it’s even better; especially when you and said friend have spent the last decade existing on different sides of the country.

With charms made, packaged, and work done for the day, it was finally time to get ready and head back to the stadium. Despite having experienced the wonder and magic of BTS the night before, I was still a mess of nerves and excitement. I mean, it’s not every day you get to see BTS, and that whole not knowing which surprise songs they’re going to do really adds a level of excitement and anticipation! After all, they played one of the songs of my friend’s DJ, Spin sign yesterday. What if they played one of mine tonight??? The very thought was enough to make the butterflies in my stomach breakdance!

Wending our way through Mandalay Bay, we once again found ourselves in the middle of a giant freebie exchange and with these freaking adorable charms in-hand, my friend was absolutely swarmed! I mean, I had stickers & photocards to hand out, which were happily accepted, but man! These charms made people go absolutely feral. I think pairing them with a bias photocard might have had something to do with that but still! It was so funny, watching her surrounded by near-feral ARMY while I stood off to the side with my handful of freebies, just chillin’. 

Once the charms ran out we made our way back across the bridge and into the stadium. Again, club seats are the way to go! We were on the opposite side of the stadium, but the food was equally delicious. Char siu pork over rice, with Hawaiian mac salad and seasoned vegetables? C’mon! It was a whole-ass Hawaiian plate lunch and it was so freaking tasty! Delicious food aside, we also had our own little merch booth which actually had the one thing I’d been looking for: the friggin’ lightstick cradle. Unable to resist temptation (yet again) I had to buy it because I am nothing if not weak and pathetic!

With tummy full and merch in-hand it was time to find our seats. An easy enough task, considering I was one seat in from the end. Though I was a little sad I wasn’t sitting with my friend for this show, I had no problem talking to the girl next to me. Which, to be honest, is really odd because as I’ve already said, small talk just isn’t my thing. I suppose I felt the need to say something before the show started and I broke down into a psychotic mess of a fangirl, just so she knew I was at least sorta normal. Or could be at times anyway… 

Not that normal would be the word to use to describe me once the show started. I swear, the second I saw that smoke-bearing runner took the stage, I completely lost my shit. Again. 

From that point on, there was no hope for me. I was so caught up in the moment, all I could do was sing and dance and do my darndest to try to embed this night in my memory for all eternity. I’m honestly not sure how well I did that last part, because gosh darnit, I was such an emotional mess! Still, there are moments I most definitely remember.

I remember Hobi’s very first “Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!” during the opening lines of “Hooligan” and the way 70,000 voices joined him in perfect unison, yet with a level of unbridled excitement so wildly exuberant, it set the tone of the entire rest of the evening. I remember the energy that carried on through “Aliens” and how everyone in the entire stadium was singing along as RM declared, “Everybody know now where the K is!” I remember smiling like a damn fool as the choreography for “Run BTS” made my freaking brain melt in exactly the same way it had the night before.

I remember feeling every broken heartbeat as they sang their hearts out to “they don’t know ‘bout us” and feeling my soul answer the call to wild abandon during “Like Animals.” (Seriously, one of the best tracks on the entire album and certainly my favorite!) I remember screaming “FAKE LOVE!” with all the emotion only someone who’s lived through life’s most bitter heartbreaks possibly can, and being transported to a place of peace and reassurance as BTS performed “Swim.”

Once again, I felt the heartbreak so obviously present in “Merry Go Round” and how sincerely I wished the men who brought me so much joy could find an equal measure of joy somewhere in this big wide world. 

I remember the absolute elation that took over when those first few notes of “2.0” started playing. I swear, that song is so freaking good, but seeing it live takes it to an entirely different level. That choreography is just… *chef’s kiss*! If I hadn’t been losing my absolute shit, I would have been in utter awe. (Though maybe I hit that level of awe first and that’s exactly why I lost my shit???) I’m gonna be honest with you, at this point in the show, I was just so overwhelmed with emotions so big, there was no way my poor little heart could contain them so things started to kinda blur together. I know they performed “NORMAL” because the emotion of that song had my heart breaking and soaring, all at the same time. (I really, REALLY love that song!)

And then they hit us with “MIC Drop” and to quote RM, “GODDAMN!” If you’re imagining a sold out stadium going absolutely wild, take that mental image, multiply it by about a thousand, and you might get close to the level of energy in the room at that exact moment. But then they went into their “FYA” / “FIRE” combo and holy fuck!

I know that between all these different sets, the guys took time to talk to us, smile at us, make our hearts flutter, and our minds melt, but do I remember what they said? No. I remember their smiles and their silliness but their exact words??? Beats the heck out of me!

I know that when they performed “Body to Body” the entire stadium sang the “Arirang” sample with a unified voice so loud you could clearly see the looks of pride and gratitude on every member’s face. I know that when “IDOL” started, we once again lost our shit and most definitely needed that moment between sets to at least attempt to collect ourselves. 

I remember Jimin being sick, which broke my heart because I absolutely hate it when my favorite people are sick. I remember that despite being sick, he still treated us to one of his incredible acrobatic flips and how it nearly stopped my heart because seriously, my dude. If you have a fever, you probably shouldn’t be flippin’! 

I remember my heart stopping when the band came back, singing “Come Over” as they made their way back to the stage. It didn’t matter that I’d seen them sing it the night before, it hit just as hard this second day and maybe even harder, just because I was so much deeper into my feels.

I remember Jin’s pigtails and the way they bopped around during the “Butter” / “Dynamite” set. I remember him shaking each member’s hand as he thanked them for working so hard to make this tour a success and the way he and Jungkook were absolutely hilarious with their shared antics throughout the night. I swear, those two are such an adorable pair; I can understand why people might mistake them for brothers! I remember V trying to kill us all by unzipping his hoodie to reveal a chest that was most definitely NOT covered by a shirt! I remember more of Suga’s wiggles and his ridiculously adorable smile during his closing comments. I remember RM being far too handsome for anyone’s good. (Seriously, that man needs to back ALL THE WAY OFF!) I remember Hobi stealing all our hearts with his unfiltered sunshine, lethal smile, and stunning moves.

And then came the surprise songs…

When they played “Boyz with Fun,” I thought I had reached the pinnacle of fangirl euphoria. But when I heard that first note of “Danger”? I. LOST. MY. SHIT. 

Did I go into these concerts expecting to cry? No. No I did not. Did that stop me from bawling my eyes out as I watched them perform one of my favorite songs, off one of my favorite albums? Absolutely not! Tears of joy streamed down my face as I watched my beloved boys (who are most definitely no longer boys) sing and dance and goof around to one of the songs that solidified my love for them, for all eternity.

I would have loved to have captured just a tiny piece of that glorious moment on camera but there was no freaking way I could even keep my phone in my hand, let alone film anything with it. I was so far gone, I’m pretty sure the poor dude sitting next to me thought I was having some sort of psychotic episode. To be fair, I probably was, but this song has so much sentimental value attached to it, I just couldn’t help myself!

Dark & Wild was THE album for me. At the time of its release, it was the epitome of what K-Pop could be, should be, and needed to be. The very same friend I was in Vegas with, was the friend I squealed over the phone with as we listened to this album together for the very first time. It was the album they were promoting, the first time I saw BTS perform in-person. That tousle-headed Jimin was the one I accidentally ran (quite literally) into at LAX. Dark & Wild was the album that solidified my love of BTS for always and for ever, so to have them play “Danger” on the last night, of the first leg of their 2026 tour, with my friend sitting just a couple rows in front of me, hit something residing at the very core of my being so hard it made my soul sing!

I wish I could give you a better recap of these concerts but the truth of the matter is, I didn’t go to see BTS to write about the show. I went to enjoy myself in every way I could which is exactly what I did. I was one of 70,000 other ARMY who gathered in Vegas to show BTS just how much we love them, just how much we missed them, and how happy we were to have them back. The energy that last night was beyond intense. Everyone goes to Vegas to have a good time but this… Being there, in that moment, was an experience beyond what anyone could have possibly imagined, myself included.

To say BTS ended the night on a high would be an understatement. By the time they got to “Please” and “Into the Sun,” the crowd was absolutely feral, especially when Jungkook changed the line, “Nobody knows me, honey…” to “Nobody knows me, Vegas, no one like you…” which he sang, in this perfectly glorious line of harmonies to the underlying track that sent the entire stadium into a frenzy! I have no doubt, every single person in that stadium left that night with a heart full of joy and a head full of memories. My dearest wish is that RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook are able to say the same. I hope they left Vegas knowing they’re as loved beyond measure and that ARMY will always be here to support them. No matter what.

Ending the night on such a high, there was really only one thing left to do… Grab mediocre food at midnight, miss the last tram back to the strip, be forced to walk back through the last of the casinos I hadn’t seen yet, and meander our way across the strip as we reminisced about our favorite moments of the night. Back at our room, my bed beckoned the second I walked through the door and I was far too weak to resist. Allowing myself to be wrapped in its sweet embrace, I let sleep claim me, my soul and peace and my heart full.

Concerts, Events, Featured, Featured Article, Just for Fun, Musings of a K-pop Fangirl, Recent Articles, Release The Fangirl, What's New

Zombie’s Adventures in Vegas: Day 2 – It’s Showtime!

When you wake up knowing that in just a few short hours, you’re going to be seeing one of your favorite bands live and in-person, the day just feels different. The sun is brighter, the birdsong is cheerier, the coffee is stronger… Well, the need for coffee is stronger anyway, especially when you’re running on Central Time while the rest of Vegas is grounded solidly in Pacific Time. Ugh! Why does 06:00 come so early!?

Despite my horrid brain’s incessant need to wake me up at 06:00, no matter where in the world I actually am, the day started off as well as any day could. Having experienced so much of what Vegas has to offer the day before, my friend and I agreed there was absolutely no reason to rush out and do things, especially not when we had a concert looming before us. Taking the morning to chill, listen to music, and get ready, we finally made our grand appearance in the world right around lunchtime.

Staying at Park MGM meant we had a wide variety of food options available to us but with this being a trip of firsts for me, we decided the best place to find sustenance was the Hard Rock Café. Being the music lover that I am, it’s a little hard to believe that I’ve never been to a Hard Rock in my life, but I have to say, the experience was pretty neat, even if the food was overpriced. (Though I will say that 20% off for K-Pop fans with concert tickets was nice!) Having finished our meal, we were invited to wander around the restaurant, which we were more than happy to do. Seeing little bits of music iconography, right in front of us, was pretty cool! The place had everything from a drum set that once belonged Bon Jovi’s Tico Torres, one of Kurt Cobain’s acoustic guitars, several animation cells from The Beatles’ “Yellow Submarine,” stage outfits for everyone from Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr. to Elvis, to David Bowie and KISS, and an entire display of guitar picks that ranged from John Lennon to Joni Mitchell to B. B. King and so many more! Having a bit of a weakness for guitar picks (and the players who wield them) this particular display almost made me cry!

After a quick trip through the gift shop, it was off to buy water and batteries, because spending any amount of time in the desert requires copious amounts of water to survive and also because I am a weak-willed fangirl who, after spending more than a month resisting the temptation to buy ridiculous amounts of concert merch, finally caved and bought a lightstick. Finding the only Walgreens in town that actually had batteries in stock, it was clear the K-Pop gods were smiling upon us. With our necessities secured, it was back to the room to work on concert signs!

I’m gonna be honest with you, I never remember that signs are a thing you can actually bring to a show. Usually, I’m so caught up in the excitement of just being there, that the existence of signs flies straight outta my head. Lucky for me, my friend is a veteran fangirl who never forgets such things. With craft supplies aplenty, we got to work! 

Being my own worst critic, I’ll be the first to admit my sign wasn’t stellar, but it got the job done and it did it so well, that as we were headed over to the pre-sale merch pickup, we were actually chased down by a couple of younger fangirls who wanted nothing more than to tell us they loved our signs and give us a couple of freebies. Apparently being old, or at least OG ARMY, has its perks??? When I showed them the “DJ, Spin” side of our signs, they cheered, so I’m guessing they approved of our choices. In all honesty, this entire experience was just adorable and it made me unexpectedly happy. But isn’t that usually how it goes when you run across fellow ARMY in the wild? There’s something about being around people who love the same things you do, it just makes you feel good!

Now that I think about it, that’s probably why this time in Vegas was so much fun. It wasn’t just because I got to see BTS again (though that was definitely a big part of it), it was because I was in a space that was absolutely overrun with fellow ARMY. Seriously, everywhere we went, ARMY were there, soaking in this once-in-a-lifetime experience. Though we didn’t always acknowledge each other, there was just this collective sense of belonging that made the city feel both alive and welcoming. It was truly incredible.

Incredible is probably the best way to describe the rest of the day. From the merch pickup, we somehow managed to wander into a massive freebie swap that left several of the casino employees in awe. Standing on the outskirts of this absolutely insane spectacle, we were approached by one such employee who asked us all sorts of questions about where we were from and what all of this was about. It was really fun, having a chance to share a little bit of K-Pop concert culture with him, especially when he was so visibly in awe. He couldn’t believe that people actually went out of their way to make things for total strangers and then give them away for free. Having never experienced anything like this before, he thought it was one of the coolest, nicest, things he’d ever seen in his life and honestly, I couldn’t agree with him more. 

With my friend’s supply of freebies exhausted and our bags absolutely overflowing with all the freebies we’d received from others, it was finally time to head to the stadium. Joining the throng, we made our pilgrimage over the Hacienda Bridge, somehow managing to find a place in line directly under one of the only trees in the area. See? I told you the K-Pop gods were smiling on us! We spent our time waiting talking to pretty much everyone around us, because what else are you supposed to do while you wait? Part of the fun of going to concerts is meeting new people and with 70,000 ARMY waiting to get in, there was no shortage of people to meet!

Getting into Allegiant Stadium was a lot easier than I thought it would be and having club access meant finding our seats was a breeze. Once inside there was nothing to do but chill, which is exactly what we did. With all sorts of delicious food calling to us, finding something to eat was easy. Happily settling on a Korean-inspired pulled pork sandwich my taste buds were delighted and my tummy was full. Is there really any better way to kick off your night of fun? I mean, I suppose I could think of a couple of ways that might be better, but realistically how often does one run into the members of the band you’re about to see, right before the show? (Though now that I think about it, that did actually happen to me once…)

Naturally, all of the excited butterflies I’d been trying to suppress for over a month hit me in full force as the minutes to showtime ticked by. I’d tried sooooo hard to keep my composure on the outside, but inside, I was an absolute mess! Luckily, I had quite a few friends, from all over the place, who I was surprised to find were also at the show that night. Even more convenient was the fact that most of them were very near where I was sitting! Again, the K-Pop gods were so kind! Running over to say hi to as many friends as I could find made the minutes to showtime fly by and before I knew it, IT WAS TIME!

There is absolutely no way I can give you a play-by-play of the concert itself. I was so caught up in the moment, I think I transcended to an entirely different plane of existence. I remember the lone runner, carrying a smoke flare that filled the stadium with a gray haze, signaling the time we’d all been anxiously awaiting had finally arrived. I remember the insane eruption of the crowd as our beloved BTS took the stage, back after too many years away. I remember being so happy I thought I might actually explode. And the way my brain broke when I realized that despite sitting in the 100 section, once he shed his jacket, I could clearly see Jimin’s pecs and deltoids and traps and lats and biceps and triceps and abs and… and… OMG, just thinking about it is making my brain melt again. HELP! He said all the protein he’s been eating has been going straight to his hair BUT HE LIED!!! That flimsy little tank top left absolutely nothing to the imagination! God bless his stylists and all their descendants for many generations to come! (I told you I had a problem processing muscles in real life, for whatever reason, they just break my brain!)

I remember Hobi’s bright smiles and Suga’s little wiggles and RM’s dimples and Tae’s little ab flashes and Jungkook’s ridiculous everything and Jin’s blown kisses. I remember my heart swelling to near-bursting when they sang “Like Animals” and I felt that call to abandon all external expectation and live your life as the truest version of yourself, in the very depths of my soul. I remember my absolute freak-out and my friend shedding tears of joy when they played “Attack on Bangtan” as one of the surprise songs. I remember the show being over far too soon and the overwhelming feeling of euphoria that seemed to permeate the entire stadium as we all tried to gather our collective senses and find a way back to real life.

Walking out of the stadium after the show, I was definitely riding a post-concert high which was convenient because the evening’s activities weren’t over yet! Making our way back to the hotel to ditch signs and SO. MANY. FREEBIES, we immediately headed for the MGM Bridge to take pictures of the city in all its BTS glory. OH. MY. GIDDY. FLIPPING. AUNT. Talk about a sight to behold! The entire strip was lit with BTS everything! Every billboard, every marquee, the Sphere, the Observation Wheel, the Eiffel Tower, the Luxor, Rio, and Mandalay Bay, you name it, it was red and it was AMAZING!

A couple of friends from NYC were in town for the show and since we didn’t have a chance to meet up at the stadium, we met up at one of the BTS-themed after parties held off Fremont Street. Since one of my friends had some sort of connection with one of the party organizers we not only got in for free, but were given the VIP treatment, which was totally wild and completely unexpected. I mean, it’s not every day you get escorted to a green room full of snacks and drinks and have a chance to chit chat with one of BTS’ dancers. To be fair, I didn’t really say anything to him because I’m a socially awkward weirdo who hates small talk and mingling, but my friends did, so go them, I suppose.

In all honesty, I’m not really a club person either (I know, huge shocker there) and it really is an absolutely awful place to try to catch up with friends you haven’t seen in over a decade because dangit, you can’t hear anything when the music’s poundin’! Still, we spent a couple hours boppin’ around acting like we weren’t all too old for this shit when in reality, I am 100% too old for that shit! (Have I mentioned how much I hate mingling?) Also, it was super weird to have the club photographer camp out on our side of the venue. I don’t know if he actually thought that having VIP status made us noteworthy or what, but he took way too many pictures for my liking (including one on the way out… blegh!). All I can do is hope the favor the K-Pop gods showed me earlier in the day carried over into the 02:00 part of Thursday because I really don’t want to be trapped on some stranger’s camera roll! 

After partying like it was 1999, it was finally time to call it a day. Happy, exhausted, and overwhelmed by pretty much everything, collapsing onto my bed was nothing short of glorious! If I’d had any mental power left, I might have taken a moment to marvel over the fact that I’d get to get up and do the whole thing over again tomorrow (or later that day, as the case may be) but the truth was, my brain had already melted so many times that day, sleep claimed me before I even had a chance to heave a happy sigh of contentment.

Concerts, Events, Featured, Featured Article, Just for Fun, Musings of a K-pop Fangirl, Recent Articles, Release The Fangirl, What's New

Zombie’s Adventures in Vegas: Day 1 – Welcome to Borahaegas!

I’m convinced there are a handful of moments, in every person’s life, that leave an indelible impression. What these moments are, exactly, depend entirely on the person, as is the impact they make. Personally, I’ve experienced more than my fair share and seeing BTS live is most definitely one of them!

Having recently returned from a 4-day stay in Las Vegas that was nothing short of a dream come true, I can say with absolute certainty that this trip will live on in my memory as one of the best moments of my life.

It all started about a month ago, when a very wonderful friend of mine messaged me out of the blue, asking if I had tickets to see BTS. When I wailed over the fact that I wasn’t able to get them, she surprised me with the most unimaginable news ever: she had an extra ticket for Vegas and it was mine, as long as I could get there. When I tell you I have never booked a flight so fast in my life, I mean it! With a flight booked, a room secure, and a ticket waiting for me, there was nothing left to do but pray I could find a ticket for Thursday night somewhere that wouldn’t cost me my spleen and wait. And wait. And wait.

Lucky for me, the month of May is full of end-of-the-school-year insanity. Couple that with a speaking engagement at a product safety & stewardship conference in Kansas City (Yes, my real job is just thrilling, can’t you tell?), a trip to the Pokémon Fossil Museum Exhibit at the Field Museum in Chicago, a harrowing 10 minutes as I scrambled to purchase a Thursday night ticket before they all sold out again, and a couple of last-minute BTS-inspired crafts to wear during my trip, and time flew by quickly enough. Before I knew it, it was time to pack up my bedazzled handicrafts and head to Nevada. To say I was excited would be the understatement of the century.

Running on three hours of sleep and zero caffeine, I landed in Vegas at 07:30 on Tuesday morning, which, if I’m being honest, is an experience in and of itself. Most of the city is asleep, which is funny, coming from a place where most people are at work by then, but also very convenient when you want to hit up Cafe Lola for their special BTS drink. (No lines!) Naturally, after reuniting with my dear friend and fellow OG ARMY (after spending more than a decade apart), that’s exactly what we did.

From there, it was off to the hotel to drop off my luggage before setting out on a day filled with BTS-centered fun. No stranger to Vegas, my friend knew all the best places to visit, both as a first-time visitor and as ARMY. We rode the BTS monorail, wandered through The Venetian and visited the Grand Canal Shoppes (including a stop by Bauman Rare Books which was freaking incredible! If you’re a book nerd like me, you need to add this to your list of must-see sites in Vegas!), and grabbed donuts and coffee at Donutique, a ridiculous little patisserie that sells some of the most insane donuts I have ever seen in my life!  

From the Venetian, we wandered our way over to The Forum Shops at Caesars Palace, making a stop at the ARIRANG pop-up store, because even though we couldn’t get in (*sob sob*) we were still able to grab our stamp for the “BTS THE CITY ARIRANG” Stamp Rally. Continuing our adventure through the Shops, I nearly lost my shit when I found Hobi’s adorable pink LV shoes in the wild. I don’t know why I got so excited over these shoes, other than I love shoes and I never thought I’d get to see these little gems in real life, much less touch them, but I did! As our adventure continued, we stumbled upon the ARIH pop-up, which meant we had to stop by for a quick visit. I absolutely detest taking photos of myself but I was willing to set aside my loathing if it meant getting a chance to win a cute keychain! I didn’t end up winning the one I wanted, but I did go home with a little click-y keyboard fidget that my neuro-spicy children absolutely love, so I’m calling it a win. 

The adventures continued outside of Caesars Palace, with a quick stop and photo-op at the “Welcome to Borahaegas” inflatable and then it was off to the Bellagio! When I tell you that casino is next level gorgeous, I mean it! The Mother’s Day display they had set up was quite literally mind-blowing. An over-the-top display of flowers and birds, faberge eggs, and a pink pony carousel, it was almost too much to take in at once! 

We wrapped up our adventures on the Strip with a trip to the Arte Museum to experience the wonder that was the Arirang Exhibition. Trying to find the words to describe this immersive experience isn’t easy. The exhibit starts with this infinite waterfall that both boggles the mind and confuses the senses. From there, you wander into a room of roses that immediately brings Dorothy’s field of poppies to mind. The room itself smells incredible, which was not something I was expecting, but very much enjoyed! Each room in the exhibit had something incredible to offer. From interactive flowers that bloomed and sparkled when you touched them, to boldly colored animals wandering (or in the case of the Arirang whale, floating) their way around the room, to a giant wall of water that transitioned from massive tidal wave into the Arirang symbol, the entire exhibit was a treat for the senses. The highlight of the exhibit had to be the Arirang Garden and the immersive 15-minute mini-concert that included “No. 29,” “Body to Body,” “Swim,” “2.0,” and “Into the Sun.” With visuals playing on every wall, our trip through the Garden was so much fun. Everywhere you looked, there was something new to see and it was all incredible! Of course, we had to include a stop by the Arirang Café to enjoy a sweet little pick-me-up and even that was an experience, with the Arirang logo being projected onto our drinks at a table that was an interactive experience, in and of itself. It was honestly so wild!

Finishing our time on the Strip with the Arte Museum exhibit was honestly perfect but our adventures in Vegas were far from over. Having been told by other Vegas veterans of a pizza place around Fremont Street, my friend and I decided to head that way for dinner. While the pizza was fine, it was experiencing the utterly insane energy of Fremont Street that really made an impression! With zip lines whizzing overhead and a giant dancing gorilla to greet us, I had no idea what we’d just walked into! But that was only the beginning! Have you ever been bedecked with Mardi Gras beads by a gorgeous, half-naked Chippendale dancer? Because I have and let me tell you, standing in front of that much beauty (the man had the most gorgeous eyes!) and muscle (OMG, how was he even real?), while he fishes out purple beads because they’ll match your hair, then calls you baby as he puts them around your neck is an EXPERIENCE! I don’t think I breathed the entire time I was standing there, trying to figure out where to look because his eyes were too pretty and his chest was too bare and I didn’t want to be rude and stare so I just froze while my heart stopped and my brain melted. How I managed to walk away from that experience, I’ll never know. But I don’t think I started breathing again until that pair of gorgeous men were well behind us. Oh the things you experience in Vegas! With my brain struggling to understand how one can go from a strong, intelligent, independent woman to blathering idiot at the sight of muscles and a little male attention, we decided it was time to go.

Of course, one can’t come to Vegas and not visit the “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign; but especially not when they turn it red in honor of one of your favorite bands! It was neat to see such an iconic piece of Vegas landscape in person but honestly, the sign is a whole lot smaller than they make it look on TV and in movies! Still, it was a fun little side-quest and something my friend had never done, in her 30+ years of coming to Vegas, so it was definitely worth it! 

Seeing the entirety of Vegas go all-out for BTS was one of the coolest things I have ever experienced. Everywhere you looked, there were “BTS THE CITY ARIRANG LAS VEGAS” signs: casino marquees, the Sphere, billboards on the strip, stand-up signs on the street, the Las Vegas sign itself… Naturally, I took pictures of every single BTS sign I could possibly find and when I tell you there were a lot, I am NOT joking! When BTS says they’re taking over a city, they TAKE. IT. OVER. Everything was covered in red for BTS and being there, in the middle of it all, experiencing something I could never have imagined in my wildest dreams, made my little ARMY heart so freaking happy! 

To say I ended my first day in Vegas on a high would be an understatement. Little did I know this was only the beginning!

Featured Article, Hallyu Zombie, K-Pop, K-Pop, K-Pop Ate Her Brain, Music, Musings of a K-pop Fangirl, My Current Obsession, Random Zombie Thoughts

BTS is Back, Baby!

There are very few bands in the world capable of dragging this Zombie out into the world again, but BTS is definitely one of them. So here I am, with a few rambling thoughts on a comeback I didn’t realize how badly I needed until it hit me with all the force of a raging typhoon.

It’s been more than a week now, since BTS made their long-awaited comeback with their fifth full-length studio album, Arirang, and though I know the interwebs are already flooded with about a zillion different opinions on the album, I couldn’t help but feel the time has come for me to share my thoughts as well. Not so much because I think what I have to say is all that important, or even relevant, (Because let’s be real here, how many people out there even know this little blog of mine even exists anymore? Or perhaps the real question is, do people even read blogs anymore???) but because I feel like if I don’t at least attempt to let out some of the feelings I’ve been feeling over the past week, my heart may actually explode!

With the release of Arirang, their Netflix concert live-streamed from Seoul, their NYC Spotify performance, their double appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, their appearances on a number of interviews and variety shows, including Epik High’s Epikase and Hot Issue Ji, and the release of their Netflix-exclusive documentary, BTS the Return, BTS made their global comeback in a way that only BTS could. Which means that not only have we been blessed with what is easily one of the best BTS albums ever recorded, but we have SO MUCH CONTENT available to keep our little ARMY hearts happy for a very, very long time. And that’s a good thing because seriously, have you looked at the world lately? Having a reason to smile every time I sit down to doom scroll is such a glorious relief! I’d honestly almost forgotten what it was like to feel anything other than endless rage, day in and day out, so to feel joy again, after so long, is like taking a big breath of fresh air on a warm “Spring Day”, after enduring endless months of gray, frozen winter. (Eh, eh, see what I did there? ㅋㅋㅋ)

It’s having this feeling of “Euphoria” (sorry, couldn’t help myself) back again that’s making it hard for me to understand why anyone might be less-than-thrilled with BTS’s Arirang. Have people so quickly forgotten what it was like, living in a world where you didn’t have Jimin’s smile on standby, there to brighten up your day, anytime you needed it? Or what it was like to listen to RM & Suga discuss their music and to actually feel how much thought and sheer passion they put into their work? Maybe some people aren’t really digging their “new” sound, but seriously, isn’t having BTS back in your life on a daily basis enough?

Of course I have to put “new” in quotation marks because honestly, any day-one ARMY will tell you that Arirang is every bit as much “BTS” as every other album they’ve ever released. Heck, I would argue that it’s even more so because it feels to me that they’re not only embracing who they are as individuals, but also who they are as both Koreans and global icons. There’s a level of maturity to Arirang that albums like O!RUL8,2? could never reach, but that’s because the members of BTS aren’t the same people they were 12 years ago. Just as I’m not the same person I was 12 years ago and, odds are, neither are you. 

The members of BTS have lived lives none of us will ever understand, they have experienced things none of us will ever experience, and they have chosen to step back into this ridiculously insane life as global superstars, because they recognize that the music they make isn’t just music. It’s a message, of hope, of encouragement, of understanding, of solidarity, and most importantly, love. If you take time to really listen to Arirang, to look up the lyrics you don’t understand, to sit with them and the message therein, you begin to understand that there’s so much more to this album than a collection of killer tracks, it’s not just music, it’s a baring of the soul. 

Which, again, is why I have to wonder at so many of the negative comments I’ve seen regarding this album. “It’s not Korean enough.” “It’s not BTS enough.” “It’s too pop-y.” “It’s not pop-y enough.” “It’s got too much English.” This list of complaints goes on and on and on and every time I come across one, my reaction is the same because, seriously!? BTS was gone for four years and the second they come back the only thing some people can do is complain about how it doesn’t meet their limited expectations and dares to challenge their personal understanding of who BTS is? For the love of Jimin’s jams!

Being an American, I can’t speak to the depth of Korean authenticity BTS has imparted in their album on any sort of personal level, because again, I’m not Korean. But that doesn’t mean that information isn’t out there, for anyone willing to look. There are plenty of Korean content creators, who have shared some truly interesting and insightful context for this album and I have thoroughly enjoying hearing their thoughts on everything from the history of “Arirang” (as in the folk song itself) and its inclusion in “Body to Body,” the resonance of the Sacred Bell of Great King Seongdeok which is featured in “No. 29”, the social significance of “Aliens” lyrics, and so much more. There are so many layers of “Koreaness” to this album that to say otherwise just feels so wrong. For anyone interested, I’d recommend taking just a couple of minutes to check out the National Museum of Korea and posts by creators like Jinwoo Park on Instagram. I’m not kidding when I say Park Jin Woo’s posts alone have inspired a whole new level of respect for BTS, their vision for this album and its execution. It’s really quite fabulous!

As for those who choose to be upset over the musical styles BTS chose to showcase with this album, I’m not even sure what to say. Day-one ARMY know that BTS started out as a group of baby thugs who thought hip-hop meant rockin’ big chains, truly tragic hair (sorry, RM), and a big tough-guy attitude. (See 2 COOL 4 SKOOL’s “We Are Bulletproof Pt. 2”, for reference.) The fact that they chose to use the first half of Arirang to remind us that hip-hop, in all its forms, is and always will be the very foundation of the group, is something that makes my day-one heart so freaking happy, I’m almost at a loss for words. Almost.

To those who first discovered BTS during their more pop-centric, colorful, “Dynamite,” “Butter,” “Permission to Dance” days, I can understand why tracks like “Hooligan,” “Aliens,” and “2.0” might throw you off a bit, but these tracks and this style aren’t new. They’re just the group’s latest take on a style that’s been evolving since their debut. I’m sure I’m not the only early-ARMY who remembers the last time BTS took a trip to LA to hone their craft. Surely someone out there remembers what we got as a result? Dark & Wild still ranks as one of my top favorite BTS albums and for good reason. Anytime these guys go to LA to work, they come home with a friggin’ masterpiece! 

As to the amount of English used in Arirang, to quote my children, “Be so for real right now!” Having spent the better part of two decades listening to non-American artists, I can tell you that any international artist who wants to increase their global reach knows that adding English lyrics is an absolute must. HYBE management knows this (they said as much during the documentary) and so English lyrics were used, not to overshadow the Korean, but to ensure that its reach went as far as possible. Because, as should be abundantly clear, singing a song with English lyrics doesn’t automatically negate the culture from which it originates. You think One OK Rock is any less Japanese because they release albums filled with songs in English? Of course not! The very idea is preposterous and so is the notion that BTS is somehow less Korean because they’ve given us songs in English. The use of English is just one more point of proof that BTS understands who they are and what is expected of them. To be a global phenomenon you have to connect to a global audience and like it or not, English is one of the ways an artist can ensure that connection.

Of course everyone is entitled to their own opinion and I’m not here to tell anyone that they’re right or wrong. I’m just here to apply my personal artistic and creative literacy to an album that has been on repeat since its release over a week ago. (Sometimes having a neurospicy brain that likes to hyperfixate isn’t such a bad thing!) For me, Arirang is everything I wanted in a BTS comeback album and so much more. It’s got enough high-energy, hip-hop tracks to make my Dark & Wild-loving heart happy but it’s also got a depth and range that absolutely blows me away. Being a long-time lover of BTS’s slower tracks (“Save Me” and “Lie” still somehow manage to make my heart do the strangest things), loving songs like “Swim” and “NORMAL” has been so easy. “NORMAL” makes me weep everytime it plays, and I’m sure I’m not the only one who feels like having such a sweet reminder to just keep swimming, even when life feels too big and overwhelming, is exactly what the world needs right now. But for me personally, it’s “Like Animals” that has completely stolen my heart. 

It’s no secret that as much as I love K-pop, rock is the music of my soul. So the very first time I heard “Like Animals,” my soul wept. This song is like nothing I ever dreamed BTS would release but it’s everything I needed. The impact of a power ballad should never be underestimated but one that floats somewhere between late-90s grunge and early-2000s emo, with its transitions from clean acoustics into this grungy, distorted, wailing guitar… Oh be still my wildly beating teenage heart! 

To say I love this song would be such an understatement. But it’s not just the melody that has soul weeping, it’s the lyrics as well. As someone who has spent too much of her life being forced to live a box of preconceived ideas of who and what I should be, who has spent the better part of the last decade fighting to tear myself out of that soul-crushing box, and who has only in the last couple of years begun to explore what life can be now that, for the first time in my entire life, I’m free to be who and what I want, I can tell you, this song hits hard and deep. To be invited to “eat this life until your heart is full” after being starved (for years) of all the beauty and goodness this life has to offer, and to be reminded that there are so many others out there, just as free and “untamable” as you are now, who are happy to welcome you into the fold, so to speak… How does one even begin to describe what that feels like? It’s overwhelming in all the best ways, which is probably why I have such a hard time listening to this song without bawling my eyes out. 

To say I love Arirang feels like such a gross understatement. It’s such a fantastic piece of art that brilliantly displays the many facets of BTS and there isn’t a single track I don’t love, for one reason or another. Every time I listen to it, I find something else to love and I couldn’t be more grateful to BTS willingly stepping back into a role they could have just as easily walked away from. After all, how many K-pop groups have enlisted in their military service and then faded quietly into oblivion? To understand the weight they were picking back up by returning as BTS, and make the conscious decision to step back into that life couldn’t have been easy. I have the utmost respect for each and every member of BTS and I am eternally grateful to them for making this comeback. Not only does having them back give me new reasons to smile every day (I had seriously forgotten how much fun their social shenanigans could be), but I’ve got a brand-new album on repeat that is straight-up “FYA!” (Yeah… I went there.) For the first time in a long time, the sun seems to be shining just a little bit brighter and my heart is full, all because BTS is back, baby, and with any luck they’ll be giving ARMY reasons to smile for a long, long time!

Featured, Featured Article, Interview, Interviews, Just for Fun, Podcasts, Recent Articles

Holy Buckets, She’s Still Alive!

2 Comments

I know! I know! I know! It’s been about 18 million years since I last posted anything on this long-neglected website. I have no excuse, other than life has been… a lot, these past few years. But in all honesty, hasn’t life been a lot for all of us these past few years?

Despite going MIA as Zombie Mamma, I’ve been around… Writing for Rakuten Viki, writing occasionally for Kpopconcerts.com, and most recently, taking a job as a full-time instructional writer who specializes in… wait for it…

Boats!

Yeah… Don’t even bother trying to ask about that. I still can’t quite figure this one out. But here I am! Writing about boats… Learning how to operate boats… Attending boat shows… Visiting super awesome boat building facilities… Making friends with actual boat captains… And meeting said boat captain’s very awesome friends… Which brings me to the whole point of this rambling…

A couple of months ago, I was attending a boat show in Annapolis, Maryland and while I was there, my co-worker captain friend introduced me to one of her good friends. We had a lovely lunch together and spent a good portion of the afternoon just talking and as we parted ways, my new friend asked me if I’d be interested in being a guest on her podcast.

Now, as you may or may not know. When it comes to dramas and music, I have no problem being on podcasts and panels and whatever else comes my way, because talking about stuff I love is easy. But when it comes to talking about myself, especially in a public space, I get a little nervous. After all, who really wants to know about the Mamma behind the Zombie? I have a hard time believing anything about my life is all that special. (A bit effed up maybe, but special? Not so much…)

Be that as it may, when Alka asked me to be a guest on her podcast, Changing Platforms, I found myself inexplicably saying yes. Blame it on too much time in the sun or the bottle of wine we shared at lunch… Whatever the case may be, two weeks after I got home from Maryland, I was on a call with Alka, recording the podcast I present to you now.

Unlike anything else I’ve ever done on this site, this podcast is a very open and honest conversation about me, my life, and how many strange and unexpected turns it’s taken over the years. Of course, I can’t really have any lengthy conversation about myself that doesn’t ultimately lead to Korean pop culture and entertainment; because apparently that isn’t something everyone just randomly becomes an expert in??? Who knew!?

So there you have it, a rare glimpse into the inner workings of one very Zombified Mamma. If you gave the podcast a listen, or a watch, depending on where you get your podcasts, then you’ve proved Alka right (when she said people who like to hear my story) and me wrong (when I told myself there’s no way anyone would ever want to hear my story and I was crazy for agreeing to this in the first place. Yeah, I know, I’m still working on that whole self-love thing. It’s just that it’s REALLY HARD!) Feel free to leave a comment, if you want, or just drop a long-overdue hello. Because let’s be real here, it’s been WAY too long since we last met and I’ve gotta say, I’ve really missed ya!

Dramas & Films, Featured, Featured Article, Friday Night Drama, K-Drama, Korean Dramas, What's New

Three K-Dramas to Help You Forget Just How Stressful Life is Right Now

We all know the world is crazy right now. While some countries are going into a second lockdown, here in the U.S., all eyes are fixed on the results of this week’s presidential election. While staying up-to-date on everything happening in the world isn’t a bad thing, it does tend to bring with it, an overwhelming amount of anxiety. In an effort to help ease some of life’s stress, I’ve put together a short list of dramas that are sure to provide you with a much-needed and very welcome distraction.

Do Do Sol Sol La La Sol

Don’t let the name of this Netflix Original fool you. Behind this rather ridiculous title lies a sweet little drama full of warmth and charm. The story follows the adventures of Gu Ra Ra (Go Ara), a spoiled rich girl whose life is turned upside down in the blink of an eye. Determined to make the best of her situation, Ra Ra does the best she can to start a new life for herself. Along the way she makes all sorts of new friends, who help her on her journey. Of course, being a rom-com, there has to be a love interest and that role is filled nicely by Sunwoo Jun (Lee Jae Wook), an adorable young man with a heart of gold, who tries to play it cool on the outside but fails miserably.

The chemistry between Go Ara and Lee Jae Wook is undeniably adorable. There’s just something about these two that immediately makes me smile. This certainly isn’t a deep drama, but when your mind is overwhelmed by the stress of everything else going on in the world, it’s nice to have a drama you can turn to when you need a little dose of fluffy sunshine. I, for one, am thoroughly enjoying this drama, even if it sometimes makes me feel a little guilty for not playing the piano as often as I should…

Tale of the Nine-Tailed

For those of you who enjoy the romance but would rather skip the fluff, this tvN fantasy thriller may be just what you’re looking for. As the name implies, Tale of the Nine-Tailed follows the story of Lee Yeon (Lee Dong Wook), a thousand year old gumiho (nine-tailed fox) who gives up his position as the god of the Baekdudaegan, to scour the world for the reincarnation of his first love, Ah Eum (Jo Bo Ah).

Not surprising, it takes an insanely long time (as in 600 years) for Lee Yeon to finally find his beloved Ah Eum but eventually he does, in the form of a television producer by the name of Nam Ji Ah (Jo Bo Ah). The adventures that bring these two together are exciting, to say the least, but it’s not the supernatural excitement and intertwined fates that keep me coming back. Oh no. The thing that makes this drama absolutely irresistible is the way Lee Yeon is constantly looking at Nam Ji Ah. OH. MY. WORD. Every time he looks at the woman who holds his heart, I feel my own heart stop. I swear, if a man look at me that way, I’d melt into his arms and never leave again!

Of course, there’s more to this drama than heart melting looks and a tragic 600 year old love story. There are plenty of other supernatural beings vying for attention as this story unfolds and I am particularly intrigued by the dynamic between Lee Yeon and his half-brother, Lee Rang (Kim Bum). I like the way the story is going between these two so far and I’m very interested to see how their relationship will play out in the overall story.

With plenty of excitement and lots and lots and LOTS of pretty (I’m looking at you, Lee Yeon) you’re sure to find yourself sufficiently distracted by this drama. And even if you’re not, who doesn’t want an excuse to swoon over Lee Dong Wook for a couple of hours each week? (Yeah, I know, I’m letting my inner fangirl show but’s fine. She hasn’t been out in full-force in MONTHS!)

Zombie Detective

This last drama is an unexpected treat. I had heard of KBS’s zombie drama a couple of months ago but I just never got around to watching it, until recently. Now I’m hooked. The story is pretty self-explanatory. It starts with Kang Min Ho (Choi Jin Hyuk) waking up in a landfill as a zombie. How he died and became a zombie is a mystery that Min Ho is determined to solve, but doing so won’t be easy. Training himself to walk, talk, and act like a human, the zombie Min Ho enters the human world and inadvertently takes on the role of a private investigator.

Terrified of humans, Min Ho’s transition into the human world is nothing short of hilarious. His struggles to overcome his innate zombie-ness are both funny and endearing. I swear, I haven’t seen a zombie this adorable since Nicholas Hoult stole my heart as R in the 2013 film, Warm Bodies.

As one would expect, our zombie hero soon finds himself teamed up with a tenacious young woman by the name of Gong Sun Ji (Park Ju Hyun). Though their relationship doesn’t start off on the most conventional foot, the two seem to be well-suited for each other, as she’s a former investigatory journalist in need of a job and he’s a reluctant zombie detective in need of, well, everything. Together this unlike pair take on various cases, help solve some unique crimes, and I’m hoping, will ultimately uncover the mysteries behind the existence of zombies.

Bonus Round – Older Dramas Are Our Friends

While some people may enjoy the unexpected twists and turns of a new drama, there may be others out there who might find more comfort during these trying times, settling into an old favorite. Personally, I’m doing a bit of both these days. Thanks to Netflix Party (or Teleparty, as it’s now called) I’ve been watching Oh My Ghost with a dear friend of mine. While we may be separated by half a continent, we’re still able to get together once or twice a week to watch a drama and forget just how stressful life is for all of us right now. To be honest, having a party to look forward to is sometimes the only thing I’ve got keeping me going.

At the recommendation of that same friend, I’ve also started watching Healer. How I’ve managed to go this far in life without ever watching this drama is beyond me, but I’m watching it now and I’m loving every second of it. (Dear gracious, does Ji Chang Wook know how to make me swoon!)

But enough about my drama watching habits. What I really want to know is, how have you been coping with the stress of life these days? Have dramas been helpful in any way? What are you watching right now? Let me know in the comments below. It’s been ages since we last had a chance to chat and I’d love to hear from you! Until then, hang in there and just remember to breathe. You’ve got this!

One Zombie, Sharing Her Love of all Things Hallyu With The World