Beyond the Glass Window

Beyond the glass she just stands there at the entrance to the Astor Place Station on the 6 line. How long as she been standing there? Wasn’t she there when I looked up 10 minutes ago? Has she been standing there the entire time? Is she a beggar? No. Her posture is upright, alert, anticipating something. Her eyes scan around with a purpose. She is a large woman, but also quite tall. She is bundled up with proper clothing, though not “fashionable” compared to the other Manhattanites around her. She carries a messenger bag across her chest. It looks worn, but not shabby. She holds a bright pink shopping bag in her hands. The brand, I do not recognize. The bag is certainly brighter than her hair. A neon pink compared to her apple red dyed hair, which is damp against the sides of her face. The next flood of passengers exit the station. She becomes more alert and begins scanning the crowd of ascending figures. As the crowd thins, she finally spots the person she’s been anticipating among the last trickle. She crosses over to get her friend’s attention. It is the first time I’ve seen her smile during the last few minutes I’ve been observing her. And it’s not just a casual smile. It’s a genuine smile of finally seeing someone she has not seen in a long time. A smile that makes us both forget she’s been waiting diligently for the past 15 minutes out in the cold. Have you ever seen a complete stranger smile? I mean, really watch them smile. It’s so refreshing and relieving in this city full of too many straight faces.

2014 Top 50 Korean Songs

To all the KPoppers who survived 2014's Kpopcalypse, congratulations! To all who did not survive, may your KPop fan-phase rest in peace. In spite of all the scandals and tragedies that have occurred the past year, let us look back on the positive things that Korean music has brought us this year and hope for a better year in 2015.

Last year I had done a Korean Music Video Countdown. But as I was looking through all the releases of this past year, there were just too many songs I could not pass up on mentioning. So I decided to do a Top 50 Countdown of what I deem to be the best songs of this year, based on my personal standards. This list includes mostly KPop, but also a mix of ballads, OSTs, hip hop, trot, and other genres.

Let the countdown begin!

1.     2NE1's Crush

2.     Junggigo and Soyu's Some

3.     Yoon Mi Rae's Angel ft. Tiger JK and Bizzy

4.     Epik High's Born Hater ft. Beenzino, B.I., Mino, Bobby, Verbal Jint

5.     2NE1's Gotta Be You

6.     Hyorin's Hello Goodbye

7.     AKMU's Melted

8.     Younha's Wasted

9.     JYJ's Backseat

10. Seo Taiji and IU's Seo Gyeok Dong

11. Ailee's Singing Got Better

12. MC Mong's Miss Me or Diss Me ft. Jinsil

13. Orange Caramel's My Copycat

14. Gummy's I Loved…Have No Regrets

15. Girls' Generation's Mr. Mr.

16. Ailee's Don't Touch Me

17. Sistar's Touch My Body

18. Hi Suhyun's I'm Different ft. Bobby

19. Ha:tfelt's Ain't Nobody

20. AKMU's Time and Fallen Leaves

21. Sunny Hill's Don't Say Anything

22. Song Ji Eun's Don't Look At Me Like That

23. Sunny Hill's Monday Blues

24. Sistar's I Swear

25. Ladies' Code's Kiss Kiss

26. Jeon Minju's Goodbye Rain

27. AKMU's 200%

28. F(x)'s Red Light

29. Seo Taiji's Christmal.win

30. Younha's Umbrella

31. 2NE1's Happy

32. Epik High's Happen Ending ft. Jo Won Sun

33. Secret's I'm In Love

34. Younha's Passionate To Me

35. Yuna Kim's Without You ft. MFBTY

36. Super Junior's Evanesce

37. Red Velvet's Happiness

38. Megan Lee's 8Dayz

39. G-Dragon and Taeyang's Good Boy

40. EXO's Overdose

41. A Pink's LUV

42. Boyfriend's Alarm

43. BAP's 1004 (Angel)

44. Hong Jin Young's Cheer Up

45. VIXX's Error

46. Boyfriend's Witch

47. A Pink's Mr. Chu

48. GOT7's A

49. KARA's Mama Mia

50. Red Velvet's Be Natural

I hope you all enjoyed the countdown. Do check out some of these songs and may they ring in an even more uplifting new year.