[Music Review] Simple Plan, my current favorite band!

It's been over 2 weeks from my last article, I decided to post something new really quickly. Today I'd like to talk about my current favorite band, Simple Plan. I've got to know them since a few years ago, but frankly I haven't took much attention on their songs so far. However I found their songs are very encouraging, even if I couldn't catch all the lyrics. Their music has touched me in some way.

I have had two songs of them, [Perfect] and [Shut up] for a long time, like years. I even can't understand how come I didn't make chances to listen more of their music. Maybe I liked their music in my high school and then put them behind my memories for a few years.

[Perfect] Simple Plan, 2006

Then this year, I met a heartbreaking event in my life a few months ago. And then one day I was on the bus, and there was a song playing on the radio. Now I found it's strange, as Korean bus drivers rarely play or listen to non-Korean songs, but at that time one song caught my ears. I quickly remembered the short lyrics and then searched it on the internet. It was [You suck at love].

 [You suck at love] Simple Plan, 2011

They made me to go back to their music. The music was actually neither heavy nor philosophic, but it encouraged me a lot in many ways. Not because the lyric sounds exactly same as me, but I felt like it was saying that I deserve a better life, nothing is my fault, and actually I'm much more valuable than I thought. It can be a bit exaggeration, but at that time it gave me a lot of bravery to start my plans over again.

I found they have been to Pentaport Rock Festival in Incheon, South Korea. I'm sorry I missed it, but at least I'm happy because I got their vlogging video about their Seoul tour, although it's very short!

Simple Plan in South Korea

I could find some streets and touring spots inside the video. It's so cool to recognize it. Oh, by the way  the biggest underground shopping mall in the world, where David bought their own CD, is COEX at Samseong Station, by Line 2, the green line. I even didn't know that is the biggest. Is that? Seriously?

  

Overall, I feel their music is inspiring others and giving words of comforting to young people who are suffering for various reasons. I would like to put two more their official videos.

[Crazy] Simple Plan, 2006

 [Astronaut] Simple Plan, 2011

I don't have much bands to call my "favorite", but they are. I like their lyrics, their melody, and their voices. I tend to focus on lyrics when I listen to the music, so it's important for me that which lyrics arouse my sympathy. I found it was not easy to find rock bands for the sympathy, as most rock bands are cool, or too heavy, or too light to understand from my side. But Simple Plan makes me touched, even when I missed some of the lyric, I could understand the whole feeling throughout the song.

If you feel like you have similar taste on music, I would like to recommend Ellegarden, Japanese rock band, which doesn't exist any more, as it was my first 'favorite' rock band. I'll get a chance to introduce Ellegarden anyway:)

[Seouling] Visiting the palace in the night

Visited Night Changgyeonggoong(창경궁)
Lighting on the palace is becoming one of the popular events in Seoul. Gyungbokgoong opened at night for the first time in the last spring, and then three palaces have been opened at night in this fall from October 3rd to 9th, to celebrate 50th anniversary of the Cultural Heritage Administration.

Seoul has five beautiful palaces. Among them, Gyungbokgoong(경복궁, the main and the biggest palace of the Chosun dinesty), Duksugoong(덕수궁), and Changgyeonggoong(창경궁) are opened at night for this event. Changgyeonggoong, which is near Hyehwa Station by Line 4, the blue line, is where I visited for the night event. Because this one is located on my way from my university to my town. I'd like to share the pictures I took in the goong.

Can you see the moon? I always think that traditional Korean roof style with "Giwa" looks nice with the sky. I understand oriental style of building seems alike, so it's hard to distinguish Korean buildings from Chinese or Japanese styles. But it's quite different from my point of view. As I'm not the professional of architecture, it's hard to explain even Korean traditional style, but I guess the biggest difference between Chinese, Japanese and Korean traditional palaces is the curve of the roof. I'm happy with the picture I took. I took it very quikly while I was standing on the line to buy a ticket, but I guess it shows the characteristic of  Korean palaces' roof very well. 

 As it's unusual to see palaces at night, it reminded me of the historical dramas. There were many people visiting, but I felt like courtiers appears somewhere and walk in hurry to work at night.
 

 The seat in front of the drawing is for Kings. I'm sorry my picture is not clear, but at the drawing, the moon and the sun are the symbol of King, so you can recognize it as a king's seat.

Surprising! It's me. I went to the palace by myself as a quick visit, so this is my only picture taken in the palace that night. I asked for the picture to the guard who was standing nearby me:) (Thanks!) 

Do you remember that I said I like N Seoul Tower as a symbol of Seoul? I liked much more to take the palace and the tower together in one frame. 

Moon again! with some berries! (I don't know what the name of the tree and the berries)

I didn't know that Changgyeonggoong has a pond. I thought it looks not like a Korean traditional style of pond, so I searched on the internet.

Its name is Choondangji(춘당지). At first, there was a small pond named Naenongpo, which was for the King's small farm. However in the japanese colonial era, japanese people exlarged the pond and made it as it is now. Oh, that's the reason why I thought it looked like a japanese gardening style. (As a Korean, I always feel sorry about the things Korea lose during the japanese colonial era.) 

The road was decorated with lamp. It was much prettier to see in person than the picture! Even if it was lightened with electricity, it was helping people to have romantic mood and feel like they are in the past.

This is the last shot inside the palace:)

There were too many people, so I couldn't take guards' pictures. It is the gate of Changgyeonggoong, which is called Honghwamun(홍화문).

Although Changgyeonggoong is a smaller palace than other palaces, such as Gyeongbokgoong or Duksugoong, or Changdukgoong, it's great to visit and take a walk inside, enjoying calmness and peaceful mood. Even if you missed the chance of the night lighting event, Please visit and take a look!


For the bigger map


Bus:

- blue: 104,106,107,108,140,143,149,150,161,162,171,172,272,301

- green: 1018

- red: 9410

Subway:

- From the entrance 4 of Hyehwa Station (Line 4, the blue line), walk straight for 300m.

Website: The Cultural Heritage Administration of Korea website

[Seouling] Han Riverside Park (한강공원)

Nice Weather!
Recently, the weather is so beautiful in Seoul. I met my friend near Shinsa Station by Line 3, the orange line, and then walked through Garosoo-gilI(가로수 길) to get to Han Riverside Park(한강공원). I'm sorry that I didn't take any picture of Garosoo-gil. As it is quite popular street for young people, I think I would get another chance to introduce Garosoo-gil. 


Han-gang (한강, Han River)
Han River is flowing through the middle of Seoul. It divides Seoul to the south and the north.

This is the map of Seoul. You can see the river in the middle of Seoul. Every district has its own name, but many people call the southern as Gangnam (which means the south of the river), and the northern as Gangbuk (which means the north of the river).




Han Riverside Park (or just Hangang Park)

A variety of parks are located along the river. However where I visited today is near Apgujeong(압구정), the southern part of the river. So I could see N Seoul Tower over the river. I took a few pictures, and they are good because of the nice weather. I'd like to share them.

As I didn't bring my zoom lense, so I couldn't take a better picture of N Seoul Tower. But I still believe this picture can show you how clear the weather was.

 Lots of kids and parents were flying their kites! It looked so pretty with the blue sky.

Can you see the cloud which seems like a bird flying? So I draw a bird to explain. I know my drawing is not good with the mouse. It was hard to make my friend find the birds among the cloud, but I was so happy it did work.

How about taking a rest at the park, rather than visiting the popular street for shopping? I haven't been often to the park, but I found it is so nice place to take a detour during a relexing day.



 

[Photoes] Works with my first *smart phone*

*Smart Phone*
  It's easier to say which model I'm using thesedays, but for some reasons I'd like to keep it behind. However I really like my phone with various applications. I have quite a variety of camera apps. For now, I have 14 cameras and 8 editing (and color-changing) programs for pictures. I'm sure that I've tried 20 or more kinds of camera apps since I bought this phone.

Camera, Cyworld
  Before talking about photography, I'd like to introduce Cyworld to help you understand part of Korean culture. Actually, Cyworld is still my favorite social networking site. I'm not sure when it did appear, but I remember I started it in my middle school. It has been almost 10 years with Cyworld.
  It is a Korean website, and the company tried to enlarge the market, but I guess it failed. A few years later, Facebook and Twitter got pretty popular in Korea, when people are getting bored of Cyworld. I think if Cyworld was an American (or English-based) website, it could have grown bigger than it is now.

  When Cyworld was having great success in early 2000s, Koreans said that Cyworld made most people (especially girls) buy digital cameras. For me, it was very true. I wanted to make my Cyworld page prettier with the pictures I took. I wanted to upload more great pictures there. My efforts haven't stopped with my phone cameras. So actually I feel Cyworld gave me a hobby for taking pictures whenever I get chances.


So I'd like to share some of current pictures that I took with my smart phone.

  It is a picture of Cheonggyecheon(청계천). This one is what I took on the day I bought my phone. The couple on the right road was accidentally taken, and I think it makes the picture more romantic.  

I like to take picture in a low angle, as it looks so different from how I see in my eye level.

 It's not a great view, but at least it looks so old. I took the view over the window, which was quite dirty, so the window gave some spots on the picture.  
This is a picture of my favorite street. It's nearby my house and I have seen this street for many years, so it makes me feel comfortable.

It was taken in Gangnam Station area, but rarely people recognized it.

Do you know this popular green bottle? Although I don't really like it, I sometimes miss it when I feel depressed.

 It's my representative image for Seoul. Bright and shiny lights, buildings, and lots of cars.

 This picture was taken in one of my favorite cafes. The yellow smiles hanging in the air are so cute:)

 

 Those are taken in the same place as the picture above.

 

 I made some color effects with a color editting program.

 I pass over Hangang (Han River) to go to my college. It was so nice weather!

It's also my favorite street, which is very close to my apartment. I like this kind of mood, which seems dreamy.

 I bought four nail polishes at once! So I took a picture of them.

 I visited Namsan Korea house village (남산한옥마을). It's nearby Chungmuro Station by Line 3, the Orange line.

 This one is my favorite among pictures taken in Namsan Korea house village.

I took a picture with my phone, even the water drop on the flower appeared so clear, so I satisfied a lot with this picture.

 Actually those pictures were not taken in Seoul, but southern part of Korea. I just wanted to share some pieces of my vacation in last summer!

I'm sorry I can't get two pictures together when they're bigger than this. Please just enjoy the calmness of the beach. 

 Haha it's me. I like taking pictures of my shoes.

I'm sure now you know what Namsan Tower is. The tiny tall one is N Seoul Tower (Nasan Tower).

 It's my latest work. I took this picture yesterday. Thesedays it's great weather in Seoul, and I believe the sky of fall season is the most beautiful and clear in Korea. If you have plans to visit Korea, consider it to be in fall.