HipMamaB's Asian Pop Culture Education Week! Lesson 2: How to Look Like A Ball Jointed Doll

A side outcome of my trip to San Francisco with the Samsung Imagelogger team was my introduction into the work of KPop and Hong Kong popular culture. Since you all know I'm a huge dork when it comes to what is COOL AND POPULAR, I glommed onto my new bestie, Hong Kong photographer Kar Hoo Chow, for a crash course on all things popular in Asia. This week, I'm going to school you on all that I learned. Because, really? It's so amazingly fun. 

Lesson 2: How to look like a "Ball Jointed Doll"

So, as we discussed yesterday, looking cute is something girls strive for in Asian pop culture. And is there anything cuter than a doll? Well, maybe don't answer that. But apparently there is some need to dress up like the famous "BJD" or "Ball Jointed Doll."

From Wikipedia:

A ball-jointed doll is any doll that is articulated with ball and socket joints. In contemporary usage when referring to modern dolls, and particularly when using the acronyms BJD or ABJD, it usually refers to modern Asian ball-jointed dolls.^[1] These are cast in polyurethane synthetic resin, a hard, dense plastic, and the parts strung together with a thick elastic. They are predominantly produced in Japan, South Korea and China. The BJD style has been described as both realistic and influenced by anime.^[2][3][4] They commonly range in size from about 60 centimetres (24 in) for the larger dolls, 40 cm (16 in) for the mini dolls, and all the way down to 10 cm (4 in) or so for the tiniest of the tiny BJDs. BJDs are primarily intended for adult collectors and customizers. They are made to be easy to customize, by painting, changing the eyes and wig, and so forth.

So how does a girl do her make-up just right to get this famous "doll look?" Well, once again we take to YouTube for a step-by-step tutorial. 

Quite honestly, I found this video amazing. Did you see how doll like she looked at the end? I mean, homegirl has it down. That was IMPRESSIVE.

And with 8,187,906 hits - she has obviously helped many people with their doll like fantasies. 

HipMamaB's Asian Pop Culture Education Week! Lesson 1: Gwiyomi

A side outcome of my trip to San Francisco with the Samsung Imagelogger team was my introduction into the work of KPop and Hong Kong popular culture. Since you all know I'm a huge dork when it comes to what is COOL AND POPULAR, I glommed onto my new bestie, Hong Kong photographer Kar Hoo Chow, for a crash course on all things popular in Asia. This week, I'm going to school you on all that I learned. Because, really? It's so amazingly fun. 

Lesson 1: Gwiyomi

In Asia you just can't be TOO CUTE. In fact, sugary sweet cuteness is what it's all about. And the song Gwiyomi is just that. A song about a Korean girl's adorable love for her boyfriend and how she wants him to promise that they will be together forever (with a pinky swear), ending with six kisses - one for each finger and thumb.

"One plus one is cute, two plus two is still cute, three plus three is also cute"

Basically the song is the same words over and over sung as cutely as possibly. But on top of it, girls have added cutesy hand signs from 1-6 in addition to adding other cute expressions like pouting and cupping their chins to pretending to be cute bunnies and kittens. And filming themselves doing this. And adding them to YouTube. 

This particular video has over 3,600,000 hits!

While obviously some things are lost in translation, here are the English lyrics to the song: 

Over a chocolate muffin

Waiting for a cup of savory milk

Oppa and I sit facing each other

And scribble on each other’s hands

Don’t look at other girls

No matter what they say

You’re mine (You’re mine)

Don’t even talk to other girls

I’m yours (I’m yours)

Please pinky promise me

That you’ll never leave me alone

1 plus 1 equals Gwiyomi

2 plus 2 equals Gwiyomi

3 plus 3 equals Gwiyomi

4 plus 4 equals Gwiyomi too

5 plus 5 equals Gwiyomi too

6 plus 6 equals chu chu chu chu chu chu Gwiyomi

I’m Gwiyomi

So there you have it. Gwiyomi. 

August 5th…

I haven't shared much at all about my divorce. Those who know me in real life know more details, but for many reasons, I really have tried to keep it off the internet. I don't want things said in anger or emotional turmoil to end up haunting me for years to come. And while I'm a very public person, I do have parts that I chose to keep personal. That all being said, today, I'm choosing to write. 

Today, August 5th, would have been Jason and I's 13th wedding anniversary. 

In years past, I would have changed my Facebook profile picture to a wedding picture depicting us all young, shiny and in love. I would have written something about love and partnership and the adoration of marriage. And I can honestly say that it was always truthful and from the heart. 

Today, I stare at the date and try to evaluate my feelings. I prepared for this particular anniversary by finally removing all the wedding pictures from the walls and wrapping up my dried white rose bouquet that has been on display for almost 13 years. Of course, I cried; A chapter of my life is closing. When I think about the past 13 years I can't help but just be amazed by how much has happened, how much I have grown and changed. I think about the 25 year old bride I was, and the 38 year old woman, and mother, that I've become. And even with how things have turned out, I don't regret having married Jason 13 years ago. 

When you ask divorced couples if they had any doubts before walking down the aisle, many will say they did. Many will tell you that they felt they had to go on with the wedding at that point, even though they didn't want to. Maybe it's because I'm the eternal optimist, but that was not the case with me. And while where we stand today may not be where I imagined we would end up when we spoke our vows on that warm August day in 2000, I know that I was meant to have this experience. I was meant to have my kids. I was meant to learn about myself and grow into this particular woman.

I was meant to spend 15+ years with Jason. 

People keep asking me if I'm okay, and honestly, I am. I may not be "skipping through the flower fields happy" at my marriage ending, but I am in a good place. I've learned a lot about myself (too much?) and I know that no matter how hard the logistics are, how challenging the change is, I know this is what is best for me, my kids, and even Jason. It may not be traditional fairy tale ending, but in truth, "they lived happily ever after" is more realistic for us today than it was last year at this time. And that is ok to admit. 

So tonight, August 5th 2013, I'm going to pop a bottle of champagne to celebrate the past and toast to the future. 

My future. 

The Golden Gate: Images of the Bridge #Imagelogger Real Time Explorer Trip

Have I mentioned that I took over 1,200 photos a few weeks ago in San Francisco? Understandably, it's taken me a bit of time to download, go through and edit them all. But as I'm going through them, I'm reliving the trip and getting more an more excited about some of the amazing images I snapped - especially of the iconic Golden Gate Bridge. 

Happy Friday!

Waiting For The Next iPhone...

As I dropped my phone on the kitchen floor and watched it go flying across the floor, I sucked in my breath and thought "don't break now, don't break now, don't break now..." While I'm ready for an upgrade, I'm holding onto that upgrade like its pure gold... because I know that the NEW iPhone 5c/5s/6 will be releasing before we know it. 

(and can you say FINGERPRINT SCANNER! Squee!)

In anticipation of the new iPhone, I checked out some of the hottest new cases of the moment... hey, just because I'm waiting on the phone, doesn't mean I have to wait on the case!

New iPhone by hipmamab featuring a kate spade iphone case

Hard case
urbanoutfitters.com

Marc by Marc Jacobs iphone case
nordstrom.com

J Crew iphone case
jcrew.com

Kate spade
katespade.com

Iphone case
saturday.com

Kate spade iphone case
katespade.com

Hobo 'Ally' Phone Wristlet True Blue One Size
nordstrom.com