Caveat: A Banal Declaration of Lesser Banality

When I was visiting Whitewater, Wisconsin, two weeks ago, my bestfriend Bob made a suggestion which I have decided to take up: he said that my blog needed a "best of" category – something to for me to flag the more meaningful or better entries to stand out from the rest. I have sometimes used the "Life is a Dream" category in this way in the past, but that category was really meant to be for my dream journaling, such as it occurs.

Some categories definitely have pretty reliably higher-quality content. I would specifically call attention to what I've labeled "Kids & Cutenesses" and, of course, "My Poetry & Fiction." But these, too, may not have very consistently better writing. It's just that it seems to have worked out that way.

So I have created a new category which I have tentatively called "Less Banal Than Usual" to use to flag my "best of" blog entries. Unlike my other categories, I will only apply this category in retrospect – where, upon review and reflection, I think a particular entry is a "keeper" as some people say. I'm not sure it will work out. It will require me actively curating older blog entries, especially at the start. If anyone has any suggestions for things I've written that should be added to the category, let me know.

In other news… I slept 11 hours last night. This is unheard of. I finally let the double jetlag of my whirlwind North American tour catch up to me, and combined with the rainy day-off yesterday, I just let myself crash and sleep. Normally I sleep about 7 hours, regardless of when, exactly, this occurs. I guess I was tired.

Unrelatedly, I ran across the following humorous quote on somebody's facebook: "If I had a dollar for every time I got distracted, I wish I had some ice cream." This is very appropriate for me.

Caveat: 오빤 강남스타일

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Do you got some Gangnam style? Oppa got Gangnam style. Gangnam is the wealthy and trendy high-density neighborhood south-of-the-river in Seoul. The name Gangnam just means “south of the river.” It’s a sort of Beverly Hills and Midtown Manhattan rolled together, with a dash of Hollywood.
What I’m listening to right now.

PSY , 강남스타일 (GANGNAM STYLE ).
가사.

오빤 강남스타일
[oppan gangnam”style”]
Daddy-o Gangnam style

강남스타일
[gangnam”style”]
Gangnam style

낮에는 따사로운 인간적인 여자
[najeneun ttasarowoon inganjeokin yeoja]
The woman who is warm humane during day

커피 한잔의 여유를 아는 품격 있는 여자
[keopihanjanui yeoyureul ahneun poomgyeokitneun yeoja]
The elegant woman who knows enjoying a break of a cup of coffee

밤이 오면 심장이 뜨거워지는 여자
[bamiomyeon simjangi tteugeowoajineun yeoja]
The woman whose heart is getting hot when night comes

그런 반전 있는 여자
[geureon banjeon itneun yeoja]
That kind of woman in reverse

나는 사나이
[naneun sanai]
I am a manly man

낮에는 너만큼 따사로운 그런 사나이
[najeneun neomankeum ttasarowoon geureon sanai]
The manly man who is as warm as you during day

커피 식기도 전에 원샷 때리는 사나이
[keopisikkido jeonae “oneshot” ttaerineun sanai]
The manly man who drinks coffee bottoms up before it becomes cool

밤이 오면 심장이 터져버리는 사나이
[bami-omyeon simjangi teojeobeorineun sanai]
The manly man whose heart thumps out when night comes

그런 사나이
[geureon sanai]
That kind of manly man

아름다워 사랑스러워
[ahreumdawoa sarangseureowoa]
So beautiful and lovely

그래 너 hey 그래 바로 너 hey
[geuraeneo “hey” geuraebaro neo “hey”]
That’s right, you, hey, that’s right, you, hey

아름다워 사랑스러워
[ahreumdawoa sarangseureowoa]
So beautiful and lovely

그래 너 hey 그래 바로 너 hey
[geuraeneo “hey” geuraebaro neo “hey”]
That’s right, you, hey, that’s right, you, hey

지금부터 갈 데까지 가볼까
[jigeumbooteo galttekkaji gabolkka]
Would you go all the way with me?

오빤 강남스타일
[oppan gangnam”style”]
Daddy-o Gangnam style

강남스타일
[gangnam”style”]
Gangnam style

오빤 강남스타일
[oppan gangnam”style”]
Daddy-o Gangnam style

강남스타일
[gangnam”style”]
Gangnam style

오빤 강남스타일
[oppan gangnam”style”]
Daddy-o Gangnam style

Eh- Sexy Lady

오빤 강남스타일
[oppan gangnam”style”]
Daddy-o Gangnam style

Eh- Sexy Lady

오오오오
[oooo]
Ohohohoh

정숙해 보이지만 놀 땐 노는 여자
[jeongsukhae boijiman nolttaen noneun yeoja]
The woman who looks virtuous but plays while she plays

이때다 싶으면 묶었던 머리 푸는 여자
[ittaeda sipeumyeon mukkeotdeon meori puneun yeoja]
The woman who lets down her hair if she thinks the time is now

가렸지만 웬만한 노출보다 야한 여자
[karyeotjiman wenmanan nochulboda yahan yeoja]
The more erotic woman even though she wraps her clothes up than a bare one

그런 감각적인 여자
[geureon gamgakjeokin yeoja]
That sensual woman

나는 사나이
[naneun sanai]
I am a manly man

점잖아 보이지만 놀 땐 노는 사나이
[jeomjana boijiman nolttaen noneun sanai]
The manly man who seems gentle but play while I play

때가 되면 완전 미쳐버리는 사나이
[ttaegadwemyeon wanjeon micheobeorineun sanai]
The manly man who freaks when the time is ripe

근육보다 사상이 울퉁불퉁한 사나이
[geunyukboda sasangi ultungbultonghan sanai]
The manly man whose idea is more uneven than muscle

그런 사나이
[geureon sanai]
That kind of manly man

아름다워 사랑스러워
[ahreumdawoa sarangseureowoa]
So beautiful and lovely

그래 너 hey 그래 바로 너 hey
[geuraeneo “hey” geuraebaro neo “hey”]
That’s right, you, hey, that’s right, you, hey

아름다워 사랑스러워
[ahreumdawoa sarangseureowoa]
So beautiful and lovely

그래 너 hey 그래 바로 너 hey
[geuraeneo “hey” geuraebaro neo “hey”]
That’s right, you, hey, that’s right, you, hey

지금부터 갈 데까지 가볼까
[jigeumbooteo galttaekkaji gabolkka]
Would you go all the way with me?

오빤 강남스타일
[oppan gangnam”style”]
Daddy-o Gangnam style

강남스타일
[gangnam”style”]
Gangnam style

오빤 강남스타일
[oppan gangnam”style”]
Daddy-o Gangnam style

강남스타일
[gangnam”style”]
Gangnam style

오빤 강남스타일
[oppan gangnam”style”]
Daddy-o Gangnam style

Eh- Sexy Lady

오빤 강남스타일
[opaan gangnam”style”]
Daddy-o Gangnam style

Eh- Sexy Lady

오오오오
[oooo]
Ohohohoh

뛰는 놈 그 위에 나는 놈
[ttwineun nom geuwie naneun nom]
The jumping guy, the upcoming guy

Baby Baby

나는 뭘 좀 아는 놈
[naneun mweoljom ahneun nom]
I am the guy who knows a little something

뛰는 놈 그 위에 나는 놈
[ttwineun nom geuwie naneun nom]
The jumping guy, the upcoming guy

Baby Baby

나는 뭘 좀 아는 놈
[naneun mweoljom ahneun nom]
I am the guy who knows a little something

You know what I’m saying

오빤 강남스타일
[oppan gangnam”style”]
Daddy-o Gangnam style

Eh- Sexy Lady

오빤 강남스타일
[oppan gangnam”style”]
Daddy-o Gangnam style

Eh- Sexy Lady

오빤 강남스타일
[oppan gangnam”style”]
Daddy-o Gangnam style

I found the lyrics floating around online, very badly translated and romanized. I have taken liberties with the translation – perhaps to the benefit of accuracy, perhaps not. In particular, I decided that 오빠 (oppa) should be “daddy-o” – it has a similar slang connotation, I think, unless I’ve misunderstood what it is. [Update: but see also my entire blog entry following up on this choice of translations]. Certainly it’s not “I’ve got” which is how the source tried to render it. And I made 사나이 into “manly man” – trying to reflect the parodical aspect – the source just had it as “guy.”
I’ve tried to make the romanization (in square brackets) more regular (following the SK standard, mostly). I probably missed some things, though.
The song is meant to be funny. The video certainly is – it’s over-the-top cultural parady, mostly. Don’t think the guy is really taking himself seriously – he’s not.
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