Once again I must apologize for the lack of updates… So much else that must be done, sorry. (Rant and a bit of personal info ahead. Only read if interested.)
Yesterday I spent far too much time trying to make my new wireless network adapter PCI card (Netgear WG311v3) cooperate with my new PC since – apparently – the “Works with Windows Vista” label doesn’t actually mean that it really works with Windows Vista (which I, after months on a Linux build, have figured is a necessity to be able to surf Korean websites properly). I had to install those drivers multiple times to actually get the card working, then again after updating Windows, and yet again after inserting a new harddrive. And of course I had to restart my computer three times to get connected to the network again this morning… Gonna replace that card as soon as I get the chance. No way I’m ever buying Netgear again.
Anyway, onto something else. jenny suggested there could be an interest to know more on who runs this blog, and since I still need to fix a few things before I can resume blogging as usual I figured this’d be a good occasion to tell you a bit about myself (helikoppter, that is):
My name is Anna. I’m currently 26 years old and I live in Sweden. I’m an engineer, doing consultant works within the telecommunications field (if you ever feel like discussing the Point-to-Point Protocol – look no further!) in Stockholm. Though I’m still a student too… Now that I have my computer finally online, I intend to finish that thesis of mine and with a little luck I’ll be able to get a Master in Science of Engineering degree (applied physics and electrotechnics) before the end of the year. I’m not Korean and I have never been to Korea, but thanks to a good friend of mine and our Korean penpals I’ve been hooked on Korean music since 1996 – starting with Kim Gun Mo’s 3rd album (which I still love). I consider Korean to be one of the most beautiful languages to listen to. I do read hangul, but I don’t really understand much of the contents (though I have signed up for an evening class in Korean the upcoming spring).
I begun to explore the more alternative sides of Korean music in 2002. Till then I had been listening primarily to my old 90s kpop favorites (Kim Gun Mo, H.O.T, Turbo, Taijiboys), but when I got broadband (and eDonkey) I found an opportunity to check out music more like that non-Korean music I was listening to. Cherry Filter, Delispice, Nell, Jaurim, Sister’s Barbershop, My Aunt Mary and Cocore showed me there was more. (And Huckleberry Finn! How could I fail to mention them?) And it was really, really good. From there it just sorta continued. I wanted more, and more, and more. It didn’t take long before I figured that there was a need for something besides the regular big forums if people like myself were ever going to find a good place to meet up and share new discoveries. But being the procrastinator I am, I never really got past the planning stage… A couple or so years ago the forum and site plans were scrapped and a new plan formed with Scandinavian music blog it’s a trap! serving as inspiration. It turned out orienkorean had been planning something similar for a few years as well, and then (after another year or so of procrastination) all of a sudden Indieful ROK was launched! It is still quite crude, far from the ultimate formate – but with time we will get there :)
Yay! We have to re-unite all of our old friends and have a Gayo-night again sometime! ;)