#kpoptober 2022 | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

hollisonceagain · 1 year

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kpoptober 2022 day 29: a.c.e - savage

#kpoptober 2022 #kpoptober #a.c.e #ace

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callmecayce · 7 months

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Happy Donghae Day!

2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022

Well, we’ve made it through another year and it’s time for Donghae Day! To be quite honest, I don’t know that I thought I’d still be such a big kpop fan in the year 2023 - I’m not sure I was even thinking about 2023 when I became a kpop fan back in 2011. Sometimes it’s hard to believe that 12 years have passed and then other times it seems it went by in a flash. But here we are - on the 12th annual Donghae Day!

For those (very few) of you who are new - October 12, 2011 was the day I learned about kpop. I’ve been celebrating this day in various ways since then. Prior to 2016 (when I was working 2 jobs), I usually went out to dinner with friends or treated myself to something nice. Since I started my full time job in 2016 (!) I’ve taken the day off almost every year (except 2020) if I was working. And this year is no exception! I don’t have any real big plans, except to go to H Mart and maybe Trader Joes. My life is so exciting, I know.

But that’s been the theme of the past few Donghae Days, ever since the pandemic took over our lives. I am one of the few people who still doesn’t go out (I haven’t really been sick since 2019) and see people that often, though I am seeing people, so I am not a complete shut-in. But Donghae Day isn’t to talk about these bad things (and god, there have been so many this year since the entire world is on fire). Instead, it is to talk about things that are good and happy - because those do exist.

Most every day (unless I’m off visiting my dad), I fire up my watch later and listen to the most recent releases (kpop and others). There’s a lot of great music out there and finding it and consuming it makes me happy, as does sharing it. That’s why I still do my song-a-day playlists! Every day since Kpoptober 2020, I’ve been posting one song a day and it’s still going. My first kpoptober was 2019 and I’d originally meant to just post in October, but after the pandemic, I decided I wanted to share music every day, so here we are. It’s a true labor of love, since all the tracks I post are ones I like (and sometimes adore). You can find links to all of the playlists (YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Music) by year here:

song-a-day playlists

Also in 2023 (some sad stuff happened: Moonbin, I miss you) - there were new groups that debuted and others that had comebacks, but for me there were a few specific comebacks that made me really happy:

Teen Top

Infinite

EXO

ONF

It’s hard to explain, but I don’t know that I thought either Teen Top or Infinite would ever come back, in spite of the fact that neither group had ever mentioned they were disbanded. Both of those releases were great and I am so happy they’re still making music. EXO coming back was also quite a shock (especially considering all the drama surrounding them and their contracts). However, their release was enjoyable as well (and in the process, my favorite members changed again - don’t ask or maybe do). And, of course, the rest of of ONF returned from the military - what a delight! Their release was also wonderful (and I think their albums might arrive today, which how perfect!) and as great as their previous ones. And while, sure there are plenty of other groups who’ve come back with great release this year (Just B, I’m looking at you), these four really meant a lot to me.

Over the past year it’s not just music that I’ve been consuming. I’ve made my return to watching kdramas and watched a couple of Chinese dramas as well. This year (2023) I’ve watched (and finished) 6 dramas (see them here), not as many (yet) as 2021, but more than 2022 (when I watched none). I’ve also been watching a lot of anime, both with the (virtual) anime club I am a member of and on my own, which has been a lot of fun. I’m reading more and have found my way back to Animal Crossing again, which has been a lot of fun.

But the real thing that keeps me going are my friends and family. Donghae Day only exists because my journey as a kpop fan hasn’t been alone. I have made so many wonderful friends, some have come into and gone from my life, but many others are still here. Not all are connected by kpop, some are people I’ve known for years (online and off), others I’ve only gotten close to recently and still others I've known only through places like Discord. I am forever grateful to these people, close friends and acquaintances alike. They have made my life a better place and I hope that I’ve done the same for them, even in just the tiniest of possible ways.

If you’ve made it this far, thank you for reading! And if this is your 12th post or even your first, thank you for joining me on this journey, whatever form it may take. I hope to see you in 2024!

#donghae day

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hollisonceagain · 2 years

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