Q&A With Soompi Member "taiwanpride"

A three-year Soompi addict hailing from Canada, taiwanpride is a starving fashion communications student with a lot of opinions, and a long empty summer ahead of her.  She was interested in sharing her her long and passionate obsession with Korean culture.

When did you join Soompi and what were your reasons for it?

I joined Soompi in August 2007, when my seedling interest in Kpop and celebrities first sprouted.  A friend had recommended me to watch the kdrama ‘Full House’ starring Rain and Song Hye Gyo, and I went to youtube to check it out.  I stumbled upon a variety show featuring Super Junior of the same name, and their cute Korean charms captured my heart immediately.  More research led me to Soompi.  Through this site, I was able to educate myself on all kinds of topics; it was here that I discovered circle lenses, great love quotes, and that almost anyone could look like an ullzhang with the right tips and tricks.

What talents/skills do you contribute to the Soompi community?

I pride myself on having an open mind, which I believe is an asset to any website in fueling creativity.  My interests are multifaceted and varied, from foreign culture to travel to religion.  From a very young age I had the desire to work for a fashion magazine and write articles on beauty or clothing and plan shoots and concepts.  

If you could join any Korean girl group, which one would it be and why?

It’s a tossup between 2NE1, After School and Brown Eyed Girls, but if I HAD to I would choose 2NE1.  I’m a fan of girl groups with a powerful, cool image and dope dance moves.  However, I was OBSESSED with every aspect of Brown Eyed Girls ‘Abracadabra’ music video from the dance to the scene with the zebra one pieces paired with hot coral heels.

What do you do in your spare time?

Most of my free time goes to surfing the web.  It’s the fastest, most convenient source to look up music, fashion, celebrities, etc.  I am active on many sites besides Soompi such as lookbook, deviantart, and blogger.  Although I’m a beginner, I often dabble in photoshop and would love to invest in a DSLR and get more into photography.

I am always thinking for lack of a better word; and nothing is more rewarding than expressing thought through creation.  I communicate through creative writing as well as art.

If you had three wishes, what would they be?

To have time freezing power (←ULTIMATE SUPER POWER), fall in love, and live a fulfilling life of happy experiences.

Which forums do you most frequent?

I’m all over the place, but I can be mostly seen in beauty/health.  The ‘What Did You Wear Today’ thread as well as the circle lens thread are musts, as well as the ‘What I Baked/Cooked Today’ thread.  I used to be a heavy user of 411, but life got too busy to keep up. 

These days, discovering that a Kpop star got plastic surgery comes as no surprise.  What are your views on the subject?

I am not morally against it.  I believe that if they have the means, everyone has the right to modify their appearance if they feel unsatisfied or just wish for change.  There is nothing wrong with wanting to look prettier, unless you’re Heidi Montag.

What inspires you?           

Day to day living and human experiences.  To sum up all my interests in one word, it would be aesthetics. I am deeply drawn to anything beautiful. I love the arts and appreciate anything visual in general, from fashion to film to photography.