South Florida Sun-Sentinel Palm Beach (Sunday)
Celebrate with men of Cravity
Cravity is celebrating the release of its latest mini album, “Season 3 Hideout: Be Our Voice.” Due to the pandemic, the nine-man K-pop band hasn’t been able to travel to promote its work. But the band’s leader, Serim, said that once it’s safe to travel, he’s looking forward to living by his travel motto of “doing everything that you’ve wanted to try and enjoying everything you can so that you don’t regret it later!” The entire group, which includes Taiwanese American and Los Angeles native Allen, participated in this interview.
Q: How did moving away from home to be in the group impact you and your music?
Allen: While traveling between the United States and South Korea, I have learned to embrace the two cultures and the values they hold, which reflects in the way I listen to music, which ultimately influences the process I approach while writing music as well.
Minhee: I was inspired a lot when I first moved to Seoul and started living among crowds of people. It was my dream to shine among them.
Q: People sometimes say fans are different in each country. What do you think are the differences and similarities between fans around the world?
Wonjin: Thankfully, because of (groups that came before us), I feel that K-pop is loved all around the world regardless of nationality. I haven’t met the fans all over the world in person yet, so it would be hard to feel or tell the differences in their characteristics, but I would love to meet them all very soon. The key point that I wanted to say is that no matter where you come from and how you express your love, we will always try to repay and return back your love.
Q: What is your best and/or worst vacation memory?
Allen: My best vacation memory was in seventh grade when I went to
New York with my middle school choir, and we shared rooms in groups of fours, and I was the person in charge of picking the room keys to our hotel.
The key I ended up picking was actually a suite room’s key, so my roommates and I were all really surprised when we saw how small everyone else’s rooms were. My worst vacation memory was when my mom came to visit me in Korea, but it was during the (heavy) rain season.
So, for her entire stay, we couldn’t go out sightseeing. I was happy being able to spend time with my mom, but I just thought it was a waste since she came from such a far distance.
Q: What’s the most important thing you’ve learned from your
Hyeongjun: For me, traveling is like healing. I think it allows me to get rid of (fatigue) and hardships that I experienced. I love listening to my favorite songs, eating delicious food and making new memories while I’m traveling.
Woobin: I always feel that a new place is refreshing. It comes to me as a pleasant thing with excitement and joy.
Jungmo: Having a happy time is important, but not as much as being safe! Safety should be a top priority.
Q: What childhood trip stands out in your mind?
Taeyoung: The first trip I remember is probably our trip to Malaysia (where we lived abroad for a few years). Maybe because I was so young, I was more curious when it came to a new thing rather than afraid. I think that’s why I adapted so well to the new culture. Also, living abroad for around four years helped me a lot in learning English!
Seongmin: I remember traveling to the beach with my family! It was the best trip. I still remember having a lot of fun playing in the water.
For more from the reporter, visit www.jaehakim.com.
A: If the hotel refunded your brother, it should also have refunded you. Actually, it should have refunded anyone who had to cancel because of COVID-19. On the day you were supposed to fly, the State Department issued a “do not travel” advisory, urging Americans to stay home. Most hotels offered a no-questions-asked refund after that, but some tried to keep their customers’ money. At a time like that, you can and should lean on your travel agent to help. But even Expedia was having some trouble persuading Senses Riviera Maya by Artisan to return your money.
Why did the hotel refund your brother but not you? The answer may lie in its current refund policy. It offers the ability to cancel on certain (more expensive) rates but not on all of them. It’s possible that your brother had booked a different rate, which the resort considered refundable. I like your idea of a credit card dispute and am sorry that didn’t work. A credit card dispute is typically the last resort for getting a refund. I’d say you were there. (I think it’s time to find a new credit card. Your bank is not on your side.)
You could have reached out to an executive at Expedia. I publish the names, numbers and email addresses of Expedia’s customer service managers on my site at www. elliott.org/companycontacts/expedia-custom er-service-contacts. The next time you make hotel reservations, I encourage you to pay attention to the cancellation terms. If you think you might have to call off your trip, consider a travel insurance policy that will cover your loss.
I contacted Expedia on your behalf. It reached out to the Senses Riviera Maya by Artisan. But the hotel still refused to return your money. Expedia refunded your $844.
Christopher Elliott is the chief advocacy officer of Elliott Advocacy, a nonprofit organization that helps consumers resolve their problems. Contact him at elliott.org/help or chris@elliott.org.