... that I miss most about Korea!
5. Hearing a mixture of k-pop and 90s pop music a-la the Backstreet Boys playing in most coffee shops and restaurants.
4. Free internet available in any and every open public space.
3. Cutesy dancing, cartoons and costumes being considered appropriate for any and all situations (remember, this includes campaigning for national elections).
2. Getting in my daily dose of kimchi. Ridiculously addicting.
And last but DEFININTELY not least,
1. The PEOPLE.
I will carry with me forever from my first year in Korea memories and friendships that have left a permanent mark on my heart. Everyone from my co-workers and my precious students, to the people that I volunteered with, to the friends and family members who became my network of love and support for my time overseas-- even down to the couple who ran the corner store down the street from my apartment, and the lady who spoke perfect English at the bank-- meant so much to me. Each in their own way played a special role in God's shaping, challenging and changing me over the past year, and I am so thankful to Him for bringing them into my life, and for allowing me to be a small part of theirs.
Showing posts with label K-pop. Show all posts
Showing posts with label K-pop. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Summer Heat
Summer is DEFINITELY here. It is difficult for me to find words to express just how oppressive the humidity of a Korean summer can be. I step outside, my skin immediately feels wet and my hair rapidly grows to resemble some sort of creature out of a small child's nightmare.Fortunately, Koreans have a number of tried and true ways to handle the summer heat, and, not surprisingly, most of them involve *food.*
1. Patbingsu
This was actually my first Korean dessert experience upon arriving here, and it made me want to STAY. Patbingsu consists of shaved ice loaded with sweetened red beans, various fruits, candies, and pillowy ddeok, and is often topped off with sweetened condensed milk or ice cream. Mix it up like bibimbap and enjoy!
2. Mul NaengmyonA favorite in my household growing up, Mul Naengmyon is one of the most popular foods consumed during the Korean summertime. "Naengmyon," literally meaning "cold noodles," consists of buckwheat noodles in a cold beefstock broth. It is most often served in a big metal bowl and topped off with a few thin slices of beef, strips of radish, a hard-boiled egg, cucumber slices, and sliced Asian pear. I usually also like to add a dash of vinegar and some wassabi-like mustard to give it a bit of a kick. This dish is the perfect refresher for a hot summers day.
3. Oi Sobagi
This summertime kimchi is another favorite of mine. The cool, fresh taste of the cucumber with the spicy tang of the crushed red peppers that are hot enough to make you sweat is a surprisingly great combination on a hot summers day.
4.Bosin-tangAlso called gaejang-guk, this dish has a long history of serving as a restorative food during hot summer days, particularly among Korean men. It is the infamous dog meat stew, and I hesitate to post about it, because there is such a stigma attached to the idea of eating man's best friend. Since dogs are in fact pets and close companions to many Koreans, some, especially in younger generations, are very strongly against eating this dish. And even traditionally, while the men enjoyed this delicacy-- believed to increase a man's stamina and considered to be quite a rare treat in days when meat of any kind was scarce-- women often enjoyed a similarly seasoned chicken stew instead. While it may seem counter intuitive that stew would be popular in summer, these kinds of dishes are known for their restorative properties. Plus, it doesn't hurt that their heat induces so much sweating-- the momentary discomfort pays off as the body cools.
5. Mud Fest
The only non-food related item to make my list, the Boryeong Mud Festival takes place every year at Daechon beach off Korea's west coast. This weekend, hundreds of people-- and particularly foreigners-- will flock to the beach to roll around in the tons of mud shipped in especially for the event. From the photos, it looks like it would be the prime place for Girls Gone Wild Korea edition to film, but from what I hear it is actually a relatively clean and innocent, though thoroughly crazy, experience.
Trips to the beach, barbecues, watermelon and waterparks are all also to be found in plenty during Korea's hottest months. And, of course, it is obligatory for me to share with you a summer k-pop treat... this song was specially created as a promo for Korea's biggest waterpark, Caribbean Bay.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Seriously upset that I missed this...
A few days ago, Boyz II Men held a joint concert in Seoul with Korean ballad group 4Men.Umm, Boyz II Men meets K-pop? Why did I not have a front row seat to this? Very disappointed in myself right now...
(skip ahead to 1:20 if you don't want to watch the introductions)
Friday, November 13, 2009
I ♥ 콩글리시
콩글리시 or Konglish (Korean+English) is a well worn term within Korean and expatriate communities alike that refers to a phenomenon that anyone who has ever traveled to Korea-- or to any number of other countries throughout Asia-- is certainly familiar with. Everywhere you turn here in the ROK you can see English words used in entertainment and advertising, on clothing, and in everyday conversation. Sometimes these words are actual English words, other times they are "Korean-ized" versions of English words, and still other times they are English words creatively melded together with Korean words. Often the words mean something different to Koreans than they would to a native English speaker. And in sentences that employ Konglish, I would say that, more often than not, there are what would generally be considered by native speakers to be significant mistakes in sentence structure and usage.
Click on the video below to listen to an older but still classic K-pop song that beautifully demonstrates Konglish in action...
Just google "konglish" and click on images to see plenty more examples-- Konglish can be found on everything from billboards, to street signs, to clothing and other goods.
Usually when I have heard the term Konglish used by Koreans here in Korea, I have sensed an undercurrent of self-criticism and bitterness in their generally light and teasing tone. Whether or not this is usually the case when Koreans mention Konglish, though, I really can't say. I am a foreigner, and it is therefore assumed that I will in some way think less of them for "misusing" the English language-- an assumption which undoubtedly colors the way Koreans express themselves around me. After all, one of the major motivating factors for bringing native English speaking teachers into public schools in the first place is to try to halt the transfer of commonly made mistakes in usage and grammar from the Korean teacher to student. There seems to be a big fear here that the use of Konglish in foreign environments will bring shame on both the individual who uses it and on Korea in general.
Without weighing into the debate on whether or not Konglish is a good or bad thing for Korean culture, whether it's use is beneficial or whether it's purpose is valid, I am simply going to say that I personally love Konglish. I think it's often creative, inventive, clever and charming. I mean, "if you wanna pretty, every wanna pretty"? How cute is that?
Now, I am certain that there are varieties of Konglish that do much more harm than good, and I want to be clear that I am not attempting to dismiss the fact that there may be real problems that both undergird and arise from the widespread use of incorrect and sometimes nonsensical English. Neither do I want to minimize the counter arguments that insist on the meaningfulness and value of what might seem to be gibberish to the native speaker in the Korean context. All I mean to state here is simply that, even after being in Korea for nearly three and a half months, hearing Konglish still warms my heart and makes me want to smile.
I suspect that my soft spot for Konglish is mainly due to the fact that hearing it makes me feel at home here in Korea. While I may not be able to understand much actual Korean, I have no problem at all with understanding Konglish. My own mother and grandmother are, after all, expert users of the sub-language, and that has made me, in turn, an expert interpreter.
Of course, Konglish is nothing if not constantly evolving, and being in Korea has given me a Konglish education that I never could have gotten at home. Two of my newest personal favorite terms are "paiting," aka fighting-- a word to be yelled at sporting events in a similar way that some might yell "Victory!"; and "grlamor," aka glamour-- used to mean something like sexy and curvy, as in "Beyonce is so grlamor."
For now, suffice it to say, I think you can expect many more posts devoted to celebrating the joy that is Konglish coming from me in the future...
Click on the video below to listen to an older but still classic K-pop song that beautifully demonstrates Konglish in action...
Just google "konglish" and click on images to see plenty more examples-- Konglish can be found on everything from billboards, to street signs, to clothing and other goods.
Usually when I have heard the term Konglish used by Koreans here in Korea, I have sensed an undercurrent of self-criticism and bitterness in their generally light and teasing tone. Whether or not this is usually the case when Koreans mention Konglish, though, I really can't say. I am a foreigner, and it is therefore assumed that I will in some way think less of them for "misusing" the English language-- an assumption which undoubtedly colors the way Koreans express themselves around me. After all, one of the major motivating factors for bringing native English speaking teachers into public schools in the first place is to try to halt the transfer of commonly made mistakes in usage and grammar from the Korean teacher to student. There seems to be a big fear here that the use of Konglish in foreign environments will bring shame on both the individual who uses it and on Korea in general.
Without weighing into the debate on whether or not Konglish is a good or bad thing for Korean culture, whether it's use is beneficial or whether it's purpose is valid, I am simply going to say that I personally love Konglish. I think it's often creative, inventive, clever and charming. I mean, "if you wanna pretty, every wanna pretty"? How cute is that?
Now, I am certain that there are varieties of Konglish that do much more harm than good, and I want to be clear that I am not attempting to dismiss the fact that there may be real problems that both undergird and arise from the widespread use of incorrect and sometimes nonsensical English. Neither do I want to minimize the counter arguments that insist on the meaningfulness and value of what might seem to be gibberish to the native speaker in the Korean context. All I mean to state here is simply that, even after being in Korea for nearly three and a half months, hearing Konglish still warms my heart and makes me want to smile.
I suspect that my soft spot for Konglish is mainly due to the fact that hearing it makes me feel at home here in Korea. While I may not be able to understand much actual Korean, I have no problem at all with understanding Konglish. My own mother and grandmother are, after all, expert users of the sub-language, and that has made me, in turn, an expert interpreter.
Of course, Konglish is nothing if not constantly evolving, and being in Korea has given me a Konglish education that I never could have gotten at home. Two of my newest personal favorite terms are "paiting," aka fighting-- a word to be yelled at sporting events in a similar way that some might yell "Victory!"; and "grlamor," aka glamour-- used to mean something like sexy and curvy, as in "Beyonce is so grlamor."
For now, suffice it to say, I think you can expect many more posts devoted to celebrating the joy that is Konglish coming from me in the future...
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Anyunghaseyo!
Hello from South Korea! I have been here for just over two weeks and it has been a great experience so far. Thank you so much to those of you who have been checking in with me—it really means a lot! Because I don’t start teaching until Monday, August 17th, I have had plenty of time over the past couple of weeks to relax and to get acclimated to life in Korea. I still don’t think it has hit me that I actually live here, though … it feels more like a vacation.
I’ve met so many new people and experienced so many new things since I’ve been here, but because I can’t cover everything in one post, I’ve listed 6 highlights—or kind of general themes—that will hopefully give you a picture of what my life in Korea has been like.
1. Family, family and more family
My mother’s father is the oldest of seven children, so I have more aunts, uncles and cousins in Korea than I could have ever imagined. They are all so incredibly generous to me, and even though I can’t speak to most of them because my Korean is so terrible, they have all really gone out of their way to make me feel welcomed and completely at home. And they have definitely succeeded—having such a great family so close by has really helped me feel much more at home in Korea than I would have otherwise.
It is also really great to be around people who speak so intimately of my mother—the way that only someone who has watched a person grown up can do. I didn’t realize until I got here that I had been missing out on that. I’d been around plenty of people who talked about how my dad had been when he was younger, but never my mom. And it is obvious from the way that they all talk just how much they adore her—which is lucky for me, because they seem to view me as an extension of her. Everyone I meet from the family says that I have her forehead, her voice and her smiling face, and it is assumed that because my mom is very smart and can sing well that I must also be brilliant with a great singing voice. Unfortunately neither of those things are true, but I’m trying not to spoil the illusion for them just yet… :-P
2. The West Sea
My town, Ansan, is located just south of the west side of Seoul. It’s a great location for me, because I have very convenient access to Seoul via subway (there is a station virtually on my doorstep), and I am also very close to the west coast of Korea. I love the big city vibrancy of Seoul, but I also really enjoy the quiet beauty and slower pace of the West Sea.
The West Sea is one of those rare and special places where you can watch the sun both rise and set over the ocean. There are both sand and pebble beaches, and even now in the busy season, it is not overly crowded. The beaches are populated mainly by families and couples having picnics, cooking Korean barbeque and playing in the water. Many of the women wear big floppy hats and huge sunglasses to protect themselves from the sun, which I think is completely adorable. Men—and occasionally women—with fishing poles can be spotted on just about every beach, but on the pebble beaches you can also find men and women with little picks and shovels gathering small crabs, clams and other shellfish for dinner. As for me, I enjoy just walking along the water, going swimming in the sea, and eating my fill of sashimi (like sushi without the rice).
I have yet to figure out how I can make a day trip of it without spending a ton of money on a driver—the bus system still intimidates me a little bit—but it is definitely close enough to visit for just a day, and I think that getting away periodically will be an important way for me to be able to rejuvenate myself over the next year.
3. Korean pop music
Those of my friends who love good music—and by that I mean music by talented artists who take their craft seriously—are constantly giving me a hard time about my own poor musical taste. What can I say? I love bubble gum pop songs that hearken back to the boy band era of the nineties… and lucky for me, so do many Koreans! Below I’ve posted for your listening pleasure a sampling of youtube links to songs from some of the most popular groups that you might hear on the radio, on TV, or playing in nearly every store in Seoul and Ansan.
These two groups, 2PM and Big Bang, are the top two boy bands in Korea-- I think one of them was the winner of Korean Idol, but I can't remember which...
2PM: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUgReo37ECw&feature=fvst
Big Bang: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzCbEdtNbJ0
This group, Girls Generation, is like Korea's version of the Pussycat Dolls:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1Hihsm405E
And here's my personal favorite... a song called "I Don't Care" by girl group 2NE1:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ve-Z3RBR_84
4. Soju
Soju is Korea’s favorite alcoholic drink, made of fermented rice or sweet potatoes, and many Koreans claim that it is good for your health. Any time I am invited out to lunch or dinner my host orders soju. Anytime I have spent the day in nature, enjoying the outdoors with a native Korean, we have paused to enjoy a little glass of soju. Because I am new to the drink, I am usually given a very weak mul cocktail, which is about 2/3 water and 1/3 alcohol. When it's watered down like this, it is sweet, but taken much stronger it is a little reminiscent of rubbing alcohol. And I’m a complete wimp when it comes to the taste of alcohol—I like fruity, girly drinks—so it’s pretty amazing that I have been able to keep the soju down each time. As a matter of fact, I’m even beginning to enjoy it, especially when eating Korean barbeque, seafood or other spicy foods. I’m really going to have to learn to discern when it is okay to turn down a drink without being rude, though, because if I continue to accept soju every time it is offered, I’m not sure how long my poor liver will be able to hold up!
5. Go-Stop
Go-Stop was described to me both as Korean poker and a popular Korean family game. The game is played using hwa-tu , tiny little cards with colorful pictures of plants, animals, and outdoor scenes. I had a set of hwa-tu when I was younger but never knew what to do with them. My sister and I would make up rules that were nothing like the actual game and definitely nowhere near as fun. The basic premise of Go-Stop is to match cards, collect as many sets of two as you can and end up with a combination of cards that adds up to three or more points. The pictures on each set of four cards do not match exactly, but instead have some design in common that links them, some of which are difficult to recognize for someone like me who is new to the game. Normally you bet when playing, but when I learned I played with two 14 year old girls, and we just played for fun. It’s a good thing too, because I would have lost a ton of money. I’ve never been much of a card game kind of girl unless you count Uno and Go Fish, but I really had a lot of fun learning to play this game. I am planning on getting my own hwa-tu, and you can bet that if you come to visit me I will be teaching you how to play.
6. Kimchi
You knew I had to mention it. Kimchi is a Korean staple, served with every meal. It was also a staple in my house growing up—we even ate it on pizza—so before coming here I considered myself a relative kimchi expert. It turns out, however, that I am in fact utterly ignorant when it comes to the wide and diverse world of kimchi. Since being here I have learned that there are far more types of kimchi than I would have ever thought possible; it seems like I am being introduced to a new type at just about every meal. I have one Korean cookbook that lists over 200 kinds. I suppose it’s a good thing that there are so many varieties, though, since kimchi was ranked by Health magazine as one of the healthiest foods in the world. I have been told that it even helps prevent cancer, so I guess you can really never get enough!
~*~*~
All in all, I am having a really great time so far. There have been challenges—mostly due to my terrible lack of knowledge when it comes to the Korean language—but no more than you might expect when coming to work in a new country for the first time. I will continue to update my blog, and hopefully I will be able to include some photos with my posts in the future. I don’t have a camera yet because I never replaced the one that was stolen in Jordan last summer, but I plan to buy one with my first paycheck so you will have something a little more interesting to look at than just words on a page! I love and miss you all—be sure to keep in touch and keep me updated on your lives as well…
P.S. Yesterday was my mom’s birthday in the U.S. (13 hour time difference)—so just wanted to say happy birthday again, Mom! I love you and miss you so much, and I hope you had an absolutely fantastic day!! XOXOX
I’ve met so many new people and experienced so many new things since I’ve been here, but because I can’t cover everything in one post, I’ve listed 6 highlights—or kind of general themes—that will hopefully give you a picture of what my life in Korea has been like.
1. Family, family and more family
My mother’s father is the oldest of seven children, so I have more aunts, uncles and cousins in Korea than I could have ever imagined. They are all so incredibly generous to me, and even though I can’t speak to most of them because my Korean is so terrible, they have all really gone out of their way to make me feel welcomed and completely at home. And they have definitely succeeded—having such a great family so close by has really helped me feel much more at home in Korea than I would have otherwise.
It is also really great to be around people who speak so intimately of my mother—the way that only someone who has watched a person grown up can do. I didn’t realize until I got here that I had been missing out on that. I’d been around plenty of people who talked about how my dad had been when he was younger, but never my mom. And it is obvious from the way that they all talk just how much they adore her—which is lucky for me, because they seem to view me as an extension of her. Everyone I meet from the family says that I have her forehead, her voice and her smiling face, and it is assumed that because my mom is very smart and can sing well that I must also be brilliant with a great singing voice. Unfortunately neither of those things are true, but I’m trying not to spoil the illusion for them just yet… :-P
2. The West Sea
My town, Ansan, is located just south of the west side of Seoul. It’s a great location for me, because I have very convenient access to Seoul via subway (there is a station virtually on my doorstep), and I am also very close to the west coast of Korea. I love the big city vibrancy of Seoul, but I also really enjoy the quiet beauty and slower pace of the West Sea.
The West Sea is one of those rare and special places where you can watch the sun both rise and set over the ocean. There are both sand and pebble beaches, and even now in the busy season, it is not overly crowded. The beaches are populated mainly by families and couples having picnics, cooking Korean barbeque and playing in the water. Many of the women wear big floppy hats and huge sunglasses to protect themselves from the sun, which I think is completely adorable. Men—and occasionally women—with fishing poles can be spotted on just about every beach, but on the pebble beaches you can also find men and women with little picks and shovels gathering small crabs, clams and other shellfish for dinner. As for me, I enjoy just walking along the water, going swimming in the sea, and eating my fill of sashimi (like sushi without the rice).
I have yet to figure out how I can make a day trip of it without spending a ton of money on a driver—the bus system still intimidates me a little bit—but it is definitely close enough to visit for just a day, and I think that getting away periodically will be an important way for me to be able to rejuvenate myself over the next year.
3. Korean pop music
Those of my friends who love good music—and by that I mean music by talented artists who take their craft seriously—are constantly giving me a hard time about my own poor musical taste. What can I say? I love bubble gum pop songs that hearken back to the boy band era of the nineties… and lucky for me, so do many Koreans! Below I’ve posted for your listening pleasure a sampling of youtube links to songs from some of the most popular groups that you might hear on the radio, on TV, or playing in nearly every store in Seoul and Ansan.
These two groups, 2PM and Big Bang, are the top two boy bands in Korea-- I think one of them was the winner of Korean Idol, but I can't remember which...
2PM: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUgReo37ECw&feature=fvst
Big Bang: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzCbEdtNbJ0
This group, Girls Generation, is like Korea's version of the Pussycat Dolls:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1Hihsm405E
And here's my personal favorite... a song called "I Don't Care" by girl group 2NE1:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ve-Z3RBR_84
4. Soju
Soju is Korea’s favorite alcoholic drink, made of fermented rice or sweet potatoes, and many Koreans claim that it is good for your health. Any time I am invited out to lunch or dinner my host orders soju. Anytime I have spent the day in nature, enjoying the outdoors with a native Korean, we have paused to enjoy a little glass of soju. Because I am new to the drink, I am usually given a very weak mul cocktail, which is about 2/3 water and 1/3 alcohol. When it's watered down like this, it is sweet, but taken much stronger it is a little reminiscent of rubbing alcohol. And I’m a complete wimp when it comes to the taste of alcohol—I like fruity, girly drinks—so it’s pretty amazing that I have been able to keep the soju down each time. As a matter of fact, I’m even beginning to enjoy it, especially when eating Korean barbeque, seafood or other spicy foods. I’m really going to have to learn to discern when it is okay to turn down a drink without being rude, though, because if I continue to accept soju every time it is offered, I’m not sure how long my poor liver will be able to hold up!
5. Go-Stop
Go-Stop was described to me both as Korean poker and a popular Korean family game. The game is played using hwa-tu , tiny little cards with colorful pictures of plants, animals, and outdoor scenes. I had a set of hwa-tu when I was younger but never knew what to do with them. My sister and I would make up rules that were nothing like the actual game and definitely nowhere near as fun. The basic premise of Go-Stop is to match cards, collect as many sets of two as you can and end up with a combination of cards that adds up to three or more points. The pictures on each set of four cards do not match exactly, but instead have some design in common that links them, some of which are difficult to recognize for someone like me who is new to the game. Normally you bet when playing, but when I learned I played with two 14 year old girls, and we just played for fun. It’s a good thing too, because I would have lost a ton of money. I’ve never been much of a card game kind of girl unless you count Uno and Go Fish, but I really had a lot of fun learning to play this game. I am planning on getting my own hwa-tu, and you can bet that if you come to visit me I will be teaching you how to play.
6. Kimchi
You knew I had to mention it. Kimchi is a Korean staple, served with every meal. It was also a staple in my house growing up—we even ate it on pizza—so before coming here I considered myself a relative kimchi expert. It turns out, however, that I am in fact utterly ignorant when it comes to the wide and diverse world of kimchi. Since being here I have learned that there are far more types of kimchi than I would have ever thought possible; it seems like I am being introduced to a new type at just about every meal. I have one Korean cookbook that lists over 200 kinds. I suppose it’s a good thing that there are so many varieties, though, since kimchi was ranked by Health magazine as one of the healthiest foods in the world. I have been told that it even helps prevent cancer, so I guess you can really never get enough!
~*~*~
All in all, I am having a really great time so far. There have been challenges—mostly due to my terrible lack of knowledge when it comes to the Korean language—but no more than you might expect when coming to work in a new country for the first time. I will continue to update my blog, and hopefully I will be able to include some photos with my posts in the future. I don’t have a camera yet because I never replaced the one that was stolen in Jordan last summer, but I plan to buy one with my first paycheck so you will have something a little more interesting to look at than just words on a page! I love and miss you all—be sure to keep in touch and keep me updated on your lives as well…
P.S. Yesterday was my mom’s birthday in the U.S. (13 hour time difference)—so just wanted to say happy birthday again, Mom! I love you and miss you so much, and I hope you had an absolutely fantastic day!! XOXOX
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