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2010, Hello
01/01/10
2010, Hello
I met two of last year's resolutions, blew one completely out of the water, and failed at the Korean one. This year I really only have on goal, and that is to read 1,000,000 글자 (syllables) in Korean.
So last night I stayed up with my Korean family, drinking wine and watching various K-pop acts on the TV, waiting to ring in the new year with 33 bongs on the bell in Seoul. (Mother was the only one who knew the reason for the 33 bongs. Each one represents one of the original signers of the Korean independence document.)
Mother and Father had gone out with Father's seonbae in the evening, so Father was drunk. We hid the wine from him and at one point he was resting his head on his hand on the table, looking around for the wine. He was peering at my through the wine glass as if to say "American Daughter-in-Law, please give me the wine..."
The pop acts were, well, K-poppy. I was horrified by MC Mong's "Indian Boy" video. My in-laws couldn't understand why I was so horrified and Good Man tried to explain, but it was so clear they just didn't get it. (This isn't the actual video, but it fairly close to what he did.)
K-pop band Jewelry sang some song with the words "Jewerly Forever" behind them the whole time and I just about died laughing. Another girl group Kara, sang a song with the lyrics "Rock your body, I say" but when they sing, it becomes "Rock your bahsay."
I should be hired by some entertainment groups in Korea. I would catch every little stupid mistake...especially since they're glaring!
6 comments
Comment from: Mom [Visitor] · http://roundaboutacres.com
Edit this part - did you mean to write 1,000,000 syllables? I think you left out a "0"
I have seen more offensive portrayals but it is pretty silly. I think he says "Wakan Tonka" at the beginning; this is the Sioux word for buffalo. I don't know how that relates to the song but of course, I don't speak the language.
The stage set is more offensive because of it's cartoony-goofy nature. Koreans seem to like that in their pop music videos. Catchy tune though!
I have seen more offensive portrayals but it is pretty silly. I think he says "Wakan Tonka" at the beginning; this is the Sioux word for buffalo. I don't know how that relates to the song but of course, I don't speak the language.
The stage set is more offensive because of it's cartoony-goofy nature. Koreans seem to like that in their pop music videos. Catchy tune though!
01/03/10 @ 01:07
Comment from: Gori Girl [Visitor] · http://gorigirl.com
Do Koreans, as a group, generally have difficulty metabolizing alcohol (i.e. Asian Flush Reaction)? We spent the New Year's with a bunch of our Vietnamese friends, and a few of them had difficulty processing the alcohol that was flowing freely - with the expected negative effects. :-( But everyone had a fun time for most of the night. Weather was horrible in DC on NYE, though, so be glad that you weren't here (or is it cold where you are too?).
Oh, and we came across a very interesting (and new to me) Vietnamese superstition: you're suppose to be at home when the New Year comes, or you'll bring home bad luck. A couple of friends had to leave early to follow this rule - is there anything similar in Korean culture? I think I remember one of my Chinese friend mentioning that rule in high school with regards to the Chinese New Year, so I'm wondering if it's a cultural belief in East Asia generally...
Oh, and we came across a very interesting (and new to me) Vietnamese superstition: you're suppose to be at home when the New Year comes, or you'll bring home bad luck. A couple of friends had to leave early to follow this rule - is there anything similar in Korean culture? I think I remember one of my Chinese friend mentioning that rule in high school with regards to the Chinese New Year, so I'm wondering if it's a cultural belief in East Asia generally...
01/03/10 @ 02:25
Comment from: JM [Visitor] 
When did Hollywood stop romanticizing the "Noble Savage"? Like two years ago? Koreans aren't going to be totally on top of American political correctness. Hello, Washington Redskins.
But if you did want to try to relate the situation to them, you could ask what the Korean reaction would be to a Japanese boy band doing a similar act, but it could be "Cho-sen Boy" (조선 in the Japanese accent). Pair that with costume and Japanese stereotypes of Hermit Kingdom in the 19th century. "I love you more than garlic," etc. Koreans hate that.
Then again, maybe only the most culturally sensitive/anti-Japanese Koreans would even take offense to that. The format really isn't about substance in any case.
But if you did want to try to relate the situation to them, you could ask what the Korean reaction would be to a Japanese boy band doing a similar act, but it could be "Cho-sen Boy" (조선 in the Japanese accent). Pair that with costume and Japanese stereotypes of Hermit Kingdom in the 19th century. "I love you more than garlic," etc. Koreans hate that.
Then again, maybe only the most culturally sensitive/anti-Japanese Koreans would even take offense to that. The format really isn't about substance in any case.
01/03/10 @ 04:59
Comment from: admin [Member]
Mom, edited it! And yeah, the song is obnoxiously catchy. So was his ice cream love song that got me into him in the first place!
Gori, Good Man's never heard of that superstition and considering how many people were in Seoul for the bell ringing, a bunch of other people seem to never have heard of it either.
Koreans do get very red faces. They still drink a lot.
JM, I don't expect Koreans to be on top of American political correctness. That doesn't mean I have to practice cultural relativism and not be horrified myself. I did say they were confusing various groups, much like if we group Koreans with Chinese and Japanese people together, and that annoyed my in-laws.
Gori, Good Man's never heard of that superstition and considering how many people were in Seoul for the bell ringing, a bunch of other people seem to never have heard of it either.
Koreans do get very red faces. They still drink a lot.
JM, I don't expect Koreans to be on top of American political correctness. That doesn't mean I have to practice cultural relativism and not be horrified myself. I did say they were confusing various groups, much like if we group Koreans with Chinese and Japanese people together, and that annoyed my in-laws.
01/03/10 @ 10:06
Comment from: SKFK [Visitor]
One Korean superstition that is kind of forgotten these days is that you are not supposed to fall asleep on the last night of the year, or your eyebrows will turn white overnight. The obvious practical joke related to that was to put flour or some white powder on the eyebrows of any kid who inevitably falls asleep, and then tease him about it the next morning.
Another superstition is that an evil spirit will go around on the last night of the year, try on any shoes left unattended on the doorsteps, and steal them if they fit. It was, as you can imagine, a way to teach kids to keep their personal belongings, such as shoes, well-organized.
Another superstition is that an evil spirit will go around on the last night of the year, try on any shoes left unattended on the doorsteps, and steal them if they fit. It was, as you can imagine, a way to teach kids to keep their personal belongings, such as shoes, well-organized.
01/03/10 @ 12:25
Comment from: Paul / samedi [Visitor] · http://samedi.livejournal.com
One of the student books that I teach from includes the story about one's eyebrows turning white if one falls asleep on New Year's Eve. In the end it is the boy's grandmother who plays a prank on him.
I also had a couple of students prepare a play for their school's English speaking competition where they spoke about Seollal and mentioned the ghost (Yagwangi) that goes around stealing shoes. I believe there's a particular kind of sieve one hangs in their house to ward against Yagwangi's trickery. The ghost grows preoccupied with counting the holes in the sieve - constantly losing count and starting over again - that it no longer has time to steal shoes before daybreak comes.
Not sure if my students are unique in remembering / using these tales. I have to admit I was surprised when one class asked if I ate 팥죽 for 동지 ...
I also had a couple of students prepare a play for their school's English speaking competition where they spoke about Seollal and mentioned the ghost (Yagwangi) that goes around stealing shoes. I believe there's a particular kind of sieve one hangs in their house to ward against Yagwangi's trickery. The ghost grows preoccupied with counting the holes in the sieve - constantly losing count and starting over again - that it no longer has time to steal shoes before daybreak comes.
Not sure if my students are unique in remembering / using these tales. I have to admit I was surprised when one class asked if I ate 팥죽 for 동지 ...
01/06/10 @ 02:11
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