9/15/11

TOP TEN KOREAN facts and etc. (part I)

(In my point of view)

It's not been long since i got into Korea, and I know there are a lot of people starting to get interested in South Korea cultures, especially after the "Hallyu Wave" and stuff. Even though I'm a pure Asian, there are still things that intrigued my mind, especially our difference in cultures. And here they are!

1. KOREAN DRINKS A LOT. 



I mean, A LOT. Even universities fund their students to held orientations in 술집 (suljib / korean bar). AND YES it is happening. It have been their tradition to drink and celebrate anything, and i guess that's one of the few flaws in Korean culture. And drinking has been more to a formal event in several company, to a event that have good purposes. They believe drinking together would threw all the awkwardness and show their care to their juniors / 후배since usually the seniors / 선배pays their junior's fee.

Me too, have gone through that. We went to an orientation to welcomes the seniors from mandatory military service and it's was WILD. I saw with my own eyes my friends are completely wasted (even the girls). And compared to other major, our major actually better. We still had some cola / beer, in the other hand other major only serves soju / 소주, which is, tastes like a pure alcohol. Taste like acetone to me :/

The other factor is soju is cheap and available almost in every mini market. Only with ₩ 3.000 you could enjoy a nice cold bottle of soju. They don't even bother to ask your age. They asked me to show my ID card to buy 'Final Destination 5' on cinema, but they don't even bother to ask me when i bought a bottle of soju. wth.

Girls, boys, doesn't even matter, if someone older says to drink. You have to drink. Even my friends had their professor forcing them to drink some makgeolli / 막걸리 (rice wine) the first time they met. It was actually funny tho lol. But makgeolli tastes like liquid 'tape' (Indonesian traditional food, if you know what i meant) and not at all gonna make you wasted. Still it is an alcoholic drink, If you can't take it, then don't drink it.

2. KOREAN DOES PLASTIC SURGERY A LOT.



I don't know what to say. It's have been a complete stereotype of a Korean. You're chinese? Your d*ck is small. You're Korean and you're beautiful? You did plastic surgery.

But i must say i agree. They did many plastic surgery. I don't mean many as in one person did like 5-6 surgeries, but a lot of people did the surgery. A lot of people did their double eye lid surgery, some are jaws, nose, and fat reduction bla-bla. But you must remember, Korean is also number 1 in make up skills. You have to see how junior high student wear their make ups and check them selves out every 5 minutes. So it's pretty hard to tell unless you asked them directly.

In contrary, Korean actually quite open about surgery. There are some of my friend that's openly and honestly asked me should she do plastic surgery on her eyes. And some of them actually said they got plastic surgery even before being asked. lol. You pay around ₩ 600.000 and maximum ₩ 1.000.000 you got your eyelid! Pretty economic!

The one that i hate is when people from other country value Korean by how they operated them selves to get pretty. Calling them FAKE and B*TCHY because they got plastic surgery just show how shallow you are. Grow up idiots, it's modern era already. Of course not ALL PEOPLE did plastic surgery, but even though they did, people does act pretty normally :)

3. KOREAN CAN'T SPEAK ENGLISH



Hem.. i must say 50:50. Some can. Some can't.
You can't expect ahjummas/ahjusshi talked you back with English tho, but you could have hopes in students. Recently they have begun to REALIZE how English is important. In my university it self, more foreign teacher came and had only English speaking classes.

Of course they learn basic English in schools, and learn it more in university. Some of them might go to English speaking country to study for about a year or so. But the funny thing i learned, they always said they have this 김치발음 means 'Kimchi Pronunciation' so they can't speak English well. It's true how their pronunciation is heavy and difficult to erase it when they speaks in English. That doesn't mean they can't understand English tho. They are better in written English.

The thing i can't understand is, how they still teaches English is universities, with KOREAN. Hello? It's just weird. Believe me I took English class, we learned prepositions with Korean. So why again they can't speak English? :/

4. KOREAN LIKE K-POP A LOT.



do they?

Coming along with their nationalism and somewhat low English ability, they have no other choice than enjoying their local songs. With western styled beats and music, i guess they're satisfied and didn't bother to listen English songs except when it is really REALLY famous. Like lady gaga ;) So yes, they liked K-pop.

But are they freaked over K-pop?

I must say, majority, no. They know what song is this, they know who sings it, they know idol group members, but it's all as far as common knowledge ONLY. The one that freaked over and somewhat grouped into fan or anti-fan are usually junior - high school students.

I remember when i went to a concert sponsored by Hyundai Mall, and most of them are early-teens and group of ahjummas because they got the VIP seats for frequent mall visitor, and families. Yes, families came and open a box of chicken and watch the concert as if they had a family picnic. It was totally different from what i imagined! I imagining groups of teens in our age with their friends come and enjoy the concert BUT NO! I see only junior high student :( which is actually really great, i met a group of nice students and they gave some of their seats to us :)

If you go to Korea, you'll notice they only played K-pop popular songs. If i were a Korean, i would be sick already before i get the chances to 'freak over' k-pop. Me myself have been lack of K-pop information here, just because i've kind of sick of hearing catchy-bubble pop-cutesy-pop music over and over again!!

5. KOREAN HAVE TO GO TO MANDATORY MILITARY SERVICE



The answer is : Yes.

But still they have rules and requirement to actually sending someone to the military. So if you didn't fulfill the requirements, you can't go the army. One of my friend's male Korean friend actually failed the test so he had to wait until some months later.

The mandatory military service gradually become a Korean man pride. You are a man? Then go to military! If you're not? You're a sissy. Something like that.

I've heard military nowadays is not as harsh as the past. When violence is used in almost everything. But right now it's been so much soften, but still it's pretty hard to endure it. And i heard celebrities going on military is harsher than normal people. Because it's their chances to somewhat 'bully' famous people. So they always got hit more, got bad treatments and stuffs. But i believe it's the past stuffs, not happening in recent days.

Most of Korean male served in military after they graduated from high school / freshman year in college. Most universities have an event called sinbok / 신복 to welcomes seniors from the military and the new student. Some would have a 'little' military training experience in sinbok :P Because the senior is going to join their junior class until they're graduated so that event also for introducing 'new seniors' . So every male student in your year, won't graduated in the same year with you unless he could avoid the military :)

Another option is to take ROTC class. It means you didn't go to mandatory service before you graduate. But instead, you take ROTC classes, cut off all your hair, wear somewhat military like uniform, stays in the dormitory, and trains your physical abilities every holiday. Yes, military in school! You have to be smart tho to enter ROTC class. They said if you take ROTC class, your mandatory service is much shorter and easier. I guess ROTC student will be placed in more to administrative job than the field job. But 4 years of semi military in college? Hem....



Part II coming soon!

9/14/11

Cafe 101 - #2 301

The first cafe i go to the moment my feet touched Busan :)

CAFE 301!

First, and intro and the real reason why I went to this cafe first, 
It was not a secret that people working in this cafe is GOOD-LOOKING
... And they only accept men. Coffee Prince in real life, eh? ;)

But that public secret is actually kinda true! I can't say it 110% always good looking, because the part-time jobbers are changing all the time! Anw the first time i came there left a deep impression. The bartender / owner is really nice (read later why he is cute and super kind!) and the place is SUPER COMFY! 

The concept was vintage and homey. With a dim lighting here and there, soft blanket, and a ton of magazine, you would never felt the time is running! :D

using only a photo album to make the menu-pan! 

My ultimate recommendation is HOT CHOCO! 
I can proudly say THIS HOT CHOCO IS THE BEST BUSAN CAN SERVE!!

both are nice! (but marshmallow cost another ₩500. I'm petty so i prefer hot choco XD)

Actually the one that is 301 speciality is none than the strawberry bla-bla-bla. I forget the name but it was made so beautifully, and i never actually ordered that too :( 
The drink had strawberries on top craved beautifully like a rose with sparkles of sugar!! Prettiest drink i ever see! You can see it right here! It's in Korean, but the pictures are speaking globally ;)

the served hot choco!

 milk tea with cinnamon!

green tea latte! 

The cutest thing that was 301's signature is how the put a small toy and pretzels in a unique bucket! 

cutest and delicious-est ever



too many people coming with me, we got the special private place!! :D

not a Korean coffee shop if you have a uniformed chair! ;) hooray for the vintage mismatch! 


as a 301's mascot DEERS are EVERYWHERE in various stuff!

Oh just remembered! 301 is one of not-so-many Korean coffee shop that didn't play music according to the trend!!! Like there are a lot of nice cafe but they always plays K-pop songs with upbeat tempo, that's really broke the mood!!! 

So the first time i got there, we heard a nice song. Really nice one!! So we memorized the lyrics, but it failed greatly (duh, it's only been 3 days after we got to Korea). I was so curious 궁금해서 I went to the cashier and directly 직접 asked what song is this. The owner looked confuse at first (of course, broken Korean language) but then he take a small piece of paper, wrote down the artist name. And he slowly explained this is the artist album, and they've played the whole album since we got there.

AWW. The way he really understand we're a foreigner is really touched me!! Because all the older people seems to shouting-shouting to us ever since we came (actually it's just their saturi 사투리 way of speaking that sounds pretty rude). I was touched greatly! And then he slowly explained about the point card and everything :') Plus the good-looking part, he is close to my ideal man! Ha-ha

This cafe went to my favorite since. AND OOH! This is the song! Enjoy! :)




Isn't it nice to hear this kinda song in a cafe. Super galau though ;)

So that's it another cafe 101! 
Sure enough i will back soon to got my free drink!! 





<3

9/7/11

I ENVY HER!

ENVY
told as one source of every sin human make

You steal money, because you are envious of rich people
You steal someone wife, because you are envious of other man wife
You cheat on your test, because you are envious of ppl with good score
and etc etc etc etc

and i never think ENVY is, you know, logical

"You never felt envious because YOU HAVE EVERYTHING!!"

Yes, that might true, i have EVERYTHING I NEED, not EVERYTHING I WANT right?
I know there are people who until know never taste the goodness of electricity, nor freedom, nor good food and home, nor family etc etc

But I, at least for myself, thinks I would never envious of people from today onward

I did felt envious in my previous years, but as long as i remember, i only envious to my friend who could drink fresh liquid cow milk everyday. That's it. And i have my reason.

I liked milk since i can taste. And above all i really like fresh milk. But when i was little, the only thing my mom would give is powdered milk. Which is only taste 3 out of 10 compared to fresh liquid milk. I always demand for those, but my mom never bothered!! Until i figured out the reason

My mom is a busy career woman even when i was in elementary. She had 3 little kids that always call her to go home faster. So the only way for her to do grocery is at lunch time, which is she had to kept her  grocery at her office. Fresh milk wouldn't stand for half a day outside the refrigerator. So even when my mom bought some, it would quickly spoiled and such a waste. 

But now??? I want to drink milk, i go downstair and pay ₩ 1.000 then I'm ready to gulped those down! 

Of course nowadays the problem wouldn't as simple as milk or toys right?

It's about everything, boyfriend, money, branded bags, make up, even brain and physical look. 
And if you asked to me that if i ever envious to those thing, OK honestly, one thing, small and higher nose. and two, slim figure LOL

Ok i kinda hate this nose, so low and the lower part is so so so friggin' jeber. I hate is because when you look my profile, it even not showing a figure of a side-face!! That's why

And still there are people saying they're envious of me. wth?

You know i would never end, I envy you, you envy her, her envy me. wth It's the circle of devil!! Never ending!!
And to avoid those 'circle of devil' expand this method of thinking, If you find someone that might trigger your enviousness, look at her really deep and points out stuff that's your better at her. I don't know about looks, money, family, brain, clothes, etc etc. JUST POINT IT OUT! Just don't say it out loud, But keep in it your heart, and thinks, 'SHE SHOULD ENVY ME FOR THAT!' LOL 

That what you should do!! :D

It's evil, but better than keeping your enviousness and dig it inside your heart isn't it? ;) 

<3

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