Annyeong Y'all: 2016

Hey friends,

I thought I would give vlogging a rest for all my friends who prefer to read what I'm doing/have bad internet and my videos lag/can more easily scan titles when I write so they can maximize the efficiency of looking at my blog.

Today's format will be a little different than my previous blog posts, however. This past week I have been keeping a list of things that I observe that are either unique to Korea or just interesting in my daily life. As much as I would like there to be a theme to the following items, some are completely random (but still shed some illumination onto my life here). So, here's a list of some random things in my life!

Seoul! - Since this is still a blog, and I should update you on at least big things, I will add my Seoul trip to the list (but keep it brief). Last weekend, Fulbright gave us grantees an American Thanksgiving dinner in Seoul! Being with all the Fulbrighters again was anxiety-inducing, stressful, and fun as always! The first night, I stayed with my friends Maggie, Rachel and Josh in their Air BnB (which I still owe them money for... sorry). It was a bit tense since we aren't necessarily compatible traveling companions (and guess who the problem child is), but it was still fun. They never cease to crack me up and brighten my Fulbright experience. The rest of the weekend I spent with Jason (my orientation roommate) and Eugene, two of my favorite people in our cohort (but let's be real, everyone is my favorite). It was a really chill weekend that included a Cat Café, Taco Bell AND KFC, a club for about 30 seconds, and a sick brunch place. The Thanksgiving dinner itself was on an American army base, and was amazing! They gave us real American Thanksgiving food, and I could've died happy right then and there.
Band Concert? - This one will be long too, but the rest will be shorter I promise! Last night my host dad took me to a performance by the Gyeongju brass band! It was an oddly fun and interesting experience, as I wasn't expecting much since it is a band for beginners. The reason we went is because my dad is in the band (learning trumpet), but he didn't practice enough so he didn't actually perform! Ha! This event reminded me so much of middle and high school. It was held in a small auditorium and most of the attendees were friends and family of the members of the ensemble. The songs played were the following:

"The Merry-Go-Round of Life" from Howl's Moving Castle
"Por una Cabeza"
"The Last Waltz" from the movie Old Boy
"A Wonderful Day in October" by R. Loveland
"You Raise Me Up" (or as it was written in the program: "You Laise Me Up" - that is not a joke, it was really written like that)
"My Heart Will Go On" from Titanic
"Hawaii Five-O Main Theme"
3 Korean Songs
"Christmas Disco Carol"

I mean... come on! What an assortment of music to be hearing at a beginner level, brass band concert in Gyeongju, South Korea... Amazing. Anyway, the performances themselves were not that good, and my first instinct was to feel bad for these adults playing at beginning level. Growing up in a school district (and society) that was so competitive musically, I am used to only seeing young people play at beginner level and older people being professionals or all-state orchestras or GDYO members... Then I had a realization. It doesn't (or maybe shouldn't at times) matter what level a person plays at or how talented someone is, but rather the motivation for playing music. Music presumably makes all of these people happy, and they take the time out of their lives, just as I do, to learn their instrument, gather and make something together. I struggle so much with comparing myself to others (not only in music!) that sometimes it is so hard to just enjoy it. I was never amazing at the violin (and I'm certainly not amazing at the 대금 Daegeum), but I should try to enjoy every second of music I get to partake in.
Also, halfway through the concert, a man wearing navy dress pants, a black dress jacket that went down to his knees, and a charcoal pinstripe fedora walked out and played a wicked song on the accordion. This moment may have changed my life forever.
Mom's Touch - One day I when I had a long break between classes, I went to a chain restaurant here called "Mom's Touch." I observed something odd that really illuminated the homogeneity of Korean culture. The restaurant was playing a combination of KPop and other Korean songs, and the thing I noticed was how much people sang along, indicating they knew almost every song. Now, in America a restaurant could very well play the Top 40 and maybe some people would know all the songs, but this seemed different. A young boy, his little sister, a mom from a different family, and a woman sitting alone ALL sang along to not one or two, but pretty much every other song that came on the radio. While it struck me as odd at first, it made me realize that Korean music connect the people together.
Hysterical Yeoju - I played a game for one of my classes that involved putting pictures of KPop groups on the screen. In one class, when I showed the group SHINee (my personal favorites), a student named Yeoju quite literally jumped out of her seat, ran toward the screen, fell on the ground and started crying/laughing/gasping. I promise I'm not exaggerating. Maybe this reveals just how much some Korean people love their respective artists.
Sexy School Uniforms - Every day on my bus ride to and from school, I pass two clothing stores for school uniforms. The thing I observed here is how they market their uniforms. Maybe I'm wrong, but I would think that in America, school uniforms would be shown on cute children, or high schoolers studying the library or with friends. In Korea, they seemed to take a different approach... a more sexy approach.Yes, all of the uniform posters show KPop-idol-looking young men and women who are giving sex eyes to the camera. It's not explicitly sexual obviously, but it's also not meant to be cute or studious. I think this can also be seen in how many KPop videos show the stars wearing school uniforms.
7/11 - I think it is safe to say that the 7/11 near my apartment has become my second home. The other day, I went after not having been for 4 days and the man that works there said, "오랜만이에요!" This translates roughly to, "Hey, it's been a while! Long time no see!" Yikes.
방s/Bangs - In Korea, there are many places for "bangs" or rooms. Examples include 노래방 (Karaoke - Literally "Song Rooms"), PC방(Computer Rooms), DVD방(DVD or Movie Rooms), etc. These businesses are just like they sound, a building with many small rooms for singing, using computers, watching movies, etc. Karaoke is by far the most popular (at least to foreigners), but I just thought this was an interesting aspect of Korean culture.
아줌마 Ahjummas - Let me educate you real quick, because ahjummas are an essential part of Korean culture. An ahjumma is an older Korean woman, I think technically a married woman. ahjummas are an odd combination of wise, strong, stubborn, standoffish, old, grumpy and fierce. They can be caring, but after decades of taking care of everyone else's shit, they are not gonna put up with yours! I witness a hoard of ahjummas every morning when I transfer buses. My transfer stop is right where the market is, and you better believe that every ahjumma in Gyeongju is there at 6 am to sell their seaweed and fruits! If you want a glimpse into ahjumma fashion, do see my Instragram.
Run, Girls, Run! - Every morning from my walk from the bus stop to my office, I see multiple girls SPRINTING to the school to get to class on time. Just a fun observation.
Protests - If you haven't already heard, last weekend Seoul had a protest of over 1 Million people, and this weekend they had a protest of over 2.15 Million people! And guess what? It was completely peaceful with no arrests. I think this says something about Korean's sense of collective identity and homogeneity.
"Do you have a girlfriend?" - If one more person asks me this I swear.
Driving - Now I'm not sure if this is a Korea thing or a city thing, but driving here is CRAZY! Lanes are suggestions, if even, and people just stop their cars wherever they darn please in the road! The buses are equally, if not more, frightening too, and I fear for my life every morning on my way to school.

Well, today's blog ended up being longer than expected and much less eloquent. But hey, what's new? If you stuck with me until the end, I will buy you Starbucks. But you have to meet me in Korea.

Annyeong Y'all!