Korean pop music is the current obsession of children and teenagers throughout South Korea. Mention any of the big singers or big groups and you will instantly make a number of girls (and boys) start screaming. (Side note: mentioning one of these groups in class is a sure fire way to get your students to love you) Korean pop music, or K-pop can be best compared to the 90's pop music craze that swept through American schools. Think: NSYNC, Britney, Backstreet Boys, etc. However, K-pop is 100x's more cutesy and the groups can reach up to like 20 members. Plus, all of the members look the same, so how these kids can tell them apart is beyond me. Some of the popular bands are Big Bang, 2NE1, 2PM, Girls Generation, WonderGirls, etc. I'll give these groups credit...as cheesy as they can be, the songs are ridiculously catchy. Check out some of my favorites below...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MgAxMO1KD0&feature=fvst
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6QA3m58DQw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxY6GcBgbeQ (this is one is completely racist but sooo catchy)
Couples T-Shirts:
Another (lame) trend in Korea is the infamous "couples t-shirts". Couples t-shirts are pretty self explanatory...they are seen when couples purchase the same exact t-shirts and wear them at the same time, while walking hand in hand. Some of the shirts are designed so that together they make one design. I guess its supposed to be cute but all I can think of is how that poor guy was coaxed into wearing that ridiculous matching outfit. No American guy I know would be caught dead wearing a couples t-shirt. Here are some examples I stole offline...
I've actually seen this one on people since I've been here.
"Weh-guk-ee":
"Weh-guk-ee" is the Korean term for foreigner. I find it funny that people call me "foreigner" way more often than they call me American. Its like your either Korean, or not Korean. I have little children scream "weh-guk-ee" at me at least 3 or 4 times a day. It usually occurs when I'm walking around town, but I've had a few experiences at school where kids poke their head into my classroom and say in surprised Korean, "Wuah! Weh-guk-ee!" (Wow! Foreigner!). Its actually kind of cute, and I love surprising them by letting them know I actually understand what they are saying.
Swine Flu:
Swine flu is a huuuuuge deal in this country. Don't even try joking about it, because everyone here takes it very seriously. I'm really surprised I haven't been quarantined yet since people are very wary of foreigners because they might carry H1N1. This past week one of my fifth grade students was diagnosed with swine flu, and the next day about 50% of the students came to school wearing masks. I also have to get my temperature checked every day when I come into school. A number of other ETAs had their school start dates postponed because of the flu. My school's upcoming picnic was canceled as well. I've tried explaining to a number of people that swine flu isn't as dangerous as people think it is because more people die from the regular flu each year, but all I get in return was a bunch of blank stares. I've been tempted every time I've been in an elevator with a bunch of Koreans to start coughing and sneezing and see how they react.
High School Students:
Korean high school students are studying machines. Korean students spend more time studying and going to class than you could ever imagine in order to improve their chances of getting into a good college. Most high school students go to school around 7 or 8 o'clock and don't come home until anywhere from 10pm-1am. My host mom has h.s. students that she tutors come to our apartment at 10:30, who are only just getting out of school. It is absolutely ridiculous. The reason for this is because there are only a few top colleges in the country, and millions of students vying for the same positions. Unlike in America, there are only 3 main top colleges known as SKY (Seoul National University, Korea University, and Yonsei University). During their senior year of high school, Korean high school students take a one-time-only entrance exam that quite possibly determines the rest of their future. The incredible weight this test has on their lives pushes students to make their lives revolve around studying and school work. I could go on and on about this topic, and maybe I will in a later post, but if you're interested check out this link... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_South_Korea . You can also check out this article: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/27/world/asia/27seoul.htm?_r=1 . In my teachers class this past week, I had my teachers read and discuss this article and they all said that it perfectly describes their experiences as high school students, particularly the last part that says “This school is a paradise for those who want to study and a hell for those who do not."
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