Know Your Kpop!: SHINee

It’s quite possible that I am going to start beating a dead horse soon. I’m pretty sure if you were here, some of you might want to have a conversation like:

Me: I like kpop.
Reader: Yes, Bethany... we KNOW!
Me: No, really. And it’s fun to write about and gives me an excuse to go watch a bunch of videos on youtube.
Reader: But I don’t really want to see anymore guys in eyeliner and crazy dance moves!
Me: But.....
Reader: You’re going to write about kpop again aren’t you?
Me: Well...
Reader: Really?!
Me: It entertains me...
Reader: *tumbleweed blowing by the blog which you have now vacated at lightning speed*

So for those of you who have had enough of Korean pop culture- thanks for stopping by. See you next post...

For those of you who are willing to humor me- thanks. And enjoy the first of a new series I’m calling “Know Your Kpop!”.... err, ok the name is still a work in progress.

I thought we would kick it off with a group that hasn’t made an appearance here. They were one of the first I randomly clicked on during my beginning kpop days.  They represent so much of what I love about kpop. So enough with the chit chat, here are five SHINee videos you should know.

1) Hello
Get ready for cute adorableness! This is the first SHINee video I ever saw and I certainly wasn’t prepared for the amount of aegyo (common Korean word that basically means “the act of being overly cute”, like give you a toothache kind of cute.) happening in the video. But that aside, it’s a great song for English speakers with it’s easy to follow chorus. And really, Onew’s smile IS pretty sweet.

2) Replay
Another extra cute song. However, this one goes down in the record books as having one of the first lines that I was able to understand on my own! Bethany’s translation of the chorus is as follows: “Hey, girl that is older than me- You’re really pretty.”... ok well, it’s a loose translation. 

*Korean Culture Education Alert*

This song is a good example of how Koreans often use titles when referring to others instead of names. In this case, “noona” is what a younger guy would call an older girl.  Other examples include “oppa”- younger girl to older guy, “dongsaeng”- older guy/girl to younger guy/girl. See, kpop totally has cultural insights!

3) RingDingDong
This is the SHINee that I love! I mean, their cute stuff is all well and good but this video has what I really like about SHINee. We’ve got feathers and wings, crazy dance moves, a nonsense chorus, dancing in a giant puddle, Taemin drinking a glass of milk because...., leather pants, and some of the best kpop English ever. All in one delightful video for your enjoyment! Really, that’s what SHINee is all about!!

4) Sherlock
This is their most recent release. It’s not my favorite song but I think the video gives you a glimpse into the dancing that is typical of SHINee. When it comes to dancing SHINee is by far my favorite. They always have complex but unique choreography that is fantastic to watch... and yes, it’s hard to not try the skipping move at least once! Go on, you know you want to!

5) Lucifer
THIS is my favorite song! It’s also my favorite dance which is why I’ve picked a live performance. And if you listen carefully you can hear the fan chants- a prewritten chant that the fans say during live performances. It usually includes all the members names and various lines of the songs. Being a fan here in Korea is not for the weak or lazy, you have jobs to do!

So, what do you think? Does SHINee make it onto your list of favorites? What do you like, or not like, about them?

Oh... and send me your best suggestions for what I should call this little series of blog posts....

Five Foods to Try in Korea

“You eat Korean food so well!!”- this is the go to English phrase for other teachers at my school during lunch. I’ve never had my eating habits scrutinized and praised so much before moving to Korea. I had no idea that my ability to eat the food put in front of me would be considered such a praise worthy accomplishment!  Although when I REALLY want to impress folks here I start throwing back the spicy food... they pretty much look on in wonder as I chow down on the fiery ddukbokkie.

But I suppose even I’ve been surprised with how much I’ve enjoyed trying Korean food. Yes, there are some things that I just can’t quite get used to, I ask for the bare minimum when I see octopus tentacles in the school lunch line. However, my overall opinion of Korean food so far is a positive one. Most of what I have had I’ve really enjoyed. Of course there is still lots of Korean food that I have yet to try but here are some of what I consider the basics of Korean cuisine. Things that you certainly should try someday!

1)    Kimchi
This is the obvious starting point for any post about Korean food. Kimchi is served with every meal. Breakfast, lunch, dinner- there is kimchi. It is made of fermented cabbage and other vegetables usually including radish, scallion and cucumber. It also has lots of spices and red pepper paste, so it can be a bit spicy. There are many variations to kimchi, have just a few meals in Korea and you will be able to start sorting out your particular favorite!
 

I would have to put kimchi under the “acquired taste” category. It is certainly not unpleasant, but it takes awhile for westerners to build up their tolerance and consumption. I’m not sure if it will ever be something that I crave for breakfast but I do find myself enjoying certain varieties with a good Korean dinner!

2)    Korean Barbecue
After kimchi this is the next logical step on a tour of Korean cuisine. I’m certainly not an expert in this area and am working out all the different styles and kinds of barbecues. So please do not take my information as law!
BUT, when I think of Korean barbecue it usually brings to mind a table with a grill to cook on and lots of tasty meat! They will bring the meat to you raw and it’s up to you to do the grilling. As you cook the meat there are always lots of side dishes to munch on. When the meat is ready it’s common to wrap it in a lettuce or sesame leaf with some spicy sauce, maybe some garlic, kimchi or any of the other additions that are sitting around the table.  Word to the wise- don’t put in too much or it’s hard to fit the wrap in your mouth in one go, just FYI. I’m a BIG fan of this part of Korean food. It’s super tasty and a great way to spend an evening meal with a few friends and beers.
 

3)    Bibimbap
Bibimbap day in the lunchroom is a happy day for Bethany!  밥 or bap means rice in Korean (it can also mean ‘meal’ since you always have rice when you eat), so Bibimbop is ‘mixed rice’. To make it you start off with a foundation of rice. Added to that are lots of different vegetables, perhaps an egg, maybe some meat and (my favorite part of it all) chili paste. Before you eat it you must stir it all together really well. It’s a simple dish but SO tasty!

4)    Street Food
Walk down any street in Korea and you are bound to come across little booths selling all sorts of tasty goodness. There are dumplings, hottoek, odeng, kimbap, tokkebi, walnut bread... and those are just the ones I’ve been able to put names to! There are plenty more that I’m still referring to as “ya know, that tasty thing on a stick” or “ ya know, that really good bread like thing”.  But, to date, my two favorite snacks to grab on the go are deokbokki (rice cakes cooked in a spicy/sweet red sauce) and gukwah-pang (bread filled with red bean paste). They are both served nice and hot which is perfect now that the biting cold is starting to set in!

    


5) Omurice
I had this for the first time when my adopted Korean family took me out to dinner and I really liked it (ok, I might have also been excited because omurice had played an important role in one of my favorite dramas. It was one of those- ‘I saw this on tv and now I’m eating it in Korea!!’ moments). I think Omurice is traditionally a Japanese dish, but I see it in lots of restaurant here. It’s a thin omelet filled with fried rice. It’s common for it to be served topped with ketchup but there are variations to the rule. Once again, simple but very tasty and filling!

So when you come visit me here in Korea be ready to try a few tasty new treats!

Kpop Song of the Week: Super Junior H- Cooking, Cooking

Five Videos to Introduce Korean Variety Shows

After our last installment of Bethany Introduces Korean Pop Culture, I’m sure you are all avid kpop fans now... right? Did you see the latest Block B MV? It’s pretty much my favorite music video at the moment! So many fantastic “only in kpop” moments!

Anyway, we aren’t here to talk about kpop today (sorry, I’ll try not to get distracted like that again). Today we are going to talk about one of my favorite things about Korea- Variety Shows! Seriously, I adore Korean variety. It’s really not like anything I’ve watched before and is highly addicting.

It’s hard to come up with a short description of what exactly variety shows are. You really just have to watch a few. And of course not all variety shows are exactly the same. There are, however, a few themes that seem to run through most of the them. 

Most variety shows are touted as a type of reality show. It’s a chance for fans to see and “get to know” what their favorite idols are really like. It seems to me this is done in a rather tongue and cheek way on most shows. Everyone knows and accepts the fact that the situations are set up by writers for entertainment purposes. In fact it’s not uncommon for the cast to get upset or tease the production staff on screen, usually along the lines of “Really?! You want me to do what?!”.  They basically take a "this is reality... but not really" approach and I kind of like that.

So, without further ado here are five variety shows to get you started:
*Please note:  there is a very wide world of Korean TV. I am limited to what I can find online with subtitles  Therefore this may or may not be a truthful cross-section of what Korean television is like. In other words- these are just shows I like and my own opinions about them.


Family Outing
This is an older show that's not airing anymore but one of my absolute favorites for laugh out loud moments. Every week a group of regulars and a guest or two take care of the home of a family on vacation. They are usually on a farm or in a fishing village, prime settings for hilarity to ensue. My favorite part of the show is always the dinner making scenes... I’ve learned a lot about how to kill and gut different kinds of seafood thanks to them!

Ok I had to choose this clip because 1) it's Daesung and TOP (remember, from Big Bang? What?! You don't know kpop members names yet?! tisk, tisk...) 2) it gives you an idea of the relaxed set up that the show takes and 3) well, it's TOP and Daesung from Big Bang...

Sesame Player- MBLAQ

Mblaq's season of Sesame Player probably goes into the books as my favorite Korean show... ever. Granted, it helps that they are my favorite group (*cough* Seungho- I love you * cough*) but I also love how the whole premise of the show is about putting a bunch of entertainers in a room and filming them playing random and strange games. You wouldn't think it'd be all that exciting... and yet it's strangely hilarious.

Oh I almost forgot, the other half of the show is the boys interviewing each other... in a bathroom. Because where else would you question an idol? Oh Korea....

Games and punishments play a big role in variety shows.  Being first is usually less important then just not being last, since there is a painful or embarrassing punishment for the looser.... poor Joon....

Running Man
If the Korean Variety Fairy visited me tonight and said "Beth, you can be a guest on one show for one episode", I wouldn't pause, I wouldn't think, I'd pick Running Man! Advertised as "urban variety", it creates different challenges and puzzles for the crew to complete or solve every episode  Sometimes they have a theme like Sherlock Holmes (were they basically played a live version of Clue) or Prison Break (were they had to, well, breakout of a prison). But my favorite episodes are the ones with The Chase, pretty much a fancy, more intense version of hide and seek in fun settings like museums or old Korean Palaces.... I want to do that just once in my life!

Hello Baby

Not much to explain about this one. It's a show were a group of 20-something-year-old idols take care of a child or group of children.... obviously. I mean what could be more normal?
Ok, when I first heard about this one I had the- "they do what?! and why?" reaction (I had a similar reaction to We Got Married, in which idols pretend to be married. Still can't quite get into that one though.). But after watching the season with Shinee I was oddly hooked. Definitely one of the shows you just have to watch to understand. Oh and Mblaq filmed one of the most recent seasons which I think was the funniest so far... just sayin'.

The first few minutes gives you a bit of a recap and idea of what the show is like.

And one more... how could I resist Mblaq and kids?

The three kids were "multicultural" in this season. Cutest. Kids. Ever.

Happy Together
This one is a little different. It takes more of a talk show format. And yet there are still lots of games and creating humors situation for the idols to show off their talents.
And yes, they are sitting in a sauna wearing the typical Korean sauna outfits because...

So there you have it. Five of my favorites! It sometimes take a bit of trail and error to find some you like. But be warned, similar to kpop, they can be addicting and before you know it you've lost an entire day to youtube and variety shows!

Next time: Five Videos to Introduce Korean Dramas... that's right, there's more!

Kpop Video of the Week:

Just in case you missed it.

In the Classroom: The Phoebe Syndrome

I have recently become aware that I am suffering from a most troubling condition. I am sorry that I have to tell you this friends, but it seems I have developed a case of "The Phoebe Syndrome".

What’s that? You are unfamiliar with this disease? Well, let me give you the quick medical dictionary definition. The Phoebe Syndrome is named after the beloved character from the educational series The Magic School Bus. Symptoms include constantly muttering the phrase “At my old school....” when the current situation seems less than desirable. If left untreated this disease can lead to feelings of dissatisfaction, annoyance, and frustration.

Ok, in all seriousness I’ve been trying to think about how to write about this topic for some time now. Before I go any farther I feel like I need to preface by clearly and firmly stating that I am loving being here in Korea. I love my city, I love (most of) the food, and I love getting to know people here. There are many, many reasons why I love the school that I ended up at here in Korea. But...

…I miss my old school....

I knew going into this that teaching English was going to be very different than what I had done back in the States. To give you an idea:

- back home most of my students could understand most of the words I spoke. Here- not so much. Well nuh-duh Beth, that’s why you’re teaching them English. But it can be frustrating when a student starts to cry or two students are yelling at each other, about ready to throw punches and I have no idea why and very few ways to deal with the situation. My heart hurts when there are tears and punches and I can’t understand what caused it.

-back home I was the queen of my classroom, my word was law and within a matter of weeks ALL my students understood that. Here- I work with other Korean co-teachers to teach all my classes. Sometimes there’s a lot of cooks in the kitchen.

- back home I was part of a school that worked and communicated as a team. Here- I’m lucky if someone tells me my classes are canceled 10 minutes beforehand. Not because they are trying to make life difficult but simply because things don’t always get translated for me.

- back home I had MY class, MY students. They were my kids and I was responsible for them all year. I was involved in every part of their school life. By the end of the year I knew them, how they learned, what they were really good at, what they really struggled with. Here- I’m the “extra teacher”. The one they see every few days or so. I’m still struggling just to learn all their names.

-back home I was constantly busy with teaching and planning and assessing and meetings and recess duty.... the list goes on and on. Here- there have been days when all my classes are canceled for one reason or another so I sit. at a desk. allllllllll day.....

I think the bottom line is that I don’t always feel like a teacher here, and I really, REALLY miss that. So I find myself starting down the slippery slope of comparing “my old school”, what I used to do as a teacher, to what I’m doing now. It’s easy to focus on the negative, especially on those days when I’m “desk-warming”.

I love living in Korea. Do I love teaching English? I’m not really sure yet. All those frustrations I listed are so easy to focus on during the long, slow days when I have no classes. But...

… there are still students...

…and some days, I still feel like a teacher.

There are days when I get to teach a lesson and it goes really well. There are days when students work SO hard to tell me something in English during lunch. Not because it’s part of their school assignment but just because they want me to know what happened to them that morning. Some days I actually remember all their names and pronounce them correctly. Sometimes, when I’m walking down the street I hear, “Bethany Teacher!!!” and look up to see a student hanging out of a bus window waving at me frantically with a huge grin.

I love living in Korea but I miss my old school. I know that I will have to go back to being a traditional classroom teacher someday- it’s who I am. But maybe, instead of saying “at my old school” and getting frustrated l say “at this school”. Find those little ways that I can teach and be a teacher HERE. Because regardless of what country I’m in, what position I hold, I am still a teacher. I can find ways to make a difference and that “teaching high” feels just as good here as it did back home.

A Weekend in Busan

This weekend marked my first set of adventures outside of Daegu. After ending the week with a festive Halloween lesson with the 5th and 6th graders, a few fellow English teachers and I hopped the KTX headed for Busan.

After our short 45 minute train ride we made a dash to our hotel to stash our belongings before running off to find the free kpop concert that was already in session. 

                         

  Our cozy home for the weekend                                                                A bathtub?!?!?!

We made it to the concert in time to see TeenTop (my second time seeing them which pretty much makes us friends now, right?), IU and the big finale- TVXQ. I'm not a huge fan of TVXQ but they are a big deal here in Korea. Even I couldn't help dancing and singing along to "Keep Your Head Down" once the music started blaring, the fans started chanting, and the fire started blasting. These Kpop concerts are certainly no joke!

I thought I made a pretty decent kpop fangirl but seeing real ones in action totally put me to shame!

After the concert I was able to experience "Korean fast food" for the first time. An experience I can't say I feel the need to repeat any time soon.

I'll skip the hamburgers and stick with fried chicken (fried chicken here is the most addictive thing ever!!)

Saturday morning we set our itinerary and hit the streets to see all the fabulous sights that Busan has to offer.

Between a map and four smart phones surely we can find our way!

The morning greeted us with a slight drizzle but being the prepared travelers we are, we didn't worry too much. Nether rain, nor snow, nor sleet could stop us..... or so we thought. *cue ominous music*

Because of it's proximity to the ocean, Busan is famous for seafood. Our logical first stop than was the Jangalchi Fish Market. I have never in my life seen so many different types of sea life in one place. I also realized that I would have NO idea what to do with any of it other then making it into a pet (and I really don't think the clams would be all that exciting as a pet). I think EPIK needs to add a Seafood Cooking 101 class to it's orientation scheduled. 

What would you like for lunch?

While we were at the market we picked one of the many restaurants on the top floor to let those who do know how to cook fish do it for us. That's usually the best choice!

All those little plates are the side dishes that come with every
Korean meal. You never know what you're going to get and
sometimes there are so many we are stacking plates on top of each
other to get everything to fit on the table!

The main course... we did wonder if we had seen him swimming
 in a tank down below moments ago?

After.....
And yes, Busan lived up to their fame, it was super tasty!

After lunch we wondered down to the water to admire the view. We noticed that while we had enjoyed our meal the weather had not improved. But still undaunted by the rain we decided to head for the beach so that we could scope out our spot for the fireworks festival that night.

Singing in the rain....

As we walked I soon started to wonder if the amount of water that I was now carrying around in my shoes was actually a bad sign. Perhaps traipsing about in a torrential downpour was not the best idea. We eventual ran for a garage to assess the situation.

Enjoying a dry Busan garage and hoping the rain would let up enough to continue our trek.

We soon realized that the rain had no intention of stopping. We ducked into a restaurant where the friendly staff let us camp out and kept our glasses full. After a few hours they let us know that the fireworks had been delayed until tomorrow because of the storm. Bummer.....

To lift our spirits it was agreed by all that we needed some fried chicken.... and more beer.

There was this rather strange contraption on the table...
how does it work again?

We eventually figured them out... kind of

The next morning we were all happy to be greeted by sunshine! After taking advantage of the hotel hair drier we attempted to get a few more sights in before take two of the fireworks that night.

Might need to bring more then one pair of shoes next time I travel...
or just not walk around a whole city during a downpour. 

We made our way by subway and bus down to Yonggung Temple. While most temples in Korea are built in the mountains, Yonggung's seaside placement makes it unique and a popular tourist destination. It was certainly a perfect sunny day to enjoy the temple and water.

Back on the subway

Thanks to the sunshine we were able to make it to the beach and get a front row seat for the fireworks. It was nice to sit and soak up some sun while we waited for nightfall.

I still have not perfected the Korean art of the
"selca" (self camera). I need to ask my students
for some tips.

Watching the moon rise while the sun sets.

Of course I took a few moments to make the token sandcastle.

A little Engrish for you.
Then again, I've never really thought to much about it. Maybe it IS park?!

Eventually the sun set, our dinner was ready, and the long awaited fireworks could start! And they. were. amazing!

Best dinner ever of pizza (nom), honest western style potato wedges (SO good), and beer.

After the spectacular hour long show we packed up and started the next adventure ... getting home with all of Busan on the subway! No such thing as personal space here
.

Even with the crazy rain I think the overall trip was a great success.  Busan was delightful and I look forward to many more outings there!

That being said, I was also happy to get back to My City. I'm constantly amazed with how much I love living in Daegu and what a perfect city it is for me. I feel incredibly lucky to have ended up in such a wonderful place in such an amazing country.

Kpop Song of the Week: Busan Vacance

This was a pretty popular "summer song" this year. I'm more familiar with HaHa as a comedian on one of my favorite variety shows and no, I have no idea what 's going on with the reggae... that's kpop for you.