About "Korea isn't a Korean Drama"

I read a blog entry a few weeks ago, that was telling people "Don't go to Korea if you think you will be in a Korean drama."

I have never disagreed with an opinion so strongly.

Korea IS a drama in its essence.

Now, I don't know about you, but as the idea 'drama' suggests, Korea is pretty intense, so being in 'a drama' isn't all good. I have seldom been in a country, place, or city that was as entertaining as Korea. For, me, Korea is a Korean drama, and since I've been in Korea, I have the feeling I've been in 2 or three different series...

Korean dramas can be summed up in a few key words:

1- Cheesy Background Music

Korea is, for the best and the worst, very self-focused. They always tell you where everything is from in every restaurant, and most of the time, it's from Korea. They have their thousand of Korean brands, from designer brands to good quality immitation (probably illegally manufactured...?) of European designers. All made in Korea. Some might argue that being this self-centered on their own culture is but a flaw, as it makes them think that they are superior, and reject anything form the outside. I shall not argue about that because I also think so.

I find it admirable, however, that Korea would put so much effort in promoting its own developpement and the work of local people. I am not saying that this is the direction every country should have, but I think other places, like Canada, would benefit from promoting local companies, local designers, local work etc. I don't know why this comes to my mind, but I thought or the Canadian Olympics, where our athlete wore the Canadian colors in uniforms made in China, to reduce the cost.....

How is this related to Korean dramas, and cheesy background music?

Be patient. I love introductions.

Don't you?

Too bad.

When a Korean drama starts, and gets popular, THE WHOLE WORLD revolves around the drama. The Korean sellers sell items promoted in the show, the people copy the makeup and clothing style of the leads.... and the music of the show is in EVERY SINGLE STORE. The Korean music soundtracks promote the show by getting music around, in catchy pop songs that will make people want more of the show.

They even have speakers in the streets, so that if you follow the said drama at the time it airs, the single fact of walking in the streets, give you the feeling you're walking in a drama, with cheesy background music. There. Happy?

Korea is a TV show.

2 - Overly Important Stress on Fashion

If you are in Korea, you'll notice that everyone has style. It is very rare, in Seoul, anyways, that you'll see people with outfits that do not fit somehow. Even the old women walking with giant neon colored flower print pants will have some kind of uniformity to them.

Now, I have read some negative reviews that Koreans all dress the same and there there is only ONE style at a time in Korea. Koreans are proud, and they keep up with fashion at an incredibly timely pace. True.

However, rather than saying that there is ONE style, I'd put it slightly differently. I'd say there is 'one' preferred style per area. Go to Gangnam, and then go to Hongdae. Then go to Mokdong. Then go to Seoul station. Then go to Garosugil - Apgujeong. People are dressed in a typical style in each of these places. Still, perfectly matched up.

It is true, however, that depending on the dramas that are hot at times, some people will follow the fashion trend of the characters in them... but that only makes it more similar to Korean dramas.

I love fashion in Korea. Every single store owner seems to have had lessons on window display, making every store into a tempting trip to heaven. Korea has a strong focus on the "point", as they call it, or just the idea to have a greatly intense focus on a flashy color accessory, or a full outfit thought around a set colorful tone. Looking around, at people dressed up in all those nice styles makes me happy. It's good for my shopping soul. Bad for my wallet.

Very bad.

3 - Girls All Look Like Plastic Dolls

Drama actresses and actors are all shaped like models, and have perfect skin tones and makeup, and hair. And people copy that. And they do it well. Of course, it also depends on the area you are in.

Mokdong, for example, where I lived last year, has great looking business moms. Men are older in that area, but rich.

Add it up.

Gangnam is, at all times of day, filled with people - guys and girls - who want to show off. It's a great spot to see the latest trends, and get some real-life eye candy. Free.

Yes. Naturally beautiful Koreans are a dying breed. The whole system behind this is crazy. But it still is agreeable to look at.

And entertaining. Like a live TV show. See where I'm going?

4 - (Step-)Mothers are Evil - And Usually Rich

Come back to Mokdong area. Or Dongtan, which is a small boom town in the suburbs of Seoul (so see, it's not only in Seoul that everything happens).

Moms ther look great. And they are reeeeally intense. Working as a teacher, I have come across tons of those moms, and lots of them are evil. How can you send your 3-years-old child in a school to learn a second language, and expect them to write complete diary entries in flawless English, or be on their case forever, if you are not evil? How can you can a school and try to control every single things that happen behind the doors, if you are not evil? How can you not quality a mom of bing evil if she comes to watch the CCTV for 4 hours everyday when your child is learning?

To be honest, while this is scarier than funny, I have developped a weird sense of humor when it comes to Korean moms (step-moms to be) and tend to find their overbearingness hillarious. I pick my fights, I play their games. People nowadays seem to find everything hard, everything inhumane, everything horrible. I find everything ironic. A bit like this blog entry. Because as I write, I realize that ther are probably not many people who'd find it 'positive'.

I please myself to see everything as a weird kind of challenge.

Korean has turned me into a cynical queen.

And it's okay.

5 - People Have Weird Diseases Around You

I blame soju for it, cuz it makes people crazy. And China. And red peppers.

Every spring I find myself with a weird unknown colds/flus. Yellow dust coming from China gets my lungs every time, and I have never been at the hospital so many times as I've been in Korea.

Just like in a Korean drama - I suppose that applies only to me in that specific case - I got into an unbelivable accident situation. On a bike, when a car drove over my front wheel (on my light) and dragged me some 10 meters with it, letting me rot in a hospital all last spring. There, I met the most handsome ER interns, and some random Koreans having studied in the states, with better English than mine. See, it's not only in Korean dramas you could find good looking interns :3 - Yes, I was totally weird enough to think of the hotness going on in front of me when I was lying bleeding on a EF bed.

I was in an accident, realizing that I was sort of alone in the world, feeling sad like the world was ending, and a group of people from my baseball cheering crew came to see me and help me with everything. An unnie (older sister) even came back almost everyday while I was there, to bring me change of clothes, food she made, and hang out. I had never been especially close to them at the time. It really touched me. I felt like I was living on some borrowed times off a Korean main character at the hospital, with all my friends around me. Weird? I know.

I blame red peppers, and chicken. Because I have had so many times my stomach rejected food I even ended up at the hospital because of it two times. Korean food tastes amazing. But it's not always the best for bowels. I have never had any problems with digestion before Korea.

...on the other hand, I still delect in eating intestines, ultra spicy food and bood sausages...

6 - People Go to too Many Coffee Shops on Any Occasion

Have you noticed that Korean drama leads ALWAYS go to a coffee shop to talk? Part of this is because the said coffee shop propably sponsored the TV show, but there's a coffee culture in Korea. They all drink the cheapest, Americano, iced in summer; hot in winter. And the coffee shops are literally EVERYWHERE. Look.

In Canada, in a big city, if you walk in a dark alley and it becomes sketchy, you turn around.

In Korea, you keep walking, you'll propably find the nicest coziest and yummiest coffee shop if you walk two blocks.

You'll have tons of one-of-a-kinds with the owners being young, and come talk to you if you return more than 3 times. The main clients there are the typical gossiping moms talking about their sons and daughters, how they got bags bought by them, flaunting their brand clothes and accessories. This is really entertaining to watch and listen.

Coffee is actually expensive in Korea, but people always go to coffee shops at every occasion. I do, too, because sadly, it's the only places that will always have one person portion. Korea is a two-people standard culture.

7 - Couples meet in the most intriguing ways it feels fake and unrealistic

Korea is made for couples. People never ever walk alone, unless they are jogging, and even then. The restaurants are meant for more than one, the stores sell matching couple outfits, there are big sales on items in bunch and making groceries is expensive because everything comes in big portions, for families and couples.

So here, people NEED each other in Korea. And there are no house parties to meet new people. People don't sit at bars to make friends because there are usually no bars ar bars. Yah. Sad.

So if you meet people, it's ALWAYS going to be in a really weird unexpected way. Feeling forced, choregraphed, rehearsed, or just too random. A bit like how I met my boyfriend :3 But that, maybe later, will be another story.

I'll stop for now. Because I can.

And because most of you probably stopped before the end of this blog entry anyways :) You'd miss a great story had I written it here.

#KoreanDrama #Korean #KoreanTVshow #KoreanFashion #KoreanMothers