my life… in korea
My new favorite song is DJ Doc’s I’m This Kind of Person.
I especially love that they make fun of other Kpop idol groups… and I especially especially love that they make fun of the boy bands who fake-play instruments while doing silly dance moves.
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When I first saw this video by DBSK (동방신기) I was mortified. I didn’t understand the mittens, the headbands, the ties, or the penguin back-up dancers.
I still don’t understand it, but after several hundred viewings, I have completely succumbed to their saccharin smiles and cheesy dance moves.
Similar to a Picasso or Liza Minelli dance routine, at first you wonder what the hell you’re looking at, but after a while the brilliance seeps in and you are one.
Math and science were always my best subjects… which is why I majored in English and minored in Business Administration.
Once I decided on my major I didn’t really see the need for my other core classes. When I had to pick a lab science I chose geology because it was supposed to be the easiest. ”All the football players take geology,” I heard.
But then I inadvertently registered for a really good teacher (i.e., REALLY hard teacher), became obsessed with the subject, and ended up writing a formal complaint the following year when my Geology 201 teacher was too easy.
And today I see this video (from WIRED) of the Kileuea volcano in Hawaii. I don’t know how they captured it, but it’s amazing.
I went to Hawaii when I was 8. I remember walking on the volcano and picking out a piece of pumice to take home. I was so excited. I kept that thing for years. Of course, I never saw anything like this.
I also remember there being pink flamingos outside our hotel door… I remember my sister and I eating an entire gift platter of chocolate really quickly when my parents were out so that they wouldn’t know it had been delivered… and I remember my entire family making fun of me for snorkeling in the swimming pool approximately 12 hours each day.
I’ll stop, here’s the video:
Let me just start by saying that the best part of my Korean gym is that they have those fat jiggling machines from the mid-20th century. I love them! I don’t use them (because they are almost always occupied), but I love that they are there.
Now that that’s out of the way, here’s the rest…
At the front desk they have these grey uniforms you can wear (it’s also a jjimjilbang… more on that later). Of course, considering my left thigh is larger than the waist band… I bring my own clothes.
Once you enter there’s this confusing shoe system that took me forever to figure out. When you walk in you take off your shoes to walk in the hallway to the locker room — and in that hallway there are small lockers for your outside shoes. Then, once you’re upstairs at the gym you have to put on your gym shoes. This is actually more confusing that it sounds due to the multiple floors, multiple rooms, and multiple hallways — and trying to figure out which is outside-friendly, sock-friendly, and gym-friendly.
There’s an attendant in the locker room (I’m pretty sure he lives there… not joking) selling shampoo, razors, toothbrushes, etc. He never seems to look at me with anything other than hatred, but I’m used to that.
Also, there’s usually a guy or two asleep on the floor or in a chair or on a bench, which is not a problem unless they’re asleep in front of my locker, which happens from time to time.
And it’s not just a gym, but also a sauna/jjimjilbang, so there are many standing and sitting showers, two hot tubs, one cold tub, and two saunas. And upstairs by the gym there’s a big unisex sleeping room where you just pull up a mat and sleep for the night, or afternoon…
And the gym… the gym is not as nice as what I am used to, but it’s interesting. The aerobic machines all have manual controls with only eight levels. So, if I want to go up a level I have to crank this small wheel — a task that is usually more difficult than the actually exercise.
And as I said before, they have those fat jiggling machines. I haven’t seen the strappy one in about 20 years, and I’ve never seen the one with the wooden rollers. I think these things were proven to not work like 40 years ago, but people seem to enjoy them.
And lastly, there doesn’t seem to be a lot of focus on strength building at my gym. This in turn has made me one of the strongest people there. One time while I was resting between sets, a man came up to me, lifted my weights, gave up, then gave me the thumbs up sign (along with several minutes of Korean). Now all I need is a strappy Gold’s Gym tank top, a fake tan, and an attitude.
Today was Pepero Day in Korea. I won’t try to explain… just watch the video, the kids are at their cutest.
My new favorite thing in life are the doors that you don’t have to hold for people. WHY has this invention not made it to anywhere I ever lived until now?!?
I hate those awkward moments when you have to stop, hold the door, pretend you like doing it, and then make eye contact! Is there anything worse???
Of course, the ultimate is when you go to the Cracker Barrel and hold it for one nice lady and then realize that she brought her parents, all 7 of her children, their children, and all of their current and ex spouses… by the time you make it in the door, a two-star server will have already laid down the cornbread.
Here’s the fun video (all scenarios are dramatizations)…
My new favorite thing in life are bedazzled ties. I see them everywhere. In fact, it took some a bit of searching for me to find a tie that was not bedazzled.
Of course, I think I only love them because I know I could never wear them (they don’t go with plaid).
Here’s the video:
And, a post on bedazzling wouldn’t be complete without a shout out to my cousin Emily. I still remember showing up to her house to go to a party and her saying, “We can’t leave until I put some color on my hair and bedazzle my jacket!” And for Christmas this year, what did she get? Her new husband (as in like 2-days-old new) got her bedazzled jeans from the master of all bedazzlers: Manuel…
I think maybe Nashville and Korea aren’t that different after all…
Upon arriving in Korea I came across a lot of new stuff… but my favorite BY FAR are the elevators with the buttons that you can press and then un-press.
Don’t be jealous the next time you accidentally push the wrong button and everyone starts judging you (because they do judge).
Of course, I realize that these elevators are most likely not solely found in Korea, but I found them here and I love them…
My new favorite thing in life is the Sharon Stone PSA that is showing before movies (at least where I am in Hartford).
First of all, it took me seeing it like 6 times before I even realized it was her. Secondly, I just can’t stop laughing at how bad it is. She has this super-creepy mixture of sexual innuendo and fatal illness — all in 44 seconds.
Of course, the best part is her dramatic turn to the camera when she says, “You!” It just takes my breath away.
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