On my mind: K-drama addiction

Ever feel like staying in and taking things easy on a free night? Here is a suggestion: Korean dramas. Korean dramas (K-dramas) are basically Korean-versions of soap operas that last for about 20 episodes. They are extremely popular all throughout Asia, despite the fact that they all basically share the same storyline, with only slight variation from each other.

List of typical plotlines that show up in all K-dramas:
-Rich boy falls in love with a poor girl
-Rich mother-in-law does not approve, so she physically/mentally abuses the poor girl
-A new character (rival, friend) shows up out of nowhere, creates a love triangle
-Car accident, which usually leads to amnesia
-Cancer or any other incurable disease
-Birth secrets revealed, lovers turn out to be long-lost brother and sister
-Happy ending (everyone resolves their problems and become one big happy family)
-Sad ending (someone commits suicide or everyone dies)

Although Korean people know just how ridiculous these Korean dramas are, we somehow end up watching them anyway. So, word of advice - beware, and watch at your own risk. If you are not careful, you can easily become addicted.

On my mind: Language barrier

For Korean-Americans, learning the Korean language is not a choice, but an absolute necessity. It all comes down to the huge language barrier that exists between Korean-Americans and their Korean-speaking parents.

After first-generation Korean parents immigrate to the United States, they work really hard to make a living – averaging around 10 hours a day. And most Korean parents only choose to work with other Koreans, who speak the same language and share the same culture. Even after coming home from work, Korean parents spend the rest of their night watching Korean television shows and dramas; they rarely watch any English programming. This is why Korean parents, no matter how long they have been living in America, struggle to learn English. Also, because Korean parents hate asking for any kind of help or favor (due to pride issues), they shy away from asking their children to teach them English. So in the end, it just has to be the other way around – with second-generation Korean-Americans learning Korean to communicate with their parents, even though they live in America.

Does this sound unfair? Fortunately, second-generation Korean-Americans hold no grudge against this matter. Korean culture teaches children to respect and obey their parents. And in this case, Korean-Americans are willing to accommodate to their parents' ways by learning an extra language other than English. For Korean-Americans, it is a natural way of showing love to their parents.

On my mind: April Fools

Due to the faster time zone, it is officially April Fools Day in Korea right now! April Fools is a pretty big deal for Koreans, especially among young students in middle/high school. This is the one day of the year when their teachers cannot get mad at them for anything. So these students are willing to go above & beyond to cause maximum confusion and chaos.

Here are some of the funniest pranks pulled off by students in Korea:
- Rearranging signs, desks and chairs
- Switching uniforms with the opposite gender
- Dressing up backwards (literally, so your back becomes your front)
- Holding someone's legs as the he/she hangs upside down from the window
- Moving the entire classroom outdoor

Oh, those crazy Korean kids. 

If you ever plan on celebrating April Fools Korean style, make sure to take all the precautions possible to stay safe and unhurt! As you can see, some of those pranks are pretty hardcore.

On my mind: One-piece dresses

Spring is finally here! You can finally put away those thick jackets and sweaters that hide your figure, and restock your closet with some fresh spring fashion to keep up with the romantic mood of the new season.

During spring time in Korea, there is one fashion trend that always comes back in style as a spring must-have: one-piece dresses. Ladies in Korean know that one-piece dresses are absolutely perfect for spring. These flowy dresses can make you look slimmer, while upgrading your overall feminine appeal.

So do you want to look like a spring goddess? Invest in a one-piece dress. You won't be disappointed, especially with all the varieties to choose from.

On my mind: Electric cigarettes

South Korea has one of the highest rate of smokers in the world. In fact, according to statistics done by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in 2007, one in two Korean adult men smoke. Eight million smokers. That's big number, for such a small country.

Not only is the number of smokers increasing in Korea, but the way Korean people smoke is evolving as well. It's the year 2011, when almost everything is practically done electronically - say hello to e-cigarettes:

At first glance, you would assume the man in this video is simply chewing on his pen. But look closely - that's no pen, it's an electric cigarette! Wikipedia defines this as:
"An electronic cigarette, e-cigarette or vapor cigarette is a battery-powered device that provides inhaled doses of nicotine or non-nicotine vaporized solution."

More and more men in Korea are catching on to the trend of e-smoking, instead of lighting up regular cigarettes or pipes. With rising cigarette prices, will this rechargeable device make its way over to the United States soon? Well, although I hate smoking - if I had to choose - I would advise Americans to stick to traditional cigarettes. If smoking is supposed to make you look cool, e-smoking is certainly not the way to go.

On my mind: Neighborly love

Love your neighbor. South Korea is putting this phrase into action, and collecting millions of dollars to help with Japan's tsunami relief.

Separated by a mere distance of 400 miles (Sea of Japan), the neighboring countries of South Korea and Japan has had a closely-tied relationship, especially in the entertainment industry. Over the past week, some of the most successful actors, singers, and other celebrities have announced the following figures to donate to Japan:

Bae Yong Joon (Actor)        $900,000 USD
Lee Byung Hun (Actor)       $600,000 USD
JYJ (Singer, group)            $600,000 USD
YG Entertainment             $500,000 USD
Won Bin (Actor)                 $200,000 USD
Choi Ji Woo (Actor)           $200,000 USD
Song Seung Hun (Actor)     $200,000 USD
Jang Geun Suk (Actor)       $120,000 USD
Kim Hyun Joong (Singer)   $100,000 USD
Kara (Singer, group)          All profits from their new single "Jet Coaster Love"

In addition, numerous Korean athletes, corporations, and of course, the Korean Red Cross have sending large sums of donations over to Japan. In the midst of all the chaos and devastation, it's nice to see that some people can be truly beautiful inside and out.

On my mind: Racism is ugly

This poor girl has officially angered the internet with her ignorance. As a result, she has now become the most-hated "internet personality," in less than 24 hours. Kudos to her - if fame is what she wanted out of all this nonsense. Check out this video & listen to her frustration with the Asian community, which apparently to her, is the only race that has no manners & talks in the library in the "Ching-Chong" language.

The internet can be a scary place. Reading over a handful of hateful comments on this video, I was easily given with information about her name, what school she went to, her e-mail address, and even her personal phone number.  I was also able to figure out that she worked as a fashion columnist for the Examiner. Really? An online journalist? She should have known better. Who knows what will happen to her now? Would she be able to walk freely on school campus, or even step out of her house without watching her back? Only time will tell, but there is a great possibility that she will appear on our television screens pretty soon - either on the news or some morning talk show. Ah, the power of internet!

On my mind: The "no makeup" look

Most Americans love to express their individuality. On the other hand, Koreans prefer to blend in. This is why Koreans love the "no makeup" look - you can look prettier, without really standing out in the crowd. God forbid if you try anything bold - with thick eyeliner or bright eye shadow/lipstick colors - in Korea; all you'll get in return is death stare from people around you.

Of all the makeup styles out there, Koreans are BIG on looking natural, almost as if you have no makeup on. This is called the "sseng-ul" look, which literally means "bare face," or "no makeup."

When it comes to achieving the "no makeup" look, it's all about the eyes. Eye makeup is the most crucial part of any makeup process that can either make or break an entire look. So in this case, it is extremely important to keep the eye makeup minimal, or skip it completely. Use nude/matte eye shadow for base, and then apply eyeliner inside your upper waterline only (never the bottom), as you can see on the left. As long as your eyes are subtle, you can apply whatever type of foundation/facial base to cover up blemishes or any other minor flaws.

So, are you feeling like a natural beauty today? Go ahead & try this out!

On my mind: Rainy day cravings

So it's been raining all week here in San Francisco. Although there isn't much sunlight, I'm pretty much used to this kind of weather, since it rains almost all summer long in Korea. But one thing I don't like about rain is that it makes me want to eat way more than I normally do. Whenever it rains, Koreans tend to share a general craving of certain foods - Bindaedduk (Korean pancakes, pictured on right) and Ramyun (or any other kind of noodle soup).

In Korea, you can easily buy Bindaedduk; they sell them for about $1 each on the streets. But if you try to make this at home, it's rather complicated and costly - with all the ingredients and preparation that are involved in making these special pancakes. So to satisfy my rainy day cravings,  I often turn to my second option: Ramyun.

Even here in U.S., you can easily buy Ramyun at any kind of markets/grocery stores (I've seen them at Safeway and liquor markets). But I strongly recommend going to a Korean market, so you have more legit variety to choose from. My top 3 Ramyun choices would be (pictured from left to right) Shin Ramyun, Sam Yang Ramyun, and Nuguri Ramyun. Korean Ramyun cost around $1 each, but you can also buy them in bundles/boxes for a better deal.

In addition to being extremely affordable, Ramyun is also very easy to cook & surpringly fulfilling! If you're cooking one for the first time, you can just follow the instructions on the back. But once you get used to the amount of water needed for the soup, you can do everything on your own, and even begin to improvise for best taste. Here are some cooking tips:

1. Before water starts to boil, insert soup-base powder. Let it melt/mix thoroughly.
2. Patiently wait until water is actually boiling! Then insert noodles.
3. Using chopsticks, grab noodles & dunk them in and out of water while cooking - this creates better texture.
4. After about 2 minutes, insert egg(s). Do not stir/break the egg yolk, unless you want a milder soup.
*Cooking time (after you insert noodles) should not exceed 4 minutes. Do not overcook the noodles!

In 10 minutes or less, you can have a fabulous meal that looks something like this (pictured above). Ramyun can be pretty addicting, but it's kind of unhealthy.. so be careful & try not to eat this too often. Perhaps save it for a rainy day? I know I will :)

♥_dwon

On my mind: Stop hatin'

KPOP music videos are more than just flashy eye candy; they're more like condensed version of movies & Kdramas. Korean music videos usually consist of elaborate storyline, sophisticated cinematography, and sometimes, even famous actors starring in them. And most of the time, these music videos turn out to be pretty dramatic, leaving viewers stunned, in tears, or really confused. Because the interpretation of these music videos (or mini-movies) are subjective to each viewer, some videos end up with massive criticism and misunderstandings.


Recently, KPOP sweetheart IU's latest music video "The Story Only I Didn't Know" raised controversy among netizens, for implication of a father-daughter romance. This 6-minute music video tells the story of a young woman (played by actress Park Bo-Young) locked up in a mental institute, who suffers from recurring nightmares/flashbacks of her relationship with a mysterious older man (played by singer Yoon Sang) who comes to visit her. Towards the end of the music video, a nurse asks the girl if her father had passed away, and the girl responds, "He's coming. Everyone knows him as my father, but he's not my father." This questionable dialogue confused the viewers, and many commented with disappointing remarks against incest. IU & her representatives claim that the video simply portrays the love between a girl and an older man, and it has nothing to do with incest. So why include that dialogue? What is the true message behind this film? Well, incest or not, everyone just needs to calm down & let it be. After all, music videos are another form of art.

♥_dwon

On my mind: Weight

Ever since I came back from Korea this past winter, I've been way more conscious of my weight than ever before. Although I knew (for a couple of years now) that I had put on some extra weight after moving up to San Francisco, it never really bothered me that much... That is, until I went back to Korea. While in Korea, I was shocked & triggered by the general population of Korean women, who are (coming from an American point of view) extremely skinny. And I mean skinny, to the point where some of their legs were about the size of my arms! So during my one-month stay in the motherland, I ended up losing 10lbs. And the best part of this is that I didn't even have to try! :) Because Korea has smaller food portions & excellent public transportation system, it became only natural for me to eat less & walk around more. After I got back to U.S. - it felt surreal to find that all of my pants were now very loose on me. WHOA. I felt like one of those weight loss infomercial people, who hold up their huge pair of jeans in their before/after pictures... Pure awesomeness.

So where exactly do I fit within the Korean standards?
Here's the actual average weight/height of Korean women in their 20's: 114lbs/5'3''.
So for my height (5'6''), I assume the average weight would be somewhere between 116-119lbs. Looks like I'm in pretty good shape for now (whew), but a part of me wants to weigh a little bit less than average. I may sound greedy, but hey - it's a girl thing! :P

Now, there's huge misconception in Korea - especially among men - that if a woman weighs more than 50kg (about 110lbs), she is considered "fat." This is probably the result of false reports in Korean celebrity profiles, where almost all female stars weigh exactly 45kg, which is about 99lbs!

Ridiculous, right? Notice that these women all weigh the same, despite having different heights (some of which are recorded untruthfully as well). Obviously, 45kg being the "ideal" weight for women in Korea is not true. I'm so not down with being anorexic. At this point, I just want to continue on with my new, healthier lifestyle by monitoring my food portions & exercising more often. And if I eventually end up losing more weight? Great! If not, I would be content to maintain the figure/weight that I have now.

Wish me luck! :)

♥_dwon

On my mind: Month of love?

It's February... You know what that means? Flowers. Chocolates. Listening to lovey-dovey commercials on TV, radio, even at the grocery market... -_- It's a warning for us single people that Valentine's Day (the saddest day of the year) is near! Prepare to see more lovin' around the world - more kisses, hugs, and inappropriate PDAs... Because love is in the air.

But Korean entertainment headlines seem to say otherwise: "Park Jung Ah & Gil Break Up." Um... WHAT?! Park Jung Ah (actress/singer) and Gil (singer) were my favorite Korean celebrity couple! :( As one of the most famous "Beauty & the Beast" couples in Korea, these two opposites had been together for almost two years. And two years in a publicly-acknowledged relationship is a huge deal for mainstream celebs, especially in Korea. I've always admired their courage and the way they  loved & cared for each other. Although Gil & Park Jung Ah had made their relationship public since (almost) the beginning, they never boasted about it. Instead, whenever I saw them together, they were so sweet & happily dependent on each other, which was simply adorable.

It saddens me to see that these two lovebirds just couldn't survive an awful timing in their relationship. Their spokespeople explained that both stars' "busy schedules" (Gil with his variety shows & Park Jung Ah with her daily drama filming) caused them to become gradually more distant & eventually led to their break-up. But they still remain as good friends.

So is February really the month of love?
Sorry, St. Valentine. I say, not so much.

♥_dwon

On my mind: Introduction

When I was 10 years old, my family and I left Korea to immigrate to the United States. Although I did most of my growing up here in America, I recently discovered (and finally admitted) that I ended up becoming way more "Korean" on the inside. In high school, I only listened to Korean music (known as KPOP). Then in college, I found myself watching countless hours of Korean drama and memorizing the names & profiles of the newest "IT" Korean celebrities. I spent most of my spare time surfing through Korean blogs for lifestyle tips on everything - from fashion/makeup to food recipes. I guess distance really does make the heart grow fonder. Despite being (6-7)thousands of miles away from Korea for more than 10 years, it was obvious that my heart & my mind were helplessly stuck in Korea.

I created this blog to share my passion, my identity, and my life as a 1.5 generation Korean-American girl. Before I begin, please understand that I have absolutely no intention of being ethnocentric in favor Korea. I'm not here to compare, judge, or boast. I'm simply here to tell my story and whatever's on my mind. With some creativity, humor, and research,  I will do my best to come up with fun & interesting contents :) So sit back, relax, and enjoy whatever is to come out of my spontaneous mind.

♥_dwon