My Friends Will Never Understand

There are so many things my friends who don't like Korean pop will never understand. 

                                        Yeah such as life. Oh well, it's okay I have friends who do know what I'm going through and we can all go through it together. I'm sure if you like kpop and kdramas you will know exactly what I mean. 

#1 When You Hear Strangers Talk About Kpop.

This is the best thing ever. I guess though this can apply to everything when you hear people talk about something you like. There is this urge to go over there and talk to them because you know it too and you have finally met someone who likes the same thing as you. The only difference with kpop is that the people who listen to it are a well hidden breed so unless they are going about repping it with merch you will never know so hearing someone talk about kpop I normally go over and talk to them about. We have to stick together. 

#2 Going Out Of Your Way To Remember All The Member In A Group  

To say that I haven't done this would be a huge lie. Let me just say, that it takes a while too especially because once you take notice in one group you take notice in another and another and now you're trying to learn all their names. On top of that you're watching old videos where all of their hair colors

are the same. So you can't tell them apart and when you finally can their hair has changed, and now you have to go back and get used to that color and remember who is who all over again. What makes this worse is that you're now trying to catch a glimpse of their face while their dancing and they keep moving so you have to pause the video. This soon becomes a hassle so you just go on google and type in the group name to see the members and it's another task in its self. Large groups always take the most time to learn. I know all the members names of Girls' Generation, but I don't know who is who.

"AND YOU CALL YOURSELF A TRUE FAN!!" 

#3 Learning The Dance To Your Favorite Songs

There is the need to learn the dance to favorite kpop songs. If you are the type to try then kudos to you because some kpop dances are freaking hard! If you are the type to succeed then super kudos because wow, you're amazing. The choreography is so good, it's too hard to try to imitate. I always end up comparing myself to them and I realize how dumb I look. Of course that never stops me from trying all the other dances. I wouldn't be a fan if I stopped trying now would I? The difference with

NU'EST "Good Bye Bye"

Korean pop and American pop is that a lot of American pop music doesn't really have choreographed dances. It's always fun to try to to their dances honestly it is. You know what I'm talking about if you tried. I'm tried, dances like "Hot Summer" by f(x) "Lucifer" by SHINee as well as "Hello" and "Ring Ding Dong"  EXO's "History" and G-Dragon and Taeyang's "Good Boy." That song I managed to do the whole dance correctly although it was hard as all hell. My friend and I didn't know whether to follow GD and Taeyang or the backup dancers. The list of course goes on and on. What dances have you tried if any?

#4 Watching Variety Shows With Favorite Idols 

So, personally I haven't watched many episodes of many variety shows, but I have watched all the episodes of every variety show that had BIGBANG in it. I've gone back into the past and watched all the shows and episodes they were in even if it was only brief or only one of them in the show's episode. While watching variety shows it allows the audience and the fans to connect their favorite groups. They get to know them on a new level. If you have ever watched a variety show you might know what I'm talking about. It's just seeing them and how they act with other people and each other, NOT in a music video. 

My first variety show was Weekly Idol with G-Dragon. It was his first time on weekly idol. It was pretty late in his career too, he promoting his album Coup D'etat so it was like 2013. Prior to this he was in a popular show Running Man and on another called Infinity Challenge. I feel like Variety Shows are the small bridge between the M/Vs they put out, and the "TV" episodes they do every once in a while and the concerts where you get to see them in real life. 

Variety Shows are everything man! 

These are just four of many things that only kpop fan will get and relate to. Sometimes being a kpop fan is just hard you know? Especially when you have friends who don't like kpop the way you do. It's so sad that my friends will never understand.

When In Rome, Do What The Romans Do

Whatever country you go to, you are bound to experience some culture shock. You're gonna have to deal with the cultural differences and may learn some things that you are not supposed to do.

So here are some Do's and Don't's in Korea. 

Do's:

• Do leave your shoes off when entering a place that don't allow shoes indoor. Some restaurants are supposed to be enter barefoot. A similar mistake I made to this was when I was at the jjimjilbang (public bathhouse) where I had to put on my shoes after getting out of the dressing room. It totally slipped my mind and I put on half my shoes before the lady that worked there told me I wasn't supposed to do that after I get out.
• Do always bow wherever you go. It shows politeness. Depending on the situation like a business meeting or parent meeting, the degree of your bow is important. In those situation, a 90 degree or further bow is good. It shoes great respect to those of higher status. When I was in Korea, I would do a quick bow and hello (안녕하세요) to show respect. Don't ever wave or give our handshakes first. Handshakes usually come after the bow, but if you're of high status then they usually initiate the handshake first.
• Do receive items, whether it be money or a glass of soju, with both hands. Another sign of respect. Usually with one hand under the other.
  

 Don'ts:

• Don't point at someone and call someone over with your palm facing up. This is considered a rude way of calling someone over. The reason they consider this rude is because it's the same way to call a dog or any other animal. 
• Don't take the first half of the seats of buses. Those seats are reserved for the elders and they have the ultimate power. You must respect the elders. But also reserved for the handicapped and pregnant women. Even if the bus is crowded, elders will  not be afraid to tell you to get off. This is the same for on subways. There are reserved seats for them so never sit there or you'll get a nasty look.
• Don't tip at restaurants. Korea doesn't tip. If you do tip, they might think you're looking down on them as pity or showing arrogance. So you save a little money by not tipping. No complaining there.
• Don't directly introduce yourself. Instead have someone who knows you introduce you. 
• Don't be the first person to eat at the dinner table. You must wait for the oldest person to take the first bite. As you may have guess, elders have the ultimate power and it's very strict. Never disrespect them or it'll be the end of you. 

Again, these are only a few examples of Do's and Don'ts in Korea. There are many, many more. If you're interested in going to Korea, you can look more into the culture and what's appropriate. I didn't experience much culture difference when I was there. So good luck and remember elders have the ultimate power!