This post consists of two parts - how Korea inspires me, and why I should be picked to join Touch Korea Tour 2012.
Sit back, relax, and immerse yourself in the endearing Hallyu wonder. Enjoy!
-- Okay, let me admit it here that before I became interested in Korea, the country, I was first mesmerised by the stars from Korea, particularly the singers as well as the actors. In fact, the very first group of Korean singers that I got hooked to was BEAST from Cube Entertainment. Like I always said, it was "destined" that I conveniently took the time and effort to sit back and watch BEAST's pre-debut documentary when I happened to come across the promotional advertisement about it. There was something about the members' humility and dedication that made me feel attached to them. The next thing I knew, I started to buy their albums and merchandise.
Even though BEAST is my number one K-pop group, I figured out that I am indeed a K-pop fan in general. When I see any K-pop performances, I pay attention and instinctively cheer the performers on. I also enjoy watching Korean movies and dramas. From my several years of being a fan of Korean pop culture, I have been noticing a center value that the stars possess - aura. Other people might have different terms to describe it but that's the word I'm using. Aura is like an auspicious energy that is emitted from within an individual, right? Korean artists seem to know how and when to flaunt their charismatic aura. This is likely due to the enforcement and training emphasis that Korean talent management companies take very seriously.
The entertainment industry in Korea is well-bloomed and it keeps growing. Of course, many have already known the "Big Three" of Korea's talent management companies - SM Entertainment, YG Entertainment, and JYP Entertainment. Apart from these three companies, other companies are also getting active in their artists' development and promotions. Those who are not fans might be wondering why international fans are so into these artists even though they speak and sing in a foreign language. The answer is pretty simple - fans notice and appreciate the constant hard work that the artists portray in order to provide entertainment to their fans, be it their Korean fans or international fans, while doing things that they have always been passionate about. From these diligent stars, I have learned an important lesson on perseverance. Life may throw you lemons at times but what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger.
-- I'm sure many will agree that Korean language is very much different from English language. They don't just differ in terms of alphabets and words but also in their sentence structures. Since English is the international language, a lot of people are already used to the subject-predicate pattern of English sentences. Non-Koreans may find it quite tricky to learn Korean sentence structure, not because it's more complex than English sentence structure but because it's actually simpler and more straight forward than what English-speaking individuals are used to. Yes, you've read that right. Korean sentence structure is not complicated. To demonstrate what I mean by that, I'll provide a few examples. Take note that I am not a certified Korean language instructor or specialist, though. I've been learning it on my own with the help of books, dictionaries, and online communities. Worry not, I will not put examples that I, myself, can't explain confidently.
In English: "I am a singer."
In Korean: "나는 가수 입니다."
(Na-neun kasu ibnida.)
where
나(는) = I,
가수 = singer,
입니다 = am
In English: "My younger brother is cute."
In Korean: "내 남동생이 귀엽습니다." (Nae namdongsaeng-i kwiyeopsubnida.)
where
내 = my,
남동생(이) = younger brother,
귀엽 = cute,
습니다 = is
In English: "
My friends went to a karaoke place."
In Korean: "
내 친구들은 노래방에 갔다."
(Nae chingudeul-eun noraebang-e katsda.)
where 내 = my,
친구들(은) = friends,
노래방(에) = karaoke room/ place,
갔다 = went
In English: "
I like that boy group the most."
In Korean: "
나는 그 보이그룹가 제일 좋아해요."
(Na-neun geu boi geurub-ga jeil johahaeyo.)
where
나(는) = I,
그 = that,
보이그룹(가) = boy group,
제일 = the most,
좋아해요 = like
See the difference? The verb is put at the
end in a Korean sentence. I find this interesting. Why? When you look at the structure carefully, it's like the sentence unveils the most important point towards the end, like a climax. You know, when someone is talking to us about something, we listen and anticipate the main point of that someone's sentence, don't we? Even in an English sentence, when someone tells you "
Last night, I painted a portrait of myself.", your initial reaction upon hearing the sentence would most likely be "
Oh, you painted last night!". Similarly, when someone tells you "
My dog ran away while I was bringing it out for a walk this morning.", you would respond "
Oh dear! It ran away?". Therefore, I think that it is fair to say that in most conversations that we go through daily, the verb makes up the most meaning. So, do you see the idea here? In a Korean sentence, we save the best for last.
Have you ever noticed how "melodic" Korean speakers sound like when they speak? I'm referring to casual conversations, not very formal ones. They have this distinctive tone, especially towards the end of their words or sentences. This kind of tone makes them sound extra adorable and engaging.
Here are a few examples of typical Korean tones:
"What should I do?"
"Really?"
"How cute~"
"Oops!"
"I got it."
"Hello!"
-- Another unique thing about Korea is its writing system. Instead of using the common Roman alphabets, Korean language uses its very own
hangul characters. Again, I can say that reading and writing in
hangul characters are not that difficult.
What's important is that you practise bit by bit every now and then. Sooner or later, you'll get used to the characters and they won't seem so foreign and scary anymore.
Here's my very own hangul exercise book. ^^
-- Food, glorious food! When learning about another country's culture, the food is one of the must-know things that we should find out about, right? Korea has
plenty of delicious cuisines. So, I'll just mention some of my personal favourite ones.
- Nurungji -
"Nurungji is the nutty crunchy flavorful crust that cradles the rice as it cooks. (Annie, 2006)"
- Tteokbokki -
"The original tteokbokki was a stir-fried dish consisting of garaetteok (cylinder-shaped tteok) combined with a variety of ingredients, such as beef, mung bean sprouts, green onions, shiitake mushrooms, carrots, and onions, and seasoned with soy sauce. (monikazhoon, 2011)"
- Bulgogi -
"Bulgogi is paper-thin slices of rib-eye, marinated. (Hair, 2007)"
- Kimchi Jjigae -
"Kimchi jjigae, basically a spicy stew of kimchi, tofu, and scallions. (Kevin, 2009)"
-- I'm also attracted to the fashion style of Koreans, especially youngsters. My idea of a Korean-style outfit is "cunning and comfy". In other words, an outfit is best when it makes the one wearing it look cuddly cute, and at the same time, the outfit has to make one feel free to do whatever he or she plans to do. This is my personal preference, though. I know that different people have different views and fashion taste.
I don't own a lot of Korean-inspired outfits for now, but I would love to have more in the near future.
~~ When it comes to getting things done, I practise the "all or nothing" concept. I would only be able to produce above-average results when my heart is in it. It's not any different with
fangirl-ing.
[Fangirl-ing: A term used by fangirls, which refers to the commitment that they willingly get themselves into when supporting their favourite stars.] So, my point here is that I will put my heart into everything that I do if it is about things that I am passionate about.
~~ Like many fans, being given the precious opportunity to step my foot on Korea's ground would be a dream-come-true. To make it even better, this Touch Korea Tour programme adds sparkles to it. The chosen ones would have the chance to travel to one of the most captivating countries in the world, and learn more about the culture that makes the country so fascinating. Letting go of this opportunity would be simply foolish.
~~ I am fortunate enough to become part of the staff members of a couple of K-pop fansites in Malaysia. It may not look like a big deal to some, but knowing that we can joyfully and voluntarily contribute to the on-going and growth of a fanbase is a fulfilling thought. The fansites that I'm currently involved in are MYB2UTY and MYBTOB. Sometimes I wonder, what else can I do for the other fans in the fanbase? Updating or sharing information is crucial, but if I can contribute more, that would be a whole lot better, wouldn't it? The word "value" came to my mind. Now, how does this word relate to anything that I've been writing about? This is the answer - if I, or any other staff member as well as regular member, could add value to the information and activities that our fansites carry out, it would make the fanbase that much more meaningful and functional. Sharing about the country where our favourite stars live is a valuable thing to do. What better way to do it than going to the country and learning more about it first-hand?
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That is all from me for this special blog post.
Until we meet again~ 뿅~
