MinJungKim.com Braindump v 6.0 Gah. I’m still doing this?

A short list of v. Korean-ey things that I adore.

1. The penchant for feeding friends and family and never showing up at a party empty handed.
2. Exfoliating cloths. Seriously. Tis the awesome.
3. Hot water pots always running and making tea forever available.
4. Occasionally fighting over the bill and deferring by age/rank/gender vs. the persistent “dutch”ness of contemporary life. It is surprisingly rewarding to treat friends/colleagues/family and be treated by them. Somehow it feels as if in the currency exchange of meals or coffee that we purchase for each other that we’ve elevated our personal friendship currency with each other.
5. Singing. (Yes noh rae bang and karaoke) Thou that singest together laughest together and those that laughest together are friendest through all weather.
6. Korean cotton wearable goods - seriously - the underwear and socks are of a v. nice cotton feel.
7. Toesocks.  I mean - come on — awesome.
8. Piggy back rides.  It’s like a national passtime or something.
9. Tranny positive-ness.  I mean, seriously Harisu is *hawt*.
10. The ability to refer to any oddity of Koreans in the news with the singular statement of … “We’re such a pretty, passionate, but sometimes stupid people.” (ie people playing too much warcraft until they die, driving their car into the offices of mobile carrier companies in protest of bad customer service, having one of the highest % of cosmetic surgery of any nation, etc.)

OMZ! Harisu is my new hero! Why have I not heard of her?!

It’s strange. Seeing her makes me think that I can do ANYTHING! If she started out a boy and was able to become an international pop star and model, then I can lose ten pounds, right?

for me, it would be the battle cry, “FIGHTING!”

You deserve your own column at KoreAm Journal.

Hey Jax, been there, done that.

http://www.minjungkim.com/2007/04/

a shower is not a shower until one has felt the power(after getting used to the pain) of the exfoliating cloth.

and congratulations on the engagement!

Hi Minjungkim.. Randy here.
Korea rox…! I spent 3 years there in the 60’s and 70’s. You’ve never partied until you’ve drunk soju and mockily until you’ve puked and tried to sing every Korean song your Korean friends knew.
The food is great, the people were great, and they really knew how to have a good time.
The country is beautiful too. I’ve seen it from the DMZ to Busan.

Thanks for the time to express..

I have been at Korea, too. It’s a beautiful country… and the food: A common meaning is: They eat everything that hast four legs, except table / chair…

Greetings from Germany,

Jan

late to the party, but very well said. for me it’s all about the generosity towards friends and guests…which inevitably leads to drunken soju noraebang fistfights, with a big pot of ramen afterwards.