Korean Drama

Every time I ride a bus I worry about how Nick, who happens to be a very careful driver, might react to the driving standards here. People pull out in front of each other often and use their brakes at the last second. Giant busses park right next to each other at bus stops, leaving little room in between. Then if passengers for the front bus don't load quickly enough, the busses in back don't hesitate to attempt a pass. It's scary to watch a bunch of giant vehicles show such fearlessness.

Sarah, a Korean-American from Dongshin church, commented on the drivers one day, but said she's come to appreciate one thing about it. In the states, risky driving results in road rage, but "Koreans are really good at letting things just roll off of their back." They don't let things upset them for too long. They just keep moving. Her comment floated around in my head for days, and I started to take notice of this phenomenon.

Despite the driving, I'm still yet to see an accident or a spurt of road rage in Korea. That is, until last weekend when I rode the bus to E-Mart to purchase some groceries. (Yay!) Western food wasn't cheap, but I didn't mind. I spent about 40 bucks on peanut butter, wheat bread, salsa, lunchmeat, spaghetti sauce and bacon, and I topped off the shopping trip with a corndog from a street vendor. Felt sorry for the man who had to share a seat with me and smell the fried deliciousness on a stick.

The bus driver pulled up to a stop that had a yellow truck parked in front of it. He opened his front door and hollered over to the man in the front seat.

Hey, you're parked in front of the bus stop, I imagined him saying. You need to move your vehicle, sir. The driver rolled down his window and yelled something back in Korean, a cigarette bobbing up and down stupidly in his mouth. The bus driver raised his voice and repeated.

Look, I need you to move your vehicle, sir. The driver's cigarette bobbed all the more rapidly. A few people behind me scoffed through their teeth.

Just let it pass, I imagined them saying under their breathe. A couple of girls got off the bus. A couple of male passengers blurted some things out in Korean. You're not supposed to park in front of the bus stop. Where do you get off?

The bus driver stomped off the bus, and for a moment, I actually thought I might see a fight between two grown men. The two quarreled for a few moments longer. Then the truck driver got out as the bus driver resumed his station. The truck driver walked to the end of the bus for a license plate number and then dialed a number on his phone as we were pulling away. The driver didn't seem phased by the incident.

I remember being surprised when I learned that Korean dramas were famous throughout Asia. Surprised because the Koreans I knew were not all that dramatic. On the contrary, they seemed level-headed, not easily hurt. They didn't complain often. On the other hand, I told Jihae that sometimes I chuckle to myself when I listen to the Kim family members talk to one another because, though I can't understand the Korean, I can distinguish a whine from a polite request and a note of surprise from a matter-of-fact statement. Jihae told me that although it might sound like a fight, I was really hearing the Daegu accent come out.

I watched some Korean dramas with English subtitles on www.mysoju.com last weekend. First, I watched Queen Sun Deok--a drama about the queen of the Silla kingdom in ancient Korea. I learned the word for "sire" in Korean, but found the plot a little bit difficult to follow and get into even with the subtitles.

Instead, I got hooked to a different program that I would be embarrassed to watch in the states. (Foreigners are often drawn to simplistic types of entertainment they can understand.) I've watched the first five episodes of "Full House," not to be confused with the American sitcom with the Olsen twins and Bob Saget.

Full House is a series about a gullible yet witty internet novelist named Han Ji-Eun, who is conned into taking an "all-expenses-paid-for" vacation to Shanghai by her own best friends. When she lands with no money and no hotel reservation, she must use an equally clever lie to borrow money from Lee Young Jae, a popular Korean actor in character, and the Korean superstar "Rain" in real life, to pay for her hotel and fly back to Korea. She discovers that her bank account is empty and the house she inherited from her deceased parents has been sold to none other than YoungJae himself. Without parents or real friends, Ji-Eun has no place to go, so YoungJae grudgingly takes her in as a house maid. Meanwhile, he is having some relationship and publicity issues of his own. The two strike a deal. A marriage contract. YoungJae hopes to get rid of all the relationship scandals for a while, and so he promises to give Ji-Eun the house when they divorce after six months.

Many of the cultural norms are shown in a humorous light. At one point, Ji-Eun runs into issues with her new grandmother-in-law, who disapproves of her education status, her good looks and most of all, the death of her parents. When the couple fails to inform her of their well-being during the first few weeks of marriage, Grandmother tells Ji-Eun that naturally the best solution is for them to move back in with the family.

Ji-Eun's mannerisms comedically demonstrate the formalities of Korean culture. While YoungJae ushers her around through the mini-dramas of his life, Ji-Eun forces a bright smile, small bow, and an "Annyeong Haseyo" for each new, albeit awkward meeting.

Here is a clip from the 3rd episode: Ji-Eun meets YoungJae's family for the first time.

It seems that the blogging skills I've developed might be put to some use! Andy needs someone to update the Dongshin Church English Service web page. He wants me to start with just posting announcements, but eventually, he'd like me to post my insights from Sunday's sermons. I'm looking forward to using this new hobby to serve my church.