Category: Culture (Page 14 of 24)

Traditional and modern Korean culture.

How to get a Korean Boyfriend

2014/01/03 / Nic / 38 Comments

This video is now private because of how much it has been taken out of context by people who only read the title. The title was an exact copy of another very popular video online that was really telling people how to “get” a Korean boyfriend. Unfortunately that video was teaching phrases like “Will you sleep with me?” Part of the reason for making this video was to counteract that so people would find our video, a subtle way of making people question why they wanted a Korean boyfriend. We wanted to do it in a sympathetic way and not just lecturing. A lot of women who are searching this online are from developing countries and are dazzled by the Kpop and Korean dramas and see a Korean boyfriend/husband as a way out of their own poverty and into a different lifestyle. The reality is that many go through marriage agencies and end up married to poor, often abusive, older Korean men in rural areas in Korea. Our other target audience was teenage girls in western countries who get caught up in Kpop and Kdramas and buy into that fantasy. They are not malicious, only misguided and we don’t feel it’s right to attack them when all they need is a bit of time and education. Unfortunately our video was too subtle for some (or they didn’t actually watch it). Because it’s something people love to bring up, even though it was years ago, as a way of accusing me of fetishizing and being racist. Context is everything.

http://youtu.be/iWzLfQ2ur0w

So we want people to look at the reasons why they want a Korean boyfriend and what their expectations are. It’s fine to be attracted to Korean guys and be interested in them, but when it comes to a relationship, make sure you really like them and aren’t just dating them because they are Korean.

Our advice relates to meeting guys in similar situations to how we met our husbands. We can’t give advice on dating other types of Korean guys, such as Korean American guys, simply because we don’t have that experience. Our husbands grew up in Korea and came to Australia as adults on temporary visas with no intention of settling down in Australia. There are many other things to talk about in regards to this which is why we will talk more about it in other videos.

Swimming Etiquette

2014/01/03 / Nic / 12 Comments

Whenever I tell other Australians this they always say, “Yes that is bad etiquette!”

It’s not fun getting out of the water, being cold, and then finding your towel is wet because it’s been used by someone else. Even if it was your husband… or maybe, especially if it was your husband! These days I usually go back and get his towel so he doesn’t use mine. He has a nice big beach towel to use – we all do – but apparently carrying it to the pool or beach is just too much effort!

Obligation

2013/12/17 / Nic / 7 Comments

So “off the hook” is an idiom he hadn’t heard before.

A cultural difference between Australia and Korea we notice a lot, is that there is more of a culture of ‘Do it yourself’ home improvement in Australia. It’s a normal thing for families to be gardening and doing house improvement stuff on weekends. That is more unusual in Korea. The Korean guys that stay in the house next door are always surprised to see how much my parents do and how many skills they have for home improvement. While professional Korean construction is some of the best in the world, the average Korean doesn’t do home improvement stuff like here. Australia has an industry catering to it (not to mention so many TV shows about it) and it’s not unusual to take a trip to huge D.I.Y stores like Bunnings on the weekend.

Since we are back home with my parents for a month it’s expected my husband helps my father with the new project (putting a granny flat in). My husband’s sister’s boyfriend who is staying here has been helping my dad a lot and is learning how to do things, but my husband is still pretty clueless. Those on Facecbook and Instagram would have seen a photo yesterday.