My Experience: My Korean Adventure

My Korean Adventure. The cool breeze in the IT lab was in sharp contrast to the heat outside. After all our hard work, Chitua and I had finally gotten a computer to ourselves. I mentally ticked off the items from our checklist so that we wouldn’t be interrupted: computer check, earphones check, chairs check, ‘Boys Over Flowers’ cd check. It was finally happening. The mental pictures Ogochukwu had painted in my head were about to be put to the test. I swear my heart beat just a tad faster as the cd loaded into the computer drive. Just then, Chitua and I gave each other a knowing look. The kind you exchange right before you embark on a journey with a close friend. Then, she hit ‘Play.’ My mother always told me that television …show more content…
It amazed me that they could watch shows in which the love interests never showed any real passion for each other, and it amazed them that I could watch and love shows with so much off-the-top passion. My friend Chitua then decide to get me a couple of different series to watch so as to prove that I was misjudging the series, and she made me a promise to try watching some telenovelas. Another friend of mine, Ogochukwu also made up her mind to dispel all my prejudices towards Korean series by explaining in detail everything that had occurred in ‘Boys Over Flowers.’ After these attacks from all corners of my life, I couldn’t resist the pressure. I eventually succumbed to the demands of my friends and I definitely do not regret …show more content…
Watching shows like ‘City Hunter’ have given me a better understanding of the running feud between North Korea and South Korea from the point of view of the indigenes, and not just what the media feeds us. People have different acting styles. Watching Korean series has helped me understand different socially acceptable body language such as public display of affection, which in contrast to telenovelas is a ‘no-no.’ “Korean dramas put much emphasis on relationships, especially on blood relationships. There are often three generations living under one roof in Korean dramas; that is rare in U.S. soaps. The main reason is cultural differences, but also because U.S. dramas focus more on what characters do rather how they live.” It has also helped me understand the importance of family to Koreans. Watching Korean dramas help provide a guide(no matter how distorted) on how to navigate the waters of Korean culture. “TV shows often do provide a clue about a given country is like, particularly for those who have hardly any idea about that country. If you knew absolutely nothing about Korea, you will know at least something about Korea after having watched a Korean drama, however distorted and out of perspective that knowledge may be.” Watching Korean series has definitely helped dispel and maybe even create stereotypes about