Gangnam Style

So strangely enough, soon after I moved to this great nation of South Korea, an epidemic took over the world.

This disease, which began here in Korea and quickly spread internationally, is known only...as Gangnam Style.

For those of you who have been hiding under a sound-proof rock, here's the song above.

This song non-sensically touts the "badassery" of living the high life in Gangnam, the wealthy area of Seoul, but really focuses on the most assinine dance move since the hand-jive. Dubbed the "horse dance" Gangnam style has swept the world.

And here in Korea, a country that has a non-existent drug culture, Gangnam style is crack.

First of all, the one thing Koreans may love almost as much as kimchi, is choreographed dance routines. The art of the music video still reigns supreme here, and when a new k-pop song comes out, the choreography is immediately absorbed, copied, and performed en masse in clubs across the nation.

I first heard Gangnam Style during the Miryang English Camp at the end of July/ beginning of August this past summer. The students showed us the video by singer Psy, and then learned the dance for my end-of-the-week production of the hit broadway play, "Goiter Man" (It was tony-award winning, trust me). I almost blame myself for the worldwide craze, as soon after I posted the song to my Facebook profile, and seeing as how I am so popular and I have so many friends and I am so well-loved and amazing and humble....it was bound to take off.

Psy could be compared to a Weird Al Yankovic in the states. A comedic singer, he actually attended Boston University (Sucks to BU!) and Berkelee College of Music...so ya...we can partially blame the hub for all this...

Also, I found out that one time he got arrested for possession of marijuana here in Korea, and paid his way out, the equivalent of about $400,000 dollars. That's some Gangnam Style shit, yo'...represent!

His video plays on both the slapstick humor that is popular here in Korea, as well as the borderline vulgarity that we love oh-so-much back in the USA. That combined with a gimmicky dance move, toe-tapping beat, and catchy catch-phrase, this one was destined for complete airwave takeover.

But Americans, playa please, quit your complaining about the incessant overplaying of this song, because if you think it is annoying back in the states, than your head would literally explode over here.

I cannot go a day without hearing Gangnam style. It's not even like they overplay it on the radio, I'm talking they play it in the stores, the train stations, the classrooms..even just on the street.

But that isn't the worst part. Even more annoying than the song itself (which I will admit, I do have on my ipod...when in Rome!) is the fact that EVERY Korean person will come up to me and ask:

"Do you know Gangnam style?"

Oh no, I'm sorry, I am unfamiliar with the song that has turned my eardrums into Zildijian cymbals. I don't recognize that seizure-inducing beat that makes me want to kick puppies. What is that dance you are doing? It looks like you are riding on an ass? Oh it's a horse dance! My mistake, I thought people around here just enjoyed looking completely moronic. Thanks for clearing it up!

Now, at first, I was all about it, and to be honest, when I am drunk, I can Gangnam Style like no other. What is also unfortunate, is that this song will be over in approximately one month (Remember Gotye's hit "Somebody that I used to Know? Ya...neither do I) and then South Korea's 15 minutes of world-wide fame will fade into the background of the United Nations until North Korea tries to shoot off another failed bomb again.

In a sense, I feel for Korea. Gangnam style is now more than just an annoying song, it is an annoying anthem of a generation. One day this song will be nothing more than a wedding line dance, and we will be able to look back and think, "I knew this song when it was cool." I mean, think of the "Macarena." There was once a time where we all took joy in the monotony of group arm choreography, and now, our bodies just seem to automatically go through the motions at the occasional Bar Mitzvahs.

Stop the madness now. Save this song from it's eventual demise. Try and keep this chaos as a novelty. Hey...Sexy Lady....

Oppa Gangnam Style!

Oh ya...and this happened.....


http://www.happyplace.com/18380/person-gets-music-tattoo-theyll-regret-fifteen-minutes-from-now

PS-that's not me...




or is it?


PEACE
Annie G.

Coffee in Korea

Coffee is a valuable resource that seems to be lacking in both quantity and quality here in Korea.

On an unrelated note...I am learning how to use the video editor on my IPad.

Chuseok 2012: Nobody puts baby in a corner

I apologize for not updating in a while, life has been a little crazy here in the orient!

Most notably was the recent long holiday weekend known as Chuseok. From Friday, September 28th until Wednesday, October 3rd we were in full celebration mode.

Chuseok is like a Korean thanksgiving. Koreans go to the graves of their ancestors, cut the grass that has overgrown, and then go home to visit their families, overeat and then sit around playing computer games.

My holiday started on Thursday.

After work, I went to meet up with other foreigners at one of our favorite fried chicken and beer restaurants, to celebrate my dear friend Tim's birthday! Of course, this drunkenly lead us to our favorite noraebang, where we sang until about 3am....

Needless to say, this was only the beginning...

I had no classes on Friday because my students were on a field trip, so I basically spent the whole day as a zombie staring at a computer screen. After school, the teachers all went out for dinner, where my principal insisted I sit next to him, and also suggested we should buy matching outfits so he could be my boyfriend...

It was later that the fun all began. Charle and I went to Busan to meet friends for some girls birthday. Apparently, I talked with her for a good hour that night.... I wouldn't know.

On our journey to Busan we decided to create a game, based on a point system with strangers. High fives were one point each, hugs and photobombs were 5 points each, and a bum pinch was 10.

After bum pinching about 5 strangers on the subway (which we got on in the wrong direction) we were waiting for our connecting train when a waltz came on the loudspeakers. We dramatically danced around the platform, specifically circling an innocent Korean couple. Soon we realized, amidst our twirling, that this couple was apparently breaking up, hence the heaving sobs coming from the girl and the look if apathy on the guy's face. We escaped that scene, and I began flexing my new muscles in the reflection of the glass on the platform (I've been working out).

Soon a semicircle of old people cheered me on as I flexed, and I told them I could beat up anyone on that platform.

Finally we made it to our destination, and the party began. We ended up at rock and roll bar, and the song from Dirty Dancing came on, which of course, spawned the catch phrase of the weekend, "nobody puts baby in a corner." As luck would have it, I was put in a corner about 3 times, but we won't get into that....

At about 5 am, we stumbled home. At about 4pm the following day, I had the strength to get off the bathroom floor and leave the house. I vowed that night would be different, that I would go to bed at a decent hour and not do anything inappropriate to try and score points...

18 bum pinches, 36 high fives, 20 hugs, 3 photobombs, and a bottle of Soju later, we were 3 hours deep into an intense noraebang night. I had won all the points for the night, because I had fed a girl kimchi on the street, so I was basking in my glory. You see, all the college students return home for chuseok weekend, so while Miryang is normally a ghost town, this particular weekend it was as busy as the Vegas strip. The noraebang was FULL, and we even found two girls passed out in a room, microphones still in hand. It was beautiful.

The following night we decided to go to Daegu. Now, from all the noraebanging the night before, my voice was really husky. We laughed at my mannish voice as we prepared for our night out. As I dressed in my normal outrageous fashion, I laughed to myself that I resembled a drag queen. What a silly notion! We laughed all the way to Daegu as I joked about stuffing my pants and telling everyone I was actually born "Andy."

We arrived at a party at a bar called Bunnies, that Robert (the man the myth and the legend) recently did some artwork for.

Robert is one of the funniest people I have met. He has exceeded everyone's expectations with regards to wit, and height. Originally from Texas, he has the swagger of an astronaut and the knowledge of a retired police officer. His virtual presence is unrivaled, and we first made our official acquaintance at a barbecue honoring South Africa. He sat and listened to me recount stories from yesteryear, and laugh at the silliness of this life that we live. Little did I know, his omnipresent personality already knew more about me than I could imagine. I really hope he is reading this right now.

My friend Terisha invited her friends from the Army out to meet us, and during the longest Beirut game of my life...I notice an older Korean man observing our game. I spoke aloud, remarking about a recent play. The Korean man turned to me, looked me quizzically in the eye, and asked....


"Lady?"

It took me a second to realize that he was asking about my gender, and not about the delicate way I am always acting. I just turned around and said, "Who brought this guy?" And continuously expressed my hatred for him for the remainder of the game.

The army boys turned to us at the end of the game and suggested we all go to the local casino for floor drinks and blackjack. Anyone who knows me, understands my love of midnight Foxwoods trips and roulette, so naturally us ladies obliged. We made our way threw the smoky throngs of Phillipinos to the roulette table, where I lost 15 bucks in short order. We then decided, being 3am and all, it was a wise idea to play drinking games until 630 am. Another sleepless night.

The following night was another late night Miryang BBQ, which got me to bed at around 4am again. In the afternoon on Tuesday we decided to have another quiet, adult like visit to Daegu. Ingrid, Rich, Kef and myself journeyed to the city to meet up with Terisha. We did a little bit of shopping and decided to make our way to Travelers, the only place where you can get good burger in Daegu. As we walked in, we saw our friends Tim and Jitesh, and also met up with some other long lost buddies that seemed to all migrate tot travelers that evening, as if fate was bringing us all together to party. Around midnight, we decided to be wise and take the earlier train home (the last night train from Daegu leaves at 2:30 am) and call it a night.

Now, maybe it was my off-kilter body clock, or maybe it was the bright lights of Daegu, but I was in no mood to turn in yet, so I convinced Kef to stay out, and madness ensued.

At 7am, as we waited for the early train home, we dazed in and out of consciousness as we remarked about the previous hours when we got adopted by a group of Korean students, were invited for unlimited Jack Daniels at another groups table, got into numerous gangnam style dance-offs, and even got invited to a Korean wedding.

Personally my favorite character of the night was a little drunk Korean girl named Sook Jee, who loved me so much that she physically cried upon my departure.

All in all, Chuseok was an overwhelming success, even though I was ready to get back to work, purely to save what was left of my liver for a few hours.