It's been more than a month since I last wrote anything on here, which means that I'm a) feeling a bit guilty and b) under threat of uppity emails, so here is a post, of sorts. Trouble is, I don't have that much that I want to write about right now Still, I will do my best to fashion something vaguely of interest.
It's not really going to come from my life though - I've been back just over a month now, and settled back in very quickly. This semester is actually going really well - I have managed to score some smaller classes this semester, and at a higher level too which makes life a bit more interesting, though it's so long since I taught anything higher than pre-intermediate that it's been a bit of a challenge adapting. Still, I'm developing a nice little classroom culture, have some friendly students and a much nicer room to teach in, so all good really. If you're interested in that kind of thing, I do update my other blog much more regularly, though life news is rather scant over there.
I've more or less decided to stay where I am for next year, provided they will have me back. Given that I just got asked to interview English scholarship students for next year, I think I will survive this year's cull (this is a joke by the way). If nothing else, I saved one of the university administrators from the clutches of an email phishing scam, though I think this went unheralded save for the gift of a fancy nail clipping/torture set.
Anyway, if I stay I'm rather thinking that I might move out of the dormitory. Whilst everything being free is extremely nice, I feel like a bit more space would do me good, and not having to share a lift/elevator with a giggling student too many more times will make me just a little bit saner. Also, the city just up the road, Ansan, seems a nice place to live, while remaining only a 10 minute subway ride away. Given that since moving here I've spent about a billion hours (conservatively) on the subway already, this won't be too much of a bind.
In other slightly interesting news, I'm presenting at the KOTESOL International Conference this month, as part of the #KELTChat team. We have a nerdy little Twitter network/chat that we're trying to attract people to, so a team of us are telling people all about it there.
If my calculations are right, Psy's Gangnam Style should be number 1 in the UK right now, as it seems to be more or less all over the world. I must say this strikes me as more than a bit odd, I think there are better examples of K-Pop out there, but at least it doesn't come across as completely studied, and is pretty authentically Korean (a lot of K-pop just imitates western stuff I think). Anyway, someone asked me on Facebook if it was typical K-pop - this was what I came up with in response:
But as to whether it reflects K-pop as a whole, the answer is "kind of". Musically it's pretty standard - mix of Korean lyrics and English catchphrases, dodgy rapping, annoying synth hook, pounding 4-4 beat. All of these are popular over here. Actually, compared to a lot of pop over here it's on the unimaginative side musically. Lyrically though it's (supposedly, I haven't actually bothered to look) more subversive, and poking fun at the materialistic culture of Gangnam, which is one of the areas in Seoul that's full of posh ****s with lots of money (imagine Chelsea minus the football hooligans but with a lot more plastic surgery). Debate is raging as to whether Koreans actually get it or not - my view is they probably do, but are more concerned with copying the dance.
I've done a little bit more research during my 1 on 1 conversation slots with students, and have found that for this demographic at least, they don't really get the lyrics, nor do they particularly care about them. The important thing seems to be the fact that it's catchy and has a good dance routine. In fact, a pretty standard qualification for K-pop success appears to be for middle-schoolers to be able to shuffle uncertainly through your dance routine during interminable school festivals. One girl, who is actually from Gangnam (but seems normal enough), was just grateful that it put Gangnam on the map.
Anyway, now everyone's into K-pop I guess. If you didn't see it, The Guardian prepared this handy guide for you. I'm not totally sure about the quality of the research, a lot seems to be taken from fansites, and K-pop fans are mental, like Beatlemania mental, and are generally not to be trusted for balanced opinions about their idols. What interested me was the fact that almost every girl band is heralded for displaying their sexuality. Actually, this is one complaint that I've gone over with a lot of different people - K-pop simply isn't, by Western standards at least, sexy. The acid test, I think, is to play any video next to "I'm a Slave 4 U" by (pre-mental) Britney Spears. If it's anywhere near comparable to that, call it sexy, for me K-pop still has a long way to go.
Anyway, if you're getting your cappucino in a froth over K-pop, good luck to you. I think there's plenty of better Western pop out there, and if you dislike inauthenticity then K-pop is certainly not the way to go. The marketing and manufacturing of bands here makes Simon Cowell look like Tony Wilson. But it is fun, and shiny, and the performers are uniformly pretty, and it's foreign which always adds an air of cool. Anyway, here's a couple more songs that I have sort of liked (one boys, one girls for fairness), and then one I do like, and the only song I can sing in Korean.
It's not really going to come from my life though - I've been back just over a month now, and settled back in very quickly. This semester is actually going really well - I have managed to score some smaller classes this semester, and at a higher level too which makes life a bit more interesting, though it's so long since I taught anything higher than pre-intermediate that it's been a bit of a challenge adapting. Still, I'm developing a nice little classroom culture, have some friendly students and a much nicer room to teach in, so all good really. If you're interested in that kind of thing, I do update my other blog much more regularly, though life news is rather scant over there.
I've more or less decided to stay where I am for next year, provided they will have me back. Given that I just got asked to interview English scholarship students for next year, I think I will survive this year's cull (this is a joke by the way). If nothing else, I saved one of the university administrators from the clutches of an email phishing scam, though I think this went unheralded save for the gift of a fancy nail clipping/torture set.
I thought I might deserve a bit more for saving the university a five figure sum (in dollars, not won, too).
Anyway, if I stay I'm rather thinking that I might move out of the dormitory. Whilst everything being free is extremely nice, I feel like a bit more space would do me good, and not having to share a lift/elevator with a giggling student too many more times will make me just a little bit saner. Also, the city just up the road, Ansan, seems a nice place to live, while remaining only a 10 minute subway ride away. Given that since moving here I've spent about a billion hours (conservatively) on the subway already, this won't be too much of a bind.
In other slightly interesting news, I'm presenting at the KOTESOL International Conference this month, as part of the #KELTChat team. We have a nerdy little Twitter network/chat that we're trying to attract people to, so a team of us are telling people all about it there.
If my calculations are right, Psy's Gangnam Style should be number 1 in the UK right now, as it seems to be more or less all over the world. I must say this strikes me as more than a bit odd, I think there are better examples of K-Pop out there, but at least it doesn't come across as completely studied, and is pretty authentically Korean (a lot of K-pop just imitates western stuff I think). Anyway, someone asked me on Facebook if it was typical K-pop - this was what I came up with in response:
But as to whether it reflects K-pop as a whole, the answer is "kind of". Musically it's pretty standard - mix of Korean lyrics and English catchphrases, dodgy rapping, annoying synth hook, pounding 4-4 beat. All of these are popular over here. Actually, compared to a lot of pop over here it's on the unimaginative side musically. Lyrically though it's (supposedly, I haven't actually bothered to look) more subversive, and poking fun at the materialistic culture of Gangnam, which is one of the areas in Seoul that's full of posh ****s with lots of money (imagine Chelsea minus the football hooligans but with a lot more plastic surgery). Debate is raging as to whether Koreans actually get it or not - my view is they probably do, but are more concerned with copying the dance.
I've done a little bit more research during my 1 on 1 conversation slots with students, and have found that for this demographic at least, they don't really get the lyrics, nor do they particularly care about them. The important thing seems to be the fact that it's catchy and has a good dance routine. In fact, a pretty standard qualification for K-pop success appears to be for middle-schoolers to be able to shuffle uncertainly through your dance routine during interminable school festivals. One girl, who is actually from Gangnam (but seems normal enough), was just grateful that it put Gangnam on the map.
Anyway, now everyone's into K-pop I guess. If you didn't see it, The Guardian prepared this handy guide for you. I'm not totally sure about the quality of the research, a lot seems to be taken from fansites, and K-pop fans are mental, like Beatlemania mental, and are generally not to be trusted for balanced opinions about their idols. What interested me was the fact that almost every girl band is heralded for displaying their sexuality. Actually, this is one complaint that I've gone over with a lot of different people - K-pop simply isn't, by Western standards at least, sexy. The acid test, I think, is to play any video next to "I'm a Slave 4 U" by (pre-mental) Britney Spears. If it's anywhere near comparable to that, call it sexy, for me K-pop still has a long way to go.
Anyway, if you're getting your cappucino in a froth over K-pop, good luck to you. I think there's plenty of better Western pop out there, and if you dislike inauthenticity then K-pop is certainly not the way to go. The marketing and manufacturing of bands here makes Simon Cowell look like Tony Wilson. But it is fun, and shiny, and the performers are uniformly pretty, and it's foreign which always adds an air of cool. Anyway, here's a couple more songs that I have sort of liked (one boys, one girls for fairness), and then one I do like, and the only song I can sing in Korean.
Miss A - Goodbye Baby
M-Blaq - 전쟁이야 (Jeonjaeng-i-ya - This is war)
현빈 (Hyeon-bin) - 그 남자 (That Man).
That ought to do it then. Me and K-pop in a few hundred words. I'll be back again in a month or so. Until then...
Your man, on the ground in Korea, doing an invisible horse dance.
Grev
