This semester, I decided to learn more about the lifestyle of Korean students as well as Korean food. I was able to learn more about the Korean drinking culture which was great because I always hear about how it is a huge culture in Koreans for numerous generations. Because I moved to the US at a young age, I was never was able to participate or know much about the drinking culture and other activities students partake in. Therefore, I enjoyed doing research as I could imagine what my life would be like if I still lived there. It was also interesting because it was a continuation of my cultural project last semester. After the end of the semester, I felt that there was more I could expand on, but was limited to due to time and the length restriction of my presentation. Throughout this semester, I was able to expand on it and feel like I have a more rounded knowledge on the culture.
Another aspect which I focused on was Korean food. What I ended up researching about was the starting and expansion of Korean fusion. In the past few years, I've definitely seen a wide expansion on Korean fusion. While I thought it was cool, I didn't think much else of it. But through research, I found that Korean fusion has made it much easier for "gypos" which are Koreans who live in foreign countries to fit in their societies. For gyopos, they don't necessarily fit in Korea because they often have different cultural ideas and/or accents. In the countries they live in, they also don't necessarily fit in because they have different appearances and may have a different cultural background. I definitely understand what that is like because I moved here from Korea, and struggled with differences in the first few years. It is great to hear that even things like food can bring different cultures together.
My culture project this year was about the process Korean trainees go through to become idols. Through my research, I found how difficult it is to even get signed with an entertainment industry - as they have a grueling and extremely competitive audition process. I also learned that these trainees often train for years starting from even elementary or middle school. They have to sacrifice their education as they are often not able to make their school. To be an idol, you have to be trained in acting, singing, dancing, speaking, different languages, etc. In addition, it is extremely important to be fit and pretty, which often requires plastic surgery. Because there is no guarantee that you will debut as an idol, they struggle through a lot of insecurities. I think this fits well with the fact that the Korean society is extremely competitive and fast paced, and it is amazing what these young children go through to follow their dreams.
