Lovesick

Shine and I got together at a book café last Saturday afternoon. That girl is amazing: her mom wants her to get a teaching degree (very popular job in Korea) but Shine wants to work in tourism. Hence she’s got 3 majors (education, tourism and English) on top of a part-time job as a tutor and another job in the University’s English department. She’s now planning to join a gym – where she would have time to workout from 11pm-12am on weeknights. Hello social life?

As we were chatting over green tea and pastries, I noticed a Korean couple behind her – early twenties, both kind of cute. They were sitting next to each other on the sofa and he had his arm around her shoulders. He was in awe, completely into her.

She, on the other hand, was fixing her make-up, staring at her precious face in her purse mirror. And of course, her boyfriend was looking at her reflection, totally lost in admiration. She was acting as if she didn’t care.

When she was finally done, he whispered something in her ear. Like any normal Korean girl, she looked offended and gently pushed him away. They both laughed. He then started kissing her in the neck, and she kept drinking her strawberry smoothie, looking away and pretending he wasn’t there. He grabbed a straw and they both drank the smoothie together, looking in each other’s eyes.

That little performance went on for about 20 minutes – after which some sort of fight broke out between the two lovers. She was pushing him away (but not really) and he looked like a poor victim, so sorry and miserable. She let him have it for about 10 minutes, after which she pretended to leave. He grabbed her, she pushed him away. He left. She followed him.

They ended up coming back a few minutes later, him carrying her purse (most men carry their girlfriend’s purse here) and the whole love scene started again.

If you’re thinking this sounds like a bad movie, you’re totally right.

One could spend hours at cafes in Korea and just be entertained with the love scenes going on between young couples. It’s like a turn-on I guess – girls hit guys, insult them, and act all girlie, and the men are head over heels in love.

The typical scenario involves:
1. Cute couple behavior (i.e. sharing a smoothie and whispering into each other’s ear), the girl giggles covering her mouth with her hand (it’s an Asian thing)
2. The girl then ignores her man (i.e. purse mirror),
3. The guy looking for more attention (i.e. more kissing in the neck)
4. and the girl acting annoyed. She not really annoyed, she simply pretends to be, usually saying “hajima!” (don’t do it) as she pushes him away.
5. The man then apologizes, but the girl doesn’t let it go until she sees that the man gets upset and ready to leave.
6. Then she runs after him, he acts irritated and she begs for forgiveness.
7. Finally, they make up.

It’s quite amusing. Koreans love the drama. Any Korean soap opera will make you laugh your ass off… there’s sooooo much tragedy! And someone always ends up dying. Yet Korean housewives are crazy about those shows, passionately discussing the plot twist over coffee.

You can find tons of dramatic Korean music videos on youtube:
There’s one where the Korean guy gives his girlfriend his eyes… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rexUdNhPFVI
Another one where the guy dies to save his love…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRp-Bl_46HU

And here’s my personal favorite. The song originally lasts 4 minutes, but they’ve turned it into some sort of short film (as they do with most Korean songs) for more dramatic effect.

On a cultural note: notice the school uniform, the bowing, the teacher beating the student, etc.
Enjoy! :D