#obangsaek

Project Obangsaek is a combination documentary and website dedicated to informing and engaging a global audience on modern Korea. After realizing the lack of resources available on Korea, Benson Lee came up with the idea to make the first documentary that would provide an overarching understanding of South Korea, supplemented by the first website on Korea where the community can post and curate their own content on Korea based on their knowledge and experiences.

                                          In every country, you have certain things you can talk about in public, and certain things you can’t, even if you desire to. I’m fascinated with those subjects that we can not talk about. (Then again, who doesn’t want to taste the forbidden fruit  just kidding). But seriously, haven’t you always wondered why you cannot talk about something that you think should be okay to talk about?

I have learned that there are several things that are taboo, and cannot do or talk  about in the open in Korea,. These include Gay, Transgender and Lesbian issues, discussing politics, pointing or beckoning at someone with your fingers in the air, marital abuse, marital infidelity, sex education, the number 4 …among other things.

I would like to explore these subjects with everybody and try to find out why they do not want to talk about them. This past week, I have asked a few questions around the gay scene…

Certain foreigners, or even native Koreans  are either gays, lesbians, bisexual, trisexual, etc.  They’re out in their country but here, they cannot be themselves because they could be fired from their jobs just for being themselves. I wonder why?? What does it change to know that the teacher is gay? Does it change his/her ability to teach? I don’t think so. I think that avoiding talking about it is just living in a kind of Alice in Wonderland kind of space, an illusion world. People should be able to live normally without having to fear of being misjudged or mistreated. A week has 7 days, how come you can only be yourself 1 or twice a week? 

I have also asked some native Koreans about the subject and out of 10 person I tried to interview only 2 decided to address the subject. One lady told me, “It is not that it is bad it is just that they grew up not mentioning it and avoiding it, and now they really do not talk about it. They are indeed aware of it but just cannot mention it, not even as a joke…I will not mind if people would allow the new generation to be more aware and educated about it.”

I have asked the same question  to another man who told me, “I know many gays but it is very disrespectful and very inappropriate to mention it. I feel like it would have been better if people could get over themselves and just open up. For me, it is OK as long as it is not over-talked or over-shown.”

When I asked him what his reaction would be if his son were to tell him “Dad, I’m Gay”, his face got very red, and I almost felt like I said something wrong, but his answer was simply, “My son cannot be gay.”

So here we go again. Another trip to Wonderland…

It was a simple question. But it’s OK, I totally understand and respect the fact that this subject is taboo. But for me, I think it is just like wearing sunglasses at night and pretending seeing to see the sun. Sometimes, certain things are OK to be talked about, as long as they are being discussed in the right way. Young kids and students have to know about these types of things.

Next week I will go and explore another taboo subject. I’m thinking, “Hmm, why can’t we talk about marital troubles?”

One thing I noticed since I arrived in South Korea is that Koreans, like Americans, really love their coffee. I think in the week I've been here, I've drank more coffee than I have in my entire life! Then again, I've gotten a lot less sleep than I usually have in the US, so why not use the world's most popular drug delivery system?

According to one study, there are over 350,000 coffee vending machines in South Korea! Other than Starbucks, there are many (SO MANY) coffee shops, whether they're chains such as Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, Caffe Bene, Pascucci, Tom & Toms, a Twosome Place...or smaller, individual shops. For example, next door to the building I work in, there's a zoo/safari-themed coffee shop called Zoo Coffee.

There are also all of the popular chains. On the way to/from work there's a place called 김밥카페 (Kimbap Cafe...I did not go in.). I think one of the reasons coffee is so popular is that Korean culture is so fast-paced with that 빨리빨리 attitude, but everyone needs some time to sit down and ruminate. For Americans, that place is home. For Koreans, often that place is a coffee shop. Coffee shops are also a place where Korean people meet for business, hence the popular term "Coffice", a coffee shop used as a replacement for an office.

Starbucks, your office away from the office, conveniently located by your office.

Also, the coffee shop is romanticized in Korean dramas just as in Hollywood movies, and in 2007, a hit drama called Coffee Prince had people scrambling to coffee shops to try their luck at romance.

Now, I know this may sound like blasphemy, but I've actually taken quite a liking to the instant coffee here (aka 다방커피, pronounced dabang cuppee). You know, the kind that come in the little pixie stick-like packaging, with lots of sugar, lots of cream, and coffee flavor. It's like drinking coffee candy! Most restaurants have an instant coffee machine. I'm always a little disappointed when, at a restaurant, I come across one of these machines and find that it costs 100 Won, which comes out to less than 10 cents, but it's the principle of the matter. Even at 꿀돼지(HoneyPig) in the US, they don't charge for 다방커피! Regardless, a cup of coffee after a good meal hits the spot.