No, really, we are.
Korean life June 11th. 2006, 9:25pmOne of the interesting things about getting married is the reactions you get running into people that didn’t know. For example, when I am walking around with my wife and she runs into someone she used to work with, or someone she hasn’t seen in a long time, I’ll frequently be left out of the conversational loop as they catch up. I don’t mind this, as I have terrible facial recognition skills and trying to recall people or be reintroduced takes too much time. I’d rather just get filled on the details later and see if my listening skills have improved by hearing their conversation.
While I’m standing around, eventually the person will ask, "Hey, so who is this guy walking around with you? Your boyfriend?"
This has happened four or five times in the past week. My wife got asked if I was her boyfriend after she asked me advice on some shoes she was trying on. I got asked if she was my friend after I got my haircut and shampoo at my salon. I got hit on in a bar by some drunk woman that didn’t know we were a couple when I had sat next to my wife the whole night. One of our apartment neighbors didn’t know we were married either. Whenever I meet new people they tend to be a little surprised when I introduce us.
It happened at a wedding I attended with foreigners as well. It’s not just Korean people that are surprised.
Rarely has someone guessed we are married if they didn’t already know. It’s not like we are an unlikely couple in any way I can discern. We both speak English and Korean to each other, she calls me the Korean equivalent of "Honey" or "Sweetheart" when we are out. Of course, that’s because people like to use titles here instead of names whenever possible. It’s not a disgustingly cute thing in this case, but it is rather common with married and unmarried couples.
We both wear wedding rings all the time. We usually hold hands when walking around. Short of wearing matching clothing at all times (WHICH PEOPLE DO HERE! GAH!), there is nothing more we can do to scream, "We are a couple! Really!"
We are thinking of getting a sign or something.
6 Responses to “No, really, we are.”
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June 12th, 2006 at 6:58 am
I don’t know how old you are, but do you perhaps look young for your age and therefore people are assuming you are too young to be married?
Anyhow, I don’t think you have too much to be worried about, twice my wife and I have been mistaken for brother and sister despite the fact that she is an extremely korean-looking Korean and I am a typical white north-european (my hair is brown but it is a western brown).
June 12th, 2006 at 8:51 am
This post is OT. Enjoyed your Geek in Korea Blog for over a year now. I know from your postings that you like Korean movies, but what about Korean TV Dramas. Am able to watch the AZN network here in the states, and I have to admit I’m hooked on Korean TV Dramas. How about your take on what’s coming down the pike for future viewing in the US. I found the series “Rooftop Room Cat” or “Attic Cat” to be great fun. Currently they are showing the series “Hotelier”, a show about the zany antics of the ficticious ‘Korea Hotel” staff and their attempts to thwart off the creditors. Great stuff. (BTW, it was shot on location at the Sheraton Walker Hill Hotel, in Seoul). These shows were shown in Korea about 2 to 3 years ago. Just wondering if you are into Koean TV shows. Might be a good topic for a future blog entry.
June 12th, 2006 at 9:01 am
Thanks for the idea. I have no idea what the AZN network shows, or what they acquire from Korean networks. Searching around on the website, they seem to have the shows you listed. They could be called “Typical Korean Drama A” and “Typical Korean Drama B”, as they look to be a dime a dozen. Hours of those kinds of shows are on every night, and I’d have no way to know which of them are better than the other because I don’t watch them.
If they haven’t shown them already, a few years ago there was some really popular Old style Royal cooking drama called,Dae Jang Geum, about a woman that rises to power in one of the old dynasty periods by cooking and introducing medicine into the royal house. This was all done in high Korean “historical drama” fashion, with the huge snaking hair on women, the men with crepe beards, etc. It was supposedly based on a true story. I don’t know if it is too cultural to show to American audiences, but it was very popular here.
June 12th, 2006 at 9:43 am
BTW, I should have added that the Korean dramas are shown on the AZN network with “English subtitles”. I can see how you would not be too interested when they run on Korean TV (without subtitles). I find the translations almost as entertaining as the shows. Oh, yeah, they have a ton of historical dramas as well. I find the contemporary shows much more watchable. Besides, who cannot be amused by the unique “tonal inflections” of the Korean actresses and pouty facial expressions. If anything, I find them to be travel guides to the present day Korea.
June 12th, 2006 at 12:58 pm
My wife watches a few Korean dramas, but they all tend to run together into a blur after the second or third show about a plucky but determined woman torn between her virtuous poor suitor and her rich husband. Yeah, I’ll watch some occasionally, but that’s just to see if I can follow the plot.
I’d guess the series Gyeoul yeonga, “Winter Sonata”, which was absolutely HUGE in Japan a few years ago would be on any Korean drama broadcasting line up. It’s what started the Korean culture export boom. Women from Japan would go CRAZY for the star and visit the island it was shot at. When I was in Busan, there were several tour groups selling “Winter Sonata” themed tours. You couldn’t go to a single market without seeing socks or shirts with the cast of Winter Sonata on them. The Japanese started buying import soju and kimchi because of the series. That was two or three years ago.
I’ll try to keep up on a few dramas from time to time to see what they are about. Thanks for the idea, I’m always looking for something to write about.
June 13th, 2006 at 7:07 am
Found this great summary of Korean TV Dramas on the web.
http://www.koreanfilm.org/tvdramas/index.htm