#and honestly i watch so many kdramas that even if i dont understand it im familiar enough with korean that i think it would be pretty

[poughkeepsies]

.

[berryunho]

Question unrelated to fics/ateez but since you’re in Korea I was wondering if you speak Korean? I’d love to visit in the future but honestly only have a very basic understanding of Korean and that makes me nervous to travel there so if you have any tips on like communicating I would love to hear them! (I hope this makes sense and isn’t weird to ask)

hi hi hi !! not a weird question at all lol !! sorry this got long af so im putting it under a cut LKJSFL;KSDJF

OKAY NOT TO SCARE YOU OBVIOUSLY BUT i would say that im like ... B1 level w korean hehe this is embarrassing af but i definitely thought that i was better than i am JLKFJSDLFKD getting here HUMBLED ME so fast ... like i normally watch kdramas w just korean subtitles and comprehend it well enough as long as the vocab isn't too obscure or specific and i can read ... alright ... like probably not a newspaper but the average like. fancafe announcement or whatever i can read ... BUT THE ISSUE COMES W LISTENING AND SPEAKING . without subtitles ... my ass is lost. like i feel like im only getting the gist of whats being said to me and not what's actually being said like . 75% of the time (and a lot of the time i have straight up no idea) . and when i DO fully understand what's being said it takes me a few seconds to process and by then the person talking assumes idk what's going on LJKSKDLF and i can speak ... pretty okay i think it just takes me a few seconds to put sentences together which obviously isnt natural speech at all and it makes having a convo pretty awkward/hard ... BUT LISTEN LISTEN LISTEN . this really only goes for like ... school related conversations ive had . basic interactions are SO easy tbh

SO LIKE THAT ALL BEING SAID . you really dont have to interact w korean people all that much if you're just traveling/visiting . like ... only when you're at a store or restaurant are you really speaking/listening and from what i've encountered in seoul most places/people are really nice and/or accommodating to foreigners !! like they'll be patient w you and try their best to explain something if you're not understanding (side note. i am NOT a partier [imagine that] so idk anything about clubs/bars lol but id assume its the same tbh) !! i was super super nervous about this at first bc like . obviously you dont want to look dumb . but ive encountered literally 0 rude people and its really not all that hard to communicate even if your korean isnt super amazing hehe hand gestures go a long way fr ! and if you can speak just a little bit it definitely goes a long way hehe

tips from someone thats lived here for 6 days:

1. at least know how to read hangul or you're really gonna be lost

2. at a store the cashier is gonna say like 5 or 6 things MAX to you in this exact order (1) hello [안녀하세요] (2) do you need a bag [포장이 필요하세요?] (3) how are you paying (and they wont ask if you have your card in your hand) [계산은 어떻게 하시겠습니다?] (4) do you have a membership (only at like big chains lol and half the time they dont ask if you're outwardly foreign) [멤버십은 있으세요? or like 포인트를 적립하세요?] (5) do you want a receipt [영수증이 필요하세요?] (6) thank you and goodbye [감사합니다 안녕히가세요] and like . 2/3rds of the time theyll just ask you in english if you want a bag or receipt . and if you have no clue what they're saying you can just say 아니요 to every question and it'll probably be fine JSKFJSLDFK

3. in a restaurant when the 이모님 looks expectantly at you hold up however many people are with you on your fingers and she'll hook you up and then feel free to just point at the menu to order or spice it up w the "[blank] [number of servings you want]개 주세요" and then they'll probably ask if you want a drink or tell you if the water & side dishes are self serve [반찬이고 물은 셀프입니다] ! if you have any dietary restrictions make sure you know how to ask if there's anything in the food lol like i dont eat pork so ill ask like [혹시 ��갓에 돼지고기 들어가 있어요?] if im sus but most of the time itll say what meat you're getting when you order food lol but you can also say like [혹시 이것에 돼지고기 빼 줄 수 있을까요?] to ask them to take something out (LAKJSDFDLKSJ SORRY IDK HOW GOOD YOUR KOREAN IS SO JUST TO BREAK THAT DOWN YOU SAY LIKE "혹시 [food you're ordering]에 [thing you dont eat] 들어가 있어요?" if that makes sense KLAJLSDKFJF)

4. at a cafe or like fastfood restaurant the menu will typically be numbered and again you can just ask for the number ... and like one of my roommates is lactose intolerant so she asks if they have other milks sometimes just by going 무슨 우유가 있어요? and we dont know if thats the right way to ask but they know what we're trying to ask KJSFLKDJF

5. overall tip is to just ... not be nervous lol like yes i still vibrate when im interacting w someone in any context bc im so nervous theyll say something idk but ... its really not the end of the world if you dont get 100% of whats happening ! and like the milk thing like ... theyll get what you're trying to say most of the time ! and people are very nice ! and in seoul a lot of workers honestly speak basic english and/or will try their best to help you regardless of the language barrier

6. also the subway and buses all make announcements in korean and then in english so dw about that (also the kiosks where you can buy tmoney cards have an english option) (as do most kiosks here lol)

7. papago translator is a godsend

SO YEAH SORRY THIS WAS SO LONG WINDED IDK ALKSDJFKASDJFKL feel free to ask anything else lol i hope this was helpful and overall i highly recommend coming and i think you would definitely be fine even if you didnt speak any korean at all tbh :]

and also one more side note I am white which clearly impacts how people treat me here and I'm sure other foreigners might have different experiences but this has been mine !!

[gizkasparadise]

Kdrama review: Vagabond

Master Kdrama rec list.

Series: vagabond Episodes: 16 (14 of 16 aired so far) Genres: Intrigue, action/adventure, SADNESS, drama/tragedy, J U S T I C E, thriller, romance Spoilers in the Review: first episode/basic premise If You Like, You’ll Like: the guardians/lookout!, Taking The Law Into Your Own Hands, four brothers, gu family book, just between lovers/rain or shine, I Lived Bitch, lee seung gi playing yet another wannabe action star that has to run all the time, lee seung gi playing yet another character in love with suzy bae, wholesome high fives, having to run really fast as the bullets go put put ting ting ting behind you, PARKOUR 

Rank: 10/10

“we didn’t die! we didn’t fucking die! high five!!”

-

ok let’s get this out of the way:

do i understand any of the political plot? i do not. is it easy for me to keep track of various Machinations? no i have no idea what’s happening 9 times out of 10. could most of this be solved by singular phone calls? probably. why the hell is a vagabond?  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[puts on aviators]

i don’t give a fuck about all that

premise [SPOILERS for first ep, cw child death]

cha dal gun is a stuntman and martial artist who is raising his nephew after the death of his brother. he has such a signature look in the flashbacks:

a look

he’s not the best in terms of success, but he loves his nephew a lot and does what he can. he teaches his nephew martial arts, and his nephew makes a Super Elite Child Tae Kwon Do Team that pays for him to attend a Diplomatic Tae Kwon Do match in morocco. idk why diplomacy is resting on children’s small fighting shoulders, but okay. 

dal gun’s entire life spirals when his nephew’s plane to morocco unexpectedly crashes, killing everyone on board. Evidence emerges that makes him suspect a cover up, which eventually involves...

go hae ri, a rookie intelligence agent who is not so great at her job. the majority of her coworkers dont expect much from her because they’re awful. hae ri wants to continue her steady government position without obstacles but that doesn’t work when dal gun decides to

P U N C H

his way to 

J U S T I C E

-

main characters

cha dal gun

former stuntman trying to get by turned vigilante roof hopper. he will make you cry. following the death of his nephew, he’ll do Whatever It Takes to uncover the political conspiracy and government cover up surrounding the mysterious plane crash. for justice.

lowkey trying out to be an assassin’s creed player character. does push-ups upside down and shirtless because sbs producers know what they’re about. doesn’t smile much but when he does the lighting on the show increases 17%. he lived, bitch

go hae ri

rookie agent who doesn’t do combat missions. she spends a couple eps Avoiding the Call, but once she gets going she cannot and will not be stopped. brains to dal gun’s brawn. the daughter of a heroic marine who died saving lives, she wants to do the right thing for justice

her hair is so excellent because it’s full of secrets. over sharer. does not know when to recognize that someone has a crush on her. doesn’t think enough of herself. very concerned about people’s dal gun well-being. has the code name elsa? like from frozen?? why???

ki tae woong

a senior at the national intelligence service and you know he’s By the Book because he’s like 1 of 2 people that habitually wears a tie to work. but he also has the Is He A Second Lead? Hair Part so that lets you know he’s actually soft at heart. capable and super cool under pressure, he also, you guessed it, has a sense for justice. 

the blue to dal gun’s red. will do what’s right and if you don’t do what’s right he will scold you for it or be Grimly Disapproving. has the vibe of an intelligence agent who actually submits the paperwork on time in triplicate

some support characters selected by how much they are my favorites

park gwang deok

this man will make you cry. because justice.

gong hwa sook

hae ri’s bff who also works at the national intelligence service. im sure they said what her actual job is at one point, but she’s basically the one who squints at surveillance footage and Finds The Hidden Clue after Enlarging The Image. ride or die, will try to protect you from shame (for justice)

lee jessica / jessica lee

im sure you immediately know who this woman is based on the all-white pantsuit. jessica works for a Company of War that is seeking to get a government contract for providing fighter planes. mmwhatchasay. screams into cellphones a lot while never putting her arms into the sleeves of her designer jackets. has no sense for justice!!

lily

an assassin/mercenary who (gasp) also has a low (low) key sense of justice. is hired by jessica for Reasons. i love her so much. i need more lily in the remaining episodes.

Drawbacks.

does it always make sense? to be honest i could not even tell you a yes or no here

there are many interchangeable evil men in suits

people complain about suzy bae (hae ri)’s acting but honestly i enjoy it so w/e

Reasons to Watch.

THE GRIEVING FAMILY MEMBERS OF THE VICTIMS OF THE PLANE CRASH. one thing vagabond does really well is remember that this isn’t just dal gun’s loss. several family members have important roles in the activism for justice and lmao they make me cry. i cry so much at this show. it’s very human and reminds me of how trauma is addressed in just between lovers/rain or shine

action scenes!!!! it’s all off the fucking chain. like. the production value is so high for this show you can almost see SBS execs figuring out how many subway sandwich scenes need to go into the next drama they write

the mains!!! all three are so great and good and excellent. dal gun and hae ri have some awesome character development throughout -- hae ri especially

the romance between dal gun and hae ri is incredibly sweet and fluffy despite the intense situations they’re in

dal gun is Very Aware that hae ri is Attractive and does a lot of awkward throat clearing while hae ri is just like DID YOU EAT TODAY

Final Thoughts.

power moves! things that make me cry! slow motion action sequences for the aesthetic! battle/power couple! and of course

J U S T I C E

[ohoshi]

yess the part where johnny bumped into taeyong was cool!! ty looks so cool while performing gosh 😌 i think ive watched that nct u class performance so many times by now, im still not over it for some reason hahaha

OMG I KNOW XIAOJUN BEING RELEVANT!! YES!! honestly im so glad that during nct 2020 a lot of the wayv members got to show their skills and how theyve improved (like xiaojun, hendery, yangyang) and i hope this keeps going (i feel like winwin esp couldve been showcased more? maybe it's hard with soo many members and i dont wanna be *that* fan...but he was the leader of the 90s love unit and had like 2 lines lol)

omg yes shotaro!! you never couldve known he debuted just 2 MONTHS AGO but i agree even in maw u can tell that the boy got moves! i feel so proud of him and hes so cute 😊 i agree, sign me up too for the idols who have such duality!! they were all so good (as expected)!!

WAIT LMAO SO SORRY i just fact checked myself and haikyuu actually has 4 seasons 😂 😅 there was like a 4 year gap between s3 and s4 so i think i felt like it was 2 seasons lmaoo. lately i have been more okay watching ongoing shows bc it gives me something to look forward to every week! but i usually do binge shows, which is why im a little sad that the uncanny counter is ongoing so i am forced to wait 😭 i must say though my binging skills are amazing...my one talent in life 🤣

her private life is another fake relationship kdrama (the main girl character is a fangirl and she runs a blog for her bias ahaha relatable??), and i think crash landing on you has some fake relationship things?? obviously it's not the main focus of the drama but crash landing is iconic u gotta watch, be prepared to cry tho if you get emotional watching these things like me 😭 because this is my first life was also good (i've heard some ppl get frustrated by the main guy character's lack of emotion though but i liked the writing and it's worth giving it a shot if you want!) i love the fake relationship and the enemies to lovers tropes, so if you come across any that are good pls let me know hehe

SVT yes that part in home where they choreographed like a house imagery with their hands was so cool!! the choreo is just so detailed (like i think there was a part that looked like they were opening a door bc it's "home"), i had heard svt is self produced and thats so amazing! theyre so talented and their performances are so good (the ones i've seen so far). i watched their mafia dance video for left and right and it was so FUNNY HAHAHAA they seem so chaotic i love it (also i love the mafia dances in general lol like nct dream did it for we go up). i'm going to try to learn svt's names (which i usually do by just watching crack videos about the group on youtube lmao) so stay tuned 👀 coming from nct, 13 members doesnt even seem like a lot to me anymore hahaha and i think im usually good with names so we'll see! i am also curious to see if i end up stanning dino :)) who are your svt biases??

haha yes i can understand xj/hn/lc without subtitles!! it's interesting because i think all 3 of them are from different places so their canto actually sounds a bit different from each other! but when i hear wayv speaking canto it feels so familiar bc i really only speak cantonese with my family, and it's such a weird but also good feeling and it makes me feel warm :) wayv is the unit that feels like ur close friends (whereas dreamies have best chemistry and i think i like 127’s music most? (but ofc i do actually like all the units songs hahah))

🥺yeah me too! i’m glad wayv members became more relevant thanks to nct 2020! honestly they are soooo good and they deserve all the attention! and winwin 💔 honestly i’m so happy he is in wayv now where he is being appreciated more! where he gets the lines and screentime! he deserves it 😤 of course you’re gonna be *that* fan! we’re all *that* fan 😤 the leader of the unit got 2 lines 😤 smh 😤

omg 4 year gap???? that’s a lot 😳 what for?? i guess the 4 year gap is the reason the show is still airing after all these years lmao when i saw gifs on my dash my reaction was wtf when did haikyuu become one piece what have i missed and then i googled and saw that the anime has 80+ episodes????? ABOUT VOLLEYBALL???? 😳 WILD

ohhh i see you have something to look forward to hmm that makes sense? maybe i should try it, especially since it’s most likely not as consuming as binge watching!! but yeah same, binge watching tv shows is one of my talents 😏

her private life is about a girl who runs a blog about her bias? there’s a whole kdrama about me? are you kidding me rn? never knew someone would be inspired by me or us for that matter? since we’re both just two little human beings running a blog about their biases<3 OMGGGG when am i gonna get the time to watch all of these drama 😭 hopefully really soon, but knowing how busy my college life can be (and esp rn) probs not 🤕 if i ever come across any drama that you haven’t watched already i will most likely recommend it to you!!!!

AHDGAGHFSDGH i love when idols play mafia game of any kind and i think that svt’s left and right is my favorite mafia dance ajfdshgadfshga they’re so chaotic and funny and omg vernon was so good tho?????? 😳 i was impressed bc i could never lie so well ahgdfags yeah it’s not that hard to remember all 13 of them especially because all of them are so different (i mean all of the members in all of the groups are always so different but ajdsgakja for whatever reason svt to me seemed the most uhhh versatile from the others?? like for example woozi is so smol it’s easy to remember him, and then seungkwan is the loud one, and then mingyu and jeonghan are pretty ones, joshua the charming one, sweet one, my biases are the best<3 etc but i mean THIS COULD BE JUST ME AJDGAJSH maybe i’m just too biased bc i love them so much sigh) anyways,,,,,, there’s a lot of ICONIC SVT CONTENT SO  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ welcome we have cookies, relax and enjoy yourself, the ride to being 500% whipped for svt begins right here, i recommend to you their pot and hammer game bc i love to watch when idols play it and svt? CHAOTIC AS ALWAYS! 

OK MY SVT BIASES 🥺 ok first of all here’s a digression: usually when i get into a kpop group i have like 3 different positions, 1) love at first sight - which is the person who i’m attracted to right from the second?? like the first person i see and i’m like oh //they// kinda like the way you’re attracted to dino’s dancing and stuff; 2) first bias - which is the person i just pick for whatever reason //ok they’re gonna be my bias//; 3) the actual bias - after watching a lot of content and listening to the music and getting to know the group in general i then choose //THE BIAS// or rather the bias chooses me bc it’s out of my control i just love them whoever they are! and with svt 🥺 all of the 3 were one guy (the only other time this happened to me is w nct dream lmao) 🥺 and i love him so much! one and only: xu minghao! (aka the8) 🥰 he’s one of the lead dancers and 1/2 china line in svt and he can sing! he can rap! and boy can he dance 😭 i just 🥺 love him 🥺 my other svt bias (whom, tbh, i don’t love nearly as much as i love minghao but i still love him very much<3) is wen junhui! (aka jun) 🥰 he is the other lead dancer and 2/2 china line in svt (this is random: but i really love china line in kpop??? like idek why? i mean of course i don’t care about their nationality or whatever but i’ve just noticed that for whatever reason the ones i tend to love and bias are more often than not chinese) and i know i know you asked ‘hey cora who are your svt biases??’ and everything i was supposed to say was ‘hey santa it’s the8 and jun!’ but no i had to be EXTRA bc guess what? well I AM EXTRA!!! bc i got excited i really love them 😭 (esp minghao<3 lately he’s been my ultimate bias so  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯)

OMG I AM SO JEALOUS OF YOU RN? you can understand them without titles? lucky!!!!!! but the fact that it feels familiar and it makes you feel warm<3 is so precious<3 so cute!! so wayv feels like home? 🥺 bc you only speak cantonese with your family? this is so 🥺 i’m not crying you’re crying 🥺 teach me something in cantonese?? like?? actually, first tell me is it too different from mandarin??? and then teach me something? how do i say i love you? or hi and bye lmao and thank you? yk the basics! and i mean of course that we all love all units songs i mean!! we’re here for all the mess those 23 boys give us but!! i think i’d be biased and pick nct dream’s music<3 but i love wayv and 127 so much as well 😭

[sinosijaak]

8 questions tag

thank you again to @nc-ty for tagging me !!! ( yes i know i just posted a tag but this is the only time ill have in the next few days to do this so shush lmao) 1.  What’s your favourite kdrama? (I’m trying to create a list of things to watch!) 

i actually havent seen that many kdramas, idk i just find that most dont appeal that much to me?? ive actually only watched one all the way through so i guess that would be my favourite lol, its “hello my twenties”.  2.  What’s your favourite place that you’ve ever travelled to? or just tell me about your hometown if you haven’t travelled!

ahh tough question but id have to say nuremberg, germany. i was there for a couple of days in april during a europe trip i went on with my school and i adored every minute of my time there. idk i think i just really loved the vibe it had??? you had these old cobblestone streets lined with modern stores and then a castle at the end of the street like??? it was so interesting to see how the history of the town merged with the modern needs of the people living there now. 3. Recommend me some songs please, as many as you want

ooo fun ! well ive mostly been listening to khiphop so ill rec some of the songs ive had on repeat wait for me by changmo, basically zicos entire television ep, fo sho by just music, xindoshi by groovyroom, and too much by loco ft dean 4. If you had 3 wishes, what would you wish for? if u say more wishes i’ll block you :)

1. just a bunch of money probably lmaoo (i mean who wouldnt tho??) 2. to be able to speak and understand every language 3.idk maybe for the world to stop going to shit or smthing?? like i dont wanna get too fake deep or anything but something along those lines 5. Tell me about your bias!! (whatever you wanna say, include your fave pics/gifs if you want! i just like hearing people talk about this kind of thing lol) uhmm well i recently discovered that my indecisive ass actually has an ultimate bias so i guess ill talk abt them. its bang yongguk from bap. i was just like thinking about him and i realized hes perfect??? like?? hes just so kind and intelligent and i dont understand how u could not love him. and idk im just so happy hes back. i know he was here for the last cb but im still not over it lol. like it killed me seeing him like that and im glad hes feeling better even if its not 100% 6. Which physical item is most precious to you and why? a handkerchief my great grandma gave me. she passed away and its pretty much the only physical thing i have left of her. i was very close to her so it means a lot. 7. Do you believe in a higher power? (God(s), the Universe, someone playing a v elaborate version of the sims, etc.) no, i went through a lot of changes when it comes to my faith or lack thereof but yeah i dont believe in a higher power. however im not like, deadset in that belief i guess?? like if really compelling evidence came out i wouldnt be too proud to say i was wrong i just dont really believe in one. 8. Describe your perfect day from start to finish (what do you do? who do you see? where do you go?) hmm wake up at like 9ish and take a bath with lots of bubbles and use a facemask. head out to toronto and spend the day walking around with friends and heading into random shops. going thrifting and going into any bookshop we find. buying some food at a supermarket and eating in a park. then probably just messing around with friends before heading home and binge watching some netflix or reading. honestly my standards arent too high lol i just like chill days where im free of responsibility basically lol my questions (fuck this was hard lmao): 1. you get a free plane ticket to one city, where do you go and why? 2. what are you studying/what do you want to study? 3. what language do you want to learn the most and why? 4. physical books or ebooks? why? 5. if you could have any power what would you pick? 6. favourite moment of 2017 and why? 7. one thing you like about your hometown? 8.  if you could see one artist or group live, dead or alive, who would it be?

i tag @misswakanda @spicydonghyuk @kellyanneconway @godnayoung and @jihoomie

tagged some new people hope yall dont mind! 

[poughkeepsies]

.