Noodle Adventure and Korean TV

Things haven't really progressed in the visa department, so I decided SY and I (mainly me) needed a little excitement to shake things up. So, we went on a noodle adventure and good times were had by all.

A little backstory. There is a variety show in Korea called Running Man and it's freaking hilarious. I'll watch it even without the English subtitles, but you can watch it on YouTube or DramaFever with subtitles. I don't really know to describe it, since there really isn't an American equivalent, other than hilarious Korean tomfoolery. There is a cast of 7, 6 men and 1 woman (because that is how sexist Korea does things) and each week they do these completely ridiculous missions and compete in a race of sorts. Sometimes there are special guests, usually actors, singers, or other various Korean famous folk. Korean TV, in general, is quite ridiculous (that's for another post), but this show really is just too much. Each of the regular cast is famous in their own right and they are all just really funny and entertaining to watch together. They have to do these challenges each week, and where the production team gets these ideas, I have no idea. I'm not sure that one would like the show without having some sort of knowledge/appreciation for Korean culture, but you should definitely check it out!

When I returned to America in April, I went on a Korean TV binge. I started out with Korean dramas, but they tend to be depressing and slightly annoying. Plus they are hella long and you have to stay up all night and watch all 20 episodes, so it really messes up your sleep schedule. So I switched over to Running Man with English subtitles and never looked back. In this particular episode:

(take a gander if you have a spare hour five)

All the members and guests are paired up (except poor lonely HaHa...yes, his name is HaHa and he is a Korean reggae singer), and have to go on these missions to various restaurants to eat different kinds of jjajangmyeun, which is a Korean Chinese noodle dish. 

                                                      

Once again, I'm at a loss as to how to describe it. Wikipedia tells me it's a noodle dish topped with a thick black soybean paste, with pork and vegetables or sometimes seafood. I don't know, just travel to Korea and try it sometime. It's a popular dish, and though it looks disgusting, it's actually pretty tasty. A fun fact, April 14th is called "Black Day" in Korea, and if you're single, you're supposed to go eat this dish all by your lonesome self. Drown your single sorrows in that thick gooey sauce. The black sauce matches your pathetic dark lonely soul. 

Anyway, I'm watching the show and one of the dishes is a variation of this dish covered in what looks like a pie crust. And they are given a little wooden HAMMER to break it all up and then eat it! And I'm all, oh, I need to try this if I ever get myself back to Korea. I was surprised at myself because of all the things I love about Korea, it's cuisine really isn't one of them. Most Korean dishes are too spicy for my taste, or are made with gross things like squid and tofu. 

Well, what do you know, here I am back in Korea and I actually convinced SY to take me to the restaurant that serves this hammer time noodle dish! (Another side note, SY never wants to do anything fun or different, so this was HUGE!) So off we went on this rainy Saturday night. Korean blogs scared us into thinking there was going to be a huge wait, but it wasn't crowded at all and our food came super fast. 

Yoo Jae Suk and Kim Joon Hyun

Running Man was here! 

The dish was a lot spicier than other jjajang I've had before and surprise! There were also squid and octopus bits so that was a tasty "treasure" for SY (his words, not mine). 

So that was my super exciting Saturday night. I also learned that tomorrow's episode of Running Man will have soccer player Song Jong Guk as one of the guests and yet another FUN FACT-I met him! His daughter was in my class my first year teaching and he came to her birthday party, and Parent's Night. When he was there, the assistant teachers at my school were asking for his autograph and then laminating it in the office. I didn't realize how famous he was at the time, but I should have done the same! Dammit! Anyway, if I can figure out a way to get in touch with him while I'm here, I WILL because I have NO SHAME! I wanna be on Korean TV and and I want to meet the Running Men!! Jong Guk, holla at meeeeee! His and his daughter were also on a TV show for a bit, but I think they have left the cast. I'm sure she remembers me fondly and wants me to be on TV, as well as get a work visa. 

Ok, back to Korean TV. SY has been into this show called "Show Me the Money" and it's the WORST. It's a reality competition show for Korean rappers and guess who showed up the other day...Snoop Dogg! He was fine, but these wannabe rappers are just painful to watch. I don't really like rap, so maybe it's not as bad as I think, but these goobers are too much. They are all like, yo yo whats up I'm hood but what the hell, Korea there is NO HOOD in this country. I mean, posers to the max...but also still with weird Korean manners and such. Also, they currently keep saying "Ooooh, snap." WTF, I'm telling you Korean TV is SO weird. Sometimes I just watch it, even though I have zero idea what they're saying. It's that entertaining. 

DO YOU SEE YOURSELF, SIR? 

Earlier today I got sucked into watching a PLASTIC SURGERY MAKEOVER SHOW. I need a job SO bad, yall. This show was also painful, but I continued watching because I couldn't stop. Basically, there were two "fat" Korean woman on this show called "Let Me In." Yes, they were overweight but seriously, Korea, there is a TV show in America called "My 600lb Life" so you don't even know fat! Anyway, they showed the backstory of these two ladies and they are basically just sad sacks because they're sooo fat and can't lose any weight and their parents are so ashamed. (I am guessing all this since it was all in Korean). The REAL problem, and this was actually making me quite angry, is the fact that these women cannot buy any clothes in this country that FIT them. Yes, ok, they don't eat healthy and want to lose weight, but life is going to be pretty miserable if you can't even find clothes to wear! I felt so terrible for them! Being "bigger" in this country is hard enough but now you have to be incredibly uncomfortable as well. They were seriously stuffed in their clothes. And then it got worse! Apparently only one of these women is worthy of help, so they bring them both out on the stage and one gets a red light and the other gets a green light. Sorry other sad fat lady, you have to go back to your fat-hating family and keep living a sad fat life. The lucky lady not only gets help losing weight but bonus!! Plastic surgery! She got her part of her chin shaved down, as well as a new nose and some new eyes.

I'm pretty sure there was actually a show like this in America at some point, but I thought I remembered it as being people with like, severe disfigurements getting a chance at a normal life, and not just people that could stand to lose some weight. I don't know, TV is cray no matter where you are. I also watched a National Geographic show today called "Live Free or Die and those people are also insane and I'm sorry, but there is no way that show is for real. One guys name is Thorn. What? Are you kidding me! And one of the other guys has like, the most perfect curly hair I've ever seen. I was legit jealous. How does he get it that way?? He spent half the show in the ocean! There is no way his curls would be that perfect living in wild. He literally slept in a pile of sea garbage. Or maybe he uses the blood of the fish he gutted BY HAND as hair gel.

I think the point of all this is-I NEED A JOB. Please someone give me something to do during the day.

Dream big, people!