still thinking about boys…

Korean boys part 2 😉

Over a year ago I posted a blog about Korean men and how they differ from Canadian men. You can read it here. Over the past year I have done my fair share of dating, especially with Korean guys. Here are a few more ways that dating Korean guys can differ from dating Canadians:

Korean men text you back. Like, right away. And they get verrryy antsy if you don’t text back immediately in return. It’s a nice change from the Canadian ‘I’ll give it a few hours/days so I don’t seem needy’ approach however it can get f*&#ing annoying overwhelming. I don’t like being glued to my phone and Korean men sometimes find this a difficult to accept.

Now if any of THESE guys were on the other end… I would be texting back INSTANTLY ^^

They make that inhaling shh noise when they’re thinking. I know this sounds funny but anyone who lives in Korea knows what I’m talking about! It’s usually accompanied by a head-tilt.

Hair and make-up. Yes, you read that correctly. A lot of Korean men wear make-up. Personally, nobody that I have dated has worn make-up (I think!) but there is definitely a growing interest in the man cover-up and eyeliner especially. Make-up withstanding, all the Korean men I know are very well-groomed, always use nice skin-care products and never leave the house without styling their hair.

Doesn’t show BB cream but he totally has it on.

They tend to jump into relationships. At home, I found that dating was mostly to have fun and get to know somebody before you decided you wanted to be bf/gf. Several times at home, I found that I wanted a more serious relationship with guys who weren’t ready to commit, even after weeks or months of dating. In Korea, I have found it’s the opposite. On three separate occasions, I have dated guys who wanted to move way quicker into a serious relationship than I did. For example, saying the ‘L’ word after only knowing each other for 5 days!

“I will make you so happy” uuuuuuuuuuumm..!

Skinship. In Korea in general, you don’t see as much PDA as you do in North America. A lot of couples will go on several dates before they even hold hands. ‘Skinship’ is a Konglish term that encompasses anything from holding hands, to massaging, and cuddling. You will hear in interviews that certain celebrities ‘enjoy skinship’ while others are more hesitant. A few guys have remarked that I like skinship, and while to me it’s fun and innocent to touch someone’s skin, it can mean a whole lot more to a Korean guy.

OMG! Scandaaaaalllll ~~

Work. A lot. Like a lot. I dated a guy who wouldn’t get off work until midnight most days and had to be there at 8 the next day. Dating a K-town man requires a lot of flexibility, because their job will not give them any. Long hours and not much time off… and it doesn’t stop if you get married! My Korean co-workers who are married say their husbands are the same. LG, Samsung, Hyundai (to name a few)… WHY U NO GIVE UR EMPLOYEES A BREAK!

Seriously, I don’t know how they do it.

Love sleeping on the floor. Many Koreans grow up sleeping on floor mats, so having a snooze on the hardwood can be nostalgic for them. Also, it’s really good for the back and you save room space ’cause your bed can fit in a closet!

Sorry adjussi, you’re doing it wrong.

I want to say again that I am not trying to stereotype anyone, I am just basing this on my own experiences. Not all Korean men will do all the things I have described! My boyfriend has grown up in Seoul and acts more American that I do most of the time! Ok, maybe he does a few of these things but that’s why I like him so much 😉 kkkk

On our second date ^^

I’ll leave you with a few more reasons to appreciate Korean guys :)!

The gorgeous Ricky Kim (Actor, half Korean)

Lee Byung Hun (actor)

Seungriiiiii! Aka. VictoRI from B-B-Big Bang

how to be Korea cute

Do you love adorable, random cuteness? Who doesn’t!? If you’re in Korea, you’re in the perfect spot to be bombarded with it daily.

I think there must be a rule that all stationary, pillows, and any kind of container must have one of the following: a face, ears or cute Konglish sayings. Honestly, my pencil case looks like a 3-year-old’s toy box.

My white-out and tape measure. See? Not kidding.

Some other things that are often over-the-top cutesie in Korea:

Glasses and jewelry

Hair accessories

Everything’s gotta be ears or bows.

T-shirts and sweatshirts

Not sure if my shirt says Your, Tour, or Jour. Any guesses?

Anything from Daiso.

Daiso is a Japanese dollar store. I think a lot of the cutie-pie trend originated in Japan but Korea has totally made it its own.

My dad and sister LOVED their cute Daiso purchases when they visited!

Konglish – signs, advertisements, stationary, cafe walls – they’re all full of it! But Konglish (Korean that has been poorly translated into English) really needs its own blog post.

Phone apps – not just photo-editing, which I’ve mentioned before. Every game, background screen and emoticon is hilarious and adorable.

Kakao emoticons are the best! Facebook stickers are catching up though!

Koreans have perfected the art of cuteness, and they even have a name for it! ‘Aegyo’ is a style of acting, dressing and posing to seem cuter than you actually are. This is not just for girls, as you can see below ;)!

There are people who are professionals at this who are called ‘Ulzzang’. Ulzzang are people who post tons of photos of themselves on the internet and some become internet celebrities for…. looking like they have big eyes (?!? somebody help me out here).

The point of this picture? Not tooooo sure.

Korea is ALL about random quirkiness, even though it is quite a conservative culture. I think that since Koreans have such an intense work ethic that having cute things and being cute is a way for them to release some of their inner quirkiness. People really dress up for work and dress professionally but after hours, the inner quirky-loving side comes out and makes everyone’s life a bit more loveable and liveable.

Personally I love all of the accessories and clothes… it’s just that after I buy them I can never bring myself to wear them out in public!! Those are my two cents, thanks for reading and good luck with being ‘Korea cute ;)’!