My first experience and encounter with Korean culture started with their movies. When I first learned of K-dramas, I think I was the last to find out as many of my friends were already immersed in the allure of K-dramas.
I decided to join the train and ever since, I can say proudly that I'm hooked. My first K-drama series that I watched was titled the heirs. At first glance, the movie felt like it would not make much sense as I was already used to telenovela series but as soon as I began watching the series, I got hooked lol, and I am still hooked. From the heirs, I have gone ahead to watch many K-dramas like city Hunter, Royal gambler, Boys over flowers, Faith, The night watchmen, Alchemy of souls , You are Beautiful, When the phone rings, squid game and many others.
My first impression about Korean culture was fascinating. I liked the language, the way it looks like they don't say many sentences yet the interpretations are lengthy. I also like the rise and fall of their tones especially when they are angry about something.
The other captivating thing about Korean movies is their strong emotional display. When they cry, they make me cry and when they laugh, I can't help but laugh as well. The emotions are contagious and moving.
First impression on Korean foods.
I have mentioned before that I have been privileged to eat a popular Korean dish here in my country. This opportunity was brought about when I went to visit a family friend who used to reside in South Korea. They are Nigerians but work took them abroad and for several years they lived a good life in Seoul.
When they finally returned back to the country, I went to visit them and fortunately for me, I was asked to dine with them. The table was abundantly filled with food, which I have also come to notice about Korean culture.
I used a spoon rather than chop sticks to eat my rice and sauce but then, the curiosity in me shot up to a whole new level when I was asked if I would eat Kimchi. Wow! Kimchi is here. I happily asked for a serving and in all honesty, I thought it would be a sweet dish because most Korean movies make it look like kimchi is the best.
After trying out kimchi for the first time and got hit with its unique sour flavour, I wanted to opt out but when the flavour left my mouth, I found myself wanting more of the kimchi. It feels kind of paradoxical isn't it?
I enjoyed my time with kimchi and at least I can also talk about eating Korean food and not just imagining eating it.
Thanks for reading.
First two images are screenshots of the movie while the last image was generated with Meta Ai.