To steal a feature from the Grand Narrative, the go-to blog for gender and society issues inKorea, I would like to discuss a music video. I know I can’t hope to do it nearly as well as the above blog, but I find this song very interesting so here goes.

I would hardly consider myself an avid Kpop fan, but during my time living here it has become music I primarily listen to for perhaps no other reason than it’s what’s around. In the mornings, I have Mnet music videos on TV while I’m getting ready and the wife and I will watch the live music countdown shows for a lack of anything better on. For the most part, I give much thought to the songs or the artists, one of the primary appeals of Kpop being that is doesn’t require much thinking at all. One exception to this, and one of the few groups I can honestly say I specifically enjoy listening to, has been 2NE1. From the start their image has struck different chords than other girl groups and while the competition varies their look and feel wildly between cute, sexy, good girl, bad girl and everything in-between 2NE1 seems to be sticking to their niche. While they very well could be just as fabricated as the rest of the genre, the consistency at least feels more honest. This combined with their talent and the quality of their productions puts them heads and shoulders above the rest and, outside of Park Baum’s yo-yo dieting and penchant for plastic surgery (probably not by choice), makes them strong role models and representatives of Korean music.

Another important point about 2NE1 is that I feel their music has gotten better with each new release, with this newest mini-album Ugly being the best yet.  This kicked off a comeback to Korea after spending time working overseas and the promotion lead with the strong 내가 제일 잘 나가 (I am the Best) which the Narrative already did a great breakdown of here.

The latest MV release this past week is the title track Ugly and provides a great counter to the picture of the girls presented in Best. The repetitive all-English chorus pretty much tells the story of the song:

I think I’m ugly
And nobody wants to love me
Just like her I wanna be pretty I wanna be pretty
Don’t lie to my face tellin’ me I’m pretty

I think I’m ugly
And nobody wants to love me
Just like her I wanna be pretty I wanna be pretty
Don’t lie to my face cuz I know I’m ugly

Looking at the ladies, it’s quite obvious that there must be some subtext to what their singing. This isn’t Piggy Dolls singing about being fat and it’s okay (and then promptly power dieting and losing about 50lbs. each), but rather looking past the outer image and going to a deeper subject than most Kpop tends to tread. As member Dara put it:

“There are moments where people think that they’re ugly or lacking something, but people need to realize that there’s a unique beauty within all of us that other people don’t have. I hope that a lot of people listen to our song, ‘Ugly’, and find strength.”

A quick scan of entertainment in Korea will tell you that there’s something wrong with body image here and while it does extend to most genders, the typically male-dominated society also puts a lot of pressure on women’s self mental image as well. While I doubt 2NE1 played much a part in writing the song themselves, I have no doubt that they have experienced these feelings because everyone has. While it’s a common theme in Western music though, this is the first mainstream Kpop song I have heard in my time here to really go into such ideas. Simple lyrics displaying not so simple themes also seems fairly rare to me within the genre. Outside of the lyrics, we have the music which while familiar, doesn’t quite sound like anyone else. The beat is good with a nice blend of guitar and electronic with a great hook. As usual Bom‘s vocals are the stand-outs, but the ladies also each have their time and share the stage well.

While I am sure that sometime in the future I will be disappointed with a 2NE1 release, it hasn’t happened quite yet and I hope they can keep their hit streak as long as possible. I believe they, and on the boy’s side their label-mates Big Bang, really raise the bar for the music and can only make the music better.

ROKing Korea is a weekly feature column by ROKing Magazine that explores Korean culture and expat life in South Korea. With the growing number of Korean-American expats in Korea, we’ve teamed up with ROKing, a bi-monthly, bi-lingual, Korea-centric magazine, to give you a glimpse of life in South Korea.

You could travel around the world and pay thousands of dollars in the process. Or you can take this guide to global villages in Korea and save time and money by getting a taste of the world, all in the same country. There are many interesting villages set up by people from different countries that retain the charm of the original place, and we have selected a few that might be worth the trip. Start planning a trip around Korea by visiting Chinatown in Incheon, Petit France in Gapyeong and German Town in Namhae.

Chinatown of Incheon

There are Chinatowns all around the world, but the one in Incheon, the western port city, is one-of-a-kind. With interesting buildings and tasty food, this is a favorite stop for foreign visitors. Incheon’s Chinatown has an 11- meter-tall gate located at the entrance to the town and many buildings are decorated in typical Chinese colors. The main draw is probably the food, which combines both the best of China and Korean Chinese, like jajangmyeon. The area also holds festivals throughout the year.

ROKing’s Tip Guide:
Website: http://www.ichinatown.or.kr
Phone: 032-810-2853
Location: Incheon Chinatown, Bukseong-dong and Seonlin-dong, Jung-gu, Incheon
How to get there: Seoul Incheon line no.1 (Get off at Incheon station)
Recommended 1-hour tour plan: Chinatown paeru > gonghwachun> Chinese food street > Euiseondang (Chinese-style Temple) > Jayu Park > Modern Cultural Heritage Buildings > Shinpo Market

Petit France of Gapyeong

Famous for beautiful mountains and clean water, this is a cultural village that looks just like beautiful French villages in old storybooks. Petit France took old French houses apart and brought them to Korea, making this village a sightseeing friend’s best friend. But it’s mainly the atmosphere—pretty alleyways, chatty people at restaurants, a beautiful fountain and a wide-open square—that makes this place special.

ROKing’s Tip Guide:
Website: http://www.pfcamp.com/
Phone: 031-584-8200
Location: 616 Goseong-ri, Cheongpyeong-myeon, Gapyeong-gun, Gyeonggi Province
How to get there: (By Bus) At DongSeoul (East Seoul) Terminal and Sangbong Terminal, get on the bus bound to Cheongpyeong Terminal. After getting off at the terminal, ride on downtown bus bound to Goseong-ri. (By Car) Use the Seoul-Chuncheon Highway. From Seoul Olympic Way, head to Misari > Seoul-chuncheon highway > Hwado I.C. > Towards Chuncheon, Cheongpyeong > After you pass Daeseong-ri > head to Gosoeng-ri, Homyeong-ri direction at the entrance of Cheongpyeong Dam. The Petit France is located 10 km from there. (Total duration from Seoul: 50 min)

German Town of Namhae 

The beautiful southern coast of Korea and exotic red-tiled rooftops make up Namhae German Town. Built in 2001, this little village offers up German culture and amazing scenery. There are plenty of things to see and eat, and traditional Korean houses where German-Koreans live dot the village. You might be able to eat some German food, too.

ROKing’s Tip Guide:
Website: http://www.germanvillage.co.kr
Phone: +82-55-867-1337
Location: Dok-il Ma-eul, Mulgeon-ri, Samdong-myeon, Namhae-gun, South Gyeongsang Province
How to get there: Take bus Nambu Terminal at Seochodong, Seoul > Get off at Namhae Terminal (+82-55-864-7101) (it will take 4 1/2 hours)* > Get on the bus bound to Jijok, Samdong-myeon > Get off at German Town Entrance of Mulgeon-ri, Samdong-myeon (You can see the German Town when you go towards the hills. Takes about 5 minutes).

Written by Jin-Sung Kwak. Cross-published from ROKing Magazine with permission. Photos: Courtesy of Chinatown (www.ichinatown.or.kr) and Park Ji-yeon (http://blog.naver.com/thealicecity) ———————————————————————————————————————————————– ROKing Magazine
http://www.rokingmagazine.com/ (English)
http://www.roking-korea.com/ (Korean)
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There's a small selection of Thai restaurants in Seoul. Although the number is slowly growing the quality can vary greatly at these new establishments. Thai Orchid has been around a few years and for a reason. The food is good at a reasonable price.

I've visited a couple of more expensive Thai restaurants. One that springs to mind is 'After The Rain' in Cheongdam. Sadly the high price did not equal higher quality. The food was much more expensive than the food at 'Thai Orchid' but the standard was similar. It certainly wasn't good enough to make me return.

Thai Orchid has the balance right, it offers the staple Thai cuisine that you'd expect. Satays, green and red curries, pad thai, stir fried dishes consisting of ingredients such as basil, fresh chili, and ginger with your choice of chicken, pork or beef - all satisfy the taste buds well. They also serve Som Tam salad, some vegetable stir fries with various tasty sauces and spices and some other thai fried rice and noodle dishes. The selection is enough to guarantee there is something you want but not too big to leave you lost.

The restaurant itself is pleasant, decorated partially in a Thai style and partially a little tacky (but it is in Itaewon so what do you expect really?!).

We visited during the week and the restaurant was half full. Despite this though they were a little slow to seat us and service was somewhat lacking during the meal. We had to actively try and get the waiters attention to place our order. However, the food did arrive promptly as is normal in Korea and was truly scrumptious.

We started with a mixed 'Golden Orchid Basket'. It consisted of beef and chicken satays, deep fried prawns and spring rolls. The beef satay was a little tough but it was all up to par. This item seemed a little expensive for the amount we received especially when compared with other appetizers on the menu. I'd recommend ordering the individual items instead.
 

For our main course we ordered chicken stir fried with ginger and mushrooms. This item did not disappoint. It had a great selection of vegetables including baby corn which I don't recall having in Korea before. The flavor was strong but not overpowering. I really liked this dish and was also pleased that they didn't skimp on chicken which some of the other Thai restaurants I've visited have been guilty of doing.
 

One of my key ways of sussing out just how good a Thai restaurant (and trust me I've tried a fair few) is by ordering their pad Thai. I've had the pleasure of visiting Thailand four times, three of these times for extended stays, as a result I've eaten a lot of authentic pad thais in everywhere from the street hawker stalls to 5* hotels. In case your interested to know the best I had cost me less than 10 pence (16cents approximately) at a street vendor in a southern port town called Surat Thani. It was pouring with rain, late at night following an excruciatingly long bus ride from Kuala Lumpur. This pad thai was almost, almost as good as that. At the very least I can say it's the best pad Thai I've had in Seoul. They like to overly spice them here, which is really not how the Thai's make them. This one had a little hint of chili but mainly the lovely sweet and sour of the tamarind sauce and zesty lime.
 

Thai Orchid Restaurant interior.

Thai Orchid interior again...

...and one last one of the partly naff but also kind of cosy  area to sit in. Don't expect the waiter to see you here though.

Look for these signs - it's on the 3rd Floor.

Thai Orchid is located on the third floor above 'Black Orchid' and (unsurprisingly) cafes just across from the 'Imperial Palace' Boutique hotel on Itaewon's main street. You can call them on 795-3338 or visit their website here.

Leave me a comment and let me know what you think if you visit.

Enjoy!