Russian Food

Most of Russia's food consists of beef, pork, potatoes, sour cream, cheese, and more potatoes. There are very few vegetables that the Russians have at a convenient and reasonable price. Since the climate is so harsh in the north it is difficult to grow many lush vegetables. They are also practically land-locked with no main shipping lanes, which makes import a hassle and very costly. The only vegetables they eat somewhat regularly are cabbage and cauliflower.

With these key facts in mind I chose to create a dish with pork, potatoes and mushrooms, a cauliflower casserole and strawberry custard (desserts are really the only dishes that fruit is found in).

First the custard was created since it had to set up in the refrigerator. I began by boiling about two cups of strawberries in four cups of water. After it started to boil, I simmered them for about fifteen minutes until the berries were thoroughly mushy. The aroma by this point was heavenly, yes it was just strawberries, but it smelt amazing.

Then I used a strainer to separate the flesh of the berries and the juice. After a bit of confusion of what to do with the meat, I placed it back into the juice. This seems silly, but in doing so I was able to make the meat of the berries into miniscule pieces while keeping the flavor.  It took a long time to thicken the custard, with many consultations with my mom and many "Is it almost done yet?" Finally with the extra cornstarch added and the heat on medium high for thirty minutes, it started to get slightly thicker. I took it off the heat and began my second dish.

The cauliflower was very simple in comparison to the rest of the meal. Simply cook the vegetable for five minutes in boiling water, make a cream sauce with soymilk, flour, margarine  and diary-free sour cream (one could use the "real" dairy if their diet permits). After the sauce was done and the cauliflower some-what cooked, I placed the vegetable in a baking dish and poured the sauce over the top, sprinkling with dairy-free shredded cheese. It was placed in the oven at four hundred degrees for about thirty minutes.

As the cauliflower went into the oven, the strawberry custard went into the fridge, and the pork chop dish was started. A light spraying of oil in a skillet and barely browning the potatoes was the beginning of the recipe. Then I set the potatoes aside and browned the pork chops for two minutes on each side. After the pork chops were browned about three table spoons of water was added and they cooked for ten minutes. After the time was up, the potatoes and mushrooms went in and the dish was cooked for ten more minutes. Finally, the sour cream (dairy-free) was added and the dish was supposedly done. But, the potatoes were still quite hard so I let it cook until it was soft.

The result was a delicious cauliflower casserole that was filling and creamy. The custard, to my surprise, set up beautifully and was an unusual delicious creamy dessert and mostly healthy (except for the extra sugar we added)! The pork chops tasted okay. I prefer shake-'n-bake and don't think it was worth the trouble. However, the potatoes were tasty. I served with a pitcher of peach tea, because tea is the most common drink in Russia. After two and a half hours in the kitchen, the result was overall impressive. However, the hardest dish was the least exciting. I would make everything again, except the pork chops. 

Lifestyles of Argentinians

Most of Argentineans are descendents from European immigrants. They brought with them the architectures, clothing, and traditions with them from Europe. In the large cities these immigrants merge the traditions of their ancestors with the customs of the local Indians, which over the years, have developed into a unique lifestyle.

Argentineans' occupations normally require them to arrive by nine A.M., sometimes later. They will work throughout the day until the lunch hour, where they will normally return home for lunch and rest, occasionally they will visit a local cafe. After they return to work, they may take breaks in the local cafe for a European custom of tea in the afternoon, or coffee. In the cafe, they will talk about various topics, art, music, sports - the favorite being soccer, or football - politics, and life as an Argentinean. Returning to work, they stay until seven pm or longer, sometimes they do not leave until ten P.M. Argentineans will eat an extremely late supper when they return from work. It is common to eat at a restaurant for dinner past twelve A.M. In fact, some restaurants do not even open until midnight.

The nightlife is when Argentina comes alive. It is very safe to travel in a large city like, Buenos Aries (the capital), until the wee hours of the morning. Most Argentineans do. They shop, eat, socialize, dance, listen to music, and sing in local cafes with friends and many other small activities out on the town. It is surprising to foreigners how Argentineans can run on such little sleep, but the slow breaks throughout the day help, and the mattè does not hurt.

Mattè is a caffeinated tea drunk from a gourd with a metal straw. The straw sifts the loose tealeaves so that the partaker does not get a mouthful of bitter leaves. This straw emits a loud slurping sound. Most of the time people drink the tea without sugar, however sometimes people will add a bit to cut down on the bitter flavor.

Mattè is something both the city people and the Indians have in common. There are few Indians left, only about twenty percent, but those live mostly in the rural parts of Argentina. Here they farm, ranch (as gauchos or cowboys), and try to retain some part of their distant history.

There has always been a tension between the European immigrants and the Indians.  There used to be riots and violent clashes that caused much heartbreak in Argentina. Now both groups of people recognize that they are different and that they need each other. They still try to keep their distance from one another and find the other's lifestyle odd, but violence has become less frequent.

Both the Indians and the immigrants’ lifestyles are fascinating with some allure. To live in the beautiful rural Argentina and tend the cows, feed alligators (like ducks), listen to the hawks, and live life sounds amazing. While the fast paced, and yet slow, life of the city dwelling Argentinean sounds interesting in its own right. The philosophical discussions over a cup of tea, the long nights out on the town listening to music and discussing what it means to live in Argentina sounds stimulating.

If I lived in Argentina I would not quite know what to choose, but I have a similar decision to make in America. As I am getting ready to go to college, do I want to pursue a life that entails the stimulating inspiring city, or the peaceful country? Nowhere is perfect, and maybe in our vast country there is a place where the two merge. If they do not yet, with a little changing of our personal customs maybe we could incorporate both. Slow down our hustle and bustle of everyday life; put away the cell phones for a minute. Sit next to someone at a coffee shop and talk to him or her. Really, talk. The first step in getting a community of people is talking, sharing, and stepping out of the comfort zone, even in a large city. That is what Argentina has most, community.

Folk, Rock and Tango!

Music in Argentinean has a verity of European influences. Due to the fact, most of Argentina's population is immigrants from Europe. It is common to hear an accordion in their folk music, a steel guitar in their rock, and a verity of instruments in their tangos.

Argentina's folk music is quite popular. Instead of the songs being about their loves in the past, most of them have to do with problems facing Argentina. One song comments on the large amount of homeless children, another on how life caries on after disastrous times, these songs make the listener think about their world. It also drives them to consider if the impact they are making is positive or negative.

As one can imagine, the rock music is quite different from the folk. Argentinean rock music was first developed and successful in the mid 1960s. It was the first Spanish speaking rock music to be a hit outside of its nation. The words are less poetic than the folk music, and the focus is given mostly to the instruments. Most of the bands are hard rock, steel guitars, heavy drums, and very loud. There are a few, however, that tend to lean toward soft rock. Fito Paez, is one of the most successful rock musicians. His music is a blend of soft rock and techno.

Opposed to rock music, which had a relatively new appearance on the scene, the tango has been around for much longer. The tango dwells on the heartache of the people, mainly love gone wrong. The dance is a key part of the tango, although people listen to tango without dancing. The dance is in a way a story, like a hula dance. The graceful, strong, yet sorrowful movements propel the heart into sadness. This art form is taught to generation after generation. The tango is a key part of Argentinean life.

The music of Argentina falls into those three main categorize. The success of the latter two have leaked out into the rest of the world and influenced the music that they listen to. The folk music leaks into the heart of listeners making them discern what needs to be done in their nation.

Asado

Argentinean food is the center of many gatherings. Their cuisine is what bonds them together. They will often have family members and friends over for an asado. Although, I have never participated in an asado I find the custom extremely interesting.

The group will gather in the afternoon and begin the asado by roasting sausages and small meats. The guests who offer to help will be politely, but firmly, denied.  The host is territorial over the grill - which is more like a large burning of coals with metal grates covering them up, sometimes stretching for several yards. The host will do all the roasting, which ends up being many in quantity and variety.

After the sausages are consumed, the next stage is other types of meat such as roasting beef (steak, tongue, udder, large hunks etc) and then they move onto pork. The roasting will go on for several hours, long into the night. The cooking times provide time for the stomach to rest and gear up for the next course.

A lovely sauce, that they put on the meat called "chimichurri", is made with parsley, garlic, olive oil and shallots.  It is very flavorful and fresh. And adds a perfect compliment to the meats or the salad and rice that is prepared by the women in an asado.

The asado is not just a time for people to come and eat together. It provides several hours of slowing down, not rushing to consume everything at ones. They talk about life and events while sitting over the fire roasting meats. They pick the bones of a rib while they sing a tango. They look at the stars as night falls, breathing in the aroma of steak and enjoy the time spent with their friends.

Although I have never participated in an asado, it inspires me to find ways to slow down life, enjoy the moment, and have a slab of steak. Perhaps, by sitting by the grill with my family and playing darts, talking about politics, or maybe just sitting. I encourage you to enjoy your family in new and peaceful ways. Perhaps, around the grill!

Music of Burundi

There is not a lot of information about Burundian music, however most of their music is very traditional and goes far back into their history.

The traditional music of a Burundian stems from the villages. After a hard day of labor, the family unit would gather and someone would play a traditional instrument. Sometimes they would pull out a flute or recorder made from wood or bones, other times drums made of stretched leather.

As the music would play a simple rhythmic tune, a whisper-like voice would come in and sing. Perhaps, they would sing familiar tunes or make up new ones. Sometimes the voice would not say any words, but contort their voice into new sounds.  The voice would rarely make it about a whisper adding a mysterious quality.

The music of Burundi sometimes discusses their violent pasts. The bloodshed, pain and horror that the musicians felt, reaches into anyone of the listeners hearts. They will also sing about their love for Burundi itself: the mountains, plains, animals and people. This too will give a connection between the composer and the listener.

Burundian villagers use music as one of their few forms of entertainment and relaxation. Even the most untalented at performing the music is able to enjoy and connect with it on a deeper level. It becomes a bridge between strangers, a bond that sometimes is deeper than one could imagine.

A Burundian's Meal

When studying Burundian food, a few things stood out to me. One was that they rarely eat meat. Because meat is so expensive and scarce, they may only eat it once or twice a month. If they are well off, they may be able to afford it once a week. Burundian’s derive most of their protein from beans, specifically kidney beans. This they eat daily, mostly paired with rice and maybe another kind of vegetable. I decided that I would try my hand at a vegetarian African meal that included kidney beans.

I made Makande soup, which is comprised of corn, kidney beans, coconut milk, and onion, seasoned with salt and pepper. Although, this seems overly simple and not extremely tasty I decided it was a great way to get a  glimpse of a Burundian's life. Since I used canned veggies and milk, I simply dumped all the ingredients in the pot and simmered for about thirty minutes. When it was finished cooking, I tasted it tentatively. Instead of the bland flavor I was expecting, it was tasty. A delicate flavor, but flavor nonetheless. The coconut milk added a slight creaminess, yet it was liquid. The different textures of the veggies made it interesting to eat and very colorful!

I paired the soup with a loaf of homemade French bread. I chose French, because Burundians cook lots of French food for the tourists. In addition, the natives have come to love French bread. In the city, if they can afford it, they pair it with every meal.

I also made some cooked carrots with brown sugar and butter, an African dish.

My family enjoyed the soup, and it was so very easy! My brother commented that he did not find it flavorful enough. He is one who enjoys spicy food immensely. Therefore, if your family eats mostly spicy dishes they may find the soup bland. However, eating foods from different cultures is not just about eating. It is about stepping into a new country’s culture and living as if they would for a brief second. No, I didn't cook over a campfire, yes I had a heater going, but when I sat down to the meal I could imagine how a Burundian family may be sitting down to the very same meal. It made me think about what it would be like to have kidney beans and rice everyday. The cultural experience I created in our bowls was more flavorful than any soup could be.

New York and Burundi

The author of Strength in What Remains explores the experience of a young Burundian man, fresh out of the violence of Burundi and thrust into the city life of New York. The young man recounts what life was like before the violence broke out in Burundi. He also tells the story of a New Yorker who is amidst the luxuries of America without a place to rest his head. 


Deo lived in a small village in the mountains of Burundi. When he was a young child he and his slightly older brother would make the long, over two mile, trek to a stream, where they would gather the water for the household’s use. They were careful to reach the water supply in the daylight hours to be able to avoid nests of tadpoles in the stream. Then, they would make the over two-mile trudge home carrying their heavy burdens. 


During the day, before Deo was of school age, he would help tend the cows that his family was blessed enough to have. The cows were what their lives depended on, without them they would starve. As a young child, he would tend the calves in the field, guiding them back into grazing pasture when they wandered. 


When Deo reached school age, his chores did not stop; however, with sacrifices from his parents he was able to attend school as well. In school, Deo was taught with vigorous discipline; severe punishment was the result of questions. If Deo was late because of the several mile walk up the mountains, he was beaten with a switch several times. Nonetheless, Deo enjoyed learning.

When Deo was school age, he noticed that classmates would stop attending school. Their seats would remain empty and he could hear through the pane-less window the sounds of a funeral by the graveyard. Deo had witnessed several of his classmates pass away, because of sickness (like malaria) or malnutrition.

Although there were many hardships that Deo faced, there were also comforts.  Family was an important part to a Burundian, the family unit was often tight and Deo had a loving family. His father was stern and his mother sometimes overly emotional, but he knew they both loved him and his siblings more than anything. His grandfather was someone who Deo looked up to all his life, even long after his grandfather had died.

After the chores were completed and darkness covered the Burundian village, Deo’s grandfather would pull out his flute and play traditional songs. Sometimes a neighbor would join in with the whisper-like singing and the night would be filled with peaceful music. Deo loved it most when his grandfather would tell them folktales. Often based off the events of the day, but the Grandfather’s imagination would stretch the story into something new and creative. 


In New York, Deo found himself on the lower end of the world. Even lower than when he was in Burundi growing up. Having only two hundred dollars when he escaped the massacres, Deo was homeless. He stayed in an abandoned building with other squatters. There he saw and heard unsavory sights. Prostitutes were, freely giving out what was precious in Burundi, sacred even, in public. Deo found it disgusting. Soon he could no longer take the thieves and prostitutes and decided to live in the newly discovered Central Park.

He moved about the park until he found a sleeping place that was not covered with urine, and the police would let him sleep. There he set claim as his and slept their night after night. 


Deo was confused by the world that surrounded him. In one world, it was posh, expensive, glitzy, and respectable and in another - the one he occupied - it was disgusting, poor, and the treatment was horrible. Doe worked as a grocery deliverer and was paid bellow minimum wage, barely enough to buy enough food to survive, let alone get shelter. 


When Deo was on his rounds, he would wait by the service entrance for several minutes before someone would come to collect the groceries to deliver to the costumer. The curriers treated Deo as if he were less than human, a creature without brain or heart. Deo was a non-person in New York. There was no respect given to him. 


He would ponder where he would rather live, New York or Burundi in peacetime. Every time he would come to the same conclusion that Burundi was the better option. In Burundi, they respected you as a person, you may have had an extremely hard life, abuse even, but at the end of the day you could gather, sing, and tell tales. You were a human. Even the cruel school teachers thought what they were doing was best for you. They thought by being beaten you would learn crucial skills. The Burundian people valued each other during peacetime. 


In New York, you were only valued if you had the right kind of clothes, spoke English well, had shelter over your head, and could afford decent food. This was not how Deo wanted to live. 


Deo looked at the graffiti on the subway walls, the sexually explicit words and pictures. He saw these as a cry from Harlem to the posh side of the city. Harlem wanted to be valued, they wanted help, they were living in two different worlds.  Deo preferred the third world.

Rasputin

Rasputin was born of good peasant stock, though his parents were not gentlemen they were proud of their successful horse ranch. Rasputin, however, did not take pride in his parents' occupation. He rather took pride in immoral activities. Getting drunk, having inappropriate relations with women, and petty theft were his pastimes. The fellow peasants thought he was a good-for-nothing young man, who would have very little effect on the world.  They were gravely mistaken.

As the villagers grew tired of their daughters becoming corrupt and their village vandalized, they decided to banish Rasputin. For penance he chose to spend his banishment at a monastery. Here he came up with the ideology, to validate his sin, that in order to be close to God one had to perform sin. Deciding that this message was something the world should know, Rasputin started traveling around Europe. During his travels he gained insight into how people thought, acted, and worked. This aided him considerably when he went to St. Petersburg Russia.

News had traveled to St. Petersburg about Rasputin, even before he had arrived. The high society ladies were intensely curious about a man who claimed to be holy, but glorified sinning. The ladies of the upper-class invited Rasputin to their social events to discover who this strange monk really was.

After about a month of Rasputin wining and dinning with the noble people, the tsar and tsarina began to become curious in what this holy man could do. They invited him to the palace and the result of this growing friendship was disastrous, for their family, and the country.

Young Alexander had a blood clotting disease that only a select few people knew about. While Rasputin was visiting, the young boy had an attack and was seriously ill. The strange monk visited the boy's bedside and somehow stopped the bleeding. This made the Tsar's family indebted to Rasputin. Rasputin's bond with the family grew as on multiple occasions he appeared to save the boy's life.

However, with this new association to the royal family it did not curve Rasputin's immoral lifestyle outside of the palace. He went to bars and bragged about the relationships with the tsar's family. He even went as far as insinuate that he and the tsarina were having an affair. The Russian people began to wonder if there was truth in what Rasputin was saying. As a letter was circulated written by the tsarina that declared her affection for Rasputin, the rumors began to be wildly accepted as fact. Although it is doubtful that such a relationship actually occurred, we will never know for sure.

The Russian people began to think of Rasputin not as a man of God, but a devil. They thought that he had growing power over the tsar's decisions - which he did. The tsar's reputation was being tainted and the people were quickly loosing faith in them.

As Rasputin began to become even more vial in public, the people grew hateful and spiteful. Some of the noblemen - one related to the tsar - realized that Rasputin’s reputation was discrediting the royal family. They feared that if Rasputin was allowed to live soon there would be an over throw of the government. The noblemen plotted and succeeded in murdering the mad monk, thinking this would be the remedy to the problem.

However, the damage was already done. A coup was in process - partly due to the tsar's politics and partially because of the new distaste for the royal family. The tsar was forced to resign his position and the family was sent to Siberia.

Soon thereafter, the family was sent down into the basement of their small Siberian house and lined up against the wall. Guns were aimed at them and they were all shot repeatedly.

Rasputin brought shame, distaste, and haltered into the royal family's lives. He turned the people against them through his reputation and his prideful bragging. Although in effort to save the family's regime, Rasputin was murdered, the hatred was already in place. The family who was beloved by the Russian people were turned into the hated enemy. Rasputin's entry into the royal family's lives - who sought his help for life - ended in their death.

Kim Il Sung

Kim Il Sung has been viewed as an insane dictator, who had very little hope of becoming a Christian - or even moral! There was a time in Kim's life where things were different. However, it is true that Kim Il Sung was very power hungry, fearful and selfish.

While North Korea was starving Kim Il Sung would have expensive food flown in from all over the world. Everything he ate was to aid in his longevity. Kim Il Sung and his officers were so frightened of his death that everything Kim did was recorded for posterity sake. Kim also had an huge amount of doctors, also flown in from around the world. Every body part was assigned to a set of doctors, the East Germans received the task of working on his neck and head. Kim Il Sung even had a special toilet that traveled with him. The device would automatically examine his excrete to make sure that he was healthy and digesting well!

Kim Il Sung, also, had a terrible fear of being forgotten. To prevent being forgotten he had someone follow him around writing down his every observation, his every word! This was considered "holy writ" and was respected by every North Korean as one would respect the Bible. Kim also had over three hundred thousands monuments erected in his honor. This figure does not count all the benches that he sat on in public. Those, instead, got a glass box covering them with a small plaque and are not considered monuments.

If a North Korean were to disrespect Kim Il Sung in anyway, by being disrespectful to a monument, sitting on a picture of Kim Il Sung, speaking against him, or any other form, intentionally or not, they would be severely punished. They would be sent to a horrible prison. People who escaped North Korea report that the prisons are filthy, the prisoners are practically starved, and they are used as slave labor. Most of the prisoners are political.

That is just one horrific way that Kim Il Sung abuses his power. Most of the extremely strange laws have to do with Kim's pride. Another example of this, is that Kim Il Sung never had conversations with anyone. When he spoke to someone, whether it was a guest or a solider, they had to stand at attention and await orders. What a lonely life that must have been! However, it is what Kim Il Sung chose, he choose power over friendship. And that is what he lived with.

Kim Il Sung was able to get away with such abuse because he didn't just run a communist country, he ran a cult. All of his decisions - or excuses for his decisions - were based on the word Jushe. Which is an ancient philosophy that there is one leader, the god head, who is like the brain. Then there is the nervous system, the officers,  that is a liaison between the god head and the people. And then there are the people who simply carry out the tasks assigned to them.

People who have escaped North Korea have reported that those who didn't hate North Korea, loved it. Some Koreans are unable to keep the bombardment of brainwashing out and critical thinking in, they begin to love their abuser and would do anything for him. Others, are able to get enough outside information to know that something isn't right, and risk their lives to flee or protest the dictatorship.

People never start out with the intent to become a power-hungry fearful man. There are life situations that push them toward that. Yes, it is still their choice, but there is always a back story. And there certainly is in regards to Kim Il Sung! Kim was born to Christian parents, his grandfather was a pastor, his father went to missionary school and was an elder, and his mother was a devote Christian and strived to be a good mother. Kim would have learned about Jesus Christ as savior from a very early age. It is unknown if Kim Il Sung accepted Jesus Christ when he was a child, due to revisionist history it is sometimes hard to tell what is true and what is fabrication.

However, we do know that when Kim Il Sung was a teenager he began getting into some trouble. In school he would challenge the teachers and pick fights with the students. He was a classic problem child and couldn't wait to get out of school and his parents lives. What changed is, again, unclear. But, something did, it is unlikely that someone would rebel for no reason.

As a young adult Kim Il Sung joined the gorilla warfare in China on the soviet side. He stayed in the soviet camp for a few decades. The soldiers knew him well, and had been able to thoroughly turn him over to communism. When it was time for Russia to pick a leader for Korea they chose Kim, because he was Korean and the people would be less likely to rebel if one of their own was in power, and because he was very communist. That was when the power and fear began to grow, and matured it to who we knew, the Dictator Kim Il Sung. 

When one looks at Kim Il Sung's actions and life it is hard to tell that there would be any hope of him becoming a Christian. Yes, God is big enough to do anything, but it seems unlikely that Kim would ever be open enough to seeing God. However, if one were to dig a little deeper the amazing revelation is that Kim already had the seeds planted, and was perhaps, already struggling with the knowledge of God. Everyone has a back-story, the most hopeless person could be the one closest to becoming aware of God. Unfortunately, it is too late to pray for Kim Il Sung for he passed away just a few years ago. Let this be a lesson to us all; not only is God powerful enough to help anyone, but someone may be closer to being helped than you think.

My Experience Cooking Korean

Although I haven't had an occasion to eat any South Korean dishes, I have always enjoyed smelling the foreign aromas of Asian food. I was curious to see what kinds of flavors would accompany the everyday ingredients that comprise a Korean dish. I decided to try my hand at South Korean meals, making roast chicken and stir fried noodles.

The chicken was extremely easy to make. All that I had to do was place chicken breasts into a casserole dish; blend; soy sauce, olive oil,  ginger and garlic; and pour it over the chicken. Then I baked the chicken for forty-five minutes on one side and fifteen on the other.

Despite the ease of the recipe, the taste wasn't as alluring. The chicken came out slightly dry and extremely salty.  The flavor was adequate, once the overpowering saltiness died away. However, by the time you finished chewing you weren't thinking about the flavor as much as the desire water.


The stir fried noodles, on the other hand, were delicious. Not only did they taste wonderful, but it was a relaxing and enjoyable process. It was a manner of sautéing vegetables one at a time, mixing them in with four packets of Raman noodles and sauce left over from the chicken. The carrots were fairly easy to sauté, but it was a little difficult to find that "sweet spot" between too hard and too mushy. However, since they were watched carefully it wasn't impossible to reach. Also in the noodles were mushrooms, onions, green onions, and garlic. Perhaps the strangest part of this recipe was that in between sautéing each vegetable, I had to pull them out and place them with the pre-cooked noodles. This ended up making sense in the end; I was glad I didn't ignore the recipe.

It gave the noodles and vegetables a different flavor with each bite. If all of the vegetables were cooked at the same time some flavors would overpower others: onions erasing carrots, garlic overwhelming mushrooms, etc. However, with this method each bite had a slightly different flavor, depending on which vegetable was eaten.

In short, the noodles were a huge success. Since the recipe was fairly easy to follow and very relaxing to make, it is a recipe well worth the effort required. The chicken, on the other hand, was not as satisfying and left an overpowering salty taste.

I thoroughly enjoyed trying to create South Korean cuisine. Although I didn't get the desired result for one, I got a shockingly delicious result for the other. This inspires me to experiment with more South Korean dishes.

A New K-Pop Era

South Korea's most well known music genre is K-pop. This music is a huge hit not only in South Korea, but around the world. K-pop's sound waves wind through Asia, Europe and recently throughout North America. Gangnam Style is, perhaps, the most well known K-pop song at the moment. The music video, with Psy as the singer, recently went viral. Now people all over the world are doing the Gangnam Style dance, singing the song, and mentioning it in everyday conversations. Even elders, people of a generation that would normally not become interested in a viral video, are able to recognize the tune. How could they not when everyone is talking about it? Psy has been able to follow the strict formula of K-pop, while making it his own, so much so, that he is now a huge sensation.

This formula is the same that allows girl bands in Korea to be more popular in Japan, than in their home country. One of the most key pieces to the recipe is the education of the musicians. In many countries anyone can become a famous singer by making it onto one of the many competition shows. However, in South Korea the aspiring singer must first take professional singing, and dancing, lessons before they can even make it onto the radar. This helps to insure that the musician actually has some form of talent.

As I mentioned before, dancing lessons are essential. The language barrier, perhaps, creates the most need for a superb dance. If there can be a simple - yet catchy - dance that people can imitate, who needs to know what the songs about? This is one of the reasons why Gangnam Style became the most viewed video on Youtube. With the simple lasso swing above the head and the strange appearance of riding a horse, the dance became a joke. And it was meant to be! It was meant to be something so unique and bazaar that people would want to watch the video over and over again. Moreover, they then would show their friends, and by the end of the day they would know the dance and the song by heart, or at least parts of it, the English parts.

Most K-pop songs will have a word or phrase in English that is repeated often. The reason for this is because English is the most spoken language in the world. By having a tiny bit of the song in a form that most people could sing to widens the audience immensely. One popular Korean song is titled "Twinkle." Everything in the song is in Korean, except the frequent use of the word "Twinkle." This may seem awkward at first, however with the blending of the music and the lyrics it seems quite natural when you are listening to it. Sometimes, when listening to k-pop you have to rewind the song because it seems as if something is in English, but you aren't really sure. Gangnam Style also used this wonderful tool of English. Throughout the song the phrase "Hey, sexy lady" is sung. Psy, also, used a different approach by blending the title with Korean and English. Gangnam is Korean (although simple enough for English speaking people to catch onto) and Style is English. This allows many people of various backgrounds to sing to two frequent phrases in the song.

One of the most important factors of k-pop being so wide spread is the music videos. They use extremely bazaar graphics. The colors are either extremely bright, or they just seem off, maybe dull with splashes of red, or everything so mute that the slightest color variation seems bright. Also, the uniqueness that makes up these videos is the strange objects and settings that appear. Even when one knows what the song means, the objects sometimes don't seem to fit. It's often like someone were to step into an abstract painting and get lost. While Psy did use some of these techniques, the bright colors and the strange settings it wasn't too over the top to disturb people. It was just enough for someone to yell to his friend "Hey, look at this crazy video!!" But, not enough for people to be ashamed they were watching something so extremely strange.

Psy's Gangnam Style is an amazing example of the use of the K-pop formula. However, the reason why Psy made k-pop so much more widely listened to, isn't because he followed all the rules exactly. He learned the rules and then bent them into his own style. Perhaps, this is the dawn of a new k-pop era: the development from musicians being creative, as long as they followed the rules. To musicians being creative in any way that they wish, while still remembering how to make their music have the most impact.