Asian Culture Discussion Thread

[computersputin]

your definition of Korea seems to be limited to Seoul.

very true. That's where most people go though.
If you wanna talk country side Japan vs SK then ....

 

[everysingletime]

Korea is all about food, clubbing and drinking. That's the problem. You can do all that in LA / NY . Japan is something else all together.

I think for Korea I'd need a wingman

Japan I think I could visit it solo

 

[sfc415]

I think for Korea I'd need a wingman

Japan I think I could visit it solo

I can only add input on Seoul and Tokyo

Are you talking about in terms of traveling or meeting girls?

Either way, you can have fun in Seoul by yourself, especially if you hit up Hongdae district. Tons of people ranging from college students to 30s that go there to drink/eat, and they tend to be friendly once they find out you're not the douchebag American military member that hits up Itaewon to harass local women. Vast majority of the staff at bars/restaurants and people that hit them up speak English.

I'd say it's a lot easier to get around Seoul since it isn't as massive as Tokyo. You can get around most of Seoul on one metro system, while Tokyo has multiple lines and train switching that you need to do if you're not trying to stick to only Shibuya/Shinjuku type of areas

I do agree though, if we're only talking about city life, Tokyo has much more tourist stuff to see/do while Seoul is more fun overall IMO. Whenever I'm in the region, I tend to do 3-4 days in Tokyo to find cool things to do and 1-2 days in Seoul to binge drink/eat with my friends

 

[whatscomplex]

I read BTS's next album is the last one before military.

They should give those boys an exemption if they're giving them out to other performers.

 

[everysingletime]

I can only add input on Seoul and Tokyo

Are you talking about in terms of traveling or meeting girls?

Either way, you can have fun in Seoul by yourself, especially if you hit up Hongdae district. Tons of people ranging from college students to 30s that go there to drink/eat, and they tend to be friendly once they find out you're not the douchebag American military member that hits up Itaewon to harass local women. Vast majority of the staff at bars/restaurants and people that hit them up speak English.

I'd say it's a lot easier to get around Seoul since it isn't as massive as Tokyo. You can get around most of Seoul on one metro system, while Tokyo has multiple lines and train switching that you need to do if you're not trying to stick to only Shibuya/Shinjuku type of areas

I do agree though, if we're only talking about city life, Tokyo has much more tourist stuff to see/do while Seoul is more fun overall IMO. Whenever I'm in the region, I tend to do 3-4 days in Tokyo to find cool things to do and 1-2 days in Seoul to binge drink/eat with my friends

Reason why I said what I said is because if Seoul is just clubbing and drinking and food then I'd like some company. If Tokyo has more things to do than that then maybe I can do it solo.

For example, I'm a geek. I can probably spend a lot of time looking at toys in Tokyo by myself.

Thanks for the input. You actually got me more excited about visiting Korea.

Which country is friendlier towards Americans? I'm asian, but I'm primarily English speaking.

 

[computersputin]

Define Friendly? Like the locals will drink with u, or u will be able to get around without language skills?

 

[everysingletime]

Define Friendly? Like the locals will drink with u, or u will be able to get around without language skills?

Both

 

[computersputin]

Ummm it really is up to you how you get along with the locals. I means theres areas in korea and japan thats are super foreigner friendly, and then there are places were foreigners not welcomed. You said your asian so you should be fine.

 

[shogun]

I thought there was the stereotype that Koreans always get angry, that Korean rage. Also they have a drinking culture and their women are crazy.

 

[Beruseruku Desu]

Boy bands are probably easier to market over girl bands, but I still think yg is mishandling blackpink.

BTS has a billion songs and Blackpink only has 13. That's four years blackpink has been a group and they have 13 songs. Lol

Blackpink has Rose who is probably more comfortable singing in English than Korean and they can't give her an english solo

blackpink also only has one producer lol. Last time I heard, they refuse the work with anyone else and only want to work with teddy.

one man can only do so much. Esp considering he’s producing for other artists too

 

[shogun]

Speaking of music, baby metal is kinda cool. I like watching their live performances and seeing the mosh pits form. I know one of their members left last year.

 

[everysingletime]

Lol, I'm trying to find that tik tok video of an American who made a joke about visiting Korea. Day 1, sober guy, speaking nothing but English ... Month 6, angrily prowling the street with a soju bottle in his hand, shouting in dialect that he wants to fight

*edit

Can't find it. Too bad, it was funny

 

[computersputin]

Yeah do NOT get drunk in a foriegn land and start trouble. You may not like the results

 

[danger style]

blackpink also only has one producer lol. Last time I heard, they refuse the work with anyone else and only want to work with teddy.

one man can only do so much. Esp considering he’s producing for other artists too

They’ve been saying they worked with more producers for this current comeback, including some “western” ones. We’ll see how it goes.

Give us more than 4 songs though

 

[shogun]

Yeah do NOT get drunk in a foriegn land and start trouble. You may not like the results

I got absolutely trashed in Canada. Probably would've been arrested if I wasn't at dinner with my friends. Will probably do the same whenever I go to Japan and buy up all the school girl underwear at the vending machines and wear them all as a mask.

 

[everysingletime]

Yeah do NOT get drunk in a foriegn land and start trouble. You may not like the results

Nah he didn't actually get drunk and start fights. It was a joke about what happens to asian americans when they spend too much time in korea lol

 

[computersputin]

When i lived in NY , you couldnt go to an asian party without seeing a fight. This was high school though.

 

[everysingletime]

I'm asian and I live in ny

I've never seen a fight in an asian party ever. I'm even having a hard time imagining it lol

 

[danger style]

I never really saw anything in high school, but the undergrad parties is where i see some dumb stuff go down.

One time this viet dude got into an argument with another guy and went back into his room to grab a legit katana and chased the guy out the house.That thing looked sharp

 

[computersputin]

I'm asian and I live in ny

I've never seen a fight in an asian party ever. I'm even having a hard time imagining it lol

I think i may older than u.

 

[sfc415]

Reason why I said what I said is because if Seoul is just clubbing and drinking and food then I'd like some company. If Tokyo has more things to do than that then maybe I can do it solo.

For example, I'm a geek. I can probably spend a lot of time looking at toys in Tokyo by myself.

Thanks for the input. You actually got me more excited about visiting Korea.

Which country is friendlier towards Americans? I'm asian, but I'm primarily English speaking.

it depends on your social skills. if you’re more extroverted, you can find people in Seoul to go out and bar hop/club with. For example, there’s this cool bar called Thursday Party in Hongdae which has a decent mix of locals and expats; I’ve made friends and met girls there just from joining the beer pong games (a lot of the Koreans are actually pretty good, so watch out). Any bar in Hongdae that has some type of game setup should have people you can meet and then continue the night with. I mostly keep to myself these days though, so I don’t think I’d be able to do that again

I wouldn’t say Seoul is ONLY that. There definitely are cool cultural areas that you should check out there, especially Bukchon Hanok Village. It’s a traditional and beautiful Korean neighborhood that’s been preserved throughout the years (and people still live there). I just mean that Tokyo has much more overall

you right though, Tokyo is much easier to do solo stuff in especially with your interests. The bar/club scene isn’t as wild as Seoul, but I definitely enjoy just walking around for hours each day to find unique shops and sights in different neighborhoods throughout the city. If you like toys/games, you can spend an entire afternoon in Akihabara or this shop called Don Quixote in Shibuya

both are foreigner friendly if you’re not acting a fool. Only time I’ve been denied service was in this tiny izakaya in Tokyo. They greeted me but then apologized about not being able to serve me cause my friend was being too damn loud and boisterous when he walked in. I never had any other issue regardless of whether the restaurant staff spoke English or not; a greeting in their language and polite manners go a long way

 

[tupac jordan]

Any Koreans in here? Need some recommendations on what brand of kimchi is the most authentic and where can I get them, specifically in the Bay Area, CA.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/seoul-gomtang-oakland it's a restaurant but they sell kimchi & radish kimchi too. It's already ripe too you don't have to wait a couple of days like store bought kimchi. Make sure to get an order of gamjatang too (pork & potato soup)

 

[computersputin]

it depends on your social skills. if you’re more extroverted, you can find people in Seoul to go out and bar hop/club with. For example, there’s this cool bar called Thursday Party in Hongdae which has a decent mix of locals and expats; I’ve made friends and met girls there just from joining the beer pong games (a lot of the Koreans are actually pretty good, so watch out). Any bar in Hongdae that has some type of game setup should have people you can meet and then continue the night with. I mostly keep to myself these days though, so I don’t think I’d be able to do that again

This is how I use to travel when I was younger. Hitting up local bars by myself and hopping to minger with the locals. With some success and failures in others.

My honest opinion. DO NOT DO THIS.
Most of the time, you won't get the results you're hoping for and you may feel like you wasted some parts of your trip. But I guess an experience is an experience.
I recommend going out and trying different restaurants and non bar type night scenes if you are traveling solo. If it happens that you mix with the locals, all the better.
But if you're going into it hoping to become good friends with a group while you're there less than a week, well then, you'll going to be dissappointed most likely.

 

[sfc415]

This is how I use to travel when I was younger. Hitting up local bars by myself and hopping to minger with the locals. With some success and failures in others.

My honest opinion. DO NOT DO THIS.
Most of the time, you won't get the results you're hoping for and you may feel like you wasted some parts of your trip. But I guess an experience is an experience.
I recommend going out and trying different restaurants and non bar type night scenes if you are traveling solo. If it happens that you mix with the locals, all the better.
But if you're going into it hoping to become good friends with a group while you're there less than a week, well then, you'll going to be dissappointed most likely.

Definitely. I used to go out in Seoul with the mindset that I’d most likely not meet people, but if I did, cool. I only became good friends with two guys who added me on Facebook and went out on a date with one girl afterwards; other than that, everyone else I met there were basically drinking partners for the night that I ditched/got ditched by when we got tired

 

[everysingletime]

Mmmk.

Hopefully the world figures covid out.

I'd like to visit SK summer 2021 and maybe Japan the summer after that.