I had coffee with my friend from America. While I was trying to catch his interests, I’ve got to know that he is just into Korean female singers and their songs. He knows much better than me and he even can name all members of team “Girls Generation.” He named other Korean groups and solo working singers but I didn’t get anyone of them. I asked him, “Do you watch all TV shows and dramas?” “No” He answered.
What he watches is chanel Mtv that shows Korean pop musics with ‘Music video’ all through the day. He barely watches other programs. I was surprised at he knows something about Korea way much better than me. I’ve got the feeling that depends on how we put big time for something, regardless nation or cultural differences, we can be experts no matter what it is about.
In addition to it, he recommanded me to go some bars and pups which are his favourite around Hongik Univ. I was learning and listening about something of Korea from foreigner.
Hyejin,
That’s not really so weird, is it? I often find Koreans don’t know as much about certain things in Korea as I do. For example, I’ve only met a few Koreans who are as interested in late 90s Korean indie rock as me. In fact, I suspect there’s an unusually high number of Westerners interested in Korean indie rock, especially the stuff from the late 90s. (I find the newer stuff less interesting, though.) The number of times I mentioned a band like the Uh Uh Boo Project Band and someone looked at me like I’d made a mistake is just weird. (And yes, I was pronouncing it correctly.)
I remember feeling weird with an old friend who told me that she found the kayageum music playing in a tea shop “exotic” because, for me, as a musician, Korean music didn’t sound “exotic” to me anymore at all. (While African or Indonesian music still does, for me.) I think you’re right: if you put the time in, anyone can become an expert in anything.