The Korean tube

There are three main genres on Korean television: incredibly strange variety shows, unbearably cheesy soap operas and home shopping. They all suck.

There are four English movie channels but they don't always show good flicks - usually just Hollywood blockbusters like Troy and Spiderman. As film junkies and sporadic TV addicts, this puts us in a tough spot. Thus, we must look for other ways to fill the void in our lives. Did I mention we have a very fast internet connection? I've been able to download a movie in 45 minutes. If you know anything about computers you're probably saying that's impossible. Well it is, if you're not in South Korea.

We've watched about a dozen movies since we've been here, including Running With Scissors (ctrl+alt+lame) and Notes on a Scandal (shift+thumbs). I've decided to give Six Feet Under a go, starting with the first season. TV dramas usually don't keep my interest but I don't have a lot going on during nap time. Which brings me to my next point.

I've always had disdain for soap operas and the filth they fill our heads with, but I can finally understand why they're so bloody popular. Spending most of a day inside, especially during nap time, can drive you to resort to anything for entertainment. I'm trying to stay busy with pursuing different writing endeavors, but 1 - 3 pm on a weekday can be excruciating. Enter Marlena and John, or any other overly tanned daytime TV couple, and you've got sweet emotional satisfaction. Luckily for me, Koreans aren't interested in Days of our Lives, or any other English speaking daytime smut, which means the temptation isn't there.

Here's a sample of the wackiness.