I think I'll try my hand at Korean; what do you think? Lately I've been immersing myself in K-dramas to the point of obsessive madness, and on the odd occasion I come up for air, I think -- hey, maybe I should learn the language? I do have another language under my belt, one for which I haven't been doing the upkeep (Russian). Sigh. I just don't have any "in" (movies, music, TV, culture) with that particular language despite my relative proficiency. I just have no interest in it aside from the lovely idiosyncrasities which all languages harbor. Plus, all my life I've had this 'thing' for Asian stuff.
It started with kung-fu movies -- standard weekend fare as a child in Irvington, NJ. On a Saturday nothing could beat Shaolin temple and fighting styles which took their bite from nature and the fantastical (crane, snake, dragon). Even my first crush was centered on a Chinese guy. Gordon Liu, oh, Gordon Liu avenging honor, family, country... I had been all of six or seven but I carefully maneuvered him into every weekend rental. My parents never suspected a thing, hee! ^^ Ha, I think I was the only one in the theater during Kill Bill/Kill Bill 2 who was more excited by a Gordon Liu sighting than by Uma ripping out eyes and cracking skulls.
But I digress... S. Korea really surprised me. It began with the film "Shiri" and continues with my lovely stable of K-dramas. For the longest I thought the best cinema was coming from China but S. Korean cinema -- hell, their television! -- has given me much to rethink. So I think I'll pick up Korean. It will be difficult -- it's character based, and English and Russian is, well, not. Still, should be fun. It's all about follow-through. Besides, I'm not looking for textbook proficiency, just enough to have a basic understanding while watching my addictive dramas. ^_^
If I may be allowed a mini-rant, one of the reasons I love K-dramas as much as I do has to do with American soap operas. Now, the K-dramas I watch are much more along the lines of 'Desperate Housewives' or 'Ugly Betty' in terms of type. By that I mean they are a well-blended mix of comedy, romance, tragedy and soapy drama, but unlike our shows they have a definitive end like telenovelas. When I took up with K-dramas however, it was right around the time I quit soaps all together so I couldn't help making comparisons. K-dramas are just less likely to disappoint the way American soap operas have a nasty habit of doing. Sure, K-dramas have duds and drops in quality but by god, at least you are more likely to get happiness and a smile at the end of the rainbow instead of a big fat goose-egg and a "thanks for tuning in!"
(Guiding Light, you bastards!!!) /rant
Ahem.
Top K-dramas I've seen: My Girl; The 1st Shop of Coffee Prince; Lovers
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