besides the obvious that there is no ghost and one was just trying to scare the other, there are some cultural differences. for instance, he is standing in the shower reading a script because that was the only place in the house he could find any privacy because korea is short on space. as for the kissing on cheek, it's just male bonding/affection in their culture if they are very close like brothers like how best friends hold hands sometimes.
a couple days before graduation, i remember sitting in an empty classroom after i stacked up the chairs and the drill sergeant walked in and we just stared at eachother for a second. i didn't get up and he just smirked and walked across the room, grabbed what he needed and walked back out without saying a word. let me explain how many ways this is wrong. first, when a drill sergeants walks in a room, you are supposed to stand up immediately to parade-rest. but we already passed, so what can he do? i knew it too and he knew, i knew and that's why he smirked. also, he is tired as well and couldn't care less. that was the senior drill, the big kahuna. but for sure, if there had been another soldier in the room as well, he would have had no choice but to make an example of me, just for protocol. there was only one other girl who had the audacity to talk back to a drill and this was out at bivouac and she had left her weapon propped against a tree. every infraction, minor or severe, is usually treated like one is responsible for world war 3 but that's a big no-no as you are supposed to have your weapon with you at all times. when i came back from the latrine, it was like all hell broke loose. but she chose to argue with the 'calm' one, which i thought was stupid, especially if you were wrong. why would you get on the bad side of the nice one? just take your punishment and get it over with. i talked back once only to the middle one because him and the senior drill are going to dog you anyways. the three drill sergeants are like burns. the calm one is first degree, the middle one is second, and the senior is third degree. he is also the one to make all final decisions on every soldier. no way in hell would i or anyone with a brain cell target him as that would be suicide. i was observing their 'system' as intently as they were observing us. you could tell that there was a system as to the rotation as when the senior would rip us a new asshole, the middle or calm drill would step in after to ease up. there was also a rotation depending on what mission or task. this is to make sure that though they don't want you to get comfortable, they also want to keep up morale just enough so that you stay motivated. it's a combination of psychology as well as physical training/endurance test. there are actually psychiatrists that are consulted for this system. can you imagine being the psychiatrist or team that was consulted/responsible for it's sop? like how can we be sadistic without them going over the edge? there are cases of recruits who committed suicide during basic training but it's rare. they weren't always right though. i noticed one of the girls that was attritioned out early, the senior drill singled her out most and had a disliking for her. it was not overtly obvious (well, that's the point) but she had a very nice/happy demeanor and he seemed to dislike her. it's not right but she was gone in the first week. that's the thing, they can make wrong calls as well as abuse their power at times. actually, short of beating, raping or murdering you, anything pretty much goes. still, two months for us (feels like six) or three months (marines) is nothing compared to their two-year tour of duty as drills sergeants. they are usually picked because they are stellar soldiers and especially physically: absolute rock solid conditioning. i never once witnessed any of my drill sergeants or any actually break a sweat once. after lights out for us, they are still up as they must handle the logistical portion as well. we maybe get 5 or 6 (on a good weekend) of sleep. they get maybe 3 to 4. they also have a lot of responsibility on their shoulders to make sure that the soldiers are trained as well as looking out for their safety. it takes a lot of energy to be 'on' all the time, even to be 'mean', unless you are a born psychopath. some do request extensions but most don't. divorces are common among drill sergeants as it's essentially a 24-hour and round-the- clock job, unless they have a very understanding spouse. they are around us constantly like white on rice. i used to wish they would take a goddamn break or go away for awhile. lmao. so i came away with a begrudging respect for them but respect nonetheless.
Also, that video is unrealistic as they arent that polite as your suitcase or whatever you brought is dumped unceremoniously and whatever they see that is considered contraband is taken. No questions allowed. You are told only once and there is no 'conversation' about it. But you cant have much of a show if its not explained for the audience. This is all done within five minutes with about thirty soldiers in a platoon. Like i said, everything is done fast/quick like its the apocalypse.
it is also not true that only 'meatheads' choose infantry etc. i talked to a few guys at meps during enlistment that chose infantry, cavalry etc because of the challenge. one was valedictorian of his class and there were several who were really cerebral but it's the type that seeks strenuous challenges to test themselves. how can i describe this type? you could tell they were trying to prove something to themselves, not others, not the military, but a personal challenge; kind of intense, and a bit of type A personality mixed in with wanting a challenge besides nerdom (really smart guys, extremely high asvab scores etc) which they had down already. there was something quite intense and quietly fierce about them, like they wanted to seek out the most fuked up grueling scenarios to overcome them and had an very much under control sociopathic side and wanted a constructive medium to be able to channel that. so in that vein, i didn't think at all that it was a wrong choice for them. i wouldn't recommend it though but for those who have a hidden, fuked-up sociopath/psychopathic side, even if they are intellectuals, then it's okay. it's also not true that boot camp or any military training 'tears you down and builds you back up'. i've heard that mantra so often. only idiots and parrots think that. they didn't build a damn thing with me or with anyone who is actually sane or smart except the physical endurance and learning military sop and how to use a weapon. all boot camp was is a preliminary stress test. you aren't actually supposed to absorb half the bullshit they put you through; you are supposed to deflect or tune it out. it's basically: can you withstand the stress? can you withstand the bullshit going on around you or leveled against you and still think and get the job done? if you can, you pass. they just want to make sure you can still function and think rationally under stress which, of course, during wartime, it will be stressful times ten. for the most important missions, they aren't going to be relying on just any soldier as they will send in elite forces and infantry. all other soldiers are just back-up. they just want to make sure you have some cardiovascular endurance (relative fitness), understand military code and how to use a weapon. for instance, my first enlistment was in the medical field. pfft. i also don't agree the best soldiers just follow orders and don't think. absolutely ridiculous. the best soldiers do think but understand the chain of command and the necessity of following orders. how can one be a good soldier if you are not thinking or making judgement calls? the whole point is being able to think on your feet but still follow orders. if you are not thinking, then you will carry out any type of orders, which could be outright wrong or inhumane.
one thing i was grateful for was i didn't get any southern pricks for drill sergeants. luckily, they were all flaming yankees. having to go through basic and deal with a racist prick? hell no. he said yes, mein furhur. if the shoe fits. lmao. but you can tell those two co's are probably not the creme de la creme of intellectuals, even if they are officers. all you need is any bachelor's degree and pass ocs to become an officer. it doesn't mean you are that smart. there are enlisted who have higher asvab scores and higher iq's but generally officers are smarter than enlisted but not in all cases. even when i took my asvab, i was told that a guy scored lower than me and was going to ocs because he had a degree. i was told this specifically because there are people with degrees that score lower. one can have an easy degree in psychology, sociology or business etc and be a relative idiot. one can have the same degree and be brilliant. if i had a degree (23 credits shy of bachelor's in computer information systems which is practically useless today as technology changes rapidly), i could have gone to ocs and become an officer, so would that make me smarter than enlisted? i am still the same person. it's more about if you want that level of responsibility. let me spell it out: when i took my asvab, i was given all the results of others who took the test and asked to turn it in to meps processing office. they aren't supposed to do that as i'm not supposed to be privy to those results. this is because i scored higher than most (not the highest bracket but for the military higher than most) and were giving me the privilege. the guy who was going into ocs immediately upon enlistment scored six points lower than me, yet he would be the one to tell me what to do once he becomes an officer. i have had idiots or those who were not more intelligent in authority tell me what to do all my life so i know that not all those who are successful or make more money or have higher status are necessarily more intelligent. there are tons of people out there who have good jobs or relatively higher positions and earn higher income who are average (they usually have had supportive upbringing is all) and there are those who are very intelligent who do the same. it's not mutually exclusive. the guys at meps that were going into infantry and cavalry were particularly super smart, but not all of them, of course. mostly, it was for the challenge and they had aspirations for special forces.
east meets west. sam gup sal. that's a popular winter food as it's fatty bacon that sticks to your ribs. it's really delicious paired with the contrast of the fresh greens. many of their foods are rich stews etc because their winters are so cold. uh, everyone likes sam gup sal (who doesn't like bacon?) just like everyone likes galbi (marinated beef ribs), unless you are a vegetarian or something is wrong with your tastebuds. ailee (korean-american) singing for the troops. she could not find fame in the west though. still too prejudiced. you'll notice something a bit suspicious and lame when it comes to asians in the media. either they are half another race, make fun of themselves in degrading/caricaturizing stereotypes or purposely those who are not as attractive/talented (as if that's an affront to the ego of others?!) are the ones that are most promoted. and where does this mentality come from? i suppose it make some sense because everyone needs to have/feel they have their own kingdom and hold their place as top dog. maybe because they see asians as being most different/foreign/alien to the culture. i still think it's unprogressive.
i like her but there will always be people who like/dislike or love/hate you, no matter what. you can't please everyone and not everyone will please you either. that water bottle flip had me cracking up. fame is not all happy. it has a price and that is scrutiny, lack of privacy and constant judgement.
this is funny but cute. i did not find any of my drills attractive. if i had, that would have made boot camp a bit easier since i'd have a reason to wish to see them or get up in the morning. lol
I love this song. She is also asian-american and grew up right in cali next to hollywood. Has anyone noticed there are zero asian american youths in american media? They all go overseas, especially if they are of northeast asian descent. For some reason, southeast asians are more accepted or more palatable to western mainstream media. The reason for this is actually not a compliment to american culture and its lack of higher refinement as well as being really modern as far as mainstream society. Honestly, northeast asians are the target of the most prejudice as being treated as different than any other ethnicity. The only reason mexicans or middle-easterners recieve any attention or flak is because of the border issue or terrorism. Otherwise, no one would care or notice simply because they have round eyes and larger noses so they (public) identify with them as more one of their 'kind'. I've noticed thats how lame the general public thinks and percieves. But its also true that most northeast asians are above average so maybe thats the other issue, no matter their actual work or station. My chinese takeout guy is brilliant. I have no love for hispanics or middle easterners in america because i remember a time when they were sitting comfortable and they were never targeted for any type of racial or cultural slander, even if the culture they came from is shittier and inferior in honest reality/comparison and would join in the bigotry against us believing they were superior to northeast asians for no other reason than they were more accepted by westerners. Absolutely no brains and no integrity. Now, they are in the hotseat and serves them right. Now, they can get a taste of what its like to be mistreated or looked down upon. It pisses me off when i remember it too. Why it pisses me off is northeast asians tend to be the most polite to others and they still got stereotyped as rude or just bullied. I show what rude is and that is all the irreverent obnoxiousness i learned so i give people a reason, whereas before there was no reason. In a weird way, its sort of a compliment in that western mainstream media tends to view northeast asian artists too different/alien or too progressive in some way for the public right now.
It's also frigging amusing the way different cultures view eachother. many asians tend to view westerners in a kind of naive manner or put them on pedestals. then from westerners there is the usual we know martial arts, good at math, poor driving skills, eat dog/cat, the five dolla prostitute and the women are submissive. i've heard variations of these all throughout my life. asians are not born knowing martial arts, not everyone is good at math as in a born mathematician, most have not eaten dog or cat and the women are not more submissive than any other women. actually, asians statistically have the best driving records (less accidents as well as traffic violations/tickets) and why they used to recieve a credit on insurance premiums but that was considered unfair (oh boo hoo like it's unfair asians work hard or score high on the sat etc, like how dare they, right?). of course, asians should have to pay the same premiums for other people's careless or flyboy driving, while still being denigrated as worst drivers. but what is the biggest pink elephant in western culture that i've learned and that stands out glaringly is how they focus the most ethnic stereotypes particularly regarding asians, especially the most disparaging ones. nevermind, that middle-eastern women are so strong and independent that they wear burkas still, right? because we all know they have a history of being the world's paragon of feminist examples, right? lmfao. or how about the blatant truth that not even western women are anymore less submissive? the tons of domestic abuse shelters attest to that. the truth is most people are stupid as hell and for the most part, when it comes to western culture, they tend to deem superficial aggression/outgoing personalities and empty threats as indication of real inner strength. this is why you have as many white, hispanic or black women going back to men who treat them like shit, right? oh yeah, but they believe they are not submissive or assume they are stronger. why? simply because society has told them they are and it appeals to their ego! lmfao! i know, i know; i'm too real and really tell it like it actually is: the fucking truth. or how about the fact india is mostly a shithole where still a large portion of their society still has not even a basic education/concept of germs to bring them into the 21st century because their government doesn't give a shit? or how about mexico and their drug cartels? that's not even touching the rest of their culture. nevermind, about the two dollar whores some fellow soldiers i knew who use to frequent on the weekends in tijuana. oh, that's right, they have round eyes so it doesn't count. we can't talk about them as that would be rude. i guess there is nothing really worth disparaging and it's wonderful there so much so that hordes risk death to cross the u.s border, right? and we all know how enlightened a people they are, right? lol. you know how many shithole countries and cultures there are? and they are perplexingly filled with people with round eyes and high nose bridges, how about that? do you want to live in pakistan? iraq? etc or lets go more west, romania etc? all these people from other countries/cultures have been in the west as well yet you never hear any stereotypes or mention of the ills or criticisms of their culture as well as their dehumanizing treatment of their people as well as their women as well or fuked up laws or lack of them. yes, all other cultures/countries on this planet also treat animals wonderfully and have amazing humane laws except asians, of course. you know, that propaganda. well, now there is the border/wall issue and middle-east terrorism that hit their shores but the focus from anglo-saxons was a propaganda against asians primarily. i'm not even going to touch the whole swathe of the middle-east, south america, africa as well as the unspoken countries of eastern europe anglos treat with cognitive dissonance like it's a retarded cousin. why? it would take too fuking long, that's why!!! besides, they have round eyes which makes them right. uh, yeah. lol in other words, anglo-saxons had some type of fixation/prejudice specifically aimed at asians and are the most critical and denigrating culturally and racially toward asians because anglos apparently are freaks in their own way. this is also bought hook, line and sinker by other ethnicities because they are stupid as fuk (or lack integrity) and can't discern their own shit which is as bad or worse.
if reincarnation is true and i have to come back, i would choose asian again and specifically that little country no bigger than the state of florida that's divided constantly at threat of war. korea rock on!! asians are like the quintessential best underdogs this planet has got. besides, they have no ass, no boobs, have slanted eyes and are hairless like a seal or alien? yet, there is something so indescribably beautiful about them and especially their subterranean inner force of strength/determination. what a fuking challenge being hated because you don't have round eyes and a higher nose bridge. how fuking lame is that? asians are cool as hell!!! i love it!!!
street food culture is like walking into a carnival on your way and the food is actually affordable/cheap but delicious.
i guess this is a picnic in a concrete jungle when they say concrete jungle, it's really a concrete jungle. every nook and cranny of space is used. if you are going to have a yard with grass or just space/land that's not in a skyscraper, you will be paying millions. my uncle's house that would only be about 300k in the states, cost 5 million usd and that's not including the land. you don't need a car though as it's like living in nyc. also, pretty much everything you would need can be found within walking distance. there are taxis everywhere and it would be cheaper to walk or take public transit (subway is excellent), than pay for the upkeep but especially storage/parking of a vehicle. they have those multi-layer, automated rotating parking structures. you know like the highway overpasses and you notice the space underneath that's not used? well, they utilize that space. but the entire city is walkable; lots of trails throughout the city and it's all interconnected. has anyone ever played simcity and used up every imaginable space? it's like that. living next to railroad/subway tracks or right next to a highway is normal. korea is a lot of creative fun as well as challenging for city planners. it is just like simcity. lol i remember playing it and thinking i need to put some parks in this concrete jungle for the residents and there was no space except under the overpasses so i plopped a few there. i can't find any videos right now but there are usually walk/bike trails as well as exercise/park equipment along it as well as benches. it's actually pretty smart use of space because it's shady and shelters from the usual elements like rain or extreme glare from the sun which makes it more pleasant.
korea is safe to walk at any time. that is true if you like bbq or seafood, there is nothing like korean bbq. it's an all-encompassing experience. the seafood is literally fresh as you can pick it out yourself. they do everything quality or next level. much of it tastes gourmet.
you can order delivery anywhere. i avoid ramen like some avoid dairy. it's apocalyptic food or when there is nothing else left in the house to eat. patent pending: how to trap his ass! lol
she is so extra but friendly. i like this type of personality for a girl because they aren't easily intimidated and you don't have to walk on eggshells around them. she said she's from a huge, hood-ass family from baltimore. i would be able to so click with this type of girl or at least understand her. lol lmao of course, there is a dark side to korea and i wouldn't recommend it to most except a short holiday and that is only if one wants to experience urban life in another culture, some foreign culinary adventures, the usual cultural sightseeing and perhaps some shopping. it's claustrophobic as it is crowded, more air pollution relative to the states, still a very conservative top-down culture, the overly immense pressure on students, difficulty in attaining high-paying jobs etc but mostly the worst will not be experienced by expats but the lack of green space and the fact korea is still not that multicultural/open will wear thin eventually on most. also, the overall cultural vibe is more serious/somber and for some, it doesn't bother them, especially if you have put down roots/family/good friends there but if you like nature and wide-open spaces, that's definitely not the place to visit or live.
he's funny. he called soju the devil's piss. my go-to hard liquor is vodka but i will not touch soju. it's like moonshine on crack. baby octopus is so adorable though and they are among the smartest sea creatures. i couldn't eat it like that. did you see their cute little heads and eyes?? the predatorial aspect of nature is a fuked up system. what else is adorable? little baby crabs. the innocence of a child.
