Why Korea is like a Time Warp to the 90's

1.       Boy Bands/ Girl Groups:  There are multiple boy bands and girl groups in South Korea that could put the Backstreet Boys and Spice Girls to shame.  All you have to do to form an instant bond with your elementary or middle school students here is to start talking about Kpop groups such as Super Junior or Girls Generation. They’ve got it all, from the choreographed dances with props, the cheesy lyrics, and the crazy makeup/hair/outfits. The major difference is that Backstreet Boys and N’sync each had 5 members. The average Kpop group has a small army of 8-14 members.

2.       Neon: Neon hiking gear, matching tracksuits. And neon, flashing lights and signs. Everywhere.

3.       Hair Accessories: I can’t get enough of this one. I am a sucker for cute headbands and they are everywhere here! And crazy cheap. Is it bad that it’s mostly my students who compliment my hair bows?

4.       Skorts: Who remembers those inappropriately short skirts that were somehow deemed appropriate to wear in public because they had built in shorts sewn underneath them? Well Korea is still riding this trend. Hemlines here are ridiculous.

5.       Smoking Inside: I can’t even remember the last time that I was in a public building in North America and people were smoking. Some restaurants or bars here have designated smoking areas or rooms but that isn’t usually the case.

6.       Polaroid Cameras: Remember that Christmas that your parents finally got you a Polaroid camera, and the sheer joy that came from shaking the picture as you waited impatiently for it to develop? They are still popular here. I must get one, ASAP!

7.       Bowl Cuts/Funky Hairstyles/Perms: When I was going through my chubby stage in grade 3, my mom took me to a hair salon for a routine cut. The hairstylist that I got was Eastern European and her English wasn’t great. We had some miscommunication somewhere and I ended up with a traumatizing mushroom cut. Korea is bringing it back in style. There are two types of perms here: First, the Ajumma perm is popular amongst Korean women 60+ and is characterized by short, tight curls. Second, many young people here also perm their hair, but usually in a more youthful, attractive way with long, beachy waves.