If you’ve been in Korea long enough to notice peoples shoes, you’re sure to have observed the overwhelming population of high heels. Not only are there more pumps than a girl would know what to do with, but if you stop and listen… you can hear the pitter-patter of ladies walking, jogging, running, dancing, jumping, leaping, spinning, sliding, galloping, marching and probably moonwalking in high heels. They wear them everywhere! Seriously.
I first experienced this phenomenon about two years ago, when I noticed the receptionist at my work. She was always running, yet she always wore heels. I would just watch her fly from her desk to the teacher’s room faster than what seemed possible. She was agile too. She would dodge 5 or 6 students while performing this amazing feat across our slippery marble floor.

The other day, I was walking to work when I looked at the people in front of me and I noticed a new high in heels (pun intended). I saw two women and a man. They all had on bright orange vests. The man was dressed as if he used his brain when he got ready that morning. He had on normal street clothes- comfortable stuff. The two women were wearing high-freakin’-heels! They were actually picking up trash in pumps!

What goes through a woman’s head when they get dressed for the day? I’ve seen my wife go through a few different outfits until she finds the right one and I think she’s a little nuts sometimes. I can imagine these women getting dressed for the day and what goes through their minds: “Okay, so, I’m a woman… I’m Korean… I’m picking up trash today…  Screw it… I’m wearin’ heels again! Let’s start the day!”

Well that’s all the banter I have for now, so I ask you–and you know you have one–what’s your Korean high heel story? feel free to comment.

Submitted to 10 by Mike Durkee of mikedurkee.com.
Submit your article to 10 online instantly at 10magazine.asia/i-blog.

When you get to a new country and start noticing the subtle (or not-so-subtle) cultural differences, it’s easy to become an armchair philosopher and make half-baked social critiques. What’s less easy is to pose critiques and questions online complete with facts, statistics, images and videos that make the argument come alive. That, in a nutshell, is what Englishman James Turnbull does on his blog The Grand Narrative, a sociological analysis of gender politics in Korea primarily using advertising and popular culture. Ever wondered about what makes it taboo for women to smoke in Korea, why Koreans are the world’s greatest consumers, or why young Koreans live with their parents? These are the kind of thought-provoking and thorny questions to which James applies his thoughtful, Socratic approach. He’s gotten nearly two million hits in the last three years alone, and with the extensive archives on the site, you may find yourself adding quite a few more.

The Grand Narrative online

Kim Yu-Na

The Korean text and video are available at the freechal QTV website here.

Anchoman: Kim Yu-Na, the queen of figure [skating] won a gold medal in the Vancouver Winter Olympics. The Discovery Channel will air a documentary on Yuna, overseas.

Through the success story of Kim Yu-Na, a world-class sports star, the documentary will naturally promote the beauty of Seoul.

Journalist Yun Hyeon Suk has more.

Journalist: Kim Yu-Na made sure to find time in her busy schedule, filled with training and competition, to visit the Han River.

On a boat sailing the blue water, she enjoys the sweetness of her time-off.

The refreshing wind and beautiful scenery of the Han River lull a mind and body that were exhausted from harsh training.

[Kim Yu-Na: “I was missing Korea because I haven’t been able to spend much time here. Now that I came here after a long while…”]

With Seoul as its backdrop, this is a documentary of the success story of Kim, Yu-Na, the figure [skating] queen.

The documentary contains the difficulties she faced until she grew up as a world-class figure [skating] star, and the vibrant [moments] of joy [afterwards].

The camera lens that follows the growth and life of Kim Yu-Na also captures the beauty of Seoul in its entirety.

By tracing the youthful and energetic life of Kim Yu-Na, a young generation [sports] star, many of famous places in Seoul are naturally presented ass a backdrop], including the Han River, Gwangwhamun Plaza and the Hongdae area.

This is the third in a series of documentaries promoting Seoul produced in cooperation with Discovery Channel.

Last year, a documentary each for singer Bi and actor Lee Byung-Hun was aired in Japan and Southeast Asia and was well-received by the audiences.

[A marketing official of Seoul City: “In our estimation, the Bi documentary had a marketing effect worth approximately 39 billion won. We Kim Yu-Na’s documentary will exceed that.”]

Despite her rigorous schedule preparing for the Olympics, Kim Yu-Na eagerly agreed to appear in the documentary.

The documentary, titled ‘Seoul Spirit’, will first air on the 19th in Southeast Asia and Korea.

Seoul City has decided to hold additional negotiations with the production company to air the Kim Yu-Na documentary in rest of the world, including China and the United States.

This has been Yun Hyeon Suk, reporting for YTN.

originally published in the 2009.12.2 edition of Newsweek Korean

There are a couple of things I always carry around in my wallet. There’s my alien registration card  for one, and of course cash. But the third thing, absolutely essential and indispensable, is my subway map. I picked it up free from a subway somewhere more than a year and half ago and wrapped it in duct tape to keep it from falling apart. Even so, the corners have fallen off and I can no longer read the name of the stop after Taereung St. I keep telling myself that it’s time to get a new map, but for some reason I still haven’t gotten around to it. I guess I’ve just gotten attached to the map.

If my crumpled little subway map has become a part of me, the Seoul subway itself is even more so.  When I first arrived in Korea, I didn’t feel very comfortable using the bus system and so of necessity had to take the subway almost every I had somewhere to go. After three years in Korea, of course, I can handle the buses more easily, but the subway is still my preferred method of getting around. I recognize areas in Seoul by the nearest subway stop rather than the actual name of the district or neighborhood. When I hear “Gwanghwamun” I think of the subway station before I remember the entrance to Gyeongbokgung. When trying to figure out just where someone lives, my first question is always what the closest subway stop is. In a very real way, the subway has guided and shaped my understanding of Seoul.

Taking a look at some facts about the Seoul subway system can’t help but impress and astonish you. Seoul is third in the world for the number of annual subway rides, trailing Tokyo and Moscow and leading famous transit systems like the New York Subway and the London Underground. Each day, the Seoul subway carries more than 8 million fares, and it sprawls over 755km and includes 14 lines. In Seoul, apartment prices soar when a subway line opens, and real estate speculators keep an eye out for potential plans to expand the current system.  Underneath the skin of Seoul, with all of its high rise buildings and highways and bridges is the steady pulse of people going about their daily affairs along the veins and arteries of the Seoul metro.

Perhaps businessmen and politicians are whisked around the city in their private cars every day, never needing to set foot beneath the ground, but for ordinary Seoulites, the subway is a huge part of their day-to-day experience.  Naturally, attitudes toward the subway vary with the person. Some love it for its convenience. Unlike buses, the subway never runs into a traffic jam. Some hate it for the gropers occasionally found in the crowd at rush hour. A female friend of mine, for instance, is always worried about strange men touching her on the subway. Foreigners on the subway often complain about how crowded it is, or how people are always shoving them as they get in and out of subway cars. Indeed, sometimes getting into a subway car is nearly as bad as getting into a bookstore right after the last Harry Potter book was released.

For me, though, the subway is a sanctuary of solitude and peace amid the bustle and business of the city waiting above me. Of course, the subway often gets as crowded as a bus shelter in a thunderstorm, and people do push and sometimes there are the preachers and salesman with their tiresome speeches. I’m aware of its downsides, but where else in Korea can people rest quietly and peacefully in the middle of their daily schedules? When I am on the subway, I am free to listen to the Beatles on my ipod, to read the latest Murakami Haruki novel, to study the Chinese characters I’ve been listening to. I have no guilt or worries about my job or my other responsibilities. The subway is a temporary retreat from all the concerns of the world above, a short escape from the cares of life.

As Heraclitus once said, “The only constant is change,” and the Seoul subway too is undergoing continuous change and development. Despite being one of the largest subway systems in the world, it recently expanded with line 9 and additional lines are being planned for Incheon and Bundang. Within the next ten years, high speed subway lines will be laid 50 meters underground to allow high-speed commuting between Seoul and satellite cities such as Ilsan, Suwon, and Incheon.

I guess one of these days I’ll have to go out and get a new subway map with all of the recently constructed lines on it. But amid the change, I hope that some things about the subway will stay the same. I hope that the encouraging messages and mottos in the bathroom above the urinals will stay there. I hope that the poetry posted next to the platform will not be torn down. I hope that riding the subway will still be affordable, a transportation option available for the average Seoulite. And I hope that the subway will remain my dose of tranquility each busy day, my time to pause and think as the train races toward the next stop.

Saturday was the first 2S2 (Second Saturday, 2:00PM) meetup near Anguk Station. For those who don’t know, this is an attempt to build to build some community and camaraderie between expats and, we hope, to create a stronger support system for incoming English teachers and professors. For more information you can contact Rob at his blog, Roboseyo. Here’s what it looked like at one point:

This is also associated with a website, the Chatjip expat site which I urge all expats to check out and join. This site has information about 2S2 and is working to create the best online events calendar in Korea for English speakers. It also aggregates headlines and blog posts.

We were extremely lucky to have Shannon Heit, from the Seoul Global Center, attend the meeting and talk to us about what the Global Center offers expats and what she hopes to do in the future. In the past, the Center has focused on business initiatives, but now it is branching out in an effort to support all expatriates. In addition, Shannon hopes to expand the Center’s support impact on the web. Shannon can be reached by email at shannon.sgc@gmail.com.

Everyone had a great time, and we will do it all again in a month.

Stay tuned…

2009 January

Words by Robert Neff Artwork by Hyeon-seong Ryu

To this day the first day of the Lunar New Year (Seol, 설) has always been Korea’s most important holiday, but at the end of the Choseon period (the late 1800s) it was largely spent not eating and cooking with family, but in ’battle’ and practicing superstitious rituals sure to chase away evil spirits for the upcoming year.

For several days prior to the New Year the skies were filled with colorful paper kites, their strings treated with pieces of broken glass controlled by boys and young men as they battled with one another. The idea was to cut the line of your opponent sending their kite hurling to ultimate destruction. The smaller children would often battle one another with small wooden tops as can still be seen to this day, although most kites and tops have given way to Wii.

In addition to the kites flying in the air were the stones that often whistled overhead. Each village would select a group of boys and young men who would arm themselves with stones that they had spent hours polishing, straw armor, leather caps, slings and wooden clubs. These battles generally took place just outside the city walls or in vacant lots near the gates. Spectators lined the walls and hills and watched the battle while making wagers, much like we do with our modern sporting events. It was not uncommon for serious injuries and deaths to occur; in fact it was almost expected, casualties were treated as mere accident victims.

Not only was the air filled with the sounds of ‘battle,’ but also smoke and the rank smell of burning hair. Many Koreans kept the clippings and locks of hair from their combs and brushes and burned them in small iron pots on New Years. They believed that doing this would prevent one of the many demons from causing mischief within their household. Other people drew images on pieces of paper and then wrote whatever calamity had befallen them. These papers were then given to small boys who burned them.

Some of the roofs had bright red and white round pieces of paper that had been stuck to the end of the sticks. The mudangs [shamans] advised the occupants of the houses that these pieces of paper represented the troubles and illnesses that their homes would suffer in the coming year, but by placing them outside and praying to the lunar god, the troubles could be removed.

Walking the streets with small children was dangerous due to temptation. People made small dolls out of straw and affixed small coins to them and then tossed them into the street to be trampled upon by the animals and passers-by. They believed that the doll contained the troubles and bad luck of the household and if someone should pick up the doll, then the troubles would follow them back to their own homes. Small children, out of their innocent curiosity, were more likely to pick up the dolls, especially when they noticed the money on them, and would bring them home. Imagine the evil that befell the poor child when their mother realized what they had brought within their home. Perhaps this is why many Koreans to this day believe that found money should be spent before going home.

And that was just the beginning of the superstitions. As the evening wore on people gathered near the bridges of the city as they believed that if you crossed the bridge once for every year of your age, then you would have no pains in your feet and legs during the coming year. Small stands that sold various nuts were set up near these bridges. People would crack the nuts and chew them as prevention for boils and sores – a belief that still persists to this day. Even the dogs were involved. They were not fed that day in the belief that the flies would not pester them so much in the summer time.

2008 December
EXPAT-RUN CHARITIES

Words by Lance Crayon

Becoming a bit more altruistic in our lives is central to the spirit of the holiday season. Gift giving benefits the givers and receivers at one level or another, but nowadays it’s much easier succumbing to the pitfalls of materialism. Running out of ideas on how to spend your money and time this holiday season? Then look no further and start by donating to a good cause. There’s nothing more gratifying than giving a part of yourself to an erstwhile charity to make the soul feel better at the end of a rough year. Here are five fantastic foreigner-established and operated charities that are making this holiday season a little brighter for people in Korea and around the world.

Little Travellers Korea

Little Travellers Korea, a nonprofit group based in Seoul, works to promote HIV/AIDS awareness in Korea and provide income to women associated with the Woza Moya project from the Hillcrest AIDS Centre in Durban, South Africa. The primary mission is to sell handmade pins created by these women, who either have AIDS or are directly affected by the disease through their family and community. The women receive roughly W2,000 for each pin while the remaining W3,000 is donated to Hillcrest.

The Korea incarnation is based off the larger Little Travellers organization in Canada. Craig Kulyk, currently a student in Korean language at Sogang University, founded the group in October 2007. In the last year, Little Travellers Korea has held several events to both raise funds and reach a larger audience in promoting awareness of HIV/AIDS in Africa and Korea. Previously, they hosted a bake-off, organized the event “A Common Cause” involving three Itaewon bars and pubs, and joined the WeAJa Charity Flea Market at the World Cup Stadium. All of the proceeds from these events went to the Hillcrest AIDS Centre.

Little Travellers first hosted a World AIDS Day Event in 2007 at the Sinchon bar Mike’s Cabin. This year the event, now titled “Rubber Seoul,” has grown to include four venues in the Hongik University area and involve nonprofits Grassroots Uganda and CLIP. It takes place this December 6th, and for W10,000 each patron receives a bracelet from Grassroots Uganda, a Little Traveller, and entrance into any participating club such as Jane’s Groove, FF Club, DGBDs and Sensations. You can visit their website at www.littletravellers.net/korea.

HOPE

Learning English has always been in high demand but it’s hard for many to keep up with the rising costs of academies and private language lessons, especially in the midst of a poor economy. For eager children who want to learn English but whose families can’t afford it, there are very few alternatives if any at all. But now there’s hope, in a big way, for those less fortunate who want to learn English.

HOPE is a volunteer organization filled with compassionate instructors who teach English to underprivileged Korean children in local community centers and orphanages throughout Seoul. HOPE is a new non-profit organization for foreigners dedicated to helping underprivileged children in Korea. One focus of HOPE has been to gain the attention of expatriates whose native tongue is English.

Sylvia Soo, Foreigner Director of General Affairs & Partnerships is “excited about the future of HOPE,” but is all to aware that the future rests in the hands of its volunteers. The charity organization is always looking for passionate individuals who want to make a difference. Volunteers are asked to commit one hour of their time per week for a minimum of three months. Upon approval, HOPE matches the volunteer with a partner host center that is near his or her preferred location.

There are also opportunities available to those who are unable to teach English. For those whose first language is not English, but who have exceptional English skills, HOPE offers volunteer coordinator, academic and administrative positions. Businesses that employ foreign English teachers can get involved by forming a partnership. Community centers and orphanages can provide materials and space for English classes. To get involved with HOPE or for more information visit their website at alwayshope.or.kr.

AWC (American Women’s Club of Korea)

Founded in November of 1964 by Mrs. Winthrop G. Brown (wife of the American Ambassador to Korea) and Mrs. Joel Bernstein (wife of the Director of USOM) when the two ladies decided it would be a good idea to merge the Embassy Wives Club with the USOM. Since then this charity organization has grown leaps and bounds by stretching their influence all over the world.

The AWC publishes a quarterly magazine called “Arirang” which donates the profits to those in need. Within the past year alone the AWC has helped many smaller charitable organizations. A few of those groups include the Jeon Jin Sang Hospice/Palliative Center (hospice and palliative care for the terminally ill), the New Light Community (medical assistance for those living with HIV/AIDS), and the Myongdo Sheltered Workshop (which provides assistance and education to those with disabilities).

The AWC hosts charity events throughout the year, one of the largest being the upcoming AWC Christmas Ball, also taking place on December 6th. The ball is a spectacular fundraising event attended by business people and dignitaries from around the world. The Charity Auction that takes place helps raise tens of millions of won for the charities that AWC supports. It’s a fabulous way to enjoy yourself while giving to a good cause at the same time.

AWC is always looking for new members to help with their efforts. For more information you can visit their website at www.awckorea.net.

SIWA

SIWA (Seoul International Women’s Association), founded in 1962, is the largest international women’s organization in Korea with over 600 members from all walks of life. Members hail from more than fifty countries and meet to share social, cultural and community interests that span the expatriate, diplomatic, Korean communities.

Each year SIWA works closely with the diplomatic community to host a major charity fundraiser in the fall, the SIWA & Diplomatic Community Bazaar. This year over fifty embassies, women’s clubs,

charity groups, and vendors participated in the bazaar, selling goods and foods from all around the world. Many regular charity groups had a table where they sold handmade items and raised extra money for their own charity centers. Local and foreign businesses donated generously with cash or company product donations. In 2007 SIWA raised over W260 million, which all went directly to Korean charities. The 2008 year was just as successful and 2009 should be no different.

Over fifty Korean charities count on SIWA for support through their fundraising efforts. Among those centers that benefit include orphanages, shelters for abused women, rehabilitation centers, homes for the mentally ill, and hospices. Visits to these centers occur multiple times each month from volunteers of the SIWA welfare committee. Multiple visitations allow for SIWA members to see the shelter, engage with the people, see the needs that they have, and also get a true feeling of how their efforts give back to the community.

SIWA is also active in helping and supporting other organizations to help charities. SIWA works with many Korean and international organizations such as the Beautiful Store, the Joongang Daily WeAJa charity market, and other NGO’s.

For more than forty years now, SIWA has been a place where women from all over the world can meet, find friends, share their knowledge, culture and interests while helping the ones in need around them.

Most of the members find that being nvolved and taking an active role in many of the different charity opportunities around us, gives us the avenue that we need to give something back to our host country,

while at the same time learning more

about the people and the culture that we live within. For more information you can visit their website at siwapage.com.

Movember at 3 Alley Pub

Who would have ever thought that a pub in Seoul could function as a force within the charity culture of Korea?  3 Alley Pub, located in Iteawon behind the Hamilton Hotel, is such a force. For the past seven years this popular expat hangout has always excelled in giving back to the community.

Two years ago 3 Alley Pub introduced its moustache and beard growing contest, known as “Movember,” to Seoul.  What started out in Australia and New Zealand to raise awareness for prostate cancer is now a month-long event that benefits Korean orphanages. At the pub, November is now known as “Movember.” Through donations and people taking part in past Movember events, 3 Alley has managed to give one orphanage a new refrigerator, and provided another with a sizeable supply of their annual diapers rations.

So far the only main objectors of Movember are the wives and girlfriends of those taking part (facial hair isn’t for everyone). However, in the spirit of the event the young ladies generally put up with chaffed cheeks in order to benefit children in need.

This year the owners Albert and Bernie are hoping that through the donations received at the bar, the money donated by those taking part in the contest, and the money they themselves give, that they will be able to do even more for the orphans. Anyone can get involved at anytime, and all you have to do is visit to the pub.  Charity work has never been so easy. You can donate directly, buy a shirt, or participate in any number of the events. For more information please visit 3 Alley’s website at www.3alleypub.com.

Words by Jennifer Valentine, M.Ed., LMFT Artwork by Young-eun Lee

There are intensely strong feelings associated with childhood memories of what this time of year should look, smell, and taste like. Sometimes we can feel that despite enjoying life here in Korea, things are not quite right. By shifting and expanding our mindset, we are able to feel more at home here in Korea and less home’sick’! In the hope of helping you proactively prevent seasonal homesickness, here are 10 great ways to fight off those ‘holiday season abroad’ blues.

1 Get Your Creative Juices Flowing

Most of us can agree that we came to Korea because of our curiosity, openness, and passion for life. What many of us forget is that we are also very creative. It’s hard to name a place better than Korea for tapping into our creativity. In Korea we can be spectators of song, dance, and fine art. We also can participate by joining writing or book groups, taking those language or music lessons we always meant to sign up for, or by immersing ourselves in any number of artistic endeavors. Remember the great thing about creativity is that there is no one right way, but our growth on the journey is the real product.

2 Make Up Your Mind to

Make Korea ‘Home’

‘Home is where you lie your head’ – Oh, if it was only so easy! For many, however, the decision to buy into this old adage really does reduce their homesickness. There’s something comforting about living in the moment and making the commitment to make this place (even if it’s only temporary) your home. By making your home both functionally comfortable and an ascetic reflection of you, it’s easier to get into the other habits of maintaining local friends, joining social clubs, and pursuing hobbies. Deciding to really live here (not just exist here) helps us not miss our past so much.

3 Stay in Touch by Going High Tech

Technology offers us so many cool and interesting ways to stay in touch and detail our adventures here in Asia. If you don’t know how to blog, Skype, or maneuver on Facebook, you should learn! These high tech options allow us to join family functions by video call and easily network with many people at once. Our blog allow us to record our honest impressions of our journey, and later weﾕll be glad we took the time to jot it all down.

4 Get Organized

Itﾕs hard to feel settled and focused if you feel disorganized in some part of your life. It may be your work life where your desk resembles a crime scene or perhaps at home, where you can’t seem to locate that important paper or that one winter glove. By getting yourself in order, it’s easier to focus on both the short- and long-term goals and not get weighed down by the negative energy.

5 Find Things you are Passionate About

Whether it’s the warm summer or the crisp winter, Korea has a lot to offer us in the way of passions. If you’re passionate about the outdoors, then there is no end of biking, hiking, and enjoying nature. If your passions run more toward shopping, learning, or being exposed to a wide spectrum of cultural events, you couldn’t be living in a better place. For some, passion centers around making a positive impact, and expats have that opportunity often – whether it’s helping someone develop their second language and appreciation for other cultures, volunteering for some worthwhile cause, or otherwise growing and sharing your gifts as an investment in your own personal satisfaction and fulfillment – tap into your passions as they will take you far.

6 Focus on the Possibilities not the Limitations

A life in Korea is full of possibilities. Instead of getting hung up on what’s not the same or seems impossible, focus instead on the possibilities. What things does your life here offer that you can’t do at home? What can you take advantage of that maybe after you leave Korea won’t be an option? Make the most of this time of your life because you can be certain this time will never happen again.

7 De-stress

A body overly stressed rarely gets the rest it needs. By running on empty, our body releases hormones and our outlook takes a nosedive. If leaving Korea seems like is the best answer for you, then try to reduce your stressors and adjust your stress reactions first. It could be that Korea is not the best place for you OR it could be that you just need to react to Korea differently.

8Trick the Senses

This is one of my favorite tips! By streaming my favorite bands from college days, snuggling up on the sofa with my favorite quilt, or looking at old pictures, sometimes I feel like I’m back in the US. Sitting down to a traditional holiday dinner can also be just the trick to the system! By stimulating the senses in a deliberately familiar way so that it feels like ‘home’ we can often increase our mood and satisfaction levels.

9 Strengthen Your Supports

Because we live in the computer age, we are able to define our social supports in a broader way than those expats before us. No longer are we reliant on snail mail with the supports in our village or town where we grew up, but we are able to benefit by being connected to people all around the globe. Supports from two continents away may best suit my needs for staying connected to my past or looking toward my future prospects. Local supports may best serve my real time needs and my day-to-day connections with my life here in Korea.

10 If All Else Fails Ask for Help

Knowing that there are resources both here in Korea and abroad can be a comfort when we feel we have not had as much success as we would like. Sometimes accessing good friends, family, clergy, our doctor, or a counselor can provide us the extra support we need as we work through transitions or difficult times. There are very few things in life that we really have to deal with on our own – you don’t have to let homesickness be one of them!

words by John Rule

Blogs, websites, and now Facebook – it seems there is an ever-growing list of sites for one to visit these days. But not unlike satellite TV, this increase in choice does not necessarily mean an increase in quality. In fact, truth be told, there is a lot of garbage out there. However, like The Simpsons on AFN, there are a few gleaming jewels to pique one’s interest. We take a look at some of the better known, better written, and more original sites out there for the expat living in Korea. Sites appear in no particular order. Honest!

The Marmot’s Hole

Professional, topical, well presented, perhaps a little boring, this site is the closest there is at the moment to a daily online magazine for expats in Korea. One of the oldest sites here, its popularity has continued to grow, particularly with long-timers. It mainly focuses on news in Korea, but does feature international stories now and again. Its creator and many contributors speak Korean, thus enabling those of us who don’t an opportunity to access stories we would have otherwise missed. Offers a more balanced, adult (some would say fence-sitting) outlook on issues here. Has a strong community of contributors who often make discussions colorful. Offers links to a wide range of other sites, with one in particular of great importance. rjkoehler.com

Feet Man Seoul

A slightly strange name for a slightly strange site. The Internet is a great thing; 20 years ago, if a guy had walked the streets with a camera, taking pictures of girls, he would perhaps have gotten into trouble, or at least been asked to join the clergy, but not now. If you thought Korean fashion was a guy and a girl wearing identical clothing you would be wrong (well, mostly). The site features fashion from the streets of Seoul, and while predominantly female, does include males as well. Contains lots of pictures, and includes features on fashion, from everything from tattoos to painted toes, as well as interviews with people on the street and people involved in Korea fashion. Available in both Korean and English. feetmanseoul.com

Zen Kimchi

Departing from the usual “my boss hit me” “Koreans can’t drive” drivel, this site is a food blog; more precisely, it’s a Korean food blog. The writer, who obviously knows what he’s talking about, holds the reader’s hand as he guides them through the dark and sometimes dangerous forest that is Korean food. Gives good and – more importantly – honest reviews of restaurants in Seoul, as well as advice on cooking dishes you perhaps would be too scared to otherwise. Features close-up colorful pictures of dishes that will have your mouth watering in anticipation. zenkimchi.com/foodjournal/

Koreanfilm.org

It does what it says on the tin. All about the Korean film industry, with reviews, articles and general mumblings and observations. Very well written and researched, it features many different writers, all of whom seem to have a passion for Korean cinema. Includes interviews with actors, reviews of almost every Korean movie, both new and old, and also information on Korean television. Also includes reports on festivals, directors, and has a discussion board. In fact everything you would want to know about Korean cinema (and probably stuff you didn’t) can be found here. koreanfilm.org

Scribblings of the Metropolitician

Perhaps one of the most difficult Korean blogs to pin down in terms of content. Features anything and everything, and while the majority of content focuses on Korea and Korean issues, the site also contains a lot of stuff that doesn’t. Maybe one of the only writers in the Korean blogsphere to actually jump off the fence and say what they feel about issues here in a way that is neither too aggressive and xenophobic nor apologetic and pussy-footed. Features movies reviews, technology, and photo classes, amongst other things. Author speaks Korean and translates many articles from Korean media, offering an insight into what’s really going on out there. metropolitician.blogs.com

Seouleats.com

Okay, so we like food. This site, however, focuses not so much on Korean food as on the international food scene in Seoul. Foods that were exotic only a few years ago are now commonplace in Korea, but that doesn’t mean they make them right. This consistently updated site searches out where to find the home cooking you’re looking for, whether you’re Canadian, Thai, Egyptian, French or Mexican! Believe it or not, it’s all here and they are constantly searching out the best place to get it.

One Free Korea

A little something for all the adults among us out there. This is a rather serious, somber site that predominantly features political and military news stories regarding the two Koreas. The author, a one-time US army judge advocate in Korea, offers well written, intelligent, balanced views on a number of issues regarding North and South Korea. Not many pictures, but then it’s not a comic so why should there be? Has a good discussion board; just don’t go on there moaning about your Korean teaching assistant not respecting you. freekorea.us

Hans Seoul’s Daily Photo

A picture is worth a thousand words, and if that’s true, then this site is the War and Peace of Korean blogs. Features photos, photos, and yet more photos of Seoul. True to its name, new photos, like mosquito bites in the morning, appear every day, taken from locations both familiar and not. Perhaps one of the most informative sites regarding Seoul, which, considering the lack of musings, is kind of cool. All pictures are sorted into easy to view categories. Site is available in both Korean and English. Note: this blog is currently inactive but the archives are still available. seouldailyphoto.com

ROK Drop

Life here is not all about wild parties, 24 hour drinking sessions, and the short-comings of taxi drivers; there’s also a serious side. Living in Seoul can sometimes be compared to living in a caravan with Rambo: wherever you look, there seems to be a gun, a helicopter, or an inappropriate hair cut staring back at you. So it should come as no real surprise to find that there is a blog devoted to military issues in the Republic of Korea. Dealing not only with topics regarding US forces stationed here, the writer also includes many articles regarding the militaries of the two Koreas, as well as related international stories, book reviews, and interviews. rokdrop.com

The Grand Narrative

A well-written, thoughtful site that takes an in-depth look at social issues in South Korea. Topics range from the prevalence of plastic surgery here among celebrities to the increase of sex in the media and lack of maternity leave. These topics are academic and social in both scope and content, giving something to everyone. By investigating issues in Korean society the site actually provides the average expat with a better and deeper understanding of what is going on here, making their stay here just that little less shocking. thegrandnarrative.wordpress.com

Published September 2008

In the past four days I have had a couple of experiences that reminded me why I am so fond of Korea, and one of the things that moving to Korea has meant to me personally.

Last weekend, as my fiancee and I sat in Yongsan Family Park (By the Korean National Museum, Ichon Station, lines 1 and 4) I was amused to watch a young Korean girl in the middle of the playground. She ignored her surroundings and concentrated on waggling her left arm in the air. She found this intensely interesting, and so did I although I don’t think I would have been interested in doing it myself! In fact, as I watched her work her way around the playground, I noted that she found everything extremely interesting.

This started me watching all the kids in the park, and I noticed they all had remarkable ability to find things new and interesting. The boy who watched a bug intently for 10 minutes, then sprang up to chase a dog, could go back to the very same bug with the very same intensity as he had the first time he observed it (ok, the first time he poked it with a stick, he was a young boy after all).

I forgot about this until yesterday, when two things happened. First, as I was running through my daily blog list, I came across a blog that quoted the movie, Knocked Up (which I have never seen) in which two characters watch children playing in a park.

PETE
What’s so great about bubbles?
BEN
They float. You can pop them. I mean, I get it. I get it.
PETE
I wish I liked anything as much as my kids like bubbles.
BEN
That’s sad.
PETE
It’s totally sad. Their smiling faces just point out your inability to enjoy anything.

Second, as I walked home and enjoyed the coolish autumn air and the spectacular foliage in and around Namsan Park, I settled in behind an older man, probably in his 60s. He walked along, but it was clear he wasn’t going anywhere, at least not in a hurry. He kicked at pebbles, he “high-fived” low hanging leaves, every once in a while he stopped to examine some small thing on the ground. When the sidewalk leveled off, before ascending to the Hyatt Hotel, he pulled a very thin, dead branch out of the bushes, yanked off the smaller end so that the switch was approximately cane-lengthened, and then swept up the hill like D’artagnan, poking and prodding at things in the bushes, waving the switch in front of himself, and pushing things (very small things) around on the sidewalk. I thought to myself, “what a great day, and what a great model for enjoying it.”

These three happenings, and the excellent mood I was in, crystallized something I like about children, about Korean society, and about what moving to Korea has done for me. Almost all children and much of Korea, is able to find pleasure in the smallest things, and they are able to find that pleasure again and again. I’m not sure I’ve met a jaded Korean.

Coming to Korea has restored this semi-childlike wonder in me. I had spent the last few years in the US weaving together banded bits of thread into something that throttled my ability to have spontaneous fun; there was always some important thing to do, or some way I had to act, and, at least where I was, there was no culture of spontaneous fun. In Korea, I was able to turn much of this around.

Part of it, of course, is that all of Korea was new to me when I arrived. So it was easy to be enthralled by the differences. This is one reason that people travel, you are a passport and a ticket away from a quick and easy return to a state of wonder. But another part of it is the spontaneous (a word expats often don’t associate with Korea) public culture that breeds the opportunities to have fun and new experiences. I think back to my hike up Bukhansan and the family that shared food with us (and others) and the climber who insisted I toast my summitting with Makkeoli. This kind of experience may happen disproportionately to foreigners, because we are so obvious, but I see it everywhere I go. Finally, there is also what I interpret to be (although it might be something else entirely) the Korea solipsism (I mean that in the good sense of the word) that allows Koreans in public, to ignore others and do their own things.

All of this has combined, for me, into an opportunity to reconnect with the little kid inside of me. Who knew he had emigrated to Korea?