Christmas gifts all around

Seohyun and Seojin with their mom. I gave them nail polish, barrettes, and memo pads for Christmas. They gave me gloves, a framed picture of them together, and a fancy holiday cake from a popular Seoul bakery.

Debbie models her t-shirt from her "American Grandma" (a.k.a. my Mom)

Danny prepares to create an artistic masterpiece with gifts from his "American Grandma". Not seen are the John Deere tractors Danny LOVED.

I gave Debbie "Twister" for Christmas.

Someone had to teach her how to play . . .

Meh-dee Ku-dee-seu-mah-soo!

Or, Merry Christmas! I hope everyone had a lovely holiday. I spent most of the day volunteering in soup kitchen at a Seoul homeless shelter. My co-workers, Sarah and Chris, and I had a great time chopping, skinning, cleaning, and serving. We wore floor-length vinyl aprons and tall rubber boots, since the easiest way to clean up the kitchen is to periodically hose everything down.

America gets a bad wrap for over-commercializing Christmas, but I think the Koreans are giving us a run for our money. The 25ish% of Christians in the country recognize the "true meaning" of the holiday, but from what I can tell, the celebration is mostly about fancy cakes, parties, and date nights. Christmas is considered a couples holiday here, much like Valentine's Day in the U.S. On my subway ride home last night, a multitude of couples could be seen nuzzling up to one another as the train threw us all from side to side, barreling down the tracks. I unintentionally slammed into more than a few pairs when the train turned and stopped suddenly . . . talk about awkward. Perhaps they thought I was just a bitter, single meeguk (American) expressing my disdain for the amorous atmosphere. I must have looked pretty pathetic because at one point, an elderly gentlemen gestured to a young, good-looking couple holding hands, and then tried to hold MY hand. Thanks, buddy. I needed that.

I survived my first Christmas away from home, but I'm not sure I'll be able to trade turkey and dressing for kimchi in perpetuity. I am thoroughly enjoying my life in Korea, and I probably wouldn't have come home for the holidays even if I had a free ticket. I believe fully experiencing this culture sometimes means leaving my own behind. That being said, I think I've come to the realization that I'm probably not cut out for long-term international life. The holidays bring the importance of time with family and friends into perspective, and life is just too short to miss out on Christmas after Christmas, birthday after birthday, and any other opportunity to eat mass quantities of down-home, fatty American food.

Everyone Loves Christmas Tunes

I emerged from a movie theater onto a busy city plaza Saturday evening to the sound of traditional Christmas tunes being sung in Korean. Although the audio quality was horrendous, the group of older Koreans wearing yellow sashes (no idea what they indicate) belting out Christmas carols in their native language was quite entertaining. I've always wondered how songs can be translated into a different language and still fit the beat of the original score. Anyway, the real highlight of this clip comes a few seconds in when you can see one passerby demonstrating his appreciation for the music. Enjoy!

KBS World Radio Year-End Party

The KBS World Radio year-end party was held at a casual, but delicious Korean barbeque joint about ten minutes from our office. We packed the place and had a great time eating, drinking, and chatting.

Chris Dykas, English team freelancer who hosts a Korean pop music show, as well as other feature programming. Chris is a Korean-American from Los Angeles, California.

Sophia takes charge with the pork barbeque. The technique involves holding big slabs of meat with the tongs and using kitchen shears to cut small, bite-sized pieces.

Sarah Jun, Korean pop music show host, Chris Dykas, and me.

Chris and Sarah acting like the booze is getting to them. Actually, the English team was quite tame. Some of the green bottles are soju (like gin), but most are clear soda.

Head of the Vietnamese service. She moved around every table, challenging everyone to race her in drinking glasses of beer. She was the life of the party.

Chris and me with the former chief of KBS World Radio. Mr. Park is the Arabic service chief.

Christmas in Seoul

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas . . . in Seoul. It took the city a little longer to become "Christmafied" than most places in the U.S., but now lights, decorations, singing Santas, and Salvation Army bell-ringers are all over the place. The area around Seoul City Hall is particularly bright these days. An ice rink and nearby stream are surrounded in multi-colored lights in palace-type formation. The display is called "Lucevista" and will be up until January 6. See pictures below.

A popular Korean department store, Shinsegae, is covered in sheets of lights.

Mr. Chae and me by a KBS Christmas tree

O ship beon!

Since samgyeopsal (three-fat pork) has become a weekly staple in my diet, I decided it was high time I join a gym. In a society where great importance is placed on appearance and it seems everyone is on a diet, gyms are ubiquitous. I located a little mom-n-pop operation about two blocks from my apartment last week and sauntered in to inquire about their monthly membership rates. I made my first faux pas just stepping in the door. It's customary to take off your shoes when entering a home or a a restaurant with floor seating, but I didn't realize the same rules apply to gyms. And apparently walking over about five pairs of shoes just to get through the door wasn't hint enough. Once I realized everyone who was paying attention was staring at my feet, I quickly shuffled back out into the entryway and shed my shoes. Through a series of hand gestures, grunts, and facial expressions, I confirmed the membership rates and told the owner I'd be back another day.

So, this Monday I found myself back in the gym, the owner sternly instructing me to do "O ship beon" [fifty more] abdominal exercise "x". Fifty more?! Who do I look like, Rocky Balboa?! This guy does not think it is cute and/or funny that I don't speak Korean. While I smile at my own ignorance, hoping for a little sympathy, he seems to get increasingly annoyed. Although I tried to explain that I really just wanted to run on the treadmill, Mr. Gymowner seemed highly concerned with my mid-section and insisted upon guiding me through rigorous strength training before turning me loose for a cardio workout. I hung up my coat and hadn't gotten three steps outside the locker room when he approached me and used blatant gestures to "explain" we'd be working on my stomach . . . and whatever you call the flab that pokes out of your sides over the band of your exercise shorts. At this point, I was glad I couldn't understand anything that was coming out of his mouth. His message was pretty clear--"Honey, that samgyeopsal is going straight to your gut."

Amid 1970s era posters of body builders, I huffed and puffed my way through Mr. Gymowner's instructions, looking forward to being left alone to commence my treadmill workout. But when the time arrived, I realized every treadmill in the gym was set up on a permanent incline--a significant incline. Not ready for defeat, I decided no hill was too much for me and started running at a fairly brisk pace. That's when I realized everyone else in the gym was watching me (some giggling) and there was no way I would make it any longer than ten minutes at this pace. But now that I had established myself as super woman, I couldn't give up my ambitious run and settle for power walking like some soccer mom. The glass in front of the treadmill reflected my face getting redder and redder and even my most inspring iPod tunes weren't cutting it for this workout. I hammered through 25 minutes with visions of Sylvester Stalone confidently maneuvering the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art before succumbing to my fatigue. I stumbled off the treadmill, my legs feeling like Jell-O, grabbed my things, and rushed out before Mr. Gymowner could catch me and demand, "O ship beon!" of any other maneuver up his sleeve.

Joong Ang Ilbo Article

The Joong Ang Ilbo, a popular daily newspaper in Seoul, carried a feature article about yours truly in its English edition this week. Click on the link below, then look for "Foreign Community" in the orange menu bar. My article should be the second from the top.

http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/list.asp?cat_code=04

B-Boy Korea

Break dancing and "B-boy" troupes are a very popular part of the hip hop movement in Korea right now. Dance crews from Korea have recently won several international break dancing championships, and there are several groups performing regular shows throughout Seoul. Jessica and I checked out "B-boy Korea" last night, a 90-minute performance that included a thin plot line. It was an amazing display of physical talent, and quite funny, too. Here's a picture of us after the show with some of the star b-boys.

My life this week

English Service freelancer, Sarah Jun, and Sophia enjoying a Japanese lunch on Monday.

Mr. Chae and me also enjoying a Japanese lunch (or at least Japanese beer!)

Doing my thing in the studio.

My student, Seojin, working diligently.

My student, Seohyeon, learning words for emotions.

Sophia, me, and Mr. Chae after decorating our section for Christmas. It looks much better in person!

Nuclear Negotiator Takes on Hurricane Abby

Today I met someone whose name I've read at least once weekly during KBS news reports. He is Christopher Hill, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, but also chief nuclear negotiator with North Korea. Hill has been in Seoul the last couple of days in preparation for his second trip to Pyongyang (capital of North Korea) on Monday. There, he'll check on the progress of the North's nuclear disablement. He expects China, the host of the next six-party talks, to receive a full declaration outlining the country's nuclear program within the next week.

I attended a lecture given by Hill to a crowd of just around 30 people at Ewha Women's University in Seoul. I found out about the lecture through my friend Jessica who has some connections in the international studies department at Ewha.

Hill gave a thorough, yet straightforward and uncomplicated account of North Korea's nuclear issue from the U.S. perspective. He also took questions from the crowd, and sitting in the front row, of course I jumped right in! He was an extremely laid back, affable man who seems to care genuinely about resolving this issue in a diplomatic fashion.

Jessica and I were thrilled to have the opportunity to meet and speak to Christopher Hill.

Can you believe these gas prices?!

In the United States for the last few years, the all-purpose topic of conversation, second only to the weather, has been the price of gasoline. If I had a dollar for every time I heard a complaint about the price of gas during 2006, it would probably fill my tank for a year.

Right now, gas prices in Illinois are hovering around $3.00/gallon. The summer I turned 16, it cost me less than $1.00 to put a gallon of gas in my little Mazda Miata. By the time I went to college in 2000, the price per gallon was up around $1.50. At the time, that seemed outrageous. Since then we've watched the price steadily rise, wondering how long it would take to hit the next full dollar.

I started traveling internationally about the time the topic of gas prices became popular fodder for the dinner table, barber shop, and any other place people would gather. After visiting a few different foreign countries and starting to pay more attention to international news, I realized that as much as Americans complain about the price of gas, they're still paying significantly less for it than motorists in the rest of the world.

I've been in Korea for two months and I know plenty of people who drive cars, trucks, and SUVs. They're gluttons for punishment. They'll spend hours fighting bumper to bumper traffic to get to work in the morning using the same route that takes me less than half the time using public transportation. While all those vehicles are sitting motionless along an expressway that looks more like a parking lot, their engines are guzzling around $5.00/gallon worth of gasoline. I recently reported a news story saying Koreans are projected to invest in even more new cars in 2008, but in the two months I've been here, I've only heard one mention of gas prices. Earlier this week, Sophia told me it costs her around $100 to fill her modest, economy-sized car with gas.

So, the next time you start to complain about gas prices, think about the South Koreans . . . or consider moving to Venezuela where the current price per gallon is a whopping $0.14.

A Seoul Thanksgiving

My brother, Josh, and sister-in-law, Yoko, visited me in Seoul last weekend. Although we didn't have any Thanksgiving turkey, we did enjoy plenty of Korean BBQ and other tasty dishes. We also hit some major sites around the city, including Seoul Tower atop Namsan, a mountain in the middle of the city.

Josh and me during our trek up to Seoul Tower. Yoko wasn't very pleased with us when we accidentally hopped off the bus 2.7 kilometers from the top and then refused to wait for the next bus. We figured, if we hiked the mountain, we wouldn't have to feel guilty about all the Korean BBQ.

A view of the city from Seoul Tower. It was a hazy day, but still a worthwhile trip.

Jessica took us to her favorite samgyapsal (pork BBQ) restaurant, but she couldn't keep her eyes open for a picture!

In front of the historic Seoul city gate, Sungnyemun, which used to protect the city from Korean tigers.

Yoko couldn't get enough of the great Seoul shopping. "Fur" coats for $10!!!

KBS Sports Day

A couple weeks ago KBS World Radio had a "Sports Day". Every once in awhile a day is set aside for employees to do some kind of recreational activity and this time it was mountain hiking. Charter buses to Bukhansan National Park ("san" means mountain in Korean) left at two different times during the day, allowing for people to stay all day or join the group later in the afternoon. I arrived around 3:00PM, just in time for a hearty meal of Korean-style stew and some Korean pork BBQ. I never actually did any hiking, but given all the food and beer, I'd say it was a successful venture.

"Uke" from the Internet team. He has videotaped several of my interviews. I practically had to bribe him to pose for this photo.

With my Arabic service counterpart.

National University Entrance Exam Day

This Thursday the high temperature in Seoul dropped a noticeable five degrees from the previous day. Those five degrees were enough to make everyone feel like winter is right around the corner. I hadn't really thought about it feeling colder until I was walking to the subway after work and remembered a sidebar to a prominent news story this week. Thursday, November 15, was national university entrance exam day. Legend says temperatures always dip on this very important day for Koreans. When I first heard that theory, early in the week, I was ready to call the BS card immediately, but I'm not kidding you; it was COLD Thursday!

The temperature is just a small part of the story that surrounds exam day. For one thing, it really is just one day a year. High schoolers get one shot a year to put on their best game face and try to earn their way into one of Korea's top three universities. It's called aiming for the "SKY" because the top three schools are Seoul National University, Korea University, and Yonsei University. If you score well enough to be accepted into one of these schools, you've got a great chance of making your career dreams come true. If you don't score well enough, many Koreans would say you might as well crawl into a hole and die. That's how much pressure there is on these kids to do well. So much that in recent years several suicides have been attributed to the stress associated with this make-or-break exam.

Korean kids are groomed for academic success from the age of two or three. They're enrolled in "nursery schools" where they aren't just cutting out shapes and sloppily gluing them onto construction paper. They're learning foreign languages, how to read, how to play a musical instrument, and a variety of other things. Once kids start going to school, the intensity picks up. School gets out earlier here, around 1:00 or 2:00, but most kids spend the rest of the afternoon and evening attending several different academies. Sophia's daughter, for instance, goes to an English academy, a piano academy, an art academy, and takes swimming lessons. Most of the time, she doesn't go to bed until after 10:00PM . . . and she's 7 years old! Many parents will practically go broke paying for their kids to attend these academies (or "hagwons") because they know their kids can't be competitive academically without additional instruction. I tutor a 14 year-old once a week in English. I meet with him at 7:00PM to help him learn English, just as he's getting home from spending an hour or two at an English hagwon.

So on national university entrance exam day, the government urges all civil servants to go to work one hour later so the public transportation system is less crowded for kids trying to make it to test sites on time. The military halts all flights and shooting drills so as not to distract students during listening portions of the exam. Mothers across the country take photos of their kids to local churches and Buddhist temples to be placed on altars.

So while all these kids were biting their nails and drying their sweaty palms, I started reminiscing about taking the ACT as a junior in high school. I could have taken a prep course to get myself ready for the test, but I thought it sounded boring. I could have purchased a study guide to familiarize myself with the format of the test, but I needed that money for clothes! I probably could have at least gotten an adequate amount of sleep the night before the test, but I was too busy packing because as soon as the exam was over, I was heading to Florida for a vacation. Although I could have taken the test as many times as I was willing to pay to do so, I felt satisfied with my first score and really didn't want to deal with another four-hour exam, anyway. My score was hardly stellar, but just good enough to get me into the university of my choice. I'm not sure pressure entered into the scenario at all. I can guarantee you that even had I scored very poorly, I would not have considered my life to be over. Ironically, most Koreans would look at me in my current situation and say I'm very successful. The sad part is, that's mostly because I speak English.

And I thought I looked like Wonder Woman

In my limited experience in Asia, I've found that it's typical for people, upon meeting Caucasians, to liken one white face to another. We've all heard boorish references made about all the people of any particular race looking the same, but I've been very surprised by the specific likenesses to which I've been compared.

When I visited Japan during my senior year of high school, someone said I looked like Jodi Foster . . . not sure where that came from.

Last week I was interviewing a professor from Yonsei University. He said I look like Hillary Clinton. Gee, thanks.

But by far the most curious . . . and hilarious . . . comparison came up as I was leaving KBS yesterday. Sophia introduced me to a man who manages the KBS radio studios. As we shook hands, he looked at Sophia and rattled something off in Korean. I thought I heard the word, "fiancee," and I thought, "Wow, that's forward. You could have at least asked me to dinner first!" What he said, though, was "BEYONCE"! So, I guess I fall somewhere in the spectrum between the progressively more haggard looking Hillary Clinton and the tall, voluptuous African-American, Beyonce Knowles.

It's "Ask Teacher" time

Sojin and Soheon wanted to ask me some questions during our English tutoring session tonight. Somehow, I knew what the first question would be.

SIWA Shanghai Night

Last Saturday night I was invited to attend a charity event hosted by the Seoul International Women's Association. I interviewed some women from SIWA a few weeks ago about their charitable efforts and events, so they graciously gave me two tickets to Saturday's "Shanghai Night" held at the Seoul Grand Hilton Hotel. I took my friend Jessica as my date.






My door prize! Okay, not really. This car was auctioned off at the event. I really wanted to try out the horn, but I figured the hotel guests may not appreciate that too much.

Jessica getting the party started. It was a bit surreal to hear an American 60s/70s rock band playing "Sweet Home Alabama" and "Folsom Prison Blues" in Seoul, but it definitely made me feel at home.

Debbie's Notes

My computer monitor is now plastered with notes from Sophia's 7 year-old daughter, Debbie. Every time Sophia brings her into the office, Debbie leaves me a note. I love it!

You can click on the image to enlarge it so it's easier to read.

Producers Gone Wild

Winding down at the end of a busy work week, Sophia demonstrates her skills don't end with radio production. The poor cleaning crew will be finding M&Ms under desks and along sideboards for months . . . not to mention the one I lost "somewhere near (or perhaps IN) the printer".

Autumn Leaves

A couple shots of Yeouido Park, across from KBS. My bus stop is on the opposite side of the park from my office, so I walk through it everyday.

Yonsei University Professor interview

Today, I had the opportunity to interview a Yonsei University professor who studies and teaches Chinese/Korean relations . Mr. Lee, pictured on the right (my colleague, Mr. Chae, on the left), did his graduate work at the University of Chicago and later taught at Yale and Berkeley. He teased me about the boring, flat lands of central Illinois, but did say, "Nice name," when I gave him my business card. I probably would have fallen over if he made a Beatles reference.

The subject of Chinese/Korean relations was a daunting one for me, but I think the interview went well. Hopefully, my ignorance wasn't too blatant!

The interview will be the subject of a show we produce called "Seoul Report" that airs every Friday on KBS World Radio. A video of the interview will be posted on the KBS World webpage. I'll post a direct link on Friday.

I've recently taken over "Seoul Report" from Mr. Chae who is all too happy to send the work my way. He's been a tremendous help lining up interviews, educating me on Korean issues, and translating when I need it.

K-Pop Connection

This is a promotional video for K-Pop Connection (title created by yours truly), a new music and entertainment show on KBS World Radio's English service. You'll recognize the voiceover "talent". The editing needs a little fine-tuning, but I was anxious to share it with you!

To bidet, or not to bidet . . .

This is a question I've asked myself quite a few times since arriving in Seoul, particularly since I actually have a bidet in my apartment. I'm not sure I ever had the opportunity to use a bidet before visiting Japan and Korea--they seemed like something only "rich" people had and I always felt a little awkward even talking about them. Nonetheless, I had seen bidets in the U.S., usually an entity completely separate from the toilet, no lid, faucet-type thing mounted on the back.

All the bidets I've seen in Korea are actually built into the toilet and most modern models are electronically controlled. The one in my apartment, seen here, is a modern type with multiple functions, including a separate setting for women (I call it the "chick" button), a dryer, and even a seat-warmer. It seems most functions have varying degrees of intensity, but my Korean isn't good enough yet to understand what any of it means. If there isn't a picture of a butt with water hitting it, I'm out of luck.

The day I moved into my apartment, I recall standing in the doorway of my bathroom just kind of looking at my toilet, skeptically sizing up this apparatus with colorful buttons and flashing lights. It was almost like having another person in the apartment! I wasn't sure what to think about it and I was certainly apprehensive about pushing the buttons. Usually, I feel the need to touch just about everything around me, but this was different. I was intimidated by a household appliance! I mean, where exactly is that water coming from? That was my first question.

Sometime during my first week in Korea, Sophia told me a maintenance man would be coming to my apartment to fix my bidet. "Fix it?!" I said. I had no idea anything was wrong with it . . . and I was sure as hell happy I hadn't tried it out yet. So, that evening I experienced a priceless exchange of hand gestures with an middle-aged Korean man who was determined to restore my bidet to full function. Not only that, but he was was also adamant I understand what would be accomplished by pressing each button. Now, just imagine . . . this man spoke no English. My Korean repertoire at the time was limited to greetings and thank-yous. This means we engaged in a surly comical charades-like "conversation" about a rather personal hygienic device. Basically, this meant to him pointing repeatedly to my nether regions, both back and front, accompanied by ambiguous hand motions and a few sound effects thrown in here and there.

All this only increased my apprehension about my bidet, so I unplugged the thing and until recently have been using the spare electrical outlet for my curling iron (a much less intimidating device). This weekend, however, I vowed to conquer my fear. What's the worst that could happen, right? Sparing you unsavory detail, I'll say everything went off without incident. And with the fall days in Seoul growing cooler and cooler, that seat warmer is really growing on me!

Autumn in Seoul

My senior English service colleague, Mr. Chae, and I took a stroll through the KBS "Sunken Garden" after lunch on Monday. Fall is beautiful in Seoul! The park across from KBS looks like a quilt of autumn colors when I look down onto the trees from my office window.

My technological experience

Upon moving to the land of the technologically savvy (or at least those who have figured out how to build electronics most cheaply), I had some assumptions about what this could mean for me. Turns out, like many other things, my speculations have been pretty far off-base. First of all, I assumed consumer electronics like televisions, cell phones, cameras, and stereos would be less expensive than in the U.S. That's certainly not the case. When I decided to buy a cordless phone for my apartment, I was shocked to find out that these handy items that go for as little as $30 in the States can't be found for less than $100 here. In order to get a decent one (the first one I bought was dysfunctional--NO, not the operator) I had to shell out about $150. Just for dramatic effect, let's call it 150,000,000 Korean won! I decided the freedom to roam around my apartment, indulging my Attention Deficit Disorder while I chit chat is well worth millions of won.

Here's a picture of my cell phone. I actually got a pretty good deal on this. It was about $100, plus a fee for my monthly service plan. What I'd like to call special attention to, however, is the little black squarish thingy dangling from the phone. It's called a "Pebble" and it might just be my favorite technological advancement yet. And IT was only four million won ($4 USD).



The Pebble is a handy dandy little doodad that stores credit for public transportation fares. When you board a bus or pass through a turnstile at a subway station, you hold the Pebble up to a sensor and the cost of your trip is automatically deducted from your balance. You can reload the Pebble with money at any subway station by holding it up to a machine and inserting your desired amount of cash. It costs me about one dollar to get to work on the bus each day. You can also use the same method to pay for things in subway convenience stores.

The other dangly thing on my phone is just a KBS accessory. Most Koreans have one decoration or another (or ten) hanging from their cell phones. I noticed the same fad when I visited Japan in August. I've found it very interesting to check out the various accessories people have chosen for their phones. It takes people watching to a whole new level.

A little side job

My students. Seohyeon, 9, left. Seojin, 8, right.



I started giving English lessons to two sisters, ages eight and nine, after work today. I will tutor them for one hour every Monday night. Although they attend an English institute, I was amazed at how well the girls could read. They hadn't seen any of the books before and were able to read them cover to cover, pronouncing everything almost perfectly. Although they can sound out words very well, I'm not sure how much of the story is comprehended. I stopped a few times to ask questions. After the character in one story, " . . . nodded in agreement," I asked the girls, "Do you know what it means to nod?" They just stared back at me blankly.

After reading four books we just sat and chatted and their mother brought out colorful trays teeming with fruit. When the subject of age came up, Seohyeon guessed "Teacher" is 32 (Ahhh!). Seojin was much more kind, guessing 23.

KBS World Radio--English Newscast

Here's a short video of part of a newscast. I made a pretty poor showing, actually, but it gives you the idea. I recorded it on my digital camera. For those of you who can access our programming via the KBS World website, the quality (and performance) is usually much better than this.

Subway shopping

Subway stations in Seoul are underground marketplaces buzzing with commerce around the clock. I went through four stations today on a trip to Itaewon and discovered you can buy everything from household plants to makeup to groceries on your way from one stop to another. The quality of items is questionable (ties for $2.00, "silk" scarves 2/$3), but just looking through the myriad options is mind-boggling. Items for purchase range from imported goods from all over the world to crafts, artwork, and food being made right at the station. Here are some shots I took in Sindorim, Hapjeong, and Itaewon stations.