Today was Pepero Day in Korea. I won’t try to explain… just watch the video, the kids are at their cutest.
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korea
In the 3rd month of Adam’s stay in Korea during his 29th year of life, he visited Dosan Seowon. (I’m sorry, I’m sorry; I couldn’t resist… I’ve read so many Korean history markers.) Dosan Seowon was one of the premier Confucian academy’s. It was established in 1574 “during the 7th year of King Seonjo’s reign [...]
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For my entire life, I’ve longed to be the most popular kid in school. It’s a position I have coveted since age 3. At first I took the academic track to popularity. Unfortunately, around the age of 18 I realized that making good grades does not make one popular. But today, I made it! Cousin [...]
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I cannot do justice to Bulguksa Temple… It was originally built it 528 A.D., but expanded (in its current form) in 751 A.D. It is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site, which is impressive on it’s own right… (there aren’t many American UNESCO World Heritage Sites). My photos could never convey the importance of this [...]
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Near the top of Mt. Palgongsan is Donghwasa Temple. It was amazing — that’s all I can say. The original structures of Donghwasa Temple were built in 493 A.D., and it was expanded in 832 A.D. — all during the 992 year reign of the Silla Dynasty. You can read more about the temple here. [...]
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I made it up Mt. Palgongsan this weekend — it’s on the outskirts of Daegu (map). After searching for the correct bus for 2 hours (Korea’s tourism website had the wrong bus listed and the tourism center went to lunch right when I found it), I was starting to wonder if was worth it. But, [...]
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When you live in Korea, you become completely inundated with Kpop. This basically means that in any given month there will be several popular songs that you hear ALL THE TIME! I know we think this happens in America when pop groups gain fleeting popularity, but please understand, IT IN NO WAY COMPARES TO KOREA. [...]
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One Korean pop band I really like is the Wonder Girls. They just finished touring with the Jonas Brothers in America and are evidently working on an English language album to be released this year. Their first single “Tell Me” sparked a national dance craze, thereby prompting me to post a video of cops doing [...]
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This weekend I went to the Andong Folk Village, which is a collection of homes, cultural assets, and historical artifacts from the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392) and the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). Most of these buildings were moved to its current location when the Andong Dam was built in 1976 so that they would not be submerged. [...]
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When I was about to leave Andong Folk Village, there was a nice little cultural center with more information. Outside, they had speakers disguised as swans playing music… they were playing Beyonce. And not just any Beyonce, it was Crazy in Love… quite possibly the most ghetto-fabulous song/video ever. I couldn’t help but laugh… and [...]
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My new favorite thing in life are bedazzled ties. I see them everywhere. In fact, it took some a bit of searching for me to find a tie that was not bedazzled. Of course, I think I only love them because I know I could never wear them (they don’t go with plaid). Here’s the [...]
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I half expected it to be like Colonial Williamsburg, but that was far from the case. Apart from being a lot older, the village has never been invaded, so the houses are in their original structures. And, unlike Williamsburg there aren’t any historical actors with fake accents pretending to churn butter… in fact, you really can’t go in to any of the houses because people still live there. According to their website, 176 families live in Hahoe Village.
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Several folks asked about the slippers, so I thought I’d get a Korean to explain. Woon-ji was wonderful enough to stop by this morning and give a quick explanation of slipper use (in between packing for school and getting her visa… nothing big… ). I had hoped that there was an ancient story involving a [...]
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Upon arriving in Korea I came across a lot of new stuff… but my favorite BY FAR are the elevators with the buttons that you can press and then un-press. Don’t be jealous the next time you accidentally push the wrong button and everyone starts judging you (because they do judge). Of course, I realize [...]
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Today was my first day of classes at the hakwon… I am way more tired than I should be. But here’s what’s funny: I have spent days upon days stressing over the rules I would have in my classroom, thinking that a strong structural support system would provide the launching pad they needed to make [...]
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My kitchen isn’t fully stocked yet, but I was still able to cook my first Korean meal. It’s a Korean fusion dish combining the classic beef bulgogi with Pringles and Diet Coke. Yum! I hope you’re laughing with me and not at me.
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I’ve finished my first week in Andong, Korea (well, work week), and things are moving along well. I’ll skip the boring stuff, but work went well, and I got my papers through immigration. The bestest news is that I moved into my apartment after a week at the Hotel 9, which seems to specialize in [...]
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I’m moving to Korea in about 5 weeks, so my own video editing has taken a backseat to selling everything I own… however, in the process of moving I have, of course, found many wonderful things about Korea. And this video of cops dancing to Wonder Girls’ Tell Me has to be the most fabulous [...]
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