Ask MetaFilter posts tagged with korea

Vengeance manifested throught different cultures.

Knigel — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 11:13:11 -0800

Please help me find the gods and goddesses of Revenge and Vengeance in Greek theatre, Shakespearean theatre, as well as popular movies (mainly Oldboy and Titus Andronicus). I have mainly been seeking Nemesis (and her other guises) in Shakespearean theatre. I am also trying to find Korean manifestations of Vengeance in mythology. I would like to teach my Korean students by connecting Shakespearean plays such as Titus Andronicus to Park Chan-Wook's Vengeance Triology (mainly Oldboy). I am interested in cultural differences and similarities of revenge. I am also interested in protagonist and antagonist foils and mirrors in relation to revenge/vengeance and how different cultures (Western/Asian/Korean) construct them.

Korean Music Meta Meta Uber Filter

Knigel — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 11:10:29 -0800

Please help me find Korean music. I am learning Korean; therefore, I would like to practice my listening. Not only that, but I'd like to learn as much of the diverse culture as possible. I am looking for anything and everything. I would like traditional and modern, conservative and outrageous, mainstream and alternative. I am looking for soundtracks and singles. I am looking for torrents, radio links, youtube, websites, lyric sites, your favourite songs, songs that you hated, songs with lyrics, songs without lyrics. I am looking for anything that would make this the best Korean music thread on AskMe MeFi. Kamsahamnida.

What do I need to do to get ready for a move to South Korea?

Anonymous — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 17:49:51 -0800

I'm moving to South Korea in August to teach English for a year and I have a few questions, but would appreciate advice in general. I have lived abroad before in Japan (I realize the countries are quite different, but I just wanted to make it clear that I'm fully aware of "Ugly American Syndrome" and will avoid it at all costs), but I'm curious about a few things regarding the ROK (I'll be living in Seoul, btw, and I currently speak no Korean at all).

1) I'm 6'1' and have a 38' waist. Will I have a hard time finding clothes as needed? Obviously, I want to bring as little junk over as possible.

2) What can I expect as the hottest and coldest weather conditions?

3) What are some things I should bring but probably haven't thought about? My mainstays will be -- business casual outfits for teaching (slacks and dress shirts and ties with maybe two sports coats), a lap-top for internet access, language books with audio courses already on my computer's hard drive. That's really about it. Other than my passport and wallet and excitement, what am I forgetting?

Is there anything good about living in Seoul as an expat?

8k — Thu, 29 May 2008 09:54:14 -0800

Is there anything good about living in Seoul as an expat? Looking for first-hand experience to counter my (largely unfounded) negative impressions. My husband might be able to get a transfer to Seoul which would almost certainly provide a big step forward in his career and, more importantly, involve work that he finds very interesting. I might even be able to line up a job there myself (in fact I would have to, as it doesn't sound cheap).

My problem is that Korea is one of the few countries that I have consciously thought I wouldn't enjoy. Admittedly my experience of it is limited to transferring at Seoul airport about 12 years ago, but from overhead it seemed an ugly city, and I didn't sense that people are very warm towards strangers. I like the food and I used to know a couple of lovely Korean women several years ago, but they were pretty demure and from what they said it seems a very conservative culture; at least where women are concerned.

I'd like to be optimistic about possible this move but am finding first-hand descriptions of living in Seoul rather difficult to track down on the internet - and what I have found is mostly limited to young ESL teachers living on the cheap, which we are not.

Can anyone tell me what it's like living there? Things like weather, culture, meeting people, entertainment, eating out, getting out of town - good, bad or indifferent.

Links to decent info about cost of living would be very welcome too - estimates I've found range dramatically, presumably because they're polarised between young teachers and rich executives; we would be somewhere in between.

thanks

Korea travel advice?

betterton — Thu, 22 May 2008 16:39:11 -0800

South Korea travel advice: Seoul, Jeju, elsewhere? The partner and I are traveling to Korea in July for 10 days. We're flying through Seoul to Jeju island to attend a conference for 5 days. The other 5 days we have free time for travel. The easiest things to do are to stay in Jeju or Seoul, but we could go to other places.

I've gotten some useful info from these previous threads, but welcome more input since I'm pretty clueless about Korea.

We like to be outdoors and exercise, so are currently leaning towards more time in Jeju. On the other hand, we really like to eat and have had a great time on previous food-centered trips in Japan and Taiwan, so maybe more time in Seoul is better (especially since we're vegetarians). People seem to recommend a temple stay so we'll probably try that in Seoul.

If you've traveled in Korea - how would you split your time between Seoul, Jeju, and elsewhere? What would you recommend doing?

How can I protect myself in international business deals?

lukeklein — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 12:16:05 -0800

Will the Korean doctor rob me blind?? Here's the long and short of it... my father is the doctor that pioneered tumescent liposuction. he teaches his techniques to other doctors on a regular basis and manufactures the tools and equipment involved with the procedure. Recently, a doctor from Korea, I'll call him Dr. Lee, took my father's course and liked it so much that he expressed an interest in teaching the course in Korea and to sell my fathers products in his courses. My father is very interested, but feels concerned that he must submit all of his technical files to Dr. Lee so that he can submit them in an application to the Korean FDA for approval. He will be distributing them through his company.

What should I/my father do? What risks can I avoid and what haven't I thought of? What recourse would I have if we were double-crossed?

If anyone can think of a solution and/or talk me down from committing a heinous mistake, I would be eternally grateful.

Thanks a million,

--Luke

NY Philharmonic concert in N.Korea. Where to listen?

priorpark17 — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 23:59:23 -0800

New York Philharmonic perform today Tuesday a in Pyongyang. How can I listen? Is it streamed? URGENT

Time to eat my vegetables

bassjump — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 09:21:30 -0800

Vegetarian seeks advice for traveling in Korea and China. I'm going on two business trips this year that will take me to Korea and China. I'll spend a few days each in Shanghai and Seoul, and 2-3 weeks in Beijing. I'm also hoping to do a couple more weeks of more laid-back travel in the south of China (Kunming, Dali, Lijiang, Yangshuo). I'm really excited for these trips, but I do want to ask what I can expect as a vegetarian.

I eat eggs and dairy. I do not eat fish, shellfish, chicken, beef, pork, etc. If a broth is meat- or fish-based, I generally eat it. I thought about trying to eat meat for the sake of convenience, but it's been about thirteen years. Recently I accidentally ate a bite of chicken that had sneaked into my tofu curry, and my brain registered it as "not food." So I just can't do it.

I don't know any Korean, but I will be with a bilingual colleague while I'm in Seoul. I'll be more on my own in China, but I've been making my way through the Rosetta Stone Mandarin lessons. Thanks to other AskMe threads, I've ordered "The Eater's Guide to Chinese Characters."

So, I'm looking for advice on what to eat, how to avoid things I don't eat, how to know what's what, and most of all how to be polite and respectful about this. Thanks in advance!

What's the startup community like in Korea and Japan?

mhh5 — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 11:38:11 -0800

What's the startup community like in Korea and Japan? I'm sorta wondering how I can find out how many small businesses there are (and what kind of moolah funds them) in Korea and Japan.. but just the ones that are sorta "Web2.0" or have a mostly online business. Any ideas? Are there government resources that track private companies and categorize them that way? Thanks in advance!

Good/bad/indifferent time to buy in to China funds?

stavrosthewonderchicken — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 16:27:11 -0800

Investment timing: what do you think of the timing at the moment for dropping money into China funds, or BRICs? I'm very much on-board and up-to-date on the impending recession (or worse) in America, the ongoing housing collapse, the devaluation of the dollar, and growing credit woes, for what it's worth. I'm also aware of the need to carefully investigate the fee structure of any potential investment. I am fairly risk-adverse, but wanting to diversify and see if I can bring in a little higher average rate of return over the whole portfolio.

The wrinkle here is that the currency I'd be buying in to a fund or funds with would be Korean won. (Let's say, if it's germane, that I'm thinking on the order of the equivalent of tens of thousands of dollars, currently making about 6%, basically zero risk.)

The ones I'm looking at (although I am very much aware that 'past results are no guarantee of future performance') have averaged a 60%-100+% return in the past couple of years. Needless to say, that kind of thing is tempting indeed.

Any hard info, links, or just opinions would be most welcome, as I'm still far from fully-versed in this stuff.

Are there books on animation outsourcing?

235w103 — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 07:45:24 -0800

Are there any good books or resources on the American animation boom of the late 80s/early 90s that came as a result of outsourcing animation to (I think) Korean studios? Do any Mefites have a personal connection to animation during those years? In the past, I've heard that there was a massive shift in American animation in the late 1980s from in-house production to Korean outsourcing, that allowed for the massive amount of somewhat shoddy but very good animated shows of the early 90's- the Tick, Earthworm Jim, etc. I'm trying to bring this into something that I'm writing- does anyone know if there are any resources that go into this to some degree of detail? Thanks!

Korean International SMS

sleslie — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 00:05:10 -0800

Internanational SMS text messaging in Korea. Is it possible to send a message from my pre paid LG-telecom phone to a user in Hong Kong or China? I have typed in 001-852-xxxx-xxxx and 002-852-xxxx-xxxx and would like to know if I am doing the right thing. I'm in Gangnam right now and cannot get anyone to help me in the nearby LG shop.

line-spacing in Korean MS Word

washburn — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 19:37:36 -0800

Line spacing in international (Korean) versions of Microsoft Word? I teach freshman comp at an American university, and my sections often include international students. I've noticed that some of these students, particularly those who tell me that they're using versions of Microsoft word they've brought with them from Korea, turn in papers with very wide (2.5?) spaces between lines, rather than with the usual double-spacing one would see in papers printed with US versions of Word.

Is there some reason why versions of Microsoft Word from Korea uses such wide line-spacing when printing text in Western characters, and is there any particular difficulty in getting such copies of Word to use the same spacing as American versions of Word? What instructions should I give my students to insure that their lines are spaced in the same way they're spaced by US copies of Word? A few students have said this is a Word issue, and told me that this spacing is somehow difficult to adjust.

At first I thought this was just an odd thing, but I've noticed it now in the papers of several students.

Korean Brand "Lecaf"

priorpark17 — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 16:40:04 -0800

Koreans: Please tell me about the brand "Lecaf". Is it cool? Is it on the up? Where is it sold? Really, tell me anything about the brand. (I may have a chance of a job with them and I just need some background).

Sites and phones in Seoul

RandlePatrickMcMurphy — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 09:56:57 -0800

Seoul for a day, and... should I buy a mobile phone there? I've got a one day layover in Seoul next week - arriving around 8 PM and leaving at 8 PM the following day. I'm staying at the Ibis Myeong-Dong, if neighborhood is relevant.

The general question: What can I do in 24 hours? What should I do? What do I absolutely have to do? Is it feasible and worthwhile to do a DMZ tour?

The more specific question: I need to replace my aging phone. Is it worthwhile and possible -- from both a financial and technological perspective -- to get a phone in Korea? I'm on T-mobile so can put in my own sim card. Something i-Phone-ish/Blackberry-ish with browsing and email. If so, which phone (presumably a Samsung) should I get?

너를 감사하십시요

Korea vacation - best place to stay at a reasonable price

chump — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 14:54:06 -0800

Korea vacation - best place to stay at a reasonable price? I am looking for any options for a 4 or 5 star hotel on the North half of Seoul, (ie, Hilton, Lotte, etc) but want to find a way to get the rooms for approx $150 a night as opposed to $250. If anyone is aware of any programs, etc for a budget conscious traveler to Seoul.

In Search of the Lost Sword

Soliloquy — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 15:45:56 -0800

I know this is a long shot, but... does anyone out there know the whereabouts of my grandfather's (Marine) sword? It was given to Goodwill in California around 1963 or so. My mother's father was a Marine aviator shot down over Korea when she was only three. Her mother eventually remarried and decided to get rid of many of her late husband's possessions, including the sword, and though my mom requested the sword it was given to Goodwill or the Salvation Army over her objections. She has few things of her father's and still laments the loss of the sword, so I thought I'd see if the hive mind could find it. Maybe some collector or theater group got it.

My mom doesn't remember what it looks like, just that there was a lot of silver. After looking at pictures she thinks it was a NCO sword, but it might have been an officer's sword. The blade was engraved with the name "Van Housen".

Teaching English in Korea

jadanzzy — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 08:56:29 -0800

Which agency/school is the best for teaching English in Corea? My girlfriend is planning on going there for about a year for the purposes of wanting to teach English. Does anyone know any good programs out there? Please include info on housing, pay, location, etc. (or a website would work best).

She is corean-american (spelled with C because that's the ORIGINAL spelling, yay!) and has a very strong conversational speaking ability. Graduated from Emory University with a B.A. in Psychology.

Thank you MF fam.

summer in Seoul

of strange foe — Mon, 14 May 2007 20:06:15 -0800

My friend is going to spend July and August in Seoul for work. She will have some free time -- weekends, she hopes -- to explore Seoul and South Korea... She would really appreciate it if someone who lives/has lived in Seoul could provide some tips on:
1. Good guidebooks/websites/blogs that provide basic (and not-so-basic) information
2. Not to be missed sights/experience/food
3. Things you wish you've brought from the US
4. Internet access, will I be able to download Podcast in a speedy fashion
5. Anything else that's good to know...

don't do it if it hurts

gmarceau — Thu, 10 May 2007 17:50:10 -0800

I had a bad case of RSI that is forcing me to switch career. Help me choose what to do next. I had a bad case of RSI that is forcing me to switch career. Help me choose what to do next.

In February 2004, I came down with a nasty case of repetitive stress injury. I was rushing to make the deadline for my master's thesis (in computer science), I was stressed out, I typed through the pain and injured myself. I did make the deadline and continued on with a Ph.D. program. In 2005, as I was undergoing treatment, my wrists kept worsening until I couldn't type more than a few keystroke without severe pain. I spent 2006 trying to discover ways to finish my Ph.D. without the usage of my hands, without much success. It led, amongst other things, to the creation of the DivaScheme project, but it wasn't enough. Since September I have been on medical leave, unsure if I will ever be a programmer again.

If I am not a programmer, what should I be? The question had never occurred before. I was smart programmer and a good teacher. Academia was the right place for me.

With the injury, I also lost the ability to write by hand on paper for more than a few hours. If I do, my wrists swells up in pain and it takes weeks to recover. This is severely limiting the fields where I can reorient myself. Anything that requires taking classes where I would need to take notes and handwrite exams would be difficult.

I tried applying to become a programming teacher in Québec, but did not received a single callback, let alone an interview or an offer.

I am trying to elevate my speaker building hobby to a business. While I did land a few contracts, it will take time and risks before it can pay the rent.

In January, I have engaged on the pessimistic path. I have entered a professional degree in sheet metal work. It is a unique path, isn't it? I am a man who transferred from a Ph.D. program to a high school program. As you can guess, the high school level classroom is boring my mind numb. I might die of boredom before I make it out of here. But if I stick with the program for one more year, I should land a decent-paying job, one that my wrists support without pain.

Right now I am applying to become an English teacher in South Korea. What will I do if I discover that my wrists cannot handle the paperwork, I don't know. And the thought of leaving my girlfriend for a whole year is putting a sad touch on what should be an exciting adventure. Granted we've only been together for four months, but she is very sweet and wonderful, and I can see myself spending my life with her. (It is not an option for her to follow me to Korea. She has to take care of her son here, in joint custody with the father.)

I am torn. I can't seem to think of any good option for myself.

Thank you for your help. I appreciate.

Korean Soapstone Pots

kuujjuarapik — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 18:36:24 -0800

How does one properly heat a Korean soapstone pot? Looking for that mad-hottedness that makes the rice so crunchy and delicious... I just got my pots in the mail. I've read that I should fill them half up with salt water and boil, then season with sesame oil. Got it. But, when I am ready to make my bibimbab, how is the pot heated? In the oven? Stovetop? What temperatures can they take? Do they need re-seasoning after cooking?

I've already got recipes and marinades, but I wouldn't mind hearing any good ones. I'm not a kitchen noob. I really am just curious about Korean technique.

Seoul layover trip

pravit — Sun, 29 Apr 2007 16:01:53 -0800

Making a trip to Seoul during my 10-hour layover. What should I see and do? I'm going to have a 10-hour layover in Incheon International Airport on my way to Beijing. I've always wanted to see Korea, so I figure this will be my first chance.

I did find another AskMe question asking the same thing, although there weren't many answers. I also found a great article online about squeezing a layover trip to Seoul into this timeframe, but I'd like to hear other opinions from people who know the city well.

I'll be landing in Seoul around 5:20AM - this should be right around sunrise according to timeanddate.com. I'd definitely like to see Gyeongbokgung, though it doesn't open until 9:30. I'd also like to visit the temple mentioned in the article assuming the monks wake up early enough. But if I get there around 6:30AM, I'm not sure if I could really spend three hours hanging out at a temple. I assume Insadong shops won't be open that early either. Anything else around Seoul you could recommend for the early hours?

I love Korean food, especially kimchi, so I'll want to try a lot of local food. I also enjoy Asian-style breakfasts(rice porridge, fermented vegetables, etc.) - where would be a good place to have a Korean breakfast? Do you think I could eat at the temple? I also want to have lunch in Seoul before I head back to the airport - any restaurants around that are OK with guests eating alone? I love eating all sorts of banchan, and I like all the things you usually find in Korean restaurants - bibimbap, kimchi soup, kalbi. Also, is there a lot of street food in Seoul? What are the specialties?

I only know a few words of Korean, so I'm not really counting on it to get me anywhere, but at least I can read hangeul. Every time I pass through Incheon airport I get mistaken for Japanese, though I don't speak it. I do speak fluent English and Chinese. Will the language barrier be any problem?

My flight leaves at 3PM, so I'm planning on having lunch around noon and heading to the airport, taking subway all the way back to Gimpo and then the bus or that new AREX express train back to Incheon. Think that's enough time?

Last thing - I have heard of a Kimchi museum, which I think is awesome. I visited their website, but there weren't many details on what's inside. Do they have actual kimchi exhibits or kimchi tasting? Anyone been there that thinks it's worth visiting?

Oh, and one more thing - when I first moved out I was obsessed with eating Shin Ramyun all the time. I've seen pictures on Google Images of a truck with huge Shin cups on the back. Is there any place to go to see this, or do I just have to be lucky and catch it driving around? Also, there is an amazingly cool Shin Ramyun pen, although the site doesn't seem to sell it anymore. Could I buy it in Seoul?

Thanks for your advice!

Requirements to teach English in Korea

London Irregular — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 12:03:15 -0800

I want to teach English in Korea. Will my 2:2 degree and slightly patch work history affect my prospects? Following this question, I've decided to teach English in Korea, unless something else happens to turn up.

From what I've been reading, the qualification you need is a Batchelor's degree, and TEFL qualifications are more or less useless. I graduated 5 years ago with a UK 2:2 degree (not so good). Since then, I have been doing administration and minimum wage jobs, nothing lasting more than 6 months or so, with a couple of unemployed gaps.

Will this affect my chances of getting a job in a decent school? After reading some of the horror stories about dodgy Hagwons (private schools) I'd like to work somewhere reputable. Do Hagwons or public schools even check out your work history?

A couple of biggypacks: any tips on finding a decent school or even recommendations?

Are there any good forums for Korea newbies while esl cafe is closed to registrations?

Any responses also welcomed to koreaq@gmail.com.

Thanks :)

It's a small world after all.

Saydur — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 14:04:49 -0800

Looking for a bit of advice on working (teaching English most likely) in Japan or Korea. Right now, I am a 23 year old college student prepared to graduate with a B.A. in political science, international studies. I have some ideas about my future career, but it's not quite time yet. I have virtually no commitments right now, relatively low debt from student loans (Roughly 10k), and wanderlust is kicking in. I've decided that teaching English overseas would be a good way to pay the bills, cut away at my debts, and give me some much-needed international experience.

The problem is, where to go? I've never been outside of the United States, so there's no doubt that I'd learn a lot from anywhere I go. Right now, I have a few choices that stand out. Language wise, Japan is appealing. I've learned a little bit of basic Japanese, enough that immersion should be very beneficial. One of my professors who I've taken many courses with has suggested that I go to her home country, Korea. Her reccomendation would probably hold better weight as a foot in the door with a respectable institution.

Of course, there's pros and cons to all of these ideas. My main focus of study has been the northeast Asia area. The first choice was Japan, as I know the teaching programs there are fairly well regulated, safe, and pay well enough to live on reasonably. On the other hand, I know Japan is fairly xenophobic, and I have few contacts to expand my opportunites beyond teaching. My only reservations about Korea are the potential difficulties in learning the language and a few questionable teaching outfits. On the other hand, I've heard the income and cost of living would be best to wipe out my debts, and having contacts can be helpful.

I know there's a number of quality resources on TEFL jobs, so that's not my main concern. Personal experience sharing would be appreciated, whether it's teaching or just living in one of these countries. I would also like any insight on details I may be missing that could influence my decision.

Important details that may help- I have no problem with trying to learn either language, my only reservation about Korean is that I don't know where to find decent resources before going overseas. My personal preference isn't any worry, I know I would enjoy and get a lot out of either path. Money is not a primary concern, I'm used to living a bit frugally and in fairly small quarters. Still, it wouldn't hurt, especially paying off my loan quickly. I also would prefer something that starts in the latter half of this year, which rules out JET. Potential for experiences or contacts that would further a career in international diplomacy or international business would be nice.

Anything to help me make a better informed decision would be appreciated much!

Korean. Boy. Crab. Flower. Rain. Huh?

typewriter — Sun, 28 Jan 2007 11:29:00 -0800

I was given a wee bookmark from my friend with an image from an apparently well-known Korean folktale. My friend, (who is Korean) doesn't know the folktale. Neither do I. But I have a burning desire to find out. The image is of a boy kneeling on an oversized crab, reaching up to grab a big flower. It also appears to be raining. Looking at it, I thought it might be a folktale about selflessness, as the crab is helping the boy reach the flower, even though the crab would not benefit from the flower. Sort of like "The Giving Tree." The bookmark itself is unremarkable, kind of a metal gold thing. I know that it is the work of a Korean artist, but not who, so that doesn't help me track down the original folktale. Also, I'm not at all convinced that my friend who gave me the bookmark isn't pulling my leg, because she is cheeky like that. But if not, I'd like to find the folktale before she does!