Two Crude Mandudes (Korean Culture): Recent Episodes

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The Two Crude Mandudes come full circle in this very sentimental podcast finale. We were quite sad to say goodbye, but it's time to move on to new and exciting projects. Hear the origin stories of how and why we came up with the ideas/themes behind the show, how Korea has changed us, future plans for the Mandudes, and more! Make sure to keep checking the blog and Facebook page, as we will update you with future creative endeavors of the Two Crude Mandudes. Thanks everyone for taking the time to listen and support us. Remember to keep geeking out Korean style!

Download MP3All music by The Uni-Tablist (besides the opening track, I can't find the artist name, sorry!)

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...And we're back! The Two Crude Mandudes Reunion Spectacular is finally here. Who better to give you tips on how to live frugally than two of Korea's most thrifty residents? In the first half of the show we catch you up on all latest TCM happenings followed by a guide to saving your hard earned Korean won.

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Music:

Jazzyfact - A Tribe Called Jazzyfact
Telepathy - Techno Shoes
잠비나이(Jambinai) - 소멸의 시간(Time Of extinction)

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When I was back in the US, I really missed the sights and sounds of Seoul. It was quite easy to find images and video but I really had a difficult time coming across the atmospheric sounds I was missing so much. Thus, the goal of this podcast was the fill that void. Hope you enjoy it!

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The Two Crude Mandudes have finally reunited after a 2 year hiatus and it feels good! A new podcast is the works but until then, I have a new feature to hold you over. It's no secret that Hongdae is the most vibrant neighborhood in Seoul, and I'll be living in and documenting the area over the next few months. So far I've been overwhelmed with how much there is to see beyond the normal sites and sounds I used to get on my weekend trips here. I am really excited to bring to you a detailed look at the streets of Hongdae!

Hondgae is one of the few places I can think of in Seoul where you can find an abundance of street art of various types. By far, my favorite is the graffiti.

Most modern graffiti in the US seems to be about "bombing" or tagging territory, just getting your name out for people to see in the quickest way possible. The cool thing about the graffiti here is the vast majority of it is quite artistic, and in my opinion makes the general street aesthetic more exciting and diverse.

There aren't a lot of mediums for people to sincerely express themselves through in Korean life, and I find a good amount of the pieces I find here have a political context I rarely see in other aspects of Korean culture.

I also love the creative way the artist incorporate the landscapes in their work.

Look forward to next week's Hongdae Streets which will focus on a unique aspect of Korean neighborhood's - residential gates

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That's right, your favorite Mandudes are gearing up to reunite in Korea and you'll be sure to reap the benefits. It's no secret that we've been doing the podcast/blog across the sea, or how I have desperately been missing life in Korea. I'll be back in Korea for a while and I'm really looking forward to bringing all the 2CM flavor your way while I'm there. Besides our arcade video (here) we haven't done much in the video category. If you have any requests of places to shoot be sure to let us know. I plan to shoot and edit some video of our favorite spots and upload them in the next few months. Also, we're planning fresh podcasts for your ears, so get excited because we sure are!

-David

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The Two Crude Mandudes are coming at you with two hours of Korean flavor! Quite literally, with this episode picking up where the previous episode left off with Korean cuisine. This time we focus on he vast amount of restaurants you'll find in the Seoul area. The TCM break down the main districts of Seoul and inform you on Seoul's best restaurants. It's not all about food though, this episode includes talk about:

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Two Crude Mandudes are timelessThe best cat cafeFemale presidentGender rolesMiscellaneous Korean newsThe return of the Uni-Tablist - "Get Funked"Different bar scenesFavorite things about Korea "Korean Food Rap" Food in ItaewonItalian restaurants -La Bocca, Sortinos, At the VillaMacaroni MarketTCM favorite rare ingredients - Articokes and Avacado Vatos - best Mexican foodMexican foodGuilty pleasures Wolfhound Subway HongdaeJapanese influenceKokoro BentoIndian Food - YetiBundang Myeongdong Chinese foodDelivery Yogi
Wrapping up
Music
Siberian Husky - 오늘밤에 / PK - Korean Food Rap / 룩앤리슨(LOOK & LISTEN) - 19

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When I was just out of high school, my friend Eric and I came up with a tradition. We would take a drive to San Gabriel California to eat Asian cuisine and do comic book shopping. San Gabriel is a city with a large Asian population, so there were many businesses that sold imported goods. However, the majority of our time was spent in Chinese comic book stores. We would spend hours in the comic shops, searching for books that would fit our individual tastes. We would come out with stacks of manga (Japanese comics) and manhwa (Korean comics) that had been translated to Chinese. It didn’t matter that neither of us could read Chinese, if book was any good, the artwork would tell the story. It was those trips that would solidify my love for Asian culture. Had we never found those comic book shops, I doubt I’d be living in Korea today. That’s why I was surprised to find comic book shops in Korea are surprisingly hard to come by. I had bought Korean comics in the past, and I had heard that Korean’s love comics, so when I came to Korea I expected there to be plenty of places to feed my addiction. I was wrong. Sure, there are a few options for comic shopping, like Kyobo Bookstores and a few smaller retailers in big cities, but none of these places can compare with the selection found at Book Sae Tong in Hongdae. Book Sae Tong is located just outside of Hongik Univ. Station Exit 8. The shop itself is a basement location so it could be easily missed if you aren’t paying attention. Luckily, the entrance way is lined with posters of anime and manga characters, so if you spot those, you’ll know that you are in the right place. The first thing you’ll see as you descend the steps is that the shop is quite large. They have a huge selection of manhwa in aisles and shelves that fill the entire room. The end caps on each aisle have small displays where the newest and most popular books are advertised. The majority of the comics are Japanese books translated to Korean, but if you look hard enough you can find some native entries. I saw copies of my favorite Korean comic, Backbone in one of the aisles. You’ll find all of the popular manga titles there too. Books like Naruto, One Piece, Slam Dunk, and Dragon Ball Z all have their own sections in the aisles.In the far end of the store, they have a number of art and design books. I saw many sketch book collections from popular artists like Alex Ross. They also have some books about production designs for movies, anime, and video games. There were a number of cosplay books and magazines that can also be found in this section. Some of these books were translated to Korean, but many of them are in Japanese or English. For fans of western comics, Book Sae Tong has small section devoted tocomic books in English. You can find volumes of popular books like Watchmen, Spider-Man, Batman, Superman, and Avengers. Their selection of English books are limited. If you are looking to find a bigger selection of comics from the west, you’d be better off visiting What The Book in Itaewon. I highly recommended checking out Book Sae Tong whether or not you are a comic book fan. Manga/manhwa fanatics will enjoy browsing the aisles filled with their favorite books. And for those of you who don’t have an interest in comics, you I recommend that you visit the store anyway, since it will give you a glimpse into an aspect of Korean culture that you may not otherwise come across.Directions to Book Sae Tong:Take the Seoul Green Line (Seoul Subway Line 2) and get off at Hongik University Station. Take Exit 8 and make a right at the street corner (do not cross the street). You will see the entrance to Book Sae Tong on your right.

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The Uni-Tablist is back and this time he’s delving deep into Seoul’s underground music scene to bring you the best of South Korean hip-hop! The Two Crude Mandudes mixtape series continues with Korean Hip-Hop And Ya Don’t Stop! As always, if you’re looking for K-pop you are in the wrong place. This mix highlights the best hip-hop acts to come out of Seoul and spans a wide range of emcees and DJs from different eras throughout South Korea’s hip-hop history. Seoul’s freshest acts are all here! The Dynamic Duo, Noise Mob, and Paloalto hit you with the bass heavy beats of the modern hip-hop scene, while acts like Huckleberry P, Mad Clown, and Basick bring tongue-twisting lyricism to the table. The pioneers of the underground hip-hop culture are also represented with 90’s cuts from Garion, Drunken Tiger, and Seo Taiji and the Boys. It doesn’t matter if you are a seasoned hip hop head or a newcomer to the genre, this is a non-stop action packed megamix from start to finish showcasing the most talented underground hip-hop artist in South Korea. What are you waiting for?! Pop open a Milkis, crank your boombox to 11 and press play! The Uni-Tablist presents The Two Crude Mandudes Mixtape: Korean Hip-Hop And Ya Don’t Stop! Check it out on iTunes, or download a MP3 here: The Two Crude Mandudes Mixtape: Korean Hip-Hop And Ya Don’t Stop!Tracklist: 1. The Introduction (feat. The Quiett) - DJ Dopsh2. Vibra - Jazzyfact3. 우린 때론 슬퍼도 웃어- Creiz Rap'er & Paloalto4. Canvas – Critic 5. Rap Badr Hari – Huckleberry P6. Where You At (feat. Basick, Paloalto & Rocky L) [Remix] – B-Free7. Show Time (feat. Nastyz) - Animato & DJ Tiz8. Monster (feat. Rakka & Rakim) – Drunken Tiger9. The Recipe Of Lyrical Chemistry – Fana10. Hip-Hop Lives (From Seoul Korea) – Paloalto 11. Mic Check - Basick12. 제끼자 (feat. Yankie & Yabul) – Dynamic Duo13. Nu Music (feat. Vasco) – Infinite Flow14. When the Earth Was Conqured - Seo Taiji and the Boys15. ??? - Garion 16. Addsp2ch Interlude – JA17. I'm No Good (feat. Minos & Simon Dominic) – E-Sens18. 그림에 떡 (Dynamic Sinsa Rangers) –Dynamic Duo19. Get Busy – Mad Clown 20. Go MOBday - Noise Mob

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ET Land (Electronics Land) in Yongsan isn’t just a great place to buy electronics and records; it’s a great place for hobbyists too. Now, I’m no expert on model building, and I was a boy when I built my last model car. My father, on the other hand, was a model train collector and I was surrounded by the hobbyist culture when I was a child. Visiting hobby shops kind of finds it’s way into your blood, and I have to admit that after seeing the wide selection of hobby supplies, puzzles, and models that are available for purchase, I am tempted to try my hand at model building once again. There are many hobby shops in ET Land and they each specialize in a specific hobby. Let’s take a quick look at what I believe are the best of the hobby shops. A good place to start is Gundam Base. Gundam Base is easy to find since it is located on the 6th floor of the ET Land building. It is on the same floor as the movie theater, so it is pretty easy to find. When you see the space-aged storefront with the child sized Gundam statue standing in front of it, you’ll know you are in the right place. As you have probably already guessed, Gundam models are their specialty. There is a huge selection of Gundam models and custom parts to choose from. But, if Gundam isn’t your thing, there are models of other anime characters and mechs from shows such as One Piece, Cowboy Bebop, and the Big O.
Next there is Buy the Gun. Buy the Gun is also located on the 6th and is just down the hall from Gundam Base. At first glance this shop looks like an actual gun shop, but if you are aware of the strict gun laws in South Korea, then you’ll know that that couldn’t be the case. This shop carries parts for Airsoft guns (guns that shoot white plastic pellets). Airsoft rifles and handguns are displayed on shelves along the walls and behind glass cases. They also carry custom parts such as scopes, grips, and laser sights. Just past Buy the Gun is Asem Hobby. This has to be my favorite hobby shop due to the range of hobby supplies that they sell. Asem has a large selection of paints, brushes, and tools for all types of hobbies. They have a wide variety of models; everything from cars, military vehicles, Gundams, and dinosaurs. They also carry RC vehicles, Legos, board games and puzzles. Don’t forget to check out the vending machines that they have out in front of the store. These machines are filled with figurines from popular anime franchises like Dragon Ball Z, Naruto, and Pokémon. Our last stop on this trip to ET Land is a place called Hobby Plaza. Hobby Plaza is on the 8th floor and is just above the movie theater. You can take the escalators to get there. Hobby Plaza is the place to go if you like model trains. They have all types of miniature trains, tracks, and assorted parts to build backgrounds and scenery. They even have Korail and KTX models for sale. If you are a fan of trains, you should definitely check out this store. Another nice thing is that Hobby Plaza is that it is conveniently located on the same floor as the food court. It’s a great place to rest and grab a bite to eat after a long day of shopping.

There are a few other shops in the building that also deserve mentioning. A store called DSGamer is a (perhaps) XBOX retailer and is located on the 6th floor next to the movie theater and has Master Chief and playable KINECT demo stations out in front of it.

There are also a number of used video game retailers on the same floor. The movie theater is also worth checking out since they sometimes have specials showings of films from China and Japan. On more than one occasion I’ve seen kung-fu and anime movies advertised there. I do believe that these types of films are limited showings, so make sure you ask the employees at the theater for the dates, times, and languages. Directions to ET Land are available here: ET Land: Seoul’s Vinyl Heaven

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As promised, here are the accompanying snack pictures to our latest podcast, Korean Food! pt.1.

The above image is of one of David's favorite's: "Chicken drumstick chips". The black box is for those who like their chicken extra hot and the red box is mild. I've never tasted anything like these before....well besides actual chicken!

Here's a fall/winter scene in Korea, street vendors selling Matt's favorite, chestnuts. Nothing keeps you warmer during the harsh Korean winter than a warm bag of chestnuts in your pocket. Really! A little on the pricey side, these chocolate covered macadamia nuts are awesome and easy to find at any convenience store. I particularly like the "cheese cake" although I always called it cheese bread. This is the Japanese version I found at our local Korean market in Texas; however, the Korean one is one portion and not as thick. To the right check out the red bean filled fish bread! These are usually sold by street vendors much like the chestnuts and are really good as long as you don't mind red bean.

If you want to check out the subway supermarket we mention in the episode as well make sure to head over to our new Facebook page for a video and pictures from our buddy Tom.

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Homemade KimbopThe Two Crude Mandudes are finally talking about Korean food. Loved by some, hated by others, Korean food is one of the most unique aspects of Korean culture, and it plays a central role in the lives of everyone living in Korea. In this episode we try to go beyond kimchi and galbi (Korean BBQ), and discuss some of our favorite dishes and how they compare to other foods around the world. Download MP3In this episode we discuss:CerealTCM new Facebook pageTyphoons and stormsStreet performers What does Gagnam Style mean for Korea?Korean wave and KpopOur favorite snacksFirst experience with Korean foodWhat Koreans think about foreign foodOne word to describe Korean foodCan you eat alone in public?KimbopIs Korean food really healthy?Gluten woesQuestioning what we eatStyles of restaurants Matt's silkworm larva challenge!Music featured in this episode:THE KOXX(칵스) Take me far from home냉면 Naengmyun (Cold Noodles) songGLEN CHECK (글렌체크) - 'RACKET' 3...2...1...CONTACT!twocrudemandudes@gmail.com@wowzajdniii@unitablist

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I haven’t done much record shopping since I arrived in Korea. It is one of my biggest regrets. The reason for this is a practical one; I have nothing to play records on. When I left the California to come to South Korea I stuck my 1500+ record collection in a storage unit and my turntables were locked up with them. My intention was that the next time that I visited the states I would get my portable record player and return to dig deep into the Korean crates. But here I am, three years later with six records to my name. It’s embarrassing really, especially since I know the best place for record shopping in Korea. This location has been one of Seoul’s best kept secrets for vinyl, until now. Welcome to Seoul’s vinyl heaven: ET Land.ET Land is a huge building that lies northwest of Yongsan Station. You can see ET Land if you look out across the construction site where Yongsan Landmark Tower will soon be. However, those of you who have listened to the Yongsan episode of the Two Crude Mandudes podcast may recall that getting anywhere in Yongsan is no easy feat. And ET Land is no exception. To get to ET Land you’ll have to take a convoluted path through buildings and across bridges. You’ll probably get lost on your first attempt to get there, most people do (I've provided detailed directions to ET Land below). But once you’ve made it to your destination you’ll find that any frustration that you had experienced on your journey was well worth it.ET Land is packed full of goodies for electronics nerds. Inside there are stalls selling everything from computer parts to professional audio and video equipment. You could spend hours browsing each floor of the building. But if records are what you are looking for, you’ll want to go to the second floor where the audio department is located.It may take a few minutes before you come to the record stores, but there should be no doubt that you are in the right place when you start to see high-end audio shops. These shops are impossible to miss due to their selection of custom turntables and speakers. Keep walking and you’ll start to see the records. There are two types of records shops in ET Land: Organized shops and unorganized shops. The organized record shops cater to serious record collectors. They have the LPs separated by genres and will be alphabetical order. These shops typically have a good selection of classic rock, new wave, and jazz. The prices at the organized record shops can get expensive. Be prepared to spend 20,000 upwards for a rock or jazz record. Most records are in the 20,000-40,000 won price range with a few rare records reaching up to 80,000! That being said, the conditions of the LPs are superb. Each record comes in a plastic sleeve and proprietors will allow you to inspect the vinyl before you buy it. The unorganized record shops cater to the crate digger. The records are in boxes and shelves and are usually in no particular order (a few of the unorganized shops that I visited had the records separated by genre). You’ll have to do a lot more searching to find a great record, but if you grew up on digging for records at secondhand stores you’ll feel right at home. Most of the records in the unorganized shops are in fair to good condition. LPs sell for about 10,000 won and 45s are priced around 5,000 won, however, you can find better deals if you shop from the discounted bins. One vendor was selling LPs 3 for 10,000 won. If you are looking for electronic music, punk, and hip-hop, these discount bins are the best place to look. Also, the majority of the shops in ET Land have listening stations where you can sample your selections before you make a purchase. And for you music lovers who don’t have a record player, there is a large selection of new and used C.D.s too (Come on! Vinyl still sounds best!). Make sure that you give yourself plenty of time to explore ET Land, there is a lot worth seeing besides the record shops. There are restaurants, a movie theater (which occasionally shows anime movies), hobby shops, video games, a shop that sells imported Blue-ray disks, and I even saw a place that specializes in gun replicas (Perhaps airsoft guns). If you are anything like me, you could easily spend half a day there and leave with bag loads of treasures. Hopefully, you’ll come home with that elusive LP that you’ve been looking for. Happy hunting!-MattDirections to ET Land:

From Yongsan Station take exit 3 towards iPark Mall. When you exit the doors turn right. Go to the end of the walk way and look out across the construction site. You should see ET Land from there (the sign is red and green on grey). Look over to your right you'll see an enclosed bridge (it’s blue and impossible to miss). Take this enclosed bridge to the first building (inside you’ll see people selling videogames, PCs, and cameras). Turn left and walk until you come to a staircase (on your left). Go up one floor and turn right. Exit the door that leads to another enclosed bridge (this one is green). Follow the path till you come to a parking garage. Go through the garage till you are outside. You should see a crosswalk at the end of the street. Turn left at the signal (do not cross the street). Walk one block and cross the next crosswalk you come to. Walk past the Woori Bank and the entrance for ET Land is on the left. Go to the second floor and look around. I promise you you'll find records. If you have any questions related to record collecting in Korea or know of any other places to buy records that you would like to share, leave a comment below or tweet me on twitter: @unitablist

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