Cafe Seoul: Expat Life in Korea: Recent Episodes
Eugene Hwang & Rob Ouwehand
From 2013 to 2017, Café Seoul was a Korea-based expat-lifestyle podcast. Co-hosted by a duo of expats from North America, each episode dealt with a particular hot-button theme or issue. Café Seoul at that time discussed recent news, answered listener questions, and interviewed interesting people all for the sake of intelligent discussion with a dash of humor.
Rob and Eugene started season 6 of Café Seoul discussing time travel films, but decided to rebrand as the Time Travel Forensics podcast. So Café Seoul needed a proper sendoff.
Review of Game of Thrones - Most satisfying deaths, predictions, retrospective of the series so far, etc etc. It wouldn't be Café Seoul without nerding it up.
The Best Goodbyes - Rob finds goodbyes from books, movies, songs and other forms of pop culture. Eugene has to guess where they come from.
On the Pulse: Exit Interview - Rob and Eugene reflect on the past 10 years in Korea. Rob asks Eugene to make top three lists on various expat in Korea related topics while introducing some of his own. Rob also reads a sad sappy (heartfelt) letter to inflate Eugene's ego (but really really appreciated).
This is a supplement to the blackface episode (season 5 episode 2), featuring Fatimaah-Joso Menefee, who penned us a critical email regarding our content in that episode. We invited her to have her via audio clips, and we responded.
Wow, this episode is like 6 months late. Apologies to our guest Hyunsoo Kim, who was kind enough to visit with us in August of 2017 to discuss being "Out" in Korea. Out meaning... LGBTQ.
News of the Weird:
-Chinese Restaurant gives discounts based on bra size
-Ariana Grande creates problem during first concert in Korea, showing favoritism towards Japan
-NY Times calls bubble tea a new trend
On the Pulse: Discussion with Hyunsoo Kim of what it is like to be LGBTQ in Korea, compared to other places that she has lived.
After a long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long period of being very very very very very busy, Eugene has actually finally found time to edit this episode. Rydia is back and our subject today is plastic surgery.
But rather than criticize all the people in Korea getting it, we are discussing why Rydia made the decision to get it in the first place.
During the initial banter of this episode we got some letters from Dave and from Kathleen. Dave's letter sparked a discussion on Western remakes of Asian films. Kathleen's letter caused us to discuss foreigner privilege in Korean settings.
News of the Weird:
-(Korea Herald) Rural village in Korea exposed to nudist resort
-(Huffington Post) - Blogger Praises K-Beauty While Calling Asians ‘Ching Chongs’ In ‘Funny Clothes’
-(BBC) - TV host's race jokes spark Brazil-Korea online war
Rydia Kim was once a co-host on Café Seoul, and she's returned to discuss plastic surgery in Korea. As someone who recently got a procedure or two herself, she's here to elaborate on her decision to get plastic surgery, and how her initial aversion to the practice was overcome. She also goes in detail about how the procedures have helped her to be confident and how it is important to have a positive body image. Later Rob and Rydia discuss why plastic surgery is such a trend in Korea, and how body alterations work in the context of Korea's modern culture.
Rydia can be found @Rydia0722 on Instagram
If you're an expat in Korea, chances are that you are her friend on facebook already, or are at least friends with someone who is her friend. She's very popular afterall.
Nerdy friends rejoice! This is the Spider-Man Homecoming Special episode!
Teen Hero Popularity Contest - Similarly to what we did in the Wonder Woman episode, we talk about some of our favorite teen characters from movies and TV (and books), then make them face off against each other in a 1:1 battle royale to find out which one would hypothetically kick the ass of the others.
Spider-Man Orientation - Discussion of the Spider-Man character, and how we came to know him, as well as some of our favorite storylines, and ranking the movies he's appeared in so far.
Spider-Man Homecoming - In depth discussion of the most recent film, Spider-Man Homecoming.
Special thanks to Emma Kalka for stalking us and using the dark side of the force to trick us into inviting her to appear in this episode.
Café Seoul is back! Korea's traditional culture is the topic of this episode, and we have one of the most knowledgable academics on hand to discuss the role that traditional culture, specifically performance art plays in modern Korean society.
Special Guest: Dr. CedarBough T. Saeji, Korea Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow in Korean Studies
News of the Weird:
-'Creative Korea' slogan abolished
-Active X to be removed from public websites
-Scrapping HIV test for native English teachers 'unacceptable'
On the Pulse:
How relevant to modern Korean society is Korean traditional culture? Many people who observe Korea suggest that Korea's traditional culture is somewhat removed from its modern one, but is that really the case? In this episode we have the benefit of an academic expert to delve into this topic and find out exactly what role traditional culture, specifically performance art plays in Korea today. In addition to the overlying theme, we discuss some initial access points for Korean traditional culture and how one can go about learning more about and enjoying the rich traditional culture Korea possesses.
We're behind in the editing, but better late than never. This episode is about Korea's suicide crisis, so it is a little heavy. Special Guest: Shaun Webb of Shaun on Site
News of the Weird
-Korean scientists try to engineer the smell out of Kimchi
-People named Park Geun Hye changing name at accelerated rates
-Male cop dresses as woman to lure and catch criminals
-Commentary from Korea Times suggests that a wave of anti-Koreanism in the US will begin soon
On the Pulse: Korea has a suicide problem, and we've invited Shaun Webb on the podcast to discuss his own attempted suicide and to discuss the very serious situation in Korea.
Disclaimer: This is is absolutely the longest episode we have ever recorded... Ever. But you know what? It's a podcast and you can listen to it at your own pace and even skip around or skip past parts you find boring.
Dr. Stephen Suh is is an Assistant Professor of Sociology and Women's and Ethnic Studies at the University of Colorado - Colorado Springs. He is currently doing a research project about Korean-American returnees, that is, Korean-Americans who have for one reason or another moved to Korea as adults.
We at Café Seoul became aware of this project when we came across a post in the facebook group "Critical Korean Studies" where Stephen was looking for participants to interview. So this episode not only features an interview of Stephen for the podcast, but it also contains Stephen doing real live research as he interviews Eugene!
News of the Weird:
-American retailer bottles and sells kimchi juice for $17
-North Korea criticizes US for withdrawal from Paris climate deal
-Former Japanese Ambassador to Korea writes a trolltastic book
On the Pulse: Rob first interviews Stephen about his project, then Eugene participates. Here we can find out a lot about what some of the commonalities and differences between Korean-Americans who have chosen to live in Korea. You can also learn a lot about Eugene from some very interesting and sometimes difficult questions posited by Stephen.
Well, we ended up nerding out again. How could we resist when the DC Cinematic Universe finally actually made a good film....?
Emma Kalka and Dr. Michael Hurt also appeared in this episode to help us nerd it up a bit.
So we do away with the traditional format. No news of the weird, no on the pulse... instead we have these special segments:
Amazons of the Past - we discuss some of our favorite badass female characters from movies and TV, then hold a hypothetical single elimination tournament to find out which of these badass women reign supreme!
Everyone's favorite Amazon - about an hour in, we finally start talking about Wonder Woman... and here we all explain how we came to encounter the character and some of our memories about her.
Amazons of the Present - Discussing and reviewing the 2017 Wonder Woman film.
Amazons of the Future - What impact this film will have on the trajectory of the DCU and super hero films in general
After a very popular article published on the Ask a Korean blog, it appears that the definition of the term "K-Pop" is under dispute. So in the second half of this episode Rob and Eugene try to hash it out and come to a more solid definition, but still end up not totally agreeing on it. Oh well!
News of the Weird
-People love President Moon's Dokdo-themed necktie
-Video of "no look pass" from politician goes viral
-People who can find North Korea on a map prefer diplomacy
On the Pulse: So here is where we dive right in and get down to try to define K-Pop. After about 20-30 minutes of discussing it, we decide to make a scoring test to see if your group of choice is or is not K-Pop.
The theme of this episode is the outcome of the recent Korean presidential election, and the title is an admittedly terrible pun.
News of the Weird
-7up publishes kimchi recipe
-Softbank CEO says Korea was part of China
-Anonymous warns against WW3 breaking out in North Korea
On the Pulse - We discuss what we expect a Moon presidency to mean for Korea, what challenges he will face, and which promises he can keep.
News of the Weird
-Apparently Westerners have shorter intestines than Koreans, says one domestic digestive powder producer
-Korea to begin coinless society feasibility trials
-Trump says Korea used to be a part of China, receives well deserved backlash.
On the Pulse – In this episode you can hear two guys who aren't black discuss blackface in Korea. As we try to keep their privilege in check, we acknowledge it's a huge problem even today, and it keeps happening and it frankly makes us angry.
North Korea Acting Up Again?
News of the Weird:
-Questionable Journalism skills alert: Lawmaker proposes plan to include migrant families in the definition of multicultural so that they can also get government support, meanwhile he expects special treatment from police regarding his breaking of traffic laws
-Airbnb host bans host who refused Asian guest
-Doctor dragged off United flight has questionable past
On the Pulse
Why does nobody in South Korea care when North Korea starts acting up? We have a long discussion about this question, but it meanders so much in the beginning because we're actually itching to talk about Star Trek, but we bring it back and actually have a decent discussion about it in the end. Long story short, it's because North Korea is threatening just for show, as a means of projecting itself as powerful to their own people. But now with Trump in office, can they continue the same strategies as always?
Oh my gosh! Rob and Eugene are back after such a long long long long long long break! Yes! Season 5 is now underway, and as of this writing (on April 29th) there are actually 2 more episodes in the pipeline to be edited. So fear not, there is lots of Café Seoul headed your way so you can get your fix.
As we were planning the show, we decided that we'd do an entire episode of News of the Weird, and skip On the Pulse. because we'd been away so long. That WAS the plan, but in the first half of the show, we actually ended up having a very long discussion about whitewashing in western media and specifically about Marvel's Iron Fist... so we'll call that On the Pulse for this episode
News of the Weird
Seoul offers free driving lessons for "expats"
Manager at UK firm loses job for refusing to bow to Korean boss
Egypt to export stray dogs to Korea
Pyeongchang unveils new slogan
Korea makes 'fertile women map' in effort to increase birth rate
Is this menu racist?
American flags at pro-Park Rally
Samsung ends top down corporate structure
Doctors take selfie with cadavers
Artist sells trophy during music awards
Public wedding ad angers Korean young people.
We DID say that episode 24 was going to be our last of season 4, but with Donald Trump winning the presidential election in the US, we had no choice but to have an emergency final final episode. We thought he'd never win the presidency, but this election has taught us to never say never again. Wow, just wow America! WTF!
News of the Weird
-(Korea Times) Viagra found in Presidential Office
-(Angry Asian Man) Nordstrom Rack Pulls Rape of Nanking Hoodie From Stores
-(New York Times) Korean Adoptee to be Deported from US Almost 40 Years Later
WTF (On the Pulse) - What does a Trump presidency mean for Korea, US-Korean relations, Korean Americans, Expats in Korea, East Asian geopolitics and the world in general? Rob and Eugene were beyond shocked at the results of the 2016 election and we probably will be for some time. We try to go as deep as we possibly can to discuss the implications of this latest WTF moment of 2016.
At last, we are at the finale of season 4 on Café Seoul. This show is all about gates, but not about the kind of gates you're thinking of. No, we're talking about scandals, especially two very recent ones that have severe political and economic ramifications for Korea.
News of the Weird
-Reviewing an opinion piece regarding batterygate, Samsung's exploding battery scandal.
Ask Rob & Eugene
-Gatey McGateface asks why there's no Bukdaemun, when there's a Namdaemun, Dongdaemun, and there used to be a Seodaemun.
On the Pulse
-A long drawn out discussion of Choi Soon-sil gate... the scandal involving President Park's close friend, who has allegedly been manipulating her from behind the scenes.
Special thanks to Peter Daley for contributing to this episode!
Café Seoul is back and in this episode we focus on coming to Korea to study with American millenial exchange students Sarah and Lizzie from the University of Maryland.
News of the Weird
-Seoul named happiest city in the world
-North Korea revealed to have only 28 websites
-Jeju citizens call for reversal of visa waiver for Chinese
On the Pulse - Sarah Eppley and Lizzie Drake join Eugene and Rob as the foursome discuss their experiences of Korean universities. Keep in mind that the ladies are here temporarily on study abroad and are relatively new to Korea (less than one year). Eugene and Rob are long timers, so that might account for some of the disconnect.
Guest: Hyunsu Kim (The only Goth in Korea)
News of the Weird:
-Man wins lottery, family protests to get their share
-Air China in-flight magazine contains racist copy
-Seoul to crowdsource editing bad English on signs
Ask Rob & Eugene: Why do Koreans walk backwards for exercize?
On the Pulse: Discussing online men's rights group Ilbe vs. its radical feminist counterpart Megalia.
This episode features Joe Mondello who used to live in Korea long-term, but went back to his home in the United States. We caught him on a visit back to Korea.
News of the weird
-Koreans no longer xenophobic.
-American monk to leave South Korea, saying foreigners just “decoration”
-North Face under fire for printing 'Sea of Japan' on jacket
On the Pulse - Joe talks about his reactions to Korea as someone who once lived here but has returned on a visit, hence not culture shock, not reverse culture shock, but reverse reverse culture shock.
If you were a teen in the 1990's in the west, there's a 1/3 chance that either you knew a goth or you were one. (Statistics not proven). Chances are, however, that in Korea in 2016, there's only one goth, and we have her on our show this week.
News of the Weird
-Translations for Korean food still leaving people confused
-Government official calls fellow Koreans 'Dogs and Pigs' to public outrage
-Pokémon GO! not released in Korea but strangely works in the Sokcho area
Ask Rob & Eugene - Why do Korean products cost more in Korea than overseas?
On the Pulse - Discussing Korean goth culture with Hyunsu, the ONLY goth in Korea
Maybe you've been looking around on Facebook and seen the ads for the company called "Ask Ajumma." What is Ask Ajumma, or better yet, WHO is Ask Ajumma. Café Seoul leaves no stone unturned in our quest to find out more about the who's who in Korea. (Okay, we actually just Asked Ajumma). Ask Ajumma is in fact an actual person, Maria Lee.
News of the Weird w/ Eugene
-Idiots protest Chinese dogmeat festival in Chinatown, NY
-'Feminists' protest free coffee for soldiers at Starbucks
-Korea Unveils New Creative Branding Slogan
On the Pulse w/ Rob
All about Maria Lee and the Ask Ajumma Concierge Service. In a nutshell, the service helps those with language or cultural barriers or those who just don't want to deal with ordering or finding things. It will find anything you want and find a way to deliver it to you.
In this episode, Eugene's mom and stepfather joined us in the studio!
News of the Weird
-English Villages Close
-Butter Flavored Milk to hit Korean Stores
-Smartphone App Cures Smartphone Addiction?
On the Pulse
Eugene's Mom and Pop discuss what it's like to have a loved one gone long term in a foreign country.
Special Guest: Jen Lee, creator of the Dear Korea webcomic!
News of the Weird
Chinese detergent company makes "racist" TV ad
Restaurants get sued, ban kids
Japanese Snack Alert: Watermelon Chocolate Chip Salt Cookies
Ask Rob & Eugene: What is the best way to be critical of Korea without being insulting?
On the Pulse
We discuss the Dear Korea webcomic and book with creator Jen Lee. The discussion goes from how she got started, to what her motivations are, why she wanted to make a book, how some of the reaction to the book has been, plans for the future and the like. We were very honored to have her on the show. We're true fanboys!
When you come to Korea to find yourself... is it possible that you weren't actually looking in the right way, for the right thing?
This episode is the second appearance of Sharon Heit, who we last saw in episode 3 of this season. She's got her newly minted yoga instructor's license, to kill her students by putting them in difficult yoga positions. Just kidding, she wouldn't be killing them. Sharon was a pleasure to have in this episode and it's kind of sad that she's actually leaving Korea.
News of the Weird w/Rob
-Seoul to sell names of 10 subway stations
-Why Most Koreans Don’t Have to Wear Deodorant
-Ihwa-dong residents want to remove the murals that made their neighborhood famous
On the Pulse w/ Eugene
As we mentioned before Sharon was soon to leave Korea, and we wanted to discuss what she's learned from her time in Korea. Now a lot of times when you ask an expat what they have learned from their time in another culture, they will give you their assessment of the country as succinctly as possible, but this discussion is different, because Sharon explains how her time in Korea has taught her more about herself, and helped her grow. I don't think we need to say it again, but I will anyway. We are so going to miss Sharon. Man, is it getting dusty in here?
Special Guest: Paul Matthews
News of the Weird w/Eugene
-Children’s Day trash piles up on Busan beach
-Paris Baguette to begin franchising in USA
-KFC introduces chicken flavored nailpolish
Reverse Culture Shock it to Me w/ Olivia – Paying in cash to get discounts
On the Pulse w/Rob
Paul Ajossi discusses how some immigrants have been in Korea long enough to know that they will probably be here forever, and they’ve made peace with that.
Finally! The fabled, long awaited Baby Box episode! I'm sure you listeners out there have had enough of the discussions about which superhero films are good and which aren't, or who's a cool expat doing cool stuff, so this episode is a bit of a serious one. Perhaps you found your way here as you were linked from somewhere else to either defend or argue against the baby box. If so, welcome. This writeup will get to the baby box soon enough.
News of the Weird
Korean Girls Try American Pizza
Korea Herald says Japanese are boycotting McDonalds
Netizen Asks in Naver Cafe if it would be okay to Adopt Children to get Housing Benefits, then Relinquish the Children
Ask Rob and Eugene
Why do both Rob and Eugene care about adoptee issues if neither of us are adoptees?
On the Pulse w/Rob
And this is where the show gets a bit on the heavy side. We were put in touch with Ross Oke who is a human rights activist to discuss the baby box. Admittedly, going into the conversation, all three of us are very much against the baby box and view it as a violation of human rights of children who are being abandoned in these boxes. The discussion is great and Ross expertly answered all of our questions and then some, but there is so much more information that exists out there and I encourage you all to do your own research and develop your own conclusions. Here are some sources for your perusal. There did use to be a lot more readily available hard statistics on the matter but the website they are contained on is not currently available, but in short, a common defense of the baby box is that it prevents infanticide, which statistically is not the case. In fact, infanticides slightly increased once the baby box arrived on the scene in Korea, showing that there is little to no correlation between baby boxes and infanticides (as a causal relationship would show infanticides on the decrease once the box appeared, but the statistics show otherwise.)
Special thanks in this episode:
Jane Trenka
I guess I need to clarify that this IS a Korea related podcast, but a certain chemistry and passion comes out when Rob and Eugene are geeking out. So in this episode, we have a debate about the somewhat controversial film Batman vs. Superman. We also have a special guest nerd, longtime listener Jae Choi joins us to help shed some light on this film.
This is one of the few times you will see Eugene and Rob disagree about something. Rob was very unhappy with this film, while Eugene thought it was good. Response to the film is overwhelmingly negative out there. If we were to compare it to James Bond films, Rob would probably say it's on par with something as terrible as Octopussy, whereas Eugene would choose one of the Dalton films.. hideously underrated.
And once again.. this IS a Korea related podcast.. Honest!
This is the 50th episode of Café Seoul!
We've come a really long way since the beginning.
We are happy to welcome back Christine Shin, an original member of the podcast dating back to season 1!
In this episode we reminisce about Season 1 and Season 2 onward, with special cameos from Mike Jones, Aaron Martinson, and Olivia Lim.
We also introduce a new segment, Reverse Culture Shock with Olivia.
Anyway, have a listen and we hope you enjoy this walk down memory lane.
In this episode we discuss the end of humanity, as the Alpha-Go computer program defeated human champion Lee Sedol in a game of Baduk (Go). Pleased to have ranked chess player Kevin Em join us for this important discussion
News of the Weird
-Kim Jong-un would look totally hot if he just lost 20 kg.
-Ramen noodles can make kids gay according to Indonesian politician
-Chloe Moretz is "First American" on Korean SNL
Ask Rob & Eugene
-Is Gostop (고스톱) Japanese?
On the Pulse
-Discussing the impact of a computer besting a human in a board game. Are the robots going to kill us all with a similar plan as what occurred in the plot of the Bond film Moonraker?
Hey there, coffee drinkers! Café Seoul is back after a long hiatus. Please forgive us. Life happens. Eugene became a dad! Yay! But he is so sleepy. Becoming a dad will do that. Dr. Michael Hurt was also supposed to be here for this episode, but he's got some things to take care of, so he couldn't make it. Don't worry though he'll be back soon enough.
News of the Weird
-Japanese twitter user goes viral after finding a practical application for the phrase "This is a pen."
-Korea takes first place at 2016 Coupe du Monde Boulangerie (Baking world cup)
-Conan O'Brien has cameo on Korean drama
On the Pulse
-We interviewed the band Jesper, one of the greatest bands to ever hit the Korean music scene. Matt was not there with us, but band members Jay and Josiah were there along with manager Maim. We were actually very honored that they approached us about appearing on our podcast instead of us searching for them. They sought us out and found us, acting kind of like the spy who loved me. I really wish that's how it went all the time.
We also had a song break in the middle of the interview where we heard Jesper's song "Danger Woman" about a woman who wears high heel stilettos. That's the best kind of danger woman ever. More stilettos!
We've been away for a while and for that we apologize. Eugene had a major development in his life (that we will talk about in an upcoming episode). As such, this episode is a bit late. We are joined by Charles Montgomery, an expat expert on Korean Literature. In a lot of this show has to do with leaving Korea.
News of the Weird
-Seoul to "restore" "historic" palace walkway
-Korean Girls try to open their eyes (Video)
-Rebuilding dining and drinking culture from scratch
Ask Rob & Eugene - When do you know it's time to leave Korea?
On the Pulse
Charles Montgomery is the man with the golden gun when it comes to literature. He is the curator of the Korean Literature in Translation webpage, and has worked very closely with the Literature Translation Institute of Korea. Today our discussion is about Leaving Korea too Early. Charles is headed back to the United States for personal reasons, but if he could have his way, he'd stay here just a little bit longer, so he could finish a few things here and there. The discussion also gives advice on what people who are in Korea temporarily ought to do to stay relevant in another workforce.
Well even though we said it was our 45th episode ever, it's actually our 46th! Dr. Michael Hurt joins us again, and could possibly be a permanent fixture on Café Seoul! If so, welcome aboard!
News of the Weird
-Thai Makeup Company under fire for "blackface" commercial
-Korean government to teach K-pop dances to improve lives of poor kids in Indonesia
-Korean netizens lose their poop over possible racism at a Starbucks in Germany
Ask the 'tician, 'seyo and Huge
Why don't subtitles match what the people are saying all the time?
On the Pulse/At the Movies
This segment is a grand follow up to the 2015 Star Wars Holiday Special, and we're with Dr. Hurt for a follow up to the speculation discussion about The Force Awakens.
It is the first episode of 2016, the year of the Monkey.
News of the Weird w/Eugene
-Korea has a kimchi deficit.
-Don't be an Air Seoul.
-Korean woman makes out with fish, gets 2 million views.
Ask Rydia, Rob and Eugene
-Family Guy comes to Korea?
On the Pulse w/ Rob
Charles Yu and Jason Kim play Fact or Fiction, discussing the difficulties of starting a business in Korea
It seems as if we're going to have the Star Wars Holiday special every year from now on. That's a good thing. Sometimes it is good to take a break from talking about issues and quirky news. Special thanks to Dr. Michael Hurt for joining us yet again to indulge in some nerdy fun.
Nerds of the Weird
Here we speculate on Star Wars Episode VII: The force Awakens. Some of the things we got right, others we were way off the mark.
Ask the Jedi Council
Bob A. Fett from Sarlaac, Pittsburgh asks us what our earliest Star Wars memories were and when we became diehard fans.
On the Force
Here we discuss the Star Wars franchise on how it relates to Korea
In this episode, Eugene finally breaks his silence about being a multiracial Korean, a subject he's avoided for the entirety of the podcast.
Rydia's back a little early.
News of the Weird /w Eugene
- Schoolgirl wake up call service launched in Japan
- "Korean vodka" rises in price
- Government Designates 2016-2018 "Visit Korea Year"
Ask Rydia Rob & Eugene - Question about enduring long holidays with Korean family if one doesn't speak Korean
On the Pulse w/Rob - "Special Guest" Eugene discusses a list of things that it is probably not wise to say to someone who is a multiracial Korean person.
Rydia is back this episode.
News of the Weird w/Eugene
-Asian Zombie on Walking Dead
-Statue Commemorating Gangnam Style to be Built
-Aids Awareness Event Goes Awry
-Video of American Girl Speaking Korean to Taxi Driver Goes Viral
Ask Rydia, Rob and Eugene - Why is football (American) not popular in Seoul
On the Pulse w/Rob
Interviewing Shaun Webb of Pop Over Asia
Yes, we know the soul/Seoul pun is lame, but we had to put it in because I.Seoul.U is now the slogan of the city we love. (Groan)
This episode is all about finding yourself in Korea and we are joined by the super talented photographer extraordinaire, Sharon Heit!
News of the Weird w/Eugene
-Oreo rice? Eww!
-Korean traditional drums "cure" allergic reactions
-Korean govt. proposes plan to increase birth rate by making kids go to school one year earlier
Ask Sharon Rob & Eugene: How will Korea react to the first non-Korean black K-pop artist?
On the Pulse w/Rob
Sharon Heit talks about finding herself in Korea
This episode is jam-packed with lots of cool stuff.
Introducing Rydia Kim trying out to be our 3rd cohost.
News of the Weird w/Rob
-Japan, Korea, and Chinese governments with politics fails
Ask Rydia Rob and Eugene
-How is being in Korea in your 30s different than in your 20s?
On the Pulse w/ Eugene
-Eugene Interviewed Julianna Haahs about her viral status update which discussed how her Korean family judged her so much based on her appearance... then Rydia, Rob and Eugene discussed.
It's the beginning of a new season!
Sadly Blossom is no longer with us... life happens.
News of the Weird w/Eugene
-Korea to standardize food translations
-Seoul to enforce a taxi driver dress code
-Seoul to choose new slogan
Ask Blossom, Rob, and Eugene (without Blossom)
-Question on re-entering English teaching in Korea in your mid-30s
On the Pulse w/Rob
Rob asked some of his students their thoughts on Hell Joseon, and we discuss the meme and their answers.
After 17 episodes and our longest season to date, we are now hanging it up for season 3. We'll be back in either September or October with a whole new season roaring and ready to go.
But, since we're taking a break, this episode is about getting out of Seoul to see the countryside.
We were very happy to have Jennifer Flynn join us for this episode.
News of the Weird w/Eugene
-Korean parents want "a white female babysitter who can do freetalking"
-Foreign tourists allowed to traverse N. Korea by rail (on guided tours, not through the country on their way to China)
-Korea Observer publishes ill-advised op-ed piece describing how rude Koreans are
Ask Blossom, Rob, and Eugene & On the Street w/Hyewon
Where is the best place to visit outside of Seoul for a Vacation?
On the Pulse w/Rob
With Korean Scholar Jennifer Flinn, we discussed the best ways we could get out of Seoul and see the countryside.
Jennifer also plugged the Royal Asiatic Society
We're breaking yet another record, making season 3 our longest season yet!... each week we continue... But this is the penultimate episode of season 3. We need a break.
News of the Weird w/Eugene
-Public video screen shows porn in Shanghai
-World in Words podcast fails at deconstruction of the word 기분
-Koreans react to US Supreme Court decision on same sex marriage
Ask Blossom Rob & Eugene
-Please speak in Korean and talk about how well you speak Korean.
On the Pulse w/Rob
-Joey Croner of Dice Latte game cafe tells us the best way to have a vacation in Seoul if you live here
In this episode we switched things up a bit. Rob is doing News of the Weird, with Eugene doing On the Pulse. The show is about how Korea sees the outside world, and how it relates to them. We had planned to make the show about 사대주위, or the Korean tendency to idolize powerful countries, but it didn't quite work out the way we planned.
News of the Weird w/Rob
-The Korea Times reports on the Chicago BEARS (a football team) winning the Stanley Cup (an ice hockey championship)
-Korean student in U.S. claims to have been accepted to both Harvard and Stanford, except she wasn't
-Lighting Round: MERS Mania!!!
Ask Blossom Rob & Eugene
-Which countries does Korea look up to, and is that relationship volatile? If so, why?
On the Pulse w/Eugene
-An Interview with Dr. Emanuel Pastreich, Director of the Asia Institute, discussing his book "The Korea Unknown Only to Koreans."
It's Blossom's first episode as permanent cohost! She did very nicely for her first time out, and this episode was mostly about teaching English in Korea, a topic we have not quite touched despite being around for so long.
News of the Weird w/Eugene
-Korean Zoo Quarantines Camels
-Japanese Netizen Impersonates Korean Troll
-Famous Blogger Complains About Gentrification In the 'twon
Ask Blossom Rob & Eugene and On The Street w/ Michael
Is teaching English in Korea rewarding?
Skit: The Hagwon crew lose a teacher and have to hire a replacement.
On the Pulse w/Rob
-We spoke to Ben Goldie and Jason Kifer of ESLROK.com about the state of the English teaching industry in Korea. Be sure to check out their website and submit your resume if you feel so inclined.
It is with heavy hearts that we say farewell to Olivia. Olivia has been with the podcast since its beginning and we will miss her very very much.
Also included in this episode:
-Discussion about former pop star Yoo Seung Jun asking forgiveness from Koreans for allegedly changing his citizenship more than 10 years ago to avoid military service
-Part 2 of the discussion about English Language Radio with Chance Dorland of the Chance and Dan Do Korea Podcast. Chance introduced a new internet radio station called KoreaFM. The station can be found at koreafm.net
Ask Aaron and Olivia without Aaron (as he had his final appearance last episode)
-What will you miss most if/when you leave Korea?
-Discussion with Olivia about her Korea Journey and Farewell
Some of the music in this episode came royalty free. It is Music by Dan-O at DanoSongs.com
Aaron's last episode as host of Café Seoul features part 1 of a round table discussion with Chance Dorland of the Chance and Dan Do Korea Podcast.
News of the Weird w/Eugene
-Korean government underwhelmed with Korea's depiction in Avengers: Age of Ultron
- Baseball player T-Plush (Nyjer Morgan) gets in trouble in the KBO.
-TMZ sparks controversy with "racist" segment targeting K-pop girl group
Ask Aaron & Olivia and On the Street w/Michael
-What misconceptions about Korea come from Korean dramas?
On the Pulse Special Roundtable Discussion Part 1
-English Language Radio in Korea, best and worst experiences, what's lacking in English language radio in Korea
Thanks a lot Aaron for being our faithful co-host. We will miss you!
This episode is all over the place! Not only do we cover Children's Day, we also discuss "Things Not to Say to Adoptees" with special guest Blossom P.
News of the Weird w/Eugene
-1. Take a bath in ramen in Japan
-2. Full House to reunited for reunion and spinoff
-3. Korean government to collect tax on alleged prostitute's earnings
Ask Aaron & Olivia / On the Street (w/ Mike Jones)
-Do you like Children's Day? Yes or no?
Story time w/ Hyewon
-About Children's Day
On the Pulse w/Rob
-Special Guest Blossom P. talks about what not to say to adoptees.
I've been too busy to edit these on time, so here's an episode form 3 weeks ago.
News of the Weird w/ Eugene
-We had some really downer stories this week, so it became news of the utterly depressing
Ask Aaron & Olivia, On the Street w/Michael
Question about Korean Baseball
On the Pulse w/Rob
Rob interviews Young Suk Yang about intercultural communication
Holy Bajeebus! Aaron and Olivia are both here at the same time for once!
News of the Weird w/Eugene:
-Guy's ex and current jump into river to make him save them
-Single ladies in Japan get married to nobody just for pics and honeymoons
-High-speed rail to Beijing to be completed soon?
Ask Aaron and Olivia - Why can't they just choose one spelling for Korean words and stick with it?
On the pulse w/Rob - Well actually, we were going to talk about the stresses of student life, but instead we ended talking about our guest's bad blind dating experiences. GASP!
ALSO! There's a chance to score a blind date with her yourself! If you are younger than 26, have good hygene, and are in the market for a hot babe, then listen to find out how YOU could win a blind date!
Olivia was out and about this episode, so we had a substitute host, Molly Kim.
The theme of this episode is all about Korean Cults.
News of the Weird w/Eugene
1. Expat recommends fining businesses that don't speak English
2. Korea's embassy in Jamaica has greeting in Patois on webpage
3. Koreans (over?)react to attack on US Ambassador
Ask Aaron and Olivia - Why are there so many churches in Seoul?
On the Pulse - Today we talk to Peter Daley, curator of the website jmscult.com. He is likely the expat most versed in the culture of Korean cults, and he shares his thoughts and experiences with us.
Café Seoul goes underground in this episode, as we talk to Dan from the Korea Underground Podcast, (whom we beat out for best podcast of 2014). Aaron is away doing real work, so Eugene dusts off his hosting hat.
News of the Weird w/Eugene
Ikea Korea has a pencil shortage
Douchebags mock Sewol victims with fish snacks
Twitter explodes as gay characters kiss on 'Walking Dead'
Ask Aaron and Olivia (without Aaron)
Why do Koreans say they hate Japan so much, yet still consume Japanese products?
On the Pulse w/Rob
Dan from Korea Underground explains all the ins and outs of podcasting in Pohang with Steve and Teresa!
Please visit Korea Underground at http://www.korea-underground.com/
It's the Café Seoul Drunk Episode! Aaron, Oliva, Rob and Eugene went to the Revolución Caribbean Bar, Grill and Guesthouse in Kyeongnidan (near Noksapyeong Station, in the vicinity of Itaewon) to get our drink on!
News of the Weird w/Eugene:
Creamy Beer all the rage in Japan
Discrimination in Job Interviews Deemed Okay
Korea Asked by IOC to Share 2018 Olympics
On the Pulse w/Aaron:
Aaron spoke with Peter, the owner and operator and our gracious host at Revolución.
Special OFFER! Listen to the Podcast and get a discount!
Visit their website:
https://www.facebook.com/revolucionseoul
It's the 25th official episode of Cafe Seoul not including special episodes and supplements.
It's also a month late because Eugene has been busy. But know that this means you'll be getting some episodes in close proximity to each other.
News of the Weird w/Eugene
Guy dies playing games in Internet Cafe
Big Hero 6 Hated by Korean Netizens for being too Japanese
Reporter asks ignorant question to Fresh off the Boat development team
On the Pulse w/ Rob interviews Mike Jones, former cast member during season 1, current regional head? of Toastmasters, Korea
Café Seoul enters year 3! First we react to winning Best Podcast of 2014 at the K-Blog Awards. Rob could not join us for this episode, so we have the return of Christine... who will be our super sub for the time being. Did we mention that we won Best Podcast in the K-Blog Awards and we were really happy about it?
News of the Weird w/ Eugene - Honey Butter Chips, '90s Gayo (K-Pop) Revival, News Organizations Still Messing Up North And South Korea
NEW SEGMENT! Ask Aaron and Olivia - Elaine in Incheon asks how you know you're no longer a Korea newb.
On the Pulse w/ Christine - She interviews Lee Tae-hoon of the Korea Observer.
A not so long long time ago in a country not so far far away...
CAFÉ SEOUL
It is a time of yule tide cheer. Five expats
have come together under the shared love for
all things nerdy to bring you a podcast
episode that discusses the final frontier and
the galaxy far far away.
Special Guest Nerd - Dr. Michael Hurt
-The Prequels Strike Back -
We discuss what was good about the prequels, even though the consensus is that these are generally terrible. We also try to find things we hated about the original trilogy.
-Where No Jedi has Gone Before-
We pair each Star Wars character with his TNG counterpart and discuss which of the two we'd rather be.
-The Wrath of Rob-
Dr. Michael Hurt discusses why it is that Koreans don't seem to like Star Trek.
Major props to non-nerd Olivia Lim for surviving through this one.
Star Wars and Star Trek and all their characters and associated music used in this podcast is the property of their respective studio
The Cafe Seoul Podcast has been nominated for Best Podcast in the Korea Blog Awards, hosted by KoreaObserver.com!
Take some time to vote for us at http://www.koreaobserver.com/blogawards/podcast/
Just click the stars under that happy coffee drinker!
News of the Weird w/Eugene
-Man sets world record for GPS picture wedding proposal
-Lists of 10 naughtiest boy and girl names found
-Park Geun-hye addresses MAMA Awards
On the Pulse w/Rob - A look back at the Korean Blogosphere in 2014
Special Thanks To:
-Jen Lee of Dear Korea http://dearkoreacomic.com/
-Adam Carr of Chase the Dot https://adamrcarr.wordpress.com/
-Peter Daley of jmscult.com
-The Boss of Wangjangnim http://wangjangnim.com/
-Paul Ajossi http://www.paulajosshi.com/
-Ms. Lee to Be of On Becoming a Good Korean (Feminist) Wife - http://msleetobe.wordpress.com/
Jhoon Rhee Self Defense
The Legend of Zelda
Holy Frijoles! Cafe Seoul has returned for another season!
News of the Weird w/ Eugene
-Dead snake kills chef
-Koreans to go extinct by 2750
-Counter protesters protest hunger strike by staging eat-in
Lightning Round
-Japanese high school baseball game goes 50 innings
-Girl goes on week long chicken binge over breakup
-Consumer activists build raft from snack bags
On the pulse w/Aaron
Aaron interviewed the folks at Magpie Brewery!
A bar in the 'twon has posted a sign barring Africans from entry.
We also say goodbye to Robin Williams
Aaron is in Hawaii getting married, so he doesn't appear in this episode.
News of the Weird - Producers of US TV shows go after Korean fansubbers - Monkey takes selfie, who owns the rights? - Gaga in hot water over Korean writing on clothing in Japan
On the Pulse - Ebola
Once again we discuss tourism, and while there are no comedic skits, Steve Miller of the Asia News Weekly podcast joins us to discuss the failures and successes of tourism slogans.
This episode was released one week late because I've been busy.
News of the Weird - Makeup company asks if you wanna be white - Ocean World wants you to experience a world class climax - North Korea to play Portugal in World Cup Final
Double Jeopardy - Questions by Rob
This episode took place during the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
News of the Weird w/ Eugene
-US Patent Office cancels Washington football team’s trademark.
-No, your tattoo doesn’t say cold blooded killer, it says 寒冷殺人魔, or killer of cold weather.
-Our own analysis of Japan and Korea’s political row over the 1993 Kono Statement.
On the Pulse w/Rob
-We discuss the word “normal.” This is because there was an article in the Korean media about Multicultural families and “normal families.” Sadly I’ve lost the article that started the discussion
2014-06-10 207 Hollaback
Lots of stuff happened in the past two weeks so:
News of the Weird w/Eugene
-Brazilian man gets surgery to look Asian
-Malaysian girl gets internet famous for a song about not being Korean
-Korean conservatives protest at the U.S. embassy because America has exported "the gay" to Korea
-Special "Lightning Round" of News of the Weird
On the Pulse w/Rob
Special interview with Chelle B. Mille of Hollaback Korea, discussing Hollaback and misquoting in the media
Are you dapper? Are you fly? Are we so old that we don't know what the slang for looking good is anymore? Enjoy this fashion episode!
-News of the Weird w/ Eugene -
Darth Vader Plays Baseball in Japan
North Korea Calls South Korea a Dictatorship
KTO Taps Naver To Help Foreeegn Tourists
On The Pulse: Special Interview w/Mike Hurt Discussing Street Fashion Photography
Heart of Korea Whispers Into Your Soul! w/ Kip and Jane
Kimchi Kim is BACK!
News of the Weird w/Eugene
-Star Wars Cast Announced
-Triangle Face Plastic Surgery
-River Shark Attack
On the Pulse w/Rob
-Discussing press freedom with special guest John Power
In this episode we play Cafe Seoul Jeopardy!
News of the Weird with Eugene!
-Kid stows away on plane to Hawaii
-Crayon Pop song banned for Japanese lyric
-Fox News uses stock footage of random Asians who aren't Korean as stand-ins for Sewol victims' families
This episode was difficult to do. Korea was reeling after a tragedy in which hundreds of high school kids lost their lives on a school trip because their ferry sank. It was right after it happened and we felt like we had to react.
After almost a year long hiatus we picked up in Season 2.
In this pilot episode we introduce a new format with host, Aaron Martinson and Olivia Lim.
Eugene now is doing News of the Weird and Rob is here for On the Pulse. We interviewed Shannon Heit about adoptee issues and a particular SNL Korea sketch that just wasn't kosher.
This was to be the end of Café Seoul. At this point we were getting tired of all the logistics. We tried to be different but it fell flat. Anyway, posting it for historical purposes.
Oppan Pyongyang Style!
North Korea was all over the news in April 2013. So we decided to cash in.. but... yeah, it's the beginning of the end of season one. Soon things will get worse and we'll take a LOOONG hiatus.
This is quite possibly the best of our episodes from season one. The peak of our comedic flair before we got bogged down. It was still fun at this point.
Another notch on the wall... or something.
We look at school in Korea because Korea's going back to school.
This is our first foray into comedy. Hope you enjoy it.
The subject is tourism.
I'm mass uploading so you won't get a description.
IF THIS IS YOUR FIRST TIME LISTENING TO CAFÉ SEOUL, DO NOT START WITH THIS EPISODE.
It is only here as a historical record. Please start with season 2 to get a better idea of what kind of podcast we are. Season 1 is very different.
This is the very first episode of Café Seoul We honestly didn't quite know what we were doing. But you have to start somewhere.
The show started out with 6 members, and the object was to talk current events and play games and tell stories. This may be a chore to listen to. Sorry in advance.
It's also the first and last appearance of Dan Shin on the show. Dan was instrumental in motivating Eugene to really bring this show together.
The six members were:
Rob Ouwehand
Christine Shin
Olivia Lim
Michael Jones
Dan Shin
Eugene Hwang