DJ For A Day~~~!!!

“DJ For A Day”

Hey K-Poppers! KPOP Connection is turning 1 on November 12th and to celebrate, we’re planning a week of special shows and contests! As part of the festivities, 3 of you listeners (from Korea and abroad) will get the chance to co-host KPOP Connection with Sarah and Chris! To enter the contest, simply pitch an idea for an episode of KPC (for example: the Top 5 songs you listen to when you’re happy). The 3 listeners with the best ideas will be invited to KBS in Seoul to guest DJ for a day (1 day per listener)!
Email kpop@kbs.co.kr with “DJ For A Day” in the subject line. Include your name, your address, your idea for an episode of KPC and your cell/home phone number. We’ll call the finalists to hear their ideas in detail and then we’ll pick 3 lucky winners!
So, hurry up and send in your ideas as soon as possible! We’re waiting~!


**If a listener outside Korea is chosen, KBS World will provide airfare and 3 nights’ accommodation**

Insadong

One the places I like to visit when I have some free time is Insadong. It's a touristy spot, yes, but it's also home to many small art galleries and restaurants that serve 한식/Hanshik/Korean food. It's fun to go with friends (especially those visiting from abroad) but it's also fun when you're alone, since there's so much to do, see and eat. I like taking pictures, so I usually carry around my dica (digital camera).
Here are some pictures I took on two trips to Insadong during the summer:

antique road show

i have a thing for taking pictures of alleyways

떡/ddeok/rice cakes

one of the many shops that sell various "Korean" products

핸드폰 걸이/ handphone geori/ cell phone accessories. I've bought butterfly ones for all of my girl friends.

삼겹살/samgyeopsal/pork belly & 대나무통밥/ daenamu-tongbab/rice cooked in bamboo cups.
the bamboo rice is so delish. they put rice, a jujube, a chestnut, some nuts and some gingko berries in a bamboo cup and then steam it.

many restaurants deliver food no matter where you are. it's common to see street vendors eating food delivered by someone [in this case an 아줌마/ajumma/(older) woman] from a nearby restaurant. then the trays, dishes and utensils are picked up by the delivery person and returned to the restaurant. good for the environment, tough on the ajumma.

Hwang Jini on a card

tea cups and pots

my only fans. haha

raspberries and mulberries

these masks kind of scare me.

one of the many kiosks that line the main strip of insadong. you might be able to haggle well, but in my experience, most of the jewelry sold in insadong is overpriced.

pigs really do fly. wait, does that mean hell has frozen over? i like that some of the pigs are wearing undies :)

한지/hanji/korean paper. you can use hanji as wall-paper and for various arts and crafts (the window a few pix up is covered in hanji). i like to use it as wrapping paper.

호떡/hoddeok/fried dough stuffed with sugar and cinnamon, and sometimes pine nuts. this hoddeok stand is really popular and there's usually a long line of people waiting for this not-for-those-on-a-diet treat. warning: the cinnamon/sugar liquid center is often ridiculously hot. i've burned my tongue on several occassions because i usually want to devour the whole thing as quickly as possible.

some more ddeok. this is totally froufrou ddeok, but it is delicious. i like simple ddeok without all of the nuts and berries. my favorite is 무지게 떡/moojige ddeok/rainbow ddeok, which you can see on the far right. it is subtly sweet and maybe a bit boring to some, but i like vanilla ice cream... so there you go.

novelty pens. not very traditional, but very korean and very cute.

무궁화/moogoonghwa/rose of sharon a.k.a. hibiscus: the national flower of korea.

randomness from the past few weeks

to appease the 4 readers of this blog until i write a real entry:

chinese characters on a bench, insadong

street fortune-teller and clients

chat with directors and cast at the 3rd migrant worker film festival in insadong.

beijing olympics opening ceremony: r.o.k. and fiji. sorry for the shoddy camera work :)

Listener of the Week

It's a new week and the sun is shining and it's hot. HOT, I say!
At least I can go to the Han River pool and picnic in the park without fear of rain :)
This weekend, I was so lethargic, but I did manage to clean my apartment. You might think it'd be easy, seeing as how it's just a tiny box, however, I am a messy pack-rat. That means mountains of paper, doodads, dust bunnies and clothes everywhere. I seriously don't know how I've accumulated so much stuff. And yet, it's always stuff I feel I need or will need "one day." Or at least that's what I keep telling myself.

ANYWAY, I hope you guys enjoyed Yoon Do-Hyun's new segment--the video's on our website, if you want to take a look here. If you want Yoon Do-Hyun to talk about a certain rock singer or band, let us know and we'll pass it on to him.

Also, if you tuned into Saturday's show, you heard Chris and I announce the Listener of the Week. We pick a letter that stuck out in our minds and the listener who wrote the letter/request will receive a souvenir from us. Last week, the winner was Tarek Zeidan from Cairo, Egypt!
If you want to be a part of this whole thing, just send us a song request and tell us a little bit about yourself via email (kpop@kbs.co.kr) or the message board.

I'll try to post pix next time :)

Rain, rain, go away...

...and take the heat with you, please.

The only good thing about the rain is that it cools down the concrete jungle of Seoul. You'd think being surrounded by the river would help--Yeouido is an island, afterall.

And that's my daily complaint about the weather :P

Thanks to all who commented and congratulated us on our new segment, "Rock On with Yoon Do-Hyun." Chris and I are excited and, dare I say, so is Yoon. I know he's a little nervous about hosting the show in English, but I'm sure he'll do a superb job. He's a star, afterall!

In other news, my trip to the States was fantastic! Saw a lot of friends I hadn't seen in years and shopped 'til I almost dropped! Before you look down on my materialistic ways, know this: it's a necessity! I can rarely find shoes that fit me here in Korea! The ones that do are ugly or too casual. I have big feet, in case you didn't catch that. I'm also bigger than the average Korean woman, thus, shopping for clothes that fit well (or at all) can be a bit difficult at times.
However, if your shoe size is no bigger than (US) 8 and your pants size is no bigger than 29 inches, Korea is a shopping paradise. Basically, you must be petite.

Ok, this is turning out to be a post about too many different things. I'm going to stop here. You can ask questions and I'm sure I'll talk more about the weather, Yoon Do-Hyun and shopping in Korea again in the future.

I hope everyone is doing well! Don't forget to tune in this Friday for Yoon's first corner! ALSO Chris and I are picking the song request of the week on Saturday, so write to us (kpop@kbs.co.kr)!!

EXTRA!! EXTRA!!

Ok, folks! I've been gone for quite some time, but you can't say I haven't been busy!
After a whirlwind trip to the US to see some friends (one got married), I come back to find out that an idea that had been brewing before I left the country has become reality--we have a new segment on KPOP Connection AND it's going to be hosted by YOON DO-HYUN!!!
How amazing is that??
Yoon wants to reach out to international listeners and prepare for his band's upcoming US debut, while also telling us about the local rock scene--giving us an insider's view.
Chris and I and everyone at KBS World Radio are extremely excited to have him join the show. I hope this brings in more local listeners and of course, makes you loyal international listeners happy as well :)

We just talked to Yoon and his manager about the final details and we're already getting attention from the local media! Everything in Korea is 빨리 빨리! (Bballi/Hurry) Go! Go! Go! Here's a story on the new segment from newsen.com .

윤도현 글로벌 DJ 도전 ‘유창한 영어 실력 자랑’

[2008-07-25 11:31:14]

[뉴스엔 김형우 기자]

가수 윤도현이 글로벌 DJ에 도전한다.

윤도현이 KBS 국제방송 영어 음악 프로그램 'K-POP Connection' 게스트 DJ로 출연하게 된 것.

'K-POP Connection'은 KBS 국제방송 간판 프로그램이다. Sarah Jun(사라 전) 과 Chris Dykas(크리스 다이커스)의 톡톡 튀는 진행으로 이미 미국, 캐나다, 중국, 말레이시아 등지의 한류 팬들 사이에 폭발적 인기를 얻고 있다.

윤도현은 지난 6월 이 프로그램의 스타 초대석에 출연했다. 윤도현의 유창한 영어실력과 재치 있는 입담이 네티즌들의 열렬한 반응을 이끌어낸 데 고무된 제작진이 그를 게스트 DJ로 전격 영입하기로 했다는 후문이다.

윤도현은 8월1일부터 매주 금요일 한국 대표 록 아티스트 소개 코너를 맡아 한국의 록음악의 면면을 전세계에 알릴 예정이다.

윤도현은 2005년 유럽 4개국 투어를 필두로 세계 무대에 눈을 돌리기 시작했다. 국내 가수 최초로 시도한 유럽투어를 통해 윤도현은 무엇보다 ‘가장 한국적인 것이 가장 세계적’이라는 점을 절감했다고 한다.

그의 세계 무대로의 도전은 이후 미국, 일본 등지의 공연을 통해 꾸준히 이어지고 있다. 해외 진출을 목표로 꾸준히 영어를 독학해 왔다.

There are a few others, too. If you go to naver.com and type in the search words "윤도현 영어" (Yoon Do-Hyun English) or my name (or Chris'), the stories will come up! HOW EXCITING ...for Chris and I! I've already called my parents haha! Let our 15 seconds of fame begin! woot woot!

Oh my, my head is spinning. Ok, well, let me tell you when the segment starts--the first one will air on Friday, August 1st. He'll be on weekly--but of course, do tune in everyday :)
And don't forget to write in with song requests (kpop@kbs.co.kr)!!

Summer Vacay!

I went on a road trip to 부산/Busan (the port city in the south and the second largest city in the country) with a few of my friends the other month. I'll tell you about it in another post, though. I just wanted to post some pictures of the seafood I enjoyed while there (sort of a follow-up to my 노량진/Noryangjin Fish Market post). Serene asked me about 멍게/mung-ge/ sea squirt and spoon worm and I have a picture of it :)

멍게/ mung-ge/sea squirt...looks appetizing, no?

the rest of the spread: different types of 회/hwe/sliced raw fish, 파전/pajun/green onion pancake (on the bottom), corn, sliced green chili peppers and garlic and 초고추장/cho gochujang/red chili pepper paste mixed with vinegar and soy sauce and wasabi as dipping sauces.

my friends and i playing with our food
(we're holding 깻입/ggaennip/sesame leaf/perilla leaf)

산낙지/san nakji/ live octopus drizzled with sesame oil and sprinkled with sesame seeds and green onions
(my friend is showing you all how it's done :) i ate it, too)

광안리 해수욕장/Gwangali haesooyokjang/ Gwangali Beach

Luke, I am your father (it looks like a light saber and yes, I'm a dork)

In other news, I'm off to the US soon for a week or so to visit some friends and attend a wedding! Sue Park, former host of Korean Pop Interactive and current host of many shows and corners on KBS World Radio, will be taking my place while I'm gone. I'm sure the long-time listeners will be glad to hear her back on a music show. Just remember...I'M COMING BACK! hehe

Take care and enjoy the summer, if you're in the northern hemisphere! And if not, then try some san nakji!