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!

YB on KPI

Chris and I interviewed rock star Yoon Do-Hyun on the last Star Chat. He was a lot of fun and we were both surprised he could speak English so well :)
He is as easy-going and friendly in person as he sounds in the interview. It's so nice to see that all of his fame and popularity has not gone to his head and his main priority is his music with his band (YB) and doing shows. They performed at a charity concert called the West Coast Festival this weekend to benefit the residents of the west coast who were hit with the terrible oil spill in Taean in December 2007. Anyway, check out the interview here.

Anyway, Marc recently wrote on the message board asking us to ask Tablo (if we ever interview him or Epik High) a few questions. Chris and I have talked about this before, too--if you could ask a KPOP star a question, what would it be? If we ever interview that person, we'll ask them on your behalf. It could be directed towards a specific artist/group or it could be a general question. You can email me (sarahjun@kbs.co.kr) with the question or write it on the message board.

I'll leave you with this inspirational/philosophical message I saw on a wall in Hongdae (area near Hongik University) that always makes me smile.

Star Chat on Korean Pop Interactive

Hi everyone!

Sorry it's been so long since I posted last. I always think of something to post when I'm out but when I get home, I don't remember what I wanted to say or it doesn't seem so interesting anymore.
Anyway, I'll try to post more often, even if it is just a picture or two.

Last week Chris and I interviewed singer/song-writer duo 유리상자/Yurisangja (which means glass case or glass box in Korean) on Star Chat. You can watch the video of the interview here.

Here are some pix and videos:

이세준/Lee Se-Joon, Me (apparently I'm sleepy), Chris and 박승화/Park Seung-Hwa

The music video of their latest single "Honeymoon," which is featured on their 10th anniversary greatest hits album "All That Yurisangja"

And I didn't get a chance to post this pic and video. This is from our 5/26 interview with Japanese and Korean duo Hachi & TJ. You can watch that interview here.

Hachi, Me, TJ (조태준/ Jo Tae-Joon) and Chris

MV of "남쪽끝섬/Nam jjok ggeut seom/South Island," which is featured on their single "장사하자/ Jangsa haja/ Let's Do Business"

We're interviewing Yoon Do-Hyun next, so watch out and tune in for that!

P.S. Please send song requests for both KPOP Connection, our Mon-Sat show, and Korean Pop Interactive, our hour-long Sunday show. If you'd like to make a request, post a message on the board or email us (kpop@kbs.co.kr for KPOP Connection and sarahjun@kbs.co.kr for KPI).
I want to hear from everyone!

Have a great day!

Noryangjin Fish Market

I think one of the most exciting places in any city is the market. It's where you can experience the real essence of the city and its people.
I went to the Noryangjin Fish Market here in Seoul last month to buy some fresh seafood. Here are some pictures--I went in the late afternoon, so there wasn't much action going on. The wholesale auction takes place between 1 and 6 AM, so if you want some real action, you have to either get up early or stay up the night before. Since I am neither a night owl nor an early bird (I'm always tired...lazy, some might say :P), I rolled on in sometime after lunch.

Here are some pix:

the sign on top reads: 활어회/hwareo hwe/fresh raw fish (sashimi), 문어/mooneo/ octopus, 복/bok/blowfish, 전복/jeonbok/ abalone, 꽃게/ggot-geh/blue crab

회/hwe/raw fish you can buy pre-sliced. you can also choose a live fish and get the fishmonger to scale, gut and slice it up for you

clams, shrimp, octopus

홍어/hong-eo/skate

"aquariums of death" as i like to call them

haggling

huge octopi legs

the sign on the right says: we have live octopus! (koreans have many names for the different types of octopi)

outside the covered fish market, you can buy fresh veggies with which to cook the seafood you've just purchased. the first pic is of 파/pah/green onions and the second is of 미나리/ minari/ dropwort. both are put into various spicy seafood stews/soups. i bought some to cook 꽃게탕/ggot-geh tang/ spicy crab soup.

My goal is to wake up early enough (or stay up late enough) to see the wholesale auction take place...maybe :P

Trip to Hwaseong Temporary Fortress in Suwon

I recently made a trip to Suwon, a city about an hour away from Seoul. I had originally planned on seeing the town and seeing the famous Hwaseong Fortress, but only got to see Hwaseong Haenggoong (the Hwaseong Fortress is behind this palace)

Here's an excerpt from the Korea Sparkling website.
Hwaseong Haenggung 화성행궁 The Hwaseong Haenggung was a temporary palace where the king sought refuge during war and found rest during times of peace. The Hwaseong Haengung is the largest of all temporary palaces in Korea, used by King Jeongjo and the kings who followed.

Here are some pictures from the trip:

Entrance to the palace

Two pix of the hall where they filmed parts of the drama Dae Janggeum/Jewel in the Palace

A still-shot from the drama

Drawings of all the king's horses and all the king's men

I think it's a magnolia

Wee soldiers

Tracing traditional symbols onto hanji (Korean paper)

Ancient tradition meets modern technology

Suwon is also known for it's sogalbi (beef ribs) so after a tour of the palace, I went to a restaurant for some Korean BBQ.
Sorry, no pictures of that, but I'll leave you with pictures of dessert from another Korean restaurant.

Dessert - watermelon and ddeok (rice cake)


The cinnamon, persimmon, ginger drink sujeonggwa (there's a pine nut floating in the middle)