Posts tagged Saturday’s Super Seven
7 Beautiful Korean Women
04 years ago
by JR
3. 전지현 Jun Ji-Hyun
4. 한채영 Han Chae-young
5. 김태희 Kim Tae-hee
6. 아이비 or 박은혜 Ivy 
7. 심민아 Shim Min-ah
This has to have been the easiest Super 7 to research. I shouldn’t say the easiest, but at least it has been the most interesting. Next week’s topic will not be nearly as fun.(see below) At least now, I will get a share of hits from those people that search for “Hot Korean Girls” or “Hot Asian Women”( see I told you I was looking for hits) Right now the most popular image that sends people this way is the picture of the cow tongue. There were a ton of beautiful Korean women that I could have posted here and I have probably left a few that most people would have included. The last two are really posted because they were probably the first Korean stars that I actually saw on TV when I first arrived in Korea, sentimental value I guess. This may be the only Super Seven that I actually do an update with a part 2 and maybe 3 or 4. Since I left out so many that should be added to this list.
Credit for helping me name some the faces that I knew and for the photos go to the following sites:
1. The Grand Narrative with this post on Kim Ah Jung and soju advertisements. I had seen her face everywhere and could not recall her name. I have been reading James’s blog for the past few weeks or so and need to add him to the blog roll.
2. K-Popped They are Malaysian, but blog about Korean pop culture.
3. Hot Korean Girls (Maybe NSFW, but it says no nudity) Never knew this site existed.(Not that I go looking for those kind of sites)
4. Hottest Korean Celebrities It doesn’t look like this site has been updated in awhile.
5. Pop Seoul I love this site. It drives my students crazy when I start talking about Korean pop star news. They are so curious to how I know these things when my Korean is not strong enough to get the news on Naver or other media outlets.
6. I used a few random forum sites that got linked in Google images, but I won’t link to them due to the NSFW content.
Next Week’s Topic 7 Handsome Korean Men
7 Words or Phrases That Will Help You Out When You First Get To Korea
04 years ago
by JR
My Korean is getting better everyday, but I am still at a beginner level. The following phrases are the ones that I think would be most helpful to someone just arriving in Korea. I know expats that come to Korea that will usually pick these up in the first couple of weeks, on the other hand I know expats who never even learn these. I usually tell new teachers in Korea that the first thing they should do is learn to read Hangul. This makes their life so much simpler. There are so many things on menus and signs that are English written in Korean. I still could get myself for starting to really study Korean after almost two years here. Granted, I did learn to read it after about 5 or 6 months of living here. I am still embarrassed when someone asks me how long have I lived in Korea and my Korean level equates to someone who has not been off the boat long. Anyways, here is the list and I will provide the romanization of the language which I hate, but will attempt to do so just any case anyone out there can’t get or read Korean script. I still never know which style of romanization to use. I will try and use the one that makes the most sense!
1. 여기요 (Yeogiyo) Please come here or excuse me
I would always feel like I was being rude when I used this to call over the waiter. Even today I think of Yogi bear when I ever I say it.
2. 얼마에요 (eolma eyo) How much is it?
If you go shopping at a market, you got to know how to ask how much something is. Not that this you will understand them, but at least they can write it down for you.
3. 안녕 하세요 (annyeong haseyo) Hello
You gotta be able to hello to people!
4. 화장실이 어디에 있어요 (hwajangshil e eodie-e-isseoyo) Where is the bathroom?
For those emergencies……….Carry your own toilet paper; they might not have any.
5. 미안 합니다 (Mian hamnida) I am sorry.
You are going to do something wrong in your first week or two here, smooth it over with this phrase.
6.괜찮아요 (gwenchanahyo) It is ok or No thanks.
I use this one all the time. I probably say this too much.
7. 외곡인 (waygooken) Foreigner
You want to know if someone is talking about you!!! Kids will use this to point at you!
Next Week’s Topic: 7 Beautiful Korean Women
7 Types of Food in Korea That You May Think Are Gross
04 years ago
by JR
When you first decide to come to Korea, most people back home are going to ask how are you going to eat the food. It doesn’t take you long to realize that Korean food is great. I rarely eat much Western style food now. Jaeyoun is probably the biggest cause of this, but I still tend to eat Korean style food even when she is not around. There are some types of food that I will not eat or just don’t care for. Here is a list of dishes that for the most part I stay away from.
1. Beondegi (번데기)
This is boiled silk worm larva and has a very distinct smell. Korean kids love this and street side vendors sell it in a little cup and you get a toothpick to pick them out with. Here is a video of some guys trying it. I have tried it a few times, but the smell let alone the taste keeps me from enjoying it.
2. Raw Meat/ Steak Tartare(육회)
I have tried this a few times at fancy style Korean restaurants see here. It is not a bad dish. I actually enjoyed until we got to the bottom and most of the meat was saturated with blood and the leftover seasoning. The blood smell was just too strong at the end of the dish.
3. Sundae(순대)
Jaeyoun and her friends love this. A few of my western coworkers like it to. It is a blood sausage made with pigs blood and noodles. This is another food that I can’t stomach due to the smell. I mean I can eat chitlins(Mississippi spelling) boiled and fried, but there is something about this one that I can’t stand.
4. Seonji Haejangguk (선지해장국)
This is known as a hangover cure in Korea. It is a soup with a ox blood and spine. I have had this with and without the blood I think. I know that when I was in the country it ate this and it came with thick coagulated blood jelly in it. I like it. It is actually very spicy and tasty. I don’t know how much of a hangover cure it is, but it does wake you up!
5. Live Octopus
I have seen this eaten a few times, but I am just not that big a fan of seafood, much less seafood that is still moving while you try to eat it. Check out this video of a plate of this dish. I need to find out the name of this in Korean. I have never ordered it and only seen it a few times in person being eaten.
6. Chicken Feet (닭발)
I have tried this few times and really like it. I have usually eaten it when I have been under the heavy influence of beer or soju. It will light you on fire. I can only eat a few pieces. It is really gritty and mostly gristle, but wonderful. We usually eat this outside where there is a restaurant that sets up tables in front of their establishment in the middle of a bunch of bars.
7. Dog Soup (보신탕)
Everybody that comes to Korea hears about this one. I have actually never tried it. I still want to when I build up enough courage, but with 2 dogs at home in America and having always had a dog as a pet, I am tempted to not try it. Koreans believe that this soup gives stamina to men. It is usually eaten on the hottest days of the year. I will stick with ice cream, thank you. There are a bunch of websites out there condemning the consumption of dogs you can see an example here. (Not for the squeamish)
You know the saying “when in Rome”, so I really try and keep an open mind when it comes to food. There are still many different dishes that I want to try, but I still don’t know if I can manage to chow down on the octopus or dog. Also I borrowed a couple of pictures from Wiki and Zen Kimchi. I was trying to link to an old page of ZK, but it will not let me link to the archives. Check out his site for more info on Korean food and food in general.
Next Week’s Topic: 7 Phrases or Words You Need To Know in Korean
7 Types of Academies or Hakwons My Students Attend
04 years ago
by JR
This is one of the first things that I learned upon arriving in Korea. The students here never quite stop going to school. I remember my afternoons when I finished elementary school being filled with basketball, tennis, hanging out with friends and other non-educational activities. In Korea, student’s days are no where close to being finished when their regular school day ends. Here is a list of different types of after school programs or Hakwons(학원) that some of my students attend.
1. English
This is by far the most popular type of Hakwon children attend. If you look down any street in Korea, you surly will see at least one or two. It seems that everyone and their brother tries to open an English school. Many of these schools don’t last long. If you come to Korea as an English teacher, chances are you will be working at one of these establishments.
2. Korean Writing
My students have told me that these are writing classes. They normally go twice a week and have to write an 2 essays a week, if not more. The students have said that the classes are held on structure, form and grammar.
3. Chinese Letters (한자) Hanja
The study of Hanja has become less important, but there are still many students who go to this type of academies. I think they begin studying Hanga in 7th grade in regular school. The link above is to the Wiki entry on Hanja. There is some good information about what students must learn and why they must learn it.
4. Math (수학)
This is another really popular type of school. Almost all of students attend one of these academies. Jaeyoun teaches at one of these hakwons and I can think of nothing more painful than 2 extra hours of math instruction 3 times a week. A good number of high school students attend Math classes after their regular school day on the weekends. I know of a local Math hakwon that finishes high school classes at 1am.
5. Art
Art seems to be very popular all across Korea. Many of my students spend their free time drawing. About 1/4 of my students also go to Art hakwons. They seem to really enjoy them and have good time while studying.
6. All Subject Hakwons
These Hakwons cover most every subject the student studies. English, Math, Science, History, and Korean. It sounds like you attend these classes to review everything else you are learning.
7. Piano/Gumdo/ Taekwondo/Sports
I do have some students that go to piano lessons, Taekwondo lessons, or study Gumdo(검도). I also have a few students that take soccer or tennis lessons, of course the students love these classes.
I am always curious to know at which point to parents same enough is enough and don’t enroll their child into the latest new hakwon. It really doesn’t seem like the children have any free time. I understand that since most parents now send their children to these schools; Other parents must do the same to keep up with the Joneses or Kims or Parks. I relish my afternoons of freedom and wonder how children that live in America for awhile feel when they come back to the long day of school and then more school.
Next Week’s Topics: 7 Types of Food From Korea That Some People Think Are Gross
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