Korean | Geek in Heels

Asian, Korean, Music, NYC

I've had the good fortune of meeting BoA, the Korean/Japanese pop sensation. My uncle is a very powerful man in the Korean entertainment business. When I visited Korea in 2000, he was the Vice-President of Broadcasting at MBC, which is one of the main broadcasting companies in Korea. (As a side note, I'm proud to say that one of the very last showed produced under his tenure as the VP of Broadcasting was the hit drama 대장금, or Dae Jang Geum, which still remains one of the most popular dramas in Korean history.) While he holds an even higher position now, his former title was an impressive one nonetheless. He took me on a tour of the studios and I gaped and gawked,...

Korean, Video Games

Another Reason My Home Country Rocks

Nov 19. 2008

(I wrote a whooping 7 posts last night - 6 public and 1 private - but timed most of them so that they will be published at regular intervals throughout the next day. However, I've discovered that this method does not seem to notify Google Reader. So until I figure out what the problem is, I'll publish each post as they are written. This may result in a barrage of posts in a short period of time so I apologize in advance.) The most connected country in the world + A fascination with PC gaming + Mandatory military service = BADASS BATTLE UNIFORMS! And yes, as Engadget points out, they bear an uncanny resemblance to Halo uniforms. ...

Geek, Korean, Personal

만화방 (Korean Comic Rooms)

Sep 04. 2008

I used to love reading comic books as a child. Korea has huge, thick comic "magazines" that feature some of the more popular series of comics. These monthly compilations would almost always include cliffhangers would keep me whining and salivating for the next month's issue. My favorite while growing up was 보물섬 (bomoolsum), which means "Treasure Island." I'm pretty sure that 보물섬 is no longer printed, as I could only find pictures of old issues. (image source) Koreans (and the Japanese) are known for for creating specialized bangs, or rooms/spaces, that can be rented for popular hobbies. Some of the most popular Korean ones are: 노래방 (noraebang) - karaoke rooms 비디오방 (video-bang) or DVD방 (DVD-bang) - movie rooms. Please note that these are usually very...

Home, Korean, Personal

Chopsticks

Aug 01. 2008

When J was a little kid, his parents bought him a pair of ivory chopsticks that were engraved with his name. Twenty-plus years later, they are still his favorite pair of chopsticks: When J's parents came to the states for our wedding, they brought me a gift from Hong Kong: my own pair of ivory chopsticks, engraved with my Korean name written in Chinese...