2S2 Anguk: Get Your Coffee Snob On!

Hey there coffee lovers!  Hope you're well... you may have heard of this thing called 2S2 that I regularly plan -- it's a come-as-you-are expat-and-anyone-else get-together aimed at meeting and making connections.

Well, this week, I'd like to share something that's given me much joy lately: coffee!  See, lately, in the Gyeongbokgung Station area, I've been finding a whole slew of amazing coffee shops, and I'd like to share them with my readers and friends.

So if you're free this Saturday, at 2pm, I'll be on the second floor of Twosome Place, near exit 1 of Anguk station, and anybody who comes out to meet up, will be treated to a coffee shop crawl of the neighborhood west of Gyeongbok Palace.  There are a handful of places there selling a variety of great beans, and slow-drip coffee, siphon coffee, and other stuff; they are also selling top-quality beans, and if you're a Seoul-based lover of coffee, I'll level with you, and tell you that you really need to come out and find out about these places!

Show up at 2pm, and don't be late: we'll be leaving fairly promptly, because the coffee at twosome place doesn't stack up, compared to the awesome places we'll visit thereafter.

Stop having these kinds of coffee experiences: (discarded dishwater coffee handed out before a concert I attended once)

and start having experiences like this:

and this... if it were coffee, instead of ice rink:

and this... not that luwak's on the menu, but you might make the face I make when I smell, and then sip it...

2S2: An Idea

Hi there, readers.

Many of you know about 2S2, the social meetup plan I concocted late last year to help us folks living in Korea get connected with each other. Now, over the last few months, I've been busy as a fox in a henhouse, taking care of this and that, and as my friends will know, I haven't even had time to have a social life...

and 2S2 has fallen by the wayside.

Now, I know some people who are not happy about this, and some people who want to support 2S2 if it continues, and I'm trying to decide what to do about it. There are a few 2S2's in other areas - Yongin/Suji and Suwon continue to meet, and maybe other groups may yet join...

so I'm having a few ideas, and I'd like to hear some feedback, about what next step is the best for 2S2.

1. Pass 2S2 as is, over to ATEK's Social Officers
   -see, while I don't want ATEK to take over the Roboseyo blog, I DO think that as networking goes, ATEK is doing an amazing job of building a sustainable network, and because the organization is designed to perpetuate itself, it means that this meetup will continue, in different forms, all over Korea.  ATEK has a bunch of social officers in all sorts of areas of Korea, and if each of them can access the 2S2 Blog to put their social calendar postings there, then people who aren't on facebook can still access the social event listings.  The feed could be linked on ATEK's homepage, in the PMA pages, or on the main page.

2. Change the name from 2S2 to ATEK Social, and do the same as above.

3. Recruit someone who has more free time to take over 2S2 Anguk.  (any takers?)

4. Let it all go dormant until somebody comes along who wants to take things over.

5. Suck it up, cupcake, and get back to scheduling stuff.  The weather's about to get nicer, anyway.

What say ye, readers?  I DO think it would be a shame if #4 came to pass... so what say ye?

Rob

2S2 On Saturday: Gwangjang Market And All the Good Vittles

Remember: 2S2 Wonju is also a go.

So Amy and Chris, minor deities in their own rights, have offered to help me out by running the upcoming 2S2 by Tag-Team, so that I can go tuxedo shopping on Saturday with my fiance, and still get married in July. Thanks, you two.

The plan remains as stated: Meet at 2PM on the second floor of the Twosome Place coffee shop by Anguk Station (Anguk Station exit 1, turn right).

Look for either this handsome guy (stolen without permission from Chris's Blogger Profile), who answers to the name "Chris" or "Thou Austere Keeper of the Sword That Wails, And Curator of Awkward Silences"

Or this curly-haired young lady, who radiates "awesome" (picture stolen without permission from her facebook photo album... I didn't have time to check if the picture was a good one; it's late and I wrote this in a sleepy rush.  Sorry if it's not you at your best, Amy.)

She answers to the name Amy.  I think the picture might be old; she may have changed since it was taken.

Once the crew has gathered, there are two ways to get to Gwangjang Market. Either by following this path:

View 2S2 Saturday May 8 2010 in a larger map
(If the weather's awesome and everybody is healthy and mobile)

Or by subway, Anguk Station, transfer at Jongno 3-ga station, get off at Jongno 5-ga station, exit 8, and head for the center of the market, where all the best food awaits.

From there, on the other side of the market is the Chunggyecheon Stream, which is a nice walk, and if some of you want to go to the Seoul World DJ festival, you'll have to work that out. The facebook page is here. The google map is here.

If you really want to go to the DJ Festival (which is awesome, by the way, but'll cost ya), here's the map to catch the bus from World Cup Stadium Station;

View Seoul DJ Festival in a larger map

Wish I could be there, readers. I'll post pictures of me in my tuxedo when I can. Don't you know I look dazzling in a suit.

If I have the energy (clothing shopping tires me), and Girlfriendoseyo has the patience, and the store has one in stock, I'll be sure to get at least one picture of me in a ridiculous tuxedo for you. If all those things occur.  Have a good time eating food and walking around a market I wish I could join you for, readers.

-Rob

2S2 Saturday: Here's the Plan; Come Hungry; Here's what I Need

OK, readers...

Here's the problem.

I have a great idea for this Saturday's 2S2... except one thing.  I'm double-booked.

See, I'm getting married in July ... you might have heard about this ... and Fiancoseyo (no. That's not working) Girlfriendoseyo set the tuxedo shopping appointment for this Saturday, at 3pm.  Given that 2S2 meets at 2pm, it pretty much means that I could be there for about ten minutes before I had to split.

I love you all, my readers, and I care a lot that people get the connections they need... but I'm completely unavailable this Saturday.

So here's what I need: a friend who can fill in, and lead people around.  I'll even plan out the thing, as long as I have someone who can hold a map and keep a group together.

You can read about 2S2 Suwon here, or at the 2S2 blog, once it's posted there; I hope 2S2 Wonju will be putting something up soon, and 2S2 Yongin/Suji also has a facebook page.

Here's my idea: about a 20 minute walk from 2S2's Anguk Station meetup, there's a fantastic market called "Gwangjang Market" where you can get some of the best jeon (seafood pancake), bindaeddeok, kalguksu (Korean cut noodle soup), and a whole swack of other old-style Korean foods - the kind of stuff that reminds Koreans of their childhood, all served up in little food-stalls.  The prices are ridiculously low, the food's awesome soul-food - there's pig's feet, but there's also some awesome not-gross, cheap food like kimbap, chapchae, noodles, egg and fish-cakes -- all the best Korean cheap-foods you can think of.  And the market experience is as authentically "Korea" as you can get.  Read more here.

Here's Dan Gray, from Seoul Eats, my nemesis, describing some of the foods:


From there, right next to Kwangjang market is the Chunggyecheon stream, which is a nice stroll to work off all the food you ate, and if you're really ambitious, Kwangjang Market is not far from Jongno 3-ga station, where line 3 takes you to line 6, from which you can head down to the Seoul DJ Festival - I've gone before, and it was awesome.  (learn more here, or here, or here)

So... any takers?  Help a fella out!

2S2 Saturday: The Skinny

OK, readers. Here's the news for our blood donation trip:

(Facebook event page here)

1. 2S2 Anguk will need to split into two groups: one group will go to donate blood, but those of us who don't meet the requirements for donation will still meet up and do something else that'll be fun: at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, there's a photo exhibit of National Geographic photographer Steve McCurry, the guy who took this photo, and a bunch of others: (more here) Admission is 8000 won for adults. (photo source)

2. But if you want to donate blood...

A wonderful lady names Ms. Ban helped me get the full information about the blood clinic situation, and I'm passing it on to you.

First of all, as mentioned earlier, there are some caveats to donating blood; if you're B- or, under specific cases (if I have this right), if you're AB-, you might have the platelets necessary to help out our man Yoo-woon. If you're not, you might still be able to donate blood, but it'll be out of your own general awesomeness, not for helping out his boy specifically, provided you pass these hurdles.

Take a look at this document. Read it carefully.

Take a look at this document. Read it carefully.

If any of the questions/explanations on those two pages preclude giving blood, sorry: you can't do it. Yep, that means our UK friends can't give blood in Korea. Enjoy the photo exhibit!

Next: if you meet those requirements, and want to donate...

First of all, the nurse we talked to wants saying that everyone at the blood clinic really appreciates our desire to contribute. Next, here are the other requirements for foreigners who want to donate blood. There isn't much information on whether Korean-Hyphenated expats will have an easier time of it than straight-up non-Korean foreigners, but this lady had no trouble.

1. you need to have been in Korea for at least a full year. The person interviewing might take that to mean continuously (without leaving) or they might take it to mean you've lived here for a year with a few excursions, as long as you haven't traveled to those malaria-risk areas mentioned in the donation interview linked above.

2. you must have an Alien Registration Card.

3. you must be able to speak enough Korean to answer the questions in a personal interview about your medical history. There aren't English speakers in the clinic who can interview you, and we tried to suggest some work-around options, but we couldn't get it done. Sorry folks, but that's just the way it is at this point. I'm sure by 2015 there'll be workarounds in place, but for now, there aren't. Sorry.

So if you're stuck at "멕주 하나도 주세요" then look forward to hanging out at the photo exhibit.

If you're confident enough in your Korean that you could still donate blood, here's the next thing.

There are several types of blood transfusions. Our man Yoo-woon needs a different type of transfusion than the regular blood donation, because of his situation. It's a bit more involved than a normal donation: it takes 1-2 hours, and it can rupture blood vessels in some donors, so if you've given blood before and had no problems, you're eligible for this one. If you haven't given blood before, even if you're B-, the nurse suggests giving a regular, 10-15 minute donation on Saturday, and getting your name on the list of people they call when they need B- platelets (there's a list that they have, kind of a volunteer group of people whom they regularly call when they need it; the nurse says the B- supply is not reaching dangerous lows, but the larger that pool of volunteer donors is, the better off everyone is).

The nurse recommends this, first to check that your blood vessels will be robust enough to handle the more involved donation, second, because the special kind of donation Yoo-woon needs is perishable, so they can't keep it in storage: collecting a week's worth of B- platelets doesn't help much when it only lasts 3 days, and third, if we have a group going, it'd be really hard to process a bunch of 1-2 hour donations at the clinic's busiest time of week (Saturday afternoons) - we don't want to overwhelm the clinic on our first try, so that they decide "Forget it. Accommodating foreign donors is too much trouble. And start rejecting us out of hand, rather than just putting us through a rigmarole" If it's a smaller group and people meet all the criteria, they might be willing to go for the long version, but if we have a big group, I think that the best thing we can do is make this a really positive experience for the clinic, so that they think, "Yeah, we really SHOULD make it easier for foreigners to donate, if they're all as nice and cooperative as that group was."

So, given that this is going to be a first-time experience for this clinic, let's make sure this is a positive experience for them, so they'll be more amenable to accepting foreign donors in the future, and will be more likely to see the value of finding workarounds for that Korean language interview that, for now, rules out a lot of healthy, eligible donors from donating: I think that kind of long view is a good one to take, because it will enable us to help out more people in the long run, than if we come on too strong this time, and cause a negative reaction.

So, on Saturday afternoon, at 2PM, meet me on the second floor of Twosome Place, to the right of Exit 1, Anguk Station. At 2:30 sharp we'll head out to our various destinations.

See you there!

A Very Special 2S2 on Saturday (possibly)... Korean/English Bilingual Person Needed

Hey there.
You've probably heard about this guy: There's a Korean student, about 19 years old, who's suffering from lymphoma, a kind of blood cancer. There's a page for him on Facebook. Basically, he has B- blood, which is extremely rare in Korea, and also a bad blood type to get sick with, because it can only receive from O- (in certain cases) and other B- types. There's been a push to get some help for him, and because so few Koreans have B- blood, word has been circulating among the expat community.

Now, on Saturday, for 2S2, I'd really like to bring a group down to the blood clinic to donate blood. If you have B- blood, especially, really, seriously think about coming out and helping out, because this kid is not doing well. Even if you don't, giving blood is a cool thing, and, frankly, a powerful symbolic action that projects a really positive image at a time when English teachers in particular are taking a beating.

I've located a blood donation clinic in Sinchon, and I even went down there today with a good friend to talk with the people. After a bit of talk, here's the score:

They don't usually take blood donations from foreigners, because of communication problems, concerns about where we (typically well-travelled folk) have been, and maybe also other... um... less scientific reasons, that aren't the focus of this post.

Now, we might be able to go down there and give blood on Saturday, but before we do, the lady we talked to gave me her phone number, and has asked me to have a bilingual friend contact her, to make sure she can explain the process in detail, and have that information accurately relayed to any would-be expat donors. She spent a lot of time talking about the correct process for donating blood... fair enough.

So, readers, here's where you can help: I really want this to happen, and I have a phone number, but not the language skill. Is there a reader out there who's fluent in Korean, and able to talk to this lady, and then explain the "process" to me, so that I can clearly pass that on to anyone else who needs to have it explained? I'd totally owe you a beer at the microbrew of your choice.

And that's our tentative 2S2 for Saturday: Meet at Anguk station Twosome Place (same time, same place, every month), go down to the donor clinic in Sinchon, and give blood... IF we can get the communication issues cleared up. This means that if you can talk to the lady tomorrow, I need you to send me a message tonight, to roboseyo at gmail dot com, with your phone number, so that we can clear up her concerns about misunderstandings or improper adherence to due process.

Also, if any of my bilingual readers are free on Saturday afternoon, please accept this as a gentle nudge that your presence would help de-stress these poor, nervous nurses at the clinic. It would be hugely appreciated, even if you're not B-!

If you want to donate blood, here's the nitty gritty:
1. You need to have an Alien Registration Card. Bring it, and be ready to present it.

2. You need to have been in Korea for a year.

3. You need to be able to answer some questions about your medical history... this part was a bit murky, and this might be the deal-breaker which will decide if we can go ahead or not. The guy at the Seoul Global Center, while very helpful, was pretty sure that if you don't speak enough Korean to answer the medical history questions yourself, you wouldn't be able to donate; hopefully we'll learn a way that we still can tomorrow, even if we can't speak all the Korean. I'll keep you posted.

If this doesn't work out, we'll do something else for 2S2, probably involving really, really good food. But I hope we can make this work.

2S2 on Saturday

Clear your schedules, readers. 2S2 is coming on saturday... look for a post soon about the details. I'm hammering them out myself right now.

2S2 This Saturday!

Great news, readers: first, Foreigner Joy and some friends have started a 2S2 chapter in Bundang, so if you live over there, you no longer need to trek up to Insa-dong to connect. Sweet!

Read more here, or at their facebook page.

However, the really exciting news is this: as per every month, 2S2 Seoul will be meeting as well.

Now, just as last Saturday, the awesome Chris in South Korea and the lovely Jo (short for Jehosaphattina) hosted a great swing dance + ice sculpture-o-rama, this weekend, the amazing Paul Ajosshi, from the great site, Paul Ajosshi, will be hosting the next one, Saturday at 2pm, at the same place as usual: the second floor of the Twosome Place near Exit 1 of Anguk station, at the North end of Insadong. The full run-down for the day is here, and it involves two neighborhoods, lots of good food, and a subtitled performance of the classic play, "The Cherry Orchard" complete with a way to reserve tickets in advance and save money, and you should go, dear readers!

If you want to reserve tickets for the play

Swinging With the 2S2 Crew

Chris in South Korea has taken on the job of planning the next 2S2 Event, on Saturday, February 13th. It's going to involve a swing dancing lesson in Sinsa (near Apkujeong), a meetup in the afternoon (usual place), and then still more swing dancing in the evening.

Swing Dancing is one of the greatest ways I've found to hang out and have a good time... go as a couple, or go as a single... and guys, every single time I've ever gone swing dancing, the male/female ratio has been, uh, favorable. Hope to see y'all there!

For full information, go to the 2S2 Community blog, or Chris's own Blog.

Haiti Benefits in Seoul

Three ways to help out in Haiti. 2S2 Community has the details. If you know of other events or ways people can help out, send me an e-mail and I'll add your event to the list.

2S2 January: a rousing success!

Happy music: Mass Romantic, by The New Pornographers. Glee.


So 2S2 happened again on Saturday. First of all, I'm thrilled to report that Wonju had a 2S2 of their own, over there, and they had an awesome time. You can read about it at the 2S2 Blog, and you can go to my superstar buddy Danielle's blog and tell her how wonderful she is.

This picture is a teaser: for the full write-up of the 2S2 get-together on Saturday, you'll have to go to the 2S2 Community blog.





Tee hee. Snow on trash.


This sweet New Year's ice sculpture was on the way from one place to another.


the good thing about this picture is my nemesis Dan Gray giving me his "seduction" face. Look out, ladies.

The bad thing is I'd urged him to make a more embarrassing pose, and he refused. I'm very disappointed that he's figured out not to do that stuff when my camera's out. For my readers, even more so: we're going to have to find somebody else to tease and/or embarrass with silly pictures.


footprints on one of those bench blocks in Insadong.


#2 bummer of the weekend (#1's personal)

We headed to my favorite spiced wine shop. It was not far from the 2S2 meetup. I led a whole group of about 20 of my good friends and Dan Gray's food fans...

to a missing cafe.

See, one of my favorite things in the world is finding great restaurants and stuff, and then showing my friends where they are, and watching them enjoy the victuals. But because I'm so often bringing friends to a place, when one unexpectedly disappears on me, more often than not, I've got a friend or twelve in tow, to watch my dismay, and to think I'm a doofus for leading them to restaurants that don't exist. I have to say this was the largest group ever to mock my despair, as one of my seriously favorite restaurants had been replaced...

by a freaking handbag shop. A handbag shop. Because Samchungdong REALLY needed another handbag shop. it's the only thing the friggin' place was missing. Spiced wine schmiced schmine. Handbag shops are what really defines a great district.

Oh well. Could have been worse. It could have been replaced by a telephoto lens shop for all the froofy couples.

But bitterness aside: the rest of the day was great, and a very rewarding experience, and I'm super glad it happened, and I'm already excited about the next one.

Special thanks to Dan Gray for doing a double-down 2S2 with the Seoul Eats crew: it was a great shot in the arm, and a really positive experience for everyone... except the girl who left the tea house without paying. She's gonna get it.

Just kidding.

Have a good one, all!

Come to 2S2 today!

It's the Second Saturday of January, so it's time for another 2S2. This month, we're doing a 2S2 special, teaming up with the Seoul Eats Meetup, and here's the score: meet at 12pm, at Anguk Station exit 1, for the Seoul Eats part of the meetup. You'll walk down Insa-dong street, and coming from that direction, just past the Ssamzie Square, you'll see a pharmacy on a corner on the left: turn left down that side-street. You'll walk right past a Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf. Then, once you're past the coffee bean, go left again on the first really small side-street. Look, once again, to your left, and you'll see a dumpling restaurant called "Koong". They have the best large Korean dumplings I've eaten, and I highly recommend the ddeook mandukuk - rice-cake dumpling soup. The broth is simple and tasty, the ddeok is super fresh, and the dumplings are fat, juicy, and flavorful, with all the dumplingy goodness you could hope for.

Now here's the sad part: because of an unexpected twist, I have to do something for my boss that's going to keep me busy from 10-12 this morning, which means the earliest I can arrive at the Seoul Eats meetup is about 12:30. That'll be time enough for me to get a good meal, but I'm a little choked that I can't be there for the beginning of the event I helped plan with Dan.

Next, at 2pm (hence, 2S2) we're going to the Twosome Place, the usual 2S2 meetup. We'll muster there, but not stick around too long: I'd like to get out of there fairly quickly, in order to go to a quieter place. If the group's smaller, it'll be spiced wine (glauwine) at a sweet panini restaurant I know, and if the group's bigger, it'll be tea at one of Insadong's great tea houses.

If you live in Wonju, please go to the second 2S2 Pocket, organized by Wonju Wife: read about it here.

There's a google map at the 2S2 Blog, for the Seoul Meetup, and the Wonju meetup.

2S2 Gains Momentum... Introducing 2S2 Wonju

My lovely friend Danielle has chosen to start up a 2S2 Pocket in Wonju, where she lives. Personally, I'm thrilled. You can read more about it at the 2S2 Community blog, or at Danielle's own blog. If you live in Wonju, or near it, or know someone who does, I strongly recommend showing up in support of strengthening community connections, and support.

Danielle, you rock!

2S2 Coming up Saturday, January 9th.

This post is interspersed with pictures from November's 2S2 meeting, all stolen from Foreigner Joy's blog. You can see them in their original context here.

Seoul Eats Meetup is a foodie meetup that's been going on over at Seoul Eats for a while, and 2S2 is heading for its January session, on the Second Saturday at 2pm. Here's the breakdown:

The plan for January just got sorted: the Anguk chapter of 2S2 is getting together with Seoul Eats for a teamup:



The Seoul Eats Meetup will be at noon in Insadong. There's a dumpling restaurant there with nice ddeok soup, a traditional new year's meal. Then, at 2, we'll head to twosome place to gather anybody who's there, and depending on the group size, we'll either head for a nifty tea room somewhere nearby to have some nice Korean teas, or (if the group is smaller) boot up the road to a little place with amazing warm, spiced wine. Once there, we'll have a book exchange. Bring the books you're done with, and trade them in for ones you haven't read yet. We're not fussy about genres... but I know I plan on bringing three or four books, to give my friends a little more choice. I'm also planning on bringing my set of Gostop cards, so that we can have another session of either learning, or playing the game. Once the weather gets warmer, we'll be a little more adventurous in our activities, but just so you know, the last 2S2's have all been good times so far.



So if you're up for some good food, you're welcome to join the Seoul Eats Meetup, like I will, and if a bit of social time, a card game and a book exchange sounds fun, join in for 2S2, too. The Seoul Eats folks are invited to bring a book they're finished with, and meet the rest of the 2S2 people at 2pm. I was thinking of climbing a mountain... but it's still hella cold. I'll bring my pack of gostop cards for anyone who wants... to either play, or learn how, as well.

Please note: I'm hoping not to stay too long at Twosome place this time, and to fairly quickly
move on to the next place, so please try to be there promptly at 2. See you there!

Here's the link to the google map.

Here's the google map to find it all.

View Kung Mandu and Twosome Place: Seoul Eats and 2S2 in a larger map

Read more about 2S2 here. Or here. Or in The Korea Herald.

also: I am very, very interested in getting 2S2 pockets set up in other locations, rather than just in Seoul. If you're living outside of Seoul, or even in a suburb that's pretty far from Insadong, don't complain that 2S2 is a good idea, but too far away: start your own pocket! Get in touch with me at roboseyo at gmail dot com, or send me a message on facebook, and I'll be thrilled to promote your meetup on the 2S2 community blog as well.

2S2 on Saturday December 12: Dress Warmly

Dress warmly on Saturday, dear readers. 2S2 is meeting, as usual, at 2pm, on the Second Saturday of the month, in the usual place: at the Twosome Place to the right of exit 1, Anguk Station.

From there, we're going to head down to Gwanghwamun Plaza, where there's this wild, crazy, awesome Snowboarding competition and festival all weekend, and we'll take part in the festivities. Come join us! But dress warmly. It's December, and the festival's outdoors.

So what is 2S2? Well, now it has a blog and a facebook group... nothing exists anymore unless it has a blog and a facebook group, does it?

You can read more about what it is, and what we're trying to accomplish, here, or here.

A word on Greg Dolezal, ATEK President, and Death Threats

I've talked with Greg Dolezal, ATEK's first elected President, at length a few times on the phone. A lot has already been said about him and the threat made against his life on the Anti-English Spectrum comment boards, so I'll direct you to read about it there... but I just wanted to say, I want to put in a word in support of Mr. Dolezal. He's always been on the up and up, every time I've talked with him; he seems to have his head on straight and a good view of what's important and what can slide, and I'm grateful that he's stepped forward to lead ATEK in this formative year. I think he's a good man for the job, and I wish him the best.

Read about his death threat here

and here and here. And here's a report on it submitted to CNN by Stephannie White. I support him going after this guy, just to say, "We won't be pushed around," and "No, saying 'I was just kidding' is not an acceptable escape from responsibility for being a racist asshat"

Greg's part of a movement toward an expat community that's more integrated and connected, and I approve of that. Another person who's working on that is Shannon, from the Seoul Global Center, who was just featured on The Seoul Podcast, and came to my latest 2S2 meetup.

2S2 on Saturday

That's right, dear readers. Clear your calendars and get ready to come out on Saturday.

Come to Anguk Station Seoul, exit 1, and turn right when you come out of the station. Almost right there, you'll see the Twosome Place coffee shop. You can come and hang out with us in the first chapter of 2S2. If you have a deck of cards, or even better, a set of Gostop cards, bring it: one thing we're going to do is try and figure out how to play that classic Korean card game, Gostop.

For more about 2S2, here's the 2S2 manifesto I wrote last month, edited a bit for brevity:

You know how everybody knows that the fourth Friday of every month is club night in Hongdae? You don't have to check local listings -- you just have to show up, and people begin to plan part of their weekends around it, because they know it's gonna happen -- every fourth Friday, like clockwork, it's there.

It occured to me that expats ought to be planning out things other than "get blitzed and dance like mad night" in a similar way, in order to establish a more integrated network of expats here in Korea, in order to provide opportunities for socializing with people other than coworkers (nothing against them, but still), at other places than the neighborhood bar (nothing against it either, but still...). It's time for us to take all the online connections we have, and get them into real life!

It's called 2S2 -- it's symmetrical, it's memorable, hopefully somebody with some graphic design skill will make it into a simple, recognizable logo sometime, and it contains the information you need.

2S2 stands for "Second Saturdays at 2" or every second Saturday at 2pm. This 2S2 would be a regular get-together where people can meet, network, and then from there, head out and participate in other activities.

It's my dream that 2S2 grow to become a decentralized get-together with numerous agreed-upon meetup locations where expats can meet all over Seoul and Korea, in order to build and strengthen connections, and in order to provide a context in which expats in Korea can help each other learn about Korea and integrate better with their host-country, as well as to provide a gathering of people ready to participate in a tangible community, and give something back to Korea. At this point, the people scapegoating foreigners and English teachers are well-mobilized and well-organized, but we English teachers and expats aren't doing a whole lot to provide a different image of ourselves than the dirty, unqualified, etcetera. Once it gains steam, 2S2 meetings could be an opportunity to get expats out in the community, picking up trash, volunteering at different places, taking part in cultural events, and who knows what else -- really, the imaginations of the organizers is the limit, and anybody can pick up the ball, and become the organizer of a chapter. Including you.

Here's the best thing about it: all it takes is a couple of people to organize a 2S2 Pocket. Basically, we already have the main info: 2S2 means every Second Saturday of the month, at 2pm. From there, all an organizer needs to do is send me a message and say "Hey. I'm going to start a 2S2 pocket at ___" and name a location. I'll publish the location, here, at The Hub of Sparkle, and if somebody has the web skills, we might even put it up on its own website, at some other easy to find location.

Well-known, or at least easy-to-find locations are probably best; I'd suggest coffee shops rather than bars, because part of the purpose of forming a more tangible community is to break OUT of the stereotype of English teachers in Korea to extend frat/sorority life. From there, it's just a matter of showing up at that spot, every second Saturday at 2, and to meet whoever else is looking to connect, and to have an activity ready to go for whoever does show up. Hopefully, we'll start hearing from people with information like "Hey. I know an orphanage in this area where they'd love to have volunteers..." "I know a church that runs a Saturday soup kitchen..." or, for that matter, "why don't we all bring our used books to the meetup and pass them around?" and who knows what other ideas people might have, so that we can start reaching out to the community, and also connecting with each other.

Bring your friends: it's an open invitation. Pick a different location every month if you're just attending -- but if you're an organizer, once you've named a location, be there every second Saturday, or find someone to fill the post in your absence, so that it's consistent. And that's it.

Like Club Night, it would take some time, I imagine, for the grassroots meetups to gain steam, and membership, but the nice thing about this is that it's decentralized, which means that each group can take ownership of their own pocket, and decide what their 2S2 Pocket is about, and how they're going to run things, and what kinds of activities they're going to do. If you want to open a pocket, I'm asking you to be patient, and be committed, during the beginning stages, when things never look very impressive. Maybe it's just you and your three coworkers for the first four months... well, OK. But this is something that could eventually build up to something a lot bigger, and meaningful for a lot of people, so, yeah, encourage people you meet to join, and stick with it, eh?

So I'm naming a location for the first, pilot 2S2 Pocket: The second floor of Twosome Place, at the top of Insa-dong street. If you want to find it, go to Anguk Station, exit 1, and turn right when you come out of the gate. Twosome Place will be on your right, just before the big intersection. Go there, and look for me, tomorrow at 2pm.

If you're thinking about starting your own pocket, send me an e-mail at roboseyo at gmail dot com, ask me any questions I haven't already answered here, and I'll spread word about it. Seoul's a big city, so I'd be happy if pockets opened in other areas, like Kangnam, Bucheon, Ilsan, or Bundang, but I'd especially love it if 2S2 pockets started up in the other major cities of Korea: anybody willing to start one in Daegu? In Busan? in Daejeon? in Gwangju? let's get our network properly networked, rather than just being isolated packets of foreigners who don't much know that each-other are doing.

This is not an exclusive effort -- the invitation's open to anyone, so bring your Korean, Brazilian, or Martian friend if you want, and let's try to get the expat community in Korea amounting to more than the sum of its parts, instead of significantly less, as it stands right now.

See you on Saturday! And if you're thinking about starting a pocket, DO! It's only one Saturday a month, and who knows how much good it could do for the community, once this thing gets rolling.

Be in touch.

2S2, November Edition this Saturday

Hey all. Don't forget to clear your calendar on Saturday afternoon for the second monthly 2S2 meetup.

For more explanation on what 2S2 is, and where to meet see this link.

For a write-up of the last 2S2, go here.

I'm hoping this one will have a bit bigger turnout than last month's, and if you're coming, bring a deck of cards or, even better, a set of gostop cards. The activity of the afternoon will be learning how to play/ playing Gostop. If you want to be extra-prepared, read the rules here.

So clear your calendars. More about it later, when I dont' have to prepare for a class.

Roboseyo

2S2 The First: Second Saturday, October, 2010: Picture Post

2S2: Toward an expat community

So Ask The Expat got the ball rolling with this one, by suggesting that it was time for the fragmented mini-pockets of expat community (starting in Seoul, because he's in Seoul) start getting organized.

In an effort to get that going, here's the idea I had:

You know how everybody knows that the fourth Friday of every month is club night in Hongdae? You don't have to check local listings -- you just have to show up, and people begin to plan part of their weekends around it, and stuff, because it's sure a sight to see, and it's gonna happen -- every fourth Friday, like clockwork, it's there.

Well, in a similar way, why aren't expats planning out things, not just to get together and get trashed, but in order to establish a more integrated network of expats here in Korea, in order to provide opportunities for socializing with people other than my coworkers, at the neighborhood bar, and in order to take all the online connections we have, and get them into real life?

So here's the idea: I was going to call it "The Second Saturdays Project," until I found out that the Seoul Writers Club's upcoming project is called "Every Second Sunday" -- seems to be taken. So instead, I present to you:

2S2 -- it's symmetrical, it's memorable, hopefully somebody with some graphic design skill will make it into a simple, recognizable logo sometime, and it contains the information you need.
2S2 stands for "Second Saturdays at 2" or every second Saturday at 2pm. This 2S2 would be a regular get-together where people can meet, network, and then participate in other activities.

It's my dream that 2S2 grow to become a decentralized get-together where expats can meet up at agreed-upon places around Seoul and Korea, in order to build and strengthen connections, and in order to provide a context in which expats in Korea can help each other learn about Korea and integrate better with their host-country, as well as to provide a gathering of people ready to participate in a tangible community, and give something back to Korea. At this point, the people scapegoating foreigners and English teachers are well-mobilized and well-organized, but we English teachers and expats aren't doing a whole lot to provide a different image of ourselves than the dirty, unqualified, etcetera. Once it gains steam, 2S2 meetings could be an opportunity to get expats out in the community, picking up trash, volunteering at different places, taking part in cultural events, and who knows what else -- really, the imaginations of the organizers is the limit.

Here's the best thing about it: all it takes is a couple of people to organize a 2S2 Pocket. Basically, we already have the main info: 2S2 means every Second Saturday of the month, at 2pm. From there, all an organizer needs to do is send me a message and say "Hey. I'm going to start a 2S2 pocket at ___" and name a location. I'll publish the location, here, at The Hub of Sparkle, and if somebody has the web skills, we might even put it up on its own website. Well-known, or at least easy-to-find locations are probably best; I'd suggest coffee shops rather than bars, because part of the purpose of forming a more tangible community is to break OUT of the stereotype of English teachers in Korea to extend frat/sorority life, and from there, it's just a matter of showing up at that spot, every second Saturday at 2, and to meet whoever else is looking to connect, and to have an activity ready to go for whoever does show up. Hopefully, we'll start hearing from people with information like "Hey. I know an orphanage in this area where they'd love to have..." "I know a church that runs a Saturday soup kitchen..." or, for that matter, "why don't we all bring our used books to the meetup and pass them around?" and who knows what else, so that we can start reaching out to the community, and also connecting with each other. Bring your friends: it's an open invitation. Pick a different location every month if you're just attending -- but if you're an organizer, once you've named a location, be there every second Saturday, or find someone to fill the post in your absence. And that's it.

Like Club Night, it would take some time, I imagine, for the grassroots meetups to gain steam, and membership, but the nice thing about this is that it's decentralized, which means that each group can take ownership of their own pocket, and decide what their 2S2 Pocket is about, and how they're going to run things, and what kinds of activities they're going to do. If you volunteer to open a pocket, I'm gonna ask you to be patient, and be committed, during the beginning stages, when things never look very impressive. Maybe it's just you and your three coworkers for the first four months... well, OK. But this is something that could eventually build up to something a lot bigger, and meaningful for a lot of people, so, yeah, encourage people you meet to join, and stick with it, eh?


So I'm naming a location for the first, pilot 2S2 Pocket: The second floor of Twosome Place, at the top of Insa-dong street. If you want to find it, go to Anguk Station, exit 1, and turn right when you come out of the gate. Twosome Place will be on your right, just before the big intersection. Go there, and look for me, tomorrow at 2pm. Depending on who, and how many people show up, the activity's not going to be very ambitious this time: just a meet-and-greet, weather permitting, a stroll around, and possibly dinner, but if you want to talk to me more about 2S2, or if you have ideas, or if you have a spot where a few expats looking to give back to the community could add their energy, I'd love to hear about it, by e-mail, or in person.

This is not an exclusive effort -- the invitation's open to anyone, so bring your Korean, Brazilian, or Martian friend if you want, and let's try to get the expat community in Korea amounting to more than the sum of its parts, instead of significantly less, as it stands right now.