Roboseyo's nose never fails

Soundtrack time: hit play and start reading.
Mercy, by Duffy.


First: the random basket truck in Insadong. Like.


Next: two years ago, my favorite sandwich place in Korea, called Jenny's Cafe, rocked my world, and guaranteed my third date with Girlfriendoseyo, because we enjoyed it together so much. A few months after that, I brought some friends to Hongdae to eat at Jenny's with them, and my jaw hit the sidewalk when I saw that it was gone. I thought it was gone forever, I was seriously bummed. The bread they had there was so good, and the mushroom salad was just ridiculous, and I thought I'd never have it again. I was bummed enough that I've actually thought about writing a eulogy for it here at Blogoseyo.

But then on Saturday night, wandering around Hongdae with my buddy Evan, we saw a few things.

We saw these posters...for a band, I think.


Here's my handsome buddy Evan. Pay special attention to the shape of his chin.
Evan was mad that nobody ever puts his picture up on their walls or their blogs. So now I have.

How do you like that, Evan?

We'd planned to eat Okonomiyaki, but my favorite place, Noside, was closed for renovation.

So Evan showed my where Flying Chicken was, which looks really good...but then we decided to try the other Okonomiyaki place, where there was a lineup out the door and down the stairs. Screw that! So instead, I said, "Well, let's walk around and see if a place calls out to us." Evan was cool with that, and I know that generally these days, if I follow my nose, it leads me somewhere cool. Well bum-chin wanted to go a block up and turn left, but I said, "Let's head down this side street here." We did, and what did my wondering eyes see, but...



Holy crap! It's Jenny's Cafe, Redux!

So we went in there, and ate. I would have fought Evan if he hadn't agreed to go in with me. Lucky guy.

and there it was. Back in style.

with more seating than before.
the bread was...some of the best bread I've had in Korea. Different kinds, each one a home run.I was especially fond of the ciabatta and the white rye.

The mushroom salad came out, and it was good enough that I'll remember it two years from now, just like last time.

I had the jenny's spaghettini, which was gentle and well-balancedEvan never stopped raving about his Feta/olive penne.

Neither of us were that hungry, but we totalled those dishes, in about seven minutes, in dead silence, because brothers and sisters, it was that good. Silly. Ridiculous.Here's how to find it. Go to the Hongik university main gate, and turn right, and follow the road. When you come to that little corner with the Ska club, where Route 66 used to be, where Rocky Mountain Tavern is now, turn left down that little alley where Halmoni club, Joker Red, and club FF are. Keep going until you come to that big street with cars parked in the middle of it. Across that intersection is a Joe's Sandwich

And an "On the Grill" -- go down the small street between those two shops. You're on the right track.
About 40 meters past, maybe less, theres a corner like this, where you turn left.
You'll pass a few places that look really cool. As hard as it may be, pass them, and Jenny's will be on your right.
That place is "Jenny's Cafe" where they serve entrees. It's great. If you remember, and miss, Jenny's amazing sandwiches, then you have to go to their OTHER location, Jenny's Bread.

For this one, stand facing Hongik University's main gate, and go left, instead. Walk down the right side of the road, around the bend (where their old location used to be). When you pass ssamzie market, take the nest left, and look for a sidestreet on your right.

Jenny's Bread is down here, and they serve sandwiches. If they're even 80% as good as they used to be, it's worth the trip.
Here's how it looks at 10pm.It's nice.

Here's how to find them:So go there. Eat good bread. You'll realize how much you missed it, and be sad, but realize that you can eat some now, and be happy.

Roboseyo's nose never fails. It's led me to a number of the best places I've eaten over the last three years. Fortunately, friends have led me to the others.

Dang, my life is good.

Oh yeah. I also took these pictures this weekend.

It was hard to understand the meaning of this sign. This was my guess.
Pukaksan, behind the Blue House and Gwanghwamun was great. I got lots of pictures, but some of them might be giving away locations of defense structures on the ultra-secure area, so some aren't going up here. There is an awesome wall behind the Blue House which surrounds downtown Seoul, which honestly deserves to be top three in Seoul's tourist promotional walks and things to do in Seoul, but is de-emphasized. Great views, an amazing look at Korea's history (it's a 600 year old wall), as well as Korea's modern history (ultra-secure, especially given the 1968 attack on the blue-house where the North Korean commandoes ran up this mountain to hide during their assault).

On the way to the entrance to Bukak Mountain



On the way down to Daehangno.


Air quality on Pukaksan was poor.
Then, later, cherry blossoms at night.

Coolest Video I've Posted This Year

K. So there's this thing called flash mobs, where a group of people plan some goofy prank in a public place, and then drop it on an unsuspecting public. Frankly, they're awesome: imagine having a flash mob interrupt your commonplace routine.

It started with universities, and a few guerilla videos from a group called Improv Everywhere,

Including food court musical.

the first really famous one was the New York Central Station freeze.

another one I liked was worshiping the purdue engineering fountain

This awesome game show prank in Japan made me smile.

A very clever "where's Waldo" flash mob in San Francisco

But the coolest thing I've ever seen, flash-mob-wise, has got to be this one.

Think about the preparation this would have taken, look at the numbers, and watch as it keeps topping itself.

Un. real.

Antwerp, Central Station.

Just watch it.

(HT Robin, on Facebook)

Requestoseyo: Female K-Bloggers

See, as I look at the sidebar here at Roboseyo, I notice that the female bloggers listed are a tiny minority. On several of the comment boards of well-known K-blogs, as well, feminine voices very rarely assert themselves, and it is with great sadness that I acknowledge that the great-idea-too-bad-this-happened Naked In The Sauna is now largely defunct.

With Amanda Takes Off, Lao Ocean Girl, and Expat Jane repatriating...

who ARE the female K-bloggers you like to read, my dear readers?

I'm already a regular reader of Foreign/er Joy, Expatriate Games, Annalog, both the male and female halves of Eat Your Kimchi, Chubbo Chubbington, A Long Time Ago When The Tiger Smoked a Cigarette..., and the also largely defunct Gomushin Girl, but that's only seven out of the fifty on my RSS feed, so it stands to reason (given the approximate 50/50 percentage of males to females in the world) that I must be missing some.

Now, not because I write this blog to pick up girls or anything: with girlfriendoseyo I'm covered on that front...but I'm worried that I might be letting down any guys who might be reading my blog to pick up girls. (We had an interesting talk in my conversation class about What's the best way to meet your soulmate, and reading strangers' blogs was third on the list, you know.) K. In all seriousness, though, I DO feel like I'm letting down any female readers who didn't give up on me completely with that last lame joke, in providing a place where they can find out about, and hopefully connect with, other female K-bloggers, and see that side of things here.

Fill me in, readers! Who else should I be reading?

And... A couple of reminders:

Why not to hand in your article late after the native speaking proofreader has gone home. Flag-waving aside (see the second half), what horrible writing.

Why TO do prewriting (I'm teaching that right now) and planning before you write, and why to ALWAYS have a thesis before you start writing. Choi Yong-hearn, Korea's Dokdo poet, writing an editorial where it seems like somebody said "You have a Ph.D. Just write whatever and we'll print it." And he did.

And you thought Rap Ballads were bad in your own language...

It's debatable which would be worse: a rap ballad in a language you CAN understand, and have to deal with lyrics like "Girl I feel so sad, like I did something bad, don't be mad 'cause I'm sad... Now you're gone, can't get along, is our love really done, 'cause I thought you were the one"

or a rap ballad in a language you CAN'T understand, so that all attention is drawn to the awful music.

Last time we saw Jo Gwon, we at Roboseyo thought he was a girl at first, until we saw sixpack proof he was a dude.

Now, you can hear him singing the girl parts in this song.



It must be a pretty good song, because the person who posted it wrote:

OMG JINWOON RAPPING IS HELLA HOT. Seul Ong's voice is awesome. Changmin's adlib is TO DIE FOR and Kwon as usual is hella amazing kdjhdfkhkfj 2AM YOU STEAL MY BREATH AWAY.

(ps: hat tip to here)

(PS: wouldn't it be awesome is Rolling Stone wrote reviews like that about the singers they loved? Those crusty music writers who still give five stars to anything Bruce Springsteen or Mick Jagger produces, because it reminds them of their twenties, saying "OMG! Thisz is The GR8EST Almum EVARRRR! The EAGLES are soooooooohotttt! I kan't beleeive tehy'r doin a reunion tour! I SOOOOOOO wanna goooooooooo!")

Personally, I have a special "Love to Hate" corner of my black, black heart for rap ballads that steal lines from the most beautiful pieces of classical music. "Everything's Gonna Be Alright" by Sweetbox in particular, because the interestingly titled, "Air on the G String" by JS Bach has a special place in my heart, too.


My other greatest "Love to Hate" song?

Eagles' Reunion Tour: Hotel California, the overwrought version of one of the most overplayed songs ever. Every single Korean bar with a projector screen owns the Eagles reunion tour DVD. Every. Single. One.

My other love to hate song, also because it was a great song ruined by overplay: Brown Eyed Girl, by Van Morrison

Quote of the Day

From a friend's twitter:

Commanding respect and demanding respect are mutually exclusive.

And what does this have to do with Korea?

If you live here, you know.

(and its counterpart:)
"The empty can makes the most noise."

The Readers have Spoken: Korean Movies To See

Well, folks, I made the survey, and the topic you chose was "Korean Movies You Should Track Down And See" -- now, before I go into the full list, I'd like to dedicate this special post to what I think is the BEST Korean movie.

Now, I know this is a kind of controversial choice, but I'm just asking you, my readers, to have an open mind, and hear me out. The movie begins with a camera scrolling over what looks like ancient Korean parchments covered with drawings that somehow, magically move, as if they are coming alive. A mysterious, disembodied voice begins, in a way similar to the prologue of the Lord of the Rings movies, movies I like to compare to this one.

"Everyone believes the time of dragons has passed, but the time of dragons has only just begun. Every 500 years, a young woman is born, a woman who possesses a spirit power that can turn a serpent into the mightiest dragon of all. A good serpent will use this mighty power to protect the universe. An evil serpent will use the mighty power to destroy the world. Now is the time for the spirit to be awakened. Now is the time for destiny to unfold." Is your stomach tingling? Mine is.

Yes. A few years ago, the great Korean director Hyung Rae Shim had a vision: an inspiration, if you will, to create the most spectacular, most expensive Korean movie ever: he planned to spread the amazing Korean wave to America by making the greatest Dragon movie in history.

Look out, Godzilla!

The movie is called Dragon Wars, or sometimes D-Wars, because the best movies have two titles. There are flashbacks where you can learn ancient Korean culture and study Korean language, and there's also Los Angeles, because Americans like movies with Los Angeles and white people. They thoughtfully put English subtitles in the flashback scenes, even though English wasn't invented yet during those scenes, so that we can understand it. They even use the word befall, to show it's old times.

The movie has suprising things never seen before in a Korean movie, for example, martial arts, battle scenes where evil people attack folk villages and violins play when little kids shout for their mommas, ancient palaces, love suicides, and music. But this movie is way better, because it doesn't just have old costumes and Korean traditional people having battles, it also has modern stuff, too, like when the dragon army attacks Los Angeles and the Nazgull have a war with helicopters, and a white-haired guy with a voice like Satan in the movie, "Legend". If you've ever wanted to see a dragon eat an ancient Korean peasant and a flying monster pterodactyl down a helicopter in the same movie, this one is for you!

It also has some really clever writing, like the heartbreaking scene in ancient times when the Korean special magic mark-bearer lady's father dies, and she says with deep sandess, "My father. My father. My father," to show Korea's unique family bond which is deeper than Americans.

Also, I like Dragon Wars because they even found American actors to act in the movie, including a guy named Ethan -- which shows advanced cultural knowledge of America by the filmmaker, because Ethan is hard for Koreans to prounounce, and a blonde girl named Sarah - the kind of unique name only a Korean could have come up with, as well as a black guy who says funny black things like "You're always making shit up, I swear." and "Do you really believe in all this crap, man?"

The acting is sincere and passionate, like when Sarah's friend makes her feel better by saying, "OK Look, why don't you get some rest, and we'll go out for a drink later." then, as if they were sisters, she says, "Come on, girl, when was the last time we went out" to show Americans' sincere culture of friendship. Later, the plot gets more exciting, and all kinds of crazy things happen and there's a funny fat zoo security guard. Or the really funny scene where Sarah's scared roommate is packing up to leave town, and her boyfriend picks up some of her panties, and we totally get to see some panties in a movie *^^*. And then the snake eats her. LOL! Also, they keep doing this awesome trick where something really scary happens, and then one of the stars wakes up and !! ^^ lol! It was just a dream, and I'm like, "WOW! I totally didn't expect that!"

Plus, the final scene is so awesome and sad and action packed you'll finally understand the true meaning of han and jung.

You should really see this movie! I couldn't believe this movie wasn't the most successful movie ever: it's obvious that Hollywood just isn't ready for Korean film. Critics said awful things about it, "lazy and amateurish script," "some of the most ambitious crap I've ever seen," " the recognizable ensemble cast gives collectively the worst performance of any film in all of their careers put together" but I think they missed the point: see, sometimes it's hard for American movie critics to accept a movie on its own terms, and also in terms of the culture that produced it (hence the low popularity of subtitled movies in American theaters). Really, before such cynics judge Korean films, they should learn more about Korea's unique film culture and Korean film's special circumstances. Most Korean filmmakers have lived a hard life, you know, so we should be more understanding. Other reviewers were, in my opinion, a little closer to the mark.

For example, on IMDB.com, Bryan from Japan astutely observes,

"In all sincerity, the director did an excellent job with this film. My children loved it and so did I. God bless and take care.

In all sincerity, the director did an excellent job with this film. My children loved it and so did I. God bless and take care.

In all sincerity, the director did an excellent job with this film. My children loved it and so did I. God bless and take care.

The perceptive Glamm2000 from Korea, writes,

Will D-WAR defy any other description other than a "blockbuster" ? That question remains to be answered since the movie is set to be released this summer when we all get the chance to experience the absolute conquest of mankind. I figured most of the ATROX droids,clad in black armour were probably cheaper by the dozen to hire but as I found out later they were not hired extras but life size figures that were made from heavy metals and stored safely for future takes ! That was enough to convince me that there seemed to be a greater magnitude to this sci-fi flick than meets the eye.

And a commenter named "Shim Hyung Rae" wrote,

These movie is the almost movie in Korea and everybody can be impressive to the amazing digital movie and movie show! I think you can watch and action adventure is the happy fun time cutty Korean adventure. ^^ This movie will successful to Korea pride and world famous image of Korea to the Korean wave is our nation dream. Frankly speaking, D-War are the best good movie I look this year, or more years earlier until that. In fact ever. Teacher: did you like D-War? Yes or no?

So as soon as you get a chance, seriously, get out and track down a copy of D-War, and find out just how much you've been missing!

Why's Everybody Hatin' on Jon Huer? The Gauntlet.

(cross-posted at The Hub of Sparkle: please leave your comments there.)

Applicable?

“We need very strong ears to hear ourselves judged frankly, and because there are few who can endure frank criticism without being stung by it, those who venture to criticize us perform a remarkable act of friendship, for to undertake to wound offend a man for his own good is to have a healthy love for him. ”

Michel de Montaigne quotes (French Philosopher and Writer. 1533-1592)

Debatable.


You may have noticed the sudden spate of apoplectic K-Bloggers hating on Jon Huer's "out-of-touch" top ten list of things Foreigners like about Korea: a list which, admittedly, seems like it should have been titled, "The Top Ten Things THIS Foreigner Likes About Korea"

An Expat in Korea, Brian in Jeollanamdo, and Hub of Sparkle's own Stafford have added their ire to the pile-on so far, and doubtless there are more. In fact, Expat in Korea even sent Mr. Huer an e-mail, to which Jon Huer indignantly (and probably unadvisably) replied.

I don't really care to reprint the whole train-wreck here, ere Stafford's head explodes... but how about this.

If you don't like Jon Huer's list, let's do him one better. What are the top ten things actual foreigners, really living in Korea, like best about Korea? Instead of hating on Jon Huer, let's talk about the good stuff about Korea-- it feels better than smearing some old guy, anyway.

Here's Jon Huer's list.

1. Safe streets


2. The sweetness and charitable disposition of Korean women over 60.


3. Korea's countryside people's unique attitude to foreigners.


4. The famous Korean fighting spirit


5. Spontaneity


6. A group of songs called ``Lyrical Songs of Korea.''


7. Sense of humor and gaiety.


8. Pansori


9. Koreans are extraordinarily forgiving toward those less-fortunate than themselves.


10. Konglish

Now, if that list deserves the deluge of disdain it's been dished so far, let's write a better one. Post it on your blog and link it in the comments, or post your list in the comments for this post. If we have a strong enough response, I might even make it into a survey or something.

There's the gauntlet, folks. Now whatcha gonna do about it?

I've turned off comments for this post, so that you can leave your comments at the version of this article at The Hub of Sparkle. Head over there and say your piece!

Facebook has jumped the shark.

Sad but true.

Delete application
Delete application
block application
block application
block friend
block friend
delete friend
delete application
NO MORE FRAWKING QUIZZES AND NO I DON'T CARE IF A NEW EPISODE OF BEWITCHED CAME OUT!

(image source)

what is jumping the shark?

Weekend Pics, and Go See Klimt in Seoul!

Soundtrack:
Nouvelle Vague (recommendation from a friend): Dancing With Myself- startlingly, a cover of an old Billy Idol punk song.

Anyway, hit play, and start reading. I really like this song.


First: from Andong (yep, the Andong Writeup seems to have been swallowed in the mists of time... if there's a loud enough outcry I might try to revive it, but Joe Zen and Fatman Seoul both did such good jobs writing it up already. . .)

Here is one great picture of me and my bud Juhee, on the train, in some nice light.
Girlfriendoseyo and I found this fantastic little tea room. The raspberry tea tasted like pulling off the road in the Okanagan valley and picking raspberries off a bush somewhere. So good.
the owner had a green thumb, too. Girlfriendoseyo was impressed by the foliage. I was mostly just amazed at the perfectly balanced flavours in the teas.


Walked up and down Namsan this weekend. Flowers (jindalae) were blossoming, which have han, I'm told.

These trees remind me of Dr. Seuss illustrations:

I liked the lines of this step/fence combination.

I saw Gustav Klimt and Youssef Karsh this week. The Seoul National Art Center, by Nambu Bus Terminal, was in fine form.



The two artists were, too. You should go see these shows (find the place) at the Hangaram Art Museum, south of the Han River, but north of Gangnam. You'll know Klimt from these paintings mostly--however, let me remind you that the difference between seeing a JPG of a picture on your computer screen, and seeing the actual thing (especially when it comes to paintings), is kind of like the difference between reading a car's engine specifications in an auto magazine, and being hit by that car on the street.
Judith, above, was there. The Kiss (below) was not: convincing Austria to give up The Kiss and send it overseas would be about the equivalent of asking America to send Abe Lincoln's log cabin on a world tour. National treasure, you know? However, the show was quite impressive (though the nude females were...uh...supercharged with...uh...not for children...energy). A recreation of the Beethoven Frieze was also there, and pretty amazing: basically a visual depiction of the Ninth Symphony, in a way. I learned a bunch about Klimt, and saw some amazing art, and was duly impressed.
Next up, in the same building, no less, was Youssef Karsh, the ridiculously amazing photographer. Here's a game: think of somebody who was really famous between 1930 and 1970. Now think of their most iconic portrait photo. Odds are about 50-65% that photo was taken by Youssef Karsh.

You may recognize some of his work.

responsible not only for this photo:

and this one,but also this one, and a whole host of others.
Plus, he's Canadian. (Karsh, not Winston Churchill)

We got to take these pictures, too.
the queen
and grumposeyo
Gimme back my damn cigar!

Then on Saturday I ate at one of my favorite restaurants in downtown seoul
Where they cook the food on this great squared gas grill that's all loaded with spilled-over deliciousness.

Watching the lady cook is fun. The food is just amazing: the best dwenjang soup I've had by about a mile.



Took this picture while walking around Bukcheondong with Girlfriendoseyo: missed the Walkabout tour that happened on Sunday, but saw some nice stuff anyway.


Most ironic book in the world (right up there with, for a dollar on the discount rack, all the evangelical apocalyptic milennial Christian books about "50 reasons why the world will end in on New Year's Day, 2000AD, and How To Prepare for Christ's Return"): "The Roaring 2000s: Building the Wealth and Lifestyle You Desire in the Greatest Boom in History" spotted by Danielle.

OK folks. that's it for now.

have a good one!