korea

Vying for the Vote

I love this time of year. No, not spring. Not Easter, either. It’s election time in Korea!! Two hundred ninety-nine new assembly members will be elected this upcoming Wednesday for a four year term. New members will come from one of the many parties established in Korea’s multi-party system. Currently, conservative parties dominate the assembly, …

Say “Cheese”… err “Kimchi”!

Koreans love taking pictures of themselves. It’s not uncommon to be in a cafe and look around to find girls at surrounding tables holding up their cell phones, finding their best angle, and snapping away like they are the stars of their very own photo shoots. Riding on the bus or subway, I’ve watched girls …

Sunshine and Shamanism

There’s a Korean expression that describes the latest cold snap: 꽃샘추위 or “Kkotsaemchuwi” literally meaning “the cold is jealous of the spring flowers.” Whenever the weather starts to get relatively pleasant here, there’s always a few cold snaps before spring can get the chance to really to set in. Despite winter’s jealousy issues, I’ve been …

Kuh-ri-ssuh-ma-ssuh in Korea 2010

It’s holiday time across the world and people everywhere are celebrating. Including Korea. It’s my second holiday season in Seoul and I’m once again finding ways to incorporate traditions which I’ve grown up with into the practices and customs here. I’m not alone, either. In fact, the expat group here in Seoul is quite tight-knit …