One of the first Korean words I learned after my arrival to the peninsula was bbali (빨리). Meaning “fast,” it’s a term used frequently and, in my opinion, perfectly summarizes the entire country in two syllables. After all, the nation rose from the ashes of the Korean War in a mere six decades to become …
As tourism continues to grow here in Seoul, so do the reasons for it. In the recent past, tourists from all corners of the globe have made the trek to Korea to experience its traditional and pop culture, delicious food and fantastic shopping facilities. But over the past year or so, more and more international …
Last week, I had the privilege of attending a rather bizarre wedding that featured father-of-the-bride drunkenness, a rock-n-roll twist-off, and a gay stripper. OK, so it wasn’t a real wedding, but rather the latest non-verbal performance to hit the stage of the PMC 대학로 자유극장 theater in Hyehwa-dong. I was happy to be on yet …
Standing in line for lunch, a younger student saw my Mignon Faget ring that I wear daily and asked me, “Teacher, are you married?” This didn’t surprise me, as I get this question a lot from the students. “No,” I replied casually. “Well, do you have a boyfriend?” “Nope,” I continued. “Teacher, why? When do …