Recent Blog Posts
up, up and away
Behind me the clouds are clearing and the sun begins to peak through, my nerves instantly relax. I wonder if I can rationalize another Longchamp. Is three too many?
I let out a little laugh at my own expense, after all my careful planning, I managed to set my alarm for 4:00pm instead of 4:00am - thank goodness for Dad's and international wake up calls.
What was only hours ago seems like days. My eyes begin to sting as I recall my final moments with Busan. Seat 21D, starring out the window at this little man waving feverishly as the plane jerks towards the runway. We lock eyes (or at least I like to think so) and I wave back. He throws up a peace sign and we are off.
Last Two Weeks in Korea (August 8)
KB Interview: Rachel Kim, Miss California USA Contestant
Rachel Kim may look like just another college student with big dreams, but her dreams involve winning the next Miss California USA Pageant. Free-spirited and open-minded, Rachel shares with us how she’s breaking down beauty conventions and why we need a Korean to become the next Miss California USA.
What motivated you to apply for the Miss California USA Pageant?
I actually applied to be a contestant for Miss California spontaneously. My friend was a contestant before I was, and it peaked my interest. So I did a little research to see how to become a contestant. I found out all I had to do was apply online, and I just went for it. I told myself if I didn’t get a reply back then it wasn’t meant to be. I’m not serious about the pageant business, but all I knew was that if given the opportunity, I would take it. I’m glad I took it because I wanted to do something different, get out of my comfort zone, and experience something new.
For those of us who are unfamiliar with the pageant scene, explain your experiences so far as a contestant, and what are the next steps on your journey to becoming Miss California USA?
I’m actually new to the pageant scene as well. I went into this knowing absolutely nothing! But so far, I’ve been working out, finding sponsors, and raising funds for my pageant and a charity of my choice. I’m still trying to find sponsors to promote me or to donate to my funds and my cause. It’s just an overall crazy and expensive experience! I still need to find a dress and all the outfits for the pageant!
Given the common perception of California as the homebase of blonde hair and blue eyes, how are you challenging these beauty ideals?
I’m challenging these common ideals by representing the Asian community and showing California that an Asian woman can be just as powerful as any other woman who wins the Miss California title. I’ve seen many of these contestants at a media day training and it feels great seeing many more Asians competing. It shows that California is very diverse. Hopefully this year I will be the Asian woman representing Miss California!
Why should the next Miss California USA be a woman of Korean descent?
The next Miss California should be of Korean descent because it will give our culture a reason to feel like we finally belong. We came to America with little to no money, and we spent everything trying to raise our children based on the dreams we had of this country. We’ve climbed the social ladder through hard work, and it would only be fitting if Miss California was Korean!
What do you hope to achieve as Miss California USA?
As Miss California, I want to reach out to the Asian community and give them confidence to achieve their dreams. But of course, I won’t forget about the rest of the state! I want to give to an anti-bullying charity, and I aim to be a spokesperson against it! I want to be a role model and show that California is an exquisite state with many different cultures.
What can readers do to support you?
The readers can support me by “like”-ing my Facebook page (rk4misscausa) and by following up on all the fundraisers that I do. If there is anyone who wants to sponsor me, that would be great, too!
[Photos: Courtesy of Rachel Kim]
Baek Ji Yeon interviews Anderson Cooper and prominent Korean Americans for ‘People Inside’
Korean anchor Baik Ji Yeon recently interviewed CNN’s Anderson Cooper for tvN’s interview series, People Inside, which will air in Korea this weekend. For the show’s “America series,” Baik spoke to prominent Americans popular in Korea. Among those interviewed were Jeannie Suk of Harvard Law School, Dartmouth College president Jim Kim, journalist Euna Lee, and Canadian-born Sandra Oh of Grey’s Anatomy.
As a member of the Korean media, Baik seemed most eager to interview Cooper, reports CNNGo: “Although he may not be that well known in Korea, I think he is appealing to all people who are interested in news. His humanitarianism and true heart comes across, as well as his sincerity.”
Here’s a preview of the interview:
Watch Baik Ji Yeon’s interview with Sandra Oh from last month:
Hanging out Hillside: The Somaemuldo Mission
After the mid-April trip to Bijindo island, during which our inspiration to camp on the beach with an open fire was half-squelched by the local ajummas (the beach camping was a success, the open fire vetoed in loud, vehement Korean ), Joe’s and my vision for Somaemuldo was somewhat simpler: we just wanted to camp, period. A fire isn’t necessary in the night heat of July, and from the maps we’d skimmed, beach access on this small (population 50!), rocky ocean jem southwest of Tongyeong looked limited, if not non-existent. All we wanted to pitch a tent was a flat plot of land, ideally with a little open space surrounding it. This potential one-night nature haven had to exist somewhere on the island….right?
Or…not. This is Somaemuldo’s port. Note the gentle incline. It continues to climb, culminating in a not-so-gentle mammoth of a hill…
with a few warning signs posted along the path.
There are no roads on the island, and just one main walking route to the other side. Still, we held out hope a secluded, level spot would appear, and sweated it up the dirt trail with our gear, taking in this view of Deungdaesum Island after the descent.
This tiny island is considered the highlight of a Somaemuldo visit: linked by a strip of gravel that’s crossable only during low tide, the view of its lighthouse (built by the Japanese during the Colonial Period) and jagged rock formations has apparently been featured in many Korean movies and commercials. A parade of Koreans wound up and down the path; we tread on, scanning the landscape.
After spotting a couple NO CAMPING signs en route, and still no glimpse of level land, the mission to tent it evolved into a mission to hide while searching for a spot to to tent it—no easy task with the crowd surrounding us. Veering off course appeared challenging, as the path was roped off and our backpacks and visorless waygook faces failed to blend in with the people or the steep, grassy slope. So, after a jaunt to the rocky beach that led to Deungdaesum (high tide blocked us from crossing) we just sort of hung around awhile, looking. Which wasn’t bad, considering the scenery…
Over the rope, about 100 feet to our left, a carpet of trees cut across the hill. They looked inviting. “Maybe there’s a flat spot on the other side of those somewhere,” one of us said. We looked up to the bodies moving along the ridge. Surely we’d be spotted crossing the open space between the path and the trees. But would anyone report it? Would we set up camp in a shaded grove, only to be shut down by an angry Somaemuldo ajumma?
We decided to risk it, and walked single file toward the trees, taking cover beneath their branches. Let me be clear–there was nothing flat about this location. It was the side of a giant hill. One misguided step along its edge would result in a quick and unwelcome entry to the beach below…
but after climbing up, then down, the island in the heat for the bulk of our morning, and comparing the slope of the angle before us with that of the sharp ridge above us, we convinced ourselves it was flat enough. We rolled out the mat and planted our bodies down, leaning against our packs…
and watching the view.
We’d brought some trail mix and a couple of books. I saw an old man’s face in the shadows of the big rock infront of us like those shapes you see in clouds; Joe tried but the man eluded him. We read. We napped. The sunlight pressed on toward the water. The hill’s slant prevented us from ever getting too comfortable: we had to wedge our feet against the ground to combat the persistent motion of our bodies sliding forward.
Hours passed. It was a beautiful place to spend an afternoon. But was it a camp spot? Debatable…
After a couple discussions weighing our options (and a vision of waking in the morning, sweaty and slightly dehydrated, with a steep hike back to the nearest source of supplies), we decided a minbak at the port was the best call. But first, a climb up the rock we’d been gazing at all day…
then back to the path, up the hill, past the peak, and down again…where we passed this corrugated shelter, where someone wakes each morning…
and after, rented this room from a minbak ajumma who seemed very unimpressed with the sight of both of us. The hike back had been a little rough; we were low on water, and must have appeared sweaty and disheveled, because she pretty much ordered us to shower before settling into the room.
It wasn’t a tent, and it wasn’t secluded. But the floor was flat, and the view was lovely…
and a restaurant serving pajeon and makgeolli was just a five-minute walk away, down through the concrete paths. It had a patio facing the sea, and old fisherman grilling fish and shouting and drinking soju at the table beside us. The fishing boats far out on the water thinned into silhouettes as the night turned black, a thick, deep black you can’t find in the city, that you forget exists.
*Somaemuldo is an hour boat ride from Tongyeong Harbour. I recommend.
Pre-blog
I finished school summer camp today which means one incredibly important event is about to happen. HOLIDAY! For the last three weeks I have been teaching fortunate/unfortunate 3rd, 4th and 5th graders during their summer ‘vacation’. Like them I am now free to enjoy the summer break.
I have booked a late ticket to Vietnam. I leave on Sunday night and arrive at 00.10 local time. My plan is to backpack around the country for 11 days. See what I can, enjoy the people and culture and kick back and forget about other things that are praying on my mind. If I am honest I am quite nervous. I am travelling alone which is something I haven’t done before. I was hoping Kate could join me, unfortunately her boss is a twat. I’m not worried about my safety, just nervous about my independent travelling skills. I adapt to most situations and experiences well. It will be fantastic I keep reminding myself.
Before I head off to Vietnam I have a football game in Changwon. I am playing in a K-league stadium in a foreigner exhibition match. Our game is a pre-match spectacle for the fans of Gyeongnam FC and Suwon FC. I have played on two other grounds of note before. Tranmere Rovers a couple of years back was an interesting experience as it was quite possibly the worst pitch I have ever played on. I also played for England in an international against Scotland at Harrogate Railway. I will leave you to wonder how I became an international footballer….
![](http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=pulpfixtion.wordpress.com&blog=14426356&post=229&subd=pulpfixtion&ref=&feed=1)
Introducing a new Seoul travel app – and win a copy for you and a friend!!
Presenting the Seoul Taxi Guide, the newest app to help you travel around Seoul and the nearby area. Produced by Hoodhot Travel and with content written by yours truly, there’s information on thousands of attractions, bars, restaurants, hotels, and plenty more. Keep reading for a chance to win a free copy for you and a friend!
Note that the screenshots come from my iPad – use your iPhone for all the location services. All information is inside the app – no roaming or data connection required.
The taxi card – perfect if you can’t speak / read Korean and can’t tell the taxi driver where to go. Even if you don’t take the taxi, the reviews and information on thousands of places will likely replace your guidebook while traveling Seoul.
Did I mention the reviews?
This app was released on Friday, August 12th, at midnight PST (4pm Korean time) – but of course, if you win it, you get it for free. Check it out on iTunes here, then fire up Twitter to win!
Here’s how to win:
- Make sure you’re following @chrisinseoulsk (I’ll send a direct message to the winners with a redemption code)
- Send this exact message out to your Twitter followers:
Just entered to win a new #Seoul #travel #app! See it at http://bit.ly/ogOeiK or learn how to win at http://bit.ly/qg7CzR @chrisinseoulsk
Or click this link to post to Twitter (you can review before posting).
- Contest starts as of this post’s publishing date and ends August 17th at 11:59pm Korean time. At that point, I’ll do a search for everyone that’s tweeted the above message and generate random numbers on random.org.
- Five winners will receive a direct message on Twitter containing two redemption codes – one for you and one for a friend (winners’ usernames will be listed here after they’ve been selected).
© Chris Backe – 2011
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
This post was originally published on my blog, Chris in South Korea. If you are reading this on another website and there is no linkback or credit given, you are reading an UNAUTHORIZED FEED.
Life in Korea!
We both love galbi but we also and equally love the side dishes you get. You really can't get this in the U.S. I also love that at this particular restaurant, the owner comes over and cuts our meat and also refills our side dishes. The one the notoriously empties due to me is the kimchi. I can't get enough of it.
Then today I had an appointment at a local nail shop to get a pedicure. I saw many watermelon pedicures in the U.S. and decided that was what I wanted. The nail shop girls had never seen anything like it and loved the idea.
They really catered to me by finding some English speaking television for me to watch and kept the coffee going. The store manager knew a little English and showed me a picture of her daughter who is 4 using her Smartphone. She is a single mom and told me she wanted me to find her an American boyfriend. She said Korean men prefered their co-workers and drinking to their family. I don't know if she is speaking from personal experience or not. She is 39 years old and a really sweet girl. I don't know if she understood that I don't know a lot of single American men in the 40's let alone any here in Korea.
I also had an interesting morning. I had a package to mail and I was walking to the post office which is about a quarter of a mile away. I was about two blocks away when I was stopped by a Korean mail carrier on a scooter (which is how the mail is delivered in my neighborhood). He was asking me about an address but talking totally in Korean. It was pretty funny with him asking in Korean and me answering in English or saying "I don't know" in Korea something I know how to say quite well.
He kept talking so the only place I could think of that would be remotely related to me was an English preschool. I pointed back to where I had came from and said in Korean "there." Off he went on his scooter satisfied with my answer. I sure hope that was the place he was looking for.
Pages
![Subscribe to Koreabridge MegaBlog Feed](https://koreabridge.net/misc/feed.png)
Recent comments