This week was the big CNN interview with RAIN, the most famous Kpop soloist in Asia.  Did you know he was a backup dancer once? He’s also the guy who was voted into the top spot of Time Magazine’s Most Influential People a few years ago.  It made such a ripple that Stephen Colbert made a funny Korean video challenging Rain and even invited him to his studios.  I guess that truly makes you influential when someone is creating a music video challenge.   Well, CNN interviewed Rain who is about to hit the big screen next month in Ninja Assassins.  He shares a little bit about his life and about the Korean wave and what it really needs to do. Fortunately for us, we’ll be meeting up with Rain soon but for now, enjoy the CNN Interviews.

Michelle Rhee is the lighting bolt chancellor of the Washington D.C. school district and she’s made a lot of press lately because she let go a handful of teachers last month.  She’s been viewed as controversial and she’s approaching her second anniversary on the job.  History will be the judge of her work but what can be said is that prior to her arrival, the school district was an abysmal failure and the people who were truly hurt by this were the children who were educated in that school district.  Obviously the status quo could no longer be acceptable and she’s made some clear and dramatic changes.  Let’s hope that we start seeing the results for the sake of these kids.

So what does she think as she enters deeper into her administration?  The Washington Post conducted a video interview of her and asked how things have progressed.

Go to the Washington Post for the video interview.

David Chang was making kimchi on national television this week on the Today Show, and we all know that Korea is trying to evangelize the wonders of Korean food.  So there’s a lot of news bits about Korean food overall, but are we taking it a little too far with kimchi donuts?  Really?  I know you all have kimchi on the side next to the turkey at Thanksgiving, but imagine eating kimchi with custard.  Well Dunkin Donuts just launched the kimchi donut in South Korea or kimchi croquette.

The Wonder Girls are Trending Up
The Wonder Girls were in the top ten trending topics on Twitter. Say that 5 times real fast. That’s right, the lovable teen Kpop group from South Korea not only made it to the top 100 on the Billboard charts in the U.S., they became a top tenner on Twitter this weekend. We’re going to guess Rain as the next Korean entity to become a Top Ten Trending Twitter Topic (TTTTT).


There are Three Ways to Say “Thank You” in Korean
According to the Korea Times, there are three ways to say “thank you” informally in Korean, depending on where you live. This is a result of the Korean language evolving as Koreans have spread out across the world.

For North Koreans it is “고마와,” for the Koryo-saram in Central Asia it might be “아슴챠이타” and in standard Korean, based on the dialect of Seoul, it is “고마워.” On top of this, the occasional English “thank you,” can be heard.

I wonder if there are three different ways to say “Can I have your number?”

Korean Wave of Plastic Surgery
Do you want to look like Lee Byung Hun or Hyori? Koreans are famous like Brazilians for plastic surgery. Well, Kpop and Korean dramas seem to be the rage lately and all of Asia is enamored with the singers and actors.  It also helps that we’ve got some good looking Koreans. Anyway, looks like Asians (that are not Korean) are opting for surgery to look more Korean, this according to the Plastic Surgery Channel.

People from China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Singapore and Hong Kong are flocking to Korea these days for facial bone contouring and cosmetic surgery on their eyes and noses.

The trend was reportedly spawned by what many are calling the “Korean Wave” – the rising popularity of Korean celebrities.

Asians from other territories want to look more like popular Korean actors and musicians. And they’re willing to travel and pay up to three times more for plastic surgery than they would in China.

Currently, the number of foreign patients in Korea is 33 percent higher than it was in 2008, and they reportedly spend twice as much money as regular Japanese tourists.

Once upon a time, the “normal” dating relationship consisted of a man and woman with the woman being younger than the man by a couple years or so.  I’ve always wondered why this was the case and decided to investigate among the Korean-American community.

In speaking with several Korean-Americans in their 20’s and 30’s, I’ve noticed a few common themes that are not necessarily specific to Korean-Americans, but all people.  In general, women have been the ones driving this tradition.  When a man meets a woman, age is not something that comes to his mind (unless it is of course a question of whether she is too young…. for legal reasons).  However, when a woman meets a man, it seems that among those that I spoke with, age is a huge question mark.  Why?  Simple.  Women, as they become more mature, start thinking about family and their future.  So, naturally, they are attracted to men who have stable jobs and have building a family as part of their future goals.

Another common perception that women have of younger guys is that they are naturally less mature.  They feel that men have more to “get out of their system” and need to “grow up” and as a result, prefer to find someone older.  I’m not sure how much this is nature vs. nurture, but there probably is some part of the male animal instinct that wants to stay out in the “wild”.

While I can understand the sentiments of women 30,20, and even up to 10 years ago, today’s society has transformed so much since when the mainstream culture and mindset was “man works, woman takes care of home.”  Certainly, this formula can still work, and to each his or her own, but let’s take a honest look at how our culture and society has changed today and how we can adapt.

Today, women are becoming more active and prominent in the workforce.  Women are becoming partners at investment banks, law firms, and taking positions as executives of Fortune 500 companies (Andrea Jung, CEO of Avon shown left).   Even though men still make up the majority of the workforce, the growth of women in business has been so strong, one has to consider the phrase “woman works, man takes care of home.”  Does it sound weird?  Women have proven they are fully capable of developing a professional career, having babies, and then continuing their career.  So the question to men is, are you ready to be a stay at home dad?

Speaking with several Korean American’s, I asked a series of questions and was surprised at the responses.  A lot of the Korean American guys I talked to said they would be open to being a stay at home dad.  A lot of them felt with the internet, they could find a way to still “work” while learning ways to take care of the home.  Of course, the reaction from our parents would be less favorable.  In Korean culture, even today, being a housewife is really only an occupation for women.  However, in the United States, it seems we have to be more open given the growth of women as valuable members in the workforce.

If stability is less of a concern since woman too can have stable careers, then would they be open to dating a younger guy?  The answer from my female peers was a lukewarm “maybe”.  They still maintain the mindset that maturity comes with age and that maturity is synonymous with stability.   Among the guys I spoke to, the consensus was a definite “yes” to being open to dating older women.  Many of the Korean American men I spoke to feel like they have stable careers and if they met the right girl, could settle down.

So after all these conversations, I started to believe that the tradition of women only dating older men is only in people’s heads.  I think we need to get out of the old way of thinking and adapt to the new.  To be honest, sometimes I find older women more attractive because they know what they want.  Younger people usually have to figure that out, which comes with time.  But, every person is different so why not get to know the person, be open-minded and see where that goes?! (See Demi and Ashton!)

Here are 3 points for men to consider when meeting an older woman:
1.  Don’t be afraid to let girls know you have a good, stable job.
2. If relevant, feel free to talk about family values and perhaps even goals you may have
3. Make her feel young – be upbeat about life and show self control

Here are 3 points for women to consider when meeting a younger man:
1. If he makes you feel young or happy, age really doesn’t matter, does it!
2. If he is passionate about life and his career, that’s called stability in a nutshell
3. Just because he doesn’t jump up and down about kids doesn’t mean he’s not ready, just a little convincing!

-Johnny

Chan Ho Park made his first appearance at the World Series on Thursday night at Yankee stadium, pitching in relief for the Philadelphia Phillies. He was the first relief pitcher that the Phillies called on during this series. Unfortunately, he gave up a single with a man on 3rd base to extend the Yankees lead to 3-1. He’s got stuff so we know he’ll be back making another appearance on the big stage during this series.

Courtesy of The Korea Times

Kimchi made its morning show debut on the Today Show with Matt Lauer and the famed chef David Chang showing how he makes his version of kimchi.  David is out and about promoting his “Momofuku: The Cookbook”, which was published this week. If you would like the Napa Cabbage Kimchi recipe we featured early this week, click here.

There is a reason why her food has been labeled “dining art.” At first glance, the food at Jeong-Hyun Ahn’s “Wooriga” looks too beautiful to eat. At her quaint, elegant haute cuisine restaurant overlooking Dusan Park, Mrs. Ahn breaks with Korean convention: her entrees are served course by course, so guests are not confused by a table littered with plates, and find themselves able – even obliged – to enjoy the artistry put into each dish.

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If you’re in the mood for some sushi rolls, but not really feeling the raw fish tonight, try out kimbap. It’s a popular Korean staple that is fairly quick and easy to make, and is also very portable friendly for picnics, airplane, and road trips. Kimbap is similar to Futomaki, the large Japanese sushi rolls, but it generally does not contain any raw fish or meat. Unlike sushi, it is not served with any soy sauce, wasabi, or ginger – the flavors are self-contained in the tasty rice rolls that make a wholesome and nutritious meal.

So what does a traditional kimbap consist of? Thin sheets of crispy, seasoned seaweed wrapped around white rice (bap), spinach, carrots, takuan (pickled daikon radish), and sometimes bulgogi (traditional Korean marinated barbecue beef).

Kimbap

Vegetable Kimbap, close up

Over the years, moms and chefs have tapped their creative juices in concocting up new fillings to put into their lovely kimbap. One restaurant that has taken the initiative in doing so is E-Mo, a hidden hole-in-the-wall, which of course, is located in K-Town. At E-Mo, they offer a variety of different flavors, ranging from traditional beef and tuna to cheese, sausage, and even jalapeno!  (Warning: it can be quite spicy). The kimbaps are freshly rolled to prevent the seaweed from becoming too soggy. I really liked their spicy tuna kimbap, but the cheese was a bit rich for my taste buds.

E-Mo, Storefront View

Menu at E-Mo

If you’re looking for better value, you can also find kimbap next door at Woorijip, the popular Korean “food court”-like deli with an extensive offering of Korean dishes. Woorijip has the traditional flavors like spicy tuna, bulgogi, and squid, and you definitely get more bang for the buck.

As you know, kimbap is very quick to make. You just have to lay out all the ingredients beforehand, and then you can roll away on a small bamboo mat. Here is a simple tuna kimbap recipe from Maangchi.  But remember, you can always be super creative with the fillings and come up with your own inventions!

Cheers,

Jess

E-Mo
2 W 32nd St
(between 5th Ave & Broadway)
New York, NY 10001

What are you going to watch when you go home for Thanksgiving?  It better be Ninja Assassin and it’s heavy Korean cast with Rain in the lead role.  Someone at the studio must think it’s going to be a big hit because they spent a pretty penny on commercials during the baseball playoffs and now a big billboard went up in Times Square.

Naked Play in Korea is all the buzz
It’s gotten pretty progressive in South Korea. The buzz across the Pacific is a play that bares it all during the bedroom scenes.  Is it pornography – a naked Korean Woman in a play?  It’s called 교수와 여제자 and it looks like a lot of middle-aged men are the ones buzzing.  For the rest of the pics, go to Chosun.com.

Obama, Harold & Kumar
We all know that President Obama is the first real U.S. President that represents diversity. Here’s a picture with Obama and some Asians, including one of his trusted aids – Eugene Kang in the far back. You may also recognize Kal Penn of Harold & Kumar fame on the right.

Video of the Day: Weird Wildlife at the DMZ
A South Korean MBC TV crew recently returned from an 18-month shoot that took them beyond the barbed wire and gun-turrets to record a documentary on the rare species that have made it an oasis from human interference.

“One of the things that makes it so special is that it has nearly all the eco-systems you’ll find in Korea,” Mark Strickson, a zoologist and producer of the documentary for NHNZ told CNN.