Eat Your Kimchi Podcast

Korea's Everland Adventure!

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 12:08:26 +0900

We finally went to Everland, one of Korea's awesome amusement parks. We filmed the rides and the attractions, and had just an overall awesome time. We didn't even get to see everything before we ran out of time, because there's just way too much to do.

A Scooter Tour of Bucheon, Korea

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 19:56:02 +0900

So we got our scooter, got our camera, and made a movie of driving around Bucheon. Check it out! You'll see our streets and buses and malls and everything! Well, not all of Bucheon, but you'll at least see the parts of it that we know.

Bucheon's Sang Dong Market

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 11:43:00 +0900

This is what we expected before we came to Korea: markets full of fish and meat and fresh produce, vendors yelling for your attention, and random sock stores with too many socks. Instead, we see supermarkets everywhere, so this place is a nice change.

Best Vet in Seoul: Mari Animal Hospital

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 11:00:08 +0900

For those of you with pets in Korea, this video's for you: we've been going to this vet for over a year now with Spudgy, and they've been fantastic for our little crippled dog, and they speak English! We wouldn't go anywhere else but these guys.

Another Middle School Lesson Plan

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 22:21:37 +0900

A while ago we presented a lesson in a middle school. For those of you running short on teaching material, here's another lesson for a middle school class. Play Guess Who the way you did when you were young, and your students will talk English all class.

What You Should Pack to Korea

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 20:29:08 +0900

Ready to live in Korea for a year? How are you going to pack your suitcases? There's a lot of stuff that you might be used to that you can't find in Korea. Luckily, we'll tell you all you need to pack, and all you can leave behind as well.

Martina's Trip to Jeju Island: Day 3

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 19:33:58 +0900

And here is day 3 of Martina's Trip to Jeju Island. In it, you'll finally start to see Jeju Island for what it's known for: it's utterly overwhelming beauty. Jeju Island is known as the Hawaii of Korea, and for good reason. Here you'll see why.

Martina's Trip to Jeju Island: Day 2

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 07:45:59 +0900

Including the Teddy Bear Museum! Yes, there's a museum dedicated entirely to Teddy Bears! As well, you'll see the Fifa 2002 World Cup Stadium, also known as the soccer stadium from one of the last episodes in Boys Before Flowers. Wonderful!

Martina's Trip to Jeju Island

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 22:52:52 +0900

Martina's school went on a trip to Jeju Island, and took Martina along as well! They paid for her flight and everything! Lucky! So Martina made a video of her bonding and frolicking with her students.

Korean Monsoon Season

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 11:54:57 +0900

Monsoon Season is CRAZY in Korea! We waited for a really nasty storm to hit us in Bucheon, then went outside to tape the chaos.

Korean Street Food Wondefulness!

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 10:42:44 +0900

Korean street food is so freaking amazing. It's delicious and absolutely cheap. It's one of the things we'll miss most when/if we ever leave Korea. So we made a new video about Korean Street Food and how to order it. And yes, this footage is old.

Korean Karaoke Explodomania!

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 11:07:38 +0900

Sure, we made a video about Karaoke a while ago, but it sucked. We made a new video about it, up to date with new songs, new singers, a new title, and new instructions, all in our silly eatyourkimchi style!

Why Korea is Still Awesome

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Thu, 28 May 2009 10:54:38 +0900

We've been in Korea for a year now and we're still amazed by it. The charm has not worn off. Here's a hodgepodge of clips that we still find cool, that still amaze us, now that we're going on in our second year in Korea.

Rhythm and Booze's Battle for Bucheon

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Mon, 18 May 2009 14:19:22 +0900

For the next five Saturdays, Rhythm and Booze will host the Battle for Bucheon. Bands will compete against each other to make it to the final bracket, where they will finally battle it out for 1,500,000 won. And WE ARE GOING TO BE THE CELEBRITY JUDGES!

Korean Toothbrushing

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Thu, 14 May 2009 11:05:09 +0900

Korean Dental Hygiene is taken to a whole new level. Not that the toothbrushes are super-technological. When's the last time you saw a school where everyone had a toothbrush in hand? Awesome!

Spudgy's New Mohawk

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Mon, 04 May 2009 17:04:33 +0900

Korean dogs are far more fashionable than the dogs we're used to from back home. So we took our dog to the hair salon and took Korean dog fashion to a whole new level. We officially have the coolest dog ever.

Itaewons' Foreign Restaurant

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 11:09:26 +0900

Foreign food in Korea can lack authenticity sometimes. Itaewon's Foreign Restaurant does not suffer from that. It makes the best Indian Food we've had in Korea and - quite frankly - has been one of our best eating experiences as well.

Bucheon's Cherry Blossoms

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 21:54:11 +0900

The cherry blossoms were in full bloom last weekend, so we dropped out plans, picked up our cameras, took some pictures, and made some movies. Check it out!

How to Get a Korean Driver's License

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 10:59:03 +0900

Want to drive in Korea? Legally, that is? Then we'll show you what you need to know to get your driver's license! Bring a few things, take a subway here, take a taxi there, sign these forms, do this test, and - voila! You can now drive!

Teaching in a Korean Public Middle School

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 10:20:18 +0900

Want to know what teaching is like in Korea? What are the students like? The classes? The lessons? Here's a video of a class in a Korean Public Middle School, from start to finish.

What The Book

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 12:48:28 +0900

Here's a video tour of our new favorite bookstore in Korea. It's got loads of new and used books written in English, tons of magazines, and a great website for ordering, in case you don't want to go all the way to Itaewon.

Korean White Day + Secret Surprise for Martina!

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 20:18:33 +0900

Last month was Valentine's Day. In Korea, the women are supposed to do the work then. This month it's White Day, and it's the man's turn. The men should buy some specific things, plus do something romantic. This video is one of those romantic gestures

How to Pay Your Bills in Korea

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 08:29:13 +0900

For the first few months we were here, we wasted too much time in the lines at the banks, waiting to pay our bills. We were surprised to learn that not only can we pay our bills at the machines, but it's easy to do so, even if you can't read the screen!

Convenience Store Raid Part 4: More Unique Drinks

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 09:04:26 +0900

Part 4 of 4: This time we try out some Korean drinks. Not surprisingly, the ones we expected to be gross were delicious, and the ones we expected to be delicious reminded us of traumatic childhood experiences at the hospital.

Convenience Store Raid Part 3: Sweeter Foods

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 15:39:12 +0900

In this part, we go for the desserts, which aren't really much different from Western deserts. They do a good job of taking the exact same treat and tweaking its name a bit. That is, except for one thing we ate, which is just about indescribable.

Convenience Store Raid Part 2: Lunchy Foods

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 15:39:01 +0900

Today we try the snacks that aren't bitesized: kimbap Triangles, Cheeseburgers, and weird sausage things that we don't really know the contents of. Supposedly they're cheese, but they're really not, and we don't know what we've gotten ourselves into.

Convenience Store Raid Part 1: Bagged Snacks

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 13:25:47 +0900

We went to a convenience store, bought a whole bunch of stuff, took it home, ate and drank it, then posted reviews for it all. The result is a four part mini-series on Korean Convenience Store food. Part 1 is of bagged snacks. Enjoy!

Korean Valentine's Day

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 19:45:08 +0900

Valentine's Day is different here in Korea than what we're used to back home. We actually like this layout a bit better. We explain the whole thing, so that you can know how to celebrate it properly yourselves.

A Foreigner's Mini Guide to Korean Ramen

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 15:53:11 +0900

It's a cheesy infomercial for ramen in Korea! Sure, our tastes are different than a Korean's taste, which is why we made this video, SO PLEASE DON'T CONSIDER US INSULTING AND INFIDELS FOR NOT LIKING THE SAME RAMEN AS YOU! Otherwise, Bon Appetite!

Korea's Seoul Tower

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 13:30:14 +0900

We're on our vacations now, so we decided to see more of Seoul. We decided to check out the Seoul Tower, since - being from Toronto and all - we're used to giant scenic towers. Anyhow, the lineups were absurdly long, but worth the wait. Check it out!

Our Favorite Café in Korea

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 13:31:25 +0900

We'd love to open our own coffee shop one day. Until then, we'll have to go to this place in Insadong and it is - by far - the coolest coffee shop we have ever seen. We love this place, and so we put up a short video tour of it. Go there! Love it!

Korean Sticker Booths

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 13:04:29 +0900

Korean Sticker Booths are like regular western photo booths, only 100 times more awesome. After you take your picture you can edit them, add cool effects, view different backgrounds, and finally print them out as stickers! So cool!

Restaurant Review: Dos Tacos

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 12:21:43 +0900

Finding good foreign food isn't easy here in Korea. We were greatly disappointed by Bucheon's Sala Thai. How will we feel about Hongdae's Dos Tacos restaurant? Will we get a good burrito, or was it a waste of a trip? Watch the movie to find out!

Korean Poke Machines

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 09:36:34 +0900

We're fascinated with the coin machines in Korea. Here's one that's gaining popularity around town. Pick the prize you want, and move the robot stick just right so that it could just fit into the hole and poke your prize through. Too bad it's rigged.

Angelina Jolie in Bucheon!

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 15:20:51 +0900

We couldn't believe it either. We saw a bar covered in huge blowups of old Angelina Jolie pictures. This is just the beginning of the weird signs we find here around Bucheon.

Korean Coolness

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 21:11:29 +0900

Want to know how to be cool with your Korean students? This is the video for you. We'll teach you all the popular dance moves and buzzwords, so that you can seem like you're actually in the loop with your students. Alright!

Incheon's Black Slammers

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 18:13:15 +0900

Korea has its own professional basketball league. We finally went to one of its games, to watch the Incheon Black Slammers. Yes, their name is unfortunate. Anyhow, the game wasn't terrible, but it was quite bad at times.

Restaurant Review: Sala Thai

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 21:11:42 +0900

Not every restaurant we go to is great. We have to warn you against some restaurants too, after all. Simple put, stay away from Bucheon's Sala Thai restaurant. It's painfully overpriced and underflavored. Probably our worst Thai experience ever.

Video Tour of Seoul's Insadong

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 14:48:21 +0900

We recently went to Insadong, a very traditional part of Seoul. We made a small video montage of our tour there, including Korean Starbuckses, flute players, robots, and other cool stuff. In the next video, you'll see the cookie makers; don't miss it!

Insadong's Cookie Makers

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 14:48:21 +0900

In Insadong, there are a bunch of stands with guys who make cookies out of hard honey. We've taped the whole process, not only because of the honey, but because they speak three languages while making the cookies. Super cool

Korean Super Computer Robot Lockers

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 14:48:03 +0900

Technology has advanced so much that now, when you use a locker in a mall, you have to go through a computer first. Why you need the computer, no one's sure for sure, but we thought that we'd record the coolness of it anyways.

Korea's Coex Aquarium

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 14:48:37 +0900

Korea's Coex Aquarium is much better than we expected for an aquarium housed in a mall. We were expecting a few fish here and there artfully displayed. Instead, we saw big sharks, giant turtles and a bunch of penguins. If you can you should check it out.

Korean Car Greeters

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 14:48:20 +0900

Korean Customer Service is both good and bad. The bad part is that you're followed everywhere in the store. The good part is that, if you're driving to the store, there will be many people bowing to your car, and saying nice things through a microphone.

Korea's Peppero Day

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 14:48:05 +0900

November 11th is a solemn holiday in North America, but here in Korea it's Pepero Day. Instead of wearing Poppies people give Pockies, which are chocolate dipped sesame sticks. It's like Valentine's Day, only friendlier, and with less romantic pressure.

How to Get McDonalds Delivered to Your Home

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 14:48:08 +0900

We were amazed when we saw a delivery bike with "McDelivery" written on the side of it. Yes, here in Korea you can get Big Macs delivered to you. Here's a video outlining the whole process.

Korean Crowded Subways

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 14:48:31 +0900

We were told that the subways here in Korea would be excessively packed. Sure, they are more crowded than the subways we're used to in Toronto, but they didn't really impress us as being that packed...until today

Trick or Treating in Korea

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 14:48:24 +0900

Simon tried to teach his students the concept of trick or treating. All that they cleaned from the lesson was that, the louder you demand it, the more candy you will get. Here's a video of the chaos and aftermath that ensued.

Korean Toilet Paper

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 14:48:04 +0900

Supposedly, the pipes get clogged very easily here in Korea, so it's best to not flush your toilet paper. Throw it in the bin beside the toilet. Don't believe us? Here we've got proof on film: poopy toilet paper in the side bin. Gross!

Korean Movies Blooper Reel

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 14:48:51 +0900

Many of you must be impressed by our movies, and surely a lot of you will be surprised to know that we make a lot of mistakes when making these movies. Luckily, we have most of these mistakes on film, so we compiled a blooper reel of them all.

On the Korean Subway

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 14:47:58 +0900

We were inspired by the subway scene from "Lost in Translation," so we shot our own scene, but didn't have Martina posing as Scarlett Johansson and gazing out the window. We just used the same song, and shot what Korea looks like through a subway window.

Korean Drunkenness

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 14:48:15 +0900

Here's something funny. Drunk people in public! Drinking is a big part of Korean Culture, and so we often see drunk people stumbling and fumbling about Bucheon. Here's an example of public drunkenness. Man, were they ever hammered.

Korean Spudgybees

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 14:47:48 +0900

We were inspired by Mark Rajaovic's "Bees" movie over at Vimeo. Here's our parody of it, starring Spudgy.

Restaurant Review: Bucheon's Chicky Pub

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 14:47:53 +0900

We've been to lots of chicken shacks here in Korea, and Chicky Pub is by far our favorite place.

International Geographic in Bucheon's Jung-Ang Park

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 14:48:21 +0900

What can you expect to find in Bucheon's Jung Ang Park? We made a mockumentary in the form of InterNational Geographic in Bucheon. Here are some things you'll find around the area.

Korean Advertising

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 14:48:20 +0900

You're all familiar with Oreo and Tide and Pepsi, but how many of you are familiar with Dr. You, Morning Glory, and Chilsung? These are just a few of the major Korean name brands for household products. It's about time you familiarize yourself with them.

Coin Machines in Emart

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 14:48:34 +0900

Go to your local grocery store and you might find those coin-operated toy-dispensing machines. The one we found had lots of cute things like Hello Kitty and other sweet things to put on your keychains. It also had stuff highly inappropriate for kids.

Korean Costcos

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 14:48:17 +0900

We finally went to Costco, got a membership, and bought a whole bunch of stuff that we surely didn't need. Here's a video on how to get to Costco and a view of what you'll find there. NOTE: the pizzas in the food court here are to die for.

Restaurant Review: Bucheon's Dubu House

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:47:52 +0900

This was the first restaurant we ever ate at in Bucheon. We finally made a proper review of it. Long story short, this is an awesome place with cheap food. Eat here if you can.

How to Use Your Korean Washing Machine

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 14:48:01 +0900

So, yeah, our Washing Machine didn't make sense to us until someone finally explained it to us. Now we're Paying it Forward and explaining to all of you how to use your own Korean Washing Machine.

Aiins World Acrobats

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 14:48:53 +0900

Here are some clips from an acrobatics show we saw in Bucheon's Aiins World. It was a little bit weird. The girls were dancing completely out of sync, and the little child they used as a prop seems to be crying on stage. Yeah. That was really weird.

Korean Toilet Seat Sales

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 14:48:03 +0900

If for some reason you need to buy a toilet seat in Korea (like we needed to), then you might find some silly seats - for example, one will offer you advice on love and relationships. Just what I expected from a toilet seat!

Restaurant Review: Bucheon's Don Day

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 14:47:52 +0900

Here's a review of Bucheon's Don Day restaurant, along with a brief primer on how to eat Sam Gyap Sal (which is totally delicious and awesome, by the way). Give this place a shot. It's worth the little that it costs.

How to Order Korean Food

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 14:47:58 +0900

Too tired to leave your house to eat? Tap into Korea's amazing food delivery system. There's much to offer, and - best part - you don't have to tip the delivery guy. Hooray!

How to Use Your Korean Rice Cooker

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 14:47:51 +0900

If you actually cook (we've stopped long time ago), then you should know how to use your rice cooker. Here's an absolutely riveting (not) movie on what all of the buttons mean on your machine.

Korean Ice Cream II

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 14:48:10 +0900

We can never get enough of the ingenuity poured into Korean Ice Cream. Check out how amazing this convenience store snack can be, and tell me with a straight face that you don't wish your country did the same.

Korean Dog Lockers

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 14:48:02 +0900

This blew us away. If you go shopping, you can rent a locker to stuff in your bags and your jackets. You can also buy some to stuff in your dogs. I happened to find one on my way out of the bathroom and was completely shocked.

Korean T-Money Cards

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 14:48:03 +0900

Here's a follow up to the Subway Fare video: instead of buying a card that goes in your wallet, you can buy a little cell-phone charm that will act like a T-Money card. If you never leave your cell phone, you'll never leave your bus fare as well.

Korean KicKer Bars

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 14:48:09 +0900

We're always amazed with the blatant copyright infringement we see here in Korea. Some of these Korean names are just wrong! Watch the video till the end to see just how surprising the names Korean brands come up with can be.

Korean Cold Medicine

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 14:48:18 +0900

So here's how the sniffles are commonly fought in Bucheon, Korea. Essentially, you're getting a Chicken Rice Soup instead of a Chicken Noodle Soup, and - if you choose to get over the counter medicine - you're not going to be paying much for it at all

Bucheon High School Festival

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 14:48:46 +0900

For two weekends in a row now Bucheon City Hall has closed down its street for some High School charity events. At least, that's what we guess they are. Here's the second festival, which is much better than the first, because this one had food.

Bucheon Bus Stops

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 14:48:47 +0900

One of the most annoying things about public transportation is waiting. How many hours have you spent in the cold or rain waiting for the bus to arrive? In Bucheon, your complaints have been heard. Here are signs that tell you how far the bus is. Cool!

Korean Karaoke

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 14:48:10 +0900

It's very popular in Korea as a means of socializing. Here's our intro to Korean No-Rae-Bangs (aka, Karaoke Rooms). And please don't laugh at Simon too much for his awful singing. He's quite shy, as you can tell in this video.

Bucheon's Aiins World

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 14:48:54 +0900

Bucheon's Aiinsworld is a really cool theme park with the wonders of the world scaled down to 1/25th their actual size. It's spot on accurate, and beautifully done. After half an hour of walking you'll definitely feel the traveling bug bite you hard.

Bucheon's Best Bar: Rhythm and Booze

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 14:47:51 +0900

We love this place, and we wish that everyone will go here regularly. The food is great, the atmosphere is great, and the place is really nice. Not to mention, the owner is totally cool. If you're a foreigner in Bucheon, this is the place for you to go

Korean Claw Machine II

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 14:48:19 +0900

We never get bored of these things. Here's another video on Korea's ubiquitous claw machines. Only in this one you can win live lobsters! Pay a dollar and win a dinner! Pot and boiling water not included.

Korean Hand Gestures

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 14:48:13 +0900

Politeness is a big deal here in Korea. The way you move your hands can be considered either very respectful or very rude. Watch this video if you're afraid that you're offending people with your seemingly normal hand gestures.

Bucheon Public Karaoke

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 14:48:45 +0900

Here's a short clip from either a Public Karaoke or High School Talent Show during one of the festive weekends in Bucheon, Korea. Every weekend, the streets are blocked off between Bucheon City Hall and Jung-Ang Park. Here's an example of what they do.

Weekends on the Streets of Bucheon

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 14:48:44 +0900

The streets between Bucheon City Hall and Jung-Ang Park are really fun on the weekends. Spend ten bucks and get yourself half an hour's worth of riding these motorcars. Don't worry! There aren't any real cars on the road to hurt you. It's super, super fun

Cool Stuff Korea Has To Offer

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 14:48:18 +0900

As you've seen in our ice-cream videos, Korea is very innovative. This innovation does not go to ice-cream alone, though. Check out what other brilliant ideas they have that Western countries should definitely pick up on as well.

Korean Mail Boxes

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 14:48:08 +0900

Remember when you heard that reading someone else's mail is a federal offense? Well, in Korea, reading someone's mail has become much easier, with the use of these highly insecure mailboxes. Makes you wonder why mail is such a big deal back home.

Spudgy Being Sad, Then Silly

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 14:47:48 +0900

Spudgy's medication has left him slightly depressed, as you'll see in this video. Since we took him off the meds he's been much better, and is starting to act silly again (as you'll see in the second video).

Korean Home Cooking: Dok Bok Ki

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 14:48:12 +0900

We want to become as Korean as we possibly can, so we're learning how to cook Korean as well. Here, Martina cooks up some Korean Dok Bok Ki, which is an absolutely delicious street food here in Korea (and, incidentally, cheaper to buy on the streets).

Korean Dancing Traffic Directors

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 14:48:03 +0900

There are a lot of people directing traffic here in Korea. Many of them, we assume, would get bored. A select few, though, will take that boredom as an opportunity to work on their dance moves, like this guy here.

Korean Exercise Parks

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 14:48:15 +0900

One thing that's really hard to find in Korea is fat people. We probably can't find them because of exercise parks like this, with exercise equipment free to all. Interestingly, this park is always packed with people exercising. Cool...

Professional Korean Video Game Championships

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 14:48:02 +0900

Video gaming is a big deal here in Korea - so much so that many of Simon's students have told them that they want to be professional computer gamers. Here's a clip from a video game championship we went to.

Korean Fitness Tests

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 14:48:14 +0900

Once a year, students are graded for their fitness levels. Sure, none of these grades really matter for your university acceptance (from what we've been told), but it's still interesting to see that an entire day is dedicated to fitness tests).

Korean Subway Fare

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 14:48:04 +0900

Want to use the subway in Korea? Here we'll show you the way. If you want to load up your subway card, or just buy a single ticket, we'll show you both options and how each one is done. Aren't we helpful?

Random Rubber Glove Story

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 14:47:51 +0900

We have too many rubber gloves in our house now because the rubber gloves we bought aren't properly labeled, which means we have to keep on going back to buy more gloves until we finally have a matching pair.

Spudgy Excited

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 14:47:48 +0900

Many people have voiced their concerns over our dog. Does he ever move, or does he just lay down all day? Here's a video to show you Spudgy's spunky side. What a cutie.

Korean Movie Theatres

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 14:48:06 +0900

Before you order a ticket you have to take a number. If not, the whole place would be overthrown with people butting in line (everyone butts in line here in Korea). Once your number is called, then you can pick your specific seats for the movie. Cool.

Korean Ice Cream Cakes

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 14:48:12 +0900

We're sure that fancy pants Baskin Robbins cakes are available in places other than Korea, but, hell, we were just so happy to order one here in Korea that we had to make a movie for it. Both beautiful and delicious.

Korean Food Courts

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 14:48:13 +0900

The food courts are arranged differently here than what we're used to back in Canada. You don't just walk up to a fast food place and place an order. Instead, you go to the main cash, place your order there, and they give you a ticket. When you're number is called, then you can get your food. Makes more sense that way, I think.

Korean Food Court Menus

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 14:48:07 +0900

Menus are much more convincing when they have pictures. Korea, though, has taken these menus to whole new levels, and have made 3D replicas of every meal they offer. Now that's what I call super cool technological advancement.

Climbing Palbong Mountain

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 14:47:55 +0900

We went on a teacher retreat with Martina's school. It involved climbing a ridiculously tall mountain. We were told it would be a small hill. Last time we trust their perception of small hills! It was still worth it in the end, though.

Flip Flop Kick

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 14:48:28 +0900

Simon was really bored in between classes, so he challenged his students to a game he invented, called Flip Flop Kick. You can play it with your students, too! Check it out!

Spudgy on the Subway

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 14:47:46 +0900

People have asked us if we can take our dog on the subway. Here's definitive proof that we can.

Korean Recycling

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 14:48:04 +0900

Korea's serious about its recycling. When we bring ours down, we have to separate it into six different bins. If we make any mistakes, there are security guards nearby, watching our every move, and they will come scold us. It's pretty strict.

Snorting Spudgy

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 14:47:47 +0900

Spudgy snores like a middle-aged man. It's really annoying when you're trying to sleep, but really funny when you're awake. In fact, Spudgy even snores when he's awake. Just rubs his ears and listen to him purr.

Korean Couple Shirts

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 14:48:32 +0900

In Korea, public displays of affection have taken on an all new level. People don’t kiss each other or give piggy backs as much in Korea as we did in Canada. Instead, they display their affection with matching shirts, also known as Korean Couple Shirts.

Adopting a Dog in Korea

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 14:47:48 +0900

A small video montage of our dog adopting experience in Korea. Here you'll see the shelter, us picking out our dog, taking him on a test walk, and then taking him to the vet. This movie brings tears to our eyes every freaking time we watch it...

Intro to Spudgy

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 14:47:47 +0900

Here's an introduction to Spudgy, the dog we adopted from Korea. Here you'll see him in action, and hear his backstory.

Interview With Our Foreigner Friend Chris

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 14:48:39 +0900

We have a Canadian friend here in Bucheon! His name is Chris and we met him from the weeklong Gepik Conference. He's been coming over lately to play the Wii with us and feed us KFC (Korean Fried Chicken - much better than the Kentucky kind).

K-Pop Concert in Bucheon's Jung Ang Park

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 14:48:18 +0900

So we woke up from an afternoon nap to hear music blaring in the park eight stories below us. It turns out that Bucheon was hosting a huge music concert that day, including some of K-Pop's biggest stars, such as Battles, MC Mong, and Mighty Mouth

A Video Tour of Our Apartment

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 14:47:58 +0900

What's an apartment in Korea look like? It turns out that we were given a really, really nice place. Here's a walkthrough of our entire place in Bucheon, Korea

Korean Coffee Shop Snacks

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 14:48:36 +0900

Ever go to a coffee shop and feel like having a snack with your beverage? A muffin, perhaps? A cookie? Maybe a sandwich? Here in Korea, people like having snacks with their coffees as well. The big difference is in what they like to snack on.

Supercool Korean TV Phones

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 14:47:42 +0900

So we thought our phones are cool, but they're nothing compared to what some of our students have. Check out this phone: plug in an antenna and you've got FREE TV! Awesome! Of course, you have to watch it on a tiny screen, but it's still pretty awesome

Korean Ice Cream

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 14:48:23 +0900

Korea's greatest invention (that we attribute to it, at least) is its ice cream. The ice cream is both delicious and ingeniously designed. Who would have thought that eating ice cream could make so much sense?

Korean Cell Phones

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 14:48:41 +0900

Here are what Korean Cell-Phones are like. We bought them both for 40 bucks a pop, and they're funky and cool. Here Martina shows you what both of our phones are like, and decides to do a special dance with the phones in the meanwhile.

Banging on Miso Drums

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 14:47:59 +0900

We went to a Korean Traditional Music Concert recently, and were blown away by it. Here's a sample of one of its pieces. Really now, how awesome were the synchronized dancing drumming ladies?!

Korean Bus Ride

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 14:48:44 +0900

We took a fancy pants bus to get to Palbong Mountain. What impressed us most about the bus wasn't the big LCD television, or the really comfy chairs, or the speaker system wired throughout the bus. What impressed us most was the mass amounts of alcohol.

How to Control a Rowdy Class

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 14:48:38 +0900

I have a class of students who are rowdy as all hell. Sorry, I meant to say I have 22 classes of students who are rowdy as all hell. And so this is a video of my crowning achievement as a teacher in Korea: getting everyone to sit down and shut up.

Gyeonggi Provincial Museum

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 14:47:59 +0900

During our Gepik Conference we had a "field trip." This was it. We went to the museum and checked out some old, Korean cultural relics. It was pretty cool, but not enough of it was translated into English for us to be able to understand.

Korean Door Signs

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 14:47:55 +0900

We were immensely bored at our conference, so we were more susceptible to being entertained by stupid stuff like this. Here's a sign on the doors that doesn't make sense. Makes for a great video. Well, maybe not great, but not terrible!

Bucheon's Jung-Ang Park Time Lapse

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 14:47:46 +0900

This is a view from our apartment window. By the way, our apartment is awesome, and we love the view (compared to the other views we've seen). Here's a time-lapse of one day through our window, with the moving sun and clouds.

Three Random Korean Movies

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 14:47:44 +0900

We'd tell you what these movies are about, but that would spoil the surprise! Needless to say, they're about more cool Korean things. Some of the things are more dangerous than others, sure, but cool nonetheless.

Korean Volleysock

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 14:47:40 +0900

So this game is volleyball-meets-soccer, hence the name VolleySock (we thought for a long time to come up with that name). Whenever Simon’s bored he watches it from his window, and wishes he could play it as well. It looks like loads of fun...

Bike Ride Through Jung Ang Park

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 14:48:52 +0900

Martina has a basket on the front of her bike. We decided to strap a camera to it and ride through Bucheon's Jung-Ang Park, so that you could get a look at this really nice, really pretty, really cool park. Yeah

Korean Pizza

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 14:48:04 +0900

If you're craving some of the food you're used to from back home in North America (if that's where you're from), then don't go for the pizza. Pizza has become its own offshoot here in Korea. It's pretty good, just not the same..

The Unbelievably Cheap Prices of Soju

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 14:47:49 +0900

In Canada, alcohol sales are very strictly controlled. Here in Korea, you can buy booze everywhere. Want a bottle of Soju (20% alcohol)? You can buy it for around a buck. Yep. Getting trashed is cheaper than buying food for once.

Simon's SI English World

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 14:48:29 +0900

This is Simon's classroom, his and his alone. It's pretty darn cool, being able to mark your own territory. Anyhow, this is where Simon will begin teaching half of his students one week and the other half the next week. Take a look...

The Temples of Ganghwa Do

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 14:48:26 +0900

Simon's co-teacher took the two of us to Ganghwa Do, a really pretty Buddhist temple. We took lots of pictures and made a movie of the whole ordeal. It was pretty nice, and we thought it was worth sharing, so here it is:

The Top of South Korea

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 14:47:59 +0900

We got as close to North Korea as we'd like to get: overlooking it from the top of a mountain in South Korea. On the top of this mountain was a set of pay-per-use binoculars. You'll hardly believe what we saw over in North Korea...

Our First Saturday in Seoul

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 14:47:50 +0900

So this is our first experience of Seoul. We got stood up by our friend who was supposed to meet us there, but at least we visited Seoul! The subways are awesome and Itaewon was kinda creepy, but we still enjoyed ourselves at least.

More of Soju

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 14:47:49 +0900

We have documented our first experience with Soju - Korea's national alcohol. It's mighty cheap, and 20 % alcohol. We didn't know how strong it would be before we started making this video. By then, it was too late.

Korean Boys' Washrooms

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 14:48:49 +0900

One of the many things that are completely new to us and weird in Korea is the washrooms. Can someone explain how to use this thing? I won't try, and I'm going to stop trying to visualizing how to use it as well...

Korean Street Food

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 14:47:47 +0900

Korean Street Meat in a nutshell: delicious, cheap, and loaded with variety. In Toronto, you have two choices: hot dog or sausage, and will cost you between $3-$5. Here, you get meat-filled dumplings with spicy sauce for anywhere between one and two bucks

Korean Claw Machines

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 14:48:34 +0900

Got some loose change? You should put it in one of these claw machines. They're all over Korea, and they've got lots of fun prizes for you to win. Of course, the prizes are very odd, and nothing like anything you could win in Canada's claw machines.

A Tour of Simon's School

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 14:47:50 +0900

In this video you’ll see screaming kids and lavish basketball courts. As well, you’ll be stunned when you check out the basketball courts. They’re completely awesome, and unlike anything we’ve ever seen in outdoor Canadian basketball courts.

Panorama of Downtown Bucheon

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 14:48:30 +0900

It turns out that Bucheon is much bigger than we expected. We thought we were living in the heart of Bucheon, but it was only one of the outskirts. Here's a panorama of what one of Bucheon's busy intersections looks like. Take a look.

Video Tour of Martina's School Part I

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 14:48:00 +0900

So what's Martina's school look like? Here, you'll see first hand. The video was so big that we had to cut in in two (which is like Martina's school, which is also so big that it had to be cut in two.).

Video Tour of Martina's School Part II

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 14:48:00 +0900

Bucheon's Home Plus II

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 14:48:24 +0900

We really like Home Plus, and decided to make a video walkthrough of the place. It's got a lot of weird and cool stuff to offer, and it only makes sense that we make a video out of it.

Seng Bulgogi

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 14:47:50 +0900

In essence, this is our first restaurant review. We were just amazed at how delicious this food is, so we decided to make a video out of it. Try some Seng Bulgogi yourself...you won't regret it.

Bucheon's Home Plus

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 14:48:25 +0900

If there's anything you need to buy, there's a good chance Home Plus will have it. Were you told by others that you won't be able to find shampoo or conditioner or deodorant or whatnot? Lies! It's all here at HomePlus.

Bucheon's Sunday Night Lights

contact@eatyourkimchi.com (Simon Stawski) — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 14:47:45 +0900

Bucheon seems to never sleep. Sunday Night, people should be grumpily going to bed, getting ready for dreadful Monday mornings. Instead, in Bucheon, everyone's out and about, drinking, eating, and being merry.