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Candleteen!
PANELIST
Brian (Kiss My Kimchi)
MAIN TOPIC
You Can Kiss My Kimchi
NEWS AND STUFF
From Jeju to Paju… (Gusts of Popular Feeling)
Comprehensive coverage. Oiled up barricades. Self-immolation.
“Ask a Korean” on last night’s protest
– In order to stop the candle-wielding protesters from marching all the way to the Blue House (= presidential residence), the police set up a makeshift Great Wall of Containers on the road. Not only are they hilarious to look at, but also they are another sign that Lee Myong-Bak administration just does not get the idea that every action it does is a communication toward the people. Just imagine what kind of message a big freakin’ wall on the way to the Blue House sends to the people.
– Many non-Koreans are quick to dismiss this phenomenon as an irrational mass hysteria. However, the Korean previously wrote that while the protesters may be (regrettably) ill-informed about Mad Cow Disease, the act of protest itself is orderly and rational. Live reports from the scene confirms the Korean. (Article in Korean.)
Especially focus on the news at 9:25 p.m. and 9:55 p.m. At 9:25 p.m., some of the protesters began to build a foam stairs alongside the containers, chanting “Climb over the containers and march to Blue House.” However, they were stopped by a larger crowd, who chanted “nonviolence.”
At 9:55 p.m., one man was seen trying to burn a blocking police bus by lighting a fire at its fuel tank, but was quickly stopped by the police. Remarkable thing was when the gas leaked out of the bus, protesters yelled “put out the candles” to prevent any fire.
The Beef Is Almost Done… (Metropolitician)
Mike says the protests are hitting their peak, and it’ll all be over in 4-6 weeks
BBC and Lee Sae-jin Bring Truth to US Beef Issue (ROK Drop)
Group Alleges MacDonalds Uses Beef from 30 Month or Older Cows Later Retracts Allegation
Candle Teen (Korea Beat)
Scott Burgeson’s Experiences at the Demonstrations (Two Koreas)
(May 31)
Jamie, I was there last night, it was pretty crazy. Easily 100,000 people, it was like the World Cup at City Hall. The highlight was getting hit by fire extinguishers (after a bunch of people got up on a police bus) and the high-tech remote-controlled water cannons (two going at the same time) in front of Kyongbok Palace as everyone was trying to bumrush the Blue House. The protesters almost pushed over a police bus near Insadong but the cops managed to drive another bus behind it in time to stablize it. Unfortunately, the protesters were unable to get through the police bus barricade and make it to the Blue House so it became a standoff after a while. I also noticed the protesters dragged a policeman off the front line at one point and started whaling on him in a mad circle, but then calmer heads prevailed and they quickly let him go. Anyway, everyone I talk to says that Lee will not cave in on the beef issue, and the protests will continue until he caves in, so it’s hard to see this thing ending any time soon. Carzy!
Candlelight Vigils, Food Sovereignty for Healthier Future (John Eperjesi in KT)
Combat police and sickness (Gusts of Popular Feeling)
The Theory of Diminished Returns and overworked riot police
Would I be a domineering, arrogant westerner if I was to say that letting people rest, get well at home, and return to work feeling better is better than making people work even though they are unable to perform the tasks that define their job? Well, I’m not going to say that. I’ll let ACNielson do the talking. They tell us that South Korean people are the world’s most vulnerable (52%) to cold.
People in South Korea seemed to be the sickest, suffering from most ailments and topping the global rankings for suffering from colds, indigestion, heartburn and toothaches.
IT Regulation Prevents Korean Access to iPhone
THINGS THAT MAKE YOU GO WHAA?
NY Times on Gireogi Appa (Joshing Gnome)
“I think this is both one of the worst …and …best things that can happen to Korea, as the country clearly needs a huge influx of half-Western educated, poorly acculturated, screwed-up kids with bad attitudes and daddy issues who can speak English.”
Nipple squeezing, ball tapping OK for ROK troops (Marmot)
Japan’s ‘monster’ parents
We’ve seen this phenomenon in Korea. The organized coffee shop hagwon moms.
New ESL jargon for Korea (Galbijim)
·EIWTEW (English for “uhmm..ahh…I want to English well”)
·EHFSBOWF (English for saying Hi to Foreigners on the Street, but only when I’m with other Korean Friends, so I can show-off/pretend to be ‘wild and crazy’ to my peers, even though I wouldn’t dare saying boo, if I was by myself and saw a passing foreigner.)
·EBCM (English for avoiding a Beating from my uber-Competitive Mother)
·EFDMIST (English for working in Fashion Design, so I can Make Incoherent Sentences on T-Shirts)
·ESHTNPSE (English for Scoring High on TOEFL, even though I have No Plans to ever Speak English again)
·EPEIHS (English for Passing the English Interview requirement of when applying at Hyundai or Samsung, even though I’m only applying for one of the gazillion jobs that don’t involve in English in any form)
·ESOAE (English for the ability to Show Off in front of a girl, in order to Appear Esteemed, because she’d drop me like a sack of sweet potatoes, if she knew my time is usually spent sleeping at mom and dad’s house and playing computer games all day.)
·EDWA (English for being able to debate Wikipedia Admins when I hijack articles on Dokdo or Prostitution in Korea and get into revert wars to ensure that Korea is maintained in some form of tooth fairy-esque light to foreigners.)
·EGMTHOH (English for Getting Me the Hell out of Here)
Korean-American youth give a ‘meh’ to Korea’s ESL program (GalbiJim)
Water on the Stairs (Video of my school’s fourth floor being flooded and running down the stairs)
EX-PAT COMMUNITY
Talk about getting visas
Amanda Has Left Korea
As has Busan Mike
Foreign Medical Patients Wanted (Korea Beat)
Michael White’s autopsy report released to press before family.
Michael White Drowned: Autopsy
Funeral June 28th
VIEWER MAIL
Dear Zen & Company,
Just wanted you to know that your podcasts are much appreciated. From time to time you mention that you remember those of us who are living on other counties and who still have an interest in Korea. I’m grateful for that. It’s nice to keep in touch with the country through your diatribes/dialogues/diagnoses. You and Jennifer have a good rapport on the air. My only small suggestion would be to give Jennifer more air time. She’s clearly an intelligent woman who has a wealth of information to pass on to listeners.
Please make sure to keep at it with your thoroughly enjoyable podcasts in the future.
With gratitude,
Richard
PLUGS
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Ex-Pat Living (The Korea Herald)
SEOUL Magazine
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KOTESOL
NEXT WEEK
Topic: Seoul Survivors Reunion Show
Panelist: Karl Mamer
MUSIC CREDITS
Main Theme and Teaching Tips — Ben McPherson – “2wksnyc”
News — satya – “Silk Route Album Mix”
Things That Make You Go Whaa? — cjacks – “Candyland”
ExPat Community — Deyo – “Retro90210fun”
Bit Rationale
cjacks
Devin Anderson
DJ R Qubed
DJ Topshelf
George Wood
High Alert Status
Deyo
Guinea C
Jack Jeffrey
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Sharif
Mark Jungers
Jennifer Logue
curious hands
The Kokoon
ISON
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