Greetings, Marmot’s Hole readers!
This is Michael Hurt, also known as the “Metropolitician,” writing in for the first time here as a guest blogger. It’s quite an honor to be able to guest blog and collaborate with the Main Mammal himself, and I’ll strive to do this site the justice it deserves.
To that end, for those of you familiar with my blog but perhaps not fans of my kind of social criticism, let me assure you that I will reserve my more pointed and lengthy post for my own blog, while offering my thoughts on things that might be more of interest to the broader audience here. Please bear with me as I work to do that.
You might also know that I am an academic in limbo, ostensibly here to finish my Ph.D. dissertation, but incessantly caught up in projects that have caught my interest. One of them is Korea’s first video podcast – SeoulGlow – and that’s likely what you’ll see me primarily announcing here at first.
It’s a weekly video magazine about Seoul and its environs, released every Tuesday. The goal is to bring Koreans and non together into conversation, as we look at topics and talk to people in an effort to make this little part of the world better for everyone. It sounds a little Disney, but that’s the goal.
We’re on our third episode right now, in which I went down last November to hang out with some kids outside the gates of a local high school just before the beginning of the college entrance exam. Instead of speaking for them, I just let them do all the talking.
[youtube]2OvXf85VF-Q[/youtube]
I hope you enjoy the episodes and will make suggestions as to how to make them better, topics that might be of interest, and contact us at www.SeoulGlow.com to talk about working with us to get videos of your own up through our network.
And I look forward to posting here and hope that my perspective on things will be able to constructively add to the meta-conversation already going on here at The Marmot’s Hole.
Sphere: Related Content
23 Comments
New sexy girl in Korea is Suh InYoung.
http://kr.blog.yahoo.com/jimin0927/166.html
http://kr.mms.search.yahoo.com.....=067220724 (press on play button)
http://kr.mms.search.yahoo.com.....=065929908
http://tv.joins.com/tv_detail......214_135002
With a nose job, eye job, colored contact lenz and a wig, a Korean girl can turn into a Hollywood beauty. Quite Ride-able. Except occasional Kimchi smell. But, by then, you may not even care.
Buy Korean!
Mr. Hurt, what happened with your KBS petition? I couldn’t find any follow-up on your site.
Baduk,
You’re getting a little slow in your old age. Sun In-young has been around for quite awhile now.
It’s interesting to see that she has evolved from “Korea’s Christina Aguilera” into “Korea’s Paris Hilton” though.
Oops…”Suh”
Michael,
Are you the one asking the questions in Korean? If you are, then your Korean pronunciation is very good. Would you mind sharing what you did to develop your Korean language skills?
Baduk, if I have to choose between Buying Korean! and Attacking Iran!, which one should I choose? I’ve been mulling both over for a few days, but I need your sage advice before I make a final decision.
Thanks in advance.
Buy Iranian! Attack Korea!
We’ve come a long way since Shelton.
Hey, all –
Let me take care of a few things at once.
I heard through the interview with Leslie Benfield that he apologized personally, and I had heard before that he had been booted off the show. The online petition has served its online purpose, but I still will walk it in and hand it to someone official.
As for how I learned Korean, I lived in the country back when even the city in Chejudo was country (1994-1996) and learned Korean naturally, while studying a bit along the way. Went to graduate school and continued a bit, but really started growing my abilities again in 2002, when I returned for my graduate research, while also taking on more teaching and research responsibilities IN Korean, which was a boost I needed. So I always developed my grammar, vocab, and Hanja while actually living in and using Korean.
As for having come a long way since Shelton, I certainly hope you think so.
I mean in terms of quality of “guest bloggers”, not you personally.
The Metropolitician,
Sorry about hijacking your post. I hope Marmot set up an area for random musing or a significant news of the week where anybody can post anything useful.
iheartblueballs,
Do both, man, do both. When one comes under a pressure to choose, he loses flexibility and becomes a bigot. Do both. Become a libertarian with national security clearance.
Buy North Korea’s nukes and use them on Iran.
Michael, you are a welcome addition to the blog. Nice work here!
Indeed, he is a good addition. Welcome Mr. Pain
Mr. Pain? That really hurts. Hehe.
My nickname in the freshman dorm was “Ouch.”
Thanks for the welcome.
Very good video!!! I really liked it. Good job, Michael!
“New sexy girl in Korea is Suh InYoung.”
Did it occur to you to ask why she’s dancing to English language music? All right, here’s a short lesson is socio-linguistics:
It’s simply more acceptable for her to bump and grind to English music than to Korean. Any suggestions why? Well, English carries the connotations that the artist is modern, Western, sophisticated. But, safe? Well, it is perceived, and rightly so, by Korean artists and music fans that English lyrics is a better medium for asserting of sensuality than Korean lyrics. Why is it so? Well, simply put, because the censors block anything that could be understood as being sexual in Korean, but hardly ever touch the English lyrics because, well, quite simply, they understand what it means. For this reason, Korean song writers often use English words and phrases in their songs to depict sexual encounters and fantasies. So, next time hear Konglish inserted in K-pop lyrics, remember that the singer is fighting censorship.
“asserting one’s sexuality”
“they don’t understand”…Do they have pills or creams to delay posting?
SomeguyinKorea,
The US is the most advanced nation on earth at this point. Science, technology, living condition, culture, law, everything. Everybody wants to be an American and have what Americans have and know what Americans know.
Now, fifty years from now, it may be China or France. Who knows? At that time, Koreans will be inserting Chinese or French.
It is actually good that Korean people (at least Korean youth) want to be a part of international community, instead of being a frog inside a well.
I wish Koreans speak more English, not only in songs but in everyday affairs.
Now, fifty years from now, it may be China or France. Who knows? At that time, Koreans will be inserting Chinese or French.
That is a stretch!
Very well done — look forward to the next edition.
Do you still go around taking random photos of people on the street, promising to send them a copy and then not follow through?