Lunar New Year 2014 Celebration in Korea

즐거운 설날 되세요! Happy Lunar New year everyone! ^^



I've been intermittently studying Korean when I have time to, making YouTube videos to facilitate the process and track my progress. Here's a video I made recently when a student and a friend named Arion came over to our house with cheesecake to ring in the Lunar New Year in Korea this year.

Learning Korean on YouTube

I've begun an endeavor that I believe is going to change my life.  I've decided to put my Korean study habits online publicly for anyone who may be interested.  I've done this mainly because I want to hold myself accountable for studying and not giving up.  No more excuses! I'm gonna keep this train rollin'! Just watch lol.

Korean University Students

Ran into a former student and had the video camera out so I recorded a bit of the conversation before the battery died.

YouTube Music Awards 2013 YTMAs

Steph and I were contacted by YouTube and asked to apply to be part of 50 YouTubers around the globe to participate in the first ever YouTube Music Awards being held this November 3rd, 2013. We applied online, and were chosen several days later!!! We are over the moon about this! Can't thank them enough, and we're super excited to be part of this really exciting live event on the web.

Homosexuality and Being Gay in South Korea

I'm proud of this recent video Steph and I made.

Ross Gardiner in Korea

This is part 1 of the movie I made about Ross Gardiner when he was still living in Korea.
 

Kyokushin Karate Tournament in Korea 2011

This video is the conclusion (part 4) to the documentary movie about Kyokushin Karate training and fighting shot in South Korea in 2011.

I am Bradley Manning

Some very serious discussion about 'the system' we live in.  I support the message here.

Catching the Sunset

My wife and I watching the sunset from our front porch.

Nothing overly special, just taking a moment out from our busy lives to realize the beauty of this world.

Korean Drama Themed Painting

Yesterday we went to the art store together to buy a bunch of canvas for Steph.  This trip was to attempt to make it easier for her to paint whenever she feels inspired.

We spent about $65 American on supplies so she would feel stocked and prepared for the next however long into the future.  Our purchase included 8 canvases of varying sizes, which to me seemed like more than enough surface to paint on for at least a week.  Boy was I wrong.  I was so shocked last night that I made this short vlog to go more into detail about her accomplishments.

Steph is working on a summer collection of artwork to compliment her drama reviews on YouTube.  Because this idea is so new to us we still have not etched out the final details.  One of the goals is to paint or create a piece of artwork for each of the 2012 or 2013 Korean dramas that she has reviewed.  We do like the direction it is taking us, because together we feel a renewed sense of happiness in our relationship, and purpose in our life.

Too much detail?  It's not like a lot of people are reading this anyways.

Keep the faith.

Art Supply Shopping in Korea

My wife and her obsession with art.. ah, I love it!

Today my lovely wife and I went art supply shopping for her.  I realized after I watched this video that I didn't really capture her shopping for art supplies very well.  That'll have to wait for a future video.  I was just playing around with video today.

Korean Housing - Our House in South Korea

30 May 2013 Made this for my brother.  Our house in South Korea.

Background of Kyokushin Karate training in Korea

Although Taekwondo is by far the most popular martial arts sport in Korea, Kyokushin Karate can easily be found here as well.



Background into how I filmed this project:

I taught Mo and Bader (the subjects training for the tournament in part 4) in an English class at Kyung Hee University in the fall of 2008.  They had just began studying as international students there, and it was my first semester on the job as well.  Because they stuck out in a class mostly dominated by Korea students, I got to know them and we became friends after the semester has finished.

Nearly 3 years later I finished this short movie.

In this part 3 I interview their Park Sang Hyun, their Kyokushin trainer.  We explained a little bit about the history of Kyokushin and who founded it.  This part also contains some great slow motion shots of Mo and Bader training while Mr. Park dissects their style of Kyokushin fighting.

This part 3 is a must see for anyone interested in, or training for a Kyokushin tournament.

Kyokushin Karate in Korea

In this part Mo (Mohammad) is introduced, a Kyokushin fighter from Qatar.  At the time he was in Korea studying Nuclear Engineering at Kyung Hee university.  He discusses his reasons for fighting in tournaments and how he got into Kyokushin karate.  Bader is his friend, fellow classmate, and Kyokushin partner in crime.  Bader has a sick tattoo of a tiger on his back.

Part 2 of the epic 4 part series on Kyokushin Karate in Korea.

Kyokushin Karate Documentary Movie

Taekwondo rules martial arts in Korea, and that's almost the end of the story.  Bits of other martial arts do pop up here and there, and although rare, can be found if one searches hard enough.

I wasn't searching when I stumbled upon it myself.  (Now) former students of mine, Mo and Bader came noticeably all banged up to class one day.  They were eager to share their hobby and the world of Kyokushin Karate in Korea opened up to me.  This happened before I had even begun making movies.

In part 1, I stop by Mo's house to meet him and Bader.  I ask them why they love Kyokushin karate and Korea so much.  And I travel to Seoul with them to observe a Kyokushin training session.  

Daniel Kim Photography

Did this one a while back.  One of the better pieces I put together, mostly because it was completed later into my young filming career.

 

Keep the faith.

Watching Korean Dramas Online

It's been a rough couple of weeks in Thailand.  Let me tell ya..

This video below is the one we have most recently released while away on vaca aka our 2nd honeymoon.  For what they are, I dig Taiwanese Dramas even though they are not as popular as, say, Korean Dramas.  And by 'what they are', I mean Asian soap operas, much the equivalent of their American counterparts.  Make of that whatever you deem.

TW Drama 101



Here are the other two previously released videos since the trip to Thailand commenced.  I've been lazily going about my business most recently, utterly disconnected from most of the real world.  If it weren't for the wifi available in virtually every last legitimate location over here, the previous sentence might ring a bit more true.

Top 5 Kamenashi Kazuya Dramas



Kdrama 101



Check out our Facebook page for all the latest updates!


Keep the faith.

Best Lee Min Ho Kisses

I don't claim to know a lot about Korea Dramas or soap operas in general.  But when your wife loves them and you make regular weekly videos about them, you slowly begin to learn about them.



So, now I know a little bit about Lee Min Ho (이민호).

In my opinion, this guy is classy.  His behavior around the ladies is smooth, and he knows how to move at just the right pace as to lure them in.  He's movements are strong and deliberate.  His acting in dramas, though a bit dull, has wowed many of the women who watch them.

He also had plastic surgery on his nose and now has the Roman nose going.  It's an unusual look for Korean men and sort of his trademark.  I personally like it.

New 2013 Japanese Dramas

 How cute is Steph's doggie hat?



That is a dog hat right?

Bloopers for this video:

Top 5 New Korean Dramas of 2013

This blog comes directly from the guy who knows very little about Korean dramas, or soap operas in general.

I don't know much...... but I know I love you.  And that may be all I need to know. - Aaron Neville



The Top 5 List:

5. A Hundred Years Legacy
4. Queen of Ambition
3. My Flower Boy Neighbor
2. Iris 2
1. That Winter, The Wind Blows

 The Blooper Roll: