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.

I am Bradley Manning

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

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.

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.

16 July 2012

Coeur D'Alene, Idaho. Venting a bit. It's a beautiful park damit.

17 July 2012

State of Washington. Rodrigo loves Bud Lime.

14 July 2012

Got myself into all sorts of fun.

In Illinois.



In Minnesota.



In South Dakota.



The American Dream.  All in one day.

Keep the faith.

13 July 2012

Made it to Chicago.  Naperville to be exact.

Made a new friend:

and got to hang out with an old one:

Without a doubt my friends in Naperville are living the American Dream.

Keep the faith.

12 July 2012

Today the journey begins. Again.

 

Today we depart Roch., NY and hit the road in search of the American Dream. We've got our cameras packed, a schedule in place, and a route to follow. First stop. Naperville, Illinois.

TOAD

After much awaited anticipation, I'm pleased to present the first edition of Tuesdays Only Asian Drama, or 'TOAD'.



Created and hosted by Stephanie Ishler.

Shot and edited by Richard E. Lucchesi.

If you check this video out and you dig it, like it on youtube.com, share it with your friends, and don;t forget to Subscribe to our YOUTUBE channel for more TOAD adventures. Ribbit ribbit!!!

Keep the faith.

Korean Street Food with Friends

I've been friends with Aritz from the Basque Country for almost 2 decades. Wow I can't even believe I just wrote that.



We first met when he came to my hometown in 1993 as an exchange student to attend my high school. Late in the summer, a week before our senior year began my Spanish teacher at the time asked me to show him around town. I picked him up in my 1985 Chevy Cavalier 4 speed, and offered him a cigarette. The rest as they say is 'history'.

We've kept in close contact over the years, visiting each other when we can. I lived with his family 2 years after he attended my high school, and his father gave me a job at the family run factory that summer.

Nowadays, Aritz has business all over the world, so naturally I made time for him during his stopover in Korea recently. The above video was one of the only evenings out we had together while he visited.

Author's Note: The entire movie above was shot on my I-Phone 4.

Keep the faith.

U.S. Constitutional Rights

This may be something only Americans are concerned with, but it's something all Americans should know about and do: Record the police when you are pulled over!



I'll be home this summer traveling from NY out to california and back, and there's a very good chance I may be pulled over. When that happens, guess what I'll be doing.

Keep the faith.

Daniel DG Kim

Daniel Kim is a Korean-American gyopo from Korea and Texas who made his debut on KRTV.tv yesterday with a bang. I had been stalling on editing his short piece for a number of reasons, but mostly because I just have a lot of projects on 'back order'.

Below is Daniel DG Kim's piece working in collaboration with Zal Slim in our Fall 2011 Fashion Modeling Shoot.



Daniel has been pursuing professional photography since arriving back to Seoul after more than 20 years living in the U.S. His work is phenomenal. Best of all, he bridges the gap between western native English-speakers, and Korean speaking Koreans because of his bilingual ability. His bilingualism has proven to be a true asset to his photography career in Korea.

Below are a few of his finalized photos from the fashion shoot, all courtesy of Daniel DG Kim.

Keep the faith.

Jesse Day

My very first interaction with Jesse was when he requested me to turn off the camera. Ever since them I've been doing nothing but recording him.

We hung out this past Sunday when he agreed to interview with me about the Canadian perspective on the American Dream. I became originally interested in Jesse when I found out that he wasn't teaching in Korea at all, and has been supporting himself as an actor here for more than 2 1/2 years!

I had no idea how fluent he was in Korean until afterward when we were kickin' it socially.

Check out the following video and prepare to be impressed.



It's always a good thing to see an expat as fluent in Korea as he is.

Keep the faith.

Election 2012

I saw this video and, because I'm an independent living in Asia, felt compelled to share it.



As an American itt certainly feels real, especially from an Asian viewpoint. Maybe that's why it's been banned.

Keep the faith.

Chad Kirton

I originally met Chad in Busan around March of 2011 when I was filming another project at a club in Seo-Myeon, Busan. He approached me in the club and introduced himself. I distinctly remember how friendly he came across that first encounter. I got his cell phone number in case I was ever down in Busan again, so I could easily contact him.

A few months later I found myself in the city of Gyeong-ju covering the International Taekwondo Championships on a Thursday, with the weekend ahead of me off. That Thurs. evening I was planning to pick Steph up at the train station there because it was our 2 year anniversary that day, and we were planning to see a bit of Korea with our shared 3 day weekend free. On a whim, and before Steph had arrived, I rang Chad.

Since I had only met him that one time, I re-introduced myself and asked him how he was doing. I told him I was interested in filming a bit of his life at the Busan EFM 90.5 radio station where he worked. The catch was that I wanted to go there and capture it the following day! Low and behold he welcomed the idea, but politely warned me that Friday was the only day we could do it. I must admit, I like this type of spontaneity.

After a nice romantic evening spent in a hotel overlooking the East Sea, with a jacuzzi sauna the size of Nebraska, Steph and I made our way down to Busan. We were a bit pressed for time since we only had that evening to cover Chad at the station. We arrived in Centum City, Busan in the late afternoon, and spent a single evening observing proper English language radio (right here in Korea!) materialize out of thin air. We also spent the evening getting to know Chad. A very enlightening experience for me indeed.

The following is Part 1 of DJ Chad on KRTV.tv. I sure hope you enjoy it, because I know we sure enjoyed making it.



Keep the faith.