This year marked the 22nd annual Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) in Busan and as a movie lover, I was so excited to get to experience such a massive and unique event. The purpose and beauty of BIFF is to introduce new independent films and directors. Primarily, the movies are made in Asia, and hundreds are featured each year. If you are a movie lover like me, then I highly recommend you attend this festival during your time teaching in Korea.
Read MoreTags: movie theaters in Korea, busan, movies in Korea, Festivals in Korea
As a lifelong Massachusetts resident, I am used to confusing weather patterns and abrupt temperature shifts, but South Korea’s weather-related bi-polar disorder brings it to a whole new level. A few weeks ago we had a relatively warm spell of weather, which caused me to dare to hope that perhaps the worst of the winter was over. Obviously that was foolishly optimistic thinking, as this week we have been slammed with a particularly chilly blast of air, just to remind me that winter in Korea is far from done. Personally, I hate cold weather, so it definitely makes it more difficult for me to actually get out of my apartment and be social. But the best remedy for those winter blues is spending time with friends, so I figured I would share a few of my favorite winter activities in Korea to help you get through these frigid few months.
Read More
One of the best aspects of living in South Korea (or most foreign countries for that matter) is how even the most mundane aspects of everyday life can be so different from what you experience back in your own country. Whether it is eating out at a restaurant or even performing a daily task as tiny as taking out the garbage, you are constantly reminded of the unique quirks of Korean culture. This week, I figured I would focus on the cinema, one of my favorite weeknight and weekend pastimes here in Korea. OK, so yeah I can detect a few not so subtle eye rolls upon reading that sentence, since you are maybe wondering how something as straight forward as a movie theater can offer such a drastically different experience. The truth is, many aspects of the moving going experience are basically identical, but I thought it warranted a blog post nonetheless so back off.
Tags: Teach English in Korea, Teach Abroad, Teach in Asia, movies in Korea
One of my favorite things to do on the weekends is to go see a movie. I was worried that while living in Korea I wouldn't be able to satisfy this past-time, but I had nothing to fear! In Korea, there are plenty of English movies with Korean subtitles, and all the big blockbusters, like Thor this week, are getting a great viewing.
Tags: movie theaters in Korea, busan, movies in Korea, Weekend activities in Korea
Tags: teaching in Korea, a year in Korea, English teacher in Korea, things to do, entertainment in Korea, movies in Korea
I am constantly amazed at the number of novelty attractions popping up in Korea. After living in Korea for over a year, I am still discovering new entertainment experiences that just aren't available in the United States (or at least, I have not seen them). Examples that come to mind include screen golf, pet cafes, and party motels (don't know party motels??...check them out here). Some of these attractions are just gimmicky, but others, truly are fun and are guaranteed to be a good time. When hearing about a new diversion, often my initial reaction is the thought "only in Korea". Well that is exactly what I thought when I heard about 4D movie theaters.
Tags: Korea, movie theaters in Korea, entertainment, only in Korea, Activities to do in Korea, movies in Korea
I love to watch movies, but sometimes I feel lame staying in at night to watch them. I go to the cinema often, but it seems like more often than not, I leave disappointed with the price I have to pay to watch the sub-par movies being released today. If only there was a place that was similar to the cinema-viewing experience, but had a much larger selection of movies and cost much less. Fortunately, I have discoverd DVD rooms (known as DVD bangs) while teaching in Korea, which combine the best of cinemas and video rental stores into one location.
DVD bangs offer a different option for a night of entertainment instead of the normal cinema, restaurant, bar, or club. It is the perfect option for a date, or if you are looking for a low-key evening with a couple of friends. And the best part about them, is you never have to walk far to find one....there seems to be one on every block.
Tags: Korean culture, teaching in Korea, entertainment, movies in Korea, DVD bangs
Tags: 2012, movies in Korea, classic korean films, culture films, violent films
Tags: movies in Korea, hongdae bookstore, Korea books, seoul comic books, thanks books
