Hope everyone had a safe and wonderful Halloween!

AsianTalks One-Year Anniversary

What a difference a year makes! Here at AsianTalks we’re taking a break to pause and reflect on the whirlwind of interviews and podcasts we’ve hosted to highlight an emerging community of Asia-based expats and professionals who love living in the region and always have great advice for how to launch a career in cities like Shanghai, Tokyo orSeoul. So, just this once, we’re turning to AsianTalks interviewer Liz Shim for her insights into what we’ve done, and where we’re going. Read on!

AsianTalks: So Liz for the first time how does it feel to be on the opposite side of the microphone?

It’s quite an honor! As you know we’ve been quietly but steadily building a website dedicated to expatriate professionals who are just so astonishing. Everyone I’ve spoken to is such a model of grace, candor, and insider expertise. Thriving in Asia is not an easy task, so I was thrilled to discover so many who have met the challenges and even surpassed them.

AsianTalks: How and in what ways do you think Asian Talks has grown and progressed?

I think the column has certainly evolved. We’ve gone from asking very basic, 101-type questions to handling more advanced, industry-specific questions that can really help readers figure out, ‘Well, is that something I would like to do, if given the opportunity.’ I’m discovering there’s many ways to find a career or a calling in Asia. Nothing’s written in stone, and our interviewees prove there is no wrong or right way to go about it.

AsianTalks: Where do you see Asian Talks going in the future or in the next year?

This is a long shot, but I would really like to see a community emerge from the AsianTalks column. As diverse and geographically scattered as Asia-based professionals are – we do all have something intrinsically in common. We all live with a sense of adventure, acceptance of differences, and love the congenial culture who have accepted us. We all know we are lucky to build a business in Beijing, or witness changes in Burma. It’s such a dynamic region, I think it’s only logical we feel a sense of solidarity as we witness these changes, together.

AsianTalks: What do you like best about interviewing? What would you say is your favorite part of interviewing people?

I love comparing notes with our interviewees. Many of their experiences living and working in Asia do resonate with some of my past lives!

AsianTalks: What do you think is you favorite interview thus far?

Now that’s like asking a mother who is her favorite child. Everyone’s been great, I’ll leave it at that!

AsianTalks: What about Asian Talks are you most proud of?

I’m proud that I’ve been able to build this blog as a team, with Pricilla Niode and Don Shin of 1-Stop Translation. They are really great to work with, and of course, they run a fantastic company that specializes in Asian language translation.

AsianTalks: Alright at this time let’s open up the floor and ask the following. What is one thing that you would like to say to all of your readers?

I hope our readers have found the insights from the interviews useful, fun, and refer to it as they embark on their individual Asia adventure or career. Don’t forget you can always tell us what you’d like to see, or if you want to be featured as well, drop us a line. And thanks so much for keeping up with us! Look for more great stuff in the months ahead.

For more information please visit www.asiantalks.com 

Korean Pop Music Takes the World by Storm: How it Appeals to Fans

In our second interview on the rise of Korean pop music, or K-Pop, we turn to a dynamic duo – Wendi Wheeler and Kris E. – two bloggers who have taken their passion for Korean music and entertainment to the online world. Are they consumers, entertainment journalists, or prosumers who straddle both worlds? What’s their take on the latest K-Pop craze? Find out in our exclusive interview!

AsianTalks: What ignited your interest in K-Pop?

Wendi: It all started with Rain. I was amazed by his talent and also by who he was as a person and his struggles and rise to fame. So yes, I’m a big Rain fan. Through him, I learned about MBLAQ, a boy group he was training. And it was just a natural progression into the world of K-pop from there.

Kris: For me it started with the hit Korean drama ‘Boys over Flowers.’ I took an interest in Kim Hyun Joong who I later found out was the leader of SS501, a K-Pop group. He gave rise to my interest in Korean pop music.

AsianTalks: You’re both working on an exciting site for K-Pop fans right now. Tell us a bit about kPOPfix.com.

Wendi: kPOPfix is a collaboration between Kristina and I. We both love K-pop and we know how diehard K-pop fans can be. So Kristina came up with this idea to take a citizen journalism approach to K-pop. We’ve learned from our own experience that K-Pop fans have a lot to say and contribute, and there wasn’t really an outlet for them. So we thought a site where K-Drama and K-Pop fans could put their thoughts directly out there would be a cool thing. That’s kPOPfix!

AsianTalks: What does K-Pop offer that other music genres do not?

Kris: It offers fun, fashion, and excitement. It’s the only genre of music that I know that really teases the fans before the release of a new music video. Also it offers an inside look into the idols’ lives. It creates a more intimate level of entertainment. Not to mention, it provides hot guys and girls!

Wendi: I have never seen so much time and money invested into visual appeal as I have with K-Pop entertainment companies. Everything is cute and adorable. Aegyo is a very important skill K-Pop idols must have to woo their fans. Everyone is beautiful–the guys are so gorgeous, the girls are so pretty. In addition, I believe that K-pop is an interpretation of Western pop, hip-hop and R&B music, but with a very special Korean flare.

AsianTalks: What’s your take on the Gangnam Style phenomenon?

Wendi: I’m really happy for PSY, and as someone who’s been following K-pop for over three years, it’s a good feeling to see K-pop finally receive mainstream recognition in the US. I wish PSY and any other K-Pop crossover artists the best. I would love to see other artists like Rain, Big Bang or 2NE1 succeed as much as PSY has as well.

Kris: I think it’s really cool and kind of crazy how he’s gotten so many views on YouTube. He’s blown up overnight. I’m really happy he’s putting the Korean entertainment industry on the map. However, ‘Gangnam Style‘ is not everything, and is not the complete definition of K-Pop. There’s a lot more to it than the “horse dance.”

AsianTalks: For K-Pop fans who don’t speak or understand Korean, what do you think is the appeal of the music?

Kris: I think it’s a combination of cool fashion, bright colors, young, fresh faces. Whether you understand what they’re saying or not, it’s the beat of the music. It can be played in any club in the world.

Wendi: I find that the style often used in K-Pop music is reminiscent of the music I listened to growing up. It’s sort of retro and has a different feel to what’s on the radio now in the West. K-pop speaks to your heart, not your head.

For More K-Pop articles visit Asian Talks

By: Elizabeth Shim

Korean Pop Music: Why has it Become so Enormously Popular?

Korean pop music, better known as K-Pop, has become enormously popular in Asia in recent years, but other parts of the world by and large remained immune to its catchy rhythms and melodies. North America in particular has always been a target market for major music producers in South Korea, but success has been hard to come by. In this interview with Flowsion Shekar, founder of Koreaboo.com based in Los Angeles, we talk about how K-Pop is now turning the tides and steadily becoming viral. We also discuss whether the much touted ‘Gangnam Style’ music video by PSY, now counting over 300 million YouTube views, will bring Korean pop music to the American music mainstream.

AsianTalks: How did Koreaboo get its start?
When I was thirteen or fourteen, I started listening to K-pop singer BoA because I grew up in Vancouver, and J-Pop was popular back then. A friend of mine originally introduced me to BoA, and a couple of years later I started expanding and began listening to more popular groups. But I couldn’t find any resources on the Internet for K-Pop music, which was fast, reliable. That’s why I started Koreaboo, which was launched in 2010.

AsianTalks: Given the sudden surge of interest in Korean pop music, you must have experienced some strong growth on your site.

Yes. When we first started we had a launch event in Los Angeles. As K-pop expanded internationally our traffic grew with it.

AsianTalks: K-Pop popularity is pretty established in Southeast Asia, China, and Japan. In your opinion what does K-Pop offer that its predecessors did not?

I think K-Pop is super-catchy and the production quality is super-high. That’s really important. The music videos are high budget, nicely done, polished, and it’s just super-catchy pop music!

The thing K-Pop does differently is that K-Pop has its own trends, its own style. But even beyond that there’s different styles within the genre. And it’s not done in a 90s style of music. They actually keep up with trends and what’s new.

AsianTalks: What’s a general age range for K-Pop fans?

They’re very young! I think our demographic is 14-26. We’re holding an event called KCON, and I see postings by 11-year-olds! But there’s older fans in their early to mid-twenties.

AsianTalks: Your blog is a great resource. How do you keep it updated?

Most of the writing is done by editors and staff managers. In terms of hits, controversy always gets a lot of views. We try not to report on controversy too much unless it’s fully researched. We make sure it’s 100 percent accurate before pushing out the information. Regardless, if it’s an SM artist, we get tons of visits. When we first released news of SHINee’s comeback we got an enormous amount of traffic. It’s still one of our most read articles.

AsianTalks: How would you differentiate your blog from similar K-Pop websites?

We differentiate ourselves by working heavily with the community. We work with all the communities. We put together two of the first K-Pop conventions with our SM town event. The KCON event is our first North American convention. So we’re not just online, we do a lot of community efforts as well.

AsianTalks: Let’s talk about the unprecedented popularity of Gangnam Style. The singer, PSY, has made more stateside television appearances than any other Korean artist to-date. What’s your take on the Gangnam Style phenomenon?

When I first saw it I thought it was kind of cool, but it wasn’t really my style of music or what I like. In the US it got started because it was a funny video. That’s how it spread – like most viral videos. In terms of trends I don’t think it’s possible to sustain Gangnam Style’s popularity. I don’t think most people who like Gangnam Style will listen to other K-Pop.

AsianTalks: For K-Pop fans who don’t speak or understand Korean, what do you think is the appeal of the music?

I like certain kinds of K-Pop because it’s pleasant to listen to. I listen to mostly ballads and hip-hop. We don’t need to understand exactly what they’re saying, but through music videos you can tell what’s going on. If it’s catchy it doesn’t matter what language it’s in.

AsianTalks: Lastly, what kind of translation do you do for the blog?

We get entertainment news directly from Korea. We check with our partner website to see whether our translations differ. We often conduct peer reviews as well. So senior writers will check up on other writers before we publish. And we try to minimize error as much as possible.

For more information and other K-Pop articles visit www.Asiantalks.com 

By: Elizabeth Shim 

Tenth Biennial Conference of the AMTA 2012

1-Stop Translation is pleased to announce our upcoming participation in the Tenth Biennial Conference of the Association for Machine Translation the Americas.  This event will be held in San Diego California, Sunday, October 28 through Thursday, November 1, 2012; which will follow the 53rd Annual Conference of the American Translators Association (ATA).

The conference is designed to “deepen MT researchers' and developers' understanding of the needs of the commercial translation industry and human translators, while also fostering translators' understanding of modern MT technology and the role of advanced translation automation in enterprise globalization and commercial translation processes.” (AMTA, 2012)

This Year CEO and Founder Don Shin will represent the company. Although we can all recall the 2010 conference, our company anticipates a week full of enlightening and informative activities. Some highlights of this event will include; tutorials, workshops, Showcase exhibitions, and a variety of prominent keynote speakers. We look forward to seeing you there! For more information Click Here.

How to Have a Successful Business in Asia: Network and Communication

We wrap up our career networking series with a podcast on how to get it right. In conversation is Kevin Kane, Director at Lux Research Korea, and Candice Lever, a PR professional at AustCham Beijing. We explore the challenges of cross-cultural communication when doing business, explore ways to better enjoy networking events in cities like Seoul and Beijing, and the kind of skills needed to make your career a success in Asia.

(Editor’s Note: The audio component of this podcast is provided via a link at the end of this transcript.)

AsianTalks: When it comes to career networking in Asia, or paving a niche for yourself, how do you balance going at it alone, versus joining a group? Is striking the right balance more challenging than it sounds?
Kevin: I think it depends on your personality. But for anyone who moves to Asia, I’m going to assume they have the type of personality that was somewhat independent to begin with. The comfort level of being independent and moving from group to group depends on their personality. For me I prefer that.

But there are a lot of overlaps, in my case I have Korean friends who have never left Korea but are perfectly comfortable networking with foreigners.

Candice: I would echo what Kevin has said, that it’s really dependent upon your personality. Because you get all types of people who move to Asia for all kinds of reasons. I would definitely say it is a balancing act. You’re sort of striving for independence, and really blazing a path, but at the same time networks are incredibly important here.

I would say it’s a healthy dose of making your own connections but also not being afraid of using sources around to help you. Networking isn’t the same here as back home. It’s very much of the culture here to use your connections, to be part of a group that can help you succeed, whereas you might not be able to independently.

AsianTalks: Are there more career opportunities in Asia than elsewhere?

Candice: I’d say there are a lot of variables involved. In Melbourne, where I grew up, my brother struggled for a few months after university, and that’s just on the east coast that’s Melbourne. But if you go to the west coast of Australia the mining boom is beckoning people to come over, to get into that industry.

As for coming to Beijing, in my case, there is this kind of idea, a burning optimism that China is on the rise, and there really are so many opportunities. You can see there’s more Chinese graduates from top-tier universities to study abroad, they’re actually coming back to China more than before, because China is on the rise with jobs and opportunities.

As a foreigner, I was not brought over by a company for a specific project. I came over to try to find work. Because my Chinese was basically non-existent I actually struggled a bit to find a job. But I don’t think you can ever be poor in China. There is always an English class to teach somewhere. There are always opportunities to make money.

Kevin: In Korea there are more career opportunities for a certain kind of personality. At the same time it could be a complete disaster, and absolutely more difficult for another type of personality.

The type of personality to succeed is calm, patient, reserved, yet ambitious, and a very good listener. It’s how I would describe my friends who have succeeded here. And if I didn’t adopt those tendencies, I would have had to return a long time ago.

AsianTalks: Let’s say I go to a networking event where I don’t know anyone. What is your advice for breaking into a conversation in an unfamiliar situation? Any stories you’d like to share?

Kevin: I’m very social, and there’s no shortage of other expats you will meet here. I don’t think it’s really an issue. You’ll find a way around.

If you are here alone I would start with the Internet. Look up chambers of commerce, look up LinkedIn groups.

Someone reached out to me last night, asking me about my experience here at school, and I checked whether we had mutual friends. I think they were just beginning that journey of looking for organizations.

But really they could accomplish a whole lot just by googling ‘Korea’ and ‘social networking.’ Soon someone will direct you in the right path.

Candice: I work at the Australia Chamber of Commerce, and we run a monthly networking event. We also partake in all-chamber networking events where all 15 chambers get together.

So I’ve had a chance to observe what goes on there, and be part of myself a year and a half ago, when I first arrived.

When it comes to new networking events, I would say not to take them too seriously. Yes, it’s a networking event. You’re there to make business connections but at the end of the day everybody’s there for the same reason: to meet new people, socially, professionally. And if you take the pressure out of the social situation, and just go up to chat with someone, just remember you are all in the same boat. It really takes away the tension.

By: Elizabeth Shim

                                                                    For Other Interesting  Interviews Click HERE

Thank Gosh it's almost Friday

This is a treat for all my Hardworking People around the World! Enjoy! http://ow.ly/i/X6Za

Korean Television And The Expat (Part 4 of 4)

We round out this week’s series of posts on Korea-based food blogger Joe McPhersonwith some insights about his experience with the South Korean media and learn why he’s so glad he is publishing a book on Korean food globalization, forthcoming later this year.

AsianTalks: So you have a soon-to-be published book, bound to raise the level of awareness of what you’re doing, at least among South Korean readers.

I hope so. But one of my chef friends who read a chapter says that likely I’m going to end up in the trunk of a car.

AsianTalks: Goodness. Why?

My book is about how to globalize Korean food, but it’s from a foreigner’s perspective. A lot of it is me pointing out the emperor has no clothes. My book is basically the cold water to get the government to wake up. The publisher asked me to take the book in that direction.

What’s funny is this (request) came from the government, haphazardly, and in a circuitous route. A couple years ago they asked me to do a monthly column on the globalization of Korean food. And I keep saying what people are thinking, but are too afraid to say. So the publisher from my column approached me about doing the book. They got two other people, Dan Gray and Jennifer Flinn to flesh it out even further. I asked them how they wanted me to do the book, and they said, “We want you to do what you do in your column.” And it was great, because when I finished that manuscript, I didn’t write for weeks after that because I ran out of everything to say!

AsianTalks: You’re on the cusp of mainstream recognition in South Korea. What kind of other feedback have you received from your South Korean audience?

For people who actually read my work, I accept they have an agenda. If my writings don’t match their agenda, they don’t like me.

But as far as the general Korean public goes, especially with the media, I’m still kind of the monkey, the exotic animal in the zoo. I mean every time they want to do a TV thing with me, it’s the same thing. “Ooh look, a foreigner can eat Korean food. That’s so strange.”

In fact one episode got cut out for the last piece I did. I did a thing for one of the major networks this month, where they had me eating at a restaurant, which they always do. And they had me act out this one part, where they got two people who were working at the restaurant, dressed them up in coats to make them look like customers, and they sat at a table and they had them pointing at me, saying, “Look! That foreigner is eating Korean food.”

I turn down a lot of media requests these days. I investigate them thoroughly and if it’s another one of “Dance for us, monkey” types of shows, I’m not interested.

AsianTalks: Well, most of your readers who closely follow your blog have probably seen at least one of your TV appearances. But few of us had little idea of the behind story of those appearances.

The way Korean media works, they’re not really interested in what you have to say. I’m not contacted by producers. I get contacted by scriptwriters, and they want to see if I can fit in with their narrative and their script. And my job is not to be interviewed, but to say what they want me to say, and act how they want me to act in their script. Go along with stereotypes of how foreigners are. And it doesn’t really help me.

I’ve noticed that I don’t get more traffic to the blog. I get a few opportunities, but the few times I’ve gotten positive stuff from being in Korean media has been the few times when they’ve let me be myself on camera. And from that positive things have happened.

AsianTalks: Who would you say are your readers?

My audience is foreigners. Mostly Americans, mostly female, it turns out. It’s funny that women pay attention to me, foreign women — mostly Asian — and I’m like well, it would have been nice if you had paid attention to me, you know, before I was married!

AsianTalks: You’ve launched an online translation campaign for Korean menu items. What was the impetus for this move?

It’s just a pet peeve when Korean menus show a very confusing translation, or a totally off translation. Before I even came to Korea one of my favorite websites was Engrish.com. Loved it. I actually had one of my photos featured on Engrish.com when I first came to Korea. But when it came down to the food, and food is something I’m so passionate about, it went from being funny to seriously annoying.

What gets me sometimes is the arrogant attitude of restaurateurs or people promoting Korean food and they don’t care about it. Why would you bother translating it into another language if it’s going to be so wrong?

Take example something like ‘Kongbiji Jjigae‘ which is a wonderful stew made with basically tofu ricotta. They call it bean refuse stew.

AsianTalks: That doesn’t sound very appetizing.

Or simple spellings. When you call crab soup, ‘Crap Soup,’ or you name an edible plant by its scientific name. Take ‘Deodeok.’ Well there’s no English name for Deodeok, so just call it Deodeok. Instead they call it Codonopsis Lanceolata.

A lot of the times it’s very misleading. I’m trying to think of a good example especially when it comes to meats, they describe the meat as a wrong cut. It’s hilarious English, and what’s sad is they put it in large letters in front of the restaurant. And here I am, trying to make this food look great, and they make it look like clown shoes.

The trouble is in Korea there’s not much awareness that it is a problem. We’re not at a level where people care about it yet. There have been a couple of new stories about it, but people right now are too obsessed with how to spell something, obsessed with making things standardized.

But I also understand you might just have to be a native speaker or immersed in the culture long enough to understand what the nuances are. Because it’s not just one thing to translate something word for word, you have to translate it to make it sound appetizing to someone from that culture. And that’s what I thought our strength was, in menu translation, because I write about food all the time, I know how to make food sound appetizing, that came from trial and error.

I really want to make menus to sound great, I want people to eat things they normally don’t try.

But there are just some things that won’t translate well no matter how hard you try.

By: Elizabeth Shim

Kimchi Then And Now (Part 3 of 4)

Earlier this week we began exploring the culinary path traveled by prominent Korean food blogger Joe McPherson. As an expatriate in one of northeast Asia’s lesser visited countries, McPherson has harnessed a niche in both the blogging and food worlds that is clearly his own, and in some ways, his calling.

When McPherson first arrived in South Korea, there were no Korean taco trucks roaming the streets of New York or Los Angeles. It was common to connect Korean cuisine with taboo subjects like dog meat or the undesirably pungent smells of kimchi, Korea’s most famous dish. Now, with Korean fried chicken and bibimbap a common lunchtime choice for office workers in Manhattan, it is almost hard to believe Korean food was sometimes associated with objects of anathema. How did public opinion change, and what does McPherson think of this vast change of mass opinion? Find out in our third installment where McPherson tells us of the amazing transformation of Korean cuisine.

AsianTalks: Many food bloggers in the United States have heard about your blog. In the past eight years as you blogged from Korea, what do you think has changed American perceptions of Korean food? And what’s your role been in that process?

I didn’t really see how much influence I had until I went to New York two years ago. Because in Korea people really don’t know me. And it’s funny, because I’ve been on TV and on radio in Korea quite a bit. But when I got to New York, people were asking for my autograph, and wanting their pictures taken with me. That was weird! I wish my wife could have seen that because seriously she has no idea about the blog. She just thinks it’s still a hobby.

I’ve co-written a book that’s coming out in Korean, in June, and it’s about Korean food globalization. So they’re in the middle of translating my writings right now. And they gave me an early release of it, and I printed it out, gave it to my wife, and she’s now in the middle of reading it. And — she’s never read my writings before, and she’s like, “Wow. You’re aggressive.”

I would say the change in American perception of Korean food is, they don’t talk as much about the dog meat as they used to. It’s gradually becoming politically incorrect to associate Koreans with eating dog, almost to the point people who do dog-eating jokes when talking about Koreans are starting to be viewed as of racist. So that’s one change.

The perception of kimchi has changed. Starting in the 1950s, there’s a US military term, “to be deep in kimchi,” of course means to be in deep sh-t.

Kimchi had a reputation of being foul, smelly and rotten, something that’s just impossible to wrap your mind around. There’s even an episode of Good Eats with Alton Brown a few years ago, where he was pretending to have a chili cook-off with some lady, and he sabotaged her chili by putting kimchi in it. Because he was trying to get the most foul thing to sabotage someone with, and it was kimchi.

Now kimchi is starting to get the respect it deserves. People are starting to realize kimchi like a lot of fermented foods is very similar in complexity to wine and cheese. People are starting to savor it a lot more, and learning how to eat it. I myself when I first tried kimchi in America, I didn’t know how to eat it, I just grabbed it straight out of the jar, and going, “Why do people eat this?” (I later learned) you eat it with rice, and it’s great with eggs. People are finding applications for it.

But it seems like there’s been a succession of what is the trendy cuisine, and Korea was pretty — you know we did Japan, we did China, we did Southeast Asia, what about the one country in between?

AsianTalks: The elephant in the room.
The flyover! It’s like Korea’s Kansas. Travelers do that too. They fly to Japan, then they fly over Korea to China.

Up next: Joe talks frankly about his new book, the South Korean media and why menus in Korea need to be translated properly!

Elizabeth Shim

Blog Meets Food In South Korea (Part 2 of 4)

Recently in major cities like New York and Los Angeles Asian food like Korean cuisine has been acquiring something of a makeover.

And perhaps it’s a sign of the times. Inexpensive eats like those found in food trucks like Roy Choi’s Kogi Truck or Japanese pop-up shops like Yuji’s Ramen are taking more traditional Asian foods like kimchi or Japanese ramen for a whole new spin, while helping diners save a little money in what’s arguably a tougher, economic climate. This is of course happening against the backdrop of an ever-changing American palate that is becoming increasingly acquainted with Asian flavors that are pungent, spicy, and fun.

In what is Part 2 of AsianTalks’ interview with Joe McPherson of ZenKimchi, we travel back to the moment when Korean food and McPherson’s career decidedly converged, learn of its unique appeal to this Korea-based expat, and why the Internet is changing the expatriate population in places like Seoul. And — needless to say — we can start to understand how personalities like McPherson are ultimately influencing the ever-changing tastes and preferences of Americans.

AsianTalks: Joe, when you began blogging you were doing it more or less for fun. Then suddenly almost overnight you were one of South Korea’s major English-language bloggers, making major appearances on television.

It literally did happen overnight. In early 2007 the New York Times called me, for an article they were doing on the sudden explosion of Korean fried chicken popularity in Manhattan. (They called me) because basically I was the only game in town when it came to Korean food blogs in 2007. Also it just so happened that I have a background with fried chicken. My dad used to run a Popeye’s when I was a kid, and I come from the South, so I guess that credential was well, I guess I know fried chicken. So the article started to become more about — maybe a third of it is about me and my blog. And it got me noticed. And since then, more stuff’s been happening. But that was the biggest jump I ever had.

AsianTalks: And as a Southerner, what is the allure of Korean food for you? Are you really into the barbecue?

That’s a good guess, but everyone’s big on barbecue. I’m not big on royal court cuisine, but too many of the officials are obsessed with promoting this stuff that Koreans don’t really eat. It’s too expensive, too frilly and fussy.

Korean food has the same qualities that attract Francophiles to provincial cuisine. It’s a very rural, rustic cuisine. I learned this after a couple of years in Korea and I finally went out to countryside, mountainside restaurants. And this food really spoke to me. Because in Westerners’ imaginations about Asian cuisine, there’s the really urban Japanese style, there’s the exotic Southeast Asian, but there’s really not much for that just down home country food. And Korea kind of fills that void.

I find that the best food I’ve ever had in Korea seems to be that way. Last year the best meal I had was at a thatched roof guesthouse over in the traditional folk village near Andong. It was the only place serving food in the village. There was no sound, there was barely any electricity there, and it was one of the best meals I’ve ever had.

AsianTalks: What do you like most about living in Korea?

I would say the difference between my life in America and living in Korea is I feel like I’ve been dumped into a bathtub filled with ice water. (Korea is) extremely energetic, things change really quickly here. I feel like I’m in an important place at an important time in history and I want to watch that history happen. You’re watching a country really grow and change. And history books will talk about this when this is finished and I just want to be here to witness it.

AsianTalks: Your food career has grown right alongside the Internet. How much has social media and technology buoyed your work?

I can’t imagine living in Korea without the Internet. I pretty much live out in the boonies, as far as foreigners go. I live inAnyang, which is over Gwanak mountain in southern Seoul. But I would not have connected with as many people at all. I would not have gotten as much as information as I needed, I think it would have been very easy to go down the negative path, and really hate my life here if I didn’t have technology for connection and information.

And I noticed that in the attitude of foreigners who come to Korea now. It seems that the more connected we are through technology, the more positive people come here. I hear stories of people who came here in the 90s, and they’re hilarious, it’s like the Wild West.

Now we’re getting really talented people coming here. I’m sure you know these people, like the couple that doesEatYourKimchi. I mean, you get some really good talent these days. And I think without the technology, people wouldn’t have discovered Korea as well. I think people wouldn’t enjoy their lives as well. And people are learning to enjoy their lives much better here.

Up next: You’ve come a long way, kimchi! Find out why Korea’s most famous dish needs its own unauthorized biography, and why it’s finally getting the respect it deserves.

By: Elizabeth Shim

Joe McPherson, Food Blogger (Part 1 of 4)

What do Americans in their twenties and thirties want when they move to Asia? Is it adventure? A chance to see the world? A fresh start?

For Alabama native Joe McPherson, founder of the influential Korean food blogZenKimchi, it was a combination of all of the above that sent him relocating to Korea as an English teacher eight years ago. The decision was life-changing, as McPherson is now a publicly recognized Korean food advocate. He hails from a growing community of food lovers of which he is one of the earliest founders.

McPherson has passionately blogged about Korean food since he stepped off that plane bound for Korea. His web presence has garnered increasing attention, and he has been featured in the New York Timesand the Wall Street Journal, and consulted for major television shows. In turn, McPherson has been featured frequently onSouth Korean television, keeps himself busy with various food-related events around Korea, and is due to create even a bigger splash with his forthcoming book on food globalization. Here is an account of his adventure in Korea, a country increasingly on the radar of would-be expats.

(Editor’s Note: This interview will be divided into four exciting installments over the course of the week. Please check back for the next segment, or follow us on Twitter, @AsianTalks for updates!)

AsianTalks: Joe, let’s start from Day 1. What was the genesis of your Korean sojourn, and how did you make the transition from teaching English to becoming one of South Korea’s leading food advocates?

It was a very scary leap. I had wanted to do that for a long time, but I didn’t have the right visa to do anything but teach English. And then when I got married (to my South Korean spouse) I could do other things, but I still had obligations to my school, and my school owned my house. So I had to save up enough money to buy my house from my school. And then I was able to do this full time, which was kind of scary, because I was exploring territory that not many people had explored. There’s a famous joke: what do you call a foreign nuclear scientist in Korea? The answer is English teacher, because there’s no other job for a Westerner other than English teacher in Korea. It’s really hard to find a job other than that.

And I see so many people who are so smart and so talented in so many other fields, but they want to see Asia, and this is the only thing they can do, teach English in Korea.

AsianTalks: That’s interesting. And do you think that system should change in South Korea?

It’s gradually changing. There’s talk of moving to a more Japanese visa-style, where you can own your own visa. Right now if you are an English teacher your school owns your visa so if you have a bad employer and you need to change jobs, you have to leave the country, and deal with a lot of issues, sometimes have to wait until the end of your yearlong contract. So recently immigration instituted a new program where you can build points and get an F visa. I call it ‘F’ for freedom! With F visas you can have any job you want, in any field, just like any Korean citizen can. So immigration has gradually been instituting a point system for people to get F visas.

They still create pretty big barriers for people, like those who seek a business owner visa. You originally had to have 50,000 dollars in capital, now you have to have 100,000 dollars in capital.

AsianTalks: When you decided to move to Korea, did you know what to expect?

Sort of. Unlike a lot of foreigners here, I actually was attracted to Korea beforehand. I fell into studying and loving Korean history in college. And I became a Koreaphile after that. I became really obsessed with anything Korean. So when the opportunity popped up, meaning the dot-com bust, I jumped on it.

AsianTalks: Was your blog originally a food blog, or did it evolve into a food blog?

Like most blogs, it started off as a diary, and I noticed that it was concentrating a lot on food. And around that time food blogs were starting to get noticed, and I started reading food blogs, and I thought, wow, I didn’t know I could write about something other than my life. I could just write about food. And that made it much easier.

The thing was there really were no active Korean food blogs at the time and I wanted something to read. So I created the blog to have something to read.

Up next: Find out how Joe got his big break while food blogging, South Korea’s changing expat population, and why he’s smitten with Korean cuisine!