Monster Island (actually a peninsula)*

Pearls of witticism from 'Bo the Blogger: Kushibo's Korea blog... Kushibo-e Kibun... Now with Less kimchi, more nunchi. Random thoughts and commentary (and indiscernibly opaque humor) about selected social, political, economic, and health-related issues of the day affecting "foreans," Koreans, Korea and East Asia, along with the US, especially Hawaii, Orange County and the rest of California, plus anything else that is deemed worthy of discussion. Forza Corea!

Friday, September 18, 2009

What's wrong with America (and what is becoming wrong with Korea)

Frankly, I've never gotten why people are so nuts for bacon. And I guess it's no surprise that I don't understand so many Koreans' and foreigners' obsession samgyŏpsal [삼겹살/三겹살; aka samgyeopsal]. Sure, it's something I don't mind eating maybe once a month or twice a year (which is more than I eat bacon), but a lot of people I know back in Seoul are doing it two or three times a week.

(HT to List of the Day)

3 comments:

John from DaejeonFriday, September 18, 2009 11:51:00 AM
If I believed in the gods, pork must be their ambrosia. There isn't an unappetizing part to this heaven sent beast—even their feet, skin, and heads (glorious tamales) are tasty. Homer Simpson has it right, but his downfall happens to be all those sprinkled dough nuts.

Damn, now I'm craving bacon and eggs. I guess that's what's for supper tonight.
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kushiboFriday, September 18, 2009 12:01:00 PM
Hmm... a lack of craving for bacon may be one reason why over-30 kushibo has the same build as college-age kushibo, which was itself was a low BMI.
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AnonymousSaturday, September 19, 2009 10:28:00 PM
Hahahaha! I loved that video...

I'm not a huge fan of bacon (nor pork of any kind), but like it now and then. I'll avoid 삼겹살 if possible - it's mostly fat and gristle. When I do eat it (when I've been invited to go to a restaurant by friends or co-workers, for instance) I'll stick mainly to the side dishes.

My choice for the best pork dish would be 갈비... or roast pork (Korean or Western).

P.S. The chestal appendages of the woman in that video cannot be natural - scary stuff.
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Ask Kushibo.

My Google/Blogspot data shows that a lot of the 2 million people who have landed on my site (yes, that's the real number) are looking for cultural information on Korea (e.g., “When did Syngman Rhee die?” “What did the Indians bring to the first Chusŏk?’ etc., etc.), as well as practical or historical stuff.

That got me thinking that, hey, I have a master’s degree in Korean studies and a minor in Japanese studies, I’ve lived in Seoul far longer than most foreans my age (whether they're kyopo or non-kyopo), I teach introductory courses on Korea and its cultural trappings and history, so why not offer a free service where I attempt to answer people’s questions, point them in the direction of where they can get them answered, and/or offer my regulars (that’s you!) a chance to take a stab at some of this stuff, too.

So if there’s something you’d like to know from a “contrarian scourge,” click on ASK KUSHIBO and just ask a succinct question in the comments section below.

Oh, and play nice. Please don’t make me regret this.

九十五大怪獣란? 쿠시보의 몬스터 아일랜드란?

Pearls of witticism from 'Bo the Blogger: Kushibo's Korea blog... Kushibo-e Kibun...
Now with Less kimchi, more nunchi. Random thoughts and commentary (and indiscernibly opaque humor) about selected social, political, economic, and health-related issues of the day affecting "foreans" ("foreigners" in Korea be they kyopo or non-kyopo), Koreans, Korea and East Asia, along with the US, especially Hawaii, Orange County, and the rest of California, plus anything else that is deemed worthy of discussion. Forza Corea!

* Monster Island (actually a peninsula)

The name of this blog comes from a line in "Lisa on Ice," a beloved episode of The Simpsons, perhaps my all-time favorite television show (even though for several seasons there, it really did suck). Lisa is imagining being sworn in as president, but at the last minute, it is discovered that she failed P.E. (physical education) and she is thus "sentenced to a lifetime of horror" on Monster Island. "Don't worry," the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court confides in her, "It's just a name."

Fast forward to Lisa and other prisoners running in panic through a tropical jungle, chased by Godzilla-like creatures, including a monster turtle and a monster firefly.

"He said it was just a name!" Lisa screams to the man next to her. While he, too, runs for his life, the unidentified man calmly says, "What he meant is that Monster Island is actually a peninsula."

Anyway, I thought in some ways that punchline summed up modern-day Korea in a nutshell. For many people—foreigners and Koreans—the ups and downs and everyday travails of the Republic of Korea make it as precarious as a Monster Island would be (and with the DMZ being the only land border, it really is like an island). But it actually is a peninsula. Okay, it made sense in my head.

So as you can see, despite the hits I get from people looking for Japanese tentacle porn, it has nothing to do with anything salacious as that.