Café Seoul Signoff
Rob and Eugene started season 6 of Café Seoul discussing time travel films, but decided to rebrand as the Time Travel Forensics podcast. So Café Seoul needed a proper sendoff.
Jun 28, 2021•4 min
Cafe Seoul: Expat Life in Korea
From 2013 to 2017, Café Seoul was a Korea-based expat-lifestyle podcast. Co-hosted by a duo of expats from North America, each episode dealt with a particular hot-button theme or issue. Café Seoul at that time discussed recent news, answered listener questions, and interviewed interesting people all for the sake of intelligent discussion with a dash of humor.
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Episodes
Cafe Seoul 2019 04 12 514 The end? (Or is it?)
Review of Game of Thrones - Most satisfying deaths, predictions, retrospective of the series so far, etc etc. It wouldn't be Café Seoul without nerding it up. The Best Goodbyes - Rob finds goodbyes from books, movies, songs and other forms of pop culture. Eugene has to guess where they come from. On the Pulse: Exit Interview - Rob and Eugene reflect on the past 10 years in Korea. Rob asks Eugene to make top three lists on various expat in Korea related topics while introducing some of his own. R...
Apr 12, 2019•3 hr 18 min
Cafe Seoul 2017 09 07 513 Blackface Supplement - The Bigger Picture
This is a supplement to the blackface episode (season 5 episode 2), featuring Fatimaah-Joso Menefee, who penned us a critical email regarding our content in that episode. We invited her to have her via audio clips, and we responded.
May 05, 2018•50 min
Cafe Seoul 2017 08 25 512 Out in Korea
Wow, this episode is like 6 months late. Apologies to our guest Hyunsoo Kim, who was kind enough to visit with us in August of 2017 to discuss being "Out" in Korea. Out meaning... LGBTQ. News of the Weird: -Chinese Restaurant gives discounts based on bra size -Ariana Grande creates problem during first concert in Korea, showing favoritism towards Japan -NY Times calls bubble tea a new trend On the Pulse: Discussion with Hyunsoo Kim of what it is like to be LGBTQ in Korea, compared to other place...
Feb 13, 2018•1 hr 35 min
Cafe Seoul 2017 08 04 511 Cut for the Very First Time
After a long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long long period of being very very very very very busy, Eugene has actually finally found time to edit this episode. Rydia is back and our subject today is plastic surgery. But rather than criticize all the people in Korea getting it, we are discussing why Rydia made the decision to get it in the first place. During the...
Nov 11, 2017•1 hr 33 min
Café Seoul 2017 07 21 510 There's a HYPHEN!
Nerdy friends rejoice! This is the Spider-Man Homecoming Special episode! Teen Hero Popularity Contest - Similarly to what we did in the Wonder Woman episode, we talk about some of our favorite teen characters from movies and TV (and books), then make them face off against each other in a 1:1 battle royale to find out which one would hypothetically kick the ass of the others. Spider-Man Orientation - Discussion of the Spider-Man character, and how we came to know him, as well as some of our favo...
Sep 12, 2017•2 hr 29 min
Cafe Seoul 2017 07 13 509 Traditionally Speaking
Café Seoul is back! Korea's traditional culture is the topic of this episode, and we have one of the most knowledgable academics on hand to discuss the role that traditional culture, specifically performance art plays in modern Korean society. Special Guest: Dr. CedarBough T. Saeji, Korea Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow in Korean Studies News of the Weird: -'Creative Korea' slogan abolished -Active X to be removed from public websites -Scrapping HIV test for native English teachers 'unacceptable'...
Aug 05, 2017•1 hr 19 min
2017 07 07 508 No, It's not Painless
We're behind in the editing, but better late than never. This episode is about Korea's suicide crisis, so it is a little heavy. Special Guest: Shaun Webb of Shaun on Site News of the Weird -Korean scientists try to engineer the smell out of Kimchi -People named Park Geun Hye changing name at accelerated rates -Male cop dresses as woman to lure and catch criminals -Commentary from Korea Times suggests that a wave of anti-Koreanism in the US will begin soon On the Pulse: Korea has a suicide proble...
Aug 02, 2017•1 hr 34 min
Cafe Seoul 2017 06 22 507 Nostalgic for the Unfamiliar
Disclaimer: This is is absolutely the longest episode we have ever recorded... Ever. But you know what? It's a podcast and you can listen to it at your own pace and even skip around or skip past parts you find boring. Dr. Stephen Suh is is an Assistant Professor of Sociology and Women's and Ethnic Studies at the University of Colorado - Colorado Springs. He is currently doing a research project about Korean-American returnees, that is, Korean-Americans who have for one reason or another moved to...
Jul 08, 2017•2 hr 29 min
Cafe Seoul 2017 06 15 506 - Wonder Woman Spectacular
Well, we ended up nerding out again. How could we resist when the DC Cinematic Universe finally actually made a good film....? Emma Kalka and Dr. Michael Hurt also appeared in this episode to help us nerd it up a bit. So we do away with the traditional format. No news of the weird, no on the pulse... instead we have these special segments: Amazons of the Past - we discuss some of our favorite badass female characters from movies and TV, then hold a hypothetical single elimination tournament to f...
Jun 26, 2017•2 hr 23 min
Café Seoul 2017 05 25 505 What 'is' K-Pop?
After a very popular article published on the Ask a Korean blog, it appears that the definition of the term "K-Pop" is under dispute. So in the second half of this episode Rob and Eugene try to hash it out and come to a more solid definition, but still end up not totally agreeing on it. Oh well! News of the Weird -People love President Moon's Dokdo-themed necktie -Video of "no look pass" from politician goes viral -People who can find North Korea on a map prefer diplomacy On the Pulse: So here i...
Jun 17, 2017•1 hr 57 min
Cafe Seoul 2017 05 11 504 Moon River
The theme of this episode is the outcome of the recent Korean presidential election, and the title is an admittedly terrible pun. News of the Weird -7up publishes kimchi recipe -Softbank CEO says Korea was part of China -Anonymous warns against WW3 breaking out in North Korea On the Pulse - We discuss what we expect a Moon presidency to mean for Korea, what challenges he will face, and which promises he can keep.
May 29, 2017•1 hr 35 min
2017 04 27 503 Blackface Again?
News of the Weird -Apparently Westerners have shorter intestines than Koreans, says one domestic digestive powder producer -Korea to begin coinless society feasibility trials -Trump says Korea used to be a part of China, receives well deserved backlash. On the Pulse – In this episode you can hear two guys who aren't black discuss blackface in Korea. As we try to keep their privilege in check, we acknowledge it's a huge problem even today, and it keeps happening and it frankly makes us angry....
May 20, 2017•1 hr 19 min
Cafe Seoul 2017 04 13 502 - What, Me Worry?
North Korea Acting Up Again? News of the Weird: -Questionable Journalism skills alert: Lawmaker proposes plan to include migrant families in the definition of multicultural so that they can also get government support, meanwhile he expects special treatment from police regarding his breaking of traffic laws -Airbnb host bans host who refused Asian guest -Doctor dragged off United flight has questionable past On the Pulse Why does nobody in South Korea care when North Korea starts acting up? We h...
May 08, 2017•1 hr 24 min
Cafe Seoul 2017 04 06 501 News and Fisting
Oh my gosh! Rob and Eugene are back after such a long long long long long long break! Yes! Season 5 is now underway, and as of this writing (on April 29th) there are actually 2 more episodes in the pipeline to be edited. So fear not, there is lots of Café Seoul headed your way so you can get your fix. As we were planning the show, we decided that we'd do an entire episode of News of the Weird, and skip On the Pulse. because we'd been away so long. That WAS the plan, but in the first half of the ...
Apr 29, 2017•1 hr 38 min
Cafe Seoul 2016 11 24 425 Make America Never Say Never Again
We DID say that episode 24 was going to be our last of season 4, but with Donald Trump winning the presidential election in the US, we had no choice but to have an emergency final final episode. We thought he'd never win the presidency, but this election has taught us to never say never again. Wow, just wow America! WTF! News of the Weird -(Korea Times) Viagra found in Presidential Office -(Angry Asian Man) Nordstrom Rack Pulls Rape of Nanking Hoodie From Stores -(New York Times) Korean Adoptee ...
Nov 25, 2016•1 hr 14 min
Café Seoul 2016 11 03 424 - Storm the Gates
At last, we are at the finale of season 4 on Café Seoul. This show is all about gates, but not about the kind of gates you're thinking of. No, we're talking about scandals, especially two very recent ones that have severe political and economic ramifications for Korea. News of the Weird -Reviewing an opinion piece regarding batterygate, Samsung's exploding battery scandal. Ask Rob & Eugene -Gatey McGateface asks why there's no Bukdaemun, when there's a Namdaemun, Dongdaemun, and there used t...
Nov 17, 2016•1 hr 28 min
Cafe Seoul 2016 09 29 423 Studying in Korea
Café Seoul is back and in this episode we focus on coming to Korea to study with American millenial exchange students Sarah and Lizzie from the University of Maryland. News of the Weird -Seoul named happiest city in the world -North Korea revealed to have only 28 websites -Jeju citizens call for reversal of visa waiver for Chinese On the Pulse - Sarah Eppley and Lizzie Drake join Eugene and Rob as the foursome discuss their experiences of Korean universities. Keep in mind that the ladies are her...
Nov 15, 2016•1 hr 1 min
Cafe Seoul 2016 09 22 422 K-Redpill v K-Radfem
Guest: Hyunsu Kim (The only Goth in Korea) News of the Weird: -Man wins lottery, family protests to get their share -Air China in-flight magazine contains racist copy -Seoul to crowdsource editing bad English on signs Ask Rob & Eugene: Why do Koreans walk backwards for exercize? On the Pulse: Discussing online men's rights group Ilbe vs. its radical feminist counterpart Megalia.
Sep 30, 2016•1 hr 16 min
Cafe Seoul 2016 08 12 421 Reverse Reverse Culture Shock
This episode features Joe Mondello who used to live in Korea long-term, but went back to his home in the United States. We caught him on a visit back to Korea. News of the weird -Koreans no longer xenophobic. -American monk to leave South Korea, saying foreigners just “decoration” -North Face under fire for printing 'Sea of Japan' on jacket On the Pulse - Joe talks about his reactions to Korea as someone who once lived here but has returned on a visit, hence not culture shock, not reverse cultur...
Aug 31, 2016•1 hr 15 min
Cafe Seoul 2016 07 18 420 The Only Goth in Korea
If you were a teen in the 1990's in the west, there's a 1/3 chance that either you knew a goth or you were one. (Statistics not proven). Chances are, however, that in Korea in 2016, there's only one goth, and we have her on our show this week. News of the Weird -Translations for Korean food still leaving people confused -Government official calls fellow Koreans 'Dogs and Pigs' to public outrage -Pokémon GO! not released in Korea but strangely works in the Sokcho area Ask Rob & Eugene - Why d...
Aug 29, 2016•1 hr 14 min
Cafe Seoul 2016 07 07 419 Ask Ajumma
Maybe you've been looking around on Facebook and seen the ads for the company called "Ask Ajumma." What is Ask Ajumma, or better yet, WHO is Ask Ajumma. Café Seoul leaves no stone unturned in our quest to find out more about the who's who in Korea. (Okay, we actually just Asked Ajumma). Ask Ajumma is in fact an actual person, Maria Lee. News of the Weird w/ Eugene -Idiots protest Chinese dogmeat festival in Chinatown, NY -'Feminists' protest free coffee for soldiers at Starbucks -Korea Unveils N...
Aug 17, 2016•54 min
Cafe Seoul 2016 06 11 418 While you're gone
In this episode, Eugene's mom and stepfather joined us in the studio! News of the Weird -English Villages Close -Butter Flavored Milk to hit Korean Stores -Smartphone App Cures Smartphone Addiction? On the Pulse Eugene's Mom and Pop discuss what it's like to have a loved one gone long term in a foreign country.
Jul 19, 2016•1 hr 4 min
Cafe Seoul 2016-06-02 417 Dear Korea
Special Guest: Jen Lee, creator of the Dear Korea webcomic! News of the Weird Chinese detergent company makes "racist" TV ad Restaurants get sued, ban kids Japanese Snack Alert: Watermelon Chocolate Chip Salt Cookies Ask Rob & Eugene: What is the best way to be critical of Korea without being insulting? On the Pulse We discuss the Dear Korea webcomic and book with creator Jen Lee. The discussion goes from how she got started, to what her motivations are, why she wanted to make a book, how so...
Jun 27, 2016•1 hr 14 min
Cafe Seoul 2016-05-19 416 Full Circle
When you come to Korea to find yourself... is it possible that you weren't actually looking in the right way, for the right thing? This episode is the second appearance of Sharon Heit, who we last saw in episode 3 of this season. She's got her newly minted yoga instructor's license, to kill her students by putting them in difficult yoga positions. Just kidding, she wouldn't be killing them. Sharon was a pleasure to have in this episode and it's kind of sad that she's actually leaving Korea. News...
Jun 07, 2016•46 min
Cafe Seoul 2016 05 12 415 You're a Lifer!
Special Guest: Paul Matthews News of the Weird w/Eugene -Children’s Day trash piles up on Busan beach -Paris Baguette to begin franchising in USA -KFC introduces chicken flavored nailpolish Reverse Culture Shock it to Me w/ Olivia – Paying in cash to get discounts On the Pulse w/Rob Paul Ajossi discusses how some immigrants have been in Korea long enough to know that they will probably be here forever, and they’ve made peace with that.
May 26, 2016•1 hr 11 min
Cafe Seoul 2016 04 21 414 The Baby Box
Finally! The fabled, long awaited Baby Box episode! I'm sure you listeners out there have had enough of the discussions about which superhero films are good and which aren't, or who's a cool expat doing cool stuff, so this episode is a bit of a serious one. Perhaps you found your way here as you were linked from somewhere else to either defend or argue against the baby box. If so, welcome. This writeup will get to the baby box soon enough. News of the Weird Korean Girls Try American Pizza Korea ...
May 16, 2016•1 hr 14 min
Cafe Seoul 413 2016-04-14 Superbats
I guess I need to clarify that this IS a Korea related podcast, but a certain chemistry and passion comes out when Rob and Eugene are geeking out. So in this episode, we have a debate about the somewhat controversial film Batman vs. Superman. We also have a special guest nerd, longtime listener Jae Choi joins us to help shed some light on this film. This is one of the few times you will see Eugene and Rob disagree about something. Rob was very unhappy with this film, while Eugene thought it was ...
Apr 28, 2016•57 min
Cafe Seoul 2016 04 07 412 Nifty Fifty
This is the 50th episode of Café Seoul! We've come a really long way since the beginning. We are happy to welcome back Christine Shin, an original member of the podcast dating back to season 1! In this episode we reminisce about Season 1 and Season 2 onward, with special cameos from Mike Jones, Aaron Martinson, and Olivia Lim. We also introduce a new segment, Reverse Culture Shock with Olivia. Anyway, have a listen and we hope you enjoy this walk down memory lane....
Apr 17, 2016•1 hr 27 min
Cafe Seoul 411 2016-03-17 Let's Go
In this episode we discuss the end of humanity, as the Alpha-Go computer program defeated human champion Lee Sedol in a game of Baduk (Go). Pleased to have ranked chess player Kevin Em join us for this important discussion News of the Weird -Kim Jong-un would look totally hot if he just lost 20 kg. -Ramen noodles can make kids gay according to Indonesian politician -Chloe Moretz is "First American" on Korean SNL Ask Rob & Eugene -Is Gostop (고스톱) Japanese? On the Pulse -Discussing the impact ...
Mar 28, 2016•1 hr 1 min
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