This week, Jun and Daniel catch up on a whirlwind of events, starting with a frightening story about a fire at Jun's parents' house in Daegu that led to an unexpected fridge-clearing catharsis. Daniel shares observations from his recent trips to a Korean dentist, as well as a recent conversation with his kindergarten that perfectly illustrates the indirectness of the Korean language discussed last week. The hosts also debate the cultural mechanics of eating rice: why do some Korean poke places not give out chopsticks by default, and what is the primary utensil used to eat rice in Korea?

If you're interested in the recent online turf war between Korean netizens (“Knetz”) and Southeast Asian K-pop fans (“SEAblings”) over concert etiquette, why Korean national pride during the Winter Olympics seems to be waning, or why Bad Bunny’s culturally charged Super Bowl Halftime show might have ruffled some feathers, this episode is for you. We also discuss Korea's first single malt whiskey (Ki One), debate whether vinyl records are genuinely making a comeback or just a leftover "mid-century modern" prop, and reflect on a touching listener email regarding racial blindness and microaggressions.

As a reminder, we publish our episodes bi-weekly from Seoul, South Korea. We hope you enjoy listening to our conversation, and we're so excited to have you following us on this journey!

We hope you enjoy listening to our conversation, and we're so excited to have you following us on this journey!

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Episode 117: A House Fire, The 5-Minute Dentist, Salad Utensils, and Matters of National Pride