Korean Summer Culture Camps

Instead of the usual sport camps, there are many Korean heritage/cultural camps that your child can enjoy this summer. Here's a list of them taken from the Korean Quarterly Publication:

Month of June
June 16-19
Korean Heritage Camp
(Grand Rapids, MI)
www.fficgr.org

June 18-21
Korean Heritage Camp
(Fraser, CO)
www.heritagecamps.org

June 22-26
Camp Moon-Hwa
(Rochester, MN)
www.campmoonhwa.com

June 22-26
Korean Culture Camp of Easter MI
(Flint/Flusing, MI)
www.koreanculturecamp.org

June 28-July 1
Camp MuJiGae
(Albany, NY)
campmujigae@hotmail.com
www.freewebs.com/wtatun

June 29-July 3
Camp Choson
(Hudson, WI)
www.campchoson.org

Month of July

July 6-10, 2009
KIDS Culture Camp (Korean Identity Development Society) in Bothell, WA
www.koreanidentity.org

July 13-16
Camp Chingu
(Keuka Park, NY)
info@campchingu.org
www.campchingu.org

July 13-17
Kamp Kimchee
(Brainerd/Baxter, MN)
www.kampkimchee.org

July 13-17
Camp Friendship
(Stirling, NJ)
www.campfriendshipnj.com

July 16-18
Destination Korea Camp
(Dallas, TX)
www.destinationkoreacamp.com

July 16-20
PACT Camp
(Loma Mar, CA)
*for adoptive families of color
www.pactadopt.org

July 19-23
Holt Heritage Camp
(Corbett, OR)
stevek@holtinternational.org
www.holtinternational.org

July 23-25
Korean Heritage Camp
(Tulsa, OK)
www.dillonadopt.com

July 25
Camp Kajok
(Indianapolis, IN)
wwwkoreanfocusindiana.com

July 26-30
Holt Heritage Camp
(Ashland, NE)
stevek@holtinternational.org
www.holtinternational.org

July 27-31
Hands Around the World
(Roselle, IL)
www.handsaroundtheworld.com

July 27-August 8, July 27- August 22
Korean Language Village
(Bemidji, MN)
www.Condordialandguagevillages.org

Month of August

August 2-6
Holt Heritage Camp
(Dobbins, CA)
steve@holtinternational.org
www.holtinternational.org

August 3-8
Korean Culture Camp
(St. Paul/Minneaspolis, MN)
www.kccmn.org

August 5-9
KAMP
(Cedar falls, IA)
www.iiakampretreat.com

August 9-13
Holt Heritage Camp
(Starlight, PA)
stevek@holtinternational.org
www.holtinternational.org

August 10-22
Korean Langauge Village
(Bemidji, MN)
1-800-222-4750
www.Concordialanguagevillages.org

August 9-15
Camp Sejong
(Blairstown, NJ)
www.campsejong.org

August 13--14
Adoption Day Camp
(Bloomington, MN)
Hhosfield@chsfs.org
www.childrenshomeadopt.org

August 16-22
Sae Jong Camp
(Central Michigan)
info@saejongcamp.com
www.saejongcamp.com

We also found that Korean Educational Center in Los Angeles has Korean Cultural Programs for youth during the school year, as well as leadership and lectures for Korean American youth in the summer. Here's there contact info to get their updated schedule:

Korean Education Center in Los Angeles (KECLA)
Tel: (213) 386-3112~3
Fax: (213) 386-3138
www.kecla.org

Safety Alert: Korean Baby Powder Recall

According to the Korean Consumer Agency , the Korean Drug and Food Administration found 12 baby powders containing the harmful substance, Asbestos. Here is the list of products that are currently banned from sale and are being re-called:

Company	Product	Location
Daebong LS	Allo and Lugh Baby Compact Powder	Inchon
Duksan Pure Chemicals	Duksan Talc (raw material)	Gyeonggi-do
Rakhee Pharm	Rakhee Baby Powder	Gyeonggi-do
Sung Kwang Pharm	Cutiemaman Baby Powder	Gyeonggi-do
UCL	Babyra Baby Compact Powder	Incheon
	Babyra Baby Powder
Boryung Medience	Boryung NUK Baby Powder	Gyeonggi-do
	Boryung NUK Baby Colored Compact Powder
	Boryung NUK Baby Compact Powder
	Boryung NUK Clinic Baby Powder
Korea Monica Pharm	Monica Baby Powder	North Chungcheong
Korea Kolmar	La Couvee Baby Powder	South Chungcheong

I'm not too familiar with the products, but I do know that Boryung NUK is a very popular baby product brand in Korea. In recent years, I have seen Boryung products readily available in most US Korean markets and stores.....not sure if their baby powder was sold in the US or not.

For more information, you can www.kca.go.kr/jsp/eng/news. Photo taken from ajnews.co.kr

Queen of Housewives

After Boys Before Flowers, I wanted to find a replacement drama and heard that Queen of Housewives was the new show in the same time slot in Korea. This show is more age appropriate than BBF and I really like Oh Ji Ho! It's pretty funny.

Here's a synopsis:

Chun Ji Ae and Yang Bong Soon are high school classmates who did not have the best relationship with each other. Ji Ae was the most popular girl in school whereas Bong Soon was the girl that was always made fun of. Years later, their roles are reversed as Bong Soon's husband, Kang Joon Hyuk, is very successful whereas Ji Ae's husband, Ohn Dal Soo, is just an average company worker. Things get complicated when Dal Soo starts an extra-marital affair with his boss's wife, Eun So Hyuk. How will Ji Ae react to this? (from mysoju.com)

Korean Preschools in the US

No Korean immersian, "dual language" program in your neighborhood? There's always Korean preschools. Many of them can be found in neighborhoods with high concentration of Koreans, whether it be a CA suburb like Fullerton or a highly populated city like Koreatown, Los Angeles. One of our friends sends their children to one and she said their children's Korean improved dramatically since most of their classmates spoke Korean as the primary language at home. Their lunch menu also consisted of the typical Korean menu for kids, like kook bap (soup and rice)! On the flip side, many of the children are well prepared for kindergarten since most also have a great academic program.

Still taking Entries for May's Baby of the Month Contest

If you would like to enter your child, please email the photo to: contest@littleseouls.com. Please include your child's name, age , and consent to use photo for contest. Remember you can re-enter as many times until you win!

Great alternative to Regular Public School

I know many little seouls moms and dads want to teach their children Korean. Can you imagine if there was a school that taught academics in both English and Korean? Well there is! It is called a two-way immersian program, that is a dual language education in which two languages are used for instruction. These programs try to enroll an equal amount of native speakers and non-native English speakers so its not a necessity that your child has any Korean speaking background.

According to the Center of Applied Linguistics, "Two-way immersion programs strive to promote bilingualism and biliteracy, grade-level academic achievement, and positive cross-cultural attitudes and behaviors in all students."

Here is a national list of Dual Language Programs with Korean as the second language:

Denker Avenue School
Gardena, CA
Language used: Korean
Basic model: Minority language dominant
Contact: Marsha Schwab Thomas
Phone: 310-327-9420

Peary Korean/English Dual Language Program
Gardena, CA
Language used: Korean
Basic model: Middle or High
Contact: Jiah Kim
Phone: 310-225-4200

Foreign Language Academy of Glendale (FLAG) - Korean
Glendale, CA
Language used: Korean
Basic model: Balanced
Contact: Naehi Wong
Phone: 818-244-2113

Cahuenga School "Korean/English Dual Language Program"
Los Angeles, CA
Language used: Korean
Basic model: Minority language dominant
Contact: Jee Sun Chung
Phone: 213-386-6303

PS 32 State Street
Flushing, NY
Language used: Korean
Basic model: Balanced
Contact: Betsey Malesardi
Phone: 718-463-3747

Claire Lilienthal Alternative School
KIP Program
415-750-8603
3950 Sacramento Street
San Francisco, CA


More information can also be obtained here.

Charitable Celebrity Family

Sean from Korean hip hop duo Jinusean and his actress wife Jung Hye Young always seem to be in the news for their philanthropic work. I especially admire their heart to minister to orphans and promote adoption. Recently on Sean's blog, he announced that he and his wife are expecting their third child, already named Ha Yul. Congrats! They are already making plans to donate some of their money on behalf of their unborn child to charity.

Sean has his own clothing line called Lil Sean. You can see his collection at www.lilsean.co.kr.
You can also see cute pictures of his family modeling his cool shirts. His clothing brand also includes matching family shirts as shown in the picture above. As we shared in our prior post, matching "couple" or "family" shirt is quite a trend in Korea. We thought we also throw in a photo of Sean's son looking quite the hipster in his white jacket and cool tennis shoes! Gotta love his hairdo too!

Photos taken from Lil Sean website.

Costco sells Kimchee!

Just the other day I was shopping at my local Costco's and what do I see in the food aisle? Rows and rows of kimchi! And it wasn't some weird unknown brand...it was Cosmos (a very well-known Korean company)! It was $6.99 (I think) and it was a half size jar (58 oz). Since I don't live in an area with a huge Korean population, I was pleasantly surprised! So I bought me a jar and I have to tell you, it was darn good!

Not sure if it's available at all Costco's but next time you go, see if they have it!

Fun site for girls!

http://www.dressupgirl.net/dressup/881/Wearing-Korean-Hanbok.html

Korean girl's fashion

This look is all the rage in Korea. The hankie in hair and frilly skirt.

I like the way they changed up their pig tails into a more hip style!

SpongeBob SquarePants in Korea

If you're wondering how did SpongeBob SquarePants win the title for the "Best TV Cartoon" on Nick Korea Kids' Choice Awards, check him out speaking Korean!
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Nick Korea Kids Choice Awards

Here are the results of this year's Nick 2nd Korea Kids Choice Awards:

Best "Want to Be" Star - Kim, Yu Na (Figure Skater)
Best Male Singer - Big Bang
Best Girl Singer - So Nyeo Shi Dae (aka "Girl's Generation")
Best TV Program - Boys Over Flowers
Best Movie - Kung Fu Panda
Best TV Cartoon - Spongebob Square Pants
Best Comedian - Yoo Jae Seok

The online poll took place 3/9/09 to 4/9/09 on http://www.nick.co.kr.
Source: datanews

Korean Music Festival 2009

I hear they have seats, although not the best ones, still available. The Korean Music Festival is held every year at the Hollywood Bowl. This year it is on Saturday, May 9. They have young pop bands and singers, as well as music for the more "mature audience" if you want to take your parents along. By the way, Korean boy band, SS501 is scheduled to perform and guess who's in that band? Kim, Hyung Joong, otherwise known as "Ji Hoo" from Boys over Flowers drama. Here's the link.

Happy Easter!

Children's Day in Korea

Will you be celebrating Children's Day next month? Children's Day, a national holiday in Korea, is celebrated on May 5. Children's Day is like Christmas over there, as children are given gifts and treated to a day of fun to places like amusement parks, zoos, museums, festivals and the like . The day was originally created by Children's author, Pang Jeong Hwan, as a way to honor children as he believed they are the future of the nation.

If you are planning to celebrate this holiday in the states, above are some picnic ideas for creating a cute dosirak for your child! These are creations we found on the web by creative Koreans!

Just for Fun

We can't seem to stop talking about Boys Over Flowers! So if you still haven't watched it, we highly recommend it. One of our cousins, who is also 2nd generation Korean American, told us that watching the drama has helped her learn more about Korean culture. And boy is she addicted to it!

Since we are talking about dosiraks, we felt we had to include the cute dosirak designs that lead character Jandi created for lead man, Joon Pyo. :)

What's inside Jandi's bento box? Rolled egg omelete, broccoli, pink and white fish cakes, sausages wrapped in sea weed and chopped red bell peppers.

Here's a cooking video by Maangchi making Joon Pyo's favorite, the rolled egg omelete, which is a favorite dosirak (lunch box) item.

Korean traditional folk dancing classes in the US

Here's an alternative to ballet for the little princess' in your life...Korean traditional dancing! There are classes throughout the US! Here are some locations I found:

Morning Star in Lynwood, WA (Picture from Morning Star)












Mu Gung Hwa Dance Academy in Minneapolis, MN

KOS Traditional Korean Dance Studio in Northridge, CA (818) 993-3333

Korean American Folk Dance Company in Philadelphia, PA (215) 927-4318

Song Hee Lee Dance Company in NY, NY

LA Korean Folk Dance Studio in Los Angeles, CA (323) 733-0500

Jung Im Lee Dance Academy in Los Angeles, CA
Picture from Jung Im Lee Dance Academy.















Chang Mi Korean Dance in St. Paul, MN.

Weon Korean Dance Institute in Palm Harbor, FL.

Northern California Music & Art Culture Center, San Francisco, CA

If you know of more, please email me at info@littleseouls.com so I can put them on our list.

Little Seouls Music Playlist

Here are some of our favorite songs from our favorite Korean dramas, Boys Before Flowers and Full House. Enjoy!

Disney's Pixar's New Movie "UP" Preview

I just thought this was the cutest preview ever! Plus the kid reminds me of a one my nephews. Finally an asian character (at least I think the kid's asian) in a Disney/Pixar movie! Can't wait to see the movie! Coming out May 29th!

Check out AugustEve!

By chance I stumbled upon this site on etsy. If you've never heard of etsy, it's a site where people sell their hand-made items. Great resource! Anyways, I found a local artist that does these amazing paintings of kids. I am currently working with him to create a custom painting of my son. Here are some of his work he's selling on etsy for just $12!















































All his prices include free shipping! Let him know that you found him thru Little Seouls!

Promotional Photography discount to our Little Seouls readers!

Youkeun Oh Photography is offering all our Little Seouls readers a promotion if you mention Little Seouls to them. They are located in Southern California. Here is some of their work. They also do wedding photography, kids portrait, family portrait in addition to dohl coverage. You can also check out their blog at http://schemeroh.xanga.com/ for more pics and info!

Awesome site for Korean Dramas

Check out Drama Fever for your Korean drama fix! The great thing about this website is that all the videos are high quality and has english subs! They are the only ones that have the license from the Korean broadcasting companies to broadcast online. Just enter "LittleSeouls" on the promo code to get your beta invitation within 24 hours!

Check them out! They just added Boys Before Flowers!

The future of Jan Di?

OK, some people have too much time on their hands to be doing this! But it's hilarious nonetheless!

We are so sad this drama is done...now what are we going to look forward to on Mondays and Tuesdays??

Baby of the Month winner!

Congrats to our new gorgeous winner! Her name is Mia and she is 3 years old so she's technically not a baby but that's ok! As long as they're 3 and under, you can enter the drawing!

If you'd like to enter our next month drawing, please send us your name, address and child's name and age, permission to post picture to info@littleseouls.com. Our next winner will be announced May 1st!