EPT
After six months of training in Korea's GSL, 
Scarlett will be headed to WCS Jönköping to take on the best players on the international circuit. I talked to Scarlett about her experience playing in the GSL, and how she's in great form ahead of her trip to Sweden. But first, we discussed the much more important topic of the best Korean foods.
*This interview has been edited and condensed.
![[image loading]](/staff/Waxangel/misc/scarletthair/scarlettredbull.jpg)
Wax: Let's start off with a brief self-introduction, even if it's just a formality.
Scarlett: Helllllo everyone ! I'm a Canadian Zerg progamer playing for around 5 years now~
What's been up with you lately? I heard you're back in Canada for a bit?
Same as usual really; but I'm not in Canada no. Been in Korea since November and gonna be here until WCS Montreal at least. Been staying with MajOr, NoRegreT and players than come and go in a house here.
How's Korea been treating you? Are you still discovering new things?
It's nice~ Really enjoy living here. Not much is that new to me anymore but I enjoy showing newcomers around. Biggest thing I'm still learning is the language which is a slow process, since I live in a teamhouse now and mostly talk English day to day.
When was the last time you tried a new Korean food and went like "wow this is really good"?
Definitely hobak-jook (pumpkin porridge). One of my favorite foods now if it's made well. Gonna try making it myself in the fall.
I think the first time I tried it was at a cha-jib (tea house) in Insa-dong (neighborhood in Seoul). It just looked really good from the picture at the time. Maybe I need to eat more vegetables...
You ever have a phase earlier, when you were just actively trying to seek out and eat a wide variety of Korean foods?
Actually recently more than ever; MajOr also really enjoys Korean food so we've been exploring whats nearby. Partly cause I was in Japan last month and after trying a lot, I didn't like it nearly as much as what I had in Korea, so I wanted to see more of what exists.
What are some of the things you've found lately that fit your tastes? And what are some of the things you probably wouldn't have again?
I thought kongguksu (cold noodles in soy milk) would be really good but it wasn't quite what was expected. It was with Hurricane, though, and he said it wasn't made very well there so will have to try it again... Mostly I like what I try but then I don't try everything. Have never eaten red meat so there's lots of foods I avoid. Maybe want to try jjolmyun (a kind of chewy noodle) soon also.
At this point, you'd be pretty comfortable eating only Korean food? Nothing from Canadian food—whatever that is—you have random cravings for?
Yea I do eat all Korean while I'm here. If anything that I'd like to have it's mostly not Canadian.. Thai/Indian/Chinese food I also quite enjoy. The biggest thing I miss from home is varenyky (pierogi) which my family always ate on Christmas eve and some other holidays.
You've spent a lot of time in Korea, and I'm curious what you consider to be representative of the country. What kind of stuff is on the itinerary when you're showing new people around?
Haha actually mostly I just show people favourite foods.. and how to get around the city/basic Korean words. Not might of a 'sightseer' myself.
I mostly like spicy stuff.. so dak-galbi (spicy grilled chicken), jjuggumi-ssam (spicy octopus wraps), bibim-naegmyeon (spicy cold noodles), and then street foods like hoddeok (pancake with sweet filling), ddeokbboki (rice cakes in spicy sauce), goguma-twigim (fried sweet potato) can be really good some places. And chi-maek (fried chicken and beer), of course.
Not as much into the samgyupsal (grilled pork belly) and bulgogi (marinated grilled beef slices) KBBQ as most people though.
As far as I can tell, you seem to have picked up a decent amount of Korean. Was all of that learned just through daily interactions, or did you take courses or spend time intensively studying?
Mostly just daily interactions; especially last year I lived alone and it helps a lot learning when I'm not speaking English to roommates all day... Recently I've been going to a once a week class to help out a bit, also.
Do you find that your language skills skew weirdly in a particular direction? Like, you're trying to communicate with an old lady but everything comes out as a StarCraft meme.
Actually most of my StarCraft vocab comes from MajOr. which he picked up while living in Team 8. He knows many words even though he can't read hangeul still... My vocab is best for food and restaurants as should be clear by this interview so far ^^
How do you like life in this current team house? You've had a lot of different living situations, so how does this one rate?
It's alright~ Definitely helps a lot living with MajOr in terms of improving at Starcraft; In terms of living it's a little... messier than I'd like but I've been trying to get roommates to be a little better about that
What's the #1 most inconvenient thing about being in Korea compared to anywhere else in the world? And why is it finding shoes that aren't tiny as f***?
I don’t even bother looking here anymore; but I’m in Canada a couple times a year so it's okay. I’d say the biggest inconvenience is the lag playing NA tournaments; I have to completely change playstyle when I do.
Anyway, onto StarCraft. You've spent about half a year now in the GSL system. How's the experience been, and did you play up to your expectations?
I’ve enjoyed it; nice not having to fly out to events as much. I guess Season 1 I didn’t do as well as I hoped; was playing very well before then but performed badly when I played my group. But for Season 2... I guess I should have been able to beat Keen; but I wasn't better than Stats or Classic at the time by any means. Honestly however well I do, I still enjoy playing in it.
Like, you enjoy the experience of playing in the GSL, independent from winning and losing? Is it because of the history and reputation?
Yea; partly that and cause it's a whole different experience from the tournaments I played in before... Sometimes I get tired of StarCraft but GSL has helped me stay... motivated? I guess.
Do you get the sense that there's something really different about those matches, that the players you've met on ladder are truly going to another level?
I think that depends on the player; Most are better in practice/ladder but there's a few for sure that step it up in GSL; players like Stats/hero/TY. soO also is amazingly consistent no matter how good he is at the moment.
When you say some players are better, is that because they bring their best strategies/builds, or because magically their mechanics are cleaner, their micro is better, their 'sense' is better, etc?
It’s not about builds.. like ‘feeling’ for the game. I don’t know how I’d describe it to someone that doesn’t compete. I guess 'focus' in a sense.
Do you feel you've continued to improve over the course of the 2017 season? Most of the people who go to Korea for even a short while say they notice a jump in skill, but I wonder how that is over a longer period.
I think it’s different for me cause I’m not here specifically for practice... Most people come and play all day vs much better opponents so of course they improve at first but I have up and downs. I feel like I was good in January and am again recently, but wasn't in Feb-May. Just cause there's times where I’m playing more sometimes than others.
How do you feel about your current skill level headed into Jönköping? You'll be familiar with the foreigner contingent that bootcamps in KR, but do you have a sense of how you'd do against the Europeans?
Actually I feel I have the best chance I’ve had in a long time; if there's anything I’m worried about is that ZvZ on these maps feels very random.
Have you been keeping up with foreign tournaments, like watching Challenger etc.?
Not as much; I try to watch Serral’s games as the Europeans hype him up quite a bit. But it’s still on the to-do list to watch the million EU ZvZ matches beforeJönköping.
What makes you feel so confident then?
Just how I feel about my own play recently.
When would you say was the last time you felt this good about your skill level?
Maybe 2nd half of 2013. Almost as good as I was back then.
Alright let's wrap up with our famous pirate question. If your loved ones were kidnapped by pirates and you could only rescue them by recruiting a team of three other SC2 players, who would you pick and why?
Hmm... MajOr cause he doesn’t take s*** from anyone; Stats for morale; and Silky for his unappreciated genius [note: this was before Silky was banned for account-sharing].
Any final shoutouts, comments, or things you're trying to sell?
Shoutout to Solar ~ SSL finals tomorrow vs Innovation [note: this was before INnoVation ran Solar over with a truck]; Neeb who just rejoined us in Korea last night; and reapers for coming back to ruin TvZ yet again.
Amazing job by Scarlett pulling off the rare double-jinx. Make sure to tune in for WCS Jönköping on June 17-19 to see if she can turn it into an unprecedented triple-jinx.
To see how Scarlett measures up as a championship contender, check out her recent match vs WCS Austin champion Neeb from WCS Challenger.
You can follow Scarlett on Twitter at @onfirescarlett, and you can find her competitive statistics on Aligulac.com.
You can read more interviews with the WCS Challengers who will compete at WCS Jönköping during June 17-19!
More interviews are coming soon™
Scarlett will be headed to WCS Jönköping to take on the best players on the international circuit. I talked to Scarlett about her experience playing in the GSL, and how she's in great form ahead of her trip to Sweden. But first, we discussed the much more important topic of the best Korean foods.*This interview has been edited and condensed.
Wax: Let's start off with a brief self-introduction, even if it's just a formality.
Scarlett: Helllllo everyone ! I'm a Canadian Zerg progamer playing for around 5 years now~
What's been up with you lately? I heard you're back in Canada for a bit?
Same as usual really; but I'm not in Canada no. Been in Korea since November and gonna be here until WCS Montreal at least. Been staying with MajOr, NoRegreT and players than come and go in a house here.
How's Korea been treating you? Are you still discovering new things?
It's nice~ Really enjoy living here. Not much is that new to me anymore but I enjoy showing newcomers around. Biggest thing I'm still learning is the language which is a slow process, since I live in a teamhouse now and mostly talk English day to day.
When was the last time you tried a new Korean food and went like "wow this is really good"?
Definitely hobak-jook (pumpkin porridge). One of my favorite foods now if it's made well. Gonna try making it myself in the fall.
I think the first time I tried it was at a cha-jib (tea house) in Insa-dong (neighborhood in Seoul). It just looked really good from the picture at the time. Maybe I need to eat more vegetables...
You ever have a phase earlier, when you were just actively trying to seek out and eat a wide variety of Korean foods?
Actually recently more than ever; MajOr also really enjoys Korean food so we've been exploring whats nearby. Partly cause I was in Japan last month and after trying a lot, I didn't like it nearly as much as what I had in Korea, so I wanted to see more of what exists.
What are some of the things you've found lately that fit your tastes? And what are some of the things you probably wouldn't have again?
I thought kongguksu (cold noodles in soy milk) would be really good but it wasn't quite what was expected. It was with Hurricane, though, and he said it wasn't made very well there so will have to try it again... Mostly I like what I try but then I don't try everything. Have never eaten red meat so there's lots of foods I avoid. Maybe want to try jjolmyun (a kind of chewy noodle) soon also.
At this point, you'd be pretty comfortable eating only Korean food? Nothing from Canadian food—whatever that is—you have random cravings for?
Yea I do eat all Korean while I'm here. If anything that I'd like to have it's mostly not Canadian.. Thai/Indian/Chinese food I also quite enjoy. The biggest thing I miss from home is varenyky (pierogi) which my family always ate on Christmas eve and some other holidays.
You've spent a lot of time in Korea, and I'm curious what you consider to be representative of the country. What kind of stuff is on the itinerary when you're showing new people around?
Haha actually mostly I just show people favourite foods.. and how to get around the city/basic Korean words. Not might of a 'sightseer' myself.
I mostly like spicy stuff.. so dak-galbi (spicy grilled chicken), jjuggumi-ssam (spicy octopus wraps), bibim-naegmyeon (spicy cold noodles), and then street foods like hoddeok (pancake with sweet filling), ddeokbboki (rice cakes in spicy sauce), goguma-twigim (fried sweet potato) can be really good some places. And chi-maek (fried chicken and beer), of course.
Not as much into the samgyupsal (grilled pork belly) and bulgogi (marinated grilled beef slices) KBBQ as most people though.
As far as I can tell, you seem to have picked up a decent amount of Korean. Was all of that learned just through daily interactions, or did you take courses or spend time intensively studying?
Mostly just daily interactions; especially last year I lived alone and it helps a lot learning when I'm not speaking English to roommates all day... Recently I've been going to a once a week class to help out a bit, also.
Do you find that your language skills skew weirdly in a particular direction? Like, you're trying to communicate with an old lady but everything comes out as a StarCraft meme.
Actually most of my StarCraft vocab comes from MajOr. which he picked up while living in Team 8. He knows many words even though he can't read hangeul still... My vocab is best for food and restaurants as should be clear by this interview so far ^^
How do you like life in this current team house? You've had a lot of different living situations, so how does this one rate?
It's alright~ Definitely helps a lot living with MajOr in terms of improving at Starcraft; In terms of living it's a little... messier than I'd like but I've been trying to get roommates to be a little better about that
What's the #1 most inconvenient thing about being in Korea compared to anywhere else in the world? And why is it finding shoes that aren't tiny as f***?
I don’t even bother looking here anymore; but I’m in Canada a couple times a year so it's okay. I’d say the biggest inconvenience is the lag playing NA tournaments; I have to completely change playstyle when I do.
Anyway, onto StarCraft. You've spent about half a year now in the GSL system. How's the experience been, and did you play up to your expectations?
I’ve enjoyed it; nice not having to fly out to events as much. I guess Season 1 I didn’t do as well as I hoped; was playing very well before then but performed badly when I played my group. But for Season 2... I guess I should have been able to beat Keen; but I wasn't better than Stats or Classic at the time by any means. Honestly however well I do, I still enjoy playing in it.
Like, you enjoy the experience of playing in the GSL, independent from winning and losing? Is it because of the history and reputation?
Yea; partly that and cause it's a whole different experience from the tournaments I played in before... Sometimes I get tired of StarCraft but GSL has helped me stay... motivated? I guess.
Do you get the sense that there's something really different about those matches, that the players you've met on ladder are truly going to another level?
I think that depends on the player; Most are better in practice/ladder but there's a few for sure that step it up in GSL; players like Stats/hero/TY. soO also is amazingly consistent no matter how good he is at the moment.
When you say some players are better, is that because they bring their best strategies/builds, or because magically their mechanics are cleaner, their micro is better, their 'sense' is better, etc?
It’s not about builds.. like ‘feeling’ for the game. I don’t know how I’d describe it to someone that doesn’t compete. I guess 'focus' in a sense.
Do you feel you've continued to improve over the course of the 2017 season? Most of the people who go to Korea for even a short while say they notice a jump in skill, but I wonder how that is over a longer period.
I think it’s different for me cause I’m not here specifically for practice... Most people come and play all day vs much better opponents so of course they improve at first but I have up and downs. I feel like I was good in January and am again recently, but wasn't in Feb-May. Just cause there's times where I’m playing more sometimes than others.
How do you feel about your current skill level headed into Jönköping? You'll be familiar with the foreigner contingent that bootcamps in KR, but do you have a sense of how you'd do against the Europeans?
Actually I feel I have the best chance I’ve had in a long time; if there's anything I’m worried about is that ZvZ on these maps feels very random.
Have you been keeping up with foreign tournaments, like watching Challenger etc.?
Not as much; I try to watch Serral’s games as the Europeans hype him up quite a bit. But it’s still on the to-do list to watch the million EU ZvZ matches beforeJönköping.
What makes you feel so confident then?
Just how I feel about my own play recently.
When would you say was the last time you felt this good about your skill level?
Maybe 2nd half of 2013. Almost as good as I was back then.
Alright let's wrap up with our famous pirate question. If your loved ones were kidnapped by pirates and you could only rescue them by recruiting a team of three other SC2 players, who would you pick and why?
Hmm... MajOr cause he doesn’t take s*** from anyone; Stats for morale; and Silky for his unappreciated genius [note: this was before Silky was banned for account-sharing].
Any final shoutouts, comments, or things you're trying to sell?
Shoutout to Solar ~ SSL finals tomorrow vs Innovation [note: this was before INnoVation ran Solar over with a truck]; Neeb who just rejoined us in Korea last night; and reapers for coming back to ruin TvZ yet again.
Amazing job by Scarlett pulling off the rare double-jinx. Make sure to tune in for WCS Jönköping on June 17-19 to see if she can turn it into an unprecedented triple-jinx.
To see how Scarlett measures up as a championship contender, check out her recent match vs WCS Austin champion Neeb from WCS Challenger.
You can follow Scarlett on Twitter at @onfirescarlett, and you can find her competitive statistics on Aligulac.com.
You can read more interviews with the WCS Challengers who will compete at WCS Jönköping during June 17-19!
More interviews are coming soon™
.
