Summer in Seoul

The adventures continue...

2009-09-22T06:14:00.004+09:00

I'm no longer in Korea, but don't worry, I'm still having adventures and eating great food! I'm spending the year teaching English in Athens, Greece. Check out my new blog here:

http://thedailyfeta.blogspot.com

If you have any questions about Korea though, feel free to comment here and I'll do my best to help you out!

See you later, Korea!

2009-08-16T02:07:00.005+09:00

I'm all packed up and ready to go! My summer here has been a great experience. I learned Korean, made a lot of friends and got to see quite a bit of this beautiful country. I couldn't have asked for more. For the time being, this is the end of the line for Summer in Seoul, but who knows when I'll be back?

In the meantime, if you're looking for more information or thinking about coming to Korea, here are some sites that I've found useful:

Discovering Korea
http://discoveringkorea.wordpress.com/
A good source of ideas about places to go and things to do. They also provide good background information and history about their recommendations.

Seoul Hiking Club
http://www.hikingkorea.com/
This is a good group of hikers who travel all over Korea hiking together. Every Saturday a group of English-speakers (foreigners and Koreans) gets together. It's a good introduction to Korean hiking, but personally I prefer to strike out on my own. They're a great source of ideas about places to go though.

The Royal Asiatic Society-Korea
http://www.raskb.com/
Probably the best English language lectures open to the public in Korea. They bring in great speakers and tickets are generally very cheap.

Korean Multimedia Dictionary
http://www.indiana.edu/~koreanrs/kordic.html
You've got to check this out if you're at all interested in learning Korean. It's a great resource to build up vocabulary and hear the correct pronunciation. There's also a similar site for learning Hangeul (Korean writing).

Galbi Celebration

2009-08-13T20:58:00.008+09:00

Classes officially ended today! Tomorrow we have our final ceremony and I'm supposed to represent our class by making a speech in Korean. Still not quite sure what I'm going to say (or how I'm going to say it!)...

Tonight our class went out together to eat galbi (beef ribs), which Suwon is famous for. It's a bit pricey but it's pretty much the equivalent of getting a steak.

The restaurant we went to was called "Bon-Suwon-Galbi," and it was one of the best restaurants I've ever been to. The waitresses were really surprised to hear so many foreigners speaking Korean with each other. They rewarded us with more food than I could ever possibly have eaten. I know our teacher felt really proud. We all toasted her and told her how great it's been studying with her.

(the photos are from the restaurant's website, I forgot to bring my camera)

Highway Travel

2009-08-12T22:25:00.006+09:00

I've gotten a lot of questions recently about the ups and downs of life in Korea. One thing I always mention as a huge plus (that you might not think of) is how easy it is to travel here. South Korea's not all that large, about the size of Indiana, but on top of that, it has an amazing network of trains and intercity buses. All of which are cheap and leave on time.

In general, any bus journey of longer than an hour and a half stops at a rest area (like this one here). During your 15 minute break, you can go to the bathroom, walk around or purchase food at the outdoor stalls.

Don't tell me that you weren't craving toast, skewered fish cakes or grilled cuttlefish on your last road trip!

Of course you could always stock up on snacks at the rest area convenience store. Any takers for peanut buttered roast squid or seasoned dried pollack?

Going Out in Korea

2009-08-11T20:12:00.006+09:00

It's my last week here in Suwon! I've been busy taking tests, spending time with friends and enjoying the last moments of Korea. Tomorrow I will have officially finished a year's worth of college Korean in just under 8 weeks. Which obviously calls for a celebration.

A night out in Korea is sort of like going out in the U.S. The loud rap songs have the exact same beats (but the lyrics are in Korean). People dance. People drink.

There are some key differences though. The alcohol of choice in Korea is called soju, Korean vodka made from rice. When you pour a glass of soju for a higher status individual (boss, parent or even older friend), you pour with both hands on the bottle. When you drink, you turn away from the honored individual.

Another crucial difference is that anytime your cup is empty, a Korean is going to refill it. So while in America you'd drain your glass, in Korea you better keep something in there or else you're in for another round. This cultural difference can (and has) led to many an unfortunate night for an American drinking with Korean friends.

Korean bars generally require that you order some small snacks or food with your drinks, called anju. If you just want a beer, there are no open container laws (at least none enforced) so grab a can from the nearest convenience store and sip to your heart's content. A lot of convenience stores even provide plastic tables and chairs outside for this exact purpose.

It's not a real Korean night out unless you end up at a noraebang, Korean karaoke room. You can find these everywhere (even rural towns in the south without the Internet had noraebangs).

Now you're ready for Korean nightlife. Gombei (cheers)!

A Trip to North Korea

2009-08-08T18:11:00.005+09:00

Never one to be overshadowed by former President Clinton, I made a surprise visit of my own to North Korea yesterday. The North Korean border that is. While you can't visit independently, there are group tours of the border almost daily. The De-Militarized Zone (or DMZ) is the most heavily fortified border on Earth. Everything from barbed wire fences to tank traps to land mines prevents any unexpected visitors from sneaking across.

You wouldn't expect to see a dramatic difference between the two countries but looking across the river at North Korea, the mountains are completely stripped of trees and many of the homes are crumbling and lack roofs.

The most exciting part of the tour was getting to enter the building where negotiations are conducted. Half of the building is in North Korea and the other half is in South Korea, so technically we were able to stand in North Korea. We also got to stand face-to-face with the North Korean guards outside the window. For a while these guys just stood next to the window and stared at us but then they decided to take photos of themselves.

I'd been to the DMZ once before and surprisingly, this time the tension felt much lower. No worries though, I made sure to demonstrate proper intimidation stance to this South Korean guard.

Korean Food: Southern Edition

2009-08-06T21:19:00.005+09:00

Now that I'm finally gotten all the posts up about my trip down South, I thought I'd throw in a look at some of the tastiest dishes I got to enjoy!

Wang mandu, fluffy steamed buns stuffed with meat and veggies.

A heaping plate of vegetables fresh from the farm at a restaurant in the middle of nowhere, Samsu Town.

Some friends enjoying corn-on-the cob at the same spot. Those are some happy campers.

Nokcha sujaebi, thick green tea dumplings in a light broth.

And finally, gomtang, which literally means "bear soup" although I was repeatedly assured that the meat was not bear...

Kwangju: Korea's Tiananmen Square

2009-08-06T20:48:00.009+09:00

One hundred and sixty-five Gwangju students and activists were brutally murdered during several days of pro-democracy protests in May 1980. This was a defining moment in South Korea's democracy movement.

Today, in addition to a continued legacy of political dissent and activism, Gwangju has a powerful and moving memorial to those who lost their lives in the military crackdown. Here a monument symbolizes the struggle to hold the seed of democracy.

The May 18th Memorial (the democracy protests began on May 18th) and Museum has an English language film detailing the events. The film certainly didn't pull any punches and showed some graphic images of the results of unarmed protesters meeting automatic gunfire from the Korean military. The film also implied a strong American awareness of the crackdown, claiming that, at the time, the Korean government needed to confirm all troop movements with their American counterparts.

The bodies of the May 18th victims are buried outside of the museum and serve as a chilling reminder of the price that Koreans had to pay for democratic representation.

The BBC has published a series of interesting articles if you're looking to to learn more about this important piece of Korean history.

Jeonju

2009-08-06T20:14:00.005+09:00

Jeonju is the birthplace of bibimbap, one of my all-time favorite Korean dishes, so I was definitely excited to visit on our trip south.

Here it is! There's a reason Jeonju is famous for this stuff. They bring you out a fresh scoop of rice which you dump in the bowl and then mix with all this deliciousness. There's hot pepper paste, an egg, a bit of meat, dried seaweed, bean sprouts and tons of veggies.

Jeonju is also a tourist destination for its large neighborhood of traditional houses, like these ones here. Most residents actually live in the homes but also operate small businesses or museums to generate extra income. I got a chance to stop in to some of these multiple-use homes and chat with the residents, who were shocked to have a foreigner poke his head in and greet them in Korean.

One of my favorite spots in Jeonju was this small museum of traditional Korean medicine. Here's an exhibit showing the flow of energy through the body.

Everything from ginseng and local herbs to ground elk antlers are used as ingredients in traditional Korean medicine.

Here's one ingredient I'll probably try to avoid if I have to take any medicine while I'm here...

Korean Baseball

2009-08-05T21:27:00.009+09:00

Baseball (or yagu as it's called in Korean) is a full-on spectator sport. By that I mean that the game is boring but the fans go freaking crazy.

The game we saw was the Seoul Heroes versus the LG Twins. Almost all teams here are named after corporations instead of cities (the Seoul Heroes are a rare exception).

The stadium is divided in half. Fans of the Twins sat on one side while Heroes fans sat on the other. Each side cheers like crazy whenever anything happens, beating on giant drums, smacking these inflatable noisemakers together and singing songs. Here's the Heroes side, where we sat.

I have to admit though, I was jealous of the Twins fans. They seemed a lot more into the cheering and intimidated us with a Korean cheer set to the tune of "Dancing Queen" and then another to "Macho Man." Awesome.

Here's the guy who led our side in cheers. He was helped out by four ultra-skinny cheerleaders who were wearing shorts with suspenders.

And then of course, there's the Seoul Heroes mascot. He's called Mr. Chin, because, well, he has a big chin...

Funny English Signs: Part IV

2009-08-04T23:11:00.005+09:00

I generally try to space these out, but there's been such a wealth of funny signs recently that it was time for another edition.

"When getting hands near flushing hole, flushing operates." I'm not at all sure what this is supposed to mean, but I'm positive that it sounds gross. What's most confusing is that the picture makes it look like it's a sink that turns on automatically, but it wasn't. It was just a regular turn-the-knob sink.

These two clothing stores had signs that were error-free but somehow I don't think these names would have stuck in an English speaking country.

This sign made me laugh the most. I found this at the Omokgyo Baseball Stadium in Seoul. It's for a stand where you can buy coffee.

"To have stories which are not just baseball games but also about coffee."

Temples

2009-08-03T23:36:00.005+09:00

The first Buddhist temple I visited in Korea blew me away. The history, the intricate designs, the symbolism... everything was beautiful and new.

The fortieth temple I visited didn't make quite as big an impression. At this point, it tends to be the smaller things that distinguish one temple from another, maybe the quality of the artwork or an impressive location. During my time in the southern provinces, I visited more than my fair share of temples, so here's a look at what made some of them stand out.

The first temple I visited in Jinju had some cool paintings of scenes from stories. I wish I knew more about the meanings.

I hiked past another temple where this great kid offered me a glass of juice and showed me around the temple he lives in.

His temple is even environmentally friendly! Check out those compact fluorescent bulbs.

Or how about this monk, living in a temple an hour's hike away from the nearest tiny village? When I tried to practice my Korean with him by saying I was from New York, he responded in flawless English and asked if I knew the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge in NYC. "I used to live by there," he said. I waited to see if he was joking. He wasn't.

Sights of Southern South Korea

2009-08-03T21:45:00.006+09:00

Namwon: The City of Love

2009-08-02T23:50:00.001+09:00

Sex, forbidden love and attempted murder? You can find it all in Namwon, a small city in North Jeolla Province known for its pansori.

Pansori is a style of musical theatre that's unique to Korea and sometimes compared to opera. The style of singing is completely different though, with many of pansori's sounds coming from the throat. It's definitely a sound that takes some getting used to, but it can be very distinctive and beautiful.

To get a better sense of the musical tradition, we stopped by the awkwardly titled "Exhibition Hall of Namwon Classical Music's Holy Shrines" where we watched this amazing singer perform.

Now did you think I forgot about the sex and murder? I wouldn't do that to you. Namwon is the setting for the Chunhyangga Korea's Romeo and Juliet story. Yi Mongryong, a handsome son of a local magistrate falls instantly in love with beautiful Chunhyang when he sees her playing on a swing. There's a problem though, and it's not that a grown woman is playing on a swing set. Chunhyang is the lowly daughter of a Kisaeng (a traditional entertainer) and not qualified to be the wife of a nobleman.

Yi Mongryong marries her anyway, in secret. They walk together romantically, along bridges like this one.

But Yi Mongryong has to go to Seoul. While he's gone, a local official tries to force Chunhyang to have sex with him. When she refuses, he threatens to execute her. Just in the nick of time, Yi Mongryong reappears and saves the day.

On summer nights, Namwon residents put on free outdoor performances of Chunhyang's story.

Yulpo Beach: Raw Fish and Summer Fun

2009-08-02T14:02:00.006+09:00

We spent three nights in a sleepy town by Yulpo beach, a popular spot to enjoy the sun and eat a Korean delicacy, hwe, raw fish. First we worked up an appetite by playing frisbee on the beach. I don't think any of the Koreans had seen a frisbee before and we attracted quite a few to watch our game. One drunk guy even took off his shirt and tried to play with us.

With a proper appetite ready, we ducked into one of the many hwe restaurants that line Yulpo beach. For around $14, we got a six course meal of seafood literally pulled from the water right before our eyes. This was the second course, a platter with oysters, sea anemone, scallops, abalone and all other sorts of treats.

Then came a palette cleanser, sticky rice with nuts and dates cooked in bamboo shoots. The flavor, sweet and hearty, was so good that I struggled to remain conscious while I was eating it.

Finally, the main course, raw fish. The head had just stopped breathing when they brought it to our table. You can see how excited Jenny and Ryo were about our fresh fish. Once we finished the fish, the women at the restaurant combined it with all our other leftovers into a spicy fish stew. When I left, I was so stuffed I could barely walk.

What better way to celebrate a day at the beach and a delicious meal than with some fireworks? They were being sold everywhere, with no apparent restriction on when or where you could set them off so we lit up the sky over the beach to our heart's content.

Boseong Green Tea Plantation

2009-08-02T11:05:00.006+09:00

Well, I'm back from my trip and working on getting the blog caught up! Here's the first installment:

One of my favorite spots I visited was the Daehan Dawon, a famous green tea plantation in South Jeolla province.

As you can see, the green tea field is really more of a green tea mountain. That's because it's thought that the higher elevation improves the flavor. I climbed up to the highest rows and looked down over the rows of tea shrubs and over a ridge to the ocean. It's easy to imagine how some of the most delicious green tea in the world can come from a place so beautiful.

Here's a green tea plant up close. I took a bite of one of those leaves fresh from the bush. I wish I could say that it tasted delicious... but it just tasted like a leaf. Something magical must happen during the drying process.

Don't let me mislead you though! That green tea is delicious, and Boseong's population uses it as an ingredient in just about everything. A restaurant at the plantation was serving everything from green tea noodles to a soup with a green tea broth. I opted for this green tea ice cream. It was indescribably delicious.

Daehan Dawon is famous as a setting for one of South Korea's most popular soap operas. Hordes of Korean tourists come here, not for the tea, but to see the site of so much romance and intrigue. Here I am, playing the role of sassy but confident Korean field hand.

Headed Down South

2009-07-25T08:16:00.003+09:00

I'm leaving today on a trip to Southern South Korea (say that three times fast) and might not have access to the Internet for the week. Trip highlights should include: a green tea plantation, Korean opera, grilled eel and a Korean bullfight. I'll keep you posted...

Funny English Signs: Part III

2009-07-25T00:01:00.000+09:00

Here's the third installment of my favorite series, where I bring you some of the best (worst) English that Korea has to offer.

If you're looking for a good night out, you might want to check out Ho Bar III. But if you're looking for a great night out...

Ultra Ho IV, just a few blocks away, is an even better option.

While not technically a sign, I thought this drink was amusing enough to be included. After all, who wouldn't like to drink a fresh can of confidence? The can reads "Confidence is the drink supplying vitamins. As drinking a confidence feel good from the sweety fruits flavor and the refreshing coolness contained in it."

But this post isn't all fun and games. Today, it's my sad duty to inform the world that one of my favorite Funny English Signs has been corrected.

Here's a Gangnam area massage parlor circa 2007:

And here's the same massage parlor today:

RIP Cyty Masagee.

Funny English Signs Part One and Part Two

Inside a Korean Department Store

2009-07-24T23:47:00.007+09:00

Here are some treasures from the aisles of HomePlus, the undisputed king of Suwon's department stores.

This five-inch long Hello Kitty razor blade is one of the more disturbing items for sale.

Or how about this pile of cheap footwear? I quickly noticed that there were no price tags. That's because the sneakers are priced by weight. The sign helpfully informs customers that every 100 grams costs 1,500 won (a little more than $1). To find out the price of your new kicks, you have to use a scale.

If you're feeling hungry after all that math, grab a snack in one of the food aisles. How about a delicious "Rice Tard"?

Seoraksan: Korea's Most Famous Mountain

2009-07-22T23:28:00.006+09:00

Every time I hike in Korea, I hear about Seoraksan, famed among Koreans as the most beautiful mountain in the country. Despite a weather forecast of continued monsoons, a friend and I decided to take a chance and hop on a bus for the five hour trip. The hike takes all day, so we spent the first night sleeping on the floor of Sokcho's jjimjilbang next to about 50 Koreans. Yes, we were all wearing matching outfits. No, I didn't get a private sleeping cavern. We arrived too late for that.

The next morning we woke before sunrise and caught the first bus from Sokcho to Seoraksan. Along the way, we made friends with three Korean college guys and decided to hike together.

Our first sight after hopping off the bus into a light drizzle (which I was praying wouldn't turn into a torrential downpour) was Sinheungsa, a temple with this massive bronze Buddha, which was stunning in the rain.

Luckily, as we headed onto the trail, the rain cleared up and the weather was beautiful for the rest of the day. As for the hike, well, you can see for yourself that the Koreans weren't lying. Seoraksan is absolutely gorgeous. We hiked past several waterfalls, peaks shrouded in mist and a lush river valley.

All that beauty didn't come without a price though. The trail was well-maintained but absolutely brutal. We hiked 19 km over 9 hours straight up and down ridges and the side of the mountain. I swear that there must have been less than 2 km of flat trail all day. I distracted myself by talking with our Korean friends about important linguistic nuances like the difference between "Akon" and "acorn." For the uninformed, "Akon" is a successful rap artist with lyrics like "I see you in the club/ I already know I wanna f*** you." An "acorn" is the nut of the oak tree.

After hours of hiking, finally reaching the summit was sweeter than ever. Here we are celebrating at a lower peak and then at Seoraksan's highest peak, Daecheonbong.

Parliamentary Brawl

2009-07-22T23:12:00.004+09:00

South Korea is taking democracy to the face! Not sure if everyone's already seen the news, but a full-on brawl busted out in South Korea's parliament today. See the story here.

Surprisingly, parliamentary cage matches aren't all that rare in South Korean politics. Like the article says "Last year, opposition lawmakers used sledgehammers to pound their way into a parliamentary committee room." Talk about some bad-ass lawmakers...

Here are some photos and a video of that most dignified day in Korean democracy:

A slideshow from the LA Times.

Here's a video. Make sure you watch all the way through, the highlight is when one lawmaker starts using a phone as a weapon.

Korean Port Cities: Sokcho and Yangyang

2009-07-22T00:00:00.010+09:00

Five hours northwest of Suwon and just south of the North Korean border, the cities of Sokcho and Yangyang feel like they are worlds away from futuristic Seoul. Famous for squid and summer fun, their beaches are lined with searchlights and barbed wire fences to prevent North Korean spies from sneaking ashore during the night.

Here's Sokcho's outdoor market, where you can buy fresh octopus, squid and all kinds of fish. Walking through the stalls on the unpaved roads, I felt like I'd traveled back in time to a more traditional Korea. After the market, I headed over to the piers and checked out some squid fishing boats.

The squid fishermen drop these lines covered in light bulbs into the water to attract squid during the night. Squid fishing is a huge industry here and dried squid is sold in every store. Koreans like to rip off a tentacle and munch on it while they're drinking.

Not many foreigners come to Sokcho, so while asking for directions, my classmate Lorenzo and I quickly made friends with some locals curious about what we were doing in Korea. One lady with her two year old son, Jaesung (the cutest kid ever), even drove us around for an hour or two to show us the sights and practice her English.

Here's a photo of Jaesung, showing us the sights:

The best part of Sokcho though, and our reason for coming there, is that it's right next to Seoraksan, one of Korea's most famous (and grueling) mountains, which we planned to hike the next day.

Korean Countryside: Nonsan

2009-07-21T08:07:00.004+09:00

With so little land in Korea and so many people, small towns are hard to come by. But this weekend, I finally got a chance to visit one. I went with my roommate, Joe, to visit his uncle in Nonsan.

Nonsan literally means "Rice-paddy mountain" but while there were a lot of rice paddies, I didn't see a mountain anywhere. Joe's uncle thought it was pretty hilarious when I asked about that.

It was fun to be in a place that tourists never go to. Joe's uncle took us to a duck restaurant where he announced, "we're going to eat with our AMERICAN FRIEND!" and everyone turned and looked. Then whenever I said something tasted good, he told the waitress, "Americans find this delicious!"

To get to Nonsan we took one of Korea's ultramodern trains. Fast, cheap and easy, they even had a video arcade on board! Obviously Joe and I battled each other for most of the trip.

Naked in the Jimjjilbang

2009-07-20T22:15:00.007+09:00

Do you ever feel tired, sore and dirty? Do you ever wish you could find somewhere, 24 hours a day, to soak your aching muscles in hot water and scrub yourself clean for under $10? Do you ever wish you were in a room full of naked middle-aged Korean men?

If you answered yes to any of those questions, then the jjimjilbang (Korean bathhouse) might be for you. Without intending to, I ended up going to a jjimjilbang on three separate occasions this past week.

Here's a summary of what I do at a jjimjilbang: take off clothes, shower, have around 20 older Korean men visually examine my nether regions, soak in hot bath, shiver in cold bath, sit in a steamroom filled with traditional healing herbs, shower again.

But a jjimjilbang is more than just a public bath. It's also a place for Koreans to meet and hang out casually. Inside the co-ed area, there's a video game room, some spots to take a nap, even a karaoke room.

Don't worry, the co-ed area is not nude! That's why I have this snazzy uniform. Everyone gets one at the door. Once you're clean, you put on your outfit and join your friends.

Some artificial logs to rest against while you watch T.V. or chat.

Of course, nothing says "take a nap" like a red light in a cavern...

More Delicious Korean Food

2009-07-17T08:07:00.010+09:00

Another look at the gastronomical delights of South Korea...

Ok, I'm aware that this first meal isn't technically Korean food at all. But tacos and nachos from Dos Tacos in Hongdae aren't exactly straight up Mexican food either. The fusion of some traditional Korean flavors like spicy red pepper paste blends nicely into the Mexican recipe and the taste of herbs like cilantro (which Koreans never use) was a great change of pace.

Samgyetang, Korean chicken and ginseng soup, is a traditional summer dish meant to replenish all the nutrients you lose in the heat. A whole chicken is stuffed with rice, ginseng, dates, garlic and all kinds of other delicious and healthy foods. Then the concoction is cooked in a light broth. Above, samgyetang as it's served. Below, the results after I took apart the chicken and got all the good stuff out.

Next up is a traditional meal of hearty rice cooked in a hot stone pot. You scoop the rice out and eat it in small portions, each wrapped in lettuce and sesame leaves with all kinds of different vegetables and sauces. It's like you get to have 14 different meals for the price of one.

The real delicacy comes afterwards though. The crispy rice that's fried onto the sides and bottom of your hot stone pot is called nurungi and Koreans go crazy for it (they sell snack packs and nurungi flavored candy at the grocery store). The traditional way to enjoy nurungi though is to pour some boricha, barley tea, into the pot, let it soak, then scrape up and enjoy the crispy rice with the hearty tea.

Secrets of a Korean Gym

2009-07-15T21:46:00.009+09:00

South Korea is a healthy place. The food is good for you, there's lot of good hiking and everybody exercises. A big movement here is called "Well-Being" (or as Koreans pronounce it, "welping") that's all about eating fresh local vegetables, treating your body right and taking care of the environment.

Point is, Koreans go to the gym a lot. And in most ways a Korean gym is just like an American gym, but there are a few key differences. As you can see here, at a glance, it all looks the same.

But first impressions can be deceiving. There are several machines that can be found in every Korean gym that you'd never find in an American gym. For example, this machine, which you sit next to and put your legs on. Then the machine rotates at a high speed, causing these wooden balls to strike the bottom of your legs. Koreans compare this sensation to a massage. I would compare it to being attacked by a dwarf with a wooden mallet.

Another strange machine is the belt massager. The belt goes back and forth to shake your body. This is incredibly popular here, especially with women who believe it "loosens their fat." It reminds me of something my grandmother might have used in the 1950s. Here's a belt massager in action (stealth photography).

But the most unique machine of all is the Z-Up machine. After your workout, you clamp yourself in and hang upside-down for a few minutes. This decompresses your spine and improves circulation. Here I am, giving it a spin!

Seoul in the Rain

2009-07-14T23:15:00.005+09:00

Learn Korean: 5 Crucial Phrases

2009-07-13T23:23:00.006+09:00

As of today, I'm officially done with my first Korean textbook. We blew through the book, doing a whole college semester's worth of material in just 4 weeks. I'm pretty amazed at how much I've learned already. And I have four weeks to go!

It's impossible to learn a language without diving into the culture that created it. Because of that, one of the frustrating parts of starting a new language is that you never really know what phrases you should learn. To give you an idea of what I'm talking about (and to give a head start to anyone out there who's thinking about learning Korean), here are my top 5 tried and true Korean phrases.

1) 주세요 (ju-say-oh) - A respectful way of saying "give me."

A big difference between Korean and English is that "please" doesn't really exist in Korean. You're polite not by adding a word but by using the polite form. This is the phrase you use to order in a restaurant or to ask for something at a store. For example: 비빔밥 주세요 (bibimbap ju-say-oh)- Please give me bibimbap.

2) 미안해요 (mee-ahn-hay-yo) - "I'm sorry."

Koreans aren't big on compliments, but they love apologies. Throw this around every once in awhile when you bump into someone or mess up a Korean phrase and you'll make a great impression.

3) 지하철 역 어디 있어요? (Ji-ha-chohl yohk o-di ees-soy yo)- "Where is the subway station?"

If you're in Seoul and you get lost, the best way to get your bearings is to have someone direct you to the nearest Metro station. Not only do most stations have information booths, but even the ones that don't have giant maps in both English and Korean. I've been saved many a day by knowing how to ask where the Metro stop is.

4) 을마 에 요? (Uhl-ma eh yo?) "How much is it?"

This one pretty much speaks for itself but it's one that I'm not sure everyone would think to learn. This should be a top priority. I use it about forty times a day.

5) 서당 개도 삼년이 면 풍월을 읊는다- (seo-dahng kay-doh samnyeon-ee myeon pung wor-euhl eulp-nun da) "Even a dog can recite poetry after three years in school."

I've always gotten great responses to throwing out a proverb about learning slowly. Here in Korea, I generally follow this up with something along the lines of "so right now I'm not even a dog."

Out in Hongdae

2009-07-12T19:51:00.006+09:00

There's no end to the surprises you can find in the young neighborhoods around Seoul's major universities. This weekend, I went out in Hongdae, an area named after Hongik University.

While walking around, we stumbled across a big circle of people listening to a Korean band called Soundbox. The band had a whole number of tricks up their sleeve, the least of which was an impressive catalog of American cover songs. The lead singer had a great voice and only a faint hint of an accent as he belted out the lyrics to songs like "Proud Mary." There are no open container laws in Seoul so we grabbed a few beers from the nearest convenience store and had a blast singing along. Who'd have guessed we'd hear a CCR cover in Korea?

But that wasn't all Soundbox had in store. The whole band was composed of two guitars (electric and acoustic), four djembe players, a bassist, drummer, and two backup singers. And every one of them knew how to tap dance, which they took turns demonstrating. See here:

Once the tap-dancing was done, one of the backup singers came out and beatboxed for a solid five minutes straight. Then the band covered Hanson's "MmmmmBop."

With our minds thoroughly blown, we were ready to continue our night on the town.

Delicious Shabu-Shabu

2009-07-11T21:21:00.005+09:00

This Friday, I experienced one of the most delicious meals known to man: Shabu-Shabu (Korean hot pot). I met up with Dan and Brian again and we were joined by YuChung, who just got back to Seoul after finishing up at UPenn. We took Brian's word and went to "the best shabu-shabu restaurant in Seoul" a spot called 희전 (Hui-Jeon) located about 100 feet straight out of exit 1 at the Shillim Metro stop.

For the uninitiated, in a Shabu-Shabu meal, a pot of broth is brought to a boil at your table and then a platter of everything delicious in the world is cooked in it. Our spread included thin cuts of beef, soup dumplings, rice cakes, pumpkin, spinach, mushrooms and a whole bunch of other stuff that I was too busy shoveling into my mouth to identify.

Brian's pick definitely didn't disappoint. Shabu-Shabu is always delicious but this soup got a lot of subtle details right that other places can miss. The highlight was their homemade dipping sauce for our meat and veggies, a spicy, sweet garlicky paste that I could have drank a gallon of. The point is, if you're ever in Seoul, take the first train you can catch straight to Hui-Jeon and get yourself a little boiling bowl of heaven.

Korean Film: Speedy Scandal

2009-07-09T23:49:00.005+09:00

My friend Sameer, a Korean film expert, pulled out another great pick tonight. We watched the most popular Korean comedy ever, 과속스캔들 (Speedy Scandal).

Sometimes comedies can get lost in translation when you're reading the subtitles, but this one had me laughing out loud. It's the story of an immature radio host who finds out that he has a daughter he never knew existed. AND that daughter is a single mother, so he actually has a grandson. He lets them live with him, but only if they keep the relationship a secret so he can maintain his young attractive celebrity status. The plot from there is pretty predictable, building to a happy ending with everyone finally accepting everyone else.

Even though the plot was predictable, I was cracking up, especially when in every scene the grandson just continuously bowed from the waist to the radio host and called him grandfather. Something about that just cracked me up.

One moment that didn't amuse me was when the main character thought there was a burglar in the house and picked up (what else?) a hammer to defend himself. This has once again confirmed my suspicion that any Korean with a hammer is looking to murder someone.

Back in Kangnam

2009-07-09T20:21:00.006+09:00

Today, I went into Seoul to meet up with some old friends in Kangnam. I can't tell you how bizarre it feels to say that I have old friends in Seoul, but it was great to see Brian and Dan. The three of us worked and lived together in the summer of 2007. Today, we met up in our old neighborhood and went to Korean barbecue together.

The restaurant we ate at was a typical barbecue spot, but with a few interesting differences. For one, they had these thin layers of flavored 떡 "dduk" (a kind of soft rice sheet). You're supposed to wrap a layer around a small piece of meat and then pop it in your mouth. It was delicious. The flavors were plain rice, pumpkin and mugwort. Mmmm, mmm good.

On the bus ride home, I double-checked that I was headed in the right direction with the guy next to me. It turned out that he was also a student at Kyunghee University. We chatted in Korean for a while and then switched over to English. Whenever I interact with Koreans like that, they always seem to say something hilarious. This time, the guy asked, "Do you have a girlfriend?" When I told him yes, he said, "I'm going to ask you a strange question...Is she pretty?"

"Yes, she's very pretty," I said. He turned and looked at me for a couple of seconds and then said, totally seriously, "You're the best."

South Korea's Unemployed

2009-07-08T20:54:00.009+09:00

Interesting article in The New York Times this week about college-educated Koreans taking jobs as crab fishermen.

With Wounded Pride, Unemployed Koreans Quietly Turn to Manual Labor

It's not unusual for Koreans to feel intense shame if they're unable to perform economically. Cultural expectations are extremely high and many Koreans I know have a sense that anything less than the top might as well be a complete failure.

One image I always associate with this high pressure environment is a Metro stop in Seoul where I saw an unusually large number of men in suits, mid-day, just sitting on benches reading the newspaper. I asked my friend Sandy what was going on. She explained that for many Korean men, it's impossible to tell their families that they've been fired. Instead, they get dressed every day as usual, get on the Metro, look for jobs and then waste their afternoons away until they can return home at a believable hour. Their families never even know what's happened unless the bank account runs dry.

Korean Film: The Chaser

2009-07-08T00:31:00.006+09:00

Tonight, a bunch of us got together and watched a Korean thriller called 추격자 (The Chaser). The best way I can think to describe it is a Korean "Silence of the Lambs."

Graphic violence doesn't sit well with me, but to be fair, this movie was much more about plot than gore. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. There were several scenes (particularly nighttime scenes in Seoul) where the ambient neon lighting of Korea and composition of the shot combined for an absolutely incredible effect. I don't want to spoil anything, but the ending of this movie was a classic example of Korean cinema and the kind of twist that never would make it into a Hollywood film.

The Chaser also marks the third Korean film I've seen where a murderer kills people with a hammer, so I've made a mental note not to become friends with any carpenters or handymen while I'm here.

(If you're looking for more of a plot description, check out HanCinema. It's a great resource for learning more about Korean films.)

Learn Korean: Part Two

2009-07-06T14:18:00.003+09:00

No one said Korean was an easy language to learn. In fact, according to the U.S. Department of Defense, Korean is one of the four most difficult languages for English speakers (along with Arabic, Chinese and Japanese). Actually, my classmates here who speak Chinese say that Chinese is significantly less complicated than Korean. According to the DoD, a student with "superior language aptitude" would require almost 720 hours of instruction in Korean to reach a "limited working proficiency."

So what makes Korean so difficult? One reason is the pronunciation. Nearly every single word is a tongue twister, vowels are frequently blended together and there are important differences between when consonants are aspirated or not. (Check out this website to hear the Korean alphabet).

Another reason is the language structure. One guy on my program described it as "translate every word you want to say into Korean. Then arrange the words in the most absurd nonsense order you can think of, and that's probably right." Here's an example. In English we'd say, "I went to the store next to school with Prof. Insook Kim." In Korean, it would be more like "Kim Insook Professor-with school-next-to store went."

On top of all that, Korean has around 6 different levels of respect, so the same sentence might change dramatically depending on whether you're talking to a grandmother, a shopkeeper, a taxi-driver or a child.

I find all this really interesting, but as you can imagine, it definitely explains why I'm having to study so hard.

Hiking Gwanggyosan

2009-07-05T22:18:00.007+09:00

Today I hiked up Gwanggyosan, Suwon's largest mountain. The hike was fairly strenuous along a ridgeline with lots of ascents and descents before ever even reaching Gwanggyosan. Even though I was huffing and puffing, I made sure to enjoy the sights and smell of the Korean Pine forest I was hiking through.

I've had great luck meeting Koreans while hiking (see a story I wrote for National Geographic Glimpse here and mark it as a favorite!). Today was no exception. I practiced some newly learned Korean vocab and asked a fellow hiker how far it was to the summit. He immediately invited me to hike with him and insisted on sharing everything he had in his pockets with me. I was grateful not only for the generous gesture but also for the energy I got from his Snickers bar and Korean cookie. After about 3 hours of intense hiking, I needed a little boost.

As we hiked together to the summit, I got to ask my new friend Mr. Chang Hyun Kim literally every question I know in Korean. It was great practice for me and he seemed to enjoy it as well. Hiking with Mr. Kim, a 60-year-old, I had to struggle to keep up with him. At times he was literally running up the mountain. There's nothing more humbling than panting your way after someone forty years your senior.

The final stretch of the hike was quintessential Korea. There was just a rope bolted into a rock face and you had to pull yourself up to the summit. The effort I'd put in to get there made the summit particularly satisfying. I sat high on the ledge, letting a breeze cool me down as I looked out over all of Suwon. Then I took a deep breath and lowered myself back down on the rope. All in all, the hike was everything I've come to expect from a Korean mountain: an intense workout, beautiful nature and great company.

Beopjusa Temple

2009-07-05T11:52:00.005+09:00

You're looking at a more than ten-story-tall Maitreya Buddha. The statue is covered in gold leaf and towers over the grounds of Beopjusa, a temple in Chungcheong Province. While the temple is a historic site (built in 553 during Korea's Silla dynasty) the standing Buddha is actually a recent addition. Built in 1990, it's dedicated to the hope of a unified Korean peninsula. Unfortunately, that dream seems farther away than ever today with the North launching a new round of missile tests.

Beopjusa is just south of a mountain, Sognisan, and the traditional art and architecture beside stunning nature is definitely enough to take your breath away. As I left, a soft rain started to fall and I could hear the sounds of monks striking drums and chanting rhythmically from across a lake. It's moments like this that make me love Korea. The country is full of chaotic energy and addicted to technology, but there's a side that's also peaceful, traditional and ancient.

Here are some more photos of Beopjusa's incredible art and architecture:

The Convenience Store

2009-07-03T18:49:00.004+09:00

Believe it or not, a lot of daily life in Korea centers around the convenience store. Open 24/7 and selling everything from fresh sushi to Hello Kitty earphones, it's become an almost hourly routine to stop by and grab a drink or a snack. Convenience stores are so ubiquitous that there are literally two on Kyunghee's campus (less than a 5 minute walk apart).

This is the closest convenience store to me, GS 25 (No one seems to have a clue about what that stands for). Other popular convenience stores are called everything from MiniMart to 7-11.

Here's some of what you can find inside:

A ridiculous amount of different types of drinks. Green tea, coffee drinks, drinkable yogurt, juices, soda... you name it. All for about 70 cents.

Maybe 20 different types of ramen. If you want, you can even get the boiling water added in the store (no extra charge).

Some Dr. You's Shrimp and Rice crackers

And of course, a selection of fine wines and whiskeys.

Korean Food

2009-07-02T19:31:00.008+09:00

"Eating is Heaven."

-Korean Proverb

As you can see, I couldn't agree more. Especially when the food is as delicious, varied and cheap as it is in South Korea. I've been eating truckloads of Kimchi and other Korean foods, and I'm also learning more about their cultural significance. Food is an integral part of even the most basic conversations here. "Have you eaten rice today?" is a common greeting among friends, and every day in Korean class I get grilled on what I ate for breakfast.

This week we had a guest lecture on Korean food from Michael Pettid, a professor at Binghampton University. He talked about the historical origins of Korean food-- everything from white rice to ginseng chicken soup to pigs that only eat human feces (thanks, but no thanks!).

Every Korean meal comes with an assortment of side dishes, called panchan. These are all sorts of different vegetables and small dishes that you get to sample along with your meal. The king of all panchan is Kimchi, which comes in more than a hundred varieties involving all sorts of different pickled vegetables and levels of spice, but the most common is spicy, fermented cabbage. Here are some photos of panchan that I've recently had the pleasure of eating, starting (of course) with Kimchi.

I've also been hearing more about the way that industrialization has changed the Korean diet. Check this out: In 1961, the average per capita meat consumption in South Korea was 3.6 kg each year. In 1979, it was 5.2 kg. In 1997, it shot up to 40.0 kg/year. Correspondingly, health problems like obesity and diabetes that used to not exist are becoming more and more common.

Korean barbecue (like the samgyeopsal and galbi above) is delicious, but why does it cause a developed Korea to shift away from healthy produce like the kind sold fresh at this local market?

Rain, Rain

2009-06-30T22:51:00.003+09:00

Today was the unofficial start of the monsoon season. It doesn't rain all day every day, but when it rains it pours. Last night I woke up to the sound of raindrops pounding against the ground. This morning it was clear for a bit and then out of nowhere the sky just opened up. I actually really enjoyed watching the storm once I got inside to the dry safety of my room.

On a related note, I now have a Korean name. There are two Chris' in the class, so to solve the problem I volunteered to trade my name for a Korean substitute. My teacher chose "Pi" which means "Rain" in Korean. I'm not sure if everyone out there knows this, but the problem with my teacher's choice is that the most famous Korean pop star goes by the same name. It's like an American exchange student walking around telling everyone that his English name is "Justin Timberlake." I'll be sure to let you know how this plays out...

Sights of Suwon

2009-06-29T23:17:00.007+09:00

Here are some photos from around Suwon. Like almost all South Korean cities, Suwon is full of high-rise apartment buildings, bustling train stations and bus hubs, and a downtown with neon signs and businesses stacked as high as the eye can see. But Suwon also has a less-developed side that gives you just the faintest hint of what life in Korea must have been like before it became one of the Asian Tigers.

Hwaseong Fortress

2009-06-28T23:25:00.000+09:00

This weekend, our group went on a field trip to Hwaseong Fortress, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Suwon that's sometimes called Korea's Great Wall. While the fortress does look something like the Great Wall of China, it's more like the Medium-to-Small Wall since you can walk around the whole thing in a day.

I'd been to Hwaseong the last time I was in Korea but apparently I'd missed quite a bit because our guided tour felt very new. We got to see an awesome demonstration of traditional weapons complete with flips, pratfalls and a soundtrack ripped from "Gladiator."

While we were there, my class had an assignment to take photos of every action we performed and learn the corresponding verbs. Each group will then present their day in class on Monday. My group took some liberties with the project (as I'm sure you can imagine) and I got to learn the Korean for phrases like "attacked Japanese invaders" and "performed a pole dance." All in all, a pretty exciting day.

Learn Korean: Part One

2009-06-26T21:03:00.000+09:00

Since I'm here to learn Korean, I figured it might be interesting to share some of that knowledge with everybody out there. I can't get the hangeul (Korean) font on my computer to work right now, so I'll just type the romanizations, but hopefully later on I'll be able to show you what the words look like in actual Korean writing.

Here are a couple words that I found particularly useful:

-Kongnyong = Dinosaur (A crucial phrase to know in any language!)

-Mi Gook = U.S.A. (literally: Beautiful Country)

-Mogi = Mosquito

-Sonsangnim = Teacher

-Hwajang-shil eodi issoyo? = Where is the bathroom?

Korean also has quite a few "loan words" from English, which means English words that have been Korean-ized. Now that I can read Korean (very, very slowly) I'll often be sounding a word out and realize that it's just English with a Korean accent!

Here are some of my favorite examples: pizza=pija, cheese=chijeu, computer=kompyutuh, and elevator=ellibeito

Kyunghee University

2009-06-25T22:49:00.000+09:00

What do a Roman amphitheater, traditional Korean tombs, two working farms and a fourteen story dorm all have in common? They're all located on the campus of Kyunghee University, where I'm studying.

The landscape and architecture of Kyunghee are certainly striking, as you can tell from this nice little fountain-temple combo, but it's hard to imagine that it wouldn't have been more appropriate to use a more traditional style. Kyunghee is clearly trying hard to imitate a Western style, they literally have the phrase "Neo-Renaissance" engraved across the top of the arch at the campus' main gate (which seems a bit like Frank Lloyd Wright spray-painting "Organic" across the roof of Fallingwater...)

Regardless of all that, the campus is gorgeous and there's a surprising amount of good hiking to be done on the surrounding hills.

The hike I went on today with two friends from my program was classic Korea: a trail through beautiful untouched woods right next to massive urban sprawl. Turn your head one way, you could be in a national park. Turn your head the other, you're in a scene out of Bladerunner.

After our hike, we walked back into the neon lights of Suwon and celebrated with a meal of samgyeopsal, Korean barbecue. A fitting end to a full day.

Back in Korea...

2009-06-24T21:54:00.000+09:00

Well, I'm back in South Korea! I'm here for the summer doing an intensive Korean language program with the U.S. State Department. By the way, one of the requirements of my program is that I give an official disclaimer if I keep a blog: These are my views and opinions alone and in no way reflect any official position by the U.S. State Department.

Now that we have that out of the way, I'll get to the interesting stuff. I'm living and studying at Kyunghee University's Suwon campus. I guess that means that technically this blog isn't really Summer in Seoul anymore, but since Suwon is a satellite city of Seoul (there's even a Suwon stop on the Metro) I think it pretty much counts.

Here's a picture of my dorm's section of campus. The entire campus is actually quite large, more than 20,000 students attend the school although most are commuters.

One of the things I'm enjoying most about my program is that the other students are all very excited about learning Korean but are also an incredibly diverse group. We have everyone from a Pakistani med student to a linguistic anthropologist from the University of Las Vegas to a Navy SEAL (my roommate) to Koreans from Jersey.

Here's a picture of my room and my SEAL roommate Joe.

It's really good to be back in South Korea. I'm surprised how familiar it feels and I'm excited to finally be able to speak the language. Of course, not having to teach six days a week this time along with a cheap delicious Korean cafeteria (under $4 for a ridiculous meal) and a maze of hiking trails behind my dorm definitely helps make the experience more enjoyable!

It's all over!

2007-08-19T17:58:00.000+09:00

Well, I finished work yesterday and now all my bags are packed. I'm flying out tomorrow. Spending my summer in Seoul has been quite an experience. Exhausting and confusing at times but for the most part exciting, eye-opening, and hilarious. I've done a lot of things I never thought I'd get to do. I've traveled all over Korea, walked on the Great Wall of China, and been to the most heavily fortified border on Earth. I've also eaten a number of "Fear Factor" quality dishes (some highlights were live octopus, beef intestines, the sexual organs of a male cod, and dog meat soup). Looking back, I can't believe how quickly the summer has gone but I also can't believe how "normal" Korea seems now. I spent today walking around Seoul and I was remembering how everything from the signs to the trees looked so strange and new on my first day here. Even though I've never worked more and slept less in my life, I'm glad I took a chance and came here. Korea is a remarkably hospitable country full of exciting, honest, interesting people.

Korean Independence Day

2007-08-15T06:28:00.000+09:00

Today is a big national holiday in Korea, Independence Day (don't worry, I still have work. Remember, this is the country that works the most hours in a year). Independence Day celebrates the Japanese surrender in WWII when Korea was freed from colonial rule. Over the 35 years that Japan ruled Korea, they committed a number of atrocities- everything from forced prostitution to torture and murder. Koreans haven't really forgiven them for it.

In my experience, ask any Korean about Japan and they'll give you a laundry list of crimes as well as a graphic description of what they'd like to be able to do to the Japanese. Even on my tour of the DMZ, the tour guide seperated us into Japanese and English language buses so everyone would know what was going on. Once the Japanese tourists had left the bus, he said, not altogether as a joke, "Thank God we got rid of the Japanese!" Well, today is National "Thank God we got rid of the Japanese" Day.

Sights of Seoul: Nighttime

2007-08-14T21:17:00.001+09:00

Here's another set of photos from around Seoul. These are from Yongsan Electronic Complex, Namdaemun, and the Dongdaemun Night Market. As you can see, Seoul doesn't slow down even a bit after the sun goes down, it's just an excuse to make the neon lights a little brighter...

Cultural Differences

2007-08-12T22:30:00.001+09:00

Well, I'm about to start my last week here in Korea... I have to say I'm excited to be back home. It'll be nice to be able to communicate perfectly and understand everything that's going on. As I start to prepare to leave, I thought it'd be interesting to share some of the not-so-obvious differences between Korea and the U.S. that I've noticed over the past three months.

1) Motorcycles and even cars drive on the sidewalk without any warning- you have to always be on the lookout and ready to dodge whenever you hear a motor

2) People walk on the left side instead of the right. I know that seems like an insignificant detail but it threw me off for so long, I was always bumping into people in the subway and on the street. Koreans drive on the right side though.

3) Koreans almost never do anything alone- hiking, eating, drinking, reading, sitting... everything is a group activity.

4) Men touch each other... a lot. It's not at all uncommon to see two middle-aged Korean men in suits holding hands as they walk down the street. At the same time though, Korea is wildly homophobic and not at all accepting of homosexuality.

5) Keeping with the same theme as the last one, Korean men carry purses. At first I thought all the guys were carrying their girlfriends' purses for them but then I started noticing that the girlfriends had purses too. Apparently Louis Vuitton and other high end purse makers have special "man purse" sections in Korean stores.

6) Couples wear matching outfits- I've posted some photos of this phenomenon before, it never stops amazing me.

7) Koreans will take a nap anywhere. They work more hours per year than any other country in the world so they take every break they can get. I've seen entire subway cars fast asleep and men sleeping on any flat surface you can imagine.

8) Almost all prices are negotiable- "neomu pissaeyo" this is too expensive "gaka juseyo" take a little bit off

9) You can watch T.V. on your cell phone here. I always see people walking down the street watching their favorite shows. Korea has a wireless network called "DMB" that makes it possible.

10) From a very young age, Korean kids study non-stop. Today on the subway I saw a kid whose legs didn't reach the floor studying his textbook with big dark circles under his eyes. In a lot of ways, the Korean education system is why the country is growing so quickly and succeeding. At the same time, it's hard to look at a kid like that and think that not having any time to play and just be a kid is a fair price to pay.

Ok, those are a few of the differences that stick out to me at the moment. Let me know what you think. While you're thinking, check out this video of a synchronized dance they did for the Korean National soccer team several years ago. It's insane.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=-LRInkuxqwo

Red Mango: Korea does Frozen Yogurt right!

2007-08-07T21:13:00.001+09:00

Some of you may have heard about Korean Frozen Yogurt. Apparently, it's the chic thing to be eating if you're a Hollywood celebrity (or so my Korean friends tell me). While I've been here, I've certainly been enjoying it as a way to escape the summer heat. The best frozen yogurt comes from Red Mango, a chain that has shops all over Seoul.

Red Mango is really popular. There's always a line no matter when you go. The women are always rushing around in their berets trying to serve everyone as quickly as possible. The frozen yogurt is amazing though, it's definitely worth the wait.
This is what you get. Frozen Yogurt with your choice of toppings. You can get all kinds of fruit and some cereal and even tapioca balls (personally, I don't recommend them). The yogurt itself is so good! It's smooth and creamy and it has a really nice subtle flavor that mixes with the sharper tastes of the fruit. There's nothing like a good bowl of this on a hot day!

Get Eaten Alive By Dr. Fishy

2007-08-07T21:08:00.001+09:00

Here's a post I've been putting off for a while. Two weeks ago, some of the other teachers and I went to a cafe that specialized in Dr. Fishy. Dr. Fishy is the hip thing in Korea and Japan right now. Basically, you go to a cafe, have a cup of coffee or tea, and then stick your feet in this tank full of tiny fish. The fish come and eat the dead skin off of your feet, giving you a fish pedicure. I had to try it out. The fish have no teeth so it doesn't hurt but it tickles and feels really weird when a bunch of them all go for your feet at once. I'm not sure my feet felt that much cleaner afterwards but they were a little bit smoother. Either way, it was a really cool experience.

This is the one of the tanks with the fish. You dangle your feet in there.

Those are our feet getting "cleaned"

Here's one of the little "Dr. Fish." I hope you liked the taste of my feet!

Hiking Suraksan

2007-08-06T21:30:00.002+09:00

I had big plans for this past weekend. I was going to hike one of Korea's tallest and most famous mountains, Seoraksan. It would have been an insane day of hiking from dawn until dusk. However, Mother Nature intervened with a thunderstorm in that part of Korea. Since the idea of hiking above treeline in a thunderstorm doesn't have a lot of appeal to me, I decided to use the weekend to catch up on some sleep and hike a mountain a little closer to where I live.

Conveniently enough, Suraksan is one of a number of mountains close enough that you can actually take the Seoul Metro to the trailhead. An added plus was that there's only a very minor difference in pronounciation between Suraksan and Seoraksan (so I could pretend that I hadn't actually cancelled my big plans)!

The trail up Suraksan was very scenic, lots of nice walks along ridges where the sandy trail wove through gnarled pines.

On the way up, I stopped to ask some passing hikers for directions. Since we were headed the same direction they insisted that I hike with them. Every time I've gone hiking alone, Koreans have always gone out of their way to take care of me and tell me about themselves and their country. It's very rare for Koreans to do anything alone, it's considered somewhat strange, so they often assume that I don't know anyone here.

Anyway, I ended up spending about four hours hiking and eating lunch with these guys. They were all middle-aged Korean cab drivers. Between all of them, they spoke enough English so we could communicate. They were hilarious! They all had nicknames, "Chungmuro-because he's the Korean playboy," Terminator (because he always wears dark sunglasses), Batman (he wouldn't stop shouting "Batman!" at me and making crazy poses), and more. The one who spoke the most English was Mr. Bin (They called him Bin Laden to make fun of his last name-it's very rare). I had a great time with them. They insisted that I share their red bean ice cream and their lunch of pig's foot, kimchi, and kimbap (Korean sushi). They also made sure that I drank a couple of glasses of makkeoli (Korean rice wine) before I headed on to the next part of my hike.

I got to the top and enjoyed the view, despite the fact that it was so humid you could literally see the moisture in the air. On the hike back down, I passed a little makeshift restaurant. The owners carry up giant coolers on their backs and then sell makkeoli and Korean vodka along with some simple snacks. I can't even imagine carrying all that halfway up a mountain. Anyway, as I passed, yet again a guy (Mr. Kim this time) called me over and insisted that I have a snack and a drink with him. Thank God makkeoli isn't very alcoholic or else I don't think I would have made it down the mountain!

That's Mr. Kim on the right along with the shop owner. I'm not quite sure why they're posing like that. Anyway, I had some delicious fried green onion pancake along with my makkeoli and Mr. Kim and I discussed the differences between Korea and America. I think a lot of times, people are just really happy for a chance to practice their English and share their love of their country with a foreigner. At one point, Mr. Kim and the shop owner (I didn't catch his name) admired my hairy legs and told me "That means you are very powerful with women. May I see you chest?" When I showed him my chest, he told me he was very jealous of me. Finally, after a few more bowls of makkeoli, Mr. Kim allowed me to leave with this parting advice, "People on the mountain are the best people. That's true in Korea, and I think it's true in the rest of the world as well." I couldn't agree more.

Starcraft, or How To Get On National Korean Television

2007-08-04T21:02:00.001+09:00

On Wednesday, I went to a professional Starcraft game. For those of you who don't know what Starcraft is, it's a computer game where players control alien armies against each other. Starcraft is a huge deal here in Korea. Everyone plays it. Nine million copies of the game have been sold in a country with only 49 million people total. People tend to play in PC bangs (basically internet cafes with much more comfortable chairs and lots of snacks). A couple years ago, a guy even died because he only played Starcraft and didn't eat or drink anything for three days straight! South Koreans definitely take their video games seriously.

This is what the "arena" looked like. Apparently this was a playoff game. The finals are this weekend in Busan. Fifty thousand people watch the finalists play on a beachfront stage. FIFTY THOUSAND. This country is insane.

Here's what one of the players looked like. I think this guy's name is "July." You have to admit, he looks like what you picture when you hear "Professional Video Game Player." He has to sit in a soundproof box during the match so he can't hear the audience screaming when the other guy is planning a surprise attack. Throughout the match, the camera would pan to his face but he never had any emotion on his face at all. He just clicked and moved his mouse like a maniac.

The game was being broadcast on both of South Korea's video game channels. You heard me right. There are two. It's like ESPN, except only professional video games, all the time. People love to watch it, at home, at the gym, everywhere. Now, while I was in the audience, I was very clearly the only foreigner there. The camera guys realized it too and kept zooming in on me when they wanted shots of the audience, so I ended up on national Korean t.v.! It's even on youtube! Here's the video. I'm about four minutes in (or when the time on the video says 5:30). I'd suggest fast-forwarding unless you want to see a lot of virtual action.

Here I am on the national Korean video game channel

Of course, I threw up the Korean peace signs. Everyone in the audience loved that. I can't believe that happened! Only in Korea...

Busan, Part Two: Live Octopus, Fish Markets, and Jenga!

2007-07-31T20:13:00.000+09:00

After the beach we had our real adventure. For lunch, we headed to Korea's largest fish market, the Jagalchi market, for a traditional delicacy...sannakji, live baby octopus. They chop it up but the tentacles are still going crazy- wiggling and suctioning all over the place. I'm going to try to post a video of it if I can. It actually tasted really good although it was definitely weird when you first put in your mouth. It started wiggling and suctioning to my tongue and cheeks. After some good chewing it calmed right down though. You have to be sure to chew because every year several people die from the octopus suctioning on to your throat after you swallow and choking you. You gotta make that sucker's dead.

After lunch, we explored the fish market and saw everything from dried squids, to sharks, to every kind of fish imaginable. It's almost all alive in big tanks. The vendors will either kill it and gut it there for you or let you take it home live.

After the fish market, it started to pour. It was a nice reminder that we're still in the monsoon season here. We hid out from the rain in a board game cafe. It's a place where you pay about $1 for an hour and they nice chairs and tables and tons of board games. You "order" your game from a menu and then play to your heart's content. We played Jenga, Uno, and some game that somehow involved monkeys (I didn't understand). The cafe was really fun though, it's such a good idea! Somebody should start one of these back home.

Finally, I headed back to Seoul exhausted. I'm really glad I got the chance to see Busan though.

Busan, Part One: Bullet Trains, Beaches, and Robberies

2007-07-31T19:31:00.000+09:00

As promised, here's the story of my action-packed trip to Busan this weekend. Busan is the second largest city in Korea and it's also one of the only places to never be conquered by the North during the Korean War. We took a three hour trip on the bullet train from Seoul. That thing goes fast (over 130 mph)! Once we got to Busan, the first thing we did was take the subway to the beach and eat raw fish (hwe in Korean). Busan is a major port city and is known for its fish. Check it out:

The fish was swimming around in a tank like this one when we got there. They pulled it out and sliced it up on the spot. It's just like the Busan Aquarium, except here, you get to eat the fish! It tasted amazing and they gave us lots of great sides like Busan-style kimchi (it's my favorite-salty and delicious!).

At the end of our meal, they took all our leftovers and made them into a spicy fish stew. It was so good I could hardly convince myself to stop eating. We also got to watch Korea's soccer team beat Japan in the Asian Cup (a big deal considering Koreans absolutely hate the Japanese).

That night we hung out at the beach and then went to sleep at a jimjilbang (Korean hot springs spa). The jimjilbang itself was crazy. They give you a uniform when you go in and the place was packed since it's the cheapest place to sleep. We went in and used the tubs and relaxed then passed out on a thin mat next to about three-hundred identically dressed Koreans. It was quite an experience.

Unfortunately, when we woke up, one of friends had had her wallet stolen during the night. It was a big hassle and everyone got pretty stressed out about it. Interestingly, it's the first crime I'd even heard about first-hand. Korea is remarkably safe.

After our best attempts at damage control we headed back to the beach where my friend Esther and I went to the Aquarium and saw sea turtles like this guy.

Afterwards we met up with everyone else and enjoyed the nice weather by swimming at the Busan's huge crowded beach.

Korean Animals

2007-07-30T23:01:00.001+09:00

In the past week, I visited the zoo at Seoul Grand Park and the Busan Aquarium (more on my trip to Busan to come!). Here's a little look at exotic wildlife in Korea.
I visited Seoul Grand Park on a weekday afternoon when it was misty and about to rain. That meant the park was basically empty. The skyride from the parking lot went over a lake where you could see Seoul Land amusement park on the other side.

The first animal we saw was a zebra. I made sure to look extra touristy taking tons of photos with my Nikon. After the Zebras, we headed over to the giraffes. Like a lot of the animals, they were kept inside in cages that seemed really way too small. I'm not sure if they only do this when it's raining but I hope that it was some special circumstance. It did look like there was an outside pen. The one nice thing about the giraffes being inside was that you got to get really close to them. One was eating hay off a platform and, at one point, it was literally right next to the plexiglass in front of me.

There were other weird things about the zoo besides the small cages. One thing that I found really interesting was that at both the zoo and the aquarium they had animals that I consider really boring like turtles and frogs from North America. I guess that makes sense since they don't get those here, but it was still surprising to see them.
There were also a lot of dead animals that had been stuffed and had crazy looking eyes. Check this one out.

Or what about this? Nothing says conservation like a tiger pelt.

Then yesterday, I went to the Busan Aquarium. The facilities were much nicer and more what I would expect. I got to see a huge amount of sea life and take some cool up-close photos. This guy was totally checking me out

They also had a big penguin display. Penguins are my mom's favorite animal so I made sure to snap a couple good shots. What do you think Mom, how does this penguin match up to the ones in the Central Park Zoo?

But of course, my own personal favorite animal is the Dinosaur (any and all). Here I am with yet another giant dinosaur sculpture I found. This one was at the Zoo. Notice that I'm also wearing my dinosaur shirt. In case you're wondering, yes I am 10 years old.

Dynamic Duo: Korean Hip Hop

2007-07-28T06:53:00.001+09:00

Last Saturday I saw a Korean hip-hop concert by Dynamic Duo. They're one of the more popular groups and their show was packed. It was at Club Catchlight in Hondae. We got in for free because my friend Sophia's uncle owns the club. The show itself was really fun and energetic. The music was pretty hilarious. They just sampled all these classic hip-hop beats and then said pretty random English phrases for the chorus and rapped in Korean for the verses. The majority of one song's lyrics were "What's up, Baby? What's up? What's up, baby?" We were right in front of the stage though so it was really fun to shout along and dance to the music. Later that night I had an experience I haven't had for nearly the whole summer: Running into someone I know! I walked past two people that I recognized as Brown students and we caught up and hung out for the rest of the night.

You can probably tell that I didn't take my nice new camera to the club. Some events just call for a crappy old camera...

Nice Photos of Suwon

2007-07-23T22:08:00.000+09:00

Well, I finally did it! I bought a new camera! It's a digital SLR, a Nikon D40. It takes amazing pictures and it's really easy to use but it also has all the manual and custom controls you could want. I'm still learning and experimenting with it but here are some of my first round of pictures from my trip to the Korean Folk Village and Suwon. I think you'll see a real improvement in the quality of the photos compared with the earlier posts.

The Korean Folk Village is a big historical reinactment. They have tons of houses and craft shops where they show you how silk, pottery, and wood crafts were traditionally made. Of course, what would a Korean folk village be without kimchi (Korea's national dish of spicy fermented cabbage)? There were pots full of kimchi fermenting everywhere.

I did learn some very interesting old Korean traditions. Here's a prayer that I tied onto a Korean prayer rope.

I saw kids getting their fingernails painted with traditional dyes, farmers tending to herbal medicines, and some delicious old-fashioned Korean candy and drinks being made.

The best part though were the performances. We saw a traditional wedding, a tightrope walker and a dance that farmers used to do that involved a lot of intricate spinning jumps and ribbons. Here's a shot of one "farmer" mid-air:

There was also an incredible performance of these two women using a see-saw like thing to jump insanely high in the air and then do tricks. I gave it a shot after they were done. I had fun but I couldn't get up quite as high as she did. You can compare the photos:

After the performances, I tried my hand at fishing using a reed basket but was (unsurprisingly) unable to catch anything. When we left thefolk village, my friends and I explored Suwon's Hwaseong fortress wall (on a tip from my brother Zach). It's a World Heritage site and it's pretty amazing. It looks a lot like Korea's much smaller version of the Great Wall. For dinner, we ate "galbi" (marinated beef ribs) which Suwon is famous for. After eating it, I can safely say, it's famous for a reason.

Here are some photos of the wall and more photos from the Folk Village. Man, I love my camera!

Life as a Teacher

2007-07-23T21:38:00.000+09:00

I've been posting only about my free time (because that's what's exciting to me) but now, due to popular request, I'm going to tell you a little bit about what I actually do at work every day.

I teach eight classes total, four classes each day. Each class meets three times a week for an hour and a half session. I teach an even split between TOEFL Speaking classes and Reading/Writing Classes. The TOEFL kids are generally older since they're preparing to take the TOEFL test for admission to boarding school or college. My oldest student is a high school senior.

The Reading/Writing classes, on the other hand, are a big mix. We read novels, discuss them in class, have vocabulary quizzes and write essays. I've taught everything from "Ender's Game" to "Their Eyes Were Watching God." I have one Reading class that's full of high schoolers but then my youngest class is fourth graders. Here's a picture of the little guys:

As you can tell from the picture, they're an energetic bunch. I have a lot of fun teaching them. Jessica is a good sport considering she's the only girl in the class.

Here's a picture of my TOEFL class hard at work on an in-class assignment:

In my TOEFL class, I help the students prepare for the Speaking section of the TOEFL exam. I teach them about what each question will ask them and what a good response looks like. We do a lot of practice tests and speaking exercises. I correct their grammar and vocabulary mistakes and help them with pronounciation. It can be really challenging but I have a great time teaching the kids. The best is when we do tongue twisters to build their verbal skills. The kids tend to have the most trouble differentiating between sounds like r/l or g/k because in Korean they're both pronounced the same way (somewhere in the middle). Words like "world" or "hurled" are also big challenges. Also, if you don't want to get fired, never have the kids say words like "sheet" or "beach," Koreans turn those into profanities VERY quickly.

This is the actual building where I work. Andyprep is what's called a "hagwon." It translates basically to "cram school." It's a place where students go after school or during vacations to study even more. Korean kids barely ever get a real break. They go from school to hagwon to homework to sleep. No wonder they can't wait to get to college in the States.

Funny English Signs Pt. II

2007-07-18T21:36:00.000+09:00

Here's another round of signs in English that have made me laugh. I found a couple of real gems in China. Most signs there weren't funny though, they just made absolutely no sense.

"The Booty Shop"- This is a classic Korean rip-off of an American store. They didn't quite get the pronounciation right though.

Here's a great one from China. The word they were looking for is "Bike" not "Sex"

Another Chinese treasure. I cannot understand this for the life of me.

That's right Beijing, nothing says class like "Valued Squirrel"

Finally, one of the best parts of the Boryeong Mud Festival. Come on, don't be silly!

Food: Part 2

2007-07-17T21:38:00.000+09:00

Mmmmmm... I'm ready for another look at all the delicious food I've been eating. Tell me if you want me to try to smuggle some back through customs.

Here's one of the street meals we ate in China. Garlic bread on a stick and some garlic roasted mutton. It was so good! I ate 12 mutton sticks.

This is what they serve at Korea's International Airport. That's right, the English translation is "Broth to Chasa Hangover" I'll have to test that out some day.

This is a very traditional Korean meal. A simple stew and rice and then a ton of delicious side dishes. For $5, you can't get a better deal.

Ok, this is one of my favorites, Samgyetang. It's Korean chicken ginseng soup. They cook a whole small chicken in a ginseng broth. The chicken is stuffed with rice, dates, ginseng and potato. The meat is so tender and it's really healthy for you. Koreans always eat it when they think they're getting a cold.

At the end of the first session of teaching, our boss took everyone out to an all-you-can-eat Sushi buffet. It was incredible. I ate until I thought I was going to die. Here's plate 3 of 6.

Gettin' Dirty at the Boryeong Mud Festival

2007-07-16T19:33:00.000+09:00

That's the end result of the Mud Festival. But let's look at how I got there. This one can best be summed up by photos. Words cannot describe the madness that is a Korean Mud Festival.

The first night, I met up with my friend Maggie. She's a part-time teacher at the same place as me and she's also starting a Seoul Improv group which I'm going to be a guest member of. I dropped my stuff off at the room (seven of us were cramming into it) and then we all went to the beach. We hung out all night drinking cheap Korean beer and shooting off fireworks.

The next morning we headed down to Daecheon beach where the Mud Festival is held. The beach is beautiful and the water wasn't too cold. Here I am enjoying the great weather pre-mud.

This is what our group looked like once we walked a little ways down the beach and got to the heart of the festival. There were tables set up everywhere with buckets of "expensive cosmetic mud." Everyone uses ladles and paint brushes to cover themselves completely. Then you go do activities like mud wrestling or tug of war or going down a huge slide. When the mud starts to dry, you run into the ocean and wash it all off. Then you start the process over. The mud was soft and silky and it felt great on my skin.

There were amateur Korean photographers everywhere with their huge cameras. Whenever you did something crazy or poured mud on yourself and your friends they'd all cluster to get a good photo. At one point we had about ten of them taking our pictures. It felt like the paparazzi.

Then a band started to play and everyone was jumping around covered in mud, just having a great time. I danced with these old Korean ladies who, as you can see, were just going absolutely nuts.

Everyone else stayed for a second night and another day of mud. After all my travelling, I needed to just get back and get some sleep, so I watched the sunset and then headed back to Seoul. One day of the Mud Festival was amazing enough for me.

The DMZ (De-Militarized Zone)

2007-07-16T19:03:00.000+09:00

After getting back from Beijing, I didn't waste any time. I got up early the next morning and visited the border between North and South Korea. They don't run tours on Sundays so this was my only chance to see the most heavily fortified border on Earth. On the bus ride there, our tour guide told us all the rules. No pointing at North Korean soldiers or making any hand gestures (they might think it's a gun and open fire), no speaking to the North Korean soldiers (you might start an international incident and they'd open fire), and you must stay with the group at all times (so you don't accidentally wander into North Korea and get shot). Basically there are a lot of ways to get shot by North Koreans. Of course, they run tours all the time and no one is at a big risk but the tour companies take it very seriously.

Our tour guide was a Korean War veteran and he told us some of the history of the conflict. I knew very little about the situation and it's interesting to find out all the factors that are at play. As recently as 1978, South Korean and U.S. Forces found a tunnel being dug by the North Koreans in preparation for a sneak attack on Seoul. With North Korea's nuclear tests in the recent past, the mood at the border is far from relaxed.

You can see how close the two sides stand to each other. That's the South Koreans in the foreground, standing in a modified Tae Kwon Do position. You can see the North Korean soldiers in the background as well as part of a tour that came in from the North. It's strange to be standing there looking across the border at a tour group that had come in from the Communist side (mostly Chinese citizens). You really feel the fact that the Cold War is not over in Korea when looking across that divide.

We got a chance to look at some of the important sites in the Joint Security Area such as the site of the Axe-Murder Incident (where U.S. soldiers trying to chop down a tree were killed by North Koreans). We also saw the bridge to North Korea where POWs were exchanged and in the distance we could see a North Korean village. According to our tour guide, the village is completely empty, it's just there to make North Korea look successful but no one actually lives in it. The highlight of the tour for me was visiting the building where the two sides negotiate. It strattles the border so one half is in North Korea and the other half is in South Korea. At one point, I was technically standing in North Korea. When I looked out the window, I was face to face with this North Korean soldier

It was a very cool experience. The funny part was going straight there after visiting Beijing. I felt a little bit like I was doing a tour of modern Communism around the world.

From Peking Duck to the Great Wall

2007-07-16T18:15:00.000+09:00

Beijing...it's hard to know where to even start to describe this trip. Beijing is the most different place I've ever been. It's full of contradictions: completely ancient and totally modern, filthy and spotless, communist and capitalist all at once. I'll try to give you a little taste of my experience there.

The first thing that happened was once my friend Larry and I got out of the airport we took a bus to the center of the city. After that we were completely lost and no one spoke any English. We ended up haggling with these rickshaw guys to give us a ride (they carry calculators and maps so you can haggle and communicate without knowing Chinese). We each hopped in a rickshaw and they raced each other to the hostel we were staying at. Here's a picture of me and my driver:

Riding in the rickshaw was so fun! They sped along the streets and through the little alleys of Beijing. The colors and style of the buildings on the main streets are very modern but in the alleys everything looks very traditional and old.

After checking in to our hostel (which was amazingly nice for the price), we checked out Tiananmen Square. Standing next to the giant portrait of Mao could best be described as surreal. According to our guidebook, the whole square is constantly monitored by closed circuit cameras and microphones as well as undercover policemen. I certainly believe it. The whole site is enormous and covered by flags and soldiers in uniform. It's hard to remind yourself that this is the site of the 1989 demonstrations. China's done a very good job of making it more a promotion of the "glorious communist China" than a reminder of the price students paid while protesting for democracy.

That night, we ate Peking Duck at the most famous restaurant in Beijing. I cannot explain how good this duck was. The skin was perfectly golden and crispy. The meat was tender and juicy. When you put it in a pancake with the sauce and the vegetables, the flavor was complex and delicious. I'm starting to drool just writing about it.

We did so much in Beijing that I'll just give you the highlights of the rest of the trip and post some photos. We went shopping and haggled for some amazing deals in Beijing's markets (got lots of presents for friends and family back home!). We went to the Great Wall of China, the Ming Tombs, the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven and more. We rented bikes and explored Beijing's alleyways. We ate a fancy traditional Chinese meal and later a meal of steamed buns, dumplings and beer for 40 cents. We went to a traditional tea ceremony, a traditional Chinese doctor, and a jade factory before meeting up with my friend Dan who's studying at Beijing University for the summer. Then we all went back to Quanjude (the Peking Duck restaurant).

Larry and I crammed a ton in to a short trip. I had an amazing time. It was great to see Dan and especially fun to see him haggle in Chinese with the women at the silk market. They loved him. That, along with the Peking Duck and the Great Wall were the highlights for me.

In no particular order, here are some pictures from the trip.

This is a close up of the fence at Tiananmen Square.

One of Beijing's hutong (alleyways).

Mmmm...yummy! Don't they look delicious? You can't tell this from the photo but they were still alive and moving.

The Great Wall! I had to keep pinching myself to believe I was really there. We lucked out and went on a gorgeous day.

Taking a little break at the Temple of Heaven

I might not speak Chinese at all, but everyone understands the international language of Dinosaur

Back in Korea

2007-07-13T16:14:00.000+09:00

Well I'm back in Korea after five amazing days in Beijing. Today I went on a tour of the De-Militarized Zone, the border between North and South Korea. At one point, I was technically standing in North Korea! I'll post all about that and Beijing later on. Right now I'm headed to Daecheon Beach for the Boryeong Mud Festival. As you can probably tell, I'm making the most of this one week break from teaching.

I'm having a great time and I'll post some photos and more details when I get back on Sunday!

Red Devils!

2007-07-07T17:15:00.000+09:00

Thursday night I went to Seoul World Cup Stadium to see the Korea vs. Uzbekistan soccer match. I had so much fun! We sat in the cheering section for the Korea's team, the Red Devils, and we didn't sit down once the entire game. The seats were cheap and look how close we were...

Right as the game started, a giant Korean flag was unfurled that covered nearly all of our section and we got handed sparklers. After that, the singing and chanting started. The words were easy enough to learn and pretty soon I was shouting with the best of them. One chant we did a lot is "Te ha min gook!" which basically translates to the official name of South Korea (I think). There were a lot of different variations on that chant involving hand clapping and one that went to the tune of "Ode to Joy." I have some great videos of everyone singing it together.

Basically the only times we stopped chanting were when Uzbekistan looked like they were about to score a goal and then everyone switched to saying the most horrible curses they could think of in Korean. I didn't know any so I could only contribute some English words I'm fairly certain no native Korean had ever heard before.

Korea ended up winning 2-1 and everyone went nuts. I'm so glad I went to the game, it was such an awesome experience, totally different than any sporting event I've been to in the U.S.

Here are some photos:

Posters of all the players and the coach. Cho Jae-Jin was the unquestionable star of this game, he scored both goals.

The giant flag unfurling

Enjoying my sparkler a little too much

This guy was keeping the beat for all the chants and songs. I'm not sure whether it's always the same guy or not.

All the guys who came to the game. Notice that I'm sporting the red for Korea.

No photos from this one!

2007-07-04T06:53:00.000+09:00

Last night, I went to my second jimjilbang here in Seoul. A jimjilbang is basically a Korean public bath house. It's a big part of the culture here. It's a bit of culture shock at first because everyone inside is completely naked (there are seperate sides for men and women).

Once you get over the nudity though, the jimjilbang is so relaxing. It's amazing. The one I went to last night had several hot baths, a Korean herb bath, an aloe bath, a pool of cool water, and an ice-water bath. They also had an herbal fog sauna and a fiery hot traditional sauna.

What everyone does is alternate between the hot and cold baths and saunas which really relaxes all of your muscles and stimulates the blood flow all over. After you've gone back and forth several times, you exfoliate your whole body with these rough Korean towels. Then you come out of the pool room and they have hair cream, combs, q-tips etc. After an hour in the baths, exfoliating, and then putting on skin lotion, I couldn't believe how relaxed my muscles were and how soft my skin felt.

But that's not all! Jimjilbangs also have a common area where men and women can hang out together. At this particular one, there was a pc room for playing video games (of course), a restaurant, a room for napping (very popular), and a dry sauna that men and women could use together (clothed).

After coming back, I had a quick phone conversation and then passed out. Nothing beats a good night's rest after the public bath.

Food

2007-07-03T19:36:00.000+09:00

I've been holding off on this post for a while but now I have a nice collection of food photos. Everything here is delicious and healthy so I've been experimenting a lot. Here's some of what I've tried...

This is traditional Gyeong-ju bread. It's a barley bread that's stuffed with red bean paste. It's delicious-you can taste the earthy barley in the bread and then the red bean is sweet on the inside.

Mmmmmm.... here's some delicious samgyeopsal, which is basically like uncured Korean bacon. They serve this at Korean barbeque restaurants and you wrap the meat in leaves with roasted garlic, onions, mushrooms and red pepper paste. It tastes unbelievable. This restaurant right by where I Iive charges about $3.50 for a serving.

This is kimbap, which is basically Korean sushi. It's filled with either cooked tuna, cheese, meat, or vegetables. It's a good, cheap breakfast when you have to work early mornings.

Here's some acorn tofu. It's a specialty around mountains and reputedly there's nothing better for your health.

Hope you enjoyed that little sample of Korean foods. There's more to come! I still have to work up the courage to try some Korean specialties like roasted silk worm larvae, live baby octopus, and dog-meat soup. I don't think I can leave Korea without trying at least some of those.

Gyeong-ju

2007-07-03T18:34:00.000+09:00

This past Sunday I went on my first big trip out of Seoul. I woke up at five in the morning and got on the six o'clock bus to Gyeong-ju. I've been asking everyone where I should visit outside Seoul (I even assigned it to my kids as a homework question) and Gyeong-ju was by far the most popular answer. It's four hours away and I only have Sundays off so I had to make it a day trip (which explains the ungodly hour I woke up at).

Gyeong-ju is one of the few places in South Korea where a large portion of buildings survived the bombing during the Korean War. Even before the war it was packed full of important sites because it was the ancient capital of the Shilla Kingdom (one of four kingdoms in Korea). People call Gyeong-ju "The Museum Without Walls."

This is a picture I took along the way. The bus ride itself was amazing. Looking out the window at the countryside, it's hard to believe how many mountains Korea has. I also saw some beautiful rice paddies with tall white cranes walking around them. It was right out of a movie. When I wasn't admiring the view, I caught up on some sleep.

Once I got off the bus, the first thing I noticed is how little concrete and neon Gyeong-ju has. Those seem to be the main building materials in Seoul (and I've heard pretty much everywhere else). There were traditional style roofs and old stone walls. From the express bus terminal, I caught a local bus and went to my first stop, Bulguksa Temple.

These guys guard the main entrance to the temple. As soon as I got inside, I noticed a tour group with an English language guide. I quietly latched on to the back and got the inside scoop on what everything meant for free! Unfortunately, you're not allowed to photograph most of the really incredible stuff at Bulguksa. They have several giant gold and bronze Buddhas that are over four hundred years old and some paintings that are indescribable. Since Bulguksa is a temple where monks still practice, the photography ban is out of respect.

I was allowed to take photos of the outsides of the buildings though. Here's a photo of one of the many staircases:

There were paintings like this one all around the outside of the buildings:

I spent a long time wandering around Bulguksa and talking in all the artistry and care that went into the temple. Every painting and sculpture has a specific meaning and they're all masterpieces. Then, after a quick stop in the gift shop and a lunch of Gyeong-ju specialties (more on that to come..), I headed to Seokguram grotto.

Seokguram is even higher up in the mountains than Bulguksa. When I got there the rain was falling pretty hard. The mist coming off the mountain combined with the smell of incense and the sounds of monks chanting and beating drums made the whole experience seem surreal. Outside the grotto was another small temple with white lanterns hanging out in the rain. Here's how it looked from above.

Inside the grotto, again, there was no photography allowed. I don't think a photo could have possibly done Seokguram justice though. It's a cave with an absolutely enormous hand carved stone Buddha. Along the walls are carved panels of disciples and bodhisattvas. The Buddha has a gem in its forehead and my students told me that the grotto was specially built so that at certain times the sun will shine straight through and illuminate that spot.

After seeing the grotto, I walked down to the temple and watched a monk chanting his prayers. The song was beautiful and there were hundreds of tiny Buddha sculptures with candles inside. That combined with the rain and the lanterns made the whole experience incredibly powerful and spiritual.

After getting back from Seokguram, I stopped by Tumuli park in central Gyeong-ju. It's a park that's filled with ancient royal tombs (tumuli). They're all underground and from the outside just look like enormous grass hills. There's one that's now a museum and I got a chance to go inside and look at the construction and the artifacts they found. After that, I had to hustle back to the bus station to make sure I got back to Seoul in time. The bus back to Seoul was packed but the seats were still pretty comfortable. There are assigned seats on the buses here (and in movie theatres too!) and I got seated next to a French-Canadian who's a teacher as well. We had a nice chat on the way back and I got to practice my French a bit. He was a really cool guy and we made plans to go hiking together. All in all, a very successful trip!

Gettin' Paid!

2007-07-01T23:11:00.000+09:00

Yesterday I got my first official paycheck of the summer! It was a really good feeling to know that I'm not just working this hard for nothing. I like my job but six days a week of 6:30 a.m. wake-ups gets old very fast.

Anyway, to celebrate, I went to Namdaemun Market to check out prices on a fancy new digital SLR camera. I think I'm going to get one while I'm here. The prices are way cheaper than in the states and they don't charge you any tax. Plus you can haggle! Some people hate haggling, but I really love it. One of my favorite Korean phrases (I don't have many to choose from) is "Gaka juseyo" which literally means "come on, shave a little bit off." It's what you say to start the negotiation.

Back to Namdaemun Market... I didn't buy anything, just looked around. I love walking around it though, there's nothing like it anywhere back home. There's an outdoor part, where I took this photo of ginseng in jars.

There's also an underground shopping complex that's packed to the gills with merchandise. With all the stalls and stacks you get disoriented and lost very easily. It's a good thing I'm not claustrophobic.

After Namdaemun, we went to a restaurant called Le Petit Paris which was amazing. I had a steak and this unbelievable molten chocolate cake. The best part was that since the restaurant is in a college neighborhood, Sinchon, the meal was affordable too. It'd been too long since I'd had a good steak. After dinner, I went back and went to sleep early so I could go on my first trip to a part of South Korea other than Seoul.

Beijing it is!

2007-06-29T18:05:00.000+09:00

Well, I found today that I'm not going to be able to get a ticket to Mongolia so I'm headed to Beijing! I'll be there one week from this Sunday. I'm really excited, I booked my ticket just now. My friend from high school, Dan Maas, is studying at Peking University there. I'll visit him and check out the city and the Great Wall of China. Dan says Beijing's amazing, I can't wait to see it!

Here's a picture from the campus of Peking University

Cheonggye Mountain

2007-06-28T18:43:00.000+09:00

Yet another mountain checked off the list! I'm slowly but surely working my way through the biggest mountains near Seoul, pretty soon I'm going to have to start travelling further away if I want to do something new. Cheonggyesan (-san means mountain in Korean) was probably one of the easier mountains I've done so far. Even so, since it's the rainy season it was about 85 degrees with 80% humidity and hiking anything in that is a workout.

Probably the best part of Cheonggyesan was this temple that we hiked past on the way up. Look at the enormous buddha statue. Sandy, one of the other teachers, grew up in Korea and she went with me on this hike. Sandy grew up in Korea and is fluent in the language. On the way up she was explaining a lot of really interesting cultural things to me that I hadn't understood before. For example, I'm not sure if you noticed in my photos but all the temples here are the same colors. The reason for that is that paint is an import from China, it's not something that's traditionally Korean. So all the temples have always been decorated with dyes made from the plants and minerals around them, which results in a lot of the same colors. Even so, the designs are always very intricate and colorful.

Sandy also pointed out this rock to me on the way up. Apparently Cheonggyesan is known for its strong chi energy. There was a sign that said (in Korean) feel free to take some of this rock's chi with you on the climb up. All the hikers were stopping and circling it a few times before heading up. I decided to give it a shot too. Here's me before chi:

Here I am post-chi. You tell I'm really feeling it.

On one section of the hike, there were a lot of stairs. I mean a LOT. They were very conveniently numbered so we knew exactly how many we'd climbed. This is the kind of thing where once you start paying attention to it, you actually can't stop. After a while, it started to drive me insane. Look at this, we were only about a fourth of the way up!

Sandy and I also saw our fair share of Korean hikers totally decked out. This guy though, really takes the cake. He's wearing CRAMPONS! Correct me if I'm wrong but those are only for ice. It hasn't been colder than 75 degrees here in weeks.

After we got down off the mountain, Sandy took me to a traditional restaurant for a specialty from the area around Cheonggyesan, acorn tofu. It sounds a little strange but it tasted delicious and you could tell how healthy it was. A good meal to finish a long hike.

Korean War Memorial Museum

2007-06-27T23:40:00.001+09:00

Monday was the anniversary of the Korean War and I did a little catching up on my history at the War Memorial Museum. The building itself is very large and impressive. It's got fountains and flags and is built on what used to be a U.S. Army base.
Walking around and looking at the exhibits, it's hard to imagine what Seoul must have looked like during the war. My grandfather is a Korean war veteran and he said that when he saw Seoul all he remembers is absolute destruction. Inside the museum there are several statues and plaques dedicated to Korean soldiers who performed suicide missions, something I was pretty surprised to see. Hearing Koreans discuss the war really brings home the point about how big a toll the war took on this country. The war is still a very heated issue here.

Outside the building, they have a big collection of tanks, planes and boats. Check this out:

The Korean War is still not officially over. The two Koreas have only ever signed a cease-fire agreement. It's easy to forget but every once in a while you get a little reminder, like this sign I saw in Yongsan Electronics Market. It gives a special phone number to report North Korean spies.

Where to go?

2007-06-24T02:04:00.000+09:00

I have my one week break coming up in a couple of weeks. I'm trying to finalize my plans. One of my friend here, Whang-ki, his family moved to Mongolia and he invited me to come stay with him. I really hope it works out but at the moment I'm on the waiting list for a ticket from Seoul to Ulaanbataar. There are only a couple of flights each week so they're all pretty crowded. Hopefully I'll get a ticket and be able to go. If not, I think I'm going to go visit a friend who's studying abroad in Beijing. Either way, I'm sure my break is going to be amazing! Between these two options, you really can't lose...

Korean Costco and E-mart

2007-06-24T01:30:00.001+09:00

Monsoon season started this week. So far we've just had some regular old rain but I'm told the real downpours are coming soon. The humidity is certainly high enough to make me believe it. So what do you do when faced with the prospect of three weeks of rain? Well, my answer was to stock up on food...

There's nothing like seeing that sign! I love Costco. I ate a huge amount of samples in the store and then finished it up with Costco's $2 hot dog and a drink. That's a good meal. One thing that was really interesting about visiting Costco here was looking at what they carry. There's a lot of the stuff that they have in the U.S. but there's also a lot of uniquely Korean items. Like this for example:

That's cooked pig's feet. They eat a ton of pork here (not just the feet), partially because beef is really expensive. Korea doesn't allow U.S. beef to be imported since they're worried about the safety of the meat and that's caused incredibly high prices. Beef is a real luxury item here. Even at Costco, hamburger meat was priced at over $25 for about 4 burgers worth.

I stocked up on pasta, sliced cheese, and sandwich meats, all of which are very hard to find here. The prices weren't too bad and I can't wait to have a good sandwich and a home-cooked pasta dinner. Here are a couple more photos from my trip to Costco:

I couldn't bring myself to buy these and try what passes for a bagel in Seoul. I know, I'm a snob.

That's a huge case of SPAM. Koreans love the stuff. They use it in a lot of traditional dishes. I would never have eaten it at home but here, the way they make it, it actually tastes really good. Don't worry, I'm not going to using it myself anytime soon.

Live flatfish! You see these in tanks outside seafood restaurants all over Seoul. You just pick out the fish you want and they kill it and gut it right there. You can't get much fresher than that. Costco had a good deal on them too.

After Costco, we stopped by E-mart to pick up some items we didn't want in bulk. E-mart is Korea's answer to Walmart. They sell everything and at very reasonable prices. They had lots of samples here too and I made sure to try them all (the best ones were a snack food called Potato Dreams and Korean raspberry wine).

One great thing that they have in Korean supermarkets is this really logical cardboard box recycling system. If you buy a lot of stuff, instead of giving you four or five plastic bags, you put your groceries in a cardboard box and carry them out like that. The boxes are then put in recycling back at your house. The system just makes so much sense because then the store doesn't waste all the boxes the food comes in.

That's about all from my exciting shopping trip! One last thing though. Check out the outfits they make the workers wear at E-Mart. You don't get much more Korean than red mini-skirts and high white boots.

Dobong Mountain

2007-06-23T18:23:00.000+09:00

Sorry that it's been a while! I've been busy though so prepare yourself for all the posts I've been saving up! The first thing I should talk about is a day trip I took to Bukhansan National Park last Sunday...

I thought that I had a pretty good idea of what hiking in Korea was like. I was wrong. It turns out that because I was hiking lesser known trails during the week, I was missing what most Koreans consider to be "hiking." Sunday, I got my first real taste.

Once I got off the train, I followed the crowd across the street into this huge marketplace that's outside the national park. They sell everything you could possibly want while hiking from drinks and snack foods to backpacks and boots. I couldn't figure out how to take a picture of how big it was but check out this picture of the masses headed to the mountain.

Bukhansan National Park is technically outside of Seoul in Gyeonggi-do but I could still take the subway there. Even while I was on the train it was very clear that I was not going to be walking by myself in the woods. There were tons of middle-aged Koreans decked out from head-to-toe in matching hiking outfits. They had hats, vests, sunglasses, bandannas, backpacks, and pants all perfectly coordinated. They also had pretty much every imaginable hiking accessory possible strapped to the back of their packs (water bottles, sleeping pads, walking sticks, etc.). All the groups that were together were wearing matching clothes so you could tell who they were with. Everyone in the group would have on all North Face gear or all Kelty gear.

On the hike up, the trail was completely packed with people the whole way. I'm told this is definitely representative of what a normal weekend hike is like. I didn't mind the crowds though. It was pretty interesting to see everyone enjoying the mountain. Even with all the people, I was definitely the only white guy there. No one really spoke any English except for the Park Rangers (one of them helpfully hiked with me for a while and showed me the right trail down!).

One thing that was the same about this hike as the others is the steepness of the trail. This was by far the longest and highest hike that I've done in Korea. At the top there was one section where the rocks don't have any steps cut into them or anything and they're at about a 30 degree angle. There were metal cables and a railing like this one that you use to pull yourself up. It was quite an experience.

The view from the top was breathtaking and the trail on the way down took me past some of the most beautiful temples I've seen in Korea yet. See for yourself:

Korea University and Soccer Volleyball

2007-06-18T22:19:00.000+09:00

This weekend was jam-packed for me. I have to make every second count since I work Monday-Saturday. So after my last class got out at 3 p.m., I went with some of the guys to check out Korea University. The campus is very impressive. All the buildings are relatively new for a college because, like everything else in Seoul, it's been destroyed and rebuilt several times. Most of the buildings are in the style of the above, with an old castle-like exterior and then modern windows. One of the buildings though, has this super sleek interior.

After we walked around for a while, we met up with Mike's dad who's an econ professor teaching for a year here in Seoul. He took us out to an amazing meal of Korean barbeque. That stuff is seriously too good to stop eating, the hardest part is deciding when to leave the restaurant. After our meal we wandered around for a while and found what looked like a smallish tennis court. Actually it was a court for a Korean game that's best described as Soccer-Volleyball. The Korean word for it is pronounced something like Joh-Koo (I could never get it right).

The game was so fun. Mike's dad taught us the rules. The basic breakdown is this: It's played with a soccerball. You're allowed three hits before you have to get it onto the other side and the ball can bounce only once between each hit. You can't use your hands so you mainly use your feet and head. The net is about the height of a tennis net and to do the equivalent of a spike in volleyball, guys do crazy acrobatic moves like bicycle kicks.

We were just messing around trying to learn the game when a group of 50-year old Korean guys challenged us to a game. Losers have to buy ice cream. We played a couple of sets and got absolutely destroyed but it was a good time. Here's a shot of Brian getting ready to serve. All my shots came out pretty blurry so I'll post a better one once I steal other people's photos. I wish I could post this video I have of the guys who came on after us. They were amazing! This one guy would do a cartwheel and smash the ball onto the other side. The night was great, the kind of thing that could only have happened here.

COEX Mall

2007-06-18T16:53:00.000+09:00

How do you get free movie tickets in Korea? Well, this week I found out. We went to COEX Mall which is the largest indoor shopping area in Asia. It's got absolutely everything (including an aquarium and a restaurant owned by Jackie Chan called Jackie's Favorite Noodles and Dim Sum Restaurant). I'd been avoiding going because monsoon season is coming any minute and I wanted to save visiting it for a rainy day. That's why I've been doing so much stuff outdoors. But I couldn't avoid going any longer because all my friends wanted to go see Ocean's Thirteen and it was only playing there.

We got to the movie theatre and paid for our tickets. When you buy a ticket for a movie here they assign you a seat as well. Somehow while they were printing our tickets the computer froze. Long story short, we waited for half an hour before finding out the movie was now sold out and we couldn't go. After a screw-up like that the manager was in shock. Customer service is a huge deal in Korea, they take it way more seriously than in the U.S.
He refunded our money of course and gave us free tickets to see a movie whenever. Not only did we get free tickets but I got to share this delicious "Love Combo" with my friend Whang-ki.

We went back to see the movie and it was actually pretty entertaining. The movie theatre itself was amazing. The seats are really comfortable, the popcorn is cheap, and the screen is HUGE. I tried to take a picture of it but it wouldn't all fit in one frame. On our way out after the movie we got to check out some classic South Korean fashions like this speedo/boxer-briefs combo.

I also was finally able to get a photo of what I think is my number one vomit-inducing South Korean fashion trend (right behind man purses). Koreans call it "Couple-T." It's when a couple dress exactly alike in matching outfits. This couple isn't matching the jeans but a lot of them do.

Hiking Kwanaksan

2007-06-17T02:38:00.000+09:00

Friday, after work I decided to go on a hike. I got a recommendation from one of my co-workers, Sandy, to visit this mountain that's on the edge of Seoul. It's right next to Seoul National University, Korea's best public university. The hike was amazing. The air was so fresh and clean, a nice change from the air in the city.

It's a bizarre experience to ride a crowded bus and then get off and walk about 200 feet and be completely alone hiking in the woods. The split between the city and the mountains was made even clearer when I got up to the first scenic lookout. On one side, only beautiful mountains, on the other, sprawling skyscrapers and concrete. Check it out.

To my left:

To my right:

It was really nice to be out in the woods alone for a while. Hiking here is intense though. Koreans love hiking so the trails are well-maintained. They also clearly have a different philosophy when it comes to making trails. While American trails weave around the mountain and take a little longer, Korean trails just go straight up and down.

There are almost no cutbacks at all. I really like it, it means there are more places with great views and more scrambling on all fours up a boulder. You definitely work up a sweat. Luckily they have ropes like this one along the trail so you can pull yourself up the steeper sections.

Here are some more pictures from my hike:

Funny English Signs pt. 1

2007-06-14T20:43:00.001+09:00

Here's the first in what I'm sure will become a series. Enjoy!

This is right across the street from the building I live in. CYTY MASAGEE...

There are two places you can get a drink: Starbucks or Dancing Goats

An interesting marketing campaign for a condom vending machine... Love is red perfume!

This needs no description...

This is one of my personal favorites

Whiskey...Cocktail...BEAR!!!!

Namsan Tower

2007-06-12T00:32:00.000+09:00

Tonight, my friends Jess, Karam and I hiked up and visited Namsam Tower (also known as the N'Seoul Tower). As you can see, it's a big observation deck that sits on top of a mountain. There's a big cable car that goes to the top and most people take that but we decided to be adventurous. The walk was really beautiful with lots of good scenic lookouts. Here's a slightly blurry shot we took at one.

What's really amazing anytime you get up high enough to really see Seoul is that it stretches on and on and on. The city is skyscrapers and neon lights as far as the eye can see in every direction. There are literally mountains in the middle of it. It's crazy. Once we got to the top of the tower, the hugeness really set in. It was dark and you could walk in a full circle around the observation deck and see bright lights and huge eight lane streets in every direction.

One hilarious thing we ran into while visiting the Namsan Tower was a big press conference for the Transformers movie. I have no idea why they decided to hold it on the side of a mountain but they did. We saw Michael Bay and the female star (no idea what her name is) talking to a huge crowd of reporters. Check out this photo and be sure to notice the life-size Transformer robot that they hauled all the way up the mountain.

On the observation deck they had the distances from the tower to cities around the world. I couldn't believe I was 8,331.88 km away from Seattle but then I saw this. I'm having a great time in Seoul but I am definitely a long way from home.

Han River Park Pt. 2

2007-06-11T16:57:00.000+09:00

I came back to Han River Park and spent most of my weekend there. I just can't get enough. It's so nice to be somewhere open and green after spending the week in the hectic neon lights of the city. On Saturday afternoon, a bunch of us rented bikes and rode around. We went way further this time than I did last time. The park is really amazing. It's probably my favorite part of Seoul so far.

The day was really clear, one of the clearest we've had so far. I was able to see the mountains in the distance and the sky was completely blue. Usually the combination of pollution and some clouds makes it impossible to see very far into the distance. When you can see though, the image of the mountain range behind the buildings is gorgeous.

We rode past a big garden planted full of these enormous roses. When I asked about them, I found out that they're Korea's national flower, the Rose of Sharon. We also biked past these fields were there were rows of planted vegetables. Apparently random people just come and plant things there and then they pick them and eat them. I can't really imagine that ever happening in New York.

After biking, we went and got Korean barbeque. That stuff is so good! Once I get some more good pictures of food I'll tell you all about it. Then on Sunday, I came back to the park and played Ultimate Frisbee all afternoon with a bunch of guys who are part of the Korean Ultimate league. I can't believe that even exists. It felt good to get some exercise in the sun though and afterwards I went and got dinner with some of those guys. It was cool to meet people who are teaching English here.

These guys were a lot older than me but they gave me some good tips about things to do and see while I'm here. I also got the inside scoop on the Korean soccer team from a Scottish guy, Malcolm, who we played with. It sounds like I definitely have to check out one of their games. He said that the entire crowd chants and moves together for the entire game. I can imagine that. Koreans definitely have that "group mind."

Insadong

2007-06-11T00:22:00.000+09:00

Sorry it's been a while since I last posted. I've been working hard at school 6 day a week! It's pretty intense but it's a rewarding job. Teaching English so far has been like a big game of charades, trying to figure out how to act out words like "decrepit" and "claim."

Needless to say, I was pretty excited when the weekend rolled around even if I only really have Sunday off. The first thing I did was visit a neighborhood called Insadong. It's one of the more touristy areas of Seoul mostly because the stores are selling "authentic" Korean souvenirs and there are some buildings in the traditional style. I didn't buy any souvenirs yet, I'm holding off on that until later in the summer. Here's a view of the main street.

I took that photo from a tea shop I went to. Insadong is famous for its tea shops. All the teas have different flavors and medicinal qualities. I picked out one that's good for "Colds and the Immune System"- the waiter recommended it. I figured boosting my immune system couldn't hurt!

Here's what the tea looked like. I think it was Pear tea. It wasn't what I was expecting at all but it was really tasty and refreshing. A lot more like soup than I would have thought. After a very relaxing afternoon in Insadong I came back and explored some of Seoul's nightlife with the other teachers. A good way to get the weekend started!

Yongsan Electronics Market

2007-06-07T16:54:00.000+09:00

Yesterday after work a bunch of us headed to Yongsan Electronics Market. It's hard to describe it because there's really nothing like it in the U.S. It's a mall and outdoor market that only sells electronics. Check it out.

There's a floor with only cell phones, a camera floor, a video game floor, a t.v. floor... you get the picture. The shops are little booths filled with Korean men and women who shout at you as you walk past to buy from them. The amount of merchandise is insane. There must have been literally a million cell phones in that place. I didn't want to buy anything, I was just browsing. I might buy a really nice camera here but that'll have to wait at least until I get my first paycheck.

Here are some of the highlights from Yongsan: Electronic Toilet Seats that have a remote control, a Hello Kitty pink electric guitar, every videogame ever made, the thinnest laptop I've ever seen, the biggest t.v. I've ever seen, and a $1200 cell phone made by Prada.

Yongsan also has an Electronic Gaming Stadium on the top floor but unfortunately it was closed when we got there. That's right PROFESSIONAL VIDEOGAMING. I really can't believe that exists. I have to see a match before I leave. I feel like it would be breath-taking. I'll keep you posted.

Before we left we were craving some American style food so we got fast-food burgers at Korea's homegrown fast-food chain Lotteria. Brian really enjoyed his European Frico Cheese burger (we could not figure out why it was called that). Lotteria is owned by Lotte, a company that makes everything here. There's Lotte chewing gum, Lotteria, Lotte Castle apartment complexes, even Lotte World amusement park. Somewhere there's a really rich Korean guy named Lotte. After the burgers we walked outside and the sunset was unbelievable (almost exclusively due to the huge amount of pollution in the air). The sunset, combined with the futuristic looking buildings and the fact that we were surrounded by electronics really made me feel like we were walking out of a scene from "Bladerunner."

Fried Chicken and Beer

2007-06-07T00:00:00.001+09:00

Fried Chicken and Beer doesn't sound like the most Korean food but actually it kind of is. They love it here. Korean fried chicken is really different than American fried chicken. It's not nearly as greasy. They also put all kinds of different spices on the skin so there's this strong taste on the outside but once you bite in, it's just perfect chicken. It's really good. There was even a New York Times article about it.

I had the spicy chicken and a maekju han jan (glass of beer). It was delicious but fiery hot! You definitely needed a little maekju to cool your mouth off. The place we were eating at is called Two Two Fried Chicken. It's a chain that you see everywhere.

Dinner was really fun because most of the teachers went. We all got to know each other and spent of a lot of the dinner just laughing hysterically and then stuffing our faces with chicken. Every meal in Korea comes with tons of side dishes and this was no different. They gave us the kimchi of course (Korea's national dish) as well as little omelettes and some chips and what I think were pork rinds. Everything was delicious. I've learned to just eat and not ask questions.

A couple things about dinner were great. First of all they put our group in this upstairs room that was literally out of Being John Malkovich. The ceiling could not have been more than 5'7". Everyone was crouching down to get to our table. It was pretty hilarious. Another was this button on the table that you press when you want the waiter. It's the first time I've seen it but apparently it's pretty common here. What a great idea, I love it.

Dinner was great and we were all completely stuffed but we decided to go get frozen yogurt at Red Mango afterwards anyway. We ended the night by all hanging out outside on the roof of our building. All in all, a very good night.

Han River Park

2007-06-05T18:07:00.000+09:00

So after feeling kind of homesick over the weekend, I followed some good advice and searched out English speaking clubs to join. Well, not so much searched out as stumbled upon one.

I decided to go visit Han River Park. The Han river flows through the center of Seoul and the city has set up some really nice public space along it. I left the subway station and immediately saw... Ultimate Frisbee?
Apparently a group of English speaking foreigners have set up the Korean Ultimate League. They have pick-up games every Sunday in the park. For me it was a totally unexpected but effective answer to homesickness. I can't wait to play next Sunday.

This is how I felt after hearing about the Frisbee league.

Han River Park itself is beautiful. I rented a bike for about $3 for an hour and my friend Garam and I rode around. You can see the 63 Building in the background of this photo. It's one of the tallest buildings in Seoul. I'm going to go visit soon. I hear it has a great observation deck and an aquarium in the basement!

Seoul Metro

2007-06-05T17:57:00.000+09:00

The subway system here is amazing. It's really easy to understand. Each line has a color and a number. There are maps everywhere that are translated into English, Chinese, Japanese and Korean. It's also fast, clean, quiet and cheap. There's really nothing not to like about it. Here's what it looks like.

That's the super-modern station that's right by where I live. Some of the other stations are decorated differently. One popular theme is cave. Just to make sure you don't forget that you're underground.

Sights of Seoul

2007-06-05T17:41:00.002+09:00

One of the main reasons for making this blog is to share photos so here are some sights I've seen around the city. If anything catches your eye and you want to know more about it let me know!

Gyeongbokgung

2007-06-05T17:28:00.001+09:00

After hiking on Inwangsa, I visited one of Seoul's five palaces, Gyeongbukgong. The palace is an impressive sight, it's huge and ornate but it's also kind of a tourist trap. Here's a photo from inside the palace walls.

My favorite part of the palace was this pond that one of the buildings went right up on to.

The best part of Gyeongbokgung though was that there were all these Korean school children on field trips there and everytime a group of them saw me they would go crazy. They'd all wave and shout "HI! NICE TO MEET YOU! WHERE ARE YOU FROM?!!!"

One group of little boys ran up and started yelling and asking me to hug them while their friend videotaped it on his cell phone. It was hilarious. It's funny because you can't even pretend to not be a tourist here. I'm very obviously not Korean so I get some great reactions sometimes.

Inwangsa Temple and Mountain

2007-06-05T16:53:00.002+09:00

One of the first things I did in Seoul was take the subway to visit Inwangsa Temple. I got off right at Dongnimmun station (As a side note, my little brother really loves how often the phrase "dong" comes up in Korean. It really is everywhere).

Inwangsa is a shamanist shrine that people still worship at. While I was there, lots of old Korean men and women were hiking straight up the side of this really steep mountain (the temple is about halfway up). There were tons of offerings of fruit and food at all the various buildings. As I hiked around, I could hear them chanting and beating drums.

Here's a picture of the temple gates. Everything was decorated like this. It was pretty amazing. They also had a little store where you could buy drinks. I definitely needed one after walking straight up the side of the mountain. They sell all these delicious drinks here and they only cost about 70 cents. It's awesome. My current favorite is one that's called 2% DBH. DBH stands for Drenching Body and Heart. I have absolutely no idea what the 2% is since it's peach flavored tea. The women in the store made fun of me for not speaking Korean and starting singing the ABC song.

Here's another view of the temple. They still had paper lanterns hung up from a celebration the week before.

After checking out the temple, I kept on hiking up Inwangsa Mountain. One thing that blows me away about Seoul is that the city is huge, bustling, full of cars and people and smog but at the same time it's surrounded by mountains and you can walk from a subway stop to a beautiful nature hike.

I hiked for about an hour to the top of Inwangsa Mountain. Here's the view from the top. Right before I got to the top I ran into a little hut where two Korean soldiers where stationed. Like everyone I've met here they were really friendly and anxious to use what little English they knew. The one who was clearly better at English asked me where I was from and then said "Cool! Nice to meet you." The other soldier was really quiet but right before I kept on hiking he turned to me and said "Handsome guy! You are handsome guy!" It was priceless.

The hike was beautiful and the view was great. I got to hike along the ridge and the fortress walls of Seoul for about two hours before heading back down into the city. It was great to get away from all the noise and the crowds for a while.

BUT HERE'S THE REALLY IMPORTANT THING THAT HAPPENED... I know everyone has been wondering when it was going to happen. I tried Makkeoli. For those of you who don't know, that's Milky White Rice Drink. More accurately, rice wine. On top of Inwangsa, a group of Korean hikers saw that I was alone and called me over to join them. They fed me a cheese stick and gave me a cup of makkeoli. I figured since a South Korean soldier had already told me I was handsome guy, there was probably no better time to try it. It was actually very good. Sweet and light. The hikers pointed out what all the buildings and sites we could see from the peak where. It's amazing how eager people here are to share their culture.

Ok, sorry that post was so LONG! I'll try to keep them shorter from here on out. I'm just trying to catch everyone up on what I've been doing.

And so it begins...

2007-06-05T16:46:00.002+09:00

Well, I've been here in Seoul for a little more than a week now. I just got back from my second day of work. My classes are fun but pretty challenging. I'm teaching TOEFL Speaking and a general Reading class. It's pretty tough to figure out just how to train kids to pass the speaking section of the TOEFL exam when they don't always have enough English to figure out what the question is asking them. We'll see how that works out. One fun part of that class though is we listen to a cd that has sample speaking answers and it's like 30 minutes of hilarious accents from around the globe. The kids love it, especially the Eastern European guy who sounds a lot like Borat and talks about his marriage where he was "very much emotioniated." Alright!

That's all for this post. For my next couple, I'll go back in time and show you what I've been up to. I'm going to try to update this as much as possible and share photos and what I'm up to. I've already seen a lot, I'll try and post about some it right now.