Korea Life Blog - Oba OB




And I used to think we had big beers back in the states. Take a look at this new item. 1.6 liters of OB mek-ju in a plastic bottle. They just started carrying these a week ago at the store nearby and they can't keep them on the shelves...the local university students buy them all up. They cost only 3,500 won, which is another reason why I don't like going to bars. At a bar you pay 5,000 won for a small bottle and there isn't a notebook computer with ADSL access. Then again, at my home there isn't a hoard of pretty Korean girls hanging around either (well, at least not usually). The problem with this size bottle is that unless you drink it fast, the beer will get warm and flat. Problem solved: I drank it fast. I thought afterward I should feel drunk. Instead I felt tired, extremely full and had to use the bathroom 20 times. Like American beer, Korean beer is light and weak. It's kind of like drinking carbonated water with beer flavor added. Unfortunately it's the only kind of beer I can buy at the store here in Nowhere-dong.

Korea Life Blog - Barber Babes




While I was walking around in Sadang, I noticed these barber poles. However, I didn't notice any barber shop or hair salon. It was rather an odd site in a purely entertainment district. I have heard before that if you see a series of these lights in front of a barber shop, it means there is a barber and also ladies available to "service" you inside. I'm still not exactly sure what it's all about. A long time ago I naively went into one to get a haircut. While this strange guy was cutting my hair, an ajumma wearing sexy? clothes and too much makeup put her hand on my knee and asked me questions over and over. At the time I had no idea what was going on, but I'm assuming now that she was asking me if I wanted a little extra with my haircut. I just kept shrugging and finally ended up with the worst haircut of my life. Luckily I only got charged 6,000 won. If anyone knows the real story or has had an experience behind the scenes, please fill us in. Either way, it's a peculiar concept. Nothing better than getting a haircut and a little action to go with it. Hah!

Korea Life Blog - Store on Wheels


I love mini-truck stores - you see them all over the place. I'm not sure if it's a legal business. I doubt it, but it's giving me an idea. I'll get a bunch of potential foreign teachers and stick them in the back, then park in a Hagwon area and sell them off at a million won a pop. If you want to invest in the deal, be sure to send me an e-mail.



I've seen all these snacks a million times but I don't know the names. I generally don't eat snacks, but if I did, this would be the place to stop. He's obviously a professional dealer, notice the scale there. Nobody's gonna walk away a gram short.

Korea Life Blog - Eel Delight


You think my dinner from yesterday looked bad, take a look at this:



Fresh eel here! Get your fresh eel! First come, first serve! Step right up, no pushing.



Remember this scene from my Geoje-do story? "I asked the ajumma for a menu. She led me outside and pointed at a fish tank. I put my face to the glass - a thick swarm of eel stared back at me." I still don't think I'm ready to try one of these just yet. Anybody out there like eel? What's it taste like? Is it good for a man's stamina? When a food looks unappetizing it's usually said to be good for a man's stamina. I'm not sure I buy that.

Korea Life Blog - Bachelor's Dinner




I really need to hire an ajumma, buy a cookbook, or get married to someone who can cook well. Look at what I'm about to eat: beans, anchovies, seaweed, ham, rice, kimchi, and milk. What a delicious combination. Ugh! Also, now that my computer is on my desk, I'm stuck eating dinner on the floor. I need a small table, but that's not so easy to get when you live in a small town and use public transportation.




This kimchi is incredibly delicious. One of my adult students gave it to me. Most people make their kimchi this time of year. I have to get a picture of the pile of cabbage in front of the local store. It's huge!



Not that long ago the site of people eating anchovies grossed me out. One day I gave one a try and I liked it. Now I eat them all the time, eyes and all. It's amazing how much your appetite can change after living here so long. They taste great and are good for your health.


Update:

Amazing, after eating that rather bizarre combination of food, I thought I may end up in the bathroom for awhile. However, I'm pleased to report that it's several hours laters and I feel fine.

Korea Life Blog - Cheon Won Store


Dollar stores are extremely popular back in the states and 100 Yen stores are equally common in Japan. I hadn't seen a 1,000 won store before but figured it would be a good business idea. I finally found one in the Sadang subway station in Seoul last weekend and took a few pics. Everything is actually 2,000 won or less, not bad at all. It would be a good idea to stop here when setting up your new apartment or just to pick up some cheap supplies. Why there aren't more of these, I'm not really sure. The place was packed with eager customers.



Lot's of stuff for the classroom here. The items with Korean writing on the packages would make decent gifts to give out to your friends back home. Imagine the surprised look on their faces as you give them Korean glue sticks.



Another angle. Notice to the left the toy clubs. Some teachers use these to hit students on the head with. It doesn't hurt at all and the club makes a squeaking sound. To the right is a huge collection of batteries from Japan. Not a bad deal, but I'm not sure about the quality. I bought some dollar store batteries back home once and they lasted about 2 hours in my walkman.



They had a good selection of dishes to choose from. I would have liked to have bought some, but I didn't want to carry them around with me all day. I wish there was a 1,000 won store in Nowhere-dong.

Korea Life Blog - Surprised Pig




Korean restaurants often display in their windows a cartoon replica of the animal they specialize in serving. These cartoon images usually depict a happy cow, chicken, or the like. What they could be happy about is not really clear. Here we have a more realistic expression: a somewhat cute pig with a rather surprised look on its face. Yeah, that's right, Wilbur - your sister and brother are inside grilling up on the barbecue.

Korea Life Blog - Sadang, Seoul at Night


Here's a few random shots from my evening in Sadang this Saturday.




Sadang looks a little like every other downtown-ish area, except it's smaller and there's no fast food burger joint, which is nice. There's a Dunkin Donuts however. We stopped there and picked up a couple of donuts and a coffee.



The other side of the street. Yeah there's nothing unique, but it's the nightlife and I still like it. A lot of bars and bangs.



After you get tanked on soju, you can easily take your drunk loved one to one of the many, conveniently located motels. These places make a fortune in Korea. The owners almost always have an Equus or other luxury car parked nearby. What an easy life - hang out and collect money from horny drunk people and have an ajumma clean the rooms. My ideal job! Some of the seedier ones have been known to place secret cameras behind the mirrors...I've seen the videos off Kazaa. (One of my friends, the sick barbarian! - he downloaded them onto my computer and I just happened to find them one day, horrified of course!)



Here's dinner: garbi tang. Just looking ate this picture makes me want to eat it again. It tastes delicious. That chongak kimchi was excellent. I also at a lot of those small anchovies. Mmm.



Look behind the crane game. What? - does every area of Seoul have one of these insult shouting gorilla punching games? I wonder who the person that decided on the design is. "Hmm, let's see. I'll make a punching game in the shape of a gorilla, yeah! And...well, it should have blue sunglasses, of course, and a matching vest to boot. Am I genius or not?" Ironically one of the insults the gorilla shouts is, "Hey, you're ugly!" Yeah, you're not looking so good yourself, Monkey Jackson.



The crane game had some unique prizes. There's a couple of jars of honey in there. Everything looked too heavy for the small crane so I didn't even bother to waste my money.


I got a few other pictures, but I'll save them for future posts. It sure is nice having this new computer at home. It makes it much easier to update. Come back again soon.

Korea Life Blog - Bus Seat Advertising



If you take one of the comfortable busses, they usually have advertising cases over the seat tops. Here's one for a guy that is an expert at reading your palm. He sure looks professional. Last time my friend checked my palm I was told I will get married late and die young. It wasn't clear if the early death will be caused by the marriage or not. I'd better be careful.

Korea Life Blog - Happy Liquor Pia




I found this oddly named bar in Sadang, Seoul. I don't know about you, but the name sounds a little strange to me. I don't think I'll be drinking anything here.

Korea Life Blog - It's Never too Late for Soju




In Korea, it's never too late to drink Soju. One of the things Koreans do when paying respects to the deceased, especially during Chuseok, Korean Thanksgiving, is to offer up some food and drinks to their lost loved ones. This deceased elder is enjoying a few shots of his ex-favorite beverage. Ah, it's good to be alive...or dead. One shot!

Korea Life Blog - Natural Siding



A reader of mine was surprised to see pumpkins growing on a roof so she took this picture. It gave me a good idea. Instead of aluminum siding, plant some pumpkins and they will grow all over your little house, providing insulation and also asthetic beauty. Then you can harvest your siding and make jack-o-lanterns or pumpkin pie or. It gives the the expression "to kill two birds with one stone" new meaning.

Korea Life Blog - New Computer


This is my first post with my new laptop and ADSL connection. The computer works great and the internet connection is lightning fast. I bought the computer at Note World, a small notebook computer shop in Technomart. It's a Presario 2510AP, Pentium 4 2.0 GhZ, 40 GB, 512 MB RAM, 15" SXGA screen, combo drive, 64 MB video Ram, English XP and Office. The guys there are really friendly and helpful. Don't forget to negotiate the price; they came down 50,000 and upgraded the memory from 256 to 512. It came with a free bag, mouse, and screen cleaner as well. They were supposed to give me anti-virus software, but they forgot. I'll have to stop back to get it.


Here it is. I got the 2000 Watt speaker set-up for only 40,000 Won, also at Technomart. The bass is thumping and the sound is bright and clear.



I like the new Compaq design. It resembles many of the Centrino models that I liked. The high resolution is crisp and clear. Pictures look much sharper and brighter. I love it. Check out my cool desktop picture, one I took at Gyeongbokgung Palace in Gwanghwamun.

Korea Life Blog - DSL!

The DSL guy should arrive tomorrow morning finally. Now I will be able to write and update more often and never have to go to a noisy, smoky, dungeon-like PC bang ever again!

Korea Life Blog - Poll

I turned off the moderator setting on the poll comments. I didn't realize it was on. Thanks for the comments there so far. My favorite one is "The most informative site on the web." That made my day.

Korea Life Blog - In the News (3)


Ddong Chim takes another victim. Take a look at one of the funniest news stories in recent memory:




Arrest for "Ddong-Chimming" a Woman


"I don't have a girlfriend. Women seem to hate me. So I ddong chimmed them."

After a female passenger's butt was "ddong chimmed" on the subway, there was an arrest for this unprecedented incident.

On the stairwells of JongGak Station, Dongdaemun Stadium Station and other stations during rush hour, the late twenty-something Mr. Kim (unemployed), approached young women in pantsuits from behind, put both of his hands together, thrust them between their buttocks, and then quietly escaped after performing this bizarre deed.

Mr. Kim's bizarre behavior came to an end on the sixteenth when he was caught by a subway police team at Exit 12 of Dongdaemun Stadium Station. As usual, on this day he was looking around for a "target" at Dongdaemun Stadium Station. But fortunately, subway police were hiding, and they had him in their trap.

Mr. Kim, being unaware of this, spotted a 20-something woman, wearing a pantsuit, inside the station and followed her out. Then while she was standing at a street stall to buy something he came up to her from behind, dong-chimmed her with both hands and ran away. In spite of Mr. Kim's quick getaway, the subway police pursued and caught him.

According to the subway police, "Sexual misconduct happens quite a bit, but this was the country's first case of dong-chimming on the subway." "We were also very shocked," they revealed. Mr. Kim was arrested for sexual misconduct.

A police investigation revealed that Mr. Kim had also been fined in April 2001 for dong-chimming a female pedestrian at Dongdaemun Stadium Station. During the investigation Mr. Kim revealed, "Women seem to hate me, so I dong-chim them."

Nam Tae Hyun - Ilgan Sports

Korea Life Blog - Computer Game Addiction

One of my Korean readers sent me a bunch of funny pictures she found on the net. I thought I used to have a computer game addiction when I got hooked on Diablo, Starcraft and other RPG games, but get a load of these losers:



Somebody better call the fire department and report this fire hazard. It seems someone has had way too much to drink and one too many cigarettes by the looks of it - take a look at that keyboard. It's just a matter of time before he kills himself and everyone else in his apartment building.



Another guy with a not so healthy lifestyle. A load of cigarettes, orange cola, soju, beer, ramyon, milk, toilet paper, coffee...looks as if this guy hasn't left his chair in a week. And check it out - he's even got a blanket for when he falls asleep playing his game.



Coca Cola hit the jackpot with this customer. Look at that pile of garbage! I can't imagine what kind of insects are living under in it. This guy's even got two monitors, one for computer games and one for Playstation 2. Judging from that Hulk/Ghost Rider poster and from the lack of booze and cigarettes, this is probably a teenager's bedroom. I'm not sure what kind of parents would put up with this however. Maybe it's a college dormitory.

Korea Life Blog - Threatening the Customers


Customer service isn't always helpful and comforting in Korea. A picture sent in by one of my soon to be married readers. One of the signs says: "It is white. Don't touch it. If you do, you will get nosebleed!" If I knew where this place was, I'd go there and touch it on purpose, take it off the rack and examine it closely, then I would hang it up backwards. I can't believe someone would put this rude sign on something they are trying to sell. Sure is a thoughtful way of making people want to purchase something. The only thing it makes me want to do is leave my fingerprints on the outfit then, as the owner has a fit, feign foreigner ignorance and leave.

Korea Life Blog

I've been a little busy but I'll update again soon. I got a computer finally and hopefully will be hooked up to the internet this week. I got a great deal on a laptop at Technomart. Last night I transferred off the pictures from my camera so I can take new ones again finally. The bad news is on the way back from Seoul this weekend I left my backpack on the bus. Fortunately it was the first time I didn't have my camera in the bag. However, I lost my Korea notebook in which I had penned another 50 or so pages on the Geoje-do story by hand and my other notebook with several long stories I wrote about living in the states. That really was depressing. I realized it immediately and we contacted the bus station several times but the bag wasn't turned in. At least I have the computer now and will be able to write more quickly, but I was really excited to rewrite what I had from my notebook. Oh well...that's life. I'll take a picture of the computer and write about it soon.

Korea Life Blog - TP Ten Pack



As I was walking down the street with this package, I ran into one of my students and her mother. There's nothing like meeting someone for the first time while holding a 10-pack of toilet paper. This is the smallest size they come in here, unfortunately. You can however buy single rolls at the smaller strores for 500 won.

Korea Life Blog - What's in my Fridge? (2)


Let's see what I have in the freezer: chicken balls and mandu. In the fridge: a bag of seaweed my co-worker gave me, the usual plastic box full of kimchi, some water, a few condiments, and some dwen jang paste. Wow, exciting.