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Is This The Work of Flying Cows Consulting?
2007-07-15 05:33:00
Since we're on the topic of recent protests in Korea, I thought I'd post the following picture from the Lotte Mart Sangmu branch in Gwangju. As you can see, flying cow dung is being thrown by protesters against the sale of U.S. beef! I feel sorry for the person who had to clean up that crap--literally speaking. 6 out of 53 stores were shut down due to protests. This quote from the article puts into perspective how expensive Korean beef really is:"One hundred grams (3.5 ounces) of non-frozen top sirloin sold for 1,550 won ($1.70). The same part from a Korean cow is sold for 6,000 won. Each customer was limited to a purchase of 1 kilogram."You can read the article from the JoongAng Daily here; for more reader commentary, head over to the Marmot's Hole. Is this the work of Flying Cows Cons ulting ? Check out their website for more info on teaching English in Korea (minus the dung of course!).Want more protesting action? These pictures were taken last month in Myeongdong, near City Hal...
More About: Work

Korean Labor Strikes: Homever in Mokdong
2007-07-13 17:49:00
When Devante tried to go to Homever on Monday of this week, the entire store was barricaded and blocked off. The front entrance of the store had its gates down, preventing people from entering the store. The police were there with full out riot gear shields--what was going on? I was busy filming last minute online lessons in Imae, so I was unable to catch a piece of the action!Prior to all this, I had noticed that the majority of the cashiers had morphed into Korean men--previously they were dominated by women. I spoke to one man who was my cashier. I asked him why are all the cashiers men? He told me that there was a strike going on and that he was sent from E.Land's headquarters. On another occasion, I asked our female cashier who spoke English, where she was from. Once again, she said she was from headquarters, filling in for the lack of manpower. I asked her if she was having fun being a cashier--and she gave me a dirty blank stare! Whoops, seems like I touched a sensitive nerv...
More About: Shopping , Jobs , Labor , Strike

Miscellaneous Korea Blogging Update
2007-07-12 17:57:00
Alright, as you may already know our one year contract teaching English in Korea in quickly coming to an end (we fly home on July 25th). One of the big questions I've been getting is "what is going to happen to your blog" post-Korea? Well, I've decided to start a poll and ask for your valued input! I wouldn't be dedicating my time to post every day if it weren't for my loyal readers out there (thanks for all the comments!).Anyways, the poll is to the left and there are six choices. You can select more than one choice, or select them all. Just tick off whatever you think this blog should become or where it should be headed. Your input will help influence my decision on the future of this blog, once I'm back in Canada. If you have any other suggestions, please feel free to drop me a line in the comments, or via email.Oh yeah, one more thing. We will be moving into a hotel for a week before we leave, paid for by work of course. This is part of our contract to move out early, so th...
More About: Internet , Blogging , Update , Ella

Forget Trainspotting: Rat Spotting in Seoul
2007-07-12 15:43:00
What kind of animals have I seen in my time in Seoul ? Well, I've seen the occasional stray cat poking at garbage bags and some stray dogs roaming the neighborhood. I've also seen a Steff hot dog, a 1000w hot dog, and a Costco hot dog. Oh, and don't forget the world's fattest dog at Giordano. With all big cities, rodent problems are a given no matter where you go. I spotted my first rat in Seoul last week!We were walking toward the back entrance at work, when suddenly I hear someone call my name. It's one of my coworkers and he's looking at something. He tells me to come over to check something out. I head over to the bike racks, and low and behold...what do I see hanging out on the grate below? A large rat enjoying its day! This plump thing was not scared at all was content with whatever it was doing. It did not even flinch at us.There must've been some kimchi down below because it was concentrating pretty hard. There was a food/garbage bin about 10 meters away, so no wonder...
More About: Animals , Forge , TRAI

The Ultimate Packing List: What to Bring to Korea
2007-07-10 17:21:00
Alright, so you're just about ready to head off to Korea and you're not sure what to pack, or what to bring. I'm going to try to keep this short and sweet. I'll explain some suggestions of what items we brought that worked out well for us. Here's the list, as promised!One more thing...By the way, Jon from I'm A Seoul Man is coordinating a Korean blogger meet on July 22nd, as a last hurrah for the both of us (he's heading to Japan). Want to go? Read more about it here!Clothing- bring a WARM winter jacket (my North Face jacket was a blessing); it gets very cold here- if your feet are over size 9 for men, I would bring a pair of shoes. I had a hard time finding size 11 here--I bought two pairs of shoes in Dubai instead. ;)- I brought one sweater with me for winter and a light zipper sweater to wear at school.- bring summer clothes...shorts, tshirts, etc- bring underwear (ladies: bring your thongs as they don't sell them here; they are hard to find)Personal Care:- DEODORANT...br...
More About: Jobs , List , Ultimate , Packing

People Watching at Shinsegae Department Store
2007-07-09 18:05:00
I get emails and requests from readers all the time about what they would like to see on this blog. Most of the time I will fulfill requests that are within reason. Recently, Angel from Singapore (Naengmyeon Weather is Back) requested to see what people are wearing during this summer weather. Well Angel, if you ask, you shall receive!Here is a short clip from the Shinsegae Department Store (a direct competitor to the Hyundai Department Store). It was taken while we were sitting in some lounge chairs enjoying some Red Mango frozen yogurt. Notice the problems with the door--I ended up accidentally stopping it permanently when I was leaving, as I wanted to test out the safety features of this thing. I let the door hit the heel of my shoe and it just stopped and would not start up again...whoops! Enjoy your one and half minute glimpse of what people are wearing:Our last day of work is July 24th! We fly back to Canada the next day...I can't believe one year has gone by so quickly--I st...
More About: Shopping , People , Jobs

Pepero Sticks Can't Take the Heat
2007-07-09 16:27:00
If you're coming over to teach English in Korea, get ready for Pepero Day, which falls on November 11th. Pepero is virtually the same as Pocky (but don't mention that to your students, as some of them are sensitive towards all things Japan). Anyways, I've been posting about the weather here in Seoul that has been warming up and how to deal with it. I received lots of comments and even suggestions on what one should do to cope with the heat.Speaking of coping with the heat, you know it's hot in Seoul when your Pepero chocolate comes melted, resulting in one large clump of chocolate covered sticks--and that's from a vending machine! These poor packs of Pepero probably felt the wrath of the sticky weather during transport in the back of a truck.Anyways, one of the kids in my Tuesday/Thursday classes, Jenny, always shows up early. She lives five minutes away so she just comes early to hang out. I told Jenny that if she was willing to go to the vending machine on the second floor (w...
More About: Weather , Food , Teaching , Heat , Stick

Transformers the Movie + Corn Ice Cream = Wow
2007-07-07 17:50:00
So in keeping up with the recent humid and hot weather, here's something that I'm sure you'll enjoy. Today is Saturday and we had to work! Yes, I know...working on Saturday sucks, BUT there is a good reason for this. When the Constitution Day holiday falls on the 17th, we'll get the 16th off as well, giving us a four day weekend!Today at school I had 9 students show up for my first class and only ONE student for my last class. I can't imagine showing up for three hours at your English academy on a Saturday, but that's student life in Korea. Oh, might I add that on every other week, most students attend school on Saturdays. So I had kids that came straight from school after leaving school. FUN FUN FUN!After work, we headed to the Megabox to watch Transformers . This blockbuster pulled in almost $28 million on its opening night, on a Tuesday (the biggest Fourth of July opening ever, beating out the $22 million Spiderman 2 made in 2004). It raked in $12.4 million in South Korea on...
More About: Movie , Entertainment , Ice Cream , Corn

Naengmyeon Weather is Back
2007-07-07 15:49:00
It's starting to get hot and humid in Seoul--so hot that my pants stick to my legs when I am walking to work and I'm in a deep sweat by the time I arrive. To solve this problem, I've been rolling my pants up to get some ventilation for my legs (since we're not allowed to wear shorts at work). I don't really care what people think, as long as I can reduce my perspiration levels due to this sticky weather. Hey, didn't you know that farmer rolls on jeans are coming back in style? Heck, anything goes in Korean fashion so I might as well join the club.One of the best ways to stay cool is eating Mul-Naengmyeon (noodles in an icy beef broth) on a hot and muggy afternoon like it was today. I remember my first experience with naengmyeong when I first arrived in Korea. I couldn't believe I was eating noodles served in an icy broth--now it's one of my favorite foods to eat. I've even purchased the make-your-own-naengmyeon-at-home packs from Homever (homemade naengmyeon coming soon). W...
More About: Weather , Reviews , Food , Restaurants , Back

Dubai Duty Free: Sponsored by Tang
2007-07-06 15:38:00
What did you do this past Christmas? If you recall, we spent our Christmas in the United Arab Emirates. Devante's parents are working there so we were lucky enough to visit Dubai and Ras Al-Khaimah. Man, talk about an awesome experience, traveling to the Middle East. It definitely was an experience that we will always remember. We might end up in Dubai or RAK in the future, who knows. Anyways, this post comes about six months too late. I was meaning to post this earlier, so for those interested (which should be all of you, right?) here is our experience at the Dubai Duty Free .Before we continue, here are some of the highlights from our trip:Flying from Seoul to Dubai aboard EmiratesArriving in Dubai: The Burj Al-Arab "7 Star" HotelUp and coming Ras Al-Khaimah (aka RAK)The Hilton Beach Club (swimming in the Persian Gulf)Christmas Brunch at Al Hamra Fort Hotel and Beach ResortFast food in the Middle EastHitting the links at Tower Links Golf ClubWild goats and camels roaming around in...
More About: Travel , Sponsored , Tang

Our Final Trip to TGI Friday's
2007-07-05 15:19:00
Ahh, there's nothing better than eating a western meal at a large American restaurant chain. In South Korea, TGI Friday's, along with Bennigan's, Black Angus, and Outback are the major steak house chains (don't forget the 10% auto-gratuity added to your bill). There is a TGI Friday's in the same building as our work. We've been there about 3-4 times during our time in Seoul. Today would mark our last visit to this TGI Friday's location, notorious for its lack of food consistency! What was in store today? Let's find out!I usually order the Friday's Burger, a monstrous bacon and cheeseburger (Australian beef) served with fries. However, when I tried to order the burger for lunch today, I was told they were all out! I was quite flabbergasted considering the restaurant was empty. So, naturally I chose another dish and ended up with their crispy chicken salad. Devante opted for the fail safe chicken quesadilla. Let's take a look at our lunch today, shall we?Here is my salad--as...
More About: Reviews , Food , Restaurants , Final , Trip

Campus Couples Yet Again...and Mirrors
2007-07-04 16:31:00
To my fellow American readers, Happy 4th of July (and happy birthday to Doug)!Here we go again. If you haven't seen my posts about them already, campus couples are out in full effect now that the weather is heating up. I am still debating as to whether or not Devante and I will try this out, for pictures sake (actually, there is no discussion!). The following photo was a first for me: seeing a couple literally dressed the same from head to toe. Check out their jeans and their Nike shoes (this was taken on the way back from Christina Aguilera):This campus couple shot was taken on the weekend...they were waiting to get on the subway. I wasn't sure if they were sporting the same tshirts until I stood behind them. Low and behold, the shirts were matching! You can see a Mickey Mouse outline with the text, "released in 1935, for the best condition," which means...umm...just what does that mean? Ah, the joys of Korean fashion! :)I mentioned this before, but here we go again. There are mi...
More About: Campus , Couples , Mirrors

Cigarettes and Toothpaste in Korea!
2007-07-02 17:09:00
As I mentioned before, this is one of the busier times when people will be coming to teach English in Korea . Most teachers have their one year contracts coming to a close (including yours truly...don't cry!) Anyways, I've received numerous emails from people asking about the best places to live and things to bring. I will be starting a mini series of "Things to Bring" posts coming soon, so stay tuned for that.In the meantime, how about a post about something different? Possibly one of the weirdest combinations, cigarettes and toothpaste! If you're a smoker and are soon coming to Korea to teach English, you will be entering tobacco heaven. Cigarettes (a.k.a. "cancer sticks" by some) are dirt cheap here--a pack will only set you back 2000w-3000w! ($2-$3USD)! Compared to prices in Canada, where cigarettes are heavily taxed (a pack can cost up $7-8US), this can be a substantial savings for you--yeehaw! These low prices will come in handy when you need that "smoke break" from screamin...
More About: Household , Toothpaste , Paste

Nintendo DS Lite: Bonding with Strangers
2007-07-01 14:36:00
Happy CANADA DAY to everyone back home! Please celebrate on my behalf by: eating bacon, drinking maple syrup/beer, and playing/watching hockey! :) Last year I attended a "Canada Day" party at Devante's house, but it was actually a surprise retirement party for her dad! Man, time flies...Before I arrived in South Korea, I had purchased a Nintendo DS Lite in Canada. So far, I've been addicted to my Nintendo and playing it whenever I have a spare moment. One of the best features of the DS is the wireless feature which enables you to connect with other players who also have a DS. Every since the DS Lite was released in South Korea in the early spring of this year, I've seen the number of DS units grow at an exponential rate (many kids at work have them). Nintendo has sold over 42,000,000 units (yes, 42 million!) worldwide since the DS was introduced in 2004!Sooo...after always spotting people playing their DS Lites on the subway, I decided to start bringing my DS with me so I could a...
More About: Technology , Entertainment , Transportation

Eating Auntie Anne's Pretzels in South Korea
2007-06-30 14:38:00
There are lots of places to buy snacks in Seoul. One thing that hit me by surprise was the large concentration of Dunkin Donuts, Baskin Robbins, Starbucks, and Coffee Bean locations on every street corner. This is to go along with the plethora of convenience stores and Krispy Kreme locations. One of the largest American pretzel chains, Auntie Anne's is highly popular in Korea and can be found within the food court of many Hyundai Department Stores.Since I love eating food (you probably do too I assume) here are some pictures of my first Auntie Anne's pretzel. Although there are locations in Canada, there were no locations near my home in BC. Regardless, South Korea ns are crazy about Auntie Anne's pretzels just like they are crazy about Krispy Kreme. There are always huge line ups for fresh pretzels! EDIT: Here's a fresh picture of their line ups taken today!For 2000w ($2USD) you can wrap your hands around fresh baked pretzel. I didn't take a picture of the line up because I was...
More About: Shopping , Reviews , Food

My First PC Bang Experience in South Korea!
2007-06-29 16:53:00
If you're not already aware, South Korea is one of the world's hot spots when it comes to playing video games online. You might remember from my earlier post about Starcraft in South Korea . Kids and adults play games such as Sudden Attack (very similar to CounterStrike), MapleStory, and the most popular game of all--Starcraft (or "Star" in Konglish)!Anyways, I had my first PC Bang/Starcraft experience recently. I have always heard that these PC Bangs were notorious for being smoky--those stories are true indeed. After finishing our time in the PC Bang, my clothes smelled like I had just come out of a pub. I went to this PC Bang the same day that I visited the 2007 Seoul Wine Market with Tae, Jay-hook, and Sam-jahng (did I get your guys' names right? I need a keyboard with Hangul, hehe). All three of them are Starcraft veterans and when I mentioned about wanting to experience a PC Bang in Korea, finding one was not difficult at all! They are literally on every street corner in the...
More About: Entertainment , Experience

One Year Blog Anniversary: 378 days later!
2007-06-28 05:49:00
When I first started the idea of blogging about our experiences teaching English in Korea, I had no idea that I would have come this far. The first post on The Daily Kimchi was a minor introduction. In the past year, I have posted 483 posts in 378 days (I started this blog on June 15th, 2006), which works out to roughly 1.28 posts/day, fulfilling my goal of keeping this kimchi coming to you daily. I completely forgot about my one year blog anniversary until I read about Jon Allen's post about Korean blogs that have lasted a year.This blog now averages over 500 unique visitors and just under 1000 page views per day. Currently this blog has surpassed 90,000 visits! Thanks to ZenKimchi and My Korean Kitchen for the influx of visitors. I've had fun interacting with YOU, my loyal readers (some of you are: Sandra, hirocakep, john from daejeon, daeguowl, imoet, estlxlan, g^2, Natasha, Sue, Lily, Catherine June, annamatic, eliza bennet, yen nie, Leo, Ed, Michae...
More About: Internet , Anniversary , Blogging , Blog , Days

Go Green: Shrek 3 The Movie at McDonald's
2007-06-27 16:58:00
Remember about a month ago, back in June when it was Memorial Day in Korea? That day we went and enjoyed Shrek 3 . I thought it was the best movie out of the Shrek series. The addition of Justin "I'm Bringing Sexy Back" Timberlake to the cast as the voice of Artie was awesome. The whine and high pitched squeal of JT's voice was perfect for the role.Anyways, everybody and their grandma (or ajuma) loves Shrek here in South Korea. McDonald's recently had a Shrek 3 campaign (and also introduced BREAKFAST) and the last time I checked, it's still going on. They have some Shrek-themed flurries, sundaes, and milkshakes. What's the secret ingredient for the color green? You guessed it--kiwi!Here's a Shrek combo for ya...notice for 1500w ($1.50US) you can buy a Pork Cutlet burger (does this taste like donkahss?):Kiwi flavored flurry, kiwi-inspired sundae, and a green milkshake. If you eat all three of these at one time your face will turn green:Looky, looky, it's Fiona working at McDona...
More About: Movie , Entertainment , Food , Green

Maximizing Maxim Mocha Gold Coffee
2007-06-25 17:05:00
Coming over to teach English in Korea anytime soon? Around this time of the year, many private hagwons are hiring teachers to replace the ones that will be leaving soon. It's hard to believe that yours truly has been teaching in Seoul for almost a year now. Our contracts are up at the end of next month and we will be heading home. Where will we go next? That is a good question. Right now, we have many options, with Dubai being one of them. I will fill you in the near future.Anyways, one of my first "South Korea" moments that I experienced after arriving was having my first cup of Maxim Mocha Gold coffee, in a tiny paper cup. It's a quick coffee that packs a punch, however some might find there is too much sugar and artificial creamer in the packet. I'm going to show you how to reduce this into the perfect cup of coffee that can be balanced to your liking.First, pinch 1 inch down on the right of the packet so your fingers cover the coffee cup image. Then, cut open the package and ...
More About: Food , Coffee , Teaching

Christina Aguilera: Live in Seoul and Speaking Korean!
2007-06-25 16:12:00
Remember a while back when I first posted about Christina Aguilera coming to Seoul? Well, her concert took place this weekend on Saturday and Sunday. We decided to head down to Olympic Park to check out the concert last night! We did not have tickets booked in advanced and were hoping to buy tickets either at the door or from scalpers.Upon arriving to Olympic Park (we got mixed up and first go off Line 2 at the Sports Complex Station) which is located in Jamsil (remember Lotteworld?) we started our walk into the park. However, there was problem--we didn't see a stadium! So we asked a fellow nearby on a scooter if he knew where the stadium was. He told us to wait a moment in Korean (cham-see-mahn-yo) and got his English speaking friend (there was a group of them on scooters) to help us. She told us they were heading to the concert too and that it was just on the other side of the park. We thanked them for their help but 30 seconds later......we hear them pull up beside us, and ask i...
More About: Entertainment , Reviews , Live

Random Pictures of the Day
2007-06-23 18:35:00
I have a folder on my laptop that I fill up with pictures that are blogworthy. Sometimes I get a back log since there are just too many things to write about. When it comes to blogging, you should set goals and such for blah blah blah...in a nutshell, I just blog about what I feel like writing about that day. It keeps things light, easy and fun.Soooo, with that being said...here are a few random pictures that I've accumulated with my weekly trips to bbq dinners or lunches. This photo is taken from the 24 hour bbq place near Omokgyo Station. At one point I was eating there quite frequently so I had a chance to interact with the staff the odd time. It was particularly smoky on this day, so when we placed our jackets down beside us, one of the workers proceeds to stuff them all into a plastic bag! That was a first for us (hey, at least our jackets would be smoke free; I told you these pictures are old!):Family members always bug me about "where are all your recent food pictures?"...so...
More About: Pictures , Random , The D

Presenting: Seoul Best Toilet, December 18, 2003
2007-06-23 16:49:00
After an interesting Saturday, we ended up at Sizzler in Hyehwa for dinner. You might remember how I conquered Sizzler the last time here. Well, today I was going to post pictures of my food for you to enjoy, but this time I opted to keep the camera at bay while I stuffed myself silly.What I will present today is the "Seoul Best Toilet , 2003.12.18" for your viewing pleasure. You can find theses special little gems littered throughout the city--washrooms that have won the prestigious "Seoul Best Toilet" award. This has been the second award-winning restroom I have seen in Seoul, the other being at a park in Mokdong (its standards had dropped after winning the award I must say). How can you tell a "Seoul Best Toilet" winner versus a regular toilet? Well, for starters there is a monstrous plaque plastered to the wall near the restroom doors.After taking that first step into a "Seoul Best Toilet", you tend to reminisce about all the other horrible washrooms you've encountered and embra...
More About: Presenting , December , Resent

The World's Smallest Karaoke Room
2007-06-22 05:56:00
We have another installment of my ongoing "The World's _______" list of things that I've spotted while teaching English in South Korea. This time around this exclusive post comes from an old school arcade that was located in Insadong. Not familiar with my special list of posts? Take a trip down memory lane if you haven't already:The World's Most Expensive Maple SyrupThe World's Worst Goldfish BowlThe World's Most Heavily Defended BorderThe World's Most Expensive MangoRemember the days when hanging out at arcades was the thing to do? Think back to the days of Streetfighter, Mortal Kombat, and miscellaneous shooting games. This place had machines that had old classics such as Bubble Bobble. However, the one thing that caught my eye was a long row of stalls along one wall. Turns out these little stalls are individual "norebangs" for 1 or 2 people. Now this is what you call the World's Smallest Kara oke Room :Check this out...inside, we have a small monitor, a portable fan to keep...
More About: Entertainment

How to Get Free Things in South Korea
2007-06-21 16:26:00
When you're out wandering the streets of Seoul, there is always something to see, especially if you hit up the main attractions that have lots of people. During a recent visit to Insadong (when I took pictures of Lotus Lanterns) I found myself getting lured to every crowded stall or miscellaneous line up. What's one of the best way to get free things in South Korea ?The "monkey see, monkey do" phenomenon sure is fun, don't you agree? Just because there are a lot of people densely crowded around a stall, does that mean you should show up to investigate what's going on? OF COURSE YOU SHOULD! Anyways, our curiosity paid off as Tae and myself were able to score some free frozen yogurt and popcorn (we passed on the helium balloons)!The streets of Insadong are always crowded on the weekends:Waiting in line for "ice cream free" is quite the way to spend your Saturday afternoon:Here's a video of me receiving my ice cream (it tasted like frozen yogurt):What's the best way to cleanse you...
More About: Food , South Korea , Free

Maybe I'll Get Lucky Again!
2007-06-19 17:37:00
The last time I entered a contest online--I won! That was Stephen Fung's USB drive giveaway which arrived late last week. Thanks again, Stephen!This time around, I am going to try my luck again with another contest. John Chow dot Com, a blog that helps you make money is giving away a brand new 24? wide screen LCD monitor (it's an LG, I might add--SOUTH KOREA)! To enter, you just have to write about it. He says the contest is open worldwide and he will ship abroad as well. The contest is sponsored by BlueFur, who wants to let you know that they?re hosting Canada and the rest of the world.Here's a picture of my 512mb USB drive courtesy of Stephen Fung. He was nice enough to blast it off my before his worldwide tour of Asia (thanks again)! To answer your burning question, yes, I did pop the bubble wrap. Next up, bring on my 24" LCD! :)
More About: Internet , Blogging , Lucky , Luck

Frozen Yogurt: Pinkberry in LA, Red Mango in South Korea
2007-06-19 16:25:00
If you are not aware, there currently is red hot frozen yogurt war going on in Los Angeles. There's a frozen yogurt chain called Pinkberry (also known as "Crackberry" to many celebrities, such as the locked up Paris Hilton; the original "Crackberry" is Research in Motion's wireless handheld device, the Blackberry). One blogger suggests it could become the next Starbucks. Some say it's a knock off of the Red Mango frozen yogurt chain in South Korea . I've never tried Pinkberry, but I'd like to compare the taste with Red Mango.There is a Red Mango location about 5 minutes away from us in Mokdong. With the weather heating up, I expect us to be making a few more visits in the near future. Here are a few recent pictures from our trips to Red Mango. I must admit, this frozen yogurt tastes awesome--some of the best I've ever had. It definitely helps cool you down on a humid and hot summer's day.This was from the Mokdong location. We ordered a regular sized frozen yogurt with five top...
More About: Reviews , Food , South Korea

Tony the Tiger in South Korea
2007-06-18 05:31:00
I have to be up early tomorrow to head to Yatap Station (it takes 1.5 hours to get there from Mokdong) to do some filming for the online lessons that our students watch. So I will post something interesting tomorrow for your reading pleasure. I just had to create a lesson plan on what I am going to do for tomorrow. Since I am traveling so far, I also have to wake up to get ready at 7:30am--I usually get up at 10:00am (sleeping in rules, baby)!Anyways, I'll leave you with a picture of my breakfast tomorrow morning. As you can see, they are frosted flakes but they are whole wheat. Whole wheat cereal helps keep Tony the Tiger regular!
More About: Food , Korea , South Korea , Blogging , Teaching

Pictures of Seoul at Night: Down by the Han River
2007-06-17 09:17:00
Lately, the weather has been amazing in Seoul . It has been quite warm and the humidity has also been at a reasonable level. This past weekend, the sky was clear blue and we could actually see Seoul Tower from our officetel since it was not hazy out. I thought this would also make for an excellent opportunity to head down to Yeouido for some pictures at night.About six months ago I picked up a Canon XTi/400D/Kiss Digital X digital SLR camera. I've had a lot of fun playing and experimenting with the camera, but there is still a lot for me to learn. I wanted to test out some long exposures so on Saturday night I made a trip out to Yeouido and setup shop along the banks of the Han River .Here is one of the few shots I managed to take (with a $45 tripod from the camera shops in Namdaemun):A lot of people were lighting off fireworks and these folks just so happened to have some fun right in front of me. Smile, you're on camera!I usually keep a spare battery with me at all times. However,...
More About: Pictures , Night

Campus Couple Saturday: Korean Fashion Tips
2007-06-16 16:55:00
Here we go again with another installment of Campus Couple Saturday. Other blogs that I read in the blogosphere have similar themed posts every week. Want some health tips from a cast member of Battlestar Galactica? Or how about a weekly update of random blogs across the internet?I figured I'd join in on the fun, but this time around it's going to be by posting images of similarly dressed couples in South Korea. What are the current fashion trends right now in Korea? I'm not sure, but you might find out here. It's getting very hot now, so people are starting to wear shorts, tshirts, mini skirts (wait a minute, that's all year round--even in -10 degrees Celsius), tank tops, heels, flip flops,...etc. The second installment of Campus Couple Saturday is about to begin. Are you ready? Let's go!This couple was spotted in Myeongdong, which is a hot place to find couples dressed the same. Just camp in one spot and shoot away! I don't know who's more adorable, the guy or the girl! Ma...
More About: Fashion , Tips , Korean

Taking a Tour of Changdeok Palace
2007-06-15 03:28:00
There are "Five Grand Pala ce s" in Seoul and so far I have visited two of them. The biggest and grandest palace is Gyeongbokgung. The other palace I've checked out is Deoksugung. Today, you're going to see the third palace I've added to my list, Changdeokgung. This palace was registered as a UNESCO Heritage Site in 1997.According to the Life in Korea website:"Construction of Changdok Palace (historic site #122) was started in 1405 by King T'aejong, and it was completed in 1412. In 1463, King Sejo expanded the palace and created Biwon (secret) Garden. The Japanese burned all the buildings during 1592. Although rebuilt, many of the buildings have burned and been rebuilt several times. Thirteen of Korea's kings lived here for a total of over 270 years, a longer period than at Gyeongbok Palace. The palace grounds cover over 110 acres. Thirteen of the original buildings remain, with an additional 28 in Biwon Garden."The interesting about Changdeok Palace is that you must be accompani...
More About: Tour , Lace , Taking