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Incheon International Airport Duty Free
2007-08-15 07:56:00
If you're still following our journey home right now, by this time we have finally reached Incheon International Airport via the Airport Bus from Mokdong Station. Once we arrived, bag carriers helped unload our bags from the bus, free of charge. In some other countries, you'd be expected to pony up a tip right about now. I had mentioned before that all of our bags were overweight by at least 2-3kg (5-6lbs/bag)!Once we arrived at the Air Canada check-in counter we were praying that we wouldn't have to pay the overweight fees, although we were prepared to do so. Lucky enough, with my luck we ran into a very friendly employee who waived all the charges for us! :) So after checking in we went through security (my jacket weighed about 10lbs) without a hitch. Phew.Next up, was Korean Immigration. Here they check your passport to see who you are and why you're leaving the country. This is where we surrendered our Alien Registration Cards (ARC). They would have made great souvenirs thou...
More About: Travel , Transportation , Free

Taking the Airport Bus to Incheon Airport from Mokdong Station
2007-08-14 05:57:00
There are many ways to get to Incheon International Airport . You can now take the subway, taxi, or airport limousine (you can walk too, but that might take a while). I've taken cabs to Incheon before (think Hong Kong) and it's the most expensive choice. From Mokdong, which is in western Seoul, fare is about 40-50,000w ($40-50USD) one way. If you were to take a cab from anywhere else to Incheon, be prepared to pay a lot more.Since we left the next day in the afternoon, we had time to take the airport limousine. This bus makes stops throughout Seoul and runs about every 30 minutes to an hour. The driver helps you load up your heavy suitcases (our ajoshi probably pulled a back muscle--more on that later) and the cost is about 8-9000w ($8-9USD--I forgot the exact amount). Total travel time from Mokdong was about 40-45 minutes.The checked baggage allowance on Air Canada is 23kg (about 50lbs). As you can see below, after using the digital scales for free inside Hyundai Fitness, this bag...
More About: Transportation , Station , The A , Taking

A Beautiful Wedding at Horne Lake, Vancouver Island
2007-08-13 08:22:00
So we're back home after having spent a wonderful time at the wedding of a good high school friend. The wedding took place at their cabin on Horne Lake, near Qualicum Beach on Vancouver Island . We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves from start to finish--they had everything planned out well and that led to a very smooth wedding. It was an intimate gathering of under 100 people. The people were great, but the food was even better. I'm going to leave you with some pictures I took--enjoy. Congratulations Shylah and Dan!!Arriving by boat...Waiting in the wings...Getting serious...Standing guard...For you feet lovers...If looks could kill...The beautiful bride...The incredible dinner...Last but not least, yours truly..."This one time, in band camp..."
More About: Travel , Wedding , Beautiful

Wentworth Miller in South Korea: Coffee Milk Guy
2007-08-12 01:06:00
Anyone else out there a big fan of FOX's hit series, Prison Break? We started watching Prison Break once we arrived in Seoul (thanks bit torrent). Anyways, the show is a huge hit and even South Korea ns are eating it up. The show's hit star, Wentworth Miller aka Michael Scofield has been hitting up the advertising campaigns here. Along the likes of Gwyneth Paltrow, Wentworth, or "Sco-pield" as he is known in Korea, currently is part of Bean Pole's advertisements. Well, it looks like Wentworth is looking to move on to better things--advertising for French Cafe Coffee Milk! Check out this spread for all you fans out there, taken inside a Family Mart:The patrons and cashier thought I was crazy taking pictures of the Wentworth inside the store. I just find it funny that he is advertising coffee milk, in of all places South Korea ! I have one student that is just crazy over "Sco-pield"...everyone watches the show here!We're heading to a wedding tomorrow and will be coming back Sunday. ...
More About: Entertainment

Samsung SPH-W2400 Cell Phone: Only 630,000w!
2007-08-10 09:55:00
I've posted about the awesome cellphones in Korea before. Live TV on your cellphone is pretty kick ass. So while I'm canceling my cellphone inside the KTF Show store, I was curious as to what was the most expensive phone at the moment. The dude helping me showed me the phone I was looking for afterwards: a Samsung SPH-W2400 cell phone.Naturally, with its multimedia capabilities, such as DMB, 2MP camera, MP3 player, MicroSD slot, TV out, Bluetooth, and more, this phone will be on the top of many "must have phones" by students! This is a HSDPA phone so that means a compatibility withHere is the inside of the store......and here is a fellow with mommy getting his first cell phone! He must've gotten straight A's to deserve this! I was surprised this young lad wasn't in an academy, hehe. Why can't North America adopt text messages for 3 cents each and free incoming calls with pay-as-you-go plans?!Here's the SPH-W2400 next to its brochure--along with the hand of the guy helping me ...
More About: Technology , Phone , Cell Phones , Cell Phone

Closing Our Bank Accounts and Cellphones in Korea
2007-08-10 02:02:00
So today takes place on the last day of work--it just so happened that today was the day we would be canceling our bank accounts and our cellphone. Our work has been right on the ball with processing our payments--they have been on time every month (which is a good thing). My boss even showed us the amount that would be deposited a few days beforehand so we could verify that it was indeed correct (severance bonus + sick day bonus).First things first, we checked out of the Ohmokgyo COOP Residence and took a cab to work. Dropped off our stuff and then started walking to the Wooribank at Mokdong station. Here, we did some final banking transactions (E.G. taking out some extra Won to last us for the next; we need to eat-- and maybe money for the duty free at Incheon International).Here is our banker ? ? helping us once again. Her English is very good and she's nice to deal with too. She supplied me with toothpaste for the last six months. So get to know your banker and you can have fre...
More About: Cellphones , Korea , Bank , N Korea , Kore

Name a Domain, Win an iPod!
2007-08-08 20:57:00
Part of blogging involves supporting other bloggers and their initiatives online. Well, I'm a sucker for contests (I've been lucky too!) and this one I'm about to mention is pretty cool. I've been following the blogs of Ed and Michael for quite a while now. Anyways, these guys have decided to start a new hockey blog, and they want your help. What's the deal?Ed Lau and Michael Kwan need your help in naming their new hockey blog! You might know Michael from his freelance writing and Ed from his personal blog. If you come up with the best name, you could win an 8GB iPod Nano totally free!So there you have it. Suggest a name and have a chance to win a free iPod. Guys, get ready to send me the iPods because I'm taking this contest down! :)
More About: Internet , Domain , Ipod , Blogging

Saying Farewell To My Students
2007-08-07 09:20:00
Teaching is a very rewarding occupation. Sure, there are times when you want to shoot yourself when you have mountains of marking and planning to do, or when your class is high on sugar and just won't listen. But in the end you do what you do for one reason only: the education and well being (that's a Korean phrase!) of your students.When I completed my four month teaching practicum teaching a grade 7 middle school class in Canada, it was hard to say goodbye. After learning so much from these kids and spending so much time with them, you build strong student-teacher relationships. I will admit, something got into my eye on the last day when my class surprised me with a party, and I had a few tears flow well up. Let me repeat, something got into my eye, it probably was due to my seasonal allergies. Riiigghhhttt! ;)Teaching English in South Korea has been another enjoyable and memorable experience for me. Usually, students have new teachers every two months. However, this time aroun...
More About: Students , Teaching , Student life , Farewell , Fare

Reverse Culture Shock Returning From Korea
2007-08-06 19:21:00
After returning home from Kore a and living in Canada for the past week and a half, I'm going to write about the "oddities" I noticed immediately after stepping off the plane in Victoria. I got inspired by Carl after he wrote about his reverse culture shock returning back from Hong Kong.The phases of culture shock are as follows:The "Honeymoon Phase" - During this period the differences between the old and new culture are seen in a romantic light, wonderful and new. For example, in moving to a new country, an individual might love the new foods, the pace of the life, the people's habits, the buildings and so on.The negotiation phase - After a few days, a few weeks, or a few months, minor differences between the old and new culture are resolved. One may long for food the way it is prepared "back home," may find the pace of life too fast or slow, may find the people's habits annoying, etc.The "Everything is OK" phase - Again, after a few days, weeks or months, one grows accustomed t...
More About: Culture , Shock , Turn

Seoul City Hall: Always Something To See
2007-08-05 09:32:00
One of my favorite places to check out in Seoul is the area around City Hall . There is always something interesting to see or something interesting going on. Prior to meeting Gi-Young (sorry for spelling your name wrong!) for lunch at The Place, we met up at the City Hall subway station.Children playing in the public water fountain area:The City Hall station can be accessed by either Line 2 (the green line) or Line 1 (dark blue). If you want to come out of the exit right in front of City Hall, you?ll have to walk to the exits near Line 1. Anyways, while we were waiting we noticed that there was a huge mosaic next to City Hall. There was construction going on (can somebody fill me in on what?s there right now?) and the outside of the perimeter mall was a cool mosaic of Seoul.The mosaic featured the main attractions of Seoul, such as Seoul Tower, Namdaemun, Cheonggyecheon, City Hall, the National Assembly, and the 63 Building to name a few. It was part of Hi Seoul?s ?Soul of Asia? cam...
More About: Always

Eating at The Place in Gwanghwamun
2007-08-04 06:06:00
So during one of our last weekends we met up with a friend in Gwanghwamun for lunch. She wanted to take us to this cafe/eatery called The Place . So, after meeting at City Hall (which had a mosaic/mural of the city nearby--more on that later) we walked to Gwanghwamun, about 10 minutes away.After arriving at The Place, we found that it was bustling and well decorated inside. The concept here was that you would wait to be seated upstairs, then make your way downstairs to order up your own lunch, or go hog wild with their salad bar buffet. Gi-Young recommended that we try the waffles, so we ordered that along with a panini and a small pizza. Bring on the food!Here's the open kitchen, where you can order from a wide range of sandwiches, pizzas, pastas, soup, and salads:Or, you can also go for items on the salad bar. But at 2500w ($2.50US) for 100grams, that will cost ya!We lucked out and managed to nab a nice table by the window. This place was busy full of hungry diners. As you can see...
More About: Reviews , Food , Restaurants , Lace

Ohmokgyo CO-OP Residence in Yangpyeong: Checking In
2007-08-03 07:13:00
Some people have commented about how they've enjoyed reading my blog--thanks for that. Some people have also commented about how I'm still in Korea--well, the truth is I'm no longer in Korea, but I have so much to talk about still. If you guys and gals want me to write like I'm still in Korea, let me know! I can pretend that I'm still there...maybe I didn't go there at all! ;)Anyways, here's another post about our departure from Korea. You read about our first hotel, the Best Western Niagara. Well, after two nights there we had to check into the Ohmokgyo CO-OP Residence near Yangpyeong Station (this station is so small there are only two exits; the place is a ghost town) because the Best Western was fully booked. Maybe it was the other way around, but either way I'm not complaining because we had the opportunity to stay in hotels for free!The Ohmokgyo CO-OP Residence is minutes away from Omokgyo (I guess they decided to add an "h" to help with the pronunciation of the place)...
More About: Hotels , Co-Op

A Birthday Celebration and Going Away Party in Korea
2007-08-02 06:22:00
Did someone mention a birthday celebration/going away party? Well, you've come to the right place because on the last Friday before we finished our contract, our work held a joint birthday celebration for Devante and going away party for us and two other teachers!One of the things you'll have to get used to in hagwon (academy) life is the turnover rate of both teachers and counsellors. Of course, there are people who will always finish their signed contracts, but there are always things that come up for some which prevents them from continuing on. At our branch, I've seen various teachers and counselors come and go--it's a part of life here in Korea .Well, since HC, ATL, Devante, and myself made it through our one year teaching stint alive and well, we were expecting a big going away party (because once I depart the entire place will crumble to the ground, hehe). So after work on Friday we all went to this Gamjatang restaurant to feast--on pig spine stew! Yep, and it was some of ...
More About: Party , Teaching , Celebration , Birthday

Making Some Extra Money Teaching in Korea
2007-08-01 01:32:00
The company that I work for is one of the biggest English academies in South Korea . They have a variety of different resources and programs to offer to students. One of these avenues is their "online lesson" department, which consists of videos created for students to watch before they attend class. Basically these online videos give them a lesson before a lesson (it's also another way for them to monetize students). Oh, the joys of being a Korean student!I had previously filmed twenty-four 20 minute lessons for a junior level during the first months of the year. This time around, I was asked to film 8 more lessons for a senior level during my last month of employment. These lessons were fairly easy and they were also another way to make some more money. The only problem was that I had to travel 1.5 hours each way to get to the studio and back! From Mokdong all the way to Yatap--thank god for my iPod (which is now busted) and my Nintendo DS Lite!Normally, I film early in the mornin...
More About: Money , Teaching , Extra , Maki

8 Fun Facts About Gdog
2007-07-30 09:10:00
Recently, I was tagged by Stunt Actor and Film Professional, Leo Chiang. The last time I was tagged in one of these "about me" trains was by Ed Lau. So to make things interesting I'm going to add three more facts to my original five. Here we go!This is how it works. Each player must post these rules first.Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.Don?t forget to leave them a comment telling them they?re tagged, and to read your blog.My 8 fun facts are:1. I'm half Shih Tzu and half Lasso Apso.2. Consumption of dairy now makes me flatulate more than ever before (Chinese people are 93% lactose intolerant). Stephen Fung, you have some competition coming your way!3. I can play 52 pick up with ease.4. Traveling sometimes is a pain for me because I have too many gadgets, charge...
More About: Internet , Facts , Blogging

Gangnam: More Korean Fashion Pictures
2007-07-30 07:25:00
Recently I had a few requests for more pictures of Kore an fashion, in particular what people are wearing during the summer. Anyways, one of the best ways to check out what's hot is to take a look at what's selling in stores--in particular those stores located at subway stations. The Gangnam Station Underground Shopping Center has lots of clothes to buy (especially for the ladies) and the prices are cheap (but being Gangnam, expect a higher mark up).Standing in line at Omokgyo Station, Line 5:The handles on the subway are pretty nasty if you think about it, but sometimes you run into a psycho subway conductor that either accelerates or slams on the brakes way too hard. So you have to hold on for dear life--or, you can use the people around you as a human body cushion (I've tried it--it works like a charm!):After reaching Gangnam Station you'll see a lot of shoe stores--all selling high heels. I have never seen so many women wearing heels seven days a week, 365 days a year. Doesn...
More About: Pictures , Fashion , Fash

Eating the Breakfast Buffet at the Best Western Niagara
2007-07-29 00:21:00
Wow, when you're not working and on vacation, it's definitely hard to set aside some time to blog! Anyways, as promised I am going to fulfill my duties (thanks to all of you who voted in my scientific mini-poll) and post the rest of my Korea adventure and more.So right now we're holed up at the Best Western Niagara . When we saw the setup for a buffet we inquired at the front desk. They told us it was 11,000w ($11USD) per person for the "western breakfast buffet" so we were pretty curious as to what would be offered. Here is a picture of the buffet setup without food (this was taken the night before):You're probably wondering why they call this hotel the Best Western Niagara. Well, this should answer your question--it's a waterfall type thingy in the main lobby of the hotel, right where the seating is for the restaurant. I really felt like I was at the Niagara Falls believe it or not! Honest, really! ;)The buffet hours were from 7am-10am. We planned on eating at 8am but that did...
More About: Food , Breakfast , Buffet

My Last Galbi Dinner in Korea
2007-07-27 23:37:00
I'm writing this post lying on the couch using WiFi while at the same time I've been fighing off yawns for the past 30 minutes. My body is telling me to go to sleep because it is 7AM in Seoul, whereas here it's a beautiful summer's day. Devante is taking a nap right now. We have to go pick up my dad from work in about 10 minutes since we've been using his car. Must...not...sleep... must...stay...awake...and... post...about...food...After checking into the Best Western Niagara, we were both starving. There was a galbi restaurant across the street, so we ended up going there to eat. It was your typical galbi joint: bright fluorescent lights and speedy ajummas running from table to table.Here are our feet waiting to get served...The cuts of pork were not pretty good as they were not very fatty. Man, I never realized how much pork I consumed in Kore a until I came home!Of course, you can't forget about the endless side dishes, especially the kimchi. I haven't eaten kimchi in weeks...
More About: Food , Dinner , N Korea

I'm Home: Eating Vietnamese Subs at 4AM
2007-07-26 13:54:00
Alrighty so we've made it home now after a 10 hour flight from Incheon to Vancouver, followed up by a 15 minute flight from Vancouver to Victoria ! We took the Airport Limosine near Mokdong Station for 7500w ($7.50US) each to Incheon International Airport. We had four huge bags, along with a small bag and backpack. I will explain all about our trip to the airport and our flight in the next few days.Yesterday when we arrived back in Canada, it was a really weird feeling! We both could not believe that we were back home. It was really nice to take in deep breaths of fresh air! You learn to appreciate the quality of life back home once you've lived abroad. I will make follow up posts about adjusting to life back home after living in Seoul for a year!Anyways, last night I tried hard to stay awake for as long as possible before falling asleep. I made it to 10pm, but Devante passed out around 8pm. I woke up today at 4am (thanks jet lag) after rolling around in bed for an hour. Hmmm...wha...
More About: Travel , Home , Vietnamese , Ames

Staying at the Best Western Niagara Hotel in Seoul
2007-07-24 05:57:00
My hands can barely stop shaking right now. Why? It's because of my internet withdrawal over the past few days! My Gmail inbox was over flowing with emails from family, friends, blog comments, and facebook notifications (ahh, facebook, the ultimate time waster).Anyways, the last time I posted it was from work. Today is our LAST day of work! It's the last day of the month so not much will be happening. Of course I'll be doing my job, but since it's summer vacation for my students, it might turn into a free for all. Yesterday I had pizza parties for all three of my classes (they deserved it after putting up with Gdog for 7 months!). In the past couple of days, we've closed our bank accounts, went to the pension office to setup our refund, and cancelled our cellphone (hand-pone). I'll make posts about these in the future.Today, I'm going to rant and rave about the Best Western Niagara Hotel we were put up in last Wednesday and Thursday night. This hotel was located in Omokgyo an...
More About: Hotels , Stay

Freaky Movie Advertising in Korea
2007-07-20 07:35:00
Here's a quick update for everyone, as I'm now at work and I just finished my last batch of progress reports for three out of five classes. Tonight we're moving into another hotel, which most likely won't be as nice as the room we had at the Best Western Niagara. Just when you thought I'd stop posting, guess again. It's called procrastination, baby!On Saturday when we were in Gangnam, we saw some girls walking down the street in bright pink colored dresses. No big deal right? Well, that was until I caught a glimpse of their faces! They had fake blood streaming down their faces, while they were handing out pamphlets to promote a new Korea n movie, called Siamese Twins (I think that's the title).Here's the movie poster on the side of a truck that was parked nearby:At first they were walking around handing out fake tattoos and flyers to people walking by...trying to keep a serious pose:Eventually they were joined by two others and they parked themselves on a bench. I said a big ...
More About: Movie , Entertainment , Advertising , Freaky

Eating a King Crab with Only 7 Legs in Seoul
2007-07-18 02:00:00
Alrighty, I'm back online by blogging at work (temporarily)! We checked into our hotel last night and it was incredible! Since our work was paying for the hotel, we did not expect anything special. However, when we pulled up to the Best Western Niagara hotel, we were very surprised (especially coming from a Best Western)! Our room is a corner suite with a king sized bed, and a huge LCD TV! There was a full shower/tub and free internet. I didn't get a chance to get online because it was late when we arrived. I will post pictures later!After eating some live baby octopus, we contemplated heading out to eat our "real" dinner. But, we ended up eating king crab instead, thanks to HC (I helped her out a few weeks back on where to buy a digital camera and getting the best deal in Seoul!). Anyways, she came back with a king crab that cost 40,000w--except it only had 7 legs! Hey, I'm not one to complain when I'm eating free crab, baby!Here's HC (it stands for hardcore if you're wonderi...
More About: Reviews , Food , Restaurants , Legs , King

Eating Live Baby Octopus in Korea!
2007-07-17 15:57:00
Side note: we will be moving into our hotel first thing tomorrow morning, so that means this will be the last post from our officetel. I will try to keep posting at work if I can get the wireless internet to work properly. In the words of Arnold: I'll be back!Alright everyone, this could the post you've been waiting for. If you remember wayyyy back, I posted about eating live octopus. I also promised Katie from the TEFLlogue (check out my interview with her) for an exclusive of my culinary adventure. Well, on Sunday night HC, her friend Blake (visiting from the USA), Devante, and myself headed to Noryangjin Fish Market in Seoul to find the freshest available octopus.Eating live octopus, or sannakji in South Korea is seen as a novelty and health dish (whatever happened to eating fruit and vegetables?!). The live baby octopus is cut up and immediately served, usually with some sesame oil. The problem is the tentacles are still squirming and fighting--which equates to a party in your...
More About: Baby , Reviews , Food , Live

Mexican Food in Korea: Dos Tacos in Gangnam
2007-07-16 14:25:00
What did you do on Saturday? Did you eat Mexican food by any chance? Well, regardless of what your answers are to these questions, on Saturday we experienced some of the finest Mexican cuisine in Seoul. We met up with a friend in Gangnam (Kangnam) for lunch at Dos Tacos. What you are going to read might shock you (or not), so be prepared.Anyways, the last time we tried Mexican food in Korea it wasn't very good. Taco Amigo in Itaewon was much better, but still it did not rock my socks off. So this time around one of our friends has lived in Gangnam for the past few years led us to a spot that was tucked away, called Dos Tacos. We went there for lunch and had a nice seat on the patio. There was actually blue sky in Seoul! Yahoo! Let's take a look at lunch, shall we?Dos Tacos is not a large restaurant--there are two patio tables outside and seating for 25-30 people inside. They also do take out:You have to try the lemonade here--it was sparkling and very refreshing. Also, all drinks ...
More About: Reviews , Food , Restaurants

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