10 Weeks In Korea

Panoramic Photos

2009-08-02T11:25:00.005+10:00

Well I have been back for almost a year now, and I was going through my photos, geo-tagging them, and looking at what I took, and found some panoramic photos. So I thought I would just go through, and make a series of panoramas for your enjoyment.

I know I did some when I was traveling, so these might be duplicated :) I am sure you will enjoy them anyway.

Wave Pool

2008-10-20T10:15:00.001+11:00

Here are a couple of very short videos of the wave pool at Caribbean bay.

Wave Rider

2008-10-20T10:13:00.002+11:00

While at Caribbean bay I went on a ride called the 'wave rider' basically it is an artificial wave that you ride with a surf board.

The locals were pretty impressed that a waegugin could ride the wave. Not bad for my first attempt.

Wave Pool

2008-10-11T14:24:00.001+11:00

My last day in Korea, I went to caribbean bay

Here is the massive wave pool, with heaps of people, and this is a quiet day.

Korean Thinking vs Reality - Tong Young

2008-09-06T23:52:00.002+10:00

What I was lead to believe it would look like ?

But it was nothing like what it was described to be like, infact it was just a dirty sea port, like this :)

Best Place In Korea ?

2008-09-06T19:52:00.002+10:00

Well a few have asked where was the best place in Korea.. The airport ? no this place

Namdaemun Gate 남대문

2008-09-06T12:22:00.002+10:00

Last time I was in Korea Namdaemun looked a little like this.

But it was destroyed by fire. Now there is a big wall around it, and it looks like this.

It will take many years to rebuild Namdaemun.

숭례문, 남대문, 崇禮門, 南大門, Sungnyemun, Namdaemun

Time To Get On The Plane

2008-08-26T20:00:00.001+10:00

Well, I just found out that the blogger can schedule publishing events :) how cool. So I am writing this a few days before.

So It should be 8pm Tuesday (9pm Melbourne time) the 26th of August, I am getting on the plane, back in Melbourne in 16 hours.

See you all soon. The 10 weeks is now over. Well unless something exciting happens on the plane.

The End

Caribbean Bay

2008-08-26T09:06:00.001+10:00

On my last day in Korea, before I was due to get on the plane, I went to a place called Caribbean Bay. It is a water park next to Everland.

Rain In Myeondong

2008-08-25T18:03:00.002+10:00

On my second last day in Korea, it decided to rain.

I know how much you all like wet schoolgirls, well here is a picture of them in the rain.

Now the Koreans say that if it is raining, and the sun is out, that a tiger is getting married. I don't get it, but more importantly, where is this lucky tiger, and who is he marrying.

City Hall

2008-08-25T17:34:00.001+10:00

As with the last time I was here, city hall has been dressed up.

Welcome Home Olympians

2008-08-25T17:08:00.003+10:00

The Korean Olympians are coming home to a big party. When I was out wandering around, they were practicing for it.

There were many boards for people to sign, to write their messages on.

This girl was signing, I am not sure which version I like more..

Out...

Zoomed in..

They were also dancing on stage.

Interesting Advertising.

2008-08-25T16:44:00.001+10:00

Do you think he just drives away at the end of the day ?

Paradise Kiss

2008-08-25T11:04:00.002+10:00

I can only guess what type of place this is.

This was what was outside advertising the place.

Night View

2008-08-25T02:58:00.000+10:00

Another night view

Light Statues.

2008-08-25T02:55:00.003+10:00

And a kangaroo.

Twosome ????

2008-08-25T02:55:00.001+10:00

Wonder what other places they have, onesome or threesome ?

The Wheels On The Bus

2008-08-25T02:28:00.002+10:00

So here is what the inside of the bus looks like.

This girl had some flowers.

Cool Hair

2008-08-25T02:23:00.001+10:00

Some people have cool hair cuts here in Korea.

Floating YoYo

2008-08-25T02:13:00.001+10:00

There were street performers his yoyo was magic.

Cos Play

2008-08-25T02:06:00.003+10:00

It is not only the Japanese who like to dress up, sometimes (well only once have I seen it) Koreans dress up.

Princess Diary

2008-08-25T01:49:00.002+10:00

So have a need to have photos in pretty stuff, then come to Princess Diary for coffee, waffle and photos in pretty princess clothes. You can even have your photo taken in a wedding dress. Unfortunately they did not have a dress in my size, and I forgot to shave my legs too.

Shoes Cafe Young Age

2008-08-25T01:42:00.001+10:00

And I thought it was just a cat with a crown on....

Power In A Bottle

2008-08-25T01:36:00.001+10:00

I spoke before of the advanced bottle to keep he extention cord plug dry. Here is another picture of it. This time it was on a tree.

Nice Lights

2008-08-25T01:19:00.002+10:00

Sometimes I would see people and they reminded me of actors, or singers. Maybe i is all the plastic surgery everyone has here.

I noticed this girl across the street,looking at the products in the shop. She was quite pretty, and reminded me of a singer. So I took the shot.

Knife Sharpening

2008-08-25T01:10:00.002+10:00

As I was walking to get breakfast this morning, I noticed this guy sharpening knives on the street.

Yuck

2008-08-25T00:54:00.001+10:00

You know, sometimes there are people who just serve as a warning to others. Eat properly people.....

Time To Leave 하숙집

2008-08-24T11:00:00.000+10:00

Well It is time to leave the 하숙집, can't say I am too sad.. I will miss my cool flat mates, all three of them who talk to me. I won't miss the other 10 or so that I have never met (or whom avoid me, and look down as they walk past.)

Sunset

2008-08-24T00:50:00.004+10:00

It is fitting that my last night in Shinchon would have a beautiful sunset.

Here is a panoramic photos I took about 4 photos to make this one.

Train Etiquette

2008-08-24T00:39:00.002+10:00

In Korea, it is quite acceptable for a girl to sick her fingers into her boyfriends nose to pluck the long hairs. I see this quite often on the trains or on the street. Conversely, it is not acceptable to pick your own nose..

I don't get it, in both cases, you leave finger prints at the scene of the crime....

Milky Sorbet

2008-08-23T14:22:00.003+10:00

I kind of thought the idea of Sorbet was to be a milk free alternative to Ice Cream. Apparently not.. It is the new summer sensation.

Cardboard Colectors

2008-08-23T14:20:00.002+10:00

This is quite a common site in Korea. I am not sure if it is their their job, or they are homeless, and just collecting cardboard to take to the recycling plants, but these people are everywhere.

Egg Truck

2008-08-23T14:19:00.002+10:00

Everything is delivered on little trucks like this one. Eggs, watermelons, etc.

Various Street Photos

2008-08-23T14:16:00.003+10:00

Taken at various places while I was looking for breakfast.

Thinking Inside The Box

2008-08-23T13:41:00.004+10:00

You don't want to be creative and different do you ?

So I was out looking for breakfast when I took most of these photos.

Each morning I would pass this place, and wonder exactly what "cafe New York story" means.

In Korea everything is tacked on later, don't have an areal, stick it on the roof, can't get good reception ? Stick it on your neighbors roof, run the wire to your place.. The same goes for kitchens, don't have a big enough kitchen, just add a shanty kitchen to the vacant land ouside your place.

I don't know what a Coffee Flanel is, so I looked flanel i the dictionary, incase it existed, and there was another meaning of flanel that I did not know. In a few languages other than English, it is how they spell flannel.

Their motto is "Don't trust the clouds, Do trust the sunshine." With the hole in the Ozone layer, I don't know that I would trust the sunshine anymore than I would trust the clouds.

I thought this was cute. (At least they spelt donut correctly. ;) )

Lonely Fish

2008-08-23T13:29:00.002+10:00

There are many strange looking fish that the Koreans eat, I asked my Taiwanese friend if they also eat these fish, the look of horror on her face was answer enough for me.

Having not eaten any of these fishes, I cannot comment on if they are tasty or not. This one's friends must have been tasty looking, as it was the only one left. Poor fishy, don't worry matey[matie??], you will be eaten tonight...

Streets Around Ewha University

2008-08-23T13:23:00.004+10:00

The streets around Ewha University are quite nice at night time. Many couples come to sit, relax and admire the department store.

Around the same spot, this is the view towards Ewha Station, AMPM Department store on the right.

Same spot, looking down towards Ewha University.

My attempt at an arty shot.

One of the many shopping streets lining Ewha (taken at night).

Accessories

2008-08-23T13:20:00.001+10:00

There are many accessories that can be purchased on the street for about 1-3AUD, I suppose they are like the shop DiVa in Melbourne, same quality, only cheaper.

Yes people actually buy from these stores.

Street Food

2008-08-23T13:15:00.003+10:00

On a recent night walk, I was taking many pictures. I had taken some of street food before, such as this vendors stuff.

Some people were wondering if people actually buy this kind of food, I think they meant me.... No I wouldn't. Not because I am frightened that I might die of food poisoning, but because it is too hot/spicy for me.

These girls were happy enough to buy some.

I just noticed that the name of the store behind the girls is "Beauty Credit" I would hate to know what the interest rate on beauty was!!

Fan Death

2008-08-23T13:12:00.002+10:00

In Korea, you should not leave your fan on over night, you might die of the mysterious fan death.. Many deaths are attributed to fans, when people die unexpectedly in the night. So watch out...

I don't know how credible my source is, but it makes for a good story, and why I let truth get in the way of a good blog entry.

Long Escalator

2008-08-23T12:13:00.002+10:00

It was not really that interesting, but I have to make my blog look like I am doing fun things.. The escalator at Ewha station is quite long and shiny, I like shiny things.

More Food

2008-08-23T12:05:00.003+10:00

Well everyone love food, and this looks the same as all the other food I have posed up before, but just so you can feel hungry, here is some more food. The Koreans have a slightly different motto when it comes to food. 'Meat and three side dishes'

Mudshake

2008-08-23T02:47:00.002+10:00

In the words of the coco-pop comercial.

It's just like a chocolate milkshake, only vodka[ie/y]

It also comes in cappuccino flavor.

Beer Zone

2008-08-23T02:39:00.002+10:00

Beer Zone is a quite little bar.. Not a bad place.

Glasses with Glass

2008-08-23T01:56:00.001+10:00

A few people did not believe my story about glasses with only clear glass (or no glass) lenses in it, being fashionable. Here is a picture of them on sale at the many shops on the side of the road.

They are not reading glasses, nor is this an optometrist.

So Sick

2008-08-22T17:52:00.001+10:00

This place made me so sick... I wonder what it was...

It tasted ok, and the price was ok.. It seemed clean..

Princess Pet Shop

2008-08-22T17:39:00.001+10:00

In Korea, there are many princesses, so it is only fitting that these princesses have a shop where they can go to buy pets, and pet stuff.

The Real Emergency Services

2008-08-22T17:27:00.002+10:00

In Korea, the Police, Ambulance and Fire Trucks cannot go through red lights, or drive on the wrong side of the road. Only the two real emergency services can do that. Taxis and Tow Trucks. They are exempt from all laws in Korea.

Wandering The Streets At Night

2008-08-22T12:28:00.004+10:00

It was about 12:30, I was wandering the streets trying to amuse myself. I came across this guy, he was just laying there, his bag open, as if someone has taken his money.

I wondered it there was an interesting story to go with why he was there, but he is just another drunk Korean, who thinks it is better to just sleep on the street, than go home.

This girl gave me one of those disgusted drunk Korean girl looks. I looked at her, thinking why do you have a microphone on the side of your face. (you know the kind a singer/dancer wears) It was just puke hair, that was stuck to her face..(hair with puke in it, that stuck to her face.) She walked past, and then threw up.

Korea is full of really good electricians, Australians could learn a lot from the Koreans, like how to make an electrical outlet weatherproof, just add half a drink bottle.

There are many love hotels, as I have spoken about before, but this one is the main point, or central argument for something..

The campus motel, is it trying to look like dorm rooms ?

Quite nice dorm rooms if you ask me.

A few people have asked me if Korean girls are pretty, sexy, etc. They are ok I guess. Some of them are all skin and bones. (no she is not under 18, or under 10, she has to be 20 or 21 as she was out drinking.)

To finish my night walk off on a good note, I did see more bunnies...

JSA Tour - Bridge Of No Return

2008-08-21T18:44:00.003+10:00

This is a bridge that goes between North and South. It is where people at the end of the war crossed either from the North or the South, and were never seen again (on the North side)

Apparently it was too dangerous to get out, as we only had one solider to protect us. I wondered how much protection we would get from the glass windows, but it is best not to think about these things.

JSA Tour - North Korean Soldiers

2008-08-21T17:28:00.003+10:00

It is only a little interesting watching the North Koreans.. Not as much fun as I thought it would be.. They are not that different from the south Korean soldiers, in terms of watching them.

There was the one.

A little later he got bored and went for a walk.

Marching up and down the square.

This one got his binoculars to check out the 외국인.

The one from before, just cropped to show the face.

JSA Tour - North Korean Tour

2008-08-21T17:20:00.004+10:00

While we were at JSA there was a tour of the North Korean side, my guess is that it is a Chinese tour group. The tour guide seemed to think they were VIP's.

* Photo one was taken at 70mm (105mm equiv)
* Photo two was taken at 300mm (450mm equiv)

JSA Tour - Blue Conference Room

2008-08-21T16:55:00.005+10:00

If you have seen the movie JSA, you would have seen this room in the movie. It is quite similar to what I remember the movie JSA was like.

Inside there is a table in the middle, one side would sit the North, the South on the other. When I tour enters from the South, the Northern door is locked.

While inside, a South Korean soldier stands guard, in a ready to dance pose.

Just outside, looking in was a North Korean Soldier, watching me take his photo.

In this one you can see the North Korean outside the window, back to the South Korean Soldier.

You are very restricted as to what you can and cannot photograph in JSA, so sometimes you have to make use of a long lens to get the photo you want from a distance.

We could take photos from the bus, unfortunately it was through the glass.

JSA Tour - North Korean Flag

2008-08-21T16:51:00.002+10:00

This flagpole is 160meter high. It shows just how much better North Korea is, compared to South Korea (South Korea's flag pole is only 100 meter high)

JSA Tour

2008-08-21T16:08:00.004+10:00

Well I finally got to enter North Korea today.. It was quite interesting. It was part of the JSA Tour, and when you enter a special room, one side you are in South Korea, the other side you are in North Korea.

Wikipedia has it under several names. JSA and Panmunjeom

So this is the journey to JSA from Seoul, as seen from google earth.

Here are the JSA Buildings as seen from google earth.

Was I supposed to bring a GPS Data-logger on the JSA tour ? Maybe not, I probably was not supposed to bring a 300mm lens too (but I did).

Accommodation

2008-08-20T22:07:00.003+10:00

The accommodation that I stayed in in Tongyeoung.. Apparently it can hold up to 8 people.

This is what it looked like inside.

Tongyeong - Cable Car

2008-08-20T13:34:00.004+10:00

One of the must see places in Tongyeong is Tongyeong from the cable car. Just pick a nice day to go up there..

On the way up.

Me on the way up. Doing a stupid pose.

The top cable car station

A couple of views from the top

The walk way

Me pointing out the spectacular views.

So this is what the view should look like.

And this is what I could see.

What I could see around me.

Interesting TV

2008-08-20T13:14:00.002+10:00

Korea has many TV stations, well this place does, and most people have pay TV. So what can you watch on TV you might ask. Well it only occurred to me the other day to take photos of what is on TV, so I will add more later.

Well you have Korea's twist on billiards.

I think it was children's music tv.. But I am not sure.

Dolphins Do Like Music

2008-08-20T11:06:00.003+10:00

I always wondered if Dolphins liked to listen to music, and if they have ears where we have ears.. Well both questions were answered. Now all I have to figure out is why is the sea salty and what is the meaning of life, the universe and everything.

Old Style Horse Ride

2008-08-20T03:12:00.001+10:00

Long before mechanical and electric horses, (obviously before my time) they used to have horses on springs...

Such as..

Second Chance To Be On TV

2008-08-20T03:05:00.006+10:00

Well KBS were filming on the boat that I was on today.

I was not pretty enough to be interviewed...... apparently this girl was :)

Tongyeong

2008-08-20T01:55:00.004+10:00

So this is where I have been for the last two days :)

KPSI

2008-08-17T01:14:00.003+10:00

There is a TV show on Korean TV called, KPSI, it is based on the American CSI series, with a twist.. I Am not sure it if is real cases or pretend ones like CSI, but it features acting like in the popular TV dramas, and these little cut aways to various people. Not being able to understand any of it, makes it quite amusing, when I watch the acting and cheap sets. :)

It starts at midnight, and has a 19+ rating, so I am not sure how popular it is.

And the cops seem to be young pretty girls and boys. Well except the boss :)

Actually as I kept watching it, they had some pretty cool computer graphics, a lot different from the US version, pretty good..

Sit Down, Relax, Read a book...

2008-08-17T00:55:00.001+10:00

I know this happens in all countries, but I thought it funny, the guy had his shoes off, and a coke to drink while he reads..

Pet Storage Locker

2008-08-16T22:24:00.004+10:00

You know, I am used to seeing lockers at the station, and the various amusement parks and such places.

The above is your typical locker, but then on the other side I noticed these lockers.

A closer inspection revealed it was a pet locker.

But much cheaper, only 100 won (10c aud)

I especially like the fact that you get your 100 won back, must be to stop you dumping your pet.

Lovely Megabox

2008-08-16T15:33:00.003+10:00

In an attempt to make a standard cinema, with arm rests that raise up, more marketable, they call it "Lovely Megabox". I have not been in there, so I am only speculating on what it is like inside.. So it might be quite pretty. Anyway, this is the entrance to lovely mega-box.

Theme Song

2008-08-16T15:00:00.003+10:00

I think I need to assign a Theme song to represent my trip to Korea.

It is quite hard to come up with an appropriate one.

One that springs to mind is "Justified and Ancient" by the KLF

Why am I thinking this one ? Because I am listening to it right now :)

For those of you who do not remember the song.You can watch it here on youtube

So the lyrics go like this:

All bound for Mu-Mu Land. (*1).........
They're are justified (*2), and they're ancient (*3) and they drive and ice cream van (*4).
They're are justified, and they're ancient with still no master plan(*5).
The last train left an hour ago.(*6)
They singing all-aboard. (*7)
All bound for mu-mu land.
Then someone started screaming (*8) turn up the strobe. (*9)

*1 - The ancient name for Korea ;)[Or maybe my name for it... hehe]
*2 - The protesters think they are justified. They may well be, so it fits in the song.
*3 - They are ancient, a long history in Korea.
*4 - You saw my post about the ice cream van in my blog.
*5 - The whole country seems a little lost, trying to move forward, which they are, they just don't seem to have their feet firmly on the ground yet.
*6 - Many Koreans I met in Melbourne complained that the trains did not run late enough in Melbourne. Well they seem to finish around 11:30 here. I wouldn't say that was better than Aus. (About the same)
*7 - This could represent the countless karaoke rooms her.
*8 - This could represent the people who argue in the street.
*9 - This could represent the Konglish as it is known.

So until I come up with a better song, this is the theme tune for my trip to Korea.

Ewha Language Center Building

2008-08-16T01:01:00.002+10:00

This is what the building looks like.

Inside

Outside

More Mushrooms

2008-08-15T12:34:00.001+10:00

I was wondering where the mushrooms that grow in the bathroom here came from. I am not sure, but they study in the trees at Ewha University.

Ewha Lanuage Center

2008-08-15T12:12:00.002+10:00

The Pretty Sign

2008-08-15T10:43:00.001+10:00

On my way around Ewha, I noticed this street sign, on my way down the hill, it looked kinda pretty.

The way the light was reflecting.

Waiting For The Lifts

2008-08-15T03:50:00.004+10:00

Now this is how one should wait for the lifts to come.

These are what the lifts look like, without someone waiting for them ;)

Yuki and I spent a good hour at these lifts, and looking for photo oportunities that made use of the bright light from above.

It was a good night, being silly, taking photos in strange places.

More photos can be found here.

Shinchon At Night

2008-08-15T03:24:00.002+10:00

Korea, and Shinchon, like many places has it's good night time views, such as...

It also has it's street motels.. The place where you can sleep the night, at a low cost.

But it is not only Koreans that decide to sleep on the street, I too decided to see what all the fuss was about.. It is quite nice on the street.

DIY Shop Sign

2008-08-15T03:16:00.002+10:00

You don't need an electricians license, you just need a tire, a house light, and some plastic.

Here is a close up, in case you too want to make such a sign.

The Face of God ?

2008-08-15T03:10:00.001+10:00

I don't know that I see the face of god, nor do I see the face of Jesus in this chewing gum.. But I definitely see the face of a non-Korean.. It is happy and smiling..

Lunch

2008-08-14T14:49:00.000+10:00

Most people like it when I post pictures of lunch, or dinner..... No wonder Australia now beats America as the fattest country in the world.

Shame on you.!!!! Now that you feel bad, and have lost your appetite, enjoy these pictures of food.

(and a picture especially for Rachel.. enjoy it!!)

Stabbing Fish

2008-08-14T00:14:00.004+10:00

I was walking along Cheonggyecheon [청계천, 淸溪川, Ch'ŏnggyech'ŏn] as I often do when I have nothing else to do. I happened across these two. What caught my eye about them, was the girl was trying to stab fish with her umbrella.

I was waiting to get an action shot (of the fish stabbing), as her boyfriend was pointing out fish to her.

They noticed me watching them with my camera, I had a big smile, and they knew exactly what I was waiting for... As I demonstrated exactly what I wanted to take a picture of (her strange stabbing technique), we all burst out laughing, and I went on my way. (without the action shot, she became shy..)

Sometimes actions are all you need.

Cooling Off

2008-08-13T23:14:00.002+10:00

It was pretty hot today, so this guy was cooling down.

I am not sure that I would put my head in this stream...

Stage Coffee

2008-08-13T23:07:00.002+10:00

I guess I got here a little late, but when I got here, this woman was drinking coffee on the stage.. She was chased off by the security guards.

Minutes later three security guards were happy to chat with her.

Police Bike

2008-08-13T23:02:00.001+10:00

Here is a Police man on his bike.

I think it is a Harley, a Harley Compatible.

Korean Girls vrs....

2008-08-11T17:31:00.002+10:00

A few people have asked me how Korean girls compare to girls from other countries, luckily I don't have to make a video about it, someone else has...

Korea vrs Taiwan

How about vrs Swedish girls

Something Good

2008-08-11T09:19:00.006+10:00

Well after two posts like those (the next two) I should post something good.

Well I found a new vantage point, on top of a building. It gives some nice views of Shinchon[법정동], and surrounding area.

So what does a sunset look like in Korea ? Like this..

The Guys Are Just As Bad

2008-08-11T09:01:00.004+10:00

Now before you start to think from my last post that I only have it in for Korean girls.. The guys are just as bad at over-[re]acting (it must be a subject at school).

A typical situation I often see is a guy (not always drunk, but the sway adds to their performance) arguing with his girlfriend on the street. There may or may not be the girls friend involved too. He is yelling and screaming at her, she looks sad, she may or may not be yelling back. He is following her, making sure that the argument is in her face.

In the west, for someone to be that angry, someone if gonna get hit, and hit bad... And I watch in bemusement as to why anyone would have such a public show of emotions, anger, and well just why would you bring your private matters to the street, and out (so) loud. (well they do it for my entertainment actually, and so I have something to blog about)

So the Oscar for best over-[re]actor in a drama/reality show goes to that guy.

When A Tree Falls In The Forest

2008-08-11T08:38:00.005+10:00

I saw something the other day, it got me thinking. (why am I so negative towards Korea ?... no other than that..)

And the Oscar for best Over-[re]actor of the year goes to this girl...

So she and her boyfriend walks down the street.
The guy accidentally stands on her toe.
It is not too hard, nor did he have spikes in his shoes, or break her foot.
It was just a lite stand, bump or scuff.
So she acts like it is the end of the world, all huffed up, and acting like it is the most painful thing in the world (I don't think this girl will or should have babies).
So it got me thinking. She has just given the performance of her life, and got the Oscar. So what happens if I go over there, and really stamp on her foot, trying to break her toes, and make her foot bleed. How can she possibly react to that ? She has no where to go, no emotion left, she used it all on a simple scuff.

So to answer the age old question, if a tree falls in the forest, and there is on one around, will it make a sound ? If the tree is a Korean girl tree.. you bet, and you will hear about it for months, and possible even years after it, and the tree will win the Oscar the next year.

I Don't Hate Beer

2008-08-10T12:31:00.003+10:00

It is very photogenic...

I just wont drink the vile putrid stuff.....

A Place For A Good Time

2008-08-10T12:29:00.002+10:00

People wonder why I have not been having such a good time in Korea, obviously I haven't been going here..... As if I did...

Most Nights

2008-08-10T12:03:00.004+10:00

Most nights I hear the sound of people screaming 'ya' and the sound of stuff breaking. This stuff just happens to be plastic clip together tiles.

This guy sets up his plastic tiles, which people try to break, kung fu style.

This guy is pretty ambitious, he has a few girls to impress.

Got a blury photo half way through the bricks.

Happy girls get their cheap stuffed toys.

A Castle Dinner

2008-08-10T02:27:00.010+10:00

I ate dinner in a Medieval castle.. Well as close as you can get in Korea, without it being a love hotel.. Actually it was more like a German castle actually. The main item on the menu, sausages.. (actually it was just a place to drink beer and have 'snacks')

Now in this castle were sort of steins of beer, and sausages.

How much would you expect to pay for such lavish frankferters, as I think we call them.. You know, the cheap ones the butcher would give you as a child. The ones that are about 1 dollar a kg. Thats right 17,000 won (about 17 dollars)

You know there is no honor in Korea, all the Koreans say how wonderful it is here, but as you can see, on this bill it says "open" now in English, open, like open bar, means as much as you can have. When I tried to argue this point, they said "because they don't have a scan for the item". This is stupid, you have a menu, and you don't bother to put your items into the computer ? Well open means open, so give me my "all I can eat.." Koreans never accept when they are wrong...

It was also the most expensive coke I have had, 5 dollars for 1 can... Bloody Asia, discriminating against those who do not drink beer.. Why is it that in some pubs, 5 liters of beer will cost you 1 dollar, and 100ml of coke will cost you 5 dollars.. But that is another story, for another day.

And then there was the girls toilet.

6 Seconds at Cheonggyecheon

2008-08-09T15:52:00.003+10:00

Horse And Carriage

2008-08-09T15:49:00.002+10:00

I think most cities have this kind of thing.. I wonder where their stables are...

The Olympics

2008-08-08T22:11:00.004+10:00

Well the Olympics opening ceremony is on, and Shinchon is very quite for a Friday night. Maybe everyone is watching it.. The cute little girl with pig-tails is a terrible lip-syncer.... hehehe Reminds me of Milli Vanilli... I wonder if the little girl will blame it on the rain, that was falling, falling..

Which reminds me of the, almost nightly TV variety shows, no one sings live...

The picture quality is excellent, everything in Korea (well most of it) it HD. And even CRT style TV's can watch HD channels..

Actually I am enjoying the opening ceremony, if it wasn't for the Korean commentator who keeps talking [shut up].

Any Other Night

2008-08-08T22:07:00.003+10:00

This night, was a wed night, if I remember correctly, but it could have been a Friday, or a Monday night.. It is all the same..

I missed most of the fighting, and just got the tail end, and the girl crying.

If you are Korean you will hear some pretty bad words.....

Here is just the poor girl crying..

Poor poor drunk girl, who obviously argued with her friend. Probably her fault too, over a boy maybe.. Maybe it was me ??.. In any case, I wouldn't normally invade people privacy, and post such touching moments on the web. BUT (and never start a sentence with 'but') BUT if she is going to keep me awake with her fighting and crying.. Then she deserves to go on the internet.

McDonalds Style Advertising

2008-08-08T21:37:00.003+10:00

You know when you go to McDonalds, and you look at the picture, and you think, wow that burger looks good. Then you buy it, and it is smaller, and not as nice looking as the picture. Well here is tonights dinner...

The window display

What came out.

Yummy.. Lots of oil at the bottom of the dish..

What struck me most about the difference was the big chunks of meat in the window, and the absence of meat (well there were trace elements of it).

Myeongdong Gyoza

2008-08-06T22:16:00.005+10:00

Myeongdong Gyoza is apparently very famous in Korea, well at least in the Japanese guide books it is. There are only two places in Myeongdong that sell it, and they are I suppose a chain, as they have the same name... The easiest way to be "famous" in Korea, is play for advertising, and write your own reviews in guide books.

Street Food

2008-08-06T21:56:00.004+10:00

Here is some yummy street food you can buy in Korea.

I later noticed the presence of couple pants......an added bonus.

One but not the other.....

2008-08-06T16:05:00.003+10:00

WARNING : This story is about Bra's. It mentions the word Bra many times. If you are offended, look away.

In Korea, it is forbidden to see a bra strap through the neck of a t-shirt. You have to have clear plastic bra straps, or a strapless bra.

In the above picture you can see the clear plastic bra strap.

So answer me this.. Can you not also see this bra strap ? So what is the difference between this clear one and a black on ?

Which brings me to another fashion statement made by Korean woman. Orange bras under white t-shirts. Maybe it is just a pet hate, but if you are gonna wear white, wear a white bra, or skin coloured (or none)...

Now the girl in the above photos is not wearing an orange one. But her t-shirt under her white t-shirt illustrates my point about how transparent white is.

I would photograph a girl with an orange bra under a white t-shirt, but that crosses the line of what I am willing to photograph to put on my blog.

So to all you Korean girls, I can see your bra... and your bra straps when you wear orange.. Even if you have an orange bra, and clear straps... I can still see the bra.... You are not fooling anyone.

Stream At Sunset

2008-08-05T23:43:00.004+10:00

They call it the golden hour, as it makes many things look better than they really are.. This includes Cheonggyecheon stream :) It looks pretty good..

The other direction, and a little higher :)

Keeping Up With Fashion

2008-08-05T01:01:00.004+10:00

Sometimes it is better to start the fashion..

I call this the gogglicious collection...

1234 Back

2008-08-04T15:58:00.003+10:00

This song is for the girls.. It is popular among the girls here in Korea, but it is getting near the end of it's life. It's called "1234 Back" by "A'ST1"

Girls Fighting

2008-08-04T15:35:00.003+10:00

Girls Fighting
Originally uploaded by bovinemagnet

Before the concert, people came up on stage to dance to entertain the crowd. These two started fighting.