Korea Life Blog - Oba OB




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



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written by shawn matthews    -|link

Korea Life Blog - Barber Babes




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


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Korea Life Blog - Store on Wheels


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



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



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written by shawn matthews    -|link

Korea Life Blog - Eel Delight


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



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



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


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Korea Life Blog - Bachelor's Dinner




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




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



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


Update:

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


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Korea Life Blog - Cheon Won Store


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



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



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



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



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Korea Life Blog - Surprised Pig




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



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Korea Life Blog - Sadang, Seoul at Night


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




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



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



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



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



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



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


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


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Korea Life Blog - Bus Seat Advertising



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


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Korea Life Blog - Happy Liquor Pia




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



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




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


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Korea Life Blog - Natural Siding



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


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written by shawn matthews    -|link