Korea Life Blog - Please Eat Here!



This must be one of the most degrading jobs in the service sector besides cleaning the squatters. How would you like to be the guy or girl who has to stand outside and urge people to eat at your boss's restaurant. It's not as if you're getting a commission. In fact, if you're successful you're just creating more work for yourself - more tables to clean, dishes to wash. If that was me out there, I'd be whispering to everyone, "My boss ran out of chicken so he's using the rats he caught in the kitchen last week." Either that or, "We're closing early, today. Sorry folks. Nothing to eat here, please move on."

This guy in the picture, as you can see by how far open his mouth is, was literally screaming at everybody nearby. It was so loud and annoying I felt the urge to snap his picture and make fun of him on my website. I'm not sure if he's really enthusiastic about his job, or if it's a way to vent of all that inner frustration. Anyway, it can get a little daunting walking down the street in Sinchon with all the workers outside yelling at you like this. My favorite is when you just finish a meal, walk outside, the the guy next door is yelling at you to eat more at his place.

written by shawn matthews    -|link

Korea Life Blog - Reminder

In case you don't read comments or haven't noticed, I've been updating The Windy Times and Geoje-do Part 6. Check them out if you're bored.

written by shawn matthews    -|link

Korea Life Blog - Punch the Foreigner Game


Is it me or does this look like a large American saying the Pledge of Allegiance? What better person than to punch as hard as you can! Could they make the nose, mouth and chin any bigger? It must be a foreigner!

written by shawn matthews    -|link

Korea Life Blog - Tattoo Removal (2)

Only read this post if you want to see KLB guy without his shirt on.



Here's my tattoo a couple of days after the second surgery. As you can see, it's still very red. Instead of having a black cross, I have a blood red cross on my arm, great! All I need now is some chains and a big knife. It's already scabbed up, flaked off and turned to pink since this picture. No sign yet of the black ink, but it should return faintly in a week or two. It didn't seem all that noticeable before this second surgery, but the doctor still claims it will take three more visits to fully eradicate the bugger. We'll see how it comes out this time. I may not even bother. I'm sure they just want to get as much money out of you as they can. The surgery takes less than a minute, zap, zap, zap: that'll be 80,000 won please. What a ripoff! I should say though that it's totally worth it to me. I've been ashamed of this thing since I got it 10 years ago.

Afterward I got a little carried away taking pictures of myself without a shirt. The last six months at the gym and now endless pushups and curls at home is finally paying off. Except for my stomach, I'm almost back to where I was before I broke my right arm last year. I'm also growing a beard, what do you think:



Julie likes it. She says I look like I come from the mountains. I kind of like it too, but it's a little annoying at work. My coworkers keep asking me what's wrong and "why don't you shaving?" And my students have to point it out seven times/minute and try to feel my face.



I told you I went overboard. I don't look like a rugged mountain man - I look like a creepy convict from state prison. Back up, Leroy! I ain't nobody's bitch. Seriously, it's hard to believe I only weighed 65 kgs less than 2 years ago. Now I'm at 80.

written by shawn matthews    -|link

Korea Life Blog - New Poll (8)


There's a new and exciting poll to take. Here are the results of the previously exciting poll:

Marriage Poll

my wife is korean 62 (30%)
my husband is korean 13 (6%)
we're both korean 13 (6%)
neither of us are korean 22 (10%)
im not married but want to 44 (21%)
no way - never going to marry 33 (16%)
i wish i never got married 8 (3%)
i'd like to strangle my spouse 7 (3%)

202 Total votes

There seems to be a lot of people who married a Korean girl. Congratulations to all of you. A lot other people want to get married. It's a little disturbing that 7 people are considering stangling their spouse.

written by shawn matthews    -|link

Korea Life Blog - Terorrism in Nowhere-dong?

According to commericals on AFN, the American Forces Network, I am supposed to be constantly on the lookout for terrorists. With every step, I find myself peering over my shoulders, paranoid, just waiting for the would be attacker to jump out of the weeds.



If these trucks don't look suspicious, I don't know what does. Could it be the terrorists are plotting to blow up the Nowhere-dong norae bang and mini mart? I snapped this picture and ran quickly away.

written by shawn matthews    -|link

Korea Life Blog - The Good Lawyer's Wife

It seems I'm not the only one who really enjoyed The Good Lawyer's Wife. Take a look:


South Korean film "A Good Lawyer's Wife" takes top honors at French fest


DEAUVILLE, France (AFP) - The South Korean film "A Good Lawyer's Wife", the story of a frustrated wife who starts an affair with a teenage boy, took home top honors at Deauville's Asian Film Festival.

The six-member jury, chaired by French director Olivier Assayas, wrapped up the four-day event in the French seaside town by giving the Golden Lotus award to director Im Sang-Soo for his third full-length feature, starring Moon So-ri.

A strong Korean presence and the return of action films, especially kung-fu flicks, marked the Deauville festival, which gave the special jury prize to Roystan Tan's "15", about five youths on the fringes of Singapore society.

The Lotus for best screenplay went to Japan's Haruhiko Arai for "Vibrator", directed by Ryuichi Hiroki, while the new "Action Asia" award went to Thai director Prachya Pinkaew for "Ong-Bak".

The international critics' prize went to the Indian film "Matrubhoomi" (A Country without Women) directed by Manish Jha, while the audience award went to the Bhutanese film "Travellers and Magicians" directed by Khyentse Norbu.

AFP



If you haven't seen it, go out and rent it. It's a really well presented, powerful story of a realistic, dysfunctional marriage.

written by shawn matthews    -|link

Korea Life Blog - Nowhere-dong Fashion


There's something wrong with this sock. It's just not as comfortable as it was a few years ago. I guess it's time for a new pair. Good thing there's a nice sock shop right up the street.




There it is, the Nowhere-dong sock shop. That little truck-store is always there on that corner. Seven days a week you can stop and pick up a 1,000 won pair of socks.




In addition to the socks, there's always a bunch of other outdoor clothing stores. It's a regular shopping mall extravaganza on the way up to the bus stop. I always wondered where those peculiar ajummas on the subway got their wardrobes. Now I know...




It's just like shopping at the Gap without having to travel to another country. Just walk up the street and you're in a trendy paradise.




Now I know one of these will look just perfect on Julie. Maybe I'll just buy the whole set. Won't she be surprised! Seriously, isn't this the worst fashion you've ever seen? What happens to people when they get older and start wearing these kind of clothes and thinking they look good. It's not only here, of course, back in America old people often dress equally as bad. My great aunt would probably buy the orange and green one in the back.

written by shawn matthews    -|link

Korea Life Blog - White Day (Mar 14)


Here's a shot of all the things I didn't have to buy for White Day. Stands like this were set up all over the city, especially outside subway entrances. Both Julie and I find these holidays to be only about marketing. That's why we don't take them seriously. Instead of perpetuating the wealth of chocolate companies, we would rather share a special gift or do something nice together spontaneously. When it's planned it, when you expect it, the romance is gone.

I'm still waiting for Julie to surprise me with tickets to New Zealand, though. Anytime now will be fine...n-not g-g-getting im-impatient.

written by shawn matthews    -|link

Korea Life Blog - Haejang Guk

Here it is, our special White Day lunch at the little restaurant just outside the yeogwan in Sinchon. There are two decent yeogwans right next to each other. The one we usually stay at is nice - there's a good selection of channels, a VCR, and the owner is really friendly. He doesn't care what time you check out the next day. The one next door is the same price but the rooms are much smaller, there's only about 5 channels and no video player, and the ajumma who runs it is a sour faced witch. She started banging on the door at 12:30 to kick us out. Anyway, it was a nice day, a romantic day, and after a wonderful morning poem Julie suggested haejang guk for lunch.



Here it is, mouth watering delight. Julie said the name implies it's good to eat if you have an upset stomach from drinking too much. While it's not usally popular with younger people, we both love it. I'm not really sure how to describe it. Like most Korean food it's salty and spicy. It has some kind of soft seaweed in it. The little dish up on the right is optional miniature shrimp in red salty sauce. Julie doesn't like it, but I think it balances off the soup nicely. There's not all that much to the meal, but you can't beat the price - just 2,500 won each. We were both full when we left. I wish they had a place like this in Nowhere-dong.



The best part is the self-service kimchi. Two kinds to choose from and no shortage. I must have eaten two dishes of each kind. While both were enjoyable, it's nice to have chongak kimchi (see the first pic) for a change. The delicious flavor erupts like a volcano in your mouth with each bite, boom! boom! pow!



A little more please, ajumma. Oops, that's Julie. Sorry about that.

written by shawn matthews    -|link

Korea Life Blog - Sunday

I'm in a PC bang with Julie in Sinchon. We met a bunch of foreigners off the English teacher's discussion forum last night. Julie was the only Korean girl there besides one guy's wife, so she ended up meet her friend and then we met up again later. I'm glad we did or else I probably would have stayed in Incheon with the gang and drunk too much. Instead of sleeping all day and feeling like crap with a hangover, I feel great. I got quite a few funny pictures and will post them later. Today's White Day and I made a beautiful poem for Julie which I read for her this morning:

Julie,
You're like an angel from the Korean day
Roses and rainbows and all that.
Beautiful girl. Wow.

She really enjoyed it. I think she almost cried, she was so happy. Then we went for a romantic haejang guk lunch. The special day comes only once a year so I didn't mind paying for the meal.

written by shawn matthews    -|link