Korea Life Blog - New Computer


This is my first post with my new laptop and ADSL connection. The computer works great and the internet connection is lightning fast. I bought the computer at Note World, a small notebook computer shop in Technomart. It's a Presario 2510AP, Pentium 4 2.0 GhZ, 40 GB, 512 MB RAM, 15" SXGA screen, combo drive, 64 MB video Ram, English XP and Office. The guys there are really friendly and helpful. Don't forget to negotiate the price; they came down 50,000 and upgraded the memory from 256 to 512. It came with a free bag, mouse, and screen cleaner as well. They were supposed to give me anti-virus software, but they forgot. I'll have to stop back to get it.


Here it is. I got the 2000 Watt speaker set-up for only 40,000 Won, also at Technomart. The bass is thumping and the sound is bright and clear.



I like the new Compaq design. It resembles many of the Centrino models that I liked. The high resolution is crisp and clear. Pictures look much sharper and brighter. I love it. Check out my cool desktop picture, one I took at Gyeongbokgung Palace in Gwanghwamun.



|

written by shawn matthews    -|link

Korea Life Blog - DSL!

The DSL guy should arrive tomorrow morning finally. Now I will be able to write and update more often and never have to go to a noisy, smoky, dungeon-like PC bang ever again!


|

written by shawn matthews    -|link

Korea Life Blog - Poll

I turned off the moderator setting on the poll comments. I didn't realize it was on. Thanks for the comments there so far. My favorite one is "The most informative site on the web." That made my day.



|

written by shawn matthews    -|link

Korea Life Blog - In the News (3)


Ddong Chim takes another victim. Take a look at one of the funniest news stories in recent memory:




Arrest for "Ddong-Chimming" a Woman


"I don't have a girlfriend. Women seem to hate me. So I ddong chimmed them."

After a female passenger's butt was "ddong chimmed" on the subway, there was an arrest for this unprecedented incident.

On the stairwells of JongGak Station, Dongdaemun Stadium Station and other stations during rush hour, the late twenty-something Mr. Kim (unemployed), approached young women in pantsuits from behind, put both of his hands together, thrust them between their buttocks, and then quietly escaped after performing this bizarre deed.

Mr. Kim's bizarre behavior came to an end on the sixteenth when he was caught by a subway police team at Exit 12 of Dongdaemun Stadium Station. As usual, on this day he was looking around for a "target" at Dongdaemun Stadium Station. But fortunately, subway police were hiding, and they had him in their trap.

Mr. Kim, being unaware of this, spotted a 20-something woman, wearing a pantsuit, inside the station and followed her out. Then while she was standing at a street stall to buy something he came up to her from behind, dong-chimmed her with both hands and ran away. In spite of Mr. Kim's quick getaway, the subway police pursued and caught him.

According to the subway police, "Sexual misconduct happens quite a bit, but this was the country's first case of dong-chimming on the subway." "We were also very shocked," they revealed. Mr. Kim was arrested for sexual misconduct.

A police investigation revealed that Mr. Kim had also been fined in April 2001 for dong-chimming a female pedestrian at Dongdaemun Stadium Station. During the investigation Mr. Kim revealed, "Women seem to hate me, so I dong-chim them."

Nam Tae Hyun - Ilgan Sports





|

written by shawn matthews    -|link

Korea Life Blog - Computer Game Addiction

One of my Korean readers sent me a bunch of funny pictures she found on the net. I thought I used to have a computer game addiction when I got hooked on Diablo, Starcraft and other RPG games, but get a load of these losers:



Somebody better call the fire department and report this fire hazard. It seems someone has had way too much to drink and one too many cigarettes by the looks of it - take a look at that keyboard. It's just a matter of time before he kills himself and everyone else in his apartment building.



Another guy with a not so healthy lifestyle. A load of cigarettes, orange cola, soju, beer, ramyon, milk, toilet paper, coffee...looks as if this guy hasn't left his chair in a week. And check it out - he's even got a blanket for when he falls asleep playing his game.



Coca Cola hit the jackpot with this customer. Look at that pile of garbage! I can't imagine what kind of insects are living under in it. This guy's even got two monitors, one for computer games and one for Playstation 2. Judging from that Hulk/Ghost Rider poster and from the lack of booze and cigarettes, this is probably a teenager's bedroom. I'm not sure what kind of parents would put up with this however. Maybe it's a college dormitory.



|

written by shawn matthews    -|link

Korea Life Blog - Threatening the Customers


Customer service isn't always helpful and comforting in Korea. A picture sent in by one of my soon to be married readers. One of the signs says: "It is white. Don't touch it. If you do, you will get nosebleed!" If I knew where this place was, I'd go there and touch it on purpose, take it off the rack and examine it closely, then I would hang it up backwards. I can't believe someone would put this rude sign on something they are trying to sell. Sure is a thoughtful way of making people want to purchase something. The only thing it makes me want to do is leave my fingerprints on the outfit then, as the owner has a fit, feign foreigner ignorance and leave.



|

written by shawn matthews    -|link

Korea Life Blog

I've been a little busy but I'll update again soon. I got a computer finally and hopefully will be hooked up to the internet this week. I got a great deal on a laptop at Technomart. Last night I transferred off the pictures from my camera so I can take new ones again finally. The bad news is on the way back from Seoul this weekend I left my backpack on the bus. Fortunately it was the first time I didn't have my camera in the bag. However, I lost my Korea notebook in which I had penned another 50 or so pages on the Geoje-do story by hand and my other notebook with several long stories I wrote about living in the states. That really was depressing. I realized it immediately and we contacted the bus station several times but the bag wasn't turned in. At least I have the computer now and will be able to write more quickly, but I was really excited to rewrite what I had from my notebook. Oh well...that's life. I'll take a picture of the computer and write about it soon.


|

written by shawn matthews    -|link

Korea Life Blog - Chongak and Gang (4)

Since Chongak passed on things just haven't been the same in Nowhere-dong. I've also seen less of Agashi than usual. I think she's taken to hanging out behind the new raw seafood restaurant. However, the kitten has made it's permanent home under my apartment building, right under my window. She stays there day and night. No matter what time it is, if I meow out my window, she returns it back with a meow of her own. I think I have done her a disservice really. She seems totally dependent on me for food. If I don't feed her, I don't think she eats.



Here she is, hanging out under my window waiting for me to wake up. I haven't fed her since early yesterday. She spots me looking out. Her eyes grow big.



She seems a little angry about not having been fed. Just look at that face.



"So you forgot about me, huh? Well, I've been bored off my ass out here, half starving to death! It's about time you woke up. Where's my goddamn breakfast?"



She continued to meow at me like this for several minutes. Finally I broke down and gave her a dish of tuna I kept in reserve for such an occasion and mixed it up with some warm rice. While cute and funny to watch, she doesn't let me pet her. She'll sit by me for as long as I'm outside, though, and looks a little sad when I go. I wish there was an animal shelter around here.



While I was at the store I picked up these plastic dishes. I guess I'll be feeding the cats as long as I'm living here.



I guess I'm gonna need those dishes. There's a new cat on the scene. He's quite a character too, and he's already been trying to put the moves on the kitten. I had to dump a glass of water on his head to get him away from her the other day. One night I went out late with some tuna. No sooner had it landed in the dish, this cat jumped down from nowhere, grabbed a hunk and disappeared into the bushes as if he'd pulled a real fast one over on me. Just look at the size of him. He's certainly had no shortage of food wherever he's been hanging out.



|

written by shawn matthews    -|link

Korea Life Blog - TP Ten Pack



As I was walking down the street with this package, I ran into one of my students and her mother. There's nothing like meeting someone for the first time while holding a 10-pack of toilet paper. This is the smallest size they come in here, unfortunately. You can however buy single rolls at the smaller strores for 500 won.



|

written by shawn matthews    -|link