This last weekend I went on a trip to Busan/Pusan with some friends. If you didn't know, Busan is the 2nd largest city in Korea and is located on the southern coast. Busan is about 280 miles south of Seoul so a pretty lengthy drive especially with traffic, unless you take the KTX. The KTX is amazing, it's a bullet train that travels all throughout Korea and a trip that would have normally been 5-6 hours of driving was only 3 hours on the train. Come on California your slacking here.
PIFF: We planned the trip so we would be there during the Pusan International Film Festival (PIFF). This being my first film festival I didn't really know what to expect but by the end I was throughly impressed. I ended up seeing three movies: Lion's Den, The Sky Crawlers and Gomorrah. Luckily I picked three movies that were completely different so there was no monotony. Lion's Den is a story about a pregnant Argentinian woman and her struggles as she's imprisioned for murder. The Sky Crawlers and Gomorrah were a double feature shown in an outdoor theater on the beach, about 3,000 people. The Sky Crawlers was an amazing Japanese anime and Gomorrah was a "contemporary Neapolitan mob drama based on an expose of Italy's criminal underbelly". Unfortunately I watched all three movies on the same day so by the end I was pretty much spent. But if any of you get the chance to see one of these movies I would highly recommend it.
Adventures: So there is a funny/scary story that I need to share with all of you, mostly funny but a bit scary. We arrived in Busan on Thursday night around midnight and went straight to our hotel to get settled in. Afterwards we decided to check out Haeundae Beach. While walking along the boardwalk I saw one of the funniest things I've seen in Korea so far. At most of the beach locations in Korea you'll find people selling fireworks and bottle rockets to tourist. Most people hold onto the bottle rockets while they shot out into the ocean. So as we're walking we spot a father and 6 - 7 very young children with bottle rockets in their hands. Mind you, me and my friends are standing there thinking about how this is a really bad idea. As the father goes through and lights them all, the children are holding them almost straight ahead rather then in the air. And as the fireworks shoot out there exploding onto a bunch of couples that are walking along the beach. It takes a while before many of them realize it and in the confusion they just scatter. Eventually after 8 to 10 shots the father realizes it and goes through pointing them all up. Fortunately no one was hurt which is what makes the story funny rather then scary. But amazingly I wasn't surprised by the events, I've come to accept that safety is subjective and in Korea somewhat overlooked.
Haeundae Beach is the biggest and one of the most popular beaches in Korea. This is just how busy it can get during the peak summer time. This isn't a picture that I took but one that I found on the internet.Compare it to the one that I took above. Many of you are probably thinking that this was photoshopped but I've spoken to people that have actually seen it this crowded.
Well I hope you enjoyed the posting, for more pics check them out at the following. (http://picasaweb.google.com/sunny.bae) Especially the bumper cars, they were awesome.
I was looking through my blog recently and realized that I haven't talked about one of my favorite places in Korea, the nori bang. Nori bang translates to singing room; which is a private room fully equipped with a karaoke machine, tv, surround sound, and to top it all off, tambourines. Most people usually go there after a night of drinking (drinking? who's drinking?) to sing their hearts out. It's a pretty amazing place to sober up and blow off some steam. You may be asking, aren't all the songs in Korean? Well most of them are, but there's actually a pretty decent selection of American songs (such as We Built This City). These places are open all night and conveniently located everywhere, and I mean on every corner.
It's a pretty common activity for people of all ages; I'veheard old ladies and families usually go during the day and the younger crowds and businessmen frequent them at night. Unlike the U.S. people here aren't embarrassed at all about singing in front of other people. That was something that took me some time to get over and occasionally I'm still a bit hesitant. But when your with your friends it's pretty relaxing. I'm also really impressed with how well Koreans sing, most of the people I've gone out with have blown me away. But as most of you know I'm no Marvin Gaye. Nonetheless the night feels empty if I haven't gone to a nori bang. So if any of you make it out here plan on singing.
Thank you to all of those that wished me a happy birthday, it meant a lot. No worries if you forgot, I've certainly missed plenty myself. I definitely had a good time though, dinner, drinks and of course the nori bang.
While I was looking through a list of some of the songs I came upon this music video by Lionel Richie. If you have the time you gotta check it out, it's amazing!
Recently I've felt like I've been in a rut so I decided to go do some exploring. The weather has been a lot nicer lately so it's been easier getting out. I'm still really looking forward to winter though, especially the snow. I don't think my friend Jon really thinks it's that much snow but he is from Minnesota.
Hiking: Recently Jon, Jamie and I went on a short hike near our houses. We hiked up to this very popular platform along the mountainside that overlooks the entire southern half of Seoul. Jon said that the view there was actually better than from the Seoul Tower. I've been back on my own and I'm still in awe of how huge Seoul is. I guess you really don't get the perspective until you see it from afar. Along the trail we also saw some bunkers and trenches that may be left over from the Korean War, but I'm not really sure about that. Either way they were pretty interesting.
Han River: Last weekend me and some friends went on a ferry ride along the Han River. The Han is the major river that runs through Seoul, kinda like the American but much bigger. Unfortunately it wasn't the greatest ferry ride I've been on, but it was still a good experience. The boat was moving a bit fast so it was tough taking pictures. The coolest thing I actually saw was this piece of volleyball art in the park where the boat was docked.
Korean War Memorial/Museum: This last Saturday I went and visited the Korean War Museum and man was I impressed. It was nice way to brush up on my Korean history and see an awesome array of warfare. It was pretty astonishing to see all these tanks, planes and artillery just sitting out in front of the museum. You can actually climb into some the tanks and planes.
I must be the worst blogger ever! It's been way too long since my last post, but I'll try to close the gap. It's been about a month since my last post and life has settled into a routine of work and weekends. It's pretty similar to back home except for being in a completely different country, so every things an adventure.
Baseball: This last weekend I went to my second baseball game and man am I hooked. It's amazing how much energy fills up the stadium. Right when you walk in you feel this overwhelming sense of awe from all the fans cheering and banging their thunder sticks. I know that baseball is America's past time but believe me Koreans know how to put on a show. The most surprising part for me was the amount of respect between rival fans. From what I saw there was no trash talking or heckling, it was pretty refreshing. And I'm officially a Doosan Bears fan; I've been to two of their games and hopefully more.
Olympics: Watching the Olympics in Korea was definitely a new and interesting experience. I've always lived in the U.S. so I've never experienced a foreign perspective. Since Korea is a small country it doesn't have near the number of participants as the U.S. or China. But believe me the entire country gets behind all the athletes and none get lost in the mix. I did get to see some events that are usually not televised in the U.S. archery, table tennis, judo, taekwondo and some others. Nonetheless I'm proud of all the medals Korea and the U.S. won, but I gotta hand it to the Korean baseball team.
I just had my first vacation here in Korea and it couldn't come soon enough. I loveliving in Seoul but being from California you just gotta get out sometimes and explore the outdoors. Me and three of my friends Mindy, Erica and Aura went and visited the volcanic island of Jeju just off the southern tip of Korea. It's very similar to Hawaii in many ways, the landscape is very similar to Oahu and it's also a hot spot for newlyweds. I really enjoyed the slow pace of the island, it was a nice change from the lifestyle in Seoul. Beaches: We visited three beaches while in Jeju, Jungmun, Hallim and Hamdeok. All three beaches were on separate parts of the island, Jungmun on the south, Hallim on the northwest and Hamdeok on the northeast. Fortunately we had amazing weather so it was nice to go swimming in the clear blue water. However the lifeguards were very restrictive in the areas you can swim, so that made it difficult to explore. Out of the three I enjoyed Jungmun the most because it had the best swimming area.
Halla Mountain: Since Jeju is a volcanic island, Hallasan the once active cinder cone volcano is the focal point for the island. On Monday Erica, Aura and I went to climb the mountain. We decided to take the easy trail up because based on our map it looked as if all the trails met a rim trail at the top. However when we got to the top there was no such trail which was pretty anticlimactic. However the trail up was beautiful, it followed a nice stream that then opened up to huge fields of green. I was really impressed with how well kept the trails were.
Attractions: It's pretty amazing how many attractions there are to visit in Jeju. To see all of them you would need to be on the island for at least a month. Even with the limited time and transportation I felt that we visited a lot of places. We visited two waterfalls, Cheonjiyeon and Jeongbang; one of the few in the Asia that falls into the ocean. We also visited Manjanggul lava tube, which has the world's largest lava column and two lava tube caves in Hallim park, where a lava tube joins up with a limestone cave. I thought all the lava tubes were pretty cool but I guess that just because I'm a rock nerd. One of the more interesting museums I've ever been to was the Sex and Health Museum on Jeju. I guess we didn't actually visit the inside of the museum but I think the sculptures outside were plenty interesting. Towards the end of our trip a cab driver recommended Hallim park so we went for a day, which had one of the most extensive bonsai gardens I've ever seen.
Food: Jeju is really well known for it's seafood and oranges, so while I was there I tried a bunch of new foods. One of my favorite new dishes was abalone rice porridge, which was amazing. At the same restaurant, which was recommended by a cab driver, we had some grilled white fish (not really sure what kind) but it was also delicious. Surprisingly I had one of the biggest and best tasting burgers on Jeju. While at Hallim Beach we met some foreign teachers who recommended a burger joint to us. I was a little skeptical because they described it as a pork burger with mostly vegetables. But as soon as I bit in I was hooked. All the vegetables and herbs were grown in the garden out in front of the restaurant and the herb bread was baked fresh daily. The restaurant was also run by a very friendly Korean family who gave us two loaves of beard to take home with us because we were the last customers of the day.
If any of you are ever planning on visiting Korea I would definitely recommend Jeju, it was a one of the most beautiful and interesting places I've ever visited.
Sorry it's been so long since my last post. I've had so much to write about but just haven't taken the time. So my friend John had two friends visit from the States, Danielle, who is from Chicago and Brooke, who is from Washington D.C. It was a pretty eventful week, John was playing tour guide most of the time but I got to sit along for the ride. Danielle and Brooke said they had an amazing time, if any of you are thinking of visiting.
Fish Market: We visited a fish market for dinner on Friday night. It was late so all the vendors weren't out but it was still amazing to me. We got to pick out our own fish (red snapper, i think) and king crab for dinner. They killed the fish in front of us and sliced him up sashimi style, he was delicious. There is a bunch of restaurants below the market where you go to devour your meal. The restaurant also uses the rest of the fish to make a soup called meauntang, which translates to spicy soup. Which I was surprised to see how not spicy it was, but still yummy.
Seoul Racecourse: On Saturday we visited the race tracks, and man did I get hooked. There is an area that is solely dedicated to foreigners, which has big fluffy chairs and a great view of the track. It was interesting to learn about the betting system and the horse racing culture. Ultimately I only lost about 20, 000 won ($20) but I at one point I had a great opportunity to win a bunch of money. The excitement and sounds of the people and horses is well worth the little I lost, but hopefully I won't be returning too often.
Hongdae: After the race track we took the girls to Hongdae, which is one of my favorite night spots in Seoul. It is the area surrounding Hongik University so it has a very youthful and exciting vibe. We went to a kalbi restaurant for dinner, which I thought was pretty tasty. Afterwards we went to a hookah bar called "Bricks" which had a nice dark, intimate ambiance. It also had some very interestingly named drinks, such as the fuzzy nipple. We all had a pretty good time, but were beat when we got home at 5 am, which is early in Seoul standards.
Gwanaksan: We went for a hike up Gwanaksan on Sunday morning, after our night in Hongdae. Unfortunately I wasn't feeling my best but I rallied on, and I'm glad I did. Gwanaksan is a small mountain in Seoul with a beautiful Buddhist temple near the peak. I thought it was a pretty difficult hike, with the heat and humidity, but my friends were flying up it. At the temple it was amazing, so beautiful I felt no need to climb the last 0.6 km to the peak. At the bottom of the mountain we ate at a restaurant built along the river. We had some pajang, which is similar to a vegetable pancake and some makali, unfermented rice wine.
Unfortunately John and I had to go back to work on Monday, but Danielle and Brooke did their own exploring around Seoul. All in all I think they had a great time, so if any of you are thinking about coming out I would be happy to show you around.
I've decided to try something new with the blog. I've been in Korea for 2 months now and there's been so much that I've learned but it's been difficult sharing my thoughts. So I've decided every two months I'm gonna write a special blog entry of all the things I've learned. I hope you enjoy them.
1. Physical appearance is king in Korea.
From my experience most people judge you largely on how you look. Walking down the street I get a lot of stares because I'm big. Since most Koreans are thin, when they see someone who is not, it's a spectacle. When you apply for a job you will almost always have to submit a picture of yourself. And Korean girls are way too skinny.
2. Korean food is amazing but an acquired taste.
Since I grew up with Korean food (thanks mom) the culinary transition has been amazing. But many foreigners I know have had a tough time with the spiciness of the food. I guess my taste buds have been destroyed by years and years of kim chi.
3. Korean mothers are hard to please!
I originally thought the schools were to blame for my academic frustrations but was I mistaken. With education being so competitive here, Korean mothers will do anything to give their children an edge. They will use ultimatums to get their child into a school. "I'll tell all the other Korean mothers not to come to your school if you don't admit my child." Even if the academic level is beyond their means. They will also find entrance exams so their child will have a better chance of getting into the school. I mean they even accost school directors at local spots: coffee shops, grocery stores and etc.
4. Humidity and long hair sucks.
I've been too scared to get a haircut because I've heard some horror stories, so I may just grow it out. We'll see how long that lasts.
5. Korean people love pizza and fried chicken.
Which totally contradictes there need to look thin.
6. Safety is not a concern in Korea.
No smoke detectors Seat belts are not required by law unless you are in the front seat, which is commonly ignored anyways. Pedestrians don't have the right of way, I've almost been hit by a car or motorcycle countless times. People run red lights like they eat kim chi
7. Not having a dryer sucks.
Can't put off laundry, first time I've actually had to plan my laundry.
8. Public transportation is amazing!
The subway is quick and runs crazy frequently. Wish it ran late at night though (see below).
9. Taxis are cheap.
You can pretty much go across Seoul for under 20,000 won ($20) But most places you'll go are under 7,500 won ($7.50).
10. Koreans are stressed, but have cheap stress relievers.
soju - 1500 won ($1.50) [stay away from stairs though] cigarettes - 2000 won ($2.00)
Kids stay away from this stuff!
11. Korean people love fatty meat.
Sam geup sal (fatty pork) - 10,000 won ($10.00) Pork tenderloin - 3,500 won ($3.50)
Wierd huh?
12. Seoul is FULL of cars, why?
I know all of you Californians are complaining about $4.00 a gallon but imagine this. In Korea a liter is about 2,000 won, with a quick conversion of 3.78 liters = 1 gallon. Koreans are paying 7,400 won ($7.40) a gallon. And man do they drive! With the amazing public transportation you would think, why? Well in Korea your car is a status symbol, just like in the U.S. but times 100.
13. Gyopo for life!
A gyopo is a Korean foreigner (me), and man are we not accepted. In Korea if you don't speak Korean fluently, and I mean fluently, they know your gyopo. In some cases foreigners are accepted more then gyopos are, they have an excuse, their foreigners.
14. Hangul udlrp da. (Korean is hard.)
Korean is a difficult language to learn. Even with the little background I have, I still struggle to communicate on a daily basis. I figured out that I'm at a 4 year olds level. Immersion is the best way huh?
15. Koreans want to learn English...right?
Even though parents send their children to English hawgwans by the thousands no one speaks English. If you speak English out in public you get awkward stares. I heard a story that a student had to dumb down his English at school because he would get beat up by the other students for speaking so well. So you tell me do they really want to learn English?
16. Shower/Bathroom or Bathroom/Shower
It's not so bad having your entire bathroom as a shower. It forces you to order your bathroom use, but it's constantly being cleaned, right?
17. Korean internet is wicked fast!
For those of you that know me, that makes a difference. I get about 14,000 - 21,000 kb/s for about 14,000 won ($14.00) won a month.
18. Korea is a beautiful country, somewhere out there.
I've seen bites and pieces of the countryside but haven't really stepped out of Seoul. Which I plan to change at the end of July when I head to Jeju island, the Hawaii of Korea. A whole week to vacation, can't wait!
19. Use two hands when you exchange money.
It's a sign of respect.
20. Don't hold your spoon and chopsticks in the same hand.
It's a sign of disrespect, but I'm still not convinced about this one.
21. Fruit is crazy expensive.
1 Apple - 1,300 won ($1.30) 7 Bananas - 3,500 won ($3.50) Small basket of cherries [5 handfuls] - 25,000 won ($25.00)
And molds crazy fast.
Banana 3 days tops, your lucky if you get 2.
22. Compassion for U.S. immigrants.
Understanding what immigrants go through is something you can't read about in a book or see in a movie. It's something that you have to experience personally. Before I left the U.S. I identified myself as an immigrant and I guess in the sense of the word I am. But this experience has truly allowed me to see a glimpse into what immigrants, like my parents went through. The unbelievable part is that I'm getting a sugar-coated version because I look Korean, eat Korean and speak baby Korean. I truly appreciate how much courage and commitment it really takes to uproot yourself out of your comfort zone and throw yourself into a foreign land. So believe me when I say this, it has been an experience.
PIFF: We planned the trip so we would be there during the Pusan International Film Festival (PIFF). This being my first film festival I didn't really know what to expect but by the end I was throughly impressed. I ended up seeing three movies: Lion's Den, The Sky Crawlers and Gomorrah. Luckily I picked three movies that were completely different so there was no monotony. Lion's Den is a story about a pregnant Argentinian woman and her struggles as she's imprisioned for murder. The Sky Crawlers and Gomorrah were a double feature shown in an outdoor theater on the beach, about 3,000 people. The Sky Crawlers was an amazing Japanese anime and Gomorrah was a "contemporary Neapolitan mob drama based on an expose of Italy's criminal underbelly". Unfortunately I watched all three movies on the same day so by the end I was pretty much spent. But if any of you get the chance to see one of these movies I would highly recommend it.
While walking along the boardwalk I saw one of the funniest things I've seen in Korea so far. At most of the beach locations in Korea you'll find people selling fireworks and bottle rockets to tourist. Most people hold onto the bottle rockets while they shot out into the ocean. So as we're walking we spot a father and 6 - 7 very young children with bottle rockets in their hands. Mind you, me and my friends are standing there thinking about how this is a really bad idea. As the father goes through and lights them all, the children are holding them almost straight ahead rather then in the air. And as the fireworks shoot out there exploding onto a bunch of couples that are walking along the beach. It takes a while before many of them realize it and in the confusion they just scatter. Eventually after 8 to 10 shots the father realizes it and goes through pointing them all up. Fortunately no one was hurt which is what makes the story funny rather then scary. But amazingly I wasn't surprised by the events, I've come to accept that safety is subjective and in Korea somewhat overlooked. 
Haeundae Beach is the biggest and one of the most popular beaches in Korea. This is just how busy it can get during the peak summer time. This isn't a picture that I took but one that I found on the internet. Compare it to the one that I took above. Many of you are probably thinking that this was photoshopped but I've spoken to people that have actually seen it this crowded.
